412 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



•nJI.Y 10, 1833. 



From tht New Yort Far-mer. 

 CULTURE AKD MAKUFACTURE OP TEA. 



An American gentleman, physician in this city, 

 gives an account of the culture of tea in the Roy- 

 al Botanic Garden of Brazil. Of the horticulture 

 generally of that country, he says, " it would be 

 as easy to furnish you with a sketch of the notions 

 upon political economy entertained by the Pata- 

 "•onians, or an elaborate essay upon the state of the 

 fine arts among the Hottentots." 



The tea plant, (Thea viridis,) occupies a space, 

 in the garden of 8 or 10 acres, is planted at the 

 distance of four feet from each other. It is a hand- 

 some shrub, about two feet high. The leaves are 

 stripped several times in the year ; and hence arise 

 the differentsortsof teain use. No particular care 

 is taken of the plant. It blooms in July, August, and 

 September. The gathered leaves are exposed to the 

 air for a few hours, until they begin to wilt, and are 

 then thrown into circular pans in brick work, under 

 which is a moderate fire. These pans are of iron, 

 four feet in diameter, and about a foot deep. The 

 leaves arc stirred briskly for about ten minutes 

 when they are thrown out to another person, who 

 holds before him a flat wicker or willow frame 

 about two feet wide and four feet in length, slighdy 

 inclined towards the floor. Ho strews the leaves 

 upon this frame, and lays over it another frame, 

 of the same dimensions and materials. By 

 moving the frame rapidly to and fro for sev- 

 jeral minutes, tho leaves are curled up and 

 fall at the lower end of the frame into baskets. 

 Tho curled leaves are put over a strong fire for 

 a few minutes, to drive out the remainder of the 

 moisture, and are then put into chests or boxes. 

 The writer thinks each plant would produce full 

 three pounds numially. It is propagated by slips. 

 The writer thinks it might bo cultivated in the 

 United States with much more profit than is obtain- 

 ed from either sugar or cotton — that six men might 

 cure and pre|)arc for market tho crop of one hun- 

 dred acres — and that women and children could do 

 a great portion of tho labor. From the known 

 similarity of the climate and soil of China to those 

 of the United States, he concludes that it could bo 

 cultivated in the southern States, and from the fact 

 that it grows well in Japan, as high as the 45th de- 

 gree of latitude, he has no doubt that it will bear 

 considerable frosts. We are inclined to agree with 

 the writer, from the fact that so many of the flow- 

 ering plants of China and Japan stand our winters 

 perfectly well. Let the people of the south pat 

 ronize the exertions of Dr. Ferine, and they wil 

 soou cease to complain of the operationsof the tariflf. 



NANTUCKET SHEEP SHEARING. 



Monday and Tuesday last, were tlie days ap 

 pointed by the proper authorities for performin; 

 the annual operation of sheep shearing. At an 

 early hour, accordingly, the ceremonies com- 

 mpnced. Tho number of candidates for the shears 

 were probably seven or eight thousand : and this 

 number would have been far greater, had the 

 flocks been s])ared by the tretnendously destruc- 

 tive storm in March last. On the previous Friday 

 and Saturday, th.e sheep had been collected from 

 every quarter of the Island, driven into the great 

 fold at Miacomet, (the site of an ancient Indian 

 settlement, about a mile from town) selected by 

 the respective owners, placed in separate pens, 

 and subjected to the process of ivashing in the 

 large pond contiguous. After this preparatory 

 ablution, they were thea ready to " throw oflfthis 



uddy vesture of decay" by the aid of some hun- 

 dreds of shearers, who began to ply their vocation 

 on Monday morning, seated in rude booths, or be- 

 neath umbrageous awnings ranged around the 

 circular labyrinth of enclosures, wherein the pant- 

 ing animals awaited the divestment of their un- 

 comfortable jackets. 



Tho whole ground occupied by what is tertiied 

 the " great shear-pen" embraces about one square 

 mile. This space, partially covered with tlie un- 

 shorn and their contented lambs, and in other spots 

 exhibiting multitudes stripped of their fleece and 

 clamorously seeking their wandering young, pre- 

 sented to the eye and ear of the stranger, sights 

 and sounds somewhat rare. There is something 

 picturesque and unique in the arrangement of the 

 acconmiodations for those who are engaged in the 

 principal business of the day. Besides these sheds 

 or awnings, there are connnonly pitched, as on 

 this occasion, some half dozen large tents outside 

 of the great enclosure, furnished with divers holi- 

 day refreshments for those who are not particularly 

 particular touching the quality of their viands or 

 of their company. Within and around these tents 

 is carried on all the actual revelry that attends this 

 otherwise quiet carnival : for among the loorking 

 shearers, industry and sobriety are the order of 

 the day. 



AVe have heard, however, of no disorderly act: 

 even among the most merrily disposed of the visi- 

 ters. Both days were remarkably fine ; and the 

 whole scene seemed to bo highly enjoyed by the 

 numerous strangers who honored our island with 

 their presence — among whom we were happy to 

 recognize the Rev. President Kirkland, formerly 

 of Harvard University. Yant. Inij. 



From the A'ew York Farmer, 

 SAVING ASHES IN A DRY STATE FOR THE 

 DESTRUCTION OP INSECTS, &c. 



Mr. Fleet, — I notice in your January num- 

 ber, page 9, an article entitled "Remarks on the 

 Economy of Peat as Fuel, and the Ashes ns .Ma- 

 nure, particularly in reference to the poor — Bj T. 

 iJridgcman ;" and I think with the writer of that 

 article, that if you should succeed in arousing the 

 citizens to a consideration of the subject, incalcu- 

 lable good may result to the community at large, 

 and that your periodical would be viewed ts a 

 blessing. 



I myself, have travelled through various pirts 

 of Europe, and can testify to the truth of Mr. 

 Bridgeman's assertion. I have known manufac- 

 turers in France make use of peat altogether, for 

 the purpose of driving their steam engines ; tnd 

 it is customary for them to save their ashes i:i a 

 dry state, which are bought, or taken in exchange 

 for future supplies of fuel. They generally fetch 

 about half the cost of the peat; and arc highly es- 

 tiiiiated by cultivators of the soil, not only as ina- 

 nurc, but as an antidote for the destruction of in- 

 sects. 



I have the satisfaction, also, of stating that tlieir 

 iinportancc is estimated by some of the farmers 

 and gardeners of this country; and I am persua- 

 ded that, if the citizens would be induced to save 

 all their ashes in a dry state, they would soou be 

 able to find customers. — I know a gentlemau in 

 New-Jersey who would be glad to buy a quaiitity 

 of peat and coal ashes, if he could get them dry 

 and clean. 



It is impossible to calculate what the value of 

 all the ashea made iu the city of New- York, would 



be to farmers and gardeners, if taken care of. Mr. 

 Colquhoun, in his "Statistical Researches," esti- 

 mates "the value of the turnip crop, annually grow- 

 ing in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and 

 Ireland, at fourteen millions of pounds sterling,"' 

 (equal to upwards of sixty millions of dollars) ; and 

 who can tell what proportion of this success is at- 

 tributable to the use of ashes? Farmers and gar- 

 deners here, very frequently have their crops of 

 turnips cut off by the black fly, through neglecting 

 the use of ashes and other antidotes for the destruc- 

 tion of insects. 



Yours, respectfully, T. L. Lain. 



New-York, January 22, 1833. 



Hctnarks hy the Editor. — This subject is deserv- 

 ing of the special attention of gardeners, and of 

 ail those who feel interested in behalf of the poor, 

 jjir. Bridgeman says it is customary, with house- 

 lecpers in Europe, to sift their coal ashes every 

 liorning, as soon as they are taken from under tho 

 fratcs. A frame is attached to an ash house, on 

 tvhich slides a sieve with a long handle. After 

 ho contents of the fire-pan are thrown into tho 

 sieve, a few strokes to and fro, cause the ashes to 

 Jeparate from the cinders. These may be used 

 for backing in the kitchen fire or consumed in 

 jtovcs. Thus managed, the ashes compensate for 

 ih(- trouble. Blr. B. thinks by the above plan, one 

 half of the exi)enso of fuel is recpiircd, compared 

 hith the practice adopted by house keepers iu 

 New- York. 



MURR.\IN AND SCAB IN SHEEP. 



Take half an ounce of gum gamboge, one 

 [lunce of saltpetre, reduce to fine powder, mix 

 all intimately together. This preparation given 

 once or twice a week to sheej), in lieu of common 

 salt, will, I believe, be found an eft'ectual remedy, 

 against murrain and scab ; and to cattle, will obvi- 

 ate many disorders to which they are liable. To 

 hogs, mix a pint to a barrel of swill once in two or 

 three weeks ; it will prevent most of the disorders 

 to which they are subject. — .V. Y. Farmer. 



ROASTING POTATOES. 



A gcod flnd easy mode of roasting potatoes, ap- 

 ples or egg.s, by steam : 



Take your potatoes, or whatever you wish to 

 roast, and after washing them clean, wrap them up 

 in paper two or three times over ; when this is 

 done put them in a can of water, and squeeze them 

 until the paper is wet to the potato ; squeeze them 

 well, ami after making a place in the embers, lay 

 them in, and cover them with hot ashes, with no 

 coals ; after they have lain a proper tirno, take 

 tlieni out, and the paper will be found to be per- 

 fectly dry, and not burnt, and on opening the pa- 

 per it will be found to be very hot and damp the 

 nearer you go to the potato ; and the potato will 

 be found to be soft and clean; and peal much ea- 

 sier and cleaner than when boiled. An Irish po- 

 tato when boiled loses half its sweetness, but 

 when prepared in this manner it does not lose its 

 sweetness but is better tasted every way. Apples 

 roasted in this way, are not like what they are 

 when baked, black and burnt, but have a beautiful 

 brown cast. Eggs prepared in this way are very 

 toothsome, and will cook in less time than when 

 boiling, with good embers. — Southern Planter. 



If you boast of a contempt for the world, avoid 

 getting into debt. It is giving to gnats the fangs 

 of vipers. 



