1819, July 27—Sowed three fourths of an acre of Ruta Baga, in ground prepared as follows, viz.—Stubble turned in deep—harrowed fine—furrowed deep at four feet distance—filled the furrows with earth burnt ashes, (burnt according to the plan prescribed by Mr. Cobbett, in his "Year's Residence,") which I covered by turning a furrow over them on each side; this formed a ridge about eighteen inches broad at top, which being smoothed a little with a hoe, and a drill made along the middle of it with the same instrument; I then sowed the seed and covered it with a hoe, from one to two inches deep; it came up on the 7th of August. When the roots were nearly a fourth of an inch thick, I thinned them to about a foot distance in the rows, and kept them free from weeds by two good ploughings and hoeings, (they would have been the better for a third) notwithstanding the unexpected dry season;—the last of November, many of them would measure fifteen inches in circumference—I left them to stand in the ground all winter. I was off the state, from the middle of December to the middle of February; on my return at the latter period, the snow had just disappeared, when I found my turnips had grown at least one fifth larger, since I saw them in December; many of them measuring six to seven inches diameter. The latter part of February was unusually warm for the season. The tops began to grow rapidly, but the severe cold nights of the early part of March, first freezing, and the warmth of the middle of the day, as often thawing them; many rotted in the ground—had they been pulled when the warm weather commenced, this would have been prevented. They are the cheapest, and with the exception of corn, they are the best food for milch cows and hogs, I ever met with—I have been feeding mine upon them for the last 6 weeks. Within a week past, I had them all pulled, (except those left for seed,) and thrown in heaps. Should the weather prove too warm, I shall spread them, in which way they will keep good until midsummer. Having repeatedly heard it asserted, that horses would not eat them, I determined to ascertain the truth of the assertion; accordingly, a parcel of them were washed and cut in pieces, and each horse served with about 3 galls. of them, when two out of five eat them greedily, two others eat them, but with less appetite, and the fifth refused. They had no other food allowed them for the night, and the next morning not the smallest piece was to be found in their trough.
[Am. Far.
THE FRUIT GARDEN.
Mr. Southwick,
The art of inoculating or budding fruit trees, (although the simplest and easiest of all things,) appears to be deemed a mystery by most of our farmers, and is too generally neglected, under a belief that it is a difficult or expensive operation. If the following short directions should prove the means of changing even one thorn bush into a pear or quince tree, I shall be fully paid for the trouble of scribbling them down.
In the month of August and fore part of September, cut from the tree you wish to increase some of the young wood of the last summer's growth, (the cuttings should be thrifty and healthy) cut the leaves off, leaving about half an inch of the foot stalk on the cutting; at the foot, and immediately above the foot stalk, lies the bud; with a keen knife begin to cut half an inch above the bud, and bring out the knife a little below, taking about half the woody substance with it; then separate the bark from the wood, carefully observing that the bud be not injured in the operation. If the operation be properly performed, the bud will be separated from the wood, and remain unbroken and entire in the bark: this bark and bud is now to be speedily inserted into the tree you wish to change. Choose a smooth spot in some young and healthy branch, or sprout, and with a keen knife cut gently through the bark, about one inch in length, and a small cross cut near the upper end; separate the bark gently from the wood at this cross cut, being careful not to wound the bark or wood, and immediately insert the bud, laying it smooth and even under the bark of the tree; with a string of bass wood bark, or woollen yarn, tie it in so as to hold it close to the wood, being careful not to injure the bud nor foot stock—and the operation is done.—In two or three weeks after, the bud will have united to the wood, and the tyings should be loosened or taken away. The bud will remain dormant until the next spring. In April following, they should be examined, and if the buds then appear healthy and vigorous, the branch should be cut off immediately above the bud, and removed: in a few weeks this bud will take place of the old branch, and in two years produce fruit of the kind you wish.
By this simple operation, the ordinary sour peach tree, which is an incumberer of the ground, may be made to yield the delicious Rare Ripe, the Early Ann, or other favourite peaches; or may be converted into a plum tree: and the ordinary wild plum tree may be made to yield the richest and most delicious of our cultivated plums and peaches; our thorn bushes may be made to yield the rich and luscious pear; and our crab apple stalks be loaded with the finest varieties of our cultivated apples and cherries; apricots and nectarines are equally susceptible of improvement by the same easy means; nay, our wild gooseberry bushes may be converted into the best varieties, and our native grape may be made to yield an elegant dessert fruit.—All which I know by
EXPERIENCE.