46 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



AUGUST ir, 1836' 



BOSTON. WEDNESDAY EVENING, AUG 17, IS36. 



FARMERS' WORK. 



Select and prksekve good seed. — The seeds of 

 various vegetables are now daily beconiiug ripe under 

 the eye of the eultivatnr: and if he does not gather ihe 

 best, and mal<e the most of all sorts of useful seeds he 

 neglects one of the most important branches of rural 

 economy. Gather the best seeds only for propagation 

 and let those which are not first rate never be used for 

 planting or sowing. The dry kinds of seeds are bnsl 

 kept in their own pods or outer coverings ; but the seeds 

 of all soft fruits, such as cucumbers, melons, &c. must 

 be cleansed from the pulp and mucilage, which surround 

 them ; otherwise the rutting of these parts will .-jpoil the 

 seeds. 



When seeds are gathered, it should always be done in 

 dry weather; then they should be hung up in bags in a 

 dry room, so as to preserve them from the air 



The selections of seeds depends principally on a prop- 

 er choice of grains and kernels, as well as roots, from the 

 most vigorous vegetables, growing under our own in- 

 spection : for though it be conjectured that the constant 

 cultivation of a particular plant fiom the same seed, and 

 in the same soil, will at length cause it to degenerate, 

 yet numerous well attested instances have occurred, in 

 which the contrary effects have been evident. The more 

 healthy stalks or stems should therefore be selected for 

 bearing seeds ; and such as attain maturity at the earli- 

 est period of the season ought to be preferred, especially 

 if they grow at a distance from weakly plants of the 

 srme species ; lest fecundating farina of the latter be 

 blown on the stigmata of the former, and an inferior kind 

 or succession be produced. 



The proper time for gathering seeds is the period of 

 their perfect maturity, which may be asceitained by the 

 dryness of the stem ; because when the latter begins to 

 decoy it becomes bleached by the oxygen of the atmos- 

 phere and no further nourishment can then be conveyed 

 to the seed. — 



Fruit trees. — L", in looking over your orchard you 

 should happen to perceive any limbs overburdened with 

 fruit, you will pick off a part, or put props under the 

 limbs or both. In most cases, when you can afford 

 time it will be advisable to pick off supernumerary apples, 

 peaches, &c. especially from young trees. Mr. Coxe 

 observed that "no error is more univei sal. than an 

 anxiety for early productiveness in an orchard. It is gen- 

 erally obtained at the expense of much eventual profit, 

 and a great dimunition of the size and vigor of the trees. 

 Believing early fecundity to be injurious to tlj-e vigor and 

 perfection of plants, I am aiw.iys attentive to pluck 

 from trees these evidences of early maturity, in tluj first 

 stages of their existence." 



Bushes. — This is the right time of the year for des- 

 ,roying the bushes which are apt to overrun pastures, &c 

 Wet weather is best for this purpose, because the sap 

 vessels will continue open longer, and the sap discharg- 

 ed, the root weakens the plants, and eventually the 

 power of reproduction is annihilated. Bushes which 

 grow in clusters, such as alders and some other sorts 

 may be pulled up by oxen, and this is an effectual way 

 of subduing them. A writer in the N. E. Farmer, Vol. 

 I. p. ;!00, asserts in substance that bushes in pastures are 

 best destroyed by .sowing plaster of Paris at the rate of 

 about one bushel to the acre on land overrun with them. 

 It appears that the plaster gives such growth to clover 



and other grasses, that the growth of the bushes is check- 

 ed, and they are eventually stifled and exteririnated. 



Pasture. — An English writer recommends to mix a 

 few sheep and one or two colts in oach pasture fljr horn- 

 ed cattle. Another says, " The fcdiowing economical 

 experiment is well known to the Dutch, that when eight 

 cows have been in pasture, and can no longer obtain 

 nourishment, two horises will do very well for some 

 days, and when nothing is left for tho horses four sheep 

 will live on it; Uiis not only proceeds from their differ- 

 ing in the choice of plants, but from the formation of 

 their mouths, which are not equally adapted to lay hold 

 of the grass." 



Nova Scotia. — A correspondent, writes under date 

 o-f July ]5, from Halifax, to the proprietors of the New 

 England Seed Store, as follows : 



" By way of a challenge I sent into the market yester- 

 day Cauliflowers, and Cabbages, fine heads from tho 

 Early Dutch Seed— and I shall have Green'Peas to- 

 morrow, all the first on the Peninsula. I have not only 

 obtained an early price for ihem, but have proved the 

 superiority of your seeds. The effect will prove bene- 

 ficial '' 



The same writer adds, in a spirit of laudable pride ; 



" You are not aware of the healthy climate of Nova 

 Scotia, ©ur lasses g'ow apace here: our butter, pork, 

 and blue nose potatoes creates industry, animates the 

 mental powers, ana invigorats health into our constitu- 

 tions." 



Dr. S W. Brown, of East Granby, Conn., will have 

 10,000,000 Seedling White Mulbeiry trees this year. 

 This is commencing in good earnest. 



Sefton, Purple Globe, Lady Campbell, Foster's Premier 

 Othello, fine, Crania, Lass of Richmond Hill, Chancel- 

 ^r. Yellow Turban, King of Whites, Cassina. Crimson 

 Globe, Queen Dahlias, Belladonna, Marchioness Loth- 

 ain. Duchess of Bedford. Some of the above were extra 

 fine flowers. 



From Hovey & Co.- Andromeda, Amanda, Agripl- 

 nea, Rubricunda form.-sa, Duchess of Bedford, Emperor 

 of the Yellows, Sulphurea perfecta, Beauty of ShefKeld, 

 Albion, Jaune Insurmountable, Barrett's Susanna, fine', 

 Springfield Rival, splendid specimens, Paragon of Per- 

 lection. Lord Liverpool, Widnall's Rising Sun, do. Per- 

 fection, do. Enchanter, Brewer s Rival King, Lord Liv- 

 erpool seedling, fine. 



By Samuel Walker - Dahlias, var., Groombridge's 

 Matchless, Fannj Kemble, Queen of Belgium, Atrc 

 purpurea. Globe flowering, with bouquets. ° 

 For the Committee, 



_ S. V^ALKER, Chairman. 

 Errata.- Jn the report of Flowers, of last week in the 

 third column of page 38, line 19 from the top for ^ratc 

 Jul read gratified. 



Near Edinburg, a farmer who was troubled with rats, 

 recently caught 400 by placing a large copper kettle in 

 his corn loft, filling it about half full of water and strew- 

 ing a thin sprinkling of chaff over it. By a few boards 

 extending from tho wall to the kettle, the rats could 

 jump among what they took to bo a fine lot of grain, and 

 died the death.— Daily Times. 



MASSACHUSETTS HORTICUI.TURAI< SOCIETY, 



Saturday, Aug. J3, 1836. 



EXHIBITION OF FLOWERS. 



The contributors to-day were Messrs Wilder of Dor- 



chester, Breck of Lancaster, Mason of Cambridge, 

 Winship of Brighton, Murphy of Roxbnry, Hovey of 

 Boston, SweeUer of Cambridgeport, and S. Walker ci" 

 Roxbury. 



Among tbo netc things we noticed a seedling Dahlia 

 from Messrs Hovey, raised from seed from Lord Liver- 

 pool ; it is a fine flower, and at fir.st sight we supposed it 

 to be a good specimen of Barrett's Susannah. 



Mr Breck's seedling was large and very double, and 

 would, some few years since, have been considered a 

 good flower, but it lacks tne essentialily necessary to ap- 

 proach perfection. We understand Mr Breck to say 

 this was one of the first flowers oat of about two hun- 

 dred seedlings which he expects to bloom this season. 

 The other flowers of Mr Breck's were much injured by 

 the transportation, wo hope this gentleman will favor us 

 with further specimens of his fine collection of Dahlias, 

 including his seedlings. 



From Mr Thomas Mason — A fine bouquet. 



By Mr E. A. Story, from Messrs Winship — A large 

 collection of herbaceous, and other flowers. 



From Mr Dennis Murphy — Dahlia, var., anemone- 

 flora rosea. 



By Col, M.P. Wilder — Dahlias, var., (beautiful) Me- 

 tropolitan Calypso, Inwood's Ariel, Dennissi Coccinnea, 

 Levick's Shannon, fine, Douglass Augusta, fine, Cedo 

 Nulli, fine, Dennis' Queen of Whites, Wells' Paragon, 

 Belladonna, British Queen, Erecta, superb color. Ouch- 

 ess of Bedford, extra fine scarlet. 



By Mr Samuel Sweetser — Dahlias, var., King of 

 Yellows, (Brewers) Dennissi, Coccinnea, Laura, Lady 



Snme speculators at Liverpool have been detected in 

 a very singular mode of smuggling. They were in tho 

 habit of having wine and spirits stored in a warehouse 

 near the dock, under the eye of the ofticers of the cus- 

 toms ; and giving security for the duties, on debenture. 

 From this store they had pipes connected with another 

 one on another street — through which they pumped 

 iheir wine and brandy into other casks, and returned 

 water in its place, they then reshipped the casks filled 

 with water, and thus avoided the duties. A Yankee 

 could not have made a bet*er " contrivance."— lb. 



Profitable Voyages.— Four whale-ships, belonging 

 to Hudson, have returned with 15,100 barrels of oil. The 

 cargoes of the Beaver and the Helvetian are worth 



gioo.ooo. 



About 200 of the canine race have fallen victims this 

 season, at Troy, to the omnipotency, or rather bounty of 

 Ihe dog law ; each dog, dead, abstracting $1 from the 

 treasury of the town. 



Dr. Jennison, of Northampton, Mass. has besn ap- 

 pointed chief director of the Mint at Mexico, and is 

 about to return to this country to procure the necessary 

 machinery for coining. 



The Miners' Journal says that the report published in 

 a New York paper, that the supply of Pennsylvania coal 

 would fall short by two hundred thousand tons, is incor- 

 rect. On the contrary the supply of this year will be an 

 increase of at least one hundred thousand tons above 

 that of the last. 



Bricemakers look out.- A cargo of bricks from 

 France has lately arrived at Charleston, S. C. and were 



sold for eleven dollars per thousand What next we 



should like to know, will be imported into this country.' 

 Salem Gazttte. 



