January, 1842. 



THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITO 



11 



very {ireat improvement in tools, slock, seed and 

 buiifliiigs, and tlie prepaiation and cultivation of 

 the soil. 



Tlie publication of papers devoted to the in- 

 terests of agriculture have no doubt contributed 

 nnicli in bringing about this change. And we 

 were surprised the other day in learning that the 

 iiunjiier of such papers, published in this coun- 

 try, was so large. Among these we consider 



The Farmer's Monthly Visitor as one of 

 the best. We think it must certainly be so to 

 the citizens of the Granite State — we say citi- 

 zens, for it is not the farmer alone who may read 

 it with profit, liut those of every profession. As 

 our readers may generally know, it is conducted 

 by the Hon. Isaac Hill, and published in this town 

 by John M. Hill, on the last of every month, at 

 tlie low price of seventy-five cents per year in 

 advance, to single subscribers — three copies for 

 two dollars, and ten for six dollars. We have 

 been a paying subscril)er from its commence- 

 ment, and make these remarks from a conviction 

 of the value of the contents of the Visitor, and 

 by aiding its circulation, we feel we shall be do- 

 ing the community an essential service. The 

 form of the Visitor is very convenient for bind- 

 ing, and when bound, makes a handsome and 

 valuable volume. The first three volumes, in- 

 cluding 1842, are offered for two dollars. 



The "Granite State." 



The Portsmouth Jom-nal says — '■ We have 

 been highly gratified with a portion of the remarks 

 made by Mr. Bmke of New Hampshire, on the 

 floor of Congress, about a fortnight since, in re- 

 ply to the following taunting inquiry by Mr. Ar- 

 nold of Tennessee : 



" What was New Hampshire ? A most barren 

 and sterile piece of earth. He never could think 

 of New Hampshire without thinking of black 

 chilly rocks, of the screeching owl and prowling 

 wolf Was she advancing in population? He 

 believed not. She was the only State in the 

 Union that had taken a retrograde movement; 

 or, at least, she advanced in population less than 

 any other State. She was in favor of free trade ! 

 He would like to know what New Hampshire 

 had to trade on ?" 



After some other remarks. Mr. Burke reiilied 

 to the inquiry, " What is New Hampshire .'" 



" New Hampshire is, indeed, thrown among 

 the hilLs. She is the Switzerland of America. 

 Her mountains point high up among the clouds, 

 where eagles take their (light, and enjoy unre- 

 strained the freedom of the skies. She is a land, 

 sir, of ' mountain and of flood.' Her cloiid-ca])t 

 hills, even in midsummer, glisten with the frosts 

 and snows of winter. The terrific avalanche 

 Korings from their simimits, and thunders down 

 their sides. But, sir, she is also a land of crystal 

 streams, of glassy lakes, end)osomed among her 

 hills— and of beautiful valleys and meadows, 

 dotted with neat and pretty villages, teeming 

 with feitility, the hum of industry, and all she 

 evidences of wealth and prosperity. She has 

 more of those noble triumphs of liberty, common 

 schools, more village spires pointing to heaven, 

 and more of the moniunents which mark a lii,L;h 

 and advanced state of civilization, than any other 

 State of this Union, with perhaps one or two 

 exceptions. If there are any exceptions, lam 

 not aware of them. And, Mr. Speaker, if she is 

 indebted to any cause under heaven for her ad- 

 vancement in prosperity, wealth and civilization, 

 it is to her lofty mountains and her beautiful and 

 fertile valleys. Her people breathe the mounta' 

 air — the air of heaven and of liberty ; and hi 

 rugced surface, not barren and sterile, calls forth 

 their mental as well as physical powers, and 

 makes them what they are — a hardy, vigorous 

 intelligent, and energetic people." 



Great Yield of Corn. 



We find in the Union Agricultmista comminii 

 cation from Col. Joel Walker, of Belvidere, Illi- 

 nois, giving an account of corn raised by him tht 

 past year. The kinds selected for the experi 

 inent were the Chinese tree corn, twelve rowed ; 

 Yellow Dent, twelve rowed; and New Jersey, 

 eight do. 



The ground was highly manured, at an expense 

 of three dollars per acre, lightly ploughed and 

 otherwise prepared in thc> ordinary manner. The 

 seed was planted in hills four feet apart ; number 

 of kernels to the hill not rcmen.ibcred. The 



crop IS Harvested, and the result is as follows: 

 Chinese tree corn, 1694 busli. shelled, per acre. 

 Yellow Dent, 170 " " 



New Jersey, 99? " " " 



To be sine there was no mistake, each parcel 

 was measured twice ; and as the editor of the 

 Agricidtnrist has vouched for its accuracy, it may 

 be considered one of the most enormous yields 

 on record. Col. Walker also planted a small 

 juantity of the Brown corn ; and from its fine 

 appearance and yield, expresses the opinion that 

 it will one day supersede every other variety. 

 Such yields of corn as this, and some of those 

 recorded in our December number, for which 

 premiums were awarded by our county societie.s, 

 will make Kit Cornhill, who in his communica- 

 tion in our last insinivated his doubts of the re- 

 ality of such crops, open his eyes wider than 

 ever. — Albany Cultivator. 



Col. Walker is an old acquaintance: before 

 ir residence in Concord he served an appren- 

 ticeship here to the business of a saddler, and 

 afterwards pursued the precarious business of 

 merchandizing at Peacham, in Caledonia county, 

 Vermont. Preferring the life of a farmer, he has 

 removed to the West, where every thing is on a 

 great scale — great debts, great crops, as well as 

 great improvements. Col. Walker has taken the 

 Visitor, and procured of us through his friend at 

 some of the Brown corn. — Ed. F. M. Vis. 



a large portion of the learning, rank, and beauty 

 of both sides of the Tweed ; and . even Ireland 

 had its representatives there. There were entered, 

 for competition, 962 head of cattle ; including 

 horses, neat cattle, sheep, and hogs. The premi- 

 ums ranged from 200 to 5 sovereigns, anil inclu- 

 ded every thing which has any connection with 

 gricultnre. 



\Ve observe that, at the fairs of the Highland 

 society, sales of cattle, &c. at auction, always 

 take place ; and we believe that the commissions 

 on the sales go into the treasury of the society. 

 This is a i)ractice which ought to be adopted at 

 all the fiiirs in this country. It would tend great- 

 ly to increase competition and the size of the 

 meetings. 



In one of the speeches of the Blarqnis of 

 Tweeddale, he stated that a great deal had been 

 lost by some farmers in liming their poor land. 

 But be stated that land containing much 

 vegetable matter was as much improved as ever 

 by lime. No fact is better known than that lime 

 is of little use on land bare of humus of vegeta- 

 ble matter; but certainly none is better establish- 

 ed, by the experiments in England as well as iu 

 this country, that lime is eminently beneficial on 

 land containing a fair proportion of vegetable 

 matter. It is beyond doubt very beneficial in 

 mellowing stifT, cold, and clayey soils. — Louisville 

 Journal. 



Agricultural. 



The Highland Society of Scotland is the most 

 powerful, and perhaps the most useful, agricultu- 

 ral institution at present existing. A Scottish land- 

 owner would blush to acknowledge he was not a 

 member, and many of their tenantry have their 

 names enrolled on"the list. Nor is it absolutely 

 necessary to be a Scotchman to become a mem- 

 ber. 



Besides the large amount given in premiums 

 at the annual cattle show, immense sums have 

 been expended in forwarding the inclosing and 

 improving the " nmirs and mosses many" with 

 which Scotland used to abound ; and under the 

 fostering care of the society " barren wilds" have 

 become "fruitful fields." Premiums for any thing 

 new in the arts connected with agriculture have 

 been liberally given, and a repository provided 

 for the models. High premiums and honorary 

 medals are given for the best essays on agricultu- 

 ral subjects; the prize-essays being recorded in 

 Ihe Quarterly Journal of Agriculture, which be- 

 ing conducted under the auspices of the society, 

 and containing an account of its transactions, ' 

 found a useful and instructive work. 



Premiums have been distributed with a spi 

 ing hand to those who inclosed water-drained 

 morasses, i)lanted trees, &c. ; to those who made 

 the best butter and cheese: in fact, in relation to 

 every subject connected with the purposes of the 

 institution, the improvement of Scotland. 



The society, for the first two or three years 

 held their cattle-show in Edinburgh. The gen 

 tleinen of the west of Scotland having offered a 

 handsome addition to the premiums, it was one 

 year transferred to Glasgow. A rivalry spran 

 up among the districts, and each vied .vith the 

 other in making the show splendid. Fairs I 

 now been held In the principal towns of Scotland; 

 and this year it took place in the ancient horde 

 town of Berwick, ui)on Tweed. As the EuglisI 

 side was allowed to compete, the anticipatior 

 since realized, was entertained, that this would 

 be the most magnificent show ever held ; and so 

 it vvas. 



Betwixt the border counties of Northuniber 

 laud, York, and Durham, on the English side, and 

 Berwick, Roxburgh, and Haddington, on the 

 Scotch, a rivalry exists as intense as it vvas in 

 days of yore, but now much more beneficial to 

 the country. Durham was the birth-place of 

 short-horns, Northumberland their nurse; hut the 

 Scotch have asserted that they could be reared to 

 perfection north of the Tweed, and the tria' 

 which took place on the 29th of September, at 

 Berwick, pioved tiiat the Scotch were right. 



A worthy Scotch friend has placed in our hands 

 a Berwick Advertiser, of October the 2d, i 

 tainiug a full account of the great agricultural 

 meeting. We wish it was iu our power to give 

 to oin- readers some idea of its magnificence. The 

 picture would arou.se our American fiuniers to 

 greater exertions in the same way. The con 

 ' course cf pt^ople was immense, and it cmbraccc 



Although the following facts have before been 

 alluded to in the columns . of the Visitor, they 

 will bear repeating for the benefit of whom it 

 maj concern : 



A Gentleman Farmer. — Mr. Derby gave, at 

 a late agricultural meeting, a sketch of a farm he 

 owirs on an island in Winnipissiogee Lake — a re- 

 gion where one would liardly expect the state of 

 things he described. This farm includes 500 

 acres ; 170 acres in wood, 280 acres in pasturage, 

 50 acres in mowing and tillage ; usually eight or 

 ten acres under the plough. There are now 37 

 cows, and sometimes 44. The original cost of 

 the farm and stock was $4,200. The sales in 

 1838 had amounted to. SI,968; in 1839, $1,500; 

 the falling off being attributable to the decline in 

 the prices. The sales consist of butter, cheese, 

 and pork. The cows and swine gave him abun- 

 dant resources for manure, which he applied lib- 

 erally ; on cidtivated grounds,from 38 to 40 loads 

 per acre. Mr. D. had, this year, ten acres under 

 the plough : two in potatoes, one in wheat, one 

 in oats, and six in Indian-corn. His six in corn 

 produced him 400 bushels. One acre of this corn 

 gave him 131 bushels, and he applied to the agri- 

 cultural society of that county for a premium, 

 but was defeated by a conqjetitor, who claimed 

 it for 132 bushels. Mr. D. stated that one ground 

 of his success was, that his farm-manager was 

 directly interested in the results. 



In the first place, he has what he needs from 

 the farm for the sup[)ort of his family. In addi- 

 tion to this, he had in cash $300 a year, and on 

 his sales was allowed, when his butter sold at 30 

 cents per pound, four cents per pound ; on cheese 

 sold li cent; on pork, 1^ cent. This gave the, 

 farmer nearly $500 per year. His sales the last 

 vear were, new milk cheese, 5900 lbs. ; butter, 

 2350 lbs. ; pork, 2600, besides reserving enough 

 for the consuu)i)tion of the family ; the male la- 

 bor of the fii-.in consisting of the farmer and two 

 hired men. The fi^male department is filled by 

 one woman, the wife of the manager, who !)er- 

 forms all the household work and makes all the 

 butter and cheese. Under this management, Mr. 

 Derby has received from his farm an income of 

 15 per cent, on the original investment, and the 

 farm is in a course of improvement. — Carolina 

 Planter. 



A Great AVokk or Art : The box Tunnel. 

 — The Great Western Railway, England, is, a 

 magnificent work, and is marked by many extra- 

 ordinary indications of labor and enterprise. It is 

 the longest independent line of rail way completed 

 in England. The "box tunnel," which from ono 

 of its principal features, pierce sthrough Box Hill, 

 betwen Chippenham and Bath — part of which is 

 400 feet above the level of the railway. The 

 Tunnel is 9,680 feet long, 39 high, and 35 wido,to 

 the outside of the brick work.' The exciivation 

 amounted to 414,000 cubic yard.s and the brick 

 work and masonry to more than 54,0C0 cubic 

 yards. A liout 30,000,000 of bricks were used. A 



