VOL. X V. SO. 31. 



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



243 



AcRlCULTUiiAL A nCHM'Kt TUI'.P. 1 llOllgll ilOtll- 



ing contriliiites iriore tn {\\- bpiiut)' and value oi" a 

 farm tlian liaiKUonie liiiildinss, yt't most lUrmers 

 are grossly inattentive to tiieirconsiruction, espec- 

 ially dwelling hnnses. They suppose that eoiii- 

 fort and convenience are all to which a farmer 

 should aspire, and consider everything ornamen- 

 tal a wasteful expenditnre. 



It is true they admire the beantifid houses of 

 the clergyman, the lawyer and the merchant, but 

 think them not adapted to the taste ai^I ciccupa- 

 [ion of the farmer, and consequently instead ol 

 taking them for patterns in building, devise new 

 [dans, which, in their opinion, are better suited to 

 their circumstances and conrlition in life, and 

 which tliey think are in accordance with a more 

 rigid ecoi.omy. The result is, the beauty of 

 farms is marred by the erection of buildings 

 without symmetry or taste — mere piles of lumber 

 and bricks, without form or comeliness, wliii-li 

 would puzzle an artist to determine whether they 

 were intended to be burlesques upon civil, military 

 or naval architecture. 



It is a general opinion that an elegant dwelling 

 house is necessarily an expensive one, and hence 

 most farmers content themselves with convenience, 

 and_ leave elegance to those they suppose better 

 able to indulge it. That architectural elegance 

 consists more in design than ilimcnsions, is appa 

 rent from the fact that many small, moilern built 

 dwelling houses are far more elegant than larger 

 ones ot antiquated styles of building, besides 

 being less ex|)ensive. The size of the dwelling 

 house should be regulated by tlie family and 

 business of the intended occupant ; but whether 

 it be large ot small, elegance, as well as conve- 

 nience sliould be regarded ; and they may be 

 easily combined without subjecting the builder to 

 extra expense. Every person, therefore, intend- 

 ing to build, should not only "first set down and 

 count the cost," but employ a cumpeteni sciectidc 

 and practical architect to make him a [>laM, and 

 after it is made, not Miff'cr it to be departed from 

 for the gratific-alion of his own whims, or those 

 of his wife. A trying alteration in the jjlan of a 

 building will destroy its symmetry, mar its Ijeauty 

 and make it unsightly to the eye of taste. 



Thus far a handsome dwelling house may be 

 erected with the same expenditure as a homely 

 one. '1 he subsequent expense will vary accord- 

 ing to the style in vvliieb it is finished, and tlie 

 cost of the labor and materials bestowed u|)on it. 

 In this respect, also, elegance ought not to be dis- 

 regarded, and the expenses attending it will be 

 found far less than is ordinarily supposed. I'"ifty, 

 or at most one liundred dollars, expended in orna- 

 mental work, will make a vast ditTerence in the 

 appearance of a dwelling house, and in most 

 cases would be amply sutliciem to make it ele- 

 gant. There are, in reality, but few things which 

 can be charged to the account of elegance — 

 porticos, window blinds, cornices, painting, &c. 

 are as useful as they are ornamental, anj no 

 dwelling house should be considered finished 

 without them. 



The same is true, though in a less degree, with 

 respect to the construction and location of out 

 houses. These may be planned in such a man- 

 ner as to add much to the appearance, as well as 

 the convenience of the furin, without additional 

 expense. Much elegance may also be condiined 

 with convenience in the arrangement of gardens, 

 yards and avenues. Though these, scientifically 



laid out and tastefully ' dcM-oratrd with shade 

 trees, evergreens and flowering shrubs, are iudis- 

 peusable to giving the beauty of the building its 

 proper effect, yet they require but a very small 

 outlay of money. A little labor, and a few dol- 

 lars for the purchase of rare |)lants is all that is 

 recpiired. If, therefore, aichitectural elegance 

 and rural beauty are attainable at so chea|)a rate, 

 should not every farmi^r regard them in the con- 

 struction of his buii<lings and the laying out of 

 his grounds — and will not the increased value 

 of his farm, besiiles the gratification of bis taste, 

 and the satisfaction of having contributed his 

 mite towards improving the general aspect of the 

 country, afford him an ample indcmuiiy against 

 pecimiary loss? — iS'i7/i: Cult. 



Good Potatoes the whole teab. — In the 

 Bangor Mechanic and Farmer, of tlie 8ili sf Dec. 

 there was a short, but useful communication, 

 headed ' Early Potatoes,' over the sig. M S. in 

 which the writer state<l that he dined « ith Hon. 

 VV. R, Lowney of Sebec, about the first of !-'ep- 

 tembcr, who treated him with fine ripe potatoes 

 among other good things, and bow he managed to 

 have them thus early by causing them to sprout 

 in a bed of unfermented or green horse manure, 

 a foot and a half thick two or three weeks before 

 planting, handling them carefully, so as not to 

 break off the sprouts, &c. lie preferred good 

 sized whole potatoes for an early crop. This is 

 useful information, I w'onld add a few thoughts 

 by way of gu|i[)lemeiit. In ths first |dace, the 

 earliest variety should be selected, say the early 

 blue, Perkins' early, or any other variety famous 

 for quality and early maturity. Let a sufficiency 

 of these, of the size and appearance of lliose 

 you would wish to raise, be placed the fore part 

 of March, in any warm situation, jierhaps your 

 cellar arch would cause them to sprout early 

 enough ; or adopt Mr Lowney's practice of [ire- 

 paring them. '1 hen, as a means of ripening tiem 

 early, plant ihein as soon as the ground is in order ; 

 perhaps in the latter part of .'Vjiril, or tlie first of 

 May, and you may expect a ripe crop, on warm 

 land, the last of July, or at farthest, by the 20th 

 of August, according to the season. But it should 

 be remembjied that all early varieties, although 

 excellent in their season, anil perhaps through 

 the year, are comparatively unproductive. Of 

 course, we plant early potatoes only, for early use. 

 There are many excellent varieties, producing 

 good crops fit for table use, on or before the first 

 of October, if planted in the uicwith of May. 

 The longer they remain in tJ*e ground, uninjuretl 

 by the frost the better. But to jirevent hazard, 

 dig the fi:ire part of October ; never drying them 

 in the sun, but immediately securing them from 

 both sun and air, till tlie spring. 'J'hey might be 

 placed in tight barrels »cr sizeable boxes, and 

 covered with sods, until a load was dii;:, and then 

 carried to the cellar, to be opened as wanted for 

 use or sale. Good varieties, such as the Irisli 

 Bucksters, or tlie Chenaiigoes, managed in this 

 way, if not a substitute, are certainly ne.xt to the 

 staf}' of life, and are of doubltj value. 



For late keeping, some varieties are to be pre- 

 feried before others. Almost any one, however, 

 may be fairly preserved till early potatoes ripen, 

 heading them up in air tight barrels before ibey 

 begin to sjirout, and this will prevent their sprout- 

 ing. -A. FaRmf.r. j 



From llie Baiifiar Mechanic and F'arnier. 



He.ns. — Why cannot ileus be made as profit- 

 able in the wintei as ihwsiinimer? 



It is a well known tact lliat from December to 

 March, they are a bill of ex|jeusp, without any 

 profit. I wish to give your readers my opinion, 

 as to the cause of tliis refusal on the part of 

 bens to contribine to their own support, in hopes 

 that some one may be benefitted, which is cer- 

 tainly all I ask, or expect tor my labor, in thi.- 

 case. 



Hens, in order to supply eggs, require as a con- 

 dition, that they be supplied with a portion of 

 animal f jod aa well as vegetable. This supply 

 they get in the fuim of worms and insects, when 

 free to go at laj-ge, unless their number is so large 

 as to consume, beyond the sup|ily, within roving 

 distance, which is the case where large flocks are 

 kept, and it will be found that the number of 

 eggs in proportion will be diminished, as the 

 number of fouls are increased, unless a sujiply 

 of animal food i.s furnislied. Here is a secret 

 worth improving, and if some of your readers 

 who live near a slaughter house, will collect the 

 oHul meat and feed hens with it, they will find il 

 a good business, so long as eggs bring the prices 

 now deuianded for them. When fowls are kept 

 yarded, they require lime or burnt bones, gravel, 

 meat, corn or grain, and pure svater. Supjily 

 them with these — give good shelter and a warm 

 room in winter, and you may safely calculate 

 on a clear profit of one dollar on e ch hen, every 

 year. . 



In order to fill my sheet I will inform you that 

 a few days siuoe I noticed a farmer with a team 

 of t\vo stout, fat horses, loaded with manure, and 

 bound to Levant, a distance of twelve miles from 

 Bangor. Jn conversation with the man he ob- 

 served that as ho had business frequently calling 

 him to town, he made it his practice to take back 

 with him a load of manure, which be generally 

 obtained without charge. This is killing two birds 

 with one stone, and I should not object to a fanner 

 bringing in a load of wood, or shingles even, if 

 th • return load would assist in enriching the land, 

 i.nd to my fellow farmers 1 would say go thou 

 and do likewise. James. 



.-V Rat Tuap. — The Richmond Whig describes 

 a rat trap, which seems really curious, from the 

 novelty of the principle applied. It is nothing 

 more than a box faced internally with looking- 

 glasses coming down to the level of its floor, and 

 with an opening for the rats to enter, prepared 

 with a door to close upon them when the trappers 

 think jiroper. Its success is founded upon the 

 gregarious character of the rat. When be enters, 

 and sees bis foriu multiplied by the looking-glas- 

 ses, he conceives himself surrounded by bis spe- 

 cies, and remains delighted with his comiiany. It 

 is even said that the first who makes the discov- 

 ery will go forth anil assemble the whole house- 

 hold to witness it. He this as it may, it is slated 

 llie success of the invention, which was made ac- 

 cidentally, has been wonderful, completely clear- 

 ing out those noxious vermin wfierever it was 

 tried. If such be the fact, it is, in a small way, a 

 most useful discovery, ihough we should think, as 

 it can only be used in daylight, its practicability 

 Hould be doubtful. — Metropolitan. 



Robert Burns, the poet, was a ploughman. 



