144 



THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR. 



For the Farmer's Monthly \'isitor. 

 The Season. 



Much has been said among neighbors, and 

 somewhat printed respecting the unusual snni- 

 mer now jtassetl. But has it been sufficiently no- 

 ticed ? The months of July and August were 

 dry beyond measure. Weekly we received all 

 the usual signs and symptoms of the desired rain : 

 but those symptoms gave but hope deferred. The 

 sultry south wind swept over with her dry and 

 scorching wings. The east winds came but to 

 drink up the dews froir. the bosom of the earth. 

 The heavens were as brass ; and the earth, as 

 powder and dust. But the army of grasshoppers 

 came not, as they did in 1SJ5, to devour our lean 

 and meagre gard(;iis, to cut down the grass of 

 the pastures, and to consume the wheat and the 

 oats. This year (and let it be remembered with 

 gratitude) we are called upon to encounter but 

 one of our enemies, rather one of the trials of 

 man. It is believed that so severe a drought has 

 not been experienced since the memory of any 

 man now living. The perennial fountains, which 

 for ages have quenched the thirst, day by day, of 

 the herds tliat fed upon the hills and vallies, be- 

 came themselves dry and empty pools. 



During the month of August, many freehol- 

 ders were compelled to drive their cattle daily for 

 water to the nearest river or brook. So exhaust- 

 ing was the drought, that iu some few instances, 

 we hear that cattle were obliged to travel daily 

 for some miles to fiud the retreshing stream. 



The crops, excepting rye, have all suffered ex- 

 ceedingly. The hope,that most indeiiendent and 

 uniform of all our crops, and which sends its 

 roots deep and broad in search of its appropriate 

 nourishment, has felt the iron hand of the season 

 bearing hard u])ou its promised increase. The 

 fruit now in process of gathering, is in size stnall, 

 in some instances exceedingly small ; but in 

 color, strength and flavour, is of fine quality. As 

 to quantity, the general estimation is about three- 

 fifths of last year's product. 



Staple crops, oats, corn and potatoes, bear the 

 indelible stamp of the privations which they have 

 sufl:ered. We have often seen the leaves of the 

 Indian corn roll, as the technical phrase is, iu the 

 dry mouth of August; but the curled leaves 

 would always unfurl in the succeeding night, to 

 be contracted again jierhaps in the succeeding 

 day. But the aspect this year has been widely 

 different, sombre and melancholy. In many in- 

 stances parts of fields, and in some instances 

 whole field.s, exhibited the leaves, stalks, ears and 

 all, turning white and drying up, as though a 

 deadly fire-blast had passed over the earth. Some 

 in the milk, and some before it had arrived at that 

 state, were converted into a dry and ahnost use- 

 less fodder. Some of the growers cut up their 

 pieces by the hill to feed out to their stock, not 

 pretending to select an ear worth the saving. On 

 other grounds, favorably situated, some of the 

 crops stood the shock wonderfully, and present 

 apparently a fair crop. 



Potatoes, which have usually ofiiciated, like a 

 Commissary, to the wants both of man and beast, 

 now withhold their wonted suiqjiy. The new 

 crop has been selling in some of the country vil- 

 lages, first at a dollar per bushel. At Manches- 

 ter and Nashua, the price was said to be still 

 higher. They have now fallen to about half that 

 sum. About the first of September, 1 bought at 

 five shillings per bushel : since that I have re- 

 sorted to my own fields. They present but a 

 poor return for the labor and expense. The yield 

 is so small as to require 40 or 50 hills to fill a 

 bushel. Mine this year, though well manured, 

 are on dry and lisht soil. I dare say that deep, 

 damp, rich soils better lullil the hopes of the hus- 

 bandman. I have (lug of two kinds, viz: the kid- 

 neys and the Cheiiaiigos and from two fields. 

 The same characierisiics present themselves in 

 each. Th.ir i -•■, ■Ipnllv n discnpc iir.on them 

 all, uri,.;ir . 1, . / ■ -. n-.iu, a privatiou f.f r;.ii,>. 



The,-,.,,,,. . I I a thin! pan ..f the p,,- 



tatoe, is ;, ,1;,, ■ : . .'k liitii|i, iiai-,1, nauseous an I 



perfectly luipalatalilr. The residue of the tuber 

 though eatalile, (being better than nothing) |)ar- 

 takes though in a fur less degree of the same dis- 

 agreeable flavor. There is scarcely an exception 

 from the largest t,, thos,.. nut larger than an ounce 

 bullet. Such is il„; ,'„n,liiiou of all mine thus 

 far used. How f\,r, those purchased were free 

 from this aimoyaucr. We hope that it will not 



prove so connnon as to become an epidemic upon 

 the various crops of that species of vegetable. 



Were the iidiabitants of these States generally 

 graziers, as were the pati-iarchs Jacob and his 

 sons and also the inhabitants generally of Pales- 

 tine and as were also afterwards the Hebrews and 

 Samaritans, their cereal crops being few and 

 small, we should this year, undoubtedly have ex- 

 perienced a famine. But here in this enlightened 

 place and age, the agricultural producers are so 

 numerous, and the grain and the root crops so 

 various, and the facilities of exchange and trans- 

 port so midtiform and commodious, not only at 

 the North,but between North and South, that the 

 fear of fatnine never has, and perhaps never will 

 disturb the public tranqifiUity. England howev- 

 ei-, under the intolerable weight of her debt and 

 taxes and arhitary and oppressive laws, keeping 

 at all times, as well of plenty as scarcity, the price 

 of grain at a high mark ; and with her manufac- 

 turing class dependent for work and tor bread up- 

 on the foreign amount of the goods manufactured, 

 and starving as they are at the present time, there 

 is indeed danger enough (/(cre, of a famine the 

 coming winter ; and before the soft air of anoth- 

 er spring shall clothe the trees with green, a rev- 

 olution may sweep from the face of that fair 

 island every vestige of debt, hierarchy, heredita- 

 ry nobility, monarchy and all. In this case they 

 will undoubtedly enjoy afterwards an elective 

 government of men instead of an hereditary jiet- 

 ticoat government. But let us recross the Atlan- 

 tic, and revisit our own sweet hills, and hear again 

 the stirring sounds of New England. 



We desire to be thankful to a kind Providence 

 for deliverance from ])estilence, famine and war; 

 and generally for good laws and free constitu- 

 tions, freedom of speech and a free press, nothing 

 doid)ting that, " while the earth remnineth, seed 

 time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and 

 winter, day and night, shall never cease." 



AMHERST. 



To PREVEMT THE RAVAGES OF RaTS INGrAIN. 



— How to prevent the ravages of rats in grain af- 

 ter it is housed, lias been an inquiry of long 

 standing. We can never exterminate them to 

 such a degree as not to apprehend their incur- 

 sions, for a horde of these troublesome visiters 

 will often make their appearance when we least 

 exiiect them. Instinct points the way to where 

 that provision best suited to their nature is found 

 most plentifid. We have often found, when we 

 went to thrash, our oats cut and cleaned by them, 

 and the straw rendered luifit for any purpose 

 whatever, even tlie subservient one of litter. 



But every evil has a cure ; and I have found 

 connnon elder to be a preventive, and Iiave tes- 

 ted its proprieties as an anti-rat apiiplication. — 

 When the grain is to he jiacked away, I scatter 

 a few of the young branches over every layer of 

 biuidles, being mindftil to have them in greatest 

 abundance on the edges of the pile. The dry- 

 ing of the twigs will give the grain an odour not 

 relished by the vermin — which scent in no wise 

 detracts from the quality of the straw for horses, 

 as it makes no difference with them. — I have tried 

 it successfully, a number of years in wheat, oats 

 ami corn. 



• THE MARKETS. 



the N. Y. Jo 



I of Coramerce, Sept. 22. 



COR.\ E.X.CHA.\'Gt:.— The news from England u 

 tied Flour, and there were few sales afterwards. Genesee 

 and Ohio were ofl'ered on Saturday .it Sl'ifi2, and a few 

 sales were made at that price, to supply pressing wants. 

 Ji-rsey Rye Flour sold at ,53,£3,and choice at g4; Indian 



plenty ; Jersey sold .Saturday at 7fi.^ c 

 msasure. A cargo of ucw Northern Oats, of prime qu~al- 

 ity. obtained 50 c bush. 



MOiVEY & EXt'HANGRS.— Thej-e is nothing very 



imoortaiit un,)i-r this l„iari. Mtmey remains quite plenty. 



■' ■'; "t :,:, ..;- ', ' .-li ,.■ ; ,.r ,;. iiiibiicsentiraent chan- 



I, . ,' ' 1,1,^ , , ,, i.illy the stocks whose 



' , : I . , , ! . iMIing from week to 



■ ' < ^ --'' i . .:: I .] rl . . : . , I [I'l prcmmm. Specie 



51o,t;0 ;i li, I - .,;i.' nilVrs have been laadu towards the 

 I'.S. I.n,::, , - v.l.utnonewethinkatlcss. 



HID!;-- , I : M, 11 ,1 pressing demand. The sales 



i'lclul,' ,1 ' Viijostura. part, and probably the 



whol,-. ii 1 . , ! ; . I o i,t. olT cash; 2000 iMaracaibo at 

 .1 liigli price ; '.IIUO Pernambucn, Ji lbs. each, at 13 cts. 



less 4 per cent, cash; 1750 Matamoras at U| cts. 6 mos. 

 There are no Buenos Ayres hides in market — they would 

 probably command 16^ cts; 4000 were sold in Philadel- 

 phia at 16 c. 



LEATHER.— The demand is vigorous, and the supply 

 short. Henriock tanned sole leather is seUing freely at 

 22 a 23 cts. for light weiffhts ; 21 a 22 rts. for middling, 

 and 19 a 20 cts. for b.-nw ■ Oik t,,,n,>rl, Jt ,, .W cts. 



BIOLASSES.— l',,"M-i^ III! ■niA- ,,i lU-iaand. Ve- 

 ry prime ?orto [:,. ,:,: , ' \S0 hhds. 



New Orleansr.".,,!,! : , ,rr,.l of 150 



hhds. at29c.whnl, ,- .,„ :,,ii,,,,.r ■■> I , ,: ,1 ; 50 hhds. 

 Sweet Trinidad at 2li.l c, and a car>40 ..I Sour on terms 

 not public; New Iberia sofd in lots at 23c; 300 hhds. 

 Porto Rico at 30 a 32 c ; 100 do. Matanms, at 22 a 23 c. 



PROVISIONS— There is nntinn;' to b,- -ni 1 in favor of 



beef and pork. Both reia,ii,i !■,'- .,.: fis rather 



cheaper. Mess nnv be qu, i. I , ■ mil prime at 



g:5,25 a 50 ; a small parcel . I > , list in mar- 



ket sold at .s'.i.'J.-,. Olao|M„\>. ,i , iiatedullat 



K8alOa,„l \ \, „■;.-.,,,, yiM . , ,-: i : ,,, 1 Sli,75a g9. 



SIHIAI. — !:.;> I . ,:,,-■ (I [Tood demand, and both low 



an,l pill i, i V,. lilted. Poor New Orleans sold, 



at liAi t., ,ii,.i 11 :,, t-. Of Porto Rico, 600 hhds at 



C.:! a'SA, 1, , („ si ( inix. lOOhhdsat 7J a 9cts ; 200 brls 

 white Brazil sold at SI cts; 100 boxes white Havana at 

 9i a lOcts ; 300 boxes brown at 7^ a 73 ; 250 brls Cuba 

 muscovado brought 7icts. 



TEAS — .\re quit,' hnii with an active demand from the 

 trade at fully the |i mm ilin il for the cargo of the 



Konohasset, and ;"M I, iv,> been made at high- 



er prices. The t"! 1' , if the particulars of 



the Konohasset'f • m i •mii — 6 months — Hy- 



son— 131 chests aiMl Ml ; i inc. -. -10 chests at 



453 chests at 83.', , 

 at41ia40; 7«',l 

 chests at 80 a 70 ; 

 3chesUat56.ia.V 

 TALLOW— S, 

 SALT— A carM. 

 T. Island, the ■nil 

 this kinil thi^ iiin^ 

 pool groiriil s ,jt 



a 9ic lb. 

 bii. 1900 hi 



M. Ml,., .Mat about 28 cts— for 

 ilr liLtt,*r. A cargo of Liver- 



i.'iScts sack; Ashtan's sacks 

 tlier factory iilled sack^ 157^, 



rUSTSCRlPT. 



THE MARKET, Sept 21—2 P. M. 



Flour looks more like business. There have been sales 

 to-day of j^ood Genesee, at .S'ti.SO; 2000 brls for shipment 

 (supposed to Englnml) at ;5i6,37i. Some small parcels at 

 «6,31,and some of Genesee and Ohio as low as ;J6,25, 

 Troy was sold at i^6,25. 



The London packet of the 30th, detained until to-mor- 

 row, will take 3 good deal of specie. 



A parcel of l-lOO bush, prime Westcfn Wheat sold for 

 exportation (to Bermuda it is said) at 150c. bus. A cargo 

 of Delaware Wheat sold at 140c bus. Rye 764 els. Corn 

 75a76 cts. 



.Sterling bills have advanced to 9^ prero. as the top price 

 and francs to 5f. 17j per dollar as tho asking price for 

 some sales. 



Soil's by anclion in Boston, Wednesday, Sept 22. 

 INDIGO— Manilla, 12 cases, 75 a 94c per lb. 6 mos. 

 SUGAR— Havana brown, 60 bo.\cs, ^'^7 40 a 7 82 per 



100 lbs, 

 MOLA.^sr.'— 



ClGAIiS— Ini. 





COKK.s- Ci 1 M,, 1 



TE.\-l'uuU,.,,g, ;, l..,li .:i, 



SALT— Liverpool' fine, 1000 sacks, " Worthington's" 

 brand, J'l 47 a 1 62 per sack, cash. 



Sale of Stocks in Boston. 



lOishares Boston and Lowell Railroad, 19.^ a 20 per ct. 

 advance. 



40 do Nashua and Lowell Railroad, 17} per ct. adv. 



BRIGIITO.N MARKF.T.— Monday, Sei>t. 20, 1841. 



[Reported for the Daily Advertiser and Patriot.] 



At market 650 Beef Cattle, 820 Stores." 28U0 Sheep. 



and 1140 Swine. "^ 



Pricks— Bfe/ C'a//;»— The prices obtained Inst week 



quality 5 60 n f(6ob ; second quality «6 CO a 5 25 ; third 

 quality gS 50 a 4 50. 



SJores— Two ye.arsold gS to 13 ; three years old, gH 



Sheep — Lots were taken at gl ! 2, to 1 25. 

 Siemc— Lots to peddle, 3 a 3), for Sows and 4 to 4Jo 

 for Barrows. At retail, from 4 to~5c. 



NEW VORK CATTLE MARKET— Skpt. 20, 1841. 



At market. 1450 head of Beef Cattle, including 100 



left over I,-,, i ,vci,k ; ,15 Cows, and 4000 Sheep and Lambs. 



The MiM ! ,,, i: , i„ing large, the prices of last 

 week v., 1 ;^ , ., i,_d. The sales reached 1200 



head at , - . I mt few of the latter price — av- 



Milcl, Cwi- MB,,; M.uslly small and inferior; 50 were 

 taken at ,>,i.), 33, and g3o, each. 



Sheep and Lambs were nearly all taken: Sheep at «1 

 .W to 4 50 ; Lambs at gl to 2 75 each. 



Hay— There has been a fair supply, and sales were made 

 at 91 to 106 the IM lbs. 



