1862. 



NEW ENGLAKD FARMER. 



25 



is thoroughly mixed -with the rich substances which 

 h^\e ah-ead}- been named. This is kept light and 

 porous by frequent digging, so that nothing can 

 be more convenient or inviting to roots of any sort 

 of energy to run and feed in, than the bed which 

 is prepared for them. 



3. The tliird material point is that of Shelter. 

 The importance of this is not yet fairly appreciated 

 by our gardeners, even, and by the farmer is 

 scarcelv thought of in connection with his fields. 

 Mr. Bacon's orchard is surrounded by buildings, 

 only separated from it by passage-ways perhaps 

 twenty feet wide, and by a fence next to the trees 

 some eight feet high. On the south corner of the 

 lot stands one of the largest trees in the number, 

 and he remarked that he "should head that down, 

 because the wind had too much power upon it." 



It may be objected by the reader, that we can- 

 not imitate tliis example in all of these points. 

 We should not, however, plant pear trees where 

 we cannot avail ourselves of the first, drainage — 

 and the true policy is, not to set any more trees 

 than we have the means of providing v.'itli a root- 

 bed something like his, and then it will not be ex- 

 pensive to plant evergreens or put up fences for 

 shelter. 



Those of us who have already planted pear trees 

 may find many valuable hints from Mr. Bacon's 

 practice. If we cannot reach liis excellence, let us, 

 at least, attempt to imitate it, by occupying the 

 entire ground with trees, say six or eight feet apart, 

 and keeping them enriched and cultivated in the 

 best manner, as far as we go. This course pur- 

 sued with a dozen trees, wiU give us more profit 

 than will thi-ee times the number managed upon 

 the common plan. 



We saw nothing in the practice of our friend, in 

 regard to setting or shaping the trees, that re- 

 quired comment. The trees themselves were as 

 clean and bright as the morning face of a pretty 

 baby. The limbs and spurs were remarkably stout, 

 and of a light gray color. 



In reply to the question, "when should pears be 

 gathered ?" he said a "little time before they are 

 ripe." When gathered, he places them on shelves 

 in single tiers, in cellars. They are well ventilat- 

 ed, and a little moist, and so aiTangcd that he has 

 considerable control over the temperature. Many 

 of his pears he sells himself, at jDriccs ranging from 

 $1 50 to $4 per dozen. 



Simple Method of Stuikixg Rose Cut- 

 tings. — "Rusticus" describes his plan of strildng 

 roses in a late number of the Gardeners^ Chronicle, 

 as follows : 



"I have been in the habit, for some years, of 

 striking roses in Avhat appears to me a much more 

 simple way than is described in your paper of the 

 3th inst. At any time of the year, when they are 



to be procured, I take cuttings of any sorts of roses 

 I want to propagate, (Moss included,) and cut the 

 half-ripened wood into lengths of two eyes. I re- 

 move the bottom leaf, leaving the top one to rest 

 upon the surface of the bed and nourish the cut- 

 ting while it forms its roots. The hot-bed (a very 

 slight one) in which I plant the cuttings, is made 

 thus : On the top of a little manure, just enough 

 to give a slight bottom heat, I place Q inches of 

 earth, moistened to the consistency of mortar, then 

 cover with white sand, and set in the cuttings. I 

 have occasionally struck every cutting, while 99 

 out of 100 are an average result." 



For the New England Farmer. 

 VALUE OF MEADO'W MUCK. 



Mr. Editor : — Much useful information has 

 been received from time to time through the col- 

 umns of the Farmer, in relation to the valuable 

 properties of muck, and many farmers have, doubt- 

 less, been stimulated thereby to use it more freely 

 than formerly. An article in your issue of the 

 16th, from the Southern Homestead, in wMch the 

 writer, among other tilings, expressed his belief 

 that not one farmer in twenty fully appreciates its 

 value, induces me to state the method I have some- 

 times taken to use a considerable quantity of it on 

 our own place. 



The past season has been unusually favorable 

 for the clearing out of old ditches and opening 

 new ones, and having quite a surplus on hand, af- 

 ter filling my yards and barn cellar, I am now 

 drawing at the rate of twelve to fifteen ox cart 

 loads per acre to all my high ground, (ten or twelve 

 acres,) that I intend to plow next spring, spreading 

 as fast as I draw it. To plow this in at once, in its 

 green state, I have no doubt would prove rather 

 injurious than otherwise to the soil ; but spread 

 out thinly, exposing it to the freezing and thawing 

 process from Nov. to April, it becomes completely 

 pulverized and slackened, and so rendered fit for 

 use. I do not, of course, depend on this alone for 

 a crop, but use the same amount of animal and 

 compost manure that I otherwise should. I tried 

 the same method a few years since with five or six 

 acres of orcharding, and still later, Avith another 

 piece of high gravelly soil, in both cases, I tliink, 

 with favorable results. It is no doubt possible to 

 use too much of this valuable material. To repeat 

 this dose every year, or even once in five years, 

 would not perhaps be advisable, but thorouglily 

 slackened by frosts, or mixed in suitable propor- 

 tions with animal manure, ashes, seaweed, &c., I 

 apprehend few farmers use it to excess. 



I derive so much pleasui'e from seeing things 

 grow, and hel]3ing them to grow, that I frequently 

 purchase small quantities of plaster, ashes, guano, 

 or phosphate, to stimulate a certain crop that needs 

 a little more food than I can otherwise give it, ])ut 

 with the exception, perhaps, of ashes, I think I 

 have never realized more than dollar for dollar on 

 the sum expended in such fertilizers ; but decom- 

 posed material gathered up from our own place 

 costs comparatively little, and yields in my estima- 

 tion four fold. It is very important to make all 

 the manure Ave can in our yards, barn cellars, &c., 

 but I apprehend some farmers waste labor by 

 drawing more muck into their yards than can be 

 saturated or mixed to advantage. Labor is so im- 



