330 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



July 



■warmth of tlie under soil is therefore relatively 

 increased. The farmer often objects to this 

 waste of water, and would retain it for a dry 

 time ! The trenched and porous soil holds water 

 like a sponge, notwithstanding the drainage. It 

 retains or can command enough for the wants of 

 vegetation. But let us see the operation on the 

 undrained land. 



The farmer often speaks of his "cold wet land." 

 No variety of soil, in any location, is, of itself, 

 colder than another. The very water which 

 trenching, draining, &c., allow to pass off after 

 imparting its virtues to the soil, if retained on or 

 near the surface ))y hard impervious sub-soil, be- 

 comes itself, by its changes, the source of the 

 coldness complained of. Instead of running off, 

 it evaporates, and by this process abstracts a 

 great quantity of heat from the soil and surround- 

 ing atmosphere. The evaporation of a pound 

 of water re((uires about 1000 degrees of heat; 

 some authors stating it less and others more. Or 

 it reduces 100 pounds of air 45". This is revers- 

 ing the experiment of Prof. Johnson, in Espy's 

 ^'■Book of Storms,'''' where he says, "a pound of 

 vapor" condensed to water "would heat 100 

 pounds of air about 45°." The ground to a con- 

 siderable deptli is warmer, by many degrees, 

 where the rain is drained off, instead of being al- 

 lowed to accum\ilate and evaporate. Hence this 

 enormous lo::-s of an invaluable stimulus to vege- 

 tation. 



This chilling and deadly process of evaporation 

 is going on to excess from the time frost comes 

 out of tiie ground in the spring, till freezing agiin 

 occurs. At tliis period, the undrained land, hav- 

 ing the most water to freeze, becomes the warm- 

 est, say in December, when of no value to vege- 

 tation, but rather an injury. For once, forsooth, 

 the undrained land is warmer than the drained ! 

 But for this excss of heat in winter, this kind of 

 land must pay dearly in early spring, llow is 

 all this? inquires the farmer. Simply because 

 water, in congealing to either ice or snow, has 

 its capacity for heit lessened about one-ninth, 

 and this excess is given off to surrounding bodies; 

 or, in other words, its latent heat is set free. On 

 the other hand, ice, or frost as it is called m the 

 ground, in melting, demands back this same heat, 

 at the rate of from one-eighth to one-ninth of 

 1000'^' for every pound melted; and under the 

 surface it docs not obtain all this directly from 

 the sun, but through the soil ; therefore the more 

 water the colder and longer cold will be the land 

 in spring. Now let the agriculturist go to work 

 and make this "cold, wet, heavy land" of his, 

 the very best he has for any product, trees vege- 

 tables, grains, or grasses. 



For the New Kn^land Farmer. 



TO DESTROY CATERPILLARS. 



Mr. Editor : — To kill catcrpUars, take a small 

 sponge, tie it to the 'end of a pole, dip it in spirits 

 of turpentine, tlirust it into the middle of the 

 nest, turning it well in the hand, so tliat the 

 spirits may touch each individual. I liavc al- 

 ways found this a safe, speedy and effectual mode 

 of disposing of this troublesome pest. I send it 

 to you not l)ecause it is new, but because I deem 

 it worthy of always being kept before the peo- 

 ple. Respectfully, c. c. s. 



Newtonville. 



For the New England Farmer. 



ARABIAN HORSE "IMAUM." 



The Arabian horse "Imaum," or, as is some- 

 timescalled, "the Pingree Arabian," was shipped 

 to this country in the year 1842, by Hon. Rich- 

 ard P. Waters, then United States consul at the 

 island of Zanzibar, a portion of the dominions of 

 the sultan of Muscat. About three years since, 

 the writer of this communication called on Mr. 

 Waters, at Salem, Mass., to learn about this 

 horse, and certain of his progeny bred in that 

 vicinity. Mr. Waters informed him that it was 

 an annual custom with the sultan to spend a few 

 months at the above-named island, having with 

 him a numerous stud of the best bred Arabian 

 horses ; that the sultan, desirous of showing his 

 regard for David Pingree, Esq., of Salem, re- 

 quested Mr. Waters to select a horse from said 

 stud, numbering over one hundred horses, and 

 ship him to Mr. Pingree, which request was ac- 

 cordingly complied with, the horse arriving 

 safely at Salem, though sulijected to a boisterous 

 and severe passage. Through the politeness of 

 Mr. Waters, the writer was also enabled to see 

 several promising colts in the vicinity of Salem, 

 begotten by "Imaum," and, among others, the 

 fine young horse "Tartar," an engraving and 

 notice of which horse may be found in the New 

 England Farmer, Vol. 4, page 4G7. 



"Imaum" has recently been purchased by 

 Messrs. S. M. & A. F. Wait, of Brattleboro', for 

 the improvement cf the breed of horses in this 

 quarter. This horse possesses, in much perfec- 

 tion, the symmetrical proportions and desirable 

 qualities so peculiar to the Arabian blood of 

 horses. Height about fifteen hands ; head as 

 perfect as could be desired, closely resembling the 

 engraved head of tlie Arabian, on the title-page 

 of Youatt's Treatise on the Horse ; neck arching, 

 and handsomely joined to the chest ; M'ithers 

 high ; shoulders well inclined backwards ; legs 

 sinewy and firmly knit, the tendons standing out 

 prominently from the bone, and the knee and 

 hock joints dropped quite low. He has an elastic 

 step, and a pleasing air and style in every move- 

 ment. 



It is well known that the Arabian blood is the 

 foundation of the great improvement made in the 

 breed of horses in Great Britain and several 

 others of the States of Europe. Particularly 

 have the English breeders effected an astonishing 

 improvemeDt in their horses by crossing them 

 with the Arabian ; and now, the pedigree of an 

 English horse must trace back to a cross with 

 the pure Eastern blood, to entitle him to the 

 name o^ a thorougli-])red ; and it is universally 

 conceded that the endurance and speed of their 

 horses has been very much increased by the 

 crossing. 



