406 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



the result of each of these does not immediately strike 

 the view ; but has not each an important bearinjr upon 

 the general character, upon the present happiness, 

 and, perhaps more than wccan at ])rcsent think, upon 

 the future condition of those who have been the ob- 

 jects of our watchful solicitude ? 



BEAUTIFYING THE HOMESTEAD. 

 We are pleased to learn that this interesting sub- 

 ject has attracted the notice of at least one agricul- 

 tur.al society. The following is taken from the report 

 of a committee appointed by the Rensselaer (N. Y.) 

 Agricultural Society, on this subject : — 



What should the farmer do in return for the arti- 

 san, whose life is wasted by anxious and ceaseless 

 toil, and who is shut out from rural blessings r We 

 answer, Do his duty to himself; it is all that is 

 asked or required of him. We claim it to be the 

 duty of every man who is a farmer, to plant fruit and 

 ornamental trees, to cultivate and grow the vine, as 

 well as all useful vegetables ; to beautifj' and adorn 

 his grounds and garden with flowers, plants, and 

 shrubbery, and so arrange his yards and grounds as 

 to give his habitation as Eden-like an appearance as 

 possible. Should our farmers be thus true to them- 

 selves, and dutiful to nature, then with truth of our 

 country it might be said, in the language of the 

 poet, 'tis 



" The land of the myrtle, the cypress, and vine. 

 Where all but the spirit of man is di-\-ine." 



Nothing is so attractive to the traveller as the 

 fine " country residences." They are something for 

 the eye to feast upon. They please the imagination, 

 cheer the heart, and bring with them all the as- 

 sociations of happiness and home. " Country seat " 

 gives value to the farm upon which it is situated. 



One blessing follows another. Sociality, refine- 

 ment, and learning follow in the train of rural im- 

 provement. The mind keeps pace with the outer 

 man, and the love of the beautiful in nature inspires 

 the mind with the love of the useful and the good. 

 It stops not then ; — it teaches the mind " to look 

 from nature up to nature's God." 



Your committee would therefore recommend the 

 adoption of the accompanying resolution by the so- 

 ciety : — 



Resolved, That the Rensselaer County Agricul- 

 tural Society, for the purpose of giving encourage- 

 ment to those who will "beautify and adorn" their 

 " country scats," hereby establish an award on 

 "country seats," including dwelling, grounds, gar- 

 dens, trees, and shrubbery ; and will, iu the annual 

 report of this society to the state society, recommend 

 the publication, by the said state society, of the draw- 

 ing and description of such " country seat " as the 

 society shall by their committee deem advisable. 



Itcsulved, That a committee, consisting of hve mem- 

 bers of this society, shall be appointed in the same 

 manner as other committees of the society are, to be 

 oalled " A Committee on Country Seats," whose duty 

 it shall be, at each annual fair, to examine and report 

 upon all such drawings and descriptions of " country 

 seats" entered for competition. Said committee, in 

 their award, shall designate the name of the " coun- 

 try seats " entitled to the honor of said recommenda- 

 tion to the state society, and shall likewise award 

 said successful competitor each a diploma, and a 

 copy of the Transactions of the state society and of 

 the American Institute. 



Resolved, That any person, a member of the 

 '• Rensselaer County Agricultural Society," ow~ing 

 V havhig an interest in any " country seat " in this 



county, who shall, on or previous to the first day of 

 each annual fair, make, or cause to be made, an ac- 

 curate drawing and description of such " country 

 seat," and file the same with the recording secretary 

 of tiiis society, shall be entitled to compete for the 

 honors above specified. 



All of which is respectfully submitted. 

 JOHN FITCH, 

 HORACE HERRINGTON, 

 . JOSHUA S. LEWIS. 

 Tkoy, July 9, 1850. 



POTATOES. 



A great diversity of opinion exists as to the best 

 mode of cultivating this valuable culinary aiticle. 

 For the last ten years I have experimented with 

 them, and I give the following as the result of my 

 experience : — 



1. The soil should be moderately rich ; not very 

 rich, for if so, they will " run to tops," and bear but 

 a poor crop. This, with mo, is no fancied notion. It 

 is even so. 



2. The seed should neither be the "potato balls,"' 

 or small potatoes. I never could do much with 

 either ; the product is invariably small and watery. 

 I cannot assign any reason, oxce2:)t the general one, 

 that " like begets its like." I always select good- 

 sized ones, and cut each one into several pieces ; 

 each piece so cut as to have an " eye." 



3. The Mode of Plantincj. — Some contend for hills, 

 from three to four feet apart ; some for drills ; and 

 this mode I think preferable. Potatoes should be 

 dropped in drills, three or four feet apart ; each po- 

 tato, or piece, three or four inches apart. When up 

 cleverly, they should be hoed — more to rid them of 

 weeds than any other purpose. Next, the plough 

 should follow ; and after a suitable time has elapsed, 

 they should have another ploughing and a good hoe- 

 ing, and then they can be " laid by." They ought 

 not to be touched after they commence blossoming, 

 for the reason that their roots begin to run and spread, 

 and of course, if the ground is disturbed, they will be. 



4. Digging. — This may now be done with a hoe or 

 plough. Be careful not to cut or bruise them, as 

 this makes them disclosed to rot. 



.5. Securitig. — Select a good dry spot, and with a 

 hoe scrape up the dirt in a circular form, not deep. 

 After your potatoes are thoroughly dried by the sun, 

 put them in the hole thus previously prepared. 

 Now cover them up Avith dry straw. Next, cover 

 them, from three to five feet thick, with dirt, " spank- 

 ing " your heap with your shovel, when done, so as 

 to make it shed rain well. Thus put up, your pota- 

 toes will keep sound and good till spring. 



M. n. A. 

 PmsFiELD, III., 1850. 

 — Dollar Neicspaper. 



TO TOUGHEN NEW EARTHEN WARE. 



It is a bad plan to put new earthen ware into boil- 

 ing hot water ; it should first be plunged into cold 

 water, and placed over a fire, where it will heat mod- 

 erately to the boiling point, and then be permitted tc 

 cool again. This process greatly promotes the tough- 

 ness and durability of common earthen ware, which 

 is generally objectionable for domestic uses, on ac- 

 count of its fragility. The glazing on this kind of 

 ware will remain uninjured by the boiling if a hand- 

 ful of rye or wheat bran be added to the water, and 

 prepare it to withstand successfully, and for a long 

 time, the action of acid or salt — Sekcied, 



