Vol. 1.— No. 23. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL,. 



183 



fbre to the cultivation and improvement of 

 wheat, the great staple production of this 

 state, there is nothing more justly entitled 

 to the attention of agriculturists than the 

 potato ', and he who shall persuade our far- 

 mers to abandon the inferior qualities, and 

 to select and perpetuate the best, will not 

 only deserve, but I doubt not receive the ho- 

 nors of a public benefactor. I am happy to 

 add, tbat one of our most scientific and en- 

 lightened agriculturists — (one too, who has 

 already laid the horticulture and husband- 

 ry of New York under great obligations,) is 

 now devoting much of his attention to the 

 •cultivation of the potato. To wish him the 

 highest success in his endeavors — is not less 

 the dictate of patriotism and philanthropy, 

 than of kind feeling and personal respect.* 



But my reference to this vegetable must 

 not terminate with the- observations just 

 made. It furnishes one of the most inter- 

 esting and beautiful illustrations of the ben- 

 efits which science has conferred on man- 

 kind. 



The potato is a native of America ; and 

 though 'in nonor of its introduction into 

 Europe has been divided between Sir Wal- 

 ter Raleigh and others, yet it admits of no 

 doubt that the old world is indebted for this 

 addition to its prodacts,to the science of na- 

 vigation and the labors of the naturalist. — 

 Throughout all Europe, it is now a most 

 important article of food, and its introduc- 

 tion into that continent has more than in- 

 demnified it for all it has lost by emigration 

 to the new world. The Irish were the first 

 who turned it to account, and it now forms, 

 as is well known, the principal food of their 

 laboring population. The French pro- 

 Scribed it, because it was imagined that va- 

 rious disorders were occasioned by its use. 

 It was more than two centuries before the 

 popular prejudices existing against itin tbat 

 country, were entirely overcome, and then 

 only by the instrumentality of a scientific 

 chemist — the distinguished Parmentier. — 

 The zealous and successful exertions of this 

 benevolent man, were so honorable to his 

 Character and so useful to his species, that I 

 cannot resist the opportunity of noticing 

 those to which I have referred, a little more 

 particularly. He was employed, during the 

 war of 1706, in the hospital department of 

 the army ef Hanover, and in consequence 

 of his zeal in the pursuit of knowledge, 

 which often led hiin to imprudent exposures, 

 he was five times taken prisoner, and more 

 ■than once subjected to the horrors of famine. 

 Whilst in prison he frequently had no other 

 food than the potatoe, then beginning to be 

 Cultivated, though neither valued nor under- 

 stood, in the German States. His scientific 

 knowledge enabled hiin to analyze the qual- 

 ities of the root, and to discover the uses to 

 which it could be applied. After the peace 

 of 1768, he returned to Paris, and pursued 

 with ardor every branch of science connec- 

 ted with the support of animal life ; and it 

 was not long before he had an opportunity 

 of rendering his knowledge most useful to 

 the public, The dearth in 1769 called the 

 attention of the French ministers and sa- 

 tans to the vegetaoles which were calculated 

 to supply the place of bread corn ; and the 



"Jesse Buel, Esq. The lafe Chief Justice 

 Spencer, whoae time is now chiefly devoted 

 to the honorable pursuits of practical agricul- 

 ture, has also beslmvcid much care on the cul- 

 tivation of the potato, and has 3~uccce<Tud in 

 producHri* trrp ncrst Cjiiakliest 



potato was introduced into several districts. 

 The old clamor was revived ; and the veget- 

 able was again proscribed, and would have 

 been rejected as poisonous, if Parmentier, in 

 a prize discourse submitted to the academy I 

 of Besancon in 1773, on the " vegetables 

 which in limes of scarcity, may supply the 

 place of those that are usually employed for 

 the nourishment of man," and in a " che- 

 mical examination of the potato" submitted 

 to the comptroller general in the same year, 

 had not vindicated its character and demon- 

 strated its usefulness. Nor did his exer- 

 tions stop here. He cultivated it himself ; 

 he persuaded the nobility to place it on their 

 'tables; he induced the king to wear a bou- 

 Iquetof potato-blossoms in full court, on the 

 jday of a solemn fete ; he studied the most 

 palatable modes of culinary preparation; and 

 on one occasion, he gave a dinner consisting 

 only of potatoes, but of potatoes served up 

 j in twenty different forms. The opposition 

 ihe was obliged to encounter may be judged 

 'of from the fact, that when it was proposed 

 [during the revolution, to elect him to a mu- 

 nicipal office, he was opposed on the ground 

 that " Ae mould make the common people eat 

 nothing but potatoes," for, (said one of the 

 voters) " it is hexvho invented them." These 

 efforts were continued, in connection with 

 many others of the like nature, during a 

 long life devoted to the welfare of mankind. 

 His favorite vegetable came into general 

 use ; and with complete success. Whole 

 districts formerly barren were fertilized and 

 rendered habitable ; and his old age was 

 crowned with the delightful reflection, that 

 on two several occasions, great numbers of 

 his countrymen had been saved from the 

 horrors of famine, through his instrumen- 

 tality. 



The principle of these remarks might be 

 extended to every other department of hus- 

 bandry, and to every other of its products. 

 The thinness of our population, and the fa- 

 cilities for obtaining land, have heretofore 

 contributed to keep down the character of 

 our agriculture ; but the time has arrived 

 when it begins to demand the closest at- 

 tention. Not only is our population con- 

 stantly augmenting, but our best soils having 

 been first brought into cultivation, we must 

 rely on the improvements of the future, to 

 make not only our inferior soils productive, 

 but those of the first quality also, more pro- 

 ductive than heretofore. To effect this, re- 

 sort must be had to the physical, mechani- 

 cal and experimental sciences, all of whieh 

 have a direct connection with the art of ag- 

 riculture, and for that reason alone, inde- 

 pendently of other considerations, are enti- 

 tled to our special regard." 



TO SAVE SEEDS. 



All seeds keep better in their seed vessels 

 but this can rarely be done, on account of 

 the great space occupied. As soon, there- 

 fore, as the pods of cabbages, turnips, rad- 

 ishes, &c. turn brown, and a part become 

 dry, the stems should be cut and laid on a 

 cloth or floor to dry, and afterwards thrash- 

 ed out, and hung up in bags in some open 

 airy place. Lettuces should be pulled up 

 with the roots, as soon as there is the least 

 appearance of maturity, and hung up, and 

 the plants will ripen all of their seeds, near- 

 ly at the same time. If left in the garden 

 to ripen, the earliest and best will be lost ; 

 in fact, except under very favorable circum- 

 stmiccX very few will be obtained, as- every 



shower and every strong breeze will lessen 

 the quantity, and scatter those which arp 

 mature over the whole garden. The same 

 course should be pursued with leaks and on 

 ions. It is a prevalent opinion that the bush 

 squash cannot be perpetuated among us, as 

 such have a strong tendency to run, and will 

 in one or two seasons become a vine. Thb 

 is a mistake, and has originated, no doubt, 

 in the manner of saving the seed. If the 

 first squashes which appear be retained for 

 seed, there is no danger of the plant run- 

 ning the next season ; but if these be used 

 and those which are borne at the extreme- 

 ties are preserved for this purpose, they will 

 run, and moreover will be later in bearing. 

 To have early fruit of either the squash, cu 

 cumber or melon, the very first should b? 

 reserved.— Southern Agriculturist. 



TREE PCEONY. 

 The Hon. Jonathan Huneivell has sent to 

 the office of the New England Farmer a 

 beautiful specimen of this magnificent plant. 

 It is three feet high, covered with 30 blos- 

 soms, some of which are 18 inches in cir- 

 cumference, of a light purple colour, inter- 

 mingled with some paler shades, and of a 

 mild agreeable fragrance. This plant is ex- 

 tensively cultivated in China, of which they 

 have several varieties, some of which it i< 

 said, were formerly sold for one hundred 

 ounces of gold. It is there held in such 

 high esteem, as to be called the " King of 

 Flowers." Mr. Prince of Flushing has spe- 

 cimens in his garden that have produced 5<i 

 flowers each, annually. — N. E- Farmer. 



Splended Mechanical Exhibition. — We 

 called a few evenings ago and spent an 

 hour in examining the Mechanical Exhi- 

 bition of Mr. Morgan, at Mr. South's Ci- 

 ty Tavern. The machines are a Picker, 

 Carding Machine, Drawing Machine, 

 Speeder for Roping,Throstle frame, with 

 12 spindles for spinning, Spool Winder, 

 Power Loom, Card and Condenser, Jack 

 for Spinning, Gig for raising the Nap, 

 Shearing Machine, and a Card Sticker, 

 all arranged upon an elevated platform oV 

 33 feet in length by 8 in breadth, and the 

 whole in rapid operation by the power 

 of dogs placed on an inclined plane at 

 the end. The machinery is the most 

 splended we ever saw, and perfect in all 

 its parts. — Tnte. Am. 



XTTfu BaromfctTital and Thermcm ethical observa 

 tio.n»are registered at 10 o'clock A.M. and P. M.,uhic!t 

 by along series of experiments made for the purpose, 

 show lhat tuitx to give a nearer mean average of tXt 

 relative heat df a day (Jean anjf ether time. . 



Hon. Thomas Chilton.— Tbe U. S. Tele- 

 graph contradicts on late information He ru- 

 mor tf the disease of tbls gentleman. 



