THE CULTIVATOR. 
131 
a bit of a runt of a Berkshire, only about 3 feet high, and 
7 or 8 feet long, (including his tail though in this mea¬ 
sure, so as not to be beyond the mark,) which will ra¬ 
ther open his eyes to this breed of “humbug ” hogs; he 
will also see Master Kenilworth, and Countess Amy, a 
pair of 6 months white pigs, I brought out from Eng¬ 
land last October, in size and fine points, young as they 
are, almost equal to Windsor; also a runt shoat or two, 
of the cross of the Berkshire in the great Miami hog, 
standing 3| to 4 feet high, and weighing from 900 to 
1,200 lbs., of tolerable mellow handling, fine hair, thin 
skin, good form, neat limbs, and active travelers. Now 
if I were going to set up for the Bakewell of America, 
here is a model to start upon, that will beat any Woburn 
or Martin hog, that it is the good fortune of the Doctor 
to have ever owned. But all this is only my opinion, and 
if others think differently, very well, I am glad of it. It 
takes all sorts of folks to make a world, and all sorts of 
animals to please such folks, and as this is a free coun¬ 
try, I like to see every man have his own way in these 
matters. Indeed, I sometimes question whether it would 
not be politic if I wished to make Berkshires in vogue, 
to go against them, and advocate Woburns upon the 
principle of the Irishman, who driving a pig along the 
highway very comfortably one day,was questioned where 
he was going with him. “ Arrah, now, my honey,” he 
says, stepping up and whispering in the enquirer’s ear, 
“just whist and be aisy, will ye—I'm driving him to 
Galway, but in starting, I let him believe, faith and if he 
was going to Cork.”* A. B. A. 
Cincinnati, 0., March 29, 1842. 
FOREST TREES. 
It must be a subject of astonishment, to observe the 
wonderful intermixture and seemingly inseparable con¬ 
nexion between both moral and physical good and evil 
—to see that the same thing which we at one time dread 
with abhorrence, at another time, and perhaps under a 
little different circumstances, becomes a subject of pleas¬ 
ing admiration. We often hear heart rending tales of 
the gloomy and dismal forest, and yet to a person of good 
taste, there are no charms in the compass of nature’s 
works, surpassing those of the forest. 
The emigrant to an unsettled country, looks upon the 
trees as so many savage enemies, which he must con¬ 
quer and exterminate before he can hope for the en¬ 
joyment of peace and tranquility. When other emi¬ 
grants settle around him, and they begin to direct their 
united efforts towards arriving at a state of civilization, 
they see nothing in their mind’s eye, but cultivated fields, 
with meadows and pastures, with all the stumps eradica¬ 
ted, and not a single cluster of trees to interrupt the 
view. If a single patch is left for firewood, it is often 
sneered at, as it is cheaper to buy wood than to devote 
the ground to its incumbrance. 
But the population increases, perhaps becomes a city. 
The demand for firewood increases, and timber is wanted 
in all the various departments of ship anil house build¬ 
ing, and every patch of forest vanishes before the foot¬ 
steps of cultivation, like patches of snow before the ver¬ 
nal sunshine, until, as is the case in some countries in 
Europe, and even in some parts of this country, every 
piece of timber has to be brought from great distance, 
if not even imported from a foreign country, and coal 
dug from the earth for fuel. 
In this state of things, sober reflection, which though 
a slow, is often a correct teacher, shows us by costly les¬ 
sons what it would have taught before, had it been con¬ 
sulted, that if, instead of waslefully destroying and extir- 
minating the forest trees, they had been used with pru¬ 
dent economy, when necessary, and skilfully managed 
and preserved when not, they might have contributed 
largely to pleasure and to profit. The same follies have 
been extensively committed by other nations; but they 
have long since discovered their error, and are in many 
instances setting us examples, worthy of imitation, in re¬ 
trieving it. If we profit by their example, it is still in 
season to avoid the error in many parts of our extensive 
dominions, and where it has been already committed, we 
can by a judicious course, do much towards making 
amends in our own days, and avoid entailing on posterity, 
a vast amount of unnecessary trouble and expense.f The 
clearing of a country of forest trees, produces no doubt, 
atmospheric and meteorological changes more or less 
connected with health; but we choose to leave that part 
of the subject to those who are professionally the guar¬ 
dians of health, and to speak of it only as it relates to the 
common comforts and conveniences of life. 
The uses of forest trees to which we refer, are shade, 
for fuel, for timber, and for protection against wind. 
Of shade trees, both for timber and ornament, we have 
indigenous, a greater variety than any other nation. It 
would be useless to attempt forming a catalogue, but a 
few may be worthy of particular notice. 
As an ornamental tree, the sugar maple —Acer saccha- 
rinum —for avenues or the streets of towns, stands unri¬ 
valed; the wood, valuable in the arts; maple orchards a 
profitable investment. 
* Galway and Cork, are on opposite sides of the island, 
j Massachusetts is doing her duty. Among her state premi¬ 
ums, are noticed one for the most extensive forest of any sort 
of trees suitable fot timber, raised from the seed, not less than 
1000 trees to the acre, which shall be in the most flourishing 
condition, and more than five years old in September, 1846, $50. 
Another premium of forty dollars for the best plantation of 
oak or other forest trees, suitable fof ship timber, not less than 
1000 trees per acre, to be raised from the seed, which shall be 
in the most thriving condition, and more than three years old in 
September, 1847 
Yellow Locust— Robinia pseud acacia —a most valuable 
timber, mueh in demand for mill cogs, ship trunnels, 
fence posts, etc. 
Shell bark Hickory— Juglans regia —ranks with the 
first class of our forest trees, timber of great strength 
and elasticity, wood as an article of fuel, unsurpassed; 
produces delicious nuts; the trees worthy of cultivation 
for their fruit alone; the nuts may be increased to twice 
their usual size by cultivation. 
White Oak— Quercus alba —timber in high repute; ac¬ 
commodates itself to almost any soil. 
Chestnut— Castanea —attains a large size, prolific in 
valuable sw'eet nuts, susceptible of great improvement. 
White Elm— TJlmus Americana —a general favorite, of¬ 
ten reaching an altitude of 80 to 100 feet. 
Black Larch— L. pendula —for timber or picturesque 
effect, worthy of cultivation. The tree much neglected. 
White Ash— Fraxinus Americana —the wood in great 
demand for farm implements, by the wheelwright and 
carriage maker. The Pines and Firs add much to the 
beauty of home, and for bleak and exposed situations 
form a good shelter. The Balm of Gilead Fir— A. bal- 
samea —a beautiful evergreen; and the White Pine— P. 
Strabus —the king of its genus; its beautiful stately form 
will add much to rural embellishment. 
A stranger ti-aveling through almost any part of the 
United States, would think he had met with the strangest 
anomaly ever presented. He would have heard, no 
doubt, that the Americans were a people of refined taste, 
awake to all the beauties, not only of nature, but of po- 
eti-y and romance; and yet, perhaps, in a day’s ride, 
passing the dwellings of the rich and poor, he would 
scarcely see a tree coixnected with a house for beauty or 
for shade, much less the rich and elegant groups of trees 
he would have anticipated finding. To such a traveler 
from almost any other civilized country, to see a decent 
country house standing- like a hay stack in a meadow, the 
conclusion would be that its inhabitants, whatever fame 
might have reported of them to the contrary, were as 
destitute of taste as those animals of the meadow who 
fed upon the hay stack. 
There is nothing in the compass of inanimate nature so 
interesting as trees. They speak a language to the heart 
which none but a heart of utter insensibility can fail to 
understand. They awaken to recollection the memory 
of scenes long past, not only in the innocent spoi’ts of 
childhood, but often those of deeper interest. It must be 
noticed by every obsei-vei-, that even the brute creation 
feel a venex-ation for trees. A tree is a house, furniture: 
it may be made clothing and even bread: “ It forms part 
of almost every implement and every machine by which 
the genius of man has taught him to lighten the labor of 
his hand. There is that in a tree, considered as an indi¬ 
vidual work of the creator, which may well excite our 
attention, and most amply reward our study.” 
For fuel, and more especially for timber, economy 
alone, without the aid of good taste, would, if consulted, 
be sufficient to plead for the preservation of forest trees. 
But when the folly has been committed, and its con¬ 
sequences arc beginning to be sensibly felt, what i-emedy 
can be applied, if not to afford immediate relief, at least 
to prevent posterity from suffering by its effects? The 
still small voice of common sense, confii-med by the ex¬ 
amples of several nation of Europe, points to the remedy. 
The first step is to establish nurseries, where all the most 
valuable trees could be obtained at moderate prices; a 
few would avail themselves of their advantages, and the 
force of example would soon excite the multitude to fol¬ 
low them, and in a few years, those who lived to see our 
dwellings, which now stand as unoi’namented as mile¬ 
stones, tastefully surrounded by beautiful trees, and their 
value doubled in the eye of most purchasers; they would 
see our public roads linexl with extensive rows of valua¬ 
ble trees, and last, though not least, our farm houses 
would be sheltered in their situations from bleak and de¬ 
structive winds by belts of the pine and fir trees, and 
their cattle and sheep would find protection in winter, 
and daces of repose from the sultry summer heat. 
Magnolia. 
THRESHING MACHINES. 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker —I have seen in the Ju¬ 
ly No. of the Cultivator, a communication signed Econo¬ 
mist, and wish to make a remark on what he says about 
threshing machines. We have a machine in this county 
of one or two horse power, called the Endless Chain, 
made by Mr. Ashman Hall, of Hyde Parle, Dutchess co.; 
with which it is not called a vei-y hard task for two men 
with one horse to thresh and clean sixty bushels of oats 
per day, and take care of the straw. The machine is not 
likely to get out of repair, neither is it a complete kill- 
horse. Economist’s five and six horse machines would 
not be the thing for this part of the counti-y, (except fox- 
job threshing,) for the reason that farmers hei-e feed their 
straw, and they think it is best when fx-esh threshed, and 
as they have generally plenty of time during the winter 
season, one or two horse endless chains thi-esh fast enough 
for their purpose, and require less help. 
La Grange, N. F. July, 1842. A Reader. 
INQUIRY. 
Mr. M. L. Colton, of Vermont, wishes for informa¬ 
tion throxxgh the Cultivator, in regard to the process of 
boring or drilling in rocks to the depth of 20 to 30 feet, 
for the purpose of testing the value of minerals embedded 
therein—a description of the implements used, accompa¬ 
nied with a drawing if convenient—the manner of doing 
the work, and the best way to obviate any difficulties 
which may be met with during the process. 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker —I herein take the liberty 
to send you a pattei-n of a gate, which is one of my de¬ 
sign. The posts should be fourteen inches square, set in 
the ground at the depth of four feet, one twelve, and the 
other nine feet four inches long; the end pieces three by 
four inch scantling, one five feet four inches, and the 
other eight feet long. The rails and braces are sawed 
one and one-fourth inch stuff, four inches wide, and 
thirteen feet two inches in length, making the gate in 
width thirteen feet. Space between rails, as follows:— 
commencing at the bottom, 4, 4, 6, 8 and 10 inches. The 
brace A, is let in dove-tail form, and the brace opposite 
side of the gate, B, is let in square, as described in the 
figure,and nailed; also nailed across the i-ails to strengthen 
the gate. The sill D, and the bed piece C, are composed 
of dui-able timber; C, put in at the bottom with a mortice, 
foui-teen by thx-ee inches, with a correspondent tenant in 
posts to entei-, and pinned, which I think will prevent be¬ 
ing raised by the frost, (if incorrect, some one will please 
to rectify;) and D, laid just at the surface of the ground, 
and mox-ticed into posts to prevent the settling of the gate. 
It is hung pi-incipally by its bottom set into the sill D, 
with a fei-ule on the end piece, and one to set it into the 
socket—to facilitate in opening .and shutting—and at the 
top fastened with a hook and eye; the hook with four 
holes punched in the end, projecting through the post, one 
inch and a half a part, with a good wedge to drive, so as 
to raise the gate if desired, &c. The ketch is composed 
of iron, as shown at E, to be put on with three sex-ews at 
H, upon the inside of said post, cut in one inch. Latch 
at F, fastened at the fourth rail from bottom, by a screw 
and staple passing through the end piece near the middle, 
with a hole large enough to pass over the ketch E. 
Youx-s, &c. E. H. Northrup. 
Shorcham, Ft., April 1, 1842. 
Messrs. Gaylord &, Tucker: —I have not had 
time to peruse your late numbers of “ The Cultivator,” 
until within the last few days, having been much engaged 
in the practical part of agriculture. 
I think it is very important that writers for this valua¬ 
ble paper should confine themselves toioell founded facts, 
and not make assertions that have no foundation; it not 
only leads the weaker part of the community into error, 
expense, disappointment, and deprives them of enter- 
prize, but gives them a total dislike to the author; while 
substantial facts produce a lasting friendly feeling, and 
command respect and admiration. Writers are too apt 
to show their learning-, by introducing figurative lan¬ 
guage for display, without producing the desired effect; 
the plainer statements ax-e made, the more substantial 
they appear, and are more readily understood; therefore, 
come on with facts, and lei far-fetched terms be dispensed 
with. 
I have read Mr. Mon-el's Salmagundi with pleasure; 
but there are some sentences that do not meet my views, 
to which I shall reply when at leisure. No. 4 shows 
plainly he is a one-sided writer on cattle; and decidedly 
a short horn man. I ask Mr. Morrel what indications 
his judgment rested upon when he issued the remark, that 
our Herefords “showed good keeping ?” I would defy 
him to move any of their old coats, nor did it begin to 
leave them, until they had been to grass a fortnight; 
this can be proved by the neighbors, and is positive proof 
that grass was their richest food, and no cattle can possi¬ 
bly have thriven faster since they left their stalls. This 
I say as adjust vindication against prejudice. 
I must say to Mr. Randall that Mr. Rust's ox is decid¬ 
edly descended from a Hereford, although it seems to be 
his wish to deprive him of it, by saying “ there is no 
good reason to suppose that this noble animal possesses 
a drop of any foreign blood, other than that introduced by 
the first settlers of the country.” My opinion is that the 
first settlers brought with them the Irish breed of cattle; 
and if Mr. R. will take a “?o«r” through Ireland, he 
will find exactly the same stamp as the common cattle 
of this country, and he may select the “ best ” if he 
chooses, and breed fx-om them until he is the age of man, 
and my word for it, he will never breed a beast that a 
good judge would condescend to put his hand upon. 
A bi-eeder of cattle ought to be able to distinguish one 
bi-eed from another, and if he cannot do that, he should 
not attempt to decide on their blood. 
Wm. H. Sotham, 
Albany, July 18?A, 1842. 
