J38 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



NOV. 8, I8l». 



Our graH(iii(^s will never he well filled, wiiliout 

 our fields are often replenished with the food of 

 plants. 



There is not in any year quite so nmch aeconi- 

 plished in this county as ardent men desire, lint 

 the progress we have made in practical agricul- 

 ture enables us to give a fair account of the use 

 made of the hounty granted us by the Coniuioii- 

 wealth. The government have now made anoth- 

 er provision of some expense, for our encourage- 

 ment, in the ap|iointnient of an agricultural sur- 

 vey. The leading object of this measure is nn- 

 tlerstoo<l to be the reduction of our art to a sys- 

 tem. And the best system known to those prac- 

 tical men who are always able to show a greater 

 amount of income than expense. That we may 

 contribute in our measure to the accomplishment 

 of this very iifiportaut object, permit me, sir, here 

 to say to the farmers in this county, when the 

 commissioner shall come atnong you, show him 

 what yon are iloing, and the reasons on which 

 you proceed. Be not ambitious to show the e.x- 

 tent of your knowledge in common, by received 

 or fanciful theories. Dresses kept exclusively 

 for special occasions, are always embarrassing 

 things, and often lead us into extremely nicrtify- 

 ing blunrlers. The furiuer's knowledge, like the 

 Chiistian's faith, should he in daily exercise, and 

 more impressively manifested in works than words. 

 Make no attempt to add something of attractive 

 imagery to the .system pursued, for the occasion ; 

 let the habitual and whole <-oup-se be frankly dis- 

 closed, and if there be fiiults, the commissioner 

 will charge himself with the duty of showing the 

 better way. MoiucrLL Aj.len, Chairuian. 



EARLY VEGETABLES. 



Every one has observed that when lettnce sei il 

 gels scattered upon tbogiound in the fall, and lies 

 in the earth dujing the winter, it will be up ear- 

 lier, and come to maturity sooner, than where the 

 seed is sown in the spring, be it done as early as 

 it may. The only objection to sowing in the fall, 

 is, the ground becomes so hard, that, although the 

 seed comes up quickly, the plant never grows so 

 thriftily, nor becomes so large and grateful to the 

 palate, as when the earth has lieen mellowed after 

 settling in the spring 'I'he same is the case with 

 parsnips, onions, radishes, and many others. 



Now, to obtain the benefit of fall sowing; and, 

 at the same time, avoid the counteracting circum- 

 stance of the ground becoming hard, I would pro- 

 pose that the seed be placed in a small bag, and 

 buried slightly, in some safe place, till spring, 

 when, as soon as the ground is fit to work, pre- 

 pare a spot for their reception ; this being done, 

 dig them up and plant them. The seed, by lyiiig 

 in the ground, evidently undergoes a preparatory 

 process, essential to a quick and Ijcallby germina- 

 tion, not to be obtained in any other wav. What 

 this process is, 1 am not fully prepared to slate ; 

 though probably it consists in the absorption of 

 the oil that (he seed contains, rendering every part 

 of it susceptible of being acted upon by the mois. 

 ture of the earth, and thereby fitted to spring 

 quickly into life, on feeling the warmth commu- 

 uicated liy the April sun. 



It is important to have seed of any kind come 

 up quickly after it is sown, that it may get a start 

 in advance of the weeds, which draw away the 

 nutriirient essential to a thrifty plant, and by being 

 first up, choke and retard its growth. Take on- 



ions, for example, which are generally three or 

 four weeks coming up : now if they could be 

 made to come in one, we shall thereby obtain an 

 absolute gain of two weeks on the weeds, which, 

 if it should not save once hoeing, it will certainly 

 rend -r the first hoeing less difficult and tedious. 



I have witnessed two instances, where seeds 

 having lain over winter in the ground, which ful- 

 ly corroborates what 1 have been stating. 



I had occasion to dig a trench 18 or 20 inches 

 dee]) late in the fall into which I threw a ]iarcel 

 of radish tops, filled with seeds, which were after- 

 wards covered up to the full depth of the trench 

 dug. In the spring, 1 had this same ground spa- 

 ded up so deep, that many of the radish seeds 

 were again brought to the surface ; on this 1 plant- 

 ed beet seed. In two days after the ground was 

 thus prepared, the radish seeds had germinated, 

 and ULade their appearance, and continued to 

 grow the most luxuriantly of any that I ever saw. 



The other instance strikingly illustrates the ben- 

 efits of thus disposing of seeds during the winter. 

 It was the following: After having prepared some 

 ground for parsnips, and planted them in the usu- 

 al irjanner, 1 came across a bunch of seed, where 

 an ungati ered top of a seed-parsnip had acciden- 

 tally got covere<l up, and lain througli the winter. 

 Of ibis, I gathered up a handful, and threw it 

 broad-cast upon tlie ground I had previously 

 planted. In four or five days, this last seed came 

 up ajid grew to be several inches high, before the 

 first (ilanted was out of the grounil, which was as 

 many weeks in coming up, as the other had been 

 days. Here, though accidentally, a fair experi- 

 ment was made, and positive proof of the advan- 

 tages to be derived, obtained. There are many 

 other kinds of seeds, which 1 am fully convinced, 

 may he kept and prepared in the same way for 

 early germination, with equally beneficial results. 

 I shall test the experiment more extensively this 

 winter with difi'erent kinds, and whether tSe re- 

 sult prove successful or a failure, your readers 

 shall be informed in the spring. 



Wm. Wetmore. 



Stow, Ohio, Aug. 1837. [Bxtckeye Plovghboy. 



Valuable DtscovEuv. — Jl preventive of dry rot 

 in timber. — The Farmei's Register contains a com- 

 mnnication from Mr G. M.Totien, Civil Engineer, 

 upon the snliject of preserving tind)er, &c., from 

 dry rot, by the solution of corrosive sid)limate. — 

 It was first used in England, and the government, 

 after fifn ly trying the experiment, paid the inven- 

 tor, Mr Kugan, ,£10,000. The timber to be pre- 

 pared, should be placed in a tank or vessel, and a 

 solution of corrosive sublimate thrown on it, un- 

 til it is entirely covered with the lirpiid. The pro- 

 portion of ingredients recommended by the in- 

 ventor is — one pound of corrosive sublimate to 5 

 gallons of water. Pine planks are saturated in 

 forty-eight hours, and an oak stick, forty feet long 

 and one foot square, requires three weeks. A 

 cubic foot of oak timber absorbs three pints of 

 liquid. Timber prepared by this process was laid 

 in the "rotten pit" of the Woolwich Navy Yard, 

 England, with other pieces unprepared. At the 

 end of three years, both were witlidrawn, and 

 the whole of the pi-epared timber was perfectly 

 sound, while the unprepared was completely rot- 

 ten. 'I'he rotten pit is a place prepared express- 

 ly for experiments on timber. 'J'his discovery is 

 of great value for ship building, railroads, iSiC. — 

 Boston Adv. 



The Cattle Sliow at Petersham, was holden ac- 

 oirding to previous announcement. One liun-' 

 dred and fifty-five yokes of oxen were exhibited, 

 and most of them first rate cattle. The lateness 

 of the season, and the cold rough weather, jn-e- 

 vented them from making so sleek an appearance 

 as they would earlier in the aulunm. The lar- 

 gest yoke of oxen were owned by Capt. Joseph 

 Brown, and weighed 3950. Many of the best ox- 

 en in town, had been previously sold for stalling. 

 We noticed a very few vegetables in the Town 

 Hall, and a few ears of Dana corn. No man in 

 Dana can do up the business of raising corn on 

 barren plains, inlhovl manure, like that veritable 

 genius, Gilbert Warden. We also examined a 

 Rug, handsomely wronght,and looked eagerly for 

 the label, on which we had expected to find the 

 elegant writing of some pretty lass, who was the 

 author of the ingenious and tasteful work, but 

 judge of onr surprise, — it was coarsely wiiiten — 

 " Miss Cylindia Stowell, maid of rags." Mr Whit- 

 ney will please to accept our acknowledgments 

 for his gentlemanly courtesy in relation to the 

 dinner. Owing to some pecidiar circumstances, 

 we had not the honor of acting as one of the tas- 

 ting committee, at Col. Wadswortb's table, but 

 imderstand it was served in good, [lalalable or- 

 der, and was eaten in so bountiful a maimer, as« 

 a serious caution to sallow dyspeptics, who fiiintw 

 at the idea of a decent dinner, and associate aw- 

 ful dreams and terrific fantasies, with the very 

 thoiiglit of a roast goose or turkey. 



Regular Toasts. 



Cattle Shows — Where the farmer may indulge 

 a laudable pride in exhibiting the products of hon- 

 est industry. 



Uncle Sam's Team — Consisting of twenty-six 

 pairs of oxen, well matched, well yoked, and with 

 a careful and discreet driver, it will draw the« 

 world. 



The President of the United States. 



Massachusetts — The Cradle of Liberty. 



The Governor of the Cotnmonwealth. 



Uncle Sam's Farm — Had'nt he better brush up 

 his homestead, before he thinks of purchasing an 

 out-pasture. 



'1 he Land Bank, — Although its annual divi- 

 dends may be reduced by blight, by nnldew, or 

 by an untimely frost, yet its capital stock can't 

 run away. 



The Cradle, — A useful implement in the wheat 

 field — and a very useful implement in quieting 

 noisy infants. 



The Intellectual Field, — While we carefully 

 eradicate the tares from our wheat field — let us 

 not be- unmindful of the vices which corrupt the 

 mind. 



Old Bachelors, — Odd, as well as ofl'-oxen. 



Old iM.-iids, — Too often an object of derision 

 without their fault Barre Gazelle. 



To Preserve Pumpkin Stew your pump. 



kin as usual for pies, spread it thinly upon huge 

 open tins, or platters, and place ihcm under or 

 over your stove, where if kept four or five daya, 

 it will he dry enough to keep in bags or boxes 

 through the year. Pumpkin preserved in litis 

 way, is far superior to that |)reserved in the old 

 method of drying; making much richer aid bet- 

 ter flavored pies, besides requiring much less la- 

 bor. — Burlington Vt. Sent. 



