The atmosphere consists of a mixture of oxygen The application of hard wood ashes, in liberal original elements and compounds, that his friend, quantities, to such land as I have spoken of, may standing on a car a little behind him, breathes them cause them to produce a more ready and rapid with perfect impunity. growth of whatever is to be raised, by decomposing the small amount of vegetable matter in the soil; and yet, while it appears to benefit it very much, and nitrogen gases, a little carbonic acid and watery it may be hurrying it to a hopeless sterility. vapor; but it contains besides many other substanThe exhaustion is chiefly in the organic sub-ces which exercise an important influence upon stances required by the growing plant. (There vegetable life. Volatile matter constantly arises are lands which form an exception, it is readily from decaying animal and vegetable substances, admitted.) To supply what is needed, at the Mason, N. H A. G. C. cheapest rate, and by the readiest means, is, I from the meadows, manufactories, sewers, and think, the greatest of all questions now before the every substance that is perishing. The sea confarmers of New England. It will cause a faithful stantly sends up a portion of its common salt, and careful estimate to be put upon deep plowing, and where chemical operations are carried on, vast throughly working the soil, the use of green crops, quantities of gases are constantly carried into the meadow muck, guano, urine, &c. air. What becomes of them? If they are not returned to the plants, where do they go? Why does REMARKS.-(a.) We beg leave to call especial at- not the earth diminish in bulk where so much is tatention to this part of our correspondent's proposi-ken away, if nothing is returned? But if they retion. He does not believe that inorganic manures turned, in what condition must the soil be, in order are useless, but that they are not absolutely essen- the more freely to receive them? We answer, in a tial on most of our farms in greater quantity. If light, fine and porous state, and this brings us the idea should become general that a free applica- back to the point from whence we started, where tion of salt-petre, lime, plaster, superphosphates, we will at present leave the subject for the reflecguano, &c., were indispensable, it would do more to tion of the reader himself. discourage the farmer and check agricultural progress, than any other doctrine within our knowl STEAM FARMING. edge. No. The farmer, in most cases, has the It is pleasant to see that this wonder-working elements of fertility under his own control,-first power can bring landlords and mill-owners into soin the excretions of his stock carefully preserved, cial intercourse, honorable to both sides; it is not and secondly, in restoring to his fields the organic less remarkable that it bids fair, ere long, to merge matter which for untold ages has been washed from the two great classes in the one class of manufacture. In one aspect it is exalting the present manthem into the valleys at their base. ufacturers to a level with the lords of the soil-in (b.) In the cultivation of most crops the soil is the other it is converting the landlords themselves not made sufficiently fine before planting or sow-into master manufacturers, and their farms into ing, and the hoed crops are not stirred often enough manufactories. The day after Mr. Salt's princely fete, Mr. Mechi was the invited guest of the Herts afterwards. The reason of this is, that we do not Agricultural Association. An earl, and a baron, yet clearly see where a large portion of the fertil- and so forth, were assembled, in expectation of izers come from that perfect our crops. When the speech of the day from a London tradesman; we become convinced that they are supplied by one who had made an irruption from the counter the atmosphere that surrounds them and ourselves, (with wealth amassed there), into the broad acres then we shall begin to inquire, how they can be of the territorial aristocracy. Nor did the guest arrested, and converted into our grain, grass, and fruit crops. We cannot, here, go into details on this point, but we beg him who doubts to look at the matter candidly for a moment. disappoint the nobility and squires who had invited him evidently to stimulate their own tenants. He dealt out wholesome suggestions to landlords with large estates, complaining of want of capital to improve; honestly advising them to sell part of their land, and improve the rest with the money. He rebuked tenants, who, clinging to the old ways, grudged the landlord a fair interest for the money he had laid out; but the burden of his speech was In riding a single hour on an engine with the engineer, he sees, with his own eyes, that a cord of pitch pine wood is used, together, as he is told, with several hundred gallons of water. He looks steam. into the pan under his feet and finds but a mere The amount of steam power in any agricultural handfull of ashes there, and wonders what could district he took as the test of its condition. Peohave become of eight feet of wood and some hun-engine; but now, two makers in the village had ple thought him crazy when he first put up a steam dreds gallons of water in less than sixty minutes! more than they could do to supply the neighborHe has seen dense columns of smoke issuing from hood fast enough. Lincolnshire and Norfolk farthe murky throat of the machine, and streams of mers have, some of them, one, two, and even three Herts had but made a behissing vapor from the steam-whistle-the first engines on a farm! of which would have suffocated him immediately, into it. But the grand agricultural achievement ginning; he was sure they would soon get deeper and the latter proved fatal equally as quick; and of steam is yet to come. Its advent is nigh. Mr. yet, in this wonderful alembic, the Atmosphere, Mechi is now building the engine, at a cost of two these substances are so suddenly resolved into their hundred pounds, which is to plow the land and do almost everything besides. A Canadian en- cidedly historical, too. So were Hogarth's picgineer, neglected in his own province, is working tures, and told their story to the public with as at Tiptree, under Mr. Mechi's patronage; soon the much directness and force as Junius or the Dunimplement is to be ready which is to revolutionize British agriculture, to enable farmers to plow ciad, and were felt as keenly as any of the stingtwelve inches deep instead of five inches, and to ing sarcasm of either. benefit agriculture about ten millions of pounds Hogarth would have found plenty of subject per annum! What are all the budgets of rival matter in your picture on the right for one step in chancellors of the exchequer to this? His guests, the Rake's Progress. Pass it along. the gentlemen of the top boots and gaiters at least, were withheld, either by utter blank astonishment, or by not having heard so much Latin from exclaiming Credat Judæus Apella! However, the STABLING AND FEEDING COWS IN WINTER. sober truth remains, that we have now farms in Can you inform me through the columns of the which steam does all the fixed machinery work, Country Gentleman how I can prevent my cows that such farms are increasing in number, and that from lying in their manure when in the stable? I machinery of every kind is so rapidly extending have tried every way that I can think of, but all that the farm is fast assimilating to the manufac- to no purpose for every morning their udders are tory; and that the farmer and his laborers bid so filthy that it would take five or ten minutes and fair, in another generation, to equal in intelligence one gallon of water to wash them clean. My statheir brethren of the towns.-Eng. paper. A GOOD HIT. ble floor is good, slopes back three inches in ten feet. I clean it out every day and cover over with clean straw. Unless I can find some remedy I shall have to abandon stabling altogether. The Pennsylvania Farm Journal, published at Should cows be fed before or after milking, or West Chester, gives an excellent contrast between does it make any difference in product of milk or the thrifty and thrift-less farmer, in two engrav-butter? chase hay at seven or eight dollars per ton? Please give me all the information you can on vings, opposite each other. The picture on the Ought cows to be subjected to long stripping, left shows the nice and convenient farm buildings, or not? I have a heifer with her first calf, that is tastefully set off with shrubbery, shade trees, fine disposed to strip a long time, and I do not wish fences, good gardens and roads, and all enlivened to spend the time unless the product of milk is increased thereby. by the most active industry of men and teams in Also, which is the best straw and hay cutter the fields. On the right, not a shrub or shade for general use with which you are acquainted; tree is to be seen near the buildings. The roof of what is the price, and where it can be obtained? the barn is in waves, like a troubled sea; the Or will it pay at all to cut feed for two or three weathercock is keeled over, while the doors look cows, when you have plenty of work to occupy as though they had just come out of a dreadful spree and didn't know which way to lean. Broken slabs, old wheels, tin pots and cast off boots and used up crockery are scattered in the door-yard. Emaciated cows are mumbling away at the hay stacks, while lank and haggard oxen are drinking To keep cows clean during the period of their at a trough at the end of the house farthest from stabling, we have found it absolutely necessary to the barn, and lean horses are collecting the scat-clean the stables at least twice a day, and more estering blades of grass on the dreary looking pas-beds of straw for the night. They should also have pecially in the evening just before spreading their ture in the rear. The sheep, with their backs humped up, might stand "all fours" in a two be tied so as to lie down and rise again without room enough to select a clean place to lie in, and quart measure. The foreground is embellished the least inconvenience. With these precautions with the skeletons of dead cows, pigs and poultry. we have no difficulty in keeping them clean. The hogs have just broken through the rickety The udder of some cows is more easily drained fence, which Tom is patching up, while Sam, club than of others. Where necessary for completely in hand, hangs on to the tail of a long-nosed, lopemptying the udder, long-stripping must not be neglected. Cows which are not milked clean, dieared, race-hog, which he is belaboring with un- minish in quantity, and soon "dry up." The promerciful blows. The bull-dog, Grip, has another cess of stripping may possibly be continued so long by the ear, whose direful squallings set the hens, as to be a waste of time, but we have never known turkeys and geese into a perfect flutter. an occurrence of this sort, for not one milker in ly towards the close of the year, when the suptwenty does the work thoroughly enough, especialplies are given down more slowly. To complete the picture, the lout-proprietor sits in the piazza, perched on the hind legs of his chair, contemplating the scene before him, and A cheap and perfect straw-cutter has not yet complacently listening to the rebukes of a woman been made. Those manufactured by Emery, Rugwho has popped her head out of a broken window, gles, and others, consist of a cylinder of knives cutting on a roller of green hide, and cut with just in time to see the hogs destroy what few gar- great ease and rapidity, and do not easily get out den vegetables were left, from former depredations. of order. They have but one serious defect-they Your hit, Mr. Journal, is admirable-it is de- will not cut shorter than an inch, which will do tolerably well for hay and straw, but not for will eat it up very eagerly, and there will be no Corn-fodder corn-stalks. The price is six or seven dollars, long corn-stalks in your manure. and upwards. The cheaper ones do not cut so served after this manner is as good as hay for milch fast nor so short as those of higher price and cows.-Phil. Dollar Newspaper. more numerously furnished with knives. Sanford's straw-cutter, sold, if we mistake not, by use. Rapalje & Co., of Rochester, costs about 12 dol- THE LITERATURE OF AGRICULTURE. lars, and consists of two cylinders of knives work- Our own estimate of books which expect to make ing into each other like the teeth of two cog-farmers, where there has been no practice or apwheels. It answers well for corn-stalks, crushing prenticeship, is not higher than our estimate of and cutting at one operation, but from some books which propose to make Christians by the cause unknown to us, does not appear to have same short process. We remember, as if it were been extensively used. For cutting very short, yesterday, how blankly we looked in each other's we have not yet found a machine that is at once faces, when, on a fine spring morning, having reasonably cheap, efficient, and durable for long bought our radish-seed, we prepared to plant it, and consulted the "Dictionary of Gardening,” Cutting fodder has several advantages. Straw and read together, "The well known manner in and hay may be intermixed and both eaten to which this vegetable is cultivated renders any obgether, and mastication rendered more complete servations thereon unnecessary.' and perfect; corn-stalks, if cut finely enough, We relate this experience as a hint to preachers, will be more thoroughly eaten, and the manure as to what is necessary and unnecessary in diswill be fine, instead of coarse, long, and unfit to apply till thoroughly rotted. We have no accurate experiments to show the precise amount saved by cutting; an acquaintance informs us he finds son why no book can make a farmer. We have, the yearly saving in keeping a single horse, to be now, two books before us,-which show, in wholly different ways, how wide is the range of thought twenty dollars, out of fifty, formerly required; which belongs to the great science of farming, but we think his estimate too high. The public and what constant stimulus to intellectual effort very much needs more accurate experiments on that man has, who would diligently apply himself this subject.-Country Gentleman. course. It is at the same time an illustration of the rea to explore it. It is no little satisfaction to see how many men set themselves to making two blades of grass grow where there has been but one. MILCH COWS---AN ANSWER. In the "Newspaper," of Nov. 16th, I find an The first of these two books is the Patent-Ofarticle headed "Milch Cows." W. R. wishes to fice's Agricultural Report for 1852. It was made know how many milch cows can be well kept on up under some earlier administration, and only twenty or twenty-five acres of average grass, ex- concluded by Mr. Hodges, who seems to be well clusive of winter feeding? Also, the average aware of its deficiencies. To speak of the first of quantity of butter that can be made from said these first, we would suggest that it ought to have cows-the number of hogs or pigs that may be been completed before the 28th of February, 1853, kept from such a dairy-the best mode of winter- and then ought to have been printed before now. ing cows, and the management of corn-fodder? In Phillips & Sampson, Crosby, Nichols & Co., or answer, I would say, that from fifteen to eighteen any other firm of publishers who are awake, would cows could be well kept on twenty or twenty-five feel disgraced if an octavo volume like this cost acres of grass, on good soil. Cows will produce them six or seven months time in the printing. It from one hundred and fifty to two hundred pounds should have been written, printed and distributed, of butter per annum each, which will average, say before the 1st of March. one hundred and seventy pounds each, for fifteen Within its covers there is, as usual, an immense cows, making a total of two thousand five hundred range of correspondence, with no index,—no runand fifty pounds per annum. Two cows will keep ning titles, nor other clue to its contents. There three hogs well. Some say two pigs to one cow is, however, here a great deal of really valuable is a fair proportion, but we will say three pigs to information, mixed with the trash to be expected. two cows, to insure good feeding that will make It is a singular merit to be claimed by hardly any twenty-three pigs to fifteen cows. Cows should other book, that the climate, soil and needs of alhave a warm stable, well ventilated, so as to have most every State are specifically alluded to in these a good supply of fresh air; during the day they different communications. And we do not doubt should be provided with a yard, having a southern that careful readers will draw information from exposure, for cows are fond of the sun in the win-one part of the Union, into such form as shall suit ter; the yard should be provided with shelter, to their purposes in another. The book, as it stands, protect the cows from cold winds and inclement is a sort of compost heap just made. The result weather. At night they should be stabled, and of it will undoubtedly be good harvests. But it is fed with well cured hay. A little bran is of great of no great use just as it is,-it needs a good deal benefit to a milch cow, even six quarts a day will of fermentation, and careful spreading, harrowmake a great improvement in her milking, to say ing over, and working in with other soil. nothing of herself. Cows should be fed or fod- Our other book, alluded to above, is a curious dered three times a day, and have a plentiful sup- illustration of the tribute of one art to another, ply of good food, and fresh water to drink whenever of the machine-shop to the farm. We have, they wish. As to corn-fodder, the best I am aware long since, made a walk through Ruggles, Nourse of is, to cut it in pieces of from eight to twelve & Mason's Agricultural Warehouse, the amuseinches in length, and steam and scald it, first add- ment and instruction of a leisure hour. We have ing a little salt to the mess; by so doing the cows here, in a hundred and fifty pages, the catalogue For the New England Farmer. of tools and machines, made by them, for farmers, -in number and variety to stagger the belief or WHAT A GARDEN SHOULD BE! understanding of any but a connoisseur. Let no one suppose that because he knows what a hoe, Few words awaken a greater variety of pleasing and rake, and spade, and plow and harrow are, remembrances and ideas than Garden; and its uthe has exhausted even the types of agricultural terance strikes a chord, that, swelling and vibramechanism. Here are lactometers; the English ting, carries us back to the birth-place of man, talacre; post augers; meat cutters and sausage and thence, lingering in the valleys of India, climb fillers. Here is the science of plowing very well ing the mountains of Europe, nestling among the laid out, and illustrated by the several forms of glades and parks of England comes to us fraught plows which these manufacturers have devised for with mysterious meaning, and manifests even here, its requisitions. Plows for all soils, all slopes in bare, bleak, rocky New England, how endeared of surface, and even left-hand plows for the left-are its associations and memories to the refined handed German and Dutch farmers of the West. mind. different varieties. There are nearly a hundred plows in this list, of Is it wonderful that every mind should feel it a part of its own nature to love the garden, the No one can leave such a book, without abandon-birth-place of man, and his resort ever, for repose, ing forever the notion that one of the great sub-pleasure, and instruction? Would any philosophy divisions of labor is more useful than another. be far wrong that, starting with the assumption, Each is lost without the other. The farmer can- that God manifestly interferes in the special aonot say to the mechanic, "I have no need of thee" tions of his children, should assert the first em-more than the foot to the hand, or the ear to ployment of man, and his natural and congenial the eye.-Christian Register. UNITED STATES AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. The Second Annual Meeting of the UNITED STATES AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY, will be held at Washington D. C., on Wednesday, February 22d, 1854. Among the objects of the Association are the following: The acquisition and dissemination of the best experience in the Science of Agriculture:The union of the men who desire to advance to its legitimate rank, this most important of all human pursuits;-and one, was gardening? Were it desirable to prove that division of labor constitutes the welfare of communities, that sin of Adam, which drove him from the garden of Eden, would seem an intentional interference of God, to prevent all the dwellers on the earth being tillers of the soil. When driven thence,and forced to seek their support, some of his descendants, too lazy to cultivate the earth, would turn to less laborious occupations, and try to substitute the work of the wits for that of the hands. It is worthy of notice, that amongst the more simple of the civilized nations, all refinement sought its expression in some connection with the garden. If we instance the Greeks, we cannot fail to remember that Plato and Aristotle taught in garThe increase and extension throughout our dens, and that Pliny and Horace were devotees to country of a more cordial spirit of intercourse its culture and beauty. Our Saviour passed his between the friends of Agriculture, by whose coun- most trying hours on earth in a garden, and tenance and co-operation this Society shall be ele- through all later time, men of leisure and refinevated to a position of honor and usefulness worthy ment devote their first wealth and opportunity to of its national character. Business of importance will come before the meeting. A new election of officers is to be made, and in which every State and Territory is to be represented. developing some of nature's beauties. This peculiar tendency of man for such a resort and pleasure could not escape the poets; and therefore it is, that we find all the Amative and Lyric poets, with some of the Epic, basing much of their claim to Applications will be laid before the Society for attention on the praises of garden walks and pleathe holding of National Exhibitions in different sures. There the tales of love are told, parties parts of the Union. of pleasure planned and executed, and grave counDelegations are respectfully solicited from all cil held; and when the place is not specially rethe Agricultural Societies in the country, and the ferred to, some of its gifts or associations, are the attendence of all Agriculturists, who may find it absolute or symbolized medium of courtesy and convenient to honor the occasion with their pres-intercourse. MARSHALL P. WILDER, President. WILLIAM S. KING, Rec. Secretary. January, 1854. ence. Were the critic to carefully unthread from the acknowledged language of love, letters, and society all the images and epithets owing their origin to some connection with gardens and flowers, he REMARKS.-We have attended the two annual would deprive it of half its ornament. meetings of this Society at Washington, and found The great influence over the mind of an association great pleasure in meeting so many earnest friends with the beautiful during youth, is manifested in of the cause from various parts of the Union. We the lives of all great men; and it would be almost hope to meet them again, with numbers of our from the place where he lived, and the scenery possible to decide on a man's general character citizens, together with delegates from every State that surrounded him; and yet, however much the in the Union. It is an occasion of interest and distant scenery may have moulded the more maimportance, and those who have never visited the tured mind, its effect is not to be compared with federal city will find it a most favorable time to that of the immediate surroundings of the cradle be there during the sittings of the National So- and homestead upon the more pliant mind of ciety. youth. Can we expect the highest developments from one, who, struggling through youth in a mals; show them that it is not only for their hovel, is turned on to the world at some advanced particular worth they are to be prized, but beperiod of life to fight for himself? Or to particular-causeize a little more, and to select one of our New England farm houses as an example; what benefi "There's never a leaf or a blade too mean cial influence will that homestead exert upon the show them that each flower has not its single finer feelings, where the sole motto is, "Money insect dependent upon it for its support, and that makes the mare go," or "A penny saved is a penny just as in its weakness and diminutiveness it congained;" where not only thrift is taught, but where tributes to the welfare of the animal kingdom, so is seen the daily practice of storing in some stocking in its strength and might does the oak, and with it end, old desk, or bank vault, those dollars, a few all other trees. of which would have tightened the cracks in the In this way you may arouse their curiosity; barn, rehung the door, reset the decaying fence you may lead them along till they find themselves posts, repaired the paling or destroyed the hedge enwrapped in the love and study of natural histoof nettles, burdock and wild lettuce that disputes ry, and from that how short a step to all other the entrance. Is not that father to blame, who, knowledge; for it is not the ground covered so by neglecting all out door ornament, has lost all much, as the habit gained, of application. Were vestiges of beauty and comfort to the homestead, no farther benefit obtained than polish of manners, so that the growing boy is ashamed to own that it is few would doubt of the moneyed value of the achis home? Does the son or daughter neglect one quisition; for were it the market gardener, the bit of house or farm work in order to beautify the plowman, the shop-keeper, or professional man, front yard, train the vine over the window, or erad- he will gain most wealth, who, other things being icate the weeds from the pathway? equal, has most refinement of manners. On the contrary, do we not all know that the In farming communities, however, too much work time devoted to such things, when once the begin-devolves upon the males, to allow them to devote ning has been made, is "between whiles," and never a great deal of time to gardening, or to the armissed? And have we not all seen the speaking eye, ranging and caring for flowers; the most that can and swelling heart of the child at the gate, when be expected of them will be, the doing the rough passing strangers have stopped to notice and praise work in spring and fall, and they must leave to the the farm-house, as embowered amidst flowers, females the remainder. No work can be more conshrubs and trees, its pretty vine-clad porch has sonant with the best idea of woman, than the culmet the view? ture of flowers, and to them all but heavy work Less often would the lad leave the half-finished might be left. So predominant a thing, however, is supper of a summer eve for the country store, were fashion, that but too often, many who would like there a little weeding or tying to do in his sister's to have gardens of their own are deterred because garden; how proudly he would cull his Sunday nose- they think it will look strangely to be seen workgay for the little girl around the corner, and half-ing in them. Care nothing about looks! Be assured chokingly whisper the invitation to come and see you will get more health, strength and looks into our garden. It is not often that we see in country vil- the bargain, by devoting a portion of each day to lages attempts at real gardens; it is commonly flowers, than by bending over fancy work, or desome stray corner that cannot be used for anything youring the last new novel. What ever is true in else, or some bit of border grudgingly spared, the country, where like seems not to breed like, that is devoted to flowers-but wherever it does and where because the men work in the field, the exist it sets the example to all, and gives a certain women feel they may not be partakers of any out degree of character and elevation, to the house to of door employment, it is less so in cities and large which it belongs. In our American homes too towns, where very many take the entire charge of much attention has been paid to the "almighty their flower gardens during the year, with the exdollar;" and though some few pinks and a stray ception of the spring digging, and who, bringing rose or two, border the front walk, most get to their aid their usual taste and skill, seem even to no farther, and meet the argument of beauty, &c., surpass themselves in all rivals of equal advantaby the unanswerable rejoinder, "it won't pay!ges. In close connection in the world of letters won't pay!" Indeed,if measured, even in money with this kind of occupation, is botany, which value, it will pay. Somehow a connection with the seems of all the sciences to be the only one specialculture of flowers gives a delicacy and refinement to ly adapted to woman. For in it there is none of the most boorish, and the more earnest the love for the labor of the geologist or the dirt of the chemthem, the more sure are other refinements and culti- ist. But it is an investigation of the rarest beauvation to follow. It is really surprising to notice ties of nature, accompanied with an entire freehow soon after even our rough Irishmen are intro- dom from all that makes learning disagreeable,duced into gardens and green-houses, they begin offering the attractions of sun and fresh air, flowers to soften and humanize, and thus stand ahead of and fruit, and at the same time giving a width and all their brothers. Certainly no one will be comprehensiveness of mind unsurpassed by any found to deny that in America, education is of the other study. We pass most naturally and easily highest value; we all know how difficult it is to from the garden darlings, to the wild flowers; from induce boys and girls to study; they are too fond of the idea of them as plants, to their connection with play; but teach them to love flowers, and not on- the animal world; taking some one plant as our y to love them for their beauty and fragrance, that before we could know nothing of, beyond the type,we may name and arrange hundreds of others but for their relation to all other animated life; show them how mysteriously they are formed there fact of their existence and general appearance. in the earth, and coming up into daylight, grow stroll, the day's work over, and at the same time In the garden, too, the tired husbandman may and wax by a hidden power, not one whit less marvellous than that which developes men and ani-he rests his wearied limbs, refreshes his whole physical man, and instructs his mind. |