26 



FARMERS' REGISTER— WHITE MULBERRY— BIRDS AND INSECTS. 



ing-; and Dr. Gutliie accompanied his specimen 

 of grapes with a letter, stating that the culture of 

 the grape was <as easy and certain in this country 

 as that of raising apples, or any other of the vege- 

 table productions.'^ 



Culture of Silk. The next important article 

 is the crdture of silk. All I have seen and heard 

 upon that subject, since my arrival in Eurojie, con- 

 firms me in the opinion, that the United States in 

 general are as well if not better adapted to the cul- 

 tivation of the mulberry and the culture of silk, 

 than tlie most favored countries on this side of the 

 water. The cocoons that we raised last year at 

 Le Raysville, with so little trouble, and such an 

 imperfect knowledge of the proper management of 

 this delicate worm, have been much admired by 

 those capable of judging, to whom I presented 

 them for examination, and the silk thought of the 

 very first quality. I have ascertained that in the 

 duchy of Bade, they rear the mulberry tree in ve- 

 ry indillerent soil, rather poor, aiid cultivate the 

 silk with success. Certainly where the v.orms are 

 educated, the season is far from being as favorable 

 to them as it is in the north of the state of New 

 York. I hope tliat tlie elforts of the soiciety for 

 encouraging the culture of silk will have been suc- 

 cessful, and I am very anxious to see the report 

 which Avill be made to the society on a subject of 

 such vital importance. 



Oil Graftii5§- tlie ^^/iiite Mulberry- 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



Si-R — We are much disposed to tliink those things 

 impracticable, which Ave have liiiled to perform 

 ourselves. A writer in the tirst volume of the 

 American Farmer, (page 412,) who seems to be 

 Aery intelligent, and Avho pronounces himself an 

 adept in the arts of Imdding and grafting trees, 

 asserts that neither Walnuts or Mulberries Avill 

 take by grafting or inoculating. I knoAV an En- 

 glish Walnut tree, noAv living, Avhich Avas grafted 

 on a black Walnut stock, about four feet from the 

 ground. And I have several Avhite Mulberry 

 tress, Avhich I inoculated on the conmion black 

 Mulberry, after riding Avith the tAvig from Avhich 

 the buds Avere taken, as a SAvitch, lor seven or 

 eight miles. Every one of the buds inserted, 

 lived. 



The gentleman spoken of above, avIio says, that 

 " after experimenting for forty years, I have never 

 succeeded in one instance," must have chosen im- 

 proper times for his experiments, or failed in some 

 other Avay, for Avhich I cannot account. 



I mention the above circumstances by no means 

 Avith a vieAv of contradicting him, but because 

 there are many gentlemen Avho Avish to propagate 

 the White Mulberry; and budding on the native 

 Mulberry is certainly the most expeditious mode 

 Avith Avhich I am acquainted. 



Very respectfully, &c. a. b, c. 



Birds and Insects. 



From the Boston Daily Advertiser. 

 We have already intimated our opinion, that the 

 labors of the scientific ornithologist are of far 

 more pvactical utility, than the casual observer 

 might suppose ; and that, even in the business of 

 legislation, a regard to his researches might pre 

 \ cut many errors, Avhich may nnich affect the pub 



lie Avelfare. Thei'c is no denying, that there has 

 been no lack of legislation on the subject of irra- 

 tional living things; fishes have received an undue 

 share of attention in consequence of their negative 

 merit of being good to eat, Avhile the beasts have 

 been made the object of attentions of a different 

 sort ; the several toAvns being duly authorized io 

 raise money to be expended as a bounty for de- 

 stro}'ing some of the least popular of tlie race. — 

 Without inquiring into the propriety of this poli- 

 cy here, Ave must affirm that the legislation en the 

 subject of birds has been marked lay some essen- 

 tial errors, Avhich have led to real evil. We have 

 already alluded tothelaAv of 1817, by Avhich Avccd- 

 cocks, snipes, larks and robins Avere protected at 

 certain seasons of the year, Avhile Avar to the knife 

 Avas declared against croAVS, blackbirds, oayIs, 

 bluejays and haAvks: these last Avere treated as a 

 sort of pirates, subject to suspension at the yard 

 arm Avith the least possible ceremony. It so hap- 

 pens that the character of these very birds has 

 been singularly mistaken : for Avhile the ordinance 

 of legislation has been thus s}'stematically level- 

 led at them, they, on a principle Avhich man Avould 

 do extremely Avell to imitate, have been returning 

 good for evil ; they have been diligently engaged 

 in extirpating all sorts of vermin, Avhile never 

 Avere the A'eriest A'ermin half so ill treated by the 

 human race. The croAv, for example, Avho is ge- 

 nerally regarded as a most suspicious character, 

 has had great injustice done him ; in the spring, 

 Avlien the ground is moist, he lives in a state of the 

 most triumphant luxury on grubs : he eats the 

 young corn, it is true, but it is a necessary of life 

 to Avhich he never resorts, except Avhen his supply 

 of animal food is shortened. After the corn is 

 tolerably groAvn, he has nothing more to do Avith 

 it ; and in any stage, he destroys at least five hun- 

 dred pernicious grubs and insects, for CAcry blade 

 of corn Avhich he pillages from man. In the south- 

 ern states he is regularly permitted to folloAV the 

 ploughman, and collect the grubs from the noAvly 

 opened furroAV : his life is thus secured by the 

 safest of all tenures, that of the interest of man in 

 permitting him to live.* There is scarcely a farm 

 in England without its rookery ; the humid at- 

 mosphere multiplies every species of insect, and 

 these birds reAvard man for his forbearance by rid- 

 ding him of legions of his foes. By a policy like 

 that Avhich dictated tlie revocation of the edict of 

 Nanfz, they have occasionally been exposed to the 

 mischievous propensities of unruly boys, Avho, as 

 far as utility is concerned, are not to be compared 

 Avith croAvs, but the error of this step soon became 

 obvious, and they are noAv received Avith a univer- 

 sal Avclcome. The haAvk enjoys a doubtful repu- 

 tation in the hen roost; he sometimes destroys the 

 chickens, but Avith the consistency of man, does 

 not like to see his infirmities copied by another ; 

 and by Avay of compensation demolishes the fox, 

 Avhich eats twenty chickens Avhere he eats one ; so 

 that it is hardly the part of Avisdom to set a price up- 

 on his head, Avhile the fox, a hardened knave, is not 

 "honored Avith a penal statute. Hoav the oavI came 

 to be included in this black list, it is in vain to 

 conjecture ; he is a grave, reflecting bird, Avho has 



* Tliis is a mistalvc as to Virginia, Avhere Ave liave a 

 iavi? authorizing the county courts to give rcAvards for 

 croAv-scalps. Ti;e best recommendation of this laAv is 

 tl'.at it is nearly a dead letter. — [Ed. Far. Reg. 



