vol,. XVI. XO. 40. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL 



dence, during the whole period of their growth, 

 for a plantation of 6,000 acres, would not cxcct-d 

 $100,000. 



As oaks will subsist in almost every variety of 

 soil, the first objects, in my opinion, slioidd he the 

 proper choice of spots and situations, where the 

 temperatiire and humidity of the climate are the 

 most congenial to their growth, reference being 

 had to the vicinity of shipping places ; for the 

 trnnsportaiiori of timber a long distance from in- 

 land incurs no small degree of expense. If plan- 

 tations of oak, larch, and locust were establisheil 

 dlong our seaboard and navigable rivers, many a<l- 

 vantages might be derived from having timber 

 tliere, at all times ready for the use of tlie navy. 

 They would serve as so many magazines of lim- 

 ber, of all forms, which wonhl remain there in u 

 state of improvement until the trees should be 

 stripped of their bark, if that practice should be 

 iidoptcd, and need not be felled until required for 

 jse. In cultivating trees, advantago may be taken 

 jf their growth, in bending them when young, 

 jnd giving them the proper cmve for the timbers 

 )f vessels, which are usually wrought from straight 

 fees, when it becomes neces.sary to cut them 

 icross the grain, and renders them much weaker 

 ban if they preserved the lamina ofthe wood entire. 

 It has hrng been a question which of the two 

 rees, the British oak, (Quercus /■o6ur,) and the 

 Vmerican white oak, ( Q. alba,) furnishes the finer 

 imber. It is stated, by authority, that the wood 

 •four white oak is lighter, more elastic, and more 

 iexible than that of the English ; but that it is- 

 veaker and less durable ; and this opinion is 

 lanctioned by a great mimher of English writers ; 

 et, I doidn whether the question has been estab- 

 shed by facts. If such should ever be found to 

 ethe case, it woidd be an object worthy of atten- 

 lon, to forn) plantations of the English oak, from 

 he acorn, along the middle and northern States in- 

 tead ofthe white oak. If any difference exists in 

 [lie qualities ofthe two oaks, it is probably owing, 

 !n a great measure, to the superiority of cultivat- 

 d trees over those of natural growth ; for a great 

 ortion of the British woods have been raised 

 •cm the seed, and consequently have acquired a 

 jore rapid growth than om- native forests. 



One subject tnore I will present to your notice, 

 id then I close. It appeare to me that it would 

 e an object pf moment for otn- western agricul- 

 irists to bestow some labor on the culture of 

 ces on our vast and fertile prairies. To see the 

 )cks and mountains covered with perpetual ice 

 nd snow, and doomed to eternal sterility, inspires 

 3 with no regret, because such is the law of na- 

 irc. But how can we view with indifference 

 lese interesting tracts, which, in their present 

 nte, are absolutely a blank on the face of the 

 »rth ? Certainly, it would be a profitable under- 



king to their inhabitants, and would supply them, 

 1 future, with useful materijils in the various 

 inds of construction, and for fuel ; it would shel- 

 r their fielils and houses from the bleak and 

 iercing winds, and would serve to adorn and 

 Bautify these dreary wastes, which might other- 

 ise be a disgrace to the nation and to the individ- 

 als to whom they belong. 



In conclusion, then, when it is considered that 

 ade, wealth, and power are inseparabh', and 

 lat their great dependence is upon the strength 

 four navy, we might have hoped so great aeon 



315 



preserving and propagating timber, which is of 

 principal use to siqiport it ; for we cannot be too 

 industrious in providing our country wtth projier 

 means of ilefence in time of war, more espi-cially 

 while we are at peace. Let us, then, no longer 

 delay to plant trees; though they may be a little 

 tedious ill their growth, we ought to have so much 

 respect for our successors that they may not want, 

 or be provoked to curse us for our neglect. 

 Whether we consider this enterprise merely as po- 

 litical econo/nists, or as moralists and patriots; 

 whether we look to its effects on the wealth, hap- 

 piness, and perpetuity of our country, we cannot 

 fail to cultivate and cherish it, and must ever re- 

 gard it as a sacred duty. 



I have the honor to be. 



Very respectfully, 



Your humble servant, 



D.JAY BROWNE. 

 To Hon. Dam.'el Webster. 



CULTIVATION OF ROOT CROPS. 



Haverhill, January, 1838. 

 JoH.N W. Proctor, Esq. — Dear Sir; Knowing 

 Mr. Keely to be a judicious and successful cultiva- 

 tor of Root Crops, I requested him to furnish for our 

 Transactions an account of his mode of cultivation. 

 In compliance with my request he gave me the fol- 

 lowing communication, but not in time to he pub- 

 lished in the Transactions ofthe Society for 1836. 

 I therefore send it to you for publication irv>lie 

 Transactions for 1837, in the hope that it may ex- 

 cite the farmers of Essex to the more extensive cul- 

 tivation of these valuable crops. 



Very respectfully yours, 



J. H. DUNCAN. 



To the President of the Essex Agricultural Society : 

 Dear Sir — I feel co isiderable difficulty in com- 

 plying with the request which you were pleased to 

 make recently in conversation, arising from a doubt 

 of my own ability to furnish any thing which may 

 be worthy of your attention. But two considera- 

 tions have induced me to overcome this feeling ; 

 1st, I am aware that, if what I communicate is not 

 in itself of much im|>ortance, yet it may be the 

 means of suggesting some hints which may be pro- 

 ductive of benefit to the community ; and 2nd, if 

 professional gentlemen, whose talents and wealth 

 have placed them far above dependence upon the 

 pecuniary advaiuage resulting from agricultural 

 pursuits, are willing to give not only their influence, 

 but to some extent their time and property also, to 

 advance the interest ofthe agricultural part ofthe 

 community, they have a right to expect that those 

 wlio-se whole time is devoted to practical agricul- 

 ture, will, when required, furnish such facts and 

 observations us may be made serviceable to the 

 public. 



■J'he present state of society requires all the ef- 

 forts both of eceiitific and practical agriculturalists, 

 to enable the farmer to advance with the rest ofthe 

 community. Manufactures, the construction of 

 railroads, &c., have so raised the price of labor, and 

 suL-h is the competition in the market, owing to the 

 great increasing facilities for internal communica- 

 tion, tlat we must either abandon onr farms entire- 

 ly, or apply to them the same enterprise and inge- 

 nuity which is carryings the other departments of 

 society so rapidly foward. 



1 have thought the advantages resulting from the 

 ?rn to our nation should have attracted a greater cultivation of roots, have been, and still are very 

 egree of public attention, ere this late period, in | much underrated, notwithstanding all that has been 



written upon this subject. Perhaps the principal 

 reason why farmers so generally neglect this part of 

 agriculture is, because the statements are supposed 

 to be made by individuals who have obtained large 

 crops by excessive manuring and very expensive 

 cultivation, and of course such as practical firmers 

 generally cannot afford to raise. Now undoubtedly 

 it is often the case, that enormous crops are obtain- 

 ed at a ruinous expense, but the experience which 

 I have had in raising roots (I refer principally to 

 Mangel Wiiitzel and Swedish Turnips) has convin- 

 ced me that enormous profits may be obtained at a 

 moderate expense. 



I have raised upon a small spot of land highly 

 cultivateil and in a favourable season, at the rate of 

 38 tons per acre. But such crops are not to be 

 expected except from a soil very suitable for their 

 production, and highly muiured. 1 will there- 

 fore base the estimate I am about to make, upon 

 a crop which I find by reference to memoranda, 

 was raised in the year 1828. 1 refer to this crop 

 because it was one on which I bestowed no extraor 

 dinary quantity of manure, labor, or skill. It was 

 such as 1 confidently believe might be obtained 

 from a considerable [lart of the cultivated land in 

 ihiscounty, and with very little more expense than 

 is now liestowed upon a corn or potato field. I 

 find there was rather less than one fifth of an acre 

 of land, one cord of manure was applied, and the 

 land was in no better state in any respect, than 

 such as a farmer might expect would yield 40 bush- 

 els of Indian corn per acre. The produce was es- 

 timated to be 4 tons. A bushel will weigh some- 

 what over 50 lbs. This crop, therefore, would be 

 in round numjters 1000 bushels per acre. 



The value of an acre of corn yielding 40 bushels, 

 estimating the corn at one dollar per bushel, and 

 the fodder at $15 will be $55 ; and estimating a 

 bushel of Mangel Wurtzels to be worth only one 

 fifth of a bushel of corn, an acre of Mangel Wurt- 

 zels (one thousand bushels) will be worth two hun- 

 dred dolls. But the leaves which might be gath- 

 ered together with the thinnings, if judiciously 

 used, would be worth, at least, an acre of corn fod- 

 der. This will make the gross sum $215. From 

 this sum deduct enough to pay for the extra ex- 

 pense of cultivating this crop say $10, and there 

 will remain $205 i a balance of $150 in favor of 

 Mangel Wurtzels, and without making any allow- 

 ance for the superior condition in which the land 

 would be for a succeeding crop. But the value of 

 roots does not depend merely upon the common 

 amount of produce. As an article of food for cat- 

 tle or swine, they are very valuable as well as very 

 cheap. On a larm profitably managed, there al- 

 ways will be a considerable quantity of ordinary 

 fodder which is too valuable to be wasted, but 

 which does not contain nourishment sufficient to 

 sustain cattle in good flesh. While eating this, 

 they need some nutritious food to supply the defi- 

 ciency — roots are just the article necessary. 



The great expence of providing food for cattle, 

 is not the only disadvantage resulting from our te- 

 dious winters. Six months is too long a period to 

 keep cattle entirely'confined to dry fodder. With- 

 out some change, it is difliciilt to prevent their 

 losing flesh ; and indeed for a few weeks before 

 turning^to pasture, this will be the case more or 

 less. T'his is quite a serious evil with cows which 

 calve early in the season. They become dainty, 

 just when they require an additional quantity of 

 food. Milch cows are thus injured for the whole 

 season, to the great damage of their owners. J'''or 



