vol.. XIII. NO. 13. 



AND HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



93 



All intricate operations of culture, sucii as those 

 fif the coiling system, the chambering of the roots 

 of trees, taking up nnil replanting, particular inotles 

 of training, ringing, &c. it should never he forgot- 

 ten either hy ganleners or their employers, are 

 only calculated for places where ahundance of 

 ilieii are kept, and where also there is considera- 

 lile skill in at least one or two of these men. 

 When these and sijnilar operations are attempted 

 in places where there are scarcely hands enough 

 to keep a garden in order hy the common practices, 

 "ailiire is certain to attenil either the new practice 

 3r tlic old ones, anrl jirohalily both. — Cotid. 



From the Northampton Courier- 

 CHINESB MULBERRY. 



The Sncretary of the H. F. and H. AgPicnltnral 

 Society, in Apiil last, received from Canton, Chi- 

 la, some Chinese Mulberry seeds. Moms ^Mutli- 

 ■aulis, through the agency of gentlemen residing 

 here and having the privilege of penetrating the 

 nterior. The Secretary forwarded by letter a few 

 if these seeds to several friends down East, from 

 me of whom an acknowledgement has been made, 

 ,n extract of which follows : The Chinese Mul- 

 lerry seed you sent by letter the last of May liave 

 irodnced 43 fine plants of Morus Multicaulis, 

 vhich are valued very highly. The tall.est is now 

 August 23d) over two feet in height. This year 

 lave two kinds of worms, one the common, the 

 ther on account of yielding the greatest weight 

 f cocoons, are considered the best and most valn- 

 hle kind among us — (Comity of Essex.) Both 

 inds fed alike and from leaves of the same white 

 lulberry trees. The largest cocoons of each kind 

 ^ere selected and weighed — of the most valuable 

 ind,took 18 to weigh an ounce, and of the com- 

 lon kind took 33 to weigh an ounce. Then took 

 fall sizes without selecting and taken ])roniiscu- 

 usly, six ounces of each kind. Of the best kind 

 )ok 183 to weigh six oimces, and of the common 

 ind took 258 to weigh six ounces, being equal to 

 SB of the best kind to the pound, and 688 of the 

 ommoii kind to the pound. 



The letter does not state how often, how atten- 

 veljj or how long fed, but shows the result in feed- 

 ig difterent kinds of worms. Tliat the best at- 

 nition was nol given to tlie feeding seems proba- 

 le, from an examination of the Essex Agricultu- 

 il report of 1833, where in one case 208 cocoons, 

 le moth not stifled, being selected from 20,000, 

 eighed one pound, being about 13 to the ounce 

 -but on an average took 330 to the pound and 

 •ere in feeding 32 to 40 days. The Committee 

 1 Essex say : There is no mystery in the culture of 

 Ik. The whole process from reaiing the mulberry 

 «e to the production of silk, is simple and easy, and 

 ir farmers by turning their care and atlin'tion to 

 is business, would obtain a much more prof table 

 \ward than in the usual course of f eld hushan- 



'y- 



The following experiment has been made in the 

 ounty of Hampshire. Two families have fed the 

 me kind of worms upon leaves of the same trees, 

 ifhite mulberry) but there was a very difierent 

 suit — while in one family the worms produced 

 icoons of less weight, the other by superior at- 

 ntion, produced cocoons of a large size and 

 eight. The parcel of worms liaving superior at- 

 ntion, were 28 days in feeding and winding, an<l 

 oduced cocoons 230 of which weighed one 

 •und, the moth not being stifled. But the other 



parcel of worms in the other family, supposed to 

 have less attention, were 35 days in feeding, und 

 required 583 to weigh one pound. 



From the foregoing two important facts are de- 

 veloped, to wit, 1st. That there is a great differ- 

 ence in the quality of wortns although fed alike. 

 2d. That the same kind of worms, liaving the 

 same A'/urf of food, but superior attention paid to 

 heding, cleaning, &c. have produced more than 

 double, yes more than 150 jier cent, in favor of 

 superior attention to the worms. The usual mode 

 of feeding worms is, to keep them on shelves or 

 tables ; to clean tliein from the offal it becomes 

 necessary to remove the worms to another place 

 upon nmlberry leaves. But a better mode has 

 been adopted by the family mentioned in the sec- 

 ond fact. In this family the worms are placed on 

 netting,- and there fed without the necessity of a 

 renjoval. The oftal falling upon a jiaper screen 

 beneath and easily removed without molesting the 

 worms, and when ready to rise for winding, ele- 

 vate themselves upon and behind another netting 

 near the wall, but connected with the netting 

 whereon they were fed — aflxirding a pleasant sight 

 being distriliuted upon the meshes — Ihe whole 

 paraphernalia of bushes are rendered unnecessary, 

 the cocoons more easily separated, and less waste 

 of silk. s. 



ON GRASSES. 



Orchard or Cocksfoot, Titnothy and Red-Top, or 

 Herds-grass — their comparative values for Pas- 

 turage and Hay. 



EV JOHN HARE POWEX, ESQ. 



In presenting Mr. Jones' communication, it is 

 not necessary that I should advert to bis accuracy 

 and reputation as a farmer, with wiiich you are 

 sufficiently acquainted, to receive his opinions and 

 statements, with implicit reliance upon their valid- 

 ity and force. He is the most successful cultivator 

 of orchard grass, with whose practice I have be- 

 come acquainted in any part of the United States. 



As lie has detailed his mode of securing the 

 seeds, I may be allowed to state, that I have for 

 several years induced him to send large quantities 

 of them to my agricultural friends, whose experi- 

 ence, in confirmation of ray impressions, that 

 when properly treated they seldom fail, establisljes 

 the coiiectness of his management in collecting 

 them. 



I have before brought to your notice the extra- 

 ordinary product of cocksfoot or orchard grass as 

 pasturage upon strong soils — its early ap|iearance 

 in the spring — its vigorous and rapid growth 

 throughout the summer and autumn, atiurding 

 even in December, the most succulent and nutri- 

 tive herbage I have in this climate seen. 



Of timothy as pasturage, I have had during 

 twenty years, opinions similar to those conveyed 

 by Mr. Jones. 



On highly manured, or deep alluvial soils, it 

 produces greater crops of hay, than any grass I 

 have grown, except red clover. Mr. Welles, of 

 Boston, a few years since obtained four tons of 

 timothy hay per acre, from a large field. His 

 well known precision, independent of the ani|)le 

 proofs he adduced, sufficiently establishes the 

 fact. When allowed to become mature, I think it 

 causes as much exhaustion as a crop of spring 

 barley or oats. And so far from land becoming 

 better whilst exposed to the effects of the scythe 

 und the rays of the sun in a regular course, where- 



in timothy is introduced as the meliorating crop, 

 I am led to believe that it is made worse. If tim- 

 othy be depastured after the first crop has been 

 taken, I apprehend that as its after growth is ex- 

 tremely feeble in this climate, the sun must have 

 great effect upon the soil, throughout the hottest 

 season of the year. 



Red-top or herds-grass has recently been brought 

 more into notice, and it will, I have no doubt, be 

 extensively cidtivated when it shall he better 

 known. We see it generally upon the ill reclaim- 

 ed marsh lands of an adjacent State, where per- 

 haps its extraordinary hardiness and large product 

 even under the most slcjveidy management, may 

 have retarded to a certain extent, the improvement 

 of the district in which it is principally grown. It 

 will flourish where no other grass which we cul- 

 tivate can live. Its apparent qualities, and the 

 quantity of nutritive matter, are no doubt very 

 much influenced by the state of the land upon 

 which it is produced ; hence when offered in the 

 niarket in compeiition with the produce of the 

 most highly cultivated upland — it is condemned. 

 The seeds of this grass, as those of cocks-foot, are 

 rarely brought to the shops in a sound state — they 

 as the former, are surrounded hy chafi', which, if 

 closely examined will be found frequently to en- 

 velope shrivelled kernels, and to be infested with 

 some of the most noxious weeds with which a far- 

 mer can contend. 



Upon a small piece of land which bad been oc- 

 cu|iied by Swedish turnips, and had been carefully 

 tilled for many seasons in succession, two bushels 

 of llerds-grass seed per acre, in addition to the 

 usual quantity of clover and timothy seed, were 

 sown Willi Persian Barley in the spring of 1820. 

 A much larger piece was sown at the same time 

 with timothy alone. The timothy soon disappear- 

 ed fVom both — the clover of course long since 

 went out — the herds-grass has formed a tough and 

 valuable sward. 



Upon arable farms it is sometimes troublesome, 

 as it is as tenacious of life as blue grass. Its pro- 

 duct is not generally heavy upon such lands, and I 

 should not therefore cultivate it with a regular 

 course of white crops, although upon a grazing 

 farm, oi; upon some large .southern domains, 

 where it would bo well that the landholders 

 shouM forget half their possessions, it might be 

 expedient to cultivate largely, and obviate the ne- 

 cessity of indulging the fatting bullocks with a 

 regular ramble for the solace of their stomachs, 

 throughout some hundred acres of growing Indian 

 corn. The herds-grass has the great merit of 

 being able to take care of itself. 



I have the honor to be, &c. 



John Hare Powel. 

 To the President of the Pennsylvania Jgricultwjil 

 Society. 



ITEMS. 



Crops at the South. Intelligence from the South 

 represents the appearance of the cotton crops as 

 unfavorable. In consequence of the backwardness 

 of the season, the long drought, the late lieavy 

 rains, and the caterpillars, it is found that there 

 will be a serious deficiency in this important arti- 

 cle of commerce. 



Compensation for Losses. A French author says, 

 " When I lost my wife, every family in the town 

 offered me another ; but when I lost my horse, no 

 one offered to make hiiu good." — Southern pa. 



