306 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



the soil is thus increased, and a more rapid and 

 viarorous growtli is ihc cousequencc. But in 

 addition to the authority above quoted in oppo- 

 sition to the theory ofdi^^ging up trees and cut- 

 tino- off tiieir roots in order to make them thrive 

 more ahund.iatiy, we beg leave to cite the ex- 

 ample o[ nature. Trees planted b_\ her hand in 

 forests which have never been pervaded by 

 human foot steps, iiavc, of course, never been 

 transplanted, but yet exhibit the largest and 

 moJ perfect specimens of their kiiid-^. 



The acorns for planting oaks should be taken 

 from the largest and most thrifty trees. They 

 may be gathered as soon as they fall in autumn, 

 and kept in a box or boxes of sand till the Ibl- 

 lowing spring Then open them and plant such 

 as have sprouted, allowing no time for the 

 sprouts to dry. 



TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW EXGLAVH FARMER. 



I here enclose a treat, a literal transh.'.ion of 

 an ancient fragment, which I wish to see versi- 

 fied* and published in thy paper. During the 

 summer of 1813, I was in Philadelphia, and 

 hearing of a curious old German book called 

 Archiineiks' Work Shop, after some trouble, I 

 obtained the loan of it for some months. It was 

 an uncommonly large folio, printed in Nimme- 

 guen, in I6GI. It was principallv composed of 

 plates, of which there were upwards of three 

 hundred. The language was obsolete German 

 und Latin, with some Greek, and required the 

 study of the most learned men in the city to 

 read it. The plates were intelligible, and it 

 appeared to really be the work of Archimedes. 

 There were drawings of various kinds of Ma- 

 chinery, which he took in travelling through 

 Egypt, such as Joseph's Well, 300 feet deep, 

 and 600 wide, cut through a rock, with winding 

 stairs, and water drawn tVom one reservoir to 

 another by screws. He said that at the huildmg 

 of Thebes the sciences were better understood 

 than in his time. The learned Divines were 

 anxious to know his religion, or ideas of the 

 Snprcnic Being ; therefore by resorting to old 

 f^exicons the enclosed translation was made. — 

 There is no imposition — it is genuine. I wish 

 1o see it versified, and published in your paper, 

 in order to show the ideas of this eminent phi- 

 losopher with regard to the Supreme Being, and 

 the necessity of labor. 



SAMUEL PRESTON. 



Stockport, Pa. April 3, 1823. 



A LITERAL TRANSI^TION OF ARCIIIMEDES' HYMN ON 

 THF. STR.UCTURE OF GOd's WORKMANSHIP. 



1. Ihe great God hath drawn in -wisdom the high 



arched circumference of the world ; 



2. And lia3 by his knowledge ordered every thing one 



against the oilier. 



3. He has placed water against the land ; the hill 



against the dale ; 



4. And, indeed, without any trouble or labor of his 



bands. 



.'j. Soon as he spaltc the word was every thing com- 

 pleted, which he designed ; 



6. And in so masterly a manner, that whosoever thinks 

 of it is astonished and lost in wonder. 



* We hope our friend will excuse us for not attempt- 

 ing to versify the sentiments of Archimedes. We be- 

 lieve the ideas of the author can be more exactly given 

 in prose than in verse ; besides, we have not leisure, at 

 present, to give them a metrical form. If any of our 

 friends or correspondents will clothe them in a poetical 

 garb, we shall eeteem it a favor. 



7. But as he himself first upreared this globe, 

 b. So has he also implanted a part of the godhead in 

 man, 



9. As the image out of which he himself looks, and 



sends forth rays of his power from his eyes. 



10. Hence the earthly man, he whose origin is clay, 

 is so divinely enlightened and celestially exalted, 



11. That he, soaring after his Creator, obtains the 

 spirit of wisdom, and brings to the light of day 

 many of the works of art. 



12. Thus has God created this out-wnrk of the world, 

 with its appurtenances, and beautifully ornament- 

 ed all things. 



13. So man builds in the world no otherwise than as 

 if he were a journeyman in God's great work shop. 



14. He searches heights and depths, how hills and vaJ- 

 lies arrange themselves, in wonderful and uninter- 

 rupted continuation, surrounding one another, 

 even as the elm and the vine. 



15. His omniscient mind compels the drought and mois- 

 ture to do whatsoever he commands them. 



16. Nevertheless, for all things which man can per- 

 form, there is required time and pains. 



17. These things cannot be immediately performed. 



18. What God can effect by his command will not 

 forthwith be done by the mere word of man. 



19. Art has her right, she can indeed subdue all things, 

 and what appears impossible, she can, notwith- 

 standing, accomplish. 



20. Yet does she require many an hour and great in- 

 dustry, until she seems sure of her aim, according 

 to her wish. 



21. The noble palaces in which princes dwell can nev- 

 er be raised while we shun the requisite labor, but 

 will come short of being finished. 



22. Without an unwearied hand the artist will never 

 acquire glory. 



23. The floods which pour their water? into the deep 

 vallies are not by nature accustomed to flow up 

 hill; 



24. But obedient to the power of art, which forces 

 them towards the heavens, they spring, as it were, 

 to the clouds, from the lowest depths. 



23. Yet, nothing is done without toil. The strong cur- 

 rent of water must, as it were, be compelled by 

 computation, by number, weight and measure, 

 which docs not err in the least, and by much man- 

 ual labor to ascend aloft. 



26. How all these things arc to be pcrforracd, accord- 

 ing to art, is here notified to be seen in this Book ; 

 in it are produced to view the rudiments o;" those 

 arts, which Europe keeps concealed. 

 It appears that when Archimedes wrole this 



book he was in Egypt. The hymn was in 26 



stanzas, in long lines. 



TO THE r.niTOR OF THE NEW ENGLAND FARMIR. 



I have known the following experiment ried 

 for the purpose of killing bushes and improving 

 worn out land, and the result has much nore 

 than equalled the anticipations of the owier. 

 Should you deem this worthy of an inserion 

 in your paper, yoif are at liberty to make that 

 use of it ; otherwise you may dispose of ii as 

 you do of other useless communications. Ire- 

 vious to the season of 1818, the bushes, on a 

 lot, containing about three and an half acres, 

 had been mowed, annually, for three or lonr 

 year?, without perceptibly diminishing tleir 

 number. During the May of this season, about 

 a bushel of plaister to an acre was sowed on the 

 whole lot. Towards the last of June clover 

 began to make its appearance among the glass 

 and bushes, and wherever the bushes were t'>r- 

 merly the largest, the clover grew, and .siill 

 continues to grow rankest. Notwithstanding 

 cattle ran in the lot several days in June, ly 

 the middle of July it afforded a crop of the first 

 year's growth of bushes and clover, equal in 

 value to the profit of either of the ten precel- 

 ing years. Since then, the crops have contini- 

 ed to increase both in quality and quantity, and 



the bushes are now almost exterminated. Th 

 killing of the bushes with much less labor ar 

 expense than in any other way with which I a 

 acquainted, is not the only advantage derive 

 from this method of improving pastures ; tl 

 shrub apple trees which abound in almost r 

 old pastures can, by engrafting them and kee 

 ing cattle out of the lot, easily be made thrift 

 and soon, bearing trees, which has been dci 

 in the above case. As circumstances pcin 

 nearly a correct estimate of the improven.c 

 in the value of the mowed crop, 1 will jUi 

 that ten years since this lot was leased for thr. 

 dollars, and that the present owner has been ■ 

 fered twenty five dollars a year for the l 

 the two last years; thus affording an incr. ,i 

 of profit of more than eight to one. This h 

 been effected with less th.-ui one load of manu 

 and but two dressings of plaister. Should ai 

 one object to trying this experiment even on 

 small scale, on account of his land's being i. 

 bushy, I can assure him that some part of tl 

 lot would, a few years since, compare with I 

 worst. The stones, except the moat promiin ; 

 will gradually disappear by the rotting of ( 

 fa'len growth, and the land becomes much nn 

 smooth, than most people would suppose at 1 

 first thought. A similar experiment has be 

 cimmenced on a lot of twenty acres, and wi 

 a prospect as yet of as complete success as 

 tke former case. From experience I have be 

 iiduced to believe that mowing lands witb^ 

 iMting cattle on them at all, is the chiapest 

 veil as the most effectual way to kill bu?h 

 aid frequently far more profitable. No one c 

 (oubt for a moment but that feeding is to bu 

 ts what weeding is to corn, and that the clu- 

 J pasture is fed the less the obstruction is to i 

 growth of the bushes, as they are always I 

 untouched. ANONYMOls 



April 16, 1823. 



FOR THE KEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Mr. Fessf.nden — 1 have seen in your exc 

 lent paper, the use of Lime often highly recc 

 mended to the practical farmer as a manu 

 It is said to he very useful in order to preps 

 green or long manure for immediate u 

 Would it not confer a favor on your patrons, 

 some one, who is acquainted with the use i 

 operation of lime, would communicate thron 

 the medium of your paper, the manner and t(f 

 quantity which should be mixed with a load K- 

 green manure, and also how long after the m'j:- 

 ture before the straw and stubble will be 'V^ 

 composed and fit for use ? Ii 



A SUBSCRier.R IV 



Li~cermore, Maine, April 19, 1823. • 



FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. . 



I have noticed with satisfaction the remai ' 

 of my venerable worthy friend. Col. T. Pick' 

 ing, respecting the strength of Timber, in I 

 32 of the New England Farmer. The strenf" 

 and duration of timber are certainly an interc 

 ing subject to farmers ; and as the lands il, 

 cleared up, and timber becoming scarce, it v'f 

 become more so. S 



It is not a subject that will admit of matl' 

 matical demonstration ; observations and exp 

 iraents are all the evidence that we can ha 

 As I have formerly been accustomed to work) 

 in wood, and from an early period of life p ' 

 attention to the subject, and the observati' 



