548 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Dec. 



der notice, it seems highly probable that several 

 on both sides would find the difference between 

 them more apparent than real, more in words than 

 in belief, and that the)' could assent readily to the 

 remark made by the editor of this journal in re- 

 ference to the conflicting views on this subject, 

 namely, "The true course, it seems to us, lies be- 

 tween the two extremes." That is, neither mode 

 of treatment should be exclusively followed, but 

 rather alternated, for orchards continuously in 

 grass do not flourish, and a continuous course of 

 tilling and manuring would so force the trees as 

 to make them tender and liable to disease, as also 

 dispose them to grow wood rather than fruit. 

 Fortunately for those who are willing and apt to 

 be taught by the signals which are given, of either 

 too much or too little care and food, by most of 

 the plants, &c., which we cultivate, the trees in 

 almost every orchard proclaim very plainly what 

 they need in order to attain their best estate. 

 They do so, however, only to those who take no- 

 tice of the amount and length of the new wood 

 or sprouts produced every year, and who know 

 how rightly to interpret this sign or signal. 

 Whenever the growth of new wood is scanty and 

 short, — say only a few inches or under a foot in 

 the course of anyone season, — then the trees pro- 

 claim that they need more nutriment and more 

 care, or in other words, that the soil around them 

 needs stirring, cultivating and manuring ; on the 

 other hand, when the growth of new wood and of 

 sprouts is abundant, and two feet or more in 

 length, then the trees proclaim tliat they could bear 

 to be stinted in nutriment, and that the soil around 

 them might bear a crop or two of grass without 

 any detriment to them. Let this guide, signal or 

 request furnished by fruit trees themselves, be 

 carefidly noticed and judiciously interpreted by 

 all v/ho have orchards under their care, and there 

 will then be no difficulty, we think, in deciding at 

 any time, whether those orchards Avould would be 

 better in grass or under the plow, and whether in 

 need of fertilizing applications or not ; and no dif- 

 ficulty either in deciding that neither course of 

 treatment should be continued many years at a 

 time, unless, indeed, the annual topdressing of 

 grass in orchards, proposed in the Gardcne/s 

 Monthly, should be sufficient to prevent the usual 

 growth-checking effects upon the trees, which 

 grass crops, as usually managed, and without top- 

 dressings, have, times without number, been ob- 

 served to produce. Watching the annual growth 

 of new wood in trees has certainly been a great 

 help to more than one in enabling them to deter- 

 mine what was chiefly needed for the prosperity 

 and success of the trees, and whether it would be 

 better to put the orchard in grass or under tillage. 



More Anon. 



The quantity of gas obtained from a ton of or- 

 dinary gas coal is commonly within the limits of 

 9300 and 9500 cubic feet, although if the distilla- 

 tion wei-e continued beyond the usual period of 

 si.x hours, an additional quantity of gas would be 

 obtained, but of inferior illuminating power. The 

 coke left on the distillation of a ton of coal is 

 usually one chaldron of 36 bushels, weighing be- 

 tween 13 cwt. and 14 cwt., or about two-thirds of 

 the original weight of the coal before it went into 

 the retorts. 



GBAMMAB IN RHYME. 



The name of the author of the following efi^usion 

 should not have been allowed to sink into oblivion 

 "unwept, unhonored and unsung." On the con- 

 trary, he deserves immortality, and the gratitude 

 of generations j'et unborn, for we have never met 

 with so complete a grammar of the English lan- 

 guage in so small a space. Old as well as young 

 should commit these lines to memory, for by their 

 aid it will be difficult if not impossible for them to 

 fall into errors concerning parts of speech : 



1. Three little words you often see 

 Are Articles o, an and the. 



2. A Noun's the name of any thing, 

 As school or garden, hoop or swing, 



3. Adjectives the kind of Noun, 



As great, small, j)retti/, tehite or brown. 



4. Instead of Nouns the Pronouns stand — 

 Hfr head, his face, your arm, 7!ty hand. 



5. Verbs tell something to be done — 



To read, count, sing, laugh, jmnp or run } 



6. How things are done the Adverbs tell, 

 As sloiclij, quicklij, ill or icell ; 



7. Conjunctions join the words together — 

 As men and women, wind or weather. 



8. The Preposition stands before 



A Noun, as in or through a door. 



9. The Interjection shows surprise, 

 As oh ! how pretty — ah ! how wise. 



The whole are called Nine Parts of Speech 

 Which reading, writing, speaking teach. 



For the New England Fanner. 

 BEING IN" SEASON, 



Farmers' wives, as well as all other wives, should 

 always be in season about everything. If "fall 

 work" is to be done, do it in the fall, not linger 

 till winter sends his cold, whistling winds to warn 

 you of his near approach. 



Be diligent, and in season. Never cause your 

 husband to wait a moment, if possible to prevent 

 it, for, although he may have waited an hour when 

 a lover, without complaining, as a husband he will 

 not do it. 



Be punctual as clock-woi-k in all things. Have 

 a regular hour for dinner and supper, and break- 

 fast also if need be, and have the meal always at 

 the appointed hour, unless some very important 

 event prevents. 



Never neglect your work to gossip with a friend. 

 If one call Avhen your duties are in the kitchen, in- 

 vite her to take a seat there, or if it be a stranger, 

 politely ask to be excused, but never give to your 

 husband as a reason for a late, or badly prepared 

 dinner or tea, that you had callers, and could not 

 attend to it. It will be no excuse to him. Better 

 wait fifteen minutes yourself, than have him wait 

 five, by your tardiness. But your not being punc- 

 tual, will not only be a disadvantage to your hus- 

 band, but also to yourself — for by not having your 

 meals all nicely prepared at the appointed time, 

 you will feel nervous, heated and cross — will be 

 more irritable than usual, and if one word of fault 

 is found, it will be like a spark fallen upon pow- 

 der, and you will construct a great cause of un- 

 happiness from it, and imagine yourself after 

 thinking and weeping a few hours, the most mis- 

 erable of your sex. If your husband comes from 

 the field, tired, dull, out of spirits, and almost cross, 

 and finds you ready to meet him with a pleasant 



