NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



3«a 



The soundness of potatoes in these cases, and the 

 superior flavor of the tomatoes mentioned above, are 

 probably owing to the same cause, which is, that 

 corn, from its superior powers of attraction and 

 assimilation, approximates to itself the soluble nitro- 

 genous matters contained in the soil, and thus pre- 

 vents the less energetic plants in its neighborhood 

 from absorbing those compounds of nitrogen which 

 experience has shown to be injurious to the quality 

 of their products. The best potatoes are those which 

 contain the largest proportion of starch, and this is 

 but carbon and the constituents of water in another 

 shape. Azotized manures, which are found so essen- 

 tial in the cultivation of grain, are, on the contrary, 

 detrimental when absorbed into the circulation of a 

 plant which does not require them for the perfection 

 of its product, and which is, in fact, unable to digest 

 such couL-entratcd nutriment. Every one knows how 

 much inferior the sweet potato becomes when grown 

 upon clay soil ; and Liebig speaks of a peculiar kind 

 of turnip, which, under the same circumstances, 

 loses all the good qualities for which it is noted 

 when cultivated in sandy land. 



Those plants in which compounds of carbon pre- 

 dominate may be said to form a lower grade, in the 

 scale of vegetable life, than that occupied by those 

 containing more nitrogen. The former are the un- 

 assisted products of nature — the forests and the 

 wild grasses with which a fertile country is covered, 

 before the busy hand of man has entered upon its 

 labor ; and the latter are the golden harvests which 

 his skill and industry secure, to increase his com- 

 forts, or add to his wealth. 



A portion of nitrogen is undoubtedly necessary to 

 all vegetables, but it is equally certain that we some- 

 times apply more of the substance than is required 

 to produce the best results. If we admit, with Lie- 

 big, that " plants absorb all the soluble matters pres- 

 ent in the soil, as a sponge absorbs water with all 

 that it contains in solution indiscriminately," we 

 must be impressed with the importance of adapting 

 the supplies of food to the necessities of the plant, 

 and of withholding, as far as possible, that which is 

 useless or detrimental. 



It is said of the Chinese, that they manure the 

 plant more than the soil ; and certainly, to do this 

 understandinglj' and efi'ectually, implies the perfec- 

 tion of the highest accomplishment within the am- 

 bition of a scientific farmer. — Working Farmer. 



BEES vs. ANTS. 



In answer to *' Laborer," who wishes to be in- 

 formed how to prevent ants from making inroads 

 upon his bees, honey, &c., I would say, that after 

 long experience, and many plans, contrivances, and 

 expedients, I have hit upon the following method, 

 which entirely prevents ants, or any thing of the kind, 

 from troubling my bees or honey. I now give it to 

 you for what it is worth, and to me it is invaluable. 

 It is in this wise, namely : — 



Take cast-iro7i posts ten feet long, set them two 

 feet in the ground, and put them four or six feet 

 a{)art ; connect the posts together by No. 4 iron wire, 

 running through the top of each post ; then take 

 another wire, still smaller, say No. 10 or l^2, attached 

 to the hive at each corner, (on the tO]),) then bring the 

 four pieces of wire from the corners together, about 

 six inches above the hive, then attach one strand of 

 the small wire to them, and suspend the hive to the 

 wire running horizontally, so as to briiig the hive 

 about four feet from the ground. It is the best 

 method " out," and it is also an ornament. I have 

 some eighty hives, with glass cases, &c., all sus- 



pended in this way, to " highly ornamented " cast- 

 iron posts, extending around a beautiful garden. O, 

 'tis a treat to our city cousins, as they come "just 

 to spend a few days," to take out a case filled 

 with its delicious contents, surpassed by nothing in 

 whiteness, except a slice of " aunt Bctsev's " bread, 

 which they spread it on. ONE OF THEM. 



P. S. The posts and wire must be varnished. 

 Japan varnish, with a mixture of lampblack, is the 

 kind ; it gives them a beautiful appearance, and pre- 

 vents rust. 



DuKHAM Centke, Ct., 1850. 



AxoTiiER Remedy. — Noticing an inquiry from 

 " Laborer," in your valuable "Newspaper," for a 

 remedy to prevent ants, moths, &c., from destroying 

 the bee-hives, I would in answer say, please nail 

 around the bottom of your hive a thin piece of nar- 

 row sheet zinc, so that, to gain access, the insect will 

 be obliged to pass the metal, and I have no hesitancy 

 in saying none will cross the barrier. Try it. 



I have been engaged in selling the patent bee-hive, 

 known as " Colton's," for a few years, and have 

 never heard that those who have used zinc, even in 

 the common hives, complain of moths or ants trou- 

 bUng them in any respect. NEMO. 



Bath, Me., 1850. 

 — Dollar Neiospaper. 



THE CHEESE TRADE. 



Henry Kemp & Co., of New York, have issued a 

 circular, in which it is stated that the supply of 

 cheese brought to the tide-waters of the Hudson, 

 for the year 1849, was 42,097,818 pounds, against 

 43,278,526 pounds in 1848. The decrease the past 

 year is attributed to the severe drought of last sum- 

 mer in Western New York and Ohio. The export 

 of cheese to Great Britain from New York is said to 

 have reached last year 12,000,000 pounds, against 

 15,386,836 in 1848, being a decrease of one fifth. 

 This decrease is attributed to the inferior quality of 

 the cheese. Of good cheese, probably double the 

 amount exported last year would bo taken by Great 

 Britain. The receipts of cheese at New York in 

 1834 were only about 6,000,000 pounds, from which 

 they have gone on in regular gradation of increase 

 to 1848, when 43,278,526 pounds were received. 

 The exports to Great Britain commenced in 1840, with 

 700,000 pounds, and have increased to 15,000,000 

 pounds in 1848. — Rural New-Yorker. 



TRAINING CATTLE AND HORSES. 



Working animals, when well trained, are capable 

 of doing much more work, and doing it easier, than 

 when imjierfectly broken. Knowledge is power to 

 them, though in a ditt'ercnt sense, and in a less degree, 

 than in reasoning man. Yet, if they are taught how 

 to draw, to back, and come round, — when to lay out 

 their strength, and wlien to husband it, — they have 

 the same advantage that a skilful woodsman has in 

 the use of his ax(!, the mower his scythe, the reaper 

 liis cradle, and tlie ditcher his spade. 



First procure animals of a good breed, naturally 

 intelligent, and of good physical organization ; adapt 

 their food to their constitution and work ; train and 

 manage them proi)erly, and you will find your ac- 

 count in it, as you do in sending your cliildren to 

 school, or teaching them to handle their tools skil- 

 fully. 



