372 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 6 



leaves also play their part in the husiness of nu- 

 triment. The experiments of Priestley, In^en- 

 houz, Sennebier, and Woodhouse of Philadel- 

 phia, have established the fact, beyond all doubt, 

 that the carbonic acid of the atmosphere, is de- 

 composed by the leaves of a plant, when the 

 leaves are stimulated into action by ihe light of 

 the sun. This, we suspect, is one of the great 

 sources of the supply of carbon; and of course, a 

 crop ploughed in, adds to the soil as so much gain, 

 all that the leaves have acquired from the atmos- 

 phere. But this addition of carbon, induces also 

 from the roots, a greater supply of hydrogen and 

 of oxygen; which would not have been needed, 

 had not this additional carbon been procured by 

 the industry of the leaves. The theory of ma- 

 nure, therefore, by means of crops ploughed in, 

 while in early flower, is supported by all the con- 

 siderations above suggested. 



From the Rev. O. Dewey's " Old and New World." 

 ENGLISH AND ABIERICAN ECONOMY. 



I observed that a considerable number of pas- 

 sengers (on board a steamboat) carried a comlort- 

 uble pic-nic box or basket with them, and spread 

 their own table. With some, doubtless, this pro- 

 vision proceeded from a fastidious taste that feared 

 some poisonous dirt would be found in the com- 

 mon fare of a steamboat. But with man}', I pre- 

 sume, it arose from a habit which presents a 

 marked difference between the people of Eng'and 

 and of America — I mean the habit of economy. 

 In America we are ashamed of economy. It is 

 this feeling which would forbid among us such a 

 practice as that referred to, and not only this, but 

 a great many more and better practices. In Eng- 

 land economy stands out prominently ; it presides 

 over the arrangements of a family ; it is openly 

 professed, and fears no reproach. 'A man is not 

 ashamed to say of a certain indulgence, that he 

 cannot afford it. A gentleman says to you, " I 

 drive a pony-chaise this year ; I have put down 

 my horse and gig, because I cannot pay the tax." 

 A man whose income and expenses and style of 

 living far exceed almost any thing to be found 

 amongst us, still says of something quite beyond 

 him, which his wealthier neighbor does, " We 

 are not rich enough for that." One of the most 

 distinguished men in Europe said to me, when 

 speaking of wines at his table, "The wine I 

 should prefer is claret, but I cannot atlbrd it ; and 

 BO I drink my own gooseberry." I have heard 

 that many families carry the principle so far, that 

 they determine exactly how many dinners they 

 can give in a year, and to how many guests ; nay 

 more, and how many dishes they can put upon 

 the table when they do entertain. 



This frankness on the subject of economy is 

 amongst us a thing almost unheard of Not "that 

 we are more wealthy, but, as I conceive, less 

 wise. The competition of domestic life among 

 us is too keen to admit of any such confessions oi' 

 internal weakness. We practice economy by 

 stealth. Nor is that the worst of it ; for one con- 

 sequence of this habit of feeling is, that we prac- 

 tise too little. When a stranger looks upon the 

 strife of business in our villages and cities, he ima- 

 gines that he sees a very covetous people ; but a 



nearer observation would show him that much of 

 this eager and absorbing, and almost slavish, oc- 

 cupation, is necessary to sustain the heavy drains 

 of domestic expenditure. It is extravagance at 

 home that chains many a man to the counter and 

 counting-room. And this extravagance is of his 

 own choosing; because he knows no other way of 

 distinguishing himself but by the style of living. 

 Would he but conceive that he might belter ele- 

 vate himself in society by having a well-read li- 

 brary, by improving his mind and conversation, 

 by cultivating some graceful but comparatively 

 cheap accomplishment, he might live a wiser and 

 die a richer man. Who could hesitate to choose 

 between such a family, and one whose house was 

 filled with gorgeous furniture ; where the wite and 

 daughters are dressed in the guyest of ihe fashion, 

 and the husband and lather banishes himself the 

 live-long day, and half the night, from that plea- 

 sant mansion, to toil and drudge in ihe dusty ware- 

 house? He sleeps in a very grand house; he 

 lives in a counting-room ! 



From the Penny Magazine. 

 WOLF-CATCIIING IN NORWAY. 



In Norway, and perhaps in some other north- 

 ern countries, the following very simple contri- 

 vance is used for the capture of the wolf: — In a 

 circle of about six or eight feet in diameter, stakes 

 are driven so close to each other that a wolf can- 

 not creep through, and which are high enough to 

 prevent his leaping over them. In the midst of 

 this circle a single stake is driven, to which a lamb 

 or a young kid is bound. Around this circle a se- 

 cond is formed, of which the stakes are as close 

 and as high as the inner one, and at a distance not 

 greater than will permit of a wolf to pass conve- 

 niently, but not to allow of his turning round. In 

 the outer circle a door is formed, which opens in- 

 ward, and rests against the inner circle, but moves 

 easily on its hinges, and fastens itself on shutting. 

 Through this door the wolves enter, sometimes in 

 such a number as to fill the enclosure. The first 

 wolf now paces the circle in order to discover 

 some opening through which he can get at the 

 lamb. When he comes to the back of the door 

 which is in his way, he pushes it with his muzzle, 

 it closes and fastens, he passes by, and goes the 

 round for the second time, without being able ei- 

 ther to enter the inner circle, or to retreat from the 

 outer. At length he perceives that he is a prison- 

 er, and his hideous howling announces to those 

 who have constructed the trap that he is taken, 

 who immediately come and despatch him. It is 

 said that this sort of trap is also used for foxes, and 

 even occasionally for mice. 



From the Maine Fartneir. 

 MAKING BUTTER. 



In a ihw remarks on this subject, it is not neces- 

 sary for us to tell the dairy- woman that it is of the 

 first importance that her milk-pails, pans, pots, 

 churn, &c., should be kept perfectly clean and 

 sweet, for they are as fully aware as we can be, 

 that unless this first grand essential of dairy man- 



