402 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Dec 
than a bushel of potatoes—on a large scale, with a good 
soil and with horse cultivation. Without arguing the 
point here, we wish merely to quote a statement from 
Hovey’s Magazine, of the amount raised on a small piece 
of ground by William Gore, of Frankfort, Me. The 
piece of ground was eleven feet by forty-three, and the 
product was three and a quarter bushels, being BOO bush¬ 
els, or 9600 quarts per acre. The bed was six years old, 
and the variety Hovey’s Seedling, a sort not usually re¬ 
garded as so productive as some others. One hundred 
and fifty bushels per acre is not an unusual crop, with 
fair cultivation • and we can perceive no difficulty in 
doubling the amount by the best treatment. Twenty- 
five cents per bushel before picking, would more than 
repay all expenses, with economical management. 
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Fruit at State Fairs. 
The Genesee Farmer proposes that collections be ex¬ 
hibited without the names of the owners, but only with 
the numbers of entry attached, till the judges have made 
their awards, in order to secure impartiality. We have 
just been reading the report in the Granite Farmer, of 
the Fair of the Connecticut River Valley Society, where 
this practice was adopted. We are informed that the 
result was quite unsatisfactory—the committees often 
wishing information, and exhibitors usually remaining in 
charge of their articles, statements were made by them 
to the committees, while the public learned nothing as 
to the origin of the collections. We know there is much 
cause for dissatisfaction, but we believe it is as much 
owing to the general practice of commending large showy 
specimens, to the exclusion of those less attractive in 
appearance but of vastly superior flavor, which practice 
our most eminent pomologists are not entirely free from. 
There are very few committee-men from whom we should 
expect a prize on a collection of Pomme Gris, Swaar, 
Dyer, or Ross Nonpareil apples, or of Seckel,Rostiezer 
or Winter Nelis pears, while a neighbor should display 
side by kide, large and brilliant Alexander or Beauty, of 
Kent apples, or Belle of Brussels, or Colmar of Arem- 
berg pears. 
Answers to Inquiries. 
Transplanting Trees. — A correspondent expresses 
the opinion that care should always be taken that trees 
in transplanting occupy the same position with regard to 
the points of the compass, as they did before. We. can¬ 
not speak confidently of the importance of observing this 
particular in Southern Virginia, where our correspon¬ 
dent resides j but in New-York, where the summers are 
cooler and much shorter, we have not found it essential, 
having transplanted thousands of trees promiscuusly, 
in some instances without losing one. 
Pruning Fruit Trees. —Thos. G. Turner, near Rich¬ 
mond, Va., wishes to know the best time and mode of 
pruning fruit trees, and especially the apple and peach, 
at the north. We take it for granted that he means 
standards for orchards. Apples should be so pruned as 
to form a neat rounded or slightly flattened head to the 
tree, and should be equally thinned throughout, just so 
much and no more, as to prevent a stunted and imperfect 
growth of the branches by crowding. The work may be 
done at any tim'e except in spring, when the sap flows 
freely. The wounds, if large, should be coated with an 
alcoholic solution of shellac. The peach should be pruned 
a few weeks before growth commences, and especial 
pains should be taken to prune down or back , that is, 
constantly with a view to prevent the elongation of the 
branches, and to keep the head in a small, compact form, 
never more than eight or ten feet in diameter. For fur¬ 
ther particulars, reference may be made to the published 
works on fruit culture. - 
Raising Hickory Trees.™ A Berks Go. (Pa.) sub¬ 
scriber inquires when the nuts of’the hickory should be 
planted—having after two years trial never succeeded. 
The nuts, without being permitted to become dry, 
should be mixed with moist peat, covered with leaves, 
and in this condition be exposed to the winter frosts. If 
carefully cracked in the spring, and planted early, they 
will grow. —- 
To Prevent Injury to Trees ry Rabbits. —In the 
Oct. No., I see that J. T. Wilson informs the Michigan 
Farmer of the failure of several “ infallible” preventives 
for the gnawing of rabbits. I think I can inform him, 
and others who wish to try it, of one that will not fail. 
It is this: Take half a newspaper, and wrap it full width 
two or three times round the tree, and fasten it with 
twine. It will last six or eight months, and I have never 
known a tree protected that way, to be attacked by 
either mice or rabbits. For mice only, the paper need 
not be more than six or eight inches wide. L. j Farm¬ 
ington, Ct., Nov. 1, 1852. 
Wintering Cabbage Plants.— I have a large number 
of cabbage plants, that have now got nearly large enough 
to prick into a bed for winter protection. I wish to 
know, through your next issue of the Cultivator, the 
easiest and surest way of keeping them until spring, with¬ 
out being hurt by the winter. 
I wish some one of your subscribers, or yourself, to 
give, through the same channel, a description of the dif¬ 
ferent varieties of potatoes. The reason is, because there 
are, in this vicinity, several varieties that goby the same 
name. K. Norris. Burlingham, Sullivan Co., N. Y. 
In answer to the inquiry, in relation to the keeping of 
cabbage plants through the winter, we quote the follow¬ 
ing from Buist’s Kitchen Gardener: 
The plants must be protected in a cold frame, cov¬ 
ered with boards or shutters, removable at pleasure. It 
may be made by any person, merely by taking a few 
boards about one foot wide • stretch them along in any 
sheltered situation, to the extent that will hold the re¬ 
quired plants of cabbage and lettuces (say twenty feet 5 
long and six feet wide, which will hold four thousand 
plants, which, after allowing a considerable portion for 
failing, will be enough for a large family.) Sink in the 
ground short posts of cedar or locust at back or front, 
and nail firmly thereto sound boards of oak or pine, the 
board at the back one foot high, the one at the front six 
inches; this, when covered, will allow the rain to run off. 
Throw up the earth close round the outside of the frame, 
to keep the water from entering under the boards or 
among the plants. If they are kept wet during winter 
they will die off, or what gardeners call “ damp off.” 
In fact, the dryer they are kept the more safe they will 
be. Give air in all clear weather during the winter. In 
severe frost they should remain covered all day, but ex¬ 
pose them fully in mild weather. Take care that mice 
