202 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



which has been twice employed, and which con- 

 sequently contains more animal matter. Where 

 an estate has been salted for two or three crops, 

 the effects are visible for at least seven years. 

 It has a particular tendency to convert poor .-ind 

 tight soils into firm and adhesive ones, ' giving 

 them body.' Among the farmers there is a ge- 

 neral scramble for the refuse salt, to try who 

 can get most of it by purchase. 



" The following curious anecdote may be re- 

 lated as serving to illustrate the effect of salt: 

 Mr. Seckler made a little heap of earth in the 

 midst of a field, on the top of which a cart load 

 of refuse salt was thrown ; the earth in the heap 

 itself, and (after its removal) the earth under il, 

 for upwards of two feet deep to the clay, was 

 rendered so perfectly barren, that the most com- 

 mon weeds would not vegetate in it. This bar- 

 ren earth, however, furnished the richest dress- 

 ing for the remainder of (he field. Mr. Seckler 

 found salt the best preservative against mildew 

 in wheat. When the wheat followed turn.ps 

 with salt, it escaped the mildew which attacked 

 other fields which were not salted ; and this he 

 finds to hold universally good, as far as his ex- 

 perience goes. The improvement of bad hay, 

 by salt applied in the proportion of about one 

 hundred weight* to three tons, and sprinkled 

 between the layers, is very striking, preventing 

 mildew, and rendering it more grateful and be- 

 neficial to cattle, especially if the hay is bad : 

 and even in good hay it is very greatly amelio- 

 rated. A testimony in fiivor of the benefit of 

 salt is furnished by the striking fertility of the 

 land in the neighborhood of the sea-shore in 

 (Cornwall; more especially in those situations 

 which are favorable to the general distribution 

 of the saline spray, as is exemplified in the pa- 

 rish of Fennor." — Sir Thomas Bernard's Case of 

 the Salt Diilies, page 272, coinmunicaud by Dr. 

 Paris, late of Penzance, but now of Dover Street, 

 London. 



* This is foul fishery salt ; of pure salt, a third of the 

 quantity might be sufficient. 



(TV) be continued.') 



Exlractsfrom an Address In the Hampshire, Frank- 

 lin and Hampden Agricultural Society, ffor- 

 thnmpton, Mass. October 23, 1823. By Isaac 

 C. Bates, Esq. 



" It is too lale, 1 apprehend, to arraign the 

 policy or question the propriety of our agricul- 

 tural associations. If there be any thing wor- 

 thy of patronage, it is the art upon which all 

 other arts depend ; the occupation, without 

 which all other occupations are useless. 



" The Dublin society, established in 1731, 

 as it was the first in order of time, so it was 

 for a series of years supported by the voluntary 

 contributions of its members, until at lenofth, 

 its effects becoming apparent, other societies 

 were formed; and now they are established 

 throughout Great Britain, France and Germany, 

 and indeed throughout Europe. All that is 

 granted by this Commonwealth, and the seve- 

 ral states combined, for the encouragement of 

 agriculture, is absolutely nothing compared 

 with what is done by France for a single nation- 

 al establishment, and that too in a land of vines 

 and olives. Experience, therefore, has settled 

 this question; experience in different countries ; 

 under great diversity of forms, it is not too 



much to say, we have the judgment of mankind 

 in our favor; not upon a subject remote from 

 observation and difficult of research, but full in 

 the public eye o|)ened by its effects and known 

 by its fruits. What then ought (he conjectu- 

 ral scruple of the prospective calculator to avail, 

 against this mass of practical evidence, which 

 near a century has accumulated ? It the only 

 effect of our act of incorporation were to bring 

 together once a year, the gentlemen whom I 

 now have the honor to address; awakening 

 (heir attention to what has been done and what 

 is doing ; leading them to an interchange of 

 views and feelings; animating them to enter- 

 prise and emulation ; 1 should think the socie- 

 ty res{ed upon an unquestionable basis of utilily. 



" Let it not be imagined, gentlemen, there 

 is nothing more to be learned in the arts of life. 

 No obstacle to the march of mind, is more In- 

 surmountable than the conceit, that we are wise 

 enough. It closes the eye of enquiry and shpts 

 out the light of knowledge. True, according 

 to the received chronology, this world is abput 

 six thousand years old. Yet it was more than 

 four thousand years before you learned how to 

 make a good plough. Cincinnatus talked with 

 as much complacency as we do of " the good 

 old way," when he wa' fallowing his land with 

 the limb of a tree lor his plough beam and a 

 knot to it for his coulter and share ; and the patri- 

 archs, when they were grinding corn with pes- 

 tles. How longsince you learned the art of print- 

 ing — and a thousand other arts ? How long 

 since you found out the value of the potatoe? 

 Since you naturalized Dutch clover? Since 

 you discovered that your plain lands were not 

 made in vain ? Depend upon it, gentlemen, 

 there is a belter way than that now in use, in 

 every act of field husbandry, and in every ope- 

 ration of mechanics. Think you, that in this 

 immense repository in which we live, you have 

 explored the whole of its contents — or any part 

 of them ? The recent discoveries and improve- 

 ments in the arts and sciences shew, that even 

 now, in this age of late and fancied maturity, 

 knowledge is in its pupilage. I would excite 

 you, therefore, to a thinking cultivation of your 

 lands ; to attentive and nice observation. Push 

 your inquiries to the extent of your capacity, 

 and your experiments as far as a prudent eco- 

 nomy will permit ; and make no other use of "the 

 good old way," which is often circuitous and 

 often bad, than to keep along in if, until you 

 can find a better. I hazard the conjecture, 

 that there is now about each of your establish- 

 ments at home, some defect, or niisarrangemcnt 

 over which your eye has wandered a thousand 

 limes without discovering it. Extend the re- 

 mark to your farms, fences, tillage and stock; 

 you will find enough to fix your attention, and 

 put in requisition all your powers, be they what 

 they may." ****** 



" A competency — Neither poverty nor riches 

 — is essential to our happiness; so essential, 

 that he who is married without the possession 

 or prosjject of it, is a mad-man ; and waving 

 all courtesy, the girl that would marry him is a 

 fool; and that as well whether he be in the j 

 possession of it with habits likely to dissipate it, 

 as when he is without either the possession or 

 prospect of il. There is no weighing, nor measir- 

 ing, nor counting the calamities incident to a 

 destitute and embarrassed condition. Th^y 



press >ipon the breast of a man like an incul 

 they obstruct the pulsation of his heart; i 

 deaden the current of his life ; they wilhei 

 the beauties, with which nature vould cl 

 him by day and fancy beguile him by ni; 

 they are the ever present messenger of f 

 and evil tidings. And nothing but the reduc 

 of a father to something less than human, or 

 elevation of him to something more, can rei 

 such a slate supportable. It is, therefore,, 

 of the highest duties and ought to be inculc 

 from the cradle up, as well upon those who 

 horn to a competency, to maintam, as upon li 

 who are not, to acquire it; for it is favor 

 to the growth of all the virtues and essenlii 

 domestic comfort. Il is the little vase of e 

 in which your flowers and shiubs, that ar 

 ornament and embalm your fire sides and sw 

 en and cheer the intercourse and sympathi' 

 husband, wife and children, are fo grow 

 flourish. Is it not then worth a little seli-c 

 al, the doffing of an extra ribbon, and ano 

 and another effort to accomplish it ? Tell 

 ye who can recollect enough of the trifles 

 have thrown away as of nameless import 

 and for which you were not a whit (he be 

 to wrap your children warm in flannel, to ligl 

 a cheerful fire in your own neat and comlbrt 

 dwellings, to spread your table with abund 

 of wholesome food, and to cheer yon, if 

 with the prospect that these blessings will 

 tinue and brighten upon you, without the aii 

 at least without the rejiroof, of charity,- 

 me, is it not worth an effort ? 



" You recollect, that without extraoi-di 

 talent, industry or economy, we have not 

 more to expect than a living. While then 

 1 have only time to urge you to 1mprove> 

 without dwelling upon the means; and l< 

 double your Diligence, without noticing w h( 

 we are remiss ; 1 will detain you for a mon 

 if you please, upon the subject of Econo 

 economy within your houses; economy in b 

 ing them ; and economy in one other partic 



'•'• Economy is to industry, what the mei 

 is to the mind — it retains for use. The j 

 secret of making estates, lies in this. You 

 only to apjily your arithmetic (o the operati 

 com[)Ound interest, during a moderately 

 life, to be satisfied of this fact. A dollar exp 

 ed at twenty-one, does not accurately de 

 the extent of your loss. You not only lose 

 dollar, but you lose many more, which wi( 

 subjecting you (o any trouble, it would I 

 earned you. You grub up the measure 

 wheat which is well sown, and in a good 

 and which would yield you, not merely one 

 an annual, and a perpetually increasing c 

 Extend the application of this remark to ,« 

 expenses for dress, furniture and equipage, i 

 indeed to your business and methods of con( t 

 ing it, you will find various particulars in w fc 

 savings may be made, trifling in themseh I 

 admit, but in their results, wealth. Throve 

 a few ten dollar hats, ye who have your eslH 

 to make and who would vault the stars wit * 

 wing or trumpet ; throw in a few pair of » 

 dollar boots ; a few watches — a most abun* 

 article! — to say nothing of their appendage;* 

 indications, which have involved in such un^ 

 tainty, the business of metalic research — th' 

 in a few other superfluous commodities, it 

 gallery will permit, and if not, throw their- 



