1838] 



FARMERS' REGISTE*R 



81T 



So far as negative proof is to be depended on, this 

 experiment may be considered decisive. But though 

 it is now proved, as we have before maintained, that 

 no reliance should be placed in continuing the kind b\' 

 seeds, still wo would not deny (even in the absence ol' 

 facts,) that the seed of the variety may sometimes pro- 

 duce its like kind. Gideon B. Smith, esq., of Balti- 

 more, has raised the true multicaulis from seeds ; and 

 therefore there is no doubt of the fact, as it could not 

 rest on better authority. But such results are so rare, 

 and the failures would be so many, that the fact, how- 

 ever curious and interesting, is of no value for practi- 

 cal example, even if the seed could be obtained in 

 quantity, and at a cheap rate. — Ed. Far. Reg. 



From Loudon's Gardener's Magazine ("for June.) 



Joyce's new mode of heating. 



When we noticed Mr. Joyce's stove in our Ja- 

 nuary No., p. 57,* the nature of the fuel was an 

 entire secret, [t since turns out to be nothing 

 more than charcoal prepared in a manner, which, 

 though it deprives it of its smell, and, perhaps, 

 diminishes, in some degree, its deleterious proper- 

 ties, yet leaves it of the same nature as it was be- 

 fore, though not so perceptibly dangerous, from its 

 want of any noxious effluvium. Mr. Joyce's 

 stove, therefore, has entirely failed in realising all 

 the high expectations that were formed of it, and 

 cannot be recommended, either for plant-houses 

 or human habitations. The manner iu which 

 the charcoal is deprived ot its smell, is said by 

 some to be by boiling it in any alkali, such as lime- 

 water; and this may afford a useful hint to gar- 

 deners, where they are under the necessity of 

 using a charcoal stove in fruit-rooms or plant- 

 houses, on extraordinary occasions. 



ON "rinding" or ringing fruit trees, to 



FORWARD THE PRODUCTION OF FRUIT. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



Richmond, July 6, 1838. 



About ten year since, I met with an old maga- 

 zine, containingexperiments on fruit trees, among 

 them, one on "rinding." The process is simply 

 to make an incision near the trunk of the tree, 

 with a sharp knife, all round in two places, at 

 about one-eighth of an inch apart, and the riiui or 

 bark peeled out down to the wood. Care should 

 be taken not to wound the wood. This should be 

 done just as the buds are ready to burst. The phi- 

 losophy of the process is, the sap already in the 

 branch, being checked in its return, when most of 

 it would be consumed in forming the tree, produ- 

 ces fruit in its stead. 



The exudation from the wound ceases very soon, 

 and the incision only leaves a ring, which will be 

 easily forgotten while beholding the luscious fruit 

 occasioned by it. I communicated these facts to 

 a friend who resides near this city, and who will 

 take pleasure in showing the results of his expe- 

 riments, detailed below. 



* Copied in the Farmers' Register, p. 62, vol. vi. 



In the spring of 1837, he "rinded" a limb of a 

 young apple-tree, about 7 feet high. It bore twelve 

 apples on the whole tree, on the limb rinded se- 

 ven apples, on the rest of the tnie five only. Two 

 of those on the limb operated upon being equal to 

 throe of the otiiers in weight. 



The next experiment was upon a blue plum- 

 tree, which had not borne more than a fijw dozens 

 for some years. One branch only was operated 

 on, and thelin)b was iLiU of the finest fruit, while 

 the balance of the tree, as usual, produced a very 

 small quantity of inferior plums. This spring, 

 1838, he operated upon an early young pear-tree. 

 The whole tree bloomed before the branch that 

 was cut did, and was killed by the li'ost; after 

 which the limb put out and bore a bountiful crop 

 of fi-uit. 



The latter, I would remark, might be the re- 

 sult of the peculiar season; and may not be consi- 

 dered a fair test; but the former, I think, estab- 

 lishes the fact, that unfruitful trees may be made 

 productive. 



J. W. S. LOWNES. 



EXTRACTS FROM PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE.^ 



Union District, S. C. March 25, 1838. 



I have made use of some exertions to procure 

 some new subscribers to your valuable journal; 

 but regret to say that I have not been able t'> pro- 

 cure even one, in consequence of a foolish and in- 

 veterate prejudice against 600A; farming. This pre- 

 judice is more general than I had thought, though 

 it must yield before the light of knowledge, and 1 

 hope to be able still to add some new names to 

 your list. My exertions shall be unabated. On 

 the subject of hill-side drains, I want information; 

 I have seen several communications in the Regis- 

 ter for and against the system; but nothing in de- 

 tail, or not sufficiently so, to enable me to satisfy 

 myself as to the quo modo. I am satisfied of 

 their efficacy, if accurately done; and if not accu- 

 rately done, that they are manifestly injurious. 

 If you could furnish such information, or elicit 

 that information from some one of your corre- 

 spondents conversant with the subject, you will 

 much oblige your obedient servant, &.c. 



[If those southern and western planters, who scorn 

 all book-farming, and are sure that no agricultural 

 journal published in a remote region can yield to them 

 profit or instruction, would listen to our reasoning, 

 and not consider the gaining of their subscription mo- 

 ney to be our sole object, we could name very many 

 subjects on which they need such instruction, and 

 might greatly profit by receiving it through the chan- 

 nel of such an agricultural journal. We will name 

 but the one to which our correspondent refers — the 

 graduated ditches, or beds, on hill-sides, to guard the 

 soil against being washed away by heavy rains. Full 

 information on this subject was given in several com- 

 munications to the first volume of this work; (which 

 our correspondent had not then seen) and we he- 

 sitate not to declare, that if the instruction there of- 

 ferred on that subject alone, had been known to the 

 planters of the hilly lands of South Carolina, Georgia, 

 and Alabama, and duly acted upon for the last twen- 



