AND G A R D E N E il ' S JOURNAL. 



PUBLISHCI) KV JOSEPH BRECK & CO., NO. 52 NORTH MARKET STREET, (Agricultural \Varehou3K.)— T. G. ^FESSENDEN, EDITOR. 



vol.. XV. 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENII<?G, SEPTEMBER 14, 1836. 



NO. 10. 



4^m^^%'^^'^W^£iuE.» 



GLEANINGS IN HUSBBANDRT, AND ITEMS OP 

 ECONO.IIY. 



BT THE EDITOR OF THE N. E. FARMER. 



On preservino Vegetables. — The preserva- 

 tion of vegetables for future u.«o is effecte<l by de- 

 stroying or rendering dormant, the principle of 

 life, and by warding off, an far as practicable, the 

 progress of chemical decomposition. When veg- 

 etables or fruits are gathered for use or preserva- 

 tion, the a:r of the atmosphere which surrounds 

 them is continually depriving tlietn of carbon, and 

 forming the carbonic acid gas. The water they 

 contain, by its softening qualities, weakens the af- 

 finity of their elements ; and heat produces the 

 same effect by dilatuig their parts, and promoting 

 the decomposing efiect both of air and water. 

 Hence drying in the sun or in ovens, isone of the 

 most obvious modes of preserving vegetables for 

 use as food, or for other purposes, but not for 

 growth if the drying process is carried so far as 

 to destroy the princi|)lo of life in seeds, roots or 

 sections of the slioots of ligneous (woody) jilants. 

 Potatoes, turnips, and other e^^culent roots may be 

 preserved from autumn to the following summer, 

 by burying them in j)erfectly dry soil which shall 

 be nt the same time at u teiiipurutiire but a ii!W 

 degrees above the freezing point. Corn [grain] 

 may be preserved many years by first drying it 

 thoroughly in the suu, and burying it in dry cool 

 pits, and closing these so as cfFeclually to exclude 

 the atmospheric air. In a short time tlic air 

 within is changed to carbonic acid gas, in whicii 

 no animal will live, and in which, without the ad- 

 dition of o.\ygen or atmospheric air. no plant or 

 seed will vegetate. The corn is thus preserved 

 from decoin|)Osition, from insects, vermin, and 

 from vegetation, in a far more cft'ectual manner 

 than it can be in a granary. In this way the Ro- 

 mans preserved their corn In chambers hewn out of 

 dry rock, the Moors in the sides of hills, the Chi- 

 nese at the present time in deep i)its in dry soil, 

 and the aboriginal natives of Africa, in earthen 

 vessels hermetically sealed. The origin of these 

 practices are all obvious imitations of what acci- 

 dentally takes place in nature, from withered grassy 

 tussocks to the hedgehog's winter store; and hence 

 Uie origin of herb, seed and root rooms aiul cel- 

 lars, and packing plants and .seetiis for sendingto a 

 distance. — Enc. of Jigr. 



Jerusalem Articholie. — This [ilnnt is in a peculiar 

 manner fitted to grow under the shade. It can, 

 therefore be cultivated in woods ; and it is some- 

 times sown in England to afford shelter for game ; 

 the plants being left to reproduce themselves an- 

 nually from tubers. 



Taking into account the hardy qualities of this 

 plant, its productiveness and easy culture, it may 

 be doubted whether it meritslhe universal neglect 

 into which it has fallen. Granting its inferiority 

 as an article of food to the plants now cultivated 

 Cor our domestic stock, it must be of some impor- 



tance to have a plant that can be so easily raised 

 and on soils so low in the scale of fertility. 



To keep off or drive axoay Bed Bugs. — Make a 

 strong decotion of red pe[>per, when ripe, and ap- 

 ply it with a common paint brush to the joints of 

 the bedstead, waioscoating, &c. where these in- 

 sects resort and it will kill or expel them. 



Warm water for coxos. — It has been said that 

 cows will give the more milk in cold weather in 

 consequence of having water which they drink 

 made a little warm. 



A method of making good butter from the milk of 

 cows fed on turnips. — Let the vessels which re- 

 ceive the milk be kept constantly clean and well 

 scalded with boiling water. When the milk is 

 brought to the dairy, with every eight ipiarts mix 

 one quart of boiling water, and then jiut it up to 

 stand for cream. — Hunter's Geological Essat/s. 



Method of preserving young trees from being in- 

 jured by Hares or Rabbits. — By William Pater- 

 son, Esq. of Iberden, Kent, Eng. 



Hares, rabbits and rats have a natural antipathy 

 to tar ; but tar, though fluid, contracts (when ex- 

 posed to the sun and air for sometime) a great dry- 

 ness, and a very binding quality ; and if applied 

 to trees in its natHral state will occasion them to 

 be boimd. To remove the difficulties, tur is of so 

 strong a savor, that a small quuulity mixed with 

 other things in their nature loo.se and open, will 

 give the whole mixture such a degree of its own 

 taste and smell, as will prevent hares, &c. from 

 touching what it is applied to. 



Take any quantity of tar, and six or seven times 

 as much grease, stirring and mixing iheni togeth- 

 er; with this com])osition brush the stems of 

 young trees, as high as the hares, &c. reach, and 

 it will effectually prevent their being barked. I 

 believe if a plantation of ash, (which they are 

 very fond of) were uiade in a rabbit warren, this 

 mixture would certaiiMy jireserve it. These ani- 

 mals do great mischief amongst flowering shrubs, 

 and are jiarticnlarly fond of Spanish broom. Scor- 

 pion Sentia, and evergreen Cyslissus. 1 have had 

 those shridis eaten down to a stump, but as the 

 mixture caimot well be applied to them, I have 

 enclosed their branches with a new tar twine, 

 putting it several times round the shrui), which 

 has had the desired effi ct. Tar twine by being 

 exposed to the air and rain, will lose its smell, 

 consequently must be renewed as occasion re- 

 quires; but the mixture is always to be preferred 

 where it can be useful. — Socidy for the Encour- 

 agement of the Arts. 



JVote by the Editor of the A". E. Farmer. — It is 

 probable that the above meiition'3.1 composition 

 would preserve young trees in nurseries from tlie 

 depredations of mice, moles, &c., whicli are often 

 fatal to young fruit trees, &c. in ma)iy parts ofthe 

 United States. 



They are making sugar from Indian corn in 

 France. We should ratlier have the corn about 

 this time. 



(From The Maasacliiiseiis Spy.) 

 CATTLE SHOW. 

 The undersigned having been directed by the 

 Worcester County Agricultural Society to make 

 the necessary arrangements for a Cattle Show and 

 Exhibition of IManiifactures, on Wednesday, the 

 5ili day of October next, have been attending to~ 

 the duty assigned tlutm, and have the pleasure of 

 informing the public that'llic address will be de- 

 livered by James G. Carter, Esij. of Lancaster. 

 That the exjiectalions ofthe Society may be real- 

 ized, the Committee solicit from the Farmers ami 

 Manufactures of the County, their co-operation in 

 endeavoring to render the Show more inter- 

 esting tlian any of the preceding years. The 

 Cattle of thisCountv have been considered of high 

 character, but in this respect we have powerful 

 comiietitors in other sections of the (common- 

 wealth ; let, therefore, ever}' farmer who has a 

 choice animal, exhibit !jim in the pens, that the 

 great number of strangers, who will undoubtedly 

 be present, may be satisfied that the character for 

 superiority of Stock, has been fully deserved. The 

 County is admitted to be a ,M.innfhcturing as well 

 as an Agricultural commiiT i'.y ; it has been a sub- 

 ject of regret, that in forn, years, so few speci- 

 mens of the excellence ofthe work performed in 

 the shojifl and matuifactories have found a place 

 in thi Society's Exhibition Hall. The Commit- 

 tee would respectfully appeal i.j the patriotism of 

 the Manufacturers, to aid in sustaining their own 

 reputation ; thev believe it to be the duty, as they 

 trust it will he the wish, of every fanner and man- 

 ufacturer, to do something to advance the charac- 

 ter of the County. From the circumstance that 

 there will be no public exhibition the present year 

 by the Massachusetts Agricultural Society, and 

 from the great facilities of inter-communication 

 furnished by the Rail Road, i" is believed that mi 

 unusual number of Agriculturists and Mauiifnc- 

 turers from different sections ofoiir State, will at-, 

 tend our Exhibition ; they will come with high 

 expectations, and it is in our power, with the aid 

 of our friends, to jnevent all disappointtnent. 



'J'he Society have heretofore been indebted for 

 much ofthe interest of the exhibition to the at- 

 tenlio 1 extemled towards thein by the Ladies; they 

 woidd solicit from their fair friends the favor, that 

 they would permit the Hall to be adorned the 

 present year with the evidence of their beautiful 

 liuudy work. The Committee will cause every 

 care to be taken, that the articles offered for exhi- 

 bition shall be preserved from injury. The sun. 

 of $50 has been reserved, to be distributed in gra- 

 tuities, to jjersons who shall exhibit articles of 

 skill and utility, deserving encouragement, and for 

 which no particular ptemium is ofl'ered. 



Those who are disposed to com|)ete in the 

 IHoughitig Match arc; reminded,^ that notice of their 

 intention must be tilod with Edwi.n Conant, Esq. 

 the Recording Secretary ofthe Society, at his Of- 

 fice in Salisbury's- Buildings, at the corner of Main 

 street and Lincoln Square in Worcester, before 

 the 26th day of September inst., the suitoble 



