NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



307 



111 directions of men of more age and experi- 

 icf, I make n few remarUs in hopes it may in- 

 jce others to communicate more full and Cor- 

 el information. 



>ince my memory, there was living in the 

 iighborhood of the place of my nativity. 

 Sucks County, Pa.) a very worthy and respec- 

 .ble character whose name was Ai.ena.nder 

 ROWN. He was more curious, particular, and 

 sact in every thing he did, or had done, than 

 ly other man. He gave rise to a saying 

 More nice than wise, like Alexander Brown." 

 In his early days, before saw mills were e- 

 jcted, his business was to go about >vitli a com- 

 iny of hands, and do the sawing for the biiild- 

 gs, with whip saws. A large landed potrimo- 

 f falling to him, he cleared up several t'arms 

 his sons, and erected several substantial 

 lildings. His life was more devoted to exper- 

 Qcnts than lucrative speculations. He used to 

 y that the nerves and strength of old trees, 

 ke those of old men, began to fail gradually, 

 any years before they (lied ; and that for all 

 s buildings or fences he only took such tim- 

 ;r as he termed in the vigor and prime ot 

 le ; and all his timber for fences, or other 

 es, he would have fell in February, when 

 irdest tVozen, saying then there was the least 

 p in the pores to corrode and rot the wood, 

 e never would suffer a post set in the ground 

 ccept top end down ; but said posts split out 

 ' the same cut, set with the top end in the 

 ound, would last three or four times as long 

 buts down. In splitting the posts, if any 

 .n too small at the top to set in the ground, he 

 ould not use them as posts. In making fences, 

 ery rail must be put heart side up, and this 

 ve rise to another saying, viz: "As durable 

 Alexander Brown's fences." He died at a 

 ry advanced age, during the revolutionary 

 ar, highly esteemed as a truly honest and use- 

 I man, having been for many years considered 

 the oracle or pattern for all the best farmers 

 the circle of his particular acquaintance. 

 The next man I shall mention of graat ob- 

 rvation and experience in the strength and 

 iration of timber, is Tho.v.^s Ellicott, noted 

 the most ingenious Millwright of his time. 

 'ith him I was intimately acquainted ; he lol- 

 wed building and repairing mills and waggons 

 ja large scale, successively, for forty years. 

 have felled timber for his purposes. As to 

 le proper season, he was a disciple of Al- 

 iander Brown. White oak timber, for wag- 

 ons or mills, was all felled in February, when 

 rdest frozen. His rule to select the strong- 

 it and solidest wood was to cut into the trees 

 ]d take those of the largest growths. If by 

 itting in, the growths near the bark were 

 nailer than the others, he considered the 

 ood declining, and rejected such trees. He 

 ever used more than about twelve feet of the 

 Dt for waggon wheels ; then generally came 

 saw log for mill works. His better mode of 

 asoning his timber for the most strong dura- 

 le work, was, at first, soak it three months in 

 pond of water, to take out the sap, and pre- 

 ent what they call " powder posting," or being 

 aten with small worms. Such was the prac- 

 ce of Thomas Ellicott, founded on accurate 

 bservation and extensive experience. He 

 e?er would cut timber for his business, only 

 'hen hardest frozen in the winter, except 

 nail tough white ash, for Cradle fingers. He 



found, by experience, that kind of wood tem- 

 pered best for that purpose, if cut down when 

 full of sap, and the baik loose. 



As perha|)S every farmer may not know bow 

 to make cradle fingers in the best and readiest 

 manner, to the exact crt ok of the scythe, I 

 will give the simple process. Lay the scythe 

 on a plank or slab, and mark round the back of 

 it with chalk ; bore a row of holes on each side 

 the chalk, nt a proper distance apart, to take 

 in the lingers, when rough shaved out ; put pins 

 in the holes, aud it is the mould to set the lin- 

 gers. Take the but of a small white ash, say 

 lour or six inches diameter, the straighter grain 

 and larger growth the better; split it into suit- 

 able pieces, carefully marking exactly on the 

 ends which side was next the heart ; then shave 

 lliem down square, nearly to the size, so as by 

 the square they will all bcml exactly from the 

 heart, for all such young wood naturally in- 

 clines to spring from the heart. Make a tire 

 of hot embers and ashes by the water — run 

 them in the tire, and dip them in the water 

 and tire alternately until they are heated 

 through. The3' will then be very limber to 

 put in the mould. As soon as they are dried 

 through, they are fit for use, and if properly 

 treated will never incline to spring back — will 

 be easier and smoother dressed than crooked 

 stuff, and being straight grained are stronger 

 and may be dressed smaller. 



1 now wish to hear a statement of the nature 

 and properties of Timber in the Eastern States, 

 for I believe there is a diCTerence in the nature 

 of timber in different ages and climates. 



SAMUEL PRESTON. 



Stockport, Pa. April 10, 1823. 



From the American Fanner. 

 CULTURE OF SWEET POTATOES. 



Hopkinsrille, Ken. Jan. 30, 1823. 



J. S. Skinner, Esq. 



Sir — In the American Farmer, of the 3d inst. 

 I tind an inquiry, as to the kind of manure best 

 adapted to the raising of sweet potatoes, and the 

 best kind of culture, to insure a great crop. I 

 readily agree with the inquirer, that this is a 

 most valuable vegetable, and has been too long 

 very much neglected. Yet I make no preten- 

 sions to answer his inquiries on this subject ; 

 but only to state a few facts, giving a brief de- 

 tail of my own mode of cultivating this root. 



I will premise that any increase of crop was 

 not ascertained by actual admeasurement, but 

 only by the eye, when viewed in bulk, and a 

 larger root for several years in succession, after 

 my mode had been fairly tried. 



The first step in the process, is to enclose the 

 lot intended for your sweet potatoe crop to it- 

 self Your ground is, of course, to be next 

 ploughed ; and here I will remark, that for no 

 crop is deep tilth more necessary. When your 

 ground is thus prepared, throw it into ridges, 

 three and a half feet apart, with a large bar 

 share plough, causing the upper points of the 

 two meeting furrows, to come within two or 

 three inches of each orher. On top of these 

 ridges lay your plantings one foot apart, each 

 planting forming a triangle with the two pre- 

 ceding, then cover them with a hoe, pulling 

 up the earth from between the ridges. It is 

 desirable to cover them with rich mcild ; if the 

 planting is embedded in a clay cover. ng, it does 

 not vegetate so quick ; consequently the root 



is more apt lo |)crish. This riilge, when it is 

 covered, should be as high as a large potaloe 

 hill. This mode of putting in your crop, to- 

 gether with the subsequent culture, will be 

 found, upon trial, to take far less labor than the 

 usual method of making and planting in hills. — 

 The chief of the tillage, until you come to hil- 

 ling, may be done with a light one horse 

 plough. But the greatest saving of labor is in 

 gathering your crop ; which is performed af- 

 ter throwing the vines in a line between the 

 ridges, then willi a plough, throwing one third 

 on each side of each ridge on the vines. Near- 

 ly all the potatoes will be left in the remainder 

 of the ridge, which are to be thrown in baskets, 

 and conveyed immediately to your potatoe cel- 

 lar, which ought to be uncovered every day un- 

 til they are done s\veating. 



The chief advantage, however, which I pro- 

 mise myself is the su)>sequent use 1 make of my 

 potatoe lot. Those who prefer the old mode 

 of management, may still pursue it, and derive 

 the same advantage in giving their ground an 

 aptitude for the growth of this root. Nothing 

 is necessary to insure an annual increase of 

 crop, the seasons being equal, than as soon as 

 vou get your potatoes oil the ground to turn in 

 your hogs intended lor slaughter, and there to 

 fatten them until they are ready for slaughter. 

 I have known a good crop made where this 

 plan had been pursued in a very dry season, when 

 not a single neighbor, without it, made any. 



If you deem the foregoing worthy of being 

 presented to your correspondents, you are at 

 liberty to do so. Your's, &c. A. Z. 



NQT-p.^_you will perceive that I have not at- 

 tempted any reasoning on the foregoing ; no 

 doubt, the chief benefit is by the deep rooting 

 of the hogs, aiid consequent action of frost upon 

 the earth — moreover, some manure is deposited. 



TO REMOVE VERMIN FROM CATTLE. 



I have found that a small decoction of tobac- 

 co, washed over a beast infested with vermin, 

 will generally drive them away ; it sometimes 

 makes the beast very sick for a short time. 



But a better remedy is to mix plenty of strongf 

 Scotch snuftin train oil, and rub the back and 

 neck of the creature with it, which will eHec- 

 tually kill or drive away all vermin from a 

 quadruped. MIDDLESEX. 



To the EdiloTs of the A". Y. Statesman. 



Danvers, (Ms.) March 30, 1823. 



1 observed in your paper of Oct. last a para- 

 graph from a Cincinnati correspondent respect- 

 ing the cultivation of woad. I have the last 

 year cultivated this plant on about five acres, 

 and had three good crops, considering the sea- 

 son, the autumn being dry We use it with in- 

 digo upon our best wool. I see no good reason 

 why the indigo shrub will not thrive here, and 

 perhaps it may be used green or dried by our 

 dyers in cases of necessity. 



Our superfine merino wool is as good as any 

 from Spain, and 1 have seen better and softer 

 cloth made from American wool than some im- 

 ported, at gl,25. 



How to extract poison from a rusty nail. — Take 

 a bean, and after splitting it apply one half (flat 

 side) to the wound, bind it on, let it remain till 

 it comes off itself, and the poison will be ex- 

 tracted aud the wound healed. 



