290 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



MARCH as, 1836. 



inowiii!; or pasture. The wash from the yard, 

 previous to its bning used tor floating, (.rojeeds, 

 by means of carriage jrutters, to the lands to be 

 frriuated. It is theuoe distributed into successive 

 KiK-zag trenches, which are carried across tlie lauds 

 wiiich.the line of level iiursucs. This form of 

 trenching is adopted in order to keep an equal 

 level across the ridges and furrows, which the 

 former state of constant ploughing has left irregu- 

 lar on the sidea and slopes of the declivities, so 

 that the trenches may be of no greaier depths or 

 dimensions in the ridges thau in the adjacent fur- 

 rows ; and that each level may, when charged 

 with water, discharge it equally over the lowest 

 edge of the trench, from one end to the other, at 

 one and the same time. The gutters which are 

 cut in this first field are, at the end where they 

 receive the water from th3 carriage gutter, eight 

 inches wide at the top and six inches deep, sharp 

 at the bottom, or of no breadth, gradually ta|ier- 

 ing to the extremity, where it is no more than four 

 inches wide and four inches deep: they are cut 

 across the declivity of the field, at the distance of 

 ten or fifteen yards from each other. The sod 

 taken from a gutter of this sort is prismatic or 

 wcdge-liki; and one of the largest, at the end 

 adjoining the carriage gutter, is retained and used 

 for a stO|), and placed either in the collateral level, 

 or the carriage gutter, as occasion may require; 

 the others have been chopped to pieces, and spread 

 in the furrows, in order to make the field more 

 level. Where not wanted to level hollow, or low 

 places they should be carri.-d into heaps and 

 mixed with dung for a compost. There is no part 

 of any gutter raised by the stuff taken out, and 

 therefore the mower meets no more obstruction 

 than he did previous to their being cut. 



METHOD OP FLOATING THE FIELDS. 



" When it rains, the reservoir.s are pounded up 

 as high as they can be, without injury to the yard, 

 whilst the rains from the other side of the build- 

 ings, including the wash from the wash-house, 

 pigetyes, necessaries, &c. are collected into one 

 glitter or deep ditch, and turned into the first level 

 by the stop ; which level becomes thus filled from 

 end to end, and flows down the declivity of the 

 field ; but the tendency the water has to ipiit the 

 ridges makes it necessary to cut a small channel 

 in each ridge, two inches wide, and two inches 

 deep. After passing over the slope, or part im- 

 mediately below the first level, it is again collected 

 by the second level, and dispersed over its flat ; 

 and in the same manner over the third, fourth, 

 &.C. levels. But when the water J3 wanted for 

 another meadow, one of t^e levels suitable thereto, 

 becomes a collecting gutter, and by a proper 

 removal and management of the stops, its contents 

 are poured through the gateways into the field for 

 wl>ich they were demanded. v 



"Thus each level and field if alteruately man- 

 aged as occasion requires; and. one or two days 

 after the rain shall have ceased or abated, when 

 the surface of the field appears dry, the reservoirs 

 of black thick water are let out and distributed 

 where they are needed most. The reason why 

 tliese were not let out sooner was, the quantity of 

 rain hap[iening to fall, might iierhaps have carried 

 it ofl" over the ground ; and the reason why it 

 should not be used later, or in dry weather, is, the 

 ground is then open and porous, and the reservoirs 

 do not hold a sufiicient quantity to reach far upon 

 the field. 



"Thus it appears that a due observance of the 

 declivity and points of distribution, will render 

 the same gutters and trenches, duly managed by 

 the stops, alternately works of irrigation and 

 drainage ; and a similar attention to the stops, will 

 either distribute the water through the successive 

 levels, or partially to any which you would use 

 for irrigating by the continuance of the carrier 

 trench, and turning off the needless levels of the 

 time. 



" The declivity allowed to these levels is an 

 inch to every ten rods; this is sufficient to carry 

 forward the water through its virions variations. 

 Hence you may either flow the whole levels and 

 fielils in succession, or you may flow the fields in 

 rotation, according to the number of them which 

 are connected with your works." 



In other fields, on the estate of Mr Fenna, we 

 find he contrives to collect water in the time of 

 rains, from all the grounds which lay upon a 

 higher level than those which he designs to irri- 

 gate. This method should indeed be observed in 

 all cases of irrigation ; for by means of suitable 

 catch-water drains along the sides of more elevated 

 lands, leading to reservoirs dug on eligible sites, 

 it is very practicable to irrigate lands, either with 

 simple or compound liquid, although there be no 

 other water to resort to than that which falls from 

 the heavens. 



If it is profitable in the wet and cold climate of 

 England to be at the trouble and expense of con- 

 structing reservoirs, as done by Mr Fenna, and 

 this for imperfect irrigation, will it be believed 

 that this mode of improvement cannot be bene- 

 ficially practised in this country, even at consid- 

 erable outlay, particularly under the superior 

 advantages which almost all our farmers possess? 

 Or will facts justify a general denunciation of the 

 .system as "too expensive for our scale of hus- 

 bandry," extending to those cases in which the 

 cost would be but little more than nominal .' 



(To be continued.) 



learned they were, the more they would be unfit- 

 ted for the occupation of a farmer. Mistaken, yet 

 too common Education 1 and in it we see the 

 great cause why the farmer does not rank higher 

 in the grades of society, and his influence more 

 felt in th ! councils of the nation. — Gen. Far. 



Plumbago. — This mineral is found in consid- 

 erable quantities in various parts of the United 

 States. A mine of it was discovered not long 

 since on the farm of Franklin Pearce in HiUsboro', 

 N. H. Plumbago is a very useful mineral, and is 

 used for a variety of purposes. The finer parts 

 are first boiled in oil, and then cut into tables or 

 l)cncil3 ; the coarser ])arts, and the refuse of the 

 sawings, are melted with sulphur, and cast into 

 coarse [leucils for carpenters. It is also used for 

 brightening and preserving grates and oven.s from 

 rust, for painting the roofs of buildings, and on 

 account of its greasy quality, for diminishing the 

 friction in machinery. Crucibles also are fre- 

 quently made with it, and resist greater degrees 

 of heat, and have more tenacity and expansibility 

 than those manufactured with the usual clay mix- 

 tures. 



Farmers. — It is notorious that_a large propor- 

 tion of farmers are unsuccessful in their business. 

 And why is this waut of success ? May we not 

 see it in the fact that they are ignorant in the great 

 principles of their own business? And why 

 ignorant of these great principles? Perhaps 

 through the force of early education, — they may 

 never bave been taught that it could be useful to 

 them in after-life, or that it could promote their 

 happiness to bring science in aid of their labor, or 

 they may even have been taught that the more 



Manufacture of Cut Glass. — The manufac- 

 ture of cut glass has, within a few years, much 

 increased and improved in this country, and arti- 

 cles little if any inferior in quality to the English, 



e turned out from our factories in abimdance. 

 The most extensive establishment is at Sandwich, 

 Mass. a statistical description of which is given in 

 the Barnstable Patnot. This one factory con- 

 sumes iveekly of [lig lead, (first manufactured into 

 oxide of lead,) 10,800 lbs; pcarlash, 8,500; salt 

 petre, 1400; tiilex, ten tons, and clay of the finest 

 kind five tons. From this it will be seen what 

 heterogeneous materials are combined to produce 

 one of the most lieantiful products of human art. 



A large portion of the glass manufactured in 

 Sandwich finds a ready sale in foreign countries. 

 A set of rich cut glass is now in hand for the 

 King ol Muscat. The demand for cut g ass door 

 knobs — a great improvement ujion the brass or 

 plated — is yearly increasing. To give a still 

 fuller idea of the extent of this factory, it is 

 stated, that the making of packages keeps many 

 hands employed, six thousand large casks being 

 required annually. Two hundred tons of pack- 

 ing straw are used every year. Two packets are 

 ■constantly plying between the factory and Boston, 

 transporting glass ware. The number of jiersous 

 employed may be inferred from the fact, that the 

 families attached to the factory consume in a year 

 eighteen hundred barrels of flour, and nearly a.s 

 much corn, besides thousands of bushels of |;ota- 

 toes. Four or five vessels find constant employ- 

 ment in bringing Richmond coal to the works. — 

 Bait. Amtr. 



Chinese Mulberry We are now convinced 



that plants of the Chinese mulberry may be repro- 

 duced by seed, contrary to the opinion we ex- 

 pressed in the fourth number. Facts have sinco 

 come to our knowledge which leave us no longer 

 in doubt that the Morus Multicaulis is a distinct 

 species, and consequently susceptible of propaga- 

 tion from seed. A new theory has also been 

 started in relation to it which we think both cor- 

 rect and important in a practical point of light. 

 This theory was suggested by Dr II. C. Beardslee 

 of Monroe, in a communication published in our 

 eighth number, and has since been confirmed by 

 the observations and experiments of several prac- 

 tical cultivators. The theory is, that plants from 

 the seed are more hardy tl;an those from slips, 

 and consequently less liable to be destroyed l)y 

 the severity of northern winters. 



It is also rational to suppose that plants removed 

 from colder to warmer climates will succeed bet- 

 ter than those removed in the contrary directions. 

 Hence it should be an invariable rule to transport 

 trees from north to south without reference to 

 convenience or expense. — Silk Cul. 



Lumber. It is calculated there will be sawed, 



the current year, at least 150,000,000 feet of boards 

 on the Penobscot river alone. These boards will 

 sell at the mills (or about three millions of dollars. 

 — Times. 



