VOL. XVII. NO. 36. 



AND HORTICULT[JRAL REGISTER. 



283 



of c:icli hill a handful of litter ia laid to protect 

 tlii^ shoots when just above ground, from the cold. 

 'I'll'' lidtroclite, the tarl;/ dwarf, the August tuher, 

 ami the fine early, a new variety received from 

 .\iiii'rica by Vihnorin, and excellently suited to 

 c;irly planting'. 



■\Ve take this occasion to observe that the pota- 

 ti IS easily propagated by sprouts, and to point 

 oiu a very simple method which is in use among 

 si.;,n^ gardeners. In March large potatoes are laid 

 (.11 :i bed and covered with a g.lass frame. They 

 soon throw out sprouts in abundance, which are 

 separated when from G to 10 inches long, and 3-4 

 covered with soft well prepared earth in a favora- 

 ble e.vposuro, only the extremities of the shoots be- 

 ing left out of ground, on which a little light straw 

 must be laid to guard against cold. 



Here it is customary to eat only the tubers of 

 the potato, but Loudon tells us that according to 

 Dr Clark, the lops of the stalks or vines are eaten 

 in Sweden, boiled, and are considered a delicacy. 



Tomato, love apple, Sotanum Ii/copersicum. 

 An annual from Mexico. (From the same.) 



Sown early, under glass, to be transplated to the 

 open garden, upon a south exposure, when the 

 danger of frost has ceased, at 24 or .30 inches dis- 

 tance. When the plants are 15 inches long, they 

 are fastened to a prop or trellis ; when two or three 

 Teet long the growth is stopped by nipping off the 

 extremity of the plant. Afterwards the secondary 

 shoots are nipped, just above the flowers. When 

 there is a good number of fruits, half grown, the 

 leaves are partly stripped, and the new shoots 

 cut oft". In the latter part of the season the leaves 

 are completely stripped, that the fruit may be en- 

 tirely exposed to the sun. It wants a deal of wa- 

 ter in summer. 



Some gardeners in the neighborhood of Paris 

 raise early tomatoes in the following manner. Sow 

 in Janaary under glass. Transplant in February, 

 also under glass, when the plant is strong enough. 

 The bed must be kept at a high temperature by 

 stoves, at the same time the inside of the boxes 

 must be guaided from moisture as much as possible. 

 In March they are again set out, finally, on a new 

 bed, two and a half feet wide, which receives two 

 rows, in quincunx order. A bell glass is put over 

 each and the air admitted when the weather allows. 

 The glasses not to be taken away till the middle 

 of May. About three weeks after setting, all but 

 two branches are removed, which are attached to a 

 string going from one end of the bed to the other. 

 When the plant is strong and the fruits are formed, 

 it is nipped oft' above the second or third bunch. 

 They ripen from the end of June, through July. 

 For this purpose an early variety with criped leaves 

 is employed. 



Of the tomato there are several varieties ; the 

 large red, which is furrowed, most cultivated for 

 the kitchen ; large yellow, a new and fine subvarie- 

 ty of the last ; small red, small yellow, the pear tom- 

 ato and the cherry tomato. The seeds retain the 

 power of germinating for 3 or 4 years. The tom- 

 ato is successfully grafted on the potato, by the 

 herbaceous graft of Tschudy. In this way a crop 

 of potatoes is obtained, under ground, and a crop 

 of tomatoes from the vines. 



The oftener carpets are shaken, the longer they 

 last, as the particles of dirt and sand which collect 

 upon them grind the threads. Sweeping thwn also 

 wears them. 



(From the Old Colony Mcmorul.)| 

 ROTATION OF CROPS. 



It is a principle well understood among scientific 

 farmers, that ameliorating or enriching and exhaust- 

 ing crops should alternate or follow each other in 

 succession. — Green crops, such as Beets, Turnips, 

 Carrots, Cabbage, Potatoes, &.C., which on account 

 of their broad system of leaves, draw much of their 

 nourishment from the atmosphere, are called en- 

 riching or ameliorating crops. — White crops — Corn, 

 Rye, Wheat, Oats, Karley, &c., whose leaves bo- 

 come dry, receive nothing from the atmosphere, but 

 draw all their support from the soil, while ripening 

 their seed, are called exhausting crops. 



As the success of the farmer in a great measure 

 depends upon a judicious system of Rotation — and 

 as this subject has not engaged the attention of 

 more able writers, (in this section of the country) 

 whose deep researches and longer experience has 

 better qualified them for the important task, I will 

 venture to suggest a system of rotation for a farm 

 of twentyeight acres of land suitable for converti- 

 ble husbandry, divided into seven lots of four acres 

 each ; we will suppose it all in sward. The first 

 year, after liberally dressing four acres with green 

 unfernltnted manure, we will plough, roll, harrow, 

 and plant with Indian corn and potatoes. The sec- 

 ond year we will take up four acres more, going 

 through the same process ; and on the first four 

 acres, with additional manure, we will raise some 

 of the green crops, Ruta Baga, Mangold Wurtzel, 

 and Carrots. The third year we will take up an- 

 other four acres and lay down the first with grass 

 and some of the white crops, as Wheat, Rye, Oats 

 or Barley, and so on, until we have gone through 

 the seven lots when we will commence again with 

 the first (in the same manner) which will then have 

 lain four years in grass ; and we venture to predict 

 that a farm managed in this manner, with a tolera- 

 ble dressing of manure, for the two first crops, will 

 increase in fertility and yield an annual profit that 

 will richly repay the labor and expense. But the 

 question may arise, where am I to get manure to 

 dress eight acres yearly ? Make it. The man is 

 not worthy to be called a farmer, who cannot, with 

 five head of cattle and two hogs, make two hun- 

 dred loads yearly. Cart into your barn-yard and 

 hog-stye, mud, loam, leaves, straw, &c. &c. Judge 

 Buel says, " the importance of every species of 

 vegetable and animal matter as a manure for the 

 soil may be made apparent to every farmer by a 

 Cew plain considerations. Every kind of animal 

 matter is derived originally from vegetables, and is 

 convertible again into vegetables — and every part 

 of a vegetable is in like manner convertible into 

 new plants. The elementary matters of a species 

 of vegetable, are always the same ; that is, a stock 

 of wheat or a stock of corn grown this year, con- 

 tain the same materials, and in about the same pro- 

 portions as they did last year. These materials 

 which constitute the wheat or corn crop, are prin- 

 cipally drawn from the soil, and consequently the 

 fertility of the soil is diminished in proportion to 

 the number and amount of the crops which are 

 carried oft". However rich therefore a soil may be 

 naturally, it must be evident that every crop serves 

 to diminish its fertillity — that it becomes poorer 

 and poorer every year, until it is no longer worth 

 cultivating, unless fertility is kept up by restoring 

 the vegetable matter or a large portion of them, 

 which have been caraied off". We have all seen 

 this proved in numerous instances under the old 



system of farming. To prevent decrease of fer- 

 tility is one of the improvements of modern hus- 

 bandry ; and it is prevented by manuring and al-- 

 ternating crops. Under the old system the rich 

 lands of the west will deteriorate till they are no 

 better than those of the .Atlantic border — under 

 the system of manuring and alternating the ordi- 

 nary lands of Flanders have been made to main- 

 tain their natur.il fertility for hundreds of years, 

 and those of Chini fur thousands of years, and 

 many of our worn out lands are now being in like 

 manner renovated." C. 



Muttakees, Feb. 20. 



(From the Pontiac Courier.) 

 BLOODY MURRAIN. 



Many cattle in this state, Ohio, and the Western 

 states generally, die of a disorder called Bloody 

 Murrain. Some years since, I lost a fine o.x by 

 this diseyse. As far as I know it has baffled all 

 attempts that have been made heretofore to eff'ect 

 a cure and has been considered fatal. 



Last week, one of my oxen was attacked vio- 

 lently with this disorder. I supposed he would die 

 as a matter of course, but unwilling to lose such 

 an excellent animal without doing any thing to 

 save his life, and being advised to try copperas, I 

 went to look for some, and happening to observe a 

 paper of alum, the thought struck me of mixing 

 the two together, and make an experiment with 

 them. I mixed about half an ounce of each, (cop- 

 peras and alum) in about a quart of hot water, 

 which was put in a bottle and given to the ox. In 

 about 12 hours, finding it had helped him, I repeat- 

 ed the dose, with the most happy effect, as in a 

 few hours afterwards lie ate some bran that was 

 oS"ered him. He is now quite well, although very 

 weak from the discharge of blood which attends 

 the disease. 



The publication of the above may benefit my 

 brother farmers, and I would therefore request you 

 to insert it in the Courier. Yours, «S:c., 



ELISHA SHELDEN. 



Wulerford, Jan. 22, 1839. 



MasBachnsctts HorticDltnral Society. 



EXHIBITION OF FRUITS. 



Saturday, March 2, 1839. 



Benjamin V. French Esq. exhibited the follow- 

 ing apples ; Mela Carla, Royal, Bourassa, and 

 Feain's Pippin. Also King's Bonchretein Pear- 

 This Pear was imported from France among a Jarge- 

 collection of fruits, by the late Hon. Rufus King.. 

 The original name was lost ; it was inttodticed' toi 

 notice by the late James Bloodgood-of Flusliiug-j 

 N. Y. who gave it the na ne by which it is now 

 cultivated. It is of second rate quality, and valua- 

 ble only in the absence of the finer varieties. 



Mr Manning exhibited, Pennock's red winter, the 

 Danvers Winter Sweet, and one unnaiwed variety 

 from France. 



A basket of beautiful red apples (unnamed) 

 were sent by Judge Heard; they had much the ap- 

 pearance of the Spitzemburg, but could not posi- 

 tively be identified as lliat variety; they will under- 

 go further investigation. 



For the Committee, 



ROBERT MANNING. 



