332 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
TAKE CARE OF YOUR WOODLANDS. 
There are very few things in which farmers in gene¬ 
ral exhibit such gross waste and want of forethought, as 
in their treatment of their woodlands. Dependent as the 
great majority must always be on these for fuel; dimi¬ 
nishing rapidly as they must be in our climate annually: 
a large proportion limbered with trees that do not readi¬ 
ly shoot up, and will not grow again without some pro¬ 
tection; we still see the noble trees of our original for¬ 
ests as carelessly and as uselessly felled as though they 
were not the growth of centuries, and like Jonah’s gourd 
would spring up again in a night. In the management 
of our woodlands some things are deserving of notice, 
that are too generally entirely overlooked. 
The first thing, and it is an indispensable one, is, that 
the woodlands should be well fenced. We can never 
have a growth of young timber, particularly on lands ori¬ 
ginally covered with beech and maple and their kindred 
trees, unless this is done. It is true thousands of young- 
trees will germinate, but so fond are cattle and sheep of 
their young foliage, that none to which these animals can 
have access will be permitted to grow. It is only after 
a thick growth of underwood, sufficiently tall to be be¬ 
yond the reach of cattle, has been secured, that any ani¬ 
mal should be admitted to the wood lots. We have seen 
a beautiful wood lot on which many thousauds of thrifty 
young trees from three to five feet in height were grow¬ 
ing, reduced in a year or two to the condition of an open 
wood, and the young growth entirely destroyed, by be¬ 
ing carelessly thrown into a cattle range; and there is 
scarcely any wood lot, however destitute of young trees 
it may now be, that will not be covered with them in a 
short time if kept safe from the intrusions of animals. 
The second thing- to be remembered is, never to cut a 
tree needlessly. There are many who when they want 
a piece of timber, no matter how small it may be, in¬ 
stead of first seeing whether the want cannot be supplied 
from some already fallen, or timber already on hand, take 
their axe and improvidently prostrate any tree they can 
make subserve their present purpose, without reference 
to future value or use. Never fell a tree until you have 
ascertained its value for general purposes, for fuel, and 
not till you have found it is absolutely necessary. 
Another thing not to be forgotten in the treatment of 
woodlands is, always to select those trees which have 
arrived at maturity, are the slowest in their growth, or 
have begun to decay. In a thrifty woodland, the great¬ 
est amount of growth, is usually with the younger rim-i 
her; for though there will be some large trees that will 
increase as fast as smaller ones (ami consequently' give a 
much greater annual increase of wood from the greater 
diameter) yet there will also be many with no . reepti- 
ble growth, or on which the process of decay Lu.s actu¬ 
ally commenced. Such are the trees that should be se¬ 
lected for timber or fuel; and a double advantage will 
result from this course, thrifty timber will be saved, and 
the younger growth benefited by more ample exposure 
to the sun anil air. 
It will be found of essential service in the preservation 
of woodlands, and in increasing their value, to keep all 
vacancies that may occur, either naturally, or by the 
falling of trees, filled by transplanting. We know of 
some farmers who keep a nursery of locust for the ex¬ 
press purpose of increasing the value of their wood lots 
by transplanting this excellent timber tree wherever an 
opening offers. Others use those kinds of young trees 
which are readiest at command, or to which the soil 
seems most congenial. The kind of tree transplanted is 
of comparatively little consequence, provided it is of 
sure and quick growth, and is fit when grown for either 
timber or for fuel. By attention to the points we have 
here indicated, the value of our wood lots might not on¬ 
ly be greatly increased, but the scarcity of wood with 
which so many of our farmers are already severely 
threatened, be averted. 
Horticultural and Floral Exhibition. —The ex¬ 
hibition of the Horticultural and Floricultural Society of 
Columbia county, N. Y., took place at Hudson on the 
20th September. A beautiful, interesting, and instructive 
address was delivered on the occasion by Mr. J. S. 
Gould, of Stockport. This Society, we are glad to 
learn, is in a prosperous condition, and will, it is hoped, 
be the means of extending a correct taste, and judicious 
management in the culture of fruits and flowers. 
AGRICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS. 
The various Agricultural Societies of the country, have 
generally held their exhibitions during the two last 
months. We have received accounts from the following 
county societies in this state, viz: Erie, Ontario, Onon¬ 
daga, Chautauque, Monroe, Madison, Oswego, Cayuga, 
Herkimer, Saratoga, Rensselaer, Columbia, and Dutch¬ 
ess, and also accounts from many societies in other states; 
but our limits only permit us to give a general notice. 
In most instances, the shows have been much more spi¬ 
ritedly attended this season, than for several previous 
seasons. In the New England states, so far as we havo 
learned, this has been particularly the case. Nearly all 
the accounts from that quarter, inform us of the improve¬ 
ment in the character of their exhibitions. We regard 
this as good evidence of the advancement of agricultural 
improvement. We believe the agricultural societies and 
agricultural papers, have already been the means of great¬ 
ly improving the husbandry of the country, and of large¬ 
ly augmenting the products of the field and garden. An 
intelligent gentleman, the Rev. Me trill Allen, of the 
county of Plymouth, Mass., observed to us in conversa¬ 
tion, the other day, that he felt confident the agriculture 
of that county, though the soil was generally not of the- 
best quality naturally, and had been considered by many 
as worn out years ago, had been, within the last fifteen 
years, improved from twenty to fifty per cent. To the 
interest created by'the well-managed agricultural society 
of that county, we think is to be mainly attributed this 
improvement, and we doubt not that similar beneficial 
effects have followed and will continue to follow the or¬ 
ganization and proper management of such societies eve¬ 
rywhere. 
PLANTING TREES. 
Reader, have you not some vacant spot in your orchard,, 
some nook in your garden, some unplanted road side, 
some unoccupied place in your yard where some trees- 
might be planted to advantage ? Look around anti see if 
there is not room for some, or perhaps many, of the 
kinds useful for timber, or their fruit, or ornamental jaw- 
poses. It is possible you attended to this matter fully 
last spring, but the chances are, that you vviil on exami¬ 
nation, find room for more trees. If so, now is a very 
good time to supply the deficiency; not so good, per¬ 
haps, as the spring would have been, but too good to be 
allowed to pass without improvement. Trees may be 
transplanted at. any time after the growth of the season is 
over, with perfect safety, and they may be removed at 
any time, if the fine roots are undisturbed, and during re¬ 
moval retain their hold on the earth. When trees 
are transplanted in the fall, it is necessary to guard 
against two dangers to which spring planted ones are not 
so much exposed. The first of these is, they are apt to 
become loose in the ground from the action of the winds, 
as the roots do not take hold of the soil as quickly in the 
fall as in the spring; and the second is, water is apt ta 
settle in the holes dug, and expose the roots to the inju¬ 
rious action of stagnant water. To prevent the first, if 
the tree is small, a stake well set in the ground, to which 
the tree, wound with bass matting, cloth, or something to 
prevent rubbing, may be securely fastened. If large, 
and the roots 'spreading, three sticks placed in a triangu¬ 
lar form around the stem, and well fastened down at each 
angle by wooden hooks driven into the ground, will us¬ 
ually keep the tree in its place. If the soil is tenacious, 
and there is danger of the holes, when the tree is put in 
them, becoming pits of stagnant water, drains must be 
made to them which will prevent the evil at once. 
Where a number of trees are to be set on such a soil, it 
will be much benefited by a thorough deep plowing, 
which will render the soil generally more pervious to 
water, and prevent its ready accumulation. 
