238 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



Our. 



The Farmer's Guide — Stephen's Book of the 

 Farm. — This is an English work, now published in 

 numbers at two shillings each, by Leonard Scott 

 fa, Co., of New York. It is a large work, and goes 

 thoroughly into farm management, as practiced by 

 the best farmers in England and Scotland. We have 

 been unwilling to reconimed it to our readers, as 

 more than two-thirds of its plans and recommenda- 

 tions are not adapted to American farming. Still, 

 it is a work that farmers may read with profit — giv- 

 ing them not only a knowledge of Englisli agricul- 

 ture, but many useful hints that any juiiicious farmer 

 might avail himself of. We have just received the 

 eighth number, which contains very valuable notes 

 by Prof. Norton, pointing out such things ii! the 

 body of the work as the Prof, thinks might be adopted 

 with advantage by the American farmer. The fol- 

 lowing is Mr. Norton's remarks on the preservation 

 of liquid manure : 



The liquid manure tank is as yet a rare appendage to Amer- 

 ican farm-yards ; it is, however, one of sucli absolute neces- 

 sity, that its general introduction will not be delayed, when 

 our larmers begin to appreciate the true value of manure. 

 As too many of our yards are now managed, a very consiil- 

 erable portion of the liquid manure, including washings from 

 the solid matter, as well as the urine, is lost. When conduct- 

 ed immediately upon the land through a small ditch, as is 

 frequently the case, itdoes harm rather than good, by reniler- 

 ing the small portion of land which it reaches quite too rich. 



One chief objection that I have heard urged against these 

 tanks is. that they would be liable to fill up and overflow, 

 with the large quantity ol water which would be poured into 

 them from the roofs, &c. It will he noticed that Mr. Ste- 

 phens only intends them to receive thedrainings of the yard, 

 and of the ntanure itself; as he arranges to cond'.ict away 

 uii water from tiic roof and spouts, by means of scpc-rate 

 drains. The tank would thus be able to contain all that 

 might run in from the yard alone. The liriuid could be 

 pumped out as described in 111.5, or mixed witli peat, a-slies, 

 i&c, &LC,, in the tank itself. An cwellent pump would be 

 that con.■,i^ting of an endless chain, with metallic plates at- 

 tached regular distances, revolving in a wooden tube, — 

 Thi.'! would draw well, and not be easily choked. Urine, 

 and liquid manure generally, soon begins to ferment, and 

 then a loss of ammonia ensues. As the retention of this 

 is very important, it is best to mix frequently in warm 

 weather, a little sulphate of lime (gypsum), or a small quan- 

 tity of sulphuric acid. In both cases sulphate of ammonia is 

 formed, a salt which is not readily volatilized nor decompos- 

 ed. A tank may be built in a very cheap way to answer 

 every necessary purpose, and will soon pay for itself in the 

 quality of the manure it will furnish. Professor Johnston 

 states, that in Flanders the urine of a single cow is worth 

 about $10 a year for manure. If we take half only of this 

 sum. what an immense aggregate value in each year, is for 

 the greater part entirely lost. 



The plan usually pursued, is to build the tank in some 

 convenient situation, either in one corner, or just outside of 

 the yard. The ground in the yard is so sloped that all of the 

 liquid runs to a common centre, where a drain receives it, and 

 carries it under ground to the tank. This may be built of 

 brick or stone laid in cement with a smooth floor, or for tem- 

 porary purposes of plank, lined at the back with clay, A 

 tank can be made very cheaply in this latter way from old 

 refuse lumber, and by the time that it has worn out, the 

 farmer vsill be quite willing to build a permanent one of 

 stone or brick, from experience of its benefita. in some cases 

 drains are laid under tlie stables, where large clocks are kept 

 for thfc purpose of conducting the urine lo the main drain, 

 itnd finaly, into the lank. Considerable quantitcs may be 

 collected in this way if the floors are tight. A few pailfuls 

 of water occasionally dashed through these drnins (br manure, 

 would sweep away the thick deposit which might accumu- 

 late and gradually threaten to choke them. 'Fliey shoidd 

 all lie defended at their entrances by prating, so that straw, 

 and manure of a solid kind, ctnnot wash in. All of these 

 lirecautions may seem like unnecessary trouble, but in reality 

 there are few things which pay so well and so soon, assume 

 extra labor in coUeeting and preserving manure of every de- 

 scription, whether liquid or solid. Well protected, ond well 

 kept manure, is worth the double of that which has been 



soaked with rain, and bleached by the gun, during an cniirc 

 season. In situations where it is not desirable lo build a 

 tank, it might be found a good plan to pave a shallow exca- 

 vation in the centre of the yard, into which the drainings 

 might flow, and be absorbed by long straw, chaff, &c., thrown 

 in for that purpose. In this case also the rain water "should 

 be carried away in another direction, as otherwise ther,-' 

 u ould be a .stagnant pond formed. Such ought lo be wallc! 

 around for the purpose of preventing cattle from getting into 

 them. 



I have seen receptacles of this kind in Scotland, and found 

 that they seemed In answer the intended purpose very well. 



S. W.'S NOTES FOR THE MONTH. 



Jenny Lind. — Such is the blindness of enthusiasm 

 when the name of this fair songstress is uttered, that 

 its heart is soft only on one side — the best emotions 

 of the heart hold criticism in abeyance. We doubt 

 not for a moment that she is Nature's prodigy ; and 

 we feel that she has all the moral perfections, with- 

 out any of the failings that flesh is heir to. Rising 

 from a low estate to wealth and honor, she forgets 

 not for a moment those she left behind her who had 

 not the power to rise. She is not a creature to be 

 spoiled by prosperity or the world's laudation ; for 

 we are told that her sympathies are as kind, and 

 pure, and simple, and ethereal, as the matchless tones 

 of her voice. The furor to hear her sing is not by 

 any means confined to the great Babylon, it extends 

 throughout the length and breadth of the land. — 

 What the consequences would be if railroad traveling 

 was as cheap and certain as that on the steameT.*, 

 none can tell. Suffice it to say the New York pub- 

 licans would have to colonize the coming host of meii 

 and women. 



Our Railroads. — The number of accllciUs on our 

 railroads of late, involving broken bones and loss of 

 life, occur so often, that, like deaths by cholera, they 

 "fall upon the sense," &c. — begin to be considered 

 as things in course. On board of a man-of-war, 

 besides the officer of the deck and the whole gang of 

 petties, there is a man whose especial business it is 

 to watch over the helmsmen, lest ihey should get 

 asleep and fall under the wheel. If these poor sail- 

 ors sometimes get asleep without grog, how mucli 

 more likely is Pat, the switch-tender on a railroad, to 

 get asleep or to be overcome and .=tupefied when he 

 has a sup of the crature hid in the woodpile, or in 

 his shanty hard by. But or railroad directors, de- 

 termined on large and speedy dividend.*, eschew 

 petty officers and extra e.\pense, hoping doubtless to 

 realize profits before they i;icur damages. It was 

 promised that after the first of last jlay the faro 

 should be reduced on all bnt the Express trains. 

 This has not been done ; and in order lo compel the 

 traveling public to go on the slow night trains, the 

 express, which runs by daylight, passes at full speed 

 through many large villages of some -tOOO inhabi- 

 tants, leaving passengers there to I'omc on the slow 

 or dirty emigrant trains as tliey can, ;U fa!! fare. 

 Such bad faith on tlie part of an individual not ricli 

 enough to give a sop to the press, cr to conciliate 

 legislation, would be thought .'sufficiently disgraceful 

 to jeopardise his locomotive safety : but a corporation 

 has the advantage of an ubiquitous body, and no soul. 



Tile Machine. — At Purdie's Foundry, in Water- 

 loo, may be seen a beautifully wrought tile and pipo 

 machine, made entirely of iron, after the plan of 

 Whartenby's machine, imported by J. Pblafiei.ii, 

 This machine is an improvement on the imported 

 one, whose ways were of wood instead of cast iron. 



