42 



THE FARMERS CABINET. 



VOL. I. 



dependence, may be traced in every condition i 

 of our citizens; but, as all objects are most 

 distinct by insulation, their ettects are pecu- 

 liarly obvious in the country. 



" Tlie American farmer is tlie exclusive, 

 absolute, uncontrolled proprietor of the soil. 

 His tenure is not from government. The 

 government derives its power from him. — 

 There is above him nothmg but God and the 

 laws ; no hereditary authority usurping the 

 distinctions of personal genius; no estab- 

 lished church spreading its dark shadow be- 

 tween him and heaven. His frugal govern- 

 ment neither desires nor dares to oppress the 

 soil; and the altars of religion are supported 

 only by the voluntary offerings of sincere pi- 

 ety. His pursuits, which no perversion can 

 render injurious to any, are directed to the the 

 common benefit of all. In multiplying the 

 bounties of Providence, in the improvement 

 and establishment of the soil, in the care of 

 the inferior animals committed to his charge, 

 he will find an ever varying and interestmg 

 employment, dignified by the union of the 

 liberal studies, enlivened by the exerise of 

 a simple and generous hospitality. His 

 character assumes a loftier mterest by its 

 influence over the public liberty. It may 

 not be foretold to what dangers this country 

 is destined, when its swelling population, its 

 expanding territory, its daily complicating 

 interests shall awaken the latent pasifions of 

 men, and reveal the vulnerable points of our 

 institutions. But, whenever these perils 

 come, its most steadfast security, its unfail- 

 ing reliance, will be on that column of landed 

 proprietors — the men of the soil and of the 

 country — standing aloof from the passions 

 which agitate denser communities, well edu- 

 cated, brave and independent, the friends of 

 the government without soliciting its favors, 

 the advocates of the people without descend- 

 ing to flatter their passions; these men, 

 rooted like their own forests, may yet inter- 

 pose between the factions of the country, to 

 heal, to defend, and to save." 



From the Quarterly Journal of Agriculture. 



The Culture of Rhubarb. 



My notice of this exquisite vegetable shall 

 be comprised in a few lines; but these, I 

 trust will avail to extend its culture more 

 and more ; for any thing more productive, 

 salubrious, profitable, and expressly syitable 

 to the purposes of the cottager, can scarcely 

 be found in the entire list of vegetable pro- 

 ductions. A few years only have elapsed 

 since the rhubartic hybrid, green rhubarb, was 

 cultivated for tarts, and held in very sliglit 

 estimation : but since the introduction of the 

 larger (giant) varietiea, the demand hag in- 



creased with surprising rapidity. Of the two 

 sorts which I earnestly recommended, one is 

 called, if I mistake not, RadJ'ord''s Scarlet 

 Goliah ; and the other is a small red variety, 

 which is crimson throughout uhen boiled or 

 baked. These will supply the table from 

 April to August, and suffice for every pur- 

 pose. 



Culture. — Let the ground be prepared pre- 

 cisely as for asparagus beds. Select clean 

 offsets, with two or three bold eyes: the first 

 week in xMarch is a very suitable season. — 

 The eyes or buds of the Goliah will be of a 

 deep, rich red, hence its name : the leaves, 

 however, and stalks are green, though of dif- 

 ferent hues, and the latter are spotted and 

 streaked with red. In the smaller pink va- 

 riety the red tint prevails throughout. 



The plants of the great Goliah should be 

 set firmly in the soil, five feet apart, or five 

 leet one way and four feet another: the 

 smaller kind may be set three feet asunder, 

 plant from plant, giving a free watering to 

 each to settle the soil among the roots. Dry 

 weather, an open condition of the ground, 

 and a temperate unfrosty state of the air, 

 should be preferred. When the growth be- 

 comes established, the ground must be kept 

 free from weeds; and if dry weather super- 

 vene, water ought to be freely given round the 

 roots, two or tiiree times, with intervals of 

 four or five days. 



Not a leaf or stalk ought to be touched 

 during the first year; and in autumn, when 

 the leaves are all decayed, they should bo 

 laid in little trenches formed along the cen- 

 tre of the spaces, between the rows, sprink- 

 led with a handful or two of salt, and cover- 

 ed with the earth that had been digged out. 

 Thus the plant will itself furnish a portion 

 of the manure that will be annually required. 

 As winter approaches, a coating of well de- 

 composed stable manure or leaves, or a mix- 

 ture of both, two or three inches deep, should 

 be laid round each plant, to the extent of 

 two feet ; and in the open weather of Feb- 

 ruary, and March the whole bed must be fork- 

 ed over. 



As a proof of the excessive productiveness 

 of the iScarlet Goliah, I need only mention, 

 that, in the 2d week of March, 1831, twelve 

 plants were set in ground prepared for aspar- 

 agus. In June, the leaves met, and the whole 

 plot was covered. In 1832, the plants yield- 

 ed profusely, many leaves measured above a 

 yard and a hajf over th& surface, the foot 

 stalks being an inch and a half broad, and 

 from two to three feet long. Tiie outside 

 leaves were, as required for use, stipped off 

 by an oblique pull, not cut; the family was 

 amply supplied till July and August, and 



