VOIi. XII. NO. 85. 



AND HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL, 



195 



these grasses have declined, A better plan, how- 

 ever, is to allot a field or two for its exclusive cul- 

 ture, where it must remain unploughed for many 

 years. 



Thorn Hedges. — The Potomac thorn is used 

 for hedges in these parts on account of its rapid 

 growth Aid quick maturity. The pear-leaved or 

 Newcastle thorn is likely to he more durable, but 

 requires more time to form an efficient hedge. 



Genesee Farmer. 



MORTALITY AMONG PISH. 



Several cases of great mortality among fish 

 have lately come to our knowledge. W9 record, 

 and publish them for the benefit of men of sci- 

 ence, and for the gratification of the curious. 



In July last the fish in the south pond at South- 

 wick died in great numbers. The pond is about 

 three miles in circumference, and the dead fish that 

 floated to the shore in one week, it is believed, 

 would amount to twelve tons. They averaged 

 about a dozen fish to the rod. The Hampden ca- 

 nal passes through the pond. The water abound- 

 ed in dead fish, which were drawn off by the 

 waste gates of the canal. There was no change in 

 the appearance or taste of the water, and there 

 was no apparent cause for their dying then, in 

 greater numbers, than at other times. The mor- 

 tality was principally among the pickerel and 

 perch ; scarcely a bull-head, with which the wa- 

 ters abound died. Some of the inhabitants in the 

 vicinity attributed it to. a severe thunderstorm, but 

 generally it was supposed to be owing to the prev- 

 alence of disease among them. 



A similar mortality occurred among the fish in 

 the north pond in 1803. It is separated from the 

 south by a strip of land wide enough for a road. 

 No cause of this mortality is known. Tlie dysen- 

 tery prevailed in Southwick and the adjacent towns 

 during that summer and great numbers died. Some 

 thought that the mortality among men and fish pro- 

 ceeded from the same cause. 



A similar mortality occurred among the fish in 

 the pond half a mile west of the meeting house in 

 West Brookfield about the year 1812. Previous 

 to the death of the fish the water changed its color, 

 appearing as if containing clay in a state of partial 

 solution. The pond abounds in bog iron ore ; it is 

 raked up from the bottom as oysters are from the 

 bottom of the ocean. It was at the time a preva- 

 lent opinion that a bed of copperas or sulphate of 

 iron was suddenly uncovered in the bottom of the 

 pond and was dissolved in its waters. The fish 

 floated to the shore dead. — Westjield Register. * 



GYPSUM, PLASTER OF PARIS. 



There is a great difference of opinion, among 

 farmers, with regard to the effect of gypsum, upon 

 vegetation wheu used as manure, both in regard 

 to the manner in which it acts upon vegetables, 

 and its lasting beneficial effects when applied to 

 soils. 



The more common opinion has been that Gypsum 

 attracted moisture from the atmosphere, and there- 

 fore was only useful upon dry soils, and mostly so 

 in dry seasons. 



Others have believed, that by the application 

 of Gypsum the fertility of land was increased for 

 a fevV years only, and that after a few forced 

 crops which might be produced by its application 

 the lands thus stimulated were left in a state of bar- 

 renness from which it was nearly impossible to re- 

 cover them. 



A little attention to the history of Gypsum, as to 

 its component parts, and its properties, will correct 

 any such prejudices as the above, and convince far- 

 mers that in much of our country, that it is not 

 only the best, but the cheapest manure that can be 

 applied to our soils, especially where the cultiva- 

 tion of wheat forms an important item in the rota- 

 tion of crops. 



Gypsum, Plaster of Paris, or Sulphate of lime, 

 is composed of sulphuric acid, or oil of vitriol and 

 lime, forming a neutral salt, which in addition to 

 the above, as it is commonly found contains a por- 

 tion of water, in a solid form, which is called the 

 water of crystalization. It contains nearly equal 

 parts of the above, or according to Chaptal, one 

 hundred parts contain 30 parts of sulphuric acid, 

 3'2 of lime, and 38 of water. 



Sir II. Davy gave the following proportions, 75 

 parts of sulphuric acid, 34 of water, and 55 of 

 lime. 



When speaking in common of Gypsum we say 

 it is insoluble in water ; yet this is not strictly the 

 case, as it dissolves in about 500 times its weight 

 of water. 



Dr. Black observes, "although this compound 

 is difficult to dissolve, and requires much water to 

 its solution, it can however be completely dissol- 

 ved, when water enough is applied to it, viz. one 

 ouuee for each grain." • 



Sir H. Davy says " Gypsum is soluble in about 

 500 times its weight of cold water and is more 

 soluble in hot water ; so that when water has been 

 boiled in contact with Gypsum, crystals of this 

 substance are deposited as the water cools," hence 

 it appears that the affinity of Gypsum for water is 

 not very strong although it is capable of being dis- 

 solved in it. 



That Gypsum is taken into many plants when 

 growing, particularly the clover family, has been 

 sufficiently proved by analysis; but the quantity 

 thus taken into circulation, which probably enters 

 the plant, %y the roots, in solution is very small, 

 and yet it appears to be absolutely necessary for 

 their perfection. By experiment Sir II. Davy found 

 that the quantity of Gypsum contained in one acre 

 of clover would not amount to over three or four 

 bushels. 



Most of our good wheat lands in Western New 

 York contain more or less Gypsum, some perhaps 

 have as much as is beneficial to plants to be culti- 

 vated, and on such soils it will be found that the 

 application of more will not increase its fertility, 

 but upon others it will not only be found the best, 

 but the cheapest manure that can be applied. 



Lands that have much surface water upon them, 

 are not suitable for receiving Gypsum, as a ma- 

 nure, for the reasons above given, viz. that it is 

 dissolved in 500 times its weight of water, and 

 would of course soon be carried off' in solution. 



If the theory is correct as we believe it to be, 

 that the manner in which Gypsum acts upon 

 plants, is by first being dissolved, and after enter- 

 ing the plant by the roots, then it becomes import- 

 ant to know at what time of the year it should be 

 put upon soils, in order to derive the greatest ben- 

 efit from the application, and it may also become 

 important to inquire whether it should be ground 

 to an impalpable powder, or to apply it ill coarser 

 particles. 



It is well known that by reducing the particles, 

 the quantity of surface is increased and also that 

 the solution of different substances depends, as to 

 time, upon the quantity of surface presented to the 



solvent; hence the finer the Gypsum the sooner 

 it would be dissolved. 



If Gypsum is to be dissolved by the first suffi- 

 cient quantity of water with which it comes in 

 contact, then it would appear that fall is not the 

 proper season for applying it, and that even when 

 applied in the spring it should be omitted until 

 after the snow water and heavy spring rains have 

 passed from the surface. 



On the other hand as water is necessary for its 

 solution, it will be of little use to summer crops 

 unless applied before the spring rains have alto- 

 gether ceased. 



The quantity to be applied should be regulated 

 by circumstance. When the soil is a dry loose 

 sand, four bushels per acre will be required and 

 advantageously applied, but where soils are more 

 retentive, or are found to contain this salt by na- 

 ture, a smaller quantity will answer, as in such 

 soils by deep ploughing that which has been dis- 

 solved upon the surface and has sunk into the soil, 

 may by the process be brought again to the sur- 

 face and prepared to be taken up by the roots of 

 plants. — GoodseWs Farmer. 



nss^nsims^vr^RGVB 



MASS. HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



PREMIUMS ON FRUITS. 



At a meeting of the Fruit Committee of the 

 Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Dec. 7, 1S33, 

 the following premiums were awarded. 



Apples. To John Mackay of Weston, for the 

 Hawthoruden apple, a premium of - $4 



Pears. To Robert Manning of Salem, for the 

 Julienne pear (of Cox), a premium of - $4 



To E. Vose of Dorchester, for the Capiau- 

 niont pear, a premium of 4 



To Mieah H. Ruggles of Troy, (Fall River), 

 for-a native pear called the "Wilbur," premium 4 



Peaehes. To Cornelius Cowing of Roxbury, for 

 the best peaches, a premium of - - £4 



Nectarines. To Thomas Mason.of Charlestown, 

 for the Elruge Nectarine, a premium of - $4 



Straivberries. To P. B. Hovey, jr. of Cani- 

 bridgepdrt, for the " Methven Castle," a premium 

 of ■ $2 



Jpricots. To Samuel Pond of Cambridgeport, 

 for the best apricots, a premium of - $4 



Plums. To Samuel Pond of Cambridgeport, for 

 " Pond's Seedling Plum," a premium of £5 



Gooseberries. To Samuel Walker of Roxbury, 

 for several varieties, a premium of - $2 



Green-house Grapes. To Jacob Tidd of Roxbu- 

 ry, for the " Nice" grape, a premium of 6'5 



To Joseph Balch of Roxbury, for the largest 

 girdled grapes, Black Hamburg, a premium of 5 



To Doct. S. A. Shurtleff, for the best Seed- 

 ling grapes, Shurtleff 'a Seedling, a premium of 5 



Cherries. To E. Vose of Dorchester, for the 

 Black Tartarian Cherry, a premium of - w 4 



Raspberries. To Messrs. A. & J. Winship for 

 the Barnet Raspberry, a premium of - $2 



The Committee noticed with approbation the 

 beautiful specimen of Bolmar Washington Plums 

 exhibited by Mr. Edward Cruft, a variety than 

 which no other is more worthy of extensive cul- 

 ture, as also the native apricot by the same gentle- 

 man ; and a fine specimen of native nectarines 

 presented by Mr. Blake ; the native peaches by Mr. 

 Weld, seedling grapes by Mr. Pond, and several 

 varieties of currants recently imported by Messrs. 

 Winship ; — these are all valuable fruits, and are 

 recommended as highly worthy of general cultiva- 

 tion. Per order, Robert Manning. 



