Vol. IV. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



371 



tubers of the solanura tuberosum from their na- 

 tive situations. I thought this notice proper, be- 

 cause some of tlie solan\im family are poisonous, 

 and it seemed to be a pity tliat persons should be 

 engaged in speculations on tlic chnne:es which the 

 pla'tit^'has underfrono by cuHitre, when no culture 

 can change one species into another essentially 

 ditfcrent. J- LOWELL. 



Roxhury, June 14, 1820. 



[From Memoirs of N. Y. Board of Agriculture.] 



ON THE PROPERTY OF ORCHARD GRASS 



TO RESIST DROUGHT, &c. 



[By R. Weston, of Sandy Hill.] 



Having made last spring an e.-tperiment with the 

 Orchard grass or as it is called in Great Britain, 

 Cock's Foot grass, I am induced to give you an 

 account of the result, as far as the experiment has 

 procrrcssed, because this grass appears to possess 

 one property, for which, I never to my recollection, 

 have heard it recommended. I allude to its abili- 

 ty to resist the effects of extreme heat and drought 

 during the first seasons of its growth. 



I procured from G. Thornburn & Son, of New- 

 "iork, one bushel of seed, which arrived about the 

 middle of May last, and was sown on half an acre 

 of ground, without any crop. 



At the commencement of the severe drought of 

 last summer, the grass had attained the height of 

 r> or 6 inches ; and although its growth -was ar- 

 rested, none of the plants were destroyed by the 

 drought, and after the rains, they again became 

 flourishing. 



With us, the drought continued about 6 weeks, 

 and its severity was increased by the excessive 

 heat with which it was accompanied, to that 

 degree, that many crops of Indian corn were en- 

 tirely ruined. 



My young Clover and Timothy, sown in the 

 seime field with Orchard Grass, were totally de- 

 stroyed ; as was also a fine field of Indian corn 

 upon a similar soil. 



The soil on which this experiment was made, is 

 a coarse sand ; the surface flat, and is known a- 

 niong us by the denomination of Pine-plain. It is 

 more liable to injury from e.xcessive heat than al- 

 most any other kind of soil. 



An opportunity was afforded by this experiment, 

 to test the powers of this grass, to resist in the 

 first stages of its growth, the effects of drought 

 and heat, and it has succeeded, while Clover, 

 Timothy, and even Indian corn, have been de- 

 stroyed. 



This grass is not cultivated in this part of the 

 state, to my knowledge,except by yourself. I have 

 had no opportunity of judging of its value for hay 

 or pasture. But it is said to hold a respectable 

 rank among the most valuable of the English gras- 

 ses ; and is esteemed there for its fitness for mead- 

 ow and pasture ; for its early and rapid growth ; 

 and its great longevity. By some, it has been con- 

 demned, on account of the difficulty of causing 

 its seeds to vegetate. To ensure its vegetation, 

 it is usual to prepare the seed for sowing, by moist- 

 ening it with water, and permitting it to stand sev- 

 eral hours in this state, and frequently stirring it 

 to prevent fermentation. 



The method which I adopted, was to pour water 

 nearly boiling hot upon it ; stirring the seed at the 

 same time. In this condition it was permitted to 

 remain about 13 hours before sowing ; giving it an 

 occasional stirring. The seed was then sowed, 



and harrowed with a light harrow, and a roller 

 passed over the ground. The vegetation was as 

 perfect as could be desired, and tlie ground was 

 well filled with plants. 



One objection to the cultivation of this grass.and 

 which is a matter of considerable importance, is 

 the high price of the seed, and the great quantity 

 required, being no less than two bushels to the 

 acre. But if it should be found to deserve in this 

 country the high character given to it by the Eng- 

 lish writers upon agriculture, and if upon further 

 experiment, it should be found to flourish upon 

 light and sandy soils, as I believe it will, the ex- 

 pense of seed will soon be repaid by the crop, and 

 ought not to discourage its cultivation. 



I understand that this grass is cultivated with 

 success, and to considerable extent, in some o'"our 

 sister states, and I have great hopes that its intro- 

 duction here will be beneficial to tlie agriculturists 

 of this state, particularly to those who cultivate 

 light soils. Yours, &c. 



Jesse Buel, Esq. R. WESTON. 



INSECTS. 



The present season h'ls been remarkable for its 

 fertility in tlie production of tli.-; insect enemies of 

 man's labours. Caterpillars tind canker- worri>s in- 

 niuaerable have preyed upon tlie or-.-hards, grass- 

 hoppers and creejjing things devoured the grasses, 

 and cut-v.'orms aud other destroyers feasted upon 

 tlie grains. 



In Virginia, tlio banl^of the locusts have issued 

 from tiieir lurking places, and overspread the 

 trees, uttering a low and murnmring noise, but 

 doing less injury than is comnioiily experienced 

 from their visitations. The locusts of Eastern re- 

 gions are represented by travellers as most vora- 

 cious in their character, the harbingers of famine, 

 consuming herbage of every description. Those 

 of the Western continent are of milder disposition, 

 plucking the leaves of trees, and not usually ex- 

 tending their ravages to the grain and grass fields. 



J^at. .'Egis. 



VINEGAR. 



We can obtnin vinegar from wine, beer, [cider,] 

 &c. It is sufficient for the purpose to expose those 

 liquids to the air. 



The following process is pursued at Orleans. — 

 They begin by pouring 100 quarts (litres) of boil- 

 ing vinegar into an open cask of 400 quarts capac- 

 ity, placed in a manufactory whose temperature 

 ought to be constantly at 18 or 20 deg. (Cent.= 

 Fahrenheit 65 to 68 deg.) ; at the end of eight 

 days, ten quarts of wine, [or cider] whose dregs 

 are deposited, are poured into it; eight days after 

 ten quarts more of wine [or cider] are added : this 

 is continued every eight days, until the cask is full. 

 Fifteen days after the cask is thus filled, the wine 

 [or cider] is found to be converted into vinegar ; 

 andhalf of itis poured off, and they conmience the 

 pouring in ten quarts every eight days. If the fer- 

 mentation is too rapid, which is known by the 

 large quantity of foam with which a stick plunged 

 into the cask is covered, more wine [or cider] is 

 added, and at shorter intervals. 



White vinegar is obtained from white wine, or 

 from red wine which has been left to turn sour on 

 the skins of white grapes. Red vinegar is made 

 from red wine ; it may be rendered colourless, as 

 Figuier has shewn, by filtering it several times 

 through charcoal ; when it is muddy, it is cleared 

 with boiling milk ; it is only necessary to pour a 

 glass full into 25 or 30 quarts of the acid, and to 

 strain the liquid to separate the coa^uliim. 



[Orfila's Practical Chemistry.] 



THE SEASON. 



After a long spell of extreme dry weather, un- 

 common for this season of the year, we wore visi- 

 ted on Sunday evening with refreshing showers — 

 invigorating and reviving nature after the long and 

 scorching heals which we have experienced for a 

 number of weeks past. [Bath Inquirer.] 



Accounts are received from all quarters of the 

 country, of excessive drought. The Hessian fly 

 is committing ravages upon the wheat crops and 

 between him and the locusts and the drought, it is 

 feared the crops will suffer very severely. 



[Greenfield Post.] 



ILLINOIS. 



Eighty barrels of Castor oil have been exported 

 from Wabash county, Illinois. It was the produce 

 of that section of the country. 



ENGLISH SILK MANUFACTURES. 

 In Taunton, [England] there are about a 'hous- 

 and silk looms, and two hundred in the vicinity. — 

 Each loom is computed to give employment to two 

 persons. Tlie annual returns of the silk trade ih 

 this town may be estimated at not less than one 

 hundred and fifty pounds. The wages alone are 

 about a thousand pounds a week. The t'ade is at 

 present in so prosperous a state, that nothing but 

 the want of suitable houses for the tradesmen em- 

 ployed, prevents its being doubled. 



WHEAT. 



The Onondaga Register, says : — The price of 

 this article has risen materially witliin a few days. 

 Runners are out, we understand, offering 81 cents 

 per bushel. The highest price which has been 

 paid_for, Iqnie nionths past, was 56 cents. 



MAMMOTH RADISH. 

 Mr Isaiah Daggott, Jr. of Andover, Conn, raised 

 in his garden the last season, a Radish of the scar- 

 let kind, measuring t«?o feet and six inches in 

 length, and one foot six 'niches in circumference. 

 The same gentleman has raised and fatted a Pig, 

 weighing .362 lbs. slaughtered when eight months 

 old. 



LOUISIANA. 



Blackberries, {says a letter from New Orleans 

 of May 10,) have been ripe for a couple of weeks, 

 and roasted ears from new Cor:i may now be had. 

 It is said that a part of the black po))ulation is about 

 removing to Vera Cruz. The opening- for taverns 

 and boarding houses in that place is said to be 

 excellent. 



LOCUSTS. 



Much is said about the insect called Locusts, and 

 Locust year,which returns once in seventeen years. 

 The summer after the Lexington battle in 1775, 

 was a Locust year ; 1792 another ; again in 1809; 

 and now 1826. The next of course will be in 1843. 



FISH. 



At River Head, on Long Island, there were 

 taken week before last, 1,.500,000 flsh, of the spe- 

 cies called Moss Bunkers, at a single haul. At 

 the same place about 9,000,000 of these same kind 

 of fish were taken in the course of three weeks. 

 They arc used as manure. 



