THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR. 



many of its present owners, but which might be 

 made at a small expense to yield not the common 

 grass that gencrnlly cover*our low lands, but supe- 

 rior kinds, such as henls grass and red top. 



Tlie mulberry has generally flourished well the 

 past season, especially those raised in the nursery 

 from seed. A number of thousand of worms were 

 fed from this nursery last summer, and the cocoons 

 have been converted into excellent sewing silk. 

 It was manufactured on the common sj)inninff 

 wheel by a man who never saw a silk factor^-, and 

 also colored by him, which art he only learnt from 

 books. 



The mulberry trees purchased and brought from 

 other soils have never done well — the change af- 

 fected them, but not more so than it would other 

 trees under the same circumstances. Tiie cry was 

 attlietime, th" mulberry will grow " «;;;/ tDlicre, 

 ami how, it can't he Icillerl ;" Init it was a mistake. 

 It requires care in the transplanting, and it also re- 

 quires care and attention afterwards. They were 

 either taken from rich or light soils and transplan- 

 ted by persons (partially acquainted with the busi- 

 ness/ into a soil composed of considerable clay and 

 verv deficient in vegetable matter. It is not sur- 

 prising then that some should die and others grow 

 but slowly. The apple tree or any of the indigen- 

 ious trees of our forest would have suffered as 

 much or more, undergoing the same change. 



The dozen of Chinese mulberry or Morus Mul- 

 ticaulis set out a year ago last spring, although 

 killed duwn to the roots last winter; sprouted anew 

 and some of them attained the height of five feet. 

 Tlie foliage (some of the leaves measuring eight 

 by ten inches) from one of these was picked off 

 the 2.5th of last August, and weighed 1 1-2 lbs: — 

 even at this rate * an acre set out with this kind 

 of mulberry at four feet apart, would yield leaves 

 enough to feed over tw<i hundred thousand worms ; 

 and reckoning the cocoons at the very low price of 

 one dollar per thousand, would amount as you will 

 perceive to over two hundreddollars. The expense 

 of picking the leaves, feeding, the worm, also mak- 

 ing a liberal allowance for lass by accident or dis- 

 ease, would not exceed seventy-five dollars. If the 

 cocoons were manufactured into sewing silk, the 

 produce would not vary much from six hundred 

 dollars. This cultivation is low compared with 

 some experiments made at other places the last 

 year — one of which we will relate. 



At the Silk Convention in Baltimore, five weeks 

 ago, Mr. George Olmstead of East Hartford, Con. 

 exhibited beautiful specimens of sewing silk an-d 

 hosiery made from leaves of trees raised Die past 

 season from cuttings. The silk was manufactured 

 within three months from the planting of the trees 

 and yielded 100 pounds an acre, worth ten dollars 

 a pound, making one thousand dollars per acre. 

 Eighty pounds of leaves made a po\md of silk. 



As there has been some new variety of mulber- 

 ry introduced into this country since we commen- 

 ced this enterprise, b-fore we proceed farther in 

 transplanting into the field we ought to satisfy our- 

 selves which, on the whole, is best, by cultivating 

 some of the most approved kinds in the nursery. 

 By the politeness of Mr. Capen of Boston, We re- 

 ceived last spring about an ounce of mulberry seed 

 which came from the Philippine Isles. From this 

 quantity we raised about 220 plant.^ some of which 

 at the coming of the first frost, were two and a half 

 feet high, with very large leaves — a handsomer lot 

 of seedlings wo never beheld. If any thing can 

 be told by the first year's growth, these will prove 

 a very valuable acquisition. 



The mulberry from the cold region of the Alps, 

 (called since its introductiorvinto this country, the 

 Alpine mulberry,) bids fair to be a superior kind 

 for the nurth. Mr. Whitmarsh, who brought it 

 from Europe, says in a letter to one of the Direct- 

 ors of this Company, "that itwiU stand any climate 

 even the climate of Canada, uninjured by frost." 

 The leaves arc large, but not quita^ so' large as the 

 Chinese. We are "happy to learrrtliat quite a num- 

 ber of cuttings of this kind haw been purchased 

 by George Ivent, Esq. part of which he intends for 

 the Company. 



Encouraging accounts reach us of the pxo.spect 

 of the silk business from various parts of the Uni- 

 ted States. Not only from the south and v/est do 

 we hear of success, but even our sister Maiiu' 

 comes in for her share of promoting this new en- 

 terprise. Although there may be some making 

 their fortunes by the sale of the mulberry at a price 

 far above its real value, yet others we find who 

 are picking the leaves, feeding the worms, spin- 

 ning the silk and putting it into various articles of 

 merchandise suitable for the common use of us all. 

 It is not to be supposed that anew business started 

 under every discouragement of want of knowledge 

 and experience, can succeed completely at once — 

 it would ba a miracle if it should. But persever- 



ance is a mighty conqueror, and the use of proper 

 means alvvavs succeed? in effecting the object in 

 pursuit. Let then each stockholder of thi; Com- 

 pany give his hearty co-operation in the advance- 

 ment of this new and important enterprise — im- 

 portant not only to us and the State in which we 

 live, but important to our common country — as it 

 is a well known fact that she now annually imports 

 silk goods to the enormous amount of nearly twen- 

 ty millions of dollars. 



* .Accorfliiig to a nieiiior;uiiiuiii kept two season*' in Con 

 cord, twenly lbs. ot leavtes Irave been liilliid sufficient for 

 1000 wcirnls. 



Madison, A'ew Haven Co. Conn. Fch. 15, 1839. 



Gov. Hilt. : — Understanding that you have com- 

 menced publishing an Agricultural paper, (which 

 I have subscribed for, but have not as yet received) 

 I v/ish to obtaii- information as to the best method 

 .,1 raising swine ; and for this purpose, I beg leave 

 to submit the following inquiries, viz ; — 



1. Whether store hogs and pigs after being weaned 

 may notbe kept in a thriving condition on vegeta- 

 bles and roots, such for instance as cabbage, man- 

 (rel wurtzel, rutabaga, sugar beet and carrots? And 

 if so, on which will they do the best .' 



2. Which of the above can be raised the earliest 

 for fecdins, and what time should the different 

 kinds of seed be sown .^ 



3. Is it indispensably necessary to transplant 

 cabbages, that they may head, or may the seed be 

 sown where they are to stan.d and grow .' 



4. Will swine fatten on roots that havfe not been 

 boiled or steamed .' If the roots must be boiled or 

 steamed in order to fatten hogs, can itbe made pro- 

 fitable wheic wood is worth four or five dohars a 

 cord ^ 



5. la there any of the Berkshire breed of hogs 

 for sale in your vicinity.' If so, by whom, and 

 what price do they bear .' 



6. Do you know, sir, of any Drill that will sow 

 any, or all of the aforesaid cabbage, mangel wurt- 

 zel, ruta baga, sugar beet, and carr»tseed with any 

 great degree of precision, and which is not very 

 fi.able to get out of repair.' If so, what kind do 

 you consider the best; what price will it co.t, and 

 where can it be found .'' 



It appears to me that it would be very conveni- 

 ent to have an Agricultural Warehouse kept in.each 

 county town ; or at least, one in tlie capital town of 

 each State, where any, and all kinds of farming 

 implements and utensils may be obtained. 



As, my calculation is to do something at raising 

 swine the coming season, I should be highly grati- 

 heci to receive an a,nsweT by mail to the foregoing 

 inquiries, or if more convenient in the next num- 

 ber of your paper. 



With great respect, sir. 



Your obedient servant, 



STEPHEN STONE. 



ANSWERS, 



To question 1. Mr. Bement of Albany, N. Y. 

 kept his store Berkshire pigs for .several months iu 

 the fall and v,rinter of last year almost exclusively 

 031 Ruta Baga, raw twice and boiled once a day. 

 The kind of^vegetables or root which shall be as- 

 certained to have the greatest quantity of nutrition 

 will undoubtedly do the best; and of the roots 

 mentioned «e are inclined to think the sugar beet 

 to be the best. 



2. Of the cabbao-es and beets, some come to ma- I 

 .tury earlier than others. The ruta baga, carrot and 

 beet will obtain a growth early if sowed early, but to 

 avoid insects, for the fall coiranmption we believe 

 the safest course will be to sow in the field as late 

 as June in New Hampshire :— perhaps it may be 

 done earlier ia Connecticut. 



Early potatoes might be raised for hogs : buck- 

 wheat, barley and oats will c.ome to maturity before 

 most roots, and either of these will be useful to 

 feed to fatting, if not to store hogs. A field of 

 clover early in the season, we think, may be made 

 the most profitable feed for hogs. In Kentucky, 

 Ohio, and Indiana, large droves of hogs are kept 

 until they are slaughtered by turning them into 

 fields of ripe and ripening corn. It should be re- 

 collected that the stalks of corn there are of great 

 size compared with ours, especially at the farther 

 north. 



3. Cabbao-es will grow well, and rutabaga and 

 other roots better without transplanting. The for- 

 mer should, as early as it arrives to ii size fit for 

 transplanting, suffer no interruption from surroun- 

 ding plants or weeds. 



4. We believe there is no very great difference 

 in feeding roots between the raw and boiled state : 

 some say boiled roots are much to be preferred. 

 This probably is when they are to bo mixed with 



meal or bran. The most thrifty hog we saw last 

 summer was one of Mr. Trueworthy Hill of Can- 

 terbury, which had been fed exclusively on raw 

 potatoes of the previous year's growth up to the 

 first week in August. Mr. Hill stated the potatoes, 

 even after they were shrivelled, to be the first-rate 

 food for hogs, it is believed, with a convenient 

 apparatus, th.e various roots may be steamed to bet- 

 ter advantage as it relates to the article of food, and 

 with leas consumption of fuel, tban in the old mode 

 of boiling. 



5. There are no Berkshire hogs for sale in this 

 State within our kiwwletlge. A few months ago we 

 saw a pair of Ulis kind of hogs at the Lower Fam- 

 ily of Shakers at Canterbury, N. H. and more re- 

 cently another pair at Nashua, in the possession of 

 John Eayrs, Esq. One of these last, of an entire 

 black color, v/as of the most*beantiful proportions 

 of any animal of the hog kind that we have ever 

 seen: the shoulders,the thighs, and the jowls seem- 

 ed to be formed for bacon almost to the fetlock and 

 the eyes — the back broad — the body between the 

 hiad and fore legs of great length — the nape of the 

 neck protruding and oval : the whole body present- 

 ing alm.ost an entire surface of flesh and fat instead 

 of bone. Mr. Eayrs had obtained this pair after 

 much- trouble and expense, having lost several in 

 the transportation from New York. He said he 

 would not be induced to sell the oldest and best at 

 the prii-e of one hundred dollars. Both pairs of 

 Berkshire pigs came from Albany, N. Y. or the vi- 

 cinity. 



6.. Willis's latest improved seed sower, invent- 

 ted the last season and for sale by Messrs. Joseph 

 Breck & Co. North. Market Street, Boston, is said 

 to be the most perfect machine ever introduced for 

 the purpose of soiviiig ruta baga, mangel wurtzel, 

 beets, carrots, ttimips. Sec. In using this machine, 

 the farmer will be sure ia put his seed into the 

 ground in the best manner : other machines are apt 

 to clog : not so with this. This machine opens the 

 furrow, drops the seed, covers it over and rolls 

 them down. 



Another machine, a cut of which is represented 

 in this number, is also simple in its construction 

 and certain in its operation. That machine may 

 be obtained of Messrs, Ellis & Bosson, seed mer- 

 chants, at tlieir Agricultural Warehouse, Boston, 

 Mass. 



The Connecticut River A' alley forever! 



From Indian Stream to Saybrook, a distance of 

 nearly four hundred miles, there is not a more fer- 

 tile, inviting country than the valley of the Con- 

 necticut river. Tlie soil, as well of upland as of 

 intervale, from the bed of the river to the top of the 

 ridges whidi divide.jts waters from those flowing 

 in other directions, is of the first quality. There 

 is scarcely a country like this upland in the world 

 for grazing. We believe Old Kentucky herself, 

 where Durham short horns are sold as high as a 

 round two thousand dollars apiece, does not go be- 

 fore the Ctintiecticut valley in beautiful cattle. 

 The ox raised by Isaac Hubbard, Esq. in Clare- 

 mont, N. 11. we are quite sure is the handsomest 

 if not the largest ox yet raised in this country. 



We had expected' to treat our readers in the 

 present number with the representation taken from 

 an accurate drawing of a steer of the same breed 

 with the Claremont Ox, fifteen months old, belong- 

 ing to Levi Bryant, Esq. of Plainfield, Meriden 

 Parish, N. H. This steer weighs about twelve 

 hundred pounds, and is larger and heavier than the 

 Hubbard ox was at his age. Mr. Bryant will be at 

 the pains to furnish a particular account of his ped- 

 igree, keeping, &c. hereafter, and also a profile of 

 a beautiful cow now in his possession. 



Cost of keeping an idle Horse. 



-l]x the December number of the Cabinet an in- 

 quiry is made in regard to the expense of keeping 

 a horse,' which has not been answered in your last 

 number ; I therefore take the liberty of informing 

 your correspondent that sixty dollars is about the 

 cost of keeping a horse in a very common way for 

 one year. Every person, therefore, who keeps a 

 useless horse one year loses the interest of one 

 thousand dollars for that time. As regards an idle 

 man, which is noticed at the heading of the inqui- 

 ry, I should rate him at about one hundreddollars 

 more, say one hundred and sixty; and the influ- 

 ence of iris bad example might be put down safely 

 at one hundred and forty dollars, which would 

 make three hundred dollars per annum, or the in- 

 terest of five thousajrd dollars, a sum that would 

 purchase a pretty decent little farm, that would 

 confer comfort and independence on a whole fami- 

 ly of industrious feiaons.—PhUudelphia Farmer)' 



Cabinet, 



