articles, may be placed directly upon it without ial expenses, bidding fair not only to lessen our fear of dampness. It will not very soon wear importations of gum arabic, but in a few years to out nor decay.-Gennesee Farmer. MEZQUITE GUM. enable us to export with advantage. The only specimens of Mezquite gum which are known to be in the country were collected by the government exploring party under Capt. R. B. Marcy, The recent important discovery of a substitute 5th Infantry, U. S. A., a member of which was for gum arabic, made known through a letter of Dr. Shumard, who claims the discovery. We Dr. Geo. G. Shumard to Thos. S. Drew, Esq., have seen the specimen at the store of Orlando Indian Agent at Fort Smith, Arkansas, by him Tompkins, corner of Winter street, (who has in transmitted to the Bureau at Washington, D. C., his possession copies of the official correspondence and since published in most of the newspapers in regard to it.) The Mezquite gum so closely rethrough the Union, is receiving much attention sembles gum arabic in taste, appearance, &c., that from naturalists and chemists. We have obtained from these proofs of identity alone we should at from a gentleman who has investigated the subject, once have pronounced it a valuable product of some facts which may be of interest to our readers. our teeming country. It is expected that the govKunth notices a Prosopis Dulcis which resem-ernment party under Capt. Pope, who have just bles in appearance the tree spoken of by Dr. S., left St. Louis on a journey over the plains mail and remarks that it "yields a gum, Mezquitina, route, for the purpose of sinking a line of artesian which is used instead of gum arabic," and many wells, will bring home ample specimens from the have erroneously supposed the two to be identical. two or three varieties of the tree which are known The botanical name of the commonly known Mez- to exist in that region.-Boston Journal. quite tree, is given by Prof. Simeon T. Baird, of the Smithsonian Institute, as Algarabia Glandulosae. Dr. Shumard states that it luxuriates only in dry and elevated regions, but all other accounts, including that in the report of Captain Marcy, state that its home is in the "river bot- perusing the article with the above title, from the toms," and its presence is generally considered as Plough, Loom, and Anvil. The articles we copy evidence of a rich soil. Capt. M. states that it from this journal are well considered and carefully is seen standing at such intervals as to present prepared, and may be relied on to be as accurate much the appearance of an immense peach or THE VALUE OF ROOT CROPS. The reader will be interested and benefited by chard. They are from five to ten inches in diam- as they can be without the expense of systematic eter, and their stocks about ten feet in length. It tests and experiments. is found on the river Gila, and plentifully on the It is reported as a remark of Mr. Webster, that Colorado. The banks of the Rio Grande produce if the turnip crop of England were to fail for some, as indeed do most of the rivers of the north- two years in succession, that country would be ern part of Texas. It is said to exist in forests of ruined. This, of course, is a figurative speech, miles in extent, in Northern California. Like but there is much truth in it. A chemical analymany of the plants of that latitude, its fruit is sis of turnips, however, would lead us to draw seen in blossom and in maturity at the same pe- inferences the reverse of this. A root or fruit of riod. It is first recognized by the Pacific-bound which water forms 90 to 95 parts in every 100, emigrant in a stinted shrub, but as he approaches can scarcely be thought very nutritive; and if the his destination, is seen only in a tree of twenty or doctrine so very current, and which we have thirty feet in height. urged, that food containing nitrogen can alone be Our informant says that the gum is not the only made useful to produce muscle, is true, then turvaluable acquisition brought to light; it seems nips cannot rank very high among such kinds of that mules devour with avidity the fruit, which is food. But we are beginning to inquire, at least, contained in a pod of a twisted appearance, being whether the great quantities of nitrogen in the a berry of the size of a bean, each covered with atmosphere were not made for some other reason a mealy pulp. Lieut. A. W. Whipple, of U. S. than because the Great Architect of all made Corps Topographical Engineers, observing its pe- oxygen rather too strong for common purposes. culiar effect upon them, was induced to examine While so much oxygen is consumed by all forms it, and found that each berry possessed an intense of life, what service does the nitrogen perform? stringent property. It is now thought, owing to "It feeds plants." True, and may it not also the scarcity and high price of nutgalls, that tannin feed animals? If not, why not? We do not atmay be got from it with profit. Catechu, an as- tach so much force to the logic used on this subtringent gum long used in medicine and the arts, ject as we have done, and facts and experiments we believe, is extracted from the wood of one of certainly compel us to no such result. Potatoes the Mimosas, and from present evidence we think yield but very little nitrogen, about 14 parts in will be obtained from the Mezquite. The Indians 100. Whence, then, comes the constant supply and Mexicans are in the habit of boiling its chips of muscle for the poor Irishmen in their native in water, and with the decoction dyeing articles hovels? A very large proportion of the food of of apparel, &c. thousands of them, and almost the whole or The tree certainly belongs to the class Mimosa, many, consists of the potato only. Do they grow as does the acacia tree from which gum arabic is thin and weak? Neither. The carbon of the obtained, and from the similar properties, not potato forbids the former, but what furnishes the only of the gum but the wood and bark, we may muscle and imparts strength? Either we eat a practically regard the two as alike. The gum wonderful excess of this muscle-forming food, or may be procured during the month of August in there is some stake in our logic on these matlarge quantities, and brought to market with triv-ters, But look, again, at the Esquimaux. Maize..... Turnips.. Red Mangel-Wurzel,. ...130 66 66 ....800 ..901 ..869 ...793 66 Whence come the muscle of that race of oil-feeders? Who labors harder than the ox, who feeds, often exclusively, on grass? The horses of hundreds of farmers, and especially those of twenty or thirty years ago, were kept without any allowance of grains. Whence comes the daily supply of nitrogen in the milk of the cow? She is ted, in many districts, with the same kind of portant this may be, what differences result from the combination of water in the root and water feed. roots. difference between roots and grains. How imIn the proportion of water there is a marked Do you reply that all these substances contain taken from the brook, we are unable to state. nitrogen? We admit it. But we also claim that But it is not natural to suppose that the solid more nitrogen is voided in the excrements of these parts of the root, being to a greater or less deanimals than is furnished in these kinds of feed. gree in a state of solution or semi-solution, the By Leibig's analysis, 100 parts of dry hay give the fluids of the stomach, and with more facility food is in a better condition to be acted upon by 1.5 nitrogen, while by Bousingault, dried cowJung gives 2.3 nitrogen. But this is aside from converted into chyle? And does not this tend to our main object. We recur to the subject of show the propriety of soaking grains, so far as it may be done conveniently, before feeding them? Of the fact that soaking grains, and especially Turnips are found to be of great benefit to cattle, and why? We are inclined to explain it on corn, for horses before feeding them, improves the principle that concentrated nutriment is not them, our own experience convinced us years ago. so wholesome as that which is more diluted. The Whoever adopts this course will find fewer grains more diluted our food, provided we do not over- among the excrements of the stable, unchanged, task the energies of the intestinal canal, in the than when the corn is fed in a dry state. conveyance of it to its destination, the better for As to the comparative value of crops of grains the health of the animal. May not this be the and of roots, we offer the following as a fair aprule? In such cases, the absorbents have more proximation. Precision is, of course, impossible, time and a better opportunity to possess them- where the conditions are so variable. The value selves of what they need, without suffering any various for the predication of anything very defiof land, of labor, of manure and of crops, is too thing to escape them. We do not assert this. We only suggest where no one appears ready to nite. Various reports in the Hampden County establish anything. The fact is universally ad- (Mass.) Agricultural Society, bring the following mitted, that concentrated nutriment does not, of as the cost of certain crops per bushel : itself, form healthy food as an exclusive diet. Wheat.. Corn... Rye. Carrots.. Again, the ingredients of turnips, etc., may be very favorably proportioned and combined to produce a physical effect peculiarly favorable upon the membranes with which they come in contact, Making an estimate from various other reports and thus tend to secure a healthy condition in of the Massachusetts Societies, (though at a lower them. Is there any more satisfactory explanation rate than the premium crops,) and from other of the how so vapid an article as a turnip is proved sources in our possession, we come to the followto be, should be so efficient? ing results, the quantity of land taken being one But all roots usually cultivated, and all fruits acre: resembling them, are peculiarly desirable as a feed Carrots.-Produce, 600 to 700 bushels of 50 for cattle. Beets, carrots, pumpkins, etc., have lbs. each, worth a cent a pound, or $150 to proved of great value for such purposes. Indeed, $175. Cost of cultivation, say $75. Profits, we can hardly doubt that the green stalks of corn, say $75 to $100 per acre. when fed to animals, pay better than the grain. Scores have given the result of their experiments, and among them all there is a marked agreement. The exceptions are few, if any. And it is obvious that in the green stalk the elements are in a condition more resembling roots, than is the grain, which is a more concentrated form of feed. The following, according to Boussingault, are the constituent elements of sundry crops: Sugar Beets.-Produce, 320 bushels of 50 lbs. each, at 18 cents a bushel, its value is $57.60. Cost of crop, say $35. Profits, $22.60. Ruta-Bagas.-Produce, 800 bushels of 50 lbs. each, at 25 cents a bushel, is $200. Cost, $100. Profit, say $100. Turnips, (common.)-Produce, 600 bushels, at 12 cents a bushel, is $75. Cost of crop, $40. Profits, $35. Wheat.-Assuming 30 bushels as a fair crop, at $1.25 a bushel, the produce will be $37.50. Cost, $20; profit, $17.50. Or, by Hampden county estimate, the profit will be, say $17.65. Corn.-Produce, 75 bushels, at $1, is $75. Cost of crop, $30. Profit, $45. Reducing these results to a tabular form, we find the profits of an acre of of country. Labor has no fixed price. The value slowly and surely the curved finger begins packof land and the interest on land, is as unsettled ing him endforemost down into the gullet, where as anything can be; and the value of crops of all he sinks, inch by inch, till the swelling which kinds depends upon the state of the markets, and marks his place is lost among the coils, and he is the facility for transporting the crop to the mar- probably macerated to a pulp long before he has ket. Still we have made out a rough model, reached the opposite extremity of his cave of which every one disposed to do so can correct, as doom. Once safe down, the black murderer the almanacs say, for his own latitude. We slowly contracts again into a knotted heap, and doubt not that he will find one thing true, to wit: lies like a boa with a stag inside him, motionless that root crops are among the most valuable of and blest. all the products of the farm. WEEDS IN WALKS. It does not follow, we would add, ere we close, that roots are not excellent feed, even though they are of less profit as a crop for market. It is The following modes for preventing the growth worth while to produce many things for our own of weeds in gravel walks, are copied from the use, which would not pay if carried off from the correspondence of the London Gardener's Chronfarm. icle, and may prove valuable to some of our readers-at the proper season: WONDERS OF THE SHORE. [Under this title, there is an admirable paper in the last number of the North British Review. We extract a paragraph in which is given a graphic description of a singular worm:] In order to prevent weeds from growing on walks, put a layer of gas-lime under the last inch of gravel. This also helps to bind the gravel. The following is the way in which I managed walks when I was a gentleman's gardener. In one situation I held I had three miles of gravel At all events, whether we are intruding or not, walks to keep in order. In winter, when there in turning this stone, we must pay a fine for hav- was sufficient frost to freeze the gravel in the ing done so; for there lies an animal as foul and mornings, I employed the laborers in cleaning the monstrous to the eye as "hydra, gorgon, or chi- walks with a half worn out birch broom, sweepmæra dire," and yet so wondrously fitted to its ing backwards and forwards, and then removing work, that we must needs endure, for our own with a new broom what the old ones took off the instruction, to handle and to look at it. Its surface. When the walks were covered with name we know not, (though it lurks here under moss it was scraped off with a hoe before the every stone,) and should be glad to know. It broom was used. After having pursued this pracseems some very "low" Ascarid or Planarian tice for 6 years, my walks looked as fresh and worm. You see it? That black, shiny, knotted clean as if they had been newly graveled. Last lump among the gravel, small enough to be taken season very few weeds made their appearance durup in a desert-spoon. Look now, as it is raised, ing the summer; by performing the operation and its coils drawn out. Three feet-six-nine, when frost is on the ground, you not only remove at least with a capability of seemingly endless all small weeds, but you sweep off most of the expansion; a slimy tape of living caoutchouc, seeds deposited there to vegetate the following some eighth of an inch in diameter, a dark, summer. If docks, thistles, or dandelions apchocolate black, with paler longitudinal lines. Is pear, cut out their crowns and put a little salt it alive? It hangs helpless and motionless, a on them; you will not have to repeat the salting mere velvet string across the hand. Ask the twice in one place. IMPURE AIR IN WELLS. neighboring Annelids and the fry of the rock fishes, or put it into a vase at home, and see. It lies motionless, trailing itself among the gravel; you cannot tell where it begins or ends; it may EDS. RURAL,-Having often read accounts of be a dead strip of sea-weed, Himanthalia lovea deaths of persons entering wells containing impure perhaps, or Chorda filum; or even a tarred string. air, and having occasion to dig one the past sumSo thinks the little fish who plays over and over mer, I took the precaution before any one entered it, till he touches at last what is too surely a the well, to try a lighted candle. I found on the head. In an instant a bell-shaped sucker mouth last morning of digging, the depth being about has fastened to his side. In another instant, thirty feet, that the candle would not burn lower from one lip, a concave double proboscis, just like than ten feet. For the purpose of expelling the a tapir's (another instance of the repetition of gas, which had accumulated during the night, I forms,) has clasped him like a finger; and now first went to drawing the tub, which I used for begins the struggle-but in vain. He is being drawing up dirt, up and down the well as fast as "played" with such a fishing-line as the skill of possible, but found no benefit from so doing. I a Wilson or a Stoddart never could invent; a liv- then went to throwing water down, but with ing line, with elasticity beyond that of the most like result. I had about given up the idea of delicate fly rod, which follows every lunge, doing any thing more at my well at present, shortening and lengthening, slipping and twining when the thought struck me that I would try the round every piece of gravel and stem of sea-weed, experiment of letting down fire, never having with a tiring drag, such as no Highland wrist or heard of such a remedy. I accordingly procured step could ever bring to bear on salmon or on a kettle and filled it with light materials, such trout. The victim is tired now; and slowly, as chips and shavings, hooked it on to the rope, and yet dexterously, his blind assailant is feeling and let it slowly down. After remaining a and shifting along his side, till he reaches one few minutes I drew it up, tried my candle, and end of him; and then the black lips expand, and found it to burn as bright as on the surface, the foul air being completely eradicated, so that the provide for our households, is a duty we owe to well could be worked in perfect safety. Whether ourselves and to our Creator, which may not be this remedy has ever been tried by any one else I neglected with impunity. Let us then begin the do not know. If such remedy would have the year with the determination, that, although "he desired effect in all cases when tried, it certainly who delves and digs the earth from morning until would be valuable information to those digging night, has little time and less inclination for or cleaning wells.-Rural New-Yorker. For the New England Farmer. thought," yet that little shall be faithfully and carefully improved. Reading matter is now cheap, and that which is appropriate to our business is rapidly improving in character and value. MONTHLY FARMER FOR JANUARY. The monthly Farmer, with its forty-eight broad In reading the extracts of agricultural address- pages, enters upon the new year with a variety of es, on page 51 of this number, I noticed particu- contents that must stir up thought in the mind of larly the following sentence from Mr. Fay's Es- every careful reader. We offer a few of our own sex County address:-"He who delves and digs thoughts on some of its articles. the earth from morning until night, has little time "The Concord Grape."-The remarks of Mr. and less inclination for thought. This is very dif- Wilcox express a feeling that I find prevails to a ferent from the usual style of such addresses. The great extent among farmers in the country, and advantages which the farmer enjoys for study and am therefore glad to see them treated so respectreflection, and his opportunities for profiting by fully in the Farmer, both by the editor and by the changes of the seasons and the successive the proprietor of the grape. Whether the rebeauties which the rolling year presents for his marks of Mr. W. are just, or illiberal, in this admiration and improvement, are generally dwelt case, is of little importance in comparison with upon by agricultural orators in poetic ecstacies, the influence of the impression, that" the Press that are but poorly realized by him who sits down which tolerates such speculations, does no good in a warm room to study, after a day spent in the service to the community." For my own part, I woods with the thermometer pointing at zero, or see no objection to a man's selling grape vines for by him who attempts to admire the glories of five dollars a-piece so long as there are plenty of sunrise, after mowing long enough to be thinking buyers at that price. After the fever is over, and of breakfast, or of his feet and legs that are "sop- the five-dollar purchasers are all supplied, the ping wet with the chill dews of a summer's price will probably come down; and then, if the morning. But if it is a fact, which I think few good qualities of this grape don't come down too, who have tried it with their own hands will deny, friend Wilcox and I may perhaps have a vine of that farming affords "little time and less inclina- our own to sit under. But in the mean time, it tion for thought" and intellectual cultivation may turn out a "multicaulis," or a "rohan," or generally, what is the natural inference? Be- it may prove a " Baldwin," or a "Bartlett," cause we have but a single opportunity, shall that the five-dollar men will decide this at their exbe buried in the earth? Because we have little pense, but for our benefit. Why should we time for thought, shall we give up thinking en- grumble. tirely and rely on our priest, our doctor, and our "Ruminating Animals.”—Some popular notions lawyer to do it all for us? By no means. The about chewing the cud denied. very fact that we have small means implies the "Witch Grass."-One article informs how to need of great efforts. When we are most alarmed destroy this pest by cultivation, but with little by apprehensions of a scarcity of hay in the fall, hoeing; and another article recommends summerspring often finds us with enough and to spare. fallowing. We saw that we had but little, and looking the Articles on " Sheep and Wool," on "Canker fact boldly in the face, by our care and economy, Worms," on "A Two-Acre Farm," "Gale's that little became an abundance! To know our Straw Cutter," " A Journey" to New Jersey, disease, then, is half its cure. And if hard labor Pennsylvania, &c., "London Vegetable Markets,' does tend to make us mere "toil-worn machines" Agriculture in North Carolina," 86 66 Changes of at last," the sooner we realize the danger, the Food," Prepare for Winter," are but specimens more immediately shall we seek to improve the of those on which we have no comments to offer. little time and inclination for thought that we do. "French Garden Implements," &c.-In France, enjoy. But how improve? There might be it seems that farm labor is poorly paid, yet such much said on this question, but I will say but are the habits of the people, that a man and his little here. As a first thought, however, we wife, boarded and lodged by their employer, laid would advise to read some agricultural periodical by $100 of the $180, which were paid for the laregularly. I say periodical, because books do not bor of both for a year. If our expenses increase seem to meet the case. A book may be laid aside faster than our income does, it will take a long and forgotten; but a periodical that comes to us time to get rich, and large wages do little good. monthly or weekly, makes a fresh claim upon our "Talk about Guano."-And a very interesting attention, just so often at least. No farmer has chat it is. The remark which was ascribed to the a right to do less than this for his mind, if he editor, but which it appears he never made, that would not become a drudge, a toil-worn machine, guano in Massachusetts had done more hurt than and finally in old age, a dotard, whose intellectual good, is one which I really believe would express imbecility and weakness shall be more pitiable the result, so far as I have personally observed its than the ravings of insanity, or the struggles of effects, in my own neighborhood. If merely a death itself. If he who puts an end to his phys- few preliminary experiments, which leave the ical existence is guilty of murder, can the mental editor of the Farmer with "no means of judgsuicide be regarded as innocent? A habit of ing" whether the losses or the benefits are the reading and thinking, as well as the obligation to greater, cost our country ten millions of dollars, where will farmers get the money to pay for the portunity afforded the cultivator to train accordamount that will be required when the vote of ing to his particular "taste." Now that is very Rockingham County shall decide that guano may kind in Nature, certainly; but it would save me "be used to advantage by our farmers in New much doubt and hesitation if she had labelled England." these "superabundant limbs" respectively, as the "How long it takes to get Apples."-Just two case might be, "jackknife," "handsaw," "axe," years, according to this article; which, to me, &c. If Mr. Brown is disposed to be offended by has something of the ring of "Book-farming." these remarks he must give the editor half the Five years ago, next spring, I set out something blame, for attaching that article on page 38 to his over one hundred apple trees. I did not suppose recommendations on "Beautifying the Farm." my trees or my soil were good-for-nothing, and I "Fall Plowing."-On this subject we have have tried to give the trees a chance to grow, but three or four articles. I have seen only a few apples as yet,-probably Illustrations.-Gale's Straw Cutter, the Hurlnot over forty or fifty in all. Part of my trees but Apple, Bracketed Cottage, and improved were large; a part small. The smallest have Short Horn Bull. done the best; indeed the largest tree in the or- Among the many articles which I have passed chard now, was one of the smallest when planted. over, I must at least name "Turnips and Salt "A Home in the Country."-How to buy a Hay," "Agricultural Implements," "Organic and farm worth four or five thousand dollars, and to Inorganic Matter," "Grain Crops,' "Brief Pracsecure to your family the income of five thousand tical Hints," "Winter Care of Cattle," &c. &c. dollars beside, with a capital of only $2,200, Winchester, Jan., 1855. A READER. (two thousand two hundred dollars!) If the writer of this article had been President of the United States Bank, I think he would not have A FEAT IN CHEMISTRY.-During the recent leccared a snap for the removal of the deposits. ture delivered by Professor B. Silliman. Jr., in "On Beautifying the Farm."-An exhortation New York, he solidified carbonic gas. This was by the editor, to plant trees so as to produce some- effected by bringing sulphuric acid in contact thing of the tasteful and beautiful around our with carbonate of soda, in a strong iron vessel, homes; in connection with which we might al- capable of resisting an expansive pressure of thirlude to the "enthusiasm" which the little groves ty-four atmospheres, or 510 pounds to an inch! and shade trees about Philadelphia inspired our Prof. S. stated that this experiment has been usually calm and practical friend, Dr. Brown, of given up entirely in France, in consequence of Wilmington. He thinks many farms in Massa- the bursting of several iron vessels, by which chusetts would realize in a few years from the in- several persons had been killed. But he stated creased value of their farms, at least ten dollars that the iron vessel used on this occasion, had a day by planting trees now. never been known to burst, and the experiment "Cycle of Good and Bad Crops."-The design was considered not at all dangerous. As the liof this article is to show that there has been for quid (it being in a liquid state in the vessel) was many years a pretty regular succession of periods drawn off, a larger portion instantly evaporated, of four or five years of alternate good and bad and by the evaporation reduced the remainder to crops, and that we have at this time just entered the freezing point. In this way, several pounds upon a series of poor crops. Rather discouraging. of solid carbonic acid were obtained. It had the "Home-made Furniture."-Such articles are too appearance of the whitest snow, and was so cold scarce in agricultural papers. The very word, that by holding it only three seconds the hand "home-made," has become antiquated. Not only would be frozen. He placed a portion of it is our clothing ready-made, but every implement, around a long vessel containing mercury, and from the mowing machine to the hand-sled, must froze the mercury solid! The mercury was then pass through the hands of mechanics. This is taken out and hammered like lead.-Albany well enough, if we can afford it. But there is an Register. old adage that says, "the gods help those who help themselves." Barns. We have descriptions of a twentythousand-dollar barn, in Great Barrington, Mass., and of a Concord barn, 125 feet by 54. THE WAY TO BUILD UP A STATE.-Governor Grimes, of Iowa, in his inaugural address, thus describes the wants of the thriving State over which he presides: "A Good Move," is what the Country Gentleman calls a proposition recently made in Con- "She wants educated farmers and mechanics, gress for the establishment of a National Agricul- engineers, architects, metallurgists and geologists. tural School. But if Uncle Sam should make as She needs men engaged in the practical duties of bad work in teaching the science of agriculture, life, who have conquered their professions, and as he did in estimating the value of "home manu- who are able to impart their knowledge to others. factures" up in New Hampshire, as appears by She wants farmers who shall be familiar with the Mr. French's article on "Other People's Busi- principles of chemistry as applied to agriculture; ness," he had much better leave that business architects and mechanics who will adorn her with with the schoolmasters that are already abroad. edifices worthy of so fair a land; and engineers "Pruning Apple Trees."-As I am unsettled and geologists who will develop her resources, in opinion on this subject, I read everything re- and thus augment the wealth and happiness of lating to it, with interest. Forest trees get along her citizens. This want can only be supplied by comfortably without trimming, and so do shade the establishment of a school of applied sciences. trees generally. But, says Mr. Brown, "apple I have no hesitation, therefore, in recommending trees grow with a superabundance of limbs that that a University fund be appropriated to estabprovision may be made for casualties, and an op-lish a practical scientific or polytechnic school." |