308 



NEW E N G L A N i:) FARMER 



>IAItCH30, 1^ i . I 



05=" A. of the North," has politely favored us ' 

 with the cut be1>iw, and we willingly insert his i 

 sprightly rciiiirku upon the heitaund colds of ojjri- 

 ctiltural litorattirc and science. They will afford 

 amueenient for many of our readers. But we have 

 a suspicion that tho glass will not always tell the 

 same story lu different eyes; for we do not always 

 find the fluid at the same point where " A." sees it. 

 —En. N. K. F. 



Troni ihe Albany Culiiralor. 



AGRICULTURAL TirCRMOMETER. 



On the morning of the la.st aniiiversiiry of Amer- 

 ican Independence, wishing always to minijle utili- 

 ty with amusement, I commenced, what I had some 

 time contemplated, constructing an Agricultural 

 and Horticultural Thermometer, whicli, having 

 now completed, I ha»c the pleasure of sending you 

 a drawing of it, with the result of a few hasty ex- 

 periments ; and as leisure offers, shall continue its 

 application to many other characters, no douhl 

 equally meritorious, by way of testing its correct- 

 ness and utility. 



The instrument consists of a cylindrical lube of 

 glass, containing eighteen drops of a liquid, known 

 only to a few persevering amateurs of chemical 

 science, by the name of Flnrum rxtctar Jlmtricano- 

 rum. 'J'he liquid is an animo-vegetable extract, 

 and is very expensive. It was obtained by ?. skill- 

 ful French chemist, assisted by an Indian doctor, 

 from native (lowers and Chica,* near Lake Georgef 

 and Lexington,! and mingled at Xochicaloo,§ with 

 magical ceromonic.^, with an extract from exotic 

 sensitive plants of several varieties. Its odor is 

 exceedingly powerful ; until sealed up in the gitss, 

 like oxygen ga.'!, its stimulus, though very deliijht- 

 ful, is insupportably powerful. 



Tho tubu, being hermetically jealed to prevent 

 the escape of the liquid, which is o[ amazing vola- 

 tility, is fastened and enclosed ;n a cas^of finely 

 polished ivory, wood or bone, it Lcng reund that 

 metals, particularly gold and silver, .vill not answer 

 on account of their strong attraction for the li<iuid, 

 affecting it in the same manner as steel affects the 

 magnetic needle. 



From the following diagram a better idea may 



f^v be formed of the Thermometer : 



Cieniue and scienre mnfle prnctical. 

 Gfriiiip and gcicnco cotnbined. 

 Sciinlific agnciillnru wiib horticuliure. 

 I^tniilatlon awjikened. 



\z 



V 



5] — Prnlilablc experiment. 



Book farming commnncfd. 

 indusliy will) a desire to improve. 

 Unprnfitabln industry. 

 Industry wllli conceited ignornncc. 

 Igrioiance and sloth. 



Tliis wonderful liquid, which the thermometer 

 contains, appears almost to say, " I am the spirit 



* *' Chica, an intoxicatirig bevcrngo prepared by tlie 

 ancient Indiann." — M. W. Bradford's .Imertcan Antiqui- 

 ties, p. IM. 



) " Near l.ako George, in tlie State of New York, for- 

 merly flood a lurgc mmind ; and in its vicinity were 

 fields appearing to liuve been anciently cullivated, and 

 also o!ik, pnlm and orange uroves," — ll. p. 3H. 



t" Neiir l.cxinglon, in Kentucky, an irregular struc- 

 ture, HUO yards in circumference, wilhpits and ram- 

 parts, tlin wtiole of wliicti was overgrown with forest 

 Ireos oflnriic size, and bf tlie growlli and kinds unuiual 

 iu Ifie vicinity. " 



§ " Xiicliienico, or the House of the Flincers, is lilua- 

 led upon the ctevated plains of Cueriinvaca, at a lieight 

 of nearty SIX ihousnnd feel above Ihe level of the aea." 

 — Lutrobcs HamhUs in Mexico. 



that dwells in the flowers." It possesses such ex- 

 treme sen.-iibility, that, when strongly excited, it 

 becomes slightly luminous, and in some extraordi- 

 nary cases, emits brilliant sparks. I had thought 

 of taking out a patent, but as I am not actuated by 

 selfish views, if it can be of any practical use to 

 my broiher farmers, or aflord them any gratifica- 

 tion by its singular developments, they liave my 

 entire approbation to the enjoyment of such bene- 

 fits ; and all editors friendly to agriculture, (and 

 what editor, having due regard for good eating and 

 drinking, is not?) it i.-i hoped will be prompt in di- 

 recting the attention of the public generally to the 

 Agricultural thermometer. 



The subjoined are some of the experiments: — 



JrssE lit'KL. — In bringing the thermometer in 

 contact with his paper, " Improvement of Farm Im- 

 pltmtnls" the critique or liquid contained in the 

 tube, appeared unsettled for a moment, inclining 

 to rest at 4, but soon got under way, making a dis- 

 tinct pause at each point of criticism, 5, (J and 7, 

 and passed them to 'J in the most prompt and grace- 

 ful manner. This will be accounted for by those 

 acquainted with his life. He was a printer, and 

 conducted several papers with great skill, and by 

 judicious management, raised liiinsclf from very 

 moderate circumstances to a degree of wealtli. 

 Ho then turned his attention to the pursuit of Agri- 

 culture, and as a mere book farmer he was emi- 

 nently successful in converting the sandy barren 

 plains, west of Albany, into rich fields, covered 

 with an abundance of nature's choicest gifts. He 

 then, at the earnest persuasion of a friend, was in- 

 duced to commence and establish the Cultivator,! 

 which, however we may hold those who govern, 1 

 and those who kill mankind as superior in rank to; 

 these who feed them, certainly ranks him as one of j 

 the greatest benefactors of the human race. | 



Let those who exult in llieir own folly, and I 

 sneer at hook farming, br.ng forward, if they 

 can, any thing in the boasted icsiilts of their old 

 hereditary system, to compare in profit, usefulness, [ 

 or beauty, with the doings and results in agricul- 

 ture in general of a Buel, a Colniaii, a Thomas, 

 a Lowell, and an extensive catalogue of others, 

 who from other pursuits, and beginning perhaps 

 with scarcely a knowledge of the names of farming 

 implement.-!, have caused profits to be reaped which 

 our grandfathers never knew ; and hy book farm- 

 ing have exalted the cliaiacter of Agriculture from 

 a low groveling pursuit, to its proper rank, the first I 

 and noblest employment. But to return t<i the im- 

 provoment of farm implements. j 



Ploic. — In this implement the advance in thirty ^ 

 years, has been truly astonishing. There is scarce- 

 ly less difference between the neat cast iron plow , 

 of the present lime, and the clumsy wooden article , 

 used for the purpose at that period, than between . 

 that and the ironpointed crolrlicd slick of the an- . 

 cienls. In the ease of working and the efiect pro- j 

 duced on the soil, every man competent to judge , 

 will admit that the difference effected by improve- 

 ment in the last thirty years, is equal to fifty per 

 cent. 



The Thriishin/; Machine. — Experience shows i 

 that the farmer wlio gets out and sells his grain in | 

 autumn, admitting tho prices are tho same, realizes 

 from his crop at least ten per tent, more than he ' 

 who docs not dispose of his crop till Ihe next 

 spntig. But It may be safely asserted that in grain 

 growing districts, the whole force of the farm, if 

 devoted to that object alone, would not bo able to 

 bring hii grain into market in the fall if thrashed 



by hand. Hence the thrashing machine lias co , 

 to his aid, and does the work so much better^ a| 

 and quicker than it can be done by hand, tl 

 that the getting out of a thousand bushels of win 

 is counted a small affair. 



The Horse Rake. — With this instrument, on la 

 fitted as meadows always should be, one man a 

 horse will do the work of six men with hand raki 

 The value of this labor-saving machine will not 

 disputed by those who have tested its power, wh 

 time presses or elorins lower over the hay-field. 

 is not less valuable as a gleaner in the , vvlieat 

 barley stubble, where no care can prevent a quan 

 ty of grain being left, surprising to one who h 

 never gleaned with the horse rake. 



W.'ifn testing Jksse Buel's article on the jEco 

 omy and .■ipplicolion of .Manures, the critique 

 found stationary at 1) — on bringing his .IJvantng 

 of Draining to the test, 5 was found a strong poi 

 of attraction, with short trips to 7 and 8. I: 

 Comparative Profits of Cood and Bad Husband) 

 when brought to the critique, caused groat comm 

 tion. Tho liquid inclining to rest at 0, but after 

 meiiientary pause jumped like the dancing maste; 

 pupil, to his 1, 2 and 3 — 4, .') and G; but final 

 rose to !•, and appeared luminous with brillia 

 sparks. The same was observed on turning to I 

 papers on the ^Jgricullural School, and also li 

 Sevin Reasons why Jlgriculture should receive t 

 Patronage of Government, with nearly timilar r 

 suits. 



Hf.vry Colman — When his truly valuab 

 State Reports on the Agriculture of iMnssachuetl 

 were offered for the test, the critique was niuc 

 disturbed, yet played in great dignity with 7, 8 ar 

 9, and occasional trips to 4, 5 and 0, and appea 

 ing slif^htly luminous, emitting at llic same tiir 

 small but very brilliant scintillations round 0, 

 2 and 3. On turning over over some volumes ' 

 Mr Colman's Addresses, found the liquid playir 

 harmonious oscillations from 5 to 'J and !) to 5, lili 

 the movements of a well regulated timepiece, 

 was much pleased with the effect, as it seemed i 

 indicate his equal claim lo those points, and I ali< 

 consider it conclusive proof of the instrumeott 

 correctness. Still willing, however, to remove I 

 possibility of doubt as to tlie correctness of my r 

 slninient, I turned it to Fcvcral of his valuable C 

 says with similar results in each case. 



The public are much indebted to him for h)< 

 long continued exertions to improve all the depoiM 

 iiients of our husbandry. 



ff eight of t'altle. — The records of the iSmitlK 

 field market in London, prove that within one huOt 

 dred years, the average weight of the cattle killi 

 for that market, has nearly doubled, rising from bw 

 tween four and five hundred to between seven aDi> 

 eight hundred, and Ihe greater part of this increa» 

 has been in the last forty years. It is calculalei 

 that the cattle offered at the Brighton market, net^ 

 Boston, average at least fifty per cent, more at tl> 

 present time than they did twenty years since.— 

 This impiovcment we owe to the knowledgi 

 brought to bear on Ihe breeding of cattle, and agri 

 culture generally. 



Willis (Javlord His voluminous papers oi 



Chemical Manures, Huttrr, Chitsc, .IgricidturalJli 

 sociations, the Increase of the Corn (Vo,/. \c. be- 

 ing severally brought to the test, cnis.-il rapid 

 movements with the critique, which »:is luilcd ro»- 

 iiig from 4 to 8, but rose to !) in a cliaste and lumi- 

 nous manner, with brilliant sparks at the top ol 

 the instrumcut. 



