1S39] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



765 



ed trees at any season of the year, whenever a 

 rain tel!, and I was at leisure at home. I have 

 memoranda of plantins in Oclobcr, November, 

 December, January, March, April, June, August 

 and September. Those cuttings planted on the 

 24th April last, are now 5 to 6 leet high, and those 

 planled on the 20th September from 10 to 15 

 inches high. Considering the want of vegetable 

 mould and of every earth except limestone, and 

 then comparing the small size of my lot with the 

 great number of trees huddled together in the lot, 

 it does seem wonderful that any one should grow 

 at all. Nevertheless!, you daily see that they are 

 all flourishing with the greatest vigor and luxu- 

 riance in the continual reproduction of their enor- 

 mous leaves. 



Very respectfully. 



Your obd't. servant, 



Charles Howe. 



To the Editor of tlie Farmers' Register. 



I send you the preceding copies of my corres- 

 pondence concerning the morus multicaulis with 

 the only persons on this islet who possess any 

 plants of the Manilla mulberry. You know that 

 this islet embraces only twelve acres of land, and 

 is inhabited by only six lamilies including my own. 

 Capt. Houseman is the principal proprietor of the 

 island, Charles Howe, esq. is the postmaster and 

 inspector of the customs, and their flunilies in- 

 clude the only persons who have resided on this 

 islet during the last ten years. You will perceive 

 that neither of them has yet adopted the prolific 

 practice of propagating with single buds, as both 

 of them are apparently satisfied that the value of 

 the leaves (or Ibdder for cows is, at the least, equal 

 to their value for food ior worms, and that tiie 

 conversion of those leaves into milk by milch 

 cows is a much speedier, safer and easier process, 

 than the conversion of those leaves into silk, by 

 silk-worms. Indeed, neither Capt. Houseman nor 

 Mr. Howe, has the leisure or the disposition to 

 multiply the Manilla mulberry to the greatest pos- 

 sible extent, in the least possible time; and have 

 not hence derived any pecuniary gain from the 

 superlative superiority of South Florida, for the 

 profitable propagation of the morus nmlticaulis 

 and lor the continual production oi" raw silk. 

 V^ery respectfully, 



Your obd't. servant, 



Henry Perrine. 



Indian Key, T. F., Nov. I6th, 1839. 



P. S. — As regards the moveable material here 

 called soil, I do not believe that when equally dis- 

 tributed over the whole island, it would make an 

 average depth of six inches to the solid rock. 



h. p. 



[We had long ago observed the peculiar fitness 

 of calcareous soils to favor the growth of mulberry 

 trees ; and besides the economical value of that 

 lact, it was the more interesting to us because of 

 our investigations and observations previously 

 made in regard to sundry other trees and plants 

 which have either a marked preference for, or as 

 marked an aversion to, calcareous soils. When 

 therefore we heard, Irora Dr. Perrine, that morus 

 multicaulis plants were growing, on the almost 



pure calcareous soil of Indian Key, a mere dis- 

 integrating coral rock, we felt curious to be more 

 fully informed as to the degree of congeniality be- 

 tween this tree and a soil so unfavorable to most 

 other trees, and indeed to vegetation in general j 

 and our inquiry has elicited the remarkable and 

 interesting facts presented in the foregoing corres- 

 pondence. 



The remarkable power of growth of this tree 

 on a soil so nearly approaching to sterility, on ac- 

 count of its being so nearly a pure carbonate of 

 lime — and which will soon become entirely steril 

 by tillage, without due care for giving and retain- 

 ing in it vegetable matter — is of far more impor- 

 tance than merely to leed silk worms, (important 

 as we deem that object,) or to produce trees for 

 sale. Supposing not a cent to be derived from 

 either of these sources, the discovery of the pecu- 

 liar aptitude of this tree to grow on such soil is 

 alone equal to double its value for other purposes. 

 For it will give a luxuriant and shading forest 

 growth on what would be otherwise a burning and 

 arid region, and which otherwise, after being ex- 

 hausted by tillage of its little stock of vegetable 

 matter, would become not only destitute of fertili- 

 t}', but of grass and of trees, and consequently of 

 moisture. The growth of this tree offers, direct- 

 ly, abundance of cattle-food, and of wood for fuel, 

 and perhaps timber for many purposes; and mdi- 

 rectiy, it will aid the product of every other crop^ 

 by the cover of trees producing vegetable food, 

 and also by inviting and retaining the moisture of 

 the air. We maybe visionary in this opinion ; 

 but we do certainly and fully believe, that the 

 two facts so recently known — the nature of this 



soil, and its fitness for producing mulberry trees 



if properly appreciated and applied, may make all 

 the difference between a productive and delifrhtfijf 

 agricultural region, and a naked, parched, and un- 

 improveable and scarcely habitable desert. — Ed. 

 Far. Reg.] 



CAPITAL INVESTED IN AGRICULTURE BOTH 

 SAFE AND PROFITABLE. 



From tlie Maine Farmer. 

 At the present time when there is much de- 

 rangement in commercial concerns, and when the 

 world seems filled to a surfeit, with all kinds of 

 stocks, it may not be improper to pause a moment, 

 look around us and see what sort of investments 

 have stood the tests which the various cin'um- 

 stances of a political and commercial nature have 

 brought to bear upon them. Is that portion of 

 capital which is invested in the thousand and one 

 speculations of the day. as safe and as productive 

 as the holders desire? Do the banks exhibit in 

 their returns, such an enormous dividend that 

 tnakes their stock so very lucrative that it i^ 



