VOL. XIV. XO. 35. 



AND GARDENER'S .1 O U R N A E 



283 



(Prom the Genesee Fnrmer.) 

 IRIIIGATIOM OF MEADOWS. 



Tlio mlviintagcs of this opointion must ho ohvi- 

 ciis to cvfry one wlio has ohservod the hixiiiiaiico 

 of the grass in swales ami low groiituls wliicli 

 are kept moist hy streams; and an additional 

 proof is furnished liy the light erops of hay on 

 dry knolls. The f<illowin}r nreoiuit of a simple 

 and effieaeions mode of performing it, it is copied 

 from SutclilT's 'I'ravels in North America. " In 

 many parts of North America, and particularly in 

 this neiglihorhood, (vicinity of I'hiladelphia,) it is 

 the practice of many farmers to reserve about 15 

 or 20 acres of land for hay, whic!i they continue 

 to mow from one generation to another, many of 

 them laying on hut little or no manure ; but taking 

 the advantage of situation where the land may be 

 easily irrigated or overspread with water from 

 time to time. By this means they obtain heavy 

 crops of grass, without the aid of manure, and 

 thus supply themselves with winter fodder at an 

 easy expense. On inquiring of two very respect- 

 able farmers, they informed me, that, upon an 

 average, they got about two and a half tons per 

 acre, each year, upon this plan. The land usually 

 chosen for this purpose, is not a dead flat or 

 marshy land, but comoionly the two sides of a 

 narrow valley of easy ascent on each hand, having 

 a small stream running through the bottom. — 

 When the land is to be watered, the stream at the 

 upper end of the valley is diverted from its natural 

 bed, and is conducted in narrow channels along 

 each side of the valley, on as high ground as the 

 head of the stream will admit; and by placing 

 obstructions to the current of the streams, in dif- 

 ferent parts of the artificial channels, the water 

 continues to trickle down the sides of the valley, 

 .so as plentifully and regidarly to water the roots 

 of the grass, but not in such quantitise as to cover 

 the herbage.'' 



We observe that some writers recommend the 

 admission of the water upon the meadow not till 

 late in sjiring. This is undoubtedly an error. 

 One of the chief uses of irrigation is to convej', by 

 means of the water, fertilizing matter over the 

 surface, in order to enrich it. Consequently the 

 greatest benefit from this cause, is to be derived 

 when the streams are high and muddy, and filled 

 with fertilizing substances. For the same reason, 

 streams from cow- yards, dung heaps, &c. should 

 be conducted over the surface of irieadows. And, 

 as in many places, our public roads are made of 

 the richest materials, streams filled with their 

 washings may sometimes be turned upon grass 

 lands with the greatest advantage. 



For the same reason also, the water, especially 

 where the artificial stream is of any considerable 

 size, should be conducted by a very gradual de- 

 scent, so as to form a slow current, as it is only 

 then that it deposits the matter which it contains. 

 " If water intended for irrigation moves slowly, 

 It leaves its riches behind it ; if it runs rapidly, it 

 carries away the farmer's riches with it." 



In order that the artificial channels may be 

 made with a regular and very slight descent, an 

 instrument for taking levels is absolutely necessary. 

 This may be a horizontal rod (with points for sight 

 at each end) kept level by means of a plumb line 

 suspended alongside of another rod attached per- 

 pendicularly to the former rod. Or a level may 

 be made with a broad shallovv vessel filled to the 

 brim with water ; this vessel may be supported 

 on a stand made by inverting a staff in a hole in 



the centre of a small squan; hoard ; the ves.sel is 

 placed on this, and may he made level by inserting 

 wedges under it. This will be louiid more con- 

 venient than the former instrument. In using it, 

 it may he placed on a spot of ground three or four 

 feet lower than the intended channel, and, looking 

 across the surface of the water, obs(^rvc the line 

 where it strikes the groimd. Let another persoti 

 place small stakes at convenient distances along 

 thiii line ; and through these stak( s the channel 

 is to be cut. In order, however, that there may 

 be e little descent in the channel, the stakes must 

 be varied accordingly. Another way of using it 

 is to place it at the head of the intended channel, 

 measure its height above the surface of the groimd, 

 and observe at what places on the ground it strikes 

 a mark, on a rod held by another person, at an 

 equal height from the sinface. Another way of 

 taking a level is to make a small dam in the 

 stream, at each end of this dam to insert perpen- 

 dicularly, a stake in the water, so that the top of 

 each may be precisely the same distance above 

 the surface; by looking across the tops of these 

 stakes, the level is determined. 



The water is generally taken from the channel 

 by causing it to overflow the bank, or by removing 

 a |)art of the bank ; a safer and more imiform 

 iriethod of doing it, is to i)lace small beams in the 

 bank with holes in them, through which the water 

 may flow. 



held in Alb.'.ny, on the first 'I hnrsday of February 

 next. 



ISelore the cunveiiiion adjourned, they organi- 

 zed a central committee of corri'S| rmdence, and 

 recommended the formation of anxilliary commit- 

 tees in each of the couiiiIls. — Ball. Farmer. 



New York Agricultural Convention. — A 

 numerously attended agricultural convention met 

 at Albany, New York, on the 8th ult. and appoint- 

 ed the following gentlemen officers, viz : 



J. Buel, of Albany, President; C. Wendell, of 

 Washington, 1st Vice President; J. McCall, of 

 Alleghany, 2d do ; L. Bradish, of Franklin, 3d do ; 

 P. Patterson, of Genesee, 4th do ; D. S. Dickin- 

 son of Broome, and J. J Viele, of Rensselaer, Sec- 

 retaries. 



The convention adopted a report, and memo- 

 rial to the legislature. The resolutions accom- 

 panying and forming a component part of the re- 

 port specify the objects which the convention de- 

 sire to advance. They recommend : 



1st. That the legislature should make an ap- 

 propriation of public money, to excite industry 

 and emulation in agriculture, to reward those who 

 make important discoveries in labor saving ma- 

 chines, or in other departments of husbandry, or 

 who improve or extend useful methofis of culti- 

 vation. 



2d. That the legislature should ofl"er a premium 

 for the discovery of a perfect preventive or reme- 

 dy for the the ravages of the wheat worm. 



3d. That the friends of agricultural improve- 

 ment throughout the state co-operate with the 

 convention in endeavors to obtain the legislative 

 aid asked, and that they form an agricultural so- 

 ciety in each county. 



4th That the existing laws relative to roads 

 and bridges, should be altered and amended. 



5th. That the state agricultural papers should 

 be encouraged. 



6th. That a geological survey of the state 

 should be Inade. 



7th. That |)rovision be made by the legislature, 

 to encourage the growth and manufacture of silk. 



8th. That the elementary books on Agriculture 

 and Horticulture, should be introduced into the 

 ommon schools as reading books. 



9th. That another agricultural convention be 



ll'romtliu li;iUiiii„rel-urmer.| 

 W'e published, sonic momhs since, a descrip- 

 tion of the apparatus used by the Hon. Charles 

 A. Barnitz, of York, Pennsylvania, for boiling 

 food for his stock, and from the deservedly high 

 reputation of that gentleman as a scientific an»l 

 practical farmer, coinliincd with its very moderatt 

 cost, it created no little attention, and we have had 

 several inquiries made of us to know, whether it 

 were possible that efficient fixtures could bo put 

 up fi>r so trifling an amount ; but the most amu- 

 sing of all the inquiries was one built upon a mis- 

 taken construction of that geiilleman's descrip- 

 tion, which, by the bye, was so jilain and easily 

 understood that he that run might read. But to 

 dissolve the doubts built up in the imagination of 

 our correspondent, we arldressed n letter to Mr 

 Harnitz, asking an explanation, which will he 

 found below in the fiirin of a descrijition, and 

 which he gave us with that promptness and cor- 

 diality of feeling which is at once so honorable to 

 the donor and' so grateful to the recipient of favors. 

 For ourself, ami in the name of the agricultural 

 community, whom upon this as upon numerous 

 other occasions ho has benefitted so much, we 

 tender him onr sincere thanks. 



CHEAP BOILING APPARATUS. 



"Take a kettle or vessel of the capacity of for- 

 ty gallons ; (the cast iron kettles are to be had at 

 every hardware store, or foundry) place one of 

 them over a small draft or flue about a foot square, 

 and carf-y the flue up behind the vessil in the 

 shape of a chimney — made so that the greatest 

 possible heat may be in contact at the bottom, and 

 hack part of the kettle. A rough board shed is 

 put round the whole to shelter it, say about eight 

 feet square, and the chimney is tojiped out above 

 the roof of this shed. 



In about two hours a hogshead of slop may be 

 had from boiled ])otatoes, or refuse vegetables, 

 which, with a littje mixture of corn meal and salt, 

 will furnish a day's keep for 40 or 50 pigs, of the 

 most nourishing, healthy and economical kind." 



The expense of this fixture is stated in the for- 

 mer account at .fS, and we would ask, will any 

 farmer or planter, who has any stock worth speak- 

 ing of, to feed, be longer without such a conveni- 

 ence ? If he consults his interest, he certainly 

 will not. There is hardly a farmer in the country 

 that could not set up one himself, and save at 

 least one-third of its expense, so that the cost of 

 it is hardly worthy of being entertained at all. 



Diffusion of Knowledge. — A royal Sardin- 

 ian edict was promulgated, so lately as 1825, 

 which forbade every person from learning to read 

 or write, who could not jirove the possession of 

 property above the value of fifteen hundred livres. 

 To become a student, the possession of an income 

 of the same sum is necessary. 



The barley crop of the town of Pompey, N. Y. 

 is estimated to have yielded the farmers of that 

 town this season, more than $60,00. 



