NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



277 



the pantry, which would allow of a bed room where 

 the kitchen is now located. 



There is not sufficient attention given to building, 

 considering the importance of the subject. Build- 

 ings are very expensive, and in their erection we 

 desire to combine several important advantages, such 

 as economy and durability in building, convenience, 

 pleasantness, ventilation, good taste, economj- in 

 fuel, &c. &c. ; and in many cases some of these im- 

 portant advantages are sacrificed. As this subject 

 claims the particular attention of our correspondent, 

 we shall be happy to hear from him again. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 DESTROYING BRAKES. 



Mr. Editor : As I have lately come into posses- 

 sion of a farm which is much infested with brakes, 

 and as I am ignorant of any practicable way of de- 

 stroying them on lands which we cannot plough and 

 cultivate, I should be greatly obliged, if you, or any 

 of your contributors, will inform me, through your 

 paper, of any method of ridding our pastures of these 

 intruders. Such information, if it can be furnished, 

 would be very gratefully received by the subscriber, 

 and many other readers of the New England Farmer. 

 HORACE CAKPENTEE,. 



Worcester, Vt., July 1, 1849. 



Reply. — The most effectual method of destroying 

 brakes is to plough, cultivate thoroughly, and raise 

 other crops. If we cannot plough, then we must 

 come as near this system as possible. If the land is 

 wet and cold, haul on gravel, sand, or loam, and 

 manure and sow to grass. By putting the land into 

 condition for good crops of grass, the brakes will be 

 measurably subdued. By ploughing, and thorough 

 tillage, and cropping, they may be wholly destroyed. 



For the New England Farmer. 



PROFITS OF PATENT RIGHTS AND 

 PAPERS. 



Mr. Editor : I noticed in the Fanner of June 9, 

 an article headed " Bommcr Manure." Having 

 bought a patent right, I feel interested to know all 

 that can be brought against it. Please let us know 

 if you have actually made manure by the rules laid 

 down in the right, or whether you guess at it. Guess 

 work will not do for the farmer ; his should be actual 

 experience. I have yet to hear for the fii'st time from 

 the lips or pen of an individual who has bought a 

 right and proved it a failure. 



I earnestly desire you to give us your opinion on 

 this matter, founded on facts, and draw the attention 

 of contributors to this subject. 



In closing up, you say, " We should think that the 

 amount that has been taken from farmers for this 

 fictitious right, which any one might have had by 

 paying the subscription of a paper for one year, is 

 not less than twelve or fourteen thousand dollars." 

 Now let us balance accounts : The cost of the Plough- 

 man, to say nothing of the postage, for one year, is 

 two dollars. Bominer's Patent for the town of Need- 

 ham, comprising two hundred farmers, cost eighty 

 dollars which is forty cents to each individual right, 

 leaving a balance in favor of the right of one dollar 

 and sixty cents. 



Brother farmers, letf us look at this subject without 

 partiality to either side, weigh facts honestly, and 

 at the close of our talk, compare notes, know the 



truth, and so move on harmoniously together, and 

 at the end reap an abundant harvest. Which is the 

 wish of R, M. 



West Needham, July 4, 1849. 



P. S. I refer to the Ploughman because it was the 

 only paper that, to my knowledge, called the farmers' 

 attention to this subject ; and when I bought my right 

 the N. E. Farmer had no existence. R. M. 



Editorial Remarks. — Our correspondent mis- 

 takes the object of our article on " Bomraer Manure." 

 We have said nothing against it. Our remarks were 

 merely against the validity of the patent right, and 

 a caution to farmers not to pay their money for 

 nought. As to guess work, which R. M. condemns 

 with so much severity, it is of great importance, 

 especially to Yankees, who are constantly experi- 

 menting and inventing as a matter of guess work; 

 hence the enterprise and improvement that every 

 where prevail. Let a farmer guess that he cannot 

 advance in his profession, and the question is settled. 

 But let him guess that he can improve, and he will 

 be siu-e to do it. The guessing of Yankees, for which 

 they are distinguished, has performed wonders, and 

 the whole world is feeling the effects of it. 



We have not tried Bommer's system of making 

 manure, nor have we any occasion to try it ; for every 

 material, animal, vegetable, mineral, or earthj% that 

 we can collect, can be prepared in compost, affd in 

 due time fitted to apply to the land, without the 

 extra expense and labor of making it by Bommer's 

 system. A little foresight will enable the cultivator 

 to have every kind of manure properly prepared and 

 decomposed by the common system of composting. 



As our opinion of Bommer's system has been asked, 

 we will give it ; and this we have already done, in. a 

 measure. A farmer who exercises a common share 

 of foresight will always have his manure ready for 

 use with less expense than by Bommer's method. 

 Rarely a case may occur in which he suddenly wants 

 a quantity of manure which he has not, and he may 

 suddenly come into possession, or have an opportu- 

 nity to acquire coarse materials which may be read- 

 ily decomposed by Bommer's system. But a coinci- 

 dence arising from two incidents of this kind is very 

 rare with a regular, prudent farmer ; yet it may 

 occur. But in that case we would not pay four dol- 

 lars, nor forty cents, for an old patent that had ex- 

 pired in France several years ago, and even before 

 its expiration was not available to any individual in 

 this country. 



As to our remark about a person learning Bom- 

 mer's method by paying the subscription of a paper 

 one year, we wished to show that if a farmer was in 

 the receipt of a journal devoted to his interest, he 

 would be advised of current events pertaining to his 

 profession. An account of making manure by the 

 French mode would be a very small part of the in- 

 formation furnished, or this might be obtained in a 

 single number, at an expense of oaly six cents ; so 

 let us square accounts on this item. — See page 271. 



A change of fortune hurts a wise man no more 

 than a change in the moon. 



