312 



FARMERS' REGISTER— FLEMISH HUSBANDRY. 



in forming their beds, ihey are not by any means 

 particular as to very deep trenching, or a profusion 

 of manure ; nor, as they grow up, do they cover 

 the beds with litter for the winter, nor fork and 

 dress them in t!ie spring: in the furrows they form 

 a rich and mellow compost of earth and dung, with 

 which, before winter sets in, they dress up their 

 beds to tlie lieight of nearly eighteen inches from 

 the level of tlieir crowns, and without any further 

 operation, (except supplying the furrows again f<>r 

 the ensuing year,) as soon as the buds appear, tliey 

 cut them nine inches under the surface ; by which 

 means, having jvist reached the light, the whole of 

 the stock is blanched and tender. 



livery substance that canstitiiies, or is convertible 

 to vianitre, is sought after iviih avidity, which ac- 

 counts for the extreme cleanliness of the Fleuiish 

 towns and pavements, hourly resorted to with 

 brooms and Viarrows, as a source of profit. Even 

 the chips which accumulate in the formation of 

 wooden shoes worn by the peasantry, are made to 

 constitute a part of the compost dung heap ; and 

 trees are frequently cultivated in barren lands, 

 merely to remain till their decidious leaves shall, 

 in the course of time, have formed an artificial sur- 

 face for the purpose of cultivation. The manures 

 in general use are — 



The farm-yard dan g , which is a mixture of every 

 matter that the farm-yard produces, formed into a 

 compost, which consists of dung and litter from 

 the stables, chatr, sweepings straw, sludge, and 

 rubbish, all collected in a hollow part of the yard, 

 so prepared as to prevent the juices from being was- 

 ted ; and the value of this, by the cart load of 1500 

 lbs. of Ghent, is estimated at five francs. 



The dung of sheep, pigeons or poultry, by the 

 cart load, five francs and a half. 



Sweepings of streets and roads, same qunantity, 

 three francs. 



Joshes of peat and wood mixctZ, same quantity, 

 eight francs. 



Privy manure and urine, same quantity, seven 

 francs. 



L,ime, same quantity, twenty-four francs. 



Rape cake, per one hundred cakes, fifteen francs. 



Gypsum, sea mud and the sediment of canals, 

 have all been tried experimentally, and with fair 

 results; but the two former have been merely 

 tried ; the latter is used successfully in the vicinity 

 of Bruges. 



Hone manure was altogether unknown in Flan- 

 ders , but at the suggestion of RadclifF, is now un- 

 der experiment in that country. 



ANTHRACITE COAL. 



"A bed of Anthracite Coal has been recently 

 discovered in this county, on the lands of Mr. Ja- 

 cob Sharff and others, about fifteen or sixteen 

 milei? from this place, by Mr. Purcell, Engineer. 

 We have seen several sj)ecimens of the coal, and 

 fiom its appearance, we shoijld judge that it is not 

 inferior in quality to the Pennsylvania coal. Mr. 

 Gibbs intends to procure a quantity, and make a 

 trial of it at his furnace. This mine will, there 

 is not a doubt, prove to be very valuable; all that 

 seems to be necessary, is, for the enterprizing citi- 

 zens of the county to open it as speedily as possi- 

 ble, that its good effects may be soon felt and rea- 

 lized." — IMartinsburg Republican, Sept. 18. 



INTKRNAL, IMPROVEMEKTS OF N. CAROLINA. 



From the Petersburg Intelligencer. 



A Convention of the friends of Internal Im- 

 provement was held at Hillsboro', N. C. on the 9th 

 of Aug. at which Judge Rufiin presided. The 

 counties of Cumberland, Rowan, Caswell, Wake, 

 Warren, Person, Orange, Granville, and Guilford 

 were represented. The object of this Convention 

 was to consider the propriety of adopting measures 

 for the construction of a Rail Road from the place 

 at or near where the Petersburg and Portsmouth 

 Rail Road will strike the Roanoke River, to some 

 point in the western part of North-Carolina. The 

 general committee to whom various propositions 

 had been referred, reported, among others, the fol- 

 lowing resolutions, which were adopted by the 

 Convention: 



Resolved, That the necessary measures should 

 be adopted to insure the construction of a Rail 

 Road, commencing at or near Weldon, and run- 

 ning thence by or near Oxford to the western sec- 

 tion of the state. 



Resolved, That the President of this Convention 

 appoint a committee of one person from each county 

 represented in this Convention, to obtain at the 

 next session of the Legislature, an act, incorporat- 

 ing the Rail Road Company hereby recommended, 

 by the name and style of the "Roanoke and Yad- 

 kin Rail Road Company." 



SALSAFY, OR VEGETABLE OYSTER. 



This plant, Tragopogon porrifolium, is biennial, 

 and the root is a good substitute for the real oyster. 

 It is of easy cultivation in a deep rich soil. The 

 young plants are not so liable to be destroyed by 

 insects, as most other biennials. The roots are 

 white, and shaped liked a parsnip. They may be 

 taken up late in the autumn, and secured in moist 

 sand from the air; or be suffered to remain out, 

 and dug up when wanted. Every lover of oysters 

 who lives at a distance from the sea-shore, will 

 wish to cultivate this plant after he has once eaten 

 them, when properly prepared for the table. 



Mode of cooking — Wash the roots, and cut them 

 transversely into thin pieces; boil them in a little 

 water, or milk and water; when boiled soft, mash 

 them, and thicken the whole with flour, to some 

 degree of stiffness, then fry them in the fat of salt 

 pork or butter. They are a luxury. — \_New- York 

 Farmer. 



FIRE PROOF CEMENT. 



The French cement for the roofs of houses, to 

 preserve the wood and protect it from fire, is made 

 in the following manner : 



Take as much lime as is usual in making a pot 

 full of whitewash, and let it be mixed in a pail of 

 water. In this put two and a half pounds of brown 

 sugar, and three pounds of fine salt ; mix them 

 well together, and the cement is completed. A 

 little lampblack, yellow ochre, coloring commo- 

 dity, may be introduced in changing the color of 

 the cement, to please the fancy of those who use 

 it. It has been used with success, and been re- 

 commended particularly as a protection against 

 fire. Small sparks of fire that frequently lodge on 

 the roofs of houses, are prevented by this cement 

 from burning the shingles. — So cheap and valuable 

 a precaution against the destructive element ought 



