NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



229 



sand intimatply mixed with a small pro- 

 tion of nightsoil. 



is from the nearness of ditches to each other, 

 the miriness of soil at the marsfin of ditchc-:, 

 lulJ not calculate on using the horse-plonc;h ; 

 liintcd the corn nearer, than I should olher- 

 e have done, viz. three feet apart, pultina: 

 »e kernels of corn in a hill. With water at 

 greater depth, than about two feet beneath 

 corn, and with a shower upon it every few 

 rs, it came out of the ^ound as well, as 

 Id have been expe<^ted; there being not 

 re hills missing, than there frequently are 

 low corn land. It was weedy, and had as 

 ty hoeings, as the multiplicity of my farming 

 iness would allow of; though not so many, 

 t ought to have had. 



Vliere there was little depth of soil, the 

 n was not so good, owing to the roots being 

 near the water, which was continually drain- 

 along through that portion of soil, which 

 immediately above the pan. As the soil 

 pened, the corn appeared belter, and in the 

 t, where the bog had been, the place where 

 stance of neighbors had been necessary to 

 ; cattle out of the mire, there the corn rose 

 t lusuriaotlv ; and a person in leaping the 

 hes gave to the dry soil, which floated on 

 mud beneath, a waving motion, which was 

 imnnicated to the standing corn, and was per- 

 lible to some distance. 



'he crop of potatoes on the swamp, consider- 

 it was the first year of its being broken up, 

 also a wet season for such a soil, was abun- 

 . So shapely and so large were they, some 

 nem weighing from one to two pounds or 

 e, that it became a querv in my mind, 

 ■ther I had not better devote «ome part of 

 ground to the culture of potatoes, rather 

 1 any other spot on the farm. A desire to 

 it covered with grass, was the only thing 

 ' ch prevented. 



I idian corn, as has been said, was small in 

 I e places, where the soil was shallow, and 

 ) re springs were numerous; but where the 

 j was deeper and consequently drier, consid- 

 ig the wetness of the season, and the small 

 I atity of compost manure used, viz. one shovel 

 Hin a hill, the crop was truly good. For the 

 Miideration of such persons, as may be possess- 

 I )f boggy or shaking grounds I offer the fol- 

 jing calculation. On a piece of ground 18 



{square, formerly as much a bog as any 

 of the swamp, containing 36 hills of Indian 

 1 the hills being 3 feet apart, there ^as a 

 i luce of 2 pecks, 6 quarts 1 pint and a half, 

 ch corn during the winter lay in a place 

 itself, that it might shrink, and was measur- 

 he spring following. If therefore a piece 

 round 18 feet square, containing 324 square 

 , produce the quantity of Indian corn before 

 ed, what quantity will an acre, or 43,"j60 

 ire feet produce ? — Answer, 25 bushels 2 

 ka, 1 quart. Thus it appears that a parcel 

 ■round, which had formerly been a pit for 

 ie,and a nuisance on the place, has by drain- 

 been brought to a degree of fertility, which 

 surpasses that of any other spot on the farm, 

 has done this in a season unfavorably wet, 

 as done it with merely the ploughings and 

 ure of one year, — and has done it with less 

 I a quarter of the manure, which 1 usually 

 •y out upon the richest of my corn-lands. 

 Ill the autumn of this year I ridge-ploughed 



those parts of the swamp, which appeared to be 

 yet too moist and springy, and cleared out the 

 'kains, that the soil might be dry early in the 

 spring. 



In 1022, I again ridge-ploughed the swamp, 

 and harrowed it, as soon as it was sufficiently 

 dry, and sowed it with oats, harrowing them in, 

 and then sowed it with hayseed, bushing it in, 

 except a small patch of ground, which for 

 want of oats I sowed with barley and hay-seed. 

 The kinds of hay-seed 1 made use of, were 

 herdsgrass, clover, and finetop, of each such a 

 quantity, as is usually sowed, where one kind 

 only is used; in order that if either of the 

 kinds succeeded, the ground might be well set 

 With grass. Of the goodness of the herdsgrass 

 and clover seed I made myself sure by early in 

 the spring sowing a small quantity of each in - 

 pots of garden mould, which I frequently mois- 

 tened with a little water, and set in a warm place 

 till they sprouted. The oats with the hay-seed 

 came up well, and the oats were remarkably 

 luxuriant. — I now became doubtful, whether 

 some other grain, as barle}', or wheal, less dis- 

 posed to be stout in the straw, might not have 

 (lone better; for before the oats blossomed, or 

 even began to send out branches at top, a pan 

 of them lodged, which oMigeri me to mow them, 

 green as they were. The remainder of the 

 oats, which maintained their erect position, 

 were stout in straw, and to appearance very 

 well filled; yet from the severe drowth, which 

 succeeded the wetness of the spring, or from 

 some cause unknown they were rather light. 

 I theretore had them threshed but slightly, and 

 mowed away. After settling till spring in a 

 mow 30 feet in length, 10 feet in breadth, the 

 height was about 1 1 feet 2 inches, or there 

 were of the oat fodder 3312 cubic feet, equal to 

 a solid cubic mow, the side of which is 15 feet 

 very nearly. In this mow was not included a- 

 bout a tO!i, probably more, of the oats which had 

 lodged, and which from having been cut early, 

 and from having been well made during the 

 drowth, were a most excellent fodder, which cat- 

 tle ate in preference to English hay. 



On the patch of ground sowed with barley, 

 the straw was of a middling size, and the grain 

 well filled and heavy. On this ground and on 

 the oat ground after the removal of crops, the 

 appearance of grass was much the same. 



In the autumn of 1822 while a blood red sun 

 and a burning atmosphere were parching our 

 pastures, and our cattle famishing, the greenness 

 of the swamp formed a striking contrast. The 

 grass rose finely, and might have been mowed ; 

 but my cattle cast over the ground a wishful 

 eye, and as from the severity of the drowth the 

 soil seemed sufficiently hardened to bear their 

 tread, I resolved, that they should be my mow- 

 ers. [To be concluded in our next.] 



U?ES OP THE NETTLE. 

 " The common Nettle, though generally con- 

 sidered as a noxious weed, is of extensive utili- 

 ty : its young tops may be boiled during the 

 spring, and eaten as a substitute for greens ; it 

 being not only nourishing, but mildly aperient. 

 In the Western Islands of Scotland, a rennet is 

 prepared, by adding a quart of salt to three 

 pints of a strong decoction of nettles ; a table 

 spoonful of which is said to be sufficient to co- 

 agulate a bowl of milk. The leaves are em- 

 ployed for feeding poultry ; and especially in 



the winter, when boiled they promote the lay- 

 ing of eggs — in a fresh slate they are refused 

 by horses, sheep, goats, cows and hogs ; though 

 asses devour them eagerly. When dty they are 

 eaten by cows, for which they are an excellent 

 food, increasing the quantity and improving the 

 quality of their milk. According to M. Van 

 (ieuns, such fodder is an effectual preservative 

 against the contagious distem])cr aiVecting horn- 

 ed cattle. 



"The roots of the common Nettle, when 

 boiled, communicate a yellow tinge to yarn. — 

 iJut the most valuable part, is its fibrous stalk 

 or stem ; which on being dressed in a manner 

 similar to flax or hemp, has, in some parts of 

 Europe, been advantageously manufactured into 

 cloth. This useful branch of industry has also 

 been attempted in Britain, and a coarse durable 

 canvass was produced, which is considerably 

 harder than the cloth manufactured from hemp 

 or flax. As however, this plant requires a rich 

 soil, to obtain it in any quantities, and, as a 

 much greater degree of attention and accuracy 

 is necessary in the operation of rtlting than is 

 requisite either for flax or hemp, Dr. Ander- 

 son is of opinion that the cullivittion of hemp 

 will be attended with difficulty. From the rind 

 as well as the woody substance of the stalk, Dr. 

 SchaefTer has produced a very good white writ- 

 ing paper; though that manufactured in France 

 by IVI. De Villette, was of a dark green co!or.-r- 

 The seeds on expression afford an useful lamp 

 oil. 



" In a medical view the whole plants, and 

 particularly the root, is esteemed to be diuretic; 

 and has therefore been recommended for the 

 jaundice and nephritic complaints [such as 

 gravel or stone.] A leaf, if placed on the 

 tongue, and pressed against the roof of the 

 mouth, is said to be efficacious in bleeding at the 

 nose ; and instances have occurred, in which 

 paralytic limbs have been recovered by stinging 

 them with nettles. If credit be due to some 

 authors the expressed juice of this plant is a 

 valuable remedy to the asthmatic and consump- 

 tive complaints. 



Some interesting experiments have been 

 made by Mr. Lannatine, in Italy ; from which 

 it appears that the flowers and seeds of the 

 common nettle may, with efficacy, be substitut- 

 ed for the Peruvian bark, in all febrile affec- 

 tions, especially in the Tertian and quartan a- 

 gues. This native vegetable operates more 

 speedily than the foreign bark; and in large 

 doses, induces a lethargic sleep : the portion to 

 be given ought never to exceed one drachm, 

 and it should be administered in wine, two 

 or three times in the course of twenty four 

 hours. The same cautions that are necessary 

 in the use of Peruvian bark are likewise to be 

 observed in taking the seeds and flowers of the 

 nettle. Lastly, Mr. Zannetine recommends a 

 slight infusion of the latter, in wine, as an ex- 

 cellent preservative for those who reside in 

 marshy and unwholesome situations.'' — Domestic 

 Enci/clopedia. 



Best preparation of Black Lead for cleaning 

 Stoves, <^c. — Mix powder of black lead with a lit- 

 tle common gin, or the dregs of red Port wine, 

 and lay it on the stove with a piece of linen rag ; 

 then with a clean, dry and close, but not too 

 hard brush, dipped in dried black lead powder, 

 rub it till of a beautiful brightness. This will 



