1826.] 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



317 



ry di(rcrent,--Capitalisfs liuve already invested 

 lai-o'e Slims in mamifacturins; establisiimenls, 

 which are to be found in almost every village 

 in New England. It is not necessary to go in- 

 to an inquiry why ibis change has been wrought, 

 whether it is in consequence of a change of Eu- 

 ropean policy or that of our own governmenl ; 

 or, whether it will be advantageous or detrimen- 

 tal to the United States. It is sufficient for the 

 present object to know the fact. That some 

 change is necessary, appears from the general 

 complaint of our farmers of the unprotitableness 

 of their business. 



In view oi' these circumstances, would it not 

 IiR well for our farmers to grow those articles 

 more which are extensively consumed in the 

 various manufacturing establishments? I would 

 suggest among these, wool, barley and hops. 



There are various reasons for increasing our 

 (locks of sheep. In the first place, the large 

 quantity of land in New England, susceptible of 

 almost no other use than that of pasturage, 

 might be made very profitable. It is also slat- 

 ed by some, that the land fed upon by Sheep is 

 gradually I'ertilized, and its value enhanced. 

 Another reason is, the small expence of keep- 

 ing these animals during the winter which, it is 

 believed, bears no proportion with that of most 

 others of equal value and profit. There is no 

 other that gets its (bod from the fields so late 

 in Autumn, or so early in Spring, as the Sheep. 

 Another is, the great certainly of the annual 

 profit they yield. Wool and lambs almost al- 

 ways find a quick sale, and at a fiir price. The 

 increase of the flock, under carelul and judicious 

 management, cannot fall much, if any, short of 

 delraying the expence of keeping and tendmg 

 it,nn(l the Sheep, ivhen unfit to be longer kept, 



nii>V ^ sclil So the bu(ch«rr fui \h<- iJi^i «..^«^t^ <50 



that the wool, in common cases may be consid- 

 ered as the interest of the ca|>ital invested. 



The ind'icemenls fur growing Barley are 

 principally these — the increasing demand for 

 this o-i'ain by t!ie breweries, the high price it 

 bears in proportion to other products, and the 

 triding labor and expense, together with the 

 greater certainty of a good crop, in its culliva- 

 tion. 



length of cannl line would be extendeil to at 

 least 3000 miles. When we consider that at 

 the commencement of the Erie and Hudson ca- 

 nal, in the summer of 1817, there were scarce 

 ly 100 miles of canal in the United Stales, and 

 that our system of internal improvement has 

 ^rown from that small beginning to its present 

 state and [)rospects in the short space of nine 

 years, some idea may be formed of the enter- 

 prising^ character of our citizens. 



In England there are more than one hutulrcd 

 canals, extending 2682 miles, constructed at an 

 expense of j^ 132,000,000, and yielding an aver- 

 ago income often per cent, on the capital in- 

 vested. England has been more than fitly years 

 in completing this extensive line of inland nav- 

 igation. The people of the U. States will prob- 

 ably have cniiipleted a line equally extensive in 

 less than 20 years from the time they commenc- 

 ed. The state of New York has (inished her 

 proportion already. — Con. Cour. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 1826. 



Canals.— A late N. Y. Observer contains a 

 table, prepared by the Editor of that paper, 

 principally from oft'icial documents, which fur- 

 nishes a brief view of the routes, di.mensions, and i 

 costs of all the important canals completed,' in 

 progress, or contemplated in the United States, 

 an<l the adjacent British N. American Provin- 

 ces. It is accompanied with a concise descrip- 

 tion of ditferent works, and concludes with the 

 fcjllovviug summary statements. 



Upon a review of the whole ground, we find 

 that there are now, actually completed, within 

 the limits of the United States, exclusive of im- 

 proved river navigation, 690 miles ol canal, 

 with 2645 teet of lockage, constructed at an ex 

 pense of ;*S 1 1,500,000 ; and there are now in 

 progress, and to a considerable extent, under 

 contract, 828 miles of canal, with 3,611 feet o( 

 lockage, to be contemplated in a few years, at 

 an estimated expense of ^10,250,000; making 

 in all, completed and in progress, 1518 miles ot 

 canal, with 6256 feet of lockage, at an expense 

 of ^21,750,000. If to these we should add the 

 can.ils seriously contemplated, and which will 

 probably be completed in ten years, the whole 



CULTURE OF HOPS. • 



(Concluded from page 311.) 

 The English growers of hops think they have 

 a very indiflferent crop, if the produce of an 

 acre does not sell (or one hundred and thirty 

 three dollars, and frequently they sell for two 

 hundred dollars ; and have been known to rise 

 as high as four hundred dollars. In the Eng- 

 lish estimate, the expense put down, is, what 

 they can hire the labor done for by those who 

 make it their business to perform the difl'erent 

 parts of its cultivation. A great saving may be 



miide by our lalllici^ ii. Ib« mliolc ut Inbonr; 



for much of it may be performed by women, 

 children and the aged. Add to this, we have 

 another advantage of no small moment. In this 

 country the hop harvests will come between our 

 two great harvests, the English and the Indian, in- 

 terl'ering with neither ; but in England the grain 

 and hop harvests interfere, and create a great 

 scarcity of hands, it then being the most busy 

 season of (.he year. It is found by experience, 

 that the soil and climate of the Eastern States 

 are more favourable to the growth of hops than 

 Great Britain ; they not being so subject to 

 moist foggy weather of long continuance, which 

 is most injurious to the growth of hops. And 

 the Southern Stales are still more favourable to 

 the hop tiian the Eastern States, in point of fla- 

 vour and strength. The state of New York, 

 unites some advantages frtftn either extreme of 

 the union. 



An excellent article on the culture of hops, 

 written by William Blanchard, Jun. Esq. of Wil- 

 mington, Mass., was published in the New Eng- 

 land Farmer, vol. ii. p. 52. Mr Blanchard re- 

 commends ploughing the land nine or ten inches 

 deep in October — harrow thoroughly in the 

 spring in the same direction the land was 

 ploughed — manure about 16 cords to the acre, 

 cross plough the same depth — furrow at least 

 four feet apart— plant corn or potatoes (pota- 

 toes preferable) the first year with the hops — 

 plant every other hill in every other row with 

 hops, thus placing the hills of liops at least eight 

 feet apart — put four cuttings from the running 

 roots, about eight inches in length, into eacli 



hill and cover lliem the common depth of pota- 

 toes — keej) the hops clean (Vom weeds by hoe- 

 ing the crop among them — in October cover 

 each hill with a shovelfull of compost manure, 

 that from the hon'^lye preferred — in each fol- 

 lowing spring, befoie the hops are opened, 

 sprcaii evenly over the yard about eight cords 

 nl manure to the acre (that which is coarse and 

 .strawy preferred) plough the land both ways at 

 the first hoeiny — but three hoeings in a season, 

 unless necessary to subdue weeds^ — the last time 

 of hoeing about the beginning of Aiigu.st, or 

 when the hops are in full blossom. 



"After the lirst crop it is necessary to open 

 the hops every spring by the middle of May ; 

 which is performed by making four furrows be- 

 tween the rows, turning the furrows from (he 

 hills, and running the plough as near the same 

 as possible without injuring the main roots, — 

 Then the earth is removed from the roots with 

 a hoe — all the running roots cut in ivitli a sharp 

 knife, wilhin two inches of the main roots — the 

 tops of the main roots must also be cut in, and 

 then the hills covered with earth about two 

 inches deep." 



The poles should be set as soon as the hop 

 vines appear, which will save labour in tying 

 up the vines. Mr B. allows but two vines to a 

 pole, and two poles to a hill, [instead of three 

 poles to a hill, as recommended in the Transac- 

 tions of the Agricultural Society of New York,] 

 poles not to exceed sixteen (ee( in height. — 

 The most thrifty vines must be selected, and 

 trained to the poles by fastening them by a 

 piece of yarn, slightly twisted by the thumb and 

 finger. Frequent attention is necessary to tie 

 up the vines," as they are subject to be blown 

 otr by high winds. The hops are ripe about 

 tl>« hf^-iRtiinjf of September, and should be im- 

 mediately gathered, and [)icked clean from 

 leaves and stems. Care should be taken, when 

 gathering the hope, to cut the vines two feet 

 [the New York article says three feet] from (he 

 ground that the vines may rot be injured by 

 bleeding." 



With regard to curing and drying hops, we 

 must refer our readers to Mr Blanchard's com- 

 munication, [N.*E. Farmer, vol. ii. pages 52, 

 53.] Wo would republish the whole article for 

 the benefit of recent subscribers, who are not 

 in possession of that volume, did our limits and 

 other claims on our attention permit. 



IJr Deane observed that '■ the time to plant 

 hops is when they begin to shoot in the spring. 

 The sets are cuttings from the roots or branches 

 which grow (rom the main root- They should 

 be from five to seven inches long, with three 

 or more joints or buds on each, all the old and 

 hollow parts being cut ofl'. Make holes twelve 

 or sixteen inches wide, and of a depth propor- 

 tioned to the nature of the ground. If shallow, 

 with hard clay or gravel under, dig not into i(, 

 lest you make a basin to retain water ; but raise 

 a small hill of good mould. If there is a good 

 depth of rich mellow mould dig the hole a foot 

 and an half or two fee( deep ; (he hops will 

 thrive (he bet(er. 



" When all (hings are ready for planting, fill 

 up the holes with the mould before thrown out, 

 if it be good; but if the earth be not rich 

 enough, make use of fine fresh mould, or of a 

 compost previously prepared, but no dung or\ 

 any account."' 



