VOT.. VVHI. NO. 43. 



AND HORTICULTURAL REGISTER. 



301 



.ml appcnis lo be (loi.ig exceedingly well, with 

 luiiy three times hoeing since set, and bids fair to 

 Micome a competent fence in four years or less. 

 Mr Palmer gave the preference to the Huckthorn, 

 DMii the representations of those better acquainted 

 "!iii it, that it is more hardy and rapid in growth 

 ■.iiLin the otlier varieties, and from its possessing 

 certain medicinal qualities, rendericg it unpalatable 

 to cattle, which wonld deter them from browsing it. 

 Many prefer the Cockspiir, or Delaware thorn to 

 any other, by reason of its having a thorn on it, 

 thus rendering any attempt to penetrate it less 

 likely to succeed. I did not intend, however, lo 

 have said so much in regard to hedges, but to pro- 

 pose a substitute to such as may not feel inclined 

 lo try the hedge. There is a beautiful specimen 

 of hedge around the marine Hospital at Chelsea, 

 of the maple leaf Washington thorn, which appears 



11. The hedges around the garden of the Insane 

 Hospital at Charlestown, are Hawthorn ; but this 

 p •■'. :- - -t f.\:.. -i^..,,- ,.^,..,,Vv,u ..., ...s,..^.. ,tj iu..- 

 age is exceedingly beautiful ; but it requires too 

 much and careful attention to be profitable, and 

 will not thrive well in our climate. I would re- 

 commend to those who feel curious in these nmt- 

 tfr^ to visit and inspect theni, should business or 

 other circumstances call them to Boston. 



In the interior of New York I frequently saw a 

 species of wall or fence made of stuns and sod, 

 which was thought highly' ol' there, and wjiich t 

 think might be piolitably introduced among us. I 

 will eniifiuvor to describe it, and the process of mak- 

 ing it. First a layer of stones from four to six in- 

 ches high, say eiv-hteen inches in width. On top 

 of this is put a layer of sods, grass down, carefully 

 filling up all the interstices in the stone beneath, 

 then a layer of stone, then sod, thus alternately iin- 

 lil your wall is at the desired height, when you cap 

 it with sod. Grass seed is then sown on the top, 

 and around the sides on the edges of the turf, which 

 should come out " flusli" and smooth with tlie 

 Btone. The following season the grass entirely 

 covers and conceals the stone, and you have a most 

 beautiful and sold wall. I would observe that the 

 thickness of the wall, in order to prevent its set- 

 tling, should diminisli as you ascend ; eight or ten 

 inches width at the top being sufficient. The sods 

 necessary for the wall, being generally, or for the 

 most part, taken from the spot, is usually done so as 

 to make a good drain, some four or five inches deep 

 on each side of it. Fears may be entertained that 

 this description of wall would not be secure from 

 the effects of the frost. I was iiarticr.lar in my en- 

 quiries on this point and was assured that no es- 

 sential injury was perceived to arise from it. I saw 

 many which had* been built si.x to ten years, and 

 they appeared s<did and firm. You have very like- 

 ly seen the batteries and redoubts thrown up in 

 many places on our sra-coast, during the last war. 

 There are maiiy such on some of the islands in 

 Portsmouth harbor; at Eastport, Me., Fort Sullivan 

 was entirely surrounded with them; they were 

 composed generally of bushes, shavino^s, &c., cov. 

 ered at the top and sides with turf They have re- 

 tained their shape, verdure, and solidity for years. 

 In fact I apprehend there is but little danger of so 

 great an expansion by frost as to destroy a wall 

 such as I have described, especially after the grass 

 roots become firmly united and knit together. This 

 kind of wall may be built as cheap as rail fence. I 

 have known it laid for thirtyscven and a half cents 

 per rod. It appears nearly as handsome as hedge, 

 and when built in the summer is in full perfection 



the following year. This kind of wall can, perhnps, buckets of water upon the surface, which is some- 

 be binter built, than any otiier in those neighbor- times done after the tree is transplanted, as it will 

 hoods, where tiiere is a deficiency of large stents often bake the eartli so hard as to prevent the ad- 



suitable for entire stone walls, and w here a slaty 

 quality of stone prevails. 



In conversation with a friend lately, on the sub- 

 ject of walls and fencii;g, and the expense of build- 

 ing tliem, he informed me that having iriade it a 

 subject of inquiry with a view of erecting n wall 

 himself, he could not estimate the cost of good 

 stone wall in this vicinity, at less than five dollars 

 per rod ; an item of expense which but lew can af- 

 ford, aTid which all would prohablv clioose to avoid. 

 I an, dear sir. 



Very respectfully, your friend, &c. 



b'ExVJA. f. e.merv. 



mission of air and dew. 



J. M. I. 



CULTIVATION OF THE TOMATO. 



A.S the cultivation of this wholesome vegetable 

 is much more attended to among us than formerly, 

 and as there are many methods resorted to, in order 

 to obtain fruit early, I have forwarded you a few 

 hints on the subject. 



First, forC(! tlie plants in a hot h(,'d, — transplant 

 them when about four inches high in a light, well 

 nianiu-ed loamy soil, — (strong soil with green ma- 

 nure induces the plants to grow rank and produce 

 their fruit late in the summer.) They do better 



, ,. , ., and fruit earlier in a warm soil by raising them in 



I'lO.Ti tile oalrni Ol SLTVtr 



tlie manner of potatoes, that is in hills, (one plant 



j to a hill,) and when tney begin to throw out late- 



PEACH TREE KOKER. , rals, place brush wood around the plants, that they 



Messrs Ives Sf Pease — .is the soasu.i is now ap- may spread upon it, which brings tiie fruit near the 

 proaching to look over our peach trees, I send for ground, and will ha-^ten its ripening. J. M. I. 

 your Observer a few hints upon their culture, for 

 wliicli I am in part indebted to Mr A. J. Downing, 

 the intelligent Nen-burgh nurseryman. 



"The greatest enemy to the peach tree in our 

 vicinity is what is here called the borer. From ig- 

 noranci.' of its habits &r.d circles"!:""-:: in fubuuhig 

 it, it has increased so much within the last ten 

 years that the average life of the peach tree ap- 

 pears to be reduced to about five years duration " 

 .Among the numerous recommendations have been, 

 boiling water applied to the roots, placing anthra- 

 cite coal ashes around the trunk, &c. These are 

 not effectual. Tlie easiest and most certain method 

 of ridding the peach tree of this disease, is to search 

 out and destroy the worm itself, semi-annually. — 

 Every spring and autumn remove the earth four or 

 five inches deep, about the neck or stem of the tree. 

 On laying bare the bark, if the tree is attacked by 

 the worm, gum will be discovered. When this is 

 the case, take your knife, and opening the bark, 

 follow the channel made by the worm until (if it 

 have not left the tree) you discover and destroy it. 

 Reulace the earth, and the wound caused by the 

 worm (if it do not completely encircle the tree) will 

 speedily heal over again. This is easily done, and 

 if followed up in spring (April) and in the fall (Oc- 

 tober) will soon extirminate them from our gatdens. 



J. M. I. 



TRANSPLANTING FRUIT TREES. 



As the season has now arrived to sot trees, (par- 

 ticularly peach trees — spring being, as we appre- 

 hend, preferable to the fall for stone fruits,) by your 

 request, I have forwarded a few remarks relative to 

 my method of re-setting fruit trees. 



Transplanting trees seems a very simple process : 

 all do not however practice it equally well. The 

 land should be mellow, free from lumps and stones, 

 and made fine ; the hole for a tree an inch through 

 at the butt should be 2 J-'«J feet across, and from JO 

 to 15 inches deep. Care sliould be taken that the 

 tree is not set deeper than it originally stood. Be- 

 fore setting, any brui.scd or broken root should be 

 smoothly cut off with a sharp knife — fill in with 

 your hand the fine soil all around the roots, placing 

 all the fibres, &c. in as horizontal a direction as 

 possible. When the hole is about half filled up, 

 pour in 3 or 4 quarts of water, in order to settle To make rancid butter sweet. — Melt and simmer 

 the soil about the roots; when this ha.s soaked it; then dip into it a crust of bread well toasted 

 down, fill up with soil; and upon no account pour i on both sides. — lb. 



DisEASF, OF Horses, &c. — I see a great many 

 cures for disorders in cattle and horses, in your 

 Genesee Farmer. The Ringbotie is a great plague 

 to horses, which is easily cured. Take one oz. of 

 caiiijiiior, one o'z. of oil of spike, one oi. of iiaria- 

 horn, and one oz. of s|)irits of turpentine — put these 

 in a phial and shake it well ; — when it is fit for use 

 put it on the foot above the ring, and rub it with 

 the finger till it comes to the skin. It will take a 

 week to use it on one foot, which it will cure, be 

 he ever so lame or long standing, but the ring will 

 remain. 



'To cure ScjAtre in cattle or horses : take the seed 

 of the narrow leaf dock — (it is a yellow root) — and 

 give them a handful of the seed in their feed. It 

 will stop it immediately, be it ever so severe. Or 

 take a tea-spoonful of pulverized red chalk, and 

 give it to a bpa.^t, and it will cure. 



I had a spring colt sick with the scours, atid I 

 made inquiries of several old people about it ; they 

 knew nothing for it ; I took my own remedy. I 

 took a handful of the dock seed and steeped it in 

 the mother's milk, and poured about a gill down 

 the throat, and it cured it at once. 



r4 cvrejur the Blind Staggers in a Horse. — When 

 ever you perceive it bleed them well in the spur 

 veins, and physic them well with tamarack, rvhich 

 will soon cure him. I am yours, 



Alexander M'Doug.^li.. 



Jfainpsvilte, .In gust 26, 18J9. 



Labor Saving Soap — recipe for making. — Take 

 2 lbs. soda, 3 lbs. of yellow bar soap, and ten qts. of 

 water; cut the soap in thin slices, and boil all to- 

 gether two hours, then strain it through a cloth — 

 let it cool, and it is fit for use. 



Directions for using.— Put the clothes in soak 

 the night before you wash, and to every pail of wa- 

 ter in which you boil them, add one pound of soap. 

 They will need no rubbing; merely rinse them out, 

 and they will be perfectly clean and white. 



The recipes for making this soap have been sold 

 at from $5 to .$10, and the soap seven cents per 

 pound ; but can be manufactured for about two cts. 

 — Farmer's Cabinet. 



