30 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



JTJliY37, 184 8 



AND HORTICULTURAL REGISTER. 



Boston, V^ednesday, Joly 27, ]£ 



CULTURE OF THE CROPS. 



The fine weather for hay making during llie hist two 

 weeks, has enabled the farmers to secure in good ordiT 

 the principal part of the abundant hay crop of the year. 

 And now before they comniente getting the hay from 

 their wet mendows, let the corn and potato fields be 

 freed from weeds; let the root crops of all kinds be 

 properly thinned and freed from weeds. If such work, 

 is neglected now for a week or two, the weeds will be- 

 come excessively lank, and will greatly exhaust the 

 soil and injure the crop. 



Should anv thing like drought come upon the tilled 

 fields, then all the crops will be benefited by as much 

 stirring of the soil as you are able to give. The abun- 

 dant rains of the summer thus far, and the copious show- 

 er of last Sunday, which extended widely out from this 

 city, in all directions, have put off the possibility of the 

 crops suffering generally Irom want of moisture for some 

 time to come. There is less occasion now, than in the 

 latter part of July of most years, to move the earth in 

 order that it may preserve moisture— but yet the stirring 

 does good as often as you can give it. The beating 

 showers will sometimes pound down the surface and 

 make the ground hard around the plants; then the cul- 

 tivator and the hoe will do good by breaking up the 

 crust that has been formed. Where the soil is too wet, 

 moving it will help to throw off the excessive moisture. 

 This process of stirring, blows hot and cold both with 

 the same breath ; it helps to make light and dry the 

 lands that are too moist, and helps in times of coming 

 drought, to preserve the moisture which the plants need. 

 Therefore, let the grass in your fresh or wet meadows 

 stand, until the cultivated fields have been well freed 

 from weeds arid well stirred. In working the corn, after 

 the tassels have come out, and the potatoes, after they 

 have blossomed, it is belter not to move the earth, ex- 

 cepting just deep enough to break up tho surface crust. 

 The roots should not be disturbed, nor should their dis- 

 tance below the surface be much changed, either by 

 earthing up or by hoeing away the soil from the plants. 



DRINKING TOO MUCH WATER. 



In another column will be found an article from the 

 pen of Dr. Alcott, against as free use of cold water or 

 any other drink as is common among haymakers and 

 hard laborers geiierally. It was called forth by a para- 

 graph in our article on Haying a week or two since, in 

 which we recommended drinking very ofun while hard 

 at work in the hottest days. We yield all claims to as 

 much dfcquaintance with the human system as tho phy- 

 sician possesses, and of course make no pretensions to 

 know equally well with him what is beneficial and 

 what injurious to human health. Something more than 

 this we will concede :— We as firmly believe as Dr. Al- 

 cott can, that the mass of our laborers take more drink, 

 even those who confine themselves to the simplest arti- 

 cles, than is good for their health. Too much liquid 

 overloads and injuriously distends the stomach. The 

 whole system is thus weakened : but we have thought 

 that our own experience has taught us, that this is the 

 case'cliiefly when the weather is so cool or our occupa- 

 tions are so sedentary, that perspiration is very limited. 

 When the sweat flows freely, the drink is soon carried 

 out to the surface, and at such times we work with 

 greater ease and comfort than at any other. Nor have 

 we ever been conscious that the copious sweats which 



'ollow the frequent and free drinking of cold water, 

 have ever done us harm. The theory of doctors may 

 maintain that it does— the experience of many may 

 leach them that it does— but it is not so yet with us. 



However, tho question is important ; for all questions 

 of health are so. And we very willingly give insertion to 

 views differing fiom our own, when they come from a 

 source that entitles them In respectful consideration. 

 I There is much in Dr. Alcoti's letter that is sound and 

 worthy of remembrance ; but he must allow us to say of 

 him, as we might of nearly every one who attempts to 

 reform the habits of society, that he rides his hobby fast 

 and far;— few will be willing to rival him in speed on 

 the course of abstinence, or to reach the bounds to which 

 he has already run. We doubt whether it is desirable 

 that they should. 



CANADA THISTLE, WHITE WEED, YELLOW 

 DOCK, &c. 

 Having learned from experience in past years, that 

 when we have attempted to extirpate the White Weed 

 and the Dock by pulling and digging, that the work is 

 but imperfectly accomplished; that the pests will grow 

 the following year where we had doni: cur best to make 

 utter extermination ; and having conjectured that this 

 was owing in part to roots and fragments of roots that 

 were left in the ground, and put forth the following year 



we this season, after pulling, deposited aboui a table 



spoonful of salt directly upon the hole out of which we 

 had pulled each root : the appearance now is that we 

 have done a thorough work. When we liad finished 

 our work upon the white weed, having a little salt left 

 in the basket, we placed a small handful upon each of a 

 dozen or twenty thistles that were growing by the path 

 that led us back to the house. We put the salt directly 

 upon the thistle without pulling or culling it. All of 

 them now are apparently as lifeless as the timbers of 

 the barn. We mention the fact in hope that others may 

 give the same dose to the thistle, and ascertain whether 

 it will prove invariably a deadly poison. 



BARLEY AFTER POTATOES. 

 We notice an article in the Maine Farmer, which 

 shows, in one instance at least, that barley does less 

 well after potatoes than after Indian corn. Is this a 

 general result? As we go back in memory to the years 

 of 1839 and 1840, and look at our fields which were 

 thon ill barley, and where the preceding crop was corn 

 on a part of the land and potatoes on the other part, we 

 ihink we have evidence of the same result. This inde- 

 finite statement is worth nothing, excepting the influ- 

 ence it may have in causing those who have the oppor- 

 tunity, to notice their fields now, and remember and 

 communicate the facts. Next week we will copy the 

 article from the Maine Farmer relating to this matter. 



MASS. HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Saturday, Jvly 23, i8i2. | 



EXHIBITION OF KLOWERS. 



Dahlias from M. P. Wilder — Rival Revenge, Uxbrid 

 Magnet, Widnall's Eclipse, do. Argo, Fanny Keynt 

 Darecroft Rival, Ne Plus Ultra, &c. 



Pinks — Carnations and Picotces — also, China Roses 

 from S. R. Johnson, Charlestown. 



From Hovey & Co. — Roses, of the following kind 

 Teas — Bougere, Gigaiitesqiie, and Odoratissima. Be 

 gal — Cramoise Lupinum, Roi de Crainoise, Triumphal 

 Bourbon — Ninon d' L'Enclos, &u. Also, Lilium japoi 

 cum, and Cercus coccinea. 



From Parker Barnes, Dahlias, viz : Andrew Iloffi 

 Ne plus ultra, Ansel's Unique, Miss Johnston, Marsh 

 Soult, Burr's Rosea, Pickwick. 



From Otis Johnson, Lynn — Penstemon Gentianoidi 



From Messrs. Winship — Yucca Gloriosa. 



From H. W. Dutton — Dahlias, viz : Uxbridge Ma 

 net, Mrs. Rushtnn, Striata. 



Dahlias, from J. F. Trull, Dorchester. 



From A. Bowditch — China Rosiis and Bouquets. 



Pinks, Carnations ^and Bouquets, from S. Walki 

 Roxbury. 



Bouquets from J. L. L F. Warren, W. Kenrick, \ 

 Meller, J. Hovey, Hovey &Co., Dr. Howard and othei 



EXHIBITION OF FRUITS. 



From A. D. Williams- fine specimens of Red ai 

 While Currants, and good Black Mulberries. 



From R. S. Mackintosh — Raspberries and Currants. 



From M. P. Wilder— Red Asiracan Apples. 



From J. Lovett — very fine Seedling Currants ai 

 Gooseberries. 



From Samuel Pond — Franconia Raspberries. 



Hovey & Co. — Franconia Raspberries. 



From Geo. Walsh — Pears, without name. Bigare 

 Cherries, and very large Peaches. 



From Wm. Kenrick — good Gooseberries and Blai 

 Currants, 



From Otis Johnson — beautiful specimens of Bla 

 Hamburg and Zinfendel Grapes. 



From J. C. Lee, Salem — very large and fine Swei 

 water and White Frontignac Grapes. 



From John C. Allen — St. Michael's Figs, and spei 

 mens of the Monlmoiency Cherry. 



From J. L. L. F. Warren — Red Antwerp Raspberri. 

 fine Gooseberries, Seedling Raspberries, Warren's Trar 

 parent Cherry, and Tom.itoes. 



From Dr. Howard — While and Red Currants; go 

 and fine large Potatoes. 



From A. Bowditch — several varieties of Gooseberrii 

 For ihe Committee, 



P. B. HOVEY, Jr. 



MUCK— OUR HOBBY. 



The nag has been out to pasture for some weeks, and 

 we have rode only when we could borrow a beast that 

 suited us. But we shell soon take her up and put her 

 to the work again. 



As soon as your hay and grain arc secured, you must 

 prepare to go with us to the mud holes, the swamps, the 

 peal meadows, &c. &c. There you will find some of 

 your besi lands; and there too, will you find the cheap- 

 est means of improving and fertilizing your light and 

 warm uplands. 



[Communicated.] 

 We underst.ind the Massachusetts Horlicultural Soc 

 ty have chosen committees to make arrangements i 

 their Annual Exhibition of Flowers, Fruits and Vege' 

 bias; also, for an address and dinner,at which the ladi 

 are to be invited. Single gentlemen will please ta 

 notice, and govern themselves accordingly. This hi 

 move should not have been so long delayed. No Soi 

 ety that we know of, has so uniformly had the smil 

 and approbation of the ladies as this. Philo. 



THOSE POTATO BLOSSOMS. 

 Have you pulled them off from a few rows, or a fe 

 hills in the potato field, so as to learn at harvest tin 

 what will be the effect ? If you have not, go and do 

 this evening, after you have done work. 



THE HOG-YARD. 



Keep the hogs supplied with muck — it will contribute 

 to their thrift and your own also. 



To Preserve Eggs. — Take 1-2 bushel of quick lime 

 put it in a tub, and slack it with hot water till it becom 

 of the thickness of cream ; then add 3 1-2 lbs. salt ar 

 1-2 lb. cream of tartar. Stir them together ; then sKi 

 your eggs in kegs or barrels, and pour in the preparatu 

 when cold, till Ihe eggs are entirely covered. Tli 

 quantity is enough for one barrel of eggs. If the cask 

 kept tight, the eggs will keep 18 monihs,or perhaps iv 

 years. — Farmers' Jour. 



