38 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Jan. 



Shanghai chickens, nearly all of which died, and 

 persons passing along the roadside were obliged 

 to make haste to avoid their stings. Quiet was 

 not restored until nightfall. Two young swarms 

 were entirely destroyed, and the slain literally cov- 

 ered the ground. Neither party was victorious, 

 and they only ceased from utter prostration. The 

 cause of this bitter outbreak among creatures so 

 redolent of sweetness, is quite unaccountable. 



CUXTIVATION" AWD PROPAGATION" OP 

 THE PINE TRIBES. 



A correspondent of Tloveifs Magazine wiites 

 concerning the propagation of the Pine and Fir 

 tribes, in an article rejjlete with interest, from 

 winch we make these extracts : 



"\Vith respect to the soil and situation best adapt- 

 ed to the Abietinse, some inference may be dravrn 

 from the fact that pine and fir forests are most 

 generally found ui)on a soil comi)osed of the de- 

 bris of granite. Hence the pre^•alence of this fam- 

 ily of trees near the summits of high mountains, 

 and over large portions of North America M'here 

 the different forms of granite distinguish the geo- 

 logical character of the soil. A sandy loam and a 

 cold subsoil seem to be the most favorable condi- 

 tions for the growth of coniferous trees. Our 

 white pine requn-es a richer soil than the other 

 American species, and the larch excels all the oth- 

 ers in a mean soil. The native habitats of the hem- 

 lock are very wet, and often partly submerged in 

 Nvater, yet these conditions arc not necessary to it. 

 In fine, tliere are but few of the conifers that will 

 not do well in almost any soil after they have been 

 successfully transplanted and raised to a growing 

 condition. 



The usual method of propagating all the species 

 IS by seeds, immense quantities of winch are annu- 

 ally collected in tlifferent parts of the world, by 

 coiicctors of Great Britain. It is common with us 

 to ti-anspiant the White Pine from the woods ; but 

 very fev.' other sjiecies will bear tlris process, un- 

 less they M-ere raised from the seeds ni a planta- 

 tion. The most certain and economical mode of 

 obtaining a plantation of conifers is to purchase 

 them from the; nurseries. The artificial treatment 

 they have received from the first, under the hand 

 of the cultivator, modifies their nature, so that any 

 s]iecics, even the hemlock, may always be success- 

 fully removed from the nurseries, under the right 

 circumstances of time and season. 



In England, it is no unusual thing to propagate 

 certain species by cuttings ; but the pines cannot 

 be treated in tliis way. Cuttings are taken from 

 th.e lateral branches when the recent shoots are 

 beginning to ripen ; they are planted in sand and 

 covered with a glass. This is usually done on the 

 last of August, or a little later ; the cuttings are 

 ke]:)t in a frame and protected from the frost, and 

 will be found to have struck then.' roots on the 

 next May or June. 



They may aftenvards be transplanted in the au- 

 tumn. The Silver Fir, tlie Spruce and the Larch, 

 are found to bear this ]n-occss Avell ; but the prac- 

 tice is not likely to be followed to any considera- 

 ble extent in this country. Grafting has also been 

 successfully ]n-acticed with several species. 



The method of raising by seeds is, hoM'cver, the 



most practicable ; and in the gathering and plant- 

 ing of seeds a great deal of judgment and experi- 

 ence is required. The cones of -some species ripen 

 in one year, in others not until the end of two 

 years. It is advisable to collect the cones a little 

 while before they are perfectly ripe, when they are 

 liable to drop their seeds. In the European trees 

 the seeds usually drop from the cones in March ; 

 here the time varies with our latitude and climate, 

 and with the difi'erent species. 



The cones of the Hemlock are mature in the 

 autumn, when they begin to shed their seeds, con- 

 tinuing to do so all winter ; those of the Pitch 

 Pine are mature at the end of the second autumn ; 

 those of the White Pine require also two years for 

 then.' maturity, and ripen in the autumn. Hence 

 the }3roper time to gather the cones of our native 

 species is during the fall of the leaf. 



EXTRACTS AND REPLIES. 



DRESSING UP FLAX. 



I wish to inquire through the Farmer, if there 



is macliinery for getting out flax, either rotted or 



unrotted, as tlie raising of flax is profitable, if the 



cost of dressing it was not so much ? 



Chelsea, VL, Dec, 18GL Eli Camp. 



Re^l^rks. — There is. A cheap process has been 

 discovered whereby flax may be prepared for the 

 "brake" in the course of a few hours, — and then it 

 is run through a machine at the rate of a ton per 

 hour, perhaps, completely separating the fibre from 

 the Avoody part of the stem. With these facilities 

 for dressing, and the constant demand of the seed 

 for its oil and as feed for cattle, it seems to us that 

 flax-raising might be made profitable on many of 

 our New England lands. 



TO PREVENT POSTS BEING THROWN BY FROST. 



Last spring there was much complaint about 

 fence posts being thrown out of the ground by the 

 frost, and a request to know what would prevent 

 it. Several things were proposed, such as setting 

 the fence with stone, Ike. 



There is one thing that I think will prevent it, 

 if not too expensive, which is as follows : Put 

 about a pint of coarse salt around each post, or 

 enough to ])revent the ground from freezing, and 

 the post will not be disturbed. There will be an- 

 other advantage from the salt. The post will last 

 tM'ice as long as without it. It should be put 

 about the post about the first of December each 

 year. The fence between the posts must not rest 

 on the ground. X. 



TIIE WEATHER. 



Nov. 28 — Thanksgiving. — Weather is fine and 

 moderate ; but little snow, not enough for sleigh- 

 ing. Jack Frost, however, has rendered his stay 

 so far serviceable as to ])ave the ways and by-ways, 

 so that wheeling is very good. 



Nov. 29 — Morning. — Snowing finely. P. M. — 

 Cloudy and moderate. Two or three inches new 

 snow ; enjoyed the first slcigh-ride of the season. 



Dec. 1 — A. M. — Quite moderate ; cloudy. P. 

 !M. — Snowing, though damp. Eve. — prospect of 

 sleiglung. 



