VOL. XI. NO. as. 



AND HOUTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



179 



inches long iu the prong, is made cxtrcraely light, 

 .as also the wooden handle. The length of the 

 latter is two feet and a lialf, the entire iraplenient 

 weighing not more than about four and a half 

 pounds. In fact, it can scarcely be made too 

 light for the purpose in question. 



Trees which have been cut round are more 

 easily taken up than those that have never been 

 so prepared. The trench made during this ope- 

 ration serves as a sure guide to show tlie point to 

 which the fibrous elongation has extended ; where- 

 as in subjects whicli liave undergone no such pre- 

 ])aration, the roots must be judged of from other 

 ;nul sometimes more uncertain circimistances. 

 Every experienced workman is aware in examin- 

 ing a tree that has never been prepared for the 

 purpose of taking it up, that in any tolerable root- 

 ing-grouud he will find the points of the roots, if 

 not mechanically prevented, running out to the 

 full extent of the branches, and .sometimes still 

 farther out. Hence, he should begin cautiously 

 to try with the spade or picker, in order to dis- 

 cover the extreme points of the rootlets. AVheth- 

 er the roots he may lay bare belong to the plant, 

 or to some other tree of the same species, he will 

 at a glance perceive from what the workmen call 

 " the feathering," that is the portion of the capil- 

 lary rootlets upon the primary rootlets and branch- 

 es which are always found jioiiuing outwards 

 from the body of the tree. 



Having ascertained where the extremities lie, 

 the next step to be taken is to open a trench two 

 or two and a half feet wide and cut down to the 

 subsoil, or deeper should the roots have penetrat- 

 ed so far. The bank is then to be undermined, 

 in which the roots seem to lie, to the extent of 

 eight or ten inches, in order to facilitate tlie 

 operation of the picker. Two workmen are 

 next to extricate or scratch up the roots, 

 while one is sufficient to throw out the mould, 

 which in consequence falls down into the trench, 

 and thus the workmen are distributed three 

 and three together, according to the number 

 employed over the whole extent of the excavation. 

 As every eifort must be made to preseive the 

 minutest fibres, and capillary roots entire, the 

 difference between an experienced and an inexpe- 

 rienced workman is very striking in an operation 

 of so much nicety ; and the surprising dexterity 

 which some men of ingenuity and attention ac- 

 quire iu this department, is as valuable to tlie em- 

 ployer, as it is beautiful and interesting to the 

 spectator who examines it. The main thing 

 which the pickman has here to study, is never to 

 strike across the roots, but as much as possible 

 in the line of their elongation, always standing in 

 the right line of divergence from the tree as a cen- 

 tre ; that is, in such a Ime or lines, as the rays of 

 the sun are represented to describe, in emanat- 

 ing from that luminous body. In striking the 

 picker into the ground which must sometimes 

 be done pretty deeply, there is a certain dexter- 

 ous stroke, more easily understood than described, 

 which a superior workman knows how to give 

 with the implement ; and that, when properly ap- 

 plied, will more efficaciously and speedily discover 

 and disengage the various bearings and ramilica- 

 tions of the root than any other method. 



It is no easy matter, even in the freest soils, 

 so to disengage the fibrous and capillary roots of 

 trees, as not to lacerate or disbark a considera 

 ble number of them, and yet perfonn the work 

 with any tolerable despatch. But it is the process 



of all others which will least bear to be hurried. 

 There arc some departments of human labor, in 

 which despatch and economy are nearly allied, 

 aiul almost convertible terms, and where every one 

 of course will study to promote the former as far as 

 lies in his power. But in the one in question, the 

 greatest deliberation, or at least the greatest caution 

 is the truest saving that can be made. 



From the United States' Gazette. 

 " KtllitilFICATION AND PUMPKIN PIES." 



In the midst of the clouds that surround us on 

 all sides, and veil from us " the heavens above," 

 it is delightful to catch a glimpse of the cerulean, 

 through a chink in the heavy masses — 



' Tlie blue sky trembling through a cloud of perfect black." 



We had intended to commence with the old 

 comparison of deserts and oa.ses, but the figure is 

 worn out. As the revelation above referred to, is 

 to the mournful gazer, such ,ire the contents of 

 the accompanying connnunication to one who hath 

 long been denied the use of the ingredient which 

 iu boyhood gave man'ellous comfort to the stom- 

 ach, and left generous deposits upon the lips and 

 cheeks. Ha])py days when science descends from 

 the laboratory to the bakepan, and ministers to 

 economy by dispensing with milk and eggs. The 

 pies made as our correspondent directs, are cer- 

 tainly good ; but there are those who will mourn 

 for the reform in the concoction, namely, those 

 younger members of the family compact whose 

 reward for good behavior and stirring the stewing 

 pumpkin, was to lick the pudding stick with which 

 they agitated the mass, and to scrape from the 

 dish the ingredients left when the pies were all 

 made. Their " occupation's gone." 



Respected Editor, — Having recently travelled 

 through the " Land of Steady Habits," or " Pump- 

 kin Dominion," (I mean the New England States) 

 there was scarcely a family but what, in the article 

 of diet, when forthcoming at stated periods, would 

 bring up the rear with a company or platoon of 

 pumpkin ])ies. 



My motive in this communication' is to surest 

 to the fair sex of that region, a plan or receipt for 

 miking them, far superior to any I have learned 

 when among them, viz : 



Take any given pumpkin, and after dividing it 

 horizontally and ridding it of its seeds, and super- 

 fluous contents, place the two parts together upon 

 a dish or pan in an oven or stove, with a slow fire, 

 without the addition of water ; let it remain there- 

 in for two hours, or until sufficiently baked : after 

 ^lAiich remove it, and the subject matter of the 

 pumpkin may be readily separated froin the skin, 

 and will be found to be in the precise condition 

 fir pies, needing only the sugar and spices, which 

 can be added according to the common rules of 

 taste. 



This, for simplicity, will not only save much 

 labor, but exclude the milk and eggs as useless 

 articles : the pies according to the above rule not 

 only being better without tliem, but may be made 

 with only one-fourth of the trouble attendant on 

 the orduiary mode. 



As I feel somewhat indebted, for the hospitality 

 I received, and feeling a disposition to reciprocate, 

 I have taken the liberty to suggest the foregoing. 

 A. B. C. 



An eastern editor says that his subscribers 

 would niake excellent wheel horses — they hold 

 back So well. 



There was lately dug up at Massillon, Ohio, 

 two tusks, measuring each nine feet six inches in 

 length, and eight inches in diameter ! the weight 

 of one was as nmch as two men could lift • the 

 outside covering was as firm as ivory, but the inner 

 parts were decayed. They were found iu a swamp 

 two feet below the surface, and were similar to 

 those found some time ago at Bone Lick in Ken- 

 tucky ; the size of which animal, from the bonce 

 found, was at least CO feet in length and 22 in 

 iieight, and 12 feet across the hips. Each tooth 

 found weighed 11 i)Ounds. 



From Gariliuers Muxic of Nature. 

 VOCAX MACHINERY OP BIRDS. 



It is difficult to account for so small a creature 

 as a bird making a tone as loud as some animals a 

 thousand times its size ; but a recent discovery has 

 shown that, iu birds, the lungs have several open- 

 ings communicating with corresponding air-bags 

 or cells, which fill the whole cavity of the body 

 from the neck dowTiwards, and into which the air 

 passes and repasses in the progress of breathing. 

 This is not all : the very bones are hollow, from 

 which air-pipes are conveyed to the most solid 

 parts of the body, even into the quills and feathers. 

 The air bemg rarified by the heat of their body, 

 adds to their levity. By forcing the air out of the 

 body, they can dart down from the greatest heights 

 with astonishing velocity. No doubt the same 

 machinery forms the basis of their vocal powers, 

 and at once resolves the mystery. 



A LADY'S STUD. 



The number of Arabian, English and other 

 racers belonging to the Russian Countess Orloff 

 Tshesmensky, amount to no less than 1,320. The 

 grounds attached to the stud enclose a space of 

 one thousand and eiglity acres, and the number of 

 grooms and laborers employed ui it are four 

 thousand three hundred and ninety-nine. The 

 sum realized by the sale of horses is of considera- 

 ble annual amount; and they iire sold, not onlv 

 on the spot itself, but in the regular markets, both 

 at St. Petersburgh and IMoscow. It lies near Bo- 

 brow, in llie province of Waronese, on one of the 

 Countess's estates, called Chrjenow ; and was first 

 set on foct by her father in the year 1778. 



The St. John Courier says, tliat a gentleman of 

 that city raised 25 bushels of potatoes on 1347 

 feet of ground ; being at the rate of 800 bushels 

 to the acre. The seed was of the " early blue ;" 

 it was planted whole, iu liills, three feet apart. 



MiRjMicHi. — Jigricultural. — On Saturday last, 

 Mr. Pa:rick Henderson, sent us a half bushel of 

 potatoes, which consisted of thirty in number, and 

 on putiing twenty of them into the scales, we found 

 their weight to be twenty-Jive pounds. Mr. H. states, 

 he has dug this season, out of the same field, about 

 fifl:y barrels of tlie same description. A corres- 

 pondent at Newcastle, informs us that he saw last 

 week a carrot, raised in a garden in the vicinity of 

 that towii, which measured thirteen inches, and 

 weighed two pounds one ounce. 



From the Lowell Journal. 

 TROLLOPESG. 

 It is stated that the forthcoming No. of " John- 

 son's Scraps," for the year 1833, contain a series 

 of designs under the title of " TroUopania," in 

 which Mrs. Trollop is out-trollopped in high style. 

 "A very honest woman, but something given to lie." 

 These designs are said to be really ingenious, and 

 the subject is a good hit. 



