114 



THE GENESEE PARMER 



April 16, 1831. 





The genus Azalea includes many beautiful 

 "slirnbs, and no ornamental garden should be 

 destitute of a portion. A. calendulas a was 

 pronounced by Pursh," the handsomest shrub 

 tn North America ;" and Of this species there 

 ate three fine variotios. A. nndifiora abounds 

 in manv parts»of the Genesee country, with 

 (lowers varying from nearly white to a full 

 .red.* Plants designed for the garden, should 

 be chosen from open grounds, and if practica 

 ble from moist land, on account of tie fibrous 

 roots which are fastened in the soil. Be partic- 

 ular to transplant the whole mass, leaving un- 

 touched by the knife, every stem and sucker 

 Shrubs of good »ize and spreading roots, not 

 only grow better, but they will blossom the 

 first season. A. viscosa has been found in 

 swamps near Loekport, but it is rare in this 

 district. Elliott says it is not so handsome as 

 the preceding species ; but it blooms innch 

 later, and its white flowers are very fragrant 

 .4. dauca is considered by some botanists as 

 only a variety of this species. A.pontica with 

 white or yellow flowers is highly prized. A. 

 indica, (another exotic) with scarlet, purple, 

 white, or orange colored flowers is rare, very 

 high prioed, and is treated as a green-house 

 plant; though Prince says the double purple 

 " withstands the severest cold," like the other 

 species. 



Sorbus is a fine genu*. A. ametitaua ? 

 grows near Pultneyville and (S. inierocarpa f) 

 at the tittle Falls of the Mohawk. 3. aria 

 from Britain is of singular foliage. All of this 

 genus are easily propagated by budding, and 

 several (if not all) by suckers. t 



The finest species of the Snow berry (sym 

 phoria, racemosa) was brought by Captain 41 

 t^owis from the Missouri, We have aiiotlwr 

 specios (S. glauca) a lewer shrub, with berries 

 as white, which grows oa the thore of th 

 Cayuga lake, and which once decorated the 

 liuiestoiio cliff round the basin at Loekport. 

 The red horned (S. glovierata) adds to the 

 beauty and variety of a shrubbery ; and ano- 

 ther species (S. puniccu) with crimson flowers 

 is noticed in Loudon's Encyclopedia of plants, 

 — also a nativu of North America. 



Tamariz gallica when young is injured by 

 our winters; and I have doubts whether it 

 will withstand them when old. The steins 

 (as long as they can be bent) may be safely 

 and successfully laid down at the commence- 

 ment of severe weather. Sir John Sinclair 

 says that T. germanua is a hardier species. 



Missouri currants become troublesome un- 

 less trained with a single stem. As some rea- 

 det of your valuable paper may not know the 

 method, 1 will lell him. Take a thrifty sJipot 

 of the last year's growth, 18 inches long, which 

 is cut 1 1-iJ inches above the old wood. With 

 a -harp knife, shave off every bud even with 

 the bark, except those buds on inches of the 

 upper end of the shoot. Plant it like other 

 cuttings, upright, with the lower end seven in- 

 ches deep. It will then be 8 inches from the 

 around to th» first branch. No species of 

 ■flihes (currants and gooseborries) so far as we 

 know, /brai a new bud in old bark, although 

 such cuttings root with facility. 



Sophora juponica is a fine hardy shrub. The 

 bark is green. It is said to yield a valuable 

 yellow dye. 



ForUanesia phillyroiaes from Landicoa in 

 Syiia, loses a few inches of the young twigs 



* Elliott calls it " one of the rri09t beautiful 

 plants which adorn the forests of North America. 1 



L An unreasonable prejudice prevails against 

 flickers in the minds of many horticulturists, We 

 diavebeeu frequently tuld that "pood trees ii -u'l 

 grow from suckers." Now, a sucker is of; hkely 

 if) form a shapely tree, as any graft taken from a 

 lateral branch, (the place from which they are u- 

 sually taken.) Look at the line trees of the com- 

 mon cherries which have been propagated fiom 

 suckers from time immemorial. But " suckers pro 

 duce suckers." So do seed lings. I liavc at) apple 

 tree about twenty years old, a graft set on a suck 

 ■r, ami in all Hut time the stock has never produ- 

 ced a tucker. 



every winter, like the amorplm ; yet increases 

 considerably in size, retaining its leaves late 

 in autumn. 



Vitex agnits castus from Calabria, requires 

 eovering for its young branches in winter. — 

 Perhaps it may abide our freezing winds when 

 the stems shall be thicker and older, and the 

 wood well matured If killed to the ground, 

 however, it sprouts freely, though late, blos- 

 soms in autumn, and excites the attention of 

 the curious. 



With us tho Bignonias are not " perfectly 

 hardy." One year ago, a plant of B. radicans, 

 on the north west side of the summer bouse, 

 was killod nearly to the ground, while another 

 plant on the south east side only lost itsyonDg 

 branches. A little shelter is sometimes use 

 ful ; but another cause contributed to this re- 

 sult: the latter plant had received the most 

 sunshine in samrter, and oi course its wood 

 was better ripened. 



B. grandifiora has larger flowers wfth shors 

 ter tubes and paler colors. It is a fine plant, 

 and if killed to the ground, will send np shoots 

 that blossom tho same season. 



Clematis flammula, sweet sconted virgin's 

 bower, like those mentioned by M. Floy, also 

 withstands our winters. It produces a mnlti- 

 todo of white flowers, and a delicate perfume 

 towards the close of summer. 



Atragene americana is also a climber, and 

 by some botanists arranged with Clematis (C. 

 verticillaris) Its pnrple flowers are very oi» 

 namental. The seeds vegetate freely, bat I 

 have not succeeded with layers, as recommen- 

 ded in Loudon's Encyclopedia of plants. 



Lonicera pubescens mentiouedby Floy is the 

 Lonicera hirsnta of Eaton. The former should 

 be rejected as a piraiedname, because Profes- 

 sor Eaton first discovered and desoribed the 

 species. I know nothing of its coming from 

 the North West Const. It was desgnbed by 

 E&ton in 1818 from specimens found near Wil- 

 liam's College in Ms. and was first taken to 

 Britain in 1823 from Canada. It grows plon 

 lifully betwoen Hammond's port and Bath; 



rea opulifolia (Nine bark) more frequent in 

 this vicinity, is admired for its red capsules. — 

 Ccanothus americanus with its profusion of 

 white flowers in summer, also merits a place- 

 Neither is Staphylea trifolia destitute of beau- 

 ty. 



Acer spitatum with crimson twigs in one sea'- 

 son and spikes of white flowers in another, may 

 be found on rocky banks ; and Acer striatnm 

 of greater growth and mora beautiful branch- 

 es, may be brought from the hills in thesouth 

 of our district, where Comtonia asplerifolia 

 also grows in thin soils. This small shrub is 

 admired for the shape and fragrance of its 

 leaves. 



Cornus ftorida is showy when in flower. — 

 Laurus sassafras is worthy of a place ; and 

 both occur in many localities. Potentillaf/o- 

 ribunda grows in a swamp 11 miles west of Ca- 

 nandaigua on tho road to Avon. RhamnuS 



frangnlordes in wet land near Lockpurt. 



Xunthoxylum frcrxinenm is found in many 

 partsof our district. 



Among climbing shrubs Celastrus scandarr? 

 (American bittersweet) with scarlet arils in 

 autumn, — and Menispemum canadense with 

 green eiems and black berries, claim a place 

 The pistillate plants of Clematis virgiuiaiw 

 when decorated with white plumes are verv 

 fine. D. T." 



FOR THE GENESEB FARMER. 



AaMCULTUaAt SCHOOLS. 



filooh has been said, of late, about " raising 

 the standard of common school learning, ele- 

 vating the character of Teachers," &c. for 

 which conventions of Teachers have been pro- 

 posed, and considerable movements have ta- 

 ken place. 



That the natural sciences ought to be intro- 

 duced into our common schools, I admit, and 

 believo they might be, at least in a degree ; bat 

 I do not see how these measures arc likely to 

 effect the object. 



That agriculture should be taught, and both 

 as n science and an art, to farmers' sons, I 



and last season, I found it io Hector,Tompkins I! strenuously contend. If taught, however, so 



as to do any permanent good, it must he prac- 

 tically, and not by books only. It must be by 

 the management of a farm, connected with the 

 school, and nut by a school without a farm, or 

 oven a garden 1 The good sense of every 

 farmer will courirto this remark, and yet there 

 is great danger that it will be overlooked. 



The Rensselaer School is not a school of 

 this sort. Will uot somo of tho worthy and 

 patriotic fanners of the West, establish a truly 

 Agricultural School 1 Say Fur a county 1 De- 

 vote a Farm to the maintenance of such a 

 Scliool, with its Garden, I'mtyard, Nursery and 

 Orchard, worked by the Pupils. This is the 

 true plan. Lut the farm be purchased by pat- 

 riotic individuals, and given, forever, to such 

 an establishment, a noble example, worthy of 

 the greatest au-J best minds. A Pattern Farm, 

 each part a Model. Suggest the idea. Better 

 havo such a school and farm, than a Uuivcrsily, 

 rub]rrnnvsin'vret ff nmnd;i !cvel1 fot r:ime ' or molrey-mabing, two things 

 c,ts (lush cranberry) is of ° f P"™ concern at the present day 



A Farjieb. 



oo. It is a vigorous and interesting plant. 



My Lonicera ffexuosa has not eodured " our 

 most severe frosts without injury."' Its ever* 

 green foliage is killed, but I have hopes that 

 its brandies will survive. 



I havo seen no rose more admired than the 

 Rosa rnbifolia from Detroit and the Western 

 States. D. T. 



N. B. The cultivators of ornamental 

 sukues in tho Genesee country, may select 

 many from tho woods, as lino as those to be pro- 

 cured at high prices ; and for their accommo- 

 dation I havo mentioned various localities. I 

 will adit a few more. Lonicera parvifiora of- 

 ten occurs on dry banks near brooks or larger 

 waters; Shepherdia canadensis on the shores 

 of our lakes ; Euonywus atropurpurcus on 

 tiie flats of our larger streams ; and Euonnmus 

 obovatus in llie vicinities of Loekport, Buffalo, 

 and tho southern shore of Lake Erie. Vibur- 

 num lentago,!\ fine sh 

 and Fiburiium oxjjsoccus 

 frequent occurrence in swamps : In similar sit- 

 uations may be found tho swamp huckleberry, 

 (l r uccinium corymbosum) with pleasant fruit 

 and pleasing aspect ; Copltalanthas occidenla 

 lis with round heads of perfect flowers ; Cor- 

 nns stricta with twigs of a fine crimson in win- 

 ter and in spring ; and Myrir.a cerifera (tho 

 Caudlc-berry myitle) — all easily accommodated 

 in garden soil. 



Xylosteum cilialum and X. solonis • (though 

 rarer) also occurs in this district 

 roalis from among tho hemlocks at Saudy 

 creek, will require a shady spot in the garden 

 ; From tho swamps of Junius may be taken Ilex 

 \canadeneis ; and from various other swamps, 

 iPrinas ecrticiValus, both \ery ornamental 

 Uvhon loaded with fruit. 



Cl'LTl'BE OF SILK. 



Uarcellus, Jaa. 7th, 1831. 

 Toalr. Isaac Cady : 



Dear Sir — After somo delays, rendered 

 necessary by causes needless to mention, I un 

 dertake to answer your interrogatories in re- 

 lation to markets for cocoons and raw silk, to 

 mulberry trees, and the eggs of silk worms. — 

 Linuu'a bo- jj The object at which you seem to aim, is a sat- 

 isfactory solution of the question, Whether the 

 'culture of silk can be made a profitable branch 

 of American industry 7 It is a question which 

 j fur several years has been greatly agitated.-- 

 The Congress of the U. States have had it be- 



fuie then), and have acted upon it Under :s 

 Spirea sulicitolia is more conimou beyond Ii deep eonvictiwu of its importance. Somo 

 Lockpbrt, and by pruning may be induced to I veau siuoe, measures were taken, by order of 

 flower fhrough the summer and autumn. Sjii llltylt body, to collect from all parts of the world' 



