62 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



that before llie close of (he present summer, if 

 will be in operation beween Loudon and Mar- 

 gate. 



" The mode of generating steam is now fair- 

 ly before the public, and from the unreserved 

 frankness with which Mr. Peiikins has received 

 many liundreds of visiters, there can be no wish 

 on his part to shrink from philosophical investi- 

 gation ; the advantages proposed are no longer 

 a speculative hypothesis, but a subject, the mer- 

 its of which can be ascertained b_y experiment 

 beyond all doubt.*' 



NEW ENGLAND FARiMER. 



SATURDAY, SEPTEMBI'.R 20, 1823. 



O^^Subscribers who have not paid for the JirsI vol. 

 of the Farmer, are requested to forward u? the amount 

 due immediately ; and those who wish to save 50 cents 

 nrust pay for the second vol. by the 1st of October. 



Extracts from a work lately published by William 

 CoEBETT, entitled " C'olto^^e Economy," with occa- 

 sional remarks on some of the statements of the au- 

 thor. 



IConlinued fTom page 47.] 

 Mr. Cobbett diverges from the main branch of his 

 subject, in his chapter on " Brewing," to prove the 

 superiority of Beer, as a beverage, to Tea. lie says, 

 in substance, that fifteen bushels of malt will go as far, 

 cost much less, and supply mugh more nourishment 

 than eighteen pounds of tea. He asserts that " the 

 tea-drinking has done a great deal in bringing the 

 British nation into the state of misery in which it now 

 is," 'Sic. and closes his anathema against the " wretch- 

 ed tea-kettle" and its abominable appurtenances, with 

 the following appeal to an arbitrator, who would, no 

 doubt, give the cause to Mr. C. provided he had legal 

 jurisdiction. " It is impossible," says Mr, Cobbett, 

 " for any one to deny the truth of this statement. Put 

 it to the test with a lean hog; give him the fifteen 

 bushels of malt, and he will repay you in ten score of 

 bacon, or thereabouts. But give him the 730 tea 

 messes, or rather begin to give tliem to him, and give 

 him nothing else, and he is dead with hunger, and be- 

 queaths you his skeleton at the end of about seven 

 days." Mr. Cobbett is a sprightly as well as intelli- 



Imman diet, is not always in direct proportion to the 

 nutriment which a given quantity of such substance 

 contains. If it were so, a pint of ^raiVi oi7 would be of 

 more value for food than all the condiments of an Al- 

 derman's feast, because a Laplander would support 

 bis existence longer on train oil than upon spices, &c. 

 But enough of this. We thought a few words might 

 not be amiss to show that men of strong minds and un- 

 doubted talents will sometimes "miss the matter," 

 when zealously engaged in the support of a favorite 

 hyj)othesis. 



We mentioned in a former number of our paper, p. 

 47, that we could cite the opinions of some eminent 

 scientific characters, among our countrymen, in addi- 

 tion to the testimony of celebrated Europeans, in favor 

 of tt^a. We now proceed to give the sentiments of Dr. 

 Rush and Dr. Cooper; and we take it Mr. Cobbett 

 himself will acknowledge that we have some weight 

 of authority, if not of argument, on our side of the 

 question. 



Dr. Rush says in his lectures, " ColTec and tea ex- 

 cite the understanding in a most agreeeble manner. 

 The former was the mental stimulus of Voltaire, The 

 latter was used so constantly for the same purpose by 

 the celebrated Dr. Johnson, that the water in his tea 

 kettle, it is said, was seldom cold. Happily for the 

 interests of science and literature, those two pleasant 

 infusions have been the cordial of studious men, and 

 thereby rescued them from the baneful effects of intox- 

 icating liquors." 



Dr. Cooper, in the American edition of Willich's 

 Domestic Cyclopedia, observes that *' much has been 

 said and written on the medicinal properties of tea 

 Good lea, drank in moderate quantities, with sufficient 

 milk and sugar, invigorates the system, and produces 

 a temporary exhilaration, and clearness of ideas. But 

 when taken too strong and copiously, it is apt to oc- 

 casion slight tremor and symptoms similar in a degree 

 10 those arising from narcotic plants ; but as it contains 

 gallic acid and tannin in moderate proportions, I re- 

 gard it on the whole as a most wholesome, grateful, 

 and economical bererage, affording the safest and pUas- 

 autest refreshment after great bodily faligut, or mental 

 exertion; at the same time tending to support and 

 promote that perspiration, which must otherwise be 

 impeded." 



.tlthough we are friendly to lea, we are by no means 



gent writer, and has a fund of humor, by which he 



gives an interest to subjects, which, treated in an or- 1 i,osiile io'beer, as we hope' to show hereafter. But as 



Mr. Cobbett's authority is conaidered paramount on 



(iinary manner, would be as dry as a Hebrew Gram- 

 mar. We are therefore, in reading his works, most 

 commonly inclined to laugh icilh him, but in this case 

 we found it impossible not to laugh al him. His con- 

 clusions have nothing to do with his premises. Be- 

 cause fifteen bushels of malt would furnish more nour- 

 ishment to a " lean hog" than eighteen pounds of tea 

 it does not follow that tea is to he excluded from a 

 place among those articles which minister to the com- 

 forls and enjoymenls, though th( y might be struck out 

 of a list of the necessities of mankind. Besides, Mr. 

 Cobbett has not fairly submitted his case to his swin- 

 ish umpire. The case is Beer vs. Tea, in decoction, 

 and not Milt vs. the Tea-j}lanl. If a hog would die 

 in seven days if he had ndthing to live on but " tea 

 messes,'''' we believe he could not well be fattened upon 

 Bothing but beer. 1 he beer does not contain all thi 

 nourishment which the malt contained, for a great pari 

 of the nutritious matter goes with the brewer's grains. 

 Moreover, the beer looses part of its nutriment by fer- 

 mentation, which converts some of its sugar into alco- 

 bol. If Mr. C.'s reasoning were correct, polaloe whis- 

 key would be a very nourishing kind of liquor, becaiiti- 

 it is made of potatoes, which contain much nourish- 

 tSeat. The value of any substance, as an article of 



subjects of rural economy by many who are interested 

 in the correctness of his statements, we think it highly 

 proper to point out what appears to us to be erroneous 

 in his writings, which, though able, are not infallible 



Mr. Perlrnj'' Steam Engine. — We are happy to have 

 it in our power to give our readers a drawing and de- 

 scription of this wonderful invention. It was well said 

 'uy a writer in the Encyclopedia Britlauica, that, the 

 steam engine as it came from the hands of Mr. Watt 

 '■was the most valuable present that the arts of life 

 have ever received from the philosopher, and the most 

 'urious oliject, which human ingenuity has yet otferfd 

 ■1 his contemplation. Every improvement which it has 

 ' cceived has been the efiect of philosophical study. It 

 !ias now become almost as necessary to the very exist- 

 nce of many important manufactures, as air to animal 

 ■iie. The steam engine presents us a mo.st indefatii:;;^- 

 '>U- drudge, whose strength knows no bounds, and !.■ 

 the utility of whose labors no limits can be assigned. 

 If such was the steam engine, what shall be said of it a> 

 it is in the hands of Mr. Perkins, with its powers tin 

 i'lKled, and its utility increaseil in as great a pro)>o: 

 tion ? It presents a subject above the reach of rtcom- 



mendation, and a simple description of the machin« 

 its most appropriate eulogy. Vi'c are glad to percri W 

 that our brethren, on the other side of the Atlantic, j il" 

 disposed to acknowledge the souree from whence tl " 

 derive this " valuable present," arvd that the E^ J 

 burgh Philosophical Journal informs us that " the a ;,i 

 of jealousy against America has happily gone by,"B el; 

 peaks of the " scientific renown of our great descd "' 

 ants." J j' 



From the Centmil of Wednesday. 1 , 



BOTAMC GARDEN. .1 * 



At a meeting of the board of visiters of the Jlfoj 

 chusetts Piofessorship of A'alura! History, Septem 

 13, 11)23— 



The Curator of the Botanic Garden stated, t 

 George Brown, 1 sq. of Beverly, had presented to 

 Garden, a very interesting and extensive coUectioi 

 seeds, and three largi I oxes of living plants, obtai 

 by him from the roy-ril garden at Rio Janeiro — am 

 which, were the Artccarpus, or bread fruit ; the 

 namon ; the Camphor Tree, (I aurus Camphora) ; 

 Clove, the black I'epper, (piper nigrim) ; Crinuna 

 new yam from Angola ; two new varieties of Oiai 

 from China; a seedless variety of the Orange, li 

 and well flavored ; the Lime Tree; seveial specie 

 Epidendrum, and Tillanrlsia ; together wi!h 

 bulbs, not yet known. The whole of them very di 

 able, and most of thtm not before hi the gardi n 

 Brown also offered to obtain for the garden, any 1 

 zilian plants which were requested. 



Voted, That the thanks of this board be give] 

 George Brown, fisq. oi Beverly, lor his valuaM': p 

 ent of a fine collection of plants, collect i d and purtl 

 ed by iiim at Rio Janerio, which plant? are \t ry r 

 and arrived in fine order at the Botanic Ganlen, 

 Cambridge, and that the Corresponding fecietar' 

 phased to express to Mr. Brown their further ths 

 for his offer to add to his past benefits, such plantj 

 he may hereafter have an opportunity of procur 

 Copy from the Record. 



EEN'JAiViIN GUILD, Secrttar 



'°l 



From the JV". Y. J^'atioD.al Jtirccate 



Horticultural Society. — It will be seen by the foil 

 ing extract from minutes of the proceedings at a 

 ing of the New- York Horticultural Society, that 

 Douglas, the eminent botanist, of whom we spoke a 

 days since as having been sent to this country by 

 London Horticultural Society, has returned from 

 ladelphia, and is prepared to commence bis exai 

 tions and collections in this vicinity, aided by the ci 

 sel and assistance of a committee of the ^'ew 

 Society, selected from among its most scientific am 

 ficient members. 



At the monthly meeting of the JTew York Horti 

 tural Society, held at the Broadway-house on Tue: 

 evening, Aug. i'Clh, letters and other conimunicai 

 from the Loudon Horticultural Society were recei 

 with offers " to establish a reciprocal communical 

 on the science to which both societies are devoted.* 



'1 he same being taken into consideration, on nio(tli 

 of Dr. Hosack, Resolved, That a committee of fivi 

 appointed to confer with Mr. Douglas, the represei 

 five of the Horticultural Society of 1 ondnn. now 

 this city, and afford him every aid in effecting the ok' 

 jects of his mission. Whereupon, the President, VlM 

 President, Secretary, IJr. Hosack and Thomas Hogj! 

 were appointed to compose said committee. 



A committee of three was appointed to inspect sOBi: 

 Spanish tobacco raised from Havana seed by Dr. Bv' 

 ton. 



Fine melons were exhibited by Mr. Wilson andllt 

 Codie; a number of fine peaches and grapes by Kr- 

 ShaM- ; two very large peppers of a new sort from flt 

 ha. we-e presented by Mr. White, one of wh 

 cMi, ^tven inches round ; a very large leaf oi loblf' 

 "1 ' ro uced from seed obtained from the South Sy 

 was } i' sented ; also specimens of ( ohea Scandenft 

 'jeautiful running plant from Mexico, by Mr. Cw 

 Extract from tlie minutes. 



MICHAEL FLOY, Secretary, 



William Almy, Esq. has presented the editor of 11* 

 ' Vnviilerce' .'oiirnal with two apj^les, not fully groWi 

 one of which is 12, the other 13 inches in girth 



