THE CULTIVATOR. 
145 
ening the open ditches into which they purpose the covered drains 
to discharge. The object of that deepening is, to get additional fall 
for the water from the drains. The design is good, and would an¬ 
swer the intended purpose, if those ditches were regularly cleaned 
out afterwards ; but unfortunately that is seldom or never the case, 
for the farmer’s atlention being called to other important concerns, 
the drains being out of sight, are soon out of mind, the ditches are 
neglected, leaves, coarse grass and other rubbish accumulate in 
them, cattle get into them and poach, them up, and the mouths of 
the drains are stopped up; the water stagnates in them, and the 
land again becomes saturated with wet. It is therefore not advisa¬ 
ble to gain fall for covered drains by deepening open ditches, when 
it can possibly be obtained by other means. 
Cross drains should not be made to join the receivers, whether 
open ditches or covered drains, at right angles or nearly so, as they 
generally do. Neither should they be cut so deep by some inches, 
as the receivers ; and with a view to ensuring a free discharge of 
water from the cross drain into the receiver, it is advisable, at a 
point a few yards distant from where the junction would be formed 
in the usual way, to give the cross drain a sharp bend towards the 
declivity of the ground, and make it join the receiver in an acute 
angle, as it then would do at a lower level. This practice ensures 
a good fall, and prevents choking up, as the weight and force of 
water from the bend of the drain effectually removes observation at 
the point of junction, and keeps the mouth of the drain open. 
F. B. 
[From the Northampton Courier.'] 
CHINESE MULBERRY. 
The Secretary of the Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden Agricultural Soci¬ 
ety, furnishes us with the following facts in relation to silk worms and mul¬ 
berry trees : 
At the late show of the Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden Agri¬ 
cultural Society, Elizur Goodrich, Jr. Esq. presented a claim for 
premium on white mulberry, set on his farm in Montgomery, in the 
county of Hampden, and obtained the first premium. He states 
that in 1833, he had 9,000 mulberry trees set on one acre—the rows 
4 feet apart and trees 12 to 18 inches apart in the rows. In 1834, 
had 20,000 mulberry trees set on three acres—the rows six feet 
apart, and trees 12 to 18 inches apart in the rows—-also 9,000 mul¬ 
berry trees set on 4 acres, the rows 6 feet apart, and trees 3 feet 
apart in the rows; that he planted potatoes between the rows, had 
a good crop, and found the cultivation of the potato was advantage¬ 
ous to the mulberry trees. Expecting to use the leaves in the ma¬ 
nufacture of silk, he intends to keep the trees cut down to six or 
eight feet, for the convenience of gathering leaves. The trees are 
from three to four years’ old and very thrifty. 
Mr. Timothy Smith of Amherst, in the county of Hampshire, 
also presented his claim for premium on the white mulberry, and 
obtained the Society’s premium. He represents that he has 17,443 
white mulberry trees, of which 3,638 are set out on about 100 rods 
of ground in rows 8 feet apart, and the trees 2 feet apart in the rows, 
the residue set more compact for the purpose of topping to feed 
worms. He planted potatoes between the rows, had a great crop, 
and found the hoeing among the potatoes was beneficial to the mul¬ 
berry trees. From the experience he has had in feeding worms, 
calculates that half an acre set with white mulberry will produce feed 
for 100,900 worms—says he has what he considers five species of 
worms, viz. the black annual worm, producing one crop in a year of 
yellow cocoons, also the black worm producing two crops in a year 
of yellow cocoons, the grey worm, the large white and the small 
white worm, producing two crops in a year of white cocoons. The 
present year has fed only about 30,000 worms, but thinks his 
mulberry trees might give sufficient feed for an hundred thousand 
worms. 
He had worms on feed when the late severe frost came, and ga¬ 
thered a quantity of leaves while frozen, packed them in a sack 
which had been used for salt: in this state the leaves were kept 
green and in good condition, so that he fed his worms two weeks 
with them and the worms devoured them with the same avidity as 
before they had been frozen. 
The frost completely destroyed the leaves remaining on the trees. 
Mr. Smith now thinks that leaves may be preserved through the 
winter, for winter and early spring use. He has 357 promising 
seedling plants of the Morus Multicaulis, the product of one paper of 
the Chinese mulberry seed which he had of the society last spring. 
Vol. I. T 
On this subject, the committee would remark, that from the source 
and peculiar circumstances under which the seed was obtained from 
the interior of China, it is believed to be genuine, and not improba¬ 
bly, the first good seed imported. The seed has been distributed in¬ 
to several towns in the county and generally given a good return, 
unless when planted or sown too deep. Some seed, however, was 
lost, and did not vegetate in consequence of sowing too deep. The 
most favorable depth is about one quarter of an inch, regard being 
had to the soil. 
The seedlings of the present year, standing some distance from 
each other, gave out side branches, some of which as an experi¬ 
ment, were made into cuttings, set in the ground with one bud ex¬ 
posed, and did well, although done in a very dry and hot season, and 
while the branches wrnre green and tender. Some seedlings of the 
present year produced leaves measuring 9£ by 8£ inches before the 
severe frost, and had the weather continued mild a few weeks long¬ 
er, it is thought some leaves would have attained the size of 12 to 
14 inches. Some seeds were sent northerly and southerly to a con¬ 
siderable distance, and one parcel to the distance of 5 or 600 miles, 
and did well. Should no more be received from China, there is now 
a sufficiency of grown trees and seedlings in such forwardness as in 
a short time to supply the whole limits of the society with the real 
Morus Multicaulis. 
[From the Library of Useful Knowledge, Farmers' Series.] 
PHYSICKING HORSES. 
This would seem to be the most convenient place to speak of 
physicking horses, a mode of treatment necessary under various 
diseases, but which has injured the constitution of more horses, and 
in fact absolutely destroyed more of them, than any other thing than 
can be mentioned. When a horse comes from grass to hard meat, 
or from the cool open air to a heated stable, a dose of physic, or 
even two doses may be useful to prevent the tendency to inflamma¬ 
tion which must be the necessary consequence of so sudden and 
great a change. To a horse that is becoming too fat, or has sur¬ 
feit, or grease, or mange, or that is out of condition from inactivity 
of the digestive organs, a dose of physic is often most serviceable ; 
but we do enter our protest against the periodical physicking of all 
horses in the spring and the autumn, and more particularly against 
that severe system which is thought to be necessary to train them 
for work, and the absurd method of treating the horse when under 
the operation of physic, 
A horse should be carefully prepared for the action of physic.— 
Two or three bran-mashes given on that or the preceding day are 
far from sufficient, when a horse is about to be physicked, whether 
to promote his condition or in obedience to custom. Mashes should 
be given until the dung becomes softened; a less quantity of phy¬ 
sic will then suffice, and it will more quickly pass through the in¬ 
testines, and be more equally diffused over them. Five drachms of 
aloes, given when the dung has been thus softened, will act much more 
effectually, and much more safely than seven drachms, when the 
lower intestines are obstructed by hardened feces. 
On the day on which the physic is given, the horse should have 
walking exercise, or may be gently trotted for a quarter of an hour 
twice in the day ; but after the physic begins to work, he should not 
be moved from his stall. Exercise then would produce gripes, irri¬ 
tation, and possibly dangerous inflammation. The common and ab¬ 
surd practice is to give the horse most exercise after the physic has 
begun to operate. 
A little hay may be put into the rack; as much mash may be gi¬ 
ven as the horse will eat, and as much water, with the coldness of it 
taken offj as he will drink. If, however, he obstinately refuses to 
drink warm water, it is better that he should have it cold, than con¬ 
tinue without taking any fluid; but he should not be suffered to take 
more than a quart at a time, with an interval of at least an hour be¬ 
tween each portion. 
When the purging has ceased, or the physic is set , a mash should 
be given once or twice every day until the next dose is taken, be¬ 
tween which and the setting of the first there should be an interval 
of a week. The horse should recover from the languor and debi¬ 
lity occasioned by the first dose, before he is harrassed by a se¬ 
cond. 
Eight or ten tolerably copious motions will be perfectly sufficient 
to answer every good purpose, although the groom or the carter 
may not be satisfied unless double the quantity are procured. The 
consequence of too strong purgation will be, that a lowness and 
