1836.] 



FARMETx-S' REGISTER. 



421 



pions : the mars^in of lakes and ponds there siUia- 

 ted, do not produce the same unheahhiness, and 

 even marshj' irrnurids there are les^: unheahh}'. 



" Linna?us thou<jht that the unheahhiness of 

 most countries depended on the nature ot (lie wa- 

 ter, and was owing- to the argillaceous particles 

 which they contain. Now \hefi(^ argillaceous par- 

 ticles are always precipitated by the calcareous com- 

 pounds. For this reason, the waters which stand 

 u|>on, or run over marl or calcareous rock, are al- 

 most always limpid and clear. 



" We are not Ihr from helieving then, that 

 throwi no- r/cA marl or lime, into a well of muddy 

 and brackish water, might have the effect, in part 

 at least, of clearing it, and making it healthy to 

 drink. 



"Lime in all its combinations, destroys the mi- 

 asmata dangerous to life. Its chloride annihilates 

 all had odors, arrests putrelkciion, and in short, 

 has subjected the plague of Eirypt to the skill and 

 courage of Paristo, The white-wash of lime up- 

 on infected buildings, upon the walls and mangers 

 of stables, is regarded as serving to destroy the 

 contagious miasmata of epidemic and epizootic 

 diseases. 



" The limed soil then, to the depth it is ploush- 

 cd, ought to change its emanation as well as its 

 products; and if the lower strata or subsoil send 

 up emanations, these effluvia in passing through 

 the improved layers of the soil, where the calcare- 

 ous agent is always at work and developinjr all its 

 affinities, ought also to be modifipd, and take the 

 character of those of the upper bed. The limed 

 soil then, it would seem, ought to be made 

 healthy. 



merly it was made in this state for exportation, 

 but gave place to cotton. The latter is so gene- 

 rally cultivated now, that attention may be very 

 profifalily directed again to indigo. When we 

 abandoned the cultivation of it, some years past, 

 there was comparatively a small demand for it, 

 in this country and Europe. A vast proportion of 

 the goods colored with that die, was imported 

 ft-om the East Indies; consequently ibe market 

 for American indigo was extremely limited, and 

 the planter gladly turned his attention to an ar- 

 ticle promising as good returns, and more ready 

 sale. It was certain that cotton manufactories 

 were rapidly progressing in Europe, and would 

 consume all we could supply them. We had no 

 glut to fear: consuming their fiibricks, it was but 

 natural they should give our raw material the pre- 

 ference. It is easy to overstock a market with 

 dye-stuffs, but difficult to do so with the matter to 

 be colored. This led to the abandonment of in- 

 digo, and now this country has to import large 

 quantities for home consumption. We have now 

 .a home market for the article, with a daily increas- 

 ing demand. The coarse goods we formerly im- 

 ported from the East Indies we no longer see. 

 We substitute European and American fabrics, 

 which fabrics absorb vast quantities of coloring, 

 and cause a consumption of indigo unknown in 

 Europe and America, when that dyeoccu[)ied the 

 attention of our farmers. The supplies drawn in 

 those days from North and South America, have 

 dwindled down to almost nothing. The United 

 States produce none, and the unsettled ^tate of the 

 countries formerly under the Sjianish and Pottu- 

 guese governments, must for many j^ears to come, 



'•But what we maintain here by induction, is render supplies from that quarter both partial and 



fortunately a fact of extensive experience, j^ninn^ 

 all the countries in which lime has carried and es- 

 tablished fertility , there is not cited that I know of, 

 a single one where intermittent fevers prevail — 

 while they have never disappeared in a country, 

 even where an active culture draws good products 

 from the impermeable argilo-silicious soil. 



" To extend the great benefit of healthiness to 

 the whole of a country, it is no doubt necessary 

 that the whole country should receive this health- 

 giving agent. On every farm, in proportion as 

 liming is extended over its surface, the chance of 

 disease will be seen fo diminish ; and the healthi- 

 ness of the country will keep pace toith the progress 

 of its fertility.^'' — Far. Reg. Vol. 3. 



TO GUAHD HORSES FROM FLIES. 



Farmers might easily save the flesh of horses 

 and cows, and confer great kindness on their ani- 

 mals, in preventing the usual annoyance of flies, 

 by simply washing the parts with the extract of 

 pennyroyal. Flies will not alight a moment on 

 the spot to which this has been applied. Every 

 man who is compassionate to his beast, ought to 

 know this simple remedy, and every livery stable 



precarious. It is evident, that while the demand 

 for indigo on both sides the Atlantic is immensely 

 greater than it was fifty years ago, the supplies 

 from all countries upon the ocean north of Cape 

 Horn, are diminished in the same ratio. As a 

 home market is open for large (]uantities, I cannot 

 but believe, many would find it to their advantage 

 to tubsfitute indigo for cotton. 3Iany years must 

 elapse, before we can produce more than a suffi- 

 ciency for home consumption, and again become 

 exporters. The supply of our own market is, I 

 think, a sufficient inducement to cultivate the plant. 

 " The seed may be sown at all times, but spring 

 is the best, and the species named in this commu- 

 nication makes the best indigo. It should be 

 planted in good smooth soil, well tilled and not too 

 dr}', in furrows about six inches wide, two inches 

 deep, and twelve apart. It must be kept clear of 

 weeds. The plant ripens in about two months. 

 When it begins to flower, cut it with pruning 

 knives, and again every six weeks if the weather 

 should be a little rainy. After two years, it dege- 

 nerates and must be plucked up. The leaves and 

 small branches should be gathered with great 

 care, to avoid the shaking off the farina that lies 



and country inn, ought to have a supply on^hand «" t^^,™' '^^'^''J^ '^ ^'^'"^ valuable. Throw them 



for travellers. — Yankee Farmer 



Fiom the Southern Agriculturist. 

 IKDIGO. 



Indigo is made from the riadigofera tinctoria. 

 The Spanish indigo is said to be the best in the 

 world, but it is a fact, American, being produced 



into a large tub, or vat, with water, for fermenta- 

 tion, which will be completed in twenty-four hours 

 at most. By means of a cock, or spigot, draw off 

 the water into another tub or vat, called the mor- 

 tar, or pounding tub. The steeping (or first tub) 

 is cleared out, filled again, and so on. The salt 

 of the plant must be separated by agitating the 

 water in the mortar, by using wooden buckets full 



in the province (now state) of Guatamala. For- of holes, fixed to long handles. Be very careful 



