The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-04-01
AGRICULTURAL.
Expriments in Gardening.
BY BAYARD TAYLOR.


special knowledge in either Of these
branches, beyond that which incident
ally comes from delight and interest
in them. But an experience of all
all the climates Of the world has
impressed me with the belief that the
acclimation of plants and trees is
that branch of agriculture which has
been hitherto much neglected. Veg
etable migration, in its first stages,
has been very much like that of the
human race the weeds are first to
wander, and soonest make themselves
at home on the new soil. The ac-
customed fruits and vegetables fol-
low, and are now so distributed that
we have no difficulty in ascertaining
their geographical limits. But the
variety and richness Of production
of which any single zone of Innate
is capable has never yet been tested ;
and there is no part Of the world SO
favorable for such an experiment as
the territory of the United States,
between the parallels Of $50 and
42o.
The reason for this opinion may
be found in our extremes of climate
and the general dryness of the air,
The summer and autumn differ very
little from those Of Northern Italy
and Spain, while the maximum Of
cold, though greater than that Of
England and France, is of short
duration, and is to some extent coun-
terbalanced by the greater altitude
and power OF the sun during the win
ter months. This region, therefore
offers conditions which promise to be
favorable TO much wider range Of
growth than in that zone Of Europe
where the mean annual temperature
is the same. Many semi-tropical
plants and trees will endure a brief
period Of sharp, dry cold more easily
than a season of sleet and moist cold
at higher temperature.
[ shall reserve for another time the
train Of speculations in which I have
frequently INDUCED, concerning the
possible changes in the botanical
physiognomy Of the Middle States.
I have done some little In the way of
experiment, and propose to do more.
My chief motive, in relating the few
results already attained, is the hope
that it may draw forth the experiences
of others in the same field, and thus
add to the small store of material on
hand
My first attempt was with that
famous variety of tobacco known as
D.jebeleo (mountain) in Egypt, and as
L0taki0 from the Syrian seaport
whence much of it was shipped) in
Turkey. The peculiar excellence Of
the plants-its aroma suggesting that
of dried rose-leaves-is known to all
travellers in the ORIENT; and most Of
them, without investigating the mat
ter, suppose that it is produced from
our plant, its quality being modified
by soil, climate, and mode of cult
walton, 1t proves to be, however a
totally different variety, as Ifelt sure
it was when [ saw it growing or the
slopes of Mount Lebanon.
This tobacco must not be confound-
ed with that which is generally sold
in the shops as ''Turkish.' . The
latter-a yellow, stringy mass, with
apungent odor--is known as Roomo5li
throughout the East, from the fact
that it is raised exclusively in En-
ropean Turkey. The genui.e Lat
. aka is of a dark brown color and
coarse texture, the tick stems Except
woody fibre in the centre Of EACH
being cut with the leaves.
In a small package of Latakia,
prepared for the pipe, which was
sent to me from Egypt, I found two
or three seed-capsules, which seemed
either to have been dropped in by
accident or cut up with the
leaves because they were unripe!!
They yielded two or three dozen seeds
the most of which were evidently
immature, planted these the fol-
lowing spring, and after various blum
ders and accidents, which | need not
relate in detail, succeeded in raising
one strong healthy plant. Neverthe-
less, it was so late in reaching ma
turitY. and the frosts were SO early