NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



117 



If the ground is so salt as to prevent weeds and grass 

 from growing, it will benefit the asparanus. Let 

 every one provide for themselves a bed of this healthy 

 vegetable, and they will never do without again. 



Gooseberries. — Now-a-days, every body says, " We 

 can't raise gooseberries, and we won't try, they rail- 

 dew so." Now, as we are not every body, and have 

 never joined the Won't try Society, we have no belief 

 in any such doctrine. Some dozen years ago, being 

 on the look out for some of the larger English varie- 

 ties, a friend informed us that ho had bushes of the 

 kinds we deskcd in his garden, which he had long 

 threatened "to take up and throw in the street, they 

 had become so worthless on account of mildewing. 

 If we would take them, he would dig them for us, 

 and glad to get rid of them so." We took them, and 

 they bore, to the full extent of our wishes, fine, large 

 fruit. This individual saw them when their branches 

 were laden with their rich offering, and inquired 

 where we were so fortunate as to get such valuable 

 bushes ? Our reply was, that we had them of friend 



, calling him by name, who was going to throw 



them in the street. He looked marvel-stricken. 



Bvit we have been troubled with mildew. For two 

 or thi-ee seasons, we lost oui- entire crop, and then we 

 began to be discouraged. Some papers told us, if 

 grass was allowed to grow around them, it would be 

 a protection. We tried it with a few bushes without 

 benefit. Our best remedy has been, to keep the 

 ground in good condition, by forking in w^ell rotted 

 manure, and keeping it free from weeds ; next 

 throwing one or two — according to the size of the 

 bush — liandfuls of salt around it ; then litter with 

 leaves or coarse grass, to keep up a uniform heat or 

 coolness and moisture. If, in the first season of try- 

 ing this operation, your berries show signs of mildew, 

 sprinkle the bushes freely, before sunrise, with brine, 

 and repeat it in a week or ten days if the blight does 

 not leave. In this way we are confident any one 

 may raise as fine gooseberries as Lancashire can 

 boast. 



Yours truly, 



March, 1849. HORTUS. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 THE CULTIVATION OF THE SOIL. 



The cultivation of the soil is the most noble em- 

 ployment of human hands and thought. It is the 

 most ancient, the most natural, the most beneficial, 

 the most universal, the most healthy, and the most 

 enduring employment, and, while accompanied with 

 a thousand holy associations, leads the mind " thi-ough 

 nature up to nature's God." If the "undevout as- 

 tronomer is mad," how much more so is the unde- 

 vout cultivator of the soil ! God speaks to man in 

 the bursting vegetation, in the whispering foliage, 

 the ripening fruit, and in the " sere and yellow leaf." 

 His voice is in the wind, that brings nature's plain- 

 tive music to the ear, in the rushing waterfall, and 

 in the vivid lightning that rends the mountain top. 



" Read nature ; nature is a friend to truth ; 

 Nature is Christian, preaches to mankind. 

 And bids dead matter aid us in our creed." 



Men, at the present day, are beginning to have a 

 more just conception of the cidtivation of the soil. 

 Agriculture is become elevated. Science, the hand- 

 maid of every vocation, has lent her aid to this de- 

 partment of usefulness, and the farmer has risen from 

 a mere laborer to the practical philosopher. To be a 

 proficient in his art, he must study the laws of vege- 

 tation, — a field of boundless investigation, — and so 

 apply his knowdedge in assisting nature, as to produce 

 the greatest possible results from the soil which he 

 cultivates. There is abundant exercise for his hands, 



his head, and his heart ; and the great variety of 

 living objects under his care must render his labor 

 the most satisfactory. In a word, agriculture tends 

 to harmoniously develop the whole man. 



While the gayety and bustle of a city life may be 

 more congenial and tempting to the young men, as 

 they become tempered by age and wisdom, almost 

 instinctively turn their thoughts to some pleasant 

 rural retreat, which may furnish them an honest 

 competence, and afford shelter from the shocks of a 

 precarious business. Industry is the price of happi- 

 ness ; and spirits broken will revive by labor, and 

 gain their wonted elasticity and strength. As the 

 chaste Cowper exclaims of labor, — 



" 'Tis the primal curse. 

 But softened into mercy ; made the pledge 

 Of cheerful days and nights without a groan." 



To many, a country residence is irksome and in- 

 sipid ; but such persons little know where true 

 happiness is to be found. They are poorly schooled 

 in self-reliance, v.dio pin their happiness to gay and 

 senseless companions, and can find no pleasure in 

 the cultivation of a little plat of ground, in com- 

 munion with nature, with books, and with a few 

 choice friends. They are the greatest and purest 

 minds who love Nature for her beauties. What is a 

 dreary waste to others, to them is a paradise. Such 

 men as Numa, Cato, Cincinnatus, Bacon, Cowper, 

 and Washington, have blessed Providence that they 

 saw the beauty of his handiwork, and wore enabled 

 to read 



"The Living Page, whose every character 

 Delights and gives us wisdom." 



D. W. L. 

 .^ 



For the Neio England Farmer. 



WINTER PEARS. 



Mr. Editor : I am desirous of procuring a few of 

 the best winter pear-trees. In looking over the 

 catalogues of nurserymen, I find some highly recom- 

 mended ; but, strange to say, I see none of the fruit 

 for sale in our market. How is it ? Are winter 

 pears so difficult of cultivation, that they must needs 

 be so rare, or so dear when to be found ? The vicinity 

 of Boston furnishes some of the best cultivators ; but 

 if you now pass through the market, you can only 

 find a few of the old-fashioned, but substantial iron 

 pears. Where are the Echassery, the Monarch, the 

 Winter Nelis, the St. Germain, the Colmar Autumn, 

 &c. ? As few of these pears appear late in the fall, 

 they demand from three cents to a ninepence 

 apiece, and are rather poor at that. Boston market 

 seems to furnish a great and good variety of winter 

 apples ; but where are the Avinter pears that make so 

 imposing a show in the catalogues of nuxserymen ? 



L. 

 Editorial Remarks. 



The reason that no fine winter pears are in our 

 market, or that they are so very scarce, is because 

 they ai-e difficult to raise. Most of our fine whiter 

 pears ai-e foreign and very uncertain ; and the culti- 

 vator will sooner set his acres with Baldwin apples, 

 or some other productive and salable kinds, than set 

 them with fr-uits that are liable to fail. 



Yet cultivators should not be discouraged about 

 raising fine winter pears, for we have some hai'dy 

 native kinds that will succeed with proper attention ; 

 and though they may not be first rate, they are very 

 good, and far surer than foreign kinds. 



As greater attention is now given to this subject, 

 improvements will be made. The best will become 



