WOOL AND WOOLLEN MANUFACTURES. 245 



weeds and grass, and to run a light harrow over old 

 beds early in the spring, when matted too thick with 

 plants. As for manure, it is not customary with us 

 to put any on. I once read an account of plaster 

 being highly beneficial, which I tried, but it failed of 

 improving the plants. Lime might aid in destroying 

 sorrel, but I have not tried it. 



Much has been written about male and female 

 plants, and of the necessity of mixing them in the 

 beds to make them fruitful. Now all this may be 

 necessary with some varieties ; but with the one we 

 cultivate I can assure you it is not : no cultivator in 

 my neighbourhood (Narrows, L. /.), from which the 

 New-York markets are principally supplied, as far 

 as I have ever heard, does it. I once tried an ex- 

 periment which appears to me conclusive. I plant- 

 ed a small bed in my garden at the time when the 

 fruit commenced ripening, taking only such plants 

 as had good and fair fruit on them, and no others. 

 This bed produced the next year abundantly : they 

 were all female plants, and there were no males in 

 their vicinity to impregnate them. The male and 

 female blossoms of this variety must be on the same 

 plant, although, to the eye, no difference is present- 

 ed in their appearance. T. G. BERGEN. 



STATISTICS OF AMERICAN WOOL AND WOOLLEN MANU- 

 FACTURES. 



The following is a statement of the number of 

 sheep and of the woollen manufactories in the dif- 

 ferent states, the number of pounds of wool pro- 

 duced in each, and its value at 50 1-2 cents per lb., 

 which seems to have been the average price for the 

 last ten years. 



