1858. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



79 



MANURES FROM ABROAD. 



In a private letter from one of our most ob- 

 serving and intelligent correspondents, is the fol- 

 lowing paragi'aph : "/» the matter of rnanures 

 we need a reform. This State, in its lime and 

 MUCK, MARL, &c.. Contains, I have no doubt, in 

 herself ample means of restoring all the lost fer- 

 tility of her lands. These are among the most 

 durable of all manures. Why then purchasefrom 

 abroad those expensive ones, whose effects, at best, 

 are often doubtful?" "We give the paragraph 

 prominence, because its truths are of more im- 

 portance to the mass of our farmers, than any 

 thing we can utter beside. There 7nust be a re- 

 form in the matter of manures, for they are the 

 keystone upon which rests all the farmer's suc- 

 cess. 



AV"e have no desire to discourage the use of 

 specific manures by those xcho can afford to fail 

 in an experiment ; they are undoubtedly useful in 

 degree, and it is well for us all to know their in- 

 trinsic value. But the common farmer cannot 

 afford to test them, only in a small, uncertain and 

 unsatisfactory way, and, we fear, that when his 

 hopes of good results from his crops rest on them, 

 liis mind will be diverted from the only true and 

 natural way of fertilizing his land — namely — from 

 the sources which the land itself affords. Some of 

 these sources we hope in the course of the year 

 to be able briefly to point out. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 MIXING OF PLANTS. 



Mr. Editor : — In a late Farmer, I notice that 

 your correspondent, Essex, in some remarks up- 

 on squashes, says : — "An inquiry has often been 

 made, how is the purity of the squash preserved ?" 

 and then goes on to say, "I have never met more 

 sensible remarks on this point, than the follow- 

 ing, which I quote from a report on vegetable 

 products about to appear, in the Transactions of 

 the Essex Agricultural Society for 185", as fol- 

 Iows."_ 



"It is a mistake to suppose that the seed of the 

 squash is pure, because the squash itself has all 

 tlie outward characteristics of purity. The cross- 

 ing of varieties, as in the apple and pear, and all 

 our fruits, is not in the pulp, but in the seed ; 

 and were tlie squash vine like our trees, perenni- 

 al, no matter how near other varieties might 

 grow, the fruit would always be constant ; but 

 when we plant the seed, be it of squash, apple, 

 or pear, then the result of growing in the vicini- 

 ty of other varieties, at once shows itself in point 

 of all degrees of purity, though the seed planted 

 may have all come from one squash." 



Your correspondent says this doctrine may, in 

 some manner, explain the vexed question, "will 

 seed taken from squashes yield pumpkins ? and 

 vice versa." Now, nothing is more certain than 

 the crossing of different varieties of the same 

 species if one is fertilized with the polJen of 

 another. But it is a well known fact thai the 



(TOSS has no effect upon the fruit of the present 

 year, but appears in the next generation raised 

 from the fertilized seed. This is a law in the veg- 

 etable economy, which should be familiar to all 

 farmers and horticulturists. What thousands of 

 dollars are annually lost by planting seed not 

 true to their kind. Dealers in seeds should nev- 

 er purchase any for sale, unless they know they 

 are raised by persons understanding this subject. 



Your correspondent remarks, "I had supposed 

 (hese vegetables, (pumpkins and squashes) to be 

 as different in their nature, as are the African 

 and European in the human family." Undoubt- 

 edly they are so, but they are of the same species, 

 and susceptible of being crossed, and a new vari- 

 (;ty produced. And so of the human race, they 

 are of the same family, and tlierefore varieties 

 exist. 



Plants of one genus cannot be crossed with 

 those of another, but remain distinct. There is 

 no changing of the nature of any plant, or ani- 

 mal; yet there are those who insist that wheat 

 turns to chess, and becomes worthless as a grain. 

 Hut the doctrine that wheat turns to chess, and 

 Indian corn to mullen, rests on untenable ground. 

 A man has not the power to change the nature 

 of any created thing, but science gives him a 

 most interesting power to originate new varieties 

 of animals or vegetables, by crossing the breeds 

 of the same species. But the integrity of the 

 Creator remains the same, and the awful impress 

 of the Creator's hand which was stamped upon 

 every order of organized life, in the beginning, 

 will go down, unimpaired, to the end of life. 



Dec. 3, 1857. Lynnfield. 



Remarks. — "Lynnfield" will observe that we 

 liave omitted one or two illustrations in his 

 article, but we can assure him that it was not be- 

 cause we disagree with him in opinion, but be- 

 cause it might lead to a discussion not congenial 

 with the purposes of this journal. 



DELEGATES TO U. S. AQRICIILTUIIAL 

 SOCIETY. 



At a recent meeting of the Massachusetts State 

 Board of Agriculture, held in this city, the fol- 

 lowing gentlemen were elected delegates to at- 

 tend the annual meeting of the U. S. Agricultural 

 Society, which is to be held in Washington on 

 the loth of January next, viz. : Hon. Marshall 

 P. Wilder, Charles L. Flint, Esq., John Brooks, 

 B. V. French, Moses Newell and Samuel Chand- 

 ler. As important matters, affecting the interests 

 of the Society as well as the cause of agriculture 

 throughout the country, are to be discussed, it is 

 expected that there will be a large attendance at 

 the meeting. 



We hear that Major Poore, the efficient Secre- 

 tary of the Society, has received the fmal report 

 of the Committee on "Agricultural Macliincrr 

 and Farm Implements" at the recent exhibition 

 at Louisville, Ky., and can reply to the numerous 

 "anxious inquiries" made by exhibitors. 



Applications have been made to have the nex' 

 exhibition of the Society in Baltimore, l\lCi., ar.I 

 Chicago, Ilk Those and such other applications 

 as may be received will be acted upon at the an- 

 nual meeting. — Journal. 



