1862. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



397 



MAMTTRES. 



All decomposing animal matters form most en- 

 ergetic fertilizers, and the collection of carcases of 

 animals, the blood from slaughter-houses, the resi- 

 due from the manufacture of preserved meat, fish, 

 &c., are all substances which, if given to the soil, 

 would be the source of abundant crops. But these 

 substances are difficult to preserve. The abomin- 

 able stench they give out prevents their transport 

 to any distance by land or sea. It is also ex- 

 tremely difficult to remove the excess of water 

 they contain, which insensibly augments their 

 weight, and at the same time contributes to their 

 more rapid decomposition. 



To render blood, flesh, &c., imputrescent while 

 desiscating and during the time necessary to keep 

 them, but nevertheless to preserve their fertilizing 

 properties, so that when added to the soil they 

 may give out the putrefying elements required for 

 the nourishment of plants, is a subject of great 

 importance. To the solution of this problem, M. 

 Chevallier, son of the distinguished chemist who 

 has done so much for the advancement of indus- 

 trial science and pharmacy, has lately directed his 

 attention. M. Chevallier has found that a small 

 quantity of acid suffices, (from two to four per 

 cent, of the chloridine acid of commerce,) for par- 

 tially drying blood or flesh without giving out 

 sensible odor. It is highly desirable that this sug- 

 gestion should be practically tested, and, if veri- 

 fied, generally adopted. The London-Manure 

 Company, for instance, some time since endeav- 

 ored to bring into notice an animal manure, con- 

 sisting of the waste flesh of cattle imported from 

 the River Plate, which contained 11 per cent, of 

 nitrogen. The detestable stench of this substance, 

 hoAvever, fully accounts for the repugnance of cap- 

 tains and owners in bringing it over. The adop- 

 tion of some such process as that of M. Chevallier 

 might, however, remove this objection, and bring 

 into use this manure, which would prove nearly 

 as valuable as the blood manure of the same com- 

 pany, containing about IG per cent, of nitrogen. 

 The quantity of animal matter at present wasted 

 in the countries of the New World is enormous. 

 In South America there are killed annually, for 

 their hides alone, more than 5,000,000 head of 

 cattle, the carcases being left to rot. There is 

 thus wasted not less than 500,000 tons of man- 

 ure, equally rich with the best guano. On the 

 banks and shores of Newfoundland, again, there 

 is thrown into the sea more than 10,000 tons of 

 waste fish and bones, besides quantities of seal 

 blubber. On the coast of France, especially of 

 Britanny, there exist considerable quantites of 

 waste fish, available for manure, but which is not 

 cared for, although equal in fertilizing properties 

 to guano. We may estimate that it is possible to 

 furnish to agriculture an annual quantity equal to 

 400,000 tons of valuable animal manure, at pres- 

 ent lost. — Mark-Lane Express. 



Do Your Own Work. — Enlarge not thy des- 

 tiny, says the oracle ; endeavor not to do more 

 than is given thee in charge ; the one prudence of 

 life is concentration ; the one evil is dissipation ; 

 and it makes no difference whether our dissipations 

 are coarse or fine. Property and its cares, friends 

 and a social habit, or politics, or music, or feast- 

 ing — everything is good which takes away one 



plaything and delusion more, and drives us home 

 to add one stroke of faithful work. Friends, 

 books, pictures, loioer duties, talents, flatteries, 

 hopes — all are distractions which cause oscillations 

 in our giddy balloon, and make a good poise and 

 a straight course impossible. You must elect 

 your work ; you shall take what your brain can, 

 and drop the rest. Only so can that amount of 

 vital force accumulate which can make the step 

 from knowing to doing. — Emerson. 



For the Neio England Farmer. 



THE ADVANTAGES OF A CULTIVATED 

 MIND. 



In a former article I mentioned some of the in- 

 strumentalities by which the laboring man can be- 

 come the possessor of a cultivated and intelligent 

 mind, and a refined imagination. I now propose 

 to show some of the advantages and benefits which 

 are derived from a course of mental discipline, 

 and the patient acquisition of useful and agreea- 

 ble knowledge. 



The question is frequently asked by honest, but 

 ignorant people, "IFViai (/oocZ does all this read- 

 ing, study, thinking, and writing do'} Show us 

 the use of spending so much time in doing noth- 

 ing, and we shall have more faith in what you 

 say." I shall commence my answer to the above 

 question by asking another. What is that, which 

 everybody is ever either actively in pursuit of, or 

 passively sighing for ? All who understand any- 

 thing of the human heart will readily answer' — 

 happiness. 



Although the diff"erent paths in which it is 

 sought after, are almost as numerous as the grains 

 of sand u])on the seashore, and, although some 

 succeed in finding it, and others do not, yet every 

 man, woman and child is always longing and 

 striving for happiness, in some of its many forms. 

 This yearning for happiness is implanted by Na- 

 ture in every breast ; and our infinitely wise and 

 benevolent Creator has placed the means within 

 our reach, by which we can gratify, not only our 

 own personal desires for enjoyment, but also assist 

 in making others happy. 



As we are all seeking for happiness, is he not 

 the wisest man who pursuej the course of action 

 which will secure to him that enjoyment which is 

 of the purest, most satisfying, and most enduring 

 kind ? That he is, all will admit. Now it has 

 beea proved, beyond the least shadow of a doubt, 

 by observations extending through a period of 

 several thousand years, that the pleasures of the 

 mind are far superior to those of the body ; in 

 other words, the happiness which springs from the 

 exercise and cultivation of our mental faculties, is 

 as much greater and more lasting, than mere phys- 

 ical or animal enjoyment, as man is superior to 

 the brutes, or as the soul surpasses the body in im- 

 portance and duration. Here, then, is one of the 

 greatest reasons why we should endeavor, by every 

 means within our power, to strengthen and en- 

 large our mental powers ; for by so doing, we can 

 increase our capacities for happiness and useful- 

 ness to an unlimited extent. 



This exercise and training of the mind, is an 

 irksome and difficult task to a vast number of per- 

 sons ; but this fact is no argument against such a 

 practice. Physical exercise and labor is also dis- 



