NO. 16. 



THE FARMERS CABINET. 



247 



of breaking up in the fall, and cross-ploughing 

 in the spring. Ground that is broken up in 

 the fall does not get rotted by the next spring 

 — it is then harrowed and cross-ploughed and 

 harrowed again ; by this time llie sods are 

 entirely all upon the top and exposed to the 

 hot drying sun, where tliey are tumbled about 

 by the iiorse plough and the hoe tiirough tlie 

 whole summer, and aliord no nourishment to 

 the crop; but by letting the land lie till you 

 are ready to plant, the grass gets a good start, 

 and that and the manure being turned under 

 together, and closely compacted by the roller, 

 is preserved from the action of the sun and 

 rains, ferments quickly, and affords a boun- 

 tiful supply of food tor the crop." 



Hedges. 



We commend the following letter to the 

 attention of cultivators of the Alulbcrry. The 

 method of cultivating in hedges, we thirls 

 the best that has been attempted, and luve 

 little doubt of its ultimately being unive'^ally 

 adopted. The mulberry is cultivated in this 

 manner in the form of fence and fieh' hedges. 

 On the borders of lields hedges Fiay be set 

 out for the double purpose of fence and 

 foliage, and the interior of folds is often 

 covered with hedges, at suitable distances 

 from each other to admit the passage of a hand 

 cart or one horse wagon, fcr the purpose of 

 gathering the foliage anu transporting it to 

 the cocoonery. The BCthod of propagation 

 is much the same in ioth cases, and is done 

 by transplanting the plants from the nursery, 

 or sowin"' the seed where it is intended to 

 make a hedge. 



To make a hedge by transplanting from a 

 nursery, take plants one or two years old and 

 set them at the distance of eighteen inches 

 apart, or, if it be intended to make a thick 

 set hedge, at the distance of one foot. Cut 

 off the tops at four or six inches from the 

 ground, leaving two buds opposite each other, 

 and removing the rest. This causes the stock 

 to have two vigorous branches the first year. 

 The next spring cut one of these two branches 

 on the same side, ac twelve inches from the 

 ground, in such manner that each plant may 

 have a long and short one, but horizontally on 

 the same side also one after another, all the 

 branches, and fasten them with cords or 

 withes, so that they may form a line parallel 

 with the earth, and leave the entire branches 

 untouched. At the commencement of the 

 third year, the plants will have branches to 

 form a hedge. 



The height, form, &c. of a hedge may be 

 regulated accordingto the taste orconvenience 

 of the cultivator, by cutting off the branches, 

 when covered with leaves, and feeding the 

 silk wor-Td. Some cultivators are permitting 



standard trees to grow np^outd tneir hedges 

 at the distance of ten or twelve feet from 

 each other. This is doubtless an improve- 

 ment, as by cutting away the hedge, an 

 orchard of standing trees wcnild be left, should 

 it ever be found desirable so to do. Rails 

 might also be inserted in the standards, and 

 a good fence easily made. To make a hedge 

 from the seed it is only necessary to sow the 

 seed and then treat the plants in the same 

 manner as if transplanted from the nursery. 



Silk Cullurist. 



From lliu Si liciiectaila Ri;flc'Ctor. 



S^iasoiiiible Sii;u;^cstio]i!>i. 



Be/ore the farming operations of the sea- 

 son have commenced, we are desirous of 

 drawing the intention of our readers to some 

 objects of improvement in their firming ope- 

 rations. We know the distrust which farm- 

 ers entertain to new practices in husbandry, 

 and are fully apprised, that wliat we are 

 about to offer forms already a part of the prac- 

 tice of many who will peruse our remarks. 

 Vet ii we should be instrumental in inducing 

 a few, by our suggestions, to improve the 

 condition of their farms, and to render their 

 labor more productive, our object will be ef- 

 fected, and we shall be satisfactorily com- 

 pensated for our trouble. All we ask is, that 

 our recommendations may have a fair trial, 

 sufficient merely to enable the experimen- 

 tor to judge of their utility, and on a scale 

 that shall involve neither great labor nor ex- 

 pense. And we shall offer nothing which 

 we have not ourselves tested, and believe 

 beneficial. We will begin with 



Manures: which are the basis of all fer- 

 tility in the soil, precisely in the same way 

 that forage, grain and roots, are the basis of 

 fatness in our farm stock. All animal and 

 vegetable manures have once been plants, and 

 are capable, by a natural process, of being 

 converted into plants again. They should 

 therefore be husbanded with care, and ap- 

 plied with economy. Every crop taken from 

 a field diminishes its fertility, by lessening 

 the vegetable food in the soil. Unless, there- 

 fore, something in the form of manure is re- 

 turned to the field, an annual deterioration 

 will take place until an absolute barrenness 

 ensues. This fact needs no other illustration 

 than is afforded by every bad managed farm. 

 The object of the husbandman should be, to 

 increase the fertility of his farm ; because 

 upon this, materially depends the profits of 

 his labor. To do this, we advise that cattle- 

 yards be made dishing, so as to collect the 

 urine and liquids in the centre, and that these 

 be kept well littered with straw, stalks, and 

 the refuse vegetables of the farm, to take up 

 and preserve these liquids, which are a valua- 



