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* % ? % - . > * F. ** * Jl f| VOLUME V. im* ??4<9&i??jtf? EDITOR A Vl> PROPRIETOR. TERMS: If pud within three months, . $3 00 II pti I within threo months after the close oft he year, --.-.. 3 50 If paid within twohre mouths after the close of the year, ...... 4 00 If not paid within that time, ... 5 00 Two new subscribers will be entitled to th paper the first year forces dollar*, paid at tin time of subscribing , and fire new subscriber for ten dollars paid at the time of subscribing trThe Postage trust be oaitl on all conunu a cations. Mo paper to he discontinued but at the optioi of the editor till arrearages are paid. A-lvertisaments not excooding sixteen lines insorted for one dollar the first time, and fiftj cents, each subsequent ins ;rtion. Persons sending in advertisements are rcqucs ? tn. .o specify the number of times they are to Is 1 se'ted; otherwise they will he continued til ordered out, and chwsgcdeeeordiogly. From the Maine Farmer. c Farmer Thrifty. Mr. Holmes:?A farmer who does not pa] all attention to the subject of increasing tin quantity and quality of his manure by artificia means cannot for a great lengh of time be s thriving man however industrious he may be He may sweat and toil, but his farm will continue to deteriorate, grow worse and worse ^ till a wretched old age arrives, loaded witt disapoint incut, misery and poverty Not gr w'th ih??thrifty?farmer wliois willing to throw off prejudice and despise ignorance* He wil first of all subscribe for the Maine Farmer o some oth?r agricultural paper; study its con tents during his leisure hours, with the nicos care and iny word for it, he will not long re main ignorant either of the nature of manure* or the value of the same. Hut farmer Thrift] is not one of those men whose wisdom aniounts to words, only continually praising manure but never making a single effort ti get one load As so^n as haying is done. fartTcr Thrifiy commences immediately tin work <*f hauling materials for manure, he doei not ride to the tavern three days in succces sion to tell ihefH ople that he is "done hay, *ng." but in fact gets 40 loads of excellcn materials collected into heaps, while many o his indifferent neighbors are doubling an< deliberating on the subject of what kind o Work to do next. Now farmer Thrifty is ? dear headed man, and straight forward cor reel reasoner?ho is sure to put into success fol execution all his plans for improvement, ant withal is sure to see every department of la. bor performed at the most proper time. I b ive understood moreover that fanner Thrifty it somewhat of a logician and endeavors to have matters and things so arranged that only one thiug be performed at a time, and although he is a man of great energy and untiring in. dustry, still he >s sure never to pursue labor to severely as to break down his constitution ;?nd ruin Ins health in a single day. And his irnpigments of husbandry are so perfect, so I'ght, so weildly, and so skillfully made, that he per. forms his labor with twice the ease of his luggish, prejudiced, ignorant, inconsiderate, unreasonable, incorrigible, neighbors. And one thing more; farmer Thrifty had learnt by dint of studying, a little po'itical economy, the importance of acquiring despatch in performing labor. If in the performance of mechanical labor one may acquire by carefual practice a plight ofhaud skill or despatch or whatever it may be termed, sot that twice or thrice the amount of labor maybe performed with the m same amount of strength, why may not the agricultural labor by pursuing the same track. realize the same result? And indeed we have reason do wonder that farmer thrifty, who manages his affairs so wisely has sufficient time to spare to accumalate in the course ol the year from fifty to two or three hundred loads of manure of different kinds which will most assuredly in due time yield hint wealth and comfortable independence. And again so far as pleasure or happiness is concerned, firmer Tliritty has infinitely the advantage over the idle drone who is literally a burden to himself, or the ambitious demagogue. who is despi-ed by all learned men, except those who n?av be weak enough to be sat srtrd with empty flattery, and whose hopes of office, even it realized, end sooner or la'er m misery. Indefatigable industry is certainly a source of 'ho most refined happiness and it is not very distant from truth to imagine that the sluggard must be one of the most miserable Iwings existence! Now farmer'Thrifty is one ol those uwn who is instant in season and out ol Season. He neglects no opportunity that he can command to increase his manure heap, search es every hollow, every place containing bl.ick rich earth, sides of fences, highways, streams pond, holes. &e. ami in /act every corner and place upon his pr? tnises, within reasonable distance ot the barn.yard, and if :rost. withholds in veto till December, I l ave known farmer thrif ) t/? he busy in his business of scrap.ng and col. lecting heaps of manure for tlie next year.? And lastly farmer Tiir.fty, sensible that know, ledge is power* does not neglect what I shal term the industry of the mind. Hois a think ing man, lie studies d ff.'rent authors, he is bus) in asking questions <if intelligent men?is no asbiuieJ lo a>k for information, ami is patriotic to give the result of his experience aad his views through the columns of an egri cultural paper J E. R'.lfe. n r .. t n.. inn ILUH'JUftt, H tvi. MtofAGATIti.N <?F SIIKKP AND It1 OS. Sji??i\ Ill order lo succeed in rcarin; tuyii improving litis ?ery desirable animal strict regard must be had to weaning 'In lambs n.d s'-pjirating the Kvv?u mid Buck ^ uhou' the first of July, when the harv?\? ' fields allow ofaddi iorrtl pasture, and ngan t?irn;ng the twos iifcndod to he r-vsed f om with the Bucks about the middle of October ullnwinu from four months and twenty davi to five months to the Husbandman in hi inosi desirable occupation to realize hii hopes of seeing nearly all of his iambs play ing together in the course of two or threi weeks, at a season when it is prohabie bu few will be lost, bu- by pursuing this coursi tlw? is some danger of their being les; likely than tfr* few that might be raised ear iier. Ewejbinibs should n<?ver be suflfere< to produce their young the first year to pre !te;>: their.cjtpmg 'o full maturity. fr-'' *" . * * * ffc -* t ARM ^ . V /> C H CIIKKAl #* It is a s^ttUd principle thai !*?? size of a li sheep is reduced in proportion as the fine- P ness of the wool is improved, and so con- 01 trary wise. My rule lor many years has c; been, never to suffer any sheep male or fe. c< male that has long, coarse, hairy wool to live, but to put some private mark on them for the butcher: thst of itself lias producid pi c gr?*at improvement fc b Judicious crossing is indispensable : re- fe 8 gard always being had to the size of the ' 1?~r th? miiln nf iwn and three venrS I . vwy u' j lu old, with h one thick, heavy coat of wool; 0| i which they hy no means should be deprived fa of but once a year, as late shearing in the w ' fall deprives tbem o'their winter covering j? * provided them hy the God of nature, the ty . loss of u hich will produce colds, coughs, ai ? and not unfr^qu'-ndy death. No u.'iiinal e< ' perhaps in common use requires so great ^ i vuriety of food to render them healthy, ^ hence the propriety of a change of pasture p and ail stock should have continual access I ;8 to troughs well supplied with salt. p A'l late lambs mid old sleep should be U fattened and brought to the butcher, as well h ? as the inferior ol cat ie and hogs, and then when we have a visitant to fe our s'oek, x we should not be under the necessity of direeling their attention to a few selected fa- v . vor te ones. ei OIJ flti'-ks that arc unfit for service should ' ' be made Weathers during the cold winter e } season; both old and young are easily ov- S! I ercome with heat, therefore iambs shojld Pj r never be suffered to run until summer ^ months. Lambs while young having short ^ t kiniiey wool, indicates it will be fine, and j the contrary coarse. t< " Hogs. This is an animal of interest, g, ' and one that custom has set up claims fi r us 'r being indispensable. The form in general 81 | recommended in a previous number to cat. c ( ] lie, P UTS WI II IO lilies, i Iinr M'm;h mwuiu ^ ? be (J?-fp. yet not fl ?t, the neck and head r( i .short and lapsing from die shoulder to the g, and of the nose ; the neck scarcely visible, h with smnll upright ears, the size of the leg is j. and the height and length of the body well I proportioned, and a hog that would i ot do L p 'o riJe without a sadJle is dt-s rving to be ^ , laid aside as a mere scrub. 8 I have found from experience and ohser- t; vntion thai sows having a lor.g. narrow face a * their eyes near each other, with gont, ahol- g low body, long-legged and fish-backed, and 11 r of course less profitable breed, have pigs ( most frequently, and generally the greate-i number, whilst the most perfect formed have fewer and sometimes none, by being kept too fa'. I have a pair of Woburn, ^ 1 and Irish Grazier breed, about twelve months obtained from Judge Kennedy, o' Maury county, that weighed when 9 1-2 months old 212 and *215 Ihs. gross weigh', i (and never since rc-weighed) and I have , confined ti e female io n close pen a few r I weeks to reduce her before she has pigs: jj most persons pronounce them the fines! pair they have ever seen, an il I fin I it very d:flic jit to prevent thinking so myself. Sows t| (util? ss kept too tat to breed) should be separated until r;uie months old to obtain full |, . ci9o ihn m:>Ips nkn should licit be PUt t() l. - r ? ' service sooner. December ami May would ! se in to present tlieins?jves i s proper ' months !o iurn them together, allowing lour monilis to bring a sui'ubl? time lo raise die pigs to advantage, and then never allow j, f them to be poor, as this is ihe most profit a- | hie method of raising them ; for if lin y can- j Q not oiherwiso be k?*pl so, l?*t the number lm | j( reduced to the m^ans proposed, and it will i ' prove the m(?st profitable. I j After they get a little s ze they should ; (| gain something like a pound a day, if cele- | bra ted improved varieties are selected to ! f| , r:ais?* from. breeding " in and in" should be virtually ! n 1 protested agauist ; and ii is thought that a i u full brother and sister never produce their j r equals. Thomas Ratte. v Giles County, Ten. Jan. 8, 1840. t Southern Cultivator. _ From the Maine Farmer. ji agricultural reading. i ' If a iirm h is but a single aero of land, a gar- J ^ | den, or even ? cow, aiid4can raise a singlo dollar: ! he caunoi put it to a better use than to subscribe ! u i for an agr eultural newspaper; next to the llible ! 51 f such a work ought to be in the hands of every I j firmer, ??r every person wlio intends to liecorno | * one. No man in his senses, ought to reject 1 ^ useful information relative to tho culture of the soil, ifo.'li rad by those in the smallest degree i ' competent to the task; and how much greater his advantage, when the counsel and experience ' of practical men, from all pails of the country, ' t are thrown together in the uagos of an agricul- I - turn I newspaper and laid boforo him; he hero v ; Ii in the wisdom i f a multitude of counse lors, ? ....l livton in itipir interesting deliberations ! / ev'-ry month, and profit by them if ho will.? j ' Thore arc. however, tho^e who have an honest I (conviction aga'mt what they call -book-farming,' t simply because they suppose it consists of mere r theory, and hence r j?-ct all reading on the sub- ^ - jeet. as of that character: whilst others have , , prov -d their practical utility, because they com ? bine an I illustrate the experience of practical r men?showing what has actually been done, and ( what ran and ought to be done. Amongst the j * best and most intelligent farmers in the lard arc 1 always found the best patrons of agricultural , newspapers: go where you will, through the e best farming districts of any state, whero the ; r ? land is in the highest state of cultivation, and | j where dem-stic economy is all regulated in p'-r- | 5 feet order, and you will invariably find sgrictil j ' 5 tural newspapers there, and intelligence to ap- ( . preciate them: but they are seldom inet with, ; ' , whore universal neglect and ignorance prevail ! Now,this is not theory; theso remarks are not ' Imsedupon interest or mere imagination; j j 2 they are the result of actual experience and i s observat-ons, derived f om years of constant | j travel, through a great portion of tho United \ 11 Stales. There h not a subj -ct, whether religions, po. j * litieal. or commercial, that interests, the attention j iff iwcu,i:.i a more Lcui*d'L>o variety, than the cul BBS' * r'E RAW* V. SOUTH-CAROLINA, vation of the soil; vast improvements are in rogress, and will yet be mtde to an almost ifiuite extent; the agriculturist is at this day my in the infancy of his bettor plans; but this in hardly be said of any other enterprise in the auntry, for all bave outstripped the improve, lents of husban>y; t he slumbering energies or re firmer are, however, uwukening up, and rriculture, the broad foundation of a nation's rosperitv, in umnaniling some of tho brightest aturos of her hidden glory ! And adopting the imark that 'knowledge is power,' we apply it i the language of an able pen to the concerns f the farmer. "Knowledge is a species of capi? .1, which is found of great value in the absence :more available advantages: somo farmers may .11 for want of sufficient capital, but more, for ant of sufficient knowledge; there is no class ho place mors entire reliance on their skill than mnurs, yet they who know thent best, will be le most ready to admit that the greater number re far from having acquired a correct know!, jge of their business ; and 110 one. who is ac. -tainted wtfh Iff? general agriculture of the juntry, win assert mat ti nas yet reacneu me egree of perfection of which is susceptible.? Regarded nationally, the intent of cultivation i to obtain the greatest possible amount of roduce from the soil; the farmer** object being ) rise it by 6uch tnean6 as will afford him the trg^st profit with the least labour; and there an be uo doubt, that the more scientifically e proceeds, the more effectually will both ob. :cts bo gained. Husbandry is an occupation of boundless ariety, extending to more objects, and fetterd by fewer positive regulations than any other, lot only do different systems prevail in differtit countries, but in different provinces of the ime country; in some, they arc dictated by eculianty of soil or climate, while in others ley have arisen out of local habit, or they pringfrom improvements that have not been enerally disseminated; and even in the rudest istricts there may be some which merit at. ?ntion? Now, it is quite evideut, both that jrne of these systems must be preferable to there, and that no man can determine which > best, without being acquainted with a I; nor an any farmer be said to be completely mas?r of his bush ess until he has attained that nowledgo; and how can he better or more ?adily obtain it, than whe i those different ^sterns and improvements are presented to im in the'pages of an agricu'lural journal? It i not sufficient that he already gets what he onsiders a fair return for his capithi and in ustry, if by other modes of culture he could obiinmore: and if be neglects thern, he injures iraseif, his family, and the public: he may be atisfied with the present yield of his crops, aking his neighbors as a standard, but il, by ny other method not more expensive, he can row five bushels more to the acre, it is cerainly his interest and duty to adopt it." Western Farmer. [Continued from last week ] RKPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE f the St. John*a ColJrton. Agricultural Society, on Frofessor Sliepurd's analysis of the soils of Edisto Island. COMPOSTS. On this subject four important conside* itions present themselves. I. Theselec, on of a suitable tele. 2. The use of re? mtive absorbents. 3. The collecting and dding together such materials as contain tin greatest qu .ntity ofnu rnnent. 4. The revonting of waste. The site should be ' * ivel ground, in the immeoime vicinuy ??i n ed of c:!ay Around it let an err.hanklent be thrown up, with the ditch facing ut wards. I:? our sandy lands decomposition is raid. Wliils; the volatile portions of vegeihle substances are perpetually escaping in lie form of vapour, the earthy parts sink nd are lost in the soil. By this means wc jnorantly yield, perhaps, one-third of (lie reasure, which our unwearied iff iris had * en instrumental in gathering. To nvoid lis long practised error, the use of retentive bsorbents, such as common clay and pint: rash, are strongly recommended. The following plan of increasing thr uantity and improving the quality of man. res, the sole object of composts, is cons dred judicious and proper : 1. Six or eight inches of common clai rith as many bushels of foul sal: intermixed 2. A layer of pine trash with salt. 3. Animal dung. Keening mocks or he mass for four or five weeks will subservt he purpose aimed at. 4. Vegetable and other matter, such ni L-nnel and weeds on the edges of ditichei aid fences, thistles, on'-s raw, coin-cobs shea* soot.f cornstalks, broomgrass, scrap ngs of yards, where thrre is no joint or nut jrass, pond-mud, and, in general, all tlx ilth and rubbish ofu plantation. 5. A few bushels of s ilt. Upon these varient materials, let the eat le be nigh:ly penned, untd decompoaitioi s carried sufficiently far?then cover tin vhole with clay. Whilst the clay and pint rash at the bottom, each aided by the in luenre of salt vrill imbibe and hold the salt; >t* the urine and other substances, which ar< isuallv lost, the surface clay will arrest an< etain the gaseous effluvia, consenting u; hey do one half, and perhaps the men >enefici?'l one of the entire bulk. By thii node too, dead mutter is converted infi nould. The surface clay will not only lx mpregnated with the enrich ng properties o ho evaporating particles of the mass, but i txposed q sufficient length of time, will l> endered still more valuable by thn ferliliz ng action of the atmosphere i'self. It >roof of this, setting aside theoretical prin riples and the usage on our northern farms vhere the subject of composts is well un r> *A bushel of ashes, savs Dr. Dana, is equa o a cask of lime. fin 100 parts of soot there are, beside othe ngredients of value, 30.70 o! Geine. 5 00 of Sulphrate of Lime. 1 50 of Fbrostralc of Lime and Iron 3.S5 of Carbon.?ZV. Dana. - * ' 1 * ' t)A3 I Jt VERT Wednesday, octobei d'TStood, it it with us a matter of annual no- foi lice, that clay from the bottom of ditches, re several feet below the soil, if thrown on the el surface, wilt, tho first season, produce a bet- fu ter crop than the contiguous sandy parts, cr That some of the beneficial effects thus wit- 01 nessed are nscriboble to mechanical agency, in t s rs is doubtless true.?llence, in tnis respect, is common clay, which is nearly free from si- fr< lieious earth, is far more efficacious in its fa operation than marslumud, which has only en a smal portion of alumina. Our composts wl contail in general only two ingredients? or animajf dung and pine-trash ; sometimes hi rushes or marsh is added und occasionally hn mud. '[ he reason assigned is, that the sup- in ply oftpind-trash is abundant. There are ea nevertheless solid objections to the too lib- pi era! use of this substance. In the first cr place, it is the nursery bed of insects which sc are so tenacious of life, that to destroy Si them the putrefactive process must be car ried to a point beyond what prudence would j,, advise. Again, pine-:rash possesses u large ^ proportion of inert matter, which is scarce- ^ ly soluble. It is, perhaps, for this reason, ?| that it is decidedly inferior to marsh, rushes, m corn~stnl<s, dec. Kxclusive of these in?- m portanl sitfgcstions, it is well ascertained, f that the talue uf composts depends on the (f. variety of their malerinls or a proper nd- tj, mixture of animal manure with vegetables, w containing the largest amonnt of geine. (a Thij is proof of a very decided character (c that, us a general rule, for there are excep- Q| lions, a compound is better than any one of (a the elements ihat compose it. .? Of all the suhstunces profitable as man- Sl , ure, perhaps corn-stalks occupy ihe front (T] I rank. To scien:ific researches are we in. tc debted for the knowledge of this useful truth. 8| I 1000 parts, snys Davy, gave 84 parts of (|| i ashes ; and 1000 parts of those ashes affbr. w | ded 72.56 of soluble mutter. It is known C( | that, alter the shucks and outer covering w II have b-eu eaten by the cuttle, the stalks I are allowed to rot and give their virtue to the air. Using this plant, therefore, asmanure, by burying it in the fall, or throwing it into the compost heap, is not robbing the tl so l o? which it grew, unless the roots are ^ taken, which of course should never be <1 don?\ Here then is a source from which a an abubdant supply of the best aliment may be drawn. e Among the ends fo be answered by the 0 position of the larger part of the salt, the an- y nihilation of the vermin with which, aa id. * ready remarked, pine.trash abounds, is one P of the most important, n 1: is not advised, though pounded shell* (< , thrown upon the pine-trash would have a y happy tendency, that lime be added to the " compoct h<>ap ; becaage all the advantages to bcrealiz -d from such a measure, are attainable by spreading the calcareous ear.h p ,1 I ?d ?- *1 ?j riA?/tfl#i . on meiaiiiit ?noi? ? mu?i s The mixed compos', thus biiefly consid- n I ercd, recommended itself for its economy. H ( | variety of ingredients und facility of c?>i?? p , j st ruction ; for being composed of highly j, ( nutritious as well us stimulating and mech- ^ , anical mntter?and, us affording in relation j. to one sf its conspicuous component parts. ts , the means of profr, from which the cotton u ' plant could h-fore derive no assistance. n LIME. it As preliminary to their components on v ( this head, the Committee would invite the ,, attention of the Society to Edmund Ruffin's a | interesting and instructive essay 011 calcar- j, [ nous manures. No treatise on any agricul- I tural subjects, emanating from the American ,( I press, lias affected such valuable results, not j( } only in this country but in Europe. lure, 'j k gard to Virginia, it has literally converted ? tin abandoned soil into fruitful and luxuriant y , fields. ,| Lime is never found naturally in a pure s . state. It ocoupies a middle region between li sand and clay. It benefits the former by a r rendering it more firm and adhesive, and 0 the litter by making it less so. Deprived r of its wati-r and carbonic acid by fire,* it is k , callod quick lime. Combined with carbo. ji . 1 nic acid 111 common lime stone, the shells of v * marine animals, &c., it is known as in Id s lime, or tlie carbonate of lime. VVithafri i> ' ' 1 * -f~l.il >. .uAuiuo. iti. . nnoln. n I n Die fDiXllirf? Cll tl?T? >i in^ruc* nic n 1, lation of nvirl.f The sulphate of lime gv- \ ' psum or plaster of Pari>) is composed of n * i sulphur nnd ox\g"n and the phosphate^ of & " I lime, is the basis of bone manure. Whilst i 3 lime (caustic or qu'ck lime) is a powerful | promoter of putrefaction, its carbonate j (in Id lime) retards that process. The lor- i . uier is only used wheie there is an excess ol < i organic matter. It re-combines so quickly r 1 with carbonic acid, if exposed lo the atmos. | * ' pliers, that, where its solvent powers are ( needed, it should be applied as soon after it ( < is slacked as possible. Mild lime, in the s ? i i | |The heat that is evolved in the process of , s slacking lime, is the caloric of the water, (for ( a ! which it possesses so strong an affinity, that it " j will absorh one-fourth of its weight of that 3 i fluid, and yet remain perfectly dry,) as it < 5 : passes to its solid state, and does not proceed { s' from the lime as is sometimes supposed. t f Parkes. i f i {4*Pure mark when dry, is almost as white , ' as chalk, and much lighter :han common soil. ( _ I When wet, it is of a light grey color, espe' I cially if it contain much orgaaic matter.? When wet, it is plastic and adhesive; when ' * dry, it falls into a tine powder. Found almost ( exclusively in swampy ground, generally in I '?- ? ??'a nluiaitfl r?ntroro<) / quilt; VVl'l 6W 1||||>S, ?tllU 13 BIWHJ? bWTbifcu ? by a stratum, often several feet thick, of black ( ,| vegetable matter approaching to peat. It j resembles white clay and sand. To find it , r make use of a pole?some will adhere." I H. Column, Commissioner for the Agi icultural ! Survey of Sfassachusetts. ' ! ||CoUon gives 1 per cent, ashes, of which ( i.' 17 per cent, is composed of phosphate of lime I and magnesia.?Dr. Dana. * * * 0 riflrmrw A -Ed H JL / Z E R. i Et 28, 1840. rm of ground or powdered shells, by pre- gi nting the too rapid decomposition of reg it able substances, performs a highly useful ve nction. For this reason, no sudden in- is OHse of fertility is expected from calcaro- t& is manures. When it is considered that, to our hot climate, the putrefactive process fo readily brought abou', and that our lands, va >m their light and porous nature, are too cc vourahle to the escape of the volat le giv? kf i out by fermentation, any substance that, uj fnlst it attracts moisture, will yield food i et ily to the growing plant; that will com- m ue with Snd fix manures in the soil; (sun i hi is no power in holding vegetable and ani- bt al manures,) that will impregnate the ci irth with aliment drawn from the atoms- d< iere ; that will hasten tl?(% ripening of the fu op, and rhat will neu'f;tlifce acids,.posses- ti? is properties of rare value to tlTo plainer, si jch a substance is milk lime. n All soils destitute of calcareous matter f ivo acid properties; nnd, on the high hu- j erity of Mr. Rulfin, such soils possess the >wer of reducing to powder iliecominmiiied '' iells, which by the plough or otherwise hl ay be mixed with them. The quantity of r tld lime used to the ucre is from fifty to a ree hundred bushels?to bo renewed in " n oi fif een years. The best shells, whoer oyster, dim, or muscle, are those from hich the living principle has recently been ken. Such are infinitely to be preferred the calcareous beds, which on the edges f our rivers have been blenching perhaps F ira century. I he first contains mud and limal matter* end is otherwise richei in its R dine ingredients. If no oth?T efforts be iade by thv planter* in this business, than burn and use us u manure the oyster i< lis which the industry of his negro** J ?ny have thrown about their dwellings, he e ill confer on their., as far as their health is t uncerued, und on his lands, especially t here broom-grass is wont to grow, a bene- 1 t of incalculable magnitude. (l Mr. RufHn, ab a prudent admonition to lose who may be disposed to try the vir- j , ic*4of calcareous manures, says, "its hem - j" s must necessarily be gradual, never uickly perceptible, nor can it be expected ( t all unless on soils under meliorating cul- t] ire, which will allow more to return to the urth than is taken off." In confirmation { f this opinion, lie gives the result of twelve j. ears trial of liming very poor land sown in , rheat. The first three years, the average roduct was five bushels and one-third ; the f ext three, eight bushels, and lite last thr* ft { in bushels and a bulf; ihu? doubling h's , rrrj? rtTwriitj < tamt rt-sied two~ycnr* in f jur, and wus not grazed.) from a single, j lough h- avy dressing of uiild lime. , The Committee cannot conclude their < ppert without submitting a few reflections J ugg-sted by Professor S.Vphard's com- t HinicMtioM. To cb mical science alone < re we indebted for the information it im? 1 arts. From no other source could light I nve been shed upon a matter so replete 1 rith interests to the owner of sea island < inds. '* Agricultural chemistry,'* suid ' lir Hiimitlirev Daw. '* has for its ohiocts t ' * I ; ? ? * - II those changes in the arrangements of < -la ter connected with the growth and nour- t ihmcnt of plants; the comparujivc 1 nlue of their produce as food ; the consti. | jiion of soil"; the manner in which lands I re enriched by manure or rendered fertile ' y the different processes of cultivation. Inuirios of such a nature CMnnot but l>e in- < cresting and important, both to the theoret- ' :al agriculturist und to the pricticn] farmer. 1 "o the first, they are necessary in suppl)~ t tg most of the fundamental principles on < rhiclt the theory of the art depends. To I lie second, thoy are useful in affording imple and easy experiments for directing < lis labours, and for enabling him to pursue < certain and systematic plan of improve- J nent." *4 Man," he elsewhere beautifully < emarks," must consider the vegetable 1 ;ingdom, not as a secure nnd unalterable ' nheriiauce, spontaneously providing tor nia i1 mints, l>ui as a doubtful and insecure pos- J ssion, to be preserved only by labour, and j i ixtended and perfected by ing?-nuiiy." An 11 icquaintance with the fundamental laws' vhicli regulate ihe operations of husbandry J1 ire as necessary to the Agriculturist as at icientific knowledge of the human system ?fc i ?fmateria rnedicn is to the followers of the 1 tenling urf, The empiric who indiscrim.. 1 (lately prescribes one or two fuvourtto nosturns, merits the contempt of every man vho values human life. Yet, the husband, nan, who enters the temple of science, the letter to qualify him for the proper discharge of his multifarious and complicated Juties, is viewed as n mid-day dreamer, who iceks for, that, which if acquired, would only wfit him for his pursuit, by diverting his ; mention to objects of uncertain and subor- j linnie interest. Although we are justly old by one of the profoundest philosophers*' )l any age that when theoretical knowledge ind practical skill are happily combined in j he same person, the intellectual power of nan appears in its full perfection, and fits him qually to conduct with a masterly hand the ietails of ordinary business, and to contend tuccessfully with the untried difficulties of j lew and perplexing situations?still, it is j leeply humiliating to declare that in the so- j jer judgment of perhaps every agricultural j . (immunity, theory and prac Ice are antsg- j inistic;?they connot successfully be united i n the same individual. If l{te vegetable vorld possesses a living princip'e?if every ipecies has a regular organization, which equires for its support un incessant supply >f food?if each plant hus its period of 'atawart. * jHf * * 4 * ** * 'E * * t ^ NUMBER 50.11 owih, health disease, decay, and death, 1l not certain, that the laws which govern tgctables are fixed and immutable ? " If so, an acquaintance with those laws Ufumpor* nt, especially to him whose pr?v?|jp> it ia aid nature in replenishing th^srth #ith o<J ? What inlorma ion cai\ rtiere obwr ition impart to tl?e firmer concerning the >rn|K>8ition of hi* soils upd manures \ ^Hetows that a particular plunt will not thrive x>n a certain soil. Bui why ? No aoihr ?v ' is heard. Ho scouts the belirf^thdt ^ an of science, whose book, it may he, ?v s sole guide, and who perhaps has never jen beyond the purlieus of uia) city abode, , in instruct him in his vocation, and by so jing greatly promote his t* mforfci W"? ro. Yet the fact is indisputable. Vjx>r? on of the farm of Sr Jo^.ph .Buiks wee. erile. All his ex'-ivions to raiae ooeCf the am crows crops usually' cultivated, fiiiled. l specim-n Of the soil woe put into the mi ls of a chemist of London, who readily elected the sulpha 'e of iron. The remedy, arbonute of lime, was applied?and the nemy that had so long baffled the well di. cted effects of this distinguished nobleman nd agriculturist, ceased longer to assail im. * All which m respec:fu!ly submitted by Wm. B. Seabrooic, . 1 VVM. M. Murhay., VCoawMtfet. G. W. Westcoat, j Edislo hlawl July 13/A. 1840. 'roiu the Journal of the American Silk 8oci> ety. ETAHDINNG THE HATCHING OP F.GG* CAUSES OF 8ICANBSS AND DEATH OF WOUtl, DURING THE SUMMER OF 1840. dec. This is a most important sul?j< ct, and the writer of tliin article f?eU the responsibility if the task lie has undertaken most sensu ily. Scarcely less than the success or failire of the great enterprise of introducing lie culture of silk into the United States* le|**nds upon it. In all -arts of'he counry the early broods of silk wornis,'that tere known to have been produced from ;ood eggs.werc successfully carried through heir various stages, and produced good Tops of cocoons. It is believed that all he exceptions to such a result were fairly ittributabk to defcciive eggs, or to attempts it premature hatching. As remarked by >ur correspondent, ?P.* in the present num. kt, this success was attained even ip oases where almost every rule of good manage ncnt had i>een disregarded.' But io a grant najo ity of cast's the later broods have oferiy failed. These failures have not hrcn onfttrcd to tho il/f? wwrer rggjoPA at the J toutls to the middle states, nor u> the w<etf jut in all parts, at the north, south, ear and srest, the people have been equally UIIKHC:cssful with the later broods 01 works. The ryvipfoms and character of one variety of he diseases by which th?v were carried off tre well described by 4P.' Others say thcir'a Acre curried off by the yellows, aud others >v all sorts of diseases mixed?some worms dying ol the yellows, some by the tripes, dee. die. All who have had late iroods, however, will have seen enough of he diseases without wishing fur her infori?a ion on th:?t r'ore. A knowledge of ' ' t. ...L L he cuusc ol I lie diseases w wiw ? w? wanting, and it is the ohj?ct of this puuer to point them on'; whether this task st all have seen successfully performed or not, remaina lo be seen. One cause of the diseases of the late broods, jndouhtedly was the iinptoper mode adop. ed for retarding the touching. The eggs were k?*pt exposed to v-iriou* temp* ratur*s ill the germ had commenced farming, and tfven until some few were (in ched, and then >ut into ic?>!muses, to retard their hatching* frus unquestionably either killed nil tt*e . ggs thus treated, :>r mi rhilM the germa sa u weaken the consti uuons of the worms, uid thus make Ui-m subject to the various Jiaeases at some period of their lives. The writer of this pap?r was personally arquainted with several instance* of failure from this cause. Another cause was clearly traceable to the sudden exposure of eggs, properly kept previously in ice, to extreme warm weather of midsummer. This destroyed many "gg*A no her was the placing of good eggs in, ice after th?y had been exposed several days on iheir passage from one place to au? other, during warm weather. It would appear that the exercise of a idle common sense would effectually pre. vent injury from any of the above causes. The directions for k<-ep:ng eggs are plainly descriptive of the simple process. They mu?t be kept during the warm weather of the season they are laid, in a cool dry place. a c-llar, if possible: it'intended to oe retarded, they must be placer) in the ice-house or collar, ai least in the forepart of winter, anrJ not loft exposed till the warm weather of the latter part of winter and spring shall have started the germ. If the eggs shall have b<'en kept in ice, they should be ex* posed gradually to the natural temperature of the atmosphere for any length of time, say more than a few hours, they must nut be put in ice again. Hut the great cause of moat of our dis? asters, it is believed, has never b?t?n suspec* led?at least the writer of this pnp*T if not aware of its having been noticed by any writer. N -ither can l?e prove to demon* stration that it is the great cause, or any cause at nil of disease in silk worms; but ho ? expects to be able to satisfy all inquiring minds at least of its great probability,?. The silk worm, when left to itaelf, exposed to the ordinary atmosphere, hatches in the spring of tbe year exactly at tiif time the mulberry leaves open. It is therefore & 01 fk