190 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



DKC. 4, ig3v 



it at the last meeting of the society in this county, 

 and find it took very well with the farmers in this 

 section. We have already had orders for some ten 

 bushels of it for seed. 



Concluding that what we raised would go but 

 little way in supplying the demand, and desiring 

 not again to be treed with corn, we proceeded per 



tural world. In these warehouses, seedstores and 

 nurseries, may be found ploughs, harrows, rollers, 

 i>nd all the tools and implements required by the 

 frriuer and gardener; seeds of the purest and most 

 approved varieties, and fruit and forest trees suita- 

 ble for every situation. A large proportion of the 

 farmers purchase at these stores their seed wheat. 



Bonally to the farm of Mr Brown, a distance of 95 I their grass seeds, &,c., and by long experience, the 



miles, examined his, field, and purchased so much of 

 his corn as he would spare, suitable for seed, which 

 in due time we shall have on hand for the accom- 

 modation of farmers in this section. 



A few days since we received the following let- 

 ter from Mr Brown, which we take the liberty to 

 publish. 



MouUonhoro\ (Lomr Island,} Oct 10th, 18-39. 



B. Cooke, Esi^, — Dear Sir — I harvested my corn 

 last week, and }ii|ve a fine lot of seed traced in fine 

 order. On accoiint of tracing so much, 1 could not 

 measure it in the usual way, but had it weighed by 

 the man appointed to measure crops for premiums. 

 The whole crop on the acre, in ears, weighed 8051 

 lbs. We shelled both of tji«' traced and the un- 

 traced, to get the amount in bushels — ofthat which 

 was traced 70 lbs. made a bushel; of that which 

 was not traced 68 3 4 lbs. made a bushel-^whole 

 amount 110 bushels. We first went over tlie piece 

 and selected all that was suitable for seed, which 

 was e-ver one-half in weight. 



Mr Lamprey measured his in the usual way, by 

 measuring all in a basket and shelling one basket 

 full, and had 131 bushels, for which he obtained the 

 first premium. Mr Pilsbury, on Cow island, meas- 

 ured his in the same way and had 130, and took 

 the second premium, there being but two premi- 

 ums ottered by the society. But the committee on 

 crops, considering the exact manner in which 1 ob- 

 tained the measurement, and superior quality of the 

 specimen which I presented, recommended in their 

 report to award mo a premium, which was accept- 

 ed, and I obtained a premium for the excellence of 

 ray corn. It seecicd to be the opinion of many be- 

 fore harvest, that I should have the most on an 

 acre, but the season being more suitable for their 

 ground, it being dryer than mine, partly accounts 

 for the result, and the manner they measured, which 

 cannot be so e,\act as that of weighing, will also 

 partly account for it. By ploughing in the manure 

 very deep, I did not probably get so much of the 

 strength of it as if the season hail been dryer, but I 

 would not discourage the practice of deep plough- 

 ing, and well mixing the manure with tlie soil. I 

 still think it the best way; if some seasons we do 

 not get so mudh of its strength, we retain the ma- 

 nure and enrich the soil. 



I am yours, with respect, 



JOHN HUOWN. -^d. 



AGRICULTURAL WAREHOUSES. 



One of the great causes which has led to the su- 

 periority of English agriculture, is to be found in 

 the establishment of agricultural warehouses, nur- 

 series, seedstores, &c., in all the principal cities 

 and villages of tlie kingdom, where agricultural im- 

 plements of the best kinds, seeds and trees of the 

 best qualitv and varieties can be obtained by all 

 who wish them, at reasonable rates. The estab- 

 lishments of Loudon, andof Knight, in London, and 

 of Lawson and Dickens, in Edinburgh, are celebra- 

 ted for the e.xtent of their collections, the great 

 amount of business they perform, and the acknowl- 

 edged benefits they have conferred on the agricul- 



proprietors of these establishments, knowing the 

 kind and quality of the soil, can better apportion 

 the kinds and quantity of seed required for such 

 lands than the cultivators themselves. So exten- 

 sive and necessary have these branches of business 

 become, that in a late number of the London Gar- 

 dener's Gazette, a list of thoie the most distinguish- 

 ed are given from the principal cities and towns, 

 amounting to no less than 800. 



In the U. States, such establishments could 

 scarcely be less useful than they have proved abroad ; 

 yet their number is very limited, compared with 

 what we think the advancement of agriculture, and 

 the benefit of the farmer demand. A few, howev- 

 er, exist, and we hope their success will be such as 

 to cause the establishment of others at all the prin- 

 cipal points of our country. If in every principal 

 city or village the farmer could be certain of find- 

 ing at some store or warehouse, the implements he 

 needs, of the best kinds and quality, he would es- 

 teem it a favor, as saving him much trouble in col 

 looting from various places the articles he wants. 

 And so with places for the sale of seeds and trees, 

 which are becoming daily more useful and indis- 

 pensable. 



The agricultural warehouse of Mr Brack,* at 

 Boston, the publisher of the New England Farmer, 

 is one of the mo;t extensive in New England, if 

 not in the United States, and has been found of es- 

 sential service to the farmers of that region. In 

 the city of New York, a beginning was made some 

 years since by Mr Fleet, then publisher of the New 

 York Farmer, in establishing such a warehouse, 

 and is now carried on with spirit, and we trust suc- 

 cess, by J. W. Weaver & Co., 79 Barclay street. 

 With the warehouse is connected a seed establish- 

 ment, conducted on liberal and honorable princi- 

 ples, and deserving the notice and patronage of the 

 public. At Albany, Mr W. Thorburn (not of Chi- 

 nese Tree Corn memory,) has added the disposal of 

 agricultural implements to his former business as a 

 seedsman, and is doing much to bring within the 

 reach of farmers in that vicinity, the best imple- 

 ments required by the cultivator of the soil. Seve- 

 ral minor establishments have also been opened in 

 the State, the business of which is rapidly increas- 

 ing, and the benefits of which are every year more 

 clearly felt and acknowledged. Among the seed 

 stores of the State, the Rochester one holds a dis- 

 tinguished place for extent and usefulness, and the 

 new arrangeiTients of Mr Bateham will doubtless 

 give it greater eflSciency and activity, and conse- 



quently diffuse its benefits more extensively througl 

 the district. 



We always hail the establislinunt of nurseriei 

 of fruit or forest trees, warehouses for the sale o 

 agricultural implements, and seed stores for th( 

 dissemination of seeds of good quality, and man; 

 variety, as an omen of good to t!ie country ; as i 

 proof that the spirit of inquiry and observation i 

 awake, and that our farmers are beginning to ap 

 predate the difference that exists between iiiiple 

 ments of the same name, and seeds of the same vt 

 riety. Good tools and good seeds are indispeuBa 

 ble to good farming, and this should be understoO' 

 and practised upon by the farmer. A choice c 

 seed will not unfrequently make a difference ( 

 one-third or even more, in a crop of wheat or con 

 and in nothing do farmers err more frequently tha 

 in sowing an impure, heterogeneous mass calle 

 grass seeds, but in reality made up of all manner ( 

 foul stuff for grass seed, thus propagating and pe' 

 petuating various nuisances on their farms. W 

 say, let warehouses and seed stores be well patrol 

 ized so long as they furnish ffood tools and pui 

 seeds. The country reaps the benefit. — Genei 

 Farmer. 



"This warei.oiise is 90 by 30 feet, and covers a space 

 of 2700 square Icjet, occupying 5 floors, making 13,500 

 square feet of flooring— every part of the building being 

 filled to ovorflowing'wilii the best and most approved 

 kinds of agricultural and horticultural implements, as 

 well as the largest and best assortment of every variety 

 uffidd, grass, garden and flower seeds to be found In 

 imy establisbmont of tlic kind in the United States, 

 During the time this establishment has been in existence, 

 (a period of something like 17 years,) no pains b 

 been spared in the improvement of the various depart- 

 nients, in regard to its internal arrangement, quality 

 and superior finish of the tools, excellency of the seed 

 &c. J. B. 



SOAP MAKING. 



Much difficulty is often experienced by thoi 

 who manufacture their own soap ; frequently i 

 deed the operation succeeds well, but sometimes 

 totally fails from unknown causes. Often wh 

 every precaution has been apparently taken, coi 

 plete failure has been the consequence ; and t 

 time is not long past, when some have even declt 

 ed that they believed their soap was beicilched. I 

 if the rationale on which the process is founded, 

 jut understood, the whole becomes simple and ea 

 and may be performed with an absolute certainty 

 success. 



Common soft soap is composed of oil (or fat,) r 

 potash. The potash is obtained from comn 

 wood ashes, by causing water to run through 

 which dissolves the potash contained in the ash 

 and leaves the residue behind. The manner 

 which the oil or grease is obtained is well kno^ 

 These are made to unite and form soap by be 

 boiled a^ well stirred together. 



OneWthe first requisites in soap making is t 

 there should be a sufficient quantity of potash t 

 solved in the water, or in other words, that the 

 should be strong : this is readily ascertained by 

 egg ; if the egg floats the ley is sufficiently stroi 

 if it sinks, it is too weak, and must be increasec 

 strength by evaporating a part of the water by b 

 ing, or by passing it again through ashes. 



But it not unfrequently happens that the 

 found by trial to be too strong, and yet good s 

 cannot be produced. This is almost always ow 

 to the potash of the ley not being caustic, or cr 

 ble of corroding the skin, which state is absoh 

 ly requisite to success. Potash in its purest s 

 is highly caustic ; but when ashes have been 

 some time exposed to the air, they gradually 

 sorb from it a portion of the peculiar kind of 

 existing in small proportion in it, known by 

 name of carbonic acid, which destroys the cat 

 properties of the potash, and renders it unfit for 

 manufacture of soap. Now, as quick lime he 

 stronger attraction for carbonic acid than po 

 has, it is only necessary to place a quantity of 1 

 in the proportion of half a bushel of lime for ah- 

 head of good ashes, in the bottom of the leech 

 fore filling it, and it will abstract the carbonic 



