NEW ENGI^AND FARMER. 



Published by ions &. Russell, at JSTo. 5'i .Vorih Atarket Strret, (aver the Agricultural Warehouse)^ — TbomA'4 <^. Fessenden, Editor. 



vol.. VI. 



BOSTOIN, FKIDAY, APSUL 4, 1828. 



No. 37. 



AGRICULTURE, 



FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



SEEDS. 



Sin — In order to obtain jienuine seed, the parent 

 plants of the same tribe or family, sliould be set at 

 soiTie distance from each species ; otherwise, the 

 different kinds will be liable to be crossed or mix- 

 ed. No plants, but the most perfect should be 

 planted for seed, and no inferior plant of the same 

 apecies should be alloued to t^ower near them. 



e<l 111(1 proilucei fiie I'ruit. But in these cases it 

 must bn presumed, that the seeds were well pre- 

 served from the effects of the air and moisture. — 

 The power of germination lay dormant, until it 

 was brourrht into action by the combined powers 

 of h^al. air, aud moisture; and, in some lespeets, 

 like the torpid vital principle of tnads, immured 

 many hundred years, in the centre of solid rocks 

 of granite, perfectly secluded from the common 

 air ; yet, notwithstanding this great length of 

 time, on being exposed to atmospheric air, aided 

 by the influpnce of the su i, resume their former. 



Intermarriages are not confined to the animal jperhaps anlidiluvian) vigor and activity 



creation — they are very frequent in the vegetable 

 kingdom ; and in such cases, the offspring is dif- 

 ferent from either of tlie parents. Thus the union 

 between a pufipkin an<l a squash will produce a 

 progeny resembling neither the one parent, nor 

 the other; as is well known to every observing 

 farmer. There cin oe no intermarriages between 

 a cabbage and a beet; but cabbages of different 

 species, and beets of different kinds, seem to have 

 a strong inclination to the union in their respec- 

 tive families, and the same may be said of many 

 other tribes of vegetables. 



And after all the care and precaution, varions 

 kinds of plants - e liable to be crossed, more or 

 less, in consequence of bees and other insects con- 

 veying the farina, or fertilizing dust, from plant 

 to plant. 



The soundness of seeds may be, generally, as- 

 certained by putting a few of them into warm wa- 

 ter. If they sink, there can be no doubt, as to 

 their soundness. But as many kinds of seeds are 

 very light, or covered with hairs or a light buoy- 

 ant substance, or have light appendages attached 

 to them, will not sink immeiiiately ; therefore, let 

 a few remain in the water an hour, or until they 

 are thoroughly wet, ami if they then fall below 

 the surface of the watt r. the presumption is that 

 they are good. The unsoundness of seed is gen 

 erally caused by unripeness, blight, mouldiness, or 

 being improperly exposed to the air. 



Seeds should be gathered when perfectly ripe, 

 in a fair day, and spread in a dry room; and after 

 they are thoroughly dried, should be cleansed, and 

 put into paper bags, and the bags, into tight bo.\- 

 es, and the bo.xes kept in a dry place. 



What is said in Cohbett's .'\merican Gardener, 

 as to the dunbility of the vital principle of certain 

 seeds, contained in his list, we cniisider very in- 

 correct. The durability of the vital principle de- 

 pends, very much, on their ripeness when gather- 

 ed, and the manner in which they are preserved. 



The integcmieut, which surrounds the seeds of 

 vegetables, is calculated from its durable nature 

 to preserve th"ir principle of vitality, and conse 

 quently their principle of germination a long time, 

 virhen they are kept from the action of the air and 

 moisture How long the vital principle of seeds, 

 and of co.irse the power of jermin.ition, may be 

 preserved, under favorable circtimst:inces, has nol 

 yet been accurately ascert;iined. Instances may 

 be produced, where seeds have germinated after 

 the lapse of thirty or forty years, and even a much 

 longer time. Melon seeds found in the cabinet 

 of lord Mortimer, evidently collected in 1660, were 

 planted in 1762, [103 years afterwards] germinat- 



After all that has, or can be said, generally 

 speaking, seeds of the last year's growth are to 

 be preferred ; for they will germinate one or two 

 years, should they not be very nicely preserved 

 VERITAS. 



Mansfield, March 27, !828. 



. FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS. 



Mr. Fessenden. — These are to the farmer and 

 gardener of srreut value. They were designed b" 

 the Creator to check the too great increase of in- 

 sects ; and no farmer ought to =uffer them to be 

 wantonly destroyed on his premises. The niim 

 ber of insects destroyed by the robin, swallow, 

 sparrow, mock-bird, and other small birds, is as- 

 tonishing. One little family will destroy several 

 hundreds in a single day. Some little time since, 

 . -jjair of these small birds built a nc^t on a lilac 

 which grew close to one of my windows. In the 

 time of incubation, there was a long and severe 

 storm, and a strons wind. The egas were in dan- 

 ger of being thrown overboard by the wreathing 

 of the bush. Conscious of this, the fem 'le kept 

 on the neet to prevent any accident which might 

 follow on her leaving it, to collect food. Her 

 mate, like a good provider, was busilv engaged 

 during the day in cnllerting food (insects) which 

 he carried to his companion, and she received it 

 of him with apparent affection. This circumstance 

 excited particular attention ; and of course thi.-t 

 little society was closely ob-sersed. In a short 

 time the eggs hatched ; but from the roughness 

 of the weather, or tenderness of the brood, the 

 female chose not to leave the young. During this 

 time, the male with surprising industry, brought 

 small insects, in the larva state, to the nest, but 

 was not suffered to feed the nestlinss. Thp fp 

 male received the food, and divided it among her 

 little charge. When the young had trained siifB 

 cient strenath, the male was permitted to feed 

 them ; and from this time, both parents were mu- 

 tually and incessantly, (by day) employed in col 

 iecting small insects from every quarter ; and, on 

 a moderate calculation, to the number of about 

 seven hundred in a day. 



One great cause of the increase of many insects, 

 so destrui'tive to vecetation, is the decrease of 

 those li'tl ■ friends to the agriculturalist. Should 

 a few of them inno-ently trespass on the propertv 

 of the farmer, to the amount of a few cents. Ipt 

 him remember, thnt he is ereatly indebted to them 

 for services rendered ; and not wage a war of ex- 

 termination. 



They are not merely v.sef'il, in destroying in- 

 sects — for they call the farmer and the gardener 

 to their business — cause the groves to resound 

 with music, and usher in the morning with inelo 

 dious praise. R. GREEN. 



Mansfield, March 27, 1828. 



FOR THF. NEW ENGLAND FABM'T.. 



BEES. 



Mansfield, April I, ISIiS. 

 Mr. Fessenden, — Every thing respecting tbe 

 preservation of these profitable insects is interest- 

 ing. I was much p'eased with the remarks of 

 Medicus, published in the New England Fanner, 

 Vol. vi. No. 26. He observes that the "bee moth 

 seldom or nevfr pirambidales to any considerable 

 hfight in the atmosphere." I had confidence in his 

 plan of converting the garret into an apiary. I 

 suggested the same te an experienced apiarean. 

 who resides in this vicinity ; and he informed me, 

 that he had no confidence in it — for on felling a 

 large tree in the woods, he found, more than thirty 

 feet from the stump, the remains of a swarm of 

 bees, with all the appearances of the bee moth — 

 their coeoons or cots were numerous. 



Salsafy, or Vegetable Oyster — This plant (Trag- 

 opogon poiri/oiiu n) is biennial, and the root is a 

 good substitute for the real oyster It is of easy 

 cultivation in a deep rich soil. The young plants 

 are not so liable to be destroyed by insects, as most 

 other biennials. The roots are white, and shaped 

 like a parsnip. Th.-vy may be taken up late in thi 

 autumn a.id se&ured in moist sand from the air; 

 or be suffered to remain out, aud dug up when 

 wanted. Every lover of oysters, who lives at a 

 distance from the sea-shore, will wish to cultivate 

 this plant, after he has once eaten them, when 

 properly preparrd for the table. 



Mode of cooking. — Wash the roots and cut them 

 transversely into thin pieces— boil them in a little 

 water, or milk and water — ,vhen boiled soft, mash 

 them, and thicken the who! • with flour to some 

 degree of stiffness — then fry them in the fat of 

 salt pork or butter. They are a luxury. 



Lime Plant. — This plant (Podophyllum pelta- 

 tum) is a singular production of nature. The stem, 

 foliage, flower, and fruit are formed in the earth ; 

 and after the plant has come up, there is nothing 

 more, than the extension of parts. The stems, at 

 the heiL'ht of from eight to twelve inches, br&nch 

 out in two arms, at the extremity of each is a 

 larse palmated leaf In the fork proceeds the 

 fruit stem. The first that is seen in the spring is 

 a delicate membraneous cap. which is soon burst 

 open by the flower bud, which is large, white, and 

 round The shoulders and arms, lying close to 

 the sfpm or trunk soon appear, and as the plant 

 rises, the fruit stem elong.itps and the arms ele- 

 vate themselves. The fruit is about the size of 

 a large lime, green while growing, and yellow- 

 when ritie : has the flavor of a pine-upple; and as 

 t<i eating, but little inferior to that fruit. The 

 plant reqtiirps a moist soil in a shady situation. 

 May be propagated by seed, but best by dividing 

 the roots, which are creeping and jointed. The 

 root is medicinal. 



