VOb. XtV. KO. 33. 



AND G A R D E N i: R ' S .1 O U II N A L . 



259 



CHAKP AS A MA.VURK FOR STRAWBKRRIES. 



i^IllOllg the selected articles of this nuinher will 

 be foiiiiil a very interesting essay on the varions 

 kinds of Strawberries, and the diftorent modes of 

 cnltivaling them. Wc- wish that this most delight- 

 ful tViiit were more attended to. The general 

 impression has been, that our's is not the proper 

 climate or soil fo;- its successfnl cultivation ; but 

 this is evidently an error. We have seen as fine 

 flavored and as large fruit of this kind, growing 

 in our gardens, as any that we have ever met with 

 in a more Northern latitude. When properly 

 attended, we know of no fruit which is more 

 profitable. Last season, we i)lanted a half aero of 

 these berries. W'e picked from the laud thus 

 planted one bushel and a half, on an average, per 

 day. The season for picking lasted six weeks, 

 allowing five days to the week, was equal to thirty 

 days. The amount picked, therefore, was forty- 

 eight bushels for the entire season. These we 

 readily sold at 25 cents per quart, which yielded 

 us the aggregate sum of $360. This estimate is 

 far from being exaggerated ; on the contrary, it 

 will appear much below the mark, when it is 

 taken into consideration, that we used liberally of 

 the fruit for our table, and sent out to our friends. 



Our mode of cultivating the plant is this — 

 early in December or January, and in some cases, 

 even as late as February or March, we cover our 

 Strawberries with pine or other straw. This we 

 set fire to, and thus consume all the decayed leaves 

 and suckers of tlie plant, which may have been 

 left from the last season. Immediately after this 

 operation we cover the bed with a moderate por- 

 tion of cowpeii manure, or oak ashes, (we prefer 

 the latter if we have it) and over this lay rice cliafl' 

 two or three inches thick. 



The chaff, together with the manure, impart 

 warmth to the land, and cause the plants to spring 

 up much earlier than they otherwise would. The 

 berries are sooner in market, bear larger and 

 longer in the season, and are in every other re- 

 spect superior to those cultivated in the ordinary 

 mode. Besides this, the chaff prevents the suck- 

 ers from taking root ; keeps the rain from filling 

 the fruit with dirt, and throws off the too great 

 operation of the sun from the berries while ripen- 

 ing. In our next number, we will enter more 

 largely into this subject. — Southern Agriculturist. 



[From the Southern Agriculturist. j 

 LiARGB CORN. 



Through the politeness of James Nicholson, 

 Esq. of this city, we liave been presented with an 

 utiusually large ear of corn, from the plantation 

 of Kinsey LJurden, Esq. of John's Island. It 

 contains sixteen rows, and nnmhers eleven hundred 

 full grains. The seed is the common flint, and 

 was selected from a common stock growing among 

 the crop-corn. The present ear, is, we believe, 

 the third or forth generation in descent ; and is 

 one from many others of the same size. We liave 

 not shelled and measured it, but have not the 

 least doubt, that it' is good for something over a 

 half (lint. 



3Ir Burden has already distinguished himself 

 for having brought the fine cottons to their greatest 

 perfection by a selection of seeds. He has ex- 

 tended the same experiments to com, and bids 

 fair from the exhibition now before us, of achiev- 

 ing the same results. For ourselves, we can see 

 no reason, wliy the same rule should not apply to 

 corn, which applies to every other plant and to 



the huuian fiimily. To the [UTSorvalion of them 

 in health, vigor and fecundity, (diange of climate, 

 soil, and treatment are absolutely essential. If 

 our planters woidd pay more attention to the 

 selection of the various kinds of .seeds used than 

 they have hitherto done, we have not the least 

 doulit, that the most cheering consequenc'es woidd 

 follow. 



Choosi.nq Sheep for breeding. — One of the 

 two species of sheep, the long and the short 

 wooled, having been chosen, as tnost appropriate 

 to the situation, and wool being made an object, 

 it is most advantageous to select such flocks as are 

 pure as possible of the species to which they 

 belong, and not a mixture of the short and long 

 wooled breeds, which must generally produce an 

 inferior fleece, disadvantageous to the manufac- 

 turer. Length of staple in the long, and fineness, 

 elasticity ami closeness in the short wooled fleece, 

 will be the best guides in this case. 



Whether the wool be long or short, the carcass 

 of the anhnal ought to be amply and regularly 

 covered ; it is a great defect when the belly is 

 bare, and a stiil greater when the wool is thin and 

 open along the ridge of the back, admitting rain 

 and moisture to a most susceptible part, indeed to 

 descend upon all parts of the body. 



It is a piecf of good old advice, to buy yout 

 rams a little before shearing time, if possible ; and 

 a very necessary modern addition to take the op- 

 portunity of purchasing at the farmer's house, 

 while you see the animal in puris naturalibus, and 

 before he has been decked out and trimmed for 

 show by the sheep barber. A thick fleece, cover- 

 ing all parts with as nnich equality as possible, 

 cont'-iining plenty of yolk, or retained or inspissated 

 perspiration, is the object. If ewes, equally well 

 bred, can be procured, the shepherd anticipates 

 and rea[>s an immediate benefit ; if not, he must 

 patiently await improvement of his wool, through 

 the medium of the superior blood of his rams. 



At shearing time, examine the bottoms of the 

 fleece, or the lower extremity of the filaments of 

 wool ; if it be stichy-haired, of mixed quality, or if 

 the sheep have a coarse breech, or be not well 

 covered, it must be rejected, as improper for a 

 breeding stock, where it would perpetuate its de- 

 fects. The quantity of yolk or grease is a good 

 proof of the thickness of the fleece, sintje, by the 

 closeness and thickness of the wool, the grease or 

 perspirable matter of the animal is retained ; hence 

 fine, closed, curled wool has ever the greatest 

 quantity of yolk. — Bath Memoirs. 



The cULTnRE of Hops. — Iron rods have been 

 lately sidjstituted for hop-])ol('S, in several parts of 

 England, with very remarkable success. Under 

 this system, the rapid growth of the vine, partic- 

 ularly after the passing of the thunder clouds, is 

 quite surprising ; the plants are perfectly free 

 from mould, rust, the fly, &c. ; the crop |)roves 

 weighty and abundant, exhibits a beautifid color, 

 and ripens much earlier than when trailed in the 

 usual way. The rods should be pointed, in order 

 more effectually to attract the electric fluid, to the 

 agency of which in producing vegetation these 

 results are attributable. From the superior dtn-a- 

 bility of the material the improvement is consid- 

 ered to be also a saving. In England, where 

 whole counties are devoted to the culture of the 

 hop, this discovery is of immense importance ; 

 and is not without its value here. 



Manuue is Wealth. — In our intercourse with 

 some of the farmers residing within forty or fifty 

 miles from New York, on Long Island, we have 

 beoti surprised at the instances related to us of the 

 prolltablciii'ss ol' farming. Some farmers, known 

 to have labored and toiled hard, have continiusd 

 yearly to fall in arrears imtil they have com- 

 menced buying manure. Fiftysix cents are given 

 per carnuin load at the landing, for the apparently 

 worthless dirt swept from the street. This applied 

 at the rate of twenty loads produces wealth. The 

 very farmers who could not obtain a living by 

 using only manure made on their farms, have, in 

 a very few years, not only freed their farms from 

 incumbrances, but purchased others in addition, 

 and are now, from the yearly profits of their farms, 

 putting money out at interest. If then it is found 

 so profitable to buy manure, and be at the various 

 expenses attending the carting, how very impor- 

 tant is it to give special attention to increasing the 

 quantity and improving the quality of that made 

 on the farm. There is no question but that al- 

 most every farmer can double the quantity of his 

 domestic or yard manure, without scarcely any 

 additional expense. It is thought too, that at least 

 fifty per cent, of the nutritive properties of yard 

 manure are lost by drenching of rain, excessive 

 fermentations, and injudicious application to soil. 

 The more we consider this subject the greater 

 does it become in importance, and justly regarded 

 as the primary object in farming. — jV. Y. Farmer. 



Rice family Bread. — -The following letter 

 from a ladj', will teach the housewives of our 

 country how to add to the comforts of home : — 

 " I have been trying experiments with rice flour, 

 and I have produced a bread that is unrivalled, 

 far superior to the receipts you have. Since I got 

 it perfect, I have sent some samples to every one 

 [ could think of. It is the best bread I ever 

 tasted, and I don't think it more expensive than 

 wheat bread, for the rice flour goes so much far- 

 ther than the same weight of flour. I make it 

 thus : one quart of rice flour made into a stiff pap 

 by wetting it with warm water, not so hot as to 

 make it hunp ; when well wet, add boiling water, 

 as much as two or three quarts ; stir it continually 

 until it boils ; tlien add one pint of milk ; when 

 cool enough to avoid scalding the yeast, add half 

 a pint of good yeast, and as much wheat flour as 

 will make it of a proper consistency for bread ; 

 put it to raise ; when sufficiently risen, it will be 

 necessary to add a little more wheat flour. If 

 baked too soft, the loaves will be hojlow. The 

 first I baked were mere shells. If you can abbre- 

 viate the receipt for use, yoti may ; but if you do 

 not give all this infor.:iation, people will not suc- 

 ceed in making it good. The same mixture, 

 rather thinner, baked in nuiiHn rings, makes the 

 best muffins I ever tasted. I forgot to say the 

 bread must stand half an hour or more in a warm 

 place, after it is put in the baking pans, and it will 

 rise again almost as much as it did at first." 



Tobacco in Russia. — The Agricultural Society 

 of Moscow has awarded gold and silver medals, 

 as premiums of encouragement for the culture of 

 American Tobacco, which has perfectly succeeded 

 in Russia. 



Pork. — The price of Pork will range this season 

 in the State of Ohio generally, as far as we are 

 able to learn, from $4, $4 50, to $5 per cwf. — 

 Ohio Farmer. 



