AND HORTICULTURAL REGISTER. 



PUBLISHED BY JOSEPH BRECK & CO., NO. 62 NORTH MARKET STREET, (Aobicdltobai. WAaEHOosE.) 



XAII.] 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL 24, 1844. 



[NO. 43. 



N. E. F ARMER. 



ASCENT OP SAP IN PLANTS. 



Boston, April 16M, 1844. 

 Editor of the New England Farmer: 

 av Sir — The following experiment which I 

 yesterday, may interest some of your read- 

 My object was to ascertain the rale of ns- 

 )f the sap in a gra.pe-vino, at different periods 

 ay, and to exhibit to my piipils the propul- 

 orcc which raises it in the stem of a plant. 

 ril 151k, 1844. — The lowest branch of a 

 -vine, having four branches, was cut off! and 

 :n glass lube was attached firmly to the cut 

 nily, by means of a strip of sheet India rub- 

 ed with stout silk. The tube was fixed per- 

 :ularly against the wall on which the vine 

 •ained, and a pasteboard scale of inches was 

 ed to the tube. 



; sap began to be efliused immediately. 

 , 2o A. M. Experiment commenced, and the 



fluid rose as follows : 

 I " to I^ inch. 

 ^ « 3 

 i " 5 

 I " 7 

 I " 8i 



P. M. 9 

 i " 10 



" 10^ 



> " 14^ 

 « 15 



> " 17 

 ) " 19 



" 20 



■ 21 



■ 26 



for.' la not its rise due to the action of nieml'ra- 

 nous partitions, just as takes place in the endos- 

 mometer of Dutrochet .' 



Respectfully, your ob't sorv't, 



CHARLES T. JACKSON. 



) 

 I 



'e the experiment stopped, for the sap had 



;d the mouth of the tube. 



s experiment is worthy of trial on various 



at different times during the developement 



leaf-buds, and I hope others will be induced 



it. 



3 evident that the sap forming the common 

 ■){ plants, rises by a propelling force similar 

 t which causes its rise in the tube of an en- 

 meter. Dutrochet says it will sustain a col- 

 f mercury 28 inches in height, 

 .nnot at this time enter upon the discussion 

 stions concerning the theory of the elevation 

 sap in plants, beyond the expression of the 

 n that it cannot be accounted for by capillary 

 lioii nor by atmospheric pressure ; for, in the 

 ise, we cannot by capillary attraction, ac- 

 for the rise of the sap beyond the cut ex- 

 y of the vine; and in the second, we cannot 

 • ve how the pressure of the atmosphere could 

 the case, where it is as great in one part as 

 other, and where a vacuum cannot be pro. 

 , on account of the porosity of the woody 

 Even if a vacuum was efiected by the ab- 

 >n going on in the buds, how could the as- 

 i the sap beyond about 30 feet, be accounted 



For the New England Farmer. 



BENEFIT OF MIXING SOILS. 



Mr Editor — I was gratified with the communi- 

 cation of L. Bartlett, Esq., on Sulphuretted Hydro- 

 gen, in the Farmer of the 3d inst. There is no 

 doubt but any mixture of soils, or any soil from a 

 considerable depth brought to the surface, will act 

 efficiently as manure, and in many cases very pow. 

 erfully. Some 16 years since, I built a house, 

 and the earth from the cellar was used for grading. 

 The bottom dirt, which of course came on top, was 

 a fatty blue clay, with a strong sulphur smell. At 

 the east end it was proposed to have a garden, and 

 I intended to haul on a covering of other earth, 

 but other business prevented, and it was planted 

 with cucumbers, squashes, &.C., which, much to my 

 surprise, exceeded every thing else in the garden, 

 and for the three years I occupied it, it maintained 

 its superiority. 



A few years since, while walkinj; in the lower 

 yard of the Maine State Prison, I observed a patch 

 of corn, cucumbers, &c., growing so very rank as 

 to induce me to ask the warden what was used for 

 manure. He said, "Nothing — they were planted 

 on earth dug from the bottom of the quarry by 

 some of the convicts, and nothing else was put on 

 them." This was a light yellow loam, lyin<' be- 

 tween the joints of the lime-rock, and brought 

 from a depth of 50 or more feet, and did not look 

 as if any thing would grow on it. 



I have within a few years fertilized a mere clay 

 bank, by bringing on soil from the road-side; and 

 any mixture of soils of different qualities, so far as 

 my experience extends, will improve the crops 

 equal always to the expense incurred, and often 

 much more. g. 



Kennebec Co., Me. 



MIDDLETOWN FARMERS' CLUB. 



From the report of the discussion on " Producing 

 and Using Manures," at the second meeting of the 

 Middletown (Ct.) Farmers' Club, published in the 

 Conn. Farmer's Gazette, we make the following 

 extracts : 



" Judge Coo remarked, that the right application 

 of manure depe,nded,n^iich upon the nature of the 

 soil. Heavy land would profitably bear a larger 

 application at onqe, than a lighter soil. It was 

 his opinion that the purchase of manure was rarely 

 to be advised. That a farmer should depend prin- 

 cipally upon his barn-yard for a supply, and the 

 resources upon his own farm. A compost of turf 

 ashes, mud, lime, &c., might soinetimes be made 

 with advantage, for a top. dressing for grain or 

 grass land. The best time and way to apply ina- 

 nure to corn and potatoes, is in the spring, and be- 

 fore it has fermented. It should be covered, but 



not deeply. It should be near enough to the sur- 

 face to feel the influence of heat as well as mois. 

 tore. In the management of a farm, the grand 

 object in applying manure, as well as in arranging 

 the crops, should be permanent improvement, and 

 not merely the obtaining one great crop. The 

 most valuable manure, according to his experience, 

 is sheep dung — and pasturing by sheep is an ad- 

 mirable method of iuiproving poor land. Judi^e 

 Coe instanced a tract of land in his own possession, 

 improved in this way two or three hundred per 

 cent. He has found manure to be belter, much 

 better, for being kept under cover until used. 

 He thinks well of the efl'ect of ashes, and is satis- 

 fied that dry ashes are the most economical. 

 He had had a long and favorable experience in the 

 use of plaster of Paris. It is most profitable in 

 small quantities, and thoiigjit it best, for top-dress- 

 ing, to apply it directly after mowinS- Had used 

 it with advantage in the hill for corn and potatoes. 

 It is not a preventive of the cut-worm, but tends to 

 invigorate the plant and put it beyond the worm's 

 reach. Judge C. thinks ^rass the most profitable 

 crop raised, if land is adapted to it. 



Mr VVm. Plumb said he had made much use of 

 lime, but with little or no advantage on his heavy 

 land, while his light soil had shown a decided im- 

 provement in consequence. 



Mr Charles Hubbard stated that dry ashes had 

 the best effect upon his corn by applying them in 

 the hole before the corn is planted — but said that 

 a mixture of plaster and ashes was better than 

 ashes alone." 



LIMA BEANS. 

 To have a good vegetable garden, should be tho 

 aim of every man — and woman too, who has the 

 occupancy of a patch large enough to make one. 

 Many people seem to think that vegetables are 

 vegetables, and it matters not what is the quality 

 if in quantity they do not fall short. We would 

 remind sgch that some good things are a great deal 

 better than some other good things — and amono- 

 the best of garden vegetables we class the Lima 

 bean. It is a tender plant, and needs careful cul- 

 ture. Plant from the middle to the last of May: 

 having the soil made rich and deep, cover slightly 

 with fine mould, and set the poles at the time of 

 planting. For succotash in summer or winter, 

 there is no variety that can be compared with the 

 Lima — Conn. Far. Gaz. 



Broom Corn.— Immense quantities of broom 

 corn arc raised on the Connecticut river, in Alassa- 

 chtisetts. It yields about 1000 lbs. of brush, and 

 (lO to 70 bushels of seed to the acre. The brush 

 sells for 5, and sometimes as high as 13 rents the 

 pound, and the seed at .33 cents per bushel. Its 

 cultivation is like that of the Indian corn. lb. 



Manure for Melons. — It is contended that hen- 

 dung is equal to pigeon dung, in producing u large 

 quantity aud fine quality of melons. — London Gard. 

 Chron. 



