50 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
THE BEST SO L FOE FBTJIT TREES. 
der all the old disadvantages in cultivating their 
land. This is owing doubtless more to the want 
of information than to any other cause; for 
surely no sensible man would stand long in his 
own light, if he knew how to obtain, and had 
proper confidence in such things as were re¬ 
quired for his advantage. 
Happily opportunities now present themselves 
to obtain this information in most of the great 
localities, in the establishment of agricultural 
warehouses, where these implements can easily 
be seen ; but above all in the multiplicity of ag¬ 
ricultural Exhibitions, which are now annually 
held in every county of some of the States. To 
these we would particularly direct the attention 
of farmers. Here they will see many of these 
machines in operation, and be able to learn from 
occular demonstration what is most suitable f >r 
them to obtain, to cheapen and facilitate their 
operations on the farm. 
"When an implement is too costly for one 
farmer to purchase, it is very easy for him to 
unite with his neighbors, and thus obtain it for 
general benefit. One reaper or mower, for ex¬ 
ample, may be sufficient to do the work for a 
dozen or more farmers, and do it in season ; for 
their crops of grain and grass usually mature at 
quite different periods. It is the same also with 
horsepowers and threshers, and occasionally the 
case with a gang of plows, a large iron roller, 
&c. 
We respectfully suggest to the officers of the 
County Agricultural Societies, to take these 
things into consideration, as it would be very 
easy for them to procure a model set of imple¬ 
ments for general use. The money would be 
well laid out for these in most instances, if only 
kept on hand in some central place, for the 
mere inspection of the farmer, and as a guide to 
his future purchases. * 
COTTON IN ALGERIA. 
Neaf.lt a column of the Moniteur is devoted 
to the public sale on the 26th ult., at Havre, of 
a quantity of cotton from Algeria. It affirms 
that competent judges — Swiss, German and 
Manchester spinners, pronounced the article ex¬ 
cellent, and enunciated the wish that Algeria 
might soon become an important competitor of 
the United States, and “ thus rescue European 
industry from the exactions, every year more 
and more marked, of the American planters.” 
The cotton was eagerly bought at good prices. 
Most of it will be manufactured for the Univer¬ 
sal Exhibition in the Champs Elysees. 
"We rejoice in learning that this fine country 
is producing good cotton; but we think the 
tone of the Moniteure is very reprehensible in 
the manner of announcing it. American plant¬ 
ers make no “ exactions.” They raise their 
cotton openly and above board; and when it is 
ready for market, they take of course the best 
price they can get for it. And this price is not 
so much fixed, let it be remembered, by the 
planter as by the English, French and German 
manufacturers. They pay what it is worth to 
them and no more, and simply because they 
cannot buy any where else so good a quality at 
so low a price. This is the amount of their ex¬ 
action. 
To triumph over our passions, is of all con¬ 
quests the most glorious.— Seneca. 
After almost a half century of experi¬ 
ence in raising fruit, we are decidedly of opin¬ 
ion, as a general rule, that the best soil on 
which to raise fruit, is that just cleared of a for¬ 
est. The surface should be rolling or descend¬ 
ing, and moderately dry and rich. Such ground 
needs little or no preparation ; the roots of the 
forest trees as they decay, keep it loose and mel¬ 
low, and afford the exact food necessary for a 
rapid and healthy growth of the fruit trees; and 
the soil abounds plentifully in those elements 
which are requisite to form the most perfect 
fruit. Another consideration, and a very im¬ 
portant one is, that fruit trees grown on recent¬ 
ly-cleared forest land, are much less diseased 
than those grown on old land, and the fruit is 
not near so liable to be attacked by insects. 
Any one going from an old settled country 
to a new one, will not fail to observe the re¬ 
markable difference between the trees and fruit 
of the one and the other. How much thriftier 
they are in the latter than in the former, and 
how much larger, fairer and more perfect the 
fruit. 
We would advise those contemplating setting 
out new orchards, if they have no wood land to 
dear for this purpose, to set apart as much as 
they desire for fruit, and let it grow up with 
young forest or other trees as rapidly as possi¬ 
ble. Even a few years’ growth will answer a 
good purpose, provided they are cut down and 
allowed to lie on the land; and when dry, burnt 
off where they are, and the ashes permitted to 
remain. This is undoubtedly one of the best 
preparations and manures —if we may so use the 
term—that can be obtained. 
In growing peaches, &c., we have found— 
other things being equal—that new orchards 
usually did best planted on old orchard ground, 
the trees set as near as possible to the decaying 
stumps. Previous to planting, however, the 
soil should‘be broken up at least two feet deep, 
if possible, and ashes and such other fertilizers 
added as are necessary to insure a good growth. 
Granite soils are among the best for fruit, as 
this rock abounds in feldspar and mica, both of 
which contain potash—feldspar more than mica. 
As these rocks disintegrate and enter into the 
composition of the soil, they supply one of the 
most necessary elements for the formation of 
good trees and fruit. We will also add that 
some of the best orchards which we have seen, 
were on alluvial (loamy) soils, lying upon lime¬ 
stone rocks which came up near the surface. 
THE CROPS. 
It is greatly to the interest of farmers to be 
told the truth as near as it can be ascertained 
in regard to the crops. This we always endea¬ 
vor to do to the best of our ability. To flatter 
them with the idea that crops are short when 
they are not, and hold out the delusive prospect 
of continued high prices is extremely wrong. 
Those who have read our articles on this sub¬ 
ject for weeks past, know well that our opinion 
was, that crops were generally a full average or 
more, with the exception of corn and potatoes; 
and that we maintained the former was not near 
so deficient as many imagined, and the latter had 
suffered little from the rot, and the late rains 
would probably make the yield of potatoes quite 
as large as that of last year, deducting what was 
then destroyed by the rot. 
It affords us pleasure to find the following 
candid and well-considered article in the Cin¬ 
cinnati Gazette, on the subject of the crops of 
the Western Middle States. We recommend its 
attentive perusal to all interested on the sub¬ 
ject. Prices have fallen somewhat since the 
article was written for the Gazette, but we let 
them stand as the writer put them down. 
The principal products of the middle West¬ 
ern States are corn, wheat, oats, tobacco, hogs, 
cattle, sheep, and wool. Of these there is an 
admitted increase in oats, hogs, sheep, and wool; 
wheat is an average crop, and cattle are fully as 
numerous as last year. Tobacco is probably 
short, and corn is certainly deficient from one- 
half to one-fourth. Now of all the staple pro¬ 
ducts named, corn and tobacco are the only ones 
short. Potatoes are also short, but on the other 
side there is an unusually abundant crop of hay. 
Taking Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Mi¬ 
chigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kentucky and Ten¬ 
nessee, the aggregate products of leading arti¬ 
cles in 1850 were as follows: 
Sheep...head.9,652,900 
Wheat.bush 47,598,000 
Corn. do ....329,135,000 
Oats. do .... .68,200,000 
Wool...lbs. .....18,989,000 
Tobacco........ do .49,608 000 
Hogs .. .head.... .14,526,000 
Potatoes... . ..bush... ..15,697,000 
Corn, it is seen, is the largest crop, and there¬ 
fore it is the most important so far as regards 
domestic consumption ; but for foreign export, 
wheat is the most valuable. Since the census 
of 1850, from which the above figures were ta¬ 
ken, was compiled, there have been four crops 
of corn including that now standing, and each 
of these, with the exception of tne latter, in¬ 
creased over that which preceded, and it is well 
known that the crop of 1853 was in the aggre¬ 
gate the largest gathered. Of this there is a 
large surplus still on hand—say ten per cent, of 
the whole. Add to this the product of the in¬ 
creased breadth of the land planted, say ten per 
cent., and we have twenty per cent, to offset an- 
estimated deficiency of say thirty three per 
cent., leaving an actual deficiency of only about 
thirteen per cent, in supplies for the ensuing 
year. 
Corn is used chiefly for feeding cattle, and 
there are therefore substitutes for it. Hogs 
consume a large quantity, and for this mast can 
be substituted to a great extent; and the fact 
that there is an unusually large crop of mast in 
the country this season, is, therefore worthy of 
special notice. As a substitute in feeding cattle, 
there are oats, of which there is an excessively 
heavy crop. Putting all these facts together, 
and we find nothing serious connected with the 
partial failure of the corn crop. 
Of wheat, we believe there is a full average. 
Oats, as already remarked, are largely in excess. 
Wool has increased, and so have sheep and 
hogs. Blending these several products into one 
grand aggregate, and the result will show an ex¬ 
cess rather than a deficiency as compared with 
last year. In hogs, the increase is immensely 
large over either of the last three years. To¬ 
bacco and potatoes are deficient in quantity, as 
also some minor products ; but there are others, 
not specified, which show an increase. So much 
for quantity. 
With regard to prices, it is evident that farm¬ 
ers are gaining largely over other seasons. 
Last year, it is very well known, was a season of 
very high prices, but current rates for most 
products, are above the average for that season. 
The following is a comparison of present prices 
and the averages for previous years, for a few 
articles: 
1851-2. 1852-3. 1853-4. Present 
prices. 
Corn per bush..... 20 42 45 05 
