NEW ENGL.AND FARMEK. 



Published by John B. Russell, al Ab. 5^ .Yorth Market Street, (over the Jlg>iniUural H'arehuuse) Thomas G. PESSENDt >, Editor. 



VOL. VI. 



BOSTON, FRIDAY, JA.MJAKV 2.5, 1828. 



No. 27. 



AtJKlCULTURE. 



KIR TlIK NKW ENCLANU FARMER. 



I a^cneral pliin of iinprovements, which a ftirnior 

 ought nt all times to piirs'ie. Havin;!- thus admii- 

 ( ted, thit thp farmer slionkl bp free troin execs- 

 'sive labor, and the nt'ressily of sufficient case in 

 I hi,-- ciriMimstnnces tn carry "ii his imiiroveinpnls, 

 I we are led to speciil.itp upon the means iriost like 

 ly to place him in that happy situation. As thost^ 

 I means, i.'ener:illy speaking', oiiuht not to he bor- 

 ip'l, but should he found witliin himself, I take 



ECONOMY Ij\ buildings, &c. 



Mr Pesse.ndEiN — The ground is locked up, the 

 farmer's e.\ertiona must relent, and ik)W for him 

 is the time to indulge in thinking, and speculating 

 upon what is passed and what is likely to come. 



If we look back tor twenty-five years, we findj"'' ^ '•"'"■""'""■■■■•■"' ■"' •■ ■^"'" •■■^■•^t-'i, ■ ■ant: 

 J / ,' . the lihertv to sav, that economy will furnish them, 



that more ha.s been done within that short twe, , ,. ■ .." . <• .■• .. . 



, ... i- 'A f^irmer, by the naturp of thinys, ouffht to be a 



*- 'av the luundalion ot ureal prosperity tor agri- .• . •". u- ■ u. . u ■ 



J - 1- f / a luianot strict economy, his aim onght to be, ha 



bitunlly to prevent waste, in anything, and in all 

 piiid seventy dollars fur his 



culture than ever was attempted in any country 

 witiiin the same period. Orchards have been 

 planted all over the land, and shortly this will be 

 a country full- of fruit ; not only apples, but pears, 

 and the various lelicale summer fruits, inclu linu- 

 grapes. Gentlemen of science and ol fortme 

 have given their [)owprful assistance to collect, 

 and generously to distribute the rare fruits of dis 

 tant climates ; respectable and extensive nurser- 

 ies have been reared among us, which enable us 

 to find a correct supply at home, and to concsn 

 trale there our resources. The cultivation of 

 fruit trees is one of the graces of atrricultilre. 

 their presence casts a lustre upon the habitation 

 «f the owner, and we find that in the vari>us 

 countries of the old world it is atlemled to in (fo 

 portion to the perfection to which agriculture (as 

 attained ; where it flourishes, fruit trees area 

 bundant, and well attended, where it is neglert 

 cd, they are scarce and desolate. It is withiri 

 the above period that the various societies for the 

 encouragement of agriculure have been founded; 

 like thrifty branches from a powerful stock, they 

 extend now all over the commonwealth, witli 

 great deeds of usefulness already achipve', aun 

 promise of incalculable results. As the traveller 

 drives on his way. the land e.\hibits testimonial.s 

 that a great revolution has taken place in the 

 mode and manner of farming, and that although 

 the hands of the present farmer are not stron^jer 

 than those of his grandsire, yrt the connection 

 between the hpaii and the hands has got to be 

 better understood, and gives promise of fair re- 

 sults. This, Mr Editor, is the cheering situation 

 in which we are placedrand it is our duty to make 

 the most of it, and to try to find out the means to 

 accelerate tiiat prosperity of which the present 

 times see.'u to he the dawn. I take it for granted 

 that a farmer ought not to be altogether a man of 

 hard labor, but thai his situation should be so far 

 comfortable, that the exertions of the body should 

 notpreclu.ip that well balanced state of the frame, 

 which niiinits of habitual freedom, and clearnesi 

 of mind, so that his vi-rious operations may be cal 

 cultled in the best i • .uer to procure the intend- 

 ed results We mu-t also •duut that improve 

 ment.« are not tn be nr«f e on the land t* any ex 

 tent, without si.ificiei.t and adequ»i« pecuniarv 

 means ; tools must be purchased, the alluring nnci 

 treacherous [jroniises of immediate advantages to 

 bo obtained, by o»er croppiiijr the land, must be 

 resistod, •nd the safer and seunder course of 

 maintaining the soil in itn •rii.'iual strength, must 

 be firmly adhereil to ; and is • jener 1 rule many 

 present adfantsge.'! laust be ovorlooktd end sacri- 

 ^ced, when found lively to retard or defeat the 



thinijs. Afler he ha 



o\ wagon, and forty five for the cart, they should 

 not bp left evposed to tlie ardent sun, nor to the 

 vain, but carefully housed under sheds when not 

 in u.«p. Ploughs and tools should be secured in 

 the same way ; but the waste which I have more 

 particularly in view, is what results from the na- 

 ture and manner of our buildiujrs, all wood ! If 

 we embrace at one view, as one great concern, 

 the whole commonwealth, (the cities e.'cceptpd,) 

 the mind is struck with awe at the consideration 

 of the great perishableness of its habitations. — 

 Houses, barns and sheds all built of wood ! taking 

 it for granted, that upon an average those build- 

 ings should 1 'st three generations, it follows as a 

 matter of course (hat once in every third genera 

 linn, all the houses, barns and sheds in the com- 

 monwealth (the cities e.\cepted) innsl be built over 

 nsfiin ; truly this is a great undertaking ; this 

 must dig very deep in the pocketo of the parties 

 concerned. .An I if there are yet a few gaps in 



thick ; if granite should bf .u.iy. it inijjht bo 

 spht, and pieces .selected for the sills and tops of 

 the doors and windows. A firmer would take 

 winter leisure time to collect the uiaten .Is, and if 

 rightly conducted, there is no doubt but such a 

 house mi.'ht be built for the same cost, or very 

 littlf more, than in th prpent way. In point of 

 comfort, it would be far preerable, because stone 

 houses are warmer in winter, and cooler in sum- 

 mer ; OH to the durahilitv it may be said, without 

 incurring the ch.irge of exaggcr 'lion. that a si-onn 

 house covered with tiles, :nd siibstanti^illy put op, 

 will last three hundred yi irs, and .vill require lit- 

 tle or no ri'pairs, for the first fifty years. In our 

 climate, it happens at times, that very cold weath- 

 er is succeeded by a than, and then severe cold 

 comes again. These 'hanges fioin e.vlreme to 

 extreme, act powprfullv upon the mortar, and will 

 at times locseii it ; it «nulil be preferable, on that 

 account, to hu-l! fat tug ivnllf^, and avoid rough 

 casting. If tlip materials for building -hould be 

 carefully selected, tlipre would be no difficidty to 

 have stiffii-ient stonps wi'h a smooth side to lay 

 out, and a good mason will raise his walls, so as 

 to leave hut lill'p on the outside to fill up with 

 mortar. In any ■ ase a stronger mortar than com- 

 mon, may he m dp to point the outside of the 

 building. ThpT'^ are, no doubt, various kinds of 

 mortar, oi cement, wliich would answer the pur- 

 pose ; one I dl name because I havp used it, 

 and found it e i lli'nt : the English masons call it 

 blue mortar, froin its color, and is made ny mix- 

 ing a small r|uantiiy of iron filings, or also the 

 thin scales which fly from red hot iron, when un- 



alls, a few rocks in our fields, if ocr lots are | der the hammer upon the arvil, with good strong 

 getting bare of limber, no man of common justice I mortar. It is used for |)ointii.g, where the work 



will wonder at it 



If a proof was needed of the intrepid industry 

 of our yeomanry, none cou d be adduced more 

 convincing, than their being able to thrive, no - 

 withstanding tlie dreadful incumbrance of main 

 taining such habitations. Relieve them of such 

 intolerahle burdens, and what a change it would 

 make in their circumstances, and in the state of 

 the countr . This m nner of building was well 

 adapted to the days of old, it answered the double 

 purpose of clearing the land of some of iti timber, 

 and to run up houses quick ; now the case is much 

 altered, timber is getting alarmingly scarce, but 

 good building stone abounds, and the resources of 

 the present generation are fully equal, to avail 

 themselves of such a privilege. 



It is ha'-d to change old ways, and to adopt 

 new ; but if ever there was an imperious call of 

 interest for an alteration, it is in this case. Little 

 accustomed as we are to stone buildings, it may 

 he thought by many that to erect such an one. 

 would be a great undertaking, yel it may be done 

 without either great expense, nor much difficulty 

 Hammered or chisseled stone is adapted to public 

 buildings, or the houses of the wealthy, and is ex- 

 pensive ; but comfortable, decent houses may be 

 built with common stone, such as we would use 

 for good field walls. Such stones laid in stron^; 

 mortar, will make an excellent building, either by 

 facing the wall with the stones, if fit for the pur- 

 pose, or by rough casting the wall after it is built. 

 The feundatioii not to be less than three feet 



is much exuosed. It should b> laid early in the 

 season, bpi .u^e it will take thre? months to har- 

 den, which ■■•hnuld be before frost t«kes place. It 

 will drv '<) a great degree of hardi.eas, and te- 

 nar ity. I iiave never known it to fail, and have 

 been informed that on the forts, in Bo-iton harbor, 

 they have used it. with success, where befoTe, they 

 could get no mortar to stand long. 



The great superiority and comfort of stone 

 buildings is sufficiently established, their happy 

 owners may live freed of that continual inter- 

 course ..ith the paint pot. the lumber yard, and 

 the lilt nails of all sizes and dimensioMS. It would 

 save the farmer the tronble to look after his me- 

 chanicks, the trouble to settle their accounts, the 

 trouble to pay them interest money, and many 

 more troubles which need not be enumerated, be- 

 cause they may be guessed at. The saving him 

 these troubles, would of course save him consid- 

 erable time, and time i^ money. His hard earn- 

 ings would have a better ch^cnce to remain among 

 his children, his iiead ( ec fiom difficulties, would 

 'levise better the progressive improvements of his 

 estate, his thoughts would be easy, and altogethev 

 confined to his home. The fertility of Ohio, the 

 nominal low price of farms in the thick forest, 

 itnd the like dreams, never would obscure his bet- 

 ter understanding. The more his estate would be 

 free and unincumbered, the more ambition he 

 would feel to better it, and increase its value for 

 the benefit of hi? family. I am led to consider 

 the perishableness of our buildings, as the great 



