566 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Dec. 



TAN" BARK AS A FERTILIZER. 

 I am a tanner bj' trade, though my attention 

 now, and for the past ten years, has been given 

 exclusively to agriculture. When engaged in 

 tanning, one of the most annoying matters con- 

 nected with it, was the disposition of the spent tan 

 bark. A large stream at no great distance from 

 our tannery received the principal part of it, while 

 the balance was spread over the roads, rendering 

 them almost impassable in wet weather. We were 

 always glad to have persons cart it away, and were 

 ready at any time to assist in loading their carts 

 and wagons. This went on until I left the tan- 

 nery, when it occurred to me that a better use 

 might be made of it than to cart it to the creek, 

 give it away to the neighbors, or spread it over 

 the roads. I resolved to try an experiment, the 

 details of which I will give you in brief: 



I carted about one hundred loads of spent tan 

 bark to my premises, over which, I spread at in- 

 tervals, all the refuse lime from the tannery, to- 

 gether with about one hundred bushels of caustic 

 lime from the kiln. I then allowed it to remain 

 in that condition about six months, when I cut it 

 down with digging forks, mixing the whole thor- 

 oughly. Three months from that time I applied 

 it to a field of three acres, spreading it over the 

 surface before plowing. The soil was a stiff clay, 

 which had always been very hard to work, and 

 had never yielded well. It was seeded with wheat, 

 and produced twenty-four bushels to the acre. 

 The clover crop which followed it was as fine as 

 could have been desired, turning off more than 

 two tons to the acre. The next season it was 

 plowed again and put in corn, yielding a very 

 handsome return. The only manure the corn re- 

 ceived was a handful of ashes to the hill at the 

 time of planting. The field is now in wheat, and 

 looks well after an application of farm-yard ma- 

 nure. 



I observe that the soil which was formerly stiff 

 and hard to work, is now friable, and pulverizes 

 much more readily than before the aj)plication of 

 the spent tan. How much of the productiveness 

 and easy working of these four acres is attributa- 

 ble to its application, I leave your readers to de- 

 termine. My own impressions are, that a vast 

 amount of most valuable material is annually lost 

 in the shape of spent tan. I shall use it again, 

 being entirely satisfied that it is valuable when 

 used properly, and especially upon stiff soils like 

 mine. — Farmer and Oardener. 



CUBING PORK. 



A French chemist has lately asserted, that scur- 

 vy will never arise from the use of salt provisions, 

 unless saltpetre be used in the curing ; that salt 

 alone answers all the purposes, provided the ani- 

 mal heat be entirely parted with before salting. 

 He claims that the insertion of pork in pickle 

 alone is not sufficient, but that it should be rubbed 

 thoroughly with dry salt after it has entirely pa,rt- 

 ed vi^ith its animal heat, and that then the fluid 

 running from the meat should be poured off be- 

 fore packing the pork in the barrel. This should 

 be done sufficiently close to admit no unnecessary 

 quantity of air, and some dry salt should occupy 

 the space between the pieces, and then pickle, and 

 not water, should be added. Great cure must be 

 taken to fill the barrel entirely full, so that no 



portion of the meat can at any time project above 

 the surface of the fluid ; for, if this occur, a change 

 of flavor ensues such as is known with rusty pork. 

 The pickle, of course, must be a saturated so- 

 lution of salt and Avater, that is, so strong that it 

 is incapable of dissolving more salt. It must be 

 remembered that cold water is capable of dissolv- 

 ing more salt than hot water. — Working Farmer. 



For the Neip England Farmer. 

 HUNTERS. 



BY R. F. PULLER. 



So long beside that sunny stream, 

 "Who gazes in its brmmiing gleam f 

 That mirror all, or naught, displays, 

 According as the eye surveys. 

 It may, like the enchanted glass, 

 Make wonders in its picture pass. 

 The thoughtful, in its deeps, may find 

 Time and eternity, combined. 

 As this repeats (he sky, below. 

 Its counter through the heart may flow- 

 River of peace, serenely fraught 

 With golden sands of sunny thought ; 

 A Factolus of precious treasure. 

 Pure, tranquil and ideal pleasure. 

 The river may be such, we know, 

 With full and meditative flow ; 

 Or, it may nothing be ; as they 

 The mirror element survey. 

 It copies and projects to view 

 The soul, such as it is in you. 

 An empty mind its mirror reads. 

 In muddy bottom, grown with weeds. 

 And there discerns the aimless eye, 

 A lazy cloud, waft idly by. 

 To childhood's look of innocence. 

 The azure clear it represents ; 

 And shows the sunny heaven's smile, 

 For Israelites, who know no guile. 



— What views this man, there ? Can you tell ? 

 My life ! It is a pickerel ! 

 I did not see his pole, before, 

 A thread of shadow reaching o'er. 

 Well I ho, too, on his likeness looked: 

 And here, at last, he hath it, hooked 1 

 Both man and fish are hunters — they 

 Have each their own peculiar prey. 



This man must be the same, I saw. 

 Where I was little looking for ; 

 Some days since, in a wood withdrawn, 

 Where I for solitude had gone, 

 ■ To hunt impressions, fancies, moods, 

 And influences, in the woods. 

 Such shun, now, cities, villas, lawns ; 

 And hide in forests, with the fawns. 

 I find them there, abundant game, " 

 But little hunted, too', and tamo. 

 And I was having, on the day 

 I speak of, great sport, in my way ; 

 For I had quarried, caught and hit 

 A bag-fall, with the shafts of wit ! 

 — But I was startled, and turned back, 

 By a sharp rifle's sudden crack ! 

 'Twas "all day then with me ;" for lo ! 

 Away my thoughts and fancies go ; 

 And, I imagine by the flight, • 

 They will not, very soon alight. 

 Now, who, I thought, is sporting here ? , ■ 

 This hunting-ground, 'tis very clear, • 

 Is not fur both— one doth Intrude 

 And trespass on this ancient wood. 



