138 [Assembly 



and filled with surface soil, lime, rubbish, bones, charcoal dust, and 

 in fact any substance capable of decay; after which the plants are 

 placed in the surface soil 7 inches above the contiguous border, as it 

 will sink when it consolidates. The roots should be spread fan 

 shaped, and the tree gently shaken while the operation is performing. 

 This should not be headed down until May, if they are set in the 

 fall, which I think the best season. The plum tree is a native of 

 Asia; the Damascene derived its name from Damascus. It is ar- 

 ranged by Linna:!us in his twelfth class, and has for years been natu- 

 ralized in America, and now produces large crops in various parts of 

 our country. The State of New-York appears to suit it admirably. 

 If a tree be planted, thousands will spring up around it, producing in 

 a few years fine varieties, such as the Washington, Jefferson, and 

 others that might be named, surpassing many of their best foreign 

 varieties. This tree particularly enjoys heavy rich loam land. A 

 strong decoction made of the bark is used by the inhabitants of Fin- 

 land to cure venereal diseases. 



A little salt occasionally placed around the roots is an advantage to 

 their growth. Coe's Golden Drop, Bleecker's Gage, Jefferson, Orange 

 and Washington are among the largest and best. When you select 

 for planting, choose such trees as have straight single stems. Dig 

 your holes three feet in diameter and two feet six inches deep, below 

 that depth soften the sub-soil with your spade, then throw in some 

 well rotted manure, a little salt, a handful of lime, and some fine 

 charcoal dust, after which some surface soil, incorporate them well, 

 then surface soil four inches above the surrounding earth. Set your 

 tree as recommended for apricots, fill in with surface soil by hand to 

 cover the roots, then compost, and after the subsoil first taken out, 

 tamper the ground firmly about the tree, place a stake to it and tie it 

 thereto; and you may expect an abundant crop from it in one*sixth 

 the time usually obtained by the mode of planting generally adopted. 

 Last year, plum trees, around which I had placed a quantity of an- 

 thracite coal ashes, bore a fine crop, at least three years before I anti- 

 cipated obtaining a single plum, as they were really too young to 

 bear. It yielded to them sulphate of lime, potash and soda, besides 

 imperfectly burnt coally matter ; it is a capital manure, and may be 

 applied advantageously to any growing crop. 



The P( ach, (Amygdalus Persica,) is a native of Persia; it belongs to 

 the twelfth class of Linnseus, and was brought in the days of the Em- 



