182 



New ENGLAND F A R M E K 



IiBC. 16, 183 S 



^mw lisfom^isris- m&^^m^m.,. 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, DEC. 16, 1835 



PROSPECTUS. 



Niw E^GLiND F«nMKR «l«D Ga udeheh's JooBtnl-. 



This is a weekly paper, devoted to .Agriculture llnrlicnltnre and 

 Rural l-conomy. 'it is conducted by 'I'hom \s G. FESsEvuE^,as5i-^t- 

 ed by various Asriciiltural wnlerJ, and by tlie observations of many 

 oftliebesliiractic.il lullivalors in the I'niled Stales. Tlie i\ew 

 En'lmd I'armer is printed with a new type on good paper in a 

 quarto form, paged, making a volunii- of 41li pages annually, to 

 wliiili a title pane and index are lumished gratis. 



•lljis Journal has been publislied 13 years, during which lime un- 

 reiniiliiig exertions have been made lo make it acceptable and 

 useful 10 the farmer and gardener. 



At the end of each vear tlie Numbers can be bound, and consti- 

 tute a valuable work, being worth their subscription price as a book 

 ol reference. 



A weekly report of the s.iles at Brighton, the state of the markets, 

 crops, &.C., and occasional drawings of Agricultural Implements, 

 &c,. are given in thi.s Journal. 



The N K. Farmer is published every Wednesday evening at 

 a-! J.O per aunum, payable upon reception of the first Number. 



New subscribers furiiisbed with the back .' umbers of the current 

 volume. 



Postmasters and others who may be disposed to act as Agents, 

 will please to retain 10 per cent of the moneys which they iitoy 

 receive for subscriptions. GEORGE (,'. BAKRElT, fubUsluT. 



Boston, Use. 18:15. 



Editors of Newspapers with whom we exchange, who will assist 

 us by copying the above, will confer a favor which v.'ill be recipro- 

 cated when occasion offers. 



Agricultural Convention. — We understand tliere 

 is to be held at Albiny, on the second Tuesday of Feb- 

 ruary next, a Slate Agricultural Convention. Among 

 the objects to be considered are the est.iblishment of an 

 Agricultural School, the obtaining of funds from the 

 State in aid of Agriculture and the improvements of 

 common schools. 



We cannot omit this fair opportunity of expressing our 

 opinion in favor of the establishment of an •Agriculiural 

 School in Massachusetts, upon such principles as will 

 seeure the interest and patronage of all classes of our cit- 

 izens. 



Remarks on cooking Food for Cattle, the Econ- 

 omy OF Heat, &c. It is a fact not often adverted lo by 

 phibisnphers and chemists, and not well understood by 

 practical econoiiiisls, that water is capable of supplying 

 fond fur animiils as well as plants. Uut in order that 

 water may yield its best and greatest ert'eet as a nutritious 

 a.rticle either for man or beast, it is necessary to increase 

 its powers and affinities by the agency of heal. By this 

 powerlul but invisible analgiimator, ivaler, when united 

 with certain sulislances, mostly "f vegotabie origin, is 

 converted into wholeso:iie, palatable, and solid food. 



It is a fact which will be acknowledged as soon as 

 stated, that a pound of Indian meal, ri e, or any other 

 farinaceous substance, when boiled contains iriore nonr- 

 isliitient ihan several pounds in a raw state. Count 

 Ruinford lias staled, that "From the result of actual 

 experiment it appears, that for each pound of Indian 

 meal employed in making a pudding we may reckon 

 thrcE pounds nine, ounces of the pudding." ' And again, 

 " Three pounds of Indian meal, three quarters of a pound 

 of molasses and one ounce of salt, (in all three pounds, 

 nine ounces of solid food) having been mixed with five 

 pints of boiling water, and boiled six hours, produced a 

 pudding which weighed ten pounds and one ounce." I 

 Thus we gain from the raw materials about 300 percent 

 in weight, and no doubt the gain, as respects the quantity 

 of nutriment contained over and above the component 

 parts as they existed before boiling, is still greater. Tiie 

 gain of weight in rice in consequence of boiling, is more 

 considerable than that of Indian meal, and every one 



nford's Kssays, vol. I, p.258. Bos. cd. t Ibid, p. 264. 



knows that a small quantity of oatmeal will produce a 

 very considerable relative proportion of grUel, 



1 will give another example, lo prove that water is not 

 only capable of being converted by heat and amalgama- 

 tion with other substances into solid nutriment, but may 

 also com[iose a constittwnt pari of sugar, one of the most 

 nutritious of nil substances. It is remarked by De Saus- 

 sure, an eminent chemist, that "As starch, boiled in 

 water with sulpliuiic acid, and thereby changed into 

 sBgar increases in weight wilhoul uniting with any sul- 

 phuric acid, or gas, or without forming any gas, we are 

 under the necessity of ascribing the change wholly to 

 ihe fixation or solidification of water. Hence we must 

 conclude that starch sugar is nothing else than a combi- 

 nation of starch with water in a solid state. The su 1 phu- 

 ric acid is not decomposed or united with the starch as a 

 constituent. Should any still doubt whether water can 

 exist in a solid state, combined with other substances, but 

 not frozen, let liim take the trouble to weigh a small 

 quantity of quicklime, then slake it with water, and ob- 

 serve the increase of weight." 



Braconnet, also celebrated as a chemist, raised vege- 

 tables in pure river sand, in litharge, in flowers of sul- 

 phur, and even among metal or common leaden shot ; 

 and in every instance nothing was employed for their 

 nourishment bul distilled inater. The plants throve, and 

 p.issed through all the usual gradations of growth to per 

 feet maturity. The operator then -proceeded to gather 

 the entire produce, the roots, stems, leaves, pods, seeds, 

 &c. These were accurately weighed, then submitted to 

 distillation, incineration, lixiveation, [leaching,] and the 

 ordinary means used in careful analysis. Thus he ob- 

 tained from these vegetables all the materials peculiar to 

 each individual species, precisely as if it had been culti- 

 vated in its natural soil. He concludes this important 

 paper nearly in these extraordinary words :—" Oxygen 

 and hydrogen, [the constituent parts of water,] with the 

 assistance of solar light, appear to be the only elementa- 

 ry substances employed in the constitution of the whole 

 universe; and nature in her simple progress works the 

 most infinitely diversified effects, by the slightest modi- 

 ration of the means she employs." 



This chemist entertained the opinion founded on ex- 

 periment, that the elements of water composed plants, 

 or vegetable matter. The decay of vegetables produced 

 the materials which constitute the earth; of course, ' the 

 great oinbe and all which it inherits,' so far as natural 

 causes are concerned, may bo products of the modifica 

 lion and fixation of water. ^ 



(To be continued.) 



MASSACHUSETTS HORTICUIiTURAL, SOCIETY, 



J Satunlay, Dec. 12. 



EXHIBITION OF FRUITS. 



Peaks: By E. Vose, President of the Society, Passe 

 Colmar, as usual, very fine. 



From M. H. Ruggles, of Fall River, we have during 

 the past season received several specimens of valuable 

 native fruit. The kind which was this day exhibited 

 was the Borden pear; a small fruit which originated on 

 land of the widow Borden in Tiverton. We cannot 

 speak BO distinctly of the quality of this fruit at this 

 time except that this is evidently a kind which will 

 keep well. 



By Zebedee Cook, Jr. Columbia, or Columbia Verga- 

 lieu a fruit which was sent to him from Messrs Blood- 

 good <fc Co. of Flushing, (see their letter annexed.) 

 This is the same to which allusion was made in the re- 

 portoflasl week. The specimens sent, though described 

 as under the average size, yet were large, the form ob- 

 long contracting towards the summit; the stalk in a de- 



pression, the crown well rounded ; the form somewhat 

 resembling the Harvard, or something like the Napoleon 

 in its form, but much more prolonged ; the size of these 

 sent was that of the Bon Chretien, Williams, or Barllett, 

 as It is usually called with us; the color pale yellow, 

 slightly colored with red next the sun ; the flesh beurre; 

 the flavor fine ; lastly, and what we deem a very impor- 

 tant recommendation, the tree is stated lo be of a kind 

 which produces great crops, and a wish was manifested 

 by several of the cnmmiltee that the further and very 

 accepiable donation of scions of this truly valuable kind 

 might be sent for distribution in the suitable season, from 

 the same liberal source. 



Apples : By Jos P. Bradlee, a variety sent by Wm 

 Federick Hall, of Bellows Falls. A red fruit of medium 

 size and flattened form, and fine pleasant flavor; the 

 name unknown. For the Committee, 



William Kenrick. 



(Letter from Messrs Bloodgood & Co.) 



Flushing, Dec. 2, 1835. 

 Z. Cook, Esq. : Sir, We send by steamboat and rail 

 road a box directed to you, containing four Columbia 

 Vergalieu Pears for exhibition. They are a pear which 

 has been lately introduced to notice, and these sent are 

 very much below their usual size. The original tree is 

 a seedling, about 15 inches in diameter. It is on a farm 

 belonging to Mr Cusser, in West Chester county, 13 

 miles from the city of New York. We saw the Tree 

 yesterday, and also saw a graft from the same 4 inches 

 in diameter, which produced 4 bushels of Pears this year. 

 These were sold in the New York Market for six dollars 

 per bushel. Respectfully yours, 



Bloodgood & Co. 



The Strangorv. — This afflictive, and at some stages 

 of life very common disease, in a great majority of cases 

 is cured by the use of Gum Arabic. Two ounces dis- 

 solved in boiling water, and taken in several successive' 

 draughts, is abundantly sufficient to cure this formidable 

 complaint; it maybe sweetened without lessening the 

 effect. It is believed that even when this disease is 

 connected with the stone, it would be much relieved by 

 this prescription ; at least, it will be harmless in all cases, 

 — JS'antucket Inq. 



A beet, it is said, has been raised at St Joseph's, M. T, 

 three feet three inches long, and Iwo feet three inches in 

 circumference. 



Among the articles imported in the ship Normandy, 

 from Havre, at New York, are 3U0 baskets of potatoes. 



A single tree, in the orchard of Mr Isaac Eastman, of 

 Epsom, Mass. produced the present y ear seventijtwo bush- 

 els of apples. They were gathered late in the season, 

 and carefully measured in the presence of several per- 

 sons : are of large size, very fair, sound, and excellent 

 winter fruit. 



The number of places for the sale of distilled spirits in 

 London, exceeds that of bakers, butchers, and fishmon- 

 gers, added together. 



To cure the Dysentery, boil a pint of milk, which 

 thicken with an egg ; add one large spoonful of salt, and 

 the same quantity of allspice. 



The monster Cowan was hung at Cincinnati, Nov. 27, 

 in afield near .Mill Creek. Tliere vvere twenty thousand 

 persons present, one fourth of whom were females who 

 had come the distance of from twenty to thirty miles. 

 He addressed the multitude; affected bravery, but quail- 

 ed at the last moment. He struggled five minutes on 

 the gallows before life was extinct. 



