278 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



MARCH 6,1839. 



AND HORTICULTDRAL REGISTER. 



Boston, Wednesdat, Mabch 6, 1839. 



AGRICULTURAL MEETING. 



The 6ij;th meeting was holden at tlie Roprcsent.itives' 

 Hall on Thursday last, and wiis fully ultcndLd ; Mr 

 Bates of the Council in the chair. 



The suliject of consideration was niatiurcs, and the dis- 

 cussion was principally confined to lime and ashes. A 

 communication from Dr Dana on the subject of ashes, 

 and presenting interesting facts and valuable informa'.ioii 

 was read by tho Commissioner of Agriculture and will 

 appear hereafter in his reports. 



Several gentlemen look part in the discussion and de- 

 tailed many valuable facts. Mr Buckminsler of Framing- 

 ham, Mr Abbot of Westford, Dr Keep of Boston, Dr 

 Stebbins of Swansey, Mr Carleton of Danvers, Mr Dan- 

 forth of Pittsfield, gave their views and experience The 

 chairman, Mr Bates, communicated some valuable infor- 

 mation as to the use of ashes for broom corn, it being 

 considered equal to any manure which could be applied 

 to th^rop. It is applied in. a small handful or large 

 spoonful to a hill either at the time ofplanting or after 

 the plant has come up. 



It is not convenient at this ruomenttto. give a full re- 

 port of the remarks made and the facts stated. The gen- 

 eral impression or experience was adverse to the use of 

 lime, little effect having been as yet perceived from its 

 application ; and in some cases a positively injurious ef- 

 fect. The effect of ashes and of lime is undoubtedly much 

 the same ; and that is to render the insoluble food of 

 plants soluble, so as to prepare it to be taken up by their 

 roots. But the operation of ;islies is much quicker than 

 that of lime from its greater solubility. Ashes effect a 

 sudden, lime a permanent improvement. The amount 

 of any earthy ingredient taken up^by the plant is very 

 small indeed. Of the essential benefit of the application 

 of lime to lands in certain proportions and under cert;un 

 circumstances no intelligent and experienced mind can 

 entertain a doubt. Its mode of application Jiowever, and 

 its mode of operation are matters in whicif.we want all 

 the light which science and experience- can give. It is 

 not surprising that mistakes should be made and. disap- 

 pointments occur; but these furnish new motives for 

 further inquiry and more exact experiment. 



The next agricultural meeting will be holden at the 

 same hour and place on Thursday evening next. The 

 subject proposed for conversation is the redemption of 

 wheat lauds, whether sand plains, salt marshes or peat- 

 bogs. This will of course lead to the further discussion 

 of the application of these and other manures; and it is 

 hoped the attendance will he full. Very great pleasure 

 iias been derived and we have no doubt great improve- 

 ment will be promoted by these occasional meeting.^. 

 Nothing is more desirable in these c;iscs than that farmers 

 who have facts to communicate, should communicate 

 them; and the conversation be as free as possible. 



II. C. 



CROP OF CORN. 



With the subjoined letter 1 received a trace of as beau- 

 tiful ears of corn of the Dutton variety as I have ever 

 seen, and was assured that it was only a fiiir specimen of 

 the crop. The letter is a private one hut I hope the lib- 

 erty I take in publishing it will be excused. The su"- 

 gostions in regard to coal ashes, or ashes as a jircventive 

 of the ravages of the wire worm ; and llio use of manure 

 from salt hay are deserving of attention; and will, I hoijc. 



lead to the disclosure or observation of other facts of a 

 similar nature; and which should be given to the public 

 as contributions to the general stock of agricultural know- 

 ledge. H. C. 



West Neeuham, February 15th, 1839. 

 To llie Commissioner of AjjricuUural Survey, 



De.4r Sir— I send you a sample of some corn which 

 was grown the last season, the seed of which I obtained 

 from Judge Buel. He sent me two bushels of ears of the 

 Dutton corn. I received it last April, let a neighbor have 

 one half, the other half I shelled ; Irad half a bushel, and 

 planted it between the 14th and 20th May on three 

 acres of ground ; one half acre of it came up well, the re- 

 mainder two and a half acres the yellow wire worm, as 

 we call them, destroyed one third part of the corn that 

 was planted, by eating into the kerneljust after sprouting. 

 Some part of the ground where ilic worms ate, I planted 

 the second time but it did not amount to much. On the 

 half acre that the worms did not infest I had thirtysix 

 bushels. On the three acres together I had one hundred 

 and fifty bushels of shelled corn according to measure- 

 ment. The reason I assign for the worms not eating in 

 the half acre is that the manure that was put into tho hill 

 was mixed with hard coal ashes. The whole three acres 

 were in one piece and manured in the hill about five 

 cords to an acre of barn maimre and pond muck mixed 

 in compost, except the half acre that was mixed with 

 ashes. The land is what we call plain land ; loamy soil 

 not in high cultivation. The corn was not fit to harvest 

 until September. Although the season was very dry the 

 corn was green through the season. I did not know a leaf 

 to roll, when adjoining fields suflered very much with 

 the drought, I assign the reason partly to the soil and 

 ploughing deep ; and partly to tlie barn manure which is 

 made a considerable part from salt hay. 



Yours, with respect, BENJ. SLACK 



Mr Henry Colmsn. 



SILK CULTURE. 



We have received three books on the Silk Culture 

 from Mr Kenrick, Mr Cobb and Mr Whitmarsh, one 

 from each ; of which the first moment of leisure we shall 

 give an account. The silk business properly so speaking 

 can be expected to make very little progress, while the 

 mulberry tree speculation is going on. This speculation 

 however may be expected indirectly to aid the silk busi- 

 ness; as it will fill the coimtry with the first requisite, 

 the means of supporting the "operatives." While this 

 speculation however is rife, every species of fraud, which 

 can be introduced into it, will be likewise going on in a 

 kind of " under-tow ;" and many vexatious disappoint- 

 ments may be looked for. We have already heard of frauds 

 in this matter, with men who claim to be respectable, 

 which make us blush for human natue. We say to those 

 who are disposed to engage in the business with a view 

 to ultimate and reasonable success, " keep yourselves 

 cool ; look before you leap ; wait until the boat gets to 

 the wharf before you spring for the shore ; and be sure 

 when you do jump, that it is solid land on which you in- 

 tend to place your feet and build your fire ; and not on 

 Sinbad's island which proved only the back of a floating 

 whale. The silk business is certain to succeed in tlie 

 country, only as every other business that is worthy of 

 success can succeed, by knowledge, skill, prudence, fru- 

 gality, perseverance and industry; but the idea, which 

 really seems to have addled the brains of some men, of 

 planting a monis uiullicaulis tree at night, and going out 

 the next morning and finding half a dozen pair of silk 

 gloves and hose with laced cloiiks dangling from the 

 branches, and perhaps, if the wheel of fashion has got 

 far enough round for lliat, to find besides a pair of black 



silk breeches with diamond knee buckles fastened to iji, 

 strap on the same tree, partakes a little too much of ih, 

 romantic for such sober people as we are to encourage. , 

 Mr Whitmarsh's opinions are professedly grounde 

 upon experience and observation. His experience i 

 eight years old ; and his observation embraces the bes 

 silk district in France and Italy. He states one fact witl, 

 emphatical distinctness; that the seed of no mulberr, 

 can be expected with confidence to produce its like ; ami 

 though he does not commit himself by naming any par J 

 licular tree, t*ie inference from his advice and observaJ 

 tion is strongly against the morus miilticaulis for ou, 

 northern latitudes. Our columns are open to any fai 

 and calm discussion of these matters. H. C. 



THE WAR IN MAINE. I 



We are sorry that just after our Geologist had give 

 us such charming accounts of the wheat soils on th 

 Aroostook, our possession of it should be made matter < 

 violent question; and that our brother farmers in Maim 

 instead of being engaged in stacking their grain in thes 

 fields should be occupied in the far less profitable and les 

 welcome employment of stacking their arms. We ar 

 as sorry to say that the prospect of peace is not cloudiest 

 The general government are evidently disposed to adjuf 

 the misunderstanding by negotiation ; but when will thi 

 negotiation begin and when will it end.' Will Main 

 agree to it .' Having marched her troops up the hill, wil 

 she be satisfied with marching them down again ? If sh 

 refuses to withdraw her troops, can the general govern 

 ment compel her to withdraw them ? and how can tha 

 be done but by direct collision .' If she refuses to with 

 draw them, and the government fail to compel her t 

 withdraw them, will Great Britain ever consent to negc 

 tiate, while Maine holds armed possession of the territor 

 in dispute .' Can the fire of war be lighted up in that tei 

 ritory and not extend along the whole line .' and the 

 come misery and wretchedness and crime and oulr.->g 

 over the whole country, like the inundation of one c 

 our mighty rivers. Suppose we have a general war wil. 

 Great Britain, shall we be able to carry our point withoi 

 negotiation .' Admit, as we have no doubt that she is i 

 the wrong ; admit her rapacity for conquest and the ea 

 tension of her empire in every possible direction fo- 

 which she has always been notorious, do we soberly e» 

 pect to whip her into the traces .= What is to be the cosi 

 of a war to Maine suppose success certain after a thre 

 years' conflict .' What is to be the cost of a war to ou 

 commercial, cotton and manufacturing interests .' 

 We might go on to ask these questions until the sui 

 comes back again to to the spot where he now is, but i 

 is not necessary. We have our own opinion on all iIk s 

 matters; but in the Farmer they are contraband and r:iii 

 not be admitted. War is no child's play. A battalion o 

 troops drawn up in their clean-washed regiiiientals, ii 

 front of the State House on Boston Common, with tlici 

 sparkling armor and their gilded epauletets, and all ili< 

 charms of the soul-stirring bugle and the deep tuiic( 

 drum filling the air in the month of June is a very prett' 

 affair. But a battalion of men calling themselves chris 

 tiaiis, with tho ferocily of tigers dealing death from : 

 thousand blazing cannon among men like themselves 

 strewing the fields broadcast with the mutilated, thed\inf 

 and the dead, and then raising their arms crimsoned wilii 

 human gore in the fiendlike exultation of conquest, makci 

 one shudder with horror, and distrust one's own identity 

 as a human being ; and ask in the ftone of the angtl in 

 Franklin's fable, " who coming down to the earth in the 

 lime and on the very spot of a battle between two fleets 

 in the West Indies, when he saw the decks of the ships 

 bespattered with blood and brains, and saw the headless 

 trunks rolling about and the scattered and smoking limb,". 



