270 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Sept. 
when its masses of foliage are rolled up by the wind. 
It is much more rapid in growth than the red and 
black maple, and though usually found in swamps, suc¬ 
ceeds finely on upland. 
Chestnut .—A very fine tree, partaking much of the 
character of the oak for a broad and picturesque out¬ 
line—when in flower, its light green blossoms mingled 
with its deep green leaves, give it an uncommonly rich, 
variegated appearance. 
The American Aspen is remarkable for its very 
early lively green foliage, and the constant motion of 
its leaves in the lightest breeze. 
The White Ash forms a very large, round head, of 
fine feathery foliage, which assumes a deep reddish pur¬ 
ple in autumn. As the tree draws hard on the soil, it 
should be introduced sparingly. 
Basswood .—Its large leaves, of a lively green hue, 
and its large, dense, pyrimidal head, render it a very 
fine shade tree,- but being more formal, and less vary¬ 
ing and graceful in outline, than some others ■, it should 
be more sparingly introduced. 
Spiry evergreens are to be placed more or less in 
near proximity to some of the more upright or pointed 
deciduous trees, by which they are made to form a 
harmonious whole with the rest of the plantation. 
The piece of ground intended for planting, should be 
made rich with manure for at least a year or two pre¬ 
vious, which should be worked deep into the soil by 
plowing; loosening with the subsoil plow so as to ad¬ 
mit of deep trench-plowing will be of great advantage. 
This depth of rich soil will not only cause a more rapid 
growth to the trees, and give a finer and more luxu» 
riant appearance to their foliage, but the lively green 
which the turf will exhibit subsequently, will be in 
striking contrast to its withered and brown appearance 
on a thin, hard soil. 
The owner may be at a loss how to arrange his 
trees to the best advantage. Let him then try to imi¬ 
tate as nearly as he can, 11 with additions and improve¬ 
ments,” the finest natural groupings he can find in the 
country.-r-or the best specimens of a finished natural 
style to be found in good paintings or engravings from 
eminent artists. These will afford an excellent guide, 
and cannot lead him wrong, if he possesses any natural 
taste. 
The surface of the ground is to be made as perfectly 
smooth as possible, so as to admit of mowing within 
half an inch of the ground, without striking stone or 
hillock. 
The grass seed, of which red-top and white clover 
form a good mixture, should be sown early in spring, 
at least three times as thick as the farmer would ever 
think of seeding his fields; a fine, dense carpet of young 
grass will then be soon formed. Never, on any ac¬ 
count whatever, think for a moment of sowing any 
kind of grain with the grass seed. It will do incom¬ 
parably better without. 
A smooth, fine velvety turf, is only to be maintained 
by constant mowing, or as often as once in one or two 
weeks. During the most rapidly growing time of year, 
once a week will be needed, but less frequent at other 
times. One who has never seen this mode of treat¬ 
ment, could scarcely believe what a soft, green carpet 
is thus produced. A single mowing once a month or 
so, will afford no idea of the closeness of growth 
which grass thus assumes. To shave closely and even¬ 
ly, the scythe, in the operation, must be laid flat to 
the ground; and an English lawn-scythe, with a blade 
twice the width of our common scythes, will leave a 
more even surface. 
Now, if the man who intends to build a house costing 
two thousand dollars, will only reduce the cost to fif¬ 
teen hundred, he may expend two hundred dollars of 
the difference in preparing the ground and planting 
the trees in the very best manner. The other three 
hundred he may place out at interest, the yearly reve¬ 
nue from which will pay amply the man for mowing 
the lawn at least once a fortnight, the summer through, 
and imparting an additional charm to the place, which 
no sum of money whatever, applied solely in building, 
could ever produce. Or, if instead of buying a two 
hundred and fifty dollar carriage, or a seventy dollar 
harness, or a five hundred dollar piano, he will omit 
the purchase of such of these as are unnecessary, or 
retrench one-third of the cost of such as are useful, he 
will be able to accomplish all that may be desired, for 
this truly rational, useful, intellectual, and most de¬ 
lightful purpose, and render his children altogether and 
more really and substantially happy, than in the grati¬ 
fication of useless baubles. T. 
LETTERS FROM PROF. NORTON. 
London, July 5, 1847. 
Messrs. Editors. —I have left Holland, and com¬ 
menced my homeward journey with a feeling of regret 
that my chemical pursuits have almost wholly prevent¬ 
ed me from devoting the time necessary to a thorough 
investigation of the different systems of Dutch farming. 
It would doubtless have been both interesting and use¬ 
ful to occupy a month or six weeks in an extended 
tour through the whole of the Netherlands, including 
that, part of Belgium called Flanders. My time being 
limited, however,,I felt obliged to take the way which 
seemed to promise acquisitions of most importance 
with regard to my future occupation at home, and 
therefore confined myself almost entirely to the labo¬ 
ratory. 
Two or three weeks since, however, I got away for 
a few days, and made, among other excursions, a short 
one in North Holland, an account of which I propose 
to give you. 
North Holland is a long peninsula, having the North 
Sea on one side, and the Zuyder Zee on the other. A 
large part of it is below the level of both these seas, 
and they are only kept out by means of dykes, of the 
most stupendous construction. These are continued 
along nearly its whole extent; the interior is traversed 
by small canals in every direction, and the great 
North Holland ship canal traverses its whole length. 
This canal admits vessels of 800 or 1000 tons, being 
21 feet in depth, and of a sufficint breadth to permit two 
to pass each other without difficulty. 
My entrance into this sub-marine country was from 
Amsterdam, itself liable to be submerged at any mo¬ 
ment by the derangement of twp or three sluices, which 
regulate the waters of the Harlamer Meer. Amster¬ 
dam is separated from North Holland by a river called 
the Y; this is almost on a level with the town of 
Saardam, and the houses and windmills, at a distance, 
seem to rise up from the midst of the waves. Saar¬ 
dam should be called the city of windmills; the number 
in and about it is stated at 400. I did not attempt to 
count them, but should be disposed to think it even 
greater. The effect, when all are in simultaneous 
