1858. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



69 



For the New England Farmer. 



THE THINGS I BAISE—No. 5. 

 CHUFAS, OK EAETH ALMOND. 



This is a sort of grass, that produces on its 

 roots a small bulb, about the size and somewhat 

 the shape of a peanut. It is sweet, and resem- 

 bles in taste a chestnut, though not so agreeable, 

 for the skin sticks in your throat after, or while 

 you are eating. This thing was sent out by the 

 Patent Office, and recommended for pigs. I have 

 no doubt the pigs would like them, but if they 

 do, I should say — let them dig them ; for it is slow 

 business picking them up, they are so small, not 

 averaging larger than good sized beans. It seems 

 to me almost worthless, except it may be to grow 

 on the sands of Cape Cod, or some such place 

 where a man's farm moves from one town to an- 

 other every time the wind blows ; here it might 

 answer to keep the sand covered M-ith grass, 

 which I presume — though I did not try it — would 

 be readily eaten by cattle ; and as it remains in 

 the ground forever unless pains are taken to re- 

 move it. It yields quite abundantly, so far as 

 number goes, some three or four hundred to a 

 hill, from half a pint to a pint. If any person is 

 disposed to try a few, and will send stamps to 

 pay postage, &c., I will forward some by mail. The 

 boys may be disposed to raise them as a substitute 

 for chestnuts, which are not always abundant. 



grange's new early broccoli, 



Sent to me by Patent Office. It is a worthless 

 sort, if mine were true, for they did not produce 

 a single head in the whole lot. 



WINNIGSTADT CABBAGE. 



This is a comparatively new vai'iety, and one I 

 believe of great excellence. I received the seed 

 from the Patent Ollice, and it M-as true. It is of the 

 sugar loaf form, and of medium size, though 

 larger than the Early York, and but little later. 

 The head^ is very compact, even of the smallest, 

 and what is in their favor, they all head, not more 

 than one in a hundred failing to do so. Should 

 be started in hot beds same time as Early York, 

 and they will be quite early and profitable. I 

 consider it as well worthy to enter the list of veg- 

 etables to be grown for market. 



James F. C. Hyde. 



Newton Centre Dec. 10, 1857. 



VALUE OP FALLEN LEAVES. 



No manure is so well worth the saving in Oc- 

 tober and November as the falling leaves of the 

 season. According to Payen, they contain near- 

 ly three times as much nitrogen as ordinary barn- 

 yard manure ; and every farmer Avho has strewn 

 and covered them in his trenches late in the fall, 

 or in December, must have noticed the next sea- 

 son how black and moist the soil is that adheres 

 to the thrifty young beets he pulls. No vegeta- 

 ble substance yields its woody fibre and becomes 

 soluble, qnicker than leaves, and from this very 

 cause they are soon dried up, scattered to the 

 winds and wasted, if not gathered and trenched 

 in, or composted before the advent of severe 

 winter. 



As leaves are poor in carbon and rich in alka- 

 lias salts, as well as nitrogen, they are especially 



valuable in compost with manhaden fish manure 

 and dead animals, poor in potash, but abounding 

 in carbon and lime phosphate. But the great 

 value of leaves is in the extra nitrogen they con- 

 tain. Prof. Jackson truly says that the com- 

 pounds of nitrogen not only decompose readily 

 themselves, but they also induce the elements of 

 other organic matter with which they are in con- 

 tact, to assume new forms, or to enter into new 

 chemical combinations ; and according to the 

 long continued and varied llothbamsted experi- 

 ments of the indefatigable Lawes and Dr. Gil- 

 bert, nitrogen, in its compound form, (ammonia,) 

 also exerts the same potent influence on the in- 

 organic or mineral elements of the soil, render- 

 ing even sand into the soluble food of plants. 

 Yet every farmer or gardener ought also to know 

 that his own mechanical aid in trenching or 

 plowing, in order to keep his soil permeable 

 and absorptive, is indispensable to aid nature in 

 developing her chemical process. — Rural Neio- 

 Yorler. 



THE GRAVENSTEIU' APPLE. 



One of the best fall apples in all the world, is 

 the "Gravenstein apple," so called. It originated 

 in Germany, but is found to flourish Avell in all 

 the northern sections of the United States, where 

 the apple will flourish, and its introduction to this 

 country resulted in a rich acquisition to our fruits, 

 and the person who did so good a deed should 

 receive due honors from all the lovers of good 

 apples. This person, we learn from Hovei/s Mag- 

 azine of Horticulture for October, was CajJt. John 

 DeWolfe, of Dorchester, Mass. 



It is possible, and even probable, that it was 

 brought over into New York some time before 

 by some of the Dutch ; this is not exactly certain, 

 but it is exactly certain that Capt. DeWolfe did 

 introduce it into New England, and that from his 

 tree it has spread into thousands of nurseries and 

 orchards. In proof of this, the editor of the 

 Maga'zine above named published the following 

 letter from Capt. DeWolfe, which gives in detail 

 the history of the transaction, which though a 

 quiet and humble deed, is nevertheless more hon- 

 orable and more useful, and productive of more 

 real blessing and good to our community, than 

 all the "fillibustering" of Walker or any other in 

 this fillibustering age. — Maine Farmer. 



the captain's letter. 



Dear Sir : — As there appeared to be some 

 discrepancy in the account of the origin, name 

 and time of introduction of the Gravenstein ap- 

 ple in this country, I beg leave respectfully to hand 

 you this statement, not that I think there is any 

 especial merit in the introduction, as I think we 

 are all bound to do what good we can in promot- 

 ing and enriching the products of our own soil ; 

 neither do I make any pretensions to be a con- 

 noisseur in fruits, or vegetables, but this I can 

 say without the fear of contradiction, that in ear- 

 ly youth I had a kind of natural instinct or fac- 

 ulty, which enabled me to find the best apple tree 

 in the neighboring orchards, the darkest night 

 that ever was, Avith as much facility as in riper 

 years, I could find my way both day and night 

 blindfold, to maintop bowline. 



However, if it should be considered that there 



