190 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



DEC. »0, 18 >7. 



AND gardener's JOURNAL. 



Boston, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 1837. 



0= We published a piece llie last week, lieinied ".M.i- 

 nuie," by "A Common Farmer," wliicli we Kiuli from 

 tlie N. H. Patriot, not because we beliesed tlie writer 

 correct in his notion's, but thai the truth niijjhi he elici- 

 ted thereby. Wo iKid prepared some remarlis, pointing 

 out the errors of the common farmer, a* we supposed, 

 when we reieived the following able ci>uiinunii:aiion, 

 which caused our own remarks to be laid under the ta- 

 ble, to make .ooni for those of our correspondent, which 

 are much more to the point. We should be happy to 

 receive further communications from C, as we think 

 the public may be greatly benefited by hia writings. 



[For the New F,nsland Fanner.) 

 MANURE. 

 Messrs Editors : In your last paper, under this cap- 

 tion, you publslied some remarks from the N. H. Pat- 

 riot, by a Common Farmer, in whicU he expresses his 

 anxiety respecting the mannerof using manure, &c. The 

 importance of making, saving, and right apphcaliou of 

 manure, has longengaged the attention of not only com- 

 mon, but of uncommonly good farmers, and much has 

 been said and published on the subject. From long ob- 

 servation and experience, 1 am convinced that few at 

 this enlightened day, will adopt his theoryless practice. 

 His bold assertions may elicit the truth, and he may 

 thereby obtain what he is seeking after, or stand correc- 

 ted of his error. 



1 will not quarrel with him for spreading his manures 

 on his grass ground in the fail, provided they are prop- 

 erly composted ; but should not advise spreading strong 

 manures, or manures unmixed with soil or mud, nor oi' 

 carting and spreading in the fall, to plougli in, in the 

 spring. Tliis is a wasteful practice. 



He professes not to be *'so fearful of h)sing the strength 

 of his manure by evaporation as some farmers are, oth- 

 erwise he migiit think a considerable part was made in 

 vain-*' With the same propriety he might consider his 

 house made in vain, because it is composed of combus- 

 tible mateiials, and may take fire and burn down! It 

 is for his interest, it is his duly, as a prudent man, a? a 

 good citizen, to guard against either calamity. lie says 

 " if any manure was made in vain, I should say it is 

 that which is ploughed under something like a foot deep 

 in its full strengtli." 



I am not much acquainted with the manner or depth 

 of ploughing in New Hampshire; but spread on your 

 strongest manure^ and put in your deepest furrows, and 

 a ouccession of crops shall average one-third more than 

 your shalloiD system. 



I cannot discover the nub of his hasly-pudding story, 

 or its application to ploughing in manure. 'I lie taste of 

 people may vary, and some might prefer his pudding 

 and salt to his salt water pudding. But dame nature 

 has no such freaks ; and reason and common sense tea- 

 ches that manure projierly applied, is buried in the soil 

 when intended to benefit vegetatiiui. 



Hu further says, " it is obvious that manure in its nat- 

 ural state in full strength, produces nothing of conse- 

 quence, that when buried in the earth, ten or twelve in- 

 ches, it will remain in nearly the same state, unless 

 washed, leached or drained ; that it drains downwards 

 and not upwards ; that should ijie strength all come out 

 of it, the roots of corn or vegetables would receive but 

 little nourishment from it, it being deeper than the 

 warmth of the sun will reach suitably to render it fer- 

 tile." It is a fact well known to practical and scientific 



farmers, that a grain of wheat, when planted in a mel- 

 low soil, will strike its roots three feet downward ; the 

 roots of oats eighteen inelies ; the beet, parsnip and car- 

 rots fourteen inches ; the potato will put out its leaders 

 eighteen inches, and clover and the fine grasses much 

 further. 



It 13 a fad equally well known, that manure in un- 

 dergoing a violent fermentation, unmixed with soil or 

 other substances to confine the gasses, will lose one-half 

 its weight. Under thu furrow this fermentation is grad- 

 ual, and as the season advances, as the heat increases, 

 so increases the process of fermentation. The gasses 

 rise and mingle with the soil, and become the food for 

 plants, when most wanted to ripen the seed or mature 

 the vegetables. I wish my friend, the common farmer, 

 to bear in mind that in the process of fermentation, the 

 ga.=ses uhoays ascend ; that manure cannot be buried 

 too deep by the plough ; that the sun and atmosphere 

 have influence upon the soil, to as great a depth as it 

 freezes in winter, or thaws in the spring; that this in- 

 fluence is upward and not downward, and that manure 

 is seldom buried by the plough, or washed by the rains, 

 beyond that influence ; that his theory is altogether bad ; 

 that if he is a young man, and open to conviction, he 

 may yet learn ; and I should advise him to take the N. 

 K. Farmer. C. 



Mattakees, Plymouth Co. Dec. 1837. 



places. It is a practice with some persons to cover meat 

 in warm weather, with a cloth steeped in vinegar ; the 

 acid vapor keeps off flies, and the moisture occasions 

 cold by evaporation. A wet cloth will be always found 

 colder thin the surrounding atmosphere, as will be 

 evinced by rolling up a thermometer in it. The degree 

 of cold will be in proportion to the power of evapora- 

 tion, the difTerence of temperature often exceeding 10" 

 Fall., which is of considerable importance in the preser- 

 vation of meat in a hot sultry day. 



[For the New England Farmer.] 

 Preservative powers or Cold oh Animal Food. — 

 The most obvious method of preserving animal food, is 

 the application of a degree of cold, sufiicient to solidify 

 the juices, and thus to suspend the operation of the prin- 

 ciple of putrefaction. Meat that is perfeatly frozen, may 

 he kept sweet any length of time. A striking instance 

 of which is the case of the mammoth, found in Siberia, 

 which probably had been entombed in the ice for an al- 

 most indefinite period of time. The flesh was sweet, 

 and was greedily devoured by the hunter's dogs. The 

 frozen markets of Russia are well known. In the coun- 

 try about Hudson's Bay, the flesh of all animals used as 

 food there, vvliether quadrupeds, fish or fowl, are pre- 

 served perfectly by the cold ; and the two latter, even 

 without being cleaned out. 



It is, however, doubtful whetlier provisions thus pre- 

 served, do not suffer. It is a common opinion amongst 

 butchers, that meat once thoroughly frozen, never re- 

 covers its fine flavor. For instance, fish preserved by 

 being frozen, if thawed before a fire, becomes hard, and 

 is spoiled ; but that if thawed in cold water, it will be- 

 come tender, and fit for the table. In Canada, where 

 animal food of all kinds is preserved for many months, 

 by being frozen, and packed in snow, they carefully 

 avoid softening it in warm water, previously to its being 

 cooked, as it is known that it would very speedily pu- 

 trefy ; cold water is therefore used. Something like 

 this takes place in the living human body. When a 

 limb is frost-bitten, if imin«rsed in warm water, or 

 brought near the fire, it will speedily run into gan- 

 grene. Hence it is the practice to rub it with snow, 

 and to elevate the temperature with the greatest possi- 

 ble caution. 



Experiments on the pre.servative power of cold on 

 provisions, occasioned the death of Lonl Bacon. While 

 at Highgate, lie took the opportunity to stuff a hen with 

 snow, to try the power of its antisceptic agency. Im- 

 mediately after eating it, he was taken ill, and in a few 

 days the world was deprived of this great man. 



Reduction of 'emperature ever so little below that of 

 the almosphere, is lA use during warm weather, and 

 hence meal is always kept in the most shaded and coolest 



Plymouth Countv AoRictiLTURiL Society. — We 

 acknowledge with gratitude to the Plymouth Co. Agri- 

 cultural Society, the pay for 12 volumes of the N. E. 

 Farmer, and 16 volumes of the Complete Farmer, which 

 they have awarded this year, as premiums, to the enter- 

 prising competitors of Agriculture in that County. — 

 Nothing can be more appropriate, according to our own 

 way of thinking, than premiums of this description. — 

 Far preferable sometimes, we should say, to silver or 

 gold. It is agreed that knowledge is power, and tho 

 knowledge of agriculture is what the husbandman wants. 

 Tins may be obtained in sundry ways, viz: from prac- 

 tice, from conversation, and from reading. We are hap- 

 py to believe that " book farming," as it is called, is be- 

 coming more prevalent, that the old fashioned prejudice 

 against it, is nearly extinct, and that our farmers are 

 sensible, that to convey iileas to one another, on these 

 important subjects through thu medium of the press, n 

 highly proper and beneficial. We cannot conceive in 

 what way a husbandman can employ his long wintei 

 evenings to greater profit or pleasure, than in studying 

 the valuable works of those who have had much cxpc 

 .rionce, and taken unwearied pains to investigate and de^ 

 termine the best mode of practice in this mother of arts 

 We feel assured that the day is fast approaching, whei 

 tlie farmers of New England will be able to give a rea» 

 son for any peculiar mode of husbandry, otiier thaii 

 ** because my father and grandfather did so befort' 

 me." 



It may be thought paradoxical to some that the cuunn 

 ty of Plymouth should be agricultural. " Plymouth !' 

 say they, " that stepping-stone to sandy Cape Cod !— 

 that territory situated between the two bays, and madi 

 up of pond holes, gravel hills and sand banks; when 

 every town is filled wilh nail machines, spinning gin 

 nies, anchor shops and shoe factories ; can such a plaoii 

 have any preleniions to agriculture.''" Such may bt 

 the language of the prejudiced ; but let them not "darUi 

 en council by words without knowledge." The triul 

 is, that Plymouth County is by no means hehindhanV 

 in agriculture. It has much excellent land, and c 

 boast of some of the best fiirms and best farmers in tl 

 Commonwealth. The true spirit of improvement in huL 

 bandry is most prevalent there ; and in no place is th|i 

 annual Cattle Show and Exhibition more cheerfully ani 

 fully attended. The people, as agriculturists, are ind 

 trious, enterprising and ambilious, and we venture 

 say, that the donations of tho government are as j 

 diciously and .advantageously expended in this count 

 as in any other in the !<tate. As to Cape Cod, Plymoi 

 to be sure, is in its vicinity, but it bears very little 

 semblance to it. There are, however, erroneous notio! 

 relative to the sterility of the Cape, for it is supposed 

 some, that it is totally devoid of any kind of feriili 

 which is very far from the tiuth. Some of its towi^ 

 can boast of good land, strange as it may seem, and it 

 people are a hardy, industrious race. It was in fact 

 only place that bore the marks of agriculture, when 

 Pilgrims first landed upon this coast; and here wi 

 found the granaries of the natives. 



