1853. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



261 



follows: "Take one peck of fine salt and mix it 

 thorouglily with half a bushel of Nova Scotia plas- 

 ter or gypsum, (the plaster is the best,) and im- 

 mediately after hoeing the potatoes the second 

 time, or just as the young potato begins to set, 

 sprinkle on the main vines, nest to the ground, a 

 table spoonful of the above mixture to each hill, 

 and be sure to get it on the main vines, as it is 

 found that the rot proceeds from the sting of an 

 insect in the vine, and the mixture, coming in con- 

 tact with the vine, kills the effect of it before it 

 readies the potato." Mr. P. asks nothing for his 

 discovery beyond what those who are benefited 

 are willing to give, and he desires a test to be made 

 before an opinion is formed. This is reasonable, 

 and the experiment costs so little that it is worth 

 testing. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 THE FARMER'S CABINET. 



The field of science which invites the farmer to 

 investigation is a boundless one. The atmosphere, 

 the earth with its rocks and plants, its animals 

 and insects, and immense variety of soils, are all 

 intimately connected with his success in his pro- 

 fession. All farmers, who have for a length of 

 time cultivated the earth, may be supposed to have 

 some knowledge in all these matters, for observa- 

 tion, however blunted it may have appeared, will 

 sometimes be in action, and when allowed to 

 exist, practical benefits will result. 



Now one of the benefits we claim as resulting 

 from farmers' lyceums, beyond that furnished by 

 the library, with its shelves fiUing with scientific 

 works, got up by individuals who have closely in- 

 vestigated the subjects on which they treat, and 

 by the means we have proposed, bringing the 

 fruits of their researches within the means of all 

 who desire the benefit of them, is that by these so- 

 cial gatherings of exchange of thought, the re- 

 sult of the observations of the many become the 

 common stock of all. So, then, if under certain 

 circumstances, Mr. A. has seen things different 

 from their presentation to Mr. Y., it is seen at 

 once, that individual observation has not been 

 pushed to its full extent, and then the opinion of 

 each, being contradictory to the other, though 

 each may have been right under the circumstan- 

 ces, not only they will enter the field with new 

 zeal and fresh hopes, but their conflicting opinions 

 will draw others into the same work, — the curi- 

 osity will be excited, investigation will follow and 

 facts demonstrated which to them might have for- 

 ever remained mysteries. 



To aid in these investigations and to make all 

 certain that things are called by their right names, 

 we would have well selected cabinets connected 

 with all these institutions. 



First, we would have a cabinet of minerals. 

 Soils consist to a great extent of the disintegration 

 of rocks, and minerals are the representatives of 

 these rocks. Now the wearing down of mica 

 slate does not produce a soil like that of limestone 

 origin, nor do the different varieties of limestone 

 produce a soil alike in its proporti(ms. But vari- 

 ety is found to exist as often as the composition 

 of rocks changes. Consequently, the productive 

 power of the soils vary. Their character, to a 

 great extent, may be determined by the character 

 of the principal rock, and so when the field is dis- 



tant, by a specimen of the rock we may approxi- 

 mate towards the quality of the soil. So then, 

 we would have a mineralogical cabinet connected 

 with the farmers' lyceum. And this should in 

 no way be confined to fragments of rocks them- 

 selves ; but should embrace, as far as possible, 

 the different varieties of soil made up from these 

 rocks. 



Then we would have a botanic cal/met. Here 

 we would have well prepared specimens of all the 

 grasses and grains fit for cultivation, neatly ar- 

 ranged in their different species and varieties, so 

 that the young farmer could mark at once their 

 peculiar features and see the difference they pre- 

 sent in their different stages from wild growth to 

 the most successful cultivation. In addition, let 

 such plants as experience has 'proved to be nox- 

 ious to the farmer's interest, have a place here, 

 labelled as such, to warn the unwary and inexpe- 

 rienced of the danger of admitting them to his 

 grounds. 



If specimens of different varieties of wood, with 

 the leaf and seed, were added, it would give addi- 

 tional interest and open a beautiful field of study 

 to the young mind. Then we would have a cabi- 

 net of insects, each labelled strictly with its good 

 or bad qualities. Many of these are fatal pests to 

 the farmer, yet how little does he know of their 

 general character ! How few of them can he rec- 

 ognize by their countenances, much less can he 

 call by name when he meets them. In short, so 

 great has been his indifference in the matter, that 

 probably not one in fifty of the farmers of New 

 England can distinguish his friends from his foes 

 in the feathered or the insect races. Hence, it ia 

 no wonder that he often sacrifices the former and 

 gives countenance to the latter. His ignorance 

 in the matter leads him to do it and suffer the 

 losses that too often result. And yet who is to 

 blame for this ignorance, when he every day is 

 holding communion with nature in all her works, 

 and each day furnishes some leisure moments 

 when he might investigate the things that sur- 

 round him in the air above and the earth over 

 which he walks, — when science is opening her 

 rich store-house and inviting him to come in and 

 take liberally of her treasures. 



We have thus glanced hastily at what we would 

 have a farmers' lyceum cabinet contain of natural 

 history, to which we would add works of art, such 

 as drawings and models of implements, paintings 

 of animals and fruits, and indeed everything that 

 can interest, enlighten and please the farmer's 

 mind and keep it in vigorous and healthy action. 

 And here we submit the query, if there was a 

 place in eaeh town or even in every county like 

 the one we have briefly sketched, would not its in- 

 fluence on agriculture and the rural arts be of a 

 salutary and progressive character ? Under such 

 circumstances, with tlje facts drawn out and placed 

 before their eyes, would not farmers see at once, 

 that science in beauties and its practical influence 

 was for them, and instead of encouraging their 

 sons to leave the plow and the scythe to engage 

 in other professions in hope of greater glory or 

 gain, would they not see a field of ambition and 

 reward open here, more than large enough for all 

 their claims 1 And young men, too, would see the 

 bright destiny that was inviting them upward and 

 no longer pant for the renown of counter jumpers 

 or seek professions of uncertain success, feeble in- 



