274 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



and is, therefore, free to the public. These gentle- 

 men sold the patent for the Eastern States to Mr. 

 Bommer, and the mode of making the manure is 

 called the Bommer method. 



We have private information that after the rejec- 

 tion of Bommcr's application, during the presence 

 of Mr. Ellsworth, Baer & Gouliart made their apjdi- 

 cation, and got a patent, during his absence. One 

 fact should be noted here — that this was hurried 

 through the patent office much more rapidly than 

 patents generally are, probably to consummate the 

 business before the commissioner's return ; and the 

 whole transaction, when we have shown the claim 

 of the patentees, shows something wrong at the 

 patent office — that there was a want of fidelity or 

 intelligence, by which farmers have been most egre- 

 giously duped. 



Bacr & Gouliart, in their specification, pretend to 

 describe Jauffret's patent mode, in order to show 

 what are their improvements upon it ; and in their 

 specification, they declare it to be a full and exact 

 description ; yet they have cautiously omitted the 

 important fact that Jauffrct, after steeping the ma- 

 terials in the vat, piled them into a heap, and poured 

 the ley on them, as we have already shown. Then 

 they set up the following claim : — 



" What we claim as our improvement on Jauffrefs 

 method of forming manure by the rapid fermentation 

 of vegetable fibres, is, first, the forming of the said 

 vegetable matter into piles or heaps, without its 

 first being immersed in the prepared ley, and the 

 subsequently saturating the same by pouring on the 

 ley in the manner set forth." 



Now we ask every man of common sense if they 

 have any claim. They claim what Jauffret claimed 

 in his specification. All that is new in their mode 

 is the omission of first steeping the materials in a 

 vat ; and if this gives any claim to a patent, then any 

 patentee who claims any thing that is not essential, 

 in his patent, may have his right taken from him by 

 another, who claims his invention, excepting a part 

 which is not important. But having stated the facts, 

 the case is so clear, in our Ofiinion, that further com- 

 ment is unnecessary. 



Farmers, as well as other professions, should keep 

 themselves properly informed of important matters 

 pertaining to their interests. We are astonished that 

 they should be so much imposed upon, as to pay 

 many thousand dollars for an old mode of making 

 manure, to which they have as good a right, without 

 paying ave dollars each, or eighty dollars to a town, 

 as any man has to pile up a heap of weeds and turn 

 Boap-suds on them. This is our opinion, and though 

 in the legal line, we charge nothing extra. 



In closing this article, we would remark that this 

 is not the only case in which farmers have been de- 

 ceived by patents being granted for what was already 

 public property ; one case of which wc showed some 

 years ago in the Yankee Farmer. A great many 

 patents are granted that have no legal validity ; but 

 the patent serves as a passport of deception to spec- 

 ulators, who are making money by soiling rights to 

 the incautious. We may again refer to the granting 

 of patents on fictitious claims. 



We have been thus lengthy and particular, as we 

 have had several requests to publish what informa- 

 tion we had on this subject. We wish for the reader 

 to bear in mind that we say nothing, here, for or 

 against the utility of making manure in tliLs way. 



THE CROPS IN NEW ENGLAND. 



Hay. — In Massachusetts, the ci-op is verj' good, 

 and it has been secvired in most excellent condition. 

 There is much old hay on hand. From what wc 

 have heard from Connecticut and Ilhode Island, it is 

 nearly the same there. In some parts of Maine, the 

 hay crop is good ; in others, it is rather light, but bet- 

 ter than was expected before haying. Much old hay 

 on hand in some sections. In the northern part of 

 New Hampshire and Vermont, the drought continued 

 longer than in other sections ; and as the grass crop 

 was later farther north, the crop will be light. As 

 many are trying to save all the fodder they can, and 

 economizing in its use, and the crop is well secured 

 and will spend well, it is thought that there will be 

 a pretty good supply. 



Corn is generally very promising. The hot weath- 

 er has brought it forward rapidly, and if the latter 

 part of the season should be favorable, the crops will 

 be good. On very dry soil, where the drought has 

 been severe, the crop will be rather light. 



Potatoes were generally planted early in the 

 southern and middle sections of New England, and 

 nearly got their growth before the late rains, and they 

 will be very light. Those planted late are very 

 promising. In the northern section, they were 

 planted later, but in some parts of that region, the 

 drought has been so long and severe, that the crops 

 will be light. More potatoes were planted in this 

 state than usual ; in Maine, not so many, owing to 

 light crops there last year. The crop will pcobably 

 be lighter than it has been for many years. 



Small Grains. — Wheat varies from very good in 

 some sections to very light in others. Rye generally 

 good. Oats and barlej- vary much in difforent places. 

 In some parts, the crop is very light by reason of the 

 drought. 



Fruit. — There has been about half a usual crop 

 of strawberries. Not more than a third of a crop of 

 cherries. Gooseberries and currants have been 

 pretty good. There will not be a quarter of a usual 

 crop of pears, perhaps not more than a sixth or 

 tenth part so many as usual. Plums are very scarce. 

 No peaches on low land?, nor on flat lands of moder- 

 ate elevation. On high lands, in some sections, the 

 crop will be tolerably good. The crop of apples wiH 

 be very light indeed, probably not more than one 

 fourth or sixth as many as last year, confirming our 

 views, as to large crops in even years, and light ones 

 in odd years, generally. 



SoAP-SuDS. — Don't waste your soap-suds, but 

 apply it to yoiir rose-bushes and grape- vinf'S. There 

 is no application in the world equal to it. Indeed, 

 vines generally are beautified by it. 



