358 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



ANn HORTICULTURAL REGISTER. 



Edited by Josepb Breck. 



UosTos, Wednesdav, MiY 8, 1844. 



THE SKASON. 

 It woulJ be n wonder indei'd ifwedid not have some- 

 Ihing remarkablp in every season — somi-thing tn dislin- 

 guish it from all oihers ilial liave precmlid it — at least 

 in the imaginalitin of (lie casual observer. Thus, we 

 have the holtesl weatlier for llie season ever known ; 

 the coldest, the drjest, the jiiosi vvf^l, the mo!.t forward, 

 or backward, &c. There iilviays lias been something to 

 complain of or wonder at, in each season, ever since 

 we can remember, and no dnubl this has been the case 

 in former ages, and will be in ages to come. 



If every farmer would Keep a diary and note the 

 changes of the weatlier and Iho progress of the sensonai 

 it would be found, on comparison with past years, ihat 

 what is considered unusual in the present, has occurred 

 (and perhaps ofien^ before. Last winter was noted for 

 IIS severity ; Mairli for its cold and wet, and April has 

 been the wonder of all, on account of the continued 

 warm and pleasant weather. There has not been a 

 working day during the last four weeks, ending on the 

 4th insl., that was unfavorable for labor out oldoors, and 

 not a day was lost by our hired men duiing that time 

 It may be said with truth, that there has not been a 

 month so favorable lor preparing the soil and making 

 ready for planting, as the last April— perhaps not in the 

 memory of the oldest man living. 



If the month was improved as it should hcve been, 

 our farmers are now all ready for planting their corn, 

 and many have already committed the seed to the 

 ground. According to the old Indian rule, it is high 

 time (in this nei^shborhood) that it should be planted, if 

 it has not been, for the " oak leaves are as big as a squir- 

 rel's ear," and the trees indicate an unusually forward 

 season, at least one fortnight earlier than the average of 

 the last ten years. Our apricots were in bloom this sea- 

 son the, 15;li of April; cherries, plums and peaches in 

 full bloom the 26th — and now, (May 6lh,) the pears and 

 many of the apple trees are also in full bloom— and on 

 the cherry, not a vestige of the flowers are to be seen. 

 We doubt whether there is any record of an earlier 

 bloom fur the last 30 years. 



The late Hon. John Lowell was very particular in 

 noting the progress and characteristics of the seasons in 

 hh diary, extracts fjom which have often be en published 

 in the N. E Farmer, for the instruction of the public. 

 In nn article of llii.< kind communicated by l\lr Lowell, 

 and published in vol. xvii. page 371, he gives the lime 



ground under many of the trees white with the fallen 

 petals. This is all we remember about the season, ex- 

 cept on May morning, as those who had gone out into 

 tho country " M.tying," returnd with Lilacs in bloom, 

 and oiher flowers of the season. 



Notwithstanding the unusual forwardness of tho pres- 

 ent season, we would caution the inexperienced not to 

 be hasty in planting their cucumbers, melons, and even 

 their beans, for a general orop-^for the month o( May is 

 usually so variable, that even a severe fiost or a snow 

 storm, would not be an occurrence unprecedented. We 

 remember one season (it must have been one of the cold 

 ones,) about 12 years back, while residing 30 miles i 

 the inteiior, we hail a snow storm on the 24th of May . 

 the apple trees were then in full bloom. The ground'^" 

 was as white as ever it was in the winter, and remained 

 en the greater part of a day afier the storm subsided, 

 contrasting strangely wiih the green foliage of the trees 

 and their beautiful flowers. Hard frosts followed for two 

 or threa nights, but we do not remember that the fruit 

 was destroyed. 



In the communication of .Mr Lowell, already alluded 

 to, he says— "In my experience, frosts in the spring sel- 

 dom hurt the fruits, even the lenderest : never, I believe, 

 unless severe enoua;h lo discolor the young foliage. No,' 

 the great enemy to fruit is cold— long continued rains! 

 or north-east storms, while the blossoms are expanded^ 

 checking the a-cent of sap while the fruit is selling, or 

 just after it is set. This is the cause of the filling ofthe 

 young apples, peiirs, cherries and peaches, sor^etimes 

 after they arrive at the size of chesnuts." 



So, reader, do not feel much alarmed if we should 

 have a few frosty nights before the month is out, but 

 look out sharp for a long, cold north-easier. 



It is thought by some that a dry April, like the last is 

 prejudicial to ihe grass, and alarmists have alre.ndy 

 raised the price of hay ;— but this is a great mistake. It 

 is well known that one extreme follows anollior, and 

 itisnot improbable Ihat the dry .ipril may be followed 

 by a wet May,— and a great crop may be anticipated. 

 The refreshing showers of Friday and Saturday nights, 

 with the warm weather, has put a very promising aspect 

 upon grass .ns well as every thing else, and cau-es the 

 farmer's heart to sing for joy, in unison with every liv- 

 ing creature in the country, and we might almost say 

 that even the trees clap their hands and shout for jov 



MAYS, IS<< 



MASS. HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



EXHIBITION OF FLOWERS. 



Saturday, Mmj 4, 1844 



From W. E. Carter, Hyacinths, diflerent varieli. 



Saxifrage oordifolia. Kibes aureum, Cystus alpinus. j 



From Miss Sumner, two handsome Hoiiquets. 



From J. Breck; Hyacinths of different sorts; Po 



anlhus, Pansies, &c. 



From the garden of Madame Bigelow, of Medfo 



beautiful specimens of a new seedlins; doi.ble-floweri 



White Peach. The llowers were l^rse, pure white, a 



very showy. Ii is deserving of extensive cultivati, 



i as an ornamental plant, it will rank among the ea 



' flowers as one of Flora's gems. 



For the Committee, J. BRECK, Chm'n 



KXMIBITION OF FRt/ITS. 



By Mr J. F. Allen, of Salem, fine spocmen of Grap 

 VIZ : Black Hamburg, and Chasselas Bar Sur Aube i 

 latter grown in a pot, the vine bearing eight bunehes 

 1-2 a pound each ; berries good size for '!„ kind. 



Peaches, var. Royal George Cli„g„one. The sp. 

 mens were large and finely colored. 



Strawberries, var. Early Virginia and Monthly. 

 For the Commitlee, S. WALKER, Chm n 



EXHIBITION OF VEGFTABLES. 



Aspar,agus by Mr George Walsh, of Chaib'stown a 

 Mr David Hill, of West Cambridge. The specimens 

 Mr Hill were very large. 



For the Committee, g. WALKER. 



SPLENDID FLOWERING TREES. 

 Mr John A. Kenrick, Nonantum Dale, has in flower 

 trees ofthe MiignoUa foidangiana, and a superb speci- 

 men of the J/. Con«/(ici/rt. The trees are about 15 feet 

 high, and finer specimens, it is said, cannot be found in 

 the Stale. 'i he .W. Conspicua, is a deciduous tree, 



r . ; rr ., ' ", r ' ,"'7/"", " *''''^'' produces abundance of white flowers about the 



of blossoming of fruit trees, of five early and five back- L|„p n, i;|;_ ti.o M <; ; • ,_ , . °" '""'"^ 



I- . r 11 .. L ^- -^"'""gtana is a hybrid, and the 

 ward seasons. 1 he earliest of all seasons, he s.iys, " — 



"was in 1825; that year, according to his di urv, cher. 



ries began to open April 2'nh, and apples May 8th.' 



This year wo noticed the opening of ihe cherry as soon 

 goon as the 23d of April, and apple blossoms began lo 

 open the 3d inst., so that the present season is earlier 

 than " the earliest." We can remember a season even 

 earlier than the present, but for it must look a long way 

 back the visla of time. This we should not remember 

 were it not connected with peculiar associations. We 

 should like to be informed more particularly about this 

 season, if any records were made by any gentleman re- 

 specting it. It was on the 2Cth of April, 1808, we left 

 the paiernal roof to lake up our abode in the cily ; and 

 as, with an aching heart, we bid adieu to the home of 

 our childhood, wc noticed the apple trees were in full 

 bloom, and as we proceeded on the way, observed the 



PULVERIZING THE SOIL. 



It was the opinion of the celebiated Tull, that go 

 crops might be produced from the same soil for an i 

 definite period, simply by maintaining tho earth in 

 finely pulverized stale, in order that the roots of ll 

 growing crop might the more easily expand in every c 

 rection in quest of food ; and notwithslanding the fa 

 lacy ot the theory, so far as it regards the eflieacy oft! 

 mere act of pulverization wiihout other physical mean 

 no one can doubt Ihe very great utility of thorough 

 refining the soil wc intend to crop. A very large po 

 lion of the fertility „f every soil is derived from the a 

 mosphere— principally through the process denominate 

 teration, and by which it becomes impregnated or in 

 bued with those fructifying gaseous agents, the action i 

 which, under proper circumstances, and the laws of 

 well balanced and regulated economy, are so indisper 

 sable in the primary developeinent and final maturatio 

 of the plant. Of the many aerified and volatile substar 

 ces imbibed by the soil, the most important, perhap. 

 and valuable, as regards its action upon vegetation,! 

 ammoniacal gas, and which, being copiously evolve 



flower, equally splendid. These trees presen a verv ! 7 ='"'' -"ich, being copiously evolve^ 



fine appearance at this early season. The Nu serierof ' " T T"""" "' """"' '"^"""=^ "" "-<< 



Mr Kenrick are a. a convenient distance from th ci'v ' 7 T"T.\ '" T"'' " " '"' """-Ph"". i^ g-edi 

 for a pleasant aflernoon lide, in which direction ^;; I '^ ""^d ''J' "•« «"''; N"w the capacity of .he soil t, 

 would recommend our friends to go, and witness ■■ siH„ ' T'u ^'"' P^' "P"" '"^ f'ntness, its porosity 



notofientobemet; calling, either ,n goin. out or n " '"'Tr- f" ."""'"" " ^-"'egration of ih. 



returning, on the brothers Winship, and se: what im TT ■' " """'^"''"^- '^'''^ •""'' "'"''"g*' 



F, see wnat im- ]y Una operation is performed, ihe more copious 



provements have been made in their extensive grounds. 

 Friends always welcome. — Transcript 



course, will be the influx of this fecun lating gas, anc 

 the more permeable will the soil be to the roots bj 

 which it is to be absorbed and taken up. It should evei 



with sulphur. P e tne remainder ,he absorbent capacity of ihe soil is precisely in the ra- 



a ,-,, tio of Ihe surface exposed Maine Cull 



J]sparagvs -When your asparagus has made its sum- ' 

 mer shooi, give the beds weekly a dressing of salt and i n-pn k 



guano, dissolved in water, at the rate of 1-2 a cwt „f ^oTT*,/ 7ir^t '''""''" P""^ "'""""''"'"''■y. "Peak 

 each per acre, continued fo'r six .eeUs.-GarlcZon I ^rT^T'"''' "' ''' "P'"^"''"" "' '"" » "-' ""-^ <"•>■ 



