1858. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



327 



"To Charles Stearns, Esq. :—Sir — This is to notify you, 

 that I intend to dispute your right to lay an aqueduct in Howard 

 Street or Water Street, in the town of Springfield, or to continue 

 the one already laid in Howard Street, in front or on either side 

 of the homestead I now own and occupy, on the corner of said 

 streets, also, in Bridiie Street, in said town, in front of tlie Ed- 

 son house, so called." 



A true copy, attest, (Signed,) . 



Wm. Hatfield, Constable of Springfield. 



I have deviated somewhat from the simple 

 question of Mr. Constantine, as to "the best kind 

 of pipe for bringing water," hoping that my ex- 

 perience may be beneficial to others, if not to 

 himself. I will remark, however, that as to the 

 poisonous effects of lead pipe, I used constantly, 

 for twenty years at least, water drawn through 

 a lead pipe, and neither my family nor myself ex- 

 perienced any bad effects, nor have I ever known 

 a well authenticated instance of the injurious ef- 

 fects of such pipe, but I have heard of such in- 

 stances, and it is probable that they have existed. 

 All my leading pipe, conducting the water from 

 the mains to houses and other places where the 

 water is used, are of lead. I have lately received 

 a printed statement of an aqueduct constructed 

 in Pittsfield, Berkshire Co., in this State, within 

 a few years. The main pipe of this aqueduct is 

 constructed of Ball's patent indistructible cement 



gipe, an article with which I am not acquainted, 

 ut I notice, that the expense of this aqueduct 

 is fully treble that of timber, and if there were 

 never any expenses for repairs upon it, the inter- 

 est of the money on the difference in the cost 

 would keep the Springfield wood aqueduct in re- 

 pair for all time to come, and divide a large sur- 

 plus for the owners. 



The timber aqueduct is manufactured liere by 

 Mr. Ezekiel Keith, who will answer any ques- 

 tions as to price, &c. Charles Stearns. 



Springfield, Mass., May, 1858. 



Fur tlie Nero England Farmer. 

 DEPTH OF PLOWING. 



Mr. Editor : — I have seen numerous specula- 

 tions of late, as to the proper depth of plowing 

 to be had in our fields, and know of no question 

 of more practical utility. Some say four, others 

 eight and others twelve inches, according to the 

 condition of the soil. Much will depend, un- 

 doubtedly upon how it has heretofore been turned, 

 it being thought judicious to deepen one or two 

 inches, at each succeeding breaking up — until at 

 least a depth of twelve inches of loosened soil 

 shall be attained. We know that most plants, 

 even those that grow chiefly on the surface, (the 

 onion, for instance,) extend their fibres to the 

 depth of a foot or more, therefore it is reasona- 

 ble to suppose that they will be benefitted by thf 

 soil being stirred to this depth. 



Our best cultivators, when they first turn up 

 their grass lands use a strong team, (two pairs 

 of oxen, at least,) and let their plow sink as far 

 as it will — say from six to twelve inches. And 

 they generally realize the best products, where 

 the culture is deepest, provided there has been 

 applied a sufficiency of manure. So long and so 

 hard have our fields been pressed, that no man 

 may expect a crop, without a due application of 

 the needful. It is said that corn will do best, 

 where the culture is shallow ; and that it is more 

 than useless, to stir the soil more than six inches 



deep for this crop. Such has not been my ob- 

 servation. 1 know of farms, where from forty 

 to eighty bushels of corn are now grown to the 

 acre, on which thirty years ago, thirty-five bush- 

 els would have been considered a good crop ; and 

 this difference is attributed to the deepening of 

 the culture. 



Notwithstanding the doubts of some and the 

 slurs of others, I am of the opinion that benefit 

 will accrue from deepening the culture of the 

 soil, and that double the crop now attained, can 

 be had,by a judicious application of this process, 

 J. W. Proctor. 



South Danvers, June 2, 1858. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 THE FAJaMIN-Q AKT. 



The multitude of separate, independent arts 

 combined in agriculture, horticulture and floricul- 

 ture, can scarcely be estimated. The culture of 

 each kind of grain and fruit must have been a 

 separate discovery, and given rise to a new art. 

 The Indian corn was originally a wild grass or 

 plant, and in its wild state afforded only a small 

 quantity of seed, spread over immense plains in 

 thin, scattering beds, and collected with difficulty. 

 The art of raising this plant, has become so per- 

 fected as to yield a hundred barrels where only 

 one could once have been collected. The grain, 

 too, is more improved in quality than in quantity. 

 Wheat, rye, oats, barley, buckwheat, rice, beans, 

 peas, were all separately discovered to be edible, 

 civilized, and finally produced in the shape we now 

 see them. These wei-e all wild grasses and vines, 

 collected by various observing individuals, sub- 

 mitted to the trial of culture, and perfected by 

 the ingenious hand of the husbandman. 



Instead of the fine, full, large grain of wheat 

 we now see, the kernel was small, withered and 

 tasteless. The various wild grains only yielded 

 seeds like other grasses, and afforded but a scan- 

 ty pittance to the gleaner. Apples, pears, peach- 

 es, plums, cherries, currants, quinces, oranges, 

 lemons, and many more fruits, all grew wild in 

 woods, plains and swamps, and were taken from 

 these places, planted in mellow soil, enriched, 

 hoed and nurtured from year to year until they 

 grew to the size and flavor in which they now ap- 

 pear. In size they resembled walnuts, chestnuts, 

 huckleberries, swamp-cheeses and wild cherries. 

 Beets, carrots, parsnips, turnips and cabbages, 

 may all be cited as instances of brilliant discov- 

 eries, and their culture as new arts. The grape 

 and the cranberry are probably the least changed 

 and improved of any kinds of fruits, yet what a 

 change is effected even in these by habitual, at- 

 tentive culture. 



The husbandman, unconscious of the multi- 

 tude of arts combined in his occupation, grows 

 up among them as if all were the product of na- 

 ture, and the inspiration of the seasons, and not 

 the work of patient attention and careful study. 

 The animals which he uses were as wild as his 

 plants and trees. The horse, the ox, tlie cow, 

 the sheep, the hog, the geese, turkeys, hens and 

 pigeons were all as profitless and as much beyond 

 his reach as the lion, the tiger, the eagle and the 

 partridge. The domestication of all these ; the 

 manufacture of butter and cheese ; the manage- 



