No. 3. 



The Chestnut grafted on the Oak. 



103 



io-1.hird of gypsum ; and a larger quantity 

 1 some peat at-hes, from the neighborliood of 

 - 1 . ickbridge. In examinino- the ashes of sain- 

 i!i, clover and rye grass, I found tliat they 

 "ill-lied considerable quantities of gypsum ; 

 : .i this substance, probably, is intimately 

 V' lubined as a necessary part of this woody 

 lihri\ If this be allowed, it is easy to explain 

 liic reason why it operates in such small 

 iHiantities; for the whole of a clover crop, or 

 :-ainfoin crop, on an acre, according to my es- 

 timation, would afford by incineration only 

 three or four bushels of gypsum. The reason 

 why gypsum is not always efficacious, is pro- 

 ■ bably because most cultivated soils contain it 

 ' ii sufficient quantities for the use of the grasses. 

 In the common course of cultivation, gyp- 

 sum is furnished in the manure ; for it is con- 

 tained in stable dung, and in the dung of all 

 cattle fed on grass ; and it is not taken up 

 ill grain crops, or crops of peas and beans. — 

 Lord Dundas informs me, that he tried gyp- 

 sum without any benefit on two of his estates ; 

 was induced to have the soil examined for 

 ; psum, and this substance was found in both 

 ,ie soils. 



Should these statements be confirmed by 

 future inquiries, a practical inference of some 

 value may be derived from them. 



When common salt acts as a manure, it is 

 probably by entering into the composition of 

 ihe plant in the same manner as gypsum, 

 pho'phate of lime, and tlie alkalies. 

 Common salt is offensive to insects. 

 When water used in irrigation has flowed 

 r,ver a calcareous country, it is generally found 

 impregnated with carbonate of lime; and in 

 this state it tends, in many instances, to me- 

 liorate the soil, and, 1 may add, to counteract 

 the effect of rain-water, to dissolve and re- 

 move the carbonate of lime from the soil. — 

 In Malta, where irrigation is much em- 

 ployed, the water containing carbonate of 

 lime, I have found no deficiency of this com- 

 poimd in the soil of the irrigated lands; 

 but in this country, (England) even in chalk 

 districts, the superficial soil is often en- 

 tirely destitute of carbonate of lime; it has 

 been removed in process of time, supposing 

 that it previously existed in the soil, by the 

 solvent power of rain-water. 



Land, when it is not employed in preparing 

 food for animals, should be applied to the pur- 

 pose of the preparation of manure for plants; 

 Mliand this is effected by means of green crops, 

 in consequence of the absorption of carbona- 

 jeJll ceous matter in the carbonic acid of the at- 

 iteal mosphere. In a summer's fallow a period is 

 always lost in which vegetables may be raised, 

 lariit either as food for animals, or as nourishment for 

 isidei the next crop; and the texture of the soil is 

 oot so much improved by its exposure, as in 

 Bitli winter, when the expansive powers of ice, 



the gradual dissolution of snows, and the al- 

 terations fi-om wet to dry, tend to pulverize it 

 and to mix its different parts together. 



Communicated for the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Extract from the Courier Agricole, Paris, 1839. 

 TUe Clicstnut grafted on tlie Oak. 



M. Gabriel Simons, nurseryman at Metz, 

 is said to have succeeded in grafting a chest- 

 nid on the oak, and M. d'HoMBRE Firmas, 

 member of the Academy of Gard, has pub- 

 lished in the Bulletin, of the Agr. Society of 

 Nimes, thathe, some years since, successfiilly 

 grafted the chestnut on the cork oak tree, and 

 that his maternal great-grand-mother, more 

 than one hundred years since, had a number 

 of oak trees grafted with different kinds of 

 chestnuts, in her property of Sauvage. Three 

 of these oaks still exist, which he shows to 

 visitors, and it is a remarkable circumstance 

 that having been grafted high up, their upper 

 branches yield chestimts of the kind called 

 Pe'te'grines, whilst the body of the tree be- 

 low throws out oaken branches. 



N. B. The Courier Jlgricole, is published in numbers, 

 monthly, at Paris, under that title, with the addition : 

 "Journal d'Annouces— Agricole Horticoles— and d'e- 

 conomice Rural." Three francs for twelve numbers of 

 eight pages each. Address, post- paid, A Mons. Coson, 

 Director of the Courier, Rue Taranne, No. 1'.', Paris. 



Berksliire Pigs. An Inquiry. 



To the Editor of the Farmprs' Cabinet. 



Mr. Editor, — If information can be had 

 through the medium of the Farmers' Cabinet, 

 where Berkshire pigs can be bought, and at 

 what price, with an account of their charac- 

 ter, as to the best age for fattening them — 

 what they are susceptible of weighing at va- 

 rious ages — when ftiU grown, &c., nodoubt but 

 it will confer a favor upon many of the read- 

 ers of your very vali;able paper, and particu- 

 larly upon myself, as I should like to purchase 

 a male pig of that brer d ; being fully convinced, 

 both fi-om experience and observation, that 

 there is double the profit in rearing pigs of a 

 gootl breed, than there is in rearing those of an 

 inferior breed, — also believing, from the vari- 

 ous accounts I have seen in several agricul- 

 tural papers, that the Berkshire is preferable to 

 any other breed of pigs. A Subscriber. 



Frederica, Kcn-t co., Del., June 6, lf39. 



The above note, bearing date June 6, 1830, did not 

 reach the hands of the Editor until after the Cabinet 

 for September had been put to press. The delay is to 

 be regretted ;— but we nevertheless hope, that any gen- 

 tleman or gentlemen possessing the information sought 

 for, will avail themselves of the earliest opportunity 

 of communicating it to the public through the medium 

 of the Cabinet. Our highly esteemed and worthy fel- 

 low citizen, J. C. Wolbert, Esq., has lately added, by 

 importation, to his already valuable stock — several 

 Berkshires of pure blood. Wehave notseen lhem,but 

 learn that thev are very superior animals. We pre- 

 sume that Mr.'Wolbert will, if he has not at present 

 soon have pigs of the pure Berkshire breed lo dispose ot 



No food, no cattle — no cattle, no dung — no 

 dunar, no grain, is a rr,-\xim that ought to be 

 firmly fixed in every farmer's mind. 



