NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



JtII.T7, I8«l. 



AMI IIORTICLLTLRAI. RFGISTF.H. 



GosTON, Weonepoav, July 7, 18-11. 



VOLUME XX. 



We lodiiy lurn ovfr a new Umf. The nineleentli vol- 

 u nc of Ihe New England Fnrnier ia compleled, and we 

 now commencf ilie twenlietli. It gives us plensure to 

 Ii-arn, as we d<> from various sources, tlint our labors in 

 conneciion witli the paper for the last six months, have 

 m«I wilh fdvor. 'I'ho accesslims to our subscription 

 list h.Tve been gratifying; and we are encouraired to 

 hope that the pap>-r which was so serviceable in the 

 hands of Fesse.-dkh, will retain the confidence and fa- 

 vor ofour agriculuiriats. We embrace the occasion to 

 ask our corriBpondents to continue their favor*, and our 

 (ricnde, Messrs Br»Tk & Co., will thank the subscribers 

 to be prompt in the [layrnent of their dues. We can 

 promiae only to try to rendtr the paper serviceable. 

 ALLEN PUTNAM. 



TEMPEST IN ESSEX COUNTY. 



The farm, which we h.ive lately purchased, and on 

 which we spend a portion of our time, was visiled on 

 Wednesday last, (June 30,) by a violent hail storm. 

 The effects of the tempest upon the agricultural inte- 

 rests <if several towns in Essex county, entitle the storm 

 to our particular notice. 



That day and the preceding one had been warm and 

 sultry ; at 3 o'clock, P. M., the collected clouds gave us 

 hi(;h and fitful winds, rushing and whirling, and filling 

 the atmosphere wilh dirt and leaves and the fragments 

 of trees. The rain came down in Mheets; and income 

 places hail fell wilh most destructive force. Much of 

 the county was favored with a copious and refreshing 

 shower, unattended by any thing remarkable. Hut the 

 eostern parts of Middleton and Danvere, and the west- 

 ern parts of Wenharn and Hevcrly, were swept by 

 whirls of rushing winds that broke and uprooted trees 

 in countless numbers— that seemed peculiarly prone to 

 the capsizing of chimneys and the destruction of barns. 

 It is said, and we dn not doubt its correctness, that not 

 less than forty barns were prostrated in a territory of 

 fi>e or six miles in length and two in breadth. Many 

 of these were valiiablo buildings: oni; of them was ab- 

 Bolulely new ; (its owner lost his barn by a previous 

 gale this season, and by great efforts had got this in 

 readiness to receive his hay ; now this is gone, and with 

 it the life of a valuable horse ) What my neighbors 

 are !o do I know not ; here they ar' , just at the com- 

 mencement of the haying season, and their barns arc 

 all in ruins: neither materials nor workmen can be 

 procured at once lo supply the wants of those who arc 

 able to rebuild ; many of them would bo unable per- 

 haps lo build, could they choose tho season of the year 

 most convenient, and could lumber and labor be pro- 

 cured at reasonable rates. The losses and inconveni- 

 en«e« will he found a heavy lax upon the neighborhood 



Where the winds made sport wilh barns, very little 

 hail accompanied them, and tho crops arc not iiijureu. 



Through the centre of Wenhain, the damage done by 

 the hail surpassed any thing of the kind ever witnessed 

 by us — any thing, we believe, over experienced by the 

 olile»t inhabiiauts. We were not at our [ihicc durini; 

 the shower, but upon our return borne at G o'clock, we 

 found the hail lying in masses a font deep or more, in 

 the low places at the sides of the road : the next morn- 

 ing at H o'clock, we sow cartloads of it in the same silua- 

 linn; and at that time the stones, as we opened the 

 heap, appeared to be on the average as laran as ounce 



bulliiH. I am told that immediately after the shower, 

 the hail was two inches deep on the level grass grounds, 

 and that it was nearly impossible for one to walk upon 

 it. The wind being violent and the ice balls so large 

 and numerous, nearly all the glass in the central parts 

 ofWenham,on the exposed sides of the houaes was 

 broken. All the crops are beaten down and torn into 

 shreda. On my own place and on the farm of Hon. R. 

 C. Winthrop, adjoining min-, theio seemed on Thurs- 

 day morning, scarcely a possibility that a blade of corn 

 or any grain ; or that a bean, a sijuush, a beet or a car- 

 rot would survive. Every thing was stripped into 

 shrcda. The damage was no w«rsu on theae two places 

 than on many others in the vicinity, hut it is on theae 

 particularly that we have examined the bruised plant-; 

 and for that reason they are pirticularly named. A 

 field of winter rye on Mr Winlhrnp's place, which on 

 Wi dm-sday morning waa promising a good crop, was 

 completely broken down and shatteied, so that it has 

 been necessary to mow it down at once. The outs and 

 barley are all pro-trate and are badly bruised : the grass 

 even is badly broken; and the corn is not merely blown 

 over, but the stalks are bruised and shivered so that it is 

 Impossible that they should recover. The only hope is 

 that new shoots may come from near the routs and give 

 ua a little corn. Much of the foliage and the fruit have 

 been beaten from our trees ; the bark of the young trees 

 is very badly bruised ; every growing tree and plant 

 around us has been injured. Our fields present a sad- 

 dening eight. But we will hope li)r le.ss damage than 

 present appearances indicate. The small town of Wen- 

 ham must suffer to the amount of four or five thousand 

 dollars. We lose the glass from our house, and appa- 

 rently more than half of what would otherwise have 

 grown on our tillage land. Many experiments com- 

 menced cannot be carried through. 



TO HIRED MEN. 

 " Jfot with eye service." — St. Padl. 



Not long since wo gave a brief homily to those wlio 

 have hired men in their employ. We have now a few 

 words for those who are hired. 



To them we say, befaithfvl. Perform as much labor 

 as may reasonably be expected from you. Do this 

 cheerfully. Re as diligent when your employer is ab- 

 sent as when he is present, lie mindful of his Interests, 

 as far as they are in your keeping. Waste nothing; — 

 take good care of tools and stock. Show that you arc 

 worthy of confidence. This is not duty only, but it is 

 for jjnur intrrest. Fidelity in these matters, fjrms and 

 publishes your own character. If you establish a ;:ood 

 character as a hired man, that chr-racter will in future 

 years procure for you an increase of wages. Merit of 

 all kinds brings its reward. 



■■\nd it is your duly to do your work in the manner 

 which your employer directs. Never set up your own 

 juilgment in opposition to bis. Tours may be the most 

 correct ; but still, if he so direct, his must be followed. 

 Where you aro left to act according to your own discre- 

 tion, then proceed in tbc must economical w.iy possible. 

 Do for your employer as you would do for yourself: do 

 as you would be done by. Many of you aro looking 

 forword to tho time when you sholl become owners of 

 farms, and when you shall want to hire oihcra. It is 

 fiir your interest, besides being your duty, lo havo pub. 

 lie opinion reprove all unfuilhfulness o.i II. e pail of Ihe 

 employed. Kcsolve — wc soy it to each hired mar. — re- 

 solve that there shall be no ground fur coinpldiiiiiig that 

 i/ou arn unfoithful. If your duties are well performed, 

 your relations to your employer will be much more 

 agreeable and pleasant. You will find him in moat ca- 

 ses jusi, if your duties arc all well discharged. 



DANGER FROM COLD WATER. 



Mr Editor — It may not be worth my while to say 

 on« word more on the subject of drinking cold water, 

 although I have a great deal which might be worth at 

 least a passing notice, whether wrong or right. Your 

 journal is not a journal of health, and I must not so re- 

 gard it. And yet I am, on the whole, disposed to make 

 a single exphination. 



You observed in your last, that in speaking of '* injury 

 and danger" from the use of cold water, vou only re- 

 ferred lo " severe attacks of pain," such as often "prove 

 fatal in a short time. " Had I suspected this to be your 

 meaning, I should not have thought myself called to 

 write on the subject, although I might not have believed, 

 as I still do not, that you were entirely correct. The 

 remarks which I made were made upon the presumption 

 that yonr repeated expression " no danger ' and the 

 phrase *' iiono are injured' were used according to the 

 general acceptation of such phrases and terms. Excuse 

 me for mis-apprehending your meaning, and believe me, 

 as ever, Yours, &c. WM. A. ALCOTT. 



DedJtam,July3, 1841. 



Note. — I will venture to answer your question; 

 " Will the orcr heat and over fatigue occur, it cold water 

 is taken with sufficisnt frequency? " by saying that there 

 is a uae of cold water not uncommon among bard work- 

 ing farmers which increases the liabili'y to both. But I 

 will also add that no admixtures of spirit or anything 

 else with the water, (unless to raise its temperature) 

 will diminish the liability in the least degree ; the opin- 

 ion of spirit, cider and beer drinkers to the contrary not- 

 withstanding. 



[tj*Tliere is no occasion for controversy upon iho sub- 

 ject above referrcil to Our opinion has been freely ex- 

 pressed, and we very cheerfully insert the opinion of one 

 better qualified to judge than we are. Our own expres- 

 sions might very naturally, (perhaps would necessarily) 

 lead to the inference lliat we hud reference to something 

 more than speedy and violent effects ; but we had not; 

 and we did not suppose that any other cITects would be 

 thought of by our readers. The common newspaper ar- 

 ticles headed "death from drinking cold water" and 

 the like, describe the cases of which wo were thinking, 

 and llie kind of danj;er to which wc had reference. 



We have little doubt that many of our laboring peo- 

 ple drink more than is serviceable to health ; the system 

 may be gr:idu.illy weakened by continued excess in the 

 use of even cold water, and yet the haymaker is not, we 

 think, exposed to sudden death from its use, if he will 

 hutusa it 80 frequently as iio( to becomt overheated. 



As far OS the hcallh of farmers ia intimately connect- 

 ed wilh the habits th:it prevail among tliem, health is a 

 perfectly proper topic for discussion in our columns. 



Alastachusetts Hortloiiltural Soclotjr. 



KXHIBITIU.t or rilVITS. 



Saturday, July 3. 

 From J A. Kcnrick — fine specimens of Bhick Tarta- 

 rean dierr.es. 



From Henry Edwards, Boston — Black Tartarean 

 Cherries. 



Tiom Mr t^kilion, Charlestown — Black Tartarean 

 Cherries. 



From J. F. .Mien, Salem — Black Hamburg Grapes, 

 and Peaches — both fine specimens. 



From Will. Keiirick — .Metliven Castle Strawberries. 

 For the Coiiiiniltee, 



P B. HOVEY, Jr. 



/J good sign from the South. — A number of farmers in 

 the neighborhood of Woodville, Abbeville District, SC, 

 have formeil an .\^riculturol ('lub, the olije<:t of which 

 is, to visit tho plariialions of each mi-niher, and see by 

 practical oh^erv.ition, the different mi'dea of culture, the 

 moiia(>einenl of stock, the preservation of manure, ami 

 in fact, to assist each other by advice and experience. 



