172 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Dec.~^l, Iter. 



From the National Intdligmcer. 



INTRODUCTION OP FOREIGN PLANTS 

 AND SEEDS. 



The following' circular, addressed by the Secre- 

 tary of the Treasury to a portion of t:ie American 

 consuls abroad, in relation to the introduction of 

 valuable foreign plants into the United States, is 

 made public, in the hope that the object which it 

 has in view may be the better promoted, by caus- 

 ing it to bo more generally known. 



Copies of the circular have been placed in the 

 hands of the principal collectors, of whom they 

 may be had by such masters of vessels, or others 

 going abroad, as may be willing to aid in carrying 

 into eifect a design believed to give promise of 

 public utility. 



CIRCULAR. 



jtWasjtry Dcplrimcnt, ) 

 September 6, WZl . ) 



Sir — Tiie President is desirous of causing to 

 be introduced into the United States all such trees 

 and plants from other countries, not heretofore 

 known in the United States, as may give promise, 

 under proper cultivation, of flourishing and be- 

 coming useful, as well as superior varieties of 

 such as are already cultivated here. To this end | 

 t have his directions to address myself to you, in- 

 voking your aid to give effect to the plan llial he 

 has in view. Forest trees useful for timber ; grain 

 of any description ; fruit trees ; vegetables for the 

 table ; esculent roots ; and, in short, plants of 

 whatever nature, whether useful as food for man I 

 or the domestic animals, or for purposes connect- 1 

 nd with manufactures or any of the useful arts, 

 fall within the scope of the plan proposed. A spe- 1 

 cification of some of them, to be had in the coun- 

 try where you reside, and believed to fall under 

 one or other of the above heads, is given at the 

 foot of this letter, as samples merely, it not being 

 intended to exclude others, of vvhicli you may 

 yourself have knowledge, or bo able on inquiry to 

 obtain knowledge. With any that you may have 

 it in your pov;er to send, it will he desirable to 

 send such notices of their cultivation and natural 

 history as may be attainable in the country to 

 which they are indigenous ; and the following 

 questions are amongst those tliat will indicate the 

 particulars concerning which information may be 

 sought : 



1. The latitude and soil in which the plant most 

 ilourishes. 



2. What are the seasons of its blostn and matu- 

 rity, and what the term of its duration? 



3. In what manner is it propagated ? by roots, 

 seeds, buds, grafts, layers, or how ? and how cul- 

 tivated ? and arc there any unusual circumstan- 

 ces attending its cultivation? 



4. Is it affected by frost, in countries where 

 frost prevails ? 



5. The native or popular name of the plant, and 

 (where known) its botanical name and character. 



6. The elevation of the placo of its growth a- 

 bove the level of the sea. 



7. Is there in the agricultural literature of the 

 country, any special treatise or dissertation upon 

 ;ts culture ? If so, let it be stated. 



8. la there any insect particularly habituated to 



St? 



0. Lastly — iis use, whether for food, medicine, 

 c>t the arts. 

 In removing seeds ox plants from remate places 



across the ocean, or otherwise, great care is often 

 necessary to be observed in thv^ manner of putting 

 them up and covering thcni. To aid your efforts 

 in this respect, upon the present occasion, a pa- 

 per of directions has been prepared, and is here- 

 with transmitted. 



The President will hope for your attention to 

 the objects of this communication as far as cir- 

 cumstances will allow ; and it is not doubted but 

 that your own public feelings will impart to your 

 endeavors under it, a zeal proportioned to the 

 beneficial results to which the communication 

 looks. It is proper to add, that no expense can at 

 present be authorized in relation to it. It is pos- 

 sible, however, that Congress may not be indis- 

 posed to provide a small fund for it. The seeds, 

 plants, cuttings, or whatever other germinating 

 substance you may transmit, must be addre.'ised 

 to the Treasury Department, and sent to the col- 

 lector of the port to which the vessel conveying 

 them is destined, or where she may arrive, accom- 

 panied by a letter of advice to the Department. — 

 The Secretary of the Navy has instructed the 

 commanders of such of the public vessels of the 

 United States as may ever touch at your port, to 

 lend you tlieir ussi.stance towards giving effect to 

 the objects of this communication ; as you will 

 perceive by the copy of his letter of instructions, 

 which is herev/ith enclosed for your information. 

 It is believed also that the masters of the mer- 

 chant vessels of the United Stales will generally 

 be willing — such is their well known public spirit 

 — to lend their gratuitous co-operation towards ef- j 

 feeling the" objects proposed. I remain, respect- 1 

 fully, vour most obedient servant. I 



RICHARD RUSH. 



Dircrfions for j/ulting up and Iransmitiing seeds 



and plants, accompanying the Icltcr of the Secrc- 



turi/ of Ihc Treasury, of September 6, 1827. 



With a view to the transmission of seeds from 

 distant countries, the first object of care is to ob- 

 tain seeds that arc fully ripe, and in a sound and 

 heallliy state. To this the strictest attoiitiou 

 should be paid ; otherwise, all the care and trouble 

 ihat may bo bestowed on them, will have been 

 wasted on objects utterly useless. 



Those seeds that are not dry when gathered, 

 should be rendered so by exposure to the air in 

 the shade. 



When dry, the seeds should be put into paper 

 bags. Common brown paper has been found to 

 answer well for making such hags. But, as the 

 mode of manufacturing that paper varies in differ- 

 ent countries, the precaution should be used of 

 putting a portion of the seeds in other kinds of 

 paper. Those that most effectually exclude air 

 and moistere, are believed to be the best for that 

 purpose. It would be proper, also, to enclose some 

 of the seeds in paper or cloth that has been steep- 

 ed in melted bees' wax. It has been recommend- 

 ed that seeds collected in a moist country, or seas- 

 on be packed in charcoal. 



After being put up according to any of these 

 modes, the .seeds should be enclosed in a box ; 

 which should be covered with pitch to protect 

 them from damp, insects and mice. During the 

 voyage they should be kept in a cool, airy and dry 

 situation ; not in the hold of the ship. 



The oily seeds soonest lose their germinating 

 faculty. They should be put in a box with sandy 

 earth in the following manner : first, about two 

 iiwheg of earth at the botttira ; into this fbp seed? 



should be placed at distances proportionate to 

 their size ; on these another layer of seeds ; and 

 so oil with alternate layers of earth and seeds, 

 until the box is filled within about a foot of the 

 top, which space should be filled with sand, taking 

 care that the earth and s:ind be well put in, that 

 the seeds may not get out of place. The box 

 should then be covered with a close net work of 

 cord, well pitched, or with split hoops or laths. 

 also pitched, so as to admit the air without expos- 

 ing the contents of the box to be disturbed by 

 mice or accident. The seeds thus put up will 

 germinate during their passage, and will be in a 

 state to be planted immediately on t^ir arrival. 



Although some seeds, \vith a hard shell, such as 

 nuts, peaches, plums, &c. do not come up until a 

 long time after they are sown, it would be proper, 

 when the kernel is oily, to follow the method just 

 pointed out, that they may not turn rancid on the 

 passage. This precaution is also useful for the 

 family of laurels, (Itntrinie,) and that of myrtles, 

 (myrli.) especially when they have to cross the 

 equatorial seas. 



To guard against the casualties to which seeds 

 in a germinating state may be exposed duriug a 

 long voyage, and, as another means of insuring 

 the success of seeds of the kinils here recommend- 

 ed to be put in boxes with earth, it would bo well 

 also to enclose some of them (each seed separate- 

 ly,) in a coat of bees' wax, and afterwards pack 

 them in a box covered wilb pitch. 



In many cases it will be necessary to transmit 

 roots. Where roots are to be transmitted, fibrous 

 rtiots should be dealt with in the manner herein 

 recommended for young plants. Bulbous and tu- 

 berous roots should be put into boxes in the same 

 ^nanner as has already been recommended for 

 oleagenous seeds ; except, that, instead of earth, 

 dry sand, as free as possible from earthy parti- 

 cles, should be used. Some of the bulbous and 

 tuberous roots, instead of being packed in sand, 

 may be wrapped in pa: er, end put in boxes cover- 

 ed with net work or laths. Roots should i;ot be 

 put in the same box with seeds. 



Where the seeds of plants cannot be successful- 

 ly transmitted, they may bo .sown in boxes, and 

 sent in a vegetating state. Where more than one 

 kind is sown in the same box, they siiould be kept 

 distinct by laths, fastened iu it crosswise on a 

 level with the surface of tlie ground in which they 

 were sown : and when different soils are required, 

 it will be necessary to make separate compart- 

 ments, in the box. In either case they should be 

 properly marked, and referred to in the descrip- 

 tive notes which accompany them. 



When plants cannot be propagated from seeds 

 with a certainty of their possessing the same 

 ijualities which long culture or other causes may 

 have given tlicm, they may be sent in a growing 

 state. For this purpose, they should be taken up 

 when ^oung. Those, however, who are acquaint- 

 ed with their cultivation in the countries where 

 they grow, will know at what age they may be 

 safely and advantageously removed. They may 

 be transplanted direct into boxes in which they 

 are to be conveyed ; or, whore that cannot be 

 conveniently done, they may be taken up with a 

 ball of earth about the roots, and the roots of each 

 surrounded with wet moss, carefully tied about 

 it to keep the earth moist. They may afterwards 

 be put into a box, end each plant secured by latbs 

 fastened crosswise above the roots, and the inter- 

 siices between the roots filled with wet pw^s. — 



