234 



N E \V ENGLAND FARMER 



JAN. 26. IS4 3. 



Iicrc spoken of, was cukivated without any liiU. 

 And {Tiasa sevi was sowed among it at the last 

 time of hoeing. Consequently the mixture of 

 hone and ashes lies unmoved in the hill? where it 

 was originally placed. In the spring of 1810, we 

 saw the clover jjrowing luxuriantly in hilU. The 

 same with the second crop. Also in 1841 the same 

 effects were seen in both first and second growth. 

 That is, while the wliole soil had been well dress- 

 ed with good manure for two, and sonic of it for 

 throe successive ) ems, so that the grass diil well 

 between the hills, (we u«e liiu expression for con- 

 venience, though in fact there was no hill there,) 

 while tlie whole was in good condition, the clover, 

 where the roots found ihe bone and ashes, has for 

 two successive years, in bolh the first and second 

 crop, been so much larger tlian on ihe remainder 

 of the ground, that the difference could be discern- 

 ed at any distance at which l/ie fulcl cn\t\t\ be dis- 

 tinctly seon. The continued good effect upon the 

 gross has caused the ar'.tcic to rise in our estima- 

 tion. 



But the question will come — why ascribe thrso 

 effects to the bone, when yon used as many ashe.i 

 as bones .' They both do good undoubtedly. But 

 the small patch where the potatoes were |iut upon 

 bone.-', wilhoul ashfs, in l>i'ii6, was sowed to barley 

 and grass seed in J6:}9. Here, in 16-10, and also 

 in 1841, the clover was so much larger than upon 

 the surrounding land, that its superiority in the 

 month of June, could be lii.scerned at as great n 

 distance as you can ordinarily distinguish the spot 

 where you made your manure heap upon the field. 

 The liittcr instance, lor ought that we can see to 

 the contrary, is a fair proof that 50 bushels of bone 

 per acre, where 4 cords of barn manure li;id been 

 plowed in, is very much more serviceable in the 

 way of producing hay, in the third and fourth years 

 after its application, than would be 5 cords of good 

 strong fresh barn cellar manure. 



The soil in the above trials was a good warm 

 loam, to 8 inches deep, resting upon a hard grav- 

 elly subsoil. The land has been in tillage and 

 mowing for some ages — probably as many ages n.s 

 almost any in .^mcrica. 



These trials were made on my father's farm in 

 Danvcrs ; but the applications were made under 

 my own eye, and to a considerable extent by my 

 own hands. The weighing and measuring was 

 done by myself, and as far as the fncls go, they 

 may be relied upon. 



The growth of grass in 1840 and 1841, caused 

 my father and myself also, to change our opinion 

 of the worth of bones. We holholHained them for 

 use last spring, and we bolh intend to use them 

 still more extensively tlij coming spring. The ef- 

 fect of a part of what we applied tho last spring to 

 a crop of rnta baga, is given in the N. K. Farmer of 

 Nov. 3. That was used in connection with soap- 

 boilers' waste ley. Tho turnip, cimtaining con- 

 siderable phosphate of lime, is probably benefited 



hy bone more than most other crops. Clover and 



It is on that mainly that we have made observa- 

 tions — clover is more bonefited by it than redtop 

 or timothy. 



But while we speak well of bones, the inference 

 must not be made that they will be found equally 

 good on all soils. Mr llaggerston could find no 

 benefit from their, on Ulr Cu-^hin;r's farm, in VVa- 

 tertown. The soil there is nnich stronger niid 

 heavier than any where we have applied tho article. 



Our use of bone has been more free than we 

 shall make in future. Twenty bushels to tho acre 



is as much as we shall apply next year. In Sep- 

 tember last, wc. sowed bone from the cask, bush- 

 els to (he acre, (no other niaiuire,) on old pasture 

 land, and harrowed it in with winter rye, which 

 we were then sowing. In one month from that 

 time the rye was quite percefitibly larger, where 

 the bone was used than where there was none. 

 The openness of the winter — the repeated freez- 

 ings and thawings it is undergoing, will probably 

 do the rye much harm. Should it survive, we de- 

 sign to ascertain the precise benefit of this sparing 

 application to the rye crop. 



Our correspondent speaks of using unboiled 

 bones. We apprehend that fresh bones, unboiled, 

 would be exceedingly difliciilt to grind, and that 

 when ground it would be impossible to keep them 

 from rapid putrefaction and most (jffensive effluvia, 

 since the marrow, oil and flesh must ferment and 

 decay rapidly. Age may fit bones for use — but 

 would not age take from them tho same matters 

 that are taken by boiling ? By thcsi.' remarks we 

 intend to intimate a doubt wliether any bones bet- 

 ter than boiled ones, will answer the purpose for 

 grinding and using a^ a manure. 



We have hardly answered the question before 

 us so dcfinilely as we could wish. There have 

 been no accurate experiments comparing the two 

 articles in question as lar as we know. We can 

 only repent our recommendation, which is to use 

 bolh; and this we do because of the different na- 

 tures of Ihe subslunces, each furnishing much that 

 the crops want, and because the ashes help to de- 

 compose the bone Ed. N. E. F. 



MR COLMAN'S REPORT. 



Wo have previously mentioned the Fourth Re- 

 port of the Agricultural (Commissioner. We now 

 allude to it again, not however wiih the purpose of 

 reviewing it at length, but mainly with the design 

 of giving to the author more jiarticular attention 

 than we have yet bestowed. 



Mr Colman, probably, is entitled to the credit of 

 being the cause of the passage of the resolves 

 which established the commission under which he 

 has been acting. For whatever gooil ;he survey 

 has accomplished and will accomplish, the citizens 

 of the Couimonweallh and the country aie more 

 indebted to him than to any other man — perhaps 

 more than to all other men. When he entered 

 upon the duties of his office, he brought to it ex- 

 traordinary zeal, activity, industry and luquisitivc- 

 ness. It would be difficult to find another indi- 

 vidual in our community who can collect facts from 

 people widely scattered, and upon all questions 

 relating to human interests, with facility and dis- 

 patch equal to Mr C.'s. He can be in more places, 

 make acquaintance with more people, and put more 

 questions in a given time, than any other man of 

 our acquaintance. These peculiar powers he has 

 been constantly putting forlh. And consequently 

 his collections of facts and opinions arc exceeding, 

 ly extensive. 



In the last rep.rt he has arranged his nmlerinls 

 with great skill, and thrown into the work more 

 spirit and beauty of style, than can bo found in 

 any other work upon agriculture, that wo have ony 

 acquaintance with. We have no fault to find with 

 the work in any respect, excepting the slight one 

 previously mentioned of introducing some pages of 

 description, sentiment and morals, which, thou"h 

 beautiful, just and pleasant, wc should not venture 

 to put, even were we capable of producing them, 



into an ofScial report. But in this wc pro! 

 differ from most into whose hands the work 

 fall ; and our criticism will act as much to oui 

 credit as to his. 



Wo have seen in some of the papers of the 

 insinuations that it was a saving or econoi 

 disposition (to use no hai slier term,) that indi 

 the iijembers of the Legislatiiro to cut slioi 

 survey before it was completed. We had 

 opportunity to know fully the view taken of 

 mutter by the Legislature, and we have no 

 that a miserly disposition Ind any connection 

 the action which brought the Commissioner's I 

 to ail abrupt close. The action in this coso 

 such as we felt bound by our obligations I 

 Cominonweailh not to oppose. 



The report in question will do more lo wii 

 its author a high and lasting reputation as a 

 laborer in behalf of agriculture, than all h< 

 done before. It will be referred to in ycars^ 

 ages to come as a vnlu.ible collection of facts, 

 which most useful inferences may be drawn, 

 will conlinui; to shed light upon husbandry, en 

 when the present generation shall have given pik 

 to ihosi; who arc yet unborn. " 



We know not who owns the copyright — but 

 the Commonwealth, would it not be well lor d 

 Slate to roliiiquish its right in favor of the nutk 

 ai'd give him opportunity to republish all bis 

 porls, if it shall ever seem to him desirable.. 

 N. E. F. 



For (he N. E. Farmer. 



MANAGE.MENT OF SWINE. 



On this subject much has been said and 

 People differ in opinion ns much as they difl 

 looks. A. tells us this way is Ihe best — B. 

 thai way is the best, and C. differs from both, 

 der such conflicting opinions how shall we i 

 The answer is at hand. Give all npininnal 

 methods due consideration, and then judge fori 

 selves. Or, in oiher words, -'prove all thi 

 hold last that which is good." That whic 

 good for us. Management that is good for^ 

 man, may not, in all cases, be good f.ir ana 

 Circumstances often alter cases. I will ve|| 

 lo give my opinion, and shall ask no one to i 

 it, if it be not worthy of con.'ideration. 



In the first place, thfre mi(</ be a f^ood pi{ 

 There is a greater failure in this respect, I 

 than in any other. The swiiic arc too cold in^ 

 weather, and too warm in worm weather, 

 owners of lliese animnl.s do not sufliciently con 

 that they require lo be coinforluhic, in ordfl 

 thrive and do well. It is a lumenlable fact,j 

 withslanding so much has been said and 

 on the proper management of sv\ine, (hat 

 have hogs that are continually snldinp ai\d 

 not so much on account of being scantily fei 

 fi)r the want of a comfortable piggi'ry. I weB 

 one of these miserable ]iena the other night, ' 

 the inmates were winning out something lika 

 following : — 



Oh I cruel maalpr, why do ye 

 Confine lis in thin pijfgery ? 

 Oh ! here we lie, witlinut a bed. 

 Dirty and wel, Irnm tool to he.id ; 

 Horms coinc..! m, from e%eTy rrurk. 

 And biles our ears, our le^s and buck: 

 Thus uc ahiver all the niglit : 

 We scotdf we trAine, nn-l poineiimcs bitt. 

 Hard inaslor ! i.h*ll it always be, 

 To have no better P'Sgeryf 



