382 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



June 19, 1829. 



these are motives for the patronage of tlie govern- 

 ment to the contemplated works of improvement 

 Without this patronage, exercised to some extent 

 in advancements towards expense, it is mucli to 

 be feared they cannot be undertaken, or if under- 

 taken, that it must be grants of privilege and pow- 

 er repugnant to the sentimejits of the people, in- 

 consistent with the genius of a free government, 

 and impairing the control and future enjoyment, 

 by the community, of the capacities of the country 

 for other purposes, and possibly, still liigher objects. 

 Let the subject, then, be viewed cai-efully, patient- 

 ly, and without excitement, and if upon faithful in 

 vestigation it shall be found entitled to favor, let 

 that measure of encouragement and support be 

 accorded to the work, which shall secure its ef- 

 fectual and most advantageous accomphshment. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



BOSTON, FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 1829. 



ERRATA. 



In some of tlie copies of the last number of our 

 paper, the following errors in the valuable article 

 on the '' Circulation of Sap in Trees, Sfc," were 

 suffered to pass without correction. 



Page 370, 1st column, line 20 from the top, 

 after " others," insert a period, and connnence the 

 word " this " with a capital letter. 



Line 22, in the same colunm, for '• preceded," 

 read succeeded, and for " simimer," read sunny. 



Line 19 from bottom in the same column, for 

 " heads," read buds. 



INDIAN CORN. 



Judge Peters, formerly President of the Penn- 

 sylvania Agricultural Society, recommended the 

 harrow instead of the plough in cultivating Indian 

 corn ; and perhaps in weeding, or the first time 

 of hoeing, the harrow will be found preferable to 

 the plough, especially in a light, mellow soil. In 

 a stiff, or stony soil a plough or cultivator is to 

 be preferred, at least for the secoml and third time 

 of hoeing. The plough, or cultivator leave more 

 of the land light, and in a situation to be easily 

 disposed of by the hoe, and are less impeded by 

 stones, roots, and other obstacles, than the harrow. 

 It will, therefore, be best to be governed by cir- 

 cumstances, but, perhaps, as a general rule, har- 

 rowing for the first time of hoeing, and ploughing 

 at half hilling, and hilling, will prove the most ad- 

 vantageous mode of cultivation. After your corn 

 is hoed for the first time, it will be a great advan- 

 tage to place about each hill a handful of ashes, 

 or gypsum ; or some say a mixture of both will 

 prove more advantageous than either used sepa- 

 rate. 



should be proud of the ownership of such a chat- 

 tel, but a regard to justice compels us to indicate 

 its true proprietor. We understand that it was 

 written by Mrs Child, lady of the Proprietor and 

 Editor of the Massachusetts Journal. 



FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FAKMER. 



PEACH TREES. 

 Mr Fessenden — I notice a very intelligent 

 horticulturist states in a late paper of yours, that 

 during the past cold season " tlie peach tree has suf- 

 fered severely from Massachusetts to N'eiv Jersey." — 

 I am aware that this tree has so suffered in Mas- 

 sachusetts, and have heard of the instance refer- 

 red to in New Jersey, but I can assure you that 

 on Long Island, which is between the two points 

 named, not a single tree has suffered in the least ; 

 indeed I have not seen a blossom bud that has 

 been injured. And the peach, nectarine, and apri- 

 icot trees are now loaded, and even in many cases 

 overcharged with fruit. The orchard referred to 

 in New Jersey, and which is said to have been 

 injured, (but about which I have heard contradic- 

 tory statements,) lies near the sea coast, and is ex- 

 posed to the severe storms and gales which rage 

 on the border of the ocean. HORTUS. 



quarts to the bushel obtained. You would confer 

 a favor by conveying to the individual, through 

 me, some way to purify it, and cleanse it from the 

 taste of the corn, and the smell of the beer. Any 

 information will be most thankfully received and 

 communicated to the individual concerned. 



FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



CULTURE OF SILK IN MAINE. 



Mr Fessende."* — I take the liberty to propose 

 the following queries respecting silk worms, .and 

 trust that some one of your correspondents will 

 furnish a solution to existing doubts. Our north- 

 ern location in the State of Maine has served to 

 create doubts as to the success of cultivating silk, 

 and it is with the view of having the truth gener- 

 ally known, that these questions are submitted for 

 consitleration. 



1. Should not we in the State of Maine labor 

 under material disadvantages in the culture of silk, 

 provided our seasons are not sufficiently long to 



feed and bring to maturity two sets of silk worms j double bunches are only counted as single ones ; 

 in succession, as can probably be done in Connec- and you have their certificate at the bottom ; and 

 '"^"^ ■ I if you please, you may give it a place in your most 



In consequence of our seasons being shorter! valuable work. Now the grapes are out of all 

 than those further south, have our mulberry trees j danger, (except hail gusts, &c.) Those gentlemen 

 a less quantity of leaves on them ? If not, then I know the i)lantin"- and 

 might not the objection "that the culture of silk i I only call it five yeai 



From the American Farmer. 



Remarkable Grape Vine, reared by that skilful Hor- 

 ticulturist, John Willis, Esq., Collector of the Port 

 of Oxford. 



On the 25th of March, 1822, I planted a small 

 layer of the Jersey grape vine in my yard, of 

 which, I intended to make an arbor, and produce 

 delicious table fruit, as I had found the fruit fine, 

 hangs long, and very desirable — the place is some- 

 what encumbered with about half a dozen valua- 

 ble fruit trees, and the first two years the vine 

 made very little growth ; neither was there much 

 notice taken of it ; the third year it made a sur- 

 prising growth, and took the attention of many 

 strangers. I then tried the best skill I was mas- 

 ter of to force and encourage the growth. The 

 fourth year it so far excelled my most sanguine 

 expectations, and began to smother a fine bearing 

 near tree, and appeared to threaten some more 

 trees, that I pruned oft' of the south and east side 

 of it about one hundred and sixty cuttings ; and 

 foimd it, in the fifth year to extend (where not 

 close pruned,) each way, about thirty-five feet or 

 more ; and last spring, it was so laden with fruit, 

 that I was going to have the bunches counted, (as 

 it is the bunch grape,) and they are of tolerable 

 good size ; but we were visited by several hail 

 gusts, which destroyed so many of them that I de- 

 clined having the balance counted. Now it is 

 again well laden with fruit ; and I have, this day, 

 invited some of my neighbors together to come 

 and count them, which could not be done, only, I 

 have drawn lines through the vine in fourteen 

 ))laces, so that they may count between them — all 



in Maine cannot be advantageously pursued, be 

 cause our seasons are not long enough to raise 

 two crops of silk worms in suecession," be obvi 

 ated, by raising, at once what (under diflerent 

 circumstances) would have been raised in two 



HONOR TO WHOM HONOR IS DUE. 



An excellent essay, well calculated to benefit 

 the community, entitled " Hints to People of Mod- 

 erate Fortune," originally pu!)lishcd in the Massa- 

 chusetts Journal, was reprinted in our paper, page 

 368. We do not recollect how we came by the 

 article, but have seen it circulating in several 

 newspapers as an estray, without marks of owner- 

 ship. We therefore appropriated it to our reader's 

 behoof, with no more idea of claiming it as ours 

 l<y virtue of authorship, or trespassing on the 

 property of others, thati if we had made use of a 

 quantity of sun beams, whose transit had been 

 over and about our neighbor's premises. We 



crops : 



BRUNSWICK. 



Oil of Maize, or Indian Corn. — Extract of a let- 

 ter from N. M. Wells, Esq., of Detroit, Michigan, 

 to Samuel L. Mitchell, dated May 16, 1829.— A". 

 Y. Farmer. 



Dear Sift — I send you a small phial of 

 oil of Indian Corn. It was obtained from the 

 mash v/hen fermented for distillation. From four 

 bushels two quarts have been obtained. It burns 

 with a peculiar brilliancy. Those physicians who 

 have given it to their patients, say it is as effect- 

 ual and as mild as castor oil. The oil is separat- 

 ed or made to rise on the tub by a process discov- 

 ered by accident, and is a secret which the indi- 

 vidual who made the discovery will not disclose. 

 When the mash is made in the common way, no 

 oil is separated ; nor is so much spirit by some 



management of this vine. 

 3 growth though ])lanted 

 seven. Now, how much do you supjiose the Great 

 Hampton Court Palace vine, planted in the reign 

 of king William,* could have excelled this, at five 

 years' growth ? JOHN WILLIS. 



To J. S. Skinner, Esq. 



Oxford, May 23, 1829. 

 do hereby certify that we 

 the bunches of grapes on 

 vine, and find the number 

 to be 13,315,t amongst which we suppose near 

 half to he double, although counted as single. — 

 We further state that we have known said vine 

 nearly from its planting, and can affirm the state- 

 ment of Mr Willis to be correct in every respect. 

 We also took the circumference of the vine near 

 the ground, which is only 7 1-4 inches. 

 THOMAS WATTS, 

 RICHARD MARKLAND, 

 JAMES STEWART, Jr. 



Wo the subscribers 

 have this day coimted 

 Mr J. Willis's sjilendid 



* See Cobbell on Forsylh, page 79. 



t For the table about 440 bunches a day for lliirly days from 

 one vine 1---Ed. Am. Far. 



