806 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



April 13, 1831. 



cuttings, seeds, &c, of any desirable varieties of small box, containing a dozen roots of Araeaeha, 

 fruit, plants, &c. 



I have been informed by Mr Mobley, a respect- 

 able planter of Clarke County, and who had been 

 for a number of years a member of the Legislature 

 of this State, that a successful method of propaga- 

 ting rare varieties of fruit, as jiractised in this cli- 

 mate, is by planting cuttings thereof early in the 

 Spring. Of this, my informant stated the most in- 

 dubitable testimony could be given. For examples 

 of successful practice he referred me to two or 

 three of'his friends. Notwithstanding the unusual 

 drought of the last season, Mr Mobley had been 

 successful with cuttings of the peach and quince, 

 and with a considerable proportion of his apples. 

 Thrifty suckers, termed, by him, ' water sprouts,' 



are taken from choice trees, and planted in a hori- 

 zontal trench, and covered, to the depth of six or 

 seven inches, througliout, with the exception of one 

 or more points — according to the length of the 

 cutting — containing one or two buds exposed to 

 the influence of the light and air. If the cutting 

 should shoot forth at more than one point, the num- 

 ber of plants would be multiplied by separating 

 the cutting between the shoots with a chisel the 

 ensuing year. 



I must confess that I have been induced, by wit- 

 nessing unsuccessful experiments, to be not a lit- 

 tle sceptical as regards the propagation of rare 

 varieties of the apple, pear, peach and cherry, by 

 planting cuttings thereof But, if I am permitted 

 to sit down in my family circle again, I think I will 

 allow ray scepticism to give way, so far as to prove, 

 by practical experiments, whether I have, this time 

 hit upon a successful modus operandi. 



We have, in Wayne County, Pa. two or three 

 known native varieties of apples, which are be- 

 lieved to possess qualities that would commend 

 them for general cultivation. 



We have also other valuable varieties in culti- 

 vation, whose different synonymes I have not had 

 the means of determining. The obstacles, in the 

 way of a direct freight to Boston, have prevented 

 my forwarding samples of our best varieties. The 

 difficulties are now in some measure removed by 

 the construction of the Delaware and Hudson 

 Canal. 



Letters addressed to me at Montgomery, Mont- 

 gomery County, Ala. will probably reach me, in 

 the course of from 3 to 5 weeks. I expect to make 

 a short visit to Mobdo, and possibly to Pensacola. 

 I am. Sir, very respectfully. 



Your obedient servant, 



Sheldon Norton. 



A letter has been snnt to Mr Norton, thanking 

 him for his kind jiroffer of services, witli assur- 

 ances of the high value we place upon them, and 

 of the obligations which he will impose upon us, 

 by such contributions, as it may be in liis power 

 to make, to our fund of information, in any of 

 the divisions of horticulture, or to the existing 

 collections of indigenous plants. 



Such voluntary tenders of assistance, indicate 

 the universal excitement, which has been induced 

 for the development of the various branches of 

 rural economy, while they claim our admiration 

 as Americans, and our gratitude as a society. 



2. A letter from Gideon B. Siriith, Esq., Editor 

 of the American Farmer, published in Baltimore, 

 lialtiinore, Mircli31. 1831. 



Sir — I have taken the liberty of forwarding to 



for the use of tlie Horticultural Society of which 

 you are, I believe, president, and request their ac- 

 ce|)tance of it. 



I have twice succeeded in importing this valua- 

 ble root in a sound ajid vigorous slate. Last fall 

 I imported one hundred and forty root?, and have 

 succeeded in preserving them perfectly sound to 

 the present time by merely packing them in moist 

 earth and keeping them in a cellar protected from 

 frost. They are now growing finely in my con- 

 servatoiy, and I have no doubt of perfectly suc- 

 ceeding in their cultivation in the ojjeii ground. 



I have just made my second importation, and 

 the roots are equally as sound as the former ones. 

 Those I send you are part of this last lot. 



I am somewhat fearful that your season will 

 not be long enough to allow tlic roots to attam a 

 proper size ; but that is all the doubt I have of 

 their succeeding with you, provided the roots be 

 planted and steadily kept in a shady cool situation.* 

 This appears to be the only difheulty — the heat of 

 our sun is their only enemy in this country. The 

 reason, I apprehend, of the ill success of former 

 attempt to introduce this valuable esculent Imtli 

 into N. America and Europe, is that ediblt roots, 

 such as are sold in the markets of Caractas, 

 were taken ; whereas the little offsets that spr'ng 

 from the large roots are the proper ones. AnotI er 

 cause may have contributed to this failure. I employ- 

 ed two gentlemen in two successive years to obia u 

 araeacha tor nie, but they could find none in all 

 Colombia. I then learned that it was called appio 

 bv the Colombians ; using that name, I suc- 

 ceeded. 



I am with due respect yours, 



Gideon B. Smith. 

 E,1. Am. FarmiT. 



*The temperature of their nalive climate is seldom 

 above 70 ; they should have a rich black soil. 



The present which Mr Smith has so generously 

 transmitted, is most worthy of our especial atten- 

 tion, and claims the assiduous care of such of 

 the members, as have the requisite means of 

 making a thorough experiment. 



The Aracacha has recently attracted the notice 

 of most of the celebrated horticulturists in Eu- 

 rope, and is considered as destined to assume an 

 important station among esculent vegetables. It 

 is a native of Santa Fee, Bogota, New Granada 

 and other parts of South America, where it i; 

 considered the most useful of all the edible roots 

 being superior to the common, and sweet PotatOj 

 (Convolvulus Batatas); it is extremely grateful to 

 the palate ; so tender that it requires but little 

 cooking, and so easy of digestion, that it is the 

 common practice, where itis cultivated, to give it 

 to convalescents and persons who have delicate 

 stomachs. Starch and a variety of pastry are 

 made of its fecula, and it has all the adviintages 

 of Arrow-root and Tapioca 



In 182.5, that distinguished botanist, the Baron 

 de ScHACK arrived in the United States from Trin 

 idad, and brought some of the roots of the Ar- 

 acacha, for the purpose of introducing its iiultiva- 

 tinn in the southern and midille states, where he 

 believed it could be successfully done. Doct. 

 S. L. Mitchell, ever conspicuous for his zealous 

 attention to whatever may subserve the cause of 

 science and the interests of his country, took great 

 interest in the experiments. 



Plants were confided to Mr Michael Floy, a 



tempted to acclimate them. He jilaced them 

 his green house, where they passed the wintet 

 security. The following spring, when the frc 

 had passed, they were transplanted into tlie g 

 den ; but the season having been unusully C 

 they perished ; and Doct. Mitchell expressed doul 

 as to the possibility of introilucing the culture j 

 the Aracacha .wo far north ; siiU Mr Floy beliei 

 that it could be propagateil in the latituile of Lt 

 Island, and he attributed tlie loss of Ids plants, 

 a too sudden exposure to the air, in the o| 

 ground, without any protection against adve f' 

 vicissitudes of the weather. 



An experiment was commenced by the Che 

 lier SouLANGE Bodin, at the hortictdtural est 

 lishmeiit of Fromont, in April, 1829 ; and b; 

 conmiuuication, in the number of the Joiirna 

 that Institution, for August last, he appears to 

 tertain ho|ies of ultimate success and thinks 1 

 valuable vegetable may be cultivated, in the sot 

 ern departments of France, Spain and in Italy 

 advantage. He states that it is cultivated in 

 Botanical Garden of Montpellier and fiouris 

 in that of Geneva. Experiments have also b 

 lade in the Garden of the London Hoiticult! 

 Society at Chiswick, at Biiry-Hall.by Robert I 

 ly, Esq., at Plymouth, and by the great nurse 

 men, Messrs Loddiges. 



The Aracacha has been successfully introdu' 

 nto Cuba and Jamaica, and if our climate she 

 prove too cold, there is but little doubt it cat 

 propagated in the southern states, and may 

 come the rival of the Sweet Potato. 



The roots, or small tubers, are planted in So 

 America, about twenty inches apart, with asl 

 inclination towards the south ; when they sp: 

 above the ground, they are managed like the S» 

 Potato. As the flowers begin to form, they 

 carefully ])lucked, in order to concentrate the v 

 of vegetation in the roots. At Santa-Fee, wl 

 the mean temperature is about 73 degrees of I 

 renh it's thermometer, the roots acquire their 

 growth in six months. In Jamaica where , 

 Aracacha flourishes remarkably well, it is 

 vated in rather poor land, such as thai 

 mountains of St Andrew, where there fal 

 little rain. 



It is well known to you, that Mr Smith to wl 

 we are iiuhdited for the Aracacha roots, 

 John S. Skinner, Esq. as Editor of the Ami 

 Farmer. The latter gentleman has acquire 

 .servedly high reputation, for his indefaligaMl^ 

 forts, to advance the science and art of Agrii 

 tiire and Gardening, throughout the United Slut 

 and Mr Smith is actively pursuing the same m 

 torioiis course, in a manner which must .secUK 

 him the respect of the intelligent planters of) 

 ryland, and the benedictions of his fellow citiz 

 in every section of the Republic. The lahoB 

 those gentlemen are not only iluly appreciated, 

 the cultivators of the soil, on this side of tbt 

 laiitic, but have received the commendatioM 

 those, on the eastern continent. 



If a winged Mercury transmitted intelligen 

 among the gods of ancient mythology, theg 

 ins of the moderns has more than supplied 

 oflice. By the art of printing, innumerable lie» 

 are incessantly sent forth, who interchange 

 tidings of every region of the globe ; and ^ 

 such certainty and celerity, that they have 

 only recei veil the name, but far surpassed the' 

 vices of Jove's fabulous messenger. It is t' 



youraddressby the brig Hamilton, Capt. Foster, a I meritorious nursery-man of New York, who at- «liat all the discoveries and improvements, 



