358 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



MAT IS, 1838. 



AND gardener's JOURNAL. 



Boston, Wednesday, May 16, 1838. 



UR H. PERRINE'S MEMORIAL 

 We are indi-liteil tn the Hon. Daniel Web.sler for some 

 public documents ol'an intere.sling nature, being a report 

 in Senate of the ■' CDmmitlee on Agriculture, to whom 

 was referred the memorial i)f Dr Henry Perrine, late 

 American Consul at C.impeachy, praying for a condi- 

 tional "rant of land in Southern. Florida to encourage 

 the introduction and luomole the cultivation of tropical 

 plantB in the United Stales " 



By the communications of Dr. Henry Perrine to the 

 Senate of the United States, which embrace many in- 

 teresting facts and slalenJrnts, it appears highly probable 

 that manv valuable and profitable tropical plants may 

 be gradually acclimated throughout the south and south- 

 west, by introducing them first in southern Florida, and 

 (rom'thence by degrees north and west. Among nu- 

 merous plants mentioned as likely to succeed and prove 

 profitable articles of cultivntion, are the fibrous leaved 

 plants whose foliaceous fibres are a superior substitute 

 f,ir flax and hemp, as those contained in the genera yucca, 

 Phormium, Bromelia, Agave. &c 



Dr Perrine adverts to some of the obstacles in the 

 way of an immediate comtnencement of tropical vege 

 culture, in tropical Florida, which appear to us rather 

 formidable to say the least; we present them to our 

 leaders. 



" The continued warfare with the savage Seminolos, 

 and the orospective danger from the murderous higilives, 

 who will remain lurking in the thickets and morasses 

 of southern Florida; tlo^ unsurveyed condition of the 

 tropical di.<tvict and the probability that it will not be 

 offered for sale in many years ; the immense tracts un- 

 der Spanish grants, with their conflicting claims; and 

 the consequent uncertainty of right or safety in location 

 on supposed public lands; the reputed sickness and 

 sterility of tropical Fluri 



INDIAN WHEAT. 

 To the Editor of tlie N. E. Farmer : 



Sir, — Tlitre is inucli imiuiry in tlie coniinu 

 iiity where I reside about the i-iiltivatioii of Indian 

 Wheat. Tiiere has none of it been raised in this 

 vicinity tlierefoie no one is prepared to gi\e the 

 inrorinatio.n which seems to be wanted. I take 

 the liberty to address to yon a few inquiries upon 

 this subject, hoping lliey will be answered through 

 the, N. k. Farmer, wliieli no doubt will very much 

 benefit many of yoiir.subscribers at the present time. 



Vvliat kind of soil is best adapted to growing 

 this grain ? 



When is the best time to sow it .' 



How much seed is iiecessary for Hn acre ? 



In vvliat state sliotild it be harvested and how 

 i=lion!d it be done ? 



ther information wliicli you may deem 



Any 



ented to an exaggerated 



ortant upon this subject will be very acceptable. 



We have repeated inquiries in relation to this plant ; 

 which as we have before stated is a species of buck- 

 wheat and designated as Tartarian Buckwheat. We 

 give the above letter inquiring as to the nature of the 

 soil, the quantity of seed required lu be sown and various 

 other particulars. If our correspondent will take the 

 trouble to look back to a No. of the N. E. Farmer of 

 January last; the particular dale of which we have not 

 al this moment the means of ascertaning, he will find 

 a detailed account of Ibis crop ; its history, usual pro- 

 duct, cultivation, and uses. We can add little to what 

 is there stated. It is not a new crop, having been cul- 

 tivated fiir some time in some parts of the State. It 

 will do best undoubtedly on a good soil witli good cul- 

 tivation and care, though the richer the soil, the more 

 luxuriant will be the growth ; and the later in coming 

 to maturity. But it will yield well on a soil of moder- 

 ate fertility. It has produced from 35 to 55 and 75 bush- 

 els to an 'acre. It should be sowed about the 10th of 

 June. It should be gathered with great care rather 



detrree'by the reports of our military officers, and by the j damp than dry as the seeds are very liable to drop out 

 speeches of our members of Congress in relation to the jt should be threshed immediately on being brought to 

 impenetrable morasses and pestilential swamps ot^ the | ,|,g i,^y„ and not suffered to heat. It weighs neady 50 

 peni; 

 swamp! 



ula; the certainly miry marshes and inundated |bs. to a bushel. It yields from 25 to 35 lbs. of flour 

 ,s of the interior, and the positively arid sands, ! accordinir to the manner in which the milling is done. 



utilillablH r>ick«. and mangrove thickets of the coasts 

 the undoubtedly great plagues of mosquetoes and sand 

 flies ticks and scorpions, ants and landcrabs, serpents 

 and allisators, and other noxious insects and reptiles ; 

 the much greater labor of clearing and improving the 

 earth in tropical climates, where the great vigor of 

 ceaseless vegetation must be continually subdued by the 

 axe and ihc lioe ; the general ignorance lespecting the 

 plants and the culture appropriate to such climates and 

 f.ci\\- ■ the past policy of our Government in respect to 

 preemption rights.and its prospc^ctive policy to bestow on 

 a!ctual settlers select portions of our most fertile soils and 

 valuable situations; the much greater inducements to 

 emiirrants oflfered by Texas and Cuba in the quantity, 

 quafity, and the bounty of their soils; the virtually in- 

 sulated position of tropical Florida, the absence of roads 

 and post offices, and the great distance, difficulty, and 

 expense of communication and intercourse with the 

 populated portions of our own country in general, and 

 of even northern Florida itself; the want of legal ports 

 of entry for intercourse with foreign countries, and es- 

 pecially for the importation of tropical plants; the ex- 

 pense, difliculty, and delay of introducing and propaga- 

 tin" living perennial plants; the difliculty of convincing 

 the^publiclliat the benignity of theclimate will counter- 

 balance the defects of the soil ; the equal ditticidtiesand 

 delays in the task of inducing our agriculturists to en- 

 gage in the culture of strange and perennial plants ; .ind 

 the free admission uf all tropical products in the United 

 Stales, and, consequeiuly, the entire absence of even the 

 incidental proleclioii derived from mere tevenue duties 

 to Ciuvernment." 



We hope Congress will render Dr Perrine all the as- 

 sistance necessary fur so important and arduous an un- 

 dertaking, as he has devoted many years to the subject. 



From 12 to 16 quarts of seed are required for an ac 

 Whether more than this misfit not be sowed to advan- 

 tage must be matter of farther experiment. It is a val- 

 uable feed for cattle, swine, and poultry ; and being 

 nicely cooked buckwheat cakes well prepared with but- 

 ter and sugar or maple molasses are not altogether dis- 

 tasteful to another class of bipeds who wear no feathers, 

 save in their bonnets. 



The haulm or straw of buckwheat is usually little val- 

 ued and thrown by for litter. It would be well to save 

 it; and it would make a useful and acceptable change of 

 feed for sheep and young cattle in cold weather. 



There are large preparations fiir the cultivation of this 

 plant the present season. Things in this world go very 

 much by '• fits and starts;" and agriculture is not above 

 the influence of fiishion. We fear that the value and 

 product of this crop may by some persons be over-esti- 

 mated; and that there will be some disappointments. 

 We recommend its cultivation. We believe it to be a 

 very valuable crop; in such cold seasons, seasons so un- 

 propitious to Indian Corn as the two last, singularly val- 

 uable;but we do not deem it comparable to bread wheat 

 or Indian corn ; and in spite of the copper color of the 

 poor fellows, who gave us the seed and from whom 

 we stole the land on which we raise it, we must still 

 be permitted to prefi-r an Indian bannock to abuckwheat 

 flapjack. In the stye we will leave this matter to be set- 

 tled by the bristle- backs,if they can agree upon n verdict. 



Massachusetts Horticultural Society. , 



May 12, 1838 

 Fecit -John B. Barstow, Hanover, Plymouth county,. 

 Seek no Further Apples of great beauty and fine flavor. 

 For tfie Committee, 



E. M. RICHARDS. 

 VicETABLts.— Exhibited by J. L. L. F. Warren, 

 Brighton, Early Spine Cucumber, nearly white, (from 

 English seed.) 



We understand from Mr Warren that the above va- 

 riety, although destitute of the usual bloom and fine 

 green color, is of fine flavor, very crisp, and an abun- 

 dant bearer. For the Committee, 



SAMUEL WALKER. 



The President and a number of members attended. 

 The thanks of the Society were voted to Hon. Mr Web- 

 ster, and to J. F. Cullum, Treasurer of the Columbian 

 Horticultural Society, for (heir donation of the Report 

 of the Committee on Agriculture, on the memorial of 

 Dr Perrine. _ 



Hon. Riissel Freeman of Sandwich, was admitted 

 corresponding member. 



Joseph H. Gardner of Roxbury, and John Fenno of 

 Chelsea, were admitted subscription members. 



The following communication was received from Mr 

 Prince. 



Jamaciu Plains, lltit May, 1838. 



Hon.MrVose — Dear Sir : In the past winter some 

 unknown person (to me) sent me a pamphlet containing 

 extracts from an address by Professor Eli Ives, of New 

 Haven, before their Horticultural Society in October 

 l.isl, which gives notice of many different sorts of Pears 

 (all natives there) particularly in the Garden of Gov. 

 Edvvards; 1 h.id three years pasta report of them, 

 but being confiruK^d from such a source as Professor 

 Ives of their line quality, induced me, although an en- 

 tire stranger to write luni on the subject and ask him to 

 procure, and send me a lew scions particularly of fine 

 winter table fruit; early this week I received some in 

 fine order ; and to make a greater certainty of succeed- 

 ing in cultivating them after having engrafted only one 

 head of each sort, 1 send the residue to you, either to 

 make use of yourself or for dissemination where you 

 think they will best be taken care of. 



The ftillowing were the kinds sent ;— John Pear, Can- 

 telope, Henrietta, Citron, William, Edwards, Punderson. 



I fear they are mostly Autumn fruit, they are not all 

 labelled as to seison, and therefore possibly some nia}'(| 

 be Winter fruit. 



I am, dear sir, yours truly, JOHN PRINCE. 



We have no extraordinary attachment to our ovvn 

 literary offspring ; but other men may not be quite wil- 

 ling to assume the paternity. It is indeed very hard to 

 cliarge it upon a poor man, who has been fiirsome time 

 to our great regret, too sick to vindicate his reputation 

 against such calumnious charges. Under these circum 



havinc travelled thousands of Tiiil'cs'nndsiient thousands \ stances we respectfully ask our neighbors of the Yankee 

 of<loirars in the prosecutionof thisgrealenterprise. | Farmer on what authority they credit the remarks on 



If some of the money squandered in the shameful ■ the Flower Garden Companion copied into thoir last 

 Seminole war, had been appropriated to defray the ex- ' nninbir to the editor of the Boston Courier; and lay i 



and civilisincr this unlorlunatc ' poor lianiling like a fliundling at that door. Pray where --., - 



Ilid they find the child ? and ?ould they not see the narKe we have seen in years gone by, we should consider i 



penso of christainising 



race, they might have' become important auxiliaries in 



(For the N. E. Farmer.) 



Apples. — Among the valuable specimens of Winteb 

 Apples piesented at the Horticultural Exhibition on' 

 Saturday, we noticed some from Col,. John B. Barstout 

 of Hanover, Mass. of the variety, commonly called the 

 SEiiK NO FuRTUEii (Signifyder) of a very superior kind 



Tlieir flavor was truly rich, they were of a large sizf 

 and altogether such fine specimens of this valuable fruit 

 as fully to demonstrate that Plymwuth County can raise 

 fruits not excelled by those of any other parts of the 

 State. 



We are informed by the gentleman who piesented 

 them that the Col. has taken much pains with his trees 

 and fruit cellars, that the latter are lined throughout at 

 the bottom and sides with flagging stones, that his ap, 

 pies are spretid thinly on shelves around his iruiteriesi 

 and sorted and turned at least once every week. 



A gentleman of this city was presented a few years 

 .since with some specimens from Col. Barstow's orchardil 

 and after tasting, inquired their name. Are they Bald- 

 wins.' No. Are they Golden Russets i" No. Art 

 they Lady's fingers .' No. You have not guessed thi 

 name. Thev are called the "Seek no Further."-. 

 " Well said the gentlemen, I will ' seek no further ' foi 

 apples so long as 1 can get apples like these." 



We believe there is not sufficient attention paid to thl 

 planting of young orchards in many of the eastern towni 

 in the Stale that doubtless possess a soil capable of raisi 

 ing the best fruits. It is hoped more attention will b< 

 paid this important subject. 



It will be seen by reference to an advertisement ii 

 this day's paper, that the beautiful Oakland Farm wil 

 be sold on the coming week. From the knowledge w 

 have of the indefatigable litlention of its former proprie 

 tor, and the choice collections of various productions 



the highly desirable scheme of iJr Perrine. 



that was pinned to its clothes.' 



the most desirable place of residence. 



