?\o. 4. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



51. 



_ . 1 ingi-cdicntof it, oxygen, they give out and it is 

 inspirca'by man and animals, serving M Uic moans of 

 keeping up the constant comlmslion of carbon within 

 fhi'ir frames— lor williout oxygen no fire can be main- 

 taincil, no hout produced. It isimpossible for any man 

 of woU regulated mind not to have his altcntton drawn 

 ciV from the subject at this point to admire, nay, to 

 adoro the perfect simplicity and beauty of this arrange- 

 mciil, by which the vegetable existences appropriate to 

 themselves by decomposing carbonic »cid, the carbon 

 necessary f«r their growth, and throw olT thai pari 

 which is absolutely rcpiisitc for the animal existences ; 

 while these latter consuming by slow combustion the 

 carbon furnished to them by the plants on which they 

 feed and subsist, breallie out or expire the very sub- 

 stance, carbonic acid, which plants again assimilate 

 and from which are thus reproduced their beautiful 

 and useful forms. The farmer, the man of science, 

 the theologian, must become deeply interested in the 

 BtuJy of such facts as these, and if there is anything 

 that can throw light upon that much discussed subject, 

 the crcition of this fair and beautiful world, it will 

 doubtless be the. better understanding of the pure lan- 

 guage of nature— which no translation can obscure, 

 no superstition veil, but which, when purified by the 

 cftbrls of science, will become clear and intelligible to 

 all nations and languages on earth, and probably pro- 

 duce that deep seated and ineiTable feehng of rever- 

 ence and gratitude towards the great Creator, which 

 must shew itself in copying, though at an unmeasura- 

 ble distance, his benevolence and love. J. E. T. 



From Caiman's fourth Report. 

 BROOM flOJSN (Sorghum Saccharatum.) 



Is an important crop in the county of Franklin. 

 Its cultivation is chiefly confined to the meadows 

 on the Decrfield and Connecticut rivers, though 

 there have been instances of large crops in the 

 interior. Deerfield, Whaloly and Sunderland in 

 particular grow large amounts of it ; and it is said 

 that the prosperity of the last-named town is main- 

 ly attributable to this product. 



The average yield under good cultivation is from 

 isix hundred to eight hundred pounds of brush 

 tor broom. One thousand pounds are not infre- 

 <iuently reached. Six to eight hundred pounds are 

 Ireportei as the average yield in Sunderland and 

 ■ Whatdey. A crop of seed is obtained about once 

 in four years, and forty bushels of seed are con- 

 si lered a good yield. A respectable farmer in the 

 county informsme that in one instance, he obtain- 

 ed one hundred and fifty bushels of seed to the 

 acre. It is planted in hills at a distance of eigh- 

 te-'n inches between the hills lengthwise; and in 

 rows about two and a half feel apart, or at a dis- 

 tnace wide enough to pass the plough or the cul- 

 tivator. By sonie farmers, broom corn is planted 

 in hills two and a half feet distant each way, and 

 nrtecn stalks are left in a hill. It requires good 

 manuring ; and it is sometimes manured as Indian 

 corn in the hill, or the manure is spread. The cul- 

 tivation is more expensive than that of Indian 

 corn. No crop is more beautiful than the standing 

 corn, when in perfection ; and it frequently reach- 

 es a height of Ivvelve to fifteen feet. 



The stalks of the plant are long and hard, and 

 therefore difficult to load on a cart. They are 

 gpueraUy considered as of no value excepting lor 

 rmnure. This, however, isan error. The Shak- 

 en at Canterbury, N. H., among the very best 

 IV ;i,iers in the country, are as careful to save their 

 , broom cornstalks, as their Indian corn stalks, for 

 fodler ; and, for the feeding of their young stock, 

 deem them equally valuable. 



The usual mode of gathering is to table the corn, 

 that is to cutoff the top, or tassel the broom as it 

 is called, about two or three feet from the top, and 

 bending the stalks of two rows together, lay it 

 down and leave it until it is seasoned and fit to be 

 gathered. The brush is then cut, tied in small 

 bundles and carried in. The remainder of the 

 stalks are burnt in the field the ensuing spring, and 

 some little advantage is supposed to be derived 

 from the ashes. Some farmers prefer, after gath- 

 ering the brush, to eut the slaM.-.s and lay them 

 lengthwise in the rows, and plough them immedi- 

 ately under. Tliey will be entirely decompo;,ed 



by the ensuing spring. A still belter mode is to 

 carry them into the cattle ami sheep yords, where 

 they become incorporated witli the manure and 

 make a valuable addition to the com\iost heap. 1 

 am satisfied from the experiment of the Shakers, 

 that if properly cured, they might be well applied 

 to the feeding of young slock. It is deemed ne- 

 cessary by llie raisers of broom eorn, lo connect 

 with it the feeding and faltening of cattle, that the 

 neces.sary manure may be procured for the cultiva- 

 tion of Ibis crop. , ,. . v 

 It is considered a profitable crop when the brush 

 will command five cents per pound. The price 

 has been subject lo great Huclualions. Formerly, 

 it was common for each farmer to make his brush 

 into brooms, and sell them when and where he 

 could. This was bad for all parlies. Il brought 

 too many competitors into the market, and oHen 

 unduly depressed the price. The buyers likewise 

 were often obliged to pul up with an inferior arti- 

 cle. The growing of the brush and the manufac- 

 ture of the brooms arc now in different hands. 

 The farmer, as soon as his broom is ready for the 

 market, finds in the manufacturer n purchaser at a 

 steady price ; and the manufacturer knows that 

 his reputation, and consequently his success like- 

 wise, is concerned in the quality of the article, 

 which he furnishes. 



The Shakers for a long lime almost monopolized 

 the raising ol the corn and the manufacture of 

 brooms, which like other manufactures of this in- 

 dustrious community, were always of a superior 

 quality and generally commanded a high price, 

 usually thirty-seven and a half cents a-piece or 

 more. Now, corn brooms are frequently sold from 

 eisht to twenty-five cents ; but many of them are 

 like Pindar's razors, ''made to sell." The han- 

 dles in an unfinished slate, made either of maple 

 or ash, are furnished for a cent a-piece. The wir- 

 ing and tying on are usually done by the hundred. 

 The scraping the seed from the brush is an unpleas- 

 ant business, and the dust is prejudicial lo the eyes. 

 A common flax comb is generally employed ; but 

 an improved machine, moved by horse-power is 

 coming into use, performs the work quickly, and 

 greatly lessens tlie labor. The manufacture, 

 when carried on extensively and with ample capi- 

 tal, has yielded encouraging profits. 



The seed is sold at two thirds the price of oats, 

 and is ordinarily of the same weight. It some- 

 times weishs more than oats, and by some persons 

 is more highly valued. His by many esteemed 

 ■'ood feed for the fattening of swme, when mixed 

 with other grain. Some have used it for fallening 

 cattle and "horses, but il is not approved. The 

 saving of the seed of broom eorn is, by the best 

 farmers, deemed a mailer of much importance. It 

 must be taken from that which produces a full and 

 square head ; and not from that which runs up in 

 a spindling form, and " branches like a pine- tree." 

 The difference in the seed is deemed of so much 

 consequence, that while ordinary seed for planting 

 can be obtained at one dollar and fifty cents per 

 bushel, the best always commands four dollars. In 

 no single thins do farmers commit a greater error 

 than in respect lo seed. Inferior seed of any kind 

 of plant should never be used ; and the difference 

 in the expense between good and poor seed, is 

 nothing compared with the increased value of Ihe 

 crop from good seed. 



It is a fad, which certainly deserves mention, 

 that broom corn is taken three, four, and sojnc- 

 limes ten years in succession from the same field 

 without diminution of the crop. I have the testi- 

 mony of three respectable farmers lo this point. 

 Yet this can only be done by high manuring. By 

 many farmers it is deemed an exhausting crop. 

 The brooms made from the brush, cut and dried 

 while green, are tougher and much more durable 

 than those made from the brush when suffered to 

 become quite dry and yellow; The returns of a 

 crop of broom corn in Gill are as follows: the 

 land cultivated was one acre seven rods. The crop 

 of brush Avas nine hundred and thirteen pounds. 

 Of seed, there were one hundred and thirteen 

 bushels ■; eighty bushels of which, sold for Iwenly- 

 five cents per' bushel. This was at the rate ol 

 eight hundred and seventy-five pounds ol brush lo 

 the acre 



Ten loads of manure at 75 cents per loud,.... 7 50 



Putting manure in Ihe hills, 2 00 



Planting.', one day's work, $1 00 ; seed, 4 



qunrls al /Scents per bushel, 1 10 



Hoeing first lime 31 days, *3 60; hoeing 2d 



time, 3 days, S3 00, 6 50 



Hoeing 3d lime, $2 50 ; horse and boy to 



plough for the season, SI 00, 3 50 



Tabling and culling 4 days S4 00, 4 00 



Gathering, carting, and packing away, 2 50 



The expense of cultivating one acre is as above 

 $2! 60, the labor being rnted at $1 00 per day, 

 which is more than the actual cost. The yield 

 was at the rate of 991 lbs. to the acre. If the 

 ground had been fully slocked, the crop would 

 have been more than 1000 lbs. per acre. The 

 brush was sold nl 8^ cents per lb. The crop of 

 seed was light and poor ; at the rate of 50 bushels 

 to 3 acres ; and was sold at ICa cents per bushel 

 or $2 77 per acre. 



To the above expenses of $23 69 are lo be ad- 

 ded as follows : , , t 



ScrapinL' lUOO lbs. $3 30 ; board of man 5 



days>l 07, 4 37 



Rent of land, 1 acre, '" "" 



$49 oe 



The sales of the above brush, 1000 lbs. at 



8J cts. pqr pound 85 00 



Seed upon above acre, * '' 



$87 77 



Net profit per acre, •• S38,71 



This product may be deemed unusual ; but there 

 is no difficulty under suitable cultivation in ob- 

 lainin" it. The price is nol extraordinary ; and 

 had the brush in this case, been kepi until spring, 

 il would have brought 124 cents per lb. 



Another estimate by a good farmer, is as lol- 

 lows :■ — . „, „„ 



Ploughing, $4 00 ; ilraggmg, $1 00 ; ma- 



nure, $12 00; seed, 25 cents, 17 ^» 



Planting, 2 feet by 31 feet apart, 75, 75 



First hoeing, $4 68 ;" 2d hoeing, S2 34 ; 3d 



hoeing, SI 17, : ■■•■■■•• ,° Z 



Gathering brush and scraping seed oft,. . . l^ 00 



$38 00 

 Returns. 



700 lbs. of brush at 8 cents, 56 00 



40 bushels seed at 25 cents, 1" "" 



Net profit per acre ^^'' ^^ 



No charge i s here made for the rent of the land. 

 The Tomato. 



The celebrity of this plant has become astonishing. 

 A few years since, prejudice reviled at its excellences 

 with its most vindictive tauntings. Now, ilia an arti- 

 cle of so general popularity, scarcely a garden, or an 

 apology for one, is to be found where it is not cultiva- 

 ted, and almost every voice is loud in proclaiming its 

 excellences. The tomato has three kinds or varieties, 

 to wit: the large common, the egg, and the golden 

 drop. Wc prefer the two last kinds for culture, aa 

 they are firmer, or more soUd in their texture and more 

 delicate in their flavor. The tomato should be started 

 in a hot-bed, or in boxes in the house in March.— 

 Then, by care, largethrifty plants will be ready for put- 

 ting out 'as soon as the season of frost is passed. They 

 do not require a rich soil, this causes them lo run loo 

 much to vine, but rather an excitement to push forward 

 to perfection. AVe know of no more sure effective lo .- 

 produce this, than to pul say half or a third of a o.m- 

 mon shovel full of hen or pigeons' dung m the hill. 

 Il is admirably calculated for pepper or for tomatoes. 

 After the early frost had kUled the vines last fall, a 



I friend of ours, of close observation and exact calcula- 



I s^'bjoin also, the exact account of a crop culti- ,;„«. experimented feeding the tomatoes that remained 



vatedby Alvab Hawkes, in Deerfield meadows, L^ ],„ cow. They were readily eaten, and thequan- 



wilh which he was kind enough to favor me. ^^.^^^.^^ ^^,^^ increased. This certainly feltis anolh- 



Expcnse of culth-atiiv^ one acre of Broom Corn. ^^^^^^^^ thousand and one uses to which they have 



One ploughing the 12lh of May, 1 25 W. B. 



Holeing cut, one thud of a days- work, Sii "^" U 



