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xNEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



From the Massachusetts Yeoman. 

 IRRIGATIOX. 

 We have in our possession a manuscript principally re- 

 lating to the subject of Irrigation, from the pen of a 

 practical farmtr, whose whole energies are devoted to 

 the cultiva'ion of the soil. It is much toe prolix tor 

 publication entire, and seems rather (o have been de- 

 signed for a registry of the writirr's observations, re- 

 flections, and experiments, than for an essay for the 

 press. It contains, however, many remarks which 

 ■will be interesting, perhaps when it is iindersteod 

 that they proceed from a man who has little inter- 

 course with the world, but confines his attention 

 to the cultivation and improvement of his own small 

 domain. The quaintness of its style may rather in- 

 duce than discourage the perusal. We give, below, 

 some extracts, and may, perhaps, give others as we 

 have leisure to examine it. 



Of what Is called manure, the quantity in run- 

 ning wafer is small, although raised to a large 

 swell or freshet. Consequently a l.irge quanti- 

 ty of water is requisite to be drifted over grass 

 land, before a sufficient quantity of manure will 



be lodged among the roots, "r be imbibed. 



Many pieces of mowed ground, called swails, 

 arc drenched often, by large quantities of water, 

 and where the quantity is ample and the opera- 

 tion frequent, the husbandman receives large 

 crops without any occasion for manuring. 

 Those who have applied water without ma- 

 nure, and vvater with manure, may object to 

 the efficacy of water alone, excepting where 

 the soil is Jcf/) and mois/. In answer to this — 

 hard or even dry land may be kept moiit^ if the 

 stream be sizeable and durable, especially till a 

 luxuriant growth shall help to defend from 

 drought ; and, if the soil be good, two feet deep, 

 or four, the nutriment for which I plead, carri- 

 ed in water, is what constitutes said soil ; and, if 

 water deposits such masses so congenial to grass, 

 why may it not nourish where arlificiallij direc- 

 ted, and in process of time, make a soil having 

 ihe same constituent agents? Exclude the water 

 from deep and moist soil but two years, and 

 there will be but half a usual crop — direct it 

 upon hard, shallow, and dry ground, (having 

 water in plenty and judiciously managed,) and 

 there, will be double in the same time. This 

 manifests that the crop depends more upon 

 water than upon good soil. 



Now for the signal contrast between him that 

 has three tons of hay per acre, by water, and 

 him that has it by water with manure. The 

 former observes the natural or accidental wash- 

 ings that the most productive sj)ot of swail re- 

 ceives — the quantity of water — length of time 

 and number of times in a year — and that it was 

 showered when the water was overflowing its 

 banks, carrying more than ordinary manure. To 

 imitate this process, he digs his trench or canal 

 twice as capacious as a man inexperienced would 

 judge necessary to take the whole brook at its 

 greatest swell — observing that, when there is a 

 copious flood, it is richly impregnated, and should 

 be all applied. At such seasons if the natural 

 banks are too near or too shallow to contain the 

 whole fluid, it linils room enough on the sides ; 

 and his canal has, generally, less fall or descent 

 than the natural channel, and will not take so 

 much water in the same time and space. He 

 shovels away the snow when an early flood re- 

 quires his help, and improves all high water, 

 through the year, e.ifceptiag near or at the time 



of miking hay. When water is turned out of its 

 natural course around a hill or across plain or 

 level land, it is generally to be liltered over slop- 

 ing ground ; and whether sloping or level, he 

 does not spread water over the largest part of 

 the ground within its sweep, at one and the 

 same time ; but directs a flood in one place for a 

 short time, then shifts it to another, and so on. 

 His outlets, or places of turning the water out of 

 the canal through the bank, aie as broad as his 

 canal, having g.ites or barriers to shut or open 

 at his option — and the same, or like them, across 

 the canal a little below the outlet ; so that when 

 open the other may be shut. 



IMuch more might be added ; but it is time to 

 observe the process of him who manures and 

 watery the ground at the same time. 



He digs a small trench, takes no water when 

 impregnated with food tor plants ; but clean, 

 stale water is let on all the ground at the same 

 time, enough to wet the manure.* He has a 

 good crop of hay when his trenches are kept 

 open and well tended; but he "'grudges digging 

 up such grass as grows in water-courses, and 

 suffers loss. He permits Providential bounty to 

 pass by to the ocean, lest he should deviate 

 iroiii ancient and modern good husbandry, or 

 lest he should drown land at a time of much 

 rain, when his ground is too wet for any kind 

 of plants. He drives twenty or thirty loads of 

 manure where he might raise three tons of hay 

 per acre without it, and is one that will not 

 change his husbandry nor his opinion. 



*' "Pure water forms a meagre diet for plants." IK. 

 E. Farmer, Fol.}. p. 190. 



From the Bennington (Ver.) Gazette. 

 SHEEP. 



Now is the time to select choice, good Bucks. 

 It is in vain for people to expect that they can 

 have fine wool, without Merino Bucks. Twen- 

 ty years since our wool was all of the coarse 

 kind ; and our manufacturers were ignorant ol 

 dressing cloth; and yet, at that time, sheep 

 were considered a profitable slock, and the far- 

 mers who liave worn their homespun, are now 

 most of them rich and independent. Many are 

 the mortifications which they and their children 

 have suffered in consequence of the coarseness 

 of their dress : but the time has now come when 

 every farmer can vie with the prince on his 

 throne, in the texture of his coat, by a proper 

 attention to his flocks. 

 On this subject, a writer in Pennsylvania says — 



" The farmers ought to grow more wool: lot 

 them bear in mind that all the wool we grow, 

 we manufacture — that we import and manufac- 

 ture millions of pounds of raw wool every year, 

 besides the millions of dollars worth of woollen 

 cloths, blankets, &,c. &.c. which we annually im- 

 port and consume. The f.irmer will bear in 

 mind, that Wool is in demand ; that the demand 

 is increasing: that it fetches a good price, that 

 the growth is not only a duty they owe their 

 family, but their country: and that, therefore, 

 interest, duty, and patriotism cry aloud to our far- 

 mers, "Grow more wool." 1 beg again tore- 

 commend the importation and improvement of 

 the breed of sheep. 



Cotton Spinning. — The unjiarallelcd rapidity 

 of improvements in the art of Cotton Spinning 

 has of late years, been a subject of astoaishmeut 



to the most sanguine : still this beautiful and I 

 eficial process is capable of attaining a big 

 degree of perfection ; and as it is the bra 

 of nianufacfuring which evidently will be of 

 greatest impcrtance to this country, no pain 

 exertions should tie wanting to bring it to the h 

 est state oi improvenient, and keep us on an ei 

 footing with our great competitors iii Kngl 

 An improvement has been made by the invei 

 of the present mode of drawing cotton no\ 

 general use, i. e. with double heads and tl 

 rows of rollers, by which he proposes to perf 

 that operation in a more perfect manner, \ 

 less labor, on simplified and less expensi\e 

 chinery, the principles of which he will 

 plain, and put tlie machines in operation 

 the manufacturers in Philadelphia and its vi 

 ity who may wish it. Phil. Ga. 



FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMEK. 



Mr. Editor. — The following remarks, relativ 

 Farming, Good Husbandry, &c. are at yourdispos 

 Yon are at liberty to publish them in your useful 

 per or reject them, as you may think proper. 



Farming is an occupation that requires 

 least, a common share of talent and underst 

 ing in him that follows it, to make it profit 

 and advantageous. The old idea that he 

 is fit for nothing else will do well enough f 

 larmer, is now well nigh exploded, and a 

 era has already commenced with regard t( 

 riculture, one by which, we trust, that art 

 he delivered from the shackles ol tradition, 

 the stale notions of our ancestors which 

 been handed down from one generation t( 

 other. The farmer, in many instances, ha 

 long followed in the steps of those who 

 e;one before him — too long has he adher 

 the general practice of common course pre 

 ing. The old spot, in many instances, has 

 ailed long enough ; it is now time to bre; 

 the fallow ground and make the rough p 

 ■iinooth, that they may become fertile and 

 ductive. I 



Agriculture is an art or science that wi 

 mit of continued application and constant s 

 without being perfected or brought to a • 

 Let it be pursued without deviation, let ei 

 great improvements be made, let experii 

 be tried, still boundless fields open to our: 

 the end is beyond our sight. 



Although perfection may be unattainable 

 farmer ought to be making exertions 

 provement, and continually seeking out \\w 

 in which he can manage his business and 

 vate his farm to the greatest advantage an(i 

 fit. Economy is a necessary qualification^ 

 possessed by a farmer, as without it he it 

 like a ship without a helm, be constantly' 

 to be driven upon Ihe sand or dashed o^ 

 rocks. He may make large calculation! 

 pend much time and mone\', and in the e^ 

 tain nothing great or valuable unless he bt 

 nomical and frugal. It must be his endeai 

 make as great improvements and accompi 

 much business in as short a time and with. 

 tie labor and expense as possible. E\ery 

 must be attended to in season, or loss iiH 

 sustained, for by carelessness and inattenl) 

 things, or neglecting a piece of work tott 

 double the expense is frequently incurred, 

 siness should always be so airsinged lh( 

 thing may not interleris with aiiOUier, and I 



J. 



