NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



113 



i^ work wi;rc as great, probably, as any part of the 

 jrkl can afford ; and that they have been faithfully 

 ' 'iproved may be presumed from the responsibility at- 

 rliud to his situation, and the talents which alone 

 iM have recmaiaended to an office, that could nei- 

 r liL' hereditary, purchased by money, nor held as a 

 lie lir.'. We have no doubt but Dr. Krown has faitli- 

 llv Librid'ed the original work, and by so doing is 

 liiUd to the gratitude of every person in the commu- 

 te wlio either owns or ever has occasion for the ser- 

 •is of the valuable animal of which it treats. But, 

 wi said before, we do not pretend to be conversant 

 111 r with the art or science which form the subject 

 llii- work we are presuming to notice, and shall 

 III lore conclude this article by appending thereto 

 I Trcface of Dr. Brown, which explains the objects 

 till' publication, and, we think, cannot leave a doubt 

 its utility in the mind of any intelligent reader. 



•■ The Kditor of this abridgmcnf, has no other object 

 it^ [Uiblication, than to meliorate the condition of 

 al^ery useful animal, the Uorse, by presenting to 

 c American public Mr. Goodwin^s New System of 

 intiiii;. iMr. G.'s original work upon this subject is 

 pi u^'ive ; and if republished in this country, proba- 

 V would not be generally read by those who might 

 • most benefited by it. It has therefore been thought 



I Ivisablc to abridge it. In this abridgment the editor 

 vs been careful to select every thing, necessary to 

 u to th:; mechanic, a full and practical knowledge 



Ur. Goodwin''s principles and method of shoeing, 



d it i» believed that it contains information, which 



li compensate any one who feels an interest in the 



■ . for a careful and attentive perusal. 



\ circumstance very favorable to the adoption of 



•; w system of Shoeing, is that there can be no 



_ r of injury to the foot, from the cAonjf, if the 



bf properly put on, however long the horse may 



w been shod according to the method usually adopt- 



ia Ihis country. The principal alteration necessaiy 



gi be made in the form of the hoof is, at the toes, which 



usually thick, and not very likely to be injured by 



II y one tolerably acquainted with the anatomy of the 

 j rts. A bad Workman may bring disgrace upon any 



stem of shoeing, or any other mechanical operation, 

 ' wever good it may be ia itself, when properly exe- 

 « I ted. 



" The editor of this abridgment does not take upon 

 ,/l nself the responsibility of recommending Mr. Good- 

 j^l n's system ofshoeing horses, nor will he feel himself 

 .)( any degree implicated in its success. He presents 

 * ' to the public, as it is, and the public will judge and 

 * termine whether it be an improvement upon our pre- 

 ii nt method of shoeing, or not. If no attempt be made 

 , improve, certainly no improvement can be expected. 

 1 hatever the opinion of the reader may be with re- 



rd to the particular method of shoeing recommended 

 ''' the author, it is believed that he will find the work 

 i elf to contain much useful information, relatirt to 

 >:, H subject on which it tfeats ; and it is hoped thai its 



blicalion, here, will serve a useful purpose." 



MAGNESIAN LIMESTONE. 

 A writer, who has published several essays in the 

 dlonal ^gis, at Worcester, which we have republish- 

 , remarks, (see page MO,) that lime " in the state of 

 ■ ■ Carbonate, is found in the Northern part of Wor- 

 -ter county. 'When employed as a cement it is not 

 lerior to the lime of any other section. As yet it has 

 t been used as a manure long enough to test its pro- 

 rlio. From the quantity of Magnesia with which it 

 mixed, its success on some soils would be doubtful." 

 e are glad to see the attention of that writer turned 

 the subject of Mineralogy, as connected with Agri- 

 Iture, and cheerfully contribute our mite of informa- 

 >n to promote the object of his essays. 

 Magnesian limestone has generally been supposed to 

 hurtful to vegetation, but we believe that when it 

 • 3 proved injurious, it has been in consequence of its 

 ring been used to excess, or in its hoi or caustic state. 

 Maga^sJa wh°a combined with carbonic aciJ gas. 



seems not to be prt'judicial to vegetation, and in soi!^ 

 rich in manure, it is speedily supplied with this princi- 

 ple from the decomposition of the manure. Under com- 

 mon circumstances the lime from .Magnesian limestone 

 is used in moderate quantities upon tertile soils in Lei- 

 cestershire, Derbyshire, and Yorkshire, with good ef- 

 fect; and it may be applied in greater quantities to soils 

 containing very large proportions of vegetable matter." 



^' Amongst some specimens of limestone which Lord 

 Somerville put into my hands, two marked as peculi- 

 arly good jiroved to be magnesian limestones. And 

 lime made from the Breedon limestone is used in Leic- 

 estershire, where it is called hot lime ; and I have been 

 informed by farmers in the neighborhood of the quarry 

 that they employed it advantageously in small quanti- 

 ties, seldom more than 25 or 30 bushels to the acre. 

 And that they find it may be used with good effect in 

 larger quantities, upon rich laud. 



'■ A minute chemical consideration of this question 

 will lead to its solution. 



" Magnesia has a much weaker attraction for car- 

 bonic acid than lime, and will remain in the state of 

 caustic, or calcined magnesia for many mouths, though 

 exposed to the air. And as long as any caustic lime 

 remains, the magnesia cannot be combined with car- 

 bonic acid, for lime instantly attracts carbonic acid 

 from magnesia. 



" When Magnesian limestone is burnt, the Magnesia 

 is deprived of carbonic acid much sooner than the lime ; 

 and if there is not much vegetable or animal matter in 

 the soil, to supply by its decomposition carbonic acid, 

 the Magnesia will remain for a long time in the caustic 

 state ; and in this state acts as a poison to vegetables. 

 One of the most fertile parts of Cornwall, the Lizard, is 

 a district in which the soil contains mild Magnesian 

 earth." — Davy's AgricuUural Chemistry. 



Quere. How would it answer to pulverize Magnes- 

 ian limestone without burning, like Plaster of Paris and 

 aijply it in the proportion of from 20 to 30 bushels to an 

 .-•ere .' In Scotland, pounded limestone is used for ma- 

 nure. 



FARMER SUMMARY 

 OF FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC EVENTS. 



Success of the Greeks. — An article published in Paris, 

 Oct. 12, states that shortly after a signal defeat of the 

 Turks, they (the Turks) suddenly re-appeared at the 

 foot of the Souli Mountains with 15,000 men. The sit- 

 uation of the Greeks was then very precarious, and it 

 was resolved to destroy their wives and children to pre- 

 vent their falling into the hands of the enemy, and then 

 rush upon them, and sell their lives as dearly as possi- 

 ble. "I'his resolution reached the ears of the Greek wo- 

 men, but they had influence to prevent its execution, 

 and succeeded in restoring confidence amongst them. — 

 It was then resolved that the women, (who insisted up- 

 on it) should arm, and 800 were selected and armed. 

 The men amounted to 3000. After invoking the Deity 

 in their favour, they attacked the enemy, the women 

 vieing with the men in feats of personal valour, and 

 drove them far from Souli. The result of the action 

 has been 1350 prisoners and four pieces of cannon. The 

 loss of the Greeks was 167 men, and 17 women. 



The Great Congress of European Powers -sras expect- 

 ed to meet at Verona on the Kith of October. 



A great earthquake has taken place at Aleppo, in 

 Syria, which buried from 23 to 30,000 of the inhabi- 

 tants and destroyed more than 20,000 houses. 



A war exists between the Turks and the Persians, 

 and the latter have lately gained considerable advanta- 

 ges over the former. Selim P.acha, with 15,000 men, 

 has deserted from the Turks to the Persians. 



An instrument for ascertaining the longitude has 

 been invented by a Mr. Ifarky, in Scotland, which it 

 is said by competent judges will completely answer 

 the purpose on land or at sea in calm v.^eather. The 

 reward for the discovery of a complete instrument for 

 ascertaining the longitude is 20,000 pounds, 



A i.o.iJon papi.r slates that iMr. Canning's principles 

 are more liberal than those of the late Marquis of Lon- 

 dondirry ; and that tliere is reason to believe him to be- 

 so well iuclined to the Greek cause that he will under- 

 take somethirig in its f;ivour. 



The story lately republished from the London Globe 

 respecting a great secret discovired in the art of tan- 

 ning, for which tile inventor had received a large suui 

 of money, turns out to be fabulous. 



DoJart, in a commuiiicatiou to the lloyal Academy 

 of Sciences at Paris, computed that an ( Im, e\cry year, 

 at a medium, produces 3w!0,U00 seeds ; and the rel'ore myt-. 

 poking it to live 110 years, 33 millions of seeds diuin" 

 its whole age. Fern is far more lirlile in seeds. Harts- 

 tongue produces in a year a million of seeds, These 

 seeds must have a use beyond continuing their species. 



Since the discovery of the New-World, our English 

 gardens have produced 2345 varieties of trees and plants 

 Irom America, and upwards of 1700 from the Cape of 

 Good Hope, in addition Ki many thousands which have 

 been bro't from China, the East Indies, New-Holland, 

 various parts of Africa, Asia, and Europe ; until Ihelijt 

 of plants now cultivated in this country ixceeds liiO,000 

 varieties. — hundon pa/jtr. 



The Annual Meeting of the Plymouth Agricultural 

 Society was holden at Plymouth, on the 20lh of Novem- 

 ber, inst. Daniel Howard, Fsq. was chosen President, 

 and P^ev. Morril Allen, and Abiel Washburn, Esq. Vice 

 Presidents. The premiums awarded were to Samuel 



A. Turner of Scituate, lor compost manure $15 — Col. 



B. Murdock of Wartham, for the best crop of hay $10 

 — William Jackson, Esq. of Plymouth, for the best crop 

 of wheat $10 — Leonard Hill of Bridgewater, for the 

 best crop of oats $8, and for the best crop of potatoes 

 $7 — Solomon Alden of Bridgew.ater, best crop of corn 

 $10 — Alpheus Forbes of Bridgewater, 2d premium for 

 compost manure $10 — .lacob Thompson of Middle- 

 borough, for the best six lambs $5. 



In Virginia a two year old heifer has a calf six weeks 

 old which weighs 105 lbs. 



Cotton, of a quality in no way inferior to that which 

 is brought from the South has been raised this year at 

 Oyster bay, L. I. 



The Baltimore Morning Chronicle of November IGlh, 

 says " it would not be much too early to hear the sleigh 

 bells enlivening pur streets, and yet so extraordinary is. 

 the season, tViat we yesterday saw ripe Cherries that 

 were plucked from a tree in this city." 



Fuller's Earth. — The Mobile Alabama Register men- 

 tions that Fuller's earth had been discovered in that 

 vicinity of a superior quality, and such as will answer 

 every purpose to which that substance is usually ap- 

 plied. 



A quarry of marble, of a most beautiful and delicate 

 grain, and said to be equal to the Italian has lately 

 been discovered in Lancaster County, Penn. 



A meeting was held at New- York, on the 15th inst. 

 to form a Woollen Manufacturers' Society. This socie- 

 ty proposes to give premiums for the best specimens, 

 and to establish regular Fairs in the city, for the exhi- 

 bition and sale of woollen fabficks. 



A Patent Bedstead is advertised in New- York, which 

 may be taken down or set up in one minute, without 

 the use of tools, and does not contain the least harbor 

 for bugs or dirt. 



The Court House In Northampton was destroyed by 

 fire on the 20th inst. 



Sjtontaneous Combustion. — Within a month past there 

 have been three instances of spontaneous combustion in 

 large masses of coal in our Navy Yards — at this place, 

 at New- York, and Portsmouth, New-Hampshire, by 

 which each has been in great danger of Ixing destroy- 

 ed. This coal was obtained from one of the mines 

 near Richmond ; was found to contain an unusal quan- 

 tity of sulphur ; lay exposed to the air and rain; and 

 became ignited near the centre of the heaps. It would 

 be well for pf-rsons having large quantitii.s of the coal 

 on hand, to examine it frequently, and it would be a 

 subject, worthy the attention of the curious and philoso- 

 phick, to explain the cause of this ignition. — Kat. Ini, 



A plan is projected to unite the waters of Lake On- 

 tario, with Lake Champlaln, by a Canal, across the 

 country from Ogdensburg to Plattsburg. 



A new Map of Vermont, from actual survey, by 

 James Whitelaw, Esq. is published with high recom- 

 mendations. 



