Vol.VII.— No.l9. 



AND HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



147 



extraordinary it must be, that our tender grasses, 

 (most of which are cut in the bloom, and often 

 more than once in a season) are not destroyed by 

 Ihis means. A FARMER. 



Lynn, J^ov. 25, 1828. ' 



lars worth of these articles during the Iftst year. 

 Such facts as these speak volumes in favor of the 

 protecting system, and prove incontestably that if 

 the unnatural advantage which foreign competi- 

 tion derives from the political depression of the 

 laboring classes in Europe, is counterbalanced by 



AGRICULTURAL EXHIBITION. 



A Cattle Show, &c. was held at Washington, 



Penn. by the Washington Agricultural Society, on 



the 16th ult. The official account sent us by a 



friend and subscriber, in that quarter of the coun- 

 try, being too long for insertion entire, we shall 



be under the necessity of abridging it. 



The Committee state that the Show was res- 

 pectably and numerously attended, and indicated 



a progressive improvement. Thirty stallions 



were on the ground, but several of those should 



never have been shown for premiums. A num- 

 ber of horses, however, were recommended for 



" combining the remarkable qualities of figure 



strength and action ;" and the Committee call the 



attention of farmers to the importance of improv- 

 ing the breed of this highly useful animal. Ex^ 



perience demonstrates more clearly every year the 



superiority of those crossed with the pure blooded 



horse of England for every purpose except the 



road team ; and even there (when size can be ob- 



tainedj their superiority is acknowledged." 



The whole number of Horses, Mares, and Colts 



on the ground was between 90 and 100. A fine 



,?enny and a very promising young Jack were ex- 

 hibited by Mr. Walter Craig. 



" The beauty of form and extraordinary weight 



of young Cattle excited universal admiration. It 



is perhaps worthy of remark (in order to show what 



may be done, even by the introduction of one fine 



animal) that every Bitll on the ground, except 



two, were descendants of Mr. Reed's "Nonsuch," 



of the improved short horn breed." 



Merino sheep not numerous, but all of a superior 



quality — specimens of wool equal to any Saxony. 

 Hogs deficient in number hut showed a great 



improvement in quality.—" The Bedford breed, 



lately introduced into this country, are rapidly 



spreading', and as rapidly improving our stock. — 

 Their docility, early maturity, and great propen- 

 sity to fatten render them an important acquisition 

 to the judicious farmer." 



Domestic Mamifaetured Articles " were such as 

 to call forth the admiration of every one who be- 

 held them, and to furnish evidence (were evidence 

 wanting) of the industry and taste of the ladies of 

 Washington County." Several pounds of Sewing 

 Silk " were exhibited, made by Mrs. Axtel, Riggs, 

 Bombarger and Quail, and which we have no hes- 

 itation in pronotmcing equal to any imported silk 

 we have seen." The Committee likewise st.ite 

 "that we observed with much pleasure a young 

 lady attending our Show, from an adjoining coun- 

 ty dressed in most superb silk of a beautiful ma/a- 



ll. The seed of the button wood may he gath- 

 ered any time during the winter or spring, and 

 sown in April. I sowed in the spring of 1827, and 

 some of the plants are now four or five i'cet high. 

 This tree may also be propagated by cuttings. 

 13. The common locust (rohinia pseudo-acacia,) 

 an adequate importing duty, our home industry i is propagated by seeds and suckers. The seeds 



■ lire surrounded by a glutinous sliell impervious to 

 old water. They slioidd therefore be steeped in 



and skill will be able to manufacture from the pro 

 ihicts of our own soil, a sufficient supply of Cloths, 

 Cottons, Silks and Bonnets without ini|)Ovcrishing 

 our country to pay trans-atlantic artisans. 



The Committee likewise recommend Cabinet 

 Ware by Mr. Joseph Huston, Plated Ware, by 

 Messrs. Hendricks & Morrison, currant and grape 

 Jf'ine by Mrs. Eckhert, &c. &c. 



A statement of the weight of the Cattle, exhib- 

 ited as above, may be found on the last page of 

 this week's paper. 



IFroin the American Fanner.^ 



lOREST AND ORNAMENTAL TREES. 



J. S. Skinner, Esq.,. — I send you the following 

 in answer to the queries of T. J. R. iti the Farmer 

 of the 7th November, so far as experience will 

 warrant. 



The maple (sugar,) sheds its seeds in Septem- 

 ber. This is the time to gather and to sow them. 

 In the autumn of 1826, I gathered a bushel of the 

 seed and sowed it. Not a seed vegetated in 1827, 

 but last spring they came up abundantly. They 

 were sown thickly upon a bed of light loam, and 

 covered with on inch of earth. Their growth has 

 been trifling ; but after the second year, if j)ut in 

 nursery row.s, I have found by experience that they 

 become much more thrifty. 



1. The soil, or white maple, sheds its seeds in 

 May. On the 28th of May, 1827, I had a qiianti- 

 tv of the seeds gathered and immediately jdanted. 



They grew two feet the first summer, and many , , , , 



ofthem which were placed in nursery rows last *^y'^''' "'»>• ^'^ consulted by your correspondent 

 spring, are five and six feet high. This is one of 



water, nearly, or quite at the boiling point, and 

 sown when you i)lant beans, as the plants arc, 

 when young, very sensitive to frost. When once 

 established, it is difficult to eradicate them, as they 

 send up sprouts wherever the root is sundered or 

 bruised. They are of quick growth, and consti- 

 tute a valuable timber. 



The glutinous resembles the common in its ap- 

 pearance, habits and rapid growth, and is equally 

 prolific in suckers. It flowers beautilijlly, bur 

 mine have not produced seeds. 



The three thorned or horny locust, us it is (-ai- 

 led, (gledischia) grows freely fnjui such seeds sov\'u 

 in the si)ring. I have planted some thousands of 

 these in hedge, with a strong confidence of their 

 jn-oving an excellent plant for live fence. Tlieir 

 growth is rapid, and the wood very hardy and 

 compact. 



14. I gathered and sowed the seeds of the elm, 

 on the same day (May 28lli) that I did the white 

 maple. The best j)laiits are now from two to 

 four feet high. 



I have had no experience with the birch, chea. 

 nut, tulip, pine or oak, and am oidy commencing 

 my experiments upon the firs ; and shall therefore 

 say nothing of the manner of propagating them — 

 except to observe, that nature is the best guide in 

 these matters. Follow her laws ; plant when the 

 seed falls from its jiarent tree, and we shall sel- 

 dom fail of success. Michaux's North American 



the quickest growing trees we have, particularly 

 on moist and wet soils, to which it is particularly 

 adapted. It is ornamental, and makes good fuel 

 after it has become partially dry. 



2. I have repeatedly planted horse chestnut in 

 April, with unvarying success, and have nearly 

 four thousand growing, of different ages. The on- 

 ly precautions I would suggest, are, to take care 

 that the nuts do not become heated and rancid, I Sf^^^- 



with profit. 



Your correspondent seems to be in the condi- 

 tion of a political candidate for office, perched on 

 an eniinenoe, a mark fi)r every angry wind that 

 blows. 1 advise him to remove into the vale, out 

 of the reach of the envious elements ; or if this 

 cannot be done, to encircle his villa with all the 

 variety of trees that will grow upon his grounds, 

 and by no means omitting fruit trees and ever- 

 They may be thinned and fashioned to 



and that they are not covered with too much earth. 

 From one to two inches is the proper depth to 

 plant. They are fond of a rich, tenacious soil. 



5. Beech masts are most successfully planted 

 when they naturally fall from the tree, in autumn 

 and should be slightly covered. 



6. I have jdanted ash keys in April. A few 

 came up the first summer, but ninety-nine hund- 

 redths ofthem did not vegetate until they had lain 

 in the ground a twelve month. The white hkes 

 a kind loam ; the black wet and gravelly locations. 

 Those which came up the first season, and which 



seasons, are from two to three 



his taste as they advance in growth. The seeds 

 of all he has enumerated, and many others, may 

 be easily procured ; and the expense of nurturing 

 the young plants will not be felt by a gentlemsii 



I of his ardor in rural and useful improvement. 



With an ardent desire that your correspondent's 

 zeal may prove contagious, and that he may ol)- 



' tain a seat in Congress to reward you for your 

 meritorious labor, I subscribe myself", very res|ject- 

 fully, your obedient servant. J. B. 



I Atbawj, No,: 182S. 



vine blue color, produced from worms, fed by her 



own fair hands during the last summer. Your Those which came up the first season, and which j Propagating forest trees. — Sowing acorns, beach 

 committee would remark that the cultivation of , have grown two seasons, are from two to three ^ masts, ash keys, &c. in the autumn, when these 

 - the silk worm is very simple, and can be introduc- 1 feet high. seeds will fall spontaneously fri'm the trees ap- 



ed among our agricultural pursuits with the great- 1 7. I have not planted any walnuts but the black | pears by much the most natural method ; but the 

 est facility. It is within the reach of almost eve- 'kind. They were put in the ground in autumn, 

 ry farmer. — The mulberry grows spontaneously, i and vegetated freely. Their growth is rapid since 



■ and abundantly, and it requires only the labor of the two first years after planting. 



-children to manage the worms." | 9. Seeds of the mulberry may be planted on a 



Leghorn and Gimp Bonnets were exhibited and; bed of fine mould in May. I have hundreds, 



commended "particularly those made by Miss the seeds of which were' sown in the spring of 



lEwart and Miss M'Cellland, the former of whom' 1806. They will soon constitute a fine hedge. 



destruction made by the field-mouse upon these 

 seeds, both at the time of sowing and during the 



inade upwards of 80 dollars and the latter 50 dul- where protection from winds is desired. 



winter, has induced many gentlemen to prefer 

 spring sowing to the autumnal one. When spring 

 sowing is determined on, the acorns and other 

 seeds must be jireserved in sand during the win- 

 ter ; and, in forming the magazines, care must be 

 taken to keep the different sorts from each other. 



