NO. 14. 



THE farmers' cabinet. 



21 



provement, and aftording subsistence, wealth 

 and happiness to a numerous and thicli settled 

 population. 



Thoughts proper for a Farmer, by one who 



has 7nade Farming his employment for a 



long time. 



Firs/— Remember never to purchase an 

 article of dress for yo'irself or family not then 

 specially needed, if your imports are more 

 than your exports, and this continue yearly, 

 or just as sure as you live you must become 

 poor and wear a poor man's hat. Never let 

 any distilled liquors be used in your family or 

 by your laborers m health. Never place a 

 vegetable in any part of your farm not suited 

 for^it — much is lost by not attending to this. 

 Never fail to procure all the manure you can 

 reasonably. Keep swine, and thereby you 

 will procure the best. Ever bear in mind 

 that he who farms it without attending to 

 manuring his farm is about an uphill con- 

 cern — so if he keeps a number of half starved 

 animals about him, he ougiit to consider how 

 ho would foel kept starved, and remember 

 that a merciful man is merciful to his beast. 

 Enquire what your farm is adapted for, 

 whether for raising stock or grain — if the 

 latter use your team, plough and cultivator 

 much. Never keep a little lillypution breed 

 of animals, but do all you can to improve your 

 stock. Keep the most of that kind which 

 gives you the most profit with the least labor 

 and e.xpense— in this and every thing use 

 your pencil or pen and ink. Do not go on 

 headlong. Never follow in the course of a 

 poor farmer, even if it be your father. Never 

 for a moment harbor the idea that you know 

 enough about your business — enquire — tahe 

 an agricultural paper — read — examine, and 

 reflect. 



Never buy so much as to become so far 

 embarrassed as to be obliged to sell your 

 property below the market price, which as a 

 general rule you have no moral right to. 



And your poor neighbors, as is your duty, 

 never forget them in a scarce season, or the 

 widow and fatherless in severe weather — you 

 will never in the end be the poorer for it, to 

 say nothing of the pleasure you enjoy in alms 

 giving. Remember that you cannot be too 

 truthable and honest to obtain property, even 

 in this life, were there no hereafter. Arogve 

 may, like a hawk or a fox, once in a while 

 get a good prize, but like them, will generally 

 die poor. Call to mind every spring that a 

 penny's worth of sauce will save a shillings 

 worth of meat, and that change in your food 

 is agreeable to you and so it is to your animals, 

 therefore mix plenty of roots for them. A 

 place for all your tools, when not in use put 

 jthem in their place under cover. Be at home 



as much as any way consistent with yoi 

 other avocations. See that your fences ai 

 always in repair— that your barns and stabb 

 are warm, double boarded. The less air yc 

 admit to your iiay the better it will sav 

 Your cows will do better kept warm in wii 

 ter, and all agree that all creatures that labi 

 at that season should be preserved from tl 

 cold. I am aware that these arc familii 

 hints, and that most of them have been oft( 

 urged, but we farmers need to be often r 

 minded of what will redound to our interct 

 At the polls we should make ourselves know 

 as the bone and sinews of the Nation wii 

 mechanics. Maine Farmer. 





Management of Mannre. 



The manure heap is the farmer's gold min 

 and on this he must place his chief relianc 

 A dilference of opinion, as well as diversi 

 of practice, prevails relative to the state < 

 condition of the manure previous to its applic 

 tion to the soil, tliat is, whether it is mo 

 useful to apply it in its raw state, witho 

 subjecting it to the process of fermentatio 

 or whether it will produce a greater effect I 

 previous decomposition — by being thorough 

 rotted. In some parts of our state, tl 

 manure made in winter is considered as un 

 for the soil, till the subsequent autumn, ar 

 among us it is a common practice to deposi 

 the manure in large heaps on the field whe 

 it is to be used, with the intention that 

 shall go through a partial fermentation, 

 have frequently adopted this practice, 

 imitation of those whom I consider amoi 

 our most judicious farmers. But experienc 

 observation, reflection, convince me, that e 

 ery degree of fermentation in manure desig 

 ed for ploughed land, is absolute waste.- 

 True, the decomposition must take pla 

 before it can be taken up as food for tl 

 plants, but then this process may be carri 

 on in the soil, while the seeds are yegetatii 

 and putting forth their roots and blades, wi 

 equal advantages, and by their gradual deca 

 fresh food will be furnished to the plants, 

 they advance in their growth, and when tl 

 takes place beneath the ground, there is 

 great saving' of tiic strenght and nutritioi 

 power of the manure. ^Mioever has stood 

 the leeward of a dung heap, when in a sta 

 of fermentation, and witnessed the evapoi 

 tion, and perceived the strong effluvia f 

 caping from the heap, must have been ir 

 pressed with the fact that no small portion 

 its strength and virtue is passing off into tl 

 air. That which thus escapes, is the mc 

 subtile and nutritive part, the most enrichir 

 to the soil — it is that which imparts the mo 

 life, activity and vigor to vegetation. No 

 this ammonia may be wholly retained with 



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