Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-12-27
Correspondence.
ORGANIC MATTER.


IS. A." of Plainfeld, want us to explain
the meaning of the term organic matter
used so frequently by agricultural writers.
Briefly II means plant matter or animal mat
ter Plants have leaves, roots and other
parts called "organs !" animals have
stomachs, lungs, etc, to which the same
name is given. Through the action of these
organs the body of the plant or animal is
built up in growth, aud the material thus
formed is called organic Material that has
never been thus organized into living
substance, is called Inorganic As what has
once been organized is usually in the best
state TO be organized again, so organic ma
nures, manures composed of the remains Of
dead plants and animals, are valuable fer
tilizers. The great reason for this superb
orty of such fertilizers is in their solubility
in the water of the soil having once been
dissolved, they dissolve easily again, aud it
is only in the degree Of their solubiity that
fertilizers either organic or inorganic, have
value as plant.food.
HARDY FRUITS.
&c. I. d." of East Randolph, writes ."
have read with great pleasure your articles
on growing hardy fruits. | think those
three articles are worth more TO the farm
ing community than the paper costs them.
Fruitgrowing is on the decline in this sec
ton, Notwithstanding there are hundreds of
trees bought and set every year. Most Of
them are dead and ready to be dug up again
in four or five years at most. A great many
are getting discouraged, and say it is no use
to set out orchards. | was quite encour-
aged 10y your remarks, and if the farmers
can be shown that there are varieties that
are hardy and productive in this section,
there will be a good demand for such trees"
Several other letters of similar tenor have
reached us. We are glad to see an interest
taken in this matter With the right kind
of fruit planted, aud the proper care given,
the tens of thousands of dollars sent out of
Northern Vermont every year for apples,
might be kept at home, and the health aud
comfort of the people greatly promoted.
THE SAME SUBJECT
Since writing the above, we have a letter
from Hon. 5. l.. Goodale, for seventeen years
the Secretary of the Maine Board Of Agri-
culture, and veteran fruit grower, in which
he says "The notes on hardy fruits came
to hand to-day, and have read them with
much satisfaction. Only one who has trod-
den similar paths can fully appreciate the
priceless value of such faithful relation Of
actual experience. trust they may be
sufficiently appreciated 10 enable them to do
the good they are calculated to do. | was
not before aware that your climate was so
ruch more severe than ours. Red Astra-
chan, Tolman's Sweet, Blue Pearmain and
Pomme Grise are hardy enough here. My
Ben Davis is quite inferior to the same fruit
as have eaten it in the West. Have you
tried Jonathan We find no trouble in lack
of hardness and for flavor it comes nearer
Esopus Spitzenberg, of New York, than any
other The Milding, or Milden, of New
Hampshire, is very hardy there, thrifty and
fruitful-the best substitute for the Bald
win. | should think it would thrive with
you" Mr.. Goodale adds that the " Notes d
should be published in New Brunswick (the
Canadian Province east of Maine), and says
he shall forward them to Mr.. Seguin, the
editor of the Colonial Farmer, an excellent
agricultural journal widely circulated in that
region