202 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Mat 



Probably, the change consequent on the adop- 

 tion of the New Style, by which the month com- 

 mences about a dozen days earlier than it did in 

 the times of those "good, old English gentlemen," 

 is one reason why its observance is becoming un- 

 popular. In her '^Calendar of the Seasons," Mary 

 Howitt says, "May-day, though still observed as 

 a rural festival, has often little pleasure to bestow, 

 except that arising from the name." In another 

 later English publication, a writer, referring to the 

 section of country in which he resides, says : 

 "The May-day ceremonial has died out among 

 us." These festivities he regards as belonging 

 rather to the relationship of the feudal baron and 

 his tenants, than to our own times, and rejoices 

 that the benevolence of the English land-holders 

 which once encouraged the observance of May- 

 day, is as active now as ever, though directed to 

 other and more worthy ones. "The school festi- 

 val or pic-nic, the plowing-match and the horti- 

 cultural show," says he, "have di'iven out May- 

 poles and Christmas misrule." 



If this festival is to be perpetuated in New Eng- 

 land, its observance ought to be transferred to 

 the latter part of the month, when the earth is 

 covered with a garb of richest green, and when 

 our orchards present 



"One boundless blu?h, one white empurpled shower 

 Of mingled blossoms," 



and when one feels, as he walks in field or forest, 

 like ejaculating with Wordsworth, 



"And 'tis my faith that every flower 

 Enjoys the air it breathes." 



But then this period is in the midst of the 

 planting season, and the farmers of New England 

 are so busy that we dai-e not recommend a change 

 that would appropriate one of these busy days to 

 a public celebration. May-day must, therefore, 

 be postponed to the fourth of July. 



For the New England Farmer. 



SQUASHES VERSUS PUMPKINS. 



Messrs. Editors : — Crude notions exist re- 

 garding the above vegetables, which are constant- 

 ly reiterated in many of our agricultural papers. 

 They are classed indiscriminately as belonging to 

 the same genus of plants, when, in fact, they are 

 perfectly distinct. I am induced at this time to 

 forward you a few words on this subject, from 

 meeting in the Working Farmer of the last 

 month, an article on the Autumnal Marrow, 

 (known in New York) as the "Boston Marrow," as 

 a true squash. Now this vegetable, together with 

 the Valparaiso, Hubbard, Polk, Acorn and Cus- 

 tard, are as truly pumpkins, as the Connecticut 

 field and Hard Shell pumpkins, and will all hy- 

 bridize or mix, Avhile the Winter Crook-neck, 

 (which I take to be the true type of squashes,) will 

 not hybridize with the pumpkin. If it was in- 

 clined to this, it would have lost its normal form 

 and disappeared long since. Nature, as well as 

 observation, teaches us regarding species, but 



many confound the term species with varieties, 

 hence some suppose that our Canada goose can 

 be crossed, year after year, with our domestic 

 goose, but this cannot be done after the first cross- 

 ing, any moi'e than the Jack and horse, which 

 stops at the mule. In the paper alluded to as 

 above, the writer cautions cultivators to be careful 

 to sow melons, cucumbers, &c., away from pump- 

 kins and squashes, as "they will hybridize." I 

 have never as yet known the crook-neck to hybri- 

 dize with the pumpkin, melons, cucumbers, &c., 

 although planted side by side. 



Yours truly, J. M. IVES. 



Salem, March, 1862. 



For tlie Nete England Farmer, 

 HOW SEEDS GERMINATE. 



A seed, when ripe, possesses a large share of 

 carbon. This is necessary to its preservation, but 

 is an impediment to its development as a new 

 plant. 



To rid itself of this principle it must convert the 

 carbon into carbonic acid ; for this purpose, oxygen 

 is necessary, which it cannot readily obtain from 

 the atmosphere in its dry state, but by burying it 

 in the soil it takes the requisite supply of oxygen 

 from the water, which it absorbs, fixing hydrogen 

 (the other element of water) in its tissue, and thus 

 it is enabled to form carbonic acid, which it throws 

 off by its respiratory organs until the proportion 

 of carbon is lowered to the amount best suited to 

 the growth of the plant. The water also causes 

 an expansion of the parts, many soluble parts be- 

 come fluid, and thus sap is formed and a circula- 

 tion is established, which keeps up a communica- 

 tion between the remote parts of the plant. 



Heat aids in causing the vital principle to act, 

 expands the air in the microscopic cavities of the 

 seed, and produces a distention of all the organic 

 parts, which thus have their irritability excited, 

 never again to be destroyed except with death. 



Germination being established, the parts enlarge, 

 and new parts are formed from a mucilaginous 

 saccharine secretion which the germinating seed 

 has the power of forming. 



From this the root, or radicle, is formed, and 

 goes downward in search of food, the stem or plu- 

 mule rears itself in the air and unfolds the seed 

 leaves or cotyledons, which, when exposed to the 

 light, decompose carbonic acid, fix the carbon, be- 

 come green, and form the matter by which all the 

 pre-existing parts are solidified. 



And thus a plant is born into the world. 



E. W. B. 



Vermont State Agricultural Society. — 

 The ofiicers of this Society for the year 1862 are : 



President — H. Henry Baxter, Rutland ; Vice 

 Presidents — Edwin Hammond, Middlebury, J. 

 W. Colburn, Sj)ringfield, Henry Keyes, Newbury, 

 John Jackson, Brandon ; Recording and Corres- 

 ponding Secretary — Uaniel Needham, Hartford ; 

 Treasurer — J. W. Colburn, Springfield ; Direc- 

 tors — Frederick Holbrook, Brattleboro', E. B-. 

 Chase, Lyndon ; H. S. Morse, Shelburne, D. R. 

 Potter, St. Albans, Henry G. Root, Boimington, 

 David Hill, Bridport, John Gregory, Nortlifiold, 

 Elijah Cleaveland, Coventry, Nathan Cashing, 

 Woodstock, George Campbell, Westminster. 



