86 



NEW ENGLAND PARMER, 



Oct. 3. 1828. 



NEW EIVGLAND FARMER. 



BOSTON, FRIDAY, OCT. 3, 1828. 



FINE ISABELLA GRAPES. 



We have received a very accej)table jjresent of 

 fine large dusters of the I.sabi^lla grape, raised by 

 Zebeuee Cook, Jn. Esij. of Dorchester, an excel- 

 lent Amateur liorliculfiirist, who evinces ranch 

 sldll and judgment as a cultivator. The finest of 

 the specimens referred to, were (we understand) 

 increased to their extraordinary size, by ringing, 

 or decorticating tiie branches on which they grew, 

 as lias been occasionally recommended in the N. 

 E. Farmer. 



The Editor of Loudon's Gardener's Magazine, 

 [London] acknowledges the rcceijit of an article 

 from Jesse Buel, Esq. of Albany, containing a 

 description of all the principal nurseries of Amer- 

 ca, which is to appear in the next number of that 

 magazine. 



Bees. — The October number of the North Ame- 

 rican Review contains a valuable article on the 

 management ofbees;*he substance of which we 

 shall give in the N. E. Farmer. 



Wm. Fukness, Esq. has left at the N. E. Farm- 

 er office, two Baldwin Ajjples, weighing 25 oun- 

 ces — the largest measuring 12 inches in circum- 

 ference, the produce of a very small tree on his 

 place at Medford. 



A PROFITABLE TREE. 



Mr Samuel R. Johnson, of Charlestown, in- 

 forms us that he has this year received the sum 

 of .*49,29 for the ]>roduce of a single Plum tree, 

 of the White Gage species. The tree is but six 

 years old. j 



ESSEX CATTLE SHOW. ' 



The Annual Cattle Show, and Exhibition of! 

 Manufactures, of the Essex A<>:ncullural Society, 

 was holden at West Newbury, on the 24th ult. — 

 The number of animals was less liian in some 

 former years, but the exhibitions of Blanufactures 

 are highly commended. The Ploughing Match 

 was the best ever witnessed in the county. 



Among the manufactures were shell combs, in 

 iiiiitaiion of the Canton combs, exhibited by 

 Messrs Bailey & Williams, of West Newbury ; a 

 specimen of American Silk, by Mr Boynton, of 

 West Newbury ; a Lace Veil and Handkerchief, 

 by Miss Coffin, of Newhuryport ; a specimen of 

 Mustard from American seed, by Mr John P. 

 Webber, of Beverly. Mr Otis Little exhibited j 

 760 Long Red Potatos, measuring 4 bush«ls, and 

 weighing 246 pounds, produced from a single po- 

 tato. 



The Ploughing Match was very well and ably 

 contested. Thei'e were iii'teen teams engaged in 

 it. A quarter of an acre was ploughed by each, 

 and nci one exceeded 75 minutes in perfoi-ming 

 .the work. The premiums were gained by Perlcy 

 Tapley, of Danvers, for 1st double and 1st single 

 teams ; Jesse Putnam, 2d. Abel Chase, Jr. 3d. and 

 Daniel Moulton, 4th, double teams. Jesse Put- 

 n;;m and Daniel Putnam divided equally the 2d. 

 fitui 3d premiums fur single teams, and Abraham 

 Dow of W^est Newbury, tlie 4th do. William J. 

 Greive, of West Newbury, received a gratuity for 

 ploughing with horses. 



We learn that the reports of tl.e several Com- 

 JDJItees « ill b" published in a pamj.hlet together 



with an able and interesting address from Col. 

 Pickering, President of the Society. 



THE MOST HEALTHY FUEL. 



The following remarks on the comparative sal- 

 ubrity of different species of fuel, are from an ano- 

 nymous Englisli writer. They ai>pear to us to be 

 valuable : 



As a comparison of the salubrity resulting from 

 the use of different species of fuel, or rather that 

 of the degree in which they respectively vitiate 

 the air for respiration, the statement may he tak- 1 

 en as a near approximation thus: — coke or coal,! 

 which contains much sidphur and little bitumen 

 (as the Kilkenny and Welch coal or culm) is most ■ 

 highly noxious to animal Hfe ; owing to the want 

 of sufiicient hydrogen to carry off the sulphur and 

 carbon by means of the chiinney flue. The sul- 

 phureous and carbonic acid gases from their con- 

 siderable gravity, descending into the lower part 

 of a room will very seriously deprave the atmos- ' 

 phere for the purposes of animal respiration. : 



Coal of the ordinary kinds follows next in vitiat- I 

 ing the air of a room. Those varieties beins most 

 noxious, which give out the greatest quantity of! 

 sulphur, and but little carburetted hydrosen. A 

 blazing or "free burinng coal," as it is usually cal- 

 led, being more salubrious, especially fi^r private 

 or close apartments, than the more durable varie- 

 ties ; on account of the hydrogen or gas flame 

 producing a better current up the chimney, than 

 would result from a mass of ignited fuel without 

 flame. 



Peat or turf though forming but a small iiro- 

 portion of the fuel used in England, constitutes 

 the major part of the fuel used in Ireland and part 

 of Scotland, This class of fuel, (which niay be 

 termed coal in its incipient stage of condensation) 

 is found in difii^rcnt districts in such various stages 

 of compression or solidity, as to render any gener- 

 al statement with regard to its density verv im- 

 perfect. Peat or turf cut from the mountain or 

 upland bogs in Ireland, possesesa degree of solidity 

 nearly approaching to that of coal ; and a specific 

 gravity a little exceeding that of water. Other 

 specimens of more recent fi)rmation, and especial- 

 ly that cut from those ^'ast tracts of bog land cal- 

 led "live bog," (which produces a deposite or stra- 

 tum of turf annually, by the growth and subse- 

 quent decay of a spongeous mass of vegetable 

 fibre) is of so porous and light a texture as to be 

 scarcely worth the expense of cuttins. The best 

 kinds of turf yield a brilliant white flame ; and in ' 

 point of durability it may be said to be interme- 

 diate between coal and wood, when used as fuel, 

 The>e is however a peculiar acrid vapor from the 

 very best specimens of turf (probably from the [ 

 anuuonia and sulphur), which renders this fuel 

 highly disagreeable to many persons unaccustom- 

 ed to iis u.se. And wherever good coal can be i 

 obtained at a moderate price, the lalter is not only ; 

 more durable and convenient fuel than turf, but it 

 is probalily less noxious to animal life than the i 

 vapor juoduced by the combustion of even the 

 very best kind of tmf, | 



Charcoal employed as fuel in open fire-places, ! 

 is highly deleterious to respiration. For although 

 it is tree from the nuisance occasioned by visible j 

 smoke, and therefore convenient as a detached 

 fire on some occasions, (such as the drying of 

 rooms after undergoing repair) yet it should never 

 be emjilnyed for domestic fires, unless a strong 

 current of air can be allowed to sweep t>jj'6<!*h 



the apartment, in order to drive ofJ' the carbonic 

 acid gas evolved. The density of this gas being 

 one half greater than that of atmospheric air (or 

 as 1520 : 1000) it will disperse itself in the lower 

 parts of the room, instead of passing iq> the chmi- 

 ney shaft, if charcoal be used in an ordinary sit- 

 ting room, where a current of air cannot be per- 

 initted. In certain processes in the arts, charcoal 

 fires are almost indispensable; but they ought nev- 

 er to be emjiloyed without the means of readily 

 carrying off the carbonic acid by ventilation. 



Wood, when emjjloyed as fuel, is less injurious 

 to the atmosphere than either of the preceding 

 substances. The best varieties of Engli'^li wood 

 for pjoducing a brilliant and quick fire are ash, 

 hazel, hornbeam, &c.; but oak and beech are the 

 most durable. The quantity of light carburetted 

 hydrogen given out during combustion, not only 

 contributes to that ciieerful flame or blaze pecu- 

 har to wood fires, but as we before stated, its lev- 

 ity causes it to ascend the chimney-flue with rap- 

 idity, at the same time producing a current of 

 heate<l air, which draws after it the vitiated air 

 of the apartment m conjunction with the carbonic 

 acid formed by the combustion. It is almost su- 

 perfluous to remark, that, after the gaseous pro- 

 duct, or flame of the wood becomes exhausted, 

 the current, or draft of the chimney becomes ])ro- 

 portionably diminished. And although the live 

 embers of charcoal will retain a state of ignition 

 even until they become entirely reduced to ashes, 

 yet it is injm'ious to health for a person to sit im- 

 mediately over such embers, from the quantity of 

 cai-bonic acid gas evolved by the charcoal. 



It appears, therefore, that wi.od, employed for 

 the purnose of domestic fuel, not only affords a 

 more cneerful fire than charcoal, coal, coke, or 

 peat ; but that, when properly managed, it vitiates 

 the air of an apartment in a much less degree, 

 both from the product of combustion consisting of 

 le.ss deleterious matter, and from its greater levi- 

 ty, ))roduciiig a strong currfut of air through the 

 ihimney, and thereby effectually ventilating the 

 roiun. 



The combustion of any kind of light brush or 

 faggot wood, in the grale of a room which is 

 greatly confined, or which is suspected to contain 

 a vitiated atmosphere, affords one of the most 

 ready and effectual means of ventilation ; and 

 should always be employed after an apartment 

 has been shut up the preceding night with live 

 coke or charcoal in the fire-place.* The effect 

 of carbonic acid and sulphureous acid, though in- 

 sidious in its approaches, is so highly injurious to 

 animal life, and more especially to invalids, that 

 precautions of this kind in our dwelling houses, 

 where the doors and windows are made almost 

 air tight, ought never to be forgotten by those 

 who have the charge of such apartments. 



* From some recent expeninenls of Dr. Mtiri'dy on (he anti- 

 poisoiioos afienry of acetic acid taken internally, we mi^hl in- 

 fer that this acifl' in a stale of vapor, which is g^iven out copious- 

 ly during the comf'Usiion of green wood, would also have a 

 salutary agency in correcting iniisance in a confined room. 



Prevention of colds " Perhaps," says Dr. Bed- 

 does, "there would be hardly such a thing as a 

 bad colli, if people, when they find it eotriing on, 

 v.ere to keep cool, to avoid wine and strong 

 drinks, and to confine themselves for a short time 

 to a simple diet, as potatos and other vegetables, 

 with toast and water. I have known instances of 

 heat in the nostrils, difficulty of breathing, with a 

 short tickling cough, an<l oilier symptoms, threat- 



