1867. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



155 



did not set twenty or thirty pear trees, in the 

 month of I\lay, when George was born. My 

 land is suitable, and had I set them then, we 

 might have a variety and abundance of pears. 

 Now we have none." So hundreds annually 

 say of the garden, of vegetables, fruits and 

 flowers. Delays are dangerous. 



Such is frequently the case with regard to 

 stock, horses, oxen, cows and sheep. The 

 farmer finds his old, faithful horse away be- 

 yond his "teens," and his cows with failing 

 teeth ; and yet there are no colts or calves to 

 supply their places. 



Now is the "time to turn over a new leaf," 

 and have something coming on to supply the 

 family with vegetables and fruits, and fill the 

 barn witii farm stock. 



All the plans for sowing and planting, set- 

 ting trees, shrubs, plants lor small fruits, and 

 for completing arrangements for all the spring 

 work should be completed early in April. 

 When this is done, the fanner has a definite 

 object before him ; has no doubts about this 

 thing or that, but is able to go directly ahead 

 in all the various duties before him. Why is 

 not this as important to his business as it is 

 important in most other engagements ? If he 

 tries the plan he will find that it is. 



Go on with plowing as fast as the soil is 

 sufficiently dry to drop to pieces when moved. 



Add something to the extent of ditches, as 

 opportunity offers. 



Scatter droppings of the cattle on mowing 

 fields. 



Get wood under cover before the month 

 closes. 



See that all the seeds wanted are on hand, 

 and of good (juality. 



Overhaul manures and get them ready for 

 use. The finer they are, the more useful they 

 will be the present year. 



Attend to the setting of the hens. Let them 

 have three inches in thickness of earth to place 

 their eggs upon. See that vermin do not annoy 

 them . 



These are a few things which April demands 

 should be done in Api-il. Do them season- 

 ably and well, and they will make liberal re- 

 turns. 



— The New Orleans papers announce the arrival 

 there of one of Fowler's English Steam Plows. 

 Its trial on the fair grounds, near the citj^ was wit- 

 nessed by a large company of planters and others. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 "GKAPE FEVER."— No. II. 



Partial failures have led some persons to 

 speak of the excitement alluded to in my last, 

 as "grape fever;" and some others have used 

 the same words intending thereby to warn and 

 discourage persons who have shown an interest 

 in the discu-^sion of the subject, and who have 

 seriously made up their niincls to cultivate 

 grapes. In my last I intended in a somewhat 

 humorous way to suggest some of the causes 

 of fivilure, and I did seriously mean the whole 

 to be a warning to those who are liable to be 

 humbugged by unscrupulous dealers in vines. 

 If any reader of those remarks should think 

 me too severe, or in the following too self-con- 

 fident, I can only say that if they will call upon 

 me at my home, I will give them all the evi- 

 dence usually expected in such cases, that such 

 has been the experience of myself and of some 

 of ray neighbors. 



I now return to the question, "Willit pay 

 to grow grapes in New England?" 



The varieties called Anna, To-Kalon and 

 Catawba I have never seen ripe in the open 

 air in Massachusetts. I have seen Catawba 

 colored, but not ripe in the sense that makes 

 it fit for eating. Diana, Isabella and most of 

 the seedlings from these, and from Catawba, 

 are too uncertain in ripening their fruit to be 

 fit for general cultivation. All these varieties 

 are excellent when fully ripe, but they can be 

 seen in that condition, in this State, only in 

 sheltered places and favorable seasons. There 

 are other varieties which can be cultivated for 

 the market, that will average, in a series of 

 years, double the amount of profit. 



Roger's Hybrids, Nos. 3, 4, 15, 19 and 83, 

 are all strong and healthy growers, their fniit 

 is beautiful to look upon, and vei'y good as 

 table grapes. It is said by some that they will 

 not bear our winters in this State unless they 

 are carefully covered. I have not proved 

 them, except in one instance. I purposely 

 left seven each of Nos. 15 and 19 quite ex- 

 posed to all winds but the west, without any 

 covering or shelter during the winter of 1865 

 and 1866, and they all lived and did as well 

 the following season as any plants in my col- 

 lection. I have some exposed this winter. I 

 do not think it best to say more about these, 

 as I have not cultivated them under all those 

 conditions I think they should be, to prove 

 them reliable as a market grape. 



Allen's Hybrid and Sweet Water, are both 

 good white grapes, the former the best in vine 

 and fruit, and the very best white grape we 

 have at present, in this State. It is, however, 

 about certain to winter-kill if left uncovered. 



Adirondac, Creveling, lona, Israella, and 

 Rebecca, in soil and location to suit them, are 

 all good grapes. lona, the best of grapes in 

 the open air in this country, where they can 

 be fully ripened. I have seen it in that con- 

 dition in this State but once — I fear I never 



