face drainage, with perhaps an extra rich soil, or high, to an almost gravel knoll, or, worse than all, the level, rich prairie, unprotected, with no surface drainage, and a stiff clay subsoil. With such knowledge as this before him, and which should be attached to every order, no honest nurseryman will send out such sorts as Early Harvest, Early Joe, Primate, Fall Pippin, Rambo, Twenty Ounce, Dominie, Swaar, Sweet Gillflower, and this class of but half hardy and tender sorts, and which only succeed in special localities and with excellent treatment; but would, unless distinctly preferred, gladly substitute Golden and Perry Russets, Talman Sweet, Red Astrachan, St. Lawrence, Fameuse, Cider, Northern Spy, Red Romanite, Sweet Wine, Pomme Grise, Colvert, W. Seeknofurther, and some others. There are localities where the first list is equally desirable with the last, but without some direct knowledge of location and exposure, many otherwise choice locations are almost lost in value to the orchardist. Before planting, examine closely your trees, see those fine feeding roots, nature's choice, precious gift; now don't smother them in kindness, by planting too deeply, or by digging so deep a hole, far below its surroundings, that you have a sink hole waiting the reception of all the surface water. No tree will thrive in such a condition. It is only making a low, wet and unnatural position out of what might have been otherwise a well drained position. All the large fruits are equally sensitive. Plant dwarf pears especially shallow. If the quince stock has been worked high, with a sharp knife remove the lower tier of roots, cutting away the entire stock below the first well formed roots below the union. A great fault with this class of trees has been long stock plants and high working, rendering it absolutely necessary to plant very deep to cover the union, or else leave it far above the surface, exposed to weather changes to which it is sen sitive. Remember the small fruits. How many pleasant associations cluster around the old strawberry bed! And the long row of Dutch currants, trim them up, manure around them, dig it in, and see, some of you who have been neglectful of these little things, if it "don't pay;" and report progress, of course, through O. S. WILLEY. the FARMER. The Wild Plum. MR. EDITOR:-I wish to call the attention of your readers to our native fruit commonly known as the wild plum. I have had some experience in its cultivation, and offer the following remarks for your consideration. A few years ago I went to a grove or thicket and selected some of the best plums I could find; from these I took the stones and placed them in the ground before they became dry. Early in the following spring I planted the stones in rows four feet apart, the stones being placed about six inches apart in the rows.— When the trees were two years old I tranplanted some of them, setting them eight feet apart each way. I planted a row of potatoes or other vegetables between the rows of trees one way, and still had room to work between the rows with a horse and plow. In this way I kept the ground under cultivation and free from weeds two or three years; afterwards I cultivated the ground without trying to raise any crop between the trees. The following is the result of my experiment. When my trees were four years old, some of them blossomed, but the frost killed the fruit; the fifth year I had some very good fruit; the sixth and seventh years I had an abundance of excellent fruit, not only for my own family, but bushels for my neighbors, who think some of my plums as good as any they ever tasted. My trees are now seven years old, and I think some of them bore a peck of plums each the last season. The largest trees are nearly ten feet high, three inches in diameter, and the branches spread so far that they cover nearly all of the space between the trees. I have more than a hundred trees which have borne fruit. On many of them the fruit was extra; on a large majority it was very good, and on none was it very poor. I consider the wild plum better than the eastern varieties, for the following reasons: It is very hardy, or extra hardy, as the nurserymen say. I have never known it to winter-kill. It grows much faster, forms a fine shaped top, and is a beautiful tree when cultivated. It commences bearing four or five years sooner than the eastern varieties raised in the same manner, and it is a better bearer. shall have like reward." Madison Horticultural Society. A. As varieties of dwarf pears; for summer, Osborne's Summer and Tyson; for autumn, White Doyenne and Flemish Beauty; and for winter, the Lawrence, Glout Morceau and the Bartlett. These varieties are best suited to this climate, and have been tried in different parts of the State. Pear Blight. FRIEND HOYT:-I wish to enquire if you or any of your numerous readers of the FARMER In conclusion I would say, that if any of have discovered the cause, or discovered any the readers of the FARMER desire an abund-remedy for the blight that has affected the ance of good wholesome fruit, at least one Pear tree the past season. Is it something new month in each year, let them read the above or is it a disease that is peculiar to the pear remarks, and "go and do likewise, and they alone? Is the blight that affects the pear tree the same as the blight upon the apple? They appear the same at first, but they result differently. One year ago last fall I had some 12 or 15 bushels of the most beautiful and delicious pears. Then I looked forward with high anticipations that the day was not far distant wheh we might sit down under our own roof, and enjoy the pleasure of a feast of luscious pears of our own right hand's planting. The fruit and trees were much admired by all who saw them. But alas! our hopes, like those splendid trees, were soon blighted. beautiful Flemish Beauties and Bartletts that yielded so luxuriantly have blighted and died almost root and branch. Dwarf Fruit Trees.-The meetings of this Society are often very interesting. At the meeting March 14th, the subject of Dwarf Fruit Trees was discussed, with a unanimity of opinion as to the practicability of their culture in this State, but a decided difference of opinion as to how they should be planted. Mr. Chandler, of Rock Terrace Nursery, maintained that the dwarf pear on quince should be planted with the junction two or three inches below the surface, because, the junction not being firm, the tree was liable to be broken off by strong winds, but that the dwarf apple should have the junction above the ground. Those The first appearance of the blight would be upon the extreme ends of the limbs; then it appeared to follow down the branches to the trunk, and then down the body to the roots Mr J. C. Plumb took the ground that the only way to keep dwarf trees dwarfs in reality was to plant them in all cases with the junc-death marking its course. Many of the trees tion above the surface of the ground. He furthermore asserted, with good reasons therefor, that very many orchards are ruined by deep planting. were not affected until the fruit was nearly onehalf grown. Now, what can be the cause? Is it lack of cultivation, or is it because they have been too highly cultivated? Is it the effect of an insect, or is it a virus in the atmosphere? Pray tell us, if you can; if not, let these hints stimulate investigation, for I intend to adopt as my motto "Try again." H. W. WOLCOTT. As to the varieties of dwarf apples, Mr. Chandler recommends the Red Astrachan, Tompkins' King, the Duchess of Oldenburg, (this is of Prussian origin and very hardy,) the Early Joe, Sops of Wine, Sweet June, Keswic Codling, Hawthornden, Hawling, Porter, [Either the Editor of the Horticultural DeAutumn Strawberry, Fameuse, and Wagener. |partment, or somebody else, will undoubtedly ROSENDALE, March 1, 1863. make some response to this important inquiry. But would it not be well for the questioner to specify more in detail the circumstances connected with the trees thus affected? The situation, the nature of the soil, the season when the blight commenced, &c., &c., are important data.-ED. FARMER.] Siberian Arborvitae. AMERICAN ARBORVITE-Often, though incorrectly called White Cedar.-A fine, bushy, small tree or large shrub, with pyramidal habit, with horizontal branches and handsome flat foliage of a bright, pleasing green color. Excellent for screens and hedges; may be clipped into any desired shape. It transplants easily and grows quite rapidly. A New Way to Protect Fruit Trees. MR. EDITOR:-In your February No., 1863, I saw a short sketch headed "The OrchardSeasonable Hints, Sun Scald," which says "Protection is readily afforded by tying on south side of tree lath, strips of bark, long straw, or by tacking a board on the south side with small nails." Now my advice to those who are setting new orchards would be to set the tree leaning to the southwest, and thereby sheltering the body or trunk in two ways-by the branches, and again, the trunk, standing obliquely to the sun, will never suffer by sunscald as those that lean the other way. And again, by setting young trees leaning to the southwest, the most of our hard winds eoming from that direction tend to straighten the trunk up, so that when it is matured it will stand nearly erect. I would advise low training, as the top or branches protect the trunk. If the former method is advised, after many years of care and labor, it might be neglected, and the orchard all be killed, and thereby discourage and dishearten a whole neighborhood, while it would take years of persuasion to establish confidence again. WM. FARNUM, JR. TOMAH, Feb. 1863. The First American Nursery. The The earlier American Nurseries were few in number, and, compared with some now existing, of quite limited extent,-though equal, There is one objection to the Arborvita; at perhaps, in proportion to population. the approach of cold weather it turns brown- first of which there is any record, and probabish. The SIBERIAN ARBORVITE is free from ly the earliest established, was that of John this defect and is much to be preferred, retain- Bertram, near Philadelphia, about the year 1730. Here were congregated many of the ing its dark green color in winter. It is of slower growth and more compact habit, having prominent native plants and trees, preparatory the appearance of being neatly clipped. It makes an elegant lawn tree and is superb for ornamental hedges. to exportation to Europe-also the fruits and plants of the other hemisphere, obtained in exchange for American productions. The specimen trees planted by the elder Bertram and his descendants still adorn the grounds, classic to the botanist and the lover of nature; long may they stand, living memorials of generations passed away, our earliest evidence of a taste for horticulture!-Atlantic for April. MECHANICAL & COMMERCIAL. side of the cam, curves around the periphery Comstock's Rotary Spader. of the forward part of the cam, forming a groove which prevents the forks from falling forward, and also compels the friction wheels to traverse the cam, the eccentric form of which causes the forks c, as the implement is drawn along, to strike the earth successively the same distance ahead that they are hung on the per One of the Forks of this machine is seen standing on end against the pole in Fig. 1. At each end of the fork shaft is a friction wheel. The teeth or tines are secured to the shaft by stirrups and keys. Two handles (or cranks) are cast on the shaft with each a pin or jour-iphery of the wheels, and, by the same eccennal, as seen in the engraving. The forks are hung by these pins or journals, in holes at equal distances apart around the periphery of cast iron slotted wheels, which are keyed to an axle which works in the hubs of the cams, A, on the outside of the wheels, and the fork shafts drop into the slots of the wheels, so that their friction wheels rest on the cams. The cams are made stationary by connection with the hounds, B, by means of a bolt and the lugs a. The pole, seat, and sheet iron apron F (for the protection of driver) are connected to these hounds. The arm b, pivoted to the offset arm D, which is bolted to the tricity, cause a vertical entrance of the teeth into the ground. The bottom of the cams being tangential with the circumference is a fulcrum for the forks, and causes the teeth in lifting to sweep along across the bottom to displace and lift all the soil it cuts. The lift, being thus quickened, the fork gets a momentum that brings it in contact with the hanging spring lug in the rear, (connected with the cam at c) and causes a vibrating action between it and the spring d on the back part of the cam, sufficient to throw off and effectually pulverize the soil, and prevent clogging. The hand lever E, pivoted by a bolt to the |