294 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



JUKB 



pected to live ; will grow thriftily and present | 

 syniinetriral and beautiful forms, and a heavy, 

 rich foliage. 



It is estimated that fully one-half of all 

 the apjile trees which are set in New England 

 never come to bearing. Some of those even, 

 which are set with proper skill and care, are 

 so much neglected afterwards that they grad- 

 ually die out. Pruniug them Is not attended 

 to, or if done, is performed at the wrong sea- 

 son of the year, when the sap runs from them 

 as freely as from the maple in a sugar orchard 

 in IMarch. After a year or two of cultivation, 

 the land upon which the trees stand is laid 

 down to grass, so that they soon lose their 

 vigorous appearance, grow verj' slowly, be- 

 come covered with moss and are in just the 

 condition to be attacked by borers, bark lice, 

 and other enemies which infest young trees. 



The crowning evil of all, however, is turn- 

 ing cattle into the field where the trees stand. 

 When the fall feed becomes scanty they 

 browse the trees, catching hold of the end of 

 a branch, biting it off, or, if it does not yield, 

 splitting the limb down from the stem of the 

 tree. Tnen they scratch their oily necks, or 

 comb their shaggy f oretops by rubbing against 

 them. We can point to many acres of young 

 apple trees in just this condition to-day. 



This is a somewhat expensive operation ; 

 one which but few farmers can afford, if in- 

 deed, any can. Two orchards are now in our 

 mind, planted about the same time, opposite 

 each other, the highway only dividing them. 

 One of these is in the wretched condition de- 

 scribed above, and the other, thrifty and 

 beautiful, and has already returned products 

 which have more than paid all its cost ! 



Benjamin Liveumore. — The Vermont Journal 

 contains an oljituary notice of this gentleman, wlio 

 died at his residence in Hartland, Vt., April 4, in 

 the tifty-third year of his age. Mr. Livennore was 

 a frequent contributor to our columns, but per- 

 haps he will be best remembered as a writer on 

 the subject of cement pipes and cisterns, to which 

 he had devoted much thought, and in the construc- 

 tion of which he had much practical experience. 

 He was also the inventor of a pocket writing ma- 

 chine, and a little contrivance of his for window 

 flower pots was illustrated in the Farmer last year, 

 — Monthly, page 199. His articles were practical 

 and suggestive, and from a personal acquaintance, 

 we can fully endorse the remark of the writer of his 

 obituary that "he was one who in all the relations 

 of life was indeed a worthy and valuable man." 



For the Neic England Fanner. 

 HAY AND STRA"W— NO. 3. 

 Varieties of Grasses. 

 It is highlv probable that we are on the eve 

 of radical changes in the varieties of grasses 

 cultivated. Heretofore two or three varieties 

 have monopolized the fields we have stocked 

 down. 



Herds grass is the general favorite. Very 

 few other grasses are allowed a test of their 

 (jualities. Orchard grass, that has so often 

 been commended by men of good judgment, 

 is not receiving the attention its merits de- 

 serve. Clover also fails to win its way to 

 general favor, notwithstanding it is found 

 quoted in English papers at from ten to 

 fifteen per cent, higher than hay. It has no 

 market value with us. It is rare that it is 

 properly cured in our country. To this fact 

 may we ascribe in a great degree the gen- 

 eral unpopularity it has attained. No hay is 

 equal to it for feeding sheep, horses, and 

 cows. A large milk farmer of Chicago states 

 that he can obtain fifteen per cent, more milk 

 from a ton of clover than from the same 

 quantity of herds grass. Our farmers differ 

 widely "in reference to its value. If in the 

 damp climate of England it can be cured 

 so as to be unobjectionable, I see no good 

 reason why we should fail to accomplish it 

 here. 



The new clover from Sweden called alsike 

 is attracting much attention. Judging from 

 reports given of it by those who have culti- 

 vated it, it is winning its way to general favor. 

 It is thought to possess qualities superior to 

 those of our common red clover. Informa- 

 tion respecting it is being sought for through 

 our agricultural papers from every quarter. 

 Since commencing this article I find in the 

 Fahmkk of to-day (April 8th) a correspond- 

 ent iiKiuinng for information respecting it 

 and also in respect to orchard grass ; there 

 are also two leading articles under the editori- 

 al head treating of these grasses, and a cor- 

 respondent, (A. W. Chever,) gives us his 

 views of orchard grass, &c. You say, in your 

 editorial, that "orchard grass is not culti- 

 vated to half the extent which would prove 

 profitable." I think your statement a very 

 modest one, considering the authorities we 

 have to sustain the fact of its being the most 

 valuable grass, both for hay and pasturage, 

 we have. You quote from INIr. Flint's work 

 on Grasses and Forage Plants. His whole ar- 

 ticle on On-hard Grass comprises a mass of 

 evidence in its favor that every farmer should 

 well (iolisider. It is to be found on pages 

 66-69 inclusive. Judge Buel is referred to as 

 an advocate for its general cultivation. De- 

 siring information from him respecting this 

 grass, he urged my making it my principal 

 reliance for hay and grazing. For the latter, 

 there can be no doubt of its being the most 

 valuable of any of our grasses. In both cases 



