180 



^l)c iTarmcr's illoutljly lUsitor. 



for two months, until the size was so enormous 

 anil llie infinmmatioii t^o f^rtia^, tlmt we weru np- 

 prelieiisive matter would i'orm in the udder. To 

 prevent this, we ordered 'her udder to be well 

 iiatiied, morning, tioon, and niyht, with water as 

 warm as it could be a|)|ilicd without scalding. 

 By this mode of treatment the udder was relaxed, 

 but gradually increased in size, uniil wc were 

 satisfied that she could not be relieved until she 

 was milked. The first ellort brought ofl^ several 

 pints of thick serous, or watery matter: the sec- 

 ond day the discharge wns a mixture of water 

 and milk, and on the third day we had the plea- 

 sure of measuring seventeen pints ot milk ; and 

 from this time forward nnlil she calved — which 

 was about one month from the first time of milk- 

 ing — she yielded from 10' to 18 ipiarts of fine rich 

 milk every day. The calf found the udder in 

 fine condition lor sucking, the teats all soft, and 

 the milk flowed upon the slightest compression 

 of liis lips. In this way we preserved the udder 

 of one of the finest cows we ever milked ; and 

 we feel very confident that if we had left nature 

 to herself, the udder would have been spoiled. — 

 Tennessee Jigriculturxsl. 



The Potato Blight. 



A writer in the London Globe estimates the 

 value of the potato crop in the United Kingdom 

 at £23,000,000, and sets down the loss to Ireland, 

 in consequence of last year's failure, at £10,000,- 

 000. The Cork Reporter calculates that out of 

 130,880 acres planted wilh potatoes in that coun- 

 try, ]00,6GG are already blighted and destroyed. 



No means exist of testing the accuracy of these 

 calculations, but the mere fact of such enormous 

 estimates being made, is sufficiently expressive of 

 the gravity of the question. It shows, conclu- 

 sively, that under the most favorable point of 

 view, the destruction of food must have taken 

 place to a most alarming extent, es))ecially when 

 it is borne in mind that similar losses were sus- 

 tained in all tlie great potatoe countries of both 

 hemispheres. 



The disea.se was introduced into Genoa in 

 1845, with English potatoes, and we know too 

 well how fast it spreads; besides which, we see 

 from the French pajiers that in the department of 

 the Var the potatoes, although not much diseas- 

 ed in the fields, were rotting rapidly as soon as 

 they were stored — July 17lli — that the crops rais- 

 ed from northern seed have enjoyed no inunimi- 

 ty ; and that the coast line — we presume from 

 Toulon to Draguignan — is now infected, as well 

 as the hilly districts. 



The farmers in the territory of Nice were al- 

 ready, on the llth of July, pulling up their pota- 

 toes, in order to save ihem fioni the murrain, 

 which had attacked their second crop. We may 

 add, that since the Neapolitan potatoes planted 

 in Englatid, have proved to be as diseased as our 

 own, there is reason to fear that no supplies can 

 be had from Naples this year. Add to this that 

 the mischief has reappeared in Germany, that 

 wheat is actually dearer in Holland at the pres- 

 ent moment than in Knghuid, and we have as 

 ugly a symptom of iujpending scarcity as the 

 amateur of high price.? can well desire. Unfor- 

 tunately, too, tins is hut a portion of the picture. 

 Wheat is a soliiiiry artich^ (jf aliimdanru. Ti.r- 

 nips are but half a crop ; the siuue is true of oth- 

 er roots, and of beans and peas; barley is short 

 and oats not heavy. AncI where is our fruit? the 

 a[i|>l(s, and pcais, and plums of the cottagers 

 and small liirnieis; lluy loo have failed! Even 

 in the isle of Jersey there is not moie than two- 

 thirds of the usual quantity, aiul Jersey is a fa- 

 vorable example. All these things are articles of 

 food, eiti.er directly or ir'diriclly. We consume 

 thirn in the li>rm of meat, if not of bread, and 

 their places must be ^^llpplicd, or the consumers 

 must be put on short allowance. The labour 

 who feeds his children wilh apples gives ihuin 

 food, not luxuries; they stand in place of some- 

 thing else, and must, therefore be replaced. In 

 the present instance it appears impossible to do 

 so, except with corn. The conlincnt seems but 

 little ca|)able of assisting us in the article of 

 grain; it will have enough to do to feed its own 

 population. 



In fact, we understand that wheat is actually 

 exported to Antwerp at the present moment, and 

 we must rememlier that the great continental har- 

 vest is gathered in. Meanwhile, in the course of 

 last week, rice uud outs liuvc udvaiicod in price 



from Is. to Is. Gd.; wheat. 4s. or 5s. a quarter; 

 flour. Is. <)(/. a barrel, and meat of course is par- 

 taking of the (learntss. — London Daily jYews. 



Subsoil Ploughinc^. 



The experiments of sub-soiling which liave 

 co.ne to it;y knowledge, have not enabled me to 

 (brni any definite opinion of its effects. In Mr. 

 Colman's last Report of European Agriculture, 

 he gives the result ol" certain experiments in sub- 

 soiluig upon a still' clay soil. One distinguished 

 farmer says, " Until there is an escape for the wa- 

 ter llirough the sub-soil, any o])enin£r of it but 

 provides a greater space (or holding vvaler, and 

 will rather lend to injure than improve the soil." 

 Other good cultivators comjilain of ils being in- 

 effectual "from llie soil being too adhesive and 

 heavy, and soon running together." Another 

 says, "he expected from the complete breaking- 

 up of the sub-soil, that the parts would have re- 

 mained distinct for years, but such was not the 

 case. They all hud ran together, and were as 

 compact as when first moved by the plough." It 

 seems that the English agriculturists agree, that 

 on an adhesive soil, sub-soiling is not recommen- 

 ded until after a thorough draining, but that all 

 shallow soils of the lighter kinds will be improv- 

 ed by it. 



Although I place great reliance in the experi- 

 ments in English agriculture, the difference in 

 the climate and soil, should not lie overlooked. — 

 One great object in all their cultivation is to drain 

 off excessive moisture. Ours on high lands, j)ar- 

 ticularly, should be to guard against excessive 

 drought. One of their cidtivators says, "sub- 

 soiling provides a greater space for holding wa- 

 ter." That may be just what we wr.nt. 



I have used a sub-soil plough for two years: I. 

 thought last year, that the land sub soiled and in 

 corn stood the drought better than that not sub- 

 soiled. On the grain crop this year, I could per- 

 ceive no difference. I sub-soiled for a crop of 

 corn for fodder, last year, and planted it with po- 

 tatoes this. 1 have also sid)-soiled about six acres 

 of moist stiff land from which no crop had been 

 taken. Further experiments, I trust, will be 

 made, and I should like to know the effect of a 

 shallow surface furrow upon a deep sub-soil fur- 

 row. It has occurred to me, that the principal 

 benefit to be derived from sub-soiling, will be in 

 keeping the surface mellow and porous, thereby 

 enalding the sub-soil to retain moisture to be im- 

 parled to the surface soil, as Ihe exigencies of the 

 plants may require; and if this should ])rove to 

 lie so, whether a more shallow surface ploughing 

 would not furnish the crop with vegetable mould 

 equal to ils wants. If this be settled, iheu llie 

 surface soil may be made richer. Thesaii e ma- 

 nure incorporated with tour inches of mould, that 

 now is within six or seven, would make a mate- 

 rial dilference wilh the crops. Judge IJuel, on 

 his land near Albany, Ibund four-inch-ploughing 

 deep enough to give the best crop he could ob- 

 tain from those lands. I speak vviih no certainly 

 on this point: I have succeeded best with diM'p- 

 ploughing, but 1 know of no reason why the sub- 

 soil plough should not obviate the necessity of a 

 deep-surlace-ploughiug, il'a shoal sin-face ot rich 

 mould will perfect the plants better than n deep- 

 er one less rich ; and provided also, that the loss, 

 if any, by evaporation, is eipial in loth cases. — 

 jVeweU's Jlddress before tlie Jlsscx Jig. Soclctij. 



How to sustain and improve the quality of 

 the Soil. 



It has become an inqiortaut intpiiry among 

 many of our farmer.-i, how they shall fertilize such 

 of iheir lauds as .-ire yielding large burthens of 

 produce, which arc taken ofl" the picinises for 

 sale ? Where remote I'rom a large city, or places 

 foi- supplying manures, this is a most importaiii 

 (|UL-ry, anil one which they are highly inlerest<'d 

 ill having ansuend cornn-lly. It is absolutely 

 cci'taiii, liiat farmers cannot annually rob their 

 liuiiis of large crops of grain, grass and roots, 

 without either supplying manure to the soil, or 

 losing rapidly in its ferliiily. We shall biiidiy in- 

 dicate soiiK! u\' the most obvious resources for 

 sustaining and improving the productiveness of 

 the soil. 



In the first place, not an ounce of animal ma- 

 nure should be snflercd to be wasted, either liquid 

 or soliil. When not dropped on the feeding 

 griinnds, but aioimd the suibirs iiiid yards, it 

 bliould be carefully saved uud treasured up, wlieru 



it cannot waste till used. This should be care- 

 lolly and judiciously compounded wilh iiirf, or 

 jieat, or vegetable iiiatler, so as 10 retain all its 

 gasses, and not be permitted to drain away, and 

 as soon as a proper lime ofleis, it .should be car- 

 ried on to the fields and at once incorporated wilh 

 the soil. 



Another resource for many of onr Eastern far- 

 mers, is the immense stores of peat and muck 

 that are within iheir reach, and which tends great- 

 ly to benefitting a light sandy or loamy soil. .Ml 

 the animal matter, ashes leached and unleacheil, 

 shoulil be carefully collected and applied to iheir 

 land, and any oiher fertilizing substance which is 

 to be Ibund around the premises or can be col- 

 lected at not too great an exjiense in the neigh- 

 borhood. 



fiut in many cases where the stock of cattle is 

 not large, and the produce sold from the land is 

 considerable, some more definite and certain 

 means tor sustaining a farm must be resorted to. 

 With the most intelligent and .systematic agricul- 

 turist, a proper rotation is adopted, which has 

 been found by experience, to be adapted to the 

 locality and products. By this is meant, a regu- 

 lar succession of crops on llie .same field tin ougli 

 a series of yiars, wlii(;h at their expiration, are 

 again repeated. They are so arranged that two 

 grain crops never follow each other, but are sep- 

 arated by root crops, grasses, &c. This system 

 prevents the necessity of the soil yielding similar 

 ingredients through two or more successive sea- 

 sons, which it will seldom do to an extent suffi- 

 cient to produce a good second crop. Time is 

 required for it to decompose such of the ingre- 

 dients which it contains, as are ncces s;uy to form 

 what are called the inorganic portions lo be taken 

 up and appropriated by the plant. It also ena- 

 bles the cultivator to apply his green and putres- 

 eiit manures to such- crops as are most properly 

 adapted to receive them. Such as corn and roots, 

 and nearly all the objects of cidtivatiou excepting 

 the smaller grains. 



The great object of rotation, however, is to give 

 the land rest as it is termed when allowed to re- 

 main in grass or meadow, or refreshment when 

 the clover or other fertilizing crops are ploughed 

 into the soil for manure. Such crops carry back 

 to the soil so much of its materials as they have 

 taken from it, and in addition, important ele- 

 ineiils which they have abstracted lioiu the at- 

 mosphere; and they are Ibund by long practice, 

 to be of great benefit in suslaining the ferliiily 

 of the soil. Before passing on to a considera- 

 tion connected Hiih this particular |ioint in the 

 subject, of the highest importance, we would 

 sav, that a large share of llie benefit to the land, 

 derivable from this practice may be secured, by 

 feeding the clover to such animals as will con- 

 sume it on Ihe ground. We say a part only, for 

 all the food which goes to ^upply the respiration 

 of the animal, which is no inconsiderable share, 

 ])asses off again into the air, and is lost. .Anoth- 

 er part is stowed up in the augmented size of 

 the animal for it is certain that whatever weight 

 it acquires while leeding it is at the expense of 

 the soil. If milch cows are paslurid, the ab- 

 straction of valuable ingredienl.s is slid greater, 

 as it lu\s lieeii found that pastures lid ofl" for a 

 long time by cows, have; been robbed of large 

 amounis of phosphate of lime, and other impor- 

 tant matter. If horses are lliiis fed and taken on 

 to the roads or elsewhere to work, it is evidt nt 

 that large ipiaiiliiies of this manure will thus be 

 lost lo the fields supplying the food. 



Sheep are undoubledly llie best adapted to the 

 object we have in view. They reniain stationa- 

 ry in tlie same fields where they fer'd, and relurn 

 to ihom all they have taken save what escapes by 

 respiralion,evaporaiion,or is stored up by the wool 

 or carcass, 'i'hey also drop their mamire on Ihe 

 highest and driest parts of the grniiiul. where it 

 is more beneficial than elsewhere; and we would 

 most earnesily lecommeiid the- introduction of 

 shc^ep husbandry on a more or less extended 

 scale, to any IJirmer who practices ibejsystem of 

 tm ning in crops tor manure. The necessily of 

 cairyiiig them llirough ibe winter, will still fur- 

 ther provide ihe maierials for lirlilization, by ac- 

 cumulating a store of manure iiom this .source 

 winch wiihoul the sheep or a full iqnivaleiit ill 

 oilier stock, would not be thus secured. 



Hut lo recur lo the subject of turning in green 

 crops. It is evidenl at a single glance that ibis 

 syoteiii does not uccomplish all thus is »:rce6sury 



