208 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
generally indeed is this the case 
about abandoning it as one of the wornout varieties, 
cons'dering it stricken with the incurable degeneracy of 
age. That such an opinion however is not well founded, 
may be inferred from the fact that this fruit, when grown 
in tne new ami more virgin soils of the interior, is to this 
day fairer and larger than we have ever been accustomed 
to see it here. This fact would seem to indicate, not the 
degeneracy of the tree itself, but the want of something 
in the soil to enable it to bring out its fruit in full pei- 
fect on. Some other of the older varieties of apples 
have degenerated much within the last twenty or thirty 
years. The same thing has happened to some of the 
ch licest pears. The White Doyenne, or Virgalieu, until 
recently the only superior variety ever cultivated here, 
ha^ for twenty years ceased to ripen its fruit. The tree 
itsalf seems healthy, but its fruit commences cracking 
when half grown; becomes woody, and scarcely a pear 
has ripened on these trees for nearly a quarter of a cen¬ 
tury, with the exception of the last two years. Year 
before last a few, and last year a greater proportion of 
these pears came to perfection. Here again the soil has 
lacked something that this tree required in ripening its 
fruit; and the favorable change observed last year would 
seem to indicate that this material, whatever it is, which 
after a long period had been exhausted by the annual 
fructification, has, after a lapse of twenty years, accumu¬ 
lated again in quantity sufficient to bring some of its fruit 
to perfection. The Seckel pear, a most delicious fruit, 
having but recently been introduced here, ripens with us 
in great perfection; but at Philadelphia, where the tree 
originated about a century ago, probably from a seed of 
the Rousselet de Rheims, which it greatly resembles, the 
Seckel has begun to suffer from exhaustion of its appro¬ 
priate food, and requires an artificial supply to restore it 
to its wonted perfection. This fact I learn from Mr. L. 
C. Ford, of Olney Park, accompanied with the valuable 
information that the material wanted in this case was 
some ferruginous compound, as by giving a liberal sup¬ 
ply of slag from the iron foundry to the roots of his 
trees, he has restored its fruit to more than its pristine 
excellence. 
With regard to the Newtown pippin, I am in posses¬ 
sion of facts showing that our soil requires only some 
compound of lime, probably the phosphate, to enable 
it to bring this apple to full perfection. The details of 
this discovery would extend this article to an inconve¬ 
nient length, but they will cheerfully be given to any 
gentleman requiring them. One of the facts upon which 
this opinion is based, goes to show that an old and 
decaying Newtown pippin tree, which in 1840, bore 
chiefly small, rusted and valueless fruit, in 1842 presented 
a healthy and flourishing appearance, and commenced 
bearing large, fair and beautiful apples, and has done the 
same every year since; under no other treatment than that 
of having the clam and oyster shells from the table of the 
family deposited under it, which has been done from the 
date first mentioned up to the present time. This spring 
the tree has a very fine appearance, and is preparing for 
a heavy crop. It is worthy of notice that the very next 
tree in the row is likewise a Newtown pippin, which 
still continues to bear very inferior fruit, fit only for 
cider. 
Most of the fruit trees will grow and bear fruit in any 
tolerable soil, but to produce it in full perfection, many 
of the choicer kinds probably require materials with 
which the earth in this region is but sparingly provided. 
If every different species of vegetation requires its own 
appropriate food; if corn, wheat, rye, &c., in two or 
three successive crops exhaust the silicate of potash, or 
some other sparingly provided material, essential to their 
growth, and can no longer be cultivated in the same fields 
until time, or the hand of man, has restored what is 
wanting; it surely need not excite our wonder that a 
tree, fixed to the same locality, and drawing all the ma¬ 
terials of its subsistence from a few feet of ground, 
should, in the lapse of fifty ora hundred years, exhaust 
those sparse and delicate materials essential to the per¬ 
fection of its fruit; and struggling with adverse circum¬ 
stances, continue for a long period afterwards to bring 
forth only fruit of a very inferior kind. To. this cause, 
rather than to antiquity of origin, we may probably 
ascribe the failure of some of our favorite fruits. The 
Rousselet, for instance, long so highly prized by the con¬ 
fectioners in France, is now said to be rapidly failing in 
that country; but having been introduced into this town 
about fourteen years since, in mistake for the Seckel, is 
found to be a vigorous and rapid growing tree, producing 
excellent fruit. This is certainly an important subject, 
and deserves further investigation. May we not hope 
that a series of well directed experiments, with careful 
observation, will eventually yield the agriculturist that 
intimate knowledge of the requirments of the plants and 
trees he cultivates, that shall enable him, by supplying 
their individual wants, not only to recover, but to exceed 
(he former perfection of the now deteriorated fruits? 
Thomas Close. 
Portchester , Westchester county , N. Y. 
THE SHEPHERD’S DOG. 
Mr. Tucker—Sir —You may inform your correspon¬ 
dent “ J. P. M.,” that Isaac Hardy, Esq. of Lasalle, 
Lasalle Co., Illinois, owns a flock of some fifteen hun¬ 
dred or two thousand sheep, which arc under the entire 
management of a Scotch shepherd and his dogs, who im ¬ 
ported a pair from Scotland, thorough bred animals; 
from these he has now, I think, twenty or thirty in train, 
and for sale. Your Feburary number for 1844, contains 
a faithful picture of an animal that Mr. Hardy sent me 
last year. We have proved his skill among our flocks 
in driving on the road, and must say he is worth two men. 
There is no need of bawling, whipping or running; you 
may ride in your carriage, and the dog will, very dex¬ 
terously and quietly, conduct them along fifteen miles, 
one hour earlier than they can be driven by two boys or 
men. 
Nathan Hardy, of Monkton, (Vt.,) has a slut of this 
stock, and may be able to furnish them. 
In a state containing so many sheep as Vermont, I am 
surprised that we have not bred the shepherd's dog, more 
especially when we find so many worthless dogs among 
us. Yours truly, Solo. W. Jewett. 
WOOL DEPOT AT KINDERHOOK. 
Mr. Tucker —I wish to call the attention of wool 
growers to the advertisement of H. Blanchard, of Kin- 
derhook, in the last No. of the Cultivator, and to recom¬ 
mend it to their particular attention. The disadvantages 
of having to sell our wool to agents and speculators, 
have long been a subject of general complaint; but no 
plan has heretofore been devised, that promises any sat¬ 
isfactory improvement. Mr. Blanchard’s plan will en¬ 
able the farmer to place his wool where a large number 
of manufacturers will examine it personally, and many 
of them are pleged to give that depot the preference; 
and nothing will intervene between what the manufac¬ 
turer is willing to pay, and what the farmer receives, but 
the commission paid the agent. 
The establishment is to be conducted upon strictly fair 
and honorable principles, in order to give it character 
among the manufacturers; the interest of the agent as 
well as the grower being equally concerned in such a 
course. The larger the amount of wool deposited, the 
greater the inducement for manufacturers to visit it; and 
l think wool from other counties would find a much bet¬ 
ter and readier market there, than in the wool houses of 
the grower. The principal objection of persons from a 
distance will probably be, the responsibility, capability, 
and integrity of the agent; to such, I have to say, all is 
right on those points; and as evidence of its truth, will 
state that about ten thousand fleeces are pleged to Mr. 
Blanchard, from the single town of Canaan. 
There can be no doubt that many advantages will be 
derived, not only to the wool grower, but to the manu¬ 
facturer, which I have not time to mention, but which 
will readily occur to intelligent minds. Any farther par¬ 
ticulars in regard to the plan, may be obtained by ad¬ 
dressing H. Blanchard, Kinderhook, Columbia County, 
N. Y. Daniel S. Curtis. 
Canaan, June 1 2tli 1845, 
that cultivators are 
