10 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



August 1, 1828". 



was stated by Professor Jameson in his mineralo- 

 gy of the Shetland Isles, that " farms which before 

 the introduction of kelp, rented for forty pounds, 

 now rent for three himdred pounds." It is also 

 asserted by Mr. Parkes that Lord McDonald of the 

 Isles, now realizes ten thousand pounds per an- 

 num from his kelp shores, which his ancestors 

 i;onsidered valueless. 



Nearly all marine plants, especially the/iia, are 

 found to yield soda from combustion. Those 

 which are preferred are the fucus vesiculosus, no- 

 dosus, and serratus ; they are found spontaneous- 

 ly growing on the rocks near the shore, generally 

 between liigh and low water marks. Generally 

 speaking, bays and coves that are sheltered from 

 the winds and tides are found best, though some 

 of the fuci flouri.sh best in the most exposed situa- 

 tions, and the strongest tide-ways. Formerly, the 

 kelp was made entirely from tlie floating sea-ware 

 as it washed up on the shore ; but, since the man- 

 ufacture has become profitable, greater care is ta- 

 ken in its preparation. It is now common to cul- 

 tivate these plants by depositing on sandy beaches 

 large boulder stones, to which the fuci may readi- 

 ly attach themselves, and to cut and collect the 

 ware ; calcareous stones are found best. In the 

 Repertory of Arts, there is a particular description 

 of the process employed in the manufacture of one 

 hundred and fifty tons, on the farm of Stroud, in 

 Horris, which received the prize of the Highland 

 Society. 



This sold for five pounds ten shillings per ton. 

 As this is considered the most approved method, I 

 wilt give an abstract of it. In the Orkneys, they 

 account the spring tlie best season tor cutting tlie 

 ware, because they are less e.xposed to the rains. 

 The weeds that are left bare by the ride are cut 

 with sickles, and those under water with bill hooks. 

 It is considered importairt to land the ware, as fast 

 as it is cut, and to cany it to a suitable situation 

 to dry ; it is thought that as soon as the weed be- 

 gins to wilt, the pores of the plant become relaxed, 

 and allow the soda to exude, which is dissolved 

 and lost, if the ware be left in the water or expos- 

 ed to the rains. There is no doubt that kelp made 

 from such ware is weaker. It is spread on clean 

 ground to dry, and when pretty well dj-icd, it is 

 collected into large cocks, protected from the rain 

 if possible, and allowed to heat for six or eiglit 

 days, or even from fifteen to twenty if the ware 

 has been collected from coves witji muddy bot- 

 toms. A dry day, when there is a brisk breeze, 

 is selected for burning the ware, which is conduct- 

 ed in the followiiig maimer. The kilns arc rudely 

 constructed of stones and tuif upon die firmest 

 sward that can be found. The most convenient 

 are about two feet six inches in height, two ieet 

 four inches in breadth, and from eight to eighteen 

 feet in length, according to the quantity of ware 

 to be consumed. A little dry straw is first spread 

 over the bottom of the kiln, and kindled, to which 

 the ware is slowly added, as fast as it is con- 

 sumed, the combustion being accelerated by the 

 ijreeze. Should the weather become calm, or if 

 I he ware is not sufficiently dry, the ashes cool and 

 cake uUa white crusts, when it becomes necessary 

 to rake the aslics until the combustion is perfect, 

 before adding fresli ware. When the ware is all 

 uurnt, the last process consists in working or rak- 

 .ng the ashe^ with iron rakes, so that the combus- 

 tion of every part shall be perfect. It is trans- 

 formed into a thick paste, whicli, on cooling, be- 

 "omes sqIuI, someuhat resembling good indigo; it 



is then broken up into masses of about two hun- 

 dred weight, covered with dry ware, and is ready 

 for the market. If the ware has been taken from 

 a muddy situation, it sometimes happens that the 

 ashes remain dry, and do not assume the form of 

 a paste. By allowing the combustion to continue 

 a little longer, or by adding some salt or saltpetre, 

 the difficulty is easily overcome. The kelj) is 

 found to yield from three to six or eight per cent, 

 of pure soda. (To be concluded next week) 



FOR THE NEW ENGLAND KARMER. 



Copy of a leller from Dr Mitchill lo VVm Prince, Esq. Proprie- 

 tor of the Linncean Botanic Garden. 



New York, 19 June 1828. 



Wm Prince, Esq. — I offer you thanks, my 



dear sir, for the copy I very lately recei\ed of your 



Short Treatise on Horticulture, &c. It came in 



[ vei-y seasonably after the perusal of Mr Wilson's 



I publication, and of Major Adlum's tract on the 



j Vine, to whicli I may add Dr Mease's book on Silk, 



' compiled at the request of the Secretary of the 



j Treasury. 



I have gone through it once with pleasure and 

 instruction, and I intend to do it again. You have 

 united so much science with practice, or in other 

 words, associated so much Botany with Garden- 

 I ing, that I shall keep it near me as a work for 

 steady reference. 



1 I consider your descriptions of Fruit trees and 

 fruits, of Ornamental trees and Shrubs, Grape and 

 Strawberries, Bulbous roots, Green house plants, 

 and others, highly interesting. I am interrupted 

 i by visitors, and liave only time to offer one of my 

 late feeble efforts in return. 



So farewell, 



S. L. MITCHILL. 



FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



SILK WORMS. 



Mr. Fessemden, — The attention of the public 

 has been so much engaged lately in the history 

 and rearing of the sii.k worm, that everything 

 coniiecfed with the subject must be interesting. 

 Under this impression, I would state the following 

 facts, to show that these entirely inoffensive and 

 defenceless insects are exposed to suffering from 

 the attacks of an insidious enemy from which they 

 should be protected. 



On visiting my little family of worms, I several 

 times remarked that a spider had lot himself down 

 upon the place where they were feeding, and had 

 evidently been an annoyance ; and have since had 

 reason to believe that some perished from wounds 

 which they had received. Yesterday, on vi.siting 

 the matted moths, I perceived a large male moth 

 suspended about afoot above the shell, by the scarce- 

 ly visible filament of a spider's web, attached to 

 the ceiling, two feot and a half above ; and found 

 that this had been effected by a little bottle spider 

 (so called) whose bulk was not equal to a twelfth 

 part of tlie moth's, and whose weight must be «till 

 more disproportionate. H. 



Dorchester, July 29, 1828. 



FOR THE NEW ENGLAND PARMEIt. 



POTATOS FOR CATTLE. 



Mr Fessenden — I observed in a late New Eng- 

 land Farmer an article from the Massachusetts 

 Agricultural Repository, headed " raw potatos bad 

 for milch cows," stating that they were of a grip- 

 ing nature. As to the effects they may have on 



milch cows, I am not so well infonned, although 

 I have occasionally given them to cows about the 

 time of calving, both before and after, to stretch 

 their bags. But it is generally said among farm- 

 ers, that although potatos increase the quantity of 

 milk, they render it more thin and less nourishuig. 

 Even of this I am not certain, for I have always 

 found them a very nourishing food for neat stock. 

 For many years past I have fatted my beef solely 

 on raw potatos, and have witnessed none of the 

 accidents alluded to, nor observed any of the grip- 

 ing effects mentioned. Cattle will almost invaria- 

 bly devour them greedily, even at first, and if they 

 are then given too plentifiilly, a relaxation is pro- 

 duced, which feeding with hay will soon correct. 

 Several years ago I fed one cow separately on ru- 

 ta baga or Swedish turnip. She did well, but did 

 not tlirive so fast as those fed on jiotatos. And I 

 would here remark, that the ruta baga gave no 

 bad taste to the beef, as some i.ave feared it would. 

 I have found that while I resided in a town not so 

 near Boston market, and where potatos were rais- 

 ed in greater abundance, that they were on the 

 whole, the cheapest and best food for fattening 

 cattle I could raise. A FyVRMER. 



Lynn, July 28, 1828. 



Remarks by the Editor — The observations of our 

 correspondent, as given above, are in perfect ac- 

 cordance with those of Mr Lowell in his remarks 

 on the article alluded to by our correspondent ; — 

 and repubUshed in the Massachusetts Agricultur- 

 al Repository for the express purpose of proving 

 its statements to be incorrect. 



FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



AMERICAN LYCEUM. 



We have been requested to give an insertion to 



the following prospectus, and are well wishers tc» 



the plans for improvement which it contemplates. 



The undersigned agree to associate under the 



name of the branch of the American Lt- 



CEUM, and adopt die following articles for their 

 coiistitutiou. 



Article 1. The objects of the Lyceum are tlie 

 improvement of its members in useful knowledge, 

 and the advancement of popular etlucadon, by in- 

 troducing uniformity and improvements in com- 

 mon schools, by becoming auxiliary, to the Board 

 of education. 



Jlrticle 2. To effect these objects, they will pro- 

 cure a cabinet, consisting of books, apparatus for 

 illustrating the sciences, and a collecuon of mine- 

 rals, will hold meetings for discussions, disserta- 

 tions, illustrating the sciences, or other exercises 

 which shall be thought expedient. 



Article 3. Any person may be a member of the 

 Lj'ceum, by paying into the treasury annually, twp 

 dollars ; and twenty dollars paid at any one lime, 

 will entitle a person, his or her heirs of assigns, to 

 one membership forever. Persons under eighteen 

 years of age will be entitled to all the privileges of j 

 the Society, except of voting, for one half the an- \ 

 nual sum above named. 



Article 4. The officers of diis branch of the 

 Lyceum shall be a president, vice-president, trea- 

 surer, recording and corresponding secretaries, 

 three or five curators, and three delegates, to be 

 appointed by ballot on the first Wednestlay of 

 September annually. 



Article 5. The president, vice-president, trea- 

 surer, and secretaries, will perform the duties us ;- 



