66 



THE x\EW GENESEE FARMER, 



Vol. 2. 



" Wonders of Horticulture." 



An exchange paper credits the Gardener's Gazclte 

 for the following extract, which we copy for the pur- 

 pose of comment : — 



" Few would suppose that the pench (from which 

 branched the nectarine) hud its origin in tbe wild (I ) 

 lime. That favorite edible, celery, springs from n 

 rank and ncnd root, denominated Bmallage, which 

 grows in all sides of ditches, and in the neighborhood 

 of the sea. The hazelnut was the ancestor of the 

 filbert and the cob-nut, while the luscious plum (2) 

 can cloim no higher source than the sloe. P>om the 

 Bonic [sour ?] crab (S) issues the golden pippin." 



(1) What is the wild limet In England, where 

 we suppose this article was written, the linden (Ti/iuJ 

 iscallcd thelime tree; and hence Cowper in enuruera- 

 ting their forest tree?, mentions 



the Ume at dewy eve 



Diffusing odors 



but we can hardly think the Gazetteer could imagine 

 there was much resemblance between a basswood and 

 a peacli tree. So we turn to the CUiiis limctta ("the 

 lirae of which punch is made,) but find ourselves no 

 nearer to a solution of the difficulty. The lime is a 

 berry of 9 cells — the peach a fleshy rind with o hard 

 Btone in the middle. Such a change would be trans- 

 mutation indeed I and Botany would be no iongw a 

 science ; but such a change never happened. 



(2) The plum ( Pninus domesfica) is a distinct 

 species from the sloe (P. sp'mosa;) and neither 

 Ray, Linnmus, nor any other botanist of whom we 

 have any knowledge, has ever imagined them to be 

 nearer akin. It is absurd to talk of one species 

 springing from another. 



(?,) Onthis point, tbe Gazetteer has authority onhis 

 eidc; but we believe nevertheless that he is in an error 

 Riy considered the English crab-tree or wilding, a 

 distinct species from the cultivated apple; and we 

 think no good reason can be given by modern bota- 

 nists fur confounding ihcro together. The perma- 

 nent characters of these two trees, (as given by Per- 

 soon and Gray,) show that they differ more than sev- 

 eral other species of the same genus whicli are admit- 

 ted to be distinct by all botanists. We subjoin those 

 characters :— 



Crab-trek. * Leaves ovate, acute, villous under- 

 neath; styles bald; fniU the size of a chestnut, aceib, 

 astringent, austere. 



Apple-tree. Leaves ovate-oblong, acuminate, 

 glabrous; styles villous; fruil more or less sweet. 



Now if we compare these differences with the diffe- 

 rences between some other species, we shall find them 

 very lull and ample. For instance — Pijrus Pollceria 

 diflers from the common pear (P. communis J in ba- 

 ving doicii on the under side of its leaves ; while the 

 True service tree (P. domestica) is epeciticnlly dis- 

 tinguished from the Mountain Ash (P. auniparia) 

 by its leaves being villous nnderneaU^ while those of 

 the latter are smooth on loth sides. 



It may be proper to explain that all seedlings of the 

 apple are called icildiiigs in some parts of England; 

 but such is not the wilding whose character we 

 have given, and which Sir Humphrey Davy says 

 ^^ always produces trees of the same kind — all hear- 

 ing sour and diuLinvtieefruii." 



To distinguish varieties from species sometimes re- 

 quires more expanded views than botanists have al- 

 ways taken. They may be minutely correct on many 

 points, and yet fail to grasp the most important fea- 

 ture. Does a plant spread into many varieties like the 

 apple — then there is a danger that some of these may 

 be exalted into s/«oc5; but if it differs essentially in 

 its leaves, its blossoms, and its fruit; and pertinacious- 

 ly adlieres to its primitive character like the English 



• N<it tlic Crab ap;ilc of tliis country (V^rus cvrvnaria) 

 which iB entirely distinct from botii. 



Crab-tree, without any approach towards any other 

 kind, — then we may be satisfied it is not a variety h\i\, 

 an original species. 



The triumphs of Horticulture are surely sufBcient 

 without straining alter wonders, and traversing ihere- 

 gions of romance. t 



CuUivation of DahIia.s»Bone Dust. 



I have been a cultivator of Dahlias for several 

 ycarf; but it has only been within the two past 

 seasons that I have succeeded to my entire sntiefac- 

 tion. My usual mode of preparing the ground, was 

 to dig holes of sufficient Eize, and then to fill up 

 with mould and rotted raonure, properly mixed. Un- 

 der this treatment a portion of the plants would flow- 

 er early; ond others, of a later habit, not until autumn. 

 The early flowering ones were apt to become exhaust- 

 ed, and to produce a very scanty display in the fall ; 

 while the later varieties were seldotn covered with a 

 free bloom. On the whole, my success was indifier- 

 ent. 



For the two past season, however, my success has 

 been complete. I had the ground prepared as former- 

 ly; and in addition to the manure, I made use of a 

 small quantity of horn shovings or bone dust — about a 

 pint or a quart to each hill — well incorporated with 

 the soil and manure. The growth of the plants was 

 most luxuriant from the time of sprouting. They at- 

 tained ffvery great size without ever being watered, 

 and were covered with a profusion of flowers from 

 mid-summer until frost. There was also a corres- 

 ponding developement of the roots. Many of the 

 branches, taken as they grew, would nearly fill a half 

 bushel measure. 



I have found the bone dust to be an excellent ma- 

 nure for all tiibeious rooted plants. Nothing that I 

 have ever tried has produced me such crops of Irish 

 Potatoes. Tap-rooted vegetables pre also much im- 

 proved by it, — as the beet, parsnip, salsify, carrot, &c. 

 It is no less valuable for all the cabbage family, inclu- 

 ding turnips. T. S. P. 

 Virginia, 3 7no. 20, 1811. 



Portraits of -\uimals. 



Few appear to be aware of the great importance of 

 the most rigid exactness in delineating animals. The 

 faccof ahnraan being, that the individual may be re- 

 cognized, must be drawn with the nicest accuracy; a 

 nose a little too short, or a mouth a little too twitching, 

 spoils the whole. The man who cannot distinguish 

 the portrait of George Washington from that of 

 Deidrich Knickerbocker, or Louis Phillippe from 

 Jack Downing, pays but a poor compliment to the 

 painter. But in some of our agricultural journals, in- 

 dividual animals are not only wretchedly represented, 

 but it is sometimes even difficult to tell even to what 

 race they belong. The portrait is the representative of 

 the animal, in its absence; let it not therefore deceive. 

 Skinner, of the American Farmer, very justly objects 

 to a figure of a short horn cow in the Cultivator, with 

 a body, he says, weighing about one thousand pounds, 

 standing on four spermaceti candles ! The owner of 

 the cow has since published another picture, still 

 worse than the former, intended for a cow, but the 

 body certainly looks more like a tightly stuffed wool- 

 sack. We must also come in for our share of criti- 

 cism — a fine cow appeared on our pages, with the 

 legs very much as if squeezed into gun-cases; and 

 even the figure of tbe cow "Jessamine," in our March 

 number, though the general otuline is very correct, by 

 some fault between the droughtsmon and engraver, 

 has one fore-leg represented like a board tacked on to 

 her shoulder with ten-penny noils. It is better not to 

 attempt figures of animals unless they can be executed 

 in the very best style for life and accuracy. Turn to 

 Youatl's tieatise ou cattle, and take his representation 



I 



of the Old Craven Bull, Lord Althrop's two short 

 horn cows, and the head of " Firby," as models. 

 There is one journal in this country, which deservet 

 especial commendation for its figures of animals — th* 

 Farmer's Cabinet. Mony of them, it is true, oreco. fi: 

 pied from English books on cattle, but those drawn i^' 

 by Woodside, of Philadelphia, who is first among llw 

 first of animal painters, are worthy of all praise. Ill' 

 deed we have not seen a badly drown figure in the 

 whole work, since in the hands of the present proprii 



km 

 ii.« 



lii 



Cobble IStone Buildings. 



The first cobble stone buildings that I remember 

 have seen were at Pittsfoid in INlonroe county, near! 

 twenty yeors ago; and from the rude oppearance i 

 the work at that time, I have supposed the art waj 

 then in its infancy; but perhaps some (jcntleman of thai 

 neighborhood will furnish a sketch of its history. 



About six years ago the first building of that di 

 cription was erected in this qnar'er, one mile east 

 Aurora; ond in my opinion the walls are more beail' 

 tiful than brick. The beauty of such structures how. 

 ever, will mainly depend on the size and color of th« 

 stone, though the color of the sand will have an influ- 

 ence. 



If the stone and sand ore both dark colored, tb ^ 

 building will have a lurid aspect; for the proportidl ^^ 

 of linre in the mortar (one-eighth or one-ninth) is lot 

 small to whiten it sufficiently; but if the sond be ( 

 light gray, the contrast of the colors with dark stone, 

 will be pleasing. 



Cobble stones of any size not exceeding six inchet 

 in diameter may be used; but for the regular coursei 

 on the outside those of two inches in diameter thnult 

 be preferred. Smoll stones give the building a mucl 

 neorer ospect. Two inch stones arc very neot, thougl 

 three inch stones will answer. The inside row o 

 stones may be twice as large as those on the outside. 



Tbe mortar is composed of one bushel of fresl 

 stone lime to eight or nine bu~hels of clean shar] 

 sand. As the strength of the building depends on th Jii 

 goodness of the mortar, it is very imporlont that sani 

 of the first quality should be obtained. Yellow sand- 

 or any sand that conlaii s clay should be rejected •" 

 Gray sand is sometimes found so pure os not to die iki 

 color the water into which it is thrown; and sucl ,„; 

 should be procured if possible. 



Monor that has been made some weeks is gencrall; 

 preferred. Some masons ore particular to reduce th 

 lime to a thin paste, and then while it is hot to oppl; i b' 

 the sand. 



The thickness of the wall is sixteen inches, ihongl 

 twelve inches will answer very well fur the gable end 

 above the garret floor. 



When the foundation, or cellar wall, is leveled om 

 prepared, a loyer of two (or two ond a hr.if) inch s o 

 mortar is spread over it; and the stones ore prcssci 

 into the mortar in two rows wh'ch mork the outsidi 

 ond the inside of the woll, leaving about on inch be 

 tween each adjoining stone in the same row. If ihi 

 wall is to be grouted, the two rows ore formed inti 

 two ridges by filling the vaconcy between the stone 

 with mortar, and the space between these two ridge 

 (about a foot in width) is filled with such stones a 

 are not wanted for the regular courses. The grout i, 

 then applied. If tbe wall is not to be grouted how 

 ever, the mortar should be carefully pressed round ev 

 cry stone, making the wall solid without Haw or in 

 terstice. When one course is leveled begin another. 



Between every two adjoining courses on the out 

 side some have the mortar to project as far out as the 

 stones, in o Fcgular line round the building It ii 

 wrought to an edge with the trowel, ond adds to thi 

 neatness os well as to the strength of the woll; for du 

 ring this process the mortor is pressed round eacl 

 stone; and the smoother it isinade the stronger it wil 

 be, and the better will it resist disintegration. 



It has generally been the practice to hove the cor- 

 ners formed of cut stone; but in a two story buildin| 

 erected hist season within a few miles of us, this ex- 

 pense was ovoidcd by rounding the corners ond usinf 

 cobble stone. The cut stone is not the only sovingbj 

 this plont however, much of the mason's time is con- 

 sumed in laying such corner stones. 



On the first mentioned building, the workmen were 

 employed by the day. Four walls, amounting to one 

 hundred and forty-six feet in length, were commonly 

 raised eighteen inches every day by three masons. 

 This is a little short of ninety-nine cubic feet of woll, 

 or SIX perches to each workinon. Souieliincs in douif 

 weather they had to stop awhile for the mortar to set. 



