112 
May Apple and Pawpaws—Lightning rods, 
For the American Agriculturist. 
Cincinnati, May 7, 1842. 
Gents. —Among the many little privations which, 
the first settlers of this country were obliged to under¬ 
go, I recollect particularly with the younger portion 
of them, was the absence of the cultivated fruits that 
we left behind us upon emigrating, and you cannot 
imagine with what eagerness the children looked for¬ 
ward to the ripening of the indigenous ones of our 
forests and prairies. Nothing came amiss to us. The 
May apple, strawberries, raspberries, and blackber¬ 
ries, the different varieties of cherries, plums, and 
grapes, the persimon, pawpaw, and even the crab-apple 
and black haw in these days were not to be despised, 
thus giving us a pretty fair succession of fruits, such 
as they were, from May till October, after which the 
variety of nuts came in for the winter’s amusement. 
But among this different succession of wild fruits, 
the May apple and pawpaw stood and still stand pre- 
v?nfinent. The May apple, or mandrake, grows in 
thick patches in the forest. Coming up in single 
stems from 12 to 18 inches in height, the fruit bear¬ 
ers of which branch from 8 to 12 inches from the 
ground, and throw off the stems obliquely. The leaves 
are of an orbicular form and lobed in the margin, 
with that uncommon mode of attachment in the pe¬ 
tiole under the center of the disk that constitutes the 
leaf, which is from 8 to 12 inches in diameter, bear¬ 
ing a near resemblance to those very small parasols, 
so much in vogue among the ladies as shades. 
From the center of the stem where it branches off, 
issues a single white concave flower, the fruit that 
succeeds is of a pale green color, the skin thick, the 
seeds numerous and immersed in a onesided large and 
pulpy receptacle. When ripe the apple changes to a 
yellow, is very fragrant, and of a pleasant sweetish 
acid taste, varying in size from a damson plum, to a 
medium lemon. 
The pawpaw* is a plentiful undergrowth of ou r al 
luvial forests, and on a deep open, free, mellow loam 
in the upland. Its presence is an indication of a rich, 
warm soil. It varies in height and shape, from the 
straggling bush to the graceful formed conical tree, 
from 15 to 25 feet in height. The bark is smooth, of 
an ash color. The flowers put forth in the spring be¬ 
fore the foliage, and are of a dark maroon, single bell¬ 
shaped, resembling the flower of the calicanthus, with 
this difference, that the ends of the petals are turned 
outward. They generally put forth from the stems 
solitary, sometimes, though not often, in branches, 
and hang down gracefully, which gives the bush a 
very pretty appearance when in full bloom. 
The leaf is a rich green, from 8 to 12 inches in 
length, smaller in the middle, and tapering to a grace¬ 
ful point at each end. The fruit is smooth skinned, 
from 4 to 10 inches in length, resembling a cucumber 
in shape. Some are straight, others a little curved, 
rounding off bluntly at the ends. It sometimes grows 
single, sometimes in bunches, the seeds resembling in 
size and shape the Lima Bean, covered with a 
brown husk like the chesnut, are arranged crosswise 
* Can any of our readers inform us whether this delicate wild 
fruit exists in the New England states, or in fact on any of the 
primitive formations of American soils? We have gathered it 
as far north as 43° on the banks of the Niagara river, but in the 
short summers that prevail there, the fruit is inferior in size and 
never attains the delicate flavor that characterises it in more 
southern regions. Where known as indigenous, it is well wor- 
of being transplanted to our gardens, combining as it does 
utility and beauty. 
Francis Cleveland, Esq., of Portsmouth, Ohio, when at his 
beautiful farm last November, showed us a single bunch of the 
Pawpaw, numbering fourteen in the cluster, which is the highest 
number we ever heard growing together. We brought away 
one of them as a trophy, and have reserved it for the inspec¬ 
tion of the curious. 
in the pulp, and are set about one inch apart. When 
ripening, the skin turns yellow; some are most fond 
of it at this season; but the fruit is in its greatest 
perfection to my taste after a few heavy frosts, which 
change the skin to nearly black. The pulp is of an 
orange color, and of a mealy delicious flavor, and I 
can compare it to nothing better than a rich custard 
E. Carpenter. 
For the American Agriculturist 
Middletown, O.June, 1842. 
Gents. —In consideration of the gratification 
afforded me by the perusal of your valuable jour¬ 
nal, I feel obligated to furnish you an occasional 
contribution for its columns, should it not be 
the means of’excluding matter of greater im¬ 
portance to your readers. 
I propose at this time, to offer some remarks 
on the subject of electrical conductors, as a 
means of protection to life and property. It 
will not be presumed compatible with the de¬ 
sign of a journal of this character, that I should 
enter into a lengthy philosophical disquisition 
of the subject, and I shall confine my observa¬ 
tions to such as may be of practical utility. 
My humble object will have been fully attained 
if I can be effective in rendering harmless, an 
element, which at the same time that it is an 
important agent in performing the functions of 
animal and vegetable life, is occasionally so 
terribly destructive to both. 
A conductor should be constructed of square 
bar iron, three-fourths of an inch thick, in pie¬ 
ces five feet in length, with one end turned at 
a right angle, six inches in length and drawn 
out to a fine point; and the other end have an 
eye turned upon it, of sufficient size to receive 
the point of the piece below, thereby complet¬ 
ing the connexion of the different parts. The 
corners of the bar should be hacked with a 
cold chisel, at intervals of two inches. I say 
square bar iron , because the angles operate as 
an innumerable combination of points, and ex¬ 
periment has proven, that the electric fluid 
will be attracted from a greater distance, and 
more powerfully than by a round bar. 
The lower extremity of the rod should be 
flattened to the distance of eighteen inches, Split 
into three pieces, drawn to a fine point, and 
embedded three feet below the surface of the 
ground, and extended at a right angle, six or eight 
feet from the building, which it is designed to 
protect. Dry earth is an imperfect conductor; 
consequently the lower portion of the rod should 
be surrounded by some substance capable of 
absorbing and retaining moisture, that the fluid 
thereby, may when attracted, diffuse itself free¬ 
ly and rapidly in the surrounding earth. Char¬ 
coal is one of the best materials that can be 
employed for this purpose. 
The upper extremity of the rod may be ter- 
