114 



THE iNEW GENESEE FARMER, 



Vol. 2. 



Cherries. 



Last eenson we took some notice of our cherries, 

 (vol. 1, page 114) nnd we now resume iho subject. 



Some fine sorts arc found in ibis county ; but we 

 doubt if one treehol.ier in ten ever cat n fine cherry of 

 his own cultivating; and wo believe it might bo as- 

 serted without much risk, that many grown people in 

 this land hnvc never eaten a ripe one. This sugges- 

 tion may seem rather etarlling ; but when we consi- 

 der that this fruit is generally taken to market in a 

 half ripe state, we may comprehend how the owner 

 fares with s few trees in the moat public part of his 

 grounds, who keeps off the boys and the birds with 

 one hand — as it were — while he plucks his reonty 

 portion Willi the other. 



It is enough to sadden the hear! of a pomologist to. 

 behold the old " English cherry," and the upright tour 

 cherry, casting their shadows over the highway ; for 

 it tells of a deplorable neglect to take ndvantnge of the 

 fine climate of the Genesee country ; why such fruits 

 are not v.-orth the trouble of guarding against the 

 birds — not worth even the labor of gathering. 



Now according to our experience — and we have had 

 a rcasonabjc share — the lest cherries grow on trees 

 quite as hardy, and quite as easily cultivated as the 

 worst. How then comes it that such apologies for 

 fruit arc tolerated ? We leave this question for our 

 readers to answer ; but we can inform them that 

 »reea of Jirst rate kinds may be had for fifty cents a 

 piece ; and that the annual interest on the outlay 

 would be three or three and a half cents — ^just the 

 price of n 3:.',aU paper of tobacco. In two or three 

 years, such trees, with the ircatnjent that we have 

 recommended, would come into bearing; and we 

 ore strangely deceived if the proprietor would take 

 less than many ti.iiea that sum for the crop. 



Two causes have conspired to make most of the 

 thcrrie.3 on our old trees this season inferior in quali- 

 ty. The steady cold in the spring, kept the blossoms 

 back, and none of the young fruit was injured by the 

 frost, so that there was a superabundance ; while the 

 severest drought in the early part of eummer, that has 

 occurred in many years, withheld tbe usual nourish- 

 ment. On several trees that were hung with fruit, 

 like onions on a string, the leaves withered in the lat- 

 ter pan of the day, and some thought they were dy- 

 ing ; however there was no diaeaee but that of starva- 

 tion — too much fruit and too many leaves. The fruit 

 gave way first, and the loaves are now recovering. 



It has satisfied us however, that old cherry trees 

 should be pruned when we want the finest fruit ; and 

 that to adopt the old English* custom of breaking 

 ofT.the twigs with the cherries on them is no great 

 proof of Vandalism. On such trees as are in danger 

 of overbearing, like the AVhite Tartarian, or Trane- 

 parant Guigne^ it is a positive improvement. 



All the " white" cherries of England that we have 

 seen, become red under the glowing skies of this 

 land. Well, an old White Heart (so called) which 

 had borne abundantly, was unproductive for several 

 yews; but by cutting ofTa few of the leading branch- 

 es, it ^vns roujed from its torpor — vigorous shoots 

 sprung forth, nnd again it has become fruitftd. 



We have never known the redar birds so scarce as 

 they arc this season. Young cherry trees have been 

 mostly allowed to ripen their fruit in peace; and whe- 

 ther we ought to say with the poet 



—Joy to the tempest tliat whelm'd ihcm beneath 



And niarle their destruction Its sport; 



er Bjcribe their diminished numbers to some other 



cause, we know not ; but wc should estimate them 

 at not more than one-tenth of what usually appear in 

 other seasons. Wo have not had opportunities to 

 shoot half a dozen. 



The crow however, made soma predatory demon 

 strations; but on our strctciiing olufi two pieces of 

 twine between some of tbe trees, they euddeidy dis- 

 covered they had no further bueinesa in that quarter. 



The manner in which ornithologists occasionally 

 cpcak of the character: of different birds, is ninuting. 

 According to Nutlall, the crow is "troublesome," 

 "gormandizing," "voracious," "audacious," "pir- 

 atical," "pillaging," "guilty." "injurious," and 

 " formidable ;" while to tbe cedar bird is ascribed 

 "gentleness of disposition," and "innocence of char- 

 acter," besides being entitled to the adjectives, 

 " friendly, useful, and innocent." Now all the 

 charges that we have selected aeninsl the crow, apply 

 as well to the cedar bird, with the e.tception of two ; 

 and "innocent" es bo is made to appear, the same 

 acts committed by some other bipods vwilhout feath- 

 ers however) would entitle them to a lodging in the 

 county jail. 



It is often extremely ditTicuIt to determine the <ruf 

 name from the books, when two varieties are much 

 alike. The time of ripenivg ia sn important chaiac- 

 terie'.ic ; but as this will vary with the climate as well 

 ns with the season, the most exact way to f x this point, 

 would be to compaie the ripening of the vaiiety under 

 examination, with that of some well kno« n sort. — 

 Unfortunately, pomologisla have generally chosen the 

 May Duke for this purpose— the most unfit of nil the 

 cherry tribe that vi e have ever seen ; for it goes on 

 ripening and to ripen for several weeks in succession. 

 All such references cie but of little value. 



Our young trees have made us acquainted this 

 season with three more fine varieties of the cherry. 

 The first is the Elton whicli L'ndley cnlla " very ex- 

 cellent," and which ripens with tbe Black Corone. 

 Nicl says " it is distinguished by tbe extraordinary 

 length of the fruit-stalks;" and eo we have found it, 

 after comparing it with seven or eight other varieties, 

 all of which have shorter stalks. Tbe fiuit is large, 

 a wa.xon yellow, mottled or dnsbcd with red next the 

 sun. We think it will bcc.imc a general favorite. 



Another kind has been called the DlacU Ei:gU; 

 but Lindley represents tbe genuine sort as r pening 

 at " the end of July or beginning of August" in 

 Englsjid, while ours ripens with tbe Elton, " tbe be. 

 ginning or middle of July" in that country. He 

 continues . " the fpura of the Black Eagle produce 

 bunches of tenor twelve cherries each ;" but ours 

 were mostly single. Again: "juice very rich and 

 high flavored ;" but ours, though sweet and rich, 

 and much admired, could scarcely ba entitled to that 

 epithet. Another year however, may throw more 

 light on the subject. 



The third sort is the Elkhorn — a very remarkable 

 variety. We agree with Piince that it is one of the 

 lirgest black cherries that we have ever seen, and 

 when fully ripe a superior fruit, as it then loses most 

 of its bitterness. It is very firm, and must be fine for 

 transportation or culinary purposes. t 



* Wc alllHic to Lyd(X.itc'B p-rcount of ttir I,iind<jri cries 

 (aliout llic )c;ir It.'iO) where lie mentions *' rherrjrs In llir 

 r>Fc." "Rysc,^'' says the New Kdiiiburpih Kncyclopirdist, 

 " Is n woiU rot yctolmolele in Scotland, slgnir/lng rarav or 

 twijs." 



For the rfeie Gcnztti F«rrr~er. 

 Mr own Expcrleuce. 

 Mkssbs. Editoks — Last year was my first at- 

 tempt at farming. I commenced by subscribing for 

 the New Genesee Fanner, and Albany Cultivator. 

 By these valuable papers, every number of which is 

 worth three times its cost, 1 learned that Canada 

 Thistles, of which I had o very promising crop, 

 could be cfTcctually subdued, by repeated ploughings- 

 Accordingly I commenced about the first of June, and 



ploughed them p.bor.i once a month, and harrowed 

 tbcm aa often, oUirnately, (with Wilber's improved 

 harrow,) till about the first of Octcbcr. Tbe result 

 is their entire destruction, except a few places where 

 the ploughing could not be well done. 



I planted one bushel of Rohan potatoes, and rnifed 

 seventy butbeU ; four acres of corn, and harvettcd 

 two hundred; sowed ten bushels of wheat, and shall 

 not harvest any. So much for the first year. 



Yours truly, V. YEOMANS. 



Walworth, July'.), 1841. 



Fron the Farmer'a Gazette. 

 l'nder»I>ra : u i u g. 



The past month has been vciy unfavorable for out- 

 door businets, in consequence of the almost continu- 

 ous rains. It hes, however, allorded nie an excellent 

 opportunity to witness tbe benefits derived from viidcr- 

 druinivg. This branch of agricultural iniprovcn:ent 

 is wholly neglected by most of our f3in;ers, wbile 

 there are no twenty-five acres of ridgc-lnnd lying con- 

 tiguous, to Eay nothing of low or swampy gionnds. 

 but what some parts of it .It least would be mateiinlly 

 improved by diaining. 



With many persons, the discovery is yet to be made, 

 that a euper-Bbiindance of water is as detrimental to 

 tbe growth of most plants, as a stinted supply of this 

 fluid. Tbcy admire that elevated lands should be 

 wot ; the lenson is, they do not look detp enough, — 

 if they did, they would diucovcr that tbe soil ot most 

 of our riii^cs rests upon a sub soil which is very tena- 

 cious, and as impervious to water, as a dith ; conse- 

 quently there is no way by which the water falling 

 upon the surface can escape, excipt by the slow pro- 

 cess of wending its way through the soil to some lets 

 elevated place, or by evaporation, except it is by ditch- 

 es, either covered or open. My remarks regard iho 

 former. After recommending a fystcm, the inferenco 

 will be that 1 l:nvc derived some benefit from it. I 

 answer in the aflirmniivc, and will state britfiy uiy 

 experiments. 



I have an o'chard, one side of which is wet, stiff 

 iond : rarely any water stands upon the surface. Lot 

 lor Ecvernl months in a year the soil is complcic-ly sat- 

 urated, — eo much so, that n li' le dug a tew incbea 

 deep will immediately fill. The tiecsdid not flourish 

 ns well as on tbe more elevated parts ; it occurred to 

 nie that it might be owing to the roots being eo im- 

 mersed in water. Accordingly, two years ago I 

 caused thirty rods of ditch to be made, in dillerent di- 

 rections, all in the compass of half an acre, and tciinin- 

 nting in one, and thai in a low place, where I could 

 witness the discharge, and the quantity eurpiised nie. 

 Tbe favorable influence of tbe drains upon tbe land ly- 

 ing some dictnnce ofl", as well as that in their immedi- 

 ate neighborhood, also exceeded my expectation. The 

 etTect i.pon tbe trees is decidedly favorable, and tbe 

 grass is much sweeter and more nbundnnt. 



Again, I have a field often acres, in N\"hich I have 

 made one hundred and fifty rods. This lot bad al- 

 ways been occupied for grazing ; some pait of it was 

 so wet (made so from springs) as to proeluce but little, 

 and by far the greater part of a kind of knotgrass, 

 which indicates the coldest of land ; will only hcep 

 animals, but not fatten them. The ditches hsil 

 so favorable an efiect that I determined to put the lot 

 under tbe plough, — that bcinir mv intention f-om the 

 beginning, provided I could drain it. I have bad two 

 crops from it, and my ex[.crienco is, that those parts 

 of the lot, which were the moet wet, have become by 

 means ol the drains the driest, mid tbe soonest fit to 

 plou<;h after a rain, nnd producing the best crop. It 

 wouUi surprise any one tei witness the quantity of wa- 

 ter discl.i-rged, and that it is not interrupted in the ' 

 coldest weather. 



Now OS to tbe size and expense of making. That 

 will vary according to circumstances. I have made 

 mine two I'eet wide, from eighteen to iwenty-fmr in- 

 ches deep Tlie depth, however, is to be determined 

 by the nniui-c of tbe ground, and tbe kind of water to 

 be drawn off. If sui face water, when you meet the 

 obstruction, (hard pan,) that is sufHcient ; if spring, - 

 deeper cutting may be necessary. Tbemostexpeditious \ 

 way of filling the ditches is to diuvp the stones in; 

 but the best way, nnd tbe one which 1 Lave practised, 

 is to lav them in by br.nd, leaving an apetlure or four , 

 or five inches square, just as the stones seem to favor, 

 .K* to cost, I calculated twenty-five cents a rod ; this 

 is what I pay for digging and stoning. Too drawing 

 the stones I count nothing, as they can be disposed 

 of in that way at a less expcnce than to draw thsm ^ 

 nto the highways, er to some distant ledge or brokeii^ 



