THE CULTIVATOR 
119 
two feet in height, in meadows and woods, has long slen¬ 
der stalks, with seven long narrow leaves at a joint. The 
root has an astringent taste and an aromatic flavor. Ap¬ 
plied externally, it is highly extolled as a styptic in stop¬ 
ping severe hemorrhages of wounded vessels. The root 
powdered, or a decoction made in milk, is excellent in 
obstinate diarrhoea.” 
“ Touchwood, Boletus egniarius, called by some punk, 
and generally used for catching fire with flint and steel, 
especially that which grows on the oak, is considered a 
valuable styptic. If powdered and applied to violent 
hemorrhage, it will in most cases be found to stop the 
bleeding.” A number of cases showing the efficacy of 
the Geranium or cranesbill, may be found in Mead’s Me¬ 
dical Museum. 
Eds. Cultivator —The long necked squash, sliced 
and cooked like the egg-plant, is as good if not better 
than the egg-plant. W. T. 
Silk Culture in tl )c lilniteb States. 
COCOON FRAMES, &c. 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker —Silk worms begin to 
spin cocoons in from 25 to 35 days from the hatching. 
The time may be shortened or prolonged, by proper or 
careless management. If the different hatchings have 
been kept carefully separated, and the worms properly ar¬ 
ranged on different hurdles at each molting, nearly or 
quite all the worms on each hurdle, will commence their 
cocoons on the same day. Their readiness to spin will 
show itself by their transparent appearance, their wan¬ 
dering about, and throwing out silk fibres on the leaves 
and hurdle frames. 
Various contrivances have been adopted for spinning 
frames, and probably no two individuals use exactly the 
same. In most parts of Europe, small brush formed of 
oak twigs, are set up in hedge form across the hurdles, 
the tops spread out and pressing against the bottom of 
the hurdle above, the bottom resting on the floor of the 
hurdle on which the worms are. For some years I used 
broom corn in the same way, and preferred it to brush 
or any other contrivance, as being much neater, more 
easily prepared, and equally useful. In a late French 
work, I observe they are now adopting broom corn in 
France, for the same reasons. If the lath hurdles de¬ 
scribed in a former paper, have been adopted, a large 
portion of the worms will climb the broom corn and spin 
between the lath of the upper hurdle. With this view a 
row of broom corn may be set up across the middle of 
the hurdle, and another in the middle between that and 
each end. These three rows of brush with the laths 
above, will form space enough for all the worms on the 
hurdle to spin in; and if there are any worms that have 
not yet began to spin, they may still be fell between the 
rows of brush. A frame of saw'ed laths may also be ea¬ 
sily and cheaply made, by tacking wide tape on the ends, 
as described in a former paper. When made, this frame 
resembles a Venetian window blind, except that each al¬ 
ternate lath is inclined in an opposite direction; the in¬ 
ner edges approaching within half an inch of each other, 
and the outer edges say two inches apart. This may be 
suspended by the ends of the tape to the hurdle above, at 
each end and in the middle of the hurdles. It serves 
both as a ladder for the worms to climb to the laths above, 
and for a spinning frame also; as the position of the laths 
forming an angle, is very convenient for the worms to 
commence their cocoons. The edges of the laths at the 
inner angle, should not approach so nearly as to prevent 
the worms passing between them. 
The great value of properly separating the worms at 
the hatching and moltings, will now be apparent to the 
attendant. If they have not been thus separated, the 
worms on each hurdle will be from a week to ten days in 
commencing to spin; that is, it will be that long from the 
time the first began to spin, before the last begins. This 
is not only extremely inconvenient, but often detrimental 
„o the operator’s interest; as those that have not began 
to spin, must be fed until they do commence; and this 
too, amidst the spinning brush and frames; by which the 
spinning worms are greatly disturbed in their work when 
they ought to be in perfect quiet, and thus imperfect co¬ 
coons are produced. Loss is liable to occur from the 
millers of those that began first to spin, cutting out 
of the cocoons before the last have finished. All this is 
obviated by properly separating the hatchings and molt¬ 
ings in the first instance. But if these separations have 
not been attended to, the evil may be partially obviated 
by the use of extra lath hurdles, to be placed immediately 
under the regular hurdle above, to receive the worms 
that may mount each day, and gently removing it in the 
evening with such worms as have begun to spin, to a se¬ 
parate stand, marking it with the day the worms began 
to spin. This is a troublesome method, and requires the 
preparation of a great number of hurdles, more than will 
be necessary when a proper separation of hatchings and 
moltings has been attended to. 
The worms should be allowed four full days to finish 
their cocoons, before they are disturbed; after which, 
the cocoons may be gathered, flossed and reeled, or cured 
for future reeling. Here again, the importance of all the 
cocoons on a frame being of the same age, is apparent. 
If the cocoons on a frame were begun on three several 
days, or more or less, four days must be allowed after the 
last began to spin, that all the cocoons may be finished; 
bearing in mind, that if the weather be very warm, the 
millers will begin to cut out on the tenth day after the 
cocoons were commenced; and that it will not be safe to 
allow more than five days mountings on the same frame. 
If the cocoons are to be cured for future reeling, the 
best method is to place them in a perfectly tight box and 
sprinkle them with pulverized camphor. A box to con¬ 
tain a hundred pounds, may be made like a chest, per¬ 
fectly tight. Three ounces of camphor, in powder, to 
be sprinkled among them as they are put in the box in 
layers, first sprinkling a small portion on the bottom. 
Then shut the box tight, and leave it thus three or four 
days. Then take them out, and spread them in the shade 
till they are perfectly dry. The box may be made per¬ 
fectly tight by pasting strips of paper over all the joints. 
When cured in this way, Miss Rapp, (from whom I ob¬ 
tained the plan,) says the cocoons reel just as easily as if 
they were perfectly fresh and had not been cured. Other 
plans of curing cocoons, have been practiced: such as 
baking them in ovens, steaming them, spreading them 
out in the hot sun, placing them in hotbed frames under 
glass, &c. Baking in ovens is the mode generally prac¬ 
ticed in Europe; all which harden the gum by heat, and 
make the cocoons more difficult to reel, and sometimes 
injure the silk. The camphor process of Miss Rapp, I 
think is incomparably the best. I must not omit to men¬ 
tion another process, which has not, however, been tried 
to a sufficient extent, to authorize any thing more than an 
experiment to ascertain its practicability. It has all the 
recommendations that reason and philosophy can afford, 
and ought to be thoroughly tried. It is to prepare a 
tight box, as is done in the camphor process, put in the 
cocoons, paste up all joints and crevices; then apply an 
air pump to an aperture made for the purpose, and ex¬ 
haust the air from the box. Let the box remain a few 
hours, say twelve to twenty-four hours, then takeout the 
cocoons and spread them out to dry, as in the camphor 
process, in the shade. I have no doubt this will be an 
effectual, and if so, it will certainly be the cheapest and 
best of all methods, to cure cocoons. After the cocoons 
are cured and dried perfectly,they should be put in bags or 
nets, and hung up in a dry airy place, to secure them against 
mice, roaches, &c. till wanted for reeling or for sale. 
Great care must be observed not to crush or indent the 
cocoons in handling them, as it renders their reeling 
more difficult. G. B. Smith. 
Baltimore, June 9, 1842. 
(Siarlnm anlr tl)e ©rtfjarir. 
SEASONABLE HINTS. 
Although August is generally considered the best 
month for budding or inoculating fruit trees, yet there are 
some on which that operation will succeed as well or 
better in July, than at a later period. All the stone fruits 
are better propagated by budding, than by grafting, 
though the latter may be successfully performed when cir¬ 
cumstances render it advisable. In budding, should the 
operation fail, the stock is not destroyed, and the process 
may be repeated at pleasure. For the peach, plum, 
cherry, and apricot, inoculation is peculiarly adapted, 
and every farmer should make himself acquainted with 
the best methods of doing this, as described in the previ¬ 
ous volumes of the Cultivator. A poor fruit tree occupies 
as much space as a good one, and the cultivation and 
management is as expensive. Profit as well as pleasure 
then, would seem to indicate the propriety of paying 
more attention to the propagation of the best fruits. To 
the fruit grower, “ Kenrick’s American Orchardist,” of 
Boston; or “ The Orchardist’sCompanion,” a periodical 
of the highest merit, by Mr. Hoffy, of Philadelphia, will 
be found a great acquisition. 
It will be well to look frequently to your plum and 
cherry trees, so as to detect the first blight or rust upon 
them, as on the prompt attack of this disease its eradica¬ 
tion is mainly depending. Spare no branch on which 
these unsightly protuberances appear; but cut and burn 
them at once. Thousands of the best fruit gardens in the 
United States, have been ruined within the last five years 
by a neglect of this evil, trifling indeed in its commence¬ 
ment, but increasing with alarming and frightful rapidi¬ 
ty. Those only are exempt, who never allow the blight 
to show itself, without immediate extirpation, thus at 
once destroying the insect that causes the mischief, and 
the means by which it is multiplied. Good fruit, of 
these kinds at least, can only be secured at present, by 
active care and exertion; and those whose fruit gardens 
are at present exempt, should be watchful, lest ere they 
are aware, serious damages are perpetrated. 
The garden will require much care during the month 
of July. All your onions, carrots, beets, &c., should be 
properly thinned, and the earth frequently stirred about 
them. No where in the garden should a weed be allow¬ 
ed to show itself with impunity. Do not allow too ma¬ 
ny melon or cucumber plants to grow in a hill. If too 
crowded the vines will lack nourishment, and the fruit 
be inferior. Some cut off the vine of the melon, after 
one or two have formed upon it, thus forcing the plant 
to give all its nutriment to these alone; but where the 
plants are at suitable distances, and properly thinned, we 
have preferred leaving the vines to take their own way 
in perfecting their fruit. Cucumbers and melons while 
forming their fruit, require a plentiful supply of water, 
and if not furnished by rain, it must be given them by 
hand. All watering of plants should be done at evening, 
as the evaporation is less rapid during the night, and the 
plants are more benefited by the application. 
There are many herbs which should be saved for use 
as they arrive at the proper state, which is when they are 
beginning to flower. They should be cut when free from 
moisture, and cured in a dry place. There are some 
herbs which every farmer who keeps horses, &c. should 
preserve, as valuable for veterinary purposes; unless he 
goes upon the principle that it is better in all such mat¬ 
ters, to trouble those who show a little forethought, than 
to exercise it for himself. Seeds too as they ripen, 
should ,be gathered, carefully cleaned, neatly done up in 
papers,' and labelled, so that you can lay your hand on 
them at once. Change of seed is doubtless at times im¬ 
portant; but farmers could, with a little attention, raise 
at least as good seeds as those usually sold. 
THE GARDEN. 
Editors of the Cultivator —Judgingfrom my own 
feelings in similar cases, I presume you have, in passing 
by a house in the country, in some unsightly, craggy, 
shapeless situation, felt a degree of sympathetic regret 
that the inhabitants were destitute of a proper site for a 
handsome garden; such a garden perhaps, as we some¬ 
times, but not too frequently, see with delight, in passing 
through some pleasant village or a smooth extensive 
plain. But to relieve this regret, my own reflections 
have suggested, and perhaps yours have done the same, 
that the level is not the indispensible pre-requisite in a 
beautiful location, but that the same disgusting rough¬ 
ness, if ingeniously modified and tastefully worked on, 
may be found to constitute the very quintessence of beauty, 
capable of attracting our highest admiration. 
I had peculiar confirmation of the truth of this remark, 
in a recent visit to a cordial friend, who resides a few 
miles north of me. My friend is an aged gentleman, who 
lives at his ease, on the income of several hundred acres 
of valuable land; but age has had but little effect in dim¬ 
ming his bright eyes, and still less in abating his sprightly 
and entertaining conversation. As was said of Dr. Frank¬ 
lin, “His mind is ever young; science, which never 
grows gray, has always been his mistress.” 
The location of his mansion, was originally such as a 
superficial observer would have considered any thing but 
interesting. It stood on a small eminence, facing the 
east, with an open front view, and pretty fair rural pros¬ 
pect; but the scenery around it rather rough and unsightly, 
and a ledge of rock in the rear excited no particular in¬ 
terest in its favor. 
On a former visit, I had hinted at some little improve¬ 
ments of which it might be susceptible. But how pleas¬ 
ing was my astonishment on the last visit, to find those 
hints not only improved on, but the whole subject car¬ 
ried infinite lengths beyond any thing my fancy anticipa¬ 
ted ; and those very points which many would have con¬ 
sidered deformities, now constituted its principal beau¬ 
ties. Indeed, the whole establishment now presented a 
most delightful appearance. 
But the garden, and the rock which enclosed it, were 
truly enchanting. The garden consisted of about an acre, 
principally enclosed on two sides, and entirely on the 
farther end, by the ledge, the two ends of which, com¬ 
mencing several rods back of the house, at a small eleva¬ 
tion from the ground, rose gradually as it receded back, 
to sixteen or eighteen feet in the rear, forming on the 
inside a complete wall of rock; while about half an acre 
of ground on the outside, was equal in elevation with the 
top of the rock, anti swelling very gently each way, af¬ 
forded on each side a good collection of native and fo¬ 
reign trees and shrubs, and a delightful situation for ru¬ 
ral walks, or for any kind of cultivation. 
The form of the enclosure by the rock, as nearly, per¬ 
haps, as it can be expressed mathematically, is the cen¬ 
tral, longitudinal section of the frustrum of a cone, the 
larger and open end towards the house, and the smaller 
or farther end enclosed by an outward course of less than 
a semi-circle. This ledge, or rather garden wall, is be¬ 
ing covered with vines and creepers, producing a fine 
variety of flowers. An ornamental fence encloses not 
only the garden, but the ground for some distance from 
the top of the rock, and closes the opening left by the 
rock. 
A worthless little brook was transformed into a pretty 
stream, and managed with consummate skill to produce 
effect; entering the ground on the left of the ledge, and 
keeping along the elevated ground within the outward 
enclosure, turns to the north and passes off between the 
house and the garden; a Chinese bridge is now being 
made to cross it in going to the garden. The brook be¬ 
ing sufficiently elevated to be conveyed to any part of 
the garden for the purpose of irrigation, if necessary, and 
also to supply artificial fountains, or to fill small basins 
to contain fish. 
The garden is well stocked with fruit and ornamental 
trees, and flowering shrubs; also an interesting collection 
of flowers, both indigenous and exotic, of almost every 
kind the climate, with the most careful nursing, will per¬ 
mit to live. 
Thus, this originally rather rough situation, is, by the 
efforts of industry, less directed by a refined taste, made 
to present infinitely more and stronger attractions than any 
human art could produce upon a smooth and extensive 
level. Magnolia. 
USEFULNESS OF TOADS. 
Editors of the Cultivator—I will take the liberty 
of stating to you some facts relative to the protection of 
garden vegetables from the attacks of the cut worm, and 
some others of the same tribe. Some years ago, when 
dressing my garden, I discovered a toad nested under a 
plant, and shortly after hoed up a cut worm, which I 
