174 THE CULTIVATOR. 
June 
plains in the province of Arica, in Peru, are covered 
with an incrustation of nitrate of soda. 
Every body knows, or ought to know, that saltpetre 
is a good manure—though perhaps they do not all know 
why it is so. Possibly I may continue the subject, but 
my sheet is full at this time. L. B. 
Warner, N. H., April 20, 1846. 
NOTES OF A BOTANICAL TOUR.—NO V. 
Mr. Tucker —I spent three days collecting speci¬ 
mens in the vicinity of Painted Rock, and then went to 
the Warm Springs, six miles distant, in the famed 
county of Buncombe, in North Carolina. These springs 
were formerly much resorted to by the Southern Plan¬ 
ters during the summer months, but latterly, owing 
to the facilities of travelling, many travel almost 
continually without incurring much if any greater ex¬ 
pense than they would by spending weeks in succes¬ 
sion, and perhaps months, at the springs. However, 
the Warm Springs have many attractions. They are in 
a beautiful mountain valley formed by the French 
Broad river, and surrounded by fine scenery. The | 
buildings are spacious—the bath is delightful. A bath¬ 
ing house divides the largest spring, for the accommo¬ 
dation of both ladies and gentlemen where a person can 
indulge in swimming in water about four feet deep. 
The water is so strong that it will float the body with 
little effort. Its temperature was 94 degrees Far. Nor 
does it vary much throughout the year. The springs j 
are near the edge of the river, and the one used for I 
drink is overflowed by the river at high water. In this j 
last were great numbers of a small shell, (Physa aurea.) I 
A few miles beyond the Springs, on the road to Ash- 
ville, I stopped at Col. Chunn’s, who was absent—his j; 
lady and a hired girl being the only white persons!! 
about the house. The road still wound along the French I! 
Broad, whose rapid stream was ever in view, forcing |J 
its boisterous course among the rocks, with highmoun- 
tains on each side. This road belongs to a corporation 
and has several gates. It is a great thoroughfare, being || 
the route pursued by most travellers and drovers passing !: 
from Tennessee into North Carolina. The droves of 
horses, mules, cattle, and hogs, are from Kentucky and 
Tennessee, for the South Carolina market. Staid all 
night at Col. Chunn’s, and next morning crossed the ! 
river and ascended a small stream two or three miles, I 
where I found Berber is canadensis, (Barbery,) Pursh, 
which is certainly very distinct from Berber is vulgaris, 
a native of Europe, now so common in New-England 
as to lead many to suppose that it is indigenous. Pursh-'s 
Barberry differs from the B. vulgaris, in its smaller and 
narrower leaves, and also in the size and form of its fruit j 
and flowers. The former is a native of the mountainous 
parts of the southern states, and of rare occurrence, as it j 
has been collected by few botanists since the time of i 
Pursh, whose specimens are still in the herbarium of I 
the late Prof. Barton, of Philadelphia. I have been I 
thus particular because the two plants have been some- | 
times confounded; and Downing, in his Fruits and 
Fruit Trees of America, p. 160, says that they are 
scarcely distinct. On the 12th of May arrived at Ash- 
ville, intending to visit Mt. Pisgah, a high, conical 
mountain in full view, about twelve miles distant, over¬ 
topping its neighbors. I was told that the season was 
not far enough advanced to bring vegetation forward 
on the high mountains; and as I wished to see the 
Table mountain of South Carolina, it would be best to 
proceed there immediately—explore the mountains far¬ 
ther south, and return to Pisgah at a more advanced sea¬ 
son. The climate of this region is not much, if any, 
wanner than that of Western New-York. During the 
summer of 1842, the thermometer ranged generally 
from 70 to 85 degrees, in the valleys, while on the 
mountains it was frequently about 60 degrees, and some¬ 
times much lower. The guide Avho accompanied me 
to the summit of the Roan, a high mountain in Yancy 
county, said that he had been on the top of that moun¬ 
tain the 22d of June, when a storm arose and covered 
its top with snow. On the table lands of these moun¬ 
tains, the inhabitants often do not raise corn enough for 
their own consumption, on account of the frost; the 
principal crops being oats, buckwheat, and potatoes, 
with an abundance of cattle and hogs, rarely a little 
wheat which is raised sufficient for home consumption 
in the adjacent plains. On a small farm in the vicinity 
of the Roan mountain, I was told that they had been 
subject to frost every month in the year. When I left 
the southern portion of Alabama, it was the middle of 
March, the woods were green, with their full expanded 
leaves; in about a week I had reached the elevated re¬ 
gion south of Huntsville, in the northern part of the 
State, where the leaves had not yet attained half their 
usual size. From the 1st to the 10th of April, in mid¬ 
dle Tennessee, the leaves were nearly full grown and 
the inhabitants were busy in planting corn; but at the 
middle of April, for thirty miles on the table land of 
the Cumberland mountains, the trees had just begun 
to put forth their leaves, and the ground was white in 
the morning with a severe frost. 
On descending into the plains of East Tennessee, the 
country was green with verdure, and the farmers were 
there also busy in planting corn, and now, the middle 
of May, among the mountains of North Carolina, I found 
myself where vegetation had scarcely clothed the plains 
and woods with green while the leaves of tne high 
mountain trees were about half grown. I should also 
remark that the spring of 1842 was from two weeks 
to a month earlier than usual. S. B. Buckley. 
West Dresden, Yates Co., N. F., 1846. 
CONNECTION OF CHEMISTRY WITH AGRICULTURE 
Mr. Tucker — I have several times carefully read 
over Mr. Horsford’s article on the analysis of red clo¬ 
ver, in your May number, and I agree with you, that 
most of the inferences deducible from the results there 
given, are in perfect agreement with the teachings of 
experience. I have long known the superior value of 
well-made clover hay—especially for feeding milch 
cows and fatting animals; but in regard to the original 
principle which constitutes that value, Mr. Horsford has 
furnished me some new ideas. Following out the sug¬ 
gestion of Liebig,—that carbon, in the form of sugar, 
starch, and gum, when taken as food by the animal, is 
converted into fat,—Mr. Horsford shows that the value 
of clover consists mainly in the large proportion of 
starch or sugar it contains, and which is capable of con¬ 
version into carbonic acid. Thus the superior value of 
clover cut when the heads were fully developed, over 
that cut before the heads were formed, is shown by the 
former having yielded on fermentation nearly fifty per 
cent, more carbonic acid than the latter. “ The larger 
per cent, of carbonic acid,” says Mr. II., “ corresponds 
to the larger per cent, of sugar.” Here, then, we have 
an explanation of a known fact, viz., that there is 
more value in clover as food for stock, when it has 
reached its full growth, but is not ripe, than when it is 
in a more immature state. All may have noticed the 
sweetness of clover heads while in bloom. To secure 
the greatest quantity of this saccharine matter, should 
be the object of the farmer; and Mr. Horsford shows 
that by cutting the plant when the heads are fully 
formed , but not ripe, the sugar by proper drying may 
be secured. “ The water,” he observes, S( will evapo¬ 
rate, leaving the sweetness with the vegetable fibre and 
other organic matters, to be fed to stock.” 
Mr. Horsford's hints in regard to the proper method of 
curing clover, are worthy attention. For instance, he 
shows that green clover contains 83.5 per cent of water, 
and from this draws the natural inference that, if it be 
taken to the stack or mow with this weight of water, 
a fermentation will follow which will destroy the sugar 
by converting it into vinegar — ee souring the whole mass 
and rendering it unpalatable for stock.” But if it be 
properly dried the sugar “ will remain with the vegeta¬ 
ble fibre and go to nourish the stock. Again, the heads 
and leaves are shown to be, as every practical man 
knows they are, the most valuable parts of the clover 
