84 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



■worthy of notice, in these days of economy, when 

 coal is our cheapest fuel, and -wood is becoming too 

 expensive for common use. 



1 am not desirous of appearing before the public 

 Ti'ith my small experience in horticulture, and still 

 smaller ability of tolling Avhat / do knoio ; but one 

 experiment of mine, ■svhich succeeded to a charm last 

 season, I think it would be well to lay before our 

 horticultural brethren who are " known by their 

 fruits," and that is the engrafting of the grape. 



I took my cuttings from the Diana Grape, (which 

 is the best native hibrid I know of,) at the usual 

 time of pruning in the fall, and laid them in the 

 earth out doors until the first of August, and then 

 inserted them into our common native grape by cleft 

 grafting near the earth, and soon had the satisfaction 

 of seeing my effort crowned with complete triumph 

 over what I had before supposed an impracticability, 

 having failed in every former effort, from the fact of 

 not knowing the exact time to do it — to guard 

 agains-t bleeding or drying up. I am confident we 

 can now forward the Diana, Isabella, and Catawba, 

 so as to count on their crops with as much certainty 

 as we can on the Indian corn crop, — believing, as I 

 do, that the early habits of our native will have a 

 tendency to shorten the time needful to ripen the 

 above-named varieties. My Diana Grapes ripened 

 about two weeks before the Isabella. I therefore 

 place them in the following order as to time of 

 i-ipening : 1st, Diana; 2d, Isabella; 3d, Catawba, 

 liespectfully, 



JAMES OLIVER. 



Lyx\n, 2d Mo. 17, 1849. 



Editorial Remarks. 



Coal ashes are a good manure for all kinds of 

 lands. We have seen excellent effects from their use ; 

 and in some experiments we have found them very 

 useful. Yet we are not prepared to say what is their 

 value, nor to what lands and crops they are best 

 adapted ; but we may give the result of experiments 

 at some future time, after varied experiments. We 

 have found them excellent for turnips on a clayey 

 soil ; but this was a single experiment. 



We are pleased to learn that the Diana Grape is 

 so early. It has been doubtful whether it would be 

 any earlier than the Isabella, and some think that it 

 will be as late as its parent, the Catawba. We find 

 the Diana very hardy, and of luxuriant growth. 

 The f;:uit is excellent, and from our experience and 

 observation, we have thought that it was a little 

 OAi'lier than the Isabella. 



SWINE. 



At the fifth agricultural meeting at the State 

 House, February 13, Hon. M. P. Wilder in the chair, 

 the subject was Farm Stock ; but the discussion was 

 on swine. 



The president read a letter from Mr. Willdnson, 

 the principal of Mount Airy Institute, Germantown, 

 Pa., giving a highly fiivorable account of the Dutch- 

 ess County breed of hogs, a cross of the Berkshire 

 ftud Leicester breeds, which he made while in the 

 state of New York. He considers them the best 

 breed. 



Mr. Josiah Stickney, of Boston, gave an account of 

 the Suffolk and Middlesex breeds, which he had im- 

 ported and propagated. He said that their being 



poor breeders, as had been stated at a previous meet- 

 ing, was owing to high keeping. They breed well 

 with common keeping. They fatten well at any age, 

 and more readily than other breeds. At eight months 

 old, with good keej^ing, they weigh about two hun- 

 dred pounds ; at one year, three hundred pounds ; 

 and at eighteen months, four hundred pounds. Their 

 pork is superior, and sells at extra prices. By mixing 

 the Suffolk and Middlesex breeds, the former was 

 improved in size, without any apparent deterioration 

 in quality. As to form, the Suffolk are not long, nor 

 long-legged, small bones, thick set, not round, but 

 rather deep. 



Mr. David Haggerston said, that while on the farm 

 of Mr. Cushing, he had considerable experience with 

 the Berkshii-e, Mackay, and China breeds. He pre- 

 ferred the Mackays ; the Berkshires were good for 

 hams : the China was the poorest. He had tried the 

 Neapolitan, but gave them up, as they were much 

 like the China. He said, that there appeared to be 

 two kinds of Mackays ; one breed were workers, in 

 making manure ; the other breed was indolent. The 

 first cross of different breeds will be an imi^rovement ; 

 further crossing will cause deterioration. He had 

 seen the Suffolk breed, and he lilted their appearance 

 very much. 



Mr. Stickney said, that ho imported thi-ee China 

 pigs, and as he did not like the breed, he gave them 

 away. 



Hon. Mr. Brooks remarked, that what had been 

 said did not alter his opinion as to imported stock. 

 The gain of the Suffolk breed, as stated by Mr. 

 Stickney, was no more than what was common with 

 our native hogs, as they often gain over a pound a 

 day. He said, that a hog would not grow so well 

 with high keeping as with moderate fare. He asked 

 Mr. Stickney the cost of making pork. Mr. S. had 

 not estimated it, but he could keep three Suffolk as 

 cheap as he could two of common breeds. 



Mr. Wilder said, that the Suffolk pigs fattened 

 easily. 



Mr. William Parker, of Boston, said, that he had 

 seen them, and he was much pleased with their 

 appearance. There was a pleasure in having hand- 

 some animals. 



Mr. Buckminster, of the Ploughman, said, that he 

 hoped that no great stories would be told of the 

 Suffolk breed, as all would be running into them. 

 It is best to learn their true value. He fattened 

 one very easily last fall. They have small bones, 

 small head, nose, and tail. 



Mr. Cheever Newhall, of Dorchester, said, that he 

 found it more profitable to buy hogs at Brighton, arid 

 fatten them, than to raise them ; and he thought that 

 a gain of one pound a day was very good. 



Mr. Elijah Perry, of Dover, thought it was very 

 difficult to ascertain which was the best breed, unless 

 an exact account was kejat of the cost of keeping. 



Mr. H. C. Merriam, of Tewksbury, said that he 

 found from experiments that pigs from old sows 

 were larger than those from young ones, under the 

 same management. 



Mr. A. G. Sheldon, of Wilmington, said, that some 



