266 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Feb. 29, 1832. 



is not fiillv ripe until the inner part of the kernel 

 l)ecomes rather hard, or is " out of tlie milk," as 

 farmers say. Then the corn may lie t(i]ipeil with- 

 out injury. Nature does nothing in vain. It is 

 idle to say that the ear of corn derives no nourish- 

 ment, wliilc green, from the top stalks. Every 

 part of the stalk, leaves and all, are necessary to 

 the srowth and maturity of the ear, and the sac- 

 charine juice gently oozes into the coh, and from 

 the cob into the kernel until fully ripe. It would 

 be (IS rational to coutend, that the anipuiation of 

 an arm would not injure a man, as that ibc cutting 

 the green stalk would not tend to wither tnc gi-eeii 

 ear of corn. I am aware, Mr Editor, .hat this 

 dt)ctrine stands opposed to the prejudices of farm- 

 ers generally, yet I fully belie\e that ftiir expe- 

 rii.ients will, not many years hence, induce them 

 to supjiort it. 



Another practice among farmers deserves cen- 

 sure. They often pile up their corn in laige heaps 

 in the barn, in order to have what iscallted" husk- 

 ings." In this pile there are greeu materials, green 

 stalks, green ears, and fold matter, whick, after 

 laying a short time, produce fermentatijn, the 

 whole heap becomes warm, and tainted vith the 

 noxious gases or ctl^luvia that penetrate evtry part. 

 The corn is afterwards husked, and oftei placed 

 in rooms not well ventilated. The corn wiy be 

 sound and look finely — the bread palatable and 

 called good, very good. But the question wheth- 

 er it might not have been rendered frf bdi-.r and 

 sweeter with proper management, sehlom, pe-haps, 

 enters the farmer's mind. 



One of your corresiiondents, an enlighened 

 practical farmer, informed me that he was fully 

 convinced, that corn would not ripen so soon by 

 topping it while green. This is also agaijst the 

 general opinion, but not, thercl'ore. im-oVreCt. — 

 He also stated that he topped a portion of a corn 

 field, beforenhe corn was out of tlie milk, in order 

 to feed his oxen, a practice very common ; luul 

 that where he gathered his com, that portion so 

 topped, was inferior to his other corn in the same 

 piece, the soil being equal. 



WM. CLAGGETT. 

 Portsmouth, JV. H. Feb-.' Vi, 1832. 



ADDRESS 



lalions always awaken, he is ready to exclaim ia 

 the language of the poet, 

 Naluie in every form is lovely still; 

 Nothing in her is menn, nothing 3\ipei'fluons. 

 How woiKhous is lliis scene ! whore all Is form'd 

 With niiuiber, « eight, iind measure ! — all designed 

 For some great end ! — whcie not alone the plant 

 or stalely growth; the herb of glorious hue, 

 Or food-fjil substance ; not the labeling steed ; 

 The herd and flock that leed us ; not the mine 

 That yields us sloies ot elegance and use ; 

 The sea that loads our tables, and conveys 

 The wanlerer man from clime to clime, with all 

 Those rolling spheres, that, from on high, shed down 

 Their kindly influence ; — not these alone. 

 Which strike even eyes incurious, but each moss. 

 Each shell, each crawling insect holds a rank, 

 linporlanl in the plan of Him, who form'd 

 This sc.ile of beings: 



A blade of silver Iiair-grass, nodding slowly 

 In the solt wind ; — the thistle's purple crown. 

 The ferns, the rushes tall, and fungus lowly, — 

 A thorn, a weed, aninseci, or aslone, 

 Can (hrill us with sensations exquisite ; 

 For all is exquisite ; — and every part 

 Points to the niighiy hand that fashion'd it. 



Then, as we look aloft with yea.rning heart. 



The trees and mountains, like conductors, raise 



Our spirits upward on their flight sublime. 



And clouds, and sun, and Heaven's marrnorean floor. 



Are but the stcpping-slones by which we climb 



Up to the dreixl Invisible, to pour 



Our grateful 'eelingg out in silent praise. 



1 the New York Funnel. 



FESTIVAL, SErXIMUER 21, iBJl. 



BY M A L T H U S A.WARD, M . D . 



Concluded from page 2G*2, 



Even in the short space since the foundation (f 

 this Society, its influence has become strongly 

 marked, not only around the residences of its mem- 

 bers, but throughout this section of the country. 

 Never before was there so much inquiry for orna- 

 mental trees and for the choicer kinds of fruits, 

 among people of all classes. Never bsfore did 

 gardening and rural affairs engross so large a share 

 of common conversation, — ollcn entirely exclud- 

 ing those unprofitable and acrimonious discussions 

 on politics, and those religions coutroversies,which 

 are so apt to terminate only in uucharitidileness 

 and ill will. Never before was there an ojiportu- 

 nity for the interchange of such cheap but accepta- 

 ble civilities, as the offer of desirable plants, seeds, 

 and scions of favorite fruits, or the timely donation 

 of a delicious melon or basket of grapes. By these 

 means, harmony of neighborhoods has been jire- 

 served, valuable acquaintances acquired, unplea- 

 sant feuds have been suppressed, and many petty 

 ieaJpusies, wliich secretly rankled in the bosom. 



have been allayed, and may soon be forgotten. If, In a spirit of that pure luUural religion, and full 

 within the last three years, there is a decided im- of those ennobling setitimenis which such contem- 

 provement in the grounds of men of wealth and 

 leisure, it is still more conspicuous in the gardens 

 anil court-yards of the middling class of citizens ; 

 and even the home of the laboring poor has, in not 

 a few instances, acquired an additional point of 

 interest, to attract him from the haunts of dissipa- 

 tion ; his leisure hours are pleasantly occupied ; 

 his mind expanded, and his heart!' warmed and 

 softened. 



All this, it must be admitted, is more than well. 

 It is excellent. Had no higher benefits accrued 

 from the expenditure of the time, the labors, and 

 the funds of this society, the speculation must 

 have been accounted luost fortunate. It is not, 

 however, the simjile, the rude and uneducated, 

 who derive the most exquisite gratification from a 

 contetnplation of the works of Nature. It is the 

 mind, which, in addition to. -refined literary accom- 

 plishments, an intimacy with the fine arts and 

 the cultivated sensibilities of polite society, has ad- 

 ded a considerable attainment in those scientific 

 pursuits which I have been striving to recommend. 

 The uniform testimony of all who have walkeil in 

 tliese paths is, that they are ways of pleasantness. 

 Dr Elliott, to whom the Botany of this country is 

 so much indebted, anys, " It has been for many 

 years, the occupation of my leisure moments ; and 

 it is a merited tribute so say, that it has lightened 

 fi)r me many a heavy and smoothed many a rug- 

 ged hour ; that, beguiled by its charms, I have 

 found no road rough or difficult, no journey tedi- 

 ous, no country desolate or barren. In solitude 

 never solitary, in a desert never without employ 

 ment, I have found it a relief from the languor of 

 idleness, the pressure of business and the unavoid- 

 able calamities of life." " I have travelled through- 

 out America," says Mr Nutlall, " |>rincii)ally with 

 a view to becoming acquainted with some favorite 

 branches of Natural History. I had no other ciul 

 in view hut personal gratification ; ainj, in this, I 

 have not been disappointed ; for innocent a;nuse- 

 ment can never leave room J'or regret. To con- 

 verse, as it were, with Nature, to admire the wis- 

 dom and l)eauty of creation, has been, and I hope 

 ever will be, a favorite pursuit. To comnuinicate 

 to others a portion of the same amusement and 

 •rratification, has been the only object of my bota- 

 nical publications." 



There is not, in fact, a flower in the garden, or 

 by the way-side, but has some beauty only unveil- 

 ed to the minute inquirer; — some peculiarity in 

 structure, fitting it for its destined place and pur- 

 pose, and yet not obvious to a casual glance. — 

 Many are full of remembrances and associations, 

 in which it is good for us to indulge. To the en- 

 lightened student, " a yellow primrose on the 

 brim" is .something more than a yellow ju-iinrose. 

 He is, to borrow the words of the author of the 

 Sketch Book, " continually coming upon some lit- 

 tle document of poetry in the blossomed hawthorn, 

 the daisy, the cowslip, or some other simple object 

 that has received a supernatural value from the 

 muse." And as his pursuits lead him into the 

 most wild and heautiful scenes of Nature, so his 

 knowledge enables him to enjoy tliem with a high- 

 er relish than others. They are " full of his 

 familiar friends," with whom he holds a kind of 

 intellectual communion, and finds from experience 

 that 



" The meanest flower th.it blows can give 

 Thoughts that olt lie too deep for tears." 



ON TKE CULTURE AND VALUE OF 

 LOCUST. 



Among the great vsuiety of subjects discusseiJ 

 ire your vuUiahlo^liblicatiou, connected with agri- j 

 cultural pursuits, I have not seen any notices of 

 that most valuable of all the diff'ereut kinds of 

 wood known to our country, the common yellow 

 locust. The most valuahle, because of all the va- 

 ried productions cS our foncsts, no out; sp(;cies of 

 wood is in so many ways ]ircferahle to all othei-s. 



In ship-building, and housebuilding ; for fi'nces 

 and for fuel, the locust is in almost all resjiects as 

 good as any other, and in many iiarticulars so de- 

 cidedly superior, as scarcely to admit of compari- 

 son. 



The value of this wood not being generally 

 known, as it is rarely found among our primifive 

 forests, and the cultivation of it but little attended 

 to in the new and recently settled parts of our 

 state, is probably the cause why it has attracted so 

 little of gecei-al interest. The soil in which the lo- 

 cust a|ipears to thrive best, is of the kind which is 

 generally found upon the necks aneT iironiontories 

 on the iiorlh shore of Long lsl.-.ii<I — a light ami 

 sjmewhat sandy loani. It thrives best in the deep- 

 est and richest "soils of this description, but grows 

 very well in those that are so gravelly and uiievwi 

 as to be of little or no value for the plough. 



It may be grown from the seed, first subjected 

 to the action of boiling water, and pl.iuted iu nur- 

 series, to remain two or more years previous to 

 transplanting ; or when fallen, after having attain- 

 ed some size, nimierous sprouts may he obtained 

 by wounding or separating the roots with a plough, 

 which extend for a considerable distance from the 

 liody, and run near the surface. In this way an 

 icre may be covered with more than will arrive at 

 maturity, from a dozen well grown trees scattered 

 over that surface. 



