SILK MANUAL, AND 



promises little to glad the heart of the husband- 

 man. Much complaint has been heard in relation 

 to the seed not germinating-, and many impute it 

 to the practice of cutting up corn by the roots; 

 but this I know to be a mistake, having followed 

 that practice for the last 18 years, yet never failed 

 of having good seed in consequence of it. 



It is true, that if corn is cut up and crowded 

 into large bunches or stacks when damp, its ger- 

 minating powers will be destroyed by the heat 

 generated thereby, but if put up in small stacks, 

 free from water, and well secured, the corn when 

 husked, will be found of the first quality. If 

 corn thus saved is to be removed to the barn for 

 husking, care should be taken not to crowd too 

 much together, as it will heat in three or four 

 days sufficiently to make it sprout, thus spoiling it 

 for seed, as well as rendering it less valuable for 

 domestic purposes. When corn thus cut up is 

 husked in the field, the best ears should be select 

 ed for seed, being careful to leave sufficient husks 

 on them for braiding them into bunches, to be • 

 hungup in adry and secure place till needed for use. 



Of the various modes of harvesting corn, I 

 consider that of cutting it up by the roots as the 

 preferable one, and especially if nipped by a pre- 

 mature frost, since more sound corn will thereby 

 be produced, while the stalks, if well cured, will 

 make most excellent fodder, which of itself is 

 sufficient to pay for cutting and harvesting the 

 corn. I have known many farmers, after their 

 stalks had been cured, husk their corn in the field, 

 and through carelessness suffer the fodder to re- 

 main in the field exposed to autumnal rains till 

 spoiled. This to say the least of it, is a neeedless 

 waste, and an evidence of a slovenly farmer. 



Sheffield, Aug. 13, 1836. 



JVbie hy J. S. P. — I once had a field of corn 

 struck by a severe frost in the latter end of Au- 

 gust, the corn then beiug completely filled, though 

 the glazing process had but partially commenced 

 round the root of the ears. We supposed the 

 crop spoiled, but at the suggestion of a friend, took 

 scythes just at the opening of day, and before the 

 sun had risen sufficiently high to dispel the frost, 

 most of the corn was prostrate. The consequence 

 was, that the warmth exhaling from the earth dig 

 pelled the frost, and no appearance of it was per- 

 ceptible after the sun had exerted its influence on 

 the stalks as they lay prostrate. In the afternoon 

 the corn was gathered into small stacks, secured 

 and left to ripen. When the period for husking 

 arrived, my corn came forth bright and sound, su- 

 perior in fact to any I had before raised. — Gen. 

 Farmer. 



which occurred the last week would be injurious 

 to the mulberry. But in this case as in others, 

 where injury is apprehended, we have reason for 

 thankfulness, that we have been visited by slight 

 frosts, which, although destructive to some vege- 

 tables, have greatly benefitted the Chinese Mul- 

 berry, by checking its too rapid growth, — in con- 

 sequence of which, we may hope for a better 

 ripening of the wood, and preparing the tree and 

 its branches for better and more perfect cuttings 

 — Silk Cabinet. 



Cold Weather and Molberries. — Fears 

 have by some been entertained, that the frosts 



(From the Baltimore Farmer.) 



The article on the recent introduction of the 

 Waterloo Cesarean Evergreen Cabbage, into En- 

 gland, as food for cattle, which will be found in 

 this day's paper, we copy from the September 

 number of the Horticultural Register and Gard- 

 ener's Magazine, an excellent work published in 

 Boston. 



We have a fevv hundred cf these plants grow- 

 ing at our little establishment, but as the season 

 has been iniuspicious, and they have not had a 

 fair chance for luxuriant growth, we cannot say 

 what may be the result of our experiment. We 

 obtained the seed of Robt. Sinclair, Jr. at $5 a 

 pound, those in England are, or were held at $5 

 for 20 seeds. The next season we shall take time 

 by the forelock, and give the article a more fair 

 and perfect trial. If it should prove by proper 

 test to realize a moiety of what has been said of 

 it, it will certainly produce a new era in agricul- 

 tural pursuits ; but as the venders of the seed of 

 new things, are not always the most scrupulous in 

 pronouncing their eulogies on their virtues, tims 

 and actual cultivation are necessary in order that 

 their capacities may be properly demonstrated. 



In the more southern portions of our country, 

 if this cabbage should prove as valuable as some 

 of its economists have stated it to be, it will, in- 

 deed, be a blessing. But of its properties after 

 we have had time to form a correct practical opin- 

 ion, we shall speak more fully. 



JVote by the editor of the Baltimore Farmer. — 

 We procured Northern corn for our planting. The 

 first patch, about two acres, we planted on the 

 14th May; it came up just before the cold and 

 long continued rain which commenced on the 24th 

 of that month, and did not terminate for several i 

 weeks ; it has been subsequently subjected to al- 

 ternations of scorcl^jng droughts and rains, and 

 preserved, through all the disadvantages of the 

 season, a healthful appaarance. On the 20th of| 

 August, eight cattle broke in upon it and consum- 

 ed and broke off a large number of the ears. — ■ 

 Those which were broken off on examination we| 

 found to be perfectly matured. 



