20 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 1. 



on the quesiion. It, has been said that by raiding 

 trees from seed we shall be likely to obtain a more 

 hardy variety, as they will be better adapted to our 

 climate, which is entirely erroneous, I raised the 

 very first morus multicaulis seed ever produced in 

 America or in Europe, in 1832, and li-om that seed 

 I raised the fir|| seedling morus muiticaulis ever 

 raised in Europe or America; and 1 have raised 

 them every year since. The result ofthe ex|)eri- 

 ment is that ill were now about to raise ten tiiou- 

 sand trees, and could ^et the seed at ten dollars a 

 pound, I would not use it. JVIy reasons are these; 

 besides the ditliculty above described, which with 

 even one pound ot seed will be enormous, I should 

 have to protect all ihe trees liom the sold ol'the 

 first winter; as my seedlinos have uniformly been 

 killed to the ground every winter, while I never yet 

 lost even a bud li'om trees raised tVom cuttings. 

 But the cuttings must be started in a hot bed, sin- 

 gle buds planted, and then, as cabbage plants, 

 transplanted into the nursery, as soon as the weath- 

 et is sufficiently warm to permit it. These will 

 have so early a start that they will ripen their 

 wood perfectly before cold weather — in lact, with 

 me they often cast their leaves before any frost has 

 occurred, showing the perfection of the wood. 

 Now I can take from either of my old trees 2000 

 buds, and will engage to produce from them at 

 least 1500 trees. Would it not be madness in me to 

 save these trees to bear seed, when 1 know that 

 they will not produce /ifl//" a/)- ounce.? Of all the 

 tribe, the morus multicaulis bears the least seed, not 

 more than one berry in twenty will have any at 

 all, at some seasons: and in the best season 1 am 

 eure a bushel ofthe fr-uit would not yield a pound; 

 and furthermore I do not believe an acre of groun(l 

 could be made to produce a bushel of Iruit. And 

 yet from one tree I can make 1500 trees worth 

 ^450, witii half the laborthat would be required in 

 raising that number from seed. These remarks 

 are founded ujion facts, elicited by my own care- 

 ful experiments, repeated over and over for eight 

 years; and all who enter upon the business will 

 sooner or later arrive at the same conclusions. 



As to the hardinei=s of the morus nuilticaulis, 

 much error pervades the public mind. It is a per- 

 lectly hardy tree — the oak is not more so; but it is 

 a dry land tree, and requires a high, dry, sandy 

 situation. Those who plant them in rich bottom 

 land, must expect to lose them. The reason is 

 obvious — they grow too succulent, and are kept 

 growing late in the fall, and are caught by frost 

 before the sap returns to the earth. Who has 

 not seen young suckers of the oak, that put out 

 late in summer, killed by the winter ? 



Mr. Whitmarsh seems to tliink that his new va- 

 nety ofthe mulberry, that which has been mista- 

 ken for morus multicaulis, is better than morus 

 multicaulis, being he says hardier, and having 

 equally large leaves. He is mistaken, greatly 

 mistaken, as will all be who adopt the opinion. 

 I have seen the trees raised from the seed he sold 

 as Chinese mulberry seed, and they are nothing 

 more than a variety I received tiom Messrs. 

 Prince of Flushing, in a parcel of 8 other varieties, 

 eight years aso called the " broad-leaved," 

 and which I discarded with all the others on 

 discovering the valuable qualities of the morus 

 multicaulis. As a friend to my country I would 

 earnestly urge upon all who contemplate makiuii- 

 silk to turn their attention exclusively upon the 



, morus multicaulis. Do not waste time and means 

 in attempts to raise thein from seed, or in getting 

 better varieties, (tlie first is ver}' ditRcult, the 

 latter impos.^^ible,) but if they have only the means 

 to purchase one little tree, take it, cut it up, plant 

 the cuttings, with a bud on each, in a hot bed, as 

 above directed; the next spring, cut up all the 

 produce in the same way; and so on the next, and 

 if necessary the year following, and th;'y will have 

 as many trees as they can use. Let us see. Out 

 of one tree they can make ten the fiisl year; and 

 ofthe ten they can make 150 the second year; and 

 oftiie 150 they can make 2250 ihe third year: out 

 of these they can make 33750 the 4th year, besi- 

 des having all the old roots to form standard trees, 

 and in the mean time be acquuing practical 

 information in the management ot silkworms. 

 Let them select some high dry ground lor their 

 mulberry orchard; if sandy, all the better. Such 

 is my advice to all who cuhivale silk: I have given 

 the same on all occasions, when applied to lor 

 information, and I assure all who may read this, 

 that the above remarks are the result of practical 

 information, which has been derived from my 

 own practice, and with my own hands. I have had 

 no servants to do the work for me and report to 

 me the results; but I have done it with my own 

 hands, and observed the results with my own eyes. 

 I can now readily detect the mere gentleman theo- 

 rist, (who has depended upon his nui'seryman or 

 his gardener, or upon his books, for information,) 

 while reading his writings. Tliese gentlemen do 

 miich good to the cause, but they also do a great 

 deal of harm by propagating error, not being able 

 from practical experience to detect atid reject the 

 erroneous and useless, with which all theories are 

 largely encumbered. Yours, 



Gii:)EON B. SaiiTH. 



From t!ie Loiuioii Mechanic's Magazine. 



PROGRESS OF STKABt CARRIAGE OX COMMOX 

 KOAIJS, IX KAGLAND. HAACOCk's STEAM 

 CARRIAGE. 



One or two of this gentleman's steam carriages 

 have been travelling without intermission since 

 the 11th of May last. That steam locomotion on 

 common roads is both practicable and safe to the 

 passengers and the public, he has proved ; it now 

 remains lor him to show (which it will be seen by 

 the following letter, containing a statement of his 

 late perli>rmance.s, he promises shortly to do,) that 

 his travelling has been economical, so as to return 

 a fiiir profit to any capitalist who may embark his 

 money in a speculation of the kind. 



Mr. Hancock is now the only engineer with a 

 steam carriaire on any road. Sir Charles Dance, 

 Colonel Maceroni, Dr. Church, Messrs. Ogle, 

 Summers, Squire, Russel, Redmond, Hea'on, 

 Maudsley, Frazer, and a host of others — where 

 are they ? Echo answers — "Where!" Strange 

 to say, however, we see «team carriage compa- 

 nies advertised, whose engineers have either never 

 }-et built acarriaixe, or whose carriages when built 

 have never stirred out of the factory j'ard ! 



Sir. — Tuesday evening, the 20fh inst., comple- 

 ted twenty weeks continued running on the Strat- 

 ford, IsliuiTton, and Paddington roads, during this 

 year, and I beg to hand you as faithful an account 

 as I can of the performances of my carriages. 



