398 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



one hundred tons will be applied to the formation 

 and compression of each brick. — Monthly American 

 Farmer. 



New Invention in Baking. — The Glasgow Citi- 

 zen (Scotch paper) says that a machine has been 

 invented in that city which both kneads the dough 

 and moulds the loaves into the required shajjc, ready 

 for the oven. One machine, not ijuite a yard in length 

 and eighteen inches in breadth, by the attendance 

 of one man, accomplished as much work as live 

 bakers, and the bread was of the best quality. The 

 Citizen also says that " by a new and original process 

 of mixing and kneading, which can be done either 

 with or without barm, (yeast,) the usual loss of 

 weight attributed to evaporation in ' raising the 

 sponge ' is avoided, and a gieat saving of tlour, as 

 well as time and labor, is effected." 



ANALYSES OF MANURES. 



At a late meeting of the Highland Agricultural 

 Society, Mr. Finne spoke of the great advantage 

 which had been derived by farmers, in Scotland, 

 from the analyses of portable manures, upon which, 

 he estimated, nearly one half of the green crop of 

 that country is dependent. The amount of guano, 

 for instance, imported in 1837, was upwards of 

 220,000 tons. Great adulteration had been prac- 

 tised with guano ; and bone-dust had been mixed 

 with ground oyster-shells. Various manufactured 

 manures, of the constituents of which the farmer 

 could not be acquainted, were offered for sale. In 

 illustration, he related the following : " Some years 

 ago, I joined with two or three farmers in the pur- 

 chase of some tons of nitrate of soda. None of us 

 derived any benefit from the application of it. Most 

 fortunately I had some left — got it analyzed by Mr. 

 Kcmj), at the college ; and when tlie secret was ex- 

 plained, it was to a great extent mixed with common 

 salt. I heard of a cargo shii)ped to a party in Lon- 

 don ; a chemist was ordered to examine it before 

 taking it from the ship. The adulteration was de- 

 tected, and immediately the ship load was ordered 

 off to Scotland, and sold amongst the farmers. I 

 once purchased a quantity of guano from a party in 

 Leith. Professor Johnston had given an analysis of it ; 

 but the sample sent to him had been very different 

 from the stock. I found, upon taking delivery, that 

 all was not right. I then had a sample from the 

 stock analyzed, and had no difficulty in procuring 

 an abatement of ten per cent, from difference of 

 value. I cannot conceive how any agriculturist who 

 expends his hundreds a year upon portable manures 

 is justified in applj'ing them before being tested, and 

 would grudge a few shillings per annum to obtain a 

 chemist of skill who could satisfy him as to the 

 purity of the article upon which he is not only ex- 

 pending a large sum of money, but upon the genu- 

 ineness of which his green crop, and every succeed- 

 ing crop in the rotation, is dei)cndent ; for, without 

 a knowledge of the nature and properties of the 

 materials employed by the agriculturist, it is evident 

 that the result of many of the laborious and extensive 

 processes incident to his daily occupation must be a 

 matter of mere chance — thus contributing more than 

 any thing else to the precariousness of the profits 

 upon which his prosperity depends. I may be told 

 this is a tenant's question, and let him look after his 

 own interest, and he will fare the better ; but I hold 

 whatever is necessary for the tenant cannot be dis- 

 peuf^ed with by the landlord ; and if, from not having 

 a ready and cheap way of having his manures ana- 

 lyzed, the loss of a crop is the consequence, is not 

 the landlord's rent cndanorered ? But I would re- 



spectfully submit that these portable manures, now 

 so important an element in good farming, and for 

 which I would say a chemist's services are required, 

 leaving every other consideration, have done much 

 already for the proprietors of land." — Canadian Ag- 

 riculturist. 



THE BEGINNING OF GOOD MANAGE- 

 MENT- 



Mr. Editor : Although considerable imi)rovements 

 have been made in farming in this country, still it is 

 just enough to remark that our agriculture, with 

 vei-y few exceptions, is not what it ought to be. 

 More thorough and better modes of culture should 

 be adopted by the great body of our farmers, than 

 those now practised. If we would adopt for our 

 motto. Be Thorough, — that is, if, whatever \\e un- 

 dertake to perform, we would take esi^ecial care that 

 our work be done in a manner as nearly perfect as 

 possible, — it is easy enough to foresee that we should 

 receive a liberal reward for our labor. A field im- 

 perfectly ploughed will not often afford a fair return, 

 though ever so fertile ; then ask the skilful farmer 

 how little is the difference in expense, where the 

 work is most thoroughly done, or where the same is 

 performed in a hasty, slovenly, and imperfect manner. 



Let the farmer who never attempjted to increase 

 his manures by artificial means, begin — yes, we say 

 begin — good management in this particular ; if he can- 

 not haul a hundred loads of muck the first year, he 

 certainly can ten ; and who can calculate the bene- 

 fits which may bo gained, both by himself and the 

 community, by beginning a course of good manage- 

 ment ? 



Let the farmer who neglected to hoe either his 

 garden or his potatoes at the i-ight time, and in the 

 best manner possible, through a press of other busi- 

 ness, or from whatever cause, resolve to avoid these 

 errors in the future. Certainly we would not cen- 

 sure harshly an industrious farmer for an error or 

 two, which he is desirous of correcting ; but we would 

 hope that by a better arrangement of his business, 

 and a better system of management, he may here- 

 . after be able to avoid all similar errors. 



In the construction of fences, the farmer should 

 act wisely. The difference in expense between what 

 would be called a tolerably yood fence, and one that 

 is absolutely impregnable, is a mere trifle ; and how 

 often do we find that unruly cattle will break over a 

 tolerably good f ■•nee ! 



Let the farmer who does not take an agricultural 

 paper, subscribe for one forthwith. Public opinion 

 is Ijeginning to be in favor of agricultural papers and 

 agricultural improvement ; and may we not hope 

 that the time has nearly come, when our farmers 

 generally will be eager to adopt more improved 

 modes of husbandry — when science shall triumph 

 over prejudice and ignorance, and when the best 

 interests of our country shall be more thoroughly 

 understood and supported ? J. E. KOLFE. 



RuMFOiiD, September, 1849. 

 — Maine Farmer. 



IRON FOR APPLE-TREES. 



A correspondent of the Albany Cultivator, writing 

 from Fredericksburg, Va., says, " A friend, who has 

 a large orchard of ' Kaule's Janette apple,' has ten 

 trees, upon one corner of the orchard, which always 

 produce fruit a third larger, and flavor so much 

 superior, that it was supposed, by all who saw and 

 ate the apple, that they were a superior variety of 

 the Janette. This spring I examined the soil, and 

 found that a vein of iron ore passed just under the 

 ten trees, so near the surface that it had been 



