66 



THE NEW GENESEE FARMER, 



vTLTir 



" Wonders of HoiticuUure." 



An exchange paper credits the Gartlcncr's Gazette 

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

 pose of comment : — 



" Few would suppose that the peach (from which 

 branched the nectarine) hod its origin in the wild (I) 

 lime. That favorite edible, celery, springs from a 

 rank and acrnl root, denominated smallage, 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 (3; 

 can claim no higher snircc than the eloe. From the 

 eonic [sour ?] crab (3) icsuee the golden pippin." 



(1) What is the wild lime? In England, where 

 we suppose this article was written, the linden (Tilia) 

 is called the lime tree; ^nd hence Cowper in enumera- 

 ting their forest trees, mentions 



the lime at dewy eve 



Diflfusing odors- 



but we can hardly think the Gazetteer could imagine 

 there was much resemblance between a basswood and 

 a peach tree. So we turn to the Citius limctta fthe 

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

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

 berry of 9 cells — the peach a fleshy rind with a bard 

 stone in the middle. Sucb a change wotdd be trans- 

 mutation indeed ! and Botany would be no ian(tr a 

 science ; but such a change never happened. 



(2) The plum (Prunus domestica ) is a distinct 

 species from the eloe (P. spinosa;) and neither 

 Ray, Linnaeus, nor any other botanist of whom we 

 have any knowledge, has ever imagined them to be 

 nearer aUin. It is absurd to talk of one species 

 springing from another. 



(3) On this point, the Gazetteer has authority on his 

 side; 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 for confounding them together. The perma- 

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

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

 eral other species of the same genus which are admit- 

 ted to be distinct by all botanists. We subjoin those 

 characters : — 



Cbab-tree. * Leaves ovate, acute, villous under- 

 neath; styles bald; fruit the size of a chestnut, acerb, 

 astringent, austere. 



ArpLE-TBEE. Leaves ovate-oblong, acuminate, 

 glabrous; styles villous; fruit 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 — Pynis Pollrcria 

 differs from the common pear (P. communis) in ha- 

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

 True service tree fP. domestica J is specifically dis- 

 tinguished from the Mountain Ash fP. auaipariaj 

 hy ii9 leaves helng villo2ts undcrneaihf y^hWe those of 

 the latter are smooth on loth sides. 



It may he proper to explain that all seedlings of the 

 apple are called wildings 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 bear- 

 ing sour and diminutive fruit." 



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 spr.:ad into many varieties like the 

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

 be exalted into species; but if it differs essentially in 

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

 ly adheres to its primitive character like the English 



*Notthe Crab apple of this country (Fj/rw CQrmaria) 

 which 16 entirely distinct from lioth. 



Crab-tree, without any approach towards any other 

 kind, — then wc may be satisfied it is not a variety bat 

 an original species* 



The triumphs of Horticulture are surely suflicient 

 without straining alter wonders, and traversing the re- 

 gions of romance. t 



Cultivation of Dahlias— Boue Dust. 



I have been a cultivator of Dahlias for several 

 yearf; but it has only been within the two past 

 seasons that I have succeeded to my entire satisfac- 

 tion. JVIy usual mode of preparing the ground, was 

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

 with mould and rotted manure, properly mixed. Un- 

 der this treatment a portion of the plants would flow- 

 er early; and 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 seldom covered with a 

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

 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 shavings 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 a very 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. 



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

 nure for all tubeious rooted plants. Nothing that I 

 have ever tried has produced me such crops of Irish 

 Potatoes. Tap-rooted vegetables are 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. 



I'irgi7iia, 3 mo. 20, 1841. 



Portraits of Animals. 



Few appear to be aware of the great importance of 

 the most rigid exactness in delineating animals. The 

 face of a human 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 distinc-uich 

 the portrait of George Washington from that of 

 Deidrich Knickeibocker, or Louis Philiippe 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 saj-s, weighing about one thousand pounds. 

 standing on four spermaceti candles I 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 the cow " Jessamine," in our March 

 number, though the general outline is very correct, by 

 some fault between the draughtsman and engraver, 

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

 her shoidder with leu-penny nails. 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 

 Youatt's treatise on cattle, and take hie representation J 



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

 horn cows, and the head of " Firby," as model 

 There is one journal in this country, which deservi 

 especial commendation for its figures o( animals — 1& * 

 Farmer's Cabinet. Many of them, it is true, ared( 

 pied from English books on cattle, but those draw 

 by Woodside, of Philadelphia, who is first among tb 1 

 first of animal painters, are worthy of all praise. It 

 deed we have not seen a badly drawn figure in tU 

 whole work, since in the hands of the present propria 

 tors. 



'lilBi 

 .jjlK 



ff«' 



tab-}' 



!, Site 



jtelitu 

 Willis" 

 oilimld 

 .for" 

 jiil fc 



oikas 



iidltsi 

 mil* 

 liiliiiilt 

 pft" 

 iniita 

 ifllos 



Cobble 8tone Buildings. 



The first cubble stone buildings that I remember t)' 

 have seen were at Piltsfoid in Monroe county, nearfi 

 twenty years ago; and from the rude appearance 

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

 then in its infancy; but perhopssome^'enileman of Ihi 

 neighborhood will furnish a sketch of iis history. 



About six years ago the first building of that dei 

 cription was erected in tbis quar'cr, one mile cast 

 Anroro; and in my opinion the walls are more beai 

 tiful than brick. The beauty of such structures ho' 

 ever, will mainly depend on the size and color of tl 

 stone, though the color of the sand will have an inflj 

 ence. 



If the stone and sand are both dark colored, tl 

 building will have a lurid aspect; for the proportio] 

 of lin:e in the mortar (one-eighth or one-ninth) is u 

 small to whiten it sufficiently; but if the sand be 

 light groy, the contrast of the colors with dark stem 

 will be pleasing. 



Cobble stones of any size not exceeding six inchi 

 in diameter may be usi d; but for the legular coursi 

 on the outside those of two inches in diameter thoulf 1 

 be prel'errcd. Small stones give the building a mud 

 nearer aspect. Two inch stones ore very neat, thong] 

 three inch stones will answer. The inside row oi 

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



The mortar is composed of one bushel of treafli '"i* 

 eione lime to eight or nine bu-hels of clem 6hoi_ 

 sand. As the strength ol the building depends on tbi 

 goodness of the mortar, it is very important thatsani 

 of the first quality should be obtained. Yellow sanrfj 

 or any sand that conloins cloy should be rejectei 

 Gray sand is sometimes found so pure as not to dii 

 color the water into which it is thrown; and sue] 

 should be procured if possible. 



Moriar that has been made some weeks is general!; 

 pref rrt d. Some masons are particular to reduce thi 

 lime to a thin paste, and then while it is hot to appl; 

 the sand. 



The thickness of the wall is sixteen inches, thougl 

 twelve inches will answer very weU fur the gable endi 

 above the garret floor. 



When the foundation, or cellar wall, is leveled ani 

 prepared, a layer of two (or two and a hnlf) inch s oil 

 mortar is spread over it; and ilie stones are pressem 

 into the mortar in two rows which mark the oulsidM 

 and the inside of the wall, leaving about an inch be-f 

 tween each adjoining stone in the same row. If the- 

 wall is to be grouted, the two rows are formed into 

 two ridges by filling the vacancy between the stones 

 with mortar, and the space between these two ridgea' 

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

 are not wanted for the regu'ar cour.=es. The grout is 

 then applied. II the wall is not to bo grouted how. 

 ever, the mortar should be carefully pressed round ev. 

 ery stone, mnking the wall solid without llow or in. 

 teistice. When one course is leveled begin another. 



Between every two adjoining courses on the out. 

 side some have the mortar to inojeet os far out as the 

 stones, in a regular line round the building It ia 

 wrought to an edge with the trowel, and adds to the 

 neatness as well as to the strength of the wall; for dti- 

 ring this process the mortar is pressed round each 

 stone; and the smoother it is made the stronger it will 

 be, and the better will it resist disintegration. 



It has generally been the practice to have the cor- 

 ners formed of cut stone; but in a two story building 

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

 pense was avoided by rounding the corners and using 

 cobble stone. The cut stone is not the only saving by 

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

 sumed in laying such corner stones. 



On the first mentioned building, the workmen were 

 lynployed 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 wall, 

 or SIX perches to each workman. Sometimes in damp 

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



II ibew 



iliie, 

 oil 

 II 

 II' 

 itlif 

 tai 

 'i' 

 U 



Wi 





