1862. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



421 



WHAT ARE TREES MADE OF? 



If we were to take up a handful of soil and ex- 

 amine it under the microscope, we should probably 

 find it to contain a number of fragments of wood, 

 small broken pieces of branches or leaves, or oth- 

 er parts of the tree. If we could examine it chem- 

 ically, we should find yet more strikingly that it 

 was nearly the same as wood in its composition. 

 Perhaps, "then, it may be said, the young plant 

 obtains its wood from the earth in which it grows. 

 The following experiment will show whether this 

 conjecture is correct or not. Two hundred pounds 

 of earth Avero dried in an oven, and afterwards put 

 into a large earthen vessel : the earth was then 

 moistened with rain-water, and a willow tree, 

 weighing five pounds, was planted therein. Dur- 

 ing the space of five years the earth was carefully 

 watered with rain-water. The willow grew and 

 flourished, and to prevent the earth from being 

 mixed with fresh earth, being lilown upon it by 

 winds, it was covered with a metal jjlato full of 

 very minute holes, which would exclude every- 

 thing but air from getting across the earth below 

 it. After growing in the earth for five years, the 

 tree was removed, and on being weighed was 

 found to have gained one hundred and sixty-four 

 pounds. And this estimate did not include the 

 weight of the leaves or dead bi-anches which in 

 five years fell from the tree. 



Now came the application of the test. Was all 

 this obtained from the earth ? It had not sensibly 

 diminished ; but in order to make the experiment 

 conclusive, it was again dried in an oven and put 

 in the balance. Astonishing Avas the result — the 

 earth weighed only two ounces less than it did 

 Avhen the avIUoav Avas first planted in it ! yet the 

 tree has gained one hundred and sixtii-four 

 jyounds. Manifestly, then, the Avood thus gained 

 in the space of time Avas not obtained from the j 

 earth ; Ave are therefore obliged to repeat our 

 question, Where does the Avood come from ? We 

 are left Avith only two alternatives, the Avater Avith 

 which it Avas refreshed, or the air in AA'hich it lived. 

 It can be clearly shown that it Avas not due to the 

 Avater ; Ave are consequently unable to resist the 

 perplexing and Avonderful conclusion — it Avas de- 

 rived from the air. 



Can it be ? Were those great ocean spaces of 

 wood, Avhich are as old as man's introduction into 

 Eden, and wave in their vast and solitary luxuri- 

 ance over the fertile hills and plains of South 

 America, Avere all these obtained from the thin 

 air ? Were the particles which unite to form our 

 battle-ships. Old England's Avails of Avood, ever 

 borne the Avorld about, not only on Avings of air, 

 but air themselves? Was the firm table on Avhich 

 I rest, the solid floor on Avhich I dwell, once in a 

 form Avhich I could not as much as lay my finger 

 on, and grasp in my hand ? Wonderful truth ! 

 all this is air. — Eng. Paper. 



them successfully preserved till spring, as follows : 

 "Into the bottom of a small keg or nail-cask put 

 a layer of grape leaves fresh from the vines. On 

 these carefully place a layer of sound, ripe, dry 

 grapes, then leaves and grapes in alternate layers, 

 till the keg is full. Head up the cask, and bury 

 it in some Avell drained ground, beloAV the depth 

 of the frost." Like other things excluded from 

 the light and air, they Avill change rapidly on ex- 

 posure, and hence Avhen a keg is opened and they 

 are found good, use them freely. 



Keeping Grapes. — Dining with a friend re- 

 cently, Ave had the unusual luxury of a desert of 

 CataAvba and Isabella grapes. Their mode of pres- 

 ervation being the theme, Ave learned that they 

 Avere picked Avhen ])erfectly dry and ripe, and 

 packed carefully in bunches, in a box, between 

 layers of cotton, and as much as possi])le excluded 

 from the light and air. More recently a gentle- 

 man from Pennsylvania teUs us that he has seen 



POULTKY-HOTJSES AND YARDS. 



Arthur Young, whose opinions and inculca- 

 tions on most matters appertaining to farming and 

 domestic life are of a highly practical character, 

 in some observations upon this subject says : — 

 "When a set of houses are intended for the rear- 

 ing and feeding of poultry, a situation should be 

 selected near, or close to the farm-yard, and with 

 ample space around for the foAvIs to disperse over 

 in the day time, and containing one or more ponds 

 for the aquatic birds. All must have access to a 

 gravel-yard, and to grass for range, and to clean- 

 liness, and to Avhite-Avashing, not for appearance 

 merely, but to destroy the vermin." 



Poultry should never be restricted as to food, 

 if we are to expect profit from them. It is more 

 judicious, and Avill be more for our interest to al- 

 low a superfluity, than to stint them in this respect. 

 Loudon observes, in one of his valuable works, 

 that in selecting a site for a poultry-house, one 

 should be chosen Avhich is perfectly dry, and with 

 an exposure to the east, or south-east, in order to 

 secure to the fowls the benefit of the sun's rays 

 during the inclement seasons of spring and au- 

 tumn. But this, some Avill say, is a department 

 of rural economy Avhich belongs, or should belong 

 exclusively to the female part of the household. 

 Very Avell : We have no objection to such an as- 

 signment of it, but then the good man must see 

 that the proper shelter is provided, and store of 

 good food supjilied for the foAvls. The houscAvife 

 can doubtless do much in this as in various other 

 matters to ensure the success of her husband's la- 

 bors. In the language of old Father Tusser, 

 Avhose "Five Hundred Points of Good Hushand- 

 rxj" should be in the hands of most farmers, al- 

 though published so long ago as the reign of Hen- 

 ry VIIL, of England — 



"When husband is absent, the housewife be chief. 

 And look to their labor that eateth her beef. 

 The housewife so named (of keeping the house,) 

 Must tend on her profiL, as cat on a mouse." 



It is very desirable in rearing poultry for the 

 market — and especially hens — that good varieties 

 be selected, such as Avill not only lay Avell, and be 

 Avatchful and attentive mothers in bringing up 

 their young, but be kindly disposed to fatten Avhen 

 preparing for the market. The Bolton Greys are 

 said by those who have had much experience in 



