No. 5. 



Peach Tree. 



11 



done no more than was required of him at 

 the hands of truth and candor. The "corn" 

 which the disciples of our Saviour pluci<ed 

 and eat on the Sabbath, as they went tiu-ough 

 the corn fields, was not Indian corn ; for \\\ 

 Luke VI. 1. the disciples are represented as 

 rubbing the ears in their hands to get at the 

 grains, an operation which would have suc- 

 ceeded vvitii wheat and other small grains, 

 but which was altogether inapplicable to In- 

 dian corn. 



Pliny speaks of a certain dish much used 

 and admired by the ancient Romans, called 

 " alica,''' which was made ofZea. "Alica 

 fit e Zea quem semen appellavimus." But 

 " Zea" here means "spelt," or according to 

 some, " beer barley" or " beer corn." See 

 Ainsworth's Lat. Diet, which cites Pliny. 



2. Has any traveler, prior to the discovery 

 of America, noticed the culture of Indian 

 corn in any other part of the world 1 



It is well known that, previously to the 

 discovery of America, mairy intelligent travel- 

 ers visited China, India, and other parts 

 of Asia, as well as Africa; that some of these 

 have been very minute in their descriptions 

 of the vegetable productions of these coun- 

 tries ; yet it is not pretended that any one of 

 them has mentioned the cultivation of Indian 

 corn. This universal silence upon the sub- 

 ject furnishes negative testimony, at least, 

 and negative testimony of the strongest char- 

 acter, that the Indian corn was then an un- 

 known plant. 



It can hardly be supposed, if the Indian 

 corn had been growing in those countries;, 

 that it would have escaped the notice of 

 travelers; and this negative testimony is 

 strengthened by the circumstances, that im- 

 mediately after the expiration of a sufficient 

 length of time from the discovery of America, 

 to have enabled the curious to have transplant- 

 ed the productions of this hemisphere to 

 other parts of the world, we find intelligent 

 foreign travelers employing their time in 

 describing the Indian corn and its mode of 

 culture. I have among my notes numerous 

 instances of this class, which I forbear to 

 press upon the reader. 



3, If the Indian corn is not a native of 

 America, whence was it derived, and when 

 was it introduced in America I 



Is It not a great objectjoii to the proposition 

 that the Indian corn was introduced into 

 America from another part of the world, that 

 no two writers agree whence it was originally 

 derived. One asserts that it was brought 

 from India, supposing it to have been in- 

 troduced through Persia to Africa; another 

 says that it originated on the western coast 

 of Africa, &c. In like manner are these 

 writers at fault, when the time when it was 

 introduced into America is required to be 



known. We will presently see the reasons 

 of this discrepancy as to the place from w hich 

 the Indian corn is supposed to have been 

 brought, and total inability to show when it 

 was transplanted into the Americas. But 

 these reasons will serve for any thing better 

 than to show that it was not a native of this 

 country. 



To be cnniiniied. 



Peacia Tree. 



Peaches are of two kinds; the clearstone 

 and the clingstone; but there are good va- 

 rities of each. The same sorts can only be 

 raised by grafting, or inoculation: This may 

 be on apncots, or on plum trees, and will 

 make the grafted trees longer lived. The 

 trees should have a warm, dry, fertile soil: 

 a sandy loam is best. If the spot whereihey 

 are planted be sheltered from the northerly 

 winds, it will be the better. To raise the 

 young trees, take stones that are fully ripe, 

 and plant them in October. They will come 

 up and grow to a good size in the course of 

 the summer. They are to be kept clear of 

 weeds, while in the nursery. At a year's 

 growth, they may be grafted, or innoculated, 

 and after two summer's growth, they may 

 then be transplanted. This may be done 

 when the leaves have fallen in autumn, or in 

 the spring. Take plants with one strong 

 clean stem, or, if they have two, cut one 

 away, however fair. Let the downward root 

 be cut off, in order that the tree derive its 

 nourishment from earth nigh the surface, 

 which will make the fruit less crude, and 

 finer tasted. Be careful not to plant the 

 trees too deep; for this is injurious to all 

 fruit. Let the pruning of the new planted 

 trees be omitted, till they have taken root. 



In making a proper selection of trees, from 

 which to graft or inoculate, a due regard 

 should be had to three essentials. 



1. To obtain the grafts, or buds, from trees 

 bearing the finest fruit. 



2. That this fruit should ripen at different 

 times, from the earliest to the latest of the 

 season for peaches. 



3. That the grafts or buds be taken from 

 trees which are plentiful bearers; but not 

 such as bear so plentifully as to be broken by 

 their fruit. 



But, perhaps, the too plentiful bearing of 

 trees is a quality not properly descendible to 

 those which are raised from them, by graft- 

 ing or otherwise. It would be well to as- 

 certain this point by experiment. 



It is said by some, that if the stones of 

 peaches be buried immediately, without dry- 

 ing, they will produ ,e trees bearing the same 

 kinds of peaches, as those whence the stones 

 were taken. This is well worthy of particu- 

 ticular trial. 



