THE CULTIVATOR. 
191 
the herbage may be more completely buried.” He 
likewise told me that it was by far the cheapest ma¬ 
nure he could use, and that as long as he could pro¬ 
duce clover in such abundance he would not draw 
manure if it were given him. This is carrying the 
principle to its fullest extent—further than I should 
approve: but it might have been his extravagant 
manner of showing his entire confidence in the sys¬ 
tem of cultivation, independent of other means of fer¬ 
tility. Still I very much doubt his willingness to 
give away his yard manure, or to part with it for the 
market price; and I did not observe that he “ sum¬ 
mered ” any. He need not have told me that he ob¬ 
tained large crops—they were splendid—for his oats 
in adjoining fields proved it. By the way, oats are 
the crop he most cultivates. The land in this region 
is often ploughed in the fall, and only harrowed (but 
that thoroughly) in the spring. 
These lands, thus managed, I have observed are 
rapidly increasing in value and productiveness. ’Tis 
strange—surpassing strange—that some people have 
such short vision that they can not see the simple 
causes of their neighbors’ thrift! There is no necro¬ 
mancy—no exclusive knowledge in the process. And 
here I would allude to the benefits of agricultural pe¬ 
riodicals : those who read, observe and practise are 
the most enterprising, the most successful and the 
most valued citizens. ’Tis they who bring wealth 
into a community ; ’tis they who make a community 
prosperous ; and ’tis among such that the advantages 
of society and education are most amply enjoyed. It 
is by the perusal of agricultural periodicals that I 
have acquired what little I possess of taste for agri¬ 
culture, and, in a great measure, my knowledge of 
the art; though I have but recently commenced 
connecting practice with theory. 
But I have trespassed far more upon your time 
and patience than 1 intended. The hope that the 
hints I have thrown out may be of service somewhere, 
has been the inducement to offer them for your con¬ 
sideration, and for publication if deemed worthy of 
notice. Yours respectfully, 
F. WHITING. 
American Society for the Diffusion of Useful 
Knowledge. 
Concord, N. H. Nov. 24, 1838. 
Hon. J. Buel —Dear Sir—I am one of your con¬ 
stant readers, and am ready to bear testimony to 
the great value of the Cultivator to farmers. No far¬ 
mer should be without a copy of it on his table, and 
he who hesitates on account of the small price, has 
yet a lesson to learn in the way of economy. Al¬ 
though I have the care of a large farm, I find some 
time to read—and a part of my time I devote to pub¬ 
lic service. 
My favorite subjects are agriculture and edu¬ 
cation, and as a father and citizen I am fully per¬ 
suaded, that the moral character of our people will 
not only depend upon the elevation of Common 
Schools, but on the nature of the pursuits which are 
recommended to our children, after they shall have 
become free and prepared to act for themselves. I 
have confidence in the integrity of Farmer's. I be¬ 
lieve that the cultivation of the soil is eminently cal¬ 
culated to inspire the higher sentiments of our na¬ 
ture, and to strengthen and increase the devotional 
spirit. I would say of the farmer what has been said 
of the ■astronomer— an undevout farmer is mad. 
I believe, dear sir, that our institutions, in the hands 
of farmers, are safe. As much cannot be said of anv 
other profession. I do not speak this in disparage¬ 
ment to other vocations—far from it: I mean sim¬ 
ply, that it is the duty of all to lead young men out 
of large towns to the country, to cultivate that soil 
which is endowed with an amount of wealth not to 
be counted, and which is capable of sending forth the 
tens of thousands of beauties which adorn all external 
nature, and which, in its diversified productions, sus¬ 
tains the whole world. 
But I digress—my first object in writing you was, 
-to notice an article in the Cultivator of this month 
on “ Comm,on School Libraries Your remarks up¬ 
on the importance of such libraries are just, and show, 
in my opinion, that you are able to do much good in ex¬ 
ercising you influence in their behalf. Two or three 
months since, I saw a number of the Charlestown Au¬ 
rora —or rather I believe they call it the Bunker-Hill 
Aurora —in which the editor makes an attack on the 
“American Society for the Diffusion of Useful Know- 
ledge It was stated, that the members of that so¬ 
ciety, or most of them, were elected without their 
knowledge or consent—and that the whole matter 
was managed by a few individuals—who cared for no¬ 
thing but for the profits of the concern. I have no 
objection to seeing my neighbors doing a good profit¬ 
able business, “notJ,”—but I like to see profession 
and practice agree. Believing that the plan of school 
libraries was one fraught with incalculable blessings 
to the rising generation, I took pains to ascertain the 
acts of the case, so far as my means of communica¬ 
tion would allow me. I found that the Bunker Hill 
paper was right in its conjectures, and to my pain, I 
found that it did not tell half the story. 
The amount of it is, that the society was planned 
by Mr. Abbott the secretary, and more as a specu¬ 
lation than any thing else. I found that many of the 
individuals printed as members, were made members 
without their knowledge or consent—and some of my 
friends are of the number. I found that the library of 
fifty volumes, was made up of the old volumes of the 
‘‘Family Library,” and the “Girls’ and Boys’ Libra¬ 
ry,” printed from the old plates, and the only varia¬ 
tion was in the binding. These series were publish¬ 
ed by Messrs. Harpers, of New-York. 
Many of the volumes are excellent works in their 
way, but most of them are not adapted to the capaci¬ 
ties of the young. A particular examination must 
convince you of the truth of this ascertion. Besides, 
the committee of the society consented to make a 
statement, which is little less than downright decep¬ 
tion. Under the head of 
“EXECUTION OF THE PLAN,” 
it is stated, “ all the arrangements for carrying the 
design into execution, are in a state of forwardness, 
so far as they can be, before the necessary funds are 
secured. It is estimated that $15,000 are required 
to manufacture the stereotype plates for 50 volumes,” 
&c. 
Now, the very volumes offered, are printed from 
plates that have been used for several years, and on 
examination of some of the volumes, you will find that 
they have two title pages —one 1835 or 1836 and an¬ 
other 1838—proving that they were printed two or 
three years ago !! ! Much more might be said, but I 
am no writer, and must beg that you will excuse the 
matter for yourself. If publishers wish to get off their 
old stock, let them say so : but in the name of heaven, 
let not the friends of education come forward with 
any plans of deception. As yet New-Hampshire has 
done but little to advance education—but we have 
made our best plans to be proposed at the next ses¬ 
sion of our state government. Old Massachusetts is 
marching forward boldly and grandly in the great 
cause. 1 am quite pleased to hear, that the board of 
education of that state, have decided to have prepar¬ 
ed two series of 50 volumes each, adapted to children 
of different ages, to be edited by some of the most 
distinguished men of our country. This is as it 
ought to be—and I can but say to the disinterested 
and philanthropic gentlemen of that honorable board 
God speed. I am respectfully yours, S. H. 
Hints in Rural Economy. 
From a Female Correspondent. 
Mr. Buel —I have just been reading in the Cultiva¬ 
tor an inquiry as to the cause of pork shrinking and 
swelling in the pot, and have a few remarks to offer in 
reply. My father-in-law, old ’Squire S-, you know, 
had been a great farmer, and not an unobserving 
one. He accounted for it in this way, saying, that 
any man of observation, who fed his own hogs when 
fattening, would see, that during the increase of the 
moon, hogs ate, at least one-third more, than in the 
decrease; that they should be killed, when thriving, 
just before full moon; that in the old of the moon, 
when they eat less, their vessels would be compari- 
tively empty, which caused the shrinkage in the pot. 
Whether his philosophy is correct, I am not able to 
say ; but the fact is indisputable as to the different 
stages of the moon. 
I will mention one or two more discoveries, made 
by myself, which may be of use, if you think them 
worth inserting. During warm weather in dog-days, 
the best house-keepers, who have but a cow or two, and 
are obliged to let their cream stand two or three days 
to collect enough to churn, are often troubled with hav¬ 
ing their milk or cream separate, and a whey settle 
at the bottom of the vessel, which makes the butter a 
long time in coming. To correct this evil, take a 
lump of pearlash as large as a walnut, to six or eight 
quarts of cream, dissolve it in a pint of cold water; 
by stirring that into the cream before you put it into 
the churn, it becomes thick, like cream in the fall, 
and the butter will come very soon, and be as yellow 
and hard as in autumn. 
In raising silk-worms, I experienced a difficulty 
which I hear nothing said of, but with me was the 
greatest I met with; indeed the only one ; which 
was, to find something they liked to wind their co¬ 
coons on. 1 tried split sticks, dried twigs of every 
kind, but they would run from them all, until I got 
some fine thrifty sprouts of the Lombardy poplar, 
which I suspended over them, the ends of the branch¬ 
es just touching their tray. They immediately began 
to go up, and as the leaves which were long, began 
to wilt and curl, they formed little envelopes where 
they soon began to wind, and when taken down there 
were several branches where every leaf contained a 
fine large cocoon. There were several worms which 
had commenced spinning on the side of the tray, that < 
left them, and took to the leaves, and not a single 
one attempted to stray, after the poplars were hung 
up- _ 
Mode of Improving Peat Bogs. 
To Judge Buel —Sir—In a recently published ac¬ 
count of the proceedings of the eighth meeting of the 
British Association for the advancement of science, I 
find the following notice which may be interesting to 
some of the numerous readers of the Cultivator. 
“ Dr. Adams communicated some observations on 
Peat Bogs, the purport of which, we believe, was, 
that by "burning off the surface and sprinkling the 
subsoil with sulphuric acid, it would become fertile, 
and that the surface moss, if removed to the farm¬ 
yard, and also sprinkled with sulphuric acid, would 
become excellent manure. In reply to a question by 
Prof. Buckland, Dr. Adams said, that in some parts 
of Ireland it was the custom to burn off the spongy 
part, sprinkle the acid over the ground, and it became 
prolific. The moss was also prepared in the farm¬ 
yard. Major Portlock said he was aware of the prac¬ 
tice, but believed it was done, not only for the pur¬ 
pose of converting the peat into manure, but also to 
correct some deleterious quality in the peat. Prof. 
Sedgwick suggested that something should be distinct¬ 
ly ascertained, and communicated to the Association 
at their next meeting, for the subject was one of im¬ 
portance. The principle, no doubt, was, as Major 
Portlock had stated it, to destroy bad vegetation by 
means of poison. It must be recollected, however, 
that the peat moss was of the utmost value to the 
poor peasantry of Ireland. Mr. Bates said that he 
had tried a similar experiment thirty years ago, and 
in the first year the peice of ground was rendered 
very prolific. But he tried it the next year and did 
more mischief than he had in the first instance done 
good.” 
It is well known that many of the salts, of which 
sulphuric acid, or oil of vitriol, forms one of the consti¬ 
tuents, are highly useful as manures. May not this 
in some cases, be owing to the acid which they con¬ 
tain 1 Would not it be worth while to determine, by 
a series of experiments, the effect of a very dilute oil 
of vitriol upon soils of different kinds'? B. 
The Season in Indiana. 
Lake C. H. Ind. Nov. 25th, 1838. 
It is worthy of note that the drouth still continues 
in this section of the country to a distressing degree. 
The old adage, that, “winter never with rigour sets 
in, till the swamps with water are fill’d in,” is com¬ 
pletely falsified. The general character of the wea¬ 
ther eight months past has been thus:—April cold 
and dry; May warm, without a single shower; June 
hot, with two or three days about the 10th, of exces¬ 
sive rains and scalding hot; July and August con¬ 
stant unshine and south wind that engendered much 
sickness; September and October continued dry sun¬ 
shine, with two or three small showers and as many 
drizzly days, but not rain enough to prevent a com¬ 
plete exhaustion of springs, ponds, streams and marsh¬ 
es, &c. 
Noyember, the first days, warm and pleasant, Sun¬ 
day ni'ght the 4th a snow fell about three inches—the 
5th, 6th and 7th misty, and snow melted and came 
off excessive cold, destroying great quantities of po¬ 
tatoes and turnips ; then moderately cold until the 
middle of the month, when the cold increased, and 
Sunday the 18th was a most severe cold day, freez¬ 
ing the ponds over, strong enough to bear a man. 
Since then it has been moderate, but now, the 25th, is 
again very cold. Cattle have required feeding all the 
month, and in many places water for stock is very dif- 
cult to be had. 
This has been a season of suffering in the west. 
Yours &c. SOLON ROBINSON. 
Barilla Ashes—Drill Barrows. 
“The ashes from Barilla, are for the most part 
stronger than any other, and if the same quantity of 
them were laid upon land as is commonly done wi th 
wood ashes, they would burn and destroy the crop. 
The ashes from the Barilla is a strong rich manure, 
and sold at 5s. per cart load. This excellent manure 
was first used by the Flemings with great success. 
Two loads of these ashes are sufficient for an acre of 
arable land. They should be laid on the ground when 
the weather is inclined to be wet, in order that the 
rain may more easily dissolve and wash them in. 
“They are generally made into composts with 
earth and well fermented dung; in the proportion of 
two loads of dung, to one of earth ; the ashes are then 
added in the quantity of one load to ten of this mix¬ 
ture, turning over, and incorporating the whole com¬ 
pletely. Laid upon grass-land in the end of autumn, 
this manure produces a deep verdure duringthe winter, 
and an early vigorous vegetation in the spring ; it is 
therefore particularly calculated for cold wet pastures. 
One writer remarks that he never uses it alone on ac¬ 
count of its hot burning quality ; his method is to make 
a large heap, two parts of earth to one of dung plac- 
