Vol. 1.— No. 13. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



lOl 



Pan's, iV. Y.March I9tk, 1831. 

 Mr. Editor— A subscriber is anxious to 

 cultivate the article of mustard, provided a 

 knowledge of the cost and net proceeds will 

 warrant the trial. Now, sir, through the medi- 

 um of your useful paper. I wish to knov — the 

 time of sowing, state of the ground, process 

 of maturing, time of harvest, manner of fitting 

 fur market, quantity of an average crop. Al- 

 so, as the seaso.i is commencing, information 

 sufficient to enable an inexperienced hand to 

 improve the quality of his fruit by the process 

 of ingrafting. Yours, &c. W. O. 



In answer to the inquiries of W. O. respec- 

 ting the cultivation of mustard, as a field crop, 

 we offer the following observations upon its 

 botanical history, cultivation, manufacture, u- 

 scs, *.' . 



Mustard belongs to the fifteenth class, and 

 second order of the Linnaean system, genus si- 

 tiapis, of which there are two species cultiva- 

 ted as a field crop, the alba and nigra, or white 

 and black. 



All the plants of this class have flowers whh 

 four leaves, or petals, forming a cross, from 

 wliich circumstance they are called cruciform 

 (lowers. The second order of this class in- 

 cludes those plants which have a silique or pod, 

 whose length is more than twice its breadth. 



Both species have been cultivated from time 

 immemorial, in most parts of Europe. It is a 

 received opinion in America, that the white 

 mustard alone is cultivated in England, from 

 which circumstance it is called English Mus- 

 tard; but both white and black are there cul- 

 tivated to considerable extent as field crops, 

 for the manufacture of bottle mustard, which 

 has been exported to different parts of the 

 world. 



The Black Mustard is a plantso well known 

 to every fanner, that a particular description 

 of it is unnecessary. It is of taller growth 

 than the white, and ripens much earlier. Th« 

 leaves and pods of this species are smooth 

 and shining,and the plant may be called hardy, 

 as it will continue growing about yards for 

 years, without any care , and the seed will 

 continue in the ground for years. The flour 

 from the black kind has more pungency than 

 the white. 



The White Mustard is not as hardy as the 

 black, and is of smaller growth ; the leaves, 

 stalks, and pods are covered with short sharp 

 pointed hairs, giving the whole plant a rough 

 appearance ; the leaves are feathered on the 

 edges, and the plant is not as branching as the 

 preceding, neither does it ripen its seeds at 

 early. The green leaves of both kinds are u 

 sed as pot herbs, as are most of the plants be- 

 longing to this class, which includes the differ- 

 ent kinds of cabbage, turnips, cresses, &c. 



Both kinds will grow upon any dry rich soil, 

 which requires no other preparation than for 

 other spring crops. It is sown in drills at a- 

 bout one foot distant from each other, and ho- 

 ed, or when land is in good order, and clear 

 from weeds, it is sown at broad cast. When 

 sown in drills, about eight quarts per acre are 

 considered sufficient for the black kind, and 

 ten for the white ; but when sown at broad 

 cast, about ten quarts of the black and twelve 

 of the white are required, per acre. It should 

 be sown as early as the ground will admit of 

 m the spring, and it will ripen in this climate 

 August. The quantity produced in Eng- 



land per acre, I was informed, vane* from 20 

 to 30 bushels 



Tho cultivation of mustard, in this section 

 of Ihe United States, would be subject to the 

 samo uncertainty as thai of turnips, as they 

 are both liable to be destroyed by the fly, (the 

 chrysomela of Linnajus) which feeds upon all 

 the plants belonging to this class. They are 

 more disposed to feed upon the white than 

 black kind, when growing together, from which 

 we should inler that the black would be the 

 surer crop. We would recommend the same 

 precaution against the fly,as for turnips ; that 

 is, sowing on now land, or newly broken up turf 

 iand. Where these fail, we do not know of any 

 antidote against the fly, as they will sometimes 

 destroy the crop when the young plantB first 

 appear above ground. 



Should the inquirer have any reference to 

 the cultivation of mustard for oil, for which it 

 is often cultivated in Europe, we would re- 

 commend him to examine a plant which we 

 have seen growing upon the Mohawk flats, at 

 the mouth of Oriskany creek, which, if we 

 mistake not, is the Sisymbrium amphibium, L. 

 This plant grows very luxnantly on bottom 

 lands, and we have seen it growing at the a« 

 bove mentioned place, which wo should think 

 would produce at the rate of forty bushels per 

 acre, and the plant is not as liable to be at- 

 tacked by the fly as mustard. 



Both the white and black mustard are ground 

 and bottled for culinary use; and in Durham 

 and some other parts of England, the black 

 husk or skin is so completely separated by t tie 

 machinery, that it does not affect the colour of 

 the flour, which is considered stronger than 

 when made from white, but as it contains more 

 od, some other farinaceous matter is mixed 

 with it, which not only facilitates the dressing 

 or bolting process, but incrsases the quan- 

 tity. 



Mustard is very generally used in the Uni- 

 ted States as a condiment for meats during the 

 spring season, and both white and black are 

 considered medicinal 



Note. The inquiries respecting grafting 

 will be answered in our next ; and for varie- 

 ue.- of apples we refer him to our articels or, 

 Pomology, which will be continued. 



ASPARAGUS. 



This is one of our choicest spring vegeta 

 bles, and yet not one half of the families 

 through western New York pay any attention 

 to the cultivat.on of it. Wo believe many 

 would cultivate it that do not, if they under 

 stood what was necessary. 



There is a tradition handed down among our 

 good old people, that in order to raise aspara 

 gun, it is necessary to dig a hole the size of the 

 intended bed, to the depth of two or three fee* 

 in which there must be laid a floor of brick or 

 •tone, over which must-be laid alternately, lay 

 •rs of manure and earth, until the pit is filled 

 up. on the top of which the asparagus is to be 

 planted. 



Now we confess this would be enough to 

 discourage many but a little attention to the 

 history and cultivation of the plant, dispels 

 this imaginary difficulty. 



Tho plant is found growing in its native state 

 in low grounds, near the ea, from which 

 we may infer that it delights in a moist situa- 



tion, and that salt is not injurious to it. The 

 preparation of ground for this plant is simple, 

 but as it is to remain many years in this place, 

 it should be well prepared. First, when you 

 wish to plant out a bed, select a piece of 

 ground that is rather damp than otherwise, the 

 deeper the soil the belter : let it be well manu- 

 red, and spaded one foot deep at least, and 

 the soil and manure well mixed ; upon this set 

 your young plants, one foot apart, each way, 

 spreading the small roots horizontally; cover 

 them over about two inches with good mould, 

 and the task is done. The young plants should 

 be kept hoed until they shade the ground suf- 

 ficiently to keep the weeds under. In the 

 fall cut down the stalks, and cover the bed 

 with coarse manure, which may be stirred in 

 the spring, and a little salt sprinkled ever it. 

 The third year the shoots will be big enough 

 to cut for use ; after which, if it is well tend- 

 ed, a bed will do well for twenty years. As- 

 paragus may be cut until early peas are fit for 

 use ; after which it should be allowed to make 

 its full growth. A bed of five feet wide and 

 forty feet iu length, will be sufficient for the 

 supply of a family. We recommend the cul 

 tivation of a bed of asparagus to every farmer, 

 as a matter of health, comfort, and economy. 



GOOSEBERRIES. 



Of which there are some hundred sorts, of 

 various colors, shapes, and sizes; wliich Ihe 

 nursery-men dignify with high sounding and 

 gratuitous names. 



Of Ihe large and monstrous kind), it is ob- 

 served that like the imported vine, they are 

 subject to mildew, when the berry is in the 

 tart, and also the young growth of wood during 

 the whole season. In England it is advised to 

 keep them open by pruning, and to give them 

 sjn and ft free ciiculation of air; but when we 

 contrast our clear, bright, and burning days, 

 with the mists and fogs of an English climate, 

 it would seem that the rule should be reversed, 

 and as far as our experience goes, all of those 

 large and high fed varieties thrive altogether 

 best in the shade, when pruned in such a man- 

 ner as to admit a free Circulation of air — the 

 shade of vegetables is not as favorable as the 

 sides of houses, walls, and fences, with north, 

 south, and west exposures. 



We had several sorts last year, which grew 

 to the size of walnuts, all of which tell to 

 the ground, completely coveted by a dark 

 brown fungus, which commenced at a very 

 small point, and seemed to be endowed with 

 vegetable life, and composed of small running 

 filaments, and was to ail intents a parasite 

 possessing organs of vegetability, and sustain- 

 ed itself by preying upon, and deriving its ali- 

 ment from the fruit; others from the same 

 stock, in more shaded situations, perfected 

 their fruit free from this disease. 



They, in all cases within our knowledge, 

 fared the same on light sandy soils, as on the 

 richest and deepest bottoms ; and if they con- 

 tinue to be thus affected.it is a fair conclusion 

 that our humid nights and hot days are the 

 proximate causes of mildew or blight, and that 

 our climate is unfavorable to their production 



Tho sulphurated lime water, and the chlo. 

 rites, proved perfectly inert, as to arresting this 

 disease; and the only remedy we can suggest 

 is, the raising new sorts from the seeds of im 



