16 Interesting Agricultural Facts. — Good Advice to Boys. Vol. XII. 



Interesting Agricultural Facts. 



Read before the Farmers' Club and comiiiiinieated to 

 the Farmer and Mechanic for publication. 



BY H. MEIGS, ESQ. 



The care of enlightened and patriotic 

 men has caused the introduction of precious 

 plants and animals into countries, which had 

 never, since creation before possessed them. 



LucuUus first introduced cherries into 

 Italy, from Pontus, and he first planted them 

 in his princely gardens in Rome, where they 

 have ever since flourished, as greatly as they 

 had done in Pontus. 



The Malus Pyrus, or rather Epyrus, (the 

 pear) from Epirus. The peach (Malus Pun- 

 ica) from Carthage. The apricot (Malus 

 Armeniaca) from Armenia. The quince 

 (Malus Cydoiiia) from Syria — these after 

 having been naturalized to the climate of 

 Italy, were afterwards transplanted by the 

 Romans, into all the countries conquered by 

 them. The tree from which the first sweet 

 oranges were raised in Portugal, is, perhaps, 

 still living in China, and they bear the name of| 

 China oranges, for they were not natives of 

 Portugal. 



Rice was first introduced into Carolina 

 about the year 1740. 



In England, about the year 1500, there 

 were no musk melons, sallads, cabbages, 

 turnips, carrots, nor any of those garden 

 roots 60 important now to the people. Long 

 after that, the cauliflower was introduced, 

 which now grows so finely in England. 

 About the years 1525 to 1550, hops and 

 pippin apples were first introduced ; goose- 

 berries, also currants, roses, July flowers, 

 carnations, asparagus, oranges, beans, let- 

 tuce, plums, musk roses, tulips, and arti- 

 choke. About the year 1769, the rhubarb 

 plant was deemed so naturally confined to 

 Tartary, that tlie Emperor of Russia regu- 

 lated the quantity brought to market and the 

 price of it, much in the same way that the 

 Dutch have done cloves and mace, and they 

 made England pay annually nearly a million 

 dollars for it, and it now grows in England 

 to great perfection, and as easily as the com- 

 mon dock. 



As to birds, the peacock was introduced 

 into England from the East Indies, the phea- 

 sant from Asia Minor, and it flourishes in 

 England. 



Our barn yard fowls were brought origi- 

 nally to England from Asia. Our horses 

 are from Barbary, Turkey, Persia, Andalu- 

 sia of Spain, and from Arabia, and they flou- 

 rish among us. James I. introduced the 

 cattle. 



Before the reign of Tiberius it was sup- 

 posed that the silk worm could exist only m 



China and Persia. But about the times of 

 Augustus and Tiberius some enterprising 

 man carried the eggs to Greece, where they 

 were found to hatch and thrive perfectly 

 well. They afterwards were carried to 

 Asia Minor, but it was several ages bef()re 

 they were naturalized in Italy by the Francs. 



Good Advice to Boys. 



Be brisk, energetic and prompt ! The 

 world is full of boys, — and men too — who 

 drawl through life, and never decide on any 

 thing for themselves — but just draggle one 

 leg at\er the other, and let things take their 

 own way. Such people are the dull stuff' of 

 the earth. They hardly deserve as much 

 credit as the wooden trees ; for trees do all 

 the good they can, in merely growing, and 

 bearing leaves and seeds. But these drawl- 

 ing, draggling boys, do not turn their capa- 

 cities to profit, half as far as they might be 

 turned ; they are unprofitable, like a rainy 

 day in harvest time. Now the brisk ener- 

 getic boy will be constantly awake, not 

 merely with his bodily eyes, but with his 

 mind and attention — during the hours of bu- 

 siness. After he learns what he has to do, 

 he will take a pride in doing it punctually 

 and well — and would feel ashamed to be 

 told, what he ought to do without telling. 

 The drawling boy loses in five minutes the 

 most important advice; the prompt, wide- 

 awake boy never has to be taught twice — 

 but strains hard to make himself up to the 

 mark, as far as possible out of his own ener- 

 gies. Third-rate boys are always depending 

 upon others; huX. first-rale boys depend upon 

 themselves, and after a little teaching, just 

 enough to know what is to be done, tliey 

 ask no further favours of anybody. Besides 

 it is a glorious thing for a boy to get this 

 noble way of self-reliance, actiiity, and en- 

 ergy. Such an one is worth a hundred of 

 the poor draggling creatures, who can hardly 

 wash their own hands without being told, 

 each time, how it is to be done. Give me 

 the boy who does his own work promptly, 

 and ivell, without asking — except once for 

 all, at the beginning — any questions; the 

 boy who has wits about him, is never behind- 

 hand, and don't let the grass grow under his 

 heels. — Partner and Mechanic. 



Manure for SxRAWEERRiES.-r-The best 

 top-dressing for strawberry beds is a little 

 leaf mould, pointed in with a fork, early in 

 March. A good addition also is nitrate of 

 soda, three ounces to each square yard, 

 sprinkled over the surface at the same sea- 

 son. Bonednst and charred turf, pointed in 

 with a fork in October, have also been found 

 highly beneficial. 



