82 



Farmers' register. 



CURING COCOONS. 



For Ihe Fanners' Register. 



This is an important work, aiul simulJ be well 

 Jdne. It" ihe cocoons cnniioi be rcelfd iniriiediaicly 

 alter they have bccMi finished by liie worms, tliey 

 must be spreatl out, in layers of ijic ihickness of a 

 sinirle cocoon, and exposed lo the rays of the sun 

 until the chrysalides are completely stifli^d. In dry 

 weather, when the thermometer (Fahrenheit's) 

 rises to 80 in the shade, this may bo accomplished 

 in six hours. The cocoons should be spread on 

 frames or hurdles that have been covered with 

 dark colored cloih or paper, and placed on the 

 ground, and not at any elevation whatever. In 

 dry weather exposure lor one day on the ground 

 will kill the chrysalides as eflectually, as three 

 days when the hurdles are elevated only two or 

 three feet; and besides, when the hurdles are 

 placed on the ground they are not liable to be 

 overturned by high winds. II' heavy rains have 

 immediately preceded the time of exposing the 

 cocoons to the rays of the sun, three days will be 

 requisite to effect that which may be done in six 

 hours, when the earth is quite dry. These are 

 unquestionable fads, ascertained by careful expe- 

 riments, but I am not prepared to assign positively 

 the cause of this difference. I suppose however, 

 it should be attributed chiefly to the great reduction 

 in the temperature of the earth which usually fol- 

 lows copious rains. 



Whether the chrysalides are killed", or not, must 

 be ascertained by opening a small number of the 

 thickest cocoons. If any of them should slill be 

 alive the cocoons should be exposed to the rays of 

 the sun another day. After the chrysalides have 

 been etl'eciually killed, the cocoons must be spread 

 out in a dry apartment, and suffered to remain in 

 that situation for three or four weeks. They must 

 not be thrown into bulk earlier than three weeks 

 after the chrysalides have been killed. If this 

 should be done immediately, fermentaiion ensues, 

 the fibre is weakened, and the cocoons would not 

 pay lor the expense ol" reeling. When 1 speak of 

 expense, I allude to hired labor. In families where 

 there are females without profitable employment, 

 cocoons of inferior quality might be reeled with 

 advantage, and converted into sewing silk. I have 

 recently reeled cocoons formed in July 183S, 

 which were cured on the above-named plan, and 

 the fibre appears to be as strong now as it was 

 twelve months ago. Layton Y. Atkins. 



Stafford county, Va., Jan., 1840. 



RE-MARKS ON THE KftlPLOYMENT OF SALT IN 

 AGRICULTURE. POUDRETTE. TREATMENT 

 OK HORSES. 



To tlie Editor of llic Fanners' Register. 



I wish you a happy new year. 



Some years ago an essay was published by a 

 person of the name of "Johnson" on the use of 

 salt as manure, and I well recollect at the lime, 

 that ihere was considerable discussion on its me- 

 rits, but the evidence adduced was of so contra- 

 dictory a nature, that on summing up i he pros and 

 cons, I was fairly posed. To read Mr. Johnson 

 one would almost set down the farmer who omitted 

 the use of salt lo his crops, as little better than an 



idiot. Tlie application was represented to be bo 

 cheap and scipntific — there was such a neatness 

 and even elegance about it, when compared with 

 filtliy dung — then it was so handy withal! You 

 may rest assured, sir, and I think the niajority of 

 your readers will coincide with me in the opinion, 

 that there is no reliance to be placed on these 

 short cuts to fortune. " I should not wonder," 

 said a f>iend of mine at the time, "but that the 

 day will come when we shall be able to carry the 

 manure for an acre of land in our coat pockets." 

 The reply in substance was, if ever that time 

 should come, that the waistcoat pockets would be 

 large enough for the produce.' What puzzles me 

 most about salt is this: that it should promote the 

 growth of what ought to grow, and destroys 

 weeds, those real blessings to bad farmers; but 

 how that which destroys, nourishes ! That is ano- 

 ther poser. Whatever may be the etfect of salt 

 on friable soils, 1 know from experience that on 

 still loamy, or retentive land, it is very injurious. 

 Such soils continue wet and close for many years 

 after a di'essing of salt. But what would with 

 me be an objection against its use is, that it des- 

 troys the best drainers we have — the common 

 earth worm. They are continually working up 

 and down, and that to a depth greater perhaps 

 than is supposed ; every worm hole being a pipe 

 leading to the drains, if any. 



With respect to poudrette, another of those 

 portable manures, it is well to be cautious. A 

 number of certificates are going the rounds of all 

 the agricultural periodicals, detailing its virtues, 

 &c., plausibly enough drawn up to be sure, but 

 still, 1 repeal, let the prudent farmer be cautious j 

 we poorfiirmers have been, of late, among ^^ break- 

 ers" too much. It is not to be inlcrred, however, 

 that the writer would wish to consign poudrette, 

 if pure, to the already large liimily of ^' humbugs.^'' 

 In the neighborhood of large cities where "truck- 

 ing" predominates, I have no doubt but that it 

 will be both a convenient and useful manure, but 

 lor regular farming, or to the great body of lidrm- 

 ers in general, poudrette can be of little avail, even 

 if it was attainable. 



As regards the keep of farm horses, public opi- 

 nion is liovv decidedly in lavor of cutting their fod- 

 der, whether it be hay, straw, or a mixture of 

 both. Yet notwithstanding the plan has so much 

 lo recommend it, I am perfectly convinced from 

 observation that not one farm in one hundred puts 

 it in praelice systematically. The best criterion of 

 the excellence of this plan, is the fact, ihat in sea- 

 sons when the hay crop is short, farmers resort to 

 it as a measure of economy, in order to make their 

 stork of fodder hold out. 



In the treatment of farm horses much difference 

 of opinion prevails. Some not only house them, 

 but keep them constantly clothed up in the stable. 

 Of ibis method I by no means approve, /or though 

 it improves the coats of the animals, it renders 

 them lender and exceedingly liable to cold. 1 

 give the preference to the Norlblk (Eng.) system, 

 of letting them run out, as it is called, which 

 means nothing more than leaving the siable door 

 open into a yard always kept well littered with 

 dry straw or stubble ; and as a proof (hat this plan 

 is more in accordance with the natural habits and 

 tastes of the animals themselves, than warm close 

 slables, it is a well known fiict, that however cold 

 the weather may be, they generally prefer the open 



