1855. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



253 



water ; which with other sulxstances act upon 

 the seeds and produces germination ; and gives to 

 the new-born plant a vigorous start into existence. 

 After the soil has remained quiet ibr some time, 

 these aubstanccs having exhausted their energy, 

 by nutrali'zing the powers oi" each other, the plant 

 having absorbed all the elements of nutrition with- 

 in reach of its roots, its growth becomes retarded , 

 and can only be restored by renewing the chemi- 

 cal action. This can be done liy applying some 

 compost manure or by hoeiiig or stirring the earth, 

 so as to bring diflPerent particles into contact with 

 each other and forming new combinations, and 

 ■onsequently, thus producing a further supply of 



twice a week on tiie muck, and thus prevent ^re- 

 t'anfjinrj, the admixture of decomposed swamp 

 muck, and otlicr carbonaceous uuitters capable of 

 absorbing ammonia liberated during the fermen- 

 tation. The slight use of dilute sulphuric acid 

 or of plaster, or other sulphates capable of chang- 

 ing the carbonate of ammonia to sulphate of am- 

 monia, will also do away with its volatile char- 

 acter. 



The facility of adding the missing constituents 

 of the soil to the general compost heap in solu- 

 tion is very great, many of which, particularly 

 those of an alkaline character, will assist in the 

 decomposition of tlie manure by softening tl;e 



nutritious matter. Corn, that is hoed every two j woody tibre, liberating the inorganic constituents, 

 or throe weeks, will come to maturity sooner, pro- and rendering part soluble which otherwise would 

 duce more, and he better filled on the cob, than for a time remain comparatively inert. — Worr- 

 it will when treatevl in the usual way. We would I infj 1- u,/,ier. 



recommend to our farmers, to select two or three 

 rows in the field and hoe it regularly once in two 

 weeks, and in the fall inform us of the results of 

 their experiment. — Anon. 



LOlfG AND SHORT MANURES. 



, For the JVew Eniiland Farmer. 



SPEING-LOCUST TREES. 



Mr. Browx :— Winter lingered so long with us 

 in this quarter, cramping the atmosphere with 

 cold and fi'oat, that the early Spring made but 



An excellent article on this subject, quoted slight impressions, aud it almost seemed as if "the 

 from the GVm^«^ow:n Tdeyraph, will be found i trembling year" would remain "unconfirmed;" 

 on page 0/ of the present number, but some of 

 the arguments that should be understood, are not 

 there given. Those who have long manures on 



hand in the fall, and have lands intended for use 

 in tlie following spring which may be plowed in 

 the fall, and which soils contain a sufficient 

 amount of clay and carbonaceous matter to retain 

 ammonia, may fertilize with long manures, deeply 

 plowed under ; for the decomposition of these 

 manures will be sufficiently slow to insure the 

 fthsorption aud retention of all their ammonia Vjy 

 the supernatant portions of the soil, and their 

 slow decay will assist in aerating by giving free j and 

 admission of atmosphere, while the spring plow- 

 ing will elevate and mis the manures throughout 



■ixr *■,' , J i ^, /. , IIow rapid and striking the transition from 



W e do not advocate the use of long manures ,„. , , ., ,. .-, . , -^t r • ■, ^ 

 in spring, or at any time in sandy or very loose i ^^ "'^^'^ *« exhilarating bpring ! My friend, how 

 soils, unless those soils are black by the presence |i"ich, varied and important are the impressions 



but at length a decided change is taking place, 

 and 



"surly Winter passes oS, 



Far to the north, and calls his ruffian blasts." 



For about a week past, we have been favored 

 witli frequent alternations of warm sunshine, and 

 soft south winds with rain, infusing mother 

 earth with a sudden impulse, changing her as- 

 pects as by magic, — the snow rapidly disappears, 

 the brooks roar, the birds sing in varied melodies, 



'•From the moist meadow to the withered hill, 

 Led by the breeze, the vivid verdure runs." 



of carbon to receive and retain all the volatile 

 gases which may result from the decomposition 

 of the manure, but for soils that are plastic and 

 clayey, requiring disintegration from the action 

 of winter frosts, we would fearlessly recommend 

 ridging and bliick furrowing, and the covering up 

 in these ridg(;8 of long manures ; for certainly 

 the same argument which may be used for the 

 admixture of inert materials of a carbonaceous 

 character in the compost heap, apply with equal 

 fairness to such soils as are capable of retaining 

 ammonia, being fertilized with long or undecom- 

 posed manures. 



For hoe crops, and many others requiring soil 

 in find tilth, the decomposed manure should then 

 be used in preference to tiie long, which, from 

 mechanical causes, would interfere too seriously 

 with the action of tools intended to disturb the 

 soil, causing the undue disturbance of roots, 

 breaking off their fibres, etc. But the treatment 

 of manures to render them sliort, sliould be such 

 in the compost heap, as not to permit the loss of 

 ammonia, and all the facts in relation to such 

 treatment we have before given, such as the ar- 

 rangement of a pump, return of the drainage 



we may derive from thoughtful observation of 

 the Seasons. Beset as our life here is, with cares 

 and influences tending at times to drag down our 

 spirits and blunt our finer sensibilities, how fit- 

 ting that we should often sequester our minds 

 for a little season from the anxieties and eager 

 pursuits of earth, elevating them to the contem- 

 plation of an ever-present Deity in His works, 

 and reading the instructions they communicate. 

 Especially in the delightful season of Spring may 

 the mind be ennobled and refined by an attentive 

 study of those works. Tliis too is eminently the 

 season to enjoy the pi-oductions of the great mas- 

 ters in poetry, and appreciate some of their most 

 beautiful and sublime sentiments. Greatly may 

 we cultivate and refine our tastes and sensibilities 

 and quicken and enlarge our powers of observa- 

 tion and reflection, liy an occasional coniDiuuion 

 with these grand authors. No matter what our 

 situation or calling in life, we should undoubted- 

 ly rise to our high privileges as rational beings, 



