312 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



[April 22, 



UrbtrU). 



Nature and Reason harmonized in the practice of hus- 

 bandry. By the late John Lorain. 



This is a useful work, combining the reason- 

 ing of the philosopher, with the practical obser- 

 vations of the actual farmer. It consists of near- 

 ly 600 pages in octavo, divided into four books 

 and fifty two chapters. 



As a knowledge of the opportunities possess- 

 ed by an author to acquire information on the 

 subject on which he writes, and of his talents 

 to avail himself of them, always iias a tendency 

 to command attention from those to whom his 

 works are particularly addressed, it may be 

 proper to state, that Mr Lorain was the son of 

 a farmer in Maryland ; that he himself was en- 

 gaged in the cultivation of the soil in his young- 

 er days : that he was afterwards and for several 

 years a respectable merchant in Phihuleiphia, 

 and during part of the time he resided among 

 us, successfully cultivated a farm of about one 

 hundred acres in the county of Philadelphia. — 

 In the year 1812, he retired to Philipsburg, in 

 Centre county, Pennsylvania, where be died in 

 the year 1823. The work he has left us, may 

 be safely pronounced a valuable legacy. 



The first book is on jnanures and vti^cUiiion. 

 He treats Ijrst of lime and gypsum, lioth ol 

 which have added greatly to the wealth of Penn- 

 sylvania ; e.^plains the principles upon which 

 their properly of increasing the fertility of the 

 soil depends, and defends the character of the 

 latter mineral from the charge of being an ex- 

 hauster, which was made by those who were 

 not careful to return to the ground a reasonable 

 proportion of its product. 2iy,He treats of animal 

 and vegetable manures, and notices the inatten- 

 tion of them, and the severe cropping of "■ the 

 backwoods farmer." His observations and spec- 

 ulations on vegetation, are ingenious, original 

 and interesting. The explanation be offers ol 

 the fact, that when timber in our forests is 

 thrown down by storm, or burnt, or cut, a new 

 growth, differing from that which formerly cov- 

 ered the ground, takes place, is explained on 

 simple and rational principles, and shows that, 

 contrary to the opinion of the British reviewers, 

 this circumstance, which is so familiar to the 

 people of the United Slates, militates against 

 neither revelation, philosophy nor common 

 sense. He opposR^, with success, (he favourite 

 practice of English farmers of paring and burn- 

 ing the soil, and derives an argument against it 

 from the effect produced upon the soil in tlie 

 woods, from burning the trees to clear the land. 

 " As soon," he remarks," as tlie salts contained 

 in the ashes have exhausted the animal and 

 vegetable matter which had escaped the burn- 

 ing, and on which they powerfully act, the place 

 where the heaps were burnt, are clearly seen 

 to be the poorest in the field, unless enriching 

 manure have been applied, or the grounds have 

 been laid down to grass in time to prevent the 

 extent of the injury done by burning, from be- 

 ing seen." 



The eighth chapter, which is expressly on 

 barn yard manure, will be read by every farmer 

 who reads at all, with great interest. He thinks 

 <h.;t it loses one-lialf « hen rolled and made into 

 compost with earth ; preferring to turn it under 

 !he soil. A variely of substances, generallv neg- 

 tected in the United Slatess are noticed as ca- 

 pable of furnishing valuable manure?. 



The second book is " On Cnllivntion.'''' He 

 properly condemns the practice of putting in 

 annually, crops of small grain on stubble grounds, 

 Naked fallows have some advantages, but on 

 the whole he condemns them ; from the ex- 

 pense atteniling them ; from the loss of one 

 year's rent of the soil; the greater labour be- 

 stowed on them; and the weeds they produce, 

 notwithstanding all the trouble expended in 

 their preparation. He prefers a clover or spear- 

 grass lay turned in without destroying the sod 

 by harrows, and to put in the grain by superfi- 

 cial cultivation upon it. He confirms his advice 

 by the successful practice of Mr Peters in cul- 

 tivating Indian corn, as described in the 2d vol- 

 ume of 'sMemoirs of the Philadelphia Society 

 for Promoting Agriculture," who cautions far- 

 mers from turning up the sod in the spring with 

 all its pests, after a previous fall ploughing. — 

 He advocates the use of fresh manure, and de- 

 nies that it produces the evils ascribed to it by 

 some farmers ; objects to the practice of plough- 

 ing from and to plants, and to that of topping 

 and strijiping the corn stalk ; the result of a com- 

 parative experiment made to determine the ef 

 feci of it, having plainly evinced the loss sustain- 

 ed by mutilating the plants. Hilling, ridging, 

 and moulding plants, he thinks wrong, as ihey 

 create artificial drought, and are particularly 

 hurtful in sandy soils. He prefers a level cul- 

 tivation, only deep enough to extirpate vveeds. 

 This advice is correct as applicable to Indian 

 corn, but would certainly not answer for root 

 'Tops. Excellent remarks follow on potatoes, 

 turnips, Indian corn for soiling, and on wheal. 

 The spring wheat makes a breail peculiarly 

 pleasant. The principal remaining subjects dis- 

 cussed in the book are rye, barley, oats, gr.isses 

 for hav, on grazing and soiling ; on salivation 

 from second crop of clover and other grasses ; 

 on hay making ; on cattle hoven from eating 

 red clover ; on clearing land of limber, by the 

 Pennsylvanians and Yankees; on the choice ol 

 new lands; on barns, cattle-sheds and hay bar- 

 racks; hoe harrows, corn cribs, shovel plough 

 and skim ; hedges, orchards, and insects that in- 

 fect them; on the sugar tree and the making 

 of maple sugar; on gentlemen J'uriiiing ; on the 

 crops he should raise, a highly interesting arti- 

 cle ; diseases of domestic animals; rlecp plough- 

 ing; on farm accounts; tricks of tenant*; re- 

 marks on Col. Taylor's Aralor — On ihe whole, 

 Mr Lorain's work may be s.ilely recommended to 

 Ihe agricultural community, lo ■ a great variety 

 ol very useful practical discussions — the re-^ult 

 of reflections derived from bis own observaiiuns 

 as a farmer, and an examination of some of the 

 standard works on agriculture. — A'ai. Gaz. 



A feeble old horse, which had been a great 

 favourite with i Ihe junior Mr. Burke, and his 

 constant companion in rural journeyings and 

 sports, when both were alike heallhlul and vig- 

 orous, was now in his age, and, on the death of 

 his master, turned out to take the run of his park 

 for the remainder of his life at ease, with strict 

 injuitctiens to the servants that he should neither 

 be ridden nor molested by any one. While walk- 

 ing one day in solitary musing, Mr. Burke 

 perceived this worn-out old servant come close 

 up to him, and at length, after some moments 

 pjient in viewing him, followed by seeming re- 

 collection and conlidence, deliberately rested 

 its head upon his bosom. The singularity of 



the action itself, the rememberance of his dead | 

 son, its late master, who occupied much of his ' 

 iho'ts at all times, and Ihe attachment and almost 

 intellisence of Ihe poor brute, as if it could 

 sympathize with his inward sorrows, rushing 

 at once into his mind, totally overpowered his 

 firmness, and (browing his arms over its neck, 

 he wefit long and loudly. — Memoirs of Burhe. 



nOMA'S— 



Childers. 



Squint, Snake, 

 Marske, Blacklegs, 

 Kclipse, Spelitta, 

 •• King Ferei'ns' 'i\iling*s Polly, 



Hambletouian, Highflyer Mare, 

 [Camillus, Faith, 



( Leon Forte, Fagle, 



Tambarine, 'Irumppter, 

 Crane, Highflyer, 



Middlesex, Snap, [dolphin. 



Miss Cleveland, Regulus by Go- 

 Bridge, Bay Boiling's Son, 

 Childers' Mare. 



THIS celebrated horse was purchased of the Earl 

 of Warwick,, in March last, by Mr Charles Williams, of 

 Boston, at present residing in London. He is a beau- 

 tiful bay with black legs, and not a while hair, stands 

 15 hands 2 or 3 inches, and is Ihe best bred and most 

 powerful blood horse ever sent to this coiinti'y. He 

 has great bone, fine action, and excellent temper, and 

 has proved himself one of the fleetest and most power- 

 ful horses in England. For walking, trotting, and rac- 

 ing, he is iinrivallid. He won at Marpeth, beating 

 Young Windall, Cottage Girl, Fannus, Young Glen- 

 dall and four others; and, two days after, again beat 

 Young Glendall, Shepherd, and a Bucephalus filly. — 

 At Carlisle, he beat Ja'-k Tar and Munito ; and at Mid- 

 dlehaoi, he won a sweepstake against .4ntoDio, Resa- 

 r\. Lightniiig,Li'tlp Thomas, and Carfacaratadaddera. 

 '\t .New Castle, he won the Kin?'s plate, 4 miles, beat- 

 ing Awful, Eoroughman, and Lightning; and at ^ork, 

 won a match against i'acha. Again at Middlehani he 

 won a sweepstake, beating Phylock and Trim. At 

 Beverly he won the gold cup, beating the I'yldemar 

 filly, I'hoeiiix, and ! thi linda. 



ilOViA.\ was hied by Mr Riddell. He was got by 

 Camillus (the best blood in Fntrland.) the son of 

 Harabletonian, who, in \Ti9. won lUO.OOO/. at New- 

 market, in (h- great match against L iamoi d. King 

 I'ergus, the siie o{ Hambletonian, was the son of 

 Fclipse, for whom his owner, O'Kelly, refused 16,000/. 

 Through his dam, Leon Forte, he (R.'man)is discendtd 

 frum Tamliarine — Crane by Highflyer, who nevei paid 

 forfeit, and was never beaten, and from Regulus, the 

 Godolphin, and Childers. His pedigree has been trac- 

 ed in the stud-book of the Clerk of the Newmarket 

 course through eight g neralions of the highest bred 

 horses and mares in England, without a single cross of 

 inferiour blood. Extract from the stud-book : — 



"llOMAN, late property of the Earl ol V^'arwick, 

 bv Camillus, dam, Leon Forte. Leon Forte was bred 

 by -Mr Watt, in tfiOU, got by Eagle ; her dam, Tamba- 

 rine, by Trumpeter, — Crane by Highflyer, — Middlesex 

 I by Snap, Miss Cleveland by Regulus, — l!tI5. hay colt, 

 j Roman, by Camillus, Mr. RIDDELL." 



Performances in 1"I9 — h prizes. At 4 years old — 

 .lOgs. at .Middleham, King's plate of lOOgs. at Newcas- 

 1 tle-oc Tyne, 101)^5. at York. 100/. at Doncaster, and 

 68/. 1f)». at Hichmond, — beating Aulonio, Rosary, 

 Lightning, Carfacaratadaddera, and Little Thomas, 

 2 miles — .Awful, Boroughman, and Lightning, 4 miles 

 — I'acha by Selini, 2 miles." 



'■'■Performances in. 1820— 4/)ri>c.s. At 4 years old. 45gs. 

 at .Middleham, gold cup at heverly, *Ogs. at Chi Iten- 

 ham, and gold cup at Hereford, — beating Pawlowitz, 

 b. i\ by Thunderbolt, (^'otlage Girl, Cambysts, and 

 Wildboy, 3 miles - I'hoenix, Ethelinda, oil. 1. by Fylde- 

 inar, 2niiles — Thyrsis and Charming Wolly, 3 miles — 

 Shylock and Trim, I 1-2 miles." 



ROMAN will cover the present season at the sub- 

 scrilier's farm in .N'orthborongh, county of Worcester. 



Terms— $20 for the season, the money lo be paid 

 previous to taking away the mans. 



STEPHEN WILLIAMS. 



A'orlhhorovgh, Mass. Jlpril 2^ 1825. 



