DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



In the present year, 1851, they did not re- 

 quire any cultivation. July 10th, the hedge 

 was from seven to eight feet high, when I 

 trimmed and shortened to three feet six 

 inches. The hedge is now 30 inches in 

 width, and so thick that a small bird can- 

 not fly through it, while the winter does 

 not appear to affect it. I trimmed the 350 

 yards in three hours, and a boy put the bush 

 in heaps in one hour, ready for burning. I 

 have not discovered any enemies except the 

 mole, and it has never appeared since the 

 first spring. I have now 750 yards grow- 

 ing, all of which assumes a very healthy ap- 

 pearance. 



Mr. Wilkinson's objections were, I be- 

 lieve, but not having the No. of the Culti- 

 vator at hand, I speak from memory. First : 

 " The impoverishing of the land to 20 or 30 

 feet on each side of the hedge." Now I 

 have not discovered any injury from mine 

 as yet, and do not apprehend any more, 

 than I should from the common thorn of the 

 same height; but I was told by Mr. Solon 

 Robinson, that " on the prairies of Illinois, 

 where they grow without being trimmed, 

 they impoverish the ground 10 feet on each 

 side of the hedge;" and thorns will do the 

 same if not kept trimmed. I keep my com- 

 mon thorn hedges down to four feet high, 

 with a bank along-side, and the grain and 

 grass is as good within a foot of the hedge, 

 as it is elsewhere. Second objection, " that 

 horses would not approach sufficiently near 

 while ploughing, &c." This we consider 

 their greatest merit; we do not desire 

 hedges, that horses and cattle can at plea- 

 sure eat, trample upon, and destroy; we 

 can plough within half the length of the 

 single tree, say about two feet, and that is 

 near enough to approach any hedge with the 

 plough. Third objection, the expense in 

 trimming; you can perceive by the above, 

 that by taking the hedge in time, it is but a 

 very easy day's work to trim the 750 yards ; 

 but as a matter of course, when the hedge 

 becomes larger and older, it will require a 

 longer time to perform the same work. I 

 conclude by saying, I like the osage much 

 better than the common thorn, and they 

 form decidedly the cheapest fence that can 

 be made, as those that were planted first in 

 the spring of 1849, are now a good fence, 

 and capable of turning horses and cattle, 

 with the exception of a few that are planted 

 under shade trees, where they are not quite 

 so large and strong. Bryan Jackson. 

 Bloomjiled, Del. 



Register of Natural History. — The 



Smithsonian Institution, being desirous of 

 obtaining information with regard to the 

 periodical phenomena of animal and vege- 

 table life in North America, respectfully in- 

 vites all persons who may have it in their 

 power, to record their observations, and to 

 transmit them to the Institution. The 

 points to which particular attention should 

 be directed, are the first appearance of leaves 

 and of flowers in plants; the dates of ap- 

 pearance and disappearance of migratory 

 or hybernating animals, as Mammalia, 

 Birds, Reptiles, Fishes, Insects, &c.; the 

 times of nesting of Birds, of moulting and 

 littering of Mammalia, of utterance of cha- 

 racteristic cries among reptiles and insects, 

 and any thing else which may be deemed 

 noteworthy. 



A list of plants is appended, to which par- 

 ticular reference should be had in making 

 observations. It has been prepared from 

 materials furnished by Dr. John Torrey 

 and others, and will be found to contain 

 many species distributed throughout the 

 United States, together with a number in- 

 digenous to, or cultivated in Europe. For 

 the present, attention may be paid alone to 

 the time of flowering of these species, this 

 period in all cases being indicated by the 

 first appearance of the anther in the ex- 

 panding flower. 



The Smithsonian Institution is also de- 

 sirous of obtaining detailed lists of all the 

 animals and plants of any locality through- 

 out this continent. These, when practica- 

 ble, should consist of the scientific names, 

 as well as those in common use; but when 

 the former are unknown, the latter may be 

 employed. It is in contemplation to use the 

 information thus gathered, in the construc- 

 tion of a series of tables, showing the geo- 

 graphical distribution of the animal and 

 vegetable kingdoms in North America. 



List of Plants to be particularly observed. 

 Acer rubrum, L., Red or soft maple. 



pseudo-platanus, L., European sycamore. 



saccharinum, L., Sugar maple. 



Achillea millefolium, L., Millefoil or yarrow. 

 Actea rubra, "Willd, Redbaneberry. 

 alba, Bigelow, White baneberry — neck- 

 lace weed; 

 Asclepias (syriaca) cornuti, L., Milkweed. 

 ./Esculus hippocastanum, L., Horsechestnut, 

 (fruit rough and prickly.) 



glabra, Willd., Ohio Buckeye, (fruit 



rough and prickly.) 



pavia, or flava, Ait., Yellow buckeye; 



(fruit smooth.) 

 Allan thus gland ulosus, Tree of heaven 

 Amelanchier canadensis, Torr. and Gray 

 bush, serviceberry. 



