leaves and ftalks of the beans falling on it, the produce will be three barrels to the acre, on fuch land, as prior to this management, would not have produced more than one. This is aid to happen from the quick mouldering of the leaves and talks of the Jean plant, and its aptitude to minle and unite with the earth, without ndergoing a fermentation. Thus be foil is yearly and gradually eniched, by this eafy process of naure, without the labour and exence of accumulating animal and egetable matters, to undergo the telious operations of fermentation and utrefaction by which, the diffoluion of thofe fubftances is effected, nd they fitted for manure, in the

fual way.

Notwithstanding this extraordinay character of the eaftern fhore bean, am clearly of opinion, that our ommon corn field pea, is far prefeable to any thing that I have ever sen tried for this purpose. Every armer who leaves his pea vines on he ground, and does not, in the acuftomed manner, pull them up for adder, mult often have obferved, aat they quickly moulder and fall pieces: furnishing a covering to e ground, which readily unites and lends with it, in the manner mentined of the bean.

If a piece of exaufted land, fuffiiently level to prevent its washing way with the rain, be annually culvated in peafe-leaving the flalks nd leaves to moulder and crumble > pieces upon it-the ground will mprove beyond expectation, the rop of peafe increafing every year, nd the foil becoming richer and cher, without any other manure. I as told by an eminent planter, that oor ground might by this maagement alone, be made rich nough to produce good tobacco.

Thefe hints, on the culture of the aftern fhore bean, and the improveent of the land thereby, are related

from the beft information I could get. If any gentleman, experimentally acquainted with it, would favour the public with a more ample account, it will, no doubt be well received, and be of utility. My principal defign, in this publication, is to allift the farmer as well as the naturalift, by pointing out the plant, and defcribing it fo, that it may be diftinguished, with certainty, from all others. The eaftern fhore bean, fo cailed from its being first culti vated there, is found in all parts of Virginia and Carolina; upon all forts of lands high and low, except where they are two wet. It has been miftaken, by fome, for the common tare or partridge pea to which it bears fome refemblance, but is not the fame: It belongs to a different class of plants.

In defcribing this plant, I fhall, firt, confider the lovers of fcience, and give a botanical defcription, in fuch terms, as are most familiar to them; adding afterwards, for the farmer, a defcription and explanation, in English, as plain and eafy as I poffibly can. Being fhowed a row of thefe plants, in September (produced, from feed procured by a neighbouring gentleman from the place of cul. tivation) fown in a drill, and then flowering and filling their pods, I immediately difcovered it to be a plant that I had long been acquainted with; having collected, and fent it, with many others, before the war, to a profeffor of one of the European univerfities. Upon looking into my botanical catalogues, I find it defcribed and arranged in the decandria, or tenth clafs of Linnæus ; in the monogynia, or first order of that clafs; in the genus, caffia; and it is that particular fpecie, to which he has given the fpecific name chamacrifla. Doctor Hill, in his Eden, page 51, calls it golden caffia; and has exhibit ed a good engraving of it in his fifth plate,-fig, 5. Li is mentioned

by Gronovius (in the collection made by the late mr. Clayton, of Virginia) in his flora Virginica, fol. 64. -calfia foliolis multijugatis, &c. It has been noticed by feveral other authors. In my catalogue it ftands thus defcribed :

Caffia chamæcrifta Linnæi. Decan

dria, monogynia.

Radix annua fibrofa. Caulis fefquipedalis, erectus, teres, lævis, ramofus, coloratus. Folia alterna, pinnata, multijuga abrupta. Folio. lis oppofitis, ovalibus, glaberrimis, aqualibus, cum forma et fenfibilitati mimofæ foliis fimiliffimis. Stipulæ binæ laterales, erecte, lanceolatæ, acute. Glandula fuper medium perioli, in plantis majoribus, pedicellata. Pedumculus fpatio fupra petioJum egrediur. Ab menfe Augufti, ad finem æftatis floret: folis omnibus habitat, fed humidis maxime gaudet.

The golden caffia or peacock flower, is an annual plant, the root and flalk dying every year. The root is fmall, confifting of fibres of threads. The flem is upright in fmall plants, not more than eight inches high but in richer ground, where level and moift, the fem rifes to a foot and a half, or two feet a little crooked, round, fmooth, and coloured; branching out at the other part, and bearing many flowers, ftanding on bending foot-flalks, fcattered all over the main ftem and branches. The petals or flower-leaves, are five; of a fine golden colour, with ten male ftamina, or threads in the middle, crowned with antheræ, or buttons, of red and purple colour. Thefe filaments, fomewhat refembling the creft or plumage on the head of a peacock, have led fome botanifts to name it chrifta pavonis, or peacock-flower; but the plant we here treat of, being a fmaller fpecies, they have added chamæcrifta pavonis, or dwarf peacock-flower; by which latter name the reader may call it, if he pleases,

In the middle of the ten male fila ments above mentioned, will be readily obferved, another fingle thread or flyle; which is the female part of the flower producing the feed-veffel, or bean; each pod containing a fin gle row of black fhining feeds, fixed to the upper future, or back feam of the bean. These feeds are nearly flat, four-cornered, and not in the leaft refembling a bean or pea. The partridge-pea may be easily diffinquifhed from this, by colour, and hape: The latter is brown and kidney-shaped. The leaves are pinnated or winged (like the locuff, fenna, patrridge-pea, &c.) and grow al ternately from the ftem, on a flender foot-talk which has a fmali gland, or wart, placed upon the middle of every one; and thefe glands, upon the larger plants, are elevated on a pedicle, or thort-flalk, confpicuous to the naked eye. At the bale of every foot-ftalk, upon the flem, are found two very fmall upright spearpointed leaves, called ftipule; which, by the help of a glafs, appear to be hairy. The fall leaves are placed oppofitely, on the midrib, to the number of twenty pair, or more: oval fhaped, fimooth, ending in an even number; in shape and fenfibility, refembling the leaves of the minole, or fenfitive-plant. They fhut up at night, and expand in the morning; until through age, they lofe this fe fibility. Frequent fhaking, or fink ing with the hand, will caufe them to fhut up; and in like manner, when gathered, they cannot be carried far, before they collapfe. So that the botanift wants to preferve the leaves expanded in horto ficco, he muft enclofe the plant, when gather ed on the fpot, with as gentle a notion as poffible.

The month of October being the feafon for gathering the feed, leaves then falling off) the farme will readily find the plant, upon a forts of ground, among the wet

and even broom-ftraw old fields; and will eafily diftinguifh it, by the brown colour of the pods, and the redness of the ftalk. Let it be pulled up by the roots, dried on a cloth in the fun, and then threshed out with a flick, and preferved in a bag, hung up in a dry place, until the feafon for fowing it with oats.

PHILO BOTANICES. Dinwidde, (Virginia) Od. 1787.

Avaluable, cheap, and easily procured winter food for cattle.

As

S economy is among the firft objeas of a farmer, he ought to be informed of every mean and method that is in his power to gain advantage by it.

Among many others, one is here fuggefted, which is conftantly practifed in Germany with fuccefs. In that country, the pummice, from the cyder prefs, is dried and houfed. In the winter, a proportion of it is boiled in a kettle in three times the quantity of water; and, when cool, is

given to horses oxen, cows and young cattle; who greedily drink the liquor, and eat the feeds, ftraw, and bruifed apple, (or pear, where perry is made) which is increafed by boiling. This food is foon very grateful, and in an eafy method fupplies their flomachs with an healthy and ufeful acid.

Settlers, in new countries, are too apt to forget the great profit which might accrue to themfelves by thefe hedges; nothing would more tend to remind them on this fubject, than for perfons in pofleflion of cydermills, to preferve apple and pear feeds for them, by the common method of throwing the pummice into a tub of water, and by firring, feparate the feeds which will fink to the bottom, while the bruifed apple and the ftraw are taken from the furface, and fpread either for drying, or converted to the common ufes.

Thus, certain perfons being poffeffed of quantities of feed, the adventur ers would be eafily fupplied, and the country greatly benefited.

On raifing potatoes. Sm many experiments have been made, and fo fuccessfully also in various parts of this continent, in the paft fummer, by planting potatoes under ftraw, old bay, fea-weed, celgrafs, &c. on grafs grounds, that it is recommended to the public as an object juflly deferving attention, particularly from all who live in the neighbourhood of the fea fhore, where, during the winter, large quantities of this useful covering are conftantly thrown up, and as conitantloft or left ufelefs.

As potatoes are frequently given to fatten hogs, in this method of planting, they may easily get them, by being fuffered to root them up themfelves for an hour each day. A longer time is liable to fatiate, and leave them at liberty to deftroy more than they eat; this has been paretifed to profit in the common method of planting in the earth,

IT is neceffary, in the first place, for those who wish to plant cotton with advantage, to take the early part of the year for preparing the foil; which is beft done by hoeploughing, or laying the ground in Imall ridges or potatoe hills, which prevents the foil throwing out a crop of weeds, and gives double vigour to the powers of vegetation. The months of May, June, or July, are the best seasons in Jamaica for planting; and when the rain has penetrated the ground, to the depth of twelve inches, there is every chance of fucceeding in getting the plants fo ftrong as to refift the dry feason, until the October rains.

I recommend immerfing the feeds in water for twelve hours before planting them, as they may fooner come up and get firength, than by putting them in the ground in their dry flate. The feeds fo immerfed, feparate, part fink and part fwim; the heaviest are to be beft depended on. The diftance of the plant fhould be three feet in the line, and eight feet feparate between fuch lines. I find, when fo close, the trees are better protected from the dry weather, the ground being sheltered by their foliage; fomething resembling the old file of

cut fences.

When the plants arrive at the height of fixteen inches, they are then to be topped; a dry day must be chofen for that purpofe; and about an inch of the uppermoft part of the plant is lopped off, as well as of The principle branches. This operaration produces a number of branches

to protrude from the principal fem, and spreads the tree, without permit ting it to run into high wood. At this time the cotton ought to be hilled up, and as ftrong a moulding given as will fecure it in an erect fituation, When the autumnal rains commence, it will be neceffary to top all the trees that have grown above four feet in height, and reduce them all to one elevation, permitting the branches that spread horizontally to enjoy that fituation uninjured. Cotton fhould never be permitted to rife highet than fix feet, as the pods, in their green ftate, form a great weight, and are broken down, if too tall, by every breeze. Whenever the crop ends, cut all down within two feet of the ground, and treat the ratoon, in the autumn, in the fame manner is before directed.

and

орег

When the feafon for picking ar rives, the whole attention ought to be directed to gathering it. Take none but what is fully open dry: never intrude on the half ed pod. The wool fhould be per dant, and in a flate of complete fe paration; fo taken, it faves the great labour of whipping, which is a tedi ous procefs, and injures the feed. The wool fhould be laid under cover, in order to dry the feed. When brought to the gin, it fhould be ex pofed to the fun; for the drier it the more cafily will it pafs the m chine.

The gin, the great article of bour, ought to be fo conftructed as to give great effect to its mechanin, Three pair of rollers may be worked longitudinally with the fame wheel: two negroes driving and three feed. ing fuch a gin, fhould clear one hun dred and eighty pounds weight a day with ease.

When the caterpillars attack the cotton, in the early part of the year, they may be permitted to fly off upmolefled; but if they come when the tree begins to bloffom, they mu

defroyed, or they deftroy the crop. If the land is clear, fimply fhaking them off the tree will be fufficient; as the ants will kindly take the part of the planter, and prevent their return. But if the ground is full of weeds, they must be killed as you take them. The red fly is a conflant companion of the cotton in opening, but feldom does much mifchief, except by foiling the wool.

When once cotton is established, a crop of corn may be always taken along with it, without injury. It fhould be great corn, if poffible, as that is taken in before the tree begins to bloffom.

Advantages of preferving parsnips by drying. By the rev. J. Belknap. MONG the number of efculent roots, the parfnip has two fingular good qualities. One is, that it will endure the fevereft froit,

A

but being foaked in warm water, for about an hour, became tender; and was as fweet to the tafte, as if it had been fresh drawn from the ground.

As many useful difcoveries owe their origin to accident, this may fuggeft a method of preferving fo pleafant and wholefome a vegetable for the use of seamen in long voyages, to prevent the fcurvy and other diforders incident to a fea-faring life, which is often rendered tedious and deftreffing for want of vegetable food: fince I am perfuaded that parfnips, dried to fuch a degree, as above related, and packed in tight casks, may be tranfported round the globe without any lofs of their flavour or diminution of their nutritive quality.

Receipts for preferving turnips from infects.

Mr. Printer,

URNIPS are fo frequently def

The firft of thefe advantages has been known for many years palt; the people in the most northerly parts of New England, where winter reigns with great feverity, and the gound is often frozen to the depth of two or three feet for four months, leave their parfnips, in the ground till it thaws in the fpring, and think them much better preferved than in cellars.

The other advantage never occurred to me, till this winter, when one of my neighbours put into my hands a fubftance which had the appearance of a piece of buck's horn. This was part of a parfnip, which had been drawn out of the ground laft April, and had lain neglected in a dry clofet for ten months. It was fo hard, as to require confiderable ftrength to force a knife through it cross-wife;

feeds on them, while quite young, that farmers are, in a great measure, deterred from attempting to cultivate that valuable root: the following receipts, to prevent the ravages of that deftructive infect, having lately been publifhed in Europe; be pleased to infert them in your Mufeum, for the benefit of that very ufeful clafs of citizens, the yeomanry of the coun