372 



NEW E N G L A x\ D FAR M E R 



MAvae, 1841 



For Ihe N. E. Farrn<:r. 



RIONOVATION OF EXHAUSTED LAND, &c. 



Mr Editok — fn your last you express a wish to 

 hear from me again : you are a darinjj man to run 

 the risk, for an old mechanic turned farmer, cannot 

 be expected to do much with so small a tool as the 

 pen. Ill health at this time compels me to be 

 much within doors, and writing helps keep off a 

 certain ugly /j/ai/ma'f, who shall be nameless. If 

 it ever clears off, I hope to find something to do 

 out doors ; hot if it continues to rain, as it h^is for 

 the last six weeks, ] will write — whether my lucu- 

 brations get into the Farmer or into the fire. 



You speak of, having purchased a farm, in an e.r- 

 hausted slate, and not naturally very fertile; — you 

 have also told us a groat deal about making com- 

 post, an article of vital importance on any farm., 

 fertile or sterile; yet in my opinion there is a pre- 

 liminary step to be taken before you are ready 

 either to make or use it to the greatest advantage. 

 Please to hear some of my experience, bearing in 

 mind that the average result of all my trials is giv- 

 en as if there had been but one. 



Ten years since, I began on a farm so complete- 

 ly run out that in the opinion <if many it could not 

 be renovated without an expense greater than the 

 price of land here would warrant. Old farmers 

 told me to plough no more thnn could be highly 

 manured, and thus bring it to by degrees ; but bav- 

 in" only enough for one acre, and no means of 

 buying, the years of a patriarch would be gone be- 

 fore the work could be accomplished. I therefore 

 consulted nature and agricultural works, and formed 

 my own plan of operati(ms. I ploughed my old 

 fields (which would not have exceeded half a ton 

 per acre,) as deep as a breakingup plough could 

 run ; this, my friends said, had sealed its ruin ; so 

 much cold stuff' from the bottom had done the busi- 

 ness. It was, however, harrowed and sown in the 

 usual way with two bushels of wheat and ten lbs. 

 of clover per acre, and after it appeared, was dress- 

 ed with three bushels of ashes and plaster in equal 

 quantities. The yield was ten bushels of good 

 wheat worth $15 ; the expense of ploughing, sow- 

 ing seed, &-C., $11 — leaving $4, about the average 

 price of half a ton of hay, as clear gain. The 

 straw paid for reaping and threshing. An acre is 

 now covered with a coat of clover and stubble, 

 equal to (i cords of good compost, which should be 

 turned in from Oct. 1st to l.'jth. Next year you 

 may plant all that can be manured ; the third year, 

 sow wheal with gsass seed for a mowing crop. 

 What cannot be planted may be gone through with 

 as at first, substituting barley or oats for wheal, 

 and the third year laid down also to wheat and 

 grass. Each successive crop gains on the former, 

 the land is gaining also, and the only outlay is, two 

 dollars in seed, &c. yearly. Kvery ploughing 

 should be a little shoaler thnn the [irevious one, 

 and ashes used more plentifully if to be had ; but 

 so far as I can ascertain, a small (juantity of plas- 

 ter has the same good eft'ect as more. I have made 

 many experiments with it, generally to great ad- 

 vantage ; but in what way it produces its effects, 

 neither my reading nor experiments furnish very 

 satisfactory information. I have also made repeat- 

 ed trials with lime, without any percept'ble good ; 

 indeed, when used in any ccnisiderable quantity, 

 its effects were decidedly bad, at least on the first 

 crop. How this plan will work on sandy or grav- 

 elly soil, 1 know not; how it has worked on clay 



loam, is demonstrated as plain as any problem of 

 Euclid. An extra quantity of clover might be use- 

 ful ; any kind of foul seed which will nut check 

 the grain or ripen seeds, before ploughing may be 

 thrown in. Two bushels of wheat is not too much 

 for the fir,<t sowing, but is two or three pecks too 

 much when the land is in first rate order. At the 

 second hreaking up, do u'l be afraid of deep plough- 

 ing or of cold stuff — let the plough run deep. 

 Kennebec Co. Me., May 12//i, '41. B. 



P. S. We have never had so much dark weath- 

 er and rain as this spring: the dull days are to the 

 fair as 10 to 1. Farming at a stand and roads im- 

 passable. 



POUDRETTE AS A FERTILIZER—THE N. 

 Y. POUDRETTE CO., &c. 



As considerable interest has been excited, and 

 many inquiries made, in relation to pondrette as a 

 fertilizer; and also in relation to the probability of 

 the success of the New York Poudrette Company, 

 I am induced to publish the annexed statements, 

 and give the accompanying references, that those 

 who desire to make inquiry can do so without di- 

 rect application to mo, presuming that some will 

 prefer doing so. 



The following statement made by gentlemen of 

 intelligence, who have used poudrette as a manure 

 for several years, may be satisfactory to those who 

 desire to avail themselves of the advantages of the 

 New York Poudrette Company, yet desire farther 

 information in relation to its prospects. It is quite 

 unnecessary, where these gentlemen are personally 

 known, for me to say that they are practical far- 

 mers, of intelligence, character and caution ; and 

 that those who consult them personally, or by let- 

 ter, (post paid,) may rely upon the information giv- 

 en by them in relation to the value of the article, 

 or the prosperity of the company. 



D. K. MINOR, .%fn<. 



We the subscribers, stockholders in the -"New 

 York Poudrette Company," in answer to inquiries 

 frequently made of us, would state thr.t we have 

 used the poudrette prepared by D. K. Minor, the 

 agent of the company,"on various crops for three 

 years, and alivays with gratifying results. We be- 

 lieve it to be at'least equal in value to any manu- 

 factured in this country ; and considering its origi. 

 nal cost, convenience of transportation, application, 

 and its great efficacy as a fertilizer, decidedly pre- 

 ferable to any manure we have ever used. 



The dividends, paid semi-aiinually, (.50 bushels 

 at a time,) have been received from 1837 to July, 

 1840; at-.d from our opinion of the integrity of the 

 agent, and our knowledge of his business qualifi- 

 cations, we confidently expect to continue to re- 

 ceive them with satisfactory punctuality. 



The strenuous and persevering efforts of Mr-Mi- 

 nor to convert a common nuisance into a public 

 benefit, and thereby to subserve the great intere.its 

 of agriculture, certainly deserve, and when duly 

 appreciated will, it is believed, receive the appro- 

 bation and support of a discerning community. 



Wm. Wickham Milli, Smithstown, L. I. ; Tiu'o- 

 thy C. Smith, do. ; .lojuih Bowers, do.; Edwin A. 

 Smith, d<i. ; VV. F. Blydcnburgh, do.; Nathaniel 

 I'otier, Huntington, L. I.; Erastus II. Coiiklin, do.; 

 .lohn Wood, do. ; Brewster II. Wood, do. ; Nath'l 

 Conklin, Palchogue, L. I. ; Michael Le Fouion, New 

 Jersey ; Israel P'oot, New York. 



March, 1841. 



J^fw York, May 5lh. 



On account of the unusually stormy weather, I 

 am not yet ready to deliver poudrette to sharehold- 

 ers as I intended. I made my calculation upon 

 having an average of three and a half fair days \a 

 each week in April; but taking IMarch and April, 

 l!liere was but about one and a half fair days in a 

 week, and therefore it has been impossible to pre- 

 pare it to deliver, either to shareholders or to an- 

 swer several orders, fur which the money has been 

 received. I have the material on hand to make 

 enough to supply the shareholders and the orders 

 on book, and it will be prepared and delivered as 

 soon as possible. 



.\s the shareholders all desire to use it about the 

 same time, but cannot all he supplied at once, I 

 know of but one rule by which I may possibly do 

 justice and avoid giving cause for dissatisfaction ; 

 which is, to deliver to the shareholders a;;artonly 

 of what is due, in the order of tlieir subscription to 

 the company, and then deliver the balance as fast 

 as possible. D. K. MINOR. 



From the Albapy Cultivator. 



MAXIMS AND PRECEPTS FOR YOUNG 

 FARMERS. 



I. Regard all persons whose time and labor arc 

 wholly at your comniand, as beings for whose heclth, 

 comfort, and good conduct in tills life, you will be 

 held most fearfully responsible in the lite to come. 



II. Never forget that both moral and bodily 

 health depend on the same thing ; that is, tempe- 

 rance in food, drink, and all sensual indulgences ; 

 and temperance in the use of means to get rich. 



III. To wish well is not enough ; you must also 

 do well, or your benevolence, like faith without 

 good works, will be dead and utterly worthless. 



IV. Ever bear in mind, that useful knowledge 

 and a proper application of it, are to the health of 

 the soul what wholesome food and appropri ite ex- 

 ercise are to the health of the body. 



V. Value as you ought tiie experience of others, 

 and your own will cost you far less than without 

 such aid ; since to use theirs costs only an efibrt of 

 memory, whereas the price paid for your own will 

 often be the loss of heiilth, fortune, and character. 



VI. The more you strive to enrich your minds 

 with every good thing which men and books can 

 teach, the greater will be your power to gain wealth, 

 honor, fame, and evi.'ry rational enjoyment. 



VII. Trust not others to do for you, what you 

 can readily and as well do for yourselves. 



VIII. The farmer who is ashamed of manual la- 

 bor, will very soon find cause to be much n.ore 

 ashamed of himself. 



IX. If you ever make a business of your plea- 

 -sures, they will most assuredly soon make an end 



of your business. 



X. Leave show to apendthrilts and fools, while 

 you and your families consult only tasteful simpli- 

 city, comfort and usefulness, in all your arrange- 

 ments and expenses. 



XI. Love not money fur its own sake; still less 

 for the power it gives you to gratify selfish and sin- 

 ful passions. But fail not to regard it as the most 

 efficient means to accomplish all benevolent pur- 

 poses. You will thus make it a blessing instead 

 of a curse, both to yourselves and others. 



XII. True economy consists not so much msav- 

 ing money, as in spending it when made, solely 

 and judiciously for purposes really useful. This 



