VOi,. Xv. NO. 39. 



AND G A R D E N E B ' S JOURNAL 



171 



sufficient to satisfy the reasonable desires of those 

 whose lot lias been cast in it. 



Let lis take a rapid survey of the characteris- 

 tics of each of these subdivisions of our country, 

 as regards a few of its more prominent points. 



The northern, or New England states occupy 

 about the same position as to latitude, as Spain 

 and theeouth of France, but owing to local cir- 

 cumstances, such as vast tracts stretching towards 

 the pole, and the large inland bays and lakes im- 

 mediately in the range of the northwest winds, it 

 has a much colder climate than is experienced in 

 those countries. In general the soil is of inferior 

 fertility, compared with the other sections of the 

 United States ; there are, however, very fertile 

 tracts, as we advance from the sea-board towards 

 the interior, and many of the vallies of Now 

 Knsriaiid will vie with the richest vallies of the 

 west. I have travelled through the Miami and 

 Sciota vallies, justly considered the garden ot 

 Ohio; I have also seen portions of the Connecti- 

 cut valley, that equalled the former in richness, 

 and greatly surpassed it in cultivation, and in all 

 those improvetiients which belong to a natural 

 state of society, and which contribute so much to 

 the comforts and charms of life. 



Indian corn, rye, oats, barley, &c. together 

 with most of tlie fruits and products of Horti- 

 culture, are raised in very considerable quantities 

 and of excellent quality in the northern stales, 

 not indeed in such abundance as in the middle 

 and western states. But although the quantity is 

 less, the high price and ready market more than 

 counterhalaiice the disadvantage; the bushel of 

 corn will command a dollar upon an average of 

 one year with another whilst in the west it is sold 

 frequently from twelve and a half to twentyfive 

 cents ! 



{To be continued.) 



S1L.K. 



We have had occasion more than once to speak 

 of the experiments in silk culture in Muskingum 

 county during the past season, and have exhibited 

 specimens of beauliUil silk made by a fellow 

 townsman during the past summer. The follow- 

 ing communication states a further ex|)eriment, 

 that of rearing two sets of worms during the same 

 season, nii experiment in which Mr Westbrook 

 was entirely succesful. We have visited his nur- 

 series ol young mulberry trees, and must pro- 

 nounce them the handsomest we have seen. We 

 u!so procured last spring, a few plants of the Mo- 

 rns Multicaulis, which have grown finely, and 

 should they not kill down badly this winter, we 

 shall have several hundred cuttings next spring. 

 The great stumbling block in silk culture, the 

 reeling process, has proved to be a small matter 

 when understood. 



Mr Westbrook has left a specimen of his own 

 manufacture ot sewing silk with us, which can be 

 seen by calling at this office. 



Messrs Parke & Bennett: 



Last spring 1 obtained an ounce and a half of 

 the White Mulberry seed, which I sowed on the 

 11th and l-2th of April, on a bed 40 feet long, and 

 13 broad, in rows twelve inches apart, watering 

 the bed twice or three times a week in dry wea- 

 ther, once a week at least with soap suds. A part 

 of my seed, say one half, cnme up the last of that 

 month and the first of May, when the dry weather 

 came on. The balance of my seed did not come 



up until after the long spell of rain about the first 

 of June. By keeping the bed clean, imd occasion- 

 ally stirring the ground between the rows, the 

 plants grew rapidly, and those which came up 

 before the drought, perhaps the number of thri-e 

 or four thousand, have attained to the average 

 height of three or four feet, and some to the hcigli! 

 of four feet ten inches; but were 1 to sow again, 

 I should occupy at least twice as much ground. 

 I also obtained of Mr C. G. Wilson, ten trees 

 of the Chinese Mulberry of last year's growti'i, 

 about a foot in height, which were brought from 

 Boston, and did not arrive here until about the fiist 

 of June, at which time they were transplanted, 

 but had no appearance of vegetating for about ten 

 days, when the buds next the ground began to 

 developc lliemselvcs, the top of the stock down 

 to those buds drieil up. By occasional watering 

 in dry weather, and stirring the ground about thi' 

 roots, those buds, together with several sprouts or 

 suckers, which sprang up from the roots, some at 

 the distanC'! of two or three inches from the main 

 stalk, grew rapidly and have attained to the aver- 

 age height of five feet ten inches, and one measur- 

 ing six feet six inches, clothed with the most beau- 

 tiful foliage I ever saw, of a dee|) green, and of a 

 be;iutiful glossy silky appearance, some of the 

 leaves measuring eleven and one fourth inches in 

 length and ten in breadth. I intend, if I can 

 preserve these ten trees entire the coming winter, 

 to increase my number to one thousand from cut- 

 tings. 



I also obtained a few silkworm eggs last spring, 

 which came out on the 12th and 13lh of May, and 

 fed them on the native Mulberry as a school ot 

 experiment, they grew well and wound their co- 

 coons in thirty-five days from the dale of their 

 hatching. The moth came out in a few days and 

 laid their eggs, and as it has been shown that two 

 crops in a year have been raised in the Uniteil 

 States, and to use a trite ailage, " what has been 

 done may be done again," in order to test the 

 experiment satisfactorily, I allowed a second ciop 

 to hatch : they came out on 13th of July, and 

 were fed from the limbs which 1 cut from my 

 seeding trees, uiilil the fourth age, and the balance 

 of the season on the native mulberry. The worms 

 grew as rapidly, and apjieared equally as healthy 

 and vigorous as the former crop, and came to ma- 

 turity five days sooner, and commenced spinning 

 their cocoons in thirty days from the date of their 

 hatching, and the cocoons were about the same 

 weight. 



The foregoing exposition will prove beyond the 

 shadow of ,1 doubt, the practicability of rearing tv\o 

 crops of worms in a season in our climate, and 

 also the adajitation of our climate and soil to the 

 successful culture of the mulberry, for in turning 

 over (he pages of horticulture, there is no where 

 recorded, so luxuriant a growth as in the above 

 instance. — Zanesville {Ohio) Gazette. 



TANNING. 



A few years since we alluded in general terms 

 to a new mode of tanning, lately invented by Dr 

 K. S. Bell and Mr Daniel Bell, of Virginia. From 

 one ol the Patentees, now in this place, we have 

 been informed that the system has been well re- 

 ceived, and the leather has well sustained the test 

 of use. Some have supposed that this operation 

 is effected by the use of heat, acid steam, &c. ; 

 this, however we are assured is not true, the lead- 

 ing principle being to Iree the hide from ail foreign 



substances, as grease, &c., together with the weak- 

 ened liquor from which, ihe tannin has been ab- 

 sorbed, and thus leave the hide free to receive a 

 fresh charge of the tarming principle, which being 

 unobstructed in its operation by grease ur other 

 foreign substance, is left free to act immediately 

 upon the gelatine of the hide ; and very soon the 

 tannin having combined with the hide, the weak- 

 ened liquor may be again made to give way to a 

 fresh change of stronger. The operation of free- 

 ing the hide from these foreign and detrimental 

 :iubstances, is effected by mechanical pressure, by 

 means of rollers passing over the hides when 

 drawn from the vats and lai<l upon p'atfiirms 

 adapted for the purpose. Jo order to effect this 

 com uression <-onveniently Ihe vats and platform 

 are so arranged Bj; to enabe the workmen to pass 

 them through tiie ojieraiion with great facility and 

 ease. In ordei ton, that the ooze may act as 

 freely a:^ possible, the hides are suspended in the 

 vats which adds likewise to the convenience of 

 ])assina them successfully under the roller. 



While t.he steaming and heating process which 

 had been liOretQfure proposed, and in some instan- 

 ces redu<;t'd to practice, injures ihe leather, by 

 cooking it so as: to make it harsii and unfit for 

 use we can see ■nothing in the above calculated to 

 produce that effi'^ct; and we are assured that the- 

 process differs fr< Mn all that can now be found in 

 the patent office Oi- in practice. We learn also, 

 that a more perfict union, appears to take place 

 between the material of the hide and the Uiiir.m.. 

 than under the oh.l method, which has 6eem 

 proved by submittiug fl'e action of chemical 

 agents. The time netet'sary for the perfect tan- 

 ning of a hide varies from two to eight vveek.», as 

 has been proved by repeated experiment ; it is 

 then at the oiition of the taniitu- to pMcdt it to lie 

 longer or to finish it immeo'iatoly for stfie.. 



We have not attempted lo (detail the plan of 

 these gentlemen, or even to aliu<le to many parts 

 of their process; we only desire to call the atten- 

 tion of tanners and others interested, to the fact 

 that good leather may be made by a niuch shorter 

 process than some have thought practicable ; and 

 to impress the distinction between tanning by 

 steam and the moile here propose!. We know 

 there is a mountain of prejudice against innova- 

 tion to he overcome, but whilst improvements are 

 being made in every branch of business, why 

 should this important operalion remain stationary .' 

 Here is a plan proposed by which labor is to do 

 saved — time to be saved, (and time is money, 

 especially to the man of small capital) — a good 

 article is to be produced — and the experiment is 

 not expensive. It is surely worth an attentive in- 

 vestigation ; and the patentees say they ask no 

 more. If they cannot effect all that they propose, 

 they ask no man to adopt their system. Mr Dan- 

 iel Bell will remain in Zanesville a few days, and 

 will give full satis'action on the subject ; and at 

 any time a letter addressed to Dr Edward S. Bell, 

 Middleway, Jefferson county, Va. will receive 

 [ironipt attention. 



We are requested to Say that the patentees hope 

 editors will give such notice of their plan as they 

 think proper. — Zanesville Gaz. 



We understand that the revenue that accrued 

 at this port, during the months of October and 

 November of this year was $569,259 — during Ihe 

 corresponding time last year $463,653. Increase, 

 95,606. 



