Farmers' gazette, and Cheraw advertiser. (Cheraw, S.C.) 1839-1843, November 29, 1842, Image 1
> " 1
i. * +
VOLUME VIII. CHERAW. SOUTII-CAROLINA, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 184:?. NU31RER 3.
By M. MACLEAN. j
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?n?BMW
? ,i i???nn?mi ? >.!.-jmui i vac- gem
From the American Agriculturist.
ALL EX'S TOl'R JX EXGLAXD. Xo. 3. J
Histokv of tiik Bkrkshikgs?Ar- [
rivod now in the heart of old Berkshire, ,
the public will probably expect to see j
some account of the early history, the ]
breeding, rearing. and treating of the ec. |
ichratcd animals to which this county lias j
^ given a name. We very much regret, j
that we had not more tiino than was at
our command, while in England, to fully j
elucidate this subject, as well as many j
others of great interest to the agricultural
community, but hope at some future
time we may be able to accomplish this
satisfactorily. But what few facts we at
present have at command, nio probably
ubout all that the generality of readers ;
will care to know. We shall therefore !
proceed to staler thorn as succinctly as
p<ssiblc, and trust that they will he considered
sufficient without obliging us to ;
again refer to the subject.
We traversed this and the neighboring j
shires of Hants, Wilts, Oxon, Bucks, and j
Surry, in those directions where it wvi- j
thought important to do so, and were go- j
ncrally attended by stock purchasers in j
?;!>/. u-tro nprfiicllv con vers. !
OUT lllltlUlua, mm m i.,
ant w ith the whole breeding of thic. region, j
and we think tnat we were us thorough ;
?ri J indefatigable in the search after
Berkshires, of the best breeding and quail. j
ly, ns the circumstances of the case would j
permit, or perhaps was of any particular i
benefit to the public or ourselves.
All who pretended to any positive know, j
ledge of the subject with whom we conversed.
agreed that tins breed of swine j
originally was a large and rather coarse I
animal, of a white or butT color, inter- I
mixed with black spots, and that they ]
were improved to their present great per. ;
faction of form and dark color, by the .St ;
unie.se or Cliina b .ar. One quite ir.telh- j
gent respectable oh! gentleunn, of a handsome
estate, residing at JSotithbridge,
twelve miles from Heading, with whom we j
eon versed,distinctly recollected about fifty !
years a?;>, v. lien small prick-eared black .
# boars were brought into his neighborhood I
.1
to refine their large hogs ; but Mr. West- j
brook of Cvshnrn inf<<rtued us, thai his fa. j
ther possi.fsco them in great perfection six- j
IV years since, of a dark rich plumb color, j
mingled with n little vhilo. lie (the son) I
however, had suffered the stock left him j
to breed in and detcn\>mt?: tno stock so \
much, that we thought it (jot worth pur- j
chasing from ; but unother perso.?. who '
had of it some years ago, and who l
paid good attention to it, allowed us to !
choose two of his finest sow pigs of this
family and color, perfect almost in form,
and of a good large size.
From Byshatn they probably gradually
found their way along up the Thames,
and to different parts of the county and
its neighborhood. At Heading they told
us that they had known them onlv for
about forty years. When we wrote csr
" Chapter on Swine," that appeared in the I
Cultivator some two years since, it was
on the authority of different friends who
had resided in the south and west of Berkshire,
Professor Low and some others, that
wc asserted that the improvement began
about the year 1300, but it seems thai
our informants only knew of it in their
quarter at that period, and that it is now
distinctly traced by Mr. West brook as far
* ? ??? : i . ,l! .
back as UOi/. >vc urc rejoiceu ni uns.
11 ml hope it will he possible to go still far.
thcr hereafter, as it will only make the
breed the more valurble in oure estimation,
as showing that it has a long established
character for general excellence
ami pedigree, unknown to any thing of
the domestic kind, the Asiatic hog alone
excepted.
The Berkshire is now generally acknowledgt
d to poseess more good points
in bun than any other breed whatever,
ns he is of tlie laigcst yrvjxlablc size, of
_ the truest and best shape, and has the
most symmetrical limbs, and superadded
to these, joins what is rather remarkable;
line thin hair and soft skin, to great hardiness
of constitution. They are prolific
breeders, the bcot of nurses, of thrifty
growth, eaily maturity, easily kept on.
grass, the coarsest roots, or brnti aud
i ?: a
i?rcwer?? grain ?mu cuiijuimh u<. w/?y
Their dispositions also are very quiet, unless
roused to a fight, and then hko all
well bred animals, are game to Uio hack
bone.
Their powers of endurance arc very
gieat, and nothing m England can travel
with them of the hog kind, as has been
often proved in driving the di fieri utstccka
to fairs and markets, side by side. We
took great pains to obtain evidence on
this important point to tiie western farm,
er while abroad. Joined to all the above
good qualities, their meat is of the best
kind, the hnm?. shoulders, and jowls being
lean, muscular and delicate, whilo the
side pork is very fat, and cuts clear nf
lean as the Chinese, thus making the
heaviest mess pork for barrelling, and 1
such as <s most preferred at the eastern
markets. Wo saw hundreds of bacon ;
sides in England, and since our return to I
America, have frequently witnessed the !
cut tin? ui> of Berkshire's where the fact of
n i
their making clear pork was disputed at
the packing houses of Cincinnati and
other parts of Ohio. Again, notwith.
standing their dark color, whether their
hair he singed off by burning, as is usually
practised in Great Britain, or scalded
as in the United States, the skin dresses
of th-? purest and most delicate white,
and nothing in tiie slightest degree dark
can ho detected at all in it but the roots
of the hair, to which the most fastidious
stickler lor white in a pig's skin cannot |
object.
We found 111c Berkshires more sought
after in England than any other kind of
swine; they were not only taking them into
Scotland and Ireland, but France, Germany,
and other parts of Europe, and the
British colonies in every direction, not
even excepting Australia,some 8,000 miles
distant from the father land.
They are freer from disease than any
animal we know of, and are never cursed
with that sickening scahbiness of the
skin, that characterises so many other
breeds.
In breeding, those of medium sizes and
fine points are most sought after in Eng.
land. Ten to fifteen score (200 to 300
lbs.) are the maximum weights desired in
Berkshire, and we were often told there,
that thev considered those the best and j
most profitable sizes for them. From this
opinion, many breeders in our country !
dissent entirely, and though we would gonerally
recommend those of a medium !
size to he wintered over, still if a spring {
pig will fatten kindly as he is growing, i
and can be made to attain 2->3 to 300 lbs. I
by tiie following December, it saves
wintering, and may be considered upon
the whole the most profitable breed. It
is contended that liiu largest and lines!
Bt'iksli ies will easily do this, and several
breeders have now commenced a series
of experiments witn the produce of our !
fate importations, for the purpose of testing
whether it can be done, and we aio:
promised a full report of the trials as soon j
as completed.
All colors exist in Berkshire, straggler*.!
occasionally finding their way in there, j
hut thev arc not recognized as their Dreed j
?.
at all, the true sort, being of a black, or
' n
deep uch plumb color, with a slight flicking
of buli or white oil them, the feel go- j
neraily white, with a small white slri:> in !
. . 4
the face, and frequently a white tuft at i
the end of the tail. White iiogs exist in J
considerable numbers in the neighborhood
of Windsor, of tolerable fair quality.?
Tiicv are called old King George's breed,
C C
and are said to be trio descendants ol
some Lciccstcrs given to the late George
o O
III. by the celebrated Bakcwell, for the
purpose of stocking his Majesty's farm
near by. They are now much deterior
ated in breeding, and totally unworthy, in |
our judgment, of importation.
Great care is requisite in purchasing
Berkshire hogs, especially on the borders
of the county, as tho Neapolitan, Hampshire,
\Vi!ts.:irJ, and vaiions other crosses
exist, that isono hut Iho best judges in
breeding can detect, and many of the farmers
are exceedingly carei^ss in their so.
lections and stocK animals, and some are
totally indifferent whether they are pure
blood or not. As to their cost, this is according
to fancy in a measure. Those
i who had taken particular pains in Incur
j selections and breeding, for picked stock
i asked high prices. Ail sorts of meals are
i at present *carce, and very high in Lng|
land. Good pork was worth 12 to 14 cts.
'per pound when wc were there, and the
! poorest pig of any breed, two or three
, months old, would bring in market as a
I stock animal, 84 to 88 oach. Two years
j ago, tlicy were not worth half that. But
j the first cost is nothing id comparison
j with the other cxpcnces, which are almost
I innumerable; we will merely slate one
| item. By the London packet ship Mediator,
we shipped two grown animals and
j eighteen small ones, about three months
j old. Mr. Whyte's bill of Iced alone for
these was .?34 1 6, which at the then
rate of exchange, amounted to over ?1GU.
To be sure, we were liberal in laving in
i sixty days supplies for the stock, as \\y
| had no idea of paying a high price for an.
finals, and then have them starved to
| death on the voyage. As near ns we
i could estimate thecestof four months'pigs,
j including accidents and deaths, laid down
i in this city it amounted to about ?50 per
; head, without reckoning any thing of our
; time employed in the selections, so that
i the reader will see that there can he no
I very great profit in importing Berkshire*,
: at the prices wc sold them at. Indeed, we
! had had no idea of making money on
ti\em trom the beginning, our sole motive
I a o oT
j in the importation was to secure superior
I f resh crosses?whether we succeeded or
i not i.i doing so, as the animals are now
1 here, the public can judge for itself; fur!
thcr i \jn this, it docs not become us to
I speak. Certain it is, however, that we j
i took unwearied pains in the selections,
I and went down to Berkshire no less than
j lour times to do so. Wo chose from all
! the largest and finest families we could
! hear of, and if the animal suited us, we
nevor once hesitated at the price named
for it. Others may import at a less cost
than we have, but if they have obtained
larger and finer animals, we shall be hap.
py to he advised of the fact. Wo hardly
ihitik that England can at present add
^ * ' * * - '- ? f ? t k 10 nAH n .
Iijmwr Hi our mock 01 ?wmc in vwu..try,
and if any more importations are
wanted, we would recommend obtaining
them from China, Siam, and the Asiatic
Islands.
Wo trust we shall be pardoned so many
words on a subject in which it is so weU ?
known that we have hud a pecuniary interest,
for we assure our readers that we
have been literally compelled to do so, in
consequence of the almost innumerable
questions and letters that have been addressed
us upon it. We fully believe
what we assert, and, as we have paid particular
attention to this subject, we ex.
press ourselves frankly, strongly, and fully,
and exactly as we think. To all those
who do not agree with us in opinion, we
cordially invite from them an expression
of their sentiments, and more especially
a statement of facts in favor of any other
breeds o) swine, nnd they may be assured
that they shall have a full hearing in our
columns. We go for the great general
good and improvement of agriculture,
without regard to the private interests of
any one man or thing.
AFrom
the Western Fur7ner Gardener.
On tJic Cultivation of Applcn for Stock.
The following communication from a member i
of the Indiana Horticultural Society, was received
fur publication in the Indiana Farmer. Believing
it contains views of importance to the agricultural
community, I forward it fur insertion in the Western
Farmer and Gardener.
j. s. xv.
J. S. WillelSt Corresponding Secretary
oj the Indiana Horticultural Society:
Since the general introduction and cultivation
of root crops for slock feeding,
(which has proved so very profitable ton!!
good farmers who have undertaken it in
tin; Eastern stales as well as in the West,)
it has occnried to many in various parts
of the country, to try whether apples were
not as good tor the same purposes. To
prove which, various experiments have 1
been made w ith them, and with different
kinds oi roots, and in various ways, raw
and cooked ; and in all cases that I have
seen in the agricultural papers concerning
them, apples have been proved to be worth
more than the roots, bushel for bushel,
when ttie apples were of good sorts.
At first it was thought that sweet apples
only were good for stock ; but further trials
have pruv? d that a mixture of sweet,
wiiii any outer good sunn-acid rich apples
\v? rt! much belter than all sweet one* ; as
hogs have been found to cloy, and cease
D *
tadng, when led entire!} on sweet apples,
umi resumed eating again heartily, on
sour apples being thrown to them. 1 ho}
were alterwards led with a mixture of both
sweet and >our. and continued to eat about
as much of one as the other, and fattened
I well on Ibein. As food lor cattle and
sheep they have been found equally good,
j and more particularly for milch cows ;
also tor horses in place of potatoes ; which
! latter I am told horses are much fed with
in the Kastern stales, and thrive rctnnrka.
hiy well on thorn.
N ?w, as roots prove in mestensrs to he
cheaper titan com to feed stock with, end j
; as apples prove superior, both in point ol j
cheapness and value, to root crops, why
not substitute them for roots in cusis
where it can he done ? Sorno consider
i two bushels of beets or turnip? equivalent
to one bushel of corn, others three, and
others again four. The average would
O O
he three bushels of roots to one of corn ;
and as good apples have proved beyond
dispute to be ul least equal if not superior
to roots, tins would make three bushels ol
apples worth one of corn. But I am wil.
lmg to allow the largest estimate?four
bushels to one of corn?nnd we will see
then it apples aro not the cheapest food we
can raise to feed and fatten stock, more
particularly Imgs.
In planting an orchard for slock feed.
ing, the trees should be set closer than
usual for the purpose of bringing the
ground appropriated to trees into more iivimediate
profit, as well as to ensure their
more uniform bearing, by the great prolection
they will aft'urd each other when
well grown from the late frosts of spring,
as well as the destructive effects of severe
tud changeable winters, which occasion- j
ally kill our fruit trees when young and
thrifty, and in distant and exposed situa- i
lions, and when thus exposed the fiuit is j
freoiientlv destroved hv late snrim* frosts. !
? j ; j ? j 1 d
As prool of the advantage of close plantmo
?,n this account, it may be staled, that
I orchards thus planted produced fine crops
I in the seasons of ly.'H and 1H30, when a 11
! others tailed excepting the Never Fail, or
j Jam tt apple, which mo lsurably escaped
I from its late bloom inc.
I u
One rod apart, I would recommend as
J the proper distance to plant trocs for a
I stock orchard ; unless in very rich land,
; where they may he set some farther
j apurt. Thus an aero at one rod apart,
| will contain 160 trees, whereas, at two
rods, it will contain only 40. The prin.
i
ri'pa! objection (o close planting, is, that ;
the under and shaded part of the fruit will j
not he ?o xjoo<I. This I admit, hut then
thrrc will ho four times as many trees, j
nnd of course tree tops in bearing, and the i
tops of the trees always hear the largest j
and finest fruit ; and the fruit on the un- j
dor branches will be found good enough
for hogs. An acre thus set with trees of
the host and grentcst bearing kinds, ripen.
** * U?* Art I?!ndl t A f ho I
IH>? III PIICU II'MII IIIU I irjv \yj ?n^
latest, well planted, and well and carefully
cultivated, will the fourth year commence
bearing,and the sixth year hear a bushel j
ton tree, which would be 1G0 bushel# to
the acre, worth 40 bushels of corn, where,
as, at two rods, it would amount to but 40
bushels, worth only 10 bushels of corn.
Every hearing year they will increase ra. j
pidly in productiveness until they are
twelve or fifteen years old, when they will
bear at least 0 14 bushels to the tree,
which will make 1000 bushels tothencre.
which is equivalent to 250 bushels of
corn !
With the best care and cultivation, this
result may be attained at ten years'
growth, and the fifth or sixth year they
will bear enough to pay for the trees; for
all good fruit will probably bo worth for
many years to come 25 cents per bushel ;
and thus one bushel p'*r tree, at tho sixth
year will twice pay for the tree, and all j
future crops will he clear profit; as the
corn or other cultivated crops will more
than pay for the necessary culture of the
ground, until the trees come into full bearing
; after which the cost of culture will
be but trilling, save that of gathering a J
portion of the fruit and properly prcserv.
ing it for winter use; and they arc more
easily preserved from frost than roots of
any kind, A great advantage the apples
possess over roots, is that the expense of
harvesting thorn is saved, the hogs eating j
them as they fall, except those required !
for winter use.
I have stated that an orchard of one
acre thus planted and cultivated, will, I
when well grown, produce 1000 bushel#
of apple#, worth COO bushels of corn. An
orchard of ten acres, will, at tho same
into, yield 10,000 bushels, worth 2 500
bushels of corn ; and allowing 10 bushels
of corn, or 40 bushels of apples to fatten j
100 pounds of pork, the npp'es from ten ?
acres will fatten 25,000 pounds of pork,
which at 3 1-2 ets. per pound, will amount
to ?875. as '.lie annual product of a ten
acre orchard, after it comes into full bearing.
Tho following is an estimate of the products
for the first twenty years from tho
time of planting.
10 acres of land, a! $25 per acre, $250
1000 trees, at 12} cents each, 200
First cost of an orchard planted, 450
Allowing (ho products to pay for culti
vation,,co?t of trees, and interest for the
first ten years ; and calculating the interest
for the last ten years at 10 per cent,
it will amount to 8150 for the ten years,
nn:l the proceeds as calculated above will
amount to $3,750, from which deduct the
8150, and wo have the amount of 83,300
as the nett proceeds of a ton acre orchard
for the fir>t twenty years equal to $11,50
per acre, per annum. From this pern d,
and aslope .is the. trees continued in vig~
n
orows bearing, allowing the produce the
same as above, the r.ett proceeds per an.
num. after deduc ting interest, would bo
$330, or $33 per acre.
I have made these calculations on the
supposition that the trees are planted one
rod apart, which i consider the best and
most profitable clistnnce; except on very
rich lands, where they may he planted
twenty to twenty.five feet apart. At
those distances, the land will eventually
become fully occupied, hut it will be longer
before it will produce as much per
acre.
If the abovo calculations and views of
the subject, do not give sufficient encouragement
for farmers to proceed to the cultivation
of orchards for stock, as well as
to afford a plentiful supply for family use.
I know not what reasons can be assigned
for entering upon any branch of rural improvement
; for correct principles in rural
economy consist in devising ways and
means for making n living, and improving
our circumstances, in the cheapest and
most beneficial manner, with a view to
ultimate and increasing profit ; and none
of these things can bo brought about
without somo outlay in the beginning.?
Great benefits would result to our country,
if our fanners would turn their attention
more to such operations as would lead to
ultimate profitable results, ra I her than
tend to immediate pain, but which often
have a ruinous tendency, by impoverishing
their farms, and rentierin?r their fu'
tu/c prospects any thing but encouraging.
By the cultivation of apples, peaches,
plums, and persimons, in the old Southern
; states, in the locations best suited to each,
all the poor and exhausted land which has
| been worn out by had management might
! he resuscitated?made fertile, and ultimately
very profitable to its owners.
But in this fine country it can never be
[ recommended to cultivate other products
exclusively for stock. Corn (maize,)
1 musl hlv\avs be an imnnr'.nnt cron with
- I? - I
us ; and a mixture of the two articles will
doubtless be found the most profitable way
of feeding, especially in the latter stages
of fattening ; and two bushels of apples
to one of corn, will probably be found
equal in value to two bushels of corn. A
farmer in this neighborhood who fed a
largo quantity of turnips to steers, nn<
potatoes to hogs when fattening them
said that ho believed a bushel of turnips o
potatoes, with a bushel of corn, would fat
ten a steer or hog, more than two hushel
of corn w ithout any thing else with it, fo
ho never had cattle or hogs to fatten s<
fast before I
Yours respectfully,
JOSHUA LINDLEY.
Monrovia, la., March 3d, 1841.
IIOHSE SHOEING.
A writer upon the subject of " shooing,'
adverting to the use of the frog and the
diseases that proceed from its inaction
maintains, that it should be always, as it
a state of nature, subjected to pressure
Ho gives the following directions for shoe
ing:
" Tho borso's foot boing circular am
not oval, the shoe should be made in tha
form ; or rather the hoof should be ineas
ured, and the shoo made exactly to cor
respond. An oval or elliptic foot is gen
orally, nay, we may say always diseased
It has assumed that shape in consequent
of the contraction of the bars, brought 01
solely by a diseased state of the frog fu
wnnt of pressure; and in no one instant
of oval.formed feet will the frogs he fount
healthy. The moment the foot is liftet
from liio ground, the smell indicates lh<
diseased frOg, though perhaps cocknej
equestrians consider this tho natural per
fume of the organ when in health.
"Tho shoe should he as light as possi
ble consistently with the labor the anitna
has to undergo. Before it is put on, thi
hoof should be pared away toward th<
heels, in 6uch a manner that without thi
shoe the horse should stand with tho fro;
close to the ground, ns when in a slatoo
nature ; when the shoe is on, it should h<
tiled away towards the heels, being let
only sufficiently thick to enable the fro;
in tho natural position of the animal with
out a rider or burthen, just to clear th
ground ; so that when the horse bears it
hurthen or its rider, the frog of tho shoe
foot should receive the same pressure fron
thegiound that it would do if the shoe
were taken off* and tho aniinul turnei
loose. When a horse is shod according t
the present system, besides the variou
diseases brought on by the want of th
frog, the animal walks upon its toes, (Ih
(expression cannot be misunderstood,)-in
tho proper muscular action of the foot an
leg is perverted. Hence many horses fa
dead lame without the farrier being nbl
to assign any cause for it, although h
will talk dogmatically enough on the suh
jnct to confound those who know no bcl
tcr than himself."
rebellious hens.
A neighbor of our's states that bog1
n 3
lard is the best thing bo can find to mi
with the dough he gives to his hens. II
says one cut of this fat, as large ns u wa!
nut, will set a hen to laying immediatel
after she has been broken upfrorr hersel
ting ; and thus his hens lay thro' 111
whole winter. Will some more cxperi
l mentors try the virtue of hog's lard ?
Mass. Ploughman.
From the Magazine of Horticulture.
on the cultivation of thk dahlia.
Agreeable to your desire, I sendycu
few remarks on the cultivation of th
dahlia ; and, if you deem them of interct
to your readers, you may insert them i
your valuable Magazine.
This much esteemed flower, havinj
been for many years n great favorite t,
mine, I have perhaps devoted more tiin
to its cultivation, and had opportunitic
of seeing it planted in a greater variety c
soils and situations than the majority c
jyours; therefore, without hesitation,
I give you the result of my experience.
I Ln.-s. . n.inrinKlit f/uinrl tho Imcf irnnori
1 41 4 % U lilt (II 1UWI j iviuiu iiiv i^vo* in
bloom upon those roots which were planl
cd upon a moderately rich, sandy loam
! in u cool situation?if a clay bottom, s
J much the more favorable?as in hot an
j dry situations they do not sutler so muc
j from drought, as those planted upon
j gravelly or sandy bottom,
j Planting the roots upon a proper soi
i near the margin of a river, or other larg
j hody of water, seems to mo the be*
j adapted to ensure a perfect bloom of thi
i exquisitely formed flower, as the continur
evaporation from the surface in warr
' weather, produces a humidity in the at
' mosphere, much more congenial to th
I nature of the plant, than can he accou
j plished by any artificial means.
I admit thut cultivators may ohtni
: some very good flowers from plantation
; made upon a dry, sandy soil, but ncithc
I will the flowers he as abundant, or as larg
as those upon plants growing on the fa
vorahlc location just noticed; and, if planl
i ed upon a strong, rich soil, the cultivate
will have a much more vigorous growth (
plants), but with a diminished quantity (
i ?rood blooms.
I D
| These remarks will not apply to th
striped and mottled varieties, so far as r<
gards the soil. An experiment which
i tried last summer, with that novel varic
I
j ty, Striata formosissima, leads rue to th
conclusion, that to bring out the color
I the plants will do better upon a poorgra*
: elly soil than elsewhere. The e.xpcri
! incut was as follows :?
' No. 1, I planted in poor, gravelly sol
i! j in nn open situation, and all the flowers
1.1 but two were bo;iutifu!y mottled. .
r No, 2, I planted upon a soil as first re*
j commended al>o ve, n nd not one half of the
5 , flowers were mottled.
r j No. 3, Three plants-, very highly en.
' i riched, and every bloom but one was tdf* I
colored.
Yours,
T. MJNLAP.
j Harlem, .V. Aor. 10, 1840.
i From tht Wettrrn Farmer $ Gardener.
3 CRQSS-BKEEDINO, AND BKKKDIXO IX.AXD*
IX, IX THE VEGETABLE K1XODOX.
, Tho terms cross.breeding, and breeding
in-and-in, when applied to the ani.
mat kingdom, aro, I presume, familiar to
most of your agricultural read era, but may
i not bo ho well understood when applied
t to vegetables; therefore, a communica
tion on the subject may be acceptable to
those engaged in the improvement of the
latter.
By tho term cross-breeding I would be
understood as meaning that process by
1 j which the pistil or female part of a flow,
I or, becomes impregnated by the pollen
j ; from a flower of a different variety of tho
j same species.
3: By breeding in-and-in, ns meaning thnt
f \ process by which the pistil of the flower
. becomes impregnated with the pollen
from its own variety.
r\ . i n l 11._ , v.: ? i^ A(,
: I IMC nrst prwxas wic iidjcwi in u? unI!
tain new varieties, partaking of the nae
I turc of l)oth the varieties concerned in
e | the impregnation. And by the lntter, to
c j continue any valuable variety, by proJ.
| ducing now generations which shall retain
o 1 all the valuable characteristics of the pa
i rent plants, without any chango in the
Ir! churaeter of the fruit produced. And
* the inquiry is, Cannot this bo dono at a
0 cheaper rate, than by the process now
s used, by budding or grafting?
d 1 Sir Andrew Knight has already cnligh.
n , tened the horticultural world, bv his ex
t
s ; pcrimcnts in cross-breeding, by which ho
d ! produced many valuable new varitio*,
0 ' both in annuals and perennials; at the
s ! saino time supporting the theory that
c each new pin lit produced from seed is a
; new generation, having its limited time
1 of duration, according to the nature of
II the plunt. According to this theory, the
! time will como when ail our present va-?
e luablc varieties of fruit shall have become
; extinct. If this is correct, is it not desira.
| blc that we should adopt some method
by which we may preserve them unimpaired;
and in what way can this bo
done but by breeding in-and-in ?
s j By Knight's process of cross-breeding
v ii-i.m iii/i iJnntrf nnlv. ha found (hat thn
0 now variety was a medium* between tho
' j two varities made use of in the fructifiy
cation, in size, color, flavor, time of riponing,
6cc.; but that the plant in its
6 growth bore a strong resemblance to the
mother tree, or that which produced tho
fruit. This was where the pollen from
only one variety was allowed to approach
the pistil.
Have we not reason te believe that tlu>
a pistil may be acted upon !>y the pollen
e ! from different varieties at the same time,
it 1 each variety producing an effect in pron
portion to the quantity coming in contact
i with tho pistil,?and thus giving cheracg
- tcr lo the new plant? Upon what other
if; principle arc wc to account for the si mi.
c : larity found among our fruits now grown T
s Amongst our fuvorite apples now under
if ! cultivation, we have many varieties of
if; what wc term the samo families, all posr!
scssing the same general characteristics,
' and yet perfectly distinct. Of the Junetil
i tings we have four distinct varieties in
t- ; this section ; all resembling each other
i, | in the growth of the tree, which is differo
cnt from most trees; similar in their
' - * in Tit.
d ! limeot ripening, ana navor 01 mcir iruu.
h Of the Seek-no.furthers, nu equal number
a to which the same observation* will apply,
and all of which may he distinguishI,
cd either by growth or flavor of fruit, and
a j recognized at once by either, as belong,
it : ing to the same family. Other instances
s | might be adduced, which go to prove that
11 they were produced from the seed of
11 (lowers, which was mostly impregnated
| by their own pollen, and yet not entirely
e ' so.
i- i The object of this communication is to
! induce some Horticulturist to try the exn
perimcnt of enclosing the top of some
is 1 small tree in a glass case, during the seu:r
- son of fructification, by which the flow,
e | ers would become impregnated by their
i- ! own pollen; then to plant the seeds so
t- ; produced* and bring the plants to fruit,
>r | and thus demonstrate the theory of breed>f
ing in.and.in; and also whether trees
>f i could not be produced with equal certainj
ty as to variety, and at a cheaper rate
e than by budding or grafting.
2. i Cross-breeding and breeding in.and.in,
I in tbe animal kingdom, has been attendi
ed with much profit to those who have
ic I practised it with care ; and is there not
s, ; reason to beliere that a corresponding
t. | profit might attend a like attention tu
i- j the breeding of plants?
, Yours respectfully,
J .N. CIOODSLLL.