406 



NEW E K G L A N D FARMER 



JI BIE 19, IH4 4. - 



AND HORTICULTURAL RLGISTER. 



Edited by Joseph Breck. 



Boston, VVEDNESDiv, June 19, 1844. 



GREEN CROPS FOR TURNING IN. 



Perhaps ihere are no means of improving land, vvitliin 

 the control nf the farmer of liniilud resources, more effec- 

 tive and economical, ilian the turning in of green crops 

 — and the published accounts of the results of this prac- 

 tice, are such as to juflily the recomrnendalion of it to 

 all farmers who are compelled to adopt the cheapest and 

 most available methods of improving, or keeping up, 

 the fertility of their soils. Various crops have been re- 

 commended for the purpose of turning in green — peas, 

 oats, corn, rye, clover, buckwheat, &c. Clover, so far 

 as its enriching properties are concerned, ranks among 

 the very best crops for this purpose. The heaviest 

 crop of rye we ever saw, (upwards of 40 bushels to the 

 acre,) was raised on land where a growth of clover had 

 been turned in. But, all things considered, no crop, we 

 think, has superior, if equal claims to buckwheat, for 

 turning in green It is net a great e.ihauster ; — having 

 a small, fibrous root, with a large, branching top, it prob- 

 ably derives near as much riourishment from the atmos- 

 phere as from the soil; — it will also ihrive.on soil where 

 other plants would starve; ond it comes into blossom 

 sooner than most other grain-bearing plants. Sown in 

 June, it may be turned in early in September, and the 

 land seeded down with grass or winter rye,— an excel- 

 lent plan. By this process, Mr. John Keely, of Haver- 

 hill, obtained, in 1839, furtyeight bushels of eicollent 

 rye, from 2 3-4 acres of land so poor that a part of it 

 would not sustain a growth of sorrel, with which the 

 other part was filled. The following is a part of Mr K.'s 

 statement : 



"At the close of June, 1838, \ylule the sorrel was in 

 blossom, 1 plowed it iti immediatelv after a heavy rain 

 and sowed upon the furrow one bushel of buckwheat 

 per acre. On the (jih .-md 7lli of August, immediately 

 after a heavy ruin, and while the buckwheat was in 

 blossom, that was also plowed in. On the I3ih of Sep. 

 lember, it was sowed with winter rve. The whole 

 piece contained nearly '2 3-4 acres, a"nd it yielded 48 

 bushels (if rye of excellent qu.nlity, weighing 5U lbs. to 

 the bushel. The previous crop „n the same piece in 

 1837, (lid not aierage quite 6 bushels per acre. Al- 

 lhoUj,'h this crop is not large compared with other crops 

 upon rich l.md, yet fur land of this pnor quality, I con- 

 sider it very large. Nor is this all. This crop was not 

 obtained by e.\tra expenso, to force the land to yield 

 more than it could co«an«e to produce: it i4 only the 

 first of a series of crops, which if continued by the same 

 management, undoubtedly will, in a few years, double 

 its fertility instead of exhausting it— especiallv if ihe 

 stubble is plowed in soi.n after the crop is liarv(!'sled, for 

 thi.^, with the weeds amongst it, will furnish a third 

 green crop, and ihe scattering grain, vWiich would other- 

 wise be lost, will then grow and very materially increase 

 the first green crop the ensuing season." 



Sam'l Canby, jr., Esq., of Delaware, has been emi- 

 nently successful in improving his worn nut lands by 

 the aid, chiefly, of green crops tuincd in. Ho selected 

 three fields completely exhausted: after plowing, he 

 applied 30 bushels of lime to the acre, and sowed with 

 rye; in the succeeding .May, this was plowed in, and 

 two bushels of corn per acre sown broadcast. In the 

 early part of September, the corn was rolled down with 

 a heavy roller and plowed under, the ground harrowod, 

 and sowed with win at eaily in October. The yield 

 from thi.j was equal to that on land in good tilth, and 

 dressed wi;h .-table manure. Though these fields were 

 at " the lowest ehb of sterility' when he commenced 

 Ihe improvement of them by the above means, they 



yielded in the tliird year af er, the most luxuriant crops 

 of clover, and twelve years alter, two of the three re- 

 claimed fields afforded ample pasture for all the stock on 

 the farm. 



The simple turning in of buckwheat, however, (with 

 a dressing of manure, if ii can be well spared,) and seed- 

 ing with grass or rye in September, is, perhaps as good 

 a method as any that has been recommended for the im- 

 provement of land by these means ; and where stable 

 and other manures cannot conveniently be had, (and in 

 many situations they cannot always be obtained e^en 

 for money, in sufficient quantity) — in such cases, the 

 plan of manuring with green crops commends itself to 

 the farmer as a substitute both cheap and efficacious. 



Dr. Dana docs not recommend the plowing in of 

 crops ^rcen for manure, where only one crop is to be 

 turned in. For a lucid exposition of the philosophy on 

 which he grounds his objections to turning in green 

 crops in preference to dry, see Colman's Third Report 

 on the Agriculture of Massachusetts, or the New Eng- 

 land Farmer of July 1st, 1640. Dr. D. says, "Dry 

 plants a ive more geine than green." "Nature teaches 

 us to turn in the dried plant." This doctrine, though 

 the antipodes of that generally adopted in practice, is 

 supported by the opinions of" two successful and expe- 

 rienced farmers," who informed Mr Colman that" they 

 had come to the conclusion that the fertility of land is 

 more advanced by plowing in a crop after it has become 

 dried, than by plowing it in in its greatest luxuriance." 

 It is necessary, in order to turn in green crops easily 

 and thoroughly, that a roller should precede the plow. 

 Mr Keely, in the case above cited, used a wooden roller, 

 about four inches in diameter, and sixteen inches long, 

 fixed on the end of the plow. beam, in a frame tempora- 

 rily put on for the purpose. 



[nrB.'s communication, with remarks upon it kindly 

 furnished us by Dr. Harris, shall have a place in our 

 next. Dr. H. says Ihe scientific name of the insect is, 

 Clesiocampa silcatica — the tent-caterpillar of the forest. 



Long Cucumber.— Thomas Galvin, gardener of Geo. 

 Jones, Esq., of Newport, has sent us a Cucumber 23 in- 

 ches long— o( good proportions, smooth, and of a fine 

 deep green color. We found the flavor good, but think 

 had it been suffered to attain its lull growth, it would 

 have been better. 



[D=A notice of the new edition ofKenrick's Orchard- 

 isi is necessarily deferred until our next. 



iO=We are indebted to the Hon. R. C. VVinthrop for 

 a copy of the annual report of the Commissioner of Pa- 

 tents. 



MASS. HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



EXHIBITION OF FLOWERS. 



Saturday, June 15, 1844. 



The show of flowers was the most magnificent of the 

 season. It is impossible to do justice to the numerous 

 exhibitors who filled to overflowing all the stands in the 

 hall. The Rose appeared the most prominent, ainon" 

 Uu: endless v.-rieiies of other beautiful objects. " 



From Marshall P. Wilder, President of the Society, 

 we noticed Hoses of the most exquisite shape and cidiir- 

 ing, in great variety. Among those most admired, were 

 the King of France, Brilliante, Madame Plantier, Las 

 Casas, Belle Marie, Paul Perras, 7 var. of Moss, &.c. Sec. 

 Also, Peonies of various sorts. 



From Sam'l A. Walker, some perfect specimens of 

 Ranunculus, which were much admired, and no doubt 

 the finest ever exhibited in the rooms. Mr Walker has 

 imported all the finest vari.-ties known in England, and 

 uotivitlislanding the difficulties tube encountered in this 

 climate in etiliivating this fine florist flower, he has suc- 

 ceeded admirably, if the flowers exhibited are fair sam- 

 pies of his larire bid, which we understand contains 

 more than a tlioHs:ind plants. We hope to see a greater 

 variety ihc next week. He also exhibited fine Pinks, 

 bduquels, &c. 



From John A. Kcnrick, a fine display of Rotes, Rho- 



dodendron maximum, Kalmia latifulia, Pfennies, &c 

 Also a splendid flower of Magnolia macrophylla.' 



From John Hovey, bouquets. 



From J. T. Buckingham, a fine specimen of Cyprepd 

 diuin speclabilis — a rare plant. 



From Wm. Keniick, a most extensive collection ( 

 herbaceous, greenhouse, and other flowers, tastefull 

 arranged, by Miss Russell, in her usual fine style. A 

 mong the Roses, we noliccd the Village Maid or Uniqu: 

 Province, double and beaytifully striped, like a Carno 

 tion ; Pteonies, itc. (Sec. 



From Wm Meller, a great variety of beautiful Seer 

 linj; Geraniums, Pa;onies, Pinks, Verbenas, Tree Cai 

 naiioii, bouquets. 



From J. L. L. F. Warren, Roses, var. Mirabile, Mai; 

 bley. Luxemburg, Moss, ikc. Also, Salvias, Spi 

 ra>s, Passiflora, &c. Dahlias, (some very fine,) Carna 

 tiotis, Violas, Verbenas, bouquets, &o. 



From Wm. E. Carter, Roses, Pieonies, and a giea 

 variety ofcut flowers, bouquets, Ac. A fine branch o 

 Kalmia latifolia ; Rhododendrons, and Magnolias o 

 sorts, some very fine specimens 



From Samuel R. Johnson, a fine show of half-hard' 

 Roses, Peeonies, and other flowers. 



From Hovey & Co , 30 var. of Pelargoniums, inchid 

 ing several new Seedlings : '..'0 var of Verben.is, includ 

 ing Gazelle, Delicatissima, Splendissima, &cr, also, 51 

 named varieties of Roses, several of tiie finest «eri 

 Aspasie, Felicite, Parmentier, Capataine Sissolet, Henn 

 Barbot, Madame Plantier, Richelieu, Mrs Rivers, Ladi 

 Fordwick, George IV., La Tourtertlle, l.ansezeu? 

 Painted Darnask, Moyenna, d'Audigne de la Blanchaire 



&.C. 



From Joseph Breck & Co , 50 varieties of Roses 

 among which were La Tauterelle. Toilette do Roses 

 Edward Jesse, Palmyra, Snow Ball, Madame Hardy 

 and Red, White, and Luxemburg Moss, and other lint 

 sorts: 20 varieties of Dianthus barbalus. Peonies, Per- 

 ennial flowers of various sorts. 



From Parker Barnes, cut flowers and bouquets. 



From Messrs. Winship, Roses of sorts, Pajonies, and 

 a great variety of Perennial and otherflowers ; bouquets 



From J. E. Teschemacher, 2 pots of Geraniums, 22 

 months from the cutting, measuring 2 feet U inches in 

 breadth, grown entirely at the window, with no other 

 manure but giiano and < harcoal. 



For the Committee, J. BRECK, Chmn. 



Micard of Premiums on Paonies and Roses. 



The judges appointed to av^ard premiums on Peonies, 

 have attended to that duty, and respectfully report, that 

 they have awarded to Wm. E. Carter the first premium 

 of #3, and to Joseph Breck & Co. the second premium 

 "f$^- Parker Barnes, Chm'n. 



The committee appointed to examine the Roses, do, 

 in their opinion, award the first premium of ^5 to Messrs. 

 Hovey & Co., the second premium of $4, to AlessrB 

 Breck &. Co , and the third of $3, to Jolm A. Kenrick. 

 Phe Bourbon and China Roses, not having the number 

 of varieties required, the committee do not think proper 

 to award a premium for thein. Wm. E. Carter, 



W.M. Meller, 



R. M. COPELAND. 

 EXHIBITION OF FRUITS. 



From J. F. Allen, Salem, fine specimens of Grapes, 

 of the following varieties: Black July, White Chasselas, 

 Ferral, or Black Portugal, White Frontinac. Chasselas 

 de Bar sur-aube. Muscadine, and Black Hamburg; also 

 Golden Nectarines, very handsome, and a larire dish of 

 very fine Black St. Michael Figs. 



From Hnzen Hazelline, Hav"ethill, fine Black Ham- 

 burg and White Chasselas Grapes. 



From J. P. Cushing's garden, by Mr Haggerston, very 

 fine and large Black Hamburg, Sweetwater, (Jrisley 

 Frontignac, White Frontinac, and Muscat of Alexan- 

 dria Grapes. 



From E. K. Whilaker, Needham, very large Straw- 

 berries. 



From J. L. L. F. Warren, Strawberries, viz: Melh- 

 yen Castle, very handsome ; also. Early Virginia and 

 Hovey's Seedling. 



Friim A. H. Hovey, Cambridge, fine Hovey's Seed- 

 ling Strawberries. 



From the garden of Mrs. Howard, Brookline, by T. 

 Nugent, fine Black Hamburg Grapes. 



From J. Bumstead, Keen's Seedling Strawberries. 



From Hovey it Co., Hovey's Seedling StrawbHrries. 

 For the Committee, P. B. HOVEY. 



VegelabUs.—A fine Cucumber was exhibited by Mr 



