396 



NEW ENGLAND FAUMER. 



Sept. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 AGKICULTUKAL KNO^^^LEDGE. 



Mr. Editor : — It appears to me that the 

 means of obtaining agricultural knowledge is not 

 so easy as it ought to be. The State money which 

 is distributed annually among the several coun- 

 ty societies, can and ought to be so managed that 

 knowledge will accrue from it to the great mass 

 of the farming interests of the State, instead of 

 doling it out in premiums, to a fortunate few. 



I have recently been perusing the pages of the 

 "Transactions of the Massachusetts Society for 

 Promoting Agriculture," which is a new series 

 just issued, and I find that from its foundation, 

 its managers have been zealous in getting agri- 

 cultural knowledge in some form or other before 

 the people ; they resorted to such expedients as 

 were available, which were widely different from 

 the collection of such matter and resources for 

 its dissemination now. It appears if there was 

 that interest taken in the diffusion of agricultu- 

 ral knowledge at the present time, that there has 

 been formerly, it would materially change the 

 aspect of many rural homes. "Knowledge is 

 power." Its effects have produced wonderful 

 changes. May it be applied to the important 

 science of agriculture in such a manner, as to 

 give it a new impetus. It may be said, we have 

 a large number of agricultural works and news- 

 papers ; this is all very well, but it does not suf- 

 fice. We want a system by which the communi- 

 ty may be drawn together to have a talk, or hear 

 occasionally a lecture on agriculture. 



Winchester, Feb. 8, 18^9. D. w. J. 



I asked him which he preferred, a single or two- 

 horse mower. He said he would not take a one- 

 horse implement, and work it through the sea- 

 son, if any one would give it to him. That one 

 horse was not adequate to the performance of 

 this work. This so entirely accorded with the 

 impression that I had formed, that I was pleased 

 to hear it ; and now mention it for the informa- 

 tion of those who are willing to learn the best 

 mode of cutting grass — of which there is at pres- 

 ent a prospect of so great an abundance. I do 

 not pretend to be an instructer myself, any fur- 

 ther than I learn from good authority. 



J. W. Proctor. 

 South Danvers, June 30, 1859. 



Remarks. — Certainly. We have given premi- 

 ums a fair trial — let us now try something else. 

 When you have got farmers to talk and compare 

 notes among themselves, in public gatherings, 

 you will at once inspire them with a new love 

 and interest in their calling ; and then they are 

 in a condition to receive benefit from lectures, 

 books, and the discussions of more scientific men. 



For the New England Farmer. 



UNDERDH.AINING— MOWING MA- 

 CHINES. 



Mr. Editor : — I this morning visited the farm 

 of Mr. Franklin Alley, of Marblehead, who, 

 wherever he is known, is regarded as good au- 

 thority as any other man, on subjects to which 

 his attention has been given. My particular ob- 

 ject was to witness the improvements he has 

 made by underdraining. For many years the 

 farm he occupies has been known as one of the 

 most productive hay farms in the county. He 

 now uses about half of it for the growing of veg- 

 etables. On this he has laid about 3000 feet of 

 underdrains — on an average about 2i feet deep. 

 By so doing, he thinks his crops have been 

 doubled. My attention was first called to this, 

 by the extraordinary crop grown on his land, an 

 account of which was given in our transactions. 

 Mr. Alley is a practical farmer, without preten- 

 sions, no mistake. While looking at his lands, I 

 saw about two acres of grass that had been cut 

 with the Buckeye Mower, moved by two horses. 



LOOKING IN THE WINE CUP. 



"Look not thou upon the wine cap when it is red, when it 

 fiiveth liis color in the cup, when it movotli itself aright. At the 

 last it biteth like a serptnt and stingeth like an adder." — Prov- 

 erbs 2Z: 31,32. 



Hiram Cox.M. D., of Cincinnati, has made the 

 following statement : 



"I analyzed a lot of liquors for some conscien- 

 tious gentlemen of our own city, who would not 

 permit me to take samples to my office, but in- 

 sisted upon my bringing my chemicals and ap- 

 paratus to their store, that they might see the 

 operation. I accordingly repaired to their store, 

 and analyzed samples of sixteen different lots. 

 Among tliem were Port wine, Sherry wine and 

 Madeira wine. The wines had not one drop of 

 the Juice of the grape. The basis of the Port 

 wine was diluted sulphuric acid, colored with el- 

 derberry juice, with alum, sugar, and neutral 

 spirits. 



The basis of the Sherry wine was a sort of pale 

 malt, sulphuric acid, from the bitter almond oil, 

 with aper centage of alcoholic spirits from brandy. 



The basis of the Madeira was a decoction of 

 hops with sulphuric acid, honey, spirits of Ja- 

 maica rum, &c. The same week, after analyzing 

 the above, and exhibiting the quality and charac- 

 ter of the liquor to the proprietors, a sexton of one 

 of our churches informed me he had purchased 

 a gallon of the above Port wine, to be used in 

 his church on the next Sunday for sacramental 

 purposes, and that, for this mixture of sulphuric 

 acid, rum and elderberry juice, he paid $2,75 a 

 gallon." 



Prof. C. A. Lee, of New York, makes the fol- 

 lowing statement : 



"A cheap Madeira is made here, by extracting 

 the oils from common whisky, and passing it 

 through carbon. There are immense establish- 

 ments in this city where the whisky is thus 

 turned into M-ine ; in some of those devoted to 

 this branch of business, the whisky is rolled in in 

 the evening, but the wine goes out in the broad 

 daylight, ready to defy the closest inspection." 



Prof. Lee further states, "The trade in empty 

 wine casks in this city, (N. Y.) with the Custom 

 House mark and certificate, is immense ; the 

 same casks being replenished again and again, 

 and always accompanied by that infallible test of 

 genuineness, the Custom House certificate. I have 

 heard of a pipe being sold for twelve dollars." 



"There is in the neighborhood of New York 

 an extensive manufactory of wine casks, which 

 are made so closely to imitate the foreign, as to 



