198 



N E W E N G L A ND FARMER. 



DECEMBER 28, 1836^ 



BOSTOiN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1836. 



Books dsefdl to Cultitatohs. — We have several 

 valuable Books on hand, which claim edilorial notices, 

 but have not yet been able to find time to give them a 

 critical perusal. Among others, are the following : 



The Silk Raiser's Manual; or the Art of Ra sing and 

 Feeding Silk Worms, and of Cultivating the Mulbcrry 

 Tree. By M. Mori.^, member of several learned So- 

 cieties. Translated from the French. Boston : Mursh, 

 Cay en S^ Lyon, 183C. 



A Manual of the Art of making and rifining Sugar 

 from fleets, including the cnltivalion of thf; plant, and 

 the various improvements in the manufacture. Trans- 

 lated from portions of the Treatise of M. M. Blachette 

 and Zoega, as published by M J. D Fontenelle. Marsh, 

 Capen 4- Lyon, 183G. 



Some other w- rks, claiming analytical and some- 

 what extended notices, among which are Johnson's 

 Scrap Book, &c., shall, together with those we have 

 mentioned, be treated with civility in our next 



FARMERS' WORK. 



Cdtti.ng Wool) FOR FiRKs, TiMEER, &c. — Firc- 

 woodj as well as Timber, sliould be felled when the sap 

 is down ; otherwise it will contain loss substance in pro- 

 portion to its bulk, and snap and smoulder away, giving 

 but little heal. The farmer v?ill do well to obtain his 

 year's stock of fuel as early in the winter as possible, 

 before tiie depth of snow in the woodlands renders it 

 difficult to traverse them with a team. 



Gen. Newhall, of Lynnfield, Mass, in a communica- 

 tion for the JV. E Farmer, vol x, p. 9, o'aserves as fol- 

 lows: — 



" Having woodland from which I have cut annually, 

 for several years past, from twenty to fifty cords of 

 wood ; it has been my practice to have it cut at the time, 

 and in the manner that would best ensure a strong and 

 vigorous grtjwth of sprouts. To effect this purpose, I 

 never allow a tree tube cut till after the autumnal fros s 

 have caused the leaves to fall, and the sap to descend 

 into the roots, nor later in the vernal season than the 

 middle of April. Tlie manner of cutting is to leave the 

 stumps nearly on a level with the surface of the ground, 

 from which the suckers are much more strong and vig- 

 orous, and less liable to be injured by high winds, than 

 a growth from stumps cut ten or twelve inches high, as 

 is the practice with some. 



•' Pursuing this course, I have never been disappoint- 

 ed, and have now on land, from which trees were cut 

 in the midst of winter, a growth of sprouts of the most 

 vigorous and promising appearance. 



** Respecting large trees of the growth of centuries, 

 cut them at whatever season you please, there is scarce- 

 ly one stump in a thousand that will produce suckers." 



Timbers growing in open land or on the borders of 

 woods is best. That which grows on dry land has less 

 sap, and is more solid than that growing in swamps. — 

 Elm and Beech are good and durable under water. Elm 

 holds a nail better in water than any oilier timber. Ev- 

 ergreens decay externally, oak, chestnut and maple de- 

 cay first internally. The sap or wtwte wood uf walnut 

 is tough, the heart brittle. 



Loudon says that " the season for felling timber not 

 to be disbatked, is commonly winter, but. some, for the 

 resmous tribe, recommend the summer as bein_' the sea- 

 son in which it is generally felled in tiie north of Europe 

 and in the Alps. But tlie summer season is there adop- 

 ted from necessity, as in winter the woods are so filled 

 up with snow, that felling is hardly pr.acticable. As the 



timber of those countries is generally squared for mar- 

 ket, the sap wood is chiefly removed, so that the season 

 of felling does not seem to them as of much conse- 

 quence. Besides, the limber is never so lull of sap in 

 summer, as in spring and autumn, and therefore, next 

 to mid-winter, mid-summer may be the next best time 

 for felling all kinds of timber trees." 



The Farmer's Assistant contains the following judi- 

 cious remarks on thi^ subject : 



'• The right time for felling trees for timber, is in De- 

 cember and January, when the sap is down, as in this 

 case it is liable to bo eaten by worms, and will last much 

 longer. 



" By experiments made by M. Buffon,it is found that 

 trees which are stripped of their bark in May or June, 

 while stantling, and then cut down the next winter for 

 timber, are found to make the most solid, heavy and 

 strong timber, and that even the sap is then good. The 

 bark of oak and some other trees, may, at that time be 

 stripped off to advantage for the use of tanning. 



" Soaking timber in salt water is very good to increase 

 ita strength and durability. 



" In order to preserve timber from cracking, while 

 seasoning, let it be blocked out for the purposes wanted. 

 Olid laid in a Iny mow when the hay is carted in. — 

 AVhen the hay is dealt out the next winter, the pieces 

 may he taken out well seasoned, and free from cracks 

 This is an excellent plan for seasoning all kinds of tim- 

 ber for carriages, &c. When this is done, if the trees 

 are felled in winter, let them lie in logs till hay time 

 ariives. 



" We are assured by an experienced builder of some 

 of the first rate bridges in the northern part of this coun- 

 try, that such timber as is to be exposed to the water, 

 or to frequent \vetness, should be felled during the in- 

 crease of the moon ; and that such as is intended to be 

 kept dry, should be felh d during the decrease of that 

 planet. We find it also ascertained, by satisfactory ex- 

 periments, as )iublishi.d in " the Memoirs of the Phila- 

 delphia Society for the Promotion of Agriculture," that 

 timber used for fencing posts, will last considerably 

 longer by setting the end in the ground, which was up- 

 permost as it grew." 



Extract of a Letter from a friend in Braltleboro', dated 

 December 59, 183G. 



InusnATio.v. — The heavy rain last Tuesday night, 

 and Wednesday morning has caused much damage in 

 the northern and western parts of this Slate, and in 

 Vermont and IVow Hampshire. The streams flowing 

 into the Connecticut, were swollen to a fearful height, 

 ani the rapid current filled with masses of ice, has car- 

 ried away many bridges, efTectually impeding the travel 

 on some roads for the whole winter. 



In the road near Bellows Falls, a ravine was excava- 

 ted ten feet in depth, and extending fifteen feet across, 

 rendi^ring it extremely dangerous. It is supposed that 

 more rain fell, than has fallen the last six months, and 

 the ground being frozen, it all run off on the surface 

 hence, the extraordmary and rapid rise of the streams. 



A freshet of such magnitude, at this season of the 

 year is uniommon ; Indeed, I may say it never hap- 

 pened before, for "the memory of the oldest inhabitant 

 runneth not to the contrary." 



33= Willi pleasure, we again acknowledge the receipt 

 of One Hundred and Fifty dollars, from the Rhode Is- 

 land Society f<r the Promotion of Agriculture, to |iay 

 for the New England Farmer, for distribution among its 

 members. Let other .'Agricultural Societies go and do 

 likewise, and we promise them that our most earnest 

 endeavors will be to render a fair and full equivalent. 



ZT Members ijf the Heiieral Court are invited to call 

 at the Agricultural 'Warehouse and New England Seed 

 Slore, Nos. .01 and a'i, iNonh Market St. up stairs. The 

 proprietors will lake pleasure in exhibiting and explain, 

 ing to them a great variety, perhaps the greatest to be 

 found in the United States — of useful and improved 

 articles of Husbandry. We have a catalogue of 72 pa- 

 ges, in which many new Machines are described by en- 

 gravings, and the operation explained, which will be 

 distributed giatis. 



NoTicF,. — The Lejislalure of this .'^latc convenes at 

 the State House, on Wednesday next, January 3d. We 

 would call the attention of its members to the' claims of 

 our perindical, upon their support. 



The agricultural interests of the State, are of the 

 very first importance, and demand liberal encouratre- 

 mcnt from the hand of the Legislature. 



Our sole object being to disseminate the improve- 

 ments that are making, and have been made in the pro- 

 gress of Culture, throughout our country, but more 

 particularly in the New England States, we confidently 

 look to the members of the Legislature for enceurage- 

 niiiit in the prosecution of an enterprise, intimately con- 

 nected with them in their official capacity, and subser- 

 vient to the best interests of our country. 



MINIATURE ALMANAC, 



For the Vtar of our Ejorit 



S l-g 



J.'V.VUARY. 



11 



21 .3 



s| '.I in 



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22 « at 



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11 12 13 11 



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26 27 23 



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AUG U.ST. 



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D 

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MARCH. 



I I I 'I 2| ^1 -• 

 ."■. 6 7 8 9 10 II 



12 13 U 1.5 16 17 H 



1« 2P 21 22 23 2-1 25 



2t, 2r|2;l29|a.l|3ll 



1.3 14 1.5 10 17 1. 

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 27|28l29|3ll|3l| I 



SEPTEMBER. 

 11 



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rl 2.5|26|27lasi2yj30 



MAY, 



11 21 3 



M 9 10 



1.5 16 17 



22 23 24 



2Q|30|31 



JUNE. 



41 5 el 7 i| 



11 12 13 14 13 

 I- 19|20|2l|22| 

 2.5 



51 6 

 12 13 

 19 20 

 26 27 



21 3 



9 10 



IG 17 



23 21 



3 41 5 

 10 11112 

 17 IS 19 

 !i4l25|26 



6 7 

 13 14 15|16 

 20 21 22 23 

 27|2S|29|30 



II 



OCTOBER. 



21 31 4| 51 61 7 



SI 9 10 11 12 1314 



1.5 16 17 1-v 19 211 21 



22 23 24 25 26 27 2S 



291301311 I I I 



NOYEMBEK. 



21 31 



MM 



5 6 7 8 

 12 13 14 15 

 19 U021I22 

 26|27|2s|29 



4 

 9|10|H 

 16 17 18 



3o| \ 



DECEMBER, 



BlilCMTON MARK h:T.—Mo.vnAT. Deo. 2G, 1836 



lt«-l'nrle(i fur the Itaily Advertl^tr &. ralrlol. 

 \t market nan Beef Cattle (including those onsold 

 last week) 2.7) Stores, and <)90 Sneep. JOO Beef Cattle 

 unsold. 



1 RICES — Beef Cattle — In consequence of the unpleas- 

 ant weal her. last week's prices for some qualities were 

 h:irdly supported. We n'iliced a few extra taken at 

 $0 7o ; first quality at 6 (j 50 ; second quality at 5 25 a 

 .5 75 ; tiiird quality at 4 a 4 75. 



Sheep — Lois were taken at the fillowing prices viz : 

 $•2 ()(i, 2 8s, 3 00, 3 25, and 3 .50. Wethers, some of 

 which were very fine, at 3 75, 4 50, 5, 5 50, and a very 

 few at $0. 



^a:inc. — None at market. 



