358 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



[June 3^ 



mer sets of their nourishment. But, ii' killing- 

 the weeds be necessary alter blossoming, Ur7)a_v 

 be done nith the hand-lioe, observing not to 

 eavth up the plants at all." 



There is no plant which we cultivate, which 

 is more liable to injury from drought, than the 

 potatoe. It is therefore well to plough and 

 boe them white the dew is on, or soon after a 

 shower, so as to cover and secwre from speedy 

 evaporation as much nioistui^ as possible. Ir- 

 rigation has been recommended as peculiarly 

 useful for this plant in dry weather, and may iu 

 most cases be practicable when it is raised in 

 small patches ifi a garden or near the home 

 stead. Plaster of Pnris well pulverised, and ap- 

 plied to the leaves, has a very beneficial eifect 

 on potatoes. 



Potatoes are very liable to be attacked by 

 file grub worm ; and fall ploughing is said lo be 

 a good antidote against this insect. Quick lime, 

 and unleached ashes, spread over tlie hills im- 

 mediately after planting, are likewise recom- 

 mended tor this purpose. But care sho'ild be 

 taken not to apply these substances imnvdiiitely 

 to the seed potatoes, nor to the plaiils while 

 growing, lest they be injured by the corrosive 

 qualities of such aiiplications. 



Indian Corn. — We have, already, gone so ful- 

 ly into the subject of cultivating this plant, that 

 we can say nothing new about it; but a word or 

 two, by way oi' recalling to mind what has been 

 heretofore stated, may not be amiss. Judge 

 Peters of Penn.sylvania, recommends the harrow 

 instead of the plough in the culture of this veg- 

 etable, and we believe that in weeding, or the 

 lirst time hoeing, especially in a light and what 

 13 called a mellow soil, there can be no doubt of 

 the correctness of his opinion. In a stiff", heavy 

 or stony soil, a plough or cultivator may be best, 

 at least for the second and third time of hoe- 

 ing-, provided you leave the lasd nearly 

 level, and finish 3'our operations before the 

 fibrous roots of the corn have spread so far as to 

 be in danger of being cut or injured by the 

 plough. The plough or cullivatot leave more 

 of the earth light, and in a situation to be easily 

 dispr.fod of b^ the hoe, and are less impeded by 

 stones, roots, and other obstacles, than ihe har- 

 ;ow. It will, therefore, be best to be govern- 

 f.<\ by circumstances, but, perhaps, as a general 

 rule, harrowing for the first time of hoeing, and 

 ploughuig at half hilling and hilling, will prove 

 (he most advantageous modes of cultivat'.on. — 

 '\fler your corn is hned for the first time, it will 

 be of great advantage to place about each hill a 

 handful of ashes or gypsam. Some say that a 

 mixture of both plaster and ashes, is better than 

 either, used singly ; and it would be easy, as well 

 as worth the while, to ascertain the fact by ex- 

 periment. 



Pasld or Woad. — We have reason to suppose 

 that there will be many experiments made l+ic 

 present season, in this vicinity, for tha purpose 

 of introducing the culture of woad in the (Jnit- 

 ed Slates; and the following from fJen. ])<-ar- 

 biirn's translation of a Prench Treatise on this 

 article will doubrless be acceptable to persons 

 engaged lu such experiments. 



The necessary labour during the growth of Pttste.l. 

 " Pastel should be weeded three or four limes. 



according to the increase of the weeds. The 

 first weeding should be performed when the 

 plants have got two inches high ; that is to say, 

 about a month after planting. The second hoe- 

 ing should be after the first cutting of the leaf es, 

 the third after the second cutlinf^, and the 

 fourth after the third. The field should be well 

 (iloughed and harrowed, immediately after Ihe 

 crop is taken oft", which destroys the weeds, 

 which are injurious to paslel. 



" The first and second hoeing tends lo facili- 

 tate vegetation, and clear the pastel from weed^, 

 which are very injurious lo it. By this labour 

 are destroyed, not only the weeds, but the bas- 

 tard paslel: this kind, which often grows in 

 fields of paslel, is known by its rough and hairy 

 leaves, and is produced either from seed of an 

 inferior quality, or the true paslel sometimes 

 degenerates, and at last becomes bastard. When 

 the |)lants are too near each other, the inter- 

 mediate ones shouKl be pulled up, taking care 

 to leave them standing about eleven inches 

 apart. When the seed has not come up well, 

 and there are many vacant spots, ihe first hoe- 

 ing should be anticipated eight or ten days, 

 when seed should he scattered in the intervals. 



" In the second hoeing, Ihe roots of the bas- 

 tard pastel which escaped Ihe first, should tie 

 dug np. This labour should be performed af- 

 ter the first culling, unless an active vegetation 

 has given birth to large quantities of weeds ; in 

 this case there should bean intermediate weed- 

 ing, when the pastel should be thinned out, if 

 the plants are too near. 



"These weedings can be performed in three 

 ways, either with a hoe, a rake, ora cultivator ; 

 the last cannot be used except when the seed is 

 planted in drills. The laborers in some places, 

 use a crooked iron instrument, and work on their 

 knees, ki England, the cultivator, or horse-hoe, 

 is commonly used, which can he guided belueoo 

 the rows. Care should be taken not to injure 

 the roots. 



"If seed cannot be procured to replant the 

 vacant spots, part of the plants, where they are 

 too near, can be transplanted in the ioteivals. 



'■Some persons water their pastel from lime to 

 lime. It is true that such irrigation gives a tnore 

 luxuriant vegitation to the plants, but the col- 

 oring matter produced from them is not so good. 

 It is well to water the plants which have been 

 recently set out, or when they suffer from a 

 drought.'" 



Radishes. — The following mode of raising ra:!- 

 ishes is recommended in the Farmer'' s Assistant. 

 We have never known it trieil, but it may be 

 well to make the experiment. Sliould it succeed 

 according to the statement, those who supply 

 our markets with that vegetable might derive 

 great advantages from a knowledge of this mode 

 of cullure. 



'•Take equal quantities of buck-wheat bran, 

 and Irc^sh horse dung, and mix ihem well and 

 plentiful!) in the ground by digging. .Suddenly 

 after this a great l"t'rmenlatioi) will be produced, 

 and niimber-i of toad-stools will start np in forty 

 eight hours. Dig the ground over again and 

 sow the seed, and Ihe radishes (vill grow with 

 great ra]iidily, and be free fiom the attacks ol 

 insects. The}' will grow uncommonly large. 

 Buck-nhc:it hv\n is an excellent manure of it- 

 self 



Slater's Improved Vertical Spinner — Our read- 

 ers will perceive an advertisement in this day's 

 paper, of tha above mentioned invention. We 

 have seen it in operation, and from the simplic- 

 ity of its construction, the facility with which ite 

 use may be acquired, and the expeditious and 

 perfect manner in which it completes the work 

 performed by it, we think it exceeds anything; 

 of the ki«d before invented. 



Massachusetts Lesislatuff . 



o 



Sewate— MAY 25. Mr Taft, from tlie joint Commit- 

 tee appeiiited to examine the returns of votps for Gov- 

 ernor, &c. reported — ttiat the whole numbir of votes 

 legally returned for Governor was 37,420 . of which 

 the Hon. Levi Lincoln had 35/221. That the whole 

 number for l.ieut. Governor was 36,653 ; of which the 

 Hon. Marccs Morto.v had 34,967. This report wa"i 

 accepted, and those gentlemen were declared by the 

 President duly elected. — The Rev. Mr BARnuTT, of 

 Boston, was chosen Chaplain to the Senate. 



MAY 27. The Hon. MrWinthrop from the Commit- 

 tee appointed to examine the returns of votes for Sena- 

 tors and Counsellors, made a report staling the num- 

 ber of votes, and the persons chosen from eacli county. 



At 12 o'clock the two Houses assembled in Conven- 

 tion, and the oaths of office were administered to the 

 OovenuT and Lieutenant Governor. 



The Hon. Mr Wmthrop, from Ihe Committee on the 

 returns of Senators, reporttd in favour of the election of 

 Samuc! Hoar,jr. Ksq. as candidate for Senator to fill 

 the vacancy for the district of Middlesex; a dispute 

 having arisen in consequence of (he votes of Newton 

 having been returned without the word jun. annexed 

 to the Names in the list. — Mess. Samuel Hnar, jr. Ste- 

 phen White, William Eaton, Henry Gardner, and Jus- 

 tus Willaid, Esq's, were subsequeiilly chosen fir each 

 of the counties of Middlesex, Esses, Worcester, Norfolk, 

 and Hampden. 



HorsE — M.\Y 56. A Committee w^s appointed lo 

 consid( r tlie expediency of revising the Pauper Laws o( 

 this Commonwealth. 



Petitions for banks in Leicester, .\ndover, and Fram- 

 ingham — for a Fire Insurance Company in Andover 

 South — for a Turnpike between Taunlon and Provi- 

 dence — and for a Manufacturing Company in Leicester 

 were severally read and laid on the table. Several 

 other petitions of a private or local nature were various- 

 ly disposed of. 



M.\Y 27. The day was occupied principally with 

 local and private business. The Rev. Mr. JE^KS was 

 chosen Chaplain to Ihe House. 



MAY 20. The Committee on Finance was directed 

 to report a tax act, similar to that which passed the 

 House at the last session of the last General Court. 



Messrs. Dana, Shaw and HicUok were appointed a 

 Committee to report on the expediency of providing by 

 law for the stapling and inspection of Wool. 



suMMAny or sjews. 



Florida. — From information received from Tallehas- 

 ?e, the seat of government for West Florida, a very ifat- 

 tering account is given of the character of the soil. — 

 The writer states that, as far as he has explored, he 

 hss seen no land that may not he cultivated to advan- 

 tage, and a great portion of it first rate, 'ihe greatest 

 objection that exists to the country is the extraordinary 

 number of ponds that abound through all the rich land. 



Many of them are said lo furnish plenty of good fish, 

 and are supposed to be fid tiy subterraneous streams. 

 From these ponds run as fine rivulets of pure spiittg wa- 

 ter as are seen in any section of our country. From this 

 ciicuaistance, it is the general opinion that they will 

 not be liliely to generate (hose fevers, usually to he ap- 

 prehended from stagnant waters'. There is e\ ery rea- 

 son to believe Ihat the Sugar Cane and Sea Island Cot- 

 ton will succeed in this country. — Should (he coiintry 

 proTe to be heallhy, it is represented lobe one of the 

 ni.-st eligible regions of the. United Stages — A'at. Jom . 



