No. 4. 



AND GARDENERS JOURNAL. 



63 



tion of llie husbandman. When these young men go 

 forth through the length and breadth of the land, to 

 exert that intluence upm society, which belongs alone 

 to education and intelligence, to direct public senti- 

 ment, make laws and rule the land, in the walks of 

 private life, in the halls of legislation, agriculture 

 would find warm and hearty friends, and staunch and 

 bold advocates in the learned class, and grants and 

 aid from the States would be as common to agricul- 

 ture as they have been to learning, law, medicine, or 

 theology: and the now unhenrd-of donations for agri- 

 cultural learning, would become as common, and more 

 honorable atid useful than the foundation of professor- 

 ships of Greek, Latin, oriental, or polite literature. 



le not agriculture as much n science as law, medi- 

 cine, theology, or moral philosophy ? Is there not 

 as much in agriculture to form n good, useful, and 

 virtuous character in our young men, as in the discus- 

 sion and lectures on mere abstract morals or modern 

 literature. 



Had our legislators of the present day enjoyed the 

 benefit of agricultural lectures in the course of their 

 education, and been made early in life to realize the 

 importance of agriculture as the true source of nation- 

 al wealth and independence, can you believe for a 

 moment that by a partial system of legislation, predi- 

 cated on the superior claims of commerce, the mechan 

 ic arts, and manufactures to state and national encour- 

 agement, they would have made the country depen- 

 dent on the monarchies and despotisms of Europe for 

 the supply of their daily bread ? Is not our republic, 

 by the annual importation of from 15 to $20,000,000 

 of bread stuffs, reduced to the condition of a farmer 

 spending annually more than his income, and in case 

 of foreign war, unbalanced and diverted from its true 

 and natural channel, as the industry of the country 

 now is, must not famine and distress invade many 

 portions of our now glorious and happy country ?" 



It is said by some that the idea of an agricultural 

 professorship is Utopian and visionary. Other coun- 

 tries have found it itecessary to enlist learning on the 

 side of agriculture. In despotic Russia, in the colle- 

 ges at Petersburg and Moscow, arc agricultural pro- 

 fessors at the expense of government, and in the com- 

 mon schools and colleges in Prussia, agriculture is a 

 part of the regular course of studies: In the German 

 states, in France and Scotland, similar attention is 

 given to agriculture. 



Now, we have public spirited men among us with 

 untold thousands, designed at last for some public 

 benefaction, to perpetuate the usefulness and benefi- 

 cence of its pres'nt owners, after they shall have pas- 

 sed from the S'jenes of this mortal lite to the rewards 

 of the just made perfect. Now what object to such 

 men can be presented, with higher claims to their be- 

 neficence, than agricultural education ? 



Very reepectfuUv, your ob't serv't. 

 ■ H. C. MERIAM. 



TJsefulness of Birds and Toads. 



Mr. Editor — I see it stated in your paper of Fri- 

 day, that the probable reason why the canker-worm 

 commits small ravages in *Flob,' is found in the care 

 with which the birds are protected. I was reminded 

 of a remark in Peabody's Life of Wilson. "He en- 

 ters into a deliberate calculation of the value of the 

 services of the red-winged blackbird, which certainly 

 bears no good reputation on the farm; showing that, 

 aflowing a single bird fifty insects in a day, which 

 would be short allowance, a single pair would consume 

 12,000 in four months; and if there are a million of 

 pairs of these birds in the United States, the amount 

 of insects is less by twelve thousand millions, than if 

 the red-wing were exterminated." Let any one, du- 

 ring the brooding season of robins or other birds, rise 

 by break of day and count the number of times old 

 ones return in one hour with worms and insects, or, if 

 he can, let him count through the day, and the number 

 will be found almost incredible. 



The practice of killing birds for mere amusement, 

 is not merely indicative of cruelty and want of feeling, 

 bat is exceedingly detrimental to the interests of the 

 community. If the farmers reflected and made calcu- 

 lations upon the subject, they would discourage and 

 oppose it as one of the greatest scourges, and would 

 pay u prumiimi to their boys to let the birds alone, ra- 

 ther than famish them with powder and shot to kill 

 them. 



And, now that I am upon the subject of insects and 

 worms, let me add, that there is a very unreasonable 

 prejudice against toads. They are exceedingly valu- 

 able in gardens, and other places, in consequence of 

 the exterminating warfare they are continually waging 

 against the bugs and worms. Any person who has 

 them in his garden has a treasure there; and if he will 

 wfiicj them closely; he will find them accomplishing 



more in the way of preserving his squash and cucum- 

 ber vines, and other vegetables, than he can do with 

 all his troughs of Uquid. I think these subjects will 

 bo brought more fully into notice by the gentlemen 

 commissioned by the state to examine into its Natural 

 History; iitdeed I know that one of them, at least, has 

 been at great pains for two years, to collect from all 

 parts of the country what information he could upon 

 the subject, which would be likely to secure the farmer 

 from the ravages which his trees, his grain crops, and 

 all the products of his farm eufier from insects and 

 other causes. I would suggest that this subject be 

 brought up at the weekly agricidtural meetings, and 

 that persons acquainted with these matters be invited 

 to communicate their information upon them. For, 

 notwithstanding all the outcry about retrenchment, 

 and useless offices, it seems to me that no offices in 

 the end are likely to be more valuable to lie, than those 

 which will bring to light the hidden resources of this 

 state, and collect all the information, both scientific 

 and practical, which will secure to the agricultural 

 population relief from every thing which blights and 

 diminishes their crops. S. Y. 



Boston Courier. 



From the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Small Comforts. 



Women's icorh is never done, tliereforc you ought to 

 lend a hand. 



The Cabinet, and other agricultural periodicals, 

 have made our men folks very learned on the subjects 

 of manures, crops, short-horned cattle, sheep, swine, 

 &c. We hear them often discussing these topics, and 

 they really appear to derive benefit from it, for they 

 seem to talk less of politics, and other everlasting sub- 

 jects about which they never could come to any satis- 

 factory conclusion, since agricultural papers have been 

 generally introduced into our neighborhood. But 

 there are some matters that we women folks, who con- 

 stitute a part, and we think no unimportant part of 

 the agricultural community, are desirous should claim 

 a share of the attention of the Editor of the Cabinet; 

 just give us a page or two of your useful journal every 

 month, in which to discuss such subjects as may more 

 particularly appertain to our department of the duties 

 of house-wifery as connected with agricultural life. 



If you will agree to furnish us with the use of a 

 chimney corner of the Cabinet for our men use, we 

 will accept it with thanks; if not, we will have a pa- 

 per of our 01071, for our own use, edited by one of our 

 oicn number, and then look out and stand clear when 

 the hot-water begins to fly about your ea'-s. 



I will now tell you some of the matters we want 

 brought before the public, with the view of meliora- 

 ting our condition, and promoting the interest and 

 comfort of all concerned. You may call these small 

 comforts, but of small things great ones are composed; 

 grains of sand make mountains, drops of water con~ti- 

 tute the ocean, and little babies make men and women 

 all the world over; no exception, Mr. Editor. The 

 great matters of agriculture are ably and amply dis- 

 cussed in your journal, but we want something said 

 about our own wants and wishes. A year or two ago 

 you puplished a very good essay about a "wood- 

 house," for the comfort and convenience of females; 

 it was much talked of, and every man in our neigh- 

 borhood, except an old bachelor, approved of it, and 

 most of the men said they would build a receptacle for 

 keeping the fuel dry forthwith; one even went so far 

 as to get the stuff" for it, but afterwards used it for an 

 other purpose, and to this day there has not been built 

 a wood-house in our township; so we have to burn 

 wet wood, and go out in the rain and snow to get it; 

 sometimes the breakfast or dinner is delayed beyond 

 the usual time in consequence of the fuel being wet 

 and green, and whenever this happens, we are sure 

 to hear of it in the way of complaint, although the 

 fault lays precisely where the complaint comes from. 

 Baking, you know, can't be done right without dry 

 wood, so we want you to write another es:ay about 

 keeping wood in the dry, and having it cut and split 

 to proper sizes tor current family use. Many of us in 

 our neighborhood are bad ofi' for water, and the men 

 don't take it to heart as they ought to, or things would 

 soon begin to mend. Carrying water a long distance 

 is real work, and so is drawing it from the bottom of 

 n deep well, and a tall pumi) don't work easy. A few 

 of our neighbors have good large cisterns with pumps 

 in them that save much time and labor; and besides, 

 the fine soft rain water they contain is so good for 

 washing, that I wish you would give us a lift in the 

 Cabinet, so that every family may be furnished with 

 one, even if it should bo thought to be for our sakes 

 alone. Now there is the milking, which you know 

 must be done, ram or shine, no matter how great the 

 storm, or deep the mud or fifth of the path, or barn 



yard, or stable; try to help us along a little in this im- 

 portant matter; the path might be paveil, tir gravelled, 

 one would think, without much cxpenee or labor; and 

 the stables, can't you teach our rfearmoi/crs how they, 

 as well the cows, can be kept clean during the winter 

 season. It is said cows give much more milk when 

 they are kejyidy and clean, I think it 6tandn to rea- 

 son that thc^hould. If I was a cow I wouldn't give 

 a drop of milk unless I was kept neat and clean, and 

 well fed in the bargain, for I hate these lazy, stingy fel- 

 lows, that are always trying to cheat and get some- 

 thing for nothing: do give them a touch on these sub- 

 jecte, and if you do it handsomely, I will write to you 

 again, and tell you a few more of our grievances, un- 

 der which we have long been laboring to our great 

 discomfort, and the great injury of our constitutioaB. 



SUSAN. 



*Wc invite "Suenn'" to occupy a place in our columns ev- 

 ery nioiitli; and would extend uur invitation to other Indies, 

 who sustain the cnviiible relation of wives and djmghtcra 

 to llic true noljjlily of the country, to tuke *'t*ii8!in'i>*' com- 

 iiinnication, or their own experiencec for a te.\t book, .ind 

 forward to us their productions. We pledge more than the 

 iininlier of pages for which "Susan" asks, ami should tiiere 

 he any want of room, we will puhlish an occasional extra, aa 

 a less evil tlian that of being subjeclcd to a sprinkling of "hot 

 water," or entering into conijietilion with uur fairfricnds. — 

 Fd. Farmers' Cadi.n-et. 



Poor man! no wonder that he surrenders the use of hia col- 

 umns to liis "fairfrievds.^' Who would have expected to hear 

 such warlike tlireateninga from the descendants of tho 

 peaceful Wm. Penn, and uttered towards an editor in tho 

 city of "hrotherly love?" Our fair readers employ more 

 gentle means, and liy the force of kind persuasion, induce 

 us to olfer them the same privilege — tlie free use of our col- 

 umns for their own benefit. — Eds. New Genesee Fanner. 



To Sjiice Beef — [risk Fashion. — Suppose your 

 round to weigh 05 lbs.; take li ounces of saltpetre, 

 2 table-spoonsful of brown sugar — pound them both 

 very fine, and rub your beef remarkably well — put it 

 into a tub as near the size as you can, and let it le- 

 main 48 hours — during which time turn and rub it 

 two or three times — then have prepared IJ ounces 

 ground pepper, 5 ounces alspice, 1 ounce cloves, and 

 three or four handsful of salt, all ground and mixed 

 well together, with which rub your beef well, and for 

 a week after turn and rub it every day, taking core to 

 preserve the pickle. It will be ready for use in twu 

 or three weeks, according to the weather. 



To dress it. — Chop about one pound of fresh suet, 

 place a few sticks at the bottom of your pot to preserve 

 the beef from burning — lay it on them and throw the 

 suet over it as well as the pickle — pour in about two 

 quarts of water at tho side of the pot, cover it very 

 close, and let it stew very slow till done. 



T/(C sa7ne. — Boil some carrots and turnips, chop 

 them fine, make some thin drawn butter, season it 

 with some of the liquor that is about the beef, garnish 

 your beef with the carrots and turnips, and send your 

 sauce in boats to the table. — Am. Far. 



Beicare of Short Collars. — Mb. Holmes — On Sa- 

 turday afternoon last, a man put up at my hous-c, who 

 had a sick horse. The horse did not appear to be in 

 much pain, but would not eat any thing; he had been 

 travelling in a team, perhaps 70 miles. On Monday 

 afternoon the horse died very suddenly. He was 

 standing in the stall, and as I supposed was about to 

 lie down. I went out at the great door and in at iLe 

 stable door as soon as I could, and found him dead. — 

 He must have died without a struggle. The owner 

 engaged one of my horses to complete his journey. — 

 On harnessing, I observed that the collar which the 

 sick hirechad worn was too small, and objected to iis 

 being put on my horse. It was shifted and put on the 

 other hone. 



On making a post mortem e.xr.mination of the dead 

 horse, I found that the breast on the inside, and tha 

 lower part of the shoulder appeared to be much alleci- 

 ed, as were also the lungs, a quarter pait being turned 

 black, with the appearance of great internal inllnmmn. 

 tion. There was no other appearance of disease or 

 injury to be found in him, and from this I am led to 

 infer that his death occurred in consequence of his 

 wearing the small collar — nothing more. This should 

 lend others to beware, nnd know that their collars ar« 

 sufliciently large, nnd they may perhaps prevent much. 

 Insj to owners, and much needless tuffering to that 

 uteful cnimal — the horse. John Laud. 



Wimhrop, Jan. 18, 18-10. Maine Fur. 



To Prksebve Eggs. — Apply with a Lrush a solu 

 tion of gum Arabic to the shells, or immerse then. 

 therein; — let them dry, and afterwards pack them in 

 dry charcoal dust. "This prevents them bffng afl'ected 

 by any change of temperature. 



