TOI.. XI. NO. 33. 



AND HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



173 



There is no class of people that are so favorably 

 situoted for reading as fanners, and no location or 

 occupation, so well calculated for contemplation. 

 Some our highest brauclieis of science, may be said 

 to have originated, or been greatly advanced, in 

 early ages, by this class of people. The shepherds 

 were the earliest astronomers ; and some of the 

 most promiuenl characters in botany and medicine, 

 have been men that iu early life were practically 

 and familiarly acquainted with agriculture. Unless 

 we are very much mistaken, there is a great 

 change taking place in public opinion, in favor of 

 tlie character of agriculturists, as a part of the body 

 (lolitic ; and we should not be surprised, if with- 

 hi a few years, there should be a prejudice in favor 

 of well informed farmers, as suitable characters in 

 our national councils. Let our young fanners de- 

 termine to qualify tliemselves for any station in 

 community, not by putting on a show of empty 

 trappings, but by adduig to a stock of plain com- 

 mon sense, a knowledge of common things ; let 

 (liem examine matter ; and the laws which gov 

 eru it, and draw their conclusions from facts. Let 

 them respect themselves, and claim respect fron 

 others. — Knapp's Lectures. 



HINTS TO FLORISTS. 



The roots of some kinds of Iris, if left undis- 

 turbed for a few years, rise to the surface of the 

 groimd, or even above it, and then become 

 damaged by the frost. Of these kinds are Ms 

 s:ermaiiica, and Iris Jlorentina ; and last winter the 

 latter, a native of the south of Europe, was so 

 much mjured as to bloom very sparingly tjiis 

 season. To prevent a recurrence, I transplanted 

 one immediately after flowering, setting it two or 

 tliree inches deeper in the soil ; and it now exlliib- 

 its a fresher green and a more vigorous vegetation 

 than those which without delay I uiteud to treat 

 in the same manner. — Genesee Farmer. 



OdorotLS Wood. A traveller, who visited the 

 chateau of Tarasp, (Switzerland) was struck in 

 almost evei-y apartment with the perfume of the 

 pLiius cemhra, (stone pine) of which the wainscot- 

 ing and different articles of furniture consisted ; 

 and considering that the wainseothig, at least, must 

 be some centuries old, he justly considered it as 

 surprising that it should have continued to exhale 

 this perfume for such a length of time, in undi- 

 minished strength. Owing, it is presmned, to the 

 smell of this wood, apartments wainscoted \\'ith 

 it are never infected with bugs or moths. It is a 

 species of tree, however, becoming very rare in 

 Alps. — Bull. Univ. 



PASTURING 1VHEAT. 



When the months of September and October 

 are favorable for vegetation, early sown wheat 

 often becomes so large that when covered with a 

 deep body of snow, the foliage becomes mouldy, 

 and the roots arc destroyed. To prevent this, 

 calves, sheep, and sometimes larger stock, are 

 turned upon the fields to feed off the extra growth. 

 So far as our observation or experience has ex- 

 tended, this is not profitabl". It rarely happens that 

 a whole field has made such growth as to endanger 

 it, but commonly it is in some panicular spots. 

 If cattle are turned into a field, it will be found 

 that they will prefer those parts whore the growth 

 has been less rapid, and will feed upon the smaller 

 growth in preference to the latter. If there are 

 rank patches in a field of wheat, and it is thought 



advisable to shorten them, it can be done with 

 more accuracy with a scythe, <ind that which is cut 

 ofl' may be raked up and caiTied to the yard, 

 where most kinds of stock will feed u])on it, or it 

 may l)c dried and fed to small stock durmg the 

 winter. — Genesee Farmer. 



DRAINS. 



We have noticed in passing several wheat 

 fields that there was a want of open furrows or 

 drains tor conveying the water from low places 

 on the surface. Wherever water is allowed to 

 stand, although it may not exactly cover the sur- 

 face, it is sure to destroy the wheat, and encourage 

 'the growth of chess, which delights in a damp 

 soil. Dm-ing the present month, fields sliuold be 

 examined, and all low places, which have not 

 drains from them, should be furuished at once ; 

 delay is not only dangerous in such cases, but sure 

 death to tlie wheat. — Ih. 



meat. As far as we can learn, the quantity 

 of wheat sown the present season is equal to that 

 of tlie last year, and we thmk we have never seen 

 the crop look better at the same age. — lb. 



To heal the wounds on Fruit Trees. " When a 

 tree is cut or otherwise wounded, smooth the 

 place with a sharp knife, and if cankered, scrape 

 or cut it all out ; then put half a pound of tallow 

 to two pound of tar, warm it over the fire till the 

 tallow is melted, then add one ounce of saltpetre, 

 and stir it together and lay on tlie parts you want 

 to heal." 



On the pruning of Fruit Ti-ees. Partictular re- 

 g.ird should be paid to their health and vigor, and 

 not to their size and age. A vigorous tree full of 

 sap and twenty years of age, may be pruned with 

 mure safety than a stunted one fifteen years old, 

 because the parts cut over would heal sooner in 

 the former one, fi'oin its being full of sap, than in 

 the latter which was deficient in sap ; indeed, the 

 \yhole art of pruning consists in thinning out the 

 b^anchcs according to the size, health, and vigor 

 of the tree ; to have the tree as well poised with 

 bfanches as circumstance will allow ; and leaving 

 tliose branches on the tree which will assist the 

 general circulation of the sap." — Gardener''s Mag- 

 aiine. 



) Shoe Blacking. It is stated in the Boston 

 Traveller, that the celebrated firm of Day & Martm, 

 Bondou, send to this country §100,000 worth of 

 tleir Blacking annually. The editor thinks the 

 Yankees had better inanufacture it for themselves, 

 and gives the following as the receipt by which it 

 ii made : — " To one pound of ivory black, in 

 »hich has been mixed half an ouuce of oil of 

 vjtriol and an ounce of sweet oil, add one pound 

 of pulverized loaf sugar ; mix the whole with a 

 gallon of vinegar, and let it stand three days, 

 when it is fit for use. It should be stirred often, 

 and kept from the air to prevent evaporation. 

 The cost of a gallon of this blacking is about sev- 

 enty-five cents." 



THE INVENTION OP 1,ETTERS. 



The invention of the Cherokee alphabet, the 

 absolute perfection which is ascribed to it by phil- 

 ologists, and its general adoption amongst a nation 

 which we denomuiate savage, appear to us to be 

 among the most interesting circumstances of mod- 

 ern history. 



When, where, and by whom, letters were in- 

 vented, it is now uselss to unagine. Notwithstand- 

 ing the pretensions advanced for Hermes, Mem- 

 non, Cadmus, and others, there is no evidence to 

 authorize us to awanl the honor to either of them. 

 But although history has given us no authentic ac- 

 count of the sage, whoever he was, that Jirst dis- 

 sected the human voice, analyzed its soimds, and 

 gave to each an ajipropriate mark or character, 

 our own age and our own country were to wit- 

 ness this novel enterprise, conceived and executed 

 by an untutored savage, belonging to that race 

 whose wrongs will fill so black a page in our his- 

 tory. Cadimis imported an alphabet into Greece ; 

 Sequayah, a ))Oor Cherokee, invented one for his 

 native tongue, and a newspaper is now printed in 

 the characters which he devised. This great 

 genius, (for he richly merits the appellation,) is one 

 of the most extraordinary personages of the age 

 His name, when time shall have made it ven- 

 erable, will be coupled with the names of Franklin, 

 of Fulton, and other men whose inventions and 

 discoveries have gamed them an imperishablo 

 fame. 



About the time of St. Clair's defeat, Sequayah, 

 and a party of Cherokees, found a letter on a 

 white man whom they had taken prisoner. This 

 letter was, to the Indians, something novel and 

 curious ; and, much to their astonishment its 

 nature and uses were explained to them. It was 

 long a question whether the talking leaf, an they 

 expressively termed it, was the invention of the 

 white man, or the gift of the Great Spirit. The 

 rest decided for its divine orgin. Sequayah, with 

 the spirit of a philosopher, maintained the con- 

 trary. The " leaf," however, and its origin, 

 were ibr<!Otten, till a painful disease disabled Se- 

 quayah from sharing in the pursuits of war and the 

 chase. Then it was that his mind reverted to the 

 mysterious pajjcr. Day and night did he medi- 

 tate upon it, till, by observations on the sound of 

 the humiu voice and notes of birds, aided by the 

 nicer ears of his wife and daughter, he succeeded 

 iu his enterprise. All this time, like Galileo, he 

 had to contend with the neglect, suspicions, and 

 superstitions of his countrymen ; for they had 

 heard of his strange occupation, and thought he 

 was dealiug with the Evil Spirit. After a time, 

 however, he succeeded iu convincing his brethren 

 of the unportance of his invention, and he ha.s 

 ever since been held by them in the deepest rev- 

 erence. — Salem Gazette. 



Mvicc to Wives. Always wear your wedding 

 ring, for therein lies more virtue than is usual- 

 ly hiiagmed. If you are ruffled unawares, as- 

 saulted with improper thoughts or tempted in 

 any kind against your duty, cast your eyes upon 

 it, and call to mind who gave it to you, where 

 it was received, and what passed at that solemn 

 time. 



Mitural Curiosity. We have this mornmg been 

 shown by Mr. Grant Thorburn, one of the most 

 strikiug natural curiosities that we ever saw. It 

 is a turnip, raised in Mcudon, Conn., which re- 

 sembles a man's hand so closely as to startle the 

 beholder as it is unrolled from the paper in which 

 it is wrapped. The fingers are nearly perfect ; as 

 also is the thumb, save that it is withered a littlo 

 since it was taken from the ground. The fingers 

 are also properly shaped, and itted to each other 

 even to the uatural crook of the little finger. It is 

 really a wonderful production. Mr. Thorburn 

 gave five dollars for it. — Commercial JMvertittr. 



