464 The Farmer^ s Guide. 



far as it has been made available by practice^ is brought down 

 to the present time.' 



" We feel justified, therefore, in changing the title, because 

 by so doing the public will not be deterred from purchasing 

 the v/ork, through fear of its being a mere copy of an old 

 book, and thus reject what they might otherwise be most 

 happy to procure. We also think the edition of the Book of 

 the Farm, already in the market, and the ^Farmers Guide,'' 

 will be less likely to conflict with each other than if both 

 were published under the same title ; and hence any injury, 

 either to a brother publisher or to ourselves, by an improper 

 competition, will be avoided." 



Of course, much of a work of so comprehensive a character, 

 written by an English agriculturist, must be but little adapted 

 to our climate and practice. Still, there is so much that is 

 important, and, in a degree necessary, for every farmer to 

 know, that it must prove a valuable addition to the library 

 of every individual interested in Agricultural Science. Pro- 

 fessor Norton's notes are given at length in the last number, 

 and contain a full review of all the subjects treated upon, 

 with such comments thereon as will elucidate the author's 

 views, and adapt the English practice to American hus- 

 bandry. 



Did our limits allow, we should be pleased to give some 

 extracts from Mr. Stephens's chapter on the manufacture and 

 use of composts. We may do so at length at another time ; 

 at present we have only room to give two paragraphs, which 

 may interest those of our readers who think peat and ashes 

 the universal panacea : — 



'^ The trouble," says Mr. Stephens, " attending the carting 

 of bog-turf, wheeling it to the side, exposing it to the air to 

 dry, and afterwards burning it to ashes, or carting it away for 

 compost, was much greater than the quantity of ashes, or the 

 quality of the compost obtained, Avould compensate." 



" Two years' labor in the concoction of these materials 

 were sufficient to give me a distaste for the business, and at 

 length I dropped it, and went to the neighboring towns to 



