Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1829-06-18

unable to find any lime stone, and fail
ed 10 several attempts to make lime.
We had taken care to bring with
as in the Tonquin, all kinds Of garden
seeds which we planted in the month
Of May The garden had fine sp
pearance in August, bat although the
vegetables were left in The ground un.
Ill the end Of December, nothing came
10 maturity but the radishes, turnips
and potatoes. The turnips were of a
prodigious size One of the largest
which we had the curiosity TO weigh
and measure was 80 inches in c;rcum-
ference and weighed Is l Q pounds
They were still green at the end of
December, and had been left in the
ground on this account, but the seeds
were all destroyed by the mice, which
concealed themselves in the stunps
which had been left in the garden, and
did Us much damage.
The dozen of potatoes which were
all we had been able to preserve pro
duced ninety These we preserved
with the greatest care. but TO no pur
pose. We planted them the next
Spring, but the second season was so
much colder than the first they produc
ed nothing at all.
II would seem TO result from these
facts that the soil along the Columbia is
unfii for cultivation where the vegeta.
ton is so extremely slow. But the
land is not every where the same, and
there ere probably places more fit for
gardening than that which we had Sc
iec'ed. This supposiiion is The more
probable when we consider that the
vegetable productions OF the country
are very different near the upper and
lower parts of the river.
The most common trees near the
mouth Of the river and IN the vicinity
Of our establishment, were Cedar,
Spruce, white Pine, Hemlock, &c -
The cedars there are four or five faith.
ems IN circumference, aad The hcmiocks
| from 10 TO 20 inches ia diameter--bui
the most extraordinary tree which
saw III the country was white pine.
! This hee had been stripped of It's top
and branches by lightning, and nothing
bat the trunk remaiaed, resembling an
jimneDse colenn from 80 to 100 feet
high. This tree was on the side OF a
valley IN the rear of our establishment.
Seven ofas stood round it with COR
arms extended and were not able to
encircie It, although we touched only
| the ends of our fogers. On measur
ing it maze accurately we found it fer
! ty TOO feet III circumference We
! had intended 10 erect IA stair case around
it and make apiatform on the top for
/ a kind OF observatory, but we were 80
much occupied with more urgep, ousi
lness that we were obliged 10 abandon
the project. Ash and Oak were plen +.
ty near Our establishment, Dot the last
mentioned tree was not very large
] From the middle of 5une TO the mid
| die Of October we had always wild
fruits in abundance. The FIRST were
] white Strawberries; which although
small have an excellent taste, and after
wards the red and orange coiored
saspbefsies. These raspberFies grow
on bush 10 or Is inches high which
is found in wet shady places. They
are more sour than those in this coun
Try. Tbe months OF Jolly and August
furnish very pleasant acid fruit OF a
bloc color and aboei the size of cher
ry, The plant which produces them
is bush OF no great size, and the
leaves are small and rouDdish. There
are others of a red color bot somewhat
smaller. In the month OF August an
other fruit is found which grows in
clusters on small bush like the gar
den currant. The leaves resemble those
of the laurel, but thicker, & evergreen
The fruit is obloDg and in row round
the cluster. II is open a. top in four
divisions, so that the inside can be seen.
This fruit has a fine taste, is whole
some, and may be eaten in any guam
titles without injury. The natives
make greatuse of it and preserve it
for winter use, by making it into cakes
dried in the sun. We also found Blue
berries, Cherries, Curran,s, Wild
Pears, and little wild Apples, of The
kind called by the English Grab
Apples (which grow in punches,