150 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



[Dee. 2, 



where not a cullivaled plant for the sustenancp. ' (hey h:ivc known good soap made widiont it, 

 either of man or beast is natural to tlie island; ; and Ibis Ihey contend always may lie done, (iro- 

 every thing is foreign, every thing is exotic ; \ ided (he oil and the lye are ol' good quality, 

 a country in which maize cannot be brought lo and combined in due proportions. II then Ihe 

 maturity but in her liot-houses, nor tiie pump- soap docs not " come'' — Well, what then ? Why 

 kin, the squash, the melon, or the cucumber, ' (hen Ihey suppose it is bewitched. Now the 

 without the shelter of glasses; taking tythes of (rue principles are these— all the alkalies have 

 mint, of anise and of cummin, and where laxa- 1 a s(rong disposiiion to unite with acids, from 

 tion presses like an incubus on (he whole indus- : Whicli they are rarely found entirely pure or 

 try of the country ; yet there agriculture is made ! free. That with which they are most usually 

 a profitable employment. liow is this to bejrombined is tiie carbonic acid. This Ihey at- 

 accounled for, but by their superior intelligence, (racl from the atmosphere. An alkali in union 

 their greater industry and more strict economy,' witli an acid (proviiled that acid be to any con- 

 logelher with Iheir more enlightened modes of sitleraldo amount) cannot be brought to unile 

 practice. with oil. when, as the exprc-sion is, the soap 



Principles, with us, are little sought for, and ! does not " come-" This is peculiarly the case 

 even less understood. There is, in many in-|\viih Ive drawn from ashes of (he beech. These 

 stances, an entire ignorance of the very first ru- ure the cases vvhere lime is ncre«s;>ry, the use 

 dimeats of Ihe science, and on this ignorance,] of which is, to delach the acid from the clkali ; 

 as is the case on all subjects where Ihe mind is j lop^ on coming in contact wilii the lime, the acid 

 uninlbrmed, is grafted many false, absurd, and , quits its hold of Ihe alkali lo unile with the 

 heretical opinions, whicii, being adopted as so limp ; the alkali being thus disengaged from the 



Of late years, tlieir gr<at merits both as bill and pas- 

 ture sheep, having become more generally known, they 

 have been propagated and naturaliz<d in ahnost every 

 part of this island, and in Ireland. 'J hose great and 

 leading names in rural patriotism, the late and pres- 

 ent UuUe of Bedford, and J. W. Coke, Ksq. of Holk- 

 liam, through the medium of their annual shearing 

 metlingf, have chiefly contributed lo developc the CK- 

 celltiicies of this breed, which, perhaps, if we look to 

 Ihe superior number of tups engaged, may be consider- 

 ed at this day, as the most fashionable." "All the 

 South Downs want is tlie noble covering of a Spanish 

 fleece, and how Mile the carcase would sofTtr by the 

 cross, has lieen demonttrated by Lord Somerville, in 

 the exhibition of a very fine ewe, long enough for any 

 purpose, half Spanish and half South Down." 



'flu- Memoirs of the TennsylvarrH Ag.'-icultura! Soci- 

 ety, lately published by .1. S. ?KiKMiH, Esi.. Tclitor of 

 the Ami;iiiHn Tarmer, contain some remarks "<)» \'a- 

 rious Breeds of Sheep," ic. by .Ion N HABt 1 owEi,, 

 I Ksq. Mr I'owel says [page 109J " South Down Sheep 

 many Sound principles and carried out into prnc- ' acid, readily unites with Ihe oil, and thus the have finer fleeces, of shorter staple, and much less 

 tice, like Milton's evil spirits, miike '•'■ confusion manufacture succeeds greatly lo Ihe satistaclion , weight, smaller carcases, Jess loaded with fat, sbowin; 



ivorse confused." It would be easy to illustrate I of all concerned, for there is no occurrence in 

 the justness of (his remark by an ap|ieal to (he circle of the ivbnie year, more the sulijcct 

 facts. Some of our farmers, for inflance, will i of joy and congratulation, especially with our 

 not suffer their apples, after being ground, to lie wives and danghlers, than the "coming" of 

 some eight, ten, or twelve houis in the pumice i good soap — unless it be that of an heir being 

 before pressing out the liquor. And why? 13e- Wiorn into Ihe family. The same difficulty is 

 cause they have noticed, that cider left exposed sometimes experienced by those who make use 

 some hours in an open vessel, to Ihe inlluence i of ()ola«h in this manufacture, and it is correcl- 

 of Ihe air, becomes llat and insipid, and wliatted in Ihe same way, (bat is, by leaching the pot- 

 they have observed to take |dace in the rem- j ash, it having been fir't dissolved in w.iier,lhro' 

 nanl of liquor left m their cider-pots, Ihey think J a quanlitv of ashes, with a mixture of quick 

 will Like place also in Iheir cider-troughs; and j limp Thus we might proceed, and from Ihe 

 that by being left thus exposed some hours, Ihe business of almo«l every day, we tniglit multi- 

 liquor will lose something of its spirit ; whereas , ply pxamplcs in proof ol our position, that prin- 

 there is no spirit in the licjuor hnforo fe.troenla- 1 ciplps are little sought for among us, and even 

 tion. Wlio ever heard of a man's being intoxi- loss understood. 

 caled by drinking sweet cider ? It is fermenta- 

 tion in all vegetable juices which creates the 

 spirit. In this act Ihe saccharine principle, or 

 that which gives the liquor its sweet taste, is 

 converted into a/co//o/, which is another term 

 for spirit. The liquor before fermcuMliou is as 

 different in its nature and princi|des from the 

 same liquor after fermentalion, as milk is from 



LONG WOOLEU SHEEP. 

 In our paper of the 11th ult. page I'23,we republish 

 .'.heese, or cream from butter. \\ e laugh at J cd from the Boston Daily Advertiser, some notice of 

 the simplicity of the inn-keeper, who, on open- liu- importalion of Lincolnshire and South Down sheep, 

 ing his house, to give his liquors a distinguish- i,... .\K„rs. A. & A. Lawrence & Co., merchants of Dos- 

 ed excellence, resorted lo the expedient ol boil- i,,,,. Perhaps some sketches relative to the properties 

 ing them down. This conceit, although more ; „. ii,„e 5i„,,.p ^^y be of service to those who propose 

 ruinous in its consequences, is no less ridiculous ,„ prop:,gai,. them in this country. 



in principle than the former. Tliey both orig- 

 inate from an entire ignorance of the nature of 

 that change which is wrought on all Ihe sweet 

 juices of vegetables by what is called Ihe vinous 

 fermcnlatiun. 



One exam|dR iimre in illustration of our po- 

 sition, that principles among us are little under- 

 slood, even in Ihe most common Ibing^. 



Quick lime is frequently mixed with ashes 



lu a treatise on Cattle by Mr Lawrence, an English 

 writer, whose productions on agricultural topics are 

 often quoted, and highly recommended in Rees' Cy- 

 clopedia, we find the following notice of Ihe Lincoln 

 shiie sheep. "The flavour of the Lincoln mutton has 

 been generally held superior, as more savoury than the 

 l/isbley. The imported Lincolns have now finer bones 

 with broad loins, and truss carcase, and are among the 



before leaching, In our domestic manuf.iclure j best, if not actually the best long woolod stock ive 

 ol the article of Soap, lint the principles on 1 have." The same wriler gives the average weight of 

 which this is done are not genorally understood, i the fleece of Lincoln at II lbs.; and the average weight 

 as is evident from the very discordant practices of no other of the long woolcd breeds of British sheep 

 adopted among us. Some snppo«c that the use | ;,niounls to no more tlian !) lbs. 

 of the lime is lo suppiv any ib'ticiency there 

 4liay happen lo be in the strength of the tishes. 

 Others adopt the practice in imitation of their 

 neighbors without any supposition at ail about 

 Hie mailer ; while others again reject the use 

 ol lime altogetlier, as being a vain conceit, for 



'Ihe same writer in treating of the South Downs says 

 tlicy arc " second to none in Britain for high reputa- 

 tion, and indeed for real use. They are one of the old 

 varieties, and have been immemorially in possession 'of 

 the Sussex Downs, and of the Surry and Kantish hills 



S 



more proof within, aflbrding mutton of finer texture and 

 better flavour, than any breed known. Their form is 

 not so accurate, their fore quarters being lighter. Iheir 

 necks larger than those of Dishley sbnp: but their 

 chests are sufficiently wide to atTord ample space for 

 the position of their lungs; upon (he be-ilthful action 

 of which, able scientific and practical men agree, the 

 vigour,and useful secretions of the animal must depend. 

 They are much more hardy, have much more olTal,they 

 consume rather more food in proportion to their size, 

 than Dishley sheep, but by their vigour and activity 

 are enabled to find s'lpport, and to thrive upon bit ak 

 and barren hills, where Dishley sheep would die from 

 exposure or would starve." The principal qualities 

 for which this kind of sheep arc celebrated are i(s har- 

 dihood and the excellence of its mutton, which is said 

 to surpass that of any other breed. 



We are glad (o perceive our merchants turning their 

 attention to the means best calculated to increase the 

 agricultural resources of the United Slates. Iti this 

 way they not only act the part of true patriots, but 

 pursue the path which leads to commercial prosperity. 

 The commerce of the country will be in proportion to 

 the value of its products, and increasing the latter is a 

 direct method of adding to the former. 



PEAPv SEEDS AND BEECH NUTS. 

 A friend of ours wishes to procure 4 quarts of Pear 

 Seeds, and one half bushel of Beech Nuts. A fair 

 price, for the quantity specified, of these articles will 

 b« paid on their delivery at the office of the iXew Eng- 

 land Faimer. 



Mr Samuel I'ond of Cambridge has left at this" office, 

 three apples, — as large as pigeons' eggs,— the seconH 

 growth ol a tree set out last spring I 



Salt. — According to calculation, .10(1.000 barrels of 

 salt will be made in western Pennsylvania during the 

 present year. The interior of Pennsylvania used lobe 

 supplied from New-York State with salt. S«lt is some- 

 times sold at Pittsburgh as low as twenty five cents a 

 bnsbel. 



Mr Carnrt Peters is now on a tour in the state of 

 .Maine, and is authorised to receive moneys and »uti- 

 srriptions for Ihe ISew England Farmer. 0:^- We have 

 no other authorised travelling agent. 



