soo 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Nov. 



were well aware of the importance of the maxim. 

 If the}' wanted grapes to color "very particularly" 

 well, they shaded the vinery a week before the 

 fruit ripened ; "for," said they, "too strong a sun- 

 light has a tendency to ripen leaves, and as soon 

 as they ripen they are no longer of any service to 

 the fruit. The longer we keep our leaves healthy, 

 the darker and better the fruit." 



We have preached on this text before, and 

 often. Like little drops of water, our labors have 

 not yet wore much of a hole in the stone of pre- 

 judice, as we see but too well in so many vineries, 

 fruit-houses, gardens and orchards around us ; 

 but we have faith in water wearing its way through 

 the hardest rock, and while welcoming such ex- 

 periences as this of our "Tomato culture" corres- 

 pondent, continue to teach as heretofore, "Take 

 care of the leaves, and the fruits will take care of 

 themselves." — Gardener's Monthly. 



USE OP LEAVES. 



In many sections of our country, oak leaves are 

 extensively used as bedding for domestic animals. 

 They are gathered in the forests in autumn, and 

 stored in some convenient place till wanted. This 

 affords them time to dry, which increases their 

 power of absorption, and renders them more valu- 

 able in taking up and preserving the liquid void- 

 ings, and also facilitates, through this means, the 

 decomposition of the vegetable fibre when used as 

 a manure. That oak, or other kind of leaves, op- 

 erate powerfully when spread broadcast on the 

 surface of mowing land is unquestionable ; yet this 

 results not so much from the "astringent" matter 

 they contain, as from their non-conducting power. 

 We spread leaves around the trunks of trees, the 

 blossoming of which it is desirable to retard in 

 spring ; Ave apply them also in "mulching," the 

 object of which is to retain the moisture in the 

 soil for the benefit of trees newly transplanted. 



When they are spread upon the surface of grass 

 lands, they present, to a very great extent, the ac- 

 tion of the solar rays, and thus in a measure de- 

 prive the roots of the energizing and vitalizing 

 influences upon which their strength and vigor 

 very essentially depend. Whatever may be the 

 effects produced by leaves, in their crude state 

 upon cultivated vegetation, we see that they 

 are eminently useful in woodlands, where, if they 

 are removed annually, the growth is not only 

 greatly retarded, but arrested. 



In compost, also, we may often see the value of 

 leaves tangibly exemplified, for experience has 

 long assured us that few more really valuable ac- 

 cessions can be made to the compost heap or yard, 

 than that obtained from the forest. In the culti- 

 vation of young fruit trees, this species of dressing 

 is now greatly valued. From one to two years are 

 required to prepare them for this purpose accord- 

 ing to the particular use to which they are to be 

 applied. Any kind of forest leaves will be found 



valuable for this purpose. All that is necessary is 

 to afford them time to decompose. The foliage of 

 the alder, bass, poplar, willow and other similar 

 trees, is more readily decomposed than that of the 

 elm or oak ; but they possess less consistence, and 

 consequently tend less to the increase of the 

 compost heap. 



The fact is now generally well understood by 

 practical agriculturists, that the aliment of vegeta- 

 bles, technically denominated IIUMUS, is best pro- 

 duced from that class of substances from which 

 plants derive their food. The process adopted 

 for elaborating this important material is attained 

 in a variety of ways ; but the most direct method 

 is by the application of substances of an animal or 

 vegetable character in a state of active putrescence 

 or decay. We, of course, are speaking now of 

 organic manures, and in the list of materials shall 

 embrace leaves. These, in addition to their or- 

 ganic constituents, possess also matters of an in- 

 organic character no less essential to plants in a 

 growing state, than the former. To illustrate this 

 point somewhat more fully we present an analysis 

 of leaves of the "Early Harvest Apple." The 

 leaves were collected September 30, the tree bear- 

 ing fruit : 



Silica 5.775 



Earthy phosphates, 



Piiosphate of peroxide of lime 4.875 



Phosphate of lime 1.416 



I'hosphate of magnesia trdce. 



Silica 5.125 



Phosphoric acid 5 359 — j6.775 



Lime 36.398 



Maiinesia 0.075 



I'otash 13.1 79 



Soda 11.616 



Chloride of sodium 0.060 



Sali)huric acid 0.137 



Carbonic acid 15.200 



Organic matter 2.800 



101.065 

 PROPOKTIONS. 



Water 54.341 



Dry 45.fK>9 



Ash 4.194 



Calculated dry 9.103 



Foreign Agricultural Reports. — We 

 learn that the Department of Agriculture at Wash- 

 ington is just in receipt of the supply of the First 

 and Second Annual Reports of the Board of Ag- 

 riculture of Victoria, (Australia,) which have been 

 forwarded to the Department by I. M. M.vrsoN, 

 Esq., Secretaxy, for distribution to the different 

 agricultural societies of the country. The Secre- 

 tary, in his official letter accompanying the ship- 

 ment of these valuable reports, expresses the wish 

 to co-operate with American agricultural societies, 

 for the purjiose of exchanges of products, and the 

 intei'change of communications upon subjects 

 which may be mutually beneficial to both coun- 

 tries. We learn that the reports embrace much 

 valuable information, and will be immediately dis- 

 tributed by the Commissioner among the societies 

 of this country. 



