102 



THE FARMER'S MONtHLy VISITOR. 



810,000. The Umd of these fanus origin.-illy was 

 no better tliuii tlie iivenipe of l;ii)ils u|)Oii the iiu- 

 riieroiis swells of New Hn,i;l:iiul. Left to ilf^elf 

 ill ordinary [msture, it iiiiulu h;i\e hceii at a |ire- 

 seiit Value ecjual to oiio-tetilli of what it will now 

 uctually bring. Hoje is a .staiidiiig .s|jeciiiiei) oi' 

 llie value that remains to he, that luay he, and 

 we t;"ust will be added to tiiousaiids and tens of 

 thousands of acres of New England soil. When 

 New Kn^iand agrionhure shall advance on the 

 road to iin|)ioveiiicnl to the extent of which it is 

 susceptible, then t^iiall wc become such a coun- 

 try, the like of « liicli may not now he found on 

 the habitable glo'.je. 'i'iie |)]Os|»-ilty of X.w 

 England Agricnlliire will i;ive a rich ^lahllily lo 

 every other pursuit and calling of men, ulio foili 

 deserve ancf appreciate a state ot' real iudepei-.- 

 dence. 



1-roin the Hampsliire Gazette. 

 Asparagus. 



This plant affords one of the most delici(]ii_< 

 products of the kitchen garden, and is held ii} 

 general estimation. By those accustomed to its 

 use, it is justly <.()i]siderrd as aujoug the tirst ol 

 culinary vegetalile lu.\uries ; and it is furnished 

 by those well iicquainted with growing it, sis 

 cheap or more cheaply than any of the conimon 

 Vi.-,;;i'tab!cs lound in the tiirmer's garden. Yet, 

 liotwitliflaiidini; its good (|nalitie.s, its cheapness, 

 and the high estimation in which it is held, it .sel- 

 dom makes its appearance on the tables of very 

 many farmers, tnechaiucs, or laborers, e.\cept as 

 a rarity. This should not be, and doubtless 

 would not be, were it nottlmt an crioneous opin- 

 ion extensively pievail> in le^j^rd In tlie trouble 

 anii expen.se ol' c>tal'li>hiMir ilie -a- 1 .iragiis bed," 

 as it is terined.in ilh- oiiisri ; i\n- n is well known 

 that it costs but little alter that is done. 'J'o re- 

 move that erroneous impression this article is 

 subtnitted, and if it should stiiindalo to the right 

 planting of one ounce of seed, by some labor- 

 ing man amotig the multitude of those who 

 might so easily give themselves and families, for 

 life, a sujjply in its season of this innocent luxury, 

 but who shrink from the formidable process pi e- 

 scribed by nursery men that sell roots, and gar- 

 deners that want lalior, — and the time of writing 

 tbi^ article will not be lost. 



In regard to the received opinion, it may be 

 siitlicieut to say, that irtnching Ike ground, and ttn- 

 derlaying it wUh stones, broken glass, irwmure, and 

 o.uy/u((tn/, ill a commonly good and dry garden 

 soil, is all unnecessary ; and where a good bed is 

 desired in the shortest time, and at the least ex- 

 pense, roo<s of any aec, even furiiislied for noth- 

 ing, are not worth the trouble of re-plautiug, |)ro- 

 vided good seeds can be procured at a reasonable 

 price. 



Asparagus is a perennial plant of the ino.et har- 

 dy description. By .striking out from the old 

 stock and putting forth new roots, and casting 

 old ones in its ])rDgress, it renews its age j early, 

 and with a little care, isa.^ fresh and vigorous at 

 the end of fifty years as when first planted. — 

 Roots planted in this town seventy years ago, 

 have thus given as vigorous slioots the jiresent 

 scaMin as those cut from the same spot thirty 

 yeais since, and yet during so long a period of 

 lime, they have received no other Ciire than mere 

 protection Irom hi ing trampled and broken down 

 alter the first of Juy yearly, and some Ic'w ol 

 thosp years a (hess-ing of manure. 



Dry ground, in condition to produce good on- 

 ions or heels, and fitted tor the reception of those 

 seeds, is equally well fitted for the reception of its 

 seeds and the production of asjiaragiis, and the 

 sowing and cultivation the first season may he 

 conducted in a similar manner to that of onions or 

 beets— or a preferable course where it is conven- 

 ient is to take board.s — old boards, or those of an 

 inferior quality, are as good as any — ten or twelve 

 inches wide, and three feet long, if such be the 

 width of the bed, and lay them flat across the 

 prepared bed, with a space of one or two inches 

 between, in which space the seeds should he 

 planted, one or two inches apart and a h:;lf or 

 three fourths of an inch deep, and the earth well 

 pressed down and made level with the iippersur- 

 iace of the boards. Planted in this manner, the 

 boards cover almost nine tentliB of the suiiiice 

 of the bed, and serve to protect the seeds and 

 young ])lants from the scratching of fowls, or 

 damage otherwi.se ; they also save the labor of 

 weeding the first season, and promote the growth 



of the plants by the iire^crviiti 

 near the surfiice. After seveie ii 

 iiuliuiin, the boards may be len.i 



ing the winter, and eiuii-h the 

 finest parts being forked in on 

 the next season ; after which the 

 he kept clear of weeds and gr 

 simimer, and receive its aimu.'d i 



leiely to 

 ling 'the 

 iL' m ll.o 



The entire expense the first season is not more 

 than is necessary to raise a cro|) of onions on an 

 eijiial extent of gniimd, .-ind ever after the first 

 se.-soii. the expense of lalior is ih t ii'oiv lli.-in 



\lM ,■.:- nnrel, ;,s tl„it ,.i' tl,e „,ii,,n enip, liir MK,- 



the hist of April tind the fir.st of August. Per- 

 haps the month of June is best, if the groimil be 

 siifHciently moist. The first set of sprouts fiom 

 the seed arrive at maturity in a few days afitr 

 their appearance above the surface of the ground 

 and when fully grown stand tioiii two to lour 

 inches high ; this first set is, in a few days 1<)1- 

 lowed by another, which, springing fiom the 

 crown of the roots, overtop their predecessors by 

 two or three inches, and these in turn arc follow- 

 ed hy successive crops of shoots still mere a.id 

 more vigorous as the roots gain siiengtli, until 

 at the close of the first season, nider ii'Miialile 

 circumstances, plants may be found iiom eig'sec n 

 inches to two feet high. Dining the second sea- 

 son the sproiirs continue to increase in size in the 

 same progressive manner as during the first sea- 

 son, and at the coirunencemcnt of the third year, 

 ortuo yeais from the time of planting the fvci], 

 the cutting (or use (nay heuin, and he continued 

 until the first of July, without special il 'Iriment 

 to the roots provided that after th..t time the 

 plants he (uotected from Injury or breakage, and 

 iKoperly laid down and manured late in the au- 



Asparagiis once established is established for 

 one's life. It has a permanence which almost no 

 other culinary vegetalile, or fruit even, can boast. 

 Whatever be the vicissiindi ~ li'i'.' senson, it 

 gives its yearly product '■ i ; .oiion to 



the richness of thegronel '.'::■■■■. i - to know 

 comparatively but little ell i .'. ii;;ige fiom 



flood, drought, frost or iiisecT. It recpiires a fair 

 exposure to the Sim to grow in perfection. Be- 

 nee.th tie sli.vde of trees it is not productive, and 

 that part of the stalk which is blanched and 

 grows beneath the surface, is tough, unpalata- 

 ble and worthless, however it may catch the eye 

 of the novice, or sell in the market. 



Cutting the stalks below the surface of the 

 ground, is thought to injure the root more by 

 bleecling, than if cut at the surliice, where f-no 

 and air will heal the woimd — and neatness in the 

 appearance oltlie bed during the time of cutting, 

 is equally preserved in the latter as in the 

 former case. Boiled over a quick fire, in wa- 

 ter just sufficient to cover it, and not over- 

 done, it preserves its freshest green >olor,Hiid best 

 flavor; and served up with melted butter, it is 

 the "-ne phis ultra'''' of vegetable diet,;nid is easi- 

 ly attainable by every working man who has a 

 small garden spot, and a willing mind. 



On prcpnriug .\i;ht-soiJ. 



Sir, — I observed a liiw days ago, in one of your 

 late periodicals, an inquiry, by a correspondent, 

 for the best method of [ireparing i.ight-soil for 

 maiinre. He said " he hud mixed it with liiiif, 

 and a very strong smell of ammonia was evolved, 

 svhereby he feared the ettJcacy ol' the manure 

 might be impaired." These conclusions are per- 

 lectly correct; its efficacy as oiganic manure 

 woiiid be destroyed by the use of iime. 



When an organic body conthining nitrogen un- 

 dergoes putrefaction, and moisture present, the 

 nitrogen unites with the hydrogen of the water, 

 and forms ammonia ; the oxygen, the other ele- 

 ment of water, unites with the ctuhon of the pu- 

 trifying body, and forms carbonic acid; both 

 these transformations, in their nascent state, com- 

 bine and form carbonate of ammonia, a volatile 

 salt, which is always evaporating with water, as 

 long as the decomposition couiinues. Such in- 

 variably takes place in nitrogenous bo<lies. 



When lime is added to a hodv holding carbon 

 ale of ammonia in solution, as in night soil, the 

 ammonhical salt is decomposed ; the lime robs it 

 of its carbonic acid, and caustic ammonia, a still 



more v.)latile compound, flies off in gas : thus we 

 have got rid ot all the nitrogen the organic com- 

 pound contained. 



OrL'.inic n:,uiure, without nitrogen, is of very 

 little value. Jt pervades evei-y part of the vege- 

 table sti iicliire, and no plant will attain maturity, 

 even in tlie richest n;oiil(l, without its presence. 

 The relative value of manure may be known b\ 

 the rel.itive (puu.tity of nitrogen it contains-. 

 Thei-e dcjes \]i>\ : | |.( ,ir to be any manme so rich 

 in nitroiien ; - hiniinn excrement (except bone 

 manure, « hieh echlains upwards of 30 per cent. 

 of gehitine in iis nitrrstices ;) so miit-h so, that ac- 

 roriling to tin- analysis of Macairc and Marcet, 

 I Of) |i.iils of hnni.in mine are equal to 1300 parts 

 ol Iresh dung of ilie horse, ("OO partsof the cow, 

 .Mid h'jO p.irts ot' ihe mine of the lioi'se. Hence 

 it is evident that it would be of much iiuportance 

 if none of Ihe human excremc tils were lost, 

 especially when wo consider that with every 

 pound of urine, a 'pound of wheat might be pro- 

 duced. Now 1 would suggest to your correspon- 

 dent the liest and most economical method I 

 know of preserving unimpaired the most valua- 

 ble element in niyhi-soil, whii-li i.s as follows: to 

 every 100 lbs. of night-soil, add 7 lbs. of sul[i|iatc 

 of lime (i.'\psun)) in powder: a double decompo- 

 sition u ill" ensue, and the result »ill he, instead of 

 sulphate of lime and carlHinale ..f an liionia, ear- 

 l.onate .,f lime and .s.ilpleue of anin.unia ; the 

 latter a soluble salt uliieh cannot he volatilized. 

 It might now be mixed with other compost, or 

 dried any way thought proiier, and applied to the 

 roots ot the vegetable, to he again transformed 

 into bread, butter, cheese, &:c. 



Chloride of calcium, siilphiirie or muriatic^ iicid, 

 substances of low priee, uonid completely neu- 

 tralizes the urine, com ei ting its tunmonia into salts 

 which possess no volntiliiy. 



I would also suggest, tliat if the floor.s of sta- 

 bles be strewed from time to time, with a little 

 sulphate of lime, they will lose till their oflfensivo 

 smell, and none of the ammonia which forms can 

 he lost, hilt retained in a condiiion serviceable as 

 manure. Tn cln.-e st,-ihles, the horses' liealth 

 would Ih I 1 !!, r I I - ,\> .1, .,1 (I iliRv would not 

 he so f ■ ' ; ■ .; ■■-. il lbs. ofsnl- 



phati' ci ; ; . ii ammonia ;is is 



mo.ler.,' 1 , :i" i',-. ,-r I, , . .; urine, lam, sir, 

 jourobrc!ient.<..vant, 



GREGOnV BRABYN. 



Wanchride, Nov. 14. 



Slana^ement of Small Farms. 



Many small liirms in the county of .Armagh, 

 Ireland, which would not produce sufficieiiLfood 

 liir the support of their wretched tenants, have 

 been made astonishiniily productive by the new 

 system of rotation, tin; grecurfbod and soiling 

 sy.^tem, which might be adopled by the poorest 

 individual on the most inconsiderable jilot of 

 ground. As a jiroof that it improves the land, 

 whilst at the same time it increases the stock, we 

 insUuice, first, the fiirm occupied by John Hogg, 

 of the townl;md of Dtinegaw; it consists of ten 

 acres of a light gravelly soil, scarcely nine inchea 

 deep, which is in consequence easily worn out. 

 The oeeepiei- was formerly unable to pav £4 

 sterlie.g r y:.v for llie u hole'lot, and he was al- 

 wa-,s in iiriia.- uiiii his landlord and in debt to 

 his neighliDrs, striving in vain to exist on a iiiis- 

 eiable pittiinee. ' The feeding for his cow occu- 

 pied three acres of his land, and the produce of 

 the remainder was so scanty and of so bad a 

 quality, that the butler produced by the cow. and 

 even the refuse milk, had oftentimes to be sold to 

 make up the deficiency ; and thus the poor man 

 with his liimily made but a most precarious live- 

 lihood, hou.sed ill a wretched hovel, scarcely fit 

 lor a human being to enter ! Ho has now aih)|it- 

 ed the green-fiMid and soiling system, and the 

 change is wonderfiil, although three years only 

 have passed since" be commenced it. He says. 

 he was in such wretched circumstance.? that he 

 was on the point of etnigiatioii, but having got 

 encouragement from Mr. Blacker, (the per.soii 

 who first inlroducDd the new system,) he had fol- 

 lowed his advice, and his fiuin was now under 

 the four-course rotation : he has now two cows 

 and a horse, « cart ami a plough ; owes no rent 

 although he was before always in arrcar; has 

 hou>i:ht some land, anil is in the way of doing 

 well ; the new system keeping himself and fami- 

 ly always busy, and paying them well for their la- 

 bor: he was formerly obliged to pay ns much ns 



