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NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



FOR THE .NEW E.%GI^AXD FARMER. 



Extract of a letter from J. F. Dana, Professor of 



Chemistry in Dartmouth College, to the Editor. 



dated Sept. 17, 1022. 

 Dear Sir, 



I was pleased with the corresponJencn hc- 

 twcen Gov. Wolcott and Mr. Poniorov, contain- 

 ed in your paper, wiiich 1 received yesterday. 

 The subject is one of great importance to the 

 country. 



The application of steam as a means of sep- 

 arating the glutinous matter from flax is sug- 

 gested by Gov. Wolcott, and probably might be 

 employed with the most decided advantage ; 

 but will it destroy the coloring matter ? proba- 

 bly not ; and the use of steam generated from 

 rOkaline solutions seems to be forbidden by the 

 suggestion of Mr. Pomeroy, that alkaline leys 

 destroy a cellular oil on which the delicate soft- 

 ness of the llax depends. 1 wish to inquire, 

 why chlorine or oxymuriatic acid gas may not 

 be employed ? The objections to its use in com- 

 mon bleaching will not apply to its use in blea- 

 ching flas. I'crmit me to suggest its apjilica- 

 tion in the following way. Let a convenient 

 ajjparatus for sliaining the flax be prepared ; 

 into the boiler trom which the steam is gener- 

 ated, intro<luce a convenient vessel of sheet 

 lead which .«hall contain the materials from 

 >vhich oldorine gas is produced, viz. sulphuric 

 acid, manganese and common salt. Now when 

 heat is applied to the boiler to produce steam, 

 the leaden vessel wliich it contains and which 

 is surrounded by water, will be also heated ; 

 steam, and chlorine gas will be formed at the 

 same time ; the former will dissolve the gluti- 

 nous matter, and the latter will destroy the col- 

 or, and both will pervade every part of the 

 apparatus. Experiment alone must decide 

 whether this suggestion is practically useful ; 

 nor do I know that it has not been tried, and 

 found useless. 



The muriate of lime, suggested by Mr. P. has 

 no powers in bh'aching, and it is stated by some 

 writers, that it very much weakens the texture 

 o( linen. J. F. DANA. 



.Agricultural Exhibition for the Counti/ of Essex, 

 at Topsfcld, on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 1822. 



The Trustees of the Essex Agricultural So- 

 ciety, to encourage improvements in the Agri- 

 culture and Maiiulactures of the County, offer 

 in premiums for the present year, more than 

 Six Hundred Dollars. They have taken care 

 to provide convenient accommodations, and 

 from the increasing interest manifested in the 

 subject, they anticipate a more interesting ex- 

 hibition than in any preceding year. 



All claims for preiii.uins ,foi- Stock, muft be 

 entered with the Secretary, or Col. E. Wildes, 

 of Topstield, on the day previous to the exhi- 

 bition. 



All Animals and articles intended for exhibi- 

 tion or premium, must bo presented to the offi- 

 cers of the Socict}', who will be in attendance 

 to receive them, by eight o'clock, A. M. 



The Ploughing Match will take place pre- 

 cisely at eleven o'clock. The trial of Working 

 Oxen will follow immediately after. 



.\i one o'clock, the members of the Society 

 will dine together at the Topslield Hotel. At 

 two o'clock, the Pieports of the Committees 

 ivill be received and exainhieJ by the Trustees. 



At half past two o'clock, the members of the 

 Society will go in procession from the Hotel to 

 the Meeting House, where an Address will be 

 delivered by the Rev. Dr. Eaton, of Boxford. 

 .After this, the Reports of the Committees will 

 be publicly communicated, and such other busi- 

 ness transacted as the interests of the Society 

 may require. 



From the Columbian Cciitincl. 



Mr. Russf.i.l — As the farmers are blessed with 

 an abundant crop, it is of the tirst importance to 

 have it well harvested. 



The present month has been uncommonly fa- 

 vorable to the harvesting of beans, onions, and 

 potatoes. 



1 would recommend to those who have beans 

 not yet harvested, to have them pulled and 

 housed before all the vines are dead, and before 

 there comes rain. For one bushel gathered in 

 this way is worth two bushels which are lef't in 

 the field till the rain swells them. It is a la- 

 mentable fact, that nearly one half of all the 

 white beans, which come to market, have a 

 shrivelled appearance, which indicates neglect 

 in the harvesting. For if the rain does not 

 swell the bean, after it becomes dry its surface 

 will be fair and smooth, and the bean, when 

 dried, will be soft and tender. They are then 

 much more wholesome than if they had been 

 exposed to rains. 



Onions. — As soon as onions come to their 

 growth, the tops and roots begin to dry, and 

 they should be harvested. They should be 

 pulled, dried a day or two in the field, and then 

 housed, before the sun turns them green am! 

 makes them tough. For they will taste and 

 keep much better than those which lie out till 

 they take the second root and become weather- 

 beaten. 



Potatoes. — I presume every man has observed 

 how much better flavored potatoes arc in the 

 month of August, and even to the middle of 

 September, than at any other tilne of the year. 

 The reason is obviously, because they are gath- 

 ered before they have attained their full growth 

 and before the vines are dead. Potatoes, there- 

 fore, should be harvested as soon as the vines 

 begin to die, and then the3' will not have any 

 disagreeable earthy and watery flavor. They 

 may be placed immediately in the cellar and 

 will not sustain any injury from their dampness, 

 if the cellar doors and windows are left open in 

 fair weather. 



THE FARMER'S FRIEND. 



From the New York Statesman. 

 Cotton. — Our readers will recollect that in 

 the early part of the year several essays were 

 publi-.hed in the Statesman, under the signature 

 of " .Agncola," on the subject of cultivating 

 cotton in this and the adjoining states. Our 

 correspondent being desirous that a fair trial 

 should be made, procured, at his own expense, 

 from South Carolina and Virginia, several bar- 

 rels of seed, which were de[)OBited with the 

 editors of this paper, and by his direction, gra- 

 tuitously distributed to all who were disposed 

 to try the experiment. We shall be glad to 

 learn from those who have attempted the culti- 

 vation of cotton from seed received at this of- 

 fice, what success they have met with. We 

 have seen some bolls taken from the garden of 

 Mr. O. P;iikcr, of Greenwich, on the 10th inst. 



which had then opened, and which present fin 

 specimens of cotton. The seed was planted 

 about the 23d of April, and we have no doubt 

 that the cotton in the garden from which these 

 bolls were taken, will come to maturity before 

 the warm season is over. 



Poulson's Philadelphia paper of Saturday 

 says — " Some cotton seeds were put in the 

 ground at Camden, N. J. in May last, and on 

 the first day of September, inst. a part of it was 

 maturely ripened and fit to gather. As it was 

 late in the spring when these seeds were plant- 

 ed, there cannot be a doubt but that this valua- 

 ble plant may be successfully cultivated in the 

 sandy soil of New Jersey." 



From the Western Reserve Chronicle. 

 Quick fVork. — The bam of Mr. S. Hutchins, 

 a respectable farmer in Vienna, (Ohio,) was 

 struck with lightning on the 23th July, and 

 most of the hay and all the grain raised on hie 

 farm the present season were consumed. On 

 the 7lh of August, his neighbors assembled and 

 erected a barn for him 36 feet by 2G. They 

 cut the timber, hewed, framed, raised, boarded, 

 shingled, made and hung the doors, and a large 

 load of hay presented to him, was unloaded in 

 It before sunset of the same ilay. 



Something Marvellous. — On draining off the 

 water in the summit level of the canal this week 

 for the purpose of removing the earth which 

 had been deposited in it by the late freshet, 

 large quantities of live clams were discovered in 

 the bottom of it, the shells of some of which 

 measured 7 inches in length, and were well 

 proportioned. Persons who have partook of 

 these aquatic sojourners of our place, represent 

 them to be of " most delicious flavor.'''' — The 

 shells are of a greenish cast, and almost as trans- 

 parent as glass. — Sandy Hill Times. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



BOSTOjX :— SATURDAY, SEPT. 21, 1822. 



O.N' SAVING ASD MAKISG THE MOST OF MANDRE. 



{Continued from p. 55.) 



Tlie advocates for long manure, and the sticklers for 

 short manure, in our o^iinion, are botli right with re- 

 gard to some of tile points in controversy. As regards 

 other matters in dispute, we believe the truth lies be- 

 tween them, and of course both parties are a little on 

 one or the other side of it. 



The better to comprehend the subject, and make 

 those practical deductions, which may render its dis- 

 cussion useful, it may be well to take into view, 



I. The nature of the soil to which manure is to be 



applied. 



II. The crop which is immediately to succeed the 



application of the manure, and which it is prin- 

 cipally intended to benefit. 



I. — THE NATURE OF THE SOII., 



iManure must not only ferment, but be completely 

 decomposed, before it can produce 'its full effects in the 

 nourishment of plants, or in enriching the soil. The 

 products of its fermentation are certain matters called 

 gasses, factitious airs or elastic fluids. They are, prin- 

 cipally, carbonic acid gas, hydrogen gas, and azote, or 

 nitrogen gas. A dark colored liquid, of a slightly sour 

 or bitter taste will likewise be formed ; and if the pro- 

 cess be suffered to continue for a sullicient length of 

 time uothinj solid will remain except earthy and saline 



