16-. 



THE xNEW GENESEE FARMEU, 



Vol 



f^ 



SLilEM'IFIC AGRICULTMtK. 

 E^Ltracfs from an Addit-ss 



Brfore the Mussuclntsclls liorttciiUund Societij, at 



their Fourlecnlli Annivcisunj, hj 



J. E. Teschemacher. 



This Addrefs is in nil reepcct eo benutiful and nd- 

 mirnlde, that we know we shall do a kindnoea lo lay 

 it before our readers ; 



I congratulate you that we again meet to give coun- 

 tenance and Bupport to a pursuit which, at tire present 

 day, interests and is the delight of the whole civilizoii 

 world. Yes, wherever a ray of civilization sheds its 

 hi?tre on this eotth, one ot the btania of that ray is 

 Horticulture ; it forms the charm of the leisure hour 

 of the highest, the wisest, the best ; it is the healthy 

 occupation of the bumble, and the industrious. 



Absorbed in the cultivation of hie favorite flowers, 

 his patch of vegetables, or his orchard of fiuits, the 

 poor man envies not the wealiliv, nor is his sane and 

 well-braced mind dietnrbed by the diseased and empty 

 dreams of the amhitii'Ue. 



So thoroughly convinced am I that indulgence in 

 these pursuits carries in its train content and cheer- 

 fulness, those sure signs of health, both of body ana 

 mind, and induces ttiat position of the heart which 

 enables one to view, without envy, without desire, 

 the palace ot the prince or the luxuries of the rich, that 

 wherever it shall please a kind Providence to allot me 

 n station, there will I to my latest day advoca'.e the 

 cause, encourage the dissemination, and strive for the 

 improvement of Horticulture, with all the powers 

 entrusted to my ciiarge. 



How hnppy for millions hid Horticulture, with its 

 refinements, been in former times more nniversiilly 

 disseminated amongst mankind. What would have 

 been the pages of the history o( Soulh America, from 

 its discovery to this Jay, had Piznrro, and the minis- 

 ters of religion who accompanied him, associated the 

 cross which they bore in one hand, with the spade, 

 the rake, "nd the pruning knife, instead of the lance, 

 the sword, and the gun, in the other ? How difler- 

 ent would have been the ctistenc; and fate of the 

 whole generations of natives, who passed lives ot 

 misery, and were linally exterminated — how dilTerent 

 woidd be, at this day. the face of the immousnrable 

 plains, the far stretched forests, in such a heavenly 

 climate ! Her history would have been one of peace 

 and prosperity, insieadofone of blood and desola- 

 tion ; her plains would have been covered and adorn- 

 ed with swarms of happy and industrious races, by 

 whom the names and the memory of these discoverers 

 & civilizers would have been venerated &. held sacred, 

 like that of Mango Capac, who in ancient times in- 

 troduced the simplest arts of peace among them, in- 

 stead of being held in that utter execraiion which has 

 at length resulted in their total expulsion with aliame 

 from the country. 



Horticulture may be emphatically named as one of 

 the arts which exhibit most prominently the peace and 

 prosperity ot a nation, and should certainly be upheld 

 by all to whom these happy results of human reason 

 and divine religion arc dear. 



I have read in an English agricultural periodical, 

 otherwise of some eminence, several arguments urt;ed 

 rather vehemently against Horticultural and Floricul- 

 tural Societies, and (heir exhibitions of fruits and 

 flowers for prizes. These arguments are chiefly based 

 on the ill-will, the evfl disposition or trickery, which 

 sometimes exists amongst the competitors or judges. 

 As if tdis evil could be entirely avoided in enmlation 

 or competition for any thing on earth, whether for a 

 dahlia prize or fit a throne ; as if the ill-will engen 

 dered by these cxhibiiions among the few, couid be at 

 all placed in comparison with the pleasure tliev impart 

 to the niony, or w lb the encouragement they allbrd 

 to a healthy and delightful occupation. The solidity 

 of sHch objections stands about in the same r.ink as 

 those to reading and writing, on account of the iorge- 

 ries now and then committed. 



There is, however, much higher ground at the 

 present day, for congratulation to the lovers of the 

 cause whose ndvance we here signalize. 



It is the rank to which Horticulture has recently 

 attained as a science. It is no longer a mere crude 

 mass of gardners' -ecretsfor propagating or growing 

 certain plants, of nostrums and recipes for destroying 

 insects and cleansing trees ; it has become the con- 

 stantly improving ort of applying scientific, raiional 

 and well-digested principles, to perfect the cultiva- 

 tion of the vegetable kingdom ; it has suddenly al- 

 most become a subject of delightful and interesting 

 investigation for scientific men of the most refined a' 

 tainmenis. 



I am far, however, from despising these secrets, 

 these nostntma ; they have frequently resulted from 



the close ohservatiun of men of most excellent judg- 

 toeni, men who will be the first to accept the aid ot 

 tcieiice to Btrengthen their reasoning powers and 

 guide their judgment. I imly rejoice ihct neiiher the 

 Incts theniselvee, nor the principles on winch ibey arc 

 founded, will any longer leniain scciet : they will 

 henceforward be made known and connnented on ly 

 those accustomed to sluily and to trace catetully the 

 minute operations of nature, to reason and reflect on 

 each new appearance, and to exert a 1 their aciiicncsH 

 in tracing its cause to the utmosi verge of l.uoian 

 knowledge. And iheae clear and simple principles, 

 on which Jill iniprovemcnts arc grounded, ntubt heiicc- 

 'orwoid he described in auch plain and HUelligible 

 language as will guide those, who, without these hab- 

 its ot study and observation, pursue the cultivation of 

 the soil either as an occupation or a pleasuie. Horti- 

 culture is now capable of hecomieg to the agriculturist 

 v^hat the chemical laboratory is to ihe dyer and llic 

 mnnufucturcr. It is in the girdi n ond iho gr; en- 

 hoiisf^ that useful ex|ierimenls may be made on the 

 value of diHeieiit manures when mixed with diller- 

 ent Eoilt^, their eli'ecis accurately tested on various 

 'linds of plants, their modes of operation carfc(f.lly and 

 repcatctlly observed, and the economy of their appli- 

 ■•ation pract^-aUy ascertained. And thete expcri- 

 inenis are more necessary at the present day, when 

 we are inundated with ortifit-ial ond natural mannres 

 and composts of all descriptions, whose virtues and 

 eflicacy arc boasied of and lauded for the purpose of 

 sale, with more than a pedlar's energy. 



Owing to the kindness of Mr. Benjamin Bangs, of 

 this ciiy, who presented to ine a small portion of 

 Giumo, brought by one of his vessels, Itie Henry Lee, 

 from tlie coast of Peru, it has fallen to my lot to try 

 the eirecis of this much celebrated manure on severol 

 plants. The chemical constitutioit of this substance 

 renders it probable that it is the excrement of birdj, 

 which has, during coundcss ages, accumulated on the 

 Peruvian coost, where i t forma beds of considerable 

 thickness, and where it has for several centuries been 

 need by the inhahiianla of that sterile coast to raise 

 luxuriant crops of corn. Theie are this year sixty 

 English vessels employed in (etching this manure to 

 the English farmers. 



The most recent, and probably most correct analy 

 sis of Guano, that by Voelukel, shows that it cnnlains 

 many of the ingredients favorable to vegetation, such 

 as several salts of ammoni'i, pheephate of lime or the 

 chiff component part of bonedust in abundance, pot- 

 ash, soda, and as much ao one-third of organic matter, 

 which would lurnish humus with a little clay and 

 eond. 



Immediately on receiving this Guano, about the 

 17th Juno of this year, 1 commenced my experiments., 

 which I will now explain m order, and aa briefly as 

 possible. 



First observing that all those plants which were 

 treated with Guano wero pollc.i in n mixture, con- 

 sisting of plain earth without any manure, sand, and 

 little leaf mould and peat, with which the Guano was 

 mixed — that those plan'.s which compare with them 

 have been grown in our richest compost — and that 

 both have had the same attention, and been grown 

 otherwise under the tame circumstances. 



Fuchisia — fulgans — one year seedling, potted 17ih 

 June, 2{ inches high vidth one tcaspoonful not piled 

 up, of Guano — repotted 9;b August, then IW inches 

 high, with another spoonful of Guano — ia now 1 1-2 

 foot high. 



The contrast between this and the two years old 

 plant ia very striking, both as to luxuriance of growth 

 and color of the foliage, the plant with Guano being 

 vastly superior. I think also that the cilor of the 

 (lower is improved ; it is well known among garden- 

 ers that it is rather difficult to grow this plont well. 



Pelargonium — two seedlings grown with Guano 

 and one of the game sowing without; on the 17th 

 June these two were potted with one teafpoonful of 

 Guano, and repotted on the 9ih August with another 

 teaspoonful ; here also the ditference in favor of Gu- 

 ano is very great. 



China Roses — two cuttings with Guano, potted 

 17th June, with one teispoonful Guano — one was 

 ihen 7. inches high, the other 44, they are now 34 

 111. & 2S in. respectively, with |large healthy foliase 

 and siem ; these have not received a second applica 

 lion of Guano. 



Cclosia cristata or Cockscomb — one seedling, with 

 one teaspoonful and one of the same sowing without 

 — the size of the stem, foilaoe, and head of that wiih 

 Guano is more than double that of the other, and the 

 diflference in iho green color of the leaves remarka- 

 ble. 



Salvia patens with one teaspoonful of Guano — the 



effect here hes been to lengthen the joints, and 

 flower appears a trifle smaller il an usui.I. Ii jui 



Acacia Farnesiana — a seedling showing the s| j,i|ur 

 of the foliage and length of the joints previous to j p 

 onplication of a teaspoonful of Guano, and the reintu jjli 

 able growth of both aficrwatde. ' £i i 



Camellia with two teaspoonful. ]7ih June, ond a^ j,|ii)i 

 csince. This specimen, which was quite small and:p L 

 healiby bifoie ihe addition of Giiaiio, as may be sC auii 

 by the lower leaves, exhibits in a most niaiked ma ' To 

 ner, by iis beauiilui large deep green leaves aj Jii 

 healthy bud, the action of this manure. ,(j' 



1 have also cxhib ted a Camellia grown with m 

 large proportion of line wood charcoal, the foliage y |,(([ 

 bud is extremely fine and luxiiiiuni, and of a VP ^ 

 bealihy green color, but as may be seen, not aH ' 

 equal to that worke I with Guano. 



One Balsam, 17ih Jun?, 9 tp.ionful, reiioited 9: 

 August with two more to which a little lime w 



added. 



This is an ugly specimen, beiu'; nearly past flows 

 ing : but t sent it to confirm an otjscrvation in u 

 Ijondon Gardener's Chrnnule, which stotes that '8 

 Balsams worked iheie with Guano, came with smffl^ 

 er fljsvers — it ia evidently the case here, but I h(^ ij, 

 watched it carefully and fouiol liial not a single flow 

 missed bearing its seed vi s-el,& that every seed vesg 

 1 have opened, is quite lull ot pel feet seeds conlainiri 

 f'rom 14 to 20 in each. 1 wish this point to be can 

 fully remembered, as I shall found some farther ii 

 marks upon it. 



From what I have seen of Guano it is quite clet 

 that its action is raiiid and powerful en the stem nr 

 foliage, increasing their size and deepening their gre't 

 color ; of this fact there can be no doubt. 1 think 

 probable that it diminishes the size of the flower i J 

 some cases, and tbnt it improves the seed, both i '"' 

 qitantity and quality — of this, however, much mnii "*" 

 experiment is required to prove the certainly. 1 hat 

 ore moie remark to m.ake ; when those plants wei 

 repotted, which received a second application, tL 

 roots were very numerous, and appeared in the moi y\ 

 vigorous health — thick, succulent, pure white, tbi 

 tips with that hairy appearance so well known by cm 

 livators as a sign of strong growth. 



In Peru it is customary, when u<iing Guano ti 

 raise pepper, to manure three times, first on appean •'"' 

 ance of the root8,then on the appearance of the leavei 

 and fastly on the formation ot the fruil. 



1 think the experiment of its action on all fruiti 

 particularly the larger fruit trees, as opplcs, pear 

 peaches, &c., will be extremely interesting, as we. 

 as on the vine, which is well known to he excessivel 

 greedy for rich food, parlicuhn ly for bone manure, tht 

 chief ingredient of which, phofphate of lime, Gualtx 

 contains in contirlerable quantity. 



But if llorticnlture be indebted to science for man 

 improvements, it is amply able to repay this debt wit 

 interest. The Garden, with its concomitant Greer 

 house, ia the true study-chamber of the Botanist — hef 

 he will find arranged, as on shelves, in perfect orde* 

 for reference and examination, nature's works i 

 thousands ot volumes, written in living charactero 

 Here he can collate with, or investigate Irom, the lit 

 ing plant, the characters and descriptions of the olde 

 biuanist, often only imperfectly obtained by tber 

 from the dried specimen of the Herbarium; nay( 

 here imagination may sometimes even transport hir« 

 to the once visited Alpine rock, or Tropical forest, 

 and for the purpose of studying properly the plants 

 of his own country, a living collection is highly im' 

 portant. It is itiipofsible for bim lo exhaust his tim-' 

 in watching the growtii, inlloiescence or habits O" 

 eoch in its native spot, but collected in the garden o> 

 greenhouse, wiili proper attention to their natural soi' 

 and circiuiiKlanecs, this often becomes both practical 

 bleand delighiful. 



For 'if ibe Horiicultnre of the olden time be no» 

 that of the present, neither is the Botany of the pa8» 

 iige ihat of the piesent one. The time has gone \>\ 

 when a Botanist could boast, without a blush, that hi 

 had never cultivated a plant ; he must now know no 

 oierely the name, but ihe nature, of the individuali 

 of the vegetable kingdom ; he must study their siruc- 

 lure'duriiig the advance from germination to inciurity 

 must become acquainted wiib ihe functions of theil 

 various pans, must watch their growth and transfor- 

 oiaiions, and examine with his own cyce many ope. 

 rations of the living plant, on which it is impofsibli 

 10 gather knowledge from the Herbarium ; in fine, 

 ihesiudy of vegetable physiology in the living indivt 

 dual, is now indispensable to the Boianist. 



It is the want of good collections of living plante 

 ihat we find here the great barrier to our advance ii 

 this science;, in Eiiiope, Botanic gardens abcum 

 everywhere, into which all newly discovered plasU 



