NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Jl'bY 11. I>38. 



AND gardener's JOURNAL. 



Boston, VVednesdav, July 11, 1838. 



CO.MMENCE.MENT OF VOL. XVII. 



Willi ihe commencement of a now Fiilume of tlie N. 

 E. Farnii:r we should do oursBlves much injustice if wo 

 refrained from a grateful acknowledgment of ihe kind 

 and liberal patronage which this paper has experienced 

 for a course of sixteen years; and if w« did nut express 

 our determination to sliuw ourselves deserving of this 

 liberality ; and as far un possible to elevate its character, 

 end extend iis usefulness 



When the New Enjjlanil Farmer was commenced, and 

 for many succeeding years, it stood alone in New Eng- 

 land, and we believe in the country, as an agricultural 

 newspaper; and the most sanguine friends of agricultu- 

 ral improvement were somewhat doubtful of the practi- 

 cnbleness of sustaining it. The interest however, which 

 itB appearance excited, grailually and surely extended 

 itself; and the spirit of inquiry and general ability with 

 whijh it was edited, and iLe gentle and inuffensive 

 good hUDior and pleasantrv, which sparkled in its pages, 

 gave it a powerful hold upon public patronage and good 

 will, which it maintained until the death of its lamented 

 editor. His eulogium is best pronounced in the univer- 

 sal respect and affictiun, with which his memory is 

 cherished by all who knew him. The volumes publish- 

 ed under his inspection ; and many of the articles which 

 Bowed from his pen, contain a large measure of agricul- 

 tural iniclligence and instruction: have awakened 

 throughout the community an atla-lmient to the art, and 

 a zeal tor its iinproveriii*nt, which have been of immense 

 service ; and hive rendered a \ery high benefit in ele- 

 vating the character of the occupationuf a husbandman, 

 and the character of the husbandmen themselves ; and 

 rn creating a general and sincere respect for agriculture 

 throughout the community. No (^indid mind will deny 

 lis claims to having done thus much; and it is abso- 

 lutely impossible to estimate the amount of good which 

 it has thus actually effected. Since that lime a host of 

 other agricultural pspers have entered as lalior.ers into 

 fhi^ field ; and have brought to that noble service the 

 most liberal and valuable conlibulions of wise experi- 

 ence, of practical skill, and enlightened inquiry. The 

 field is now won, and agriculture has assumed that rank 

 in the community to which its incalculable importance 

 entities it. VVe propose however to continue our efforts 

 to maintain and advance these triumphs. Wo shall anx- 

 iously call to our aid the best talents that we can secure. 

 We shall suiTer no chance to escajie us of enriching our 

 pages, with whatever may be interesting and useful to the 

 Rgriciillural community. Without begrudging any law- 

 ful and iionorable success to other agricultural puhlica 

 tions in any part of our country, we cordially wish them 

 all the patronage to which they will show that they have 

 (U»t clniiiis. We look upon the great cause of an im- 

 proved and enlightened husbandry as the great cause of 

 Iiuman civilization and happiness We respectfully, 

 and, we hope without ofl'cnce, confidently ask the con- 

 tinued patronage of our agricultural fri«nds und the a/- 

 ricultural community at large, promising our assiduous 

 and devoted eiertions to make the New Kngland Far- 

 mer what it should be ; and us far as possible to increase 

 f.ls usefulness, 



The (.'ommissioner of Agricultural Survey of the State 

 will continue to lend us all the aid in his power, com 

 patihle with his public engngptnents ; and from .his ex- 

 -.ended examinations in every part of the Slate ; and ''is 

 wide correspondence ihroughoul New Englu.'id and the 



United Stales, he will have it in his power to enrich 

 the Farmer with many valuable f.icts and communica- 

 tions We shall do what we can likewise to secure the 

 contributions of other gentlemen interested in the gieat 

 subject in various parls of the country ; and we hope in 

 various ways by original and valuable m.itter, we sliall 

 satisfy every reader interested in the subject that the 

 value of his subscription before Ihe close of the year will 

 be returned to him more than five-fcdd. 



It will be perceived that our printers have given us 

 new type, which we trust will be acceptable to our sub- 

 scribers. We shall soon forward bills to all who have 

 not paid their last year's subscription with the hope that 

 the amount will be forwarded without delay. Wo shall 

 also do the same with those who have been more prompt 

 leaving it with them to pay when most convenient, ho- 

 ping however, that many of them will send the amount 

 by the first good conveyance. Those who live at a dis- 

 tance may forward their dues by mail. 



The index and title page for Vid. IGlli, will be ready 

 and sent out next week. 



Boston, July, 1838. 



MATERIALS AND SOURCES OF MANURE. 



We spoke in our last communication of the construc- 

 tion of a receptacle for manure — a place of general de- 

 posit for every substance, which might go to increase the 

 compost heap. The next inquiry is, where shall we ob- 

 tain thi.' means of forming this heap, from what sources 

 shall colleclifins he made ; what shall we throw into it 

 or upon it? 



Every organized body, which is capable of being dis- 

 solved and reduced to its original elements, is by such 

 solution converted into manure. There is in nature an" 

 uninterrupted circle of life and death, of production, so- 

 lution, and reproduction. The process is going on per- 

 petually ; it has gone on ever since the creation ; and, 

 for au^ht we can see, must cnnlintie to go on as long as 

 the present system of niiture shall endure. Animals 

 and vegetables are sustained by the solution and decay 

 of other animals and vegetables ; and the former, hav- 

 ing accomplished their term, go to the support of anoth- 

 er class ; and so on in an endless succession, to be lim- 

 ited only at the pleasure of the Creator- 'I'he vegetable 

 or animal having passed into a state of decay is then pre- 

 pared to be taken up as food by other animals and vege- 

 tables : and ills humorously observed by some one, yet 

 with hardly more humor than truth, thai man with ex- 

 treme meanness seeks to witliliold his proper contribu- 

 tions from this general reciprocity of usefulness; and 

 though more than any other animal he avails himself 

 of the means of others, making every part of nature 

 tributary to his wants, selecting his food with peculiar 

 fastidiousness, where he will, and as he will, he then 

 carefully and meanly provides that his own body, though 

 sustained always by the labors and contributions of oth- 

 ers, should after he has done with it be buried so deeply 

 in the earth, that its materials cannot be availed of for 

 any farther purposes of ut.'lity. 



Every vegetable and animal substance of every kind is 

 convertible into the food of plants; and therefore in a 

 stale of solution or deciiy is to be considered as manure. 

 There is another class of manures, which are called min- 

 eral manurt-s, sonie portions of which are essential in 

 ve^eiaiion ; first as promoting the solution and commi- 

 nution of vegetable and animal substance 60 as to prepare 

 it to be consumed by plants; and further to assist in a 

 degree in the formation of the vegetable structure as 

 lime is necessary to form the shell of an egg : but of 

 these WB shall speak at another lima. The food of 

 plants is resolvable into a simple substance by some de- 



nominated vegetable extract, by others geine ; and this 

 is found in all vegetable and animal subsUnces ; but it 

 <^an be extraceil and taken up by the living plants only 

 when the an:mals or plants from which it is taken are in 

 a state of solution or decay. Dilferent vegetable and 

 aaim.il substances without doubt furnish this vegetable 

 pabulum or food in difTerent degrees and in various com- 

 binations ; and different vegetables require it in different 

 measures and forms. These are matters as yet very 

 partially ascertained ; and how far the human line can 

 reach in sounding ihis profound depth cannot be conjec- 

 tured. They are matters of scientific inquiry and philo- 

 sophical investigation ; and treasures of wisdom are in 

 the course of being developed by the persevering labors 

 of learned inquirers. But we leave them out of the 

 question as we write only for plain farmers, whose ex- 

 perience and intelligent observation will in the main 

 direct them right, and save them from any great mistakes. 

 To them then the simple rules to be given in the caso 

 are, save every thing; waste nothing; and carry con- 

 stantly to the heap every thing within your reach, which 

 has answered its end and which is capable of being con- 

 verted into manure. 



Having prepared your place of deposit, as we said, in 

 a saucer shape, and so formed the bottom that the fluids 

 will be retained, overlay it with abed of loam or of bog 

 mud, which will absorb whatever liquid substances may 

 pass down upon it. 



The excrements of animals are ordinarily deemed of 

 the highest value as containing the elements of VBget.1- 

 tion in the most concentrated and active und soluble 

 form. A far i.er should save every thing of this sort 

 as scrupulously as we would save gold dust. If he has 

 sheep in a situation to bo brought up at night without 

 driving too far and without too much trouble they should 

 be coDitantly yarded at night in places well littered with 

 straw or refuse hay or leaves; and these when well 

 saturated with their dejiosils should be carefully removed 

 to the compost heap. If he has cattle, cows, oxen, or 

 horses, they too excepting in some cases where the oxen 

 have been in the yoke all day and you wish to give them 

 their feed and repose in an open pasture by night, should 

 be invariably tied in the barn at night over your manure 

 vault, where tlieir droppiii;;s both liquid and solid may 

 be easily thrown or fall into the common receptacle. 

 Or if your cattle for any rea.son should remain in an 

 open yard, that yard should be well littered; and all the 

 manure exposed to loss through the influence of the rain 

 or sun, or air, should be as regularly as the day comes 

 removed to the manure heap. Your hog-stves should 

 be so formed and placed that thoir contents should be all 

 saved likewise and frequently transferred to the general 

 deposit. We know that some m.ay boggle a little about 

 this constant " removal of the deposits;" but they per- 

 haps Hill not object to their being all placd in •ne 

 great bank Let your styes likewise be well littered; 

 and abundant supplies of bog mud or, if nothing else is 

 attainable, simple mould be thrown in. In the next 

 place look after your poultry house and your pigeon 

 house. The exirements of poultry ci nstitute some of 

 the most powerful manures that can be obtained. If 

 you cannot induce them to make iheir roosts directly 

 over your manure heap, then be sure that they make 

 their roosts, where nil their deposits may be saved. Next 

 take care of your privy Let this be so contrived by a 

 swing door on the back side, and by having the building 

 elevated and only a small excavation for the vault, that 

 you can daily in su.nmer and frequently at other times 

 cover the contents with fresh mould, a pile of v\'hich 

 ought always to be laid near at hand; and in this way 

 the place will be prevented from becoming offensive, a 



