214 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



DEC. 33, 1839. 



thirty branches, the lowest of which are from eight 

 to nine feet long, very divergent, curved, and lie 

 upon the ground half of their length. At the 

 epoch of its flloresence, the principal stems of each 

 of the twenty branches, are subdivided at their sum- 

 mits, into twenty flowering branches, which form 

 in the whole about six hundred clusters of seeds. 

 The form of the silique presents no appreciable dif- 

 ference, from that of the Cavalier Cabbage, but the 

 seed^ofthe Billaudeau Cabbage, appeared to us 

 less round and more unequal in size. 



Now, it is a question to be solved, whether the 

 cabbage of M. Billaudeau is a new species or a va- 

 riety of a species already known. It is probable 

 that it was derived from the Branched Cabbage of 

 Poitou, as was the Parennial Cabbage of Dauhen- 

 ton. It resembles the latter more than the former, 

 as its inferior branches commence near the ground ; 

 but it differs from both, by being as high again as 

 the Cavalier Cabbage, while the Branched Cabbage 

 and the Parennial Cabbage are smaller than the 

 Cavalier Cabbage. 



It is not probable that the Billaudeau Cabbage 

 owes its prodigious dimensions to the nature of the 

 soil, as it was found in the middle of a field of cab- 

 bages, all the individuals of which, except that, pre- 

 served their natural size ; but it may be admitted 

 that the seed, which produced^it, was disposed to 

 develop itself to an excess, while others are dispos- 

 ed to produce variegated plants, plants with curled 

 leaves, double flowers, &c., without our being able 

 to ascertain either why or how it has been done. 



It may be asked if the seeds of the Billaudeau 

 Cabbage will reproduce cabbages resembling the 

 parent — for it is the chief point of inquiry. For 

 an answer, we invoke experience and analogy and 

 say, that even in our time, there have been formed 

 several races, or varieties in certain families of veg- 

 etables, and especially in the cabbages : thus the 

 Bruxelles Cabbage, has not always existed; there 

 has not ever been several varieties of the Cauliflow- 

 er. The Branched Balsom — the Dwarf Balsom — 

 the Pyramidal Queen-Marguerite, and the Dwarf 

 Queen-Marguerite have been created by modern 

 culture, and form races, which are perpetuated by 

 seeds, which are annually carefully managed in 

 the same manner, that the races of domestic ani- 

 mals are preserved pure, by preventing crosses and 

 affording tJiem proper nourishment. The seeds of 

 the double Dahlia produce inore double Dahlias 

 than those of the single Dahlia ; the purple Capu- 

 cine, which was produced under our observation, 

 from the yellow Capucine, reproduced itself from 

 its seed, and has been thus perpetuated, by our cul- 

 tivators, by keeping them from admixture. The 

 curled Parsley, which was not known in the time 

 of La Quintinge, and the curled garden Cress, 

 whose origin is more recent, reproduce themselves 

 from the seed, almost as freely as tlu" natural spe- 

 cies : the China Bean, a dwarfkiud, from the seed 

 of the yellow, has produced, to our knowledge, a 

 branched variety, with white beans, which has 

 been perpetuated by the seeds. We could cite 

 several other plants, of a more or less recent origin, 

 which are perpetuated by the seeds, among our cul- 

 tivators, by means of a careful annual attention to 

 them to prevent crosses ; but enough has been ad- 

 duced, in support of our conviction, that varieties 

 may be identically reproduced from the seed and 

 new races formed. Now the cabbage of M. Bil- 

 laudeau being a new variety, with extraordinary di- 

 mensions, in height and diameter may, according 

 to the course of things, reproduce itself from the 



seeds, and be perpetuated by careful cultivation, 

 and finally constitute a permanent race. 



From the consideration that M. Billaudeau, by 

 exposing his Cabbage to the curiosity of cultivators, 

 and of all persons who are interested in the pro- 

 gress of agriculture, had the intention of enriching 

 our cultivators of the earth with a new plant, whose 

 product in leaves, for the nourishment of cattle, is 

 greater than that of any other cabbage ; and as this 

 cultivator has shown his discernment, in the hope 

 that this cabbage, (and it is not without example,) 

 would reproduce itself from the seed, and become 

 a precious plant in rural economy, your committee 

 has the honor to propose, that M. Billaudeau be re- 

 quested to continue his ex|)eriments, and make 

 known the result to the Society, and that this re- 

 port be inserted in your .Jnnaks. 



The Society approves the present report, and 

 adopts its conclusions. 



Signed, HERICORT De THURY, 



President. 

 SouLANGE BoDiN, Sec'vi/ General. 

 PoiTEAU, Rapporteur. 



TREE CORN. 



We never had much faith in the celebrated 

 " China Tree Corn," that it would be of any great 

 acquisition to the farmers of New England, and 

 fearing it might be a 'humbug,' did not publish 

 Grant Thorburn's first account of it, until wo were 

 requested to do it, after it had appeared in most of 

 the papers of the country. 



It was our intention to have no part in selling it, 

 until we had continual calls for the article, and 

 found, as the people would have it, it would be 

 necessary for us to keep it. We therefore publish- 

 ed Mr Thorburn's account, in the N. E. Farmer, 

 vol. xvii. page 155, and procured some of the corn. 

 As we did not have confidence in it, we added to 

 the article published the following — " Rtmarhs. — 

 Wa have some of this corn for sale at the N. E. 

 Farmer office, but as wo know no more about it 

 than what is contained in the above statement, ev- 

 ery purchaser must take it on his own responsi- 

 bility. — J. B." — As we supposed the . quantity for 

 sale would be very small, our first order was mod- 

 erate : it was repeated for larger quantities. Erro- 

 neous accounts we think have been given to the 

 public of the quantity sold in this city and other 

 places. 



We have seen much of this corn growing in va- 

 rious parts of the country, and have had accounts 

 from many individuals since their corn was harvest- 

 ed, and find that ninety in a hundred give sentence 

 against it. There are, however, some who give 

 their testimony in favor of it — not so much on ac- 

 count of its being an early corn, (for such is not the 

 fact,) but as being valuable for fodder. Dr Row- 

 land Green, of Mansfield, lias cultivated it with 

 some care and attention, and at our request, has 

 given us an account of it, which we give below. — 

 We have also received a letter from Mr Thorburn, 

 together with an article from the Journal of Com- 

 merce, which we also publish. We do not give 

 place to these communications because we believe 

 the corn will be profitable for New England, but 

 that Mr Thorburn may have a chance to appear he- 

 fore the public with siatements to balance some of 

 the unfavorable accounts which have appeared 

 against him and his corn. 



We do not understand how it is that the corn 



multiplied to such an extent after his first accouj 

 of it — and should like to have him show how 

 was that so much of it appeared in market. 



The box of corn referred to in Thorburn's lette 

 has been received, and may be examined by ar 

 who may take the trouble to call at our place i 

 business. J. B, 



Mr Breck — Dear Sir — Agreeable to your n 

 quest, I send you a particular account of my sue 

 cess in the culture of the Chinese Corn. A frier 

 in Newton gave me a small ear (said to be earl 

 and productive,) which on the first of May last, 

 planted on ten rods of good land, well manure 

 The rows were four and a half feet apart and th 

 hills about three feet asunder, and one, two, ( 

 three corns placed in each hill. It appeared not I 

 vegetate so soon as my other corn, and when it wa 

 up y put round each hill, say half a pint of di 

 ashes. In about three weeks it appeared so slei 

 der and bad, that to avoid a total failure of a crc 

 of some kind, I planted field beans in every hill.- 

 As the warmth of the season increased, the cor 

 grew, and finally to the height of 8 or 9 feet, pre 

 ducing many offsets 'or suckers, which grew to th 

 height of C or 7 feet. Before the 10th of Angus 

 ears began to appear on the suckers, butapprehent 

 ing that they could not ripen, I cut them all ol 

 affording much fodder. It was late in ripeninj 

 and was harvested in the beginning of Octobe 

 There were two or three ears on each stalk, hi 

 only one or two ripened. The produce was si 

 bushels of ears, and as near as I could judge, at th 

 rate of from 45 to 50 bushels to the acre. Th 

 produce of one stalk was two large full ears, (on 

 8 1-'^ and the other 9 l-2inche3 in length,) produ( 

 ing 1175 well ripened corns. 



The corn suffered very much from the stron 

 wind on the 31st of July. Aa to the beans, the 

 suffered much from the shade of the corn, but pn 

 duced a good crop. 



This corn requires a long and warm season an 

 rich land, to be productive. From its numeroi 

 ofl^sets and foliage, it appears to be a good kind t 

 plant in drills, for soiling cattle, a method highl 

 approved by those who have tried the experimen 



This corn has been improperly called the " Tre 

 Corn," which I have, and is a great natural euriot 

 ity, but not productive. 



Respecttully, your friend, 



R. GREEN. 



Astoria, L. /., Dec. 6th, 1839. 



Messrs Breck & Co. — Gentlemen: — I observ 

 ed in your Farmer of the 27th Nov., a favorabl 

 notice of the Chinese 'I'ree Corn. I send you pe 

 steamboat to-day a small box containing 34 ears o 

 said corn, of my own raising. 



You will observe a marked difference in the ap 

 poarance of the ears : this is one of its peculiari 

 ties. My seed was all from ears having the sam 

 appearance as one you will find in the box havin: 

 the husks on it I often found in the same hil 

 ears having all these different appearances. 



I also send by this day's mail, the Journal o 

 Commerce : in it you will find a second letter tror 

 the same Mr Roberts. His experience in thi 

 corn exactly corresponds with my own. I wisi 

 you could give this letter a place in the Farmer 



This corn will yet be an important article amoni 

 farmers, and it is a pity it should be strangled ii 

 its birth: — besides I have suffered a great deal o 



