184 



Protection of Plants in Winter.-^Rocks. 



Vol. V. 



up and were harvested at the same time: 

 some of these accompany the present sample, 

 and go to show the superiority of the emur 

 as a crop, cultivated under precisely the same 

 circumstances. The growth of the straw is 

 similar to that of barley, with the same- 

 formed ear externally, the awn or beard of 

 the barley very perfect, but it is not attached 

 to the grain, that being formed like wheat, of 

 com'se without husk, and this is the cause of 

 its great weight. Mr. Govven remarked that 

 the straw was very highly relished by cattle, 

 although it had suffered from rust, as all the 

 crops in the neighbourhood had done the pre- 

 sent season. 



I enclose a few grains of this barley-wheat 

 for your inspection ; and should any of your 

 readers be acquainted with its history, and 

 will communicate what they know about it 

 through the pages of the Cabinet, they will 

 render a service to the agricultural commu- 

 nity. After all, it might be a crop already 

 well known to many, and if so, it will go to 

 prove the importance of agricultural jour- 

 nals, which are the means of intercommuni- 

 cation not otherwise to be obtained ; and I 

 hope the time is coming when they will be 

 regarded as an invaluable source of informa- 

 tion, amusement and instruction to the farm- 

 ing interest of tlie country generally: and 

 let nie observe, if the pages of these journals 

 were more frequently occupied by that class 

 of persons, we should not so often hear the 

 complaint that much of the matter there con- 

 tained, consists of theoretical notions — the 

 fact is, farmers ought to make the pages of 

 the agricultural press their own, and, by the 

 use of their pens, supply them with matter 

 that would be suited to their own peculiar 

 wants — a register of events, and a book of 

 inquiry. C. VV. 



Schuylkill Comity, Nov. 23, 1810. 



We find that several parcels of this naked 

 barlej', or emur, have been sown in Montgo- 

 mery County the present season. Would 

 those who have made trial of it report pro- 

 gress through the pages of the Cabinet, and 

 send samples to the office of the Farmers' 

 Cabinet, for the inspection of those agricultu- 

 ral friends who oblige us by their tirequent 

 visits while in town] — Ed. 



For tlie Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Protection of Plants in Winter. 



The Maine Cultivator states, that the best 

 article with which to cover grape-vines and 

 other tender plants, as a protection during 

 winter, is hemlock boughs — they turn the 

 water, being more compact. 



Straw, on the contrary, which is commonly 

 used, collects and retains the wet, and some- 

 times does more hurt than good. It is not so 



much the cold of our winters that destroys 

 tender roots, as the wet that is suffered to 

 freeze into ice about them. 



Timothy Matlac, when residing at Lancas- 

 ter, was famous for preserving his vines by 

 trimming them and burying them lightly un- 

 der the earth, and raising them early in the 

 spring. 



Mr. Priestley preserved his grain from the 

 effects of frost, when it was unprotected by 

 snow, by throwing a light covering of buck- 

 wheat straw over it, by which his crop was 

 saved, when his neighbours' was generally 

 destroyed. The straw protected it from the 

 cold Vv'inds although it was but very slightly 

 covered, the grain appearing through the 

 straw. J. V. 



For the Fanners' Cabinet. 

 Rocks. 



CLKAR AWAY EVERY OBSTUUCTION TO AGRICOLTURE. 



Mr. Editor, — There are some farms that 

 have large stoues and rocks dispersed here 

 and there over them, where they have re- 

 mained undisturbed from creation to the day 

 of this writing, the owners ploughing around 

 or over them, injuring their ploughs and 

 horses, and making bad work in the vicinity 

 of these permanent nuisances. The ground 

 occupied in this way is the best in the field, 

 for it has never been exhausted by injudicious 

 management, and on some farms the quantity 

 is not inconsiderable. 



Now, I would advise those who are an- 

 noyed by such obstructions to go to work, be 

 up and doing, and rid themselves of these an- 

 cient intruders without delay. Some apply 

 the process of blowing to reduce rocks to a 

 size so as to be easily handled, but a much 

 more simple plan may be adopted, particu- 

 larly with very hard rocks, such as are diffi- 

 cult to bore, by building a fire with some dry 

 wood upon them, and, when they are well 

 heated, throw water upon them, which will 

 be as certain to break them as powder. 



In this way the largest and hardest rock 

 may be reduced to small fragments in a very 

 short time, by the labour of a small boy. 

 Having recently seen this kind of operation, 

 and being surprised at the great effects pro- 

 duced by the smallest possible amount of la- 

 bour, I forward this for the Cabinet, in the 

 hope that it may suit the taste of those who 

 are afraid of bone-labour, and enable such to 

 clear their fields of impediments to culture 

 with the smallest possible amount of muscu- 

 lar exertion. Lapis. 



Radnor. Dec. 15, 1840. 



A STATE of ease is at best but a neutral 

 state of being, alike distant from positive hap- 

 piness as from positive misery. 



