1817. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
she actually expired within half an hour from the time 
of laying down. This statement at once induced suspi¬ 
cion that the malady of 1838 had returned again, and I 
described to him minutely the appearances then met 
with, and ventured to predict that his cow would be 
found in the same condition; in which ease, I remarked, 
the idea of poison by any human agency, cannot for a 
moment be entertained. It is only necessary here to 
add, that the examination confirmed the prediction in 
the most minute particulars. 
Hitherto this disease has been confined entirely to neat 
cattle, and as far as I knew, had appeared only in 
the summer months. In February last, however, a 
friend called to request the chemical examination of the 
stomach of a young heifer that had just died, saying 
that he had previously lost several cattle in the same 
way, and that his neighbors, all suspecting poison, had 
urged him to have the matter thoroughly investigated. 
In answer to a question of mine, he stated that he had 
lost ten in all, seven of them in the warm months of 
summer, and three the present winter; and that he had 
never found one of them sick; the first intimation of his 
loss being that of finding them dead in the field, with 
but one exception, and in that the animal was breathing 
its last when discovered. On cutting open the specimen 
he had brought with him, it disclosed the peculiar ap¬ 
pearances described as belonging to this disease, and I 
stated to him the discoveries previously made, and that 
on his return home, a further exarifination would proba¬ 
bly show him the heart destitute of blood, and the in¬ 
}§\ 
testines filled with it; and that he might rest assured 
that no human agency could have had any share in 
the matter. This last suggestion seemed to be very 
acceptable to him, for the suspicion of having an 
enemy about him base enough to destroy his property 
in this manner, was exceedingly annoying. And here 
it will be proper to point the reader's attention to 
the fact that every application for post-mortem exa¬ 
minations hitherto mentioned, had been based upon 
this suspicion of poison; a suspicion far more har- 
rassing and vexatious to generous and worthy minds 
than the loss of property itself; and it was a hope 
of being able to dissipate this delusion, so fraught with 
mischief to society, and so liable to disturb the harmony 
and good feeling of every neighborhood where it might 
be entertained, that first suggested the idea of writing 
this history. But the singular and novel features of 
the disease itself, and the deep interest the farmer has 
in its further investigations may perhaps give it a still 
higher claim to a place among the agricultural notices 
of the day. 
It was the intention of the writer to compare the pe¬ 
culiar features,of this disease with the symptoms de¬ 
tailed in the history of past epidemics among domestic 
animals, and likewise to offer a theory in explanation of 
the strange physiological fact alluded to in describing 
its post mortem appearances; but the length to which 
this article has already arrived, must defer this intention 
to a future period. Thomas Close, M. JD. 
Portchester , Westchester Co ., March , 1847. 
THE ORCHARD AND THE GARDEN. 
Cultivating Orchards. —In many large districts, 
a greater number of fruit trees have been set ou#during 
the past four years, than previously since the settlement 
of the country. The attention to the subject which has 
been thus awakened, seems destined to work quite a 
revolution in rural improvement, and in the tastes of 
our people, and to enable at least a part of the commu¬ 
nity to taste for themselves some of the most delicious 
fruits in cultivation. Hitherto most of the fine varie¬ 
ties have perhaps not been known to a thousandth part. 
And notwithstanding the rapid Increase of young or¬ 
chards, a long time must yet elapse before every person, 
even of ample means, has a plentiful supply of the best 
successively ripening varieties. 
Nothing has operated more to check improvement, 
than the neglect of young trees after they are once set 
out. The man who transplants fifty peach trees into 
meadow ground, and loses one-half by being smothered 
with the growth of the grass, and the other half the fol¬ 
lowing winter by the gnawings of meadow mice, will 
not be long in becoming disheartened in fruit culture. 
He who sets out a hundred apple trees in grass land, 
or in ground devoted to the cultivation of wheat and oats, 
where triple the time necessarily required, elapses be¬ 
fore the trees bear, satisfies himself and his neighbors 
that he who plants young trees, only plants for posteri¬ 
ty. No conclusion can be more erroneous, no practice 
more pernicious to horticultural improvement. When 
the best management is given,—and the best is incom¬ 
parably the cheapest and most economical,—young 
trees, no larger than a carriage whip, may be brought 
into a good bearing state, in an incredibly short time. 
One of the finest, most productive, and most profitable 
peach orchards in the whole state of New-York, is only 
seven years old since setting out. No crop is raised 
among the trees, but the ground is kept clean and mel¬ 
low by plowing and harrowing. A very celebrated fruit 
garden and orchard was planted by the proprietor after 
age had marked his hair with silvery whiteness; he has 
now for twenty years enjoyed the luxury of plentiful 
crops from his trees, and is still in the vigor of life. 
His success was chiefly owing to good transplanting—■ 
digging holes six feet in diameter, and filling them with 
fine rich earth—and to thorough cultivation of the soil 
for several subsequent years. 
There are various degrees of good and bad treatment, 
which from their common or uncommon occurrence, de¬ 
serve to be pointed out. 
1. The worst of all is to transplant young trees to a 
meadow, and wmrst of all a clover meadow. An or¬ 
chard of several hundred young peach trees was noticed 
last summer, which had been set out in a clover lot the 
previous spring or autumn, and though the trees ap¬ 
peared to have been of fine growth before transplanting, 
not one in twenty was alive. If it ever becomes neces¬ 
sary to set out young trees in meadow ground, each 
row must stand on a plowed strip of ground, at least 
seven feet wide, kept constantly clean and mellow. 
2. Next to meadows, placing young trees among 
grain-crops sown broadcast, is the worst. They may, 
in such circumstances, survive removal, but it is impos¬ 
sible for them to make much growth. Young trees 
standing in well-hoed potato crops, have been observed 
to make at least six times greater length of growth in 
one season, than trees standing in wheat-fields. Corn, 
though greatly shading young trees by its tall growth, 
is far better than wheat, oats, or barley, in consequence 
of the hoeing and cultivation which is given. 
3. The only crops which should be tolerated , are low, 
hoed crops, as potatoes, carrots, field beets, ruta¬ 
bagas, 8tc. 
4. But the best mode altogether, is to keep the 
