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NEW ENGLAND FARIMER. 



Dec. 



but the seed was planted in the field like corn, and 

 but few of them ripened. A few bushels, however, 

 ripened, and were carried to market by Charles 

 Stearns, Esq., of Brookline, and this was the first 

 that I heard of their being carried to Boston by 

 the bushel. From that time they came into use 

 very rapidly. 



P. S. Judge Richardson went to Congress from 

 Groton, Mass. B. F. Cutter. 



Pelham, N. H., Oct. 25, 1867. 



Remarks. — We are pleased to see once more 

 the name of our old friend and correspondent in 

 the columns of the Farmer. The history of the 

 introduction and popularity of the tomato is inter- 

 esting, as an illustration of the influence of haljit 

 and fashion on the taste and opinions of men. 

 Mr. Buist says that in 1828 it was almost detested ; 

 in ten years more it was so popular that every 

 pill and panacea was "extract of tomato." Mr. 

 Fearing Bun-, in his excellent work. The Vegeta- 

 bles of America, notices the fact that its scientific 

 name, lycopersicum, derived from lykos wolf, and 

 persicon, a peach, referring to the beautiful but 

 deceptive appearance of the fruit, more than inti- 

 mates the kind of estimation in which it was held. 

 The American Encijcloiwdia says the tomato is 

 supposed to have originated in South America, and 

 to have been early cultivated in Mexico and Peru. 

 Several varieties were known in England and Ger- 

 many in 1597, and Parkinson, in 1656, speaks of 

 them as garden curiosities under the names of 

 love apples, amorous apples and golden apples. 



varieties, culture, and use of the aUINCE. 



Will you, or correspondents, give practical in- 

 formation about quinces ? I find little in fruit 

 books. 



1. What is the best kind ? Are they best raised 

 from seed, cuttings, or plants, and how long will 

 it take to bring them into bearing ? 



2. If raided on a large scale, would they be 

 always sure of a profitable market, and how long 

 will they keep ? 



3. If for lack of market, they were likely to de- 

 cay, could they be dried, or preserved in any other 

 way, so as to be salable, to any extent ? 



Lastly. Do nurserymen generally keep them ? 

 Have tiicy any enemy l>ut the borer ? and how far 

 apart should they be set ? 



Answers, and "general information on the above 

 subject, will greatly interest and oblige a reader of 

 your most vabmble paper. S. B. Keach. 



Providence, R. L, 1867. 



Remarks. — 1. The best quince, all things consid- 

 ered, is what is called the Apple-shaped Quince. We 

 have them now on the bushes, large roundish fruit, 

 which stew tender and are of delicious flavor. It 

 is said that there arc several varieties of llie apple- 

 shaped (juinee, but we are inclined to think that 

 the variations in this popular variety are owing to 

 soil and culture. The quince requires a deep, rich 

 soil in order to produce large and fair crops. On 

 poor soils they arc knotty. They may be raised 

 from seed, cuttings or roots; but the best way is 

 from cuttings. Set them early in the spring in a 

 shady place, and in good soil. 



2. The demand tor the quince in all this region 

 is now quite limited. Twenty years ago, or more, 



oefore pears were so abundant as they now are, 

 arge quantities of the quince were produced and 

 found a ready sale in most markets. It was then 

 the principal fruit presei-ved, and was considered 

 the most delicious of any. They will not keep 

 sound long. 



3. Quinces may be dried, but we do not think 

 the operation would be a profitable one. 



4. Quince plants may usually be found at the 

 nurseries. The bushes may be set as near as ten 

 feet to each other, and are hardy and easily pre- 

 served in bearing. 



SUCCESSFUL bee FEEDING. 



Last season I had three swarms of bees. In No- 

 vember two of them died, leaving no honey in 

 enher hive. On examination, I found the third 

 swarm alive, but their honey was nearly gone. 

 Being anxious to preserve my stock, I determined 

 upon an experiment in feeding. I obtained twenty- 

 three pounds of Southern honey for this purpose, 

 costing 17 cents per pound. My hive was of the 

 Langstroth pattern. In place of the surplus box, 

 I put a box containing a part of the Southern 

 honey. As the bees emptied the hox it was re- 

 filled, until in three days they had disposed of 

 the twenty-three pounds. The swarm wintered 

 well, and from the loth to the 30th of last June 

 the Ijces swarmed three times. During the sum- 

 mer and autumn, I took from the old swarm two 

 boxes of honey weighing eighteen pounds, and 

 from the first new swarm, six boxes of honey, 

 wcighmg fifty-eight pounds. The four hives are 

 large and are now filled with comb and honey, 

 — fifty pounds or more in each hive, — making in 

 all two hundred and seventy-six pounds of comb 

 and honey. Last season, one of the most disas- 

 trous to the bee keeper of any I have ever known, 

 my neighljors' bees all died, — one of them losing 

 twenty-two swarms. Forty-four swarms died in 

 our neighborhood last autumn and winter, most or 

 all of which, in my opinion, might have been saved 

 by feeding. Luke Waite. 



Hubbardston, Mass., Oct. 16, 1867. 



a great cow for milk. 



I see by your paper of July 27, that Mr. I. H. 

 Capron, of Smithficld, has a two-year-old heifer 

 that gave fifteen quarts of milk per day. I have 

 one that came in seventeen days before she was 

 two years old, and when her calf was five weeks 

 old it dressed 137 lbs., and its mother gave for four 

 weeks not less than fifteen quarts, and sometimes 

 more per day. And at this tlate, after giving milk 

 twenty-eight months, without missing one day, she 

 gives five quarts, and has not given less than that 

 quantity during the whole period, though she has 

 had one calf in the time. I have her now and she 

 comes in February 5th. W. A. Sylvester. 



Suidh Wrentham, Mass., Oct. 12, 1867. 



Remarks. — As much is said of late about the 

 comparative value of different breeds, we regret 

 that Mr. Sylvester does not state to which breed 

 his heifer belongs. 



PLOUGHING ORCHARDS. 



I wish to inquire through the Farmer what the 

 eftect is of ploughing orchards ? I will give my 

 experience and observation, and would like to 

 have yours. 



Six years ago I ploughed my orchard, being very 

 careful not to disturb the roots; but found, on ex- 

 amination, that there were a great many cut off; 

 planted it two years, seeding down the third. The 



