148 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



[By tlie E.litor.] 

 DOI^IESTIC MANAGEMENT AND PERSON- 

 AL EXPENSES. 

 Young farmers, lieginning house-keeping, like 

 most others hi similar circuinstaiiccs, arc ajit to 

 sink too great a proportion of tlicir capital in fur- 

 niture, and fiuiiishing riding liorses, carriages, &:c.; 

 and sometimes to live up to or even beyond their 

 income. We do not mean that farmers should 

 not live as well as other men of tlie same proper- 

 ty ; but merely that all beginners should live with- 

 in their income. Even in marketing expenses 

 care is requisite ; and the prudent farmer will do 

 well, every penny or sixpence he lays out, to reck- 

 on up m his mind what that sum per day would 

 amount to in a year. The amount will often as- 

 tonish him, and lead to economy, and where prac- 

 ticable, retrenchment. Saving, as Franklin has 

 inculcated, is the only certain way of accumulat- 

 ing money. 



In regard to house keeping, it is observed in 

 The Code of AgricxiUure, that the safest plan is, 

 not to suffer it to exceed a certain sum for bought 

 articles weekly. An annual sum should be allot- 

 ted for clothing and the personal expenses of tlic 

 farmer, and his wife and children, which ought 

 not to be exceeded. The whole allotted exjjense 

 should be considerably within the probable re- 

 ceipts ; and if possible one-eighth of the income an- 

 iiually received, should be laid up for contingen- 

 cies, or expended in extra improvements on the 

 farm. 



from the results of my own experience and obser- 

 vation — the safest guides in forming an estimate 



of the agricultural capabilities of any country ; 



and the more particularly valual)le here, as those 

 of this jiroviiice have been s-o much tlic subject 

 of literary controversy. An examination of the 

 subjoined document, must satisfy every impartial 

 mind, that the agriculture of Nova Scotia is one 

 of the most affluent sources of her national wealth, 

 and that the opinion, once entertained, that the 

 soil and climate render her unfit to bo a grain 

 country, was an idle prejudice, undeserving of re- 

 cei)tion or defence : 



TREES. 



Trees should be planted as they stood before, i. 

 p. the side which formerly faced the south to he 

 placed again in the same direction ; as a guide 

 the bark should be marked before the tree is moved. 



When a young tree makes two or three shoots 

 from the root, and tlie object is rpmntity of timber 

 or fire wood, all the shoots should be preserved 

 and eacouraged, as each will attain nearly the 

 same size as single trunked trees which grow 

 near them. But when there are several r-hoots 

 from the same root, we believe they are less apt 

 to grow straight than where they stand independ- 

 ent of each other. 



It is an infallible sign of bollowness, or want of 

 .soundness in a tree, when there is a swelling vein, 

 which evidently discovers itself above the rest of 

 the trunk, alihougb invested with bark, and which 

 often encircles the tree like ivy. 



As woodpeckers have not jiower to penetrate a 

 sound tree, if they attack it, rottenness iias com- 

 menced, and it is time to cut it for fuel, or other 

 purposes. The object of woodpeckers in pecking 

 a tree is to extract the insects v/hich are preying 

 upon it. They are, therefore, friendly to its 

 growth ; ahhough they have sometimes been des- 

 troj'ed through a mistaken view of their services, 

 tiy the persons who were benetitted by their la- 

 bors. — See J\r. E. Farmer, vol. vii. p. 97. 



\_From the NavnscQiijn.^ 



AGRICULTURE IN NOVA SCOTIA. 



''Agriculture is the fountJation of Manufactures, siucc Ihe pro- 

 iiucliniist)f Nature ore the malciials of Art." 



"Tlie diligent iNIechanic ajid the skilful Artist, who have ob- 

 tained no share in ilie division of tlie eartii, receive a volnnlary 

 ins. from the possessors of land ; and llie latter arc prompted by 

 a sense of interest to improve ibose estates, with » hoso pro- 

 'Juee Ihey may purchase additional pleasure.''— Gikbor. 



Mr. Editor, — I beg to enclose the following 



table, which I will thank you to insert in one of 



the early numbers of your journal. It is drawn 



rS '^ 



B s 

 3 o 



w • — 

 C S. 



60 



a 

 o 



Nov. -28, 1828. 



As explanatory of the above, I would beg it to 

 be understood, that the Averages stated, are far 

 below what the soil is cajiable o? producin?. In 

 my own farm I have had innumerable difficulties 

 to contend with, in bringing the fields into a .sys- 

 tematic rotation, and in eradicating the weeds, 

 which had been allowed to flourish so long in 

 their native luxuriance, that they had nearly gain- 

 ed a sovereign possession. Besides it is well 

 known, thai, even when a regular rotation has 

 been introduced, some time must elapse ere the 

 soil will meliorute, and put forth its richest vege- 

 tative powers. 1 have estimated the annual aver- 

 age produce at present at 



22J bushels Wheat, '] 



40 do. Oats, I 



35 do. Peas, ^ Per Acre. 



200 do. Potatoes, | 



IJ ton. Hay, J 



but I am quite satisfied, after one or two addition- 

 al courses, that the returns will be, at least, one 

 third more. The average of the wool would be 

 greater, and although, in the table, I have placed 

 it at 3 lbs. per fleece, I do not entertain a doubt 

 that, with proper care and encouragement, it 

 would rise to 5 lbs. and upwards. 



In rating tlie estimate for the whole Province 

 at one half the produce raised on Retreat farm, I 

 have no intention to exalt my own, by deteriorating 

 the exertions of my brother farmers. In fertility 

 of soil, in the division of labor, and in the superi- 

 ority and number of implements, I have advantage 

 over many of them ; and these of themselves, in- 

 dependent of other causes, would tend largely lo 

 swell the extent of the crop. But to speak frank- 

 ly, I flatter myfelf it will be admitted, that the pro- 

 duce of my fields has been much superior to the 

 general average of the District ; and this I attrib- 

 ute to the improved system of agriculture, which 

 I have been so perseveringly anxious to introduce. 

 My adoption of the British liusbandry, so far as 

 circumstances have permitted, has been attended 

 by the most encouraging results. Its fitness for* 

 our soil and climate I regard now as no matter for 

 argument — it has beeu tried and confirmed by ex- 

 perience, anil I feel no hesitation in asserting, it is 

 a high and imperative duty on every person, who 

 feels an interest in the future jirosperity of our 

 country, to be zealous and per.severing in further- 

 ing its more general introduction. 



When, Mr. Editor, I first commenced my agri- 

 cultural labours, I confess I had some misgivings 

 as to the fitness of the climate for the ripening of 

 the grains. I was seduced into this doubt by the 

 calumnies which had been so long and so loudly 

 ])ropngated, anil by the opinion which was everj' 

 where sported among the farming classes, that 

 Nova Scotia was better adapted for a grazing, than 

 a grain country. I can only say. Sir, that I now 

 entertain a totally different opinion. The length 

 and severity of our winters, and the heavy ex[)ciise 

 attciuiing the raising of green crops,* from the 

 quantity of manual labour they require, render the 

 raising of Stock no very profitable mode of con- 

 suming the produce of a farm — while my experi- 

 ence of eight years has convinced me that all the 

 cereal tribes can be cultivated here with as much 

 security as in other northern climates. During 

 the period above stated, in which I have raised 



* I speak here merely of the mode of coniuming them, but 

 vith no intention to speak slightingly of ibe value and impor- 

 tance of green crops. These are indispensible in a r»tation, and 

 are necessary to the perfect cuUivatioa and melioratloD of the soil, 



