158 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



NOV. aa, is\f. 



AND gardener's journal. 



Boston, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 1837. 



SEED CORN. 



Our correspondent from Braintree, undi-r llie eign.i- 

 ture of r., wliose cumniiinicatioii appeared Irtst wecli, 

 has called our attention to a subject wliicli we consider 

 TTcry important. 



The repeated loss of the corn crop, should, we suppose^ 

 lead every inquiring mind to find a remedy in prorur- 

 ing some earlier variety of seed corn than wliat has hith- 

 erto been in common use. 



We Unow of an instance, the present scsason, where a 

 careless, ignorant farmer planted his principal field of 

 corn with the old sort, (probably of lineal descent from 

 the Indian storehouse, bo luckily found by our famish- 

 ing forefathers,) while he planted a small piece near his 

 house with a new variety, given him by a friend. He 

 thought but little more about it. The small piece ri- 

 pened well and in good season, and forgetting that -.t 

 was a different variety from that which was in the field, 

 and being out of corn, gathered it and sent it to njill, 

 pleasing himself with the idea, that although his neigh- 

 bors might suffer from ihe frost, he should have a good 

 crop. But how was he disappointed to find tliat the 

 corn in the large field from the old fashioned seed, was 

 mostly ruined, while he had ground np (hat which he 

 ought to have saved fir himself and neighbors to plant 

 another season. 



The amount saved to this Stale alone the present year, 

 would have been very great, especially in the low and 

 frosty regions, had the earliest varieties df corn been 

 sought after and planted. 



Thinking that two successive seasons of short crops 

 would lead the agriculturist to inquire for early 

 corn, we have taken much pains to secure a supply. — 

 We have already received a number of specimens. One 

 variety in particular has come to hand since the receipt 

 of F.'s communication, which we think will give him 

 pleasure to look at. It was raised by Caplain Daniel 

 Chandler, on the Farm School Island. It is -the Phin- 

 ney corn in its purest state, and until we see a belter 

 variety, shall recommend as worthy the attention of all. 

 We expect to have an account of the time of planting, 

 hoeing, harvesting, &c., which we shall be happy to 

 lay before our readers. We have also a number of oth- 

 er varieties on hand, one of which was raised by our- 

 selves at IJrighton, which we gatheredfabout the first of 

 September. This is the earliest Canada corn : the ears 

 small, but generally two are found upon one stalk. We 

 think this will produce a toleiable crop, pro\ided it is 

 planted pretty close, which may be done to advantage, 

 as it is of low and small growth. 



We liavc received another variety from a friend in 

 China, iHaine, which appears to be a mixture of the old 

 sort and the Canida, but much improved by selecting 

 from year to year, the earliest and best ears for seed in 

 the field. 



A ireat service may he done to the agricultural com- 

 munity, by those who are so fbriunale as to he in pos- 

 session ol extra early varieties of corn, who will give us 

 specimens, and at the same lime the necessary infor- 

 mation desired by V. respecting "the ground, time of 

 planting, harvesting," and we will guarantee to those 

 who will produce the earliest and liest varieties, an extra 

 price (or all they may have to spare F. mentions Iho 

 Sioux, Dutinn, I'liinney and Lathrop. We should like to 

 know if the three last are not one and Ijie same, and 



wherein does Ihe Sioux differ from, and comprire in 

 earliness with them. 



We have had corn offered to us for seed very fre- 

 quently, for the Phinney variety, that appears to be de- 

 generated or mixed with the old sort. It is very impor- 

 tant to preserve a variety distinct, to keep it at a great 

 distance from any other field ; it wiU mix at a much 

 greater distance than most persons are aware of. We 

 have known two patches of com to cross each other at 

 the distance of 80 rods, and perhaps the pollen may, in 

 certain instances, be wafted much farther. 



(Frnai llic Riiston rmirier ) 



THOMAS GREEN FESSENDEN. 

 Mount Auburn, as a miser, gathers wealth 

 From the world's heap ; not artfully, by stealth, 

 But shamelesslv and open. Sits he now- 

 Alone in winter's drapery, his brow 

 Circled by solemn trees; and contemplates 

 His gains and those to come with which the Fates 

 Shall swell his hoard, already rich with store, 

 W^e knew not how to part with. Yet one more 

 Is added. Moral excellence and wit, 

 Talents not idly hid, worth that would sit 

 Gracefully on a king, ihe crown adorning,— 

 These have been stolen, this violence hath our mourn- 

 ing. 

 Tel, Plunderer! there's hidden in thy wnmb 

 Nought but the casket, which at trump of doom, 

 Thou, (saith the Tirades of God.) shall render. 

 The jewel lodged above '. — who'll tell its splendor? 

 JTorcmler 18th, 1837, W. B. Tappan, 



dj'At a meeiing of the Massachusetts Horlicultura' 

 Society on Saturday, Nov. 19, 1837, 



" Vutcd unanimously, That the Society has learned 

 with deep sensibiliiy.the death of ihe late Thomas Green 

 Fesscnden, Esq , who from its very origin has been one 

 of its most valuable and highly cherished members and 

 officers, and whilst we lament to this Society and the 

 public the death ofone,who by his talents and industry, 

 nis zeal in the cause of Horticulture, and his amiable 

 qualities and deportment, had become endeared to his 

 associates, we would sympathise with the immediate 

 relatives of thedeceased in the dispensation of Providence 

 which has inflicted upon them so severe a loss. 



VoUd, That the Corresponding Secretary be reqiies- 

 ted to transmit to the family of the late Mr Fessenden, 

 a copy of the foregoing vote." 



E. WESTON, Jr., Reo. Sec. 



Till--, Italian Spring Wheat has received high com- 

 mendation from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, 

 and Virginia, and wherever it has been sent, and is in- 

 creasing in demand^ This fact affords the best (!emon- 

 ^tration of the utifity of Agricultural journals. This 

 wheat is of very recent introduction, and was first pub- 

 licly noticed about a year ago in the Cultivator, in a 

 letter from Mr Hathaway to the Conductor. Six months 

 has served to introduce it into the Middle and some of 

 the Northern Slates; and it has every where been found 

 to be a valuable accession to our farm products. — Ciilii- 

 xatuT. * 



ITWe state, for Ihe benefit of those who may be de. 

 sirous of purchasing the Italian Spring Wheat, that w( 

 have a small lot on hand, and can supply those vvhi 

 will order it soon". J. BRECK & Co. 



MASS-iCHl'SE-rTS I10RTICIII.TIIRAI> SOCIETY. 



EXHIBITION OF FRUITS. 



Saturday, Nov. 18, 1837. 



Pears.— Y'me specimens of Wilkinson were offered 

 fiir exhibition by Mr French, from his estate in Brain- 

 tree. 



Dy Mr Grosvenor,— Over ripe specimens of tlie Stan- 

 ford pear, a melting fruit, vviih a good portion of astrin- 



gency. 



By Mr Pond,— Beurrc Diel, very fine. Also, speci- 

 mens of a very large and beautiful oblong fruit, not at 

 malurity — to appearanre a baking fruit. 



./ipples.—My Mr Boot of this oily,— Ppeeimens from 

 Nevvburyport. The one of a middle sized russety fruit, 

 of excellent flavor, having much resemblance to the 

 Ribston Pippin, if it be not identical. Also, Bloody's 

 Seedling or Grandfather Apple, a hiTge and handsome 

 frail, striped with red, of a round form, v,-ith a fleshy 

 protuberance at the stalk, which is shoit ; its flavor ex- 

 cellent ; a winter fruit, and said to be a great bearer.— 

 The Grandfather apple is a highly esteemed fruit, well 

 known in many parts of Essex County, in Haverhill, 

 and elsewhere. 



By Mr Grosvenor,— A beautiful new fruit, name un- 

 known ; of medium size, of a round but somewhat flal- 

 lened and regular form, the stalk half an inch long ;— 

 color pale red, covered for the most part with stripes of 

 bright scarlet, pale straw color in the sli,i<le ; flesh wliite 

 and breaking; juice sweet, wilh a just portion of acid ; 

 of excellent flavor; a superior fiuit. 



For the Committee. 



WM. KENRICK, Chnirman. 



[I3=Mr Thomas Clapham, of Porlsmnutli, N. II., kil- 

 led 11 Hog a few weeks since, IG months old, weighing 

 052 pounds ! 



A Family Poisoned. — A family of the name of r5mitl 

 residing in Bolton's Field, Toronto, consisting of the 

 father, mother, and four children. The eldest girl 1: 

 years of age, another younger, and the boy, went out ii 

 the woods to gather mushrooms,! few days ago, and b; 

 mistake gathered toadstools, which are poisonous. The; 

 brought them home, the eldest girl cleaned them, Ihi 

 molher conked them on the gridiron with salt. Thi 

 children ale them, and took sick, first one and then ihi 

 others,— the physicians could do nothing for them,- 

 they all died— and last Saturday we hear that the fourti 

 or youngest infant died also, but not of poison like ih 

 others. 



The two children of Mr Jamoson, also of this ritj 

 were out with Mr Smith's infants, and one of then 

 went to Mr Smith's ate of the toadstools wilh the olb 

 ers, and is since dead and buried. — Toronto Coiistitu 

 tion. 



QoERCiTKON Bark.— In answer to the inquiry of 

 correspondent from Kentucky, of the Editor of Bid 

 nell's Reporter, of Philadel|ihia, as to what species c 

 oak this bark is obtained from, how it is prepared, whf 

 use is made of it, &c., it is stated that Quercitron is Ih 

 Black Oak Bark ; ihal it is prepared by shaving off th 

 outer lark, grinding the inner bark, drying, packing 

 in hogsheads. It is usedalmost exclusively for dyein( 

 and is sold largely in Pliiladelphia and New York,froii 

 ,130 to $10 per ton, of 2,210 pounds. It is packed i 

 casks larger than a whiskey hogshead, each of whic 

 contains about filtecn hundred weight. The distinctio 

 in quality consists in its degree of clearness and brigfti 

 rcss of color, ll is inspected before sale. Dr BancW 

 first discovered the useful properties of Ibis bark, I " 

 obtained a patent for his invention in the year 1775/ 

 Journal of Jlnier. Institute. 



