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NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



NOVEMBER 30, IS !6. 



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BOSTON. WEDNESDAV EVENING, NOV. 30, 183G. 



FARMERS' WORK. 



LiQiiD Maxbre. — In our last, page 15S, we gave 

 sonic notices ofa substance, of wJiich most farmers make 

 110 account, and take neither care nor ])ains to save or 

 apply, though it has been ascertained tiiat this substance 

 is of nio.-e value tliun the barn yard and stable manure to 

 which alone our cultivators in general, have lecourse to 

 supply the means of fertility to their fields and gardens. 

 We will now look abroad to the practice of fanners o' 

 other countries. 



In Flanders, the garden of Europe, " the immure uni- 

 versally used for the flax-crop demands particular no- 

 Uoe : it is termed liquid manure and consists of the 

 urine of cattle in which rape cake has been dissolved. 

 This manure is gradually collected in subierraneous 

 vaults of brick work, at the verge of the farm next to 

 the main road. These receptacles are generally forty 

 feet long by fourteen wide, and seven or eight feet deep, 

 and, in some cases, are contrived with the crown of the 

 arcJi so much below the surface of the ground, as to ad- 

 mit the plough to work over it. An aperture is left in 

 the side, through which the manure is received from the 

 caVtby means of a shoot or trough, and at one end an 

 opening is left to bring it up again by means of a tem- 

 porary pump, which delivers it either into carts or ton- 

 neaus.'' 



Again, according to the same wiiter, urine cisterns 

 are formed in the field to receive purchased liquid ma- 

 nure : but for that made in the farm yard, generally in 

 the yard or under the stable. In the latter case the urine 

 is conducted from each stall to a common grating through 

 which it descends into the vault, from thence it is taken 

 up by a pump : in the best regluated farmeries there is 

 a partition in the cistern, with a valve to admit the con- 

 tents of the first sjiace into the second to be preserved 

 there free from the more recent acquisition, a^e adding 

 considcraUe to iis efficacy. This species of manure is 

 relied on beyond all other, upon all the light soils 

 throughout Flanders, and even upon the strong lands 

 (originally so rich as to preclude the necessity of ma- 

 nure) is now coming into great esteem, being considered 

 as applicable to most crops and all varieties of soil. ' 



With regard to "age adding considerably to the effi- 

 cacy of urine as manure " there exists a difTcrcnce of 

 opinion. Sir Humphrey Davy asserts that" during the 

 putrefaction of urine the greatest part of the soluble an- 

 imal matter that it contains is destroyed; itshouldcon- 

 Bequenlly be used as soon as possible; but if not mixed 

 with solid matter, it should be diluted with water, as 

 when pure it contains too large a quantity of animal 

 matter to form a proper fluid nourishment for plants. 

 I'utrid urine, however abounds in ammoniacal sail; and 

 though less active than fresh urine, is a very powerful 

 uianure." — Elements of Jlgricnllural Chemistry 



There are two modes of using the .stale of cattle as ina- 

 nuie ; the one as mentioned by Charles Alexander, p. 

 158 ; the other to apply it in a liquid lorm, according to 

 the practice in Flanders. We shall not pretend to decide 

 which method is most c-vpedient or ec.momical, but will 

 heie give the practice of oiieof ou r own Farmers whose 

 example is none the worse Jijr not being far fetched. 



Mr Daniel Puln.ira, of Danvers, Maes, received a pre- 

 mium from a Committee of the Essex Agiicultural Soci- 

 ety for his mode of managing his faini; and in bis ac- 

 count of his manner of cultivating his premium firm the 

 following passage occur.s ; 



" During the months of June and July my cows lie at 

 night in the barn yard, upon the droppings from the cat- 

 tle during the winter, and the refuse of their fodder, 

 meadow mud, top-soil and whatever material is found on 

 the farm suitable for the purpose. The yard descends 

 from the barn, and at the lower side of it is a basin, into 

 which about the first of August, all the manure in th" 

 yard is collected — there it remains till November, when 

 it is spread from the cart on the grass land for a top dress- 

 ing. From the first of August to the first of June (ten 

 months iu the year) my cattle are kept in the barn dur- 

 ing the night. Under them is a cellar, dug in 1820, 

 h.iving a plank floor, laid in day, which prevents the 

 urine from shaking into the ground. The manure from 

 them is put in the cellar, and nearly all the urine is re- 

 tained among it. In August 1 usually put my store pigs 

 in upon this manure, and lhro\\' in from week to week 

 mud, soil, &c. This I continue to do, till about the first 

 of November. — About the last of tjiis month I remove 

 the pigs, and take the manure fiom the cellar, spreading 

 sometimes a part of it upon low grasslands, but the most 

 of if I use for planting. This is put in a compact heap 

 as can conveniently be formed in the fields near the 

 ground 1 intend to plant the ensuing year. This manure 

 is very strong. Afler the cellar is cleared, Icoverlhe 

 bottom of it with the top-soil six or eight inches deep — 

 close the cellar — and put inioit the droppings of the 

 cattle while in the barn during the winter. This is ta- 

 ken out in the spring and the most of it put upon those 

 heaps in the fields, which were placed there in the fall 

 The manure from the hog yard is put upon tiiis, and then 

 the heaps are thrown over, and the three differeHt kinds 

 mixed ; in this state I put the manure into the hills un- 

 der my corn. Some years a part of the manure taken 

 from the barn cellar in the spring is spread upon the 

 ground wriich I sow. When I plant land newly broken 

 up I put all the manure in the hill — when old ground, 

 I spread a part of it, and plough it in — thinking that 

 thus I get as good a croji of corn, and better crops from 

 the land the following years. 



" By the means I have provided during the last ten 

 years for making manure I think that what I. now obtain 

 is better (quantity and quality both considered) than it 

 formerly was by more than 30 per cent. 



The greatest improvement has been that of keeping 

 the cows in the barn during the months of August, Sep- 

 tember and October, and letting the pigs into the cellar 

 upon their droppings. The manure 1 now make during 

 those months is, 1 think, better by 100 per cent than 

 what I formerly made during the same months." 



An Excellent I.nstitution. — We have been pre- 

 sented with a hand bill, containing notices ofa" Society 

 for the Prevention of Pauperism," lately founded in 

 Boston, the plan and principles of which entitle it to the 

 approbation and support of every friend of humanity, as 

 will be apparent from the following extract from the cir- 

 cular alluded to 



" The .\ssociation has oiened a Reeerence Office 

 in the room hitherto known as the " Office of the Visit- 

 ers of the Poor," in the rear of the Savings Institution, 

 Tremont Street. An Agent, devoted to the service, 

 has been procured, who attends at the office from 9 A. 

 M. toll'. M." 



In specifying the objects of the Society, it is ob- 

 served that " We believe that preventative measures are 

 better than remc</iuZ We think that we have to a great 

 extent an unoccupied field of usefulness. We hope to 

 do something for the benefit of thos.; who are already 

 paupers, or occasionally have their names enrolled on the 



pauper list, by directing them to proper employment, en 

 couraging them in habits of industry, sobriety and econ- 

 omy, and to a reliance on their own efforts rather than 

 elemosynary aid." 



" The Government of the Society consists of Samuel 

 A. Eliot, Esq. President, Rev Dr. Tcckerman, 

 Messrs James Meaks, Nathan Gcrkev .ind Moses 

 Grant, Vice Presidents ; Ezra Weston, Jr , Secreta- 

 ry ; William Hales, Treasurer ; Messrs James Botd 

 and John U. Fisher, Rev. Messis Geo. W, Blaoden. 

 C. F. Barnard, F. T. Gray and G. F. Haskins, Direc- 

 tors ; Artemas SiMosns, .^geiit. 



Subscriptions of Members a dollar a year, and up- 

 wards. 



«4 Valuable Article. — In an advertising column in this 

 day's paper we have given a notice, headed " Linseed 

 Oil Meal," to which wc beg leave to direct the attention 

 of our readers. We have been assured as well by good 

 practical farmers, as by writers on agriculture, that as 

 an article of cattle-food, properly mixed with other 

 ingredients, the whole range of rural economy furnihses 

 nothing superior to Linseed Oil Meal. 



American Silk Goods. — We have satisfactorily prov- 

 ed by the evidences of our senses that the efforts to in- 

 troduce tfie culture of silk in New England have not 

 been made in vain We wore shown yesterday a dozen 

 elegant handkerchiefs, the work of the Atlantic Silk 

 Company, of Nantucket, and were printed by Mr James 

 W. Halliday ofLynn. They bear a strong resemblance 

 to the Pongee handkerchiefs, but are if anything of supe- 

 rior fabric, and certainly of equal firmness. AVe under- 

 stand that they can be afforded at a cheaper rate than 

 foreign goods of the same kind. With the determina- 

 tion to * go ahead ' evinced by this article, we need not 

 fear for Yankee resolution, or de.sire protective duties 

 for those who determine to make the excellence of this 

 work protect itself. 



The handkerchiefs are printed by Mr Halliday in a su- 

 perior manner in fast colors. One is to be sent to the 

 Hon. Daniel W'ebster, another to the President, and 

 when we take out the one which has been presented to 

 us, we may perhaps have the supreme felicity of blow- 

 ing our nose at the same time with those dignitaries, on 

 handkerchiefs of home manufacture.. — Herald. 



Country produce of all kinds continues extravagantly 

 high. It i3 only our very richest citizens, now, who af- 

 fect to indulge themselves with potatoes and salt. 



Reported Riot. — It is said that they have had a se- 

 rious riot in Cleveland, arising from a dispute about a 

 bridge, in which ten people were killed and a great num- 

 ber wounded, some mortally. 



Bin GHTON MARKET.— Monday. No^ 28, 1836. 

 Uejiortetl for the Uaily Advertiser &. ratriol. 

 5g\ market 770 Beef Cattle 220 Stores, 3000 SC('ep, 

 and 2011 Swine. 



Trices — Beef Cattle — We quote to conform to last 

 week's prices, viz : a few extra, at $6 25 a 6 75 ; first 

 quality 5 50 a $G25; 2d quality $4 75 a 5 25 ; 3d qual- 

 ity at 3 25 a 4 50. 



Barrelling Cattle — Very few if any were taken by the 

 bairellers; former prices could have been realized. 



Stores — Yearlings at §5 a (j; two year old $9 a 15; 

 threeyear old$I5a22. 



■'^'lecp, — Sales were a little quicker than last week, 

 and nearly all sold. Lots were taken at $2, $2 21, 

 2 25,2 38, 202,2 75 and §3 



tkoinc — Sales quick. Two lots to peddle at 7,1-2 

 and 8 1-2; at retail 8 for Sows, and 9 forBarrows. 



