1863. 



NEW ENGLAND FAR\rER. 



89 



AGBICULTUBAL COIiIiEQE OF PENN- 

 SYLVANIA. 



We have before us a pamphlet of 76 pages, 

 giving the origin, rise and progress of the Agri- 

 cultural College of Pennsylvania ; with a state- 

 ment of its present condition, aims, and prospects, 

 course of instruction, facilities for study, terms of 

 admission, &c. The college is located in Centre 

 county, Pennsylvania, and its object is " to associ- 

 ate a high degree of intelligence with the practice 

 of Agriculture and the industrial arts, and to seek 

 to make use of this intelligence in developing the 

 agricultural and industrial resources of the coun- 

 try, and protecting its interests." The course of 

 studies will include mathematics, natural philoso- 

 phy, chemistry, botany, geology and paleontology, 

 mineralogy and crystallography and practical ag- 

 riculture and horticulture. 



Those persons who are desirous of sending their 

 sons to a school of this character, may now have 

 an opportunity. Address Evan Pucn, President 

 of Agricultural College, Centre county, Pennsyl- 

 vania. 



AMEKICAN POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



This Society has just issued a catalogue of 

 Fruits for cultivation in the United States and 

 Canadas. The work is in two divisions, — the fii'st 

 embracing those States lying north of the south- 

 ern line of Virginia, Tennessee, INIissouri, &c., and 

 east of the Rocky Mountains, including the Cana- 

 das. The second embraces the States south of 

 the line above named, and west of the Rocky 

 Mountains. 



This catalogue was completed under the direc- 

 tion of the Society, from the reports of State and 

 District committees, and is intended to exhibit in 

 a form convenient for reference, the varieties of 

 fruits best adapted to the different States, and 

 localities, and subject to revision and correction, 

 as expei'ience may render necessary and proper. 



The committee who have gone through with 

 this tedious and important labor are Messrs. P. 

 Barry, J. S. Cabot, J. A. Warder, Charles 

 Downing, C. M. Hovey, Wm. Reed, and ex of- 

 ficio, Marshall P. Wilder. 



The list of fruits noticed comprises apples, pears, 

 cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, quin- 

 ces, native and foreign grapes, currants, goose- 

 berries, raspberries, blackberries and strawber- 

 ries. A table of mean temperatures is also given. 



The arrangement of the work is judicious, and 

 the varieties mentioned as acceptable as can be 

 expected. The committee have not attempted to 

 give descriptions of the fruits recommended, but 

 simply to indicate the season of maturity, use, and 

 a few other particulars of importance. 



The work is a credit to the Society, and an 

 honor to the countrv. 



ORCHARD CULTURE. 



Orchard culture, like that of other crops, must 

 be brought to meet circumstances. Different 

 soils, locations, and climates call for var}ing pro- 

 cesses, so that few general rules can be adopted, 

 to caiTy out with assurances of success. Of these, 

 we consider a preparation of soil before trans- 

 planting, as of the greatest importance. Some 

 soils are naturally deep and o])en. Where this is 

 not the case, they should be made so before the 

 tree is placed in them ; for no tree will flourish 

 for any length of time in a thin or compact soil. 

 It is labor lost to place them there, either in ex- 

 pectation that they will flourish in the ground as 

 it is, or in the hope that after culture will remedy 

 the deficiencies. The last cannot be done, for 

 every inch of soil needs a thorough pulverization, 

 which can not be effected under the roots when 

 they have once been put in place. 



In planting trees of any kind, especially fruit 

 trees, we would say, then, prepare the land before- 

 hand ; that is, if the soil is not naturally deep, 

 make it so by deep tillage ; if not fine, reduce it, 

 no matter how fine. If not so dry that water will 

 not settle and stand under the trees, drain it ; if 

 it requires manure, apply it according to the ne- 

 cessity of the case in previous tillage ; in short, 

 bring the land into that high state of cultivation, 

 which is necessary to the successful growth of any 

 other crop. The trees may be put into it, if they 

 are healthy trees, well taken up and well replant- 

 ed, with a fair prospect of success. 



Where trees are overfed, the branches too often 

 grow so late in autumn that it is impossible for 

 the wood to ripen, and winter cuts it down as 

 though it were an herbaceous plant. Not so with 

 the trees that nature plants and that grow under 

 her maturing and protecting care. She gives 

 them a needful supi)ly of food to answer the pur- 

 poses of a healthful growth, and causes them to 

 ripen their wood in full preparation for frosts and 

 storms. Her teachings are worthy of the careful 

 consideration of those who would be successful 

 like her. 



Again, nature, when she plants trees, does not 

 disturb their roots with plow or spade. In her 

 forests, she keeps the ground around them in a 

 light, porous condition by the top dressing she 

 gives them. In autuniTi the leaves of forest trees 

 fall from their branches to cover and protect the 

 roots from the inclement season that awaits them, 

 and in the coming sj)ring these leaves commence 

 to decay to keep the earth light beneath them, so 

 that the tender roots may push around to gather 

 food and give stability to the tree. Thev also 

 form a fine, healthy manure, which of itself fur- 

 nishes the aliment of future tree growth. 



How far it is expedient to follow nature, others 

 must decide to suit themselves. We have imitat- 

 ed her in furnishing the elements of growth to a 

 few fruit trees, and are so well pleased with the 

 result, that for our own practice, we consider it 

 the best. In other localities, however, it may not 

 be so. Cultivators must decide this matter for 

 themselves. An experiment with a few trees can 

 do no harm, and it will settle the question. 



So, then, we have come to the conclusion that 

 the true way for us to raise healthy and long-lived 

 fruit trees is first to prepare the land thoroughly 

 by draining if necessary, and then by a deep and 

 very thorough tillage before the trees are set; 



