42 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Al'G. II. i-«r • k»f 



ries the seeds ; and the roller presses tlie earth to 

 the seeds, and smooths the surface. The bush 

 harrow is to be preferred. This may be construct- 

 ed by iiitorweavinsr some strong, but pliant brandi- 

 es of trees through the open squares of a heavy 

 harrow, which thus forms an efficient brush, and 

 when drawn over the ground performs its duty per- 

 fectly during a short distance ; but the branches, 

 being pressed close, and worn by the motion, soon 

 become so flat as not to have the effect of spread- 

 ing the earth thrown upon tlie surface by earth- 

 worms, ground-mice, or ants. It is therefore re- 

 commended, in ' British Husbandry,' aa a better 

 mode, to fi.\ the branches upright in a frame, placed 

 in the front part of the carriage of the roller; by 

 which means they can be so placed as to sweep the 

 ground effei-tunlly, and when worn, can be moved 

 a little lower down, so as to continue the work with 

 regularity. This operation also completely breaks 

 and scatters the manure dropped on the held by the 

 stock, and particularly incorporates it with the sur- 

 face-mould. 



Draining improves the quality of the lierbage, 

 and marling, liming, or ashing increases the quan- 

 tity. It is remarked, that animal dung, when drop- 

 ped on coarse pastures, produces little or no bene- 

 fit ; but when calcareous matters have been laid 

 upon the surface, the finer grasses soon take pos- 

 session of it. 



Bushing, that is, drawing over the ground tops 

 or heavy branches of trees, tends to extirpate moss, 

 loosens the surface to atmospheric influence, and 

 covers grass-seeds which may be sown previous to 

 the operation. 



Manures are seldom applied to pastures, espe- 

 cially with us ; but, applied in the form of compost. 

 as a top-dressing, tliny are decidedly serviceable. 

 Gypsum and spent ashes may he applied with un- 

 doubted benefit in most cases. Upland pastures 

 have been greatly improved in Scotland, according 

 to Sinclair, by drawing surface-drains diagonally 

 across the face of the hills. The herbage is ren- 

 dered more palatable and wholesome, and the waters 

 are prevented from accumulating so as to cut gul- 

 lies and chasms in the hill-sides. 



It need hardly be added, th;it bushes, thi.stles, 

 and other perennial weeds obstruct the growth of 

 grass, and that they ought to be carefiiUy extir- 

 pated ; and that surface stones diminish the herb- 

 age in proportion to the extent of surface whicti 

 they occupy. These, then, should be converted 

 into walls, one of the most economical fences, if 

 well laid, because the most permanent, that can be 

 constructed. The weeds that infest pasture 

 grounds are mostly biennials or perennials. If 

 these are cut two or three times in a season, at the 

 surface of the ground, they will die. Leaves are 

 as essential to vegetable, as lungs are to animal 

 life. Divested of these elaboratmg organs, the vi- 

 tality of the vegetable is soon destroyil. 



Our pasture grounds are generally left to take 

 care of themselves: but there is no doubt that ex- 

 pense bestowed upon their improvciiiont, in some 

 of the modes above suggested, would be profitably 

 Jaid out. Their value depends upon the quality 

 and (luanlity of the herbage which they atTord. 

 The quality is in a great inensure deteriniucil by 

 the exemption of the soil from stagnant waters, 

 the quantity by the richness of the scul, and its ex- 

 emption from moss, bushes, weeds, stones, and other 

 surface obstructions ; for if these are eradicated or 

 removed, it is presumed the nutritious grasses will 

 occupy their places. — ibid. 



From the Nc 



GenesGC Farmer. 



FAR.MERS' DAUGHTERS AND HOMKS. 

 BV A^^^ETT^:. 



Messrs Editors : — In remarking on the causes of 

 unhappiness and discontentment among educated 

 fanners' daughters, and the reasons which lead so 

 many of them to forsake their liomes and seek a 

 residence in the city, I before attempted to show 

 that a iiTong in/stem of education is one cf the nmst 

 frnilful causes of these evils. My object at this 

 time is to show that mis-education is by no means 

 the only cause ; and to inquire whether our fathers 

 and our home's are not often as much to blame in 

 the matter as our teachers and seminaries. 



Many of the most respectable farmers in this 

 country never enjoyed the advantages of early 

 education, and have had no opportunity for ac- 

 ipiiring a knowledge of, or taste for, the more re- 

 fined comlbrts of life ; especially those intellectual 

 enjoyments so indispensable to the happiness of a 

 well cultivated mind. They were brought up 

 among the pioneers of this land, and their educa- 

 tion consisted of the toils and (irivations incident 

 to an early settlement in a new country. Hut nom 

 they find themselves in very different circumstances 

 — in possession of a handsome competency, and 

 surrounded by an enterprising and intelligent com- 

 munity. Public sentiment and the spirit of the 

 age now require that the rising generation should 

 receive a higher degree of education than was 

 formerly deemed necessary ; and therefiire, in or- 

 der that their children may appear respectable in 

 the world, and be qualified to fill their places in 

 society with credit and advantage, they are sent to 

 the best schools in the land, and much care and ex- 

 pense bestowed on their education. 



Let us now suppose, as is often the case, that 

 the daugliter of such parents spends two or three 

 years in a good boarding-school, where her mind 

 becomes well stored with valuable learning ; her 

 manners and taste become refined and cultivated, 

 and she is every M-ay fitted to adorn society and 

 bless her family and friends. But let her leave 

 school and return to her home, and unless it is dif- 

 ferent from the majority of farmers' houses in this 

 countrv, it is not surprising that she soon becomes 

 unlnppy and discontented, or at least, that she 

 should wish to change her .situation for one more 

 congenial to her taste and feelings. The reason 

 of this is obvious when wo observe how few farm- 

 ers take any pains to make horn* ntlraclire — it is not 

 loved because there is nothing about it to make it 

 lovely. The educated and intellectual daughter 

 finds nothing within or around it calculated to 

 please the mind or delight the eye — nothing to 

 gratify her taste, or call into exercise those facul- 

 ties which she has long been cultivating, and which 

 afford her the highest kind of enjoyment. No 

 good selection of bonks and pcriodiculs to furnish 

 food for her active mind during leisure hours ; no 

 tasteful garden, with flowers, and shrubs, and winil- 

 ini' path.i, where she can liixuiiato on Nature's 

 charms; no fragrant rose or climbing honeysuckle 

 asks her training rare, and no shady bower or vine- 

 clad arbor invites her to 



" Converse wiili Nature, anJ commune 

 With Nature's God." 



And what is worse than all, she seldom finds a con- 

 genial spirit with whom to share her pleasusos or 

 her griefs. Oil the contrary, even those to whom 

 she has a riirhl to hi^k (or kindness and sympathy, 

 not unfrcquciilly treat her with indifference, or ridi- 



cule Avhat they consider her excessive refinemenL- 

 Under these circumstances it is impossible for her 

 to be happy or contented ; and were it not for the 

 pleasure that she derives from making herself use. 

 ful, and the natural affection that she feels for her 

 "kindred according to the flesh," liome would be 

 to her a prison-house from which she would em- 

 brace the first opportunity to escape. Vet the in- 

 considerate father wonders that his daughter grows 

 tired of home and seeks enjoyment in a city life! 

 Teachers and seminaries are made to bear the 

 blame, and thousands grow up in ignorance who 

 would otherwise enjoy the blessings of education. 

 Let no one suppose that this is merely an imagi- 

 nary picture, for such cases are far too numerous. 

 It is a ruinous error to suppose that a liberal edu- 

 cation creates a distaste for rural life; on the con- 

 trary, it is calculated to make that life doubly plea- 

 sant, provided it i.s accompanied with those charms 

 which the refined mind always associates with its 

 ideas of a residence in the country. Let farmers 

 who desire their children to follow their profession 

 and love their homes, consider this subject, and 

 see that their homes are rendered lovely. Then, 

 and not till then, will the profession of agriculture 

 be speedily elevated to that rank and respectabili. 

 ty which it so eminently deserves. 



ANNETTE. 



k« 



BRITISH FARMING. 



Tollic Editor of the Farmer's Monthly Visitor: 



Jf'est Tishunj, Mass., July, 1841. 



Dear Sip. — I t'link that the superiority to be 

 observed in British and Flemish agriculture over 

 ours, is to be attributed to the nice adaptation of 

 crops — the perfect system that prevails in every 

 department — the free outlay for manures to invigo- 

 rate the soil — the patience that never tires in the 

 completion of a task once undertaken, and the in- 

 dustry that in no kind of weather, at no season of 

 the year, fails to remember and perform its tH9k3 

 and duties. An English, and in a still greater de- 

 gree, a Flemish husbandman, minds rain just as 

 luucli as a Jack tar does: in weather when an 

 American fanner would know it ruined only by 

 its patter on the window, he of Europe would be 

 plowing without a thought of seeking shelter, or 

 so much as a glance at the sky. The author of a 

 Treatise on Rural .affairs remarks, that in two 

 years he lost only thirteen days by bad weather. 



It is not necessary for me to say to you, sir, that 

 England is remarkable for confining to certain dis- 

 tricts the productions which flourish best in those 

 smls. Thus the light sands of Norfolk arc best 

 adapted to turnips, fed off and followed by barley 

 and clover ; therefore in that country the rotation 

 of turnips, barley and clover prevails. It was by 

 this course that Mr Coke (Earl of Leicester,) re- 

 claimed from perfect barrenness his splendid es- 

 tate of Holkham. Warwickshire is famous for 

 beans as a first course, followed by wheat. Lan- 

 cashire for potatoes as a first crop, wheat and timo- 

 thy following. So much briefly for adaptation. 



Not less perfect is the si/slcm : the allotment to 

 Thomas of the plow — to Harry of the care of the 

 neat stock — to William of tho shcepfold, and to 

 William's boy John, of the lamos in yeaning time. 

 Eacli one has his part and his duties assigned to 



him he is there at all times, and in all weathers, 



and he stipulates to be en/y there. This system 

 pervades all things on tlie farm — Spinters Know in 

 wheat — Livcrless in tares — Liealone in fallow, and 



