£!)c fnrmcr*0 iitotitljto bt0ttor. 



i <o 



tant from the designated point ; llie assistant, 

 , having the staff, with a moveable target, ami also 

 ' a bundle of stakes, some two to three feet long, 

 places one in the ground, and by its side raises 

 the staff anil moves tlie target Up or down, to 

 range with the sight from the level : the target 

 is then raised six inches and confined by a screw ; 

 the ass'stant walks seventeen steps, and raises 

 % his staff: the operator, by merely turning hid 

 level, and not otherwise varying its position, 

 ' soon determines the point (or the second stake, 

 by the assistant moving the staff" backwards or 

 - forwards, (keeping his distance from the first 

 stake) until the target again ranges with the 

 level ; then set another stake, and raising the 

 target six inches at each station, throughout the 

 field. One position for the level, if selected with 

 judgment, will serve for eight or ten sights; they 

 should be taken in advance, and on or near the 

 supposed line of the furrow. With a little prac- 

 tice the levelling is done very expeditiously, anil 

 by any person of ordinary capacity. When 

 ready for the plough, the leveller walks before 

 it, (the ploughman guided by his steps) picks up 

 the stakes as they are reached — and if necessary 

 by much inequality in the land — varies the line 

 a little between the stakes, still more to preserve 

 • the level. 



This gives a uniform escape for all surplus 



• water, with a regular fall of about one foot in 



the hundred. My experience has proved, that if 



• the furrows are not too far apart, (one for each 

 fall of five to six feet will generally suffice) they 

 effectually prevent washing; and the. gradual 

 descent of water does not form gullies. They 

 are made directly after seeding wheat — are as 



'carefully attended to as the seeding itself — and 

 remain open until the land is again broken up. 

 They are valuable on all lands liable to wash, 

 and have materially aided in my efforts in 



* " renovating worn-out lands." All the unsight- 

 ly "gullies and galled places" have disappeared. 



Rotation of crops. — This is also a subject of 

 importance; and it is also one on which much 

 u.versity of opinion exists. Nothing short of the 

 concurrent testimony of a neighborhood will es- 

 tablish one plan as the best: yet in another, a 

 different one has equally strong advocates : for 

 in some sections of the country "the three field 

 shift" is preferred— -in another, five, and a third 

 will adopt the six or seven field relation. Dif- 

 ferent •' localities," and other circumstances, may 

 perhaps afford good grounds for this varie- 

 ty of opinion. But as a genoMl rule, it is be- 

 lieved that where the latter mode is adopted, or 

 Marly so, other circumstances being equal, the 

 funning is better done, is more profitable, and 

 the lands are more permanently if not more ra- 

 pidly improved : close pasturing, and "renovat- 

 ing worn-out lands" may do in theory, but are 

 not very likely to succeed in practice. The 

 Seven field rotation certainly admits of a better 

 opportunity to benefit by the aid of the artificial 

 (Brasses ; and whenever they can be successfully 

 invoked, the good work is moro than half ac- 

 complished. 



Before taking leave of my readers, the majority 



i of whom perhaps are engaged in agricultural 

 pursuits, I would again briefly recur to the im- 

 portant subject of manures — one of scarcely less 

 moment to the tiller of the soil, than is the mar- 

 iner's compass to the tempest-tossed sailor — for 

 iWaiuly to their agency in some form or other, 

 must we be indebted Cor success in the "renova- 

 tion of worn-out lands." My preference, as may 

 have been seen, is given to lime over all others, 

 when an expenditure of the Blender resources of 

 lite farm is devoted to this object ; anil although 

 it is not a panacea to cure all the ills incident to 

 the calling, nor will it, like the fiibled Satyr, 

 • " blow hoi and cold with the same breath," yet on 

 all soils to which I have seen it applied — from 

 .the stiffest clays to the blowing sands — does it 

 appear to be a renovator in a greater or less de- 

 gree : the one it will lighten and mellow, while 

 the other is rendered uioie compact and more 



. retentive of moisture. I would therefore strong- 

 fy advise the use of lime, as decidedly the most 

 efficient and durable agent for improving most 

 kinds of soils. If its action may be considered 

 comparatively slow, it is sure in iis fertilizing 

 effects; and will generally in the end, prove also 

 to be the most economical whenever it can be 

 obtained at a reasonable price. 



The three kinds of " bought manures" mosl 

 extensively in use in this State for improving our 

 worn-out lands (plaster of course excepted) 

 might be classed somewhat like the following : 

 lime for the landlord, guano for the tenant, and 

 ground bones lor both. All maybe used to profit 

 under favorable circumstances; but they are be- 

 lieved to differ materially in their relative values, 

 in proportion to the amount of money usually 

 expended, if the improvement of the land is a 

 primary object with the husbandman. 



Experience, however, in this, as well as in 

 most other things, is the best teacher ; provided 

 we do not pay too dear for it. And without in- 

 tending in the least degree to check the energy 

 and spirit of agricultural improvement, now so 

 widely extending, I would venture a caution to 

 those who have but little money to expend for 

 the purchase of high priced manures, to do il 

 rather for such as are known to be durable; and 

 which will eventually be the most certain to re- 

 turn both principal and interest. I feel confident 

 that all I have expended for lime, has been re- 

 turned in the increased product of the soil ; and 

 with nearer six times six than six per cent, inter- 

 erst. If the market value of the land has not 

 been enhanced in equal proportion (most proba- 

 bly the case) it certainly has not deteriorated any 

 in quality. 



As remarked at the beginning of my essay, no 

 exclusive method of improvement is alike suited 

 to all locations and circumstances; but I trust a 

 plan is submitted that will very generally suc- 

 ceed if persevered in; it will not only make the 

 grain but the grass grow ; and will at the same 

 time, effectually " Renovate worn-out Lands." 

 EDWARD STABLER. 



Harewood, 8th mo. 28, 1K43. 



The Withering Leaves. 



BI T. BUCHANAN READ. 



The summer is gone and the autumn is here, 

 And the flowers are strewing their earthly bier; 

 A dreary tnist o'er the woodland swims, 

 While rattle the nuts from the windy limbs ; 

 From bough t i bough the squirrels run 

 At the noise of the hunter's echoing gun, 

 And the partridge flies where my footstep heaves 

 The rustling drifts of the withering leaves. 



The flncks pursue their southern flight — 



Some all the day and some all night; 



And up from the wooded marshes come 



The sounds of the pheasants' feathery drum. 



On the highest bough the mourner crow 



Bits in Ins funeral suit of wo — 



All naiuie mourns — and my spirit grieves 



At the noise of my feet in the withering leaves. 



Oh ! I sigh for tlie days that have passed away, 

 When my life like tile year had its season of May ; 

 When the world was all sunshine and beauty" and 



truth, 

 And the dew bathed my feet in the valley of youth f 

 Then my heart felt its wings, and no bird of the sky 



Sang over tlie flowers more joyous than I. 



Hut Youth is a fable — and Beauty del eives ; — 

 I'oi my footsteps are loud in the withering leaves. 



And I sigh for the time when the reapers at morn 



I'a down from the hill at the sound of the horn — 



tir whan dragging the rake, I followed thejn out. 

 While fliey tossed the light sheaves with their laugh- 

 ter about ; 

 Through the field, with boy dating, barefooted Iran, 

 But the stubbles foresleolowed Ihe path of the man 1 

 Now the uplands of life lie all barren of sheaves — 

 While my footsteps are loud in the withering leaves. 



A Good Mother. — She is a good mother who 

 brings up her children to work ; to work in the 

 kitchen, if you please. We shall never have 

 good puddings and pies, chowders and I'rickasees, 

 while the ladies are taught that it is a disgrace to 

 learn to cook. The time may not come when 

 the daughters of wealth shall be obliged to take 

 their stand in the kitchen, but should they not 

 know how to bake and wash ? What is a young 

 woman lit fur, to a fanner or mechanic especial- 

 ly, whose mother allows her to lie in bed till ten 

 o'clock, and who, when she rises, sings a song 

 or two, and sits down to the last new novel ? 

 She may answer for the wife of a wealthy fop; 

 ami a miserable life, miserable indeed, will she 

 live. Far belter for her, no mailer what her 

 condition may be, if she be brought up to work. 



ff,/^ Raisins, ami other Malaga fruit, fresh and 

 good, of this season's growth, are plenty in the 

 Boston market. 



From the Maine Farmer. 

 Pickling or Preserving Beef. 



The mode of preserving beef in salt is very 

 simple, and consists in putting in sufficient salt 

 to absorb the juices of the beef. The beef, 

 however, should be perfectly sweet and good, 

 when packed down. We last spring published 

 the rule adopted by the butchers and packers 

 of beef in Brighton, and other towns in Massa- 

 chusetts, as required by the laws of that Slate. 

 Some think that in the mode there directed, 

 viz: by using dry suit alone, too much of (he 

 juices of the meat become absorbed or ex- 

 hausted by the salt, and the meat is rendered too 

 dry; anil hence they add pickle or brine, made 

 by dissolving salt in water. 



Dr. Cooper recommends, in Willieh's Do- 

 mestic Encyclopedia, the following mode, viz : 

 If the meat be intended for family use, and lo 

 be used in two or three months, take, of water, 

 one gallon; salt, nineteen ounces; saltpetre, 

 one ounce and a half; sugar, half a pound ; if 

 a teaspoon lul of Cayenne pepper be added lo 

 each gallon of pickle, it will increase the pre- 

 serving power. Enough of the above pickle 

 should be made to cover the beef when packed 

 down. 



He also says that having killed an ox in the 

 middle of August, at nine o'clock in the evening, 

 it was cut up at three o'clock in the. morning. 

 The pieces were rubbed with a mixture of ten 

 parts of salt ami one part of saltpetre, and then 

 packed into a barrel. 



A brine was then made of one and one-half 

 pound of salt ; two ounces of saltpetre, and half 

 an ounce of common pepper, to the gallon of 

 water, dissolved over ihe fire, and vvhen the 

 beef was all packed in the barrel, it was pour- 

 ed on boiling hot. This prevented and de- 

 stroyed all fly-blows. In a week, the pieces 

 were taken out, dried and wiped; the pickle 

 was boiled over again, scummed, and again 

 poured boiling hot upon the beef when unpack- 

 ed. The process answered the purpose com 

 pletely. 



We should not like the trouble of unpack- 

 ing and repacking so often, but as the weather 

 was warm, perhaps it might be the safest 

 mode. 



In one of the earliest volumes of the Ameri- 

 can Farmer, a method of pickling beef was re- 

 commended, which some of our friends tried at 

 the time, with success. We publish it below, 

 but do not see ihe necessity of using the alkali 

 there recommended. It seems to us, although 

 we have never tried it, that the ley or alkali 

 would have eiiher a tendency to change the 

 chemical nature of the salt, or combine with 

 the fatty portions of the beef. The writer com- 

 mences as follows: The beef, as soon as the 

 butcher has finished dressing it, should be bung 

 in a cool place, anil become thoroughly cool to 

 the marrow; then cut it up, and cleanse every 

 piece from blood, &c, in pure cold water; then 

 iet the pieces intended for heavy beef, the bris- 

 kets, &c, be lightly rubbed with blown sail, and 

 laid in a pickle tub, that has been nicely clean- 

 sed ; on these lay the rest, the thickest' pieces 

 first, till all to be pickled are snugly packed in. 

 If the weather will permit it, the beef will bo 

 tenderer and nicer by being suffered lo bang 

 two or three days in quarters, or to remain 

 twenty-four boms in the pickle tub, before Ihe 

 pickle is poured on to it. 



Take twelve or fourteen gallons of pure water, 

 (if not pure, make it so by boiling well after 

 the salt has been put in, and taking off the 

 scum as it rises,) and stir in good blown salt 

 till it produces a brine that will bear up an egg. 

 The tlay before the salt ami water are put to- 

 gether, put on a pot of pure water, into which 

 put clean vvrfbd ashes, and boil till they produce 

 a ley thut feels a little slippery between >ht> 

 thumb and finger ; put this ley away until the 

 next day to settle ; it will then look like pure 

 water. Measure one gallon of this ley, and 

 pour it into ihe salt and water, after thai has 

 been made to the proper strength ; or if you 

 boil, put in the ley directly after boiling. Also 

 put in, at the same lime, four ounces of saltpe 

 lie, beat line, ami one pound of brown sugar or 

 a pint of molasses. Stir the ingredients well 

 together, and let them stand till next day ; then 

 carefully skim off every thing that has risen, and 



