1860. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



9d 



the vines were loaded with the finest looking fruit, 

 but nobody could eat it. 



We hope our friends will regard the advice of 

 *'G. W. H.," to set out blackberry vines, but sug- 

 gest to them to procure the plants of him or his 

 neighbors, and then they will be likely to get fruit 

 that is eatable. It is quite likely that the "Dor- 

 chester" went to New Bedford, instead of the 

 Lawton. 



^ollov 



For the New England Farmer. 



THE BEST TIME FOB PRUNING AND 

 TRANSPLANTING APPLE TREES. 



PROFITABILE FAEMING. 



Mr. Editor : — As I have recently endeavored 

 to show that the cause of the potato rot is yet 

 undecided, I shall now point out several other 

 questions, of great importance, which seem to be 

 left iu the same predicament. To avoid taking 

 up too much of your room at any one time, I shall, 

 on the present occasion, point out only the three 

 )wing : 



1. Which is the best or most proper time for 

 pruning apple trees ? 



Each season of the year, spring, summer, au- 

 tumn and winter, has had its advocates. Those 

 who practice pruning in the spring, contend that 

 as the sap is then in full flow, and brisk motion, 

 the wounds heal quicker than at any other season; 

 whereas, the fact is, or seems to be, that the sap 

 escapes so rapidly and profusely from the wounds 

 as frequently to prevent their healing at all. In 

 spring pruning, as soon as Avarm weather comes 

 on, and the sap presses into, and distends the sap 

 vessels, it bursts out of the recent wounds, and 

 runs down, and blackens and jioisons the bark 

 and wood, and frequently causes the tree to di-oop 

 and die. 



With better reason, the same argument is urged 

 by those in favor of summer pruning, because at 

 that season, the leaves have attained their full 

 size, and are in full health and vigor, and are then 

 elaborating an abundance of sap for immediate 

 use. At that season, a fresh wound will commence 

 healing at once, and a new bark will be rapidly 

 formed to cover the wound ; for it is only when 

 the leaves are in a condition to perform their prop- 

 er office, that the new growth and healing can 

 take place. 



By others, the autumn is said to be the best 

 time for pruning, because, they say, it is proper 

 to wait until the leaves and sap have done their 

 work in the branches, before pi'oceeding to prune 

 them ; and then not till the leaves have fallen, 

 and the top has become somewhat dormant, leav- 

 ing the wounds to the drying and hardening in- 

 fluences of the sun and wind, till . they become 

 hard, sound and well-seasoned. It is said not to 

 be material whether the wounds heal over the first, 

 second or third year, as they Avill always remain 

 in a dry, but healthy state. 



The same argument has been urged by those 

 in favor of winter pruning, and with this addi- 

 tional reason, that in winter we have more leisure 

 to do the woi'k carefully and well. But enough 

 of this ; as the question is yet undecided, and I 

 aee no prospect of deciding it, I close, by saying 



that I am opposed to too much pruning, at any 

 season of the year. 



2. Is the spring or autumn the best time for 

 transplanting fruit trees ? 



Here is another question that is undecided. 

 The great majority of farmers continue to trans- 

 plant their trees in the spring, without stopping 

 to inquire what may be said for or against the 

 practice. In transplanting trees at any time, many 

 of the roots and little rootlets are necessarily 

 wounded, either broken and torn off, or cut off. 

 Those who transplant their trees in the spring, 

 cut off the supply of nutriment from the roots, 

 at the very moment when it is most needed by 

 the trees. 



Others prefer to transplant their trees in the 

 autumn, because they have more leisure for the 

 operation, the ground is in better condition, and 

 the trees are comparatively in a more quiescent 

 or dormant state. They think, also, that the 

 wounded and mangled roots will heal better, and 

 be prepared to send out fresh ones even before the 

 frost is out of the ground ; and besides, that the 

 winter and spring rains will settle the earth around 

 the roots, so that the trees will be well established 

 before warm weather overtakes them. In my 

 opinion, however, more depends upon the manner 

 in which the work is done, than upon the particu- 

 lar season. 



3. Is farming profitable ? 



I had supposed that this question had been de- 

 cided a long time ago, by the great numbers who, 

 in every age of the world, have embarked in it, 

 as a profitable business, producing thrift and abun- 

 dance, and also, by the numbers who are still en- 

 gaged in it, as a means of enriching themselves, 

 and of securing a comfortable subsistence for their 

 families, and who have never yet discovered, or till 

 very lately, that farming is unprofitable. But it 

 seems that the world have been grossly deceived 

 upon this subject, for it has been recently discov- 

 ered, by a gentleman of our day, and of this Com- 

 monwealth, too, that farming is unprofitable ! This 

 he has shown by a statement of figures in black 

 and white, in the columns of the New England 

 Farmer, so that there can be no mistake about 

 the matter ! He has shown, to the satisfaction 

 of some, that every farming operation is money 

 out of pocket ; that every field of corn costs more 

 than it is worth ; that every quart of milk costs 

 more than it will bring in the market ; and that 

 the more productions of every kind a farmer 

 raises the poorer he becomes ! Those are not his 

 exact words, but they contain the sum and sub- 

 stance of his doctrine. Now, if these statements 

 be true, how comes it to pass that farmers, gen- 

 erally, are so thrifty, so forehanded, so rich and 

 independent ? How came they by so large a share 

 cf this world's goods ? They could not have ac- 

 quired so much by merely cheating one another. 

 They must have pursued the business of farming 

 with an industry, skill and perseverance, which 

 made it profitable to them. But, without mooting 

 the question further, I shall admit it to be unde- 

 cided. More anon. JoHN GOLDSBURY. 

 Warioick, Jan., 1860. 



Essex North Horticultural Society. — At 

 a recent meeting of this Society the following offi- 

 cers were elected, viz : — For President, E. G. 



