544 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Dec. 



ing to Biblical chronology, was 3,568 years ago. 

 There has been an annual overflowing of the same 

 land ever since, and j'et these 3,500 and odd fresh- 

 ets have not lessened the fertility of the soil — they 

 are as productive now as in the time of the Pha- 

 raohs 



Thousands of our swamps have been saturated 

 with water most of the time "ever since the flood," 

 — yet drain them, throw up the muck, sow oats or 

 grass seed, and such is the fertility of these wa- 

 ter-soaked soils, that they will yield as heavy crops 

 as can be grown by the use of farm-yard manure. 

 The fertilizing ingredients of a rich alluvial soil, 

 swamp muck, and stable or other animal manure, 

 are identical — with this difference, these fertiliz- 

 ing ingredients in the manures can be mostly 

 leached out, but not so in the soil. Now, if the 

 farmer applies his farm manure to grass land in 

 autumn, the rain and melting snows will leach out 

 a large portion of the fertilizing constituents of 

 the manures. These, before the spring plowing, 

 Avill have mostly soaked into the soils, which seizes 

 upon and retains them as a miser does his gold, 

 and the soil will not part with them, only to grow- 

 ing crops and the crucible of the chemist. 



Scores of facts and ex])eriments might be cited 

 to prove the correctness of Mr. Thomas's advice. 



This power of absorption in soils was published 

 by Prof. Way, in 1850, he having experimented 

 largely, by filtering the foul water from the sew- 

 ers of London, and fetid water in which flax had 

 been steeped, putrid urine, &c. It was found that 

 when three-fourths sand and one-fourth white clay, 

 in powder, were placed in jars to the depth of six 

 inches, the foul liquids came through the filter free 

 from smell, and scarcely to be distinguished from 

 ordinary water. But to make a short story of this 

 matter, it was discovered that the clay or alumi- 

 nous portions of soils possess the power of chemi- 

 cally combining with not only the gaseous com- 

 pounds of decomposing animal matter, but also 

 with the alkalies, ammonia, potash, soda, phos- 

 phates, magnesia, &c. 



This, said Prof. Way, is a wonderful property 

 of soil, and appears to be an express provision of 

 nature. "A power is here found to reside in soils 

 by virtue of which, not only is rain unable to wash 

 out of them those soluble ingredients forming a 

 necessary condition of vegetation ; but even these 

 compounds, when introduced artificially by ma- 

 nures, are laid hold of and fixed in the soil, to the 

 absolute preclusion either by rain or evaporation." 



Mr. Charles Lawi'ence, an eminent English ag- 

 riculturist, about that time stated in the London 

 Agricultural Gazette, that autumnal manuring im- 

 mediately followed and covered by the plow, is the 

 most valuable discovery, perhaps, in its results, 

 for which agriculture has been indebted to sci- 

 ence. This statement was founded ujion the then 

 recently published experiments ot Prof. Way, who, 

 he says, "has clearly established the fact tliat the 

 soil has the peculiar property of absorbing and ap- 

 propriating all those elements of manure inter- 

 mixed with it, which are essential to the growth 

 of plants." 



Most of the farmers in this section plow their 

 green sward in autumn, to be planted in the spring 

 with corn. They cart out their manure in the foil, 

 and place it in large heaps on or near the plowed 

 field. In the spring re-load the manure, lay it out 

 in heaps, spread and harrow in. It is no trifling 



job to re-load an hundred loads of manure next 



spring, and cai't it over the furrows, which are 

 much more soft in the spring ; besides, it is usu- 

 ally a busy season with farmers, and their teams 

 are not then usually in as good working order as 

 they are in the fall. 



If the farmer has manure to draw out in autumn, 

 and wishes to invert his green sod at that season 

 of the year, it is my opinion the better way is to 

 first plow, then cart on the manure, spread it and 

 harrow in. If he does not wish to "break up" till 

 spring, then cart and spread the manure on the 

 grass lands intended for spring plowing. If the 

 manure is intended for grain or corn stubble, then 

 apply it in the fall, and plow in shallow. 



If there is any reliance to be placed on the state- 

 ments of Prof. Liebig and Way, and those of John 

 Johnston and hundreds of other good practical 

 farmers, there will no loss of manure arise from 

 autumnal manuring — but much saving of money, 

 for with the farmer — "time is money." — Levi 

 Bartlett, Warner, N. II., in Country Gentleman. 



For the New E^igland Farmer. 



THE VINTAGE, 



'My well beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill."- 

 IsAiAU 5:1. 



'Tis the time of the vintage, and laden to fill 

 The harvesters come from the vineyard and hill ; 

 They bear in their arms the I'ich fruits of the soil, 

 And sweetly are paid for their labor and toil. 



With rich grapes of Eschol these vie in their size, 

 Each cluster in richness and bloom a fair prize, 

 The fine early Amber, so luscious and sweet. 

 The Concord and Sage from their trellises meet, 



And gently repose in their beauty and bloom 

 With the Black Cluster, rich in hue and perfume. 

 The Delaware, tiny, transparent and sweet, 

 And fit for the fairies in smiles will you gi-eet. 



The Hartford Prolific in regal hues shine. 

 Less frail than their neighbor, the fair Muscadine. 

 All rich in their sweetness and delicate change, 

 The Orient vineyards you care not to range ; 



But fancy the vision is being fulfilled 

 When each shall the walls ot Jerusalem build, 

 "And they shall plant vineyards and eat of the fruit," 

 And peace, love and truth be tlieir constant pursuit. 

 Harvard, October, 1862. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 BOUNTY TO AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 



I perceive your correspondent from the county 

 of Essex throws out the hint that the bounty of 

 the State may be withholden from our agricultur- 

 al societies hereafter, saying they can get along 

 well enough without this bounty ; having so man- 

 aged their income as to establish a permanent fund, 

 for the support of exhibitions ; whereas some soci- 

 eties have cx])ended all their income, and some- 

 thing more. There is nothing very extraordinary 

 in this course of proceeding ; it has been common 

 in the world, ever since our Saviour's parable of 

 those, a part of whom were wise, and a part were 

 foolish — when those that were foolish, having 

 wasted their funds, called upon the wise to contrib- 

 ute of their abundance. No, said the wise, we 

 apprehended what was coming, and prepared for 

 the emergency. * 



October 20, 1802. 



