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NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



June 20, 1626. 



qualities, tiieielore, which are wantuig to form 

 a perfect stock, are vigor and hardiness. 



Ill collecting the seeds to sow, it must be re- 

 memhered, that the habits as well as the diseases 

 of plants are often hereditary, and attention should 

 be paid to the state of the tree from which the 

 seeds are taken ; it should be large and of free 

 growth, and rather in a growing state than one 

 of maturity or decay. The crab trees which 

 stand in cultivated grounds, generally grow more 

 fi-eely and attain a larger stature than those in 

 the woods, and therefore appear to claim a pref- 

 erence.* Tlie seeds should be taken from the 

 fruit before it is ground for vinegar, and sown in 

 beds of good mould an inch deep. From these 

 the plants should be removed in the following au- 

 tumn to the nursery, and p'finted in rows at three 

 feet distance from each other, and eighteen inch- 

 es from each plant. Bemg here properly protect- 

 ed from cattle and hares, they may remain till 

 they become large enough to be planted out ; the 

 ground being regularly worked and kejit free from 

 weeds. ] mound, apparently exhausted with their efforts to 



A diffei-ence of opinion appears always to have i ascend it. Others in the act of climbing, would 

 prevailed respecting the quality of the soil proper I loose their foot hold, or balance, and fall back a 

 for a nursery ; some have preferred a very poor, I part of the way, remahiing in statu quo, apparent- 



meadow, should be preferred to old tillage, and a 

 loam of modeixite strength, and of considerable 

 depth, to all other soils. 



AN IKSECT WHICH ATTACKS PEAR TREES. , y 



We have lately seen in the garden of S. P. 

 Gardner, Esq. of Summer-street, IJoston, certain 

 insects which were new to us, and of which we 

 had never before seen nor heard of any descrip- 

 tion. They were small green ri^orms, we should 

 judge not more than three eighths of an inch in 

 length, and a proportional diameter. They seem- 

 ed to have emerged from the ground at and near 

 the foot of several large and fine trees, and were 

 attempting to ascend the trees. They were, how- 

 ever, prevented from accomplishing this object by 

 a fortunate expedient of Mr. Gardner. By rais- 

 ing a small ip.ound of earth about the trunk of the 

 tree of three or four inches high, and its sides 

 somewhat steep, a barrier was presented against 

 the petty invaders, which they could not sur- 

 mount. Many of them lay at the foot of the 



one of his expeditions towards the north pole, ha?^ 

 sailed from England, with three vessels under his 

 command, on a voyage of discovery in the south- 

 ern hemisphere, with intentions of approximating 

 the south pole as near as possible. 



and others a very rich soil ; and both perhaps are 

 almost equally wrong. The advocates for a poor 

 soil appear to me to have been misled by trans- 

 ferring the feelings of animals to plants, and in- 

 feniiig that a change from want to abundance 

 must be agreeable and beneficial to both. But 

 plants in a very poor soil become stunted and un- 

 healthy, and do not readily acquu'e habits of vig- 

 orous growth when removed from it. In a soil 

 which has been highly manured, the growth of 

 young apple trees, generally indicates the utmost 

 exuberance of health and vigor. These are, how- 

 ever, usually the forerunners of a disease, and the 

 "canker's desolating tooth," blasts the hopes of the 

 planter. I have seen many mstances, in the black 

 rich mould of an old garden, where young trees 



of the native crab could scarcely preserve their 



existence ; and such mould appears almost equal- 

 ly fatal to the peach and nectarme trees. It has 



been justly remarked by Evelyn, that annual 



plants, having only a short time m which they are 



to fulfil the intentions of natm-e, readily accept 



any assistance from manure, and are rarely injur- j ij^^j.^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^ „^ previous description. 



ed by the excess of it ; but that trees, being - - 



formed for periods of long duration, are injiu-ed 



whenf attempts are made to accelerate their ear- 

 ly growth by the stimulus of a large quantity of 



nutriment. 



In choosing a situation for a nursery, too much 



shelter or exposure should be equally avoided ; — 



and a soil nearly similar to that in which the trees 



are afterwards to grow should be selected if it 



can be obtained. Pasture ground or unmanured 



ly deliberating v.hat further steps to take with 

 regard to their ultimatum. They exhibited as 

 much perseverance, but not so much success as 

 Hannibal in crossmg the Alps ; and, probably, xnet 

 with a defeat as fatal to them as was that of Jean 

 d'Acre to Bonaparte. 



It is not improbable that tiie means adopted 

 by Mr. Gardner, (namely, raismg a small steep 

 mound of earth about the trunk of a tree) might 

 be useful jn de/ending against the canker worm, 

 if begun in season, and properly persevered in. 

 There were a few canker worms in company with 

 the insects above mentioned, which were alike 

 unable to pass the obstacle which a verj' small 

 accumulation of earth presented. We should be 

 glad to learn more of this insect, and to be in- 

 formed whether it is a novelty, and nondescript, 

 or an old, and to some people well known offend- 



laboriiii 



nourisyiniHnt v/hich is adopted to its nature, and that the specific 



DISTEMPERED PEACH TREES. 



Many peach trees in this vicinity appear to be 

 under a disorder of which we have seen. 

 The 

 leaves become fungous, bloated, dropsical, exud- 

 ing a slimy or mucilaginous substance ; in some 

 instances, dropping from the boughs. The fruit 

 has, (we believe) generally, remained in its place, 

 though, in some cases, we are told it has already 

 fallen, and in all cases, where the leaves are ma- 

 terially injured, the fruit must suffer more or less. 

 We have examined some of these distempered 

 leaves with a microscope, but have been able to 

 detect no insects depredating on them. Probably 

 the disorder may be termed a blight, originating 



characiersof the engiafied plant remain unclianged, although I in cold easterly winds, and damp weather; but 



Us qualities may be partially affected. The famous Baldwin „, u l_ _i„ j ^ _i ^ . ..V , . . 



apple is said not to be so fine a fruit as it has heen, and its de- 

 terioration is attributed to the influence which the .stocks have 

 exercised over the scions by vi-hich it has been pi-opaeraled. — 

 EdUor ofDu N. E. FarTner. 



* I believe thai this remark may be extended lo every spe- 

 (Hes of forest iiee, and that the offspring of a stunted oak, the 

 hardy tenant of a Welsh mountain ; and of another tree of the 

 same species, the more (brtunate and gigantic inhabitant of the 

 deep rich loam and mild climate of ITerefordshire, would each 

 retain a large portion of the acquired character of tlieir parent, 

 wherever planted. 



1 1 have some good reasons to believe that an excess of high- 

 ly nutritive and stimulating food is highly injurious to young 

 animals, as well as to young trees, though it seems the fchion 

 «f the hour amongst medical men Id ihinK oiherv\ise. 



we should be glad to obtain facts and opinions 

 from our connoisseur-cultivators on this subject. 



NEWS. 



London advices have been received to May 14. 

 By these it appears, that Russia declared war a- 

 gainsl Turkey on the 26th of April last. No au- 

 thentic account of the actual invasion of Turkey 

 has yet been received ; but reports of such inva- 

 sion have been and are on the wing. 



Capf. Foster, a companion of Capt. Pany, in 



CANADA THISTLES. 



The Fathers of our ancient Commonweallh, 

 feeling the importance of showing their wisdom by 

 enacting numerous laws for " the pubhc good," — 

 have, at ahnost every season since our remem- 

 brance, employed a considerable part of their time 

 in regulating the birds, fish, and reptiles within 

 theu- jurisdiction. They must spend so much time 

 at the metropoUs, and what can be more useful, 

 interesting, or profitable, than to legislate on these 

 and similar subjects ? But the fish, poliwag, and 

 Militia laws have been handled over so much, in 

 years past, may have grown rather stale ; and fear? 

 were entertained that the present sessio*, of tht 

 Legislature would terminate a week or two soon- 

 er than usual, for want of sufficient business to 

 act upon. But " necessitj'," says the old provBrb, 

 " is the mother of invention ; " and happily it has 

 so proved at the present time. By reference to 

 our legislative journal, it will be seen that an Act 

 has been brought on the caq;et to prevent the 

 spreading of Canada Thistles. — How this object is 

 to be effected we are unable to say, having never 

 seen the bill which has been formed for that pur- 

 pose : — it is presumed however, that it is not in- 

 tended absolutely to forbid their growing, where 

 no means are used to prevent it ; and even if it 

 should, ten to one the T! istlcs would not regard 

 it ; and in that case sometliing must be done by the 

 occupants of the land on which they establish 

 themselves. — A cheap and effectual way of de.s- 

 troying them, root and branch, is to mow them 

 wheu in full fli wers, and scatter a small quantitv 

 of fine salt on her stumps. — The salt will pene- 

 trate through the pith to tlie roots, and utterly de- 

 stroy all on which it falls This method has been 



tried in several instances within our knowledge, 

 and we never knew it fail of entire success. As 

 the Thistles can be destroyed in this way in half 

 the time and for half the expense it would cost to 

 do it by laio, we hope those of our Agricultural 

 friends who are troubled with these uncomforta- 

 ble neighbors will at least make a trial of the a- 

 bove method to free themselves from then- com- 

 pany. — American Mvocate. 



By our advertising colunms, it will be seen that 

 a Pamphlet has been issued from the Press, on 

 Comparative Agriculture. It is from the pen of 

 the Rev. Mr. Burton of Rawdon, and was one of 

 the essays on that subject, oflered to the " Society 

 for the encouragement of the arts and sciences" 

 at Quebec. It is well adaj)tpd for the instruction 

 of the Canadian Farmer and Emigrant, as it points 

 out ill a very judicious manner the different sys- 

 tems pursued iji Great Britain and Canada. — Mon- 

 treal Gazette. 



Grafting. — The Philogeorgic Society of Naples 

 has offered a prize of twenty-five sequins to the 

 author of the best pajier on the fiillowing ques- 

 tion : viz. " To e.stabhsh, by facts, if the graft oc- 

 casions any modification of the plant grafted ; and 

 vice versa, if the plant exercises any influence on 

 the organization of the graft ; with respect to 

 plants and grafts of the same, or of different spe- 

 cies and forms." The prize is to be adjudged in 

 the vcar 1829. 



