174 



NEW ENGLAND KARMEU, 



DECEAIBER, 10, ls34. 



NEW EiNGLANJJ FARMEK. 



BOSTON, WEUNESUAY EVENING, DEC. 10, 1834. 



the heart backwards, and 1 have had no trouble froiu 

 snapping smce. Now the knowledge of this is but a Iri- 



FARMER'S WORK FOR DECEMBER- 



Wood for Winter, ^c. — It was remarked by the Hon. 

 J. Lowell, in an article republished in The Complete 

 Farmer, page 314, that " The practice of the populous 

 nations of Europe, whose forests have been cut off cen- 

 Uiries ago, and who are compelled to resort to measures 

 of the strictest economy, to supply themselves with fuel, 

 ought to have great weight with us. France, in an es- 

 pecial manner, ought to be looked up to, for wise lessons 

 on this subject. Her vast and thickly settled population, 

 her numerous manufactures, her poverty in mineral coal, 

 the eminence she has obtained in the, mechanical arts, 

 entitle her to great respect. It is the practice of the 

 French people not to cut off their woods oftener than once 

 in twenty or twenty-five years ; and, by law, when they 

 are cut over, tlic owner is obliged to cut tUc whole smooth, 

 with the exception of a very few low trees, which the 

 officers of government had marked to be spared for a 

 larger growth. Without giving any opinion as to the 

 propriety of the direct interference of the government 

 on such a topic, \vc should say, that the example proves, 

 that, in the opinion of the French scientific and practical 

 men, it is expedient, when woodlands are cut, that they 

 should be cut smooth, in order that the new growth may 

 start together, not overshaded by other trees of a larger 

 growth. We have no opinion of the utility of cutting 

 down trees in a scattered manner, as they appear to fail, 

 and still less of planting acorns in thinner spots of 

 the forest. The growth thus produced will be forever 

 feeble." 



It has boon strongly recommended by European vfri- 

 ters to disbark trees, intended for limber, before they are 

 cut down. Bulfon took tlie bark from three oak trees, 

 about forty feet in height, where they stood. In the 

 course of three years they died — and on cutting them 

 down, the outer wood was found hard and dry, and the 

 internal wood moist and softer. After trying its strength, 

 &c. he concludes that " timber which has been disbarked 

 and dried while standing, will weigh heavier, and prove 

 stronger, than timber cut in its bark." 



Wood snapping on. Ike fire. — A writer for the N. E. 

 Farmer, (vol. x. p. ^i(S\,) observes, in substance, that the 

 disagreeable and often dangerous consequences of the 

 snapping or throwing coals from such wood as chesnut, 

 hemlock, &c. may be, " so far as regards split-wood, in 

 a great measure overcome, by placing the wood properly 

 on the fire; that is to say, by laying the inner side, or 

 that part which was nearest to the heart, towards the 

 fire, for the coals fly in that direction," This article was 

 re-published in the (ienesee Farmer, and induced a wri- 

 ter for that paper, to make the experiments and observa- 

 tions following : 



" I believe we have no wood in this counlry that is 

 more worthless, for fuel, than the Butternut. A few cuts 

 of this kind, however, about ten inches in diameter, had 

 been split iu two, letl some weeks to dry, and then car- 

 ried into my chamber. On placing one stick on the fire, 

 it began to snap most lemarkably ; sometimes there were 

 not less tlrin fifteen or twenty sparks on the carpet at 

 once ; and the inconvenience was serious. What was 

 1o be done ? I happened to recollect a paragraph in your 

 second vidume, taken from some eastern paper, [the N. 

 E. Farmer] stating, that wood snaps on the fire from the 

 side aeuresi the heart. It was so in this case. I jnst 

 turned the log ovir, and at once the difficulty was at 

 an end ; fur though it continued to snap for some time 

 against the back plate, yet no more sp rks came into the 

 room. 



" Wiien I put on the next log, 1 was particular to turn 



fle indeed, but it may be worth knowing, for I have of- 

 ten seen the guests round a parlor fire starting up to put 

 out the sparks, when, I presume, nothing more was 

 wanting, than to turn over a stick." 



The following, from an English publication, will, we 

 are confident, prove useful to horticulturists. 



On a new Method of writing onZinc for labelling 

 Plants.— Mi. Henry Braconnot, the celebrated French 

 chemist of Nanlz, to whom we are indebted for the cu. 

 rious transformation of rags and other similar vegetable 

 substances into starch, gum and sugar, by the agency of 

 the Oil of Vitriol, and whose name is well known to 

 the chemical world for various researches, connected with 

 the analysis of vegetable substances, has given in the 

 last number of the Annals de Chemie et de Physique, a 

 preparation for writing on plates of Zinc, to label plants. 

 The writer having a dislike to painting in oil, wliiok ie 

 often inconvenient, and never endures a long time, re- 

 solved to turn his attention to some oth»r way which 

 would prove both ready and durable. The system of 

 writing on zinc with a black crayon, which was acciden- 

 tally discovered by M. Symon, an Amateur at Brussels, 

 and noticed in the Remic horticolc for October, 18S2, and 

 the Bon Jardinicr for 1833, possessing many imperfec- 

 tions, Mr. Braconnot was induced to try some experi- 

 ments, being anxious to obtain a liquid, or a species of 

 ink, which would be perfectly durable when exposed to 

 the changeableness of t.';e weather, and also one with 

 which lie could write with ease. This end, after several 

 proofs, he believes he has obtained, in a good measure. 

 If it answer, he will have done both the botanists and 

 amateurs a real service. The preparation is as follows : 

 Take Verdigris in powder, one part, 



Sal Ammoniac in powder, one part. 



Lamp-black, half a part, "■ 



Water, ten parts. 

 Mix them in a glass or pot mortar, at first only adding 

 as much water as will mix it well, then add the remain- 

 der of the water. When placed in a vessel, let it be well 

 shaken up from time to time, and in a few days it will 

 be fit for use. This is not only excellent for labelling 

 plants, but also for marking objects it is wished to pre- 

 serve, in low, wet situations, becoming quickly dry, and 

 being vtiy durable. 



Ji'orlh Carolina Gold. — From the Raleigh Kigister of 

 Tuesday last, we copy the following dazzling intelli- 

 gence. 



" We learn by a private letter, that at Reed's Mine in 

 Cabarrus county, where the famous lump of 23 pounds 

 of gold was found many years ago, being the first discov- 

 ery of gold in this state, several very large pieces have 

 just been discovered. One of the pieces weighed 13 lbs. 

 In one day 20 lbs. were found, and on the next, 10 lbs., 

 and the search was continuing." — Tenn. Republican. 



The eclipse came on and passed off"atNew Bedford, in 

 a pure and unclouded atmosphere. At half past two, 

 Venus was distinctly visible by. the naked eye, about 30s. 

 E. and Ids. )M. of the Sun, and continued visible about 

 40 minutes. 



Sumctliing JYew. — It is said that an experiment is about 

 being made at Falmouth, England, to ascertain the value 

 o{ bronze, as sheathing for vessels. It is thought that it 

 possesses advantages over copper. A vessel is to be 

 sheathed one side with copper, and the other with bronze, 

 for the purpose of testing the comparative value of these 

 metals for this purpose. 



The approacii ot cold weather admonishes us to re- 

 member the j)oor. There are very many of our fellow 

 beings, who dare not look forward to the coming winter 

 and tliink of their destitution. We hold it to be an un- 

 deniable prop. sit;on, that neither moral fechngs nor re- 

 ligious sentiment, of any governing influence, can be 

 infused into minis or made operative upon souls lodged 

 in half starved or naked bodies. Pious men, who seek 

 out the wretched tenants of the unblessed hovel, to con- 

 sole and comfort them with words of prayer and exhorta- 

 tions, would reap a richer harvest of reward if they would 

 send the baker belore them.— Transcript. 



The coiuiJci'ation of the new Cathedral at St. Louis, 

 Missouri, took place on the Sabbath, Oct. 26. 1 he Cath. 

 olic Telegraph says ; " During the Divine Sacnlice, two 

 of tlie military stood with drawn swods, one at each side 

 of the altar. ...When the solemn moment of the consecra. 

 tion approached, and the Son of the living God was go- 

 ing to descend lor the first time, into the new residence 

 of his glory on earth, the drums beat the reveille, tiiree oi 

 the star-spangled banners were lowered over t.ie balus. 

 trade of the sanctuary, the artillery gave a deafening 

 discharge," &-e. ___^___„ ._^^ 



l^SSrkoRTICULTURAT^SOClETY. 



ITEMS OF INTE1.L.IGEIVCE. 



It appears from the Montreal papers, that Joseph Lan. 

 caster, the founder of the Lancaslerian system of educa- 

 tion, hjas got into a troublesome lawsuit. The nature of 

 it is not stated, but it is said the trial will excite a good 

 deal of interest, and a report of it will be published. 



We learn from the Old Colony Memorial, that tlie 

 214th anniversary of the Landing of the Fathers, will be 

 celebrated in Plymouth, the 22d day of December next. 

 Rev. C VV. Blague.n, of Boston, has accepte invi- 



tation of (he Trustees of the Pilgiim Society, i liver 

 an address on that occasion. 



Convent Rioters.— The trial of the persons charged 

 with having been concerned in burning the Convent last 

 summer, came on for trial before the Su.jremo Court, at 

 East Cambridge, on Tuesday, 2d inst.. The trials will 

 probably last several wflfeks, — as each individual has a 

 right to a separate trial. 



In the first lliiee quarters of 1833, about lOU million 

 pounds of Coffee were imported into the United States. 

 In the corresponding quarters of this year the iinporta- 

 lions have been but 00,344,701 lbs. The exportalions 

 this year have exceeded those of tin same period of last 

 year, by 7,olb,456 lbs. 



A stated meeting of the Mass. Hort. Society was helc 

 at their room, on Saturday, December Gth, the President 

 Zebedee Cook, jr. Esq. presiding. 



On motion of Mr. Downer, it was voted. That the fil 

 linir of the vacancies in the Society be poslpuneu till thi 

 next stated meeting. 



On motion of M. P. Wilder, Esq. it was voted. That. 

 Committee be appointed to consider the expeUi^ncy c 

 disposing of the interests of this Society in l..e liarde: 

 and Cemetery of Mount Auburn to the proprietors o 

 ihe Lots in tlic Cemetery, and to report the cj.iditiom 

 on which a conveyance shall be made, if the Cu nmitte 

 shall deem the measure advisable. 



Voted, That said Committee shall consist of seven pel 

 sons, four of wliom shall not be proprietors of L. aa in th 

 Cemetery, and that Hon. Joseph Story, M. P. vVildei 

 C. P. Curtis, Tho.oas Hastings, E. Vose, J. A. Lowel 

 and E. Westoij. jr. Esqs. be that Committee. 



On motion .if Mr. Bond, it was voted, Thatwiien thi 

 meeting adjourn, it adjourn to Saturday, Dec. 2jlh ins 

 at 11 o'clock, A. M. to hear the Report of the Commi 

 tee, and that the Secretary be authorized to give uotii 

 of said meeting in th'e daily morning papers. 



Adjourned. ' CHARLES M. HOVEY, 



Sec. pro te, 



