No. 5. 



Magnesian Lime. — The Backwoodsman. 



155 



ties for agricultural purposes, we must re- 

 sort to beds of stone containing it, if any 

 such are to be found. The cost therefore of 

 this kind of lime, cannot be much less than 

 that of the common magnesian variety, for 

 in both cases the principal value or cost of 

 the article, is the labour and fuel employed 

 in its production. Now, if we suppose that 

 four times as much of the pure, as of the 

 magnesian, may be used at a dressing, it will 

 evidently cost nearly, or prehaps quite, four 

 times as much in the one case as the other. 

 But will there be four times the benefit, pre- 

 sent or prospective, derived from the pure 

 lime as from the magnesian'? Because, after 

 all our discussions, this is the point most in- 

 teresting to the practical farmer. Accord- 

 ing to Sir. Webb's doctrine, there ought to 

 be even a greater difference than the above. 

 To the farmer we must refer the point for a 

 satisfactory solution. 



Should Mr. Webb even succeed in estab- 

 lishing the position, that magnesia is delete- 

 rious to vegetation, I cannot perceive what 

 relevancy it would have to the subject in 

 hand. It is not about the properties of mag- 

 nesia, but of magnesian lime, that we are 

 inquiring. In the latter case, the magnesia 

 is in a state of intimate union, perhaps of 

 chemical combination, with the lime. In 

 this state it may produce effects, that neither 

 of its constituents would do singly. It is 

 altogether uncertain, whether if the two 

 earths were mixed together artificially, in 

 the proportions found in nature, they would 

 produce the same effect as the native mag- 

 nesian lime does. Bodies chemically com- 

 bined, often possess very different properties, 

 from their constituents, — sometimes more ac- 

 tive, sometimes more inert, — and in this 

 state may be capable of entering into fur- 

 ther combinations, which their constituents 

 are not. The combination of lime and mag- 

 nesia may neutralize some acid, — exert some 

 pulverizing power on the soil, or some quick 

 ening or solvent power on inert vegetable 

 matter, which neither of its constituents 

 would do singly. These questions, however, 

 are but of secondary importance to the farm 

 er. The great leading one is, the compara- 

 tive value of the two articles as a manure 



S. Lewis. 



Pottsville, Nov. 24, 1842. 



It is stated in the New England Farmer, 

 that B. V. French, Esq. of Braintree, Mass., 

 raised more than 22 tons of white carrots 

 per acre. And lie thinks that subsoil plough- 

 ing his land in the spring of 1841, contri- 

 buted very much to increase the crop of 

 1842. 



The Backwoodsman. 



BY EPHRAIM PEABODT. 



The silent wilderness for me! 



Where never sound is heard, 

 Save the rustling of the squirrel's foot, 



And the flitting wing of bird, 

 Or its low uninterrupted note, 



Or the deer's quick crackling tread, 

 And the swaying of the forest boughs, 



As the wind moves overhead. 



I stand upon the mountain's top, 



And (solitude profound!) 

 Not even a woodman's smoke curls up 



Within the horizon's bound. 

 Below, as o'er its ocean breadth 



The air's light currents run, 

 The wilderness of moving leaves, 



Is glancing in the sun. 



I look around to where the sky 



Meets the far forest line, 

 And this imperial domain — 



This kingdom — all is mine. 

 This bending heaven — these floating clouds 



Waters that ever roll— 

 And wilderness of glory, bring 



Their offerings to my soul. 



My palace, built by God's own hand, 



The world's fresh prime hath seen ; 

 Wide stretch its living halls away. 



Pillared and roofed with green. 

 My music is the wind that now 



Pours loud its swelling bars, 

 Now lulls in dying cadences; — 



My festal lamps are stars. 



Though when, in this my lonely home. 



My star-watched couch I press, 

 I hear no fond "good night"— think not 



I am companionless. 

 O no ! I see my father's house, 



The hill, the tree, the stream, 

 And the looks and voices of my home, 



Come gently to my dream. 



And in the solitary haunts, 



While slumbers every tree 

 In night and silence, God himself 



Seems nearer unto me. 

 lfeel his presence in these shades 



Like the embracing air; 

 And as my eyelids close in sleep. 



My heart is hushed in prayer. 



Domestic Economy. — One of the great 

 arts of Domestic Economy is greatly over- 

 looked. If we would bring our philosophy 

 into play, and regulate our wants, by our 

 means, instead of continually toiling to bring 

 our circumstances up to our wants, what a 

 vast amount of suffering, would the world be 

 spared ! Wants are very apt to be ahead of 

 means ; and if you set the latter to chasing 

 the former, there will be no end to the race. 

 By putting the yoke upon the desire of ac- 

 quisition, we need not fear, that industry and 

 enterprise, will be discouraged. It is well 

 to remember the saying of Cotton, 



"In this the art of living lies; 



" To want no more, than may suffice, 



" And make that little do." 



