02 



NRW ENGLAND 1 ARMEH, 



!C|)t. 11, 1829.- H 



JVEW ENGLAND FAUMEU. 4 



BOSTON, lUIUAV, SKrTKMHini U, 1829. 



BOSTON^10l:^^K^OI•^^UL>^KY AND 

 HOUfiK OF REFOIOIATKJN. 



Wc lulely spi'iil an hour or two, mtv a^'icca- 

 bly, ill visiliiiiT llifso useful aiul liiglilv imercsting 

 eslaliliiiliiiicnl.s Tla-y arc plcasanlly filiiatod on 

 tlie iimrgiii of the sea in South Boston, in the 

 midbl of fields anil gnrilens, teeming with luxuri- 

 ant vci,'elaiiun, and exliihiting iiiiluliitahle eviden- 

 ces of juilicioiis and iiiileliuigahlc culcure. Cvery 

 thing within and without iloors wore the marks of 

 neatnesfi, order, economy, convenience and com- 

 fort. It was pleasing to sec so many human be- 

 ings, snatched like brands from the hMniiiig, pre- 

 vented from becoming victims to iiKlJL'incc and 

 vice, and placed in an asylum from the evils 

 which awaited them while paupers or criminals, 

 infesting and depredating on society at large. 



We were liighly gratified in observing, that in 

 providing for the wants of the body, those of the 

 mind were not overlooked. Schools on the Lan- 

 caster and I'cstulozzian principle were filled with 

 promising and intelligent |iupils, who stood the 

 test of examination in a way which woidd have 

 done honor to students of higher prttc iisions and 

 superior standing. The, juvenile dcrmciuciils, who 

 were placed in the House of Reformation, under 

 the tutelage of the Rev. 3Ir Wells, exhibited such 

 an acciuaintance with geography, geology, mete- 

 orology, and other branches of science, not usually 

 taught in common schools, as not only pleas- 

 ed but surjirised us. If it be true, as has been 

 shrewdly observed, (and we believe the maxim is 

 perfectly correct) that knowledge is virtue as well 

 as power, Sir Wells is leading those "Juvenile 

 OtVendeis" the shortest and surest way to " l{e- 

 forination." 



PAINTING LIGHTNINO RODri. 

 Mr. Fe3sf..ndE-N — Will you liave the goodness 

 to inform me .soon, whether painting an iron 

 lightning rod, with lamp black and oil is injurious 

 to it iui a conductor — and whether it will, or will 

 not make it unsafe, and much oblige 

 Your most obedient, 



- JOSEPH HALL. 

 East Smidwich, .lug. 23, 1829. 



Remarks by the Editor. — Wc believe it is not 

 customary, in this vicinity, to paint conductors of 

 lightning, and they are of course often injurc<l and 

 ]irobably sonictimcs rendered incflectivc by rust, 

 or oxidation. Whether such painting as is pro- 

 posed above would impair the conducting power 

 of lightning rods is a tpicstion wc cannot answer, 

 but do not believe it would cause any considerable 

 diminution of that property. A writer /'or* the 

 Portsmouth Journal, whose cominunicatinn was 

 republished in the fifth volume of the N. K. Far- 

 mer, p. 381, says, "The rod should be painted 

 with lampblack and oil." 



'•An improvement in coiiductorsof lightning was 

 made by Mr Robert Patterson, of Philadelphia, 

 for which tliu American Philoso|ihical Society oil- 

 judged him the prize of n gold meilal. He pro- 

 poses first to insert in the to|) of the rod a piece ol 

 the beat black lead, about 2 inches long, and icr- 

 tiiinaling in a fini! point, which projects u little 

 above the end of its metallic soikct ; so that if the 

 black lead point hIioiiIiI by any acciilcnt, be lirok 

 en olV, that of the rod shoulil be h'ft sharp enougl 

 lo answer the purpose of a metallic conductor.— 



His .second inleniion is, to facilitate the jiussagc 

 of the electric fluid from the lower part of 

 the rod into the surrounding earth. In iim- 

 cascH it is inipracticable, from the interrup- 

 tion of rocks and other obstacles, to sink the 

 rod 80 deeply as to reach moist earth, or any oth- 

 er substance that is a tolerable conductor of elec- 

 tricity. To remedy this delect, Mr Patterson pro- 

 poses to iiiake the lower part of the rod either of 

 tin or copper, which metals are far less liable to 

 corrosion or rust, than iron, when lying under 

 ground ; or which will answer the purpose still 

 better, to coat that part of the conductor, of what- 

 ever metal it may consist, with a thick crust of 

 black lead, |)rcviously formed into a paste, by be- 

 ing pulverized, mixed with melted sulphur, and 

 applied to the rod while hot. Jiy this precaution, 

 the lower part of the rod will, in bis opinion, retain 

 its conductive iiowers for ages, without any dhniu- 

 ution." 



Black leod is o conductor of electricity, and 

 would, no doubt, be a suitable substance to form 

 a coating for lightning rods. We should prefer 

 it to lam))black and oil, but believe the latter 

 would be better than leaving the rod naked to be 

 corroded, and its conducting properties destroyed 

 by the weather. 



A short treatise containing a comjiilation of ar- 

 tides on the Culture and Manufacture of Hemp 

 in the United States, has been published at St. 

 Johiisbury, Vt. by E. Fairbanks. A copy of it has 

 been sent to the Hall of the Massachusetts Horti- 

 cultural Society. 



BEAUTIFLL SHADE TREE. 



The admirers of ornamental shade trees are in- 

 vited to notice the East India .Mulberry Trees 

 growing on the side walk in Christopher, at the 

 intersection of Asylum-street, in front of the dwell- 

 ing house and garden of Peter Wendover, Esq., 

 former sheriff of our city. The largest of these 

 trees are but si.\ years old, and were set out by 

 him in their present i)laces 4 years ago last March. 

 So rapid has been their grownh, that the tops of 

 several of them at this time will measure from 

 seventy to eighty feet in circumference. For 

 beauty and luxuriance of foliage and rapidity of 

 growth they are not surpassed by any tree in this 

 country. The form of the leaf is uncommonly 

 beautiful ; is of a dark green colour, and nearly 

 the size of a person's hand, with curious and ir- 

 regular indentations, and though similar, no two 

 can be found alike on the same tree. An I what 

 renders it still more desirable, is, that on account 

 of the juice of the leaf, or its surface, which very 

 much resembles soft velvet, it is unacceptable for 

 fiiod, or for an abode for worms or insects of any 

 kind ; and during the whole time its foliage is out, 

 it has the ajijiearance of the richness and frcsbncss 

 of ppring. Two of these trees, of the size of a 

 person's finger, set out early in .Viiril, 25 feet apart, 

 will grow with such rapidity, that within three 

 years from the time they are planted, their branch- 

 es and foliage will reach ami intermingle with each 

 other. A year ogo last .April, Mr Wenilover 

 made a present of seven of thrni to me, and sent 

 thom by a young woman, who l>rought thrni all 

 at once in one hand ; now the boily of each one 

 of the seven is of the size of a man's arm, and 

 has numerous branches, many of which arc from 

 six to seven feet in length. The pruning,if at all, 

 shiiiiM bo done early in the spring, and the wound 

 I occusiiiiied by taking olftlie limbs, will before au- 

 tumn, be completely covered ami healed over. It 



is more easily propagated, than either the Wil) 

 or Lomburdy Poplar, by cuttings, stuck bciw 

 one and two feet in the ground. This fad, I h 

 proven by experiments, maue by myself. If 

 corporation, instead of filling the Park and Pait 

 with a very leormy and often dirty tree, the Sj 

 more, sometimes culled the Button Hull, 

 planted the East India Mulberry, wc sbouh 

 less than four years, have bad the groumls t 

 ered like a forest, with a rich, deep, clean shi 

 which would be very acctjitable, during 

 warm season, to many of the inhabitants of 

 city. 



Persons having bouses and gardens that t 

 arc desirous of ornamenting, while riding out 

 health or pleasure, would do well to couie up to 

 village of Ureenwich, pass through Cbristopl 

 street, and notice the East India Mulberry Tr» 



-V. y. In.,uir 



Tlie first anniversary of the Albany Horticul 

 al Society was celebrated on the 1st inst. 

 exhibition of fruits, flowers and vegetables wai 

 ry extensive, and was thronged by ladies and j 

 tlemen. An able .Address was delivered by 

 President, Judge Blei., which we shall publis 



The anniversary of the New York Horiicult 

 Society was held on the 8th. Further partici 

 with regard to both festivals will be given ne.xt w 



Bbightos Market. — Monday, Sept. '7. 

 (Reporlcd for llie Chronicle and Palrioi.) 



The market was anticipated by some of 

 drovers, and on Friday last 112 lietj" Cattle \ 

 driven in, anil about 00 sold. Taken in con 

 ion with those at market tliis day, makes 

 number 637, since our last report, nearly all 

 and at about our last week's prices, lint 

 good cattle at market, and most of them am 

 and were sold on Friday. nt§5pcrcwt. 

 wards the close of the market, this day, 

 ((uulities went oflT heavily, even at very 

 prices. 



Store Cattle, dull — 2-J8 at market — a par 

 them old aciiuaintnnces, which were dispose 

 at very low jiriccs, or, as the drover would 

 it, " he gave them away." 



Sheep — 3878 ot market — nearly all sold — 

 of Sheep and Lambs were sold generally, at 

 $1 33 a 1 67 Jicr head — Wc noticed.the sale o 

 small \ol prime lambs at $1 87, and one do. a 

 Thin qualities, of which there were very res| 

 able numbers, were sold very low. We havi 

 thing rcinarkablo to record of the Mutton nia 

 except the sale of 10 prime wethers at j'.'i 



Suine — Since our last rejiort, 972 have con 

 market. .About 650 on the ground this mor 

 including 37 unsold last week. Market cxtre 

 dull — a few were sold singly at -i a -L^ cts p« 

 One lot of 75, and one of -17 were taken, p 

 not exactly known, supposed one lot at a 

 more than 3 ctsjicr lb. and the other for a > 

 less. 



MiissachiiseKs llorticullurat Sorirlij. — The slio 

 XJErapes. native and rare Kruits am) Flowers, nt the 

 of the Society on Saturday last, wi\s iinroiniiionly I 

 The following parlicularlr deserve notice. 



From tlio lion. John Lo« rii., a tine Iniii. 1 

 Malaga tirapc, weighing ihrtt pounds — a Ihm 

 Illnck llaniliiirg Crape, weighing ono lb. fiv.- 

 and a siu-cimon of the friiit of tJio edible PnsM. :i 

 (pttssiliora rilulif) — also a spccimrn of the Cipi.tu 

 pear, Iroiii llie original tree received tVoin .Mr KsH 

 garden in Knglnnd. [\ valuable roniniunicalion 

 Sir l.owri.i. wa.i road before the Soricty, on the en 

 of the .*'wi"pt I'otalo, and tlio importniiro of scIm 

 tho right sorts Tliia will be published in the ntit 

 England Fanner ] 



