Vol. VI.— No. 47. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



371 



mid atiuosphero, generated by extensive forests 

 :iik1 an undrained soil. T. W. 



Bristol, R. I.June 11, 1828. 



INDIGENOUS PRODUCTIONS. 



The treasures ofour couiilry, vegetable and min- 

 eral, arc but half discovered, or but half applied 

 to their proper uses. Anioug the vegetable pro- 

 ductions of our country, either Httle known, or 

 whose uses are but little understood, we may men- 

 tion a few on account of their curiosity, as much 

 as for their utility, which we find mentioned in 

 the Western Review, — a work, whose lively des- 

 criptions of the West and its peculiarities, we ad- 

 vert to with pleasure. 



The Wild Rice of the Northern Lakes, whose 

 very e.\istence is not known, except to the sava- 

 ges, the Canadians, and the Coureurs du hois, who 

 traverse these regions, is, however, ne.\t to mai;ie, 

 the most prolific, perhaps, of the cerealia. It is 

 found in the greatest abundance on the marshy 

 margins of the lakes, ami in the plashy swamps on 

 the upper courses of the Mississippi, where it cov- 

 ers a vast extent of country. It is there that the 

 Canadian hunters and traders find their annual 

 supplies of grain, and that the millions of migrat- 

 ing water-fowls fatten, before Ihey take the au- 

 tumnal migration to the south. It very accurately 

 resembles the Cane-Grass of the swamps, and Sa- 

 vannas on the Gulf of We.xico. It springs from 

 all depths of water, froui seven feet to one, where 

 the bottom is soft and muddy, and rises from five 

 to eight feet above water. At the time of gith- 

 ei ing it, canoes are rowed about it, a blanket is 

 spread on the canoes, and the grain is beaten down 

 into the blankets. It grows in perfection as far 

 Bouth as Natchitoches, south of 32 deg. ; ami might 

 possibly be cultivated inany of the drowned lands, 

 or ponds and marshes of the Atlantic conntry. — 

 Well prepared, it is as white as common Rice; 

 and puddings made cfit, taste like those of Sago. 



The Cane, which every one has seen in the 

 shape of angling rod.s, grows on tbe lo\\ er courses 

 of the Mississippi, Arkansas, Red River and their 

 waters, and rises in height from fifteen to thirty 

 feet ; — the leaves abundant, and of a beautiful 

 green ; and it grows so thick, that the stalks 

 seem contiguous — while above, theie is an imper- 

 vious roof of verdure. The smallest sparrow couid 

 hardly fly in these cane brakes ; and a man could 

 not make a progress of three miles a day. The 

 burning of a cane brake, when cut down and 

 dried, is a singular spectacle enough. The rapid 

 flame, with the myriads of detonations from the 

 ratified air in the hollow compartments of the 

 cane, nearly as loud as the report of a musket, 

 give the idea of an army in the fury and flame of 

 battle. At the end of five years it produces an 

 abundant crop of farinaceous seeds, of the taste 

 of wheat and used like it, for bread, by the In- 

 dians and first settlers. No spot afibrds so rich 

 and perennial a range for cattle, as the cane- 

 brake. The butter from it is of the finest quality 

 and flavor. The stem rises six feet before it loses 

 its succulency and tenoerness ; and no vegetable 

 or grass affords so rich and abundant a fodder, of 

 so rapid a growth. It might, says the writer, be 

 worth the experiment of sowing it annually, in re- 

 gions where it will not survive tho winter. 



He mentions other plants which we cannet now 

 notice ; particularly, the Dogwood, for its restora- 

 tive powers in cases of ague, which are unknown to 

 our administers of simples ; — the China Tree, for 



its narcotic properties, and whose bark is a pow- 

 erful vermifuge, — no contemptible property, in a 

 country as rank of animal as vegetable lil'o ; — the 

 I'nwpaw pulp, is an odd mixture, of the taste of 

 e; gs, cream, sugar and spice, and is, indeed, a 

 sort of natural custard ; — the Laurel Almond, 

 whose delicious flowers might be made into es- 

 sences, surpassing those of tho East ; — and the 

 si'.all, deep blue Persimmon, which when ripened 

 by the frost, is sweeter than the fig, and is almost 

 a pulp of concrete sugar. It is, says the writer, 

 when thoroughly ripe, a pleasanter fruit than 

 ('ates ; and had we to obtain it from beyond seas, 

 the kinds would be discriminated, and the best of 

 them cultivated. — Baltimore American. 



THAMES WATER. 



He who imputed the superiority of London por- 

 ter to the excellence of the Thames water, may 

 probably find a reason for his faith, in the follow- 

 ing statement, recently submitted to parliament, 

 while the motion of Mr llobhousc, respecting tho 

 supply of water in the metropolis, was under dis- 

 cussion. — .^a/cHi Observer. 



"Between Chelsea and the river Lea, no less 

 than one hundred and thirty-nine common sewers 

 en.niy into the Thames. To these, says one of 

 the Journals, " are to be added a vast number of 

 soup works, glass houses, drug mills, white lead, 

 and turpentine manufactories, besides other build- 

 infis, too numerous and too minute to be detailed. 

 This mass of impurity, kept in one continual mo- 

 tion by the tides and navigation, after having been 

 properly agitated and fermented, is sucked up by 

 our friend the Dolphin,* who forthwith relieves 

 his stomach, by depositing whatever he cannot 

 swallow, in our pipes and cisterns, for the purpose 

 of naaking soup, or tea, or coffee, or boiliug our 

 meat and vegetables. 



" A Mr. Wright, who has investigated the sub- 

 ject, affirms, that in August last, a shoal of fish 

 were actually poisoned, by coming into the water 

 discharging from one of the sewers." 



* The engine by which die water is raised. 



SMALL FARMS. 



It is not the 'abundance of land, but the thor- 

 ough and skillful cultivation of it, that fills the barn 

 with hay, the cribs with corn, and thew mansion 

 house with jilenty. For one to crave a larger farm 

 than he can cultivate to profit, is therefore an ex- 

 pensive folly : for whatever a neglected field is 

 worth, the interest of the capital, togetlier with 



yearly taxes, will at length eat the field up Con. 



Courant. 



Bed bugs. — Of tiie various receipts for the e.x- 

 tirpation and prevention of these vermin, the fol- 

 lowing have been found by experience, the most 

 effectual : Take of the highest rectified spirit of 

 wine, half a pint ; newly distilled oil, or spirit of 

 turpentine, half a pint ; mix them together, and 

 crumble into it an ounce of camphor, which will 

 dissolve in a few minutes ; shake the whole well 

 together, and with a piece of spunge, or brush 

 dipped into it, anoint the bed, or furniture, in which 

 those vermin ha'bor and breed ; and it will in- 

 fallibly kill and destroy both them and their nits. 

 Should any bugs appear after once using it, the 

 application must be repeated, and at the same 1 

 time some of the mixture poured into the joints I 

 and holes of the bedstead and head-board. Beds i 

 that have much woodwork, require to be first tak- 

 ed do;vn, before they can be thoroughly cleared I 



of this vermin; but others may be perfectly clear- 

 ed without that trouble. 



It is advisable to perform this work in the day- 

 time, lest the spirit contained in the mixture take 

 fire from the candle, and occasion serious damage. 

 Or, dissolve one hundred grains of corrosive sub- 

 limate in a pint of brandy, or whiskey ; use it 

 with the feather of a quill. — Domes. Ency. 



External impressions on children. — All violent 

 impressions on ihc senses and the bodies of chil- 

 dren, ought to be carefully avoided. It is injuri- 

 ous to toss them about with rapidity in the arms. 

 Lou'l crying, or shouting in their cars,di.'!:cliarging 

 fire arms, presenting glittc^ring objects to their 

 view, as well as sudden and too groat u degree of 

 light, are equally injurious. Thus infants are 

 frequently stupificd and frightened — the brain is 

 shaken in the most detrimental manner, and hence 

 arise the most distressing consequences. On such 

 occasions, we cannot bestow too much attention 

 on (he conduct of wet-nurses, or servants. A 

 child ought to enjoy the most perfect rest and 

 composure, if it be our wish to promote sound 

 sleep, regular growth, and consequent prosperity. 

 It is equally detrimental to both mind and body, 

 when infants are continually carried about on the 

 arm of the nurse, teased with loud soliloquies, 

 prayers, or other mechanical prattling; and espe- 

 cially when they ore incessantly provoked to dis- 

 play their anger or revenge. Such conduct is ne- 

 nessarily attended with a pernicious expansion of 

 infantile powers, blunts their senses, and is ulti- 

 mately productive of nervous and muscular debili. 

 ty. The tender nerves of children experience a 

 violent stimulus from impressions to which ad 

 adult may easily be^ habituated, or which do not 

 easily afi^ect Inm.r y-. 



Vital Principle of Seeds. — A small portion of 

 the Royal Park of Bushy was broken up some 

 time ago, for the purpose of ornanifUtal culture, 

 when immediately several flowers sprung up, of 

 the kinds which are ordinarily cultivated in gar- 

 dens ; this led to an investigation, and it was as- 

 certained that this identical plot had been used as 

 a garden, not later than the time of Oliver Crom- 

 well, more than one hundred and fifty years ago. 



A practical farmer — whose Uvelihood depends 

 upon his calling — should make it the pinnacle of 

 his worldly ambition to e.xcel in it. If he neglects 

 his farm tor abiiost any thing else, he is generally 

 a loser both in interest and credit. Solomon, the 

 wisest observer of men and tilings, tells us of his 

 disgust at the sight of a slovenly farmer. — " I went 

 by the field of the slothful — and lo, it was all 

 grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered 

 the face thereof, and the stone wall was all brokeii 

 down." Owner, where art thou ? Perhaps dozuig 

 away thy time m slumber and sloth ; or spending 

 it at the tavern : or perhaps dreaming of promo- 

 tion, or engaged in the business of some petty 

 office. Better mind thy own proper business : 

 else " shall thy poverty come as an armed man." 

 A farmer, on the other hand, who keeps his land 

 and his stock in excellent order, need not be asham- 

 ed even were Solomon hunself passing by. Every 

 passing traveller no sooner casts his eyes over such 

 a farm than he honors the proprietor in his heart. 

 The proprietor, moreover, is sure to receive for his 

 pains, something that is more solid than plain hon- 

 or. A comfortable, decent hveUhood, for which he 

 is indebted to Him only whose is tho earth and the 

 fidness thereof. — Con. Courant. 



