UMASS/AMHERST

31EQbbDD56D4'^H4

LIBRARY

OF THE

MASSACHUSETTS
AGRICULTURAL
COLLEGE

73

5m-]2-'29. ^ B27

- — V.l

I8S0-IS93

r

J

DATE DUE

UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS

AT

AMHERST

PAPERS

./

LI CHATTY of tho
r.l.'.GGACrJ JGETT3
ON V.JRiCULTUriAL

V-' I- 4- l^ V-< 13,

AGRICULTURE;

CONSISTING OF

COMMUNICATIONS .

MADE TO TH*

K^ACa/dacnudeUd ^occei;u for <=^romoi;i7ia
Kytaricultare^

r.

WITH

EXTRACTS FROM VARIOUS PUBLICATIONS.

BY THE TRUSTEES OF THE SOCIETY.

'Bofton :

PRINTED FOR YOUNG tJ* MINNS, PRINTERS TO THE STATE.

1804,

itT:

^U'

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Page
enjamin Adams on cultivating Potatoes g-

Letter on the fame fubjeft, by Jofeph Barrell, Efq. - - , - iz

Tables noting the progrefs of vegetation, by James Win-
throp, Efq 15

On Soils and Manures ---.»-.«-•-«-. -----zi

On Change of Seed -,.,,,-25

Analyfis of Lime and Marl ----------------32

Culture of Hemp -----.---------------35

Preparation of Cheefe in England -------------44

Potatoes food for Cattle ---------------,--49

Hints on Felling Trees -------.•---------51

Preventative of Flies deftroying Turnips ---.•.-•-55
Clover Harveft and Salting Hay --------•«-•- ib.

Rev. Afa Packard's letter on the fame --,.,.--•- 5^5

Samuel W. Pomeroy*s letter on the fame ...jy''

Treafurer's Accounts -----. .. ...,.......^0

Officers of the Society .--.- ...<......«.. .65

'^^'■\^

PREFACE.

etf-'Wf'

X HE Truflees of the Maffachufetts Society .„,
promoting Agriculture ofFer the public their coL
ledion of papers for 1804, being the 7th number
of their publications. The pamphlet confifts of a
few original communications, believed interefting
and feafonable, and of feledions from foreign works
adapted to the ufe of cultivation in this country.
It will be remembered that the objed and duty of
the board is to convey to pradical farmers through
the prefs, the agricultural information which they
receive or learn from others. Whilft on this ac-
count, thev are noi- rprr.^«/lKi- r — ^t.

4 i -J "-•'.•'»'/ xKvvv- laiva uciurc

the public, including the prefent pamphlet, will be
found to contain, not only feme highly interefting
articles of natural hiftory, but valuable hints and
fa<^s refpecling feveral of the leading parts of huf-
bandry.^ Tliough in many inftances the methods
of cultivation in ufe may be the beft which,
confidering the capital of the farmer, the compara-
tive value of labour and land, and other circum-
flances, can be adopted, yet in other inftances much
room exifts for improvement. It cannot be doubt-
ed that information conveyed in printed works
may be fubfervient to the correction of errors in
opinion and practice, and to the diffufion of good
modes of culture.

Thofe who take the trouble to prepare this publi-
cation are aware, that in this fubjed theory is good

for

fbr nothing till fanftioned and confirmed by experi-
ence ) that old modes of hufbandry ought to be
held itt refpecl and changed with caution and mod-
eration,* and that farming by books merely, is juftly
derided. At the fame time they are convinced that
Agrii^ulture derives aid from the difcoveries and la-
bours of the philofopher, the naturalift and the
chemift ; that principles grow out of prac-
tice; and that inquiry is the road -to improvement.
They have no more refped for a bigoted attach-
ment to injudicious cuftoms, than for a rafh fpirit
of innovation ; nor can they afcribe wifdom or
modefty to thofe, who think their own practice
comprifes all that is or can be known, and refufe to
read printed documents, which relate the obferva-
tions and experiments of others.

The different refults of the experiments on pota-
toes, as related in the two firft papers of this col-
lection, will naturally excite attention, and proba-
bly put thofe, who are not fatisfied about planting
large or fmall potatoes, eyes, or cuttings, upon fur-
ther trials of the difterent methods.

The obfervations on the progrejs of 'vegetation in
the next paper, comprife a part of natural hiftory,
which is evidently applicable to the ufe of agricul-
ture. A fufficient number of notices of this kind
would afford the beft fort of almanac for regulat-
ing feed time. It is hoped gentlemen in various
parts of the country will frame and fill up fimilar
tables. Where the feveral trees, flirubs and plants,
here mentioned are wanting, they may be fupplied
by other kinds. The field or the wood will com-
penfate the deficiency of the garden.

We publifh a new confirmation and illufliration
of Mr. Cooper's doctrine and practice, refpecling

feedsy

* ""Nor thou the rules, our fatliers taught, defpife,
Sires by long pradice and tradition wife."

iJOTHEBY's Tkans. Georgics, l. i. V. 115, 116.

feediy as related in a letter of his in a former number,
and it is to be wifhed that every farmer will endea-
vour to teft and be able to verify them for hinuelf

. The Iketch oi foils and manures muft be ufeful to
all who would have the habit of difcriminatingthe
feveral fpecies of each, and adapting culture accord-
ingly ; and the analyfis of lime and marl requires fo
much knowledge of chemiftry only as can be
learned and applied by the common farmer. The
trcatife on the culture and preparation of hemp
being intended for the inhabitants of Canada, is
of courfe applicable to our inftrudion.

The efficacy oifalt in curing clover is propofed to
the ferious attention, and the careful experiments
of farmers. The documents here publilhed will
fhow how much reafon there is to exped it will be
found highly beneficial ; and the premium oflFercd by
the truftees, is added to other inducements, for
giving it further trials.

The files of the Society contain a number of fets
of anfwers to Agricultural Queftions fent out by
the truftees fome years ago. They delay making
ufe of what they have in hopes of more. Will far-
mers, into whofe hands they are put, favour them
with their* anfwers, that they may proceed to
give the public the information received either
entire or digefted ? For this and other affiftance in
fulfilling their office, the truftees look not only to
intelligent individuals, but to the agricultural affo-
ciations in diffisrent parts of the ftate, to fome, or
moft of which they are already indebted ; and to
one for the firft document in this pamphlet.

In the name of the Society, the truftees repeat
their requeft to thefe affociations for original com-
munications, and their aflurances of ability and
readinefs to publifh for their and the general bene-
fit whatever novel, interefting or feafonable J[iat-
ter, they Ihall put at their dilpofal.

PREMIUMS

PREMIUMS

OJftredhy the TiViTMst of the MASSAcausBrrs SociSTt for pro--

moting jiGKlCVlTWRE.

ift. x O the perfon who fhall difcover an effeflual and' '
cheap method of deftroying the Canker-worm, and give evi-
dence thereof, to the fatisfaftion of the truftees, on or before
the ift day of Odober, 1805, a premium of one hundred dollars^
©r the Society's gold medal.

zd. And a premium of one hundred dollars, or the Society's
gold medal, to the perfon who fhall, on or before the i ft day of
December, 1805, difcover an effedual, and the cheapeft method
of deftroying the Slug-worm, and give evidence thfereof to the
fatisfa<ftion of the Truftees.

3</. An annual premium of thirty dollars for each year, pre-
vious to 1805, to the perfon who fhall introduce into the ftate
of Maflachufetts a ram or ewe for the purpofe of propagating
a breed of Iheep fuperior to any in the ftate at the time they
are fo introduced. If from a foreign country Jifly dollars.
Claims to be prefented on or before the ift of October, an-
nually.

4/^. To the perfon who fliall produce the largeft quantity of

"■wool, meat and tallow, from the fmalleft number of iheep, not

lefs than one fcore raifed on his own farm, a premium of thirty

dollars ; to be claimed on or before the i ft day of Auguft,

4805.

^th. To the perfon who fhall, in one year, by a method new
and ufeful, or that fhall be an improvement on the methods al-
ready pradifed, make the greateft quantity of compoft manure
in proportion to the expenfe ; to be of a good quality, and com-
posed of materials common to moft farms ; the quantity to be
at leaft two hundred tons ; and the claims to be accompanied
with a defcription of the yard or place, and the mode in which
the fame is made ; a premium oi ffty dollarsy or the Society's
gold medal. And for the next greateft quantity, being not lef»
than one hundred tons, thirty dollars. Claims to be prefented
previous to the i ft of Auguft, i8oj.

6th, To the perfon who (hall fhew by a«5lnal experiment, on
not lefs than two acres, to the fatisfadlion of the Truftees, anew
or improved, being the beft and cheapeft method, of introdu-
cing fine grafs, fit for hay or pafture, into low frelli meadows,
now producing coarfe wild grafs, or bufties, a premium of
thirty dollars. Claims to be prefented before the ift of Novem-
ber, 1804.

'jth. To the perfon who fhall difcover any fpecies of grafs,
not commonly cultivated or known, of a quality for the food
of neat cattle or horfes, equal or fuperior to thofe now in ufe,
ffty dollars. Claims to be prefented oa or before the ift of Oc-
tober, 1804. tth. To

8/^ To the perfon who fhall prefent to this Society the moft
Complete (being nearly complete) Hortus Siccus, exhibiting
diftinft fpecimens of the greateft variety of grafles in'gtfacral
ufe, and fpecify, to the fatisfaition of the Truftees, their refpec-
tive qualities, produdtivenefs and ufefulncfs as food for different
kinds of animals, the Gold Medal, zxid Jifty dollars t^^p be
claimed on or before the ift of 0(flober, 1805.

^th. To the perfon who fhall produce, from feed, the beft
growth of thrifty trees, not lefs than 600 in the whole, and in
the proportion of 2400 to the acre, of any of the following
kinds of foreft trees, vi%. oak, afh, elm, fugar maple, beech,
black or yellow birch, chefnut, walnut or hiccory, twenty-Jive
dollars ; if all of oak, Jifty dollars. Claims to be made on or be-
foi-e the I ft of 0(ftober, 1806.

I ot/}. To the perfon who (hall afcertain by accurate analyfis,
the conftituent parts of feveral fertile foils refpeftively, and in
like manner the parts of feveral poor foils, and thus (hall dif-
cover the defe<^s of the latter ; and fhall Ihow, by adual expe-
riments, how the faid defedts may be remedied by the addition
of earths or other ingredients, which abound in the country,
and in a manner that may be pradifed by common farmers,
Jifty dollars. And if it fhall appear, to the fatisfadion of the
Truftees, that, upon an extenfive praftice, the improvement of
the poor foil would be more than equivalent to the expenfe of
the improvement, the addition of one hundred dollan. A mi*
nute defcription of the feveral foils, and all the circumftances
attending the procefles, cultivation and refults, will be requir-
ed. Claims Co be made on or before November, 1804.

I ith. To the perfon who fhall, by aftual experiment on a
quantity not lefs than halfa ton,fhewthe beft method of curing
clover hay with fait ; regard to be had to the quality of the hay
and the faving of labour, and the fhortnefs of time between
cutting and packing it in the mow, the filver medal or thirty doU
/arj; and to the perfon who fhall fhew the next beft method, ^wf/j^jf
dollars. Samples of the hay to be exhibited 3 months after it
is cured to a majority of the feleftmen or to the fettled minify
ter and juftice of the peace in the vicinity. Claims to be made
on or before the laft Friday of November, 1804.

i2th. It is required that the communications, for which the
foregoing premiums are offered, be accompanied with proper
certificates from the Seledmen, Magiftrates or Clergymen of
the vicinity, or otlier vouchers, to the fatisfaftion of the Truf-
tees ; that they be delivered in without names, or any intima-
tion to whom they belong; that they be feverally marked in
fuch a manner as each claimant fhall think fit ; the claimant
fending alfo a paper, fealed up, having on the outftde a corrcf-
ponding mark, and on the infide his name and addrefs.

By Order of the TruJleeSy

JOHN AVERY, Secretary.

AGRICULTURE.

ceeee -^^EJs^ €>©££«<

ORIGINAL PAPERS.

CULTURE OF POTATOES.

Cojnmunication to the Br ookfield Agricultural Society^ fent
for publication to the Trujlees.

IN cultivating potatoes, the manure which my ex-
perience has led me to the choice of, is the dung
thrown from the flails of neat cattle. The hay or
flraw, which commonly becomes mixed with it, I be-
lieve to be not at all injurious. This manure is much
preferable to horfe-dung, which, for feveral years, (fol-
lowing the practice of my father,) I made choice of for
potatoes, until I became convinced, that it was not io
fuitablc for this purpofe, as the former, on account of
its breeding worms in the hill, much to the injury of
the potatoes.

When the Spanifli potatoe was introduced among
us, which was between thirty-five and forty years ago,
it was the invariable practice, for a number of years,
in preparing the feed for planting, to cut the potatoes
in fmall pieces, with one eye each piece. This prac-
tice anfwered very well with that fpecies of potatoes,
while it was almoft the only one cultivated. But as
different kinds were introduced, thro* inattention they
became intermixed, and by planting them in this mix-
ed ftate, I foon difcovered a fenfible depreciation of
every fpecies. Sufpeding the caufe, I became more
careful in fele£ling my feed. My only objed, how-
ever, was to feparate the different fpecies without pay-
ing any regard to fize. I further adopted the pradlce
ot planting my potatoes whole j having been convinc-
B «d

10

ed there was nothing gained by cutting them, unlefs it
was fome of the largeil ; and my praftice was to plant
the large and fmall promifcuoufly. The conjeguence
was a great inequality in the fize of the pot^Wfe and
the growth of the tops. In fearching for the cailfe of
fuch unequal vegetation, in the fame feafon and in the
fame foil, equally manured, after thirty years experi-
ence and obfervation in digging potatoes, I have, for
fome years pad, been convinced, from the fl^:eleton of
the feed potatoe, which, at the time of harvefting, often
remains in perfect fliape and fize, that large potatoes
produce a much more luxuriant growth, both above and
beneath the earth, than fmall ones ; for when I come
to a hill of flocky luxuriant tops, I have learned to an-
ticipate a plentiful yield of large potatoes, in which ex-
pedation I am feldom difappointed. And hence I was
of opinion, that by felecling fuch for feed, the crop
would be more equal in fize and fuperior in value.

Having been for fome years eftabliflied in this be-
lief, my faith was a little ftaggered upon reading the
communication of Joseph BARRELL,Efq. to the Maf-
fachufetts Agricultural Society, on this fubjed. i
therefore determined the laft fpring, to fatisfy myfelf re-
fpeCling the bed method of procedure, fo far as a fm-
gle experiment, upon a fmall feats, might anfwer the
purpofe. Mr. Barrell, from his experiments, is con-
vinced, that Imall potatoes are as good for feed as large ;
that three in a WJl are better than a larger number ;
that cut potatoes are better t1ian whole ; and that the
eyes are bed of all. The refult of my experiment was
the reverfe.

On one fide of my field, where the foil appeared per-
fectly uniform and which was equally manured, I made
my experiment in the following manner : I began by
planting three rows (leaving however the outfide row)
with eyes, carefully taken from large handfome pota-
toes, putting feven in a hill. I next planted three
rows with potatoes of the fame fize, cut in fmall pieces,

with

11

. with an eye in each piece, putting five pieces in every
hill. I next planted three rows adjoining, with three
fmall potatoes (of the lize of" a walnut with the fhell)
in a hill. Next to thefe I planted three rows with two
large^UJitatoes in each hill. I then drove a (lake into
the ground at each divifion, and cut a letter in each,
to prevent miflake. The eyes I believe all fprouted
and came up ; but the tops through the feafon were
flender and dwarfilh. Between the cuts and fmall
potatoes there was no vifible difference ; they were,
however, confiderably more luxuriant than the rows
planted with eyes. The branches of the large pota-
toes overtopped the others to a great degree. The
feafon, from the middle of Auguft, was uncommonly
drv, vvhich confiderably injured the crop. About the
lafi of September, the appearance of the tops indi-
cating that they had come to their full growth, I dug
them carefully with my own hands, leaving none of
the bignefs of an ounce ball. I dug of each twenty-
feven hills, carried them to a green fpot, counted and
meafured them carefully, but did not afcertain their
weight. The refult was as follows :

From 27 hills planted

with eyes, 381 potatoes, meafuring 2-|- pecks ;

with cuts, 465 do. do. 4- do.

with famll, 539 do. do. 4^ do.

with large, 530 do. do. 7 do.

It is worthy of notice, that the potatoes raifed from
the eyes, cuts and fmall, were of all fizes j a few only
of them were as large as any in the field, and many of
them were fo fmall as to be fcarcely worth picking up,
while the produce of the large ones were of an equal
and handfome fize. It is alfo deferving notice, that
the other parts of the field, which was all planted with
large potatoes, uniformly yielded a crop fimilar to the
^ three rows planted in the fame manner.
I am, gentlemen, &c.

BENJ. ADAMS.
Brookfield, Jan. 31, 1084. Ti

12

To the Rev. DoSf. Parker, Com/ponding Secretary of
the Maffachufetts Society for Promoting Agriculture.

YOU may remember I fent the Agilculurar So-
ciety the refult of an experiment I made the laft
year, on planting twelve eyes of one Jingle potatoe^ which
was 232 potatoes from the eyes, and 22 very finally
from the core without fkin or eye cut into 6 pieces. —
/ then noted that thoje from the core were all of the Irijh
apple kind, the same as the potatoe planted,
and thofe from the eyes were all of another kind^ much
like the Englifl) whites.

On the 30th of April laft, I planted on high dry land,
with the common manuring of the farmer, and as the
potatoe fields are generally planted, a part of the pro-
duce which was raifed from the fmgle potatoe laft
year, viz : Of the 232, 1 cut from 185 potatoes 1596
eyes, which weighed juft 8 pounds ; thefe I planted in 5
rows and 3 quarteis of a row, 240 feet long ; they did
7iot fprout for a long time, as the feafon was very dry, and
I began to be difcouraged, until the rains came, and
brought up all that would fprout, and the Ihoots, in
general, were very feeble j I counted the fprouts, and
found only 1015 fhoots, confequently 581 eyes never
vegetated at all ; fome of thefe I dug up, and found
them as dry as parchment, and nearly as thin ; from
which I conclude I cut the eyes too thin. Deducing
the proportion of weight of the 581 eyes which did
not vegetate, it left the weight of thofe that did, only
about 5 pounds ; thefe 5 pounds, therefore, produced
(including the produce of the 22 fmall ones mentioned
below) 17 bufhels and i peck of very fine fizeable pota-
toes which weighed 8 1 pounds per bulhel, confequently
i397pounds. The 22 fmall ones were planted whole in
the remaining quarter of the fixth row ; thefe, in gen-
eral, were not biger than large cranberries, the produce
of the core of lad year, and all of them of the Irifh

apple

13

apple kind. i8 of thefe, only, vegetated, and the pro-
duce 165 potatoes, great and fraall ; some of the
Irish apple kind, and some like the English
\vi-nj||. — The cores of the 185 potatoes I cut into 465
piecdflfnci planted in the ph row ; of thefe only 1 1 2
fpr anted ; thefe came up long before the eyes, and appeared
fioufifhing the whole feafcn^ and produced 24^jo potatoes
which meafured 4 bujhels and three pecks. Note, the pro-
duce of thefe (ores were not fmall (as from the core of
the firft potatoe,) hut all ftzcablc, fome very large., and

ALL OF THEM WERE LIKE THE ENGLISH WHITES,
AN® NOT ONE LIKE THE ORIGINAL IrISH APPLE.

Upon the whole, from this experiment, I find

Pounds .

The a£lual produce gathered was 22 buTaels. \ ^^^

\vt. 8 1 lb. p=r bulhel is 3

JVo/^, If the 581 eyes had vegetated and proO

duced in the fame proportion the 1015 5- 800
did, the weight would have been j

And if the 47 potatoes, (which were ufedj)~]
the remainder of the (irli: years crop, had ^' ^
been planted, and produced in the fame ( ^ *
proportion, it would be J —

equal to 40 bufliels from one potatoe the fccond year^
and that a very dry feafon, and the hiflj apple potatoe
(upon which the experiment was made) is a very indiffer-
ent bearer in all feafons.

The piece of land, on which I made the experiment,
was 240 feet by 24. I planted feven rows the whole
length, (and might have made an eighth.) this piece
contains 640 fquare yards, which is about two fif-
teenths of an acre.

If, therefore, 640 fquare yards did produce 22 bufli-
els you will find 4840 fquare yards (the contents of an
acre) will produce 166 bufhels, and in this proportion
was adually the produce this dryfeafon, and if the fea-
fon had been favourable, and the 581 eyes which did

not

14

not vegetate, had produced only in ibis/ame proportion,
it ivould ?nake 240 bufheh to the acre^ and this from 60
pounds weight of eyes, or about three pecks meafured,
which is three hundred and twenty -four fold, jj^

If, therefore, any farmer is fo blinded by p^pdice
as to continue planting from 10 to 15 bufhelsuponan
acre, which will weigh from eight to twelve hun-
DRD POUNDS OF SEKD, and is content to harveft from

SIXTY TO ONE HUNDRED BUSHELS AS THE PRODUCE,

inftead of planting sixty pounds oi eyes, that will
meafure about three pecks of seed, from which he
will harveft two hundred bujhels and upwards^ on fuch,
expeiiment and advice is thrown away ! I (hould ad-
vife to cut the eyes about half as thick, again as the
back of a common cafe-knife which I fuppofe would
vegetate in a dry feafon.

Note, The potatoes, after the eyes are cutout, are, for
every purpofe of feeding cattle, as good as before, and
the large ones are good for family ufe.

I wifli fome gentleman could fatisfa£torily anfwer
the following queftions :

How came the produce of the core of the firft po-
tatoe (which was Irifli apple) to be all of the Iriflb ap-
ple kind and very f mall, and the produce of the eyes of
the fame potatoe to be all of another fort, and good,
lizeable, and fome very large ? How came the fraall
ones, which were the produce of the core fhe laft
year, and all of the apple kind., to produce this year, both
the apple kind and thofe like the Englifti whites ? How-
came the produce of both the eyes and the core of thofe
planted this year, to be all like the Englifh whites, fuch
as were planted, and thofe from the cores not f?nall Tis laft
year, but as large^ in proportion, as thofe from the eyes.

1 would juft mention, that the potatoes produc-
ed from the Irifli apple, which are like the Englifh
whites, are very much better than the Irifli apple,
I am Sir,

your moft humble fervant,

JOSEPH BARRELL.

15

Obfervations of the ProgrefsofVegeiaiion, made at Cam-
bridge, yrow 1793/0 1796, inclufive ; by James
WiNTHRop, Efq. F. A. A. cud F. H. s. and of the
AgMculiiiral Society.

Table I. Time of Bloflbming.

Plant.

»793

»794

J 795

1796

Afparagus,

15 May

15 May

6 June

Apple,

29 April

29 April

10 May

4 May

Apricot,

16 April

Currant,

20 April

23 April

5 May

24 April

Cherry,

17 April

23 April

6 May

27 April

Elm,

37 March

7 April

4 AprU

8 April

Gcofeberry,

12 April

23 April

I May

23 April

Grape,

16 June

22 June

25 June

24 June

Honey fuckle.

15 May

15 May

27 May

21 May

Lilac,

7 May
27 June

4 May

15 May
29 June

13 May

Lime,

28 June

Lily,

19 June

29 June

28 June

Neitarine,

15 April

29 April

Horfe Chefnut,

15 May

16 May

Peach,

20 April

23 April
29 April

27 April
10 May

23 April

Pear,

Plum,

16 April

19 April

7 May

30 April

Quince,

11 May

1 1 May

25 May

18 May

Tulip,

5 May

10 May

12 May

Rafpberr)',

22 May

I June

I June

Pink,

I July

24 June

Willow,

16 April

19 April

27 April

22 il^pril

Black Poplar,

17 x^pril

21 April

Synnga,

22 May

27 May

4 June

30 May

Dama. Rofe,

7 June

14 June
ID June

15 June

White Rofe,

23 May

20 May

I June

Oak,

II April

18 ApYil

24 April

22 April

Birch,

29 April

,

18 April

Maple,

18 April

17 May

Button,

27 April

7 May

Afti,

24 April

Snowball,

15 May

15 May

By the bloflbming of the Button, is intended only the open-
ing of the bud, fo as to difcover the ball ; for the tree, in re-
ality, docs no; difcover its bloflbra to an obfen-er.

Table

16

Table II. Of firft open Leaves.

Plant.

Apple,

Apricot,

Currant,

Cherry,

Elm,

Goofeberry,

Grapt.',

Honeyfuckle,

Lilac,

L-omb. Poplar,

1793

9 April

25 March

6 May

25 March

9 May
2 8 Feb.

28 Feb.

29 April

1794

18 April
28 April
24 March

19 April

I May .

3 April

3 May

23 March

January

21 April

Peach,

Plum,

Blk. Poplar,

Quince,

Rofe,

Rafpberry,

Strawberry,

Syringa,

Willow,

Pink,

Lily,
Snowball,
Oilnut,
Oak,

Mulberry,
Wh. Mulberry,
Afparagus,
Lime,

Button,
Horfe Chefnut,
Tulip,
Althea,

13 April

I 2 April

I I April
beg. April

21 April
1 19 April
J 19 April
1 9 A pril
January

25 Marcl

beg. March

7 April

4 April

beg. April

1 1 April
6 April

24 March
January
3 April
r8 April
January

January

21 April

2 2 April

I May

5 May
21 April
25 April

2 May

I May

21 April

I April

1795

24 April

7 May
24 April

8 May

17 April
10 May

17 April
7 May

2 May
7 May

April

April
1 7 April
1 7 April

I April
25 April

II May

10 May

9 May

7 May
27 April
April

1796

23 Kpnl

10 April

27 April

6 May

10 April
29 April
8 April
10 April
29 April

27 April

23 April

23 April

I May

March

8 April

March

16 April

16 April

March

March
23 April
3 May

4 May
23 April

5 May

I May
I May
I April

22 May

Several of thefe plants put out their leaves fo early as to loofc
them again by freezing. Such plants feem rather to be nourifli-
ed than injured by hoar froft, and unlefs the freezing be very fe-
vere and followed by fudden heat, their leaves do not appear to
fufFer materially from the freezing degree of cold. They
will for a little while bear a degree of cold feveral degrees below-
freezing.

Table

17

Table III. Containing feveral ripe fruits and efcu-
lent plants, according to the firll ipecimens in each
year, as I met with them in my own garden* or elfe-
where.

Fruii, ^c.

Afparagus,

Strawberries,

Peafe,

Cherries,

String.beans,

1793

15 April

27 May

28 May

29 May
15 June

26 June

20 June

I Aug.

15 Aug.

1794

20 April
27 May

1795

26 April
1 1 June

June

1796

24 April

3 June

12 June

27 June

Rafpberry,

Turnips,

Apricots,

Neftariiies,

Peaches,

24 July
20 Aug.

3 July

6 Sept.
6 Sept.

Plunrts,
Melons,
Grapes,
Goofeberries,

Aug.

Aug.

30 Aug.

Aug.

15 Aug.
28 Aug.

16 July

29 Aug,
20 Aug.
12 Sept.
July

3 Sept.-
27 Aug.
17 Aug.
July

Currants, red,
white,
black,

25 June
25 June
16 July

29 June

25 June

Aug.

26 June
28 June

If thefe minutes had been originally made with a
view to publication, I would have taken care to fill the
blanks. They are, however, more numerous, and
placed in a more compad form, than any others that I
have feen, and I hope they will be the means of ftimu-
lating fome of our alTociates to bring forward their ob-
fervations, that by a comparifon we may endeavor to
bring this branch of knowledge to perfection.

The preceding obfervations chiefly relate to thofe
plants which have a perennial root. They may be of
ufe to determine when the ground is warm enough ro
receive the feeds of annual plants. With refpett to
thefe, it is of importance that we fhould know at the
time of planting, when we may reafonably expect
ihem to be in eatiag. Unlefs we are careful to multi-
ply and vary our experiments, and to publifh all of
G them

18

them that come to our knowledge, we can never hope?
for a regular fucceffion of frefti vegetables, which is the
perfection of a garden. It is to contribute toward fa
defirable an end, that the following experiments are com-
municated, and I hope, by the united endeavors of our
fociety, with other inftitutions of the fame kind, that we
fhall have agriculture as much a fubjed of calculation as
aftronomy is at prefent,

Ta b l r of the growth of Indian Corn, and the nnmber
of days from planting for each period of growth.

PLinted. I Sprouted, [ Taffdlei. I S'flhed.
1794 May 4] 12 May 8130 June 57114 Jwly 71

3793 April 23 6 May 13

a6| 8 May iz

a7J 8 May 11

July liiaz July 7

1794 May '7>\''^ May la

June ail 28 Juue 7

1796 April 27115 May 18

26 June 64 10 July 78
19 June 54I 5 ifuly 70
21 June ss S July 69

24 Aug. 40

27 June 5S

28 July 37
10 July 74

Eatai.gretii.

I Auj. 89
23 July 88

SeafoK,
very dry

15 Sept. 61

10 Odl. 86[««^w drf

12 July 70129 July 87 not -oerydr^

13 Aug. 52,] I Sept. 75
24 July 88|

The principal circumftance which eaufed any differ-
ence of growth, appears to be the time of planting.
What was planted about the beginning of May, ap-
pears to have required from 86 to 89 days to be fit for
eating. What was planted earlier, took longer time
to come forward, and did not ripen at fo early a date
as that at the beginning of May. That planted in July
loft in the fall the time it gained in fummer, and fur-
nifhed green corn for the beginning of October. The
fpecimen planted about the middle of June, kept its
growth the whole fummer, and became fit for eating
in 72 days. Not much appears to depend on the
eharader of the feafon.^

Summary

19

Summary of obfervations made on theleajing and flower -
ing of trees ^ near Bofton, and on the firfi fpecimens of
ripe fruit and efculent vegetables from 1797 to 1803,
mclufive, ^j' James WjNTHROP.

Tree er Plant.

Firfi Leaves.

F'trji open Flowers..

Almondj

13 April

Althea,

22 May to 5 June

Apple,

28 April to 5 May

28 April to 15 May

Apricot,

23 to 29 April

20 April to 4 May

Afparagus,

Afh,

26 April

Birch,

19 April

Button,

7 May

Chcrrv,

19 April to 4 May

25 to 29 April

Currant,

3 1 March to 3 April

28 April to 14 May

Elm,

4 to 1 1 May

31 March to 18 April

Fig>

23 May

Filbert,

2 to 4 May

Goofeberry,

31 March to 3 April

27 April to 7 May

Grape,

3 to 22 May

20 June to 2 July

Honeyfuckle,

2 1 March to 8 April

2 1 May to 8 June

Horfe Chefnut,

I to 10 May

14 to 24 May

Larch,

I May

Lilac,

2 to 4 April

I© to 16 May

Lime,

3 to 8 May

21 to 30 June

Lily,

3 1 March to 5 April

28 June to 6 July

Locuftf

12 June

Maple,

20 April to 2 May

Mulberry blk.

5 May

30 May

Mulberry wh.

4 to 1 8 May

26 June

Ne&arine,

30 April

20 April to 14 May

Oak,

10 to 15 May

16 to 23 May

Oilnut,

3 to 8 May

June

Pafllon Flower,

7 July

Peach,

10 to 30 April

20 April to 13 May

Pear,

4 May

Pink,

March

29 June to 8 July

Plum,

I to 8 May

25 April to 14 May

Poplar,

2 to 10 May

20 to 24 April

Quince,

I to 15 May

21 to 3 1 May

Rafpberry,

3 to 8 April

28 May to 2 June

Rofe, damailc,

1 2 April to I May

9 to 18 June

Tree

20

Tree or Plant.

F'trjl Leaves,

Flrjl open Flowers.

Senna,

Snowball,

Strawberry,

15 May
25 April to 4 May
March

21 June
15 May to I June
27 April to 17 May

Syringa,
Tulip,

Walnut,
Willow,

3 to 19 April
27 March

3 to 16 May

4 to 16 April

28 May to 8 June
14 to 21 May

23 April to 8 May

Firji fpecimens of Fruits and Efculent Vegetables , from
1797 to 1803 inclufive.

A fparagus.

Almonds,

Apples,

Apricots,

Cherries,

Currants,

Figs,

Filberds,

GoofeberrieS)

Grapes,

21 to 30 April
18 Sept.
Auguft

12 to 13 Aug.

29 May to

25 to 29 June

1 6 July

22 Aug. to 1 2 Sept,

Melons,

Neftarines,

Peaches,

Pears,

Plums,

Kafpberry,

Strawberry,

String Beans,

Peafe,

15 to 27 Aug,
6 Sept. to
15 Aug. to 6 Sept.

26 Aug. to 3 Sept.
4 to 9 July

27 May to 3 June
15 June to 3 July

28 May to 12 June

Cambridgey 226. Feb, 1804.

MY DEAR SIR.

I wifli the foregoing lift of obfervations was more
extenfive and complete. They were made merely that
I might obtain a general knowledge of our climate atid
its variations. As I know of no others that have been
made, I fend them to the fociety, in hopes that it may
incite others to do better, and to complete what is now
merely begun.

I am. Sir,
Your very humble fervant,

JAMES WINTHROP.
Dr. Dexter.

21

ON SOILS AND MANURES.

From the "New Farmer's Calendar," 4th edit. Lond. rSo2.

BY the foil, is generally undcrftood, the upper
ftratum, or covering, of the earth, which is
the object of cultivation ; the next layer, or bed of
earth, is termed the fub-foil. The component
parts of foil or mould, of w^hatever colour, proper
for vegetation, are Argill, Sand, Water, and Air ;
for unto thefe original principles may all earths be
reduced, however blended, or joined with appar-
ently foreign fubflances. Argill is the foft and
unctuous part of clay. The primitive earths, ar-
gill and fand, contain each, in perhaps nearly equal
degrees, the pabtdmn, or food of plants ; but in
their union, the purpofes of vegetation are moft
completely anfwered.

The precife quantities of each, neceffary in this
union, or whether they ought to be equal, is nei-
ther eafy nor very material to afcertain, in a gen-
eral or theoretical way ; lince that point is beft de-
termined in practice, when the foil proves to be
neither too iliff and adhefive, from the fuperabun-
dance of clay ; nor of too loofe and weak a texture,
from the over large quantity of fand in its compo-
iition. The happy medium in general it is, which
conftitutes the richeft foils ; but an excefs to-
wards adhefion, or ftiftnefs, is obvioufly moft fafe.

Thefe moulds will retain the rain fufficiently to
abforb all its fructifying virtues ; but not fo long
that it becomes ftagnant, chilling, and unwholc-
fome. They are known to experienced people, by
the fight and touch ; and although they adhere to
the feet in paffing, they may be rubbed off without
any great difficulty. — The fub-foil, whether it be
retentive or porous, fpringy or dry and warm ; and
the fituation of the land, whether of level or irreg-
ular

22

ular furface, together with the expofure, form very
material points in the eftimate of its fertility.

The mixed or fecondary earths are, Clay, which
is compounded of argill and fand; Loam, or ^
mixture of fand and clay ; Gravel, or fand and
ilone ; Till, or iron earth ; Silicious and Calcari-
ous, fandy, ftony, or flinty earth, chalk, and lime ;
Marl, which is compofed of ftone, argill, and fand,
and is ufually denominated after that ingredient,
which may chance to predominate ; thus the foapy
or uncluous kind is called argillacious ; the ftony,
calcarious ; and the fandy, fiUcious marl.

The various foils, compounded of the above
earths, will rank under fome of the following com-
mon denominations : Clays, Sands, Loams, Grav-
els, Chalks, Clayey Loams, Gravelly Loams, Sandy
Loams, Chalky Loams, Peat and Bog, Moor ana
Heath. The foil of bog generally inclines to clay,
that of heath, to fand. Thefe terms are fubjed: to
an accommodating variation, and we frequently
hear of a loamy gravel, as well as a gravelly loam ;
in the firft, the gravel is fuppofed to be the bafe,
and to predominate : and fo of other variations.

Manuring, or amending the foil, is performed by
mixing with it certain fubftances, known by expe-
rience to contain a portion of that matter, which
is the food of plants, or to poffefs the property of
loofening and decompofmg the earths, and exciting
into action their dormant virtues ; by limply in^p
creahng the depth of its ftaple, with the addition
of mould ; by altering and correcting its quality,
with that fpecies of earth in which it may be de^
iicient, as in giving friability to clay by the afiift-
ance of fand, and tenacity or ftififnefs to fand by
the admixture of clay ; by draining off ftagnant
water, above or below ; by irrigation, or flooding
with fimple water, or by warping, which is, to
flood the land with thick river- water, for the fake

of

of a confiderable fettlement of mud ; by paring
and burning the furface ; by fallowing.

Vegetable, as well as animal bodies, are furnifli-
cd by nature with abforbent veffels, through which
they attract, or fuck up, from the furrounding
earth and air, that matter deftined for their nour-
ifliment : the fibres of their roots do the moft ma-
terial part of this office of nutrition.

The pabulum^ or food of plants, confifte, I tliink,
obvioufly, of elaftic and non-elaftic fluids ; of fleam
or vapour, and of water, which are drawn in va-
rious forms, from both earth and air. It is not
polTible, that any grofs, or terrene fubflance, could
pervade the minute and almofl imperceptible or-
gans of plants. Their food is the effence merely,
or, fo to fpeak, the effeniial fuhjlance of the bed of
earth in which they are pofited, in the form of ^^7j-,
or fleam ; hence, probably, a given quantity of
mould, after having thrown out a large vegetable
weight, fhall have loft fcarcely any of its own, as
hath often been experienced. By way of illuflra-
tion, this effence may be compared with the fpirit-
Tious part of alcohol, which bears no comparifon
in weight with the mere liquid mafs. The hy-
pothefis naturally extends to thofe manures, we
felecl to replenifh the earth, when exhauftcd of its
vegetable nourifhment. It is the effence of thofe
fubflances, which goes to fupply the defect of the
foil ; and experience, as old as the fuppofed data
of the world, has proved that fuch as abound moft
in oils, mucilages and alkaline falts, are the moft
powerful fertilizers of land. Perhaps any fub-
ftance, fufceptible of putrefaction or diffolution,
and which contains nothing noxious to the vegeta-
ble creation, is convertible to the food of plants.

The above defultory ideas ought, by no means,
to be conftrued into any intended difrefpe(5t to the
withdrity of the celebrated Haffenfraz : The labouri

of

u

of fucli eminent profeiTional men ought to be ic*
cepted by the world with gratitude, and their
opinions received with all but implicit deference.
I am aware that the theory of the carbonic fub-
llance, or the coaly refiduum of fubftances, as the
food of vegetables, is now generally received by
our chemical agriculturalifts. But I beg leave to
afk, are we fure there is any novelty in this difcov-
ery, or does the novelty confift, as in certain other
difcoveries, purely in the nomenclature ? Virgil,
Cato, and Columella, I believe, were equally well
aware with us moderns, that vegetation would be
promoted by the charcoal of almoft any fubftance ;
that the putrefactive heat, as well as actual com-
buftion, might be likely to produce a coaly fub-
ftance ; and that fuch fubftance muft neceffarily
be foluble, before it could become the food of
plants. — >If it be pretended, that carbon is exclu-
ftvely the food of plants, I conceive fuch a notion
is contradicted by every day's experience, which
demonftrates to our fenfes, that vegetables are
nouriftied by the eflence or vapour of frefli dung,
as well as by that which is arrived at its carbona-
cious ftate.

It is in courfe to give a catalogue of the various
animal and other fubftances,which are proper for ma-
nure, and it has at leaft one particular ufe, that of re*
minding the cultivator of fome articles within his
reach, which might elfe have efcaped his notice ; but
refpccting the particular application of thefe, depend-
ent as it is upon fuch numerous contingencies, which
may entirely alter the ftate of the cafe, every one
iTiuft be left to his own experience and difcretion.
None other than general rules, founded on evident
and permanent principles, can, with propriety, be
given ; as the numerous agricultural inftrudions,
perfectly ludicrous from their direct oppofition,
fuiilcientlv evince.

The

25

The principal manures will be found In the fol-
lowing lift : the excrements of all animals, includ-
ing bones, hair, blood, and offals ; leathers ; the
auxiliary earths, chalk, lime, rubbifli, &c. before-
mentioned ; putrefied vegetables, bark, wood, and
leaves ; foot ; afties ; malt and rope-duft ; faw-
duft ; fait ; woollen rags ; fcrapings of oiled leath-
er ; fea-water and weeds ; lifti-blubber ; oil ; river
and pond mud and weeds ; fuUage or fweepings of
ftreets and roads ; growing vegetables, turned in
by the plough, or green manures.

The principle feems to have obtained general af-
fent, and with good reafon, that animal manures
are the moft powerful, and that the excrements of
fat, particularly corn-fed animals, are far fuperior
to thofe which are lean and ftore-fed.

The perfe<5fion of the culture of lands confifts
in returning to it, through the medium of ma-
nures, the whole of that cffential fubftance, extrad:-
ed by the crops ; in the total eradication of weeds,
and in the difperfion of ftagnant water.

Prefuppofing induftry and capital, nothing can
be more eafy, than to keep a farm, as well as a gar*
den, in conftant heart ; for the bountiful earth al-
lows us the advantage at ftarting, not requiring
any returns, until it has prefented us with various
crops. As to the pretended impolTibility of entire-
ly extirpating weeds, fetting aiide the example of
other countries, China particularly, in the hufban-
dry of which not a reed is to be feen, every one,
poffeffed of induftry and refolution, may be con-
vinced it is a mere pretence. We have only to kill
ihem by all the various and well-known ?nethods^ as
faji as they come^ and there mvji necejfarily be an end
to their coming. I freely acknowledge this to be an
expenfive procefs in the beginning ; but I fully de-
fy any man to difprove that it is true economy in
the end.

D Manure,

2-6

Manure, amply fufficient to recruit the exhauf-
tion of cropping, ought to be produced by the ani-
mals kept upon the farm, with the afliftance of the
llraw ; befidcs whkli, nothing, even to the moft
minute trifle, fliould be ncgkaed, which may, in
any way, contribute to enrich the compoft dung-
hill. Thus every farmer, if he Ihall fo choofe, may
be abfolutely independent in this refped, in full
and fafe reliance on his own home refources.

ON CHANGE OF SEED.

From the "New Farmer's Calendar," page 373' — 381.

IN treating of the Courfe of Crops, I have acced-
ed to the general idea, that nature affecTis va^
riety ; although, when viewed through the medi-
um of her own fpontaneous efforts, fhe gives the
mofl flriking proofs of a contrary tendency ; and,
perhaps, our conviclion, or our deceptian, arifes
from a deficient ftatement of the cafe.

The three famous propofitions of Tull, on the
change of crops, appear to me unanfwerable, upon
any philofophical, or fairly experimental ground.
" I . T/jat plants, of the mofi different nature, feed on tlx
fame fort of food. 2. That there is no plant, but ivhat
imft rob any other plant ivithin its reach. 3. That a
foil, which is proper to- one fort of -vegetable once, is, in
refpecl to the fort of food it gives, proper to it akvaysJ"
Thefe propofitions militate not againft the truth,
that various plants affect various foils ; but the
vegetable /)^^z//z^/;;, or food, is the fame thing in all.

0;2 change' of feed, or of individuals, of the fame
fpecies, we are generally guided by analogy, with

the

2?

the prevailing notion on the change of Ipecies ;
granting it a delufion, it is furely a very harmlefs
one ; but, in certain cafes, it may be of fome httle
eonfequence to a farmer, to be convinced, that no
harm can happen, nor any defect of produce arife,
from re-fowing the feed on the fame ground whence
it was produced. The earth, of herfelf, produces
and re-produces moft luxuriantly, from the fame
feed, for centuries, or forever, without wearinefs,
or defire of change.

Tiie idea of a neccffity for occafionally crolling
the breeds of animals has prevailed in a limilar de-
gree, and does ftili prevail, notwithftanding the
moll; fatisfadory proofs of the futility of fueh max-
ims, derived from the invariable fuccefs of breed-
ing in-and-in.

If a man poiTefies feed, perfed in its kind, and
the fpccies equally adapted to the foil, he may, per-
haps, get ha.rm, but furely ought to expect little
good, from a change. There can arife no poilible
benefit from crofling with Inferior flocks ; but
changes ought to be indefatigably purfued, until
the beft be obtained ; then remain the grand ob-
jects, either of further improvement, or the pre-
vention of degeneracy; and thefe will ever flip
through the hands of men, unpofTeil'ed of the virtue
or the habit of perfevering induilry. No pains, no
expenfe,nG diftance, are ever too great, to obtain the
beft ftock, dead or alive, or the beft implements.

To fow imperfect feed, is a practice nearly allied
to madnefs, or folly ; a folly, of which our wives
are never guilty, who ever take efpecial care to put
new, at leaft found eggs, under their hens ; and
feeds are the eggs of vegetables. More cannot be
had from a thing than it pOiTeiTes ; and if we fow
bad feed, or feed deficient in the true feminal qual-
ities, we ought to expect a crop defective, either
in quality, quantity, or both.

Greej2

28

Green and fhrivelled corn, fuch as has not Hood
long enough to arrive at maturity, fliould never be
lown ; much of it, as I have experienced, will not
vegetate at all ; of that which fucceeds, the fample,
at leaft great part of it, will be lean and fteely, moft
clearly demonftrating its hereditary defeft.

I would certainly not fow black, or fmutty
wheat, by choice ; but, of two evils, I think I
fhould prefer heavy black wheat, for feed, to the
unripe, lean, and fhrivelled. Smutty wheat often
happens to be the plumpeft and moil weighty of
the crop, and its flour as full of the vegetable glu-
ten, which arifes from the blight having taken place
fubfequent to the perfect formation of the kernel,
whence, from its maturity and power of reliftance,
the infcclion may be no more than fkin-deep. The
celebrated axiom, in breeding-cattle, that " like pro-
duces like," fo fuccefsfully proved in practice, may,
no doubt, be equally depended upon in the vege-
table creation ; and it is found and rational advice
in Marftiall, to felecl feed from the moft forward
and vigorous plants, of every fpecies : yet it is an
old opinion, that the fmalleft grained wheat, if
plump and perfect, is as likely as any to produce
a luxuriant plant, and fine ftock ; whence an ad-
vantage in ibwing fuch, with refped to the mea-
fure, as the objedl is the number of kernels.

The greateft attention fliould be paid to the clean-
ing feed-corn, which ought to be perfectly free,
not only from the feed of weeds, but from every
weak and apparently unfruitful kernel, fmce thefe
laft, granting they vegetate, may only help to en-
cumber and exhauft the foil with unhealthy and
ufelefs plants. I never think the expenfe thrown
away, of having feed-wheat picked over carefully
by the hand.

The opinions and pra^ice of Mr. Joseph Cooper,
a reflecling and philofophical American cultivator,

appear

29

appear to be perfe<5lly decilive on this interefling fub-
jed:. Mr. Cooper, difregarding the ancient prejudice
of a neceffity for the change of feeds and roots, and
the procurement of them from diftant and diilerent
foils, on the contrary, has, for many years, been in
the habit of felecling the beft feeds and roots of his
own ; and although he has continually fown and
planted them on the fame foil, every article of his
produce is greatly fuperior to thofe of any other
perfon who fupplies the market, and they feem to
be ftill in a ftate of improvement. This, without
his knowing it, is the very fame plan that was adopt-
ed by Mr. Bakewell, in England, with refped: to
animals.

Mr. Cooper was led to his prefent pradice, which
he began more than forty years ago, by obferving
that vegetables of all kinds were very fubject to
change, with refped to their time of coming to ma-
turity, and other properties, but that the beft feeds
never failed to produce the beft plants. Among a
great number of experiments, he particularly men-
tions the following : About the year 1 746, his father
procured feeds of the long watery fquafh j and
though they have been ufed in the farm ever iince
that time, without any change, they are, at this
time, better than they were at firft. — His early
peafe were procured from London in 1756, and
though they have been planted in the fame place
every feafon, they have been fo far from degene-
rating, that they are preferable to what they were
then. — The feeds of his afparagus he had from New-
York in 1752, and though they have been treated
in the fame manner, the plants have been greatly
improved. — Mr. Cooper has experienced precifely
the fame refult with potatoes, and attributes the
failures of other people to their planting the refufe,
inftead of the largeft and beft ftiaped. — Mr. Cooper
is alfo careful to fow the plants, from which he

raifcs

m

raifcs his feed, at a confiderable dlftancc from any
others. Thus,, when his radilhes are fit for ufe,
he takes ten or twelve which he moft approves, and
plants them at leaft one hundred yards from oth-
ers that bloffom at the fame time. In the fame
manner he treats all other plants, varying circum-
ftances according to their nature.

In 1772, a friend fent him a ftw grains of a fmall
kind of Indian corn, not larger than goofe-fliot,
which produced from eight to ten ears on a ftock.
They were alfo fmall, and he found that few of
them ripened before the froft. Some of the largeft
and earlieft of thefe he faved, and planting them
between rows of^ a larger and earlier kind, the
produce of them was much improved. He then
planted from thofe that had produced the greateft
number of the largeft ears, and that were the firft
ripe ; and the next feafon, the produce, with refpect
to quality and quantity, was preferable to any that
he had ever planted before. From this corn he
has continued to plant ever lince, felefting his feed
in the following manner. When the firft ears are
ripe enough for feed, he gathers a fufEcient quan-
tity for early corn, or for replanting ; and at the
fame time that he wifhes his corn to be generally
ripe, he gathers a fufHcient quantity for the nesit
year's planting, having particular care to take it
trom Jlalh that are large at the botto?n, of a regular
taper, not '■eery tall, of goodfizeable ears, a?id of the hejl
quality ; thefe he dries quickly, and from thence he
plants his main crop ; and if any hills be miflii^,
he replants from the feeds that were firft gathered,
which he lays will caufe the crops to ripen more
regularly than they commonly do, and which is
of great advantage. The common method of fav-
ing feed-corn, by taking the ears from the heap, is
attended, he fays, with two difadvantages ; one
is, the taking the largeft ears, of which, in general,

only

only one grows on a ftalk, which IciTens the pro-
duce ; and the other is, taking ears that riperi at
different times.

For many years, he renewed all the feed of his
winter grain from a fingle plant, whicli he had ob-
ferved to be more productive, and of better quality
than the reft, which he isfatisfied has been of great
ufe. He takes particular care that different kinds
of the fame vegetables do not bloom at the fame
time near together, by which they injure each oth-
er. On every kind of foil, Mr. Cooper prefers
planting the rows of Indian corn fix feet afunder
each way, as nearly at right angles as may be, and
leaving not more than four ftalks on a hill.

It is alleged, that foreign flax-feed produces the
beft flax in Ireland ; but Mr. Cooper fays, that
when it is confidered that only the bark of the plant
is ufed, and that this is in perfection before the feed
is ripe, it wiU appear that his hypothefis is not af-
fected by it. — Mr. Cooper has the following in-
fl:ance of the naturalization of a plant in a different
climate. He had fome water-melon feed fent him
from Georgia, which, he was informed, was of a
peculiarly good quality ; knowing that feeds from
vegetables that grow in a hot climate, require a
Jonger fummer than thofe in Penrilylvania, he gave
them the moft favourable fituation he had, and
ufed glaffes to forward their growth, and yet few
d{ them ripened well j but faving the feeds of thofe
that ripened firft, and continuing the practice five
grfix years, they came to ripen as early as any he
ever had. .

The above method of managing exotic feeds has
been lately found fuccefsful in France.

ON

32

ON THE ANALYSIS OF LIME AND MARL,

From the " Commercial and Agricultural Magazine,"
page 3, vol. vii.

LIME.

IN order to judge of the goodnefs of Lime, the
lime-ftone lofes much of its weight in calcination,
and the lime-fliells are extremely light : if the
fliells require a large proportion of water to flake
them fully ; if it is long before they begin to fall ;
if the lime-ftone is not apt to run or be vitrified in
the operation of burning ; if it falls entirely when
it gets a fuflicient quantity of water after it has
been properly calcined ; if it fwell very much in
flaking ; and if the lime is light, fine to the touch,
and of a pure white, the farmer may be fatisfied
that it is extremely good, and may ufe it in pre-
ference to any other lime, that is inferior to it in
any of thefe refpeds. Thefe rules are fufficient as
to the comparative value of any two kinds of lime
that may be oppofed to one another, and may be
relied upon as fufficiently accurate for the ordinary
purpofes of the farmer. But that fuch as may dif-
cover a new quarry of lime-ftone, and who wifli to
afcertain with certainty its real value, before they
put themfelves to any expenfe about it, will do
well to employ the following more accurate, and,
in that cafe, more eafy analyfis. — As all calcarious
matters are capable of being dilTolved in acids,
and as no earthy matter can be diffolved in
them, it follows, that if a fufficient quantity of acid
is poured upon any body, that contains calcarious
matter, this matter will be quickly diffolved, while
the others are left behind ; and the proportions of
each may be accurately afcertained.

To try the exact value of any kind of lime-ftone,
or other calcarious matter, take a quantity of aqua-
fortis

33

fortis or nitrous acid, or fpirit of fait, or muriatic
acid. It may be obferved, that all the mineral acids
effervefce, and unite with calcareous earths. But
as the fulphuric or vitriolic acid (fpirit or oil of
vitriol) does not difTolve the calcareous matter, but
forms a new concrete that ftill retains its folid ftate,
it is not fit for this experiment. And as it fome-
times happens that a little vitriolic acid is m^ixed
with either the nitrous or muriatic acids, it is ne-
cefTary to be certain that this is not the cafe be-
fore they are employed in this experiment. The
ealieft way of trying if thefe acids are free from the
vitriolic, is to put a little chalk into them before
employing them. If the acid is pure, the chalk
will diffolve very readily ; but if not, fome part of
tl*e chalk will fall to the bottom, in the form of a
pure white fediment. When this* is the cai*e, add
fmall bits of chalk, by little and little, till no more
of that white fediment appears ; after which the
acid may be kept for ufe as fufSciently pure. If
the nitrous acid is fo ftrong as to have a flight
brown or reddifh appearance, it ought to be dilut-
ed with water till it alTumes a greenifh look. As
it is bought in the fliops for the ufe of the diers, &c.
it is ufually weak enough. — If the muriatic acid is
fo ftrong as to have a bright yellow colour, or
emits fumes when the bottle is opened, it ought to
be diluted, by adding water till it afTumes almoft a
colourlefs tranfparency, with a very faint tinge of
yellow. When they are thus prepared, (either of
thefe acids may be ufed indifcriminately for this
experiment, as they are equally proper) put them
into a glafs, or earthen veffel ; add to that, by lit-
tle and little, a known quantity of the matter you
mean to examine, which had been previoufly dried
and reduced to powder. After each addition,
fuffer the violent effervefcence or ebullition that
will enfue to abate before more is added. When
E the

34

the whole of the powder is put to the acid, and
the efFervefcence entirely fublided, flir it about" fev-
eral times with a piece of tobacco-pipe, and allow
it to remain for fome time, that the acid may acb
upon every particle of the matter, and thoroughly
diflblve it : and to be certain that there has not
been too little acid, put a few drops of frelh acid to
the folution, which will excite a frefh efFervefcence,
if the whole is not fully dilTolved. "When no
change is produced by this addition, it is a certain
proof that the whole of the calcareous matter is al-
ready diffoived. Take then a piece of filtering pa-
per, thoroughly dry, the weight of which is alfo
to be known, fold it properly, and put it into a
glafs funnel ; pour the whole of the folution, with
the matter that may have fubfided, into the fun-
nel, and allow it to filter through the paper flow-
ly ; when the fluid part has thus drained off, fill up
the filter again with pure water, to wafti off the
whole of the faline parts from the refiduum or
matter that remains undiffolved.

Add water in this manner till it comes off with-
out faline tafte ; fufier it then to drop ofiF entire-
ly, dry it thoroughly, weigh the paper with its
contents ; the difference between which, and what
the powder and paper were at the beginning, is the
whole weight of the calcareous matter, fo that its
proportion to the whole mafs is perfedly afcertained.

MARL.
AS all Marls efFervefce, or raife up frothy bub-
bles when acids are applied to them, and as water
alone frequently produces the fame efFc<5ls, when
poured upon dry clay, it may be neceffary, in or-
der to guard againft miflakes in making trials upon
fubflanccs fufpccled to be marl, to let them re-
main a little time in mixture with water, previous
to their being fubjected to the teft of acids. The

beft

35

beft or richeft marls being fuch as contain the
largeft proportion of calcareous earth ; it frequent-
ly becomes a matter of importance to farmers, to
be able to afcertain the quantities, fome being
found fo poor in this material, as to have only a
twentieth or thirtieth of their weight, in order to
decide on their advantage, in preference to lime,
chalk, or other fubftances to be brought from a
diftance. A fimple and eafy method, founded on
the knowledge that this earth contains about forty
per centum of its weight of fixed air, or carbonic
acid, is merely by faturating the marl with the ni-
trous or muriatic acid, and marking correctly the
lofs of weight which it fuftains by extrication of
the fixed air. Thus, if two hundred grains of
marl be introduced into a veffel, with a little wa-
ter and muriatic acid poured upon them till the
bubbles ceafe to rife, the lofs of weight being then
found to amount to forty grains, the marl con-
tains one hundred and fixty grains of calcareous
earth. The proportion of calcareous earth con-
tained in different marl, may alfo be determined
by diffolving it, by means of the muriatic acid,
diluting the liquor with water, pafling it through
a filtering paper, and then precipitating the calca-
reous earth from the clear liquid, by a folution of
fome fixed alkaline fait.

ON THE CULTURE AND PREPARATION

OF HEMP IN CANADA.

Addrejfed to the Lords of His Majejlfs Committee of
Council for Trade and foreign Plantations.

FROM THE COMMERCIAL AND AGRICULTURAL MAGAZINE, VOL. VI.
" MY LORDS,

" T^HE importance of this fubjed has been fully

-*- certified, in a letter prefented to your Lord-

fnips by my father, in January lall, Hating, among

other

36

Other obfervations, that upwards of thirty thou-
fand tons of hemp are annually imported into En-
gland, that I fliall not enter into thefe particulars.
I fliall therefore now obferve, that as it does not
come properly within the views of the Society of
Arts, &c. to furnifti inftructions and give opinions
upon general culture, but rather to publifli the ex-
periments of others, and leave deductions to be
drawn from fads ; yet, as the people of Canada
have repeatedly applied to this country for infor-
mation upon the mode of cultivating hemp to ad-
vantage, and having, as a member of the Society,
attended various difcufiions upon the fubject, I have
been led to examine the whole culture and prepa-
ration of hemp in different countries, and am in-
duced to lay before your Lordfliips fuch informa-
tion and Ihort inftrudions as I think will be con-
ducive to eftablifh this great objed in Canada ; and
have arranged the whole under diftind heads, as
the operations follow in fucceflion."

On the Culture of the Hemp, and Choice of Seed,

THE foil for hemp fhould be rich, deep, light,
and moderately dry : of this defcription, much can
be found on the banks of creeks and rivers in Can-
ada. If the ground has not had a previous fum-
mer fallow, it fliould be ploughed once in the au-
tumn, and twice in the fpring ; it fliould then be
harrowed extremely fine with iron-toothed har-
rows, and fown with the hemp-feed, broad-caft,
after the rate of two bufliels of feed for an arpent,
or four-fifths of a ftatute acre ; the feed fliould
then be harrowed in, by a harrow with fmall iron
teeth fet clofe.

Much care fliould be taken in the choice of hemp-
feed : that of the lafl: year*s growth fliould be cho-
fen, and fuch as has not been heated in the carri-
age.

37

age. Choofe fuch feed as appears frefh, firm, and
bright ; prove it by rubbing it between your hands :
if it fuffers this without breaking, and becomes
brighter, it is a good lign j but if it be broken and
made dufty by rubbing, it is unfit for the farmer's
ufe.

Whatever feed is fent from England fhould be
packed in fmall cafks, and great care taken to pro-
cure what is new and of the beft quality. Before
it is depended on for a crop, a fmall quantity fhould
be fown in good earth, in a warm, fecured fitua-
tion, to fee that it will vegetate. It has been fup-
pofed, that keeping the hemp-feed in a cellar, two
or three weeks previous to its being fown, will aflift
its vegetation. The beft time for fowing hemp is
between the firft and twentieth of May, according
as the feafon is favourable : when it is fown, it
fliould be carefully guarded againft birds till firmly
rooted in the ground.

The hemp plants are of two kinds, viz. the male,
which yields a farina, or powdery matter, and the
female, which bears the feed. The aftion of the
male farina upon the female plant is neceffary for the
produdion of the feed, and its ejBfecls may be pro-
moted by artificial agitation, at the time when the
male plants are plucked from among the female, as
hereafter mentioned.

The male hemp will be ready to pull, about the
fecond week in Auguft : its ripenefs may be known
from the farina or powder which it yields on agi-
tation ; alfo, from the leaves turning yellow, and
the ftems a whitifh colour. — As it is of great confe-
quence to raife, at prefent, as much feed as pofiible
in Canada, I would recommend the following plan
to be now adopted for that purpofe, which may be
deviated from at a fubfequent period, when feed u
plentiful there.

When the male hemp is well ripened, let the per-

fons.

3«

fons, who pull the hemp, clear paflliges through
the field, of about two feet wide, and fix feet dif-
tance from each other, by pulling up the male and
female hemp, which grow promifcuoufly within
the faid fpace of two feet. Let the hemp thus pluck-
ed be carried to other ground in the neighbour-
hood, and fpread thereon about an inch thick : af-
ter it has been thus laid for two or three days ex-
pofed to the fun and air, turn it with a fmall pole,
and let it lie a day or two more ; then bind it up
in bundles, about the thicknefs of your thigh, or
near three quarters of a yard in circumference,
and either proceed to water-rot it, as it is termed,
immediately, as hereafter direded, or houfe it from
rain, till a more convenient opportunity offers for
the purpofe. I have before obferved, that beds of
the hemp, of about fix feet wide, fhould be left
growing, until an intermediate fpace of two feet
wide had been cleared, and the hemp which
grew thereon carried away. You mufl: then pro-
ceed to pull up the male hemp which was left grow-
ing among the female hemp, leaving the latter to
grow with as little injury as poflible until the feed
is ripe. The male hemp may be dried in the in-
termediate fpace of ground above-mentioned, and
made up in bundles as the former.

Method of colleding Hcmp-Sccd,

The female hemp fhould remain growing till
the feed is fully ripe, the figns of which are the
opening of the pods wherein the feeds are lodged,
fo much, that you may juft perceive the feeds
therein : they will have a brownifh appearance.

It may probably be the firft or fecond week in
Odober before the female hemp (hould be pulled ;
it fliouid then be carefully pulled to avoid Ihedding
the feed, and be bound in fmall bundles, and fet to

dry,

dry, \vith the root ends downwards, like corn in
fheaves. Avoid lofing the feed in pulling or dry-
ing, and when the bundles are dry, you fliould
have a wooden llool, with a flicet or blanket under
it, and, by flriking the hemp againft the ftool, to
beat the feed from it into the flieet or blanket,
breaking your hemp as little as pofllble.

After you have fepa rated the feed from the
hemp, either by beating it as above, or by thrafhing
it fubfequently, you muft be careful of the feed,
particularly whilil it is new, to prevent its heating,
which is bell guarded againft by frequently turn-
ing it ; it fhould then be kept in a dry place, but
not too clofe, for the air will aiTifl in preferving it.

I have been very particular in giving dircclions
about preferving the feed, in order that good feed
may be procured in Canada, without the neceflity
of always fending it from England, and to avoid
the rifk of bad feed being fent from hence. I fliall
now return to the relation of the method of pre-
paring hemp, which had been previoully plucked,
and was ready for the water-fleep, or water-rotting.

Water-Jleeping or ivater-rotiing Hemp.

■ This operation is performed by placing the hemp,
which had been previoufly made up in bundles
about the thicknefs of a man's thigh, after drying
it in the air, in a pond containing about live or fix
feet of water, and free from mud : the bundles of
hemp fhould be laid therein acrofs each other, and
clofe together, part of the heads one way, and part
the other, the whole covered with water, and kept
underneath it by flones, weights, or levers, till
properly fleeped, which may be known by taking
out a bundle and wafliing it : if the leaves come off
freely, the coat opens and eafily feparates from the
find or flalk, it is enough ; if not, ir mufl lie long-
er.

40

cr, under careful obfervatlon, till ready. When
the hemp is found to be fufficiently fteeped, the
bundles muft be taken out, one by one, and wafhed
to feparate the filth and loofe particles ; it fliould
then be fet on the root ends to drain, the bands be
untied, and the hemp placed againft a fence expof-
ed to the fun and air, that it may be thoroughly
dried. Where the convenience can be had of filling
a pond with water and letting it off at pleafure,
fuch a fituation fliould be preferred ; but other-
wife a common pond will anfwer.

In warm weather this operation of the water-
fteep may be performed in four or five days ; in
colder weather it will require eight or ten, and in
very cold weather eighteen or twenty days may be
neceffary.

The intent of this procefs is by a gentle fermen-
tation to feparate the gummy and mucilaginous
matter from the fibres of the hemp, with which
they are intermixed, and to occafion the bark or
rind on the outfide of the fibres to be afterwards
more eafily detached by the brake.

Of the Management of Hemp by the Brake,

After the hemp has been watered and well dried,
it is fit for the brake. If it cannot be fufficiently
dried in the open air, it may be done by drying it
carefully upon fl:icks placed acrofs, about four feet
above a gentle fire ; the hemp may be laid thereon
about fix inches deep, and carefully turned, from
time to time, *o be equally dried. In the hemp coun-
tries, wind and water mills, with particular machine-
ry for the purpofe,are contrived to break and prepare
the hemp in a more cheap and expeditious manner;
but in a country Where a manufacture is in its in-
fancy, the moft plain and fimple methods muft be
adopted, and fuch machinery be ufed as the farmer

can

41

can make himfelt. I have therefore added a draw-
ing and defcription of a hand-brake, and other
neceffary implements for preparing hemp, which
will anlwer the purpofe in Canada.

To brake the hemp, the perfon employed takes
in the left hand a handful of hemp, and in the
other the upper jaw of the brake ; the hemp is
laid acrofg, between the two jaws, and by raifing
and letting fall the upper jaw feveral times with
great force, it brakes the dry ftems under the rind
that furrounds them. By this means, the gum-
my matter and pith are made to quit the hemp,
and the operation is continued, till the whol$
handful be perfectly broken. The hemp is
then ftretched out on the ground or table, and
when about two pound weight is thus prepared,
it is made into a parcel, by doubling and twifting
it flightly, and is then called a head of hemp or
undreffed ftuft'. A woman may brake from twen-
ty to thirty pounds of hemp in this manner, in
one day.

On ScutcJj'mg Kemp,

After your hemp has pafled the brake, it muft
be fcutched in the following m.anner : — Take as
much hemp in your left hand as you can conveni-
ently hold, and wdth your other hand, having
broken the ftrawof the hemp, lay it over the edge
of the fcutching-board with the roots foremoft,
and beat it downwards with the fcutcher along
the fide of the board, turning and winding it with
your left hand as you fcutch it, till moil of the
llraw and dirt is beat out.

When that end is done, turn the other, and

fcutch it in a fimilar manner ; then lay that hand-

ful afide and proceed with another, till the whole

is finifhed j then tie the hemp up in bunches, and

F lay

42

lay it in a place moderately dry, until you have
occafion to ufe it. The intent of this operation is
to beat out and detach the rind and dirt previouf*
ly loofened by the brake.

Method of Heckling Hemp,

When hemp is intended for coarfe yarn, it need
only be heckled with a large toothed heckle ; but
if for finer ufes, it muft be begun with a coarfe
heckle, and afterwards pafTed through one or more
line heckles, as occafion may require.

The bufmefs of the heckler conlifts in feparating
throughout the whole length, the fibres of the
hemp, which the brake and fcutcher have divided
only in part. The cemmon coarfe heckle is about
21 inches by 6 3-4, the teeth in the rows are about
I 3-4 inches afunder, and extending 9 1-2 inches
from the board in which they are fixed ; they are
placed in a quincunx order, fo that the teeth of the
fecond row are in the centre of the fpace of the
iirfl row. By drawing the hemp through the hec-
kle, the teeth carry off a part of the gum contain-
ed amongft the fibres of the hemp in the form of
duft, and by dividing the filaments, feparates en-
tirely the heterogeneous matter contained among
them. To effect this purpofe, the heckle being fix-
ed on a plank, one fide of which inclines from the
workman, he takes a handful of the hemp, which
grafping in his right hand, he draws through the
heckle, holding the other part of the hemp in his
left hand to prevent its being entangled. After
one end of the hemp is fuiEciently heckled it is re-
vcrfed, and the fame operation performed on the
other.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.

FROM accurate accounts lately received from
Canada, it appears, that an acre of good land in

corn

corn will not produce above half the value to the
planter, that the fame land will yield there in
hemp ; and that hemp may be grown fuccefhvely on
the fame land many years to advantage, when corn
will not. Ah acre or two of land, it is agreed,
may be planted with hemp on each farm there,
without interfering with other btiiinefs. The prcf-
ent account is calculated forthofe peifons in Cana*
da, who have not been previoufly accullomed to
the culture of hemp, and who have not the advan-
tage of large machinery to complete its preparation.

The whole of the bufmefs, even to the making
of the implements here defcribed, may be accom-
plifhed by the planter, and is fufficient for the ef-
tabliftiment of this great national object, and of
eventually preferving to the Britilli empire, the an-
nual fum of 1,500,000;^. fterling.

If your lordfhips will think proper, in the firft
inftance to fend fome good hemp-feed to Canada
to be fold at moderate prices, but not given away ;
and if fome perfons are appointed to purchafe on
fair terms the hemp prepared in Canada, and fend
it to England, a few years will eftablifli this trade
on fo firm a bafis, that no further protection from
government will be neceflary. If my observations
on this fubjccl meet your lordfhips' approbation, it
is the only gratification I defire. My wifhes to
promote the intereft of this empire, and to fulfil
your lordfhips' requefl fugg^fled to the Society of
Arts in January laft, have induced me to make the
prefent attempt individually for that purpofe.

I have the honour to be, with high refpecir,
my lords, your very obedient fervant.

No. 1 9, JoH« Street 7 ^^ TAYLOR.
AD£LPHi,y««^ 17th, 1802.5

44

PREPARATION OF CHEESE IN ENGLAND.

From THE "Commercial and AcRictrtTURAL Magazine,"
Vol. 5th.

V_yHEESE, a fpecies of folld food, prepared from
curdled milk cleared of the whey, and afterwards
dried for ufe. As this article conftitutes a materi-
al part of domeftic confumption, we find, in almoft
every country, one or more places celebrated for
the fuperior quality of their cheefe. Hence we
propofe to enumerate the principal forts of" this
manufacture, both at home and abroad ; introduc-
ing alfo an account of the mode in which they are
prepared.

I. Stilton Cheese is produced in the town of
that name, in the county of Huntingdon ; and,
from its peculiar riclmefs, and flavour, is fometimes
called Englifli Parmefan. The procefs of making
it is as follows : the night's cream is put to the
morning's milk, with the rennet ; when the curd
is come, it is not broken, as is ufually done with
other cheefe, but taken out whole, and put into a
fieve, in order to drain gradually. While draining,
it is prefied, till it becomes firm and dry ; when it
is placed in a wooden hoop, or box, made to fit it,
as it is fo extremely rich, that, without this precau-
tion, it would be apt to feparate. It is afterwards
kept on dry boards and turned daily, with cloth
binders round it, which are tightened as occafion
requires. After being taken out of the hoop, the
cheefe is clofely bound with cloths, which are
changed every day, till it acquires fufficient firm-
nefs to fupport itfelf ; when thefe cloths are re-
moved, each cheefe is rubbed over daily, for two or
three months, with a brufli ; and, if the weather
be damp, or m.oifi;, twice a day : the tops and bot-
toms are treated in a iimilar manner every day,

even

45

even before the cloths are taken off. Stilton cheeCe
is fometimes made in nets, refcmbling cabbage-
nets ; but thefe are neither fo good, nor fo richly-
flavoured, as thofe prepared in the manner before
ddcribed. Although the Stilton farmers are in
much repute for their cleanlinefs, they take but lit-
tle pains with the rennet ; as they, in general, cut
fmall pieces from the (veil or maiv, that are put into
the milk ; and, being gently agitated with the
hand, break, or turn it, fo that the curd is eafily
obtained. We venture however, to fay, that their
valuable cheefe might be improved, and few brok-
en ones occur, if they would prepare the rennet in
the manner adopted in the weft of England ; name-
ly, by keeping the veil, maw, or rennet-bag (as it is
differently called) perfectly fweet and frefh ; for, if
it be in the leaft degree tainted, the cheefe will nev-
er acquire a fine flavour. When the ^•<?// or maw
is fit for the purpofe, a ftrong folution of fait fliould
be made, with two quarts of foft, fweet water, into
which are to be introduced fweet briar, rofe leaves,
and flowers, cinnamon, mace, cloves, and, in fliort,
almoft every kind of fpice and aromatics that can
be procured. The whole muft boil gently, till the
liquor is reduced to three pints, and care fhould
be taken that it be not fmoked. The fpices ftiould
next be ftrained clean, and the liquor, when milk
warm, poured upon the 'veil or maw. A lemon
may then be lliced into it, and the whole ftand at
reft for a day or two ; after which it fliould be
again ftrained, and bottled. Thus, if well corked,
it will keep good for twelve months, or longer,
pofiefs a fine aromatic odour, and impart an agree-
able flavour to the cheefe.

2. Cheshire Cheese is prepai td In the following
way : The evening's milk is not touched till the
next morning, when the cream is taken off, and
put to warm in a brafs pan, heated v.ith boiling

water :

46

%vatcr : one third part of that milk is heated in a fimi-
iar manner. The cows being milked early in the
morning, the new milk, and that of the preceding
night, thus prepared, are poured into a large tub,
together with the cream. A piece of rennet kept
in luke-warm water, fince the preceding evening,
is put into the tub, in order to coagulate the milk j
with which, if the cheefe is intended to be colour-
ed, a fmall quantity of arnotto (or of an infufion of
marigolds, or carrots) is rubbed fine, and mixed ;
the whole is ftirred together, and being covered up
warm, allowed to ftand about half an hour, or till
it is coagulated ; when it is firft turned over with
a bowl, to feparate the whey from the curd, which
links to the bottom, and is then collected into a part
of the tub, provided with a flip, or loofe board, to
crofs the diameter of the bottom, for the fole pur-
pofe of effecting this feparation ; on which a board
is placed, wieghing from 60 to 1 20 pounds, in or-
der to prefs out the whey. As foon as it acquires
a greater degree of folidity, it is cut into flices, and
turned over feveral times, to extrafi: all the whey,
and again prefTed with weights : Thefe operations
may confume about an hour and an half. It is
then taken from the tub, and broken very fmall by
the hand, falted, and put into a cheefe-vat, the
depth of which is enlarged by a tin hoop fitted to
the top. The fide is then flrongly prefTed, both by
hand, and with a board at the top, well weighed ;
and wooden fkewers are placed round the cheefe,
at the centre, which are frequently drawn out. It
is then fhifted out of the vat, a cloth being previ-
oufly put on the top of it, and reverfed on a cloth
into another vat, or again into the fame, if well
fcalded, before the cheefe be returned to it. The
top, or upper part, is next broken by the hand,
down to the middle, falted, prefTed, weighed, and
ikewered, as before, till all the whev is extracted.

This,

47

This being done, the cheefe is again reverfed into
another vat, likewife warmed, with a cloth under
it, and a tin hoop, or binder, put round the upper
edge of the cheefe, and within the fides of the vat ;
the former being previoufly cnclofed in a cloth, and
its edges put within the veffel. Thefe various
operations are performed from about feven o'clock
in the morning till one at noon. The prefling of
the cheefe requires about eight hours more, as it
mufl be twice turned in the vat, round which thin
wire fkewers are pafTed, and Ihifted occafionally.
The next morning it ought to be turned, and preff-
ed again, as likewife at night, and on the fucceed-
ing day, about the middle of which it is removed
to the faking room, where the outfide is falted, and
a cloth binder tied round it. After this procefs,
the cheefe is turned twice daily, for fix or feven
days ; then left two or three weeks to dry, during
which time it is once turned, and cleaned every
day ; at length depofited in the common cheefe-
room, on a boarded floor, covered with ftraw,
vi^here it is turned daily, till it acquires fufiicient
hardnefs. The room fhould be of a moderate
warmth, but no wind or draught of air, mufl be
permitted to enter, as this generally cracks the
cheefe. The outfides or rinds of them, are fome-
times Tubbed with butter, or oil, in order to give
them a coat.

3. Gloucester Cheese is made of milk imme-
diately from the cow ; but which, in fummer, is
thought too hot, and is therefore lowered to the
requifite degree of heat, before the rennet is added,
by pouring in fkim-milk, or, if that will not an-
fwer, by the addition of water. As foon as the
curd " is comey* it is broken with a double cheefe-
knife, and alfo with the hand, in order to clear it
from the whey, which is laded off. The curd be-
ing thus freed from the principal part of the whey,

is

48

is put into vats, which are fet in the prefs for ten
or fifteen minutes, in order to extrad all the re-
maining liquid.

It is then turned out of the vats into the cheefe-
tubs again ; broken fmall, and fcalded with a
pail full of water, lowered with whey, about three
parts water to one of whey ; and the whole is
brilkly agitated, the curd and water being equally
mixed together. After having flood a few mi-
nutes, to let the curd fubfide, the liquor is poured
off J and the former colleded in a vat, the furface
of which is, when about half full, fprinkled with a
little fait, that is worked in among the curd. The
vat is then filled up, and the whole mafs turned
two or three times in it, the edges being pared,
and the middle rounded up at each turning.^ At
length the curd is put into a cloth, and placed in
the prefs, whence it is carried to the fhelves, and
turned, generally, once a day, till it has acquir-
ed a fufficient degree of compad^nefs, to enable it
to undergo the operation of wafhing.

4. Wiltshire Cheese. The milk which pro-
duces this cheefe is run, as it comes from the cow,
or as it happens to be lowered, by a fmall quantity
of fkim-milk mixed with it. The curd is firft bro-
ken with the hand and difh, care being taken, in
firft crufhing the curd, to let the whey run off
gradually, to prevent its carrying away with it the
"/^/" of the cowl. For thin cheefe, the curd is
not broken fo fine as in Gloucefterfhire ; for thick
cheefe it is cruflied flill finer j and, for what is call-
ed loaves^ it is in a manner reduced to atoms. The
whey is poured off as it rifes, and the curd prefTed
down. The mafs of curd is then pared downy
three or four times over, in flices about an inch
thick, in order to extract all the whey from it,
prelTed and fcalded in a manner fimilar to the
Gloucefter cheefe. After feparating the whey,

the

x

9$

the curd is in fome dairies, rc-broken and falted in
the bowl ; while in others, it is taken out of the h-
quor and faked in the vat ; thin cheefes being pla-
ced, with a fmall handful of fait, in one layer ;
thick ones, with two fmall handsful, in two lay-
ers ; loaves, with two handsful, in three or four lay-
ers ; the fak being fpread, and rubbed uniformly a-
mong the curd. Wiltfhire cheefe is commonly ialt-
ed twice in the prefs, where it remains, in propor-
tion to its thicknefs ; thin cheefes, three or four,
meals j thick ones, four or five j and loaves, five or fix.

POTATOES FOOD FOR CATTLE.

From the " Farmer's Calendar. London, 1802.

\Jf r2LW potatoes, a middling ox will eat a bufhel
in twenty four hours, with which the com-
mon allowance of hay is ten pounds. A fheep
will eat a gallon in the fame time, with a fmall
quantity of hay, faid by fome to be fo fmall, that
half a pound per day will fufiice. A horfe will re-
quire, from half a peck to a peck per day, with
hay. Potatoes have proved worth a Ihilling per
bufhel, for fattening flock of all forts (fwine ex-
cepted) on an average of years. The Gold-finder,
Champion-potatoe, and Golden-globe, feem to
have the preference. Mr. Mayo, of Suflex, fatted
yearly 6 oxen, 2 fleers, and four cows, or heifers ;
killed one of 160 flone, that had 32 pound loofe
fat within him. An ox, of 140 flone, ate rather
more than a bufhel of potatoes per day, and 10
pounds of hay. Has had beafls on turnips, that
ate three bufhels per day, and as much as if they
had no other food. With this feeder oxen fed as
faft on potatoes, as on oil-cake. I this day con-
G fuked

50

fulted a Surrey farmer, one of the firft in the neigh-
bourhood of the metropolis, who applied raw po-
tatoes to the purpofe of fattening beafts. He pre-
fers them to any other food within his knowledge,
when their price at market is not too high, the
cafe at prefcnt. His pradice is to put up middle
iized byllocks, in October, not quite half fat, which
he makes ready for the butcher in three months,
allowing, as I underftand, as much hay as the
beafts will eat. Forty lambs ate greedily four or
five bufhels cut potatoes per day in December and
January, and they throve well upon them ; when
the potatoes fcoured the lambs, a little hay amend-
ed that defea.— The Rev. Mr. Fuller, of Suflex,
takes up his^ fheep, (South Downs) from the after-
grafs, middle of November, to a yard, with a fhed
adjoining, and there feeds them on potatoes v/ith
a little hay, morning and evening, until the end of
February, or beginning of March, when they are
fit for market. The roots are cut into two or
three flices, and given in troughs under flielter.
The lambs generally coft 12 to 14 {hillings, at
two years old, fatted to nine or eleven ftone, and
fold at 4 (hillings per ftone. The internal fat
of one weighed 15 pounds. Mr. Fuller fuppofes
potatoes equal in fattening Iheep, with corn, oil-
cake, or grafs. When in page 19, I treated as a
whim, the feeding cattle with raw potatoes, the
reader ought to underftand n;y meaning to be la-
boiiring cattle. But although fuch confiderable
things are done, in the fattening way, with this
excellent root in a raw ftate, I am fure the profit
will always be greater, and the quality of the flefli
much fuperior, from the root fteemed or baked ;
and a commodious kiln, of a reafonable price,
which would bake or roafl a large quantity of po-
tatoes, is yet an objed: for the attention of our in-
genious artifts. Raw potatoes have been found

to

\

5«

to injure milch-cows, rendering their rtiilk fo thin,
as to be unfit even for fuckling. Mr. Billingfley
found the water in which potatoes had been boil-
ed, injurious to hogs. Mr. Turner proved the
fame by experiment. The expenfes upon potatoes
have generally amounted to fix or feven pounds
per acre, (on which, however, a confiderable re-
dudlion may be made by improved culture) ; and
if the experiments have been accurate, an acre,
producing about 350 bulhels, will, with a little hay
daily, completely fatten three large beafts, put up
with very little flefli upon thetn, in from twelve
to fifteen weeks, fome roots being left.

»<!««<(t<m<i<&>>>y»*m»»*

HINTS ON FELLING TREES.

From the Commercial and Agricultural Magazine,
Vol. VII. London, 1802.

A.

.LL foreft trees, whether felled with a faw or
an axe, may be cut near the ground, at the fame
time carefully preferving the (lump and roots from
any further injury.

The furface fhould then be made quite fmooth,
when the campofition may be fpread over the
whole furface, according to the diredions given in
your laft number. It fliould, however, be obferv-
ed, that the compofition when employed for this
particular purpofe, fliould have an equal quantity
of the powder of alabafter, mixed with the dry
powder, generally direded to be ufed, after the
compofition is laid on, in order to render the fur-
face harder, and, of courfe, better able to refift the
bad effects of the dripping of trees, of rain, froft
and fnow. But this addition is by no means nec-

effary

cfTary in the ufual application to the fides of the
trees. In confequence of this procefs the vigour
of the roots will operate fo powerfully in the
courfe of the fucceeding ipring, that a confiderable
number of buds or branches will ihoot forth
round the ftump, which, with proper care and at-
tention, may be trained to many valuable purpofes,
either ftraight or crooked, for knee-timber or other
purpofes : and by retaining only fo many of thefe
ihoots, as are deiigned to grow for any particular
intention, more than one half will be faved in
point of time, according to the proportions of
common growth. For if a young tree be planted in a
foil, equal in quality to the fcite of the old ftump,
the ftioot growing from the jpitter, will, in eight or
ten years, attain to a fize which the lingle plant will
hardly acquire in twice that period. There are alfo
many ufeful purpofes of hufbandry, as hoop-poles
and other poles ufed on various occafions, for
which a number of fiioots may be trained from
one ftump, whofe fertile juices will ftiortly rear an
healthy and numerous 'X)ffspring around it. Ve^-y
particular attention, however, ftiould be paid to
regulate their number according to the fize and
vigour of the ftump. It would certainly be prop-
er to leave more of them at firft than are intended
to be referved for final ufe, in order to draw up
the fap : if too few are left, they will be liable to
burft, from the fuperabundant flow of the juices
from the old ftock : to prevent which inconveni-
ence they fhould be cut away by degrees, always
applying the compofition as they are cut, and leav-
ing the fineft ftem to produce the new tree, which
will in time cover the old ftump, and leave
nothing but a faint kind of cicatrix, at the junc-
tion of the old and new part of the tree.

PRE-

53

PREVENTATIVE OF FLIES DESTROYING
TURNIPS.

From the Agricultural and Commercial Magazine,
Vol. VII. page 76.

X HE difcovery of a preventative of flies deftroy-
ing turnip crops, for which 200 guineas were giv-
en at Mr. Coke's fheep-fhearing, is to fow two
pounds of radilh feed on every acre of turnip land,
with the turnip feed ; which is found fo to attract
the flies, as to prevent their proving injurious to
the turnips.

HAY HARVEST.
On the Ufe of Salt in curing Hay, particularly Clover,
Extracts from "Monk's Agricultural Dictionary."

L

! AST year Mr. Rodney made ten loads of faint-
foinc hay, which from repeated rains was fo dam-
aged, that his people pronounced it three quarters
fpoilcd.

He faked it in flacking with only one bufliel of
fait, and it completely recovered it.

Young's Eastern Tour. Vol. iii. page aoj.

I faked about four loads of after-pafture clover
hay, that was damaged fo much by rains as to be
thought more fit to be made dung of than hay ;
but this I do aver as a truth, that my horfes eat
more and fed more heartily on this damaged, but
failed hay, than they did upon that which was cut
in full fap ; and flacked without rain. The experi-
ment was tried by racking them fometimes with

one

54

one fort, and fometimes with the other. The
nights they were racked with the beft hay, they
did not eat all that was given, but the nights in
which they had the falted damaged hay, although
a larger quantity was given, yet in the mornings
their racks were found empty. The common
quantity is a peck of fait to a load of hay.

Young's Northern Tour, Vol. i. p. 4. 1770.

Mr. Scarancke, Hants.

As the feafon for hay-making is drawing near,
muft beg leave to recommend the faking of ricks.
I am perfuaded few farmers are aware of the bene-
fit arifing from this practice, particularly in flack-
ing in fultry weather. The fait preferves the hay
from overheating and becoming mildewed ; it may
be put together greener than otherwife, without
any danger of firing. All kinds of cattle, &c. pre-
fer inferior hay, thus managed, to the beft that can
be placed before them, that has not been falted ;
the fait aflimilates with the juices of the hay, and
thereby prevents too great a fermentation, and by
its foporific quality gives it a fuperior flavour.
The proper method of ufing it is, in building the
flack, to fprinkle the fait alternately between each
layer of hay, in the proportion of one hundred
weight to feven or eight tons.

Young's Annals, Vol. vi. page g^. 1786.

Mr. T. Bernard, near Ramfey.

This pradlce of curing hay with fait, fo much
recommended in the preceding extra6ls, has been
tried in this country and neighbourhood. The fol'
lowing communications to theTruftees of the MafTa-
chufetts Society for promoting Agriculture, will
fliow with what fuccefs.

55

ji Letter fro?n Mr. Asa Packard, to the Hon,
George Cabot, Efq. Bojlon.

Marlborough, Dec. 5th, 1803.
Honoured and Dear. Sir,

YOURS of 2d inft. was duly received, by poft.
In compliance with your polite requeft, I have con-
fulted I'everalof the moft obferving farmers in this
vicinity, relative to the beft proceis of curing clo-
ver. You refer particularly, in your inquiries, to
the method adopted by Capt. George Williams, on
which you have a partial recollection of converfing
with him feveral yeaj's ago. His plan embraces
the opinions and the prevailing practice of his moft
judicious neighbours. I have this day fpent an
hour with him, on the fubjecT:, and though he dif-
fers conliderably from Dr. Dean, the experience of
fome years paft juftifies him in preferring his own
method. He ftates the entire procefs as follows.

With all my labourers I enter the largeft and
moft luxuriant growth of clover as foon as the
dew is off ; the fork follows the fey the as foon as
poilible. All that is mowed that day lies fpread by
12 o'clock. About one, before half pq/i one^ it is
turned with a fork. Towards night, fay at fix
o'clock, it is thrown into fmall heaps, without a
rake. Next morning, as foon as the ground is dry,
thefe heaps are opened, not fpread fo as to cover
the ground, but rather feparated in moderate fork-
loads. Thefe are turned between 11 and 12
o'clock J and at one the cart fhould receive it, hot
and heavy as it is. If dried more it will crumble,
iofe its leaves, its heads and its nutritive qualities.

When perfcftly ready for the team,y?^/V(? may be
fqueezed by the fingers from a fingle itraw. From
a wifp of it, the fize of your hay-rope, a man may
ring moifture^polTibly a drop. Having thrown three

or

_!£i

or four hundred, about equally, over a ten feet
fcafFold, ftrew as many quarts of fait ; .then fpread
another ftratum of hay and a limilar quantity of
fait, till you have thrown half a bujhel on a ton* The
top will need none.

Of his ordinary procefs he gave me the follow-
ing illuftration in a fimple ftatement of facts.

" Laft year I cut a fmall piece of heavy clover.
My men were belated, and a part of it was {land-
ing at 1 2 o'clock. I managed it on that day as if
it had been cut in feafon. The next was tolerably
good hay weather, not the beft. Obferving fome
iigns of rain, I put down one load (about half the
piece) on my fcafFold at one of the clock. It ap-
peared rather too green. On the fucceeding morn-
ing it was covered on the fcafFold with a large dew.
The weather on the third day was remarkably
drying, and though the load left in the field was
moved as early as convenient, it crumbled ; it was
dried too much. This I placed upon the firft load.
Both did well, but the bottom of the fcafFold was
preferable, — the more valuable of the two.'*

Thus, Sir, I have realized the pleafure of flating
to you particularly, the moll approved procefs of
curing clover, known in this vicinity.

With very much efleem and unfeigned re-
fped, honoured Sir, your mofl humble fervant,

ASA PACKARD.

A Letter

■ 57

A Lettevl from Samuel W. Pomeroy, Efq» to the
Rev. Dr. Parker, Correfponding Secretary to the
Society for promoting Agriculture in Majfachufetts.

Cambridge, ijth May, 1804.

SIR,
AGREEABLY to your requeft, I have the
pleafure to relate the following experiments on
clover cured with fait, about the middle of July,
1802. The produce of lefs than an acre of clover,
fuppofed to be two tons when dry, was cut between
9 and 1 2 o'clock, and immediately fpread ; it cov-
ered the ground very thick ; by 5 o'clock it was
made up into cocks, and the next day, without
opening, was carried to the barn, put upon a fcaf-
fold, and mowed in a form nearly fquare. As it
was fpread upon the mow, two bujhels of refufefalt
from the provifion barrels, was ftrewed upon it as
equally as pofliblej it was very green, and my
foreman obferved, that it would in a fliort time be
thrown into the yard for manure.

The winter following this hay came out perfectly
fweet, of a good colour, and was eaten freely by
horfes and oxen j even the ftalks, which were large,
were not left.

The beginning of laft July, a field of fix acres of
clover, fuppofed, when dry, to produce ten tons,
was cut from 8 to 3 o'clock, and a part fpread.
Before 5 o'clock the whole was made up into fmall
cocks, fome of which had not been cut two hours.
The next day, none of it was opened, the carts
were in the field by 9 o'clock, and before funfet the
whole, which made fifteen heavy loads, was carri-
ed to the barn, put into a bay and formed a mow
fourteen feet high. On each layer of clover, of
about one fourth of a load, was ftrewed coarfe Liv-
erpool fait, in the proportion of three pecks to a
ton J tkis clover was drier when cut than that men-
lit tioned

tioned in the firft experiment, though half of it
was not in bloom, and few heads had turned
brown ; but owing to the drought it began to
wafte. The evening it was carted confiderable heat
was obferved by thrufting the hand as far as one
could reach into the mow ; the next morning how-
ever no heat was perceived, nor was there after-
wards the leaft appearance of fermentation. A few
days after three tons more, managed in the fame
way, was added to the mow, which was fuppofed to
contain thirteen tons of dry hay» The whole of
this hay came out very bright and fweet ; fome of
it has been fold in the market at a higher price in
proportion to other hay at the fame time, than clo-
ver cured in the common way generally bears. My
horfes have been kept upon it for three months
paft, and I never had them look fo well with fo
little grain ; they appear more fond of it than of
other hay, and there is lefs left in the manger.

It may be proper to remark, that the weather,
when the clover was cut and carried, was very
fine ; and that the cocks upon the moift land were
turned bottom upwards half an hour before they
were put upon the cart. How this method will an-
fvver in cloudy weather, or when the clover has
been wet, muft be determined by other experi-
ments.

I am, Sir, with much refpecl, your very obedi-
ent fervant,

SAMUEL WYLLYS POMEROY.

4-

6o

Dr. T/je Majfachiifetts Society for promoting ^gri-

i8oa.

July 24.
Augft.31.

Dec. 9.
Jan. 18.

Mar. J 6.
June 3.

To Jacob Kuhn, paid him for one year's fervices - -
Paid Jofcph Callendar for printing aoo Certifi-
cates. ----- .^. ............

Paid ditto for a Gold Medal prefented by the Soci-
ety to the Hon. David Humphreys ------

Paid James Allen for his exertion* in raifing
trees ----------------- j©.

Paid poftage of a letter from Benj Vaughan,
Efq. - I. 36

Paid Seth Adams the Society's premium for im-
porting fheep -.-..----- — .

Paid for fixper cent defer'd Stock, dolls. 900 nomi-
n'al --------------- ...->.

Balance due to the Society to adjuft this Account

\

998 3
88 39

Dollars 108641

Memtrandum of the Society's preperty in the bands of the

Treafurer.

United States fix per cent ftock, nominal fum - - -
Ditto defer'd ditto ----------

Ditto three per cent ftock - - - -

Maffachufetts State notes ----,--------

United States Bank ftock -------------

3800
azoo

583
960

laool

Dollars 8743

6i

culture in Account with Thomas Lindall Winthrop. Cr.

x8oa.
June 9.

July 6.

OA. %.

1803.
Jan. 6.

April 4.
June 3.

By Balance due to the Society per account fettled un-
der this date ------------.- —

By 3 months Intereft on 3800 dolls, fix per cent
ftock 57.

3 mos. Int. on 1300. ditto deferred - - - 19 50
3 mos. Int. on 583. three per cent ftock - 4.37
6 mos. Int. on laoo. Maff. State notes - - 30.
6 mos. div'd. on laoo. U- S. Bank ftock - - 54.
Rec'd. of Jacob Kuhn for fundry aftentnents a8.

By 3 mos. Int. on 38*0. fix per cent ftock - - si-
3 mos. Int. on 1300. ditto defer'd - - - - 19.50
3 mos. Int. on 583. three per cent ftock - 4.37

By 3 mos. Int. on 3800. fix per cent ftock - - 57.
» per ct. on ditto, ditto paid by Gov. - - 76.
3 mos. Int. on 1300, ditto defer'd - - - - 19.50

a per cent on ditto ------- ----26.

3 mos. Int. on 583. three per cent ftock - 4.37
6 mos. Int. on lioo. Maff. State notes - - 30.
aoper cent. on ditto, paid by Gov. - - — 240.
6 mos. dividend on 12*0. U. S. Bank ftock 54.

By fundry afleflinents rec'd. of Jacob Kuhn - - - -
By 3 mos. Int. on 3800. fix per cent ftock - - 57.
3 mos. Int. on 1300. ditto defer'd - - - - 19.50
3 mos. Int. on 583. three per cent ftock - 4.37
Rec'd of Jacob Kuhnfor fundry aftelfments 113.

6994

19187
8087

50687
41

193187

Dollars 108642

Boston, June 8th, 1803.

Errors excepted.
THOMAS L. WINTHROP.

We the fubfcribers, appointed a Committee by the Maflachufetts Society
for promoting Agriculture, at their annual meeting in January laft, to exam-
ine the Treafurer's account, having attended to that bufmefs, do find the fame
well vouched and right caft, and a balance of eighty-eight dollars and thirty-
nine cents due to faid Society from faid Treafurer. We alfo find in his hand*
the evidences of the property enumerated above.
Boston, June 8th, 1803. WM. SPOONER, *> f,„„^.,.„

^ JOSHUA THOMAS,; ^°'"'"'"«'

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