No. 129.] 545 



judge well as to the character of the timber, and experience ena- 

 bles us to judge even by the bark as to the age of a tree of any 

 kind. 



Third. It is to be understood always that signs of a decline in 

 a tree are equally signs of an alteration in the timber. When a 

 tree yet has its whole crown (or head) and a single limb is seen 

 to die at its top, especially in trees standing isolated, apart from 

 others, it is an infallible sign of the commencement of decay of 

 the timber at its head. Wh«n trees are infested with moss lich- 

 ens, toad-stools or mushrooms, or the black rust, they are signs of 

 serious alteration in the bark, and we justly suspect an alteration 

 for the worse in the timber. 



Alfalfa or Peruvian Lucerne or Clover. — Professor Mapes, 

 last year, received from Commodore Glenn, of the U.S. navy, a 

 ■cask of the Peruvian alfalfa or lucerne seeds. They were distri- 

 buted at Professor Mapes' request, by the Farmers' club. Mr. 

 Meigs planted some of it. The first growth was quite slender. 

 This morning he was surprised to see the alfalfa quite vigorous 

 in growth, and pulling up the roots here exhibited, carefully, not 

 •expecting such length and size, the lower ends are broken off, yet 

 they are over a foot in length, and as fresh as the youngest of an- 

 nual roots. This is a remarkable fact, because the plant is from 

 the warm climate of Peru, and grew within ten or fifteen degrees 

 south of the equator, in a country where ice and snow and rain 

 have never been known to fall since the day of Cortez and Pizarro t 

 where neither thunder, lightning, nor strong wind have ever ex- 

 isted ; yet perfectly unhurt by our last rugged arctic winter. 

 This circumstance raises the character of this lucerne greatly. 

 We judge that it will last several years here, or almost every 

 where, and yield annual crops of some of the finest feed in the 

 world for stock; it may be cut several times in a season. It 

 should be planted in rows, wide enough apart to enable men to 

 go in and cut it as wanted. By calculation we may plant a field 

 large enough to allow being all cut off day by day several times 

 over, and feed the stock we have. 



Blackberries, Strawberries and Raspberries. — Mr. Meigs 

 stated that cultivated blackberries were brought to this market 



[Assembly, No. 129] 35 



