Vol.VlI. — Nr..23. 



AND HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



181 



FLOODING OF LANDS. 



Where swamp land is to be clcurcd, and it can 

 lie flooded, by making a dam at tlie outlet, at a 

 i-mal! expense, it is a matter of economy to attend 

 to this, as in this way its growth of wood can be 

 completely killed. This may also be performed 

 on lands, after they are cleared, for the purpose 

 of killinij '.he grass, if it be bad, in order with more 

 ease to introduce a better kind, or a better system 

 of culture. Flooding also serves, in a greater or 

 a less degree, to enrich the land ; though this 

 depends chiefly on the kind of water with which 

 it is flooded. If it contain a rich sediment, it is 

 good ; but, if destitute of this, it is of no use. — 

 Farmer^s Assistant. 



GliOVF.S. 



These are both ornamental and useful. To 

 jdant heights of ground, the sides and tops of 

 which are generally not very good for tillage or 

 pasture, adds much to the beauty of a landscape ; 

 and is at the same time highly useful, as it regards 

 the quantities of firewood which may be produced 

 from such spots. Planting rows of trees along 

 highways is also pleasant for shade to the travel- 

 ler, and i)rofitable to the owner of the soil. The 

 same may be observed, in regard to lanes, and to 

 passages from the highway to the mansion-house. 

 Sugar-ma)ile trees, planted round the borders of 

 meadows, and some straggling ones in them, are 

 very pleasant and profitable, as they do no injury 

 to the growth of the grass. Wherever trees can 

 be planted in pastures and along fences, without 

 doing injury to the growths of the adjoining fields 

 by their shade, this part of rural economy ought 

 never to be omitted. 



The shade of some kinds of trees is much more 

 Imrtful to the growth of plants than others. 



" I planted Indian Corn (says Mr Livingston) 

 on the west side of a young wood, consisting of 

 oaks, poplars, a few chesnuts, and a large mul- 

 berry somewhat advanced into the field. The 

 shade made by the rising sun extended nearly 

 across the field, and was not entirely off until 

 about ten o'clock. I remarked that, as far as the 

 shade ofthechesnut reached, the corn was ex- 

 tremely injured ; it was yellow and small. The 

 conical shape of the morning shade from particu- 

 lar trees might be traced a considerable extent, in 

 llie sickly appearance of the plants. The black 

 oaks were likewise injurious ; but less so than the 

 chesnuts; the l)oplars, very little so. Near the 

 mulberry tree, the corn was covered by its shade 

 for a long time every morning ; and, though not 

 iso large as that which had more sun, maintained 

 a healthy appearance." 



The shade of the black oak is particularly hurt- 

 ful to the growth of wheat ; that of the locust is, 

 on the contrary, beneficial to grass-grounds ; and 

 that of the sugar-maple does but little injury to 

 the growth of grain, and none to grass. — Farmer^s 

 Assistant. 



way it adheres to the drops of water in their de- 

 scent. 



In this, as in everything else, the wisdom of the 

 Creator is displayed. The temperature of the 

 valleys being warmer than that of the hills, more 

 moisture is required and more is given them. 

 Hence, too, the reason why many plants, which 

 require much heat, grow best in valleys : they 

 have the requisite degree of heat, and at the same 

 time a proportionate degree of moisture. But as 

 all grasses which are indigenous require only the 

 heat of the hills, they grow as well on them as in 

 the valleys : a good general rule, therefore, is, the 

 vaUnjsfor tillage, and the hilts for pastures. 



Two other good reasons for this are : Firstly, 

 when hills are kept in tillage, they are generally 

 more or less washed by the heavy rains, by which 

 much of the best soil is carried off; and secondly, 

 they are always more or less inconvenient for 

 ploughing, and generally still more difiicult for 

 carrying any heavy nianmes upon them. The 

 above rule, however, is not to be applied to hills 

 of large extent and moderate descent; it is, in 

 strictness, merely applicable to broken hills and 

 declivities. — Fanner's Assistant. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



BOSTON, FRIDAY DEC. 26, 1828. 



HILLS AND VALLEYS. 



It is found that more rain falls in the valleys 

 than on the hills. The reason of this is, that in 

 the valleys the drops of rain having farther to fall, 

 of course come in contact with, and absorb more 

 of, that vapor with which even the driest atmos- 

 phere abounds. 



If a goblet filled with cold ■water be set in a 

 Tfarm atmosjdiere, this vapor will presently adhere 

 to its sides in the form of water ; and in the same 



ON THE PRESERVATION AND REPAIR OF 

 ROADS. 



A friend, who resides in Maine, has requested 

 us to republish from Loudon's Encyclopedia of 

 Agriculture, an article on the use of broad wheels 

 in carriages, for preserving roads much travelled 

 on. This we do with much pleasure, as we know 

 of few subjects of more general interest. 



The preservation of a i;oad de|)cnds in a great 

 measure on the description of machines and ani- 

 mals which pass over it, and of keeping it dry 

 and free from dust and mud. The repairs of a 

 road should commence immediately after it is fin- 

 ished, and consist in obliterating vats the moment 

 they appear, filling up any hollows, breaking any 



loose stones, and correcting any other defect 



After cleaning and this sort of repair have gone 

 on hand in hand, fur a longer or shorter period, 

 according to the nature of the materials, and traf- 

 fic of the road, a thorough repair or surface-renew- 

 al may be wanted, of three or more inches in 

 thickness, over the whole of the road. [Some re- 

 marks on Broad Wheels in our next.] 



FOP. THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



DOMESTIC COOKERY. 

 Mr Fessenden — I am a constant reader of 

 your excellent i)aper, and often see articles of a 

 tetidency to suppress intemperance. Tiiis is as it 

 should be ; but there is a li^nd of intemperance to 

 which I would call your attention — viz. Introduc- 

 ing ardent spirits into domestic cookery. I have 

 been a house keeper for nearly thirty years, and 

 can say with confidence, from my own experience, 

 there is not the least need of using spirits in any 

 kind of cooking. Intemperate eating is said to 

 be as hurtful as intemperate drinJiing. No won- 

 der, when, in addition to high seasoning, is often 

 added large quantities of brandy and wine. It is 

 no uncommon thing to see, in a receipt, for in- 

 stance, for making mince pie, « to one pound of 

 meat add one quart of brandy, and, one quart of 

 ivine .' " These together with the great quantity 



of spices, &.C, are enough to destroy the tone of 

 almost any stomach. How often do we hear peo- 

 |)le say, " I can't eat any mince pie — my stomach 

 wont bear it," — whereas, if properly made, almost 

 any stomach could bear it. It would be nutri- 

 tious, iimocent. I hope whde there are im[»rove- 

 ments making so universally, this inqiortant 

 branch of domestic economy, and I may add, do- 

 mestic temperance, will not be neglected. 



Keene, M H. Dec. 23, 1828. A MOTHER. 



FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Mr Fessf.ndf.n — I noticed in one of your 

 numbers last summer, a description of a method 

 of telling a horse's age, which I did not thor' 

 oughly understand ; and I should be graleful to 

 any person who would explain it a little more 

 satisfactorily. I am happy to find that the horses 

 sent here by Admiral Coffin have met, with the 

 favor they deserve. Some time in the next 

 spring, I will endeavor to give a very short, Lut 

 more complete account of the causes of foot-lame- 

 ness ; and to rectify any mistakes I may perceive 

 in my previous communication. I am surprised 

 to find that I omitted high feeding as one of its 

 exciting causes. However, I did not intend to 

 give much more than an account of what is now 

 conceived to be the disease. 



Portsmouth. N. H. J. L. ELWYN. 



FATTENING CALVES. 



In order to make calves fine and fat, the best 

 and most efficacious way is, to keep them as clean 

 as possible, by elevating the coops in such a man- 

 ner that the sun may not have too great power 

 over them, and to such a height above the level of 

 ihe ground, that their urine may pass ofi'; by giv- 

 ing tiiem fresh litter every day, and sus|)ending 

 over the coop a large chalk-stone, so that they can 

 easily lick it. Besides this, it is usual to bleed 

 them when they are about a month old, and again 

 just before they are slaughtered ; which practice 

 contributes in a considerable degree to the beauty 

 and whiteness of the flesh, and is therefore more 

 frequently repeated by some persons, [in England] 

 but this is not altogether necessary ; twice bleed- 

 ing being fully sufficient for that purpose, in the 

 opinion of the most experienced breeders. It is 

 however, to be observed that those calves, which 

 are intended for bulls, or for oxen, should bo se- 

 lected as soon as possible ; as the operation nec- 

 essary to make them oxen should not be deferred 

 till the calves are more than twenty days old. 



JVillich. 



CANDLES. 

 When tallow is very dirty or rancid, an ounce 

 of pearl ash to about ten pounds of tallow, put into 

 the water wherein the tallow is melted, is of ser- 

 vice. In such candlesticks as are not made to slide, 

 the candles are frequently permitted to burn ia 

 the socket, to great waste, and to the injury of the 

 candlestick. This may be prevented by taking 

 out early the short piece of candle, placing it be- 

 tween three common pins, stuck in an old cork 

 and putting the cork in the candlestick. A pound 

 of candles, ten to the pound, will give a greater 

 quantify of light, by one fourth, than a pound of 

 six to the pound ; because the tallow is more per- 

 fectly consumed, in consequence of a greater sur- 

 face of wick being exjjosed to the air. In largo 

 wicks the tallow is not burned, but distilled away. 



Cooper. 



