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NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



May 1, 1829. 



From the New York Farmer. 



The Planting of Timber in Europe — and lite culti- 

 vation of the Sugar Maple, and of Live Fences in 

 the United States. 



«' I am but one year old," was the response of 

 an aged Persian to the interrogatory of his mon- 

 arch — " for it was but hist year that I began to 

 live for posterity by planting out a tree." Wljen 

 we consider that all the woods of Great Britain 

 have been sown or planted by the liand of man, 

 and witness the rapid diminution of our primitive 

 forests we cannot but appreciate the sentiment of 

 the old Persian, and feel the propriety of imitating 

 his example. The planting and preservation of 

 timber, forms now, in Europe, an important 

 branch of national economy. This highly com- 

 mendable feeling of planting for posterity, particu- 

 larly distinguishes the Pomological associations of 

 Germany. An idea of their labors and usefulness 

 may be formed from the declaration of Mr Lou- 

 don, the enlightened Editor of the Encyclopedia 

 of Gardening and Agriculture, that in October 

 last he travelled "for six days along a winding 

 avenue of fruit trees, upwards of 250 miles, 

 (from Strasburg to Munich,)" consisting of the ap- 

 ple, cherry, pear, ]>lum, and black walnut. What 

 a delightful feature nuist this form in the rural 

 Bccnery of the country, during the seasons of blos- 

 soms and fruits. And how easily it might be im- 

 itated in the old settlements of our country. The 

 people of Massachusetts are entitled to much cred- 

 it for their early attention to this subject. While 

 a laudable emulation prevails in transforming their 

 highways into avenues of trees, useful as well as 

 ornamental, the State Agricultural Society is en- 

 couraging the cultivation of live fences, and the 

 sowing and planting of forest trees, by the distri- 

 bution of liberal premiums, furnished in jiart by 

 munificent appro[)riations from her State Treasu- 

 ry. New York is great in everything hut hsr ag- 

 ricultural policy. Here agricultru'c, like -a forsaken 

 orphan, is left to struggle without parental care. 

 There is more truth than patriotism in the remark 

 once made by a member of the Committee on ag- 

 riculture, in our Legislature, that he was opposed 

 to any appropriation from the treasury for agricul- 

 tural improvements because he was too old to 

 profit by it, and because he wished to keep things 

 to his own level. 



I began these remarks with the view of recom- 

 mending to our farmers the cidtivalion of the 

 eugar maple as a means of embellishing and en- 

 hancing the value of their estates, of multiplying 

 their personal comforts, and in fulfilment of a duty 

 to posterity. The subject was suggested by re- 

 flecting on the conunendable beginnings which I 

 witnessed last summer in difl'erent parts of the 

 State, and particularly in the county of Lewis, of 

 making plantations of this valuable tree. The at- 

 tempts to preserve the forest growth of this tree 

 have been unavailing. The trees are soon pros- 

 trated by winds when the other wood is taken 

 away, and the lands around cleared. Hut when 

 set out, of projjer size, their habits early conform 

 to their location. I saw many acres planted at 

 regular distances, besides avenues of them on the 

 highways. The only faults I noticed were, in se- 

 lecting tall trees from the forest, instead of more 

 humble ones from the borders and fields, and in 

 divesting them too much of their branches. 



The sugar maple is one of our most valuable 

 trees for use and ornament. Its «op aflibrds an ar- 



ticle of indispensable family use, which is manu- 

 factured at the most leisure season of the year. — 

 Its timber is valuable for the cabinet maker and 

 the carpenter, and ranks ne,\t to hickory as fuel ; 

 its shade is umbrageous and refreshing ; its form 

 symmetrically beautiful ; and its growth is perlc'Ct- 

 ed in almost every soil. A plantation made upon 

 the north or bleak side of the farm buildings, or 

 the fruit orchard, or in belts around permanent en- 

 closures,is highly useful as a protection ; constitutes 

 a most interesting feature of rural scenery, and 

 will idtimate in substantial profit to its proprietor. 

 The grounds planted are but very little injured, at 

 least for years, for ordinary ])urposes of tillage or 

 grass. In districts where the maple is not of in- 

 digenous growth, or where suitable trees cannot 

 be obtained fora plantation, the defect might soon 

 be remedied by planting a nursery. Seeds may'be 

 gathered by bushels at the time of the early au- 

 timnial frosts, or obtained from seedsmen iu our 

 cities. They should be sown in the fall or spring, 

 after gathering, uj)on a bed of good mould, slight- 

 ly covered, and kept free from weeds. They gen- 

 erally will not grow until the second season. Af- 

 ter standing in the seed bed two sumjners, they 

 should be transplanted into nursery rows, and 

 there nursed till they have acquired size for fiual 

 |>lanting. 



Another subject interesting to the present, as 

 well as to the rising age, is the cultivation of live 

 fences. It is evident that the practice in Great 

 Britain of planting these upon a bank of earth, 

 and on the border of a ditch, is adapted neither 

 to the dry summers nor cold winters of our climate. 

 Nor has our experience yet indicated, with any 

 degree of certainty the plants best adapted to gen- 

 eral use. Yet if the information upon this sub- 

 ject, which ex])erience has suggested to individu- 

 als, was collected and concentrated, a tolerable 

 system of management might be formed. I would 

 therefore res|iectfully invite gentlemen who pos- 

 sess [)ractical knowledge, to communicate to the 

 Farmer every information which may tend to ac- 

 celerate our progress in this useful branch of im- 

 provement. J. BUEL. 



Albany, March 13, 1829. 



From (he New York Farmer. 



Foreign Plants that have withstood the present severe 

 winter at the Linnwan Botanic Garden, near JVeto 

 York. 



Dear Sir — The past winter having been very 

 severe, it is interesting to know what foreign 

 plants, heretofore considered tender, have become 

 so acclimated as to have withstood its rigors ; and 1 

 have therefore to state, that the following ar<> 

 among the lunnber : — Pceonia inontun Banksii, 

 rosea, and pupaveracea, without any ])rotection. — 

 Camellia japonica the single, and some double va 

 rieties, in mere wood frames without glass ; the 

 groiuul froze round tliem ii)ur or five inches deep 

 without injury. .Izulea indica purpurea plena with- 

 stands the severest cold, which is a curious and 

 unexpected circumstance ; Glycine vel Wisteria 

 sinensis, Magnolia purpurea anil Conspicua of Chi- 

 na, Geranium macrorhiion all withstood the cold 

 perfectly, and the Lavandula d:ntata were planted 

 in a dry soil. French Grape Vines of three years 

 growth are uninjured ; those of less age it is pru- 

 dent to cover with earth, though not always ne- 

 cessary. 



The English Laurel Primus Lauro-cerasus is 

 killed nearly to the ground, but in such cases it 



throws lip strong shoots again from the Voot». 



Nearly all the varieties of China Roses stand 

 our winters, and even the most delicate will sup- 

 port the cold if three or four inches of tanner's 

 bark is spread around them. 



Tlie Chinese Evergreen Honeysuckle, Lonicera 

 Sinensis is as hardy as an oak, it holds its foUage 

 throughout the winter, and blooms profusely with 

 delightful striped flowers in April ; the Lonicera 

 Japonica is much more tender, and was killed 

 nearly to the ground ; Lonicera implexa stands 

 the cold well. I think the Chinese Honeysuckle 

 one of the most valuable novelties our gardens can 

 boast. 



GrevilWs Superb Rose is among those that hava 

 withstood the cold best. It is at the south side of 

 the house, and seems perfectly uninjured. 



I will at another moment continue these re- 

 marks. Yours respectfully. 



WM. PRINCE. 

 Linnaan Botanic Garden, near } 



J\"ew York, March 14, 1829. \ 



From the New York Farmer. 



BOT FLY, OR NITTER. 



By Professor Eaton, of Troy. 



While preparing a Zoological Text-Book for 

 Students, I had occasion to examine the Nitter 

 with considerable attention in the summer of 1826. 

 The Genus to which this fly belongs contains 

 more than a dozen species. Two species are 

 common about Troy, New York, and probably 

 iu all the Northern States, which I will here des- 

 cribe. 



Class — Insecta. Order — Diptera. 



Genus — Oestrus. 



Generic Character — Antenna (horns) disjointed, 

 very short, sunken ; face broad, dcprussed, vesic- 

 ular ; mouth a simple orifice ; feelers two, two 

 jointed, sunken ; tail infiexed beneath. 



Equi{\eu: nitter) wings whitish with a black band 

 in the middlo and two dots at the tip. Deposits 

 its eggs on the hairs of horses legs, iu the month 

 of August. Froui observations made during the 

 three last summers, I believe this species to be 

 harmless. I do not lielieve the Bot is ever caus- 

 ed by it. 



Velerinus, (throat nitler, bot fly) wings without 

 spots; body iron rust color; sides of the thorax 

 and base of the abdomen furnished with white 

 liairs. A little smaller and nuich more agile than 

 the leg nitter. Deposits its eggs in the skin un- 

 der the throats of horses in the month of Septem- 

 ber, and with them an acrid liquor which gives 

 the horse the pain of a bee's sting, at the instant 

 of contact ; hence, this swift-winged species is 

 the dread of horses. 



So far, I think, I am justified in giving the nat- 

 ural history of this insect from personal observa- 

 tions. One farther trial is necessary, to complete 

 my |)roposed account of it. This I have not been 

 able to complete ; and take this method to ask 

 the aid of some of the readers of the Farmer.^ 

 Whoever has an opportunity to see the Bot in the 

 recentyeccs of a horse, should put a quantity of it 

 into a close tin or wooden box, of the capacity of 

 a quart or two, and keep it in a warm jilace, until 

 some of the larva? become flies. Then determine 

 the species, by accurately comparing them with 

 the descri|>iions here given. Should it prove to 

 be the sjiecies veterinus, we could safely adopt the 

 following conclusions. 



1. That the Nits deposited in the skiu under 



