16G 



NteW ENGLAND FARMER. 



it was planted in the Canary Islands, and in tlie 

 Madeiras by the Portupruese. This happened 

 about the year 1500. Aftenvaids the reed was 

 carried to St. Domingo, and to \h6 Island of 

 Hispaniola; about the year 1623, into the Dra- 

 zils. Sugar was then a most expensive luxury, 

 and used only in feasts, or for medical purposes. 

 Nor are we less indebted to olher and more 

 distant countries for our finest flowers. The 

 Jessamin came from the East Indies; the Tu- 

 lip from Cappadocia ; llie Daffodil from Italy ; 

 the Lilly from Syria ; the Tube Rose from Ja- 

 va and Ceylon ; the Carnation and Pink from 

 Italy — to which may be added (he Elder Tree, 

 imported from Persia; and many others might 

 be mentioned. 



PULMONARY CONSUMrXION. 

 In the incipient, and, indeed, in more advanc- 

 ed stages of this unhappy complaint, the inhal- 

 ing of the fumes arising from the burning of a 

 composition, the basis of which is supposed (o 

 be common tar, has been of singular utility. A 



ricuUure, any more than in the other useful arts, 

 without free experiments, yet, perhaps, nothing 

 has a greater tendency to bring Experimental 

 Agriculture into disrepute, than too great a 

 readiness to recommend new systems, and new 

 productions. _ . 



The authorities in favour of the Saint Fom 

 are numerous, and weighty ; but a little atten- 

 tion to its history will satisfy our cultivators, 

 that its culture should be attempted with great 

 caution. On the shallow, gravelly soils of cer- 

 tain parts of France, it is said to have been em- 

 inently successful, and at different periods, and 

 during short intervals, it has had some reputation 

 in England. It seems never to have been a 

 favourite plant with the Dutch and Flemish 

 planters, though it has been cultivated in France 

 and Italy, with more or less success. Still, even 

 in France, the Dutch orbroad leaved clover has 

 been generally preferred, and, after that, the 

 lucerne. I have never been able to perceive 

 in what respects the Saint Foin could have the 

 preference over clover or lucerne, in climates 

 in which these latter plants would thrive well. 



and woody as those of clover, and its leaves do 

 not so readily fall off in drying. 1 have thought 

 it a duty to state these facts. 



Roxbury, Dec. 1, 1821. A FARMER. 



Mr Timewell, of Poole, Dorsetshire, has em- I'^eonlv reason assigned is, that having along 

 ployed it with extraordinary success ; the 7;io- ■' - ... . . ii,._„:i- 



di(s operatuU he thus explains — " The first symp- 

 toms of this horrid disease arc generally ac- 

 companied by an irritating cough, which arises 

 'Vom the excoriations aggravated by the cough, 

 gradually degenerated into open and destructive 

 ulcers, whereas the fumigation coming in imme- 

 diate contact with these excoriations, or, per- 

 hapBi small ulcers, it heals them, the cough 

 ceases, the patient gains strength, and ultimate- 

 ly recovers." 



PRESERVATION OF FISH, kC. 



For ensuring the sweetness of fish conveyed 

 by land carriage, the belly of the tish should 

 be opened, and the internal parts sprinkled with 

 powdered charcoal. The same material will 

 restore even putrescent water to a state ot 

 perfect freshness. The inhabitants of Cadiz, 

 who are necessitated to keep in tanks the wa- 

 ter for culmary uses, were fir-t indebted to our 

 informant, during the late Peninsula war, for 

 the tbregning simple yet efficacious remedy ol 

 an evil which they had long endured. 



Buckthorn Hedges. — A friend of the Editor 

 wishes for information relative to the culture of 

 shrub cnlled Buck Thorn [Rhnmniis, L.) for the 

 purpose of forming hedges. He would like- 

 wise be glad to purchase some of the seeds, roots, 

 or layers proper for planting, if they can be re- 

 comended as being of the right species, and of a 

 suitable quality for the use above mentioned, 

 and can be accompanied with directions relative 

 to the best mode of their culture. Any commu- 

 nication on this subject for the A'ew England 

 Farmer, from any gentleman who has a practical 

 acquaintance with the cultivation of this shrub 

 maybe serviceable to the public, and would 

 much oblige the Editor. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



FP..IDAY, DECEMBER. 17, 1824. 



St Foin Grass. The following article will 

 be read with interest and profit, as well for the 

 n-eneral principles it contains, as on account of 

 the sjiecific iuformation it communicates res- 

 pecting the cultivation of Sainfoin. 



■ro THE EDITOR OF THK NEW E.VGI.AND FARMER. 



Dear Sir, — I have read your article on San- 

 foin or St Foin grass, in your paper of the 26th 

 of November, imd although you have not com- 

 mitted yourself by any expression of your own 

 opinions, yet your readers may be led to attempt 

 the cultivation of this grass on the credit of the 

 authorities cited by you. While nothing can 

 be more fatal to the progress of Agriculture, 

 than a blind prejudice against everything which 

 IS now, — while it is dcmunstrable, that no con- 

 siderable advanCom<*nt can be expected in Ag- 



tap-root, it is enabled to penetrate gravelly soils, 

 and to sustain its growth in times of drought, 

 when clover and lucerne would perish. 



This quality, if it really possesses it, would 

 render it very valuable in New England, where 

 we have so large a proportion of soils of this 

 description ; but my own experiments, and those 

 of some highly respected friends, not in one year 

 only, but at different and distant periods within 

 the last thirty years, have led me to believe 

 that the St Foin is too tender a grass for our 

 climate. I distinctly recollect experiments as 

 to this plant, made by my friends, in the latter 

 part of the last century, and the plants were so 

 generally killed by the severs frosts of our w in- 

 ters, that the culture was abandoned. 1 have 

 made two experiments at different periods in 

 gravelly soils and in rich garden mould, and I 

 found, in one case, nearly half, and in the other, 

 the whole of the plants destroyed by the first 

 winter's frost. 1 suffered the surviving plants 

 to stand, and in two or three years they totally 

 disappeared. I think theretbre that our farmers 

 should be informed of these facts, lest thev 

 should make experiments on too large a scale — 

 ex|)erience great disappointments, and be in- 

 duced from that cause, to feel an undue degree 

 of distrust, as to all new experiments. I do not 

 impute the least blame to you, for stating what 

 had been the success of farmers in other coun- 

 tties and o(/(cr states, in the cultivation of this 

 plant, and I must commend the laudable spirit 

 of the intelligent Gentleman, who introduced a 

 quantity of this seed for trial, but I would re- 

 commend a cautious and moderate course of ex- 

 periments. It is possible that in some soils, and 

 in certain sheltered spots, it may fully succeed, 

 though 1 am constrained to say, that from my 

 observation of the plant, I cannot believe that 

 it will ever become as valuable as the red clov- 

 er, for rich or even sandy soils, or as the white 

 clover, for light, gravelly ones, intended for 

 pastures. I am inclined to believe, that the 

 lucerne might prove a very valuable addition 

 to the number of our cultivated grasses. It is 

 much more hardy — indeed, it seems to me to be 

 as hardy as clover. Its foliage is much more 

 abundant than that of St Foin, Ihoutrh less so 

 than that of clover. Its stfilks are not -o coarse 



African Gourd, or Hercules' Club. Mr Dan- 

 iel Jones of (his city has left in the office of (he 

 vVeti) Enr^land Farmer a singular vegetable pro- 

 duction with the foregoing appellation. In its 

 form it resembles a large hollow club 3 feet 4 

 inches long, and 17 inches circumference in the 

 largest part. The shell resembles that of (he 

 common gourd, but i( appears to be thicker 

 and firmer. It will hold one gallon and an half 

 of water. 



FARMER 



SUMMARY OF NEWS. 



CONGP..ES.S.— The National Legislature commenced 

 its session dn the 6th, and a quorum was formed. On 

 the 7th the President's Message was received. This 

 important and satisfactory document commences with 

 a brief recapitulation of the circumstances which evince 

 the national and individual prosperity of the United 

 States, and expressions of reverence and th.iukfulness 

 to the Almighty Power, from whose bounty these bles- 

 sings are derived. A viewofour foreign relations is then 

 presented, which is luminous and satisfactory. The 

 President informs us that a negotiation is contemplated 

 for obtaining indemnity from France for spoliations on 

 our commerce during her revolution. The trade be- 

 tween the United States and the British dominions in 

 Europe, he informs, is put on terms of perfect reciproc- 

 ity. With the West Indies negotiations are still pend- 

 in?, with a prospect of a favourable result. A propo- 

 sitiou has been made to England, to declare all vessels 

 engaged in the Slave Trade out of the protection of 

 their respective governments. A treaty has been con- 

 cluded with Russia respecting the claims of that power 

 on the North West coast of this continent. He states 

 that there is reason to believe that the independence 

 of the Brazils will shortly be recognized by Portugal. 

 The Message gives a very favourable view of our 

 finances. It states that on the 1st of January 18l7the 

 public debt amounted to $ 123,491 ,965. 16, and has been 

 redv:ced since then $07,446,911.78. lL,?dvises that a 

 provision be made and tendered to Gen. Lafayette, 

 which shall correspond with the sentiments and be 

 worthy of the character of the American people. It 

 recommends sonip new arrang'mcnts iviUi ngard (e 



