vS;i)c jTavmcv's iUontl)ln bisitov. 



183 



oil llie roiitraiy, tlipy injure the crops by cxtrnct- 

 iiiL' (!k> iiuiirisliriii'iit t'roiii ihi; {.'round, iiml f;re;it- 

 Iv ii.i|"'il« ''>il'"'>'i"" 'O' sprtiuliii}; llitir eiilim- 

 glod ri.Mls l>eiie!itli ihi- siirfiiro. 'Vhr. iiiaiMire du- 

 IHitiiU'd on Ilio soil isdi-.«linod exclil.-iively for llie 

 supjiorfcof' what is nieiuil lo lie raised, «inl every 

 iiselrsH plnnt, llierefore, wliieli lives njioii il, is so 

 t";n- nnxiiuis, and oii;^l)t lo be eMirpaled. Ilenee 

 Uie conjinon maxim, "A fanner should let nolhiiif; 

 grow lint his eiops." 



As |ireveniion is ahvaya belter than cure, the 

 farmer shoidd bejiiii by prevenlin;; the ■growth 

 of weeds. The seeds from vvliieh weeds siiring 

 are hroii^hl in soim: manner lo the lanti from 

 somewhere. Try lo ('nl ofT ihis vieions prodnee 

 at its scKMce. Let all bdivks or nainral (wnliank- 

 inenls ibrmin;,' bonndaries to fields, be eleared 

 of every species td' weeds, siieh as ihislles, doeks, 

 rag-weed, rank grasses, &e., and let all road-sides 

 near the fndds be similarly eleared of their gay 

 but unprolilable vegelalion. If this were done 

 generally over the country, a ttMlile source of 

 i'onlness in land would be in a greal measure de- 

 strojed. Il is also desirable lo sow clean seed 

 foj- grain or oiher crops, and lo use, if possible, 

 those manures only whji.'h are free of the seeds 

 of iioxions vegelables, 



Noiwithsian<liiig all ordinary preeautions, 

 lands, it is acknowledged, will develope a crop 

 of weeds, because some seeds will lie uninjured 

 for ceulmies in the soil, and the wiujs will waft 

 others from great distances; such, in faci, is one 

 of Nature's provisions for covering the earth with 

 vegetation. It has been ascertaiiuMl ihat upwards 

 of filly difieieiil weeds iidi-st arable lands, seme 

 of wliiidi are annuals, others biennials, but the 

 ' principal part perennials, whose seeds will lie 

 , iiir a long period in the soil. The more common 

 of these various weeds arcf the wild oat, the com- 

 mon ihi.stle, dock, eollsfoot, ragweed, deiil-de- 

 leon, and chiulock or wild mu^<lard, the latter 

 parii<'ularly. To lluve is lo be added that mo.-t 

 toruienling weed, cnu:;h grass or rack, which 

 spreads its lorn; cord-like roots beneath the sur- 

 face, weavmg the soil into a kind of ujattiug. — 

 Annuals nud biennials may be parlially extirpa- 

 ted by a well-wroughl summer fillow, or, if the 

 soil be lighi, by tlie culiure of potatoes or turnips, 

 for the laud iii thai case is well cleaned and 

 dressed in spring, as well as hoed in summer. 

 Hand-hoeing for this purpose is somelimes neces- 

 sary. It', however, no ordinary process of leasiu;r 

 and cleaning the land extirpate llie weeds, the 

 more tedious and expensive operaiion of pulling 

 must be resorled lo. This will he absohuely rie- 

 cessaiy for the extirpation ol'cborlock, that tlow- 

 ering yellow weed whiidi tinges the fields with 

 its brilliimi lustre in summer. When the crop 

 is about a foot high, children should be employed 

 in griing carefully over the field, tiampling down 

 as lilile as possible, and pidliu!; and carrying away 

 in their aprons every stalk of the chorlock. The 

 same thing may be done wilb the tall seeding 

 grass called ihe wild oat. This process of weed- 

 ing may be expensive, bul it generally cleans ihe 

 land, au<l repays itself' by the increase of grain 

 crop. 



By reiie.ited cropping, the best soils become 

 exhansK^d of their fertile properlies, while natn- 

 fally indiflTereiit soils require Ihe adminislralion 

 of cerlain qualities, before ihey will yield a din- 

 return lo the labors of the hushamiman. There 

 are. no doubi, soils so naturally rich in some parts 

 of the world, that, though used for twenty or 

 more years in growing successive grain crops, 

 they show no indications of impoverislimeiu ; yet 

 even these must in time be exhausted, and, there- 

 fore, in all circumstances, manures, or artificial 

 fertilizers, require tlie consideration of the hus- 

 bandman. In our own country they are of the 

 first importance. 



Manures are of tv\'o classes, both of which have 

 distinctive characters and perform diflTerent offi- 

 ces in the ecomuiiy of vegetation. The fiist of 

 these comprehends all animal and vegetable de- 

 composing matter, and is principally employed 

 in feeding the plant, augmenting its size and sus- 

 taining the vital energy. The second operates 

 more on the soil and in decomposing matter than 

 in directly coiuribuiing to the support of the veg- 

 etable. The first kind has been called animal 

 and vegetable, and the second fossil manures. — 

 Under this second class are ranked not only lime, 

 marl, and gypsum, but saiul, gravel, and clay, so 

 that all the meliorations which are effected on 



soil by blending and compounding the original 

 earths, are compressed v\iihin its limits. 



The animal and vegelahle uianuic, which are 

 putrescent, in their nature, are foremost in im- 

 portance and dignity. They consist of cerlaiu 

 elementary pans of animal and vegetable sub- 

 stances, elaborated by a natural chemical process 

 in the course of the decomposuioii or decay of 

 the bodies. The excremenlilions matter, or dung 

 of all animal.s, is no other ihaii the remains of llie 

 vegetable or animal food which has been received 

 into the slomach, undergone there a partial dis- 

 solniion, and been throw n out as unserviceable 

 for the farlher uulrilion of llie system. From 

 Ihis universal decay of organized mallei', and its 

 conversion into fluids and gases, it would seem 

 llial animal and excremenlilions mailer, are re- 

 solvable into each other, and are only difi'erenl 

 pans of ihe same original principles. The essen- 

 lial elemenls of them are all hydrogen, carbon, 

 and oxygen, either alone, or in some eases uniled 

 wilh niirogen. Conveyed by liipiids or moist 

 subslances inlo the gromid, these elemenls are 

 sought lor as nomishmenl by the roots of plants, 

 and so form the couslilueut principles of a new 

 vegel.ilion. Jnasmuch as flesh consists of a great- 

 er eoncenlraliou of lliese original elemenls llian 

 vegetables, llie miuuue produced by carnivorous 

 animals (man included) is always more strong in 

 proportion lo ils bulk than that discharged by an- 

 imals who live only on herbage. Experience 

 fully proves lliat all animal and vegetable manure 

 are but varieties of one kind of principles; their 

 aclnal siiape and appearance being of much less 

 consequenee Ihan Ihe degree of strenglh in which 

 ihe.se principles reside in them. 



Whatever be the value of the elementary prin- 

 ciples of m.'Uiure.s, practically they are of no use 

 as manure till they are disengaged by piilreliic- 

 lion. It may be farther observed that piilrefac- 

 tion is in every instance produced by the elemen- 

 tary principles being set al liberty either in a fluid 

 or volatile slate. If a qnanlily of stable dung be 

 piled in a heap, and freely exposed to all varieties 

 of weal her, it soon heals and emits a stream of 

 vapor, which is of'ien visible as a cloud over il. 

 These vapors, and also the odors sent forth, are 

 gases esi'.'iping, and Ihe heap is couslaiitly dimin- 

 ishing in weight and volume ; at the end of six 

 munlhs, if there have not been alternate moistiu'e 

 and warmlli, not above a fourth of the origimd 

 ess iilial material remains lo be spread on the 

 field ; there may be in appearance nearly as much 

 suhslaiice, but it is comparatively of lilile value 

 — the re;d inauiire is gone, and what remains is 

 lilile heller ihaii a mass of impiurified rubbish. 



It may be std'ely averred, that no principle con- 

 neeled wilh agricullnre is so little underslood or 

 ihought of as that which has been now mention- 

 ed. We therefore crave the uiosi earnest alien- 

 lion to it. Generally speaking, ihe excremenli- 

 lions matters thrown to the dung-bill are treated 

 wilh perfect indifTerence as to ihe efl'ecis of ex- 

 posure and drainage away in the form of liqnid.s. 

 Il cannot be loo slrongly stated that this is a gross 

 abuse in farming. The pulrescent stream con- 

 tains the very essence of the manure, and should 

 eiiher be scrupulously confined within the limits 

 of the dung-hill, or conveyed to fresh vegetable 

 or earthly mailer, that it may impart its nutritive 

 qnalilies. 



A knowledge of this important truth has led to 

 the practice of making compost dung-heaps in 

 which the valuable liquids and gases of different 

 kinds of manure are absorbed by earlh, or some 

 j oiher substance, and the w hole brought into the 

 condition of an active manure for liie fields. — 

 Hitherto, il has been cuslomary to speak of dimg- 

 liills, but there ought lo be no such objects. The 

 eollecliou of manure from a farm yard and offi- 

 ces sliould form a dung-^?'<, not a duos-hill ; and 

 the manner of making and managing the contents 

 of this pit on the best principles is well vvorlby 

 of our consideration. 



The Proper Time for Cutting Timber. — 

 Nine-tenths of the community think winter the 

 time for this purjiose, but the re.-isou assigned, 

 "Ihat the sap is llien in the rools," shows ils fu- 

 tility, as il is evident to the most superficial ob- 

 server that tliere is nearly the same quality of sap 

 in the tree at all seasons. It is less active in 

 winter, and like all other moisture is congealed 

 during the coldest weather ; yet when not abso- 

 lutely fozeii, circulation is not entirely stopped 



in the living tree. Keason or j)hilosophy would 

 seem lo indicate that the period of the maturity 

 of the leaf, or from the last ol' June to the first 

 of Noveudier, is the season lor culling limber 

 in ils perfection. Certain il is, thai we have nu- 

 merous examples of limber cut within this peri- 

 od, wliiidi has exhibited a durability twice or 

 lliree limes as great as that cut in winter, when 

 (ilaced under precisely the same circiimslances. 

 After it is felled, il should at once be peeled, 

 drawn from the woods, and elevated from the 

 ground to facilitate drying; and if it is intended' 

 to be used under cover, llie sooner it is pni there 

 the belter. Wood designed for fuel, will spend 

 nuich better when cut as above mentioned and 

 immediately housed, but as this is generally in- 

 convenient from ihe laborof the farm being tbefi 

 required for the harvc'sting of the crops, it may 

 be more economical to cut it whenever there is 

 most leisure. — Jlllcii's Jtmcrican ^Agriculture. 



There is not much poetry afloat in thesis our days — poetry 

 worthy of the name — either in books, ina^zazines or newspa- 

 pers : but occasionally we li«hl upon a specimen that stirs Ihe 

 blooii like the far Mfl" sound of a war truntpet. Such is Ihe fol- 

 lowing. Where it came from originally we lio not know ; our 

 first encounter of it was in tlie Nalion.'il Inteiligencer. 



-IVHAT SHALIi BB THB BND OF THESE 

 THISICJSl 



When another life is added 



To the heaving lurbid mass; 

 When another breath of being 



Stains creation's tarnislied i^lass: 

 When the first cry, weak and piteous, 



Heralds lone enduring pain, 

 And a soul from non-existence 



Springs, ttiat ne'er can die again ; 

 When the motiier's passionate welcumtt 



Sorrow-like bursts forth in tears. 

 And the sire's self-gratulation 



Prophecies of future years — 



It is well we cannot see 

 What tlie end shall be. 



When across the infant features 



Trembles the faint dawn of mind ; 

 When the heart looks from the windows 



Of the eyes that were so blind ; 

 When the incoherent murmurs 



Syllable each swaddled ihought, 

 To the fond ear of affection 



With a boundless promise fraught, 

 Kindling great hopes for to-morrow. 



From that dull uiicerlain ray, 

 As by glimmering of Ihe twilight 



Is foreshown the perfect day — 



It is W( II we cannot see 

 What Ihe end shatl be. 



When the boy upon the threshold 



Of his all comprising home. 

 Parts aside the arm maternal 



That enlocks him ere he roam j 

 When the canvass of his vessel^ 



Flutter.s to the favoring gales. 

 Years of srditary exile 



Hid behind ils sunny sails ; 

 When his pulses beat with ardor. 



And his sinews stretch for toil, 

 And a hundred bold emprises 



Lure.tiim to that eastein soil — 



It is well we cannot see 

 What the end shall be. 



When the youth beside Ihe maiden 



Looks into her credulous eyes ; 

 When the heart upon the surface 



Shines, too happy to be wise ; 

 lie by speeches less Than gestures 



Hinteth what her hopes expound, 

 Laying out the waste hereafter 



Like enchanted garden-ground j 

 He may palter — so do many ; 



She may suffer — so must all ; 

 Both may yet, world disappointed. 



This lost hour of love recall — 



It is well we cannot see 

 What the end shall be. 



When the altar of religion 



Greets Ihe expectant bridal pair ; 

 When the vow that lasts till dying 



Vibrates on the sacred air ; 

 When man's lavish proteslationa 



Doubt of after-change defy. 

 Comforting the frailer spirit 



Bound his servitor for ay ; 

 When beneath love's silver moonbeams 



Many rocks in shadow sleep, 

 Uniliscovered till possession 



Shows Ihe dangers of Ihe deep — 



It is well we cannot see 

 What Ihe end shall be. 



Whatsoever is beginning 



That IS wrought by human skill. 

 Every daring emanation 



Of the mind's ambitious will ; 

 Every first impulse of passion, 



Gush of love, or twinge of hate; 

 Every launch upon the waters, 



Wide horizoned by our fate; 

 Every venhire in the chances 



Of'life's sad, oft desperate, game. 

 Whatsoever be our motive, 



Whatsoever be our aim — 



It is well we cannot see 

 What the end shall be. 



Curing Hams. — As the season for slaughtering 

 our cattle and hogs, and putting them in the eel- 



