182 



N E W E N G L A ND FARMER 



DECEMBER 31, Ifi36. 



jgfisw sssfoiLAsrai' s'^Si.masiisia 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, DEC. 21, 1S3G. 



HAY PRESS WANTED, 



A coirespondeut wishes to erect a Hay Press of the 

 best kind, and desires infurmation of the most approved 

 now in use, with the costs of making and erecting com- 

 plete. 



PLOUnit WANTED. 



It is likewise desired to know what kind of Plough, 

 now in use, is best calculated to turn a larg" furrow com- 

 pletely over, and to the depth of at least 4 inches, and 

 where they may he seen and proved. 



By THE EDiyoR. — We submitted the foregoing que- 

 ries to Mr J. R. Newell, Proprietor of the Boston Agri- 

 cultural warehouse, and were favored with the following 

 $jl^\y : — We have a model of a good Hay Press, left 

 with us, but no description or price given — expect to 

 liear from the owner daily. Howard's Ploughs are de- 

 cidedly the most approved. 



FARMERS' WORK. 



LiquiD MiNLiRE.— In Flanders, and some other parts 

 of Europe, the farmers not only make reservoirs for li- 

 quid manure, but take the pains to leach their solid ma- 

 nure, apply the liquid part alone 'o their growing crops, 

 and use the strawy p.irt, or whatever is not readily dis- 

 solved in water, as manure for potatoes. We shall here 

 make some remarks on the importance of liquid manure 

 in horticulture. 



Mr John Robertson, F. H. S. Nurseryman, Kilkenny, 

 in a communication for Loudon's Magazine, has the fol- 

 lowing remarks : Amongst the many advantages which 

 hcrticulture has derived from Mr Knight's enlightened 

 application of science to its practice, we may reckon as 

 not the least important, his earnest and repeated recom- 

 n'endation of liquid manures. In general, liquid ma- 

 nures have not that importaRce attached to them by 

 gardeners, which they merit. They may at all times 

 be resorted to with advantage ; but in a number of in- 

 stances, and particularly where immediate ef5i-ct is re- 

 quired, no other manure can be so well applied To 

 enumerate their uses and preparation, however, would 

 demand more consideration than I am able to bestow ; 

 mv present object being safely to point out a material 

 for that purpose, which 1 have long availed myself of 

 with success, though it seems to be overlooked by most 

 gardeners — It is soot. 



Sir H. Davy characterizes soot as " a powerful ma- 

 nure, posssesing ammoniacal salt, empyreuraatic oil, 

 and charcoal, which is capable of being rendered soluble 

 by the action of oxygen, or pure vital air," all which 

 component parts rank high as nutritious and stimulating 

 manures. On meadows I have used soot to great advan- 

 tage in substance, and though sown by hand, one dres 

 sin:; gave me always heavy crops of hay for two succes- 

 sive seasons; but this is a wasteful mode of applying it, 

 a great proportion of its ammonia, one of its most active 

 ingredients, being v:>latalized and dissipated in the at^ 

 mospliere. When dissolved in w^ater tliere is no waste, 

 it is all available, and for hortirullural purposes I have 

 mostly used it in that state, mixing it up in the propor- 

 tion of about six quarts of soot to a hogshead of water. 

 Asparagus, peas, and a variety of other vegetables, I 

 have manured with it, and with as mucii effect as if j 

 had used solid dung; but to plants in pots, particularly 

 pines, I have found it admirably well adapted ; when 

 watered with it, they assume a deep healthy green, and 

 grow strong and luxuriant. I generally use it and clean 

 water alternately, and always overhead in summer, but, 

 except for the purpese of cleansing, it might be used 



constantly with advantaje, and though I cannot speak 

 from my own experience, never having had scale or bug 

 on my vines, yet I think it probable, as the ammonia it 

 contains is known to be destructive to these insects in a 

 state of gas or vapor, that in a liquid state, if it does not 

 totally destroy them, yet that it will in a great degree 

 check their progress. 



Other materials for liquid manures are often difficult 

 to procure, and tedious in the preparation ; but soot, suf- 

 ficient for the gardener's purpose, is almost everywhere' 

 at hand, and in a few minutes prepared. 



Were gardeners more generally aware that no ma- 

 nures can be taken up in a slate of solid by plants as 

 food, and that they can only be absorbed by them in a 

 gaseous or liquid state, to wiiich all solid manures ap- 

 plied must be previously reduced, before any benefit can 

 be derived from ihem, they would, in many cases facil- 

 itate the process, by using them in a liquid state. In 

 houses where the rain has not access, it appears to me 

 ■ uperior to any other mode of administering manures to 

 trees. 



It would, we believe, be easy for most farmers to wa- 

 ter their gras.s grounds, &c., with liquid manure, by 

 the use of water carts, similar to those which are used 

 for laying the dust in Boston, and other cities The 

 Farmer's Assistant gives the following directions for 

 using sea water, and liquid manure of any kind may be 

 applied in the same way : 



" Sea water might be carried from the sea, some dis- 

 tance on the land to advantage, in the following man- 

 ner : Take a one horse cart, and suspend a tight box, 

 rightly shaped, under the axletree, the box having a 

 valve in the under side ; drive the cart into the water, 

 and the valve opens and lets ihat fluid into the box ; 

 and, when the cart is driven out, the valve closes and 

 holds the water. 



" When the cart is driven out on the ground on which 

 the water is to be spread, this operation may be perform- 

 ed in the manner we shall next describe : A tube is to 

 be provided, say twelve feet in length, with small holes 

 bored into it at the distance of six inches apart, and the 

 ends of the tube closed ; .attach this to the under side of 

 the box, cross ways, at either end so as to be out of the 

 way of the wheel of the cart. When yon come to 

 where the water is to be spread, it is to be let out of the 

 box into the valve, by an aperture for that purpose ; and 

 as the cart moves along, the water runs ont of each of 

 the small holes in the tube, and thus sprinkles over a 

 piece of ground of twelve feet wide, till the whole is ex- 

 hausted. 



" With the next load, begin where the water ceased 

 running before, and thus continue the watered strip 

 across the field. Then take another strip of twelve feet 

 wide, adjoining that already watered, and thus proceed 

 till the whole has been gone over. 



" In this way a man could carry out, say forty cart- 

 loads a day, at the distance of half a mile, or half that 

 number, if a mile ; as but little time need to be spent in 

 Ibading or unlo.ading. About ten loads of a hundred 

 gallons each, would probably be sufHcient for an acre at 

 one time." 



MASSACHUSETTS HORTICIH-TURAL SOCIETY. 



EXHIBITION OF FRCIT3. 



.Saturday, Nov. 26, ISSC. 

 Mr Fessenden ; The specimens of Fruits this day 

 were all excellent, and as the season advance, the exhi- 

 bitions become of more interest to the Horticulturist. 

 The following were from Mr Vose, the President : 



Duchess de'Angouleme, Capiaumont, or Frederic ofj 

 Wertemberg, and Princess St. Germain Pears. 



Marigolds Bellflower, Hubbardston Nonsuch and Au- 

 tumn Pippin Apples. 



From Mr Manning: True Napoleon, Figue of Na- 

 ples, Pears. The last, past eating, and the Fall Harvey 

 Apples. 



From Col. Wilder : Columbian Virgalieu, procured by 

 him, from Westchester County, N. Y., from the original 

 tree. 



For the Committee, 



B. V. FRENCH. 



Saturday, Dec. 10, 183G. 



Pears. By Col. jM. P. Wilder. Youngs baking pear. 

 Also, Beurre d'Aremberg, large and excellent. 



By Mr John Clapp Culotte de Suisse. 



By Mr S. Svveetser. St. Germain, very large. 



By some person unknown. A small Bergamotte 

 shaped pear, sweet and melting. 



Apples. By John Clapp! Baldwin. Also, a hand- 

 some large j'eilow apple. 



By L. P Grosvenor. Spitzemberg and black Gilly- 

 flower. For the Committee, 



L. P. GRGSVF.NOR. 



Great Fire as Washington. — On the night of the 

 14th, and morning of the 15th inst., the public buildings 

 at Washington, containing the City Post OlHce, the gen- 

 eral Post Office, and the Patent Office, were consumed 

 by fire. The fire is generally attributed to an incen- 

 diary, and both Heuses of Congress have taken meas- 

 ures to inquire into the facts in the case. We are in- 

 formed that nothing was saved from the Patent Office,, 

 where the loss must have been iminense and irrepara- 

 ble. 



Pkovisiox. — It will be seen by referring to our price 

 current, that mess Beef is quoted $1,00 a barrel higher 

 than last week. Some of the principal holders decline 

 sailing below ,f 15,25, mos. The packing season is 

 now about over, and the quantity put up is said to be 

 much less than last season. 



Expresses. — The President's Message was brought 

 from Worcester to Boston on Wednesday evening, in 

 two hours — 20 miles an hour ! The distance from N 

 Haven to Boston, 134 miles, was performed in 7 1-2 

 hours. The message was carried to Newburyport from 

 Bostcm in .2 1-2 hours. The Eastern Stage Company 

 run an express from Boston to Portland with the Mes- 

 s,age. From Topsfield to Portsmouth, 32 miles, the trip 

 was accomplislied in 2 hours and 5 minutes. 



On the oth of November, 1799, an express was pub- 

 lished in the Boston Advertiser, which had been receiv- 

 ed from West Point, dated Oct. 29. It was an impor- 

 tant letter from Gen. Greene. In 1830, the President's 

 Message which was delivered to Congress on Tuesday 

 at noon, in Washington, was in Boston at 10 o'clock 

 the next evening. 



UWIGHTON MARKET.— Monday, Dec. 19,1836. 

 Keroned lortlie Uaily A<lvertis,^rai. Patrlol. 



A market 730 Beef Cattle 775 Shi cp and 125, 

 Swine. 100 Beef Cattle unsold. 



Prices — Beef Cattle- — Prices have declined consid- 

 erably, and we reduce our quotations, viz. a few extra at 

 $5 75 : first quality at $G a li 50 ; second quality at 5 25 

 a 5 75; and third quality at $4 a 4 75. 



Sheep — We noticed the sale of lots as follows : a lot 

 ordinary at 1 07 ; also, lots at 2 25, 2 50, 2 75, 3 25 3 50 

 and 3 75. A few tiae Cosset Wethers $9 each. 



Swine.— -In demand. A few hundred could readily 

 have been sold. At retail, 9 and 10 for those weighing 

 over SO, under 50, 10 and 11. 



