362 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



itiAT ar, IS3S. 



set in rows about six or eight feet apart, and the 

 same distance apart in the rows, and the space 

 between the rows may he used for potatoes, tur- 

 nips, cabbages, or other low vegetables, which 

 would not require hoeing after the first or 

 of August. — .Vorthampton Courier. 



lie 



WASHING SHEEP. 



It may seem somewhat early in the day, to think 

 or say anything upon this subject, when the hills 

 and the mountains on our frontier look so much 

 like January, and the clouds and the air look and 

 feel more like November than lovely smiling May. 

 But in all probability the time is not far distant 

 when sheep must be sheared, and ought previously 

 to be washed. By washed, we mean what tlie 

 word was originally designed to mean — a thorough 

 purification tioni all dirt and extraneous matter by 

 water, not mere sopping in a mud puddle, and 

 then a drying upon a sand bank. But to be seri- 

 ous. The State of Maine annually suffers a se- 

 vere loss by neglect in washing the wool upon the 

 sheep as it ought to be. Many seem to think that 

 the more dirt they can sell the more gain. No 

 such thing. Saying nothing of the iniquity of the 

 thino-, it is exceedingly injurious to the reputation 

 of the wool-grower. The buyer looks narrowly 

 at the quality and cleanliness of the fleece, and he 

 ntakes up his mind accordingly. If it be clean 

 he will give a fair price, if it be dirty he makes a 

 deduction, and always encugh to bring the seller 

 a loss on the actual value of the wool. 



We earnestly hope that our wool-growers will 

 see to this thing, and endeavor to have their fleeces 

 in the finest state possible tor the market. There 

 seems to be an indication now, that the manufac- 

 turer is willing to give a fair jirice for fleece wool, 

 and it is no more than just that the wool-growers 

 sliould meet him in as fair a maimer ; with a good 

 well washed article. By so doing the buyer will 

 be the gainer, the seller will be the gainer, the 

 State will be the gainer — all will be gainers. — 

 Maine Farmer. 



spool, is worth five dollars per pound. At this 

 estimate, the whole product of the plantation 

 would amount to the incredible sum of $75,000 

 per year. But admitting — and it is admitted on 

 all hands — that the trees for the next five years 

 will average one-eighth of a poun<l each, the pro- 

 duct of the plantation will amount to upwards of 

 $18,000 per year. 



It is to be hoped that extensive preparations 

 will be made during the present season, to extend 

 the growth, of what promises to become in a few 

 years, the great staple of New England. It is a 

 staple too, that will require as little protection 

 against foreign competition, as the cotton of the 

 South, and promises to relieve us more than any 

 thing else, from the necessity of calling for the re- 

 vival of the protecting policy, after the period of 

 limitation shall expire. — Providence Jouriial. 



Rhode Isxand Silk.— A few months since, 

 we gave some account of the operations of the 

 Valentine Silk Company, in this city. They were 

 at that time just getting their plantation of Mul- 

 berry trees under way, and had conunenced oper- 

 ating some machinery by way of experiment. 

 Since that time, they have manufactured a con- 

 siderable quantity of rich and beautiful goods, and 

 have been so fully satisfied with the result of their 

 experiment, that they have fitted up, in the vicinity 

 of the Steam Cotton Factory, in this city, a build- 

 ing, thirty feet by ninety, three stories high, with 

 a basement, to be devoted hereafter to the manu- 

 facture of Silk. An engine of six horse jjower, 

 is already up, and the machinciy will be in opera- 

 tion, in the course of a week. Thus as Rhode 

 Island led the way in the manufuture of Cotton, 

 so does she lead in the mamifacture of Silk — and 

 we do not doubt that the latter enterprize will prove 

 to be even more beneficial to New England, than 

 the former has ever been. 



The (ilantatiou of this Company, now contains 

 about 30,000 trees, from four to five years old, and 

 from six to eight feet high. One of the oldest 

 and most eminent silk culturists, in the United 

 States, on examining this plantation a few days 

 since, expressed the opinion that, I'm the next five 

 years, its products would average half a pound of 

 silk to the tree. The silk when wound upon the 



EXPERIHEIVTS ON BONE MANURE. 



Perth Jlmboy, Aug. 9, 1834. 

 Mr John Hornby : Sir — Yours of the 5th inst. 

 is at hand, and in reply to your questions re- 

 specting the use of bone dust as a manure, I would 

 state : 



1st. That I have used bone dust both on alight 

 and on a heavy loam, without any perceptibk dif- 

 ference in its effects. 



2d. That I planted my corn in drills 54 feet 

 apart, strewing the bone dust in the drills at the 

 rate of sixteen bushels per acre, the corn very 

 good. I also planted in drills two rows ma- 

 nured highly with hog-pen and yard manm-e, and 

 two rows with fish, neither of which are equal to 

 corn manured with bones. 



3d. I tnanured about an acre of grass with 25 

 bushels of bones spread broadcast, and found it 

 in effect superior to any other manure I had before 

 \ised for that purpose ; the grass grew most lux- 

 uriantly, and was fit for the scythe two to three 

 weeks sooner than any other around it. 



4th. I also used it broadcast on o.its at the rate 

 of 24 bushels per acre. Its effects, by those who 

 witnessed it, were said to be superior to farm-yard 

 manure. 



5th. From want of time to prepare it, I liave 

 not tried it in com.post, but should suppose its ef- 

 fects in that way would be more immediate, from 

 its having imdergone a previous fermentation in 

 the compost heap. 



For trees I have found bone dust a most excel- 

 lent manure. 



Yours, respectfully, John R. Watso.\. 



Remarks. — For the above I am indebted to Mr 

 Hornby. Experiments, in this country, on grass 

 and oats, have not, I believe, been before detailed 

 in the Farmer. They are importaiU and quite 

 satisfactory. The number of bushels on grass is 

 n-reater than I should suppose is necessary. — JVeie 

 York Farmer. 



and which, by some, arc considered the greatest 

 invention since the steamboat, are said to be the 

 result of hasty cogitation in the workshop. We 

 look at most of the important inventions of the 

 age, and find them so simple in their first princi- 

 ples, that we almost involuntarily ask, why were 

 not these things known before ? Why have we 

 been groping on for years in ignorance of princi- 

 ples so simple, and yet so vastly important in their 

 practical application ? 



The successful culture of silk, in this country, 

 and particularly in Vermont, may be regarded in 

 the light of a recent discovery ; and we are con- 

 fident the tinie cannot be remote, when our farm- 

 ers in Vermont will be wondering at themselves, 

 that they should so long have deprived themselves 

 of the rich rewards of an appropriate branch of 

 profitable husbandry. We invite the attention of 

 our farming readers in particular to the letter of 

 Ambrose Spencer on the preceding page. The 

 idea of manufacturing silk in poor houses strikes 

 us as very important in relation to N. York. In 

 this State, the manufacture must be carried on if 

 at all, by all grades, for in respect to property, it 

 may be said of us, that we are blest with a "glorious 

 mediocrity." 



The silk business must go ahead. Let every 

 farmer who can try the experiment of raising 

 the mulberry — wherever that flourishes, it seems 

 to be conceded by all that the worm will thrive 

 also. Try it. — Vermont State Journal. 



Serpentink, — so called from its resemblance 

 to the spots on the skins of some serjjents, is class- 

 ed by geologists among primary rocks ; it occurs 

 chiefly in gneiss and mica slate, frequently in very 

 thick beds. The colors are most generally various 

 shades of light and dark green which are inter- 

 mixt in spots and clouds ; some varieties are red . 

 When found intermixt with crystalline white mar- 

 ble, it constitutes a stone denominated verd antique 

 which is highly valued for ftrnamental sculpture. 

 Serpentine is easily wrought and is susceptible of 

 a high polish ; in Europe it is extensively used for 

 trinkets, vases, boxes, &c. and occasionally for 

 columns of a large size ; articles wrought from it 

 when jjolished are said to present a very beautiful 

 appearance. This rock abounds in various parts 

 of this State ; a large bed occurs on the north 

 side of Deerfield river, in Zoar, near the turnpike 

 from Greenfield to Willianiston; we have seen a 

 splendid specimen from this locality'. Although it 

 exists in abundanee in different sections of the 

 i-niiAy, we are not aware that much use has ever 

 been m.^de of it for ornamental or architectural 

 pinpnjus ; but this, as well as other usefiil rocks 

 and minerals with which this country is stored, 

 will be'Siiire used, as wealth and refinement in- 

 creases. — Greenjield Gazette. i 



Silk Cui^ture. — Some of the most important 

 discoveries in science have been the result of ac- 

 cident. Newton's mind was directed to inquire 

 successfiiUy into the principle of gravitation by 

 the falling of a blighted apple upon his head, 

 while reposing in the shade of a tree. Faust it 

 is said, was led to the discovery of the art of print- 

 ing by simply noticing the impression made upon 

 a i)iece of parchment by some hard plate in his 

 pocket. And the famous weighing scales, invent- 

 ed by Mr Thaddeus Fairbanks, of St. Johnsbury, 



Rhubarb. — This is one of the nfany plants 

 which a farmer may have in his garden, and 

 which may be made to contribute to the delicacies 

 of his table, and to the health and comfort of his 

 fiunily, with very little expense or labor. The 

 plant is perennial, and resembles much in its hab- 

 its the burdock, though the leaves and their stalks 

 may be somewhat larger, in a good soil. A dozen 

 plants will serve to supply a family. The leaf 

 stalks are the parts used. The skin or cuticle is 

 peeled oft' — they are then cut into quarter or half 

 inch pieces, and used without further preparation, 



