NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



195 



per acre. In countries llial are verj pop- 

 js, the greatest care is necessary to save ev- 

 ulicle that will tend to fertilise the ground, 

 rder to supply the demands made on it by 

 population. The Chinese are said lo savo 

 n the clippings of their hair and nails for 

 purpose. When their rice fields are^flooded, 

 procure the roe offish which they put in- 

 hem, atid which vivifying, a part grows 

 e enough to tie eaten by the time the water 

 awn oT. and the remainder, by rotting on 

 ground, improve* its fertility. Yoimg says, 

 were he an inhabitant of a particular pari 

 ranee, he woidd manure four acres annually 

 flies, which are there in astonishing abun- 

 e ; and Darwin proposes to place the dung 

 I in a situation where it may be flooded 

 water, and become a moving mass of insect 

 in that state to be conveyed to the field, 

 ngland, malt dtisl is not unfrequently used; 

 an opulent brewer has even manured his 

 5 with dried yeast. Ground bones are also 

 oyed there in such quantities, as to exhaust 

 • own supply, and call for aid Irom other 

 tries ; and not content with the remains of 

 ior animals, bits of lace, and fragments of 

 IS, sometimes mingled with the imported 

 s, jndicate the search for the means of in- 

 ing the product of the farm, to have bpen 

 ided to the cemetry and the field of battle, 

 ig the various things used as manures are, 

 gypsum, chalk, marl, sea shells, common 

 ?ea and fresh water weeds, fish, hornshav- 

 woollen rags, ashes, peat, oil cake, soot, 

 soil ; besides clover, buck wheat, and olh- 

 een crops ploughed in. 

 I difference of opinion exists, whether the 

 icial quality of dung is lost by being wash- 

 rain below the soil, or by evaporation 

 gh it. They who advocate the opinion of 

 iking, will prefer putting the dung in shal- 

 while others will be in favor of covering 

 ;p. Probably both opinions are in some 

 e, right ; and that a part, in the form of 

 , escapes into the air, while the more 

 y parts, dissolved by the water, are wash- 

 ep into the ground. 



otatoes are an excellent fallow crop ; for 

 endent of the attention required in their 

 e, while growing, it is necessary to turn 

 every particle of soil in searching for 

 at their harvest. Other root crops, how- 

 may be more profitable and their product 

 more abundant. Our soil is extremely 

 calculated tor turnips, ruta baga and man- 

 vurtzel, all of which yield great crops, 

 kins are usually raised by our farmers 

 J their corn: but although useful that 

 I am persuaded that there arc few crops 

 will better pay the farmer's care than 

 kins raised by themselves. And it is use- 

 r a farmer to have as great a variety ol 

 J and provender, as he conveniently can. 

 )ut pumpkins and abundant root crops, he 

 ted his cattle to great disadvantage. 

 )e most approved breeds of animals should 

 ocured, particularly those which are fat- 

 with most ease, as they are kept with 

 xpense than the lank and hungry kinds, and 

 =^|- repay care and attention to them. The 

 legged hogs costs more to fatten than the 

 legged. The long vvoolled and valuable 

 s of sheep cost no more to keep than those 

 ; worst description; and the cow which 



gives an abundance of milk, consumes little more 

 of the farmer's produce, than one totally until 

 for the dairy. The most desirable pro[icrties 

 of live stock have been treated by writers on 

 Ibe subject, under the heads of size, form, ear- 

 ly maturity, hardiness of constitution, lightness 

 of otl'al, prolific quality a tendency to grow, and 

 a disposition to fatten It is generally conceded, 

 that moderate sized cattle,are lo be preferred 

 belore the very large ones, as being more easi- 

 ly failed, kept at less expense, and more mar- 

 ketable. Cattle should be chosen with short 

 legs, their heads and bones small, liioir bodies 

 long and round, and chests deep and capacious. 

 Ry an early maturity, much of the expense of 

 their food is saved : which is also the case with 

 those breeds most disposed to fallen. 



Every farmer should seek for the best kinds 

 of all the articles which he intends to cnllivate ; 

 and the county will be greatly indebted lo him 

 vvlio shall introduce the best breed of any of 

 the domestic animals, or whose example shall 

 spread among his neighbors the culture of 

 the most useful kinds of grain, grasses and 

 roots. 



Domestic Manufactures are intimately con- 

 nected with the farm. I mean those manufac- 

 tures properly called domestic— those which 

 are made in the farmer's house and by the 

 hands of his wife and daughters, whom he fur- 

 nishes with wool and flax of his own produce, 

 and whose industry, properly applied, while 

 it shields them from the dangers of idleness, 

 clothes the family with strong and warm ap- 

 parel. Too much attention cannot be paid to 

 Ihis, and it remains for the society to encou- 

 rage female skill and industry, by premiums 

 for the best articles of household manufactures, 

 which shall be exhibited at our next meeting. 

 Of the advantage of these manufactures there 

 cannot be a doubt. They tend to make the 

 farmer independent, by reducing his expenses, 

 and furnishing him from his farm and household 

 with articles of indispensable necessity ; and 

 the industry requisite in making them, is useful 

 to the good conduct and morals of his family. 

 But such manufactures are very difl'erent in 

 their effect, from those which are accomplished 

 by crowds of men, women, and children, group- 

 ed together in buildings which resemble hospi- 

 tals or barracks, and which must be forced and 

 supported by extravagant bounties, in the shape 

 ol duties on importations. The large manufac- 

 turing districts in Europe are noted as the 

 abodes of ignorance, want, and disease ; and 

 this must be the case wherever thousands de- 

 pend for their daily bread upon the inclination 

 of one person, or on the uncertain demand for 

 the manufactured article. A diminution of the 

 price of this, may render it impossible for the 

 fabricators ofitlo procure the means of sub- 

 sistence ; while the situation of the farmer is 

 so fortunate, that no diminution of the value 

 of the products of his farm, can lessen the facil- 

 ity with which he may find the means of sup- 

 port. To him the fluctuations of trade and 

 commerce are comparatively of little impor- 

 tance. The natural and heallhy growth of 

 manufactures in the United States, is a desira- 

 ble circumstance. But great bounties would 

 go to enrich the few owners of the establishments, 

 and be unfelt by the many laborers employed 

 in the works. It was an observation, and a very 

 correct one, of a former President of the United 



States, that " Agrxullurc, Manufactures, Com 

 merce and Navigation, the four pillars of our 

 prosperity, are most thriving' when left (o indi- 

 vidual enterprise." F.ut if, instead of heing 

 left lo individual enterprise, large, boun- 

 ties are given to encourage the manufacturer, 

 why should not the farnier expect the govern- 

 mrnl to pay him also bounties for his produce, 

 which, when exported, tends to enrich the n;i- 

 lion ? But the genius of our government is op- 

 posed lo this .system of favoring one class of citi- 

 zens at the expense of the others; and we h.id 

 better leave the tangled web of European poli- 

 cy untouchctl. The conversion of tlip robust 

 farmer into the pallid manufacturer, certainly 

 does not appear lo he a desirable metamorphose ; 

 and the policy of adding lo Ihe high dulies al- 

 ready laid on imporled articles, by which the 

 inducement to smuggling would be increased, 

 and the ptihlic revenue probably so diminished, 

 as lo lead lo the adoption of a direct tax on onr 

 farms, is, at least, of a very questionable nature. 

 The certain result of the measure must be, a 

 diminution of commerce, and a serious injury 

 lo the prosperity of Ihe navy, which Ihe events 

 of the last war have convinced us, is the cheap- 

 est, and most efficient national defence. Is there 

 one so lukewarm as to look with indifference 

 on any source of his country's prosperity and 

 glory ! What shall we then think of any mea- 

 sure, which might jeopardize that arm, lo which, 

 participating in our country's weal, we look as 

 to the sure guardian of her fame, and the prin- 

 cipal foundation of her power! 



"If the wealth of a slate consists in Ihe stir- 

 plus of its products, what can be more wise than 

 to promote, by all means, a diffusion of agricul- 

 tural information among our citizens; and the 

 formation of societies, whose parlictdar objects 

 are the improvement of the soil, and the way 

 lo make two blades of grass grow where but 

 one sprung before ; or two bushels of wheat 

 where but one could, by the former culture, 

 have been produced ! Money appropriated by 

 a government for these purposes, is like a tri- 

 fling amount of seed scattered on the land, 

 from which an abundant harvest is to be gath- 

 ered. Frederick of Prussia, who deserves to 

 be not less celebrated as a political economist, 

 than as a successful commander, expended up- 

 wards of a million of dollars annually in the ag- 

 ricultural improvement of his kingdom, (one 

 not naturally favored by Ceres) and by this ju- 

 dicious expenditure, he enriched his subjects 

 and filled his treasury to overflowing. Indeed, 

 whatever money may be expended in this way, 

 must be relumed to Ihe public coffers infinitely 

 multiplied ; and the legislator who acts on differ- 

 ent principles, neglects his country's prosperity, 

 and may well be compared to the wicked and 

 slothful servant, who, instead of endeavoring to 

 increase the talent entrusted to his care, con- 

 cealed it in the ground." 



American Salt. — Mr. Van Rensselear, in hig 

 Essay on Salt, st.ates that " In the United States, 

 1,200,000 bushels are produced annually, and 

 Ihis is a small quantity compared with that 

 which might be had. Yet we import annually 

 upwards of four millions, leaving a balance of 

 more than ^2,800,000 against us. In Illinois, 

 Missouri, Arkansas, Ohio, Virginia, New-York, 

 and Pennsylvania, salt can be produced in the 

 greatest abundance." — Boston Gazette. 



