54 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



kinds of apples which are recommended as excel- 

 lent. 



A few years ago, he sent to us some as large and 

 fine Yellow Bcllflowers as we have eyer seen in this 

 market, not excepting those fi-om New York and 

 Pennsylvania ; and when raised in Maine they proved 

 to be a winter apple, and some of them were fine in 

 March. As Colonel Moulton then thought that he 

 should make the Bellflower his leading apple, and 

 we have supposed, fi-om its uncertainty as to bearing, 

 fairness, and quality, that it would not hold that high 

 rank in New England, we lately wrote to him on the 

 subject, and received the following communication; 

 and though a jjart of a private corresijondcnce, we 

 take the liberty to publish it, as it contams valuable 

 general information. 



The Late Baldwin, of which Colonel Moulton speaks, 

 is a synonyme of the Baldwin, a name which Ave 

 gave to a modification of this fruit. It is usually 

 more flat, harder, and keeps longer, than the common 

 Baldwin, and it bears more in odd years, for instance, 

 1845, '7, '9. Those who complain at our applying 

 this term to a peculiar modification of this famous 

 fruit, are referred to the following comiuunication for 

 a confirmation of our views. 



Letter from Colonel Moulton. 



Deak Siu : Yours of late was duly received ; and in 

 answer to your inquiries, I ^\-ill state that I haA'e five 

 kinds of apples that may be sold to most persons for 

 Baldwins. The kind that I call the real Baldwin, is 

 a great bearer in even years. The tree is hardy, 

 grows well, and Avill do well on very wet land, if 

 some top-dressing is put around it annually. 



The kind that I prefer, you call Late Baldwin. 

 The fruit is larger, keeps some two months longer, 

 and bears quite as well. Tliis fruit has sold in 

 Saco, the past fall, for three dollars per barrel. This 

 apple bears nearly as well in odd as the even years. 

 It is the best apj^le, taking all things into considera- 

 tion, that I know of. My Ilhode Island Greenings 

 are good bearers, the fruit fair, but not equal to the 

 Baldwins in yielding. The Bellflower has done 

 poorly for two years past ; before that time they did 

 quite well. The tree needs close pruning, good cul- 

 tivation, and a warm soil. 



The Nodhcad [Jewett's Red. Ed.] has done poorly 

 with me as yet ; they arc very knotty. I have some 

 trees on a warm, light soil, out of the way of the 

 wind, which I suspect is the cause of their being 

 imperfect. My Porter apple has not been in bearing 

 long enough for nic to ascertain its bearing properties. 

 I have the impression that they must be well pruned, 

 and the land dressed and cultivated to make tbem 

 profitable. I have a considerable A'ai-iety of "Winter 

 Sweetings, yet nothing very valuable. The Oxford 

 Sweeting, a native apple, is the best for the table I 

 have ever seen, but a poor bearer. 



I have some others that I have not proved long 

 enough to give an opinion on them. I have some 

 twenty varieties of Russcttings, all very poor [bearers. 

 Ed.] but two kinds. The Golden Russet was the 

 best bearer I had in 1817. Very good this year ; 

 makes the best dried apple I have ever seen ; good, 

 also, for pics, preserves, and quite a good eating 

 apple. The tree is hardy, groAVS avcU, and bears neg- 

 lecting. The other I call the Oxford Russet, mcdi- 

 lun bearer, keeps through the summer, is juicy, 

 somewhat acid ; very much sought after by the sick. 

 Respectfully A'ours, 



JOHN MOULTON. 



Porter, Dec. 1813. 



MANURES. 



Second agricultural meeting at the State House, 

 January 23. The President, Hon. Marshall P. Wil- 

 der, in the chair. Subject, "Manures." 



The president opened the discussion. He spoke 

 of the great importance of manures, and said that 

 the most fertile lands A\-ould become exhausted by 

 constant crojjping, Avithout manure ; eA'en the rich 

 land in the Avcst wiU fail. He Avas not opposed to 

 the use of stable manures, but they Avere expensive, 

 and other manures equally valuable could be made at 

 less cost. Ho made a compost of one cord of meadow 

 muck, tweh'e bushels of ashes, and six bushels of 

 crushed bones, Avhich he had used Avith excellent 

 success. The best manure that he had used was 

 composed of animal manure and charcoal dust, the 

 latter costing five dollars per cord. Charcoal is a 

 great absorbent of the ammonia that falls in rains, 

 and it gives it out as food for the groAving plant. 

 ISIr. Pell, of NeAV York, raised eighty bushels of 

 wheat to the acre, by the use of fifty bushels of 

 chai'coal dust. Charcoal is also a A'aluable disin- 

 fectant. 



Mr. J. E. Teschemacher, of Boston, stated that in 

 this subject were three great considerations : 1. The 

 nature and quality of the crop ; 2. The nature of 

 the soil ; 3. The nature and the application of the 

 manure. In England, the land, though well manured, 

 failed, after a Avhile, to give good crops of Avheat, 

 unless cLressed A\-ith the phosphate of lime. AYe 

 shovxld consider AA'hat the crop extracts fi'om the 

 soil, and supply those elements in manure. The most 

 important consideration is Avhat part of the crops 

 puts the most bone and muscle on the animal. Be- 

 fore Liebig Avas born, it Avas known that phosphate 

 of lime formed bones, but not that phosphates formed 

 muscle. All soils consist mostly of sand and clay. 

 The former makes a stiff", strong stalk for plants ; but 

 it must be dissoh'ed by potash, Avhich is contained in 

 clay. Clay does not constitute a part of plants, but 

 it is important in retaining potash and ammonia. 

 Clay exposed to frost falls to powder, and is excel- 

 lent for compost. Charcoal is a good absorbent of 

 ammonia, but clay Avill ansAver for this purpose, and 

 it is more plenty. Ammonia is valuable for the 

 groAving plant, all but the seed. He considered the 

 better Avay to make a compost of maniu-c, and let it 

 decompose or become carbonized before used. All 

 excrements of animals and animal matter is good for 

 manure. 



Mr. Buckniinster, of the Ploughman, doubted the 

 statement that Mr. Pell raised eighty bushels of 

 wheat to the acre. In the AVCst the largest crop was 

 forty bushels to the acre. 



Mr. Bartlett, of the Cultivator, said that expe- 

 rience had taught him that to farm Avithout manure 

 Avas improfitable. Crops failed from the exhaustion 

 of the soil, from the ingredients carried away in the 

 crops. In the forests and the prairies of the west, 

 Avhatever grcAv upon the land Avas returned, A\-hich 

 kept up the fertility. If all the crops taken from an 

 acre of land AA'as fed to a coav or a horse, and the 

 manure that Avas made while the animal was con- 



