1853. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



501 



CULTIVATION. 



" Notes by the Way," on several farms in Es- 

 ses county, p. 425. " Old Fields " is an earnest, 

 sprightly written article on reclaiming exhausted 

 rye fields, which, the writer hopes, " may at least 

 elicit information from others." The succeeding ar- 

 ticle, — " Stubble Lands — The Roller," — in which 

 it is stated that an acre of well set grass land con- 

 tains from " thirty to forty tons of soluble mat- 

 ter," better explains the sterility of pine plains, 

 by the proportionate absence of this vegetable 

 matter, than does the mineral theory on Avhich 

 the article on old fields is based. I^aying down 

 land to grass, with turnips, inquiries and answers, 

 p. 406. 



CURIOUS. 



Bird's eggs in a cavity in the middle of a log, p. 

 408 ; battle between a hen and a rat, p. 406. 



FRUITS AND FRUIT TREES. 



For one, I wish to thank the writer for his 

 lucid article, "An hour with a Budder," p. 396, 

 which, with some remarks by the editor, p. 412, 

 on the general principles and results of the art, 

 will, I hope, induce many to attempt some im- 

 provement of fruits in sections where improvement 

 is much needed. Two articles on Grapes — one 

 against summer pruning, p. 407 ; and the other, 

 p. 432, on the uses and value of the fruit. In- 

 quiry for best sweet apple, p. 521 ; directions for 

 drying peaches, and discussion by members of 

 Massachusetts Horticultural Society on the culti- 

 vation of the Pear, p. 422 ; remarks on the Cur- 

 rant, with a cut of a bunch of fruit of May's Vic- 

 toria ; successful upland Cranberry culture in Dan- 

 vers. 



EXHIBITIONS. 



Vermont State Agricultural Society, p. 400 ; 

 List of State Fairs in 1853, and of County exhibi- 

 tions in Massachusetts, p. 414. 



EXPERIMENTS. 



In manuring Peas, p. 415, and in growing the 

 Marrow Squash, p. 419. 



GARDEN. 



Remarks on Earthing up Celery, by one who 

 took the first prize of the Massachusetts Horticul- 

 tural Society, last fall, p. 425 ; on trimming To- 

 mato vines, p. 430 ; and on the medicinal and 

 palatable uses of this fruit. 



HIGHWAYS. 



To a person who had been accustomed to the 

 perplexities of street feeding that prevails in most 

 of the States of the Union, the comparative ab- 

 sence of cattle in the highways of Massachusetts 

 is a most pleasing feature. Where cattle are al- 

 lowed to run at large in the highway, a quiet, 

 peaceable neighborhood can hardly be expected ; 

 for encroachments upon the rights of neighbors 

 are so frequent as to keep bad feelings constantly 

 stirred up, as the result (5f disputes, quarrels, or 

 litigation. The article, " Highways— a beautiful 

 Feature," p. 404, gives us a picture of a highway 

 that might be cheaply realized, but which is too 

 seldom seen. 



IMPLEMENTS. 



II. F. French, Esq., gives a description of a 

 trial of one of Ketchum's, and one of Emery's 

 Mowing Machines, which he witnessed in Green- 

 bush, N. Y. As many farmers are beginning to 



think of mowing as well as raking by machines, 

 this plain account of the practical operation of two 

 different machines will be very acceptable — p. 39o. 

 In " Notes by the Way," however, we are told 

 by the writer that, on the farm of Mr. Waters, of 

 Beverly, he saw " a mowing machine, that had 

 been operated a little, laid aside for want of skill 

 in those who worked it," — p. 426. Such fiiilures, 

 at first, are to be expected. David Lyman, of Mid- 

 dletown, Ct., has tried one of Ketchum's, and 

 speaks highly of its operations, — p. 416. On p. 

 401, we find a cut and descriptionof a Hoeing Ma- 

 chine, and on p. 433, are cuts of pruning and bud- 

 ding knives, and a Scraper. Good tools are cer- 

 tainly desirable ; but I would caution boys against 

 excusing themselves from acquiring a practical 

 knowledge of budding and grafting on the ground 

 of the want of the full card of knives here pictured 

 out. The results of this art are so wonderful, that 

 those who have never practised it are apt to sup- 

 pose the process more difficult and complicated 

 than it is. Many families of boys grow up to ma- 

 turity without any practice, and often with the 

 impression that there is some mystery in the art, 

 that puts success out of their reach. Boys, and 

 girls too, with nothing but ordinary pocket knives, 

 a nice little "ivory" wedge made of some hard 

 wood, and a single leaf of the Farmer, — " An hour 

 with a Budder " — may, if they try, change worth- 

 less apples, plums, pears, &c., to the best fruit 

 that grows in the neighborhood — and then buy 

 better knives when they have opportunity. Gar- 

 den and Fire Engines, recommended, p. 404. No- 

 tice of Ax making in East Douglas, p. 433. 



INSECTS. 



Tobacco liquor for the onion worm, p. 400 ; To 

 prevent bugs from eating vines, p. 402 ; Three 

 articles on the Canker or Palmer worm, by which 

 it appears that it has been observed in small num- 

 bers for several years, in some places. 



MANURES. 



Leached ashes recommended for top dressing and 

 for peach and apple trees, p. 390. But, say some 

 hundred voices, at once, every body knows ashes 

 to be good, and we use all we can get. Do you ? 

 If you have a swamp on your farm, read what Mr. 

 Stevens says about making ashes, p. 423. Food 

 for crops, p. 416, is suggestive, rather than dicta- 

 torial ; calculated rather to set farmers to think- 

 ing for themselves, than to save them this trouble 

 by specific directions. In the article ob " Old 

 Fields," p. 426, the theory of " Mineral Manures " 

 is relied upon. The writer says, of our old rye- 

 fields, "There is still vegetable mould; and the 

 pabulum of other plants, than rye, still exist in 

 sufficient quantities." Now, I supposed the very 

 thing these old fields lacked was vegetable mold, 

 and thought science confirmed this supposition. 

 On page 88 of Albany Cultivator for 1845, is a 

 table of analyses of specimens of several Kentucky 

 soils, which, but for want of room, I would 

 copy. The writer says, " The above analysis 

 shows that all our old fields want is vegetable 

 matter." Prof. Wells, of Cambridge, who de- 

 voted the summer of 1851 to analyzing the soils 

 of Ohio, in the employ of the State Board of Agri- 

 culture, says the reason of the difference between 

 the rich soils of Ohio and the poor soils of Massa- 

 chusetts, " will not, probably, be found in their 

 mineral constituents."— Mass. Trans. 1851, p. 



