720 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



[No, 12 



it is estimated that it bears one-thousand bushels 

 of fruit. The leaves resemble those of a pear 

 tree, but are much larger and evergreen; the blos- 

 soms are similar to the tulip, and when in full 

 bloom, it is considered the mest grand, beautiful 

 and imposintr object in the vefjelable kingdom. 

 But it is of the most poisonous nature ; its roots, 

 bark, sap, leaves and fruit, are all destructive poi- 

 sons. Its twiffs and branches operate as a slow, 

 malignant and incurable poison, of a peculiar 

 quality, destructive of animals and man. It has 

 been recently discovered, and satisfactorily tested, 

 that the browsing upon the sprout about its root, 

 is the cause of that mysterious disease, called the 

 milk sickness. 



The fruit, when full ripe, has an inviting ap- 

 pearance, but it soon takes a dry rot, and the in- 

 side becomes a poisonous and disagrepable dust, in 

 appearance resembling Scotch sriuil. Notwith- 

 standing its noxious qualities, cattle and various 

 other animals are fond of frequentins: it and feed- 

 ing on its leaves, and they frequently die in its vi- 

 cinity. Numerous skeletons of animals may be 

 found in the bottom, within a mile round, but 

 when taken in small quantities, it terminates in 

 lingering and uncontrollable milk sinkness. Since 

 the tree has been fenced in, no milk sickness has 

 existed. The wood of the tree is as solid and 

 heavy as iignum-vita? or ebony, and from its simi- 

 Jarit}', some intelligent persons have conjectured 

 that is the celebrated tree called the Bohan ITpas 

 in the East Indie?. When any part of the green 

 tree is lacerated, a peculiar gum exudes from the 

 wound, like unto white native turpentine, which i.s 

 esteemed one of the strongest poisons, and will 

 blister and seriously injure and ulcerate the hu- 

 man body if applied externally. 



It is thought by some persons that this tree 

 might be advantageously used in the practice of 

 medicine if its powerful medical qualities were 

 properly understood, but its poison is so destruc- 

 tive that every person here is afraid to make any 

 experiments with it. If the citizens of those parts 

 of Illinois, Ohio and Kentucky, that are afflicted 

 with the milk sickness, will make proper exami- 

 nation, I have no doubt that they will find some- 

 where in tlie sick district a solitary tree similar to 

 the one I have described above, and if they will 

 destroy or enclose the tree, they will effectually 

 prevent the disease. Many marvellous stories 

 are told in the neighborhood, but respecting many 

 of them I am very incredulous; but the foregoing 

 statement I have prepared from personal observa- 

 tion, and from information in which I could place 

 implicit confidence. If you should desire further 

 inlbrmation respecting this tree, I will take plea- 

 sure in answering any inquiries directed to me by 

 mail, to Missouri town, my nearest post office. 

 With great esteem. 

 Your obedient servant, 



IBIPROVEMENT OF LAND BY MANURING WITH 

 MARSH-MUD, MARSH-GRASS, SEA-WEEDS, 

 SHELL BEDS, &C., &C. 



[The following connected papers, which ap- 

 peared in the American Farmer of 1831, are re- 

 published here, both on account of the interesting 



contents of the correspondence, and in the hope 

 of drawing forth, from (he same or other sources, 

 additional and more recent facts, on any of the 

 same subjects. In " PotomaCj" we recognize, by 

 internal evidence, one who has since been a high- 

 ly valued contributor to the pages of the Far- 

 mers' Register; and whose contributions exhibit 

 proofs of the profit which he derived from this 

 earlier correspondence, when a " novice" and a 

 mere seeker of information. We know not who 

 is the writer of " Corn-planter ;" but if he is not 

 already one of our contributors, his becoming so is^ 

 much to be desired ; and especially from him, or 

 others, is wanting, and would be of great use to 

 many readers, the fiillest and most recent infor- 

 mation on the use of marsh-mud, as manure. 



It is astonishing that so little has been yet done, 

 and so much less made generally known, in the use 

 of marsh-mud as manure. It is true that hundreds 

 of writers recommend the mud of ponds, ditches, 

 marshes, &c. as ingredients for compost heaps, or 

 for the foundation ol', or for mixing with barn-ysrd 

 manure; and very many speak, generally, but as 

 from experience, of the profitable results thence 

 derived. But still, there is an utter deficiency, so 

 far as we are informed, of any precise and satis- 

 factory statements or estimates, of the amount of 

 profit, or of increased products, obtained from the 

 application of any certain quantity of marsh-mudy 

 or of expense in its use. And the few applica- 

 tions which we have known of. including some of 

 our own, of the mud applied alone, have not pro- 

 duced such apparent increase of early product, or 

 of fertilit3^ as to encourage the repetition. 



Still, reason and theoretical views would strong- 

 ly recommend the very extensive use of marsh- 

 mud, both for its great available quantity, its 

 cheapness in application, and for the value of the 

 fertilizing ingredients which it certainly contains, 

 (and indeed mostly consists ofj) and musr give to 

 the soil. A very simple and yet sure mode of 

 analysis, (by fire,) which we have often used for 

 this purpose, will prove to any experimenter, that 

 about one half of the dry weight of all common 

 tide-marsh-mud consists of vegetable matter ; and 

 that part, when dry, is so very light, that what 

 serves to make half the weight, is probably nine- 

 tenths of ths entire bulk of any given quantity of 

 the mud. AH vegetable matter, finely broken 

 down and much decomposed, as this is, would be 

 supposed to be manure, and of a kind ready for 

 speedy action ; and if not so in this case, it cannot 

 be for want of richness, or on account of the de- 

 ficiency of the elements of food for plants in the 

 mud ; but because the vegetable matter therein is 

 not in a state to serve as food for plants. This is 

 the case with peat, which is almost entirely a ve- 

 getable substance, but of vegetable matters made 



