[Reported for the Country Gentleman and Cultivator.]

'Fruit Grower's Society of Western New-York,

raw potato. A. Pinney had never found any good, but fully grown ones.

T. G. Yeomans stated that he had 140 trees of the AnThe winter meeting, held at Rochester on the 4th and gouleme on one-third of an acre-they yielded about 30 5th of the present month, was as usual largely attended, a barrels of these, five barrels were blown off by wind, large portion of the counties west of Syracuse being rep-But the best six barrels sold for one hundred and fifty-six and were sold from six to eighteen dollars per barrel. resented. The exhibition of fruit was excellent, contain- dollars, or $26 per barrel. The whole third acre yielded ing several large collections of apples, but the most re- him five hundred dollars. The trees are planted ten feet markable part of the exhibition was the superb display of apart, cultivated by horses, at much less expense than culwinter pears, embracing more than fifty varieties, filling tivating potatoes. The best barrel was filled with 166 as many dishes, and most of them specimens of admirable pears. He has already had applications for his next year's crop. The barrels hold two and a half bushels. He growth, all from Ellwanger & Barry. places the pears in carefully, till the weight of one person is required to press them enough to place the head in, G. Ellwanger stated that the fruit of the Louise Bonne after having covered them at the top with cotton batting. of Jersey, he had sent to market at New-York, sold from sixteen to twenty dollars per barrel-and from the experiments already made, he thought that eight or ten year trees, with good cultivation, would safely yield on an aveage per annum, at the rate of over a thousand dollars per much money from the same land as any other sort. acre-and that this variety would produce at least twice as

Discussions on Fruits and Fruit Culture.

Cuiture of the Grape.

The first question taken up was, "Is the dwarf pear a humbug?" A. Pinney, of Clarkson, had cultivated it with great success, and especially the Louise Bonne of Jersey, which had outborne all other sorts. W. P. Townsend, of Lockport, believed, from 25 years experience, that this sort would bear three times as much as any other pear he would plant dwarfs rather than standards, placing them near together-and would cultivate the whole surface, and keep it thoroughly stirred, as often as at least once in two weeks. The best sorts as dwarfs he thought were, Louise Bonne H. N. Langworthy remarked that of the amount of fruit of Jersey, Virgalieu, Angouleme, Beurre Diel, Winkfield, sent to market, the Isabella had greatly exceeded all others and for summer, the Doyenne d'Eta. The Flemish Beauty-he alluded to the importance of quickly testing the was also a fine grower. C. L. Hoag, of Lockport, found many new sorts, and inquired in relation to the practicathe Flemish Beauty to grow better than any other sort, bility of doing this by grafting. C. P. Bissell said that after it became once established. Prof. Coppock, of Buf- grafting was difficult, but he recommended more attention falo, differed on one point-he thought the Vicar of Wink- to inarching for this purpose. He thought that vines field would bear twice as much as any other sort. propagated in pots, (which some other members thought tardy in bearing,) would soon furnish clusters of fruithe had had them the second year-and C. L. Hoag stated similar results. G. Eilwanger said that he had found no difficulty whatever in grafting, doing the work in winter within doors by the cleft-grafting mode-and they generally bear the second year. He had known them to grow 20 or 30 feet the same year. S. H. Ainsworth had successfully practiced grafting by taking up early in spring two-year roots, and they had grown 30 feet the same year. Strong ligatures were required. When set out, the place of union must be below the surface of the soil. L. B. Langworthy said he had found no difficulty in grafting a vine, even as large as one's arm, provided the grafts were kept cold and dormant, till after the leaves were expanded, and then cleft-grafting in the usual way, taking care to cover the work three or four inches below the surface of the soil.

G. Ellwanger, of Rochester, named the following sorts as never succeeding on the quince, namely, Bosc, Autumn Paradise, Sheldon, and Dix. There are several others that succeed imperfectly. But all the fruit, borne on dwarf trees, is invariably finer than when grown on pear stocks. II. T. Brooks thought that they were not the sort to send out among farmers, for no sort should be recommended to them but such as would bear "grief" well, for they would not take care of them, and although he would set at the feet of the Rochester nurserymen, yet he would presume to advise them, in making up lists for farmers, to put in very few dwarf pears. W. B. Smith, of Syracuse, replied by suggesting the same cautious course in relation to recommending improved breeds of cattle to farmers. S. H. Ainsworth said he had formerly spoken and written against dwarf pears-but he had found that some sorts bore more heavily, as well as better fruit, on quince. He had two old trees of Louise Bonne of Jersey, Comparative Profits on Fruits. one a dwarf, and the other a standard; the fruit on the The comparative merits of apples, pears and smail former was always double in size, and of superior quality. fruits, for market, by skillful cultivators, occcupied a conWith other sorts the difference was less obvious. The Vi-siderable share of attention. B. Barry said the proper escar of Winkfield was fine and valuable on quince-on pear timate of their merits would depend greatly on circum"worth nothing." The whole secret in raising dwarfs, is first stances. Near a city, small fruits would doubtless be most to get the right sorts (which are few,) and then give thorough profitable. For distant marketing, by barrelling up the cultivation. The trees must be properly pruned, and cultiva- fruit, larger and longer keeping fruits will be best. In some ted broadcast, as often as once a week-of course by horse places the soil may be best for pears-in another peachpower. With this treatment, success will be certain.es may be most remunerative-in others again, apples may He had failed at first by using bad stock-on the com- be best. Apples, if good, always have a ready sale. In mon quince, they soon failed-seedlings from the common quince were perfectly worthless. The Angers quince was the only sort that he had succeeded with. In answer to a question, he said he erred in sending his pears to Boston market, where he received but ten dollars per barrel, while they sold freely at all times at New-York, for at least fifteen dollars per barrel. He finds the Winter Nelis to crack badly by the side of Virgalieus that never crack with him. G. Ellwanger thought the Fontenay stock better than the Angers-the latter, indeed, grows faster at first, but the Fontenay afterwards expands and makes a better union with the pear. He said he had never found the Angouleme of any value on the pear-which remark was confirmed by S. H. Ainsworth, T. G. Yeomans stated that it is important to have well grown specimens of the Angouleme that first and second size are generally excellent in quality, but small ones never but only as good to eat as a

Niagara county, the estimated amount sold was half a million of dollars worth. Where the soil is right, pears promise the highest profit-notwithstanding that terrible malady the fire blight, and the various accidents to which this tree is peculiarly liable. He thought the pear promised higher remuneration to skillful cultivators on proper soils, than anything else. For farmers the apple promises best. Some who had but four or five acres of good orchard, of the best winter apples, had realized more from this small area, than from all the rest of their farms. The crop fails less frequently than some of the most common farm crops-and from the fact that in large portions of the country elsewhere good apples could not be raised, he thought the market would not be soon overstocked. In answer to a question, he said the pear was a more certain crop than the apple--indeed it bore every year without exception→→ and by keeping a quantity of trees on hand to replace loss

es by the fire-blight, he, does not apprehend much trouble under good management of this tree.

W. P. Townsend of Lockport, said he had Baldwin apple trees ten years planted, that yielded seven barrels of fruit at a crop. Pears had never yielded so great a crop, but a greater value in market. He would never set out standard pear trees for profit, but always dwarfs. W. B. Smith of Syracuse, was satisfied that for the first ten years, from an equal area, more fruit could be raised from pear trees than from apples, and alluded to the constantly in creasing price of market pears. In answer to a question, he said that pears could be raised for a dollar a bushel, if apples could be.

H. T. Brooks of Wyoming county, strongly recommended the apple for cultivation by farmers. A neighbor had three Baldwin trees that produced six to eight barrels each, and being very fine, sold them at three dollars per barrel. He was confident that one acre of good orchard would yield more than any ten acres with grain crops.

S. H. Ainsworth stated one prominent advantage possessed by the pear. The trees, if properly cultivated, never failed in a single year of producing good crops; while the apple does not afford a good crop only about one-third of the seasons. He was strongly in favor of standard pears -had found the young trees on an average, to bear a bushel of fruit sooner than apple trees set out at the same time. And as there might be 160 trees per acre, and the crop more certain, they were vastly more profitable. They need, of course, good cultivation-but this need not cost so much as the yearly cultivation of grain.

extend downwards but a few inches; but in well drained land, the roots had gone down to the full depth of the drains. He had never found the feared evil of roots choking the tile.

P. Barry said that the result of his experiments proved that scarcely any ground could be found that did not need draining. He would tile-drain all land for orchards-next plow deep,-as deep as practicable, and follow in the furrow with a four-horse subsoil plow. He would not plant trees near the drains, but intermediate between them, and then the downward roots would not choke them. He discouraged the use of manure at the time of plantingstating that thousands of trees were yearly killed by placing fresh manure near the roots. The manure will be more useful applied to the surface and worked in, some years afterwards. During the summer, the best mulching is to keep the soil constantly mellow, and in winter old straw or manure. Working manure into the surface of heavy or clayey soils, served to keep it loose and moist. T. G. Yeonians stated that the proper distance for planting apple trees in orchards is about 40 feet, especially if the land is rich and deeply plowed. If only two rods apart, the branches will touch each other. He thought that the extremes should be avoided of low heads and very high ones. Some trees of Baldwin and R. L. Greening, if trimmed six feet high, when heavily loaded would have branches nearly touching the ground. [Would it not be best in pruning, to remove those low branches, and leave such only as have a more ascending position.-Eds.] These sorts he would train to much higher heads than the Northern Spy, which is very upright in form. P. Barry differed from his friend Yeomans, and would prefer low heads to trees. The severe winters and hot summers seem to require the protection which low heads afford; and the ob

On the subject of the marketing of pears. P. Barry remarked that in offering winter pears for sale, more than triple the price might be obtained by the grower attending to the proper ripening, and forwarding them to the dealers a few days before full maturity. Doubtless when they be-jection that such trees impede cultivation, he answered by come more abundant, houses would be fitted up in the cities where this could be done on a large scale, with great perfection.

ོ་

Bearing Years of the Peach.

T. G. Yeomans of Walworth, Wayne Co., a very suc cessful cultivator of the peach, had known but two entire failures of the crop in 30 years, and only two or three partial failures. He thought the great and first requisite was to have the ground dry. He seldom prunes until they have borne a crop. He then takes a saw or pruning shears, and cuts all the longer branches, which greatly invigorates the rest, and increases the value and quality of the crop. Five minutes at each tree is enough. It is done early in spring. Cutting off yearly only a portion of the previous summer's growth he has found too troublesome and laborious.

W. P. Townsend of Lockport, said, along the borders of Lake Ontario was the best locality-he had known the thermometer to be six below zero at Lockport, and seven above at the lake at the same time.

saying that they did not require cultivation very near the tree when the ground is shaded by them, the roots extending a long distance beyond this limit.

The subject of the mode of digging trees from the nursery now attracted considerable attention; and in answer to a late the roots," a member said he would not like to say it question, “if it is ever pardonable in nurserymen to mutiis "unpardonable," but if he did, he would be only telling the truth-for "if there is any sin that nurserymen will have to answer for in this world and the next, it is the remorseless mutilation of the roots of trees."

Proper Age for Setting out Young Trees.

The president, (B. Hodge,) said he was once a nurseryman, and when he recommended to purchasers small and young trees, they thought it was because he was interested in selling them. He had now ceased to be a nurseryman, and had planted orchards largely, and was only confirmed in his previous opinion. He would greatly prefer an apple tree only five or six feet high to any larger, would never set out a cherry tree over two years of age, and preferred a dwarf pear of the same age. He cited instances where large and small trees were set out side by side some years since: the latter were now much the finest. Judge Lang

The President (B. Hodge,) stated that under ordinary circumstances, when the thermometer sinks lower than 12° below zero, the crop is destroyed; but there are exceptions, varying with the condition of the tree and the sub-worthy had witnessed the same results. sequent weather. Sometimes the temperature had sunk to 16° or even 18° below zero, and had left a partial crop. Several members urged the importance of shortening back the branches, not by cutting the yearly growth, but occasionally the larger limbs-not at the center of the tree,

but, out nearer the extremities.

Preparing Ground for Orchards. Deep loosening of the earth with the subsoil plow or double Michigan was generally recommended. When the subsoil is fertile, the use of the double Michigan, which throws the bottom of the furrow to the top, was regarded best otherwise the common subsoil plow is to be preferred, leaving the subsoil loosened at the bottom. T. G. Yeomans considered draining of first importance--much land that is generally regarded as not requiring it, he had found greatly improved. In some cases, it had proved profitable to lay the tile once in every 20 feet. In undrained soil, he had found the small roots of the trees to

The Borer.

0. Chapin of Bloomfield, had been much annoyed by this insect, but had succeeded after losing many trees, in clearing his orchard, by employing a man to examine his trees twice a year, in May or June, and in September. The second year but few could be found, and one man would then go over twenty acres of orchard in a day. He used a jack-knife and a flexible wire to destroy them by punching in the hole. He cleared his peach trees in the same way, the knife only being required.

Many other interesting facts were stated during the discussions, of which our limits preclude the statement, and the Society voted to hold its next or summer meeting at Buffalo.

It has been computed that there are eight hundred millions in gold and jewels at the bottom of the sea on the rout between England and India.

LEICESTER SHEEP-Late the property of Jurian Winne, Bethlehem, Albany Co., N. Y vis ad) ut goob-qat davonds bolli ona enid Top lai sauc. Mr. WINNE has found the Leicester Sheep so well suited shown. The next addition to Mr. Winne's flock was the to feeding purposes, that he has been improving and enlarging his flock from year to year, and aside from the breeding animals, is this winter engaged in fattening over 500 for the butcher. He began by purchasing the entire flock of Mr. SHAW of Talbot St., C. W., from which he selected the best females and put with them a ram obtain ed from Hungerford, Brodie & Converse, of Jefferson Co. His next cross was obtained by means of a ram from the flock of Mr. John Stewart, Sr., of Orford, C. W., who has been engaged for 17 years as a breeder of Leicesters, and been quite successful as a prize-taker wherever he has

A correspondent of the Country Gentleman, (E. A."! 2. What is the practice in fitting land for drilling in the seed, i. e.. tial failure of the grass crop the past season, thus alludes KING, of Cayuga county, N. Y.,) after alluding to the par

Bural Architecture.

PLAN OF A HOUSE.

EDS. Co. GENT.-Enclosed I send you a plan of my house, which I have just completed. You are at liberty to publish the same. The only merits it has, are that it is convenient and comfortable, and the plan may be of service to some of your subscribers who have to build as I did, by piece meal. The first part, consisting of a parlor, &c., (a story and a half,) was built some years ago, the kitchen afterwards added, and now the wing, consisting of bed-room, &c. The up-stairs is divided into two bed-rooms and closets. The ground plan will speak for itself. The dairy is sunk about two feet, and has a brick floor. The house is kept warm by three stoves. A. FRANCIS. z'onalW

The frame is 20 by 40 feet, with posts 14 feet high, and there are five bents, making sleepers and joists 10 ft. long. I drive into it from the top of the hill, so that I unload my corn on the upper floor, (the floor with the beams ;) this makes but little labor to put away the corn, as the cribs extend the whole length, and from sills to rafters, and it is a saving of room, as the space between the cribs on the lower floor gives me three large bins, beside a threshing floor. The bins are filled through trap-doors in the upper floor. The cribs are made by bolting studs to the joists, and the bins are made by nailing boards to other studs, ovthus leaving six or eight inches between cribs and bins, foral the circulation of the air and cats, the plank of the upper f floor being even with the joists, and not fitted to the studs. At a short distance the building looks as if it were clapboarded, the slats being put on horizontally, being first thaibeveled an inch on each edge, and then placed half an inch apart so each laps the other a half inch. It cost about $400, including painting, &c. Onondaga Co., N. Y. GEORGE BARNES.

This is a good and convenient plan-but would be improved for most occupants, if the pantry immediately in the rear of the hall were removed, and the hall and library made to occupy the whole, as there are already two er pantries. This alteration would also allow a longer and casier flight of steps; the stairs are now too short and steep. This house has more exterior wall than a more square and compact building; but such a form is necessarily the result of repeated additions-which many occupants find it necessary to make. Such a form is better also, for lighting and ventilation.

PLAN OF A CORN BARN.

3

KEEP AN ACCOUNT WITH YOUR FARM9d

MESSRS. EDS.-Every evening during the past "workthe day, giving my best estimate of their money value a record of the labors ing season," I have "posted up to each item of work, and to every thing used on the farm. As each crop was committed to the earth, I gave it an apoth-propriate heading and transferred to its page in my book, the items of labor, seed, manure, &c., belonging thereto, and since harvest have "closed the account with the several crops, or brought them so that I can see very nearly their cost and value. I find this a very convenient as well as economical course of procedure. In any other business it would be a waste of words to argue in its favor, for men seldom engage in other operations, even of trifling extent, without keeping an account of outgo and income. Why should not the farmer do so? There is no good reason, and the amount of time and thought it requires cannot be better employed in furthering the success of the enterprise in which he has engaged.

and circumstances, so I will not offer mine, at least as long No particular system of accounts would suit all minds as I see so many chances of systematizing and improving

MESSRS. L. TUCKER & SON-I have long been a reader of THE CULTIVATOR, as I was raised on a farm, and during my minority I generally read it as regularly as it came, and many are the useful hints I have gleaned from its pa-it. ges. In the spring of 1855, I began to work for myself on this farm, and I have no desire ever to change my residence. The improvements I make, I intend to use and enjoy hence I endeavor to erect permanent buildings and under drains, notwithstanding the assertions of so many that "ditching does not pay.'

But I would urge every farmer to keep an account with his farm, so as to be able at the close of the season to "strike the balance," showing, not by guess-work, but in pounds and bushels, and dollars and cents, the profit or loss of the business of the year. One cannot tell how he stands with the world, how his plans have resulted, or how each crop and animal has repaid the outlay of production, without such account, with any accuracy or detail. He may be losing his labor and money on that to which his chief attention is devoted, while a good profit is returned on some minor product, which he thinks of little conse-105 quence. A statement of capital invested, with the ex-A penses of growth and culture, and the receipts or return from the products, would at once decide the true policy of the farmer-his profits and losses, and from whence they arise. nob at Ji bae,,yub quo

No one who has not pursued this course has any idea of its importance. Now is a favorable time to commence it, and I can assure those who will give farm accounts a thorough trial, that "the figures" will furnish them manya a valuable lesson, and give many a hint by which they canes make or save in after years. They will serve as sharp re-b minders of the folly of attempting too much, or of leavi ing the finishing touch undone, and show you from what arose the comfortable satisfaction of pocketing the profits of your well-ordered labors, B. Fadi lo smrça „arged