460 



KEW ENGLAOT) FARMER. 



Oct. 



■we fully believe that a few trees well set, where 

 these particulars are regarded, will, all expense 

 counted, yield a quicker and larger profit than the 

 many set out, without. 



Manures for fruit trees. — In a climate like 

 ours, whose summers are short, and whose win- 

 ters are subject to great and often rapid changes 

 of temperature, it is an object to secure a healthy 

 growth of well-matured wood, rather than a rapid 

 and spongy one. Consequently, heating, or very 

 exciting manures are as likely to do injury as 

 benefit. The very best we have ever tried, was a 

 compost with muck for its basis, with lime or 

 ashes as neutralizers. If leaves, bones or soil, or 

 even a moderate quantity of yard manure, is mixed 

 with these, it will increase the quantity and may, 

 perhaps, improve the quality somewhat. But 

 where only one material is to be had, I prefer the 

 muck in preference to yard manure. It contains 

 more of the elements of vegetable growth, and is 

 less liable to collect and harbor insects injurious 

 to the tree. It does not give off" its food so rap- 

 idly as animal manure, but continues its effect 

 for a longer period. And what makes it still more 

 attractive, it is cheap, costing most farmers only 

 the digging and preparation, and may be fed to 

 the orchard in any quantity without impoverish- 

 ing the grain field. Willl^m Bacon. 



Richmond, August, 1860. 



For the New England Fanner. 

 BUTTBRNUT TREES. 



A lady recently informed me, that the above 

 tree was injurious to fruit and vegetables in its 

 vicinity, and consequently unfit for a garden. 



I do not remember having ever heard or seen 

 any statement of this kind before, and having a 

 young tree at the bottom of my own garden, have 

 examined carefully its surroundings. I find an 

 asparagus bed near by has only one or two stalks 

 within about three feet of it, although the bed 

 was made originally within about six inches of 

 where the tree was since planted. From this it 

 would seem that asparagus is one of the things 

 injuriously affected. On the other hand, rhubarb 

 plants, on the other side, appear to thrive, though 

 mine have not been prolific, and the stems have 

 been small. This, however, might have been 

 caused by want of manure. There has been no 

 appearance of blight. 



A large purple plum tree, about ten feet dis- 

 tant, bears profusely, and nothing else appears to 

 suff'er. The butternut has not yet borne fruit. 



If it is a fact this tree is injurious to vegeta- 

 tion it seems desirable that the fact should be 

 known. Can you inform us ? 



Will asparagus beds made in the fall, be as 

 likely to do well as those made in the spring, if 

 well protected from cold ? l. t. s. 



Brookline, August, 1860. 



RejL'VUKS. — We have had no experience with 

 the butternut tree, and hope those who have will 

 respond. 



In regard to the rhubarb roots, we cannot see 

 why they should not do as well set in the autumn 

 and properly protected, as the apple tree, or any 

 of the plants which are set in the fall. 



For tJte New England Farmer. 



THOUGHTS SUGGESTED BY AUGUST NO. 

 OP N. E. FARMER. 



Page 345. — Calendar for August, (Labor and 

 Leisure.) — In this article we have some note- 

 worthy observations upon Labor and Leisure, in- 

 tended to counteract the too common and vastly 

 pernicious error that the former of these is a curse, 

 a painful infliction, a hardship and a necessity to 

 be avoided and evaded as much as possible, while 

 the latter is a thing to be desired, courted, and 

 secured as much as it possibly can be. This is 

 truly a most egregious and pernicious error, and 

 so widely prevalent, and productive of evil in so 

 many forms, as to make every effort to expose, 

 eradicate and neutralize it a most commendable 

 one. There are, doubtless, not a few who pass, 

 with themselves and with the world, for good cit- 

 izens and well-meaning members of society, who 

 harbor this error in their own minds, and by their 

 example and conversation countenance it in oth- 

 ers, but would give it countenance no longer, if its 

 mischief-working tendencies and results were once 

 vividly and persuasively presented to their minds. 

 Let it be considered, then, that crime in all its 

 manifold forms, and criminals of all kinds, the 

 pests and nuisances of society — are the legitimate 

 ofi'spring of this prevalent and pernicious error. 

 For what is the root of crime ? Is it not obvi- 

 ously, the desire or disposition to supply one's 

 wants by fraud or force, by begging, borrowing or 

 stealing, or by some similar methods, all of which 

 are made by this delusive error to appear easier 

 than the Providence-appointed way of supplying 

 each one his own wants by his own labor, or by a 

 fair and equitable exchange ? Let this fact, then, 

 be duly considered, that nearly all the crimes by 

 which society is infested and injured are the fruits 

 of this wrong idea as to labor, and who, but the 

 laziest of the lazy, will any longer tolerate or 

 harbor this dread of work, this monstrous error 

 which is productive of such results ! 



Let the reader of these "Thoughts suggested," 

 turn to the article under notice, and re-peruse 

 those paragraphs of it which relate to Labor and 

 Leisure, for they well deserve serious considera- 

 tion by every one who has any regard, — even were 

 it but a spark — for the welfare of man and the in- 

 terests of society. Every such person will be 

 persuaded, after reading and duly pondering the 

 remarks referred to, that the law of labor is a wise 

 and beneficent one ; that work is the well-spring 

 of a thousand streams of manifold benefit and 

 blessing, as well as the preventive of the vice and 

 wretchedness which flow almost universally from 

 indolence and idleness ; — that few are fitted to 

 make a good use of leisure or exemption from the 

 necessity of labor ; — and that active employment, 

 especially for high and noble ends, is the best state 

 for man or woman in the present world. Those 

 who endeavor to plant such convictions In the 

 public mind are laboring for an excellent end ; and 

 when such convictions shall have become so com- 

 mon as to form an influential portion of public 

 opinion, then will the lazy, the idle, the unproduc- 

 tive and all those who evade work, be judged and 

 dealt with veiy diff"erently from the way they are 

 thought of and dealt with now. Now, those who 

 are too proud or too lazy to work, are too generally 

 held in honor. Then, they will be considered the 



