SCRAPS FROM MY NOTE BOOK.-No. 1. ing to some of us "outside barbarians,” and enable WHILE travelling over the United States for us to "calculate" the cost of milk. [We shall be several years past, I have jotted down in a memo- obliged to Mr. C. if he will do this. ED.] Mr. randum, whatever appeared to me worthy of note, Colwell could give you many other items worth and which might some day be interesting to those your notice, I dare say, and I engage you a most who take pleasure in increasing their agricultural heary welcome, if you will give him a call. information. And here I give you a scrap about There is another thing connected with this farm An Orange County Milk Farm.-While on a visit that gives it a claim upon the notice of every true at Newburgh last summer, I made the acquaintance American, who loves the mementoes of our Revoluof Mr. J. R. Colwell, who lives on a farm of 280 tionary history. It is the very ground occupied by acres, 2 miles from the river, and upon which he Washington's army, while he occupied that memokeeps 50 cows, 4 oxen, 5 horses, and varying num-rable old stone house in Newburgh, which is still bers of young stock. About 60 acres are in grain known as Washington's Headquarters. It was cultivation; the other in pasture, mowing, and upon this farm where our toil-worn, poorly fed, and woodland, which latter, however, is pastured. The worse clothed soldiers used to lie down in far average crops on this, as well as adjoining farms, worse winter-quarters than do the present occumay be fairly stated as follows:--Corn, 40 bushels pant's cows, and at times, too, when they would to the acre; rye, 20; oats, 40; and hay, one-and- have been right glad of some of the good, sweet meal a-half tons. Of course the great reliance for profit is upon the milk sent to the city market. This is sold at an average through the year of two cents per quart, delivered on board of steam-boats at Newburgh. Mr. Colwell expects his cows to average 5 or 6 quarts of milk per day through the year, which will be in a year, at 54 quarts per day, 2,007 quarts, at 2 cents, $40.15, which is a little below what is generally calculated for the average produce of cows in Orange county.

Last year Mr. Colwell only kept sixteen cows, from which he sold milk to the amount of $890, making an average of $55.62 to each cow; a very pretty little item for some of us out west, who brag of our great prairie pastures, to set down opposite our account of profit, where cow-keeping costs nothing, and the profit is in exact proportion.

now fed to them, to say nothing of the rich milk poured out upon this field of Mars, where the verification and benefit of beating swords into plow shares is so well illustrated. Relics of those ancient days, are still plowed up from time to time, as the plowman becomes satisfied of the truth of turning up gold if he will but plow deep. Far more likely to plow it, than to dig it up, out of "Kidd's ship," which some of that numerous class of people who seek to live by any other mode than plowing, either deep or shallow, are still shallow enough to try to do at a place on the river below West Point called Colwell's landing, after one of the ancestors of the gentleman I have mentioned, and who accompanied me down the river and pointed out this and many other interesting spots. Here it is said, $20,000 have been spent in money digging, which, if it had been spent în digging the soil, would probably not have been sunk like the present expenditure, deeper than that sought after.

But I must tell how Mr. Colwell's cows are kept. In summer, upon good pasture, watered by such springs and rills as are always found trickling through a mountainous country such as this is. At Quantity of Grass Seed sown to the Acre.-In six o'clock regularly through the summer, they are my own neighborhood, and many other places in brought from the pasture to the yards, and milked, which I am acquainted, four quarts to the acre of and then turned out in a different pasture during the timothy seed is thought to be a good seeding; and night. This change of pasture every night, Mr. I am laughed at for talking about putting on half a Colwell looks upon as an item of great importance. bushel. If such men ever read, I should like to When the pasture begins to fail, say 1st of October, have them learn how they seed land in Orange he commences feeding half a bushel per head per county. Noticing while on a visit to Mr. Charles day of brewer's grains, which are hauled each day Downing last fall, that he was seeding down a from Newburgh, and fed to the cows in heaps laid piece of ground-dry gravelly loam upon a side upon the clean sod. The winter feeding com- hill, I had the curiosity to see how much seed he mences on an average the middle of November, put on to the acre, and found it was half a bushel and ends about the 10th of May. The cows are all of clean timothy, one-fourth of a bushel of orchard stabled through the winter, and at present turned grass, and one-eighth of a bushel of clover. Now, out to water; but Mr. Colwell intends to fix his if four quarts is enough, what a waste of seed is stable so as to water them as they stand in the here? And equally wasteful was he in the labor stalls. For winter feed, everything of straw, hay, bestowed upon the land. Not contented with or stubble kind, is cut up, and corn and cobs, and plowing and throwing on the seed in a windy day, occasionally oats ground, and two quarts of this he actually sowed it carefully even, and then harmeal, with three pecks of brewer's grains to each rowed the ground until smooth. And what is more, cow, is mixed up with the chopped straw, &c., picked up the roots, stones, and trash, besides the twelve hours before feeding, and given in quanti-waste of putting on manure. ties to satisfy each appetite-not forgetting a daily Well, no wonder such folks can make $55 allowance of salt. This feed, and a warm stable, from a cow in one season-we can't do it out gives him almost as much milk in winter as in west, that ar' a fact, stranger; but then we can live summer. When I was there in October last, the without it." price of grains was four cents per bushel, and I That is the answer--" we can live"-yes, we can think I understood Mr. Colwell, that was his con- and do live, the Lord knows how; but you never tract price through the year. If you will add the will till you come and see. "One half the present prices of hay and grain, it will be interest-world don't know how the other half live."—No

TO GET SANDY WOODLANDS IN CROP.-A CHEAP FARM-HOUSE.

57

if they did, they would try to live better. If some | It is particularly intended for the new settler, and to of " your folks" "down East," only knew how be built on the baloon plan, which has not a single some of "our folks" "out West," lived, or pretend- tennon or mortice in the frame, except the sills; all ed to live by farming, they would be more content- the upright timber being very light, and held toed; and it western land spoilers knew how eastern gether by nails, it being sheeted upon the studs land skinners had skinned their land to death, they under the clap boards, is very stiff, and just as good would not go on doing just the same thing. But and far cheaper than ordinary frames. they won't know, and, of course, won't do.

SOLON ROBINSON.

We would advise our correspondent to remove all his wood off as early as February, and cut and pile the brush. As soon as this is dry enough in March, commence burning it, and then scatter the ashes carefully over the land. Now take a strong break up plow, with a sharp coulter, which will go through the land and cut up the surface roots completely, 6 to 9 inches deep; it can then be as easily plowed with the common plow, as an old field. Give it a top-dressing of Peruvian guano, at the rate of 400 lbs. per acre, mixed with fine charcoal dust. Harrow this well in; then sow at least 3 or 4 bushels of oats to the acre, and half a bushel of clover seed. Harvest the oats when ripe, and neither feed nor cut the clover that year. If this advice suits our correspondent, we will, in a future No., tell him what further to do with his land.

A CHEAP FARM-HOUSE.
Whoever rears his house in air,
Will need much gold to build it there;
While he that builds an humble cot,
May save some gold to boil the pot.
While that so high the cot outshows,
Is hard to climb the good wife knows.
Who has the cot ne'er wants a home;
Who spent the gold to want may come

Ir is an old proverb, Mr. Editor, that many a man has built his house so big he could not live in it. Sometimes it is because he don't know how to build less. Can we help to show him? Notwithstanding the high character and the adaptability of Mr. Downing's works to the "upper ten thousand," the wants of the lower ten hundred thousand are not satisfied.

GROUND PLAN OF COTTAGE.-FIG. 12.

It is often the case, particularly in settling new countries, that a man wants something that will answer for immediate shelter, and which he would Description.-a, Wash-room, 13 x 13; b, kitchen be glad so to build that it would by and by form 16 x 24; c, parlor, 16 x 16; d, f, h, i, bed-rooms, part of the house-so he may be able to build part 10 x 12; e, store-room, 8 x 10; g, pantry, 8 x 10; of a house this year, and part next year, and per-j, l, clothes press; k, entry; m, fire-place; n, stairhaps another part another year. way; o, wood-house; p, garden gate; the pump should be in the wash room.

Now, any plan that is so arranged that the new beginner can build it in parts, having each part complete in itself, will be useful to many of your readers, who will never read " Cottage Residences;" and if they did, could not adopt a single plan in the book, for want of means. It is for the benefit of this class that I have arranged the enclosed plan.

I would have a lawn in front, with shrubbery, and an orchard on the side opposite the garden. Between the garden and the house should be a road to the rear buildings, and between this road and the house I would have a strip of green sward ornamented with shrubbery. A corresponding strip also should

be reserved between the house and orchard. All shape, with two narrow windows each side, openthe rest may be left to the taste of the person own- ing by hinges down to the floor, through which in ing the premises.

Now, suppose a family just arrived at the "new location," and designing to build a house upon the above plan. First, they need some immediate shelter. Two hands in two days, can put up the room 13 by 13, marked wash room (a), in the plan, with a lean-to roof, the sides covered with wide inch boards, feather-edged together, with a rough floor, which, with a rough shed to cook under, will serve for bed room and parlor while the house is building.

Next add the room marked kitchen (b), a good sized farmer's kitchen, 16 by 24. Board up the sides in the same way and finish off inside complete, and you then have a house with two rooms, the wash room answering well for a summer cooking room. Divide the chamber into three rooms, two of them 8 by 14 each, and the other 10 by 16, including the stairway (n). Make the posts of this part of the building 12 ft. 6 in. high from the sleepers of lower floor, and the lower room 7 ft. 6 in. in the clear; the joice ten inches deep, and the upper room will be 4 ft. high under the eaves, and you will consequently have to finish up the rafters till you get high enough in the centre.

Now add as you are able one or both of the wings, containing each a bed room '10 by 12 (d, f, h, i), and pantry and store room 8 by 10 (e, g); each of these is also a lean-to, the outside posts of which should be 6 feet high, and the roof rising 4 ft., will leave two feet above in the side of the centre building for lights into the stairway chamber. These side rooms will also have to be finished a little way up the rafters, to get height enough.

summer we can also have access to a pleasant seat upon the porch, and still enjoy the company of those who might choose to remain within the room. For the sake of symmetry, I place a door at each end of the porch, only one of which will be an open sesame, unless perchance about the time you get the new white house" done, the sovereigns should elect you justice of the peace, or you happen to be a doctor, or somebody else, that wants a room for an office, just see how conveniently you can open the blind door through a passage like that on the other side, into one of the front bed rooms (2), 10 ft. by 12, where you could keep your official dignity very snug, without disturbing the family.

The kitchen, which should be the grand desideratum in every farm house, you will perceive is so situated that it has only nine feet of surface exposed to the weather, which will save many a load of wood, and yet by opening room doors, it can be well ventilated in summer.

Until you do get the wood house built, you can use the wash room in winter to keep a stock of kindling wood. If you like the plan and have the means, of course it will be best to build the whole at one time. But, if necessary to build by sections, you can do as I have directed, or you can build the front part first, or build the entire centre part first, and afterwards add the different rooms that lean-to.

My object is to accommodate the new settler and poor man, with a plan by which he can get a home without building himself out of a house, or getting a great shell of an outside show, full of unfinished emptiness. Look at the plan and see how far I have succeeded, and such as it is, accept it as a Christmas present from your sick friend,

Indiana, Dec. 25, 1845. SOLON ROBINSON.

GARDENING.-No. 1.

The sides of these rooms, which were formerly the outside of the main building, can be plastered or papered upon the rough boarding. Your house so far is a whole house, complete in itself, but next year you want it more extensive. Go on then, and THE important benefits derived from gardening add the front room (c), with or without the wings and the pleasure also associated with its pursuit, and porch, d, i, j, k, l, either of which could be have obtained for it a distinguished rank among added afterwards, by making your calculations as the various sciences which have occupied the attenyou go along, building one room after another as tion of men. Its productions are alike calculated to you are able, and until you finally get a very com- cheer the frugal board of the cottager and to decorate fortable house, completed like the plan. In-calcu- the tables of the affluent. It furnishes pleasure, lating sizes of rooms, I have not allowed for thick- health and profit to the sedentary, the merchant or ness of walls. The front chamber I would leave to the gentleman of fortune. Its practice relieves all in one room, with one large window in the the mind from that bustle and confusion attendant front, and opening out upon the top of the portico, upon a life of business-it is a source of healthy and having a drum which would be heated by the and strengthening exercise-and it is a recreation stove in the room below, and make a pleasant sit-in which may be found endless gratification and deting, sewing, or nursery room, either in summer or light. It has been the inclination of kings and the winter. choice of philosophers. It has had among its most zealous practitioners, men from every grade in society and from every age and climate. Our first most endearing and most sacred associations,” ob serves Mrs. Hofland, " are connected with gardens; our most simple and refined perceptions of beauty are combined with them; and the very condition of our being compels us to the cares, and rewards us with the pleasures attached to them."

64

As in all my design I aim at great economy of cost, convenience of arrangement, and occupancy of all the room for some useful purpose; so now I hope you are able to add a little cheap ornamental work to the front. Support the porch which is 6 ft. by 24, upon five neat columns, with railing, except the door way; make the roof flat, with a pretty little railing on top, so that we can come out of the front chamber of a balmy evening to smell Gardening, like every other art, must be affected by the honeysuckles that have been trained up from the government under which it is exercised, either below. Carry out bulwarks upon the roof of each by its laws and institutions, or indirectly by the wing, to hide the pitch. Put in a large window in state of society as modified by their influence. Horthe centre of the parlor front, of a half sexagonal' ticulture, in all its branches, will be most advanta

GARDENING.

geously displayed where the people are free; the final tendency of such a state of society being to conglomerate property in irregular masses, as nature has distributed her properties; and this irregularity is the most favorable for gardening as a necessary, convenient and elegant art.

The religion of a people is also calculated to have some effect upon their gardening; for those religions whose offices are accompanied by splendor and show, and which have various fêtes and spectacles, will be favorable to the culture of flowers and plants of ornament; and those which forbid at certain seasons the use of animal food, will in some degree encourage the production of fruits and vegetables. In order more fully to observe the influence which the different states of society and climate have upon this science, it would be well to take a retrospective view of its progress from the earliest periods down to the present time.

59

From the commencement of the government of the Popes in the 8th, to the 13th century, horticulture was practised only by the monks and houses of religious persons in Europe. Harte informs us that the monks of St. Basil and St. Benedict rendered fertile many tracts in Italy, Spain and France, which had lain neglected ever since the invasion of the Goths and Saracens.

In A. D. 1440, the art of printing was invented; this, with other causes, conduced towards the establishment of commerce in Italy and Holland, and the arts of peace to prevail. The splendor and magnificence of the popes and princes, the remains of ancient grandeur, and the blessings of peace and commerce tended to the revival of the arts in Italy rather than any other country. The Medici family, in the commencement of the 16th century, did much towards the revival of the art of gardening. The earliest private botanic garden was formed at PaThe art of cultivating the soil, according to Sir dua, by Gasper de Gabrieli, a wealthy Tuscan Isaac Newton, was invented in Egypt. According to noble. It was finished in 1525, and opened for the Herodotus, the sacred groves or gardens were often inspection and gratification of the curious. At an of extraordinary beauty, thus designedly correspond- early period of the Roman Empire, the valley of ing with that primeval garden where the Almighty the Rhone was a favorite retreat of the nobility, Ruler first placed man. Every sacred grove was a and nowhere out of Italy are to be found such copy of Elysium, and the prototype of Elysium itself was the paradise of Eden. From Egypt, this art spread itself through Persia, Greece, and other ancient countries, that eventually came under the dominion of the Roman emperors. The first mention that is made of a garden in the Roman history, is that of Tarquinius Superbus, B. C. 534. Livy mentions this garden, but it can only be gathered from what he writes, that it was connected with the royal palace in the city of Rome, that it abounded in flowers and was supplied with streams of water. The villa of Sallust was situated on Quirinal Hill, and in Stewart's life of Sallust we are informed that these gardens were so beautiful, that when Rome fell beneath the sway of her Emperors, the imperial residence was fixed in them. Some idea of Roman gardens about the beginning of the present era, may be obtained from the paintings rescued from the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum. They are represented in these paintings merely as square plots of ground, surrounded with trellis-work and ornamented with fountains and urns.

Among the fruits that were introduced into Italy by the Romans may be found the fig and almond from Syria, the citron from Media, the peach from Persia, the pomegranate from Africa, the apricot from Epirus, apples, pears, and plums from Armenia, and cherries from Pontus.

There is no Roman author exclusively upon this subject, but we find it treated of by Virgil, in his Georgics, by Pliny in his Natural History, and by Columella in his Rural Economy.

The decline of the Roman Empire commenced with the reign of the Emperors. Violence and rapine stalked abroad at noon-day-invasion from barbarians followed, and the ferocity engendered by the troubles of the times, seemed almost entirely to efface from the mind of man the noble simplicity of nature. Barbarism rode rough-shod over man and the arts; warfare became the only occupation, and a taste for this ennobling science was entirely rooted out.

splendid remains of villas as in the Provincia Narbonensis, in France. Gardening, with the other arts, proceeded from east to west. The Crusades, in the 12th century, excited a taste for building and gardening in the north of Europe, although some authors state that even before this period the Dutch cultivated many useful and ornamental plants. The Christian invaders could not avoid noticing the gardens of the Infidels in Egypt and Syria, and being struck with their beauty, imitated their plans, and imported their productions into Europe. The 16th century, however, arrived before the culture of flowers was attempted. The introduction of the Christian religion, though at present favorable, was at first adverse to the use of flowers; the rites of religion, then carried on in gloomy vaults, were not, as now, accompanied by bands of music, statues, pictures, and altars decorated with flowers. Botany now began to be considered a science, independent of medicine. Gardens were constructed, destined for curious and beautiful plants; and the discovery of America and the passage to the Indies augmented their number. Travellers collected seeds, which they sent home to their respective countries; great care was bestowed on such as appeared the most ornamental; till, advancing by degrees, they at length became objects of luxury, and trade, and caprice; fashion and variety gave incredible prices for some of these productions; for in what will not extravagance intermingle ?

The gardening of our own country is, to some extent, necessarily that of Europe; but within a few years vast improvements have been made in horticulture here. Societies for the diffusion of information upon this subject, have sprung up in all parts of the United States, and with their rise and progress a new impulse has been given to this art. The taste for Horticulture has rapidly disseminated itself through the public mind-more so, perhaps, than a corresponding knowledge of skill necessary for the cultivation and management of its objects; consequently works on this subject are

eagerly sought after and attentively read. The reach a float which is pierced with small holes. raising of new varieties of various kinds of fruits There are other particulars connected with it which from seeds, has for a few years past attracted much it is not necessary here to detail." attention, and the time is probably not far distant I have extracted thus largely from Bevan's work when we shall be supplied with choice fruits, the (believed to be sufficient authority) to present several results of our own experiments. Why should not facts connected with the subject of feeding which it our country take the lead in such matters? It is is necessary to consider in determining the merit of naturally rich in horticulture and botany, and with a new invention. a genial clime favorable to the production of every fruit and flower. L. T. TALBOT.

A BEE FEEDER.

The feeder now to be described is made of tin, and consists of a cylindrical vessel with a tube inserted, to which is applied a small cup that must always be partially filled with liquid while the vesIt is well known to be customary in these days, sel contains any. Whenever the syrup is reduced to obtain a patent for every new invention that one below the apertures in the tubes at the bottom of is so fortunate as to hit upon. That idea, I must the cup, a bubble of air ascends into the vessel, by confess as a matter of course, occurred to me in rela- which a fresh supply is let down. It is prevented tion to a bee feeder, but I shall do no such thing. I from overflowing by the pressure of the atmosphere. will deprive no man who wishes to feed his starv- The apertures in the tube of the cup are four, to ing bees the free use of my mode of doing it. which the end of the tube over which it is applied is cut to correspond.

The common mode of presenting them with food," says Bevan in his work on Bees, "is to Fig. 13, is a section of my introduce it through the mouth of the hive in feeder in a vertical plane, a long boat formed by scooping out the pith from through the apertures in the an alder stem. This plan of feeding, independently tube of the cup, shown as fillof other objections, can only be adopted in 'mild ed and inverted, in order to weather; for whenever the thermometer, generally be applied to the hive. (c) is speaking, ranges below 45° Fahrenheit, the bees a tube four inches in length

FIG. 13.

d

are indisposed to descend, and in severe weather and half an inch in diameter, f none of them will quit the central combs between over which the tube of the which they cluster, even to feed upon their own cup (b) fits closely and is prescollected treasures, but will rather hang together sed on the former until that is in contact with the cup, and starve unless those very combs be the deposi-care being taken that the apertures for the passage of Jories of those treasures. To guard against this the syrup, as shown (e e), be preserved through both. evil, a supply of warm food placed over the hive or The cup is one inch in diameter and half an inch in box will tempt them to quit the cluster, and partake depth. The tubes and cup are covered with wax, as freely of the donation, secure from all danger of the being more agreeable to the bees. (d) Is wood surfood being scented by other families, as well as rounding the tube, and exactly fitting the aperture in from the destructive effects of exposure to cold the top of the hive. (f) Is a section of the cup and its while partaking of it. His own mode of presenting tube, shown as removed from the other portion of the it to them in the spring, is by means of a trough feeder, and exhibiting two of the four points where formed out of a board of close grained wood, such they are soldered together. (g) Is an instrument of as sycamore or beech grooved by a turner into con- tin of cylindrical form, stopped at one end and centric circular channels surmounted by a bell glass." notched at the other, for making an aperture in the (See his work, p. 65.)

hive to admit the tube of the feeder. Press down

Further, "if feeding be required in cold weather, very gently while turning it round. The portion of which should always, if possible, be avoided, it comb included in it will thus be removed without will be prudent to allow access only to the inner injury to the rest or to the bees. The application of groove, and over this to invert a small glass that will the feeder would be facilitated were a wooden tube dip nearly but not quite to the bottom of it. This to be inserted through the top board of the hive, or will prevent those chills which are apt to be expe- at least a suitable aperture made before the bees had rienced where the warmth of the family cannot possession.

further attention until the quantity allowed them has become exhausted. 2d. It is adapted to winterfeeding as well as that of fall and spring. The bees have a constant supply in the upper part of the hive kept warm and fluid by their own heat, to which they can help themselves at any time and in any quantity they please.

reach it, and will secure any incautious bees from Two advantages are claimed for this feeder, which drowning. The trough is more particularly suited it may now be proper to state. 1st. When the to spring feeding. At this season, if the bees have feeder has been applied, the bees will require no had a sufficient winter's supply, feeding will only be required on a small scale, it being chiefly intended as a cordial to promote early breeding. The autumnal supply on the contrary should always be large, for feeding by driblets at this season of the year keeps up a continual excitement, and increases the heat of the hive to such a degree as to cause increased consumption and probably to injure the I have had four feeders, holding from two to five health of the bees. For this wholesale feeding he pounds of syrup, in use two seasons, the contents of recommends the trough invented by Mr. Dunbar. which have been entirely emptied except in a sinIt is turned in a lathe out of a solid piece of close gle instance, where the small passages from the grained wood, holding half a pint of syrup, into tubes to the cup were clogged by sediment. This which the bees ascend through a wooden tube, pass- circumstance taught me the necessity of straining ing over the top and down the outside till they the syrup.