1860. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



45 



THE TREES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

 The officers of the Smithsonian Institute, some 

 time ago, engaged the services of Dr. J. G. Coop- 

 er, to prepare an essay upon the Sylva of the 

 North American Continent. The result of his la- 

 bors has been published in pamphlet form by the 

 Institute, and the following facts are taken from 

 the document : 



There are no less than one hundred and thirty- 

 four different species of trees on the continent of 

 North America, including a vast variety from the 

 rich tropical sylvan products of the Mexican dis- 

 tricts, to the stunted pines that pass their unseen 

 sturdy lives among the snows of Labrador. The 

 tallest trees are found in California, where is the 

 giant redwood — Sequoia gigantea ofTorrey, or the 

 WelUngtonia gigantea oi' Hooker — which attains 

 the prodigious height of four hundred and ilfty 

 feet from the ground, about half as high again as 

 Trinity church steeple. The yellow fir, or Abies 

 grandis, which grows in Oregon, is also a very re- 

 spectable tree, often reaching the height of two 

 hundred and fifty feet. In Massachusetts they have 

 the whitewood poplar, of one hundred and forty 

 feet in height, and the same State also possesses a 

 Zanthoxyliun Americaaum, which is more famili- 

 arly known as the tooth-ache tree. In New Jersey 

 there may be found a species of white beech one 

 hundred and twenty feet high. After these it is 

 quite a contrast to descend to a prickly pear tree 

 of Mexico, which, though rejoicing in the gorge- 

 ous title of Opuntia Athanthocarpa, is but six feet 

 high. The Primus Subcordia, a kind of plum tree, 

 is another sylvan dwarf, and the Juniper its Pacli- 

 ypoloea is also an arboreous pigmy, neither of 

 those Mexican trees being over ten feet in height. 



The Gulf of Mexico has an important effect up- 

 on the forest growth in the United States. It is 

 from the gulf that many rain storms proceed, and 

 they are blown easterly by westerly winds, until 

 they fall generally before reaching the Ohio. Thus, 

 as they do not reach the Illinois region, that dis- 

 trict is deprived of its fair share of rain. Without 

 moisture, there can be no trees, and that is the 

 reason that Illinois and Michigan abound in tree- 

 less prairies that ai-e not to be found in places 

 where the rain storms from the gulf fall. In Tex- 

 as, where these gulf storms do not travel, the mois- 

 ture and consequent vegetation and sylva grow 

 less and less as we proceed westward, until we 

 come into the great deserts that exist in the Da- 

 cotah regions. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 COMMON SENSE. 

 I have often heard the observation that common 

 sense is the best of all sense. I was reminded 

 of this on reading the remarks of your HoUis 

 correspondent, "On the profits of farming." Like 

 views have often occurred to me, on looking about 

 among the farmers whom I have known for the 

 last fifty years. Generally speaking, those who 

 have been industrious, limiting their attentions 

 to their own business, letting alone all manner of 

 speculation, have succeeded well in the world. 

 The great secret of success is, to have something 

 as useful to be done, at all times, in winter, as well 

 in the other seasons of the year. Never hire oth- 



ers to do what can be well enough done by your- 

 self. 



Every farmer needs a workshop, well supplied 

 with tools. All his boys should be instructed in 

 the use of them. He should know how to mend 

 his own carts, plows and carriages, and do this at 

 times when he cannot advantageously work in the 

 field. He should have "a place for everything, 

 and everything in its place." This motto, I re- 

 member to have seen conspicuously posted about 

 the buildings of one of the best conducted farms 

 I ever saw. This was well, thus to remind all of 

 their rule of action, if it could not otherwise be 

 impressed on their memory ; it would seem better 

 to make it a part, of tlieu' nature. 



"■As to pulling weeds, you had better let them 

 alone, in a dry time ;" I do not accord entirely 

 with this rule laid down by friend Emerson. I 

 would sooner say, let there be no weeds to be 

 pulled ; or, if there be any, let them be removed 

 at earliest opportunity, in the most careful man- 

 ner. Weeds, like vices, even the very common 

 vice of smoking tobacco, pollute all around. They 

 can not be too soon eradicated. P. 



December 3, 1859. 



EXTRACTS AND REPLIES. 



BUTTER IN WINTER. 



I would like to inquire through the Farmer the 

 mode of making butter in cold weather. I have 

 not made butter since the middle of last month — 

 the last that I churned I kept the dasher going 14 

 hours, and had to give it up. In warm weather it 

 comes in from 5 to 15 minutes. I have put the 

 churn in hot and cold Avater, alternately, and have 

 tried it in a Avarm room and cold room, but all to 

 no purpose. The cream, after churning so long, 

 is so rancid that it cannot be used for any pur- 

 pose whatever. My cows are fed on the best of 

 hay, have potatoes once a day, and occasionally a 

 few ears of corn. If you or any of your corres- 

 pondents can inform me how to make the butter 

 come, you Avill confer a favor not only on me, but 

 on many of my neighbors. E. Leonard. 



New Bedford, 11 mo., 21th, 1859. 



PtEMARKS. — Butter was made in our family 

 through the whole of last winter from the milk 

 which five or six cows gave. The milk and cream 

 stood in a cellar where the temperature was uni- 

 formly at about 62° ; and when the cream was re- 

 moved in order to churn it, it was kept at as near 

 62° as possible. Ten to fifteen minutes would 

 bring the butter, which sold in market for thirty 

 cents a pound. Cream should not be kept more 

 than three days, we think, and it seems to us that 

 its temperature should be nearly uniform all the 

 time it is being gathered. We hope those who arc 

 successful will help brother Leonard out of his 

 difficulty. 



THE LAWTON BLACKBERRY. 

 Your subscriber from New Bedford is no doiibt 

 correct in his belief that the Lawton BlackberrA 

 can be successfully cultivated in Massachusetts. 1 

 have this last season, within three miles of your 

 place in Concord, from three-fourths of an acre, 



