But they too have to meet the low-minded cultural cause. It is an outrageous and abomand mean opposition, and to suffer from the most inable piece of quackery and imposture, nor can aggravated and least defensible attacks, the stabs too much indignation be felt against its perpetraof pretended friends; they, and the agricultural tors; no confidence will hereafter be felt by the press besides, have been for years urging the ex- victims of this fraud in any so called agricultutensive trial of specific manures, whether to sup- ral improvements. But we cannot too strongly plant, assist, extend or enhance the benefits and urge upon those who have suffered this year, not use of bard-yard manures. to be discouraged in the future, but with reTo secure a judicious application of the mate- newed zeal make other efforts, only hereafter berial used, repeated directions have been given of ing careful to purchase their material from men the amount to be used, and the best way of apof solid and well-established reputations, and plying it, in some cases, even, with details of never to purchase any recommended preparations carefully tried experiments, as farther guides; because they are cheap, nor unless heartily enand as a result of this action, a larger quantity dorsed by men who can be depended upon. of specific manures has been sold this year than It is to be desired that the exposure of this ever; how disastrous, then, must be the effect humbuggery as published in the Country Gentleupon novices, who have been excited to try such man and American Agriculturist should have the aids to culture, by this continuous advice, if they largest publicity, that the public may become buy in good faith, and relying upon the assurance so thoroughly awakened to a sense of the benefit of the seller, a spurious article, perhaps at a high good special manures may do, and of the worthlessness of the bad, that there may be a larger price, which will prove either useless or perhaps positively injurious to their crops. use of the former every year. And we cannot If, for instance, any one purchases guano, help believing that those interested in agriculture trusting to the statement of the vender that it is in our Commonwealth have so large a share of a genuine and valuable article, paying $40 or good sense as to be able to discriminate between the $50 a ton for it, which is in reality a miserable good and the bad,and while they award the largest combination of lime, plaster, salt, coal ashes, share of praise and encouragement to all who are and a pinch of guano to give it smell and color, honestly laboring to forward the cause amongst (see analysis of Chilian guano below, taken from us, no less thoroughly to condemn all quacks, the London Agriculturist of May 24,) which will and venders of patent agricultural medicines, give no remunerative return for its application, whether for men, animals or the crops. For the New England Farmer. he does not condemn the article he used, so much as the spirit of improvement which prompted him to make the trial, and the entire discredit of the operation falls, not as it should on the head of the vender, but upon the advocates of progressive agriculture; and the untiring efforts of the FRIEND BROWN-I have no desire to approfriends of improvement are all laid under suspi- priate too much space in the Farmer to myself, cion. But such must this year be the fate of but noticing several serious mistakes in my commany, for it has been discovered by the editors munication which appeared in the last number, of the Country Gentleman, that an article denom- I venture to correct them. inated Chilian guano has been largely manufactured, and sold over the country, and some even shipped to England, at the price of $40 a ton, that is not worth $10 the ton. It is composed of Water.. Sand.. Organic matter, (Sugar-house scum)... Phos. Lime... Plaster.. Salt..... .4.0 ...2.4 ...15.3 ..24.5 ......9.5 99.5 In the 19th line, for "9" and "8" read -9° and -8°, or, 9° and 8° below zero. In the 21st line, read —14°. A great difference will be seen in the two readings, a difference equal to twice the number of degrees indicated. In the first, too, there is a manifest inconsistency which no reflecting reader will fail to observe, for it makes me say that in the "coldest day on record in this county," the mercury did not fall so low by ten degrees as in the previous day, nor so low by fifty-six degrees of which there is 1.06 per cent. of ammonia-and What a terrible stab from behind is this, coming, too, from the very men who make the largest protestations of zeal and enthusiasm in the agri The sign minus (-) is commonly used to indicate below zero, and in my communication I used it accordingly. No doubt the mistakes were made by the compositor, who, perhaps, did not consider the value of the signs. Perhaps it may not be out of place to make a few remarks upon the effects of the extremely We have just had the finest rain I ever witnessed, or at least it has been most appreciated; A neighbor, who had a fine orchard of grafted it commenced Saturday evening, the 3d instant, fruit, that has borne a few years, informs me and came fine and gentle, not much more than that his trees are nearly all dead, causing not a mist, and continued so for twelve hours, when only a pecuniary loss, but a sad disappointment. it increased to a continued drenching rain, which Several maple trees, standing near his house, are has thoroughly saturated every thing out of also killed, although they had grown five years. doors. Crops never needed rain so much. Grass I have not heard of an equal amount of damage was dried up in spots over our intervales, and in any other place, though all are complaining was fast extending over the whole. Corn that of injury. S. VARNEY. Bloomfield, C. W., 6 Mo. 5, 1855. EXTRACTS AND REPLIES. AN EXAMPLE. for was planted early did not grow, while that more lately planted did not find moisture to sprout, or if it did, dried up. The same was the case with English grain. We have not had any rain since the season for planting, or even since the snow went off, to soak the ground. It has given new life to vegetation and the heart of the farmer. Bolton, Vt., June 5, 1855. A SUBSCRIBER. READING AND THINKING. Yours, SOLOMON STEELE. BLACK KNOTS ON PLUM TREES. GENTLEMEN :-Nearly two years ago, I accidentally became a subscriber to your paper, and I must confess I am not sorry for it. My family now watch for its coming each week; my young men, too, delight upon "it to gaze" and I rejoice to know that many of our farmers are peruse its well-filled and ever interesting columns. beginning to see the importance of reading and am glad to have them receive instructions there-thinking before acting, upon the subject of farmfrom, and feel assured their morals will not be corrupted thereby, but that they will be benefited ing as well as political matters. I find many who are willing to be called "book farmers, and strengthened in the way to respectability and provided there is money in the affair. usefulness. Need I inform you that their joys are my joys? Enclosed are two dollars to pay my subscription for one year in advance from September next, for which please send me your receipt. I am, very truly yours. MR. EDITOR-I was reminded a few days Burlington, Vt., June 11, 1855. since by an article in your paper of what I saw in Nova Scotia. A gentleman pointed out to me REMARKS.-Though often receiving letters simisome fine looking plum trees from which he had lar to the above, we do not often indulge in show- partially or wholly cut out the black knot, and ing them to our neighbors. But this comes with then rubbed in spirits of turpentine. The wounds so many tokens of grace and heart, that we can- were healed up wholly or partially, as from any not keep it to ourselves. It not only brings the ordinary wound; the disease seemed to be eradicated from the previously affected part. I sug sinew of all agricultural and commercial prosper-gested to him the propriety of covering the wound ity, the cash, but is accompanied by three excel- with grafting wax immediately after the applicalent communications, each written in a clear, tion of the turpentine. As this disease does not fair hand, and only upon one side of the sheet. affect trees in this vicinity, I am unable to test the matter by experiment, but leave it for those who What a noble example! May the writer live to have the opportunity; it does not seem to me see the New England Farmer a thousand years that the disease is beyond the reach of some speold, and welcomed by as many and as heartily as cific remedy. Will some correspondent tell us were the recent rains of which he speaks in one what they know of this remedy? Bethel, Me., June 5, 1855. of his communications. FOUR FAT BEEVES. N. T. T. REMARKS. Since having been informed of the use of spirits of turpentine as a remedy for the I noticed in the May number of the N. E. Far- black knot on plum trees, by a lady, who commer an inquiry of the live and dead weight of cattle. In the winter of 1854 I fatted four municated the fact through the Farmer, we have beeves which were butchered, and I send you a been using it on plum trees, and find it promstatement of their weight, which shows that by ises well. Some of the places on which we first weighing them alive and deducting one-third, applied it are now partially covered with a new will give very nearly the weight of the quarters, and healthy-looking bark. tallow and hide, when dressed. 1 Cow, 11 years old past, 1360, off one-third.. Quarters 715, tallow 100, hide 90..... If it proves a remedy, it will be an important ...907 .905 one. HOW TO SOLDER. For the New England Farmer. ARTICLES IN SEASON. MR. EDITOR:-Having once answered an inquiry, made through the New England Farmer, for which I received many thanks, I am induced ticle from a correspondent, who complains that In the Farmer, for February 3, there is an arto say a word in answer to "P. 1.," "How shall I solder?" I have been in the same predicament months after the season of operation is over. you do not insert the articles you receive till two with him. Having to join a pipe full of water, The remarks I am about to make have reference which could not be excluded, I cut off the end, to the Monthly Farmer. Let us reason together, seamed it out somewhat larger than for an or- and see if your correspondent has any cause for dinary joining to solder, and filled my splice with considerable lap; I then took a strip of new cot the year when there is not so much to do as there complaint in this matter. This being a season of ton cloth, dipped it in hot grafting wax, wound will be two months hence, it is a favorable time it round the joint, and, before it had time to cool, for the farmer or gardener to study out improved confined it with a strong twine. It has answered plans in plowing, sowing, harvesting, or imperfectly since. Yours truly, Lancaster, June 4. BENJAMIN WILLARD. ABOUT POTATOES. proved modes of feeding oxen, cows, pigs or poultry. He tries his plans, and notes the result, and not being a selfish man, he commits it to paper while it is fresh in his mind, and, as soon If I had leisure, I would give you an article as he has a leisure moment, prepares it for pubon potatoes, and, if you wish, will do so here- lication in the New England Farmer, or some after, detailing some "well-conducted experi- other agricultural journal, for the benefit of his ments" in reference to an article in your last fellow-men. It will be seen by this that an arnumber, signed "S. P.," which he closes by say- ticle cannot appear till it has been proved; then, ing, "Are there any experiments to prove it? If if it is two months too late, it is, at the same not, let us discard theory and determine the time, ten months too soon! Hence the value of facts." I can at this time only state a few an agricultural paper in book form-it being "facts." One is, that there are certain fixed supplied with a complete index of all the subjects principles or laws of nature, that, if known and treated upon, likewise a list of the correspondregarded, will secure uniform results, invariably, ents' names, so the reader has no trouble in finding any article at any time. I have been a subFailures are easily explained by one acquainted scriber to the present New England Farmer ever with these laws, on learning the management in since it was published, and if I could not replace a particular case. Large potatoes may give small them with others, I would not part with them returns simply because of over-seeding. Half the for four times what they cost me. seed, even of small ones, may do as well, for the The writer of the article referred to above, same reason that, with a given amount of feed, does not seem to like the idea of reviewing the six small pigs would make as much pork as previous number. I cannot see any objection to twelve larger, finer animals, limited to the same this; I like it. Yours, amount of feed and room. Had the Connecticut Whitinsville, Mass., Feb. 8, 1855. neighbor, "S. P.," cut off the cluster of eyes at one end of his large potatoes, and the feeble eyes at the opposite stem end, and planted only three or four central eyes, both gentleman would have THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS IN under the same circumstances. HUNTER. For the New England Farmer. NORTHERN VERMONT. learned something by experiment. I once told a curious, quizzing man, how he could raise potatoes with four fingers, like a man's hand. Two MR. EDITOR:-May was free from rain; vegeyears after I passed his house (in Vermont,) and tation was kept upon "short allowance" all he was sorting a lot of potatoes, among which through the month, and her kindest friends behe found more than a peck of fac similes. gan to despair of her success. Many a counte I will add, my convictions are that flavor, nance was o'ercast with gloom. The forebodings color, size and time of ripening potatoes, are in regard to the drought were very serious and equally and certainly subject to these principles plentiful; but June came, and with it gentle, and governed by these laws. And the same I gentle and most welcome rain. Never did it deem reliable in grain and fruits, if we raise the cheer the heart of the husbandman more; in unmingled seed. Lancaster, June 4, 1855. BENJAMIN WILLARD. ABOUT SOLDERING PIPES. fact it cheered everybody, for the merchant, mechanic, manufacturer and professional man now see clearly the great importance of the farmer, and of good crops, for without them business of all kinds languishes, and the grass is made to In reply to "Prof. Tinker's" inquiry in the Farmer, a few weeks since, please inform him row in our thoroughfares. Since June came in, it has rained with us every single day, and it now that by cutting his pipe smooth at the end, and continues its gentle and welcome visits to the crowding in six inches of a candle, softened on previously parched earth. I am not of the fault the outside by a hot copper, and then pouring in finding or never-to-be-satisfied kind; still if it melted tallow, he may stop the water perfectly continues much longer, we, like Macduff, shall tight, and then perform the work desired. After the soldering is complete, the candle may be re- dence orders all these things aright, and in his cry "Hold, hold, enough!" Still a wise Provimoved by pouring on hot water. There should hands are we resigned to place the matter. The be a space of six inches between the tallow and the place to be soldered. This reply is from ac- has not had for a year or more, and now we have ground needed a most powerful rain, a thing it tual practice and not dead theory. it. Our long empty cisterns, wells, brooks and Vt., May 23. TINKER PORTER. THE HARVEST. streams will again appear as of old. Each will rejoice at finding itself "at home again." Our exchanges from every quarter bring cheer The effects so far have been surprising. Grass and grain have grown astonishingly. We fearing accounts of the growing crops, and there is the former will be rather light, however, owing now every reason to believe that the harvest of 1855 to the fact that in many places it was either will be the largest ever realized in this country. "winter or summer killed;" many spots being Stimulated by short supplies and high prices, and entirely free from all signs of verdancy. The se- by the prospect of a ready market in Europe, an vere drought of last season, no doubt, injured unusual breadth of land has been seeded, and grass in many places, and then the very dry time we have had all through May gave it a com- thus far a kind Providence has withheld nothing plete quietus. At best, our hay crop, as we now that is needed to crown the labors of the husbandthink, must be much under the average, making man with success. From the harvest reports beall allowance for the powerful effects of the long-fore us, we cull a few particulars, showing the continued and most welcome rains we are daily general tenor of accounts from various quarters. having. Corn, potatoes, &c., are springing up finely. With warm and sunshiny weather, they "Maine never had so much seed in the earth will now come on rapidly. before, at one time, and the prospect is most Be assured that old Vermont has "sown and promising for bountiful crops."-Augusta Banplanted the seed" this year. If she "reaps as she ner. has sown," our storehouses will be too small, and "The rain has saved the crops that were perwe can feed all of our neighbors with a surplus. ishing with drought, and all vegetation is growMay the great industry and hopes of our farmers ing rapidly. We think the amount of grain and be fully realized this autumn. It will give cheer potatoes put into the soil this year, is full oneto every interest; it will speed the spindle, the third more than usual, and if the crops do well, cars, the ship; give enterprise a new joy; com- there will be an abundant harvest."-Rutland merce new energy and hope, and the whole coun- (Vt.) Herald. try will go on rejoicing in plenty and cheerful SO-MAY-IT-BE. "A gentleman who travelled through the central and southern portions of this State quite extensively during the last ten weeks, informs us that the prospects of a good crop are encouraging. Much of the damage done to wheat fields he attributes to poor tillage, and thinks the devastations of the fly are greatly over-estimated."-Detroit Tribune. For the New England Farmer. CHEAT IN FERTILIZERS. Scarcely a paper comes to hand, that does not contain more or less notice of these impositions. "The cotton and provision crops along the seaThe grossest of the kind we have seen, is the mode board of Georgia, are also very promising. The of compounding an article, called "Mexican guano, almost equal to Peruvian," for which an establish- cotton is somewhat backward but is doing well. ment is said to be founded near New York. That A friend writes us from Bryan County, that the any man, or association of men, with any regard late rains have started the grass to growing as to character whatever, should presume upon such well as the cotton, and that it is all the planter can do to keep it in subjection. The provision an experiment, is most astounding. If we do not mistake, many of the condensed crops in the southern portion of Georgia were fertilizers now before the public, will be found, on never more promising than they are at present. being tested, equally valueless. These patent in- The same remark will apply to the crops throughvigorators of the fertility of the soil, like the pa- out this State. Less land has been planted in cottent restorators of the health of the body, will be ton and more in grain, than in former years, and found like their authors mere humbugs. Some the prospect of an abundant yield is most encourdiscriminating test of quality, or guarantee of aging, especially of the provision crops, notwithpurity is imperatively demanded. The man who standing the backwardness of the season."--Savannah Republican. imposes upon the honest tiller of the soil, by putting forth such spurious articles, is as much more "In a journey of 3,890 miles through portions guilty than he who practices other counterfeits, of the States of Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illias is the fraud more difficult of detection. We nois, Missouri, Iowa, Michigan, Pennsylvania have witnessed, the present season, striking illus- and Virginia, performed during the past six trations of the fertilizing power of genuine guano weeks, and mostly by daylight, my heart has on grass land. Many of our gardeners have ap- been constantly gladdened by the prospect of the plied it in connection with other manure, where growing crops. In a travelling experience of vegetables are to be grown, and we hope to hear more than fifteen years, I have never seen so favorable reports of its value. June 11, 1855. broad a portion of the country under cultivation as at present, or a period when the crops of every description promised a more abundant yield than now."-Cincinnati Gazette. The Farmer's High School, incorporated by the last legislature of Pennsylvania, was organized A correspondent of the Charleston (S. C.) at Harrisburg on the 14th. The offer of Gen. Courier, 14th inst., who has spent some time in Irwin to give 250 acres of land if the school shall Upper Georgia and East Tennessee, informs that be located in Harris, Centre county, and other paper that "the crops generally were unusually propositions to give or sell sites, were referred to promising, and the extent of culture beyond forbe reported on early in July, after an examination mer years. The wheat harvest had commenced of the localities. in Georgia, and will soon be ready in Tennessee. LADIES' DEPARTMENT. DOMESTIC RECEIPTS. A gentleman well qualified to judge, estimates that one county of Georgia alone will yield 100,000 bushels of wheat, and there is every prospect that the leading provision staples in that great grain region will at no very distant day settle at TO KEEP SILK.-Silk articles should not be the old prices." kept folded in white paper, as the chloride of A letter from Knoxville, dated the 6th inst., lime used in bleaching the paper will probably says: "We have recently had copious rains, and impair the color of the silk. Brown or blue paour crops in East Tennessee, except oats and hay, per is better; the yellowish, smooth Indian pawill be very abundant. Wheat is very promis- per is best of all. Silk intended for dress should ing indeed, and will be gathered in two or three not be kept long in the house before it is made weeks. Crop will be two or three times larger up, as lying in the folds will have a tendency to than ever before." impair its durability by causing it to cut split, The Charleston (Va.) Free Press of the 14th, particularly if the silk has been thickened by says: "The improvement in the growing crop gum. of wheat, for the last two weeks, has astonished Thread lace veils are very easily cut; satin and every one. Barring any further injury, we think velvet being soft are not easily cut, but dresses of the yield this year will be fully equal to that of velvet should not be laid by with any weight last year. Some of the farmers in the vicinity of above them. If the nap of thin velvet is laid Fredericksburg commenced harvesting their wheat down, it is not possible to raise it up again. last Tuesday." Hard silk should never be wrinkled, because the A gentleman who travelled over 600 miles in thread is easily broken in the crease, and it never Illinois within a few days, returned to Chicago can be rectified. The way to take the wrinkles and reported on the 11th that the wheat fields, out of silk scarfs or handkerchiefs, is to moisten without exception, are promising unequalled the surface evenly with a sponge and some weak crops; the corn is also luxuriant, in some places glue, and then pin the silk with some toilet pins almost in tassel; and the fruit crop is tremend-around the shelves on a mattrass or feather bed, ous, being the greatest abundance of apples, taking pains to draw out the silk as tight as peaches, cherries, &c., wherever there was a tree possible. When dry the wrinkles will have displanted. The wheat crop will probably be 25 per appeared. The reason of this is obvious to every cent. greater than ever before grown in Illinois; person. It is a nice job to dress light colored and about half the freight cars are laden with patent grain reapers, threshing machines, and other agricultural implements. cropi For the New England Farmer. silk, and few should try it. Some silk articles should be moistened with weak glue or gum-water, and the wrinkles ironed out by a hot flatiron on the wrong side.-Scientific American. The generally favorable tone of these reports is slightly modified by accounts from certain quarSPONGE CAKE, No. 1.-Three-quarters of a ters, of the appearance of the bug or the fly among a table-spoonful of rose-water. Beat the yolks pound of flour, twelve eggs, one pound of sugar, the grain fields. It is generally reported, too, and sugar together until they are very light. that the coolness of the spring has kept back corn. Whisk the whites till they are perfectly dry, add Oats, also, in some localities are not a promising the frose-water, then the whites and flour alternately, but do not beat it after the whites are in. Butter your pans, or if you wish to bake it in one large cake, grease a mound, pour in the mixture and bake it. The small cakes should have sugar sifted over them before they are set MR. EDITOR:-Can you, or any of your corres- in the oven, and the oven should be hot. pondents, inform me of any method of destroying SPONGE CAKE, No. 2. One pound of sugar, the gooseberry caterpillar? For a few years past, three-quarters of a pound of flour, ten eggs. all our gooseberries have been destroyed by this Dissolve the sugar in one gill of water, then put destructive insect; they have just commenced it over the fire and let it boil. Beat the eggs a their work of destruction, for this year, and are few minutes, till the yolks and whites are thornow about one-fourth of an inch in length, and of a whitish-green color, and when full grown, ally the boiling sugar; beat the eggs hard all the oughly mixed together, then stir in very graduthey are about one-half an inch in length, and of a pale green color, and oftentimes of a greenish mixture for three-quarters of an hour; it will get time you are pouring the sugar on. Beat the brown. Weston, June 5, 1855. GEORGE G. CHENEY. very light. Stir in the flour very gently, and add the grated rind of a lemon. Butter your pan and set it on the oven immediately. REMARKS.-COLE, in his Fruit Book, says that spent tan strewed under and around the bushes, SPONGE CAKE, No. 3.-Five eggs, half a pound will sometimes prevent the ravages of the goose- of loaf sugar, the grated rind and juice of one berry caterpillar. We have experienced no diffi- lemon, a quarter of a pound of flour. Separate the yolks from the whites. Beat the yolks and culty in this way, and know of no certain rem- sugar together until they are very light, then edy. add the whites after they have been whisked to a dry froth, alternately with the flour. Stir in Flour is offered in the New York market, the lemon, put the mixture in small pans, sift for delivery in July and August, at less than $9 sugar over them, and bake them.-National Cook a barrel, without finding a purchaser. Book. |