54 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



Al'G. 19, 1840. 



and horticultural register. 

 Boston, Wednesday, Augdst 19, 1840. 



HENRY L. ELLSWORTH, E»q , 

 Commissioner vf Palcnts <il IViisliington. 

 We liavp mo liigh a personal respect lor this gentle- 

 man, and too much sell-respect, to usi; in speaking ol 

 him the langnaffe of flattery ; but we have no hesitation 

 in saying that agriculture has not in the United States a 

 more efticient or devoted friend. He is full of informa- 

 tion on every topic connected with it. He is taking all 

 possible pains to extend liis correspondence in all direc- 

 tions on the subject. He lays under contribution all 

 foreign ministers and agents, all our navy officers visit- 

 ing different parts of the world, and all (he members of 

 Congress and strangers visiting Washington to transmit 

 him the most valuable plants and seeds which can be 

 procured. He has already made most extensive collec- 

 tions ; and after reserving samples fur exhibition, he 

 places the remainder in the hands of those who will be 

 likely to give a fair trial and a good account of them. 

 He is familiar, likewise, from his situation, with the va- 

 rious patented and improved implements of agriculture, 

 of which models are deposited in his office; and upon 

 some of which he has had experiments tried with a view 

 to test their utility. Every friend to an improved agri- 

 culture ought to lend him, as far as practicable, his aid 

 No man is more accessible, and his objects are wholly 

 disinterested and public. Agriculture is the great inter- 

 est of the country, without which every oilier must lan- 

 guish, and upon whose success absolutely and entirely 

 depends the prosperity of every other. H. C. 



WHKAT IN THE WEST. 



The crops of wheat in Illinois are almost universally 

 cut off by the rust ; and in many cases are not deemed 

 worth the gathering; ; so that the farmers have turned in 

 llieir swine upon them. In general, however, there i-- 

 an ample supply of old wheat on h.and ; and the price 

 which in many places is now only forty cents, is not 

 like'y to lise above fifty cents. 



In Michigan the crops were never finer nor more a- 

 bundant. The supply v\-ill be immense and prices must 

 rf.'main low. 



In Ohio the crops are abundant and excellent, at least 

 in western Ohio ; we are not so well informed as to 

 the river towns. Speculators, however, are penetratin'r 

 the country in all directions, and seventy cents are de- 

 manded and obtained on the shores of Lake Erie. This 

 is for the New York market; but so long as flour re- 

 mains at four dollars and a half, the millers carmot af- 

 ford to pay seventy cents and the expense of transporta- 

 tion . The state of the currency, however, greatly avails 

 them, for New York funds will purchase Ohio and 

 Pennsylvania funds at ten to fifteen per cent, discount, 

 and Michigan currency at fifteen to twentyfive. The 

 farmer has no help for this, and in his fortunate igno- 

 rance, he does not always perceive it. U. C. 



MURRAIN AMONG THE CATTLE. 



At the west, many instances have occurred this sea- 

 son of a fatal disease among their stock, which baffles as 

 jet all remedy. 'I'l'ie cattle are taken, say at night ; 

 their eyes seem fixed ; Ihey lose all energy ; and are 

 dead by the next day. We have not heard of any sci^ 

 entlfic examinations; hut the farmers who have opened 

 the bodies of their animals, report tliat they perceive no 

 local inflammation, and are vvhcilly unable to detect the 

 secret of the calamity. Such cases as these, in connex- 

 ion with an interesting case reported to the New Eng- 

 land Farmer, from Andover, in a recent paper, of the 

 unaccountable death of three calves, show most emphat- 

 ically the importance of the veterinary art. VVe con- 

 stantly lament that the term ctiltle doctor should be con- 

 sidered degrading, though we cannot feel surprise at it, 

 when we know the miserable and contemptible quack- 

 cry which is continually practised by the stupid and ig- 

 norant jackasses who undertake to practice in this line. 

 We want a veterinary school, in which the science of 

 comparative anatomy and the {liseases of the brute crea- 

 lion shall be as thoroughly studied as those relating to 

 the human frame and system. It would open a noble 

 field for science. It might be made a highly lucrative 

 profession in any populous part of the country. Real 

 science and skill would place the profession on a level 

 with other liberal professions, and the actual gain to hu- 

 manity would be immense. A merciful man is merci- 

 ful to his beast ; and whoever cimsiders man's depen- 

 dence upon the brute creation, and the obligations he is 

 under to them for service, and labor, and food, on the 

 principles of the plainest justice and duty, to say noth- 

 ing of' his own intcrtst, will feel bound to do whatever 

 ho can for iheir health, comfort, and welliire. H. C 



SLOVENLINESS OF FARMERS. 

 We do not know whether this is peculiar to farmers; 

 but as our business is with them, we shall let other 

 classes take care of themselves and speak of the far- 

 mers only. We are frank to confess that in this lespecl 

 a great improvement has taken place in the country. 

 But how much room is there for still farther improve- 

 ment. Loidt at the wood piles, at the barn yards, at the 

 door ways of many of our farmers ; piles of decayed 

 logs; old sleds, old calls, old tools, hoes, shovels, bro 

 ken forks, old crockery ; and five hundred other unmen- 

 tionables clog up every passage ; manure enough is 

 wasted every year to eniich acres of land ; and common- 

 ly in such cases the hogs and the fowls have a« regular 

 imrress and egiess inl() tlK> back door and the front door, 

 as if ihey belonged to the house : in truth, we have 

 seen certainly in one case, the pig and the child laying 

 down together in the same entry, in the full enjoyment 

 of the otium cum flignitate. II. C. 



Report on the Geological and Agricultural Sur- 

 vey OF THE State of Rhouk Island, made under .-i 

 resolve of the Legislature, in the year lC)39. iJy 

 Charles T. Jackson, M 1). pp. 3iy 



By the politeness of Win Rhodes, Ei-q., of Providence, 

 we have been favored with a copy of this work, but 

 have been wailing for the return of Mr Colman, who 

 we thought would do better justice to it than ourself; — 

 as he is yet detained by sickness at tiie west, we lake 

 ttiis opportunity to commend the work as highly credita- 

 ble to the Stale for causing the survey, and to the au- 

 thiT for his success in producing so valuable a result to 

 his labors. We think it not only interesting to the 

 State, but to the community generally, and a good ap- 

 propriation of money which was made for this object. — 

 We trust ere long that surveys of all the Slates will be 

 ordered, that we may have a complete and full geologi- 

 cal and agricultural survey of the Union. We shall 

 hereafter extract liberally fioni this report, for the bene- 

 fit of our readers. J. B. 



MASS. HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



KXHIBITIOS OF FRUITS. 



Saturday, .August 1, 1840. 



[For reports of the two last exhibitions, see another 

 page of this day's paper.] 



I'y Capl. Sever, Dorchester — Early Harvest apples. 



By John Ilovey, Ro.\bury— Early Harvest apples — 

 very large and fair. 



By C. Golderman, Chelsea — Black Hamburg grapes 

 and figs. 



By B. V. French — Early Harvest, William's Favorite, 

 Sopsavine and River apples; also two varieties of pears. 



By E. M. Ricliards — While Junealing, Early Spice, 

 Early Harvest, Early Bough, Red Juncating, William's 

 Favorite, Early Striped and Red Astraoan apples. 

 For the Committee, 



E. M. RICHARDS. 



Tomatoes and an early pumpkin were exhibited by 

 A.D.Jones, Brighton. 



DITCHING AND DRAINING. 



The season of autumn, and of drought especially, is 

 the season fi)r ditching and draining our low lands. For 

 a full account of the improved methods of Scotch drain- 

 ing, we beg leave to refer our readers to the appeiidix 

 to the Titird Report of the Agriculture of Massachusetts, 

 ([lublished in No. 5 of the present vol. of the Farmer,) 

 which we are persuaded they will read with interest 

 and advantage. The method of tile-draining there ex- 

 plained, can scarcely be expected to be adopted by our 

 farmers with small means; but that of draining with 

 small stent's is feasible and to be strongly recommend- 

 ed. Covered draining, where it will answer, is always 

 to he itieferred to open draining. In making an open 

 drain, be sure to leave the top at least twice as wide as 

 the bottom ; making the banks of an even and exact 

 slope; and be sure, likewise^ not to leave what is taken 

 out of the ditch on the banks of the ditch in heaps 

 through the coming winter, to assist them in caving in ; 

 or 10 remain overgrown with grass in unsightly heaps 

 fur years, to interfere with the scythe. What you un- 

 dertake to do, do well. Finish one job before you go to 

 another. These we believe are wholesome rules. Give 

 them a fair trial, and then if ihoy do nol answer, con- 

 demn and renounce them. But first try them. — H. C. 



MASS. HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



[nrNO TICE. — The Committee of Arrangements for 



the annual exhibition, are respectfully requested to meet 



at their rooms, 23 Tremont Row, on Saturday next, at 



half past eleven o'clock, A. M. 



Per order, 



S. WALKER, Chairman. 



[p=THE Committee on Flowers of the Massachusetts 

 Horticultural Society, will hold a special meeting at 

 their rooms, on Saturday next, '.221 inst. at 12 o'clock M. 

 A punctual attendance is rcquesteil, as business of im- 

 poriancu will be brought before them. 

 Per order, 



S.WALKER, Chuirman. 

 Boston, Aug. 15th, 1840. 



Grasses. — Vast provision has been made in the mul- 

 titude of grasses, for tho support of the graminivorous 

 races ol animals. More than eighteen hundred species 

 have been described by botanists ; more than three hun- 

 dred are ascribed to North America ; and more than one 

 hundred and twenty are fouml in the State of New York. 



A correspondent of the New Gcneseo Farmer says 

 that cows may lie fed on rula bagas wilhout imparting a 

 turniiiy taste to the milk and butter, if they be not al- 

 lowed to feed on the roots vviihin six or eight hours of 

 milking. 



