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THE FARMERS MONTHLY VISITOR. 



The refuse bone black, from sugar refineries, is 

 also extremely powerful, ami is one of l!ie warm- 

 est and strongest manures knuv/n. IL is hitflily 

 prized in France, and I have formerly mentioned 

 the f:ict, that orders \verc even sent to this country 

 for this article. It may be made into a compost 

 with other matters, since it is too stronir to be used 

 alone. 



Gypsum is said to operate well as a stimulant to 

 vcffctation, and acts powerfully wliere the soil.s are 

 crilcarL»ous. In Pennsylvania, it is sov/u broad- 

 cast upon their limestone soils, and operates pow- 

 erfully, favoring' the growth of grain and grasses. 

 In Maine, it is the general opinion of farmers, that 

 this mint-ral does not succeed upon the sea-coast, 

 while it answers a good purpose in the interior of 

 the State, i am not yet prepared, however, to re- 

 port upon the subject, since I have not been able 

 to gather the requisite number of facts. 



1 will venture to say, however, that gypsum will 

 prove an advantageous dressing to the soils near 

 lloulton, New Limerick, and along the \vhole 

 course of tlie Aroostook, while, if it should be re- 

 quired, the Tobique river, opposite the mouth of 

 the Aroostook, contains upon iti banks an inex- 

 haustible supplv- It will, however, seldom be ne- 

 cessary for many years to apply any maiiures to 

 the Aroostook soils, for the farmers there only com- 

 plained that the soil was too ricli at first, and wlien 

 reduced by several years cultivation, was more ea- 

 sily managed. 1 have no doubt of the truth of this 

 observation, for upon Mr. Fairbanks' farm, on that 

 river, I observed gigantic wheat stubble, one straw 

 of which measured 1 1-3 inch in •circumference, 

 and Mr. F. remarked that new crops were fre- 

 quently laid by their weight, before they were 

 ready to reap. 



I have no doubt, that in the course of time, it 

 will be found advantageous to burn the Aroostook 

 limestone, for the treatment of the soils, where 

 they are devoid of it, and every advantage is there 

 presented for this purpose. 



The limestone of Newfield, Norway, Paris and 

 Buckfield, may be advantageously used as manure 

 and can be burned by means of peat or wood. On 

 the sea-coast it will be more economical to pur- 

 chase Thomaston and Camden lime, unless it 

 sliould be found, tliat lime-burning can be carried 

 on on a large scale by means of peat of hard coal. 



There are so many localities of peat in Maine, 

 that I have hardly thought it necessary to de- 

 scribe them, but I would, however, point out the 

 localities. 



1st. On the rail-road route in Bangor. 



2d. AtBluehill. 



3d. Near tlie Maiih quarry in Thomaston. 



4th. In the town of Limerick, in York County. 



5th. In the town of Waterford, in Oxford coun- 

 ty, on the Coolidge farm. 



These localities are among thu most abundant, 

 and may be most advantageously wrought for fuel 

 which may be us'. d for t!ie burning of hme and for 

 domestic use, besides which it may be converted 

 into a powerful manure, adapted admirably for 

 loosening and enriching clayey soils. 



Artificial meadows formed upon the surface of a 

 peat bog, are always exempt from drought, and 

 they are remarkably fertile. They may be made 

 by carting soil upon them, and will amply repay 

 the labor. Any person who is desirous of seeing a 

 fine example of an artificial meadow of the kind I 

 have mentioned, is referred to the rich farm of 

 Benjamin Bussey, Esq. Jamaica Plain, Uoxbury, 

 Mass., where tliat enterprising agriculturalist has 

 formed an almost evergreen meadow, of the kind 

 alluded to above. 



I may remark in general, that all the soils be- 

 tween Bangor and the mouth of the Kennebec, ev- 

 idenily need liming to greater or less extent; and 

 the vicinity of Richmond, Gardiner, Vassalbo- 

 rough, Unity and Dixmont, evidently would be 

 highly improved by its judicious application. 



When we have learned b}^ chemical analysis, the 

 compositiun of the most remarkable soils of the 

 State, we may be enabled to give specific direc- 

 tions tor their amelioration. 



Much light might be gamed respecting their rel- 

 ative fertUity, by the agricultural returns made uu- 

 der the orders of tlie Legislature, and if due atten- 

 tion is paid to the filling of the blanks, sent out to 

 the treasurers of the various towns, we shall have 

 an admirable statistical view of the relative value 

 of the various soils in dltierent parts of the State. 



It win be useful to send out printed blanks for 

 other iiuids of produce besides wheat, so that we 

 may learn what are the present agricultural capa- 

 bilities of the State, and in another year we can 

 furnish more extended and accurate information on 

 this very important subject. 



Geology and chemistry are capable of furnishing 



powerful aid to the farmers, and if we are allowed 

 sullicient nioans to accomplisli the work in a satis- 

 factory manner, immense benefits will necessarily 

 accrue to tlie citizens of Maine. 

 RespoctfuUy submitted, 



B\^ your obedient servant, 



C. T.JACKSON. 



A correspondent wlio lias recently travelled over 

 a large part of Rockingham, StralVurd, and Merri- 

 mack, and conversed with intelligent men hi those 

 Counties, and in various other parts of the State, 

 has ascertained that unprecedented quan'itles of 

 hay must he over after the consumption of the past 

 winter, and tlie present s])ring, as surplus stores 

 for another season. During a large part of Feb- 

 ruary and March, young cattle, sheep, and colts, 

 on account of the extraordinary mildness of 

 winter and want of snow, have gleaned a great 

 part of their subsistence from the naked fields. 

 And besides, farmers never before had such reduc- 

 ed stocks of neat cattle, or were they ever before 

 so enormously high ; milch cows geiling from thir- 

 ty to fift}' dollars each, and working oxen from one 

 to two hundred dollars a yoke. 



This superabundance of hay, may be in some 

 measure attributed to the increased culture of the 

 Ruta Baga and the Mangel Wurtzel(species of the 

 turnip and beet) and the excellent potatoe, which, 

 rather than bread, should be called the staff of life. 

 Indeed the p-vtatoe is bread itself, or a perfect sub- 

 stitute. To these may be added also the new kinds 

 of the Indian and Black Sea wheat. The increase 

 of these productions and of oats, has greatly di- 

 minished the necessity for hay, and its consump- 

 tion. 



It is ver}' desirable that the Root and Grain cul- 

 tivation should be more and more extended the en- 

 suing season, and in all seasons : this improvement 

 in agriculture requiring less land, and furnishing 

 a far cheaper fodder for cattle and horses. C. 



Wc have received from the author, the Second 

 Report on the Agriculture of Massachusetts, by 

 Rev. Henry Coi.max, Commissioner for the Agri- 

 cultural survey of the: State, which we have pe- 

 rused with high gratification and delight. This 

 gentleman, under the employment of the State, is 

 proceeding ta a surve}- of the several counties. 

 The Second Report for }l^3^, presents a full de- 

 scription of the County of Berkshire, more distin- 

 guished for its early improvements, than any other 

 tract of New England soil. Of the many interes- 

 ting items of this report, we take the liberty in 

 this number of the Visitor, to present the Commis- 

 sioner's description of tlie 



Rise^ proj^ress, and present condition of a 

 31assachusetts Farmer. 



" I hope it Will not be deemed inconsistent with 

 the proper gravity of my report, if I here refer 

 particularly to an individual case of dairy farming 

 in this vicinity, which much interested me, and 

 holds out a beautiful and encouraging example of 

 the success of industry, perseverance, frugality, 

 and good management. 



This farmer has now a dairy of 24 cows ; and 

 they produce a cheese per day, weighing about 

 100 lbs. Supposing that it requires a gallon of 

 milk to produce one pound of cheese, this would 

 give 400 quarts of milk per day, or at the rate of 

 IG 2-'S of a quart to a cow. His average product 

 of ni:\v milk cheese to a cow in a seaaon, is be- 

 tween 500 and GOO lbs. Last year the actual yield 

 was 508 lbs. lo a cov.* . Of his ;i4 cows last year, 

 two were heifers of two years old, just come in. 

 Four years since he was the owner of a cow, whose 

 milk in the best season amounted by actual weight 

 to 70 lbs. per day. During the time of her great- 

 est yield, she was ted with four pails of cheese 

 whey, and some rye nieal. She was of native 

 stock. Tills farmer has a heifer from her, which 

 gives, as he supposes, t)0 lbs. of milk per day. He 

 gives an opinion, which from his successful expe- 

 rience certainly deserves attention; that heifers 

 which "come in" with their first calf at two years 

 old, do better than wlion their coming in is delay- 

 ed imtll three j-ears old. Their millting properties 

 arc in this way improved. Probably he is right in 

 this matter ; but the general experience of the best 

 fanner:* recommends that, if a Iieifer comes in at 

 two years old, she should not be allowed to have 

 another calf, under at least eighteen months from 

 this time. 



The establishment of this farmer Is substantial 

 and independent. As far as the common comforts 

 of life are concerned, little more seems lo be de- 

 sired. Good air, good water, plenty of bread, 

 plenty, of fuel, plain and substantial clothing made 

 by the hands of his own family, and the product 

 in a great measure of their own flocks and fields; 

 an estate which he can call his own with truth, be- 



cause it has been purchased, not by fraudulent 

 speculati.iu upon other people's earnings, but by 

 the healthful toil of his ov/n muscles and the 

 sweat of his own brow; luxuriant pastures filled 

 with those beneficent animals, who are nourished 

 by his kindness, and settle their bill in the most 

 honorable manner every night and morning ; and 

 a clean dairy room of ample dimensions and exem- 

 plary neatness, wltli its numerous shelves, b.aded 

 with the richest produce, and speaking as well for 

 the in-door as the out-door manageioent ; the.se 

 features combined in this picture, present one of 

 tiiose beautiful examples of rural independence, 

 and the bountiful rewards, with which a kind Pro- 

 vidence is pleased to crown industry, frugality, and 

 good management, with which I am liappy to say 

 the County of Berkshire is every where sprinkled 

 over, even on its high mountain summits, as well 

 as on its fertile alluvions, and in its peaccfvil and 

 secluded valUes. The independent proprietor of 

 this establishment is now sixty-six years old. At 

 the age of nineteen he was not the owner of a 

 dollar. He now admits himself worth thirty thou- 

 sand dollars ; and all this, with the exeeption of 

 less than fifteen hundred dollars, is the produce of 

 his own farming Industry, as he has never been en- 

 gaged in any speculation whatever. A Jiigher good 

 than all this is found, in tlie fact which he added 

 with an honest pride and enviable pleasure, that 

 he had brrnuglit up eight children in habits of hon- 

 est industry ; and not one of tliem had ever dis- 

 graced his parents. 



The standard of dollars and cents is a very im- 

 perfect standard, by which to measure the prosper- 

 ity of such a man. It is a'prosperity which money 

 cannot measure. It is a prosperity flowing from 

 deeper, purer, and more enduring sources ; from a 

 competency for the evening of life, earned by hon- 

 est labor ; a mind unembarrassed by the fear of 

 want, and the vexatious caprices of trade and 

 speculation ; and a grateful sense of the kindness 

 of that just and beneficent Providence, whose 

 blessings have rendered his peaceful and unpreten- 

 ding labors successful." 



Domestic Manufactures. 



An old friend in Massachusetts, who disagrees 

 with us perhaps only in the point that a system of 

 legislative prohibitions, bounties and premiums, is 

 indispensable to the growth and prosperity of Ame- 

 ican industry, in a hasty letter has furnished us 

 with interesting facts, in embodying which below 

 we hope not to have done him injustice. Our doc- 

 trine is, to buy nothing uhich tee can produce our- 

 sch'cs^ except ice can make the exchange by the pro- 

 duction of somethini( else which shall cost us less. 

 Casting behind us all legislative acts which go to 

 prohibit the introduction of any article, and which 

 give a premature encouragement by premiums paid 

 on one object ef industry over others, we would 

 have trade as free as due regulations between dif- 

 ferent commercial nations can make it. With- 

 out prohibitory municipal regulations we are con- 

 fident that every department of domestic industry 

 may be duly and truly encouraged ; and we hope 

 and trust that both our friend, who is our senior, 

 and ourselves, will live to see a high dc<rree of pros- 

 perity in every branch of our domestic industry 

 growing out of a smaller taxation of every neces- 

 sary foreign production than we have ever yet wit- 

 nessed. 



Extracts frovi a Wool Groiccr and Manufacturerin 

 Massachusetts to thr editor of the Visitor. 



" Three-fourtlis of the wool imported :.s cheated 

 into the United States free of duty: it is imported 

 from Smyrna, *Slc. with (JO per cent, of dirt, un- 

 washed, and sworn in at eight cents ; when washed 

 here as clean as our fleeces, brook-washed, the 

 same wool is worth thirty cents. Please to refer to 

 the imports of wool and indigo, where ycm will see 

 in twelve months, the duly did not amount to much 

 more than that which the manufacturers had to pay 

 on indigo. It is something like a John Bull agent 

 who swore in black mixture cloths at 87 \-2 cents 

 whicli sold at retail for $5 per yard. 



'' There are also great frauds in woolens and in 

 ^ stufl" goods' which last have increased tenfold 

 since 16*20. 'Everlasting," being then wanted for 

 shoes, was almost the only icorstcd Qoods made dis- 

 tinctly for icorstcd Qfjods ; and when other things 

 became general, all our worsted thread fiictories 

 failed, and also the morocco skin establishments. 

 The foreign frauds, you I:now, destroyed fifty mil- 

 lions of dollars in woolen factories previous to 

 1S28. The Great Falls woollen establishment in 

 your State, with one million of dollars capital and 

 two or three hundred persons employed, run ten or 

 twelve years — made no dividends, and settled up 

 ^y P^y'"g ^i^y cents on the dollar, conducted by 

 such men as Trott and Bumstead of Boston. Eu 



