138 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



May 



valuable merely for their beauty of form, or the 

 protection which they afford, but for the soothing 

 sounds that come from them on a summer night, 

 like the coming and retreating waves on a far-off 

 sea-shore, — or the grander march of winter winds 

 through their branches, swelling into sublime an- 

 thems of atmospheric power. If they are inter- 

 spersed with the rock maple, the graceful white, 

 or canoe birch, the moose wood, or sumac, the 

 effect will be still more pleasing. 



They must not be too near, to shut out the viv- 

 ifying rays of the sun, and make a damp atmos- 

 phere, — nor so far off as to allow a reunion of 

 the wind to rush with full force upon the roof and 

 sides of the buildings. On the north, 20 or 30 

 feet may not be too near ; on the east, 50 or 60 ; 

 on the west, 60 to 80, and never so near as to al- 

 low the branches to overhang the roofs. The 

 south should be left open. This aspect has few 

 hi^h winds, and the windows looking out upon it 

 may be sui^iciently protected from summer suns 

 by a few climbing plants, such as the Prairie 

 Queen Baltimore Belle Bases, the Scarlet, Yellow 

 Monthly, or the Bed or White Wistarian Honey- 

 suckle, Chinese Tartaria, or the common Wood- 

 bine, Scarlet Trumpet Flower, Ivy, or Sweet Scent- 

 ed Virgin's Bower. 



From the foot of these, whenever it is possible, 

 .there should be a green, well kept lawn, as exten- 

 sive as can be made convenient, and leaving all 

 open to the sweet influences of the south. This 

 lawn, once well prepared, will not only be a 

 charming object in itself, but will prove one of 

 the most profitabli mowing lots on the farm, and 

 especially so where the soiling system has been 

 introduced. But by all means have the lawn, 

 where the children can roll, and you can always 

 see green grass — excepting when the ground is 

 covered with snow — even though its limits be of 

 the narrowest kind. 



In another article we intend to consider the 

 same subject in several other particulars. 



NEW BOOKS. 



The Chronicle op a Garden: Its Pets and its Pleasures. By 

 the late Miss Henrietta Wilson. With a brief Memoir by 

 James Hiunilton. New York: Robert Carter k Brothers. For 

 sale by Gould & Lincoln, Washington St., Boston. 



This is one of the most beautiful books, both 

 in matter and manner, that we have ever seen. 

 It does not speak of the Garden at any consider- 

 able length, as a whole, or dwell long upon any 

 one special topic, but glides pleasantly along, hold- 

 ing up a charming flower and calling attention to 

 its fragrance and its beauty, or directing us to 

 some sweet singing bird that has its home and 

 rears its young among blossoms and sweet scented 

 shrubs. It is full of feeling and just views of 

 \i?3 and human duty, and strives everywhere to 

 imbue the reader with sweet affections. All this 



is done, too, while quietly giving directions how 

 to ))lant, and sow, and cultivate and care for the 

 interesting things of the garden. It is, really, "a 

 chronicle of the garden." She says, — "The profit 

 of innocent pleasure is as real, and as beneficial 

 to the mind, as the profit of gain to the purse." 

 Some of the topics discussed are, The pleas- 

 ures of Work ; Trees, Evergreens and Shrubs ; 

 and then the four seasons. It is a charming book 

 for a present to young persons. The illustrations 

 are in the highest style of the art. 



Elements op Chemistry: Theoretical anrl Practical. By Wil- 

 liam Allen Miller, M. D., L.L. D. Chemieal Physics, and 

 Pai-t II., Electricity and Magnetism. From the Third London 

 Edition. New Yorls: Jonn Wiley, 535 Broadway, 1864. For 

 sale by A. Williams & Co., 100 Washington St., Boston. 



This is a book for the student or practical chem- 

 ist. The unlearned reader would find little to in- 

 terest him in it. It is printed well and numer- 

 ously illustrated. Every book that is worth mak- 

 ing should have a correct index, but this has neither 

 index or table of contents. Its value is greatly 

 depreciated on this account. 



EXTRACTS AND KEPLIES. 

 Pear and Peach Trees— Flax. 



I would ]ike to hear through your paper when is the 

 hest time to transplant or set out pear and peach 

 trees, what soil is best adapted to them, and what is 

 the best kind for family use ? 



When is the best time to sow flax, where can the 

 seed be procured, and what soil is best adapted to its 

 growth ? A. N. c. 



Ashjield, 1864. 



K.EMAKKS. — The spring is a good time to set pear 

 trees, and the best time to set peach trees. Most pear 

 trees require a deep, rich loam, drained, so that water 

 will not Stand long in the subsoil. Peach trees do 

 better on a lighter soil — one that is more porous and 

 dry. They do not need so rich a soil as pear trees. 

 For a July pear, take the Bloodgood ; for August, the 

 Rostiezer, the Bartlett and Flemish Beaut)/ ; for Sep- 

 tember and October the Seckel is one of the highest 

 flavored pears we have, and will last through October 

 and November with careful keeping. The Beurre Diet 

 and Duchesse, still later. 



Among the peaches, the Craiqford Early and Late 

 are excellent, and so are the Royal George, Morris' 

 Early White, Bergen's Yellow, Noblesse and Early 

 York. There are others, perhaps, of equal merit. 



Errata. 



In my correspondence on Seeding Land to Grass, 

 (.V. E. Farmer, Vol. XIX. Xo. 10,) tor the sentence "We 

 would be hard to demonstrate," read, we thiitk would 

 be hard to demonstrate. For the sentence enclosed 

 with a parenthesi.s, thus, ( 'Unless there is some other 

 way to account for the nonappearance of the grass 

 among the oats other than the great amount of loam, 

 which every body says is the cause,") for the word 

 "loam," read leaves; that is, leaves on the oats, more 

 than there is on the rye, and consequently shades the 

 ground more than the rye does. j. f. 



One Fact about Feeding Horses. 



I commenced this winter to feed a pair of horses on 

 dry feed instead of wet. I find the result quite con- 

 trary to my expectations. They drink less wafer, 

 sweat very much less, consequently aie.not as subject 

 to colds. Stable keepers who are feeding dry feed for 

 the second and third winters, find the same effects, 



