254 



Effect of Hoi Ifater ore J'Uoioers. — The following 

 fact is deserving of record, as an interesting addi- 

 tion to what has hitherto been discovered on the 

 subject of vegctuhio physiology, and as enabling 

 the lovers of flowers to prolong for a day the en- 

 joyment of their short lived beauty. Most flowers 

 begin to fade after being kept twenty-four hours 

 in water ; but all (the most fugacious, such as the 

 poppy and perhaps one or two others, ext^epted) 

 may be completely restored by the use of hot 

 water. For this purpose — i>lace the flowers in 

 scalding water, deep enough to cover about one 

 third of the length of tlic stem, and by the time 

 the water has become cold, the flowers will be- 

 come erect and fresh ; then cut oft' the clodded 

 ends, and init them into cold water. — Patriot. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Feb. 27, 1829. 



JVEW ENGLAND FAIIMER. 



BOSTON, FRIDAY, FEB. 27, 1829. 



HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



At a meeting beld at the oflice of Zebedee 

 Cook, Jr, in this city, on Tuesday last. Gen. 11. A. 

 S. Dearborn, after a few pertinent remarks upon 

 the objects of the meeting, proposed its organiza- 

 tion. 



The Hon. John Lowell was appointed Mod- 

 erator, and Zeeedee Cook, Jr, Secretary. 



The meeting then proceeded to choose a Com- 

 mittee of three for the purpose of preparing' a Con- 

 stitution to present to the Society at an adjourned 

 meeting, to be called by the Chairman of the 

 satne, when they should be ready to report. 



A Committee consisting of five was ajipointed 

 to procure subscribers. Books for this pui pose 

 are opened at the New England Farmer oflice, 

 and at the oflice of the Secretary, 7 1-2 Congress 

 street, where all who are so inclined, are invited 

 to call and sign their names. 



ZEBEDEE COOK, Jr, Scmtanj. 



Boston, Feb. 24, 1S29. 



MR TIDD'S NEW VARIETIES OF POTA- 

 TOES.* 



The importance of the potato as fijod for man 

 and beast is so generally appreciated tluit any at- 

 tempt to improve the fjuality of that veget;iblc 

 will, no doubt, be considered interesting by the 

 agricultural part of the counnunity. In England, 

 we are told, the farmers hold it to be indispensably 

 necessary to renew their potatoes from the top 

 seed once in fourteen or fifteen years, to prevent 

 their degeneracy, both as respects quantity and 

 quality. The Essex ./Igricultural Society have 

 granted premiums for raising potatoes from seed, 

 and a report on that sifljject, signed by the lato 

 Col. PicKERijjG, chairman of a connnittee of that 

 society was published in the A'ew England Farmer 

 vol. vi. p. 98. 



By the abovementioned report it appears that 

 Mr Daniel Putimni of Danvers, and Mr Daniel 

 Burnham of Newbury port, presented, at the Essex 

 Cattle Show in 1827, various samples of potatoes, 

 grown in 1827, produced from seeijs taken fron: 

 the green balls in the autumn of 1825, and sown 

 in the spring of 1826. It is further stated, that 

 " To prevent any mixture of tlie different sorts it 

 was necessary that the product from each single 

 seed should be kept by itself; and that this pro- 

 duct of cacii sort, ])lanted in the spring of the 

 succeeding year shoidd also be kept separate from 

 every other sort. These precautions were duly 

 *See Iho last No. of the N. E. Farmer, p. 242. 



observed by Mr Putnam and Mr Burnham, and 

 each of them now exhibited satisfactory proof of 

 their success. They selected the best of the vari- 

 ous sorts they had cultivated. The superior sort 

 of Mr Putnam's was red, and in shape and ap- 

 pearance exactly resembled the \oug red or River 

 Plate potato ; but was incomparably better, being 

 very mealy and finely flavored. One single seed- 

 ling plant of 1826 produced only four small pota- 

 toes ; but these four, planted the last May, each 

 one in a hill, in good groimd, yielded half a bushel, 

 or a half peck to each hill. 



"Of Mr Buruham's best sort (they were white) 

 two potatoes grown from one seed in 1826, and 

 planted about the middle of last May (1827) yield- 

 ed ten pounds of potatoes, some of them very 

 large, and all of exceflent quality, being very mealy 

 and finely flavored. 



" The merits of these two sorts of potatoes, 

 ' taking thein for all in all,' ap]jeared so equal that 

 to do equal justice to the two claimants, the com- 

 nuttce decided to blend the different premiums and 

 divide the same equally between them. 



" Tiie committee have reason to think that as 

 the potatoes of the sccona year's growth from the 

 seed, appeared to be superior in texture and flavor 

 Uo the small seedling potatoes of the first year, so 

 the product of the third year may bo superior to 

 that of the second. 



" The seeds are thus saved. In autumn, or 

 whenever the potatoes are ripe, some of the green 

 balls are collected ; and the pulp being soft, tbey 

 are mashed by hand, and by washing them in sev- 

 eral waters, the seeds are "separated and made 

 clean. These being well dried, ayi: savej till seyd 

 time in the ensuing spring, a.id then sown in drills, 

 in the manner m wlii^h garden seeds are sov/n. 

 The most vigorous plants when four or five inches 

 high, may be transplanted to another bed, at the 

 distance of a foot from each other. Or the smal- 

 ler plants growing between the best may be pulled 

 up ; leaving the best about a foot apart, In order 

 that the product of each plant may be kept by it- 

 self. It will doubtless be expedient to sow seeds 

 fi-om the best sorts of potatoes the experimenters 

 can obtain." 



It appears to us that Blr Tidd's mode of obtain- 

 ing seedling potatoes is to be preferred to any 

 other modes of which we have seen any account, 

 in the following modifications of his process, viz: 

 In planting the balls or pieces of the balls instead 

 of ])lanting the seeds merely. Nature designs that 

 the pul|), or nutritious mattei", contained in or con- 

 stituting what botanists denominate the pericarp 

 of the seed, shall furnish nutriment to the young 

 jilant, while yet in embryo, and before it obtains 

 the organs and the vigor necessary to enable it to 

 draw nourishment from the soil. It has been re- 

 connnendcd to plant peaches whole instead of the 

 kernels ; and apple seeds are said to succeed the 

 better for being sown with the pomace in which 

 thoy are enveloped, when taken from a cider-mill. 

 Dr Darwin observes in his Phytolo^Ut, that " To 

 sow seeds advantageously, it is probable, that those 

 of onr iiative plants might be suffered to drop on 

 the surface of the earth in autumn, or to fall from 

 their parent plant covered only by their deciduous 

 leaves, in wliich situation their fruit might contri- 

 bute to nourisli them." And again, " Where the 

 fruit, which surrounds any seeds can be sown with 

 them it may answer some useful piu'pose. Thus 

 the fruit of crabs, quinces, and some hard ])ears 

 will lie all the winter uninjured, covered only with 



their autumnal leaves, and u<iU contribute m%i,ch to 

 nourish lluir germinating seeds in the spring: So 

 the holly beriy and the ivy berry r-emain during 

 the winter months uninjured by the rain or frosts, 

 and undevoured by birds or insects, and contribute 

 to nourish their germinating seeds when they fall 

 to the ground in the spring. The acrid husk of 

 walnuts, sown along with them, preserves the 

 sweet kernel from the attack of insects ; the same 

 nnisi be the use of the acrid oil of tiie cashew nut. 

 The hawthorn possesses both a nutritive covering, 

 and a hard shell for the above purposes ; and the 

 seeds of roses are armed with stiff" pointed bristles, 

 as well as furnished with a nutritious fruit ; the 

 former constitutes a defence against insects, and 

 the latter sujiplies a reservoir of nutriment for the 

 germinating seeds." 



Another (as it appears to us) favorable circum- 

 stance with regard to Blr Tidd's ex|)erinients, was 

 his forwarding the young plaiits in his green house. 

 It was this acceleration of their growth which 

 ca.i.'ed the produce the first year to consist in part 

 of" fair sized potatoes and a few larger than the 

 average growth of early whites." Mr Tidd has 

 duis, not only gained a year's time in forwarding 

 Ms experiment, but it is probable that he has 

 thereby obtained more vigorous and prolific varie- 

 &es than he could have done by common culture. 

 Yonng plants as well as youiig animals should be 

 Wfll r. I in the early part of their growth, or they 

 wiil not attain the excellence of which they are 

 cajiable. 



Ear!;; Jisparagus. — Mr R. Tooliey, gardener to 

 the late Gov. Gore, has left at the New England 

 Farmer office, Feb. 24, some bunches of aspara- 

 gus, six inches long, which we expect is the first 

 cut this season, in this vicinity. 



.Agricultural Societies. — A bill to continue in. 

 forc;>, for tlic term of five years, an act for the 

 encouragement of Agrictilture and Manufactures, 

 passed the Massachusetts House of Representa- 

 tives, on the 21st inst. 



Rail-Roads. — On the 23d inst. the Legislature 

 of Massachusetts resolved, that it is expedient for 

 the state to aid and encourage the construction of 

 railroads, by its funds. The further considera- 

 tion of the sulijcct is postponed to the next session 

 of the Legislature. 



Extract of Sumac. — From a communication of Ri- 

 chard IF. Otis, Est/., to Dr Samuel L. Mitchell, 

 dated Dec. 20th, 1828, icith a sample of the arti- 

 cle, as prepared in Sicily. 



This extract contains all the efficient properties 

 of Sumac, used in dying stuffs and yarns, as well 

 as iu tanning skins. It consequently answers the 

 same purposes, and can be substituted to common 

 Sumac in all circumstances. 



One part of this extract produces as much effect 

 as ten parts of Sumac, and even more, its action 

 being more immediate and )jenetrating. 



Its qualities j)reserve themselves unchanged, 

 time or age having no effect upon them. 



This extract occupies one-hundredth part the 

 volume of common Sumac, and its weight is nine- 

 tenths less. It advantages must accordingly be 

 calculated upon thesj proportions, that is to say, 

 in regard to freight, land carriage, warehouse- 

 room, and cost of store rent, &c. 



A small quantity of tepid water dissolves it. 

 In its application to the arts, that quantity of 



