Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1848-03-24
Tbc .e..ss-, farn.


Gle on School Houses, in which the editor in
ssts upon the good moral influences of ordel
and beauty in the exterior of these buildings
lie gives the following interesting description
of school house in the neighborhood of his own
residence:
Nothing is so convincing on these subjects
as example. We saw. last summer in Duchess
county. New York. a free schOOl erected to fulfil
more perfectly the mission of an ordinary dis
tricl school house. which had been built by a
gentleman whose taste and benevoencc seem
like sunshine to warm and irradiate his whole
neighborhood. 1t was "A building simple enough.
after all. A projecting roof. with slightly orna-
mcnted brackets, pretty porch, neat chimney
tops; its color soft neutral tint !: these were its
| leading features. But single glance at it told,
in "A moment, that the crH spirit hat been cast
ont, and the good spirit had taken its place. The
utmost ncatncss and cleanliness appeared in
every part. Beautiful vines and crecpcrs climb
ed upon the walls and hung in iestoons over the
windows. Groups of trees and towering shrubs
were thriving within its Enclosure. A bit of neat
lawn surrounded the building, and was evidently
AN object of care and respect with the pupils
themselves. Altogether, it was a picture of
district school-housc. which, compared with
that we before described, and which one every
day sees. was a foretaste of the millennium. II
any stubborn pedagogue doubts it, let him come
to us. and we will direct him on pilgrimage to
this Mecca, which is only eight miles from
u.s.
There ar several excellent articles on hort-
culture of practical value in this number
Among them is one on Select Fruits for the
North principally made up of letters from the
State of Maine, from which it appears that not
only excellent apples, but fine pears, plums, and
cherries, and some varieties of peaches, are
raised in that severe climate. The gooscberries
of Maine are particularly large and fine. Maine
has also its grapcs-the Buckminster cream
colored, of which we never heard before, ripens
there, and the Lmington grape had its origin in
Maine.
From an article on Special Mannrcs for Fruit
Trees, we take the following extract:
"For old apple orchards, upon soil deficient
in lime, we would recommend top-dressing of
lime-fur the first tmc-oi two hundred bushels
to the acre. This will. usually. if the land is in
good condition, bring the trees into good bearing
condition again. In some soils the effects will
be immediate, and in others it will require one
or two seasons for the lime TO produce its
effects
For middle-szed bearing trees, peck of
airslacked lime to each tree is sufficient. 1t is,
perhaps, best applied in the autumn, but it will
answer very well in the spring. Scatter it
evenly over the surface OF the ground, as far a.
the roots extend 1t may be p!oughcd or hoed
under lightly. or left upon the surface, as it vii!
lind is way downwardS in the soil
ITO keep an apple orchard in the fruitbear
ing condition, in "A soil not calcareous, and not
lilo Al H.,
dressed with lime, and with ashes, every alter
nate autumn, and manured every other spring
The same quantity of spent ashes as of lime
may be used for each tree.
For the pear tree, we prefer the following
compost: Take a wagon load of peat. or black.
swamp carh-dissolve twenty pounds of potash
in water and water the peat thoroughly with
the liquid. Let it lie couple OF days, and it is
fit for use. Or, for the same quantity of peat.
use onc-third of load Of lcached wood ashes,
Cor ten bushels of fresh ashes,) mixing the
whole, aud letting it lie a fortnight, before using
il. Give each mddle-sized bearing pear tree a
bushel OF this compost annually; newly plant
ed young tree, halt peck, and Others in this
proportion. II this compost is applied in the
spring, the trees may also have a top dressing
OF bone duet, If easily Obtained in the autumn
at the rate OF iuli II peck To Il tree. I
THE same compost and the same quantities
will answer admirably for the grape vine. But
!, As the grape is IA strong feeder, and likes more
lime than the pear we would give it, besides al
auumna coat of lime, at the rate of from fit,
:. to one hundred bushels to the acre, applied along
N with any manure or compost most easily OBJ
nd tanned
nd For the plum tree, in light Soils Uhere is n
difficulty in growing it in clay soils,) we woul
IT, recommend Il compost made as follows: To tw
wagon loads of strong loan, or yellow clay, ad
bushc of cheap salt and four bushels OF lime
IL Mix the whole thoroughly; suffering it to lie 9
least IA fortnight Apply this as Il top layer c
= top dressing to the soil directly under plum tree
(spreading it over the surface AS far as tn
te branches eXtend) at the rate OF two bushels to
middle sized bearing tree, or half peck to
young, newly planted tree.
"As IA general compost for fruit trees, we rt
peat that nothing is equal to that formed ,
ashes and peat. These materials are easily oil
e. tanned in all parts of the country, and they col
n tain the elements most essential in the organi
IL and inorganic structure of fruit trees. Whel
!, peat is not at hand use wood ashes alone,
the rate of half a bushel of leached ashes
each middle sized bearing fruit tree. But
re. ashes iurni h only the mineral or inorganic ell
ments of food, the usual supply of ordinary mi
- nure must not be withheld, unless the soil is a
ready sufficiently rich
sOyster-shcll lime is the very best-somc oihe
> contain too much magncsia-but, perhaps, only ie
49, An fruit trees are much benefited by phosphate
lime, a. e. bone dust) but the pear especially. Whe
bone dus, cannot be had bones themselves may he
in about the roots, and allowed to decompose grad
ally. Four-iiths Of all the bones from the kitchen
thrown away, in the country. II these were save
aud put at the bottom OF the holes when planting pc
trees they would furnish II most enduring supply
phosphate TO the roots.
- HoRsE PoWER-We are frequently asked
question, what is understood by horse powe
and why that way of reckoning came to
- adopted and brought into general use