188 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



DECEMBER 24, 1834. 



. "." From the New York Farmer. 



VBGECUIiTURALi ECONOMY. 



CORN, CASSAVE, BANANAS. 



Yon have said tliat in the United States we have 

 noi learned the immensely prodnctive power ot 

 one perfectly cultivated acre. 



I reply, that I hope the time will never arrive 

 w!)en the American cultivator shall be under the 

 necessity of extracting the greatest possible pro- 

 duce of any single vegetable from the least possi- 

 ble ground, with a greater proportionate share of 

 capital or labor. The great object of American 

 Vegeculture is to obtain the greatest value for the 

 luost labor and capital, and the consequent great 

 happiness of our agricultural laborers is the rela- 

 tively high priceof their industry, which I devoutly 

 desire may never be diminished by imported sys- 

 tems of European agriculture. The dearness of 

 ground, and the cheapness of labor, combine to 

 make the European landlord desirous of obtaining 

 the greatest possible number of roots or of grains 

 from the least possible number of perches or of 

 acres ; while the cheapness of land, and the dear- 

 ness of labor, combine to render the American 

 farmer desirous of obtaining the greatest number 

 of roots orof grains with the least possible nundier 

 of laborers or of dollars. Nevertheless, an economy 

 of surface may, in many instances, bo profitably 

 observed by even the American laboring landlord. 

 His orchard of apple or cherry trees is also his 

 meadow or his corn-field, and may he also at the 

 enm". moment his vineyard, or his hop |)Iantatiou. 

 His hoii or his grape vines may be so trained as to 

 augment instead of diminish the quantity and qual- 

 ity of the fruit on the trees which sustain them ; 

 and the ground cultivated in maize be{V/cen them, 

 may have its intervals covered with beans, pump- 

 kins, &c., with a diminution instead of an increase 

 of the labor requisite to eradicate the gramineous 

 weeds which detract nourishment from the kin- 

 dred corn. Even the indolent Indians of the tor- 

 rid zone have discovered that many alimentary 

 roots and fruits of different natural families of vege- 

 tables may be obtained from tlje same field at the 

 same time, without impediment to the growth of 

 each other, and with tlio advantage of occupying 

 the place of the otherwise natural and noxious 

 weeds. Thus the Enphorhiaceous .Tatropha Man- 

 rbnt being planted, (by simply inserting obliquely 

 ehort pieces of the stem,) when the external bud 

 has shot up 8 or 10 inches into the air, the inter- 

 red bads having then begun to branch under 

 );round into cassave roots, the grnmineovs zeamays 

 is next deposited in alternate holes, uot hills ; and 

 then between both the ca.ssave and the corn are 

 sown the seeds of the cucurbilaceous melons, vvaler- 

 inolons, pumpkins, squashes, and cucumbers; of 

 ho Irsruminnus phaseolus vulgaris, and other beans 



can vegecultural economy — the greatest production 

 with the least toil. H. Perrine.' 



•■.-.■-■■ '"" I - " ,...„--- , 



valued, as with us, for the esculent contents of the 

 pods, — besides those of lYmjicamas, whose princi- 

 pal value resides in their roots, (like those of our 

 Phaseolus or Apros tuberosa,) of which there are 

 three kinds, aiul one at least supposed to be a Do- 

 lichos bulhosa ; and moreover, the roots of the 

 convolvnlaceous sweet potato, and of the dioscorcus 

 yam. As they all contribute to form a refreshing 

 nhadc! fur the soil, in the whole surface not occu- 

 pied by the stalks of the cassave plant and of the 

 Indian corn, and at the same time impede the 

 growth of spontaneous weeds, we have thus de- 

 monstrated to us, by ages of experience, among 

 the most indolent and ignorant people of the 

 world, a most important practical lesson of Ameri- 



From Loudon's Gardeticr's Magazme. 

 GROWING FERiVS AND OTHER PLANTS IN 

 GI.ASS CASES. 

 We lately had the pleasure of seeing the most 

 extraordinary city garden we have ever beheld, 

 viz. that of Mr. Ward of Wellclose Square, a gen- 

 tleman enthusiastically devoted to botany. Along 

 the tops of all the walls of his dwelling-house, of 

 the ofKces behind, and of the wall round the yard, 

 even up the gable ends and slopes of lean-tos, is a 

 continuation of boxes or troughs, about 14 in. wide, 

 filled with soil and divided crosswise by tiles, so 

 as to form distinct compartments about 1 ft. by 6 

 in., in each of which one species of plant is grown. 

 •We should suppose there must be at least room 

 found in this way for 1500 species. The sloping 

 roof of a shed is wholly covered with soil, and di- 

 vided into compartments by slips of wood ; in 

 these compartments sedums, saxifrages, and other 

 succulents are grown. In the open yard there are 

 two or three trees ; the best of which, for a Lon- 

 don garden, Mr. Ward considers to be the fig. It 

 thrives amongst smoke and dirt, and shows a 

 broader leaf, and of a more intense green, than 

 any other tree ; and this either as a standard or 

 against a wall. Next to the fig, the wjcer Pseudo- 

 Platanus is found to be the most prosperous. In 

 the interior of Mr. Ward's house, there are boxes 

 in every window, some on the outside, and others 

 on the inside, containing plants. These boxes are 

 from 8 in. to 1 ft. in width, in length equal to the 

 breadth of the window or its sill, or window seat ; 

 and the sides arc from 18 in. to 2 ft. in height. 

 About 6 in. of the lower part of tlie sides, and the 

 bottom, are of wood, put together so as to be wa- 

 tertight ; and the upper part of the sides, and the 

 top, are wholly of glass. In the bottom, soil, stones 

 moss, &c. are placed, and ferns and other plants 

 plante.l, and duly watered. This being done, and 

 the superfluous water drained off through a plug- 

 hole in the bottom, which is afterwards closely 

 stopped, the close lid is put on the box, and seldom 

 or never afterwards taken oflT. The plants are 

 found to require no fresh supply of water for 

 months, and some plants will live for years with- 

 out any ; and, as the lid is never taken off, they 

 can have no fresh supply of air, otherwise than by 

 the expansion produced by increased temperature 

 forcing out a portion of air through the impercep- 

 tible interstices of the lid ; and, when the tempera- 

 ture is reduced, drawing air in, through the same 

 interstices, by its contraction. This, no doubt, 

 will take place more or less every day. The great 

 advantage of admitting air only in this way is, that 

 it is, as it were, sifted or filtered, from the impuri- 

 ties which float in it; which impurities, and not 

 any thing in its chemical composition, are now 

 iionurally understood to be the cause why the air 

 of London is less favorable for both animal and 

 vegetable life, than the air of the country. Mr. 

 Ward has grown plants in boxes of this kmd for 

 three vears with the greatest degree of success; 

 and ho is now getting a box prepared, 5 or 6 ft. 

 square, and nearly 10 ft. high, in which he in- 

 tends to have a rock work covered with vegeta- 

 tion. The success attending Mr. Ward's experi- 

 ments opens up extensive views as to their appli- 

 cation in transporting plants from one country to 

 another ; in preserving plants in rooms, or m 

 towns; and in forming miniature gardens or con- 



outside of windows, as substitutes for bud views, 

 or for no views at all. Mr. Ward has no doubt, 

 that by boxes of this kind, with requisite modifica- 

 tions,he could transport plants from any one country 

 in the world to any other country. In Mr. Ward's 

 drawing-room, we found a magnificent specimen 

 of Mclianthus major coming into bloom ; and his 

 herbarium contains nearly 25,000 species, arrang- 

 ed according to the natural system, and placed in 

 boxes on a highly improved plan. 



From the Ohio Farmer. 

 ON THE CCI-TIIRE OP THE STRAWBERRY, 



Who of our readers do no( cultivate the straw- 

 berry ? This may seem a searching question, ye 

 it is put in the pure spirit of courtesy and goot 

 nature. For many years we were not classed wit! 

 the cultivators of this fine fruit ; and were wi 

 asked how that happened ? we should answer, be 

 cause we were ignorant of its value — ignorant o 

 the great abundance which may be had from 

 small piece of ground, and a very little laboi 

 Most of those who neglect its culture we presimn 

 are in circumstances similar to what we were i 

 those days ; and if we could make on lliem iit 

 pressions similar to what we have since receive! 

 this rich and desirable treat for the sick and tl 

 well, the old, the middle-aged and the young- 

 would become more abundant. 



Strawberries are the earliest in ripening of i 

 our fruits ; and for several weeks, none can con 

 in competition with them as an ornanient of tl 

 table. It is true we can do without them, h 

 why should we .' They contribute to our comfc 

 and our health. The value of a thing is som 

 tiijies best known by its loss, for until we ha 

 possessed it, we can scarcely know and feel 

 worth to full extent. Inquire now of those w< 

 depend on them as a dessert through the first pi 

 of summer— ask if the expense or labor of pi 

 ducing is more than they are worth ; and we £ 

 confid'ent the reply would be, " we would expe: 

 twice as much before we would consent to 

 without them." 



We would only refer however, to those wH 

 have strawberries in abundance, who by taking 

 few steps to the garden on any day, can proci 

 enough for a feasL For a family of eight or I 

 persons and occasional visiters, we have fou 

 beds equal to fifty square yards to be suflicient, 

 a patch but little more than twenty-one feet squa 

 exclusive of alleys. What garden in the conn 

 could not spare this much room ? and what hai 

 are busily engaged in other matters, to jiick out ' 

 weeds from this little spot? Avery little labor 

 deed is required. 



Strawberry beds on a rich loam are the m 

 productive ; and to such as transplant late in 

 tumn, we would recommend treading the i 

 firmly round the roots. It prevents them fr 

 being loosened and injured by the frost. In oi 

 nary S(,asons it will prove a sufficient protect! 

 but in those of unusual severity like the last, soi 

 thing more will he necessary ; and perhaps notl. 

 is better than the branches of evergreens. 1\ 

 is alio less danger if the bed has not been ne 



dug over. , , • 



Of the kinds to be cultivated, there is consa 

 able choice. The Austrian Scarlet or Duke 

 Kent is our earliest, and the flavor is very f 

 In Lindley's Guide to the Orchard, Sfc. ninel 

 sorts are selected for a small garden ; but 8om 



towns ; and in forming miniature garaens or con- ;";;;-^- "^^t ag..ee with this "climate. The D ^ 

 servatories, either in rooms or on the inside or 1 them may not ag _ 



