406 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Sept. 



and descriptions of this worm in different sections, 

 the present year, this insect appears to be one and 

 the same thing. 



Now, whether this be the genuine canker or 

 palmer worm, we cannot say. But one thing is 

 certain, they are destructive everywhere, let them 

 be called by one name or another. They make 

 their appearance in this section, about the 6th or 

 lOth of June, and by the Ist of July they are gone. 

 They confined most of their work here, to the ap- 

 ple tree and shrub oak bushes, and this faat we re- 

 member, was the same in 1836. Now if Dr. Har- 

 ris, or any one else, will give us the habits of both 

 the palmar and canker worm, and wherein they 

 differ in character, they will confer a great favor 

 on the public. Yours truly, L. DtiRANT. 



Derby, Ct., July 18, 1853. 



Fiyr the New England Farmer. 

 TURNIPS AND GRASS SEifJD. 



H. F. French, Esq., of Exeter, N. H., suggested 

 in the JVew England Farmer, not long ago, what 

 was to us a novel method of laying down land to 

 grass. He says, "I last year laid down about a half 

 acre with grass seed and English turnips, the last of 

 July. Most of my turnip seed prove! to be mustard, 

 but not all, and I picked up between thirty and 

 forty bushels of excellent turnips, with no extra la- 

 bor or expense but the gathering. I did, however, 

 apply one barrel of bone dust to the land, for the 

 good of the turnip crop especially." 



Mr. Fi-ench does not say what grass seed he put 

 upon it, or how it succeeded. We presume, howev- 

 er, that it WAS herds' grass and red top, as in anoth- 

 er place he recommends sowing clover on the snowsin 

 spring, as clover, he says, is apt to die during the 

 winter, when sowed in the fall. 



I cut the above from the Maine Farmer, one of 

 the best papers in the country. I am proud to be 

 able to give its learned editor information, even 

 upon a small matter. I did, as he supposes, sow 

 herds' grass and red top, at the rate of about a 

 half bushel of the former, and a bushel of the lat- 

 ter, to the acre, with the turnip seed, all mixed to- 

 gether, on the 28th day of July. 1 he ground was 

 so dry when I plowed that no moisture was percep- 

 tible at the bottom of a deep furrow. It was 

 sowed, brushed and rolled, and left literally in dust 

 and ashes (one barrel of bone dust to 25 bushels of 

 ashes ! ) We tiad very little rain till the last week 

 in August. The grass seed came up well, in the 

 fall. I sowed clover seed on the snow in spring. 

 The grass was cut last week, a heavy crop, more 

 than half clover, at the rate of about two tons to 

 the acre. This fact about the clover deserves no- 

 tice. No clover seed was sowed last summer — 

 the land had not been in grass for six years, and 

 the clover did not grow from the seed sowed in 

 the spring. Sowed in spring It does not head be- 

 fore haying time, and this clover was of full size, 

 80 as to lodge in spots. It must have grown from 

 seed which had long laid in the ground, or what 

 perhaps is more probable, which had been carried 

 on in manure the year before I sowed it. No ma- 

 nure except the dust and ashes was applied in 1852, 

 and there probably was no clover seed in that ! 

 One fact seems to be indicated by this experiment, 

 namely, that clover sown in July does not always 

 winter kill. I sowed one acre of new land with 

 herds' grass seed and turnips, on the first day of 

 the present July, with two bags of superphosphate 



of lime, putting on at the same titne, six pounds 

 of clover. The turnips and grass seed are up and 

 promise well. I omitted the red top, because it 

 could n(jt l)e procured at a reasonable price. Hay 

 is worth sixteen dollars a ton here from the field, 

 and turnips are valuable. Try the experiment. Any 

 time before the middle of August, will be in sea- 

 son. H. F. French. 

 Exeter N. H., JulylSth, 185a. 



AMMONIA. 



We have been supplied by the Publisher with 

 the sheets of a forthcoming work on the Elements 

 of Agricultural Chemistry, by Prof. Johnston, af 

 England. It treats apoa the operations of the 

 farm, and explains the nature of the substances 

 used as fertilizers with more clearness than any 

 other work we have seen. The language em- 

 ployed is simple, yet expressive, and any farmer 

 will scarcely fail to find important aid, and much 

 gratification, in frequent reference to its pages. 



As there is much use made of the term, ammo 

 nia, we have selected a section briefly describing 

 it, and stating its effects and value to the farmer. 

 Next week we propose to give- another extract 

 on the ^^improvement of the soil by laying down 

 lands to grass," and when the whole work is 

 before us, shall speak of it more particularly. 



It is to be published by Saxton, the indefatiga- 

 ble Agricultural Publisher of New York. 



OF AMMONIA, ITS PROPERTIES AND PRODUCTION IN 

 NATURE. 



If thg sal-ammoniac, or the sulphate of ammo- 

 nia of the shops, be mixed with quick-lime, a 

 powerful odor is immediately perceived, and an 

 invisible gas is given off, which strongly affects 

 the eyes. This gas is ammonia. Water dissolves 

 or absorbs it in very large quantity, and this 

 solution of the gas in water forms the common 

 hartshorn of the shops. The white solid smelling- 

 Siilts of the shops (carbonate of ammonia) are a 

 compound of ammonia with carbonic acid and a 

 little water. 



Ammonia consists of nitrogen and hydrogen 

 only, in the proportion of 14 of the former to 3 of 

 the latter by weight ; or 17 lb. af ammonia con- 

 tain 14 lb. of nitrogen and 3 lb. of hydr;>gen. 



The decay of animal substances is an important 

 natural source of this compound. During the 

 putrefaction of dead animal bodies, ammonia is 

 invariably given off. From the animal substances 

 of the farm-yard it is evolved during their decay 

 or putrefactiun, as well as from all solid and liquid 

 manures of animal origin. 



Ammonia is naturally formed, also, during the 

 decay of vegetable substances in the soil. This 

 happens in one or other of three ways. 



a. As in animal bodies, by the direct union of 

 the nitrogen with a portion of the hydrogen of 

 which they consist. 



b. Or by the combination of a portion of the 

 hydiwen of the decaying plants with the nitro- 

 gen of the air. 



c. Or when they decompose in contact, at the 

 same time, with both air and water— by their 

 taking the oxygen of a quantity of the water, and 



