.110 



one of the same or some other kind."' It i? 

 Said, however, and we believe truly, that a 

 young tree will not flourish in the 'pol wlicre 

 an old one of thp ?ame kind had grown. 



Suckers should not be sutl'ered to remain 

 from one vcar to another, near the roots nor on 

 Ihe body of the tree. If the tree appears to 

 have a tendency to put forth a redund^ince of 

 wood, the young shoots should be pinched olT 

 while tender, but should not be cut while the 

 sap is flowing, because the hloesom buds may 

 thus be deprived of sap. 



The gum or natural juice of the tree is the 

 best salve for curing wounds made by pruning ; 

 and it generally eflfects the purpose. liut when 

 the tree is old, and the wound large, an artili- 

 cial covering becomes necessary. Mr. Forsyth's 

 composition of lime, cow dung, wood ashes, 

 and sand is too well known to need a particular 

 deicriplion. This composition, however, is not 

 so highly valued as it was formerly. " It does 

 not," says an English writer, " appear the best 

 calculated, whether laid on in paste, or with a 

 brush, to resist the sun and rain." " Having 

 had," he adds, " to head down several large 

 trees, and conceiving this composition not cal- 

 culated for what 1 thought essential, namely, 

 keeping out the sun, wind and insects, I 

 had part of the trees dressed with this compo- 

 sition and other parts with a composition of 

 pitch, tar, lime, rubbish and sand, boiled to a 

 hard consistence, and laid on hot. In a few 

 months I found Mr. Forsyth's composition partly 

 scaled off, and washed away, and insects harbor- 

 ing under it ; but the tar composition was then, 

 as it is to this day, tirmly adhering over the 

 whole surface of the wound." 



Another kind of composition, recommended 

 by some writers is composed of rosin, bees wax 

 and turpentine ; and a third of tar, bees wax and 

 red ochre, boiled or simmered together. The 

 proportions for the last mentioned are a pint of 

 tar, a piece of bees wax about as big as an En- 

 glish walnut, with about half a gill of red ochre, 

 stirred info the mixture while boiling or sim- 

 mering. But a writer on fruit trees, whose re- 

 marks may be seen No. 19, page 145, column 

 5d, of the New England Farmer, declares that 

 he has found by experience turpentine to be in- 

 jurious to trees in Carolina, though he suppos- 

 es in a northern climate it may have no bad 

 effect. This writer recommends " one meas- 

 ure of olive oil, or hog's lard, three do. of mel- 

 ted bees' wax mixed while hot, to be worked 

 at'ter it is cool till sufficiently pliant." Dr. 

 Thacher says, (Orchardist p. 73) " it is prob- 

 able that a composition consisting of clay, tem- 

 jiered with horse dung, will be found of equal 

 utility," that is as useful as a mixture of bees' 

 wax, rosin and turpentine. The author of the 

 Agrictdtural Report of Scotland likewise re- 

 commends as a plaister for wounds in fruit trees 

 '■' a mixture of clay and horse-droppings," and 

 says, " this, as it excludes the action of the air 

 and rain is considered to be equally eiTectual as 

 JMr. Forsyth's composition." 



CuRRA.NTs. — This shrub is propagated from 

 cuttings, or short pieces, cut in the spring, from 

 shoots ot the lust year ; and in most cases it is 

 best if they liave a joint or two of the former 

 year's wood, at the bold e\ of them. The cut- 

 tings, says Mr. Cobbelt, should have altogether, 

 about sis joints or buds ; and three of them 

 should be underground when planted. The cuts 



NEW ENGLAND F ARiMER. 



should be performed with a sharp knlfi, so that 

 there may be nothing ragged nor bruised about 

 either wood or bark. It should be trimmed in 

 such a manner that no limbs are allowed to 

 branch out nearer the ground than six inches. 

 Prune the bush every year and keep it thin of 

 wood. The Farmer's Assistant says that •• an 

 acre, planted with currants, and well cultivated, 

 would probably yield, on an average, a quanti 

 ty of fruit sutticicnt to make a thousand gallons 

 of wine yearly. The expense of making the 

 wine does not exceed 60 cents a gallon, and the 

 wine, after having received a little age is worth 

 double that money." 



AGRICULTURAL PREMIUMS. 

 We perceive with much pleasure, that the different 

 Agricultural Societies in New England appear to be 

 laudably and zealously en»ri»ed in the ^reat objects of 

 their institutions. We should be happy to copy every 

 agricultural notice, and list of premiums, published in 

 the papers which we receive in exchange ; but, in this 

 case, we should Make our papef little more than a reg- 

 ister of proceedings, which are chiefly interesting to 

 candidates for premiums in particular counties. We 

 wish our articles in general to possess general interest, 

 and to be such as claim the attention of every farmer 

 in every part of the Union. When, tlierefore, nolhivg 

 new is proposed as an object for a premium, we shall 

 not, generally speaking, copy the notice. We can, 

 however, assure the gentlemen proposing premiums, 

 that our heart is with them, and our pen and types at 

 their service, to be devoted in any mode consistent 

 with our paramount obligations to the public at large. 



LITERARY CURIOSITY. 



The " Curious old German Book,'''' described in a 

 preceding column, by our highly esteemed friend and 

 correspondent from Pennsylvania, should seem to be 

 worthy of the attention of the scholar, philosopher and 

 mathematician. That part of it, however, which con- 

 sists of " obsolete German," we can hardly believe to 

 be the work of Archimedes, who was born at Syracuse, 

 in Sicily, about 2S7 years before the commencement of 

 the Christian era. At the period when Archimedes 

 lived, we apprehend the German language was not 

 known in Syracuse, and we doubt whether Archimedes 

 ever heard of such a language. In the time of the his- 

 torian Tacitus, who was born in the year 57 of the 

 Christian era, the Germans, according to that writer, 

 were not acquainted with the use of letters, and of 

 course a very learned and elaborate treatise could not 

 have been written partly in the German language, 

 more than 300 years previous to that period. 



We do not pretend even to conjecture how the book 

 in question came into existence. But the following 

 particulars, may, perhaps, assist in tracing the origin 

 of the work. When Constantinople was taken about 

 the middle of the fifteenth century, such writings of 

 Archimedes as existed, together with the commentary 

 of Eutocius, escaped the ravages of the conquerors, 

 and were brought thence into Italy. Here they were 

 found by the famous John MuUer, better known by the 

 appellation Regiomontanus, who carried them into Gcr- 

 mo?i,y, and they were soon afterwards, viz. in 1544, 

 published in folio at Basil, in Greek and Latin, by 

 Hervagius, with a preface by Tliomas Gechauf An 

 edition, in Greek and Latin, in folio, was published by 

 Rivaltus, at Paris, in 1615. Many other editions of the 

 various productions of Archimedes have from time to 

 time been published in Germany, France, and Great 

 Rritaiu, but in the accounts of these editions which we 

 have bccu able to find, we have not seen tht title nor 



any notice of the book mentioned by Mr. Preston 

 large folio, however, with upwards of 300 plates, coi 

 not be printed in a corner, and probably it ie, at lei 

 in part, what it purports to be, " really the work 

 Archimedes." It is possible that the Greek and La 

 may be the work of Archimedes and his commenat 

 and the " obsolete German" may be the production 

 a German editor. TTie subject appears to be wort 

 of further investigation. 



Remedy for Swoln Legs and Grease in Horses 

 A writer in the last American F'arraer gives the f 

 lowing as a remedy for horses whose legs have bccoi 

 swoln by violent exercise. Take one pound of nit 

 and half a pound of sulphur, mixed into a mess w 

 molasses. If the disorder is violent, and the legs great 

 swoln, give the animal two balls of this composition 

 twenty-four hours, one at night and another in t 

 morning, for the first two days, and but one every d 

 aficr till the cure is effected. This writer observe 

 '- 1 do not assert that this medicine will cure a confir; 

 ed grease in horses heels, but it will cure an incipie 

 disorder. Be sure never to apply any grease or oh 

 mcut to the horses' heels, nothing but a turnip poultic 

 If the grease be obstinate, nothing but mercury w 

 cure him, thus administered : Give the horse two 

 of Calomel over night, and the next mom a comm 

 alcetic purge. This must be repeated three times, sto 

 ping one or two days between each dose ; after whi' 

 give him the nitre and sulphur balls. This proa 

 will cleanse him thoroughly." 



Death of Lieut. Commandant IVm. H. Cocke. — T 

 Fox, a vessel commanded by Lieut. Cocke was d( 

 patched by Com. Porter on the 6th of March in 

 Porto Rico on business connected with the expeditio 

 Oi the I'ox's approaching the Moro (a castle moui 

 ing 500 guns) she was fired at, and her commauc 

 killed by a 42 pound shot. The Spanish apologize ; 

 the act, and declare it to have been an unfortunate f 

 cident, and it was observed by Com. Porter in the Ge 

 eral Orders, published on the melancholy occasion, tb 

 " the Captain Central of the Island has given the mi 

 unequivocal proofs of the most sincere regret that t 

 event has taken place." Every possible mark of i 

 spect was paid to the remains of the deceased. 



Correspondence between Commodore Porter and li 

 Governor of Porto Rice. — A number of letters ha' 

 passed between these personages relating to the ci 

 cumstances attending the death of Lieut. Cocke, 

 should seem by these that the Governor's apology w;! 

 not satisfactory. In a letter from Com. Porter datu 

 March 11, and addressed to the Capt. Gen. of Fori 

 Rico, we find the following observations : 



'^ I find your coasts lined with troops since my an 

 val here. 1 find reinforcements daily c«ming in, as 

 am informed by your order to protect the iuhabitan i 

 from my resentments. I have found every precautic 

 taken to keep me in profound ignorance of the lamen 

 able occurrence ; but these things were all in vain, 

 saw the insult offered to the flag of my country — I hai 

 satisfied your military commanders that their force 

 despicable compared to that at my disposal, and I ha» 

 convinced the inhabitants that although they are at m 

 mercy, they will not be made answerable for the •. 

 fences of an individual." 

 After some further criminations, Com. Porter obserre! 

 I shall leave the island to-morrow morning with 

 heavy heart, and shall without delay communicate t 

 my government, the melancholy result of my visit here 

 which was intended for the benefit of the civilizeil 

 world in general." 



Russian Clairris. — The brig Pearl, Capt. Stevens, 

 Boston, was lately ordered off the North West Coast bj 

 the Russian officer, commanding at Norfolk Sound, ki 

 ter leaving the port, the Pearl was boarded by the R» 

 sian frigate Apollo, and documents were presented U 

 Capt. S. declaring the Russian claim to txclu^j\eju 

 risdiction to extend to latitude 51 N. on the Nortl 



