98 



•- M\)t JarmcrViHontl)lj) bisitor^ 



it being supposed that it, like sntiie other bread, 

 would bear to be mixed over night. The cnkes 

 ore usually poured on iirilil lliey spread on the 

 griddle to the size of the boitou) of'a bre;il<la«t 

 plate. You will think this recipe rather prolix, 

 but it is my way in all such cases lo be very exact. 

 Belter be too particular than to ouiit any essen- 

 tial item. 



Agriculture in Flander?. 



The ever-fertile soil of the Netherlands and Hol- 

 land, has always been favorable to agriculture, 

 where this art has nourished (or many ages. In- 

 deed it is Ijelieved ih/it the earliest improvements 

 in the arts of husbandry, were made in Flanders, 

 where, it is said the lields never je pose or lie 

 fallow, yet the rich soil fails not to repay the care 

 of the farmer by a constant succession of fruitful 

 crops. Nor is he satisfied only with the crops 

 that smnmer ripens. Soon as the harvests are 

 gathered, the earth receives again into its bosom 

 new seed.s, or plants, and new crops of grain and 

 vegetables arise, that cover the lields through the 

 nutumn and winter months, till spring warns to 

 prepare the ground for the ensuing season. We 

 learn from an English traveller, who wrote some 

 time since some "Sketches of the Netherlands," 

 that the farms in Flanders are small, rarely ex- 

 ceeding fifty acres, and are fre(|uently contracted 

 within a narrower hoimd ; to this he attributes in 

 a great measure the thorough culture and popn- 

 lousness of Flamlers. In a small farm, each part 

 Been hy the eye of the master has its due tillage ; 

 the work of husbandry is chiefly performed by 

 the farmer and his faiifily, who spare no pains to 

 cultivate that field which assures their subsist- 

 ence ; and the glebe, sulidued and manured with 

 assiduous care, makes a large return to that la- 

 bor which is bestowed on its culture, A vast |mj- 

 pulation springs up, and the land is covered with 

 the dwellings of a midtitude of cultivators, ifho 

 find each in the produce of tliat small farm ichich he 

 tills, a decent and comfortable maintenance. Jt hap- 

 pens otherwise in a country where the farms are 

 of wide extent. In a large farm, many parts are 

 overlooked or neglected, and a more negligent 

 culture is bestowed by hired laborers, more re- 

 miss and less interested in the crop. 



The other jirovinces have remarked the ad- 

 vantages which Flanders has derived from the 

 small extent of the farms, and have imitated the 

 example. The Stales of llainault have, by an 

 express law, limited the extent of the firms in that 

 province to an hundred and ffty acres, ami the good 

 effects of the regulation have been sensibly found ; 

 the lauds are better cultivated, the country " is 

 more populous," anil the villages increasing, draw 

 nearer to each other. 



The writer of these sketches concludes his oh- 

 servatioiis on this interesting sidijeci, with the 

 following; " Agricidtiire, whilst it tupplies ma 

 teiials to commerce and manufacliu-es, is also 

 more perm.-ment than either, and affords a more 

 solid basis of national prosperity. The manufac- 

 tm'es of i.ouvaiu have failed, and the trade of 

 Antwerp is fallen — hut the fields of Flanders 

 keep up a constant ftirtility. Agriculture also 

 maintains a race of men, temperate, hardy and 

 simple, who withstand the obstacles of luxmy, 

 niid among whom virtue lingms long, when cor- 

 riipiion has g.iini'd other ranks of the .State."— 

 Mercantile Journal. 



Agriculture in China. 



The preat requisites in the Chinese system of 

 agriculture are nuumre and water; and, to <d)- 

 tain these, their whole energies are devoted. The 

 Boil is randy allowed to lie lidlow, and in most 

 ))arts produces two crops annually. It is assidu- 

 ously pidverized, luid differc;nt soils are also 

 mixed together to impiove the tpiality of each. 

 They will carry sand for n long tlislanee to mix 

 with clay — heavy soils, loam, to put with that 

 which appears too loose. During the few months 

 of winter, in the southern provinces, the soil is 

 somiuiines thrown up into hi'iips, wliero it has 

 been mixed with some vegetable matter, thus 

 making a kind of cornposl, and also presenting a 

 greater surface to the air; after which, those 

 lands which rcrpiiro flooding, are covered with 

 Water, and hoed or turned over, mitil the whole 

 surface is redia^cd to mud. This process has still 

 n further fertilizing tendency. For a manure, 

 the Chinese collect every thing of a vegetable or 

 animal kind that can possibly be applied to such 



a purpose. Reservoirs, of brick or wood,are i!ug 

 in the hanks of the field, near a canal, into whii-h 

 everv refu.~e subslance is put. The principal one 

 has a roof over it, and is plastered, that the con- 

 tents may not be absorbeil into the earth. Be- 

 sides this principal one, large vases of stoneware 

 e sunk into the groimd, at couvenietit places, 

 for the use of passing travellers. The children 

 nd lioor [leople are continually employed in 

 collecting reilise animal and vegetable matter 

 with which to fill up tl.ese receptacles ;the sweep- 

 ing of the streets, hair from barbers 'shops, ofT.d 

 from butchers, feathers, horns, and hones are le- 

 diiced to powder, soot, and depusites of creeks 

 and rivers, are all indu.-trionsly gathered np and 

 thought suliicieully valuable to he carried a great 

 distance, especially if water carriage is conve- 

 nient. The dung of all animals is esteemed 

 above ariv liind of manin'o; it often becomes an 

 article of commerce, in the shape of suiall cakes, 

 which are made liy ir;ixing with it a portion of 

 loamy earth, and then lh(M-oughly drying them. 

 These cakes are never a|iplled dry, hnl are di- 

 luted in as much animal water as can be procured. 

 Old [ilaster is esteemed so valuable a fertilizer as 

 sometimes to induce a farmer to replaster an old 

 room that he may fertilize bis fields with it. Be- 

 fi)re inaimre is taken out ol the receptacle in the 

 field, it is suffered to become half piitrified, in 

 which state it is |)ut upon plains. Some seeds 

 are put into the manure imtll they are germinated 

 while others are planted enveloped in their ap- 

 propriate manure. After the plant has grown a 

 few inches it is again m inure<l with that which 

 is much diluted. The effect is immediately ap- 

 parent in an accelerated growth. — C/!i?!fsc R(p. 



Chemistry and Agriculture.— Charcoal. 



Dew, rain and snow exhibit very sensible 

 traces of ammonia, and this principle — highly a«l- 

 vantageous, and even iiidispensahle to vegetable 

 developement and health, is lost by evaporation 

 ijidess absorbed and fixed by some substance ca- 

 pable of intercepting and n-taining it lor the iise 

 of plants. The experiments of chemists clearly 

 demonstrate the fact that connnon charcoal m;iy 

 be used for this important pmpose with perfect 

 success, as it is capable of absoibing ninety times 

 its weight in aimnoniacal gas, with which it parts 

 on the oecturence of every rain, and is thereby 

 carried into the soil, where; partly, no doubt, by 

 the voltaic action exerted by the spongeoles of 

 plants, i! is introduced into the vegetable sys- 

 tem and circulation, and becomes the principa 

 source of the nitrogen so indispensable lo their 

 health and growth. We are not warranted, per 

 haps, in regarding charcoal as a manure in itself 

 as it is a substance nearly, if not tjuile indistruct- 

 able, hill it is nevertheless cafiable of exerting the 

 oHiees of sncli, and may be regarded as a most 

 efbcient caterer of the liiod of plants, and which 

 it does most iiiimificenlly fu'ovide. The absorp- 

 tion of ammonia ami carbonic acid — the latter of 

 which is as essential to vegetable health and ili- 

 creinenr, as the former, at least in some degree, 

 is not confiiHid to hiiiuid seasons, or fidls of rain 

 or snow ; it constantly absorbs both from the at- 

 mosphere, and retains them in such a way and 

 under the control of such laws as render them at 

 all times easily available by the roots of plants, 

 When applied to the surface ofsoils (ireviunsly en- 

 riidied by the applicalitm of putrescent manures, 

 it seizes upon the volatile gases which are libe- 

 rated during decomposition, and thus preserve 

 them from dissipation and waste. Some liirmers 

 are in the practice of applying ground eharcoa' 

 to the siirfiice in the fiill and winter, and speuli 

 of its action as salularv. — Maine Cultivator. 



Frt-iii llie Aiiieiicali Fiiiiiic r. 



Proper time for Cutting Timber. 



The commimication of K. S. Livingston to the 

 "American Agricultural .Association," and the 

 conversation growing out of it in on the siihjei-t 

 of" the proper season H)r Hilling timber," as pub- 

 lished in the Ulay No. of the American Farmer, 

 induces me lo say a word in relation to this mat- 

 ter, whiidi may prove ben(?licial to some, and in- 

 duce persons having lime and means, to make 

 experiiiK^nts on the subject, 



Some years ago, in clearing n piece of lanil, I 

 was induced to cut the hickory out first. It sniled 

 me lo have it done between the first of June and 

 some time in August. The whole of it was cm 

 for fire-wood — part of this laid over the follow- 



ing summer, and when used in the winter for 

 liKrl, was found entirely clear of worm hok$,and as 

 sound and solid as the most durable of our kinds 

 of limber. 



It has been repeated by me three several limes, 

 and always wiili the same result. In one instance, 

 a fijw hickories could not be cut until their neigh- 

 bors, the oaks, were removed, which could not be 

 cut until the winter — the winter came ; they were 

 cut, anil the following summer they were literally 

 riddled by the worm, while those c<it within the 

 time designated above, were as solid as metal. 



These are the facts of the case, but how to ac- 

 count for them, 1 was at a loss until the piiblica- 

 lion of Liehi-g's work on Agricnltiiral Chemistry. 

 lie says, "after August the leaves lorui no more 

 wood — all the carbonic acid which the plants 

 now absorb, is eniployed for the production of 

 nutritive inatter tor the fcillovving years: inslead 

 of woody fibre, starch is formed and is ififTused 

 through every part of the jilaiit hy the autumnal 

 sap." I at once saw why no worms existed — be- 

 cause there was no nourishment in the wood lor 

 them to subsist on. 



Some few persons in this vicinity |)refer cutting 

 oak timber for rails in Atigusi, while others |ire 

 fer February. The dllVereiice in the limes of 

 cutliiig oak is not so great as in hickory, as the 

 former is not so liable to be injured by worms. 

 A question here presents itsellj however, whether 

 it is not better to fell all timber at a season when 

 it is devoid -of all nutritive andfermintable matter ? 

 And whether oai<, as rails, or any uses exposed 

 to the weather, would not be doubly durable? 

 Ulay not the dry-rot, from which the Kbipping in- 

 terest has suffered so much, have its origin in a 

 want of altenlion to this matter ? 



Governments have instituted ex|)erimenls pur- 

 posely lo find a preventive after the limber has 

 been cut; but as flir as my knowledge extends, 

 very little altention has been given to the proper 

 season ihrfellins: il. 



I would here suggest that in all probability the 

 precise time might bo the two last weeks in July 

 and two first in August. 



Any of your readers may have an opportnniiy 

 of trying esperiinents through the course of the 

 present season, and thereby render a benefit to 

 several great interests. Let lis iiy lo "do a little 



good." DaMKL ZOLLICKOFFER. 



Lauderdale, May IGili, 184(j. 



From the Farmer's Caliinet, 

 The Reybold SUeep-shearinj. 



INIu. Editor, — The undersigned, pie.«cnt by 

 invitation at the shearing of the ileybold flock of 

 Leicester she^p, in Delaware, on the 18ll) ult., 

 report as follows: 



The flock is in perfect health and fine coiidi- 

 lion, evincing great care and judgment in the 

 management, and an improvement in fleece and 

 carcase that, after fifteen 3 ears of unwearied dili- 

 gence in th(! pursuit of that object, may be sup- 

 posed to apjiroximate to perfection of form and 

 truth of character. iMany of the yearling wethers, 

 as Well as the ewes, cut eight pounds ofwashed 

 wool, and not a broken fleece in ilie whole flock ; 

 while a two-year old buck of the Ueybold breed, 

 cut eleven pmiiids and a half of washed wool, of 

 superior (]uality and lincnes.s. 



The imported pure Leicester ewes are splen- 

 did specimens of that favored breed, and cannot, 

 perhaps, he excelled in any coiinlry ; cutting 

 fleeces of very carefiilly washed wool, seven and 

 eight pounds each, of fine quality and snowy 

 whiteness. 



'I'he imported bucks of the "New Oxfordshiie 

 breed," it would be ihiricull lo describe in lan- 

 guage that would do ihein justice. To say ihnt 

 nothing equal to tiiein has ever before been ex- 

 hihileii 111 this country, would be hnl liiint praise; 

 indeed they must be seen aiid/f//, befme they call 

 be uudcrsiood. They were shorn by old and 

 and experienced I'.uglish shepherds, w ho ileclarB 

 they never sheart'd or saw their equals in Eng- 

 land, htj a long shot. By the most careful exaiiii- 

 nalion'.ind admeasurement before shearing, they 

 were fi)iiiid to exhibit the following enormous 

 proportions : 



No. 1. Three feet across the back ; five feet 

 from nose to riiiiip ; seven feet four and a half 

 inches in circnmlinciice— live weight iWO lbs. 



No. 2. Two feet and two inches across the 

 hack; five feet two inches from nose to rump ; 

 seven feet in circumference. 



