98 



^EW EM GLAND FARMER. 



Oat. 19, 1827. 



the pear tree, by the Scolytus Pyri, or auy other 

 insect, is from the extent of the uounJ given by 

 the insect, or by a deadly poison infused into the 

 sap of .the tree. I think the question of sufficient 

 importance to the public to entitle it to an answer, 



_ginia, in reply to a letter addressed to him, re- 1 At the present annual exhibition of the farming 

 specting a cure for the Bloody Murrain in cattle products, Mr. Daniel Putnarn of Danvcrs, and Mr. 

 states, in substance, that a drench of the infusion ' Daniel Burnham of Newburyport, presealed vari- 

 of cedar berries was effectual. A quart of tlie in- ous samples of potatoes, grown in the present 

 fusion, containing about half a pint of the berries year from small potatoes which were produced 



was given at a lime ; and in nearly every case the Irom the seeds taken as above mentioned, from , so far as is practicable. I presume many persons 

 good effects were almost instantaneous ; a consid- , the green balls, in the autumn of 1825, and sown i have concluded that it is impossible that so small 

 erable disciiarge from the bladder and bowels fol- [ in the spring of 1826. a wound given by an insect should prove fatal to 



lowed, and in five or ten minutes' time the animal i 'Po prevent any mi.Kture of the different sorts, it! a tree — and are not so likely on that account to 

 began to eat. In nineteen cases out of twenty, a i was necessary that the product from each single | avail themselves of the only measure to save a 

 perfect cure was effected. in many cases thi^ , seed should be kept by itself ; and that this pro- diseased one. It is generally known that the 

 drench was repeated four or iive times. So rapid i Juct of each sort, planted in the spring of the sue- 1 sting of the honey bee,given to the animal body,has 

 was the progress of the disease, that cattle were ' coeding year, should also be kept separate from | caused the death of a robust man in a few hours, 

 found dead in the fields without the owners being every other sort. These precautions were duly I In such cases wo ascribe tho death to the effect 

 under any apprehension that they were sick. As! observed by Mr. Putnam and Mr. B:;rnham, and ! of the poison, not of the wound. 

 a preventive, a mixture of clay and salt,(the latter j each of them now exhibited satisfactory proof of i May we not as safely conclude that the vegeta- 

 in the common proportion for stock,) tar and pow- their success. They selected the best of the va- \ ble kingdom is as susceptible of receiving a dead- 

 dered brimstone were used. For fifty head, one ! rious sorts they had cultivated. The superior sort ly poison into the snp of the tree or plant which 

 gallon of tar, and lialf a pound of brimstone, per of Mr. Putnam's was red, and in shape and ap- may cause the destruction of the same, as that a 

 'veek were employed. These ingredients were pearance exactly resembled the long red or River ! variety of creatures in the animal kingdom should 

 put in a trough to which the cattle had free ac- , Plata potatoe ; but was incomparably better, be- 1 be capable of receiving poison into the blood, 

 cess. The disease it appears is eurfem/c in Vir- 'ng very mealy and finely flavored. One single j from so small an insect as the bee or spider, which 

 Jirinia, particularly in the districts bordering on seedling plant of 1826, produced only four small j causes immediate death. Although the effect on 

 tide water, and is highly contagious. Sco N. E. potatoes; but these four planted the last May, ! the tree is not so iinmedia^e, yet it moi/ 6e as cc;'- 



Parmer, vol. iii. p. 281. i each one in a hill, in good ground, yielded half a 



I bushel, or a half peck to each hill. 



ESSEX CATTLE SHOW. | Of Mr. Burnham's best sort (they were white) 



Notwithstanding the unfavourable weather on two potatoes grown from one seed in 1826, and 

 Wednesday, the company at the Cattle Show in planted abont the middle of last May, yielded ten 

 Newbury, was larger than usual. Those who at- pounds of potatoes, some of them very large, and 

 tended speak in high praise of some of liie ani- \ all of excellent quality, being very mealy and 

 mals which were exhibited, particularly a fine \ finsly flavoured. 



bull, belonging to Mr. Kolley of this town, and / The merits of these two sorts of potatoes, "tak- 

 vvhich gained the first premium of 1,5 dollars. The ' ing them for all in all," appeared so equal that, to 

 ploughing match was not so satisfactory. Seve- ! do equal justice to the two claimants, the cominit- 

 ral articles of home manufacture were exhibited, ; tee decided to blend the difiercnt premiums, and 

 and highly praised. Some mustard fro.Tj the fac- divide the same equally between them, 

 tory of Mr. Webber, of Beverly, was hi^Wy re- The committee have reason to think that as the 

 commended. — Salem Obs. potatoes of the second year's growth from tho 



We have received the following report by Mr. seed, appeared to be superior in te.xture and fia- 



Pickering, and shall soon publish the others. vor to the small seedling potatoes of the first 



^ ., _ ... . , .. ~, , .„ ' year, so the product of tho third year may be su- 



To the Editor oj the JVew England Fanner- | p^..^^,. ^^ ^,,^; ^j. ^,^^ ^^^^,^j_ 



Dear Sir — Tho enclosed Report on thi; raising ; The seeds are thus saved. In autumn, or when- 

 of potatoes from tho seed, contains some facts im- ever the potatoes are ripe, some of the green balls 

 portant to be known by our formers, before it is are collected ; and the pulp being soft, they are 

 too late to collect the seeds from tlieii potatoes mashed by hand, and by washing them in several 

 the present year. I therefore hope yoi; will find waters, the seeds are separated and made clean. 

 it convenient to publish it in your paper, in season These being well dried, are saved till seed time in 



'or this purpose. 



Respectfully your ob't sorv't. 

 Oanw?, Oct. l.'i. ".T. W. PROCTOR, 



Sic'y Ecscx Ag. Soc. 



the ensuing spring, and then sown in drills, in the 

 ; manner in which garden seeds are sown. Tlie 

 ! most vigorous plants when four or five inches 



tain if not arrested. 



I had a vigorous young tree, (of the Amory 

 pear) which had produced I'ruit, and was of great 

 promise : it was divided into two branches about 

 three feet from the ground. In the month of Au- 

 gust I perceived oue of the branches was diseas- 

 ed, and appeared to be failing ; and in twenty-four 

 hours afterwards, a considerable part of the leaves 

 were dead. I thought it best not to head it down 

 until tlie next spring ; but I found that the disease 

 had extended still farther down, although the 

 wood remained bright and lively some way above 

 the fork. In the month of May I headed the sick-' 

 ly branch down close to the other, and the wood 

 appeared sound and in good order. I dressed the 

 wound with the composition recommended by For- 

 .=:yth, and expected a new head would come out 

 for that branch; but it ended in the entire des- 

 truction of the tree. That case, together with 

 what I have since seen and read, has convinced 

 me, that if there is time given for poison to be in- 

 fused into the system, the tree is eventually lost. 

 I am, sir, respectfully yours, 



J. CRANSTON. 



Marlborough, Oct. 16, 1827. 



CATTLE SHOW AT WORCESTER. 

 Notwithstanding the exceedingly uncomfortable 

 high, may be transplanted to another bed, at the ! weather of Wednesday, the Show of animals was 



PRF-JIUH'S FOR poTATors i distance of a foot from each other. Or the small- i" numbers nearly equal, and in excellence superi 



^ , . ,,"', ■" , ', ',' ,, ,. er plants growing between the best, may be pull- or to that of any former year; and the concourse of 



It being well known that the seeds lormed in ^,, ,^^^^.j_^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^ ^^^^ .^^ or- people, though not so large as on some former oc- 



Uie apple, or green balls grovving on the vines or ' ,,^^. ^.^.^^ j,^^ r^j^^^ ^j. ^^^^,^ ^^ ^^ ,,,i„„,^ „3, ,,,,h as to indicate the very groat in- 



dtems of potatoes, sown m the manner of other ^,^^,,j, j^ ^^.^ j^^^^,^^^ ^^^ expedient to sow seed, terest exhited by this annual Exhibition and Fest 



smaU seeds, would produce potatoes of various ^^^^ j,^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^^^^ j,^^ experimenters , ival. Although the rain fell in torrents, yet there 



qualities ; of which, although many would be 

 worthless, some would be of excellent texture and 

 flavor, and abundant in quantity ; — the Essex Ag- 

 ricultural Society proposed preniiums to encour- 

 age the making of experiments, in the hope of ob- 

 taining some valuable new sorts, superior to those 

 generally cultivated, and more to be relied on, as 



an obtain. 



By the Committee, 



T. PICKERING, Chairman. 

 October 10th, 1827. 



PEAR TREES. 

 Mr Editor — In regard to the disease (if so it 

 originating in our nwn soil and climate, for per- may be called,) of the pear trees, I have never 

 manently retaining their good qualities. The , seen any thing published which has reached the 

 expectations of the Truutees were not disappoint- 'full ,xttni of my own views on the subject. The 

 ■d. Believing, however, that further improve- I remarks of the Hon. Mr Lowell, so far as they 



ments were practicable, they renewed tho premi- 

 'Jius ; and in the present year, have been amply 

 gratified, by the result. 



extend, are entitled to the particular notice of all 

 who cultivate the pear tree. The question which I 

 wish to introduce is, whether the destruction cf 



was the usual gathering round the pens, where the 

 very fine animals which reached the ground in 

 spile of tho storm, v.ere exhibited: and, punctual 

 to the hour, the competitors at the Ploughing 

 Match, /our/een in number, were on the field, rea- 

 dy to engage in the friendly and animating con- 

 test for the prize of excellence. 



At eleven o'clock, the Address was delivered at 

 the South Meeting House, by Pliny Merrick, Esq. 

 who urged, with much earnestness and force, the 

 advantage and importance of calling in to the aid 

 of practical agriculture, all the discoveries of sci- 

 ence ; deprecating tlie prevalence of the notion, 

 sometimes avowed, and oftener, perhaps, acted on, 



