No. 13. 



Sowing Locust Seed — Manure, 



210 



have no experience, — so far as it jroes to 

 treak clods and press in stones, it will doubt- 

 less do well. 



SoAViu;; liOtust §ee4l. 



Considerable difficulty has been experiencd 

 in propagating the locust from seed from the 

 circumstance of their not readily vegetating. 

 Tliis may sometimes be owing to the fact 

 that they do not always come to perfection 

 here, but this is generally in consequence of 

 not taking the necessary care in preparing 

 them. The following method, for this pur- 

 pose may not be generally known, or if 

 known is not attended to. It will ensure 

 succes.=, and cause the seeds to grow as readily 

 as beans, or Indian Corn. Place a quantity of 

 the seed in a vessel holding a quart or two, 

 pour on boiling water, and let it stand li\ 

 hours. Tiien decant it, and it will be found 1 

 that a considerable number arc softened and j 

 swelled by the operation. Tiiese are to be] 

 separated from tlic rest, and planted ; and to \ 

 the remaining uuswollen ones another portion 

 of hot water is to be added, which also is to 

 remain 24 hours, and a selection made to bej 

 "planted as before. In a few days nearly the I 

 whole of the seeds will be thus prepared. — j 

 Genesee Farmer. i 



[The external surface of Locust seed is 

 both tough and combined with a portion of 

 •oil, which prevents the necessary mixture 

 from reaching the germ at the usual tempera- 

 ture of the earth, unless surrounded with a 

 substance which will extract the oil. Pot-j 

 ash, soda, or the ley of wood ashes would i 

 probably effect this, when below the tempera-! 

 ture of boiling water. The seed might be| 

 surrounded by the soda, or pot-ash in the 

 earth, all in a dry state, at the natural 

 temperature, which might be better tlian the 

 bailing water ; where seed are thus started 

 in their growth by an artificial heat and 

 moisture, might afterwards perish for want of 

 a correspond iag moisture in the earth, suffi- 

 cient to continue that growth, as we some- 

 times see exemplified in grain, when sown in 

 dry ground, after being steeped. Dry grain, 

 which receives the necessary moisture from 

 socceeding rains, generally succeeds best] 



TO READERS AXD CORRESPONDENTS. 



Several articles, among them one on Marl, 

 are necessarily deferred. They will appear 

 in our next. Correspondents are requested 

 to forward their communications at an early 

 <lay. 



Composition for rendering uoots and 



SHOES water proof AND DURABLE. 



Take one pint of boiled linseed oil, two oim- 

 ces of common beeswax, two ounces of spirits 

 of turpentine, and half an ounce of Burgundy 

 pitch : let them be carefully melted over a 

 slow fire. With this mixture new boots and 

 shoes are to be rubbed, eitiier in the sun or 

 at a little distance from the fire, witli a 

 sponge or brush. Tiiis operation should ha 

 repeated, without wearing them, as often as 

 they become dry, until tlicy arc fully satura- 

 ted, which will require tour or five times 

 brushing: by this the leather becomes imper- 

 vious to water. The b(X)t or shoe tlius pre- 

 pared, lasts longer than common leatlier, it 

 acquires such a pliability and softness that it 

 will never shrivel nor grow hard, and in that 

 state, is the most effectual preventative a- 

 gainst colds, catarrhs, cholics, &c. It is ne- 

 cessary to remark, that shoes or'Tjocjts thu3 

 prepared, ought not be worn until they are 

 perfectly dry and elastic; as in the contrary 

 case, the leather will become too soft, and 

 wear out much sooner than it otherwise 

 would. 



The month of March is a very important 

 one to farmers who wish to keep their farms 

 in order, by saving and applying manure. As 

 a great proportion of tiie manure from tiie 

 farm yard is made from straw and refu-e fol- 

 der, it is important that tiiis slioiild be turned 

 to the greatest profit. It is more easily col- 

 lected into heaps at this season betbro tlic 

 frost is out of the ground than afterwards; 

 besides, when the ground becomes soft, much 

 of it is trodden into the ground, where it often 

 remains after the ground becomes dry and 

 hard. As removing all the soil from the 

 yard, as deep as had been penetrated by the 

 feet of cattle, would require too much labor, 

 therefore it is better to scrape the manure 

 into iieaps as soon as the frost is out of it in 

 the spring, and apply it tij tlie fields a.s so(jn 

 as is convenient, remembering that manure 

 left to ferment in heaps until it becomes rot- 

 ten, looses half of its valuable properties. We 

 know that unrotted straw applied to some 

 crops, would be unpleasant to work among, 

 but yet, from the diversity of cropping on a 

 farm, it can always be applied somewhere k) 

 advantage. 



There needs no stronger prrwf of a slovenly 

 farmer, than to see the manure lying round 

 ills barn year after year, piled up against th« 

 lower timbers, in many instances, rotting 

 them away, not to mention tiie effect upon 

 the atmosphere, which is unhealthy as well 

 as unpleasant 



