750 



F A R M E R S' REGISTER. 



[No. 12 



judicious applicalion, would, by its increased pro- 

 ductions in a very feiv years, more llian reimburse 

 any necessary expenditure) besides (jiviuii an in- 

 creased value to the properly — vviiicli every pro- 

 prietor should study to promoie. In I hose sections 

 in which marl ahoundi?, many are, doubtless, pre- 

 venled from usinjr it as exiensively as they would 

 wish from their inability to withdraw, from usiiiij 

 this all iibsorl)inn; occupation of hauliiitj wood, the 

 force fiecessary to its removal. In hau!in<^ stone liir 

 stone lencinw, ifrubbinii, cK!ansin<r, and reclairninix 

 wastes; and m various other occupations adapted 

 to the present season, the same difficulty presents 

 itself to their accomplishment. In the [)!an re- 

 commended (or its partial removal, I speak confi- 

 dently, upon the experience ol three winters, in 

 dei-larin<r that my itain has been at least one half, 

 both in fuel, time, and labor. 



From tho Meciianics' Reijister. 



HOT BLAST. 



"A Founder," in the London Mininij .Journal 

 objects to "Patent Hot Blast"' that the pig-iron is 

 sad!\ deficient in point of strenrrth, compared with 

 piiT-iron maile in the gnnd old ivay ; that a cupola 

 man can (seeminirly with ease) take up a No. 1 

 "Patent Hot Blast" ibumlry piij, and break it 

 across his knee ; that in chaiginij for a casting of 

 five tons weight, for instance, we find it necessary 

 to charge with six tons, whereas five tons twelve 

 and a half cwt. of cold blast [lig used to be quite 

 suiTicienl; tfiat all the founders have been obliged 

 to increase the size of all patterns fbrcaslino-s that 

 are likely to be subjected to mnch torsion or fi-ic- 

 tion, since the use of the patent, has beconuj gene- 

 ral in this country. That it has tieen a valuabl- 

 discovery to the patentees and iron masters can 

 never be doubted. But it still remains to be shown 

 where and liow the public have been benefited 

 by the invention. And he inquires what has 

 become of the obdurate toughness of tlie genuine 

 Scottish cold-bhist pigs. 



Another correspondent states that the pig-iron 

 obtained from the use of anthra(;ite coal, by 

 Crane's process, is not at all weakened by hot 

 blast, but is better calculated for the founder's use 

 than any he had seen — that beams cast from this 

 iron of the same pattern vvith others from coke 

 iroti No. 1 had twenty per cent, the advanlaire. 

 The reason, he says, why pig-iron siTielted with 

 anthracite is not weakened by the hot blast is the 

 great quantity of carbon it contains. It is put into 

 the furnace as it comes fmm the mine (not being 

 cokeable) and being of a ponderous and compact 

 nature, the cold blast could not penetrate as in the 

 case of coke or charcoal. 



G. 



From the Farmer's Cabinet. 



METHOD OF CONVERTIKG VEGETABT.E IWAT- 

 TER INTO aiAlS'URE. 



Much has been said of late on the subject of 

 converting leaves and other vegetables into ma- 

 nure. That leaves and other vegetable substan- 

 ces can be rendered of inmiense value lo the fir- 

 mer, by their conversion into manure, the experi- 

 ence of many has fully demonstrated. The fol- 



lowing plan was recommend some years since, by 

 H. Brown, es(i. a celebrated chemist, who stated 

 in a paper presented to the " Society lor the en- 

 couragement of Arts," &c. that he had found 

 li'om numerous trials, made for several years in 

 succession, by many of his friends, as well as by 

 himself, the very great utility of the composition, 

 as well as its cheapness, with the capability of its 

 being made in any situation, and in any quamiij'. 

 Tfie mode of making it is as simple as it will be 

 Ibund [)roductive. It is nothing more than green 

 vegetable matter decomposed by (jnick or iiesh 

 nurnt lime. Upon a hiyer of vegetable matter, 

 about a foot thick, a very thin layer of lime, beat 

 small, is to be laid; and so on, vegetable matter, 

 and then lime, alternately. After they have been 

 [nit together a few hours, the decomposition will 

 beiiin to take place — and, unless prevented by a 

 tew sods, or a forkful of vetretables at hand, the 

 mixture will break out into a blaze, which must, 

 at all events, be avoided. In about twenty-four 

 hours, the process will be complete, and you will 

 have a quaniily of ashes to lay on your land any 

 I time you wish. Any and all sorts of vegetables, 

 { and weeds of every description, if used green, will 

 answer the purpose. Tfiey will doubly serve the 

 fartner, as they will not only be got at a small ex- 

 pense, but will in process of time render his fijrin 

 far more valuable by depriving it of all noisome 

 weeds. Dr. Brown states that he made a calcu- 

 lation with clover, grown for the purpose, and that 

 one acre, at a single cutting, when decomposed 

 by the above process, yielded a sufTicient quantity 

 of ashes to manure four acres. He slates that 

 the vegetables should be used as soon after they 

 are cut as possible, and the lime as fresh fi-om the 

 kiln as the distance will allow. It apjiears ihat on 

 these two circumstances mainly depeiuis the good- 

 ness of the composition. We think tliis plan is 

 worthy of further experimenis, and we should be 

 happy to communicate to the public the result of 

 any trials made lor the purpose of testing its utility. 



From the Vermont Telegraph. 

 I.I3IE AS A niAlVURE FOR POTATOES. 



Something have already been said and done, 

 on the subject of using lime in raising potatoes. 

 The experience of the friend whose name is at- 

 tached to the statement below, soes to recommend 

 at least an experiment. Will not the quality of 

 potatoes be imfiroved by the use of lime, as well 

 as the (juantity increased? 



Waterford, Jan. \st, 1838. 



Respecting the use of lime in raising potatoes. 

 I can make no Jiccurate statement as the result of 

 my experiment, as I was not at home when my 

 hands commenced digging those that were limed; 

 but as near as I can calculate I obtained some- 

 thng like 100 bushels more for making use of 

 about six bushels of sla-'-ked lime, in the following 

 manner: 1 had about half a pint of lime placed in 

 the hill, and had the potatoes dropped on it, and 

 pressed them down gently with the loot before 

 covering. I was led to try the experiment by see- 

 inir the effect produced by some lime that had 

 been used in a tannery, being put into the hills of 

 some potatoes. 



John Ide. 



