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0§T. 
CORE’S 
<§tarj| of a §toralisst 
DAILY RURAL LIFE. 
FROM THI DIARY OF A GENTLEMAN NEAR NEW YORK CITY. 
Sowing Rye.— Sept. 15.—I finished sow¬ 
ing rye to-day, and although a little later 
in the season than usual, there is still time 
for it to get well rooted before cold weath¬ 
er. The land was plowed twice and in op¬ 
posite directions in order to keep it as level 
as possible. After the last plowing it, was 
harrowed once before the rye was sown, 
then harrowed twice afterwards, in order 
to have the seed well covered and evenly 
distributed. I followed the harrow the last 
time it went over the field, so wing Timothy 
seed at the rate uf six quarts per acre, then 
rolled this in with a heavy roller, which 
left the surface smooth and as level us a 
man could desire for a meadow. There is 
no oue Implement that gives such a finish¬ 
ing touch to land as a roller, aud I believe 
that it more than pays for its cost and use 
upon both light and heavy soils, not only 
by breaking up the lumps but by pressing 
the earth down firmly upon the seed sown. 
One of our old agricultural writers who 
long since passed away, said that the science 
of stirring the soil was “to bring two par¬ 
ticles together that had never touched be¬ 
fore;'' if this be true, thou rolling the sur¬ 
face and crushing the lumps is one of the 
most certain methods of accomplishing our 
purpose. We know very little of the I 
chemical changes that are constantly going 
on in the soil, but experience has taught us 
that thorough disintegration is essential to 
the growth of all cultivated plants. 
Gathering Pears.— Sept. 1C.—There are 
vory few varieties of pears which are not 
improved by ripening in the house or cellar. 
In this respect I believe the pear is an ex¬ 
ception to the general rule among cultivated 
fruits. The Flemish Beauty, if left to ripen 
on the tree, rots at the core before showing 
any signs of maturity on the outside. The 
Louise Bonne do Jersey will often bo bitter 
aud quite astringent under the same cir¬ 
cumstances, when, if gathered at the proper 
time, it will have a rich, sprightly flavor, 
with scarcely a trace of astringency. Early 
gathering has a similar effect upon nearly 
all of our choice varieties. The proper 
time to gather pears is soon after the first 
specimens begin to turn yellow and show 
maturity. Of course we are not to take the 
pool-, worin-oaten, immature fruit as a 
guide, but that which is fully grown. An 
occasional specimen will begin to color, 
showing that the crop upon the tree is ap¬ 
proaching ripeness. This, of course, will 
only apply to Summer and Fall varieties; 
the Winter sorts must be gathered just be¬ 
fore freezing weather commences. An¬ 
other good sign of maturity is the parting 
of tbe stem of the pear from the fruit, spur. 
By taking hold of the fruit aud lifting it 
slightly, the stem will part readily if in the 
right condition for gathering. Summer 
and Fall varieties may be spread upon 
shelves in a dark, cool room after being 
gathered, or in small boxes, the covers of 1 
which should be left off for a day or two, or ' 
until the sweating (as it is called) of the 1 
fruit is over. 1 
If one has but a few dozen specimens of ! 
fine sorts, suob as Duchess d’Angouleme, 
Beurre d’Aujou, Beurre Clairgeau, and l 
similar large, showy sorts, it is well worth 
the trouble to roll each in a paper aud then [ 
carefully place them in small boxes. These \ 
pears, if kept in a cool place, will ripen up 
slowly and put on a fine color when mature. ] 
Even the old Vicar of VVinkfield, which l 
most of our pear culturists class among the 
cooking varieties, will, if well grown and 
carefully ripened, be quite acceptable as a f 
dessert fruit in January and February. My 
method of handling this variety is to gather * 
it as late as possible and avoid having the 
fruit frosted; then put in tight boxes hold¬ 
ing about a half bushel, each specimen be¬ 
ing wrapped iu soft paper. Old newspa- / 
pers will answer for this purpose, if no bet- t 
ter kind is at hand. X then set the boxes 
in a cool place, giving the fruit a little air £ 
for the first week or two; then shut up the 
boxes tight aud leave them in this shape g 
until very cold weather commences; then ” 
they are put upon shelves in a cellar. Ex- ", 
amine them occasionally, and when they b 
show signs of ripening bring a box, or as 
many as required, into a warm room and d' 
keep them there for a week or more, or fi 
until they are fully ripe. A specimen that j>. 
would be so acid, when first taken from the n> 
cellar, or cool fruit-room, as to be consLd- tt 
I ered third-rate in quality, will, in the 
course of a week or ten days, become quite 
sweet and good. The same system should 
be adopted with all Winter pears—at least 
so far as finishing the ripening in a warm 
atmosphere—as tie saccharine qualities are 
increased thereby at least one-third. If 
those who have never tried this process of 
sweetening their winter pears will give it a 
trial, 1 am quite sure they will thank mo 
for this hint. 
Banking up Plants for Winter.— 
Sept. 18.—As Winter approaches I make 
preparations for it in every way possible, 
because after the first of October we can¬ 
not expect much warm, dry weather, al¬ 
though we may have a month or two suita¬ 
ble for out-door work; but it is not best to 
put off until next month that which can bo 
done now. I like to have all my small fruit 
plants, such as currants, blackberries and 
raspberries banked up with soil before 
Winter, because it not only protects the 
roots and the lower part of tlie stems, but 
also gives the superabundance of water dur- 
ing Fall, Winter aud Springa chance to run 
off. Shrubbery, nursery trees and small 
evergreens should bo treated in the same 
manner. I usually begin with those plants 
that ripeu their wood early, ending with 
evergreens just before the ground freezes. 
To be certain of getting this work done in 
time I have begun to-day plowing up to the 
currant and gooseberry bushes, turning a 
furrow from the center towards each row. 
If we have no other pressing work for to¬ 
morrow, I will have the black raspberries 
ireatod In the same manner, as the lower 
portion of the canes are fully ripe and bauk- 
ng up will do uo harm. The ground is now 
Iry and the plowiug can be done in the 
lest manner, while a little later It maybe 
vet aud heavy. Tln-n there is great ad- 
antage gained iu doing such work at odd 
lines and not be obliged to work our horses 
airly and late one week and then let them 
tand idle the next. For want of proper 
calculations many a man overworks him- 
elf and animals in accomplishing less than 
lis more thoughtful neighbor, who appears 
lever to bo in a hurry, but whose work is 
lways done iu time. 
Another Cistern.—Sept. 21.—I have al- 
cady three largo cisterns upon my place, 
insides a never-failing well. Still the sup! 
ly of water is not always sufficient for our 
oeds, especially that which is suitable for 
ottering plants. One quite large cistorn 
eoeives the water from my barn, but it 
dll not hold all that falls upon the roof 
uring the Fall and Spring. The new cis¬ 
tern is to be built of stone, alongside the 
foundation of the barn, and the dimensions 
are five feet wide, twenty feet long, and six 
feet deep. As my barn stands upon a slight 
elevation, and highertban my green-house, 
[ shall lay a pipe from the bottom of the 
cistern to the said house, and in this get 
sufficient force to thoroughly syringe the 
plants, whenever required, without resort¬ 
ing to hand power. Now, this cistern, like 
the others upon my place, will be built by 
my farm laborers, superinteuded by my- ! 
self; therefore, the -cost will be scarcely 
perceptible, inasmuch as these men are 
employed by tbe year, and must be kept 
doing something. Two of my cisterns were 
made by putting the cement direct upon 
the earth, and the top covered with oak 
plank; and, although made nine years ago, 
they areas perfect aswheu first completed, 
and have never leaked or failed in any part. J 
These two cisterns, holding about forty bar¬ 
rels each, cost me less than ten dollars each, 1 
and were built aud fiuished in two days! c 
It is a shame that farmers who make their l 
wives use hard water for washing, or catch 1 
a little rain water in barrels, do not learn f 
how to make a cistern. If they had read r 
the Rural New-Yorker for the past half- 1 
dozen years they certainly could have c 
learned the different, as well as the most 1 
simple, methods of constructing them, r 
PLANTING FRUIT TREES. 
I have a few apple, pear, cherry, plum, 
or,lb 1 t , rees . to transplant this Fall, 
Will you please inform mo of a good plan 
for setting t hem, distance apart, etc. ? The 
piece of land I have is small, and I wish to 
economize the space as much as possible 
and not crowd the trees. X bave both 
dwarf and standard pear trees.—B., Penn¬ 
sylvania. 
Prepare your ground by plowing deeply, 
and if it is subsoiled, so much tile better. 
1 f not rich, make it so by adding'well-rotted 
manure, and work this in; but If tho ma¬ 
nure is fresh, spread it upon the surface 
after the trees are planted. Dig up the 
trees carefully, preserving as many of the 
roots as possible, and replant, sotting only 
as deep as they were before. Be careful to 
have tho earth worked in among the roots 
and firmly pressed down, after which it 
may bo well to stake each tree, in order to 
hold it firmly in place and prevent the wind 
from swaying the tops about and loosening 
tho roots. We should also advise pruning 
the branches, either cutting out a portion 
entire, or shortening the largest. 
Each kind should bo planted by itself— 
cherries iu one plot or row, plums in an¬ 
other, and the dwarf pears separate from 
the standards. Tho distance apart will dc- 
poud somewhat upon the varieties, although 
for garden or small orchards the following 
will answer;—Apples, standards, 25 ft. each 
way; crab apples, 20 ft..; cherries, large- 
growing sorts, Uko the Bigarreans, 25 to 30 
ft.; plums, 12 to 15 ft.; Dwarf pears, 10 ft. 
11’ a rriau will attend to the pruning proper¬ 
ly, the trees may bo given one-third less 
space and not become crowded in a lifetime; 
but in this country we have so much of the 
“ B P>'ead eagle ’’ in our composition, that we 
take more pride iu the size of trees than in 
their capacity for producing a orop of fruit. 
ARBORICULTURAL NOTES. 
Fire-Blight —X have in my orchard what 
is called “ lirc-blight ” in pear trees, seem¬ 
ingly without respect to variety, locality 
or age of the tree. The leaf or wood of the 
tree turning black, generally the branches 
urat; the tree soon is infected ami dies. If 
any of your numerous readers know the 
cause or cure you will confer one of Mm 
greatest favors on an old subscriber.—W .m 
R. ZlliLKK. 
We do not know of any remedy, although 
hundreds have been given in the various 
horticultural journals during the past 
twenty years. 
Inquiry About Hedge Plants,—1 want 
your advice. What can I plant for a hedge 
around toy lawn, and when best to plant—in 
the Fall or Spring?-J. C. P., Boston. Mass. 
1r you want a hedge that will not be bro¬ 
ken by cattle, plant the Three-thorn Acacia 
(QlcditcMa tvicanthos) ; but if you want an 
ornamental hedge, use tho American Ar- 
bor-vitre, or Hemlock Spruce. In eithor 
case, set out tho plauts in Spring. 
iT he Oincijanl. 
GRAPES AT PLEASANT VALLEY AND 
LAKE KEUKA. 
Bitter-Rot in Apples,—W. W. W. of 
Clinton, Jcun., says that his apples are bad¬ 
ly affected with the bitter-rot, and asks if 
any one can tell him how to prevent it. 
We do not know of any better preventive 
than to plant good, healthy trees of varie¬ 
ties not liable to this disease, and then give 
good culture. There are varieties much 
more subject to bitter-rot thauothers; and 
in tho Middle and Southern States these 
should always be avoided. 
The Sal way Peach is attracting a good 
deal of attention in England. The seed 
from which it originated was taken from a 
peach eaten iu Italy by Col. Salwav, and 
now the fruit has received high awards in 
the English exhibitions. 
A CORRESPONUKNT of the Pleasant Valley 
Fruit and Wine Reporter for Sept, says: 
“The vintage of 1872 will be light com¬ 
pared with that of last year. What its ex¬ 
cellence will be wo can only conjecture— 
but as one of the months has nearly passed 
that usually exerts nmoh influence for per¬ 
fectly ripening the grape, and as that 
month has been eminently favorable, we 
may be allowed to predict more than ordi¬ 
nary richness for our coming vintage. The 
lightness of tho burthen our vines ore car- 
rying, their exemption from disease aud the 
depredations of insect enemies will unite 
with the favorable heat to render our pre¬ 
diction sure approach toward certain truth¬ 
fulness. We have recently made a tour of 
over sixty miles, visiting grape growers uud 
viueyardists through Pleasant Valley and 
about Crooked Lake. 
‘‘In tho aggregate, Catawba vines arc un¬ 
mistakably making less than an ordinary 
good growth, aud are showing that the dry 
weather of much of two years past, the- ex¬ 
treme cold of last Winter, with a yield of 
fruit enormously large, and no adequate 
compensating restriction upon tho service 
asked of them this year, these are yielding 
their legitimate results. But over-work, 
circumstances considered, has by far tho 
larger share in this misfortune to the vine 
and its owner. We have no doubt viue- 
221 
yardists will find in this mishap a valuable 
lessou for the future. 
_ What wo havo hinted regarding tho 
Catawba may bo applied to all kinds grown 
hereabout that naturally incline to over- 
, b f ar circumstances are favorable, 
i, oncords and Dianas we found making 
a their usual growth. Xu no instance did wo 
“ see the crippled, exhausted appearance too 
a ° n f“ »Otioeable with Catawba, Delawn.ro 
i Iona. And when we learned from tho 
. i iuo dresser that a light or moderate yield 
of grapes rewarded his last year’s good euro 
• aud toil, if either of tho named kinds wero 
. his this season, tho vineyard looks well in 
1 growth, and is well fruited now. We offer 
. these remarks as proofs of tho ill effects of 
5 overbearing. 
“In consequence, perhaps, of the sraall- 
5 " 08a t,r 0, '°P compared with last year, wo 
r found less clean culture and more weeds, 
» greater neglect in tying up to seooud and 
1 upper wires. Very many growers have 
‘ wue 011 baud with which to kindly servo a 
1 friend and some to sell. 
| “ The sorts of grapes that appeared to bo 
; disappointing expectations and hopes tho 
' ”!°f' completely, are Iona, IsrauUa, and 
Walter. Eumelau has tho Indulgence of 
such growers as look to wine making for a 
little more time. Roger’s Numbers find 
low fricuds hero aud there for a trial only 
as yet. 
“ And now as to the views of viueyardists 
with whom wo conversed on the quantity 
of grapes they severally expected to gather 
this Fall, wo havo to say, they estimated 
the yield from a half orop up to good aud 
full. No one placed his crop loss than half, 
more choosing to call their prospective vint¬ 
age simply light. As regards earliness at 
which the fruit will be ripe, wo place it at 
au average—ueither late nor early. Still 
tho quantity will doubtless favor early 
maturing.’’ 
<Jfiti[nt (Bt[(month. 
STEAM PLOWING IN ENGLAND. 
I Noticed in the Rural New-Yorker 
an article on “Steam Flowing in England,” 
in which was a statement made by a cor¬ 
respondent of the Country Gentleman, say¬ 
ing that lie had looked ovcv England re¬ 
cently with especial reference to the use of 
the a team plow there, and Could only loam 
that it was “ believed » to be iu use on como 
of the large farms iu the South of England, 
lie conclude-) his statement by saying 
“that tho old-fashioued way of plowing 
is the only one in practice iu England.” I 
beg to say that this correspondent must 
certainly have obtained his information of 
some one that knew very littlo of “Steam 
Plowing in England;’’ and said correspond¬ 
ent must certainly havo forgotten the West 
of England when looking it “ over.” 7 left 
England only two years since, and in tho 
Western counties of England where I was 
raised, I know the steam plow was very 
much in use in those days, in the county of 
Somerset, especially; and from what tho 
newspapers say, that aro published iu tho 
said Western counties, the steam plow is 
even more in use noth than it was two years 
ago. 
The statements mado concerning the 
amount of steam plowing done in England 
are not all false; but the statement by tho 
correspondent of the Country Gentleman, 
that the old-fashioned way was the only one 
tn practice there, is most decidedly an error. 
I am well acquainted with the “West of 
England,’’ also the South, and 9 omo of tho 
“ MIdland counties,” and I know tho steam 
plow is nmoh used, especially in the large 
Calming districts, such as Somerset and 
Dorsetshire. 
I am not a farmer myself, and know very 
little of farming, but I think the farmers of 
England that use the steam plow are well 
satisfied that it pays. There is much more 
farm work done by steam in England than 
here —threshing, straw cutting, grinding 
apples, eto. Wm. Webber, 
Rolling Drilled Wheat.-N. G. Steb- 
BIX3 asks if wo would recommend rolliug a 
field of Fall wheat that had been drilled in. 
We answer, that if we could we would have 
narrow rollers follow in the path made by 
each drill tooth, compressing tho earth upon 
the seed after it had been deposited- but 
wo would not advise rolling the entire sur¬ 
face; we should much prefer doing that in 
the Spring, as coon as we could get on the 
land with a field roller, after the frost is out 
