NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



315 



with earth except the neck. The water is con- 

 ducted to my cistern through a small brick drain 

 laid in cement. I also have a drain near the top. 

 to let off the surplus water. If a cistern is made 

 out of doors, it must be below the reach of frost. 

 Lead pipe would probably be cheaper than brick, 

 to conduct water to and from the cistern. 



I have no doubt but that a cistern made tins 

 way of hard brick would last a century. Mine, 

 holding lnoi) gallons, cost $18,00. The larger the 

 size, the less the cost in proportion to the capaci- 

 ty. If the earth is firm and hard, you may lay the 

 brick close against it, thus saving the trouble of 

 filling in and digging so large. 



Amesbury, May 10. Daniel Blasdell. 



P. S. I have known them made by cementing 

 directly on the earth, using no brick, and covering 

 the t >p with timbers or plank. One made with 

 brick will c ist more, but I think it best and cheap- 

 est, taking into consideration safety and durability. 



Remarks. — The information contained in this 

 communication is valuable. Thousands of people 

 who are scrubbing in, and scolding about, hard 

 water, would be glad of a cistern, if they knew 

 how large an one they require, and something 

 about its cost and how to make it. They need not 

 be expensive, as the labor of digging and carting 

 away the earth may usually be performed without 

 paying out cash. The water may be conducted 

 from the roofs of the buildings and passed through 

 one or two filtering casks filled with alternate lay- 

 ers of sand, charcoal and pebbles, and thus become 

 the purest and best water for family use. 



Flowers are the angels of the trees, everybody 

 loves them and feels their influence. There were 

 also at the rooms three specimens of apples pre- 

 sented by J. B. Moore, of Concord,— the Bald- 

 win, Hunt Russet, and Winter Sweet, all as fair 

 and beautiful as when plucked from the tree. 

 Sonie-fine-looking Black Hamburg and other grapes 

 were also on the tables. 



CASTOR OIL FOR LIGHT. 



Some weeks since a correspondent inquired 

 through the Farmer whether the castor bean c ould 

 be raised in New England so as to afford a profita- 

 ble light from the use of its oil. Our friends of 

 the Valley Farmer, published at St. Louis, very 

 kindly replied to the queries propounded, and we 

 now give below their illumination of the subject : 



"We will just inform our worthy brother that 

 Providence has placed it out of the power of the 

 farmers of New England to grow the castor bean. 

 It is the slowest to mature of all the leguminous 

 plants, and the easiest killed by frost, consequent- 

 ly it will not do north of latitude 39 or 40. Our 

 'Egypt' (Southern Illinois,) is the home of the cas- 

 tor bean, but there is corn there too, (and that's 

 the reas >n why its called Egypt,) and corn made 

 into pork, and thence rendered into lard oil, is a 

 more ee momical light than castor oil, and not half 

 so gummy. No, no, brother Yankee, you are 

 pretty bright down there, but you can't shine in 



the castor bean line. 



Mass. HorticoxtitraJ, Society. — There was a 

 fine display of the early flowers, on Saturday last, 

 at these rooms, outvied, however, by the array of 

 beauty which had flocked into the hall to examine 

 them. Popular as the society is, it is somewhat 

 strange that out of this vast and intelligent pop- 

 ulation, larger numbers do not visit these rooms. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 MOUNT AIRY INSTITUTE. 



Messrs. Editors : — In the month of October last 

 I inquired through your journal, if there were any 

 Agricultural schools in this country, and if there 

 were, by whom governed and where situated ; to 

 jprhich you kindly replied that if there were, they 

 were not known to you. You also replied, that 

 there had been one at Mount Airy, Pa., and re- 

 quested the editor of the Germantown Telegraph 

 to reply ; he, however, overlooked your article (as 

 I have learned since I arrived here,) and hence it 

 was not answered, as it would have been had he 

 seen it, for he is acquainted both with the Insti- 

 tute and Prof. Wilkinson, its principal. 



By mere accident I learned the address of Prof. 

 W., wrote him, and received the circular of the In- 

 stitute. 



I found in it just what I had long been looking 

 for ; accordingly I set out on the 1st inst., to go 

 and see for myself. I have now been here nearly 

 a fortnight, and have participated in numerous 

 branches of the farm work for the season, have 

 commenced the course of study hero given, and 

 am ready to admit, that the fault will be my own 

 if I do not here acquire the knowledge, both prac- 

 tical and scientific, that will insure my success as 

 a farmer, which I am determined to be. 



The Institute, as its name implies, is situated on 

 the summit of Mount Airy, Germantown, Pa., 7 

 miles distant from the Exchange, in the city of 

 Philadelphia. Its location is proverbial for its 

 healthiness, and is in a most delightful section of 

 country. 



Connected with the institution there are about 

 seven t}' acres of tillable land, with extensive build- 

 ings, fruit and ornamental nurseries, green-house 

 plants, &c. &c, together with the most approved 

 agricultural implements now in use. 



Agriculture, chemistry, zoology, physiology, en- 

 tomology, natural philosophy, mathematics, &c, 

 are thoroughly taught. 



"Particular attention is given to the following 

 subjects, viz. : The rotation of crops best adapted 

 to the different soils and climates ; breeding, feed- 

 ing and training animals for labor, and milking ; 

 the management of the dairy and swine ; the com- 

 parative value for food of the different grains, roots, 

 grasses, &c. ; selecting and fattening animals for 

 slaughter; slaughtering and curing meats ; preserv- 

 ing, composting, and applying manures; fertilizing 

 with green crops, &c. &c." 



"Two evenings of each week are devoted to the 

 discussion of all matters pertaining to the farm, 

 for which 'Farmer's Club' meetings are held, notes 

 made on the discussions, and recorded in the jour- 

 nal which each student is required to keep for the 

 preservation of a replete account of the experi- 

 ments and operations of the farm." 



Among the many new and interesting matter 



