1852 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



523 



pectfully say, that such teams ought to have been i five narrow prongs of cast steel, completed in one 

 there. This operation is at the foundation of all solid joint without joint or weld." 

 culture; and although great improvements have 

 been made in plowing, many more remain to be 



made. One feature of the work is worthy of all 

 praise — the deliberation with which it was done. 

 We want teams to work for the premium, as the 

 good farmer would work them at home ; we want 

 no "noise and confusion" there. 



Although we are decidedly in favor of short 

 speeches at a dinner-table, we are not able to pen a 

 short accovnt of a Cattle Show. There are always 

 so many things seen, that the half cannot be told. 

 The best part of the exercises of this occasion is 

 still to be mentioned, viz., the address at the 

 church by Dr. Daniel Lee, of Rochester, N. Y. — 

 Saving an cjifra Aa//" /jowr in length, this was a 

 model performance. No man has a right to take 

 up more than one hour in a speech, on such an oc 

 casion. As much can be said in an hour as can be 

 remembered, and what is the use of saying more? 

 Dr. Lee is full of the matter — and with his ears of 

 corn, potato and apple as mementos — capable of 

 giving as instructive an address, as any other man. 

 We have full notes of it, but we should prefer that 

 he would give it to the public in his own words. 

 Every man himself can best express what he intend- 

 ed to say, and nq one without his consent should 

 say it for him. Where science is involved, it is 

 hazardous for those who do not themselves know, 

 to attempt to express the knowledge of others. 

 Dr. Lee is certainly a learned man — and so far as 

 we have witnessed, an accomplished gentleman ; 

 we think the farmers of Franklin were fortunate 

 in procuring the services of a teacher so able for 

 the occasion, but should ourselves have felt bet- 

 ter instructed by the practical experience of some 

 of their own number. We hold to the belief that 

 County Addresses should be the product of the 

 County. 



Oct. 8, 1853. 



HEAVY SPADE VS. LIGHT FORK. 



Dickens, in Household Words, gives an account 

 of a trial of the comparative merit of these two 

 implements at an agricultural gathering at Tiptree, 

 the seat and farm of Mr. Mechi. The spade used 

 was the ordinary farm spade, while the fork was 

 two pounds lighter than the ordinary agricultural 

 fork. It was ascertained that the furk would dig 

 up easily hard strong ground that the spade could 

 not efficiently do. The prongs of the light fork 

 yield place to the stones and bend round them, 

 loosening the soil and springing instantly when 

 withdrawn into their original form. 



A trial was also had between the light fork and 

 the ordinary rigid and broad-ljladed fork. " The 

 man with the light fork earned four shillings while 

 tlie other was earning two shillings and three 

 pence, and the heavy fork after the match, re 

 quired an outlay of sixpence for repairs. The sav' 

 ings in repairs and renovation, pay for the light 

 fork several times in the course of the year, and 

 in the labor the saving is so great that the man 

 using this fork is said to lift — by the saving of 

 two lbs. in each effort — five tons less in the course 

 of a day's work than his old-fashioned neighbor. 

 It was ascertained by repeated trial thnt laborers 

 with the light fork were able to perform their 

 work more thoroughly with a saving of twenty 

 per cent of labor. These forks were composed of 



For the New England Farmer. 



RUSSET APPLES, &0. 



Mr. Editor : — I was interested in reading your 

 description of the Hunt Russet Apple, in the 

 weekly Farmer of Nov. 27th, 1852, and I wish to 

 make some further inquiries. I think I may have 

 the same kind, but am not certain, as I obtained 

 it under a different name. You say, "We are 

 inclined to think that the Hunt Russet is identical 

 with the apple described by Cole, Downing and 

 Thomas, .as the English Russet.''' (a.) Cole, in 

 describing the American Golden Russet, calls it 

 also Hunt's Russet, and says, "Origin, Hunt farm, 

 Concord, Mass." Again you say, "Ihe tree is 

 slow in coming into bearing." (b). Is it so when 

 grafted on bearing trees, or only when raised from 

 the ground ? My scions were completely covered 

 with blossoms the second spring after setting ; 

 the apples are reddish in the sun, and fully answer 

 Cole's description of the American Golden Russet, 

 under which name I received the scions. Do you 

 think they are the true Hunt Russet ? (c.) 



More than forty years ago, a kind of apples were 

 introduced into this section, called the English 

 Russet, and fifteen or twenty years afterwards, 

 others called Roxbury Russet. The only differ- 

 ence that I know of in the trees or fruit is, the 

 English Russet is greener, more acid, and keeps a 

 little later. They may have been, originally, the 

 same. 



The Red Russet, though comparatively new, I 

 think bids fair to take the precedence of all late- 

 ke^eping apples. It is a great grower. In my nur- 

 sery of more than thirty kinds, I find it only equalled 

 by the Hubbarston and Baldwin. The apples 

 keep very late. A friend gave me a few last win- 

 ter, and, although they were much handled and 

 exposed, they kept much better than my RoxJDury 

 Russets. To be short, from the best information 

 I can obtain, the trees grow and bear as well as 

 the Baldwin, and are adapted to the same kind of 

 soil ; the quality of the apple is as good as the 

 Baldwin, and they will keep at least as late as the 

 Roxbury Russet. 



The question has been asked. Will scions, taken 

 from young trees, bear as soon as those taken 

 from old ones? The following kinds, taken from 

 small nursery trees, blossomed the second spring 

 after setting, and bore fruit the same season : 

 Red Astrachan, Cole's Quince, Bars, Hawley, 

 Minister, Ladies' Sweeting. 



Wm. G. Churchill. 



Deerfield, N. H., Oct. 1st, 1853. 



Remarks. — (a.) It has been supposed by many 

 persons that the old English Russet and the Hunt 

 Russet are identical ; but, from a careful compar- 

 ison of the two, we are confident that such is not 

 the case. The Hunt Russet, undoubtedly, origin- 

 ated where Cole locates it. (b.) When grafted 

 on thrifty trees, the Hunt Russet grows well, but 

 not so rapidly, we think, as the Baldwin or Hub 

 bardston. (c.) No: not if they agree with Cole's 

 description of the English Russet, 



