Vol. VIII. — in'". 40. 



AND HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



315 



the culture of hemp is carried ou to a great extent, 

 machines for breaking, are used to advantage ; but 

 where the hemp growing is limited, the expense of 

 the machine is too great to justify its ufo. Hemp, 

 either water or dew rotted, may if necessary, pre- 

 vious to breaking, be dried by fire similar to fla.\. 

 This method of fire drying, is reduced to practice, 

 within a few miles of Columbus, in the following 

 manner : A kiln is introduced into a small out- 

 house, which kiln is made either of brick or stone, 

 and plastered over in such a manner, that no sparks 

 are permitted to escape within the house. The 

 fuel that supplies the kiln, is put in from the out- 

 side of the house, and the smoke passing through 

 the kiln is conveyed off by means of a chimney 

 on the opposite side of the same. The hemp de- 

 signed to be broken, is placed on the scaffolds at a 

 reasonable distance above the kiln, and there per- 

 mitted to remain until perfectly dried. It is tlien 

 taken out to some suitable place and broken. If 

 the fibre, by this process of diying, should become 

 too brash to justify the immediate application of 

 the brake, it will, by the exposure to the air, in a 

 short time, be sufficiently elastic without aflfecting 

 the stem. The advantages of this method of dry- 

 ing hemp are apparent : first, from the facility and 

 -speed of separating the fibre from the stem : se- 

 condly, from the fact that any kind of weather, ei- 

 ther wet or dry, is equally suitable for breakuig. 

 Hands practising this plan of drying, break with 

 ease the quantity above spoken of, per day. 

 [To be concluded.] 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



BOSTON, FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 1830. 



Our readers will learn with regret, from a 

 preceding column, that our able, liberal, intelli- 

 gent and indefatigable correspondent General H. 

 A. S. Dearborn proposes "retiring for a season" 

 from the pursuits of a scientific, to those of a 

 practical Horticulturist. Our grateful acknow- 

 ledgements and best wishes will attend him in 

 either department. We hope he will not be un- 

 mindful that his mental efforts will be of more 

 value to the public than manual operations or 

 those under his personal superintendence can he. 

 That the whole territory of the United States may 

 be benefited by horticultural science, when dif- 

 fused by the power of the press, while the fruits 

 of the labors of tne mere practical gardener are 

 comparatively scanty, limited and evanescent. 



The article on " Asparagus," with which this 

 paper commences, from the Hon. John Welles, 

 contains information of great practical importance. 

 This most wholesome of esculents has hitherto 

 been too expensive an article for common con- 

 sumption, but Mr Welles' mode of culture may 

 make it as cheap and plentiful as it is healthy and 

 delicious. 



IMPROVED BREEDS OF CATTLE. 

 We learn with much satisfaction that Mr 

 Sandford Howard is about to introduce into 

 Maine some cattle of the most celebrated English 

 breeds. The animals, (which we saw in Bsston, 

 when on the point of embarking,) arc one Bull, 4 

 years old, half Improved Durham, short horns, 

 one fourth Bakewell, and one fourth native. On« 

 Bull 2 1-2 years old, one half Improved Durham 

 short horns, one fourth Hereford, one eighth Bake- 

 well, and one eighth native. One Cow, half Hol- 



derness, by Mr Parsons' imported bull, and one 

 half Bakewell. Tlisy were raised by tlie Hon. 

 John Welles of Boston ; and appeared to pos- 

 sess the points which are considered as indicative 

 of excellence in animals of their species. They 

 were destined for Ilallowell, and will afford to 

 Farmers in that vicinity a fine opportunity to im- 

 prove their stock, and add materially to the value 

 of the prime products of agriculture. 



Since the above was in type we have received 

 the following 



CoMMC.NICATION. 



The improvement of our breed of cattle, all 

 must consider as advancing in no small degree the 

 substantial interests of the country. The advan- 

 tageous crosses that have been had from the intro- 

 duction of the valued races of Europe cannot be 

 doubted. The power of the Ox and its superior 

 contribution to the barrel is admitted. Of the 

 milch properties, some diflierence of opinion may 

 be entertained. All we can say is there are some 

 extraordinary instances of product in this particu- 

 lar ; and if experience in England can be relied on, 

 there is room for expectation likewise in this res- 

 pect. 



We were led to these observations by viewing 

 some fine animals, which Mr Sandford Howard 

 was about to ship to Maine, to place on an estate, 

 of which he is about to take charge, owned by 

 Bejamin Vaughan Esq. whose agricultural com- 

 munications have been very valuable. 



Mr Howard procured this stock of the Hon. 

 John Welles, of Dorchester. One of them par- 

 takes of the Denton and Coelebs blood, and is of 

 fine size and figure. The other is a cross of the 

 Hereford, on the above stock. This latter carries 

 the deep red color, with the white and spotted face, 

 so peculiar to the race, is smaller, and of a more 

 compact form. We, as well as others, who have 

 viewed them, are well pleased with both of these 

 animals, and cannot but wish success to those, 

 whose labors appear so well directed. 



Transactions of the Essex Agricultural Society, 

 1829. — A kind friend has favored us with a pam- 

 phlet of 88 pages, royal 8vo. entitled : " Essex 

 Agricultural Society. Reports of Committees, and 

 Premiums atvarded in 1829 ; and a list of Pre- 

 miums offered in 1830 ; with Remarks and Minis to 

 Farmers, &c. Pamphlet Ao. IX, 1829. Published 

 by order of the Society." We have not yet had 

 time to give this work a thorough perusal, but 

 from a cursory view, we should pronounce it a 

 valuable publication, which every New England 

 Farmer would find for his interest to read with 

 attention, and make its precepts rules for his 

 practice in conducting his agricultural operations. 

 The Essex Agricultural Society's Transactions 

 for a number of years have been shedding light 

 on the paths of the Husbandman, and their efforts 

 deserve the thanks of every practical farmer, as 

 well as a grateful community. We shall give fur- 

 ther notice of this publication in our succeeding 

 numbers. 

 QUERY RESPECTING MULBERRY TREES. 



A correspondent who signs " A Subscriber," 

 and dates Portland, wishes for information res- 

 pecting the East India Mulberry tree, whether it 

 be a clean tree ; whether the soil should be rich 

 loam, or whether it will thrive in a light sand ; 

 whether it would be valuable to shade and adorn 

 the streets of Portland, &c. To these inquiries 

 we reply briefly : 



The writer of the article " Silk," in The A'eto 

 America7i Gardener, states that " the white Mul- 

 berry tree thrives in all soils and situations, and 

 will grow very rank, and full of leaves on low 

 moist ground ; but the food it affords in such situ- 

 ations is very inferior and apt to disorder worms. 

 A warm loam, even if gravelly, will give leaves of 

 the best quality. The trees may be planted near 

 buildings, for shade, or in a yard," &c. Other 

 writers likewise recommend this tree as particu- 

 larly valuable for shade ; and we are assured that 

 it <s remarkable for its cleanliness. Its hardihood 

 is tested by its'enduring to be stripped of its leaves, 

 a kind of treatment which would destroy almost 

 any other vegetable production. 



Plants of the common white Mulberry may be 

 had of Mr J. B. Russell, New-England Fanner 

 Office, No. 52, North xMarket street, Boston. 

 Those of the Morus Multicaulis, or Chinese Mul- 

 berry, which are said to he preferred in France, 

 to all other varieties, {as we are informed by Dr 

 Pascalis, in the 2d vol. of The Silk Culttirist, page 

 89,) may be obtained of Mr A. Parmen'.ier, of 

 Brooklyn, Long Island, or Mr Prince. 



TVie advantage of sowing Peas ire circles in 

 stead of straight roivs. — It is a great error in those 

 persons who sow the rows of tall growing peas 

 close together. It is much better in all those 

 sorts which grow six or eight feet high, to have 

 only one row and then leave a bed ten or twelve 

 feet wide for onions, carrots or any crops which 

 do not grow tall. 



The advantages which will be derived are that 

 the peas will not be drawn up so much ; be stron- 

 ger ; will flower much nearer tlie ground, and in 

 wet weather can be more easily gathered without 

 wetting you. 



But instead of sowing peas in straight rows, if 

 you will form the ground into circles of three feet 

 diameter, with a space of two feet between each 

 circle, in a row thirty feet long, you will have 

 six circles of peas, each nine feet; in all fifty-four 

 feet of peas, instead of thirty on the same extent 

 of ground. 



If you want more than one row of circles leave 

 a bed ten or twelve feet before you begin another. 



For the very tall sorts four feet circles will af- 

 ford more room for the roots to grow in, and care 

 must be taken, by applying some slender twigs or 

 strings to prevent the circles from joining each 

 other. — Repertory of Arts. 



Brighton Market — Monday, April 1-9. 

 (Reported for the Chronicle and Patriot ) 



At Market this day, 215 Beef Cattle, including' J[> 

 17 unsold last week, 11 Stores, 18 Cows and 

 Calves, 20 Working Osen, 20 Sheep and 516 

 Swine. About a fair supply of Beef Cattle for 

 the season. 



Prices — Beef Cattle, extra, at $5J a 5 37J ; 

 good, $5 a 5i ; middhng, $4 67 a 4 84 ; thin, 4 25 

 a 4 50. Stores-— no sales. Working Oxen — not 

 much doing. Cows and Calves — several sales at 

 $18 a 25. Sheep — prices not noticed. Swine — 

 trade brisk ; one entire lot ordinary, at 4 cents; 1 

 do at 4J ; selected lots at 43 a 5 cents ; at retail 

 5 a 6 cents quick. 



Prices of Wool. — Saxony has of late years ta- 

 ken the lead of Spain, in the quantity of wool ex- 

 ported to this country, prices have been and stifl 

 are very low, but the latest accounts intimate that 

 they are on the rise. 



