FARMERS' REGISTER— xMORTAR— CORNSTALKS, &c. 



373 



already llie embryo of a periect plant ; and if any 

 moisture could transude from the pulp through the 

 stone, which we incline to question, it is too late, if 

 it ever possessed any power, to model the young 

 plant ; it could only at most be food, not needed ; 

 for the die is already cast; and the constitution of 

 that plant, we fully believe, is not to be changed by 

 any external application. We liave now two seed- 

 ling trees of a tine sort, from stones kept dry for 

 more than a year in the garret, — the fruit of which 

 is so nearly exact as to be scarcely distinguished 

 apart; and we cite the instance as a further confir- 

 mation of the non-effect of drying, and of the un- 

 changeable nature of an embryo. 



In conclusion, we would advise those who wish 

 to propagate varieties of fruit trees with exactness, 

 to bud or graft, — assuring them there is no just 

 ground for believing, so far as we can discover, that 

 the descendant of an ungrafted tree has any better 

 chance to be true than the descendant of a grafted 

 tree, V. 



OJf THE FORMATION OF MORTAR. 



From the Genesee Farmer. 

 Extract from an Essay of James Jliidcr son, L. L. D. F. R. S. 



" The best modern mortar I ever savv, was made 

 of lime that I myself had analyzed, and found it 

 contained eleven parts of sand to one of lime. To 

 this there was added between twice and thrice its 

 whole bulk of sand by measure, which may be al- 

 lowed to have been, at least, three times its quantity 

 by weight. 



" Now, supposing that every particle of that 

 lime had been so perfectly calcined as to be in a 

 caustic state, there could not be less than forty- 

 seven parts of sand to one of lime. The reader 

 may allow what he pleases for the uncaustic part 

 of the lime, and make his calculation accordingly. 

 But it is hardly possible to suppose, that above one 

 hundredth part of this mass, independent of the 

 water, consisted of pure caustic calcareous earth. 



" But whatever was the exact proportion of caus- 

 tic lime, the mortar was made of these materials in 

 proportions expressed, and was employed for pin- 

 ning the outside joints of the stone wall of a house 

 situated in a tempestuous climate, and exposed to 

 every blast. It is now about fourteen years since 

 it was finished, and I do not believe there has fallen 

 to the ground in all that time, one pound weight of 

 the mortar.* 



" Had this mortar been employed in building a 

 thick wall, where it would have been suffered to 

 dry slow enough, there seems to be little reason to 

 doubt but it would in time have become as firm as 

 the stones of the wall itself. 



" From these considerations Ave may clearly see, 

 that it is impossible to prescribe any determinate 

 proportion of sand to lime, as that must vary ac- 

 cording to the nature of the lime, and other inciden- 

 tal circumstances which it would be tiresome to 

 enumerate, and which would form an infinity of ex- 

 ceptions to any general rule. 



" But it would seem, we might safely infer, that 

 the moderns in general, rather err in giving too lit- 

 tle sand, than in giving too much. 



* In a note to a second edition of this work is the fol- 

 lowing addition : " After seven years longer trial, tlie 

 mortar still proves good and firm, and e.xhibits no ap- 

 pearance of ever falling." 



" It deserves, however, to be remarked, that the 

 sand when naturally in the lime-stone, is more inti- 

 mately blended with the lime than can possibly be 

 ever effected by any mechanical operation — so that 

 it would be in vain to hope to make good mortar 

 artificially from pure lime with such a small pro- 

 portion of caustic calcareous matter, as may some- 

 times be effected when the lime naturally contains 

 a very small proportion of sand. But there seems 

 to be no doubt that if a much larger proportion of 

 sand were employed, and if that were more care- 

 fully blended and expeditiously worked than is com- 

 mon, the mortar would be much more perfect than 

 usual in modern times. 



" This I have tried experimentally with the de- 

 sired success." 



CUTTING CORN STALKS. 



From the Genesee Farmer. 



Much has been said and written on the subject 

 of cutting up corn, and much diversity of opinion 

 still prevails. Some prefer cutting above the ears 

 soon after the kernel begins to change color: and 

 any innovation on this practice, is by these, consi- 

 dered an indication of unskilfulness in husbandry. 

 We believe this system is, not only unphilosophi- 

 cal, but productive of much injury to the crop itself. 

 Physiologists are well agreed in this, that the leaves 

 of plants are important organs, in the elaboration 

 of nutritive matter, that by them the jdant per- 

 spires, feels the influence of heat and light, and 

 through them receives that which stimulates and 

 promotes their vital operations. What then must 

 be the injury, which the plant sustains, when thus 

 mutilated.^ The assimilation of the farina, which 

 is the nutritious part of the grain, will be impeded 

 and partially performed : consequently a less crop 

 may be expected, not only in quantify, but the 

 quality will be proportionably diminished. By 

 topping early, the fodder is finer and sweeter, but 

 does not afibrd so much nutriment, as when more 

 fully matured. But by cutting the crop at the 

 ground, the land is at once cleared from the stub- 

 ble, in a measure, which when left long is always 

 troublesome, by obstructing the progress of the 

 plough, and is ready to be immediately applied to 

 another crop. — The weight of the grain is increas- 

 ed and its value as an article of food is enhanced, 

 because the grain is fully ripe. The quantit)" of 

 fodder thus obtained, may not vary much from that, 

 by the other method, but more than double the 

 quantity of manure will be secured, the value of 

 which will be duly appreciated by every good far- 

 mer. We should be glad to receive some care- 

 fully instituted experiments on this subject for 

 publication. 



AMERICAN FARMER. 



From the Baltimore Patriot. 

 We observed in the last number of the Ame- 

 rican Farmer, that Mr. Gideon B. Smith, 

 has taken leave of that journal as its editor. Mr. 

 S. has long labored with much zeal in promoting 

 the cause of agriculture, and his useful and culti- 

 vated talents have often graced many of the publi- 

 cations of the day besides the Farmer. He de- 

 serves and we hope will find success in whatever 

 new undertaking he may have in view. 



