NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



By Rev. Mr R-jrroiighs, of Port«moiilh. Dr. 

 iBe/i/iu/), the historian of New Hampshire. 



By Hon. John F. Parrott, president of the 



iJilav. The manners and principles of the lirst 



|settlers of New Hampshire : Bold in enterprise 



-persevering in action — intrepid in danger — 



patient in adversity : — May a double portion of 



their spirit rest on their descendants to the 



Ithousandth generation. 



By Mr. Moore, of Concord. The Orator and 

 jjPoet of the day. 



By Edward Cutts, Jan. Esq. The Fisheries, 

 land John Cluincy Adams, their modern defender. 

 By Judge Hale, of Barrington. The Militia 

 I of New Hampshire. 



By Alexander Ladd, Esq. The distinguished 



I guests who have retired. — It is not among the 



least of the honors of the day, that it has been 



honored with the countenance and companj of 



such men. 



In the evening a very superb ball was given 

 at Franklin Hall, in which it is supposed there 

 were present nearly four hundred ladies and 

 gentlemen. The walls of the room vvere en- 

 tirely covered with portraits of eminent persons 

 who flourished in this state before the revolu- 

 tion — the Wentworths, Jaffreys, Warners, Spar- 

 hawks and Atkinsons of old times. After spend- 

 ing the evening in innocent gaiety the company 

 separated at a seasonable hour ; every one was 

 pleased with the transactions of the day ; — the 

 most perfect order and good conduct were man- 

 ifest in every particular — there was no contu- 

 sion and no di.sappointment : the sentiment was 

 ijniversal, that every thing which could have 

 been done, was done, and every thing that was 

 done was well done. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



SATURDAY, JUNE 7, 18^3. 



The Farmer's and Gardener's Remembrancer. 

 JUNE. 



Attend to tour Fruit Trees. — The ground 

 immediately about fruit trees should be kept 

 loose and free from weeds. Where the best 

 orchard cultivation is practised the soil around 

 the fruit trees is dug at least twice a year, in 

 spring and autumn. While the trees are young, 

 you may raise arable crops, such as potatoes, 

 Indian corn, cabbages, &c. but be very particu- 

 lar not to injure the roots of your trees by 

 ploughing too near them. When you have 

 completed your ploughing, dig up the grass 

 which the plough leaves. If you find that your 

 trees are infested with lice (a sort of vegetable 

 barnacles, which look like half a kernel rye, 

 and ascend apple trees some time in this month) 

 3'ou may destroy them, as we have been told, 

 with a swab and hot water. Mr. Cobbeft, speak- 

 ing of these insects, says, " As to the diminutive 

 creatures that appear as spcch in tite bark, the 

 best, and perhaps the only remedy against the 

 disease of which they are a symptom, consists 

 of good plants, good planting and good tillage." 



Watf.rlng Pla.>ts. — All the books of agricul- 

 ture and horticultu.'-e nbich we have ever read, 

 with the exception of 3Ir. Cobbett's work on 

 Gardening, recommend the occasional watering 

 of plants. Mr. Cobbett, however, says, '• Wa- 

 tering plants, though so highly recommended 

 in English Gardening Books, and so much in 

 practice, is a thing of very doubtful utility in 

 any case, and, in most cases, of positive injury. 



\ country often endures present snlVering from 

 long drought ; but, even if all the gardens and 

 all the lields could, in such a case, be watered 

 with a watering pot, 1 much question whether 

 it would be beneficial even to the crops of the 

 dry season itself. It is not, observe, rain-water 

 that you can, one time out of a thousand, water 

 with. And, to nourhh plants, the water must 

 be prepared in clouds and mists and dews. Ob- 

 serve this. Besides, when rain comes, the earth 

 is prepared for it by that state of the air, which 

 precedes rain, and which makes all things damp 

 and slackens and loosens the earth, and disposes 

 the roots and leaves for the reception of the 

 rain. To pour water, therefore, upon plants, 

 or upon the ground where they are growing, 

 or where seeds are sown, is never of much use, 

 and is generally mischievous ; for the air is dry ; 

 the sun comes immediately and bakes the ground 

 and vegetation is checked rather than advanced 

 by the operation. The best protector against 

 frequent drought is frequent digging, or, in the 

 fields, plinigking, and always deep. Hence will 

 arise a fermentation and dews. The ground 

 will have moisture in it, in spite of all drought, 

 which the hard unmoved ground will not. But 

 always dig or plough in dry xmcuther, and, the 

 drier the weather, the deeper you ought to go, 

 and the liner you ought to break the earth. — 

 When plants are cuzercd by lights, or are in a 

 house, or are covered with cloths in the niglit 

 time, they may need watering, and, in such 

 cases, must have it given them by hand."* 



W^e do not wish to vouch for the correctness 

 of all Mr. Cobbett's theories, nor can we say 

 how much confidence is due to what we have 

 just quoted. We believe, however, that many 

 people water their plants, when tney would do 

 better to let them alone. Perhaps the question 

 of watering or not watering plants admits of no 

 rule not liable to a vast many exceptions. Tlie 

 kind of plant, the period of its growth, the na- 

 ture of the soil, and the degree of drought 

 which is prevalent, are ail circumstances to be 

 taken into consideration. Dr. Deane, whose 

 authority, in questions relative to American 

 Husbandry, has at least equal weight with that 

 of Mr. Cobbett, says, '' Vegetables that are 

 newly transplanted, as they have their roots 

 more or less diminished, or otherwise injured, 

 often need watering till they have taken new 

 root. But this should he done with caution. 

 If a dry season follow the transplanting, let 

 them be watered if they appear to droop, only 

 on evenings, and in cloudy weather, and with 

 water that has been exposed one day at least 

 to the shining of the sun; not with water di- 

 rectly from a well, or a cold spring, as it will 

 give a chill to the plants. Only a small quan- 

 tity should be applied at once, that it may have 

 an etfect similar to that of a refreshing rain. 

 For water, applied too plentifully, sometimes 

 washes away the finest of the mould from the 

 roots, or makes little cavities about them which 

 admit too much air. 



" In a dry season, whole gardens sometimes 

 need watering ; and in doing it the above pre- 

 cautions are to be regarded. They are happy 

 who have a piece of standing water in their 

 garden, or a rivulet near at hand, from whence 

 the garden may be watered without much la- 

 bor." 



Americaa Gardener, par. 187. 



Mr. M'Mahon says that " newly planted fruit 

 trees will be greatly benefitted by occasional 

 waterings, which should always be given in the 

 morning, and fiocpiently over the branches as 

 well as about the roots; this will be of great 

 service in washing off any dust and filth which 

 their leaves may have contracted, and in open- 

 ing their pores for the reception of atmospheric 

 moisture." 



" VVatering with common water proves very 

 beneficial to trees infected with insects ; espe- 

 cially if thrown against them with some force, 

 by means of a small water engine. This will 

 not only displace caterpillars and many other 

 insects, but greatly refresh the trees, especially 

 in dry weather; and if often repeated where 

 insects appear, it will considerably diminish 

 their number, and prevent their spreading. 



" The most eligible engines are such as have 

 the pump and discharging pipe fixed in the ves- 

 sel for containing the water; of which some 

 are of a moderate size for carrying about bv 

 hand, but larger ones are fitted upon a low. 

 ligiit, three wheeled carriage, for the more 

 convenient removal from place to place. This 

 engine may be conveniently used for watering 

 difterent parts of the garden in dry weather." 



We have heretofore adverted to the practice 

 of Swiss and Flemish farmers, of leaching or 

 washing manure, and applying the liquid part 

 to their growing crops. If your soil is not very 

 rich, it may be well, whenever you water your 

 vegetables, fruit trees, &c. to use liquids of this 

 kind, or such as may be obtained by leaching 

 .'.shes, soot, fcc. or a mixture of all these sub- 

 stances. At Ica.st those who have but little 

 land and much leisure may employ themselves 

 very philosophically in making experiments of 

 this kind. A little soap, tar or turpentine, and 

 extract or decoction of elder superadded to 

 your liquid would be as it were taking a bond 

 of fate to destroy your insects. Thus you may 

 answer three valuable purposes at once, viz : 

 1st. Water your plants or fruit trees — 2d. Ma- 

 nure, do. — 3d. Kill of^" the insects which infest 

 them. But it may be advisable, 1st, To decant 

 or strain your liquid before it conies in contact 

 with the buds, leaves or (lowers of vegetables, 

 lest it should close the pores and stop or check 

 perspiration : 2d. Apply nothing too corrosive 

 or stimulating, such as lime water, strong lie, 

 or a strong solution of salt directly to growing 

 plants : 3d. If your soil is rich, probably pore 

 water, or at least water impregnated alone with 

 'ome substance which is hostile to insects, such 

 as elder, or tar may be preferable. 



Wati-ring with Sea Water. — Salt has been 

 highly recommended both as a manure and as 

 an antidote to insects. Some writers, however, 

 condemn it, and in large quantities we know 

 that it totally destroys vegetation. So a small 

 quantity of salt will, it is said, hasten putrefac- 

 tion, but a large quantity puts a stop to it. We 

 have not merely the authority of books, but we 

 have been told by farmers in this vicinity, that 

 they have experienced great and decided ad- 

 vantages from salt used as a manure. Sea-water 

 is undoubtedly to be preferred, as a manure, to 

 common salt, as it contains many substances fa- 

 vorable to vegetation, which do not enter into 

 the composition of common salt. 



Dr. Deane observed that " In the year 1786, 

 one hundred hills of potatoes near the shore 

 were watered with sea-water, about two quart* 



