1857. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



505 



the foliage which is returned, not to the depths 

 from which it was taken — but to the surface. The 

 trees, however, do not receive all their sustenance 

 from the soil. The larger portion of their bulk is 

 derived by means of their foliage, from the atmo- 

 sphere, which, by some vital process, is assimilated 

 to and forms a part of their substance. Hence the 

 surface soil in a forest is constantly increasing in 

 bulk by supplies from the deeper soil and from the 

 atmosphere. 



It is easy to understand in what manner a wood 

 furnishes a continual supply of materials that fertil- 

 ize and increase the bulk of the soil. If this forest 

 be situated in a valley, or on a level plain, it retains 

 all these substances for its own use and benefit. 

 But if it be situated on a declivity, a great propor- 

 tion of these substances are washed down by rains 

 into the plain or valley below them. How, then, 

 might a farmer avail himself in the best possible 

 manner of the advantage of these supplies ? Cer- 

 tainly by encouraging the growth of all his wood 

 upon the summits of hills, and the upper portions 

 of slopes and declivities, from which alluvial depos- 

 ites will be constantly washing down to fertilize the 

 lower portions of the land. I wish to avoid ex- 

 treme assertions. I would not pretend, therefore, 

 to make any exact estimate of the advantage of 

 these things to the farmer. I would only say that 

 if a farmer has two hundred acres of land, and one 

 hundred of these in forest — if the latter is in all 

 cases on the highest points of his land, as his arable 

 land constitutes the lower portions, that this last 

 must be vastly more productive than the same 

 would be if the other hundred acres, instead of for- 

 est, were open pasture. I say nothing of the pro- 

 tection afforded by the forest in these elevated sit- 

 uations, as I shall speak of this advantage in anoth- 

 er place. I am willing to hazard the opinion, that 

 were this farm of two hundred acres devoted to 

 pasturage and nothing else, one hundred acres of 

 the valley portion, if the other hundred acres of 

 hill and elevated slope were covered with a dense 

 wood, would sustain as large a number of cattle as 

 the whole two hundred acres could do, were it all 

 open pasture. In the former case the washings 

 from the wooded hills and declivities, uniteil with 

 the deposites made by the cattle, would preserve the 

 remainder in a perpetual thriving condition. In the 

 latter case, if the whole were open pasture, the de- 

 posites of the cattle would be the only sources of 

 spontaneous fertilization ; and it must, therefore, 

 unless it were manured by the farmer, become, in a 

 few years, incapable of sustaining the original num- 

 ber of cattle. 



Let us take another view of the subject; hills, if 

 we except bogs and morasses, and sandy plains, are 

 the least productive parts of the farm. They re- 

 quire more manuring than the valleys and plains, 

 and a vastly greater amount of labor is required to 

 carry the manure to these elevated spots. Both 

 the expense of the manure and the expense of the 

 labor are saved, by keeping these elevated places 

 wooded, and tilling only the lower belts of the hills, 

 and the plains and valleys. All this is to be added 

 to the advantage derived from the woods, which 

 are constantly increasing in value, while they are 

 adding fertility and yielding protection to the soil 

 oelow them. 



Such are the relations of trees and forests to the 

 soil, and they are of the highest importance to the 

 interests of the whole country, though the impor- 



tance of these things in individual 'cases, is not al- 

 ways apparent. I will sum up the whole theory in 

 a few words. All elevated slopes, barren ridges, 

 and steep declivities, ought to be planted with for- 

 est trees, because trees are the most prdfitable 

 crops for such situations, and because in these situ- 

 ations, they fertilize the lands below them. They 

 should also be planted on all sandy plains which 

 are incapable of tillage, because they are the only 

 crop which is available in these places. 



For the New England Farmer. 



THE THINGS I RAISE-No. 2. 



burr's sweet corn. 

 The best variety I have ever seen. It is not ear- 

 ly. Ears very large and long ; ten to sixteen rows, 

 most of it is ten to twelve. Of first quality for the . 

 table. Should recommend it over any other kind 

 I know, except for early use. This variety was in- 

 troduced by Messrs. Burr, of Hingham. 



SWEET POTATO SQUASH. 



I have raised this variety three years. It came 

 highly recommended, and though of first quality, 

 yet it is difficult to raise, and rather small ; vine 

 much like the vine of the marrow squash, and ten- 

 der. Squash shaped somewhat like the marrow, 

 except longer; color dark bluish, shell hard ; qual- 

 ity excellent, being sweet and rich, like a first-rate 

 sweet potato. Should not recommend it for exten- 

 sive cultivation. 



PURPLE KOHL RABI, OR TUKNIP-BOOTED CABBAGE. 



This seems to be a hybrid, half cabbage and half 

 turnip, having the flavor of both ; it has a bulb, or 

 root like a turnip, yet grows above ground like a 

 cabbage. I like it when boiled like a turnip. Used 

 more by the German population than by others ; 

 not much known yet; easily grown ; keeps well 

 through the winter. Should not recommend it for 

 extensive cultivation. Seed from Patent Office. 



GREEN KOHL RABI. 



Like the other, except the color, though not con- 

 sidered quite so good in quality. Seed from same 

 source. James F. C. Hyde. 



jVewton Centre, Sept. 5th, 1857. 



[TO BE CONTINUED.] 



Invitations. — We are under obligations to our 

 friends in the New England States and New York, 

 for kind invitations to attend their agricultural ex- 

 hibitions, and participate in their festivities. We 

 have already attended several, and shall continue 

 to visit them until they close ; but as different shows 

 sometimes take place on the same day, it is impos- 

 sible for us to be at all of them, and such places 

 are selected as we have not before visited. The 

 kindness extended to us, however, we fully appre- 

 ciate ; it sweetens the labor in which we are en- 

 gaged, and proves that a fraternal feeling exists 

 between those who cultivate the soil and the con- 

 ductors of agricultural journals. Our visits to the 

 homes of the farmer will be continued, as they are 

 the unfailing sources from whence we draw a sup- 

 ply to scatter again broadcast among the people. 



