318 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



APRIL 13, 1836. 



wmw nsf'SJ&^srsS' ^s-^assaisiBa 



BOSTON. WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL 13, 1S3G. 



Valdable Article on Silk Cdlture. — In this day's 

 paper, (page 314,) we have comiiienced publieliing a 

 communication from tlie Hon. Elijah Vose, President of 

 the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, which gives a 

 new and favorable aspect to the cultivation of silk in N 

 England. From this it appears "That the climate of 

 the norih of France is equally propitious to the cultiva- 

 tion of the silk worm as that of the south." This, to- 

 gether with other information contained in the same 

 article, must be useful as well as agreeable intelligence 

 to the enterprising cultivators, who have undertaken to 

 manufacture silk in the northern sections of the United 



We have also received from the pen of Gen. H. .1. S. 

 Dearborn, an article on the subject of silk, which con- 

 tains a translation of the same " Report by M. Soulange 

 Bodin," given by Mr Vose, as above. This will appear 

 in the Horticultural Register for May. These simulla- 

 neous favors from our highly respectable correspondents, 

 are vtry gratifying, as they evince a laudable solicitude 

 entertained by the abovenamed gentlemen to furnish the 

 American public with the earliest intelligence which 

 promises to be of high importance as a branch of national 

 as well as individual economy. 



O^We have received by the kindness of D. P. King, 

 Esq. a pamphlet containing " Transactions of the Essex 

 Agricultural Society for 1835." This is a valuable 

 work, and we shall take pleasure in transferring to the 

 pages of the N. E. Farmer, many of its articles which we 

 have not already published. 



FARMERS' WORK. 



Field Colture of Peas. — Field peas should gener- 

 ally be sowed as early in the spring as the ground can 

 be put in proper order. The last week in April, or (he 

 first week in May, will answer well in common seasons 

 for sowing this crop. If, however, the soil is a light 

 sandy loam, which is most proper for peas, they may. 

 usually, be put into the ground still earlier to good ad- 

 vantage. 



But when there is reason to apprehend that peas may 

 be infested with bugs, it will be safest to sow them as 

 late as the lOlh of June, Col. VVorthinglon, of Renselaer 

 County, N. Y. " sowed his peas on the 10th of June, six 

 years in succession, and a bug has never been seen in his 

 peas. Whereas his neighbors, who have not adopted 

 this practice, have scarcely a pea without a bug in it. 

 He supposes the season for depositing the eggs o( the 

 pea bug is passed before the peas are in flower."* The 

 late Col. Pickering likewise expressed an opinion that 

 the bug may bo avoided by late sowing, but apprehended 

 that the hot sun in June would so pinch the late sown 

 peas that the crop will be email unless the land be moist 

 as well as rich. 



The ciuanlity of seed, when peas are sowed broad cast, 

 should be from a bushel and a half to three bushels to the 

 acre. It is observed in Deane's New England Farmer, 

 that "our farmers do not commonly allow a sufficient 

 quantity of seed in broad c ist sowing. When peas are 

 sowed thin ihe plants will lie U[ion the ground, and per- 

 haps rot ; when they are thick the plants hold each other 

 up with their tendrils, forming a complete web ; and 

 will have more benefit of the air." Three bushels to the 

 acre rre recommended by Dr Deane. 



•Memoirs of the Board of Agticullure of the State of New 

 York, vol. ii. p. 23. 



Peas are sowed in drills, in field cultivation in this vi- 

 cinity, with success. The distance ofihe rows, and the 

 distance which the peas stand from each other in the 

 rows, depend on the kind of peas sown, and the nature 

 of the soil. Dwarf peas, on a poor soil, should be nearer 

 together than those which grow tall, and are set upon a 

 rich soil. Drilled peas are hoed two or three times, 

 should be earthed up a little, and kept free from weeds. 

 Dr Anderson, and other agricultural writers, say that 

 lime is the best manure for land, which it is intended to 

 sow with peas. 



It has been practised by some to sow peas for the pur- 

 posei of feeding hogs, without the trouble of harvesting 

 the crop. As soon as the pods fill the hogs are turned 

 in to fatten, and what they do not consume is ploughed 

 in as soon as the hogs have left the field. 



APPL.E POMACE. 



A correspondent, who signs " A Subscriber," wishes 

 for information relative to the best method of disposing 

 of pomace from a cider mill. This substance has been 

 used for manure, but in consequence of its acidity is of 

 little value for that purpose. 



A writer, whose communication may be found in the 

 N. E. Farmer, vol viii. p. 357, observes, that " Farmers 

 should save all their pomace, and feed it to their stock; 

 it is even good for cows which give milk, by feeding 

 them with it sparingly a few times at first. I tried it 45 

 years ago, by keeping one cow with pomace principal'y 

 for three months, and two others on good pasture, rowen 

 or hay ; and the pomace cow did as well as either. 1 

 published this experiment several times in the papers, 

 yet great heaps of stinking pomace are seen in many 

 parts of Connecticut every year. If cows eat their fill 

 of apples or pomace, it will at first make them stagger, 

 and they will give much less milk; or if a cow gets to 

 a heap of threshed grain, it is still worse : but we do 

 not throw our grain into heaps and let it rot on that ac- 

 count." 



Another writer says, (see N. E. Farmer, vol. xii. p. 

 170,) " Let pomace be taken from the press and imme- 

 diately spread thin on the barn floorer any out-building, 

 and fed out to stock in the early part of the foddering 

 season, in small quantities dai(y, and I have no doubt but 

 a common cart load is equal in worth to 500 lbs. of hay, 

 then as it passes through cattle, it is certainly good man- 

 ure." It is said that all kinds of stock are fond of it; 

 and some have recommended it as particularly valuable 

 for swine. Apple seeds make excellent food for poultry. 



(For the .New England Farmer.) 



Mr Fessenden : — Sir, As the spirit of enterprise for 

 raising silk seems to have engaged the public mind very 

 extensively in this country, and many persons may be 

 desirous to invest a small capital in so profitable a busi- 

 ness, if they could meet with facilities for so doing, with- 

 out disengaging themselves from their occupations during 

 the first few years, I take the medium of your valuable 

 paper, to make the following statement and advantageous 

 offer. 



An individual, in possession of land well suited to the 

 growth of the mulberry tree, to the extent of 300 acres in 

 the vicinity of one of the moat desirable cities in Connec- 

 ticut, having about 15,000 trees planted out, of 4 years 

 old, and an extensive nursery, together with a cocoonery, 

 and other buildings, calculated to carry ou the business 

 on a large scale, ofters to such persrms as may be desi- 

 rous of profiting by the advantages of an establishment 

 already so completely arranged as to commence opera- 

 tions this season, a share of the business which is con- 

 ducted by a person whose practical knowledge of every 

 branch will ensure to the proprietors as great a profit as 



the most skilful management can produce. It is not the 

 intention of the proprietor to manufacture tlie silk, but 

 merely prepare it reeled in the most superior manner, fit 

 for the loom. For further particulars, reference made to 

 the editor of this paper will be replied to. 



MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULiTURAIi SOCIETY. 



Saturday, April 9. 



A meeting was held at the room of the Society: — The 

 President in the chair, and a large number of members 

 present. 



Mr Walker, from the Flower Committee, presented a 

 report concerning the distribution of the seeds and bulbs 

 lately received ; the same was accepted. He also pre- 

 sented a catalogue of the seeds and bulbs.* 



A letter was read from Mr Maund, of England, accom- 

 panying a volume of the " Botanic Garden," a periodical 

 under his care. The thanks of the Society were voted 

 to him for the sime. 



The chairman of the Executive Committee reported, 

 that a settlement had been effected with the Insurance 

 officea relating to the loss by fire. The same committee 

 charged with obiaiaing a room for the use of the Society, 

 had made diligent search, but not being able to obtain 

 one which on all accounts would suit the purposes of the 

 Society, they had re-engaged the former room till the end 

 of their former lease. 



The Library Committee reported that they liad taken 

 measures to have the damaged books rebound and 

 cleansed, and would see to the procuring of proper cases. 



Mr Bartlett and Mr Oliver were added to the Library 

 Committee. Adjourned to Saturday, four weeks. 



•This Report and Catalogue we must defer till our next. 



(Communication.) 



Mr Editor: — I wish to be informed who is the patentee 

 of Lclaiid's Patent Grater Cider Mill, It is reported that 

 there is no patent for it. It is desirable that the truth 

 should be known, that no person may lie under a false 

 suspicion, if there is a patent, and if there is not, the 

 villain who is swindling the public ought to be exposed. 

 A Subscriber. 



[We would inform ' A Subscriber ' that there is a pa- 

 tent for the Grater Cider Mill, obtained, as appears by 

 the Patent Book issued from the Patent Office at Wash- 

 ington, by a man in New York, and transferred by him, 

 we believe, to its present proprietor.] 



(Communication.) 

 Mr Editor : — Information is requested, through the me- 

 dium of your useful paper, whether it is better to sow oats, 

 or plant corn, or potatoes, on the furrows, (where the 

 sward was turned in last September,) or ci-oss plough it. 

 Also, the best manner of applying the manure — to 

 plough it in, furrow it in, or put it in the hill. 



A Subscriber. 



[nrThe business of the New England Seed Store and 

 N. E. Farmer will be conducted as heretofore, in the name 

 of George C. Barrett, to whose address all orders, &c. 

 may be directed until further notice. 



[TTNotice is hereby given, That the subscriber has 

 been duly appointed Administratrix of the goods and es- 

 tate of GEORGE C. BARRETT, late of Boston, in the 

 county of Suffolk, Merchant, deceased ; and has taken 

 upon herself that trust, by giving bonds, as the laW di- 

 rects. And all persons having demands upon the estate 

 of said deceased are required to exhibit the same ; a nd 

 all persons indebted to the said estate, are called upon to 

 make payment to SUSAN P. BARRETT, Jldmx. 

 April 13. 



