512 CONFLAGRATION OF THE RICHMOND THEATRE. cool, unprejudiced reason of any man, whether, if these stairs had been built by a Christian man, in the love of justice and equity, whether they would not have been made firm enough to resist the pressure of the crowd; and therefore,that as the stairs were unfaithfully made by the carpenter, so the carpenter was also unfaithfully made by those infidel principles, which prevailed in Richmond above all other places. So that regarding only his own emolument, his business was executed as ill as it could be. When Now as to the chandelier which communicated the fire. we read of the entanglement of the pulley-cords, can we avoid supposing that the man was drunk? Besides, this vice is common about theatres; then, he could not be a Christian man, who would get drunk, particularly at such a time. Well, but perhaps he was not drunk; I grant even this; but not entirely, for men who by tippling keep themselves fuddled, are like brute animals; and those animals never pretend to handle fire. But it may be said, what had the worthy governor and the innocent females to do with drunken, faithless carpenters, and sceneshifters, that they should suffer from their crimes? It is answered, that it is the duty of those in authority to set a good example to the lower orders, to check every appearance of immorality and infidelity, to employ as workmen only those who have afforded evidence by a good life of their being trustworthy, leaving the others to be employed as underworkers; thus virtue will be encouraged. But, if this is not done, you see already what the consequences are, that, being members of the same society, your fate is involved together. When a man is heard slighting the divine truths of Revelation, he should be regarded as an incendiary, whose principles will at length burn your theatres, and your dwelling houses too, for they turn by a very natural process into firebrands. Infidelity is the parent of immorality, and immorality begetteth drunkenness, robbery, arsons, until society is actually dissolved and destroyed, by its own evils. Let us not be enthusiastically deluded by the idea of there being any thing evil in the amusements of the theatre; no such thing; if enjoyed as a recreation, by those who duly reverence sacred things, there is no divine law infringed; but to those who make theatres the supreme objects of regard, and to whom they are a mean of withdrawing their attention from things that ought to be supreme; to such indeed they are a consuming fire; a fire, not originating in the bosom of a God, whose every attribute is love, but originating indeed in the human nature, in the base appetites and passions of men when they cease to be under the rules of his merciful dispensations. "Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord, that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands; happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Psalm cxxviii. A JEW OF THE NEW JERUSALEM. AGRICULTURE.....No. V. [IN CONTINUATION FROM PAGE 469.] The abundance of green food (promoting a plentiful supply of milk) and the sheltered accommodation of the yard, are well calculated for rearing and fattening early lambs. Half the stock of sheep, five hundred, are allotted for breeding, to be bought in October or November, at about twenty months old. The rams are to be admitted in May and June following, and the lambs sold off from Christmas to March, when they will bring the highest prices. Being so early taken off, the ewes will become fat by the July following, when they are to be succeeded by a like number of wethers forward in flesh, to be sold off by the time that the succeeding flock of ewes are buying in October and November. The breeding sheep, and the young ewes, are always to be kept in separate flocks in the sheep-yard, and also on the pasture. During the six winter months (from November to 1st May) the two flocks are to pasture on the three grass lands for about six hours, during the middle of the day, weather permitting, and the land in a dry state. A third part of each grass land should be paled in for each day, on which the breeding flock, five hundred sheep, is to pasture, On the following day, the young flock of five hundred are to feed on the part that was pastured by the breeding ewes the day before, that all the produce may be close eaten; and the old ewes are to be turned into a fresh division, or another third part, to be followed the next day by the young ewes as before. In this manner the forty-eight acres of grass lands will be all fed off in rotation in the course of nine days, and each portion so paled, will be two days successively pastured; the first day, when fresh, by the old ewes, and the second by the young ones. In May and June the meadow is to be kept up, and the second pasture and lawn only are open for feeding. The old flock (their VOL. I. 19 No. 11 lambs being sold off carly in the spring) now fattening, are to feed on the second pasture land, of which a ninth part in this season is to be paled off for each day's pasturage, another portion is to be paled off for feeding the following day, and so on each day, till this pasture is fed over in rotation. This practice to be continued every nine days in these two months. In July, the meadow being cleared of the hay, the pasturage of it will be an addition to the stock for feeding the old ewes, when the second pasture and meadow lands may be considered as one grass pasture. A ninth of the whole thirty-two acres may now be paled for pasture, and shifted each day as before, in successive portions, for the old ewes, so as to complete the rotation in nine days. This practice to be continued this month. These ewes will be sold off fat by this time, and are to be succeeded by 500 wethers forward in flesh. In August, September, and October, these wethers are to be pastured on the same grass lands, viz. second pasture land and meadow, and in the like manner. After the pasturage is eaten off each portion, which in the winter months will be pastured for two days successively, one 500 breeding ewes, and the other day, by a like number of young ewes, and during the other six months, each portion will be pastured for one day only, it is immediately to be watered according to the season. The lawn is to be irrigated only in the winter months, that the pasture may be sound during the summer half year for the young flock of ewes, on which they are to be pastured only in this season: this land in this season, is also to be paled off in small portions in rotation, as the most advantageous manner of eating the produce quite close. Home-feeding. This should consist of green food, hay, and straw all the sheep are to be confined in the sheep-yard for about 18 hours, i. e. from about 3 in the afternoon to 9 o'clock in the morning, each day throughout the year. The yard to be divided *In case these sheep in the summer months (then fattening) do not feed off all the grass quite close, there should be as many hard kept sheep (to be afterwards fattened and sold off by the ensuing spring, on account of pasturing on the summer watered lands) to succeed them on each portion in rotation, as will be sufficient to consume the whole produce. Mr. Price judiciously observes, "That the true principle of grazing is to eat all, and particularly at those seasons when vegetation is rapid, that it might not weaken the turf and soil; and, by keeping the grass in a young state, you have the shoots more vigorous." by paling into two or more parts, as may be necessary to separate the flocks. Cattle in succession, from 1 year old till aged; each year the stock to consist of years old; one reserved for milk do. 3 four do. The best moving and stoutest ox Thus the succession will be kept up, and there will be each year 3 four-year old heifers in calf sold off-2 oxen and I cow fattened-5 oxen at labor-5 milch cows, and 16 younger cattle. Five cows of a good kind, always well fed, and so managed that one cow should calve every two or three months in succession, will furnish a regular and good supply of milk for a moderate family. All these cattle are to be constantly housed: the milch cows, laboring and fatting cattle, in all 13 head, are to be fed in May with the rye, vetches, and clover; during the next four months, with clover only; and from the beginning of October to May, with such green food as is allotted for the respective seasons; and in October and November, part of February, and the months of March * Mr. Young i forms us, “In fattening an ox, Mr. Middleton (of Crowfield, near Stonham, iu Suffolk) remarked a circumstance highly deserving of attention he killed one that was 14 years old, having been worked many years, and the beef, contrary to expectation, was remarkably fine, the forequarters uncommonly so; the drawing having given the beef a finer grain than usual. This is a valuable fact; for it not only proves that working makes good beef, but also, that a man may keep his oxen at work as long as they will move well, without any apprehension of their not fattening well, when aged." 1 and April, with 121b. of bay for each of the laboring oxen (straw instead of hay will answer for the intermediate period, as there will be scarce any work at this time for them) and 6lb. of hay for each of the 4 cows giving milk, and the fattening cattle; the latter to be sold by May; one cow in succession will be generally dry, which is likewise to have a supply of straw: there will thus be consumed 6 tons of hay. The other 19 head of cattle are to be fed on the refuse food left after the laboring cattle, milch cows, fattening cattle, and in the sheep-yard, so as to have all the food eaten clean away, to make it go as far as possible, to which such fresh food may be added, according to the seasons, as may be necessary, observing, that in the winter months they are to be supplied with straw instead of hay, save that left by the other stock. They are to be twice driven to water every day: the milch cows, particularly the younger stock, are to be allowed about an hour each time at watering, when the house should be cleaned out, and the dung deposited on the dung-heap. The watering place may be so contrived, that the cattle are to stand in a moist place while at water, which will prevent their hoofs cracking by being tied up. Horses. Of these, two for the saddle are to be kept for the farmer's own use; they are to be constantly housed and maintained, from May to October, on clover, &c. the remainder of the year each to be fed with about 20lb. of hay and a peck of oats, in small portions at a time; an occasional feed of potatoes of about 71b. will be salutary. There are some farmers who substitute potatoes entirely for oats, and from experience, strongly recommend the practice. It has the advantage of saving the great consumption of grain. If this mode was adopted, from two to three stones of potatoes* may be given each horse per day, in three or four feeds, and will be found to answer well for the purposes of common riding a small feed of oats, at times, may be necessary. As there is no account of oats being grown on the farm, the necessary quantity is to be purchased; but as it may be desirable to produce all the grain consumed, about 1 or 2 acres of land stated as cultivated for barley, may be reserved for oats, and will yield a sufficient supply for the horses: they will consume about 4 tons of hay. When Mr. Young was at Ashford in Kent, " Mr. Stewart, in conversation, mentioned the circumstance of his having fed two horses a whole winter, that regularly ploughed an acre of land a day, on potatoes and cut straw: no hay The potatoes were washed and boiled, at the expense of 1 1-2d. a bushel (about 701b) fuel included: the two horses at 9 bushels a week: he had no horses in higher order, or that stood their work better. -no corn. |