THE CULTIVATOR. 
71 
fit, and at less expense than under the present system. 
We are glad to perceive Mr. Colrnan urging upon the 
legislature of Massachusetts, the importance of being 
at regular intervals in possession of complete details of 
the condition and state of our agricultural and domes¬ 
tic industry. There is scarcely an object of more im¬ 
portance, as enabling us to understand the resources of 
our country, and the most efficient mode of directing 
them; and through the agency of the assessors, the in¬ 
formation sought might be readily obtained. 
Mr. Colrnan states the amount of flour imported in¬ 
to Boston, annually, for the last three years, to average 
418,000 barrels; and 2,000,000 bushels of other bread 
stuffs; and. he estimates the expenditures for bread, 
by two-thirds of the state, at $9,000,000. If this 
amount, by an improved system of agriculture, could 
be reduced one-half, and we believe it might be done, 
the state would be greatly the gainer, and no one the 
loser. At present it is doubtful whether Massachusetts 
raises a peck of corn to each acre of her territory; 
that she could raise a bushel to each acre will scarcely 
be disputed; and this difference would alone do much 
towards supplying her industrious and enterprising 
population with bread. 
Tropical or Southern Florida. 
We have before us a series of papers from Dr. Per- 
rine, of Indian Key, on the South Florida coast; a com¬ 
munication from whom appeared in the February num¬ 
ber of the Cultivator. Dr. Perrine is, as is generally 
known, the talented and indefatigable agent of the Flo¬ 
rida Tropical Plant Company—the object of which 
was the introduction, into that peninsula, of such trees, 
plants, &c. as experience had proved particularly va¬ 
luable in tropical climates, and adapted in their habits 
to that section of our country. His operations com¬ 
menced by the establishment of a colony at the extreme 
southern part of Florida ; but it had hardly gone into 
operation, and but just begun to exhibit its efficiency in 
the collection of plants, &c. when the colonists were 
massacreed or driven off by the Indians, and the!trees 
and plants destroyed or left to themselves. Since that 
time Dr. Perrine has established himself on Indian Key, 
one of the islet reefs that surround the cape of Florida, 
and, with the aid of several gentlemen, has converted 
this coral or limestone rock, which was nearly bare of 
earth when they took possession, into one of the most 
delightful places in this country. Containing about 
twelve acres, it has been converted into a garden, where 
may be found a great variety of trees and plants from 
all parts of tropical America; several kinds of sugar 
canes, cocoa nut, bread fruit, orange and lemon trees; 
the plants that produce the Sisal flax and Manilla hemp; 
palms of several kinds; among others the sugar palm 
from the East Indies; with numerous other productions 
of great value and interest. 
As Dr. Perrine’s papers are not of the kind that 
would interest the majority of our readers, except in 
the abstract, the crowded state of our columns compels 
us to adopt this method of disposing of them; and in 
this way comply with the Doctor’s wish, which was to 
call the attention of the public to the facts contained in 
them. In a former communication to us, Dr. P. expres¬ 
ses his firm conviction, that had the government of the 
United States offered a reward of $500, for every Indi¬ 
an broughtinto the posts of the peninsula, the war would 
have been closed in six months; either by the capture 
of the Indians, by volunteers attracted by such a com¬ 
pensation, or by the Indians surrendering themselves 
for the sake of the bounty—a result not at all impro¬ 
bable. Either way, the expense would be comparative¬ 
ly nothing to what it is annually costing this country ; 
but we apprehend a speedy termination of the war in 
any way, would sadly interfere with the prospects of 
the harpy host of contractors and speculators, assem¬ 
bled in and around Florida, and whose efforts have, 
doubtless, contributed to prolong the struggle in that 
peninsula. 
The papers in the package before us are— 
1. A memorial to the Senator from South Florida to 
the Floridian legislature, stating the causes that have 
prevented the agricultural improvement of that district 
of country, and the best means of removing them. 
2. A letter to R. Fitzpatrick, Esq. representative of 
Dade eounty in the legislature of Florida. It is simi¬ 
lar, in its contents and arguments, to the one published 
in the Cultivator of February, demonstrating the salu¬ 
brity of the climate, and the excellence of the soil, and 
the facilities offered for the production of fruits, silks, 
&c. 
3. A memorial to the Hon. James Whitcomb 
missioner of the land office at Washington, 
conipanied by samples of the productions of the im¬ 
ported plants, as well as the native ones, embracing 
the Manilla hemp, the Agave Sisalana, the Coontee seeds, 
silk from several kinds of mulberries, seventeen kinds 
of valuable woods, embracing teak, mastic, mahogony, 
lignum vitse, &c. &c. 
4. A communication to the Hon. H. L. Ellsworth, of 
the patent office, Washington. A variety of articles 
accompanied this, for the use of the agricultural de¬ 
partment of the patent office; among which were a 
cluster of cocoa nuts, grown on Indian Key, in addition 
to most of those before mentioned. 
5. A memorial similar, in nature, to No. 1, but ad¬ 
dressed to the legislative council of Florida. 
6. A communication to the editors of the Cultivator, 
on the health, fertility, and value, in a national point 
ol view, of Florida; and detailing, at length, the cau¬ 
ses that have produced and pei-petuated so unfavorable 
an opinion in the public mind, respecting this region. 
The wrecking system; the defective existing commer¬ 
cial regulations; and the Seminole war, are the principal 
of these causes. The ill health of the people on the 
coasts, has been unquestionably greatly exaggerated; and 
may be, in a great measure, attributed to the irregular, 
dissolute life of many of the individuals. Of the agri¬ 
cultural capabilities of a large portion of Florida, but 
one opinion can be entertained. Its geological formation 
renders it certain that it contains the essential elements 
of fertility; and the experiments that have been made, 
justify this conclusion. It is, beside, the only spot in 
the United States, where tropical plants can flourish; 
and Dr. Perrine deserves great praise for his persever¬ 
ing efforts, in defiance of so many obstacles, to promote 
the interests, and make known the importance, of this 
extreme southern part of our great country. 
Tables of Temperature, &c. lor i§3« and I SS9. 
We have prepared for the Cultivator, the following 
tables of the temperature, weather, course of the winds, 
&c. as in some respects they may serve for comparison 
with tables by other obsei*vers. The place of observa¬ 
tion is about 15 miles, a little west of south, from Syra¬ 
cuse, in Onondaga county, and at an elevation of at least 
800 feet above the great Seneca level, or the Erie canal 
Year & month. 
Ave. 
temp 
Weather. 
Winds. 
a 
0) 
rP 
S 
< 
05 
1 2P. M. 
Clear. 
Cloudy. 
1 Rain. 
£ 
o 
el 
m 
~d 
5m 
O 
£ 
4-S 
co 
0) 
£ 
& 
! West. 
1 S. West. 
p 
o 
CO 
•*-3 
CO 
Gj 
w 
GO 
-m2 
CO 
D3 
w 
N. East. 
4-» 
'S 
bx) 
P 
# 
/Jan. 
26 
32 
13 
14 
4 
u 
1 
2 
! 13 
5 
9 
.. 
1 
63 
/ Feb. 
9 
14 
7 
21 
. . 
15 
1 
9 
7 
6 
2 
.. 
2 
34 
1 Mar. 
31 
40 
20 
11 
4 
5 
2 
3 
12 
5 
*- 
l 
1 
3 
57 
\ April 
29 
39 
11 
19 
5 
11 
2 
10 
10 
2 
q 
c 
2 
1 
.. 
43 
. ) Ma y> 
48 
57 
12 
19 
12 
4 
1 
8 
11 
5 
• • 
3 
3 
62 
oo / June, 
65 
77 
18 
12 
10 
m m 
2 
5 
17 
2 
1 
3 
42 
ac \ July, 
72 
81 
20 
11 
11 
. , 
2 
4 
17 
5 
3 
1 
34 
’“ * l 2 1 Aug. 
64 
74 
21 
10 
10 
. , 
, , 
9 
15 
4 
2 
24 
J Sept 
58 
66 
oo 
_A 
A 
O 
Q 
16 
3 
30 
/ Oct. 
43 
47 
8 
23 
10 
~4 
1 
4 
12 
8 
3 
2 
47 
f Nov. 
28 
33 
7 
23 
6 
9 
2 
6 
9jl0 
2 
1 
55 
\ Dec. 
19 
22 
3 
28 
1 
19 
I 
4 
15,10 
1 
1 
•• 
• • 
34 
41 
48 
162 
200 
77 
78 
18 
72 15466 
( i 
29 
6 
2 
16 
/ Jan. 
20 
25 
10 
21 
3 
10 
2 
5 
8 
7 
6 
3 
59 
/ Feb. 
24 
32 
9 
19 
5 
6 
2 
6 
6 
6 
4 
3 
* • 
51 
i Mar. 
29 
35 
17 
14 
6 
6 
2 
4 
9 
8 
4 
1 
3 
. . 
61 
\ April 
46 
54 
20 
10 
9 
1 
5 
4 
7 
1 
5 
4 
2 
1 
43 
J May, 
52 
61 
18 
13 
10 
2 
2 
7 
9 
6 
2 
1 
2 
1 
53 
Si / June, 
59 
71 
15 
15 
14 
12 
9 
4 
2 
1 
1 
139 
oo \ July, 
67 
76 
20 
10 
12 
# 
1 
7 
14 
6 
1 
... 
136 
j Aug. 
64 
73 
21 
10 
9 
a 
, , 
5 
8 
6 
3 
4 
3 
1:41 
J Sept. 
53 
64 
17 
12 
8 
4 
1 
6] 
10 
8 
2 
1 
1 
148 
i Oct. 
50 
61 
22 
9 
5 
2 
4! 
6 12 
2 
2 
1 
l|57 
f Nov. 
31 
34 
7 
23 
7jl! 
1 
7| 
8, 
6 
5 
3 40 
\Dec. 
25 
30 
8 
23 
1 15 
3 
3 
I 
n[ 
2 
4 
2 
5 
. ! 
JS 
42 
51 
184 
184 
39.55 
19 
56;135 62 - 
12 
26 
23 
10 
J} Com- 
This wasac- 
The above tables show the average temperature for 
each month, and for the year; the number of clear and 
cloudy days in each month and year; the general course 
of the winds ; and range of the thermometer for each 
month. The extreme range of the thermometer in 1838, 
was between 8°— on the last day of January, and 93 3 4 5 6 on 
the ninth day of July, giving 101°. The same for the 
year 1839, was 9°—January 23d, and 90° on the thirti¬ 
eth day of July, giving 99°. An instance of those sud¬ 
den changes which occur in our climate, took place on 
the 19th of October, 1839, when the wind which, during 
the forepart of the day, had been southwest, at half 
past 2 o’clock suddenly changed to north, and then the 
thermometer fell from 65° to 24° in three and a half 
hours, or 41 degrees. August of 1839, was remarka¬ 
ble for the severe gale on the Atlantic coast of the 
28th and 29th, which was felt over a large extent of 
country. The gale was accompanied with a slight fall of 
snow in many places; as at Salem, Mass. Catskill, N. 
Y., and the elevated lands of New-Hampshire. In 
western New-York both these days were fair, though 
the thermometer was low, and frosts occurred in vari¬ 
ous places. 
Many observers, and among others, Darby, have no¬ 
ticed the fact that the trees which form the forests on 
the eastern shores of our great lakes, have a sensible 
inclination to the east; and that every where, where 
the hemlock is found, the long, slender twig that points 
the tree, has the same uniform deviation from the per¬ 
pendicular, and always in the same direction, a little 
north of east. Where lands have been cleared, and 
orchards set out, it will be found, on examination, that 
wheie the exposure is free, nine-tenths of the trees 
have the same inclination. This is particularly the 
case west of the Allegany ranges, in the vast tract of 
country embraced by the Mississippi and St. Lawrence 
vallies. A glance at that part of the table, showing 
the course of the winds, will explain these phenome¬ 
na ; for, although two years may be too short a period 
to determine such a point with absolute certainty, yet 
there is little probability that further observations will 
make any essential variations in the main results. 
We have for several years noticed the fact, and par¬ 
ticularly during the summer months, when the meteoro¬ 
logy of the heavens can be best observed, that whate¬ 
ver may be the direction or course of the lower strata 
of clouds, that of the cirri, or highest of all clouds, is 
almost invariably from west to east. It is nothing un¬ 
common to see the lower clouds drifting in heavy mass¬ 
es, and with a strong wind, to the north or northeast; 
while far above them, the streamers of the cirri are 
floating undisturbed towards the east or southeast. In¬ 
deed, it is very rarely that cirri are observed taking any 
other course, and it may fairly be inferred that they 
never do so, until by greater condensation, they approach 
the nature of the cumulus, and by their density sink into 
the influence and action of the lower currens of air. 
From their observations on these clouds, on the high 
Cordilleras of South America and Mexico, Humboldt 
and Boussingault have inferred, and, we think, with 
good reason, that in the upper regions of the earth’s at¬ 
mosphere, there is a current constantly flowing from 
west to east; an inference which, if admitted, assists 
materially in developing the theory of storms, sudden 
changes of temperature, &c. &c. 
Neither of the two years, 1838 or 1839, have equaled 
in intensity of heat or cold, many that have preceded 
them. In the last respect, the present winter has far 
exceeded /either of the others; the thermometer hav¬ 
ing, on the first of January, fallen to 13°— and having 
been below 0 a much greater number of times than in 
either of those years. The quantity of snow has, also, 
thus far, been unusally great ; and its fall has been ac¬ 
companied by storms of the greatest violence. What 
the effect of such a body of snow on the crops will be, 
remains to be seen. 
Honey Locust for Hedges. 
Dr. Daniel Stebbins of Northampton, has received 
from the State Agricultural Society of Massachusetts, 
the premium of 25 dollars, offered for the best speci¬ 
men of live fence, not less than 50 rods in length. The 
Dr. states that he “ transplanted from his nursery four 
thousand two hundred honey locust trees, from the seed, 
being two years old, and set them around the borders of 
a twelve acre lot, about 160 rods, averaging about half 
a foot apart: some portions of the lot adjoining heavy 
timber land, is partially shaded and the trees have 
grown but indifferently; other parts having a better ez= 
posure, have grown very well, from five to eight feet, 
and capable of being so interlocked as to make a dura¬ 
ble and valuable fence.” 
Could the honey locust be made to grow in hedges, 
there can be no doubt it would prove a great accession 
to our farming, community in which materials for good 
fences are unfortunately in many places very rare. 
Some few instances have occurred in which live fences, 
both of native and foreign plants seemed to promise 
well for a time; but owing either to some want of 
adaptation to our climate, or defect in the mode of cul¬ 
ture, they have rarely continued to flourish for any 
length of time. Experiments with the native plants of 
this country should be instituted or continued, as 
they will be more likely to succeed than others; 
and should one of our native shrubs or trees prove to 
us what the hawthorn is to the agriculturists of Eng¬ 
land, it would be indeed invaluable. We have had 
trees of the honey or three thorned locust growing 
for some ten or fifteen years from the seed; and the ap¬ 
pearance of their thorny stems is truly formidable. 
The man, or the beast, however, who ventures near 
them, requires to be shod with iron, as the bunches of 
stems from the trunks, or the thorns from the branches, 
occasionally fall to the ground andrender approach with 
unprotected feet dangerous. 
Brown Com. 
The region around the beautiful Winipisiogee lake in 
New-Hampshire, is becoming as famous for corn, as is 
the picturesque lake country of the west for its wheat. 
The corn the most esteemed there is a variety some¬ 
what resembling the Golden Sioux, eight rowed, large 
eared, the cob small, and the kernel large, and very early; 
one of the most important considerations in our north¬ 
ern climate. It is named the Brown corn from the in¬ 
dividual who first cultivated and brought it into notice ; 
and its success in his hands, and those of other farmers 
in that region, and wherever it has been introduced, 
would seem to justify the high reputation it has acquir¬ 
ed. At the. Stafford County Agricultural Show and 
Fair, three fields of this corn were offered for the pre¬ 
mium, one of which gave an acre producing 131 bushels; 
one, an acre producing 130 bushels; and one, an acre 
producing 116 bushels. The competitors were Messrs. 
Lanprey, Pillsbury, and Brown, all three living on the 
margin of the lake, or on the islands in its waters. The 
second crop, or 130 bushels per acre, was grown on a 
farm owned by E. H. Derby, Esq. of Boston, and of the 
proceeds and management of which an interesting ac¬ 
count has been given by him in the 35th No. of the 
current volume of the New-England Farmer. 
It is pleasant to record these triumphs of skill and 
industry; for they furnish the most conclusive testimony 
that the science and practice of agriculture is improving 
in the country, and that by attention to varieties of 
plants, and their culture, the product may be vastly in¬ 
creased, with little or no increase of labor. There can 
be little doubt that crops of from 70 to 80 bushels of 
corn to the acre are now as frequently grown as 40 or 
50 were half a century since ; and probably 100 bushels 
to the acre are oftener reached now than 70 was at 
that time. Indian cprn is certainly one of the import- 
