406 



NE\V ENGLAND FARMER, 



JUNE 29, 18.!6. 



^nw Jisf^iL^s?®" m^^m^mii 



UOSTON. WEDNESDAY EVENINC;, JUNE 22, 1B36. 



coNTE iupi.ate:d improvements in the 



NEW ENGtiANU FARMER. 



As we are now tlrawing near the close o." the four- 

 teenth volume of the JVe»o England Farmer, it may not 

 be amiss nor unexpected for ns to make a few remarks 

 relative to the situation and prospects of the paper, 

 which we conduct, and otir hopes and intentions in re- 

 gard to its future increased utility. The lamented death 

 of Mr Barrett, proprietor of the N. E. Fanner, Seed 

 store. He. together with the subsequent intervention of 

 several weeks in which want of health was added to 

 embarrassing avocations, rendered it impossible for the 

 Editor to give the several publications under his super- 

 intendance (to wit JVeis England Farmer, Horticultural 

 Register, and Silk Manual) the attention which was due 

 to these periodicals. Prospe«s are now favorable to 

 our being able to bestow on " Pursuils of the Press " a 

 less divided and more unieuiittiug attention; and if we 

 have not altogether disappointed the reasonable expec- 

 tation of our friends and patrons, we hope in future ef- 

 forts to deserve more unqualified approbation. 



Among other plans for rendering the N. E. Farmer 

 more acceptable and useful, the conductor proposes to 

 avail himself of the advantages, which the Boston Athe- 

 neum, and other repositories of useful information, in 

 this city present, to obtain and give to his readers noti- 

 ces, descriptions, patent specifications of machines, in- 

 ventions, improvenienls, &c. iVc, calculated to promote 

 the progress of useful arts, or prove beneficial to the ru- 

 ral economist. We shall seek information on those 

 topics from every available source, such as Registers 

 and Repositories of Arts, Philosophical Journals, Scien- 

 tific Reviews, &c. &c published on the eiliier side of the 

 .^llanlic, and from time to lime give the result of our re- 

 searches, in t!ie N. E. Farmer, under the head of 



USEFUL ARTS. 

 Patent for a Composition to prevent the Jlbsorp: 'are of 



Oils by iDood ; MatJianiel Hiithamay, Fairhavvn, Bris- 

 tol County, Massackusctts, May 22, 1835. 



The Patentee claims the application of glue to pre- 

 vent the absorption of animal and fish oil by wood, 

 whether used alone or ciunbined with the ingredients 

 aforenamed, and whether those ingredients are used in 

 the proportions set forth, or in other and different pro- 

 portions." 



Glue has been used between the staves of oil casks, to 

 prevent the leakage, which otherwise takes place, and a 

 faw years ago this application was made the subject of u 

 patent. The effect of glue in this particular is so well 

 known, that had any one inquired of us how to prevent 

 the absorption of oil by wood, we should have said 

 " saturate it with glue," and that without supposing we 

 were telling a secret. 



The composition referred to by the patentee is two 

 pounds of glue dissolved ; one quarter of a pound or 

 whale's foots; one quarter of a pound of bright varnish, 

 and one quarter of a pound of rosin, melted together and 

 combined by stirring, adding thereto a sufficient quantity 

 of water to give it a proper consistence. The composi- 

 tion it is said is more easily used than the glue alone, as 

 it will continue longer limpid.— Journal of the Frank- 

 lin Institute, Vol. XXI, p. 400 



Remedy AGAINST Ants AND Spiders. — Mr Clutter- 

 buck, Jr. of Watford washed the walls of his hot house 

 with a painter's brush dipped in a solution made of four 



ounces of corrosive sublimate in two gallons of water; 

 and since that application, neitlierthe red spider against 

 which the remedy was employed, nor ants have made 

 their appearance. — Dom. Ency. 



To preserve hams, or other smoked meat through the 

 summer. — ■ Wrap up the meat in tow or other fla.x or 

 hemp, after shaking out tlie loose shive.s, inJ pack it in 

 a tierce or barrel, taking care that there be next to the 

 tierce and between every piece of meat, a thick layer of 

 tow picked as close as possible; then set it away in a 

 dry cellar or upper room. It is enough that the bairel 

 or tierce be sufficient to keep the mice out, as no fly or 

 insect will enter the tow. 



Tow and flax are such bad conductors of heat that a 

 piece of ice will be preserved a long lime wrapped up in 

 tow. Cut straw also answers extremely well to keep 

 ham in. Ashes are apt to communicate a bad taste to 

 meat. Care should be taken tp prevent the flies from 

 having access to the meat before it is packed away. 



Another way to preserve hams is to pack them down 

 in oats. Those practising this mode of preserving their 

 ham free from skippers or laint of any kind, should be 

 careful that the chest or cask be perfectly tight, raised 

 about six inches from the ground, and the oats packed 

 in perfectly tight.— .Archives of Useful Knowledge. 



MASSACHUSETTS HORTICUI.TURAI, SOCIETY 



Saturday, June 18, ;t3K. 



EXHIBITION OF FEOWERS. 



From S. Sweetser,a bouquet of flowers containing, 

 Lopiiospermum, Calampclis, Echium, Asclepias, Fuch- 

 sias, Ac. with numerous kinds of elcjant new gerani- 

 ums, among which, were Regulator, Yeatmaninnum, 

 Q.ueen of Scots, Speciossima and others 



From S.Walker, superb Seedling Violas; named Othel- 

 lo and Village Maid were the finest we have ever seen, 

 and deserves to be in every good collection ; Bows 

 Claudius and other pinks; also, Astrantia, Lychnis, 

 f raxinell a (White^ Stalices, White Rockets, Irises, 

 &c. 



Frotn the Messrs VVinship, Boursalt Roses, Harrison's 

 yellow and new Florida rose (similar to, or synonymous 

 withsR.. Calypso of the French catalogues.) 



Fj'jm Hovey & Co., Oriental poppies, Pehstemons, 

 PJiloxes, Veronicas, Calceolarias, Ranunculuses, Gera- 

 niums, Paeonia siberica, Sophora, Violas, &c. 



FromT. Lee, Esq Lupinus Polyphyllus, Eschscholtzia, 

 Rose Irene, Pentslemons and Tagetes lucida. 



A meeting of the Horticultural Committee was liolden 

 at the Society's room this day and Mr S. Walker chosen 

 Chairman. 



For the Comiuitlec, 



C. M. HOVEY, 

 Saturday, June 2,5, 1830. 

 From S. Walker, Bow's Claui^ius, and Robinson's Nav- 

 irino pinks; both elegant; Double White Rockets, Pae 

 oniaWhittlejii, Roses, Phloxes, Ij-ises, Glaucium, Chi- 

 nere larkspur, Spir.-eas, &c. ; Othello, Village Maid, 

 Maculatum, and other fine Violas. 



From Hovey & Co., Pajonia, Whittlejii, Campanula 

 aggregata, Phloxes, Geraniums, Pentstemons,* Gaillar- 

 dia, &c. &e. &c. ; Also, River's George the IV. rose 

 the now crimson Boursalt, and Spiraia bella. 

 For the Committee, 



C. M. HOVEY. 



6TRAWBF,RBIES. 



Five Boxes of Keen's Seedlings from T. Hastings 

 Cambridgport. 



Two boxes of Methven Castle from Joseph Warren, 

 Brighton. 



Two boxes Keen's Seedling and Methven Castle from 

 E. Vose, Dorchester. The product of a cross between 

 Keen's Seedling and the Methven. 



A basket of New Seedlings from Messrs Hovey, (very 

 fine.) Tlie exhibition this day was decidedly superior 

 to any heretofore e> hibiled on the Society's tables. 



Also an Apple from Mr Jona. Warren, Weston ; name 

 unknown, said to bo a great keeper. 

 For the Committee, 



B. V. FRENCH. 



Texas.— A letter dated Volasco, May, 24lh, says: 

 " We have General Santa Anna still with us asapris- 

 oner, and I believe he will yet remain so for some time. 

 He has, however, made a compact with the Texan gov- 

 ernment, the basis of which is the evacuation of the ter- 

 ritory to the Rio Grande — a solemn pledge under oath 

 not to take up arms against Texas — delivery of tho 

 prisoners— and the liberty of Santa Anna himself wheo 

 the government of Texas shall deem it expedient. 

 The people arc much incensed against him, and the 

 government has with difiiculty saved his life." 



Tlie New Orleans Bee, of the 10th inst. says : As a 

 proof that the affairs of Texas are restored to compara. 

 tive tranquility, we have been informed by a letter dat- 

 ed Lynchburgh, Texas, 21st of May, that lands which 

 previously could scarcely realize 1 dollar an acre, are 

 now selling readily for 4 to 5, Speculation produced 

 war ; and will follow peace ; but it is not very safe to 

 invtest capital in Texas Iand8 — Daily Times. 



Creek Wah. — This war, if we are to believe the 

 last reports, is about to become amalgamated with thai of 

 theSeminoles in Florida. A body of 2000 Creeks, it 

 will be recollected, recently crossed the Chattahoochis 

 on their way to join Osceola. A letter from Quincy in 

 Florida, says ; "An express has just arrived whicli 

 brings us the inlelligenoe that the Creeks are crossing 

 the Withlacooche below Fort Gaines. Their number 

 is two thousand, headed by a Seminole chief Thomp- 

 son and Decatur counties are almost deserted. If this 

 intelligence should prove true, tha Seminoles will give 

 us a hard campaign." 



A letter dated Savannah, June 17, says : " We have 

 just received by the western mail, news of a battle fought 

 between a party of 200 Indians and about 100 whites, in 

 which tho Indians although having a good number kill- 

 ed, ssy about 40 or 50 made the whites retreat with a 

 pretty severe loss on their part. But after retreating in- 

 to the Forts they vvere reinforced and made a sortie and 

 the Indians fled in every direction. Gen. Scott has been 

 quite unwell, but has lately recovered so as to bo able to 

 go out of his room. He has received a challenge from 

 Major Raid, whom he (Scott) called a coward, and it is 



exiected that a duel will be the consequence. Daily 



Times. 



Gen. Houston lefl New Orleons on the 9th inst. to re- 

 sume the command of the Texan army. He took pass- 

 age in the steamer Caspian for Natchitoches, but her cyl- 

 inder head blew out the following morning, which de- 

 jained her several days.— -/A. 



The unusual fall of rain on the-20lh inst., produced a 

 breach in tho Erie Canal sbout nineteen miles east of 

 Ulica, a little above Rankin's Lock. The canal gave 

 way about 6 P. M. of the 20th, and was repaired and 

 water let in on the morning of the second, occasioning a 

 delay of the navigation of about forty hours.— /i. 



