roe nis 4 3 : ? a iD ‘eal / ( AK " 4 ( < | a é i Ag. L-CTUF er ~ ; “a / “ae Ce - hie ‘@ K (/ He: : Ce vey ee Yetmdgrr 369 Celt St Fulah Pa 152 °9 PEG is ps is SH Ce Sa NRE 8 aia . North Devon Cow Pretty. bred by the hart of Leccester, kngland: PL UL. weiss, Sah fe W.H. Davis, Pinx' Wie cre & M° Gpans ath re North Devon Ox, bred by the hart of Lercester, England. 7 RY S77 Y LT . MALE CASHMERE GOAT. The property of Richard Peters, of Atlanta, Georgia, imported in 1849 from Turkey, in Asia, by J. B. Davis, M.D., of South Carolina, Live weigbt 155 pounds. Weight of yearly fleece 7 pounds. : HMERE GOAT. The property of Richard Peters, of Atianta, Georgia, imported in 1849 from Turkey, in Asia, by J. B. Davis, M.D., of South Carolina. Live weight 102 pounds. Weight of yearly fleece 4 1-4 pounds, Magnified, Magnified. Sl iN i s we cs J a = a bo 5 = es Sear F] y - ae EI ‘pogiaseyy azis eInjeN in “popyuse yy *poplusey € TIA Td a *peyraseyy ‘Oz peanye NI I) i] f) SZ ae Cc | & @2 € era <— ce Pe SN NNR OS SET AFTER DRAIN 4 ED —_~ = IDEN” nginc) ; VA 4 a LA MO . Vt 34th Coneress, 2 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, ( Ex. Doc. 1st Session. 2 No. 12. REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS FOR THE YEAR 1855 AGRICULTURE. WASHINGTON: CORNELIUS WENDELL, PRINTER. 1856. A 00 301064 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS. May 13, 1856.—Resolved, That there be printed two hundred thousand copies, extra of the Agricultural portion of the Patent Office Report, for the use of the House, and ten thousand copies, extra, additional, for the use of the Patent Office. Unitep States Parent Orrtce, March 31, 1856. Sir: Agreeably to the design of Congress, as indicated by the ap- propriation of March 3, 1855, for the collection of agricultural statis- tics, and the procurement and distribution of cuttings and seeds, ] have the honor to transmit herewith the Agricultural portion of my Annual Report. The operations of the past year have been conducted in the same general manner as for the year previous. The same method of pro- curing and distributing seeds, roots, and cuttings has been continued ; but arrangements have now been made by which the annual visit of an agent to Europe for the selection and purchase of those articles will hereafter be rendered unnecessary. Through the large and well-known establishments of Messrs. Vil- morin-Andrieux & Co., in Paris, William Skirving, in Liverpool, Charlwood & Cummins, in London, and Ernst Von Spreckelsen & Co., at Hamburg, we expect hereafter to obtain any seeds we may need, selected with as much care and fidelity as though such an agent were despatched each year for the purpose. The means pursued for obtaining most of our agricultural statistics, _ though deemed the best that could then be devised, have been far short of what was desired, and much of the information obtained has been iV AGRICULTURAL REPORT. exceedingly loose and desultory. To render this information more complete and reliable, a project to secure the cv-operation of the several State and Territorial governments has been in contemplation. Some of the States have for several years past obtained these statistics for their own purposes, with highly satisfactory results.. In Lopes that others might be induced to imitate this example, and that the system might be developed so far as to embrace the whole Union, the follow- ing circular was prepared and addressed to the governors and other prominent individuals of the several States and Territories :— ‘¢Wasuineton, February 29, 1856. ‘‘Srr: An appropriation is annually made by Congress to defray the expense of obtaining statistics, and to aid in other methods, to some extent, in promoting and fostering the agricultural interests of this country. There is every reasonable probability that this course of policy will be continued hereafter. “¢The results hitherto obtained , however, have been very imperfect, in consequence of a want of system, and of the means and machinery requisite for the attainment of the purpose in view; and, though the results have probably been such as to justify the expenditures hereto- fore made, they are insignificant in comparison with those which it is believed might be attained by the exertion of a suitable effort. ‘‘To put in operation independent machinery on the part of the Federal government, adequate to the attainment of the object in view, would involve. so many objectionable consequences, both financial and political, that no one would be willing to propose or support such a measure. But the idea has been suggested that, by the co-operation of the several State and Territorial governments, the object sought might be attained without any considerable increased expense, or the creation of additional offices. ‘© In some of the States, the practice has been already introduced, of annually obtaining statistics of the kinds suggested in the accompany- ing schedule; by making it the legal duty of the assessors to obtain these statistics at the time they are making their annual assessments of personal or real property. Such statistics will not be precisely accurate, but they will be far more reliable than estimates made in any other manner that seems as practicable, and cannot but be inter- esting and useful in an eminent degree. Every year will add to the accuracy of these statistics, and of the deductions drawn therefrom ; and every year would demonstrate their value, in a still greater degree, as the agricultural wealth and importance of this country become REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER. y more real and more generally recognised. It cannot but be useful for the world to know, annually, the productions that are to be found in its chief granary. ‘¢But, in order to reap the greatest possible advantage, a concert of action is indispensable. Uniformity and system in obtaining the de- sired information are essential to success. The importance of being able to construct one set of tables for one State, and a different set for another State, is trifling in comparison with what would result from tables which should be uniform for all those States where the same articles were produced. The entire amount of each product should be shown, as far as possible, and, if to the agricultural statistics those in relation to its commerce and mineral products can be added, the value of the results will be vastly enhanced. ‘‘A material element of the system above shadowed forth is the establishment of a central agency, by which the information obtained in the different portions of this extended country may be collected, arranged, and published. The Agricultural branch of tle Patent Office seems naturally to suggest itself for this purpose. Adequate means are there found for collecting and arranging the information obtained in the several States, and the Annual Agricultural Report furnishes a ready vehicle for disseminating this digested information over the whole country. “Such a plan is, therefore, now suggested for your consideration. If you deem it worthy of yo wr countenance, you are invited to take such steps as you may think preper to cause its general adoption. Espe- cially are you desired to use your influence to cause your own local legislature to act efficiently in the matter, as far as their territorial jurisdiction extends. ‘A schedule is herewith furnished, showing, in a general way, the nature of the information which is thought desirable. Other items may be added; but, in order to insure uniformity to this extent, it is suggested that nothing herein contained should be omitted, so far as the articles enumerated are produced in your State or Territory. “It is not expected that any further than general aggregates will be returned to this Office; and, in order that such returns may be published in the Report for the then current year, they should be com- municated, if possible, by the first of June, annually. ‘‘ Yours, very respectfully.’’ : vi AGRICULTURAL REPORT. Amount and estimated value of some of the principal agriculiural and mineral products, and the manufactures resulting therefrom, of the State of ———., in the year 1855. Articles. Quantity. Valuation. ples) Shee Rees shee oar se ace eea=- pene n= bushels------ Barley nee os os eee oe ee eee ee oe eae donee =e Beans and CARESS as nee eee een = a ee (hosel Ee Boots andisbosp ee: sete nee eesti. cree ee ee Pairs= \Soct J. TG Ne pe Se Ge Be Se eer ae Soe esas = = bushels x= o12 RNBLCN Cao ee eed = ce ee nicee ae eer pounds... -==£ Cattle and calves, on hand:—+_. 2. =.-.2. 2025 - number..-.-- Cattie and calves, slaughtered_-_.-.---:------- do tare os CTS i 25 SRE gO a ee ee aoe pounds-_----- Diner scedye ee oP ee eee eee ream Rens dozecigeuee Ott] SuebeSSee ses Bess ermiaeeser S452 Se Bee tons . 27.24: Mnpper Ove= SP an os o= Se are oe een dpee.- a5 OTS Say pal a is ee eS ae Sea bushels. ----- Gotionl es see tea ees ee cet e bales or pounds- ----- Gotton'igoods =e osesois 22 on S92 se eee 2 yardss.22 25 lanes ie Be eee eee a a = Oe = pounds. =2-= Grapes_ -.-.-------- ------------------------ che ree ee ay 45 aoe allo ine eee ine Se wine int tOnS=-eesns Teh See SS eG tae bees sears oes pounds. ----- omsvonvhand yees\s-eeaasecee-e + eee pa mumber -.--- ups isin b tele dienes ee seme ama eee Ge seem lorses and MMmUeSe 2 fe. 2 icltem ami = = a al a Op seme 2 a2 HGH ple AMEN CAN Sone. he ere — eee pounds. ----- angh te yee) eke soe Ge ES ee oe dosss..ce = OG 36. bees BAe e Beeb See 6 ese aoe bushels- .---- Paper. cae eec ech ee ease toe e+ sane == reams or pounds------ Potatoes. COMMON ge=4-2=25-25---2------25-6- bushels- ----- | Potatoes, sweet...--------------------------- Gotse2 Glia f EL a ne ee ee te re ee ei terces). 5 5 i OStNPeiaT eANOh PLUCMS Soler mim ne eer barnelaid . 222 Ue coat ha i ee ain ew eee ee eee ae bushels.....- | Uy Free l= egg OE ee Se op is Se oe SRE Ed pounds or bushels_----- Sheep and lambs, on hand-------- & fake ia Sree number---..- Sheep and lambs, slaughtered --.-------------- (GaP paren aes Sitar eS a Re a See a Ses e ye pounds. ...-- Timothy and other grass seeds -..----------- bushelss.. <2 BD DACCO Se perenne. BEE ES ao ete pounds_....- Riiliewtis cs ss ee eee A See eee ete bushels------ URINE otis Re SS SS ee a aes acre Gallons: - 2... HE shes Se ees oes eee oe oe eemieite = Ossett oe ofl See Bee ae Se ae ea a eae pounds.-_.-- It was hoped that the object sought would be deemed sufficiently important, to each of the State and Territorial governments, to induce them all to take the requisite steps for, procuring and furnishing the desired information, which could be digested and sent abroad through the Annual Report of this Office, and thus the design of Congress would be attained, in as full and complete a manner, and with as lit- tle cost and trouble, as could ever have been anticipated. . From the answers received, it is regarded as probable that such REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER. Vil will eventually be the case; but, from the lateness of the time when the circular was issued, nothing definite could be expected until an- other year. The real plan proposed has not been fully understood by some of those to whom the circulars were addressed. Many of them have supposed that the information obtained was to be communicated to this Office in its crude state, just asit was procured by the township assess- ors throughout the country ; whereas, the design is, that all the sta- tistics of each State, as derived from the different local officers, should be fully digested and consolidated, so that nothing but general aggre- gates might be furnished to this Office. In this way, the Office would have no great burden thrown upon it. “It would be serving merely as a channel through which the in- formation, derived from so many different sources, might find its way to the world in a convenient and intelligible shape. It has been suggested by some, that all the important items of in- formation contemplated in this circular might be found embraced in the regular census returns, made every five or ten years; but this does not at all reach the point inview. The great object is to pro- eure reliable information, annually, in advance of the census re- turns, and which may be disseminated for the use of the whole country. If all the producers and dealers in pork could learn, with reason- able certainty, how much was slaughtered last year, and how many hogs were on hand, so as to be able to institute a comparison, in relation to similar facts, for previous years, the utility of such inform- ation would be evident. The same is true in regard to any other agricultur al or mineral product. It is hoped that these considerations will present themselves favora- bly to the minds of State and Territorial legislators, and that ere long a judicious, economical and well-regulated system, of this nature, may grow into existence. About the time of preparing the foregoing circular, another was issued, and sent to consuls, missionaries, and other persons residing abroad, the object of which was to obtain information relative to the pro- duction and manufacture of cotton in foreign countries. It was believed that, as this information could be collected at small cost, its procure- ment would be legitimate, and would prove highly eI and useful. ' his measure related, not merely to the present, but also to the probable future. It was intended to show the amount of cotton pro- Vill AGRICULTURAL REPORT, duced in other countries, and also their adaptation to its future pro- duction. A like course might also be advantageously pursued with regard to tobacco, and perhaps other staples of this country. Associated with this subject are the steps which have been taken to obtain statistics of certain meteorological facts, which seem vitally connected with agriculture. The degree of heat, cold, and moist- ure, in the various localities, and the usual periods of their occurrence, together with their effects upon different agricultural productions, are of incalculable importance, in searching into the laws by which the successful growth of such products are regulated, and will enable us, with some degree of certainty, to judge where any given article can be profitably cultivated, and whether other countries will ever pe likely to compete successfully in its culture. We know, already, sufficient in relation to the meteorological facts involved in the question, to state that neither England, nor any portion of Northern Europe, can ever be successful competitors in the culture of Indian corn. It may, very probably, be within the reach of more extended scientific observation and research to determine whether cotton, and many other of our products, can hereafter be cultivated with success in any of the other quarters of the world. In conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution, an effort has already been commenced by this Office to obtain such of these meteoro- logical statistics as are most intimately connected with agriculture. A few hundred dollars were appropriated for that purpose the past year, and the expenditure is believed to have been judicious, and its con- tinuance by this Office is contemplated. Asa supplement to these meteorological investigations, the im- portance of chemical analyses of soils and products naturally sug- gests itself. The full purpose of the former, as above set forth, cannot be carried out without a resort to the latter. Something in this direction has already been attempted. An accomplished chemist has been employed to analyse certain portions of the corn and cotton plants. This course of investigation could, doubtless, be continued with very great advantage to all our agricultural interests. : The system of inquiry relative to the classes of insects injurious or beneficial to our various agricultural products, which was com- menced in 1854, has been continued through the past year, and is still in progress. A knowledge of all these insects—of their natures and habits—is the first step towards the discovery of the means necessary to check or prevent the ravages of such as are de- REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER. 1x structive, and may very probably end in this result. It is con- fidently believed that the money which has been devoted to this object has been judiciously and usefully expended, and that these investiga- tions may be profitably continued for many years. Measures have also been commenced to test the value and relative usefulness of the different grasses that are to be found in the country, whether of native or of foreign origin; to determine their nutritive properties, their proper modes of treatment, and the climate and soil best adapted to their profitable culture. As this is by far the most valuable product of the country, taken in the aggregate, a moderate expenditure for the purposes above intimated will pro_ bably meet with approval. | Some apology would seem to be due for the large amount of foreign statistics which are contained in this Report; but this is regarded by many quite as essential as the statistics of our own country, in order that we may know who are our competitors, and where an opening may occur for the sale of our products. Having endeavored thus to carry out what he believed to he, in substance, the intention of Congress in making the appropriation for agricultural purposes, the undersigned now presents the results which have been attained during the past year. All of which is respectfully submitted. CHARLES MASON, Commissioner, Hon. Natuantet P. Banks, Jr., Speaker of the House of Representatives. REPORT ON THH SKEDS AND CUTTINGS RECENTLY OBTAINED BY THE PATENT OFFICE, WITH SUGGESTIONS AS TO THE EXPEDIENCY OF INTRODUCING OTHERS. Sir: The benefits which have resulted to the country, and those yet in the progress of development, from the introduction or distribu- tion of useful seeds, plants, and cuttings, obtained from distant parts of the globe, as well as from different regions of this country, have been | such as to call forth the expressed gratification and general approval of the agricultural portion of the community in all sections of the Union. From the success which has thus attended the past efforts of this enterprise, we are led to hope that a rich recompense may attend our labors in future. And here permit me to repeat what was expressed on a former occasion: The time for believing that the exclusive possession of any benefit contributes solely to the pri- vilege or prosperity of any particular country or kingdom, has gone by, and that the principles of free and universal intercourse and exchange are now conceded to constitute the surest foundation for the happiness of nations. This is so obviously true in matters of this sort, that it cannot for a moment be attended with a doubt. Hence it may be in- ferred that there is an ample field for exertion on the part of our general government, as well as of States and individuals, to increase our agricultural and botanical riches, and more especially those pro- ducts which so conspicuously and permanently add to our useful and economical resources. Among the seeds, cuttings, and tubers that have been introduced, or otherwise obtained, within the last three years, the culture of which has been attended with marked advantage and success, I would in- stance the following :— REPORT ON SEEDS AND CUTTINGS. xi CEREALS. The Turkish Flint Wheat, from near Mount Olympus, in Asia, a hardy fall variety, with a dark-colored chaff, a very heavy beard, and a long, flinty, light-colored berry, will prove highly profitable to the farmer and miller, from its superior weight and the excellence of the flour it will produce. It appears to be well adapted to the soil and climate of the Middle States, and has even improved in the quality of its grain, both in regard to its color and size. It withstood the severity of the past winter, without much injury from the cold; and, from its very long and thick beard, it doubtless will be protected, in a measure, from the depredations of insects in the field, as well as from heating or moulding in the stack. The hardness of the grain, too, when dry, is a sufficient guarantee against ordinary moisture in transportation and the perforation of the weevil in the bin. From several reliable experiments made with this wheat, in Vir- ginia, with ordinarily good cultivation, the yield was 30 bushels to an acre. Hstimating the present annual crops of wheat, grown in the Middle and Southern portions of the United States, to be 100,000,000 bushels—averaging, say 20 bushels to the acre—the in- creased production in those sections, if the Turkish Flint wheat alone were cultivated, and the ratio of yield as above, would be 50,000,000 bushels, which would often add to the yearly resources of a single farm $500, and of the country, at least $50,000,000. The Improved King Philip or Brown Corn, the seed of which was obtained, three years ago, from an island in a lake in New Hampshire, was extensively disseminated in all the States north of New Jersey, and throughout the mountainous districts of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. The result has been that it usually matured within the period of ninety days from the time of planting, (from the first to the middle of June,) and yielded, with good cultivation, in most eases, from 80 to 100 bushels of shelled corn to an acre. It is well adapted to high latitudes and elevated valleys and plains, where, . from the shortness of summer, other varieties of corn are lable to be killed by late spring or early autumnal frosts. The quality of the grain is good, being heavy, well filled with oil, and suitable for fattening animals, or for transportation, by sea, without injury from moisture in vessels. This corn also possesses another valuable property, in being susceptible of close planting, and consequently is of a dwarfy xil AGRICULTURAL REPORT. growth, which renders the entire stalks and blades suitable for fodder, when cured. Estimating the present annual corn-crop of New England, New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Utah, Washington, and Oregon, at 50,000,000 bushels, say 30 bushels per acre, if the variety of corn in question were solely cultivated in these States, the increased yield, allowing the product to be 50 bushels (one-half of the maxi- mum) to the acre, would be more than 33,000,000 bushels, the value of which would be at least $20,000,000. FORAGE PLANTS. Among the forage products more recently introduced, and one which would seem to deserve special notice, is the ‘‘ Chinese sugar- cane,’ (Sorghum saccharatum,) a new gramineous plant, of Chinese origin, but more recently from France, by the way of Natal, in South Africa. Since its introduction into this country, it has proved itself well adapted to our geographical range of Indian corn. It is of easy cultivation, being similar to that of maize or broom-corn ; and, if the seeds are planted in May, in the Middle States, or still earlier at the South, two crops of fodder can be grown in a season from the same , roots, irrespective of drought—the first one in June or July, to be cut before the panicles appear, which would be green and succulent, like young Indian corn, and the other, a month or two later, when or before the seed is fully matured. The amount of fodder which it will pro- duce to the acre, with ordinary cultivation, may be safely estimated at seven tons, when green, or at Jeast two tons per acre, when thor- oughly cured. The stalks, when nearly mature, are filled with a rich saccharine juice, which may be converted into sugar, syrup, alcohol, . or beer, or may be used for dyeing wool or silk a permanent red or pink ; and the entire plant is devoured with avidity, either in a green or a dry state, by horses, cattle, sheep, and swine. Considered in an utilitarian point of view, this plant, perhaps, has stronger claims on the American agriculturist than any other product that has been brought to this country since the introduction of cotton or wheat. Aside from other economical uses, its value, for feeding to animals, alone, in every section of the Union where it will thrive, cannot be surpassed by any other crop, as a greater amount of nutritious fodder cannot be obtained so cheap, on a given space, within so short a period of time. When Cato was asked what was the best system of farmiug, he thrice answered, ‘‘bene pascere’’; which is to be translated, ‘‘ to graze REPORT ON SEEDS AND CUTTINGS. xill well,’’ or to procure food for cattle—having had in view the con- nexion between the feeding of stock and the production of manure. Admitting the above axiom to be true, what more economical, sure and feasible mode can be adopted to restore and maintain the fertility of the exhausted lands of this country than to extend the culture of this plant for the rearing and support of a larger number of cattle, or other animals, and enriching these lands with the manure? Without wishing to present the question in an extravagant light, it may be stated that this crop is susceptible of being cultivated, within the ter- ritory of the United States, to an extent equal to that of Indian corn, say 25,000,000 acres per annum; and, estimating the average yield of dry or cured fodder to the acre at two tons, the yearly amount produced would be 50,000,000 tons, which, to keep within bounds, would be worth at least $500,000,000, besides the profits derived from the animals in milk, flesh, labor, and wool. In addition to what is given above and in other parts of this vol- ume, respecting the growth and culture of this plant, it may be stated that it will resist the effects of considerable frost without injury, after the panicles appear, and that those who wish to save the seeds for planting should not cultivate it in the vicinity of Dourah corn, Choco- late corn, nor broom-corn, as it hybridises or mixes freely with those plants, which would render the seeds of the product unfit for that use. The German Millet, (Panicum germanicum,) another annual forage plant, has been introduced from France, which has proved very pro- ductive, is quick in growth, resists drought, and even flourishes well on dry soils. TUBEROUS ROOTS. The Chinese Yam, (Dioscorea batatas,) originally from China, but more recently from France, has been introduced, which has succeeded well in various parts of the Union, and promises to serve as an excel- lent substitute both for the common and sweet potato. It possesses the remarkable property of remaining sound in the earth for several years, without either deteriorating in its edible qualities or sustaining injury from frost, which adds much to its value, in being always in readiness for the kitchen, and this, too, often at times when the potato is shrivelled or otherwise impaired. For the history and culture of this root, see the Agricultural Report of the Patent Office for 1854, and page 223 of this volume. The Earth Almond, or Chufa, (Cyperus esculentus,) a small tuberous esculent, from the south of Spain, has naturalised itself to our climate xiv AGRICULTURAL REPORT. and soil, and has proved very prolificin its yield, when cultivated in the light sandy soils of the Middle and Southern States, as well as those which are rich, and bids fair to become a valuable crop for cattle and swine. It belongs to the same genus as the notorious nut-grass, (Cyperus repens,) but does not possess the power of spreading itself like that pest of Southern fields. NUT-TREES, FRUITS, AND VINES. The Persian Walnut, or Madeira Nut, (Juglans regia,) originally a native of Persia, or the north of China, has been somewhat exten- sively distributed, and appears to be well adapted to the climate of the middle and southern latitudes of the United States. A tree of the ‘‘Titmouse’’ or ‘‘Thin-shelled’’ variety (Juglans regia tenera,) about twenty years planted, forty-five feet in height, and fifteen inches in diameter, standing on the premises of Colonel Peter Force, in the city of Washington, is perfectly hardy, and bears yearly an abundance of excellent nuts. This is cunsidered the most valuable of all the walnuts, as the tree begins to bear in eight or ten years from planting the seed; and the fruit is very delicate, keeps well, and is rich in oil. In Cashmere, where the walnut is the subject of careful cultivation, there are four varieties: The ‘‘ Kanak,’’ or wild, the nut of which is diminutive, with a thick shell and scanty kernel ; the ‘‘ Wantu,”’ having a large nut, with a thick and hard shell, and a deficient ker- nel; the ‘‘Denu,’’ also a large nut, with a thick and rather hard shell, and a kernel large, good, and easily extracted ; and the ‘‘ Kaghazi,”’ so called, from its shell being nearly as thin as paper. The latter, which may be readily broken by the hand, is the largest of all, having a kernel easily extracted, and producing an excellent oil. Its superiority is said to be attributable to its having been originally engrafted, but it is now raised from seeds, alone, and does not de- generate. The nuts, after being steeped in water, eight days, are planted in the beginning of March, and the shoot generally makes its appearance in about forty days. If reared by grafts, the process is performed when the plant is five years old. The head being cut off horizontally, ata convenient height, the stock is partially split, or opened, and the scion inserted in a similar manner to that adopted by our ‘cleft method,” in grafting the apple or pear; but clay-mortar, worked up with rice-husks, is put round it, and kept from washing away by being enveloped in broad slips of birch-bark. REPORT ON SEEDS AND CUTTINGS. xv tn Cashmere, the walnut-tree begins to fruit, ordinarily, when seven years old; but two or three years more elapse before it is in full bearing. Theaverage annual number of nuts, brought to maturity on a single tree, often amounts to 25,000. It has been observed that, after a few seasons of full bearing, the trees fall off in producing fruit, and run, with great luxuriance, to leaf and branch. To this latter condition the Cashmereans apply the appellation of ‘‘must,’’ and, to remedy the evil, cut off all the small branches, bringing the tree to the state of a pollard. The year following, shoots and leaves alone are produced, which are succeeded the next season by an abundant crop of nuts. The cut ends of the branches swell into knots, or knobs, which are somewhat unsightly in the tree, until they are concealed by the growth of the young branches and leaves. When ripe, the fruit of the Wantu walnut is retailed in the city at the rate of about two cents a hundred. The nuts of the Dunu are sold for about three cents a hundred ; and of the Kaghazi, at about four cents per hundred. It is a common practice for the country people to crack the walnuts at home, and carry: the kernels alone to market, where they are sold to oil-pressers, for extracting their oil. The kernels yield half their weight in oil ; and the other half, which consists of oil-cake, is much valued, as food for cows in winter, when it is usually exchanged for its weight of rough rice. About 1,150,000 pounds of walnut kernels are annually consigned to the oil-press in Cashmere, producing a large amount of oil and cake, besides a considerable quantity eaten by man, or consumed by other modes. Walnut oil, in that country, is preferred to linseed oil, for all the purposes to which the latter is applied. It is employed in cookery, and also for burning in lamps, without much clogging the wick or yielding muchsmoke. It is exported to Thibet, and brings a considerable profit. By ancient custom, the crop of nuts was equally divided between the government and the owner of the tree, but at present, the former takes three-fourths; yet, even under this oppression, the cultivation of this product isextended, and Cashmere, in propor- tion to its surface, produces a much larger quantity of nuts than any portion of the globe. The Persian walnut attains the largest size in a deep, loamy soil, rather dry than moist ; but the fruit has the best flavor, and produces the most oil, when it is grown ina limy soil, or among calcareous rocks or stones. The site on which Colonel Force’s tree stands was formerly occupied by a brick-kiln. In wet-bottomed land, whatever may be the character of the surface, it will not thrive. The nuts may Xvi AGRICULTURAL REPORT. be planted in a drill about six inches apart, and one-fourth of an inch below the surface, any time between the period of ripening and early spring, provided there is no danger from rats, or other vermin of the field ; the nuts may also be gently pressed into the ground, even with the surface, and covered with straw or leaves; and, to afford them further protection, light poles or boards may be placed over the whole, until spring. The only attention required in their culture, the first year, is, to keep the young plants free from weeds, and, about mid- summer, to shorten their tap or main roots, six or eight inches below the nuts, by inserting a spade on each side of the drills, in a slanting direction, so as to cut off their points, in order to induce them to throw out more fibres, to facilitate their transportation. Early in the spring of the second year, they may be transplanted to a distance of five or six feet apart, where they may remain until they are removed to their permanent sites. M. Bosc, in the ‘‘ Nouveau Cours d’ Agri- culture,’ recommends that they should not be removed from the nursery before the stems have attained a height of five or six feet from the ground, and are five or six inches in diameter. He says, pits should be previously dug for the trees, eight feet in diameter, and three feet deep, and the soil exposed to the air some months before the time of transplanting. When the removal is performed late in - autumn, all the branches may be left on till spring, when, before the sap begins to rise, the head of the tree may be entirely cut off, leay- ing only a main stem terminating in the stumps of the principal branches, which will be followed by the pushing out of new shoots, of © great vigor, the first year. ; In cases where this tree is to be grown for fruit, on dry soils or rocky situations, the nut ought to be planted where it is finally to re- main, on account of the tap-root, which will thus have its full influ- ence on the vigor and prosperity of its future growth, by descending to the sub-soil for the nourishment it could not otherwise obtain. On the contrary, when there is a moist or otherwise unfavorable sub-soil, if planted where it is finally to remain, a tile, slate, or flat stone, should be placed under the nut, at a depth of three or four inches, in order to give the tap-root a horizontal course. When planted as orchards, the trees may be set a rod apart, an acre of which would contain one hundred and sixty in the square form, or one hundred and eighty in quincuncem. Estimating the product of each tree at a bushel of nuts, and supposing that it will produce that quantity in twelve or fifteen years after plant- ing, and considering that the amount imported into this country REPORT ON SEEDS AND CUTTINGS. XVll is valued at least at $100,000 per annum, the inducements for its culture by the farmers and planters of the Middle and Southern States would appear to be sufficiently ample for their immediate attention. The Almond, (Amygdalus communis,) which is indigenous to Syria and Northern Africa, has become naturalised in the south of Europe, Madeira, the Azores, and the Canary Islands, and is cultivated for ornament or its fruit in the central and southern portions of the United States. When grafted upon the common plum, it often attains a height of twenty or thirty feet, with a trunk eight or ten inches in diameter ; and even in the neighborhood of Paris, where the winter climate is almost as severe as that of Philadelphia, it is met with of the elevation of forty feet, and in the south of France it grows still higher. The almond is commonly one of the first among hardy trees to dis- play its blossoms, which generally put forth, in Barbary, in January ; at Smyrna, in February ; near London, in March; in Germany and New York, in the latter part of April ; and at Christiana, in Norway, not till the beginning of June. The blossoms appear before the leaves; and hence they produce the finest effect when planted among evergreens. It has been observed that, though vernal frosts often destroy the germs of the fruit, they do not injure the beauty of the flowers, but even increase their splendor. An avenue of almond-trees, quite hoary with frost, in the evening, will be of a brilliant rose-color the following morning, and will often retain its beauty for more than a month ; the flowers never falling off till the trees are covered with verdure. The fruit is not so attractive as that of the peach ; because, instead of preserving the same delicious pulp, its pericarp shrivels as it ripens, and becomes a horny kind of husk, opening of its own ac- cord, at the end of maturity. The kernel of some varieties of the almond, however, is not defended by so thick a shell as that of the peach and nectarine ; for it is often so tender that the nuts break when shaken together. The chief distinction between these fruits is, that the almond has a stone, covered with a coriaceous, dry, hairy cover- ing, while those of the peach and nectarine are developed in a rich, juicy pulp, surrounded by a smooth or downy skin. In a wild state, the almond is sometimes found with bitter kernels, and at other times sweet, in a similar manner to the Grammont oak, (Quercus hispanica,) which, in Spain, generally bears sweet, edible acorns, but sometimes produces only such as are bitter. The two varieties the most valuable for cultivation, are the ‘‘ sweet-kernelled ’’ il XVill AGRICULTURAL REPORT. almond (Amandier 4 petits fruits, or Amandes douces, of the French,) and the “‘soft-shelled’’ almond, (Amandier a coque tendre, or Amande & coque molle, of France.) The shell of the former is hard, but the kernel is sweet-flavored. It is cultivated in the south of Europe, being generally propagated by grafting, standard high, on the bitter almond, or on strong-growing seedling almond stocks, in order to insure the sweetness of its fruit. The latter is characterised by the softness or fragility of its shell, as well as by the sweet flavor of its kernel, and is the variety recently introduced and distributed by this Office. The aimond does not prosper, unless the soil be dry, sandy, or cal- careous, and of considerable depth ; but all the varieties will succeed well in a free soil, that is not too moist, when grafted or inoculated on stocks of the common plum. Thesituation should be sheltered, on account of the liability of the branches to be broken off by high winds. As it sends down a tap-root, exceeding two feet in length the first season, it has been found that such a tree, when taken up, has few fibres, and, consequently, but little chance of growing. From this circumstance, originated the practice of germinating the nuts in boxes of earth before sowing them, and pinching off the point of the rad- icles when about an inch in length, which causes it to throw out numerous horizontal roots. This mode of germinating the nuts also insures plants to the nurseryman the first season after sowing, whereas, when this is not done, the seeds often lie dormant in the ground two years. The almond requires but little pruning, except when fruit of a large size is desired, or the duration of the tree is wished to be pro- longed. The advantages of this tree may be briefly summed up in the fol- lowing words: Jt prospers upon indifferent soil; requires but little care in its cultivation ; is beautiful as an ornamental tree; useful as a shade-tree ; and profitable in its production of a much-desired fruit, yielding, in its bearing years, about 20 pounds to the tree, which, at 15 cents a pound, would amount to at least $500 to an acre. The amount of almonds annually imported into the United States is be- lieved to be valued at more than $250,000. The Cork-Oak, (Quercus suber,) an evergreen tree, indigenous to the south of Europe and Northern Africa, which furnishes the well- known article, cork, in sufficient quantities for commerce. It is adapted to the soil and climate of many parts of the Middle and Southern States, and, aside from its desirableness as a beautiful shade- -tree, will prove a necessary auxiliary to the future wine-culture of REPORT ON SEEDS AND CUTTINGS xix this country, as well as for the supply of the increasing demand for cork for other purposes. In the regions where this tree is indigenous, it usually grows to a height of twenty or thirty feet. It was introduced into England about the year 1699, by acorns brought from France or Spain, and still exists there in various collections, having attained, in some instances, a diameter of two or three feet. A tree of this species also stands on the estate of Samerstown, near Cork, in Ireland, with a diameter of at least three feet at a yard above the ground. The cork-tree bears a considerable resemblance to our live-oak of the Southern States, but varies exceedingly in the magnitude, form, and margin of its leaves, as well as in the size of its acorns, which, M. Bose alleges, may be eaten as human food in cases of necessity, especially when roasted. Swine are excessively fond of them, upon which they fatten well,'acquiring a firm and savory bacon or lard. The outer bark, the great thickness and elasticity of which is owing to an extraordinary development of the cellular tissue, forms the cork ; and, after the tree is full grown, cracks and separates from the trunk and larger branches of its own accord. The inner bark remains attached to the tree, but, when removed in its young state, is only fit for tanning. But the outer bark, that separates naturally from the trunk, is regarded as of little value, compared with that which is re- moved by art; and the reason doubtless is, that, in the latter case, it has not arrived at that rigid, contracted and fractured state, which is the natural consequence of its dropping from the tree. When this oak has attained the age of fifteen years, according to Du Hamel, or twenty years, according to Bosc, the bark is removed for the first time; but this first bark is found to be cracked, and full of woody portions and cells, and hence it is fit only for fuel, or perhaps for tanning. The second disbarking takes place in eight or ten years, when the cork is sold to fishermen for buoying up their nets, and to others for inferior uses. But, in eight or ten years more, the tree yields cork of good quality, and so continues to do until it is from two to three centuries old, the cork improving in quality throughout the whole period. In view of the ease with which the cork-oak can be propagated in the central and maritime parts of the Middle, Atlantic and Sduthern States, and, perhaps, on the prairies of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, and Illinois, and the general desire for diversifying the land- scape of those States with beautiful, long-lived, umbrageous trees, the comparatively long time which is necessary for its growth before xx AGRICULTURAL REPORT. much, if any, profit can be realised, should not deter the prudent or sagacious husbandman from extending its culture. Considering it in a politic as well as in an economical sense, seasonable measures should be taken to form plantations of this tree, sufficient for the future supply _ of cork, particularly for the increasing demands for that material ‘ which are likely to arise from the culture of the vine. Again, were non-intercourse to occur between this country and the Old World, which, from some political commotion, doubtless one day or other will take place, the sources from which it is obtained would be cut off, and, in a short time after, our supply would be exhausted, and we would be without a substitute, unless provided against such an exigency by the means herein proposed. As a further argument in showing the importance of fostering this branch of rural economy, it may be stated, that the amount of cork which is yearly imported into the United States, is valued at more than $284,000. Among the cuttings of frwit-trees which have been introduced, may be mentioned the ‘‘Prune d’Agen’’ and the ‘‘ Prune Sainte Catha- rine,’’ from France. They have both been extensively distributed and grafted on the common plum-tree in all the States rorth of Penn- _ sylvania, itself included, and on the mountainous districts of Mary- , land and of Virginia. From the success which has attended this exper- iment, there is much reason to believe that there will soon be produced from these, and other varieties from Europe, a sufficient quantity of dried prunes, in those regions, to supply the wants of the whole Union. The amount of this class of fruit annually imported into this country, according to official returns, is valued at $64,568. A quantity of the cuttings of the ‘‘ Raisin’’ and ‘‘ Currant’ grape- vines (Vigne chevelés and Vigne corinth) were also imported from France, the varieties from which are made the “‘ Ascalon,’’ ‘‘Sultana”’ or stoneless raisin, and the ‘‘ Zante’’ or ‘‘ Corinth’’ currant. They. were principally distributed in the central latitudes of the United States, and, as far as heard from, withstood the severity of the climate, last winter, and bid fair to do well. MEDICINAL PLANTS. A quantity of the roots of ‘‘ Liquorice,’’ (Glycyrrhiza glabra,) a somewhat tender perennial, much cultivated in the south of Europe, and, to some extent, in England, was introduced, and has thus far answered the expectations of the experimenters in several of the Middle and Southern States. From the increasing demands for this root in pharmacy, or medicinal preparations of various kinds, there is REPORT ON SEEDS AND CUTTINGS. 251 no reason why its culture could not be profitably extended in most localities where it will thrive. The amount annually imported in a crude and manufactured state is valued at about $300,000. For the culture and preparation of this plant see Agricultural Re- port of the Patent Office for 1854, page 358. A variety of the ‘‘ Common”’ or ‘‘ Opium Poppy,’’ (Papaver som- niferum,) indigenous to the warm and temperate parts of Hurope and Asia, from Portugal to Japan, and especially cultivated in China, India, Turkey, Egypt, and in the Morea, has been introduced, and has proved itself susceptible of easy cultivation on very rich soils, and is well adapted to the climate of the Middle and Southern States. The flowers of the ‘‘ White Poppy,’”’ (Papaver s. alba,) the variety with which the experiment was made, may be either entirely white or red, or may be fringed with purple, rose, or lilac, variegated and edged with the same colors, but never occur blue nor yellow, nor mixed with these colors, each petal being generally marked at the bottom with a black or purple spot. The seeds are black in the plants having purple flowers, and light-colored in those which are white ; although the seeds of the latter, when of spontaneous growth, are sometimes black. The largest heads, which are employed for medical or domestic use, are ob- tained from the single-flowered kind, not only for the purpose of ex- tracting opium, but also on account of the bland, esculent oil that is expressed from the seeds, which are simply emulsive, and contain none of the narcotic principle. For the latter purpose, if no other, its culture in this country is worthy of attention. With regard to the cultivation of this plant, with the view of obtain- ing opium, there can be but little doubt that our clear sky, fervid summer sun, and heavy dews would greatly favor the production of this article; but how far these circumstances, in connexion with American ingenuity in devising improved methods for its extraction, would allow us to compete with the cheapness of labor in the East, can *only be determined by actual trial. Certainly it is an object worthy of public encouragement, as the annual amount of opiwa imported into the United States is valued at upwards of $407,000, a considerable portion of which might be saved, and thereby add to our resources. Besides, if we were to raise a surplus, it could be sent to China in exchange for tea. The successful cultivation of the plant, however, requires the provision of good soil, appropriate manure, and careful management. The strength of the juice, according to Dr. Butler, of British India, depends much upon the quantity of moisture of the climate. A deficiency even of dew prevents the proper flow of ¥Xll AGRICULTURAL REPORT. the peculiar, narcotic, milky juice, which abounds in almost every part of the plant, while an excess, besides washing off this milk, causes additional mischief, by separating the soluble from the insoluble parts of this drug. This not only deteriorates its quality, but increases the quantity of moisture, which must afterwards be got rid of. The history of the poppy, as well as that of opium, its inspissated juice, are but imperfectly known. The oldest notices of this plant are found in the works of the early Greek physicians, in which men- tion is also made of the juice; but opium does not appear to have been so generally employed as in modern times, or the notices respect- ing it would have been more numerous and clear. In the manufacture of opium, in Persia or India, the juice is par- tially extracted, together with a considerable quantity of mucilage, by decotion. The liquor is strongly pressed out, suffered to settle, clarified with the white of eggs, and evaporated to a due consistence, yielding from one-sixth to a fifth of the weight of the heads of ex- tract, which possesses tle virtues of opium in a very inferior degree, and is often employed to adulterate the genuine opium. The heads of the poppies are gathered as they ripen ; and as this happens at dif- ferent periods, there are usually three or four gatherings in a year. The milky juice of the poppy, in its more perfect state, which is the case only in warm climates, is extracted by incisions made in the capsules, and simply evaporated into the consistency in which it ‘is known in commerce under the name of opium. In Turkey, the plants, during their growth, are carefully watered and manured, if necessary ; the watering being more profuseas the period of flowering approaches, and until the heads are half grown, when the operation is discontinued, and the collection of the opium commences. At sun- set, longitudinal incisions are made upon each half-ripe capsule, not sufficiently deep to penetrate the internal cavity. The night dews favor the exudation of the juice, which is collected in the morning, by scraping it from the wounds with a small iron scoop, and depositing the whole in an earthen pot, where it is worked in the sunshine with a wooden spatula, until it acquires a considerable degree of thickness. Tt is then formed into cakes by the hands, and placed in earthen pans to be further exsiccated, when it is covered with the leaves of the poppy, tobacco, or of some other plant. Two kinds of this article are found in commerce, distinguished by the names of ‘‘ Turkey’’ and ‘East India’’ opium. The former comes in solid, compact, and translucent masses, of moderate specific gravity, possessing a considerable degree of tenacity, yet somewhat REPORT ON SEEDS AND CUTTINGS. XXill brittle. When half cut through, the section is dense, a little shining, of a dark-brown color, becoming softer by the warmth of the fingers, in handling, and is reduced with difficulty to powder, unless done when it is cold, and after having been long dried in small pieces. The best article comes in flat pieces; and, besides the large leaves in which they are enveloped, they are usually covered with the reddish capsules of a species of rumex, used in packing. The roundish masses of opium, which have none of these capsules adhering to them, are regarded as inferior in quality. It is also inferior when it is fri- able or soft. The Hast India opium has usually much less consistence than the Turkish, being sometimes not thicker than tar, and always ductile. Its color is much darker ; its taste more nauseous, and less bitter ; and its smell rather empyreumatic. When imported, it is somewhat cheaper than the Turkish opium, and supposed to be of only half its strength. Among other products which appear to be worthy of introduction or extension, and likely to succeed in some portion of our territory, I would suggest the following :— PLANTS WHICH MAY BE CULTIVATED FOR MEDICINE, CONDIMENTS, OR HUMAN FOOD. The Vanilla Plant (Vanilla planifolia) is a native of the island of St. Domingo, where it climbs to the tops of the highest trees ; and is somewhat extensively cultivated in Mexico, in the vicinity of Vera Cruz. From the great demand, and the high price which it brings in the United States, it doubtless could be grown to advantage in some parts of the South, with a very little protection during the colder months of the year, and perhaps in hot-houses at the North. The amount of vanilla imported and consumed in this country, principally for flavoring cake, ice-cream, &c., is believed to exceed 5,000 pounds, valued at from $20 to $30 a pound, or $125,000 a year. The Mexicans have three classes of these beans, which they distinguish in commerce by the names, pompone, ley, and simarona. When the fruit begins to turn yellow, it is gathered and fermented in heaps, in the same manner as is practised with the pods of the cocoa (theobroma), then spread in the sun to dry, and, when about half cured, pressed flat with the hand, and, rubbed over with the oil of Palma-Christi, or of the cocoa ; it is then exposed again to the sun to dry, the oiling repeated, and the pods covered with the leaves of a reed to preserve them. The pods, as they occur in commerce, are of a dark-brown color, about six inches long, and scarcely an inch y- XXIV AGRICULTURAL REPORT broad; they are wrinkled on the outside, and filled with numer- ous black seeds, of an agreeable smell, resembling grains of sand. This vine shoots out roots at every joint, like the ivy, and may either be grown on a piece of a rotten trunk of a tree, or planted in a pot of rotten tan-bark, mixed with rubbish, and the stem trained against any surface that will admit its roots. Like all the other plants of the family to which it belongs, the vanilla requires but little water. It should not be exposed in a continued temperature much, if any, below 60° F. The Ginger Plant, (Zingiber officinale,) a native of the East Indies, and of various parts of Asia, and extensively cultivated in the West Indies, and other warm parts of America, doubtless could be grown with advantage in various parts of the South. The amount of ginger annually imported into the United States is valued at upwards of $60,000. For the cultivation of this plant, see the Agricultural Report of the Patent Office for 1854, page 354. Iceland Moss, (Cetraria islandica,) a species of lichen, a native of the mountainous heaths and woods in the Alpine parts of Scotland, and of the Asturias, in Spain, as well as in Iceland and the north of Germany. It grows toa height of only two or three inches, and has rather arugged, bushy appearance, and doubtless would thrive, and perhaps with profit, in the northern parts of the United States, par- ticularly in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Northern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. In Iceland and Lapland, this plant is used as an article of diet, being boiled in broth or milk, after being freed from its bitterness by repeated maceration in water; or dried and made into bread. The dried plant differs but little from its appearance in a recent state, Medicinally, it is tonic and demulcent. The decoction, as ordered in the pharmacopeias, is so bitter as to prevent many persons from taking it; and when deprived of its disagreeable tuste, it can only be viewed as a demulcent, and is hardly equal in its effects to linseed, quince-seed, and marsh-mallows. It certainly does not cure phthisis pulmonalis ; but in the last stage of that disease, when solid food is oppressive, and the diarrhoea appears to be kept up by the acrid con- tents of the stomach and bowels, it has appeared to check the latter, and to impart both vigor and nourishment to the digestive organs. The Florentine Iris, or Orris-root Plant, (Iris florentina,) a pe- rennial, native of Carniola, and common in the gardens of Europe, REPORT ON SEEDS AND CUTTINGS. XXV the root of which is remarkable for communicating an oder like that of violets, and produces the orris of the shops. The flowers, which put forth in spring, are noted for the graceful curve of their petals, as well as for the brilliancy of their hues. It has a thick, tuberous, creeping stem, usually called its root, which, externally, is brown and yellowish, is white within, and sends out numerous fibres—the true roots—from the lower part. When these are pared off, the stem appears full of round spots. Independent of the value which would be derived from the roots of this plant, it would be highly desirable to cultivate it for the purposes of ornament, in all parts of the country where it would thrive. The Palmated Rhubarb (Rheum palmatum,) is a perennial, native of Russia and some parts of Asia, whence the dried root is imported into this country for medicinal purposes. Large quantities of the roots are also annually collected for exportation in the Chinese prov- inces, within the lofty range of the Himalayas. The best is that which comes by the way of Russia, as greater care is taken in the selection ; and, on its arrival at Kiachta, within the Russian frontiers, the roots are all carefully examined, and the damaged pieces destroyed. This is the fine article of the shops, improperly calked ‘‘ Turkey ”’ rhubarb. That of the best quality occurs in small pieces, with a hole in the middle of each, made in the fresh root, to facilitate the operation of drying. The color isa lively yellow, streaked with white and red. Its texture is dense, and, when reduced to powder, it is entirely yellow. The Chinese rhubarb, called by the natives Ta Hroangor Hai- houng, is cultivated chiefly in the province of Chersee. As imported, it is known by the name of ‘ Hast Indian’”’ rhubarb, and comes in larger masses, more compact and hard, heavier, less friable, and not so fine in the grain as the other, and having less of an aromatic flavor. This species has been introduced into England, where it has been extensively cultivated ; and there is little doubt, therefore, of its proving perfectly hardy in many parts of our own country. Large quantities are annually imported, the cost of which might be saved if its culture were successfully prosecuted here, and we might thus add to our productive resources, In the middle and cooler parts of the United States, the seeds may be sown in March, in a gentle hot-bed, and, when the roots are about an eighth of an inch indiameter, they may be carefully drawn up, preserving the tap-root, and planted ina fine, rich, and deep soil—but XxXvVi AGRICULTURAL REPORT. not too much so, lest the roots should be too fibrous—at the distance of eight feet apart, a wet or cloudy day being preferred for this operation. Should the weather prove dry, they must be watered. When the plants are once in a growing state, all further care and trouble are at an end, except that of keeping them free from weeds. It may be stated, how- ever, that they do not necessarily require a hot-bed to make them vegetate; but, if sown in the natural ground in the Middle or Southern States, in the spring, when the weather is open, they will soon come up and thrive well. One of the greatest difficulties, in pursuing this method, consists in carrying the plants through their first season. If the weather be hot and dry, they must be shaded, and at all events continually watered; yet not too freely, as in most seasons the weather can scarcely be too dry, after the plants have been well set. Indeed, more evil is to be apprehended from a superabundance of moisture than from an actual want of it. In the month of August, or before, the seed-stalks should be cut off, which ought always to be done on the withering of the radical leaves ; and the crowns of the plants should then be covered with mould, in the form of a hillock. The largest specimens of this drug have generally been allowed to grow six or seven years; the roots are then very large, sometimes weighing from 30 to 50 pounds. The Chinese take up their rhubarb | in winter. Pallas says that the Tartars take up theirs in April and May ;. but Forster, in his ‘‘ History of Voyages in the North,” with more reason, affirms that the roots are dug up in winter, because they then contain the entire juice and virtue of the plant, as those taken up in summer are of a light, spongy texture, and unfit for use. In Tartary, after being thoroughly cleansed, and the small radicles cut off, the roots are cut transversely into pieces of a moderate size ; these are then placed on long tables, or boards, and turned three o» four times a day, in order that the yellow, viscid juice may incorporate with the substance of the root. If this juice be suffered to run out, the roots become light, and of but little value; and if they are not cut within five or six days after they are dug up, they become soft, and rapidly decay. Four or five days after they are cut, holes are made through them, and they are hung up to dry, exposed to the air and ‘wind, but sheltered from the sun. Thus, in about two months, the ‘roots are completely cured. The loss of weight in drying is very con- ‘siderable, seven parts, in weight, of the green root, yielding only one part of that which is perfectly dry. The Chinese method is somewhat different. They peel the roots, cut them into slices, and dry them on atone slabs, under which fires are kindled; but, as this process is not REPORT ON SEEDS AND CUTTINGS. XXVli sufficient to dry them perfectly, they make a hole through each of the pieces, and suspend them on strings—some say exposed to the sun, while others assert that they are hung in the shade. The Castor-oil Plant, (Ricinus communis,) known in almost every ‘part of the Hast and West Indies, South America, China, and the * countries and islands of the Mediterranean, under the name of ‘‘ Pal- ma-Christi,’’ has proved itself well adapted to the soil and climate of our Middle and Southern States ; and were its culture extended for the manufacture of castor-oil, there is no doubt that it would be profit- able, under improved methods of extracting it; and we should no longer be dependent on other nations for a supply. At present, we annually import an amount of this article exceeding in value $30,000. Although an annual, herbaceous plant, in the gardens of the cooler parts of Europe and the United States, within the tropics and the warm climates adjacent thereto, the Palma-Christi becomes a tree of several years’ standing, often having a woody trunk, of the size of a man’s body, and fifteen or twenty feet high. This plant thrives best on a light, sandy loam, although it may be cultivated with success in almost any soil tolerably fertile, or in any climate and situation where Indian corn will thrive. In the cooler parts of the Union, it may be planted in hills, two feet by three feet apart, two seeds in a place, as early in the spring as the warmth of the ground and the season will admit; but in the South, where the season is longer, and the plant assumes the character of atree, the hills should be six or seven feet apart in one direction, and three and a half feet in the other, receiving only one seed to a hill, covered to the depth of two inches. The culture is so simple that it only requires to keep the plants free from weeds, with a small flat hill to each. The only difficulty to contend with is, that in saving or harvesting the beans, the outward coats, as they become dry and elastic, fly off the plants to a consid- erable distance, causing the seeds to drop to the ground. In order to prevent this, it has been recommended to cut off the ‘branches from the plants, as soon as the pods begin to explode, and spread them on the floor of aclose room ; and, after the beans and their shells have parted, to separate the husks from the seeds with a fanning-mill, as with ‘wheat, or try the common riddle and a draught of air. The seeds of this plant furnish the well-known medicine, castor-oil, which is obtained both by decoction and expression. The former method is performed by freeing the seeds from their husks, which are gathered, upon their turning brown and when beginning to burst open, are first bruised in a mortar, afterwards tied up in a linen bag, and XXVili AGRICULTURAL REPORT. then thrown into a large pot, with a sufficient quantity of water, and boiled until the oil has risen to the surface, when it is carefully skimmed off, strained, and preserved for use. In extensive operations, a mill should be provided, moved by the agency of animal power, water, or steam, for bruising the seeds ; and the other apparatus used in obtaining the oil should be of appropriate dimensions. The oil thus obtained, however, has the disadvantage of becoming rancid sooner than that procured by expression. The best mode, therefore, is to subject the seeds to a powerful hydraulic press, in a similar man- ner to that in which oil is extracted from almonds and cotton-seeds. The seeds yield about one-fourth of their weight in oil. The Assafetida Plant (Ferula assafeetida) is a native of the South of Persia, growing on the mountains in the provinces of Chorasaan and Laar, where it is called Hingisch. The gum resin, known in com- merce under the name of ‘‘ assafeetida,’’ is the concrete juice of this plant, which is said to vary according to the soil and situation, not only in the shape of the leaves, but in the nauseous quality of the juice with which it is impregnated, sometimes occurring so mild as to be eaten by goats. The root is perennial, tapering, and ponderous, at- tains the size of a man’s arm or leg, and is covered with a blackish colored bark, beset near the top with numerous strong, rigid fibres ; | the internal substance is white and fleshy, and abounds in a thick, foetid, milky juice. The stem is simple, erect, straight, round, smooth, striated, herbaceous, six or seven inches in circumference at the base, and rises to a height of seven or eight feet. When the plants are about four years old, the roots are sufficiently vigorous to yield the gum, and it is collected at the season when the leaves begin to decay. ‘The oldest and most vigorous plants are se- lected, the earth from the upper part of the root of each is cleared away, and the stem and leaves twisted off. In this state, it is left for forty days, being previously screened from the sun by covering it over with decayed leaves. At the expiration of this time, the cover- ing is removed, the top of the root cut off transversely, and left for forty-eight hours for the juice to exude, when it is scraped off by a proper instrument, as opium is from the capsule of the poppy, and exposed to the sun, toharden. This operation is repeated three times, after which the root is again covered up, and suffered to remain for eight or ten days, when it is again uncovered and another transverse section is made as before. In this way, the assafcetida is collected eight times, when the root becomes exhausted of its juice, and soon after dies. REPORT ON SEEDS AND CUTTINGS. XXIx From the character of the climate in which this plant naturally grows, there can be but little doubt that it could be successfully cul- tivated in the mountainous parts of the Southern States, and probably furnish the whole country with the requisite supply. The Lesser or Malabar Cardamom, (Alpina vel matonia,) the seeds of which are imported in considerable quantities, and valued for their pungent taste, is cultivated in plots, either level or gently sloping surfaces on the highest range of the Ghaiits, between latitude 11° and 12° 30’ N., after passing the first declivity from their base. The cardamom plots, or farms, vary in size and shape, being from fifty to sixty yards in diameter, usually oblong or oval, but sometimes irregularly rounded. The variety in these respects is chiefly owing to the convenience of the standard or permanent shade-trees. Those with lofty, straight stems, extensive heads, and particularly those which have nearly attained their full growth, and are known to be long-lived, are preferred for this purpose, and are left standing at a distance of fifteen to twenty yards from each other. On account of the prevailing dry weather, the months of February and March are selected by the cultivators as the proper time for com- mencing their labors, and planting the seeds, the first part of which is occupied in cutting down the large and small trees, leaving of the former, standing nearly at equal distances, such stately individuals as afford that degree of perpendicular shade which experience has taught them to be most favorable for their future hopes. The grass and weeds are then cleared away, and the ground disencumbered of the roots of the brush-wood ; the larger trees being suffered to le where they fell; and the shrubs, roots, and grass are piled up into small heaps, where, by their spontaneous decomposition, they fertilise the space they cover. As the cultivated plant does not flower till it is four years old, no further labor is bestowed upon the plots before that time has expired. At the revolution of the fourth rainy season, and towards its close, the farmers look for a crop, and their hopes are rarely disappointed. This first effort of Nature is generally feeble, the yield of seeds being not more than half of that which is obtamed the following year, and only one-fourth what it is after the sixth rain, © at which period the plant has reached the acme of its prolific vigor. In India, the seeds of this plant are highly prized as an agreeable condiment, and, as such, their use is so universal, that they are re- garded as a necessary of life by most of the nativesof Asia. In fact, their general use in those regions renders the plant a very important and profitable object of culture. How far its adoption could be made xxxk AGRICULTURAL REPORT. applicable to the soil, climate, exposure, and economy of some of our Southern States, can only be determined by trial. The Sinhara, or Water Nut, (Trapa?) is a native of the Cashmere, but grows abundantly in the lakes near the capital, especially in the Wurler lake, and yields an average return of 10,000,000 pounds of » nuts a year. They are scooped up from the bottom of the lake in small nets, and afford employment to the fishermen for several months. These nuts constitute almost the only food of at least 30,000 per- sons for five months in the year. When extracted from the shell, they are eaten raw, boiled, roasted, fried, or dressed in various ways, after being reduced to flour. The most common preparation is to boil the flour in water, so as to forma kind of gruel, which, though insipid, is very nutritive. The Lotus (Nymphez lotus) is also a native of the lakes of the Cashmere, and its stems serve as another article of food. In autumn, after the plate of the leaf has begun to decay, the stem has arrived at maturity, and being boiled till tender, furnishes a wholesome, nutritious diet, which is said to support 5,000 persons in the city for nearly eight months in the year. This plant, as well as the preceding, probably would succeed well in the muddy bottoms of the coves, creeks, and sloughs of our lakes and streams ; and, if not relished as human food, doubtless its pro- ducts would serve to nourish animals. FORAGE PLANTS. Lhe Guinea Grass, (Panicum jumentorium,) as its name implies, is a native of Guinea, and was brought to the island of Jamaica in 1774, under the following circumstances: A cageof African birds had been presented to Chief Justice Ellis, with which was sent a small bag of their native food, the wild grass-seed of the coast of Guinea. The birds died, and the seeds were carelessly thrown into a hedge, when they quickly grew and spread; and from the eagerness of the cattle to reach it, attention was called to its vegetation. It has since become one of the most valuable productions of the West Indies, and, doubt- less, could be cultivated with advantage in the warmer parts of the South. Guinea grass, in Jamaica, is best planted in the spring, because it takes four months before the seed ripen, and the stalks acquire suffi- cient substance to form plants from the joints, similar to those of REPORT ON SEEDS AND CUTTINGS.