NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



On low lands, on soils of a tenacious character, 

 •where black mud or clay predominates, avo think the 

 application of manure on the furrow to be mixed with 

 the soil with the harrow is preferable ; manures 

 buried deep beneath such soils would be less likely 

 to receive sufficient influence from the sun and atmos- 

 phere to decompose and evolve the gases in season 

 to benefit the crops, besides the liability of such 

 lands to bo inundated and overilowcd by powerful 

 rains, which would leach the soil and transport much 

 of the manure beyond the reach of ve^-etation. 



II011AC:E COLL.1MOIIE. 

 Pemeuoke, Mass., N'ov. 1848. 



For the Neic Eiigland Farmer. 

 THE ORCHARD. 



Mr. Editor : Now that the farmer has secured his 

 ample harvest, and a season of comparative leisure is 

 before him, it is natural that he should turn his mind 

 to future employments in his honest and laborious 

 calling. He now wisely arranges, in his view of the 

 coming year, which field shall bo devoted to corn and 

 which to wheat, which to this crop and which to that, 

 &c., until the next harvest almost rises in perspective 

 before him, as the long winter passes away. 



Among things entitled to his notice, and worthy 

 of his care, the orchard comes in with a superior claim. 

 What healthful delicacies it affords his family, and at 

 how cheap a rate ! A few hours' labor and a little 

 timely care each year, and he may have a complete 

 cycle of choice apples, pears, plums, cherries, and 

 oftentimes peaches, in their several seasons, to regale 

 his taste and contribute to his comfort. There are 

 no luxuries of foreign climes so cheap, so healtliful, 

 and so delicious as these ; yet how shamefully is 

 their culture, even in this age of progress, neglected 

 while thousands of dollars are expended every year in 

 the purchase of foreign fruits, which, in too many 

 instances, operate to the detriment, instead of the 

 benefit, of the consumer. Let this money be ex^jend- 

 ed in fruit trees adapted to our lands and Avhat a 

 saving would result in a short time ! Being amply 

 supplied \;\th. fresh fruits, we should no longer crave 

 the insipid and stale ones, which are too often 

 picked in an immature state, in order to enable them 

 to bear transportation. 



But, says the aged man, " I am too old to i^lant young 

 trees ; I should never live to see them bear." He 

 may not, and the young may not live to realize the 

 fruit of their labors. But will this give them an ex- 

 cuse for neglecting any of the provident duties with 

 regard to the future ? " Work while the day lasts," 

 is an injunction applicable to temporal as well as 

 spiritual things, and applies to the aged as well as 

 to the young ; for who knows but both may enjoy the 

 fruit of their labors ? AVe see men, even in the latest 

 years of a protracted life, anxious to secure a good 

 bargain, in order to gain o.fcw dollars more, to be be- 

 queathed to thcu' children. Is it any more unrea- 

 sonable for them to be anxious to leave the old field 

 in a high state of cultivation, beautifully dotted over 

 with luxuriant fruit trees, ready every spring to per- 

 fume the air with theii- blossoms, in tribute to his 

 fragrance who gave thein locality, and every autumn 

 resting thoir rich and mellow fruit upon the lap of 

 earth, emblematical of his mature fall into the kind 

 bosom of the mother of all men r Aged men, arise 

 and plant, and your country will pay tribute to your 

 patriotism and posterity ; and as they look upon your 

 labors of love and kindness, will rise up and call you 

 blessed. 



It is to the young, however, that fruit culture 

 commends itself with the richest inducements. And 

 what brighter remembrancer of youth's joyful days, 

 can wc have than in the tree that commenced life's 



journey at our side, and is yearly giving richer and 

 kinder memorials of the gratitude for our care in its 

 protection in its ample foliage and delicious fruit ? 



To the young, then, rise and plant. Yes, plant ; 

 sow yoiu- fi-uit seed in a mellow soil, and next sjjring, 

 when the young germs appear, keep them free from 

 weeds as you should your hearts from the vices that 

 surround you. When of a proper size, graft them 

 with your hands, and give them, through all the 

 period of thoir early growth, the service they may 

 require. What a pleasure it will be to you in old 

 age, after having been regaled year after year with 

 their bounties, to tell to all ai-ound you, "That tree 

 in that orchard I raised from the seed. I grafted and 

 transplanted it with my own hands, and by my timely 

 pruning gaA'e it the beautiful, open head it now 

 possesses. It has repaid me a thousand times for my 

 earnest watching and timely cares. It must soon 

 pass to the benefit of others, but I am happy that I 

 have so rich a legacy to leave them. With proper 

 care, it will be an ornament for years to come, and its 

 fruit a blessing to other generations. If they neglect 

 it, and let it perish for want of nurture, the loss Li 

 theus. Young men! now I am old, listen to my 

 advice, and plant, for your own pleasure and profit, 

 and the good of posterity. W. BxiCON. 



Ellenwood, Oct. 1848. 



MANURE. 



There is not a farmer in all the land that is not 

 aware of the great importance of manure ; yet only a 

 few practise upon this knowledge, and gather up the 

 fi-agments, that nothing may be lost. Not more than 

 one tenth of the farmers in our country arc strict econ- 

 omists as to manure. A great many allow of a most 

 extravagant waste, by throwing their manure out 

 doors, exposed to drenching rains, a hot sun, and 

 severe fi-osts, all tending to scatter it to the winds, or 

 sink it into the earth. In these and various other 

 ways of waste, one half is lost, while exhausted lanij 

 and meagre crops are prominent monuments of gi-oss 

 negligence or want of skill. 



The good farmer not only saves all his manure, 

 but he increases it by the addition of large quantitie.n 

 of mud, muck, peat, loam, sand, clay, sods, &c. All 

 these, composted with animal manui-es, are excellent. 

 The mud, clay, and muck improve the texture of 

 light soils ; and sand, gravel, and loam, are improvers 

 of heavy soils. These and various other substances, 

 such as sawdust, fine shavings, leaves, weeds, refuse 

 hay, straAv, and other litter, absorb the liquid maniu'e, 

 and save the solid fi'om waste, by a miixture with 

 the earths, which moderate fermentation, and ab- 

 sorb the gases, and become a good manure them- 

 selves. 



Experiments in saving the liquid manure of animabi 

 in loam, and applying it to one piece of land and 

 the solid parts to another piece of the same size, 

 show that the liquid part is equal to the solid part. 

 The economical farmer generally has a barn ceUai- 

 for manure, with some earthy materials, as absorb- 

 ents, and to mix with the solid parts. In this way, 

 the quantity of maiaure may be increased two thirds, 

 without any reduction in its value per cord. 



Those farmers who have no barn cellars, and 

 cannot make thorn immediately, can use various 

 materials, such as we have named, on the floor, to 



