.^.50 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



A WD HOUTICDLTCRAL RK6I9TER. 



Boston, Wbdnesday, Mat a, 1839. 



i.-LfeVEritk AGRICULTURAL MEETING AT 

 THE STATE HOUSE. 



CULTIVATION AND DEPTH OF PI.OIGHING. ' 



(Concluded.) 

 Tlic d<-,,tli of ploughing vvlrch is to he advised, must 

 depend upon many circiirnslanccs, wliich necessarily 

 vary much, and will be found very differently combined 

 in diRerent situations. 



T.ije food of vegetables is to be found, so far as it 

 depends on the soil, in the decayed organic matter, 

 which is there deposited ; and which forms with vari- 

 ous intermixtures the mould. The earths or salts ejtist- 

 ing in the soil, or forming its substraliiin act only as 

 condiments or stimulants or preparers of this vegelable 

 matter that it may be in a condition to bo laken^up by 

 the roots of the plants. Theylhemselves furnish but in 

 a very slight and inconsiderable degree the materials 

 out of which the plants are formed. The simple earths 

 themselves liave no nutritive pioperties. In a single 

 state, as in pure sand or pure clay for example, tirey 

 have no action whatever, and are incapable of prodi,«ing 

 or sustaining vegetable growth. In combination, mixed 

 with manures, the remains ofdecayed organic substances 

 either vegetable or animal, and exposed to the action of 

 air, moisture, light, and heat, they become active and 

 the seed germinates, and the plants grow, and the fruits 

 are n.aiured in them. Cold, inert, gravelly earth, 

 brought, as one gentleman ob.servod, from the bottom of 

 a well, became fertile and produced clover. It imbibed 

 undoubtedly some [winciples of fertility from the air. 

 Vegetable matter in the form of dust is continually float- 

 ing about, and much of it would light and be retained 

 on such d heap. Then after vegetati..n had once com- 

 menced in such a situation, the natural decay of the 

 plants would itself serve to enrich the soil, and furnish 

 food for future plants. The more vegetable matter in 

 the soil the richer the soil. The exuberantly lich west- 

 ern soils in the great valley of the Mississippi are tte 

 deep deposits of decayed vegetable matter, the vast ac- 

 cumulations of past centuries. In jure vegetable mat- 

 ter, if such could be found, in unmixed manures either 

 of animal or vegetable origin, vegetation becomes ple- 

 thoric and diseased. The intermixture of it therefore 

 with sails and earths is essential to put it in the best 

 condition for vegetable nutriment. The electrical or 

 galvanic operation of such intermixtures and combina- 

 tions is supposed to constitute an important office or in- 

 strumentality in promoting vegetable orowth. 



Another point which seems settled is, that the activity 

 and usefulness of manures are increased in proportion 

 as they are kept near the surface, and as they, with the 

 earths with which they are combined, are brought in 

 contact with solar and atmospheric influences Placed 

 directly upon the surface much of their usefulness is 

 lost by evaporation. Wo cannot do in this case exactly 

 as we would; some of the manure will bo necessarily 

 exposed ; some will be of necessity placed too deep ; 

 but though the expression may not be strictly grammat- 

 ical, we thinU we shall be best understood, when we say 

 that manures should be covered but not buried. 



Another matlet to be considered in the case is the 

 nature of the plant which you propose to cultivate. 

 The cereal grains gather their principal nourishment 

 from near the surfice. Long tap rooted vegotahhis 

 such as the carrot and parsnip and so likewise the wliole 



family of the clovers go down deep Cr their sustenance, 

 and require both for the extension of their roots and 

 the expansion of their substance, a deep, loose, friable 

 bed. All these matters are to be considered, when you 

 wish to know how deeply you should plough. 

 Do not plough so deep as to bring oolv the cold sub- 

 [ soil to the surface, and bury the vegetable mould beyond 

 the reach of the active influences of the sun and air. Do 

 I not brin? any more o( the gravelly and cold sub-soil to 

 I the surface than you haw the means of enriching with 

 I manures. Cultivate your tap-rooted vegetables only on 

 j soils that have been already deeply cultivated and en- 

 I riched ; or where y,ni have such a depth of soil that 

 they can stretch themselves out at their pleasure, with- I 

 out the danger of starvtion. Then again, be trying I 

 continually to deepen your soil by ploughing a littl 

 deeperand a little deeper every year. What cannot 

 be done by a single blow, may be effected by gradual 

 approaches. We are perfertly convinced, that lor wheat 

 in our old soils, deep ploughing is indispensable. Wheat 

 seems to require, what Dr Siebbins calls, a virgin earth. 

 Whether, as some persons suppose, the particular ele- 

 ments or ingredients in the soil necessary to the growth 

 of wheat, have, by cultivation, become exhausted ; or 

 whether according to the profound conjectures and'ex- 

 perimenis of De Candolle, the excrementitious deposits 

 of the plant have poisoned the soil f„r its successive and 

 repealed cultivation, no one is as yet prepared to d.-cide ; 

 but experiments, repeated and decisive experiment.s| 

 have determined that where a fresh soil is turned up 

 and properly managed, the wheat crop among us has 

 ver been known to fiil. 



The greatest improvements, however, are to be confi- 

 dently looked for from the introduction of the .sub-soil 

 plough On this subject, we beg leave to refer the far- 

 mers to the first report of the Agricultural Survey. This 

 instrument keeps the vegetable mould at the surface, 

 while it breaks and opens the sub-soil for the extension 

 of the roots of the plants and the reception of the filter- 

 ings of the enriching manures from above. We hope 

 that it will soon be brought into common use among us 

 Many farmers in England said, some time since, that its 

 use had actually doubled their crops ; and the recent ac- 

 counts speak in the highest terms of its continued and 

 increased approval among them. 



This subject of ploughing, the great operation in hus- 

 bandry, deserves much more than this passing glance 

 and we design, hereafter, to give to it a much more ex-' 

 tended notice. What we now offer, are mere hints for I 

 other minds to woik up. " Speed the plough." 



H. V. 



MAY 8, 183n. 



firmed m the cheering persuasion, tl.at the cau«e of^ 

 ricultural .science and improvement is daily makii,.. 

 vances,and claiming that attention fiom the coinmici ,v 

 lo which it is entitled by its eminent importance 



ii e 



SECOND llEPoaroF THE AGRll 11 TUIil't K 

 MASSACn(I.SET'l\-5 

 As some omissions and inisiarriageshave been asce i- 

 tained.wehopeitwillbe d emed excusable in taUi ,g 

 this method to ..ay to our a^i cultural correspondents o it 

 of the State, that this document was duly transmitl-d 

 by m.iil to the 



Southern Agriculturist, at Charleston, S. C. 

 Franklin Farmer, Frankforr, Kentuckv. 

 Indiana Farmer, Indianapdlis, Ind. 

 Ohio Fanner, Columbus, Ohio. 

 Farmer's Register, Petersburg, Vir. 

 Baltimore Farmer & Gardener, Baltimore, Md. 

 Am. Silk Society's Journal, J,,. 



Fanner's Cabinet, Philadelphia, Penn. 

 Stlk Grower, Jo. 



Culiivator, Albany, N. Y. 

 Genesee Farmer, Rochester, N. Y. 

 New York Farmer, New York city. 

 Rural Library, do. 



Silk Cu'lurist, Hartford, Ct. 

 IMonthly Visitor, Concord, N. H. 

 Yankee Farmer, Portland, Me. 

 Maine Farmer, Winthrop, Me. 

 i Iflhese copies have failed to reach their destination 

 and the slightest intimation should be given of a wish to' 

 receive the Report, it shall be forwarded with much 

 pleasure; not from any conceit of its value, but as a to- 

 ken of the author's respect for his co-laborers of the ag. 

 ricultural fraternity, and his desire to keep the chain of 

 correspondence between them bright and strong. 



May 6, I83i). ^ ^■ 



TWELFTH AGRICULTURAL MEETING. 

 It was our intention to have given a full report of the 

 twelfth and histagricultural meeting, liolden at the Stale 

 House in April, but our notes in this case are too imper- 

 fect to make one out lo our salisfacti.m and to do justice 

 to the gentlemen who took part in the discussion. The 

 subject princ pally discussed was the application of man- 

 ures. Dr. Keep went pretty largely into the subject of 

 the use of lime and ashes, ami the formation of compost. 

 He was kind enough t.> promise us a full report of his 

 remarks, which were highly instructive and interesting. 

 The note, for fear of its being out-Iawed, we have al- 

 ready had renewed, that it therefore stands pretty well; 

 but ifnol paid at maturity, weassure ourfriend, tlio Dr, 

 that it will " be lodged for collection." 



The meeting broke up with an expression ofstron" 

 satisfaction on the pan of those present, in these repeal- 

 ed interviews and interchanges of sympathies, infornia- 

 lion, and experiences, and of a strong conviction of their 

 utility. From various indications, we feel slrongly con- 



DENNIS' SILK .MANUAL. 

 ^ We have received from the author, a copy of Dennis- 

 Silk Manual, containing complete directions for cultivat- 

 ing and manufacturing silk, to profit, from the raising of 

 j the tree and worm lo the perfection of the article for 

 sale, with a lull account of his newly invented reel 

 We had designed to have given the figure of this reel in 

 our present number, but of necessity omit it. The book 

 is written in a full, detailed, and practical style— show- 

 ing the results of personal practice and observation, and 

 deserves patronage. It has another merit— that of'c'on- 

 taining four times as much information on the subject 

 I as some books for which four times the price is asked. It 

 is sold at 25 cts. a copy. Kilk Directories and Manuals 

 seem to be coming up as if they had been sown broad 

 cast ill a nursery bed. j^j r. 



Maasncbusells Horticultural Society. 



EX-HlBITION OF FLOWEKS. 



Saturday, May 4, 1839. 



By Thomas Lee, Esq , Brookline, a fine specimen of 

 Rosa var. bouquet. On this stem of .54 roses, about 40 

 have expanded. This is the third flowering from a bud 

 put into a Noisette, planted in the green house last June. 

 Also, fine specimens of the following plants, viz.: dar- 

 kens, Alba and Pulchella ; Collinsia bioolor; Cafceo- 

 laria pallida; Senecio, double purple; Centaurea lu- 

 lea; Phlox Drummondi ; Veibena melindris, g. flora ■ 

 Yellow Tea; Hymeneal do; Bolwiller; Double Mc- 

 Cartney; Black Birch; Mespilus Arborea; double Cherry 



By Mr David Haggerslnn, from the garden of J. p' 

 Cushing, Esq . Waterunvn : Combrelum purpureum 

 (fine); Grevelle Rose ; Magnolia Thompsoniana. 

 For the Committee. 



S. WALKER, Chairman. 



