128 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



appropriated more economically in saline muck and 

 other substances, is left to decompose by nature's 

 process, without being to the trouble entailed by 

 t/tis method. I I'cel no disijosition to detract from the 

 merits of any, and equally willing to accord both 

 honor and the benefit of improvements to their right- 

 ful discoverci-s. But from pvd)lic statements, and 

 ■which I have not known controverted, I liave been 

 induced to believe that " Tlie Bommer Manure 

 Method " claims that to \\'hich it is not justly entitled 

 in respect to originality, (if not in point of merit,) 

 as it has been proved to be in substance the old 

 French method of Jaufrett, to which the public have 

 a right without purchasing of Bommor, The writer 

 of this is one of the many (prol)ably thousands) 

 who have been duped with the tiatteriug statements 

 proclaimed of the great benefits to be derived from 

 the " Bommer method." I have bought it and proved 

 it, and have been reminded of Franklin's whistle. 

 I am acquainted with many who have proved it, but 

 do not know of one who practises it. Farmers are a 

 hard-working class, and should be informed in such 

 matters, in ortler to prevent being sponged out of 

 their hard earnings by inexperienced speculators. 

 ■ A KENEBECK FAIIMEII. 



Ihr the New England Farmer. 

 EFFECTS OF CHARCOAL ON FLOWERS. 



Mr. Editok : I clipped the enclosed article from 

 the Boston Weekly Messenger some time since. I 

 have tried the experiment but once, on my petunias 

 both white and red, and I could see no effect like 

 that described by Mr. Bcrauds. As it was a single 

 experiment, and no particular pains taken with it, 

 I do not consider it a full test. 



Will some of the votaries of Flora try it, and com- 

 municate the result through the columns of the 

 Farmer r No one need fear any bad effects from the 

 charcoal, as it is decidedly beneficial to plants in pots, 

 aside from the change of color. W. F. B. 



Asiix'iELD, March 26, 1S50. 



The Effect of Charcoal on Floweus. — The 

 following extract cannot fail to be interesting to the 

 botanist and the chemist, as well as to every lady who 

 has a rose-bush in her garden, or a flower-pot in her 

 parlor. It is from the Paris " Horticultural lleview " 

 of July last, translated by Judge Meigs, of Now York, 

 for the Farmer's Club of the American Institute. 

 The experiments described were made by Kobert 

 Bcrauds, who says, — 



" About a year ago, I made a bargain for a rose- 

 bush of magnificent growth, and full of buds. I 

 waited for theui to blow, and expected roses worthy 

 of such a noble plant, and of the praises bestowed 

 upon it by the vender. At length, when it bloomed, 

 all my hopes were blasted. The Howers were of a 

 faded color, and I discovered that I had only a mid- 

 dling mvdtitlora, stale enough. I therefoi-e resolved 

 to sacrifice it to some experiments which I had in 

 view. My attention had been captivated with the 

 effects of charcoal, as stated in some English publica- 

 tioa. I then covered the earth in the pot, in which 

 my rasc-bush was, about half an inch deep with 

 pulverized r/mrcoal! Some days after, I was aston- 

 ished to sec the roses, M-hich bloomed, of as fine 

 lively rose- color as 1 could wish ! I determined to 

 repeat the experiment ; and, therefore, when the rose- 

 bush had done flowering, I took off all the charcoal 

 aixd put fresh eartli about the roots. Yo.u may con- 

 ceive that I waited for the next spring impatiently, to 

 see the result of this experiment. When it bloomed, 

 the roses were, as at first, pale and discolored ; but, 

 by applying the charcoal as before, the roses soon 

 resumed their rosy red color. I tried the powdered 

 charcoal likewise in large quantities upon my petu- 



nias, and found that both the white and the violet 

 flowers were equally sensible to its action. It always 

 gave great vigor to the red or violet colors of the 

 flowers, and the white petunias became veined with 

 red or violet tints; the violets became covered with 

 irrcc/itlar spo.'s of a bluish or almost black tint. ^lany 

 persons, who admired them, thought that they were 

 new varieties from the seed. Yellow flowers are (as 

 I have proved) insensible to the infiuence of the 

 charcoal." 



PREPARATION OF SARSAPARILLA. 



We would call the particular attention of our 

 readers to the advertisement of Messrs. B. O. & S. C. 

 Wilson, on our cover. The preparation of sarsapa- 

 rilla has become deservedly popular, from its great 

 efficacy in pui'ifying the blood, removing chronic 

 complaints, and giving a general healthy tone to the 

 system. We would urge upon the invalid the im- 

 portant consideration of using vegetable medicines, 

 which are not only safe, but efficacious. The prom- 

 inent feature of this sirup is its preparation without 

 alcohol, which is not only highly important in a 

 moral point of view, from its temperate tendency, but 

 it is far more powerful as a restorative ; for alcohol, 

 in many cases, counteracts the valuable virtues of 

 medicines, and frequently originates diseases more 

 formidable than those for which the medicine is ad- 

 ministered. 



SHOW OF FINE FOWLS. 



Agreeably to the notice which we gave in our last 

 number, two pullets of the Cochin China fowls, re- 

 cently imported from Dublin, by G. P. Burnham, 

 Esq., also a cock and pullet, owned by Mr. B., re- 

 cently imported from Canton, China, were exhibited 

 in the Agricultural Hall, adjoining our office. 



These fowls are remarkably large for their age, and 

 of fine appearance, considering theh- hardships in a 

 recent passage from a foreign country. Those from 

 Dublin appear to be a superior race of the large 

 India fowl. 



Mr. Coffin, whose advertisement appears on our 

 cover, also exhibited some fine fowls of the Shanghae, 

 and various crosses. 



Mr. Dorr, who also advertises through the same 

 medium, showed some fine specimens of Bolton Gray 

 fowls. 



TEXAS AS A SUGAR COUNTRY. 



A Galveston letter of the 2d ult. says that the 

 sugar production of this state is greatly on the in- 

 crease, and that the quality is very superior. The 

 grain and color are unsurpassed for bi-own sugar, and 

 the flavor vastly superior. There is also sirup or 

 cane juice, half boiled into sug-ar. 



From a document just sent to Congress, it appears 

 that the production of wool in this country, diuing 

 the last year, was 70,000,000 pounds, valued at 

 $25,000,000. 



^ 



Ohio. — The bill making ten per cent, legal inter-- 

 est, in Ohio, has become a law.. 



