7^ 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



SEPT. 16, 183 5, 



(Kor the New England Fnr-^i-r J 



propagatikg chesnct trees. 



Hr Fessenden, — 



!f the file of t!ie Fanner contains an answer to 

 the queslion, how can tlie Chesmtt be propagated 

 by the luit? it has escape*! my rpcollection, and 

 (lonblless tliat answer is lost to many others. 



This tree is not useless as fuel. For ovens, at 

 lanst, it is equal if not preferable to white pine. 

 Its fruit is highly estimable for swine, to say no- 

 thing of its value in the market. For fence, I 

 believe it at least as good as any of our forest trees. 

 I find the clicsnut has a vigorous and 'rapid 

 growth on some pine-plains ; whether it would 

 follow pine in all cases I caimot say, but in many 

 it certainly appears quite at home. 



Now, Sir, I have several very thrifly and pro- 

 mising chesn\its, a spontaneous gro>vth, on a lot 

 from which I cut a forest of pitch pine ; and wisli- 

 ing to cover it with chesnut, I have planted the 

 nut just under the leaves lying on the ground, both 

 in the fail and in the spring, and have lost my la, 

 bor. Not a sprout is visible If some of your 

 readers will inform me how to make the nut ger- 

 minate, I cati easily treble the value of my | ine 

 lot. Doubtless many owners of such soil would 

 avail themselves of the information. 



Cast.\netum. 

 By the Editor. — ^The following directions rela- 

 tive to the planting of the Chesnut are from Mi- 

 chaiix's Treatise on the Forest Trees of JVorth 

 America, vol. iii. page 13. 



" After the ground has been carefully loo.«ened 

 with the plough and harrow, lines are drawn six 

 feet apart, in which holes about n foot in depth 

 and diameter are formed at the distance of four 

 feet. A chesnut is placed in eax-h corner of the 

 holes, and covered with three inches of earth. As 

 the soil has been thoroughly subdued, the nius 

 wi;l spring an 1 strike root with facility. Early in 

 the second year, three of the young plants are re- 

 moved from each hole, an I only the most thriving 

 is left. The third or fourth year, when the 

 branches begin to interfere with each other, every 

 second tree is suppressed. To insure success the 

 jdantation should be begun in March or Aj^ril, 

 with nuts that have hein, kept in a cellar during win- 

 ter in sand or vegetable mould, and that have already 

 begun to vegetate." 



Writers direct in propagating forest trees to 

 plant such seeds as fall with the leaf, in all cases 

 before they become dry, becauRe they say that, by 

 drying, the germ or jirinciple of vegetation is often 

 destroyed. It is therefore necessary to deposit the 

 seeds as soon as they are thoroughly ripe^ either 

 in the ground where it is intended they shail grow, 

 or in sand or vegetable mould, to remain through 

 the winter, and those seeds alone planted in spring 

 which have begim to vegetate. It is said that 

 mice, moles and squin'ils are more apt to devour 

 chesnuts planted in autumn than those planted in 

 ,spring. Perhaps soaking the si-eds in some bitter 

 infusion, or in train oil, just before planting, might 

 preserve them from vermin. 



[Fr.mi the Boslcin Mirror ; 

 A RAMBIiE IX THE COl'lVTaY. 



Feeling inclined for a rural ramble, we yesterday 

 stepped into the Worcester cai-s with a frientl, 

 while yet the " dew was on the lavvn," and in 

 twelve ndnntes found ourselves in Paradise, or 

 rather in Wiksuips' JIoss Ilousii, which is ne.xt 

 door to it, and met with a hearty welcome from 



its hospitable proprietors, although nearly a stran- 

 ger, 'ibis Moss House is one of the most curious 

 specimens of rural taste and ingenuity combined, 

 in our vicinity ; and a'one is well worth a trip to 

 Brighton. It was built for Messrs Winship, by 

 Mr Mmray, at an expense of two or three hun- 

 dred dollars, and everything within and without 

 is in perfect keeping with the design. The inside, 

 as high as the roof, is covered with meadow moss,, 

 still living and sending out its fibres, as in its 

 native soil — above that, the roof is lined with a 

 light slate-colored moss, from the rocks, which 

 presents a very pleasing contrast with that from 

 the meadow. The two windows are partly of 

 stained glass, and the other ornamented with 

 Chinese designs, surrounded with beautiful she!l 

 work; a chair of gnarled oak, in its natiual state, 

 stands in front of tJie door, over which is tisebird 

 of Wisdom, casting its sage look on the " her- 

 mit" below ; a queer lookiiig figure, encircled by 

 a shark's jaw, (the produce of Ca| t. W.'s spear) 

 is nodding and grinning continually, and puts to 

 shame even a i)olitical office-seeker. A little Cu- 

 pid smiles a welcome to » words that burn," and a 

 Chinese fan, six feet long, offers a ready means of 

 "fanning the flame." the walls are also orna- 

 mented with card-racks of rough birch bark, 

 which contain the names of persons, now scat- 

 tereil through our country, from Maine to Georgia, 

 devotees at this rural shrine. A rough stone, 

 quite hermit-like, offers the only seat, beside the 

 chair of oak. Sitting in that old oaken chair, and 

 a stand made of gnarled oak and birch bark 

 before us, the thought of the different feelings of 

 the many who had rested there, and the various 

 groups that " grinning lilt'e deevil,'' the old man, 

 had witnessed, came to our nnnd's eye, which 

 somehow or other wandered into rhyme ; whether 

 it be reason or not we can't say : — 



TO THE LITTLE OLD MAN IN VVINSHIPS' MOSS HOUSE. 



Thou queer old man, enthroned in moss, 

 Thou big-mou(hed, nodding little " deevil," 



Tell us thy thouglits in this thy home, 

 Thy meditations, good or evil. 



Tell us, since thou wast perched up there, 

 A contrast to yon grave, wise bird — 



Say, what new science hast thou learnt. 

 What wondrous secrets liast thou heard. 



Speak— hast thou seen the misei- sit 

 In musing, in this gnarled oak chair; 



Hast seen his heart grow soft awhile, 

 Amid a scene so passing fairl 



Hast seen ambition here unfold 

 His restless thoughts, in some calm hour ; 



Hast seen his proud lip scornful curl, 

 In thought of station, honor, power? 



Hasl heard, in this thy vine-clad home. 

 The Christian's piayer, his fervent vowl 



Oh, sweet the prayer devotion sends 

 Up to the throne where angels bow! 



Hast seen the child of sorrow come 



To weep, in dark aflliction's hour'! 

 Didst thou not then respect his giief. 



Or didst thou grin at sorrow's power? 



Hast heard tlie youthful lover's vows 



Poured in a lovely maiden's car — 

 Say, queer old man, didsl not thy Mart 



Then v\'ish thou hadst a loved one nearl 



And when you looked on that sweet form. 

 And heard of love's pure, fervent power, 



Didst bow and grin in glee, as now. 

 Thou ugly god of this fair bower? 



Ho! is it so — I never thought! 



How did they court in this thy home? 

 Only a single place for rest. 



Unless you reckon yon rude stone. 



Ay, that's it^then that proud one knelt 



In meek submission at her feet — • • 



While she, the queen of all his thoughts, 

 Reposed at eiise in this oak seat! 



No answer! nought but grin and bow! 



Wilt tell us nothing, good or evill 

 Ay, strive to copy yon grave fool. 



And keep thy thoughts, thou grinning "deevil." 



They say " all sorts compose a world ; " 



'Tis best, since Heaven has pleased to will it; 



Many, like thee, grin, shake their sconce — 

 It's all in vaiu^there's nothing in it. 



The outside of the house is covered with the 

 beautiful creeper, Cobea scandens, a plant wliicli 

 endures but little cold; the fir.st frost kills it. 

 Like too many fair things of earth, it is short-livedl 

 and beautiful. 



The groimds of the Messrs Winship contain 

 about forty acres, over twenty of whicii are occu- 

 pied as their Nursery, wliicli is laid out with the 

 greatest taste, and filled with the most rare and 

 beautiful flowers, shrubs and trees ; a large green- 

 house and extensive flower-borders afford sources 

 of beautiful bouquets, and the tables of the Mas- 

 sachusetts Horticultural Society every week afftird 

 evidence of the taste of the jroprietors ; the green- 

 house, also, under the care of their gentlemanly 

 superintendent, affords the means of protecting 

 their large collection of rare exotics — probably, as- 

 a friend skilh d in such matters assures us, the best! 

 in the country. 



We took notice, when the cars stopped at 

 Brighton, that many persons were standing ex- 

 posed to the sun of a hot sumtner day, and also 

 that the descent to the cars was very inconvenient. 

 The proprietors of the Nm-sery, with their cus- 

 tomary liberality, have taken measures to have 

 a neat cott;ige erected at this spot, and steps con- 

 structed to the track of the rail-road. 



Our next place of halting was Nonantum Hill, 

 the nursery of Mr Kenrick, so well known as the 

 author of the JVew American Orchardist, of whicli 

 it is enough to say that it has received the 

 stamp of public approbation by passing r.ipidly 

 through two large editions; he is also the author 

 of the American Silk Groiver's Guide, which, from 

 a hasty perusal, we should pronounce a plain, 

 practical tretitise on a subject which must become 

 of great national interest, as we fully believe our 

 climate well adapted to the raising of the mulberry 

 and the jiroduction of silk. As our pages are not 

 devoted to such subjects generally, we shall not 

 now adduce the many excellent authorities for this 

 opinion, but advise all sceptics to read, among 

 other works, Mr Kenrick's litt'e manual. Mr K, 

 has devoted much time and a large | onion of hiu 

 grounds to the cultivation of the Chinese mulberry 

 [J\Iorus viulticaulis] which is allowed to be by far 

 the most profitable for silkworms; and we think 

 he has proved to demonstration that it is a liardy 

 tree, of which many culturists arc doubtful. He 

 showed us the wood of a year's growth on trees 

 exjiosed to the last very severe winter, with uo 

 more than their natural protection of turf and 

 grass, which with.stood the cold as well as any 



