228 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



May 



so widely difforent from that with which they wore 

 charged. Their duties have been to perfect the 

 plan for the reformation of juvenile offimders, and 

 not to make an exhibition of their skill in laying 

 out parks and pleasure grounds. By the exercise 

 of good sense and a i-efined taste, the estate may, 

 however, boeomo one of the most ])eautiful in the 

 Commonwealth ; and under the judicious niana^^e- 

 ment of the Boai-d of Agriculture, Ave hope to see 

 it, from year to year, gradually assuming the 

 beauties and principles of the art of landscape 

 gardening, in order to please the eye, as well as to 

 produce beeves and milk and corn, to sustain the 

 corporeal powers. Though the fields be well cul- 

 tivated and nodding with ripening crops of corn 

 and grain, and the earth bursting with the rich 

 treasures of her root harvest, we wish to see spots 

 where the smotfth lawn shall extend to the lake 

 shore, or the lover of seclusion may say — 



" Here Nature in her unafltcted dress, 

 Plaiteil witli valleys aud imbost with hills, 

 Enchast with silver streams, and fringed with woods, 

 Sits lovely." 



With tiie strong working force of men and teams 

 which such a farm requires, there will be frequent- 

 ly a day when both may be applied to such work 

 as is not absolutely necessary to the production of 

 the greatest croiis, but may be applied to grading, 

 embanking, road-making, &c., which will effect 

 wonderful changes on the farm in the course of a 

 few years, And without the necessity of a specific 

 appropriation for such purpttses. We do not, 

 thereibre, think it "travelling out of the record," 

 as the lawyers say, to suggest to the Board the 

 importance of immecliately o))taining such a sur- 

 vey of the whole, and sucli a plan or laying out of 

 the grounds as the combined Avisdom of the two 

 Boards, together with such artistic aid as they 

 may call in, will suggest — so that every valley 

 filled, or hillock levelled, every pathway to cul- 

 tivated fields, every rock removed, or tree or shrub 

 planted, shall be so much done towards complet- 

 ing the plan adopted. From a personal knowledge 

 of most of the gentlemen composing the Board, 

 we have no doubt tliey possess the skill to numage 

 ■ the farm j.leasantly and profitaI)ly, and at the same 

 time settle many im])')rtant questions in agricultur- 

 al operations which arc now involved in mystery, 

 and in which our readers, everywhere, are inter- 

 ested. 



weighed in the course of a few days, and stamped 

 with his right number, as if he had undergone a 

 formal trial of his strength, speed, and temper. A 

 stranger comics from a distant school, with better 

 dress, with trinkets in his pockets, with aii-s and 

 pretensions. An older boy says to himself, "Its 

 no use ; Ave shall find him out to-morrow." — Em- 

 erson. 



The AVorld a Tuibunal. — A man passes for 

 what ho is Avorth. Very idle is all curiosity con- 

 cerning other people's estimate of us, and all fear 

 of remaining unknown is not less so. If a man 

 knows tliat he can do anything, that he can do it 

 better than any one else,' he has a pledge of theac- 

 knoAvledgment of tliat fact by all i)er8on8. The 

 world is fidl of judgment days ; and into every as- 

 sembly that a man enters, in every action heat- 

 tempts, he isgaiiged and stamped. In Cv^ery troop 

 of boys that Avlioop and run in each yard and 

 square, a new comer is as avcU and accurately 



For the New Eni^lnnd Farmer. 



COMPOSTING LIME AND ASHES V/ITH 

 MUCK. 



Improved Cultivation, &c. 



F. Hoi.TJUOOK, Esq.: — Dear Sir, — Having been 

 long familiar with your articles on agricultural 

 topics, I cannot but feel, in addressing you, ia 

 some measure, as if communicating Avith an old 

 acquaintance. 



You will perhaps think me unreasonable to 

 trouble you with interrogatories, after reading j'our 

 articles detailing your practice and experience so 

 particularly. 



But having learned thus much, makes me anx- 

 ious to learn something more ; and if you can 

 spare a few moments to devote to my inquiries, 

 you will much oblige me. 



Having commenced farming in this place, in a 

 small way^, within the last year — and having an 

 acre or tAvoofmuck swamp, I wish to make use of 

 some of it with ashes or lime the coming spring. 

 I have intended to use ashes ; but am not sure I 

 can obtain them in sufficient quantity ; and sliould 

 like to know whether your expeiiehce with lime 

 continues to be as successful as you represent it to 

 have been in former articles. 



Mr. Mapes and Mr. Dana l^oth recommend ashes 

 to compost with muck, but seem to be rather shy 

 of lime unless slacked with brine. Have you had 

 any experience Avith Mr. Mapcs' "Salt and lime 

 mixture?" Which Avould you consider preferable 

 on the whole — ashes at 14 cts. per luishel, or lime 

 at the rate I can get it at from Boston 1 



Would you not prefer shell lime to stone lime? 

 I see the shell lime advertised at CharlestoAvn at 

 30 cts. per bbl. — about 3 bushels, I suppose. 

 Would you use lime in preference to potash — in 

 case ashes cannot be obtained ? 



I have written to Dr. Dana, Imt he said he had 

 nothing to add to the directions in his "manual" 

 — excepting that he had sometimes recommended 

 the muck to l)e spread on the land, and then the 

 ashes sowed on and both harroAved in together. How 

 should you think that Avould do ? It seems to me 

 as if it must be better to mix the two and let them 

 lie in compost for a Avhile. 



How long Avould you think it necessary, to let 

 the compost lie — (when applying either ashes or 

 lime) before using? My muck was dug i-ather 

 late in the fall. 



My land is a ratlier thin soil ; some parts rather 

 stony (small cobldes ;) other parts a gravelly 

 loam ; others inclining to sandy loam ; is situated 

 rather low, and pretty level ; — and tlte original 

 groAvth of timber pi'obably, mostly pine, — with 

 oak, chestnut, &c. 



It has lain in pasture some years, and is pretty 

 wiiW run out. I tliink I shall try your method of 

 turning over the sod in August or September, and 

 seeding Avith grass. 



AVould you sow clover at that time, or sow 



