NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



The process of platting straw in the Italian 

 thod is exhibited in the first figure. The 

 3 are cut off the straw, and the straw sized 



length and thickiess, and also color. Thir- 

 Q straws are then taken and tied together al 



end; they are then divided into a right an- 

 , placing six straws on the left side, and sev- 

 en the right. The seventh, or outermost on 

 right, is to be turned down by the finger 

 thumb of the right hand, and brought u|> 

 er two straws, over tvvo, and under two, 

 thus seven straws will then be placed on 

 left side of the angle. Then the finger and 

 3ib of the left hand is to turn down the sev- 



1 or outermost straw on the left side, and 

 )ring it up under two straws, over two, 



■ under two, and thus seven straws will be 

 lied again on the right side of the angle ; | 

 liso on, alternately, doubling and platting the ! 

 .J:rmost seventh straw from side to side, until | 

 scomes too short to cross over so as to dou- ; 

 )n the other side of the angle ; then another] 

 wis to be taken, and put under the short 

 at the point of the angle in the middle of 

 plat; and, by another straw coming under' 

 over the joined one from both sides of the j 

 e in the operation of platti ng, it will be- 

 e fastened, — the short end being then left 

 :rneath the plat, and the newly fastened 

 V taking its place on that side of the angle 

 hich the short straw was directed ; and 

 the platting is continued, until a piece of 

 it twenty yards long is completed. The 

 ; ends which are left out are then cut off 

 scissors. 

 tie manner of knitting or sewing Leghorn 

 together is done here principally by Italian 



be second figure represents two portions of 

 •four times the real size, partly knitted to- 

 er, shewing how the edges of one piece 

 over the edges of the other, and produce 

 tinuation of the interrupted line that char- 

 ■izes the plat itself, so that the junction is 

 rceptible on the other side ; the uniting 

 d being in every part covered by two 

 of straw; whereas, at the top and bottom 

 overed by a single loop, 

 le third figure represents two pieces that 

 nitted, but have been subsequently drawn 

 le asunder, in order to show more clearly 

 •assage of the thread. It is first inserted 

 r the straw 1, then under straw 2, 3, 4,&c. 



i comes out at the top. 



\ gure the fourth shows the relative position 

 o loops with the thread passing within 

 ; the loops being represented as pulled 

 from one another, 

 le needle is pushed on through two or 

 folds at once, till nearly the whole of it i 

 ncealed in the folds ; it is then drawn I 

 igh in the manner of a bodkin, leaving its 

 to be taken by the thread. If the edges' 

 ot sufficiently close, the needle will miss 

 of the folds, and the joining is imperfect, 

 metimes only every fold is threaded ; but 

 requires coarser thread, small raised lines 

 ir on the surface of the plat, which spoils 

 ;auty, and diminishes its value. — U. S. Gaz. 



I or Balsam of G Head, how obtained. — This 

 lent family oil, which should be kept in 



/ house, is made in the following simple 

 er. Put loosely into a bottle of any size, 



as many balm of gilead flowers nsvvill reach to 

 about one third part of its height, then nearly 

 fill up the bottle with good sweet oil, and after 

 shaking it a little occasionally, and letting it 

 infuse a day or two, it i,« fit for use. It must be 

 very closely stopped, and will then not only 

 keep for years, but be the better for keeping. 

 \Vhen it is about half used, the bottle may 



I again be filled up with oil, and well shaken; 

 and, in two or three days, it will be as good 



[ as at first. The most alarming cats and 

 bruises of tlie skin which are so frequently ren- 



|dered worse by spirituous balsams, salves, &c. 

 are completely cured in a feiv days, and some- 

 limes in a few hours, by this incomparable oil. 



From the Massachusetts Yeoman. 



WORCESTER CO. AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 

 At the recent Animal Meeting of this Society, Hon. 

 Levi Lincoln was elected President, in the place of 

 Hon. Daniel Waldo, who declined a re-election. 

 The following^ is a list of the other officers of the Socie- 

 ty, for the ensuing year : — 



Aaron Tufts, 1st Vice-President, 

 William Stedman, 2d Vice-President, 

 Theophilus Wheeler, Treasurer, 

 Oliver Fiske, Cor. Secretary, 

 WiLLUM D. Wheeler, Rec. Secretary. 

 TRUSTEES. 

 Athol, James Humphreys— ^mre, Nathaniel 

 Hoxighton— Bolton, Sampson V.S. Wilder— Boyl- 

 stoa, Aaron White — Charlton, Salem Towoe, jr. 

 — Grafton, Jona. Wheeler — Harvard, Jacob Has- 

 kell — holden, Samuel Damon — Lancaster, John 

 Thurston — Leicester, Uaac Soulhgate — Leomin- 

 ster, Bezaleel Lawrence — Mendon, Benjamin 

 Davenport — .Milford, Pearly Hunt — Millbury, 

 Asa Waters — jYorlh Brookfield, Charles Hen- 

 shaw — Ncw-Braintrcc, Samuel Mixter — JVorth- 

 borough,ioieph Davis — Oxford, Jonathan Davis 

 — Petersham, Hutchins Hapgood — Princeton, 

 Ward N. Boylston — Shrcusbury, Nymphas Pratt 

 — Stiirbridge, William Foster — Sterling, Stephen 

 Hastings — Sutton, Jonas L. Sibley^&K^/j/ioro' 

 Jonas Ball — Uxbridge, Bezaleel Taft, jr. — 

 Weslborough, Lovett Pefers — Worcester, Daniel 

 Waldo, John W. Hubbard, Edward D. Bangs, 

 John W. Lincoln, Silas Brooks, Samuel Ward, 

 Thomas Chamberlain. 



The following has been communicated for publication, 

 as a Report made and accepted at a late meet- 

 ing : — 



The Committee to whom was referred the 

 motion for admitting the Clergymen of the 

 County cxojficiis members of (he Society, with- 

 out the usual payment of Initiation fees, Report, 

 That the subject be indefinitely postponed. — 

 Your Committee are impressed with a sense of 

 the importance of obtaining the talents and ex 

 ertions of that venerable order of men, in aid of 

 the objects of the Society. We are not insen- 

 sible to the superior advantages possessed by 

 most country Clergymen for acquiring and com- 

 municating agricultural knowledge. — Early ed- 

 ucation, added to habits of reflection and obser- 

 vation, naturally lead their minds to these re- 

 searches. Local situation generally affords 

 them leisure from the severer duties of the 

 closet and the desk, for the pursuit of agricultu- 

 ral experiments, and philosophical inquiries. — 

 When " much study is a weariness to the flesh," 

 such relaxation becomes as necessary for the 



32.1 



refreshing the body as relieving the mind. Some 

 of the best specimens of rural economy are to 

 be found upon our glebe lands and ministerial 

 farms. The rugged elms, and solid moss-grnivn 

 walls, in some of our parishes, attract Iheatten^ 

 tioii of the traveller to the spot, where in other 

 days, « the village preacher's modest mnnsion 

 rose," and in more modern times, the mavne is 

 generally found upon a farm less extensive than 

 formerly, but as neatly cultivated. In the dis- 

 charge of his daily parochial duties, the Miois- 

 ter necessarily acquires a knowledge of the ma- 

 nagemeat of each man's farm, perhaps more 

 thorough and minute, than any other member 

 of the parish. Added to all these considera- 

 tions, his faculties for communicating the fruits 

 of his researches, and the results of his exper- 

 iments, give to the agricultural community a 

 claim upon the labors of these useful men. 



And with reverence we would inquire, would 

 a proper portion of time, devoted to these la- 

 bors, unfit Clergymen for the higher and more 

 important duties of their stations ? Is the culti- 

 vation of the earth an employment incompati- 

 ble with the sacred functions of a Minister of 

 the Gospel? To dress the garden, and to keep 

 it, was one of the first injunctions of his Crea. 

 tor to the great progenitor of the human race. 

 And in every subsequent age, the descendants 

 of apostate Adam " have eaten their bread in 

 the sweat of their brow." To witness the dai- 

 ly operations of a benevolent Providence, to 

 trace a present Deity in all his works, must en- 

 kindle the fire of devotion, and^ lift the soul in 

 grateful adoration to the Giver of all good. 



We should therefore rejoice that our rolls 

 should embrace all the Ministers of the County, 

 of every denomination : whether he cultivates 

 a farm or Tiot, his name and his influence will 

 advance the great objects in which we are en- 

 gaged. We believe, from inquiry, that most of 

 our Clergy would prefer a standing in the So- 

 ciety equal to that of other members. — A pro- 

 position to admit them gratis, has been made in 

 similar Societies, and Ministers have not been 

 disposed, generally, to avail themselves of the 

 privilege. Men, in all professions, consider 

 that which costs nothing, as of little value, and 

 not entitled to great attention; besides, a difli- 

 culty occurs in regard to those worthy men of 

 that profession, that have already been admitted 

 to the Society. To return the money, would be 

 weakening our funds, and to retain if, would be 

 making an invidious distinction among gentle- 

 men who are entitled to an equal standing in 

 any community. 



A considerable proportion of our clerical 

 brethren were made life members of this socie- 

 ty by the voluntary donation of some benevo- 

 lent member or members of their respective 

 parishes. Under the present precarious tenure 

 of ministerial support, this is manifesting a spirit 

 of the purest patriotism and liberality. "Go 

 and do likewise," is recommended to the friends 

 of agriculture and manufactures, in all our 

 towns. It would give evidence, at once, of 

 their personal respect for their Minister, their 

 conlidence in his abilities, and at the same time, 

 would be permanently advancing the great in- 

 terests of the County. Among the multiplied 

 calls for public charities, that which yields their 

 daily bread with more facility, both to the rich 

 and the poor, most certainly should have a place. 



[ibid. 



