22 



THE xN E W ,G E N E S E E FARMER 



Vol. -l 



From I'.c Sew En^laJul Farmer. 

 FOREST TnEES— TIICIK IMPOKTAXCE 

 — SOWING THE SEi:0. 



Mr. Colmax,— When wc wimesalue rapid diini- 

 nuiion of iLu primilivc lorcsls of N«w England, and 

 relicct upon ibe intense rigor of our winioie, and ihc 

 increasing demands upon our woodlands tor other pur- 

 poses than that of supplying fuel im an increasing pop- 

 ulation, we cannot but be aaxioui^ m behalf ol those 

 who are to come aficr us, as to the from whence they 

 arc to derive one of the most necessary articles to their 

 comfortable existence — their timber for fuel and other 

 purposes. We arc fully aware that our fears are 

 deemed i'oolisU by many, for they point us to our 

 groves, whose "tall old trees" have long since passed 

 away, anil to our itiounlains, whose rugged sides and 

 "airy tops" almost bid deliance to the vandal cxcur- 

 Bions of the a.veman, and oxelaiai, "the growth is 

 greater than the caiiKumpiion." This, however, is 

 not the fact; for our groves are hardly sulEcient to 

 shield poets and muses from a summer's eun, much 

 less to protect them from the cold winds of winter, 

 while our mountains are literally exhibiting the ap- 

 pearance of so many mighty Sampsons, shorn ol their 

 beautiful locks, with tbc Philistines still gathering 

 around to take the last remnant of their strength away. 

 AVe arc led to these remarks by an inquiry in your 

 paper of October 2d, as to the best manner of sowing 

 the seed of forest trees, a process which, if eucce-sful, 

 we have no doubt may be prohtably employed in cov- 

 e-in" many lands which are almost valueless for other 

 purposes, with a growth of limber, the increase of 

 which would give a rich per ccntage, and in a course 

 of years become valuable in itself, and when taken off, 

 leave the lands in good stale for cultivation. 



We kn iw of no better way of aiding nature, than 

 by observing her process and conforming our opera- 

 tions thcelo as nearly as possible. 



Hence when we see a forest spring up and grow 

 rirpidly, we may well examine the condition of the ^oil 

 in which its rudiment vegetated. 



We find on examination, that trees which spring up 

 by fences have the most rapid giowth of any in open 

 lands. An obvious reason may be offered why it is so. 

 Such places are usually the richest parts of our fields 



quite loo much so to allow them to be overrun with 



thorns and thistles, and their fertility continues to in- 

 crease by leaves being depositeil br-side them, as long 

 as the olll fence continues. We give one example of 

 B tree — an oak — which sprung up upon our own prem- 

 ises, and which, for our own convenience, we have 

 sawn down since the enquiry of your correspcmdent 

 reached us. On examination v.-e found it contained 

 nine cortical layers, and was fourteen and a half feet 

 high. It mu:-t have origlnaiod in an acorn, ns there 

 is no similar tree in many rods. It must have been 

 Bli-'hily covered, unless the squirrels buried it deep. — 

 It had a fine light soil, which we deem important to 

 the successful vegetation of all seeds. 



Your c irrespnndent enquires how chestnuts should 

 be sown. We have never sown any, for we have a 

 plenty of the timber without, and a prospect, with 

 good managemcirt, of its continuation from self-sown 

 trees. We cnn tell him how nature sows them. The 

 land on which chestnut grows in the forest is generally 

 light and free from grass and weeds. Tbc (all of the 

 fruit and leaf is about the aaiiii- time, and from beneath 

 its covering of leaves, the fruit, the next spring, sends 

 us a new tree. We would not, however, recommend 

 this covering of leaves in open fields, lest they blow 

 away and leave the fruit bare, or if they remain, they 

 become so dry as to prevent germination. A slight 

 covering of mould must supply the place. 



Tiic Innr nted .Iiidge Buel, whose praise is in the 

 mouth of all good iarniers, and who, though dead, still 

 Boeaks, and must long speak to us by the practical pre- 

 cepts he has given, says — (vide iM. E. Farmer, vol. 

 viii. page 164,)-'-On the 28th of May, 16:57, I repair- 

 ed to the banks of the Hudson, with an assistont, and 

 coll'-'cted seeds of the soft niaiile, some species of the 

 clin nnd of the buttenwood which were then tailing — 

 the latter of the preceding year's growth. They 

 wt^rc planted the same day, very thick, in beds of 

 mould. They immeihately grow, and the plants at- 

 taine'l some size that year. Last week [the article is 

 dated Nov. 28, 183!), [ 1 trans^plnntcd sonic of the ma- 

 ples for ornamental trees, which were from ten to four- 

 teen feet hiL'h. Some of the buitonwoods were ten 

 and the elms six or seven. This in thirty months 

 from the time of planting the seed." , .lodge B. then 

 goes on to stale his process of planting out three hun- 

 dred more of these trees, which he obtained from " a 

 space less than six feet squnro," and transplanting 

 them ata "space of about four ami ahalflcct," to form 

 a screen on the side of a field, which in fifteen yacrs 

 he rioooe»d would do to cut for fuel, end wo«ld con 



linue to renew itself for the axe, by siirouts Irom the 

 slumps once in fifteen yeais. lie also stated that the 

 expense of his trees thus far did not exceed $3. 



Your inquirer says that he planted his trees on grass 

 land, some of whico is dry and sohd, the rest meadow, 

 — all (avorable to the growth of wood, large forests hav- 

 ing grown there in time back. 



Is it not probable that this land has become too solid t 

 an event which will take place where long cultivation 

 is followed by the exhaustion of the fine vegetable 

 mould, which is important in accelerating the growth 

 of young forest trees. Did not bis thiifty young trees 

 of natural growth, in the north end of the field, start up 

 while the land was new, perhaps by an old stump, or by 

 an old fence, or did they start up in grass land ( 



K we wish to plant the seeds of trees of any kind, 

 we should pursue the plan of .ludge Buel — prepare us 

 a seminary of good vegetable mould, of such size as wc 

 thought best, then we should gather our acorns, chest- 

 nuts and walnuts, or other seeds, when they fvU from 

 the tress, and sow them immcdiutthj and lihcruUij, 

 broadcast. At a suitable time wc would trr.nsplant 

 them — a ceremony which may be lapidly passed 

 through, and we should be very sanguine of success. 

 This may look to your inquirer Uke a roundabout way 

 oi gctlins to tJictcood, but we would rather take it 

 than to tncet with a disappointment similar to his, for 

 in this way the trees starting from a soil congenial to 

 their habits, would be healthy, which would enable 

 them to push forth more vigorously in his land, dry and 

 sobd, than though they had originated there, plants of 

 slow and sickly growth. 



Since we are on the subject of trees, which it ap- 

 pears is quite a hobby with us, we ask leave again, as a 

 suitable season for operation is now on hand, and as 

 the hurrying season of the farmer is past, to call the «/- 

 tcnlion of your readers to transplanting. Last spring 

 we all paid our highway tax most cheerfully, in anfici- 

 pation of smooth roads to pass over in our business and 

 pleasure excursions during the season. We have been 

 more than compcnsoted for the few shillings set against 

 us, by the luxury they have brought. Next spring the 

 tax »iM6/ be rc])mted — it ever has been and must be still, 

 and it will be cheerfully paid as long as good roads are 

 in repute. 



We propose another tax, or rather a donation, for the 

 benefit of ourselves and the traveller, whjch, if once 

 well diccharged, will need no repitition for ages ; — it is 

 nothing lessthan transforming all our highways into 

 beautiful avenues. And would each town in "Old 

 Massahchusctts" appropriate the same amount of labor 

 in effecting this object which they have given this year 

 to repair roads, the object would be accomplished, and 

 "Old Bay" would set an example to her sister States 

 in no way reproachful of that whith ehe set them in the 

 daysof tlie revolution. We are happy to see that, in 

 many parts of Berkshire, they are beginning with hew 

 zeal, especially to fill the greens and vactflit places.— 

 May the work become a contagion, and spread until it 

 has extended into every lane and by-corner of our 

 country. Yours truly, W. B. 



Mount Osceola, Nov. 4, 1839. 



Frtjvt t,'';f Ji'ir.ii : Cultltator. 



Prospects of the Silk Culture ijj the U. States. 



The close of the year, and the entrance upon a new 

 one, presents a convenient point from which to take a 

 view of some of the pron^ncnt subjects connected with 

 the cultivation of the soil, which are engaging the at- 

 tention of our countrymen; as, at euch a time, we nat- 

 urally look back upon the past, and fiom it form antici- 

 pations of the future. Among these subjects, there is 

 no one of more absorbing inteits!, !:t this time, than 

 \.\iVi\.o(l\ie Ctdtivution cf Silk. 



As there existsinuch incedulity in the minds of ma- 

 ny on the subject, and doubt of our being able to pro- 

 duce tilk profitably; as llie si.Mjit that has been e.o ex- 

 tensively awakened, by some has been deemed a ma- 

 nia, and the whole matter ridiculed t!s"p. hnn/iag," 

 got up merely for ibc purpose of i-peculation, by de- 

 signing men, it may br useful to lake on impartial 

 view of the subject, inqii re what has been d.>ne, not 

 simply in the raising and sole of trees, but in the grow- 

 ing and manufacture of silk, and from t\ic practical re- 

 sitlfs, as the only correct and sde criterion to form our 

 judL'ement of the case. 



The greater part of this incredulity "li'cs from a 

 want of information, and from that !-i:s;:ii'ion with 

 which men an^ apt to vi. .v any enterprite. This dis- 

 tnf^l, this disposition to u.iMjt, we are far tioio censu- 

 ring, provided there is at tht same timo, a mind open 

 to conviction. It argues a becoming prudciRn and 

 caution. But wc do disapprove of this wdiolcvald con- 

 demnation of a thing without evidence, ■without even 

 examination. There needs but the knowledge of 

 facts, and an impartial examination of ine subject of 



the silk cultuie on its own merils, to convince every 

 unprejudiced nind, ivtn the most skeptical, not only 

 that it is a branch of business from which may be derived 

 great profit to those who engage in it undcistandingly, 

 but one cf great national iii:portance. Many individ- 

 uals who have been entirely skeptical, and the most 

 strenuous opposers of the silk business, yielding con- 

 viction to the light of truth, are now its wain^est 

 friends and advocates, and arc preparing to embark in 

 it extensively. 



To enter into a full examination of the subject, 

 would require more tpace than can can be devoted to a 

 single csiay, in the columns of an agricultural journal; 

 inarniuch as it would require the introduction of a niul- 

 timdc of statistical facts.in relation to the silk business 

 incur country. But a few of these we fhall present 

 for the coiuideration of the candid. 



1. That silk can be raised with perfect cose, that our 

 climate, fiom north to touth, is admiiably adapttd to 

 ihe constitution and health cf the worm, far better 

 than that of Europe, and to the growth of the Mulberry 

 tree in its chtferenl varieties, has been satisfactoiily 

 proved by thousands of experiiiKnis. While in Eu- 

 rope, owing to the humidity of their climate, neaily 

 one-half of their crop of worms usually die from dis- 

 ease, and they arc obliged to have their cocooneries 

 nicely regulated in their tempeialure by ihc thermom- 

 eter, here, owing to the dryness aiul waiinth of our 

 atmosphere, with proper care, scarce a worm dies 

 from disease; and a budding of the cheapest constiuc- 

 lion — any out-house, shed or barn — answers perfectly 

 well for a cocoonery. That the silk made in this 

 country, is of thcici'y bat quality, for fineness, lustre 

 and strength, cqnal to any in tlic irufid, has been deci- 

 ded by competent judges. Spfcimcnsof raw silk have 

 been sent to European manulactuiers, and pronounced 

 by them to be superior; and by our own inanufactoiies 

 it is much preferred, and receives a higher price, by a 

 dollar or two on a pound, than the foreign article. — 

 There is no more mystery or difiiculty in raising the 

 worms, than in raising chickens: children, females, 

 aged and inlirm persRns are competent to the work, 

 and it requires no more skill to reel the silk from the 

 ceicoons, than any of our intelligent females may ac- 

 quire with a little practice. Persons have succeeded 

 perfectly well, even to the reeling and spinning of the 

 silk into beautiful sewing silk, who never 6a\v a silk 

 worm or a cocoon before, anel who had no other in- 

 struction than what they bad derived from silk publica- 

 tions. If, then, abundance of the raw material, of the 

 best quality, may be produced without any difficulty,' 

 what should hinder us from becoming a silk growing 

 countn', and from manufacturing it, not only into sew-, 

 ing silk, but into all the variety of sdk stuffs used by 

 our people; and thus save the millions which are annu- 

 ally drained from us, to pay foreigners forrajrjjg and • 

 manufacturing our silk ■? 



2. Silk may be raised with profit. There is no 

 branch of business which yields so large profits on the 

 capital invested and the labor bestowed. It requires, 

 indeed, but a small amount of capital to go into it ex- 

 tensively; a few acres of land, a few trees to begin with, 

 and the necessary fixtures for feeding woims. Hence 

 it is admirably adapted to the small farme-r, and per- 

 sons of limited means. It is peculiarly of a rfojnc*'c 

 •■!'.i:ncter, and may be pursued with profit in the fami- 

 Iv, by employing the children ond females, without det- 

 liiir n! to the other branches of the labor of tbc farm. 

 ,\s a practical illustration of this, we will mention a 

 fdct ftf ted in one of our silk periodicals. A Connec- 

 ticut fiirmer, the past season, " hatched out some 

 worn.s to be attended by his three children, who were 

 goint; to school every day, and they gathrred leaves 

 r.r.d fed the worm in the morning before leaving home 

 — returned at noon to feed them again, and at night 

 loioiletcd the feeding for the day. The worms had 

 n.; nttrnti'.>nhutwh:il was given by thetc ehileiren, and 

 the silUwhen reeled, was sold for one hundred and 

 sevenly-fivc dollars. This was more dian the farmer 

 made from an exc.^'lbnt dairy farm, (on which several 

 crops were cultivati il bi side.-s.) from any other one crop 

 to which his atu ntion was directed." That s Ik, from 

 the co;iimon w hite Indian Midberry, may be raitce. with 

 profit, has long since been rbmonstrated in Conrecti- 

 cut, where, in the trwu of Mansfield, originnllv one of 

 ■i\ie poorest agriculf.ial towns in the slnlr — the It rds 

 so poor and broken that our farmers would hardly like 

 it as a gift, and be obliged to cultivate it — the culnire 

 of silk has, for half a century, formed the chief source 

 of the wealth and prospeiity o'' its inbnbilants. SilU> 

 to the amount ormimy thousr.nds of dollars, has be-en 

 raised in a single )ear. The f.rmers arc above-board, 

 out of debt, with money to lend; and their daughters 

 have something comfortable laid by, to present their 

 husbands, whi n they marry, as a marriage gift, in the 

 foi m of n\onry at interest., the product of their own !5-> 



