182:).] 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



191 



rtwement, and much labour in the course of its 

 rronth. There are two modes of cultivation, 

 in Europe. One, the Italian, in which trees 

 are planted, over which the grapes are suf- 

 fered to run at pleasure. This is suited on- 

 ly to very hot ciimate.s, and requires tlie extra 

 expence ot' planting the trees to support the 



vines. 



The other is the French or Swiss method, in 

 which the vines are planted in rows and sup- 

 ported by stakes about 5 or G feet high, in 

 which mode of culture the vineyards resemble 

 at a distance, one of our ticlds of Indian corn. 



The labour and expen=e of cutting and re- 

 placing these stakes to support the vines— the 

 art and skill exercised in trimming the vines — 

 occupy a great portion of the lime of the la- 

 bourers. This is done in a very considerable 

 degree by females ; and in countries in which 

 the price of the labour of males does not ex- 

 ceed 25 or 30 cents per day, the price of fe- 

 male labour would be so low as to render this 

 enltivalion practicable. 



But in our country we should hope the day to 

 be far distant, in which we shall be compelled 

 to condemn out females io field labour — to trim 

 the suckers of the vine, and to carry the trim- 

 minn-s in baskets, on their heads, out of the 

 vineyards. This would suppose an entire 

 chan<^e in the moral character and habits of onr 

 ueoide, which 1 should deem little adapted to 

 our tree institutions. 



I deduce the following inference from this 

 staicmciit, (which is founded on my personal 

 knowledge, and the evidence of my own sen- 

 ses,) that though the vine culture may succeed 

 in those parts of our country which have the 

 misfortune to be cultivated by slaves, it may 

 be adapted to our own section of the country in. 

 which, though many of us are ;7cor, we are alt 



free in which, we can tind better employment 



fot" our mothers and daughters than to send 

 them into the fields — in which, we consider 

 that sex as our solace, and companions, as the 

 instructors of our children, and are ready to fore- 

 go the profits, which we may derive from <heir 

 personcd labours ohmnd. In short, our condition 

 is too happy, and too iiide[ieiident to induce us 

 to make such siiCrifices of domestic comfort, 

 even for a clear and decided addition to our in- 

 come. 



But these considerations do not include all 

 which we might urge on this topic. We doubt 

 ihe policy in attempting to coerce nature. The 

 countries which yield wine did so even in the 

 patriarchal ages. If this portion of our coun- 

 try was in any degree similar to the wine bear- 

 ing districts of Europe and Asia, in climate and 

 soil, we should feel some encouragement in un- 

 dertaking its culture. But it is not so. On the 

 the other h.ind, experience has shown that it 

 is admirably adapted to the cultivation of the 

 apple. In grape culture, you can have no her- 

 bao'e in your vineyards, and, indeed, no other 

 plants wMl flourish under the grape, if cultivat- 

 ed in climates like our own. Greater labour 

 and more skill are required in making good wine, 

 4han in any mode of agriculture we now pur- 

 sue. Much capital is also necessary in making 

 proper cellars for the ripening of the wine, and 

 society in the countries in which it is made, is 

 divided into a/tiu rich and man!/ poor. I must 

 therefore express my humble opinion, that the 

 grape was not made for us — and we ought to 



consider ourselves the favourites of Pomona, 

 rather than of Bacchus—that we should be con- 

 tented with rich crops of hay— of mangel wurl- 

 zel — of potatoes and turnips — with fine flocks 

 and herds— and be content to be tiibulary to 

 poorer nations for Ihe wine, which we consume. 

 These remarks apply only (o New England. 

 JOHN LOWELL. 



P. S. The best soil for a vineyard is a light 

 porous but rich one— the best site a hill side 

 with a southeastern or southern aspect : if there 

 are natural terraces made by rocks, so much 

 the belter — the vineyards in Switzerland are 

 planted on artificial terraces, and the vines of 

 Madeira are raised on Ihe sleep sides of hills. 

 The cuttings may be taken off at any time from 

 December to February— but should be nearly 

 covered with earlh till they are planted, which 

 should be as early as possible. Only one bud 

 should be above the ground. Their success is 

 very precarious in the open ground. They would 

 be more certain of striking root if planted in 

 shoal wooden boxes- say six inches deep, and 

 the cuttings in^ierted so deep as actually to touch 

 Ihe bottom. This is suggested on the authority 

 of Mr Knight. The soil in the boxes should 

 be rich but light, and be kept moist, hut not 

 wet— too little and loo much moisture being 

 equally fatal to grape cuttings. The boxes 

 might be kept in a room that is light, or placed 

 in a sheltered spot near the house. When the 

 [ilants have taken root, one side of the box 

 might be taken- off and the plants carefully re- 

 moved with all their fibrous roots. .L L. 



We solicit the Gentlemen of the Worcester 

 Agricultural Society to accept our most grateful 

 acknowledgements for the favour beslRwed on 

 us by the following vote,— and our assurances 

 that "no effort on our part shall be wanting to 

 continue to merit their approbation. The value 

 of this recommendation is enhanced by the cir- 

 cumstance of its emanating from a body compos- 

 ed of scientifick and practical Agriculturists, 

 whose favourable testimony could not be lightly 

 bestowed, nor injudiciously applied. 



M a mcetins «! "^^ Trustees of the Worcester County 



Jiaricultural Society, held at Worcester on the SQth 



of December, IC'24. 



VOTED UNANIMOUSLY, as the sense of the Board, 

 that the " New England Farmer," an .4gricuUu- 

 ral Paper, pulished in Boston, and edited tiy Thomas 

 G. Fessenden, Esq. has been conducted with spirit, 

 intelligence and good judgment ; That its columns are 

 replete with useful instruction in the business of hus- 

 bandry, and that its general circulation would tend most 

 benficiall.v to the knowledge and practical improvement 

 of the Agricultural interests of theCounty.— It is there- 

 fore recommended to the notice and patronage of the 

 public ; and to the particular encouragement of the 

 iVIembers of this Society and of Farmers generally, by 

 their subscription forthe Paper, and by communications 

 for publication. 



Resolved, That the Recording Secretary furnish the 

 publishers of the several newspapers in this town, with 

 a copy of the foregoing vote, and request its insertion 

 in their respective papt*:, and that he also transmit a 

 copy to the Editor of the N"ew England Farmer. 



LEVI LINCOLN, President. 



litest, WILLIAM D. Vv'HEELER, 



jRec, iitc''ry. 

 Worcester, Jan. 1, 1825. 



The foUoioing is from the .Korth American Review 

 for January 1825. 



" The New Enclano Fahmbu is a wedily paper, 

 printed in a royal quarto form, and devoted to Agricul- 

 ture. Nearly three volumes have been published 



In its purposes and general character it resembles the 

 .American Farmer, which we noticed on a former occa- 

 sion. The New England Farmer, of course, is chiefly 

 confined to the agriculture of the eastern stales ; altho' 

 it contains communications of general utility sent 

 from diftVrent pai Is of the Union, and such occasional 

 selections from the best agricultural works, as are im- 

 portant in conveying useful knowledge to the farmer. 

 Well conducted journals of this sort must have a most 

 beneficial efl'ect on the community. To instruct the 

 farmer in his art, and teach him easier methods of till- 

 in" his soil, and drawing from it a more abundant pro- 

 duct, is to diminish the expense of cultivation, and save 

 the same proportion of labor to be employed in an ad- 

 ditional production. 



"The Editor of the New England Farmer is well 

 known to thg public as an able writer, and if we mistake 

 not, this journal will prove, that his ability has been 

 employed with judgment and success in the walks of 

 aTiculture. Among his contributors are some of our 

 most distinguished citizens and experienced agricultu- 

 rists ; and his work may undoubtedly be recommended 

 to the farmers of New England in particular, as contain- 

 ing a mass of knowledge highly nseful to them, which 

 could not be obtained from any other single source.— 

 Farmers in every part of the United States will also 

 find it valuable, as a repository of facts on the princi- 

 ples and practices of agriculture in general." 



CONGRESS. 



Sekate. — DEC. 27. A Comittce was appointed to in- 

 quire into the expediency .of authorizing several banks 

 ill which the public monies arismg from the sale of the 

 public lands were deposited, and which still owe balan- 

 ces to the United States to pay the sum in lands. 



Mr Lloyd of Mass. presented a memorial from sundry 

 Merchants of Boston, praying for measures to be taken 

 for the suppression of piracy on the coast of Cuba. — 

 This petition was referred. 



DEC. 28. A bill for releasing the debt due from 

 Columbia College to the Government was reported. 



The bill " to abolish imprisonment for debt" was 

 read a second time •, and the bill respecting the adop- 

 tion of a new Hydrometer, &c. was read a third time, 

 and afterwards passed. 



House.— DEC. 27. Three Messages from the Pres- 

 ident were received by Mr Everett, his Secretary, order- 

 ed to be printed, and referred to Committees. The first 

 gives information respecting the nrgociation of the 

 Treaty with the Cherokee Indians. The second furnish- 

 es the negocialion wilh the British government for the 

 cession of a scite on the island of Abaco, &c. for the 

 erection of light houses, beacons, buoys or floating lights 

 for the security of navigation over and near the Bahama 

 Banks. The third Message communicates the addition- 

 al correspondence with the French Government on the 

 subject of American claims for spoliations.^ 



The President was requested to communicate inform- 

 ation relative to the character^; object of the visit of the 

 naval officer of the United States, commanding in th« 

 West Indies, to the town of Faxyardo, in the island of 

 Porto Rico, in November last. 



The Secretary of War was directed to communicate 

 to the House the report of the Engineer, appointed to 

 superintend the repairs of Plymouth Beach. 



DEC. 23. Mr Stewart of Penn. renewed a motion, 

 made at the last session, to authorize an inquiry int» 

 the expediency of pledging certain funds for the purpo- 

 ses of internal improvement. 



DEC. 29. A message was received from the Presi- 

 dent on the subject of the visit to Faxardo, in which it 

 was stated that Com. Porter had been ordered to repair 

 to Washington without delay, that all the circumstan- 

 ces connected with that expedition might be fully inves- 

 tisated. 



SEVERAL copies of No. 23. Vol. iii of 'heN. E- 

 Farmer are much wanted at this office ; Printers 

 who exchange with us, and other gentlemen who do 

 not preserve their files will confer a great favour by 

 returning them by mail or otherwise, Jan. 7. 



