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NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Dec. 



Indian species grown in the gardens of Europe. 

 These are, however, all surpassed in virulence by 

 one which in Timor is called duoim setan, or dev- 

 il's leaf, the effects of which are said by the na- 

 tives in many cases to cause death. In England, 

 the indigenous species of nettle are three ; viz. 

 1. Roman nettle (U. pilulifera,) an annual plant, 

 growing in waste ground amongst rubbish, chiefly 

 near the sea. The herb is armed all over with pe- 

 culiarly venomous stings. The stem is branched, 

 leafy, bluntly quadrangular, often purple, about 

 two feet high. 2. The small nettle (U. urens) is 

 found to be in all cultivated ground a trouble- 

 some weed, especially on a light soil. It is an- 

 nual in habit, flowering from June till October, 

 smaller than the last, and of a much brighter 

 green ; its copious stings hardly less virulent. 

 The several parallel ribs of the leaves form its 

 distinguishing character. The whole plant be- 

 ing refused by every kind of cattle, should be 

 carefully extirpated from pastures. 3. The com- 

 mon or great nettle (U. dioica,) which is a nox- 

 ious perennial weed, growing almost everywhere, 

 and flowering in July and August. The root is 

 branching and creeping, with fleshy roots, and 

 many fibrous radicles. The herb is of a duller 

 green than the last, erect, three feet high, with 

 less irritating stings. Leaves large, heart-shaped, 

 spreading, pointed, strongly serrated, veiny. The 

 leaves are employed for feeding poultry, espe- 

 cially in the winter ; when boiled, they are said 

 to promote the laying of eggs. Asses devour 

 nettles eagerly, but all other live-stock refuse 

 them unless they are dried. In the western islands 

 of Scotland, a rennet is prepared by adding a 

 quart of salt to three pints of a strong decoction 

 of nettles ; a tablespoonful of which is said to 

 be sufficient to coagulate a bowl of milk. The 

 young tops of the common and smaller nettles 

 may be boiled as potherbs during spring, and 

 eaten as a substitute for greens ; being not only 

 nourishing, but mildly aperient. The tough 

 fibres of the stem may be manufactured like 

 hemp, and are often found in winter naturally 

 separated and bleached. The roots are astrin- 

 gent and diuretic. 



"sap settles to the roots in a visible form, that is 

 owing to temporary causes, the removal of which 

 causes its instant reascent." My method, for 

 years, has been to take the vines and lay them 

 along upon the ground, throwing over them a 

 light covering of leaves, litter or the refuse of 

 the garden. Should the vine be so situated that 

 I cannot conveniently take it down, I tack up 

 matting or any slight covering sufficient to keep 

 oft" the sun's rays. That it is the warm days of 

 winter that kill many of our half-hardy shrubs, 

 as well as vines, is exemplified in the culture of 

 the Moras Multicaulis. This plant was found to 

 winter better on the north side of hills than up- 

 on the south. J. M. I. 

 Salem, Oct., 1859. 



For the New England Farmer. 



LAYING DOWN THE ISA-BELLA. VINE. 



Mr. Brown : — At this season of the year, the 

 open air grape vines that are trained up upon a 

 wall or building should be taken down and laid 

 upon the surface. I have thought that my former 

 directions given some time since, may be repeat- 

 ed. Most cultivators are aware that the Isabella 

 vine suffers more or less every winter. Long 

 shoots of the previous year's wood, and occasion- 

 ally the whole vine, is winter-killed, (so called.) 

 Many attribute this to the extreme cold ; I believe 

 it to be caused by the warm days of winter. In our 

 variable climate, where the thermometer sinks to 

 zero, followed the next day by a bright sun with 

 the warmth of spring, a plant so susceptible as 

 the vine is generally affected by these sudden 

 changes, particularly as the sap does not take 

 lodgment in the roots, but, as Dr. Lyndley says, 

 "is always in motion at all seasons, except in the 

 presence of intense cold." Can we wonder at 

 these results ? "If ever," says the same writer, 



For the New England Farmer. 



SA.W DUST AND SHAVINGS A3 FERTI- 

 LIZBBS. 



Mr, Editor: — In your last issue I noticed a 

 piece on Saw-Dust as a Fertilizer. I would say 

 that whether it is a fertilizer or not, it depends 

 very much upon how it is used and of what wood 

 it is made. Dry saw-dust is one of the best of 

 articles for bedding horses and cattle, to take up 

 the urine and keep the cattle clean. But hard 

 wood is the best, and rock maple the best with- 

 out doubt for the land. Many of your readers, 

 1 presume, can recollect how well the grass used 

 to grow on Rock Maple land, and where, espe- 

 cially, the trunks were left on the ground to rot, 

 as they used to be fifty years ago, as I very well 

 remember. 



Saw-dust put on land, right from the saw, I 

 think is not just the thing, unless on dry, cobbly 

 land. I recollect of putting a load on a spot 

 some two square rods, where, being on a side- 

 hill, there was not soil enough to make it grass 

 over for years before, but since, I have seen no 

 signs of barrenness. I believe it to be a retain- 

 er of moisture, if nothing more. 



Hard woud shavings are also good for bedding, 

 such as come from planing machines in making 

 wash-boards, &c., &c., they being very fine and 

 soft. They cause the manure to heat much faster, 

 and, of course, will need overhauling much soon- 

 er than usual. I think hard wood saw-dust and 

 shavings should be used freely for bedding, even 

 if you have to go miles after them, and they will 

 answer every purpose of going to Peru for guano. 



Meadow mud is not good for bedding, being 

 very soft when wet, but good to put into the 

 yard or barn cellar, and even to spread on ground 

 when you sow down. I did this on a piece of 

 ground I took up from pasture, and have noticed 

 that my cattle graze on that part where I put the 

 mud, two or three times as much as they do right 

 by the side where I did not put any, and yet the 

 land where I put it was the poorest. 



Something is said in these days against barn cel- 

 lars, because manure heats, and the stench arising 

 injures the hay, and also the cattle, where they 

 have to breathe the foul air. I have no doubt but 

 that if cattle have to breathe this bad air, it must 

 be injurious to them, as well as to the hay they 

 eat. But why have it so? This heating and bad 

 odor should not be suffered to accumulate. My 

 father-in-law (who is about 90 years old,) said 



