No. 15. 



Industrious Boys. 



279 



fibres of the roots, whence it enters into the 

 composition of the plant, for wliich it furnishes 

 a wholesome invigorating nutriment. There 

 scarcely remains a doubt, but that the same 

 mode of application by top-dressing is also 

 tlie best mode of applying the green sand, or 

 marl, as it is sometimes called ; but of this it 

 would be well for observing farmers, who 

 have used it extensively to furnish the results 

 of their observations and experiments, for 

 the benefit of the cratl generally. Chemists 

 say that good green sand or marl, on analysis 

 furnishes from 7 to 14 per cent, of pot-ash,and 

 it is now generally believed that this is the 

 ingredient on which its fertilizing property 

 exclusively depends ; for it is found to be 

 more or less useful in promoting vegetation 

 in proportion as the pot-ash predominates in 

 its composition. I am informed that in the 

 process of analysis, by which tiie quantity of 

 potash is determined, they first separate by 

 mechanical means, the silicious matter or 

 common sand from the particles of the green 

 sand or marl, and then subject the latter 

 only to the process of chemical analysis, and 

 it is by this means that the percentage above 

 slated has been obtained. Of course that 

 which has the least common sand mixed 

 with it, is to be preferred, although it might 

 indicate only the same percentage of pot-ash 

 with that containing more silicious matter. 

 The farmers on the peninsula between the 

 Delaware and Cliesapeake bays, where this 

 most valuable article has recently been found 

 to exist in great abundance, are very desirous 

 <rf being informed through the Cabinet from 

 some of our experienced Jersey agricul- 

 turalists, the proper mode of using this newly 

 discovered scource of wealth, to the greatest 

 advantage, and it is to be desired that your 

 next number will oblige them in this respect. 

 As regards the application of lime, various 

 modes have been resorted to. Some spread 

 it on their Indian corn ground in the spring, 

 and work it in by dressing the corn, from a 

 supposition that ploughing it in, and mixino- 

 it well with the soil is an advantage. Other's 

 apply it on an open fallow in the" summer or 

 fall, preparatory to sowing their winter grain ; 

 of course it is by this process well plouohed 

 in and for the same reason, as is adduced for 

 dressing the Indian corn ground with it. 

 Others again spread it on tlie grass or sward, 

 dther in the fall or spring, and this plan of 

 operation is now believed by many to be pre- 

 ferable to either of the other modes of ap- 

 plication. Because it is found in regard to all 

 the mineral manures, that their'^ specific 

 gravity being great, they sink into the earth 

 quite as soon as is desirable: lime spread on 

 the sod, in thecourseof ayear will generally 

 be found to have sunk several inches in deptli, 

 and then the plough will bring it near the 



surface again, where its action is most bene- 

 ficial in decomposing the vegetable fibre, 

 and I)y this means furnishing a soluble ma- 

 terial for plants to feed upon; and at the same 

 time it loosens the soil, by releasing the clods 

 of earth which are often "held together by the 

 fine fibres of the roots of the grasses, parti- 

 cularly timotiiy, the roots of which are very 

 strong and rigid. There is no danger to be 

 apprehended from evaporation in the case of 

 any mineral manure, and some entertain the 

 same opinion in regard to vegetable ; but this 

 IS a mooted point, and wilf require further 

 observation before it can be pronounced upon 

 with safety ; for if manure of any kind be 

 placed in a vessel over a moderate fire, the 

 only thing that will be found to arise from it 

 will be pure or distilled water, entirely free 

 from any contamination. So that there does 

 not appear to be any danger from manure 

 rising out of the earth, but there may be 

 danger of its sinking too deep for the roots of 

 plants to follow it. Hence I conclude it 

 ought to be our effort to keep it as near the 

 surface as possible, and depend upon the rain 

 to disolve it, and carry it to the absorbing 

 fibresof the roots of plants. These remarks 

 are made to elicit the views of the experi- 

 enced in these matters that we may arrive at 

 the true theory of the application of manures. 



Agricola. 



March 28 th, 1838. 



For ihc Fanntrs' Cabinet. 



Receipt for making Boys iudustrioiis 



and useful. 



He wlio is not fond of his calling seldom succeeds. 



It cannot but have been remarked that the na- 

 tural disposition of children when in health is 

 that of great bodily activity, and the predomi- 

 nant efforts of those, to wiiose care they are 

 intrusted, is often to diminish this disposition, 

 so as to be productive of the least possible in- 

 convenience to themselves. This 1 take to be a 

 great error in education, and one of the prin- 

 cipal causes which gives rise to indolence of 

 character, at a more advanced period of life; 

 when we are desirous of deriving the most 

 advantage from their labor. TheViuscular 

 powers become strengthened exactly in pro- 

 portion as they are brought into use ; and if 

 we want strength, we must use it, not abuse 

 it. Let children be permitted to exert 

 themselves, and be as useful as their circum- 

 stances admit of, and furnish them with im- 

 plements or tools adapted to their age, strength 

 and capacity, from time to time, and give 

 them the soothing language of encourage- 

 ment to use them, and they will grow up 

 from childhood to man's estate without being 

 chargeable with the crime of being lazy ; and 

 it will be found that a vast amount of useful 

 labor may be extracted from them without 



