48 



THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR. 



Ashes.— Of all things to make grass grow, ashes 

 beats; tliis you may depend upon, for I have 

 tried it often, and it has never failed. Just collect 

 as much of it together as you can— the more the 

 better— and spread it over your grass ground, and 

 see if I am not correct in my assertion. It is said by 

 some people, that it is the potash which is in it that 

 produces the etl'ect, and I strongly suspect they are 

 right in this matter ; for two years ago, suspecting 

 that to be the case, I procured some potash from an 

 apothecary ; whicli cost five cents a pound ; and 

 dissolved it with water, and put it over the ground 

 with a watering pot, just for an experiment ; and 

 you would liave been surprised to see how lu.xuri- 

 antly the grass grew where it was put. Now, 1 

 should like some of the intelligent farmers, who 

 take your paper, to try an experiment with potash 

 this spring, and inform your readers of the result 

 through the Cabinet. Some say it is excellent for 

 Indian corn. My object is to make plenty of grass 

 grow ; for I find, if we can do that, we can accom- 

 plish every thing we desire in agriculture, because 

 with that we can feed stock, and by that means 

 make manure. What cannot be done by industri- 

 ous and intelligent farmers.-' I say industrious and 

 intelligent, because without these two qualities a 

 man had better quit farming at once, and try to find 

 out some business soon, tliat can be carried on to 

 profit without these indispensable qualifications to 

 a farmer ; and when the discovery is made, I hope 

 it will be communicated through your paper, for I 

 should like to embark in such business, as I am well 

 adapted to it by nature. — t'liriner's Cabinet. 



Cork. — Many persons see corks used daily, with- 

 out knowing whence come these exceedingly use- 

 ful materials. Corks are cut from large slabs of the 

 bark of the cork tree, a species of oak, which grows 

 wild in the countries of Europe. The tree is gen- 

 erally divested of its bark at about fifteen years 

 old, but before stripping it off, the tree is cut down, 

 as in the case of the oak. It is taken while the 

 tree is growing ; and the operation may be repeat- 

 ed every eighth or ninth year, the quality of the 

 cork continuing each time to improve as the age of 

 the tree increases. When the bark is taken off, it 

 is singed in the flame of a strong fire ; and, after 

 being soaked for a considerable time in water, it is 

 placed under heavy weight, in order to render it 

 straight. Its extreme liglitness, the ease with 

 which it may be compressi-d, and its elasticity, are 

 properties so peculiar to this substance, that no effi- 

 cient substitute for it has yet been discover- 

 ed. The valuable properties of Cork were 

 known to the Greeks and Romans, who employed 

 it for all the purposes for which it is used at pres- 

 ent, with the exception of stopples— the ancients 

 mostly employing cement for closing the mouth of 

 bottles or of vessels. The Egyptians are said to 

 have made coffins of cork, which, being spread on 

 the inside with a resinous substance, preserved 

 dead bodies from decay. In modern times, cork 

 was not generally used for stopples to bottles till 

 about the close of the 17lli century, wax being till 

 then chiefly in use for that purpose. The cork 

 imported into America, is brought principally from 

 Italy, Spain and Portugal. The quantity annually 

 consumed amounts to several thousand tons. 



Grafting and Inoculating. 



Grafting is a mode of propagating varieties of 

 frnit of es°teemed quality. Grafts may be cut at 

 any time after the fall of the leaf in autumn, and 

 before the buds begin to swell in the spring. They 

 should he of the preceding year's growth, and are 

 best from bearing trees and exterior limbs. They 

 may be preserved by imbedding their larger ends 

 in clay, a potatoe, or in moist earth, in a cellar in 

 winter, or in the open ground, partially or wholly 

 covered, in the spring. Grafts are frequently 

 sent across the Atlantic. The great care shoufd 

 be, that they are not kept too warm or too moist, so 

 that the buds swell before they are wanted for use. 

 The rationale of grafting will suggest the time and 

 the manner in which it should be done. The scion 

 and graft are to be so adjusted that the sap wood of 

 the stock, by which the sap ascends from the roots, 

 comes in contact with the sap wood of the scion ; 

 and a like adjustment must be observed between 

 the inner bark of both, through which the sap de- 

 scends from the graft to the stock, aRer it has been 

 elaborated in the leaves. Without the first precau- 

 tion, tlie sap will not reach the graft, which will 

 consequently shrivel and die. W'ithout the last, 

 the graft, cannot knit or unite to the stock ; for it 

 is the descending sap wliicli-.forpis the new wood, 

 and which indeed causes the graft to send its roots 

 down into the earth, upon the out«ide of the wood, 

 but under the bark of the stock. The union can 

 only take place after the sap has begun to circulate 



in the stock, which is when the buds are bursting. 

 The clay or composition is applied to exclude the 

 drying influence of the air and sun, and also rain, 

 from the wound, until a complete union has taken 

 place. The graft does not become injured by be- 

 ing somewhat shrivelled before it is inserted ; but 

 if it appears too much so, it may be buried a few 

 hours in moist earth before used. The composi- 

 tions used as substitutes for clay are many. A 

 good one is one part tallww, two parts beeswax, and 

 four parts rosin, melted and incorporated like shoe- 

 maker's wax. If the weather is cold this will re- 

 quire to be softened by immersing it a time in warm 

 water. A thin layer of this covering the end of 

 the stock and the slit, will suffice. With the ad- 

 dition of a little more tallow, the composition may 

 be spread upon linen or cotton cloth, when warm, 

 and the cloth cut to the required size for a graft, 

 and applied with less trouble in the form of a pre- 

 pared plaster. The diffisrent processes of grafting 

 are so generally known that we need not detail 

 them; our object being only to throw out such sug- 

 gestions as may tend to render the success of the 

 operation more certain. — Pliiladcljihia Farmers' 

 Cabinet. 



When is the best time to plough .' — In a 

 late number of your paper you copied an article 

 from the "Maine Fanner" with the above interro- 

 gation ; and which, as therein stated, is a question 

 of no small importance. But the writer makes one 

 admission, which as a general rule should not be 

 adopted, vir. : thaffarmers should embrace the op- 

 portunity when their leisure time will allow." It is 

 true the proper time for ploughing depends in some 

 measure on the condition of your land. The ques- 

 tion will arise — is your land in sward or tillage .' 

 Is the soil silicions or argillaceous.' If your land 

 is in sward and you intend it for corn, potatoes or 

 any autumnal ripening crops, the best time to 

 plough itis in the spring, afew daysbefore you put 

 in your seed. Draw out your fresh unfermenti'd 

 manure, spread it on the sward and immediately 

 plough it under; by this process you save all your 

 manure and much labor ; for by this time the grass 

 begins to show itself, and on good soil indicates 

 vigorous vegetation, which turned under at this 

 season of the year, the vegetable matter covered 

 with the soil in its green and succulent state, com- 

 bined with the manure, readily undergoes fermen- 

 tation and forms a most fertilizing substance for 

 the crop. As a general rule (and one to which I 

 know of no exceptions) plough no sward lands in 

 the fall, but always in the spring just before you 

 are ready to put in your seed. But if your soil is 

 argillaceous and in tillage, plough in the spring, 

 sjimmer, fall or Avinter, "when your leisure time 

 will allow ;" only be sure to plough in the fall, that 

 the frosts of winter may pulverize it — plough it a- 

 gain in the spring, that the influences of the sun 

 and atmosphere may warm and invigorate it for the 

 succeeding crops. — YanUec Farmer. C. 



Mattakees, Plymouth Co., Jan. 1838. 



JVctc York Salt Springs. — By the annual report 

 made to the Legislature by the superintendent of 

 the Onondaga Salt Springs, we learn that there 

 have been inspected in the town of Salina during 

 the year 183d, 2,575,033 bushels of salt, bei!ig413^- 

 745 bushels more than were inspected in 1837. 

 The amount of duties collected during the year 

 was $154,501 98 ; the expenses of llie pumps, &c. 

 were $7,762, and the amount collected for pump- 

 ing was $4,849 79. The whole number of manu- 

 factories engaged in the salt business is 144, of 

 which 80 are in the village of Salina, 22 in Syra- 

 cuse, 27 in Liverpool and 15 in G^ddes. 



Liniment for the galled baclrs of Horses. — White 

 lead moistened witli milk. When milk is not to be 

 procured, oil may be substituted. " One or two 

 ounces sufficed for a whole party for more than a 

 month." — W. II. Keatinii. 



PRICES CURRENT. 



THE FARMER'S MONTHIiY VISITOR, 



A MONTHLY NEWSPAPER, IS PUBLISHED BV 



WILLIAM P. FOSTER, HilVs Brick Block, 



Concord, JY. II. 



JA.MES BURNS, 104, Washington s'., Boston,Ms. 



The Visitor is issued on the fifteenth day of 

 each month. 



Each niimbpr will coulain sixteen pages nf quarto size 

 011 p:iper calcul-iteri for prfservalicn aiiri cm -a frtir and lieau 

 tiful type. The subjects will be illustraleil with enfravinss. 

 Theleriiis will he serenty.Jivc centra year p'Ujable always in ad 

 vant.e. For all subscriber.; less I ban 24, A gen Is will be allowed 

 a deduction of f J cents each— for all over 24 subscribers on 

 any one agency 12.^ cents each will be allowed. Thus, for 

 six ..iiibscribers four dollars— twelve, eight dollars— eighteen, 

 twelve dollars— twenty-four, filleendollars, will be remitted. 

 Single numbers, twelve and a half cents each. All subscri- 

 bers will commence with the first number ol the year. 



i)5°Commiintcalions by m.-\il, will be directed to VVIL- 

 I IJAM P. FOSTER, (Joncerd, N. H. 



Specie at Philjidelphi i, March 5. American Gold i per 

 cent, preiii. S(tariish riuublonns H» 25 ; Patriot doubloons, 15,- 

 6U; English guineas 5 05; Sovereign!- 4 68 ; French crowns, 

 1,08 ; Five Franc pieces, 94 cts ; t^panish nulled dul'ais 1,03 ; 

 Me.\ican do. 1 Oi ; Head Pislareens 10 a 20 cts. Uld I'ista- 

 n-ens 17. 



SPECIE m .Vfir York^March 9— The ratp of hills on London 

 does not admit of iiny export ; and eo Icnp as EAchnnge is 

 at its' present point, there will he no demnnd. Our hanks 

 are well euppfied with ppecie. — A'. }'. Eriiress. 



DOMESTIC EX^II\^■0E1 AT 



Boston, par a \ 



(Miilndelpliia, do 

 R;itliinf>re, 4 ^ j 

 nirhiiioiul i a 1.^ 

 Charleston 2 a 2V 

 Cincinnali 2| a y 

 Augusta 3 



NfcW rORK, MARCH 11, *39. 



Savannah 3 



niotiile 9 



tsew Orleans par H 1 



Nashville 4 a 5 



Nairh^'r, A\ a 3 



Lonisville 2i a 3 

 5t. L.Miis 3n 4 



lietrnii 4 a 5 



NEW VORK MARKF.T— Beef, IbPa 12 a 14— Pork, 12— 

 Veal, 10 a 12— Mutton, g a 13— ,!'pc?,do7,. 25— Potatoes, hush 

 75 a too- neett!,7*— Tunups,75— Carri'ts, 87— Onions, 2,«0— 

 Apples, bbl 2 a $5. 



FantuV. Hall Market Bosion-~Vf'v^.e3. Bref, Ih 12 cts- Pork 

 whole hos-^, per Ih, 10 a II clf—Pcullrv, li»II n I-.3— Hutter, 

 tub IHa 25— l!:;gs,doz IS a Cn- INriairt ^, Clipiianco, i)n.«h. 

 G.'i, white 55— Apples, bbl badlwin ansl russets, i UU a 2,50— 

 Cider, :j,00a3,e."). 



NBW VORK CATTLK MARKET, MARCH 4, iPliP. 



Fat C.itll'', tlif price coniiniies to udv;iiKe: Fir>;t quality 

 sold at $13 per hhd , second at $11,50 ; thud at $;9,50; fourth 

 at $7.51*. Cows and Calves at $.(5 to -18. Sheep, rroin 3,50 

 to $6. 



BRIGHTON CATTLE MARKET, MARCH 11, 1839. 



The prices of Fat Cattle, which had fallen foi a month 

 past, have again advanced. First quality $8,75 ; second 8,- 

 25; third, 7,50. Cows and Calves, Dull— selling for less than 

 the cost in the country. Prices from 30, 35, 42, 55, and $60 

 Sheep, dull, from 3,75 to $5,.5D. 



PB1CE9 OF KLOl^R. 



Cincinnati, Ohio, Feb. 25, $6. New Orleans, Feb. 97, 7,50. 

 Savannah, Feb. 25, 10,50. Natchez, Feb. 17, 8,50. Galvea- 

 ton, Texas, Feb. 22, $19. 



Poughkeepsie, N. Y. March 6. 60,000lb^ Saiony woolisold 

 at 6fl cents cash- 



