1S38] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



393 



withstaiuliii;; all the strons; assertions of tlie producers 

 to the contrary. Whatever may be the true and supe- 

 rior advantages of this tree, they will principally re- 

 dound to the benefit of the southern states. 



After the foregoing portion of these remafk? was in 

 type, we had opportunities of being better informed 

 on two of the points mentioned above; one of which 

 was doubtful, and the other mistaken, because not 

 tested by observation and experience of sufficient du- 

 ration. These are, the objections, made in France, to 

 the alleged very early decline of vigor and death of 

 the morus multicaulis ; and the supposed lessened size 

 of the leaves of trees of matured growth. On the 

 side of F street, Shockoe Hill, Richmond, We have 

 just seen trees of this kind, of which the largest are 

 more than four inches through the body, although, 

 judging by the eye, they are not more than 18 feet 

 high These were not permitted to grovT many-sialkcd, 

 as the name implies, and their nature requires; but 

 being designed for ornament, had been trimmed, and 

 forced to grow single-stalked. Though growing well 

 and hixuriantly, and having no certain indications of 

 the use of the knife, the want of height proportioned 

 to the trunk seemed to show that the tops of these 

 trees had been cut down at an early period of their 

 growth. Another tree, in the garden of D. I. Burr, 

 deceased, though not more than 2 to 2i inches through 

 the body, (this also having been trimmed to a single 

 stem,) stands 22 feet high, as measured by our eye; 

 and it would be 24, or more, if the upper branches 

 were not borne down by the weight of their burden of 

 leaves. The ages of none of these could be then 

 learned; but the oldest are probably fully eight years 

 old; and all appeared as thriving, and as much in a 

 growing state as any other trees of like age, and of 

 kinds that may live for half a century or more. The 

 leaves, also, (to our surprise, and conviction of having 

 made an erroneous anticipation,) were but little if any 

 smaller than the usual size of those on younger trees. 

 These facts alone would serve to remove the fear of a 

 very early decay of vigor, and decline and death of 

 the tree ; and decide that the size of leaf does not di- 

 minish in the older tree, and on better matured wood, 

 in proportion to that change in the common mulberry, 

 and many other trees. 



In addition to our own personal observation, we have 

 just received the following better testimony from G. 

 B. Smith, esq. of Baltimore, in answer to inquiries on 

 these two doubtful points. " My old tree," says Mr. 

 Smith, " was one year old when I got it, in the spring 

 of 1828; and is now, of course, eleven years old. It 

 has been transplanted several times; and the last time 

 when it was eight years old. Of course, it furnishes no 

 criterion of the state of the tree at this age. Several 

 large stalks of mine have perished ; and there are now 

 6 stalks, from fi to 15 feet high. It has also been every 

 year deprived of its branches, and sometimes of its 

 top-wood, for cuttings. Many of its leaves now mea- 

 sure 15 inches in length, by 13 to 14 inches wide. Its 

 leaves are as large now as ever they were." — " The 

 morus multicaulis is a many-stalk tree; it is constantly 

 sending up shoots from the crown of the roots, like the 

 Vol. VI.-60 



filbert and lilac; and, consequently, the older stalks di® 

 out ; but whether from natural decay, or from be- 

 ing perished by their numerous younger brethren, I do 

 not pretend to say. But that the tree will live eleven 

 years, under very adverse circumstances, I know, 

 from the tact that I now have a tree of that age. All 

 many-stalked frees throw off their old wood occasion- 

 ally, to make room for the young and more vigorous. 

 But how this fact can be afiy detriment to the morns 

 multicaulis, I cannot comprehend, as the roots send up 

 half a dozen stalks, generally, for every one that de- 

 cays." 



This additional testimony and correction of previ- 

 ous error and dovibt, we insert, not only readily but, 

 gladly; for no one will receive with more welcome, or 

 publish with more pleasure, any neW, or confirmatory 

 evidence of the valuable qualities of this tree, as of- 

 fering peculiar facilities and aid to silk-culture. 



From Hie Penny Magazine. 

 THE AniEHICAN MANNER OF MOVING HOUSES^ 



In England we consider it no trifiing aflair to' 

 remove our household establishments, when cir- 

 cumstances render it necessary Cor us to do so ; 

 whereas our trans-atlantic brethren, the Ameri- 

 cans, set about removing their houses (goods and 

 chattels included,) without considering it matter 

 of difficulty or hardship. To be sure, their build- 

 ings (I do not incfude those of their older towns 

 and cities) are less substantia! and solid than ours; 

 for a frame of moderate-sized post? and scantling.s, 

 lined within and without with thin pine boards, is 

 not quite so ponderous an affair as a building 

 where the walls are of massive stone, nor even as 

 one of bricks and mortar. 



Before I i)roceed to explain the usual plan 

 adopted for removing buildintrs, I will relate some 

 circumstances connected with a frame building 

 with which I was acquainted, and which consti- 

 tuted a fraction of the capita! of the county in 

 which I resided. While the town was but in its 

 infancy, an acquaintance of mine built a " store," 

 (shop for genera! merchandise, with granaries, 

 &c., overhead,) in which he commenced the bu- 

 siness of a jjenernl merchant. In a fevv years the 

 population increased, and the town became much 

 enlarged ; and so did the business of my acquaint- 

 ance, inasmuch that he found, or fancied, his ori- 

 ginal store too small for him. In this dilemma 

 what was to be done? The difficulty was soon 

 solved ; he sold his store, lo be taken off the pre- 

 mises, for he wanted the ground to build a larger 

 one upon. A dress-maker was the purchaser, 

 who removed it jibout eiglity yards along the 

 same street, and had it fitted up io suit her line of 

 business ; at the same time convertinij a portion 

 of it into apartments lo dwell in. How long she 

 occupied it I do not precisely recollect; but, quit- 

 ting that part of the country ibr a few years, when 

 I relumed and looked lor mv old acquaintance, 

 the milliner's store, no'hing like it was to be seen.^ 

 1 repaired to the original owner, and inquired if 

 some calamity had belallen it, or if it were still 

 on the movef " I guess," replied he, " that you 

 will find it in Centre Avenue, a little below the 

 Washington Hotel. It is now the property of 



