302 



rSEW EiN GLAND FARMER. 



[April 14. 



from the stems of the plants, of jvliich they cnce 

 lormed parts. If the roots he placed with their 

 leading buds upwards, a few very strong and 

 very early shoots will s|>rino; from them ; but It 

 their position be reversed, many weaker and 

 later shoots will be produced, and not only the 

 earUness, but the quality of (he produce in size | 

 ivill be much affected. [Horl. Trims, iv. 48.) In i 

 other words, it is best in (danting^ potatoes to I 

 plant the middle parts only, cut into quarters! 

 and place them in the o;round in surh a manner 

 that the shoots (or eyes as lliey are called) willj 

 point u()Wards. 



There is an objection against cutting- jiotalocs, 

 when planled. It is said that a part of (ho juice ! 

 of the mot will exude or issue from the wound. ^ 

 But this may be avoided, and the s-rowth of the j 

 plant hastened by roiling ihe slips or roots in , 

 pulveriipd plaster of Paris. Some of the plas- , 

 ler will adhere to Ihe parts of the roots which i 

 liave been cut, and thu'' prevent the loss of the' 

 juice of the potaloe, which nature intended for| 

 the noiirishmint of the youna: plant. The 

 "Farmer's Assistant" says " it has been found | 

 that wettinc; pnlnloes, and then rolling them in 

 gypsum, immediately bffnre plantinsj, ffreatlyj 

 assists the 'rrowth of ibe crop." Yir Loudon! 

 says " (he lime for cultinsr Ibe spl« should al- | 

 ways be some ten days before planting, that (he 

 wounds may drv up; bu( no harm will resul( 

 from peil'orming (bis operation several weeks 

 or months before hand, provided (he sols are 

 not exposed loo much to the drouth so as to de- 

 prive Ihcm of their nalura! moisture." 



Dr Deane observed that if dung- be used, il 

 may i.e spread before the second ploughinj, or 

 else laid under Ihe sets. The latter method 

 will give a larger CI op. Dung laid under the 

 sets will produce mere than if laid above them, 

 as Mr Wynn Buker proved by accur.Tio e'tperi- 

 ments. The teeding roots shou'.d go into (he 

 dung, not directly into the h.marry earth below; 

 and therefore need some loose earth under the 

 dung to extend (heniselves into." There is 

 danger in using dunic in Ihe hill both for Indian 

 corn and ' potatoes if the soil or season should 

 be dry. The most safe ami economical method to 

 use dung in these, and all other cases js to make 

 it into compost. Coarse manure, however, an- 1 

 swers very well for potatoes provided it be so! 

 placed that the roots of Ihe plants can easily 

 peneirale into good earth beneath Ihe manure, 

 ^ea weed is recommended as a valuable manure 

 for potatoes. 



Mr Loudon observes " (he best manure for 

 Ibe potaloe appears to be littery farmyard dung; 

 and (he best mode of applying it immediately 

 under the potaloe sets. Any manure, however, 

 may be applied, and no plant will bear a larger 

 dose of it, or -.hrivc in coarser or less prepared 

 manure ; even dry straw, rushes, or spra^', [de- 

 cayed leaves] nf trens^ may be made use of with 

 success. Il is alleged, however, (hat recent 

 liorsQ manure, salt, and soapers' ashes, have a 

 tendency to give potatoes a rank taste, and to 

 render them scabby." 



" The best climaie for potatoes is one rather 

 moist than dry, and temperate or cool rather 

 Ihm hot. Hence the excellence nf the Irish 

 potaloe'i, which ^'row in a dry Inamv calcareous 

 soil aixl moist and lemprrale climate; and hence, 

 also, the inferiority of the potatoes of France, 

 Spain, and Italy, and even Germany. In short, 

 tlie polatcii; is grown no where in Ihe world to 



the same degree of perfection as in Ireland and 1 

 Lancashire, and not even in the south of Eng-i 

 land so well as in .Scotland and the north and 

 western counties ; all which i«, in our opinion, 

 clearly attributable to the climate." 



The worm and grub attack potatoes. Lou- 

 don says the only remedies against those des- 

 troyers are change of seed and soil. It has been 

 said that sifting quicklime or ashes over the 

 hills soon after planting will preserve against 

 these insects. Care must, however, be taken 

 not to apply either of lhe~e substances to Ihe 

 sets, or roots when planted, as they corrode 

 them. It is recommended to scatter a handful 

 of planter of Paris over each b.ill immediately 

 alter the lirst and second hoeing. 



Loudon says " The after culture of potatoes 

 consists in harrowing, hoeing, weeding and 

 earthing up. All potatoes require to be earth- 

 ed up, that is to have at leas! one inch in depth 

 of earth heaped on their rools, and extending 

 six or eight inches round their stem. The 

 reason of (his is, ihal the tubers do not, properly 

 speaking, grow under the soil, but rather on or 

 just partially bedded in its surface. A coaling 

 ol earth, therefore, is found, by preserving a 

 congenial moisture, greatly to promote their 

 growth and magnitude, as well as to improve 

 their quality, by preventing Ihe potatoes from 

 becoming green on ihe side next Ihe lighl." 



If you have plenty of manure, it is best with 

 potatoes, as well as with all other crops, to 

 spread it over the whole surface of Ihe ground; 

 but it there is a deficiency of manure il may be 

 deposited in the hills or drills, observing tlie 

 precautions before mentioned. Decayed and 

 rotten leaves are useful as a manure for pota- 

 toes, and in the neighborhood of woodlands may 

 be procured by many farmers, with very little 

 trouble or expense. The mould or soil produc- 

 ed by the decay of leaves, would, however, fur- 

 nish a more solid sustenance lor the plants, and 

 cx|iose them less to ihe drought. 



Dr Deane observed that " The fashionable 

 way of planting potatoes in hills may be as good 

 as any in rough grounds, or that which is not 

 well subdued. But in a rich, mellow soil, well 

 pulverised, the drill method is to be |)reterred." 

 For (he drill method the ground may be furrow- 

 ed about three and an half feet apart, and alter 

 Ibe manure is placed, (he potatoes may be plant- 

 ed about 8 inches apart in the rows. 



Silk Worms. — The City Council of Savannah, on the 

 memorial of the ladies of that ciiy, in relation to the 

 cultivation of the Mulberry tree, for the purpose of intro- 

 ducing the Silk Worm, have reported in favour of grant- 

 ing four lota for the purpose, to be considered the prop- 

 erty of the city. 



A company is commenting the cultivation of Silk in 

 Ireland on a large scale. Mulberry trees to the amount 

 of §50.0(10, have just been impoittd from the South of 

 Fr.ince, and 200 men are employed in planting them. 



The manufacture of Silk is becoming of great impor- 

 tance in Great Britain. It appears by an article in the 

 last Edinburgh Review, that 40.000 persons are em- 

 ployed In IhroiciTig silk for the weaver, whose wages 

 amount to $1,500,000 annually. It is estimattd that 

 half a million pounds of soap, and a large proportion of 

 the most costly dye-stuffs, are consumed at a further ex- 

 pense of $1,300,000; and that $1,100,000 more are 

 paid to 16,500 winders, to prep.ire it. The number of 

 looms may be taken at -10,000 ; and including weavers, 



warpers, mechanics, harness-makers, euterers,twister?, 

 cane-spreaders, quill winders, and draw boys, at two 

 hands at a loom, will employ C0,0fl0 more persons, 

 whose w,->ges amount to $13,500,000. If infants and 

 dependents are included, it will be seen that about 

 400.000 mouths are fed by the silk manufacture, the 

 value of which is estimated at $45,000,000 ! 



The silk manufacture was introduced into England 

 in the fifteenth century; the silk Ihroieslcrs in London 

 were incorporated into a company in 1689 ; and so 

 prosperous and nourishing had their business become, 

 that it appears by the preamble to a statute passed in 

 IGilC, that they had at that time no fewer than 40,000 

 individuals in their employn;ent. A great impulse was 

 given to it in lG.'i5 by the revocation of the edict of 

 Xaiitz. One hundred thousand of the most industrious 

 citizens of France were obliged by that measure to seek 

 an asylum in foreign countries ; about 50,000 went to 

 England. Several branches of the silk manufacture 

 were then in an advanced state in France. Such of 

 the French emigrants as were acquaintc d with it, es- 

 tablished themselves at Spitaltields, which has ever 

 since been the principal seat of the British silk manu- 

 facture. 



A bill is before the British I'arliament for a Rail Road 

 between Liverpool and Manchester, which is expected 

 to cost $2,240,000, or about $75,000 per mile ; also a 

 bill for a Railway and a Canal from Liverpool to Bir- 

 mingham. 



Cider is now selling at New York at from $1.75 to 

 $10.00 per barrel. There is nearly as much diversity 

 in the price of this article in our market. A gentleman 

 of Boxford informs ns that he lately sold two barrels 

 at $10.00 per barrel, to a gentleman of this city. 



F.rra>a. — In Ihe article in our last (laper, on the Bor- 

 er, an important error occurs ; the word tar is several 

 times printed for inn. 



For Sale,^ if applied fur u-tihin a n-tck. 

 AN excellent new milch cow of the Bakewell breed, 

 6 years old this spring. She has made Il'ii II'S cf but- 

 tei in a week, and given 22 quarts of milk per day at 

 grass feed. Also a heifer 3 years old from the above 

 cow and a half blood of Coelehs — a very beautil'ul an- 

 imal and of great promise as a milker. — .^ptly a' this 

 office. April 14. 



Green House Plants^ Shriih". and Fruit I'rees. 

 A censiderahle varii ly of va'uable FLA.VTS, and 

 in high order, are for salt at the Green-house cf the 

 subscriber, on Jamaica Plains, in Roxbury, by apply- 

 ing to the Gardener. Also, Roots and Flowering 

 SHRl'BS and TREES, and a few thousand of the ^ew- 

 caste Cockspur 'I horn, which are tie only sort with 

 me, that have not as yet been attacked by the borer, 

 and are three years old. The proprietor is also hri:ig- 

 iog forward a Nursery of Fruit Trees, every Tree of 

 ifhich is from seed avd not suckers., and vill he so 

 iiHirranted ; some t.undreds, of srperior sorts of Apple 

 Trees, are now large enough for removal, other sorts 

 will not be fit for a year or t,wo. A few large white 

 Dutch Currants, and English Gooseberries. 



Roxbu ry, .ipril 14, lt;;6. JOHN I'RINXE. 



Imported Unrsc Cohiiiibus. 

 COLUMBUS was imported from England and pre- 

 sented to the .Massachusetts Society for promoting Ag- 

 riculture, by General John Coffin', (briither of Sir 

 Isaac Coffim) that bis native State might possess that 

 breed of Horses so much valued in England as t>ray 

 Horses, culh d the Suffolk Cart Horse. The first sea- 

 son after the arrival of Columbus, he stood for short 

 periods in the counties of Fss"x. Middles! x, and Nor- 

 folk, and since in the county of Worcester. His Colts 

 are iu great repute, at two years old they have been 

 sold for two hundred dollars — a very handsome pair of 

 them were shown at (he Cattle Show, at Brighton, ia 

 1824 — they are very powerful, docile, great walkers, 



