342 



THE UA1WENKR6 MOyTllLY 



[Nuremberg 



It neither works so lively, or produces so well. 

 The better way and the one universally followed, 

 is to "sluub" out the underbrush, and ''deaden" 

 the larjier trees that are not valuable. That is 

 in the month of August, cut down all the small 

 brush up to three or four inches in diameter, and 

 iiirdle the remainder of the larger trees that are 

 not worth saving. In six years it will be ready 

 to liurn «iuite well, but will do all the better lor 

 laying two years longer; at which time, fire in a 

 dry time will often run all over the ground, and 

 the work of "clearing" amounts to but little. 

 Dead stumps are easily burned out, and those 

 terrible roots that have ''whacked" so many 

 shins, are all rotton, and the plow meets with 

 comparatively little obstruction. This gradual 

 change from shade to sunshine, with the heavy 

 enriching the ground receives from decaying 

 vegetable matter, eminently fits it for heavy 

 crops of Corn and Wheat, and just the place to 

 grow your nice thi'ifty nursery stuff. I com- 

 menced work of this kind in 182G, some fifty-two 

 A-ears ago, in central Indiana. I have helped 

 clear a large farm for my father, and then one 

 for myself, have been in many a "smoke," and 

 I know, whereof I testify. 



THAT WEATHERSFIELD ELM. 



BY JAMES J. H. GREGORY, MARBLEHEAD, 3IAS.S. 



While reading the interesting article of Mr. 

 Manning, on the Byfield Elm, I was reminded of 

 the immense Elm I saw in Wethersfield, Con- 

 necticut, a few years ago ; and I write to ask if 

 some correspondent in that town, will not favor 

 us tree worshippers with a description of the 

 same, giving measurements after the excellent 

 plan of Mr. Manning,which almost builds the tree 

 before our eyes. The idea of the size of the 

 trunk of many large trees, particularly of tke 

 Elm, is oftentimes but obscurely conveyed by 

 writers, because they fail to state whether the 

 circumference given was of the trunk directly, or 

 included the ridges, or followed the depressions 

 of the tree. I have an impression that one of 

 the limbs of the Weathersfield giant, was about 

 fifteen feet in circumference. Taken as a whole, 

 it is decidedly the largest Elm I have ever seen 

 in New England, and \\\y observation included 

 the great Elms of Northampton, Hatfield, Deer- 

 field and Cumberland, of the Connecticut valley. 

 By the way, I remember that thirty years ago I 

 was told of the remains of the trunk of an old Elm 

 standing in Hatfield, that measured forty-two 

 feet in circumference, precisel}^ the measm-ement 



of the Byfield tree, as Mr. Manning made it 

 when following its depressions, and I presume the 

 Ilat field tree was measured in the same way. 



1 remember some twenty-five years ago measur- 

 ing a fine Elm on the Coha.ssett road in this State, 

 (Mass.,) front of the residence of Deacon Cush- 

 ing; it gave eighty-five feet in height, and would 

 nearly, or quite have touched the ground all 

 around had it not been necessary to cut the 

 branches away on one side where the public road 

 passed. It was one of these magnificent umbrella 

 Elms, with a top almost spherical. I noted at 

 the time that, among several seedlings of some 

 size that had sprung up in the vicinity were sev- 

 eral of the same symetrical form, which led me to 

 believe that probably the tree would repeat itself 

 in its seedlings', probably it merits the attention 

 of nurserymen. This grand monarch bore on its 

 side at that time, a piece of board which was care- 

 fully painted "Planted 172(3." I trust Mr. Editor, 

 if we are favored with the dimensions of the 

 Weathersfield Elm, we should have given in the 

 circumference of that main limb, and better if of 

 all the principal limbs. If any funds are needed 

 to hoist a ladder up there for the purpose, draw 

 on me for the same. 



THE LOCUST TREE. 



B Y S. , RUTGERS COLLEGE , NEW BRUNSWICK, N. J. 



The following statistics of Locust timber cut 

 on the farm of J. G. Smock, near Holmdel, Mon- 

 mouth Count}', N. J., show the value of this tree, 

 and the desirableness of planting it more exten- 

 sively. This farm has several acres of banks 

 and ground unsuited for tillage. About sixty 

 years ago Locust trees were set out at wide in- 

 tervals on these banks. The trees first set out 

 were cut years ago. From these the whole area 

 was covered by a thick second growth, and dur- 

 ing the past year the trees of this growth were 

 cut. These have been worked into fencing tim- 

 ber, and have yielded 4500 five-hole fence posts, 

 which at forty cents, iire worth S1800 ; 800 garden 

 fence posts, at twelve cents, S9G ; and about 700 

 fence stakes ; in round numbers the fence mater- 

 ials may be put at S2000. The cost of cutting is 

 ofiset by the fuel in shape of tops which are unfit 

 for other uses. From one grove thirty-seven hund- 

 reths of an acre in extent, there were 1400 five-hole 

 posts; 150 garden-fence posts; and 200 fence 

 stakes cut. At this rate the product of an acre 

 would be about S3000. It must also be stated 

 that these Locust groves were in good grass and 



