134 



THE NEW GENESEE FARMER, 



Vol. 2 (», 



*' A Report on the Herbaceons Plants of Mas- 



sachnsctts." 

 Published agreeable to an order of the LegisUihire- 

 By the CoinviissioncTS of the Zoological aiid Bota- 

 nical Survey of the Stale. Camhridse, 1841. 

 The Botanical Survey of the State of Mopsncbu- 

 sctta was assigned to two individuals. The treca and 

 shrnba to E. "B. Erners:in, Esq., and the Herbaceous 

 Plants to our esteemed fellow citizen, Uev. Chester 

 Dewey, Professor of Chemidtry, Botany, and Natural 

 Philosophy in the Berkshire Medical Institution of 

 Pittsiield. (Now Prin;;ipal ol the Collegiate Insiitule 

 at Rochester, N. Y.) 



In making his report, Prof. Dewey has avoided the 

 objection commonly made against Scientific reports ; 

 namely, thut they are too technical and abstriiBC to be 

 useful or interesting to common readers. lie has 

 adjptcd a systematic and eeientiiic arrangement, and 

 at the same time made the descriptions popular and easy 

 to bo understood; and taken notice of fnuts of interest 

 or importance to cultivators and others. So that the 

 work is highly useful and interesting, not only to Bot- 

 anists but to common readers. 



The following notice of Indian Corn will serve as 

 an example : 



Zea. L. 19. 3. Indian Corn. 



The Greek name of some kind of corn, from the 

 Greek word to lire, on account of its nutriment. 



Z. iiuiys. L. Maize Cultivated, but indigenous 

 to America. It is more abundant at the South, larg- 

 er, and more productive, and its flour is whiter and 

 more excellent. The necessity of hot weather to 

 ripen this grain in this Ifilitude, is well known and 

 veriticd by the heat of the Inst summer, (18o0) when 

 the corn was, to a considerable extent, lipened at an 

 early day in September, even in Berkshire County. 

 It is probable that seed which would ripen earlier, or 

 had become belter adapted to the climate, was plant- 

 ed, niidthe favorable season early matured it. 



There are many varieties of Indian Corn, of which 

 Maize is the South American name ; all of which 

 may be reduced to one species. Some are far more 

 hardy than the others. One of this kind is mention- 

 ed by Nuttall as cultivated by the western and north- 

 ern Indians, and called " Early Mnndan Corn." 

 Some grow and ripen in England. The value of this 

 grass is immense. Its stalks ajid leaves are excellent 

 ^dder for cattle. 



Indian corn was introduced into England in 15C2. 

 The species Z. C-iragua, W. Crods Corn, from Val- 

 paraiso, and which parches into a cross-like form, is 

 probably cultivated in some parts of the State. 



As our corn is liable to bo ailcctcd and sometimes 

 cut olf by a too early frost, it is important to obtain 

 seed from a more northern section, which will be far 

 more likely to ripen here. Though it may bear a 

 smaller car, the advantage is obvious. But, when 

 the crop is injured by the frost, it was clearly ascer- 

 tained a few years since, that more corn was ripened 

 by cutting it up ironi the roots and placing it upright 

 in snnll collections, than by leaving it to stand. In 

 the latter case, the juice of the plant eecm.i to be 

 drawn to the root, in the former to be carried into the 

 kernels on the ear, and to bring more of them to ma- 

 turity. 



The smut of JNIaize is Uredo jcoo, Schw., a fungus 

 of dingerous propel tics. Only a little is produced in 

 our country, and it is avoided by animals. It is said 

 to have a deleterious effect on those who eat it. 



In reply to the objection that many of the plants no- 

 tice! " arc nothing but weeds," the Professor makes 

 the following interesting remarks: 



Of the Useless Plants. 



A largo number of the plants which arc considered 

 useless, because they havo yet no known application, 

 aro particularly describoil in this Report. They oc- 

 cupy space ; they aid in covering the earth with ve- 

 getable life. They are, indeed, weeds, and often 

 con.5idcrcd a.'! mere nuisances. What is the advan- 

 tage derived from them ? What object is designed 

 by them ? Can any one be in truth, useless ? Cer- 

 tainly not, is the reply to the last (picstion. The 

 others may receive the following answers : 



1. The vegetable kingdom is the great mennsof pu- 

 rifying the atmosphere, so that it may sustain the 

 animal kingdom. Respiration of animals and various 

 operations ni nature, produce surh a change as tends 

 to make the atmoaphere unfit for its great office. Its 



oxygen has become combined with carbon, or the es- 

 sence of charcoal, and cannot be separated by the 

 lungs so as to support life. This fcparntion is effect- 

 ed by vegetables. They lake up the carbon and res- 

 tore the oxygen to the atmosphere. They do this as 

 they grow in the air, and also as they grow in and 

 under water. Provision is made for the absorption of 

 carbonic acid by water, and tbtis food is supplied to 

 plants, and life to animals. This is one of the most 

 beautiful provisions in the economy of Divine Provi- 

 dence. It has sometimes been doubled whether ve- 

 getables were able completely to accomplish the ob- 

 ject. None have maintained, however, that they did 

 not operate largely and chiefly to this end. Even the 

 general opinion seems to be strongly in favor ol their 

 perfectly eil'ecting this purpose. To accomplish this 

 object, vpgetahico must be spread widely over the 

 earth. It might not bo sullicient to depend upon the 

 results of cultivation. Besides, the vegetables must 

 be formed for growih through all the warm season ol 

 the year, and in all the variety of soil, situation, cli- 

 mate, condition. Plants that are directly useful 

 would not be more likely to effect this end in all this 

 variety ; it is doubtful, indeed, whether the useful 

 plants would be so well adapted to this slate of things, 

 as they generally require n more favorable combina- 

 tion of circumstances. 



To secure this end, too, it is important that a host 

 of plants should have no natural attractions for ani- 

 mals, that they may grow Triihout molestation, and 

 exert their influence upon the atmosphere without in- 

 terruption. 



This end is secured by the foilnge of forests, which 

 is chiefly removed from all access of destructive agen- 

 cies. 



It is a general fact that animals midtiply nearly in 

 proportion to the supply of food. If all vegetables 

 were food for animals, the entire action of a great 

 multitude could not be employed, as it now is, in pu- 

 rifying the atmosphere. 



In this grand respect, all pliints arc performing a 

 work of the highest utility. Uneeon and silent, they 

 renovate the very pabulum of life. 



2. Another end of the vegetable kingdom is food 

 for the animal. All animal life is ultimately support- 

 ed from the vegetable world. But animal life abounds; 

 tens of thousands of smaller animals, and especially of 

 the insect tribe, must be dependent, as well as the 

 larger animals and man, upon vegetables. By their 

 foilngc and seeds, the plants now considered as use- 

 less by many, may give far more support in the arti- 

 cle of food, than is commonly imagined. We know that 

 niiny small birds derive much food from seeds, as also 

 a host of inseets ; and yet we may be in relative ig- 

 norance on this subject. Even the animals of the 

 seas must have no inconsiderable dependence upon 

 vegetable substances for their support. A great 

 ainount of d6con:,jo'ed vegetables must be annually 

 poured into the gr> it reocrvoir by all the rivers. 



3. Plants enrich the soil, and lit it for the produc- 

 tion of vegetables in greater quantity. This is true 

 of vegetables generally, when they live and die and 

 decay on their place of gro-,vih. (Jultivationoftenex- 

 hausls land, because no adequate return is made for 

 the vegetable matter removed from the fields. The 

 vegetables, often considered useless, will, by their de- 

 cay perform another important service, in enriching 

 the earth, ami improving the soil. It his long been 

 remarked, that this effect i-jllows, because the atmos- 

 phere contains the elements of vegetable matter, and 

 plants derive their support from the air as well as from 

 the earth. Experiment has proved that a plant will 

 grow and flourish without any li^od except that ob- 

 tained from water and the atmosphere. The reason 

 for giving up exhausted holds to the growth of any 

 vegetables for a few years, is philnsopiiical and con- 

 clusive. Without the great fact of vegetables enrich- 

 ing the earth, the reason could not exist. 



4 Many important properties andapplications of these 

 plants may yet be discovered and made, so that ihey 

 may bo seen to be more dirccdy useful. Great dis- 

 coveries have been made in this respect within the Inst 

 fifty years. It cannot be doubted that the progress 

 of discovery is only just commenced. The beautiful 

 I colors for painting, colled lakes, are many of them 

 I obtained from vegetables and many more may yet be 

 procured. Cumbinations too of vegetable matter may 

 develope important powers. Without this, indeed, 

 important uses have already been seen. 



5. The beauty and variety of vegetable life are in 

 themrelvee a useful end. In this way are displayed 

 the wisdom, power, ami contrivance of the Creator, 

 the illimitable means at his control, the efleciing of 

 the same ends by objects so diverso ; the adaptation 

 of means to ends ; the conetatM supervision of his 



4jti 



ill 



agency ; the ceaseless variety amidst surprising on 

 fxrmiiy. 



These are reasons amply adequate to produce an ii 

 ;ereet in respect to all parts of vegetables. The pn g. 

 ification of the atmosphere alone, and preserving '^ 

 it the due proportion of oxygen in a stale to eupp 

 life, invests the world of vegetables with new aura ^m 

 tione. 



Tl» 



On the Importance of Srstemntic Cnltivatiog 



Hate not laborinus work, nor the husbandry which tl 

 .Most Hiou lias erciiteil." — Bidi.e. 



Agricidture is the oldest art of which we have an 

 account. It was the occupation chosen by God fi 

 the first man, Adam. By it, nations and commun 

 tics are kept together. It is th* bond of union tb( 

 unites all society. It is an art more conducive . 

 health, and mor6 strictly united wiih religious ar f'"'!- 

 moral virtue than any other. It is inijioitan, th( *:,,J 

 that it should be well understood. It requires lali( 

 rious work, and constant application. Inquiries in' 

 the principles of agriculture ore like the key of V.noy 

 ledge, that will open unto us an extensive fie! 

 for inquirj'. Intelligent and patient observation w 

 disclose vast riches for the mind to delight in, and ac' 

 vast resource* (or jihysical happiness. As noih 

 eomcs by chance, as there is a cause, a law fur evei 

 thing that occurs in the universe, the inquiring cull 

 vator of the soil may trace those laws, and ascerta: 

 correcdy the theory of nature in the production ai 

 re-production of plants; and *hen he prosecutes the. 

 interesting inquires, he will obtain the most profi f 

 able results for his labor, both mentally and in the i 

 creased product of his lands. He will be a sciattiji 

 or natural farn)er. 



Why noi? Let every man understand thorough 

 the fundomental principles of hia own business. Wh 

 a fund of knowledge may agriculturalists acquire, 



Many farmers are contented to abandon their pro 

 tice to their own tnste and prejudices, without t 

 tempting to make serious iuvesiigation into the st 

 ':ncc or principle of their business, or of trying expel 

 mcnts, that they may be led to adopt improved mod 

 of practice, Such farmers, though they may succei 

 in obtaining a living by their labor, will never a 

 Vance in knowledge or wealth, or experience the tri 

 happiness, dignity and independence, which th« 

 calling, under intcliijjent and systematic direction. 

 so well calculated to produce. 



Practice, to be beneficial to the land, and profitab' ifit' 

 to the cultivator, must be in accordance with notur 

 laws; and so far as any success attend the labors 

 the most ignorant and coreless, it is only tccnu 

 these laws have been partially observed. It is n 

 enough that a man was born and bred a farmer, to ei 

 able him to secure the most desirable results, for, 

 mar be, that his breeding has not been of the best o 

 ler, or, if he hos been brought up on a good farn 

 and his mode of culture produce him better crop 

 keep his land in better tilth, anci yield him more pr 

 fit than his neighbor receives, yet the experience ■ 

 thers will be highly Udei'ul, for the field of enquiry 

 large; the knowledge obtained from good books, b' 

 ing the record of scientific and systematic e.Tperinieni 

 conducted by farmers, as good, not to say better tba 

 himself, will be found highly serviceable to him. 



When a man of superior g«niU8 appl.cs himself 

 the arts, experience shows us that he does it wil 

 greater ability, force of mind, industry, taste, or 

 with more inventions, new discoveries, and varioi 

 experiments; whereas, a common man cunlines bin 

 selfservilely wiihin the common road, and to his ai 

 cient custom. Nothing opens bin eyes, nothing raisi 

 him above his old hobitudes, and after many years > 

 patient lobor, he still continues the same, without mi 

 king any progress in the profession he follows. 



O.ie reason of the small produce of farms, and tl 

 small return to the industrious farmer, is, that agricu' 

 ture is not generally regarded as an art, that require 

 rtdcs, rejlection ami study. It has loo long been n 

 garded as a mere manual occupation. A man is cal 

 cd a farmer, and is thought to have performed h' 

 pait, when all that he does is to plough, plant an 

 harvest, without rrgaid to rules or system. It 

 strange, ilid.;ed, that I'nrmers, who, above all olhcri' 

 ought to undersland the theory of soils, and the prci 

 duction of pinnis, and to observe the phenomenon t 

 nature in these particulars, as a mennsnot only of ai 

 ding to their knowledge, but to their eaee anci profit 

 should neglect them most, 



Experience is above all precepts, ond makes evei 

 the faults we have committed conduce to our ndvan 

 tage, fur from doing wrong, we olien lenrn to reform 

 The experience, then, of the thousands of inlelligen 

 min'.'s, who have elucidated and brought out trnthsl 



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