1838J 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



177 



flourishes alike in every part, of the valley that we 

 have seen. It is thelarfjest tree of our woods, and 

 rises in the most iiraceru! forms, with vastsprend- 

 injr lateral brandies, covered with hark oC a bril- 

 liant white. A tree oC this kind near IMarietta, 

 (Ohio,) measured 15i feet in diameter. We have 

 seen one on the Riiv Miami, which we thouii'htslill 

 larger. Judire Tucker, of IMissouri, cut olf a sec- 

 tion of a hollow trunk of a sycamore, , and applied 

 a roof to it, and fitted it up iijr a study. It was 

 regularly cylindrical, and when fitted up with a 

 stove and other arrangemonis, made an ample 

 and convrniciit apartment." 



A hollow iriiidi of an enormous sycamore was 

 fitted up with the requisite appendages and made 

 use of at Utica, N. Y., as a retad shop; and it 

 was afterwards carried to the city of New York 

 for a show. The ibilowing notice of such an ob- 

 ject, which was exhibited in the saloon of the 

 American JNIuseum, and supposed the same that 

 was used at Utica, is extracted from the New 

 York Traveller. " A sycamore tree of most sin- 

 gular and extraordinary size has been brought to 

 this city from the western part of this state. The 

 interior is hollowed out, and will comfortably ac- 

 commodate some 40 or 50 persons. It is splendid- 

 ly furnished as a sitting-room, and contains every 

 article of elegance and usefulness. It has a hand- 

 some piano, soliis, glasses, and mirrors, of fit and 

 becoming style; and is decorated with pictures 

 and fancy articles." 



13. Ot' the pines of North America, JVlichaux 

 describes fourteen species, some of which grow 

 to a great size, surpassing in height all other trees 

 of the forest, and are very valuable for timber. 

 He measured near Norridijewock on the Kenne- 

 bec the trunk of a white pine felled fjr a canoe, 

 which was 154 feet long, and 54 inches in diame- 

 ter. The greatest height attained in that region, 

 by the pine, lie states at about 180 feet. 



Mr. Douglas, a botanist, who was sent out 

 from London, in 1825, to explore the northwest 

 coast of America, mentions two species of pines 

 which grow to an enormous size. One of these 

 species, called the Pinus fJouglassi, found on 

 the banks of the Columbia, grovi's, as he stales, to 

 the height of 230 feet, and is upwards of 50 feet 

 in circumference at the base. The other species, 

 called the Pinus Lamhcrtiana, was found in 

 Northern California. "' One specimen, which in 

 consequence of its having been blown down, Mr. 

 Douglas was enabled to measure, was 215 fi?et in 

 length, 57 feet 9 inches in circumference at three 

 leet from the root, and 17 feet 5 inches at 134 feet. 

 It is probably the largest sinn-le mass of timber 

 that was ever measured by man; though some of 

 the growing specimens of the same pine were evi- 

 dently of greater elevation."— 7'(m/>er Trens. 



Lewis and Clark in their " Expedition," men- 

 tion six species of firs or pines in the countrv wa- 

 tered by the Columbia, the largest of wi'iich is 

 doubtless the same as that called Pinws Douglas- 

 si. " This species grows to an immense size, 

 and is very commonly 27 feet in circumference, 6 

 feet above the earth's surface. They rise to the 

 height of 230 feet, and 120 of that height without 

 a limb. We have often found them 3(f fiiit in cir- 

 cumtijrence. One of oar party measured one and 

 found it to be 42 feet in circumference, at a point 

 beyond the reach of an ordinary man. This trunk 

 for the distance of 200 feet was destitute of limbs. 

 Vol. VI— 23 



This tree was perfectly sound, and at a moderate 

 calculation,, its size [height] may be estimated at 

 300 leet." 



14. The vuihogany, a tree Hiund in the West 

 Indies and the central parts of America, is highly 

 valued for its timber. It is a tree of rapid growth, 

 but supposed to be not less than 200 years in ar- 

 riving at maturity; its trunk has often a diunicter 

 of 4 feet ; and the limber of a single tree some- 

 times produces J§4,000 or .S5,000. The mahoga- 

 ny, or " Swietenia 7nahngani, is perhaps the most 

 majestic of trees ; lor though some rise to a great 

 height, this tree, like the oak and the cedar, in- 

 spires the spectator with the strongest feelings of 

 its firmness and duration. It expands into so gi- 

 ant a trunk, divides in'o so many massy arms, 

 and throws the shade of its shining green leaves, 

 spotted with tufis of pearly flowers, over so vast 

 an extent of surface, that it is difficult to imagine 

 a vegetable prodiictinn, combining in such a de- 

 gree the qualities of elegance and strength, of 

 beauty and sublimity. A single log, imported in- 

 to Liverpool, weighed nearly 7 tons ; was, in the 

 first instance sold for £378 ; resold for £525 ; and 

 would, had the dealers been certain of its quality, 

 have been worth £1,000." — Timber Trees. 



15. The apple-tree, though not to be compared, 

 especially in height, to the large forest trees above 

 mentioned, sometimes irrows to a considerable 

 size. Mr. E. Hall, of Raynhani, Mass., states, 

 that there are two apple-trees standing near his 

 house, the circumference of one of which is 13 feet 

 5 inches 5 feet from the ground, and 12 feet 2 

 inches 3 feet from the ground ; of the other, 12 

 l(?et 2 inches 1 foot from the ground, and 11 feet 6 

 inches 3 feet from the ground ; and the reputed 

 age 130 years. Mr. J. Ives states, that in Wal- 

 lingford, Vt., there is an apple-tree, whose circum- 

 ference is 8 feet 4 inches one foot from the ground ; 

 and about 50 j^ards distant from it, there is a but- 

 ternut tree, the circumference of which is 9 feet 

 2 inches 18 inches from the ground ; and that the 

 branches extend over a tract of land 5 rods in di- 

 anieter. — N. E. Farmer. 



For tlie Farmers' Register. 

 ON THE KOTATION FOR GRAIN FARMS. 



Many publications in the Register disclose a 

 irreat difference of opinion on the routine of culti- 

 vation in a grain country ; and some persons im- 

 piovidently adopt plans without reference to the 

 circumstances by which they ought to be govern- 

 eil. I possess no science in agriculture, and my 

 opinions are the result of a limited experience; 

 but I think the most profitable and advantageous 

 system depends upon the quality of the soil, iis 

 stale of fertility, and the means possessed for its 

 cultivation. Larfi-e crops may be made ; but the 

 expenses may absorb all the profits. My aim is 

 to combine profit and improvement. Many years 

 ago, when actively engaixed in other pursuits, I 

 purchased a small farm, which had been greatly 

 exhausted under the three-field system. I divided 

 it into five, planted one in corn, in which I sowed 

 wheat; and as soon as I got my fields set in clo- 

 ver, on clover fallow in addition. Under this system 

 my lands improved, and my crops were good ; the 

 fallow generally yielding fifty per cent, more than 



