Cotton in Trinidad--Cultivation of Grasses. tural implements, than the colored population of the slave states, are not to be found; and although they decidedly refused to go to Trinidad as the serfs of the sugar planter, they were ready to migrate, to a considerable number, if placed in a position of being independent of the whim and caprice, to say nothing else, of our proprietors and their managers. I took some pains to ascertain their feelings with regard to a migration to Trinidad, as cotton growers, and am well satisfied that arrangements might be made with them to move in large numbers—in fact, I had several propositions from them to that effect; and at a public meeting at Baltimore, they carried a resolution, requesting me to act as their agent here, to obtain them some concessions from the colonial government to this end; and I think that a comparatively small capital would annually command an immensely increasing population, engaged in cotton growth in this island. The Cultivation of Grasses should receive at the south much more at tention than it has in the past. The support of stock from the crib or granary, is an expensive affair. We cannot expect northern grasses to thrive among us, but should adopt those of southern latitudes. Dr. Withers, of Alabama, has sent us a paper in which he recommends the Guinea Grass as altogether adapted to our wants: "It is true, that it does not flourish in perpetual verdure here, as it does in Jamaica, but it grows luxuriantly for eight months in the year-and at a time when almost all our other artificial grasses are parched up by the heat of the sun. Being a native of the tropics, it rejoices in the genial heat of the summer's sun. Springing up in our climate with the first harbingers of spring, it bears repeated mowings till the chilling frosts of the fall. As is known to all of us, we had on the 7th April this year a severe freeze, which destroyed much of our corn, and all the cotton which was then growing. The Guinea grass was at that time high enough to mow, but it was killed nearly to the ground. Subsequently, the location on which it was grown was entirely overflowed, by the unprecedentedly high freshet at so late a season as the first of May, and remained upwards of a week under the water from the river; yet it has already 179 yielded us a fine crop of grass, and is now very nearly ready for a second mowing. It is frequently cut five or six times in the course of one season, and yields a large crop of hay each time. During the last season, we measured a small lot in which it was growing, as accurately as we could by stepping it off, and found it to contain 1000 square yards, which is a little over one-fifth of an acre. After the grass which was cut off of it was sufficiently cured, we shocked it till it was dry enough to stack, and weighing an average shock, we found that the piece of ground had yielded 1,000 lbs. of hay; which, though not entirely cured, was sufficiently so to allow of its being safely stored in a house. This would make an acre yield nearly 5,000 lbs. at one cutting. This was the second or third cutting; and it yielded four crops, but none as heavy as the one we tried the experiment with. The soil in which it was grown was a deep sandy loam, highly manured, and originally rich. It is in vain to expect any land to yield so large a crop of any vegetable product, unless it is amply supplied with rich, stimulating manures. "The method of propagating it is by the roots, which resemble very much the cane roots of the country, but more nearly the calamus root. In the West Indies they propagate it by seed; but in this country, as far as my experience extends, the seed do not vegetate. I see in some of the books, however, that it is said to be raised from seed, but that is not my experience with it. My original stock was brought from Virginia, by Gen. J. H. Cocke, and consisted of about a double handful. By bedding them in a rich loam, we observed roots enough in the season to plant about an acre during the next. As it does not propagate itself by seeds, and is not liable to be taken up and scattered by the birds of the air, the wheels of vehicles, or the hoofs of animals, it spreads very slowly, and may be entirely eradicated by cultivating the land; or more effectually by turning hogs on it in winter, as they are very fond of the roots, and go to a great depth to obtain them. It spreads, however, gradually into the adjoining lands, and should not be planted near a garden, or any place into which hogs cannot be turned, when you should wish to eradicate it. "The method of planting is to lay off is very tenacious of life, and bears transplanting well. furrows about two feet apart, and drop a piece of the root about as long as your finger, at two feet distance in the furrow. "The ground designed for the strawThis can be done at any time during berry bed should be plowed or spaded the winter, and it must be covered deep as deep as tools can well make it. If enough to protect it from the cold. A the soil is light and thin, a thick coat of slight working in the spring will give it swamp muck, or partially decomposed the start of the weeds and grass, and it leaves, with leached or unleached ashes, will soon root out every thing else. The will be fine to turn under. After the land on which it grows should be top- ground is pulverized and levelled, mark dressed with manure every season; and it off into rows two feet apart. Now when you perceive the grass is declining plant eight rows of Hovey seedling and from getting too thick, or by exhausting one of the early scarlet, two feet apart in the land, it should be well manured and the rows, and so continue until the bed deeply ploughed. I trench-ploughed is finished. We speak particularly of mine a year or two since, with evident advantage. It is generally recommended to cut the grass for soiling, or for hay, when it is about two feet high. It is then very tender and succulent, and stock of any kind will leave the finest blade fodder to eat it." these two varieties, as we should consider it labor lost to cultivate a variety which only gives fruit three or four weeks in the season. And we have never found a finer fruit, in point of size and flavor, than the Hovey, and none finer flavored than the early scarlet. In our advertising columns will be Care should be taken that the plants are found a card from the editor of the "Soil put into the ground just as they came of the South," offering to supply STRAW- out of it-that is, with all their latterals BERRY plants, in the culture of which he spreading, and not all gathered together has obtained a very deserved celebrity, and crammed into a little hole. Now, We recommend his method below to if the object be to get a large number of the attention of our readers, and trust plants for another year, keep them well that this delightful fruit will hereafter worked with the hoe, and let the runnot be so rare among us. On another ners take root. The whole ground will occasion we shall give the experience be full by fall. But if fruit be the obof Mr. Longworth, of Cincinnati, whose ject, cover the whole surface of the success has been recognized by the ground with partially decomposed leaves horticultural societies of the whole coun- or straw-and as the first runners begin try. to show themselves, take them off. Care "The secret of strawberry culture is, must be used in taking off the runners; to cultivate for fruit, and not for vine or they should be cut, and not pulled off, blossom. Much depends upon the lo- as careless servants will ruin many cality of the strawberry bed. No tree plants. When the vine has once comor plant should be near it; the strawberry menced fruiting, it will show but little loves shade, but not a shade that sucks disposition to run, as its whole effort is its very life-blood out. The lowest part to make the fruit-particularly if the of the garden, the bank of some little vine is not over-stimulated. It is not stream of water, are proper localities, enough that the strawberry bed is in a and, where it is possible, select new land. moist, cool location-for if the ground is As to the soil, our beds are on as poor moist, the plants want water to set the pine land as gopher or salamander ever fruit, and to swell the fruit when set. It built into pyramids, and we believe it is asserted by some English cultivators is pretty generally conceded now, within that the plant should not have water a circle of a few hundred miles, that we when in bloom, as it washes the pollen do occasionally have a strawberry. We away. This may do for England, but do not know but a stiffer land may suit it does not do here. We care not how them better-but ours does well enough, much water they have when in bloom. and we are not disposed to act like that If the season proves dry, we give water foolish healthy man, who was well, to set the fruit by artificial rain; and wished to be better, took medicine and unless it rains twice a week, we give died.' The strawberry may be trans- artificial rain to swell the fruit, and then planted any time from September until we give artificial rain to form the next March. The plant, properly taken up, fruit stems, and so on. Fear not to give Strawberry Culture-Hovey's Seedling. 181 too much water-water morning and beds. The leaves cracked under our evening. If grass and weeds show tread like glass. We picked a handful themselves, use the hoe freely. After it of large, shining, crimson berries, as is no longer an object to gather fruit, let solid as marble. Farewell, thought we, the vines run and mat together. In the to strawberries for this season. But in winter go through with the hoes, thin- fifteen days the beds were again crimson ning out from twelve to eighteen inches, with the fruit, and the market wagon leaving the cut-up vines to decay where daily supplying the market, which, in they were cut, and then cover the whole the absence of all other fruit, brought bed with leaves, straw, swamp-muck, fine prices. This demonstrates that the &c., but use no animal manure. Let strawberry crop is the most certain fruit the proportions of male and female crop cultivated at the South, and, taken plants remain the same as when first with its continuous bearing, certainly planted. We are astonished that in the makes it the most valuable. moister, colder latitudes of the North, "We have frequent applications for they do not have strawberries from frost strawberry seed. Strawberries will grow to frost again. The heavy frost the six- from the seed, but they do not produce teenth of April, three years ago, took their like. All the new varieties which our strawberry grounds in full fruit. We are sold as choice varieties, have been made an early rise the next morning, hybridized. There have been many and walked out with a long countenance, new seedlings produced from Hovey's to look at the destruction. Trees, shrubs seedling, hybridized with the greatest and plants were stiff in the cold embraces care; but as yet they bear no compariof Old Jack. Alas! the fruit was all son to that "ne plus ultra" of all strawgone. We strolled into the strawberry berries." ART. XI.-COMMERCIAL PROGRESS-HOME AND FOREIGN. COMMERCE OF SPAIN-LOUISIANA SHIP-BUILDING-COMMERCE OF MOBILE-STATISTICS OF SUGAR TRADE-COMMERCE OF CINCINNATI; OF CHARLESTON; OF SAVANNAH, ETC.-PROGRESS OF PITTSBURGH INDUSTRY-PHILADELPHIA AND NEW-YORK-GOLD TRADE OF GREAT BRITAIN REVENUE OF CANADA-LAKE TRADE-FREEDOM OF THE ST. LAWRENCE AUSTRALIA-CHILI. THE Commerce of Spain appears to be increasing, and in 1851 it reached, for imports, 687,648,640 reals, (for the value of this currency see art. on Cuba in present number,) and for exports, 497,507,432 reals. Of the imports, 259,165 reals were from America, and of the exports, 190.592.803 were to America. The American shipping engaged in the trade with Spain and her colonies, is as follows: Entered Spain on the Atlantic.... Canaries.. Men and 2.. 309.. 13 ture of LOUISIANA granting a bonus of $5 per ton for every vessel over 100 tons burthen, which may be built in the state of Louisiana, and $4 per ton on every steamer. The bonus should attract foreign capital to our midst, for ship-building, since we have all the materials abundantly at hand, and the act will only be in force for five years. In our December number we presented some statistics of the commerce 391 of MOBILE for 1851-1852, and have 599 condensed the previous years in " Indus289 trial Resources." For the last crop the ..1548 355,545.14.700 average of prices was, in October, 6 to 294.. 48,336.. 2,217 914; November, 6 to 8; December, 6 40.. 14,688.. 513 to 81; January, 614 to 81; February, 44 Mediterranean.. 41.. 9,676.. 376 614 to 81%; March, 6 to 834; April, Manilla and Philippines. Porto Rico Cleared. Spain on the Atlantic... Canaries Manilla and Philippines. Cuba Porto Rico...... 3.. 753.. 26 30.. 15,134.. 314 614 to 9; May, 6 to 1012; June, 8 to 10; average for season, 6% to 9%; average 1850-1851, 834 to 12; 1850-10 to 12; 1849-5 to 7. 1627.361,732 15,252 An act has been passed by the legisla COMPARATIVE EXPORTS OF STAVES FROM THE PORT spirits turpentine, 40 cents per gallon: OF MOBILE FOR TWO YEARS, TO DATE. 799 crude do. $1 75 to $2 per bbl.; 482 COMPARATIVE IMPORTS OF THE FOLLOWING STAPLE COMPARATIVE EXPORTS OF SAWED LUMBER FROM Lard 22,481. .20,021. ...10,562 .31,027. .23,745.. .19,322 18,095. 23,672. ..18,042 20,985.. ..29,121. 12,429 Potatoes.. .22,014.. .16,248. 20,243 8,016 1,491. 1,832. 1,387 ..154.183 7.760 .21,440 Oats Pork Salt. Whisky The trade in Naval Stores, though only Lime.. about four or five years old, has met with Molasses unprecedented success. Constant improvements are making in the manufacture of the various articles; the quality of spirits of turpentine is much better than at the commencement, and has commanded 40 cents per gallon for a medium article. Very little naval In addition to the full statistics and stores have been sold in this market. historical sketches, etc., upon the subject Most of the crude turpentine, and A No. of SUGAR, its manufacture, commerce, 1 white rosin, was shipped to New-York, etc., which run through the volumes of and the balance westward. The receipts the Review, and appear in the "Indus and prices are as follows:-1,460 bbls. trial Resources" complete, we append— Candles... 3,287,401....49,166,140.. .26,996,532....120,416,071 ..15,723,748 55,624,855. 7,885,067....66,093,202.. 9,597,781. .139,200,705....14,678,238 70,286,903.... 9,848,738....86,681,537....15,783,149....182,540,327....12,690,946 48,127,706... 5,413,316....45,576,480.... 8,838,531....107,155,033....12,934,552 90,384,397... 9,070,626....60,838,901.... 5,659,259....165,963,083. ..18,233,579 67,586,332. 6,822,217. .68,179,055....12,328,234....155,414,946....16,464,290 1,915,115. ..31,475,613. 4,515,284.. 69,434,331. 114,362,368. 2,709,099....54,763,060.... 7,932,964....179.857,491 1837 Cuba 40,965,998. 51,699,108. 6,258,288....46,571,976.... 6,532,720....111,967,404. 61,624,973.... 4,926,304....50,057,329... 9,656,444....126,731,661 169,274,024. 6,896,447 ..45,366,660. 3,642,895....226,683,261. ..174,979,362.... 6,003,609. .54,035,761....13,182,395. 179,754,020... 9,516,004 ..56,710,138. 7,835.323 .253,815,495. 5,103,741 .127,767.543.... 7,033,366....49,530,181....13,320,729. .197,651,819. .19.997.312 .275,327.497....14,557,699....62,883,757....10,768,908....364,537,861.... 4,786,437 |