1835.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



601 



trees— more time is then afforded than in the hur- 

 rying season of spring — besides which the earth 

 becomes more settled about the roots, and new 

 spongioles are produced in place of those which 

 may have been destroyed, especially if the oper- 

 ation is not perlbrmed too late in autumn. Better 

 trees also may be obtained in autumn than in 

 spring after nurseries have been culled. But if ten- 

 der kinds be transplanted in the fall, and particu- 

 larly it' they be removed to a colder section of the 

 country, they will, from their mutilated state, be 

 more liable to injury from frost. To those there- 

 fore, who live remote, and are unable to obtain 

 such trees for early planting in spring, or those 

 who live in the colder regions of the country, we 

 would recommend to procure their trees in au- 

 tumn, and bury the roots and a part of the stem 

 and branches in a trench dug for the purpose, the 

 roots being packed closely together, and the 

 branches resting in an inclined position upon the 

 earth; which operation is technically termed by 

 nurserymen, laying in by the heel. In this way 

 they may be effectually protected from injury from 

 the frosts of winter. 



Nothing is more common than to loose trees by 

 transplanting; but there is no necessity for such 

 failure; — if trees are transplanted with proper care, 

 there will be an almost absolute certainty of their 

 living. If when they are taken from the earth, 

 care is taken to remove the roots entire — to keep 

 them fresh — and in replacing them in the soil, to 

 pack finely pulverized earth well about the roots, 

 preserving them in their natural position, there can 

 be little danger of success. 



But it is not only necessary the trees should 

 live, but that they should thrive also; and for this 

 object, it is indispensably requisite that they should 

 have a large deep bed of loose soil for the roots to 

 penetrate. If the ground is of a hard or heavy 

 nature, the holes must be made large and deep 

 and filled with the proper materials, for if the 

 roots are confined in small holes dug in such 

 ground, they will succeed little better than if 

 planted in a small box of earth. 



DESCRIPTION OF "CAMEI," LIGHTERS, FOR 

 CARRYING MARL. 



[The excellency of the plan of the vessels descri- 

 bed below, will strike every one who has had expe- 

 rience of the difficulties attending those of the ordina- 

 ry construction — and we doubt not that, by their intro- 

 duction, our correspondent will serve the public 

 interest as well as his own. In loading and unloading 

 the ordinary decked fighters, there is great loss of la- 

 bor; and open lighters loaded with marl, are in great 

 danger from storms. Both these great objections seem 

 to be obviated by this plan, besides attaining some less 

 advantages.] 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



November, 1S35. 



I have just been" reading the last number of 

 your useful journal. The first article that met my 

 eye was editorial, and headed "facts wanting." 

 This at least shows candor. Such complaints 

 generally proceed from the opposite quarter. Well, 

 then, in the words of a noted bibliopolist, when 

 puffing a favorite article, "the absolute fact is" 



that I do not know I can at this time, or perhaps 

 at any other time, do a more acceptable service 

 to the agricultural interest, in eastern Virginia, than 

 by describing and recommending a sort of lighter 

 I have been lately building for the transportation 

 of marl. It is significantly called a "camel," from 

 its receiving the load on the back — in other words, 

 the deck. Its recommendations are its simplicity 

 and cheapness, buoyancy", and consequent securi- 

 ty against storms, and the facility with which the 

 load may be discharged. These advantages will, 

 I think, be palpable^from a mere description. I 

 here take pleasure in acknowledging the obliga- 

 tion I am under to an observant friend, for suggest- 

 ing the plan — and indeed for the personal superin- 

 tendence and instruction, which enabled me to 

 overcome the prejudices of a ship carpenter, whom 

 I had employed on the occasion. This individual 

 had no idea of a decked lighter, without knees, 

 carlines, keelsons and other things, hard to call, 

 and still harder to get, and to work when got. 

 By mingled entreaty and command, he was in- 

 duced to build a camel; and now no one is more 

 clearly impressed with their utility. To show my 

 opinion of their superiority, I will state that I have 

 three completed. I had previously commenced an 

 open one, now on the stocks, which I shall be 

 pleased to dispose of to any of your subscribers in 

 want of such a vessel. The materials are excel- 

 lent. It can be finished on short notice, and de- 

 livered where wanted — though I will be honest 

 enough to say I do not recommend it, except for 

 live stock, wood, and very bulky commodities. 

 But I must stop. I sat down to compose an arti- 

 cle for the benefit of others, and lo! 1 am penning 

 an advertisement to benefit myself. Oh self-in- 

 terest! what an insidious thing thou art. I do not 

 ascribe to the friend, who communicated the idea 

 of the camels, any merit on the score of inven- 

 tion; and I presume it would be no easy matter to 

 say to whom that is due: for aught I know, to some 

 ancient Egyptian, who hit on the expedient for re- 

 moving the immense blocks that compose the 

 pyramids. I hope, by the way, for the support of 

 this ingenious and important supposition, that the 

 aforesaid pyramids are situated near the canals 

 which intersect that celebrated region. The gen- 

 tleman referred to, happened to be at Old Point 

 a year or two since, at that season when folks do 

 congregate there for health and pleasure, and ob- 

 served these lighters engaged in the transportation 

 of stone, sand, &c. Some were undergoing re- 

 pair, which gave a good opportunity of examining 

 their construction. "Jlinc Mcb" — not tears, Mr. 

 Editor, but camel lighters. I cannot give a better 

 illustration of these lighters than by likening them 

 to a huge, flat, oblong box, bevelled at each end 

 nearly, but not quite, to the top; and consisting of 

 four longitudinal and parallel planks, viz: the sides 

 and two others intermediate and equi-distant from 

 them and from each other, dividing the box into 

 three long and equal compartments; across and 

 upon which four planks are nailed at the bottom 

 and top. My lighters are 40 feet long at top, and 

 35 at bottom, 12 feet wide, and about 30 inches 

 deep, including the thickness of the bottom and 

 top planks. These planks are two inches thick, 

 as are the longitudinal ones in the middle. The 

 side planks are three inches, and must, together 

 with the parallel middle ones, in all cases be got 

 the full length of the lighter, for the sake of 



