90 



THE NEW GENESEE FARMER, 



Vol. 



Answers to Inquiiiess 



Our ccireoportJeftt at Angiisia (liL) is repectfiilly 

 Tnfoi-med iliiit \Ve have not room in our columns for the 

 mrticic on flowera tUst be wishes to be republished; 

 but if he wili examine our first voltme, be will find 

 Xhe proposcrf sherantive in some measure, anticipated. 



Many vnritt'es of the pear, apple, &c. arc mucU fi- 

 iie'i -in some pitls of our wide spreading country than 

 in other piii-ti. For instance: the most popular pear 

 in this district is the Virgalieu. The fri'it is delicious; 

 .nnd the tree is hardy, thrifty, and prodiiclive; but it is 

 thrown out as worthless in eonie parts of JM'jssachu- 

 setts. Every nurseryman ought to ascertain what 

 fruits are best adapted to his peculiar climate and situ- 

 nlion; and if he does this extensively, tnlting his sci- 

 ons only from bearing trees in his own district, every 

 thing that our correspondent wishes on this point, 

 would be accomplished. 



It would be a great labor to give a list of our apples. 

 For winter fruit, the Swnar and Spilzenburgb are a- 

 mongthe best; but to have them fine, it is necessary 

 that the trees be well pruned. As the branches become 

 crowded, the fruit lessens in size and in fiiror. The 

 Rixbury Russet is chiefly valued for its long keeping; 

 but some now kinds, much finer in quality, are snid to 

 keep equilly well; and of these, some account may 

 be given hereafter in our columns. t 



Thorn Hedges. 



Mkssrs. Edito[!s — I wish through the columns of 

 your paper to inquire the best method for making live 

 fence (hedge.) Last spring I took up what small thorn 

 bushes I could find, and set them out about six inches 

 apart. Nearly all grew, and I should think they 

 would make a good fence if they could be obtained in 

 Buffi-ient quantities. In the fall of 183!), I gathered a 

 quantity of thoin apples, mixed them with earth, and 

 let them fretze. In the spring, I planted them, but 

 n^ne have come up I wish to know in what way 

 they may bo made to grow 1 and if common thorn is 

 ns good as the English ? and where English seed can 

 be obtained ? In short, I wish to find out the best 

 way to commence and raisd a live fence ? 



L. H. BRANCH. 



York, Ohio, March, 184L 



Rsm-irhs. — In Cayuga county we have seen the 

 English thorn (Cratmgus oxycanthn) in two places, 

 six or eight miles apart, and in both it was snflering 

 iVom firebli^lit. In Ontario county also, a corres- 

 pindentof the (Old) Genesee Farmer says, " where 

 the Englioh thorn was tried, that part of the hedge 

 which was clipped [as all hedges ought to be] was 

 mostly destroyed by a small snow white insect, with 

 which it was in many places literally covered." On 

 *,he contrary in Niagara county, we have seen hedges 

 of the English thorn that appeared to be healthy; but 

 we should be unwilling to employ much labor or ex- 

 pense on this exotic. Many yeais ago, in the town of 

 E'lst Hampton on Long Island, nearly two hundred 

 milesof this kind of hedge had been planted; but it all 

 d.ed. Writers in that vicinity, ascribed their loss to a 

 fly that deposited its eggs through the bark, and to n 

 worm that preyed upon the twigs. 



In the southeastern parts of Pennsylvania, we have 

 seen many miles of hedges made of the Washington 

 or Potowmae thorn (Crat^gns corrlata.J The seeds 

 appear to grow as freely ns those of the pear or apple. 

 A box containing a parcel of them for us, had been de- 

 tained over winter on the canal; and when it arrived in 

 the spring, dozens of the roots had penetrated the cloth 

 that contained them, sticking through it on every side 

 like the spines of a hedge hog. 



This thorn however, though so easily propagated, 

 is subject to n malady that greatly impairs its beauty, 

 snH hcreafler inay prove ruinous. In particular 



neighborhoods the leaves become spotted with yellow. 

 Wc have not undersiood that any of the hedges have 

 yet perished from this cause; but we bad a crab tree 

 CPi/rus coronaiiaj which died last season, after suf- 

 fering several years with spotted leaves of the same 

 kind. 



While hedges of the Washington thorn were dlecol- 

 01 ed in this manner, we have seen hedges of the New 

 Castle thorn ( Cratagus crus-galli) on the same farm 

 and closely adjoining, in perfect health and greenness. 

 No dangerous ineect is known to attack it ; and 

 farmers who have planted miles of thorn hedge, deci- 

 dedly prefer it to all other sorts. 



The seeds however, are much more difTicult to 

 germinate. We have seen them treated in the f )IIow- 

 ing manner; and we have undersiood with uniform 

 success. A small trench was cut on ibe north side ol 

 a building, directly under the envcs. Into this, the 

 haws mixed with sand, were deposited in autumn; and 

 ns they received in ih s shaded place, the droppings o: 

 every shower, they weie kept always moist thringh 

 two winters .and one summer. After softening in this 

 manner for eighteen months, they were removed to the 

 seed bed. 



Many other shrubs have been recommend'>d for 

 hedges, such as the Red Cedar, Osage Orange. &c. 

 With E. Hersey Derby of Massachusetts, both the 

 English thorn and the Honey Locust were entire fai- 

 lures; but with the Sea Buck thorn (Rhamnus cnthar- 

 item) he was completely successful. A part of the 

 Buck thorn however, like the Honey Locust and Cra- 

 lagiis punclolny have no thorns on them. We raised 

 hundieds, and never saw a thorn on one of the kind; 

 but we have lately procured seed which may do 

 better. t 



High Pricesindnced by HighTariffon Imports, 

 cannot make the conntry lich, or pay itsfoi- 

 eigu debt— Protection necessary to 8ilk Cul- 

 ture. 



Mkssrs. Editors — A correspondent of the New 

 Genesee Farmer takes exceptions to my text, " that 

 low prices are more favorable to a nation's wealth than 

 high prices." 



Him who takes this text in connection with the illus- 

 trations of the context, will find that, like a " plant of 

 bitter growth, it hears on its head a sweet fruit." 



It has always been the case in England, that when 

 the pi ices of agriculinral productions are low, capital 

 IS cheap, her manufacturing industry receives a new 

 impetus; competition reduces prices of manufacture at 

 home, by inducing greater economy and renewed im- 

 provements and division of labor in every department 

 of industry; her export trade is increased to an unpar- 

 alleled extent, and she becomes now, more than ever 

 the creditor nation of the world. On the other hand, 

 when agricultural productions are high in England, 

 the most feverish state of things exists; the banks cur- 

 tail their issues, that they may not be ruined by a de- 

 mand for coin to send to the continent to buy corn; 

 manufacturing industry is paralized or cmbarassed, 

 nd the screws are immediately put upon the debtors 

 of England in the United States. 



What but the high prices of 1835 and '6, has caused 

 the general bankruptcy of our cotton growing States? 

 It is certainly not the low prices since l.S.'je, for they 

 are no lower than they were on the average for eigh[ 

 years previous to ]8;J5. The rise in cotton in 1834, 

 from If) J to 13 CIS., and then in 1835, to 16i cts., 

 turned every head; the United States Bank endorsed 

 the vtanin, and furnished the facilities to accelerate 

 the common ruin. 



The high prices ol cotton, our great agricult"!"' 

 stsple, in 1835 and '6, was the great stimn''t'ng 

 jeofail the bank inflations, and consequen'^P^cu- 

 lation ar:-d high prices throughont the wbolpi'iion at 



'hat time. New England got great prices for fc 

 manufactures at the Soutli and South West. Ne 

 York felt herself lich when she saw upon her ledg 

 such vast amonms due from the South. England, . 

 1807, wanted our flour at $8 per barrel in New Yor 

 but our commission houses said, if we hold on, Ne. 

 England will give us $10. — Instead of exporting, v 

 imported grain from Europe. The same with man 

 lactured articles. In 1836 we imported f 60,000,00(»« 

 while we exported next to nothing, owing to the hi; 

 prices at home. 



We now h»ve the sad spectacle of a conntry gro' 

 ing poor in the midst ol high prices. How has it be 

 with the year of low prices, 1840 ? An unusual e 

 port trade — our exports e.xceeding our imports $27 

 000,000 — an export of manufactured articles treble t 

 amount of any former year. 



Our export of flour, and pork, and Indian corn, h 

 also been unusually large the past year: it has do 

 much towards paying our foreign debt. But had t 

 price ol flour been only one dollar per barrel highf 

 it must have been consumed at home, as bread stn 

 Irom the ports of the Baltic and the Black Sea, wou 

 have supplied the hungiy parts of the earth at Ion 

 prices 



Your correspondent says that by a protective tar 

 we may soon extend our manufacturing interests, 

 as to create a home market for the " great part of t 

 cotton grown in our country." I would then ask hi 

 how we are to pay our great foreign debt of $2f;( 

 000,000 ? — and besides, the most radical high ini 

 advocate does not claim any further protection for c 

 cotton manufactures from foreign competition, th 

 they now have. Our Western farmers seem to undi 

 stand the gieot impoitnnee of cotton to the Union, 

 not only pays the foreign debts of the South, but t 

 North and West also Cotton alone makes up inva! 

 four-fifths of our agricultural exports. I would tb 

 ask what would be the state of the nation without tl 

 gieit staple, as an article of export, and an element 

 our foreign trade ? 



Your correspondent says, that in protecting o 

 manufjcturing industry, "aid is not so much need 

 Irom our State Legislature ns from Congress." 

 relation to the culture and manufacture of silk, 

 would invoke aid from both. The Stale should gri 

 a bounty, and Congress should pay an impost on I 

 foreign article, as high as the spirit of the Comp 

 mise Act will permit. Silk is by far the greatest it 

 in the account of our foreign importations. It 1 

 been computed that the amount of foreign silks ci 

 sumed in the State of New York alone, for the last 

 years, will exceed ^\50,000,000 — an amount p-ea 

 than the cost of all our canals and other pvolic i; 

 provements. 



But too much protection, like high prires,onIy brin \ 

 about those evils they are intended to^-'ure. Mr. CI 

 was once a radical on the subject r>'a protective lari 

 but he is n man of too much genius not to profit 

 the lessons cf experience. H' also found that a tai 

 tor revenue and protection >vas often inconsistent wi 

 itself; hence his Comp-'imise Bill is intended to bf 

 bill for revenue only. We hope it now may be so i ■ 

 vised and amended "s to serve the ends of protection ' 

 such of our mr-i'tfocuring branches of industry 

 most need it. -vithout infringing its character as a h j 

 for revenr on'y- S. W. i 



T^n^ -/oo, Jl/«,i/ 10, 1841. I 



Important Discorcry. — A Jamaica paper says, th 1 

 an ingcni ns physician and naturalist in this islan 

 has discovered the practicability of using mosquito | 

 as a substitute for the leech, fifty of the large speckh 

 kind being found equivalent to one leech: of the sme 

 ler breed, from sixty-five to seventy being required. - 

 The greater irritation produced by the new npplicatk 

 has also baen found advaniflgeoua. 



