338 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



JULY 



larviB devour not only the leaves, but also the 

 blossoms of the thistle and burdock. As soon as 

 one of these caterpillars issues from the egg, it 

 draws the points of two leaves together, fastens 

 tliem with a silky thread, conceals itself therein, 

 and eats the substance of it until it attains its 

 growth. We are not aware that it injures any of 

 our crops. 



THUMB AND i-INGER PRUNIWQ. 



Now is the precise season, say from June loth 

 to July 10th, to perform one of the most impor- 

 tant operations in the apple orchard ; that of re- 

 moving the young shoots which started in the 

 spring, and have made a growth of from one to 

 six inches in length- These shoots start out most- 

 ly on the upper side of the large branches, grow 

 with great rapidity, and if not arrested early, form 

 that part of the tree which it is the most danger- 

 ous to cut off. If they are allowed to grow two 

 or three years, they are sometimes an inch through 

 at their base, and cannot then be removed by saw 

 or knife without leaving an ugly scar upon the 

 tree, and the wound becomes a dangerous one, 

 unless made when the tree is in a favorable phy- 

 siological condition, and it is treated with proper 

 skill. 



It is natural for apple trees to throw up a thick, 

 bushy head. Whoever saw one that sprang from 

 the seed in a pasture, and that had not been fash- 

 ioned by the hand of man, that presented any 

 other form ? This original impress seems to re- 

 tain sometliing of its power even after the tree 

 has been budded or grafted, so that it requires 

 the constant watchfulness of the orchardist to 

 train his trees into those forms that make them 

 the most convenient for cultivation, and for the 

 harvesting of their fruit. In order to do this it 

 must be remembered that all our budded or graft- 

 ed trees are in an artificial condition ; they have 

 lost much of their original character by the pro- 

 cess of moulding them to the will and purposes 

 of man. It is just so with the peach, plum, po- 

 tato, celery, and many other plants. In changing 

 them as wc have, they have probably lost some- 

 thing of their native hardihood and vigor, and 

 will always require more attention than trees in 

 their natural condition. 



The summer pruning is a part of the artificial 

 process. 



There should be little use for the saw or knife 

 in an orchard less than forty years old, unless in 

 case of accident ; after that time, or perhaps ten 

 years later, some of the limbs begin to die, and 

 then these tools become necessary. The pruning 

 should be performed when it can be done with 

 the thumi) and finger, — and now is the time to do 

 it. Pass through the orchard, examine all the 



limbs that start directly from the main stem of 

 the tree, and wherever young shoots are found 

 rub them off", being careful to take them so close 

 as to prevent an after growth. They should all 

 come off", with a single exception, viz. : 



If the tree, by accident, unskilful pruning, force 

 of wind, or any other cause, has lost a proper bal- 

 ance, if one side has more branches than another, 

 or if the top is open, and too much exposed, then 

 leave one of these young shoots, and train it to 

 occupy the vei-y place you wish to have filled. 



By this process of pruning, you will rarely need 

 to use the knife ; the trees may be brought up 

 smooth, and with symmetrical form, and they will 

 not be full of internal wounds to weaken them, 

 and hasten their decay in later years. 



Let us urge upon the young orchardist, at least, 

 to try this method NOW, and if the knife and saw 

 are necessary, now is the time to use them. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 MOWING MACHINES. 



Notwithstanding the many trials of these im- 

 plements, and the many varieties before the pub- 

 lic, it is not easy for a person to satisfy himself, 

 what kind of machine he had better buy for use 

 on his farm. I was struck with this consideration, 

 on reading the remarks of Mr. N. W. Brown, of 

 Topsfield, which came to hand to-day, in the ' 

 monthly Farmer for June, p. 280. Mr. B. I knov.' 

 to be a practical, sensible man, and he is situated 

 on an experimental farm, well adapted to try im- 

 plements, if not to produce large crops. He ap- 

 pears to have a preference for the Manny machine, 

 which he learned in the use of it at the West. I 

 know of good farmers, hereabouts, who have a 

 like preference. There are others who prefer Al- 

 len's, and some who think there is nothing that 

 will compare Avith the Buckeye. Can't you, ]\Ir. 

 Editor, honestly inform the public of Massachu- 

 setts, w'hat kind of mowing machine is best adapt- 

 ed to their use ? If you will do this, you will save 

 much perplexity of thought, and much of the 

 money of your brother farmers. p. 



June 4, 1860. 



Remakks. — No, sir, we cannot say which is the 

 best mowing machine among all that are used. 

 We have had practical experience with only three 

 or four out of the dozen in use, and do not feel 

 justified in giving opinions of-them until we have 

 used them under our own hands. If we were per- 

 fectly clear in opinion as to which the best mow- 

 ing machine is, in all respects, we should certain- 

 ly say so, without "fear, favor or afi'ection." 



|^° Pigeons are very plentiful in the northern 

 part of Michigan. One man at Grand Xlapids has 

 shipped 164 barrels to the eastern markets this 

 spring, paying over $1500 for dressing, express j 

 charges, &c. Another person has shipped 52 barrels, 

 making over 100,800 birds. At one shot, 120 were 

 brought down while roosting at night. 



