THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR. 



10» 



articles are found worthy of a place in your maga- 

 zine. 



Having been induced by the calls of business, to 

 visit different parts of the country during the pre- 

 sent season, I have noticed with particular pleasure^ 

 and interest a surprising and universal spirit of 

 improvement anions the farmers of the Grariite 

 State. Finding too, that while manufacturing 

 towns and villages were embarrassed with an idle 

 population, the country has awakened anew to the 

 spirit of improvement, and has put on a thriving 

 and determined zeal, in making it appear to the 

 most casual observer what it really is, and has been 

 very pertinently called, the hacB bone of our Re- 

 public. 



In one particular much is doing to improve the 

 appearance nf the country; I allude to the repair- 

 ing, improving and erection of farm houses and 

 other buildings, in every town and every section of 

 the State. Such improvements, while they add 

 value to the farm, beauty to the prospect, conveni- 

 ence to the occupant, serve to bind him to the soil 

 —to the liome of his fatliers — to the birtliplace of 

 his kindred ; the local attachments become greater; 

 his mind, instead of wandering in quest of new 

 and stimulating incentives, settles down, complete- 

 ly satisfied with its own society, with a full deter- 

 mination of turning his whole estate into a profit- 

 able and pleasing heritage. The wild dreams of 

 personal advantage to be obtained by emigration 

 are erased from the vision, and tlie space is replen- 

 ished by highly cultivated fields, beautiful and 

 convenient buildings, kind, obliging friends, and 

 loving kindred. Such additions and improvements 

 to one's own estate stimulates the neighbor to new 

 and greater exertions, to improve and add to his, 

 and as it is clearly for the interest, the very best in- 

 terest of all, to do what lie can for the general im- 

 provement as v/ell as his own, the influence extends 

 from neighbor through district — through district to 

 town, through town to the whole country, .until 

 the whole community nre engaged in the noble 

 work of improving that portion of the soil that is 

 allotted them. 



Let no man say tiiat his example is without it? 

 influence ; it cannot be so, as sure as men use tlieir 

 eyes and tlieir reasoning faculties, the influence of 

 the successful man is certainlj' felt, and his exam- 

 ple followed ; particularly is this the case with the 

 farmer. Example with him is more higlily prized 

 than precept — practice preferred to llieory, and sub- 

 stance to show. Utility and convenience are the 

 crreat desideratum of this class of our fellow citi- 

 zens, and for these they often sacrifice taste and 

 comfort. 



But, sir, the principal object of this communica- 

 tion is, to present to you and your readers, some 

 idea of the plan 1 propose to pursue in treating on 

 the subjectof Tarm-housc building, and the m"ans 

 I intend to use, to convey to the farming interest 

 my mite in the general prevalence of improveiiient. 

 Farm-hounc Architecture : by the bare mention 

 of this term many mind^ are led aw.ay to the con- 

 templation of lofty and splendid mansions of curi- 

 ous and intricate workmanship, tall spires, and 

 massive columns, spacious galleries, collossal stat- 

 ues of marble, ivory, gold, and the ,accomp;iny ing 

 gorgeousness of wealth and luxury. These things 

 have their use, it is true. Columns, galleries and 

 statues are essential to the completion of extrav- 

 agant architecture ; and terms a needful auxiliary 

 to a theoretical knowledge of the science. But 

 comfort and convenience are not dependent on 

 them, and indeed comfort and convenience have 

 nothing to do with them. All that is essentially 

 requisite for he;illh, comfort and convenience to 

 even the most luxurious of mankind may be com- 

 jireliended in a well coiislruoted fiirmer's house ; 

 and ihe canons of good ta.<te he at the same time 

 rigidily observed, without causing any material ad- 

 dition to the original cost. There is notliing so 

 necessary to personal comfort — lew tilings more 

 conducive to elevation of character, than a pleas- 

 ant house ; and yet there is nothing about wliicli 

 the American people — in the country parts espe- 

 cially — have more to learn, than the properties in 

 which such pleasantness consists. The popular 

 beau ideal of a pleasant cottage in the country is 

 white paint and a flower garden; elegance 

 of elevation and interior commodiousness seem 

 to be looked upon as matters very much out 

 of the question. It is not my intention to intro- 

 duce to your readers any extravagant notions of 

 building, no villa-like lodges in Italian style, with 

 stone terraces, thrown in without making any dif- 

 ference in the estimate — no Gothic arches and 

 chimney pots ill the Moorish style; — but to give 

 a few hints and remarks upon the subject of liouse 

 building, accompanied by engraved plans and ele- 

 vations, illustrating niyjintentions, and explaining 



in a practical manner the utility of symmetrical 

 form and convenience, in the construction of dwel- 

 ling houses and the other necessary buildings to a 

 farm ; by which those who are building may make 

 their habitations quite as comfortable, and often 

 more picturesque and pleasing, because not out of 

 character and not got up for effect. As no one 

 undertakes the task of building without anticipat- 

 ing some enjoyment in occupying — he should ex- 

 ert himself to make his dwelling the most conve- 

 nient — the most comfortable as well as the most 

 pleasing to himself and family. In the execution 

 of my designs, I shall endeavor to show some of 

 the best modes of arranging buildings, with a view 

 to the most complete accommodation, construction, 

 situation and expression, accompanying each com- 

 munication with plans and elevations, engraved 

 on wood — -give a general estimate of the cost — spe- 

 cification of details, and such suggestions as may 

 seem to be required, or important to be known re- 

 specting the practice of Farm House Architecture. 

 STEPHEN GILMAN, Architect. 

 Manchester, N. H. 



We are well pleased, as we cannot doubt many 

 readers of the Visitor will be, with the foregoing 

 communication ; and especially shall we be grati- 

 fied if he will persevere and carry out his plan. A 

 stranu-er to us we have no other evidence of Mr. 

 •Gilnian's capability and qualifications than that 

 contained in his essay ; and we are free to say that 

 we have formed a favorable opinion of these from 

 his first number. 



It can hardly be expected that Mr. (lilman should 

 furnisli the plans already engraved on wood. I'lans 

 drawn at the right size for the columns of the Vis- 

 itor will be engraved at our own expense. To fur- 

 nish these in season it will be expedient that they 

 shall be sent ns so the article to be published at the 

 close of the month shall be placed in the hands of 

 the engraver early in the month. 



Reclaiming Bog Meadows. 



To the Edimr ol the farmer's Muiillilj Visit.ir. 



Ukar sir:— I have a swamp containing some fif- 

 teen acres of at present very unprofitable land. A 

 part of it was formerly covered by a pond, but it 

 has been so far drained as to bear a very inferior 

 quality and small quantity of wild grass, for more 

 than fifty years. For several years past, it has not 

 been considered worth mowing. The mud varies 

 in depth from three to twenty feet and more. The 

 whole tract is free from trees and stumps, and is so 

 situated that it may be sutticiently drained. In 

 short, it is just the sort of Imd which is found in 

 every town in this county, and which is generally 

 thought of little value. 



Tliis swamp I propose to reclaim, and commen- 

 ced operations several months ago, hutain much at 

 a loss how to proceed, and as I deem the subject of 

 much iiiijiortancc to the farmers of our State gen- 

 erally as well as to myself, I shall venture to make 

 some inquiries, with the hope that tliroujh your 

 paper I may obtain the information desired. I have 

 made inquiry, and narrowly watched the agricul- 

 tural papers for a year past and have heard of sev- 

 eral mellinds practised in reclaiming bog meadows, 

 but the results of experiments are so various, that 

 1 feel by no means satisfied as to the best course 

 A nentieinan in Sandown reclaimed several acres ol 

 lami similar to mine, except that it was covered 

 with trees, when he commenced by clearing, cut- 

 ting out the stumps, ditching and sowing with 

 her'ilsgrass, foulmeadow, and redtop, without ap- 

 plying manure of any kind, or<ioing any thing 

 furthrt-. He has cut upon it for sixteen or seven- 

 teen years about two tons to the acre of good hay, 

 and has done nothing to the land in the mean time 

 except to sow seed upon it once in two or three 

 years. This land being new, was not covered, pro- 

 bably, with a growth of bad grasses, as mine is. 

 Oilier persons have recommended that after ditch- 

 inn-, tlic turf should be turned over by hand im- 

 plements, and seed sown upon it. 1 tried this ex- 

 periment upon a small scale last fall, but the seed 

 did not vegetate One of my neighbors also tried 

 experiments upon tlie inverted sod, also on a very 

 small scale, which have furnished results to me some 

 what unexpected. This swamp is an old one, like 

 my own. He applied to apart of a small tract thus 

 inverted, a quantity of air-slacked lime, to anoth- 

 er part wood ashes', and to the remainder nothing 

 except irrass seed of various kinds, which was alike 

 sowed upon the whole This was done late last 

 antnmn, and now upon the part where nothing 

 was applied there is very little appearance of any 

 except common wild grass, while the parts to which 

 the lime and ashes were applied are covered witli 

 herdsgrass which for a first years growth, looks 

 I well. This experiment was made on two difi'erent 



tracts of the same swamp and with similar results. 

 There is now no perceptible difference between 

 the effect of the lime and ashes. 



I have also secft in some recent publication, a. 

 statement by ex-governor Lincoln of Massachu- 

 setts, upon the subject of reclaiming swamps. He 

 states that he reclaimed a tract of the very worst 

 description, merely by draining and flowing in 

 winter, without the ap])licalion of any manure or 

 seed. He states that he has since since cut upon it 

 from two to three tons of good hay to the acre an- 

 nually, and pronounces this the most satisfactory 

 experiment in husbandry that ever came within his 

 knowledge 



Some persons have carted gravel and sand upon 

 their meadows in large quantities, with various 

 success, and others have applied manure of various 

 kinds. 



I wish to ascertain the best and cheapest mode 

 of procedure. It would be next to impossible to 

 procure manure or ashes in sufficient quantity near 

 my meadow, and very diflicult to procure even sand 

 or (Travel, for apparently all the soil that formerly 

 covered the nearest hundred acres has washed al- 

 ready into it, leaving naked rocks round about. 1 

 could apply lime, if advisable, but have never 

 heard of its application except in the instance men- 

 tioned. Inverting the sod is somewhat expensive, 

 unless done with the plougli, which probably can 

 not be used for some years to come upon this land. 



I have thus thrown out such hints as have occur- 

 red to me, and hope the subject may receive atten- 

 tion. There can be no doubt that our very best land 

 is yet to be found in thpse very bogs, but like the 

 st.itue which some one beautifully imagines to lie 

 hid in the rough block of marble, much artificial 

 skill is requisite to bring it to view. 



Seriously, I trust we sh.all better understand this 

 subject, and in order to do so, nothing is so impor- 

 tant as to collect the results of experiments as fast 

 as they are tried. 



Farming is not my vocation, although I am deep- 

 ly interested in its various branches, and " labor 

 diligently with my hands" daily with much pleas- 

 ure°upon the soil. If this article is thought wor- 

 thy of a place in yourpapor, and you prefer to an- 

 nex my name to it rather than to publish it anony- 

 mously, I shall console myself with the idea that 

 he who is ashamed to make known his ignorance 

 is not in the way to become wise. 



Respectfully yours, 



HENRY F. FRENCH. 



Chester, N. H. July 13, 1840. 



The Drought. 



One month ago we completed our last article for 

 the Visitor with a notice of the then almost unpar- 

 alleled drought. Since that time, although there has 

 been no great fall of rain in any part of the coun- 

 try north, there have been repeated showers in al- 

 most every direction. But since the middle of the 

 month of May at this point (Concord Main Street) 

 we have at no one time had sufKcient rain fall to 

 prevent the wheels rolling through their ruts throw- 

 ing np dust immediately after, indeed of rains of 

 tliTs sort we have had not more than two or three 

 accidental sprinklings in the whole season so far. 

 And now we are told at New-London and Newbu- 

 ry thirty miles west, and north of Plymouth and 

 Lake Winnipisseogee, there is now felt no want of 

 wet in the growth of the crops. It seemed on Sab- 

 bath (July 2U) tliat we were soenvironed by show- 

 ers encircling from the south by the west round to 

 the northeast that the abundance of hay laying in 

 the open field could not avoid a drenching ; but 

 that day closed with three showers passing to the 

 south and two showers passing north, while over 

 and about our heads there was notliing but — wind, 

 Ibllowed bv a fall in the lliermometer from some- 

 thing like'tlS down to probably liO degrees. 



AU this time the ground has continued to dry 

 and parch, there are some kinds of vegetables that 

 have continued to sustain themselves wonderfully. 

 Hay in most cases has come ofl' the ground with a 

 larger cro[i of better quality than almost any per- 

 son expected. Early sown oats have been sustain- 

 ed remarkably ; but the late so a n oats and much of 

 the late sown Black sea wheat have done but indif- 

 ferently. Potatoes will be an entire failure in this 

 immediate neighborhood, if rain do not soon come: 

 old potatoes are selling at 7.5 cents the bushel. 

 Winter rye is generally better than any body had 

 expected. The surface of the pastures has dried 

 over so as to afford very little sustenance for milch 

 cows. If this severe drought should be carried out 

 as is often realized from the latter part of July to 

 the first of October, there can be little left of the 

 crops pertaining to the latter Harvest— it will be a 

 drier season for Concord than is within the reiriem. 

 brance of its oldest inhabitants. 



