296 



FARxMEHS' REGISTER— LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE. 



Fruit trees, luxuriant in leaves and brandies, 

 but had bearers, arc sometimes forced into a pro- 

 ductive state, by havin*; portions of the bark re- 

 moved by the knife, or wires twisted round tlie 

 stem or branches. In this case, the ascent of the 

 sap is indirectly diminished, by the obstruction of 

 the vessels containinji; the proper juices, the death 

 of the plant, or portion of the plant, is threatened, 

 and the reproductive organs speedily exercise their 

 functions. The late Dr. Walker, Professor of Na- 

 tural History, in th.e University of" Edinburgh, 

 who had devoted much time to the investigation of 

 vegetable physiology, intimates, that the effects 

 here produced by barking, or the twisting of wires, 

 have been accomplished by other means. He says, 

 (in the Economical History of the Hebrides, ii. p. 

 298,) " To some standard fruit trees, honeysuckles 

 indeed may be applied with great advantage ; these, 

 when even of considerable age, do sometimes con- 

 tinue to run so much to wood, and especially to- 

 wards the heart of the tree, that it remains quite 

 unfruitful. To plant a vigorous honeysuckle at the 

 foot of such a tree, is an easy effectual remedy, and 

 much better than any pruning. The honeysuckle 

 grows up, occupies the heart of the tree, checks its 

 luxuriance, directs its vegetation towards the ex- 

 tremities, and renders it fruitful. A large apple 

 tree of the above description, above fifty years old, 

 and which always had been barren, was rendered 

 by this practice extremely fruitful. When this 

 end is answered, which will happen in a few years, 

 the honeysuckle should then be removed, before it 

 becomes injurious. 



In the cultivation of floiver in g plants, a know- 

 ledge of this law of vegetable life, and its extensive 

 application may prove of great importance. Sir 

 James Edward Smith, in his introduction to Bo- 

 tany, mentions, that the Solandra grandiflora, a 

 Jamaica shrub, was for a number of years cultiva- 

 ted in the English stoves, and propagated exten- 

 sively by cuttings, each j)Iant growing many feet 

 in length every season, from the abundance of 

 moisture and nourishment, without showing any 

 signs of fructificjition. At length a pot of the So- 

 landra was accidentally left w ithout water in the 

 dry stove at Kew ; and, in consequence of this un- 

 intentionally neglect, the luxuriant growth of its 

 branches was greatly checked, and a flower came 

 forth at the extremity of each. By a similar mode 

 of treatment the same effect has since been fre- 

 quently produced. Indeed, when a law is once 

 properly understood, its application to a variety of 

 cultivated plants, which are slow in showing flow- 

 er, must be obvious. We have seen it with effect 

 on several species of willows. 



In the cultivation of a farm, numerous examples 

 are frequently occurring of the influence of this ar- 

 rangement in the vegetable economy. The crops 

 growing on the thinnest part of the soil, where the 

 nourishment is consequently in diminished quan- 

 tity, are always the first to exiiibit their flowers, 

 and to be ready for the sickle. In ill managed 

 farms, the harvest is usually much earlier, (other 

 things being equal,) than in those where the crops 

 are under the influence ol a better system. We 

 have had an opportunity of witnessing the delay 

 of harvest, upon the application of lime, for exam- 

 ple, in consequencfe of the increased supply of nour- 

 ishment producing luxuriance of growth rather 

 than early flowering. 



In the management of plantations^ the indica- 



tions of this law may prove of great value. Where- 

 ever we see a tree,' in a very young slate, exhibit- 

 ing its flowers, and producing fruit, wc may anti- 

 cipate its early decay. The premature formation 

 of fruit-buds, is the consequence of a scanty supply 

 of nourishment, arising, it may be, from the roots 

 liaving been injured, but generally from the plant 

 having been placed in an unfavorable soil. Fir 

 trees readily indicate their disagreement with the 

 soil by the pro'duction of cones, while yet young, 

 and this early fructification is the almost sure fore- 

 runner of death. The Balsam Fir, for example, 

 which thrives well on a moist soil, will, if planted 

 on a thin dry soil, begin in a few years to produce 

 cones, — then the bark appears covered with blis- 

 ters, which, when opened, pour forth a limpid 

 resin, and the tree, after languishing a few years, 

 dies, after, in the course of a dozen of years, hav- 

 ing attained the height of from twelve to twenty 

 feet. In looking at those decorated villas, near a 

 large town, which to the citizen appear s:> captiva- 

 ting, one may frequently discover the real charac- 

 ter of the soil, by this premature flowering of the 

 ornamental shrubbery. 



Though plants difi'er from animals, in reference 

 to this singular law, which we have ventured to 

 establish from an extensive induction of particu- 

 lars, they agree, in other respects, in the influence 

 which an abundant supply of nourishment exer- 

 cises in the increase of the number and size of the 

 progeny. 



LOAD OF A I.OCOMOTIVK ENGINE. 



To the Erlitars of the Petersburg IntclHgencer. 



Gentlemen — The following account of the per- 

 formance of one of our engines, -will no doubt in- 

 terest you and many of your readers. 



On Monday last, the Liverpool brought in a 

 train, consisting of 15 cars and one coach, carrying 

 127 bales of cotton, 364 bushels of wheat, 162 bush- 

 els of corn, and about 30 persons including passen- 

 gers and agents of the company. The gross weight 

 in motion, may be summed up as follows : 



Produce and passengers, 83,620 lbs. 



Cars, Coach and Engines, 67,500 



151,120 



or nearly 67^ tons. The weight of produce alone, 

 was upwards of 35 tons. This load was put in mo- 

 tion with great ease by the engine, and on level 

 grades was carried at a speed of 15 miles per hour. 

 It was set in motion on ascents of 30 feet to the 

 mile, (on which we had occasion to stop and set 

 down passengers,) and carried them up at a rate 

 varying from 8 to 10 miles the hour. 



This is the largest load which has ever been on 

 the road at any single time and when we compare 

 it with the small size of the engine, and consider 

 the various ascents on the Rail Road, it may well 

 be called immense. The Liverpool weighs, about 

 5 tons, and has 9 cylindeis, with a stork of 18 in- 

 ches, and drives four wheels. Her general work- 

 ing pressure is 50 pounds, ranging up to 60 at 

 which the lock up valves blows off. I add the tech- 

 nical details in order that the performance of this 

 engine may be justly appreciated by professional 

 men. Yours, respectfully, 



HENRY D. BIRD, 



