186 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



D ECFMDKK f 4 . 1 1 : 4 , 



derstixiil tliut die crojis of fruit wliicli these trees 

 curried were remarkable botli for quantity and 

 quality; indeed, it tiiust be apparent, that, under 

 such conditions, spring frosts can have little or no 

 influence ; because these frosts are entirely con- 

 nected with the principles of radiation, and have 

 little or nothiui; to do with the temperature of the 

 atmospheric rncdinni. If the soil is not of a san- 

 dy consistence, in that case I would employ a thin 

 stratum of sand. 1 have in my little garden just 

 such a surface inclined and sandy, and have plant- 

 ed vines with the intention to train them on the 

 nurface, on a framework, something like cucum- 

 bers or melons in the hot-bed. The vine I am 

 Tnaking my experiments with is called Miller's 

 lilnck grape. I have already had ample proof that 

 the healthy luxuriance of other tender plants does 

 not snfier, and that frost has little or no effect on 

 such an exposure. 



For the purpose of maturing the fruit, I shall 

 throw a veil of black gauze over the vines ; and 

 this will secure me the eftect of a powerful absorp- 

 tion of the calorific rays of the sun's beams. Though 

 the radiation from a black surface is proportional 

 to its absiirlient capacity, it will operate during the 

 lengthened day (and at this period of the year the 

 night is reduced to its minimum) in the maturation 

 of the fruit, while the sandy surface is retentive, 

 from its non-conducting character. If bunches ol 

 grapes on vines exposed suh dio, or reared in the 

 open air, be tied up in white bags,they will scarcely 

 ripen, are small, and want flavor; but if other 

 bunches on the same tree be confined in bags of 

 black crape, the contrast is very striking, in the 

 latter being fully ripe, large, and of a flavour equal 

 to those cultivated on a foreign soil. This fact 

 explains the principle on which 1 would veil my 

 vines with sable weeds ; further explanation ^y 

 would, therefore, be superfluous and unneces- 

 sary. 



Respecting the Chinese method of propagating 

 froit trees, it is merely requisite to detach a strip, 

 or narrow riband of bark from the branch or lindi 

 which is to be separated. The Chinese apply to 

 this a ball o( earth mingled with clay, to impart 

 greater consistency to it, and ibis is covered with 

 moss, and secured" with bandages formed of some 

 pliant material : a small pan containing water, is 

 KHspon.l' >l over ii, and serves to keep the ball moist. 

 Tliis method, as successfully pursued in this coun- 

 try, was fust pointed out to me by Sir Laucldan 

 r^acLean of Sudbury. The Italians often adopt 

 the plan ; and I have seen a large orange tree, 14 

 feet high, loaded with growing fruit, thus separa- 

 ted from the aged paicnt stock, and exposed for 

 sale in the market at Naples. 1 have witnessed 

 the plan in full operation near the royal observa- 

 tory of iliat city. One obvious advantage is, that 

 no time is lost in the growth of tlio tree; nay, the 

 very absiraelion of the ring of bark from the branch 

 rather expedites than otherwise the evolution td 

 fruit. Till! Italians have improved on the rude 

 plan of tint Chinese, by enidosing in a tin case the 

 stem ol' the future independent tree ; it is filled 

 with earth, pressed down, and covered with moss, 

 vfhich i< in-esorved moist in the way 1 have already 

 descrili. il. This part of it 1 liave improved, by 

 euspemliiig the tin vessel which contains the water 

 on an adjoining branch above the ball, while a 

 woolleji thread, previously moist, forma a line of 

 cormnuiiilci.iion, ,.ud aflbrds a constant regular sup- 

 ply, on ihe principle of the sijdion, and the capil- 

 lary attraction of the fibres of the thread. A lid 



prevents the loss by evaporation from the surface 

 of the water confined in the vessel. 



A linear incision in the bark above a bud, it has 

 been stated, will convert that bud into u branch. 

 Last season I tried several experiments of this kind 

 on a fig, cutting out a narrow strip of bark, over 

 the bud, in the form of an inverted V, and suc- 

 ceeded in producing branches in five out of seven 

 instances. The want of success in these two, 1 

 suspect, arose from the imperfect separation of the 

 lips of the bark, and insufiicient depth of the in- 

 cision. 



THK DRY ROT. 



Baltimore, Oct. 18, 1834. 

 H. JViks, Esq. : — Dear Sir, I send you here- 

 wiih a copy of a communication that I caused to 

 be placed in the Navy Department at Washington 

 last winter, which 1 wish you to publish in your 

 useful Register for the benefit' of those who may 

 see proper to make use of it, and oblige, dear Sir, 

 your obedient servant, Wm. Patterson. 



Dry Rot. — The dry rot in ships of v\'ar and 

 merchant vessels has long been a subject of seri- 

 ous and anxious concern. Many plans for their 

 preservation from this evil have been suggested 

 and tried without success. Having, for a long se- 

 ries of years, hud considerable experience as a con- 

 structor, owner, and employer of merchant ves- 

 sels, and believing that I have succeeded, at least 

 I have succeeded to my own satisfaction, in pre- 

 serving ships of this description as long as they 

 are likely to be useful or profitable — I therefore 

 feel prompted to unfold my plans and my experi- 

 ence to the Navy Department. 



In order that those plans and that experience 

 may be better understood, I shall commence \vilh 

 situation and observaiioris in early life. 

 In the year 1766, at a very early age, I was 

 placed in the counting-house of a shipping mer- 

 chant in Philadelphia, which city was, at that time, 

 celebrated, perhaps beyond any other place in 

 America, for fine vessels. My employars were 

 largely engaged in the shipping business — they 

 built a ship or vessel every year or two ; here I had 

 a favorable opportunity of seeing and becoming fa- 

 miliar with the building, equipage and employing 

 of merchant sea-vessels. Owing to these circum- 

 stances, I acquired so great an attachment and 

 fondness for vessels that they have adhered to nie 

 through a long life. Then, as now, the speedy de- 

 cay of ships was a matter of serious consideration, 

 and every scheme for their iireservation that was 

 suggested was tried, but without answering any 

 useful purpose. Some merchants, in building ves- 

 sels, allowing their frames when raised, to remain 

 for a length of time on the stocks, exposed to the 

 weather; others smeared the timbers with fish oil ; 

 and others again used oil and paint ; all of these 

 experiments were attended with little or no success. 

 In one instance, I knew the frame of a vessel to 

 be plied with fish oil throughout an entire sum- 

 mer ; and, in the fall of the year, when she was 

 about to be finished, it was discovered that the oil 

 had penetrated the timbers more than a quarter or 

 half an inch ; this proved to be little or no protec- 

 tion, and the experiment was abandoned. In an- 

 other instance, I knew of a very fine ves.sel built, 

 (for a Charleston packet,) with so much care that 

 she lequired no caulking nor repairs for four 

 years; at the end of that time, wlien she was car- 

 ried into dock to be caulked, she was fimnd to be 



worthy of repair, and was broken up. Her rapid 

 decay was attributed to the unusual care which 

 had been taken of her whilst rnnidng. 



Some few, even at that early period, made use 

 of salt; but a great prejudice existed against this 

 mode, owing to the belief that it corroded the iron 

 fastenings, (copper was not then used in fastening 

 our vessels,) and the apprehension that the damp- 

 ness in a salted vessel might be injurious to the 

 cargo. 



I became a ship owner in the year 1773, and 

 one of my first considerations was, how should I 

 preserve that descrijition of property froin speedy 

 decay ? Observing that timber, when sunk deep in 

 swamps or in the water, lasted forages, 1 conclud- 

 ed that exclusion from the air, and saturating the 

 pores of the wood with moisture, nmst be the true 

 secret for its preservation. Reflecting on this cir- 

 cumstance, and perceiving tlial the wooden floors 

 of warehouses used for ihe storage of Bay salt 

 were always damp in moist weather, I was led to 

 the conclusion that Bay salt, properly applied, 

 must have the efl^ect of preserving timber. Under 

 this impression, I adopteil the following plan with 

 all the vessels I have built from that time till the 

 present, (a period of more than sixty years, as I 

 am still a ship owner;) while building, when the 

 bends and bottom planks are on, and before dell- 

 iug, I have caused three sets of stoppers to be 

 placed fore and aft between all the timbers to 

 keep the salt in its place. The first tier of stop- 

 pers are placed at the floor heads, the .second im- 

 mediately below the lower deck beams, and tin 

 third between decks, just above the air streak 

 common in all double ilecked vessels. Air streaki 

 are left above the first and second tiers of stopperi 

 for .the purpose of adding more salt as the previ 

 ou§ supplies of that article settle or are dissolved 

 Just before finishing the ceiling of the vessel, thi 

 salt is filled in among all the timbers from thi 

 lowest tier of stoppers to the upper deck — takin; 

 care that the salt in the upper tier is well rammei 

 down, (if welted so nuich the better,) for, after th 

 plank-shears are laid, and secured in their places 

 the salt cannot be re-placed without incurring to 

 much trouble and expense. 



Having experienced great difiiculty in preserv 

 inn- large timbers, (especially transoms,) above ligl 

 water mark, I have of late years had such piece 

 bored through the centre with an auger of tw 

 inches or two inches and a half in diamete 

 These holes are filled with wetted salt, and the 

 plugged at both ends before placing the timbers i 

 the vessel. 



In the forward and after parts of the vesse 

 where the timbers are so close together that sa 

 cannot be introduced among them, I have found 

 necessary to incase the tiud)er, and confine th 

 salt in this way. In one instance I had all oft! 

 knees, and the steps of the masts, in a fine shi 

 boxed in and filled with salt ; this answered a ve; 

 good purjiose, but it is loo troublesome in me 

 chant vessels. 



I have not only sailed my vessels in the mann 

 pointed out above, in the first instance, but I ha 

 had them examined carefully every two or thr 

 vcars, and where the salt has wasted or settled, 

 frcSh supply has been added. 



In all my experience 1 have never found a d 

 fective timber in vessels thus jirejiared, anil th 

 taken care of, and I am ]iersnaded that the dry i 

 may be eniirely prevented by adopting the alio 



totally destroyed by the dry rot as to he un- ! precautions. As a proof of the good eflects of t 



