1838] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



191 



ter, ami on wiiicli, not\vithf!larnlin<r, tlio. corn is as 

 much injured as on much h\ter pIou<riiin!X. 'J'his 

 has lieen an uiicommnniy cold and backward 

 sprinii, and ilicse lands are always Uejit colder in 

 sprin<r, as belbrc stated, by the prevailinjr easterly 

 winds. Until the ITih oI'May, the last clay ofmy 

 stay in the county, there was not one in vvhicii 

 fires were not necessary for conilbrt. .The cold, 

 by retardinti: the growth of young corn, keeps it 

 longer at. the state in which the worms prey on 

 and destroy the plants ; and hence, the peculiar 

 injury sustained this spring, and indeed, every 

 spring, compared to warmer lands. But though 

 the cold directly produced by the exposure to east- 

 erly winds, is an evil which cannot, be avoided, 

 still the ravages of insects would be doubtless 

 much lessened by earlier ploughincr, and still more 

 by the more efl'ectual drainage of the land. This 

 last would not only permit the land to be plough- 

 ed earlier, and in better condition, but probably 

 would lessen the coldness of the air, by avoiding 

 the evaporation of so much excess of moisture as 

 is now in the soil. The efl'ect of evaporation in 

 producing cold is a well known chemical fact ; and 

 there is probably more evaporation irom one acre 

 of ploughed and moist land, than from ten times the 

 space of water. Thus, good drainage would 

 serve not only to increase the productiveness of 

 the soil, directly, but also indirectly, by forward- 

 ing and improving the ploughing, raising the tem- 

 perature of the air, and by both means, helping to 

 restrain the antmal ravages of noxious insects. 



One considerable off-set to the numerous ad- 

 vantages and delights of a residence on the low- 

 grounds, is the bad quality of the drinking water. 

 It was tome, however, less objectionable than I 

 would have expected; though my sense of taste 

 is not sufficiently acute to render me a proper 

 judge of the quality of water. The wells al- 

 most always reach water in the marl, from which 

 the foreign flavor is communicated. In the very 

 few cases in which water is reached by wells before 

 touching the bed of marl, it is said that it is very 

 good. ItJ by boring, and putting down closely 

 connected pipes, water should be drawn from be- 

 neath the bed of marl, (vvhich has not yet been 

 pierced through,) I think it very probable that 

 it would be found pure and excellent. The wa- 

 ter which percolates through marl, and supplies 

 wells sunk therein, is bad in every known locality. 

 On a very high and hilly farm, my residence some 

 years ago, which was under-laid by marl through- 

 out, the many springs, within convenient distance 

 of the house, all furnished bad wafer. A well 

 was commenced, though with but little expecta- 

 tion of obtaining diflerent and better water, as 

 these springs were nearly all around; and still less 

 hope remained, as no water was found before pene- 

 trating the marl. Luckily this bed did not furnish 

 so much water as to prevent continuing to dig, and 

 getting quite through the inarl to a soft sand be- 

 low, from which rose an abundant supply of wa- 

 ter, as pure and as cold as any known east of the 

 fiills of our rivers. The water rose to and stood 

 at the height of 13 fi^et above the level where it 

 was tapped. This one known result as well as the- 

 oretical opinions, would encourage me were I a 

 resident on the.se low-grounds, to bore for pure 

 water through the marl, if it should not prove to 

 be too deep. 



A young lady who had spent much of her 



childhood in this part of the country, once fold 

 nje that the ice-houses were the most ornamental 

 buildings in Gloucester; and though, fur wtmt of 

 explanation, I could not ima(>iiie a ground for this 

 opinion, 1 readily admitted its fbico as soon as 

 the subjects Ciime under my own view. As wa- 

 ter lies so near the surliice, and the soil is too close 

 to permit water to sink through it, it is obvious 

 that ice-houses cannot be made in pits, below the 

 surfiice, as usual in the higher country. Hence, 

 they are necessarily constructed on and above the 

 surface of the ground. One plan of construction 

 is general. A circular brick wall forms the bo- 

 dy of the building, which of course is a regu- 

 lar cylinder, surmounted by a roofj which is, in 

 shape, a flattened cone, the base of which is so 

 wide as to form eaves projecting unusually far 

 without the body of house. A mound of earth, 

 circular at the base, regularly sloping as it rises, is 

 thrown up all around and against the body, and 

 conceals it to within two or three feet of the eaves 

 of the roof. The mound of earth becomes co- 

 vered with green turf. The summit of the coni- 

 cal roof is surmounted, in some cases, by a spire, 

 in others by a ball, or small cupola. Altogether, 

 in plan, proportions, and neat execution, these 

 ice-houses are very pleasing to the eye, and add 

 much to the beauty of the grounds around every 

 mansion on the low-grounds, 



[to be continued.] 



LAW OF NKW-YORK IIV REGARD TO TRES- 

 PASSING STOCK AND DIVISION FENCES. 



To tlie Editor of tlie Farmers' Register. 



I have a friend ivho lives in the western part of 

 the state of New York, now on a visit to me here, 

 and in conversing with him on agricultural and 

 other subjects, I have derived many useful facts — 

 one of them I will detail to you, because it is of 

 striking utility in my view, and on a subject upon 

 which you have long interested yourself. 



He informs me, that in the state of New York, 

 the lavvs require every farmer to have such enclo- 

 sures as will keep his own stock in — if he has 

 none, he need* no enclosure, except on public 

 highways. Ifthen the stock of our neighbor en- 

 croaches on another, the one encroached on sends 

 them to the nearest pound-master of the town- 

 ship, (and there are several in each,) who pounds 

 them, and notifies the public of the fact, describ- 

 ing them, that the owner may come forward and 

 claim them. The person trespassed upon then 

 calls together three respectable, disinterested 

 neighbors, who assess the amount of damage 

 he has sustained by such intrusion, which the 

 owner has to pay, together with all expenses of the 

 pounder, &c. before the stock will be surrendered 

 up to him ; and in default of which, they are sold 

 to make it good, and the surplus, if any, refunded 

 to the owner. 



This I consider an equitable and admirable 

 regulation, and if adopted in this state, would save 

 much trouble and discontent among neighbors. 

 He also informs me of another equally just and ne- 

 cessary regulation. In all cases ofdivision fences 

 between neighbors, each party is bound to share 



