1863 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
39 
The White Willow Excitement. 
Numerous letters have been received at the office of the 
Agriculturist asking our opinion on the use of the White 
Willow for hedges. Our Western exchanges contain 
loud advertisements of nurserymen, and those who have 
the cuttings for sale, and the papers have frequent articles 
for or against its use. We have watched this discussion 
with interest, in the hope of finding some reliable infor¬ 
mation on the subject. From all we can gather, and from 
what we know of this plant, we judge that, as a screen to 
break the force of sweeping winds, it will answer a good 
purpose, but that its value as a hedge plant is as yet rather 
problematical. As it is destitute of thorns, and the small 
branches are always weak, it can only serve as a hedge 
by presenting a barrier of trunks. Whether the willow, 
or any other tree, will grow when planted near enough 
together for this, wo are inclined to doubt. A given area 
of ground will only sustain a certain amount of vegeta¬ 
tion, and the strongest plants will choke and kill out the 
weaker ones. This happens in nature, and is within the 
observation of every cultivator. As a timber belt, to 
serve as a wind screen, there is no doubt it may be em¬ 
ployed with benefit. 
The following is the method of planting for hedges: 
Cuttings about ten Inches in length, cut at the lower end 
with a slope, are stuck into the soil, in a slightly inclined 
position, at six inches apart. The plants are hoed and 
weeded the first year, and the cattle kept away until 
they become large enough to resist them. 
The white willow makes a large tree, 50 to 60 feet high. 
The wood is valuable for charcoal, and makes a tolerably 
serviceable timber. Taking advantage of the present ex¬ 
citement, some persons have cut up the common willow 
of the swamps, to sell as the white willow. Those pur¬ 
chasing should be on their guard against this imposition. 
The Remarkable Winter — Its Effects 
upon the Wheat and Rye Crops. 
Thus far the present Winter has been note¬ 
worthy, we might rather say, there has been a 
remarkable absence of Winter. At the time of 
this writing, it is past the middle of January, 
and yet, with the exception of a very few days, 
early in December, we have had no snow to 
speak of, and but little ice in the vicinity of 
this city. Overcoats have been worn more 
as a safeguard against expected cold that 
might come on suddenly, than as a necessary 
protection from cold actually experienced. 
Similar weather has prevailed over the coun¬ 
try generally, though in a few localities snow 
has fallen more abundantly. In two respects 
this weather has been highly favorable to farm¬ 
ers and others. There was so short a crop of 
bay in many places that apprehensions were en¬ 
tertained in regard to the possibility of carrying 
the usual stock of animals through the Winter. 
But mild weather has saved an immense 
amount of forage, for it is a well understood 
fact, that in very cold weather, a large propor¬ 
tion of the food consumed by man and beast, 
is required to keep up the heat of the body. An 
animal needs nearly double the quantity of food 
when the thermometer is at zero, than is re¬ 
quired when the temperature is at summer 
heat. Should the season continue thus mild 
and open, hay will be abundant and cheap dur¬ 
ing the spring months. “Winter never rots in 
the skies,” is an old adage that generally, not 
always, holds true, and it will be fortunate for 
those having short supplies in their hay mows 
or stacks, if we do not have severe cold weather 
all through February and March, and late into 
April. In the Eastern and Middle States, where 
coal is extensively used, the supply was un¬ 
usually short last Autumn, and prices were 
nearly double what they were a year before. 
This mild weather has greatly favored all who 
depend upon coal for fuel. Owing to the small 
amount of fire needed, it has cost less than in 
ordinary years to keep the dwellings warm. 
But we entertain serious fears concerning the 
effects of this weather upon the winter grams, 
wheat and rye. A continuous frozen condition 
of the soil does not injure these crops, while a 
mantle of snow maintains a somewhat uniform 
temperature, and is highly favorable. The al¬ 
ternate freezing of the surface at night, and thaw¬ 
ing out by day, which has been the order for 
two months past, must have done great damage 
to the wheat plants. Many of them have doubt¬ 
less been killed already,and should this weather 
continue, we fear the result will be disastrous. 
Little can be done to help the matter. Those 
having an abundance of manure, or of straw 
that will not be used for feeding or bedding, 
may find it advantageous to cart it out and 
spread it upon the "wheat fields, if they chance 
to be frozen sufficiently at any time to prevent 
injury from the treading of teams, and cutting 
by the wheels. A mulch of this kind will par¬ 
tially prevent the frequent changes of tempera¬ 
ture. If our staple crop of wheat is to be in 
part cut off, as it may already be, it behooves 
farmers to lay out their plans for putting in the 
largest possible area of spring wheat, where it 
will grow well, and of other summer crops. 
Tobacco Culture—$30 Offered for Prac¬ 
tical Information/. 
Our assistants report that in at least a thou¬ 
sand letters recently received, there is a call for 
articles, and especially for a book on tobacco 
culture. We know of no such work, are desti¬ 
tute of practical experience with this particular 
crop, and scarcely know where to get the best 
practical information desired. In order to call 
out information, we therefore propose the fol¬ 
lowing cash premiums : 
For the Best Essay on Tobacco Culture .$15,00 
For the Second Best Essay.$10,00 
For the Third Best Essay. $5,00 
The essays to be written by those who speak 
from practical experience or observation; to 
contain full directions for culture and treatment; 
from the securing and sowing of the seed to the 
harvesting, curing and marketing of the crop; 
the best variety, etc. Fifteen pages or less of 
foolscap paper will suffice for this; the less 
space occupied, the better, if particulars are 
given sufficiently full to meet the wants of those 
entirely inexperienced. The essays in our work 
on Onion Culture, (see page 61), are good exam¬ 
ples of what is wanted. Any illustrative en¬ 
gravings required, will be made at our own ex¬ 
pense, if the outline sketches be furnished by 
the parties who write. The essays to be de¬ 
livered at the Agriculturist office on or before 
March 1st. The sooner they can be on hand, 
the better, that the Committee may have time 
to look them over. The essays will be submit¬ 
ted to a competent Committee, and the prizes 
paid according to their award. One or more of 
the best essays will be published in the April 
Agriculturist , and, if a sufficient number of good 
articles are offered, they will be issued in cheap 
pamphlet form, early in March, to meet the re¬ 
quirements of the present year. In order that 
we may do this, we make it one condition of the 
offer of the prizes, that we have the right to 
publish any articles submitted. (Ten copies of 
any pamphlet or book issued, will be at the dis¬ 
posal of each person whose contribution is in¬ 
serted, whether he obtain one of the prizes or 
not.) The writer of each essay will please en¬ 
close his name and full Post Office address, in a 
sealed envelope, along with his manuscript. 
Fine literary style is not so much desired as 
to have the directions fully and plainly given ; 
we will put the writing into proper shape for 
publishing. If those who wish to compete will 
notify us at once, we can probably announce 
next month whether a pamphlet will be issued. 
Maple Sugar. 
This product, which, if properly made, al¬ 
ways commands a good price and ready sale, 
will this year be especially valuable, owing to 
the high cost of every kind of sweetening. 
Those having even a few trees, will do well to 
make the most of them, by commencing to tap 
as soon as the sap will flow. In many locali¬ 
ties a large run may be had the latter part of the 
present month, unless the Winter should be pro¬ 
tracted unseasonably. 
Immediate preparation should be made for 
the work, particularly where there is a large 
sugar-grove. In such cases it will doubtless pay 
to procure one of the evaporators intended for 
Sorghum syrup, but 'which are equally fitted for 
sap boiling. Cook’s is certainly good. It was 
used in this way to some extent last year, with 
entire satisfaction. Samples of sugar and syrup 
made with it, received at the Agriculturist office, 
were of the very finest quality. (See advertise¬ 
ment in Jan. No.) Shallow sheet-iron pans, 
which can be made at the tinman’s, will be 
found much more economical than the deep 
kettles frequently used. Provide a good supply 
of dry fuel convenient to the boiling place. A 
shed to enclose the arch and kettle will add to 
comfort and cleanliness. Buckets of tin are 
lightest to carry, but are apt to be rusted diu-ing 
the year, which would impart a dark color to 
the syrup and sugar. Unpainted pails, of cedar, 
pine or white-wood, are generally preferred. 
These, with the evaporator, the spouts, and 
everything connected with the manufacture, 
should be kept scrupulously clean. The need 
of clarifying syrup, arises mainly from neglect in 
this respect; the best specimens we have seen 
were made without the use of any substance to 
remove impurities—none were suffered to be 
mixed with the sap. 
Fig. 1. 
Spouts are readily made by removing the 
pith from pieces of elder, or from foot lengths 
of inch square pine. For the latter, remove 
the upper half to within two inches of one end, 
bore or burn a one-quarter inch hole through 
the thick part left, and cut a groove from the 
hole to the other end, as in fig. 1. If elder 
stalks are accessible, good spouts are made a3 
illustrated by fig. 2, by sawing half through at 
a and &, and splitting between the cuts. Each 
piece then makes two spouts. 
a 
l 
Fig. 2. 
A tlH«o-quarter inch auger bit is best for tap¬ 
ping, which should be done on the south side of 
the tree, boring the hole about one inch deep. 
It saves time after the boiling is commenced, 
to have a constant stream of sap trickling into 
the evaporator, and the thickened syrup dis¬ 
charging into a second vessel for “ sugaring off.” 
Otherwise, the sap collected must wait until the 
first lot is finished. In the latter part of the sea¬ 
son it readily sours, and may soon spoil. It is 
well to add a little lime to the sap during the 
last running, to neutralize any existing acid. 
