414 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



JVKE 17, H4' 



ing but one boundless field of waving grass with 

 here and there a little grove, which appear like 

 little specks or miniature islets upon this vast ver- 

 dant ocean. It is a " grand prairie" indeed. In 

 this vast soliludf, man with all his powers sinks 

 into utter insignifii-ance : — the beholder is a.ston- 

 islied — his thoughts expand with his perc-eption — 

 but they will recur to himself, and th^n he Iccls his 

 nothingness. The least reflecting man is sensible 

 to the grandeur of the scenery upon iha AUegha- 

 nies — but here much more so, for the scene is truly 

 sublime. 



Pour miles from Pawpaw we came to Allen's 

 grove where we stopped for the night, the next 

 house upon our rnute being sixteen miles. We 

 were now in Ogle county. The land here is not 

 yet surveyed and consequently not in market. 



From Allen's our route was to plum grove, seven 

 miles, thence to Brodie's grove, nine miles ; — we 

 enjoyed the same unbounded prospect as the day 

 before. As we advance north the prairie becomes 

 drier and more sandy. In the liollows between the 

 swells ne found miiny shallow ponds but no good 

 water in the whole distance. The next house was 

 at Driscol's grove, seven miles, and fearing that night 

 (night overtake us we stopped at Brodie's. 

 [Continued on page 420.) 



From the Newr Genesee Farmer. 



USE OF LONG MANURE. 

 Much has been said in the Genesee Farmer 

 and other agricultural journals, during the last four 

 or five years, to show the great advantage of using 

 manure in its fresh and unftrmented state. It has 

 often been asserted that by the process of fermen- 

 tation in the heap, or lying in the yard until parti- 

 ally rotted, much of its strength- escapes and is 

 lost, that might be saved by <lepositiiig it in the 

 ,^ound in its fresh state, there to undergo the pro- 

 cess necessary to prepare it as food for plants. 

 This new practice seems to have obtained pretty 

 generally, and the results have proved satisfactory 

 to those who have publisheil them. 



■ Being fond of new things myself sometimes, I 

 subscribed practically, and without further inquiry 

 10 this theory, and have for several years used large 

 quantities of coarse manure from the horse stable 

 and yard, in its rank state, and tried it on a 

 variety of soils and crops until I am fully satisfied 

 it is not best for me, whatever may be the opinion or 

 practice of others. I have, in some instances, put 

 from CO to 70 wagon loads upon an acre of 

 ground, ploughed it under and covered it well, and 

 received but very little benefit from it to the crop 

 the first year, especially if the season proved rather 

 a dry one. Nor could I ever trust to its moulder- 

 ed remains for a crop the year following, for on 

 ploughmg it to the surface there appeared to be 

 but very little substance remaining to benefit a 

 second crop ; but like a burnt rag the air dis- 

 solves it, and the winds blow it away, and its prin- 

 ciple eflricl has been successive crops of griiss and 

 weeds, increasing my labor in hoed crops at least 

 four fold, and entailing a more serious calamity in 

 Uie multitude of cut worms and grubs to which it 

 gives birth. 



I was taught, when young, by an experienced 

 farmer, never to use unferinented maimre, especial- 

 ly from the horse stable, for any kind of crop, if 

 other could be obtained ; yet it was considered 

 better than none at all, and often valuable to help 



corn, potatoes, and some other coarse feeding 

 crops. I have seen corn materially injured by 

 using it in the hills in a dry season. 



For the last four years I have dug into the same 

 pieces of ground, large quantities of coarse rank 

 manure, when preparing my garden for early vege- 

 tables, and have always been disappointed in not 

 realizing the benefit I expected either to the crop 

 or soil ; and have been surprised, v.hen working tlie 

 ground, to find so little remains of the liberal 

 dressing of the previous year, and that little, if it 

 had been buried with the spade seven or eight 

 inches, instead of being decomposed, was often dry 

 and mouldy. 



Experience has convinced me that half the 

 quantity of manure that has undergone the process 

 of fermentation in the yard or heap, or has become 

 partially rotted while exposed to the weather, will 

 produce the largest average crop, and whether the 

 season be wet or dry, no disappointment will ensue 

 on account of its use 



I am resolved never to use any more in a raw 

 state, unless it be in the potatoe drill, considering 

 it, as I do, a loss of at least half the value, when 

 compared with that which has been turned over 

 once or twice, and tlioroughly fermented in the 

 heap, and prepared for the immediate use of plants 

 intended to be nourished by it, and the seeds of 

 of weeds entirely destroyed. 



The greatest advantages I have realized from 

 the use of short, unrotted manure, has been by 

 spreading it on the surface of the ground when 

 prepared for seed, and mixed with the soil, but not 

 ploughed under. In this way it protects the crop 

 in time of severe drought, and in a wet season 

 benefits it more than if ploughed under and cover- 

 ed with more than six or eight inches of soil. Af- 

 ter remaining on or near the surface for one sea- 

 son, I think it worth more to turn under with the 

 plough, for the benefit of future crops, than 

 it was in its first state. The experience of every 

 gardener must certainly be against the use of 

 the raw material. 



Too much cannot be said in favor of cooking 

 food for hogs, and other stock; and I would as soon 

 feed my hogs with uncooked potatcje.s as my plants 

 with raw manure. I have tried both, and I think 

 the loss in both cases about the same. 



A. BR V ANT. 



Erie Co. Nursery Bvffalo, J 840. 



AGRICULTUllAL CENSUS, 1840. 

 VVe are happy to perceive that this important 

 subject has been taken up in the proper quarter, 

 and that we are at last to have such an enumera- 

 tion of the agricultural products of I his country, as 

 will furnish some safe estimate of the quantity pro- 

 duced, and the districts in which they are grown. 

 In reply to some suggestions made by ns on this 

 subject, Mr Deberry, the chairman of the commit- 

 tee of agriculture has kindly forwarded us a co]>y 

 of the Instructions for the use and direction of the 

 marshals and their assistants, from which we find 

 that the following series of inquiries are to be pro- 

 poiiiided to every farmer. Although there are 

 some products th.it would be perhaps desir-ible to 

 render it complete, yet it contains all the most essen- 

 tial items, and if carried out in the spirit in which 

 it seems to have been conceived, it will be a col- 

 lection (jf vast importance and value to the coun- 

 try. Had such a census of our agriculture been 

 taken every ten years, the comparison of the tables 

 at different times, would be of the greatest interest. 



as determining the increase in the product of our 

 friends, and the districts in which the greatest fluc- 

 tuations have taken place. 



VVe have one suggestion to make in regard to 

 this matter, which we consider of very great impor- 

 tance. It is this: Let every printer of a news- 

 paper in the country, and all in the cities that print 

 journals for distribution in the country, give a place 

 to the questions which we copy below, and which 

 will be propounded to every farmer in the United 

 States. As it is to be hoped that there are few or 

 no farmers who do not receive some journal, agri- 

 ricultural or otherwise, such a course would be the 

 means of bringing the subject to their notice, and 

 enable them to prepare their answers with greater 

 correctness than they might otherwise be able to 

 do. If every farmer who receives a copy of these 

 interrogatories, would at his leisure sit down, and 

 write against e.ich one the proper reply, not only 

 would the labors of the marshals be greatly expe- 

 dited, hut, which is of more consequence, a greater 

 degree of accuracy would be secured. The mar- 

 shals will commence in June, and proceed through 

 their districts as soon as consistent with accuracy. 

 The interrogatories refer to the crops of 1839, and 

 to the products of that year must the answers relate. 



AGRICULTUKK INTP REOGATIONS, 



What is the number of your horses and mules ? 



How may neat cattle have you ? 



How many sheep ? 



How may swine .' ' 



What is the estimated value of your poultry of all 



kinds ? 

 How many bushels of wheat did you grow in 18:39 ? 

 How many bushels of barley .' 

 How many bushels of oats ? 

 How many bushels of rye? 

 How many bushels of buckwheat ? 

 How many bushels of Indian corn.' 

 How many pounds of wool ? 

 How many pounds of hops ? 

 How many pounds of wax ? 

 How many bushels of potatoes ? 

 How many tons of hay .-' 

 How many tons of hemp and flax .' 

 How many pounds of tobacco.' 

 How many pounds of rice ? 



How many pounds of cotton have you gathered ? 

 How many pounds of silk cocoons ? 

 .How many pounds of sugar ? 

 How many cords of wood have you sold .' 

 What is the value of the products of your dairy ? 

 ^V hat is the value of the products of your orchard ? 

 How niaiiy gallons of wine have you made .* 

 What is the value of your home-made or family 



goods ? 



As intimately connected with these, may be 

 added those relating to horticulture — which are as 

 follows : 

 What was the value of the produce of your market 



gardens in 1839 ? 

 What was the value of the produce of your nursery 



and green house ? 



It is hoped that editors friendly to the cause of 

 agriculture, or who have readers in agricultural 

 districts, will give place to the above interroga- 

 tions, and invite the attention of those interested, 

 that they may be in readiness with their replies. 

 Let the first eflTort for an agricultural census of the 

 United States, be met in a manner tinit shall in- 

 surer the desirable accuracy of the measure. — Mb, 

 Cult. 



