90 



THE FARMER'S MONTHLYVISITOR 



Mark tlie contrast of good aud bad breeding, 

 rnd the com|jaiison will hold good throughout 

 iheaDimal creation. 



It is the noble faculty of reason, which gives to 

 man his worth, power and dominion, and it is by 

 its aid, that he haf produced the most wonderful I 

 l)hysical develo|)emcnls in those animals which | 

 are most necessary lor his use ; improvements j 

 which alone place the farmer amongst the great- ' 

 est benefactors of nianUind. Through his perse- 

 verance, his ingenuity and his labor in promoting 

 good- breeding in the animals necessary for his 

 subsistence, and in bringing them to the highest 

 state of perfection, the public welfare is subserv- 

 ed, and the farmer deserves to be regarded by all 

 reflecting men, as one of the most important linhs 

 in the chain of human society, and the main pil- 

 lar of the social edifice. 



WM. H'Y. .SOTHAM. 



Items from the Albany Cultivator. 



Corn. — Ifyoin- land is deep and friable, and 

 properly fitted for corn, tiiere is little advantage 

 in hilling it. It is sometimes said corn requires 

 hilling to suport it. Nature" disproves this ar- 

 gument by the Miff, bi-aring roots thrown out by 

 this plant, at the time they are v.anie<l, and for 

 this very purpose. On wet lands, planting on 

 ridges and hilling may be advisable, but such 

 lands should never be chosen for corn. If wet, 

 drain it thoroughly in the first place. Allow no 

 weeds to grow in your corn, and do not fear to 

 stir the surface in dry weather. Every weed ab- 

 sorbs nutriment enoigh to make a good ear of 

 corn, and if any remain after the plow cannot be 

 used, pull them up, or cut them with the hoe. 



Potatoes. — Some have recommended that 

 after the last hoeing of this root, a coating of 

 straw be spread over the plants and between the 

 rows. This will check weed.s, keep the ground 

 moist, and add to the crop. If potatoes are hilled, 

 it should be with one brood and flat, and the 

 same remark will apply to those made around 

 corn. 



RuTA Baca. — This in an excellent crop, and if 

 not quite as certain and valuable here as in Brit- 

 ain, it is one which ought not to be neglected by 

 any farmer. Mere, \xhere we have no bone dust 

 to "give the turnips a start, a little line well rotted 

 manure put under or in the drills will aid them 

 much. The most criticnl period is before the 

 IbrmatioM of the rough leaf; afterwards all they 

 require, is clean culture, and proper thinning. 



VVeeds. — Wage an imeeasing wjufare with 

 weeds in every form. They are continually in- 

 creasing on most farms, an<l new ones are yearly 

 added to the catalogue of nuisances. It is not too 

 much to say that in many cases, the annual pro- 

 fits of a farm are diminished from one-third to 

 one-half by this cause alone. Thorough fallow- 

 ing in the "English method is the best remedy for 

 the thistle; cutting Johnswort, and applying plas- 

 ter to invigorate tlie other grasses will check, if 

 not destroy this weed ; the annuals, such as wild 

 mustard, cockle, stcinkront, &c., must be pulled 

 by hand carefully before ripening iheir seeds; 

 and the elder, life everlasting, and others, must 

 be cut up by the roots. 



Plum Blight. — Examine your plum and Mo- 

 rello cherry trees very carefully this summer, and 

 ityou dis'-over on any branches those unsightly 

 swellings or black excresences that are a sure 

 precursor of the ruin of the tree, if left to jiro- 

 gress undisturbed, cut ofi' the limb at once and 

 burn it. It is distressing to the lover of these 

 fine fruits, to wilness the destruction going on in 

 these trees, without an effort, or scarce one, to 

 save them. Attention will preserve trees, it seems, 

 nothing else will. 



Pear Blight. — This disease, doubtless caused 

 by an insect, may he detected by the drying up of 

 the leaves on a branch, and as soon as noticed, 

 the branch should be separated at once, and the 

 infected part burned. If left on the tree, it will 

 in most cases spread in a little lime over the 

 whole, and cause death. It is better to cut the 

 branch a considerable distance below where the 

 bark appears atiected, so as to be sure of eradica- 

 ting the evil. 



Summer Fallows. — If the fields you are in- 

 tending to sow with wheat in the autumn, he in- 

 fested with weeds, or the sward he tough, you had 

 better commence your fallow as early in the sea- 

 son as possible. There is no danger of making 

 the land too dean, or the soil too fine j and each 



plowing shoidd go a little deeper than the [ire- 

 ceding. 



Manures. — It is not a good plan totipply man- 

 ures directly to the grain crop. It is belter to 

 give them ;o corn and roots; and have these fol- 

 lowed by spring grains, and grass seeds with clo- 

 ver, which, after being mown or pastured, (the 

 last is best.) may be followed by wheat. Applied 

 directly, they give too nnich straw, while the ber- 

 ry is iiilliicir. Corn ai:(l roots reipiire all the forc- 



wlieat, nianiiiis .--IhiiiM he nrade into compost, by 

 being placed in alternate la}ers in heaps, witli 

 turf, lime, swamp mud, or other substances, that 

 in the process of decomposition, will retain the 

 active or soluble parts of the stable manures, and 

 which are too frequently lost to the farmer. 



The Garden. — The farmer's garden will have 

 required care and at'ention, and will well reward 

 him for both. Thin out your onions, carrots, beets, 

 &c. Sow beets for fidl or winter use. Do not 

 leave too many melon or cucnnd)er plants in a 

 hill. It is good to put in plenty of seed so as to 

 guard against casualities, but three or four of the 

 mo^t vigorous and healthy stems only should be 

 allowed to ramain for fruit, the rest to be pulled 

 up. Kidney beans planted in June will .some- 

 times bear profiisely and are always welcome. 



Watering Plants. — Heat and moisture are 

 indispensable to the growth of plants ; and a 

 drought in June frequently has a most injurious ef- 

 fect. Garden plants may be much aided by wa 

 tcring. A rose nose watering pot should be used, 

 and rain water is always to be [irefeired. If well 

 or spring water is used, it should be kept in a tub 

 or other vessel exposed to the sun and air for a 

 day or two before using. 



Strawberries. — After giving their strawberry 

 beds a thorough clipping and cleaning, some at 

 this time cover the spaces between the rows with 

 long straw-, which not only keeps the grotmd more 

 moist, but prevents the large steins of fruit from 

 becoming dirty by contact with the earlh. The 

 strawberry is a delicious, easily cultivated fruit, 

 and it you have not a bed of them, don't forget 

 next September or October, to provide a sujiply 

 of the best kind.s. 



Cabbages. — Transplant cabbages for late fall 

 or winter use. They may sometimes require a 

 little protection, if the snn is hot and the sky cloud- 

 less : but nsuallv, if well set, and the earth not 

 shaken oft" in reinoving, they will suffer but little. 

 Early cabbages are frequently attacked by a smaK 

 white worm that preys on the stem in the ground. 

 Judge Buel found that hot water, while it did not 

 injure the cabbages, freed them from the worm 

 efiectuallv. 



We cap never hope to render soils more fruit- 

 ful by applying a gill of manure to the hill, and 

 then carrying off the whole product. 

 From the Farmer's Cabinet. 

 Cultivation. 



I have often thought that Dr. Johnson's defini- 

 tion of the business of a schoolmaster, was par- 

 ticularly applicable to that of the agricultural 

 journalist: "To recall vagrant inattention," aud 

 to " stimulate sluggish indiftijrence." 



Every movement of the farmer — every step 

 which he takes, is emphatically under the broad 

 canoyiy of Heaven : it is iu the midst of the forests, 

 and the fields, and over the luxuriant carpet 

 which nature has so liberally spread abroad (or 

 his enjoyment. He ploughs, he plants, he culti- 

 vates, under a full persuasion of ihe fidelity ofNa- 

 tures's great '■ Eructifier." He throws "broad 

 cast" his seed inio her hosoni, nothing doubting 

 Ihe continued fiilfilment of the ancient promise, 

 that seedtime and harvest shall not cease whilo 

 the earth rcuiaineth. 



It is an apjMopriate duty of the periodicals 

 which the farmer reads, and [luts into the hands 

 ol'his childri'u, not only to keep him informed of 

 the improvements that are continually bettering 

 the condition of his " craft," aud to suggest to him 

 variations iu his crojis, as well as new modes of 

 (iseding them out, and every thing else, in fact, 

 connected with his "thrift" — the appliance of his 

 farm and household, — but also, to raise his views 

 (Vom his horses and his plough, to the magnifi- 

 cence of nature that is around him, and from na- 

 ture, as the poet says, up to Nature's God ; and 

 to remind him occasionally of the fact, which his 

 customary round of duties may lead him to for- 



get, that his vocation, if properly followe<l, is 

 among the noblest, and most ennobling, pursued m 

 by man. There is a progressiveness— an onward li 

 course, in the efforts of the farmer, that render || 

 them delightful ; and why should not this be con- 

 tinually accompanied by a currcspdiiding im- 

 provement of the minil, ami .'ulaigeairiil nfviews, 

 that would place his among the most iutfiiigent 

 and respectable of the pjdiissioris. The farmer, 

 it seems to uic, cannot hiliold hut wiih great com- 

 placency, his horses — his cattle — his sheep— his 

 every Hung that is living around him, obviously 

 improving by his attention, from year to year; — 

 he perceives the truth of the old saying, that " land 

 is honest," for he finds his fields always grateful 

 for what he bestows upon them ; an<l there is an 

 indescribable li'ihii,:: ol CoiiscioiisiK'ss, that he de- 

 senes more of his cnitiiiiy th.in lie «!,<) lir.s led 



in the language of old David Lauton, he has made 

 two blades of gjass lo grow, where but one grew 

 before. There is great inducement for nur farm- 

 ing population to believe that the ten<lency of ev- 

 ery thing connected with their vocation is, like 

 evi'ry thiny else iu this great and wonderful Re- 

 public, xiinranl and onward. Let us, then, extend 

 our vieus — let us " look aloft" — let us aim, as Sir 

 Philip Sidney advi.ses, at the •' mid-day sun," and 

 who can doubt but our judicious enter[)rise will 

 render the result cori'espoudent with the aim ? — 

 as advantageous to the (lermanent interests of the 

 country, as it will he gratifying and beneficir.l to 

 ourselves. Z. Y. 



From tlie Farmer's 'Tabiiiet. 

 Soiling Horses. 



Sir, — At the suggestion ofaii intelligent neigh- 

 bor, I have commenced a novel mode of soiling 

 my (arm-horses, and am desirous of describing it 

 for the adoption of your readers generally. 



Mine is a dairy-finin, and as 1 devote all my 

 pasture-ground to this purpose, it is not my prac- 

 tice to turn out my horses until after Ihe hay liar 

 vest, that the cows may have benefit of a fresh 

 change of pasture weekly. At the bottom of my 

 cattle-yard is a small mead.ivv, about two acres, 

 which has been enriched for many years by the 

 overflowing of the yard; this I have commenced 

 cutting by Hi'ecemea/ tor the soiling of my horses 

 in tlie stable, and it is really surprising to find 

 how very small a portion of land is now mown 

 every morning \\>y the supply of lour horses dur- 

 ing the day and night: the labor of mowing and 

 carrying to the slahles is as nothing, the work of 

 about lialfau hour only. As the land is cleared, 

 it is iujinediately spread with a covering from my 

 compost heap, which is so near that a boy can 

 carry on a sufiicient quantity for the purpose in a 

 very short space of lime ; the effect is beyond my 

 conception, lor, judging from present appearan- 

 ces, I shall be able to cut the grass from this piece 

 of land four times the present summer; and it is 

 my intention to keep my horses in the stable the 

 whole time, by which I shall save many acres of 

 pasture and tons of hay, as also many loads of the 

 best manure- Now, can any other crop pay me 

 equal to this small portion of my farm? R. 



B.-\KED BE^VNS. 



BY A TA.NKEE. 



Oh ! how my heart siirhs for my own native land, 

 Where potatoes and squasiies and cucumbers grow, 



Where cheer and irood welcome are always at hand, 

 And custards and pumpkin pies smoke in a row j 



Where puddings the visase of hunger screens, 



And what is !"ar dearer — tlie pot of baked beans. 



Let Maryland boast of her dainties profuse, 

 And larLie water-melons, and cantelopes fine, . 



And turtles aiid oysters, and terrapin stews, 

 And sort cr.nbs \ngU zested with brandy and wine, 



.\h ! neither my tieart from my native-land weaas, 



When smolie o.t the tible, a pot of baked beans, 



The pot of bn.ked be.ins ! with what pleasure I saw it. 



Well seasoned, well pirkcd, by some rosy faced dame, 

 And wl:cn from the glowins hot oven slie^ draw it, 



Well crisped and well browned to the trihle it came. 

 Oil ! i^ivr me my country, the land of my tiens, 

 Of the dark Indian pudding and pot of baked beans. 



The pot of baked beans ! — \h '. the muse is too frail, 

 Its taste to descant on— iti virtues to tell j 



But look at the sons of New England so hale, 

 And her d.iu^bters so rosy— 'twill teach thee full well. 



Like mo, it will teacii thee to sigh for the means, 



Of health and of rapture, the pot of baked beans. 



