DEFECTIVE STABLES.-—ROCK SALT.—NEW YORK FARMERS 5 CLUB. 
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DEFECTIVE STABLES. 
One of the greatest defects still existing through¬ 
out the country, in the farmer’s stables, is the want 
of tight floors, and a channel in them for the pur¬ 
pose of carrying off the urine of the stock into tanks 
for its preservation, to be applied at a future day to 
the grass and clover crops. We advise all who 
have not their stables thus formed, to remedy the 
defect as soon as possible; and those who cannot 
immediately do this, should litter their stock well. 
The litter will absorb and preserve nearly all the 
urine, especially if it be whitened every day with a 
sprinkling of plaster of Paris. If plaster cannot be 
had, charcoal dust is next best, then peat, tan bark, 
or indeed most any dry absorbing vegetable 
substance. 
The average stale of a cow is from 900 to 1,200 
gallons a year, according to size ; that of the horse 
1,100 to 1,400. Pound for pound, this liquid is 
much more valuable than solid manure. 
The Chinese and Flemings save and apply all 
animal liquids with the utmost care. They would 
as soon let their silver coins be lost as this precious 
fluid; and they are the best farmers in the world. 
The Germans, French, and English, are now rapidly 
following in their footsteps. Millions of dollars’ 
worth of manure are annually thrown away, or 
suffered to waste throughout the United States. 
When shall we become as economical in saving, 
and as enlightened in applying these enriching sub¬ 
stances as our transatlantic brethren ? 
ROCK SALT. 
All who keep domestic animals, are aware of 
the necessity of supplying them regularly with salt. 
Various means have been tried to effect this desir¬ 
able object; but so long as the ordinary kinds are 
used, it cannot be done without considerable extra 
trouble, attended with more or less waste. We 
have tried all sorts of ways on our farm—the 
manger, troughs, both under and without cover, 
together with some few patent inventions, and yet 
we could never contrive to place this necessary 
condiment where it could at all times be accessible 
to stock, till we procured the English rock or 
mineral salt. 
This salt is as hard as alum. A lump of it may 
be placed in the field, where it will lie for years 
exposed to all sorts of weather, with but little 
w T aste. It is therefore just the thing for horses, 
cattle, and sheep. Place a lump in the rack or 
manger, in a trough, or in a field, and there it will 
remain till it is gradually licked away. By using 
this kind of salt, the stock will always take it as 
they desire ; nor can they get it in excess, or suffer 
injury from it as is often the case with the use of 
most other kinds. We have recently had a small 
quantity of this article sent us from England, and 
in answer to numerous inquiries, add, that we can 
supply it at one dollar per 100 lbs. 
The Corn Crop in the South West. —Our cor¬ 
respondent at Washington, Miss., says, under date 
of Oct. 29th, that corn has been a fair crop above 
Baton Rouge. It was supposed to be very heavy 
until we commenced gathering, when both shucks 
and cobs, proved to be unusually large, owing, it is 
supposed, to the wetness of the season. The de¬ 
mand for export, and for the lower parishes of 
Louisiana, together with the lowness of the rivers, 
have caused a rise from 70 to 75 cts. per bushel. It 
will run much higher should the rivers freeze up 
without a rise. A great deal of corn has been sent 
from this part of the country, and brings a notch 
above the highest market price. 
Color from St. John’s Wort. —The flowers 
and tops of this plant contain a juice soluble in 
water, spirits of wine, or vinegar. With the first 
two liquids it forms a red color, resembling blood, 
and the latter a splendid crimson; w T hen alum and 
a portion of potash are added to a strong solution of 
juice in water, it becomes a permanent yellow dye 
for cloth, cotton, paper, &c. 
NEW YORK FARMERS’ CLUB. 
Since the Fair of the American Institute, the 
meetings of this Club have been resumed, and, as 
usual, will be continued on the first and third 
Tuesdays of each month. The subjects for discus¬ 
sion or investigation are various, and are listened 
to with increased interest. 
Supposed Influence of the Gases of Brick-kilns on 
Vegetation. —Dr. R. T. Underhill stated that, seven 
years ago, he. began to notice the evil effects of the 
gases emanating from burning brick-kilns on 
neighboring vegetation, and that they had since 
caused hundreds of thousands of dollars damage to 
agriculturists, which was particularly manifest in 
numerous fields and orchards between New York 
and Albany, in being severely injured or destroyed. 
He exhibited specimens of leaves of fruit and forest- 
trees as well as of garden vegetables, which he 
conceived had been killed by the gases of a brick¬ 
kiln about half a mile from his farm. On one 
occasion, when his men were at work in the field, 
there was a gentle breeze accompanied with a fog, 
coming from the direction of the kiln, and causing 
a strong smell of carbonic acid and of carburetted 
hydrogen, which could be perceived all over his 
vineyard. The next day he found the leaves of 
his vines greatly injured, and those on his New¬ 
town pippin trees partly killed. He said that he 
had noticed that this occurred on the leaves that 
contained moisture, but when the gases passed over 
his farm, unattended with dew, fog, or rain, there 
appeared to be no damage done. In June last, the 
crop of apples in his orchard was very promising, 
but when they had acquired the size of marbles, 
the kiln commenced burning, and by means of its 
gases accompanied by a fog, the whole crop of fruit 
was cut off. He said that forest-trees and crops of 
grain, carrots, sugar-beets, &c., had been much 
damaged by the same cause; and that if fruit-trees 
should happen to be in blossom when these gases 
were in the air, the destruction of fruit would occur 
at the distance of fifteen miles, in the direction of 
the wind ! During the burning of these kilns, vast 
volumes of gas escape for many hours together, 
killing orchards at the distance of ten miles l Near 
