THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
43 
out in the summer, which are not needed, and 
should be cut off before they take the nourish- 
ment from the better parts of the tree. On the 
other tiand, there are often awkward and unne- 
cessary branches found on the tree in the winter, 
and even parts of the tree killed or much in j ured 
by the severe cold ol winter; and this shows the 
absolute necessity of spring pruning. To con- 
clude the subject, the writer has no doubt the 
pruning should commence in the latter part of 
the winter, or early in the spring, and continue 
as circumstances suggest through the whole 
growing season. If either spring or summer 
jifuning be neglected, the trees cannot look so 
well or do so well. — Temi. Agriculturist. 
Pruning Fruit Trees. — It will be found up- 
on experiment, that a wound made on a tree in 
March or April, will look black as soon as the 
sap begins to flow, and that the sap will ooze 
out until the leaves have put out so as to receive 
it; while a wound made in June, will remain 
white and immediately commence healing. — 
And a tree that has been broken by being loaded 
with fruit, or otherwise, while the tree is green 
with foliage, the wound will look white and the 
wood remain sound; while one broken in the 
winter by snow, or from any other cause, Avill 
look black and decline to decay. 
It has been my humble lot to spend the most 
of my time in the spring and fore part of the 
summer in engrafting and pruning fruit trees, 
and my experience goes to prove that the best 
time for pruning is when the leaves are iull 
grown, and the tree is vigorous an I in a grow- 
ing state. For at this season the sap has been 
spent in the foliage, and the pores of the wood 
are filled, so that when the limb is taken off, the 
sun and warm weather will dry the end of the 
limb and close the pores of the wood against the 
weather, and the sap will keep the limb alive 
to the very end, and the healing Avill be perceiv- 
ed immediately . — Boston Cultivator. 
TO PROTECT FRUIT FROM LATE SPRING FROST. 
The following article appeared in the “Amer- 
ican Farmer” last spring, and attracted our at 
ten lion on account of its nov^elty and ingenuity. 
Since that period, we have seen a gentleman 
who assures us he ha I tried the preventive re- 
commended with the most entire succes. It is 
at least curious, and for the preservation of the 
fruit of a particular and favorite tree, might be 
^teemed useful . — Southern Planter. 
“Many expedients haye been resorted to for 
the protection of fruit from the blighting influ- 
ence of late frosts. Throwing a sheet over the 
tree, iianging iron upon it, kindling a fire under 
it, &c. have each been found to have a benefi- 
tial influence, but none have been more effi- 
cient than the experiment which I am ’about to 
describe. 
“My friend. Major Ruff, who is a virtuoso, 
lately informed me that many years ago he saw 
it stated in a French paper that by throwing a 
hempen rope over the top of a fruit tree, when 
in bloom or near the time of blooming, and by 
letting its lower end touch the ground, the tree 
would thus be protected from the influence of 
frost. This I thought quite rational and philo- 
sophic, I accordingly made the experiment. To 
prove more fully the modus operandi, I took two 
dishes half filled with water, and set them a few 
feet distant under the tree, on the night before an 
expected frost, the tree being nearly in full 
bloom. Throwing the rope over the top of the 
tree I let the other end hang in the water of one 
of the dishes — the event proved the correctness 
of the theory. There was a hard frost on the 
niorning and the dish into which the rope was 
deposited, contained ice of the thickness of a 
dollar, while that in the other dish was scarcely 
of the thickness of paper. 
“The philosophy of the above experiment is 
this: the rope, which was previously Avelted, was 
& conductor of heat; the air, and of course the 
limbs of the tree, became colder in the night 
than the earth — the rope conducted the heat 
from the earth to the tree, thus keeping up an 
equilibrium and preserving the tree from frost. 
“As far as my observation extends, the criti- 
cal time for fruit is long before it is in blossom: 
but it is nevertheles.s true, ihat'seA’-ere and pro- 
tracted cold at that time, or even later, will de- 
stroy the fruit. This was the case last year. — 
The fruit was killed by severe frost after it had 
been formed. 
“There is not in my mind a doubt that by at- 
taching a rope to each tree of choice fruit, and 
thus letting it permanently remain through the 
w'inter and spring, that the fruit would be secur- 
ed from the effects of frost. 
“To the incredulous and the supercilious, who 
balance their grist all their lives Avith a big 
stone — who, sufficiently Avise, despise knoAv- 
ledge and instruction, the above may appear un- 
worthy their attention. Let such be informed 
that it is not less philosophic than lightning 
rods attached to buildings to protect them from 
the influence of electricity — let them be inform- 
ed that 
“There are more things in heaven and earth 
Thau their philosophy has ever dreamed of.” 
EXTRACT FROM If. COI.MAN’S ADDRESS. 
Of all the conditions jl men, and I have min- 
gled with every variety, I believe in truth that 
none is so independent as that of an industrious, 
frugal and sober farmer — none affords more the 
means of contentment and substantial enjoy- 
ment — none, Avhere the education has not been 
neglected, presents better opportunities for mor- 
al and intellectual improvement — none calls 
more loudly for religious gratitude — none is 
suited to give a more lively and deeper impres- 
sion of the goodness of God. Some years since, 
in the most rugged parts of Noav Hampshire, 
among its craggy cliffs and rude and bold moun- 
tains, I Avas travelling on horseback, and came 
suddenly upon a plain and mos.s-covered cot- 
tage in the very bosom of a velley, Avhere the 
brave settler had planted himself on a ferv acres 
of land Avhich alone seemed capable of cultiva- 
tion. Every thing about the residence bespoke 
industry and care. Being fatigued, I stopped to 
ask refreshments for my horse. A hale young 
girl of about fifteen, bareheaded and barefooted, 
but perfectly modest and courteous, Avith all the 
ruddiness of Hebe, and all the nimbleness and 
vigor of Diana, went immediately for an arm- 
ful of hay and a measure of oats for my horse; 
and then kindly spread a table Avilh a cloth as 
white as the snow-drift, and a boAvl of pure milk 
and browm bread for his rider. I never enjoyed 
a meal more. I oflered the family pay for their 
hospitality, but they steadily lefused, saying that 
I was welcome. I Avas not willing thus to tax 
their kindness, and therefore took out a piece of 
money to give to one of the children that stood 
near. “No,” said the parents, “he must not take 
it: Ave have no use for money here.” “Heaven 
be praised,” said I, “that I have found a people 
Avithout avarice. I Avill not corrupt you;” and 
giving them a hearty thank-offering, Avished 
them God’s blessing, and took my leave. Noav 
here were these humble peo^e, Avith a home 
Avhich, if it were burned doAvn to-day, their 
neighbors would rebuild for them to-morrow — 
with clothing made from their OAvn flocks by 
their OAvn hands — Aviih bread enough, and beef, 
pork, butter, cheese, milk, poultry, eggs, &c., in 
abundance, a good school for six months in the 
year, Avhere their children probably learned 
more, because they knew the value of time, than 
those who were driven to school every day in 
the Aveek and every week in the year — Avith a 
plain religious meeting on Sunday, Avhere, Avith- 
out ostentation or parade, they met their neigh- 
bors to gather the gossip of the neighborhood, to 
exchange friendly salutations, to hear words of 
good moral counsel, and to Avorship God in the 
most simple but not the less acceptable form — 
and, above all, here Avere hearts at peace Avith 
the Avorld and with each other, full of hospitali- 
ty to the passing stranger, uncankered by ava- 
rice, and undisturbed by ambition. Where up- 
on earth, in a humble condition or in any con- 
dition, shall Ave look for a more beautiful exam- 
ple of true independence, for a brighter picture 
of the true philosophy of lifel 
AGRICULTURAL SCIIpDpS. 
The subject of directing the education of 
youth to agricultural pursuits, in order to intro- 
duce a more enlightened system of agriculture, 
is beginning to attract considerable attention in 
some of the States. In Virginia, particularly, 
Ave notice much has been said and Avritlcn on 
the subject by some of her most dislingui.shed 
and intelligent men. Among others, the editor 
of the Richmond Enquirer has taken the field in 
defence of such a system of education, and the 
folloAving letter, from Gen. W. II. Richardson, 
ably and vigorously seconds his view.s. 
“Not having time to call on you this morning, 
I write to express my hearty concurrence in the 
suggestiems throAvn out in this morning’s Enqui- 
rer, under the head of agriculture. 
“My consideration of the subject, as you may 
Avell suppose, has not been very profound, and I 
am sensible that the conclusions to Avhich it ha.s 
led, arc very far from being entitled ;o much 
Aveight. I have long admired the plan of the 
celebrated Fellenburg, to which )'ou refer; and 
hough, as I still think, that one such school 
Avouldbe worth more than all the professorships 
of agriculture that could be established in our 
colleges.’ If the agricultural portion of our peo- 
ple could be aAvakened to their true interests, one 
such school at least could be established in each 
of the grand divisions of the State and sustain- 
ed by individual subscriptions. Or, if not ef- 
fected in this mode, and the financial condition 
of the State should not admit of the requisite 
aid from the public treasury, might not a tax be 
laid for that special purpo.se'? It is difficult to 
estimate the advantages that might justly be ex- 
pected from agricultural schools, in Avhich theo- 
ry and practice Avmuld go hand in hand, and 
AAffiere the mental as Avell as physical poAvers 
AA-ere judiciously cultivated. We all knoAv, that 
the feAv landed estates Avhich are yet left to be 
transmitted from fathers to sons, most frequently 
fall into the hands of young men just from col- 
lege, who, though they may be fine scholars and 
qualified to attain the highest professional rank, 
are yet profoundly ignorant of that u-hich it most 
concerns them to kno\A' — practical agriculture. 
So, too, of the least wealthy portion of our peo- 
ple, who train their sons to the labors of the 
farm, but most frequently in the same path Avhich 
has been trodden by fathers, grandfathers and 
great-grandfathers before them, but upon Avhich 
no one ray of improvement has yet been shed. 
These young men are, according to circumstan- 
ces, either portioned off with small farms, or 
seek employment as overseers, having, general- 
ly, little else than habits of industry, with true 
and honest hearts, to qualify them for the busi- 
ness of life. It is easy to conceive, that to all 
these the education of an agricultural school 
would be certain independence, if not wealth. 
“The want of sufficient skill in agriculture 
and farm management among overseers, we 
hear complained of by almost every farmer Avho 
employs one. It is a serious grievance; but the 
poor follows themselves are not to blame, for 
they have no chance of better information. A 
case lately came to my knoAvledge of a lady, 
possessed of a good estate in land and negroes, 
who had been repeatedly disappointed in over- 
seers. and at length employed one whose knoAA’n 
industry and integrity it Avas hoped would suf- 
fice. But Avith a full stock of these indispensa- 
ble qualifications, and every AA’ish to giv^e satis- 
faction, he proved so utterly ignorant of farm 
management, and of any standard of agricul- 
ture beyond that with Avhich he had groAvn up — 
between the handles of an old style one-horse 
plough, with a Avooden mould board, and rope 
traces — that his employer has a certain prospect 
of loss upon the year’s Avork, and he of losing 
his place. An experienced and observant far- 
mer lately remarked in my presence, that many 
who Avere noAv stniggling in the over-filled pro- 
fessions, and the uncertain risks of commercial 
