1882.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



19 



Tho risks from wiiidfalls would doubtless, 

 in time, become a very coiisidenilile one, and 

 perhaps the main one. In the dim long ago, 

 it seemed to liave been tacitly understood 

 that the poor people of the towns and villages 

 of our Stale, were privileged to gather the 

 wind falls of contiguous forests and appropri- 

 ate thrui to their own use. At all events they 

 did gather theui and carry them home, and no 

 owner of forest premises ever interfered with 

 their right to do so, and perhaps would have 

 been looked upon as a very mean man if he 

 had. 



Now, we well remember how tliickly the 

 ground of those forests was strewn with wind- 

 falls after every storm, and how eagerly the 

 poor hied themselves thither to get the lirst 

 choice of them, and this was particularly the 

 case when the trees were large and old. Think 

 of a train of cars entering such a dangerous 

 avenue on a dark and stormy night, feeling 

 its way cautiously for a whole night in mo- 

 mentary fear of encountering these windfalls 

 on the track. 



Again, where would railroad comjiauics 

 find room to plant their trees? "Where the 

 roads ran at grade there might be little difli- 

 culty, but where they penetrated hills by deep 

 excavations, or where elevated on high em- 

 bankments, they evidently would be compel- 

 led to i)lant them on the sides of tho.se exca- 

 vations and embankments, and thus the pro- 

 jecting limbs would, in time, spread and 

 interfere with the transit of cars, or with the 

 etlicieney of the telegraph wires. They could 

 not plant them along the margins of their 

 grants, for there they would tr spass upon the 

 contiguous property; morever, railroad com- 

 panies are granted the right of way to trans- 

 port passengers and merchandise, and not to 

 convert them into timber forests, jeopardiz- 

 in>; the lives and properly of their jiatrons. 



We give these views for what they may be 

 worth, and not as an unqualified endorsement 

 of them, nor yet as a positive dissent. There is 

 evidently two sides to the question, and be- 

 fore we commit ourselves to either side, we 

 should contemplate the subject both pro and 

 con. It doubtless would be pleasant to ride 

 through a long shaded avenue in summer 

 time, but if this should add to the present 

 burden of danger, much might be lost and 

 nothing gained. 



THE LARGEST TREE IN THE WORLD. 



" The biggest tree in the world is not in 

 California, as every one supposed, but in Aus- 

 tralia. The Champion of the Yosemite Val- 

 ley must give way to the "Peppermint" trees, 

 on the Dandenong rauge of hills in Australia. 

 Baron Von Muller who is a great authority on 

 botanical subjects, asserts that he has seen one 

 of these trees of the enormous height of St. 

 Paul's Cathedral," 4^iO feet. 



The above paragraph is credited to Land and 

 Water, by the Journal of Forcstri/. This will 

 never do. We must find a tree 480 feet and 

 one inch in height, even if we have to si)lice 

 it. Perhaps the great Santa Barbara grape 

 vine might be irellised up to a greater height 

 than the Australian peppermint, but then it 

 would hardly pay, as they would be sure to 

 "beat it"— perhaps with a pumpkin vine— in 

 Australia. The race in "big things" seems 

 to lie between California and Australia, and 



are mere specta- 



tho remainder of the worl 

 tors. 



On a "second thought," perhaps, it would 

 be better just now to "divide the honors," for 

 the same authority nominally accords to New 

 York Stale — "(/ic lanjcst ' orrliurd in the 

 ii'or/fZ," namely, that belonging to Mr. Kinst- 

 ry, on the l)ank.s of the llud.son, containing 

 24,000 yapple-trees, 4,000 cherry-trees, 1,000 

 pear-trees, 500 peach-trees, 500 chestnut-trees, 

 •JOO plum-trees, 15,000 grape-vines, and 0.000 

 raspberry-trees. Of apples alone Mr. K. sold 

 over ;jl),OOU barrels, and a proportionate quan- 

 tity of other kmds of fruit last year. Taken 

 as a whole, Mr. Kinstry's may be the largest 

 orchard in the world ; but, if the number of 

 peach trees was thousands instead of hun- 

 dreds, it would not equal some of the peach 

 orchards of the little Slate of J)elaware, and 

 the plums can be outnuuibcred, we think, by 

 orchards in Michigan. 



We are not sure that big trees, big orchards 

 and big farms, ;ire the best things for the gen- 

 eral welfare and eciuity of a country — and this 

 might also ajiply to big establisbmenls of any 

 kind, uule.ss it were such as could not be con- 

 ducted on small or medium scales — as rail- 

 roads and canals for instance, and which can- 

 not accomplish their objects, or accommodate 

 the demands of the public, without traversing 

 hundreds or thousands of miles. 



SHIFTY, THRIFTY, FRANCE. 



"The Montez.uma (N. Y.) marshes are like- 

 ly to become as valuable as a coal mine. The 

 nuirl is being shipped to France by the thou- 

 sands of tons, being used there as a deodoriz- 

 er and entering into the manufacture of arti- 

 ficial fertilizers. Seeing that we are export- 

 ing so niueb fertilizfng matter in Ihe shape of 

 cereals, and Ijeef' pork and mutton, we really 

 oMght to keep all crude fertilizing matter at 

 home to replenish those tields whose fertility 

 has been shipped to Europe." 



The French seem to know "whats what" 

 on subjects of "fragrance and fertility;" some- 

 thing which we Americans are slow in learn- 

 ing. Marl, tli£ qualities of which should be 

 familiar to American farmers, is aksolutely 

 unknown in many districts of our country, 

 not very far either from localities where thou- 

 sands of tons of it have been imbedded these 

 many hundreds— perhaps thousands— of years. 



The next step may be for France to send 

 our marl back to us again, in the form of ex- 

 pensive fertilizers. Perhaps then it would be- 

 come popular, for it would be French, and 

 'you know' we are a very "Freuchy people in 

 tastes. Here we sweat and odorizc, and 

 France .sends over and takes our deodorizers. 

 They are a wonderfully prolific peoph; any 

 how, in scientific, domestic, manufacturing 

 and social exi)edients and economics; and al- 

 though comparatively poor in area and virgin 

 fertility, yet they are rich in resources, and 

 could live sumi)tuously on what we waste, or 

 willfully throw away. 



"A market for the sale of toads lo garden- 

 ers is held every week in Paris. A hundred 

 good toads bring from .$15 to $17. They are 

 brought packed in damp moss in well-ventila- 

 ted ciwks." 



There it is again: the next step will be to 

 import American toads, as companions to our 

 marl. As we are said to be a money getting 

 people, it would not be surprising, if some of 

 our enterj)rising experts would engage in the 



exportation of toads — especially if it " pays" 

 ;— seeing that we have such a low appreciation 

 of them as domestic auxiliaries on this side of 

 the Atlantic. 



"The highest mountain on the north Ameri- 

 can continent, is Mount St. F.lias in Alaska, 

 who.se elevation is ; 7,780 feet. Next to it 

 eonie the volcano of Popocala[)etl, in Mexico, 

 17,70(1 feet, and Orizaba, also in Mexico, 

 17,370 feet. 



We own the liighest mountain: that surely 

 is siiinc compensation. France can't deprive 

 us of that "any way." Hut should the ice 

 crop fail, we may find her hankering after our 

 Alaska ice. Ulu- would profit by it, although 

 wc, it seems, cainiot. AVell, let her take it, 

 and the marl and toads along with it. She 

 can't take our highest mountain, nor our nox- 

 ious insects {indeed these she u'on't take, she 

 is satisfied with our phijUoxera) nor our 

 stenches. 



Irony apart, these paragraphs carefully 

 culled, are significant. Before another cen- 

 tury in our history tran.spires, our country 

 may have a more practical illustration of the 

 use of marl and toads, and perhaps of high 

 mountains too, than it has now. These arc 

 the bountiful provisions of nature, that liave 

 been permitted by a power outside of nature, 

 for our utilization when the proper time and 

 circumstances hanuonize in their discovery 

 and development. 



KITCHEN GARDEN FOR FEBRUARY. 



In the Middle States, frost usually prevents 

 out-door ellbrts in the way of gardening. 

 Next month however, will bring its labors, 

 and we can now only prepare to follow them. 

 It is presumed all per.sons into whose hands t..is 

 Journal is likely to fall are jirovided with that 

 cheap and simple means of enjoyment, a HoT- 

 liED, for forwarding tender vegetables. AVe 

 do not mean the more expensive structure 

 under which delicacies are provided ready for 

 the table, but a plain box, of suitable size and 

 figure, with sash and shutter to fit, under 

 which plants ol'<-ahb(i(jc, tomalo, cjij-plant, &c., 

 may be raised in anlicipalion of spring, and 

 on its arrival, to be transplanted in the open 

 air. If there be one who has a garden still 

 unfurnished with what we have just described, 

 let him lake our word for it he will, on trial, 

 thank us for urging its immediate provision; 

 no country family can half enjoy the comforts 

 within reach who are unprovided with such 

 a structure; a glance at one in use will give 

 the necessary information as to the construc- 

 tion. Towards the close of this month (if the 

 weather bc'very severe it may be prudent to 

 defer it awhile), the seeds just named may be 

 planted under glass; watch them lest they 

 sutler from frost, or, as is not unfrequently 

 the case, from want of suflicient air as the 

 weather becomes milder, when they all need 

 increased water. If the remarks under the 

 head of January are referred to, perhaps some- 

 thing may be found which will apply with 

 equal force to the present month. 



We can only speak in general terras of the 

 work which may be advantageously done now, 

 preparatory to the active season which ap- 

 proaches. The thoughtful man will study 

 out the subject for him.self and leave no- 

 thing undone which may expedite the varied 

 and i>iessing labors of spring. If tools and 

 implements are likely to be needed, ho will 



