NEW ENGLrAi^l* FAKMEK. 



Published by John -B. Rdssell, at M. 52 JVorlh Market Street, (at the Jlgricullural Warehouse) Thomas G. Fessenden, Z:(ttoj-. 



VOL. YIII. 



BOSTON, FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 1830. 



No. 33. 



ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 



b John C. Loudon, Esq. 

 Sir — In your Encyclopedia of Agricuiture, p. 

 S, you say, — " Tlie civil circumstances of the 

 Uniled States are unfavorable to SJie domestic 

 enjoyments of a British farmer emigrating 

 thither. Many privations must be suffered at 

 first, and some probably for one or two genera- 

 tions to come. The want of society seems an 

 obvious drawback; but tliis, Birkheck has 

 shown, is not so great as might be imagined. 

 When an emigrant settles among American far- 

 mers, he will generally find them a lazy, iguo- 

 RANT people, priding themselves in their fr^n- 

 dom, and iiiaking little use of their privileges; 

 but when he settles among other emigrants, I;c \ 

 meets at least with people who have seen a good 

 deal of the world and of life." 1 think, Sir, 

 )iir predilections in regard to the United States, 

 e rather favorable, and I can only account for 

 e injustice you have done the American farmer, 

 yr supi)osing, that you took Mr Birkbeck for au- 

 ority, and that Mr Birkbeck never had an op- 

 jrtunity of studying their character. 

 There is a class of peo|)le upon the frontiers, 

 rmed pioneers, who lead a sort of nomadic life, 

 id sid)sist principally on the fruits of the chase. 

 Hien game becomes scarce, by the cultivation of 

 e surrounding country, these people sellout their 

 tterments, and penetrate the forest anew. They 

 ■e thus precluded the advantages of a polished 

 lucation, and e.vhibit but few of the ameliorating 

 Fects of civil institutions and social intercoii; . . 

 was unfortunately among this class that Mr 

 rkbeck fixed himself on the frontiers of Illinois, 

 id it was from his intercourse with these probn- 

 y, that he came to the conclusion, that the Ame- 

 ;an fanners were " a lazy, ignorant people." 

 The character of our farmers is that of oiir na- 

 n ; for nine tenlhs of our population are agri- 

 dttirists. And however humble and unaspiring 

 is class of a community may be in countries 

 here privilege or custom has limited their sphere 

 ■ action, with us, who have no privileged classes, 

 id where the highest distinctions and honors are 

 len to all, there exist the noblest and strongest 

 citenieiits to industry and the acquisition of 

 lowlodge among our farmers, that can he im- 

 antod in the human breast. 



It is true, there is not that servile drudgery and 

 eessant labor witnessed Iiere, which may be 

 mmon among the agricultural classes of otiier 

 untries. Nor is there need of it. Our farmers 

 ve no aristocratic landlords to support in indo- 

 it extravagance. They pay no tithe of their 

 rnings to support an established church. And 

 e amount required to maintain their pooriscom- 

 ratively trifling. Hundreds of our young men 

 jve the parental roof every year, witfe a mere 

 ttance in money, and generally with nothing but 

 eir heads and hands to earn a living; and twelve 

 ars afterwards we probably find them the owners 

 id occupants of a comfortable farm, which they 

 .ve paid for and improved by their industry, sur- 

 rjnded by comfort, plenty, and half a dozen tow- 

 iSded chubby children. 



We not only possess, in a degree unknown to of the Mercurial ointment, and survive. Great 

 the farmers of Europe, the stimulants to acquire ' care should be taken that no crevice be left open 

 knowledge with wealth, but we enjoy peculiar fa- I where they could possibly crawl under, and that it 

 cilities for its attainment, and for dispensing it to | should be applied in due season. The application 

 our children. Social libraries exist in most of the jof the Merimrial ointment is not more expensive 

 old settled towns, and schools everywhere abound, j than tar, and it grows stronger by being exposed 

 I lia^e sent yon two annual reports, which will to the atmosphere, by absorbing the oxygen there- 

 show the condition of the schools in the Stale 1 from. Strips of cloth, or fine smooth lists, not 

 where I reside. You will find that about $110,- I less than one inch wide, fastened with cut tacks 

 000 of public monies are annually distributed by was the mode of application, and the mild mercu- 

 the State of New York for academic and common rial ointment of Thacher's dispensatory was the 

 school education ; that a larger sum is raised by preparation used." 



local ta.TC in the several districts ; that the total Mr Di:rby is in.iking arrangements to place, 

 amount ej^jended on education in these scliools, "'jV/iou< rfc/a^, the protecting girdles round the butts 

 does not fall much, if anything short of one and a ; of his trees, and where the bark is very rough, he 

 half million of dollars per annum ; and that half' intends to use slightly the drawing knife, in order 

 a tnillion of children participate in the advantages I that the lists may lay quite close, and that there 

 of this expenditure. All this is exclusive of a! should be Jio possibility for under crawling. The 



great number of select schools, academics, and 

 four colleges. 



Agriculture is our great nursery of talent, from 

 which the professions, the Legislative halls, the 

 army and the navy are principally filled. I can 

 refer you to the New Monthly Magazine for the 

 character of our House of Assembly, where it is 

 stated, by an Englishman who spent some time in 

 it, to be " full as respectable as the House of Com- 

 mons." And for the talent and skill of our farm- 

 ers in war, let the examples at Plattsburgh, and at 

 New Orleans, on Erie, and on Cbampiain, suffice 

 for the present. 



I submit these facts to your consideration, from 

 a belief that you have not erred intentionally. 

 And as it would seem invidious in me to make 

 cwmparisons, I leave you to draw the parallel be- 

 tween the English and American farmers at lei- 

 sure, and to make such correction in your text as 

 your sense of justice may dictate. J. B. 



Albany, M Y. Feb. 22, 1830. 



FOR TH:3 new ENGLAND FARMER. 



CANKER WORMS. 



Mr Fessenden — My respected neighbor, Sam- 

 uel G. Derby, Esq. had a fine orchard much in- 

 jured last season by the canker worms, and wish- 

 ing to make some preparation this spring to cheek, 

 and if possible, to destroy that dreadful vermin, 

 he wroto lately to Dr Jeremiah Spofford at 

 Bradford, to request In'm to communicate any new 



bark of the stately old elms round his mansion 

 will require clay, mixed with hair, to fill up the 

 crevices ; and it apjjears very evident, that the 

 mercurial ointment requiring to be laid on, and 

 fixed but once for the season, will be attended 

 with less expense than the old method of tarring, 

 which must be renewed every day, at a great cost 

 of the materials, and of the time nee<lful to lay 

 them on. He intends hereafter to communicate 

 to you the result of his operations for publication 

 in the New England Farmer, and in the mean 

 while, in accordance with his wishes, and our 

 common desire to stimulate some of the orchard 

 owners to join without delay in this new practice, 

 which promises so well, and will also save the 

 trees from the injury inflicted by the apiilicalion of 

 tar, 1 Ijave dettjunined to address you these lines, 

 and am, as before, your friend &c. J. M. G. 

 fVeston, Feb. 22, "l 830. 



Renarks by the Editor.— When tar is used to de- 

 fend trees against canker worms, it is said that its 

 application to comjilcte the desired effect, should 

 be commenced the latter part of October, and the 

 tarring continued when the weather is mild enough 

 to peiynit the worms to emerge from the ground, 

 till the latter part of May, or till the time of their 

 ascent is past. No doubt it would be best ad 

 safest to apply the remedy recommended by Dr 

 Spofford in autumn as well as in spring. Gen. 

 Dearborn informs us that he caught great num- 

 bers of the insects in autumn, by tarring, often 

 repeated. [See N. E. Farmer, vol. viii. p. 177.] 



fact which might have occurred, to his knowledge, „ _ _ 



since the letter which he addressed to you, dated j The same gentleman, in the communication re 



14th June, 1826, and wfiich is recorded in the 4th | ferrcd to, observes that Dr Spofford's mode of 



volume of the New England Farmer, page 377.* guarding against the Canker Worm " is the most 



The Doctor's answer, which has just been re 

 ceived, informs that the part of the country, in 

 which he resides, has been, happily, entirelv free 

 froincanker worms ever .since 1826 ; therefore he 

 cannot do more than to refer to the communica- 

 tion which he made before; however, the doctor 

 adds the following remark.s, which being much 

 to the point, I shall take the liberty to transcribe 

 in his own words. 



"The Mercurial preparations are so extremely 

 poisonous to worms and to insects, that I much 

 doubt if any one will crawl over an inch in width 



* See al^o Fesscoden's New American Gardener, p. 172. 



simjile, and if from t!udli|ilipd experiments, it 

 should be found to be effectual, it will take prece- 

 dence, as it is not very ex|)('nsive, can be easily 

 applied, and does not require to be renewed for 

 the season." It is possible that the effluvia arising 

 from the mercurial ointment, Applied in sjjring, 

 may prove fatal to those insects which have as- 

 cended the tree the fall preceiling. We are happv 

 to perceive the subjact has attracted the notice of 

 the ingenious author of the above article, and to 

 learn that his friend S. G. Df.rby, Esq. contem- 

 plates making experiments which will throw light 

 on this subject, and that he proposes to favor us 

 with their result. If, however, some canker worms 



