180 



N E W E N G L A N D FARMER 



NOV. 4, 1S3S. 



also for cultivation, and for tho grtater conve- 

 nience of gathering the IcHves. So greatly is tliis 

 last operation facilitated by tlie flexibility of tlie 

 stalks, and tlio siijjcrior size of the leaf, that as we 

 are assured by M. Perrnitet, a child is sufficient 

 for gathering the food for a large cstablislirnent 

 of silk worms. 



The Morus Miilticaiilis, since its introduction 

 to France, seems destined to replace every where 

 the common vvliite njiillierry for tlie nourishment 

 of silk worms ; such is its decided superiority over 

 all ot^iers. 



The prediction of the late Dr Pascalis, in 1830, 

 that "after the discovery of tliis plant, a doubt no 

 longer exists, that two crops of silk may be pro- 

 duced in a single season " ; this prediction has 

 since been accomplished — its truth fulfilled by 

 experiment — the soil and cultivation, the liabita- 

 .tione for the successive generations of silk worms 

 being yet the same, all thus converted to double 

 use, and the production of a two fold liarvest, — 

 it will be obvious that the actual ]irofit, thus aug- 

 mented, must be manifold. 



SOIL, SITUATION A.ND OLIAIATE. 



Although the nuilbcrry flourishes most luxuri- 

 antly in a moist and rich soil, and protected situa- 

 tion, yet the leaves which are produced in such 

 soi's, are more crude, and not of a quality so nour- 

 ishing, 'i he growth of tiie tree in such soils and 

 expositions, liesides being more rapid, is prolonged 

 to a later period in antunm, or until suddenly 

 arrested by frost ; and the immature wood of a 

 forced growtli being more tender, is consequently 

 inore liable to be killed by early frosts and win- 

 ter. Such appears to have been the case in the 

 winter of 1831, '2, which destroyed so many full 

 grown orchards and trees of tlie hardiest descrip- 

 tion, even to the root. The ravages of that de- 

 structive v/inter, like that of our last, seem to have 

 been confined to particular situations and soils — 

 to lbs productions of the ftu-ced growth, of a sum- 

 mer not less uncommon and extraordinary. 



This mulberry braves the most rigorous winters 

 of France. Of this important fact we have in- 

 disputable testimony ; even of the uncommonly 

 severe winter of 1829, '30 : it has there beeu ac- 

 climated, even to the extreme north, as far as 

 Havre ; and where it has been cultivated by M. 

 Eyries, from its first uilr; duction to that country. 



V/e distinguish lietween trees and plants which 

 grow in a state of nature, and those growing 

 in a state of artificial cultivation. In a state of 

 nature, and in the shade ami protection of the 

 forest, or of herbage, the growtli of the young 

 seedling tree, during tho first year, is indeed slow, 

 but the young plant finishes its growth for the 

 jear, and attains to a ligneous consistence, and 

 the wood completely matures in due season. — 

 While in a state of cultivation, the growth is pro- 

 onged, and the wood immature ; il .nieets the 

 frosts of autumn and of winter unprepared, and 

 even the young seedling plants of the plum and 

 pear, the ijuince and the cherry, whose growth 

 has been by art forced on, must be, in our climate, 

 by art protected on a naked and defenceless soil. 

 Tlie same protection, during the first winter, is 

 ;rfike required to the young |)lants of the iVIorus 

 Multieaulis, so valuable, the layers of hut a siugle 

 summer's growth, which are separated in autumn. 



Even some of the hardiest trees of the forest, 

 require protection in our climate, during the first 

 winter, in a state of cultivation so opposed to na- 



ture ; tliey find not in a highly cultivated and 

 naked soil, that rsseiitially necessary protection at 

 the roots which they always find in their own na- 

 tive forests. The danger in this case becomes 

 four-lold from these several causes combined. 



The destruction to young and delicate trees and 

 plants, which is sometimes occasioned l)y winter, 

 is caused by the alternate freezing and thawing oi 

 the earth at the surface. The frost, by its expan- 

 sive power, operating as a girdle by compression, 

 death assails at the surface, and the toj) dies as a 

 consequence. The bountiful covering of moss, 

 and herhag •, or leaves, with which provident na- 

 ture clothes the earth, being amply sutficient to 

 modify the growth of the plant, and to defend at 

 the roots. This protection, like the fleecy snow, 

 being two-fold ; it defends alike from the blasts 

 of sudden and excessive cold, also from the still 

 more destructive and pernicious rays of the sun. 



Since the introduction of the Jiorus fllulticnulis 

 to New England, in 1831, this tree has had to con- 

 tend, even in its young and tender age, with two 

 winters, such as were never before recorded in the 

 memory of man, or in the annals of our country ; 

 winters doub'y severe and destructive, and with 

 augmented power. to kill. 



Yet, during the last winter, and where the ther- 

 mometer had descended from 30 to 40° below 0, 

 and in various pans of New Engl.ind, and in situ 

 ations the most bleak and exposed to cold wind.'- 

 the Morus Multic.-uilis, the well established plants 

 of three or four years of age, in suitable soils, 

 have borne the trial, with power lo withstand, 

 defying the storms and the |)iercing cold, even 

 such a winter as this. 



Others there might be, those of younger growth, 

 and those especially, which late in autumn had 

 been transplanted to new positions — or, the 

 forced trees of but a single summer's growth, 

 defenceless, unprotected, and all expo.sed, on an 

 unsuitable and naked soil, which the winter over- 

 came ; causing them to sulfer even unto death, 

 and to share the fate of those other trees, of other 

 kinds and species, of a mature and hardy age, 

 which the same dreadful winter had killed. 



The proper soils lor tlie Mulberry trees are '(/ry, 

 sandy, or stom/.' And trees growing on dry, sandy 

 or stony soils, and situated on the open plain.s, 

 and on hills the most exposed to cold winds, will 

 be found to suffer least of all from the destructive 

 frosts of auturnn and of winter. With all authors, 

 I must agree in recommending a soil of but mod- 

 erate fertility ; and least of all, a cold, moist and 

 heavy soil, or even u very rich soil. A dry soil, 

 or a friable subsoil, on gentle elevations, or decliv- 

 ities, being the most suitable of all for the l\Iul- 

 berrv from China. Wm. Kenrick. 



.Yewlon, Mass., Oct. 6, 1835. 



f For tlie New England Farmer.! 

 WORMS IN THE HEAD OP SHEEP. 



The few but valuable editorial remarks on the 

 ceatrus ovis and its progeny, which appeared in 

 No. 4 of the current volume of the Farmer, will 

 I trust, receive the attentive and extensive consid- 

 eration of agriculturists which their importance 

 demands, and that the prophylactic suggestion will 

 be adopted ; " an ounce of prevention," &c. The 

 losses sustained in some parts of the country by 

 sheep owners, from the attacks of this insect," are, 

 I believe, much greater than isgeiurally supposed, 

 and the cause is oftentimes wholly unknown. 



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Sheep affected by the " worm in the head " soo [•r 

 pine away. ; it is iraiossible to fatten them, 

 constant running at the nose commences, first c 

 a glairy mucus, which is succeeded by bloody an 

 corrupted matter. They rub and sometimes strik 

 their heads against fences, &c. ; and I have ol; 

 served them, particularly lambs, froth at the moutl 

 and jump into the air until, exhausted, they woul 

 fall to the ground. 



Having in several instances succeeded in curin, 

 tiiem, even in the last stage of the disease, I liav 

 thought the remedy I employed might be worth; 

 of ]jublicity. During the autumn of 1833, m- 

 flock consisted of about sixty sheep, most of theii 

 recently purchased. During the fall and wintei 

 a number cf them died ; but not until in thi 

 spring, when I had lost fifteen or sixteen^iwei 

 and as many lambs, did 1 discover the cause 

 Opening the head of one to see in what conditioi 

 it was in, 1 found several dark-headed, wliiti 

 worni.s, varying from one half to three fourths o 

 an inch in length, and one eighth of an inch it 

 thickness. The cartilage of the nasal organ wai 

 in a sadly corrupted state. A number of th( 

 other sheep were apparently hear their end froir 

 the same cause. Selecting three of the worst, ] 

 tried what I thought a desperate experiment 

 pouring a tea-spoon full of spirits of turpentine , 

 down each nostril. It evidently gave them con- 

 siderable pain at first, but I soon had the satisfac- 

 tion to see them quietly grazing. I then admin- 

 istered the dose to all the dirty nosed sheej) in 

 th6 flock, and do not now remember losing one 

 that was full grown for many months. Last spring 

 I found they were again affected, and repeated 

 the turpentine potions, mixed however with an 

 equal quantity of olive oil, which I thought would 

 render it less liable to injure the sheep. The re- 

 sult was agajn successful; and, though I had de- 

 spaired of ever curing some of them, this autumn 

 the whole flock has gone to the shambles. 



In several of the heads I examined, I found a 

 long white worm, not thicker than a common 

 knitting needle, evidently of entirely a diflerent 

 genus ; and on one occasion, I washed with a 

 syringe and warm water from the nose of a lamb 

 a massoftliem that would have filled a cubic half 

 inch. The lamb died under the operation. 



Be so good as to inform me if the <esl rug evil 

 deposits its i-ggs " from the middle of August to 

 the middle of September. ' How do the vvorinj 

 get into the nostrils of lambs in the sprin" ? * 

 Very respectfully, Sam'l Allinson. 



Yardville, M Y., 10 mo. 10th, 1835. 



N. B. I observed in a recent number of the 

 Farmer, a proposition to soak chesnuts in some 

 poisonous or unpalatable liquid, in order to pre- 

 vent the dei)redalions of mo'es and mice. Cui 

 bono .= Just bury the chesnut as the British sol- 

 diers did Sir John Moore, and let it lay 



" Like a warrior taking bis rest. 

 With his martial cloak around him." 



*J\/'ote hi) the Editor. — This is a question which 

 it is not in our power to answer. We have re- 

 peatedly published notices of the supposed cause 

 of worms in the head of sheep. The substance 

 of what we have given on this subject is contained 

 in the following extract from Rees' Cyclopedia, 

 article Bott. " The manner in which the cestru* 

 ovis or sheep hot deposits its ora [nits or egg8> 

 which we have often seen, has not, we believe, 

 ever been described ; nor is it easy to see, though 



