HORTICULTURAL REPOSITORY. 



19 



eover the dung with the double mould board plough 

 once, or the single plough twice, by ridging them up as 

 high as can be well done, with a man shovelling be- 

 tween the drills right and left, smoothing the surface of 

 the ridge above the dung, which will leave a space of 

 10 or 12 inches broad. This complete method offal- 

 lowing will repay the trouble of shovelling, by raising a 

 full proportion of earth under the roots. After sowing, 

 it should be well rolled, which completes the whole 

 process. The crop to be afterwards treated the same 

 as that of turnips or potatoes, by putting and taking off 

 mould, &c. After the roots have been raised, the 

 ground is in a remarkably fine situation for wheat or 

 any other crop ; sow five pounds per acre. Soak the 

 seed in pond or rain water, previous to sowing. 



Use. — Almost all kinds of animals eat the leaves 

 and roots, with great avidity. Both are peculiarly good 

 for feeding swine, and are not less eagerly devoured than 

 corn. They are excellent for milch cows, and possess 

 the quality of making them give a large quantity of the 

 best flavored milk. They are said to be equally user 

 ful for fattening cattle. 



An intelligent farmer in Orange county, N. Y. raised 

 in one season, (1820,) from three roods and seven- 

 tenths of ground, 1,339 pounds of the Mangel Wurzel, 

 snaking a yield of more than 26 tons to the acre. 



— »*»©©*«< — 



[From Silliman's Journal ] 



ART. 16. — On Forest Trees, Orchard Trees, #c. 

 Rensselaer School, Troy, April 30, 1827. 



Effects of light. — Clouds and rain have obscured 

 the hemisphere during the last six days. In that time 

 the leaves of all the forests, which are seen from this 

 place, have greatly expanded. But they were all of a 

 pallid hue, until this afternoon. Within a period of 

 about six hours, they have all changed their color foa 

 beautiful green. As the only efficient change which 

 has taken place is, that we have a serene sky and a 

 bright sun, we may say with confidence, that this 

 change of color is produced by the action of the sun's 

 rays. 



Seven years ago next month, I had a still more fa- 

 vorable opportunity to observe this phenomenon, in 

 company with the Hon. J. Lansing, late Thancellor of 

 this State. While we were engaged in taking a geolo- 

 gical survey of his manor of Blenheim, the leaves o ? 

 the forest had expanded to almost the common size. in 

 cloudy weather. I believe the sun had scarcely show 

 upon them in twenty days. Standing upon a hill, we 

 observed that the d'Bnse forests on the opposite ?ide of 

 the Schoharie, were al.nost white. The sun now be- 

 gan to shine in full brightness. The color of the fo- 

 rests absolutely changed so fast that we could per- 

 ceive its progress. By the middle of the afternoon the 



whole of these extensive forests, many miles in length, 

 presented their usual green summer dress. 



Direction of the branches of trees. — A tree shoots out 

 its branches like all other trees of the same species, 

 external circumstances being similar. But there is one 

 remarkable fact in the direction of branches, which I 

 have not seen noticed in any publication. 



Jill trees with spreading branches, accommodate the di- 

 rection of thelower branches to the surface of the earth 

 over which they extend. This may be seen in orchards 

 growing on the sides of hills, and in all open forests. 

 But the crowded situation of the wild woods of our 

 country, prevents a sufficient extension of branches to 

 exhibit this character. 



This fact presents a curious subject for the investiga- 

 tion of the phytologist. The question presented is this : 

 What influence can the earth have upon the branches 

 on the upper side of the tree, which causes them to 

 form a different angle with the body of the tree from 

 the angle formed by the branches on the lower side, so 

 that all the branches hold a parallel direction to the 

 earth's surface? 



Holloii} Trees. — The growth of trees is not influenced 

 by any circumstance connected with their internal woody 

 parts. 



Mr. Knight's central vessel hypothesis, and the au- 

 thority of numerous able physiologists, seem to be at 

 variance with this position. I shall not enter upon a 

 discussion of the subject, but merely introduce a few 

 facts. 



The sugar maple, [_acer saccharinum,) after being 

 tapped and drained of its internal sap fifty years, and 

 after the whole interior has become dead, grows as fast 

 and presents an aspect as vigorous and blooming, as 

 any sound tree of the same species and same age, 

 ■which stands by its side. For the truth of this fact, I 

 refer to all manufacturers of the maple sugar. I sug- 

 gested this opinion more than twenty years ago, and 

 frequently afterwards, when I was employed among the 

 tenants of Messrs. Livingston, Mc fivers, Ludlow, 

 Cutting, and others, between the spurs of Catskill 

 mountain. Every manufacturer with whom I con- 

 versed, in this native residence of the sugar maple, 

 confirmed my opinion. 



The common apple tree (pyrus malus) grows thriftily 

 and bears abundance of fruit, many years after its inte- 

 rior is so completely rotted away, as to leave but a very 

 thin hollow cylinder in possession of the living princi- 

 ple. 



We prefer solid trees in our forests and orchards ; 

 because they have more strength to withstand the force 

 of winds, and because the unfavorable circumstance, 

 which caused the interior to decay, may effect the total 

 destruction of the tree. Rut as all depositions of mat- 

 ter, in any way affecting the growth of the tree, are 

 made between the bark and wood, after the first year, 



