414 



>^EW ENGLAND FARMER. 



July 30, J 82/ 



tween them with a common hoe, deeper than one 

 or two inches. 



"Stirring deep and frequently renders watciinj 

 unnecessary, because a porous surfoce is less per- 

 vious to the heat of the sun than a solid one, and 

 therefore keeps the ground bcnc»th both cooler 

 and moister. Any gardener who doubts this 

 being the case, may convince Iiimself of tlie fact 

 by covering part of a bed of onions with three 

 ihches of rotten tan, and comparing the soil be- 

 neath the tan with that left bare as to heat and 

 dryness. 



" Such a summer as the last proves the value of 

 my plan; wliile the seedling crops of many of my 

 neighbors were burnt up, mine were in lu.xuriance; 

 my onions stood regularly at 6 inches apart, and 

 were from eight inches to twelve inches in cir- 

 cumference , my carrots and parsnips stood at 

 eight and ten inches, and measured from ten to 

 fourteen inches in circumference. Some young 

 trees, such as acacias, (Cobbett's Locusts) which 

 [ drilled in May last, and tliiii.ied o\it .-ind stirred 

 between the rows, arc now three feet iiigh. I 

 have these and other arliclos ready to show in 

 proof of what I assert. 



My soil is a deep sour clay, which I dig and 

 dung before winter, going as deep as the soil will 

 admit, as I find it a great advantage to bring up 

 fresh earth." 



DESTROY WEEDS. 



If you have not had time to root out all llie 

 weeds on your premises you will at least endeavor 

 to prevent their going to seed by cutting off the 

 tops with a scythe or a sickle, and it will be good 

 economy to lodge the proceeds of your cuttings in 

 your barn, barn yard or compost bed. An antidote 

 to the increase of weeds may be found in burning 

 the stubble as it stands after reaping. On land 

 that is designed to be sowed the ne.vt yeax this is 

 more especially good husbandry ; for it will des- 

 troy so many of the seeds of weeds, as to. prevent 

 the ensuing crop from being so weedy as it might 

 be otherwise. At the same time this process will 

 destroy many insects, clean the ground, and ren- 

 der it fit for the operations of tillage, besides fer- 

 tilizing the soil by the ashes of the stubble. 



ITEMS ; CULTIVATION OF SILK. 



Dr Franklin is thought to have been the lirst 

 who introduced the culture of the silk into this 

 country about the year 1770, which became so 

 successful that large quantities were soon exported 

 to Great Britain to be manufactured. The revo- 

 lutionary war, however, put a stop to the growing 

 of silk, which had been Gonfined principally to the 

 neighborhood of Philadelphia. At a time subse- 

 quent to the war of Independence, a general plan 

 for the cultivation of silk seems to have been put 

 in operation in different parts of New England, 

 under the patronage of the clergy. 



We have before us a pamplilet printed in Wind- 

 ham, (Con.) in 1792, entitled Some Modern Direc- 

 tions on the Culture and Management of Silk 



The silk raised in the single town of Mansfield, 

 in 1835, was estimated at ,$15,000. 



In the counties of Windham and Tol'and in Con- 

 necticut, silk has been for many years a staple ar- 

 ticle of produce: The quantity raised last year in 

 Windham alone was estimated at $51,000. The 

 soil of Windham county is represented as general- 

 ly hard and rocky — less valuable than many other 

 parts of the state. Yet so valuable is the silk cul- 

 tivation, that the price of land has been greatly 



advanced, and every portion of the produce in- 

 creased. 



It is said that silk can be afforded by the pound, 

 at a much leiss rate in most of the United Slates, 

 than the averige price in France or Italy, owing 

 partly to the rent of land being lower among us ; 

 the climate subjecting the worm to fewer diseases ; 

 and the tree affording more leaves for feeding 

 them. 



Mr Samuel Spaulding of Middletown, (Con.) has 

 upwards of 200,000 silk worms at work this sen- 

 son. 



Mr Pliny Earle of Leicester, (Mass.) has about 

 .30,000 silk worms in successful operation. 



One gentleman in the vicinity of Philadelphia 

 has several acres devoted to the raising of mulber- 

 ry shrubs for silk w^orms. 



Joshua Clarke Esq. of South Kingston, R. I. has 

 planted this spring GOOO mulberry trees ; and in- 

 tends enlarging the namber next season. 



Largo quantities of White Mulberry seed have 

 been sent this season from the New England Far- 

 mer office, to some public spirited gentlemen in 

 Illinois, where they intend to undertake the re-ir- 

 ing of silk worms ; and are confident it will be a 

 judicious and profitable measure. 



Considerable efforts of a similar nature are mak- 

 ing in Orange county, N. Y. Boscawen, N. H. 

 Stow and Dudley, Mass. and in several other pla- 

 ces, of the extent and success of which we cannot 

 at present inform our readers. 



The Phil.-idelphia U. S. Gazette says that scarce- 

 ly a family in that city has been without some ex- 

 amples of the industry of the silk worm. Children 

 have attended to them as a matter of amusement, 

 and with such complete success, that we feel con- 

 fident, that in a few years they will manage to 

 derive a profit from tlioii- .amusement. Their com- 

 mon allowance of pocket money has been expend- 

 ed in the purchase of worms or cocoons ; the for- 

 mer for spinning and the latter either to wind into 

 skeins or for awaiting the approach of the butter- 

 fly, and procuring fiie eggs in security c4"a plen- 

 tiful production of ' spinners' for another season. 

 We mention these facts to show the groat ease 

 and simplicity with which the silk may be produc- 

 ed ; and such has been the success attending ex- 

 periments this season, that we should suppose that 

 any desirable quantity of worms might be prncnr- 

 ed at the proper time next summer to try the e.x- 

 psriment of profit upon silk labours. 



The value of the silk manufacture of Great 

 Britain is reckoned at $45,000,000, and gives sup- 

 port to 600,000 souls. — Yet she imports all the 

 raw material, and her manufacturers have hither- 

 to been obliged to pay a duty of one dollar per 

 pound on that raw material. The wages of the 

 workmen employed in its different" branches 

 amoi:nt to .$15,000,000. 



CLOSE OF THE FIFTH VOLUMK. 



We close the present volume of the New Eng- 

 land Farmer, with sentiments of gratitude for tho 

 favours we have received, and cheerful anticipa- 

 tions respecting our future progress. As our cir- 

 culation enlarges, our correspondence increases, 

 and new sources of information relative to the 

 great objects to which the New England Farmer 

 is devoted, are daily developed. A still wider cir- 

 culation would, however, enable us to be more ex- 

 tensively useful ; and, gathering the fruits of 

 knowledge from a wider field, we could hardly fail 

 to accumulate a still more abundant harvest. We 



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have, however, no reason for regret, nor cause o 

 complaint, and should be very ungrateful shoul 

 we omit thi-s opportunity, in general terras to ac 

 knowledge past favours as well as solicit a contin 

 uance of that patronage which alone can enabli 

 us to make our paper profitable to the public a 

 well as lighten the labours of its conductor. 



YELLOW LOCUST. 



This native American tree, so rapid in its growth 

 valuable for ship timber, serviceable for posts, am 

 ; useful to farmers, on many accounts, we are hap 

 py to learn has been extensively cultivated thi; 

 season in New England ; and large quantities o 

 the seed have been sent to Europe. An accoun 

 of its mode of culture, uses, &,c. will be found in thi 

 current volume of the New England Fanner pa, 

 ges 177, 189, 300, 340. 



HORTICULTURAL ANTi florist's socif.ties. 



Societies with these titles are forming in mail) 

 of tho principal towns in England and Scotland 

 having for their object tho improvement and intro 

 ductioti of new species of fruit, and ornamenta 

 flowers, from different parts of the world. Popu 

 lar lectures on horticulture, botany, &c. are givei 

 at the meetings. There are three which hold"thcii 

 meetings in Edinburgh and its immediate vicinity 

 the Caledonian Horticultural S.iciety, the Edin 

 burgh Amateur Florist Society, and the EdinburgI 

 New Horticultural Society. The oldest of those 

 (the Caledonian) has a garden ; and is making ef 

 forts to establish a regius professorship of Horti 

 culture in the University of Edinburgh, whose oh 

 ject is not merely the instruction of operative gar 

 deneis ; but that of men of taste and literature 

 to convert one of tho most useful arts into one o 

 He most interesting of the sciences; to give ;: 

 tJste for horticulture to the students of all thi 

 professions. At some of the shows of fruit an, 

 flowers, premiums of five guineas are offered foi 

 the best varieties — We have received from Scot 

 land a quart of gooseberries, preserved in spirit 

 which may be seen at the New England Farmei 

 office, which measure 4 inches in crrcumference 



Tho London Horticultural Society has.nearlj 

 3000 members ; and has honorary membeVs and 

 collectors of fruits and flowers in India, China. 

 Africa, the islands in tho Pacific, the northwest 

 co.ast of America, and in fact in all quarters of the 

 globe. This Society has introduced many valuable 

 fruits ; and has liberally disseminated its seeds 

 and plants to various countries. Some of their va- 

 rieties of fruit have been received by gentlemen 

 in this vicinity. 



MIDDLESEX CATTLE SHOW. 



We understand the Trustees of the Middlesex 

 Society of Husbandmen and Manufacturers are 

 making arrangements for an extensive Cattle 

 Show, &c. at Concord. The address will be de- 

 livered by the Hon. Edward Everett. 



STRAMONIUM, OR THORiV APPLE. 



"In Virginia,where the Stramonium is called the 

 Jamestown weed, the leaves boiled and used at- 

 greens, turned some soldiers sent thither to quell 

 a rebellion into good natured fools, for eleven 

 days, after which they returned to themselves 

 again, not remembering any thing that had pass- 

 ed. Ur Bartram of Philadelphia, was called to a 

 child, seized with idiocy without fever." Th« 

 child appeared very happy ; talking, laughing, and 

 in constant motion ; yet so weak, it could not 



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