CULTIVATION OF FRUIT TREES.-—A MARYLAND FARM. 
17 
and dig out and exterminate every insect from the 
body of the tree. The yellows is indicated by a 
yellowish color in the leaves of the trees, dwindled 
shoots, with stinted leaves and premature fruits 
of a miserable appearance and quality. This 
disease is slowly propagated by contagion; and 
as there is no cure for one thoroughly infected, the 
only safety is to exterminate any diseased tree as 
soon as discovered. The life and product of the 
each is augmented by trimming off the outer 
ranches of the tree, one to two feet,, in July. 
This practice keeps the tree healthy, and the 
limbs full of bearing buds. 
What are the causes of failure in fruit trees at 
the present day. —I recollect orchards, some 25 
years since, which had been planted 30 years be¬ 
fore, on the virgin mountain land of New-Eng- 
land, that bore as great a variety of large, fine- 
flavored fruit as I ever saw. I visited the same 
farm a year or two since, and found all the choice 
varieties either entirely gone, or so far past their 
vigor, as to yield but moderate supplies of diseased 
fruit. Other trees which had been set out to take 
the place of such as had died, were of small 
growth, and produced indifferent fruit. What 
were the causes of this difference ? I conceive 
them to be mainly two: 1st, disease and enemies 
unexterminated; and 2d, the absence of some 
principle of fertility, originally in the soil, but now 
exhausted. Close observation will detect the for¬ 
mer, and apply the remedy; scientific research 
will ascertain the latter, and prescribe the addition 
required. Like the deficiencies for wheat where 
it was once yielded in great abundance, we be¬ 
lieve fruits may most effectually be produced by 
adding ashes and lime to a soil already in good 
heart. A moderate quantum of observation, in¬ 
telligence, industry, and good sense, will enable 
any farmer to supply himself in abundance with 
these essential accompaniments of every good 
farm. R. L. A. 
Buffalo , March , 1843. 
From a letter of Thomas Affleck, Esq., dated 
Ingleside, Miss., 15 Feb., 1843, we make some 
extracts. The specimens of lime and marl have 
not yet come to hand ; but as soon as received, we 
shall see them properly analyzed. 
Cotton Seed for Coios. —I am now feeding to 
my cows, boiled cotton seed, with a little chopped 
com added. It gives the butter a rich flavor and 
fine yellow color, and I may safely say, doubles the 
quantity. The cotton seed must be well-cooked 
though, which a few minutes boiling will do. 
Value of grade Durhams. —I could show you 
about as pretty a herd of cows as you would desire 
to look at, that I found here on one of our places. 
They were the produce of the common Spanish 
cows of the country, by a | or Durham bull, 
which was brought there some years ago, and 
lived only a few months, leaving 'these animals. 
They are all good milkers, giving now an average 
of 8 quarts a day, and suckling their calves. They 
are compact, well-made, handsome animals ; large 
for their height, and heavy; and all either red 
and white, or a sort of brick-colored brindle. This 
year they are bred to Coronet; and I shall show 
some of them at our April fair, as proofs of what 
a single dip of Durham blood will do, although 
not quite a full dip. 
Cultivation of the Turnep. —These are usually 
sowed here in August and September, on ground 
enriched by penning the cows and other stock 
upon it some time previously, or what is still 
better, on a piece of newly cleared land. But I 
prefer to them, for cows, raw sweet potatoes and 
cooked cotton seed. 
Lime and Marl. —At the Cold-Spring planta¬ 
tion, I have found a thick stratum of limestone, 
with a 20-inch layer of rich marl over it, and 
think it better than a silver mine. I shall apply 
a good coat of marl to a few acres of this land, 
that I am putting in oats this spring; and as soon 
as I can prepare it, I will have a kiln for burning 
lime. I send you specimens of this lime and marl. 
Will you do me the favor to give me an analysis ? 
No. 1 seems to contain the greatest portion of car¬ 
bonate of lime. No. 2 is a part of a stratum run¬ 
ning beneath the lime, and is I know not what. 
No. 3 is marl, and if I am not greatly mistaken, is 
a rich specimen. 
For the American Agriculturist. 
A MARYLAND FARM. 
Agricultural Capital. —I have frequently, in 
reading over the foreign agricultural journals, 
been astonished at the lavish expenditure of capi¬ 
tal on the landed estates in England, to promote 
their fertility, reclaim them from waste, or bring 
hitherto worthless tracts under cultivation, waH 
them in from the sea, and otherwise render them 
more productive; but on further examination my 
wonder has ceased, when I learn that in almost 
all cases of such improvement, the capital thus 
expended has produced a liberal additional inter¬ 
est on its investment. Probably no department of 
British industry receives so liberal an outlay of 
capital as that of its agriculture, affording in this 
particular a marked contrast to our American agri¬ 
culture, which scarcely anywhere receives, and 
even then grudgingly,but an investment of moneyed 
capital sufficient to render our lands habitable, by 
a large proprietor. How often do we see propri¬ 
etors with large landed estates lying in a ruinous, 
dilapidated condition, with but a few meager 
acres carelessly cultivated, around their dwellings, 
which last appendage may be even elegant and 
costly, while they have their tens of thousands 
invested in some bank, or insurance company, or 
in bonds and mortgages, which, if withdrawn, and 
intelligently invested in the improvement of their 
estates; what noble revenues, as well as delight¬ 
ful employments would result from it, instead, 
as is often the case, of wasted fortunes from the 
insolvency of their debtors, and of personal ruin to 
many a worthy and, under different circumstances, 
promising young man, resulting from idleness and 
dissipation, arising simply from want of employ¬ 
ment ! 
Yet, with all our experience in these matters, 
hardly an individual can, at this time, make an 
