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NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



March 



CULTUBB OF GHICCOKY, 

 A correspondent at Salem inquires if we can 

 give him an}' information regarding the cultivation 

 of chiccory. The ])lant is not an uncommon one 

 in Massachusetts, is a coarse and rather showy 

 one, with large, blue flowers, or sometimes pur- 

 plish — and not unfrequently white. It has a large 

 root, frequently penetrating so deep into the 

 ground, that the strength of one man is not suf- 

 ficient to pull it up. It is getting established on 

 the sides of some of the railroad tracks near Bos- 

 ton, and in some fields twenty miles out, where it 

 is found almost impossible to eradicate it. Dar- 

 lington says "It is justly regarded as an objection- 

 able weed that ought to be expelled from our pas- 

 tures." It is recommended by some European ag- 

 riculturists as a good forage plant — but it seems 

 to us altogether too coarse and strong for that 

 purpose — and especially as the leaves give a bad 

 taste to the milk of the cows Avhich eat them. The 

 plant blossoms in August and September, and in 

 its natural state, the stem rises from one to three 

 feet in height ; under cultivation it would proba- 

 bly reach twice that height. The root is fleshy 

 and milky, and when sliced and pressed, yields a 

 juice Avhich is slightly tonic. When used as a 

 substitute for cofl"ee, they should be cleaned, then 

 put into an oven after the bread has been taken 

 out, and allowed to remain until cool. 



From the tenacity with which it clings to our soil 

 we should judge that the same soil and cultivation 

 which would bring forty bushels of corn per acre, 

 would bring an enormous crop of chiccory. It 

 grows rapidly and luxuriantly, and though cut 

 down four or five times each summer, for four 

 summers in succession, it still flourishes in one of 

 our fields. Von Thaer, in his Principles of Agri- 

 culture, asserts that it is extremely difficult to 

 eradicate from the land, and has been found ma- 

 terially to impoverish the soil. From our own 

 experience with it, we believe Von Thaer is right. 

 The plant is known in some places by the name 

 of Succory, as well as chiccory. 



IMPORTANT GUANO EEPORTS. 

 Recent analysis by Dr. James B. Chilton and 

 others has shown that the immense deposits of 

 guano belonging to the New York Guano Com- 

 pany are true bird guano, and entirely superior in 

 quality to the various mineral guanos, which have 

 been industriously forced in this and other mar- 

 kets. The quantity is large, and can be shipped 

 at very low cost as compared with guano from the 

 Pacific coast. 



Dr. Joiixsox remarked that a habit of looking 

 on the best side of every event, is better than a 

 thousand pounds a year. That was true philoso- 

 phy. When Fenelon's library was on fire, " God 

 be praised," he exclaimed, " that it is not the dwell- 

 ing of some ))oor man." 



For the JVew England Farmer, 

 AN ERROR CORRECTED. 



Mt Dear Sir : — In the Neiv England Farmer 

 of December 20, 1862, in an article on "Agricul- 

 ture in Common Schools," or what the author 

 claims as such, and over the signature of " John 

 GoLDSBURY," I find a sentence as follows : 



" But to the point at issue. For more than 

 twenty years, Mr. Bacon claims to have been an 

 advocate for introducing the study of agriculture 

 into common schools. And yet, strange to say, in 

 all this time, he has never seen fit to open his 

 mouth on the subject, but has been as silent as a 

 mouse in a cheese." 



That I am the individual alluded to in the above 

 remarks, seems to be a fact placed beyond all 

 doubt, for, in the earlier part of his article, the 

 writer gives, in full, my name and place of resi- 

 dence. 



It is not for the purpose of replying to him, that 

 I introduce the subject at this time, but to show 

 the public how far truth will sustain him in liis as- 

 sertions. 



I therefore repeat, that I have, for twenty years, 

 been the advocate of introducing agriculture, by 

 which I mean the sciences connected with agricul- 

 ture, into common schools. I introduced the sub- 

 ject in 1840, by a series of articles on the sciences 

 which I held it important for the farmer to study, 

 and within the intervening period, I have pub- 

 lished articles on the same subject, in different pa- 

 pers, and in favor of introducing them into com- 

 mon schools. I refer the reader as follows : In 

 the Monthly Neio England Farmer for June, 1859, 

 Vol. 11, No. 6, pp. 270-71, I have an article on 

 " How plants grow," and in my feeble way, recom- 

 mend it as a suitable study to introduce in com- 

 mon schools. Raising plants is an agricultural 

 employment, and how to make them grow is an 

 agricultural achievement. 



In the New Eiigland Farmer of March, 1860, 

 Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 121-22, I have an article on 

 " Agricultural Education," in which I advocate it 

 as worthy of a part of our common school course 

 of study, and name suitable books to be used for 

 the purpose. 



In the New England Farmer ior January, 1862, 

 Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 18-19, I am again guilty of an 

 article favoring the introduction of agriculture 

 or the sciences connected with it, into common 

 schools, and recommend among other books, the 

 " Manual of Agriculture," by Messrs. Emerson and 

 Flint, as valuable for this subject. 



I might cite other instances, where I have, 

 through the press, shown myself in favor of intro- 

 ducing those branches connected with agriculture 

 into common schools, but I think the above suf- 

 ficient. 



The writer says, " And yet, strange to say, in all 

 this time, [twenty years, I suppose,] he has not 

 seen fit to open his mouth on the subject, but has 

 been as silent as a mouse in a cheese." 



Now. it so hap])ens, that I have never, to my 

 knowledge, seen Mr. John Goldsbury, and I pre- 

 sume he has never seen me. How, then, does he 

 know upon what subjects, and how frequently up- 

 on any subject I have opened my mouth in the 

 last twenty years. And not knowing, how does 

 he have the assurance to make so positive an as- 

 sertion? William Bacon. 



nirlimnnd. Jan. 8. 1863. 



