J06 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



OCT. 11. 1 8 IT. 



' PINE I>ANDS AND PINK L.TJMBEn. 



'J'hiM'e is, perhaps, jio subject in which tlie piil)- 

 lic lire more deeply interested, or in proportion 

 to that interest, on vvhieh it is less informed, tfian 

 of the sonrees, quantity, and jjrobable duration of 

 the supply of wliite pine lutrdier. It is no un- 

 ron)nion occurrence to hear merchants and 

 luisiness men predict the rise or fall of the va- 

 rious articles of merchandise and produce in the 

 range of their business, and we are aware that 

 they predicate the opinions they advance upon 

 the knowledge they have acquired as to the 

 means and exlent of the supply and the amount 

 of the demand. But who is there who troubles 

 himself to inquire how much pine timlier there 

 is in the United Slates? how long tliis sup[)ly 

 will last.' what is the cause of its rejruJMr and 



conclusion by facts, we should be gla-l to hear 

 them. Ten years since, the pine linuber on the 

 Allegbany and Susquehanna was fron* four to 

 eight dollars a thousand feet ; it is now from ten 

 to eighteen, and large contracts for the latter price 

 were made last month for lumber which is now 

 on its way to Xatcliez and New Orleans, the mar- 

 kets for which it was purchased. — - When pine 

 lumber is transported five thoiisaiul miles on the 

 Mississippi and its tributaries, and pays large 

 profits, can there be a supply nearer ? With 

 these bints we leave the subject for the present. — 

 Oneida (A'. Y.) JVhig. 



rapid advance in price ? and will it contiiuie to 

 advance, or will it dituinish in value in years to 

 come ? We have been led to these remarks by 

 some facts communicated to us by a friend who 

 has investigated the subject, and on whose state- 

 ments «e can rely. 



It is known, wo presume, to most persons, 

 that white ov pumpkin pine cannot be produced 

 or grown, as the und<;r brush or second growth 

 of pine forests is always of « different species o( 

 wood. 'I'hus we can see at n glance, that the 

 county or State Which is otice stripped of its val- 

 uable timber, can never again see its soil clothed 

 with tlje same. \\itb this fact before us, together 

 with a knowledge of the extent of the -annual 

 consumption of this article, it can he no very dif- 

 ficult matter to arrive at a pretty a^-curate conclu- 

 sion as to the .Hme which the forests of the 

 United States will supply the <Iemauds of the 

 country. A few facts will show that we are not 

 so well furnished as is generally supposed. 



In all the States and Ten itories connected with 

 the Union, there are, substantially, but three 

 States which have a surplus of white pine to sup- 

 t>ly the enormous and increasing demand which 

 is yearly made by the other States and Territories. 

 These are. New York, Pennsylvania, and Maine. 

 The latter, (Maine,) with hcv twenty-five hum/red 

 saw mills, can hardly supply the New England 

 States, and it is left for New York and Pennsyl- 

 vania to furnish the pine lumber for the great val- 

 ley of the Mississippi, after deducting what is 

 needed for the consumption of- four millions of 

 enterprising inhabitants vvithiM their own borders. 

 We speak of course in general terms and in 

 round numbers, and do not mean to say that 

 many of the States cannot su|)ply their own 

 wants to some e.\tent for several years. 



Allowing these statements to be true, we are 

 now ])re|>ared for the question, 



How long will the white pine forests in these 

 States supply the demand ? 



It has been ascertained beyond a doubt, that 

 there were floated on our canals, the Hudson 

 Mississippi, Susquehanna, and Delaware rivers, 

 during the last year, nearly sir liundred and fifty 

 millions of s(|uare feet of pine lumber! To sup- 

 ply this quantity, over sixty-live thousand acres of 

 good pine lands have been stripped of every tree! 

 If there are seven hundred thousand acres, even 

 at this rate, without any increase, it will last oidy 

 Some ten or eleven years ; and from facts that 

 liave been gathered on this subject, we venture to 

 .sny that there is not white pine enough in the 

 United States to supply the present consunqition 

 fifteen years ! If any one can controvert this 



The An.NiXual AeiiicuLTURAL Festival was 

 held at Topsfield on Wednesday, 27th ult., and 

 the farming interest from every part of the coun- 

 ty was fidly and respectably represented. 



The show of aninuils was not numerous, but 

 there were some superior cows and excellent 

 working oxen. The nuniber of fat cattle was 

 small; there were a few young horse.s ; there 

 were two lot.s of swine, of a good description and 

 condition ; of slieep there were iione. The 

 ploughing match was s[»iritedly contested, and 

 much of the work was fine ; the ploughs of an 

 ap[)roved flescription ; the teams well trained, and 

 the ploughmen and drivers skilful and ambitious. 

 Of domestic and houseliold nuinufactures, the 

 collection was not extensive, but commendable 

 tor the industry, patience, and skill exhibited. 

 'I he vegetables luade a good disj)lay ; there was 

 nmch superior fruit, and many a beautiful boquet 

 of flowers. 'I'here were valuable specimens of 

 Indian corn exhibited, and other useful vegeta- 

 bles and ju-oducts. 



The address in the afternoon, by the Rev. Mr 

 Gage of Haverhill, was deservedly well received, 

 evincing good taste find good sense ; and the day 

 was spent without any circumstance to disturb its 

 festivities, and in a highly agreeable and useful 

 manner. 



The Address was followed by the Reports of 

 the C^onmiittees, which were, as always, listened 

 to witb a strong interest; and we cannot doubt 

 were made up in the exercise of a sound and dis- 

 criminating judgment, reluctant to give olTence, 

 but conscientious in the performance of duty. 



These exhibitions deserve every encourage- 

 ment, and since the improvement in public man- 

 ners which has taken place by the diminution, we 

 wish we could say the entire abolition, of the fa- 

 cilities and excitements to intemperance, many, 

 and the only great objections to these celebrations 

 have been removed. Tbey bring the fiirmers to- 

 gether under circumstances adapted to excite the 

 deepest gratitude to a beneficent Providence; they 

 make them acquainted with each other, and pro- 

 duce a most beneficial interchange of kind affec- 

 tions and sympathies ; tbey excite inquiry, and 

 diffuse much useful information of the condition 

 and the imi)rovenients in agriculture, and domes- 

 tic industry and economy ; and they produce a 

 manly ami animated competition, unmixed witb 

 any ill feelings, because here there is no monop- 

 oly ; the lield is open to all ; and the beneficial 

 results are in every case diR"uscd, and universally 

 shared by all. 



The county of Essex is a favored region. If 

 its climate is harsh or severe, compared with 

 more southern latitudes, it lias been found as fa- 

 vorable to longevity and to a healthy old nge as 

 any part of the country. If its soil is in many 



cases rough and hard, yet it has much good land 

 also ; and it seldom fails to yield an ample re- 

 ward to well-directed labor. Its resources, in its 

 capacity and products of mechanical labor and 

 commercial enterprise are immense : and in gen- 

 eral intelligence and good morals we may with 

 confidence ass^ert, that it is inferior to no other 

 place in New England. May the son* and 

 daughlers of Essex county know and justly ap- 

 preciate their blessings, cultivate a strong attach- 

 ment to their fath t land, and an honest jiride of 

 home : and while any thing remains to be done, 

 do what tliey can and all they can to advance its 

 substantial prosperity and inqirovement. — Salem. 

 Gazette. 



1 



It is mentioned by Sir Humphrey Davy, upon 

 the authority of an arti(rle in the Philosophical 

 transactions for 1799, that in the years 1795 and 

 1796, when almost the whole crop of corn, 

 (wheat,) in the British island, was blighted, the 

 varieties obtained by crossing, alone escaped, 

 though sown in several soils, and in very diTerent 

 situations. 



The manner of crossing is very simple, merely 

 by sowing different kinds of wheat, ])romiscuous- 

 ly in the same field, the product of wliich will 

 be a new variety. The fact as detailed above 

 seemed to ns to be important to be known, we 

 have therefore abstracted it with a view of laying 

 it before our readers, and would suggest, that if 

 the production of a new variety, by this simple 

 process of crossing, has the tendency to impart su- 

 perior capacity to it to resist disease, would it not 

 be well for wheat growers to make the experi- 

 ment. It might be tried on a small scale first, 

 and if found to be of utility, it would be an easy 

 matter to extend it to any desirable limit. 



Methods of Preserving VN'ood from the 

 Effects of the Weather. — Take three parts 

 of air slackened lime, two parts of wood ashes, 

 and one part of fine sand ; sift the whole, and add 

 so much linseed oil as is necessary to form n mass 

 that can be laid on with a paint brush. To make 

 this mixture perfect and more durable, it will bo 

 well to grind it on a marble. Two coats of it is 

 all that ar-^ necessary — the first should he rather 

 light, but the second must be put on as thick as 

 the brush will permit. This composition well 

 prepared is impenetrable to water ; resists both 

 the influence of the weather and the action of the 

 sun which hardens it and makes it more durable. 

 — ^nns. des Arts and Man. 



New Music — We publish the following little 

 story for the benefit of all females who pretend 

 to high accomplishments and possess a great deal 

 of false pride. It is from the Haverhill Gazette ■ 



" A young lady of high accomplishments, (and 

 no pride) in absence of the servant, stepped to the 

 door on the ringing of the bell, which announced 

 a visit from one of her admirers. On enteriuir, 

 the beau, glancing at the harp and piano, which 

 stood in the apartment, exclaimed, '1 thought I 

 heard music — on which instruujent were yen [icr- 

 forming, ,Mifs .'' 'On the gridiron, sir, with the 

 accompaniment of the frying jian !' rcjilied she, 

 'my mother is without help, and she says that I 

 must learn to finger these instruments sooner or 

 later, and I have this day commenced takinu 

 course of lessons.' 



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