s.. 



a ' : farmer'* '"- ateitor. 



179 



September and October were chilly and damp- 

 then I) i bui few fair days. 



Hay gave a i'ull crop, and the growth of gra - 

 was generally good in .-'II pans of the country, 

 during the early part of the season. 



Wheat gave a full average yield in most sec- 

 tions, though in some neighborhoods the crop 

 was damaged hy wet weather after it was cut. 



Rye was generally a full yield, ami of good 

 quality. 



Barley did not yield as well as usual in tin: 

 central portions el' New York, where it is culti- 

 vated exlensh ely, lint in some other sections the 

 crop was (inc. 



Ont.i are generally heavy, though with rather 

 n dispropoi tion of straw. 



Indian Corn, that important article for home 

 consumption, and which is becoming every year 

 more valuable for exportation, has been good — 

 except in the colder and more northern parts of 

 the country, where, in some instances, it failed 

 to ripen fully. Hut taking the whole country to- 

 gether, the crop has never done belter, and the 

 quantity produced must be unprecedented. The 

 best processes of kiln-drying this grain are com- 

 ing into use, by which we are enabled to send it 

 to foreign ports in good order, and it can be 

 brought from the interior of our country, where 

 it is raised at a cheap rate. 



Potatoes have been less injured by the "dis- 

 ease " or rot, than for the last three or four years. 

 The crop was more or less effected about the 

 first of August, and in some instances suffered 

 to the amount of fifty per cent or more. The 

 general yield, however, was light — in many pla- 

 ces not half an average — even where the tubers 

 have shown no symptoms of decay. Our ac- 

 counts from Europe represent the disease as less 

 virulent, generally, than in former years, in 

 England ami Scotland, the crop is decidedly bet- 

 ter than that of 1847, and in Ireland the destruc- 

 tion has been less, except in a few districts. 



Of fruits there was an entire failure, in this vi- 

 cinity, of cherries, plums and peaches, occasion- 

 ed, as it is believed, by the starling of the buds 

 in the fall, and the sudden occurrence of extreme 

 cobl in February. A hundred miles further 

 south, however, the stone fruits were generally 

 good, and in New Jersey and Delaware peaches 

 were never more plenty. Apples are plenty and 

 good. Pears in this vicinity, were not as good as 

 usual. The trees have suffered greatly from 

 blight — the cause of which is yet veiled in some 

 mystery. 



But in view of all the products of the season, 

 the American husbandman has abundant reason 

 to be satisfied. In all the essential articles of 

 subsistence, the earth has yielded a bountiful in- 

 crease. No dread of famine disturbs the minds 

 of any of our people, but from all quarters we 

 bear the joyous intelligence, that there is "bread 

 enough and to spare." 



From the Genesee Fanner. 

 Peat Charcoal the best Deodorizer. 



The last London Farmer's Magazine contains 

 an interesting article under the above beading, 

 from the pen of Jasper W. Rodgers, Managing 

 Director of the Irish Amelioration Society. The 

 great hindrance to the saving and use of night 

 soil which abounds in London and other ciiies, 

 is the extreme offensiveness of the eases evolved 

 from cesspools, or the excreta of the human fam- 

 ily. To find some cheap and abundant sub- 

 Fiance that will effectually deodorize this invalua- 

 ble fertilizer has long been regarded as a deside- 

 ratum of the highest importance to the health of 

 cities and towns, and the improvement of the 

 farms and gardens in the United Kingdom. The 

 fact has come to be well undestood that it is or- 

 ganized animal and vegetable matter, undergo- 

 ing decomposition, which contaminates the atmos- 

 phere and lenders it insalubrious for man, in all, 

 or nearly all, unhealthy localities, whether such 

 localities are in ciiies, on river bottoms, in 

 swamps, or rich upland prairies. 



Dining the one hundred years that Augusta, 

 on the Savannah, ill Georgia, has been a town 

 and city, the yellow fever has prevailed but once, 

 and that was ill 1839. Previous to that year, 

 and at that time, it was the practice of the mu- 

 nicipal authorities to have the fillli of the city 

 hauled out and cast inio the river off from a high 

 projecting, wharf-like structure, made for the 



purpose. The Bummer and autumn of 

 were remarkably dry, and the Savannah so low 



as not to wash away the decomposing mass that 

 accumulated at the place of public deposit in 

 the bed of the river. The wind blowing over 

 this ill the direction of the city, carried with it 

 pestilence and death to hundreds, before any one 

 suspected the cause of the yellow lever, in a form 

 so malignant and fatal, where it had never be- 

 fore been known. 



To render cities, villages and country residen- 

 ces perfectly healthy, and at the same time in- 

 crease the productiveness of the earth, arc clear- 

 ly objects of inestimable importance. Ireland 

 abounds in peat bogs, and in laborers starving 

 from a lack of bread and employment. This 

 peat can be easily converted into charcoal ; and 

 Dr. Rodgers estimates that two millions of tons 

 of this coal can be profitably consumed annually 

 in London, in deodorizing the contents of priv- 

 ies, sewers, and other sources of pestilence, in 

 that vast metropolis. The Mark Lane Express 

 and other leading journals enter warmly into the 

 discussion of the subject. Coal is light, and can 

 be easily transported with the absorbed fertiliz- 

 ing elements collected in cities, to all parts of the 

 country, by railways, which radiate from cities 

 as their natural centres. 



In corroboration of the soundness of the views 

 of Dr. It., Mr. Kimberley thus writes to the 

 Farmer's Magazine now before us:—" At pre-ent 

 it is quite sufficient to say, so far as your [the 

 editor's] inquiry is concerned, that for fourteen 

 or sixteen years I have been constantly using 

 peat both as a deodorizer and fertilizer too, and 

 for the purpose of making the human excreta 

 with all its parts, fit to carry about in any shape, 

 in sacks or wagons. It gives me much pleasure to 

 be able to corroborate these truths, and though so 

 much neglected by all parties, broadly to state 

 the known fact that human excreta, properly 

 managed, can regenerate much of our own 

 country that requires improvement, and that it 

 may be made the regeneration of Ireland entire- 

 ly also, drive anarchy from its post, and give to 

 Ireland what she has long sought — industry and 

 contentment." 



That the peat, so abundant on that island, 

 grows rapidly, under favorable circumstances, 

 has lung been known ; nor can we discover any 

 insuperable difficulty in the way of its extensive 

 manufacture into coal, and the employment of 

 the latter for the purpose indicated. Porous 

 coal, swamp muck, vegetable mould and loam, 

 will absorb and condense all the volatile matter 

 given off from the decaying carcass of a dead 

 sheep, if well buried therein. The burial of all 

 lifeless flesh, to escape its offensive affiuvia and 

 pestilential gases, rests on this natural law. 



Recently heated charcoal will take up ninety 

 times its weight of ammonia in the. shape of gas. 

 Many intelligent planters at the South use it 

 freely in their pig-sties and the vaults of privies, 

 with the most satisfactory results. Well dried 

 muck, without charring, will answer a good pur- 

 pose. Where the quantity of manure derived 

 from animals that eat flesh or grain is small, 

 especial pains should be taken to collect phos- 

 phates in hones, sulphates in gypsum, chlorides in 

 common salt, and salt of potash in wood ashes. 

 These are the things to be added to composts 

 formed mainly of muck, forest leaves, straw or 

 vegetable substances devoid of the seeds of 

 plants and the earthy elements found in the 

 bones, brains and fksh of animals. 



It will not do to expect to transform a pound 

 of coal, muck, wood, or straw into a pound of 

 good wheat. Don't deceive yourself in this mat- 

 ter, and then say that the Genesee Farmer was 

 wrong and led you into error. The soil made 

 by an animal that eats wheat will produce wheat 

 again. The bones, brains and flesh of all the 

 descendants of Adam and Eve have been com- 

 posed of elements similar to those w liich existed 

 in the bodies of our first parents. Do not he so 

 foolish as to think of making the bones ol grow- 

 ing children, colts, calves, lambs and pigs out of 

 charcoal or carbon alonr. Look out for little, 

 phosphorus, sulphur, soda, potash and chlorine, 

 as will as for carbon and available nitrogen. 

 The seeds of plants and the milk and flesh of 

 animals form fertilizers of exceeding value. 

 These agricultural products are sent to cities or 

 villages in one shape or another, and there most 



insanely wasti d. ■ ience points out a i 

 remedy for this public evil. Let its suggestions 

 be duly considered. 



Education of the Young for Agricultur- 

 al Pursuits. — Where an ardent thirst is begot- 

 ten in the minds of youth, to become thoroughly 

 prepared for mi honorable and useful discharge 

 of the active duties which make up the sum of 

 a happy life, the great lirst step is taken towards 

 the accomplishment of so glorious an end. We 

 turn our attention to parents, the natural guardi- 

 ans of the young, possessing power to mould 

 and fashion the tender mind, to lead and direct 

 aright the early inclinations as they are first de- 

 veloped. To parents we appeal, assured that 

 their influence will be exerted, to lead ihe child- 

 ren under their care to contract an attachment to 

 the employment in which ihey are engaged. 

 Let the son be thoroughly instructed in every 

 branch of labor to be performed upon a farm, 

 and in its management in general, and no doubt, 

 with proper opportunities for instruction from 

 suitable books and well-regulated schools, he 

 will fall in love with the science, and delight in 

 the practice of agriculture. In the successful 

 prosecution of this highly honored and peaceful 

 pursuit, female effort and influence are indispen- 

 sable to lead to auspicious results. I am aware 

 that some persons of near-sighted and contract- 

 ed views, have expressed the opinion that the fe- 

 male mind ought to be occupied altogether in 

 the contemplation of unreal things, of ideas that 

 float in a feverish or excited imagination, and of 

 outward accomplishments, and be content to 

 dwell upon the surface of subjects, without an 

 attempt to dig deep in the mine of knowledge. 

 No one honored with the title of mother, can for 

 a moment listen to any such suggestion ; but will, 

 I am sure, put forth their utmost exertion for the 

 fullest expansion and enlargement of the intel- 

 lectual and moral capabilities of their daughters 

 as well as their sons. — Mr. Ires' Address before the 

 Jefferson County, .V. Y. .%. Society. 



Curing Provisions. 



As this is the season of the year when farmers 

 are engaged in packing their stores of meat, we 

 offer the following recipes, the value of w hicli 

 we have proved by our own experience : 



Hams. — The following mode of preparing 

 hams, we have practised for several years, and 

 can with confidence recommend it to others: 



For every one hundred pounds of meat, take 

 five pints of good molasses, (or five pounds 

 brown sugar,) five ounces saltpetre, and eight 

 pounds rock salt — add three gallons of water, 

 and boil the ingredients over a gentle fire, skim- 

 ming off the froth or scum as it rises. Continue 

 the boiling till the salt, &c, is dissolved. Have 

 the hams nicely cut and trimmed, packed in 

 casks with the shank end down, as the pickle 

 will thus strike in belter. When the pickle, 

 prepared as above, is sufficiently cool, pour it 

 over the hams. They may lie in pickle from 

 two to six weeks, according to the size of the 

 pieces, or the state of the weather, more lime 

 being required in cold, than in warm weather. 

 Beef or mutton hams, intended for smoking and 

 drying, may be cured according to this mode, 

 and will he found excellent. 



Much of the goodness of hams depends on 

 smoking. They should be hung nt such a dis- 

 tance from the fire, as not to be heated. They 

 should also be hung up with the shank end 

 downward, as this will prevent the escape- of 

 their juices by dripping. Small hams, wanted 

 for immediate use, will answer with two weeks' 

 smoking, but larger ones, aid those wane 

 keeping, should be smoked four weeks or more, 



Different articles are used for smoking. Per- 

 haps saw-dust from hard wood, where it can he 

 conveniently had, is on the whole to be prefer- 

 red. Corn cobs are first rate, and are said by 

 some to make the "sweetest" smoke of anything, 

 Chips id' maple and hickory, or the small twigs 

 and branches of those kinds of wood, do well. 



Westphalia Hams. — The following com- 

 pound will give to any common ham the taste so 

 much appreciated in that sold as Westphalia, 

 and is recommended to them who prefer lhat 

 flavor: In one hundred parts of water dissolve 

 four parts of salt, two parts of brown sugar, one 

 part Barbadoes tar, and one part spirits of wine. 



