1867. 



NEW ENGLAND FARJilER. 



257 



DWARF PEAR TREE. 

 Is n't that beautiful H Does n't it almost make 

 your mouth water ? And yet there is no law 

 that forbids the growth of such a tree in your 

 garden, or of one a little less symmetrical, if 

 you do not happen to find a tree equally reg- 

 ular in its proportions, or if yours should re- 

 fuse to limb out just according to the picture. 

 If you want such a tree, now is the time to set 

 it out ; and our object in getting up the cut is, 

 we confess, purposely to "lead you into temp- 

 tation." 



A PREMIUM FARM. 

 A business correspondent expresses much 

 gratification from a late visit to the farm of 

 S. M. Thomas, of Wayland, Mass., to which 

 the first premium of the Middlesex Agricultu- 

 ral Societ)- was awarded a few years ago. The 

 predecessor of Mr. Thomas, though considered 

 a smart business man, did not succeed in mak- 

 ing a living upon it. The present occupant 

 has had possession about twenty-five years. 

 He is not a trading man, and has brought up 

 this farm to its present good condition simply 

 by industry and strict attention to business. 

 The buildings are all new, well situated, ca- 

 pacious and convenient — especially the large 

 barn cellar. The soil is mostly a rich loam, 



not much clayey, yet well adapted to grass. 

 In consequence of the labor required to make 

 milk, Mr. Thomas does not sell it as formerly. 

 He prefers to feed steers which he buys to 

 keep over. He must have stock of some kind 

 to make manure, as he cannot buy it for less 

 than ten dollars per cord. Our correspondent 

 speaks of "a noble pair of team horses, six 

 oxen, about thirty head of neat stock, and 

 twenty hogs," whose contributions to the ma- 

 nure heap are most carefully husbanded, as is 

 all that which results from the production of 

 about 3000 pounds of pork a year. Mr. 

 Thomas had 300 cords of fire wood, cut 

 the past winter, all but about fifty cords of 

 which has been drawn. The blocking-up 

 snows have interfered, and delayed the finish- 

 ing of this job until it is treading on the heels 

 of the spring work. 



NEW PUBLICATIONS. 

 The Vegetable Would; being a History of Plants, 

 ■with their Botanical Descriptions and Peculiar Prop- 

 erties. By Louis Figuier, author of the "World be- 

 fore the Deluge," and other popular works. Illustrat- 

 ed with 446 engravings, interspersed through the text, 

 and 24 full-page Illustrations; chiefly drawn from 

 Nature by M. Faquet, Illustrator to the Botanical 

 Course of the Faculty of Sciences of Paris. New 

 York; D. Appleton & Co., 445 Broadway; Boston: 

 Lee & Shepard. 1867. 676 large 8vo pages, with a 

 full index. 



As respects paper, type and illustrations, this 

 superb volume is in the highest style of English 

 art. From the little cut of a potato plant on 

 page 468 to the full-page illustration of the Great 

 Tree of California, the perfection of the engraver's 

 art is wonderfully displayed, and most happily 

 unites the sentiment of the artist with the precision 

 of the naturalist. Though less capable of judging 

 in respect to the scientific ability of the text, we 

 believe it is entitled to a similar hearty commen- 

 dation, though possessing in a high degree the at- 

 tractiveness of popular description. The work is 

 divided into four parts ; 1. the Organography and 

 Physiology of plants; 2. The Classification of 

 Plants; 3. The Natural Family of Plants ; 4. Geo- 

 graphical Distribution of Plants on the surface of 

 the Globe. As a present to a friend who loves and 

 appreciates the flowers and plants of the earth, or 

 as an acquisition to a library to which children 

 have access, we recommend this volume as one 

 well calculated to please the eye, to instruct the 

 mind and to elevate thought. 



CHEMISTRY. 

 During the past winter we listened with 

 great pleasure to a lecture on the question 

 What has Chemistry done for Agriculture.^ 

 by Dr. James R. Nichols, of Haverhill, 

 Mass. The same lecture was delivered be- 



