678 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



[No. 11 



earnest, and even now think of engaging Yankee 

 machinery and experienced reeleVs. That l he 

 business may be expected to "go ahead,'''' results 

 from the circumstance, of its being a Yankee set- 

 tlement on French Creek; and it is well known, 

 that, where there is a prospect of a speedy or even 

 remote remuneration, Yankee enterprize and in- 

 genuity will not sleep. 



Several boxes of cuttings of the Chinese mul- 

 berry in the year 1834 and again the present year 

 1835, have been forwarded to the "far west,'' and 

 orders for more, to be forwarded next spring, to 

 several places in Ohio, Michigan and Illinois. 



It is well known, that, several gentlemen in 

 Northampton have taken a lively interest in the 

 culture of the Chinese mulberry, and the collec- 

 tion of facts, in relation to the subject of silk cul- 

 ture, and considerable has been manufactured in 

 this vicinity, of superior quality. In' this place 

 also, are facilities of obtaining much useful infor- 

 mation, of procuring and forwarding the Chinese 

 mulberry. 



Respecting Western Virginia, should further 

 information be desirable, I have no doubt, that a 

 letter directed to Amos JBreck, Esq. French 

 Creek, Lewis County, Va. would be promptly at- 

 tended to and oblige 



D. STEEBIKS, 



Secretary Agricultural Society. 

 Northampton, Dec. 23, 1835. 



From th ' Augusta (Geo.) Sentinel. 



MACHINE TO GATHER COTTON FROM THE 



BOI.LS. 



We have now at our office the model of a ma- 

 chine for picking cotton out of the boll; and to say 

 the least of it, it is certuinly a very ingenious piece 

 of work. It. is simple in its construction. A num- 

 ber of wheels abreast, have attached to their rims 

 a number of pendulous oval-shaped pieces of 

 wood, set with card teeth bent upward. These 

 wheels are fixed in front of a cart and moved by 

 the motion of the cart-wheels. The cards dip 

 among the branches of the cotton stalk, seize the 

 cotton, draw it out, and as they descend again in 

 their rotation, pass through abreast or space armed 

 also with straight teeth, which relieves the cards 

 and deposite the cotton on the bottom or plain of 

 the cart, whence it is drawn back by hand with a 

 rake, until the cart is full. To us it seems impos- 

 sible that the machine can pick a field clean; but 

 suppose it leaves half the bolls untouched, it is 

 still a most valuable discovery, if it pick the other 

 half as fast as a horse can walk from rows end to 

 rows end. Whether it fall or succeed, it is a ma- 

 chine highly creditable to the ingenuity of Mr. 

 Emmons, the inventor. 



From the American Gardener's Magazine. 

 OXALIS CRENATA. 



You have no doubt heard much both for and 

 against the productiveness of this bulb. Four 

 years ago I grew it in a small pot, and afterwards 

 threw it out as useless, producing nothing but fleshy 

 fibres. I tried it again last spring, and planted a 

 bulb in ground and earthed it up as we do the po- 

 tatoes in Ireland: this fall I lifted two quarts at 



one root. J. B. Smith, Esq., of this city, put a 

 small box round the bulb he had in the ground, 

 and, as if grew, filled the box with earth; it pro- 

 duced half a peck of tubers of the size of small 

 potatoes. If cooked dry they are very pleasant 

 to tasie, but if cooked wet they are nauseous: ihe 

 tors make an excellent salad, and it may be con- 

 sidered a very useful vegetable, and will, no doubt, 

 gain favor. 



From the American Gardener's Magazine. 

 THE TO KALON GRAPE. 



In your Magazine for December, I perceive 

 some remarks on the To Kalon grape, and a doubt 

 is expressed whether it. is synonymous with the 

 Catawba. Permit, me to place this question at 

 rest, so far as my testimony will go. In the spring 

 of 1834, I received by mail one or two gratis of 

 this variety, taken from the parent, vine, sent to 

 me by a genlleman residing in the state, of New 

 York, who had published a flattering description 

 of its merits, derived from those who had seen the 

 fruit in perfection. I succeeded in raising one plant, 

 which, during the past autumn, matured several 

 fine clusters; and I have no hesitation insa)ingthat 

 the fruit is identical with the Catawba. I com- 

 pared them in various stages, and could never dis- 

 cover the slightest difference, either in flavor or 

 appearance. They are precisely alike in the, ob- 

 late form of the, berry, the color of the fruit, the 

 period of the ripening, and in the peculiar disease 

 which affects a portion of the berries when they 

 are nearly grown. It has been said, and I find 

 the same thing repeated by you, that Dr. Spaflbrd 

 raised the To Kalon from the seed, probably, of 

 a foreign variety. On examination, the most su- 

 pei ficial botanist, will readily perceive that the 

 plant bears no affinity to the foreign species. It 

 is, beyond doubt, a variety of Vitis labrusca in 

 which species so many valuable native varieties 

 are found. If the To Kalon be a seedling, its pa- 

 rentage is purely American. We have already 

 two grapes, namely, the Catawba and Muncey 

 (and this may perhaps make, the third,) which, on 

 the authority of Maj. Adlum, were discovered in 

 different and remote parts of the country; and be- 

 tween them, every point which constitute identi- 

 ty is complete. 



T. S. P. 



Beaverdam, Va., 1st. mo. 12, 1836. 



SOME ACCOUNT OF THE LABORS AND IM- 

 PROVEMENTS EXECUTED BY THE MAR- 

 QUIS DE TUEEILLY. 



[The following extract from the translation of the 

 Memoire sur les defrichmens, by the Marquis de Tur- 

 billy, though relating to agricultural operations different 

 from any required in this country, nevertheless will be 

 found interesting to every reader who takes pleasure in 

 making, or hearing of, agricultural improvements. The 

 simple and minute details of arduous undertakings 

 carried through successfully by means of untiring in- 

 dustry and zeal, no matter what is the subject, always 

 excite interest. We seem to become personally acquaint- 

 ed with the writer as we peruse his work — we enter 

 heartily into his plans, enjoy his success, and share his 

 regrets and disappointments. It is this kind of minute 



