1856. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



405 



Our Opinion of Tobacco. — The editor of the 

 "Middle Stales Medical Reformer" published at 

 Millville, Pa., in answer to a correspondent who 

 asks his opinion of "tobacco chewing," thus expres- 

 ses himself: 



Though treading on sensitive ground, we shall 

 not refrain from placing our "opinion" upon record. 

 We view the use of tobacco as a vile, pernicious 

 and expensive habit. It is derogatory to the virtue 

 of personal cleanliness, injurious to health, and a 

 perpetual drain upon the purse. Its tendency is to 

 engender debility, imbecility, disease, and prema- 

 ture death. It tends to exhaust and derange the 

 nervous powers, to induce dyspepsia and all its kin- 

 dred evils, and as it is a recognized principle in na- 

 ture, that whatever enfeebles the body must, in the 

 end, and in the same degree, enfeeble the mind, 

 it reaches the intellect, and exerts a ruinous effect 

 upon the mind. Thus aflecting body and mind, it 

 should be totally abandoned. Yet we painfully re- 

 alize the fact, that the habit is on the increase. O, 

 could those young men who are about learning its 

 use, but realize the evils it has in store for them, 

 they would turn away with loathing and disgust, 

 and ne'er touch the "vile stuff" again. 



fie coast ; but, as in many cases this may not be 

 known, the letter may still l)e registered by sending 

 its address to the "Mail List." We have given the 

 above extended notice, believing that to many of 

 oiu: readers the plan may prove of much service. 



Letters for California — The Post-Office De- 

 partment has adopted a system for securing the de- 

 livery of letters by mail to California, and theTerri- 

 tories of Oregon and Washington. The plan, which 

 is as simple as it is effective, may be explained by 

 the following example : Suppose a letter has been 

 directed to Mr. Frank M. Caldwell, (formerly of 

 Pennsylvania,) Sacramento, California ; but it is 

 feared that Mr. Caldwell may not be in Sacramen- 

 to, and hence may not receive the letter. In this 

 case deposit the letter as usual, in the mail for Cali- 

 fornia ; but, at the same time, send to the New 

 York Post-Olfice a slip of paper, upon which is 

 copied the address upon the letter. This slip of pa- 

 per must be enclosed, together with a three-cent 

 postage-stamp, in an envelope, and directed to the 

 "Pacific Mail List," New York Post-Office. The 

 address on the slip of paper thus received at the 

 New York Office will be entered in its appropriate 

 place in tlie "Pacific Mail List," which list is prin- 

 ted, and being sent by each mail to each and every 

 post-office throughout the entire Pacific region, it 

 will point out to Mr. Caldwell, v.'herever he may 

 be, that a letter for him has been sent to the Sac- 

 ramento Post-Office. Thousands of letters may 

 thus be safely and speedily received, that would 

 otherwise become dead letters. This mode of regis- 

 tering a letter does not require one minute of extra 

 labor to perform it. 



An envelope directed to the "Pacific Mail List," 

 pays postage like ordinary mail matter, and must 

 be pre-paid. The three-cent stamp enclosed in the 

 envelope defrays the expense of publication, and 

 must not be pasted, but simjjly enclosed. The slip 

 of paper sent to the New York Office, should be 

 cut to fit the envelope loosely, and enclosed with- 

 out folding. When two or more addresses are en- i 

 closed in the same envelope, each address should 

 be copied on a separate slip of paper. Cards will 

 make a good substitute for slips of paper. 



It is advisable to give in the address on a letter 

 tf:e name of the State from which the person for 

 wQom the letter is intended emigrated to the Paci- 



For the New England Farma . 



USE OF SALT— SEEDS FROM THE 

 PATENT OFFICE. 



Mr. Editor :— In the article I sent to the JVew 

 England Farmer in regard to the benefit of salt 

 being applied to the plum tree — perhaps my lan- 

 guage was a little strong, and I see by your issue 

 of to-day a correspondent has injured one of his 

 trees by its too liberal application. I have no 

 doubt but what this may be possible. It is a pow- 

 erful stimulant, and my idea is, that its virtues 

 have not begun to become known in farm econo- 

 my, as yet. What I meant to convey in its use, as 

 indicated in my article, was, that it is a first rate 

 thing for diseased and unthrifty plum trees — that 

 it would almost invariably cure the part diseased, 

 in a good degree destroy the ravages of the curcu- 

 lio, and powerfully promote the growth of the tree. 

 I have found it also a benefit to the quince, and its 

 application sown broadcast, as a preHminary before 

 plowing the garden in the spring. More particu- 

 larly is this the case where it is the intention to use 

 hog manure. That salt is destined to become more 

 generally into use, I have no doubt. But in mak- 

 ing use of new things, too much caution can hard- 

 ly be used by farmers, when approved and useful 

 things are already known. 



Early in the spring, I received from the Agricul- 

 tural Department of the Patent Office a package 

 of seed, all of which I have planted. Among these 

 were three kinds of lettuce, the Malta cabbage, 

 Admii'al cabbage and Hammersmith cabbage. New 

 INIexican white flint corn, Flottbeck Quintal cab- 

 bage, white onion, and three different kinds of 

 dwarf beans, and a tall white runner bean, besides 

 several other varieties of seeds. In making men- 

 tion of this, my object is to call attention to them, 

 and first the lettuce. Each of the above mentioned 

 is of a very superior quahty, particularly the Malta; 

 its color is of a light, yellowish green, very bright, 

 crimped leaf with serrated edges ; as taken from the 

 bed its taste is mild and pleasant, none of, or very 

 slightly, the bitter tast of our common lettuce. It 

 forms a beautiful and noble head, with considera- 

 ble body to the leaves. Every way worthy of cul- 

 tivation, either for home use or market. The Ad- 

 miral very much resembles the Malta, its color 

 nearly the same, a httle lighter, not quite so much 

 body to the leaves, nor does it form so good a head. 

 Its taste has a little more of the bitter to it. Edges 

 of the leaf smoother and brittle. Very excellent 

 variety. The Hammersmith very much resembles 

 a lettuce much cultivated in gardens hereabouts. 

 I should think it the same thing, judging from its 

 appearance, taste, &c. ; if any difference, it is more 

 brittle and tender, and not quite so bitter. Its 

 leaves are very crimply and dark green, and is prone 

 to run to seed, unless its growth is rapid and plant- 

 ed in deep rich soil, with thorough cultivation. They 

 all like deep rich soil, with considerable moisture. 

 I may have more to say in regard to these hereaf- 

 ter, I had supposed, from the looks of the seed, 



