73« 



FARMERS' REGISTER— HORTICULTURAL NOTES. 



In the year 1768, Jacob Barge, of Philadelphia, 

 having learned the use of plaster in Germany, 

 obtained some from a manufacturer of burr stones, 

 and scattered it upon a field of clover, which 

 l)roved perfectly satisfactory: in consequence of 

 which, Messrs. Hocker, Lancaster, Clilford, and 

 David Deshler. all respectable farmers near Phil- 

 adelphia, used the plaster in various ways, and tor 

 different plants, and were all equally well satisfied 

 of its utility. The call lor, and application of, the 

 article increased; and hence, the commencement 

 of a regular trade, upon the seaboard, in the trans- 

 portation of plaster from Nova Scotia, to all the 

 southern ports; which has regularly increased, 

 from that period to the present time; and which 

 has become a business as regular and permanent 

 as any other in the United States. 



Extract from the Horticultural Register. 

 HORTICULTURAL NOTES. 



On ^Acclimating the Chinese 3fulberry — Flowers 

 — A^ew fruits recommended for culture. 



The acclimation of the Moras multicaulis or 

 Chinese mulberry seems to be a subject that de- 

 mands the attention of the horticulturist. From 

 the accumulated evidence of planters in the East- 

 ern Slates and the Middle States north of Long 

 Island Sound, it appears that except upon very 

 dry subsoils, it is liable to severe injury ii-om the 

 cold of our winters. In almost every instance in 

 these limits the ends of the young branches which 

 produce the finest and most succulent leaves are 

 killed, and in many nearly the whole of the cur- 

 rent year's wood is destroyed. As silk growers 

 agree in the superiority of this species of 3Iorus 

 it is highly desirable that it should become more 

 thoroughly naturalized among us. There are 

 but two successful methods by which plants may 

 be acclimated in general practice among cultiva- 

 tors: — continued reproduction from seed born in 

 the new situation, and the disposition of the plants 

 with regard to aspect.* The latter is generally 

 successful only in the case of herbaceous plants 

 and the smaller shrubs, so that it is to the former 

 method we are to look in the case of a tree of so 

 vigorous a growth as the Chinese mulberry. 

 When we reflect that many of the most delicious 

 fruits now abounding in our gardens were original- 

 ly natives of the warmer temperatures of the 

 Asiatic continent — the peach and apricot of Per- 

 sia, and the cherry of Pontus, the climate of which 

 have no season approaching in similitude our fri- 

 gid winters — we may reasonably hope for like 



*In the Fanner's Register for Dec, we presented 

 a statement derived from the Annales de VJlgriculiure 

 Francaise, showing that it has been ascertained by ex- 

 periments near Venice, that the Chinese mulberry 

 (Morns multicaulis) cannot be continued by its seed, 

 as it is a variety, produced as new kinds of ap]iles and 

 other fruits are by sowing, and that its seed will produce 

 other varieties. The same kind must therefore be re- 

 produced by cuttings, which fortunately grow well. 

 Our translation of tliis notice has apparently not been 

 seenby the intelligent writer of the piece above, thoiigli 

 it was copied into many of the jiapci-s of the United 

 States. — Ed. Fakm. Reg. 



success in a plant derived from China, so many 

 of the vegetable productions of wliich withstand 

 our season perfiictly without protection. The 

 fruits just mentioned have been reproduced to an 

 almost endless extent from the seed, and the same 

 gifts of nature which were once considered garden 

 luxuries in Italy now flourish around the door of al- 

 most every fi\rmer as tar north as the Canadas. It 

 ia highly probable that our want of success in the 

 field culture of the vine (which by comparative 

 temperature should succeed perfectly any where 

 in the Middle or Easten States) may be solved by 

 considering that in this country it has been prop- 

 agated only by extension of the old plant; i. e. by 

 cuttings and layers of the branches. The number- 

 leas varieties of the wine grape in Europe, many 

 of which seem to be alone adapted to the vineyard 

 to which they give celebrity, have been undoubt- 

 edly produced ti'om seed. The Morus multicaulis 

 bears seed at an early age, and in considerable 

 quantity. It is highly probable therelbre that the 

 proper method to be taken to enable it to withstand 

 our climate is to sow the seed ripened in this coun- 

 try successive for several generations of plants. 

 In other words, the seeds of the seedling should 

 be sown for a number of years and each crop, it is 

 reasonable to suppose, will become more liardy 

 than the former. 



Almost every one derives gratification fi'om the 

 delightful fragrance of flowers. In fact many 

 ])ersons who are not admirers of beautiful colors 

 and fine forms have a decided penchant for grate- 

 ful smells. Such individuals will invest the grounds 

 of the country villa or the garden of the cottage 

 with an endless source of pleasure to themselves 

 if they will take pains to assemble around them in 

 their home situations the most fragrant flowering 

 plants and shrubs. The porch of the cottage 

 and the pillars of the piazza should be enwreathed 

 and clustered round with the fragrant and beautiful 

 honeysuckles. Lonicera peryclymemnn, the early 

 fragrant, makes its appearance early in the spring 

 and the monthly fragrant variety of the same 

 plant continues to produce its delicious flowers 

 during the whole season. A more recently intro- 

 duced variety, L. flexuosa, the Cliinese twining 

 honeysuckle, also bears very fragrant and beauti- 

 ful striped flowers, and retains most of its deep 

 green foliage during the dreary months of winter. 

 The taller growing varieties of the China rose — 

 the Champney'sand Noi.s-ette clusters, may also 

 from their climbing habits and luxuriant growth^ 

 be easily trained in any such situation, and a slight 

 protection will suffice to shelter them fi'om the se- 

 verity of our winters. The quantity of beautiful 

 and fragrant flowers which will produce in a rich 

 sod from June to November is astonishing. We 

 have counted upwards of five hundred roses in 

 bloom and in bud upon a single plant at one 

 time. 



But the most charming climbing plant with 

 which we are acquainted is the Clematis flammula, 

 or European Sweet Scented Virgin's Bower. It 

 will in good situations reach the heiirht of six or 

 eight feet, and when in full blow in the month of 

 August it literally fills the air with its delicious 

 perfume. Among the first hardy plants which 

 delight us by their pleasant odor in the spring are 

 the Mezereum ( Daphneviezercum) covered while 

 yet leafless with delicate pink blossoms, and the 

 fragrant European white and blue violets, which 



