■ai 



(2:i)C. iHumcr's jHotitljlij l)tsitov>^ 



171 



oC soil, llii'oiisli wliicli llie liorcr lins psii-RCM 

 liiire ill voiii- "iicat fii-M •''riill " fur iiislaiicf! is 

 lii-rme II!--. Al)uiil a limt liolnu ihe siirl;if(!, yoii 

 |icic(;ive llii' rarlli is a dafU IViaMo luaiii ; it 

 tiiiiiililfs IVi't'lv "lioii you luiirh it, anil )<l, il" 

 ytiii s(|iiiMi'.L' il lietwn-ii your liii^'cr uiul tliiiiiil', 

 11 Ictl:^ /!;% and slkks los;tlh(i: It lias a mm 

 rolling.' Iiail', or iiioiililt'iiii',' ilaiiip wood 

 out nn\ 



A will cionslitiite a Tree, dry soil, wliieli may he con- 

 sidered s:iii(ly soil ; though really sanely soils liave 

 soiiietiines IVoin 8.") tci 'J5 per cciil. ol' silieions 

 parlieles. 



A ca/cn)'CO»s soil we have deseiilied ahove. A 

 soil niaj he called Cideareoiis when il contains 

 II (il'iiiU pints ol' carhonato of lime in 100 pails. 

 With- I A lonni is a mixture of sand, clay, (and Ihiie, 



malysis, yon would pronoimce that lo he i freqtienily,) in c.|ual.le_ pioiiortions: 7.) parts 



a line soil. Ahoiil Ibnrieen inches IVom the top, 

 (lie color of the soil heconiesiiiiich liuluir; il 

 has less Imiiiiis or decayed veyelahle mailer; it 

 i> however, soli, aiid_\et not slili'and claiiiiiiy, liUe 

 clay. It is evideiiily a calciireons soil: il iinist 

 <-ontaiii II considerahle ipiantiiy of lime aloni; 

 Willi its sand and clay. 



it is iiiipoilani thai we should Ui'.surc ahoiil its 

 containing; lime, and know certainly whether it 

 is a calcareous soil or not. We can lest it. That 

 is, \M! can iiil'ject it lo a proct-.-s which, ici'/A /iW, 

 produces certain results, and ii; on applying;- the 

 icsis, those results follow in this t;oil, il is itroof 

 that il contains liine. 



To ascertain this, 1 will ta!<e a iiim-ri of this 

 soil, and pour a Itiw drops of miirialie acid,* 

 (or spirit of salt,) upon- ic ; if it eftiirvesces, it 

 is proof of lime heiii);- present; ifit does not hnh- 

 hle lip, like soda-water, lliere is no lime. Well 

 llinre it is — yon see it smokes and hnlililes up in 

 Koiiie de.'jiee. 'I'lien' is (i)'ie lliere,'l is a calcareous 

 soil; t\iii quanliljj of lime ne shall see hy analysis 

 hy and b_\. 



Fnrlher down In llie Inlie, the soil liecomes 

 lighter and dryer — there is more sand in it as we 

 >;et lower down; and at three feel we seem to 

 have touched a rock, or a !arj;e slone, uhich ar- 

 rested oiir pro^riess. 



On the knoll hciiiiid the farin-hoiise, we look 

 tliJs other bore, which yon perceive shows very 

 marked traces of its formation. W'iiliin a foutof 

 the surface I hcM'e is a li;_'ht, free, hlack mould, 

 iiilerspersed willia consideialiU; (pianiily ofveg- 

 elahle lihre, not decomposed ; at Ibnrn'cii iiielies 

 lion II, we ran at once into a ;freysoil, full of glit- 

 tering particles, vvhic-h eonlinnesa.s deep as \\c 

 conld ■j.trt. This is decomposed or crnnililed 

 f;raiiite, the sand, i-lay, polasli, and sin:dl (pian- 

 lilies of lime and iron are ilec<iiiiposed, lint the 

 i;iiV« sc7i/a'/ has not ipiile decomposed — il exisis 

 there In small sliiney scales, smiii'lhinj.' like (i>h 

 scales. Il is almost insolnhle, hut in lime it v. ill 

 disappear. 



Upon this deconiposc<l ;,'i;miiic soil a liirestlias 

 irroxMi, and for ayes has slied its leaves, which 

 have decoinposed, and Iwrmed a soil coiilaining 

 la fiely of vesietahle hnmus, amoniist which arc. 

 slill mirotled lihres and roots of trees and |)laiils. 

 'J'liis will make a line ."^oil. 



This soil is not calcareou ■. Yon may see l4iat 

 at a irlance ; if there had lieen lime present, it 

 would have decomposed Ihose^ihres l<n)g'a;;:o: 

 wherever there is decomposed ve^^etahle, it is 

 jiroof of ahseiice of lime. Yon see, hy lliis, ihat 

 your knoll icrtH^s /iwiii.a", simply lo decompose 

 those fibres and make niaiiiire of lliem. 



When yon wish lo (ina!i/~e. ifet a i:ood many of 

 these samples collccleil, nolo down as yon liirnst 

 them out the borer, the deplli and appearaln'e of 

 the bore; and llien take about half a poniiil of 

 the earth about three inches below llie surface, 

 pill it in a bottle ;,i;d cork il up ; paste n pitce of 

 paper on the outside, saying where yon took it 

 iVom, and the depth of llie soil; its .ippearanee, 

 and the natiire of ihe subsoil. 



Yon have, I will suppose, <rot jour samples 

 carefnll) collected, \on must now endeavor — 



To dussifji them into llteir kinds of soil : v.hich 

 is done more lor convenience sake than any- 

 thing else. The eye, the touch and the smell 

 will guide yon in this matler. 



A clnye;/ soil is well known by its still", adhe- 

 sive nature; w hen the entire soil only conlains 

 25 parts in JOO of pure clay, it will have ii strong- 

 ly adhesive property : 50 parts in 100 is n strong 

 clay land. 



A siliciotis soil (i. e. sandy) has the .ippearanee 

 of sand — the round gritty loucli of sanil; and 

 will scratch glass. About l-0 paris in ICO of sand. 



of 

 sand, yo of clay, and '> of lime, (with vegelablu 

 nialter.) make a free working loam, and may be 

 kiioun by its friable touch when crniiibled, and 

 ils adhesiveness w hen^iressed. Sometimes il is 

 red or yellow, caused by iVoii in the form of an 

 oxide, and is then styled Feirugiiioiis, or (larta- 

 king the nature of Iron. 



A sliilii soil is known by its abundance of veg- 

 elabh.- lihre, and ils compaialive spoiiginess. If 

 a red colored liipior is scpieezed onl, il is iinde- 

 coniposed peat and requires either lime or bni'- 

 ning lo dissolve its fibrous nialter. 



A tiliick organic soil we hm'e desin'ibed above; 

 it is known by ils color, its smell of inonldy, 

 damp, rolling wood, and its comparatively light 

 weight, or less specilie gravity. 



Ilaving classified the soilsyou wish to examine, 

 you write down yonr opinion of iliem, judging 

 iiom their .appearance, loiich and smell. It is 

 surprising what great correciness in judgment of 

 soils will he gained «i ^/ii« s/ag'^alier a lew e\- 

 perimenls. 



The things n-i'essnrij to nnritijze soils, in the win) 

 ol rijipiiruliis, fire few and simple: any druggist 

 keeps them, or can procure them at abmil the 

 liillou ing prices : 



A pair of scales, to weigh a quarter 

 of a pound, which w ill turn will) 

 a grain — a set of small weights 

 from i lo I grain Troy, with a- 

 bont 100 gr.iins of adilitioiial 

 weights, ill 20, 10 and 1 grains, 75 cenls to $1. 

 Two small wiie sieves, or bits of 

 wire chith, bent like a saucer, the 

 one large in the mesh as a pea, 

 ihe olher small as a innslard 



grain, - - - 5 to 25 cents. 



Three or four small vial bottles, 

 holding each live ounces of wat- 

 er, (empty.) 7 ----- - 



A set of Hessian crucibles, say 

 from 2 to 4 oz. - - - - - - 



A weilgewciod or glass peslle and 

 moilar, -------- 



Six cents wortli of filler |)aper, fol- 

 ded so as to hold .J pint of liquor, 

 and greased at ihe edges. 

 A glass iniinel, (and if convenient 

 to procure, about 9 J feet of half 

 inch glass tubing, worth about 25 

 cents is useful.) 

 Twelve cents worth of iiiurialic 

 acid, in a hotllc with a glass stop- 

 per. 

 .Six cents worth of prussiateof pot- 

 assa, in a common vial. 



The aliove, w hich can all be had for about two 

 dollars, or less, will be sufficient, with the use of 

 such things as .-i liirmer ha.s always in his boiisi^ 

 lo conduct analysis sufficiently correct for all 

 practical purposie:^. ISesiiles. most of the above 

 iliings are extremely useful lo larmers lor many 

 purposes beside the one here pointed out. 



\V'e shall go on with the analysis in the iieM 

 chapter. In the iiieanlime, let me impress on 

 yonr mind the siinpliciiy, usefulness and excel- 

 ience of the knowledge of the annli/sis of soils. 



12 



20 

 20 



opportunities have enabled you to procure, but 

 of approved blond. If the bull .-elected breed well 

 lo j/intr cows, have no fbuis of contiiining his ser- 

 vices to a seiunid, or even to a third generation 

 of his own get. Such practice will prodncu n- 

 liifirinily, and imiformily is one great excellence. 

 No mailer for the color, so lliat il he within the 

 Shori-llorn colors. Above all things, avoid 

 coarseness — looseness — fl.ibbiness — and a gene- 

 ral ti-ndency in the ;ininials to rnii their vahiablo 

 points into ofTal. Such eaille of w hatever breed, 

 are great consnniers, bad handlers, light provers, 

 leniiin- of coustiliilion, and iiiisaii.-faciory alto- 

 gether. II you have an occasional production of 

 this sort, iransli'r il to the shambles or elsewhere, 

 with all despatch. Oil the piiiiciple thai '-like 

 begets like," « hich is, -in unerring law of nature 

 in the long run, with the presence of such in 

 your herd, yon uill be perpetually afllided uilh 

 llie produrtioii of animals, which by hereditary 

 descent, sympathy, and the ihonsand aceideiils 

 springing from association, will be neither cred- 

 itable! to your good Preediug, nor satisfiiclory to 

 yourself. 



l''e(dire//.- not la\i>lily. Yonr cows should 

 be in good breeding and milking coiidiiion — nolli- 

 ing more: imd yonr bulls in liiir uorking order. 

 ■Snch is the condilion most coiisonanl lo iialme, 

 and promollM- of ihe highest animal health. — 

 TIk! scale of points laid downinonr inlrodnc- 

 lion, wilh ihe occasional remarks on Ihe praclicc 

 nf breeder", as we have passed in onr lii-tory, 

 detail what a good aliim;d should bi'. Thesi- lo- 

 gelber with a close esaminaiion of the iieneral 

 li^m■e of good catlle, as illustrali'd in our plates, 

 will aid llie jmlgmi-nt of ihe breeder. NV'illi a 

 well-balanced jndgnient of his own, and a sound 

 experieii'-e, ihey will be a safe guide, and ho 

 may go on his nay rejoicing. 



A single word lo irii'-h, if any there he, into 

 whose hands these pages may liill, as deride tho 

 value placed on superior callle by ihcir breeders, 

 and slieli as know llieir real worlli ; lirecding 

 g-norf animals is a subject ol' gre..t labor, and in- 

 cessant care. Sncli labor eaiiuot be besiowed 

 for nothing. To breed sncces.-.fnlly, r<-(piires 

 skill, — lalent, — research, — observation ; and all of 

 these of .-i high ordi-r. I^el the breeding of onr 

 fine slocks liill into unworthy hands, and hardly 

 a single generation of man will pass before the 

 real lover and promoter of the malchless lierdsf 

 s\ hich liovv so proudly enshellish many of onr 

 rural estates — a .source ol' pleasure, of pride, and 

 of comliirt to their possessors — \\ill mourn over 

 their degenerncy, and uliicli the lime of another 

 generation w ith greallabor and consiant solici- 

 iiiile «oiild scarce suffice lo reinslale in their for- 

 mer splendor and ex(;elleiiee. 'J'alent and labor 

 of this kind cannot be had for iiolhiiig ; ami 

 wiiliont lemuneraliiig prices be mainl.'.ined, the 

 (lownliill of the Short Horns in Ami'iica will 

 sooner or later be at band. — American Herd Booh. 



* .Sulphuric Aciil (oil of \'ilrit»l,) uv slrnaq \''inegir. 

 protiiici' jiiiiihir results, but not so certainly. .\n)tl!iiii! 

 tli;it w.ll nmie with Ihe hasn of lime, and liberate the 

 carbonic .icid ^as.will produce this cfTervesce-nce, which 

 merely arises Iroin the escape of the gas. Ii' no efferves- 

 cence occurs, it 13 a sure proof that there is no lime in 

 the soil. 



Breeding Cattle. 



To such as iuleiiil to breed callle of decided 

 excellence — and lliey, we hope, cousiilute all — 

 we recommend them lo select bulls of only n'.od- 

 traie size, coupled with all lliey??!fjifs.sof bone and 

 limb, consistent with a proper ina.--culiiip vigor 

 and energy, coupled \\\\\\ fullness of carcass and 

 rijif.aess oi' points; so as to embody great si'h- 

 slancc within small compass. In addition to thi.s, 

 lei him be as deeply bred, that i.s, of as pure 

 blooil, and of as long aiicesiry (not depending 

 altog'-ther on ibc herd book fbrtliat, as many ol' 

 the very best classof animals have comparatively 

 short herd book pedigrees) as possible ; and above 

 all let him be descended of good milking slock, 

 where milkers are lo he bred in his progeny. — 

 Your cows we' will presume are such as yonr 



Cooking Con.N IMkai, a.nd C'oi!.n for Hogs. — 

 No .--afer position we ihink can be assumed, in 

 the economy of stock iliedini', than that ((iianliiy 

 as well as nnlriment is essential to their preser- 

 vation ill a pcrlt'clly heahhy condilion. If we 

 admit the correctness of this (.osilion, and few 

 l;i -ts are more clearly obvioii.--, then il resOlls as- 

 r.n ineviial le iefeience that meal, and not only 

 meal liut corn, should he cooked helbre fed. — 

 C'orii, by being boiled or steamed, is increased iiti 

 bulk nearly t»o hundred per ei.-nt, while meal i* 

 ineri a:^ed, by the same process, more than llr.tae- 

 hundred and fifty per cent. I'o place this .sid)- 

 ject in a posilioii more easily coinpreliensible,. 

 one bushel of corn, after being sleamcd or Iioil- 

 ed, will measure llirce bushels. 'I'o cook a lush- 

 el of meal, five bushels of water are reqniiied,, 

 so that every pound of me.il will give n.tarly 

 four and a half pounds of mj(sh, "ilh a veJijine- 

 correspondiiigly increnseil. — Maine Farmer.. 



GFOi.oorcAi..— At Sharon opposite the villhge, 

 an excavalion has been made liirough the point 

 of a hill round uhich llie-river passe.-. 'I'lie- 

 deplli of the excavation may be fiirlyor li.'ry fc'eU 

 The hill is a deposile of sand, hi;i at intervals of 

 leu iiicluK there are harizenlal layers r.f lime- 

 sloiie ihree eighlli of an inch in luickness. 'J'be- 

 upper surface of these layers present all manner 

 of limtasiic fi>rms. Some bpecimeiis are uni- 

 formly indented wilh sphericid concavifics as if 

 impressed with nn ounce musket hall. Others 



