254 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



JAN. as, 1810. 



mowing and plough-fields ? No serious objection 

 in a pasture that I know of: but in a pi )ugh-field 

 what would they be but waste ground, where bush- 

 es and briers would soon take possession, and as 

 neitlier plough nor hoe would be likely to meddle, 

 lest the wall lose its supporter, they would soon 

 send their long and penetrating roots to the fine 

 bed of mould under the wall, and firmly refuse a 

 departure unless the building be torn from over 

 their heads. In a mowing field they might not 



fare as well, for the .scythe coming so near, they jp,^^.g j^ ^e the "Monsieur le Cure," of the Euro, 

 would probably get clipped unless the mower L^^^ py,j,Q|Q„|pjji a^,^^,ors, and probably be identi. 



ciously. I tried physic again, but to no eflfect, 

 and fearing to run the risk, after losing so many, I 

 placed her most reluctantly, in the hands of the ■ 

 butcher. Her lungs were uncommon'y purple, 

 and her lower intestines were in the same condition 

 as we had found the others. 



My Chinese sow " Plentiful" — a fine breeder, 

 from stock originally imported into Salem — on the 

 15th of this month, dropped twelve pigs (out of my 

 Berkshire Boar) every one of which came dead ! 

 and from present appearance.^, I fear ihe mother 

 will soon follow. 



Thus you see, sir, 1 have met witli several se- j should be afraid of dulling his implement. No 

 vere losses, and I cannot conceive but the cause of i neat f-rmer wouFd wish to have this balk left un- 

 all these misfortunes is the same. 'Ihe object, | mowed ; and to get over it, together with the trench 

 therefore, of this comumnication is not to assert | from which it was taken, every one could not do 

 that hay tea has killed my hogs (although 1 have | with ease and comfort, especially when in a hurry 



'as haymakers are prone to be. 



I would recommend to this gentleman, and oth- 

 ers that have not already adopted the course, be- 

 fore commencing the wall, to remove the soil, 

 (which is easily done with a plough) the width 

 they desire to build. If the land be wet, let the 

 earth be removed to the depth of from one to two 

 feet; in this case middhng sized stones should be 

 used to fill. If the land be dry, small stones can 

 be "put in promiscuously, but upon them large 

 stones the width of the wall should be placed, and 

 a wall built upon these, I can say with A., " will 

 stand the test of time." 



There are many advantages in this course aside 

 from the durability of the wall ; you will remove 

 from the farm a great incumbrance. On many 

 farms there are vastly more small stones than can 

 be- worked into a wall above the surface, and to 

 what better use can they be put than to bury them 

 beneath ? I have seen farms, where in the cor- 

 ners of the plough-fields there were heap^ of from 

 one to two hundred loads, at the same time all the 

 occupants' walls laid right upon the surface, reeling 

 this way and that. 



Another advantage ; there is nothing left under 

 the wall for bushes an<l briers to live upon ; of 

 course they will not be troublesome. 



But a still greater advantage ; the soil thus saved 

 is more in quantity and of greater value than mos 



MasBacliusetts Hortlcaltural Sooletjr. 



EXHIRITIOR or FBnITS. 



Saturday, Jan. 11, 1840. 



Mr James Leonard, of Taunton, exhibited speci- 

 mens of the Burgomaster Pear, fso called in this vi-lj 

 cinity) a grsat bearer, and one of the most profitabk j 

 fruits for the market. We take this opportunity agair 

 to repeat, that this is not the true European Burgo. 

 master, and have but little doubt but that it wil! 



abandoned the use of it, at least, for the presentj 

 but simply to state facts, and enquire of you, whose 

 opinion in regard to this subject will be authority, 

 whether or not it is probable that the astringent 

 powers of the article herein named, (hay tea) are 

 auch as would produce these disastrous results, 

 and, if not, what the cause can be, judging, as we 

 only can, from the symptoms produced previously 

 to, and the condition we find the body in after 

 death. 



Your opinion will greatly oblige one at least, 

 and I doubt not that it will be thankfully received 

 "by all the readers of the Farmer. 



I have the honor to be. 



Your ob't servant, 



GEORGE V. BURNHAM. 



Roxhvty^.Mass., Jan. ^0, 1840. 



For the New England Karmer. 



BUffiDlNG STONE WALL. 



Mr Editor — The communication in ybur last 

 number taken from the Albany Cultivator signed 

 A., informing the public how the New Englanders 

 build their stone wall, will not apply to all parts of 

 Ne-w England, however well it may to some por- 

 tions. 



My own practice, and that of others as far as I 

 am acquainted is, after a layer of small and rougji 



cal with the Saint Lezin of the new edition of Du- 

 hamel, to which we refer. 



Mr Manning exhibited the Bellflower Apph 

 (Coxe No. 33) ; Winter Orange Pear (Coxe No 

 37J, and Beurre Sutin Pear.. The scions of thi, 

 last were received from Dr. Van Mons. rh( 

 tree bore for the first time, this season, and promie 

 es to be a great bearer, and the fruit high flavourei 

 and excellent. 



Mr Warren exhibited beautiful specimens of tb 

 following Apples : — Rhode Island Greening, Rox 

 bury Russet, Nonsuch, and two baskets of a ne^' 

 seedling, which has the character of a fine appi 

 late in the season. 



Mr D. Saunders, of Rowley, exhibited a baske 

 of the Minister apple from the original tree, on hi 

 farm in Rowley. They were not so large as usua 

 and had > been kept too long to support their repi) 

 tation of a first rate fruit, which they undoubtedl 

 deserve. For the Committee, 



ROBERT MANNING. 



stones 8 or 12 inches in height ("which by the way 



are all, if not more, placed below the surface of the of my brother farmers who have not tried it would 

 ground) to place next a layer extending across the suppose. Allowing it to be taken off but three feet 

 width of the wail, and upon these " a double row ' wide, every five and a half rods in length will fur 



on each side of the wall 12 or 15 inches high," or, 

 as would be better understood by one unaccustom- 

 ed to the business, a single row on each side, 

 forming a double one, and then go on to complete 

 as A. said, by laying stones across so as to bind 

 together the two sides, reserving smaller, but good j lost. To yearly cover ^with this soil the yard 



shaped ones for completing the top of the structure 



nish the surface of one square rod, and 880 rods in 

 length, an acre ; — if it be taken but six inches deep 

 there will be 4.50 loads, in a cart of large dimen- 

 sions. And to bank the wall as advised by A. 

 double that quantity would be lost and worse than 



To place no stones across till it is raised 24 or 30 

 inches above the surface of the ground, if it is 

 practised, as very probably it may be in places 

 ■where stones are less abundant than in this region, 

 is not the way to have a wall durable. A wall 

 3 1-2 or 4 feet high from the surface, should have 

 at least two binders, that there may bo no bulging 

 out of the sides. 



The writer of the article referred to, advises to 

 plough about three furrows on' each side of the wall 

 to form an embankment against it, and thus by 

 keeping out the frost, effect the standing of the 



where cattle are wintered and during the nights of 

 summer are kept, if the yard be rightly constructed, 

 will retain the excrements of the cattle and with 

 the additional labor of ploughing it once in two or 

 three weeks during warm weather will become a 

 fine top-dressing for grass, which no farmer having 

 once tried, will feel that he can do without. 



Nor do I agree with the writer in thinking there 

 is no beauty to a stone wall. But if the stones are 

 piled together without any regard to appearance, 

 then no wonder that there is a want of beauty. 

 There are comparatively few stones that cannot be 

 laid to look well, and still be placed in such a 



wall upon his small stones of two feet in height, manner as to give firmness and strength to the 



1 take his word for it, that wall thus built and wall. 



tanked has stood the test of time. T. S. 



' And would he have these banks in his pastures, J^orth Broolijield, Jan. 20, 1840. 



From Hovey's Magazine, 



ON THE CULTIVATION OF CELERY. 



As good celery is always sure to meet with 

 ready sale in the market, and commands a liberii 

 price when found there, I propose giving a fe" 

 practical remarks on the necessary treatment n 

 quired from the first^owing of the seed in th 

 spring, to the taking i^fef the roots, in the autumi 

 for use. In the first pace, be it remembered, th; 

 the writer of this does not claim any greater \s.nav 

 ledge than that possessed by gardeners and other 

 who have had experience in the cultivation ( 

 celery ; but as this article may meet tlio eye i 

 those persons who have not acquired the requisil 

 knowledge to grow it to perfection, it is probabl 

 that they may glean somnthing from it, that ma 

 be of some assistance to them. 



There are six or eight varieties of celery cult 

 vated, and all those who cultivate it, have the 

 favorite kinds : neveltheless, I will venture to n 

 commend the white solid, and the rose-colored soli 

 celery, to be grown, either for the market or ft 

 private family use. The second week in April, 

 there is a cucumber frame at work, prepare two ( 

 three shallow boxes, and fill them with a fine ric 

 soil, and sow the seed on the surface, with aliberi 

 hand ; then press it down pretty solid, with a piec 

 of board, and cover it lightly with very fine sifte 

 earth ; this done, give the whole a gentle waterin, 

 and place the boxes in the frame, close to tl 

 front. 



When the plants make their appearance, gi\ 

 them air every day, if possible, by propping up tl 

 sash, at the front, where the boxes are placed. I 

 soon as it is perceived that the plants have tl 

 least tendency to grow weak, they must be removf 

 from the frame, immediately to the open air, choo 



