1859. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



25 



to be dug to the depth of three or four feet, but 

 may be placed upon the surface of the ground, 

 and used as v/as illustrated on the Fair grounds. 

 The knife-edges upon which the scales turn are 

 protected from dulling hy the use of balls ; but 

 two simple levers are used, thus avoiding com- 

 plications; remarkable for their self-adjusting 

 power and accuracy, absence of check-rods, and 

 may be used for weighing upon an inclined plane, 

 a peculiar and convenient quality for some local- 

 ities. They were tested by placing a heavy sub- 

 stance upon the centre of the platfoi-m, weighing 

 it, and then moving it to the several corners of 

 the platform and Meighing it, without showing 

 the slightest variation. The judges awarded the 

 silver medal and the bronze medal on large and 

 small scales as first premiums, as stated by the 

 Secretary of the National Agricultural Society. 

 More anon about implements. 



ECONOMY IN FUEL. 



Very much of the fuel consumed in our stoves 

 is lost. If it is not dry, all the water it contains 

 must be converted to steam, and this requires a 

 large amount of heat. Could this steam be con- 

 ducted to some reservoir, where the heat was 

 ■wanted, and there condensed, the heat would be 

 saved, but in ordinary cases, it passes with all its 

 heat to the chimney. The only exception is when 

 the stove-pipe is very long or passes through a 

 cold room, and then, "O, what dirty work the 

 dripping makes." Drying wood in the stove by 

 fire, when sun and wind are afforded free, is like 

 using sunlight to sleep by, and gas and oil to 

 work by. 



Another error consists in admitting more air 

 within the stove than is necessary to promote a 

 combustion of the fuel, and also admitting it 

 where it docs not aid the combustion. The ob- 

 ject of r,'--- is to afford oxygen to unite with the 

 carbon i,f the wood. In this chemical union, 

 forming carbonic acid, heat is produced or given 

 out. Now all the air admitted to the stove which 

 does not so pass through the fire as to be decom- 

 posed and yield a port-ion, at least, of its oxygen, 

 becomes only an absorber of heat already made, 

 and a carrier of that heat off into the chimney to 

 warm, not the room or its occupant, but "all out- 

 doors." A very great error is often made by 

 those who study economy. They split their wood 

 fine, put but a little in the stove at a time, and 

 give it a full draft in order to make it burn rap- 

 idly, so that a little wood shall make a large fire. 

 But this little is repeated so often that the ag- 

 gregate is large. 



Would you study economy, convenience and 

 comfort, then you will find them all in the same 

 management. Leave most of your wood large. 

 Have a little quite fine for starting your fire, use 

 sun and wind to dry it. After your fire is start- 

 ed, keep a full supply of wood in the stove, never 

 letting it get down to one stick, and give it so 

 much — ^just so much, and only so much air as will 

 keep the fire sufficiently alive to give the desired 

 temperature to the room. Any person who will 

 follow these directions with one stove, will save 

 enough each winter month to pay for the Cultur- 

 ist one year, besides securing a large amount of 

 ease and comfort. — Berkshire CuUurist. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 ENGLISH TURNIP CROP. 



Mr. Brown : — Having tried an experiment 

 (new to me) in the culture of the common flat 

 turnip, which has proved successful, lam induced 

 to furnish a detailed statement of the same, for 

 the use of the thousands of farmers who road 

 your paper. 



The ground selected for my turnip crop was 

 part of a field intended for corn culture next 

 year — so that the plowing is so much work done 

 in advance ; extent half an acre. The soil is a 

 light sandy loam. This was plowed July 22d ; 

 depth seven inches. After harrowing thorough- 

 ly, three ox-loads of composted manure and one 

 barrel of wood ashes were spread on one-half of 

 it, viz., one-fourth of an acre, carefully harrowed 

 in, the turnip seed sowed and bushed in. The 

 seed came up readily and grew finely, for a time; 

 but produced an indifterent crop of small roots. 

 The remaining quarter of an acre was allowed to 

 lie till August 5th, when it was carefully har- 

 rowed, and on one-half of it I spread seven 

 bushels of a compost (which I prepare every year 

 for raising fodder corn,) consisting of four parts 

 of wood ashes, (taken damp from the cellar,) 

 one part of hen manure and one part of plas- 

 ter, (thoroughly mixed and suffered to stand ten 

 days before using.) This was harrowed in, the 

 seed sown and bushed in. On the remaining 

 one-eighth of an acre, I spread six bushels of 

 hen manure, well pulverized ; and treated as 

 above. This sowing came up readily and the 

 plants grew rapidly, overtaking in size those 

 sown fourteen days previously, in about four 

 weeks, and then fairly "distancing" them. No 

 culture was bestowed on the crop. It was har- 

 vested November 10th. On the part where the 

 hen manure was spread the yield was at the rate 

 of 550 bushels per acre ; the roots of large, uni- 

 form size, and of very fine fibre. Where the 

 compost of hen manure, ashes and plaster was 

 spread, the yield was somewhat lighter, the roots 

 being smaller in size, though finer grained, and 

 better for table use. 



I am induced to publish this statement, not be- 

 cause the yield was extraordinary, but to show 

 our farmers, who keep two or three dozens of 

 fowls, how they may make the droppings of the 

 hen roost (commonly wasted) pay a large profit ; 

 and with little labor, secure a crop which helps 

 make up the variety of an old fashioned "boiled 

 dish," and helps to graduate for their stock the 

 change from grass to dry winter fodder. 



JosiAH H. Temple. 



Framingham, Nov. 12, 1858. 



Big Chimneys. — The chimney at Bolton. 

 England, mentioned the other day, is not the 

 highest in the world, although a hundred feel 

 taller than the Charlestown structure. There is 

 one near Manchester, England, that is 480 feet 

 high, while the chimney shaft of the St. RoUox 

 chemical works, at Glasgow, is twenty feet higher 

 still, being 450 feet high ; and a yet larger one 

 is in course of construction at Glasgow, for a 

 chemical manufactory. It is to be 460 feet high, 

 or nearly twice as tall as the Charlestown chim- 

 ney, which is 2.''9 feet high. In order to secure 



