NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



71 



Girth. Length. Weight, 



ft. in. ft. in. pounds. 



8 5 fi 9 1604 



6 10 16-25 



6 n 1645 



7 1665 

 7 1 1684 

 7 'J 1701 



Giith. Length. Weight, 

 ft. in. ft. in. pounds. 

 7 3 



8 5 



1723 

 1744 

 1764 

 178!) 

 1803 

 18-24 



FOR THE NEW E.1GLAND FARMER. 



Thomas G. Fcssendou, Esq. 



Dear Sir — In the last New England Farmer, 

 (No. 8) I observed a communication from Pro- 

 fessor Dana, on the subject of the correspon- 

 dence between Gov. Wotcott and myself, pub- 

 lished in tlie preceding number. That it should 

 meet his approbation is to me highly flattering ; 

 but I am constrained to express my regret that 

 he should have given to a part of it, at least, so 

 hasty a perusal as to imbibe erroneous im- 

 pressions. 



The Professor seems to direct his attention 

 chiefly to the bleaching process. The great 

 object of inquiry was a cheap solvent, that 

 would, without f'iing the color, " extract the 

 glutinous matter and weaken the woody fibre," 

 and so simple in its application as to be conve- 

 niently used by '' operative farmers." It was 

 remarked, however, that bleaching might follow 

 in a considerable degree, but it was not neces- 

 sary to combine it with the object in view ; as 

 1 trust it will appear that among the desiderata 

 lor the extension of the linea manufacture, the 

 bleaching, a process formerly very tedious and 

 expensive, is so completely attained as to leave 

 but little room for further improvement. And 

 it should be considered that the bulk, and pro- 

 bably the most profitable, of our linen manufac- 

 tures for a number of years, or till the raw ma- 

 terial is produced in much greater abundance, 

 will require no bleaching ; for instance, all the 

 different qualities of sail cloih and the immense 

 supply oi coiton lagging for our Southern breth- 

 ren. 



It is gratifying that the Professor is of the 

 opinion that " Steam may be employed with 

 decided advantage for separating the glutinous 

 ■matter from flax ;" but my suggestions did not 

 '' forbid its application when generated from 

 alkaline solutions ;" on the contrary, it was stat- 

 ed that steam from such solutions was supposed 

 not to effect the decomposition of the cellular 

 oil; and 1 felt justified in this remark, from 

 having observed at the Patcrson munnfaclury, 

 that the yarns, of which the sail cloth is made 

 for the Navv, were submitted to the action of 

 steam from an alkaline ley ; and, in the Essay 

 referred to in the correspondence, it was stated 

 that " the Navy-board expressly forbid boiling 

 them in such ley," and that " it was from this 

 •i precaution their canvass had the pliable, oily 

 Peeling, which so much recommended it." The 

 dea of preparing Jiax by steam which I sug 



years ago, when witnessing the process oi steam- 

 ing those yarns. 



My suggestion of simple muriate of lime was 

 foreign to the purposq of bleaching ; though 

 lime, when combined with alkali, is a powerful 

 agent in that process; but unless used with great 

 caution destructive to the material. Indeed it 

 is evident, that the use of lime in combination 

 with any substances, that may be applied to flax, 

 should be critically graduated ; and great cir- 

 cumspection on this point cannot be too strong- 

 ly inculcated. 



1 remain very truly yours, 



S. W. POMEROY. 

 Brighton, 25th Sept. 1822. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



than the Ihiest specimens of art, or the moat perfect 

 productions of nature. 



As we propose hereafter to give a particular and 

 official account of the proceedings of tlie day, we close 

 for the present with these general observations. 



A late arrival at New York from London, brings 

 English papers to the Cth of August. They coutaia 

 little interesting matter. The King is about to visit 

 Scotland, and great preparations are making to give 

 him a splendid reception. Scotch songs overflowing 

 with loyalty, and imbued with the genuine quintes- 

 sence of poetry, will be poured out in profusion. Sir 

 Walter Scott, it is said, is about to levy a contribution 

 on the muses, and decorate his Majesty's temples with 

 garlands picked from the peak of Parnassus. 



BOSTO:^ :— SATURDAY, SEPT. 28, 18'22. 



;ested in the Essay, first occurred to me, two t 



We have republished, in this day's paper, the Gra- 

 ziers'' Ready Reckoner, which we copied from a late 

 number of the Baltimore American Farmer. It is not 

 in our power to vouch for its accuracy, although we 

 have no doubt but it is useful when its calculations 

 arc applied to the breeds of cattle, &c. for which they 

 were intended. Whether similar acbneasurements, 

 and corresponding results would help us yankees in 

 guessing the weight of live stock of our common breeds 

 is more than we are able to say. The Table, at any 

 rate, will prove useful if it turns the attention of Gra- 

 ziers and Butchers to the subject ; and may at least 

 furnish hints for the construction of similar tables, 

 adapted to tlie weight and corresponding dimensions of 

 our common American animals. 



We have received a communication on the subject 

 of Cider, which we think well and judiciously writ- 

 ten. It shall appear in our next. 



WORCESTER CATTLE SHOW. 



The Cattle Show, Exhibition of Manufactures, and 

 Ploughing Match, which was holden at Worcester, on 

 the 25th inst. deserves to be spoken of in terms of no 

 ordinary eulogy. The weather was fine, the concourse 

 numerous and respectable, and many of our first citi- 

 zens, by their presence, and the apparent zeal and ani- 

 mation with which they entered into the spirit of the 

 day, evinced that they were impressed with the im- 

 portance of those pursuits which this Farmers' and 

 Manufacturers' anniversary was imended to encourage. 

 Every thing conspired to evince that the mental and 

 physical energies of the country were flowing in the 

 right channel, and by the blessing of Heaven could 

 not fail to eventuate in the full tide of national and 

 individual prosperity. The zeal and emulation exhi- 

 bited by the competitors at the Ploughing Match kept 

 expectation (together with the other spectators) on 

 tiptoe during the trial. The rivals in the Chariot Ra- 

 ces of the Olympic Games could scarcely have con- 

 tended with more energy and earnestness, nor could 

 the lookers-on have shown more interest in their con- 

 tests. The Sacred and Literary exercises of the day, 

 the toasts, which were the cap sheares of the festivities, 

 the Oratorio of Sacred Music, which seemed to solem- 

 nize the amusements, and consecrate the business of 

 the anniversary, were highly appropriate and gratif}'- 

 ing. The whole proceedings were such as to awaken 

 and excite those faculties which at once exliilarate and 

 exalt human nature, and by being depicted in a great 

 multitude of " happy human faces," aflbrd an exhibi- 

 ion not less pleasing to the man of " good feelings," 



Yrllow Ferer at Kew Orleans A letter from New 



Orleans, to the editors of the Portsmouth Gazette, da- 

 ted August 23, says, " The yellow fever has commenc- 

 ed its dreadful ravages in this ill-fated city, and as is 

 usual, principally confined to northern constitutions. 

 It will probably continue till the cold weather puts a 

 stop to its career." 



An invention has just been brought to perfection, ia 

 England, for the cuttiug, spreading and twisting of 

 the wicks of candles, by which piece of machinery a 

 single person can cut, spread and twist five rods in one 

 minute, by which more than one half of the manual la- 

 bor in the making of candles is saved. 



A premium of a silver cup, of the value of $12, is of- 

 fered by the Bourbon Agricultural Society, in Kentucky, 

 lor the best sample o( whiskey, in a quantity not less 

 than one barrel. 



We have had frequent occasions to mention the ex- 

 traordinary growth of Apples the present season ; but 

 the following exceeds any we have yet heard of. A 

 gentleman of Marblehead informs us, that he saw an 

 Apple weighed on Tuesday last, which grew in a gar- 

 den in that to-wn, and the weight of which proved to 

 be Iwfniy-three ounces; and three apples (of which 

 the above was one) weighed together three pounds and 

 three quarters. — Salem Gazette. 



It is said that the springs in the county of Plymouth 

 have never been so low, as at present, withiu the me- 

 mory of man, 



R)/e Coffee. — It is stated that Philadclpliia furnishes 

 Boston -with about 5000 barrels of rye coffee in a year. 



71i( Duel. — We do not believe a single instance 

 ever occuired, so calculated to check the ridiculous 

 and absurd practice of settling principles of honor by 

 skill in sharp shooting, or questions of character at the 

 muzzle of a pistol, as the controversy between Colonel 

 Gumming and Mr. M'Uutfio. hi adililion to the state- 

 ments previously furnished, the New York Mercantile 

 Advertiser, on the authority of letters received there 

 from -Augusta, says, at the time of the arrest, a large 

 mililar;/ force uas on the spot .' What perfect Orlarido 

 Fnriosos these combatants must be. Some pcopU- 

 could he ke) t apart by two platoons or such a matter 

 of infantry, but these champions required :\ targe mili- 

 tary force to effect the purjjose. — The following article 

 from the .Morning Post, we really think too severe ; 

 but these champions must expect a kw rubs, as an 

 offset for the great anxiety and trepidation they have 

 caused among the public : 

 RETURN of the killed, wounded and missing in the 



late wonderful Duel between Mr. .VDuJfie and Col. 



Cutnming. 



Killed — none. 



Wounded, in the back — one. 



Missing, at roll call — none, 



Shook hands — two. 



Seconds — safe, 



Horses and negro coachmen — alarmed, 



The Public — very much amused by the performers, 

 who appear to have paid grtat attention to stage effect. 

 Further particulars iu tlie bills of the play. — Bait. Pat. 



