14 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



JULY 33, lSI3f . 



SFSJW 5isr<s3£.i;i.sni> sf^sassisii^i^a 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JULY 22. 1835. 



FARMERS' WORK FOR JULY. 



SODRCES OF DISEASE AND FOOD FOR PlANTS. — A 



good and industrious cultivator will attend to making 

 the most of such vegetahle and animal substances as are 

 too often suffered to waste away, and instead of becom- 

 ing food for plants are converted into poison for ani- 

 mals. Anything and cvciything capable of decompo- 

 sition, which remains above ground in that state of de- 

 cay in whicii it smells disagreeably is not only wasting 

 manure, but giving out poison, and rendering the air 

 we breathe, not only noisome, bbt more or less pesti- 

 lential. It is so ordered by a kind Providence that 

 sources of disease are indicated by offensive smells or 

 effluvia, and if we will not make use of means to coun- 

 teract or anuihilate the causes, we must suffer the con- 

 sequences of breathtng a tainted, sickly, deadly mi.xture 

 of fcelid gases, instead of the pure oxygen and nitro- 

 gen, &c., which constiiute the only air, which is fit for 

 the purposes of respiration. * 



But by what means shall we arrest, or counteract the 

 effects of the effluvia, which emanate from animal 

 and vegetable decomposition f We will give you pre- 

 scriptions, or recipes from a certain celebrated agricul- 

 luiist for this purpose : 



In an excellent " Essay on Calcareous Manures, by 

 Edmund Ruffin,'' Editor of the Farmer's Register, it is 

 recommended to make use of calcareous earth as a rem- 

 edy for the evils and to secure the" benefits of animal 

 and vegetable putrefaction. This writer observes that 

 " Calcareous earth, or carbonate of livic, is lime combin- 

 with carbonic acid, [formerly called fixed air,] and may 

 be converted into pure or quick lime by heat, and quick 

 lime by exposure to the air, soon leturns to its former 

 state of calcareous earth. It forms marble, limestone, 

 chalk, and shells with very small admixture of other 

 substances." " 



" Calcareous earth has power to preserve those ani- 

 mal matters, which are most liable to waste, and which 

 give to the sense of smell full evidence when they are 

 escaping. Of this a striking example is furnished by 

 on experiment, which was made with care and atten- 

 tion. The carcass of a cow, that was killed by acci- 

 dent in May, was laid on the surface ol the earth, and 

 covered with about sevi nty bushels of finely divided 

 fossil shells and earth, (mostly siliciousj their propor- 

 tions being as thirtysixof calcareous to sixty four of sili- 

 cious earth. After the rains had settled the heap it was 

 only six inches thick over the highest part of the car- 

 cass. The process of putrefaction was so slow, that 

 several weeks passed before it was over, nor was it ever 

 so violent as to throw off any effluvia that the calca- 

 reous earth did not intercept in its escape, so that no of- 

 fensive smell was ever perceived. In October the whole 

 heap was carried out and applied to one-sixth of an 

 acre of wheat, and the effect pioduced far exceeded 

 that of calcareous manure alone, whicli was applied at 

 the same rate on the surrounding land. No such pow- 

 er as this experiment indicated (and which 1 have re- 

 peated in various modes and always with the like re- 

 sults) will be expected from clay. 



" Quick lime is used to prevent the escape of offen- 

 sive effluvia from animal .natter, but its operation is en- 

 tirely different from that of calcareous earth. The 

 former effects its object by eating or decomposing the 

 animal substance (and nearly destroying it as manure) 

 before putrefaction iegins. The operation of calca- 



* Page 9. 



reous earth is to moderate and retard, but not to pre- 

 vent putrefaction." * 



The same able writer, in chapter xix. p. 62, Vecom- 

 mends calcareous earth " to preserve putrescent ma- 

 nures, and to promote cleanliness and health in towns.' 

 In this he states as follows : 



" In the neighborhood of towns, or wherever else 

 the carcases of animals or any other animal substances, 

 subject to rapid and wasteful fermentation, can be ob- 

 tained in great quantity, all their enriching powers 

 might be secured by depositing them between layers of 

 marl, or calcareous earth in any other form. On the 

 borders of Chowan, immense quantities of herrings are 

 often used as manure, when purchasers cannot take off 

 the myriads supplied by the seines. A herring is 

 buried under each corn hill, and fine crops are made as 

 far as this singular mode of manuring is extended. IJut 

 whatever benefits may have been thus derived, the 

 sense of smelling, as well as the known chemical pro- 

 ducts of the process of animal putrefaction, make it cer- 

 tain that nine-tenths of all this rich manure, when so 

 applied, must be wasted in the air. If those who fortu- 

 nately possess this supply of animal manure would 

 cause the fermentation to take place and be completed, 

 mixed with and enclosed by marl, in pits of a suitable 

 size, they would increase prodigiously both the 

 amount and permanency of their acting animal manure, 

 besides obtaining the benefit of the calcareous earth 

 mixed with it." 



HIGH GROU3SD FOR MULBERRY PLAKTA- 

 TIONS. 



Capt. A Ilolcomb, of Sterling, Mass., has a fine or- 

 chard of mulberry trees 40 years old, upon which he 

 is this year feeding his silk worms, which are very 

 thriving. Capt. Holcomb's farm is situated on high 

 lands, and the white mulberry and Morus Multicaulis 

 have withstood the severity of the last winter extreme, 

 ly well, while in low grounds they have been cut off. 



RAIL ROAD FROM BRATTLEBOROUGH TO 

 WORCESTER. HARTFORD, AND BOSTON. 



A large and respectable meeting was held at lirattle- 

 borough, Vt. on the 14th inst. to take into considera- 

 tion the construction of a Rail Road from that place to 

 Hartford in Connecticut. Deacon John Holbrook was 

 chosen President, C. Chapin, Secretary, and Messrs J. 

 C Holbrook, Charles Chapin, and J. D. Bradley a com- 

 mittee of correspondence. A more general meeting 

 for the .«ame purpose is proposed to be held next month 

 al Springfield, Mass. When the Rail Roads now com- 

 pleted and those projected shall go into full operation, 

 says tire Vermont Phoenix, " the passage at the present 

 rale of travelling on American Rail Roads may be made 

 from Brattleborough to New York in twelve 'hours, or 

 by daylight! — to Hartford in 4^ hours, or to Boston 

 via Springfield and Worcester in 8 or 9 hours at the ex- 

 tent, so that we may breakfast at home and aine in 

 Boston, or sup in Newburyport the same day." 



It is unnecessary to expatiate on the advantages 

 which will result from the execution of this project. 

 Any man of common sense, and a middling share of 

 information must perceive its utility and practicability. 

 A Railroad saves time, annihilates space, makes gravity, 

 distance and other impediments to transportation scarce- 

 ly worth consideration in making out the curren{ 

 prices of articles in the market. It strengthens and 

 briffhtens the links of social intercourse. By virtue of 

 Rail Roads Boston and Brattleborough may shake 

 hands; Worcester and Springfield join our family cir- 



Pago J). 



cle ; New York will be our near neighbor, entitled U, 

 tickets to our concerts and tea-parties. Rail Roads are 

 long arms of affection, which enable city and country 

 to embrace, and fulfil the great command " to love one 

 another." We htjreby promise our Brattleborough 

 friends that we will make ihem a morning call as soon 

 as they will give us a Rail Road to ride on. 



MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



rneiTs exhibited. 



Saturday, July 18, 1835. 



Currants. — By S. Whitney — Large white Currants. 



By Thomas Mason, of the Charle-town Vineyard — 

 Large Red Currants— also large White Currants. All 

 the specimens of currants exhibited today were re- 

 markably large and fine. 



Raspberries.— By Mr Mason— A"ew Red Grape Rasp- 

 beiry, so called. A very large, new and fine variety 

 and evidently very productive. 



Gooseberries. — By L. L. F. Warren, from his garden 

 in Brighton — Roaring Lion, and a variety of other 

 kinds, all large. 



By S. Walker. — Roaring Lion, Whitesmith, Hopley's 

 Globe, Waiting Maid, Lancashire Lad, Top Sav/yer. 

 The Gooseberries exhibited by Mr Walker were as 

 usual very large and fair. 



This fruit has been too much neglected with us. In 

 highly cultivated ground very great and profitable crops 

 may be produced. TI.ey should be planted in a rich 

 soil and airy situation, and they do well in the shade. 



The common native Gooseberry is very sweet, and 

 differs much from that of Europe, and without doubt 

 with the same pains to improve this kind as has been 

 used with the European, many native varieties of su- 

 perior excellence might be prodncid. 



For the Committee, William Kenkick. 



Mr Vail Moiis' Doiialinii of Fruits. 



Our readers are referred to the first page of this day's 

 paper for a valuable article by Mr VV. Kenrick, rela- 

 tive to new and improved varieties of fruits nceived 

 from the above named celebrated hoiticultuiist of,, Bel- 

 gium, who has frequently shown his kindness arid re- 

 spect to our countrymen and his disposition to oblige 

 the cultivators of one of our most valuable products. 



At VVinships establishment, Brighton , may bi.' seen 

 in full bloom, a Yucca Superbum gloriosa, containing 

 more than two hundred lily flowers, resemblincr white 

 tulips or lilies, and is a magnificent production. It is 

 ten feet in height. 



FANliUIL HALL VEGETABLE MARKET, 



WTEDNESDAY,' JULY 22. liS35. 



Our Market is now abundantly supplied with every 

 vegetable of the season, and though somewhat later are 

 with few exceptions better than usual. Afier wh:it has 

 been felt, and seen, and heard of the •' backward sniing" 

 we were led to expect a most beggarly harvest, but 

 thanks to our skilful and indefatig.ible cultivators we 

 are agreeably disappointed. 



Beans 7.5 cts. per busiel, Peas 7.5 ets. per bushel, 

 BeetsG cts. a bunch. Carrots C cts, per bunch, Cucum- 

 bers 25 to 37^ a dozen, ('abbages ti cts. a hiad, New 

 Poiatues $1,25 a bushel. Onions G 'cts. a bunch. Tur- 

 nips Gets, a bunch. Tomatoes, Scollop Squashe- 17 cts. 

 a dozen. 



Fruit. Strawberries 25 cts. a box, Cherries 10 c s. a 

 quart, Blueberries 124 cts. a quart. Currants (i.l cts a 

 quart. Pears $4 a bushel. 



