Vol. VII.— No. 31. 



AND HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



243 



five hundred plants, so that I had about fifteen 

 hundred, wliich bore potatoes. The second 

 question is, how far apart they must be planted 

 in order to prevent them from mixing ? This I 

 conceive to be very important ; for if they should 

 mix, the potatoes I might select to test the qual- 

 ity miglit be entirely different from all the rest in 

 the same hill, creating confusion and uncertainty 

 in my next year's crop. And if I must plant 

 them at any considerable distance apart, it will 

 require more ground than I shall be willing to 

 spare. 



That potatoes will mix in tlie ordinary way of 

 planting them I bad occular evidence last season. 

 My man, who knew that I was something curious 

 in these things, brought me a potato, apparently an 

 early white, with a light red streak, in imitation of 

 the calicoes. He said that it grew among the 

 ear'y whites, in the vicinity of some calicoes. A 

 row of calicoes ran parallel to, and immediately 

 afljbining the row of whites, from among which 

 tliis potato was taken. I have preserved it among 

 my seedlings, and intend planting it with them. 

 I had some seedlings marked in precisely the 

 same manner. The third question is, what me- 

 thod shall I adopt to test their quality the next 

 season, should I live to finish the experiment ? 

 For, if I have fifteen thousand hills of potatoes, 

 and must try every hili separately, if they are 

 cooked three times a day, it would require thir- 

 teen years to finish the trial. You see, Mr Editor, 

 into how much difficulty my prying curiosity has 

 involved me; and that it will require much time, 

 trouble and expense to carry on this experiment 

 to completion in the same style in which it was 

 commenced. From the success which has so far 

 attended my weak endeavors, I fee! desirous that 

 it should be continued under the best possible 

 auspices. Although I candidly confess that curi- 

 osiiy, combmed wiih amusement, was the chief 

 inducement at the commencement of the experi- 

 ment, as I performed all the work, except weed- 

 ing, with my own hands, yet I will not deny that 

 the honor, the honor, Mr Editor, should I be suc- 

 cessful in raising a very superior potato, in point 

 of precocity, quantity, and quality, which present 

 appearances seem to justify me in anticipating, is 

 not without its influence on my mind. Should I 

 not succeed in obtaining a variety, in which all 

 these good qualities unite, yet I hope to have sev- 

 eral in which two of them shall ]iredominate in 

 au eminent degree. 



Remarks by the Editor. — The above mentioned 

 experiments of Mr TiDD,appear to us to be of much 

 importance ; and we hope liis inquiries will elicit 

 the desired information from those wlio are eajia- 

 ble of bestowing it. We propose hereafter to of- 

 fer some suggestions on the subject. 



FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



HINTS TO YOUNG FARMERS. 



Consider your calling the most elevated, and 

 the most important ; but never be above it, nor be 

 afraid of the frock and the apron. 



Put off no business, which ought and can be 

 done today, until tomorrow. 



As soon as the spring opens and the frost is out 

 of the ground, put your fences in order. 



Plant no more ground than you can well ma- 

 nure and cultivate to advantage. 



Never hire a man to do a piece of work, which 

 you can do yourself. 



Every day has its appropriate duties, attend to 

 them in succession. 



Keep no more stock, than you can keep in good 

 order, and that of the best kind. 



Never " run into debt" without a reasonable 

 probability of solving it at the time agreed. 



Remember that economy and industry are the 

 two great pillars, the Jachin and Uoaz, of the 

 farmer's prosperity. 



Should you take the JVew England Fanner, or 

 any other periodical journal, pay for it in ad- 

 vance. 



Never carry your notes in your pocket-book, as 

 the desk or trunk is a more appropriate place. — 

 Keep them on file and in order, ready to be found 

 when wanted. 



Never buy anything at an auction because the 

 article is going cheaji, unless you have a use 

 for it. 



Keep a place for your tools — and your tools in 

 their places. 



Instead of spending a rainy day at the dram- 

 shop, as many do to their ruin, repair whatever 

 wants mending — post your books. 



Should you be fond of the chase, or the sport 

 with the hook, indulge occasionally, but never to 

 the injury of more important concerns. 



By driving your business before you, and not 

 permitting your business to drive you, you will 

 have opportunities to indulge in innocent diver- 

 sions. 



Never trust your money in the hands of that 

 man, who will put his own to hazard. 



When interest or a debt become due, pay it at 

 the time, whether your creditor wants it or not. — 

 Never ask him to " ivait till next iveek," but pay it. 

 Never insult him by saying, " you do not want it." 

 Punctuality is a key to every man's chest. 



By constant temperance, habitual moderate ex- 

 ercise, and unaffected honesty, you will avoid the 

 fees of the Lawyer and the Sheriff, gain a good 

 report, and probably add to your present existence, 

 at least, 10 years of active hfe. 



When a friend calls to see you, treat him with 

 the utmost complaisance, but if important business 

 calls your attention, politely excuse yourself, and 

 he will excuse you. 



Should you think of building a house, be not in 

 a hurry, but first have every material on the spot, 

 and let your cellar be as large as the frame. 



Keep a memorandum-book — enter all notes 

 whether received or given — all moneys received 

 or paid out — all expenses — and all circumstances 

 of importance. 



In December reckon and settle with all those, 

 with whom you have accounts — pay your shop- 

 bills and your mechanics, if not promptly done at 

 the time, which is best of all. 



On the first of every January reckon with your- 

 self, and reckon honestly — bring into view all 

 debts and credits — notes and accounts — ascertain 

 to what amount your expenses were the last year, 

 and the loss or gain — make out a fair statement 

 and enter the whole in a book for the purpose. — 

 Having arrived at this important knowledge, you 

 will imitate the prudent traveller, who always 

 keeps in view where he is next to move. You 

 will now look forwards and calculate how and in 

 what way, you shall best meet and prosecute the 

 business of the ensuing seasons. 



And lastly, when the frost of winter shall lay an 

 embargo on your operations, and the chiUiug blasts 

 of Boreas shall storm your castle, let your fireside 



be a Paradise, and let the long evenings be con- 

 sumed in social glee, or in the pursuit of useful 

 knowledge. AN OLD FARMER. 



Mansjicld, Jan. 7, 1829. 



From the New York Farmer. 



VAIN ATTEMPTS TO CULTIVATE THE 

 ARACACHA OF CAGOTA. 



The attempts to introduce and naturalize the 

 Aracacha Plant of Bagota and New Grenada, in 

 Colombia, havo not that I know, been as yet at- 

 tended with any promising results. From the fail- 

 ure to propagate it in U)arilime and nortlwrn re- 

 gions, I despair of obtaining any benefit from its 

 abundant and nutritious roots. The late Baron 

 de Shaik wrote me that although it vegetated in 

 Trinidad island, there was an expenditure of the 

 whole vegetative effort in |)roducing herbage and 

 upper growth ; while there was not a single tuber 

 but only fibrous roots under ground. Under this 

 view of the case I am inclined to the belief, that, 

 whether it be an Apium as commonly supposed, 

 or a Conium as others say, it is a native of very 

 elevated tracts, and will, in all likelihood, require 

 a long and patient course of experiments to recon- 

 cile it to low lands and places near the sea, if in- 

 deed that object can be effected at all. 



DR. MITCHELL. 



BIORTALITY AMONG PEACHES. 



I remember the time, nearly forty years ago, 

 when I could boast nearly as many varieties of 

 the'])each; I even said I would fatten or feed 

 Iiogs on the yellow clingstones. Thei-e has been 

 since that time a lamentable reverse. The peach 

 trees of that plantation and of the neighboring re- 

 gion have been doomed to linger and perish. The 

 disease has been considered by Mr Prince as con- 

 tagious, and communicated by morbid flowers ; 

 and by Mr Adriance, as caused by a malign influ- 

 ence shed upon the peach tree by the Lombardy 

 l)oplar. Other discreet observers have ascribed 

 the mortality to the ravages of the insect Egeria 

 exitiosa, infesting the trunk between air and earth, 

 at the point where the ascending and descending 

 caudex unite. Some again think there is an e, i- 

 demic influence, which has not yet reached the 

 end of its destructive term, invading the health 

 and destroying the life of the peach tree. Wheth- 

 er the mortality is owing to either of these causes, 

 or to any other, it is quite a calamity in the region 

 around New York and every place where its visi- 

 tation extends. The most approved rules against 

 the disorder seem to be these : to raise trees from 

 the seed ; to cull out the best varieties of natural 

 growth ; to destroy disordered trees and to plant 

 new frequently, say once in five or other term of 

 years according to circumstances. — Ibid. 



Mr Amos Larcom has invented a machine 

 which promises to be of much service in the rear 

 part of the house. It is a washing machine so 

 constructed, as, ajiparently, to give the soiled 

 clothes a friction necessary to remove dirt, with- 

 out being so great as to injure the fabric of the 

 garment. This is a desideratum, and if the girls' 

 knuckles and wrists can be saved their weekly 

 skinning, and the linen of the family be washed 

 with as much delicacy as if by human hands, then 

 Mr Larcom has accomplished a great and a good 

 work. A model of the machine is at the Coffee 

 House for inspection. We have a smaller one be- 

 fore us, of which the females augur most favora- 

 bly.— (7. S. Gazette. 



