1825.] 



NEW ENGLAND FAR'^vJER. 



2?'5 



drain. In twenly-fnur hours the indijro was per- 

 feclly (liaiiifc'l, taken out, and put into ;i box 

 ^vilh a linen bottom, which wiis placed in an 

 airy situation, under cover. At the expiration 

 of seventeen days, it had become a lenacioas 

 paste ; was taken out with a wooden knil'e, and 

 pressed into small boxes to dry. In two weeks 

 the indigo was pert'cctly dry. 



At the expiration oi" twenty days, the plants 

 which had been cut, were grown sufficiently 

 large to cut again; which would give ot" course, 

 three cuttings a year, in this northern climate ; 

 hut it" sown in September, there might be four, 

 if not five, cuttings a year. As the plants are 

 not injured by the frosts of winter, they would, 

 in this way be lit to cut in June. 



From this experiment,! am satisfied the follow- 

 ing quantity of indigo could be made from an 

 acre of ground. One cutting from j^'^ of an acre 

 gave, of indigo, half a pound. One cutting 

 from one acre Iherelore, would have given 

 thirty pounds — four cuttings, one hundred and 

 twenty pounds. The present price of indigo 

 is two dollars per pound ; therefore, one acre 

 of land, cultivated with Pastel, would produce 

 to the farmer, two hundred and I'orty dollars. 



I wish you to distribute some of the books I 

 have sent, among the different agricultural so- 

 cieties in this slate, and the remainder in such 

 manner as will best tend to dilTuse a knowledge 

 of the advantages which the agriculturists and 

 diers of this state may derive from the cultiva- 

 tion and use of Pastel. 



If the present pacific state of the world is ad- 

 verse to the extension of the cultivation and 

 ■use of Pastel, as a dying material, it is never- 

 theless important, that the advantages which 

 the different sections of our country may reap, 

 at some future period, from this plant, should 

 be known, when less l^avourable circumstances 

 shall combine, to deprive us of the colouring 

 ingredients, now so easily obtained, from every 

 part of the globe. 



During the war, indigo was four dollars a 

 pound in !>Jew-Er)gland and New-York. 



It is of the first consequence to a nation, that 

 it can, at all times, be able to rely on the re- 

 sources of its soil and industry, for not only the 

 necessaries but the luxuries of life. 



The resources of the United States are as 

 yet, very imperfectly developed ; but the rapid 

 advances, which are now making in chemistry, 

 mineralogy, botany, agriculture, and the me- 

 chanic and fine arts, warrant the most favour- 

 able anticipations of the future glory, prosperity, 

 happiness and red] independence of the repub- 

 iic. 



Besides the advantages arising from the cul- 

 tivation of woad, as a pigment for dying, it is 

 indispensably necessary for fermenting the iiith'- 

 go vat. For this purpose, the green leaves are 

 ■used, or they are made into cakes, balls or pe- 

 lotes, as described in the treatise. 



It is a notorious fact, among well taught, sci- 

 entific and experinced diers, that a deep, per- 

 manent and brilliant blue cannot be produced, 

 unless the indigo vat is fermented with woad. 

 It has long been used in France, Germany and 

 Holland, in preparing the indigo vats in the 

 best manufactories of those countries, and is now 

 used in England ; for it is found impossible to 

 imitate the justly celebrated 7iaval blues of 

 France without it. A more perfect fermenta- 



tion is thereby produced, in solution. The 

 colouring pigment, prepared in this manner, 

 ailaches itself so (irmly to the t:iliricks, ihat 

 clotlipf tl'.us died appear of a deep uniform and 

 beautiful blue ; the colour does not nib oil, and 

 never fade-! by exposure to wot, heat or the 

 air, but remains permanent and unchanged. 



There is no art less perfectly understood in 

 this country, than dying ; and it has been owin"' 

 exclusively to the exertions of the first chem- 

 ists of Europe, Ihat it lias been reduced ton 

 perfect system, and the whole process conduct- 

 ed ou known established principles. 



Formerly there was a mysleriousness in the 

 process, which for a long time excluded all at- 

 tempts at investigation. Those who practised 

 the art, made it a [pcinl to keep, as important 

 secrets, whatever they ia^ew, aiul like the man- 

 uficturers of glass, sutltred no inspection of 

 tlieir labours, lest they should be robbed of an 

 imaginary treasure. There were no means 

 within their power of delecting the causes of 

 failure in the preparation of their vats, for they 

 were ignorant of the chemical effects of the 

 different ingredients used. They merely knew 

 from practice, or tradition that a certain com- 

 bination of materials made a red, blue, yellow, 

 or green die, and if from an injudicious admix- 

 ture the anticipated result did not take place, 

 they merely said they had " bad luck.'" 



Long custom had created prejudices, which 

 forbade instruction, and, like many individuals 

 of every mechanic art, the diers laid it down as 

 an axiom, thai nothing useful could be learned 

 from books, or instruction communicated by 

 individual', who had not served an apjirentice- 

 ship, and laboured in the same vocation. 



The vast strides which have been made in 

 knowledge during the last fifty years, have 

 ieen confined to the schools of the literati, 

 or only known to the secluded philosopher. 



Useful discoveries in the arts, instead of giv- 

 ing eclat to the laborious investigator and pa- 

 tient experimentalist, have been extensively 

 disseminated. 



The perfection of European manufactories is 

 attributed to chemical investigation. 



The superior manufactories of painters' col- 

 ours, earthen ware, and porcelain, soap, medi- 

 cinal preparations, the working of metals, the 

 art of dying and distilling, and the astonishing 

 improvements in agriculture, are some of the 

 important effects, which have resulted from the 

 chemical pursuits of the learned individuals, 

 societies and academies of the last half century. 



Although the United States have progressed 

 in civilization and the arts, in a manner un- 

 parallelled in the annals of nations, still much 

 remains for inquiry ; and it is the duly of every 

 citizen to contribute, by every means within 

 his power, whatever may tend to advance the 

 best interests of all classes of society, and ren- 

 der our nation industrious, learned, independent 

 and happy. 



With great respect, 



Your obedient servant, 



H. A. S. DEARBORN. 



Fi\m the Amerirun I'arnur. 



CURE FOR CIIOLIC IN HORSES. 



Brunsu-ick Cuunly, Feb. 12, 18'.:.';. 

 Sir, — Noticing in No. 45, of the Farmer, the 

 case of yoursorrel horse, induces me to inform 

 you of a never failing remedy for the cliolic in 

 the horse, having used it invariably with success 

 for the last i.'5 years. 1 obtained my informa- 

 tion from a tiavelling genlieman, who said also 

 that he never knew it fail. It is nothing more 

 tlian half a pound of glauber s.ills administered 

 in a drench. 1 generally guess at the quantity 

 and no doubt frequentl3' give more, for it will 

 do no harm. How it has this powerful and im- 

 mediate effect, I submit to others (o point out ; 

 but it certainly will give enlire relief in lifleeu 

 or twenty minutes, not only to the horse but lo 

 the ox. Although I have had a knowledge of 

 this remedy forsuch a length of lime, and have 

 always recommended it to others who had horses 

 labouring under this disease, with success loo, 

 'still there are only a few who, knowing of this 

 I remedy, are willing on all occasions to apply it, 

 \vhich can be accounted for in no other way 

 than that its simplicity makes them incredulous 

 as to its effects. After you, Sir, have been con- 

 vinced of the efficacy of this remedy, you would 

 do a signal service lo the community lo endea- 

 vour, through your paper, to impress them with 

 a sense of its utility. 



Some time since, I cautioned my son of this 

 remedy, who has his first horse ; a few days 

 afterwards one of my horses was taken with a 

 violent spasm of the stomach ; 1 carried my sou 

 out with his watch to witness the happy effects 

 of salts ; the horse was in such pain as to be un- 

 able lo stand to be drenched, it was given him 

 as he lay ; in fifteen minutes he appeared to be 

 perfectly easy and went to a pool to drink. — 

 Notwithstanding this, his own horse (from home 

 at the time) being taken with symptoms similar 

 to those you described, instead of applying my 

 remedy, was persuaded, by knowing ones, to try 

 other it'inedies with no effect, after which he 

 had recourse to the sails, which relieved hitn 

 immediately. 



To pound Red Pepper. — One of your subscri- 

 bers in a late Number wishes to know how to 

 prepare Cayenne, or Red Pepper, for the table. 

 Let him crush the pods a little, or clip them 

 with scissors and mix them with only as much 

 flour and water as will cause the particles to 

 adhere; being made up in the form of a biscuit, 

 bake it slowly until perfectly dry, when it will 

 pound easily. Your very humble servant, 



RICH. K. MEADE. 



Elegant furniture is manufactured from the 

 red bay wood of Florida. This is one of the 

 most abundant productions of the soil, and is 

 said to equal the best mahogany for beauty or 

 durability. 



The Vermont Gazette states that an extensive 

 bed of Iron Ore has been discovered in the 

 South part of Dorset. The quality is such that 

 a horse-shoe has been wrought in a blacksmith's 

 fire, directly from the Ore. 



Prize Questions. The editors of the Carolina 

 Journal of Medicine, Science and Agriculture 

 have offered medals of ^20 value, or books, for 

 the best essays " on the bilious remittent fever," 

 and " on the best method of draining marsb and 

 swamp lands, and fitting them for cultivation.'" 

 Essays to be sent (post paid) on ox before N»ir. 

 next 



