76 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



SEPTEMBER 13, 1838. 



assist the growth of the potato plants : so rapi<Ily 

 do tliese weeds fennent, that nmrh of their value is 

 dissipated, if they are left only forty-eight hours in 

 heaps before they are put into the earth. 



The manner in which manure is applied to the 

 land for difleront crops will be explained as tliese 

 are separati'ly treated of: but the gener.il princi- 

 ple, which pervades the whole system of nianuring, 

 is worthy of attention. Two great objects are al- 

 ways kept in view. The first is to obtain the most 

 abundant cro]' of nhatever is sown ; the next is to 

 impregnate the soil with an increasing power cf 

 production, if possible, or at least to maintain that 

 which has been obtaine 1. In consequence of this, 

 almost every crop has a certain portion of manure 

 applied to it, which varies according to the nature 

 of the crop to be raised, and thai wliich has prece- 

 ded ; experience having taught that some crops 

 exiiaust the soils more than others. 



But it is not the mere surface that they desire to 

 manure. They well know that the deeper the soil 

 is fertilized, the greater will be the profit and the 

 /less the labor. They are not satisfied with enrich- 

 ing the land to receive the seed, they furnish food 

 for the growing plant in dil3crent stages of its 

 groivtb, if they tliink it necessary. Thore is in 

 con«jueiicc no fluctuation in the growth, no check 

 at a Time when the plants require support. Tlir 

 seed is made to vegetatj rapidly by being in con- 

 tact with the rich juices of the manure ; and hence 

 a much smaller proportion of seed is required. The 

 young blade is invigorated by judicious watering, 

 and is soon out of danger of the attacks of in- 

 sects. 



Liquid manure is carried to the fields in common 

 water-carts, which consist of two wheels and shafts, 

 carrying a cask containing from sixty to one hun- 

 dred and twenty gallons of liquid. The cask has 

 in the under part a hole, two or three inches in 

 diameter, secured inside by a valve : under this 

 a board a little slanting, to spread the liquid as it 

 flows ouf of the cask. A man usually rides on the 

 horae which draws the cart, and holds in his hand 

 a string, wliich passes through a hole in the cask, 

 and opens the valve when required. There is an 

 advantage in tiding on the horse, as it does not 

 add to the weight of the load on the wheels, which 

 in light soils would be apt to sink deep. In a mo- 

 mentary exertion it assists the horse by the weight 

 on his back ; and the heavy Flanders horses are 

 well able to carry a man and draw a light load at 

 the same time. When the cask is empty trots 

 ho.me for another load, and no time is lost It is 

 astonishing what advantage there is in accustoming 

 horses to trot when they have no load ; it actually 

 fatigues them less than the continued sleepy walk. 

 Who would suppose that tlie Flemish and Dutch 

 larmers surpassed us in activity ? but whoever has 

 been in the Nedierlands in hay-time or harvest 

 must acknowledge iL 



The dung which is carried in a solid state, is 

 generally used at a time when it is in a state of 

 active fermentation, as it is then supposed to have 

 the best efiect. To ensure this in some districts, 

 as the Wales country, where the minutest attention 

 is paid to every circumstance which can increase 

 fertility, the dung is laid on the field in moderate 

 heaps, and on each heap a certain quantity of urine 

 is poured to excite and renew the fermentation : 

 whcnit becomes sensibly heated, the dung is spread 

 out and immediately ploughed in. After ploughing 

 in the manure the land is left for some time, and 



then a second deep ploughin j is given to incor- 

 ate tjie decomposed dung witli the soil, but so 

 as not to bring any to the surface. A short time 

 before sowing, the liquid manure is poured over ; 

 and this enriches the surface to make the seed ger- 

 nate sooner. 



Lime is not much used in the light soils, but 

 commonly in the cold and stiff. As it is gener- 

 ally broiiglit from a distance, it is dear: and this 

 prevents any exten?ive application of it. Marl is 

 found in a few spots, and serves to improve Uie 

 poorer lands within reach of it 



rmiii the Genesee r'axmer. 



TOADS. 



There are few animals so universally disagreea- 

 ble, or which are so generally considered an incar- 

 nation of every thing vile, as the toad, hiifo vulga- 

 ris of the naturalist Milton understood the amount 

 of the prejudice against the toad, when he placed 

 tlr arcli fiend in the disguise of tliis reptile close 

 to the ear of sleeping Eve, in Paradise ; for we 

 may be sure Lucifer would not have been guilty of 

 the indiscretion of approaching her in that form 

 when she was waking. But though the toad seems 

 to have been marked out for the hate and aversion 

 of mankind, there are few reptiles whose habits are 

 more worthy of notice, none that are more harm- 

 less, and few that render more actual service to 

 man. It is true, neither the frog or the toad, par- 

 ticularly tl'e latter, would be an agreeable inmate 

 of the "kni^eding trough," or a pleasant companion 

 in the "bed chamber," but in the field or in the 

 'farden, they devour multitudes of insects that prey 

 on the labors of man, while they meddle with none 

 of the plants or fruits that require his protection or 

 cultivation. 



With the approach of cold tlie toad retires into 

 the earth, and in a torpid state awaits the return of 

 the spring. If surprised in this state by any 

 change in the face of the earth, that could have 

 the effect of placing him beyond the influence ef the 

 seasons, the toad, it is supposed, can remain unin- 

 jured in this state for an indefinite length of time ; 

 and in this way the discovery of frogs and toads, 

 in deep excavations, and even in solid blocks of 

 stone, has been attempted to be accounted for. The 

 celebrated geologist Buckland, however, seems to 

 doubt whether the evidence in proof of such dis- 

 coveries, is such as to warrant implicit confidence 

 in the details. We should im-igine that if correct- 

 ly represented, the discovery of the one at Lock- 

 port, while excavating the limestone of the moun- 

 tain ridge, was as little liable to deception or doubt, 

 as such matters usually can be; arid we know of 

 no philosophical reason, why, if a toad can lie tor- 

 pid for one year, as has been proved by burying 

 them in pots, they might not as well exist one hun- 

 dred or a thousand, if the proper temperature for 

 ensuring torpidity was preserved. 



SoiiK- writers have denied that the toad, under 

 any circumstances, was poisonous; but this is a 

 mistake. When in danger, or when irritated, the 

 tubercular elevations on tlie backs and sides, have 

 tlie power of secreting a milky fluid, as every one 

 may readily ascertain, and every school-boy who 

 is in the habit of pelting them witli stones well 

 knows. This fluid, given for defence, as we sup- 

 pose, is decidedly poisonous, as its effects on cats, 

 and other animals, fully prove. This is the only 

 power of injuring it possesses : and this secretory 

 and offensive power appears to reside in the skin, 



as the animal is frequently skinned and sold with 

 the frog in the markets o1 European cities, for food, 

 and eaten with impunity. 



Toads after the time of breeding is over, forsake 

 the pools of water where they assemble in the 

 spring, and in or near which, they usually pass the 

 winter, and scatter themselves over the land; and 

 when once they have chosen a favorable position, 

 if not disturbed, they rarely quit it for the season, 

 and some have been known to retain possession for 

 several years. From these retreats the^ emerge 

 towards nightfall, or in the evening, and feast on 

 snails, flies, bugs, or any living insect that falls in 

 their way.- In a garden their services are thus in- 

 valuable ; and some gardeners introduce and pro- 

 tect them through the summer, for the aid they rea- 

 der in the destruction of woniis, &c. 



Notwithstanding his clumsy and ungainly ap- 

 pearance, there are few anima s so quick of motion 

 as the toad, and this is shown most distinctly in 

 taking his insect food. It will not unfrequently, in 

 a warm summer evening, when doors are open, 

 make its entrance into the house, where it feeds on 

 flies that approach. Seated on its haunches, it sur- 

 veys the floor with great gravity, but if an unwary 

 fly alights within four or five inches, it disappears 

 witli incredible quickness. Tlicre can be a slight 

 motion of the toad discovered, a quick snap as of 

 the jaws is heard, but the position of the animal is 

 unchanged, while his prey vanishes with the veloc- 

 ity of liglit. A close examination shows, howev- 

 er, that there is a slight motion of the body for- 

 ward, without moving the feet ; and the snap is pro- 

 duced by the shutting of the mouth after tlie tongue 

 has seized and secured the insect though so quick 

 is the operation performed, that the tongue is nev- 

 er distinctly seen. We have often seen this feat 

 performed by placing a fly or a bug, on the end of 

 a grass stalk, and pushing it gradually towards the 

 toad, when he first makes his appearance at dusk. 

 The lightning's flash is hardly more quick or fa- 

 tal, than the snap of this reptile to the insect he 

 aims at 



To enable the toad, frog, chameleon, and some 

 other reptiles to seize their prey, the tongue has a 

 curious conformation; "it is of great length, its 

 root is attached close to the fore part of the lower 

 jaw, while its point, which is cloven, is turned 

 backwards, extending into the throat, and acting 

 like a valve in closing the air passage into ths 

 lungs. If, when this animal has approached with- 

 in a certain distance of the insect it is about to 

 seize, we watch it with attention, we are surprised 

 to observe the insect suddenly disappear, without 

 our being able to determine what has become of 

 it. This arises from the frog (or toad) having dart- 

 ed out its tongue upon its victim with such extreme 

 quickness, and withdrawing it with the insect ad- 

 hering to it, so rapidly that it is scarcely possible 

 for the eye to follow its motion." — (Roget's Physi- 

 ology.) 



A fact which was related to us a few days since 

 by a gentleman, will furnish a curious illustration of 

 the habits of this animal. He was mowing in a 

 field, when he disturbed a nest of the common 

 bumblebee. As they were quite numerous, and 

 appeared very pugnacious withal, he concluded to 

 let them alone until they became more quiet, when 

 he determined to visit tlie nest again, and appro- 

 priate their stores to himself. In the course of a 

 fi;w hours he repaired to the spot, when to his sur- 

 j)rise he saw a large toad had planted himself di- 

 rectly before the place of egress for the bees ; and 



