C6 



^EW ENGLAND KARMEK, 



SEPTEMBER 10, 1S34. 



From the N. Y. Courier Sf Eiu/nirer. 

 GEOLOGY. 

 We feel imicli gratified at llie [irosperoiis ap- 

 -peanince of the Balliniore Union Lvceiirii. It is 

 one part of tlie plan of tills association to procure 

 specimens in Geoli)f;y unci Botany of all lliat can 

 be found within a circle of five miles ronnd Calli- 

 more, and in all cases to obtain duplicates or trip- 

 licates of each artirle, that they may have speci- 

 mens to exchange with other lycenms at a dis- 

 tance, for such articles as do not exist in this place. 

 It is evident that this plan if persevered in, will in 

 B short time present ns with a cabinet of minerals 

 and a hortns siccus that may contain a specimen 

 of every mineral and valuable plant in the United 

 States. This would form a most valuable auxilia- 

 ry in education and in the arts, as well as in agri- 

 culture. No class of persons would he more ben- 

 fitted by such information than the farmers. We 

 will give an instance in point. 



About twenty-five or thirty years ago, an Eng- 

 lish gentleman, who was on a visit to Philadelphia, 

 took a ride into the country on the Jersey side of 

 the Delaware. About 14 miles south of the city, 

 he discovered large banks of a black earth — on 

 riding up to the tavern he intpiired of some per- 

 sons if they knew what was in those banks? No 

 one knew there was any thing of value contained 

 in them. He told them that those hanks were of 

 more value than the mines of Peru ; that it was 

 marl ; and informed them how to use it. It was 

 used and found to be an invahnible manure. If 

 we were to say that ibis piece of geological infoi- 

 niation had been worth a million of dollars to that 

 •state, we should be fir below what has been real- 

 ized. Whole districts have been reclaimed from 

 the most perfect sterility, to become the most lux- 

 uriant meadows, by the use of this marl. So 

 niucl) for a knowledge of Geology. 



houses. If a farmer should attempt to expostu- 

 late with you, give him a little of the science. 



In the choice of dogs be very particular. — 

 The bull dog and common cur are the best, the 

 one for defemling you against intruders, and the 

 other for keeping away the shot. 



Pay no regard to orchards anil gardens, fruit and 

 vegetables are worth nothing now, and a sparrow 

 is not to he sneezed at. — S/iy. 



STRAWBERRY WOMEN. 



The women employed in gathering and con- 

 veying strawberries to London cannot lie estimated 

 at less, during the lime they are in season, than 

 two thousand persons. Part of these are the in- 

 habitants of the adjacent towns, but a great num- 

 ber of them are young women who migrate annu- 

 ally from Worcestershire, Shropshire and Wales, 

 and after the strawberries, raspberries, currants 

 and gooseberries are passed, return to the country 

 in time to assist at their harvest, having usually 

 during their migration saved enough to buy a 

 good stock of clothes, and to lay by some money 

 towards their support during the following winter. 

 They are in general very industrious, neat, and 

 well conducted in their behavior. 



HINTS TO SPORTSMEN. 



This being the season for sho<iting birds, cows, 

 and other animals, not excluding sometimes full 

 grown chililren, a few general hints for the de- 

 partment of the field may be serviceable — so here 

 they are : 



Ifyou are going more than a mile from home, 

 and there are three of yon, take a gig — it cuts a 

 dash, and saves shoe leather. 



Carry plenty of salt with you, for such game as 

 Muscovy Ducks can be caught by sprinkling it upon 

 their tails. 



lie sure and let the muzzle of your guns project 

 a quarter of a yard eai-li out of the gig, to shovv 

 all the people on the road that you are sportsmen, 

 anil know a thing or two. 



On no accomil shoot game until you have got 

 beyond the outskirts of the city, tor the game may 

 be diseased. 



Take aim vrilh both eyes shut — for the birds 

 thinking that you cannot see them, will not lake 

 the trouble to fly away. 



Take care that you do not shoot a cow or hog, 

 insleail of the sparrow you aim at. 



If a tom-tit sImiuM stand in your way, do not 

 shoot it, liir powder and shot cost money ; but 

 knock its brains out with the butl-end of your gun. 



The guns of least repute among our common 

 sportstiieli are the best, lltiise thai sculler their shots 

 the widest, as there is more chance of hitting the 

 object ; for il one won't, anolliei; will. 



Good ducking may be had near any of the f..iiii 



Frofn the Genesee Farmer. 

 CtJIiTIRE OP CUCUMBERS. 



It was not until a few days past that I received 

 the I81I1 No. of the Genesee Farmer, in which 

 there is a very interesting communication on the 

 culture of melons. I design now only to say a 

 few words respecting the advantages of using 

 stgiw in trenches according to the recommenda- 

 tion of Judge Buel — a suggestion with which I 

 was equally pleased with D. T. — and these simply 

 in reference to the raising of cucumbers. J\iy ob- 

 ject however is to draw the conclusion that simi- 

 lar results may be attained by a like preparation 

 for any other vines belonging to the same natural 

 family. 



Cucuiidiers are very diflicult to grow in our 

 gardens to any extent, in this part of the country. 

 As soon as I he vines arrive at a bearing state, and 

 produce a scanty supply, they begin to sink under 

 the cfliirt and speedily liecome exhausted. It is 

 only in low moist places that we can raise them 

 plentifully. 



Early in the spring I had a small jiiece of 

 ground prepared in my garden, by digging a trench 

 about twelve inches wide and as many deep ; and 

 not more than thirty feet in length — in the buttom 

 of which fresh straw wan laid and maile compact 

 to the depths of two or three inches. The earth 

 was then replaced, raising it high enough to form 

 a gentle ridge. Thirteen vines survived the inju- 

 ries of the frost and insects, and the product of 

 these was indeed extraordinary. I can safely say 

 that we gathered several 6i;,9/tti6- of cucumbers from 

 them. They began to bear early, continued to 

 grow luxuriantly for a length of time ; and have 

 at last only given way beneath the intense fervor 

 of the dog days. 



My obji'ct as I have stated, in detailing the suc- 

 cesfful rrsiill of this trial, is to show that the same 

 prepar.itinii hIII doubtless be well adapted to the 

 );riiwili of melons. The quality of the melons 

 will piolialily be also rendered more delicious than 

 liy the free use of manure — a practice which how- 

 ever it may increase the number, must always ma- 

 ti'rially impair the excellence of a fruit of such 

 delicate and exquisite flavor. 



In making these remarks, it is far lioin my in- 

 tention to detract from the merits of the other 

 modes recommended by D. T. They are at least 

 highly valuable, inasmuch as they will insure an 

 abundant supply of melons at an earlier period of 

 the season. The mode I have detailed may be a 

 u.seful auxiliary in contributing to a succession. 



Beaverdam, la. Brno. 20lh. T. S. P. 



ITEMS DP ECONOMY, &c. 



Steel Busks. It is extremely prolialile that what- 

 ever conducts the electricity of the body from it, 

 will occasion direct debility. With this view, I 

 have long lieen in the habit of causing females, 

 who use steel supports in their stays, to lay them 

 altogether aside. The experiments on Caspar Hau- 

 ser coiifinii this supposition. — Med. Quarterly. 



Balm blossoms, steeped in water, color a pretty 

 rose color. This answers very well for the linings 

 of children's bonnets, for ribbons, &c. It fades 

 in the course of one reason, but it is very little 

 trouble to re-color with it. It merely requires to 

 be steeped and strained. Perhaps a small piece of 

 alum might serve to set the color, in some degree, 

 in earthen or tin. 



While ma|)le bark makes a good light brown 

 slate color. This should be boiled in water, set 

 with alum. The color is reckoned better when 

 boiled in brass instead of iron. — F. H. 



The purple paper, which comes on loaf sugar, 

 boiled in cider, or vinegar, with a small bit of 

 alum, makes a fine purple slate color. Done in 

 iron. 



H'onl. Mr. Grant, of Walpole, N. H. sold a lot 

 of full blood Saxony a few days since at .'jjl ; the 

 highest price vve have heard of in this region. 

 From the Saxony fleeces, however, all but the fin- 

 est wool is picked out before selling : and the 

 amount of fine wool obtained from each sheep is 

 not generally, we are told, more than a pound 

 and a half. — Franklin Mercuri/. 



Oil Sonp. Take of white soap cut fine, two 

 ounces ; alcohol one pint ; oil of rosemary 1-4 of 

 an ounce ; mix and set the bottle in the sun till 

 the sonp is dissolved. Useful forreinovinggrea.se, 

 paint, &c. from cloth or silk, also in strains, swel- 

 lings, rheumatism, &c. 



Cure for a Burn. Scrape the inside of a pota- 

 to ; mix oil and tur|ientine so as to make a poul- 

 tice of the mixture, atiil apply it to the burn im- 

 mediately, and it will extract the heat. 



Eldcrherry Syrup. Take of the juice of Elder- 

 berry one quart; boil it to one pint ; strain and 

 add two pounds of double refined sugar; agaiti 

 place it over the fire ; so soon it sliall have boiled 

 remove it from the fire, and when cold bollle it for 

 use taking care to have it well covered. With a 1 

 less quantity of sugar there will be danger of its 

 becoming mouldy. As a gentle purgative, this 

 syrup is an excellent medicine, of very pleasant 

 taste, and is peculiarly serviceable to children who 

 are not easily induced to take common medicine. 

 The dose for an adult is a wine-glass full. 



Remedies against Rats and Mice. Take a spoon- 

 ful of flour mixed with some scrapings of old 

 cheese, and seeds of hemlock, (cicuta) made as fine 

 as possible. Set it where the mice haunt. If it 

 lie set in a house let it not be in the same apart- 

 ment with any thing which is food for man. 

 This mixture, according to Deane's New England 

 Farmer, will ilestroy all the mice which have ac- 

 cess to it ; and the same poison will destroy rats. 



