434 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 7 



the experiment, or the statement, the results being so 

 diiFerent from received opinions. 



But while we advise those who wish to rear silk- 

 worms to use the native mulberry trees, if they are 

 ready and convenient, we also recommend to them the 

 immediate planting of a better kind, and especially of 

 the new Chinese, (or Morus Multicaulis,) for future 

 use. If there is doubt whether this valuable tree will 

 thrive farther north, there can be none here — and as it 

 furnishes undoubtedly the most abundant and nutri- 

 tious food, and as the silk business must extend rapidly, 

 every acre of land now, or soon, planted with cuttings 

 .of this tree, will be almost sure to yield a highly profita- 

 ble crop, either for sale or for use. 



From the Baltimore American. 

 MACHINE FOR FELLING TREES. 



A most valuable invention has lately been made 

 by Mr. James Hamilton of New York, which 

 will be the means of saving an immensity of labor 

 in this country. It is a machine for felling trees. 

 The New York American gives, from the New 

 York Mechanic's Magazine, a description of it. 

 accompanied by a drawing. This machine re- 

 quires very little more space for use than is re- 

 quired for the swing of an axe, and may be used 

 in almost any situation in which a man can use 

 an axe. It may be moved l'rom tree to tree by 

 one man, who can with it cut through a stem of 

 two feet diameter in five minutes: two men will, 

 however, work it to more advantage. It is so 

 constructed as to admit of saws of different lengths 

 according to the size of the tree. A committee of 

 the American Institute, at New York commend it 

 in strong terms. It cuts the stumps uniformly of 

 an equal height, and at least a foot nearer the 

 ground than is usual, whereby the most valuable 

 part of the timber is saved, besides all the after 

 labor of squaring the end. The cost of the ma- 

 chine is about $50, and it is believed that with it 

 two men can tell as much timber in a given time 

 as twenty can with the axe. 



more than equal to one ear ot the corn commonly 

 planted with us. 



PETER J. DERIEUX. 



INQUIRY ON SWAMP MUD. TWIN CORN. 



To tlia Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



Cypress Spring, .Essex ~) 



County, Sept. 21st, 1835. \ 



I am now about commencing an experiment 

 with swamp mud as a manure, and should be 

 glad to get information upon the subject from 

 some one of your correspondents, as to its effects, 

 and the best mode of" applying it. 



I was induced from reading the address of 

 James M. Garnett, Esq. to the Agricultural So- 

 ciety of Fredericksburg, recorded in your paper, 

 (No. 8, Vol. II.) as well as from his personal re- 

 commendation, to make trial of the twin (or as 

 he calls it extra-prolific) corn, and obtained from 

 Maryland a barrel, about two bushels of which I 

 planted, some on inferior high land, and some in 

 low ground. It has succeeded beyond my expec- 

 tation; every stalk has two, three," and frequently 

 four and five ears, not large, but I think two are 



IRISH POTATOES — MANGEL WURTZEL, &C. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



Accompanying this communication you will 

 probably receive a few Irish potatoes, and a part 

 of a mangel wurtzel beet, indicative of its size, 

 which I transmit you as a prelude to my method of 

 cultivation, &c. Although there is nothing in it va- 

 riant from that pursued by many, (except perhaps 

 its imperfections resulting li'om a want of skill,) I 

 have thought its publication might be profitable 

 to some, while it certainly cannot be injurious to 

 any. There is scarcely any culinary vegetable 

 which exceeds in value the Irish potato, on ac- 

 count both of the quantity of product, as well as 

 the duration and easy preservation of which it is 

 susceptible. The whole modus operandi in man- 

 aging the early crop, is I presume, well under- 

 stood. It is the late or second crop, to which I 

 vvisli to call your attention, as both combined, fur- 

 nish a supply of this delightful vegetable through- 

 out the year. The plan which I have adopted 

 (in imitation of others,) is simply about the mid- 

 dle of June to hill up my tobacco patches, after 

 the plants are drawn, and to deposite a whole po- 

 tato in each hill: one weeding, and two hillings, 

 usually complete the whole process of cultivation. 

 A slatementof the quantity which may be thus 

 produced on suitable land, would almost "invite 

 incredulity" unnecessarily, as it is my only object 

 to induce experiment. We know that Ireland is 

 most celebrated for the quantity and quality of 

 its potatoes — and as soil and climate are amongst 

 the chief agents of vegetation, its success may be 

 fairly attributable to a peculiarly suitable combina- 

 tion of each. The system under discussion, se- 

 cures its low moist soil, and cool autumnal climate 

 in which to ripen. Then with the assistance of 

 both the principal agents, why cannot we be e- 

 qually successful? The last season was rather wet 

 for them — though from the size of those I send 

 you, (from 12 to 14 inches in circumference,) you 

 would probably not consider it desirable for them 

 to be larger. It is not the size however, so much 

 as the double crop, and consequent supply through 

 the whole year, which recommends this method 

 of cultivation. Their preservation through the 

 winter is a source of no difficulty whatever. The 

 day on which they are dug (as early as conve- 

 nient after the first killing frost,) they may be 

 transferred to an elevated spot in the garden, and 

 deposited in a hole two feet deep, and as wide as 

 desirable. Over them a mound of earth should 

 be raised in a pyramidal form, so as to prevent the 

 penetration of moisture. In this way they may 

 be kept perfectly sound and fresh through the 

 winter. On the approach of warm weather, in 

 March, they should be removed to a drier and 

 more elevated place, to arrest vegetation. Those 

 intended for seed should be spread, as the fermen- 

 tation incident to a close heap, might destroy their 

 vegetative property. It is not by any means es- 

 sential that they be confined to plant-patches. I 

 only use them because they are fit for little else 

 the first year. Some of the largest I made this 

 year grew on land which had been repeatedly 

 tended in corn — but similar in other respects. 



