106 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



tonic effect of the muriate of lime is prevented, 

 and the bowels are kept lax. i visited the spot 

 where the mud is procured. — .\ spring issues 

 I'rom the place and the water brings witli it a 

 jfreyish white matter which is deposited in the 

 rill leadiii>:C from the spring. This whitish sub- 

 stance is the matter in question. After being 

 heated to redness it becomes snow white ; when 

 digested in an acid, a slight effervescence oc- 

 curs, a portion is dissolved, and the remainder 

 has the character of fine white silicious sand; 

 the portion dissolved in the acid was iound by 

 appropriate tests to be carbonate of lime. The 

 effect of this substance cannot be explained on 

 chymical principles, and doubtless depends on 

 the general principles, of the effect of laxatives 

 in counteracting the actions of tonics. 



Having embraced the idea that this disease a- 

 rises from the small j)ortion of muriate of lime 

 dissolved in the water, 1 recommended to a num- 

 ber of the inhabitants who were assembled for 

 the purpose of assisting me in my inquiries, to 

 mike use o[ -.neak ley, or ashes, or suap suds, as a 

 remedy, or rather as preventives. Either of 

 these substances, from the carbonate of potash 

 they contain, will decompose the muriate of 

 lime, and carbonate of lime and muriate of pot- 

 ash will result from such decomposition. Now 

 both these substances, if not quite inert in the 

 small quantities in which they would be produc- 

 eil, nil! act as purgatives ; and as a confirmation 

 of the general principles advanced in this paper, 

 I was informed, on recommending soafi suds, that 

 the only coiv which was ever raised in Burton 

 and escaped the disease, was in the habit of fre- 

 quently drinkino; soap suds from the tubs whicli 

 tontained it; and that it was consequently left 

 for her use after family washings. It is not a 

 little remarkable that the inhabitants did not a- 

 vail themselves of the information to be derived 

 trom this hint. 



A person who formerly lived in Burton brought 

 water from a spring situated at a distance from 

 his house, for the use of his cattle, and they 

 were found to thrive much more, <ind with great- 

 er certainty to escape the disease. Why he was 

 induced to use this water I know rot ; but on ex- 

 amination by re-agents, it gave indications of 

 containing very small quantities of muriate of 

 lime; much less quantity indeed, than in any 

 other water submitted to examination. 



These facts and observations are now submit- 

 ted to the Society, with the hope that the inves- 

 tigation, conducted under their auspices, may 

 uot prove wholly uninteresting and useless. 



ALBANY COUNTY AGRICULTURAL TRACTS. 

 By the politeness of J. BvEL, Esq. ive have receiv- 

 ed a pa-Tiphltt, with the above title, containing much 

 valuable matter, calculated to aid the American Far- 

 mer in the principal and staple concern of all civilized 

 societies. The pamphli t is published by the Executive 

 Committee of the Albany County Agricultural Society, 

 who have " resolved to publish, annually, a pamphlet 

 of about 48 pages, to be distributed at their annual 

 fairs, among the members of llie Society. It is believ- 

 ed," they observe further, " that this will essentially 

 aid the progress of agricultural improvement ; and as 

 practical information is to be preferred, communica- 

 tions of this kind are respectfully requested for the sub- 

 sequent numbers. They may be addressed to J. BuEi., 

 Corresponding Secretary. The work will be so paged 

 ' and arranged that six numbers will form a voluuic of 

 ^8B octayo pages." 



The articles which compose the first number consist 

 partly of original matter, and in part of judicious selec- 

 tions. We shall, from time to time, give such extracts, 

 notices and abridgments of the work as we believe will 

 be most beneficial to our readers, and best comport 

 with the patriotic and philanthropic views of the pul>- 

 lishers. — 



OS THE CULTURE OE TCRNIP3. 



Sands anfl sand loams are peculiarly adapted 

 to the culture of this root. The county of 

 Norfolk, which is one of the most improved ag- 

 ricultural districts in England, has acquired its 

 high reputation, in a measure, by its turnip 

 crojis. Cattle are winter fattened upon them 

 invariably, with the aid of straw, or sometimes a 

 little hay. The soil of that county was very 

 similar, originally, to the pine district between 

 the Cahoos and Coeymans. But our hard win- 

 ters prevent our using this root with English 

 economy. There they are left in the field, and 

 drawn daily as they are wanted. Here they 

 must be housed or buried, before the frosts set 

 in. Nothwithstanding this objection, 1 am sat- 

 isfied, from four years' experience, that they 

 may be cultivated by us with great prolit, as a 

 cattle food, particularly the Swedish sort, or ruta 

 baga. 



The flat turnip, of which the green and red 

 top are varieties, is raised with very little troub- 

 le, and vvith me have been invariably a second 

 crop. I have sown them after wheat, rye, peas, 

 and flax, with a single ploughing, with and with- 

 out manure, with unitbrm success. 1 have sown 

 from the iiOth July to the 10th Aug. broadcast, 

 at the rate of one pound of seed to the acre — 

 generally hoed them once; and the medium 

 crop has been about 200 bushels per acre. T7ie 

 later turnips arc grcntm, the better they arc for the 

 table. 



The ruta baga requires more labour in rais- 

 ing, and better compensates for it. I plough 

 twice and harrow ; about the 1st July, the 

 ground is thrown into three feet ridges, by turn- 

 ing two furrows back to back. The manure is 

 then drawn out, and thrown with a shovel into 

 the furrows, about six rows being dunged at a 

 time. The manure is covered, by reversing 

 tlie ridges, as soon as practicable ; and when 

 the whole field is finished, a light one horse roller 

 is passed over lengthwise, which flattens the 

 ridges and pulverises the lumps. The seed is 

 then immediately dibbled in one foot apart. A 

 man will make the holes, and two boys, of 10 

 or 12 years old, will drop the seed, and cover 

 two acres a day. One to four seeds are put into 

 each hole. I prefer the dibble to the drill, on 

 account of (he greater facility of clearing the 

 crop, and because a dibble can be made in two 

 hours by any farmer, and consequently costs 

 nothing. When the plants are well up, I pass 

 the cultivator between the rows, and hand hoe 

 the ridges, for which fhe skim hoe is far pref- 

 erable to the common hoe. If the ground is 

 not very foul, they are as easily hoed as an 

 e(|ual quantity of Indian corn. As soon as the 

 roots are as large as a goose quill, I thin them 

 so as to leave but one plant in a place, and fill 

 up vacancies by transplanting. After this, the 

 cultivator is passed through them once or twice, 

 and the weeds, if any, on the ridges, taken out 

 with a hoe or the hand. The product has been 

 from 400 to tJOO bushels. To preserve the 

 roots, dig about one foot deep upon the side of 

 a hill, leaving the bottom inclining, and sufS- 



ciently broad each way to be able to pile in the 

 space, in the form of a cone, 100 bushels. 

 Place the roots in it, and bring the top to a 

 point as far as practicable. Cover with straw, 

 and then dirt. They will bear considerable 

 frost without injury. Take care to dig a trench 

 round the mound to turn off the water. In 

 March, or perhaps February, you may break 

 through the frost, and take out "roots, lay them 

 on your barn floors, and cover them with hay 

 or straw ; from whence they may be fed to 

 cattle. 



The ruta baga is fed without cutting, to neat 

 cattle — a bushel a day, without straw, is enough 

 for a milch cow. To fat cattle, they may be 

 given in greater quantity, though never so many 

 as to occasion a continual looseness. Hogs will 

 feed and fatten on them ; cut small, they are 

 remarkably fitted to fatten sheep ; and the horse, 

 once accustomed to them, will prefer them, to 

 his grain. For all aninuils, they are improved 

 by steaming or boiling. In the north t^f England, 

 it has been stated, that stage horses are kept 

 upon steamed ruta baga, without grain. A gen- 

 tleman in Dutchess wintered more than fifty 

 hogs upon them thus prepared, and the swine 

 did well. 



My experience with the globe and Scotch 

 yellow turnips, is not sufficient to enable me to 

 speak satisfactorily of their culture; but I have 

 both kinds growing luxuriantly. 



J. BUEL. 



J. Al.F.XANDER, Esq. 

 Sec'ry of Albany Co. Ag. Society. 



ON THE CULTURE OF MILLET. 



Millet is cultivated both for grain and fodder. 

 If exclusively for fhe latter, it is cut as soon as 

 it attains its growth, before the grain begins to 

 ripen ; if for both, as soon as the major part oi 

 the seed is ripe, — otherwise the birds will eat 

 anil waste a great portion of it. The stock and 

 leaves remain green and succulent, even when 

 the seed is all ripe. The best way to harvest 

 the crop is, to cut it with a sickle or cradle ; 

 and as soon as it is suffice ntly dry, bind it in 

 small bundles, thresh it immediately without un- 

 binding the sheaves, and use the straw for win- 

 ter fodder. It improves the latter to have it 

 sweat in the mow. The product is from ten to 

 forty bushels in seed, and from one to four tons 

 in fodder, according to the qualify and clean- 

 ness of the land. The seed is stated, by gen- 

 tlemen who have made accurate experiments, 

 to be equal to Indian corn for fattening hogs ; 

 and the stock or straw is preferred by neat cat- 

 tle to clover. The objection to this crop is, 

 that it is an encouniger of the growth of weeds, 

 from its slow growth in the early stage of its 

 vegetation. The ground should be clean, and 

 in good heart. 



1 sowed millet this year, at four several times. 

 The first, 23d April, which was harvested a- 

 bout the 1st August : the second, 27th May — 

 harvested 21st August: the third, 1st June — 

 harvested 10th September. The crops were 

 all good. When intended wholly for fodder, I 

 think it may be sown as late as the 10th July. 

 From my experience in two years, I would rec- 

 ommend that the ground be ploughed early, that 

 the seeds of weeds may vegetate ; that the 

 ploughing be repeated at intervals, and the 

 crop be sown from the 1st to the 1 0th June. 

 Cut entirely for fodder, it Ls a very nutritious 



