220 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



IL\.Y 



a littk- scattering of oats or some kind of 

 grain should be j^own at the same time, as it 

 will need a little shade, and should not be 



f)louglied until the time for planting the fol- 

 owing spring. The ground will then be in 

 exeellent condition for planting, and almost 

 entirely free from weeds. 



The potatoes can be planted in drills very 

 thick one way, say a piece of potato once in 

 six or eight inches. In this way a large 

 amount of potatoes can be taken from a small 

 piece of ground, and always of good (juality ; 

 the land can be contiruially cropped, and yet 

 grow better and richer every year. 



Where no preparations are made before- 

 hand and the time draws near for planting, it 

 is a good plan to turn over a rich clover sod, 

 if we have such to spare, and spread on horse 

 manure, or coarse liarnyard manure and mix 

 well with the soil. We need to put on some 

 kind of manure or we don't get much of a 

 crop, and it is folly to go over a large piece 

 of ground and get a few small potatoes. The 

 qualitv is better if we can take land that has 

 been highly manured the previous year, but it 

 is better to prepare it late, than not all. 



I would say to T. L. li., that it is not be- 

 cause we are afraid of our creditors, that we 

 sometimes withhold our names. We suppose 

 it is not so much our Jiam^y as good substan- 

 tial facts, based on experience, tTiat the read- 

 ers of the Fahmkk want. Many of us are 

 hetti'V farmers than icriteis, as the editors of 

 the FAHAiEn must know long before this time, 

 but we are willing to do our best, and let our 

 feeble light shine if any will be benefited 

 thereby. J. 



Fo}- the Xetc Enijland Fwtner, 



AN EXPERIMENT ON STUNTED FRUIT 

 TREES. 



Last April T found an acquaintance at work 

 wpon his apple and pear trees, with the object 

 in view of trying to remedy bad planting, — 

 done by the job, — in a bad location, and half a 

 dozen vears' bad management. He had com- 

 menced by taking up some, (no small job,) 

 and digging holes about s(!ven feet in diameter 

 and four deep. The soil, all but eight or ten 

 inches on the surface, was clear sand suitable 

 for making mortar. He proposed removing 

 the sand and replacing it with good loam and 

 some manure. 



From this statement it can be seen what a 

 formidable undertaking it was. Not less than 

 two thousand large loads of sand and loam to 

 be moved, and most of it twice ; and the trees, 

 over three hundred of them, to be carefully 

 taken up and as carefully reset. I intimated 

 to him that ht^ had his full spring work before 

 him, if he faithfully carried out his pro- 

 gramme, and that sowing and planting would 

 have to be deferred until another season. 



He had not taken this view of the magni- 

 tude of the job he had laid out — too nmeh 



even for the fifteen men he had in his employ. 

 He came to the conclusion to adopt the sug- 

 gestion to dig a trench around the trees, just 

 within the limit of the circle formed by the 

 branches, to the depth of fourteen to fifteen 

 inches and about the same width, and put into 

 the trench four inches of good manure, nux- 

 ing loanv with it, and fill up the remainder of 

 the trench with the surface soil of the orchard. 

 All the roots that were injured by digging the 

 trenches were carefully trimmed, and all the 

 roots remaining as carefully placed as if set- 

 ting the tree for the first time. 



All the trees were trinuned-in severely. 

 They matle large growth and assumed a very 

 healthy apj)earance. Some of them produced 

 fruit bountifully. They were washed twice 

 with a solution of whale oil soap, which efl'ec- 

 tually rid them of lice and moss. 



The result of tliese oj)erations was highly 

 satisfactory, notwithstanding the season was 

 very dry. I confidently expect still more fa- 

 vorable residts the coming season should it 

 prove ordinarily wet, as the trees will have 

 the advantage of having got well under way, 

 and nothing to retard them, as was the case 

 last season. I have tried this method before 

 with good results, but not on so large a scale. 

 I am satisfied we never need fear a failure 

 from the adoption of the practice. 



The orchard referred to is cultivated as a 

 garden, and is liberally manured every season. 

 I will also say that the trees that were taken 

 up and set again died. k. o. 



March 4, 1871. 



State Land ix Akoostook. — In reply to 

 intiuiries about settling on State land in Aroos- 

 took, a correspondent of the Maine Farmer 

 says ; — 1st, A young man must have at least 

 fifty dollars before starting, unless he mtends 

 to work out the first season. If he has that 

 amount he can locate, and fell five acres of 

 trees in July, and then live with some farmer 

 until he can get a burn ; then clear it of timber 

 in the fall ready for crops. 2d, The State 

 lands are locate(l principally in the vicinity of 

 Presque Isle, Caribou and Limestone ; each 

 settler can take a certificate of IGO acres at 

 fifty cents per acre, payable in four years in 

 labor on the roads. He must build a house 

 and barn, (frame or log) and clear fifteen 

 acres, and seed ten of it to grass ; then he gets 

 his deed, od, In coming to this country, call 

 at the l^and OlHce in Bangor, and the Land 

 Agent will direct you to such townships as are 

 lotted for settlement. Settlers coming here 

 nmst not expect to find good vacant lots on 

 township roads ; tiiey will have to go back into 

 the woods and live camp life for a while. 



— It is estimated that there arc 9,000,000 cows in 

 the country, tlie (hiir.y product of wliicli annually 

 is 3,000.000,000 pounds of cheese, and 57o,000,000 

 pounds of butter. 



