114 



&!)c ifarmcr's iHontylj) Visitor. 



swollen by warm weather in winter, we have 

 known many of them destroyed at a temperature 

 of only five degrees below zero, leaving however 

 enough for a good crop. On the other hand, we 

 are assured on good authority, that at Montreal 

 crops of peaches have been obtained, after the 

 thermometer had sunk as low as twenty-eight 

 degrees below zero — not the slightest swelling 

 of the buds having previously taken place, and 

 the trees being merely protected from sudden 

 chatiges by a thin mar. 



Under ordinary circumstances, however, in the 

 peach districts of New York and New England, 

 it rarely happens that the crop escapes a frost of 

 12 or 15 degrees below zero. 



There is no doubt that the cherry and plum, 

 like the peach, is rendered more liable to de- 

 struction by the previous swelling of the buds — 

 we have known the entire cherry crop destroyed 

 by cold only 12 degress below zero, when the 

 previous winter weather had been quite warm. — 

 Albany Cultivator. 



Commercial. 



From the Commercial Correspondent of the Washington 

 Union. 

 JSew York, July 12, 1848. 



The news from Europe is regarded favorably 

 in a commercial point of view. The cotton 

 markets in Havre and England exhibited a slight 

 improvement, and breadstuff's were more firm, 

 notwithstanding the continued promise of good 

 crops. The political aspect of affairs was such, 

 however, as to modify any very sanguine hopes 

 of permanent recovery for the sale of manufac- 

 tured goods, which were cheaper than ever, as 

 well in Fiance and Germany as in England. Fi- 

 nancial affairs were becoming more complicated 

 through the growing discredit of government 

 securities. It is matter of just national pride, 

 that while the reduction of the rate of interest 

 by the Band of England, from 4 to 3i per cent., 

 had produced no effect upon markets generally, 

 and the increased gloom of the political horizon 

 had depressed French 3's to 45, and English 3's 

 to 83f, United States O's in London rose to 97 — 

 giving a pretty clear indication of the direction 

 wliich public attention is receiving for security 

 of investments. The occurrences of the now 

 apparently imminent European war cannot but 

 have a great influence upon the export of farm 

 produce. The value of food exported in the 

 last European war was greater than it has been 

 since until last year. The following are some 

 of the items : 



Value of certain exports from the United States. 

 Flour nnd 1803. 1811. 1812. 1840. 1847. 



wheat,S9,3IO,00O%l4,r:62,0O0SlV«,O0O$ll,77S,ri9?S:i2,IS3,l6l 

 Rice, 9,445,001) 2,387,000 3,021,000 1,942,076 3,605,890 

 Corn, 2,025,000 2,896,001) 1,939,0U0 1,043,516 18,696,546 

 Beefic.l, 145,000 1,195,000 524,080 623,373 2,434,003 

 But. and 



Cheese, 585,000 395,000 329,000 210,749 1,741,770 

 I'ork, Ba- 

 con.&c, 1,890,000 1,002,000 604,000 1.894.194 6,630,843 



Total 17,410,000 22,537,000 20,105,00(1 17,492,706 65,292,218 



From 1791 to 1815, the values averaged annu- 

 ally as high as the figures given lor 1803, 181 J, 

 1812. After the war the values fell to a very 

 low figure, until 1840, which, being a year of 

 bad harvest abroad, was one of large export. 

 The following is a table of the average prices for 

 those articles during the war and now: 



The large supply of food sent to Europe al 

 high prices during the twenty years of war, was 

 the production of the thirteen old Slates only, 

 peopled by 5,000,000 of souls. We have now 

 thirty States, embracing 20,000,000 of people, 

 occupying the mo-t prolific soil, intersected in 

 all directions by avenues to market, and a mer- 

 cantile murine to transport produce, second lo 

 no country. While the means of supply have 

 so increased here, the population of western 

 Europe has been enhanced t;reatly in excess of 

 agricultural development. In all countries ihe 

 manufacturing and commercial population has 

 improved in numbers, so as yearly to lessen the 

 surplus of agricultural food. Hence, if war now 

 takes place, their wunts will be as much greater 

 as the means of supply have increased. The 



trade and prices which enriched Atlantic farmers 

 during the old wars, will, in greater magnitude, 

 be enjoyed by the western producers, while the 

 power of the United Slates has become such as 

 to make them respected by all the nations o( 

 Europe, and insure a safe neutrality. The war 

 of 1812 astonished Europe at our maratime 

 strength, and recent events in Mexico will have 

 a very salutary effect in removing all doubts as 

 to our military powers, and impressing upon 

 all nations the necessity of respecting our neu- 

 trality. 



The state of the markets for the moment is 

 very dull. Money is a little more abundant; but 

 the demand for regular business purposes ap- 

 pears to be limited. The returns of ihe New 

 York banks now being made down to ihe 24th 

 June, show an increase of specie, notwithstand- 

 ing the large exports [hat have been made. The 

 amount held by twelve institutions, at different 

 periods, is as follows : 



Specie in New York Batdis. 



lilav, Aucust, November, March, June 24, 



1847. 1847. 1847. 1848. 1848. 



$762,110 $844,179 S673.263 $458,536 $540,910 



724,625 1,046,362 546,812 412,325 464,5:19 



628,186 505.238 2:.4,713 281,341 



850,856 731,260 561.225 376,930 



560,618 599.892 413,920 532.777 



132,498 145.5*5 124,192 81,912 

 170,222 156.255 70 343 76,235 

 217,649 157,428 70,824 130,325 



Mechanics 

 Union, 



Fhenix, 705,005 



Slate Bank, 1,066,614 

 B'k Commerce, 756,753 

 Seventh Ward, 119,479 

 Tradesmen's, 116,798 

 Leather, 230,603 



Butchers and 



Drovers', 145,774 214,913 115,366 



Manhattan, 296,152 368,305 215,973 



B'k of America, 978,808 1.322,945 700,006 

 Mechanics and 



Traders', 74,770 72,072 53,526 



94,057 75,235 



11-3,112 228,271 



633,897 823,976 



55,270 50,526 



Total $5,977,3915,408,7754,007,634 3,314,414 3,662,980 



The export of specie from this port from 

 March 4 to June 24, was $5,754,154, and yet the 

 amount in these twelve banks increased $350,- 

 000 — showing a very considerable accession 

 from the interior of ihe country, as well as from 

 abroad, in the hands of immigrants not reported 

 at the custom-house. The imports of specie, 

 per customs returns in the same period, were 

 §'392,154. This drain from the country litis pro- 

 duced severe pressure in certain sections, and 

 yesterday resulted in the failure of the Canal 

 Bank of Albany, one of the oldest safety-fund 

 banks, having a capiial of §500,000. 



The import and export of specie from ihe port 

 of New York for the fiscal year ending with 

 June, have been as follows: 



Import, 

 Export, 



1846 

 $831,375 

 2,777,109 



1847. 

 $^,307,360 

 935,841 



1848. 

 SI 273,398 

 12,289,890 



Excess import, — 

 Excess export, 1,945,734 



— 11,016,492 



The total imports and duties for the year have 

 been as follows : 



Imports and duties — port of .Vf w York. 

 Specie. Free Eoods. Dutiable. Total. Unties. 



1846, $831,375 SI 1,642,097 $00,671,412 $73,144,844 $18,499,' 68 



1847, 8,307 ,340 9,082,717 6.\2u(l,532 82,5911 625 17,971,514 



1848, 935,841 8,102,856 82,312,451 91,688,715 20,977,514 



The year 1846 was the last entire year of the 

 operation of the tariff of 1842, and in 1847 that 

 tariff was in operation for five months. During 

 the year now closed, it is observable that the ag- 

 gregate imports have increased §9,000,000, but 

 dutiable imports have increased §20,100,000; 

 showing that the operation of the lower duties 

 has been to induce the larger import of goods 

 that were before too highly taxed ; instead of re- 

 turning in the shape of tree goods and specie, 

 they come in a shape that yields a revenue ; ami 

 ihe result is an increase of §3,000,000 in duties 

 over 1847, and of §2,500,000 over 1840. The 

 exports of the port have been, including specie, 

 §49,290,037 against §40,322,053 last year; show- 

 ing, as far as this port is concerned, an increased 

 export. 



Water in barn yards. — There is no diffi- 

 culty in bringing the water from a spring thirty 

 feet higher than your yard, though there may be 

 a valley between, ten feet lower than the yard, 

 provided ihe waler is confined in a pipe. The 

 water would run by simply placing ihe pipe in 

 Ihe spring, but to insure its always being kept 

 full, it would be belter lo ruise a bead by a cis- 

 leru or vat. Pipe of three-fourths of an inch 

 bore would be large enough to cany water for 

 twenty head of cattle, or more, and lead pipe 

 would cost here from twelve to fifteen cents per 

 foot. — Cultivator. 



From the Boston Cultivator. 

 Manures. 

 Messrs. Editors ■ — Believing '.hat the subject of 

 manures is one of general interest to the farmer, 

 1 take the liberty to give you a brief sketch of 

 my experience in their preservation and appli- 

 cation. 



And although all admit ihe value of manure 

 as a fertilizer of the soil, yet many, I think, judge 

 of its value by the quantity, without paying due 

 attention to the. quality, and the many circum- 

 stances by which it may be improved or im- 

 paired. 



To judge of the value of animal manure, we 

 should first take into consideration the kind ami 

 quality of food consumed by the animals from 

 which the manure is made. The more concen- 

 trated food, and the better the quality, the great- 

 er will be the value of the manure. Hence 

 arises the superiority of bog manure and that 

 of other domestic animals, when grain forms a 

 portion of their food. There is also supposed to 

 be some difference in the quality made from dif- 

 ferent species of animals, when they consume 

 the same kind of food. For instance, in the case 

 of horses, cattle and sheep, where iheir principal 

 food is hay, it is generally thought that sheep 

 manure is the best in quality, and ihe horse the 

 poorest. 



But there is a still greater difference in all 

 manures, which arises from the manner in which 

 they have been preserved. 



When fresh manure is left unprotected and 

 not in a frozen state, there is a constant discharge 

 of fertilizing substances into the atmosphere in 

 the form of gas, which, if retained, would go to 

 enrich the soil, and forward the growth of plants. 

 This loss by evaporation is much increased by 

 the action of the sun, wind, rain, frost, &.c. 



Hence the benefit of protecting our manure by 

 sheds, mixing earthy and vegetable materials 

 with it in the open yards, and composting; Ma- 

 nure may be so protected by sheds as to entirely 

 exclude the action of the sun and rain, and much 

 of the wasting effects of the winds. I have a 

 good proportion of shed room, and three-fourths 

 of my animal manure has been thus protected. 

 1 consider that manure well housed will measure 

 out one-third more in quantity when roiled 

 down, and be of one-third greater value, (bulk 

 for bulk,) than the same quantity would have 

 been in the open yard under ordinary treat- 

 ment. 



My yards are small in proportion to the amount 

 of slock kept, and it is my practice in the fall, lo 

 give them a coating of muck or mould to the 

 depth of six or eight inches. This serves lo ab- 

 sorb the liquid manure that otherwise might be 

 lost, either by evaporation — being absorbed by 

 the soil of the yard, should it he of a porous 

 nature, or should its surface be descending it 

 might be drained away inlo some ditch and from 

 thence to ihe brook. 



I consider that earth well saturated with urine 

 is fully equal to any fresh manure for surface 

 dressing. In addition to supplying my sheds 

 with a layer of muck or mould, I give them a 

 coating of weeds from fields, flags from swamps, 

 or leaves from woods. Of the latter I usually 

 collect some seven or eight cords n the fall 

 when matted together by moisture. In my sta- 

 bles arid in some of my sheds. I keep muck ilur- 

 ing the winter, to he used as often as needed to 

 absorb the juices and prevent the escape of gas. 

 And for the same purpose I keep the manure in 

 the yard well mixed and littered with straw, corn 

 butts and other vegetable matter. 



Ii is my aim to preserve manure in as fresh a 

 state as possible, until it is either composted, or 

 mixed with the soil in the fields. And by the 

 abundant use of vegetable and earthy absorb- 

 ents, I have frequently found ;t portion of it in 

 nearly as green a state in June as when first 

 dropped- Some kinds of manure are subject to 

 much greater loss than others, when equally ex- 

 posed to the weather. I consider that sheep 

 manure is the best calculated lo retain its virtues 

 when not of sufficient depth to heat, anil ihe 

 cow manure when piled. The horse manure is 

 subject to much greater loss than either of ihe 

 above, whether spread upon the ground or in 

 piles. And it is probably owing to this that 

 farmers generally have the impression lllat it is 

 poorer in quality than llial of ihe cow, when in 

 litct ill a fresh slate 1 suppose it may be richer. 



