Thinning Fruit.

The New England Farmer observes in relation to thinning fruit:-"One peach grower informed us that he had taken off two-thirds of his peaches, and as they increased in size, and appeared too thick on the trees, he said he was sorry that he had not taken off one half of the other third. One man complained to his neighbor, that a certain variety of the peach which his friend had advised him to cultivate, was a poor bearer. Stop your complaint,' was the reply, until you sell your fruit.' He raised on one tree three dozen of peaches, sold them at two dollars per dozen, and was satisfied."

This, it is true, was an extreme case, but the evils of overbearing, contrasted with the benefits of thinning, can only be understood by actual trial. The cultivator may be aware that, by reducing the number, one hundred specimens may fill his basket, where two hundred were required from an overloaded tree, but until he actually tastes and compares the two products he cannot appreciate the incomparably superior quality of the former.

Many are deterred from thinning their fruit by the slow and tedious nature of the operation; but a very expeditious way more particularly applicable to the peach, is to shorten in the shoots-cutting off one half or two thirds of all one season's growth. Where trees have been neglected for several years, and are beginning to extend their branches into long bare arms, the shortening back should extend to larger portions of the branch, until the tree is brought into a more compact shape. We have on former occasions more particularly pointed out the nature of this mode of treatment, but we wish now to urge the necessity of its timely performance. The earlier in winter it is attended to the less will be the liability of its omission. We have found it to succeed quite as well even if performed by midautumn as when left till spring.

Horticulture at Cincinnati.

At the same time that the American Pomological Congress at Cincinnati did not prove to be quite so successful a convention as had been hoped, the exhibition of fruits, &c. by the Horticultural Society of that place, appears to have been of a very imposing character. The following account is furnished by the Genesee Farmer:

The brilliancy of this exhibition took us quite by surprise. We expected something fine-we were aware that the most liberal arrangements had been made, and that there was abundant material in that city and vicinity, for a grand display; still, as we have already said, it took us completely by surprise, so admirable was it in all its parts. We felt fully compensated for our journey, with the gratification it alone afforded us. We have seen some of the best shows that Philadelphia or Boston has produced; and although this was defective in the display of pears and foreign grapes, yet, as a whole, considering the articles exhibited, the arrangement, &c., we consider Cincinnati up to, if not a little ahead of either; and this is saying a good deal.

The show was held in a splendid hall nearly one hundred feet long and fifty feet wide. On either side was a table, the whole length covered with fruits-not little, shabby, half grown specimens one of a kind-but superb dishes of those magnificent

as large as a man's head, and peaches that would almost weigh a pound. What a display of fruits!* The Queen City" and the "Mighty West" might well be proud of it. Then, in the center of the room were three tables, with a walk between each, filled with flowers, flowering plants, and floral design and taller plants. At the end of this table, The center table was appropriated to the designs. a decorated arch, just opposite the entrance, was supported by two columns, mossed and ornamented with flowers, and with nuts of the Buckeye. The words " Buckeye welcome" were tastefully wrought on the arch, with the nuts, and on the top was the American eagle. This tasteful object was the handiwork of the Misses ORANGE, and sold, we understood, for the sum of $50, at the close of the exhibition. There were many other very beautiful designs, by Mrs. WM. HEAVER and others. At the farther end of the room we noticed a villa residence in miniature, the grounds all laid out and planted with much skill and taste; and, just opposite, a very pretty design of a flower garden, laid out and planted. The two side tables were occupied with smaller plants, dahlias, &c. Messrs. JACKSON, HEAVER, SAYERS, and others, exhibited pot plants, many of which were new and rare, grown in the best manner. Indeed, we think they would do credit even to a Chiswick fete. A better collection of pot plants, and better specimens, have, we are very confident, never been exhibited together before in this country.

out this grand display, and it was well rewarded. The liberal management of the Society brought We were glad to see the great hall filled-thronged

evening after evening, and every visitor go away delighted. One thousand dollars were received at the door, and six hundred dollars were received at the sale, making $1,600 receipts. We congratulate the officers and members of this very excellent Society on the success which has crowned their efforts on this It affords them great encouragement for

occasion.

the future.

Fruit Memoranda.

GRAFTING OLD APPLE TREES.-Some persons, I have noticed, in grafting old trees put in as many scions at one time as they think the tree ought to have. The next year they trim off all the original branches and leave the bare limbs with one year's growth of the scions at the ends. This causes a rapid growth of the scions, rendering them liable to be broken off by the wind, and as they cannot take up all the nourishment furnished by the roots, shoots start out all over the trees which from their number are very troublesome. Thomas's American Fruit Culturist shows a better way, which is, to begin at the top and graft a third of the tree a year till it is completed. This does not throw all the nourishment of the tree up to the scions at once; and they start better, from not being shaded by the foliage above them, when the top is grafted first. From the same source we learn, that instead of cutting off large branches and grafting them at once, it is better to prune the top in part which will cause an emission of vigorous shoots which may be grafted with ease and success." I have seen trees that had begun to

ticn, the writer has been favored with a glance at some of its speci*Having been unexpectedly prevented from seeing this exhibimens, through the kindness of A. H. ERNST and Dr. S. MOSHER, by the present of a fine collection of fruits, some of them quite exof Western New York. ED. CULT ceeding in size and beauty any to be found even in the fertile regions

It is simple, expe.

PRUNING GRAPE VINES IN SUMMER.-It is thought necessary by some, to cut off the ends of the shoots of grape vines in summer, in order to facilitate the growth of the grapes, or that the sun's rays may fall directly upon them. The following from the Fruit Culturist will set this matter right. "The summer treatment of grapes consists chiefly in thinning the shoots where there is danger of the leaves becoming crowded; thinning out the bunches; and, on exotic sorts, thinning out freely the berries. The frequent practice of nipping off the ends of the shoots, just above the bunches, when the grapes are as large as a pea, lessens their subsequent growth. For all fruits grow and ripen best when fed from a good supply of well grown but not crowded leaves, hence the foliage should not be lessened, nor the shoots shortened, until they interfere with each other's full development." p. 393.

I have successfully prevented sheep from girdling my trees by the application of their own dung, quite fresh, plastered upon each tree, as high up as they can reach, one boy can pass over several hundred in a day. Weybridge, Oct. 18, 1850. S. W. JEWETT.

Expeditious Budding.

very desirable for this climate. Do any of your

readers know any thing about this grape or where it may be obtained?

ANOTHER SEEDLING.-A gentleman of this town has a grape vine which sprung from a raisin seed. It is now about five years old, apparently hardy, and, I should think, a slow grower. It has blossomed, but never fruited. It is uncommon to raise vines from foreign seed, in this part of the world, at least, and if the owner of that vine expects it will ever ripen fruit, I rather guess" he will be mistaken, unless he gives it some kind of protection,and then he may. W. L. EATON.

Apple Trees from the South.

Fruit trees, of most kinds, taken from nurseries along the sea-board and replanted in Vermont, have, in most instances, met with ill success; so much so, that all "Southern trees" have been regarded with disfavor. But the fact is now well established, that those trees re-set in these parts, which were propagated in the nurseries on the banks of the Hudson, are hardy, and thrive better than most of the trees from our nurseries.

Mr. HENRY C. HUNT, of New Haven, has a fine orchard of trees from the Hudson nurseries that are equal in hardihood or thrift to any standard trees that I ever saw in any part of the State of New York, and superior to any that I have seen reared in this State.

Most of his standard trees, set last spring, have this season grown two feet from the end bud, and older trees many of them over three feet. In fact, these trees commence bearing four years from the graft, and six from the seed. From one entire lot of 640 southern trees transplanted last spring, not one has died.

Mr. Hunt is now forwarding over two thousand from the Hudson river nurseries on sale. Such choice varieties of beautiful trees as he selects go off like hot cakes."

BORERS, MICE AND SHEEP GIRDLING.-Mr. Hunt's method of protecting trees from the depredations of field mice and the borer, is worthy of notice. He procures sheet lead, taken from old tea chests, at a nominal price, cuts into strips, and winds around the body of each tree close to the ground.

State where the soil and climate will not produce such a rapid growth as in Illinois, yet we have some trees and some "Live Budders" here. My oldest pared his own stocks, on the 22nd of Aug. 1850; son, now in his 21st year, set 2,300 buds, and preand my second son, now in his 17th year, tied them all in; and unless some two persons can be produced. who can bud and tie in 3,000 in one day, you may at least hear of one live budder who can go over the Messrs. Overmans. Cornwall, Orange co., N. Y. CHAS. HAMILTON.

Horticultural Items.

THE CURCULIO.-S. W. Cole, of the New Eng. land Farmer, says that he lately observed an orchard of plum trees in Brooklyn bending beneath their heavy and growing load of fruit," and on inquiry he found that the trees were jarred morning and evening, the curculios being allowed to escape, and as was supposed, flew away. Whether his neighbors suffered any the more for this expulsion, we are not informed; but although this is an easier way than to catch on sheets and kill them, it cannot be so sure, as a living insect may return, but if killed there is no possibility of any further injury on his part.

TRANSPLANTING EVERGREENS.-We have urged the importance of always, where practicable, removing a large mass of earth on the roots, and where this cannot be done, to keep even the surface of the denuded roots constantly moist till they are again replaced in the earth. This is corroborated by a statement from G. Jacques, who transplanted in the spring fifty two young hemlocks, (a very difficult tree to remove successfully,) on a rainy day, all of which are alive and growing.

THE KEW PALM HOUSE.-This celebrated and magnificent erection, built in 1848, is 362 feet in length and 66 feet high; the whole frame-work and sashes are of cast iron, glazed with 45,000 feet of glass. It contains lofty palm trees, huge clusters of golden banannas, cocoa nut trees, and other large tropical productions, while the foliage of cinnamon and camphor scent the atmosphere; "and but for the glass roof that you see, instead of the sky, overhead," remarks the editor, who visited it, " you might believe yourself in the West Indies."

ples of this kind. Sometimes the school-house is planted within the limits of the highway, and to escape the charge that it incommodes the public travel, it is, perhaps, perched upon some high bank, or precipice, entirely inaccessible to any vehicle. In reaching it, the children realize such a foretaste of the toils incident to climbing the "hill of science," that it is no wonder they become discouraged. In other instances the house is placed in the bleakest situation of the neighborhood, exposed to the most violent winds and storms of winter, and the most intense sunshine of summer; not a tree breaks the force of the blast, or intercepts the scorching ray. The building itself has not one inviting feature. It stands on four piles of stones-one at each corner; the underpinning having never been finished, there is a free circulation of air under the floor. It never had any paint; there are no blinds to the windows; sometimes some calico or paper is hung up as a screen to half the window; but more frequently the only protection of this kind, is some bushes with the leaves on, which the "mistress" has fastened into the window-frame. If a certain necessary appendage to the school-house has ever been ereeted, its situation and condition are such as to outrage decency. Half the boards are torn off, it has no door, and is so near the public road that it might well be complained of as a nuisance.

Such are too many of our country school-houses. But we are happy to know that a reform has commenced. Public school-houses, tasteful in design, and convenient in arrangement, have been erected in many places, and we hope the improvement will speedily spread over all parts of the country.

The design here given was modified by Mr. DowNING, for the Horticulturist, from an English work on school-houses, by KENDALL. It represents a small sohool-house, in a style admirably suited to harmonize with rural scenery. It might be built of wood for $600 to $700. If not exactly copied, the design would afford some excellent hints. The exterior would have an agreeable effect if adopted for a small country church

The Farmer's Note-Book.

Ice-Houses.

In answer to several inquiries, we again insert the accompanying cut of an ice-house above ground. It was originally furnished to the Horticulturist by N. J. Wyeth, a celebrated ice merchant of Cambridge, Mass., who describes it as follows:

An ice-house above ground should be built upon the plan of having a double partition, with the hollow space between filled with some non-conducting substance.

a foot deep with small blocks of wood; these are levelled and covered with wood shavings, over which a strong plank floor should be laid to receive the ice.

Upon the beams above the vault, a pretty tight floor should also be laid, and this floor should be covered several inches deep with dry tan or saw. dust. The roof of the ice-house should have considerable pitch, and the space between the upper floor and the roof should be ventilated by a lattice window at each gable end, or something equivalent, to pass out the warm air which will accumulate beneath the roof. A door must be provided in the side of the vault to fill and discharge it; but it should always be closed up higher than the ice, and when not in use should be kept closed altogether.

Michigan Sod and Sub-soil Plow.

It will be recollected that this plow received a special premium, equal to the highest offered, at the trial of plows by the N. Y. State Ag. Society in June last. The figure of the implement, as given

Vault

In the first place, the frame of the sides should be formed of two ranges of upright joists, six by four inches; the lower ends of the joists should be put into the ground without any sill, which is apt to let air pass through. These two ranges of joists should be about two feet and one-half a part at the bottom, and two feet at the top. At the top these joists should be morticed into the cross-beams which are to support the upper floor. The joists in the two ranges should be placed each opposite another. They should then be lined or faced on one side, with rough boarding, which need not be very tight. This boarding should be nailed to those edges of the joists nearest each other, so that one range of joists shall be outside the building, and the other inside the ice-room or vault.

Manner of nailing the boards to the joists.

The space between these boardings, or partitions should be filled with wet tan, or sawdust, which ever is cheapest or most easily obtained. The reason for using wet material for filling the space is, that during winter it freezes, and until it is again thawed, little or no ice will melt at the sides of the vault.

The bottom of the ice vault should be filled about

in our October number, represents it as first con structed. The accompanying cut shows it with several improvements which have been added. The form of the forward share has been somewhat altered, and a cutter attached to the share, substituted for the former lock-coulter. An improvement has also been made in the attachment of the plow to the beam, and in the gearing belonging to the wheel. NEWELL FRENCH, Rome, N. Y., is the proprietor of the patent for the above plow.

Preparations for Winter.

Such preparations for winter as have not already been made, should be attended to without delay. Domestic animals should be provided with comforta.. ble shelter. This is a duty enforced by the obliga tions of humanity, as well as a matter of policy in a pecuniary view. The heat of the animal system must be kept up to about 100°; the substances which supply this heat are taken as food-they are the fuel, and the colder the atmosphere by which the animal is surrounded, the greater will be the amount of food required to sustain it. Animals should be kept dry, in winter. A cold, drenching rain is more injurious than almost any fair weather to which they are exposed. Moisture is rapidly evaporated, and every particle of water that is thus carried off, takes with it a certain amount of heat. This explains why animals are so likely to "take cold," as the expression is, by exposure to dampness under a low temperature. The heat is absorbed by the vapor, till the cold strikes through the system to the vitals.

Farmers that have not already suitable buildings for their stock, may readily make those which will serve for a while. Sheds for sheep may be made of boards, rails, or poles. If the latter are used, they may be thatched with straw, or with hemlock, fir, or cedar boughs; and by making the sides and ends double, with a space of six or eight inches between and filling the space with straw, they will afford good protection.

Vegetables which have been stored in cellars

should not be kept too much from the air. They are very likely to rot from heating. Windows should be kept open until the vapor is seen to congeal inside the apartment, and even after that, it will be advisable to open them occasionally, in mild weather. If the common English turnip has been grown, it should be put where it can be fed out early, as it is of but little value after the first of January.

Every farmer should have a hay or straw-cutter. Clover hay will be consumed with much less waste by being cut-the stems and leaves are then all eaten together. Cornstalks should also be cut; cattle eat a greater proportion of them in this form than when given whole, and what they do not cut, is left in a much better condition to go into manure. Cut in small pieces, the spongy pith is exposed, and readily absorbs a large amount of liquid. If thrown whole into the heap, they do not rot by spring, and are quite a hindrance in loading the manure. If grain or meal is to be fed to stock, it should be mixed with cut hay or straw. It will be better digested and will go further.

Stock should not be pinched the fore part of the winter. If they must be put on short allowance, it had better be done at the last end of winter, as they will then have to be kept poor less time. But with the general abundance of forage the present season, there will, with proper economy, be no necessity of any stock suffering for food.

Wood and timber should be cut as soon as practicable. It is inconvenient working in deep snow; neither men or teams can do as much work as when the ground is bare or only covered with snow enough to make good sleighing. When there is a great depth of snow, there is much more waste. The stumps are cut higher, and many of the smaller branches are left, which would otherwise be saved. Forests should be cut clear, if it is intended that they shall grow up again. If the whole growth is taken off smoothly, at once, the new crop will start thick and grow evenly.

of this village. He harvested and thrashed three hundred and eighty-five and three-fourth bushels; a yield of sixty-four bushels per acre. The wheat was of the same variety as Mr. Cook's of Lima, (Soule's,) and was drilled in with a drill invented and made by Mr. Abbott, of Lockport in this county. Mr. Hotchkiss has taken the premiums at our town and county fairs, and will probably be a competitor for the State premium. He has affidavits to establish facts as herein stated. I think he would be a successful competitor at the World's Fair, as I have conversed with several intelligent farmers from Old England, who say, they never heard of such a yield from the same number of acres. A SUBSCRIBER. Lewiston, N. Y., Oct. 14th, 1850.

American Provisions in England.

A considerable trade has been carried on between

this country and Great Britain, for several years, in the articles of beef, pork, butter, cheese, &c., and we believe there is but one thing necessary to make this trade more extensive and profitable. The thing needed is an improved quality of the articles. In regard to American cheese, for instance, there would be a very large demand by the English people at fair prices, if the article would bear a comparison with the best of their own manufacture. The same remark will apply to pork, hams and butter.

The following extracts from a review of the provision trade at Liverpool, for the past season, we take from the Mark-Lane Express:

CHEESE. The bulk of the early imports having turned out fine, very good prices were realised, leaving a fair margin of profit to the merchant; but later arrivals proving deficient in quality, were very difficult of sale at any reasonable figure. The consequence was that many importers resolved on holding, and thus we had an accumulation of stock, all of ordinary or inferior character, and which, from deterioration of quality, had eventually to be forced off at very ruinous rates. Indeed, several parcels were returned to New York, in expectation of find

Stones for walls may be dug till the ground becomes hard frozen, and if the smaller ones are put in heaps, and the larger ones raised up by "block. ings" so that they will not be fastened to the ground by frost, they may be moved with the first snow, on "stone boat" or sled, to where they will be wanted.

a

Leaves for litter and manure may be gathered to good advantage along the borders of woods. The wind often collects them in considerable quantities near fences. Taken while they are dry, they make the best bed for a pig that he can have; and when so broken up that they are no longer fit for this purpose, they will be the best manure for radishes, early cucumbers and melons, or potatoes, that can be ap plied.

Large Wheat Crop.

EDS. CULTIVATOR-I have noticed several accounts of large yields of wheat in various places, but I have seen no statement of yields that would compare with a yield from six acres, harvested by Mr. William Hotchkiss, on his farm one mile east

the owners were disappointed. At the end of the season a few lots of very inferior old, and some of the earliest new, came forward, and were sold at prices ranging from 5s. to 30s. per cwt. [or about 1 cent to 6 cents per pound.] The recent imports of the latter have, we are glad to say, proved of prime quality, and have brought high figures, say 40s. to 44s, and in one case 46s. per cwt. [about 8 to 10 cents per pound;] rates which, we believe, are pretty remunerative to the importer. At present we have a good demand for all such cheese; and although perhaps these prices cannot be counted upon for any length of time, still a really fine article will always command a ready market here at rates corresponding to the value of English; whilst we believe ordinary and inferior American will, during the present season, be more unsaleable than ever. From all we can learn we conceive the make of English will not reach the large production of last season. The imports of the past year have been about equal to those of the preceding.

HAMS. We regret that we cannot report any improvement in the quality of American hams general. ly; the trade during the whole of the season has consequently been of a very dragging character, and prices have ruled much lower than even last season's. Until some amendment in the cure can be effected, we cannot expect a different result, and would therefore refrain from recommending their importation.