370 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



[June 17, 



wax, and 1 tallow, with entire success. My in- 

 ference is that the volatile and fluid parts of the 

 tar, when the weather becomes sufficienlly 

 warm, will find their wny into the wood and ob- 

 struct the eircuhitioD ot" the sap, or lessen or des- 

 troy the iiritability of the vegfetable tibre — at 

 any rale it will kill the tender [>lant. The modus 

 operandi 1 leave to persons better skilled in the 

 science of vegetable physiology. — The simple 

 conclusion I mean to draw is (so I'ar as my own 

 experience may warrant) that resinous substan- 

 ces must be deprived of their volatile and essen- 

 tial oils, before they can safely be applied to 

 any other than resinous plants. — Rosin and pitch 

 may do to mis with other and more bland sub- 

 stances, to close the wounds in grafting (llie lor- 

 mer I know to do well) but tar and turpentine 

 do better to pay ships' bottoms and kill worms.* 

 Yours with all cordiality, 



RUSTICUS. 



l)y our correspondent in our paper ot the l3tli of Ma}- 

 last, (No. 4-2, page 329, of the current volume,) we are 

 induced to believe that our opinion, or ratlitr conjec- 

 ture, expressed on that occasion, is not correct. We 

 then observed as follows. ^' We are inclined to think 

 that, as respects maturity or a»e of bearing, the cion or 

 graft furnishes the criterion. — That a ciou, taken from 

 a bearing branch, which would have borne fruit, had it 

 been suffered *o remain on the parent tj'ee, will bear 

 fruit, if grafted on a seedling stock which has never 

 borne," Sic. We stated our doubts, however, on this 

 subject, and requested our correspondents to set ns 

 rigtit, if we were in an error. Our correspondents have 

 been so good as to state soait fucts on this subject, and 

 "vve are at present iucliried to be a convert to Mr I'res- 

 tou*'s cieed, as expressed in a preceding colinnn of this 

 day's paper : "•That grafting a seedling tree, with a 

 cion ftoiu a fruit-tiearing tree, generally, espedites its 

 bearing several years." But our correspondent " Rus- 

 ticus," seems to tiave proved, as far as his ex]icri:nents 

 go, that ciou=. tnken from fruit l>earlng tree.^, ingiufted 

 into stocks ot 3 or 4 years olil, may not bear in 4 years 

 from the tint • of grc-fuFig. We Were Icil into Ihe sup- 

 position that a fiiitt bearing cion, set on a stoik not old 

 enough to bear I'ruit, nii^'ht, notwilh?landin». produce 

 fruit the first year, if the graft took well, btc;iui« the 

 geini, or bud of the flower or fruit would he formed in 

 liie cion before it was cut from tVie tree. But, it is pos- 

 sible that such germ or fruit bud, although ready formed, 

 before the rem 'val of the ciou, might not vegetate in its 

 novel situation ; and it will not be correct to rely on 

 theory merely, however plausible. I'crhaps the cion 

 ^vith its fruit buds, ready ibrmed, might fni! in carrying 

 them into maturity, in conseqaencr- of the juice of the 

 stock not being of the kind to which it haj been ac- 

 customed. No doubt if you wish to ohtnin fruit by 

 grafting as soon as possible, the best and safest course 

 is to take fruit hearing cions, and set them into fruit 

 producing stocks. Dot, as we have frequently observ- 

 ed in substance, we are not tenacious of our opinions. 

 Truth is our sole object. It was vfell observed by Ur. 

 Cooper, Editor of the last edition of the Domestic F.n- 

 ryclopedia, in some remarks on a much agitated ques- 

 tion, " even erroneous notices are of importance, if they 

 lead to discussion ; for the result of continual discus- 

 sion will be truth. Error after error being refuted, 

 Truth thus sifted and bolted, will at length be obtain- 

 i,d free from chaff." 



* The: remarks of " Rusticus" perfectly coincide 

 with some observations of Mr Landrum, which may be 

 <i:>und in our paper, vol. i. page 145. He says " almost 

 every publication which 1 have had the opportunity to 

 peruse, directs one third turpentine in the composition 

 of grafting, w^x ; tills, though very ductile anil pli as- 

 ant to IIS". I found certainly to destroy bolh grafts and 

 stocks, as far us the wax came in contact with them. 

 From the nn-riorous respi-ctable authoritit s, recommen- 

 ding this r,:tr. I was very liberal in ils applicn'j.in to a 

 number of choice giafi^, wiiiiout suspicion ; but had 

 the vexation upon the first inspection bv removing the 

 wax, to discover that a complete mortification had lak- 

 en place under the wax ; and even extending further 

 i,-j little lines along thg grain of the wood," &c. The 



FOR THE i\EW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Mr Fessendf.n — The deep distress ivhich is 

 felt by the brute creation, in a separation from 

 (heir young, often exhibits itself in the most in- 

 teresting manner. The instinctive aversion 

 which seems to be -a law of Creation, is often- 

 times overcome, and we are surprised at asso- 

 ciations which we could scarcely believe, unless 

 made manifest to our senses. 



A few years since, whilst sitting in an office 

 in Stale Street, 1 was requested by an observer 

 of curiosity, to go to see an object of no small 

 interest. A litter of Foxes receiving their nour-j 

 ishment, with every mark of playful kindness,! 

 from a Cat. I took the advice of my friend, and I 

 near the bottom of Exchange Streel, I found a| 

 pleasant countryman, from either New Hamp-| 

 shire or Vermont, with the animals alluded to. 

 He had a large Cat in a cage about 2^- feet high, 

 and some*vhat larger on Ihe surface ; there were 

 from four to six young Foxes. Whilst 1 stood 

 by, they look their nourishment, and received 

 and entered into all those frisky sports which 

 are so amusing, especially to the young. 



After viewing the scene to which the humor 

 of my country friend not a little contributed, 1 

 was desirous (o know of him " their whole 

 course of love.'' His story was, that aflersome 

 inroads upon his poultry yard, he set out with 

 some neighbours to seek Ihe cause. They found 

 a hole which Ihey thought the probable resi- 

 dence of a Fox, with a fresh foot-lrack Iherelo. 

 They proceeded to dig, and soon found and kil- 

 led Ihe mother, and on removing her they per- 

 ceived her liller of young. These were very 

 small, and taken home to amuse the children. | 

 Aftei |)laying with Ihem a lillle \vhile, one of! 

 Ihe voulhs intiuired why the cat miglit not be! 

 comforted for the loss of her kittens, all of whom 

 had fallen a sacrifice to an expedient economy 

 in a spinster of Ihe I'aniily. A like number of 

 Foxes to the kittens deslroyed were sportively ; 

 thrown nmler ihe stairs, to pacify the feelings of 

 a child. The young Foxes were taken to her 

 abode by the Cat, and nourished and brought np 

 so as to produce the effect I have mentioned, in 

 <lefiance of all Ihat aversion which it would j 

 have been supposed instinct would have impart- 1 

 ed. , 1 



Our pleasant countryman further observed 

 |lhat, learning from his neighbours that Boston 

 folks were full of notions, he had brought Ihem 

 all to town in hopes of encouragement. As I ' 

 found some bids were making, and he was not I 

 i likely to miss his mark in this rrs[iect, and more , 

 especially as many supposed I had engrossed 

 more room and conversation than became me. I 

 retired, in order Ihat others might take their 

 turn in the gratification of their curiosily. 



Lest this subject should be doubled, I have 

 copied iVom an English paper, what is there 

 called — " A Smgular Fact.'''' The names ;ind 

 places are given, but need not be repeated. — 

 A few weeks since, a Sow, Ihe [iroperty of n 



composition recommended by Gen. Deareor.v, on the 



Iirst page of this day's paper, is formed of a proportion 

 of tar, and it appears that repeated trials iiave tested 

 its effi( acy. But the red or yellow ochre made use of in 

 the composition, is, no doubt, sufficient to absorb tile 

 volatile and pun-ent ])ai tides of the tar, and render the ' 

 mixture mild an<l ^liarinless, while it retains tenaeily 

 sufficient to exclude the air and superfluous moisture, j 

 which we suppose to he the principal if not Ihe sole I 

 use of Ihat and similar mi^itures designed for the aaaie | 

 purpose. 



farmer, farrowed 12 pigs and shortly after died. 

 At the same time a Grayhound of the same place 

 wheljied, whose young ones all died also. Four 

 of Ihe pigs were placed under the care of Ihe 

 Grayhouuil, and Ihey are now thriving fast. 

 1 am, sir, yours, 

 Boston, June 11, 1825. W. 



From Ihc Ntw York Slaleimdn. 



ON SUBSTITUTES FOR WOAD. 



Substitutes for woad are continually offered 

 to our dyers. A few years since a small two 

 shilling pamphlet was sold at Ihe enormous 

 price ol one hundred dollars, professing to con- 

 tain directions for a substitute for woad. Much 

 secrecy was observed by the author, and unfor- 

 tunately the mode of dying recommended by 

 hin:i prevailed throughout the United Slates. — 

 The secret consisted in preparing a strong de- 

 coction from bran, madder, and hops, vegetable 

 ferments that had ever been used by European 

 ■.»r)od dyers. The fermentalion of the val was 

 regulated with potash, Ihe whole process being 

 the common silk vat of Europe. So long as Ihis 

 mode of dying prevailed, the Amer.can blues 

 were in disrepute, Ihe colours being dull, and 

 ever liable to wear white in the seams, and in 

 otiier parts subject to fricliort. 



We would reasonably sujipose fhat the fatal 

 result of the first substilute, would make our 

 dyers very guarded in adojding others; but Ihe 

 predilection for substitutes appears In be so in- 

 sujierable, that another is no sooner offered than 

 it is brought into practice, and this wilhout any 

 advar,iage in price or colour. The article now 

 adopting is called the milk weed woad. .As it 

 must be highly injurious lo our infant mannfac- 

 furt;,= lo pursue a wrong course in the [iroiliiclion 

 of so leading a colour as blue, I have thougtil it- 

 may not be amiss to o.ffer some retjiarka on this 

 new subslitufe. 



AS'oad acts as a colouring mailer and as a vege- 

 table ferment ; the latter bring* the indigo used 

 with it to a reaction and enables it lo colour; 

 but this fermentative properly is only a secon- 

 dary object, its principal value consisting in the 

 great permanency of its blue colour, and were 

 it not for Ihis properly, any common succe.lent 

 vegetable manut'aclured in the same way, woald 

 answer every pur|iose of woad. A substilute, 

 therfilore, lo be elleclive, must conluin as much 

 blue as woad, and of equal permanency. The 

 only question interesting lo our dyers is, wheth- 

 er the milk weed contains this valuable colour- 

 ing mailer — if it does, bolh in degree and qual- 

 ily, it will no doubt be a good succedaneum ; 

 but if it should not, the using it as a substitute 

 must prove highly injurious lo those wfio em- 

 ploy it under that impression. 



None but practical woad dyers can be aware 

 of the great irn[>orlance of the permanent blue 

 colour obtained from Ihe woad. When a woad 

 vat is new the dyer is careful lo keep it prelly 

 well supplied with indigo, in order that the col- 

 ouring ni.iller of the woad may not be spent loo 

 soon; for he well knows that when iJie natural 

 colour of ihe woad is gone, ihe blues dyed after- 

 wards will not possess tlie same permanency, 

 thiiugh lo appearance the colours will be equal- 

 ly good. Tliose dyers succeed the best who 

 have three or more vats in operafion at the same 

 limi> ; in fact, the greater i^umber of vats a skil- 

 ful woad dyer works, (he more permanent his 



