=^r= 



■mi)t j-'atnur s ixxonrriTD I'tstior. 



linth added liis blessing unto it, siiviii;,', 1 will giue 

 the ground my bles^siii" the firel yeere, & itshnll 

 bring forth the Cruit of three yeeres. And agiiine, 

 If you will keepe uiy cornniaiiiliiitMits, I will send 

 yon raiiie in due season, & the earth shall yoeld 

 her increase, and yoin' trees shall hn loadeii with 

 fruit, the threshing time shall last till the vintage, 

 and the vintage shall endiu'e til ihe sowing time, 

 &, you shall eut your bread with [ilenteousnes. 

 What can there be now more plea>ant to a Chris- 

 tian man, than to get his lining by such uieancs 

 ns he knoweth doth jilease Gud, and to |>lay the 

 Philosopher in the most sweet conlein|ilation of 

 the benefits of God, and to acknowledge and 

 reiierence the vvisdonie i^c power of the divine 

 Maiestie, and his bounleousnes to tnaid<itide, to 

 give tliankes and prayse for his goodnesse? the 

 very hearbes & creatures in the field in the meane 

 time preaching unto vs. 



Yield of Butter.— J. P. Fairbanks, Esq., in- 

 forms us that at a late meeting of the Caledonia 

 (Vt.) Agricnllural Society, Francis F. Fuller, the 

 President, slated that during the past year he 

 had made from ten cows 2118 lbs. of butter — 

 21 1? to each cow. Hesides the butter, he made 

 100 lbs. cheese, and raised five calve.''. One of 

 the cows had luen (arrowed for two years. It is 

 added that the butler brought the highest market 

 price for the table. If any budy has beat ibis 

 with the same number of cows, constituting, as 

 in this ckse, the whole dairy, we should like to 

 hear from tiiem. — M. Cull. 



Experiments iu Deep Fioughing. 



At a late meeting of the Highland Agricidtmal 

 Society of Scotland, Mr. Girdwood read a report 

 of experiments in deep ploughing, made by Mr. 

 Wilson, of Eastfield, Penicnick: 



The farm on which Mr. Wilson's ex|)erinient3 

 were made, is nearly level, the soil varying (iorn 

 gravelly earth to tenacious clay. It had for many 

 years been |.Ioughed from .5 to 6 inches deep, and 

 at that depth a hard crust or jiaii had formed, 

 which was almost impervious to water. 



The first field experimented upon, consisted of 

 13 acres, partly heavy, on a cl.iy subsoil — partly 

 light, on a gravelly subsoil. A depth of or 7 

 inches was first taken with the <onnnon plough, 

 in October and November, 1844, which was fol- 

 lowed by the subsoil plough to an additional 

 depth of 7 or 8 inches. Two acres were plough- 

 ed in the usual way. 



In preparing for a green crop in the spring, no 

 difficulty was found in working through the crust 

 or pan, ou that portion where the sub,--oil plough 

 had been. The whole field was equally manured 

 with a moderate supply of farmyard dung and 

 guano, and was sown with yellow tmiiips. The 

 appearance of the whole crop w.as similar till 

 August, when that portion of it in the subsoiled 

 land took the lead, and the produce per acre 

 where subsoiled was 26 tons 17 cwl., and where 

 ploughed in the old way, 20 tons 7 cwt. 



The second experiment was made on a field 

 of deep earth inclined to sand, on a sidisoil of 

 Bandy clay. Two acres were siilisoiled 1;") iiiches 

 deeji, two were ploughed 6 or 7 inches, and two 

 ridges were trench-ploughed 1.3 inches. The 

 field was cross-ploughed in the spring, maimred 

 in the drill, and planted with potatoes. 'J'he crop 

 was lifted towards the end of October, when the 

 quantity yielded by each portion per acre, was as 

 follows: 



Subsoiled, 7 tons cwt. 2 qr.*:. 



'I'reuched, 7 tons 1 cwt. 2 qrs. 



Plouglicrl, G tons 14 cwt. 1 qr. 



Another experiment was made on a field in- 

 tended lor barley after ))Otatoe.-;. The barley was 

 Bown about the 1st of April; the subsoiled por- 

 tion kept the lead throughout; the crop was cut 

 on the 22(1 of Septetnber, and when thrashed, 

 the produce on the subsoiled land was 8 qrs. '.\ 

 bushels barley, anil 3Gi cwts. of .straw, and on 

 the ploughed 7 (ps. 4 bushels, 3 pecks, and 28 

 cwt. straw; the dirtijrence in money being about 

 £2 9s. per acre in tiivor of the subsoiled. 



Another experiment was made when plough- 

 ing n field in February, two ridges of which were 

 Bubjected to subsoiling to the depth of 12 inches. 

 This was not followed by any beneficial result, 

 and the author (lucstions the utility of subsoilini; 

 for a grain crop when the ground is in lea, as it 

 is difficult to lay the furrows so compactly as they 

 should he for the reception of «end. 



Deep or trench plnnghiiig, ho thinks, may be 

 advantageous to soils of a deep nature, but inju- 

 lious to those which are thin, with a sterile anil 

 tenacious subsoil. Subsoil ploughing, however, 

 if jndiciriusly perfiirmed, he think.-i, can seldom 

 do haru], aiiil that a great variety of soils will 

 derive much benefit frou] the ojicration. 



Mr. C'irdwood remarked lliat be agreed with 

 Mr. Wilson as lo the soils which should he ilccti 

 pluughed and ^idisoijcd, and called atteiilion to 

 the great crop of barley obtained in one of the 

 experiments detailed. 



ExPEKiMENT ON DISEASED POTATOES. — III No- 

 vember last, 1 tied a sound potato against the 

 diseased part of an unsound one, and |)laced 

 them on a cellar Hoor. Jn a month, on examin- 

 ing them, the sound one was not aflTeclcd. Think- 

 ing that the cuticle might have bei.'U its coat of 

 defence, 1 icmoved this, and placed the two po- 

 tatoes as befijre. I bavi,' just broirght them under 

 a second examination; the disea.'^ed one is thor- 

 oughly rotten, the licallliy one sound still, and 

 although sever.-d minute specks of the I'migiis 

 show llicir allachnient lo the heallhy potato, they 

 have been unable lo enter more than the fortielh 

 part of an inch. The experiment may possibly 

 be woilli something to the physiologist, in his 

 inqiury afler causes. Here is evidence that the 

 fungus cannot make an inroad amongst the cel- 

 lular tissue of the tuber just which way it choos- 

 es, but must wait to have ils sporules circulated 

 with tiie fluids of the plant in vegetation. Thus 

 distributed, the work of deslruclion is easy. — B. 

 Mavnd, in Gard. Chron. 



From Ihe \. E. Farmer. 

 A Plea for the Birds. 



Mr. Brkck : — The seasim having arrived when 

 renovated natnj'e smiles in all her loveliness, and 

 the "leathered songsters" greet us with their 

 sweetest notes; and the time, also, being fist 

 approai-hing when they will be coujinilting their 

 petty dcpradalions, and taking pay tt»r their um- 

 sic, and for this be liable to the vengeance of the 

 thoughtless and the hearllcss— I feel a kind of 

 impulse moving mc to take up my pen in behall 

 of our companionable, musical little friemls. 

 And I am more inclined lo do so, fiom the recol- 

 lection that a malignant, improvoked attack was 

 niailo on the little warbler.'*, by a certain Mr. 

 "X." in the Albany Cultivator, last (iill, which 

 you copied, and tor which he has never been re- 

 buked. 



He admits that "a large host of scribes, in the 

 different agricidlnral pa[)er.s," cry "Spare the 

 birds." And, let me tell iiim, no scribe will ever 

 gain enviable renown by arraying himself against 

 this formidable host, who have the promplings 

 of humanity, the kindest feelings of our nature, 

 as well as the dictates of reason and justice lo 

 sup[)ort them, in their apjieals lo our sympathies, 

 in beli.df of this interesting portion of the ani- 

 mal crcatioii. And an attempt to oblileralo the 

 kind feeling evej-y generous bosom cherishes for 

 the joyous, social liltle songsters, will be as futile 

 as the allempt to remove llie disgust and haired 

 natmally implanted in every human breast, for 

 that implacable enemy of our race, the snake. 



Some mei! take pride in being "heterodox," 

 and arrogale merit simply because they "ilitti.'r 

 from others." The frosts of autumn must have 

 chilled the heart of this writer, when he penned 

 his article. Had he waited for this soul-eidivcn- 

 ing, hearl-warmiiig season, when the "flowers 

 appear on the earth," when the "vines wiih the 

 leiuler grape give a good smell," when the "sing- 

 ing of the birds" betokens the return of spring, 

 when "the voice of the turile is heard in Ihe 

 land" — if his heail is not colder than an iceberg, 

 and absidutely fire-pronf, it would have been 

 wanned by the eiic.lianting beanlies of the sea- 

 son, and he would have paused before advising 

 boslililies against the defenceless, pretty tni.ints 

 of ilio groves. There is something in ihc melo- 

 dy of Ihe birds ih.it makes the warm heart (eel 

 warmer; somelhing ihat awakens emoiions in 

 the susceptible bosom, which the hissing of 

 snnkts and the croaking of loads cannot inspire — 

 somelhing that pays the generous man, in part at 

 least, for iheir liiile depradations. Mrs. Sigour- 

 ney thinks they pay their ic/io/f rCH< in music ; 

 and that not at ihe end of ihe quarter, ami wilh 

 doiiblfid or depreciated currency, but promptly 

 every morning, in good noie.a at par. Bill Mrs. 



Sigourney is a looman, and speaks wilh a woman's 

 heart. 



" X." vvanis to know if it is " any greater merit 

 to be a bird, than to bi: a toad, su.ike, or lizard r" 

 He mii;hl ask, wilh llie same propriety, if it is 

 any greater merit lo he a m;m ihan a monkey. 

 Yes, it is. The bird is designed Iu fill a more 

 meritorious [)Iace — lo perform a more meritori- 

 ous olljce — lo act a part giiing him just title lo 

 more merit and distinction in the scale uf animal 

 existence. His superior merit is evinced by ihe 

 sphere he occupies, and by ihe element he nnives 

 iu. He is rnilowed wilh the (iicully of pleasing, 

 and making himself agreeable, which neither 

 snake, toad nor lizard can boa.-l of. Both are not, 

 as X. says, "equally innoceiit or equally giiilly." 

 Orif^inat sin allaches lo the snake. I'ut the poor 

 bird is only accounlable for a liltle actual trans- 

 gression. By a decree of wisdom, there is eter- 

 nal enmily between ihe seed of the woman and 

 ihe serpent. And the snake is ready to manifest 

 his malignant disposition on all occasions — not 

 by helping himself to what a penurious cynic 

 would call inoie than his law ful proporiinn of the 

 common bounties of Hroviih nee, but, by a spirit 

 of malice and deadly bate lhat woidd disgr;u-e 

 the few earniverous birds hi lunging to llie fea- 

 thered tribe. 



A love (or the birds is, or ought to be, a part 

 of our religion. 'I'heir music not only kindles 

 Ihe poet's (ire, but it enlivens devotion in llie |iiou.<! 

 heart. Assimilated with the beaiilif'ul and orna- 

 mental in creation, indii-aiive of the graluiious 

 benevolence of the wise Creator, it raises the 

 pious, contemplating, feeling heart, (hmi "na- 

 ture up to nature's God." If their .Maker de- 

 signed them as "gross nuisances," which ought 

 10 be "abated," why give lliein llieir lieaulilid 

 plumage, their soul-enli\enii.g voices, their grace- 

 lid forms and molions? [Iiiliiy did not demand 

 lliem. The end of their crealiou as "nuisances" 

 could as well have been answered without their 

 graces, and 'hen we could "abnte" them wiihout 

 doing so great violence to the best and noblest 

 feelings of llie generous heart. 



The mother who iiislils a sympnihelic feeling 

 for the birds into llie tender mind of her boy, 

 stamps there a principle which will never detract 

 from bis usefulness, or fiom the dignity of his 

 characler, and if it does not make him a belter 

 soldier, a better slatesman, or a better cilizcn, it 

 w ill give him a better heart, and be likely to make 

 him a heller (Christian and a better man. And 

 this is lhat principle which X. characterizes as u 

 " sort of morirV humanity in favor of birds, be- 

 cause they are birds." And however much they 

 may delight us with their music, and however 

 much goud they may do in saving ihe "firm or 

 fiuit crop from insecis, if, after il is ihus saved, 

 they appropriate il alt to themselves, (says X.) 

 they have forfeited protection." Birds, "do you 

 hear thal.^" 



I subscribe to iho sentiment as orthodox, lhat 

 " true humanity should e.xlend loall animals alik«- 

 lhat have feeling," and if il isc.-iiried out in prac- 

 lice, it will "spare the birds," and all'onl lliein 

 all the protection tliey wanl. Il will prolecl toads 

 and lizards too. iiui if a snake claims pnnccliun 

 on this broad principle, let biui keep his inoulh 

 shut and slop hissing. 



There appears to be some straining in the iro- 

 ny, wilh which X. peppers his article. If he 

 does not "strain at a gnat," he strains at a grub 

 and wire-worm ; and he strains hard, loo, lor a 

 parallel ; for 1 am sure none but an eye that rnii 

 see no comeliness in birds, can mice any resem- 

 blance between ihcm and "Canada thistles." 



Zanesville, (O.) Maxj '>lh, 184(i. J. T. 



Johuiiy Appleseed. 



About the time of the survey of the lands in 

 the United Slates mililary district, northwest of 

 the river Ohio, preparatory lo their locaiion by 

 those holding the warrants which had been i.s- 

 siied by the government to the soldiers of the 

 revolutionary war, tor services during that war, 

 there came to the valUy of the Muskingum, and 

 ils iribularies, the Tuscarawas, Walhouding, iMo- 

 hicaii, i^c, a man, whose real name, if ever 

 known, is not now remembered by the oldest 

 iuhnbilanls here, but who was commonly known 

 and called all over the country by iho name of 

 Johnny .Vpplesecd. 



This man had imbibed so remarkable a passion 

 for the ronring and cultivation of apple Iree» from 



