612 FARMERS' REGISTER— A REMARKABLE TREE— CANADA THISTLE. 



ther our northern brethren, who have been so long 

 in the habit of conveying stock to the West Indies, 

 are not the proper person, to undertake their con- 

 veyance ; and, also to ascertain whether they can- 

 not be insured, as is (I believe,) the stock shipped 

 to the West Indies, and at a moderate, as well as 

 adequate premium? For tlie English underwri- 

 ters asked til'teen guineas per cent, and the ship 

 owners demand from ^480 (£100,) to ,§720 

 ( £ 150) for their freight ; and, this a writer m the 

 Turf Register says, is to Quebec. 

 _ The summer is the season ibr their transporta- 

 tion, and I sliould think that a vessel or two from 

 Connecticut, might be employed in bringing out, 

 not only horses, but cattle, &c. A bounty is, I 

 believe, given iTi Massachusetts, sufficient to repay 

 a ship master for his trouble, and stimulate him to 

 exert himself in taking care of them. The iacili- 

 ties of travel are now such, that it is of little differ- 

 ence where, in the United States they are landed. 

 For the south, the Chesapeake is the place. 



SHELLT. 



A RE5IARKABLE TREE. 



To the Editor of the Farmer's Register. 



Rockbridge, Feb. 7th, 1834.' 

 Sir, — A hickory tree has been cut down in tliis 

 county, not far fronkjLexington, a few weeks ago, 

 which I thiidi a remarkable one. It is of tiiat 

 species, which among us is called the black hicko- 

 ry; a species of tree which does not usually grow 

 very large. It is of the wood of this species of 

 tree, that the axletrees-for wagons and other car- 

 riages are universally made, and it is thought to be 

 a good sized tree, whose liut cut will make four 

 axletrees. Observe that this is not the shell, or scaly 

 liark hickory, that often grows to a large size. 

 The tree which I have mentioned in the beginning 

 of this letter, is perfectly sound ; the first or but cul 

 measured three feet in diameter ; and upon count- 

 ing the grow ths, it was found to be upwards of two 

 hundred years old. Some say, two hundred and 

 twelve; the lowest count, I tiiink.was two hun- 

 dred and three. The farmer, on whose land it was 

 cut, has delivered two logs of the tree, to a Wind- 

 sor chair maker, in Lexington — the first log was 

 thirteen feet long, and the next fourteen feet, and 

 there is one log yet to be delivered, which is to be 

 fifteen feet long — so that this venerable tenant of 

 the forest will furnish forty-two feet of sound tim- 

 ber. It retained its thickness remarkably well. 

 There may have been trees of this species as iaro-e, 

 or larger, than the one I have mentioned, but i 

 have never seen them. sylva. 



CANADA THISTLE. 



[The agricultural publications of the northern states, 

 frequently speak of the Canada thistle, a most trouble- 

 some intruder on their soil, which is slowly but steadily 

 pursuing its (heretofore) resistless course from north to 

 south. So formidaljle an enemy to the farmer is this 

 little plant, that nothing short of legislative aid, and pe- 

 nal regvilations, will arrest its progress — and a petition 

 is now in circulation in New- York, which proceeded 

 from the agricuJtm-al society of Monroe county (N. Y.) 

 containing the following passage. "We also pray 

 your honoraljle body to pass a law, with such provi- 

 sions as you shall in your wisdom deem most efficient 

 to subdue and extirpate the Canada Thistle, which is 

 gradually propagating itself by its winged seed, and in 



a few years, will become a growing and grievous nui- 

 sance to the tillage of our land." 



This invader is yet hundreds of miles distant from 

 the borders of Virginia. Yet, unless our brother far- 

 mers of New- York, by new and efiTectual measures can 

 destroy the foe, while it is within their territory, and 

 thus guard us from the danger, we shall certainly at 

 some future time suffer all the evils which are now felt 

 in the north— and woe to the farmers of Virginia, if a 

 single plant should here ripen and spread its seed. 

 The soil of the whole commonwealth might be stocked 

 with these plants, before any aid from the government 

 to agriculture could be expected, for this, or for any 

 other object. 



The following extract will give some account of this 

 pestilent plant, which will perhaps in time be but too 

 well known to many among us who have yet scarcely 

 heard its name.] 



From the Genesee Farmer. 

 Farmers, you have liad some days in which lit- 

 tle out door labor could be advantageously perform- 

 ed ; and I Avish to ask, as the year is draw in o- to a 

 close, whether you have examined your book of 

 }>rofit and loss, receipts and expenditures for 1833. 

 It is possible some one may say they have not, as 

 they keep no such book, and for a farmer such 

 nicety is unnecessary. Not so, friend; the farmer 

 who has not the means of knowing, and does not 

 know, whether he is becoming yearly richer or 

 poorer, is in a bad Avay ; and acts as unwisely as 

 v.ould the merchant who should undertake, in" his 

 multifarious dealings, to dispense with day book 

 and leger. You will derive advantage enough 

 in one way to compensate you ten times for the 

 trouble of making such entries. In looking over 

 your expenditures, you will see many useless pur- 

 chases, and by having the inutility of spending 

 money in this way, frequently brought before you*, 

 you will be more on your guard in the future. But 

 it is not to profit or loss in general that I wish at 

 this time to call the attention of the farmer. I 

 have been looking over your shoulder, (pardon the 

 impertinence,) as ^ou have turned over the pages 

 of your journal, and have noticed, or seen places 

 where they should have been noticed, a string of 

 items of loss and expenditure like the followin'o- : 

 Imprhnis. — Loss, by Canada thistles in lot. 

 No. A.; growth so monstrous as to forbid 

 ^ the v^licat that grew lieing gathered, ^10,00 

 Secundo. — Loss, by thistles in lot B , wheat 

 checked in growth and injured in quality 

 by_ being bound with green thistles, 10,00 



Tertio. — Loss, by having ten hands, crad- 

 lers, reapers and liinders, hindered at least 

 one hour a day each, for five days, in pick- 

 ing thistles from their fingers, 4^00 

 Quarto. — Loss, by one pair of long calfskin 

 gloves made to shield the hands and arms 

 of^ the thrashing machine feeder, 1,50 

 Quinto. — Loss, by tearing strap, and break- 

 ing three cogs from cast iron horse power, 

 in attempting to force a bundle of thistle 

 stalks, unbound and tough, fhrougli the 

 machine, hindrance and expense, 6,00 

 Sexto. — Loss, in not thrashing the wheat 

 clean froiri the thistles, and rendering the 

 stiaw worthless for stock, 5,00 



Total, 



§36,50 



