)!•. XXII. NO. 41. 



AND HORTICULTURAL REGISTER, 



323 



bjsliel or 80, nnd if the drain terminates, as 



ns sniiietimes do, on a hard roiid, let liim leave 

 lall l:en|) of OjIs in every black puddle. VVticn 

 Inll have done this, let hlni cause some of itio 

 i '.11 be scallered in every direction round his 

 le, nnil tnke every possible precuution so that 

 birds of the air, the mice and rats of the field, 

 fish s of the pond-s and the crnepinjj thinjjs of 

 earth, may come in for a share of the Oats, 

 farmor'a neighbors may call him mad, but 

 lini not mind this. Ulysses was formerly call- 

 nad for s.owiiinr snit, but now, many people sow 

 who are considered sensible, and even clever, 

 the enterprising improver keep perseveringly 

 vith this practice for — s.iy three weeks. On 

 bout this period, the ribs of each of his three 

 ns, when in single harness, will probably form 

 ry re.-pectahle representation of a park palinpf. 

 |.his point it is lime to pause, and seriously ask 

 iself the question, whether it is wise for a man 

 liallv to facilitate the waste and destruction of 

 luce which it has cost him much money to gain, 

 the economical management of which will pro- 

 e more money. That which we have imagined 

 ossible for a farmer to do with his horsefood, is 

 a whit more unwise than the practice of some 

 ■enly farmers with respect to their Manures, 

 igt Oats are to his horses, — Manure, and espe. I 

 \y the liquid and gaseous portions of Manure, 

 to his fields. Every atom of earth which comes 

 ( contact with his dung, preserves for it some 

 ts fertilising virtues,' yet he accumulates it in 

 lavcd yards. Every breath of air that passes 

 r it becomes the veliicle for carrying the vola- 

 gascs, in which plants delight, from the far- 

 r's dung-yard to everybody else's field ; yet he 

 !ps it for a year uncovered with mould. Every 

 ip of rain which falls from the heavens, dissolves 

 ne of its most valuible portions, and conveys it 

 ay to loss ; yet the good man never dreams of 

 king a tank, in order to preserve a substance 

 sry pound of which, Liebij tells us, will suffice 

 grow a pound of wheat. Nothing can show 

 )re clearly than this national waste, the necessi- 

 of men being made acquainted with the laws of 

 sture wh.ch can never be transgressed with im- 

 nity ; which combine to ruin every man who re- 

 rds them not ; whilst there is not one law 

 longst them which, if understood, may not be 

 ide the ready and willin>,' instrument of his will. 

 ■Maid$lone (Eng.) Gaz. 



Sea-taeedas Manure. — I beg to inform your cor- 

 spondent " M. T.," in reply to his inquiry in your 



DANA'S PRIZE ESSAY ON MANURES. 



Section Elkventh. 

 Of .Irlificial Mire Beds. 

 But there is a fashion in manures as well as in 

 other things, and salipetrf is now so fashionable, 

 that yon may be inclined to use it. Be it so. I 

 will show you, reader, how to make it for yourself, 

 and at the same time form a large pile of capital 

 mould. But as you have began to inquire a little 

 into the reason of things, let us go a little into the 

 reasons why the earth under all barns where cattle 

 are kept, why the plaster of old houses and cellar 

 walls, always afford saltpetre. You well know 

 that this is the case, and why ? We have already 

 told you that the acid of saltpetre, that is, the aqua 

 fortis, ia formed of the air we breathe. .Now alka- 

 lies and porous bodies compel (he constituents of 

 air, under certain circumstances, to unite and form 

 aqua-fortis, and this immediately unites to the al- 

 kali and forms saltpetre. The best alkali to com- 

 pel this union is ammonia. Hence, where plenty 

 of animal matter is fermenting, or rotting, or where 

 plenty of urine is, there, porous bodies being pres- 

 ent, saltpetre will be formed. Now this is enough 

 for you to understand the principle upon which I 

 propose to you to form an artificial nitre bed for 

 your own use. U has been found that the manure 

 of twentyfive cows, asses and mules, in layers of 

 about four inches thick, with layers of the same 

 thickness of chalky soil, first one and then the oth- 

 er, and now and then damped with the urine of the 

 stable, produces from 1000 to 1200 pounds of salt- 

 petre in four years. 



The heap is formed under cover, and occasion- 

 ally shovelled over. At the end of two years, it is 

 a mass of rich mould. It is left two years longer, 

 with an occasional turning over, but it is not wet 

 with urine for the last few monihs. The dung the 

 farmer has always ; he wants the porous chalky 

 body. This may be furnished by spent ashes, 

 mixed up with its bulk of loam. Hence the fol- 

 lowing rule may be given: One cord of clear cow- 

 dung, one cord of spent ashes, one cord of loam, 

 or swamp muck. Mix the ashes and the swamp 

 muck well, and having hard-rammed the barn cel- 

 lar floor, or that under a shed, lay a bed upon it 

 four inches thick of these mixed materials ; then a 

 layer of dung, three or four inches thick, and so 

 on, till the pile is two or three feet high, topping 

 off with loam. Wet it occasionally with urine, 

 keeping it always about as moist as garden mould. 

 Shovel over once a fortnight for two years. The 

 pile now contains about fiftv pounds of several va 



si Gazette, that I do not live near enough to the ricties of saltpetre, and mixed ■ throughout with 

 a to avail myself of the weed as a manure, but I nearly three cords of excellent manure. It may 

 ive conversed with farmers who are in the habit therefore be now used according to the farmers 



judgment. By thoughtful management, he may, 

 after the first two years, annually collect as many 

 fifty pounds as he employs cords of cow dung. But, 

 however prepared, nitre affords, by its elements, 

 nourishment to plants. All its parts act. Its al- 

 kali acts, and its acid acts. 



(To bo conlinued.) 



using it, and their account is, that for a single 

 ■op, it answers well, but that it seems to melt 

 ivay in the earth. Nevertheless, the repeated use 

 'it must, in the end, materially affect the staple 

 fthe soil ; for, besides a great multitude of ani- 

 lalcules and small Crustacea always entangled in 

 , a considerable quantity of inorganic substances 

 lUst be thus accumulated, for it contains potash, 

 ada, sulphur, lime and magnesia. The sea-weed 

 I seldom carted before decomposition has begun, 

 ecause the quantity of water which it contains 

 fhen fresh, adds so much both to its weight and 

 ulk ; and before that process begins it would be 

 seless. — L. V. Harcourt, in the London Jgrkiilt. 

 Hazt'.te. 



Ingratitude.— We all shudder at the imputation 

 of ingratitude, as a vice including all others, yet 

 how few of us are willing to employ a moment in 

 even contemplating that benevolent Being who 

 called us out of nothing, privileged us with exis- 

 tence, and made us candidates for a glorious im- 

 mortality ! 



MIDDLESEX CATTLE SHOW 

 and Plowing Mulch at Concord, October '2, 1S44. 

 The Middlesex Society of Husbandman and 

 Manufacturers hereby offer the following premiums 

 for the encouragement of Agriculture, Manufac- 

 tures, and the cultivation of trees within the Coun- 

 ty of Middlesex : 



Live Stock. 

 For the best Fat Ox, at least expense, 

 the next best, 



the best bull, not under 1 yr. old, or over 3, 

 the next best, 

 the best Bull Calf, no over ^'i nor under 



3 months, 

 the next best, 



the best yoke of Working Oxen, 

 the next best, 

 the next best, 

 the next best, 

 the next best, 

 the best 3 year old Steers, 

 the next best, 

 the best 2 year old Steers, 

 the next best, 

 the best yearling Steers, 

 the next best, 

 the best Calf Steers, 

 the next best, 

 the best .Milch Cow, 

 the next best, 

 the next best, 

 the next best, 



the best Milch Heifer, under 3 years old, 

 the next best, 

 the best S year old. Heifer, not having had 



a calf, 

 the next best, 

 the best yearling Heifer, 

 the next best, 

 the best Heifer Calf, not over 12, nor under 



3 months, 

 the next best, 

 None of the above animals, except Calves, will 

 be entitled to premiums, unless they have been 

 owned in the County of Middlesex, at least six 

 months previous to the time of exhibition. Milch 

 cows and heifers will not be entitled to a premium 

 unless the owner furnishes a certificate, showing 

 the mode of keeping, and quantity of milk given 

 or butter made. 



Domestic Manufactures. 

 For the best piece of plain Cloth, not less 

 than 15 yards, 3-4 yard wide, $4 



the next best, -• 



For the best piece of Woollen Flannel, not 

 less than 20 yards, 3-4 wide, 

 the next best. 

 For the best Ladies' long Hose, not less than 

 3 pair, 



the next best, 

 For the best piece of Woollen Frocking, not 



less than 16 yards, 7-8 yard wide. 

 For the best Cotton and Woollen Frocking, 



not less than (J yards, 7-8 wide, 

 A written statement of the mode of preparing, 

 and a minute and accurate account of the expense 

 of manufacturing said articles, must be exhibited. 

 (Remainder in our next.) 



$8 

 6 

 8 

 C 



4 



2 



8 



7 



6 



5 



4 



6 



3 



5 



3 



4 



2 



4 



2 



8 



6 



4 



3 



6 



3 

 4 

 2 



4 

 2 



Physical education is as indispensable to mental 

 culture, as seed and tillage to agriculture. 



