144 



Stir the Soil — Sugar Beet — Grapes. 



Vol. Ill 



to be injured by frosts than the true multi- 

 caulis mulberry, the character and org-aniza- 

 vion of which he describes ns did M. Pe- 

 roltet, 



"fhese very numerous and different vari- 

 eties for the most part approach more or 

 less to fne white mulberry, and result from 

 their being propajrated from seed. This 

 iTieans of reproduction is in fact especially 

 the cause of the diversity of its produce ; as 

 to its tendency to reproduce the white mul- 

 5)eTry they have sought to explain it by say- 

 ing that tiie multicaulis should not be re- 

 sjarded as a new species, but as a variety 

 essen'tially renriarlcable amongst the thou- 

 sand varieties furnished by the seed of the 

 white mulberry. It is without doubt easy 

 to justify such an assertion, founded upon 

 analogies and established facts. I do not 

 say, however, that we are not tempted to 

 reject this explanation, but at least to add a 

 second, when we see united in the same 

 seed the white and the multicaulis mulberry 

 Does not the idea of crosses naturally present 

 itself to the mind? In the departmental nurse 

 ry of Lyons, and afterwards at Manosque, 

 (Basse Alps), I was shown very handsome 

 plants, the produce of seeds sown that 

 year, and of cuttings planted seven months 

 previous which were five feet high and 

 were taken from plants produced from seed 

 the previous year. The wood very nearly 

 resembling that of the multicaulis, appeared 

 to have more consistence, and the leaves 

 lesembled those of the white grafted 

 raiilberry. MM. Andibert, of Tarascon, 

 showed me more than two hundred varieties 

 of the multicaulis trees collected in their 

 nursery, where there were from forty to 

 fifty varieties of the white mulberry. This 

 multiplicity of products, which, if tihe forma- 

 tion of crosses is admitted, can only be 

 attributed to complex fecundation, produced 

 by the vicinity of fifty varieties of Avhite 

 mulberries, has prevented a general classifi 

 cation ; all these varieties possess, but in a 

 different degree, the faculty of reproduction 

 from cutting. It is where the black mul- 

 berry prevails that this mode of multiplica- 

 tion is the least successful. We may easily 

 imagine the interest that will be attached to 

 the researches and accurate experiments 

 made upon these numerous varieties to dis 

 tinguish those which really unite the quali- 

 ties of the white mulberry with the faculty 

 of reproduction and the rapid vegetation of 

 the multicaulis. 



Nevertheless M. Bonafons, in endeavor- 

 ing to reconcile the detractors of the multi- 

 caulis mulberry, the propagation of which 

 lie iias always advocated, informs us that a 

 graft of the white mulberry being set in a 

 cutting of multicaulis rooted the same year, 



or even upon a piece of wood seven^or eight 

 inches long, cut from the stem of a rooted tree, 

 has communicated to the white nnulberry the 

 force and vigor of vegetation of the multi- 

 caulis. I have not had an opportunity of 

 seeing the application of this method, but it 

 is within the reach of cultivators, and the ad- 

 vantages which under certain circumstances 

 may be derived from it, are sufiicient to in- 

 duce them to make the trial. 



However, as the multicaulis mulberry has 

 not yet been subjected to a regular treatment, 

 and as the south has not yet results well 

 established from experience to offer in re- 

 gard to its cultivation, it having been more 

 especially propagated at the north, I will not 

 occupy myself longer with it, contenting 

 myself with advising agriculturists properly 

 to appreciate its advantages and disadvanta- 

 ges, taking care however, until better inform- 

 ed, to have exclusive plantations. 



For the Farmers' Caljinet. 

 J. LiBBY — Agreeably to a suggestion of 

 one of your correspondents, that every farmer 

 should forward his cogitations for the benefit 

 of the readers of the Cabinet, I have thrown 

 together the following desultory sketches 

 from observations made by myself during 

 the past season, if thee should find aught in 

 them w^orthy of insertion in thy valuable pa- 

 per, they are at thy disposal. 



Stir tlie &'oil — Sngar Beef — Grapes, 



Fird — The advantage of frequent and 

 thorough pulverizadon of iJie soil (hy means 

 of the cultivator or other implements) among 

 fallow crops, as a mean of partially avert- 

 ing the evil consequences of a long continu- 

 ed drought, such as the meagre corn, and 

 other after-summer crops of nvany of our 

 farmers bore evidence to the present year. 

 I know it to be a fact that many persons will 

 not expose the soil in this way during the 

 continuation of dry weather, alleging as a 

 reason that it affords to the heat of the sun 

 greater facilities for absorbing the moisture 

 from the earth, and more quickly o])eratino- 

 defrimenlally upon the roots contained there- 

 in. That this notion is Imsed upon Avrong 

 premises I have had abundance of evidence 

 to fully satisfy me. I will merely mention 

 two instances in confirmation which came 

 directly under my own eye. The one was 

 in a field of corn, part of which having ne- 

 glected to dress at the commencement of the 

 drought, we deferred working, in hopes of 

 previously receiving a rain upon it, until the 

 ground became so compact that it was im- 

 possible to introduce a plough or cultivator 



