322 



NEW ENGLAND FAUMER, 



May 1, 1823, 



Another effectual anci ingenious expedient is, I 

 understand, adopted by the Governor of Connec- 

 ticut, Mr Smith, Mrhich consists in covering the 

 body or trunk of the tree with straw, from June 

 until the end of August, in order to guard its sur- 

 face from the deposition of eggs by the fly, which 

 is said to cause the mischief.* I am told that by 

 this means he has preserve.l all his trees to full 

 age, and good healtli. This process was an- 

 nounced ill February, last year, by my friend, Dr 

 Pascalis, of New York, who appears to have paid 

 much attention to the subject, while he resided iii 

 Philadelphia. He says that the matted sheaf of 

 straw, bound round the tree, need only extend 

 quite down to the lower part of the trunk, be- 

 cause the eggs deposited are ejected out by the 

 gum oozing from the bark, and destroyed by dry- 

 ing, except at some height from the earth. 



It is very pernicious to use fish oil on trees, as 

 it shuts the pores hermetically, and, preventing 

 transpiration, is often the cause of death to the 

 tree. 



Your personal influence, and that of other mem 



of fertility for vegetation ; remembering that this 1 ing is simple, sufficiently safe, and easy even to 



kind of seed is very small ; its period of gerinina- | those who only amuse themselves with gardening. 



and that frost, drought, I It is a good precaution to strow some straw be- 



tion comparatively long ; 



or hardness of the soil are absolutely destructive 



to it. 



Another preliminary remark to be attended to, 

 is concerning the expediency of immediately en- 

 trusting these seeds to the ground, or at an early 

 period in the ensuing spring. We shall candidly 

 give our opinion in 



favor of the latter, for the fol- 



tween the drills, in such a manner, however, as 

 not to obstruct the view of the straight lines, to 

 which much attention must be jiaid. The use of 

 hot beds protected by glasses, or of boxes kept in 

 green houses, is not approved by culturists, from 

 a souriil experience that it is better to trust to 

 healthy good seeds raised in the open air, than to 



Unless 



,owin- reasons and motives. No doubt the seeds j run the risks of a change of temperature, 

 could''stand the winter under snow. Such a situ- 1 the weather is remarkably cool, and the ground 



too dry, the seeds will germinate and shoot up on 

 the 12th day, at farthest. 



Several cares or attentions are necessary during 



the first two months, and sometimes afterwards ; 



drifting of the snow, intense! these are ivatering, iceeding, antX thiniiitig. The 



It is now, also, most likely first mentioned should be frequently attended to in 



too late'to"prepa>"e beds with the digging and ! the beginning, and so long as the seedlings cannot 



ploughing necessary for immediate sowing ; and,; have thrown their roots deep ; the second reqmres 



ation they would have in a state of nature, and 

 perhaps even being in a state of forwanlness ; but 

 in the transitions and vicissitudes of our climate, 

 otherwise so favorable, there is a danger of three 

 untoward cases 

 cold, and late frosts 



in this experiment of attempting to stock the 

 country with an infinite number of these valuable 

 trees, we think it would be unwise to trust to 

 means of protection, such as mats. 



bers, could extend these practical and useful rem- 1 those slight .„..„, r>r the 



- have twigs, dead leaves, dung, chopped stiaw, or the 

 like which can but poorly counterbalance adverse 



edies, and, in this view of the subject I 

 thought it my duty to recommend them. 

 With great respect I remain. 



Your obedient servant, 



ANDRE PARMENTIER. 

 David Hoosack, M. D , President J 

 of the Hort. Society of JVeio York. J 



INSTRUCTIONS FOR SOWING THE MUL- 

 BERRY SEED. 



We have often heard it said, that there are 

 White Mulberries enough in the United States, in- 

 digenous or imported, to supply us with seeds, 

 which would be better adapted to the soil and 

 climate than even fresh ones from abroad. We 

 answer that there are no facts on record, in this 

 or any other country, establi^-hiiig that this plant 

 when raised from foreign seeds, is of a quality in- 

 ferior to the same species more anciently import- 

 ed, or supposed indigenous. On the contrary, we 

 Bee that all the silk countries keep up a constant 

 interchange of the jdant, to perfect or improve its 

 varieties, either from seedlings or by grafting. — 

 And also we think it very ([uestionable whether 

 the business of gathering the seeds of the white 

 mulberry, which requires important care and 

 choice, and jireparations, is followed up in any 

 part of the United States, or, if it is, whether 

 enough could be obtained for a whole district, and 

 we be enabled to present to our fellow citizens a 

 chance for more than a million of trees. The 

 seeds we ofl^er, which ajipear uncommonly fine, 

 have been selected from a latitude, which, as a 

 wintry one, is very similar to our own ; and this 

 circumstance does away the only exotic character 

 which niiglit be apprehended. 



As for the soil required for them, we have saidf 

 that any refuse land, in a farm, which was un- 

 propitions for ordinary sorts of (jroduce, might, it 

 not altogether sterile, be turned into a profitable 

 mulberry orchard. This remark is, however, not 

 applicable to the propagating of the plant for seed- 

 lings. The seed must be sown in some small 

 spot of grouiul possessing every requisite principle 



chances. In fine, in silk countries renowned for 

 the equal temperature of their winters, the spring 

 season is, after all, [ireferred for sowing. 



DIRECTIONS. 



The ground for the seeds, being of good soil, 

 and having a warm aspect, requires to be plough- 

 ed one foot or more in depth, and spaded up sev- 

 eral times ; to be freed from old roots, stones, and 

 pebbles ; and to be lightly mixed with old manure. 

 If the soil is in a hard condition it should be soft- 

 ened with ashes, soot, or old mould. Towards 

 spring after another ploughing and harrowing, it 

 should be divided and raised into as many beds as 

 are wanted ; especially for the convenience of 

 v/atering, if there is water at hand ; these beds 



to be done whenever any of the old herbs, sponta- 

 neous on that ground, come up in the drills or be- 

 tween them ; the last, thinning, should not be 

 long deferred, because mulberrr seedlings grow 

 the better for being as much as two inches apart, 

 or even three in the second year. Delay in thia 

 operation would render it diflicult to conduct it 

 witliout injuring the roots of those left behind ; 

 anl when too near to each other, the plants will 

 ceitainly suffer by spindling. Any delay in thin- 

 niig is iiropcr which might in a few days show 

 tlie°best seedling of the two or more in a clus- 

 ter. 



Budding, the next thing necessary, consists in 

 clipping or j.iiiching off all the lateral buds from 

 the slock of the seedling, leaving only the middle 

 one, which thereby profits by the whole sap, and 

 streogtiiens the plant. Tliis, Iiowever, should al- 

 ways be done before the leaves unfold, lest the 

 pulling or twisting of the bud should injure materi- 

 ally the \eiider bark. 



Topping, the last attention necessary, must be 



should never be so wide but what the centre can I j,,,,^ ,,.,,.1^ ■„, ^|,g s|„-ii,g of the second year. It is 

 easily be reached by the hand. The time for sow- .pQ^med by cutting down every seedling with 

 ins should be the first of April; or immediately Lj^^^p gilged nippers, which give no strain to the 

 after the equinoxial storms in this climate, and a 1 ^p^,; The |)lants are cut level with the ground. 

 few weeks later on highlands. At such a time, in ; -pi^jg process is principally intended for the benefit 

 fine, as there is no danger of long deep frosts. — j ^j- tl,e root, and the enlargement of the stem or 

 The seeds now on hand, are mixeil with equal ! gj.,i|. „ hich by the next fall will he more than a 

 quantities of sand ; before sowing they should be j f^^^ ;|jg|,^ ^.,,,(1 ^g tjjjpk as tlie finger. 

 steeped several hours in water, and left todiy;j •j'^^ seedlings, to be in a good condition at the 

 the next day they must be sown by the hand, in , g|,j „(• ti,g second year, require nothing but a 

 straight drills, an inch and a half deep, and ti^'c or [|g.jij,y i,(,^iy ^f roots, and a strong stock; any- 

 six inches asunder, and be covered over with the | j|^j|,„ j-^|r(|,pr for the trimii/ing and shaping of the 

 hoe or rake.* This mode of sow- i h^gi', part will he done in the nursery by graft- 



hand or a small 



* My Inle respected friRinl, Mr Bnsr, Director of llie Kiiis's 

 Garden of P.iris, after seeinj; several worms, which M. flli- 

 fhaux tiroughi home from America, proiiouuced them to be the 

 Jarvce of the Cailidia Flexuosa. 



t Vid. the Report of the Institute, Evening Post, Nov. H, 

 present year. 



* The following mode of laying mulberry seeds 

 in the ground is recommended in a late German 

 work, translated anil [mblishcd last year by order 

 of government, vid. Document 226, letter from .1. 

 Mease, &c, p. 57, taken from the work of Mr De 

 Hazzi. 



" Two days before the sowing, the seeds must 

 be steeped in water, and afterwards rubbed upon 

 a packthread, which must be laid in thrf bottom of 

 the drill, and covered with earth, the drills being 

 made two inches deep," &c. 



Something like this singular mode is related by 

 the Mht Sauvaa:es in his treatise on the mulberry, 

 1763. He add-s without recommending it, that it 

 had anciently been used. Be it as it may, the 

 method is obviously very dangerous to the safety 

 of the seedUngs, exposing all alike to be shaken 

 by the least impression communicated to one, or 



, part will 



ing (T pruning : of all which we will take care to 

 inforii culturists in good season. F. P. 



Mlu) York, Dec. ith, 1828. 



roB THE NEW ENGLAM) FARMER. 



SOVING GRASS SEEDS IN THE FALL. 

 Ml Editor — In your valuable ))aper on the 

 sowiig of grass seeds, imblished in the Farmer of 

 the I7th inst, you are pleased to refer to an article, 



torn from their tender roots by weediti" near the 

 drill!, or by a quadruped accidentally crossing 

 the jed ; or by some mischievous boy in search 

 of a )iece of line ; or by the innocent inattention 

 of sime jicrson treading upon a drill. There are 

 man; evils which cannot always be guarded 

 agaiist, but this mode seems to invite risks with a 

 grealwant of common foresight ! 



