NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



221 



the outer branches of shrubs that are wished to be 

 covered, will thus be plainly discernible. 



Plant-houses and frames have yet to be treated of. 

 It is generally imagined that no resemblance is trace- 

 able between the operation of sheltering these, and 

 that of protecting isolated plants, because specimens 

 in the former are aheady guarded by a sheltering 

 surface. The principle, however, remains unaltered 

 and unalterable, whatever may be the conditions in 

 which the plants exist ; and is as applicable in the 

 one instance as in the other. Glass, it is well 

 known, radiates heat with astonishing rapidity, and 

 the temperature which a glazed surface derives from 

 the house or frame beneath it is so great, that were 

 the additional covering made use of allowed to lie 

 fiath'' upon it, heat would be conducted from the 

 entire apartment with very little less celerity than if 

 the glass were exposed, or this last removed, and 

 mats substituted for it ; the only difference of result 

 from the cases before mentioned being, that the 

 tcltale plant would be rather more slowly robbed of 

 its caloric, instead of at once raerelv having a single 

 member frozen. EEllNARD REYNOSO. 



For the New Enfjland Farmer. 

 WILD CHERRY POISONOUS. 



Mr. Cole : I noticed, in a late Farmer, an article 

 copied from the Berkshire Culturist, of a number of 

 cattle killed by eating the twigs of the wild or black 

 cherrJ^ I never have personally known of an in- 

 stance of cattle having been injured by eating the 

 wild cherry twigs or leaves in their green state ; 

 though when the leaves are Avilted, they are known 

 to be poisonous. I should not sujiposc that cattle 

 would browse enough of the cherry twigs to kill 

 them, though this might be, and in this instance was 

 probably the case. This cii-cumstance reminds me 

 of a note which I addressed to the Albany Culti- 

 vator, on this subject, a few years ago. A reply was 

 given, which Avas, no doubt, from the pen of the late 

 and lamented Willis Gaylord. It reads thus : — 



" It is known that the leaves of the wild cherry, 

 if eaten by cattle, when they are just wilted by the 

 sun, will kill them ; whereas when they are green, 

 and also after they are dried, they are not at all hurt- 

 ful to cattle. Can you give us the reason why just 

 at the wilt of the leaf, they are poisonous ? 



" L. DuRAND." 



" Heply. — The poisonous qualities of the cherry 

 are owing to the prussic acid wliich they contain ; 

 and of the various kinds of cherrj% the laurel or 

 bird cherry is the most dangerous. It was from the 

 leaves of this tree that the poison ■was formerly 

 obtained. AVhilc the leaves are fresh, the poison is 

 so diluted with the juices, that it loses most of its 

 energy ; and besides, animals cannot cat the same 

 quantity of fresh leaves that they will of wilted 

 ones. The consequence is, they obtain from the 

 wilted leaves a much larger qtumtit}'' of poison, and 

 that in an undiluted state. In drying the loaves 

 thoroughly, the poison is lost with the other juices ; 

 for of all poisons, prussic acid is the most difficult to 

 confine or retain in purity. The numerous instances 

 of the death of animals from eatuig wilted cherry 

 leaves, should render farmers cautious how they 

 allow cattle to have access to them in that state, or, 

 indeed, to any extent in any other. — Ed." 



K this will benefit you or your readers, you can 

 give it room in the Farmer. It may be found in the 

 Cultivator, Sept. 1813, p. MO. 



Yours, &c., L. DURAND. 



Derby, Ct., June 11, 1850. 



Remarks. — We copy the following from the Amer- 



ican Veterinarian, but we do not now recollect the 

 authority for stating that green cherry leaves are 

 poisonous ; but it is stated on some authority which 

 we considered reliable. 



" It has been stated that cherry leaves are free from 

 poison until they have wilted ; but cases have occurred 

 in which the green leaves have poisoned animals. It 

 is said that they contain ^jrussic acid. Peach leaves 

 contain prussic acid also, and they arc supposed to 

 be poisonous." 



In regard to the peach, it should be considered 

 that it is strongly allied to the almond, and that 

 prussic acid is made from the bitter almond. 



As to green leaves bemg poisonous, they may be 

 less so than the wilted, and yet be injurious in large 

 quantities. Some comparatively mild liquors arc 

 regarded as not intoxicating, as they contain so 

 small a percentage of alcohol that but few have a 

 stomach of sufficient capacity to hold liquor enough 

 for the alcohol to seriously affect the brain. We 

 once heard an old toper say (as he was pouring 

 down cider, resting occasionally, and fetching a long 

 breath, as the ^perspiration ran down his face) that 

 he could get drunk on cider, but it was hard work. 



Cattle and horses will feed by the side of yew, as 

 it is growing, and will not eat it. Left to nature, they 

 shun poison ; but when the leaves arc dried and 

 mixed with haj^ — prepared by art — they will eat 

 them, and often die suddenly from their poisonous 

 effects. — Ed. 



For the New England Fanner. 

 WINTER WHEAT. 



Mr. Cole : I have pursued the following plan in 

 the growing of wheat ; — 



1st. Spread manure, and plough in. 



2d. With the first harrowing, spread a little more 

 manure, and ashes or slaked lime. 



3d. Ash or lime the grain when sowed. 



4th. Plough in if possible, or cultivate in. Deep 

 planting (say two inches) protects the roots from 

 being broken off by spring thawing and freezing. 



5th. Turn over old mowing stubble. The heat of 

 the second crop, with the manure to aid it, produces 

 better wheat than old, rich, cultivated soil. 



6th. Get in the crop by the 1st September, and 

 should it make too much growth, (little danger of 

 this,) let in the calves, and keep it down. 



7th. Roll hard, and should the sod appear hard as 

 a pavement, the grain readily springs up. 



8th. Spring rolling packs the roots, and spreads the 

 grain. This process is of vast benefit to newly laid 

 down grass lands. 



Now, a word for the consideration of farmers. 

 Winter wheat, like winter rye, yields a third more 

 than spring wheat, is far »u])orior in quality and 

 color, ripens earlier, is less liable to ru.it. It ripc.is 

 three Aveeks earlier, the labor is performed in a less 

 busy season, (August and September,) and to crown 

 all, our crop is as sure as in Ohio, or any western- 

 state, and averages as large. 



They raise ten to twelve bushels to the acre, aver- 

 age, for a term of years, as recently stated by a gen- 

 tleman from that state. We can and will do better. 



There are wheat fields now, in l-lssex county, of 

 great luxuriance and promise. Referring to one in 

 l)articular, is a piece belonging to Rev. Mr. Eoring, 

 North Andover, which was sown and stocked down 



