squeamish readers with calling things by their right names), will treat of human exuvia and soil. holes. or his servant, go through and collect the domestic contents. Those ought to be collected in each house into a square box, with a lid, in a supersaturated state, which box the lessee would carry with him, leaving another for the use of the next day, with a quantity of saturating matter, as ashes, dried soil, &c. He might also collect the fluid ex-lecting these exuviæ more carefully, have often uvia for the benefit of the manufacturers, in a separate jar; these boxes might be put upon his barrow below, by which he might carry them into the ward deposite, emptying each box therein by a side door, taking care, however, to supersaturate the whole. Ideas similar to those which have been urged by Glaucus, and by Dr. Hunter in one of your early volumes, relative to the importance of colstruck me. There can be little doubt that the annual ejectamenta of an individual, if properly applied to an acre of soil wanting manure, would enable it to produce a quarter more of grain of any kind, than without this application; but, to be within the mark, let us say one fourth of this, or As the sweepings of the streets and other rub- two bushels; the value of which we will call ten bish might not be sufficient for all this supersatu-shillings. The amount, then, to which, by this ration, the carts that carried off the rubbish might, application, the national wealth may be reasonably in coming in from the country, bring a quantity of supposed capable of being annually extended, is, the matter necessary for this purpose, which could in the whole empire, no less than eight millions be distributed about the ward in the morning by of pounds. Now, what proportion of this manure the proprietor or his servant in the returned box. may we conjecture to be at present profitably apIt would be proper to begin with carefully cover-plied? In the country, doubtless, the greater part, ing the bottom of the box. The top of the contents also, in like manner, should be covered with equal care. The great difficulty to overcome is, to make this a work that persons can go about without difficulty or disgust. Nothing but supersaturation can prevent the last, and the due system of police the first, Penalities for throwing exuvia out of the windows, and certain immunities secured to the proprietor or lessee of these temples, are necessary. But were the work once keenly set agoing, a variety of improvements might succeed; and the business, like many others of those that were from the first disagreeable, might be clothed with decency, and even, in course of time, with not unseemly flowers and ornaments. I beg pardon for being so minute; but it is impossible to expect any advantage without this; for as people recoil from this subject as a thing unfit for notice, they must be convinced, not only of its expediency, but also of its practicability. I shall conclude with just noticing that were the system, above recommended, adopted through out the kingdom, many thousand acres of ground would be made of double their present value. Many thousand invaluable plants, now rare, would be produced in our gardens; the atmosphere of our towns and streets would be purified; and numbers of people not only supplied with labor, but with labor of the most productive kind to the kingdom. GLAUCUS. Edinburgh, 19. May, 1809. ON HUMAN EXUVIE AND SOIL-HOLES. From the Edinburgh Farmers' Magazine. Sir,-In adding to the hints of your correspontden Glaucus, in last number, I do not think it necessary to follow him in his sort of half apology for commenting on stercoraceous subjects. It would be ridiculous to suppose that the readers of the Farmer's Magazine will regard any discussion as repulsive which is connected with the im. provement of their art; and, in truth, none but the 'nasty ideas' of 'nice people' will ever find any thing repellent in discussions (with due periphrasis, to be sure) connected with the Cloacinean goddess. This letter then, sir, (not to offend your more and in many large towns a partial proportion. But, in some of our populous cities, there is reason to believe that nine tenths of this manure is utterly wasted. On the whole, it may be fairly assumed, that not more than one half is profitably applied. By this neglect, therefore, a national loss of four millions is anually sustained. Is it not worth while to inquire how this may be avoided, even though at the risk of turning the stomachs of some over nice readers? The first question to be resolved, is, in what way are the human exuviæ of your great cities wasted? Generally, of course, by being conveyed into the common sewers, and from thence to fatten the fuci in the ocean, instead of augmenting the produce of our fields and pastures. The bogs of London seem commonly to communicate with the sewers: but I confess I was always puzzled to guess whither the pipes of the water-closets, now so frequent, are conveyed. I conclude however, to the same quarter. How is this waste to be reremedied? The rich will doubtles continue their water-closets. If they communicate, therefore, with the sewers, their contents must be wasted. The bogs might perhaps be abolished, and more economical repositories be abolished, and more economical repositories provided. The mode may be best explained by detailing the practice in this respect at a neighboring town, where there are not, I venture to say, ten cart-loads of human exuviæ wasted in a twelvemonth. In Hull, the place I allude to, every house is provided with a soil-hole. This is a sine qua non to the meanest tenement, and the very first desideratum that a builder considers essential. None of these communicate with the sewers. They are usually very small, and with but one seat; in the front of which is an opening, closed in common by a square board, which fits pretty accurately, and is fastened by two wooden buttons or nuts. The bottom is made to slaut a little towards the back of the building; but is rarely more than a few inches below the floor. Into this seat all the ashes made by the family are constantly thrown. The consequence is, that the exuviæ are so completely neutralized that no effensive smell is felt, though they are often built close by the back-doors in very confined yards. The dustmen, as they are called, of whom many have accumulated considerable fortunes, send their carts and men every two or three days, to clean out these soil-holes. [tle, and run off without injury to the bees. On This is effected by merely opening the front board, these blocks I lay my floor board, which should and shovelling the contents into a tub, which is he sound and full an inch thick; if more, no ruatter. emptied into a cart. So completely is every thing The top of the hive should be covered with a two fluid absorbed by the ashes, that no dirt is made inch plank, or if more convenient, a piece of wrie by this process, nor is it at all offensive to pass one thick slab with the rounding side up, so that if the of these carts in the street:-you merely see what frost comes out, and heavy rains fall, it may serve appears to be a load of ashes. This manure is as a roof to carry the water from over the hive and eagerly bought by the adjoining farmers, and of- turn it into the pit below. Straw is then placed ten shipped and sent up the rivers to a great dis-as compactly as may be around the hive, and the tance. Of course, the price is high; and the dust-earth thrown on so as to form a cone above it. men consider it a favor to be allowed to clean out which again operates as a roof to turn the water a soil-hole gratis. They never think of demanding as it falls. With regard to the depth of burying, money; and often, I believe, give a gratuity to the we can only say, that in our former experiments, servants. How should they do otherwise, indeed, we never sunk the top of the hive below the surwhen they sell this manure for six and seven shil-face. Whether it would be well to do so we canlings a cart-load of about a ton? This price I not say. Some, when burying their bees, drive paid some years ago for two lighters-full, the freight down a stake near the hive, as they say to admit of which was as much more. Now, I believe, it the air; but we do not see why a stake, drove with is higher. As a proof of the value set upon ma- the earth compactly placed around it, can form an nure at Hull, it may be stated, that the magis-air hole more than the earth itself. And if it could, trates have more than once published threats of we do not see the necessity of it, for the object of punishment to those who should secretly sweep the burying bees is to put them as much as may be streets, to the injury of the scavengers who had in a state of dormancy through the winter, by contracted to clean them; and that there is quite which their stock of provisions is lengthened out, a competition amongst children with wheel-bar-to secure them from sudden and often fatal chanrows, and old men with carts and asses, who ges from heat and cold and from storms and suntraverse the town, carefully sweeping up every shine. heap of horse-dung casually dropped. In selecting a place for burying, it is important that a dry one should be chosen, and we prefer one that is cold to a warm one, and could we regulate the condition of the earth around them, we would freeze it the night after their burial, and keep it frozen until time for their exhumation in the spring. We, in both instances of our former burying, took The general adoption, in large towns, of the practicable system above detailed, would fully answer the wishes of Glaucus; would create a vast annual accession of national wealth; and would supplant the ha'd your hand' nuisances which are experienced in some places. Still, however, a vast quantity of valuable manure will always be con-them up some of the last days of March, and a'l veyed to waste down the sewers of a large city. To turn this to account, the plan proposed by Dr. Hunter is very feasible. Let the outlets of such sewers be surrounded with reservoirs constantly furnished with a succession of absorbent materials, that would drink up the precious fluid as fast as it arrived. Nothing could make better manure than such a saturated mass. the dead we found from the four hives thus kept would not half fill a person's hand, and on exposure to the sun and atmosphere, the living were as bright and lively as though they had knows no winter, and they gave swarms earlier and more frequently than did the hives that were not buried, the ensuing summer. BURYING BEES IN WINTER. From the New England Farmer. AN ENGLISH GRASS FARM. From the New England Farmer. Mr. Editor.-During my residence abroad, I Our last swarm came off in June, and notwith-spent one summer and a part of the autuma at standing the old adage that "a swarm in June is Merton, in Surry, domiciled with a Mr. Raine, tennot worth a spoon" we should refuse an offer of ant to Mr. Middleton, author of the Agricultural two spoons for this, and more, unless they were very nice and very heavy. True, the quantity of honey which they have gathered is not very great, but, with our way of managing such hives, we think amply sufficient for their supply. We propose burying them through the winter, a practice which we have adopted in two successive years, and had we continued it the third, our old colony, instead of coming to an utimely end, would probably have been in existence now through its descendants. Survey of Middlesex, with whom I was acquainted. It was a hay and grass farm, and the management of it was of the best description. It consisted of 160 acres, all improved as meadow, no pienzh being used on the place except in the garden. The course adopted was as follows. Early in the spring the fields were all shat up. As soon as the hay was secured, and this was a great labor, the teams commenced carrying it to London for sale, loading back with manure. And now commenced that course of judicious conduc My method of burying bees is as follows. The which excited my warmest admiration at the time, operation is performed the last of November. The and has remained my beau ideal of good managepit in which they are to be placed is dug considera- ment ever since. The second growth of grass bly larger than the hives, in every respect. On being well shot up, Mr. Raine went to the cate the bottom of the pit two sticks say of scantling, four fair, and bought large beeves, in high condition. inches square, are so placed that a cavity may be In his rich and clean meadows, these were soon left into which the water if there is any may set- I ready for, Smithfield market, to which they were sent, and their place supplied by other beeves, still | in high condition, but of much smaller size. On the removal to the shambles of the second herd, still smaller cattle, in fair condition, were bought, to be initiated into a still higher preparatory degree of fatting. These were sold off, and were succeeded by small lean cattle from the Welsh mountains, to be improved as stores. The fifth set of temporary tenants of the farm were small sheep, to be wintered. The farm, as I have remarked, consisted of 160 acres. The rent paid was £2 10s per acre, at $4.80 the pound sterling, twelve dollars per acre, £1,920 for the farm. Paying this enormous rent,-saddled with heavy taxes, and at a large outlay for manure and farm servants, Mr. Raine was still accumulating large riches upon it. His house was in the style of a gentleman, and his expenditures on a most liberal scale, but he owed nobody a farthing. We are poor farmers in this country, Mr. Colman, very poor farmers, as Alfred Jingle would say, very. Those of us who do best, are very far from doing as English farmers do. They make more profit per acre from the borders of their fields than we make from our best intervale; realize as much gain in the shifting stock to consume the herbage of a single summer, as we do from grow ing for three years the same number of head. Every thing there is made to produce profit. As large a capital is invested as we invest in a thrifty commercial business. No man can rent a farm who has not a sufficient capital to stock it, work it, and lay out of the price of a year's harvest. The outlay of capital on a large farm is very great. A fair estimate of the required sum on a farm of a thousand acres, is five thousand pounds sterling. It would astonish the American farmer to see the book of "bills receivable and payable" of an English lessee of a fa:m. Yours, J. A. I. THE AGRICULTURAL STATE OF SCOTLAND. From the Cultivator. And what has that to do with American husbandry? it may be asked. Much, we reply. We may learn from what Scotland was, and what she is in agriculture, many useful lessons in farming. We may learn our own errors in practice; and, if we are not too proud, or too conceited, we may learn, from Scotch lessons in farming how to correct them -we may learn from them how to double at least, the products of our agricultural labor. The history of Scotch agriculture for the last fifty years, is invaluable to every farmer who would improve his practice. History is wisdom, teaching by example. "Bleak are thy hills of north, And bare are thy swains." "In 1784, a few gentlemen, full of zeal for their country, and it may be a little love of society, formed themselves into a sort of hole and corner club, in a coffee house called the Exchange, situated in the court of that name, near "the market cross of Edinburgh." Here, in the enjoyment of agreeable conversation and a good supper, did those worthies talk over plans for the amelioration of the high-lands, and from this nuclens arose the now widely extended and powerful Highland Society." * "To say what was the state of agriculture in Scotland at the date of the formation of the Highland Society, would, to treat of it minutely, require greater scope than the limits of a periodical admit." "But to take one sweep over hill and dale, cornfield and meadow, we may at once pronounce the agriculture of Scotland, at that period, to have been wretched-execrably bad in all its localities! Hardly any wheat was attempted to be grown; oats full of thistles was the standard crop, and this was repeated on the greater part of the arable land, while it would produce twice the seed thrown into it: turnips, as part of the rotation of crops, were unknown; few potatoes were raised, and no grass seeds or clover were sown. The whole manure of the farm be ing put on a little bit of ground near the farmstead, and there they grew some barley of the coarse sort, termed bere, wherewith to make bannocks, broth and small beer, or peradventure, if the farm lay at the foot of the Grampians, to brew a portion of mountain dew! Since the writer can recollect, a great part of the summer was employed in the now fertile shire of Fife, in pulling thistles out of the oats, and bringing them home for the horses, or mowing the rushes and other aquatic plants that grew on the bogs around the homestead. Such was the state of Scotland, with but little appearance of amendment, up to 1792." The general outline of this picture of wretched husbandry is suited to the present condition of many districts on the eastern borders of our country, though the filling up of the picture would require to be somewhat different. "Time, with her ceaseless wing, had now brought in another century, and on the arrival of the nineteenth, the richer part of the low country had put on another aspect. Beautiful fields of wheat were to be seen-drilled green crops and clean fallows every where abounded-the bogs had disappeared-the thistles no longer existed. In the Lothians, all this was carried on to a great extent. The farmers forgot themselves-they were coining money, and light come, light go,' was their motto. They went on in the most reckWe find a valuable essay in the Edinburgh less manner-they began to keep greyhounds, to Quarterly Journal of Agriculture,' showing what be members of coursing clubs, subscribed to the Scotland was, and what she is, in regard to her 'silver cup,' or 'puppy stakes,' and yelped the agriculture. She was, in 1784, two years after the same note of folly as their betters in birth, their close of our revolution, "as poor as a church equals in extravagance and vice. Then followed She is now, perhaps, the richest in agri-yeomanry races-the good sturdy nag that would cultural products of any portion of Great Britain, be of use at a time in the operations of the farm, at least so far as regards her arable lands. The was exchanged for a blood steed, and on marketwriter describes the face of the country at the mid-day, instead of rational conversation about matters dle of the last century, as "no better than that of a connected with their own calling, they began to bleak, howling wilderness," and well, he adds, talk knowingly' about the turf. At this time, might the poet at the inn window inditethat is, from 1810 to 1814, the agricultural horizon mouse. was the brightest; the gas was fully up, the nation' wild beast for which gins and traps must be laid, was alive ; all was activity and business.” But at this time the battle of Waterloo came, and with it peace and low prices. Farmers could not sustain their extravagance-they had teen unable to bear prosperity—an i their farms fell into the hands of more prudent managers. We have seen much of the same routine of industry, extravagance and poverty, among the farmers of our own country. Not willing to let well enough alone, they have embarked in speculation, or in pursuits to which they were strangers, and have gone into extravagancies and follies, to ape the great, which their means did not warrant, and which neither their comfort nor the welfare of their children required. The consequence often has been, that, like the indiscreet Scotch farmer, their lands have come into the possession of more prudent managers. hit on the idea of making drains in parallel lines in the hollow of every ridge, cutting them to the depth of thirty inches, filing them with sma. stones halt way to the surface, above this putting a green turi reversed, and replacing the mould. Following up his first discovery by ploughing deep, he has now a farm of the finest and ever seen; and so convinced is the writer of the utiry of this mode of draining, that each year he has been increasing the quantity he has made, and during the last twelve inonths has put in above filteen miles. Nor is the Deanston drain confined to those parts of the country where stone or gravel can be procured: the same system can be and is followed with the same effect, by using the Marquis of Tweeddale's tile; or even the poorest farmer, who has not capital to under ake costly improvements, can feralize his farm by making the But though Scotch farmers failed, from not thirty inch drains and filling them with brushwood. knowing how to bear prosperity, Scotch husban-, It is perfectly wonderful to behold the mighty dry did not retrograde. change this thorough-drain system is making in "In 1815, the turnip husbandry had got a firm the different parts of the country where it is in ophold in the country-the benefit accruing from iteration: wet land is made dry, poor weeping clays was so apparent, that no convulsion in the market prices couli make the farmers forsake it." are converted into turnip soil, and even what would formerly have been accounted dry, is advanced in quality. Whole parishes in the vicinity of Stirling are completely transformed from unsightly marshes into beautiful and rich wheat fields, and where the plough could scarcely be driven for slush and water, we see heavy crops per acre and heavy weight per bushel, the quantity and quality alike improved." Yet the culture was limited, owing first to the want of manure to feed the turnip crop, destined to fatten the farm stock; and secondly, to the ex-, pense of driving their cattle to a distant market, Two discoveries removed these impediments. The first, the most important," says our author, "that ever occurred in the annals of agriculture, viz., that of bone dust," and the second, the application "It is the greatest quantity produced at the cheapof steam, by our countryman, Fulton, to the pro-est rate that will ever make a prosperous trade. pelling of vessels, which enabled the Scotch farmer If wheat is low in price, the farmer must bestir to transport his fat animals to Smithfield market, himself. Let him remember that if he can but at a moderate expense. “So palpable was the grow one or two quarters more per acre, he will be benefit to be derived from the use of bone manure, in a better position, even with the low price, than that in a few years there was not a farmer who he was before." did not avail himself of it. The farmers could now grow turnips to any extent, and the bare fallow was exploded." We have bone dust, and poudrette, and other newly discovered means of fertility, which the farmer is shy of buying and "In the days of its youth and feebleness, the using. We have tried them all, and are satisfied Highland Society sent the leaven of the turnip both of their utility and the economy of their ap-husbandry into all the glens and straths of the plication, especially upon naturally dry or well drained soils. They add much to the products of agricultural labor, without any thing like a corresponding outlay. The Scotch farmer could now grow turnips to any extent. He could fatten upon these his stock, and he could send this stock to market at a trivial expense, for the "steam engine had become his drover." But another-a third improvement followed, which we have yet to learn the value of-we mean furrow draining on flat and tenacious soils. Hear what our author says upon this subject: In speaking of the Highland Society, the writer enumerates the following means which that society adopted, as contributing largely to the mighty aúvance of the agriculture of Scotland : north, by offers of small prizes to certain Hogtland parishes; and the same may be said as to the growth of clover and the finer grasses. As it advanced in strength, (as to numbers and to cash.) attention was turned to premiums for stock; then came offers of reward to men of science to discover better implements and machines, to diminish friction and consequently draught, such as in the thrashing mill and other parts of agricultural machinery. Still advancing in the scale of intellect and of science, premiums were offered for essays to bring to light the facts connected with chemie"No man holding land ought to be ignorant of try and natural philosophy; and, under the austhe thorough or Deanston drain. Mr. Smith, pices of the society, was set up the Quarterly deeply engaged in the cotton spinning trade, could Journal of Agriculture,' a work which has bees not procure a fall of water on the river Teith, ten the vehicle of conveying so much useful informsmiles west of the castle of Sterling, without rent-tion to the agriculturist, that we humbly ventos ing along with it a considerable portion of very to say it ought to appear on the table and bort bad and wet land. Not liking to have a heavy shelf of every farmer's parlor. After this, the rent to pay for such trash, Mr. Smith turned his great stock shows were resolved upon, as another powerful mind to the subject, and perceiving the link of union between the society and the practical folly of throwing away large sums of money on farmer, at the same time throwing aside all panry deep and useless drains, with all the stuff of tap-feeling, and making them open to stock from bot ping and boring, to catch the water, as if it were a sides of the Tweed, [i. e. from England as well ciples, the mode in which soil operates in producing or facilitating the germination and growth of vegetables. An essay or memoir describing and proving, on scientific principles, what is the best admixture of the ordinary elements of soil, for promoting the germination and growth of particular vegetables. as Scotland.] How well they have succeeded, let | An essay or memoir explaining on scientific printhe last one at Glasgow bear witness. [This was the most splendid show of fine cattle ever exhibited.] Nor has the society forgotten the beauty of the country, as the premiums offered in regard to planting trees and such like subjects fully testify; and to sum up all, it may be said, the Highland Society has been a point d'appui, a rallying point, to which the agriculturists of Scotland might look, and a fostering mother to all who, although strong in talent, were weak in inverest to make it public. An ardent lover of the plough and all that can speed it, the writer of this article would advise the society of England, and all other agri-An essay or memoir explaining, on scientific princultural societies who would be useful to their country, to look into the annals of the Highland Society, and from them to cull whatever may be of use in the advancement of the delightful science, the culture of the fields. "The men Whom nature's works can charm, with God himself The Highland Society have this year offered prizes to the amount of $17,000, under the following classification: Class 1.-Agricultural machinery, 500 sovereigns and a gold and silver medal. Class II-Essays and reports on various subjects, embracing thirty-one subjects of high interest to the farmer, viz: 1. Geological surveys. 2. Reports on coal districts. 3. Mines and minerals. 4. Products of peat moss, &c. 5. Comparison between ditlerent kinds of nure in raising potatoes. 6. Extended application of water and other power to farm purposes. An essay or memoir describing, on scientific principles, the mode in which lime operates in rendering the soil better adapted for the germination and growth of particular vegetables. ciples, the effect of drainage in altering the constitution or qualities of the soil, and increasing its fertility. An essay or memoir, showing the nature of the atmospheric influences on soil, in promoting its fertility, including the modification of these influences arising from heat and cold, dryness and moisture. Class III.-Waste lands-their improvement by tillage. Class IV.-Crops and culture. Class V.-Pastures-their management. Class VIII.-The best kept cottages and cottage gardens. Class IX.-Woods and plantations. Class X.-General show of live stock and agricultural meeting at Inverness. Having shown, by our quotations, something of the vast extent of the recent improvements in the ma-agriculture of Scotland, and the influence which its agricultural society has had in promoting these improvements, we have given the above sketch of their premums, as indicating the means they have adopted, and are adopting, to bring about this great and salutary change-to show how vast a field they occupy, and the great bearing which science is made to have in the improvement of the soil, and in the operations of the farm. 7. Comparative efficacy of the two modes thorough draining. 8. Reports on irrigation. 9. Forest planting. 10. Sheep pastures at high elevations. 11. Improved sheep salve. of 12. On crossing the Cheviot with the New Lei cester ram. 13. Cultivation of the recently introduced cereal and other grains. 14. Feeding farm horses on raw and prepared food. OATS NOT AN EXHAUSTING CROP. To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. The injury done to the crops of wheat for the last four years by the chinch-bug makes it necessary that the attention of Virginia farmers should be directed to the growing of some crop as a subgrasses.stitute. Oats (all agree) are to be preferred to rye, being a spring crop, and on that account less liable to be destroyed by the chinch bug. But 15. Early rearing and fattening of lambs. 21. Subsoil ploughing of thorough-drained land. fears are entertained by many persons that oats 22. Mole plough. 23. Experiments with manures. 23. Analysis of bone or rape dust. 25. On the effects of altitude on vegetation. 26. Feeding of cattle. 27. Forests of larch. 28. On raising improved varieties of grains. exhaust land more than any other small grain. Now, sir, this is a mere prejudice, for no one can assign a good reason for the opinion. Taking a different view of the matter, and wishing to test its correctness by an experiment, I eight years ago determined to put a piece of land in oats every year during my lite, or the land's. I sowed this 29. Reports on improved rural economy abroad.devoted (as some of my neighbors thought) piece 30. Honorary premium for reports on certain districts in Scotland. 31. Investigation of certain points connected with the science of agriculture, viz: of land six years in succession in oats, and the seventh year (1838) thinking it a little too foul for oats, put it in corn. This year it was in wheat. I shall put it next year to its former occupation, and |