198 



NEW ENGLAND F A R iM E R , 



DEC. ZJ, 1840. 



AND HORTICUtTURAl, REGI3TKB. 

 -^ — 



BoaTON, Wednesday, Dec. 23, 1840. 



CHANOE IN CONDUCTING THE N. E. FARMER. 



In ciinst'quence of having our mind fully occupied in 

 superintending and directing the concerns of our Agri- 

 cultural Warelmuse and Seed Store, we have found it 

 impossible to devote ti»e tune and uiteniion to llie N. E. 

 Farmer wiiicli are due to our numerous subscribers, 

 readers and (riends Wo deem il necessary, therefore, 

 to throw ofl all responsibility in relation to the paper. 

 The duties of the Agricultuial Commissioner calling 

 him frequently to distant parts of the Slate, render close 

 and constant attention to the paper on his part impossi- 

 ble. Wo find it important to confide the editorial de- 

 partment to hands less trammeled by other pursuits than 

 Mr Cnlmantt and our own ; and we have engaged 

 ^i.LEN I'uTNAM, Esq., ot Danvers, (formerly a clergy 

 man, but for a few years past a practical farmer,) to be- 

 come edilor, after the fiist of January next. Though 

 by this arrangement we are in danger of losing in pan 

 the able assistance of the Agricultural Commissioner, 

 we trusl the character of the paper will be sustained. — 

 Mr Putnam is not entirely unknown to the agricultural 

 community. His address before the Essex Agricultural 

 Society, in 183'J, has been extensively read and well re- 

 ceived. If that performance be a fair specimen of his 

 ability as a writer for farmers, our readers may antici- 

 pate much instruction and high salisfaction from his la- 

 bors, in that address he informs us that he has been an 

 actual laborer on the farm, using with his own hands 

 4he plough, the scythe, and other agricultural imple 

 ments. We saw him between the plougli-liandles at 

 Worcester, as a member of the committee for awarding 

 the Stale Society's premiums on ploughs, and he seemed 

 lobe in a place to which he wjis accustomed. Uniting 

 as he does the advantages of a collegiate education, and 

 of actual acquaintance with the labors, condition and 

 wonts of a New Enjrland Farmer, we think him pecu- 

 liarly suited to take charge of the New England Far- 

 mer. 1. B. 



tions and relations, to understand how it operates, and POUDRETTE COJIPANY NEW YORK D K 



thia may be done in many cases, these advances in cliem- MINOR 



ical knowledge are most important. This work chemis- , . , r. i ... 



, , , . . . , ,,, ! In reference lo the roudrette mentioned in the letter 



try has done and is now doing with great success. We !„,-,„,. , ^ , . , , „ 



■ of U. K. Minor, on another page of this week s Farmer, 



and to which reference has been repeateJIy made be- 

 fore, we beg leave lo add the terms on which share- 

 holders are received inlrj the company. We believe 

 that the price of a share is one hundred dollars. We 



say this with particulur emphasis and pleasure, not 

 from what has been effecleii in oar own country only, 

 but from the spirit and intelligence with winch the sub- 

 ject is pursued abroad, in England, France and Germany, 

 where it Stems to have become almost the favorite Btuily 

 of some of ttie most gifted and enlightened minds. 



We have just been lookinjr, with a pleasure ihat we 

 can liardly express, at a new work by Liebig, on Agri- 

 cultural Chemistry, laid before the British Association 

 last autumn, and just received here. We have as yet 



■en it a very imperfect examinalion, because we felt 

 obliged and happy to transfer our copy to a learned 

 fi lend from the interior. But we shall replace it the 

 moment it is practicable ; and satisfy our appetite with 

 one of the richest treats that has as yet ever come with- 

 in our reach. The style of ihe book is obscure, as writ- 

 ten in English by a German, and it is too full of scien- 

 tific lerms for general readers ; but we have a large 

 body of" intelligent men among our literary and in cur 

 fanning community, who will read it with the greatest 

 iiileregt. 



With the hasty view which we have been able to 

 lake of it, we are not willing to give an accounlof his 

 theories, and the arguments and facts by which he sus- 

 tains them ; but if his notions are we'l founded, he 

 solves in the most lucid and satisfactory manner the 

 great and difiicull questions which have prevailed in j-e- 

 gard lo soils, vegetable mould and humus, and the alka- 

 lies and salts, wliicli evidently play so important a part 

 in vegetation. We hope the book will speedily be re- 

 published in this country ; and we hear with the high- 

 est satisfaction, that a proposition to this efl'ect has been 

 made lo some of our publishers, and to add to it notes 

 of explanation and illustration, by a learned Professor at 

 New Haven, long distinguished fur his skill in chemis- 

 try and geology, and equally for his public spirit and 



LECTURES ON AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY. 



VVe understand from a prospectus forwarded us by a 

 friend, and learn it with great pleasure, that Dr Dana, 

 of Lowell, [)roposes at the request «f several of his fel- 

 low citiztms, lo give a course of six lectures on Agricul- 

 tural Chemistry. There is no man in the country who 

 has given more atteniion to the subject, or is more com- 

 petent todiscus.i thi se important topics. The public are 

 r.ut Ignorant of Dr. Dana's views i>f vegetation, and the 

 discoveries in the investigation of soils and manures, 

 which, if made by other.-*, are yet original wilh him; 

 and Ihe fruits of his l.iborious investigaticm. 



We are not prepared to say that the Dr. 'a theoretical 

 notions are currert. Thio remainit lo be established ; 

 but they certainly have strong arguments in their sup- 

 port ; and on a siiliji'Ct 81 profound, we may patiently 

 w«it fnrfarthi'r light and fc^r any and all the liglit which 

 may be thrown upon it. 



Al present, in regard to many of the uj.eralions of na- 

 ture in any at d every department, wo must remain in 

 the dark, hoping for the rising of tiie nun. The vital 

 action is a profound niystcryj we certainly will noi 

 say never to be snlved, but as yd the sniulioii, for aught 

 we see, is as distant as eM>r. Wherever il is possible, 

 iiowever, by the invesligalioij uC ihe elements of any 

 substance and the study of its themiral aflinities, ac- 



his ambition t' be useful. 



There are one or two important points established by 

 the book, which we are hardly willing to pass over, be- 

 cause they BO fully confirm our own views often ex- 

 pressed, and are so constantly confirmed by observation 

 and experience. The first is, that potash is the most 

 important of all ingredients in the soil, especially for 

 wheat and many other plants. The second is, that the 

 most valuable and efficient of all manures is human 

 urine. Ill cities, likewise, where the food ol the inhabi- 

 tants is various and more meat is consumed than m Ihe 

 country, this material is the more valuable. We hope 

 our farmers will, as we have often urged them to do, 

 ciiiisider this ; ami avail themselves as they might in 

 various ways, of its advantages. We believe that three 

 barrels of this material properly managed would do as 

 much for liierii as a cord of stable manure ; and il cer- 

 j taiuly might be obtained and mnnngeU wilh far less 

 trouble, to say nothing of the advantages to cleanliness 

 In our cities and the economy of saving from waste a 

 substance of so much value. We make no apology for 

 treaiin<; a subject so honndy in this expiii:it manner. 

 We shall say inure of it hereafler; and we hold in utter 

 contempt that false nmdesly, which hesitates lo treal, 

 when use, or healih, or science requires, of any of the 

 operalions of naturi). Evil be to him who evil thinks. 



H C. 



add an extract from a private letter of Mr Minor, which 

 we have jusi received — *' You will perceive that the 

 shari'holdeis are to receive one hundred bushels annu> 

 a//i/ as their return or dividend ; n hith is worth 35 to 

 40 cents per bushel ; and which, if they receive it reg- 

 ularly, will be erjuivalcnt to 35 v>r 40 per cent, per an 

 num ; or lo a return ol their capital with 10 to 15 per 

 cent. inlercBt every four years for 18 years lo come. Of 

 course, the inquiry will naturally arise. Will the share- 

 holders receive iheir dividends as promised.^ In reply 

 to this I can only say to you that thus far they have re- 

 ceived tliein in full up lo July last, even under all th© 

 dilKciilties and prejudices arising from the introductioD 

 of such a business, and that 1 have confidence in my 

 ability to carry it through, and of making a handsome 

 income for myself alter giving the shareholders their 

 dividends. My determination is to succeed in the busi- 

 ness, and I have no doubt of success. ' 



We have thought it best lo best to let Mr .Minor speak 

 for himself We know nothing of the situation of the 

 Poudretie company with which Mr .Minor is connected, 

 otherwise ihan as it appears above. But we know a 

 good deal of Mr Minor, and have known him for seve- 

 ral years. We presume he states nothing but what he 

 feels warranted in stating- We are persuaded he would 

 nol willingly mislead any one. We bf lieve him to be 

 a striclly uptight and honest man. No man ever worked 

 harder for a living; and having 'been prostrated by a 

 succession of unavoidable misfortunes, giowiuE out of 

 the great fire in New York, we wish him all possible 

 success; and hope that some of the farmers id" Massa- 

 chusetts will, under the prospect of such liberal divi- 

 dends, lake shares in bis comjiany. H. C 



You who are l)!e>st'd wilh abundance, remember the 

 pour now — this is the lime that want pinches hardest- — 

 the charily which alleviates the sufferings of the unfor- 

 Iniiale is '•twice blessed." 



POUDRETTE CONTROVERSY. 



Our insertion of the advertisement of the '• New Yortc 

 Poudretie lauupany " in the postcript of which there is 

 a pointed disiinction between that company and the 

 " Lodi Manufacturing Company," hasinduced Mr John 

 Stevens, foreman of the last named comjrany, to send us 

 a long afBdnvit, in which we have the results of the 

 analysis of the poudretie of the two companies, by three 

 different chemists, who agree substantially in their re- 

 ports, and make the article manufactured by the Lodi 

 company contain about 160 parts of manuring proper 

 lies where [hat of the New York company contains 100 

 parts. We are requested to insert the entire article, and 

 we would gladly do so, did we suppose the subject as 

 interesting to our rendyrs as it obviously is to the manu- 

 facturers. But as its insertion will put us under obliga- 

 tion lo insert a rejoinder, should one be sent iis, and 

 thus open our columns to a protracted controversy, we 

 must withhold ihe article, though il is written wilh ap- 

 parent justice and candour, and though we are offered 

 compensation for ihe insertion, J. B. 



FIRST REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURE OF 

 MASSACHUSETTS, 



The subscriber asks as a particular favor of any per- 

 son who has Olio to spare " either for love or iiiniuiy," a 

 copy of the First Report of ihe Agriculture of Massachu- 

 setts, Gentlemen who were members of ihe legisla- 

 ture in the year of its publication, received five copies 



