JNEW EINGLAND FARMER. 



PUBl.lSUKI) li\ WIM.IAM MCHOLS, ROGKRS- BlII.DliNG.^, VOSC.RF.ka SIRKF.T. (fOLIRTH DOOIl FROM~i^Al !■ STREEtTT 



Vol. H. 



BOSTON. SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 1824. 



No. 4«. 



CTorrrs^JtiKiJfnrr. 



HE MOON'S INFLUENCE ON VEGETATION, 

 'o llie Editor of the .Vcw England Fanner, 



Sir, — Anticipalinn; lliat jou arc fond of new 



id useful investigation, 1 wish to inquire thro' 



e medium of your uselui paper what tendenrj j ^""1 cuuscs a small osciUat 

 P influence that satellite has, wliich attends the ! rroJuces liiles in the ocean and the atmosphere 



tlur incredulous on Ihe suliject of the Moon's influence 

 on vcgpetaliou ; and believe that some farmers accuse 

 that planet of meddling; with matters, iji which she has 

 no kind of agency. That the moon has some effect on 

 sublunary objects is however trtie. She enli»htens the 

 earth, draws it a little from its direct path round the 

 in the earth's axis, and 

 But 



arth in its revolutions round the sun ? There j we do not believe in her having any hand in any of 

 »ye some very honorahle gentlemen observed the phenomena of vegetation; or if she has any effi- 

 lat the moon has an uncontrovertible power | ciency in that line it is so very minute as not to be 

 /er the vegetable productions of the earth, j worth investigation. The subject, moreover, has been 

 hey assert that the seeds of those plants which j so often introduced into our paper, that, unless some 



ttend upwards, sucii as corn, rye, and wheat, 

 C. should be put into the ground at the in- 

 lease of the moon, and of those which extend 

 iwnwards, such as beets, carrots, ruta bagTi, 

 :. at the decrease of the moon. And also that 

 has a similar effect on the sap of the trees. 

 ; the full moon the sap extends with more tlu- 

 i^y than at the change. These things have 

 len asserted as facts, known by observation and 

 perience. But, however certain those gen- 

 Imen may be of their theories, they yet re- 

 nin to me unesaplained, dark and mysterious. 

 ■!. however, own that their reasoning ap- 

 iogical, but there has not yet been enough 

 1 the subject to convince me of its cer- 



ii moon causes capillary attraction, in all 



oi trees and vegetables, we may very well 



e that it produces the cause of cohesive 



ion ; and if it produces the cause of co- 



I re attraction,! must own that the moon ha.s 



ly minute influence on our earth.* If you. 



> \ jur correspondents feel disposed to commu- 



1 .re your opinions on this important inquiry. 



■( 1 m.iy, undoubtedly retJect soma light oirthe 



-ling question. A question, which ought 



i_er to remain doubtful at this late period 



- world. If you can convince the world 



ue moon has actually an inniicncc on our 



ind vegetables, f anticipate that the disco- 



, '.vould be highly valuable to the communi- 



' and more particularly to those persons, who 



; rm agricultural life. If our seeds ought to 



' into the ground at the discretion of the 



in order to determine the plenteousncss 



riarvest, I apprehend we should ieel the 



111! effects of starvation more in the ab- 



' ol the moon than if the sun should discon- 



je to make his appearance in the horizon at 



■ appointed time. Although 1 feel anxious, 



here is such a co-existing influence between 



two planets to have it promulgated if it 



uld confer any benefit to mankind yet I rest 



-fectly satisfied with the divine prediction, 



t " Seed time and harvest, summer and win- 



, day and night should continue to the end of 



things."' 



Yours, with esteem, 



JOSEPH W. CAPRON. 

 Mkborough, May 29, 1824. 

 n reply to the queries and suggestions of our correa- 

 deni, we would briefly remark that we are altoge- 



Wo do not recollect to have ever heard or read of 

 moon's having any agency in eitbef of those kinds 

 ttraction. — Editor, 



light coukl be elicited, its further discussion would 

 seem superfluous. We would refer Mr. Capron to the 

 first volume of the X. E. Farmer, page 11, forCol. Pick- 

 ering's and to page 370 of the same volume for Mr- 

 Preston's opinions ou this subject. He may likewise 

 find an able article on the same topic extracted from 

 the Edinburgh Magazine, and published in the 2d No. 

 of the 2d volume of the N. E. Farmer, page 12. 



ON HOEING CORN AND POTATOES. 

 To the Editor nf the JVew England Farmer, 



Sir,-— As your paper is devoted to the inte- 

 rests of agriculture, and seems to be the direct 

 and proper channel, through wliich information 

 relative thereto ought to be circulated, 1 take 

 ■be liberty to send you a few hints on hoeing 

 corn and potatoes ; and sliould you think my 

 communication worth noticing, you may publish 

 it, if not, throw it under the table. 



Corn should always Ue hoed three times, and 

 that too in good season. It should be hoed the 

 first lime as soon as it is large enough to plough 

 amongst it without covering it over with clods 

 and dirt, for if neglected too long, the weeds 

 will get so fm- a head as to render it difBcult to 

 kill them, besides the extra labor of hoeing caus- 

 ed by neglect. 



The principal object at the first hoeing, 

 should be to stir the ground and destroy the 

 iveeds, wliJch should be coranlelely extermi- 

 nated if possible by hoeing them up and leaving 

 them between the rows, exposed to the sun, 

 which will cause then) to wither and die. 



At the second hoeing or half hilling, as it is 

 generally termed, which should be performed 

 within ten days or a fortnight after the first hoe- 

 ing the ground should be thoroughly stirred and 

 the corn moulded up making the hills broad and 

 shallow. 



Corn should be hoed the third time or hilled, 

 just before the tassels appear. It should now be 

 ploughed deep in order that much loose dirt 

 may be left between the rows which will tend 

 to prevent injury from drought. 



The hills now as at the second hoeing should 

 he made broad and flat so that the rain and heat 

 may easily penetrate to the roots of the corn. 

 The old practice of making high hills and scrap- 

 ing all the loose dirt from between the rows I 

 believe to be injurious and perfectly wrong as 

 Ihe influence of the sun and refreshing showers 

 are in a great measure prevented" ihereby. 

 Much care is necessary when ploughing and lioe^ 

 ing corn the third or last time especially ii i( 

 be done in wet weather, lest many of the stalks 



be injured and broken down as at this time they 

 are extremely brittle and tender. 



Potatoes should be twice hoed, bein<' well 

 ploughed between the rows, being careful to 

 destroy all the grass and weeds that they may 

 not be choked and .'(tinted therewith. 



In hoeing potatoes there is danger of makin'^ 

 the hills too large and thereby diminish the 

 crop. I am fully satisfied that they flourish best 

 near the surface of the ground. Like corn tUey 

 need the influence of the sun and small showers 

 of rain which frequently occur during the sum- 

 mer months. I have known good crops of po- 

 tatoes rai.ied on lough land without hoeing them 

 once ; but in such cases the extra labor in plant- 

 ing is at least equal to once hoeing, and 1 think 

 it is not so beneficial to the land. 



CULTIVATOR. 



County of Worcester, June, 1C24. 



PRESERVATION OF VINES. 

 T» the Editor of the Kew England Farmer, 



Sir, — Having had my vines for a number of 

 years almost or wholly destroyed by (he com- 

 mon striped insect which infests them, and hav- 

 ing tried a number of preventives to no pur- 

 pose, I have at length hit upon one which effec- 

 tually answers the purpose, and should you 

 think it worthy a place in your paper, you are at 

 liberty to publish it. 



As soon as I find any of the insects upon my 

 vines, I apply a small quantity of gypsum finely 

 powdered with a sieve or dredging box, upon 

 each hill. This I do when the vines are wet 

 with rain or dew, that it may adiiere to theic 

 Should this be washed oft" with the rain, 1 re- 

 new the application till the vines have gained 

 sufl5cient maturity to be out of danger. 



I have tried Ihe above remedy for five years 

 and have never lost a vine after the application 

 of the gypsum. A GARDEJVEK. 



Guilford, Con. June 2, 1824. 



P. S. The French gypsum is Ihe kind whicii 

 I have used. 



AGRICULTURE OF NOVA SCOTIA. 

 [Cenduded from page 357.] 



The state of the fact then, as regards our ag- 

 riculture, is simply this. There is still needed 

 for our internal consumption an annual supply 

 in Halifax ot 28,121 barrels of flour and of 

 23,548 bushels of Indian «crn, besides several 

 other articles as particularly specified in the 

 Custom House return. The leading object 

 that ought I0 engross the care of this Socielyl 

 should be the consideration of the further mea' 

 sures which may reduce to nothing this heavy 

 balance still subsisting against us ; and which 

 may accelerate our final and total emancipation 

 from all need of foreign grain. These measures 

 may be comprehended in the four following par- 

 ticulars, and in illustrating them, 1 shall lake oc- 

 casion to bring under review all such facts and 

 circumstances as any way affect, or bear upon 

 the present stage of our progress. 



lit the establishineot of societies should stiK 

 be encouraged in those populous parts of the 

 province where none now exist. 



