282 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



hollowed out, tlie texture of the bottom should 

 be examined, and if'l'ound firm, impervious, and 

 capable of containing the juices, no further 

 trouble is requisite, and the work is complete : 

 but, if open and porous, it should be coated with 

 clay, and lined vf'Uh large and coarse flags [pav- 

 ing stones.] Into this pit, earth from some 

 neighboring field should be first brought, and 

 «trewed over the bottom and sloping sides, to 

 the Ihicknes of from D to 12 inches. Thus 

 a safe depository will be prepared, for the 

 cleanings of the barn, for the waste straw and 

 weeds, for the sweepings of the kitchen, for the 

 stems of pea*, beans, cabbages, potatoes, and in 

 short all vegetable matter of woody fibre, as 

 well as for tlic dung of the feeding cattle, after 

 a complete layer of putrescible matter has been 

 spread all over, and when the symptoms of an 

 active fermentation have become visible, the 

 earth, which was thrown out of the excavation, 

 may be slowly returned, and scattered on the 

 surface of the heap, to catch the exhalations 

 which are ascending. Hither, too, the urine 

 should either be conducted by a drain, or car- 

 ried by buckets ; for it is an unpardonable waste 

 to lose the benefit of this rich and invigorating 

 ■enure. The earth, which lies at the bottom 

 ^^•i\\ greedily drink up the urine and the vege- 

 table juices, and thus gain a large accession of 

 nutriment and value. So soon as the pit is 

 filled up in the manner herein described, it 

 should be emptied of all its contents; and these 

 should be carted to the field where they are 

 meant to be afterwards applied, and there laid 

 down in some convenient corner, to be mixed 

 up and sorted into a profitable compost. The 

 pit — adjoining the barn — may be again lined 

 with mould, and the former operations repeat- 

 ed in procuring and augmenting its contents. 



" During summer, this pit should be emptied 

 twice or thrice according to circumstances; and 

 its fermentable and earthy materials transpor- 

 ted to the ground which they are destined to 

 fertilize, and there subjected to a new process. 

 Towards the tall, which by its length and mild- 

 ness makes amends for the advantages of more 

 favored regions, all those compost heaps, as 

 well as the dung about the barn yard, should 

 be .sj)rcad on the land, which is meant to be 

 immediately ploughed. In the mean time an 

 additional stratum of mould should be distribu- 

 ted along the bottom and side of the pit before 

 the approach of winter, and during that rigid 

 season, the dung may be accumulated without 

 any extraordinary care, as the intensity of the 

 cold is unfavorable to putrefaction, and little 

 loss will be sustained from the dissipation of the 

 gaseous matter. Such farmers as may choose 

 to take the trouble, and have suitable conve- 

 nience of covered sheds, may pile up before 

 hand a quantity of dry earth, which may be 

 scattered over the dunghill in the depth of win- 

 ter, on such places as indicate strong fermen- 

 tation. ''"* 



The dung-pit (or stercorary as the learned call 

 It) will prove of^ the least use in those seasons 

 of the year, when the stock is kept mostly in 

 pastures, or the weather is such that the ma- 

 nure is constantly frozen. But greater or less 

 accessions may be made to such pits or reser- 

 voirs at all seasons of the year. In summer, if 

 ■the stock is neither yarded nor stabled, the 

 kitchen, the sty, &c. will add something to the 



* Letters of Agricola, page 220. 



dung-pit, and those who have their manure pits 

 in cellars under their barns, (which is undoubt- 

 edly the best practice) may keep their manure 

 manufactory in succes»ful operation in almost 

 any extremity of cold to which our climate is 

 subjected. Wherever the manure pit is situ- 

 ated, it ought to be covered from the sun and 

 rain ; and its contents ought not to be suffered 

 long to undergo the putrefactive process with- 

 out eartji, peat, or some suitable substance to 

 absorb its gaseous products. The farmer may 

 vary his plans for saving and making the most 

 of every substance which is suitable for, or can 

 be converted into manure, as his jtidgment may 

 direct; but he should recollect that whenever 

 he manages in such a manner as to " manure the 

 atmosphere,'''' instead of his land or his plants, 

 he over steps or falls short of the line of his duty, 

 and hardly deserves his honorable ollice of an 

 independent cultivator of the soil. 



(to be CONTINUED.) 



To stop the Rapidity of Flames tc'/jen the Female 

 Dress happens accidentally to take Fire. 

 If a woollen cloth was constantly kept in 

 nurseries and sitting-rooms, especially when 

 there are fires, laid loose upon the table, or oth- 

 er piece of furniture, this being always at hand, 

 might be easily resorted to in case of accident, 

 and being wrapt tight round the flaiVies, or 

 strongly pressed against them, would, by Exclu- 

 ding the air, in many instances, soon extinguish 

 the fire. A green baize cloth being very plia- 

 ble, and likewise a neat cover to furniture, is 

 recommended for this purpese ; and if such 

 were known in the family by the name of the 

 Stijling Cloth, it probably would as readily be 

 used when there was occasion for it, as fire en- 

 gines and buckets are now. Where the con- 

 venience of baize cloth cannot be easily pro- 

 cured, as in cottages, &c. a cloth cloak, riding- 

 coat, or blanket, will answer much the same 

 purpose. A man's coat will always be useful ; 

 and the first man that arrives ought to apply it. 



To stop Cracks in Glass Vessels. 

 The cracks of glass vessels may be mended, 

 by daubing them with a suitable piece of linen 

 over with white of egg, strewing both over 

 with finely powdered quicklime, and instantly 

 applying the linen closely and evenW. 



Cement for prestrving Wood and Brick. 

 This composition is formed of the following 

 materials, viz. mineral or coal tar, pulverized 

 coal, (charcoal is esteemed the besi) and fine 

 well slacked lime ; the coal and lime to be 

 well mixed together, proportioned at about 

 four-fifths coal and one fifth lime ; the tar to be 

 heated, and while hot thickened will the mix- 

 ture of coal and lime, until it becomes so hard 

 that it may be easily spread upon the surface 

 of a board, and not run when hot. Turpentine 

 or pitch will answer nearly as well as tar, and 

 plaistei of Paris will answer instead ollime; to 

 be used in the same manner, and in about the 

 same proportions. The cement mus be ap- 

 plied warm, and is lound to be used easiest with 

 a trowel. 



Cement for Wood or Paper. 

 Dissolve some isinglass in a small quantity of 

 gin or proof spirit, by a very geatle heat; and 

 preserve it in a bottle for use. 



lOR THE KEW ENGLASD FAKHER. 



Mr. Editor- 



Having seen nothing in yot 

 valuable paper respecting making manure froi 

 swine, 1 have been induced to send you for pul 

 lication, my method of making hog" manure, i 

 it is generally termed, together with a brii 

 sketch of its qualities and effects. 



I generally keep and fatten four hogs eat, 

 year. 1 keep them in two separate apartmei' 

 because I think they do much better when k 

 in two pens, than when kept all together, 

 have a tight, warm house for them to lie i 

 and a yard fifteen feet square, into which 1 fr ., 

 quently throw loam, and swamp mud. I kec 

 them well supplied with straw in their hous 

 but do not suffer it to remain therein more ths 

 a week, when I remove all from the house in 

 the yard, and supply them with fresh stra 

 In the spring and summer I frequently colle 

 large quantities of weeds, and put into the yat 

 seme of which they devour, the remainder 

 trodden uuder foot, which, together with tl 

 loare and straw, is frequently and thorough 

 worked over by them. In this way I make frc 

 twenty to thirty loads of manure in a ye; 

 which answers a more valuable purpose th 

 any other kind of manure I make use of W 

 nnre of this kind, seems to be of a moist, n 

 tritious nature, and always has a good effect, i 

 pecially when used on dry, sandy or gravel 

 land. Corn or any other kind of vegetab 

 manured therewith, will endure the droug 

 much better than when manured with olh 

 kinds of manure. I think the most valual 

 use to which it can be applied, is to manu 

 corn in the hill. It answers well for potato' 

 and most other kinds of vegetables. 



A. FARWELL. 



Wtrcester, March 28, 1823. 



J: 



Report of the Committee of the Essex Jl^ricuU 

 al Society, on the Management of Farms — /> 

 a pamphlet published by said Society in Ocio. 

 last. 



The Committee appointed by the Trustt 

 of the Essex Agricultural Society, to exami 

 the claims for premium for the best Mi 

 agement of a Farm, submit the following F 

 port: That they have received but four claii 

 on this subject, viz. from the Hon. Willis 

 Rartlet, of Newburyport, for his farm in ]W 

 thuen ; from Col. Jesse Putnam and Capt. Di 

 ley Bradstreet, of Danvers ; and from Mr. Iso 

 Dodge, of Hamilton. 



Each of these farms was visited by the Co 

 raittee in the month o{ July, when vegetati 

 was most flourishing ; and the several sta 

 ments of the claimants annexed to this rep< 

 have been carefully examined. 



The farm of Mr. Bartlet in Methuen is ic' 

 very high and superior state of cultivation, 

 consists of about two hundred acres of land ; 

 conveniently divided into lots ; and well fenc 

 with the best of fences, Stone Wall. The i 

 ler and neatness with which all the business 

 the farm is conducted merits high approbati( 

 The lands have been much improved by t 

 removal of the stones for the building of w9 '•' 

 and laying covered drains, by means of whi *• 

 waste lands have been converted into fine c 

 tivated fields. Great attention is paid to obta 

 ing manure, and an abundant supply is made 

 the farm. But most of all were the Committ 



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