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Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmod at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmds d des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est film6 i partir de Tangle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nicessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 S 6 •'I.* ^;ri HINTS ISf TO THA 'f yit FA H ME MS or PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND BT JUDGE PETFRS " Dung well the land, and clean tho noil," Nor intermit your useful toil; But still more let the barren mind Assiduous care and culture find. Believe tiie friendly poet's) strains, Both labours will repay your pauw. CHARLOTTETOWxN PRlMTPU BV JOHN INGS, " ISLANDER" OFFICE, WATBR-STREET 1851. HINTS WJ THE FAKMERS OP PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND BY JUDGE PETERS " Dung well the land, and clean the soil," Nor intermit your useful toil; Hut still more let the barren mind Assiduous care and culture find. Believe the friendly poet's strains, Both labours will repay your paina. CH ARLOTTETOWN : PRIKTKD BY JOHN ISGS, " ISLANDER" OITIOK, WATER-fTRKKT 1851. iPiElEJ-ilBlSJ. A LARfiE portion of tliis; Utile Pui'inlik't is CDinpilcd tVom various Agricultiirul works. The arraiio(Mnonl is tcikcn irom Allen's Furni Book, from whicii mucli is extracted. Wlierov(U' a passage irj>j)ea"ni pl.iiji. eoncise, and lipplicablo, I liave trau.jcribed ii; sonu; arc curtailed, and others added to, or ultcrcMl, to ren- der them more simple and intelligible. J have snbsti- tated my own ideas only when matter published by others, did not appear quite applicable tf> the Island, or was not sufficiently plain or jjractical in its direc- tions. I have, at dilfcrent tiin(!s, distributed a good nianv an-ricultural works throroj-h the countrv, but, simple and practical as they are, scientific words .sometimes occur, which, not beinf»; at once under- stood, discourage the reader, and lead him to lay by the book as something he cannot comprehend. This circumstance, and a belief that information on such topics, however limited, may be useful, has induced me (without any pretensions to the knowledge and experience necessary to write a treatise on farming) to attempt to point out some of the most common and pernicious errors in our agricultural system, and, avoiding all scientific terms, to place the substance of some useful things, which may be found in aore costly works, or which my own limited cxperieuc!? enables me to recommend, in plain and easily undcistood lan- guage, and in a very cheap form, before the farmers of this Island; nor have I ventured to treat of any thing that I have not tested by practice, and found beneficial. Should its publication tend to correct some of these errors, and, what is more important, if it excite a desire to become acquainted with agricul- tural books coDtaining more complete information, I « ■ w J (i) will 1)0 lunply repaid for tlic little time and trouble cxpondiMl in its production. " FcssfMulon'sComploti! FaniKM," and "Jackson's Afi^riculture," (which can 1)0 ohfaincd froni tiic Royal A<^ricultural Society, or its Depots) I would strongly rcconnnend lor the atudy of tiic j)ractical man. In freely condemning general faults, I feel sure no ofrii('ultural Societies, farmers' cluhs, and meetings for the discussion of agricultural topics; let them add prec(!j)t to their example, and they will become their couiitry's greatest benefactors. But, let none think they know enough. The art of Farming is progressive; it can exercise the most inttlligent mind; one successful expei'iment leads to another; tiie most exjjeiieiiced may discover some- thing new, and the most skilful may improve. The volume which tells what science has done for the far- mer, will I'epay [)erusal; and by watching her present ra))id march, he may avail himself of new discoveries, to lighten his toils, increase iiis profits, and improve his mind. JAMES H. PETERS. Sidmount, February, 1851. CONTENTS. Manures, . . , Barn yard, Liquid Manure, Management of Manure-heaps in fields, Spreading Manure, Bog Mud, Salt Marsh Mud, Seaweed, Ashes, Charcoal, Night Soil, . Lime, Bones, Dead Animals, &c., Fish and Fish Offal, Green Manures, Soap Suds, Sec, Turnips, Cultivation, . Hoeing and Cleaning, Pulling, Storing, Carrots, Rotation or Crops, Rearing and Treatment or Cattle, Treatment in Winter, Fattening, Advice to New Settlers, APPENDIX: Professor Johnson's Suggestions. PAOK. 7 8 10 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 21 ^ 24 25 25 28 29 30 32 33 34 35 37 4Q 44 45 48 M A x\ U R K S . So soil will contiimo to produce jiiood crops uitliout inaiiuro ; t!u> nijiiu'i* should tln't'd'or*; i tidcavour. Tirst. fo piL'Vt'iit wj' ;tc oi'llio «luii!.!: iind ii:iiif, liotli us ro<_iart!.T «.n;u!';ty iiiid qMality ; s<'foiidly, fo increase tlio (inanlilv Ip- ovi"' nu.'aiis williin Ids I'cacli. Dons- siii<;!niif, pa, oji this sidMcct, sa}S : — "III a'.rriciiiiiiiiil cstahlisliiiicnts in whirdi the itn- poitaii'"'; \('ry pre- ciinl.if'ii is I ikcii hoth I'oi' its pr(»(liiction and pr<'serva- tiou. Any ('.\peiiso incurred in iiiipro\!iiLr t!ds vital d.( paitni- nt ol' the taini, is soon r«paid Ix-yond all pr(jporliou to tlir) outlay. The industry and int'.dli- gence p()?iscssed hy the fanner may in< the ncj-lect wluch caiisc:^ tiie vast loss and destruc- tion of in:i nure over a ^ii-eat part of tlies(; c(>untries. The dun^i-hill is often arranged as il'it were a matter of moment that it should he c.\j)osed to the water collected fi'om every roC)l" in tlie vicinity, as if die. business were to take advanta.'ie of every shower ol* rain to wash and cleanse it from ;ill it rrjutains that is really valualdo The main secrc t ol' ti -^^ admirable and successful husbandi-y of I'rench i'laiulers may, perhaps, lie in the e.xiremc caie that is taken in that countrv to collect evervthiiui tiiat can contribute to the iertility of the soil. Our agricultural societies, which are novv' so universally establislied, would con- fer one of the ijroatest services on the community, if they would cncriuraL^e, bv (i\(2vy means at their com- mand, economy of manure ; prennums awarded to those fanners who should preserve their dung-hills I (S) in the most rational and atlvaiitao;(Oiis manner, would prove of more real service I'lau j^iemimns in many other and more popular diicc'ious." Ifa stranger sliould travel thiouiih Pi-inco Edward Island, and ibrm his opinion oi" our lin'mers by the state of their dnn.'4-hills, lie would Jiot no away with a very exalted o[)inion ol" oiir iiu!u.-!ry ;nii!:'(| at in tliiri pam[)hlet will ni«t allow a discission ';]" the piineiples of Agricultui-nl C'hemistr', IjuI it niry !jo stated as an indisputable liict, l!:ai. il:r rno::,! cinidii::::; parts of manure niuy be waslud fvoia It lij raiii, or cyc:ipc from it in the shajie oj an invinbh ij;(;s, dv.rui. jiif;nagement of manures is to secure tiiem, ;■■■,,':;.-! all Vvti.'-te. On most of the fisrms in this Ish'.'ui x\\<^ n;; !\r,i'e heaps ju-o exposed to the i-ain, hy wltic.h \\\v );i(\-'t ioi'tilizing parts a:'e washed out, and firnu( htiy placed on the side of a hill, so ihat tiicii diiik rioh juices, instead of bein^' saved lor the crop, run ( if t > tiio ucarest brook. This is a connnon error. To pic < where the manu.re is tiuown cut s' ; so as to fill!) a rfit twu, tl'v jjiants; secondiy. iieciinse by this heating, seeds i.f n;'..\i:",!s v/ceds are destroyed. If tiic duuE is jnixt d wlia s r»v.- iiwd frozen, no decom- position troes on iii vrl-.vfr, e.pi.i tiio seeds of every u'ced which ^rcv/ on ti'" .Orm are preserved and «';ari icdout willrfh;' manMi-f, ;;;v,l are thus resown intlie •^i>!-'!::r. liy iut\ li';-; tiie manure c(.'vei'ed witii a slied this ij\il will ji(> iivoi-'lod, as thoup-h ten oj- twelve iijciies of tiiO top of tlic lienp thus covri-od may be fi •y.en, yet, cvon in njid-winter the infeiior of the iioap v-ill maintain enfiicknt heat to destroy the vitality of the scctls, and gradually to decompose the ji'i(n\ If, on the ^-tl;er h'lnd, manure w!ue;i lias not hcc'A cov(n'(.!l, bj Iv'if tiil late i!\ tlie sprin;r, tlie heat of the Avcatbcr >^''^r,l-l can-'os it to heat so rai)idly that it becumes too h-t ; a strong sniell will bo found <'>oniing from it, fhis is a gas called ammonia, which, though invisible", is tl\e very best pail of t!ic manure, and if ])ve.-orvcd, would produce the fs. rmer busliels of tui'!;ip ', w::eat ood oats. On opening a heap which 1k! ■; '.;ns place in piles ot" httrse dimi!;. Kvci-y one must have seen sncli dnnii' lulls left to themselves acfiuirinjx a verv intense heat in the course ol' a lew d.i\s, and even heai'd of their talving fire. 1 have seen piles of i his kind rculnced to th(Mr mere earthy constituents ; such are n( vci* the results of the modeiatc and fjiadual deconii)osition whicli farm-yard dung ought never to exceed. W'Ikmi liie [)it or stunco is (Mnplied, in whicli a, slow and ecpial fei'meiitaiion has taken jslace, the upper Inver is seen to he very nearly in tlse s;tme state in v.'.iich it was when it \\as piled, tlie layer inniiediately h( ne;ith this <^ne is ciip.^'^iv'd in u ;^rt j i< r dejxree, and sometimes exhales a sli.ui;i nmmoniacal odor ; in the lower strata the modification is yc\ jjrcater ; tlie straw has lost its consistency, it is librous, ajid hreaks into pieces with the greatest case ; the mass is also proportionally darkc^i- in color as we go deepei', and on the ground is black. There is no doubt but that the state in which a pi'operly managed dung-heap is found in the end, is due to the circum- stances in which it has been j)laced and kept during the whole time of its preparation ; its constitiKMii elements would have gone through a totally diiferent course in the progress of their modiilcaticn had they been left exposed to the open air." LIQUID MANURE. The urine of cattle, horses, pigs, Sec, is a most powerful manure. " The urine saved from a single cow is considered woi'th ten dollars j)er anntnn in Flanders vviiere agriculturjil prp.ctice lias reached a high state of advancement. The urine of a cow for a year will man'ure one and a (piarter acres of land, and is more valuable than its dinig in the ratio by bulk of seven to six, and in real value as two to one. How important, then, that every particle of it be care- (11) 1 N't tiilly husbaiulo'l foi' the crops.'' — '/IlUn's farm Hook, p. ()4 ) And yd, this most valiuillc mnniiro is^ very generally wasted in this !si uid. Tiicro arc sevei-al metiiods ol'savinn; it. Ono .uonej-ally prncliscd is to «'xcavatc tlic 0:111!!. un'.t'-:' or nc'i'" tin; ; iii'ilf s (>r stalls, and place in it ;• t.i'.ik, either ni.-ido ol" wood or built of brick, nnd ^itnitrd so as t > liohl water, and IVoni wiiicli the li(ir.id is piimixd into a {uiiK'l'.e'iri placed in a cart or on wlrn !s, and. \]\-']\ allow it to rnn ofl'as the cart is driv^^n over the iiolds ; various C(tntri- vances bein;^; r- ;'d to sj;r;n!vie the li'iuid eveidy ovei' the o;i>oui(d. A ^■'^!; !■< :;i;;I ; i;"'rti\ e vue i^ to place a board in the laii oi" the rait, witli notches cut in the under ed^j-e, l)y lelt;ri;>- t''e li'piid run I'lMni the pun- cheon into the cavt it \vi!! h'^ e;|ual!y distrit)nted the widtii oi'lho cail l''-.:\y ; ;; it is chiveu Oifiun-. But, as liie co!i,:t ruction 0:' tanks i'CMii; "s I'.n on- lay of money, wliicli many iUvM'.'. ■•. can-VM alibrd, a io-s cxj^onsivu inetliod sceius h'Jcr itu:>;,trd to receive inuil or ra'tli on whii'li the duu-.: sii^'uld be tnr;>\\-n. 'ThQ muie is generally ^va^f( d ])y I'unnin^; lh:(;u. h the loose iif»oi'S of the st-vbles ov !-lalls, ;\'ow, snpp'<(; t!ic cattle stand witli their tails toward t!;a pit. all tav ihrinei- lias to do is to sludve oil' the '^•ailh i; om undei' the stable tliico or liMU' ihft, as iai' ;••' th" p-roup ev!onds. so that any iiipiid iaihiv); t!nr'i".'h will vwn into the pit. If the caiile stand in a d a!']- l■o^s^ or inil to tail, then, U'ldar t!ie ',\"lu)le oftiie .';i: uj) a th'aiii iinist be dus; lea din;;- to th nu a'- V.U\:- at. tliO t''';: PS tllC i^roup, and narrow at \'ii;e I'Ji'S, both points out liie mode of saving- (Ilc urhio, ami strikingly illustrates its value as manure : — " A hrtoi- iVom Charles Alex.'MKhr, near Peebles, in Scotland, ad(h'essed to Sir John SinciMii", in IHl:2, contains nmcii vahuible iulormation o)i this suiiject. This iiitelli:; .'ut liuiner h;id long been iiiipre.-^sed with the gre:it impoitanco of the urine of Cutilc as a njr.nui'O, ;nul he set about to discover, by a long and well-coiiducled seiies of experiments, t.';- best method ol' colh'ch!!''- and annlvinr it. lie hi ^v\\ \:x di'jn-ini' a pit contigU'ms to the ieediuji; stall, but di. liuet alto- gether Irohi t!i:vt ^\iiich was appropi'iul: d Tor the reception oi' tiic dung, Th'^ ''''"'^'>^''>'>'^ "'" <' ' he dimensnuis of this })it were thirl} -six feet stpiare, and ft Mir feet deep, sur- rouiidcd ()!f :iil sid'.'s by a wall, and t!u' Si>lidi cunlents were one huiKlred and ninetv-two yurLis. Jiavin*'- selected tti(; nearest spot where he could liud loamy earth — a;id this lie always took Ire-m the surface of some {\v\i\ under cultivation — he proceed( d to fill it, and foup.d lh;it willi three men and t\vo horses lie could easily accoi'ipli;-!! twenty-eight cubic y;:.rds per day. When the work was com[)lete he levidled th<3 sui'iacc of the heap in a line with the sewer which conducted the urine fi"o;n the interi')r of the building, on pur- pose that it might bo distributed with j'; gulaiity, and might saturate the v.holc Iroin top to bottom. The urine was supplied l)y fourteen cattle, kept there for five months cu fc)dder ami turnips. The ce.ntents of the pit j)roduced two hundred and eighty-eight loads, allowing two cubi(3 yards to l)e takcui out in three carts, and he spread forty of these on each acre, so that this urine, in five months, produced a compost sufficient {'o'c the fertilization of seven acres of land,'' He states, further, that he had tried this experiment i^ 1 (IJi) or ten years, and had indiscriminately used, on tlic same lield, either the cow-dun^- or the saturated c.'irtli, and, in nil stajn^s of tli(; crop, he had nev« i- been able to Had anv p(;reej)lihlc dlll'erence. Jiat wliat is still nuae woudi i'l'id, he i'ound Ids compost lasted in its ellccts as uuiuy years as his hept manure. It ai>pears then, tlioi. In five, months eac/\ cov; dis- charges urine whicli, v/hen absorbed by !''am, fui'nishcs nir.nur<5 ot" t!io richest (I'.uihiy and most durable e!l'>cts, lor hall' an acre ( f ground. The pii vv'hich contained all tr-o dunjj; of tbe Ibui'teen cattU . as well as the lit!er employed in bedding th^ui, and which Avas kept sepuralc I'or t!jo piu-pose cf th(^ c.\p(Miment, only fui:ii-hed, durinj;- the same ]-. ri>d, two hundred and t'>;ty loads, ami :he3e, at th. . :i.nie rate could only nuinuro six acres."' From these' I'iCis it is e\ident tliat the urine Aviiich the larmers in this Inland waste is actually worlii rnor(^ thriii t!ic d;Kig whl'h tlu^y srue, a conclusion N/hicli should ccrtain'v lead to an aUoraiioa in their p. csent practice. '1 ma:sAGe:s^ent of ihAnfre TxlE liiLLDS. iiivir;; in Titc dung is onen drawn out to the lleldc! in Pvlarch and April, aiid formed int.) lieapy, where it rcMMains iintil it is wanted. This is necessary to H^rward the sj)ring's woik, but il ir; ^;;ci:o?aIly leil imcovered, and heats Ijcfore it is c^ivt'^d cut t'.>i* sprcadiiii.^ ond thuf* a ^n-eat portloii of i!ij am^coaia — the be;t of the manure — is lost. AiTlcoi.i observes : — • " A skillful ai^ricultiiriot v.ould no more ti^ink of allowinn; a vi(dent fermentation to be jioing on in hi? dung-hill, unmixed v;ith eartli or matter to fix and sccu^'o the gas, than t:ic distiller wou'd suilbr bin apparatus to be' set to woik Mithout surmounting his still witli the worm to cool and condense tlic rarefied spirit which ascends in evaporation;" in both, the most precious matter is that which escapes iu a gaseous state, and to behold it escaping with uncon- ( 14) cei-ncd iiulilVcronce, is a demonstration of the most profouiid i;^noriuico." The Farincr''s Treasure, ]m^c T.'i, iiives tlic foik)\v- inn: directiuus : — " WJien it is ioiuid necessary to cart tiie uKiiiurc away m oide'i- to forward tjje business of the season, pi-evious to the coniinencenient of the wojk, a (|uaiititv of peat oi* soil should Ix; coUectod on tiio spot intendc d to receive the dun<^. The f^uudiition of the heap sliou'd lu; hiid witli sueli matei'ial, ahoiit six or niiio inch:'s thick, acc(jrdifi, inchuiiiifj; the ton, . ;,Ic.', and ends, siiouhl 1)0 v.cll coated witli the inouh"', or other mater;:!] providi'd lor the purjxtse. hi tlii..; Island, the j^;rou{id hoin/:^ frozen in iJarch and pill! of .Vpi-il, ci\n\\ ov mud cannot t'len he eueiallv )>rcpare .; i>,\;i) ;;f bog inud in t!ii.; vniy to cover my maiiure \.- .;;.; ia the sprinij;; I tind it. then casil\' o-ot at, ast!.o fn;: .*: soldoiu penetrates the iieap moi'e than tivc o!" i,'r. id.,';ir.'. Tiiis mwi'i l/i.'iiip; coated twelve or sixteen iachcj x'nl-Sli (>vcr tlio sides and top of tlie dung-heiq\ rcUiins the aiiiuioni;!., ;iiid becomes aa good as the dnuii: itself, and orciillv inci'cases the (luaniiiy of manure. heap oi to cover should i the siK/ I SPREADING THE MANURE. Whetiier tlie manure be spread ovei' the ground to be ploughc;d, or put in drills, it should be covered as soon as possible alier it is spread, because, by cxposui-u to the sun its moisture is evaporated, and (15) tlie tlunjj; is loft parclunl and dry, and doea not rot Hi^ (liiickly in the soil as whrn it ia pluc witli hall'i'olted ui ;:'.! sh-onld rei'H.oih: r, ^' L'lat crcnj inrAanl a lies exj>os(c to llie air. il is lonsiirx if''' mine,'' ajid no one jieed s-M'e.'id more it: tiie i''»ren<.c>!.i than he caii cover belure ii-gut. I BOG Ml'i), or whieh th.cre is a])i!n(UiiiC'..' lit [hi.-;I.-hnid, is a most vuhialde mutuiie, but v<';y .qcnfiolly !ic;j;!ccted ; one (iXMjuently s(m>s a {'arm jmioj' viul ^^■(,;•n <.i;t, its owa'-r com])laini.u<.'- ho can't .^o i in: inire, and yet in the iiiii!.-,f ot" his worn oo.i fiehls, lie- jn ::;:r.', w iirdf" an aci'e, oi'imjd, iVom two to tive i'( et e* rn. ci'iif-uninjn; mamuo snflieient t • oinke the wh.-'h' i'-.Mu h'j rieii as a. p;aj(it.'!! if he woiihl iut nso it. A'l Am-: i ieon .A'rricMl^urist, Sjjealvini!; ol' b;'!-;?; and s\\;:fn;!r', ;-ayy; — '• 'iaeh vt':-x-v- voirs of veii'etahh? mit) it;on aie mi-^^s of wr-'Uh t(! the (ljrmer,ii'jn(iiei'ti(s!\- apfilii-d : n^.r can l:'\i!!sl,i!y mea:'i'<-' returns from h.i - iiehls while tins icm;:L'y is '.\ itidn l;i- reac'i." 'I'i^is kind of ro\id f";'v'n-.'nth' contair-s r.n ucid qi'.alif ^', a i\\ from tiie be'';, it Avill be of httle or no service to ilu- ilrst cro[), and may }>rovo inUn ioos to it; }ct, ev< n then, ill a year or two, its b(,!ieficial clfects will be evident, ami \v\\l be f aiiid durable. i^nt to mi! ice it produ.-e prompt and imnicdiat'- ef- fect, it slior.id be mixed witli manure, or linu', or a^'hrs, which may l»e dvuie in. vai-iour, ways. In mi.'iino' if with manure, tiie ))lan i pi.-rsiie — snir.Q:ested to me bv Fessenden's c-'Uiplete fai'iner — is this: T fnst form a bottom of mud fd'teen feet wide, and eif^ht or ten in- **«axr ■••i. (10) h chcs doo[), ilien lay on a hiycr of iniimirc about nix inclies (Jc('|), t!»(jii eigiit or ton inches oi'iniul, tlion ai.i inches orinumiro, i\nd so on, iiHeriiatc layortt ofimul andinanmo, till the hea|) is ahout {oiujinda half feet hiijh, tiio sid(^s, ends aud top aio th(>n cuated Avith mud ten or twelve iijcii(>s thie-I;; tlie iiianui-o and mud should be thrown on IVom each side, and wo one allow- ed to tramp (l too closelv'. it will U'll heal so ^^■e]l. 'i'lie dryer the mud the less man;:;";' Vvill hin;)c,-( in August or h>oplem!;c!', and I'sc ab';ut oiiel-r.d .'..".ihinni c tothree of : • a i:;i!..^ei' jU'cportion i. d to j>i';;(hice heat 1 ]i:: ]y in (he Sp;'in»; ■'.]■ ■'.\l ; V i! vsain, end is nnuJ; if n!»t made up lil! Oci., in of manui'e. a;; ]\i\,i\:. is ti;e:i )\:^\ than when t'v.c \veat!i(M' Is holU. i-. t!ie licap i^: [-i.'iied, il ii'( n heai,, ve:'{lc ]■;!■ liK'ai.'.- '•[• oihcr c.'. p, will !)': i^.'ii'd ;•,,:!;:] ',-.) a cnrl-l^^i I (• : ; ! I "load of it ..'•ip. >■;; j'd m;;ntH'e. of 1 iieio'ir i:u- f'iie i m;ui, i ae i.i;io ;• iiould I;:^ ruiie! and mixf d uli'.i n \v\)i]-) it is !)• 1 year in oijip)-! , a^id ho ivvo vv i 1.. Jnmi-JiU; ir wh!; hinc, ] lj;::ve h-md twenty b<.i'i'(dr; M'h'cd ea;(-lMad;! of 'd 1 e::id:! the mud, it ;':h:;uld remain a 1 c^ tinxv; iui'iicd. .-vsm;s s.'i'vo tliO same };Mip;);;e, and in niany pai'ts of the f:-!an;i are more easily eh'ainvd Ihi.n lime. Dr. Dana, of Massaeliuseiis, i'ecoriinrnds ei'^'it bushels of unle.-ic.'ned w. )'.:■,] aLr^e.; to ho ni-xcd v,'ii:i mie cord of mud, Avhlcli. !:e s;iys, is eriuixai- :i', to pnre cow dung in value. 1 h;.v;^ ihiind (;iO t':lK.wli),:i; m:-(':od id' ])re- I iii-aw out tlio ;j mikinjf the ]iea[) about {!ii--iy f -et wide, loavina; it just as ii ialls li'om the cart. vv-iliic;nt. levelling'; then haultiie roots thrown out in diiTu^in;;]; the niwd, and jdio them on I've heap; then haul (.-ut the moss v.-hicSi ii.is been pniled off the b,)g in p;etlinj;- at (ho mud, and pile it on the heap over the roots, in this vray it soon drys; I tlieri burn it, and the aslics cover the mud; I tiien throv\' in about five {"cxit from oaeli side of the iieap, and put on a fresh layer of nmd, then pile on more roots and moss, and burn again, and .v) i;n, till the pde is as hi^h as I wish it; then turn Ihe whole, and let it lay over the wdntcr. pariuu this mud chcan and eiiocUv; mud and dunij) tlie hsadis near t'le ho I ( 17) I have treated al)out five hundred Icmds of miid intlii« manner, which seems to ine as ^ood iis thot prepared with lime, Mliih> the co.st of tl\e iiiiie is sincd. S[)reudin^ this mud in tlie barn y;;''d, or ••at'le pen, wlicrc it re<'(>ives the (h'op{)inj.!;s, aud istrodcK'n l)y the catth:*, is mIso a good mode ol' piejiai-id^j,' it ; hut then it is advisahh' to m;ike it up in a iieap fui- a month ur two before it is used, that it may heat. SALT JvlAllSII MUD Is nrol^ablv ovmi moio vuhia!»'e than !!io preceding as a mat\ure; it shouhl !;e treated inlh(^ r-anie manner before u;. i'l '"!i^ a !<: tter of thellf'V. JA'incfMit to the En"-h;-h A;^'rieo!l:\'-;d l-'-ci'^ty, (!u, a cart-load < f •• ing, about a ]):■ heap. I tlicii •; hayina- reduced ;ef 1 ,..:.', ■:t;i i.ir.'; : — '•( "^n the coast of ;•''•'.:'.;■, {Ii.eio is a, decayed •'c'r-V':^: .; (J' f ;Ui- to hy(} i'eet, ca. sal! ; < i' ^-his 1 haye been !>!t <.f ina!;hi.o' a compost, '.■•i !;;■ ;^;nd ?:ead(>ui;aiik, by mix- in a lb^v (!a\s a vry i-ti'ong heat is •'i'M a ', tiic jJ'M'mentation begins to f; ; io:,l en t' tuinip land, and it ^Iv :i3 e-i"-Clivo as an ;:;!ual <]uantitj ■ ■■^.f .•r-^p, rin af^cou'jt of the cflcct - M nir;nr'\ \ t'louirht this saline ■:'iji!.;o, ij,'':'!t he e'luaHy bened- ;V e:':' 'v d sc^'PU ca.:l"! ;ads to be I !-'ied, ard v,'heji well I heap, ai:d mixcdwith al a he-; durini-;{hc r^ps^'ati' ii of mix- ;al < f saap ^-^ids -.vas l!'vo",-n over the :'.)ain'ed a eai-i-htad of (pi'rdc Ih :e, and it 1,'> r'iy:■[' t!io shrd, tlic tw;) ]■■■•;•:; havmg remained se^>aia<.e {or a montli, and cncli h'.'.ry;•( !her. In three or four ilavstiie compost ])rcnmo as l/;;t a--; a dung hill, a strong fermentation having tnlccn ])laca; it was W\ a \ (IS) iillowod to r^mfiiii in this state Cov a tVu'days loiinror, wli(Mi,tho Ileal licLiiiiiiiii;;' to (U'cifN'isOjit was canicd into lh<3 Held |)r(q>aiin'^ lor tnrni|»s, and H[)rrad in drills in tlic sanio niarnici" as hone tliisl. 'i'lio ci")) proved a Mivy yood one, iVoni :>U to :{'> tons jx'r jmmc, and was fonsiderahlv hcltcrtlian those niannicd w it!i hono (insl tlio v(!ar Ix'I'or*!, in land ol" hcttru' '.|Ui'.iilv,'' * ' Tin; hiinl on which tho couv)o>A was used, was rather a li-htsoil." SKAWEIOD. . Tins niaimrc is so jioncrallv Jiscd, and its valno so n'(dl nnderstood in f!us Island, that it iciiuii-cs little n.'niai'k here; it shoiild he v.fil i-ottcd 1m Tore it is pnt 111 the jrronnd, the catth" jten is an (•\e<'ih'nt place lor [)ro|)arin<; it. 1 have also H)nnd it ;in excellent coni- [»ost with ho'i; nind. 1 lornied a bottom of nnid si.\ niches deep, then liftetMi inches ot' i;/'(<.'/i i-eaweed, then si\ ii'.chos ofnnnl, tiien JifttMni of .-eaweeil, atui so on, alternate layers ouinid and ;^ea\\ 'cd, nntil the iieap was ahont live I'ect jii^h; ana then covered the top, ends and sides ahont ei^ht inches wiih nnid, tin; mass contained ahont !tM) loads; in t'.iree weeks it i)ecaine (pii!e hot, the heatini.\-ot"t!ie sea weed ilissipa- ted the acid ol" the mud, and the seav» ced was com- pletely dcconi))osed, and cot with a snade as easily .IS the mud, winch acqnired a strong- marine smell. I used it ior turnips, and Ibuud it nujst excellent manure. ASHES. When the great value of ashes ns a mnnuro is ge- nerally known, no person will waste, nor will any new settler — as they n<)W oi'ten veiy ioolislily do — sell a bushel of them, hut they will l)e husbai;dcd like ifoid for the crop; their value and the mode of using them are so well described by Allen, \)[\y:o 37, that no more need be done than to insert his remarks, he says : — " Ashes are also among the most economical manures, as from the free use of fuel in the United II Ijii (19) (to iii a I. St U! 1 ;J States, they arc produced hy almost every household, (jood husbandry dictate>», that not a pound of asfioi shouhl be wasted, but all shouhl be saved and a|)[)li('<) to the land ; and when tbey can be procured at a rea^onabh; ))ri<'e, tliey should be purcliased lor ma- nure. Lenelied ashes, tiidUfrli less vahiabk'. contain all the eienients ol' the uideachcd, havinii; been deprived only ofa part of tijeir p('tash and soda. They may !)e drilled into lh«' soil with roots and trrain, or sown f)i'oadcast on rnr^'idows vv pastures, 'i'iioy improve all soils not already saturated with the ])rineiplcs which tiiey contain. **The (piaiitity of ashes that should be ap])Iied to the acre, must dep and gypsum, without a corres- ponding addition of vegetable numure, such as boir mud, sea weed or barn yard manure. Sec, will even- tually exhaust tillage lands ol' their caib<;nacous and organic matters. Teat yVsiirs. — Nearly all peat ap- proaching to ptuity, when thrown out of its bed and thoroughly dried, will admit of being burned to an imperiect ash; and when it docs not reach this point, it will become thon^ughly charred and reduced to cinders. In both of these Ibrms, it is a valuable dressing lor the soil. It is always better, for dry uplands, to use the unbuined peat, after it has been properly composted in a muck heap, as the organic matters which it contains, and which are expelled hy burning, arc of great benefit to the soil; but when If •■ i (20) tlicy arc irinoto, thn pent rnny l)c Imrncd nt u triflincr cast, and the nslics npplird with riianitost jidvaiitam?." Ah tho |)rat, oi* mud, (hit j)roperties when the jicat has heeii too ra[)i(lly e(;ll^ullled. 'j'hc ashes are \\itli(Ii awn from heneatii the ffratiui!', in tlic same manner as lime, without extiiLvui^^hiii;' the Kiln." t. CHARCOAL Surpasses all ether suhstan.ces in tlio power it pos- sesses of condensinn- the gas(.'S, and is thcMilbre a very powerful manure. Allen says, i)age ">(>, " when eliar- eoal is scattered over the ^irouii;], it ahsoihs and con- denses the various iir|)> .e, but doe.^ not, I inlieve', absorb qnite so iniieli <^as: where I leniloeU ahonnds, a lar^« ijuantiiy eo.dd be easd> in de. One nrt-nt advantaj^c of this inaiii ic is,tli!»t it not only fecjds the plants with jtist as much ;. is re([uired, but it nj)ei ates lavinirably for niaiiy year-, i.i .ucceasion. NKJIIT SOIL, Oil TIIR COXTKNT.S OF riUVlKS. I darp ynv :n:;uy iV.imcis i-avo l\oard of the won- 'lerlul eDeet ot'(j;!nii(\ but, Irom its cost, tew hav crop. Secondly, it may be spread on tlie plor,;.';hed f^round, and harrov/ed in betbi-e the wheat is sown. It should not be plou;;he(l in, because as it sinks quickly in loose soil, it will then be buiied too deep. Thirdly, it may be mixed with mud, earth, or other vegetable substitnces, and the com[)ost sj)r<':id on tlu? land — which last (on the light soils of this island) is, 1 think, much the safest mode ot" applyiu'^- it, — I'or iri usin'i' lime, it should be remembered tiiat thougli lieavv clav soils mav be often and heavily limed with advantaiit soils, wliich most farmers hero liave to manage, may be entirely impoverished by its frequent ap|)lication. Many old and apparently worn out farii»s will no doubt bo mucli lienefitted by a single apj)iication of newly slacked lime, and at once ])roduce a good croj) after receiving it; because such land contaiiis a areat deal of inert vejietable matter^ which is deconi[)osed by the lime, and then taken up by the plants; but you must not be deceived by this apparent fertility; if you go on cropping this land, depending on lime, without adding dung, mud, or other manures containing vegetable matter, the land will bo left worse than ever; nor will a second liming then materially benefit you. For this reason it is far 9,\\.'(Ktv to mix the lime with mud, and apply the com- j)ost, there will then be no danger of its exhausting the land, and in this way its general use cannot be too strongly recommended. I mav illustrate this by the followinjj extract from Jackson, page 47: — " A larm about three hundred acres in extent, kept almost wholly in an arable state, on which there is sometimes applied one thousand six hundred bolls of lime shells in a year, when taken by the tenant thirty years ago, the land, with the exception of a few perches, may be said to have been a waste of thin cohesive clay, reduced to poverty bpj and liming over cropping. Summer fallowing and si (23) liming uere Ijjul recourse to, without anticipating thai Ihe lurnier liming had expended all its efficacy upon the soil; and the con.sequence was, that the lime lailed in rendering the land better. But, seeing the fertilizing etiocfs of lime in compost, he determined tt) try it exptriinenfaUy on a park of sixteen acres, divided into e(|ii:il proportions. The park was sub- jected to a wcli wrouglit summer fallow, one tiiird was dressed willi the coiujjound, in llie proportion of fifty bolls oi'sheilr-; j)er Scotch acre, incorporated with three times its bnik ol'i arth; tlic next third of the park was dres'^^ed with (piick lime by itself, at the rate of sixty boils of shells p-M* acre; the other was manured with thirty loads offurm-yard dung per acre; three ridges uf it bcin.o good, yet by no means so luxuriant as tlie first; tho limed part was very inferior to either, being a \o\"/ 'poor crop; and the tlucM? )'idu(\s which got not hina- were not worth s} letirmir. '•?■'! riiis shows tiuit tiic iime itself had some fertiliziiig cliiM't ; tluit the dung was superior to the lime alone; i>ut neither of them would bear a compa- rison with th<' co;h})0; L as a maauie. \\'henthe field s\ as again l)rokeji up, the part on which the compost was applied siiil yielded a superior crop. Many ex- ])erhncnts of tiie same nature have been tried on this fai-m, with th'^ same results.'" The quantity of lime to be used, depends on the sod; clays reijuire a great deal, but on our light Island soil, twenty-five to thirty barrels of roach lime per acre for a fust dressing, when applied by itself, without being mixed with nmd, is sufficient. A larger ipiantity (even if it does no harm) is mere waste. Allen (page -I'D says: — " In the United States, the averasTc for a first dressinc:, is from fifty to one bun- dred and twenty bushels per acre. This may be renewed every four or five years, at the rate of twenty to forty bushels, if an over dose has been applied, 3i I ^il.. liiiic, oi'tho addition of putrescent, or green manures, are the only correctives. From the gi-eat eli'ect said to be produced by lime, mixed with salt mud, it is likely that a small quantity of lime would be vej'y beneficial to the Cape lands on the North side of the Island, which arc impregnated with salt from the spray. , •) BOx\ES Uucht alwtiys to be saved. Inmost couuiries thev are crushed by machinery, for manui'c; but they may be broken by hammers into half-incii pieces. I have had some tons prepared in t!iis way; a man can break three or ftjur ]>uslicls in a day; moi^t farmers could <;ollect that quantity in a year. Ciiildi'cn can break them, or they furnish employment in a stormy day — and five bushels would be sufficient to raise a qiuirtei- of an acre of turnips. After they are broken, mix them witii an equal (juantity of danq) ashes, and form them into a heap; in forty-eight hours they will heat; after the heat subsides, apply them in the di'ills, cover- ing them with very little eartli, and drill the seed over them. They are better after having been boiled for soap, because they then break more easily, and de- compose more quickly in the soil. DEAD ANIIVLVLS, BLOOD, Ike, " When decomposed, afford all the materials of manure, in its most condensed form. They should be mixed with eight or ten times their weight of dry mud, turf, tan bark, or earth. A dead cow, or horse, thus buried in a bed of peat or nnid, will yield twelve or fifteen loads of the richest manure." — Allen, p. 70. What recklessness and waste is frequently exhibited by farmers here, in throwing dead horses, cattle, pigs and sheep into the sea and rivers, or allowing them to rot where they fall — thus poisoning the atmosphere, robbing their land of the richest manure, and depriv- ing themselves of hundreds of bushels of turnips, &c. which it would produce. i i! i J J (QS) FISH AND FISH OFFAL. Fish aro extensively i«sod in many countries for manure. They are sometimes [)h)Uie eiiluvia escaping from the heap, so (iifectual is its al»-orption. Two or three weeks bt^fore usin^'-, it slioidd l)c turned and mixed, \viu,n it will heat atjain, and when this ceases, it nn»y be ajjplied to the land. When the mackerel and cod are m tlie coast, .some of our fanners turn fishermen. 1 \v()iild suggest to them, when clcanitig the lish, instead of throwing the offal on the slioie (as they often do), that they should, when the lishiug season conies, spread a lew cart loads of mud or earth, and foi-m a bottom (or a compost heap; and place a few more loMils beside it, ready to use wiiea wanted; and when a boat load of fish is cleaned, that they should haul Uj. tlie offal and spread it on the bottom tiius pre])ared. cove iing it whh some of the earth. This could be done with very little trouble. It may be said, that the quantity each could collect would be small; but "many mickles make a muckle," and if they would carefully save all the bones, dead animals, lish offal, kc, they would fnid it worth having in the spring, and ilieir cattle would have three or four extra hundred bushels of tijrnips to eat in the winter. MANURING WITH GREEN CROPS. This mode of manuring consists in sowing the soil with quick growing leafy plants, and when they begin to flower, ploughiug them in, or having them eaten off by cattle. In this country, where the agriculturist's ciapital consists chiefly in sound health, strong limbs, 1 lii; { ! und (notwitiistanding their dung hills) intellip;ont htieids, the 10 is perhaps no system so well adapted to our circumstances. On many farms, thirty or forty acres, completely exhausted by ovcr-croi)ping, are. thrown open as common; it would require a largo quantity of maiuire to dicss ten or fifteen acres of such land in ;i year; and even if the manure were ready jjrepiiicd, tiie har.Iing it out and ^■preading would be more than many, by the labour of their own tamilies, could accomplish. But by this system there is scai'ccly ;•. furmcM' x'vho coiild ii:'.t ameliorate ten or fiftc(ui nci'cs of bis woin out land a year, in addition to his otiier vVDik. For in })loiighed in hud been hrjavy, with oats, or rye, vnd gray-: soeds, a fiir croj) of grain would then ])e had, a!:d the land left with a good plant of gr^ure for s'une years: tb.us increasing t'le pro.iir ol'tiie duii'y.and the condition of the st;)ck, \vhih.' the land would speedily reg;un its tor- mer fertiiity. li', liowever, the kind be so cxlniusted as to gise op.ly a small croj) to plough in, its owner must forego the grain, and bo content with pasture only, i(jr a time. Many persons suppose hind improves by rest; but it is not the rest, but the grass and herb- age whicli spiin';s up and decays, or the droppings from animals feeiiing on it, Avhich restores it. The time, therefore, required to restore worn out land by rest (as it is called) depends on the herbage it throws up. A comparison of the quantity of green crop plougiicd in, when sovrn foi* tliat purpose, with the scanty herbage now yielded, will at once show that as much nmy be done towards renovating ^yorn out land by the system of green manuring in one year, as is done by rest in eight or ten; and should, further, induce all to abandon the absurd practice of sowing i li' ^1 ( 07 "*! )]". grain witliout grass seeds, wheiitlie Iciiid is iiitciKicd to be left luicroppcd. Tliis mode ol'inuiiurin in value to ...^ «nj... *,■.-) j acre,'" W'iiy should not the worn out h;!i:]s of l^inct Edward Island he resloved by t'le siiiao iiu.ums? Pj.axts (;F.\m{Ar,LY sown for this x'l r.>o:-E. — .Mien Hays: '• iiuekw Iieut. oats, rye, and suiiv.' ^''i'-i- n'rassos have l;een used ll>r this pairpose in the ;.'.:l;ed ;*:;at(^s: andsi)inTy, tfic vruile lupin, the vcte'n i;:. rcjpe; btit lorth'.^ Aurlh'ornpoitio'iofilie I has been hiiheilo tiied whicli is so \va obtain- ed. Suppose lev v/hich is to be bin;. on up bo ploughed early ni summer, sow it at on.ce Vf ilh buck- wheat, and plou«/h it in in the autnnni; your crop of oats would be much better, and then lcs;s clian an or- dinary dressing of manure would suHice for the follow- ing green crop, aiul the land be again laid down in a much better state than it otherwise would have been. By ploughing in the after crop of clover in the fall, the same purpose may be served; indeed, the kind of crop ploughed in, and the frequency with which it is done, will ** vary with almost every individual who fv. r i I ' V ..III (28) prncticos it, according to tiio quality of liis land and th<^ tciciliiy l')!' prociirin;^ other manures." Only let It be recollected, that to fai-iii sueceL^slully, the land shn, 1)0 bettor than at its C(>:ritiie:ic3t!ieui. No one should, iaei'eii>r(», f;rudn(3 the (K'r:i.r^ion;5i a|)j)areni loss ol' a crop ol' clover or buek\vh;;L:i, a;; by tliU:^ plou^iiin*; it in, and judiciou.sly alternatiiiiT it vvitii a very sniall quantity ot'othei- man- ure.-, the iaiid nvAV be kei;! e!;uiitautiv increatiln,"' in tci'liiity. SCA? SUDS AND HOUSE WASH. Ifcvt'i'v !":'ri.'>er would di;;; a pit, Fay cifijht Icet wi ie. ii'xd t' ii e:' tv.clvo feet loji'j;, ;i)!d three or fbur :!(•♦■■ dr^'p, 2ie;,r Li.^ k.itelMni. a:i'id r.iPnv loud'; oi't-.c verv best man- '.\:r 'WIJ, r:i««-il, a n'ld e unp' 'iviTr uro, hut \.- til-.' vvnsh ! disOcirM^'i ii. ;i ; ■ , r, ,.. the ):d thesdoveulv .)• ■'el-;-<; oi t{)ro\vinj.r \ '■ /I, i< ol .1 I doo-', Vihere (4' it do not breed ;h;!.e^; t'le air, and i^j h'-t ns m;"iurc. :' i/i'iiru'e;-! iiii'rht he iiici'tio:ied, but my t'> direct attention t;) t-hof-o vhich, though posr;es.:4e<.i i^y. or vvdthiu the reaeii (ri'ia.; t. aj'o very n;cn- errt']}- ini'i!i:ii.n":ed, waited (H- ne.'-'eetei!. [ shall con- elt!;!;; tali ciiapter in the word; of Judiije Buel: — " Tiie ibrincr V, !io v/astes a load of manure, is as reckles?; and improvident as ho v, !.>> ilu-ows iiway a busiiel of corn. Not only what i ; deuomijiated r/7/«i>*, a:-^ the contents of the cattle and ho;;- yards, and the cleariuirs (d'the stable, (the auiount of which may b(; irreatly incrensed by stalks, wc-^ds, ;ind other vejTeta- ble matters) niay be transformed into farm produce, but the rich earth of swamps, ditches and ponds, the leaves of the forest fern, urine, soap suds, bones, &:c., are all convertible to a like use. He that " 'i'l not feed his crops with manure, should not coiiiplain if bis crops fail to feed him with bread." (20)' CUAI^TBR 11. TL'RNIPS. ix* TiiKiii i3iroRTA,\cr:. "Tlic introduction of turnips iiits! i]\() ]iu.-i);uKiry o!" Britain, " s;iys tlio l\(\v Edinbiniiii Eu'-s tlcia dia, "occasioned on" of those I'cvolutions in lor;;! ait wliich are continually ocfuii'inj^ nj)!onii- huiM/andincn. and thoiigli tiie levointion cunie on v.itli s'ou' -'.nd ,'.!;raduai step;-, yvi it r.i;;y now ho vio\v( d \\-> r- inplctelv ostaljlisiied. l*el<.io the intriiihirri' :i of this vDot, [t was inip(jssi])]c to cui!l\ate li^j^ht soils st;cc's>lhJly, (,y io devise suitjihle rotations i'ov cropj)in:;; th( lii 'witli advantage, it ^vas a': o a diihcnlt t;.sk lo Mijipoit live stock through the Avintor i-iid spi in;v nioi.rlis; and .IS lor Ibeding and hi t-'iiin^i; Ciittle aiid sliecp !'.r mar- ket during tliese inrli nu nt seagulls, ijic j;!,;"uco was iiardly tiionght of, unless v,!;( ii a li;il -t':L'k of hay was provided, vvhicli oisly iii!pj)on(>d in n very few instances. The 1)( neJits derived fn ni ll)«. of hay, an acre of tweeds will go as far in the economy of feeding a« nearly three acres of meadow. The three acres of grass are found to give less than f),()00 lbs. to tiio dung yard, while the one acre of sweeds gives 3(1,000 lbs., or four times as much as the three acres of grasa land." Until our farmers are convinced of this, and shall cultivate turnips as the principal food for wint- ering their stock, and fattening their cattle, we shall find Agricultural improvement advance with tardy steps: we shall continue to sec our markets glutted in autumn with beef, at two-pence a pound, because, for want of turnips, every one slaughtei's his beast then, instead of keeping it until it is in good condition; and we sliall lind the ])rogeny of our tine imj)orted breeds deteiiorating in cliaracter, instead of maintaining the valuable properties of their ancestors. v: V THEIR CULTIVATION. Turnips uic generally sown in that part of the ro- tation which closes one course and commences ano- ther; and in this Island it will in general be found convenient to sow tliem after oats, sown on ley. On newly burnt lands tiierc are few weeds, and excellent crops may be raised with little labour, by merely scatteiing the seed and hoeing it in; but with this ex- ception, they should always be sown in diills, under which system three acres can be cultivated with less labour than one acre broad cast. The land intended for them sliould be well and deei)ly ploughed in au- tumn, and cross ploughed in the spring, then harrowed and rolled to break the lumps. If the land is Ibul with couch, have it well cleaned, or the turnip crop will be a failure, or cost more to keep clean than would have cleaned the land before they were sown. Next open the drills: thirty inches apart is the best distance for ordinary culture, as it gives room for the plough and horse hoe to work freely between the drills without injuring the plants. If a prize crop is wanted, w 1 i'!H ^ I' % (31) perliaps, twcnty-sovcn inches will ijivo a s(>ine>\iial larger yield, l)iif they will l>o more troiihiosonie to oleaii, and I am (umviiiced, that ianiiers, rea(l inlothe: tiirs^c drills iti wliieh tlu; horsu walks and tin; cart wheels i-nn, \o\\ will spi-ead it more a ridiich^t o\-er it, then nui a lio'ht roller !(>n;:lh ^\^'"."s alonii the (!rill<, su as to iiai- ten them on tlino as soon as the drills lire I'olled, lor the i; run nd !>; t hen fresh ;; ml dam j), which ranses the see'>i lo \e!i:eta1e (piiekly : whereas, il' you ler,\e it, the ti'[)s ot' the drills o<.i diy, niul the seed is lonu'er ci»minL:" np. and the p.lanN rcrsons waitint, the next moiniii.'i-, every drill that has heen dunked and covered dni-in«^ the <\-i\y. Some spread tlie maiiMi^e hroad cast, and ]>](m<:rji jt in ^^ith tlu^ seci-d pi<'ii?:hir,'j-, and raise lair ci'ops; ]>nt l)V j)nttinii: it in the (hills. th(> wlude sticnirth ol'tho manuio is <>iven to the rix.tsofthe tuiniji. and, there- fore, must pi'omote its early ;;:rowt!i moic than "svhen spread ovei* a lar"i ( 3--! ) he done in tlio fall; a method which ?eeni9 to produce* excellent crops, and saves lahour in the spring, when time i.s of most value to the fiirmer. Art to tiie hest time lor sowing Svveu will sel- dom ho without suliieicnt i)hinfs afler the lly has done its work. iVherdrcn \'cllo',vs may be sown IVom tiio first to the end of July. lioEiNfi AM) C'l-F-ANiNG. — Tliis is the most import- ant part of turni[) eultvire, for manure as heavily as you [)h;ase, if this is neglected, or carelessly or imper- fectly done, you v.ill not have a geoc ciop- a lew days' dehiV, carelessness, or inattention va:,\v, will make a dillcrencc of hundreds of l)U.slif'ls per aeie. There is no crop on your farm which can so ill bear delay at this time es your turnips, aiul unles:"s you can atford to throw auay tlie labour you have expended, and to forego tlie benellt of a good supply of turnips for y<^ur stock, do tiiis irlien il sliou'd be (lone, and do il well. If you are slunt luip.drd, 1' ■ every man, wo- man, and child, v/lio cisn Hit a hoe, or pe.ii a \\eed, tro to woji: in earnest, atid the jfb will soon he accom- plished; and, wlu^t is more, };;ur eliihhen v ill become expert at tuinip ooiture, on v.hich all suecc; sH:i Ihrm- inginthislsiuid wiil, be -fore long, (b'i'.cnd: and i-cnicm- bcr that a good tuinip hoer nev( r tiikes his eve ti-om the ground until called to dinner; jccoilcct tliis your- selves, and impress it on tlie childien, and there will be no stopping to talk, nor ceasing v.ork to gaze at every passer by, by which so much time is often lost. The method 1 have found best in hoeing, is this: as soon as the leaves are between two and three inches long, run a plough between the drills, taking aw'ay the earth on each side to within about two inches of the plants, this will make a little ridgelet between each *!' i\ (33) nrill, and C(»v(;i" up iili tlu; W(M'(1s; flli I' the IiovM lioe is ruii tluou^fU uboiif a \\vA)k ixl'tvvwix iU,lU,ey wi\l Ik; joihid (|uit(' lollcn iiiid loriii a jnnKl m;* nin for^'ic l;iiid; (soiiu' use tlic luuscr hoc only, hu, if thor« is iii'-ich yav iiud wccdM, the |)lt»Ui:li makes the licst win-k.'i 'l^hcn si-t Id V. ;)ik with Ihc hand hoes, and thin tlie plants liv inches apart: do not he alVaid ol'stiippinir ihe roots of t lit" plants, as the ntoi-e ihev ai'(.' (.'xj>osed «lu' hetler: when thos oi" stimnlatiri rtm with the hand along the lops of lh(^ drills just hdoro the seed is drilNd in, uill cause the vou.Ui;- plant to jjfrow more quickly, and j^et sooner bevond dan<-:cr from the Jly: twelve or iiltc^en bushels is sntiicient i")r an acre, more than twenty is waste. When the mariurc is ph)ui'hed in in the avitunm, if vo'.i have a comi)ost (' the 4- oinposl which has been spread into tii; 'i'it>. and v/ithin r(>ac!i oi tiic suck(;i-s ot' the turrnp: iii<.iroll tlie drills, and sow t'iie seed. !\i;i,ht soii ui;d h'lnea are excellenl !ielj)s to the crop — the mode of applying tiiem has hec{ion to i'ein<»viM<.r tiieni is, that it i'oi)S the land \iH,'at ei-dp. A heavy eiM|» ol tni'iii|».-'. is e\haust:ti,"'. In liril.iin a ]»oilien of the tiiriiiu-: is emi inii((l en the land, by sheen. Our eii- niate will not j»ei'mi[ this; theiei'ore, as we liave to remove tius tiirni|'.-, \\v s!H;uhl at least leave liio tops. Il'yon wish to feed ther;U'e |!h;ii:'hin'r, let tliein b:' eaten whei'(> thev iirew; »'l' il' not. |)|';i!i''ii them in, ai.'i, deeiiyiii:r in the soil. the\' Vviii eniie;; the l.nid; v,!i! ica.i icnioviiii;' tlieni is ir I only ;i waste <>[' laliotir, liii: youi* wheiit crc|) ^id rojiroaeli you jhi* Isaviu''; (h.iit^ s >. S'i'oiii.;o'. — Swiiie cum|dain (a'tmiiins bein^r (l!i}ienlt to iv'jep: tawso who liiid them so, k<'e|) tht in too close: v/illi pi:tj)(M' manaijc:ii:'nt, thei-e is no diHicullv 111 kee)>in'>; ;miv (jiKJiitity. They should l>e |)rii in piies in the lleM v,h' n lust ludled, and covered uith t.'})S or strav.', and a iltth' eartii. Here i\\ry wid sweat (i little. A (h-y day ^;!tould be chosen to cai-t them to tlie I'oot house. My root jiouse is dua]-titions, allow all the confmed air to ascend, and as it is constavitly escaping through tin; chimney, no frost comes down. i\ny one who will' ventilates his I'oot honsc in this way, will llnd the tnr- ni))S as sound in June as when tii'st put in. The situ- ation of the root house is a matter of importance; it slioivld be attached to the barn, and entered from th*^- '!i' I :)5 ) ham; thin will Hav<' a deal of labour in carry in«r them to the caftlu (liiriii;; tlio winter. Sorno stortj thnii in their (Millars, wliicli is tiK) worst placo that ran h« Hclcc^tcd, iis th!iin(l is well adajjti.'d to tlie growth oi'carrots. 'i'h(! pi^paration of tin; soil is sitnilar to that lor turnips; l)i;t tlu; nianuro sho-.ild be spread broad ('ast and ploiijih-Ml in, as wUvn it is put in the ilrills sonic variili"-:, piuticiilarly the AJh'i!i;^hani, r>rk otfas Soon as iIk y sIimel;iii'.n do n.>t s(>ein to be aHected by it. Ciii'i'ots do not recpiire tlio Jand t*.) be so rich, Ind, they want it v(My line and deep. Thoy ycetn to succeed best al'tci' p(hl!^»(■^; prd in tlie -pring, it shouhi bo thrown into rid^^rdets, nniking tlu n as Idgh as you can, so a.^ to i^ive the plant as gre.it a depth of soil to grow in as ponsiMe; eighteen indies is width enongli between the dtiii-;, but unless the land is vvvy clean, thirty inches uill bo found the most convenient di^tun( e. I' nil tlio drills, and di-ill the seed, while tin; eiirih i>: iVesh and moist, in the same way as turnips, if you sow J^r.glish seed, you will ro(iuiie four or five lb-, to the aero, and then not be sure of a crop; but if .\iaori;'an seed is used, one and a half lbs. per acre will be sullicient, ad almost every seed grows, at lenst I have found it so. Eight or ten days bef )rc sowing, I nnx the seed ^\ijb lino sand, carefully sifted so that no stones or hnnps are left to choke the drill, and ke<'p i'. moistened with watin- in a warm room, stirring it up evei-y day. When about to sow, I spread it in the sun for an hour or two to 4« (36} dry, taking care not (o dry it too iiuicli, which would injuie tlio seed. I then place a guaye, lai'<;e enough to let a hu-ge huck-shot througli, in nij turnip drill (one ofBirnic's), and drill the seed in the same man- ner as ttirnips. Seed thus treated is gencjally up in three or four days, and the plants have a lair start with the weeds. They should he sown in May, or early in June. In cleaning, use the plough ;ind horse iioe, the same as witii turnij)s. They should he thin- ned ahout two and a hairinciies apart. In August, when the carrots are ahout the size of a inan's thumh. thev sli(;uld he lightly nioukled with earth, like pota- toes. As to the yield j)er acre, the suiiillest I have had is tln-ce hundi-ed and thirty-eight hushols; hut then, the land heing vci-y foul, the (hills wcva three t'eet apait, to admit of frcfuicnt ploug'ning hetween tiiem. This last year I had an acre and onc-foui'th ni carrots, on gniund which had l)ccn in potatoes liie yoar hcforc; it was di-essed in tr.o spring with forty loads of dung per acre; the drills were thirty niches ap;iit; the yield on the acre and a nuarter was seven hundred and ihirty-tive l)ushels" they were fhinncd ahout one and li half to two inciies apart, hut the carrots split the drills and made looni for them- selves, and grew large. Vrorit the soil well, and ilivc it an ordiiiary dressing, and you will he sure of tVom fijui' hundred to five hundred busln !s per acre. The Lonjr Ornn^c and the White Belgian arc the most productive, Tiie haulm, or top, of the carrot, IS excellent food: cows tl^Ci on it give vciy rich milk: all animals are very fond of it. As they do not appear to he so severe on tho land as turnips, tlie tops may be hauled oil' and fed on tho jnistui'c fields; inid an acre of \Miitc I^elgians will, in this wi^y, furnish a very large quantity of rich food in autumn, I have tried carrots on land manured with sea weed, and also with river mud; but they would not grow to any size, although turnips in the next drill, on the same man- ure, grew as well as those on dung. Old well-rotted dung, and ashes, seems the best manure for them. For fattening pigs I have found this root more valu- able ihan turnips, and working horses while fed on them will not require oats. 1 1 !,'! fi, (37) 1 1 CHAPTER m. ROTATION OF CROTS. Rotation of crop^s is togi-ov/ dillbrcnt kinds of crops in succession, on l!ic same field — sucli as ro(,ts, oj-ain, and «n-a;:;s. To lay dov.-n any jjnriicnlar course, to be followed ]>y a!i. would b- absurd; ivy, a.-, o])served by Allen, ti:;3 projicr Ryrtciii of rotation uwy iariner should adopt Jui-.-t depend on all the ciicnnstances by which he is surrounded, and must ynvy according to those vai'ving circumstances, i'iiouj^h tlia chief object in intiothicing the bubjec: hero is lo point out one great aiul common error in our prcstiit .-ysteni, yet, as the reasons wiiich render It nei-essaiy, and the principles which should gui.-e th^ jan-cr in'selccting his rotation, s'mudd bo rnderot(;o,l !)y ai]. tiiev may be here bri;'!ly ai^verted to. It hzs l)een discovered tnat every crop takes j.-way irom tho -^oil ce:u;in ouan- tiiics of nuti'itJMUs nnitter, ^'■•itho,ll which iiici'c would be no cro;,;^ and that no two diiibreni; cn.ps ab^^tracl these iHitrit!:)ns mattei's in tiio same jji'Oporiions. For instance, the turnip takes away n-om the :-,oil a large quantity of ouv; kisul of nutritious niatter, Vvitcat a larc-e (juantity of a diiferer.t nutritious matter, and hay^a large quantity of nutritious matter (liiiercru Irom both turnips and who;it; therefore, thouwii a held may give a sulHcicncy of that liind of nutrime,i- which is [u-in- cipally required by one Ciop, yet if another of the same kind inmnuliately fo";io',.'t\, there win be a defi- ciency for it; but if a ditre-ei;: crop succeeds, there will be found enough of all the Uiateriab ii needs fully to mature it; and when a third crop of another des- cription follows, which requires nourishment different from either which have preceded ii, the soil may \w. in a condition to yield a good crop of the last also. (.1. I (1 (38) But aa every crop takes away more or icss of all the nutritious mutters which the soil contains, " if a suc- cession of crops (no matter how diiferent the kindj whicii succeed each other may he) are gathered and carried oil' the land, wit'aout tiie occasional addition of maiuires, they will he found gradually to diminish in quantity till they reach a j)oint (v/hich, under the same system, niany lli inis iu this Island have long since reached) when t!iey will scarcely ])ay the expense of cuhivatioii." \)\\t the great error luu-e, and to whicli 1 desire p'eins goiiei'aliy hiid down in those C'UPh'ies vslicic ^rrcivt sciciice iiud iri-ciit ex- perience Ik;',;'; com!)ii;e(i in a^rerlaiu what is hest, ;i]s, :;!!c'i i'.; tljis Iiilaud, two successive iMiii.l wai !;.; cut on \iU' H;ime lield; (*r iec<)U;l c. )j) u- Iffla'ii, tiio iii'hi sliuiid I'cccive a top di'es.-/i:i^' Vne i!i'eviv)!:s aaliiiiui or ;-,)i'i!iir, I kw tlial on li'i'iil crops of ii;»} if a (' sa ii;^ t ;);: lis i ) li.') i'. ^•■. A ;- I'll Jig. I iviioW .\]any wiii exclaim. It is '.iicrii can ^s •) get uuinur<^'.' Vi'c (h'C;^s ;jv) much 1 lU'lr ■I h rti t:;ii' Ciltth'.'' WTiUt 'n>, '.■.iiir'.i 111 " cii'ouiustauces eiiuit ini opl(! to tbil'.iw : the dangc; iiii|)-.»ssible and if we liu'l il., ii' w c what would \v>: dj \'-)\' li folly, To rov;. vuiiioi'l ;. s\ of the counu' ,' wiii u.t and under tlii-; im;); v'^siju will, i)-;i';:.!ps, tluHjw aNvav the hook, ds'IiM-'iiMie:! t> i;v';s<:-,'<-. o in the present n:i;i- ous system. i>iii. v-itiiiio!.! y'>\\i' c-rehMn nation for a moment. I n.,i a .v.i:';; tii;:! ;nt ;-. ;i had .-ivstem cannot, without inc > /eai 'iic;) — !>..';•!.;. i;-; i:>ss — ho entirely changed af m: -i^; it, wouM not b;i p. iulent to aitemjit it, and I d > ii it adviso y.ra to do so. I'Ikux is no liarm, you \\v\-l admit, in showing what other coun- tries, with .--(tiis >i'nii,'i' to otir own, have t'ound Ixist nor is the diiiiculiy <»[' ut ou,"' adopting it any rea^ior why we should noc make gradual ai)j)roaches toward;^ it. yVud lot u •! s<'e wlii't Iku" ilu; dillicultie., are really S) insurnioiuitahle a.-, tiiey may at fii-st nppear. First as to where you iirc to get manure, I would i-eferyoi to the first cluipter, and ask you if you arc guilty of jiill ^ (39) the neglect, or permit anj of the waste there pointed out; if so, correct it before coniphniiiii«r on th;it head. Secondly: I wouhl urrro you to recollect, that one acre in good liL'ai't will yi Id as much hay as tlu-ee in had; the iahoui', thei-efore, of giving a ligiit dressing; (sav twenty to twenty-live loads) of mud and aslics, ni nniil and limc\ or liuid j.-nd urine, or dung (M)m|)o;-t, would not be so gi-cat, wlicn you iuive to <:) over on!v (me aei'o, inst(';!(l of thr'..'e, Tiiirdly: c.m .\,\rv ',\ !ii't'!<'V v,m! realh' requii- so larg(> a ([iKsntiiy of ii.iv. ! !' \ ,iii cul- tivate a largo broadtii of tiu-nips, y<.; <^ij]:\ rr,)i)s: str.iw n'\'\ runiips wii! 'cccn cuitlo as \-^'li ;■ - ii;; • . and much l)rft-i- t'utn tjo ]■■",{ t ip asi 1 iU'tUi ;;1 ::i-r :■/■.-. idch ftjrins ;i ia;'g;; part of thi- \\iry cut o-j w.)rii r.iit l;i:!(I.-;. it will aho .-Mggcsi it-;( If { ) y,;i!, t;.:;; i>' r^i .;i,i!; the tiold t) jMr-t!n'(! bctitre it is e'vh::;i-';'0, 't!;;.- iioi-l;:;'; f will ;>o gi'i:<;t'4' in (jtianiif ,■ and :':r!;-M' ii^ (iM;;!;r ■,-. {'k- c'!ws give n;or;} niiik, tiled, mi-v \ i;'! 1 im t' wi: i \h-U.:v butter aiui -:;ic;.;s", th<; young cartlc '/i-wr isioj c .i.ur- ously, aitai!! !h(;ir I'm! si;'o oarlioi-, ;>;;d i.i;s:.-' !,, .jc beef t'r- riMft^ii be i;!tt<.M\ aod ho:!! (l,:r,\ i;i;iro i:vn\r\ irom tiio biirchsM'; and, ti!oi!i:'i i:!,--r, 'A-.-t \v,i: luijil v.-j'i i);.' impi'oviug, insL^id (,i g-!'i,;'.- TIk'-o advi^ntagos s'l'-uM be t"ii'i\' nlacfd iMf;'' c:. dit of t\'v. now S',:-;ieni, befo'e vou i;>st!\i> to c ot^onc the ' r 1 ■ 1 ■ X no rcnn? ri\S ^^' i)niO;W\ir!c. aro si ;;;,!■:!: U) r^ds subjocf , tijai I caun )t do bi'tio;' tIo:,i !i';. - tiii^ni ii'M'-;'. jfosays: — ^' A.^ r('::';rd > j'is .)■..■. \ New I'i'uns-s-ick !;;i'!nor fallows a sv-tooi, •Wi;:..'. ' ■ t where i-ciruJar nianuiiu'r ispraotis m|, \,- -ild io'oro il:(^ land, a!id wldoii i-^ t'r icfii ;■ (•■■nd.'-Mif d aiu' a\oi(Uvi by all gond fa.rniors; btit wiiiru, caal-intMl wiih tiio wasto of i;ia;iUi'<'s aJid negf-ct oi'n)anurii>u-, i- ct rtaiii t ) entail an e^rly exhaustion."' 1 niiiiticn pardcu- larly the icpcaled successirr crops of hnif \\iuch ar<." taivcn \'{>ai' aftoi- year from X\\q same fields. " This custom, winch is characteristic of these North American Provinces, and has been naturallv fallen into in consequence of the necessity of provid- \, yoi;r V/'0>:;,'. 1 (40) inij a l:ir|:;c Piipjilv of winter food fi))- the stock, is viirv injnriours to tiio Icuul. Thi;^, J bolicve, is goncrnllv ficknowledf^iMi ; but tii(; jjIcji. of jiecessity is iirrrod as ail cxcusf'. It is not nc<"(^;-s;))"y, li<;v.'(^vi r, to cut hay ofFthf^ tiaiiio hind year att'M- \fai', wiilioul )•(>!" irnin.'.T t ) it anv )n:'.!)ui'i> ; ncit'icr is it iK'cf\->.;n'y to feed Siock ajto.fjfcthoi* nuon \\'\^\ I infer thiil iv.c hind ot' tiiis Pr<(vin'-c', w'hmi faiily ti-calfd, niii.-t he j>i'-.ui'j to j)ro- ihi<:e ai>und;;n! !v, iVoni t'iK' hir;:." i-('!(n'ns ^hirh the Jkrincrs cxi^'i-J. and ;;ctniiil\' roh (h:: . ! d", ai'lci- onco. juanurifiif. i visited the fju'iu ot" a ino-t in!(d!i^; om;' or'tlic htvl tHiiniMs iii his jud'/iihotir- h<)()d, and i !>'d!iv«' ni ist dcsirons to inijnovc, who inio!'.a<'d i:^: i"i;;l, z\\:\' one (h-i'::dn-^ witii nn!s-'( I nnul Irr-m Hi!' ^.•a h.udi. w.^X hn' iVoni his iiiiin, ho iiad taken <'»n(^ er-o[» of OMJaiof:'. (,!• inrni|)s, oin; of \\d;eat. and <'{',■/// SYcY'/,'. s;;';' (•-'•( ,'.'; r/ Uioi — ;;»;d !io K(>on)cd to think (he 'and \\w\ us' d iiw:! il! in not luui;';; id\<'n hiai niori>. T','1' t'ic {ii'si f )!ir <-.-oj)s ii\>!n siie'i an apjdiea- ;ion, a Bi'i.i-fi i".:r!n'i' woind h;!\o Ijccn f'lankfiil an"vc in-nti'incd p!';!cti''c.s, of nikin-; succes- sive hi!v or ,n' the ih".)\"ince, t'.io ncoI^Tt df;;. pi'.sj-.ei- and proiitabh^ vcliili;.)!! nnist be I'eclvoiuvd junonir the de- fects of the prcNjiihn'i' InisbiHuh'y ; whenever the pvstem ol' i'c<_ndaf und copions ni;nini'ii>'i; tiikcs roof, as an iiidispensabh^ inoniis ot" nnlinriition, a well con- sidered 1' >(;ition ol' crops must iiccoinpnny it, if the full 'oencMiis of n;ood numnring ai-e to reward the l"ar- iner's labours." The rotation in general best ada])ted to this Island — varied, of course, accoiding to circinnstancos — would 3cieni to be, allcr lev ground i,s broken up: first f, (41) )C!1- UT- 'COS- niul dc- 'OOt, con- Iho i'dV- yrar, oats; second year, turnips, carrots, pargnips, potatoes, or Indian corn, with manure; third jear, whoat or harley, with ,'iien bettor than the first, owinjj, j)rol)al)ly, to the cold iti winter not allo\yin[x tlie y;)d to decay in time to^iveful! nuurish- ment to the iii-.-^t ci'op. This practice, t;;on,t;;h etntrary to t5ie <;('noral ruh-s of o-ood hushiindiV, may, under the pecuiiur circmnstances, properly f iiu ;;ii excerp- tion to t!:e: ji'eneial I'ulc; it slioukl, ii^.•vv(■\^^, be cau- tiously foii'»\vcd, and never adopted u:,Ie:.:s t!ie sod he old and stiiF, and then it would be b(tl!.r to follow the oats wiih rye — ;i crop wliich siiould he ni-M c 'lenerally cultivated, as it does not require ^t;-.:^::.;' I:;i;u, and, if v/heat faik-^, v^'iil I'urniish the larnicr wii!i exeelient bread. Grass seed.!, particularly red and v.ir.ie clover, should be liberaliy sown witli the yrai'.', else h\Ah the subsequent h.ay crop and jtasture will be delicient. Xo ouv'shtnild ;-ow Icl-s th;>.n six lbs. of i-rd clover, and two of v.'Idte, ill addition to Tii.iethy, per acre — and double the {[uautity will do no h; i ni. lilrd clover takes a .'■rer.t deal of its noui'i.hnier^t I'loni lh(" atnios- pliere, and its large ro(»ts, w'r.en i\\<--y d. -.'ay, tend greatly to irnoi'ovc the soil; and withr^'it •■ hite clover, pasture will Ui^t be what it oujjht, Y^.\ im-i ly the hi;jh [)ric(^ of tl>esc i.r'cds jv.it their libc I'a.l "'.-e bey<.nd the reach of inatr-; but ni>w that the »U)yal ..\j.:;ricuitural Society and its j>ranches, suj'.j'iy their i;;e;abt is with red cloven* at nine pence to ten ].en;;(r p;'V lb., and white at one using it. shillin,^j, tiiere i6 no excuhc lor not dand first I' (42) CHAPTER TV. I k I 111 KEAKiXC; AND TREATMENT OF CATTLE. Bu('\ lisys (Lnvii two j-ulcs; — I. " .\<-i to \v(»ik more landtlian can Ix- well work- ed, aiid well Ird."' 'i. " X-t (•) I;( (j) inoi'C caltlc tlian tlic tm-op.^ of tlie l'(inii wi'ii IvM'il and iattcn, and than may Ic jiiofitablc to tlu' iai !;i''r.'' .""MMtiicr <, \<\\ i-h'^dd lirst i)i'ocure a <'.■'>((] l.recd. As the yVaiiciniiiral Society snpidy ]>u!l calves to all who want them at hall" the price tlicy pay for them, I;', rmcrs can haN(^ no dilli- cidty in iniprc)yin^ the desci-iption ol" their :-tt*ck; bnt uo matt'-r how ^ood the breed, they will (•rtcriora.te, • mlcr-s trealid with ])roper care. "^Ihe jiianner in which they are often stinted in their fo«'(l. wciud i-nin any breed, TIh^ fiist year'.s keep of a y ori^- animal is the most inii)ortant; its, constitutioii is then i))iniin<,', and if badly i\(], it will be sinnted in sixf. aiul cories- pondinu'Iy delieient in all yabnibU* p-i' I'ei iits. C-alves should bo well led loi- tiiree na-nlhs, ; i.d put ( n i^'ood i;rass; a.nd \\'(dl fed durinL': the next ^.ii!ver, using every day an allowance of tnrnips. It is by iim means necessary to let them snck, <»r to <,iiv(^ thein ;ie\y milk. The Compb to Farmer oiyps the follow injj,' nnds two sbillings, whicli lasted him three years. One quart of ;:ccd waa I ' (43) but ■' boiled in six quarts of water, for ten minutes, to u jelly, whicii was jriven to the calves tlir(!c times a flay, mixed witli a little bay tea. And he shites that his calves tiirive much better than those of his neiulilxirs, which w(n'e fed with milk. Thus it seems that less than eiiihteen cents' worth of ila\ seed, with a trilb; of hay, is sulficicMit fu- one cali." " If slum niilk is -iven to cahcs, it should be boil- ed, and sulli'icd to stand till it cools to the t»>n!- perature of that tirst jzivon by t!ie cow. Jt is beltei- boiled than when waiincd only. If lluMfiilk be yiveu too cold, it will cause the calf to [>Hi';.;e; if this is the case, i)ni two or three spoon-fuHs of rennet into the milk, and it vvill slo}) t.'ie looseiu ss. ]{' the calf is bound, p(irk hi nth i» said to [)e a -.^-ood and safe thintj to put into t!;o milk.-' I have I'cnred several calves ^\\t}\ ilax seed and jelly, and llnd it iin exceilent plan. 'J'o save tl:e trou- ble of maki'.)'-- hay te;;, I e;i!is<' a small (pumtity of boiled skim milk t(^ iio ]iu\(a\ with the jell',-; and when the calf is about siv v/eeks old, add a hand-full of oat or Indian me;'!. .Py tlii • iiiean>^, t.he daily turns out as nir.ch I'Mllei' as ii' no calves W(M'e re a.i'ino-. J j,i!r- chascd (aie l^u-hel of (irx se((l, ;:nd after rearing two calve;:, !:;-d rnoic limn a peck !ei't. T!;0 C.Mnj)l(te I'aiMKM', centiimes: — "The best calves for !}rinf>-inn- I'p, iire thes(> calved early in the season, or before! June. "When calves are weaned, they sheult! nr)t !)e stiK(M(m1 to be v.ith their dams any more till i:;!!; )ioit;;ei' shoeid \\u-y be pastured within siglit or liearia;.^' oi'i'iei;! — ii wii'l cause tluMU to neglect their feeding-, and they will not foi-get their suckino-. "As the j)inching cold of wiritei' will be extremely detrimental to calves, they should l)e kept very warm in their house, well supjilied with water, and let out only on the warmest days. A great deal of care is necessary to bring them tlirough the first winter, which is the most dangei'ous period of their lives. They will acquire so nuich sti-ength during the following summer, that they will have nothing io fear from the cold of a second winter." 5 ( ■" ) II I • 1 ! TREATiMENT OF STOCK IN WLNTER. The defects in the system pursued by tlie New Brunswick fiirniers, are so sinnlar to those ofthe lar- iiiers of tiiis Ishmd, that tlie foHowinjjj extract from Professor Johnson's Re[)ort seems all that is neces- sary, to point them out. He says: " A piopcr degree keep his stock alive, was tiien the chief anihition of the Scottish farmer during the winter months, and he trusted to tho nourisliing grass of spi-ing and sunnner to make up f<)»' the starving system of the colder |)art of tlie year. Such is very much the practice now in !nauy parls of New Brunswick; hut it stunts tiie cnttle in tiH?ir growth, and even in a money point of view is a false economy. TIk; woikijig ox, wlien spring arrives, ii;is not suiricient strength to do all the work v/hich the urgency of the season requires; while the animal which is sold for heef has so small a weight of nuiscle and fat, compared with that of its hones, and the quality of the meat is so inferior, that it is compa- ratively worthless in the market." FATTENING. (>nttle arc usually fattened on turnips and straw, or hay; hut a small addition of ilax seed and crushed gi'ain will iUtten them much quicker, and therehy ma- terially diminish the quantity of food which would have hecn consumed, had the process heen extended over a longfu- space of time, as it must have heen without such additions. On this head, Professor Johnson says, " The use of what is called prcj)ared food, is also a means of improvement which deserves the serious considera- tion of the New Brunswick faiiuer. The oily seeds, such as linseed, are a most valuahle food for animals, and an admixture of them, with the other fodder, is not only heneficial in itself, hut enahles the farmer also to use up easily and profitahly the straw of his grain crops in sustaining his cattle, and to convert it at tlio same time into more protitable manure. " In the present condition of agriculture in New Brunswick, I do not recommend the Provincial far- mer to purclmse linseed, as the British farmer does, tor the purpose of feeding or fattening his stock, and iTor the production of a rich manure for his corn fielda. ( l«i ) lilut the growtli of a small jjropoitioii of flnx upon liis* farm, besides yicldiiid t!i(> jelly and s(.'eds with crush- ed harloy, oats, or Indian oin. 1 gave one pint of seed and two (juarts oC meal, tinis prepared, every (lav to each beast; its eilects wer(.' soon visible in the; silUy appearance of the hair, and more thriving* con- dition of the animal. Tiiere is anDtlnn* point connected willi cattle, whic^h r(S'|uires attcMition. 'rii(>re are ^^-eneraliy no yards to y(jur barns; tlicre should lu; hi;„^h close i'ences, or «heds, eufdosinn' a space for a yaid to shelter- t!»e cat- tle; ail, hov>(!ver, cannot alford to make them, !)Ul all can fence in a s)nall space adjolninfj; their barn, tn keep in their cattu^, inid prevent their v/andei iritr about the roads in wi)it''r, by which a jiart of tlieit- droppings arr yon s(>e the cattle out all day, e\|)osed to the cutting winds, and half perished wirh the cold. In mild -.vea- ther, it is well to let them out in the yai'd; but cri .severe days they had much better be in the stable, unless your yard adbrds ^ely' .ixotd shelter for them The stables can easily be made wai-mer, by merely nailinrr up sided longcrs, or slabs, inside tD the posts, and filling- the space with sea weed, moss, straw, c»r tan bark, well stuffed down. 5* i i.iil (48) CHAPTER V. li If I i!: ■ t ADVICE TO NEW SETTLERS. Thr iiwin N\h() roinnicnccs a new finiii in the woods lias iiianv (lilliciiltios to ovorcoinc, iimcli liaidshij) to oiidnrc, and many piivations to snlirr; cxeitiun of nni,«'li\ I at Ik r tlian skill in hnsl»andi-y, is at iiist ohirily demanded ol'iiini. 'J'ho new land yields abun- dantly, and witli liis stpen<.'tli tinis taxed to its utmost, and a lon^' w inter to encountei', the tr!n|)tation to over ero|)j)!nir i;. ;ii'eat, and he recniires ail his pnidenee to iCl'i'ain I'liMu inipovei'ishing what he has cleared, to sii|i|)ly lii^ j)r( sent wants, l^ut beware how you do so. Nature has been hountilul in juivinjx jjjreat Certil- ily to the virjjin soil, but you caimot abuse her gilts 'A'ith imjnuiil} ; if you exhaust the ground by the reck- less system itf taking crop at'ler cro]>, witlmut mamir- mg, be as-ured you and your children will suller lor I); in a Tier years. Look at many of the old farms of liie Island: how many fai-mers do you see, with forty and fifty acres ol' cleared land, selling their lai-ms for a trille, or sli'uggling with poverty, and just obtaining a scanty subsistence, when they ought to have plenty? Vet these lands were once clothed with woods like yours, the soil as rich, the yield of the lirst crops as groat: what has caused the change? The answer is, the foolish, bai'barous system of cutting repeated grain and hay crojjs from the same land, without manuring. He warned by their example, and do not follow a path which must bring you to the same condition. The firsl year the land is burnt, you will put in some potatoes; but don't plant more than are absolutely necessary — since the disease, the fewer the better. New burnt land gives turnips with very little trouble; sow as many of them as you can; (Swede turnips, ^40) inaslied with a few potatoes, nrc not bad food); tlie Hct'd in not cxixMisivo; how it thick, that thi; lly may have liirt share, and hnive u shaie Tor ymi also. 'I'hr second year, sow the potato and turnip hind with some wheat and some oats; try some; lyc Jilsct — it is a sure (Mop, and it'tiie wlniat fails, \\ill nmUc excellent hread; and if yoii sell it, the hreweis will ;;iv(! you three sliillings and six pence lo fi.ur s!iilluir yeai', unh '^syou t\\ will Ijo abl-.f to keep a covv' and i>i<.i; the second \«';.r; p!;;c(> a ^nmd lot of earth iu tli.- -l,;!! under the v.\\\\ it will catch the urine; kei^p addinij; fresh earth to ti)<> >iy MJicre the ])i;.!i' is !a>pt in the autumn, and have a jrood (|uaii- tity of it uiidci- liim nil winter. In many j-iaces fcrr; irrows ])lentifully. by the road side and through the woods; it is very valmible as majmre. ?.Iake it a rule, that each child shall every day in summer oather an arm full, and throw in the pig sty or cow house; in autumn, when the leaves fall, gather as many as you can, and throw in the cow house; every spring, turn all out of the cow house and pig sty, and make it into a heap. Every little helps, and in a year or two, by the time you want manure, you will have a respectable pile. I often see new settlers selling ashes; don't do this — the trifle you get for them is not worth the time wasted in bringing them to market. (50) Keep every qiuirt of your ashes, and mix it with mud if you CUM get it, if not, with earth and sods from tiie road side; if you don't want it the year you make it, it will improve by keeping. Some will say, we are obliged to sell ashes, and every thing else that will make a pen:iy. I know that some new settlers are so destitute, tiiat present subsistence cnn only be obtain- ed by nu!;ins injuiious to their liiture operations. The poor emigrant, when he arrives, has more obstacles to overcoin>^ than the native s-^^ttler; anxious to form a hoine for himself and the little family dependent on his exertion-;, but unaccpiainted with tiie climate, and uiiskillcti in the use of the axe, he attacks the forest undtM' disadvantages which a strona' Jirm, a bold h<^ait, and iiulomitrihlc perst^vcrance can aioiu^ oveiomc. Necessity isiay compel you, and many in like circum- stanr-es, to sell what siionld he kept as a valuable manure, to bo harder on tiie land you lirst clear than you would wi.-h, an:Lre;:ii(.ns to the farmers generally, for the improvoment of their system. Wh;it thnt Province thouaiit worth paying so much for, and what so capable a man lecumiaends. cannot fiiil to be both interesting and in^itructive to the farmers of this Island: his suggestions are there- fore subjoined. SUGGESTIONS AS TO IMPROVEMENTS IX THE I'RACTICI. OF I.\i3IVIDUAE FARMERS. After what has been said in the preceding Chapters on the subject of individual practice, it will be unne- cessary for me now to touch upon many things which would otherwise have naturally found a place in tho present Chapter. ( S2 ) it ! By an improvemont in practical aijrictiltnrc, I un- derstand a chann;e in practice, which will enahle the farmer to raise larger or more vahiahle crops from the same extent of land as hefore, or to produce equal crops at a cheaper rate, witiiout perninnent injury to the land. To the practical man, theretbre, I wish to recommend notliing which, if rightly performed, will not, in my opinion, be the means of putting more money in his pocket. Wliat I have said in my suggestions to Agricultu- ral Societies, in regard to draining — deep and subsoil plougliing — green manuring — the use of bones — the saving of waste materials for the manufacture of manure — tiie covering of manure 'Vom tlie action of tlie rains und snows in the fold yard, and from the washing of the rains when laid upon tiie tield — of the use of lime — of an earlier cutting of the grain crops — of imjiroving the breeds of stock — of a better hous- ing of the cattle — of the growth and use of green crops, linseed, and prepared food during tlie winter months — of more diligent and more extended fill ploughing — of the value of agricultural journals and books — all this is intended as special advice also to the individual farmer. Each nuin can exercise a far inore direct and benoiicial influence — beneficial to himself and to the Province — over his own practice, than Societies, however zealous they may be, can be expected to do over th.at of the disti'ict in which, thev are placed. The improving farmer, indeed, does good in two ways, He not only puts more money immediately into his own pocket; but by the influence of his pi'udent and successful example, he induces otiiers around him to follow in his steps, and to put more money in theirs also. Thus the agricultural improver — the judicious, not the hasty and imprudent one — is a most valuable member of society, and it is for the best interests of every country to support, encourage, and honour him. There are only a very few additional topics on which I think it necessary to address a few ob- servations to the practical farimer3 of New Bruns- wick. (53) Tst. I would recommend the abandonment of the system of croppinjv with grain, or cutting lor hay, till the hind in exhausted — a system hitlieito so much Ibllowed in the Province. If, while the stumps are still in the ground, the land cannot be |)l()ughcd, and must be left in pasture, the manure made by means of the hay and otiier produce of the faiiii, should bo collected, husbanded, and applied as a top diessing in spring to the early grass, ijut when the stumpa ure already up, and grain and root erojts iiave been raised upon the laud, the barbarous custom of cutting for iiay, year after year, witliout numure, ought to be for ever ab;mduned. Such land, wiien in grass, mav be pastured, if tlin\i^rht desirable, i\,i tlirce or lour years — it may even be allowed to be in permanent pasture, with an occasional top uressiug — but not irtorc than one ye;ir's hay ought to be cut, as a aene- i-al rule, without the application of some lertilizing substance to its suiface. A\'hen land has already been exhausted by su..'!i trt.'atnieut, the use of bonea is deserving oi a <"arel"ul trial. •2dly. Ti.u' cusloiii of leaving tlie land to cover itself with po(n' naiuial grass, alter the graiucrop has !)ecn l. n\ oi\\ siiould iiisobe abandoned, it ought ahvavs Oe laid d.-wn wirh grass seeds, where a naked fal- low is not intended, J have, indeed, seen many eases wiiere nak';d iields have shown the neglect of this most i)r<)litau]'! j)r;!ctic(! of seeding; but it has gei'.o- rally been uj)on farms held by the pooicst and most ignoi'ant portion of the rural population of the i'lo- vince. ;Jdly. The adoption of a system of expeiimenting, prudently, caiiiiously, and on such a scale as — if all his experinuuils should fail — would not seriouslj' atfect his pocket, is the next point I would uige upon the practical man. It is a line of activity upon which he cannot too soon entei-. There is a broad intervening space between the actual condition of New i^runswick agriculture, and the condition to which it might bu brought by the judicious application of existing know- ledge. Hut that knowledge cannot be diffused among, cannot be acquired by, tlic farmers of the Province (54) t •:i 6 all at once. What tlioy do learn, also, they will na- turally (louht, until tliey have seen it actually applied to, and jK.'tunlly car.sing nioi-e profitable crops to grow upon the land. It is, therefore, by a system of triala that general confidence will ))e obtained, in this or that method of improvement. The distinction between the miin who dosii'cs to improve — to advance, wliich is a sort of cotulition alfectin^' all matei'ia! things in North AisH'i'ica at tho j-resent time — and the man who is cont(,'iit to .it still, is, that the first endc^avours to accittire inf. >r!!ialion, and having obtained an inliling of new kn:).\ led.!'.' — perfect or imperfect — shews a dispositioM to ma'.e U:-e of it, to make trials of the methods ot" aip/aiicomect in his own v>'alk, wliicii the knmvlrdae :^m '",orts. The maker of agricultural ex- perimer.t-. t'lo. (>riro, is the man who is ac(piiring knov,lc(l:,r — is tliin.king how he can apply it most use- fully to hiii! elf, ajid is testing the opinions and recom- jneinhilioiis hi" iiiny liave lieard or j-ead, by the prac- tical mcr.iis v/hi^di his Ihiin ))laccs in his hands. Jt is a favoura!)l(' siim ol" the diHusion of kno;\led diii'use itself among them. Tfic use of Lime is recommended by many in the Province oi'Xcw i^runswirk, and as I think, with rea- son. The advancing man will, therefore, try lime in a small piece of lii; land, if he doubts its efficacy, and his means are snt;; II ; lie will try it in various wavs, applied, at diner<>nt ti?nes, to diiferent crops, and in different soils; anp .it. Tiio improvement of the !>i(!rd of stock is, in one ;. -int of view, the basis of the eiitiic agricultuial iinjirov jnent of a distiiet. Good stock necessitates good fM>diiig. P.Juch slock, and n-ood feeding, prudsicf.-s mach and i-ich maimre. ,\iMi)i(' maniuiug {'nriclirs the S(ui, and causes it to okmIucc good crops; and tlit'so largo crops, no-niii, wiuthcroi' eoi-n, iiay, or I'oots, afford the materials for ahuiKiiiiit feeding, and for f>ld-yai'ds full of manuie. Hut in some j^aits of the Province, ther(? Is a pr< - pidice against improved breeds of stock. Thus, Mr. Hu])bard, oi' Burt-m, writes me — '-The stock of tiio <'ountry will do ifctter on what we farmers call stock hay, and no shelter, than the English breed vill on merchantable hay with sheltei-; and horses the same."' I infer lYom these words of Mr. Hubbard, howevei , that he looks for the profit of his faimin49 Sir • Having been requested to give you my o])inion on tiie treatment of Live stock in this country, during the winter montiis, 1 beg to submit tiic fjllowing re- marks: — " When I first engaged in farming operations, I kept my cattle in a building similar to those used tlirougliout this Province at the present time; but about tive years ago, I built a new barn on a side bill; I excavated an under-story for my cattle; one Hide, and part of the ends, arc under the ordinary level of the ground; the side facing the hollow is where the cattle enter the building, which is of frame work, boarded and shingled. The building above is also boarded and shingled, on the roof and sides. There is a yard in front of the under story, of forty-five feet .square. A shed is built on the North and West of the yard, to break off the wind, the South side being left open. 'I (57) " Since I kept my catth; in this Ijiiildinj:, thoy n]i- pear much more coinioi tabic (l)cinints to which individiuil lurmers are recommended to dii'cct th< ir Jitteniiwii:" — 1st. Thorougli drainage ofclay soils, wet slopes and ])0ttoni^\ and maish or dylvcd lands, where tiie fall is sullicient to admit of a re^ady ou'ht, and a sulhcient depth of drain. •Zd. Better cleaning and decpei- ploughing rd'the soil. 3J. More care in saving, coliccting, and ap[)lying manures of all kinds, litpiid nnd solid. 4th. An ahniuloninent of the system of cutting repeated crops «.)r liay oif the same land till it is ex- hausted. 5th. An abandonment also of the ciistom of taking repeated successive crops of corn olf the same land, without alternation with other croi)s, and v.ithout manure. Gth. Cutting down grain of all kinds before it is fully ripe, and grass before it i-uns to seed. 7th. Cutting down Indian corn with a knife, as is done in New York, and use of the stalks in feeding milch cows and other stock. 8th. Sowing buckwheat or rye to plough in green, and use of bone dust to renovate exhausted and worn out lands. r' hi! (r>8) !Uli. Plou2:liin<5 ilocpcr, in all cases, than has liith- crto hccii usual, hut espccijilly such land as has ceas- ed to ho productive as loj-nieily. lOth. 'J\ikiiis^ advanta<^e of every open dny in the fall, to j)lon: turnips ;iii(l iin-'M d, with tho vien' of ;ilh. Collecting" (Mrcfidiy, uwd |)res(M \ino' undiT covci'. all the rn;\nii!'e m.-dc hv his stock dtuing the wint'-r; that he iiiay htive it uiinudanllv and in ijood Condition I'oi* hi;- potato ami .'iccn crops v.hcn t'le time of phnstinv: oi- ao',, !)),<;• cv)nies. Kith. Mem;; :m<.v ,-t:)nur t"p di-essin::, l:is \',(!!'!i out hay h-:^}*!-;. w 'i'>!i llic lab'! i- not ytii;..p( d, and therel'ue cauii'-t he piou!i.!ii'd uj), 17th. C olirciia-:: (uii'ciidi}- a!' waste h.^ncs. i)i-.'ak- ing ihcni, and ^ipi '.' '''^^' them to tiio land; e.-peciailv the use (jf l)on<-- is to l)e recvMiimendf d upon land which has Ixm n woin out l)y o\ei' C''op])irt