November, 1842. 



THE FAKMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR. 



163 



From the Karmor's Journal. 

 Liquid 9Iauiire. 



Mr. Editor— When accDiiMts of the great value 

 of liquid iiiamire, as |inivi(l liy i'X|ieriiiieiit, liave 

 been |iiil)lished, and its •ji-r'\[ miliiy is so eviileiit 

 on e.\uini]iin^' the >iili|ril, ii is sin-|iri,sin;j that liir- 

 niers do not give heed ki the sulijecL livery one 

 is aware tliat " manure is llie tin iiier'.s gojil mine," 

 and great attention is given the .suhjeet in malt- 

 ing compost lieafis, procuring various materials, 

 and buying manme, often at a high priee, all 

 which may be profitable; but the far cheaper 

 method of saving lii]uid manure, slioidd not be 

 neglected, as it generally is. 



Animal bodies are constantly wasting away and 

 acquiring a new supply of matter from food. The 

 waste passes off in nrine and conlains a large 

 amount of fertilizing matter, an.l being in a liquid 

 state is well adajited lo support plants; as soluble 

 matter only can be taken up by the roots of jilants. 

 Though dung may appear far more valuable, from 

 its body and substance, that part only which is 

 soluble will be appropriated by the plant to its 

 support. 



Arthur Young mamn-ed (our e<iual' portions of 

 a field, one with dry cut straw, another with straw 

 soaked five hours in fresh mine, a third widi 

 straw soaked in like manner fifteen hours, and a 

 fourth with straw soaked three days ; to a fifth por- 

 tion nothing was apjilied. Tins whole was tilled 

 alike and sowed with grain. The product of the 

 first was 30, the second 50, the third 63, the 

 fourth 126, and the fifth 9. Tlus experiment 

 demonstrates, by the straw, the great value of 

 vegetable matter for maiuue, and by the urine, 

 the great fertilizing properties of liqifid manure, 

 which is wasted by most farmers in the country. 



A farmer in Scotland dug a pit near his feeding 

 stall, and filled it with loam, at an ex[)ense of 22 

 dollars. On this he conducted the urine of 12 

 cattle for five months, and the whole was satura- 

 ted. The contents of tin; pit were 280 loads, 

 which were applied at the rate of 40 loads to the 

 acre. There was no perceptible difference be- 

 tween the crops on land thus manured, and on 

 that to which an (;qnal quantity of dmig was ap- 

 plied. So he considered the liquiil and solid 

 manure of equal value when applied to the land ; 

 and the expense in the saving and a|)plication of 

 liquid manure, will not justify its waste, as it 

 will afford a large profit beyojid all the expense 

 and trouble. 



There are various ways of saving liquid ma- 

 nure, and every farmer can follow that which is 

 most convenient, and by experiments learn which 

 is best. Dry loam, and litter, such as leaves, 

 brakes, weeds, refuse straw, &c., may be thrown 

 on the floor to absorb the moisture, or a portion 

 of plaster sufficient to l>e used with the manure, 

 may Iw used to absorb the moisture. 



Another method is lo make the floor light, with 

 a channel at the back part to drain the urine into 

 a cistern, from which it may be carried to the 

 field and sprinkled upon grass or tillage lands, or 

 used in a compost heap, or it may be directed 

 on a quantity of loam placed to receive and ab- 

 sorb it. 



The cattle house may be so constructed that 

 loam, sods, &c., may be placed under the door to 

 receive the liquid manure as it runs through. If 

 dry loatn be used, it will require much less to ab- 

 sorb the liqid manure, and it will be much lighter 

 to cart. 



As manure is of so much importance to the 

 farmer, and as a large amount of liquid may be 

 collected aud applied conveniently, and at little 

 expense, I hope the subject will no longer be 

 neglected. Let every tanner contrive some 

 method to save it this fall, and learn from his 

 own experience its great value. Economy. 



[From the report of the Middlesex Agricultural Society.] 

 Farm of Mr. Jonas Viles, of Waltham, Mass. 

 This farm is situated about two miles from 

 Waltham Plain, and eleven miles from Boston. 

 It contains ninety acres of land, part hilly and 

 very rocky, and part swamp and bog meadows, 

 four acres of which have been reclaimed. Fif- 

 teen years ago Mr. Viles begun to make improve- 

 ments on this farm. At that time much of it was 

 entirely unproductive, aud covered with rocks 

 that would discourage most men, but, with a per- 

 severing, well directed industry, Mr. Viles went 

 to work, and no doubt he has dug up and remov- 

 ed stono enough to build four monuments as large 



as that on Hunker Hill ; and these stone have 

 lj.;en buried up in his nic.dnws, aud disposed of 

 in his double walls, wIiltc iliry will long remain, 

 a monument of liis imlitstn/, at least. After 



much of ii sat out a|)ple trees. His ba'rn is lOO 

 leet long, and 35 feet wide, with a back linter 

 Infill oiT^ aud a cellar under about two thirds of 

 the whole. He makes the manure mostly under 

 cover, part in the celler and part in the shed, and 

 buys about ten cords of horse manure annually, 



This is a milk farm now, and has been fiir sev- 

 eral years, aud much attention is given lo the 

 growing of roots for the cows, such as ruta baga. 

 sugar beet, mangel wurtzel and English tmtiip.s. 

 He kee|)s 12 cows ih the summer, and 20 in the 

 winter, besides one and sometimes two yoke of 

 oxen, three horses, six yoimg cattle, and a good 

 nundjerol'hogs. He carries his own milk to mar- 

 ket everyday, and buys some fi'om his neighbors. 

 He probably niakcs enough by carrying milk for his 

 neighbors to pay for inarKeiing his own, and in 

 that case his own milk would yiehl him at home 

 the market price m Cambridge or Boston. 



The produce of the farm the present yea 

 by estimation — 

 32,580 qts. of milk 5^ cts., 15il,806 75 



500 bushels potatoes, 40 cts,, 200 00 



350 bbls. picked apples, $1,50, 525 00 



Peaches, pears and wijidfall apples, 130 00 



VegetabJes not enumerated, 75 00 



$2,736 75 

 the amoii 

 he produce 

 ! family or 



$300 00 

 48 00 

 234 00 

 400 00 

 50 00 

 100 00 

 70 00 

 30 00 



It should be understood that this h 

 actually sold, and does not include I 

 consumed on the place, either by thi 

 stock. 



The expenditm-es are as follows 

 3 men S months at $15 pr month, 

 1 man 4 " at $12 " 



Boanl of men, 



Stilt hay, grain and manure bought. 

 Blacksmith's bill. 



Wear and tear of wagons, tools, &c., 

 350 flour bbls. at 20 cts.. 

 Taxes on the farm. 



$1,292 00 

 Balance of net profit, $1,444 75 



In their examination of this farm the Commit- 

 tee saw many things to admire. The crops all 

 presented a fine appearance, the cornfields |>ar- 

 ticularly. Mr. Viles raises the same kind of corn 

 that he has head for fifteen years. Every year, 

 before it is gathered, he goes through the field 

 and selects the earliest and best filled ears for 

 seed. By long practising this comse, he has 

 much improved his corn. No doubt any kind of 

 a crop may be improved by taking a similar 

 course with the seed. The Committee were much 

 gratified with the neat and tidy appearance of 

 things about this farm, and particularly about the 

 buildings, which are well constructed and conve- 

 nient. Indeed, at every luru, there is something 

 to suggest the idea of convenience. The notion of 

 utilihj seems lo prevail over all others. 



The Committee award to Jonas Viles, of Wal- 

 tham, the first premium of $25 00. 



Physical Debility of American Women. 



But the secoinl, and still greater difliculty pe- 

 culiar to American women, is delicacy of consti- 

 tution ; which renders them victims to disease 

 and decay. 



The lact that the women of this comitry are 

 usually sidyect lo disease, and that their beauty 

 and youlhfidness are of shorter continuance than 

 the women of other nations, is one which at- 

 tracts the attention of foreigners ; while medical 

 men and philanthropists are conslaruly giving 

 fearful monitions as to the extent and alarming 

 increase of this evil. Investigation makes it evi- 

 dent that a large proportion of yoimg ladies, 

 from the wealthier classes, have the incipient 

 stages of curvature of the spine, one of the most 

 sure and faithful causes of future disease and 

 decay. The writer has heard medical men who 

 have made extensive inquiries say, that probably 

 one of every six of the young women at board- 

 ing schools are affected in thi.svvay ; while ma- 

 ny other indications of disease and debility exist 

 in cases where this particular evil cannot ho de- 

 tected. 



lu consequence of this enfeebled stale of lh?ir 



constitution, induced by a neglect of their phyai 

 cal education, as soon as they are called to the 

 responsibilities and trials of dotnestic life, their 

 constitution lifds, and their whole life becomes a 

 Innden. For no person can enjoy existence 

 when disease throws a dark cloud over the mind, 

 anil inc.qiacilales her for the proper discharge of 

 every duly. 



It would seem as if the primeval curse that haa 

 written the doom of pain and sorrow on one pe- 

 riod of a young mother's life in this country, has 

 been extended over all ; so that the hour never 

 arrives when " she forgettelh her sorrow for joy 

 that a man is born into ihe world." Many a 

 mother will testify with shuddering that the most 

 exquisite suflferings she endured, were not those 

 ajipointed by nature, but those which, for week 

 after week, have worn down health and spirits 

 which nourished her child. And medical men 

 teach us that this, in most cases, results from de- 

 bility of constitution, consequent on the misman- 

 agement of early life. And so frequent and so 

 moin-nfnl are these, anil the other distresses that 

 result from the failure of the female constitution, 

 that the writer has repeatedly heard mothers say 

 that they had wept tears of bitterness over their 

 infant daughters, for the sufferings they were 

 destined to imdergo; while they cherished the 

 decided wish that these daughters should never 

 rnarry. At the same time,' many a reflecting 

 young woman is looking to her future prospects 

 with very diff"erenl feelings and hopes from those 

 which Providence designed. 



American women are exposed lo a far greater 

 amount of intellectual and moral excitement than 

 those of any other land. Of course, in order to 

 escape the danger residling from this, a greater 

 amount of exercise in the fresh air, and all those 

 methods which stretigthen the constitution, are 

 imperiously required. 



But, instead of this, it will be found that, ow- 

 ing lo the climate and the customs of this nation, 

 there are no women who secure so little of this 

 healthful and |>rolecling regimen. Walking, and 

 riding, and gardening, in the open air, are prac- 

 tised by women of other lands to a far greater 

 extent than by American females. Most English 

 women, in the wealthier classes, are able to walk 

 six or eight miles on a stretch, without oppressive 

 fatigue; and when lliey visit this country, always 

 express their sur|)rise at the inactive habits of the 

 American ladies. In England, the regular daily 

 exercise in the open air is very commonly re- 

 quired by the mother as a part of daily duty, and 

 is sought by young women as enqiloyment. 



In cronsequence of a diff'erent physical training, 

 English women in those circles that enjoy com- 

 |)etency, present appearances which always strike 

 American gentlemen as a contrast to what they 

 see at home. An English mother, at thirty or 

 thirty-five, is in the tuli bloom of perfected wo- 

 manhood— t's fresh and as healthful as her daugh- 

 ters. But vvliere are the American mothers who 

 can reach this period unfaded and unworn? In 

 America, young ladies in the wealthier classes 

 are sent to school from early childhood ; and 

 neither iiarcnts nor teticbers make it a definite 

 object to secure a proper amount of fresh air and 

 exercise, to counterbalance their intellectual tax- 

 As soon as they pass their school-days, dress- 

 ing, visiting, evening parties, and stimulating 

 amusements, take the place of study ; while the 

 most unhealthfiil modes of dress add to the phys- 

 ical exposures. To make morning calls, or to 

 do a little shopiiing, is all that can be called their 

 exercise in the fresh air; and this, compared to 

 to whiit is needed, is .djsolutely nothing. Incon- 

 sequence of these and other evils that will be 

 pointed more at large in the following pages, 

 the young women of America grow up with such 

 a delicate' constitution, that probably eight out of 

 ten become subjects of disease either before, or 

 as soon as they are nailed to the responsibilities 

 of domestic life.— £j-(r«f< of Miss Beecher's Trea- 

 tise on Domestic Economy. 



Picture of Chanuing. 



The following appeared sotne years since in the 

 London Athenroum, while Channing was in Eu- 

 ■ope. The sketch is boldly and truthfully drawn. 

 Those who have seen and heard him from the pul- 

 pit cannot fail to recognize tke life-like portrait : 



'Dr. Channing is not yet an old man— but, for 



