8 Retrospective View of the 



that has been written has detailed nothing new. As a 

 mulcher, it midoubtedly answers as good a purpose as any 

 similar substance, with the advantage over leaves, straw or 

 hay, that it does not easily blow away, and is a cheaper arti- 

 cle. That it does not possess any nutritive properties is so 

 well known to every practical man of observation, we have 

 not deemed it necessary to dispute the question with those who 

 advocate its use for such a purpose. We have for years used 

 tan for various purposes ; such as banking up pits and frames 

 in winter, plunging plants in summer, &c., &c., it being the 

 cheapest material we could readily get. As a mulching for 

 strawberries, it answers a very good purpose ; but it is inferior 

 to straw, as it does not keep the berries scarcely, if any 

 cleaner, than they are without it. We have been so accus- 

 tomed to its use that we have been quite surprised to find 

 that many persons have supposed its recent recommendation 

 for garden purposes was some new and wonderful discovery. 

 According to some writers who have used it, it is the most 

 miserable stuff which a man can bring into his garden. A 

 writer in the Rural Neio Yorker, states that the only value 

 he knew tan to possess was as a covering to drains. Here, 

 he says, there will be " no trouble with ' acid ' in the bark, or 

 a waste of materials, already of themselves a good manure, 

 in an endeavor to convert hemlock bark into a manure, when 

 it has been steeped until all its enriching qualities (if it ever 

 had any) have been extracted ;" and further, that the attempts 

 to convert tan into ^^ good manure hy mixing manure with it, 

 reminded him of the cook who could make a good apple pie 

 out of potatoes if you would give him the 'fixins,'" This 

 is just our estimate of tan. 



Mr. Jaques' article on transplanting large trees, (p. 529,) is 

 a record of actual experiments, made by himself, and with 

 the most perfect success. Those who would like to avail 

 themselves of the growth of years, and produce an imme- 

 diate effect, may venture to accomplish their object, if they 

 will do it with the same care and personal attention given by 

 Mr. Jaques. Herein lies the whole secret of his success. 

 He left nothing to chance. Unless an individual can be 



