THE FARMtlR'S MONTHLY VISITOR. 



65 



could import them very clicnp. 'I'he white or maple 

 leat'lliorii is liable to Ihe borer. The Cockspur is 

 not, fr.oni all aeoountj. 



WILLIAM KENRICK. 



Jamaica P'ain, .Mass. Jan. 27. 



YoQ ask my opinion aliout the variety of thorns 

 for hedges. I have net cultivated on a large .^cale. 

 I began say thirty years a j.> with the English Haw- 

 tliorn. It grow.1 beantifniiy, but .-ifier a low years 

 when it becomes larrre, the borer attacked it so vio- 

 lently that I was obliged to root it up and destroy 

 it. I then tried the Georgetow.-i thorn, [the maple 

 leaf Wasliington thorn,] the leaves soon became 

 spotted and vinj'ghtly, and I gave them up. 



I tlien tried, frtjm the recommendation of a gen- 

 tleman on the Kaslcrn shore of Maryland, v.-ho 

 sent nic tile seeds i]i ISM, the Cockspur or ?Jcw 

 Castle (Delaware) thorn. I have been greatly 

 pleased with it, nnd on the whole give it a decided 

 preference. It grows vigorously, producing a strong 

 thorn ; and as yet I have never discovered any in- 

 sect to attack it. I have grown and think highly of 

 the Buck-thorn. This phnt was introduced by my 

 ;;?r'ici'b,v friend Derhy of Sralem. At Phifadoi- 

 phia, I belies-c, the Cockspur m.ay be procured at 

 $5 to $10 per thousand ; but the}- would be not 

 more than one or tv/o years growth. 



Whichever sort yen may plant, the ground 

 ought to have been previously cultivated and in 

 good condition, and set in a single line at not more 

 than six inches apart. This will make a fence to 

 keep out any aniraal. I have found a double row 

 bad; it is more difficult to keep clean. After it lias 

 got liold, I cut wit!i''n three or four inches of the 

 ground : this causes many shoots to arise. The 

 next year jiruno again witliin nine or twelve inches 

 of the former clip, and so on three or four years. 

 Uy this means you have a thick well furnished 

 hedge below, and strong \vhere yon want it. Then 

 you may dip it to the hciirlityou wish Be careful 

 to keep it tree from weeds or grass one and a lialf 

 or two feet each side. None of the thorns do well 

 under the drip of large trees. You should keep 

 some of the jilants in a nursery to replace any that 

 may miss. The Buck-thorn is not easily killed : it 

 is very abundantly furnished with roots. 



JOHN PRINCE 



Sahr.:, Januarij, 1S30. 



Any information I can give you respectii^g 

 licdge plants will be furnished v.'ith pleasure. I 

 have attended to the subject a great number of 

 years, and have tried a great variety of plants for 

 "the ]mrpose. I find no phnt that answers so well 

 iu our cliinateas the Back thorn. The English 

 Haw thorn ia totally unfit for our dry summers. 

 The Buck thorn is very hardy, grov.'S rapidly, vege- 

 tates early and retains its verdure very late in the 

 season. From a hedge set out thirty j'ears 

 since not a sinffle plant has failed me. In setting 

 a hedge of their, I should place them in a single 

 line about nine inclies apart, and keep the ground 

 clear of weeds; and by judicious pruning in a short 

 time you will have a hnndsome hedge. Should you 

 v.ish to procure the Buck thorn, I can furnish any 

 number of plants. Tiiey will do to set either in 

 springer fall. 1 should rather give the preference 

 to spring. The plants that I can furnish are large 

 and in a fine state to set for a hedge. I shall charge 

 you two dollars and fifty cents per hundred. If 

 you were to sec my hedges, I think you v.-oxld al- 

 low they are the finest in the country. Tliey are 

 of all ages. The English Haw thorn hedge you al- 

 lude to, is in my opinion the most miserable apolo- 

 gy for a hedge I ever saw. There is no portion of 

 it that a sheep, calf, or hog could not penetrate. 

 Tire Buck thorn grows so much more rapidly than 

 the other thorns, tliat you would Iiave a fine hedge 

 in less than half the time. Persons who have seen 

 my hedges have been so well pleased with them 

 that I have furnished plantu to g-i into a great ma- ' 

 ny different States of the Union. From the ex- 

 perience 1 have hid, I am d. cidcdly of opinion 

 that it is advisable to encourage the cultivation of 

 hedges incus climate. We should always select 

 those plants thai are the mcst thrifty and stjnd the 

 ell mate best. • •- 



Gardner, Mc. January, 1839. 



Our native thorn is a vigorous plant, stronger 

 than the Eiiglish Ilav; thorn and liable to no dis- 

 eases, and I airi satisfied would iiiuke the best hedge. 

 Tiie only diiJiculty is in procurin the plants. The 

 seeds of all the tliorns require fernii ntation to des- 

 troy the outer shell before they will grow. This is 

 done in the crops of birds ; but wiiero we want the 

 plants in large quantities it must be done artificial- 

 ly, for which you will find directions in any books 

 en gardcninj. I do not know any Eursery man 



who raii.es our thorn from the seed, those therefore 

 who wish them must raise the plants themselves. 

 R. II. GARDNER. 



Bosiau, Jnnvary, 1830. 

 We have no hesitation in recommending the 

 Buck Thorn as the most profitible and best plant 

 for a live fence. Seeds of the Buck thorn are $1,25 

 a pound. The three Ihoriicd Acacia is anotlier 

 very good plant for a hedge, seeds *5ceuta a pound. 

 It is inucli tlie cheapest way to propagate t'lem bv 

 seeds instead of phmts. 



ELLIS AND BOSSON. 



House of rrprisentaL''re.s, ) 

 Avgusta, Mc. Januarij, 1S39. ) 



You will get any kind of hedge plants of Wil- 

 liam Kcnrick, Newton, Mass.. He will cheerful- 

 ly give information and send you a catalogue of 

 his nursery, containing jirices of various plants, 

 on application to him. 



I am inclined to think the plant for us in Maine 

 to m.ake hedges of is the common white thorn, 

 which grows wild about our fields and wosds. 

 The only trouble is to get seeds to come up. Tliey 

 have a tough shell, and I have found the following 

 treatment to overcome the difficulty, i gather the 

 berries, put them in a vessel with some water and 

 put thiMn out doors, where tliey will freeze and 

 thay.' during the winter, and then if ])lantcd in 

 spring they will generally come up. If planted 

 without this management, they are generally two 

 years in coming up, and many of them never come 

 up at all. 



Iain glad you think of planting a hedge.. If we 

 ean get jiold of the rin-ht kind of plant, they will 

 make the most durable fence, and adorn the coun- 

 try very much. Hope you v.'ill succeed. 



E. HOLMES. 



Erightoii, January, 1-330. 



We have plenty of Haw thorn one loot long. 

 Tiicy require careful cultivation, and we snitch pre- 

 fer iha Duck thorn or the three thorned Acacia, 

 the former at three dollars per hundred — the latter 

 large plants they will form a fence the first year of 

 five feet high, at $25 per hundred, or smaller ones 

 in proportion as to price. 



We have also a more uscf'ul fruit bearing ]>ro- 

 ductionand in fine eating on the plant from De- 

 cember to Febrmry. The plant is from tiie Rocky 

 mouutaiuK, extremely h.ardy and tenacious of life, 

 at ^5 per i'.undred, or I'.'rge plants to form a llcc]ge 

 at once, at §30 per hundred. 



J. & F. WINSIIIP. 



The author of the American Lyceum System, 

 the well knov.-n and justly celebrated patron of Ed- 

 ucation in New England, sends us the following, 

 being the first of a series of six essays on the sub- 

 ject of the Education of Farmers. Mr. Holbr-jok 

 now resides in the State of Oiiio ; and these es- 

 says, designed especially for the Farmer's Monthly 

 Visitor, have been inserted at the same time in a 

 neighboring newspaper published at Cleavcland, 

 Ohio. This gentleman, who lectured extensively 

 on Education several years ago in Now England, 

 and furnished various apparatus to assist iu the 

 business of instruction, v.-as also editor of several 

 valuable volumes of scientific Tracts which vi-ere 

 published in numbers. Mr. H. in the accompany- 

 ing essay.!i has taken a bold and independent stand, 

 whicli entitles him to the thanks of the Fanners of 

 Nov/ England. 



Fur [hft F.iriner's Mnnllily Visitor. 



Edncatiou of Faniievs. — ?fo. 1, 



Gov. Hill ; — I have concluded to avail myself of 

 your politeness, for presenting to the pulilic, a few 

 practical hints on the education of Farmers. The 

 fact, that more than three fourths of the communi- 

 ty belong lo this class, identifies with tiiclr ch:r- 

 acter and influence, the liappinciss TiikI the liberties 

 of our country. It is evident that our republic 

 must be, both in its fdiaracter and destiny, what 

 they make it, and v.diat ihey say it shall bo. I 

 propose, in several short essays, to invite the at- 

 ieiition Aif your renders, and c.^i-.ecially tiiosc direct- 

 ly concerned in tlie case, to tlie physical, intellec- 

 tual and mora! power of farmei-B, and to give a 

 few hints on the kind of education necessary to in- 

 crease and d'rect that power, for the highest pros- 

 perity and for the liberties, not only for themselves, 

 but of every otherclass of American citizens. 



In the ijew- remarks I have to malte on' the sub- 

 ject, I shall attempt to sustain the following prop- 

 ositions. First, tliat a greater amount of really 

 useful knowledge is, at present, in the possession 

 of farmers, than of any other class of the commu- 

 nity. Second, that neither merchants, nor lawyers, 

 nnr clerjjrj-men, nor professors of colleges, possess 



so many facilities, or so many inducements for be- 

 coming men of sound and extensive knowledge, 

 as farmers. Third, that the teachers of cominon 

 schools ought to consist, principally, of farmers, 

 who .should pursue, for- a course of years, the pro- 

 fession of teaching in the winter, and farming in 

 tlie summer ; the summer scliools generally, to be 

 under the charge of females, and when winter 

 schools are large, the small children to be under tJio 

 cliP.rgc in thatseatnu aho. Fourth, tiiat three fourths 

 at least of the ofiiccs in the individual states, and in 

 the general goverii-,-acnt, including the presidency 

 of the United States, ought to be lield hypraclkal 

 farri'.crs, who have an experimental knowledge of 

 y.-ielding the plough, the scythe, the lioe, and ag. 

 ricultural implements generally. Fifth, the entire 

 practicability and the vital ii iportance of farmers 

 faking their own education and legislation into 

 their own hands. 



As the result of obseivation and an extensive 

 intercourse, in all sectipns of the country, with al- 

 most every class 'of the commuuity, I have been 

 convinced of the trutli nf the above propositions, 

 and others of a kindred char.icter ; also that froin 

 mi.snpprehending cr disre'garding them, have arisen 

 many, if not most of the evils which we suffer in 

 the intellectual, moral, religious, and political cha- 

 racter of our nation. — As the convictions upon my 

 own mind have been produced, almost entirely by 

 the ^fOfCfi of trulh,' in opposition to preconceived 

 opinion, I have some reason to believe that the 

 same convictions will be produced by the same 

 force upon other minds, if the subject should be 

 carefully and cand'dly examined by them. 



It is too evident, that the operations of our Re- 

 public, political, civil nnd religious, are subject to 

 great irregularities, and even violence, and of 

 course that some belter balance wheel or regulator 

 than we now have, is necessary to equalize, if not 

 to continiie their motions. Education has been 

 sought, and professed!}' applied, tor the purpose of 

 rpgulati;i£r and continuing these motions; but in 

 that thore.is cvidiiuth-, so far, some defect — proba- 

 bly, two defects of a radical character, viz: Educa- 

 tion is not general enough, and it is not good 

 enough. It docs not reach every plain farmer's 

 son, and ever-y poor mechanic's daughter: it olso 

 wants a soul, or moral principle, as the foundation 

 stone, or the central and main wheel of motion, 

 of all motions, vyhclher applied to state, church, 

 or commo-n business. 



And it may fairly be questioned, whether some 

 of the measures to remove these defects, have not 

 increased tlicm. It is exceedingly doul.itful, whe- 

 ther our numerous icolleges and high schools, estab- 

 lished at great expense, and to some extent at least 

 by the people's money, and still incurring an ex- 

 pense too great for the pecplc generally to partici- 

 pate in thfJir instructirnSi have not produced an ar- 

 istocr.acy of learning, (I do not mean useful knowl- 

 edge) v.'hieh has uniitled young- men for the indus- 

 trious and productive pursuits of life, and thus 

 lead them into professions or pursuits calculated 

 to increase, rather than relieve the burthens of so- 

 ciety. Whatever else many of onr literary insti- 

 tutions may be called, they cannot be called schools 

 of i.Tdustry, morals, health, or a Icnowlcdge of bu- 

 siness; for y/ith many young men, not to say young 

 women, w\\o resort to these institutions, all tliese 

 valuable qualities are laid prostrate. 



' Is theie any remedy for these evils.' or must all 

 be given, .fl'p for lost.' If it can be shown that far- 

 mers, every farmer can v.'ith scarcely going from 

 his farm, procure for himself a better education, 

 more extensive, m^re thorough, and more eleva- 

 led, tlian is or can be jirocared at high schools or 

 colleges, and by tliat means more than three 

 fourths of the community have, almost without ex- 

 penso-,<lie advantages of schooJs of industry, of 

 morals, of health, and of sound kuowiedge, and 

 of course sound lerishtors produced Wo /ce-Z^/c'^e 

 for ikemseh-cs,' a partial remedy, at least would be 

 found, for the numerous evils which now disturb 

 and threaten our P.epiiblic. 



That these privileges may be eiijoyed by farmers, 

 and these Wessings realized, both by them and all 

 fither classes of American citizens, 1 shall attempt 

 to show, by the views and facts which I propose 

 through your columns, to present, for the consid- 

 eration of your readers. 



JOSIAH HOLBROOK. 



Pht:harh Fits. — Gatlier a bundle of the leaf-stocks 

 ofsnlficient quantity — cut off tlie leaf and peal the 

 stock of the' tliin epidi-rmis — cut in quarter inch 

 pieces, and lay them into the crust — cover well 

 with sugar, and add nutmeg, orange peal and spice 

 to taste. The flavor is equal, and many deem it 

 preferable to gooseberries. The pie-jilant is peren- 

 nial, herbaceous and very hardy. A dozen plants 

 will afford a familj' a constant supply. 



