FARMERS' REGISTER^ERROR IN PAINTING HOUSES. 



167 



contract to such a degree, that parts of them on 

 whicli tliere is no paint will be exposed to tlie in- 

 clemency of the weatlier and thereby caused to 

 rot. Nor is this the only evil: tlir the paint itselt 

 suffers Irora the intense heat in summer; and 

 cracks, as well as the shingles, and admits the 

 water to assist in decomposing the wood — ti'om all 

 wJiich evils white, by radiating less, is exempt. 

 Then it" the preservation of the wood is the object 

 to be attained by painting, just so far as black is 

 inferior to all olhcr colors by radiating more — ijust 

 so far is white superior to all other colors by radiat- 

 ing less. But the preservation of the wood is not 

 the highest consideration with me m giving pre- 

 ference to white over black; it is the comfort of a 

 cool room to sleep in after the latigues of a sum- 

 mers' day are over, instead of an oven; for on 

 going into an upper room of a low pitched black 

 roof house, a sensation is experienced very simi- 

 lar (I think) to that which one would feel on being 

 thrust into a baker's oven iiX'hich has been jjartially 

 heated. Indeed, one who has not realized it can 

 scarcely imagine the anxious restlessness attendant 

 on sleeping in such a room. 'Tis true one may aller 

 the labors of a summers' day are over, go early to 

 bed — but not to sleep — he must turn and change 

 from one eide of the bed to the other, and search 

 for a place sufficiently cool to enable him to eleep, 

 but in vain, until a late hour, when the tempera- 

 ture of the room shall have cooled down in a con- 

 siderable degree; then; aided by exhaustion, he 

 falls into a deep sleep, and the room still continu- 

 ing to grow colder, he becomes chilled, and wakes 

 in the morning but httle refreshed, and perhaps 

 with pain in the head, back, and limbs, the pre- 

 monitory symptoms of bilious, or ague and fever. 

 I have long been of opinion that many places 

 reputed as being very sickly, owe the character 

 which they sustain in a greater degree to the co- 

 . lor which the houses are painted, than to any 

 cause dependent on their local situations. And 

 it' the faculty were consulted, I believe it would 

 be ascertained that many cases of disease which 

 have been attributed to miasmata, had their ori- 

 gin in the great change of temperature to which 

 the system was subjected during the night, pro- 

 duced by the great quantity ol" heat radiated in 

 the day by black roofs. And many cases of dis- 

 ease produced by miasmata, were primarily caused 

 by the same circumstance. The room being at 

 bed time disagreeably warm (and the system there- 

 by much more exposed to the attack of disease) 

 the windows are thrown u]) to admit the cool air, 

 free access is given to miasmata which enters 

 the apartment, seizes its unguarded victim, and 

 prostrates hiin on a bed of disease and suflering. 

 If upon examination it shall be ascertained that 

 the foregoing .statements are true, it becomes an 

 imperious duty, that all who are laboring under 

 the evils before spoken of, should throw them off 

 by substituting white for black in the painting of 

 their houses: and to the farmer I would say, if it 

 be necessary in order to preserve the ivood and 

 contribute to the hea,lth and comfort of his family 

 that Ills dwelling should be painted white, it is 

 equally necessary that his stables should be white, 

 that his horses may.have a cool place to stay in 

 after they have done work: and if it be important 

 that his milic and butter should be kept cool and 

 sweet, his dairy should be white, and indeed, I do 

 not know of a house on a farm that should Rot be 



painted white in preference to black, as almost 

 every thing raised on a farm, whether it be grain, 

 ha}', potatoes or any tiling else, keeps better in a 

 regular and moderately cool temperature. 



1 hope the time is not fiir distant when this sub- 

 ject will elicit the attention which it merits, and 

 the learned be induced to throw the weight of 

 their influence in the .^xale, that rea.'on may pre- 

 ponderate, and the fickle gothlees fashion in her 

 sooty garb be compelled to risk the beam, light be 

 restored, and the evil banished. 



MATHEW. 



ON THE USE OF DUTCH ASHES AS MANURE, 



By Mr. John Mitchell, jr. Leith. 



From the Prize Essay and transactions of the Highland Society 

 of Scotland, for 1833, 



In a short communication sent to the society 

 some time ago, I endeavored to bring under their 

 notice a very valuable and cheap species of ma- 

 nure, which, on a late tour made by me on the 

 continent, I observed was much prized, particu- 

 larly in Flanders. I then placed at the disposal 

 of the society twenty casks (about seven tons) of 

 the substance in question, which have been de- 

 livered free of any charge to several noblemen and 

 gentlemen, eminent agriculturists, who will have 

 an opportunity of trying their efficiency- 



When in Flanders, I found the farmers gene- 

 rally complaining of the serious injury they were 

 likely to sustiiin in consequence of bein^ almost 

 entirel}' deprived, from interruption of me com- 

 munication with Holland, of an article which they 

 considered essentially necessary to their domestic 

 economy, namely, Dutcti ashes; and as that arti- 

 cle can he imported at a very moderate price, it is 

 of importance to consider how far it may be pro- 

 per to introduce it into this country. 



In Holland, there are two kinds of turf or peats 

 used for burning, namely, those cut as in this 

 country from the bogs, which burn easily, but give 

 a whitish kind of ashes, which are of little use; 

 and another kind, more generally used, as being 

 more durable. Having witnessed the mode of 

 making this kind, I sliall here describe it. At 

 ditches or ponds made by cutting away the com- 

 mon peats, or upper parts of the bogs, men were 

 em]}lo3"ed in dragging from the bottom, by meana 

 of long sticks, having hooped bags at the end, the 

 soft portion of the peat under water. They poured 

 it out on the adjacent ground, when the water 

 was allowed to drain off. After exposure to the air, 

 this substance becomes in a few days sufficiently 

 consistent to be cut into pieces of the size of a 

 common building brick, which are dried for use. 

 The ashes from this kind of peat are of a yellow- 

 ish brown color, and are the kind eo much prized 

 in Flanders; carts go regularly round to the various 

 houses ^vhere this turf is used, and carefliily col- 

 lect all that can be obtained. When the commu- 

 nication was open with Belgium, the ashes were 

 sent by water to Brussels and other places in that 

 country, and, after a long water carriage, they 

 were often conve3-ed fifty, and even a hundred 

 miles farther by land. 



These ashes are used in various waj's in Flan- 

 ders. They are generally sown uiion clover, at 

 the rate of 2-5 cuvelles per hectare, equal to about 

 19 bushels per acre, imperial measure. They are 

 sown on clover, wheat, and pastures, in March 



