68 



NEW ENGLAND FAR3IER, 



Sept. IS, 1829, 



FOR rilK RCW E!<CLA5I> rARUKH. 



LKOllORN WHEAT. 

 Mr Fesse.ndkn — U "ill probnl.ly l>e rocoUect- 

 cd by some of your rcaJi-iv, with yourself, lliot in 

 the fipriiif,' of 1S27, you liad llio (lisposal of a few 

 bu.-iliuU of wheat, sent to this country from Leg- 

 horn, said to he the kind from whii:li the " dear 

 bought and fur fetched" Leghorn bonnets were 

 manufactured. This wheat was-dis-^eminated far 

 and wide, but I have never learned in any one in- 

 stance, the result of the experiment with others. 



i then procured one pint of the seed, hpt from 

 that lime to the present could never discover any 

 essential diflcrence between either the straw, or 

 kernel, from that which is usually cultivated in 

 the western part of this state ; it has every season 

 with me, produced a good kernel, but from some 

 cross-grained fatality for two or three years I 

 gained but a trifle over the original stock, (1 pint) 

 hut have at length, this present year, succeeded in 

 raising five bushels, a sample of which is here- 

 with transmitted for your inspection ; but I would 

 observe that it does not appear to be so large a 

 kernel as in some former years. 



I have never discovered to my recoUcction one 

 smutty o;ir iu any season. I have always, pre- 

 viously to sowing, soaked the seed a few hours in 

 clean water, after washing it, anil sprinkled it co- 

 piously with the hydrate of lime. 1 presume that 

 bad I sowed it thicker it would have approxima- 

 ted nearer to the Leghorn straw, hut the same re- 

 mark would probably equally apply to any other 

 kind of wheat. 



My object in laying the subject before the pub- 

 lic is not to tell what / have done, but to learn 

 how others have succeeded. 



In sowing down a field to grass in the s|)ring of 

 1B28, on one corner the wheat was sowed with 

 tho grass seed. This part of the field possessed 

 n<^supr;riority of soil, and the whole field was 

 manured alike ; but from some cause, unaccounta- 

 ble to me, the grass, both th6 last season and the 

 present year, had a great superiority over that part 

 where nothing but grass seed was sown ; and even 

 tioir, after mowing twice this present season, the 

 edge where the wheat was sown, is well defined, 

 and the wheat was the best I ever raised. As this 

 is the only experiment of sowing it with grass 

 seed, I wish not to be too sanguine ; but if fur- 

 ther experiments produce the same results, the 

 benefit to the agricultural interests will readily be 

 aiiprcciatcd. 



POTATOKS KROM SKEB. 



I hope, Mr Editor, I shall not be deemed an 

 egotist by making public a few e.xpcrinicnts on 

 raising potatoes from the seeil or halls. In the 

 autumn of 1S2C, I procured a few balls from an 

 i;arly kiml of ])otatocs, and after cleaning them, 

 iTiuch after the nmnncr that I'ur-uinbcr seeds are 

 cicanseil, by mirans of water, 1 kept them dry, till 

 the spring of 1827. I thnii sowed them brond- 

 cnst, on a bed about four feet S(piaro ; the young 

 plants soon made their ajipeaninec, but from a 

 want of propi-r rare in tliimiiiig the plants, anil 

 cheeking the weinls, the piniluri; was piobalily 

 much lessruril ; bill in aiitiiiMii abiiiit lialf a peck 

 wnH produced lioni the seed sown, which were o( 

 nImoHt every size and shape ; two or- three were 

 ari large as hens' eggs, while others were nol 

 larger than n pin. Those wliirh appeared to pos- 

 Huss liny strongly iiiaiked qiiiilily, were caretiilly 

 Hclecied, and ke]>t by themselves, making about n 



kinds ; but by far the greatest jjroportion | of the young trees and the density 

 put together, n» ajipearing lopoMossno very branches, that I earnestly recommend tl. 



attention of cxpcriiiicntal agiiculturii^Ls ; 



dozen 

 were 



peculiar property. 



In the spring of 1828, the several selected kinds 

 were ]ilanted separatidy, as also the best of the 

 eommon kind : the result was, that last autumn, I 



had about four bushels of tho common kind, and , you a few hints relative to Imgation, winch i 

 about one bushel of the selected kinds. In May early hfo, cxten.-^ively and most profitably prac 

 the j.resent season about two bushels of the best a"d which, in tins country, where manure 

 of the common kind were planted, from which, scarce, and the ntmosphcrc so deficient in i 

 jiiilging from present appearances, 1 think they i "re, might be employed with the greatest a. 

 will yield from 16 to 25 bushels. From the sc- i tage. I nm, Sir, respcctlully yours, 

 lected kinds which were planted at the same time 



several bushels will probably be produced, two] ^i^n^WY HORTICULTURAL SOCIKI 

 kinds appear to be remarkably early :— one other j .^.^^^ ^j.^^ anniversary of this society was 

 kind i.roduees a very large, handsome white po- ,^|.^,^._, j^^ ,,^j^ ^j,^ ^,, Tuesdav last, in a in 

 tato of an oblong shape ; one or two other kinds ^^^^^ an'iuK well'for the respectabihty and i 

 appear to possess some very valualilc jiroperties, ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ association, 

 while some probably will not be worth any further 

 attention. SETII DAVIS. 



cellent material for a living fence. 



If you apj)rove thin communication, 1 ni:iy, 

 haps, so far overcome the " rw intrlia" ns to ; 



A.NGLKAM 



Mutton, Sept. 7, 1829. 



KOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



On this occasion, (the Recess, the usiinl | 

 meeting, not afibrding a room sudiciei:: 

 Cruttenden's long room and the adjoiin; 

 appropriately fitted u[i, were open to tli. 

 of visitors, from an early hour until 3 1". .M. 

 were thronged by ladies and gentlemen. 



The jirofnsion and taste of the floral decor 

 of the dining room surpassed anyihiiig we 

 before witnessed. Four splendid boqiieis, 

 to four feel in height, and of jiroportionate I \ 

 ter, composed of flowers of every varie^ f^ 

 color, which the green house and the l' : h 



FENCING AND IRRIGATION. 



Mb Fesse.nden — I have often felt a strong de- 

 sire to oflcr a few friendly hints to your numerous 

 readers iqion two subjects which apjiear to be very 

 imperfectly understood in the United States ; but 

 which might be rendered most beneficial to the 

 farmer, and highly ornamental to the country. 



Idleness however, sheer idleness, has hitherto | ford at this season of the year, were an i _ i 

 prevented me from gratifying this laudable wish, i the dining table. At the two extremih' -. : 

 The subjects to whicli I allude, are Fencinf;, ] the centre of the room, wreaths of gni^n 

 (not with the iit'orrf, I trust we have done with , suspended in festoons thickly studded «iili fl 

 that.) and /rri'n'fld'on. This same idleness will, I I of every hue, the loops composed of 1 |i 

 feel, render my present communication as brief as flowers, the sjilendid double hclianil 

 the most fastidious admirer of " the soul of wit"' 

 can possibly desire. 



As we are now at peace, I am anxious that 

 your countrymen should abstain from rniVing', and 

 that " sticks, staves, and stones" should be more 

 sparingly used, at least, by farmcts, if not by law- 

 yers, for they arc no more absolutely necessary 

 in cases of trespass hovibus ct ovibits, than in those 

 of trcs])ass " vi el nrmis.'" — In plain English, the 

 predatory excursions of a vagrant bullock or a 

 saltatory sheep may be more effectually and more 

 profitably restrained by living fences than by stone 

 walls, built " more solulo," or unsightly rails. Those 

 who have made the experiment, in this vicinity, 

 appear to have considered the white thorn " (I id 

 genus" as the only living materials which can he 

 successfully employed, and the slow and uncertain 

 growth of these has no doubt discouraged many: 



but, Sir, " crude txperlo" there is scarcely a shrub 

 or a tree iu your extensive forests, which might 



not be converted into an impenetrable barrier by 



means of what in England, or some parts ihererf, 



is technically termed 'Splashing ;" which operation 



is expeditiously pprformed by cutting the larger 



branches partly ihrough by a single stroke of an 



instrument yclept a hill hook, and then bending 



and weaving them together; o few upright stakes 



bcing'uscd to retain them in their places until 



they become firmly and permanently rntangled 



and bicndeil with each other. If trees of rapid 



growth be sclrrleil, a beiiiitifiil, lasting, and eflert- 



iiid fence may thus be formed in less than one 



third of tho time which is necessary to' perfect a 



while thorn bi'dge. 



A fi.'W years ago I planted in rows the slones joining pulors, where fi»c rows of dishes W 



of the common apricot, for slocks intended to be I riiiiged ii| on a largi' ceinnil table, and fill* 



budded, and such was the rapidity of the growth g apc>-, iiliiins, pi a hcs, pears and apples, tb'l 



forming the buttons. Over the two ni: i ■ 

 two flat boquets, nearly three yards in • r. 

 rence, compo.sed of flowers of fifty or - ^ 

 tics, bordered at the sides with fui: I 

 branches of Pijrus Siherica, and their ba- ^i 

 ed and concealed by branches of the \ 

 studded with clusters of fruit. Over < > 

 window, and print, were from one i i 

 quels, of smaller size, though equally i 

 riety and brilliancy of colors. In th' 

 corner of the room, near the head oi ,• 

 stood a superb myrtle leaved orange tree, 

 bcarijig, with fi-om 100 to 150 full growi 

 upon its branches. The south-west come 

 filled with a splendid I^agerstramia indim, 

 fuse bloom, G or 7 feet high, and the manti' 

 blooming geraniums, rose.«, &c., in pots. 1 

 the choicctJt treasures of Flora, "fiom ' 

 gardens culled with care," were herccoiK en 

 and arranged in.groiips, under the iiriiuipal 

 tion of Mr James Wilson, one of the pr.qi 

 of the Albany nursery, in nniaimer adi: .1 

 ciliated to excite admiration. The flu 

 lions were principally from the Alb:in\ N 

 ami the gardeus <if Gen. Slephen V.-iii Iteo 

 Gen. S. Van Renselaer, jr., J. lUiel, E. C. D 

 and D. 1?. Slingerland — the orange, and 

 shrubs and plants, from the green liou-e o 

 Van Renselaer, sen. 



The gardens of the goiillemen above ^ 

 together with those of ("apt. Fay, T. W. 

 Paul <'lark, Mr Dowling and Mr Ilniiai 

 been |iiit in requisition to furnish friiils 1 

 dessert. Th.'sc were exhibited in one of t 



