158 



^i]t jTarnur's iHoiUl)lij JHsitor. 



contiiie his attention, at a less expense than tlie 

 jnnchase of many faiins, he woiilii erect farnj 

 buildings and lay out garden and orchaid plats — 

 jdaut and set ont trees — and a<ld to them heanli- 

 iid artificial lisli jionds: he unnld, with the aid of 

 |)laster alone, find tlie means ol' making inannre 

 upon the same gronnd at a cost ot" not lialf ihe 

 expense of its worth; and he wonld in sight of 

 mn- growing village at the seat of government, 

 just tjir enongh distant to witness the bnstle of 

 the town without feeling its noisy inconvetiiences, 

 make it a place of more desirable residence than 

 the grand mansion erected on rising ground like 

 that of John P. Cushing at Watertown, Mass. at 

 an expense of i)eiha|is half a million of dollars. 

 The simplicity of a neat rural cottage with snr- 

 ronnding lands yielding abundance of fruits, ve- 

 getables and grains at less expense than their val- 

 ue, even by the rich man is a far more desirable 

 place of residence than a fancy establishment 

 whicli can oidy be kept up at a greater cost clian 

 the value of the comforts which it attbrds. 



3. The wanton destruction of the birds near 

 many New England villages — we may as well 

 admit our own village among tlie number — by 

 young men who have a great appetite for shoot- 

 ing — is among not the least offences which " cry 

 to us from the ground." In our late visit in that 

 best firming and agricultural n(nghhorbood in 

 the United States; and thus we jironoirnce that 

 neighborhood to be which includes the northerly 

 part of WatertoHii and the southerly [lart of 

 West Cambridge, Mass.; in that hasty visit, as an 

 object which discovered the liimianity and better 

 policy of the tin'iners, we remarked that particu- 

 lar nitention was jiaid to the preservation of birds. 

 A gentleman there had so fitted up his barn on 

 the exterior as to invite a species of swallow un- 

 like those of the barn, the haidi or the chimney, 

 but w hich curiously coustnict their nests with 

 mud under the sheltered eaves w here they are not 

 likely to be disturbed : at this place a single pair 

 first appeared two or three years ago; these lia<l 

 increased since that time in tliat particular spot to 

 the number of between four and five hnndreiL — 

 It was a rainy afternoon k\ October. The ge)i- 

 tleman pointed ns to his little army oJiattering 

 and talking liom their open dry place of shelter, 

 ns being workers in his service whose value he 

 esteemed to be above every asking price. He 

 bail all around him acres covered with rich gar- 

 den vegetables: the sqaashes, the cucumbers, the 

 beets, carrots and onions had been gathered; but 

 several thousand cabbages — many bushels of tur- 

 nips as a second crop, and other vegetables, re- 

 mained to be gathered. Not only the growing 

 vegetables, but the many apple and other fruit 

 trees had been protected against the inroads of 

 insects and worms by the little army of birds; — 

 and the unid swallow amoiiir these most indus- 

 trious. So tin- from liulng harm, these birfis live 

 on the destructive vermin in their season of ac- 

 tivity an<l lilt?, and ilisappear, pari [lassu, when 

 the cold weather and frost ilrives the marauders 

 from their work. What other animal does the 

 work tor man so opportunely and at so little ex- 

 pense as the winged urchins who chirp among 

 the trees anil over his fields, anil domesticate a- 

 round his barns and out-houses; the birds ueed 

 no feeding when the mischievous insects are out 

 of the way, because the sattie severe weather 

 takes the bird to other climes that stops the mis- 

 chief of the insect upon which he subsists. 



So strong is the penchant tor a living mark to 

 shoot at, that in the vernal season we find not on- 

 ly boys, but lull grown men, ranging over our 

 fields and shooting down innocent birds in mere 

 wantonness. Often doubtless is the parent bird 

 in this way taken off, leaving its licl|iless young to 

 starve. Going over the grounds we frequently 

 iTieet with the shot-dead bird, whose body could 

 be converted to no possible nsefid object, and 

 was left to rot in tije field where it was stricken. 

 To get out of the way of danger, the robin will 

 build in the limbs of trees near dwellings whose 

 occupants do not allow him to be molested ; and 

 return year after year, to produce a new annual 

 brood. Stirring the ground with the plough or 

 other instrument, it is gratifying to witness the 

 near approach of this ilelightlld bird in the con- 

 fidence liiat not even a stone or other missile is 

 to be directed against his life. He here scents 

 out and sei7.es the noxious worm or bug not read 

 ily to be discovered by the human eye. WitI 

 what cars dues this fine bird feed its own cher- 



ished offspring. With an attachment more 

 strongly manifested than that by the fond mother 

 of the hutnan race, does the female robin guard 

 her young tmtil they are able to fly out of the 

 wayof harm. The destruction of the young bird, 

 whether it be the robin, the swallow, the ground- 

 sparrow, or even the wren, inflicts U|ion the sen- 

 sitive man a similar pain to that of human suf- 

 liMingnot in his [lower to relieve. If it doi!s not 

 discover a hardened, obdurate heart, mercilessly 

 to shoot the bird while abroad seeking the food 

 of its ofFsprin::, it is certainly the mark of care- 

 lessness and indifference wliicli might be expec- 

 ted ill the least intelligent of the human species. 



Fnr the Farmer's Muntlily V'isitnr. 

 Meteorological Journal kept at Concord 



BY A. CHAiVDl.K!l. 



which brought about the failure, has had the en- 

 terprise to ea.rn suliicieiit to make up any deficien- 

 cy, and thus to sooth the liielings of one of the 

 most honorable and high-minded citizens of New 

 Hampshirti. It will be for the best interest of 

 every enterprising young man who has taken the 

 benefit of the lmnkrn|)t law to make good to his 

 bona fide creditors the several sums they shall 

 have lost so soon as he has the ability : such a 

 discharge will be to him a better capital than 

 sums of monoy laid,asiile to be accounted rich. — 

 Editor Monllibj Visitor. 



Slercautile Honor. 



The assignee in bankruptcy of the estate of the 

 late firm of James Read and Company, having 

 completed the liquidatisn of said estate, has no- 

 tified the creditors that he shall this day pay a 

 final dividend. The amount wliich this firm ow- 

 ed at the time of its tiiilure, in the spring of 184'~i, 

 was about 1^8.50,000. The sales and collections 

 made by Mr. Morey, the assignee, hai'e produced 

 in cash nearly $800,000, by wliich he is enabled 

 to jiiiy the debts proved, within an auiount some- 

 what over 850,000. Such a result iis this has 

 rarely liapjiened in the settlement of a bankrupt 

 estate. Both partners received, sometime since, 

 a full and honorable discharge, and we now learn 

 that the active partner, Mr. James Read, has ad- 

 ded to what has thus been realised fiom the as- 

 sets of the concern a sum exceeiling fifty 

 TH0L"SA.^D DOLLARS, being the earnings of a jiros- 

 perons commission business during the past two 

 and a half years, by means whereof every credi- 

 tor of said firm will receive a hundred cents on a 

 dollar of the amount of his debt, as proved by 

 him against said estate, and allowed by the court. 



When we consider the great amount of the 

 debts of said firm, and of the cash realized from 

 the assets being nearly .'f800,000, and also the 

 large sum now volunlarily furnished by Mr. Read, 

 being the whole of bis subsequent earnings, ac- 

 quired too, by intense application to business; — 

 and when also, we consider the extraordinary 

 success of his efforts in accumulating so large a 

 sum since the date of his misliarlunes, and his 

 willingness now, a second time, to dispossess 

 himself entirely of property, for so honorable 

 a purpose, we must pronounce this a case almost 

 without a parallel in the history of this or any 

 other mercantile community. 



This intelligence, we believe, will be as gratify- 

 ing to the inercliants and men of business in our 

 citv, as the facts are honorable to Mr. Read. — 

 Boston Courier. 



One of the firm of James Read and Company 

 is Horace Hall, Esq. a native of Charlestown, N. 

 II., who has generally resided at that place, and 

 has for many years been considered one of the 

 most wealthy, discreet and upright merchants of 

 the interior. On his account we much rejoice that 

 his more active partner in Boston who must bu 

 considered accountable for the great transactions 



From the London Gardener's Chronicle. 

 Improvement of the quality of Potatoes. 



Any improvement tliat can be effected in the 

 q'tialiiy of potatoes, is important. Some obser- 

 vations on the subject, at this season of the year, 

 may possibly, therefore have a useful tendency. 



It is well known that in some soils, and in 

 most seasons, the produce of |i(>taloes is abun- 

 dant, and their quality excellent ; while in others, 

 the quantity is not deficient, but the quality is 

 inferior; and there are situations soimfiivorable, 

 that the crop is always bad in every respect. Oc- 

 casionally, indeed, cold wet seasons deteriorate 

 this important crop, even in the be.-st soil on 

 which the most skiitiil cultivation has been l«;- 

 slowed. 



Supposing, however, that all lias been done 

 that could possibly be effected, in the way of 

 good cultivation, yet when the crop is tit for ta- 

 king up, its proper after-management is a most 

 important consideration. 



People think that if they guard their crop from 

 frost they have done all that can lie needed ; but 

 this is a mistake of the worst kind. By improp- 

 er management after taking up, jiotatoes of the 

 finest quality are easily spoiled , and, on the con- 

 trary, by judicious treatment, even sncli as are 

 watery may be much improved. 



it is of the first consequence that /ifi-W as well 

 as frost should be guarded against, for light ren- 

 ders the tubers utiwholesome. The stems and in 

 fact all the |>arts of the potato plant above ground 

 are more or less poisonous. Tiiliersare occasion- 

 ally formed along the st«m, but they are, as we 

 all know, green and had. This is entirely owing 

 to their exposure to light. Having pointed out 

 one of the sources of deterioration, it may he as 

 well to name a means oi' improvement. Always 

 dry the tubers before cooking them. If a pota- 

 to is weighed when fresh taken up, then laid in 

 a dry warm [dace liir some time, and again weigh- 

 ed, it will be tiiiind to have become lighter, in 

 consequence of the evaporation of a portion of 

 its water, and it will then in cooking be more 

 floury. In Ireland with this in view, potatoes, 

 when watery, are often taken out of the eaves 

 and kept in a dry place fcir a few weeks, and a 

 great im[)roveuient is the consecpience. The 

 French are aware of this fiict. A writer in the 

 Revue Horlicole says — " Jn unfiivorable seasons, 

 potatoes are often found to be watery and with- 

 out flavor, although cooked with Ihe greatest 

 care. In this case, the mode of efli'cting an 

 amelior.iiion is easy : it consists in placing them 

 near a stove or oven for about a week previous- 

 ly to their being used. .Vt the end of that time 

 they will be I'oiind mealy and of good flavor." 



The editor of the Farmer's Monthly Visitor 

 has this season raised between twelve and thir- 

 teen hundred bushels of potatoes on about si.^ 

 acres of sward land. The ground was prepared 

 in the following manner; After the corn planting 

 had been finished, about the 2,5th May, manure, 

 on about one acre compost, and upon the other 

 five acres clear manure from a stable, made dur- 

 ing tlie precedin;; summer and winter, was laid 

 out in piles and spread over the grass which had 

 then already started green from the ground. In 

 furrows of about twelve inches in width the 

 whole flat was completely turned over, these shut- 

 ting into each other so close as to leave no vacu- 

 um between. With the sod thus inverted and 

 the manure all covered to the depth of about six 

 inches, the potatoes were planted between every 

 third fiirrow at the distance in the rows of about 

 three feet ti'oni each other. A hole or crevice 

 was made from two to three inches below the 

 surface with a sharpened stick, and at the distance 

 of eighteen inches a single potato of the com- 

 mon si'ze placed in it and covered up with a kick 

 of the heel, generally, where the soil would ad- 



