NEW ENGLAI>JB FARxMER. 



Sept. 21, 1827. 



oa which mainly depends ultimate success. Of how j of restoring health to the trees has, with me, uni 

 much more importance then must proper discrira- \ formly failed. 



nation be to a country new in this species ofcul-l The other mode, by tilling up and removing the 

 ture ? Impresed with these ideas I have in my suckers of the apple tree to a favourable situation. 

 " ShortTreatise on Horticulture" now in the press j even though sometimes attended with a degree ot 

 arranged the most celebrated European grapes : success, yet, in every instance where any just com- 

 under the three following heads, viz: i parisoii could be made, the seedling stock in its 



1st. Grapes of Germany, Switzerland, and the : progression and maturity has had greatly the ad- 

 north of France. I vantage. 



9d. Grapes of middle France. The pear tree sends forth many, very many. 



3d. Grapes of the south of France. more suckers tlian the apple tree. Most of our 



I have also given particular descriptions, in do- , stocks, it is believed, are brought from New Hamp- 

 tail, of 68 varieties of grapes. With tliis aidinjahirc; all are not competent to judge whether they 

 making suitable selections, I think our judicious are suckers or seedlings. 



Horticultnralists will not be at a loss to discrimi- But the pear being a longer lived tree, may for 

 nate and select sucli as may be calculated to sue- that reason present in suckers a better stock for 

 ceed in the respective localities to be allotted i grafting tlian the apple. But here too the force 

 them — you are no doubt aware as well as myself | of experience is in favor of the seedling, 

 of the great importance of another point, viz: For many years I haveimproved the New Hamp- 



Accuracy as to the kind of grape named, for it shire stocks for grafting, and though to advantage 

 must have become well known that many inaccu-iln some instances, yet I am bound to say less so 

 racies frequently occur, and that without this pre- in these cases, generally, than in those of known 

 four inches of air in the bottom of the hole, when j caution is well attended to, all otiier exertions seedling stocks, 

 iieatod by the explosion of the gunpowder, and its may prove futile. It has been my wish in this j As to the smaller fruits, such as plums, cherries, 



BLASTING ROCKS. ; 



A writer in the Glasgow Mechanics' Blagazine 

 gives a statement of an "improved method of blast- 

 ing rocks with gunpowder, by which notonly 4-9ths 

 of the gun-powder is saved, but which far e.xceeds 

 any method I liave ever seen in its execution and 

 effects. It has been practised for near a century 

 in the extensive mines in Sweden ; and only re- 

 quires to be generally known in this country to be 

 properly estimated. 



" Suppose a hole intlic usual method of blasting 

 requires 9 inches of gunpowder; instead of tilling 

 it completely, leave 4 inches next the bottomemp- 

 ty, and above this space put 5 inches of gunpow- 

 der, which is supported by a piece of paste-board 

 cut to the size of tlio hole, with a stick under- 

 neath, and attached to it in the middle. To prevent 

 the stick head or pasteboard from being air-tight, 

 four notches may be made of such a size as to al- 

 low the air, but not the gunpowder, to pass thro'. 

 Then stem it and fire it, in the usual way. The 

 principle on which it acts, is the rarefaction of the 



consequent expaiuive poteer or force. 



"I cannot, perhaps, give a clearer demonstration 

 of this force, than by supposing a fowling-piece to 

 be loaded, and the charge not rammed home as it 

 is called; that is, if the least air remain in the 

 bottom of the barrel, the consequence, as every 

 one knows, would bo the bursting of the barrel. — 

 The intention, of course, in this case is to burst 

 the barrel." 



PRESERVATION OF CABBAGES. 



The London Montlily Magazine gives the follow- 

 ing method by which the Portuguese preserve 

 cabbages on board their ships. The cabbage is 

 cut so as to leave about two inches or more of the 

 stem attached to it ; after wliich thn pith is scoop- 

 ed out to about the depth of an inch, care being 

 taken not to wound or bruise the rind by this ope- 

 ration. The cabbages then are suspended by means 

 of a cord, tied round that portion of the stem next 

 the cabbage, and fastened at regular intervals to 

 a rope across the deck. That portion of the stem 

 from which the pith is taken, being uppermost, is 

 regularly filled with water during very long voya- 

 ges. 



The same method might be advantageously a- 

 dopted in private houses. 



little publication, to throw as much light upon all J &c. the little experience I have had has been to 

 the points referred to as its limits would permit. '• the same conviction as to the comparative inferi- 



In addition to the subject of Grapes, this publi- ority of the sucker, 

 cation contains directions for the culture of almost ! There is besides a general objection made to 

 every species of fruit found in our Gardens, and ; transplanting the sucker — that it is apt to throw 

 descriptions of a number of varieties of each spa- forth suckers to the injury of the soil, 

 cies. In fact, sir, deeming such a compendium, It must be considered as going to the establish 

 7nostly gathered from personal observation, as much^tneni of this position, that the seedling forest 

 wanted, I have put tliis small work to press hop- trees are by far to be preferred. Having raised 

 ing that it might prove acceptable to the public, , from the seed for ornamental use, a number of the 

 as a prelude to my general publication on •' Amee- ' elm, American and English ash, &c. I have found 

 icAN Horticulture," — and the e.xpense will be i them in ten years to acquire double the growth of 



so trifling as to be no object to any one. 

 Yours most respectfully, 



WM. PRINCE. 



FRUIT TREES. 

 Mr Fessenden — Your correspondent "W. D.' 

 in a late New England Farmer, asks— ioi'H suckers ' ^atjon'of the parent stock, and is subject to t"h 



suckers. The Eno-lish elm (so called) have been 

 hitherto with us, it is believed, wholly propagated 

 from the sucker, and it is often so with other for- 

 est trees. 



In what has preceded I have referred to the 

 principle that the graft is but the transfer or elon- 



ose 



procecdingfrom the roots of trees, if grafted, make -^^^^^ ^^ich govern j7i growth, maturity and de- 



as good and fruitful trees as seedlings ? No^gy_ ^^ ^^ j^is, there is a difference of opinion, 



answer having been given by the more competent ^^ tf,ere may be on other suggestions herein 

 to this inquiry, I am induced to say that as far as | „,^jg_ b,,^ I chcerfullv offer what has occurred 

 my experience has extended, seedlings are much f^ ^^^ ^nd ^.^y,,, (nj-g yo,,^ correspondent) being 

 to be preferred to suckers. [ ;„ gga^ch of truth, be right glad of better iiistruc"- 



For this, some obvious reasons may be given. — ^^^^ j g^,, gj^ yQ^^g 



TAINTED FISH. 

 It is stated in the Glasgow Mechanics Magazine 

 that fish which is slightly tainted may be restored 

 to its proper flavour by mixing a quantity of vine- 

 gar and salt in the water in which fish is to be 

 toiled. 



Dorchester, Sept. 1827. 



J. WELLES. 



VINES. 



( Linnxan Botanic Garden, near 

 ? New York, Sept. 17, 1827. 

 Mr Fessendkn- — Well versed as you are, sir, 

 on subjects of Horticulture, I feel sure that you 

 •will agree with me, that in the establishment of 

 vineyards, no one point is of so mucli importance 

 as a proper selection of those varieties best suited 

 by their nature and qualities to their destined lo- 

 calities. We must not of course take the grapes 

 of the south of France for the northern states, 

 nor should we take those of the north, for the 

 southern states, if others offer more advantageous. 

 The fact is, in forming new vineyards, even in 



The seedling is taken when known to be young 

 and vigorous — its roots healthy and diverging e- 

 qually from the stock, may be preserved with little 

 injury by removal. It is not so with the sucker — 

 The roots are in general very unequally and im- 

 perfectly procured — the sucker proceeding from hnniculiurisis in iliis vicinity fully coincide with Mr Welles. 

 the root, when removed carries with it an useless llr Eiske's success may lie an exception to the general rule, 

 portion thereof, with the dispositions and diseases The great care and good cultivation he bestows on his lice* 

 to which the parent stock is liable ; and, further, 



Remarks. — We deem it proper to mention that at the time of 

 writing the above, Mr Welles had not seen the remarks of tlie 

 Hon. O. FisKE in our paper of the 7th inst. Several of our best 



mijrht overcome almost anv obstacles. — Ed. 



if the life and vigor of the tree depends upon the | 

 age and condition of the stock, whether grafted or i 



SUNFLOWER. 



Mr. Fessende^ — An account in the N. E. Far 



not, which is generally admitted, and which expe- 1 ^^^ ^^f j^e 14th inst. of a gigantic Sunflower grow 

 rience seems to confirm, your labour wi 1 be to lit- ,„^ -^ ^y^^, Chester, Pa. the height of which wa 

 tie or no effect. In most cases you will be at an gfatec to be 12 feet and 1 inch, induced me to 

 uncertainty, and at best will lose a portion of the \ ,^^^^,,^g o^g in my garden, which came up from 

 duration of the tree you propose to cultivate. ! ^ ^gg,, accidentally dropped, and has attained with- 



you propos 



In the apple I have made majiy successive ex 



periments in two modes. First, from cutting away 



out any cultivation, the stature of 12 feet and 6 

 inches. The stalk measures (i inches in circum- 



an old stock, and then grafting the vigorous shoots I fg,.g^^g ^ ^^ 4 feet from the ground, and supports 

 or suckers from the root. 4,, (^^.^e^s, though none of them are so lar-^e as 



In these cases an extraordinary growth was had. [ „,^j „(• ^hg Pennsylvanian Anak, which was 4 feet 

 But this was for a short time only. The ends of 1 j„ circumference, and was compared to the risin- 



France, this is a nice point to be considered, and ! "'^ '™'^^ ^°°" ^^S^" '° P"'^''' """^ '^''^'^ ""^^"^ I moon. 



