110 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



March 



"lid of vegetation suitable for bedding ; also 



e large quantities of the soil itself, always 

 dapting the kind to the nature of that to which 

 it is to be applied, — choosing muck and rich 

 loams for fields deticient in vegetable matter ; 

 sand or a sandy loam, for a clay meadow ; and 

 clay, sand or fine gravel for a muck meadow. 

 I would take the subsoil where it was not ad- 

 visalile to vise toji soils. It should, however, 

 first be exposed to frost, then finely pulverized 

 and kept dry in a place convenient to the sta- 

 ble. The greater comfort of the animals in 

 always having a comfortable bed well pays for 

 collecting these materials. 



Dry dirt, which is perhaps the best deodori- 

 zer the farmer can use, quickly absorbs urine, 

 which in warm weather soon fennents. Being 

 saturated with urine and thoroughly mixed with 

 the solid excrements, the dirt will be subjected 

 to powerfril fermenting influence, and be con- 

 verted into good manure. The stable floor is 

 the fiirmer's laboratory, — the place for com- 

 pounding his "agricultural yeast ;" the cellar 

 merely a place for storage ; the hogs are 

 stevedores to pack it away. 



The amount of manure that can thus be 

 made with one cow or a horse is surprising. 

 With a long row of cattle the quantity will 

 soon bring a large farm into high condition. 



There is no necessity for buying largely spe- 

 cial fertilizers, at three to lour cents per pound, 

 and stalile manures at five to nine dollars per 

 cord, and hauling them as many miles, when 

 the farm is well stocked and the requisite ma- 

 terials are collected and properly worked up 

 in the laboratory. On farms of diversified 

 soils, these materials are always near. If not 

 upon the surface they will be found in the sub- 

 soil. The forces of nature are sufficient to 

 form plant food out of this crude matter. The 

 work of man is only to bring them together 

 under favorable circumstauces ; and there will 

 be a real visil)le "progression of the soif in 

 fertility, that will make his barns and granaries 

 teem to ovei-fiowing. n. s. t. 



Dec, 1866. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 BUYING TREES— No. 2. 



Only a few words need be said in relation to 

 the comparative merits of New York trees and 

 those grown in New England. The soil of 

 Western New Yoi'k is deep, rich and porous. 

 It fosters a rank gro^vthof wood, and produces 

 large roots. The stocks of trees grown in suclj 

 soil are stout, smooth and vigorous, with tops 

 more evenly formed than those grown in New 

 England. But they are very deficient in fil)roiis 

 roots, and ludess extra pains are taken in pre- 

 paring tli(! groimd, making it fine and rich, 

 their growtli will lie greatly retarded by trans- 

 planting. Jf th(!y are set in nursery rows in a 

 rich garden plot and permitted to nnnaiii two 

 years before setting in the orchai-d, it will be 

 found that thev liave made an abundance of 



fibrous roots and are in the best possible con- 

 dition for planting. 



New England trees, on the other hand, are 

 usually diminutive in size and irregular in 

 shape ; but having been grown in a hard, un- 

 j-ielding soil, they have not forced large bare 

 roots down deep into the subsoil, but a multi- 

 tude of small ones have spread out horizontally 

 from the tree, near the surface of the ground, 

 where they receive the benefit of greater 

 warmth from the rays of the smi, which, in our 

 cold climate, is very essential to the success of 

 the tree. Having made less growth of wood 

 than the New York trees, they will be less lia- 

 ble to be winter killed, and having more roots, 

 they are better prepared to withstand the shock 

 of transplanting. 



In respect to apples, the testimony is almost 

 universal in favor of trees grown at no great 

 distance from the locality where the}' are to be 

 set for fruiting ; but pears, when the trees are 

 not injured in transportation or by undue ex- 

 posure after their arrival, and having received 

 generous cultivation, have succeeded well at 

 great distances from their native nursery. In- 

 deed, it is the practice of many New England 

 nurserymen to buy small trees from the West 

 and treat them in the manner above described. 



But having said thus much in respect to the 

 stock furnished by travelling agents, let us con- 

 sider a few hints in respect to local dealers, or 

 those who have a fixed place for doing business, 

 whether it be a nursery in the country, or a 

 salesroom in the city. They have a motive to 

 impel them to upright dealing, which the itin- 

 erant has not. They are ambitious to build 

 up a permanent trade in the town or city in 

 which they have established themselves. They 

 expect to have frequent dealings with the same 

 persons. They understand that they are de- 

 pendent upon the fruit-growers of their imme- 

 diate vicinity for a permanent and profitable 

 trade. 



A tree sold under a fiilse label will injure 

 their future trade more than many times its 

 value. Their recommendation of a new vari- 

 ety, if it prove a failure, will bring disappoint- 

 ment upon those upon whom they are depend- 

 ent and discourage further planting. 



But there are some things to be considered, 

 even in buying of those whose honesty of pur- 

 pose is unquestionable. If trees ai'e sold 

 from a salesroom, (as they are more and more 

 every year in cities and large towns,) it is ne- 

 cessary to ascertain, by careful examination 

 whether they have been properly protected 

 from heat and cold, and are in a lively condi- 

 tion, especially at the roots ; also whether the 

 soi-ts are kept distinct, so that you may l)e pos- 

 itive that you are g(!tting what you bargain for. 



If you visit the nursery, observe whether the 

 trees have been allowed sufficient space in the 

 rows to ensure symmetry of form and an 

 evtni development of limbs upon all sides ; for 

 if th(! top has been crowded and ])Inched out of 

 shape, you may be assured that the roots will 



