86 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



The quantity of gum produced in this country from 

 the liquidaniber is quite small, except in its most 

 southern parts. By boiling the branches, a small 

 quantity can be obtained from the trees, growing 

 in the Middle States. The liquidamber is a very 

 interesting and beautiful tree, with a height of sev- 

 enty feet. It is distinguished for its dark green and 

 shining star-like leaves, which are fragrant, when 

 braised, and in autumn, after the first frost, assume 

 the most brilliant colors. It is found in moist woods 

 and swamps, but it is said to accommodate itself to 

 a dry soil. 



The Sweet-scented Crab is a small tree, ten or 

 fifteen feet high, and not to be found growing in a 

 state of nature, in Massachusetts, but first seen at 

 the north in the western part of New York, which 

 is probably not fixr from its northern limits. It is 

 an interesting tree in a garden, and is distinguished 

 for its beautiful rose-colored flowers, diffusuig a de- 

 licious odor all around, and its green fragrant fruit. 

 It is propagated from seed, or by grai'ting it upon 

 the stock of the cultivated apple tree. 



The Persimon, American Date Plum, is found as 

 far noith as the southern part of the State of New 

 York, and rises to the height of thirty feet. It is 

 sufficiently hardy to withstand our winters, in a 

 garden affording some protection, and produces a 

 loundish fruit of a reddish color, very astringent, 

 until bitten by the frost, when it becomes quite soft 

 and luscious, like a plum. It is a dioecious tree, 

 bearing its male and female flowers on different 

 plants. One tree in the southern States often yields 

 several busiiels, and Torrey says the ripe fruit, af- 

 ter having been frozen and thereby rendered palata- 

 ble, is often seen in the New York markets. 



The Papaw is a small tree, ten or twelve feet in 

 height, found in the southern part of New York, 

 w-hich appears to be its northern limit. It is dis- 

 tinguished for its long and narrow leaves, and its 

 smooth, finely polished silver-grey bark. Its fruit, 

 when ripe, is three inches long, and one and a half 

 thick, of a yellowish color, and esteemed by some 

 persons. It is sn.id that it will grow in Massachu- 

 setts, in a sheltered garden. 



The Buffalo Berry, although found in the west- 

 ern States, is perfectly hardy in Massachusetts, and 

 would probably succeed farther north. It was sent 

 from Missouri several years since, by ]Mr. Nuttall, 

 to the late Messrs. Winship, of Brighton, who first 

 cultivated it, and brought it into notice. It is a 

 small tree, desirable in a garden from its early 

 flowering, and in autumn for the rich clusters of 

 red fruit completely covering its branches, of the 

 size and appearance of currants. These berries, 

 when touched by the frost, are palatable, and make 

 a good preserve. The Buffalo Berry is found to 

 be one of those few trees that are dia?cioiis in its 

 habits, and consequently it becomes necessary, in 

 order to obtain fruit, to procure plants of the differ- 

 ent sexes and plant them ten or fifteen feet apart. 

 They can be obtained in the nurseries around Bos- 

 ton. The generic name of the Buffalo Berry is the 

 Shepherdia Argentia; one other species is found 

 in Vermont, the Shepherdia Canadensis, and was 

 supposed by the late Mr. Oakes to be found in no 

 other State in New England. We have it under 

 cultivation, and do not discover any thing peculiar- 

 ly interesting in it. This Buffalo Berry is found 

 in the western States, and on both sides of the 

 Rocky Mountain. It will grow in any soil or sit- 



uation, and is produced by suckers from the roots 

 or by seeds. 



The Virginia or Yellow Wood is a very hand- 

 some low tree found in Tennessee, with drooping 

 racemes of white flowers, resembling inform those 

 of the laburnum. It is found to be hardy in Massa- 

 ciiusetts, and prefers a light sandy soil. 



Banners, Feb. 6, 1851. S. P. Fowler, 



[to be continued.] 



fUcdjauics' Di'partmcnt, ^rts, $Ci. 



ARTESIAN WELL. 



A Paris correspondent of the National Intelli- 

 gencer says: — "The famous Artesian well at Kis- 

 sengen, in Batavia, commenced eighteen years ago, 

 and which it was feared would have to be aban- 

 doned as a failure, has just given the most satisfac- 

 tory results. The town is located in a saline val- 

 ley, nine hundred and eighty-four feet above the 

 level of the Baltic sea. Last June the boring had 

 reached a depth of eighteen hundred and thirty- 

 seven feet, and several layers of salt, separated by 

 a strata of granite, had been traversed, when car- 

 bonic acid gas, followed again by granite, was 

 found. Finally, on the 12th inst., at a depth of 

 two thousand and sixty-seven feet, perseverance 

 was rewarded by complete success. A violent ex- 

 plosion burst away the scaffolding built to facilitate 

 the operations, and a column of water four and a 

 half inches in diameter spouted forth to the height 

 of 98 feet above the surface. The water — clear as 

 crystal — is of a temperature of sixty-six Fahren- 

 heit, and is abundantly charged with salt. It is 

 calculated that the annual product will be upwards 

 of 6,000,000 lbs. per annum, increasing the royal 

 revenue by 300,000 florins, after deducting all ex- 

 penses. 



TIMBER-PRESERVING WORKS. 



The Rochester Democrat states that an establish- 

 ment for Payncizing timber is to be erected in that 

 city, and that Mr. Rice, one of the gentlemen en- 

 gaged in the enterprise, is now in New York to 

 procure the necessary machinery. The process of 

 Payneizing is described as follows: — 



The timber is first placed within the cylinder, 

 and steam is admitted until both cylinder and tim- 

 ber (the former being hermetically sealed) are 

 thoroughly heated. The .steam within is then sud- 

 denly condensed by an application of cold water on 

 the exterior of the cylinder, ejected from perfora- 

 ted pipes. A partial vacuum is thus formed, and 

 a small portion of sulphate of iron in solution is 

 thrown upon the timber from similar pipes within. 

 A powerful air pump is then set to work and a 

 vacuum of 27 or 28 inches is obtained. More of 

 the solution is admitted to fill the vacuum so formed, 

 and a force pump, with a pressure of 100 to 150 

 lbs. to the inch, is applied, and kept up for 15 or 

 20 minutes, to allow the solution to filter through 

 the wood. The same process is repeated in order 

 to infuse a solution of muriate of lime. The two 

 solutions no sooner come in contact, than the one 

 decomposes the other, forming sulphate of lime, 

 an insoluble salt, which permeates the pores of the 

 wood. 



This method of preparing tim.ber is in no sense 

 an experiment. The English Government has 



