138 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



March 



Mr. Peters does not convert his milk into 

 butter and cheese, but sells it at the door. In 

 this winter visit, we were not able to look at the 

 fields, pastures, banks of discount in the swamps, 

 orchards, or drainage, but have those in antici- 

 pation for a future day. We saw enough, how- 

 ever, to convince us that a strong and systematic 

 mind was engaged in the operations of the farm, 

 and that the introduction of a breed of cattle so 

 well established in good qualities, and so many 

 examples of progress and thrift in feeding, in 

 implements, machinery and general management, 

 must have an important influence upon all who 

 are so fortunate as to see them. 



At the outset of this article, we spoke of a new 

 power in agricultural pursuits. This was exhib- 

 ited at the dinner-table, where a long, interesting 

 and profitable discussion took place upon matters 

 entirely pertaining to the farm, and in which our 

 hostess engaged with an intelligent zeal that 

 proved how closely she sympathized with her hus- 

 band in his business. This is the new poiver to 

 ■which we adverted, and one which is to work as 

 many changes as all other powers beside, except- 

 ing only that of man himself. When the wives 

 and daughters of farmers feel that their call- 

 ing is no less honorable than that of merchants 

 or kings, acquaint themselves with the principles 

 involved in it, and sympathize and sustain those 

 who honor it, then will the farmer spring to that 

 position which all nature points that he should 

 occupy ! 



We commend similar visits to our brethren ; 

 they will break up the monotony of every-day af- 

 fairs, introduce implements, machinery and new 

 modes of practice, and above all, that spirit, or 

 enthusiasm, that the French call esprit de corps, 

 which animates us to better deeds. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 PERTIIilZERS. 



Are Foreign or ExTr.AXEous FuRTU.iZEns Necessart to 

 I'UEVEST N. E. Eaum.s fkom Detekiouation ? 



In your last monthly Farmer you briefly no- 

 tice the dissertation of the Hon. Thomas G. 

 Clemson on Fertilizers. He says, "Farm as you 

 may upon the majority of soils, without the use 

 of extraneous fertilizers, your crops will certain- 

 ly diminish, until total impoverishment shall 

 leave no alternative than starvation or emigra- 

 tion." Such statements, it appears to me, are 

 not only groundless, but calculated, so far as they 

 are believed, to injure the farming community. 



My own experience on four diff'erent farms, 

 and my observation of the experience of others, 

 has satisfied me, that, with strict economy in sav- 

 ing manures, and good judgment in applying 

 them, there are few farms the produce of which, 

 instead of being diminished, might not be doubled 

 in ten years, without the use of any extraneous 

 fertilizers. I know that many of our prominent 

 farmers have expressed the same opinion as Mr. 



Clemson, and consequently have expended large 

 sums of money for guano, superphosphate, &c., 

 and their wonderful efl'ects upon vegetation, as 

 often reported, have led many, to their sorrow, to 

 follow their example. 



I do not wish to be understood to condemn 

 concentrated manures altogether ; perhaps, where 

 you have a field, difiicult of access with lieavy 

 manures, if you obtain a good article, it may pay. 

 But farmers in this vicinity begin to find out, or 

 at least suspect, that many of those fertilizers 

 are as easily "extended" as Burnham's rum, and 

 it is my opinion that we can do without them, 

 and suffer no permanent injury to our farms 

 either. 



Providence has kindly provided, on almost 

 every farm, abundant materials for increasing 

 their fertility ; and I believe you will sustain me 

 when I say, that there is not to be found in Mas- 

 sachusetts an intelligent and enterprising farmer, 

 who saves and judiciously applies the resources 

 of his own farm, whose acres are not from year 

 to voar growing richer and more productive. 



Wedboro', Jan. 12, 1861. R. M. 



Remarks. — We entirely agree with the re- 

 marks of our correspondent above. In collect- 

 ing matter for the Farmer, we endeavor to make 

 it a newspaper in an agricultural direction, and 

 with this view we sometimes quote the sayings 

 of others, though they may be opposed to our 

 own opinions. We remarked that "the pictui-e 

 he (Mr. Clemson) drew of the future of our agri- 

 culture was gloomy." 



For the New England Farmer. 

 PACTS ABOUT CLIMATE. 



Mr. Editor : — I have been for some time an 

 attentive reader of your valuable paper, and take 

 a great interest in its agricultural and scientific 

 discussions. In reading the Farmer of Dec. loth, 

 18G0, my attention was drawn to an article head- 

 ed, "Some Remarkable Facts in Relation to Cli- 

 mate," in which it is stated that, "In the north- 

 ern hemisphere of the globe all the eastern coasts 

 of continents and isolated masses of land are 

 colder than the western coasts of the same lat- 

 itude." Thousands of observations have con- 

 firmed this phenomenon, although its explanation 

 is not quite yet found out." 



I will endeavor to give what I consider to be a 

 correct explanation of the facts there given. Why 

 are western coasts of continents and islands warm- 

 er than the eastern coasts of the same latitude ? 

 In order to answer this question satisfactorily, we 

 must find the source of this extra heat. It can- 

 not come directly from the sun, or any other body 

 external to the earth. For in that case, places of 

 the same latitude would receive like portions of 

 heat. We must, therefore, look for this source 

 of heat within the limits of our own atmosphere. 

 It is well known that the vapor of water contains 

 a large amount of latent heat which is given out 

 when the vapor is condensed into mists and clouds. 



Now the prevailing winds of the northern hem- 

 isphere, especially in the winter, are from the west 

 or north-west. These winds, in passing over the 

 ocean, and other bodies of water, absorb large 



