VOl.. XII. NO. 38. 



AND HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



301 



ble mischiefs may lie done. Jn any country where 

 a particular race of animals has continued for cen- 

 turies, it may he presumed that their constitution 

 is adapted to the food and clonal.'. 



It may be proper to improve the farm of a native 

 race, but at the same time it may lie very injudi- 

 cious to attempt to enlarge their size ; for the size 

 of animals is commonly adapted to the soil and 

 climate which they inhabit. Where pcoduec is 

 nutritive and abundant, the animals are large, hav- 

 ing grown proportionately to the quantity of food 

 which for generations they have been accustomed 

 to obtain. Where the produce is scanty, the ani- 

 mals are small, being proportioned to the quantity 

 of food which they are aide to procure. Of these 

 contrasts, the sheep of Lincolnshire and of Wales 

 are samples. The sheep of Lincolnshire would 

 starve on the mountains of Wales. 



Crossing the breeds of animals may be attended 

 with bad effects in various ways; and that even when 

 adopted in the beginning on a good principle ; for 

 instance, suppose some larger ewes than those of 

 the native breed, were taken to the mountains of 

 Wales, and put to the rams of that country ; if 

 these foreign ewes were fed in proportion to the 

 size, their lambs would be of an improved form 

 and larger in size than the native animals ; hut the 

 males produced by this cross though of a good 

 form, would be disproportionate in size to the na- 

 tive ewes ; and therefore if permitted to mix with 

 them, would be productive of a starveling, ill-form- 

 ed progeny. Thus a cross which at first was an 

 improvement, would, by giving occasion to a con- 

 trary cross, ultimately prejudice the breed. The 

 general mistake in crossing has arisen from an at- 

 tempt to increase the size of a native race of ani- 

 mals ; being a fruitless effort to encounter the laws 

 of nature. 



From theory, from practice, and from extensive 

 observation, the last more to be depended on than 

 either, " it is reasonable," Cline continues, " to 

 form this conclusion: it is wrong to enlarge a native 

 breed of animals, for in proportion to their increase 

 of size, they become worse in form,' less hardy, 



and i -e liable to disease." — Communications to 



the B. of Jig. Vol 4, p. 448. 



BARKING TREES. 



It often happens that fruit trees, more particu- 

 larly apple and pear trees, are stripped of their 

 bark during the winter by sheep, rabbits, or 

 mice. When such accidents do happen, such 

 trees should not be looked upon as lost, but as 

 soon as the sap begins to circulate freely in the 

 spring, they should he repaired, by fitting in pie- 

 ces on every stile to keep up the circulation be- 

 tween the top and the roots. 



The following directions will enable those who 

 shall be so unfortunate as to have their trees in- 

 jured by mice, or otherwise, to repair them with- 

 out incurring any great expense. 



Where the bark has been taken from the bot- 

 tom of a tree, as soon as it is discovered, it should 

 be covered up to prevent the wood from becom- 

 ing dry. During the month of May uncover the 

 wood, and with a chisel or some other instrument 

 cut off from the tree so much wood as will leave 

 a flat surface, equal in width to the piece to be in- 

 serted. Let this extend so far up and down 

 as to reach the sound bark, and make The cut 

 square in at the ends. Procure a piece of wood 

 from a growing tree of the same kind, whether ap- 



ple or pear, cut it of a suitable length, split off a 

 piece from one side of it, cut the ends smooth with 

 a knife, bring careful not to bruise the hark, fit it 

 closely into the place prepared in the side of the 

 tree, having the greatest proportion of the sap How, 

 or line between the bark and wood, thai can be, 

 come in contact. Proceed in the same way on 

 different sides of the tree, after which bind the 

 whole part with some hark or strings made from 

 flax, and cover the whole with earth, if it does not 

 ■ ■Mend too far up the tree. If the bark was re- 

 moved too far up, to be convenient for covering 

 ■ nh earth ; lake some strips of cotton cloth, dip 

 them in melted grafting wax, and wind them on 

 in such a manner as to make the whole air tight. 

 If well done the pieces will unite at both ends, 

 and soon extend so as to cover the wound. — Good- 

 inner. 



From Silliman's Journal of Science. 

 DWELLING HOUSES. 



Op the thousands and tens of thousands who 

 every year engage in the erection of dwellings, 

 how \\w possess, or are in condition to obtain, the 

 knowledge which is needful to guide their judg- 

 ments in respect to the most essential of the above 

 particulars, or with a view either to economy, con- 

 venience, durability, elegance, health, security from 

 lire, etl'ect on price, or any other advantage, private 

 or public. 



The public mind is not impressed with the con- 

 -id. rations which ought to be had in view in the 

 location of habitations ; and in numberless cases 

 individuals blindly follow bad examples, or ate de- 

 termined by some whim, or some circumstance for- 

 eign to the real and permanent benefits, to secure 

 which ought to be their object. Each one, especially 

 in the country and new settlements, builds his house 

 when, how and where he pleases, as though his 

 successors and the public had no concern with the 

 matter, and as though the erection of a shelter for 

 his family in a position and by a process which 

 should least interfere with bis present convenience 

 and employments, were all that behooved him to 

 take into the account. 



Hence it is common to observe houses placed 

 where they should not be, though in the imme- 

 diate vicinity of eligible sites, while the barns and 

 out buildings are so near to them and to each 

 other, as to be objectionable on many accounts, 

 besides being all liable to he destroyed by tire in 

 case of the burning of either of t 



Houses are likewise frequently built in low and 

 damp situations, where draining is impracticable, 

 while the barns pertaining to then: are placed 

 where the dwellings should be, on dry and advan- 

 tageous locations. In numerous instances like- 

 wise, houses are to be observed not only on the 

 borders of ponds and marshes, but on the side o! 

 .hem which is opposite to that whence prevailing 

 wind proceeds. 



This subject involves the physical nature, cir- 

 cumstances and wants of man, and in no slight 

 degree bis welfare as a rational, social and ac- 

 countable being; it has an important relation to 

 his plans, employments and success in ld'e, and 

 indeed to his whole history; it is to be studied in 

 all its relations to nature and art, its relations tb 

 what is uniform and unalterable in the earth, to 

 the various changes which are taking place on the 

 surface, to various local peculiarities, to the in- 

 crease and decay of vegetable matter, and the ne- 



glect or progress of cultivation, to the changes in 

 the course and deposites of streams, to the condition 

 of natural ami artificial collections of water, to cli- 

 mate and to the long catalogue of local, periodical 

 and epidemic diseases. 



A general reformation of the opinions and 

 tastes of manSind, in respect to this wdiole subject, 

 is greatly to he desired as a means of temporal 

 happiness. No small proportion of the self pro- 

 cured and the hereditary misery and degeneracy of 

 the race proceeds from ignorance and neglect of 

 what is every where practicable in relation to this 

 subject. 



Who that closely inspects the sites, plans, ma- 

 terials and condition, of all habitations in any dis- 

 trict of country, or in any town or city, and the 

 character, habits, pecuniary circumstances, pur- 

 suits, recreations ami enjoyments, of their respec- 

 tive occupants, but must be forcibly struck with the 

 powerful and discriminating effects of the causes 

 which are involved in this field of inquiry? 



There is then eery encouragement of growing 

 and ultimate success to cheer those whose part it 

 is to promote this object. And there surely are 

 not wanting those in every place, who by their 

 education and circumstances are qualified to take 

 a part in it, and who by a common effort may do 

 much for its advancement. 



APPLES. 



We are informed that the farmers in many 

 towns laid up last fall great quantities of apples, 

 which they arc. feeding out to their cattle instead 

 of potatoes. Some farmers in Middle Granville, 

 have three or four hundred bushels of apples in 

 their cellars. A farmer in Blandford says cows 

 ith apples in the autumn will give milk as 

 abundantly as in June, and that he cannot per- 

 ceive any difference in the beneficial effects of 

 sour and sweet apples. Another in East Gran- 

 ville, says lie can make as good pork and beef 

 with apples as potatoes — It is the opinion of many 

 that a bushel of the former nearly equals in value 

 a bushel of the latter. Such facts we think are of 

 great value to the farmer ; if he can convert his 

 apples into beef and pork, or by them increase the 

 products ol the dairy, then a way is opened for 

 the conversion of fruits into money without going 

 through with the longer' and more tedious pro- 

 cess of converting them into cider, anil that into 

 brandy, and that into money. Again if pork, beef, 

 butter and cheese can be made from apples, they 

 will yield a grear profit to the farmer than if he 

 make these articles by the aid of potatoes or grain 

 since they cost but little. — H'estf eld Journal. 



PREMIUMS ON CIDER 



-r— Were awarded last week by the Committee of 

 the Agricultural Society, to Col. Elisha Edwards 

 of Southampton, $4. Hiram Clark of Southamp- 

 ton, $3. Pearson Hendrick of Easthampton, 

 $2. Daniel Newhall of Conway, $1 00. The 

 first premium on Soring Wheat was awarded to 

 Mr. Asabel Thayer of Heath, Franklin County. 

 The quantity was 3 1 bushels and eight quarts, 

 raised on one acre and fifteen rods, weighing 62 

 pounds per bushel. The actual expense of culti- 

 vating it was, Sll 50. The petition of sundry in- 

 habitants of West Springfield., relative to holding 

 die next Cattle Lair in that town, was deferred to 

 the next meeting on the first of April. — JVorthamp- 

 ton Courier. 



