29i 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



April 4, 1828. 



Tart «/ii/(, irft, ur Pie Plant. — Jhe cultivation of 

 this useful plant ha9 been great.Vy neglected. It 

 is hardy, delights in a deep rich soil, and is easily 

 propagated by ^eed, or off-sets. Many tons of the 

 steins are annually sold in the city of London. — 

 The leaf stems, which are long and large, are 

 only used for culinary purposes. They possess 

 an agreeable acid, much admired, and aie a good 

 substitute for sour apples — requiring much sugar. 

 If the seed stalks be broken off while young, the 

 leaf stems will be larger and more numerous — 

 The young plants are delicate and require some 

 little attention the first year. 



For Pirs. Strip off the rind, and the stems are 

 in the same stale of preparation, as paired green 

 apples — the remaining patt of the process is the 

 same. 



For Tarts. Strip off the rind, and cut the stems 

 transversely — stew and press out the pulp, and 

 then proceed according to art. 



Pies and tarts properly made of this vegetable, 

 are inferior to none. 



Prolific, or Tree Onion. — These onions are very 

 sarly, and produce bulbs of a good size the first 

 year — and in the second year, a bunch of sm.ill 

 ones on the top of the seed stalk, about which, 

 amiill heads of seed frequently shoot out, resem- 

 bling the seed of other species of onions. The 

 bulbs which proceed from the top, are from the 

 size of a large pea to that of a large hor.>ie ches- 

 nut. Tho«e of the mid'Ue si e arc better for plant- 

 ing, than those that are larger, as thoy will nut 

 throw up seed stalks the first year, of course the 

 bulbs will be larger and better. They should be 

 planted very early in the spring, in rows ten or 

 twelve inches asunder, and set two or three imhos 

 apart, and one inch deep ; taking care to place 

 the bottom of the bulb downwards. They soon 

 spring up, and from their she and vigorous growth, 

 are not liable to be destroyed by insects. Should 

 they put forth seed stalks, (as mnny of the larger 

 ones will) break them off soon after they appear, 

 otherwise the bulbs at the bottom vvill not be so 

 large. These onions are mild, and are, generally, 

 raised with less trouble than the common species. 



Gourds. — There are several species. They are 

 great runners, and when they do well, make a 

 handsome appearance. They are not liable to be 

 injured ; for no creature will cat them. Thoy 



place the plant upon the said soil, but to form a 

 convex of about two or three inches so that the 

 bottom or lower extremity o* the trunk may be 

 two or three inches higher than the extremity of 

 the roots, — if it be a heavy soil it would be better 

 to get some coarse sand out of a water course and 

 mi.x it well with the soil, in such proportion as may 

 make it appear htrhtish, probably 20 per cent of 

 sand, — after setting the plant and spreading the 

 roots upon the soil as before described, lay a cov 

 ering of the same soil upon the top of the roots 

 from four to five inches thick, which will settle 

 down so as not to be more than three inches prob- 

 ably in a short time — this covering should be 

 thicker or thinner as the soil is light or heavy — 

 either before or after you set the plant, let it be 

 well pruned so as there will not be more than two 

 or three buds in a shoot, and particularly as these 

 will be out of the ground some time, they should 

 be cut harder than usual. Gooseberry plants will 

 not thrive unless they are moderately drained or 

 laid dry, this should always be done in a heavy 

 soil, in a light one there is no occasion ; in pro- 

 portion as the soil is light or heavy, so should be 

 the proportion of soil upon Ihp top of the root. It 

 IS common here to set them in beds about a vard 

 and a half wide and the plants a yard asunder, va 

 rying the depth of thp wilk as the ground is wet 

 or dry; if it be about right, the roots after settin? 

 down ought to be about level, or rather if any 

 thing above the middle of the walk ; do not l^iv 

 any manure upon the su face or any other pnrt of 

 the bed in winter, about the middle of March i« 

 about the riirht time if the weather be favoiir.ible 

 Common dung out ot a midden, will do. hut it is 

 better to mi.v it in the winter with soil half and 

 hnlf, and give it a turn or two before usinj; never 

 take any soil from the root tn make room for the 

 manure, but lay it upon the too with a lisht cover-' 

 ing of soil, as well to make it look neat as to keep 

 the sun from parching it. 



six years, took them up, and after milking halt e 

 barrel of metheglin, had 298 pounds of strained 

 honey, and 91 lbs. of excellent honey in the comb, 

 making .384 lbs. He also made 47 pounds of bec's- 

 wax Mr. Williams some tune since relateii tc 

 me some particulars respecting this exlraor'linary 

 production, the substance of which I will noiV 

 state. — He bought a swarm of bees, of middling 

 size, and having no convenient place near his 

 house, where he could set them, he built a shelier 

 several rods distant, so situated that tliey might 

 swarm and gooff without being ili.scovered. 'I'd 

 prevent their swarming, he added other hives t© 

 the original one in the following manner : first 

 making a large hive with a hole through the top, 

 three or four inches square, on which he placed 

 his hive of bees, having a hole two inches square 

 through the right and left siiles ot the new or low- 

 er hive, at the bottom, then mide other large 

 hives with holes through two sides similar to the 

 first, with clefts nailed around each of these holes, 

 so as to come in exact contact with each other 

 when placed on the stand, and in this way con- 

 nected them together, giving the bees a chance 

 to pass and repass througn the whole range of 

 hives, having them go in and out at the front of 

 each one, as they found most convenient. By this 

 hind of management, his bees spread and increas- 

 ed, and soon became a numerous and powerful 

 community, and eventually yielded the extraordi- 

 nary and valuable production which has already 

 been stated. 



Fn regard to wintering bees I vvill venture a fev.' 

 remarks. Many a hive of bees is undoubtedly lost 

 merely for the want of proper management, — they 

 are left to starve and die, when a little care and 

 attention might preserve them from destruction 

 and prevent the loss. If bees are kept in a dark 

 cellar through the winter, they will spend but 

 very little if any of theit stock of provisions, as 

 they immediately become dormant, and so remain 



If after the trees are landed they should live until they are removed to a different situation. In 

 and seem as if thoy would answer, I shall be fflad this way I have frequently preserved them through 

 to eivo some other instructions more minute. I the winter, when they would probably have per- 

 do not know whether you will understand all the ished within a month, after they were unable to 

 above, as I have written in very great haste. | obtain their living abroad, had Ihey been left to 



Yours, &c. . take care of themselves. 



P. S.— I forgot to mention that if the trees are ' °^<^° t">'l » swarm ofbe.es come out late in ths 

 strongish grown and a good weight of manure summer, and when the season of their labors was 

 placed upon them for that purpose, it is quite ne- °^er, the crown of a common iiat would probably 

 cessary to take the manure off ao-ain when or liave contained the bees and all they had collect- 

 should be planted early and near some wall or j j^f,^^ ^^g f^^^■^^ ^ro gotten, or the roots will proba- c'- ' P"' "lis swarm of bees into a cellar, where 

 fence, which they will soon cover. The large .^^jy ^.^j, j^^ ji^^, ^^.j^^^g^.^ This second hand m.inuro ihcy lived through the winter, and the nest season 

 Bottle Gourds, (Cuciirbila laf^cnaria) are from ton : ^^.j|] ^^ ^ ^^.^jj ^jj^gj yp ^aa\n in the manure ■ ^^^y '^"'^'' '•'i-''" ^"'^^ ''"'' swarmed twice. This 

 to fifteen inches in length, and tlie shells will hold I j-pj. jljg gyp^ggijjjj^ J. 



from one to throe quarts. They are light and | 2 



make good dippers, and with good usage will last j 



year* If, after a few gourds have set, the ends | 



of the vines be pinched off, the fruit will be larger | BEES 



nnd better. The Bicolored Gourd (Cucurbita bi- i Mr. Pesse.vde.v, — Feeling anxious to obtain in j necessary, as a word to the wise is sufficient. 



co/orj is a small, beautiful round fruit, one part a formation relative to the management of bees, 1| If'omster, March 30, 1828. A FARMER. 



deep green and the other a bright yellow. Only ' would cheerfully communicate to others, any fact.s . 



rOR THE NEW ENGLAND KACMER. 



may appear incredible to some, but those who 

 I doubt the correctness of what I have stated if 



I they try the experiment, I doubt not will find that 



I I have not overleaped the bounds of truth. I could 

 relate other similar instances but I deem it uii- 



GOOSEBERRT BUSHES. 



I or information I may possess, which might have a Mr. Fesse.nde.n,— The enclosed is from Hen- 

 j tendency to promote an object so interesting and j Jerson's Treatiseon Swine, and is an amusing ac 

 ! important. Should the following narration nnd ! ^ount of the "Early D-ays of the Porccllian Club'' 



in the JVew Ens;land Farmer 



I „, .... ^.,v.,^v^,.....ary product of honey, ^u- , - , , - . ,: 



tainedby Mr. E.Williams of Ashfield, in which of England it appears from the following anec- 



Tf upon a clay bottom let there be from two to it is stated that he so managed a hive of bees, as •'°''' ""** ^''^^ "'*='"'' "'"■>' ''"'® '^"°^^"" '" "'° "°^''' 

 .hree feet good soil upon the clay before yon ! to prevent tlierr swarming, and having kept them "'" '''"S'an'I ana south of Scotland.— Within thf 



