180 



THE iNEW GENESEE FARMER, 



Vol 3. 



For the Ncte Genese$ Farmer. 

 Translations from the German. 



GRAPE VINE CUTTINGS. 

 M. Frischer, the superinlendont iif ihe gardens of 

 the Duke of Weimar, employs with eujccees, the fol- 

 lowing method of propogaling ths more choice varie- 

 ties of wine and table grapes, by means of cuttings. 

 He selects from among the stalks and branches cut 

 away in fall and spring pruning, such as are of suila- 

 ble diometer^-Boy from i to ^ inch.^-tmd have well 

 ripened wood. Tbcae he cuts in pieces midway be 

 tween the buds, and splits each piece lengthwise, pre- 

 aerving the bud uninjured. The halves containing 

 the buds are then placed with the flat side on a bed of 

 well prepared girden mould, gently pressed down 

 level with the surface, and covered with mosB, or a 

 layer of fine leaf mould. Thus planted, the cuuings 

 speedily strike root, if the bed be kept moist by ecea- 

 sional waterings, and properly shaded, without ob- 

 structing the circulation of the air. 



Cuttings similaily prepared, though not split, read- 

 ily strike root and produce vigoroita plants, if iheir 

 ends bo dipped in m«lted Eealing wax, and they be 

 planted in good garden sotl^ covering them in to the 

 depth of half an inch. The ground must be kept 

 moist, and free from weeds. 



GRAFTING. 

 M. Schroer recommends using a branch of common 

 willow, an inch or two in diameter, in the following 

 maftner, as a matrix for receiving the grafts of such 

 varieties of apple, pear or quince trees, as it is desira 

 ble to multiply. Make longitudinal cuts or slits 

 through the branch, at equal dielfincss of 1.5 or 18 in- 

 ches. Take grafts having two perfect buds, give the 

 lov/er end the u-ual wedge-shape, using a keen knife, 

 and insert them in the slits cf the willow, mating the 

 lower bud sit close to the slit. Then bury the bronch 

 in a trench formed in good garden soil of such depth 

 as will permit the upper buds to protrude just above the 

 surface of the ground, when the trench is again filled. 

 The ground must be watered occasionally if the sea 

 son be dry, and weeds m-.;st be carefully extirpated 

 whenever they appear. In the spring of the follow- 

 ing year, the branch may be taken up and cut in 

 pieces, leaving a small portion to ecch of the growing 

 giafts — which are to be replanted in a nursery. The 

 willow does not form a permanent union with the 

 grafts; but merely supplies nutriment till the proper 

 fibroHB roots ere produced from the lower bud. 



POTATOES. 



M. Bellamy Aubert, of France, states, os the result 

 cf experiments continued during three eenaons, that 

 ebur.dant crops of potatoes may be grown in poor 

 clayey soils, by eimply strewing the sets plentifully 

 with rye-chaff previous to covering them with earth at 

 planting. 



Professor VoElker, of Erfwet, covers his potatoe 

 sets with a layer of lannsra' spent bark, two or three 

 inches thick, before turning a furrow over them. He 

 euye he thus provides a loose spungy bed for the young 

 tubers; prevents weeds from springing up and grow- 

 ing in immediate contact with the plants ; and secures 

 an abundant supply of moisture during the season, if 

 but one soaking rain occur after planting — as the 

 spent bark, covered by the surface soil, will retain 

 water during the most protracted drought. 



FRUIT TREES. 

 Dr. Zimmerman, of Zinzow, alleges thgt the nat- 

 ural productiveness of fruit trees is injuriously affect- 

 ed by the practice of training standard trees high, or 

 pruning off the lower side branches. This training 

 is usually commenced in the nursery, and continued 

 even after the tree is transplanted to its permanent 

 posiiioB in the orchard^^iesuItiT«g io giving the tree a 



main stem 6 or 7 feet high. Dr. Zimnterman con- 

 tends that trees of the same class or variety, thus 

 irea'ed, are never so productive as those which are 

 suffered to assume a more natural form and devclope- 

 ment ; and he rel'ers, in proof oi his theory, to the 

 (act that orchards belonging to per£ona who know little 

 of the modern scientific refinements in horticulture 

 and whose trees ore very scantily pruned, are invaria- 

 bly more productive than those whose owners keep 

 theiji in regular subjection to the knife. Permitting 

 troes to branch oiiT. lower, would perhaps involve a 

 greater waste of ground, in orchards oepec'ally ; but 

 the increased productiveness of eech trees, would, in 

 the Doctor^a opinion, ab-undantly coinpensalc for ihie. 

 There are moreover many plants which could be ad- 

 vontageously cultivated in the thade of such trees. 



The truth probjitly, in tbi€ case also, lies between 

 the two exiremeff-^and possibly the ivh'le matter may 

 resolve itself into this, that the more horizontally the 

 branches of fruit trees arc trained or permitted to 

 grow — which njjpeors to be Nature's tendency — the 

 more productive of fruit will the trees be. In training 

 fruit trees against r/nlla, it is kron-n to be advanta- 

 geous to give the limbs a descending curve. This 

 effect will be naturally produced, it the trees be per- 

 mitted to branch out nearer the surface of the ground 

 than is customary. The limbs, in this case, assume a 

 nearly horiiontsl direction, and are subsequently 

 curved down by their own weight and Ihat of the 

 fruit they produce, and the result of the whole i3,^a 

 greater tendency to the formation of finit buds. 



MADDER. 



The proprietors of smoll farms in the'dfrnnd Dulchy 

 of Baden, cultivate madder, of late years, with much 

 success and profit. The plant requires a rich soil, free 

 from weeds, and the toot yieWs a beautiful and dura- 

 ble red color only when it is permitted to attain toper- 

 feet maturity in the soil — v.hicli is not til! the close of 

 the third year of its growth. 'Roots of one year's 

 growth are indeed used in Avignon, but the dye pre- 

 pared from them is not durable ; and that from two 

 year old roots is very little better. Good madder, 

 yielding a rich and durable dye, can be prepared only 

 from roots not leEs than three years old ; and if two 

 of the summers were very hot, the dye will be the 

 brighter and more permanent. When it I appens that 

 the summers ore unusually cool, the roots are not 

 taken up till the close of the focrth season. South- 

 ern plants, ecdimatedand cultivated in northern lati- 

 tudes, require great care and judgment in their treat- 

 ment, to prevent deterioration ; mid the madder plant 

 does not appear to be an exception. 



FROZEN POTATOES. 



The results ot repeated experiments show that po- 

 tutoes injured by frost ore not reudered valueless ; but 

 that very good flour or meal may be prepared from 

 them, if the weather continue sufficiently cold to per- 

 mit of repealed thawing and freezing. By this pro- 

 cess, properly conducted aud continued, the watery 

 particles are expelled, and the inner of vegetable sub- 

 stance is gradually converted into meal. Exposure to 

 rain and snow is injurious only as prolonging the op- 

 eration. The meal or flour thus formed, can be 

 readily separated from the outer skin or peel. M. 

 EisHOFF exposed soft watery potatoes to the action ol 

 frost in this manner, and obtained a very euperior flour, 

 which was preserved in good condition fur two years, 

 even in a damp cellar. When it happens, in conse- 

 quence ol the unusual severity of the season, thot 

 large quantities of potatoes are injured by frost, excel- 

 lent and nourishing meal may by this process be pie- 

 pared therefrom, with very Utile expense or trouble. 



Travellers relate that, in the native country ol the 

 potatoe— the more elevated and colder regiopeof Pern 



— the inhabitants expose quontitios nf this vegetnb!9 

 to the action of frost, for a similar purpose. Afiyr re- 

 peated alternations of freez'ngacd thawing, the whole 

 mass is thrown into a kind of vot and well kneaded of 

 trodden v.-ith their feet to separate the skins or peels. 

 It is then put into coarse bags, and placed in a stream 

 of clear running water, where it is left three or four 

 days. Wben taken out, it is spread as thin as conve- 

 nient and dried in the sunshiii-e; and thereaftei ground 

 into flour. 



Professor Poke, of Leipzig, in his Archives of 

 German Agriculf.:re, recommends that the same meth- 

 od be employed when apples, pears, or turnips are ac- 

 cidentally injured by frost. 



Potatoes are neither so productive, r.ox of so good 

 quality, in wa.m as in cold climates. In Spain and 

 the south of Italy, the vines are thicker and longer, 

 and the foliage more dense and luxuriant than in the 

 more northern countries of Europe where this vegeta- 

 ble is cultivated ; but the tubers are smaller in size 

 and fev/er in number. In Colombia, laige potatoes 

 and abundant crops are produced only in the more ele- 

 vated mountain regions^rising from 800O to 10,000 

 feet above the level of the equatorial seas. The same 

 appears to be the case in the United Stales — t:,e pota- 

 toes of Maine greatly (xcelling those of the middle or 

 sontharn stBte in quality and flavor, and thij average 

 crops are much more abundant. 



ITALIAN RYE-GRAS3. 

 In the Grand Duichy of Mecklenburg, the Italian 

 ftye grass {Lotimn jicrcnne Halicvm pcristatvm. ) ig 

 found to be far superior to, tmd much more produc- 

 tive than, the English Rye-gross. Early in March it 

 presents a rich, green, aud vigorous appearance. The 

 stalks and leaves are soft and juicy, and it is fit to ba 

 cut for hay early in June. The second crop produces 

 a large quoutily of seed, if cut early in September; 

 and the after growth yields plentiful and succulent 

 pasturoge. The seed is smaller than that of the En? 

 glish Rye-grass ; and when produced from the second 

 crop, is generally very clear and pure. The Italian 

 Rye-gresa would probably be valuable for forage, in 

 northern districts, as it is sufticienily hardy to stand 

 the winter. For soiling cattle it is found to be partic- 

 ularly valuable. 



HORSE CHESTNUT HEDGE. 



Weirael Hannock, of Moravia, recommends the 

 Horse Chesnut, ( Aesculus hippocastanum ) as beat 

 adapted tor forming a hedge impervious to men or 

 animals. The seeds, when gathered, are spread out 

 in a dry ar.d airy chamber for a few weeks. They 

 ere then planted in a shallow trench formed by a hoo 

 or B plough, dropping them four or five inches apart 

 in the row, and covered with earth. The young 

 plants will appear about the close of the ensuing April, 

 and should be kept well weeded. In the spring of the 

 third year, before the sap begins to flow, the stems 

 are bent eccrosa each other so as to form a kind of 

 wickerwork, and bound firmly together at the crossings 

 by means of willow tv.'igs, or boss. If this be well 

 lione, the trees unite permanently at those points, 

 forming a lasting and impenetrable fence. By prop. 

 r care in the subsequent pruning of the hedge, 

 denseness can be greatly promoted, and a neat and 

 haiidsome appearance imparted to it. 



On Animal Itlaunres. 



(Transltttcii from the German.) 

 The bones of different species of animois differ 

 much as to their component parts, and therefore ore 

 not of the same value. As far i.8 nitrogen ie concern- 

 ed, ihe bones of cattle arc the best, whilst those of 

 horses and sheep are preferable on occount of the 

 greater amount of phosphate. Those whe use bones 

 08 monure should bear that in mind. 



As far as the use of bones for manure is concerned, 

 it is requisite that (bey should be pr^vii iiely reduced 



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