l88 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



[Jan. 7, 



0^ We feel much obliged to the Gentleman who for- 

 warded us the following ; and should esteem it a par- 

 ticular favour, if he would regularly furnish us in 

 future with the proceedings of this Society. 



PHILADELPHIA SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING AGRICULTURE. 



DECEMBER 2\.~Slntcd ^Jeetinsx—Dr U^ki-e., Vice 

 Prtsiiltnt, in Ihe Cliair. 



The following commnjiicntions were read, 

 I. On the advantages to Farmers of cultivat- 

 ing the Italian MuUierry tree, by Joseph Coop- 

 er, late of Neiv Jersey. 



The particular qualities of the tree noliceil, 

 are 



1. As a shade : the leaves put out as soon as ne- 

 cessary for that purpose : the tree forms a hand- 

 some top, makes no litter as it dr(5p:3 few leaves 

 until frost, when they suddeidy fall. 



2. The trees produce agreeable fruit in 

 great abundance, which is also wholesome and 

 natritive to swine and poultry, and so grateful 

 to birds, that they will do little injury to cher- 

 ries or other fruit, while they can obtam enough 

 of mulberries. 



3. The timber is excellent for boats or shi ps, 

 posts or stakes for fencing, or fuel, and rapid in 

 its growth. In these respects it agrees witli the 

 white flowering locust; they are the only two 

 trees which form exceptions to the general rule 

 of durability in timber being confmed to trees of 

 slow growth. 



4. The leaves are known to be the most 

 proper food for silk worms ; the raising of which 

 will deserve attention as our popul.ition increas- 

 es. 



5. The roots do net sucker, and the leaves 

 when they fall are greedily eaten by horses, cal- 



' tie and sheep. 



The trees may be propagated by seed, or cut- 

 tings, by engrafting or inoculation. 



The information as to the two last mentioned 

 modes, will be very acceptable to to our fellow 

 citizens in Ohio, in a part of which State, it was 

 formerly mentioned, tlio cultivation of silk is 

 zealously attended to. By these modes of prop- 

 agation, the tree may be widely and speedily dif- 

 fused. 



II. Directions for paying proper attention to 

 a swarm of bees, when made artificially, by Da- 

 vid Souder, of Cumberland Co. Pa. 



Ample directions are given by this experien- 

 ced bee-masier, for managing the difficult oper- 

 ation of " planting colonies;" but they are too 

 Song for insertion in this brief notice. Jlr S. 

 first made us acquainted with the excellent little 

 tract on bees, of the Rev. Mr Christ, of Khron- 

 berg, Germany, hy publishing an English trans- 

 lation of it. The box hives recommended by 

 that author, are much preferred to any others, 

 lor economy and convenience. A set has been 

 m the possession of the Society for several years. 

 —No article brought to market sells more rap- 

 idly, or pays better than bees-wax, owing to the 

 demand for oxporUition to South Ameiica and 

 Mexico, which will be likely to continue. 



III. Wr Vans read a letter addressed to him, 

 on the excellent elTecIs of more than common 

 attention to cattle, paiiicniarly in currying cows, 

 in the increase of their milk, when joined to 

 regular feeding, wilh a portion of juicy food du- 

 ring winter. By Thomas Wistar, Jmi. of Mont- 

 gomery Co. Fa. —The facts detailed left no 

 doubt, as to the excellent condition, produce, 



and good appearance of the cattle in question, 

 being the result of the treatment described. 



IV. Dr Mease cominunicalod an account of 

 the successful raising of bees in the heart of 

 Philadelphia during three years. The experi- 

 ment commenced in 1821 with bees in two box- 

 es made upon the plan of Mr Christ : these were I 

 placed in a small garden attached to a house in] 

 Fifth street above High street. In the summer 

 of 1824, they had increased to seven stacks, the 

 stacks being composed of six or seven boxes, 

 and each box 11 by 7 inches: one box weighed 

 54 pounds, when filled. — Two stacks were a full 

 load for two men. In .\ugust last it was found 

 that the destructive enemy, Ihe Miller-Moth, 

 had completely taken possession of three stacks, 

 and filled the boxes with their webs, to the ut- 

 ter discomfiture of the bees, which had aban- 

 doned Ihe hives. The proprietor despairing of 

 being able to prevent the future depredations 

 of Ihe insects, then sold off his slock ; but it is 

 to be lioped that he will renew the experiment 

 next year, and either use a diffoi'ent Inrm of hive, 

 or try some of the various expedients, said to be 

 found clTectual in preventing the depredations 

 of the Miller-Moth. - The Society will thank- 

 fully receive any communication on this interest- 

 ing subject. 



[The following communication was made to the Soci- 

 ety at a preceding meeting :] 

 A letter to Dr Mease from Mr Appleton, U. S. 

 Consul at Leghorn, announcing his having sent 

 to the Society, by way of Boston, a bag contain- 

 ing Bologna hemp-seed, and Cremona flax-seed ; 

 the former is twice the length and strenglh of 

 Ihe Russian hemp, and moreover is f:ir and 

 white. It sells at Leghorn for two thirds more 

 per pound than the Russian. The Cremona 

 fiax sells invariably for double of all other (lax 

 known. Instructions were said to be forwarded 

 wilh the seeds, for Ihe cultivation of both plants. 

 Seeds of Cauliflower, Broccoli, and of Naples 

 Fennel seed, were also sent. The Caulifloivers 

 seen by Mr A. at Naples, would fill a [leck-roea- 

 sure, even when stripi)ed of leaves. I'he Broc- 

 coli is very delicious. The Fennel grows to 

 the size of the largest celery, and is eaten at 

 dessert with saII : it is highly fragrant and agree- 

 able, and leaves on the plate a refreshing and 

 odoriferous balm, while it invigorates Ihe stom- 

 ach and digestive organs. 



From Rets'' Ci/clopedia. 



W O O L. 



[Continued from page I3i.] 

 Long Wool, or Combing Wool, being prepar- 

 ed for spinning by a process entirely different 

 from that of short or clothing wool, and Ihe pie- 

 ces made from it being finished in a very diiler- 

 ent manner, the qualities mosi required in this 

 kind of wool are length and soundness of the sta- 

 ple, without which the fleece is unsuiled for the 

 comb. The fineness of the hair is a secondary 

 quality, required only in certain kinds of goods. 

 The wool-comb is an instrument of simple con- 

 struction, consisting of a wooden handle, wilh a 

 transverse piece or head, in which are inserted 

 three rows of long steel teeth. The wool, 

 which is lo be combed after being clean scoured, 

 dried, and oiled, is first drawn upon these teelh 

 wilh Ihe hand, until the comb is suflicienlly load- 

 ed, ll is then placed on f|io knee of the com- 



ber, and another comb of a similar kind is drawn 

 through it, and the operation is repeated till all 

 the hairs or fibres are combed smooth in one di- 

 rection. This operation requires considerable 

 strength, hut Ihe comb being previously heated, 

 and the wool thoroughly oiled, facilitates the 

 process. When completed the combed wool is 

 drawn off vvilh the fingers, forming what is call-- 

 ed a stiver ; the shorter part of Ihe wool sticks 

 in the teeth of the comb, and is called the noyt : 

 this is sold to the clothiers. 



From Ihe above description, it is evident that 

 if the staple of the wool be not sound, the great- 

 er part of it will be broken by the process of 

 combing, and form noyls. The staple fliust also 

 have a sufficient degree of length for the combs 

 to operate ujion it. Length and soundness of 

 the staple are therefore the most essential and 

 characteristic qualities of combing wools. 



Long wools maybe classed into two kinds : 

 first, those suited for Ihe manufacture of hard 

 yarn for \vorsted pieces ; and second, those suit- 

 ed for the manufacture of soft yarn and for ho- 

 siery. The former requires a greater length of 

 staple Ihan the latter. The first may therefore 

 be called long combing wool, and the latlershort 

 combing wool. Between these there are giada- 

 tions of wool, which may be applied lo either 

 purpose. 



Long comliing wool should have the staple 

 from six inches to eight, ten or twelve in length. 

 Before the recent improvements in spinning by 

 machinery, a very great length of staple was 

 considered as an excellence in long combing 

 wools ; and on this account the hog-wool, or first 

 fleeces from sheep which had not been shorn 

 when iambs, was niore valuable than Ihe wether 

 wool from Ihe same flock, and bore a higher 

 prxe than Ihe former, by at least fifteen per 

 cent. Since that time the wether wool has risen 

 in value on account of the evenness of the sla- 

 [ile, each lock being nearly equally thick at both 

 ends; but the staple of hog-wool is [loinled, or 

 what may be lechnic.illy called spiry. Eight 

 inches, if the wool be sound, may be regarded 

 as a very proper length for heavy conibing- 

 wools. I'be longer slapied wool was lormerl^ 

 workei! by itself, and used for the fine spun-yarn, 

 or mixed in small quantities wilh the wether 

 wool to improve the spinning. It is found that 

 an equal lenglh of staple contributes to the even- 

 ness of the thread when Sjniu by machinery, and 

 a very great lenglh of staple is rather injurious 

 Ihan olherwise in the process of machine-spin- 

 ning. To Ihe wool-grower, however, it must 

 always be desirable to increase Ihe length of 

 his heavy combing fleeces, as he thereby mate- 

 rially increases the weight; and wc have not 

 yel learned that the price has ever been reduc- 

 ed on this account; for if the wool be too long 

 for some branches of the worsted manufacture, 

 there are olhers, in which it may be worked 

 with advantage. 



The length of the staple may be increased by 

 a plentiful supply of nutritious t'ood. The same 

 efl'ect may bo produced by lotting the woo! re- 

 main a longer time on the sheep before it is 

 shorn. We have seen a staple of Lincolnshire 

 woiil, which was twenty indies in lenglh : it 

 li.ul grown two years withoul shearing. This, 

 iimvever, would be unallended ivith anyailvan- 

 tage to the grower. The more frequently sheep 

 are shorn, provided Ihe wool issuflicienlly long, 

 the greater will be the weight grown in a given 



