138 



]N i: W E N G LAN D FARM E II , 



Nov. 16, 153?' 



vent their rullins; in winter, must not only lie kept 

 from/ivst anil wet, but iils^o from ccld "ml damp ; 

 and 1 liuve not tlie leiist donbt of ilieir growing 

 well in tlic New linghin.l States ; l>nt iis I «-ann<ii 

 obt..iii seed in lliis place I liave not r.iisfd any. 

 Respeellully, Samuel PnEsroN. 



.SUd.-porl, Pa. Oct. 20, 1831. 



ACORNS. 

 Mk Russell— 1 herewith send yon, agrreabiy to 

 your rerniest, a qiianlily of acorns of the followini,' 

 specifs of oak for tlio London Horiicnluirul So- 

 ciety, viz. 



Tlioso marked No. 1. The Qaercus alha or 

 W4lite Oak, lliat ppecies does not bear niucli lliis 

 year, so I could obtain but a small (]nanliiy. This 

 is well known to be the most usefid timber tree in 

 America. 



No 2. Qicerciis mo7itana, or Mountain Oak, or 

 Chesnnt leaved oak, a noble timber tree next in 

 rank for timber to the white oak. I could obtain 

 but a very small quiuitity ; the tree bore very little 

 this season. 



No. 3. The Gray Oak. I do not know the specific 

 name. The best for fuel of any of the oaks, ex- 

 cejit the yellow oak. 



No. 4. Q_ucrcus caslanea, or Yellow Oak, very 

 good for timber, and the best for fuel of any of 

 the oaks ; the bark is useful for dying ; a large tree. 

 No. -5. qiieicus rubra, or Red Oak, one of the 

 largest of our limber trees, useful for staves, and 

 the bark for tanning' leather. 



No. 6. (iuercus discolor, or (iilse Red Oak, large 

 tree. 



No. 7. Qiiercus coccinea or Scarlet Oak, a large 

 tree ; this and No. 6 are called by farnvrs simply 

 the Red Oak, but there is a distinction or dill'er- 

 euce in ihem wbieli is known to botanists. 



I expected to be able to obtain some of t he 

 acorns from the Qnercus ■lnctor:a, Querciiron Oak, 

 or Black Oak, also the quercus bicolor or Swamp 

 Oak, and the (Quercus ilicifotia or Scrub Oak. The 

 latter however is only a .'^mail bush, seldom grows 

 higher than a man's bead. The Ulack and Scarlet 

 do not grow in this vicinity, but the Swamp White 

 Oak does. T could not find one acorn of this year's 

 growth. 



I would suggest to yon that if thoy are to bo 

 sent to Europe it would lie well to put them in 

 sand or earth, especially the White Oak and Cbcs- 

 nut leaved Oak, as they are beginuiiij,' to sprout and 

 if the sprout should wither may fiil of growing ; 

 but perhaps you know how to manage them bet- 

 ter than I can tell you. 



Yours respiclfiillv,- Ei.ipii.iLET IIu.nt. 

 Chester, M H. .Voi-.'il, 1S31. 



Uses.— A most excellent fire wood, ship limber, 

 dry limber and slaves ; bark used for tanning, but 

 not considered good. 



No. 3— (Quercus alba of Wangenheim) While 

 Oak in New Hampshire, grows to a large size in 

 forests and sheltered situations. 



Uses— A most excellent timber for civil and na- 

 val building, slaves for liquor casks, &c ; bark infe- 

 rior for tanning. 



Soil. — Rather moist and rich loam. 



No. 4.— (Quercus caslanea of Wildeiiow and 

 Prince, .'kuminate of Michaux) Yellow Oak in New 

 Hampshire, does not grow to so great a size as the 

 three above. . , 



Uses.— A most excellent fire wood ; good timber 

 for the saw, but does not split so well as those 

 above— bark excellent for tanning and coloring 

 yellow. . 



Soil— A strong rocky loam— in sheltered situa- 

 tions it has but few branches. 



The acorns from the above trees were gathered 

 from young, thrifty trees, not more than 3U years old. 



There are two other varieties of oak growing in 

 this vicinity, what are locally called black oak and 

 CTray oak ; the latter appears to be a cross of the red 

 and yellow varieties, and has nearly the same char- 

 acteristics as the yellow oak. Acorns from these 

 could not be obtained this year. J. W. SMirii. 



Milford,(JV.H.) Oct., mil. 



OAKS. 



Mr Russell — I send you a package of acorns, of 

 each of the following varieties, for the London Hor- 

 ticultural Society. 



No. 1.— (Quercus cocdnci) Red Oak in New 

 Hampshire, grows almost everywhere in New Eng- 

 land, and reaches the height of 70 or 80 feet in fa- 

 vorable situations, and 8 or >J feel ia circumference. 



Uses — Wood used for dry limber, posts, rails and 

 staves — bark used for tanning. 



Soil — Recpiires a deep rich loam ; in thick for- 

 ests its branchei are not nuuiGrous, but in exposed 

 situations it becomes very brandling, and does not 

 grow to 60 great a height. 



No. 2.— ( (^uircus montana of Wildenow and 

 Prince, .MoiiticoUi of Michaux) Cliesnut Oak, moun- 

 tain oak in New Hampshire, grows in dry, deep and 

 rich rocky soils, as larga as the red oak in favorable 

 situations. 



FALL FEEDhNG CATTLE. 



Mr Fessenden — Although the pastures look 

 uiK^oimiionly green for the season, it is apparent, 

 that the alimentary properties of the grass are be- 

 "iiuiing to be serio-.isly diminished. Already, the 

 cattle of some of my neighbors, especially those 

 which arc fed on outlands, look pinclied, and are 

 obviously falling away. This, 1 have frpqueiilly 

 saiil to myself, is bad iiianagcmeiit. If they can- 

 not be kept in a thriving coiidiiioii at the presani 

 season, tiiey should certainly not be suffered to fail 

 away ; for it is apparent that they will need the 

 stamina which they have acquired, during the win- 

 ter approaching. In resjiect to young callle, this 

 may not be as important, although their growth must 

 be proportionally retarded ; but in resjiect to mitck 

 cows and worlcing oxen it is absolutely essential. 

 Unless in a good condition, cows cannot he expect- 

 ed to yield a large quantity of milk, nor that of an 

 excellent quality ; fori take it as settled, that both 

 the quantity and quality of milk ilepend much up- 

 on the condilion of a cow. And in respect to 

 working oxen, their powers of draught and endur- 

 ance are, to a certain extent, in proportion to their 

 good condition. 



But hy what means, it may be asked, shall the 

 good condition of cattle be preserved, in consis- 

 toncy with economy? Will it answer, asks the 

 farmer, to begin thus early to fodder iiiy slock .^ 

 To this, I would reply, that every farmer slnjuld 

 have provided for the exigencies of this precise 

 season tif the year ; and should have been laiigin 

 to have thus provided, by his past experience. He 

 should have raised a gooil crop of pumpkins : or, 

 as these are somewhat uncertain, he should have 

 sown a field of lurnips, carrots, &,c, to be fed out 

 early. But as many farmers, may not have thus 

 provided, the question will probably occur, is it 

 ecuiiumical to begin to fodder at this time, whfii 

 cattle appear to be falling olf in condilion ? In 

 my own view, the proper answer i.s, by all menus. 

 But, it may be said, that beginning thus early in 

 the season, the fodder will not last. Be it so ; 

 keeii your cattle in good condilion as long as it 

 does last, and if necessary then buy more. Or, 

 if they must be pinched, let il be towards spring. 



If tiicir sidids have remained until ihat time undi- 

 ininisheil, they will have something upon which to 

 rely, should the fodder come thort. Or which is, 

 perhaps, a sliU better remedy fertile unlicipateil 

 evil, sell olT your cattle, retaining only that num- 

 ber which you are sure of keeping well. Keep 

 your callle growing the whole year rouiul — keep 

 your iiiilcb cows, so that even iate in the fall, 

 llicir milk will not be seriously dilnilli^bed from 

 the quaiuity they gave in midsuminer. Keep 

 your oxen so that, if any accident beliils them, yoi> 

 would noi be afraid to recomineml as tolerable beef. 

 Those diiections are all praciieablu ; and if prac- 

 tised upon Would be found, 1 doubt not, economical, 

 strictly so. 



Bui if you judge otherwise, you are at liberty 

 to suppress what I have writsen.or disprove it, if 

 you are able. Yours, G. 



Berlin, Con. .Vui>. 1831. 



The above remarks appear to us to be correct 

 and judicious. Deane's N. E. Farmer coincidea 

 with our correspondent in some of his dircciions. 

 In that work it is observed, 'The lueaiiest lodder 

 should not be dealt out lirst of all. The straw 

 and the worst hay shoiild be reserved to give them 

 in the coldest weather; for it is then that they 

 have the keenest appeiiies. When a farmer thinks 

 ihal he has too much stock fur his fodder, as wili 

 sometimes be the case, il is not best to pinch them 

 in their allowance so much in the fore part of 

 winter as iii the latter part. For the cattle aru 

 more liable to be pinched with cold, in December 

 and January than afterwards. And no man knows 

 In.w favorable the latter [lurt of winter may be. — 

 Kd. JV. £. Farmer. 



INUUIRIES. 



Ma Fessexdes — Allow ine to inquire whether 

 chloride of lime has ever to your knowledge been 

 used to cleanse musty ciiler barrels ? would it be 

 lihely to injure the cider ? A Subscriber. 



By the Editor — A French journal asserts that 

 tainled wooden casks of every description may 

 be rendered perfectly sweel and wlndesume by 

 washing with diluted sulphuric acid, and after- 

 wards with lime water and pure waler. We i\o 

 noi donbt but chloride of lime would cleanse foul 

 casks, though we never knew ihe experiment tried. 

 If the casks were afterwards scalded with hot 

 water, or even well rinsed with ctdil water, we 

 should apprehend no injury to the cider. 



Candied Raisins. — Having on hand several hun- 

 dred weight of Smyrna raisins, which have be- 

 come so candied, as to be unfit for ordinary use, 

 i am induced to iiKpiire, whether they may be 

 prolilabty used, in making wine. If su, will you 

 please slate in your paper, an econoinicul process 

 lor the same ? Respectfully yours, 



Berlin, Con. jVof. 1831. E. B. 



Mr Fesse.nden — I received last spring from a 

 Irieiid in Paris, a package of garden seeds^ 

 among which was a paper labeled • Tours 

 Cilery' These seeds resembled, if I rightly re- 1 

 mi.'niljer, small gourd seeds ; but had no smell of 1 

 celery, as is usual with the common seed. I' 

 plaiileJ Ihcm, soon after which the plants iiiado 

 the.r appearance, and have coiilinued lo grow vig- 

 oroitsly, up to the pnjseiit time. Tliey are much 

 largsr than any celery jilants I ever "saw, and en- 

 tirely u;.like those of the common kind. They 

 weaf a dull silvery appearance; the leaves are a* 

 stiff and rigid as oak leaves, and the bocJers of 



