260 



NEW ENGLAND FAEMER. 



March 9, 1*27. 



TO THE EDITOR Of THE NEW ENGLAND FAKMER 



THE PLANE, OR BUTTONWOOD. 



I or rocky snh to burn as free, vvheii green, as oak 

 I cut at tiie same time. Judicious men wlio have 

 ! attended to the economv of fuel, speuU confidently 



than any other species that grow in our forests,.i 

 although it affects strong moist loains and flats a 

 bottoms on the margin of rivers ; where its growt 

 is surprisingly rapid. 



Buttonwood is known in the Western States' 

 the name of Sycamore, and may be correctly cuf j. 

 ed llie Mammoth of the forest. I must confi 

 that 1 felt somewhat incredulous of its enormoS 

 size, as represented by the early settlers of Ohl^ 

 and by Miclmux, but occulnr demonstration h^ 

 lately confirmed the correctness of their stal 

 nieiits 

 I well recollect observing, in my youth, on tl 

 But in I alluvial meadows of Connecticut River, fine ran! 



Mr Fessenden— There are few operations in of a vast saving by felling all kinds of wood when 

 husbandry that appear of more importance, and yet the sap is down, and keeping it from the weather 

 more neglected, than p?an(a<To«3 o/>;-e«< /recs ; till dry ; none will be more benefitted by such 

 and it is^gratifying to observe, that the exertions , management than Button'.vood,and wc shall consid- 

 of Mr Lowell for a number of years past to excite ; er it as so treated in the following remarks, 

 attention to the subject, are so ably seconded by ; It is not pretended that Buttonwood emits so 

 those of Gen. H. A. S. Dearborn. The ardour strong a Iient or is so lusting as o.ik, but I think it 

 manifested by this gentleman in his letter to Mr ' superior to C/ifs.tut— affording a more pleasant 

 Tyng on the culture of the Plane, and in other ' fire, and making much better coaYs— and that it is 

 valuable communications published in your useful j a very valuable fuel for stoves. Perhaps it m.ay be 

 paper, is highly laudable; and wc arc encouraged ranked with the best kind of soft maple 

 to hope that a similar spirit will be more generally I estimating the relative value of various species of j es of /iue/ejices consisting entirely of fhtltonwooi 

 diflfused. But it is not difficult to account for the ! trees to plant for fuel, it is evident we cannot ar- 1 planted four or five feet apart.and, when at a propi! 

 tardiness of our countrymen in adoptinir improve- rive at correct conclusions by a simple comparison er age, lopped, or, as it is termed iu England 

 ments of a permanent character ; such as appro- j of tl}3 comhustion of one with another. It seems ] splashed, which rendered them impervious to oa^ 

 priating a portion of their farms to plantations of; necessary to inquire, what specie.i on a given por- , tie ; and the sprouts afforded a crop of fuel onci 

 forest trees, and constructing their buildings with tion of land of the same fertility, can be made pro- j in eight or ten years. If planted around field^ 

 more lasting materials. Although it might bo de- duclive in a given time, and at least expense, of; ten feet apart on a strong or moist soil, they wil 

 monstrated that such a system would euhance the the greatest qu.antity oi' caloric or matter of heat J in a short time grow of sufficient size to allow i 

 value of their estates more than any other they The fact however must bo assumed at present, and : being morticed for the admission of rails, and b| 

 could pursue. ' from attentive observation on the growth and com- come perennial posts. But where such fenc 



I believe it will be ndmitted as a sound axiom that bustion of Buttonwood during the period above not required it may be good management to pla 

 in any country, the exercise of the plough, the mentioned, I do not hesitate to declare my per- them near stone walls enclosing pastures and ot: 

 tpade a.ni hoe, the halchet or hammer, mxist he sweet- feet conviction, that it will furnish results much . er fields "' 

 ened by the prospect of reward not far di.^taiit, or more favorable than any tree our country produ- 

 few v/ill be found to lake hold. The feelings o/ ces —except the Locust on dry soils, should its 

 present ill, for such is toil, vwst be overbalanced by destructive enemy the Borer be extirpated. 



(mtei 



the hope of grasping future good ; and with a peo- [ 



They appear to be very suitable to & 

 up vacancies in wood-lots and other unproductivi 

 spaces, that it will not be difficult to find on almos 

 every farm. 



Whether it will be found the most profitable 

 system upon a large scale, to form entire planta 

 tions of Buttonwood, or to mix it with other sni}*i 



I have lately been enabled to compare the growth 

 pie whose habits and institutions are opposed to all ' of the sprouts of Buttonwood with those of white 

 systems of entail or primogenit^tre, it ia \eiy ob- and black oak, hickory and chesnut, in the same 



vious that no small degree of patriolism, if not wood-lot — a stcfH of dry rocky land — the whole of j cies, experience only can decide. 

 entlMsiasm, will be requisite to induce them to ex- which I cut off ten years before, and it appears | I remain, dear sir, 



tend their views to the perspective reward for plant- 1 that the Buttonwood will afford more than double 

 ing acorns. Perhaps there is no branch odn-ernal the hulk of fuel than the three first mentioned, and 

 improvement, where afircc^ and liberal /eg-i«/a<i»e | considerably exceed the Chesnut. Us sprouts are 

 encouragement would be attended with more salu- : now fit to cut and will make the sffonrf crop of 

 tary effects, in proportion to the means required, fuel from the same stools in twenty years, 

 than for the promotion of plantations of forest trees It is supposed that the depredations of cattle in 

 for timber and fuel, upon the denuded territory of woodlands durine the last century 



Respectfully yours, 



S. W. POMEROV 



Brighton, March 5, 1837. 



FRUIT TREES. 

 Mr EniTOR, — If you think proper, I wish you to 

 prevent'Hl the publish the following : I think a sure remedy for 

 the Commonwealth ; and for the construction of growth of as much wood and timber, in some sec- the failure of all kinds of fruits, as apples, cher- 

 buildings of more permanent materials than K'oorf, tions of the country, as was consumed in fuel. — ries, pears, plumbs, apricots and peaches. Any 

 especially in those sections where such of an ex- , The young shoots of the Plane seem obnoxious to person wishing to cultivate any or the whole of 

 oellent quality abound, and, in numerous instances, cattle ; as I have never observed any of them the above, may be sure of doing it if they will at- 

 encumber the ground near sites destined for public ' cropped in pastures, where they have grown ; nor tend to the following directions. 

 '■difices and mansions to be called elegant, that will ', could 1 ever perceive that the herbage under them 

 become of little more value to posterity than;rai)i<- j was not as weW reli.ihed by the cattle as that un- 

 der any other species. 



ed bird boxes with green blindi. 



The Plane or Buttonwood may, undoubtedly, be 



First, the object is, to keep the ground well fro- 

 zen until late in the spring, and to effect this,clear 

 the ground of snow several feet from the trunk of 



It is said that the portable cooking fun> aces late- the tree, and where the ground is well frozen, the 



propagated with more ease than any other tree of ly introduced, have caused an increased demund harder and deeper the better, and when the snow 

 the forest ; and the speedy returns of fuel it will for charcoal in Boston and vicinity of more than'iO is well softened either by rain or sun, bank it up 

 make to the planter, aflbrd encouragement that the per cent. And when the economy and conven- ! round the trunk of the tree, say three feet high, 

 cultivation would become extensive, were its value , ience attending their use becomes more generally ■ and the same in width at bottom, like a small hay 

 duly appreciated. From an impression that it is not, known, it is not improbable but that the demand 



cock, beat it down hard with your shovel, and then 

 cover it well with swingle tow, if to be had, if not, 

 with fine straw from the stable, or chip manure. — 

 The snow thus thrown up will soon become solid 

 have since been produced spontaneously, and I have I mence of planting, what is called in England, cup- \ ice, and if well covered, will continue until May, 

 used considerable quantities for fuel during the \pire wood, that is, such as will grow of sufficient I when the s, ring frosts are gone. It has been gen 



size and make good charcoal if but cut offence in 



I am induced to state a few facts supported by ex- for that article will be much more increasing 

 perience. I found great numbers of the Plane upon ' We may therefore reasonably infer, that the peri 

 my estate upwards of thirty years ago, — many od is not far distant when the practice must corn- 



last twenty years. 



Those who have attended to the subject must be i about ten years. We have no information of the 

 aware of the great diffi^rence in the quality of wood I quality of charcoal made of Buttonwood, but from 

 of the same species or variety, depending on the j the appearance of the coals produced in an open 

 soil, as well as the season when foiled ; hence may | fire place, I am of the opinion that it will prove 

 arise various opinions as to its value for fuel. And | superior to chesnut and several other species now 



it is not improbable that a prejudice exists against 

 Buttonwood, from attempts to burn it when green; 

 for in that atate, if produced on deep moist soils, 

 utrong clay loams, and river flats or interval, it is 

 with difficulty ignited, and affords little heat. But 

 r have observed such as had grown on dry sandy 



used for the purpose, and which are of slower 

 growth. Should it be a fact, Buttonwood will oc- 

 cupy a prominent station in the system ; — as a boy 

 may collect in a single day, a sufficient quantity of 



crally thought that the killing of tender fruit trees 

 is effected by the severity of the cold in winter, 

 but that is a mistake — all the mischief arises from 

 the frost in the spring ; peaches and apricots veg- 

 etate very early, and when the sap rises it loosens 

 the bark, and then a frost, as far as it will freeze 

 through a limb or twig, so far it will kill it — but 

 keep the ground frozen until late and not the least 

 killing of limbs or twigs will be seen on any of 

 your trees. It has also been said and believed, 



the seeds to plant some thousands of acres, — and j that on Connecticut River we could not raise 

 it wilHArt»e on a greater variety of soils, perhaps, I peaches and apricots, for the winter would kill 



