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UMASS/AMHERST 


312066  0308   1405  8 


IVE  COLLEGE 
EPOSITO 


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LIBRARY 


OF  THE 


^'\ 


MASSACHUSETTS 

AGRICULTURAL 

COLLEGE 

SouRCE-.S-DlW^e XxLTXaS.-.. 


SPEClAi   COLLECTI' 
arARCJ^VES 


JfuK^ 


THE 


NEW   ENGLAND    FARMER; 


A    MONTHLY    JOURNAL, 


DEVOTED  TO 


AGRICULTURE,    HORTICULTURE, 


AND   THEIR   KINDKED 


ARTS    AND    SCIENCES; 


EMBELLISHED    AND   ILLUSTRATED    WITH   NUMEROUS   BEAUTIFUL  ENGRAVINGS' 


"  AGEICULIUaE  IS  THE  MOTHEE  WHICH  GIVES  FOOD,  GROWTH,  WEALTH,  AND  MORAL  HEALTH  TO  OUE  COCMET." 


SIMON    BROWN,    EDITOR. 

FREDERICK    HOLBROOK    AND    HENRY    F.    FRENCH,    ASSOCIATE    EDITORS. 

VOLUME     V. 


BOSTON: 
PUBLISHED   BY   RAYNOLDS   &  NOURSE, 

QUINCY      HALL. 
1853. 


p, 


INDEX  TO  THE  FIFTH  VOLUME. 


A. 

Acre,  two,  what  can  be  raised  on,  16  ;  how  to 
lay  off  an,  462,  529  ;  and  a  quarter,  product 
of         .         .         . 

Accounts,  farm 

Africa,  newspapers  from 

Aged,  kindness  to  the 

Agriculture,  Mass.  State  Board  of,  19,  51,  91, 
116,  2S4 ;  a  chemical  art,  45  ;  German,  304  ; 
Hawaiian,  307,  313;  in  New  Hampshire, 
367 ;  in  France,  388  ;  wants  of,  394 ;  national 

Agricultural,  meetings  at  the  State  House,  59, 
97,  122,  140,  146,  163,  171,  188,  193,  217, 
230,  236;  exhibitions  for,  1853,  149;  mass 
meeting  at  Concord,  149,  178  ;  at  Rocking- 
ham county,  N.  H.,  183  ;  education 


Page 


552 

229 

75 

150 


656 


219 


Page 


Alders 358,  384 


Almanac,  the  Old  Farmers' 

Alum      • 

Ammonia        ....... 

Analyses,  of  oyster  and  clam  shells,  229  ;  of 
muck  and  marsh  mud  .... 

Anger,  folly  of        .....        . 

Animals,  susceptibility  of,  to  atmospheric 
changes,  23 ;  wild,  domestication  of,  39 ; 
cruelty  to,  314,  478  ;  kindness  to 

Ants  and  aphides 

Apple,  Hunt  russet,  17,  29  ;  new  source  for 
good,  22 ;  as  food  for  stock,  36,  41 ;  sops  in 
wine,  44  ;  Northern  Spy,  51,  80,  225  ;  Min- 
ister, President,  Mother,  Jewett's  Fine  Red, 
or  Nod  Head,  Red  Cheek,  90;  crab,  113, 
158  ;  a  new,  148  ;  ijreserving,  182  ;  summer 
and  autumn,  304  ;  Mayflower,  314 ;  insect 
destructive  to  the,  383  ;  what  sweet  are 
best  for  stock,  421 ;  northern,  442  ;  russets 

Architecture,  rural 

Arctic  regions,  vegetation  of  . 

Ashes,  310,  340;  of  peat,  as  a  manure,  423; 
of  anthracite  coal         ..... 

Atmosphere,  uses  of,  277 ;  action  of,  on  the 
roots  of  plants,  311 ;  its  effects  upon  animal 
life 

August,  appearances  of 


652 

85 

406 

455 
294 


485 
269 


523 
99 
89 

499 


462 
345 


Axe-making 433 


B. 


Barn,  78 ;  cellars 373 

Barnstable  County  Society,  officers  of    .         .75 

Beans,  error  in  growing 773 

Bees,  honey,  the  food  of  the,  27 ;  experiment 
■with,  62,  65 ;  how  to  feed,  160  ;  look  at 
them,  220  ;  and  honey,  294  ;  moth,  protec- 
tion against,  341,  401  ;  and  hive,  405  ; 
keeping,  practical,  431 ;  at  war    .         .         .    475 


478 


407 


Birds,  and  insects,  42 ;  convention,  67  ;  vocal 
machinery  of,  92  ;  of  New  England,  78,  113, 
221,  291,  299,  442,  565;  the  Pewee,  190; 
spare  the,  275,  475  ;  migration  of 
Book  of  reference,  a  valuable,  10  ;  agricul- 
tural, 196  ;  a  rare  and  pleasant,  357  ;  a  queer 

old,  397  ;  unworthy 

Bones,  bone-dust,  25 ;  burning,  93  ;  for  ma- 
nure, 174;  dissolving,  274;  and  sulphuric 

acid 551 

Borer,  peach,  plastered  up,  95  ;  history  of  the, 
128;    the  currant,   268;    variety  of,   308; 

mountain 454,  544 

Bread,  how  to  toast         .....     197 

Brunswick,  New 216 

B  udder,  an  hour  with 396 

Budding  and  grafting      ....     222,  412 

Buckwheat 304 

Bugs,  rose 353 

Butter,  72;  making,  360,  363  ;  milk  and        .     409 
Bull,  Ayrshire         ......     417 

Burns,  how  to  cure 575 


Cabinet,  the  farmers 261 

Calendar,    for    January,   9  ;    February,    57  ; 
March,  105  ;  April,  153  ;  May,  201  ;    June, 
249;  July,  297;   August,  345;   September, 
394 ;  October,  442 ;  November,  490  ;   Dec.       537 
California,  vegetation  of  ...       20,  654 

Canada,  debt  of,  and  average  crops,  per  acre, 
21 ;  West,  season  in     .         .         .         .         .     475 

Capitol,  improvement  at  the   ....     458 

Cart,  one-horse  farm  tilt  .         .         .         .561 

Carrots,  great  yield  of,  11;    for  horses,  141; 

against  English  hay,  183 ;  value  of     .         .     277 
Catalpa,  a  new         ......     462 

Cattle,  remedy  for   choked,   145,   212  ;   beef, 
272  ;  live  and  dead  weight  of,  309  ;  doctor- 
ing, 363  ;    communication  of  ideas  among, 
387  ;   market  at   Manchester,  N.   H.   436  ; 
gnawing  bones     ......     484 

Cedar  and  spruce,  to  propagate        .         .         .     575 
Celery,  on  raising,  60,  148,  159 ;  earthing  up     425 

Cement,  a  good 571 

Charcoal 321 

Chemistry,  how  can  it  benefit  the  farmer,  205  ; 
agricultural,  447  ;  what  it  may  do  for  agri- 
culture   452 

Chelmsford  Association,  officers  of  the     .         .       39 

Chemist,  state  , 333 

Cherries,  fine  .......     368 

Cheese,  an  aged       ......     562 

Cliina,  a  residence  in,  381 ;  schools  in,  479  ; 
animals  of 485 


INDEX. 


Page] 
Churn,  the,  157,  160;  Clark's  excelsior  .         .     192 
Circular,  from  State  Board  of  Agriculture,  604  ; 
to  the  friends  of  agriculture  in  Massachusetts      44 

Cisterns,  illustrated 305 

Clover,  seeds  for  an  acre,  149  ;  white,  62  ; 
living  in       .         .         .         .         .         •         •     320 

Climate  of  countries 336 

Coal,  against  sinews 485 

Cob  meal  and  hay 639 

Cooking  and  digestion 34 

College,  N.  Y.  State  Agricultural  .  .  .355 
Corn,  sweet,  139;  sheller,  47;  music  of  a 
sheller,  165  ;  Stowell's  evergreen  sweet,  165  ; 
comparative  merits  of,  172;  culture  of,  51, 
191,  214  ;  growing  and  hilling,  38  ;  a  query 
about,  68 ;  topping,  74 ;  cobs,  77  ;  flat  vs. 
hill  culture,  330 ;  fodder  and  stalk  cutter, 
335 ;  hoeing,  381 ;  tall  .  .  .  .468 
Cow,  Ayrshire,  110;  milch,  treatise  on,  175; 
cooked  food  for,  197  ;  Guenon  on  the  milch, 
209  ;  used  for  plowing  in  Savoy,  243  ;  ima- 
-gination  in,  250 ;  and  oxen  in  Portugal, 
284;  apples  for,  294;  milch,  101;  soiling, 
329;  and  tar,  356;  shedding  milk,  363,  380; 
'  holding  up  their  milk,  371 ;  garget  in,  415  ; 
a  good  one,  525 ;  Alderney,  645 ;  to  cure 
warts  on,  546  ;  lice  on  ....     562 

Connecticut  river,  a  trip  to      ...         .     490 

Crayons,  how  to  make 197 

Cranberries,  134,  191;   culture  of,  409,  493; 

inquiries  abou^ 477,  545 

Cricket,  the  climbing 448 

Crops,  why  they  lodge,  276;  food  for,  416, 
419 ;  in  England,  432  ;  prospects  of  the, 
436,519;  and  the  season,  460  ;  in  Washing- 
ton county,  R.  I. 479 

Curculio,  discovery  about  the,  372  ;  to  destroy 

the 479 

Cultivation',  true  mode  of       .         .         .         .316 


D. 


December 

.       34 

Delafield,  John        .... 

.     551 

Discoveries  and  improvements 

.     437 

Dog,  mysterious  conduct  of    . 

.       44 

Dollar,  mark,  the    .... 

.     121 

Door,  yards 

.       87 

Draining 

301,  350 

Dress 

.     532 

Drought,  the,  351 ;  action  of,  on  plants 

.     403 

E. 


Earnings,  save  your 198 

Editor  at  home  again       .....     145 

Effort,  benefits  of,  associated  .         .         .         .193 

Egg,  a  large,  306  ;  found  in  the  middle  of  an 
elm,  408  ;  how  to  preserve  .         .         .         .513 

Elements,  organic   ......       69 

Engines,  garden  and  fire  .        .        .         .404 

Ergot,  in  grain 359 


Farming,  difficulties  of  New  England,  13,  35  ; 
prejudice  against,  46  ;  in  the  East,  96,  106  ; 
Chinese,  110;  interests  neglected,  119;  ex- 
perimental, 127,  259,  471,  310;  good,  211  ; 
in  Maryland,  226  ;  tired  of,  283  ;  in  Missis- 
sippi, 294  ;  productive,  331 ,  inconsistencies 

•    in,  332  ;  Southern 494 


213;   front, 
a  number 


Farm,  model,  241 ;  accounts,  G7  ;  work  for  the 
century,  70,  72;  State  pauper,  311,  337; 
George  Patterson's 

Farmer,  important  to  the,  49 ;  libraries,  64 ; 
clubs,  constitution  for,  76  ;  improvidence  of 
the,  84 ;  practical  facts  for,  99  ;  the  progres- 
sive, 100 ;  the  New  England,  142  ;  Monthly 
for  March,  154;  with  two  ideas,  187;  club, 
Concord,  197,  244  ;  Framingham,  216  ; 
Monthly,  for  April,  263;  for  May,  290; 
chapter  for  a  nice  old,  313  ;  important  to 
the,  320  ;  Monthly,  for  June,  327  ;  for  July, 
384 ;  what  he  most  needs,  364 ;  the  thrift- 
less, 402  ;  Monthly,  for  August,  428  ;  three 
kinds  of,  498  ;  Monthly,  for  September,  500  ; 
festivals  of  the,  keep  pure,  506  ;  Monthly, 
for  October,  555  ;  for  November  . 

Factory,  imperishable  potato  .... 

Fairs,  list  of,  in  1853,  414;  agricultural,  at 
Westminster,  Vt.  495  ;  Worcester  county 
agricultural,  502  ;  Framingham  society, 
505  ;  Norfolk  county,  505  ;  Essex  county, 
507,  527  ;  Hillsborough,  N.  H.  508  ;  Graf- 
ton county,  N.  H.  509  ;  Middlesex  county, 
514;  Franklin  county,  522;  at  Northamp- 
ton      ..... 

Feeding,  teams 

Feed-cutter,  cross-cut 

Feet,  cold,  consequences  of     . 

Fence,  live,   118,  226;    cost  of, 
303  ;  front  yard,  358  ;  farm,  574 , 
one      ..... 

Fertilization,  cross 

Field,  book,  the  pictorial 

Fields,  old       .... 

Flowers,  cultivation  of.  111,  use  of 

Food,  equivalent  value  of  different  kinds 

Forests,  185;  destruction  of    .         .         .         . 

Fowls.  —  See  Poultry. 

Fruit,  gathering  and  preserving  winter,  24  ; 
for  Northern  cultivation,  95  ;  hardy,  for 
the  North,  121 ;  cultivation  of,  217  ;  how 
to  raise  every  year,  242  ;  immense  supply  of, 
276  ;  hints  on  thinning,  334  ;  to  keep  birds 
from  pecking,  339  ;  indigenous,  and  improv- 
ing, 351,  359;  of  Iowa,  460;  exhibition  of 


G. 


Gardening,  good  effects  of 

Garden,  short  chat  in,  550 ;  the 

Garget,   384,   400 ;   in   cows,   415 ;    < 
the 

Gas,  restorative       .         .         .         .- 

Georgia,  agricultural  show  in 

Gold  vs.  hay    ..... 

Good  management  vst  bad 

Gooseberry,  the       .... 

Grasshoppers  .... 

Gras?,  a  new,  162  ;  native,  185  ;  seed,  sowing, 
83;  seed 

Grafting,  182 ,  on  the  thorn,  224 ;  cloth,  273, 
288  ;  old  trees,  314  ;  curious  device  in   -     . 

Grape,  Allen  on  the,  196  ;  new  seedling,  274; 
special  manure  for,  359  ;  summer  pruning 
of  the,  407  ;  the,  a  healthy  fruit,  432  ;  frost- 
proof ......•• 

Grapery,  the  cold 

Grecian  farmers 

Guano,  use  of,  12,  14,  25,  30,  100,  148,  155, 
160,  218,  254 

Gypsum,  great  field  of 


Page 


511 


542 
481 


626 

256 

383 

82 


.  576 

.  360 

.  174 
426,  442 

.  368 

.  245 

.  451 


559 


246 
567 


for 

436,  496 
.  373 
.  560 
.  560 
.  130 
48,  243 

519,  528 


406 


448 


562 
208 
266 

628 
630 


IV 


INDEX. 


H. 


Page 
246 
246 
379 
402 
206 


Happiness,  matrimonial  .... 

Harmony,  family 

Hay,  cubic  feet  in  a  ton,  46  ;  caps  for      . 

Haying,  improvement      .... 

Hedges    ...... 

Hen  and  rat,  battle  between,  414,  *484  ;  lime 
water  for      ...... 

Highways,  a  beautiful  feature 

Hingham,  elms  cut  down  in   . 

Hill,  manuring  in  the      .... 

HUlsborough  County,  N.  H.,  Agricultural  So 
ciet3%  officers  of 

Hive  and  honey  bee         ...         .      208,  405 

±loc   horse,  325  ;  the  wheel,  353 ;  the  wheel 
illustrated 

Home,  that  is  my,  68 ;   how  to  secure  and  be 
independent  .... 

Honey,  taking  it,  240  ;  and  bees     *. 

Hopper,  Isaac  T 

Hops 

Horse,  remedy  for  bots  in,  13  ;  glanders  in,  85 '; 
and  man,  87;  cost  of  keeping,  102;  hoe, 
325;  careful  use  of  the,  326;  practice  of 
shoeing,  372 ;  English,  442 ;  exhibition  of, 
at  Springfield,  480,  497,  531  ;  the  Arab,  525 
national  exhibition       •         .         .         . 

Horticulturist,  the,  64  ;  exhibition  at  Concord 
361 ;  at  Lynn       ..... 

Hotbed 

House-keeper,  thoughts  and  doings  of  a  . 

Houses,  plastered,  232  ;  a  paint  for  brick,  244 
farm     ....... 

Housewives,  New  England     . 

Husbandry,  difficulties  of  New  England 

Husband,  an  English  woman's  opinion  of 


86 
404 
121 
176 

39 


401 

568 

294 

532 

91 


Huskii  ^ 
Hydraulic  ram 


547 

442 

161 

52 

50 

156 

106 

390 

442,  529 

.   52 


I. 


Island,  Melville 572 

Implements,  agricultural,  126,  564 ;   and  ma- 
chines .         .         ,         .         .         .         .271 

Insects   _ 262 

Inoculation      .         .        .         .        ,         .         .412 
Iron,  marbleized 53 

J. 

Johnston,  James  F.  W,  notice  of  his  elements, 
&c 447 

K. 
King,  Wm.  S.  address  at  Vermont  State  fair,  108,  215 


Labor,  misapplication  of  farm  .         .         .         .119 

Lake,  Wm.  G 90 

Lamp,  an  extraordinary  .         *        .         .         .53 
Land,  richness  of,  58  ;    laying  to   grass,  330, 
387,  410  ;  much  labor  on  little,  384  ;  stub- 
ble, 428;    in   Maine,  495;    meadow,   510; 
subdivision  of      .....         .     574 

Leaf,  importance  of,  to  the  plant  .  .  .351 
Lectures,  winter,  22,  39  ;  agricultural  .  48,  563 
Lice,  to  kill  on  cattle,  141;    on  swine,  145; 

on  house  rores 293 

Libraries,  farmers'  ......     167 

Lime,  25,  544;  superphosphate  of,  76,  148,  265  ; 

shell,  159,  214,  274,  573  ;  from  gas-works  389,  455 
Lime-water  for  hens        .....       86 

Lunar  and  stellar  influence      .         .         .         .318 

Lyceum,  lectures 16,  34 


M. 


Pag« 


Machines,  mowing,  395,  416,  457;  for  cutting 
corn  in  the  stalk,  476 ;    sewing,  531 ;   hay 

and  corn-cutter 574 

Machinery 559 

Manua  Loa  island,  eruption  in  .  .  .  399 
Manure,  to  load  by  horse  power,  125 ;  for 
swamp  land,  165,  170;  special,  204,  223, 
268 ;  to  preserve,  303 ;  nature  and  consti- 
tuent i^rineiples  of,  322  ;  will  it  pay  to  pur- 
chase, 421 ;    cow,  value  of,  424 ;   table  of, 

553;  a  new 571 

March,  calendar  for  .         .         .         .         .105 

Markham's  Farewell  to  Husbandry         .         .  40 

Martyr,  the  little     .• 630 

Meadow,  a  prolific  ......  413 

Meal,  cob 251 

Measures,  household 390 

Mechanics,  agricultural  .....  354 

Melon,  great  yield  of,  30  ;  to  protect       .         .  341 

Meteorological          .         .         ,         .         .         .  4ol 

Mignonette,  history  and  culture  of  the    .         .  375 

Mill,  saw,  the  first,  336  ;  grist,  improvement  in  513 

Mildew,  to  prevent           .....  157 

Millet 157,  203 

Mind,  sympathies  of,  with  the  body        .         .  456 

Milk,  raising  and  selling,  27  ;  business    .         .  62 
Milk,  trade,  108  ;  trade  of,  in  New  York,  166 ; 

and  butter 409 

Milkmen  and  farmers,  convention  of       .  63,  82 

Mole,  is  he  a  devourer  of  vegetables  ?      .         .  362 

Moth,  the 361 

Mount  Airy  Institute 319 

Mowing  machines   ....      395,  416,  467 
Muck,  58  ;  composting  with,  61,  340,  341,  354  ; 

analysis  of 455,  500 

Mud,  a  shower  of,  244  ;  meadow     .         .     500,  570 

N. 

Newspapers,  influence  of,  173  ;  benefits  of  agri- 
cultural,   213  ;    they  don't  take   the,   73  ; 

African 75 

New  Hampshire,  inventors  of,  31 ;  officers  of 
State  Agricultural  Society,  39  ;  agriculture 

in 367 

Notes  by  the  way 425 


O. 


in  Massa- 


Oats,  time  for  sowing 
Old  fields        .... 
Onion  worm,  326,  400  ;  crop  . 
Orchards,  plowing  of,  29,  312,  340 

chusetts        .... 
Order  in  every  thing 
Ox  and  horse  labor,  comparison  between,  73, 

282,  287;  to  feed,  314;  education  of  . 
Oyster  and  clam  shells,  analysis  of 


P. 


.     184 

426,  442 

.     461 


340 

333 

229 


425 


Paint,  rough  for  farm  use        .... 
Palmer  worm,  339,  354,  362,  369,  370,   374, 

383,  405,  408,  436 
Parsnip,  culture  and  value  of  .        .         .367 

Pastures,  old,  191 ;  neglect  of  .         .         .     524 

Patrons,  patronage 258 

Patterson,  George,  his  farm     .         .         .         .511 

Patching  and  darning      .....     129 

Pauper  farm.  State  ......     311 

Pea,  fodder,  116  ;  and  experiment  with  the     .     415 
Peaches,  how  to  dry,  422  ;  curled  leaf  in,  450 ; 
the  original 525 


INDEX. 


Page 


553 
541 


477 
158 


Pear,  Bloodgood  and  Rostiezer,  144 ;  on  thorn 
stocks,  176;  Vicar  of  Winkfield,  177;  skin- 
ning a  tree,  184  ;  Beurre  d'  Anjou,  225  • 
a  monster,  40;  cultivation  of  the,  422;  the 
Tyson,  Dearborn's  seedling,  and  the'  Os- 
born,  480  ;  Nouveau  Poiteau,  529 ;  gather- 
ing and  keeping 

Pigs  and  turnips      •...*' 

Piaster .'         .'     240   310 

Plants,  soot  for,  190  ;   house  in  winter,  28  •  ' 
niode  of  supply  of,  323;  hilling,  349;  action 
ot  drought  on,  403  ;  spontaneous 
Pleasures,  rural       •         .         .         . 
Plow,  plowing,  how  they  used  to,  69,  158*,  202  * 
more  about,  210,  278  ;  sod  and  sub  soil,  282^ 
oo! '    ^^^y  ^'*^  *^^  Sreat,    309 ;  trial  of, 
325  ;  effects  of,  deep,  356;  what  kind  of,  for 

Plnt/°''^f^'/,^^'^""       •         •         •     520,546 
ir'lum  trees,  black  knots  on,  26;  diseased,  47; 

80,    108 ;    warts   on,    262,   292,    376,    378  ; 

Smith's  Orleans 

Pork,  profit  on         .         .         ,         |         '         ] 
Posts  and  stakes,  208 ;  duration  of,  256*;  set- 
ting, 303  ;  thrown  by  the  frost,  341 ;  setting 
fence,  363,  384,  389  ;  hitching      .         . 
Potash,  water  •         •         .        . 

Potatoes,  feeding  them  to  the  cows,  112;  rot 
in,  160,  433 ;  interesting  experiment  with, 
169;  experiments  with,  235;  crop,  303; 
how  the  water  boiled  away  from  them,  385 ; 
harvesting,  396;  diseased,  399;  blast  on, 
436  ;  application  of  tan  to,  454  ;  crop,  461 ; 
disease  in,  469;  factory,  481;  rot,  remedy 

Poultry,  profits  of,  12,  89 ;  a 

to  destroy  vermin  on  . 
Practice  and  theory 
Premiums,  agricultural,  176 ; 

43  ;  at  Middlesex  fair  . 
Press,  a  wonderful  printing 
Prices  of  produce     . 
Pruning  . 


Page 


448 
72 


424 
50 


511 
■are  brood,  145  ; 

.     397 
315,  337 
at  Framingham, 

524 
531 
485 
544 


R. 


Radishes  and  turnips       .        - 

Radish,  horse 

Railroads,  effect  of .         ,         .*         ] 
Rain-drop,  fable  of  the    . 
Rat  and  hen,  battle  between   .         ! 
Reaping  and  mowing  machine 
Recipes  for  the  sick,  149  ;  variety  of 
Records,  keep  exact 
Ridging  and  draining 
Rockingham-  county  fair,  N.  H.       '. 

Roller,  the 

Roots  vs.  hay,  168;  depths  of,  45*4;  botanic 

divisions  of  .... 

Rose  bugs        •..'.,'' 

^ye       .      .      .      .1 


206, 
342, 


37, 


281 
525 
459 
388 
414 
449 
390 
94 
301 
445 
428 

463 
353 
157 


Sheep,  Silesian  merino  ewes,  129  ;  shearing 
festival,  210;  Spanish  merino  ewes,  273, 
316,  421 ;  fall  care  and  feeding  of,  531 ;  for 

mutton 5g9 

Shrubs,  indigenous  .         .         .         .     351,  359 

Sink,  wash  from  the 283 

Skin,  sheep,  to  cure  with  wool  on  .  •  .  234 
Society,  Wisconsin  State  Agricultural,  23 ; 
U.  S.  Agricultural,  30,  92,  109,  135,  173, 
412  ;  Bristol  County  Agricultural,  111  ; 
Massachusetts  Horticultural,  191  ;  Frank- 
lin County,  269  ;  Hampshire,  &c.  86  ;  Frank- 
lin, 86  ;  Hampshire,  86,  563  ;  Town  Horti- 
cultural, 335 ;  Massachusetts  Agricultural, 
409,  434,  544  ;  New  Hampshire  State  Agri- 
cultural         

Soil,  power  of,  to  retain  manure,  71 ;  analysis 
of,  93,  125,  324,  418 ;  tempering  the,  267 ; 

productions  of  the 

Soot  for  plants         ...... 

Sorrel,  what  it  indicates  .         .         .         ! 

Spade  vs.  fork  ...... 

Squash,  the  marrow,  190,  419,  509  ;  to  protect     341 
Spring,   a  southern,   158;   welcome  to,  204; 
work    ........     232 

Spruce,  how  to  propagate        ....     575 

Stable,  warm,  184;  ventilation  of,  276;  ma- 

^  "ure     ....:...     341 

tetate,  farm       •...,..     272 
Stockhardt's  field  lectures        ....     190 

Stock,  stabling,  24;  cutting  fodder  for,  117; 
sale  of  Earl  Ducie's,  413  ;  native  and  im- 
proved, 458 ;  small  and  large       .        .         .527 

Stones  in  land 330 

Strawberries 160,  245,  302 

Surfaces,  laying  out 39 

Swallows,  migration  of,  397,  410,  484,   519, 

528,  529,  540 

Swamps,  draining  of 350 

Swine,  raising,  in  Mississippi,  50  ;  feeding  sows     421 

Sycamore,  the 553 

Sylva,  North  American 332 


476 


324 
190 
211 
523 


T. 


S. 

Saddles 

Safe,  the  salamander       .        .        ', 

Saleratus  ... 

Sandwich  Islands    ..'.'. 

Sap,  circulation  of  . 

Schemes,  new  and  untried       *. 

Science,  a  co-worker,  554  ;  in  farming     .' 

^'i^f'J'%,^f^'^'  Westboro',  317,  334. 

Scythe,  fastenings  .  .  ,  '  •  • 
Shelter  for  stock  ..."'*' 
Shoveldom      ...'*"' 


.      87 

.  128 
383,  426 

.  398 
312,  380 

.  286 
418 


572 
265 
420 
238 


Tan,  bark 

Timber,  change  of,  from  clearing  land*,  35; 
durability  of,  45 ;  Kyanizing,  341,  363  ; 
preserving    ....,,. 

Theory  and  practice 

Thistles,  Canada,  389  ;  how  to  destroy   . 

Thorn  and  quince  stock 

Thought,  bits  of      • 

Tomato,  the,  398,  430  ;  drjing  the 

Tools,  good,  211 ;  for  the  boys 

Transplanting  ...... 

Travel,  sketches  of 

Traveller,  the  young 

Trees,  washes  for  the  surface  of,  72  ;  old  apple, 
75,  254;  the  chestnut,  86;  from  seed,  88; 
cultm-e  among,  89;  dwarfing  fruit,  120; 
thorn  and  quince  stock  for  pear,  143  ;  wash 
for,  185  ;  ornamental,  185  ;  and  shade,  235  ; 
experiment  on,  251;  the  pine,  279;  fruit, 
280  ;  peach,  92  ;  manuring  fruit,  93  ;  apple, 
large  product  of,  306;  grafting  old,  314; 
trimming  the  pine,  339,  374  ;  apple  girdled, 
365;  apple  killed  by  potash;  374;  inocu- 
lation of,  412;  fruit,  effect  of  high  culture 
on,  379  ;  value  of,  414;  depth  of  roots  of, 
454;  anewcatalpa,  462;  forcing  the  growth 
of,  463 ;  destroying,  478  ;  extraordinary  site 
of  a,  494 ;  on  setting  young,  496  ;  a  prolific 
pear,  497 ;  fraud  in  fruit,  529  ;  transplanting 
and  grafting 


262 


388 
315 
574 

58 
170 
464 
389 
227 
251 

54 


546 


VI 


INDEX. 


Troop,  Alexander 

Turnips   and  radishes,  281;   crop,  302,  330; 
and  grass  seed,  406,  455  ;  and  pigs 


U. 


United  States,  wealth  of 


V. 

Valley,  poisoned 

Vegetable  economy,  312;  reproduction  . 
Vegetation  of  the  Arctic  regions 
Vehicles,  housing  and  painting  farm 
Ventilation      ....... 

Vermont    State  Agricultural    Society,   400 ; 

State  fair 

Vines,  to  prevent  bugs  from  eating,  341,  402 ; 

summer  pruning  of  the  grape 


W. 

Wages  of  farmers  and  others  .... 

Walks,  to  make  good 

Walnuts,  Persian 

War 

Warts,  how  to  cure         ....      368, 

Watering         ....... 

Weather,  warm,  advantage  of,  13,  16;  the 
Webster,  Daniel's,  mansion     .... 

Weeds,  316  ;  investments  in,  329  ;  white,  356, 

364 ;  a  new 

Weight  of  farm  products  per  bushel 

Wens,  bone 197, 

Westborough,  farm  at 

Wheat,  what  kills  the,  452 ;  culture  of,  456 ; 

why   don't  the  farmers   of  Massachusetts 

raise,  464,  541 ;  winter        .... 
Winter,  a  Siberian,  21 ;  lectures,  22  ;  a  mild  . 

Wives,  farmers' 

Wood,  destruction  of 

Words,  pleasant,  from  down  East  . 

Worm,  the  core,  109  ;    the  onion,  326,  400  ; 

the  palmer,  339,  354,  362,  374, 405,  408,  436 ; 

the  apple 


Page 
649 

541 


239 


483 


The  American  Crab  Apple 

Silesian  Merino  Ewes      . 

Bloodgood  and  Rostiezer  Pears 

Remedy  for  Choked  Cattle 

Forcing  Vegetation  ;  Hot  Bed 

Vicar  of  Winkfield  . 

Grafting 

Clark's  Excelsior  Chum 

Emery's  Reaping  and  Mowing  Machine 

bined  .... 
Guenon  on  Milch  Cows  . 
Beurre  d'Anjou  Pear 
Brush  Seed-sower 


456'*pian  and  Description  of  a  Primary  School 


89 

164 

40 

482 

407 


243 
400 
545 
384 
399 
278 
415 
435 

366 
285 
204 
253 


475 
144 

77 
451 
358 


453 


Yarrow,  or  wild  camomile 
Year,  the  new 


281 
9 


Z. 

Zinc,  sulphate  of 228 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Hunt  Russet  . 

Bull,  "  Earl  of  Seaham  ' 

Canker  Worms 

Vegetable  Cutter     . 

The  Urbaniste  Pear 

Steaming  Apparatus 

Bull  Rings 

The  Long-stem  Apple 

The  Garden  Royal  Apple 


En 


house  in  Exeter,  N.  H 
Spanish  Merino  Ewes 
Phelps's  Bee  Hive  .... 
Monamet  Sweeting,  Golden  Sweeting 
Watering  Pot,    Water  Carrier,    Garden 

gine     .         .        .         r 
Cisterns  .... 
Yellow  Siberian  Crab  Apple 
Fancy  Lop-ear  Rabbits  . 
Application  of  Wind  as  a  Power  for  raising 

Water 
French  Buck  Matchless 
Sliding   Pruning    Shears,   Garden   or  Hedg 

Shears,  Grass-edging  or  Border  Shears 
The  Black  Tartarean  Cherry 
A  Wheel  Hoe 
May's  Victoria  Currant  . 
Thorough-bred  Ayrshire  Bull,  Prince  Albert 
Budding  and  Pruning  Knives 
Earth  or  Road  Scraper    . 
Atkins's  Automaton  Self-raking  Reaper 
Deep  TiUer,  No.  77 
The  Tyson,  Dearborn's  Seedling  and  Osborn 

Pears  . 
Muskingum  Pear    . 
Horse  Consternation 

Seckle  and  Louise  Bonne  de  Jersey  Pears 
Alderney  Cow 
One-horse  Farm  Tilt  Cart 
A  Number  One  Fence    . 


POETRY. 


Page 
113 

129 
144 
145 
161 
177 
182 
192 

206 
209 
225 
241 

257 
273 
289 
293 

304 
305 
321 
337 

353 
369 


377 
385 
401 

401 
417 
433 
433 
449 
465,  467 


480 
497 
513 

528 
554 
561 
57» 


Harvest  Hymn 

Corn  Song       .         .         , 

TThe  Farmer     . 

A  Song  for  the  Million    . 

Plowman's  Song 

Harvest  Hymn 

Commonwealth  of  Bees 

Winter  Sports 

Autumn  and  Winter 

The  Flowers    . 

The  Milkmaid  and  the  Banker 

Love  all  . 

Wait  a  while  . 

The  old  Green  Lane 

Morning 

Speed  the  Plow 

The  Farmer's  Song 

The  Farmer's  Daughter 

The  Seasons    . 

The  Happy  Farmer 

The  Sabbath   . 

The  White  Clover  . 

A  Lesson  in  Grammar    . 


15 
21 

117 
186 
253 
36 
41 
54 
95 
326 
349 
372 
400 
424 
431 
451 
460 
468 
477 
482 
493 
519 
532 


INDEX. 


Vll 


CORRESPONDENTS. 


A. 

, 

Page 

A.  D.  2d . 

.       76 

Abbot,  J. 

.       89 

Artisan    • 

, 

.       99,  232 

Agricola  . 

, 

.     110 

A  Reader,   263, 

290, 

327,  348,  430, 
502,  555 

A  Subscriber    . 

.     247. 340 

A  Subscriber    . 

, 

.    399 

A.  F.       . 

^ 

.     414 

A.  W.  0. 

, 

415,  436 

A.   .        . 

, 

.     424, 457 

A.  S.        . 

.     480 

A  Looker-on    . 

.     505 

A  Young  Reader 

, 

.     245 

A.  S.  K. 

.     306 

B. 

Brown,  Wm.  C. 
Basset,  Wm.  F. 
B.  F.  R.  . 
Brigham,  Otis  . 
Burt,  L.  . 
Benchley,  J.  H. 
Brown,  Silas,  127, 173, 
Bachelor  ,        . 

Barker,  Bowen 

B 

Brooks,  J. 
Burnham,  G.  P. 
B.  M.      . 
Bull,  E.  W.      , 
B.  L.       . 


Boyce,  Jonathan 
Buckland,  D.  . 
Branch,  T.  C.  . 
Bates,  S. 
Brown,  Isaao  . 
Bryant  &  Co.  . 
Battery  &  Aldrich 


.  22 
24,  64 
.  160 
.  256 
.  121 
.  363 
310,  373,  443 
158,  210,  254 
159,  274 
170,  404 
.  204 
.  337 
.  354 
.  361 
.  462 
.  496 
.  529 
.  384 
.  528 
.  529 
.  573 
.  641 


C. 

Cooke,  L 11 

Clark,  Samuel ....  40 
Cutter,  B.  F.  .  .  .  48,  206 
Camp,  E.  ....       50 

Clift,  W.  .         .        60,  165,  455 

Currier,  F.  H 61 

Comings,  A.  G,,  68,  101,  187,  202, 
250,  376,  498,  525,  557 
.  78 
.  243 
.  244 
.  157 
.  176 
.  273 
.  275 
.  278 
368,  546 
.  523 
.  160 
.  341 
.  384 
.  529 
.     529 


Collins,  J.  H 
C.  AV.  A. 
Cross,  Oscar  S. 
Clarke,  George  B.    . 
Conant,  B.  T.  . 
Campbell,  George 
C.  P.  B.  . 
Chandler,  J.  G. 
Cruickshanks,  George 
Churchill,  Wm.  G.  . 
C.  H.  R. 

C.  s. 

Colby,  George  J. 
C.  E.       . 
C.  H.       . 


D.  C.       . 

Darling,  Noyes,  Mrs. 


12,  58 
109,  269,  576 


Page 
D.  H.  L 118 

Dike,  Solon      .        .      158,494,560 

Davis,  J 208 

Durand,  L.  258,  271,  406,  410,  415, 
419 
Doolittle,  Jonathan .  .  .  279 
Davis,  Ichabod 
Dimon,  John 


D.  H.  2d 
D.  F. 
D.  . 
D.  F.  G. 


366 
421 
293 
436 
528 
245 


E. 

E.  A 160 

Everett,  Joshua  S.  .        .        .    217 

E.  C.  L 158,  259 

Essex   .    .   338, 371, 399,  573 
Eddy,  Henry  .    .    .    .341 

E.  G.  C 389 

E,  N 671 

E.  S 341 


.f. 

French,  Henry  F.,    13,  70, 117, 156, 

205,  330,  339,  347,  395,  492 

Fowler,  S.  P.     46,  78,  113,  221,  291, 

299,  444,  566 

Fowler,  H 240 

Far  East  .         ,         .         .268 

Fiske,  H.  M 287 

Fay,  Peter       .        .        .        .308 

Ferry,  L 382 

F.  B.  B 400 

Fry,  D 452 

F.  B 478 


Glen 

Goodrich,  C.     . 
Goldsbury,  John 
Green,  George  B. 
Green,  J.  S. 
Griffiths,  J. 
G.  N.       . 
G.  F.  N. 
Gilson,  Josiah 


.  570 
224,  469 

.  572 

.  182 

.  308 

.  359 

.  245 

.  529 

.  629 


H. 


Hersey,  Edmund  ...  63 
Holbrook,F.  211,  232,  335,  355,  467, 

520 
Horticulturist  .  .  .  .224 
Hubbard,  R.  B.  92,  227, 263, 302, 428, 

511 


H.  D.  W. 
Hill,  Jabez 
Hills,  0.  V.     . 
Hooker,  S.  E.  . 
Harris,  T.  W.  . 
Hanford,  A.  G. 
Hagar,  A.  D.  . 
Hatch,  J. 
Holman,  Ansel 
H.  S.       . 


J.  H.  &  Son 

J.  N.  P. 


J. 


.  116,  176 
.  119 
.  304 

314,  402,  436 
.  370 
.  379 
.388 
.  409 
.  509 

389,  400,  563 


J.  R. 


i,  72,  86,  223,  312,  337,  409, 
434,  442,  476,  482 
J.  H.  R.  .  .  .  333, 394 
J.  S 117 


J.  F.  C.  H. 


J.  D. 
J.  W. 
J.  A. 
J.  W. 
J.J. 
J.  D. 
J.  H. 
J.  F. 
J.  C. 
J.  . 
J.N. 
J.  T. 
J.  W 


B. 

S.  . 


J.  . 
H.  *. 


M. 
W. 
.P. 


Kilbnrn,  A. 
Kyle,  F. 


Page 

143, 148,  159,  226,  351, 

425,  436,  464 

.    479 

.     530 

.    19T 

.    160 

.    160 

.384 

.     436,  528 

.    436 

.    629 

259,  401,  402,  471 

.    303 

.    646 

.    574 


67 
155 


Lackey,  Andrew 
L.  L.  R. 
Lake,  W.  G.    . 
Lee,  J.     . 
L.  R.       . 


L.  S.  H. 
L.  W.  C. 
Lake,  J. 
Lyman,  Benj.  F. 
Lyman,  David 
L.  E.       . 
L.  T.       . 


M. 


Mansfield,  R.  . 
Mclntire,  Rufua 
Mandell,  Walter 
M.  A.  R. 
Many 

Matthew,  L.    . 
Mann,  G.  W.  . 
M.  F.  D. 
Merrill,  John  M. 
M.  . 
M.  . 

Mason,  F.  W.  . 
Meg 

Merrill,  D.  2d 
M.  A.  P. 


Nemo 


N. 


0. 


.  529 
.  24 
80,91 

263,  565 
.  122 
.  175 
.    365 

369,  479 
.  639 
.  416 
.  400 
.  160 


.   12,  213 

.  80 
.  88 
.  90 
.  214 
.  215 
.  227 
.  130 
.  190 
268,  321,  611 

.  280, 463 
.  374 

.  426, 430 
.  511 
.  436 


460 


One  who  has  much  to  learn 


P. 

Peasant  Bard  .        . 
PhUlips,  M.  W. 
P.       51,  89,  112,  241,  278, 
413,  425, 
Painter  turned  Farmer     . 
Powers,  Samuel  L.   . 
Packard,  D.  W.  C.  . 
Proctor,  John  W.     . 
Perry,  Matthew  A.  332, 351, 
Pepperell 
Pierce,  Wilder 
Poor,  Henry     . 
Pratt,  Minot    . 


349 


.      15 

.       50 

306,  409 

433,  454 

.      59 

.    262 

.    117 

183,190 

553,554 

,     353 

.    552 

.    456 

.    496 


Till 


INDEX. 


R. 

Page 

Raymond,  George  S.         .        .     109 

Reynolds,  Joseph,  111,  185, 197,  281, 

447 

Ransom,  Cephas       .        .        .119 

R.  H.  H 141 

Rennet 5G2 

Richardson,  Addison         .         .148 

R.  P 363 

Richardson,  N.  A.  .  .  .  448 
Root,  Spencer  ....  477 
R.  M 478 


S. 


S.  B. 


Stevens,  Ambrose 
Siedhof,  Charles 
Slade,  G.  B.     . 
S.  Flint,  jun.  . 
Subscriber 
Stetson,  Benjamin 
S.  G.  E.  . 
Stearns,  Isaac 
S.  W.iun.       .    • 
S.  W.      . 
S.  G.  B.  . 
Scott,  B. 
S.  F,       . 


.      18 
.       34 
42,  95 
.       47 
.       84 
.       84 
.     240 
375 
408,  424,  452 
.     159 
.     384 
.     303 
.     165 
125,  142, 176,  319 


Page 
Stone,  Richard  C.  128,  308,  341,  362 

Stow,  H 568 

ShurtlefF,  S.  A.  .  .  .  134 
Subscriber  up  North  .  .212 
Seabury,  r.  P.         .        .         .494 


T. 


T.  A.  S.           .        .        27,272,316 

Tuttle,  W.  D.  . 

.      30 

Thomas,  N.  J. 

.      86 

Taylor,  John    . 

216,  358 

Tenney,  S. 

191,  415 

Tenney    . 

.     419 

Todd,  A, 

310,  314 

T.  S.  F.  . 

.     314 

Thompson,  James    . 

.     625 

T.  H.  C.           .        . 

.     389 

Upham,  Zenas 


52 


V. 


Varney,  L.       .        .        83,235,475 
Veritas    .....     468 


W. 

W.  R,  C. 

W.  J.  A.  B.     .         .  38 

W.  B.  50,167,261,286,363, 

AVhittier,  Richard     . 

Willard,  Benjamin    . 

W.  II.  B. 


Wilcox,  John   . 

Watson,  E.  P. 

W.  D.  B.  .       104,  312, 

Wilson,  M.  A. 

W.  N.  S. 

W.  K y      . 

Ward,  J.  D.     . 

W 

W.  C.  B. 

Walker,  G.  S.  . 

W.  B.  W. 

Winchester,  Horace  H.     . 


Y. 

Young,  Farmer 
Young  Wool  Grower 


Page 

26 

,  74,  360 

404, 460 
.       72 

88, 162 
.  238 
.  265 
.     139 

396,  492 
.  281 
.  358 
.  366 
.  397 
.  495 
.  519 
.  527 
.  160 
.  364 


191 
316 


* 


16,  93,  269,  461,  522 


DEVOTED  TO  AGRICULTURE  AND  ITS  KINDRED  ARTS  AND  SCIENCES. 


VOL.  V. 


BOSTON,  JANUARY,  1853. 


NO.  1.- 


RAYNOLDS  &  NOITRSE,  Proprietohs. 
Office Quincy  Hall. 


SIMON  BROWN,  Editor. 


FRED'K  HOLBROOK.  i  Associate 
HENRY  F.  FRENCH,  \   Editors. 


THE  NEW  YEAR. 

Charles  Lamb,  in  his  volume  of  "£'Z/«,"  says, 
"Every  man  hath  two  j^irthdays  ;  two  days,  at 
least,  in  every  year,  which  set  him  upon  revolving 
the  lapse  of  time,  as  it  effects  his  mortal  duration. 
The  birth  of  a  now  year  is  of  an  interest  too  wide 
to  be  pretermitted  by  king  or  cobbler.  No  one 
ever  regarded  the  First  of  January  with  indifference. 
It  is  that  fi-om  which  all  date  their  time,  and 
count  upon  what  is  left."  It  is  proper,  then,  to 
make  it  a  pausing  place,  from  which  to  look  at 
events  which  have  passed,  as  well  as  to  summon 
before  us  something  of  the  probable  future.  Proper, 
standing  on  this  point  and  contemplating  the  por- 
tion of  our  days  that  has  mingled  with  the  untold 
years  which  have  rolled  away  behind  us,  that  the 
heart  should  be  touched,  and  awakened  to  new 
emotions  of  gratitude.  In  the  sombre  December 
afternoon,  with  barren  fields,  and  leafless  trees 
around  them,  how  many  witness  the  setting  sun, 
with  the  mental  exclamation,  "Shall  I  behold  thee 
again,  descending  with  the  dying  year!"  or  start 
at  the  solemn  peal  of  the  bell  as  it  rings  out  the 
old  year.  Lamb  says  he  never  heard  it  "without  a 
gathering  up  of  his  mind  to  a  concentration  of  all 
the  images  that  had  been  diffused  over  it  for  a  past 
twelve-month  ;  all  he  had  done  or  suffered,  per- 
formed or  neglected — in  that  regretted  time." 

But  the  lapse  of  time,  well  employed,  should  be 
no  cause  of  regret.  We  hail  the  corn  and  fruit 
harvests  with  joy ;  they  are  no  more  of  special  ap- 
pointment than  that  we  ought  to  become  ripe  with 
good  deeds  and  fruits  and  be  gathered  home  our- 
selves. The  sum  of  human  duty  is  to  act  ivell  our 
part — this  done,  the  lapse  of  years  and  the  trial  of 
life  should  fall  on  the  heart  as  the  soft  rain  on  the 
flinty  rock;  it  makes  an  impression,  to  be  sure, 
but  so  silent  and  gradual  as  to  be  almost  imper- 
ceptible. 

It  is  no  idle  uttering  of  the  heart,  when  we  say 
that  we  wish  all  ".4.  Happy  New  Year.^'  If  in 
the  association  which  has  grown  up  between  us, 


you  have  enjoyed  the  reading,  as  we  have  the 
gathering,  of  these  pages,  the  connection  has  been 
a  most  happy  one.  You  have  constantly  strength- 
ened us  by  timely  words  of  encouragement,  by  the 
constant  communication  of  your  experiences,  and 
theories  and  deductions  from  them  in  your  farm  ope- 
rations, and  by  the  most  liberal,  substantial,  and 
prompt  aid  in  the  pecuniary  affairs  of  the  estab- 
lishment. Your  writings,  many  of  them  fresh  from 
the  experiments  of  the  fields,  have  given  these 
columns  their  chief  value,  and  they  must  continue 
to  do  so,  or  they  will  lose  that  directness  and  force 
which  they  have  already  attained  by  your  judicious 
aid.  But  with  more  experience  in  the  great  art, 
with  a  better  knowledge  of  the  wants  of  the  farm- 
ing community,  we  shall  draw  from  our  own  stores 
and  the  recorded  wisdom  of  the  fathers  in  the  art, 
with  untiring  apphcation.  Not  feeling  strictly 
confined  to  agricultural  books,  papers,  or  discus- 
sions for  illustrations,  we  shall  feel  justified  in  col- 
lecting from  the  busy  walks  of  commerce,  the  me- 
chanic shops  or  laboratory  of  the  chemist,  such 
helps  as  will  elucidate  the  subjects  before  us. 
Waifs  from  the  wayside  will  be  gathered  in,  wheth- 
er straying  from  our  own  political  or  religious  pa- 
pers, or  wafted  across  the  Atlantic  from  the  ex- 
perienced flirmer  in  the  old  countries. 

Among  the  favorable  changes  which  have  taken 
place  in  the  estimation  in  which  farming  is  held, 
as  an  occupation,  there  is  one  of  much  importance, 
and  which  is  calculated  to  draw  into  it  many  ear- 
nest and  inquiring  minds,  and  thus  soon  to  pro- 
duce distinguished  men.  It  is,  that  Agriculture 
now  has  a  litei-ature.  Some  of  the  pleasantest 
books  that  have  been  issued  for  a  few  years  past 
have  been  upon  the  subject  of  agriculture  and  its 
kindred  branches.  The83  works  have  required 
more  patient  research  and  investigation,  and  more 
of  the  higher  powers  of  the  mind  to  produce  them, 
than  almost  any  other  kind  of  literature.  They 
certainly  stand  side  by  side  with  the  best  works  orr' 
astronomy  and  geology,  and  as  far  surpass  in  merit 


10 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Jan 


and  value  the  millions  of  volumes  of  the  current 
literature,  as  the  skilful  cultivation  of  the  earth  is 
of  more  importance  than  the  skilful  playing  of  a 
game  of  foot-ball.  Without  going  back  to  the  an- 
cients, who  seem  to  have  been  well-informed  in 
terra-culture,  but  as  a  general  thing,  knew  little 
of  the  atmospheric  influences  upon  crops,  or  of  the 
importance  of  mineral  manures,  we  will  mention  a 
few  of  the  modern  writers  who  have  devoted  their 
thoughts  to  the  cultivation  of  the  earth,  and  add- 
ed dignity,  grace  and  interest  to  the  pursuit.  Sir 
Humphrey  Davy's  lectures  on  agi-icultural  chemis- 
try were  commenced  before  the  Board  of  Agricul- 
ture in  England  as  early  as  1802,  but  never  pub- 
'lished  till  1813,  and  to  this  day  are  scarcely  known 
to  one  in  a  thousand  in  this  country.  Loudon's 
voluminous  works  are  monuments  of  learning  as 
well  as  of  usefulness.  Johnston's  agricultural 
chemistry,  Boussingault's  Rural  Economy,  Ste- 
phens's Book  of  the  Farm,  and  Rogers's  Scientific 
Agriculture,  are  full  of  the  most  useful  and  prac- 
tical information. 

But  there  is  another,  and  if  possible,  still  more 
attractive  phase  in  the  literature  of  agriculture,  of 
which  Duncan's  Sacred  Philosophy  of  the  Seasons, 
and  Hunt's  Poetry  of  Science,  are  representatives. 
While  the  first  class  enters  into  the  great  laws  and 
operations  of  Nature,  showing  us  how  to  subdue 
the  wilderness,  gain  fertile  fields,  and  cover  the 
hills  with  flocks,  the  latter  analyzes  these  laws  and 
illustrates  the  goodness  and  wisdom  of  God  in  the 
beautiful  arrangements  of  His  creation.  These 
show  the  Poetry  of  the  great  art ;  and  to  a  mind  un- 
tainted by  morbid  sensibilities,  they  have  an  inex- 
presssible  charm.  They  uni-avel  a  thousand  mys- 
teries in  the  grass  of  the  field,  or  the  trees  of  the 
forest, — in  the  drop  of  water  that  hangs  and  trem- 
bles on  the  petal  of  the  flower,  or  the  rugged  rock 
on  which  it  is  soon  to  fall.  They  show  that  in 
agricultural  employments  there  is  room  for  the  ex- 
ercise of  all  the  high  and  noble  feculties  of  the 
mind.  If  the  vocation  has  become  one  of  drudgery, 
it  is  because  the  mind  is  slavish  and  dull,  and  not 
that  the  subject  is  not  endowed  with  all  the  inher- 
ent qualities  of  beauty  and  grandeur.  To  the  stu- 
dent, this  class  of  literature  will  possess  many 
pleasant  attractions,  more  than  compensate  for  the 
unpoetic  part  of  farm  work,  and  draw  numbers 
away  from  the  crowded  professions.  This  is  a  fea- 
ture full  of  encouragement. 

We  do  not  mean  to  say  that  heretofore  agricul- 
ture has  had  no  literature  ;  for  even  among  the 
ancients  there  were  a  few  who  seemed  to  embrace 
within  their  compreliensive  grasp  most  that  is 
known -to  us  now.  But  that  in  this  age  the  sub- 
ject has  been  brought  into  well-defined  and  scien- 
tific principles,  which  are  becoming  widely-diffused 
among  the  masses  who  are  occupied  in  the  cultiva- 
^on  of  the  earth.  At  no  period  has  there  proba- 
bly been  more  active  minds  engaged  on  any  topic, 


than  may  now  be  found  on  the  subject  of  farming, 
including  all  its  various  branches.  For  the  next 
half  century,  at  least,  it  promises  to  be  the  popu- 
lar profession  ;  and  as  our  national  safety  and  con- 
tinuance depends  on  our  being  an  agricultural 
people,  producing  within  ourselves,  as  far  as  pos- 
sible, the  means  of  supplying  our  own  wants,  we 
are  glad  to  see  the  young  and  zealous  engaging  in 
its  healthy  and  jennobling  pursuits.  And -while 
we  urge  upon  them,  the  more  modern  literature 
of  the  farm,  we  would  by  no  means  exclude  the 
Georgics,  the  writings  of  old  Cato,  Columella,  or 
those  who  have  occasionally  appeared  and  written 
on  the  subject  since. 

With  regard  to  new  plans  in  the  prosecution  of 
our  enterprise,  we  have  scarcely  a  suggestion  to 
make.  The  New  England  Farmer  is  already  es- 
tablished on  a  firm  basis.  Its  publishers  will 
spare  no  reasonable  expense  to  make  it  hereafter 
what  the  farmer  needs,  in  doctrine  and  spirit,  and 
in  such  a  becoming  style  in  its  appearance  as  shall 
do  no  discredit  to  the  great  improvements  in  the 
Art  of  Printing. 

We  have  no  important  changes  to  announce — 
we  contemplate  none.  Our  Associate  Editors  will 
remain  in  the  harness  and  fill  their  parts  with 
their  accustomed  promptness  and  ability. 

One  fact  we  will  mention  before  we  close  this, 
our  first  talk  with  you  in  the  New  Year.  Out  of 
the  thousands  of  communications,  (sometimes 
amounting  to  scores  in  a  day)  which  have  been  re- 
ceived during  the  past  year,  in  relation  to  all  the 
business  of  the  establishment,  there  has  not  been  one 
finding  fault  with  our  course,  or  ordering  a  dis- 
continuance from  motives  of  ill-will  or  dissatisfac- 
tion. The  mantle  of  your  charity  has  fallen  over 
our  errors  as  silently  as  the  night-dew  upon  the 
flowers. 

And  now  may  He  who  sustains  us,  each  in  his 
position,  grant  us  another  year  of  usefulness  and 
kindly  intercourse  wdth  each  other. 


A  VALUABLE  BOOK  OF  REPERBNOS. 

Some  of  the  characteristics  of  the  Monthly  Far- 
mer are, — 

1.  The  elegant  manner  and  convenient  form  in 
which  it  is  printed  ;  making  a  handsome  volume 
for  the  library  when  bound. 

2.  The  expensive  engravings  which  illustrate 
the  stock,  plants,  fruits,  flowers,  machines,  build- 
ings and  fences  which  are  described  in  its  columns. 

3.  The  absence  of  long  catalogues  of  premiums- 
and  programmes,  which  are  only  of  temporary  in- 
terest. 

4.  Its  articles  sjiring  from  leading  principles  in 
the  art  of  agricultui-e,  and  will,  therefore,  be  as 
valuable  to  the  learner  any  future  year,  as  at  the 
present  time. 

5.  Its  writers  are  nearly  all  men  of  practical 
acquaintance  with  the  business  of  the  farm. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


11 


6.  Some  of  its  writers  are  men  of  profound  learn-' 
ing  in  the  various  arts  and  sciences,  and  particu- 
larly in  chemistrj'^,  in  its  relations  to  agriculture. 

7.  The  matter  which  has  been  collected  and 
printed  with  so  much  cai-e,  is  made  easily  availa- 
ble l)y  a  full  and  accurate  index  to  the  articles, 
and  to  the  illustrations  and  names  of  correspon- 
dents ;  so  that  no  time  is  lost  in  referring  to  any- 
thing which  has  been  presented  during  the  year. 

These  are  some  of  the  characteristics  which 
stand  out  prominently  in  the  work,  and  must  be 
marks  for  commendation  by  every  reader. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

GREAT  YIELD  OF  CARROTS. 

Gent.  : — I  wish  to  call  your  attention  to  the 
statement  of  Dr.  Cook,  of  Wendell,  in  relation  to 
his  manner  of  raising  carrots.  He  stated  to  me 
when  sowing  them  that  he  should  do  great  things 
in  the  carrot  line,  but  I  had  entirely  forgotten 
what  he  said,  until  I  saw  his  statement  in  the  Re- 
public. We  di,>  not  consider  the  town  of  Wendell 
one  of  our  best  towns  for  good  land,  by  any  means  ; 
on  the  contrary,  we  regard  it  as  a  I'ough,  hilly' 
town  with  a  good  deal  of  poor  land. 

LUCIUS  cook's  statement. 

The  subscriber,  a  member  of  the  Franklin  Coun- 
ty Agricultural  Suciety ,  submits  the  following  state- 
ments relative  to  the  cultivation  of  a  patch  of  car- 
rots raised  by  hiia  the  current  year. 

Said  carrots  were  raised  on  Wendell  Hill,  in 
said  county,  on  the  place  whereon  said  applicant 
now  lives.  The  exact  quantity  of  land  was  three- 
fourths  of  an  acre,  and  the  number  of  bushels,  or 
baskets,  six  hundi-ed  and  fifty-one  ;  and  the  num- 
ber of  tons,  sixteen.  This  number  of  tons  was  as- 
certained l)y  weighing  four  or  five  loads  on  the  hay 
scales,  as  they  w^re  drawn  from  the  field,  and  di- 
viding the  sum  of  their  weight  by  the  number  of 
bushels  or  baskets,  and  finding  them  to  average  fifty 
pounds. 

The  land  on  which  these  carrots  were  raised 
had  been  mowed  for  eight  years  prior  to  1850, 
when  it  was  planted  with  potatoes,  nearly  all  of 
which  were  destroyed  by  the  disease,  and  were 
not  worth  half  the  cost  of  harvesting. 

In  1851  the  land  was  planted  to  corn,  which 
was  much  damaged  by  worms,  and  afterwards  set 
out  to  Ruta  Bagas,  which  grew  well  and  yielded 
a  fine  crop,  but  having  no  animals  that  would  eat 
them  except  horses,  they  were  kept  through  the 
winter  in  a  cellar,  and  then  thrown  out  for  manure 
— the  entire  crops  on  the  land  not  paying  the  ex- 
pense of  cultivation  by  one-half.  On  or  about  the 
20th  of  May,  1852,  the  land  was  sowed  in  drills  18 
inches  apart  to  carrots,  by  a  machine  bought  of 
Mr.  Wm.  EUiot,  for  the  sum  of  three  dollars  and 
twenty-five  ce^ts,  the  land  being  first  prepared  by 
deep  plowing  with  a  common  plow,  then  raked  and 
levelled — about  thirty  loads  of  horse  manure  being 
spreadon  the  land  before  plowing.  The  labor  of 
preparing  the  land,  sowing  the  seeds,  cultivating 
and  harvesting  the  crop,  1  contracted  for  at  the 
commencement,  for  t\\Qs,\xmo?  seventy-five  dollars, 
which  seemed  to  me  and  others  as  an  extravagant 
price,  but  as  some  stonj  were  to  be  removed  in  the 
job,  I  consoled  myself  with  the  belief  that  I  might 


stand  it  "just  this  onee."    The  crop  has  just  been 
liarvested. 

As  ti)  the  value  of  the  carrots  I  have  always  be- 
lieved tliem  worth  as  much  as  oats,  by  the  bush- 
el, to  feed  to  horses,  which  are  the  only  animals  I 
keep.  Four  or  five  tons  of  them  I  have  sold  at 
from  $12  to  $15  per  ton;  at  $12  I  could  sell  them 
all  any  day,  and  the  sum  would  amount  to  $192. 
Add  to  this  four  dollars,  a  sum  for  which  1  sold  the 
tops  as  they  lay  in  the  field,  and  four  more  dol- 
lars which  [  hope  to  get  as  premium,  and  tlie  sum 
would  amount  to  .$200.  Deduct  from  this  $75 
paid  for  lal)or,  and  $25  more  for  the  cost  of  seed 
and  my  own  Care  and  skill — the  lastbeinj;  a  cliarge 
I  make  from  habit — and  it  will  leave  $100  as  the 
net  income  from  the  three-fourths  of  iin  acre. 
Wendell,  Nod.  15,  18-52.  L.  Cooke. 


THE  SEASON. 

On  the  5th  of  Dec.  last  year,  the  ground  had 
been  frozen  fi)r  several  days,  and  had  thawed  but 
slightly  during  the  middle  of  the  day,  so  that  all 
about  this  region  of  country  the  roads  were  hard, 
and  nearly  as  smooth  as  plank  roads.  The  6th 
was  bright  and  pleasant,  but  cold.  On  the  7th  it 
rained  a  little.  The  8th  was  moderate.  On  the 
10th  the  roads  Avere  still  smooth,  and  locomotives 
could  have  run  finely  on  the  common  roads.  At 
sunrise  on  the  11th,  the  thermometer  stood  at  12° 
above  zero.  Sunday,  the  14th  was  pleasant ;  it 
commenced  snowing  early  Monday  morning,  and 
about  5  inches  fell  during  the  day.  Tuesday,  the 
16th  the  sleighs  Tvere  running  briskly.  On  Wednes- 
day, the  17th,  at  Concord,  20  miles  from  Boston, 
one  thermometer  in  the  village  stood  at  20'^  be- 
low ;  another,  a  little  north  of  the  village,  at  17^^, 
and  one  noi'th-west  on  higher  ground  at  lO'^  be- 
low !  There  were  then  deep  snows,  good  sleigh- 
ing and  stern  winter  weather  for  many  weeks. 

This  year,  on  the  5th,  the  weather  was  mild  and 
pleasant;  the  farmers  were  plowing,  making  wall, 
getting  out  manure,  clearing  meadows,  and  doing 
any  of  the  autumnal  work  of  the  farm.  The  grass 
was  green  in  the  fields,  where  many  cattle  were 
grazing,  and  young  cattle  were  still  supporting 
themeslves  in  the  pastures.*  A  drizzling  rain  fell 
during  a  portion  of  the  day,  and  similar  weather 
prevailed  until  the  8th  ;  that  day  w^as  bright, 
warm,  and  beautiful.  So  were  the  9th  and  lOth. 
On  the  11th,  there  was  a  heavy  fall  of  rain  with 
east  wind.  It  cleared  off  during  the  night,  the 
wind  hauled  into  the  north  and  Sunday,  the  12tb, 
was  a  cold,  bright  morning  with  a  clear,  bracing 
atmosphere.  Monday  was  damp  and  cool  in  the 
morning.  At  one  o'clock  it  began  to  snow,  and 
continued  until  dark,  but  only  about  half  an  inch 
fell.  Tuesday,  the  sun  rose  clear,  but  it  was  not 
warm  enough  to  tl^w  the  snow.  Wednesday,  the 
15th,  was  the  coldest  day  up  to  that  date.    On  the 


Tansies,  or  Lady's  Delights,  were  in  bloom  in  our  garden, 
and  in  the  vicinity  we  heard  of  rose  bushes  in  full  leaf  with 
perfect  blossoms. 


12 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Jan. 


morning  of  the  16th  the  thermometer  stood  at  10® 
above,  a  little  before  sunrise.  Last  year,  it  will  be 
observed,  it  stood  at  10,  17  and  20°  below,  at  dif- 
ferent points  within  a  circuit  of  a  mile,  at  Con- 
cord, Mass. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

THE  USE  OF  GUANO. 

Mr.  Editor  :  —  As  Peruvian  Guano  has  been 
used  in  New  England  only  to  a  very  limited  extent 
as  a  fertilizer,  and  as  every  scrap  of  intelligence 
upon  tlie  subject  is  now  of  great  interest  and  im- 
portance to  the  practical  farmer,  I  send  you  for 
publication  the  following  extract  from  a  letter  re- 
cently received  from  a  gentleman  in  Virginia,  who 
has  very  successfully  used  that  article  on  the  old, 
worn-out  lands  in  that  State.  What  is  necessary 
to  restore  the  exhausted  soils  of  Virginia,  is,  mu- 
tatis mutandis,  equally  necessary  to  the  same  soils 
in  Massachusetts  ;  and  as  it  regards  the  expense, 
guano,  at  fifty  dollars  the  ton,  is  actually  cheaper 
than  manure  at  six  dollars  the  cord.  The  extract 
which  follows  explains  itself. 

WaUham,  Dec,  IS52.  d.  c. 


"You  ask,  is  guano  the  best  and  most  economi- 
cal manure  for  hay  and  garden  vegetables?"  My 
own  trials  of  it  have  chiefly  been  on  the  field  crops 
of  this  region,  namely,  corn,  wheat  and  clover. 
The  effects  of  it  on  those  crops  are  most  admira- 
ble, as  well  as  in  permanently  improving  the  soils. 
I  have  also  applied  it  to  ray  garden,  and  have  used 
it  as  a  top  dressing  to  herdsgrass,  but  I  cannot 
say  that  the  effect  on  the  grass  or  garden  vegeta- 
ble was  very  marked.  Some  friends  of  mine,  how- 
ever, have  described  its  action  on' garden  vegeta- 
bles and  on  timothy  as  most  excellent,  and  I  liave 
no  doubt  it  is  so. 

I  suppose  if  a  new  garden  is  to  be  made  on  poor 
land,  it  would  be  necessary  to  use  vegetable  ma- 
nures as  well  as  guano,  to  get  the  soil  into  the  best 
state  for  culinary  vegetables,  or  in  fact  for  any 
kind  of  crop.  Guano  is  composed  chiefly  of  the 
azotised  compounds  and  phosphates.  A  good,  rich 
soil  contains,  in  addition  to  these  ingredients,  tlio 
organic  matter  of  vegetables.  I  find  my  fields  con- 
stantly improving,  as  the  growth  of  clover  and  all 
kinds  of  grass  and  weeds  is  promoted  by  guano. 

"We  have  in  this  part  of  our  State  various  soils, 
namely,  sandy  and  gravelly  loams,  stiff  white  clays, 
and  the  red  clays.  On  the  hard  and  gravelly 
loams,  and  on  the  white  clays,  the  effects  of  gua- 
no are  truly  admirable,  and  also  is  on  the  pale  red 
clays.  On  the  dark  red  clays,  I  have  been  in- 
formed that  its  effects  have  not  been  so  marked. 
If  you  wish  to  use  it  as  a  top  dressing  to  grass 
land,  you  had  better  mix  it  with  ground  plaster  of 
Paris,  in  the  proportion  of  one  part  of  plaster  to 
two  of  guano.  This  tends  to  fix  the  volatile  am- 
monia, and  also  furnishes  a  small  quantity  of  lime 
to  the  soil.  When  applying  guano  to  any  crops 
at  the  time  of  planting,  it  should  be  plowed  or  har- 
rowed in,  two  or  three  inches  in  depth,  and  should 
be  broadcasted,  and  may  be  in  quantity  from  one 
hundred  to  three  hundred  pounds  to  the  acre. 

My  own  belief  is,  that  gua«o  is  the  cheapest 
fertilizer,  and  the  greatest  boon  ever  conferred  on 
a  poor  country.  I  doubt  if  it  will  ever  fail  on  any 
poor  lands,  and  think  that  you  will  not  err  in  ap- 
plying it  to  any  such." 


For  the  New.  England  Farmer. 
PROFITS   OF  FOWLS. 

Mr.  Editor  : — There  has  been  an  increasing  in- 
terest.taken  in  the  subject  of  poultry,  for  the  last 
few  years.  I  have  watched  with  interest  for  a  re- 
sult which  is  now  realized,  viz.,  that  native  fowla 
are  more  profitable  than  otlier  breeds.  There  have 
been  many  statements  made  of  expense  and  in 
come  from  a  stock  of  native  fowls,  invariably 
showing  a  profit;  whilst  I  have  never  seen,  if  me- 
mory serves  me  right,  but  a  single  statement  of 
fancy  breeds,  and  tliat  gave  a  loss.  I  saw  in  your 
paper  of  December  18,  an  account  of  the  farmers' 
uiccting  in  Concord,  showing  conclusively  that 
poultry  raising  and  egg-producing  is  profitable.  I, 
too,  would  cast  in  my  mite  to  serve  the  common 
cause. 

The  following  is  the  account  with  my  fowls  one 
year,  commencing  Dec.  1,  1850. 

On  hand,  4  roosters  and  74  hens  and  pullets,  worth  50  cts.  each. 
They  consumed  41  bushels  12  qis.  northern  corn... $-35, 99 

Do.  31  bushels  21  (jls.  flat  corn 22,16 

Do.  200  Ho.  scraps 3,32 

Interest  on  the  worth  of  fowls '.^,31 

Less  worth  of  fowls  at  close  of  year 10,.'  0 

Expenses S;74,3I 

Income— 742.5  doz.  eggs,  at  15.5  per  doz ...115,84 

■    Fowls  sold ., 9,56 

Income $125,40 

Sublnict  expenses 74,31 

Actual  profit S51,0!) 

Which  leaves  $1,28  gain  on  every  dollar  invest- 
ed.   It  also  shows  a  gain  on  each  fowl  of  G5.5  cts. 

Commenced  the  year  1651,   Dec.  1,  with  76  fowls,  worth  36 

cents  apiece. 
They  consumed  501  bush,  corn,  at  81  cts  per  bush.  $11,26 

Do.  13b  Ills,  scraps,  at  16  mills  i)er  lb 2,11 

Interest  on  the  worth  of  fowls 1,64 

Less  worth  of  fowls  at  close  of  year 8,91 

Expenses $53,05 

Income— 3741^  doz.  eggs,  at  165  cts   per  doi 01,65 

Fowls  sol  J 20,35 

Income $82,00 

Subtract  expenses 53,05 

Profit $28,95 

Which  leaves  $1,02  gain  on  every  dollar  invest- 
ed.    It  also  shows  a  gain  on  each  fowl  of  38  cts. 

]My  gain  this  year  has  been  less  for  the  reasons 
which  follow,  viz. :  I  killed  off  the  best  of  my 
fowls,  one-third  part  in  March  ;  and  again  I  lost  by 
accident  pei'haps  two  dozen.  So  tiiat  upon  the 
whole  this  year  shows  the  business  to  be  as  pro- 
fitable as  the  year  before. 

I  rejoice  that  this  subject  is  receiving  due  weight 
in  New  England, — that  fowl  breeders  are  count- 
ing up  the  cost,  and  find  in  the  result  a  handsome 
profit.  I  trust  that  the  fairs  this  coming  year  will 
be  ornamented  with  the  native  biddies,  and  that 
they  will  be  allowed  to  take  the  first  place  in  the 
county  shows,  as  they  certainly  will  at  their  own- 
er's interest  table.  R.  ^Mansfield. 

West  Needham,  Dec,  1852. 


Grizzly  Bear  I — All  who  are  desirous  of  seeing 
a  specimen  of  the  productions  of  that  famous 
world,  California,  are  advised  to  go  and  see  the 
grizzly  bear,  now  on  exhibition  at  19  Charlestown 
Street,  Boston.  The  bill  states  that  Lis  actual 
weight  is  over  1"00  pounds ! 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


13 


REMEDY  FOR  BOTS  IN  HORSES. 

For  many  years  past  I  have  used  a  simple  rem- 
edy for  hots,  and  am  almost  disposed  to  call  it  "an 
infalli'ile  remedy,"  sure  enouo;h.  But  I  can  say, 
with  truth,  that  I  have  never  known  it  fail  if  ad- 
ministered at  the  commencement  of  the  attack. 
Drench  freely  vpith  sweet  milk  and  molasses,  (su- 
gar or  honey  will  do)  well  shaken  together.  Con- 
tinue it,  a  bottle  full  every  fifteen  or  twenty  min- 
utes, according  to  the  severity  of  the  attack,  un- 
til the  animal  becomes  easy  ;  then  give  a  quart 
bottle  full  of  strong  salt  and  water,  followed  soon 
after  with  a  quart  bottle  of  Castor  oil. 

It  is  worse  tlian  idle  to  give  anything  with  the 
view  of  killing  the  hots  in  a  horse.  The  only  plan 
IS  to  convey  them  oS";  a  sweet  drench  is  tlie 
thing ;  they  seize  upon  it  with  avidity,  and  in  a 
little  while  will  fill  themselves,  increasing  at  least 
one-tliird  in  size.  In  .salt  and  water  they  will  lie 
perfectly  dormant  for  days  together,  hence  the  ad- 
vantage in  its  preceding  the  oil.  Whenever  tlie 
bota  attack  a  horse  they  will  always  be  found  at 
the  neck  of  the  throat,  where  a  sweet  drench  is 
thrown  immediately  amongst  them  the  moment  it 
is  swallowed  by  the  horse.  It  is  a  great  mistake 
to  suppose  that  they  are  hid  in  some  secret  recess 
where  medicine  cannot  reach  them,  and  quite  as 
great  a  one  to  suppose  that  a  sweet  drench  will 
not  divert  tlieir  attention  from  the  horse. — Sou/h- 
ern Cultivator. 


ADVANTAGES  OF  WARM  WEATHBR. 

The  autumn  rains  and  continued  mild  Aveather 
have  already  materially  aided  the  farmer  in  sup- 
porting his  winter  stock.  If  the  weather  should 
continue  moderate  until  the  first  of  January,  we 
think  there  will  be  as  much  fodder  on  hand  at  that 
time  as  there  was  on  the  first  of  last  January 
The  Granite  Farmer  of  the  I5th  states  that  "young 
cattle  and  sheep  have  not  required  any  feeding, 
and  a  good  portion  of  the  sustenance  of  other  stock 
has  been  obtained  from  the  fields  to  the  present 
time." 

At  a  recent  agricultural  meeting  at  the  State 
House,  at  Concord,  N.  II.,  Gov.  Martin,  in  his  ex- 
cellent opening  remarks,  stated  that  the  hay  crop 
of  thatState,  in  1848,  amounted  to  680,000  tons, — 
which,  at  the  average  price  of  that  year,  $10  per 
ton — would  give  as  the  value  of  the  crop  $6,800, 
000.  The  present  year  he  estimates  there  is  a  de- 
ficiency, compared  with  1848,  of  at  least  one 
fourth,  170,000  tons,  which  at  $15  a  ton,  will  give 
a  loss  to  the  farming  interest  of  the  State  of  $2, 
550,000.  Bat  this  would  only  be  a  fact  if  the 
weather  were  the  same  under  the  same  disparity 
in  the  amount  of  fodder,  for  alow  temperature  de- 
mands more  nutriment,  and  of  course  more  fod- 
der. Therefore,  the  mild  weather  has  been  con- 
stantly decreasing  this  apparent  loss,  by  a  con- 
stant saving  of  hay  and  grain. 

Some  idea  of,  the  immense  saving  by  the  mild 
weather  may  be  had  from  the  following  statement 
from  the  Granite  Farmer.     The  editor  says — 

"Being  at  Hillsborough,  the  other  day,  we  were 


informed  by  several  very  intelligent  gentlemen  that 
the  amount  of  hay  saved  daily  in  that  town  v/as 
at  least  40  tons.  Last  year,  it  became 'necessary 
to  feed  cattle  some  45  days  earlier  tlian  this  sea- 
son, but  to  give  the  advantage  against  our  esti- 
mate we  will  say  it  v/as  30  days.  This,  then, 
would  make  a  saving  over  last  season  in  one  town 
of  1200  tons,  which  at  f|kl5  per  ton,  would  make 
$18,000.  In  this  county,  there  are  31  townSj 
equal  at  least  to  20  of  the  size  of  Hilleboro',  and 
equivalent  to  it  in  an  agricultural  point  of  view. 
In  the  county,  then,  we  have  saved  $360,000.  Es- 
timating that  the  ten  counties  in  the  State  are 
equal  to  seven  of  the  size  of  Ilillsboro',  and  we 
have  saved  in  the  whole  State  $2,520,000— a  sum 
nearly  equal  to  the  deficiency  named  by  the  Gov- 
ernor." 

In  Jefferson  county,  N.  Y.,  according  to  the  N. 
Y.  Farmer,  it  is  estimated  that  the  saving  in  that 
county  alone  is  one  hundred  tons  of  hay  per  day  ! 


For  the  New  En!;laiui  Farmer. 

peculiar  difficulitiss  of  nsw 
engIjAnd  farming. 

Extract  from  the  address  of  IF  F.  French,  before  the  York 
Co.  Agricullural  Society,  Maine. 


V'ANT    OF   SYSTEJIATIC    -ATTENTION. 

The  great  and  leading  difficulty  in  the  way  of 
successful  husbandry,  in  New  England,  is  the  want 
of  systematic  attention  to  it,  as  a  business,  resulting 
from  a  want  of  confidence  that  it  is  sufficiently 
profitable,  a  want  of  accurate  knowledge  of  its 
principles,  and  a  want  of  pecuniary  means  and  of 
other  f\icilities,  to  pursue  it  to  the  best  advantage. 

Agriculture,  thus  far,  in  America,  has  hardly 
been  conducted  as  a  business  requii-ing  tlie  same 
care,  and  skill  and  training  with  other  pursuits  of 
life.  The  first  settlers  of  our  country,  indeed, 
were  in  no  position  to  pursue  it  Avith  system.  Their 
first  endeavor  was  to  protect  themselves  from  the 
savages  upon  the  coast, — their  next,  to  clear  away 
with  steel  and  fire  the  grand  old  forests,  and  de- 
posit in  the  virgin,  fruitful  soil,  the  seed,  which 
gave  them  without  much  subsequent  care,  a  boun- 
teous return. 

Generations  passed  away.  The  lands  had  been 
cleared,  and  the  crops  which  could  be  obtained 
without  skill,  and  with  smallest  labor,  had  been 
gathered.  The  best  lands  of  nearly  all  New  Eng- 
land, by  this  exhausting  process,  which  cleared 
whole  forests  for  the  ashes  of  its  noble  trees,  or 
for  timber,  then,  of  scarcely  more  value  than  its 
ashes,  have  thus  been  passed  over. 

The  first  fruits  have  been  gathered.  The  first 
stage  of  progress  in  the  new  country  has  l;)een  fin- 
islied.  Tlie  earth  will  no  longer  yield  to  man  her 
fruits,  without  labor — aye,  and  intelligent  labor — 
labor  joined  with  a  knowledge  of  the  principlesof 
husbandry.  We,  who  would  ?iow  gain  our  daily 
bread  from  the  soil,  must  do  it,  not  only  by  the 
sweat  of  our  brow,  but  by  the  travail  of  our  brain 
also. 

SKTLL,  EDUCATION   AND  CAPITAL  NECESSARY. 

It  would  be  strange,  indeed,  if  a  business,  m- 
volving  the  most  complicated  processes  which 
philosophy  and  chemistry  have  revealed,  should  be 
the  only  one  that  could  be  successfully  omducted 
without  skill,  without  education,  without  capital. 


14 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Jan. 


citizens.  Yet,  looking  at  the  outside  of  our  com- 
munity, there  would  seem  never  to  have  existed 
so  fickle,  so  changeable,  so  whimsical  a  people. 
This  is  especially  true,  of  their  occupations.  Look 
where  you  will,  in  city  or  country,  a  Yankee  is  al- 


Men  study  years  to  gain  a  knowledge  by  Avhich  to 
weave  a  fabric  which  shall  cover  human  naked- 
ness, and  .slielter  their  bodies  from  tlic  heat  and 
cold.  Yet  "behold  the  lilies,  how  they  grow" — 
"even   Solomon,  in  all  his  glory,  was  not  arrayed 

like  one  of  these,"  and  yet  the  art  of  the  husband-|  ways  progressing.  He  is  always  seeking  a  change 
man  brings  him  in  close  contact  with  the  hidden!  for  the  better.  Wq  \\t\.s  x\o  conservatism.  To-day 
processes  of  nature,  which  give  the  lily  and  tlicj  he  is  a  laborer  in  the  field,  holding  tlie  plow,  or 
violet  their  color  and  their  fragrance.  Every|  mowing.  The  next  time  we  meet  him,  perhaps 
bursting  s,^f>d  and  every  springing  Ijlade  of  grass,  he  is  a  clerk  in  a  store,  or  a  conductor  on  a  rail- 
evcry  opotdng  bud  and  every  perfumed  flower  and 


ripened  fruit,  is  carried  step  by  step  to  perfection, 
by  principles  as  eternal  as  those  which  govern  the 
courses  of  tlie  sun  and  the  stars.  Every  process 
of  vegetation  depends,  for  its  results,  on  laws  fixed 
and  immutable  as  the  sv\relling  of  the  ocean's  tide 
or  tiie  motions  of  the  revolving  earth  ;  and  with 
these   principles  and  laws,  the  husbandman  who 


road — then  perliaps  the  editor  of  a  western  news- 
paper, and  nest  a  member  of  Congress. 

Taking  this  hasty  glance  at  the  American  citi- 
zen, one  would  take  him  for  a  sort  of  icandering 
Jew — a  person  possessed  with  the  very  spirit  of 
unrest.  But  this,  as  I  have  said,  is  not,  after  all, 
so  much  an  e-ssential  element  of  liis  character,  as 
the  result  of  his  peculiar  position  in  the  woidd. 


easts  ills    seed  into  the  ground  is  constantly  at!  The  American  is  born,  where  the  people  of  the  Ce 
work.     And  shall  he  alone,  of  all,  who  would  at-!  lestial  Empire  imagine  /Ary  are,  in  the  middle  of  the 

world.  But  he  is  fenced  in  by  no  Chinese  wall, 
by  n  J  State  or  municipal  embargo  upon  his  move- 
ments. He  is  not  born  the  heir  of  a  title,  and  of 
vast  entailed  estates,  upon  which  he  must,  of 
course,  spend  his  life,  bound  to  maintain  the  digni- 
ty of  a  long  line  of  illustrious  ancestors,  and  to  help 
the  queen  keep  her  other  and  more  humble  sub- 
jects in  their  proper  places.  He  is  not  fettered  by 
legal  enactments,  which  require  him  to  submit  to 
a  seven  years'  apprenticeship,  before  he  can  exer- 
cise any  mechanical  art,  nor  is  he  born  a  serf  upon 
the  soil  of  a  lord,  doomed  to  grow  up  in  an  igno- 
rance which  binds  him  to  a  position  of  dependence 
and  servitude  more  firmly  than  chains  and  fetters. 
On  the  contrary,  he  finds  himself,  at  early  man- 
hood, witliout  property,  without  rank  or  title, 
without  wealtliy  friends  to  aid  him,  dependent  on 
liis  own  strong  arm,  and  In-ave  heart  for  his  for- 
tune. He  is  intelligent,  educated,  and  thoroughly 
imbued  with  the  spirit  of  liljerty  and  equality, 
which  he  has  drawn  from  his  mc^ther's  breast — 
lias  cauglit  from  his  father's  lips — has  breathed  in 
the  air  which  has  been  Avafted  from  Bunker  Hill 
and  Lexington  and  Concord.  He  is  bound  to  no 
soil,  but  to  that  of  his  country,  and  his  country  is 
bounded  on  the  east  and  on  the  vrest  by  the  ocean. 
He  knows  wliat  is  passing  everywhere.  The 
press  pours  out  her  stories  of  tlie  fertility  and  in- 
exhaustible productiveness  of  the  West,  and  of  the 
wealth  gained  almost  in  a  day  from  the  mines  of 
California.  Steamers  and  railways  can  bear  him, 
sooner  than  a  single  crop  can  be  gathered  from  his 
native  soil,  to  the  teeming  valleys  of  the  western 
rivers,  or  the  gold-bearing  shores  of  the  Pacific, 
lie  meets  daily  in  the  streets  friends  who  report 
to  him  tales  of  suddenly  acquired  wealth — truth 
stranger  than  fiction — stranger  than  the  eastern 
tales  of  genii,  and  the  wonderful  lamp  of  AUad- 
din. 

What  wonder,  that  to  a  young  and  hopeful 
licart,  thus  invited  by  prospects  of  wealth  more 
dazzling  than  fi\iry  tales  have  pictured,  as  he  sat 
(m  his  mother's  knee  in  childhood,  thus  lured  by 
Syrens,  singing  of  easily  acquired  ric}ies,of  a  brief 
period  of  excitement  and  danger  followed  by  a  life 
of  ease  and  leisure — what  wonder  that  he  be- 
comes dissatisfied  with  the  slow  degrees  by  which 
iiis  fijrtune  must  be  patiently  wrought  out  in  his 
native  State, that  he  esteems  the  cultivation  of  the 
soil  of  New  England  a  hard  lot,  and  desires  to  try 
his  fortune  nearer  the  setting. sun. 


tain  to  us'iful  ends  by  well  adapted  means — shall 
he  n/on'^,  in  this  great  laboratory  of  nature,  work 
blindfolded?  It  is  true  that  many  of  her  curious 
combinations  of  form  and  color,  many  of  her  mys- 
terious workings  in  all  her  various  departments, 
are  now,  and  will  ever  be,  beyond  the  power  of 
human  learning  to  fathom  ;  but  that  is  a  poor  rea- 
son why  we  should  neglect  carefully  to  observe 
her  systematic  course,  and  as  far  as  may  be,  turn 
it  to  practical  account. 

KNOWLEDGE    IS    TOViTKR. 

Let  the  farmer  realize  that  to  him,  as  to  others, 
knowledge  is  power;  that  tlie  time  has  come  when 
the  same  discipline,  and  system,  and  adaptation 
of  uieans  to  desired  ends,  is  as  necessary  to  Ins 
business  as  to  that  of  the  mechanic,  the  merchant 
and  the  lawyer,  and  agriculture  will  at  once  rise 
from'tlie  position  of  a  mere  manual  labor,  to  the 
dignity  of  a  noble  science. 

When  we  undertake  to  fiiUow  out  the  inquiry, 
ivhy  agriculture,  in  New  England,  has  been,  to 
such  an  extent,  neglected — trht/  so  little  of  sys- 
tematic attention  has  been  l)estowed  upon  it,  we 
shall,  perhaps,  lie  surprised  to  oliserve  how  many 
of  the  reasons  result  I'rom  the  peculiar  character 
of  our  political  institutions,  from  the  almost  un- 
bounded liberty  of  action  secured  to  us  as  citizens 
of  a  republic. 

Tliis  sentiment  of  an  old  poet  has  been  often 
quoted  with  approbation  : 

'■For  forms  of  goveintnciit  let  fools  contest. 
Thill  which  is  l)est  i.diiiiiiistercci  is  best." 

There  is  certainly  but  very  little  poetry  in  the 
lines,  and  I  think  less  of  truth  than  poetry.  In 
deed,  it  is  interesting  to  observe,  as  we  trace  the 
diiferences,  even  lietween  the  laws  of  the  liberal 
government  of  England  and  those  of  this  country, 
how  every  principle  of  our  Constitution  influences 
every  act  and  thouglit  even,  of  our  citizens,  who 
are  unconscious,  perliaps,  of  the  distinctions.  Up- 
on tliis  topic  I  sliall  Jiave  occasion  presently  to  re 
mark  further. 

THE   YANKEE    PROGRESSIVE,    r.UT   NOT    ST.\CLE. 

As  a  prominent  obstacle  to  systematic  husband- 
ry may  be  mentioned,  the  want  of  stnhilily  in  the 
habits  of  our  pmp/c.  I  say  a  want  of  stability  in 
the  habits  of  our  people,  for  instability  is  certainly 
not  a  trait  of  New  Enghuid  character,  but  on  the 
contrary  steady  pi.n'severanee  witli  grc'it-  energy 
and  activity,  are  the  marked  characteristics  of  our 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


15 


He  is  restrained  by  no  considerations  of  the  ad- 
vantages of  a  quiet  rural  life,  for  no  young  man 
yet,  ever  had  much  fear  of  temptation,  or  doubted 
his  ability  to  pass  unscathed  through  its  furnaces, 
thougli  seven  times  heated. 

And  so,  many  of  our  most  enterprising  young 
men  forsake  their  native  land — some  to  re-appear 
on  fir  distant  shores,  an  honor  to  the  State  which 
gave  them  birtli,  leading  with  New  England  spirit 
the  grand  enterprises  of  moral  and  political  pro- 
gress— some  to  return  by  and  Iiy,  successful  be- 
yond their  hopes  even,  in  their  pursuit  of  foreign 
gold — simie  to  wander  back  heart-broken  and  worn 
out  by  disease  and  want,  their  only  hope  to  lay 
their  weary  bones  in  New  England  soil — many, 
alas  !  how  many  to  fall  by  the  wayside  in  the 
dreary  land  of  strangers,  witli  no  friendly  voice  to 
cheer  them  on  their  last  dark  journey,  or  to  bear 
back  a  son's  or  l)rother's  farewell  to  dear  friends 
in  their  loved  and  far-oflF  home. 

TRIES  THE  SHOE  BUSINESS. 

Besides  the  inducements  to  emigration  so  pow- 
erful at  times  as  almost  to  depopulate  whole  villa- 
ges in  our  eastern  States,  we  have  another  cause 
of  constant  change.  IMany  who  remain  among  us, 
after  a  short  experiment  on  their  farms,  abandon 
the  cultivation  of  the  soil  as  too  laborious  or  un- 
profitable and  adopt  some  other  business. 

It  is  the  most  common  thing  in  the  world,  when, 
for  instance,  the  shoe  business  takes  a  sudden 
start,  to  see  scores  of  young  men,  who  never  be- 
fore had  an  awl  or  last  in  their  hands,  leave  their 
farm  employment,  and  congregate  together  in 
some  little  seven-by-nine  shop,  making,  after  a 
week's  apprenticeship,  each  about  half  a  dozen 
pairs  of  what  are  appropriately  called  sale  shoes. 
These  young  men,  crowded  together  inhot  and  un- 
ventilated  apartments,  cramped  over  their  benches 
without  active  exercise,  soon  show  in  their  pallid 
faces  their  mistake,  and  when  the  business  fails, 
as  it  does,  I  believe  about  once  in  five  years,  they 
look  about  tliem  for  means  to  mount  another  round 
of  "young  ambition's  ladder,"  and  select  another 
occupation. 

Perhaps  a  profession  is  nest  tried,  for  the  world 
is  open  to  all  in  this  free  land.  Any  citizen  of 
good  moral  character,  that  is  to  say  any  man  who 
has  never  been  convicted  of  sheep-stealing,  has  a 
right  by  statute,  in  most  of  the  New  England 
States,  to  be  admitted  to  practice  as  attorney  at 
law,  and  any  man  who  can  buy,  borrow  or  oth- 
erwise come  by  an  old  horse  and  a  box  of  pills, 
may  practice  medicine,  and  as  to  pi-eachinff,  many 
people  among  us  seem  to  believe,  as  Dogberry  said 
of  reading  and  writing,  that  it  "comes  by  natur" 
and  not  by  education,  and  that  the  less  a  preach- 
er studies,  the  more  he  gets  by  inspiration. 

All  these  brilliant  paths  are  open  to  the  aspir- 
ing youth,  and  so  the  profession  of  the  law  is 
crowded  with  men  who  have  no  higher  idea  of  their 
practice,  than  as  as  a  game  of  sharps  and  quibbles 
and  money-getting — who  involve  everybody  who 
consults  them  in  lawsuits,  and  who  bring  reproach 
and  odium  upon  the]very  name  of  their  adopted  pro- 
f-'ssion.  And  the  quack  doctor  has  even  a  bet- 
ter, because  a  less  observed  field  of  operation. 

If  he  has  wit  enough  to  deal  only  in  brown 
bread  pills,  a  fair  proportion  of  his  patients  will 
of  course  recover,  and  if  he  ventures  with  ill  suc- 
cess into  more  dangerous  experiments,  he  has  only 


to  sympathize  with  the  surviving  friends,  walk 
demurely  at  the  head  of  the  funeral  procession, 
while,  like  the  good  man  we  read  of,  though  in  a 
different  sense,  "his  works  do  follow  him,"  and 
the  green  grass  soon  covers  all  traces  of  his  error. 

SHAMS  AND  QUACKERY  ENCOURAGED. 

One  effect  of  tliis  perfect  freedom  for  every  man 
to  do  as  a  business,  what  seems  good  in  his  own 
eyes,  is  manifestly  to  encourage  all  sorts  of  shams 
and  quackery,  but  still  this  freedom  is  in  accor- 
dance with  the  spirit  of  our  government,  and 
is  productive  of  more  good  than  evil,  on  the  whole. 
Often,  worthy  and  Ijrilliant  exceptions  are  found 
to  the  course  which  I  have  so  freely  denoted,  and 
the  importance  of  keeping  down  all  appearance  of 
an  aristocracy,  except  nature's  aristocracy  of  true 
genius  and  genuine  nobility  of  soul,  will  outweigh, 
in  the  end,  the  evil  consequences  to  which  I  have 
referred. 

The  particular  effect  of  this  facility  of  change  up- 
on the  agriculture  of  our  States,  as  has  been  sug- 
gested, is  to  disturb  and  prevent  anything  like  a 
regular  and  systematic  course  of  husbandry,  the 
absolute  necessity  for  which  is  so  apparent. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
HARVEST   HYMN. 

RESPECTFULLY    IXSCRIBED    TO    THE    FARMERS    OF    THE 

"NEW   ENGLAND    FARMER." 

BV    THE    PEASANT    BARD. 

Air — "JDundee." 
O  Tiiou,  whose  wisdom  decks  the  sod, 

And  loads  wilh  fruit  the  bough  ! 
We  tliank  Thee  that  the  farmer's  God 

Peculiarly  art  Thou. 

Thine  aie  the  seasons  as  they  roll ; 

Thy  years,  how  dread  they  seem  ! 
From  age  to  age  is  Thy  control, 

Deilic  and  supreme. 
When  vernal  skies  and  southern  airs 

Make  green  the  sunny  slope, 
We  turn  the  glebe  with  gleaming  shares 

And  cast  the  seed  in  hope. 

When  Autumn  pours  her  solemn  light 

Upon  the  fading  fields, 
Our  garners  filled  to  crowning  height, 

Show  what  Thy  bounty  yields. 

Do  Thou  to  us  Thy  grace  impart, 

Who  on  that  bounty  live; 
The  incense  of  a  grateful  heart 
Is  all  that  we  can  give. 
Gill,  Mass. 


OUR  JANUARY  NUMBE3R. 

We  shall  send  this  number  to  several  gentle- 
men who  have  never  taken  the  Farmer,  and  ask 
them  to  give  it  an  attentive  examination,  and  if 
approved,  to  aid  in  enlarging  its  circulation.  If 
its  present  readers  believe  with  us  that  it  is  of 
greatly  more  value  to  every  farmer  than  its  cost, 
will  each  one  exert  himself  to  forward  us  one  or 
more  subscribers  for  the  coming  year?  During 
the  last  year  we  have  sent  out  over  six  hundred 
thousand  copies  of  the  New  England  Farmer. — 
Shall  that  number  be  doubled  in  1853  ?  If  you 
say  so  it  can  be  done,  and  its  value  shall  increase 
with  its  circulation. 


16 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Jan. 


For  the  Neiv  England  Farmer.    \  plants,  asparagus  in  abundance, -celery ,  (of  splen- 

LYOEUM  LECTURES.  did  quality,)  together  with  almostevery  other  kind 

Mr.  Editor  .—The  notice  from   the  Committee ^  ^<^g^t^^'«  *«  ^^  ^^"°^  i*^  the  catalogue.     His 


of  the  Board  of  ^\griculture,  in  relation  to  this 
mode  of  difiFusing  information,  is  worthy  of  careful 
attention.  There  is  scarcely  a  town  or  village  in 
the  community,  where  two  hundred  persons  can 
be  assembled,  that  has  not  its  course  of  lectures, 
on  some  toj.ic  or  other,  during  the  Avinter.  In 
some  of  these,  the  topics  are  designated  by  the 
managers ;  but  more  generally  by  the  lecturers 
themselves, — and  with  little  connection  or  order 
io  the  arrangement.  Such  miscellaneous  discours- 
es, with  no  definite  purpose  in  view,  may  amuse 
for  the  time  ;  but  they  never  can  be  so  instruc- 
tive, as  a  well  arranged  series  of  lectures,  on  a  par- 
ticular suVject.  What  topic  can  be  of  more  uni- 
versal interest  than  the  culture  of  the  soil  1  Al- 
though all  may  not  engage  with  their  own  hands 
in  tilling  the  ground  ;  still,  all  do  engage  in  the 
consumption  of  its  products,  and  it  will  be  difficult 
to  find  any,  high  or  low,  male  or  female, vfho  would 
not  receive  benefit  from  attention  to  these  subjects. 
If  the  community  should  manifest  a  disposition  to 
encourage  such  lectures,  without  doubt,  comjje 
tent  lecturers  would  soon  appear  ;  for  in  this,  as 
in  most  other  branches  of  business,  there  are  al 
ways  those  who  are  quite  as  ready  to  work  with 
their  heads  as  with  their  hands.  As  suggested  by 
the  Committee,  perhaps  the  season  is  too  far  ad- 
vanced to  admit  of  full  courses  the  coming  winter; 
nevertheless,  three  months  would  be  ample  time, 
for  hnlf-a-dozen  lectures.  And  I  hesitate  not  to 
say,  that  half-a-dozen  lectures,  well  prepared,  on 
agricultural  subjects,  would  leave  a  more  lasting 
and  useful  impression,  than  any  course  of  Lyce- 
um Lectures  that  have  ever  come  to  my  knowl- 
edge. I  am  happy  to  know  that  the  intelligent 
citizens  of  the  county  of  Worcester  have  taken  up 
this  subject  in  earnest,  and  already  engaged  the 
services  of  Prof.  Mapes,  who  has  the  reputation 
of  being  in  himself  a  complete  library  of  useful 
knowledge.  * 


TWO  ACRES. 


The  twenty-sixth  meeting  of  the  Germantown 
(near  Philadelphia)  Farmers'  Club  was  holden  at 
the  house  of  Philip  R.  Freas,  on  the  23d  Nov. 
He  is  the  editor  of  the  Germantown  Telegraph,  a 
warm  and  active  friend  of  agriculture,  horticul- 
ture, &c.,  and  the  originator  of  the  club.  Though 
his  whole  plot  of  ground  comprise  less  than  two 
acres  and  a  half,  yet  he  manages  to  produce  upon 
it,  in  perfection,  a  little  of  everything.  Those 
who  are  sighing  for  more  land  will  do  well  to  read 
his  statement  carefully,  and  inquire  whether  it 
would  not  be  wise  to  cultivate  their  present  acres 
better,  than  to  add  to  their  number.  The  repor- 
ter at  the  meeting  states  in  the  Telegraph  that 
during  the  present  year  there  was  cut  two  tons 
and  a^quarter  of  prime  hay;  there  were  patches 
of  turnips,  carrots,  parsnips,  beets,  cabbages, 
(three  kinds)  onions,  peas,  frcyole  and  half  a  dozen 
other  kinds  of  beans  ;  salsify,  lettuce,  okra,  corn, 
(StoweU's  Sugar,  and  Adams')  ;  potatoes,  pump- 
kins, (three  varieties,)  squashes,  tomatoes,   egg 


fruits  consist  of  melons,  six  kinds  of  cherries,  five 
kinds  of  plums,  peaches  ;  twenty-eight  varieties  of 
select  pears ;  twelve  varieties  of  apples ;  red, 
white  and  black  currants  ;  gooseberries,  blackber- 
ries, and  four  varieties  of  raspberries,  grapes,  &c. 
&c.  In  the  garden  and  mansion  yard,  there  was 
a  very  choice  collection  of  flowers,  among  them 
many  select  roses  and  rare  vines.  The  ornamen- 
tal trees  consist  of  five  varieties  of  the  fir ;  the 
Japonica  eryptomeria,  the  Deodar  cedar,  the  Irish 
yew,  and  the  American  arbor  vitae  ;  the  European 
linden,  the  sugar  and  silver  maples,  the  English 
and  mountain  ash,  &c.  &c. 

In  addition  to  these,  there  was  a  number  of 
beautiful  Polish  fowls — black,  white  and  spangled 
— and  pea  fowls,  in  the  barn-yard — a  fish  pond  in 
the  garden — and  a  large  number  of  choice  fancy 
pigeons  at  the  house.  In  all  this  there  is  an  ex- 
cellent taste  displayed.  We  noticed  that  thehonse 
and  offices  were  lighted  with  gas,  warmed  with  a 
heater,  and  supplied  with  water  from  the  public 
works.  Baths,  hot  and  cold,  have  for  years  been 
supplied  by  a  reservoir  on  an  elevated  back  build- 
ing, holding  .some  fifteen  hundred  gallons,  wliieh 
has  also  furnished  pure,  soft  rain  water  for  various 
parts  of  the  buildings. 

In  the  garden  is  a  small  green-house,  excavated 
in  the  ground,  say  to  the  depth  of  three  or  four 
feet,  framed  up  at  the  sides,  raised  a  couple  of  feet 
above  ground,  and  covered  with  glass.  In  this  en- 
closure or  pit,  the  usual  shelves  are  arranged  to 
receive  the  pots  ;  and  we  are  assured  by  Maj. 
Freas,  that  it  is  the  best  possible  provision  for 
flowers  and  almost  every  description  of  plants  in 
winter.  Roses,  particularly,  flourish  in  much 
greater  perfection.  During  the  whole  of  the  last 
unusually  severe  winter,  but  a  single  delicate  night 
blooming  jassamine  was  at  all  injured  by  the  frost. 

This  green-house  requires  no  artificial  heat.  In 
the  hot-beds,  we  found  cucumbers  and  cauliflow- 
ers up,  lettuce  heading,  and  spring  radishes  full 
grown.  We  may  truly  say,  in  regard  to  the 
"Telegraph  Farm,"  that  it  is  a  farm  in  miniature; 
but  in  comfort,  convenience,  and  taste,  without 
any  large  pretension  to  mere  costly  elegance,  it  is 
a  pattern  "plantation,"  and  would,  in  the  full- 
growing  season,  affjrd  compensation  for  a  visit  from 
any  of  our  ponderous  farmers.  In  a  word,  it  is 
in  the  strict  sense  of  the  word,  a  home. 


d^"  Tuesday,  the  28th  of  December,  was  one  of 
the  mildest  winter  days  we  remember  ever  to  have 
witnessed.  The  thermometer  stood  at  60  in  this 
city,  from  1  to  4  (j'clock  P.  M.,  and  the  showers, 
during  the  day,  seemed  more  like  June  than  De- 
cember. 


1853. 


ISEW  ENGT:,AND  FARMER. 


17 


HUNT   RUSSET. 

Tiikft  it  all  in  all,  for  productiveness,  fur  the  des- 
sert, kitchen,  for  the  home  market  and  for  expor- 
tation, and  for  its  heaut^'  of  form  and  coloring,  the 
HuxT  Russet,  we  tliink,  excels  any  other  apple  in 
New  England,  and  stands  at  the  head  of  them  all ! 
We  say  this  considerately,  after  all  the  opportu- 
nities we  have  had  of  testing  apples,  and  helieve 
this  to  be  the  opinion  of  some  excellent  judges  of 
fruit  who  have  hail  occasion  to  compare  this  with 
many  other  varieties. 

The  first  governor  of  Massachusetts,  VVinthrop, 
purchased  a  tract  of  land  for  a  plantation,  and 
upon  which  he  intended  to  reside,  on  the  north- 
west bank  of  the  river,  in  the  beautiful  town  of 
Concord,  about  eighteen  miles,  and  nearly  west, 
from  Boston.  The  land  gradually'  rises  until  it 
reaches  a  height  commanding  a  pleasant  view  of 
the  subjacent  (^untry,  including  nearly  all  of  the 
village,  and  the  broad  meadows  on  the  banks  of 
the  river,,  then  probably  covered  with  forest  trees. 
Owing  to  some  doiuestic  affliction,  as  was  supposed, 
the  governor  never  entered  upon  this  land  as  a 
resident,  and  sold  it  to  a  gentleman  from  England, 
by  the  name  of  Hunt,  whose  descendants  in  a  di- 
rect line  own  and  occupy  a  considerable  portion  of 
the  land  at  the  present  time. 

It  was  this  purchaser  of  the  land  from  Governor 


WiNTHROP  who  introduced  the  apple  portrayed 
above.  From  inquiries  which  we  have  made  among 
the  descendants  of  old  Deacon  Simon  Himt.  it  ap- 
pears that  tlie  tree  originated  and  occupied  a  site 
near  the  highest  point  of  land  in  the  tract.  This 
land  is  now  owned  and  occupied  b}'  Capt.  Nathan 
Barrett,  one  of  the  largest  and  best  farmers  in 
that  ancient  town.  We  have  repeatedly  visited 
his  farm,  examined  his  trees  and  their  products, 
and  believe  that  he  entertains  the  opinion  we  have 
expressed  of  the  Hunt  Russet.  He  puts  up  sev- 
eral hundred  barrels  of  apples  this  year,  and  among 
them  a  large  portion  of  this  favorite.  So  far  as  we 
have  been  able  to  trace  the  history  of  this  apple, 
we  believe  that  all  the  trees  of  this  variety  now 
growing  in  New  England  sprung  from  the  tree 
planted  on  tlie  old  Indian  Hill  in  Concord,  by  Mr. 
Hunt. 

We  are  inclined  to  think  that  the  Hunt  Russet 
is  identical  with  the  apple  described  by  Cole, 
Downing  and  Thomas,  as  the  English  Russet. 
The  reader  will  observe  that  our  engraving  answers 
Mr.  Downing's  description  of  the  Englisli  Russet 
which  we  copy  below.  He  says  the  "stalk  is  rath- 
er small."  In  the  engraving  above  the  stalk  is 
rather  large,  but  is  true,  as  the  waole  poitrait  is, 
to  life. 

The  fruit,  (as  Downing  says  of  the  English^Rus- 


18 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Jan, 


set)  is  of  medium  size,  ovate,  or  sometimes  coni- 
cal, and  verv  regularly  formed.  Skin  yellowish- 
green,  nearly  covered  with  russet,  which  is  thick- 
est near  the  stalk.  Calyx  small,  closed,  and  set 
in  an  even,  round  basin,  of  moderate  depth.  Stalk 
rather  small,  projecting  even  with  the  base,  and 
pretty,  deeply  inserted,  in  a  narrow,  smooth  cav- 
ity. Flesh  white,  tender,  with  a  pleasant,  mild, 
slightly  sub-acid  flavor. 

The  tree  is  a  little  slow  in  coming  into  bearing, 
but  once  producing  fruit,  bears  every  year;  is  hardy 
and  of  handsome  shape.  We  have  seen  the  ap- 
ples two  years  old,  fair,  plump  and  juicy,  kept  on  a 
shelf  in  the  cellar  with  no  extra  care  whatever,  and 
have  kept  them  ourselves  a  year  in  good  condition. 
It  bears  a  high  price  in  the  market,  selling  quick 
at  $5  a  barrel  in  the  market  last  spring,  and  is 
rapidly  gaining  the  popular  favor. 

The  above  is  the  opinion  wo  have  formed  of  this 
fruit  from  raising,  using  and  comparing  it.  But 
we  advise  no  one  to  adopt  our  opinions  without 
careful  inquiry  and  investigation  for  themselves. 


For  the.  New  England  Farmer. 

THE  SEASON  OF  1852  AT  WILMING- 
TON AND  VICINITY. 

BT    SILAS    BROWN. 

Messrs.  Editors  : — It  often  happens  in  the  sum- 
mer, in  the  time  of  drought,  that  an  accumulation 
of  clouds  at  a  distance  indicate  an  approaching 
shower,  but  on  a  nearer  advance,  they  split  and, 
display  at  the  right  and  left  and  disappoint  tlie 
anxious  expectants  of  a  refreshing  fall  of  rain.  It 
is  not  uncomuum,  in  a  dry  time,  for  a  succession 
of  such  illusive  showers  to  wend  their  way  over 
the  dusty  and  tliirsty  earth  without  any  regard 
to  the  fasting  and  prayers  of  poor  sinners  below. 
The  town  where  I  formerly  lived  was  visited  by 
two  or  three  drj'  summers  in  succession,  and  tlie 
promising  appearance  of  showers  followed  by  the 
split  in  the  clouds  extremely  annoyed  a  neighbor 
by  causing  liiin  such  scanty  crops  ;  he  considered 
his  farm  to  be  located  right  under  the  "crack  in 
the  clouJs,"  as  he  called  it;  the  whim  wrought 
upon  his  mind  so  forcibly  that  his  only  remedy  was 
to  Si.dl  and  purchase  in  a  more  fortunate  place, 
vphere  clouds  were  not  subject  to  such  rents  as  to 
hold  no  water.  In  this  vicinity  we  have  been 
highly  favored  with  sliowers  of  rain  through  the 
euuimer  ;  instead  of  the  splitting  of  the  clouds  and 
passing  by  us  on  either  or  both  sides,  nebulous 
frag'uents  have  collected  into  dense  bodies,  di- 
rectly over  us  and  poured  down  their  contents  in 
a  profusion  of  rain. 

After  an  uncommon  cold  winter  and  backward 
spring  that  destroyed  a  large  proportion  of  youmr 
fruit  trees  in  this  neighborliood,  the  weather 
changed  suddenly  the  5th  day  of  May  to  very 
warm,  which  continued  till  the  9th  and  gave  incip- 
ient vegetation  a  fine  start.  Fruit  trees  of  vari- 
ous kinds  begin  to  blossom  the  22d  day  of  May 
uncQiumonly  full,  which  had  an  elevating  effect 
upon  the  one  who  v/as  so  unfortunate  as  to  be 
troubled  with  the  depressing  effect  of  the  "Hlues." 
We  had  frost  (m  the  mornisigs  of  the  19th  and 
20th  of  May,  too  early   to  injure  cranberries  and 


other  fruits  ;  June  3d,  a  great  shower  ;  Gth  and 
12th,  frost  on  low  land  which  was  supposed  to  be 
the  cause  of  the  scarcity  of  cranberries  this  faW, 
the  tender  shoots  that  produce  the  fruit  were  just 
starting  from  the  old  vine  at  that  critical  time  ; 
14th,  very  warm  ;  15th,  light  thunder  shower  in 
the  morning;  IGth  and  17th,  extreme  heat,  and 
shower  at  5  P.  M.,  17th  ;  18th,  soaking  rain  in 
the  morning;  22d,  thunder  shower  commencing 
at  9  A.  !M.,  which  lasted  all  day  and  supplied  us 
with  a  drenching  rain,  while  at  10  miles  distance 
hut  very  little  fell,  and  the  spectator,  at  that  dis- 
tance, could  see  the  clouds  congregating  and  dis- 
charging their  contents  in  great  profusion  in  some 
particular  localities,  while  others  continued  dry  ; 
25th, slight  shower  and  cooler;  29th,  grows  dry  ; 
30th,  shower,  warm  and  growing  time;  July  2d, 
soaking  thunder  shower,  A.  M.  ;  8th  to  14th,  ex- 
treme heat,  and  top  of  ground  di-y  ;  14th,  soaking 
shower  ;  15th  and  16th,  warm  ;  17tb, rainy;  19th- to 
25th,  warm  and  good  hay  weather;  26th,  drenching 
rain  from  N.'E. ;  27th,  to  August  1st,  good  hay 
weather;  5th,  great  rain  from  N.  E.  and  cool; 
7th,  rain;  9th  to  lltli,  cloudy,  but  little  rain; 
12th  to  14th,  good  hay  weather  ;  16th  to  18th, 
cool  nights  ;  19th,  warm  and  dry  ;  20th,  sudden 
change,  wind  to  N.  E.,  and  cloudy  and  dry  to 
26th,  then  a  fine  shower ;  29th,  a  drenching  N. 
E.  storm,  which  lasted  to  the  end  of  the  month, 
when  the  fate  of  the  crops  was  decided  fur  the 
season. 

The  first  hard  frost  was  on  the  morning  of  30th 
September.  There  has  been  a  good  supply  of  fall 
feed,  a  fiivorable  circumstance  to  those  wh«  have 
not  a  full  supply  of  fodder,  as  well  as  to  the  pro- 
ducer and  consumer  of  butter.  Early  potatoes 
wei'e  "small^,"  indurated  and  glutinous  after  be- 
ing boiled  jt  owing  to  the  extreme  heat  in  July; 
The  late  ones  were  much  better  and  afiln-ded  us  an 
average  crop.  Chenangoes  and  long  whites,  two 
of  the  best  old  varieties,  were  the  only  ones  which 
showed  the  symptoms  of  the  regular  epidemic  rot, 
while  different  varieties  growing  from  seed  derived 
from  Vermont  were  sound.  Cranberries  and  peach- 
es scarce.  Apples  abundant  ;  corn  and  rye  an 
average  crop;  all  kinds  of  garden  roots  and  vege- 
tables never  better ;  upland  hay  good  ;  meadow 
hay  very  light. 

The  f  irests,  the  ornament  of  our  hills  and  worn- 
out  lands,  were  not  behind  our  cultivated  trees  and 
plants  in  progressing,  for  the  purposes  of  lumber 
and  fuel.  The  fall,  thus  far,  has  been  rather  cool 
and  cloudy,  but  we  have  had  a  plenty  of  rain  and 
a  good  supply  of  water  in  our  wells,  a  greater  an- 
tidote to  sickness  than  "rum  and  tobacco  too." 
There  have  been  more  biles  and  fewer  fevers  than 
commonly  fall  to  the  lot  of  mortals  by  the  way  of 
afllictions  and  mercies,  as  many  of  nacan  tastify, 
the  past  season  ;  it  is  possible  that  tlie  former  may 
be  a  preventive  of  the  hitter.  Pro^donce  has  not 
stinted  us  in  any  of  tlie  good  things  conducive 
to  health. and  comfort,  for  which  we  have  reason 
to  elevate  our  minds  in  gratitude  to  that  great 
Being  who  directs  the  courses  of  the  cl-iuds,  gov- 
erns the  destinies  of  the  crops  and  shews  such  fa- 
vors as  the  rewards  of  industry.  s.  b, 

Wilmington,   Oct.,  1851. 

1^  A  gentleman  just  returned  from  California, 
states  that  Baldwin  apples  have  been  selling  by  the 
barrel  at  an  average  of  twelve  and  a  half  cents 


1853, 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


19 


«ach.  At  retail,  applea  sometimes  sell  as  high  as 
fifty  cents  each.  ^'  You  need  not  postpone  set- 
ting that  apple  orchard  any  longer,  Mr.  D, 


STATE  BOARD  OF  AGRICULTURE. 

Met,  Web.nesdav,  U&c.  1,  1S52. 

Col.  Wilder  presented  the  Transactions  of  the 
Michigan  State  Agricultural  Society,  for  1851, 
from  its  secretary  J.  C.  Holmes,  Esq.,  and  the 
Transactions  of  the  N.  Y.  State  Seciety.,  for  1851. 
■from  B.  P.  Johnson,  Esq.,  its  Corresponding  Secre- 
tary. He  also  presented  packages  of  seeds  from 
Professor  Fowler,  one  of  which  the  Professor  had 
received  from  the  Messrs.  Gijibs,  seedsmen  to  the 
Royal  Agricultural  Society,  of  England,  and  the 
other  from  Mr.  James  Cuthbert,  an  eminent  seeds- 
maR,  in  Liverpool.  The  thanks  of  the  Board  were 
voted  to  these  gentlemen,  and  the  Secretary  direct- 
ed to  send  them,  and  the  N.  Y.  and  Michigan  so- 
cieties, copies  of  our  State  Transactions. 

Mr.  Proctor  submitted  the  following  resolutions, 
which  were  unanimously  adopted. 

Whereas,  in  the  Providence  of  God,  the  late 
Hon.  John  W.  Lincoln,  of  Worcester,  a  member 
of  this  Board,  has  been  removed  by  death,  at  a  pe- 
riod of  life  when  many  more  years  of  useful  labor 
might  have  been  hoped  from  him  : — 

Resolved,  That  the  industry,  integrity,  and  zeal 
in  the  promotion  of  every  commendable  enterprise, 
which  marked  the  character  of  the  deceased,  have 
impressed  us  with  the  highest  respect  for  his  mem* 
ory. 

Resolved,  That, we  heartily  sympathize  with  the 
Society  he  reprefonted,  and  with  the  friends  of  the 
deceased,  in  the  hiss  sustained  by  the  death  of  this 
worthy  man  ;  and  in  token  of  respect,  direct  that 
this  expression  of  opinion  he  entered  upon  our 
records,  and  a  copy  thereof  forwarded  to  the  rela- 
tives of  the  deceased,  and  to  the  Society  he  repre- 
sented at  this  Board. 

Col.  Wilder,  from  the  committee  to  nominate  a 
Secretary,  made  the  following  report,  which  was 
adopted. 

The  Committee  to  whom  was  referred  the  nom- 
ination of  a  permanent  Secretary  of  this  Board, 
respectfully  report :  That  the  names  of  several  dis- 
tinguished persons  have  been  presented,  and  their 
qualifications  have  been  under  consideration  of  the 
Committee. 

The  Committee  regret  that  they  have  not  been 
able  to  agree  upon  a  nomination,  and  they  respect- 
fully ask  for  further  time. 

In  consider;ltii.>n,  however,  of  the  fact,  that  the 
Annual  Abstract  of  the  Returns  of  the  County  So 
cieties,  and  the  Report  of  this  Board  must  soon  be 
put  in  ciiurse  of  publication,  the  Committee  recom- 
mend that  the  present  Secretary,  pro  tem.,  Hon. 
Amasa  Walker,  be  requested  to  make  up  the  com- 
pilations of  the  Agricultural  Transactions  of  the 
Coiniuonwealth,  for  the  year  1852,  together  witli 
the  report  of  this  Board,  and  to  perform  such  other 
duti  ;s  as  are  incumbent  on  its  Secretary. 

Mr.  Lawton  was  requested  to  report  on  the 
Ilousatonic  Society. 


The  Secretary  was  directed  to  make  up  in  small 
packages,  the  seeds  presented  by  the  Messrs. 
Gibes  and  Cutubert,  and  distribute  them  to  such 
members  of  the  Board  as  will  make  thorough  trial 
of  them,  and  roport  their  experiments  in  detail  to 
the  Board. 

Mr.  Walker  then  reported  on  the  Norfolk  Soci- 
ety. He  was  also  directed  to  take  measures  to 
secure  a  report,  from  the  several  societies  not  heard 
from,  by  requesting  those  who  had  that  duty  as- 
signed them  to  report  at  the  next  meeting  of  the 
Board. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Board  in  July  last  gentle- 
men were  appointed  to  visit  the  several  agricultural 
Exhibitions  in  the  State,  and  report  upon  them  to 
the  Board.     These  reports  now  being  in  order. 

Mr.  Proctor  reported  on  the  Berkshire  County 
Society. 

Dr.  Reed,  reported  on  the  Hampshire  Society. 

Col.  J.  W.  Lincoln,  having  deceased,  to  whom 
was  assigned  the  Hampshire,  Hampden,  and  Frank- 
lin Society,  it  was  voted  that  Gov.  Boutwell  be 
requested  to  make  a  report  upon  this  Society  at  the 
next  meeting  of  the  Board,  he  having  been  present 
at  the  exhibition  of  that  Society. 

Mr.  Walker  reported  on  the  Worcester  West 
Society,  and  was  requested  to  report  on  the  Mid- 
dlesex Society,  no  report  being  presented  from  that 
county. 

Mr.  French,  from  the  committee  to  nominate 
three  members  of  the  Board,  as  representatives  to 
the  General  Board  of  the  United  States  Agricul- 
tural Society,  reported  the  names  of 
John  W.  Proctor,  of  Essex, 
Henry  W.  Cushman,  of  Franklin,  and 
Simon  Brown,  of  Middlesex  Societies, 
and  they  were  unanimously  elected. 

The  Board  then  adjourned  to  meet  at  3  o'clock, 
P.  M. 

AFTERNOON     SESSION. 

The  Secretary  presented  the  resignation  of  Mr. 
James  S.  Grennell,  (Mr.  G.  having  left  the  State,) 
from  the  Franklin  County  Society,  which  was  ac- 
cepted. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  Smith,  the  Secretary  was  di- 
rected to  notify  all  the  members  of  the  Board  of 
the  time  of  the  next  adjournment. 

Mr.  Walker  reported  upon  the  best  means  of 
promoting  the  interests  of  Agriculture  in  the  State, 
by  public  lectures.  He  thought,  as  a  prominent 
means,  that  familiar  lectures  before  the  Lyceums 
in  the  towns  would  effect  an  immediate  and  prac- 
tical benefit. 

The  report  was  referred  to  Messrs.  Walker, 
Proctor  and  Hitchcock,  to  recommend  individuals 
to  lecture  on  agricultural  subjects  when  applied  for 
Co  the  Board. 

Dr.  Reed  reported  on  the  importance  of  estab- 
lishing Farmers'  Clubs  in  each  town  in  the  State. 

The  reports  made  were  full,  instructive  and  in- 


20 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Jan. 


teresting,  and  upon  several  of  them  animated  dis- 
cussions arose. 

There  seems  to  us  to  be  prevailing  in  this  Board 
a  spirit  determined  to  progress  in  the  riglit  way. 
Every  man  takes  the  laboring  oar  himself,  vrhile 
the  fjforts  of  all  are  directed  to  a  single  point, — 
the  true  principles  and  practice  of  agricultural  im- 
provement. They  are  not  the  efforts  of  a  nevrly- 
awakened  love,  or  tlie  proselyte's  zeal,  to  glitter 
like  ephemera  in  the  morning  sun,  and  then  grow 
cold  and  die,  but  the  well  settled  convictions  that 
the  labor  of  the  farmer  is  often  misdirected,  so 
that  its  true  reward  is  not  obtained  ;  that  the  na- 
ture of  the  soils  he  cultivates  and  the  operations 
of  the  great  atmospheric  ocean  which  surrounds 
him  and  feeds  his  crops,  are  so  little  understood  as 
to  leave  him  incessantly  laboring  in  doubt  and  un- 
certainty as  to  the  modes  of  culture  which  he 
adopts.  So  far,  there  has  been  an  earnestness 
and  energy  exhibited  in  the  Board  which  promises 
important  results  ;  and  these,  whatever  they  may 
be,  will  become  common  property,  as  the  trans- 
actions of  the  Board  and  the  State  will  annually  be 
published. 

We  only  give  the  details  of  business,  leaving 
the  reports,  &c.,  to  speak  for  themselves  when 
distributed. 


VEGE5TATION  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Farmer's  Club  at  the  rooms  „ 

of  the  American  Institute,  in  New  York,  severalf^^*:*  g^'^"^^"  ^J  ^^^-  I^aac  Brannan,  at  San   Jose, 


gentlemen  spoke  of  the  wonderful  productiveness 
of  the  soil  and  vegetables  which  spring  from  it. 

According  to  the  information  derived  from  Mr. 
Shelton,  almost  every  variety  of  fruit  appears  to 
flourish  with  very  little  attention  in  California. 
The  apple,  pear,  peach,  apricot,  quince,  plum,  nec- 
tarine, pomegranate,  fig,  grape,  and  olive,  are  now 
growing  there  in  the  greatest  perfection.  It  is  the 
firm  conviction  of  Mr.  S.  that  no  country  in  the 
world  surpasses  California  in  the  production  of 
these  fruits. 

Mr.  S.  appears  to  regard  the  production  of  onions 
as  the  most  astonishing.  They  grow  very  larp'e 
and  mild  there,  and  are  eaten  like  apples.  Mr. 
Horner  raised  about  50,000  lbs.  on  one  acre,  and 
they  were  worth  about  $20,000.  General  Vallyo 
raised  80,000  lbs.  on  two  acres.  Mr.  Shelton  said 
that  he  had  seen  a  field  of  onions,  averaging  a 
pound  wt.  each.  Fifty  of  them  would  weigh  from 
two  to  four  pounds  apiece. 

Potatoes  also  grow  to  a  very  large  size,  some  of 
them  weighing  three  pounds  each — and  have  to  be 
cut  up  in  order  to  boil  them  well — 125  pounds  had 
been  obtained  from  five  stalks.  Mr.  Horner  had 
raised  from  250  to  300  bushels  of  potatoes  per  acre, 
with  out  "manure . 

i\Ir.  Dyer  said  that  he  had  seen  radishes  in  Cal 
ifornia  as  large  as  his  arm,  and  perfectly  free  from 
strings  or  hard  fibres.  Mr.  Shelton  stated  that 
these  radishes  were  fit  for  table  in  thirty-one  days. 
He  represented  that  lettuce  grew  there  in  great 
variety,  and  are  very  fine — some  of  them  attaining 
the  size  of  a  man's  hat,  and  weighing  from  three 
to  four  pounds  each.     At  San  Francisco  he  had 


seen  the  tomato  growing  all  winter.  Grapes  con- 
sidered to  be  far  superior  to  the  Catawlia ;  from 
one  to  seven  pounds  on  a  stem  could  be  raised  with 
very  little  trouble.  He  had  seen  branches  weigh- 
ing upwards  often  pounds  each. 

Mr.  S.  stated  that  there  were  no  less  than  twen- 
ty varieties  of  clover  growing  there.  The  white 
clover  grows  three  feet  high. 

In  answer  to  some  questions  asked  relative  to 
procuring  ice,  Mr.  Dye  said  that  their  supplies  had 
been  principally  obtained  from  Boston,  and  sold  at 
from  10  to  12  cents  per  pound.  Frozen  snow  or 
hail  had  also  been  obtained  from  the  mountains 
packed  in  gunny  bags  and  blankets.  This  was 
sold  for  the  same  price  as  the  Boston  ice. 

Mr.  Shelton  has  brought  with  him  about  a  thou- 
sand specimens  of  pressed  flowers,  grasses,  trees, 
&c.,  also  a  colored  drawing  of  a  great  variety  of 
native  flowers  of  great  beauty,  which  are  deserving 
the  attention  of  florists.  He  has  likewise  present- 
ed to  the  American  Institute  about  200  varieties  of 
flower  seeds  from  California. 

On  land  owned  and  cultivated  by  Mr.  James 
Williams,  an  onion  grew  to  the  enormous  weight 
of  21  pounds.  On  this  same  land  a  turnip  was 
grown  wdiich  equalled  exactly  in  size  the  head  of 
a  flour  bai-rel.  On  land  owned  and  cultivated  by 
Thomas  Fallen,  a  cabbage  grew  which  measured, 
while  growing,  13  feet  6  inches  around  its  body  ; 
the  weight  is  not  known.  The  various  cereal  grains 
also  grow  to  a  height  of  from  5  to  12  feet ;  one  red 
wood  tree  in  the  valley,  known  as  Fremont's  tree, 
measures  over  50  feet  in  circumference,  and  is  near- 
ly 300  feet  high.  * 

Added  to  these  astonishing  productions   are  a 


weighing  63  pounds  ;  carrots,  three  feet  in  length, 
weighing  40  pounds. 

At  Stockton,  a  turnip  weigTiing  100  pounds. 
In  the  latter  city,  at  a  dinner  party  for  twelve  per- 
sons, of  a  single  potato,  larger  than  the  sizaof  an 
ordinary  hat,  all  partook,  leaving  at  least  the  half 
untouched. 

!Mr.  Dye  corroborated  the  statements  of  Mr. 
Shelton,  and  related  some  additional  intei-esting 
particulars.  He  had  noticed  in  the  San  Jose  val- 
ley, which  is  78  miles  long,  and  GO  miles  across  in 
the  widest  part,  a  particular  sweet  kind  of  wild 
clover,  which  the  natives  eat  with  great  relish. 
So  thick  was  the  growth  of  this  clover,  that  when 
the  dry  season  of  the  year  comes,  he  has  seen 
thousands  of  acres  covered  with  the  seed  of  the 
bur  clover  to  a  depth  of  two  inches.  On  this  hap- 
py provision  of  nature,  the  cattle  feed  during  the 
dry  season.  Mr.  Shelton  showed  some  specimens 
of  this  seed,  of  which  he  had  collected  thi-ee  bush- 
els on  18  feet  square.  He  had  collected  sixteen 
varieties  of  clover,  of  which  he  exhibited  specimens. 
The  blossoms  of  some  are  very  rich.  He  formed  a 
boquet  of  clover-tops  alone.  He  had  exhibited 
some  of  these  specimens  in  San  Francisco,  and  they 
had  been  very  favorably  noticed  by  the  papers. 
One  variety  called  the  "Mammoth  Shelton  Clover" 
was  ver^-  large.  The  roots  covered  a  space  of  8 
feet,  and  tlie  stalks  grow  to  a  height  of  10  feet. 
In  ^laraposa  county  there  was  a  large  growth  of 
acid  clover,  of  which  the  natiws  made  drink,  re- 
sembling our  lemonade. 

Mr.  Dye  said  that  the  trees  in  California  were 
very  different  from  the  varieties  bearing  the  same 
name  here. 


1853, 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


21 


Rev.  Mr.  Fitch  remarked  that  the  dry  season 
begins  in  June,  and  continues  to  November.  It 
rarely  occurred,  during  that  time,  that  they  had 
any  rain ;  neither  were  there  any  dews.  In  refer- 
ence to  the  certainty  of  the  dry  season  being  unin- 
terrupted, Mr.  Shelton  related  an  instance  in  which 
he  had  seen  hundreds  of  acres  of  barley  and  oats 
which  had  been  cut  down,  and  let  lie  in  swaths  on 
the  ground  for  two  months,  without  injury.  Mr. 
Dye  related  an  instance,  near  Sacramento  city, 
where  three  crops  of  wheat  were  taken,  without 
any  second  plowing  or  sowing; — the  first  crop  pro- 
duced 50  bushels  to  the  acre,  the  second  30  to  40 
bushels,  and  the  third  crop  from  20  to  30  bushels. 
He  considered  that  there  was  as  large  a  proportion 
of  arable  land  in  California  as  in  the  State  of  New 
York.  Mr.  Shelton  stated  that  Horner  &  Beard 
had  inclosed  four  leagues  (4,400  and  odd  Acres  to 
the  league)  with  an  iron  fence.  He  had  walked 
one  fenced  field  of  8  miles. 

Mr.  Shelton  said  that  he  had  frequently  in  his 
room  one  dozen  heads  of  cabbage,  weighing  from 
50  to  60  pounds.  One,  a  perfectly  solid  head, 
weighed  56  pounds,  and  was  seven  feet  in  circum- 
ference. He  gave  an  instance  of  a  spruce  tree, 
300  feet  in  height,  and  50  feet  in  circumference. 

Of  grapes,  in  California,  ]Mr.  Dye  said  they  were 
as  good  as  those  grown  in  this  State.  He  did  not 
think  they  were  indigenous,  except  in  the  moun- 
tain districts,  where  he  had  met  a  small,  sour  de- 
scription. Rev.  ^Ir.  Fitch  said  that  the  arable 
land  was  about  one-third  in  proportion.  It  was  an 
erroneous  opinion  that  vegetation  could  not  go  on 
without  irrigation.  Without  irrigation,  they  could, 
at  all  times,  have  one  crop  in  the  year  ;  and  where 
irrigation  was  introduced,  vegetation  went  on 
throughout  the  year.  He  had  seen  three  crops 
taken  in  the  year.  The  oats  grew  wild,  high  and 
thick,  on  the  hills,  and  in  the  valleys. 

Mr.  Shelton  exhibited  a  California  potato,  over 
a  year  out  of  ground.  They  grew  to  a  very  large 
size,  and  were  sweet  and  floury,  when  boiled.  In 
speaking  of  vegetables.  Rev.  Mr.  Fitch  remarked 
that  the  vegetables  of  California  were  very  supe- 
rior for  eating  to  those  grown  here.  There,  he 
could  make  a  meal  of  a  turnip,  or  on  potatoes  ; 
here  he  could  not  eat  much  of  either  with  impuni- 
ty. The  beet  was  very  fine,  growing  to  an  extra- 
ordinary size,  and  was  sweet,  and  uniform  in  color 
to  the  centre,  unlike  the  large  beet  grown  here 
which  is  often  stringy. 


tility  by  any  in  the  States, 
crops  so  much  less  ? 


Why,  then,  are  their 


13^  We  notice  by  an  article  in  the  Canadian 
Agriculturist,  that  the  public  debt  of  Canada  was 
$4,635,999,  on  the  1st  of  August  last. 

By  the  same  paper  we  observe  that  the  aver- 
age crop  of  wheat,  per  acre,  in  Upper  Canada,  is 
nearly  15  bushels;  barley,  21,  rye,  12;  peas, 
15  ;  oats,  26.^;  buckwheat,  14.;|;  Indian  corn,  24  ; 
potatoes,  64;  turnips,  212.  In  Lower  Canada, 
where  the  acre  is  about  one-seventh  less  than  in 
Upper  Canada,  the  average  crop  is  of  wheat,  7 
bushels;  barley,  15;  rye,  8;  peas,  7;  oats,  15; 
buckwheat,  10 ;  Indian  corn,  18;  potatoes,  60  ; 
turnips,  95. 

This  average  is  much  less  than  that  of  our  hard, 
rocky  New  England  soil.  A  portion  of  the  soil 
n  Upper  Canada  is  probably  not  surpassed  in  fer- 


CORN  SONG. 

BY     JOHN      O.     WHITTIER. 

Heap  higk  the  farmer's  wintry  board  ! 

Heap  high  the  golden  corn  ! 
No  richer  gift  has  autumn  poured 

From  out  her  lavish  horn  ! 

Let  other  lands  exulting  glean 

The  apple  from  the  pine. 
The  orange  from  its  glassy  green. 

The  cluster  from  the  vine. 

We  better  love  the  rugged  gift 

Our  rugged  hills  bestow, 
To  cheer  us  when  the  storm  shall  drift 

Our  harvest  fields  with  snow. 

Through  vales  of  grass  and  meads  of  flovyera, 

Our  plows  their  furrows  made, 
While  on  the  hills  the  sun  and  showers 

Of  changeful  April  played. 

We  dropped  the  seed  o'er  hill  and  plain, 

Beneath  the  sun  of  May, 
And  frightened  from  our  sprouting  grain 

The  robber  crows  away. 

All  through  the  long,  bright  day  of  June, 

Its  leaves  grow  bright  and  fair. 
And  waved  in  hot  midsummer's  noon, 

Its  soft  and  yellow  hair. 

And  now,  with  Autumn's  moonlit  eyes, 

Its  harvest  time  has  come, 
We  pluck  away  its  frosted  leaves. 

And  bear  the  treasure  home. 

There,  richer  than  the  fabled  gifts 

Apollo  showered  of  old. 
Fair  hands  the  broken  grain  shall  sift, 

And  knend  its  meal  of  gold. 

Let  vapid  idlers  loll  in  silk 

Around  their  costly  board; 
Give  us  the  bowl  of  samp  and  milk. 

By  homespun  beauty  poured. 

Where'er  the  wild  old  kitchen  hearth 

Sends  up  its  smoky  curls. 
Who  will  not  thank  the  kindly  earth. 

And  bless  our  farmer  girls  ! 

Then  shame  on  all  the  proud  and  vain, 

Whose  folly  laughs  to  scorn 
The  blessings  of  our  hardy  grain. 

Our  wealth  of  golden  corn. 

Let  earth  withhold  her  goodly  root, 

Let  mildew  blight  the  rye, 
Give  to  the  worm  the  orchard's  fruit, 

The  wheat-field  to  the  fly; 

But  let  the  good  old  crop  adorn 

The  hills  our  fathers  trod; 
Still  let  us,  for  his  golden  corn. 

Send  up  our  thanks  to  God  ! 


A   SIBERIAN   WINTER. 

A  traveller  in  Siberia,  during  the  winter,  is  so  en- 
veloped in  furs  that  he  can  scarcely  move  ;  and 
under  the  thick  fur  hood,  which  is  fastened  to  the 
bear-skin  collar  and  covers  the  whole  face,  one  can 
only  draw  in,  as  it  were  by  stealth,  a  little  of  the 
external  air,  which  is  so  keen  that  it  causes  a  very 
peculiar  and  painful  feeling  in  the  throat  and  lungs. 
The  distance  from  one  halting  place  to  another 
takes  about  ten  hours,  during  which  time  the  trav- 
eller must  always  continue  on  horse-back,  as  the 
cumbrous  dress  makes  it  insupportable  to  wade 


22 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Jan. 


through  the  snow.  The  poor  horses  suffer  at  least 
as  much  as  their  riders,  for  besides  the  general  ef- 
fect of  the  cold,  they  are  tormented  by  ice  forming 
in  their  nostrils  and  stopping  their  breathing. — 
When  they  intimate  this,  by  a  distressed  snort  and 
a  convulsive  shaking  of  the  head,  the  drivers  re- 
lieve them  by  taking  out  the  piece  of  ice,  to  save 
thein  from  being  suffocated.  When  the  ice  ground 
is  not  covered  by  snow  their  hools  often  burst  from 
the  effects  of  the  cold.  The  caravan  is  always  sur- 
rounded by  a  thick  cloud  of  vapor  ;  it  is  not  only 
living  bodies  which  produce  this  effect,  but  even 
the  snow  smokes.  These  evaporations  are  instant- 
ly changed  into  millions  of  needles  of  ice,  which 
fill  the  air,  and  cause  a  constant  slight  noise,  i-e- 
sembling  the  sound  of  torn  satin  or  thick  silk. 
Even  the  reindeer  seeks  the  forest  to  protect  him- 
self from  the  intensity  of  the  cold.  In  the  Tun- 
dras, where  there  is  no  shelter  to  be  found,  the 
whole  herd  crowd  together  as  close  as  possible  to 
gain  a  little  warmth  from  each  other,  and  may  be 
seen  standing  in  this  way  quite  motionless.  Only 
the  dark  bird  of  winter,  the  raven,  still  cleaves  the 
icy  air  with  slow  and  heavy  wing,  leaving  behind 
him  a  long  line  of  thin  vapor,  markiing  the  trace 
of  his  solitary  flight.  The  influence  of  the  cold 
extends  even  to  inanimate  nature.  The  thickest 
trunks  of  trees  are  rent  asunder  with  a  loud 
sound,  which,  in  these  deserts,  falls  on  the  ear 
like  a  signal  gun  at  sea  ;  large  masses  of  rocks  are 
torn  from  their  ancient  sites  ;  the  ground  in  the 
tundras  and  in  the  rocky  valleys  cracks,  forming 
wide  yawning  fissures,  from  which  the  waters, 
which  were  beneath  the  surface,  rise,  giving  off  a 
cloud  of  vapor,  and  become  immediately  changed 
into  ice.  The  effect  of  this  degree  of  cold  ex- 
tends even  beyond  the  earth.  The  beauty  of  the 
deep  solar  star,  so  often  and  so  justly  praised,  dis- 
appears in  the  dense  atmosphere  which  the  inten- 
sity of  the  cold  produces.  The  stars  still-glisten 
in  the  firmament,  but  their  brilliancy  is  dimmed. 
—  Travels  in  the  North. 


For  the  New  Enfcland  Farmer. 
WINTER   LECTURES. 

BY    WILLFAM    C.    BROWN. 

The  New  York  Tribune  of  the  4th  inst.  has  an 
article  on  Popular  Lectures,  in  which  occurs  the 
following  paragraph : — 

"We  would  suggest  the  propriety  of  leaning  less 
on  scholars  and  persons  of  literary  habits  for  the  de- 
livery of  lectures,  and  of  valuing  more  highly  the  in- 
culcations of  practical  men.  If  our  most  intelligent 
and  cM.p;ible  artisans,  our  best  instructed  and  most 
successCul  farmers,  our  prominent  and  scientific  in- 
ventors, could  oftener  he  induced  to  assume  the  lec- 
turer's platform,  and  give  the  people  of  their  own 
and  the  neighboring  townships  the  best  results  of 
their  studies  and  experience,  the  lectures  would  be 
more  useful,  and,  ultimately,  mure^  popular  than 
they  now  are." 

Here  is  a  suggestion  worthy  the  consideration 
of  all  perscms  interested  in  the  delivery  of  lectures 
during  the  winter  n\ontlis.  This  custom  has  be- 
coiue  so  prevalent,  and  bids  so  fair  to  become  uni- 
versal, that  it  deni-.mdsthe  earnest  inquiry  of  good 
men,  how  popular  lecturing  shall  be  conducted,  so 
as  to  secure  the  licst  results  to  the  pui)lic. 

If  meclianics  and  farmers  were  called  upon  to  de- 
liver lectures,  such  a  call  would  prove  a  powerful 
Incitement  to   the  work  of  preparation,  and  the 


knowledge  obtained  under  such  circumstances,  con 
a>nore,  would  be  vastly  more  valuable  than  mere 
school  learning  ;  and  it  would  not  be  long  before 
lecturers,  self-taught,  intelligent  and  practical, 
would  multiply  on  every  hand,  and  still  the  in- 
crease be  less  than  the  demand  for  them.  The  la- 
bor of  self-preparation  would  become  infectious  ; 
and  we  should  behold  the  novel  and  wonderful 
sight  of  whole  communities  cheerfully  engaged  in 
studies  of  a  character  every  way  calculated  to  ex- 
alt and  dignify  the  human  mind.  It  would  be  diffi- 
cult, if  not  impossible,  to  make  an  estimate  of  the 
vast  amount  of  good  which  would  flow  from  this. 
Vicious  and  trashy  amusements  of  every  kind 
would  gradually  fall  into  disrepute,  as  they  already 
have,  to  some  extent,  principally  through  the  in- 
fluence of  popular  lectures. 

There  can  be  no  doubt,  that  there  is  a  great 
amount  of  talent  in  our  farmers  and  mechanics  ly- 
ing dormant.  We  can  conceive  of  no  course  bet- 
ter adapted  to  arouse  and  develop  this  talent,  than 
the  one  suggested.  Its  development  would  prove 
a  blessing  to  the  nation,  not  to  be  estimated  by 
gold  and  silver.  We  should  soon  find  men  of  gen- 
ius, intelligence  and  eloquence  springing  up  all 
over  the  country,,  and  their  example  would  prove  a 
powerful  stimulus  to  the  younger  portion  of  the- 
community. 

Such  lecturers  as  we  have  described,  would  not 
be  very  likely  to  choose  abstruse  and  metaphysi- 
cal, but  practical  and  useful  subjects — subjects 
suited  to  the  tastes,  capacities  and  pursuits  of  the 
great  body  of  the  people,  who,  in  a  government 
like  ours,  should  always  be  first  considered  in  all 
projects  of  enlightenment  and  improvement,  for  in 
them  dwells  the  sovereign  power. 

Such  lecturers,  also,  would  be  less  expensive 
than  professitinal  men,  and  this  would  not  only  en- 
able cities  and  large  towns  to  have  more  lectures^ 
but  would  enable  small  towns,  now  without  them, 
to  establish  every  winter,  a  course. 

The  Tribune  speaks  of  one  of  the  results  of  pop- 
ular lectures,  which  we  think  of  the  highest  im- 
portance. We  cannot  do  better  than  to  copy  the 
pai'agraph  : — 

"One  of  the  good  results  of  popular  lecturing  is 
its  tendency  to  assemble  the  entire  movable  popula- 
tion of  a  village,  or  rural  township,  and,  make  tliem 
better  acquainted  with,  and  more  kindly  diposecl  to 
each  other.  If  lecturing  did  no  other  good  tliau  this, 
it  would  be  of  great  value.  Our  division  into  reli- 
gious sects,  tends  to  alienate  and  estrange  us  from 
each  other.  .  The  lecture-room  nmst  become  the  So- 
cial Exchange — the  place  where  acquaintances  are 
made  and  friendships  cemented;  and  we  would  sug- 
gest the  expediency  of  a  general  agreement  to  assem- 
ble from  half  an  hour  to  an  hour  prior  to  the  com- 
mencement of  the  lecture,  for  the  purpose  of  social 
intercourse  and  general  conversation." 


A  New  Source  for  Good  Fruit. — ShouM  our 
present  liqu<ir  law  remain  in  force  it  will  benefit 
our  farmers  in  a  way  of  which  the  originators  of 
that  law  did  not  dream.  We  have  thousands  of 
apple  trees,  of  natural  fruit,  in  every  town  in  the 
State,  the  crops  fn^m  which  have  in  former  years 
been  made  into  cider,  at  a  very  small  profit  to  the 
owner.  These  trees,  if  tlie  law  is  sustained,  will 
he  grafted  over,  and  pay  him  a  five  fold  increase 
on  his  present  receipts.  We  farmers  need  just 
such  a  rap  over  the  knuckles  as  this  to  awaken  us. 
to  our  true  interest. — Middlesex  Farmer. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


25 


SOUND  MAXIMS  IN  FARMING- 

{The  following  renuu-ks  are  from  an  old  pam- 
phlet ■which  accidentally  came  into  the  hands  of 
our  correspondent  "P.,"  who  has  kindly  sent  them 
for  publication.  They  are  well  worth  remember- 
ing] 

The  gentleman  of  fortune,  whose  farm  is  his 
amusement,  may  wait  years  for  his  reward.  The 
common  farmer  wants  his  pay  down.  Plans  of 
improvement  have  been  recomin.ended,  practicable 
indeed  to  the  man  of  wealth,  but  wholly  uninter- 
esting to  the  mass  of  farmers,  because  beyond  their 
means.  They  can  adopt  no  system  which  the /cidh 
iisr/f  wlW  not  support.  It  is  a  maxim  in  husbandry, 
that  no  mode  of  management  is  worth  pursuing, 
that  will  not  give  a  profit ;  and  that  is  the  best 
which  will  affjrd  the  greatest  profit  with  the  least 
labor  and  expense. 

Great  crops  may  be  obtained  at,  great  expense  ; 
but  if  the  labor  and  expense  is  not  remunerated, 
the  crops  themselves  will  be  ruinous.  The  ques- 
tion is,  not  how  a  great  crop  can  be  obtained? 
But  how  can  it  be  obtained  in  a  manner  to  pay  1 
It  is  not  a  valuable  improvement  in  husbandry  to 
increase  your  productions,  if  your  expense  is  pro- 
portionably  increased.  The  great  object  is,  to  in- 
crease the_  productiveness  of  a  form,  so  that  the 
expense  may  bear  a  less  ratio  to  the  increase.  By 
purchasing  more  land,  you  impose  a  burden  on 
yourself  difficult  to  sustain.  Many  have  been  im- 
poverished, and  not  a  few  have  been  ruined,  by 
possessing  themselves  of  land  for  which  they  could 
not  pay.  The  intelligent  farmer,  before  he  plunges 
into  del)t,  will  not  fail  to  attend  to  tliis  plain  ques- 
tion. Will  the  income  of  the  intended  purchase 
more  than  repay  the  interest,  the  labor  and  the 
taxes?  If  not,  you  are  better  without  the  land. 
The  possessor  of  more  land  than  can  be  improved 
is  a  tax  upon  the  owner. — Rtv.  Dr.  Eaton's  Ad- 
dress, Oct.,  1822,  to  the  Farmers  of  Essex. 


SUSCEPTIBILITY   OF   ANIMALS  TO  AT- 
MOSPHERIC CHANGES. 

In  the  common  sensations  of  life,  we  perceive  a 
distinction,  according  as  the  exciting  cause  is 
agreeable  or  otherwise,  whether  it  presents  itself 
as  pleasure  or  dislike,  bodily  strength  or  weakness, 
activity  or  fatigue,  warm  or  cold — by  pressure  or 
tension  of  the  atmosphere,  &c.  By  these  combi- 
nations of  sensations,  all  animals  in  which  they 
are  strongly  developed  are  enabled  to  anticipate 
atmospherical  changes  before  the  most  delicate  in- 
struments give  any  indication  of  them  ;  and,  in  a 
minor  degree,  the  same  is  tracealde  in  persons  of 
great  nervous  susceptibility.  In  the  animal  woi-ld 
it  extends  not  only  to  creatures  of  the  land  and  of 
the  air,  but  also  to  those  which  inhabit  the  water. 

The  actinife  throw  out  their  feelers  and  expand 
themselves  when  a  continuance  of  fine  weather  is 
to  be  expected,  but  withdi-aw  and  contract  them- 
sidves.  even  in  a  room.  Avhen  a  change  is  impend- 
ing. The  mussels,  before  the  approach  of  a  storm, 
spm  several  new  threads  to  secure  their  hold  on 
the  rocks  ;  and  leeches  rise  to  the  surface  of  the 
water  before  rain.  Spiders  enlarge  their  webs 
during  fine  weather,  but  spin  only  short  threads. 
Work  seldom,  or  lid?  themselves  in  corners,  dur- 
ing rain.  _  Miny  beetles,  by  their  active  flight 
and  humming  sounds,  give  tokens  of  the  morrow's 


brightness.  Before  rain,  bees  remain  either  in 
their  hives  or  in  the  neighborhood  of  them  ;  and 
ants  convey  deep  into  their  hills  the  pupje  which 
they  expose  to  the  sun  in  fine  weather. 

The  leeches  rise  anxiously  to  the  surface  of  the 
water  before  a  storm,  and  hence  in  Germany  they 
are  called  weather-fish,  and  are  kept  in  glasses, 
where,  by  their  uneasy  movements,  they  denote  a 
change  twenty-four  hours  in  advance  ;  and,  fi"ora 
the  same  cause,  many  fish  forsake  the  sea  for  the 
rivers  ;  the  groundling  is  roused  into  activity,  the 
silurus  leaves  the  deep  waters,  and  the  eels  be- 
come lively.  If  the  lightning  strikes  the  water, 
the  perch  sickens  and  dies ;  the  snake  and  the 
slow-worm  are  restless  before  a  storm  ;  toads  leave 
their  concealment  before  rain ;  ducks  are  busily 
active,  and  swallows  fly  lower. 

Before  a  storm  breaks  forth,  many  birds,  such 
as  the  cross-bill  and  plover,  are  uneasy,  and  show 
themselves  less;  and  while  many 'species  of  water- 
fowl hurry  for  shelter  to  the  shore,  the  petrel,  as 
if  rejoicing  in  the  coming  conflict  of  the  elements, 
dashes  forth  and  defies  its  power.  If  the  atmos- 
phere be  lowering  in  the  morning,  pigeons  feed 
rapidly,  and  return  to  their  cots  ;  and  the  hare 
hides  itself;  but  the  mole  comes  to  the  surface  of 
the  ground,  and  the  squirrel  seeks  its  nest,  and 
shuts  its  entrance.  This  susceptibility  of  atmos- 
pherical changes,  influences,  also,  materially,  the 
natural  economy  of  some  animals  ;  the  wild  rab- 
bit, for  instance,  which  feeds  chiefly  in  the  eve- 
ning or  at  night,  comes  forth  at  noon-day  if  the 
weather  portends  rain,  and  loses  its  natural  timidi- 
ty in  its  eagerness  to  procure  food. 

Before  the  occurrence  of  an  earthquake,  ani- 
mals become  uneasy.  In  that  which  took  place 
in  Calabria  in  1783,  it  was  noticed  by  Bartel,  that 
the  sea- fish  weje  disturbed,  and  were  taken  in  vast 
numbers  ;  many  birds  fluttered  about  distressed 
in  the  air  ;  dogs  ran  about  howling  ;  the  horses 
and  oxen  trembled,  pawing  the  ground  and  snort- 
ing as  if  in  agony,  and  the  cats  slunk  about  with 
their  hair  bristled  up. — Thompson  on  Animals. 


Transactions  of  the  Wisconsin  State  Agricul- 
tural Society  for  1851. — This  is  the  first  agricul- 
tural publication  of  the  young  and  flourishing  State 
of  Wisconsin,  and  is  certainly  creditable  to  the 
enterprise  of  her  citizens.  The  volume  contains 
336  pages,  on  good  paper  and  type,  and  is  printed 
handsomely.  The  society  was  formed  in  March, 
1851,  and  here  we  have  in  a  little  more  than  a 
year  this  large  and  well-filled  volume  of  its  opera- 
tions. The  Address  1)y  John  H.  Lathrop,  Chan- 
cellor of  the  Unitersity  of  Wisconsin,  is  a  well  di- 
gested and  valuable  paper,  and,  scattered  among 
the  people,  will  have  an  important  influence  in 
awakening  them  to  the  importance  and  connection 
of  their  several  vocations.  The  reports  from  the 
counties  combine  a  great  deal  of  statistical,  geo- 
logical, and  geographical  information,  which  is 
thus  brought  together  for  the  benefit  of  the  whole 
State.  The  communications  upon  breaking  up  the 
prairie,  manures,  flax  culture,  and  one  upon  butter 
making,  from  Mr.  Dodge,  of  Essex,  in  this  State, 
are  admirable  papers  on  the  subjects  which  they 
discuss. 


24 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Jak 


We,  who  have  made  "Indian  hills"  on  the  At- 
lantic shores  long  before  the  world  beyond  the 
Mississippi  was  scarcely  dreamed  of,  shall  have  to 
be  on  the  alert  or  our  younger  brethren  will  be 
treading  on  our  heels. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

GA?'HERING    AND    PRESERVING  WIN- 
TER FRUIT. 

BY   WM.    F.    BASSETT. 

Mr.  Brown  : — The  preservation  of  fruit  depends 
much  upon  the  location  and  the  season.  In  this 
section  apples  probably  ripen  nearly  or  quite  two 
weeks  later  than  on  similar  soils  and  exposures  in 
the  vicinity  of  Boston,  an^  in  different  portions  of 
this  country  there  is  even  more  variation  caused 
by  the  nature  of  the  soil  and  exposure  to  sun  or 
wind. 

The  difference  of  seasons  from  one  extreme  to 
the  other,  would,  I  think,  vary  the  time  of  ripen- 
ing from  two  to  three  weeks  more,  thus  making 
five  or  six  weeks  difference  in  the  maturity  of  fruit 
between  a  cold  season  in  a  late  section,  and  a 
warm  season  in  a  warm  section  of  the  State,  and 
I  think,  there  should  be  nearly  an  equal  variation 
in  the  time  of  gathering  ;  on  this  point,  however, 
there  seems  to  be  some  diversity  of  opinion.  Down- 
ing savs  the  practice  is  to  let  winter  fruit  remain 
on  the  trees  as  late  as  possible,  or  until  there  is 
danger  from  frost.  Others  say  pick  it  before  fully 
ripened  and  let  it  wilt.  I  should  dissent  from  both 
these  methods  as  going  to  extremes  ;  the  first,  as 
injuring  the  keeping,  and  in  some  cases  the  quality 
of  the  fruit,  and  the  last  as  materially  deteriorat- 
ing the  quality,  without  much  advantage  in  the 
preservation. 

So  far  as  my  experience  goes,  both  the  keeping 
and  eating  qualities  of  the  winter  apples,  in  gene- 
ral cultivation  here,  are  much  the  best  when  the 
fruit  is  picked  just  late  enough  to  allow  it  to  mel- 
low without  any  appearance  of  wilting. 

The  Rhode  Island  Greening,  if  suffered  to  re- 
main on  the  trees  beyond  that  time,  frequently  be- 
comes mealy  and  cracks  open  at  the  season  when 
it  is  generally  fit  for  use,  and  the  Baldwin  is  lia- 
ble to  lose  its  taste  much  sooner  than  it  other- 
wise would. 

As  to  the  particular  time  of  the  year  to  com- 
mence picking,  so  much  depends  upon  ihe  circum- 
stances named  in  the  first  part  of  this  article,  that 
no  particular  directions  can  be  given,  but  it  must 
be  left  to  the  judgment  and  experience  of  the 
cultivator. 

If  these  opinions  are  correct,  any  particular 
variety  will  of  course  keep  best  in  that  locality 
where  the  season  is  just  long  enough  to  ripen  it ; 
and  where  the  climate  is  too  mild,  it  will  succeed 
best  in  the  shortest  summers. 

Several  years  observation,  however,  have  con- 
vinced me  that  after  the  fruit  has  once  commenced 
growing,  its  forwardness  is  much  less  affected  by 
temperature  than  is  that  of  most  other  kinds  of 
vegetation,  and  that  its  time  of  maturity  depends 
more  upon  the  time  of  blossoming  than  upon  the 
warmth  of  the  weather  afterwards. 

With  regard  to  the  cellar  in  which  apples  are 
to  be  kept,  1  do  not  consider  myself  very  well  quali- 
fied to  decide,  as  my  experience  on  that  point  has 
not  been  sufficiently  diversified,  but  I  tliink  it  de- 


pends much  more  upon  temperature  than  upon 

moisture. 

Downing  says  the  most  favorable  soil  for  a 
fruit  cellar  is  sand  or  gravel,  with  aslope  to  the 
north,  but  I  should  prefer  to  have  it  excavated  in 
what  is  commonly  denominated  "hard  pan,"  not 
hoAvever  very  wet.  The  poorest  cellars  for  keep- 
ing fruit  that  have  come  under  my  observation 
are  warm  and  wet. 

We  had  on  the  1st  of  March  last,  Rhode  Is- 
land Greenings  in  our  cellar  in  first  rate  condition, 
and  Baldwins,  nearly  all  of  which  were  as  sound  as 
when  they  were  gathered  last  fall,  the  cellar  in 
which  they  are  kept  being  dug  in  hard  pan,  and 
the  crevices  of  the  wall  filled  with  mortar  ;  the  sur- 
face was  also  more  or  less  frozen  nearly  half  the 
the  winter. 

In  looking  over  an  old  volume  of  the  Cultivator ^ 
I  see  it  stated  that  one  extensive  fruit-grower  has 
had  good  success  in  keeping  apples,  by  putting 
them  in  a  large  heap  a  little  raised  from  the  bot- 
tom of  the  cellar,  and  pouring  over  them  water 
sufficient  to  wet  the  whole,  two  or  three  times  a 
week  ;  but  this  I  think  would  be  no  evidence  in 
favor  of  carrying  them  into  the  cellar  damp,  or 
having  them  dampened  by  moisture  arising  in  the 
form  of  vapor  from  the  bottom  of  the  cellar,  as  the 
advantage,  if  any,  from  the  use  of  water  in  this 
case,  I  should  attribute  to  the  washing  and  the 
reduction  of  temperature  consequent  on  evapora- 
tion. 

I  believe  it  is  the  practice  of  many  to  allow  their 
apples  to  stand  in  barrels  above  ground  as  long  as 
the  weather  will  admit. 

On  this  point  Cole,  in  his  fruit  book,  says,  where 
the  cellar  is  cool  and  airy  it  is  the  best  course  to 
put  them  into  it  immediately  after  they  are  picked  ; 
with  this  I  should  fully  agree.  w.  f.b. 

AshfieM,  1852. 


Remarks. — It  was  our  intention  to  publish  this 
article  the  first  of  September,  but  it  was  overlooked. 
We  perfectly  agree  with  our  correspondent  that 
"much  more  depends  on  temperature  than  on 
moistm'e,"  whether  the  cellar  keeps  fruit  well  or 
not.  A  friend  of  ours  had  60  barrels  of  the  most 
perfect  "Hunt  Russets"  last  March,  which  were 
placed  in  a  cool  cellar  as  soon  as  they  were  gathered. 
During  the  day  the  doors  were  kept  closed,  and  at 
night  opened  until  the  weather  became  so  cold  as 
to  endanger  their  freezing.  They  were  then  bar- 
relled, removed  to  another  cellar,  where  they  re- 
mained till  April.  This  cellar,  is  wet  and  the  tem- 
perature so  low  that  water  on  the  bottom  froze 
early  in  the  winter  and  remained  so  until  spring. 
He  then  found  the  apples,  so  far  as  he  examined 
them,  in  excellent  condition.  It  is,  as  a  general 
thing,  the  warmth  which  occasions  rapid  decay. 

Stabling  Stock. — An  exchange  says,  when  fixrni 
stock  is  kept  in  well  littered  stalls,  and  every  other 
judicious  means  taken  to  manufacture  manure, 
one  head  will  produce  sufficient  to  keep  an  acre 
of  ground  in  the  highest  state  of  fertility.  We 
know  this  from  experince. 

I^  "Rats  is  Biz.'" — The  price  of  ladies  hid 
gloves  has  gone  up  from  70  to  80  cents  per  pair  i 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


25 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
IjIME— GUANO—BONE  DUST. 

Mr.  Editor  : — Does  the  application  of  lime  to 
the  soil  supply  the  phosphates,  or  bone-forming 
material  ?  Guano,  bone  dust  and  wood  ashes  are 
said  to  contain  a  great  amount  of  lime  in  various 
combinations,  but  it  seems  to  me  they  are  expen- 
sive manures.  Ashes  f  have  tried  with  good  effect, 
but  huve  had  no  experience  with  lime.  I  can  pro- 
cure it  for  $1,50  per  cask,  and  ashes  for  12.^  cts. 
per  bushel.  Common  stable  manure,  applied  at 
the  rate  of  25  ox  loads  to  the  acre,  and  plowed  in 
eight  or  nine  inches  deep,  proved  to  be  unsuccess- 
ful in  causing  a  great  yield  of  corn,  but  potatoes 
grew  nobly.  Why  this  difference  ?  A  long  time 
before  the  corn  ripened,  it  commenced  falling  eve- 
ry way,  the  stalks  appearing  weak.  This,  with 
former  years'  experiments,  has  proved  that  some- 
thing else  is  needed  beside  plentiful  manuring  and 
deep  plowing.  My  soil  is  a  moderately  light  loam, 
with  a  subsoil  of  yellowish  loam  and  gravel,  and 
no  traces  of  clay  or  sand,  except  in  particular  lo- 
calities. My  pastures  and  tillage  land  border  on 
pine  land  of  similar  formation.  My  cows,  when 
giving  milk  in  summer,  appear  weak  in  their  limbs, 
and  fairly  disgusted  with  the  Rhode  Island  Bent, 
up  to  their  eyes  around  them,  and  if  they  can  get 
into  the  mow  lands  after  haying,  they  will  feed  it 
down  to  the  roots,  even,  rather  than  eat  the  pas- 
ture grass.  L.  L.  R. 

Seekonk,  Mass. 


Remarks.  —  The  application  of  lime  alone  sup- 
plies but  one  of  the  materials  of  which  bone  is 
formed.  Phosphoric  acid  is  wanted  also.  Guano 
contains  the  phosphates" both  of  ammonia  and  lime, 
as  well  as  their  carbonates.  During  the  process 
of  vegetation,  the  phosphates  are  decomposed . — 
The  phosphoric  acid  is  combined  with  the  fixed  al- 
kalies, lime  and  potash,  and  in  this  state  is  appro- 
priated by  those  plants  that  require  them.  The 
ammonia,  after  being  separated  from  the  phospho- 
ric acid,  is  decomposed  into  its  elements,  hydrogen 
and  nitrogen,  and  these  elements  are  used  as 
wanted.  It  is  by  the  decomposition  of  ammonia 
that  plants  obtain  nitrogen  chiefly. 

L.  L.  R.  has  not  presented  his  case  with  suffi- 
cient fulness  of  detail  to  enable  us  to  prescribe  a 
remedy,  with  confidence.  We  have  not  all  the 
symptoms.  How  much  corn  did  he  get  to  the 
acre?  Was  the  corn  sound  and  the  ears  well 
filled  ?  How  deep  below  the  surface  is  the  subsoil 
of  "yellow  loam  and  gravel!"  How  did  he  culti- 
vate ?  Did  he  hill  up  the  corn  in  the  old  way,  or 
cultivate  with  a  level  surface  ?  When  corn  grows 
very  rapidly,  and  begins  to  spread,  drawing  the 
surface  soil  around  the  plants  with  the  hoe,  and 
forming  a  hill,  for  temporary  support,  may  be  re- 
sorted to  with  advantage.  We  see  no  reason  why 
such  a  soil  as  he  describes,  in  which  potatoes 
"grew  nobly,"  should  not  yield  good  corn,  unless 
it  be  that  silex  and  sulphur  are  wanting.  Pota- 
toes require  as  much  lime,  and  more  potash,  than 
corn. 


We  will  suppose  manure  is  worth  to  L.  L.  R. 
,50  per  load. 

His  25  load3  will  cost ,.$37,50 

Let  him  plow  in  16  loads,  worth $24,00 

Then  take  2  cwt.  guiino,  worth 5,00 

2  casks  lime,  air  slacked 3,ii0 

5  cwt.  plaster 2,00 

2  barrels  Hne  sand 25.. $34,25 

add  two  or  three  bai-rels  good  soil  that  has  laid  un- 
der his  hen  roost  through  the  winter;  mix  all  thor- 
oughly upon  a  floor,  and  put  a  half  pint  into  each 
hill.  Immediately  after  the  first  hoeing  let  him 
him  take  16  bushels  of  wood  ashes  worth  $2,00, 
and  apply  upon  the  surface  around  the  plants. 
This  will  make  $3G,25,  leaving  $1,25  to  pay  the 
extra  labor  of  applying  the  ashes.  Ashes  or  quick 
lime  should  not  be  mixed  with  guano.  They  de- 
compose it  too  rapidly,  and  the  ammonia  being 
very  volatile,  is  mostly  lost  before  it  can  be  appro- 
priated by  the  plants.  Let  L.  L.  R.  try  this  pre- 
scription, and  report  his  success.  Bone  dust  is 
the  best  "bone-forming -material."  Mix  it  with 
salt,  and  keep  it  within  reach  of  your  cattle.  If 
this  material  be  wanting,  they  will  use  it  freely. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
LIME  IN  AGRICULTURE. 

Much  has  been  written  upon  the  use  of  lime  in 
agriculture,  and  yet  the  subject  does  not  seem  to 
be  fully  understood;  some  persons  need  "line  up- 
on line"  just  as  some  soils  need  lime  "poHiiiaie. 

Lime  is  an  element  in  nil  organic  structures. 
The  earthy  portion  of  the  bones  in  the  higher  class- 
es of  animals  consists  mostly  of  lime  combined 
with  phosphoric  acid.  The  shells  of  the  lower 
classes  consist  of  lime  combined  with  carbonic 
acid.  All  parts  of  the  animal  structure  are  derived 
from  vegetables.  Vegetables  then  must  contain 
a  considerable  amount  of  lime,  and  as  lime  is  not 
a  constituent  of  the  atmosphere,  it  must  be  con- 
tained in  the  soil. 

According  to  Johnson's  table,  1  bushel  of  wheat 
contains  6  and  2-5  ounces  of  lime-,  a  bushel  of  bar- 
ley 6  1-9  ounces,  oats  2  3-5,  a  ton  of  turnips  a  lit- 
tle more  than  6  lbs.,  a  ton  of  potatoes  28  lbs.,  and 
a  ton  of  clover  hay  03  lbs.  These  quantities  vary 
considerably.  This  is  especially  true  of  wheat. 
When  the  soil  is  plentifully  furnished  with  lime, 
wheat  contains  a  larger  per  centage.  The  skin  of 
the  grain  is  said  to  be  thinner,  and  the  flour  whiter 
and  finer  and  more  glutinous. 

In  soils  that  consist  largely  of  clay,  the  benefit 
of  Hme  is  most  obvious.  It  loosens  the  texture  of 
the  soil,  and  renders  it  less  adhesive.  It  combines 
with  acids  and  thus  sets  at  liberty  other  alkalies 
that  may  be  contained  in  it.  It  is  beneficial  to 
soils  containing  large  quantities  of  vegetable  mat- 
ter, as  it  appears  to  render  such  matters  more  so- 
luble, and  more  useful  to  the  living  vegetation. 
Almost  every  crop  that  is  cultivated  is  improved 
by  it.  It  is  said  to  be  injurious  to  flax  and  hemp, 
rendering  their  fibre  thinner  and  more  brittle. 
Compounds  formed  in  the  soil  by  lime  are  com- 
paratively insoluble.  Hence  it  is  from  3  to  6  years 
before  lime  applied  to  the  soil  is  exhausted.  The 
hydrate  of  lime,  or  lime  slaked  with  water,  acts  the 
most  rapidly.  Carbonate  of  lime  produces  the 
most  permanent  effect  upon  the  soil.     Light,  dry, 


26 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Jan. 


sandy  soils  containing  little  vegetable  matter,  are 
not  tliose  which  are  most  benefited  by  lime  ;  such 
soils  already  contain  an  abundant  supply. 

There  is  one  error  with  respect  to  the  use  of 
lime  wliich  should  by  all  means  be  avoided ;  that  is, 
the  mixing  of  lime  with  the  manure  heap,  whether 
in  a  fermenting  or  quiescent  state.  Ammonia 
abounds  in  animal  manures,  combined  with  phos 
phoric,  carbonic  muriatic  or  other  acids.  These 
salts  of  ammonia  are  decomposed  by  lime,  which 
combine  with  their  acids,  and  expels  the  ammo- 
nia, an  element  which  is  of  great  importance  to 
vegetation.  Probably  the  best  methods  of  apply- 
ing lime  are  to  spread  it  upon  the  soil  before  plant- 
ing, and  mix  it  in  with  the  haiTOW,  or  to  sow  it 
as  a  top  dressing,  soon  after  the  coming  up  of  the 
crop. 

Vegetables  that  contain,  in  a  perfect  state  a 
large  amount  of  lime,  may  attain  their  full  size 
without  an  adequate  supply,  but  they  will  not  be 
perfect  plants.  Lime  is  an  important  ingredient  in 
clover  •,  it  is  found  chiefly  in  its  cuticle  or  covering 
membrane.  If  this  grass  is  grown  upon  a  soil 
consisting  mostly  of  vegetable  matter,  and  under 
the  stimulus  of  animal  manure,  it  will  lodge,  or 
break  down  from  its  own  weight,  for  want  of  the 
strength  or  stiifness  which  a  due  proportion  of  lime 
would  impart  to  it.  Potatoes  contain  a  large 
per  ceafcage  of  lime,  and  there  ciiu  be  no  doubt  that 
for  some  years  past  those  that  have  been  raised 
under  circumstances  that  precluded  a  sufficient 
supply  of  lime,  have  been  more  liable  to  disease 
than  those  that  could  obtain  an  abundant  supply 
of  ;t. 

Potatoes  that  Lave  grown  in  lowland  where  the 
soil  consists  largely  ot  decayed  vegetable  matter, 
or  which  have  been  raised  by  animal  manures, 
have  been  affected  by  the  rot  much  more  than 
those  which  have  been  raised  on  sandy  soils,  or  by 
means  of  plaster,  which  is  sulphate  of  lime. 

Vegetables  that  are  perfect  in  their  organization, 
that  is,  that  contain  all  their  normal  elements 
in  duo  proportion,  will  better  resist  disease  when 
exposed  to  its  causes,  than  those  that  are  deficient 
in  any  one  element — indeed,  this  remark  may  be 
made  more  general — it  may  be  applied  to  all  living 
organized  beings.  The  more  perfect  they  are  in 
structure,  and  the  more  normal  in  growth  and 
proportion,  the  more  perfect  will  be  their  health, 
and  tlie  greater  their  power  to  resist  disease, 
hope  not  to  be  misunderstood.  I  would  by  no 
means  intimate  that  the  absence  of  lime  has  any 
thing  to  do  with  the  origin  of  the  potato  disease 
I  do  not  know  tliat  diseased  potatoes  have  been 
subjected  to  chemical  analysis,  to  ascertain  wheth- 
er they  are  deficient  in  this  element,  or  that  those 
varieties  that  are  most  liable  to  disease  have  been 
comj^ared  analytically  with  those  that  are  less  so. 
The  solution  of  these  questions  merits  the  attention 
of  the  agricultural  chemist,  if  it  has  not  already 
received  it.  But  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  dry, 
mealy  potato  contains  more  lime  than  the  wet, 
soggy  one — or  that  those  that  have  grown  on  dry 
land  with  an  abundant  supply  of  lime  have  rotted 
less  than  those  that  have  grown  under  other  cir- 
cumstances. 

The  analysis  of  soils,  and  the  analysis  of  plants, 
requires  to  be  carried  on  together. 

The  cultivator  needs  to  know  the  composition  of 
the  plants  which  he  proposes  to  cultivate,  and  the 
composition  of  the  soil  in  which  he  proposes  to 


cultivate  them,  that  he  may  judge  of  the  adapted- 
ness  of  the  one  to  the  otIicr,and  be  able  to  modify 
the  soil  to  suit  the  demands  of  the  plant. 

Concord,  Mass.  j.  r. 


For  the  If ew  England  Farmer. 
WARTS  ON  PLUM  TREES. 

Mr.  Editor  : — I  have  about  150  young  plum 
trees,  and  last  fall  I  found  a  few  warts  on  tliem. 
I  cut  them  all  out  and  took  the  precaution  to  bum 
them.  This  last  spring  and  summer  I  kept  watch , 
and  as  soon  as  one  appeared  I  removed  and  burnt 
it.  In  the  last  of  the  summer  I  found  most  of  the 
trees  affected  the  same  way,  and  some  of  them, 
were  literally  covered  with  small  warts. 

I  wish  some  of  your  readers  more  experienced  in 
the  culture  of  the  plum  would  give  me  a  remedy. 
Yours.  w.  K.  c. 


Remarks. — We  can  join  in  the  request  of  our 
correspondent  with  as  much  feeling  as  he  expresses- 
himself,  for  we  are  suffering  fi-om  the  sanje  eause^ 
and  can  find  no  remedy,  A  portion  of  our  jilum 
trees  are  nearly  whittled  away,  and  the  only  bene- 
fit derived  from  the  operation,  has  been  the  pleas- 
ure of  whittling  with  a  good  sharp  knife.  The 
warts  insist  upon  coming,  while  the  tree  grows- 
"beautifully  less"  every  day, 

Barry,  in  his  "Fruit  Garden,"  says  the  cause- 
probably  originates  in  an  imperfect  circulation  of 
the  sap,  induced  by  violent  changes  of  temperature- 
and  recommends  cutting  out  the  diseased  part  as 
a  certain  cure,  and  covering  the  wound  with  graft- 
ing wax.  But  that  has  been  resorted  to  in  a  great 
many  cases  without  the  slightest  benefit.  Wha 
will  study,  watch  and  experiment,  and  find  out 
the  long  sought  for  remedy  1  We  trust  those  that 
are  wise  on  warts  wUl  let  their  light  shine  on  this 
darkness. 

THE  WAY   THE    RUSSIANS   TREAT 
THEIR  HORSES. 

The  Russian  coachman  seldom  uses  his  whipj. 
and  generally  only  knocks  with  it  upon  the  foot-» 
board  of  the  sledge,  by  way  of  a  gentle  admoni 
tion  to  his  steed,  with  whom,  meanwhile,  he  keeps 
up  a  running  colloquj^  seldom  giving  him  harder 
words  than  "3fy  drolher — my  friend — my  lit  tie 
white  pigeon — my  sweetheart.^ '  ' '  Come  my  pretty 
pigeon,  make  use  of  your  legs,"  he  will  say. 
"What  now  !  art  blind  ?  Come,  be  brisk  !  Take 
care  of  that  stone  there.  Dost  see  it?  There, 
that's  right !  Bravo  !  hop,  hop,  hop  ?  Steady 
boy,  steady  !  What  art  turning  thy  head  for? 
Look  out  boldly  before  thee  I  Hurra !  Yukh ! 
Yukh! 

I  could  not  help  contrasting  this  with  the  offen- 
sive language  we  constantly  hear  in  England  from 
carters  and  boys  employed  in  driving  horses.  Y^ou 
are  continually  shocked  by  the  oaths  used.  They 
seem  to  think  the  horses  will  not  go  unless  they 
swear  at  them,  and  boys  consider  it  manly  to  imi- 
tate this  example,  and  learn  to  swear  too,  and 
break  God's  commandments,  by  taking  his  holy 
name  in  vain.  And  this  while  making  use  of  a 
fine,  noble  animal  he  has  given  for  our  service  and 
not  for  abuse.     There  is  much  unnecessary  cruelty 


1853, 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


27 


in  the  treatment  of  these  dumb  creatures,  for  they 
are  often  beaten  when  doing  their  best,  or  from 
not  understanding  what  their  masters  want  them 
to  do. 

The  man  who  is  driving  a  cart  will  often  stop  on 


not  collect  pollen.  It  goes  in  search  of  pollen 
specially,  and  also  for  nectar.  When  the  pollen 
of  the  flower  is  ripe,  and  fit  for  the  use  of  the  bee, 
there  is  no  nectar  ;  when  there  is  nectar,  there  is 
no  pollen  fit  for  its  use  in  the  flower.     It  is  gener- 


a  cold  winter's  morning,  arid  fancying  a  glass  of  ally  supposed,  also,  that  the  bee  collects  the  wax 


ale  will  warm  his  inside,  leave  his  horses  standing 
in  the  cold  till  their  logs  are  stiff ;  then  he  comes 
out  halt"  intoxicated,  feeling  he  has  lost  time,  and 
that  Ids  horses  must  make  up  for  it.  So  before 
they  perceive  him,  for  he  has  covei'ed  their  eyes 
with  hiindei-s,  he  gives  them  a  great  lash,  and  the 
poor  beasts  start,  and  finding  their  legs  stifi"  with 
cold,  do  not  at  first  go  as  quick  as  he  wishes. 
And  then  he  gets  angry  and  curses  the  poor  beasts, 
And  lashes  them  about  the  head  and  on  the  most 
"tender  parts,  endangering  their  eyes — which  are 
very  prominent — with  the  end  of  the  lash.  The 
drink  and  the  using  this  bad  langmige,  make  him 
get  in  a  passion — for  making  use  of  angry  woi-ds 
gives  rise  to  bad  feelings — and  all  have  an  uncom- 
iortable  journey.  His  horses,  whether  his  own 
property,  or  entrusted  to  him  by  his  master,  are 
the  worse  for  the  treatment,  and  the  man  becomes 
brutal  and  hardened. 


from  which  it  constructs  its  comb  from  some  veg- 
etable substance.  This  is  also  an  error.  The  wax 
is  a  secretion  from  its  body,  as  the  honey  is  ;  and 
it  makes  its  appearance  in  small  scales  or  flakes,  or 
under  the  rings  of  the  belly,  and  is  taken  thence 
by  other  bees,  rendered  plastic  by  mixture  with 
the  saliva  of  the  boos'  mouths,  and  laid  on  the 
walls  of  the  cell  with  the  tongue,  very  much  in 
the  way  a  plasterer  uses  a  trowel." 


For  ths  Neio  England  Farmer. 

HAlSiHG  AND  SELLING  MILK. 

Mr.  Editor  : — I  notice  an  article  in  your  pa- 
per of  the  9th  inst.;  containing  some  very  perti- 
nent inquiries  and  just  reflections  upon  the  sub- 
ect  of  "  Raising  and  Selling  Milk."  I  am  but  a 
novice  in  the  j?raUical  business  of  farming,  but 
believing  in  the  doctrine  of  '■^progression,"  I  am 


Now  a  merciful  man  is  kind  to  his  beast,  and  ajan£ious°to  learn  whatever  may  truly  advance  the 


really  good  driver  knows  that  creatures  that  are 
kindly  and  steadily  treated  do  better  and  go  more 
willingly.  I  rode  outside  the  Free  Trader  one 
morning.  It  had  three  fine  horses  harnessed  to 
it.  Tiio  driver  mounted  his  box,  and  put  his  long 
whip  into  a  hole  in  the  box,  buttoned  his  coat,  and 
called  (chick,  tckich.  Away  the  horses  set  off  and 
went  willingly  and  briskly,  till  he  saw  a  passenger 
waiting  to  get  into  the  coach,  "Wo — wo!"  he 
cried  out.  Immediately  they  stopped  and  the  man 
^ot  in.  "Right!"  The  docile  creatures  pricked 
up  their  ears  and  off  they  set  again.  The  same 
thing  was  repeated  many  times,  and  the  horses 
always  obeyed  directly.  The  man  looked  proud 
of  the  fine  obedient  creatures  in  such  good  train- 
ing, and  the  whip  had  an  idle  life  of  it,  for  they 
went  far  more  willingly  without  it. 


HONEY  BEES. 


The  ^Ibany  Cultivator  has  an  interesting  article 
■Qn  honey  bees,  from  the  pen  of  a  distinguished  pro- 
fessor, from  which  we  quote  the  following  para- 
grapii  :  "Many — nearly  everybody — suppose  that 
the  bee  eulls  honey  from  the  nectar  of  the  flowers, 
and  simply  carries  it  to  its  cell  in  the  hive.  This 
is  not  correct.  The  nectar  it  ccdleets  from  the 
flower  is  a  portion  of  its  food  or  drink  ;  the  honey 
it  deposits  in  its  cell  is  a  secretion  from  its  mellific 
or  honey-secreting  glands,  (analogus  to  the  milk- 
secreting  gland  of  the  cow  and  other  animals.)  If 
they  were  the  mere  collectors  and  transporters  of 
honey  from  the  flowei's  to  the  honey-comb,  then 
we  would  have  the  comb  frequently  filled  with 
molasses,  and  w!\enever  the  bees  have  fed  at  the 
molasses  hogshead.  The  honey  bag  in  the  bee  per- 
lorms  the  same  functions  as  the  covv''8  bag  or  ud- 
der, merely  receiving  the  honey  from  the  secreting 
glands,  and  retaining  it  until  a  proper  opportuni- 
ty presents  for  its  being  deposited  in  its  appropri- 
ate storehouse,  the  honey-comb.  Another  eiTor 
is,  that  tlie  bee  collects  pollen  from  the  flowers 
accidentally,  wliile  it  is  in  search  of  honey.  Quite 
the  contrary  is  the  fact.  The  bee,  while  in  search 
.of  «ectar,or  honey,  as  it  is  improperly  called,  does 


interest  and  happiness  of  the  farmer.  Experience 
is  said  to  be  a  dear  school,  and  therefore  he  is 
wisest  who  learns  from  the  experience  of  others. 
But  it  often  appears  to  me  that  farmers,  above  all 
other  men,  pay  most  largely  for  their  schooling, 
while  many  are  but  little  disposed  to  profit  from 
the  one  source  or  the  other. 

I  live  in  a  town  which  is  said  by  some  to 
produce  more  milk  for  Boston  market  than  any 
other  town  in  the  State.  Be  that  as  it  may,  most 
of  the  farmers  here  raise  milk  to  sell.  When  I 
commenced  farming  I  determined  to  know  for  my- 
self the  relative  advantage  of  selling  milk  and 
making  butter.  Having  made  a  sufficient  number 
of  experiments  under  varying  circumstances,  I 
found  the  mean  quantity  of  milk  required  for  a 
pound  of  butter  to  be  nine  quarts.  This  quan- 
tity, at  the  price  paid  here  in  summer,  would 
amount  to  eighteen  cents.  I  determined  to  make 
butter  rather  than  sell  my  milk.  The  inquiry 
made  by  your  correspondent  is,  Does  it  pay  to 
raise  milk  to  sell  at  2  or  2  1-8  cents  per  quart  ? 
From  what  little  experience  I  have  had,  I  should 
answer  an  emphatic  no  !  And  I  will  give  a  rea- 
son or  two  for  the  "  faith  that  is  in  me." 

First  of  all,  keeping  a  stock  of  cows  and  selling 
their  milk,  carries  a  large  amount  of  yearly  pro- 
duct clearly  from  the  farm,  without  any  return  in 
fertilizing  compensation  to  the  land,  unless  pur- 
chased with  the  proceeds  of  the  milk  from  foreign 
sources.  This  no  man  would  think  of  doing  who 
raises  milk  to  sell  at  2  or  2  1-8  cents  per  quart. 
The  result  therefore  of  selling  milk  from  a  farm 
at  such  prices,  is  the  impoverishment  of  the  farm 
as  surely  as  would  be  the  selling  of  the  greater 
portion  of  its  yearly  product  of  hay.  Another 
fact  in  connexion  with  the  selling  of  milk  from  a 
farm,  which  largely  contributes  to  this  impoverish- 
ing result,  is,  that  farmers  who  sell  their  milk 
raise  little,  if  any  pork,  and  are  therefore  deprived 
of  the  valuable  labor  of  swine  in  the  manufacture 
of  manure. 

If  a  farmer  cannot  afford  to  purchase  manure 
whereby  to  compensate  his  land  for  the  product  of 
milk  taken  from  it,  then  it  is  clearly  a  losing  busi- 


28 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Jan. 


ness,  because  "  always  taking  from  the  meal 
chest,  and  never  putting  in,  will  sooner  or  later 
come  to  the  bottom."  But  so  long  as  farmers 
prefer  present  apparent  gain  to  future  positive 
profit,  so  long  will  they  continue  to  sell  their  milk 
at  2  cents  per  quart.  Your  correspondent  thinks 
the  farmers  alone  to  blame  for  this  low  price  for 
milk.  True,  he  is,  just  as  all  laborers  and  pro- 
ducers are,  to  blame  for  the  oppression  which  cap- 
ital inflicts  upon  them.  Capital  has  got  its  heel 
upon  the  neck  of  labor,  and  so  long  as  men's 
moral  and  intellectual  energies  are  cramped  and 
undeveloped  by  the  present  over  taxation  of  his 
physical  powers,  so  long  will  the  laborer  bear  his 
burden  of  oppression. 

You,  Mr.  Editor,  nor  your  correspondent,  are 
willing  t )  say  that  those  engaged  in  the  commerce 
of  milk  get  more  than  their  share  of  its  value, 
but  you  both  think  the  farmer  gets  too  little.  In 
this,  few  farmers  I  think  will  disagree  with  you. 
But  v\hen  you,  Mr.  Editor,  intimate  that  from  the 
fact  that  mechanics  and  other  laborers  have  to 
pay  high  prices  for  farm  products,  that  farmers 
"get  piices  high  enough  as  an  avex*age  on  all  they 
sell,"  I  think  you  put  forth  a  specious  argument 
for  the  continuance  of  the  low  price  of  milk.  For 
however  high  "  farm  products  "  may  be  to  the 
consumer,  it  is  notorious  amongst  farmers,  at  any 
rate,  tl  at  for  other  products  as  well  as  milk,  the 
farmer  is  but  poorly  paid  for  the  amount  of  labor 
and  capital  expended.  Farmers  do  not  get  the 
high  prices  which  the  consumer  pays  ;  far,  very 
far  from  it.  The  truth  is,  there  are  too  many 
stand  betweens — by  far  too  many  distributors  of 
the  products  of  labor — Labor  is  burdened  with  the 
maintainance  of  altogether  too  many  non-producers. 
And  until  farmers  and  other  laborers  have  moral 
and  intellectual  energy  sufficient  to  lead  them  to 
associate  together  for  their  mutual  defence  against 
the  oppression  of  capital  and  the  maintainance  of 
drones,  they  must  continue  to  give  about  three- 
fifths  of  their  earnings  for  the  support  and  gratifi- 
cation of  others.  Let  no  one  suppose  I  under- 
value services  of  the  needed  distributor  of  the  pro- 
ducts of  labor — but  when  three  men  have  to  be 
paid  and  maintained  for  services  which  could  as 
well  or  better  be  performed  by  one,  it  is  time  to 
look  about  and  see  where  the  "  pay  "  is  coming 
from.  But  there  is  no  good  reason  why  the  farm- 
ers of  a  town  who  raise  milk  to  sell,  should  not 
associate  for  the  purpose  of  selling  their  milk  to 
the  consumers,  and  also  for  the  purpose  of  selling 
any  other  product  which  may  be  rendered  into  a 
steady  business. 

I  like  the  suggestion  of  your  correspondent, 
and  think  it  is  highly  expedient  that  farmers 
should  hold  a  "  convention,"  and  if  they  cannot 
do  without  a  "platform,'"  make  one,  only  let 
them  be  sure  to  make  it  large  enough  that  all  may 
stand  upon  it  without  any  "  bolting." 

Yours  truly,  t.  a.  s. 

Westboro\  Oct.,  1852. 


many  of  the  productions  of  the  farm  pass  through 
too  many  hands  before  they  reach  the  consumer. 

We  reside  in  a  strictly  agricultural  town,  and 
have  seldom  found  it  difficult  there  to  get  25  cents 
a  pound  for  butter,  (and  it  is  bringing  now  27)  15 
to  25  cents  a  dozen  for  eggs,  9  to  12  for  salt  pork, 
50  to  80  cents  a  bushel  for  potatoes,  80  to  100 
cents  a  bushel  for  corn,  and  other  products  at 
equally  high  rates.  We  sold  last  year  of  our  own 
raising  between  one  and  two  tons  of  fresh  pork 
for  about  8  cents  a  pound,  and  were  recently  told 
that  in  a  neighboring  agricultural  town  good  salted 
pork  was  selling  quick  at  17  cents  a  pound.  These 
prices  amply  sustain  our  remarks,  as  quoted 
by  our  correspondent. 

The  evil  to  the  farmer  does  not  lie  in  low  prices, 
but  in  a  want  of  combination  and  system,  such  as 
the  merchant  and  manufacturer  put  in  operation 
the  moment  they  find  their  interest  demands  it. 


Remarks. — We  see  no  reason,  from  our  corres- 
pondent's remarks,  to  change  our  expression  at  all. 
If  his  products  pass  through  three  or  four  hands 
before  they  come  to  the  consumer,  he  must  com- 
bine with  his  neighbors,  and  supply  the  consumer 
himself.  There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the 
"huckstering"  business  is  carried  too  far,  and  that 


HOUSE   PLANTS   IN   WINTER. 

"What  is  the  reason  that  my  plants  do  not 
grow  so  well  as  Mrs.  Jones's.  I  am  sure  I  take  a 
great  deal  more  pains  with  them,  and  water  and 
nurse,  and  air  them,  but  all  will  not  do  ;  they  are 
weak,  slender,  sickly,  and  some  of  my  best  plants 
have  died — while  Mrs  Jones  seems  to  take  very 
little  care  of  hers,  and  yet  they  grow  and  bloom 
beautifully  !" 

This  appeal  to  us  for  aid  and  advice,  which  has 
just  been  made,  is  not  the  first  complaint  of  this 
kind  of  ill  succevSS.  The  truth  is,  some  plants  are 
actually  nursed  to  death.  Care  and  attention  be- 
stowed on  plants,  which  they  do  not  need,  are  worse 
than  no  care  at  all.  It  isVuoysmg  just  what  to  do, 
and  doing  that,  and  no  more,  that  gives  some  per- 
sons their  success.  Or,  as  a  late  writer  remarked, 
there  are  two  great  points  to  be  attended  to — 

1.  Not  to  let  your  plants  sufier  by  neglect ;  and 

2.  Not  to  malie  them  sufier  by  interference. 
We  would  class  the  requisites  for  good   treat- 
ment as  follows  : — 

1.  Plenty  of  light.       '  ^ 

2.  A  due  supply  of  water. 
.  3.  Proper  temperature. 

Fresh  air,  cleanliness,  and  good  soil,  ai-e  obvi- 
ously of  importance,  but  are  less  likely  to  be  ne- 
glected than  the  three  first  named  wants,  and  we 
shall  therefore  add  a  few  additional  remarks  un- 
der these  heads : 

1.  Light. — Plants  cannotby  any  possibility  have 
too  much  of  this.  The  stand  should  therefore  face 
the  window,  and  be  placed  as  near  to  it  as  prtioti- 
cable  ;  and  the  window  should  be  broad,  as  little 
obstructed  in  its  light  by  outside  trees  as  the  na- 
ture of  the  case  will  admit.  But  rapidly  growing 
plants  require  most  light ;  hence,  such  should  be 
placed  more  directly  in  front  of  the  window. 

2.  Water — This  must  be  given  according  to 
circumstances.  A  plant  in  nearly  a  dormant  state, 
needs  very  little — those  in  a  rapidly  growing  con- 
dition require  considerable.  Too  much  water  will 
make  the  latter  grow  slender,  but  they  will  bear 
a  greater  supply  if  in  a  strong  light.  It  must  be 
reme.mbered  as  a  standing  rule,  that  dormant 
plants  may  remain  comparatively  in  the  dark,  and 
with  little  water  ;  and  growing  ones  should  have  a 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


29 


good  supply  of  water  and  a  full  supply  of  light. — 
But  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  green-house 
plants  generally  are  nearly  dormant  during  winter, 
and  the  soil  must  therefore  be  kept  but  modei-ate- 
ly  moist,  as  the  plants  in  this  condition  do  not 
pump  any  moisture  from  the  soil,  and  little  escapes 
directly  by  evaporation.  Drainage,  by  tilling  one- 
fifth  of  each  pot  with  charcoal,  is  of  importance. 

Temperature. — Many  house  plants  are  destroyed 
by  too  much  heat,  which  increases  the  dryness, 
and  both  these  causes  together  are  more  than  they 
can  endure.  A  cool  room,  never  as  low  as  freez- 
ing, is  best.  From  50  to  55  degrees  is  much  bet- 
ter than  G5  orVO,  the  ordinary  temperature  of  liv- 
ing rooms. 

Syringing  the  foliage  with  tepid  water,  to  wash 
off  whatever  dust  accumulates,  is  of  use  ;  and  the 
admission  of  fresh  air,  when  there  is  no  danger  of 
chilling  or  freezing  the  foliage,  should  not   be  ne 
glected. — Albany  Cultivator. 


PLOWING  ORCHARDS. 

In  an  article  on  old  apple  trees,  recently,  we 
spoke  of  the  effect  of  plowing  upon  the  roots,  and 
suggested  that  great  caution  should  be  observed 
in  cultivating  among  them.  The  remarks  below 
are  from  two  or  three  speakers  who  took  part  in  a 
discussion  at  one  of  the  agricultural  meetings  held 
by  the  members  of  the  legislature  in  Maine,  last 
winter.  We  suppose  the  gentlemen  were  not 
speaking  of  orchards  just  planted,  but  of  old 
orchards,  or  those  that  are  in  bearing.  These 
remarks  will  have  a  tendency  to  make  us  all  more 
careful  with  the  plow  among  our  trees. 

"  Mr.  FdSter  said,  he  was  satisfied  that  it  was 
not  a  good  plan  to  plow  and  cultivate  the  land  in 
orchards.  Plowing  wounded  the  trees,  broke  off 
the  roots,  and  produced  disease.  It  was  best  to 
select  a  spot  for  the  orchard,  which  the  farmer 
would  never  want  to  plow.  He  recollected  a  case 
which  confirmed  his  theory.  He  was  called  upon, 
by  a  farmer,  to  graft  his  orchard.  The  orchard 
where  the  grafting  was  to  be  done  had  been  pre- 
pared with  great  care,  plowed  often,  and  the  trees 
pruned  closely.  By  its  side,  stood  another  orchard 
in  a  pasture.  When  he  went  into  the  orchard  for 
the  purpose  of  grafting,  the  trees  he  found  were 
much  diseased.  He  thought  he  would  examine 
the  trees  in  the  pasture,  as  they  were  planted  at 
the  same  time,  in  like  soil,  and  the  only  difference 
in  their  management  was  that  while  the  trees  in 
the  enclosed  orchard  had  been  pruned  closely  and 
ploughed  among,  those  in  the  pasture  had  been 
left  to  grow  pj-etty  much  as  they  would.  The 
trees  in  the  pasture  he  found  sound, — the  wood 
white  clear  through.  He  was  satisfied  that  plough- 
ing, breaking  the  roots  as  it  must  in  every  direc- 
tion, was  bad  treatment  for  the  orchard. 

Mr.  Boothbay,  of  Saco,  would  subscribe  to  the 
doctrine  that  ploughing  in  an  orchard  was  detri- 
mental to  the  trees.  It  was  his  experience.  He 
had  several  trees  in  a  pasture,  situated  near  a 
spring  where  the  stock  went  to  water.  In  the 
summer,  the  stock  would  go  to  the  spring  for 
water,  and,  having  slacked  their  thirst,  would  lie 
down  under  the  trees,  and  stamp  around  them, 
keeping  the  ground  porous.     Tlie  trees  had  flou- 


rished finely  and  bore  well,  while  he  could  not  say 
so  much  for  his  trees  situated  eisewhei-e. 

The  Chairman,  Col.  Smart,  of  Troy,  said  that  he 
had  been  as  it  were,  reared  in  an  orchard  ;  he  con- 
curred with  his  friend  Foster,  somewhat,  in  his 
ideas  respecting  ploughing  an  orchard.  A  brother 
of  his  had  taken  three  crops  of  wheat  from  his  or- 
chard, and  he  was  aware  that  the  trees  had  suf- 
fered materially  in  consequence,  and  that  injudici- 
ous tilling  had  caused  it  to  decline.  Several  years 
ago,  his  son  took  a  considerable  quantity  of  muck 
from  a  low  spot  where  flags  grew,  and  carted  it 
into  the  orchard,  and  spread  it  among  the  trees, 
and  he  thought  the  process  increased  the  yield  of 
the  trees  very  much. 


For  the  Neiv  England  Farmer. 
APPLES. 

Mr.  Editor  : — At  the  last  exhibition  of  the 
Middlesex  Agricultural  Society  in  Concord,  we 
noticed  among  the  superb  display  of  fruits  on  that 
occasion,  a  number  of  varieties  of  Apples,  (which 
were  new  to  us)  of  very  great  size  and  beauty  ; 
but  as  the  "  orders  of  the  day,"  would  not  per- 
mit us  to  judge  of  their  quality  except  by  the 
outward  appearance,  which  you  well  know  is  not 
always  a  sufficient  datum  upon  which  to  pronounce 
a  righteous  judgment  ;  and  as  we  sav/  no  one 
present  of  whom  we  could  obtain  the  desired  in- 
formation, we  were  obliged  to  leave  without  hav- 
ing our  curiosity  fully  gratified.  Among  these, 
were  the  Golden-Sweet,  and  Harrison  Apple,  pre 
sented  by  Mr.  J.  AVetherbee,  of  jNIarlborough,  and 
the  New-York  Baldwin,  of  which  we  do  not  recol- 
lect the  contributor.  We  also  noticed  some  new 
varieties  (Seedlings,  we  believe)  in  the  extensive 
collection  of  Mr.  Eustis,  of  South  Reading.  Now 
we  are  aware,  that  "  all  is  not  gold  that  glistens," 
and  that  "  a  new  broom  usually  sweeps  clean," 
and  we  know  equally  well  that  some  kinds  of 
fruit  which  make  a  very  l)rilliant  display  in  a 
horticultural  exhibition,  are  totally  worthless,  in 
fact,  a  complete  nuisance,  to  everybody  except  the 
amateur  cultivator.  We  do  not  know,  however, 
that  this  is  the  case  with  those  varieties  we  have 
mentioned  ;  and  if  Mr.  Wetherbee,  or  any  other 
reader  of  the  Farmer  who  has  cultivated  these  va- 
rieties, will  give  us  through  your  columns,  an  ac- 
count of  them,  describing  the  fruit,  its  size,  qual- 
ty,  the  bearing  habits  and  growth  of  the  trees, 
we  should  be  much  obliged  to  him. 

Of  the  Northern  Spy,  we  do  not  recollect  of 
seeing  a  single  specimen.  As  this  fruit  is  getting 
to  be  extensively  spread,  and  ;is  its  success  in 
New  England  is  at  least  problematical,  (it  being  a 
New  York  apple),  we  shcj^ild  like  to  know  if  any 
one  has  made  a  sufficient  trial  of  it,  to  determine 
its  value  as  a  variety  for  extensive  orchard  culture. 
Its  character  shou'il  be  better  knov.-n. 

By  the  way,  we  conceive  that  the  colnmns  of 
an  Agricultural  paper  could  not  be  better  occupied 
than  by  devoting  a  reasonable  space  to  the  dis- 
semination of  such  a  knowled^  of  the  different 
varieties  of  fruit,  their  defects,  as  well  as  their  de- 
sirable qualities,  as  might  serve  as  a  guide  to  the 
practical  cultivator.  It  is  only  after  a  thorough 
and  extended  trial,  of  any  fruit,  that  its  good  or 
bad  qualiiies,  its  productiveness  or  unproductive- 
ness can  be  determined  ;  and  if  those  who  possess 
the  requisite  knowledge    would  impart   the  fruits 


m 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


*/iBr, 


of  their  experience  to  others,  they  would  confer  a 
great  benefit  upoa»the  fruit-growing  community, 
and  save  naany  a  tyro  in  this  branch  of  business, 
from  the  disappointment  and  vexation  which  the 
failure  of  v/ell  recommended  fruit  seldom  fails  to 
occasion. 

There  are  f)ur  qualifications  which  we  consider 
essential  in  a  first  rate  fruit. 
Ist,  it  should  be  of  good  size. 
2nd,  o^ g9od  (jua/ily. 
3d,  it  should  1)6  /landsome. 

4tli,  it  should  have  firmness  and  consistency 
enough  in  its  texture  to  hear  transportation  with- 
out material  injury  from  I)ruising. 

The  Baldwin  and  Ilubbardston  Nonsuch,  are 
good  examples  of  this  latter  quality,  Tlie  tree 
should  be  a  free  and  healthy  grower,  and,  withal, 
an  abundant  bearer.  A  deficiency  in  cmy  one  of 
these  qualifications,  is  a  material  drawback  upon 
Jts  value  as  a  market  fruit.  With  regard  to 
color,  we  think  (as  a  general  rule),  a  red  or 
striped  fruit  most  desirable  for  the  market,  as 
being  more  showy  and  per  consequence,  like  many 
other  commodities,  'more  saleable.  We  do  not 
think  a  very  large  apple,  is  a  desideratum. 

Perhaps  the  Huf/bardston  Nonsuch  is  the  ne 
plus  ultra,  in  this  respect.  Dirge  apples  arc  more 
liiible  to  fall  from  the  tree  before  they  are  fully 
matured,  and  it  is  seldom  the  case  that  such  va- 
rieties produce  well.  As  there  are  but  very  few 
Yarieties,  especially  of  winter  apples,  that  are 
No.  1.  in  all  the  particulars  we  have  specified,  we 
think  our  country  agricultural  societies  would  do 
well  to  offer  liberal  premiums,  with  special  refer- 
ence to  the  discovery  and  propagation  of  new  and 
desirable  seedling  varieties  of  fruit,  particularly  of 
winter  apples.  The  time  may  come  when  our 
most  valued  varieties  will  foil  us. 

Yours  respectfully,  W.  D.  Tuttle. 

Acton,  Mass. 

What  Guano  is  made  of, — As  guano  is  getting 
to  be  one  of  the  vexed  o^uestions  of  the  day,  the 
following  analysis  of  outer  Lobos  Guano,  recently 
made  in  London,  has  an  interest,  particularly  to 
the  agriculturist : 

Salt  of  Ammonia ». .7i  parts. 

Animal  orKinic  matter. '. Sj  do. 

Pulphfite  of  Muriiite  of  Potash  and  Soda \2k  do. 

Phosjihate  of  Lime  and  M.ignesia .52     do. 

Sand 18     do. 

Water  moisture H^  do. 

LJebig  says  that  one  pound  of  guano  imported 
Into  a  country,  is  equal  in  value  to  eight  pounds 
of  wheat,  or  twelve  and  a  half  cents.  It  v/as  sta- 
ted a  day  or  two  since,  that  ten  tons  of  guano  at 
$30  per  ton,  was  worth  to  the  farmer  $G00  net 
profit. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
GREAT  YIELD. 

Mr.  B.  W.  Kingsbury,  of  this  place,  raised  the 
past  season,  from  three  seeds  of  the  citron  melon, 
seven  hundred  and  ninety-four  pounds  of  melons  ; 
the  largest  weigiii«<g  twenty-three  pounds,  and 
quite  a  number  of  them  weighing  twenty  each. 
These  vines  came  up  accidentally  and  received  no 
extra  manure  or  care.  J.  H.  &  Son. 

Newton  Centre,  Nov.  24:th,  1852. 


Remarks. — That  boats  California  taters,  pump- 
kins and  perhaps  melons.     Pro-di-gious ! 


UNITED   STATES    AGRICULTURAL    SO- 
OZBTY. 

It  is  an  old  saying,  not  without  foundation  in 
truth,  that  Providence  helps  those  who  help  them- 
selves. Ever  since  the  foundation  of  this  govern- 
ment, the  leading  minds  in  the  country,  engaged 
in  other  pursuits  than  those  of  agriculture,  have 
appreciated  the  importance  of  systematic  efforts 
for  its  advancement,  and  especially  of  aid  in  some 
form  by  Congress.  Nearly  every  President,  in- 
cluding Washington,  has  made  recommendations 
to  this  effect  in  his  messages,  bat  as  yet  nothing 
worth  naming  has  been  effected. 

The  reason  is  not  difficult  to  find,  and  it  is  this  ; 
that  the  farmer  himself  has  taken  no  interest  ia 
the  matter,  and  on  the  theory  o-f  our  text,  has  de- 
served no  help  from  the  "powers  that  be." 

At  last,  however,  we  have  the  beginning  of  bet- 
ter things.  A  National  Agricultural  Convention,, 
called,  at  the  suggestion  of  the  Massachusetts- 
Board  of  Agriculture,  was  held  in  Washfngtoia 
last  June,  and  The  United  Slates  Agricultural  Sa^ 
ciety  was  formally  established.  Hon.  MARsnALi» 
P.  Wilder,  the  man  of  all  the  world  who  best  de- 
served the  honor,  was  elected  President.  A  Vice 
President  was  chosen  for  each  State  and  territory^ 
and  an  executive  committee  of  five  members,  a 
corresponding  secretary,  recording  secretary,  and 
treasurer  for  the  society. 

A  Board  of  Agricnltiire  is  provided  for  by  the 
Constitution  of  the  Society,  the  duties  of  which 
are  thus  prescribed. 

BOARD  or  AGRICITLTURE. 

"It  shall  be  the  duty  of  this  Board  to  watch 
the  interests  of  Agriculture  as  they  are  or  may  be 
affected  by  the  legislation  of  the  country  ;  to  make 
such  reports,  memorials  and  recommendations,  as 
may  advance  the  cause  of  agriculture,  promote  and 
diffuse  agrieultui-al  knowledge,  to  examine,  and 
when  necessary,  report  upon  the  practicability  of 
establishing  agricultural  schools,  colleges  and  mod- 
el farms,  to  set  forth  the  advantages  of  agricul- 
tural and  geographical  surveys,  and  to  show  the 
importance  of  science  to  agriculture  ;  to  represent, 
through  their  report,  the  relation  of  American  Ag- 
riculture, to  that  of  foreign  countries,  and  endeav- 
or to  obtain  information  from  such  countries  ;  to 
point  out  the  advantages  of  introducing  any  new 
staples,  seeds  and  plants,  and  obtain,  as  far  as 
practicable,  annual  statistical  returns  of  the  con- 
dition of  agriculture  throughout  the  different 
States,  all  which  information  shall  "be  published 
by  the  Society  and  form  part  of  its  transactions." 

Some  discussion  was  had  as  to  the  mode  in 
which  it  was  expedient  that  government  aid  should 
be  rendered  to  the  cause.  Objections  were  made 
to  the  establishment  of  a  Department  or  Bureau 
of  Agriculture,  by  Government,  on  the  ground 
that  it  was  not  constitutional,  and  that  it  would, 
if  established,  be  liable  to  the  political  changeable- 
ness  of  all  political  things,  and  become  a  party  af- 
fair.    Without  quarrelling,  prematurely,   howev- 


1853. 


IN^EW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


31 


er,  about  questions  of  this  kind,  it  was  sufficiently 
obvious  to  all,  that  much  "material  aid"  might  be 
rendered  to  the  Society,  incidentally,  if  not  direct- 
ly, by  the  distribution  of  valuable  seeds  and  plants, 
and  especially  l>y  the  diffusion  of  knowledge  by 
printing  and  circulating  agricultural  statistics  and 
general  information. 

And  this,  after  all,  is  the  main  point — the  diffu- 
sion of  knowledge  among  the  masses  of  the  people. 
Thei-e  has  been  for  centuries,  enough  of  agricul- 
tural knowledge  estant,  if  generally  appreciated 
and  practiced,  to  change  this  wildernessof  a  world 
into  almost  a  paradise,  but  that  knowledge  has 
been  confined  to  a  few — formerly,  before  the  art 
of  printing,  necessarily  to  a  very  few,  and  always 
to  this  day,  to  a  small  portion  of  the  community. 
The  reading,  thoughtful  farmer  may  obtain  this 
knowledge,  and  he  has  obtained  it  to  a  great  ex- 
tent, and  its  effect  has  been  manifest  in  his  suc- 
cess in  cultivating  his  land. 

But  now,  at  this  time,  the  majority  of  the  fax-- 
mers,  even  of  New  England,  have  not  access  to 
the  knowledge  which  is  printed  and  published. — 
Many  of  them  take  no  agricultural  paper,  and  have 
a  jealousy  of  all  teachings  except  the  traditions  of 
the  elders  1 

Now  the  first  object  in  view,  is  to  overcome  pre- 
judice against  scientific  farming,  to  make  every 
farmer  understand  that  he  has  much  to  learn,  and 
to  put  into  his  hands  the  results  of  the  experi- 
ence of  other  men,  and  to  draw  out  of  him,  for  the 
benefit  of  the  world,  the  observations  of  his  own 
experience.  This  object  can  in  no  way  be  more 
readily  accomplished,  than  through  societies  of 
this  kind,  and  we  regard  a  National  Society  as  in- 
dispensable to  bind  together  as  a  Union,  the  agri- 
cultural talent  and  interest  of  tl  e  whole. 

Into  such  an  association,  where  all  parts  of  the 
country  are  interested,all  the  results  of  a  thousand 
experiments  may  be  brought  together — through  it, 
all  the  theories  of  a  thousand  speculative  minds 
may  be  tested,  and  their  fallacies  exposed,  and 
their  benefits  made  manifest. 

The  great  desideratum  is  to  bring  the  minds  of 
men  in  contact,  to  compare  theories  and  results, 
to  publish  to  the  country  whatever  valuable  con- 
clusions may  be  attained. 

The  Constitution  of  this  Society  provides  for  the 
admission  of  Life  Members  on  payment  of  twenty- 
five  dollars,  and  of  general  members  on  payment 
annually  of  two  dollars. 

Each  member  will  receive,  free  of  cost,  a  copy 
of  the  journals  of  proceedings,  and  of  all  other 
matter  published  by  the  society. 

We  trust  the  farmers  of  the  country  will  enter 
Into  this  matter  with  spirit.  It  is  true  tliat  calls 
are  made,  constantly,  fur  aid  to  County  and  State 
societies,  but  no  interested  member  of  any  soci- 
ety will  give  this  as  an  excuse  for  not  joining  the 
United  States  Society,  for  every  such  man  will  feel 


that  he  has  already  received  the  worth  of  liia  mo- 
ney from  such  sources,  and  will  lodk  upon  such 
payments  as  the  best  investment  of  his  funds  that 
can  be  made. 

The  charily  that  begins  at  home,  has  the  appro- 
bation of  those  even  whose  charity  goes  never  be- 
yond home,  and  the  most  penurious  man  is  willing 
to  pay  his  money  for  what  is  of  more  than  its  value. 

We  advocate  no  charity  in  this  instance,  but 
we  invite^all  good  citizens  to  join  in  a  good  cause 
for  their  own  advantage,  and  for  the  advantage  of 
their  fellew-men,  believing  that  all  who,  upon 
either  consideration,  are  induced  to  render  their 
aid,  will  find  ample  reason  to  be  satisfied  with  the 
results. 

Measures,  we  are  informed,  will  soon  be  taken 
to  procure  members  throughout  New  England,  and 
we  trust  New  England  men  will  show  a  New 
England  spirit  in  the  enterprise. 


INVENTORY  OF  NEW  HAMPSHIRE. 

We  copy  that  portion  of  it  which  relates  to  stock 
kept  in  Rockingham  County,  from  the  Exeter  News 
Le«er  ofDec.  6,  1852. 

The  number  of  horses  returned  for  the  present 
year  was  4,889.  Of  these,  Deerfield  had  the 
largest  number,  3G8  ;  Derry  had  278  ;  Portsmouth 
had  240  ;  Exeter,  the  fourth  in  the  list,  had  228  ; 
Londonderry  had  220  ;  and  Northwood  212.  No 
other  town  had  over  two  hundred.  Gosport  had 
none  and  New  Castle  only  9. 

The  number  of  cows,  oxen,  and  other  neat  stock 
kept  in  the  county  at  the  time  of  taking  the  in- 
ventory, was  26,934.  Of  these  Deerfield  had  the 
largest  number,  1974;  next  comes  Derry,  1300; 
Candia  had  1246  ;  Londonderry,  1200 ;  Notting- 
ham, 1153  ;  Northwood,  1079,  no  other  town  had 
over  one  thousatod.  Exeter  had  777,  Epping  972, 
Portsmouth  682,  Kensington  800,  Hampton  842, 
Hamptonfalls  834.  No  other  town  had  less  than 
three  hundred,  except  Gosport,  which  had  none, 
and  New  Castle  51. 

The  whole  number  of  sheep  in  the  county  was 
13,820.  Deerfield  had  1345  ;  next  comes  Epping, 
954;  then  Nottingham,  897;  Brentwood,  672; 
Raymond,  670;  Strathara,  695  ;  Northwood,  634; 
Chester,  619.  No  other  town  had  over  five  hun- 
dred.    Exeter  had  390. 


A  Beautiful  Art. — Our  attention  was  attracted, 
a  day  or  two  since,  by  the  beautiful  appearance  of 
a  carved  picture  frame  irf  the  window  of  ^lessrs. 
W.  &  S.  B.  Ives'  Bookstore.  Upon  closer  inspec- 
tion and  upon  inquiry,  we  learned  that  what  had 
seemed  to  us  to  be  carved  work,  was  in  reality  a 
very  beautiful  imitation,  manufiictured  of  scraps 
of  leather,  and  skilfully  colored  and  varnished. 
Tlie  work  was  done,  as  we  arq|ipformed,  by  a  lady 
of  Lynn,  I\Irs.  !Moody,  who  is  willing  to  give  in- 
struction in  this  really  beautiful  art,  if  a  class  can 
be  formed.  It  is  a  very  pleasant  and  easy  kind  of 
labor,  and  is  peculiarly  well  adapted  for  females. — 
Salem  Observer. 

<^'  An  exchange  calls  getting  out  of  bed  on  the 
31st  of  August,  «*the  last  rose  of  summer. 


32 


NEW  rn(;l\nd  farmer. 


Jan 


lif 


'r#*'^ ' 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


33 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
BULL— EARL  OF  SEAHAM. 

JIr.  Editor  : — I  observe  in  your  May  number  a 
portrait  of  the  bull  Eaul  of  Seaiiam  that  I  select- 
ed in  England,  and  jointly,  with  Col.  Sherwood, 
imported.  This  portrait  was  taken  and  engraved 
for  the  later  national  Magazine,  but  was  by  its 
proprietors  condemned,  and  I  had  hoped  not  to 
see  it  in  print.  In  two  inip')rtant  points  it  does 
the  bull  groat  injustice  ;  it  gives  him  the  coat  of  a 
hog,  and  feet  too  small  to  walk  with,  even  to  stand 
upon. 

I  send  jon  another  likeness  of  the  bull,  that  at 
least  represents  a  coat  of  hair,  (giving  assui;ance 
of  good  touch)  and  feet  upon  which  he  can  stand 
and  witli  whicli  he  can  walk. 

Seaham  was  sliown  at  the  New  York  State  Ag- 
ricultural Show  held  at  Albany,  in  1850,  and  won 
the  first  prize  for  two  year  old  Short  horn  Durliam 
bulls,  beating  Mr.  George  Vail's  jjulls  Fortune 
(by  his  Bates  bull  imported  Wellington)  and  Eclipse 
by  liis  prize  bull  I\Ieteor. 

In  Oct.,  1850,  he  was  shown  at  the  fair  of  the 
American  Institute  in  the  city  of  New  York  and 
won  the  first  prize  for  Short  horn  bulls  two  j^ears 
old  and  upwards. 

In  September,  1851,  Seaham  then  three  years 
old,  won  the  first  prize  for  Short  horn  bulls  three 
years  old  and  over,  at  the  Show  of  the  New  York 
State  Agricultural  Society  at  Rochester,  beating 
Mr.  L.  G.  Morris'  prize  bull  Lamar  tine,  and  a  num- 
ber of  others. 

Earl  of  Seaham,  is  of  a  distinguished  family, 
known  as  the  Princess  Tribe.  For  style,  quality 
and  milk,  it  is,  in  my  opinion,  the  best  in  England 
or  America. 

My  cow,  imported.  Princess  I.,  last  year  at  four 
years  old,  gave  on  dry  feed  with  meal  for  two 
months,  twenty-one  to  twenty-three  quarts  of  rich 
milk,  and  in  Ma}'  and  June  on  grass  twenty-three 
to  twenty-six  quarts  a  day  ;  and  this  spring  on 
hay,  turnips  and  four  quarts  of  meal  has  given 
twenty-four  quarts  per  day  and  made  13  pounds 
and  9  ounces  of  butter  in  one  Aveek.  My  heifer 
imported  Princess  IV.,  this  spring  on  hay,  tur- 
nips and  4  quarts  of  meal,  at  her  first  calving  has 
given  twenty-two  quarts  of  rich  milk."  Col.  Sher- 
wood's cow  imported  Red  Rose,  at  four  year's  old, 
witli  her  second  calf,  made  60  pounds  and  4  ounces 
of  butter  in  30  days  ending  the  15th  of  June,  1851 , 
and  47  pounds  and  11  ounces  in  August,  amid  all 
the  drouglits  of  that  month.  During  five  months 
she  averaged  as  much  in  milk  and  butter  as  dur- 
ing tiftse  sixty  days. 

All  the  cows  of  this  Princess  tribe,  now  import- 
ed that  have  calved,  are  good  milkers,  and  I  know 
that  Mr.  Stephenson,  their  breeder,  has  not  a  mod- 
erate milker  in  his  herd  ;  they  are  all  good  milk- 
ers both  in  quantity  and  quality. 

I  add  the  pedigree  of  Seaham,  that  his  long- 
continued  high  breeding  may  be  seen  : 

Earl  of  Seaham,  (10,161.)  K^aw;  calved  April  21,  1848; 
bred  hy  John  Stepliensnii,  Tsq.,  Wolviston,  county  of  Dur 
h:im,  England;  imported  1650,  by  A.  Stevens  and  .1.  M.  Slier- 
wfidil;  got  by  EaO  of  Antrim,  (10,174;)  d^m,  Primrose,  by 
N.ipier,  (6218;)  grandam,  Rose  Ann,  by  liellerophon,  ('illfl;) 
great  grandam,  Rosette,  by  Uelvedere,  (1706;)  gr.gr.  gran- 
dam,  Red  R.-'se,  by  Waterloo,  (2816;)  gr.  gr  gr.  granrlam, 
Moss  Rose,  by  Baron.  (58;)  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  grandam,  Angelina, 
(bred  by  Sir  Henry  Vane  Tempest.)  by  Phenomenon,  (491;) 
gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  grandam  Anna  IJolevne,  by  Favorite,  (2'2;) 
gr.  gr  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  grandam,  Princess,  (bred  by  Robert  Col- 
ling,) by  Favorite,  (252;)  gr  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr..gr.  gr.  grandam, 
Urighteyes,  by  Favorite,  (2.')2;)   gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr. 


grandam,  Brighteyes,  (Jired  by  Alexander  Hall,)  by  Ilnbback, 
(••n9;)  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.gr.gr.gr.gr.gr.  grandam,  Jirighteyes, 
by  Siiowdon's  IJull,  (612;)  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr. 
grandam,  IJeauty,  (l)red  by  Thomas  Hall,)  by  Masierman's 
Bull,  (422;)  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  grandam, 
Duchess  of  Alholl,  by  Flarrison's  Bull,  (292;)  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr. 
gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  grandam.  Tripes,  (bred  by  C 
Pickering,)  by  the  Siudley  BnlJ,  (626;)  gr.gr.gr.gr.gr.gr. 
gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  grandam',  bred  by  Mr.  Stephenson,  of 
Ketton,  in  1739.     (See  9th  vol.  Herd  Book,  |iages  65  and  526.) 

This  tribe  had  been  in  possession  of  Mr.  Stephen- 
son, of  Ketton,  and  his  father,  of  Acklam,  as  far 
back  as  1684,  and  prior  to  that  in  the  possession 
of  the  Aislal)ies  of  Aislabie,  and  Studley,  as  early 
as  1600.  The  celebrated  bull  llubback  was  of  this 
family,  his  grandam  being  bred  by  j\lr.  SteplTen- 
son,  of  Ketton,  and  by  him  sold  to  Mr.  Hunter, 
the  breeder  of  llubback.  For  seventy  years  prior 
to  1765,  in  which  year  Mr.  Hunter  bought  Hub- 
back's  grandam,  Mr.  Stephenson,  his  father  and 
grandfather,  had  kept  no  other  cattle  than  those  of 
this  tribe. 

You  mention  the  deficient  milking  qualities  of 
Short  horns  in  general.  This  is  true  as  to  some. 
Yet  it  has  been  the  result  of  such  treatment  as 
must  ever  ruin  the  milking  capacity. 

Taken  as  a  race,  no  breed  ever  equalled  the  Short 
horns  as  milkers  in  point  of  quantity,  and  none  ev- 
er excelled  them  in  quality,  when  giving  as  much 
in  quantity.  Milking  has  always  been  their  char- 
acteristic. Many  breeders  not  desiring  the  milk, 
have  bred  their  herds  for  beef  only,  and  have  lost 
this  quality,  yet  that  was  not  the  fault  of  the  race. 
Evei-y  prize  won  for  years  at  the  New  Y''ork  Agri- 
cultural Society  Shows,  has  been  carried  off  by 
Short  born  cows,  never  by  a  Devon  or   Ayrshire. 

I  differ  with  you  as  to  Devons  and  Ayrshire.  All 
the  persons  within  my  knowledge,  save  one,  who 
have  tried  the  Ayrshiresin  this  country,  have  aban- 
doned them.  Mr.  Prentice,  of  Albany,  has  bred 
them  for  years,  and  at  present  does  so,  solely. 
He  claims  for  them  great  excellence  in  this  re- 
spect. On  the  other  hand  Mr.  Colt,  of  Patterson, 
who  imports  from  the  best  sources  in  Scotland,  has 
abandoned  them  as  indifferent,  and  he  has  for 
years  pursued  the  production  of  milk  with  great 
skill  and  care.  I  might  add  other  names  to  the 
list  of  those  who  have  tried  and  rejected  the  Ayr- 
shires  as  worthless.  Experience  has  shown  that 
in  America  they  are  miserable  feeders  (they  are 
so  in  Scotland)  and  indifferent  milkers.  The  cli- 
mate is  too  hot  for  them.  I  am  told  that  Mr. 
Gushing,  of  your  State,  near  Boston,  has  aban- 
doned them,  and  he  imported  at  large  expense  and 
tried  them  fully  and  fairly. 

I  am  a  breeder  of  Devons,  and  an  admirer  of 
them,  deeming  them  one  of  the  best  races  of  cat- 
tle in  the  world.  I  have  been  an  attentive  observ- 
er of  them  for  twenty-two  years,  and  have  seen 
them  in  thousands  both  in  England  and  America. 

As  a  race,  they  have  never  had  a  milking  char- 
acter, and  the  most  of  Devons  are  now  worthless 
or  only  moderate  as  milkers.  The  great  mass  of 
those  now  and  formerly  to  be  seen  in  this  country 
were  and  are  moderate  animals  in  many  respects. 
They  had  and  have  thin  narrow  backs  and  chines  ; 
flat  ribs  and  bad  crops,  sinking  behind  the  shoul- 
der ;  short  stiff  hair,  thin  on  their  hides,  and  no 
undercoat,  readily  admitting  the  rain  ;  hides  thick 
and  hard  and  as  a  consequence  they  are  bad  hand- 
lers ;  bad  ])riskets,  narrow  and  receding,  with 
leathery  chops  and  heavily  dewlapped  necks  ;  thin 
plates,  with  bagging  paunchy  bellies.     If  to   this 


34 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Jan. 


be  added,  that  the  mass  of  Qevon  cows  in  this 
country  are  and  have  ever  been  raodefate  milkers 
and  hite  in  maturin;^,  I  think  there  can  hardly  be 
any  thing  worse.  It  is  true,  that  many  of  these 
animals,  bad  in  point  of  form,  were  good  in  point 
of  milk.  But  aniTnals  to  be  good,  should  be  good 
in  everything  ;  they  should  milk  well,  they  should 
feed  well  and  should  niake  level  and  well  pointed 
carcasses  of  beef. 

Now  there  are  Devons  that  are  all  that  good 
cattle  shpuld  be,  are  milkers,  feeders  and  have 
abundant  substance,  just  form,  light  offal,  long 
mossy  or  fnrry  hair,  -with  thick  undercoat,  mellow 
hid^is,  and  admirable  touch,  and  of  early  maturity  ; 
although  there  ai-e  such,  they  are  far  from  numer- 
ous. 

In  1850  I  imported  a  number  of  Devons,  select- 
ing them  from  the  best  herds  in  Devonshire,  Eng- 
land. Among  the  number  is  the  bull  now  owned 
by  the  Messrs.  Hurlbut,  of  Winchester,  Conn. 
I  invite  the  breeders  and  admirers  of  Devon  to  see 
him.  They  will  find  him  what  a  Devon  should  be  ; 
and  he  came  from  a  dam,  who  is  as  remarkable  for 
milking  power,  as  she  and  her  son  are  for  form, 
style  and  substance.  They  are  the  reverse  of  the 
picture  I  have  drawn  above  of  bad  ones.  I  import- 
ed several  heifers  and  two  bulls,  besides  Messrs. 
Hurlbut's,  and  I  selected  them  as  meeting  my  re- 
quisitions, and  in  them  I  can  show  early  maturity, 
broad  backs  and  chines,  round  ribs  and  full  crops, 
clean  throats,  and  broad  deep  briskets,  and  straight 
bellies  with  level  carcasses.  My  three  year  old 
heifers  have  milked,  with  first  calves,  18  and  19 
quarts  of  milk,  and  a  two  year  old,  16  quarts.  These 
animals  came  from  the  best  sources  in  Devonshire, 
■  viz.,  the  Messrs.  Quartleys,  Davy  &  Merson. 

The  Devons  are  pre-eminently  the  race  for  all 
New  England,  and  should  fill  it  everywhere.  The 
right  ones,  weight  for  wei^^ht,  can  equal  any  for 
the  pail,  for  slaughter ;  and  concededly  can  excel 
all  others  for  the  yoke.  But  let  New  England 
breeders  see  that  they  get  the  proper  ones.  Pos- 
sessed of  such  they  can  produce  as  much  beef, 
milk  and  butter  from  a  given  quantity  of  land,  or 
food,  as  with  any  other  race  of  cattle,  and  on  light 
land  more.  But  to  do  this,  they  must  change  nine- 
tenths  of  all  the  Devons  now  in  the  country.  I 
think  the  spirit  is  awakened  that  will  ere  long  ac- 
complish this,  and  I  for  one  shall  rejoice  in  it.  But 
this  will  be  delayed  or  defeated  if  the  belief  be  in- 
duced that  now  the  Devons  are  as  a  race  in  Amer- 
ica either  good  in  carcass,  or  abundant  in  milk. 
They  are,  as  a  race,  neither,  and  the  sooner  this  is 
understood  the  sooner  will  improvement  commence, 
and  the  more  rapidly  will  it  progress. 

Ambrose  Stevens. 
Nevj  York  city. 

December.  —  "Old  Mr.  December"  has  arrived. 
lie  has  nipped  off  the  days  at  each  end,  and  stuck 
the  pieces  on  to  the  nights,  probably  by  way  of 
revenge  on  lovely  June,  for  having  done  the  very 
reverse.  We  are  inclined  to  think  it  is  a  good 
move  with  both.  The  days  are  so  cheerful  and 
pleasant  in  blooming,  leafy,  hopeful  June,  that  if 
we  cannot  have  more  of  them,  it  is  well  to  have 


COOKING  AND  DIGESTION. 

A  mixed  diet  of  bread,  meat,  and  vegetables,  is 
better  than  any  of  the  three  alone  ;  meat  satisfies 
the  appetite  more  completely  and  for  a  longer  time 
than  either  of  the  other  two  ;  and,  if  a  choice  must 
be  made  between  bread  and  vegetables,  the  bread 
should  be  chosen.  Most  kinds  of  game  are  easy 
of  digestion.  Eoast  beef  and  mutton  are  the  most 
easy  of  digestion  of  all  butcher-meats.  It  is  a  fact 
worth  remembe\ing,  that  roasting  and  broiling  are 
the  modes  of  cooking  meat  which  best  suit  the 
stomach  ;  this  is  proved  by  a  comparison  of  the 
time  required  for  the  digestion  of  different  sorts  of 
food.  Thus,  beef  or  mutton  roasted  or  broiled, 
rather -underdone,  are  digested  in  three  hours — 

Hours. 

Pork,  broiled 3J 

Sail  pork,  broiled 44 

I'ork,  rOHsiPd 5i 

Salt  beef,  cold,  boiled 4J 

Soft  eggs 1  10  3 

Hard  boiled,  or  fried  eggs 1} 

Venison,  broiled. . .  .♦ IJ 

Veal,  broiled 4 

Veal,  fried 4^ 

Heart  fried 4 

Rice 1 

Milk,  boiled 2 

Bread 3^ 

Fruit  and  vegetables  require  from  two  to  four 
hours,  according  to  quality  and  mode  of  cooking. 
rotatocs  roasted  and  baked,  and  raw  cabbages,  are 
digested  in  two  hours  and  a  half;  but  boiled  pota 
toes  need  another  hour,  and  boiled  cabbage  with 
vinegar,  four  hours  and  a  half — Family  Econo- 
mist. 

LYCEUM   LECTURE. 

We  had  the  pleasure  of  listening  to  a  lecture 
from  Dr.  J.  Reynolds,  of  Concord,  before  the  cit- 
izens of  that  town,  on  W^ednesday  evening,  the 
8th  inst.  His  subject  was  Vegetable  Chemistry. — 
He  first  spoke  of  the  wonderful  and  beautiful  pro- 
cesses going  on  around  us,  all  acting  harmonious- 
ly for  a  common  end,  and  thus  proclaiming  their 
common  origin.  To  the  careless  observer  all  ap- 
pears to  be  a  conflict  of  elements — but  the  student 
of  nature  disTJOvers  unity  in  diversity,  beauty  in  de- 
formity, &c.  Uniformity  is  the  great  law  of  na- 
tufe.  Art,  by  varying  the  circumstances  under 
which  the  laws  of  nature  are  excited,  may  vary 
the  result,  and  on  this  important  fact  rests  the 
hopes  of  the  farmer.  Work,  work,  is  the  great 
law  of  life.  When  living  beings  cease  to  work, 
the  life  that  is  in  them  goes  out.  Place  a  seed  in 
the  earth,  and  its  oxygen  goes  to  work  ;  its  root- 
lets strike  into  the  earth,  and  its  plumule  into  the 
air,  and  these  are  the  sources  through  which  its 
nutriment  is  to  be  derived.  The  under  surface  of 
the  leaves,  studded  with  little  mouths  which  stand 
open  to  drink  up  the  carbonic  acid  from  the  atmo- 
sphere, is  the  source  from  which  tlie  frame  of  the 
plant,  the  woody  fibre,  is  obtained.  He  spoke  of 
the  analogy  between  the  embryo  plant  and  animals, 


them  made  longo_r  by  robbing  the  nights;— and  Lj^^^  after  arriving  at  a  certain  stage  of  maturity, 
the  days  are  so  chilly  and  cheerless  m  December,  ^,  f  i.    j    •      ii    •         1.  -^^^f  f,.,^,v, 

with  the  flowers  all  killed,  the  leaves  all  fallen  and  they  are  prepared  to  denvc  their  nutriment  fiom 
birds  all  fled,  that  it  is  no  matter  how  short  they  bodies  in  contact  with  them  ;  also  of  the  formative 
be. — Maine  Farmer.  process,  the  most  important  in  vegetables.     Nature 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


3$ 


never  makes  mistakes.  The  blade  of  wheat  nev- 
er produces  a  kernel  of  rye  ;  the  pear  on  a  quince 
stock  produces  pears.  The  leaves  are  the  labora- 
tory of  nature — they  prepare  the  sap  for  the  va- 
rious products  of  vegetation,  and  perform  the  of- 
fice of  lungs.  Water  and  ammonia  are  decom- 
posed in  the  leaf,  and  oxygen  and  nitrogen  thus 
obtained.  The  mineral  kingdom,  he  said,  furnish- 
es nutriment  to  the  vegetable,  and  the  vegetable 
to  the  animal.  Carbon  is  the  most  abundant  ma 
terial  used.  Carbonic  acid  when  not  mixed  with 
a  due  proportion  of  air  is  fatal  to  animal  life  ;  but 
from  this  poison  is  elaborated  by  the  leaf,  the  very 
food  by  which  all  life  is  sustained.  He  then  spoke 
of  the  abundant  supply  of  carbon  in  the  immense 
coal  beds  and  in  primeval  vegetation. 

He  then  briefly  spoke  of  th'e  influence  of  the 
solar  light.  Sunlight  is  the  motor  engine  by  which 
the  vegetable  machinery  is  kept  in  motion.  Oxy- 
gen the  great  analytical  power  in  nature  ;  its  afiin 
ity  for  certain  substances  occasions  the  most  intense 
and  ceaseless  activity,  of  which  he  gave  examples. 
He  then  made  some  general  remarks  upon  the 
modes  of  cultivation — soils  and  plants  suited  to 
each— elements  needed  for  rapid  development 
easiest  and  cheapest  modes  of  supplying  them, 
and  closed  with  some  observations  upon  a  proper 
education  for  the  farmer. 

The  lecture  was  highly  interesting,  instructive 
and  useful,  and  among  the  best  we  have  ever  lis 
tened  to  before  that  Lyceum.  We  do  not  hesitate 
to  recommend  it  to  those  wanting  a  lecture  for  ly- 
ceums,  farmers'  clubs,  or  any  gathering  where  the 
practical  and  useful  is  preferred  before  the  miser- 
able speculations  so  frequently  uttered  in  these  so 
cial  gatherings. 


FARMING. 

If  one-half  the  zeal,  energy  and  expense  that 
blots  so  many  gazettes  with  low  and  coarse  abuse, 
setting  the  whole  community  by  the  ears  for  the 
vain  and  paltry  purpose  of  a  few  demagogues  and 
office  seekers,  were  bestowed  on  the  advancement 
of  agriculture  ;  if  the  people  were  half  as  ambi- 
tious to  improve  and  beautify  their  fields,  as  they 
are  to  settle  the  affairs  of  the  nation  ;  and  half  as 
angry  with  thistles,  thorns  and  poor  fences,  as 
they  are  with  their  political  opponents,  who  pro- 
bably wi.sh  as  well  to  the  country  as  they, we  should 
have  more  productive  fields,  less  complaints  of 
poverty,  more  ability  to  be  chai'itable  and  munifi- 
cent, and  abundantly  more  good  feelings.  From 
Pittsburg  to  New  Orleans  the  son  plows  as  his 
father  did  before  him,  and  the  great  mass  of  far- 
mers are  as  stationary  in  theory  as  they  are  in 
practice.  Nine  in  ten  believe  at  this  moment,  that 
book  farming  is  the  mere  useless,  visionary  dream- 
ing of  men  that  know  nothing  about  practical  ag- 
riculture. 

We  would  tell  them  that  England  is  the  gar- 
den of  Europe  simply  because  almost  every  acre 
of  the  ground  is  cultivated  scientificallv,  and  on 
principles  which  have  been  brought  to  the  test  of 


toll  them  that  New  England,  of  whose  soil  and 
climate  tliey  are  accustomed  to  think  as  consigned, 
by  Providence,  to  sterility  and  inclemency,  is  the 
garden  of  the  United  States,  only  because  the  in- 
dustrious and  calculating  people  do  not  throw 
away  their  efforts  in  the  exertion  of  mere  brnte 
strength — but  bring,  mind,  pain,  system  and  ex- 
perience to  bear  upon  their  naturally  hard  and 
thankless  soul. 

On  every  side  the  passing  traveller  sees  verdure, 
grass  and  orchards  in  the  small  and  frequent  en- 
closures of  in)perishablerock,  and  remarks  fertility 
won  from  the  opposition  of  the  elements  and  nature. 
After  an  absence  of  ten  years,  on  our  return  to  our 
country,  we  were  struck  with  this  proud  and  noble 
triumph  conspicuous  over  the  whole  region. 

The  real  benefactors  of  mankind,  as  St,  Pierre 
so  beautifully  said,  are  those  who  cause  two  blades 
of  wheat  to  mature  where  one  did  before.  The 
fields  ought  to  be  the  morning  and  evening  theme 
of  Americans  that  love  their  country.  To  fertilize 
and  improve  his  farm,  ought  to  be  the  main  object 
of  the  owner  of  the  substantial  soil.  All  national 
aggrandizement,  power  and  wealth  may  be  traced 
to  agriculture,  as  its  ultimate  source.  Commerce 
and  manufactures  are  only  subordinate  results  of 
this  main  spring. 

We  consider  agriculture  as  very  subsidiary  not 
only  to  abundance,  industry,  comfort  and  health, 
but  to  good  morals  and  ultimately  even  to  religion. 
We  shall  always  say  and  sing,  "Speed  the  plow." 
—Rev.  T.  Flint. 


CHANGE  OF  TIMBER  FROM  CLEAR- 
ING LAND. 

There  are  few  things  connected  with  the  nat- 
ural history  of  trees  or  plants  more  surprising  or 
that  has  occasioned  more  speculation  than  the 
changes  that  not  unfrequently  take  place  in  the 
growth  of  timber  after  clearing,  from  what  it  was 
before  that  operation.  So  inexplicable  is  this 
change  in  many  instances  on  the  commonly  re- 
ceived principlesfof  vegetation,  that  it  has  been  ad- 
duced by  the  believers  in  the  doctrine  of  sponta- 
neous production  as  one  of  the  strongest  support- 
ers of  their  system.  We  think,  however,  that  sin- 
gular as  the  phenomena  may  be,  its  solution  can- 
not requii'e  a  supposition  so  unpliilosophical. 

In  the  Southern  States,  where  the  timber  is  prin- 
cipally pine,  when  that  is  cleared  off,  a  growth  en- 
tirely different,  and  composed  of  such  as  was  un- 
known to  the  place  before  it,  springs  up  ;  and  this 
when  cut  offis  not  unfrequently  succeeded  by  new 
varieties,  or  perhaps  by  a  return  to  pine.  Lands 
covered  with  oak  and  chestnut,  or  such  timber  as 
shoots  up  from  the  stumps  of  cut  trees,  do  not 
change  the  timber  except  in  a  small  degree  ;  it  is 
on  those  lands  covered  with  timber  that  requires 
to  be  propagated  by  seeds  that  this  change  is  most 
apparent.  Everybody  must  have  noticed  in  what 
numbers  a  species  of  wild  cherry  will  spring  up 
where  the  forests  are  cut  down,  or  are  propagated 
by  winds,  though  that  particular  kind  is  rarely  or 
never  found  growing  in  the  unbroken  forests. 

More  than  thirty  years  since,  a  part  of  our  farm 
was  cleared  of  its  timber,  a  dense  growth  of  ma- 
ple, basswood  and  elm.  A  small  piece  of  per- 
haps half  an  acre  was  separated  from  the  rest  by 
I  narrow  ravine  after  being  cultivated  three  or 
four  years,  and  part  of  it  planted  out  as  a  nursery 


the  most  rigid  and  exact  experiment.     We  would lof  fruit  trees  ;  it  was  left  to   itself.     It  was  soon 


36 


JSEW- ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Jan. 


covered  with  young  trees,  which  were  suffered  to 
grow  unmolested,  and  there  are  now  on  this  small 
spot,  white  oak,  black  oak,  butternut,  white  pop- 
lar, common  willow,  walnut,  hickory  and  black 
cherry,  of  all  varieties,  of  which  not  one  was  grow- 
ing near  at  the  time  it  Avas  cleared,  and  most  of 
them  not  within  three-fourths  of  a  mile.  An  ex 
planation  we  leave  to  others. —  Warren  Journal. 


HARVEST  HYMN. 


DV    ALONZO    LEWIS. 


We  thank  thee,  God  of  Harvest  Home  !  for  what  thy  love  be- 
stows, 

For  all  the  varied  Providence  that  from  thy  bounty  flows; 

We  thank  thee  for  the  vernal  showers  that  fertilized  the 
ground; 

We  praise  thee  for  the  genial  suns  that  all  man's  labor 
crowned; 

We  thank  thee,  God  of  Harvest  Home  ;  for  all  our  wealth  of 
grain;        , 

For  the  tall  wheat  whose  waving  mass  like  ocean  filled  the 
plain. 

We  thank  thee  for  the  fruitful  yield  of  bright  and  yellow  corn; 

Whose  golden  heaps  luxuriously  our  fertile  fields  adorn. 

We  thank  thee,  God  of  Harvest  Home  !  for  all  thy  fruit  so  fair, 
The  apple,  with  its  yellow  cheek,  the  ripe  and  mellow  pear; 
The  downy   peach,  the  luscious   plum,  the  purple  clustered 

vine. 
And  the  bright  show  of  radiant  flowers  that  in  our  garden 

shine. 
We  thank  thee,  God  of  Harvest  Home  !  for  more  than  we  may 

tell; 
We  thank  thee  for  the  fragrant  hay  that  fills  our  barns  so  well ; 
We  praise  thee  for  the  varied  gifts  that   form   our  harvest 

feast, 
And  the  choice  store  of  healthful  roots,  sweet  food  for  man 

and  beast. 

We  thank  thee,  God  of  Harvest  Home  !  that  while  in  other 
lands 

Pale  famine  stalks  and  sweeps  away  their  fever  stricken 
bands, 

Our  homes  are  blessed  with  health  and  love,  with  plenty  and 
with  joy. 

While  social  and  domestic  peace  yield  bliss  without  alloy. 

We  thank  thee,  God  of  Harvest  Home  !  for  all  that  we  par- 
take; 

Then  let  our  hearts  with  gratitude,  their  hymn  of  praise 
awake; 

And  when  our  day  of  labor  past,  death's  harvest  hour  shall 
come. 

May  all  our  souls,  like  ripened  fruit,  be  safely  garnered  home 


fed  for  the  next  week  on  potatoes.  This  course 
was  continued  through  several  weeks — the  food  of 
each  pig  being  changed  every  week.  The  result 
was,  that  the  apples  proved  to  be  fully  equal,  or 
somewhat  superior  to  the  potatoes.  In  this  in- 
stance the  apples  were  mostly  sweet,  and  they,  as 
well  as  the  potatoes,  were  nearly  in  a  ripe  state. 

On  another  occasion  Mr.  W.  experimented  with 
sweet,  compared  with  sour  apples,  in  various  ways. 
He  found  that  when  they  were  fed  raw  to  swine, 
the  sweet  apples  were  preferable — the  animals  ate 
them  better,  as  the  sour  apples  seemed  to  make 
their  teeth  sore  ;  but  when  both  were  cooked  and 
mixed  with  meal  in  the  way  above  described,  there 
was  no  difference  in  tlie  gain  produced  by  an  equal 
quantity  of  each.  It  should  be  stated,  however, 
that  all  the  apples  used  were  of  palatable  kinds, 
nearly  ripe  ;  and  that  unripe  and  ill-flavored  ap- 
ples are  known  to  be  less  relished  by  stock,  as  well 
as  less  nutritive.  It  is  probable,  also,  that  when 
sour  apples  are  eaten  raw,  and  in  considerable 
quantities,  the  animal  may  take  into  the  stomach 
too  large  an  amount  of  acid,  which  may  tend  to 
derange  the  digestive  organs.  This  objection  would 
be  chiefly  obviated  by  cooking,  and  the  saccharine 
fermentation,  by  which  the  pulp  loses  much  of  its 
acid,  and  becomes  nearly  sweet.  It  does  nut  ap- 
pear from  analysis,  that  the  amount  of  actual  nour- 
ishment is  much  greater  in  sweet  than  in  sour  ap- 
ples. 

Mr.  Wingate  practiced  fattening  swine  for  sev- 
eral years,  on  food  composed  principally  of  apples. 
The  animals  attained  good  weights,  and  the  pork 
was  solid  and  of  excellent  quality.  In  other  in- 
stances, we  have  known  apples  fed  raw  to  horses, 
cows  and  other  stock  through  the  winter,  with 
much  advantage.  For  using  in  this  way  sweet 
apples  would  probably  be  best,  and  they  should  be 
such  as  will  keep  till  spring.  They  may  be  stored 
in  a  cellar  under  the  barn,  or  in  the  bottom  of  the 
hay  mow — a  proper  place  having  been  left  for  that 
purpose  when  the  hay  was  put  in.  They  will  be 
more  likely  to  be  injured  by  heating  than  by  freez- 
ing. They  will  seldom  freeze  in  such  a  situation 
as  is  mentioned  ;  and  if  they  should  be  touched  by 
frost,  their  nutritive  properties  will  not  be  much 
lessened,  if  they  remain  in  a  dark  place,  and  where 
they  will  thaw  slowly. 

A  peck  of  apples  a  day,  fed  to  a  cow,  has  been 
found  to  add  more  than  a  quart  to  the  daily  quan- 
tity of  milk,  beside  greatly  increasing  its  richness, 
as  well  as  improving  the  condition  of  the  cow. 
The  effect  of  apples  is  equally  favorable  to  other 
stock.  Horses  fatten  on  them,  and  their  coats  as- 
sume the  brilliancy  which  hardly  any  other  food 
will  give  them.  For  all  stock  they  answer  a  sim- 
ilar purpose  as  vegetables,  in  preventing  costive- 
ness,  which  is  likely  to  ensue  from  the  exclusive 
use  of  dry  food  ;  and  in  this  way,  and  by  the  nu- 
triment they  contain,  they  contribute  much  to  the 
animal's  thrift. 

An  impression  prevails  that  apples  will  dry  up 
the  milk  of  a  cow.  This  idea  has  been  imbibed 
either  from  the  effect  produced  on  a  cow  by  eating 
a  very  large  quantity  of  apples  at  once,  by  which 
surfeit  and  fever  were  brought  on,  or  from  the  trial 
not  being  properly  conducted  till  the  animal  had 
become  habituated  to  the  food.  The  ill  effects  at- 
tributed to  apples  would  have   occurred  with  any 


APPLES  AS  FOOD  FOR  STOCK. 

The  late  Payne  Wingate,  of  Hallowell,  Maine, 
made  some  experiments  in  feeding  pigs  with  apples 
compared  with  potatoes.  Both  the  apples  and 
potatoes  were  boiled,  or  rather  stewed,  separately, 
and  about  four  quarts  of  oat  and  pea  meal  mixed 
with  eacli  bushel,  at  the  time  the  cooking  was  fin 
ished — the  meal  being  intimately  incorporated  with 
the  potatoes  and  apples  while  they  were  hot,  and 
the  mass  left  to  ferment,  slightly,  before  it  was  fed 
to  the  pigs. 

Two  pigs  of  the  same  litter,  and  as  near  as  prac- 
tica))le,  of  the  same  weight,  were  taken ;  one  was 
fed  for  a  week  on  a  given  quantity  of  the  cooked 
potatoes  per  day,  and  the  other  on  the  same  quan- 
tity of  apples.  At  the  end  of  each  week  the  pigs 
were  weighed,  and  the  food  was  reversed — the  pig 

to  which  potatoes    had  been  given,  was   fed  with  other  rich  food,  as  any  kind  of  grain,  potatoes,  or 
apples,  and  the  one  which  had  received  apples,  was]  other  vegetables. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


37 


A  fair  average  product  of  an  acre  of  orcharding, 
in  good  bearing  condition,  may  be  estimated  at  two 
hundred  to  three  hundred  bushels  a  year ;  and  at 
this  rate,  we  doubt  whether  so  great  an  amount  of 
animal. nourishment  can  be  obtained  from  the  same 
extent  of  land,  in  proportion  to  the  expense,  by 
any  other  crop.  We  should  not  hesitate,  there- 
fore, to  recommend  the  cultivation  of  apples  as  food 
fo.r  stock.  

THE  ROCKINGHAM  FAIR. 

Pursuant  to  notice,  a  meeting  was  held  at  the 
Town  Hall  in  Exeter,  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a 
County  Agricultural  Society,  on  Thursday,  the  28th 
day  of  October. 

The  meeting  was  organized  by  the  choice  of 
Henry  F.  French,  Chairman.  Wm.  H.  Hills, 
Clerk,  pro  tern. 

After  some  discussion  touching  the  general  ob- 
jects of  the  meeting,  a  committee  of  three  was 
raised  to  report  a  Constitution. 

After  a  short  adjiiurnment  the  Committee  made 
their  report,  and  an  interesting  discussion  upon 
the  several  articles  of  the  Constitution  as  reported 
followed. 

The  Constitution  as  finally  adopted  is  as  follows  : 

CON  STITUTION. 

1.  This  Society  shall  be  styled  "The  Rocking- 
ham Fair." 

2.  Its  object  is  the  improvement  of  Agriculture, 
Horticulture,  and  the  Mechanic  Ajrts  in  this  Coun- 

3.  Its  officers  shall  be  a  President,  four  Vice 
Presidents,  a  Secretary,  Treasurer  and  three  Trus- 
tees, and  a  Collector  for  each  town. 

4.  The  President,  Secretary  and  Trustees  shall 
constitute  the  Executive  Board,  of  which  the  Presi- 
dent shall  be  Chairman,  and  the  Secretary,  Clerk. 
This  Board  shall  by  a  major  vote  manage  and  con- 
trol all  the  affairs  of  the  society,  and  adopt  all 
such  measures  to  promote  its  objects  as  they  think 
proper,  subject,  however,  to  the  direction  of  the 
society,  at  any  regular  meeting,  and  to  its  by- 
laws. 

5.  The  President,  Secretary,  and  Trustees,  shall 
be  elected  by  ballot,  at  the  annual  meeting.  All 
other  officers  shall  be  appointed  by  the  Executive 
Board,  except  such  as  may  be  elected  at  the  annu 
al  meeting,  in  such  manner  as  the  meeting  shall 
direct. 

6.  The  Secretary  shall  keep  a -fair  record  of  all 
the  transactions  of  the  society,  and  of  the  Execu 
tive  Board.  The  Treasurer  shall  keep  a  correct  ac- 
count of  all  money  received  and  expended,  and 
shall  give  bonds  as  the  Trustees  shall  direct.  Their 
records  shall  be,  at  all  times,  open  to  the  inspec- 
tion of  any  member. 

7.  The  annual  meeting  shall  be  held  in  the  Au- 
tumn, at  such  time  and  place  as  shall  be  appoint 
edby  the  Executive  Board. 

8.  ^Members  shall  be  admitted,  on  such  terms 
as  shall  be,  from  time  to  time,  prescribed,  and  the 
society  may  assess  such  members  not  exceeding 
one  dollar  year,  each. 

9.  Any  person  paying  five  dollars  at  one  time 
to  the  Treasurer,  shall  be  a  life  member,  and  shall 
pot  be  liable  to  assessment  for  five  years. 

10.  The  foregoing  articles  may  be  altered,  at 
any  annual  meeting,  by  a  vote  of  two-thirds  of  the 
members  present. 


A  committee  of  ten  was  then  raised  to  report  to 
the  meeting  in  the  afternoon  a  list  of  officers  to  be 
balloted  for  under  the  fifth  article,  when  the  meet- 
ing adjiurned  to  two  o'clock,  P.  M. 

At  the  afternoon  session,  the  last  named  Com- 
mittee made  their  report,  and  an  election  of  offi- 
cers took  place  under  the  Constitution,  and  the 
following  gentlemen  were  with  almost  perfect 
unanimity  elected  for  the  ensuing  year  : 

Henry  F.  French,  of  Exeter,  President. 
Joseph  T.  Gilman,  of  Exeter,  Secretary. 
James  Pickering,  of  Newington,     "1        y- 
JosiAH  Bartlett,  of  Stratham,         1      Presi- 
Mosfes  Eaton,  Jr.,  of  S.  Hampton,  |      jg„/e 
David  Currier,  of  Derry,  J 

WinthropH.  Dudley,  of  Brentwood,  ^ 
Thomas  J.  Melvin,  of  Chester,  >  Trustees. 

John  M.  Weare,  of  Seabrook,  ) 

After  this  organization,  the  Chairman  gave  no- 
tice that  he  had  received  the  names  of  seventeen 
gentlemen  from  Exeter,  who  desired  to  become 
Life-members,  under  the  9th  Article  of  the  Con- 
stitution, and  gave  their  names.  Two  other  citi- 
zens of  Exeter  added  theirs  on  the  spot,  when 
gentlemen  of  other  towns  followed  the  example, 
until  fifiy-tliree  members  bad  subscribed, — thus 
raising  a  fund  at  once  of  $265,00. 

A  suggestion  was  made  that  measures  be  taken 
forthwiSi,  to  raise  a  fund  of  $5,000,  by  the  ad- 
mission of  Life  Members,  to  place  the  Society  be- 
yond the  chance  of  failure.  The  whole  matter  was 
left  with  the  Executive  Board. 

It  was  voted  that  the  publishers  of  all  papers  in 
the  county  and  also  of  the  Granite  Farmer,  be  re- 
quested to  publish  the  proceedings  of  the  meeting, 
and  the  meeting  adjourned  without  day. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  members  who  have 
already  joined  the  Society  as  life  members.  The 
whole  number  is  eighty-three. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Executive  Board  in  the 
evening,  Retire  H.  Parker,  of  Exeter,  was  appoint- 
ed Treasurer. 

Exeter.— 3.  T.  Gilman,  H.  F.  French,  Nath'l 
Gilman,  Jeremiah  Robinson,  Retire  H.  Parker, 
Nath'l  Gordon,  Jos.  G.  Hoyt,  Isaac  Flagg,  D.  W. 
Gorham,  John  Hoyt,  Grin  Head,  Daniel  Melcher, 
Wm.  P.  Moulton,  Wm.  Conner,  Geo.  G.  Smith,  J. 
W.  Odlin,.R.  F.  Goodwin,  J.  H.  Shapley,  Amos 
Tuck,  John  F.  Gould,  Sam'l  B.  Clarke,  S.  W.  Lea- 
vitt,  A.  P.  Blake,  Abner  Merrill,  Wm.  Wadleigh, 
Charles  D.  Towle,  Jos.  B.  Flagg,  A.  S.Thayer,  A. 
W.  Lovering,  Charles  Conner,  Thomas  Conner, 
John  P.  P.  Kelley,  E.  S.  Durgin,  Geo.  Gardner,  Asa 
Jewell,  Wm.  B.  Morrill,  S.  W.  Dearborn,  J.  0. 
Long,  John  Sullivan,  E.  H.  Valentine,  Joseph  L. 
Cilley,  John  Dodge,  C.  T.  Bunker,  Samuel  H.  Ste- 
vens, Timothy  Tilton,  S.  H.  Piper,  Joshvia  Getchell, 
Jacob  Carlisle,  Jewett  Conner,  Daniel  F.  Hayes, 
Edmund  EUiot. 

Stratham. — Josiah  Bartlett,  J.  H.  Diraan,  Frank- 
lin Clark,  J.  B.  Wiggin,  John  E.  Wiggin,  Geo. 
Wingate. 

Kingston. — Gideon  Webster,  William  Webster, 
J.  M.  Bartlett. 

Danville. — Wm.  Hoyt. 

South  Hampton. — Moses  Eaton,  Jr. 

Newmarket.— B.  B.  Tuttle. 

East  Kingston. — James  M.  Sanborn,  R.  ^  • 
Currier. 

Plaistow.—  Levi  B.  Tucker,  Wm.  H.  Hills. 


38 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Jan. 


Kensington. — Joseph  Brown,  Stephen  Brown. 

Chester. — Thos.  J.  Melvin,  S.  F.  Learnard. 

Derry. — David  Currier,  Richard  JMelvin. 

Brentwood. — Winthrop  H.  Dudley,  T.  S.Robin- 
son, Frederick  Robinson. 

Hampton  Falls. — Geo.  H.  Dodge,  John  W. 
Dodge,  Wells  W.  Healey,  John  Weare,  Jos.  H. 
Weare,  Jos  Cram. 

Hampton. — Robert  F.  Williams. 


For  the  New  England  Fanner. 
A  FARMER'S  FIRESIDE  TALK— GROW- 
ING   CORN— HILLING  UP.    - 

Now  that  the  hard  work  is  through,  the  corn 
in  the  crib,  "the  deposits  removed"  from  the  barn 
yard  to  the  old  field,  and  the  turf,  mulch  and 
scrapings  hauled  and  spread  into  the  cattle  yard, 
we  have  leisure  for  a  little  talk  among  ourselves ; 
and  as  I  have  come  over  to  spend  this  evening  with 
you,  Mr.  Brown,  by  the  fireside,  I  want  to  talk 
with  you  about  corn.  That,  I  think,  is  one  of  the 
best  crops  that  I  have  commonly  raised  on  my 
poor  fiirm,  and  I  want  to  get  at  the  best  way  of 
working  it.  I  follow  the  old  plan.  I  work  now 
pretty  much  as  they  have  worked  corn  in  this 
neighborhood,  as  long  as  I  remember.  I  am  one 
of  those,  as  you  know,  who  havn't  thought  much 
of  science,  in  farming  business,  and  havn't  believed 
in  the  benefits  of  book  farming;  but  I  like  to  talk 
with  my  neighbors  and  find  out  whose  way  is  the 
best.  When  I  was  up  to  the  fair,  a  few  days  ago, 
I  heard  a  man,  he  v/as  a  stranger  to  me,  talking 
some  about  corn.  He  had  a  good  deal  to  say 
against  hilling  up  and  topping,  in  particular.  He 
talked  as  near  as  I  can  recollect,  about  in  this 
way. 

"'One  of  the  great  troubles  against  which  the 
English  farmer  has  to  guard,  is  too  much  wet. — 
The  climate  of  England  is  a  very  moist  one.  To 
prevent  injury  from  this  excess  of  moisture,  the 
English  farmer  hills  up  his  vegetables,  in  some 
cases,  or  in  others,  makes  a  ridge,  which  serves 
of  course  to  shed  the  water,  in  some  measure,  and 
thus  preserves  the  crop  from  too  much  excess  of 
wet.  Our  fathers,  when  they  came  from  Eng- 
land and  made  farms  in  this  country,  did  not  know 


is  not  only  absolutely  essential  to  the  sprouting  of 
the  seed,  but  it  furnishes  ammonia  to  the  plant  in 
its  aftergrowth,  and  in  this  it  does  the  same  office 
as  the  manure." 

"Well,"  says  I,  "neighbor,  I  don't  know  as  it  is 
going  to  raalii  so  much  difference  ;  but  I  should'nt 
like  to  raise  corn  without  hilling  up  ;  and  I  don't 
believe  it  can  be  done  either,  so  as  to  come  to  any 
thing.  Why  corn  couldn't  stand  up,  unless  itwas 
hilled.  It  grows  in  such  a  way,  throwing  out 
roots  to  the  side  of  the  stalk,  and  these  roots  will 
be  above  ground  and  have  nothing  to  hold  to  if 
they  are  not  hilled." 

"Have  you  tried  that?"  said  he. 
"No,  I  have  not,"  said  I. 

"Well,  if  you  try  it,  sir,"  said  he,  "you  will 
find  it  to  be  a  mistake.  The  corn  which  is  raised 
in  the  Southern  and  Western  States  is  about  dou- 
ble, or  more  than  double,  the  weight  of  that  which 
we  raise  here.  It  grows  ten  to  twelve  feet  high, 
and  the  stalk  is  nearly  or  quite  double  in  size  to 
ours  ;  and  in  the  West,  they  raise  that  kind  of 
corn  without  hilling,  and  it  stands  up  well.  There 
are  commonly  a  great  many  roots  bare  where  they 
put  out  from  tlie  stalk,  but  they  get  hold  of  the 
ground,  and  there  is  no  trouble  ;  and  that  in  alight 
soil,  too. 

"Itis  abadplan,too,"saidhe,  "to  coverthe  roots 
of  anything  too  deep.  The  roots  must  have  air. 
While  they  are  pushing  into  the  ground  and  draw- 
ing nourishment  from  that,  they  draw  it  too,  at 
the  same  time  from  the  air,  and  if  the  roots  are 
covered  too  deep,  they  will  be  smothered,  and  the 
growth  of  the  plant  checked.  I  have  seen  farm- 
ers cover  three  inches,  and  then  hill  up  five  or  six. 
Now  it  is  quite  deep  enough  to  cover  from  one  to 
two  inches  ;  and  there  should  be  no  hilhng  over 
this  in  our  climate.  The  hoeing  should  be  only  to 
kill  the  Aveeds  and  to  stir  the  ground  ;  and  when 
stirred,  the  ground  should  be  left  as  flat  as  pos- 
sible around  the  corn,  so  that  the  water  should 
not  be  shed  from  it,  and  never  more  than  two  inch- 
es over  the  roots.  In  this  climate,  dishing  would 
be  better  than  hilling." 

He  said  it  was  some  years  since  he  had  raised 
corn.     Since  he  had  lost  his  wife,  and  having  oth- 


the  great  difference  in  the  climate,  and  inconsid-  T^"  business,  he  had  let  his  f:\rm.     He  used  to  raise 


erately,  no  doubt,  followed  the  same  course  here, 
that  they  had  there.  When,  after  some  trial  of 
the  climate,  they  came  to  perceive  that  this  was 
the  opposite  of  that  of  England,  and  that  here 
the  farmer  had  to  combat  the  drought,  as  he  had 
there  the  wet,  they  had  already  become  fixed  in 
their  mode  of  cultivation.  And  you  know  when  a 
farmer  has  got  fixed,  it  is  easier  to  get  out  a  load- 
ed wagon  that  is  hub  up  in  the  mud,  than  to  un- 
fix him^  espeeially  if  he  is  one  of  the  English  or 
Anglo  Saxon  breed.  Our  crops  hero  seldom  suffer 
from  too  much  moisture,  but  they  frequently  are 
injured  by  drought ;  sometimes  wholly  destroyed 
by  it.  Now  there  cannot  be  a  question  that  hill- 
ing up  aggravates  the  drought.  Hilling  or  ridg- 
ing sheds  the  water,  and  turns  it  away  from  the 
roots,  and  when  the  rain  is  a  liglit  one,  it  will  fre- 
quently wholly  prevent  the  roots  from  feeling  it, 
whileif^not  hilled  up,  the  wet  would  go  to  the  roots. 
Now  moisture  is  of^as  much  benefit  to  the  roots  as 
manure  is,  especially  in  the  early  part  of  the  sea- 
son, before  the  plant  begins  to  take  in  moisture  by 
the  leaves,  which  is  not  till  near  midsummer.     It 


corn  in  the  old  fiishioned  New  England  way.  But 
if  he  ever  tried  it  again,  it  would  be  in  the  way  he 
spoke  of. 

He  had  a  good  deal  to  say,  too,  about  topping 
corn.  Some  of  it,  I  have  heard  before,  and  some 
of  it  T  never  heard  before.  What  he  said  about  the 
ear  being  nourished  by  the  leaves,  from  the  air, 
and  not  by  the  roots  from  the  ground,  seemed  to 
me  to  be  curious.  But  it  would  take  a  considera- 
ble time  to  tell  all  he  said  about  this  ;  and  as  I 
want,  after  I  have  heard  what  you  think  about 
his  ideas  of  planting  and  hilling  up,  to  talk  about 
some  other  things,  some  neighborhood  matters-,  I 
will  not  now  say  anything  more  on  corn  at  present. 
I  should  like  to  know  what  you  think  about  this 
hilling  up,  for  it  did  seem  to  me  to  be  reasonable 
that  heaping  up  the  ground  about  corn  as  I  and 
my  neighbors  do,  must  have  the  effect  to  turn  off 
the  rain  fi-om  the  roots, — and  we  never  have  too 
much  rain,,  that's  a  fact.  We  hardly  ever  get  so 
much  rain  as  the  corn  wants  ;  and  some  years  it 
gets  pretty  well  pinched  by  drought.  I  want  to 
know  what  you  think   of  this,  and  I  shall   be  iq 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


39 


again  this  week,  another  evening,  anid  I  will  then 
tell  you  what  he  said  about  topping. 

Essex,  Nov.  30.  w.  J.  a.  b.    . 


Remarks. — Well,  I  think  you  got  hold  of  an  in- 
teresting "stranger  up  there  to  the  fair,"  whose 
notions  about  corn  are  very  good.  Don't  fail  to 
call  as  you  propose,  for  I  shall  be  impatient  to  talk 
with  you  again  about  these  things. 

LAYING  OUT  SURFACES. 

A  few  simple  rules  are  oftentimes  convenient  to 
those  who  are  not  conversant  with  surveying  opera- 
tions, and  a  writer  in  the  Wesicrii  HoriicitUural 
Revieio  has  communicated  to  that  work  some  very 
go»d  ones,  some  of  which  we  copy,  and  to  which 
we  add  a  few  others. 

To  lay  out  an  acre  in  a  circle.  First  fix  a  centre, 
and  with  a  rope  as  a  radius,  seven  rods,  three  links 
and  three-eighths  long,  one  end  attached  to  the 
centre,  and  kept  uniforml}' stretched,  the  sweep  of 
it  at  the  other  end  will  lay  out  the  acre. 

For  one  quarter  of  an  acre,  a  rope  three  vods  and 
fourteen  links  will  be  the  right  length. 

For  one-eighth  of  an  acre,  a  rope  lioo  rods  and 
thirteen  links  will  be  enough. 

Triangles. — If  you  wish  a  triangle  to  contain 
just  an  acre,  make  each  side  nineteen  rods,  five  and 
a  half  links  long. 

A  triangle  whose  sides  are  six  rods  and  twenty 
links  long  each,  will  contain  one-eighth  of  an  acre. 

To  lay  out  an  ellipse  or  oval. — Set  three  stakes 
in  a  triangular  position.  Around  these  stretch  a 
rope.  Take  away  the  stake  at  the  apex  of  the  tri- 
angle, which  will  be  where  the  side  of  the  oval  is 
to  come — move  the  stake  along  against  the  rope, 
keeping  it  tight,  and  it  will  trace  out  the  oval. 

A  square,  to  contain  an  acre,  or  just  one  hundred 
and  sixty  rods,  should  have  each  of  its  sides  just 
twelve  rods,  ten  feet  and  seven-tenths  long. 

To  draw  an  oval  of  a  given  size. — The  long  and 
the  short  diameter  being  given — say  twenty  feet 
for  the  shorter,  and  one  hundred  for  the  longer — 
divide  the  short  diameter  into  any  number  of  equal 
parts — say  ten — and  from  each  point  draw  a  line 
parallel  to  the  long  diameter ;  then  divide  the  long 
diameter  into  the  same  number  of  equal  parts,  (ten) 
and  from  each  point  draw  a  line  parallel  to  the 
short  diameter.  Then  draw  a  line  from  point  to 
point  whei-e  each  corresponding  line  cuts  the  other, 
on  the  outside,  and'  tiiis  connecting  mark  will  de- 
scribe the  oval  or  ellipse  required. — Maine  Farmer. 


Winter  Lectures. — The  particular  attention  of 
the  reader  is  called  to  a  communication  in  another 
column  on  this  irflportant  matter.  We  agree  with 
the  writer  in  all  the  positions  he  takes,  and  should 
be  glad  to  be  instrumental  in  calling  the  attention 
of  curators  in  every  town'in  the  State  to  this  sub- 
ject. There  is  a  foolish  notion  prevailing,  that  Ly- 
ceums must  be  supplied  by  professed  lecturers,who, 
alone,  are  qualified  to  amuse  or  impart  instruction. 
Let  tho  jnerchant,  the  mechanic,  the  farmer  or 
sailor  take  the  platform  in  turn  with^those  who 
have,  heretofore,  almost  exclusively  occupied  the 
ground,  and  the  world  will  grow  wise  quite  as 
fast. 


OFFICERS  ELECTED. 

Of  the  N.  IL  State  Agricultural  Society  for 
1852-3  :— 

President— v.  P.  P.  WooDnuRV,  Bedford. 

Fice  Presidents— lohu  H.  Steele,  Hillsboro'  County;  A.B. 
Clossnn,  Grafion;  Austin  Coibiii,  Suilivan;  David  BufTunrj, 
Cheshire;  Samuel  Dean,  Belknap;  Levi  Bnrtleit,  Merrimack; 
Samuel  Bean,  Carroll;  .Joseph  Cilley,  Rockingham;  William 
Haile,  Strafford;  Jehu  P.  Pitman,  Coos. 

Executive  Committee— H.  F.  French,  Exeter;  John  VVad- 
leigh,  Meredith;  Thomas  H.  Leverett,  Keene;  N.  B.  Baker, 
Concord;  Wm.  Tenney,  Hanover. 

Secretary— i.  S.  Walker,  Claremont. 

Treaswrer— Frederick  Smyth,  Manchester. 
....  C  Daniel  Clark,  Manchester. 

^'"'"'"■*~  I  Brooks  Shattuck,  Bedford. 


Hillsboro'  Agricultural  Society,  N.  H.  —  At 
their  late  annual  meeting,  this  society  elected  for 

President— HtLOOKS  Shattuck,  Bedford. 

Vice  Presidents  — i.  M.  Tyler,  Pelham;  Hiram  Munroe, 
Hillsboro';  Jonathan  Russell,  Mason;  C.  E.  Potter,  Manches- 
ter. 

Recording  Sccretari/— Moody  Hobbs,  Pelham. 

Corresponding  Secretary— A.  G.  Comings,  Mason, 

Treoswrer— David  Stuarl,  Amherst. 


Chelmsford  Association. — At  the  annual  meet- 
ing of  the  Chelmsford  Farmer's  and  lilechanic's 
Association,  the  following  persons  were  elected  as 
its  officers,  viz.: 

Presideni-'Dr-.  J.  C.  Bartlett. 

rice  President— Capi.  Asa  Hodgman. 

Secretary — E.  H.  Warren,  Esq. 

Treasurer — loseph  Reed,  Esq. 

Executive  Commiltee—ioseph  Warren,  Jr.-.,  Sewall  Park- 
hurst;  Charles  T.  Bird;  Charles  Proctor;  F.S.Sawyer;  E. 
P.  Spalding;  David  Peiham. 


DOMESTICATION   OF   WILD   ANIMALS, 

Among  the  animals  over  -which  God  has  given 
dominion  to  man,  and  which  are  fitted  for  domes- 
tic uses,  there  are  several  on  this  continent  wait- 
ing to  be  subdued,  and  brought  into  service.  We 
are  glad  that  public  attention  is  to  be  directed  to 
this  subject.  The  agricultural  portion  of  the  re- 
port of  the  Patent  Office  for  the  present  year,  con- 
tains an  elaborate  article  upon  it,  from  the  pen  of 
Prof.  Spencer  F.  Baird,  of  the  Smithsonian  Insti- 
tution, and  the  proposition  to  publish  one  hundred 
thousand  copies  for  distribution  having  prevailed 
in  Congress,  the  people  will  have  in  their  posseS' 
sion  the  necessary  information,  and  can  hardly 
fliil  to  give  it  their  earnest  consideration.  The  an- 
imals, as  we  understand,  which  are  particularly 
named,  are  the  moose,  the  reindeer,  the  elk,  the 
buffiilo,  the  sheep  and  goats  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, and  the  antelope.  The  reindeer,  as  is  well 
known,  is  an  animal  of  great  speed  and  endurance, 
and  the  moose  adds  to  these  qualities  immense 
strength.  These  animals  are  found  along  our 
northern  frontier,  especially  in  Maine,  and  are  so 
perfectly  adapted  to  the  climate  and  the  country, 
that  they  may  be  regarded  as  indispensable  to  the 
full  development  of  the  high  latitudes  of  the  con-, 
tinent.  The  reindeer  would  be  of  greater  service 
in  the  British  possessions  than  with  us,  but  the 
moose  might  be  introduced  throughout  our  north- 
ern States  with  very  great  advantage.  Fully  equal 
to  the  horse  in  weight,  they  are  more  cheaply  fed  ; 
their  strength  is  greater,  and  their  speed  is  fully 
twice  as  great.  Added  to  this,  they  are  usefulas 
an  article  of  food.  Domesticated,  all  their  native 
qualities  would  be  improved.  They  would  attain 
larger  size  and   finer  form,  as  well   as  increased 


40 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Jan. 


strength  and  speed.  Their  horns  could  be  re- 
moved by  the  same  process  which  would  temper 
t'le  fero(  ity  of  the  male.  On  branch  railroads  a 
m  )ose  would  draw  a  car  with  ease  at  the  rate  of 
fifteen  to  eighteen  miles  an  hour,  and  on  plank 
roads  they  might  be  driven  with  ease  from  twelve 
to  fifteen.  Over  our  Western  prairies,  they  would 
fly  as  on  the  wings  of  the  wind.  They  have  been 
used  in  the  high  latitudes  of  Europe,  and  the  ac- 
counts of  their  fleetness  are  almost  incredible. — 
Indeed,  in  one  case  at  least,  their  use  was  forbid- 
den by  law,  because  criminals  once  mounted  upon 
them,  were  utterly  beyond  reach  of  their  pursu- 
ers. It  is  believed  that  even  the  generation  taken 
wild,  can  be  rendered  as  docile  as  other  domestic 
animals.  In  the  more  southern  latitudes  of  our 
country,  the  elk  can  be  used  for  similar  purposes. 
The  elk  is  smaller  but  not  less  fleet,  and  though 
feebler  for  draft,  would  be  found  perfectly  fitted 
to  scour  the  prairies  and  plains  of  the  southwest. 

The  buffalo  which  is  disappearing  before  the 
march  of  civilization,  is  more  profitable  for  beef 
than  the  ox,  more  powerful  for  draft,  and  travels 
at  greater  speed.  The  milk  of  the  female  yields 
a  larger  proportion  of  cream.  The  skin  is  of  equal 
value,  and  the  hair  can  be  woven  into  coarse 
fabrics.  The  process  of  introducing  this  animal 
into  use  has  already  commenced.  They  are  do- 
mesticated in  considerable  numbers  in  Kentucky 
and  Missouri,  and  can  be  used  in  every  latitude 
from  our  northern  to  our  southern  frontier. 

The  Rocky  Mountain  sheep  furnishes  no  wool, 
but  is  valuable  for  its  mutton,  which  is  regarded 
as  superior  to  any  other  which  is  known.  This 
animal  is  very  large,  the  best  speciTnens  weighing 
from  three  hundred  to  four  hundred  pounds.  Do- 
mesticated, its  size  would  be  increased,  and  its 
quality  improved.  The  antelope  is  much  smaller, 
and  would  be  valuable  for  the  same  use — as  an  ar- 
ticle of  food  only. 

The  Rocky  Mountain  goat  whose  home  is  in  the 
clouds,  furnishes  wool  of  more  excellent  quality 
than  the  finest  cashmere — a  fact  sufficient  of  itselt 
to  justify  every  exertion  to  bring  it  into  use. 

AH  these  animals  (besides  varieties  of  the  deer 
species,  which  we  have  not  named)  belong  to  the 
undeveloped  resources  of  our  continent  and  our 
country.  They  wait,  as  blessings  of  divine  Prov- 
idence, to  be  appropriated  and  used  by  man.  That 
the  suggestions  of  science  will  in  time  be  reduced 
to  experiment  and  success,  does  not  admit  of 
doubt.  Attention  cannot  be  called  to  such  a  sub- 
ject in  vain.  We  need  an  Agricultural  Bureau  at 
Washington,  and  appropriations  by  the  general 
government  to  enable  it  to  perform  just  such  ser- 
vices as  are  here  named.  Such  services  are  for 
the  common  benefit,  for  the  common  wealth  and 
comfqrt,  and  would  command  common  concur- 
rence. It  is  time  that  farmers  demanded  of  the 
government  an  interest  in  their  affairs,  and  that 
the  government  should  reduce  to  success  experi- 
ments which  are  too  large  for  individual  enter- 
prise.—  Watchman  and  Rirflector. 


A  Monster  Pear.— INIr.  Edward  Gould  has  raised 
in  his  garden  in  this  city,  the  present  season,  some 
Bartlett  pears,  wliich  in  size  go  a  little  beyond 
any  fruit  of  the  kind  we  ever  heard  of.  One  of 
them  measured  a  foot  in  circumference,  lengtli- 
wise,  and  ten  inches  transversely,  and  weighed 
11  3-4  ounces.  Another  weighed  19  1-2  ounces. 
— Portland  Adv. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

ON  VENTILATION. 

Mr.  Editor  : — I  see  in  a  late  number  you  have 
made  some  remarks  on  ventilation.  No  one  that 
is  sane  can  for  a  moment  doubt  the  consequences 
that  follow  from  having  their  rooms  inclosed  near- 
ly air  tight,  which  must  be  the  case,  after  blocking 
up  the  fire-place,  and  with  no  other  means  made 
use  of  for  ventilation.  We  need  not  wonder  that 
so  many  die  of  consumption.  Look  at  the  coun- 
tenances of  the  people,  especially  females,  and  one 
must  be  convinced,  that  a  foul  atmosphere  is  the 
main  cause  of  their  debility.  1  have  been  much 
about  large  stores  in  cities  and  large  towns,  and 
'tis  all  the  same.  I  find  almost  all  the  young  men 
and  females  have  the  same  sallow  and  unhealthy 
countenances.  The  same  evil  is  in  dwelling-houses, 
whether  occupied  by  rich  or  poor.  I  have  been  in 
many  cooking  kitchens  at  hotels,  that  are  much  fre- 
quented by  the  wealthy,  and  they  little  dream 
what  a  place  is  used;  it  is  called  a  kitchen,  but 
from  want  of  ventilation,  is  often  a  horrible  place, 
and  all  from  want  of  knowing  how  to  ventilate. 
Nothing  is  more  easy  than  to  ventilate  rooms,  large 
or  small ;  and  nothing  is  more  conducive  to  health. 
The  present  system  ruins,  without  their  knowing 
the  cause,  the  health  of  thousands  of  young  peo- 
people. 

Very  many  of  these  ill-ventilated  rooms,  are  the 
dwellings  of  the  poor  tailor,  and  dress-maker,  and 
of  other  sedentary  occupations  who  make  the 
beautiful  dresses  for  the  ladies,  and  the  superfine 
for  the  gents  ;  and  we  need  not  wonder  if  some  vir- 
ulent disease  at  times  makes  its  appearance  ;  and 
when  it  does  take  place,  we  complain,  and  say  it 
is  the  will  of  Providence,  forgetting  that  nature's 
laws  have  been  violated.  Samuel  Clark. 

April,  1852. 

MARZHAM'S  FAREWELL  TO  HUSBAN- 
DRY. 

We  continue  below  two  or  three  extracts  from 
the  old  book,  Mai-Jiham^s  Farewell  to  Hvsbandri/, 
to  which  we  recently  alluded.  The  part  of  the  work 
from  which  we  quote  now  treats  of  the  orchard  and 
garden,  and  is  printed  in  the  old  English  black  let- 
ter. The  first  extract  we  make  is  of  the  "distance 
of  trees,"  and  the  second,  from  the  poetry  of  the 
work,  in  relation  to  the  honey  bee. 

DISTANCE   OF    TREES. 

I  know  not  to  what  end  you  should  provide  good 
ground,  well  fenced,  and  plant  good  sets  ;  and 
when  your  trees  should  come  to  profit,  have  all 
your  labours  lost,  for  want  of  due  regard  to  the 
distance  of  placing  of  your  trcQ^.  I  have  scene 
many  trees  stand  so  thicke,.that  one  could  not 
thrive  for  the  throng  of  his  neighbours.  If  you 
doe  marke  it,  you  shall  see  the  tops  of  trees  rubd 
off,  their  sides  galled  like  a  galled  horses  backe, 
and  many  trees  have  more  stumps  than  boughs, 
and  most  trees  no  well  thriving,  but  short,  stump- 
ish,  and  evil  thriving  boughs  :  like  a  eorne-field 
over-feeded,  or  atowne  over-peopled,  or  a  pasture 
over-laid,  which  the  Gardiner  must  either  let  grow, 
or  leave  tli£  tree  very  few  boughs  to  beare  fruit. 
Hence  small  thrift,  galls,  wounds,  diseases,  and 
short  life  to  the  trees  :  and  while  they  live  greene, 
little,  hard,  worme-eaten,  and  evil  thriving  fruit 
arise,  to  the  discomfort  of  the  owners. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


41 


To  prevent  which  discommoditie,  one  of  the  best 
remedies  is,  the  sufficient  and  fit  distance  of  trees. 
Therefore  at  the  setting  of  your  plants  you  must 
have  such  a  respea,  that  the  distance  of  them  be 
such  that  every  tree  be  not  annoiance,  but  an 
helpe  to  his  fellowes  ;  for  trees  (as  all  other  things 
of  the  same  kinde)  should  shrowd,  and  not  hurt 
one  another.  And  assure  your  selfe  that  every 
touch  of  trees  (as  well  under  as  above  the  earthe) 
is  hurtful.  Therefore  this  must  be  a  general  rule 
in  this  art :  That  no  tree  in  an  Orchard  well  or- 
dered, nor  bough,  nor  Cyon,  drop  upon,  or  touch 
his  fellowes.  Let  no  man  thinke  this  impossible, 
but  looke  into  eleventh  chapter  of  dressing  of 
trees.  If  they  touch,  the  winde  will  cause  a  for- 
cible rub.  Young  twigs  are  tender,  if  boughs  or 
armes  touch  and  rub,  if  they  are  strong,  they  make 
great  galls.  No  kinde  of  touch  therefore  in  trees 
can  be  good. 

COMMONWEALTH    OF    BEES. 
When  I  had  view'cl  this  Common-wealth  of  Bees, 
ObserC'd  their  Lines,  their  Art,  »nd  their  Degrees: 
As;  how,  beside  their  painefuU  f^ulsar  ones. 
They  haiie  their  Prince,  their  Captaines,  and  their  Drones: 
How  they  A^ree;  how  temji-ratly  they  Feed; 
How  curiously  they  Build;  how  chastly  Breed; 
How  seriously  their  Bus''nesse  they  intend; 
How  stoutly  they  their  Common-good  defend; 
How  timely  their  Prouisionx  are  prourded; 
How  orderly  their  Labors  are  diuided; 
What  Verlues  pat' ems,  and  what  grounds  oi  Art, 
What  Pleasures,  and  what  Profits  Ihey  impart: 
When  these,  with  all  those  other  things  I  minde 
Which  in  this  Booke,  concerning  Bees,  I  finde: 
Me  thinkes,  there  is  not  halfe  that  worth  in  Mee, 
Which  I  haue  apprehended  in  a  Bee, 
And  that  the  Pismere,  and  these  Hony-flies, 
Instruct  vs  better  to  Philosophize, 
Than  all  those  tedious  Volumes,  which,  as  yet, 
Are  leaft  vnio  vs  by  nieere  Humane-wit. 
For,  whereas  these  but  only  Rules  doe  giue: 
These  by  Examples  teach  vs  how  to  line. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
APPLES  FOR  FATTENING  STOCK. 

Mr  Editor  : — I  do  not  pretend  to  be  much  of  a 
farmer,  but  a  kind  of  Jack  at  all  trades.  As  there 
is  so  much  difference  of  opinion,  however,  as  it  re- 
gards apples  fed  out  to  stock,  I  will  give  the  result 
of  my  experience.  I  had  a  cow  that  w^s  12  or  13 
years  old  last  spring  ;  she  had  a  calf  one  year  ago 
last  April ;  she  has  been  milked  every  day  since,  till 
the  28th  of  Nov.  last,  which  was  the  day  but  one 
before  I  killed  her  ;  her  time  would  have  been  out 
to  calve  Feb.  14,  1853.  All  the  extra  feed  I  gave 
her  besides  apples,  was  7  bushel  baskets  of  what 
is  termed  cow  corn  in  the  ear ;  I  was  35  days  a 
fattening  her,  and  there  was  one  week  in  the  time 
that  she  gained  32  lbs.  ;  she  was  pronouncec^  by 
good  jildges  to  be  as  good  beef  as  they  had  seen 
this  year,  I  have  not  eat  any  better  this  two  years. 
Yours,  J.  N.  p. 

Georgetown,  Mass.,  Dec.  6,  1852. 


A  Hint. — Many  large  limbs  have  fallen  from 
the  trees  in  the  woodlot.  If  you  have  a  spare  day 
before  snow  falls  to  cover  them,  go  through  your 
lots  and  pick  up  what  is  worth  saving,  and  which 
if  left  till  covered  with  snow  would  be  lost.  II 
you  cannot  do  it  yourself,  invite  your  poor  neigh- 
bor to  do  it  for  himself.  Better  it  made  his  fami- 
ly comfortable  in  the  cold  winter  approaching, 
than  that  it  rotted  on  your  land. 


POULTRY  RAISING. 

At  a  recent  meeting  of  the  Concord  Farmer's 
Club,  the  questi(m  being,  "Is  the  raising  of  poul- 
try profitable?"  Mr.  James  P.  Brown  said  lie  had 
entertained  the  opinion  that  the  raising  of  poultry 
could  not  be  made  profitable  among  the  farmers  in 
Middlesex  county.  Ilis  sons,  however,  having  a 
different  opinion,  a  year  ago  he  proposed  to  sell 
thom  all  his  poultry,  and  purchase  of  them  what 
eggs  and  chickens  he  wanted  for  the  family,  upon 
the  condition  that  they  were  to  keep  an  accurate 
account  of  expenses,  and  make  a  trua  return  to 
him  at  the  end  of  the  year. 

Before  coming  in  to  the  meeting  he  had  called 
upon  them  for  a  return  up  to  this  time,  the  period 
including  nine  months,  and  the  following  is  their 
statement : 

Had  on  hand,  March  1,  1852,  26  fowls,  valued 

at $10,00 

Cost  of  keeping,  consisting  of  corn,  meal, 

potatoes  and  meat 19. 65.. $29,65 

Received  for  32  pairs  chickens  sold 28,  3 

For  eggs  up  to  Uec.  1 19,31      . 

Have  now  62  fowls  worth  33  cents  each 27,33.. $74,67 

Expenses 29,65 

Profit  in  9  months $45,02 

He  had  seen  from  day  to  day  how  the  fowls  had 
been  taken  care  of,  and  after  reading  this  state- 
ment, had  changed  his  opinion,  and  now  believes 
that  poultry  may  be  profitably  raised  in  Middlesex 
County,  by  bestowing  upon  it  the  same  attention 
that  is  given  to  other  farm  stock  when  well  taken 
care  of.  These  fowls  were  plentifully  supplied  with 
such  food  as  is  accessible  to  all  who  usually  keep 
them — corn,  oats,  meal,  potatoes,  and  occasional- 
ly fresh  meat,  such  as  the  plucks  of  sheep,  or  the 
flesh  of  young  calves,  many  of  which  are  killed  at 
the  age  of  three  or  four  days  by  those  who  are  sell- 
ing milk. 

Mr.  Jacob  B.  Farmer  said  a  few  years  ago  he 
thought  he  knew  something  about  fowls,  but  re- 
cently had  almost  come  to  the  conclusion  that  his 
knowledge  was  not  to  be  relied  on.  He  had  often 
found  as  much  clear  profit  from  a  single  hen  through 
the  winter  as  from  a  cow.  Had  frequently  got 
$1,50  per  bushel  for  the  grain  fed  to  them,  and  had 
received  as  high  as  $2,40  a  bushel.  They  should 
be  kept,  he  said,  in  a  dry,  warm  place.  During 
the  last  year  his  fowls  had  been  diseased,  and  he 
had  received  no  profit  from  them  whatever.  When 
he  had  made  a  profit  it  was  from  the  native  breed. 

Mr.  C.  W.  GooDNOW  said  he  had  been  thinking 
of  Mr.  Brown's  profits  on  a  single  hen,  and  that 
they  would  be  about  500  per  cent,  on  the  invest- 
ment. He  thought  Mr.  B.'s  opportunities  for  keep- 
ing fowls  very  advantageous  ;  his  own  advantages 
were  not  so  good,  but  he  thought  they  aff  )rded  a 
fairer  opportunity  to  get  at  the  actual  profits  than 
where  they  are  running  on  the  farm.  He  had  on- 
ly an  acre  or  two  of  garden,  and  was  obliged  to 
keep  his  fowls  within  somewhat  narrower  limits 
than  the  farmer  does  his.     By  careful  experiment 


42 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Jan. 


he  had  ascertained  that  each  hen  requires  one 
bushel  and  a  third  of  grain  in  a  year,  which  he 
thought  would  not  be  at  a  less  average  cost  than 
$1,33  a  year; — then  how  shall  he  find  his  profits  ? 
Would  she  afford  liim  twelve  dozen  eggs  in  a  year? 
if  so,  she  would  pay  cost,  but  nothing  more  ;  in  all  j 
his  experiments,  which  had  been  many,  ho  had 
not  been  able  to  derive  a  profit  from  them,  beyond 
the  keeping  of  some  eight  to  twelve,  which  num- 
ber would  provide  mostly  for  themselves  while  the 
ground  is  open. 

Mr.  Simon  Browx  related  some  experiences  in 
which  he  had  realized  larger  profits  from  the  in- 
vestments made  in  his  poultry  than  from  any  other 
item  on  his  farm. 

Dr.  J.  Reynolds  said  he  knew  a  lad  who,  five 
years  ago,  began  to  keep  poultry.  He  was  the  son 
of  a  widow.  He  bought  five  or  six  hens,  raised 
chickens,  and  sold  chickens  and  eggs.  He  fed 
largely  upon  fresh  fish.  He  now  has  a  flock  of  some 
fifty  hens  !  has  purchased  a  cow,  repaired  his  little 
barn,  clothed  himself,  assisted  his  mother  more  or 
less,  and  is  now,  from  the  sale  of  his  milk  and  the 
produce  of  his  poultry,  quite  a  thriving  young  man, 
accumulating  a  very  pretty  capital.  Fresh  fish  is 
found,  near  the  sea  shore,  a  cheap  and  excellent 
food  for  poultry. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
BIRDS  AND  INSECTS. 

ARE    BIRDS    USEFUL    IN    DESTROYING    INSECTS^   ESPE- 
CIALLY   CATERPILLARS? 

Nobody  will  deny,  that  truth  defends  itself,  and 
that  it,  if  hidden  for  a  time,  will  break  forth  the 
more  powerfully  and  shine  brightly,  illuminating 
the  night  of  ignorance  and  error.  Siill  it  takes, 
sometimes,  not  j/ears,  but  centuries,  to  dispel  error, 
and  he  who  should  confide  in  the  hope  of  an  im- 
mediate acknowledgment  of  what  is  true,  would 
be  very  much  disappointed.  History  teaches  but 
one  single  lesson,  viz:    that  kobody  cares  about 

ITS  LESSONS. 

Not  long  ago,  somebody  doubted  the  usefulness 
of  birds  in  destroying  insects  ;  lie  was  briefly  an- 
swered ia  tills  paper.  One  should  think,  that  even 
a  man  who  never  examined  the  stomach  of  a  bii-d 
belonging  to  the  Finch  tribe  f.  i. — I  need  not  al- 
lude to  the  insectiverous  birds;  their  name  being 
sufficient  proof — could  for  a  moment  be  uncertain, 
with  what  kind  of  food  they  rear  their  young. 
Nothing  is  needed  but  eyes  to  see;  there  are,  how- 
ever, hbnd  who  ivill  not  sue. 

Nature  is  always  and  everywhere  alike  herself. 
Finches,  f.  i.  are  Finches  in  America,  as  well  as  in 
Europe  and  Africa.  They  may  differ  ever  so  much 
as  spnies,  but  they  do  not  differ  in  t'leir  general 
char.if'ter.  They  live  on  grain  and  insects  in  Amer- 
ica ;  tliey  feed  on  insects  and  grain  all  over  the 
globe. 

There  is  a  sparrow — Fringilla,  now  pj/rgita  do- 
meslica-r-iiii  common  ia  Europe,  especially  in  Cler- 
many,  and  in  more  than  one  respect  so  trouble- 
some, tliat  he  is  persecuted  by  everybody  ;  and  as 
he  wis  thought  to  be  very  injurious  to  fields  and 
gardens,  the  different  governments  made  the  law, 


that  each  male  individual  of  age  had  annually  to 
deliver  a  certain  number  of  sparrow  heads,  vary- 
ing, in  different  States,  from  6  to  12.  After  this 
course  had  been  pursued  for  many  years,  people 
began  to  complain  about  the  scarcity  of  fruit. 
There  were  sections  of  the  country,  where  the 
sparrows  had  been  entirely  exterminated.  Such 
parts  suffered  the  most,  and,  instead  of  the  former 
abundance,  their  trees  yielded  no  fruit. 

Although  I  was  then  very  little  interested  in 
Natural  Historj',  yet  this  fact  arrested  my  atten- 
tion, especially  as  I  read  in  a  French  journal,  a 
remark  of  a  French  naturalist — I  believe  it  was 
Cuvicr — that  the  sparrows  reared  their  young  with 
nothing  but  insects  ;  -and  that  they  were  leanest 
in  the  season  of  harvest,  and  fattest  in  the  spring. 
This  struck  me  as  very  curious;  for  whenever  I 
saw  thousands  of  sparrows,  united  in  one  flock, 
falling  upon  the  corn-fields,  I  imagined  that  they 
were  devouring  rye,  wheat,  barley,  etc.  I  conclu- 
ded to  ascertain  this  by  a  direct  experiment.  In 
the  fillowing  winter  (ISiZ-l)  I  procured  sixty  living 
sparrows.  Having  made  two  enclnsures  in  my 
study,  I  put  twenty-five  sparrows  in  each,  ten  1 
caged.  All  had  plenty  of  sand,  brick-dust,  hme, 
etc.  I  fed  twenty-five  of  them  on  different  kinds 
of  grain  ;  such  as  wheat,  rye,  oats,  buck-wheat 
and  the  like.  Not  one  of  them  lived  Imger  than 
six  loeehs ;  they  all  died  of  consumption  of  the 
stomach.  Twenty-five  of  them  I  fed  on  grain,' 
boiled  meat  and  meal  worms.  The  ten  in  the  ca- 
ges I  fed  wholly  on  either  worms,  or  boiled  eggs 
or  meat.  All  of  them  lived  six  months  in  captivi- 
ty ;  they  were  plump  and  fat,  and  were  set  at  lib- 
erty in  the  spring.  In  the  following  summer,  I 
took  several  young  sparrows  of  various  ages  from 
their  nests,  killed  them  and  examined  their  stom- 
achs. I  never  found  anything  in  them  but  insects 
and  loorms ;  and  having,  moreover,  convinced  my- 
self concerning  the  condition  of  the  sparrows  in  the 
spring,  suDUTiier  and  fall,  and  that,  in  the  summer 
and  fall,  their  stomachs  contained  chiefly  insects 
and  very  few  grass  seeds,  hardly  ever  grain.,  I  be- 
gan to  write  in  periodicals  and  to  address  the  gov- 
ernments directly.  As  I  had  a  great  number  of 
witnesses,  all  of  whom  were  as  much  surjirised  at 
the  unlooked  for  results  of  my  experiments  as  my- 
self, I  had  the  good  fortune  of  restoring  the  poor 
sparrows  ta  their  lost  reputation,  at  least,  in  that 
province  of  the  kingdom  of  Hanover  in  which  I 
lived.  The  above  mentioned  law  \vi\s  abolished, 
and  the  sparrows  remained  unmolested. 

My  experiments  were  conclusive.  There  is  but 
one  way  to  refute  them,  i.  e.,  to  show  by  experi- 
ments that  mine  were  wrong.  Bat  such  experi- 
ments are  connected  with  some  trouble,  and  this 
trouble  is  not  paid  for  in  casli  or  good  notes  of  hand. 
Notlong  ago  I  showed  on  what  sea-shores  as];taragu8 
does  not  grow,  and  where  I  found  it  wild.  Since 
that  time  I  received  a  new  edition  of  Lcnz's  Natu- 
ral History,  5  vols.,  a  book  which,  if  any,  deserves 
a  translation  into  the  Enwlisli.  Its  author  asserts 
that  asparagus  grows  wild  in  Germany,  adding  that 
it  is  found  in  sandy  places.  Supposing  now,  my 
statements  are  wrong  or  incomplete,  nothing  is  ne- 
cessary but  to  show,  on  uihat  seashores  asparagus 
grows.  To  resort  to  a  chemical  analysis  in  order 
to  settle  that  questiim,  is  too  curious  an  advice  to 
ba  followed.     Yet  somebody  gave  it. 

Cuarles  SiedhoFs 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


43 


PREMIUMS  AWARDED 

AT  THE  FRAMINGIIAM  C^TTLR    SHOW  IN  SEP- 
TEMIJER. 

We  have  not  been  able  to  obtain  the  awards  of 
the  several  committees  till  very  recently.  It  is 
now  80  late  that  we  publish  the  substance  only, 
without  giving  the  remarks  in  full  made  by  them. 

The  Committee  on  Plowing  with  single  ox 
teams  a^vard  the  first  premium  to  Abner  Haven, 
Jr.,  $3.00;  second  premium  to  I.  S.  Wheeler, 
2,00;  third  to  J.  Johnson,  Jr.,  1,00. 

The  committee  remark  that  "  they  have  felt 
some  embarrassment  in  coming  to  an.  award  on 
account  (if  the  use  l)y  the  competitors  of  two  kinds 
of  plows — the  double  share  and  the  single  share, 
and  tliey  would  respectfully  recommend  that  the 
double  shares  be  considered  a  separate  class  of 
plows,  and  premiums  offered  accordingly." 
•  "Your  committee  beg  leave  to  make  honorable 
mention  of  tlie  work  performed  by  the  double  team 
of  Wm.  Buckminster,  Esq.,  as  being  of  the  first 
class — and  althcmgh  he  did  not  contend  for  a  pre- 
mium, your  committee  would  have  given  him  a 
gratuity  liad  we  been  supplied  with  funds." 

Note. — Premiums  were  offered  for  single  teams 
only.  John  Wenzell,  >  Committee 

James  Ienton,    J 


mium  of  $3,00  to  Franklin  Mason  ;  second  of  2,00 
to  Gilbert  Childs  ;  third  of  1,00  to  Jolm  Clark. 
In  behalf  the  Committee,        John  Clark. 

The  Committee  on  Colts  award  to  Josiah  Gibbs 
first  premium  of  $2,00,  for  three  year  old  colt.  To 
Addison  Belknap,  the  second  premium  .$2,00  for 
a  two  year  old  colt.  To  Josiah  Gibbs  the  third 
premium  for  the  best  yearling  colt,  l.OD. 

Gilbert  J.  Guilds,  '\ 

J.  G.  Banister,         >  Committee. 

NaTHL.   Pl'LSIFER,        ) 


The  Committee  on  Spring  Pigs  award  to  Ezra 
Dyer,  $2,00  ;  to  Abner  Haven,  Jr.,  1,00;  to  Abiel 
S.  Lewis,  1,00. 

Joseph  Fuller,     '\ 

Joel  EdjIands,      >  Committee. 

Elifh;  Hastings,  ) 


The  Committee  on  Drawing  and  Backing  report 
that  they  award  the  first  premium  to  Cyrus  VVool- 
son,  $3,00  ;  second  to  Col.  Wm.  Hastings,  2,00  ; 
third  to  John  Johnson,  Jr.,  1,00. 

Moses  Edgell,        '\ 

Francis  Cooudge,  >  Committee 

George  Bcllard,    ) 


The  Committee  on  Plowing  with  Horse  Teams 
award  the  first  premium  to  Col.  Wm.  Hastings, 
$3,00;  Sf^cond  to  Buckley  Moore,  2,00;  third  to 
Harrison  Eames,  1,00. 

F.  A.  Billings, 

Committee. 


F.  A.  Billings,  \ 

H.  R.   D.VNIEL3,  > 

P.  B.  Davis,       ) 


The  Committee  on  Bulls  report  that  there  was 
but  one  offered  for  premium — and  they  award  the 
second  premium  of  two  dolL'.rs  to  Dana  Warren 
James  Brown,  for  the  Committee. 


The  Committee  on  Heifers  report  first  premium 
to  Col.  James  Brown,  $2,00  ;  second  to  Joel  Ed- 
mands,  1,00  ;  third  toS.  S.  Lewis,  1,00. 

Note. — Names  of  the  Committee  not  sent  to  us. 


Tlie  Committee  on  Steers  report  that  but  one 
pair  was  exhibited  to  them.  This  was  a  pair  of 
twins,  by  a  young  lad,  Sylvanus  Phipps,  the  son 
of  Joseph  Phipps. 

John  Johnson 

OuED  Win 

WiLLARD 


INSON,        ^ 

nter,      >  Committee, 
Haven,  ) 


The  CoTTimittee  on  Calves  award  the  first  pre- 
mium of  $2.00  to  J.  Johnson,  Jr.  ;  second  to  Col. 
James  Browii,  1,00  for  heifer  calf;  and  third  pre- 
mium of  1,00  for  heifer  calf  to  Obed  Winter. 

Buckley  Moore,  Chairman. 

The  Committee  on  Horses  award  the  first  pre- 


The  Committee  on  Breeding  Sows  award  the 
first  premium  of  $2,00  to  A.  S.  Lewis,  for  his  two 
Suffolk  sows.  Second  to  C.  K.  Woolson,  $1,00; 
and  they  recommend  a  gratuity  to  Dana  Warren 
for  three  breeding  pigs. 

J.  S.  Wheeler, 

Joseph 

Daniel 


l^HEELER,  \ 

PniPFs,  \  Committee, 

,  Parmenter,   ) 


The  Committee  on  Cheese  award  to  Capt.  Adam 
Hemenway  the  premium  of  $2,00. 
Dexter  Esty, 
HoLLis  Hastij 


INGS,  J 


Committee. 


The  Committee  on  Bread  award  the  first  premi- 
um to  Mary  E.  Cloyes,  14  years  old.  Second  to 
Miss  Moore,  daughter  of  Buckley  Moore,  11  years 
of  age.  Third  to  Miss  E.  S.  Phipps,  13  years  old. 
Fourth  to  Miss  Adeline  Kilburn,  14  years  old. 
J.  W.  Brown, 


J.  VV.  Brown,  \ 

C.  C.  Esty,        >  Committee. 

Otis  H.\stings,  ) 


The  Committee  on  White  and  Brown  Bread 
award  the  first  premium  of  $1,00  to  Mary  Sulli- 
van. Second  of  75  cents  to  Mrs.  George  Eames. 
fhird  of  50  cents  to  Miss  Mary  Hyde.  Fourth  of 
25  cents  to  Mrs.  Dana  BuUard. 

S.  Whit.ney,      ^ 

S.  0.  Daniels,    >  Committee. 


Newell  Clark,  } 


13^  The  attention  of  the  reader  is  called  to  the 
portrait  of  the  beautiful  animal  in  this  number, 
and  to  the  description  of  two  or  three  of  our  popu- 
hir  breeds  of  cattle  drawn  with  a  free  hand  by  Mr. 
Ambrose  Stevens,  of  New  York.  Mr.  Stevens  has 
fed  great  experience  with  stock  and  has  given  his 
opinions  in  that  straightforward  and  unequivocal 
manner  as  to  leave  no  doubt  of  them  on  the  mind 
of  the  reader.  We  neither  endorse  or  deny  -what 
he  says,  but  leave  each  person  to  come  to  his  own 
conclusions.  A  free,  but  kind,  discussion  of  the 
merits  of  the  various  breeds,  of  cattle  must  result 
in  benefit  to  the  firmer. 

So  far  as  our  own  experience  goes,  tlie  best  milk- 
ers in  our  stall,  including  richness  and  quantity, 
have  been  those  where  the  "Short  Horn"  blood 


44 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Jan. 


was  prevalent.  For  the  yoke,  we  have  never  seen 
any  cattle  excel  the  Devons  on  the  farm  of  Mr. 
French,  at  Braintree. 

TO   THE    FRIENDS    OF   AGRICULTURE 
IN  MASSACHUSETTS. 

The  undersigned,  a  committee  appointed  for  the 
'  purpose  by  the  Massachusetts  State  Board  of 
Agriculture,  beg  leave  respectfully  to  call  your  at- 
tention to  Public  Lectures  as  a  means  by  which 
much  information  may  be  diffused  and  interest  ex- 
cited in  the  community  on  the  subject  of  agricul- 
ture. Such  lectures  are,  at  the  present  time,  one 
of  the  most  powerful  instrumentalities  for  the  ad- 
vancement of  any  branch  of  knowledge,  or  any 
measure  of  reform. 

Numerous  voluntary  organizations  existing  in 
all  parts  of  the  Commonwealth  under  the  name  of 
Lyceums  and  similar  associations,  afford  easy  and 
available  opportunities  for  presenting  the  subject 
of  agriculture  to  the  people  under  the  form  of  pop- 
ular lectures. 

It  is  felt  by  those  to  whom  the  interests  of  ag- 
riculture in  this  State  .are  now  more  particularly 
entrusted,  that  these  opportunities  ought  to  be 
improved,  and  that  measures  should  be  taken  by 
those  friendly  to  the  object,  to  bring  the  subject 
before  their  respective  Lyceums,  and  other  like 
clubs  or  institutions,  and  thus  secure  lectures  on 
Agriculture,  Horticulture,  Pomology,  and  kindred 
topics. 

A  majority  of  the  people  in  nearly  all  the  towns 
in  this  Commonwealth  are  directly  interested  in 
these  subjects,  and  it  is  believed  feel  desirous  of 
information  in  relation  to  them.  It  would  seem, 
therefore,  that  some  of  the  lectures  annually  given 
before  these  various  popular  societies  should  be  on 
agriculture,  in  some  of  its  various  departments. 

The  Committee  are  aware  that  it  is  now  late  in 
the  year,  and  that  arrangements  for  lectures  for 
the  season  have  already  been  generally  made,  yet 
they  do  not  on  that  account  feel  it  less  their  duty 
to  call  attention  to  the  subject,  in  the  hope,  that 
although  but  few  lecturers  should  be  secured  for 
the  present  winter,  early  and  effective  arrange- 
ments will  be  made  for  the  next. 

Should  lectures  of  a  practical  character  be 
wanted,  applications  may  be  addressed  to  the 
"  Secretary  of  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture, 
Boston,"  with  whom,  at  the  request  of  the  com- 
mittee, the  names  of  several  gentlemen  have  been 
left,  who  will  perform  the  service. 

Amasa  Walker,         ^ 

John  W.  Proctor,     >  Commillee. 

Edward  Hitchcock,  ) 

Office  of  the  Slate  Board  of  Ai^ricuUure, 
Boston,  Dec.S,  185i2. 


MYSTERIOUS  CONDUCT  OF  A  DOG. 

The  editor  of  the  Green  Mountain  Freeman, 
published  at  Montpelier,  Vt.,  gives  the  following 
item  of  personal  experience  : 

To  the  many  remarkable  anecdotes  related  of 
the  dog,  we  have  one  to  add  from  our  own  person- 
al experience.  When  just  starting  in  our  profes- 
sion, we  slept  for  a  short  time  alone  in  our  office, 
much  disliking  to  do  so,  because  we  were  occa- 
sionally subject  to  severe  fits  of  the  incul>us,  or 
night-mare,  from  which  we  used  to  depend  on  oth- 
ers to  arouse  us.  One  day,  our  door  was  beset 
by  a  small,  red,  stranger  dog,  that  seemed  singu- 
larly intent  on  entering.  We  drove  him  away 
twice  ;  but  lie  as  often  returned  and  manifested 
the  same  earnest  desire  to  come  in.  Being  some- 
what surprised  at  this,  and  knowing  that  no  one 
who  could  be  his  master  had  been  there  that  day, 
we  at  length  opened  the  door,  and  by  words  and 
gestures  invited  him  to  come  in.  Joyfully  avail- 
ing himselfof  the  liberty,  he  entered  ;  and,  with- 
out seeming  to  look  round  for  any  one,  quietly 
lay  down  under  the  table,  where  he  remained  un- 
til bed-time ;  when  we  tried  to  make  him  go  out. 
But  he  absolutely  refused,  and,  being  struck  with 
the  singularity  of  the  animal's  conduct  through- 
out, we  concluded  to  let  him  remain  for  the  night, 
and  after  procuring  some  food  for  him,  retired  to 
our  bed,  which  was  in  a  small  adjoining  room,  the 
entrance  to  which  from  the  office,  we  always  for 
the  sake  of  better  air,  left  open. 

Some  time  during  that  night,  we  were,  visited 
by  a  frightful  fit  of  the  nightmare,  from  which, 
though  perfectly  conscious,  we  probably  should 
never  have  come  out  without  assistance.  At  our 
first  groan,  the  dog  bounded  to  our  bedside,  an(t 
commenced  barking.  Finding  this  did  no  good, 
he  mounted  the  bed,  and  barked  in  our  face. 
Failing  in  this,  also,  he  stript  down  the  bed 
clothes,  and  fell  to  pawing  our  chest,  more  and 
more  furiously,  till  he  tore  the  skin,  which  in- 
stantly broke  the  horrid  spell ;  and  we  arose  with 
a  feeling  of  gratitude  for  the  interposition,  as  we 
could  never  help  viewing  it,  more  intense  than 
any  we  remember  to  have  ever  experienced.  We 
would  have  gladly  always  kept  the  dog,  but  the 
next  morning,  when  we  opened  the  door,  he  passed 
out,  and,  as  if  his  mission  was  ended,  trotted 
away,  never  to  be  seen  by  us  again. 


1^  Editors  favorable  to  the  above 
requested  to  copy. 


object 


SOPS  IN  WINE. 

This  is  the  name  of  a  delicate  little  apple  which 
should  be  found  in  every  garden  ;  ripens  gradually 
from  the  first  of  August  to  October.  The  skin  is 
smooth,  crimson  in  the  shade,  stained  and  striped 
with  purplish  crimson  in  the  sun,  and  covered  with 
a  delicate  bloom.  Flesh  white,  with  stains  of  a 
pinkish  hue,  firm,  crisp,  juicy,  and  of  a  pleasant 
sub-acid  flavor.  It  is  known  under  several  names. 
Sapsavine,  Shropshire-vine;  by  Knoop,  Rode  Wyn 
Apple ;  by  Kenrick,  Sapson,  and  by  Ray  in  1688^ 
Sops  in  ^A^ne. 

In  ancient  times  it  appears  to  have  been  a  cus- 
tom for  those  who  were  betrothed  to  wear  some 
flower  as  an  external  and  conspicuous  mark  of 
their  mutual  engagement.  Spenser,  in  his 
"  Shepherd's  Calendar," 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


45 


"  Bring  coronatitms  and  sops  in  wine 
Worn  of  paramons." 

Sops  in  ivine,  says  Brand ,  were  a  species  of  flowers 

among   the   smaller  kind  of  gillittowers  or  pinks. 

How  the  name  came  to  be  applied  to  apples  it  is 

difficult  to  tell,  but  not  any  more  so  in  this  case 

than  in  that  of  numerous  other  varieties. 


DURABILITY  OF  TIMBER. 

The  piles  driven  at  the  AVoolwich  Dock  yards, 
thirty-seven  years  since,  and  prepared  by  the  pro- 
cess of  Mr.  Kyan,  are  perfectly  sound,  while  sim- 
ilar piles  not  so  treated  have  required  renewal 
twice  during  that  time.     This  Kyanizing  of  tim- 


ber is  performed  by  immersing  it  for, a  time  in  a 
weak  solution  of  corrosive  sublimate.  Could  not 
the  same  advantages  be  availed  of  when  setting 
posts  for  fences?  Suppose  the  posts  l)e  entered 
in  the  ground  butt- end  up,  and  a  small  augur- 
hole  of  half  an  inch  in  depth  in  the  upper  end,  in 
which  might  be  placed  a  small  quantity  of  corro- 
sive sublimate,  and  then  the  hole  plugged.  Should 
any  moisture  be  resident  in  the  stick,  (and  no  de- 
cay can  occur  without  it,)  would  not  the  corrosive 
sublimate  be  slowly  dissolved  and  carried  through 
every  pore  of  the  wood,  and  if  so,  would  it  not  add 
materially  to  the  durability  of  the  wood  ?  We 
should  like  to  see  this  tried,  and  would  like  to  live 
long  enough  to  report  fully  upon  its  effects. — 
Worki7iff  Farmer. 


CANKER-WORMS. 


i& 


Our  old  friend  and  correspondent,  Dea.  Fowler, 
of  Danvers,  who  is  untiring  in  his  attention  to  the 
cultivation,  and  the  enemies,  of  fruits  and  fruit 
trees,  has  sent  us  a  small  bottle  containing  sever- 
al grubs  of  the  canker  worm.  He  says,  in  a  note, 
"I  think  it  would  be  well  to  call  the  attention  of 
your  readers  to  the  tarring  of  their  trees  at  this 
time,  as  a  great  many  grubs  or  female  canker 
Worms  are  now  running." 

In  accordance  with  this  timely  hint  we  copy 
from  the  2d  vol.  of  the  Farmer , -page  401,  some  re- 
marks made  by  Mr.  Fowler  in  that  volume,  and 
which  we  accompany  by  engravings  of  the  male 
and  female  grubs,  the  worm,  and  the  insect  in  its 
pupa  state. 

Dear  Sir: — I  hardly  know  what  to  say  in  re- 
gard to  the  canker-worm.  I  am  inclined  to  think 
the  old  mode  of  the  application  of  tar  around  the 
body  of  the  tree,  on  strips  of  cloth,  canvass,  or 
gunny-bags,  six  inches  wide,  and  fastened  around 
the  trunli,  is  as  good  a  mode  to  prevent  the  grub 
from  ascending  the  tree,  as  any  other  that  has  yet 
been  found.  My  mode  has  been  to  use  tarred 
cloth ;  the  tar,  when  thick,  I  made  thin  with  oil. 
I  stuff  hay,  cotton,  or  sea-weed  between  the  tree 
and  the  lower  edge  of  the  cloth,  to  catch  the  drip 
of  the  tar  ;  this  serves  likewise  to  tire,  perplex,  and 
perhaps  entangle  the  grub,  l^efore  it  gets  to  the 
tar  on  the  cloth.  I  think,  if  the  tar  is  properly 
and  seasonably  applied  in  the  spring,  it  will  prove 
effectual.  But  some,  on  the  contrary,  think  that 
tar  must  be  applied  in  autumn,  say  the  first  of  No- 
vember. From  a  close  observation  of  the  canker- 
worm,  I  am  inclined  to  think  but  few  of  the  eggs 
deposited  in  the  autumn  are  hatched  in  the  spring  ; 
as  only  a  few  males  ascend  in  the  fall  and  winter, 
most  of  the  eggs  prove  barren. 


The  cloth  should  be  taken  from  the  trees  as 
soon  as  the  grubs  are  done  running,  and  the  tar, 
should  there  be  any,  scraped  from  the  trees. 

Yours,  S.  P.  Fowler. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

AGRICULTURE  A  CHEMICAL  ART. 

Mr.  Editor  : — Dr.  Justus  Liebeg,  in  his  work 
entitled  "Organic  Chemistry  of  Agriculture  and 
Physiology,"  says — "Carbonic  acid,  ammonia  and 
water,  yield  elements  for  all  the  organs  of  pilants. 
The  atmosphere  and  the  soil  offer  the  same  kind 
of  nourishment  to  the  leaves  and  roots.  The  for- 
mer contains  a  comparatively  inexhaustible  sup- 
ply of  carbonic  acid  and  ammonia  ;  the  latter,  by 
means  of  its  humus,  generates  constantly  fresh 
carbonic  acid,  while,  during  the  winter,  rain  and 
snow  introduce  into  the  soil  a  quantity  of  ammo- 
nia sufficient  for  the  development  of  the  leaves  and 
blossoms."  The  air  by  which  the  gi-owing  plant 
is  surrounded,  the  soil  which  is  the  medium  of  its 
roots,  the  fluid  by  which  its  food  is  dissolved  and 
rendered  appropriable  by  those  roots,  the  decom- 
posable animal  and  vegetable  matters  which  em-, 
body  its  aliment,  and  the  entire  vegetable  organ- 
ism itself — its  roots,  stalk,  branches,  leaves,  buds, 
blossoms  and  fruit,  together  with  its  sap  or  circu- 
lating fluid,  are  chemical  compounds.  Of  these, 
the  common  air  is  perhaps  the  most  simple  in  its 
composition,  yet  in  this  we  find  a  number  of  ele- 
ments, viz  :  oxygen,  nitrogen,  hydrogen,  carbonic 
acid,  and  ammonia,  together  with  certain  other 
principles  which  are  perhaps  incidental,  but  which, 
no  doubt,  have  their  appropriate  spliere  of  action 
in  the  great  circle  of  vegetable  reproduction  and 
life.  AH  these  are  of  a  strictly  chemical  cliarac- 
ter,  and  are  characterized  by  energies  and  affini- 
ties equally  ample  and  sublime.  To  illustrate  this 
remark,  oxygen,  or  vital  air,  combines  with  nitro- 


46 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Jan. 


gen  in  fine  proportions  of  relative  weight  or  meas- 
ure,- besides  forming  a  part  of  the  atmosphere 
which  is  the  prime  sustainer  of  both  animal  and 
vegetable  life.  ,  It  .also  unites  with  hydrogen  in 
two  proportions — fonuing,  in  one  instance,  water, 
without  which  no  vegetable  can  be  produced,  and 
with  carbon,  with  wliich  it  forms  two  compounds 
— carbonic  acid,  a  principle  of  vast  utility  in  the 
nutrimental  economy  of  plants,  and  without  which 
no  vegetable  substance  could  be  made  to  grow. 
Let  us,  for  the  sake  of  greater  j«rspicuity,  exam- 
ine, chemically,  the  substance  of  that  valuable  and 
important  fruit— the  apple.  We  will  take,  f  jr  thia 
purpose,  the  Tolman  tweeting:  — 

Pulp.         Epidermis. 

Percentage  of  water 84.75 t>i  20 

1)0.  dry  matter 15  25 38.80 

Do.  ash  .• 0,2G -. . .  0.72 

ho.  ash  calcined  on  dry  matter.  1.70.5 1.956 

Percentase  of  water  and  dry  matter. 

Percentage  of  water  81  .52 

Do.  dry  matter 18.48 

Composition  of  the  Ash. 
With 
Carbonic  Acid. 

Carbonic  acid 17.62 

Silica 1  43 

Phosphate  of  iron 1.82. . ... 

Phosphoric  acid 11.51 

Li  cue 4  05 

Magnesia 1  4f) 

Potash 34.34 

So.la   15.77 

Chlorine 1.71 

Sulphuric  acid 5.44 

Organic  matter  thrown  down  by 

liiirate  of  silver 4.20 


Without 
Carbonic  Acid. 


..1.750 
..2  227 
.  14.0r3 
.  .4  9.56 
-.1.786 
.4.^.016 
.19295 
..2(;92 
..€  656 


99.35 


...5.139 
101.000 


One  more  instance,  that  of  hay,  will  suffice. 

One  hundred  parts  of  hay,  dried  at  212'^ — 116  2 

parts  dried  in  air,  are  found  by  analysis  to  contain 

Carbon 45.8 

Hydrogen 5.0 

O.Kvgen 38  7 

Nitrogen 1.5 

Ashes. 9.0 


100.0 
16.2  water. 

The  formation  of  manures  is  a  chemical  process. 
and  the  action  of  chemical  laws  is  recognized  in 
every  department  of  husbandry,  from  the  time  the 
seed  is  l)uried  in  the  soil,  and  its  starch  is  trans 
formed  itito  saccharine  matter — the  primary  indi- 
cation of  generative  life,  till  the  mature  fruit  falls. 
a  completed  result,  perfect  in  all  its  development.^ 
and  parts,  to  the  ground.  The  history  of  this  sci- 
ence is  curious.  It  was  once  Ah'hcmy,  by  the  prac- 
tice of  which,  its  deluded  professors  attempted  the 
attainment  of  unlimited  powers  of  self-reward.  It 
,is  tr.iceable  to  the  earlier  physicians  of  Arabia, 
amimg  whom  it  first  took  root,  and  who  consumed 
their  lives  in  the  laborious  but  vain  eff.n't  to  "fix 
mercury'"  which  they  believed  to  contain  the 
"germ  of  all  curative  influences,"  and  to  be  the 
"b.isis  of  all  other  metals."  They  had  recourse 
to  many  ingenious  experiments  to  "catch  the  fly- 
ing bird  of  Hermes,"  and  to  discover  the  "Univer- 
sal Elixir,"  wljich  was  to  confer  upon  the  possess- 
or the  power  of  transmuting  base  metals  into  gold, 
of  prolonging  indefinitely,  the  period  of  human  ex- 
istence, and  of  investing  mortals  with  the  beauty 
and  bloom  of  unfading  youth.  Such  dreams,  how- 
ever, have  long  since  been  dispelled,  and  the  sci 
enco  of  chemistry  turned  to  purposes  of  practical 
usefulness  and  utility.  n.  d.  w. 


ErAY—CUBIC  FEET  IN  A  TON. 

I  observe  you  allow  1,000  cubic  feet  for  a  ton  of 
hay,  by  measure.  In  Vermont,  our  hay,  according 
to  bulk,  may  be  mure  weighty.  A  godd  portitm 
of  it,  either  in  stack  or  mow,  20  by  20  feet  square, 
(me  foot  thick,  will  weigh  a  ton  ;  that  is  400  cuV^ic 
feet.  Of  our  lighter  meadow  hay  500  feet  are  al- 
hjwed  for  a  ton.  There  is  awide  difference  in  the 
weiglit  and  value  of  hay  in  diffdrent  seasons.  This* 
year,  the  same  quality  and  bulk  is  much  heavier 
than  last,  and  the  increased  intrinsic  value  in  the 
same  number  of  pounds  in  this  year's  production. 

Our  State  will  produce  only  about  half  a  crop  of 
hay  this  season.  Grains  look  well,  and  the  root 
crops  of  all  kinds  never  looked  better.  Potatoes 
are  uncommonly  fine,  and  if  free  from  rot,  might 
be  quite  low  in  price.  The  farmers  in  the  nortliern 
part  of  New  York  have  also  planted  an  unusual 
quantity  of  potatoes — from  10  to  100  acres  in  one 
field.— S.  W.  Jlwett,  Middlebury,  Yt.— The  Plow. 


PROGRESSION. 

David  T.  Stevens,  of  Lewiston  Falls,  Maine, 
gives  notice  that  he  will  visit  "  any  or  all  the 
towns  within  the  limits  of  their  Agricultural  So- 
ciety, the  ensuing  winter,  and  lecture  on  tlie  sub- 
ject of  Agriculture.."  That's  the  true  way,  friend 
Stevens,  to  arouse  the  masses  to  a  sense  of  the 
importance  of  their  vocation.  We  have  urged  this 
practice  for  years,  but  the  helpers  are  still  few. 

Mr.  Stevens  recently  read  an  Address  before  the 
West  Lincoln  Agricultural  Society,  which  we 
have  perused  in  the  Farmer  and  Mechanic,  pub- 
lished at  Lewiston  Falls,  and  which  abounds  in 
practical  suggestions  and  forcible  illustrations. 
Among  the  clergy  may  be  found  some  of  the  best 
farmers  and  gardeners  in  the  couiitry  ;  and  in 
connection  with  their  good  examples  on  the  soil, 
they  are  performing  a  noble  work  with  the  tongue 
and  pen  in  their  respective  parishes,  and  through 
the  agricultural  journals. 


PREJUDICE  AGAINST  FARMING. 
[E.vtrHcled  from  W.  11.  Seward's  address  at  Rutland  ] 

Nature  has  left  all  the  human  faculties  in  one 
sense  incomplete,  to  be  perfected  by  general  edu- 
cation and  )>y  training  tor  special  and  di.~tinct  pur- 
suits. She  lias  left  those  faculties  not  hss  incom- 
plete and  without  more  adaptation,  in  the  farmer's 
case  than  in  any  other.  Her  laws  are  general, 
inflexible.  Erutes  only  have  perfect  instincts. 
.Man  can  be  nothing,  and  indeed  can  do  nothing  at 
all,  but  ])y  tlie  guidance  of  cultivated  reason. 
Notwithstanding  aduiitted  differences  of  natural 
capacity,  and  of  tastes  and  inchnations,  it  is  never- 
theless practically  and  generally  true  that  success, 
and  even  distinction  and  eminence,  in  any  voca- 
tion, is  proportioned  to  the  measure  of  culture, 
training,  industry  and  perseverance  brought  into 
exercise.  So  he  will  bo  the  best  farmer,  and  even 
the  best  woodsman  or  well-digger,  as  be  will  be 
the  best  liwyt-r,  the  gi'eatest  la^ro.  and  the  great- 
est statesman,  who  shall  have  studied  most  widely 
■md  profoundly,  and  shall  have  labored  most  cure- 
fully  and  most  assiduously. 

There  is  another  prejudice   even  more  injurious 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


47 


than  that  which  I  have  thug  exposed.  The  far- 
mer's son  is  averse  from  the  father's  calling.  He 
does  not  intend  to  pursue  it,  and  is  always  look- 
ing for  some  gate  hy  which  to  escape  from  it. 
The  prejudice  is  hereditary  in  the  farm-house. 
The  farmer  himself  is  not  content  with  his  occu- 
pation ;  nor  is  the  farmer'  s  wife  any  more  so. 
They  regard  it  as  an  humble,  toilsome,  and  laljori- 
ous  one  ;  they  continually  fret  about  its  privations 
and  hardships,  and  thus  they  unconsciously  raise 
in  their  children  a  disgust  towards  it.  Is  not  this 
frequently  sol  Is  there  a  farmer  here  who  does 
not  desire,  not  to  say  seek,  to  procure  for  his  son 
a   cadet's  or  a  midshipman's  warrant,  a  desk  in 


not  at  all  exempt  them  from  the  practices  of  in- 
dustry ;  and  that  notwithstanding  the  current  use 
of  the  figures  of  speech,  "wearied  limbs,  sweating 
brows,  hardened  sinews,  and  rough  and  blackened 
hands,"  there  is  no  avocation  in  our  country  that 
rewards  so  liberally  with  hesilth,  wealth  and  jionor 
a  given  application  of  well  directed  industry,  as 
does  that  of  the  farmer.  If  he  is  surpassed  by 
others  in  other  pursuits,  it  is  not  because  their 
avocations  are  preferable  to  his  own,  but  because, 
while  he  has  neglected  education  and  training, 
they  took  care  to  secure  both. 

When  these  convictions  shall  have  entered  the 
farm-hcmse.,  its  respectability  and  dignity  will  be 


the  village  lawyer's   office,   a  chair  in  the  physi-  confessed.     Its  occupants  will  regard  their  dwell- 
cian's  study,  or  a  place  behind  the  counter  in  the  ings  and  grounds  not  as  irksome  scenes  of  humili 


country  store,  in  preference  to  training  him  to  the 
labors  of  the  farm  ?  I  fear  that  there  is  scarcely 
a  farmer's  son  who  would  not  fly  to  accept  such 
a  position,  or  a  farmer's  dauglitcr  who  would  not 
prefer  almost  any  settlement  in  town  or  city,  to 
the  domestic  cares  of  th-e  farm-house  and  the 
dairy. 

Whence  is  this  prejudice  1  It  has  come  down  to 
us  from  ages  of  barbarism.  In  the  savage  state, 
agricultural  labor  is  despised,  because  bravery  in 
battle  and  skill  in  the  chase  must  be  encouraged ; 
and  so  heroism  is  still  requisite  for  the  public  de- 
fence in  the  earlier  stages  of  civilization,  and  the 
tiller  of  the  soil,  therefore,  rises  slowly  from  the 
condition  of  a  villain,  a  serf,  or  a  slave.  Never- 
theless, ancient,  and  almost  universal  as  this  preju- 
dice is,  I  am  sure  that  it  is  unnatural  to  mankind, 
in  ripened  civilization,  such  as  that  to  which  we 
have  arrived.  Of  all  classes  of  society  we  have  the 
least  need  of  hunters ;  and  we  employ  very  few 
soldiers,  while  the  whole  structure  of  society  hinges 
on  the  Agricultural  interest.  A  taste,  nay  a  pas- 
sion for  Agriculture  is  inherent  and  universal 
among  men.  The  soldier  or  the  sailor  cares  little 
for  learning,  mechanics  or  music  ;  but  the  solace 
of  his  weary  watchings  and  his  midnight  dreams, 
are  recollections  of  a  cottage  home.  The  mer- 
chant's anxieties  and  the  lawyer's  studies  are 
prosecuted  patiently  for  the  ultiuiate  end  of  grace 
ful  repose  in  a  country  seat ;  and  lunatics,  men  and 
women,  are  won  back  to  the  sway  of  reason  by  the 
indulgence  of  labor  in  the  harvest  field,  and  the 
culture  of  fruits  and  flowers  in  the  garden  of  the 
Asylum 

I  know  that  frivolous  persons,  in  what  is  called 
fashionable  society,  who  sleep  till  noon,  still  con- 
tinue to  depreciate  and  despise  rural  pursuits  and 
pleasures.  But  what  are  the  opinions  of  sue! 
minds  worth  ?  They  equally  depreciate  and  de 
spise  all  labor,  all  industry,  all  enterprise  and  all 
effort;  and  they  reap  their  just  reward  in  weari 
ness  of  themselves,  and  in  the  conteu)pt  of  those 
who  value  hum.an  talents,  not  by  the  depth  in 
which  they  ai'e  buried  but  by  the  extent  of  their 
employment  for  the  benefit  of  mankind. 

The  prejudice,  however,  must  be  expelled  from 
the  farmer's  fireside;  and  the  farmer  and  his  wife 
must  do  this  themselves.  It  is  as  true  in  this  case 
as  is  the  more  practical  one  which  the  rustic  poet 
had  in  view  : — 

"Tlie  wife  loo,  must  hushsnd,  as  well  as  the  man, 
Or  farewell,  ihy  husbandry,  do  what  thou  can." 

Letthem  remember  that  in  well  constituted 
and  highly  advanced  society  like  ymirs,  iutellectu- 
al  cultivation  relieves  men  from  hibor,  but  it  does 


ating  labor,  but  as  their  own  permanent  home, 
and  the  homestead  of  their  clnldren  and  tlieir  pos- 
terity. Affections  unknown  before,  and  new  born 
emulations,  will  suggest  motives  to  improvement, 
embellishment,  refinement,  with  the  introduction 
of  useful  and  elegant  studies  and  arts  which  will 
render  the  paternal  roof,  as  it  ought  to  be,  at- 
tractive to  the  young,  and  the  farmer's  life  har- 
monious with  their  tastes,  and  satisfactory  to 
their  ambition.  Then  the  farmer's  sons  will  de- 
sire and  demand  education  as  liberal  as  that  now 
chiefly  conferred  on  candidates  for  professional 
life,  and  will  subject  themselves  to  discipline,  in 
acquiring  the  art  of  Agriculture,  as  rigorous  as 
that  endured  by  those  who  apprentice  themselves 
to  other  vocations. 


DISEASj 


•  For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
3D  PliUM  TREES. 


In  reply  to  the  inquiries  of  your  correspondent 
"W.  R.  C,"  I  would  say,  there  are  various  opin- 
ions in  reference  to  this  malady  or  disease  of  the 
plum  tree.  I  am  very  well  satisfied,  from  personal 
oliservation,  that  the  circulation  of  the  sap  has 
nothing  to  do  with  forming  the  wart,  so  prevalent 
in  many  sections  of  the  country.  But  a  disease 
probably  arising  from  an  insect  that  works  its  pas- 
sage into  the  vei'y  heart  and  pith  of  the  twig,  or 
branch  affected.  I  observe  that  this  insect  ascends 
upwards,  and  in  order -to  exterminate  its  ravages, 
the  branch  should  be  cut  at  least  one  foot  below 
the  wart,  and  as  much  farther  as  is  found  necessa- 
ry, until  you  come  to  sound,  healthy  wood  and 
pith,  even  if  the  whole  tree  goes  in  consequence. 
Then  burn  the  cuttings.  lam  satisfied  that  if  one 
tree  is  left  to  destruction,  that  the  disease  is  as  con- 
tagious to  the  remaining  ones  c's  the  3-enow8  to  a 
peach  orchard.  1  have  many  standard  plum  trees 
and  many  in  nursery  rows,  all  of  which  are  in  a 
sound,  healthy  condition  ;  it  has  always  been  my 
practice  to  watch  earel'ully  this  disease,  and  cut 
Ireely,  sparing  no  imperfection  of  wood.  I  have 
seen  plum  trees  not  fifty  rods  apart,  some  clean 
and  round  and  others  literary  covered  with  black 
warts  ;  therefore  no  one  will  presume  that  locality 
has  much  to  do  with  the  disease.      G.  B.  Slade. 

Somcrsei,  Dec,  18<52. 


Corn  Shelleu. — The  Pennsylvania  Farm  Jour- 
nal; published  at  Westchester,  says  a  macl  ine  for 
shelling  corn  was  presented  at  their  late  State  Fair, 
that,  worked  by  one  horse,  had  shelled,  and  was 
warranted  to  shell  80  bushels  o"corn  per  houi  ! 


48 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Jan. 


VEGETABLE  CUTTER. 

When  hay  is  selling  at  $20  to  $25  the  ton,  it 
becomes  the  farmer  to  cast  about  him  and  see 
whether  any  unusual  methods  can  be  practiced  to 
save  fodder,  or  to  feed  out  what  he  has  with  more 
economy.  Plants  feed  more  readily  upon  flnely 
comminuted  manures,  as  they  impart  their  juices 
more  readily,  and  in  this  form  may  be  mingled 
more  generally  throughout  the  soil.  So  cattle  re- 
ceive the  nutrient  jjroperties  of  their  food  with 
greater  ease  when  divided  into  small  particles  by 
our  agency.  It  then  requires  less  mastication,  im- 
parts it  properties  quickly  and  leaves  the  creature 
opportunity  for  rumination  and  rest.  Beside  this, 
it  is  a  matter  of  economy.  Corn-stalks  divided  by 
the  cutting  machine  and  mixed  with  meal  or  shorts, 
will  be  mostly  consumed  by  the  cattle,  and  will 
impart  considerable  nourishment.  But  roots  are 
more  difficult  to  be  eaten  without  being  divided 
than  the  grasses  or  corn-stalks.  Given  whole, 
they  are  a  perplexing,  laborious  and  dangerous 
fodder. 

The  above  engraving  represents  a  machine  which 
will  obviate  all  these  difficulties  and  also  prove 
economical. 

The  cutting  wheel  is  made  of  cast  iron,  faced  on 
one  side,  through  which  are  inserted  three  knives 
like  plane-irons.  These  cut  the  vegetables  into 
thin  slices  with  great  rapidity,  and  then  by  cross- 
knives  they  are  cut  into  strips  of  convenient  form 
and  size  for  cattle  or  sheep  to  eat,  without  danger 
of  being  choked.  The  pieces  after  being  cut,  lie 
loosely  and  anglingly  together,  and  can  easily  be 


taken  up  by  the  animal.  The  machine  is  capable 
of  cutting  so  rapidly  as  to  leave  no  olyectlou  to  it 
on  that  account. 


For  the  Tfew  England  Farmer. 

GOOSEBERRIES. 

I  have  cultivated  the  Avild  gooseberry  for  several 
years,  and  find  that  there  are  a  great  many  varie- 
ties of  them  ;  some  of  which  have  thorns  and  oth- 
ers do  not,  and  some  have  fine  thorns  and  very 
tliick,  others  have  large,  stout,  sharp  ones. 

Some  are  good  growers  and  bearers,  while  oth- 
ers are  neither.  I  have  two  varieties  that  I  think 
maybe  very  valuable,  one  of  which  I  found  in  this 
town  ;  the  bushes  gr<)\v  large  and  bear  heavily,  and 
almost  entirely  thornless.  The  other,  I  found  on 
the  farm  occupied  by  Mr.  Fabyan,  at  the  White 
Mountains.  The  fruit  is  large  and  sweet ;  the 
bushes  have  large  thorns,  bear  abundantly,  and  are 
great  growers.  The  bushes  of  this  variety  grow 
larger  than  I  ever  saw  any  other  kind — I  have 
seen  them  six  feet  high.  Yours,  &c., 

B.  F.  Cutter. 

Pelham,  N.  H.,  Nov.  6,  1852.    . 


AGRICULTURAL  LECTURES. 

The  attention  of  the  reader  is  particularly  called 
to  a  circular  in  this  paper  from  a  committee  re- 
cently appointed  by  the  "Massachusetts  State 
Board  of  Agriculture,"  on  the  sulyect  of  agricul- 
tural lectures.  Although  a  large  proportion  of  the 
population  of  our  State  is  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits,  we  have  no  knowledge  that  half  a  dozen 
lectures  upon  the  topics  in  which  the  farmer  is 
most  interested,  are  delivered  in  the  course  of  a 
year.     Why  is  it  that  this  important  class  and  in- 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


49 


terest  has  been  so  long  overlooked,  leaving  the 
ground  to  be  occupied  by  a  species  of  fungus  liter- 
ature, lialf  imaginary  and  half  infidel  ?  It  is  high 
time  there  was  a  change  in  the  matter  and  style 
of  the  lectures,  now  so  frequent  among  the  people, 
and  we  therefore  thank  the  State  Board  of  Agri- 
culture for  these  timely  suggestions  in  relation  to 
this  great  interest  of  so  large  a  portion  of  our  cit- 
izens. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
IMPORTANT  TO  THE  FARMER. 

Mr.  Editor: — Of  all  the  plans  yet  proposed  for 
the  advancement  of  agricultural  science  among  far- 
mers, there  has  none  yet  been  presented  which  to 
us  seems  so  likely  to  effect  the  object  as  the  one 
recently  proposed  by  the  State  Board  of  Agricul- 
ture, of  sending  lecturers  to  address  lyceums  and 
farmers''  clubs  on  tlie  suliject. 

Wiiat  the  present  circumstances  of  the  case  re- 
quire, with  regard  to  agricultural  science,  is,  that 
farmers  as  a  body  should  be  led  to  see  its  impor- 
tance, and  the  advantages  which  would  result  from 
its  application.  This,  a  few  may  learn  from  their 
own  practice  and  observation  ;  a  few  more  may 
be  led  to  appreciate  it,  from  the  facts  they  find  laid 
down  in  agricultural  publications.  But  the  great 
mass  of  those  whose  chief  employment  is  the  cul- 
tivation of  the  soil,  do  not  see,  much  less  read, 
such  publications,  because  they  do  not  believe  in 
them.  What  successful  practice  may  have  done 
for  them,  they  will  try  again,  and  under  like  cir- 
cumstances will  probably  meet  with  like  success. 
Should  circumstances,  however,  vary,  either  in  the 
nature  of  the  soil  upon  which  they  operate,  or  in 
the  capricious  fluctuations  of  the  season,  both 
which,  to  some  extent,  may  be  regulated  by  fixed 
laws  of  the  farmer's  own  application,  they  become 
nonplussed,  and  are  ready  to  denounce  all  obser- 
vation as  the  chief  of  vanities.  It  is  the  want  of 
practice  and  observation  that  becomes  the  precur- 
sor of  failure,  and  the  absence  of  scientific  knowl- 
edge that  leads  men  to  declaim  against  it. 

But  let  scientific  lectures  on  agriculture  be  car- 
ried into  the  lyceum  or  club  room,  and  you  carry 
them  within  the  reach  of  all — those  who  are  al- 
ready wise  in  their  own  estimation,  and  those  who 
sit  meekly  seeking  for  wisdom.  Let  a  stranger 
go  to  give  these  lectures  and  all  will  be  sure  to  be 
there,  to  see  how  the  man  looks,  what  he  has  to 
say,  and  very  possibly  some  will  go  to  confute  all 
he  says. 

No  matter,  they  will  all  be  there,  and  then  is 
the  time,  and  that  is  the  place,  to  unfold  the  sub- 
ject in  all  its  attractions  of  thought-inspiring,  pleas- 
ure-giving, profit-yielding  influence.  All  may  not, 
to  be  sure,  derive  equal  benefit  from  these  lectures, 
yet  all  will  gain  something — some  very  much.  If 
the  father  does  not  feel  particular  interest,  John 
or  Tommy  may  get  an  idea  that  will  sprout  and 
grow  wonderfully,  and  finally  become  a  headful 
of  ideas,  flowing  out  and  flying  over  the  land.  It 
may  be  that  half  a  dozen  Johns  and  Tommies  will 
be  there,  and  each  and  all,  get  inoculated  with 
that  love  of  science  which  only  can  be  satisfied  by 
constant  draughts  on  her  deep,  pure  fountains.  If 
so,  the  commonwealth  will  soon  have  the  solid 
capital  (the  capital  of  intellect)  necessary  to  es- 
tablish and  sustain  what  her  wisest  and  best  sons 


liave  long  wished  to  see  in  successful  operation, — 
an  agricultural  school.  Produce  the  scholars,  and 
such  a  school  must,  in  the  order  of  things,  come 
into  existence.  Produce  the  scholars,  such  schol- 
ars as  have  capacity  to  learn,  and  a  disposition  to 
gratify  that  capacity,  and  the  existence  of  such  a 
8i!hool  will  be  a  healthful  and  growing  one.  Let 
one  such  class  of  scholars  graduate  and  scatter  to 
the  north  and  the  south,  the  east  and  the  west,  to 
the  hill-top  and  the  valley  ;  and  there  let  their 
knowledge  flow  out  in  living  works  of  improvement, 
and  such  a  school — more,  many  such  schools  would 
become  permanent  fixtures  in  the  land. 

And  then,  what  a  glorious  land  this  of  ours, 
which  we  now  call  "the  glory  of  all  lands,"  would 
be  !  A  land  where  the  plow-boy,  instead  of  "whis- 
tling for  want  of  thought,"  with  eye  beaming  with 
intelligence  and  heart  expanding  under  surround- 
ing influences,  would  be  all  thought,  all  action. 
lie  would  learn  that  the  natural  world  has  trea- 
sures even  beyond  his  imagination,  rich  beyond 
his  conception, — beauties  that  he  never  dreamed 
of,  wonders  that  have  never  been  explored,  system 
and  order  and  perfection  the  most  lovely  and  sub- 
lime, all  his  (jwu,  scattering  their  treasures  plen- 
teous as  dew-drops  in  his  path,  while  he  is  labor- 
ing to  cause  the  earth  to  give  seed  to  the  sower 
fur  future  harvests,  and  bread  for  the  eater  when 
he  fainteth. 

We  do  not  think  it  a  visionary  Idea,  in  any  way, 
to  suppose  that  a  few  such  lectures  as  the  Board 
of  Agriculture  propose,  sprinkled  over  the  common- 
wealth, would  be  the  means  of  starting  one  or 
more  agricultural  schools.  We  think  it  the  surest 
method  that  can  be"  adopted  to  bring  such  schools 
into  speedy  existence,  for  the  very  nature  of  such 
lectures  would  point  to  the  advantages  that  such 
schools  would  afford,  as  truly  and  as  fixedly  as 
the  needle  points  to  the  pole  star.  It  is  not  until 
men  see  and  feel  the  advantages  which  are  likely 
to  result  from  a  specified  enterprise,  that  they  will 
embark  in  that  enterprise.  And  such  lectures 
must  surely  be  the  key  which  will  open  to  the  pub- 
lic mind  the  advantages  of  such  institutions. 

Another  advantage  would  be,  the  tendency  to 
re-model  these  lyceums  and  render  them  more  in- 
teresting in  their  nature,  and  more  important  in 
character. 

Many  of  them,  as  they  now  exist  in  our  country 
towns,  can  hardly  be  said  to  be  of  any  avail,  from 
the  fact  that  they  are  not  managed  in  a  way  cal- 
culated to  insure  success.  Debating  is,  to  a  great 
extent,  the  order  of  their  exercises,  and  the  top- 
ics introduced  are  enough  to  confound  wise  heads 
and  strong  minds.  Yet  on  these  subjects,  mere 
school-boys  will  toil  and  tug,  labor  and  contend, 
and  one  party  is  sure  to  come  off  conqueror — very 
likely  on  a  subject  with  whose  merits,  he  is,  after 
all,  as  ignorant  as  he  is  of  the  physical  structure 
of  the  most  distant  planet.  It  has  hitherto  been 
an  objection  to  these  institutions  that  the  aspirants 
have  reached  too  far,  and  grasped  at  too  much, 
and  hence,  have  failed  of  securing  any  thing  sub- 
stantial. If  they  will  familiarize  themselves  with 
common  topics,  which  every  day  present  them- 
selves for  investigation,  until  the  mind  becomes 
familiar  with  them,  they  will  increase  in  knowl- 
edge faster,  and  of  course  become  more  fit  for  more 
far  off  things  and  those  requiring  deeper  research. 

These  lectures  will  have  a  tendency  to  turn  the 
channel  in  the  course  of  proceeding,  and  call  the 


50 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Jan. 


mind  in  from  its  wanderings  on  the  distant  and 
unavailing,  tu  the  home-born  and  practical  things, 
whiefi,  more  than  all  others,  demand  the  atten- 
tion of  men. 

We  see  still  other  benefits  arising  from  this 
course  of  sencHng  forth  lecturers  on  agricultural 
science,  of  which  we  name  one  more  and  close. 

It  is  an  old  maxim,  that  like  produces  like,  and 
upon  this  principle,  we  can  see  no  objection  to  tlie 
belief  tliat  in  every  Ij'ceum  or  club,  to  which  the 
board  shall  send  a  lecturer,  one,  two,  three,  per- 
haps more,  young  men  will  set  tliemselvea  to  work 
in  earnest  to  become  lecturers  in  their  turn,  and 
thus  a  regular  succession  or  course  be  given  during 
the  continuance  of  the  meetings.  Don't  cringe, 
young  man,  at  the  idea,  and  say  you  can't  do  it. 
Others,  whose  capacities  were  not  a  whit  superior 
to  yours,  have  done  it,  and  a  young  American  far- 
mer, especially  a  Yankee  Hxrmer,  ought  to  blush  if 
the  idea  crosses  his  mind  that  he  cannot  do  what 
others,  under  no  more  favorable  circumstances, 
have  done.  Young  men  !  supposing  you  try.  What 
if  you  do  take  some  of  the  natural  sciences  (they 
aU  belong  to  the  flirmer)  that  you  are  not  familiar 
with,  and  as  you  study,  with  nature  for  your 
teacher,  bring  the  result  of  your  researches  and 
lay  them  before  your  fellows.  Thus  you  may  learn, 
and  by  learning,  become  a  teacher,  a  lecturer. 
And  your  success  may  encourage  others  to  adopt 
the  same  course — beneficial  to  themselves,  encour- 
aging and  salutary  to  others.  Young  men  !  Again 
we  say  try.  The  leisure  of  winter,  the  beauties 
and  availability  of  science,  the  culture  of  the  intel- 
lect, the  dignity  of  your  nature,  everything,  all 
things  invite  to  it.  Try  it,  and  in  due  time  a  suc- 
cess, cheering  and  honorable,  will  be  sure  to  crown 
your  labor.  ^v.  u 

Elmwood,  Dec.  20,  1852. 


PIG  RAISING  I^r  MISSISSIPPI. 

Some  of  our  Suffolk  pigs  have  got  out  into  Mis- 
sissippi, and  as  they  seem  to  have  met  with  a  kind 
reception  and  find  themselves  in  pretty  tall  feed,  the 
following  letter,  from  a  correspondent  to  whom 
we  had  sent  several  pigs,  describing  the  manner  in 
which  they  are  turned  to  grass  there,  will  amuse 
by  the  contrast  which  it  affords  between  our  mode 
of  preparing  the  porkers  and  theirs. 

On  my  way  home  I  found  the  pigs,  and  must 
express  my  thanks  fitr  your  prompt  attentions  ;  the 
sow  is  a  treasure.  I  have  bought  many  hogs,  and 
have  been  feeding  them,  man  and  boy,  some  30  to 
35  years,  and  I  never  yet  saw  a  hog  which  I  think 
will  suit  this  country  like  this.  Two  planting 
friends  came  here  to-day  to  see  them,  and  both 
of  them  think  as  I  say.  The  boar  is  good  enough, 
but  not  so  fine  in  his  points.  I  have  now  under 
my  immediate  care  11  young  sows  and  a  boar, 
nearly  as  old  as  the  one  you  sent,  and  though  good 
hogs,  they  don't  look  at  all  well  now  by  the  side 
of  yours.  Many  of  you  ice-bound  folks  if  at  my 
hog-house,  would  be  iu(Juced  to  envy  even  my  hogs 
one  thing — sweet  potatoes.  I  am  cooking  about 
20  bushels  daily,  and  such  potatoes  as  you  buy  by 
the  pound.  I  have  72  hogs  up  flitting,  fed  with 
boiled  meal,  hasty  pudding,  with  pumpkins,  and 
with  boiled  potatoes  and  meal,  food  changed.  I 
cook  3  bushels  of  meal  at  a  time,  and  then  about 
10  bushels  of  potatoes,  giving  hogs  a  feed  of  raw 


potatoes,  and  a  little  raw  corn,  merely  to  get  them 
not  to  tii-e  on  cooked  food.  I  think  I  will  kill  some 
25  head  which  will  run  from  175  to  275 — these  be- 
ing even  larger  than  is  always  safe  in  this  latitude. 
I  have  now  growing  as  a  pasture  for  hogs  10  acres 
in  clover,  oats  and  barley,  intending  to  turn  my 
brood  sows  and  pigs  tlicreon,  say  January,  which 
I  suppose  will  keep  tliem  until  oats  are  ripe,  about 
June  10.  To-morrow  I  turn  my  young  sows  and 
hogs  into  a  10  acre  potato  patch,  from  wliich  we 
are  now  digging.  In  tlie  same  field,  T  have  about 
15  acres  of  oats,  up  well,  about  1  acre  in  clover, 
sown  last  December  and  now  several  inches  high; 
this  pasture  will  keep  them  near  2  months. 

I  suppose  you  know  not  our  winter  oat ;  we  can 
thus  have  a  pasture  all  year.  I  also  sow  barley, 
but  rye  will  not  do  w(A\.  After  trying  it  many 
years,  even  sowing  down  20  to  50  or 70  acres  in 
the  fall,  for  pasture,  I  find  I  have  to  buy  seed  about 
every  3d  year,  as  it  seems  to  almost  run  out.  My 
plan  is,  sow  on  cotton  or  corn  land,  without  the 
plow,  graze  all  winter  and  plow  in,  in  the  spring — 
reserving  enough  for  seed.  This  spring  I  turned 
under  over  80  acres.  I  had  some  20  acres  sown 
down  with  oats  and  barley  mixed,  for  hog  feed 
principally,  and  will  continue  until  I  have  sown 
110  acres — intending  to  plow  all  under  next  spring, 
except  perhaps  20  acres. 

I  am,  dear  sir,  yours  with  respect, 

M.  W.  Phillips. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
FARM  HOUSES. 

Mr.  Editor  : — Being  about  to  build  a  f\irm 
house,  I  have  concluded  to  build  of  strips,  or  tim- 
ber, sawed  4  inches  wide  and  1^  inches  thick,  fas- 
tened together  by  nailing  from  one  piece  to  another, 
and  carrying  up  all  the  walls  and  partition  togeth- 
er ;  the  walls  to  be  1^  story  high  and  plastering 
on  the  inside  of  the  walls  for  a  finish.  I  wish  to 
inquire  of  you,  or  some  of  your  subscribers,  if  the 
outside  could  be  plastered  or  finished  with  concrete 
or  hydraulic  cement,  and  then  painted  and  pen- 
ciled in  imitation  of  granite,  so  as  to  be  durable. 
If  so,  how  to  be  put  on,  whether  to  put  on  a  coat 
of  plaster  first  or  not.  Plastering  on  the  outside 
of  buildings  is  generally  not  durable  ;  but  I  should 
think  that  concrete  might  be. 

An  answer  to  the  above  inquiry  will  be  thank- 
fully received  by  a  subscriber.  E.  Camp. 

Chelsea,   Vt.,  Dec.  14,  1852. 


Rejiarks. — Some  of  our  readers  undoubtedly 
possess  the  required  knowledge,  and  we  hope  will 
communicate  it. 


POTASH  WATER. 

The  editor  of  the  Farmer  and  Planter,  publish- 
ed at  Pendleton,  S.  C,  in  cautioning  people  to  use 
all  alkalies  with  great  care  when  applied  to  fruit 
trees,  says  ;  "Two  springs  since  we  killed  some 
young  trees  by  applying  too  liberally  a  solution  of 
one  pound  of  pearlash  and  one  pint  of  soft  soap 
in  three  gallons  of  water.  A  very  dry  spell  fol- 
lowed the  application,  and  hence  not  being  washed 
ofiF,  the  caustic  liquid  turned  the  bark  of  several 
trees  quite  yellow,  and  much  injured  those  that  es- 
caped." 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


51 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
STATE  BOARD  OF  AGRICULTURE. 

Editor  of  tiik  N.  E.  Farmer  : — Gentlemen — As 
your  paper  lias  noted  with  more  distinctness,  than 
any  other,  the  action  of  the  jMassachusetts  Board 
of  Ao;riculture  ;  and  as  the  important  question  of 
selecting  a  permanent  Secretary  of  the  Board,  re- 
mains to  he  considered ;  I  beg  leave  to  give  you  a 
few  brief  minutes  of  a  conversation  that  I  Iiadwith 
an  intelligent  friend  to  the  cause  as  to  the  qualifi- 
cations (h'liiandcd  in  the  office. 

He  remarked,  that  the  persim  selected  sliould 
have  much  knowledge  of  the  details  of  a  farmer's 
life,  in  order  to  secure  the  confidence  and  good 
will  of  the  farmers  themselves.  He  sliould  be  a 
scientific  agriculturist,  to  some  extent,  at  least,  in 
order  to  raise  and  elevate  the  farming  community  ; 
not  by  any  parade  of  science,  which  would  soon 
bring' him  into  contempt;  but  by  combining  and 
speaking  intelligently  of  the  vast  amount  of  facts, 
which  would  naturally  come  to  his  knowledge. 

He  should  be  easy  and  approachable  in  his  man- 
ners. He  ought  to  possess  great  facility,  both  in 
writing  and  speaking,  to  meet  the  demand  of  an 
extensive  correspondence,  and  to  respond  to  the 
numerous  societies  now  coming  into  being,  in  which 
opportunities  for  dning  good  are  constantly  afford- 
ed, lie  ought  to  be  able  to  act  as  a  mediator  to 
conciliate  the  prejudices  which  still  exist  to  some 
extent,  in  the  minds  of  the  fanners  in  relation  to 
their  more  weidthy  neighliors  ;  and  in  the  minds 
of  men  of  wealth,  in  relation  to  the  operative  farm- 
ers. 

He  should  be  willing  to  devote  himself,  body  and 
mind,  assiduously  to  the  work  ;  and  divest  himself 
entirely  of  all  the  obnoxious  isins  of  the  day — either 
in  politics  or  religion.  The  question  is,  where  can 
such  a  man  be  found?  If  a  young  man  is  to  be 
selected,  he  must  have  time  for  preparation,  time 
to  visit  Europe,*  and  other  States  in  our  own  coun- 
try, before  he  enters  upon  the  duties  of  the  office. 
In  the  opinion  of  this  gentleman,  it  would  be  more 
creditable  to  the  State  to  select  such  a  man  and 
give  him  this  privilege ;  than  to  attempt  to  mould 
one  into  form  who  has  not  now  these  qualifications  ; 
and  is  too  far  gone  to  acquire  them.  If  these  sug- 
gestions shall  be  deemed  by  you  pertinent  to  the 
season  of  the  New  Year,  they  are  at  your  service. 

January  1,  1853. 


SPLENDID   FRUIT. 

We  have  received  from  Mr.  G.  W.  Lake,  of 
Topsfield,  a  box  of  the  most  perfectly  shaped  and 
beautiful  Northern  Spy  apples  that  we  ever  saw. 
Mr.  Lake  will  please  accept  our  hearty  thanks  for 
producing  such  valuable  fruit.  We  also  have  be- 
fore us  a  box  of  the  same  apples  sent  us  from 
Rochester,  N.  Y.  These  specimens,  one  grown 
where  the  apple  originated  in  western  New  York, 
and  the  other  in  the  cold  New  England  climate, 
will  satisfy  all,  we  think,  tliat  the  Northern  Spy 
may  be  successfully  raised  here.  INIr.  Lake's  are 
larger,  fairer,  and  much  higher  colored  than  the 
western  apples. 

The  Northern  Spy  keeps  better  than  the  Bald- 
win, and  its  flavor  is  equally  as  good. 

Will  Mr.  Lake  inform  us  whetlier  these  apples 
grew  from  scions  set  in  (ild  trees,  or  from  budded 
or  grafted  nursery  trees,  and  what  his  opinion  is 
as  to  its  bearing  properties,  hardiness,  &c. 


*If  I  (Jo  not  mistake,  the  late  Prof.  Norton  of  Yale  College 
was  selected  and  sent  abroad  for  ruialificatioii.  Several  of  the 
most  einiiieiit  professors  in  our  colleges  have  been  thus  cho- 
sen. Such  is  the  st^te  of  society  among  us,  and  such  are  the 
limited  means  of  most  young  men,  that  every  one  feels  it  an 
incumheni  duty  to  prepare  for  some  definite  purpose.  As  this 
is  a  new  object,  it  is  not  to  be  expected  that  men  will  be 
found  ready  made.  To  be  sure,  President  Hitchcock  was 
thought  to  lie  such  a  man.  It  is  ever  to  lie  regretted,  that  he 
did  not  accent  ihe  office,— at  least,  until  someone  could  be 
found,  "worthy  and  well  qualified.'' 


TO  ADVERTISERS. 

It  will  be  seen  by  a  paragraph  in  another  column 
that  we  have  distributed,  during  the  year  1852, 
more  than  six  hundred  thousand  copies  of  the  New 
England  Farmer-.  This  fact  will  show  that  as  an 
advertising  medium  for  farms,  stock,  implements, 
or  any  of  the  wants  of  the  farmer  or  gardener,  or 
for  those  scehng  agricultural  employment,  it  offers 
advantages  unsurpassed  by  any  other  medium  in 
the  country.     For  terms  see  advertising  columns. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

CULTURE  OF  INDIAN  CORN. 

Often  have  we  heard  the  remark  made  by  expe- 
rienced practical  farmers,  that  they  did  not  be- 
lieve in  the  growing  of  one  hundred  bushels  of 
sound  Indian  corn,  upon  an  acre  of  land,  when 
fairly  measured.  And  sometimes  we  have  been 
more  than  half  inclined  to  give  heed  to  these  as- 
sertions in  relation  to  our  Massachusetts  land. 
Because  we  have  often  grown  corn  on  land  of  su- 
perior quality,  highly  manured,  with  best  of  care, 
and  not  raised  so  much  as  one  hundred  bushels  to 
the  acre.  In  flict,  we  do  not  remember  to  have 
seen  this  amount  of  crop,  when  fairly  dried  and 
measured.  Our  attention  is  called  to  this  fiict,  by 
the  extraordinary  crops  reported  the  present  sea- 
son from  the  county  of  Plymouth,  where  the  land 
is  not  superior  to  that  of  other  counties  of  the 
State.  The  supervisor  reports  the  following  crops: 

Calvin  Leavitt 122  10-85  bushels. 

George  Wood 102  10-85        " 

Richard  Sampson 96  40-85        " 

Martin  Leonard 94  70-85        " 

Philander  Wood 92  80-85        " 

William  Wood 92  60-85        " 

Here  are  six  acres,  averaging  more  than  one 
hundred  bushels  each,  "according  to  the  measure- 
ment,'' if  our  computation  is  right.  That  the  gen- 
tlemen, who  viewed  these  crops,  reported  truly 
according  to  their  knowledge,  there  is  no  reason 
to  question; — but  that  they  have  the  same  rule 
of  raeasurem3nt,  as  is  adopted  in  Suffilk,  Middle- 
sex and  Essex,  we  should  like  to  be  fully  advised. 
We  have  seen  the  fields  of  corn,  when  growing  in 
Plymouth  county,  and  thought  they  did  not  prom- 
ise more  than  we  have  met  elsewhere.  But  we 
arc  free  to  say,  that  we  do%ot  believe  there  is  any 
other  county  in  the  commonwealth  where  six  acres 
of  corn  will  be  found  to  have  yielded  over  six  hun- 
dred bushels  the  last  season.  If  there  be  any  va- 
riance in  the  rule  of  measurement ;  this  is  a  fair 
subject  to  be  examined  and  made  uniform  by  the 
Board  of  Agriculture.  ^' 

Dec.  13,  1852. 


52 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Jan. 


THE   HYDRAUIilO   RAM. 

The  hydraulic  ram  is  a  simple  mechanical  appara- 
tus, constructed  upon  philosophical  principles,  and 
is  used  very  effectively  in  raising  a  portion  of  the 
water  from  a  spring  or  running  brook  above  the 
level  of  its  fountain  head.  The  following  descrip- 
tion, it  is  believed,  will  be  easily  understood.  Sup- 
pose a  water  pipe  is  laid  along  down  the  course  ol 
the  stream  througli  which  the  water  is  required  to 
pass.  The  lower  end  of  the  pipe  is  closed,  and 
near  that  extremity  is  an  orifice  on  the  upper  side 
which  is  opened  and  closed  on  the  inside  by  a  pup- 
pet valve  shaped  something  like  an  inverted  barrel 
bung.  There  is  also  another  similar  orifice  and 
valve  opening  outward  from  the  main  pipe,  ond 
into  an  air  vessel.  Now  let  both  valves  be  closed. 
As  there  is  then  no  means  of  escape  for  the  water 
in  the  pipe  leading  from  the  spring,  it  is  brought 
to  a  state  of  rest.  The  valve  opening  inward  is 
loaded,  so  that  its  gravity  is  greater  than  the  pres- 
sure of  the  water  at  rest  in  the  pipe  ;  it  conse- 
quently falls  into  the  pipe,  leaving  the  orifice  open, 
through  which  the  water  immediately  begins  to 
rush  with  increasing  velocity,  until  its  momentum 
becomes  such  as  to  push  up  the  valve  to  its  place 
in  the  orifice.  The  momentum  of  the  water  sud- 
denly stopped  in  its  course,  is  such  as  to  lift  up 
the  other  valve  opening  outward  into  the  air  ves- 
sel, through  whicii  the  water  ruslies,  compressing 
the  air  into  a  smaller  compass,  until  the  re-action 
of  the  air  is  in  equilibrium  with  the  action  of  the 
water,  when  the  valve  No.  2  falls  back  to  its  place 
and  prevents  the  water  in  the  air  vessel  going  back 
again  into  the  main  pipe.  The  water  in  the  main 
pipe  then  having  no  escape,  is  again  brought  to 
rest,  whereupon  valve  No.  1  falls  down  again  by 
its  own  weight,  and  the  process  is  again  repeated. 
From  the  air  vessel  a  discharging  pipe  leads  off  to 
the  upper  story  of  a  house,  or  any  other  place 
where  the  water  is  wanted,  to  which  point  it  is 
driven  by  the  elasticity  of  the  compressed  air  in 
the  vessel.  Of  course  the  amount  of  water  raised, 
compared  to  the  whole,  will  be  in  inverse  ratio  to 
the  elevation  of  the  discharging  point  above  the 
fountain-head.  The  momentum  of  the  blow  forc- 
ing the  water  into  the  air  vessel  when  the  valve 
closes,  was  well  illustrated  at  the  time  the  foun- 
tain was  first  put  in  action  on  Boston  Common, 
where,  it  will  be  recollected,  the  momentum  of 
the  water  was  so  great  at  the  sudden  stoppage  of 
the  jet,  as  to  burst  the  pipes  and  deluge  the  Com- 
mon.— Journal. 


Catiiea'  JDepartmint. 

THOUGHTS  AND  DOINGS  OF  A  HOUSE- 
KEEPER. 

BY   FRANCES    1).    GAGE. 

Hi !  ho  I  hum  !  I  suppose  I  must  get  up  ;  if  I 
don't  Biddy  won't  get  that  wasli-fire  going  in  sea- 
son. But  0,  what  hard  work  it  is  now-a-days  to 
get  up.  I  am  old  and  stiff.  Well,  well,  I'm  not 
so  young  as  I  was  twenty  years  ago  ;  but  what  of 
tiiat  ?  I  hope  my  years  have  been  years  of  service, 
and  my  elasticity  has  not  gone  for  evil.  How 
beautifully  that  robin  sings  upon  the  peach-tree  ; 
poor  felhjw  !  it  is  cold  this  n)orning,  and  the  snow 
lies  upon  his  perch  ;  ])ut  his  note  is  as  gay  and 
cheery  as  in  the  balmy  spring  morning  of  last 
week.  The  birds  never  grumble  or  make  discord- 
ant notes,  and  they  never  fail  to  shake  off  their 
drnwsy  slumbers  with  the  first  beams  of  sunsliine. 

Thank  thee,  dear  bird  of  mine,  for  thy  melodious 
hint,  that  it  is  time  to  get  up  ;  so  away  with  morn- 
ing reveries. 

lla!  ha  I  Ponto ;  always  ahead  of  me;  good 
fellow  !  And  I  stooped  down  and  patted  his  coal- 
black  head,  and  he  fri.sked  his  joy  around  me  as  if 
we  had  been  separated  for  a  year,  instead  of  only 
one  night-watch.  Down,  Ponto,  down!  Let  me 
tie  my  shoes  and  go  to  my  work. 

"Well,  Biddy,  have  you  got  the  wash-fire  start- 
ed in  the  back  kitchen?" 

"I  have,  ma'am." 

"That's  right.     You 
night?" 

No,  ma'am ;  it  was 


did   not  get   home   last 
too   dark    intirelv  to   be 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
WHITE  CLOVER. 

Mr.  Editor  : — Will  you  have  the  goodness  to 
state  through  your  paper,  your  opinion  of  sowing 
white  clover  seed  on  our  old  pastures,  Avhere  they 
are  smooth  and  can  be  harrowed,  in  order  to  revive 
them  after  the  severe  drought  of  summer,  or  being 
killed  by  the  severe  cold  of  winter.  What  is  the 
price  of  the  above-named  seed  1 

0  Zenas  H.  Upham. 

Windham,  Vt.,  Dec.  14,  1852. 


Remarks. — Will  our  associate,  Mr.  Holbrook, 
reply  to  these  inquiries  ? 


5^"  Georgia  flour,  of  superior  quality,  is  becoming 
an  article  of  merchandise  in  Charleston,  S.  C. 


wandering  up  the  brae,  my  love,  and  so  I  was  say- 
ing that  niver  a  bit  you'd  care  if  I  tarried  below, 
barring  I  was  home  in  season  in  the  morning  for 
the  work." 

Ha,  Biddy,  that  crimson  glow  upon  thy  young 
cheek  tells  strange  tales.  It  was  not  the  climbing 
the  brae  in  the  dark,  all  alone,  that  kept  you  down 
at  Paddy  Evan's.  Some  loving  Dennis  from  thy 
own  green  isle,  has  tempted  thee,  and  thy  eyes 
are  dim  with  the  late  night-watch,  and  the  tremu- 
lous sigh  breaks  up  from  thy  heart.  Thou  art  hu- 
man, Biddy,  and  it  is  human  to  love  :  and  maids 
in  the  kitchen  have  hearts  as  softly  impressible  as 
maids  in  the  parlors,  and  as  pure,  too,  for  aught 
I  know.     Biddy  did  not  hear  my  thoughts. 

"Boil  the  praties  with  the  skins  on,  ma'am?" 

"Certainly,  child  ;  I  do  not  tliink  they  are  ever 
so  nice  and  sweet  as  when  Ijoiled  with  the  skins 
on.  Wash  them  nicely,  and  cut  out  carefully  all 
the  defective  parts,  and  boil  them  in  clear  vrater ; 
but  be  sure,  Biddy,  not  to  let  them  boil  too  long — 
turn  off  the  water  as  soon  as  you  can  put  a  fork 
through  them  easily." 

"And  if  the  young  gintlemen  are  ni)t  ready  for 
them,  then  whafU  I  do?" 

"Let  them  set  in  the  kettle,  on  the  top  of  the 
stove,  with  the  lid  tightly  closed  over  theni  ;  it 
will  not  hurt  them  much  to  stand  a  few  minutes." 

The  cherry-cheeked  maiden  went  her  way  as  if 
she  had  learned  something  new — and  may  be  she 
had,  for  though  the  boiling  of  a  potato  seems  to 
lie  a  very  simple  thing,  it's  not  half  the  girls,  or 
Wi>men  either,  that  take  pains  to  do  it  right. 

But  I  declare  those  boys  are  not  up  yet. 

"Will!" 

"Ma'am!" 

"Come  down!  it's  time  you  was  up.     Wake, 


1853. 


NEW  KNGT.AND  FARMER. 


53 


John,  and  Henry  and  George.  Come,  now ;  don't 
go -to  sleep  ajTiiin." 

"We  u'/V/.'" 

Psli-.iw  !  the  fellow  is  so  sleepy  he  does  not  know 
whether  lie  is  saying  yes  or  no.  I  used  to  he  jiist 
so  myself,  and  I  never  go  to  the  door  to  call  my 
own  children,  but  I  tliink  of  my  own  dear  mother 
that  is  gone.  My  mother! — how  often  I  think  ol 
her!  When  I  sweep,  when  I  wash  dishes,  make 
bread — even  when  I  turn  over  the  slice  of  meat  in 
the  dish — I  think  of  her  and  her  gentle  love,  and 
patient  teachings  to  her  wayward  child.  I,  too, 
must  strive  to  be  patient. 

"Biddy,  Biddy  !  it's  time  the  meal  was  over. 
There,  you  may  t;ike  hold  of  the  washing  now.  I 
will  get  the  breakfast  on  the  table  and  attend  to 
these  little  matters,  and  give  you  a  helping  hand, 
by-and-bye.'' 

"And  thanks  to  ye,"  answered  the  cherry-lip, 
"it's  not  often  the  likes  of  ye  goes  into  the  wash- 
tub." 

Poor  thing !  she  thinks  that  her  fate  is  harder 
than  mine,  tliough  I  have  two  cares  to  her  one — 
but  how  thankful  I  am  that  I  know  how  to  get  up 
in  the  morning  and  get  breakfast — know  how  to 
do  it  uiyself,  and  know  when  it  is  done  right.  It 
is  a  glorious  thing  to  feel  independent — to  know 
that  my  happiness  and  comfort,  and  that  of  my 
husband  and  children,  is  not  entirely  in  the  power 
of  a  Biddy,  and  that  if  she  refuses  to  butter  the 
toast,  or  clear  the  coffee,  I  can  do  it  myself,  and 
thus  save  the  murmuring  and  discontent  of  the 
household  in  spite  of  her.  Only  think  of  it,  all  ye 
who  curl  up  your  lip  at  the  insignificayice  of  a 
housekeeper.  Insignificance  indeed !  Here  are 
fifteen  souls  under  this  roof.  Suppose  Biddy  had 
the  washing  all  to  do,  and  the  breakfost  to  get, 
too.  Bidily  would  be  in  a  hurry — feel  impatient — 
vexed,  perhaps — that  she  alone  was  the  busy  one. 
The  coffee  would  not  be  cleared,  the  pork  badly 
cooked,  the  potatoes  spoiled,  &c.  Then  husband 
and  sons  are  disappointed,  out  of  humor  ;  stomachs 
out  of  gear,  and  tempers  in  unison  ;  and  they  go 
away  to  the  workshop  or  oiBce,  speak  harshly  to 
neighbors,'  crusty  to  customers;  grow  nervous, 
spoil  a  job,  get  into  a  fret  and  come  home  to  din- 
ner in  a  fever  ;  look  coldly  on  wife,  spurn  the  ba- 
by, and  grieve  all  hearts,  all  because  wife  or 
daugliter  could  not  get  up  early  and  help  Biddy  get 
the  breakfast.  I'm  glad  the  robin  woke  me  ;  glad 
I  know  how  to  work. 

"Why,  girls,. girls,  you  are  up  too  late  ;  bless 
you  !  you  don't  know  how  much  you  lose  by  in- 
dulging this  last  half-hour  in  bed.  You  must  get 
up  early  if  you  would  have  a  full  measure  of  beau- 
ty— bright  eyes  and  rosy  cheeks.  I  was  just  think- 
ing how  happy  getting  up  in  good  season  and  look- 
ing to  family  comforts,  will  make  us  all.  Only 
think,  Minnie,  dear,  how  nice  to  have  everything 
right  when  we  all  set  down  to  our  morning  meal — 
coffee  clear,  not  a  biscuit  too  brown,  steak  in  order, 
every  plate,  knife  and  fork  in  its  place  ;  smiling 
faces,  grateful  hearts,  and  pleasant  mirth,  not  a 
complaint,  not  a  murmur,  and  all  go  away  with 
the  consciousness,  sitting  like  a  singing  bird  among 
the  fresh  green  leaves  of  family  affection,  warbling 
a  sweet  melody,  that  they  are  loved  and  cared  for. 
0  !  if  there  is  a  thought  that  will  make  a  man 
cheerful,  kind,  generous,  and  honest,  it  is  to  know 
that  he  has  a  tidy,  careful,  industrious  wife  and 
children  at  home.     If  such  a  man  can  be  loved — 


Minnie,  take  down  the  toasting  fork,  dear,  and 
toast  your  pa  a  slice  of  bread — never  mind  the 
boys,  they  are  young  and  can  eat  bread  without 
toasting.  Always  think  of  your  father,  cliild  ;  look 
to  his  comfort  morning,  noon  and  night,  that  the 
lilessingof  his  old  age  may  fall  upon  you.  Nettie, 
love — Ah ,  Tia  ! — here  is  my  baby — 'No  ! ' — Yes  you 
are,  if  sis  years  have  curled  your  little  pate — come, 
kiss  me  now  ;  pretty  big  to  kiss,  ;iin"t  you  ?  There, 
let  sister  Nettie  wash  you  while  mamma  takes  up 
the  breakfast.  Tommy,  get  the  chairs  round  the 
table — call  the  flimily." 


flletljamcs'  JBrpartmnit,  ^rts,  ^t. 

An  Extraordinary  L.aiip. — Among  the  liyt  of  pa- 
tents is  one  taken  out  by  Mr.  E.  Whele,  for  a  can- 
dle lamp  of  very  novel  character.  The  lamp  has 
a  dial  or  clock  face,  and,  as  the  candle  burns,  the 
hands  mark  the  hours  and  minutes  correctly,  and 
a  hammer  strikes  the  time.  As  a  chamber  light 
for  a  sick  room,  it  marks  the  time,  and  can  be  set 
to  strike  at  any  given  periods,  when  the  patient  ■ 
requires  attention.  As  a  night-light  it  marks  the 
time  on  a  transparent  dial,  and  rings  an  alarum  at 
any  stated  period,  and  in  ten  minutes  afterwards 
extinguishes  the  candle,  or  will  continue  to  strike 
every  second  until  the  party  gets  out  of  bed  and 
stops  it ;  and,  if  a  very  heavy  sleeper  requires  to 
be  roused,  it  will  fire  off  a  percussion  cap.  As  a 
table  lamp  it  marks  the  time  and  strikes  the  hours, 
and  has  a  regulator  and  index,  by  which  may  be 
ascertained  the  amount  of  light  and  economy  of 
consumption  of  the  various  makers.  And  all  this 
is  effected  with  very  little  machinery,  which  is  of 
the  most  simple  kind. — Foreign  paper. 


Marbleized  Iron. — The  use  of  iron,  in  its  ap- 
plication to  building  purposes,  seems  to  be  daily 
extending;  its  durability  of  ornament  for  archi- 
tectural adornment,  without  much  increasing  the 
cost,  recommends  it  above  all  other  materials.  A 
new  application  of  it  has  just  been  made  by  the 
New  York  jNIarbled  Iron  \Vorks,  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  Marbleized  Iron,  which  has  all  the  beauty 
and  variety  of  colors  that  marble  itself  exhibits.  The 
iron  appears  ■  to  be  enameled  ;  and  the  choicest 
kinds  of  marble  fof  IMantels,  Columns  and  Table 
Tops  are  imitated  so  closely,  tliat  the  ordinary  eye 
cannot  detect  the  difference.  The  great  advantages 
of  this  article  are  its  c/i£a/nie55 — it  is  produced  at 
about  one-third  the  cost  of  marble,  and  in  various 
shapes  and  forms,  according  to  the  taste  of  the 
Plu'cha.ser  ;  its  durability  and  capability  of  resist- 
ing a  greater  degree  of  heat.  Neither  acids  nor 
oils  affect  it,  in  which  respect  it  has  a  decided  ad- 
vantage over  marble. 

The  beauty  and  utility  of  this  manufactured  ar- 
ticle will  make  it  a  valuable  and  important  sub- 
stitute for  marble. — Boston  Journal. 


m^  The  caloric  ship  is  to  go  into  dock  at  New 
l^)rk  this  week,  for  coppering,  and  as  soon  as  that 
job  is  finished,  will  iiiiike  her  engineer's  trial  trip. 
Her  engines  have  driven  her  wheels  all  day  at  a 
speed  of  nearly  14  miles  per  hour. 

U^"  Every  time  you  avoid  doing  that  which  is 
wrong,  you  increase  your  inclination  to  do  that 
which  is  right. 


54 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Jan. 


Bom's  Pi-pavtment. 


WINTER  SPORTS. 

The  summer  is  ended,  the  autumn  is  gone, 
And  winter,  stern  wiuter,  is  fast  coming  on — 
We  see  him  ndvnnciiij;,  his  step  is  not  slow, 
His  cap  and  his  mantle  are  covered  with  snow; 
His  locks  and  his  beard  are  white  with  the  frost, 
And  forth  from  his  nostrils  the  Hakes  are  tossed; 
He  storms,  and  he  blusters,  and  makes  us  to  quail, 
And  (lee  from  his  pitsence  when  in  such  a  gale. 
Yet  the  storm  will  blow  over,  go  down  with  the  sun, 
And  then  comes  the  season  for  pleasure  and  fun. 
Though  his  head  is  so  hoary  and  visage  so  grim, 
There's  a  smile  on  his  lip,  and  his  eye  is  not  dim; 
The  boys  they  all  greet  him  with  frolicsome  joy, 
With  a  toss  of  the  cap,  and  a  "Welcome,  old  boy! 
Our  sleighs  are  all  ready,  our  skates  we  will  don. 
And  cut  up  our  capers  when  the  ice  we  are  on." 
And  the  lads  and  the  lasses  for  sleigh-rides  inclined. 
With  their  hoods  and  mufflers  and  beaux  to  their  mind, 
They  huddle  together  in  an  omnibus  sleigh, 
By  the  light  of  the  moon  they  are  riding  away — 
The  merry  bells  ringing,  while  story  and  song. 
With  clear  ringing  lanjjhter,  come  floating  along. 
The  stars  they  look  down  fro.ni  their  home  in  the  sky, 
And  winter,  stern  winter,  just  twinkles  his  eye. 
We  enter  our  dwelling — what  comfort  is  here — 
The  coal  burning  brightly  our  spiiils  to  cheer; 
The  table  well  spread,  with  plenty  'tis  crowned, 
And  those  that  we  love,  they  cluster  around. 
Our  Father  in  Heaven,  bless  basket  and  store. 
And  give  us  a  heart  to  remember  the  poor — 
While  we  from  thy  bounty  such  blessings  receive, 
O,  teach  us  to  feel  'tis  more  blessed  to  give. 

Pousrfikeepsie  Telegraph. 


THE  YOUNG   TRAVBLIiER. 

Henry  was  travelling  alone.  He  had  left  his 
parents  and  home  in  New  York,  and  was  on  his 
way  to  '-the  far  west."  It  was  no  small  matter 
for  a  boy  of  fifteen  to  take  such  a  journey,  with 
no  one  to  direct  and  advise  him.  But  he  carried 
with  him  as  a  sacred  treasure,  the  counsels  of  his 
]nous  parents,  and  his  reUgious  principles.  "When 
I  paid  my  fare  on  the  boat,"  he  wrote  to  his 
mother,  "the  captain  and  I  could  not  make  the 
change  ;  and  we  arranged  it  so  that  I  owed  him 
ten  cents.  In  trying  to  get  change,  I  went  to  a 
man  who  asked  what  I  wanted  with  ten  cents.  I 
replied,  'To  pay  the  captain  a  debt.'  'Pshaw!' 
said  he,  'I  wouldn't  pay — never  pay  a  debt,  if  you 
can  help  it.  It's  bad  policy.'  I  told  him  I 
thouglit  it  right  to  be  honest ;  and  besides,  I  had 
no  idea  I  should  in  the  end  be  ten  cents  poorer  fqj 
paying.  I  soon  got  the  change  and  paid  the  cap- 
tain. 

"It  turned  out  tliat  ten  cents  paid  saved  me  six 
dollars  and  sixty  cents.  When  in  Albany,  about 
twenty  minutes  before  the  departure  of  the  train 
for  Buifalo,  I  recollected  that  though  I  paid  to 
BuSlilo,  the  captain  of  the  boat  had  given  me  no 
ticket  beyond  Albany.  I  told  the  gentleman  who 
gave  me  the  change,  and  he  accompanied  me  back 
to  the  boat.  Tlic  captain  having  heard  the  cir- 
cumstances, asked  if  I  was  the  boy  that  paid  him 
the  ten  cents.  I  replied,  'Yes.'  'Well,'  said  he, 
'here  is  a  ticket.'  I  saw  that  'honesty  is  the  best 
policy,'  and  felt  the  value  of  my  father's  counsels, 
and  the  great  kindness  of  God  in  giving  me  such 
parents." — American  Messenger. 


^brcrtisiiig  Dtpavtment. 

33"  A  limited  number  of  advertisements  of  an  appropriate 
character  will  be  inserted  in  the  monthly  Farmer  at  the  fol- 
lowing 

RATES. 

For  one  square  of  li  lines,  one  insertion -SljOO 

For  eoch  subsequent  insert!  n ,50 

The  above  rates  will  be  chaiged  for  all  advertisements, 
whether  longer  or  shorter. 


Pure  Black 


fi  Fowls. 


A  few  |)airs  chiiife  lilick  i>p:ini.=li  Towls, 
raised  Irorii  stork  imported  this  season. 
For  sale  by  THOMAS  TIIACIIER,  .Jr.,  at 
the  Fulton  Iron  Fonndrv,  South  Roslon. 

Oct.  In,  1852.  Sm">-.3 


AGRICULTURAL 

WAREHOUSE  AND  SEED  STORE, 

qUINCY  HALL,  OVER  THE  MARKET,  BOSTON. 

THE  Proprietors  having  recently  enlarged  their  Warehouse, 
and  increased  their  works  at  Worcester,  would  respect- 
fully invite  the  attention  of  Planters  and  Dealers  in  AGRI- 
CULTURAL &  HORTICULTURAL  IMPLEMENTS,  GAR- 
DEN and  FIELD  SEEDS,  &.C.,  to  their  stock,  comprising  the 
largest  and  best  assortnient  to  be  found  in  the  United  Sta'es, 
which  are  offered  at  low  prices. 

Of  PLOUGHS — we  have  the  greatest  variety  of  kinds  and 
sizes. 

Improved  Sod  Ploughs,  for  flat  furrows — improved  Scotch 
Ploughs  for  lapped  furrows — improved  Stubble  Ploughs,  which 
are  especially  adapted  to  deep  tillage,  or  varying  from  6  to  12 
inches  in  depth. 

Self-sharpening,  Hill  Side,  Sub-soil,  Double  Mould,  Corn, 
Cotton  and  Rice  Ploughs. 

Cylinder  Hay  Cutters,  Smith's  Patent  Lever  Gale,  and  oth- 
ers. Patent  Corn  Shellers,  with  and  without  Separators. 
Seed  Sowers,  of  various  sizes  and  prices.  Batr.helder's  patent 
Corn  Planter,  improved.  Fanning  Mills  of  various  sizes. 
Horse  Powers,  Threshing  Machines,  thermometer  Churns, 
Robbins'  patent  Centrifugal  Churn,  Cylinder  Churn,  Dash 
Churn,  Corn  Planters,  together  with  almost  every  article 
wanted  on  the  Plantation,  Farm  or  Garden. 

Illustrated  Catalogues  sent  gratis  on  application,  post  paid. 
RUGGLES,  NOURSE,  MASON  &  CO 

Boston  and  Worcester,  Mass.,  Jan.  1,  1652  tf 


Choice  Fowls. 


The  subscriber  offers  for  sale  a  few  pairs 
of  each  of  the  following  breeds  of  Domestic 
Fowls,  viz  :    White  and   Buff  Shanghaes, 
Gold  and  Silver  Spangled  Polands,  Bolton 
_ -fj-i  Gray  and  Black  Spanish;    also,  large  Virgi- 

~V"-ki^!^^7^  nia  Turkeys  and  Bremen  Geese. 
These  fowls  are  all  very  fine,  the  spangled  fowls  beautiful. 

H    H.  LITTLE. 
East  Marshfleld,  Oct.  30,  1852.  tf-l 


Garden  Seeds. 


WE  respectfully  solicit  the  attention  of  purchasers  of  GAR- 
DEN SEEDS  to  our  extensive  stock,  which  we  offer  for 
sale.  We  have  all  the  sorts  of  Vegetable  Seeds  that  have 
proved  worthy  of  cultivation;  also,  Grain,  Grass  and  Flower 
Seeds.  Ali  the  varieties  are  raised  and  selected  expressly  for 
our  trade,  and  we  do  with  confidence  recommend  Ihein  to  all 
who  desire  to  procure  seeds  that  will  prove  true  to  their  names. 
O"  Catalogues  gratis,  on  ai)pIication. 

RUGGLES,  NOURSE,  MASON  &  CO., 
.Ian.  I.  Over  Quincy  Market,  Boston. 


For  Sale. 


A  few  extra  large  and   hundsome  Dom- 
iniques  for  sale  cheap  if  applied  for  soon. 
EDWARD  ABORN, 
No.  30  South  Water  Street, 
»j.  Providence,  R.  I. 

-       Dec.  27,  1852. 


Bound  Yolunies. 


BACK  VOLUMES  ol  ihe  NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER, ele- 
gantly bound  in  Muslin,  Gilt  and  Embossed,  are  now  for 
sale  at  this  office. 
Boston,  March  20 


1853. 


JJEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


55 


The  F«armers'  Library. 

JUST  RECEIVED,  the  following  assortment  of  Agricultural 
ami  Horticulmr.il  Hooks,  embracing  the  standard  works  o( 
eminent  A meritnn  and  European  writers,  on  the  Farm,  Ihf 
Orchard,  the  Garden,  &c.  &c. 


PMCE. 

$],00 
75 

1,00 
25 

1,00 
75 
50 

2,50 
75 

1,00 


Cattle,  by  Stevens, 


American  Farm  Book,  by  Allen, 
Farmer's  Treasure,  by  Faulkner  and  Smith, 
Dana's  Muck  Manual, 
Prize  Essay  on  Manures,  by  Dana, 
American  Muck  Hook,  by  Browne, 
Lectures  on  Practical  Agriculture,  by  .Johnstone, 
Elements  of  Scientific  Agriculture,  by  Norton, 
Piinciples  of  Agriculture,  by  Thaer, 
Practical  Agriculture,  by  Johnstone, 
Agriculture  for  Schools,  by  Blake, 
Catechism  of  Agriculture  and  Chemistry,  by  John- 
stone and  Norton, 
American  Agriculiurist,  by  Allen, 
Liebig's  Complete  Work  on  Chemistry, 
Farmer's  and  Emigrant's  Hand  Book,  by  Marshall, 
Home  for  all,  by  Fowler, 
Book  of  the  Farm,  l,y  Stephens  and  Skinner, 
Cottage  and  Farm  Houses,  by  Downing, 
Downing's  Country  Houses, 
Rural  Architecture,  by  Allen, 

Downing's  Landscape  Gardening  and  Rural  Archi- 
tecture, 
Downing's  Cottage  Residt-nces, 
Fruit  Garden,  by  Barry, 

Complete  Gardener  and  Farmer,  by  Fessenden, 
Bridgeman's  Gardener's  Assistant, 
Bridgeman's  Kitchen  Gardener's  Instructor, 
American  Fruit  Culrurist,  by  Thomas, 
Gardener  and  Complete  Florist, 
Florist's  Guide,  by  Bridgeman, 
New  England  Fruit  Book,  by  Ives, 
Youatt  and  Martin  on  Cattle,  bv  S 
Rose  Culturist, 

Johnson's  Gardener's  Dictionary,  by  Landreth, 
Rural  Economy,  by  Boussingault, 
American  Rose  Culturist, 
Bigelow's  Plants  of  Boston, 
Genera  of  Pluits  of  the  U.  S.,  by  Gray,  2  vols. 
GrMy's  Botany, 
Parnell's  Chemistry, 
New  England  Farmer,  by  Cole, 
Ladies'  Guide  and  Skilful  Housewife,  by  Mrs.  Abel 
Hive  and  Honey  Bee,  by  Richardson,  ' 

Bee  Keeper's  Manual,  hy  Miner, 
Bird  Fancier,  by  Browne,  paper  25  cents, 
Townley  on  Bees, 

American  Poultry  Yard,  by  Browne, 
American  Poulterers'  Companion,  by  Bement, 
American  Fowl  Breeder,  by  Moore, 
American  Herd  Book,  by  Allen, 
American  Shepherd,  by  Motrin, 
Domestic  Animals,  by  Allen, 
Diseases  of  Animals,  by  Cole, 
Hints  to  Sportsmen,  by  Lewis, 
Dadd's  Anatomy  and  Physiology  o  ftlie  Horse, 
Mason's  Farrier  and  Stud  Book,  by  Skinner, 
Management  of  Sheep,  by  Canfleld, 
Yowatt  on  the  Pig, 
Knowlson's  Complete  Cow  Doctor, 
Horse  Doctor, 

Guenon's  Treatise  on  iMilch  Cows, 
Treatise  on  Hot  Houses,  by  Leuchars, 
Allen  on  the  Grape, 
Schenck's  Text  Book, 
Bteck's  Book  of  Flowers, 
Downing's  Fruit  and  Fruit  Trees. 

For  sale  at  the  Publishers'  prices  bv  RUGGLES,  NOURSE 
MASON  &  Co.,  Quincy  Hall,  (over  lie  Market,)  Boston. 
April  3,  1852.  tf* 


25 
1,00 
1,00 
75 
50 
4,00 
2,00 
4,00 
1,25 

3,50 

2,00 

1,25 

1,25 

2,00 

50 

1,00 

25 

50 

56 

1,25 

38 

1,50 

1,00 

25 

1,25 

12,00 

2,00 

1,00 

1,00 

25 

25 

50 

50 

50 

1,00 

1,00 

25 

3,00 

1,00 

75 

50 

1,25 

1.00 

1,25 

1,00 

60 

25 

25 

38 

1,00 

1,00 

50 

75 

1,50 


•sliire  Stock. 


about  one  year  old. 
Jan.  1,  1853. 


Wanted,  a  thorough  bred  Ayrshire  Bull, 
and  Heifer,  not  exceeding  two  years  old. 
Any  person  having  such  for  sale,  or  very 
likely  Calves,  will  jilease  apply  to  the  sub- 
scriber at  this  office. 

O"  Also  wanted,  a  fine  native  Bull, 
JOHN  RAYNOLDS. 


Com  Shellers. 

TMPROVED  YANKEE  CORN  SIIELLERS,  with  and  with- 
±  o   t  separators      These  machines  are  adapted  to  large  and 

on^nr?Ti-"%°'^  '"'7'  ^'H  ?*'*'"  "1"'^'>-  -^"J  "ot  liable  to  get 

out  of  order.     For  sj,lf-^^yho,e.a!e  and  retail,  over  the  market, 

Nov.  27,  1852.        ^^GGLE^,  NOURSE,  MASON  &  CO. 


Topsfield  lingeries. 

PREMIUM    TREES    AND    SCIONS. 

The  subscriber  respectfully  invites  his  friends 
and  customers  (o  his  large  collection  of  FRUIT 
TREES,  embracing  all  tie  choicest  varieties 
worth  cultivation,— consisting  of  Apple,  Pear, 
Peach,  Plum,  Cherry  and  Quince,  from  three  to 
five  years  from  the  bud-  thrifty  ai.d  handsome. 
Also,  about  200  e.xtra  size  Pear  trees,  8  to  lO  years  from  the 
bud,  all  in  a  bearing  slate,  on  pear  bottoms. 

Also,  about  1500   Pear  trees,  on  pear  bottoms,  from  3  to  4 
years  from  the  bud,  very  thrifty  and  of  the  choicest  varieties. 
Also,   Mountain  Ash,   'Weeping  Willows,  Arbor  VitsE,   Fir 
Balsam,  &c.     ' 

(C?  Scions  cut  to  order,  from  1500  stundard  Apple  ar.d  Pear 
trees,  many  of  which  are  in  a  full  bearing  s'  ate,  and  fruited  130 
varieties  last  year,— i,nd  delivered  free  of  charge  at  any  of  the 
Depots  in  Salem  or  Boston.  W.  G    LAKE 

Topsfield,  Jan.  1,  1653.  tf 


Walnut  Grove  ]\iirsery. 

The  subscribers  would  respeclfnlly  inform  their 
friends  and  the  public,  that  they  have  on  hand  an 
unusually  large  stock  of  Apple,  Pear,  Plum, 
Cherry,  Peach,  and  other  Trees. 

Also,  Quinces,  Currant.s,  Raspberries,  Grape- 
vines, &c.,  &c. 

Ornamental  Trees,  and  Shrubs,  Buckthorn  Plants,  &c.  &c. 
Lot  of  Seedling  Horse  Chestnut,  two  years  old. 
Lot  of  European  Sycamore,  two  years  old. 
Good  plants  of  the  new  and  improved  high  bush  Blackberry 
the  fruit  of  wlii(h  is  of  enormous  size 

Fine  Apple  Trees,  three  to  five  years' growth  from  bud  sev- 
en to  nine  feet  high,  $25  per  hundred. 

We  devote  ourselves  solely  to  the  raising  of  trees  ;  they  re- 
ceive our  strict  personal  attention;  we  are  therefore  able  to 
warrant  every  article  true  to  name. 

Those  who  intend  purchasing  large  quantities  of  Apple 
Trees  are  respectfully  invited  to  call  before  purchasing,  and 
examine  our  stock,  as  it  is  large,and  doubtless  unsurpassed 
by  any  in  the  vicinity. 
Trees  delivered  in  Boston  free  of  expense,  packed  if  desired. 
Catalogues  sent  to /ios«-;)Oirf  applicants.  All  orders  thank- 
fully received  and  promptly  executed. 

JAMES  HYDE  &  SON. 
Newton  Centre,  Mass.,  Oct.  23,  1852.  6w*2 

Bolton  Grey  Fowls. 

The  subscriber  offers  for  sale  a  few 
pairs  of  these  fHvorite  fowls,  which  may 
be  had  by  applying,  post  paid,  to  him  at 
Dorchester,  Mass. 

GEORGE  DORR. 
Jan.  1,  1653.  4w 


United  States  &  Foreign  Patent 
Agency. 

Office,  39  State  Street,  corner  of  Congress  Street. 

THE  undersigned,  late  Principal  Examiner  in  the  United 
States  Patent  Ofiice,at  W'astiington,  D.  C  ,oflrers  his  ser- 
vices to  those  about  making  application  for  Patents,  with  the 
hope  that  his  long  official  connection  with  that  Ofiice,  and  his 
familiarity  with  its  rules  and  practice,  will  enable  him  to  give 
satisfaction  to  those  who  may  employ  liim. 

Those  unacquainted  with  him  are  referred  to  the  following 
testimonials  from  his  late  colleagues. 

SAMUEL  COOPER. 

The  undersigned,  Principal  and  Assi>tant  Examiners  in  the 
United  States  Patent  Office,  have  for  several  years  been  well 
acquainted  with  Mr.  Samuel  Cooper.  laieLy  a  Principal  Ex- 
aminer in  this  Office;  and  take  pleasure  in  slating  that  he 
is  a  gentleman  of  the  highest  moral  character,  of  unquestioned 
knowledge  in  the  business  and  practice  of  the  office,  smd  that 
his  scientific  attainments  are  such  as  eminently  fit  him  for  the 
business  in  which  he  is  about  to  engage. 

HENRY  B.  RENWICK,  i    „  .     .     , 
L.  D.  GALE,  i   Pficipal 

J.  H.  LANE,  ^Examiners, 

T.  R.  PEALE,  1 

THOMAS  T.  EVERETT,  [Assistant 

F.  SOUTHGATE  .-iMlTII,  (Eiam'rs 

WM.  CHAUNCY  LANGDON,! 
Boston,  Oct.  9,  1852.  3m* 


Bncktliorn. 

1  (\   Ci  A  A^UCKTHORN,  for  sale  bv 

iU^UUU  JAMES  HYDE  &  SON. 


Oct.  23,  1852. 


4w*'' 


56 


I^EW  EN'GLAND  FARMER. 


Jan. 


THE    FARMER'S 


1853  1  ALMANAC.  1 1853 

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NEW  ENGLAND  EARMEE 

Is  published  on  the  first  of  every  month,  by  John  Ravnolds 
and  JotL  NouRSE,  at  Quincy  Hall,  South  Market  St.,  Boston. 


SIMON  BROWN,  Editor. 
FREDERICK  HOLBROOK,  ?  A 
HENRY  F.  FRENCH,  3   I 


ssnciate 
Editors. 


CONTENTS  OP  THIS  NUMBER. 

The  New  Year Page  9 

A  valuable  Book  of  Reference 10 

Great  yield  of  Carrots— The  Season 11 

The  use  of  Guano — Profits  of  Fowls 12 

Advantages  of  Warm  Weather 1'^ 

Peculiar  Difficulties  of  New  England  Farming 13 

Harvest  Hymn -Our  January  Number 15 

Lyceum  Lectures— Two  Acres 16 

The  Season  of  1852  at  Wilinington  and  vicinity... 18 

State  Board  of  Agriculture 19 

Vegetation  in  California 20 

Corn  Song — A  Siberian  Winter 21 

Winter  Lectures — New  Source  for  Good  Fruit 22 

Sound  Maxims  in  Farming 23 

Susceptibility  of  Animals  to  Atmospheric  Changes li 

Gathering  and  Preserving  Winter  Fruit 24 

Lime  -Guiiio— Bone  Dust— Lime  in  Agriculture 2) 

Warts  on-Plurn  Trees— Treatment  of  Russian  Horses 26 

Honey  Bees— Raising  and  Selling  Milk 27 

House  Plants  in  Winter 28 

Flo  wins  Orchards — Apples 29 

Great  Yield — United  States  Agricultural  Society- 30 

Inventory  of  New  Hampshire 31 

Cooking  and  Digestion-  Lyceum  Lecture 34 

Farmuig — Ctiange  of  Timber  from  Clearing  Land 35 

Harvesrili  mn— Apples  as  Food  for  Stock 36 

The  Rockingham  Fair 37 

A  Farmer's  Fireside  Talk— Growing  Corn— Hilling  up 38 

Laying  out  Surfaces — Officers  elected 39 

Domestication  of  Wild  Animals 39 

Ventilation— Markham's  Farewell  to  Husbandry 40 

Apiiles  for  Fattening  Stock— Poultry  Raising <* 

Birds  and  Insecis 42 

Premiums  awarded  at  Framinghain  Cattle  Show 43 

To  the  friends  of  Agriculture  in  Mass. — Sops  in  Wine 44 

Duranility  of  Timber — Ag  iculture  a  Chemical  Art 45 

Hay Cubic  Feet  in  a  ton— Progression 46 

Prejudice  against  Farming 46 

Diseased  Plum  Trees 47 

Gooseberries— Agricultural  Lectures 46 

Important  to  the  Farmer 49 

Pi<j  Raising  is  Mississippi— Farm  Houses— Potash  Water.. .50 

State  Boaru  of  Aa*iculture— To  Adversers 51 

Splendid  Fruit— Culture  of  Indian  Corn 51 

The  H>drauli(;  Ram— White  Clover 52 

Ladies'  Department ■''2 

Mechanics'  Department,  Arts,  &c 53 

Boys'  Department 54 

ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Hunt  Russet  Apple 17 

Bull— Earl  of  Seaham -33 

Canker  Worms 45 

Vegetable  Cutter 48 


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ous matter,  adapted  to  family  reading,  con  prising  more  use- 
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ful or  even  doubtful  tendency  will  be  carefully  e.\c!uded  from 
its  columns. 

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The  monthly  contains  nearly  the  same  matter  as  the  Agri- 
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subscribers  on  the  above  named  terms,  for  either  publication, 
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RAYNOLDS  &  NOURSE, 
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03=  Postage.— The  postage  on  the  New  England  Farmer, 
monthly,  is  U  cents  per  quarter,  or  6  cents  ver  year,  to  any 
part  of  the  United  Stales,  to  be  paid  in  advance  at  the  office 
where  the  same  is  received. 


Interesting  to  Farmers. 

THE  subscriber  has  been  induced  at  the  request  of  several  of 
his  friends  in  the  farming  interest  to  enter  into  the  manu- 
facture of  SHELL  LIME,  for  farming  purpos;es,  and  is  no-w 
prepared  to  deliver  at  any  of  the  railroads  in  Boston  or  Charles- 
town,  the  at  tide  in  lots  of  from  10  to  100  barrels  at  the  low 
pi  ice  of  35  cts.  per  barrel,  or  if  taken  at  the  kiln  at  Medford 
Street,  Charleslown,  at  30  cents. 

Also,  for  sale,  100  barrels  of  ThomastonLime,  in  lots  to  suit 
purchasers. 

Applicition  may  be  made  at  No.  70  State  Street.  Boston,  or 
at  the  Kiln,  situated  on  Gould's  Wharf,  (so  called)  Charles- 
town.  JAMES  GOULD,  Agent. 
DIRECTIONS  FOR  USING. 

Place  a  layer  of  meadow  mud  of  fiom  10  to  12  inches,  then 
put  on  lime  from  2  to  3  inches.  Dissolve  the  salt  in  water, 
throw  the  liquid  on  to  slack  the  lime,  then  another  layer  ol 
mud,  or  peat,  and  so  on  alternately  until  the  heap  is  from  4  to 
6  feet  in  height.  Proportion,  4  barrels  of  lime  and  one  bushel 
of  salt  to  the  cord  of  mud;  the  salt  nii.'ied  with  the  lime  forms 
the  muriate,  and  this  mixture  forms  the  valuable  compound; 
this  by  decomposing  the  humid  acid  which  is  contained  more 
or  less  in  all  meadow  land,  forms  the  muriate  of  lime — one  oi 
the  most  soluble  substances,  and  if  mi.\ed  with  other  volatile 
manures,  prevents  the  escape  and  fixes  the  ammonia,  which  if 

i.xed  with  lime  alone  would  evaporate  and  render  it  value- 
less. 

(jj=  The  shell  lime  made  into  mortar,  with  three  barrels  of 
sand  to  each  barrel  of  lime,  will  make  a  cement  of  better  qual- 
ity than  the  best  of  Thomaston  lime,  for  cellar  walls  or  stone 
woik  of  any  kind. 

Nov.  6,  1852.  3m 


Pure  Suffolk  Pigs. 

The  subscriber  has  now  on  hand  pure 
blooded  Suffolk  Pigs  for  sale.  Purchasers 
ordering  them  from  a  distance  for  breed- 
ers, may  rely  on  getting  the  best  patterns 
of  the  breed,  carefully  selected  from  dif- 
ferent litters.  J.  L.  LOVERING. 
Cluechee,  Vt.,  May  29,  1852.  tf 


^^00^:^^®  FAf^ 


DEVOTED  TO  AGRICULTURE  AND  ITS  KIXnTDRED  ARTS  AND  SCIENCES. 


VOL.  V. 


BOSTON,  FEBRUARY,  1853. 


NO.  2. 


RAYNOLDS  &  NOURSE,  PsorRiETOr-s. 
Office.  ...QuiNCY  Hall. 


FRED'K  HOLBROOK.  ^  Associate 


•BROWN,  Editor.  npivnv  p    pniriv-.MjJr? 

'  HENRY  F.  FRENCH,  5   Edi'iors. 


CALENDAR  FOR  FEBRUARY. 

Thfe  Saxons  called  Februnry  Sproul-hele,  because 
in  this  month  kele-wurto  began  to  throw  out  whole- 
some young  sprouts,  which  were  the  chief  winter- 
wurte  for  the  sustenance  of  the  husbandman  in 
those  days.  The  "kele"  being  the  well-known 
kale  of  the  cabbage  tribe.  The  Saxons  also  called 
this  month  "Sc)lmonath,"'  which  means  "pan-cake 
month,"  because  in  the  coux-se  of  it,  cakes  were 
offered  by  the  pagan  Saxons  to  the  sun;  and  "Sol," 
or  "soul,"  signiliedyboc?  or  cakes. 

Well,  there  is  some  difference  between  to-day, 
and  the  times  when  those  old  sun-worshippers 
lived.  They  would  be  horrified  to  see  us  eat  the 
cakes  which  they  offered  perhaps  as  a  propitiatory 
sacrifice,  and  then  jump  up  and  light  our  pipes  by 
the  sun !  Notwithstanding,  we  think  eating  the 
cakes  a  more  rational  use  of  them  than  sacrificing 
them  to  old  Sol,  who  looks  as  though  he  had  not 
only  a  plen,ty  of  good  cakes,  but  roast  beef  too. 
We  hope,  therefore,  our  people  will  eat  thejr  cakes 
themselves,  and  grow  lusty  upon  them,  maugre 
the  Saxons,  and  their  sun-worship. 

Striking  changing  have  taken  place  in  the  busi- 
ness of  the  country,  and  have  broken  up  some  of 
the  pleasant  old  customs  of  the  rural  districts,  and 
which  are  mourned  over  as  "halcyon  days  and 
scenes  never  to  return."  Clare,  in  Jais  Shepherd's 
Calendar,  written  many  years  ago,  describes  tlie 
gatherings  of  farmers  in  old  England  much  as  the 
farmers  still  collect  in  many  places  in  this  country. 
He  says : — 

"Now  musing  o'er  the  changing  scene, 
Farmers  behind  the  tavern-screen 
Collect; — with  elbow  idly  press'd 
On  hob,  reclines  the  corner's  guest, 
Reading  the  news,  to  mark  again 
The  rise  of  beef,  or  price  of  grain. 
Pufling  the  while  his  red-tipt  pipe. 
Or  telling  stories,  over  ripe. 
Yet,  winter's  leisure  to  regale, 
Hopes  better  times,  and  sips  his  ale." 

Once,  the  country  roads,  all  througli  New  Eng- 
land, were  jubilant  with  merry  bells  and  voices 
through  the  winter  months.      Then  the  moun- 


tains and  vales  poured  forth  their  hardy  son?, 
seeking  distant  markets  for  the  products  of  their 
summer's  toil.  Lines  of  box  sleighs  filled  with 
beef,  pork,  mutton  and  venison,  cheese,  butter, 
and  honey,  were  impelled  by  fleet  and  powerful 
horses,  skimming  the  plains  and  threading  the 
valleys  and  presenting  a  most  animating  scene. 
There  were  taverns  in  those  days  ;  and  in  the 
cheerful  light  of  their  log-fires,  after  night  had 
set  in,  gathered  the  hardy  sons  of  the  mountains. 
Here  they  fortified  the  "corporeal  man"  from  their 
boxes  of  cold  roast  fowl,  apple-pies  and  dough- 
nuts, and  while  the  storm  blew  furious  without, 
they  grew  warm  with  sympathy,  and  with  the  log 
Sre  within. 

And  now  this  scene  reminds  some  one  of  a  be- 
nighted traveller,  who  lost  his  way  in  the  moun- 
tains, and,  but  for  his  faithful  dog,  had  perished 
in  these  lonely  regions.  He  tells  the  tale, — and 
then  each,  in  turn,  relates  his  story  of  some  peril- 
ous adventure  amid  the  snowy  mountains  in  the 
winter.  And  there  was  "flip"  and  "sling,"  in 
those  days,  and  these  went  round  sometimes,  with 
the  "merry  tale,"  until  the  travellers  wei'e  "unco' 
glorious."  But  as  their  pitchers  grew  light  and 
the  flame  decreased,  their  eyes  grew  dull,  and  one 
after  another  their  heavy  tread  might  be  heard 
approaching  the  bed, 

"Where  ihortals  the  sweets  of  forgetfulness  prove." 

All  this  was  a  part  of  their  Farm  Work  for 
February. 

Now  how  changed  the  scene  !  Through  yon- 
der valley  comes  a  strange  looking  monster,  emit- 
ting smoke  and  flame,  plunging  into  drifts  and 
scattering  them  like  chaff  from  its  path,  and  bear- 
ing along  to  market,  in  its  capacious  storehouse, 
the  products  of  an  hundred  fiirms  !  It  comes  at 
all  times,  and  seasons — laughs  at  the  elements, 
and  makes  night  hideous  with  its  unearthly 
screams,  its  gleaming  eyes  and  fretful  jar. 

And  this  is  the  way  the  locomotive  does  this  part 
of  the  Farm  Work  for  February  in  1853  ! 


58 


NEW  EJfGLA^D  FAflMM. 


I'Ea- 


But  there  are  other  things  which  the  locoiaotive 
cannot  do.  A  part  of  the  farm-work  of  this  month, 
IS,  to  read  a  great  deal  froio  the  best  books  which 
treat  of  your  particuhir  business.  There  are  plen- 
ty of  books,  two  dozen  of  which  would  be  sufficient 
for  a  whole  town.  Among  them  are  Davy's  Agri- 
cultural Chemistry ;  The  Muck  Book ;  Rural 
Economy  ;  Bridgman's  Young  Gardner's  Assist- 
ant ;  Fessenden's  Complete  Gardener  and  Farmer; 
Nash's  Progressive  Farmer  ;  Buel's  Farmer's  Com- 
panion; all  Downing's  works ;  Harris's  Work  on 
Insects  Injurious  to  Vegetation,  and  others,  which 
you  will  find  referred  to  on  reading  these.  It 
is  as  important  for  the  farmer  to  read  these  and 
other  books  of  similar  character,  if  he  means  to 
understand  his  profession,  as  for  the  lawyer  to 
read  Coke  upon  Littleton,  or  Blackstone.  This 
reading  is  an  indispensable  part  of  his  farm  em- 
ployment, or  amusement,  and  will  help  to  increase 
his  crops  as  he  understands  the  principles  of 
growth  in  the  plants  he  is  rearing. 

Then  another  important  duty  to  be  attended  to 
in  February,  is,  to  see  that  your  ehildren  are 
reaping  the  largest  possible  benefit  from  their  at- 
tendance at  school.  Feel  interested  yourselves 
in  the  studies  they  are  pursuing  ;  converse  with 
them  often,  and  impress  on  then*  mrnds  the  impor- 
tance of  close  application  and  studious  habits, 
while  young.  They  will  catch  vigor  from  your 
kind  inquiries,  and  climb  the  "Hill  of  Science," 
pleasantly  in  your  company. 

When  these  duties  are  well  discharged,  a  neiv 
pleasure  will  be  found  in  looking  after  the  stock 
and  poultry,  in  sledding  the  fuel  and  timber,  in 
preparing  the  farm  implements,  the  plow,  harrow, 
yokes,  carts,  hay-wagons,  rakes,  scythes,  &c. 
Then  the  fencing  materials  must  be  collected  for 
the  hill  or  river-lot,  the  posts  morticed  and  rails 
split,  or  stones  drawn  when  the  snow  is  thin. 
Save  every  moment  from  spring  labor  by  drawing 
out  as  much  manure  as  possible  before  the  ground 
is  soft,  and  other  caress-press  upon  you. 

AVhat  results  have  you  arrived  at  in  your  ex- 
periment of  cutting  fodder  for  your  stock?  lias 
not  your  bay  of  hay  reminded  you  of  the  widow's 
cruse  and  meal  barrel,  by  holding  out  beyond  any 
former  time'!  Make  your  experiments  as  exact  as 
possible  and  keep  accui'ate  accounts,  so  that  your 
neighbors  may  have  the  benefit  of  them. 

Bear  in  mind  that  scions  must  be  cut  before  the 
sap  moves,  and  when  cut,  place  them  in  a  damp, 
cool  place,  so  that  they  shall  not  shrivel. 

If  you  have  trees  that  actually  need  trimming,  do 
that,  too,  before  the  sap  moves.  Use  sharp  tools 
and  leave  every  wound  smooth  a,nd  in  a  workman- 
like manner. 

Are  your  accounts  all  settled  for  1852?  Unset- 
tled accounts  arc  not  pleasant  subjects  for  medita- 
tion in  the  beautifvil  fields  ! 

The  time  draws  nigh  when  spring  work  will  de- 


mand all  your  attention  ;  so  let  us  be  up  and  do- 
ing-, and  ready  for  "old  Sol"  by  the  time  he  has? 
warmed  the  soil  aufSciently  to  receive  the  seed. 


Fof  the  New  England  Farmer. 
THfi  lllOHKrESS  OF  LAND 

PROPORTIONED   TO   THE   QUAHTITT   OF   STOCK   KEPTy 

Mr.  Editor  : — Whatever  may  be  said  of  the  im- 
portance of  guano,  bone-dust,  poudrette  and  othef 
natural  and  artificial  fertilizers  of  soils,  it  cannot 
be  doubted  that,  with  respect  to  the  great  majori- 
ty of  farmers,  they  must  depend,  principally  if  not 
entirely,  on  the  manures  they  make  upon  their 
own  farms.  Purchased  manures  of  all  kinds  are 
always  expensive,  and  will  rarely  be  o1)tarned  to 
any  considerable  extent.  It  behoves  the  farmer, 
then,  to  manufacture  all  the  manure  he  possibly 
can,  in  his  own  various  laboratories.  He  must 
keep  his  cattle  o.nd  swine  constantly  at  work,  and 
by  supplying  them  with  the  requisite  materials, 
he  m.'^  always  make  them  self-sustaining  animals, 
by  the  quantities  of  manure  they  will  create.  And 
as  one  important  means  of  enriching  his  farm,  he 
should  lieej)  as  much  stock  as  he  can  and  keep  them 
well,  for  the  law  of  progress  in  the  case  is,  that 
keeping  all  Ite  can  will  give  him  the  means  of  keep- 
ing more.  By  observing  this  law,  his  means  ac^ 
cumulate,  and  his  ability  to  keep  more  is  continu- 
ally increasing.  It  is  on  this  principle  that  some 
farmers,  in  the  lapse  of  a  single  decade  of  years, 
convert  a  desert  into  a  garden,  and  on  the  most 
stei'ile  soil  rear  up  around  <^hem  a  luxuriant  vege- 
tation, and  a  riehnesa  of  scenery  which  "Shen- 
stone  might  have  envied."  While  writing  these 
lines,  and  in  strong  corroboration  of  the  doctrine 
here  laid  down,  the  following  paragraph  in  a  Eu- 
ropean work  fell  under  my  notice,  and  quoting  it 
endeth  this  chapter^ 

"The  real  source  o-f  the  great  fertility  of  the 
great  Lombardian  plain  is  now  known  to  be  its 
high  cultivation.  In  the  triangle  included  between 
Milan,  Lodiand  Pavia,  each  side  of  which  is  little 
more  than  twenty  miles  in  length,  there  are,  it  is 
estimated,  not  fewer  than  100,000  head  of  cattle, 
100,000  pigs,  and  25,000  horses,  in  addition  to  the 
human  population-.  It  is  to  the  immense  supplies 
of  manure,  solid  and  liquid,  obtained  from  these 
sources,  and  not  to  the  refuse  of  the  towns  them- 
selves, that  the  richness  of  the  soil  is  mainly  attri- 
butable." D.  c, 

Waltham,  Jan.  21,  1858. 


*  For  the  Neiu  England  Farmer^ 

MUOK— THORN  AND  QUINCE  STOCK. 

Messrs.  Editors  : — I  intend  in  the  spring  to  set- 
an  orchard  of  early  peach  and  other  choice  early 
fruit  trees, — my  land  is  a  hill  of  moderate  eleva- 
tion, the  soil  is  rather  better  than  the  term  "sandy 
or  gravelly  knoll"  would  imply.  I  have  plenty  of 
peat  or  muck,  but  not  enough  that  has  been  ex- 
posed a  sufficient  length  of  time  to  the  atmosphere. 
I  should  like  to  be  advised  througli  your  valuable 
paper,  or  otherwise,  as  soon  as  convenient,  what 
I  had  better  mix  with  nearly  green  muck  to  make 
it  suitable  to  apply  to  such  land,  and  for  such  pur- 
poses, (a.) 

Is  tlie  thorn  as  good  as  the  quince  to  graft  the 
pear  into?  We  have  plenty  of  them  around  us 
growing  wild  and  thrifty. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


59 


Any  advice  or  remarks  in  regard  to  the  above, 
would  be  very  gratifying  to  me,  and  I  doubt  not 
it  would  to  many  others.  Yours, 

Painter,  turned  Farmer. 

Milford,  Jan.  17,  1853. 


/Remarks. — See  article  in  another  column  on 
"Composting  with  Muck." 

{a.)  If  you  must  use  "green  muck,"  mix  with 
iime.  In  another  heap,  try  unleached  ashes.  If 
you  can  procure  tanner's  scrapings,  try  a  heap 
with  those.  But  nest  August  throw  out  a  heap 
'of  the  mud  that  shall  give  you  fifty  cords  in  ad- 
vance, and  keep  it  good  from  year  to  year. 

Will  some  person  who  has  had  experience,  an- 
swer the  question  asked  above,  whether  the  thorn 
is  as  good  as  the  quince  to  graft  the  pear  into  ? 


IiEGISLATIVE  AGRICULTURAL  MEET- 
INGS, 

First  Meetings— Tuesdav  Evening,  Jan.  18,  1853. 

In  accordance  with  the  custom  for  several  years 
past,  those  members  of  our  Legislature  and  others 
interested  in  agricultural  matters,  assembled  in 
the  Representatives'  Hall,  at  the  State  House,  on 
Tuesday  evening,  for  the  purpose  of  forming  them 
selves  into  an  Agricultural  Society. 

The  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  Amasa 
Walker,  of  North  Brookfield,  and  H.  H.  Cook,  of 
Berkshire,  appointed  temporary  chairman,  and  W. 
W.  Hill,  of  Boston,  Secretary  ;)ro  tern. 

Upon  taking  the  chair,  Mr.  Cook  announced  the 
meeting  as  open  for  business. 

At  the  suggestion  of  Mr.  Brown,  of  the  N.  E. 
Parmer,  the  full  organization  cf  the  society  was 
postponed  until  the  next  meeting,  and  the  time 
devoted  to  an  informal  discussion.  This  course 
was  adopted  on  account  of  the  absence  of  the 
Secretary  of  last  year,  with  the  records ;  and  many 
gentlemen  who  have  heretofore  taken  part  in  the 
meetings,  which  rendered  a  permanent  organization 
inconvenient. 

Mr.  Brown  suggested  as  a  topic  for  discussion, 
a  resolution  setting  forth  the  importance  of  the 
agricultural  interest  in  this  Commonwealth,  and 
the  need  of  a  greater  diflFusion  of  agricultural 
knowledge  among  the  people. 

He  then  went  on  to  remark  that  in  mechanical 
and  manufacturing  pursuits  we  find  those  interest- 
ed combining  for  the  purpose  of  mutual  benefit. 
If  their  business  becomes  depressed,  or  meets  with 
new  developments,  they  immediately  come  togeth- 
er to  consult  on  the  causes  of  the  fluctuation  and 
changes  in  their  callings,  and  take  such  measures 
as  wisdom  dictates.  Not  so  with  the  farmer  He 
has  overlooked  the  advantages  of  this  combination 
and  has  relied  solely  on  his  individual  knowledge 
and  intelligence. 

_If  a  man  is  to  follow  the  sea,  the  law,  or   the 
ministry,  he  should  and  does  prepare  himself  by  af 


course  of  study  for  the  profession  in  life  which  ho 
has  chosen.  But  is  it  so  with  the  farmer?  He 
reads  but  few  of  the  numerous  agricultural  books 
which  exist  in  our  libraries,  acquires  little  scientific 
knowledge,  and  consequently  makes  but  little  pro- 
gress in  his  calling,— falling  into  all  the  errors  of 
those  who  have  preceded  him,  ^d  striking  out  but 
few  new  improvements. 

Mr.  Walker  concurred  in  the  resolution  offered 
by  Mr.  Brown.  Agriculture  is  a  very  important 
interest  in  the  Commonwealth,  and  much  more  so 
than  is  often  supposed.  Not  only  the  farmers 
proper,  but  many  mechanics  own  and  cultivate 
tracts  of  land,  and  derive  much  of  their  income 
from  this  source.  This  fact  calls  for  the  dissem- 
ination of  agricultural  knowledge,  and  this  knowl- 
edge must  be  carried  to  the  people  by  means  of 
agricultural  associations. 

It  may  be  asked  why  we  need  more  information 
than  our  forefathers  ?  There  are  three  stages  in 
agriculture.  The  first  is  when  the  land  is  first 
cleared— then  it  is  rich  and  fertile,  and  requires 
no  artificial  manuring.  The  second  stage  is  that 
in  which  the  soil  becomes  partially  exhausted,  and 
the  farmer  has  to  put  into  his  land  the  manure 
which  his  own  resources  furnish  him,  and  this  suf- 
fices for  a  time.  The  next  and  last  stage  is  when 
he  is  obliged  to  raise  larger  crops  than  his  ordinary 
manure  will  enable  him  to  do.  We  have  reached 
this  stage.  Now,  the  question  comes  up,  how  is 
the  farmer  to  increase  his  amount  of  manure  ?  In' 
order  to  answer  this  question,  science  must  be  con 
suited.  Science  must  inform  us  what  ingredients 
are  necessary  to  replenish  the  soil,  and  enable  us 
to  produce  the  desired  crops.  The  speaker  had 
himself  experienced  this  want  of  information,  and 
had  sought  the  aid  of  scientific  men  with  success. 
He  believed  that  nine-tenths  of  the  farmers  in 
the  State  were  devoid  of  this  important  informa- 
tion. ■  What  we  want  to  know  is,  what  we  can  do 
to  bring  back  to  productiveness  our  worn  out 
lands. 

Mr.  Weld,  of  Topsfield,  believed  that  we  must 
call  science  to  the  aid  of  agriculture.  He  wanted 
clearer  knowledge  as  to  the  manner  and  extent  of 
applying  artificial  manures.  What  proportion 
would  be  profitable?  He  had  applied  100  bushels 
of  ashes  to  the  acre  in  moist,  upland  soil,  and 
thought  that  amount  necessary.  He  wanted  sci- 
entific men  to  conduct  experiments,  and  then  make 
full,  complete  and  honest  statements  in  rcTjird  to 
the  modus  operandi.     ' 

Mr.  Smith,  of  Hampshire,  related  some  facts  in 
support  of  the  views  of  Mr.  W. 

Mr.  Walker,  of  Worcester,  said  that  one  great 
obstacle  to  the  attainment  of  the  object  set  forth 
this  evening,  was  the  diversity  of  circumstances 
appertaining  to  evils.  Experiments  that  prove  en- 
tirely  successful  in  one  part  of  the  country,  com^ 
pletely  fail  in   another.     There  is  no   certaiotv 


60 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Feb. 


about  it.  He  did  not  know  how  he  could  get  that 
amount  of  information  diffased  throughout  the 
country  which  is  necessary  to  make  a  man  a  suc- 
cessful farmer.  He  believed  that  every  farmer 
must  be  his  own  scientific  experimenter.  Hardly 
any  two  agree  in  their  systems,  showing  that 
what  one  man  finds  to  hia  advantage  may  prove 
unprofitable  to  another.  Every  man  must  study 
the  science  of  agriculture  himself.  No  general 
principle  can  be  laid  down.  What  we  want  to 
know  is  how  to  make  farming  profitable.  If  a  man 
has  a  farm  which  he  can  carry  on  with  his  own 
hands  alone,  he  will  make  little  money;  but  let 
him  take  a  farm  which  requires  extra  help,  and 
his  profits  will  increase,  for  he  will  make  a  profit 
on  his  hired  labor.  We  need  enterprise'more  than 
we  do  manure. 

Mr.  Howe,  of  Southboro',  inquired,  if  in  getting 
a  profit  on  the  labor  of  those  he  employs,  he  did 
not  prevent  them  from  ever  getting  farms  for  them- 
selves ?  He  did  not  like  that  kind  of  enterprise 
which  keeps  oth«r  people  down. 

The  gentleman  then  went  on  to  say  that  he  had 
employed  ashes  on  a  side  hill  of  moist  soil,  and 
saw  a  great  improvement  in  consequence;  and 
then  he  applied  it  to  another  lot  of  similar  soil  and 
received  no  benefit  whatever.  Again,  he  had  a 
lot  of  twelve  acres,  on  six  of  which  he  had  applied 
plaster  to  great  advantage.  He  then  applied  it  to 
the  other  six  and  received  no  benefit  whatever. 
'  Mr.  Walker,  of  Worcester,  said  in  reply  to 
Mr.  Howe's  question  in  regard  to  profit  on  hired 
labor,  that  there  were  a  great  number  of  laborers 
coming  into  this  country  who  were  without  the 
means  and  incompetent  to  carry  on  fiirming,  and 
were  glad  to  obtain  any  kind  of  employment.  He 
saw  no  harm  in  making  use  of  this  labor  in  the 
way  he  had  intimated. 

Mr.  Amasa  Walker  believed  that  this  failure  of 
experiment  might  be  easily  explained.  Ptshaps 
the  manures  applied  were  of  poor  quality,  or  the 
season  unfavorable  to  its  use.  He  had  once  ap- 
plied plaster  to  a  piece  of  land,  but  the  first  year 
he  could  perceive  no  benefit  from  it,  and  came  to 
the  conclusion  that  it  needed  to  be  applied  the  sec- 
ond year.  He  didso,  yet  he  could  hardly  perceive 
its  effects.  He  could  only  discover  a  small,  white 
clover  springing  up.  He  continued  the  application, 
and  was  satisfied  that  it  paid  well.  This,  he 
thought  an  illustration  of  the  need  of  more  accu 
rate  scientific  information. 

Mr.  Rowley,  of  Egremont,  said,  he  also  felt  the 
need  of  more  specific,  practical  knowledge  in  re 
gard  to  the  production  of  crops,  and  the  proper 
management  of  the  land.  He  did  not  know  but 
that  the  farmers  of  the  State  needed  enterpi-ise, 
but  he  did  not  believe  that  it  was  the  number  of 
acres  that  he  cultivated,  that  made  a  man  rich 
The  oldsayingis,  "a  little  farm  well  tilled."  He 
thought  there  was  a  lack  of  system.     Our  farmers 


do  not,  like  the  merchants,  keep  an  account  of  the 
expense  of  raising  their  various  crops,  and  thus 
be  enabled  to  ascertain  which  were  the  most  pro- 
fitable. He  thought  farmers  should  take  more 
pains  to  interchange  views  with  one  another,  in  re- 
gard to  their  interests.  Perhaps  one  obstacle  in 
the  way  of  improvement  is  a  prejudice  against 
book  farming. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
CELERY. 

BY   W.    CLIFT. 

Mr.  Editor  : — A  correspondent  in  your  Decem- 
ber num1>er  inquires  for  the  best  method  of  secur- 
ing celery  for  the  winter.  As  I  have  cultivated 
this  plant  for  the  .last  six  years,  with  very  good 
success ,  I  can  give  you  the  results  of  my  experience . 
It  requires  more  attention  than  most  other  vegeta- 
bles, and  the  growing  of  good  celery  is  a  much 
more  difficult  matter  than  its  preservation.  This 
is  the-  chief  difficulty  about  it,  to  attend  to  its 
wants  often,  and  seasonably. 

If  you  wish  early  celery  you  must  sow  your  seed 
in  March  in  a  hot-bed,  and  put  your  plants  in  the 
trench  in  June  or  early  in  July.  If  you  only  care 
for  it  late,  sow  in  May  in  the  open  ground.  Select 
a  moist  rich  spot  for  your  seed  bed,  thoroughly  pre- 
pared. The  finer  the  tilth  of  the  mould  the  better 
your  seed  will  germinate.  An  old  mat  thrown 
over  the  bed,  or  any  light  covering  of  grass  or 
weeds,  will  aid  the  sprouting.  This  covering  should 
be  removed,  as  soon  as  the  plants  are  well  up.  As 
soon  as  the  plants  are  an  inch  high,  they  should 
be  pricked  out  in  a  bed  of  rich  mould  thoroughly 
prepared.  A  compost  of  muck  and  night  soil,  or 
muck  and  hen  dung,  is  a  very  good  manure  for  the . 
bed.  The  plants  should  be  set  in  drills,  six  inches 
apart,  and  four  inches  in  the  drill.  _  You  cannot 
have  good  strong  plants  without  pricking  out.  They 
should  be  kept  free  from  weeds,  and  the  soil  should 
be  stirred  once  a  week  until  August. 

The  selection  of  a  suitable  spot  for  the  trenches 
is  a  matter  of  considerable  importance.  As  celery 
needs  a  good  deal  of  water,  select  a  spot  as  near 
the  watering  place  as  possible.  Your  soil  Jthould 
be  two  feet  deep,  and  if  there  is  not  that  depth  of 
black  loam  you  must  prepare  it  in  the  trenches, 
for  the  occasion  ;  you  may  prepare  _  your  trenches 
for  growing  two  or  four  rows,  as  suits  your  conve- 
nience. If  for  two  rows,  the  trenches  should  be 
18  inches  wide,  and  18  deep.  I  have  tried  various 
kinds  of  manure,  feathers,  hair,  night  soil,  &c.  I 
have  obtained  the  best  results  from  night  sojl  well 
mixed  with  loam  of  charcoal  dust — but  I  attributed 
this  to  the  fact  that  it  was  used  in  larger  quanti- 
ties, than  to  any  superiority  in  the  manure.  The 
hogs'  hair,  though  used  in  small  quantities,  gave 
ve^  satisfactory  results.  But  almost  any  manure 
will  do,  if  it  be  thoroughly  incorporated  with  the 
soil,  in  the  bottom  of  the  trenches.  If  you  use 
stable  dung  the  trenches  should  be  half  filledwith 
it,  and  thoroughly  worked  into  the  soil  with  a 
fork. 

Junius  Smith,  in  the  Patent  Office  Report,  for 
1845,  gives  the  following  directions  for  setting  out 
the  plants  in  the  trench.  "The  plants  should  be 
trimmed  about  the  crown,  just  at  the  top  of  the 
root ;  all  the  young  suckers  taken  off,  leaving  the 
plant  trim  and  neat,  with  all  its  main  stalks.  With 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


61 


a  dibble,  which  should  be  as  large  as  the  handle  of 
a  spade,  as  tlie  roots  will  now  be  of  considerable 
size,  begin  at  one  end  of  the  trench,  with  your 
face  toward  the  other,  and  set  in  a  single  row  of 
plants  in  the  middle  of  the  trench,  and  not  less 
than  six  inches  asunder ;  water  them  well.  No 
teetotaler  loves  water  better  than  celery.  It  can- 
not have  too  much.  The  roots  of  this  plant  re- 
quire more  room  than  is  generally  allowed  them, 
as  any  one  may  see  when  they  are  taken  up  for 
the  table. 

"Earthing  up  the  plants  should  be  delayed  until 
they  have  attained  a  good  size ;  and  then  it  requires 
care,  especially  the  first  time.  I  always  get  into 
the  trench  myself,  and,  holding  the  plant  with  all 
its  stalks  firmly  in  my  left  hand,  with  a  short-lian- 
dled  small  hoe,  draw  the  earth  up  around  the  plant 
without  allowing  it  to  come  in  between  the  stalks. 
When  this  is  done,  and  the  plants  thus  protected, 
you  may,  with  a  spade,  strike  off  the  edges  of  the 
trench,  and  partially  fill  it.  As  the  plant  grows, 
continue  to  earth  up,  and  by  the  1st  of  Nov.  the 
plants  will  be  two  feet  above  the  level  of  the  earth, 
and  of  the  size  of  a  man's  arm. 

"Sometimes,  particularly  if  the  season  be  dry, 
■celery  is  liable  to  l?e  attacked  by  a  fly.  In  that 
case,  you  will  see  the  tops  of  the  celery  turn  brown 
and  wither.  The  moment  that  symptom  appears, 
no  time  is  to  be  lost  in  calling  the  doctor,  for  the 
whole  crop  is  at  stake.  The  cause  of  the  disease 
is  the  sting  of  a  fly  upon  the  leaves.  The  egg  is 
deposited  between  the  integuments  of  the  leaf,  and 
soon  hatches  into  a  small  white  worm — sometimes 
visible  on  opening  the  leaf  to  the  naked  eye,  al- 
ways by  the  aid  of  the  microscope.  If  not  attend- 
ed to,  the  disease  descends  to  the  root  and  the 
whole  plant  falls  a  sacrifice.  Amputate  every  dis- 
eased leaf,  and  early  in  the  morning  while  the  dew 
is  on,  sift  on  to  the  whole  of  the  plants  fi-esh 
slaked  lime.  One  such  powdering  is  generally  suf- 
ficient, but  if  not,  give  them  another  dose,  and  the 
first  rain  that  falls  will  wash  the  plants  clean,  and 
you  will  probably  see  them  fresh,  green,  and 
stretching  away  toward  maturity." 

As  we  have  never  had  any  diseased  celery  to 
doctor,  we  give  this  remedy  for  what  it  is  worth. 
The  disease  is  probably  induced  by  drought.  As 
our  celery  trenches  stand  close  by  a  ditch  where 
salt  water  flows,  we  have  tried  the  brine  upon  them 
once  a  week,  and  found  it  gave  the  plants  great 
luxuriance.  We  have  grown  plants  a  yard  long. 
Wherever  a  garden  is  near  the  shore  it  will  be 
worth  while  to  try  the  experiment  of  salt  watering. 
It  is  a  marine  plant,  and  must  have  salt  in  some 
shape  in  order  to  attain  perfection.  Prof.  Mapes 
recommends  salt  in  the  compost  prepared  for  it. 
He  advises  to  put  at  least  three  inches  of  either  of 
the  following  composts  in  the  bottom  of  the  trench- 
es. 

1st.  Well  decomposed  stable  manure,  with  ten 
gallons  of  strong  brine  made  from  salt  to  each  hall 
cord. 

2d,  One  cord  of  peat,  turf,  meadow-muck  and 
woods  earth,  which  has  been  previously  decom- 
posed by  the  salt  and  lime  mixture,  (3  bushels  of 
lime  slaked  in  water  saturated  with  one  bushel  of 
salt)  with  one  hundred  pounds  of  Peruvian  guano 
thoroughly  mixed  ten  days  before  using." 

Celery  is  a  delicious  vegetable,  and  makes  an 
agreeable  variety  upon  the  table  during  winter. 
Its  use  is   chiefly 'confined  to  cities,  because  it  re- 


quires some  little  skill  to  grow  it,  and  gardeners 
in  the  suburbs  can  make  it  a  paying  crop.  It 
might  be  introduced  with  advantage  to  every  veg- 
etable garden. 

As  to  the  preservation  of  celery,  if  you  live  near 
a  market  it  is  best  to  leave  it  to  the  market-man 
who  sells  it,  buying  only  as  you  wish  to  use  it. 
We  have  tried  various  methods  of  keeping  it  in  a 
cellar,  but  have  never  succeeded  well.  Prof.  Mapes 
recommended  banking  it  in  moist  sand,  and  this 
will  succeed  as  well  as  any  thing.  If  you  grow  the 
article  yourself  you  can  keep  it  best  in  the  trench- 
es where  it  grows.  The  trench  that  you  design  to 
use  first,  before  the  ground  freezes  solid  for  the 
winter,  will  be  sufficiently  protected  by  a  covering 
of  seaweed  or  refuse  straw  a  foot  thick.  That 
which  you  wish  to  preserve  till  January  and  later, 
should  have  a  little  house  made  over  it.  If  your 
earthing  up  is  not  too  high,  two  wide  boards  set 
upon  their  edges  on  each  side  of  the  plants,  and 
then  inclined  till  they  meet  at  the  top,  like  a  letter 
A,  will  answer  very  well.  The  boards  should  have 
a  thick  covering  of  old  straw  or  hay,  and  in  mild 
weather  should  lie  left  open  at  the  ends  for  airing- 
We  have  fine  celery  preserved  in  this  way  at  this 
date.  Last  winter  we  set  a  crotch  at  each  end  of 
the  trench,  put  a  pole  upon  the  crotches,  for  the 
ridge  pole  of  the  house.  Slabs  two  or  three  feet 
long  and  about  half  as  far  apart,  formed  the  rafters. 
The  covering  was  of  seaweed  a  foot  or  more  in 
thickness.  It  kept  admirably  till  spring  ;  you  can 
take  enough  from  the  trenches  at  one  time  to  last 
a  week  or  two.  It  will  keep  fresh  for  that  time  in 
the  cellar.  W.  Clift. 

Stonington,   Ct.,  Jan.  15ih,  1853. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
COMPOSTING  WITH  MUCK. 
Mr.  Editor  :— I  would  like  to  inquire  of  you 
or  some  one  of  your  numerous  correspondents,  the 
best  method  of  working  muck.  I  use  it  in  the 
hog-yard  and  cow-yard  in  the  summer  season,  and 
in  the  winter  in  my  cow  stable,  on  the  plan  of 
Professor  jSIapes  ;  but  this  requires  a  great  amount 
of  labor.  If  there  is  any  better  way,  I  should  like 
to  know  it,  as  I  have  a  great  quantity  of  muck 
and  wish  to  work  it  in  the  most  profitable  way. 

F.    H.   CCRRIER. 

M'Indoes  Falls,  Vt.,  Jan.  8,  1853. 

Remarks.— In  the  first  place,  we  are  obliged  to 
our  correspondent  for  his  kind  expressions  in  the 
part  of  his  letter  which  we  have  omitted  ;  and  in 
the  second  place  reply  to  his  queries  with  plea- 
sure. 

There  are  certainly  two  or  three  ways  at  least, 
in  which  muck  may  be  used  in  large  quantities  at 
a  very  little  cost  above  the  labor  of  digging  and 
carting  it.  As  the  first  mode,  we  refer  friend 
CcRRiER  to  Mr.  IIolbrook's  plan,  given  in  full  in 
the  3d  volume  of  the  Monthly  Farmer,  page  381. 
This  plan  is  to  fill  the  drop  or  sink  behind  the  cat- 
tle with  muck,  which  was  cleaned  out  and  re- 
plenished every  morning.  His  sink  or  trench  was 
water-tight.  Another  mode  is  to  cart  quantities 
of  the  muck  into  the  barn-cellar  in  autumn,  and 
scatter  it  over  the  droppings  each  morning.     This 


62 


NEW  ENGLAND  PARMER. 


Pek. 


absorbs  the  watery  parts,  prevents  in  a  considera- 
ble degree  the  escape  of  ammonia,  and  so  mixes 
the  whole  as  to  make  it  convenient  to  use,  if  the 
long  litter  is  not  incorporated  with  it.  The  bed- 
ding or  litter  should  be  kept  by  itself,  ^nd  decom- 
position aided  by  throwing  into  a  large  heap,  wet- 
ting and  overhauling,  or  perhaps  by  scattering 
lime  with  it. 

Where  there  is  no  barn-cellar  the  muck  may  be 
mixed  with  the  manure  as  early  as  possible  in  the 
spring,  and  frequently  overhauled. 

A  third  method  is  to  pile  up  the  muck  and  mix 
with  lime,  ashes,  or  guano.  When  guano  is  used, 
let  it  be  with  the  muck  alone.  When  the  muck 
and  lime  only  are  used,  Dundonald  says,  the  ob- 
ject is  best  attained  by  mixing  newly-made  and 
completely-slacked  lime,  with  about  5  or  6  times 
its  weight  of  muck  which  should  be  moderately 
wet.  By  this  mode  of  conducting  the  process,  a 
soluble  saline  matter  will  be  produced,  consisting 
of  phosphate  and  oxalate  of  ammonia,  whi<5h  will 
be  beneficial  on  most  soils. 

Mud  of  any  kind  should  not  be  plowed  in  when 
Tccently  dug  ;  it  should  be  composted  with  lime 
or  putrescent  manures,  orKe  exposed  to  a  winter's 
frost,  which  will  destroy  its  tenacity,  and  reduce 
it  to  a  fine  powder,  that  will  serve  as  a  valuable 
absorbent  of  feculent  matter  and  urine,  or  it  may 
be  spread  upon  the  field  like  ashes.  But  if  it  be 
plowed  into  the  soil,  before  it  has  undergone  fer- 
mentation by  the  action  of  salts,  or  has  been  mel- 
lowed by  frosts,  it  will  remain  in  lumps  in  the 
Qarth  for  yearg.  without  much  a,vail. 


THS  MILK  BUSINESS. 

We  give  below  a  copy  of  the  petition  to  be 
presented  to  the  Legislature  as  adopted  at  the 
great  Milk  Convention,  at  Cochituate  Hall,  in 
Boston,  on  Wednesday,  the  26th  Jan.  In  addition 
to  this  notice  copies  of  printed  petitions  will  be 
sent  to  gentlemen  in  various  parts  of  the  State. 
It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  towns  will  hold  organized 
meetings,  adopt  the  terms  of  the  petition,  sign  them 
numerously  and  return  them  to  the  Legislature, 
or  to  the  subscriber,  who  is  one  of  the  Committee 
chosen  to  receive  them.  Simon  Brown, 

Boston  Jan.  26, 1853. 

To   the  Senate   and   House   cf  Representatives  in 
General  Court  assembled. 

Your  petitioners  respectfully  represent  tha.t  the 
Farmers  of  this  Commonwealth  are  deeply  interest 
ed  in    the    production   and   sale   of  7nilk — that  the 
number  of  cows  kept  within   our   borders  is   about 
150,000,  producing   annually,  a  quantity   of  milk, 
valued,  at  the  low  rate  of  3  cents  per  quart,  and  al 
lowing   4  quarts  per  day  to  each  cow,  at  the  sum  of 
six    millions    five   hundred    and   seventy    thousand 
dollars  ayear — that  milk  for  the  markets,  is  gener 
ally  delivered  by  the  producers  in  tin  cans  furnished 
by  the  purchasers,  said  to  contain  a  specified  num 
ber  of  quarts — that  many  of  such  purchasers  still 


continue  to  use  the  "ale  quart,"  which  is  not -recog- 
nized by  the  statutes  now  in  force,  while  others  use 
the  wine  quart,  which  is  the  measure  prescribed  by 
law — that  great  inequality,  injustice  and  fraud, 
both  to  the  producers  and  consumers,  results  from 
such  confusion  of  the  standard  of  measure — the  cans 
vaj-ying  from  8  1-4  to  8  3-4  quarts. 

Wherefore,  they  pray,  that  it  may  be  prescribed 
by  law,  under  adequate  penalties,  that  no  cans  shall 
be  used  in  the  delivery  or  sale  of  milk,  except  such 
as  shall  be  legally  sealed  by  the  town  or  city  sealer 
of  weights  and  measures,  and  marked  with  a  figure 
or  figures  denoting  the  capacity  of  such  can  in  quarts 
by  wine  measure — with  a  proper  allowance,  to  be 
by  law  prescribed,  for  the  reduction  of  the  bulk  of 
the  milk  in  cooling. 

And  your  petitioners  as  in  duty  bound  will  ever 
pray. 

Fc-r  the  New  England  Farmer. 
ESPERIMENTS—EEE  S. 

Mr.  Editor: — Although  an  entire  stranger,  yet- 
the  fact  that  I  am  a  subscriber  and  constant  read- 
er of  your  excellent  paper,  and  that  I  am  deeply 
interested  in  the  calhng  which  you  so  ably  advo- 
cate, is  to  me  a  sufficient  apology  for  this  uncere- 
monious introduction.  Living,  as  we  do,  in  an  age 
which  gives  to  tne  preso  an  iuuuence  so  great  a& 
to  be  almost,  if  not  quite,  beyond  onr  comprehen- 
sion, it  is  not  strange  that  we  should  form  a  strong 
attuCiiiiieiit  to  sucii  papers  as  aGvocate  principles' 
and  advance  measures  similar  to  our  own. 

Being  a  lover  of  nature,  and  a  deeply  interested 
observer  of  the  various  robes  which  she  adorns  her- 
self with  during  the  different  seasons  of  the  yeai'. 
you  may  easily  imagine  with  what  unbounded 
pleasure  I  peruse  such  articles  as  allude  to  this  in- 
teresting, instructive,  and  truly  elevating  subject. 
The  grey  and  gloomy  aspect  of  winter,  the  green 
of  spring,  with  the  aunshiise  of  suinmer,  an5  the 
golden  tints  of  autumn,  each,  and  all,  tend  to  eL 
evate  and  improve  the  mind,  and  ifrightlyreceivedi 
gladden  the  heart  and  make  man  a  truly  happy  be- 
ing. 

As  I  peruse  the  articles  of  your  correspondents 
I  often  have  reason  to  regret  that  farmers  do  not 
conduct  their  farms  in  such  manner  as  to  secure 
at  the  end  of  each  year,  a  knowledge  of  the  loss 
and  gain,  not  only  of  each  experiment,  but  of  each 
farming  operation.  The  satisfaction  of  this  is 
known  only  to  those  who  have  tried  it.  It  is  my 
opinion  that  not  one  farmer  in  five  knows  how 
much  it  costs  him  to  raise  a  bushel  of  rye,  corn, 
wheat,  or  potatoes,  nor  in  fact,  any  of  his  produce, 
yet  how  important  it  is,  not  only  to  know  how 
much  each  costs,  but  how  each  can  be  producea 
the  cheapest,  and  at  the  same  time  keep  his  farm 
in  an  improving  condition.  When  an  experiment 
is  tried,  not  one  in  twenty  is  conducted  in  a  man- 
ner best  calculated  to  secure  the  desired  result , 
for  example,  a  field  of  corn  fertilized  with  a  new 
kind  of  manure,  is  no  experiment  unless  a  part  of 
the  field  is  fertilized  with  a  manure,  iha  fertilizing 
(jualilies  of  which  are  fully  known;  yet  how  seldom 
is  this  the  case,  and  in  fact  how  often  is  it  the  case 
that  the  ivhole  field  is  used  for  an  experiment ;  and 
again  when  the  results  are  laid  before  the  public, 
the  field  was  manured  with  thirty  loads,  leaving 
you  to  guess  whether  they  were  drawn  by  dogs, 
horses  or  oxen.  We  ought  to  have  the  number  of 
cords,  and  the  price  per  cord,  then  we  shall  haY6 
something  tangible, 


iS53. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


63 


I  am  deeply  interested  in  the  Honey  Bee,  and 
think  their  habits  are  as  yet  but  little  understood. 
They  are  yet  in  their  wild  state,  but  that  they  can 
be  domesticated  to  a  much  greater  degree  than 
has  been  supposed,  I  have  from  experience  every 
reason  to  believe.  Should  it  beacceptabjp,  I  may 
at  some  future  time  give  you  the  results  of  my  la- 
bors. For  the  three  past  years  I  have  cleared  five 
dollars  per  year  on  each  svparm.  For  ten  years  1 
have  not  lust  a  svrarm  by  the  bee  moth  -,  in  fact, 
I  have  lost  only  two  swarms,  one  winter  killed  in 
a  tight  hive,  and  one  killed  by  the  ants,  which,  by 
the  way,  are  an  ins&ct  deserving  more  attention 
than  they  have  ever  j-et  received.  I  am  resolved  to 
■study  their  habits  and  ascertain  their  good  and  bad^ 
■qualities.  That  they  do  seme  injury  I  know, — that 
they  do  more  good  than  injury,  I  think  an  invest! 
gation  will  compel  us  to  admit. 

Hingham,  Jan.,  1853.  Edaiunb  Hersey. 

Remarks. — We  shall  be  happy  to  receive  a  con- 
densed account  of  your  experience  with  the  bees 


CONVENTION  OP  MILKMEN?  AND 
FARMERS. 

A  convention  of  the  Milkmen  and  Parro'ers  of  the 
Commonwealth  was  held  in  Cochituate  Hall,  on 
Wednesday,  the  25th  Jan.,  for  the  purpose  of 
adopting  meas\ires  to  secure  the  adoption  of  wine 
or  legal  measure  throughout  the  State,  and  to  take 
such  other  measures  as  will  promote  the  interests 
of  the  trade.  The  Convention  was  quite  large, 
there  being  three  or  four  hundred  present,  and 
among  the  members  were  representatives  of  all 
sections  of  the  State. 

The  Convention  was  called  to  order  at  10^  ociock, 
and  Mr.  Simon  Brown,  of  Concord,  was  chosen 
prGsidcHt, 

■On  motion  of  Mr.  Barn-ss,  of  Waltham,  the  pro- 
lOeedjngs  of  the  previous  meetings  at  Brighton  were 
read  by  Benjamin  Wellington,  of  Waltham. 

Mr.  S.  G.  Wheeler,  of  Concord.,  and  William  S. 
Lincoln,  of  Worcester,  we^'e  eleet&d  Vice  Presi- 
dents. 

Mr.  Brown  made  a  few  remarks,  showing  the 
aecessit;y  of  carrying  out  the  object  for  which  the 
Convention  had  assembled.  lie  said  that  in  his 
own  town  (Concord)  the  diOerentie  of  the  income 
from  milk  as  measured  by  wine  or  a!e  measure, 
amounts  to  $18  75  per  day.  This  amount  is  taken 
fpom  the  flirmers  wrongfully  by  the  present  system, 
and  he  was  in  favor  of  a  thorough  reform.  In  con- 
clusion he  announced  the  Coavention  as  ready  for 
b^siness. 

Mr-  WaiTNEF,  of  Stowe,  thought  the  Conven- 
tion might  aim  at  too  much  and  accomplish  but 
little.  He  thought  it  should  confine  itself  to  the 
one  object  of  securing  the  adoption  of  the  wine,  or 
legal  jneasure.  What  is  wanted  is  that  the  can 
ghall  bo  by  law  declared  a  measure,  and  it  will  then 
be  obliged  to  be  sealed.  With  regulating  the  price 
of  milk  or  the  washing  of  cans,  he  thought  the 
Legislature  should  have  nothing  to  do.  The  Con- 
vention should  memorialize  the  Legislature  to  pass 
an  act  requiring  cans  to  be  sealed ;  the  members 
should  then  petition  for  the  aet  over  their  signa- 
tures; and  then  petitions  should  be  circulated 
aijiong  the  producers,  pledging  themselves  not  to 


sell  by  other  than  the  legal  measure.  The  gen- 
tleman stated  as  the  result  of  a  careful  calculation, 
that  by  the  measure  proposed,  the  same  quantity 
of  milk  which  has  heretofore  sold  for  $100  will  Boli 
for  $122  in  wine  measure. 

Mr.  HosMER,  of  Concord,  advocated  the  passage 
by  the  Convention  of  a  resolve  that  they  would 
have  the  same  price  by  the  reduced  measure  as  by 
the  large  measm-e. 

Hon.  Setii  Sprague,  of  Duxbury,  moved  that 
this  Convention  concur  in  the  resolutions  passed 
at  a  former  Convention,  adopting  the  wine  measure 
as  the  standard  for  milk. 

Mr.  Wheeler,  of  Concord,  said  the  business  of 
the  Conventicm  was  to  regulate  the  interests  of 
four  classes — tlie  milk  grower,  the  men  who  buy 
it  fvoiii  the  grower,  the  retailer,  and  the  consumer. 
The  adoption  of  the  v.'ine  measure  and  sealed  cang 
he  was  satisfied  would  do  this.  With  regulating 
the  price  of  milk  the  Convention  had  nothing  to 
do. 

Mr.  Spractie  argued  that  no  combination  to  fix 
the  price  of  milk  would  in  the  end  be  successful,  as 
it  would  be  regulated  Iiy  the  demand.  He  believed 
the  plan  of  substituting  wine  measure  would  be 
adopted  generally  by  all  producers, 

Mr.  Chafin  spoke  of  the  great  necessity  of  hav- 
ing sealed  measures,  and  adduced  as  one  argument 
flae  fact  that  bills  for  milk  sold  by  other  than  the 
legal  measure  could  not  be  collected  by  law. 

Mr.  Robinson,  of  Dorchester,  thought  tiiat  if 
the  Legislature  refuse  to  grant  the  petition  pro- 
posed, that  the  producers  and  traders  should  as- 
semble and  regulate  the  matter  for  themselves. 

Mr.  Marsh,  of  Cambridge,  said  that  lie  sup- 
posed the  object  of  the  convention  was  to  adopt 
wine  measure,  but  it  appears  that  it  is  to  raise  the 
prjpe  of  milk.  He  dissented  from  the  charges  made 
against  the  retailers  of  milk,  in  furnishing  cans 
which  hold  more  than  they  are  marked.  He  be- 
lieved the  whole  trouble  laid  with  the  farmers  them- 
selves. They  themselves  reduced  the  price — when 
they  got  a  new  market  in  Boston  by  means  of  the 
raiircad^-and  now  when  a  pinch  comes,  they  start 
the  movement.  He  thought  some  farmers  as  well 
as  milkmen  would  be  found  guilty  of  certain  delin- 
quencjeg,  such  as  ^'milking  the  Mack-tail  cow,"  &c- 
He  was  awai-e  that  the  farmers  did  not  get  enough 
for  milk.  In  four  years  he  lost  in  the  milk  busi- 
ness $1000,  and  he  now  wants  to  be  able  to  make 
it  a  paying  business.  He  did  not  believe  the  peo- 
ple at  Boston  would  refuse  to  pay  a  good  price  for 
milk  if  they  could  have  a  good  article,  instead  of 
milk  and  water. 

Mr  Wheejler  of  Concord  defended  the  formers, 
and  urged  that  the  fraud  in  the  matter  consisted 
in  the  retailers  furnisliing  the  wholesale  purchas- 
ers with  ten  quart  cane  and  paying  for  but  eight. 

Mr.  Nash  did  not  believe  the  Legislature  would 
act  in  the  matter,  because  the  farmers  have  the 
matter  in  their  own  hand,  and  if  they  say  to  the 
purchasers  bring  us  sealed  cans,  these  cans  will 
come  into  use. 

Mr.  Lakeman,  of  Charlestown,  thought  the 
milkmen  who  attempted  to  impose  poor  milk  upon 
the  women  of  Boston  would  get  his  pay  as  he  went 
along. 

Mr.  Broavn  from  the  Committee  to  petition  the 
Legislature,  submitted  the  form  of  petition  which 
had  been  prepared,  and  which  may  found  in  an- 
other column. 


64 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Feb. 


]Mr.  Wm.  S.  Linxolx,  of  Worcester,  advocated 
the  confining  the  request  to  tlie  Legislature  to  the 
aanctioning  of  a  sealed  can  ;  and  that  the  members 
themselves  resolve  that  they  will,  after  the  first 
of  April,  adopt  the  wine  n>easLire  in  retailing.  If 
farmers  cannot  sell  their  milk  at  paying  rates  they 
had  hetter  make  hutter  of  it. 

A  motion  was  made  to  amend  the  resolutions, 
so  as  to  make  the  new  measure  go  into  effect  on 
the  first  of  April,  instead  of  tlie  1st  of  February. 
This  was  opposed  by  Mr.  Barnes  of  the  Business 
Committee,  as  it  would  allow  persons  disposed  to 
make  trpu')le.,  time  to  supply  tliemselves  else- 
where.    The  motion  was  subsequently  withdrawn. 

After  a  1  mg  discu.ssion,  the  resolutions  of  the 
former  Convention  were  taken  up  and  adopted  sep- 
arately. The  tliird  was  so  amended  as  to  make 
the  time  of  carrying  the  new  measure  into  opera- 
tion the  first  of  February.  The  resoluti  ns  were 
then  adopted  as  a  whole  unanimously. 

The  Convention  then  at  half-past  two,  adjourned. 
— Journal. 

For  the  Neiv  England  Fanner. 

FARMERS'  LIBRARIES. 

BY    WILLIAM    F.    liASSETT. 

Mr.  Bkow.v  : — With  your  permission,  I  vHll  ven- 
ture to  suggest  to  your  subscribers  the  propriety 
of  "Farmers"  Libraries"  in  connection  with  "Far- 
mers' Clubs.''  The  advantage  of  the  latter  has 
been  frequently  urged  in  your  columns,  and  I  think 
the  former  should  bo  an  inseparable  accompani- 
ment to  every  town  club.  I  know  not  how  many 
such  institutions  have  already  sprung  into  exis- 
tence within  the  extensive  circle  of  your  "reading 
room  ;"  but  I  am  certain  that  there  are  few  such 
in  this  section,  and  I  think  I  may  safely  add,  but 
few  permanent  public  libraries  of  any  kind.  I  say 
permanent,  because  lam  aware  that  school  libra- 
ries have,  by  legislative  aid,  been  formed  in  large 
numbers  in  various  places,  but  which  as  far  as  my 
information  extends,  contain  within  themselves 
the  elements  of  destruction. 

They  have  no  provision  for  the  acquisition  of 
new  books  ;  and  embracing'a  space  quite  too  limit- 
ed, the  few  books  which  they  contain  are  soon 
read  and  they  then  become  "old  stories  ;"  and 
beyond  this,  which  is  an  item  of  much  importance 
to  the  farmer,  they  rarely  contain  agricultural 
works. 

Agricultural  books  having  comparatively  a  lim 
eted  circulation,  and  consequently  being  more  cost 
ly,  I  was  about  to  say,  places  them  l>eyond  the 
reach  of  the  small  farmer's  purse,  but  experience 
whispers,  "they  fill  the  purse  faster  than  they 
drain  it ;''  well,  at  any  rate,  their  cost  is  such  as 
to  deter  manj^  from  obtaining  them, and  tlius  with 
holding  much  valuable  knowledge  which  every  ag- 
riculturist ought  to  possess. 

Now,  every  one  knows  tlie  superiority  of  associ 
sted  over  individual  action  in  other  matters  per 
taining  to  the  interests  of  the  community,  but  I 
have  good  reason  to  I)elieve  that  few  realize  the 
advantages  to  be  derived  froui  it  in  connection  with 
the  sulyect  before  us,  or  if  they  do,  they  are  la- 
mentably negligent  of  botli  duty  and  interest. 

Now  I  do  not  wish  any  farmer  to  buy  any  less 
amount  of  agricultural  reading,  either  in  books  or 
periodicals,  but  if  in  addition  to  your  present  lit- 
erary expenditures  you    would  each    contribute 


something  to  a  common  fund  for  common  benefit, 
you  juight,  in  my  ojiinion,  derive  an  almost  incal- 
culable benefit  from  it. 

Let  us  illustrate.  Suppose  forty  individuals 
wished  to  obtain  each  two  books,  which  would 
cost  thecf  three  dollars  to  each  person  ;  if  tliey 
went  on  to  purchase  them  separately,  they  might, 
perhaps,  all  buy  the  same  works,  and  there  would 
be  only  two  different  works  among  the  whole  ;  but 
let  those  forty  persons  unite  their  funds  and  the 
result  would  be  eighty  different  books  of  equal 
value,  without  making  allowance  for  discount  on 
large  purchases  which  would  make  the  disparity 
still  greater. 

Perhaps  some  will  say  they  cannot  afford  to 
spare  so  much  money  ;  that  they  require  every 
cent  to  support  their  families  or  pay  their  debts  ; 
but  stop  a  moment,  good  friend  !  are  you  aware 
that  your  duty  to  your  family  requires  you  to  sup- 
ply fi)Otl  for  their  minds  as  well  as  their  bodies, 
and  is  there  not  some  little  articles,  tobacco  or  tea 
for  instance,  that  cost  you  more  than  double  that 
sum,  and  which  you  would  be  better  without? — 
Then  it  is  only  for  one  year,  and  a  trifling  annual 
outlay  of  say  fifty  cents,  afterwards,  will  swell 
your  librivry  to  hundreds,  and  perhaps  thousands 
of  volumes  comprising  every  agricultural  work  of 
value  and  histories,  biograpliies,  and  travels  enough 
to  furnish  a  useful  and  agreeable  occupation  fbp 
every  leisure  moment  of  yourself  and  family. 
■  Don't  hesitate,  then,  but  go  immediately  and 
tell  your  neighbor  yo»  are  determined  to  have  a 
town  agricultural  library,  and  request  his  assist- 
ance, vr.  F.  B. 
Ashfield,  Jan.  17,  1853. 

Remarks. — Excellent  suggestions.  You  cannot 
do  better,  friends,  than  to  act  upon  them  at  once. 
By  way  of  encouragement  to  the  writer,  we  will 
say  that  in  some  towns  the  work  is  already  begun. 
Where  town  liliraries  are  already  established,  the 
farmers  are  requiring  scientific  books  upon  agri- 
cultural suVijects  ;  some  of  the  farmers'  clubs  are 
also  gathering  libraries  for  their  own  use. 

Any  town  may  by  statute  raise  one  dollar  on 
each  poll  the  first  year  to  form  a  library,  and  twen- 
ty-five cents  a  year  afterwards,  to  increase  it. 


The  Horticulturist. — This  popular  periodical 
has  been  transferred  from  Albany  to  Rochester, 
and  is  published  by  James  Vick,  Jr.,  P.  Barry, 
Editor.  The  price  is  to  be  $2  a  year,  instead  of 
$3,  as  heretofore,  or  $4  with  colored  plates.  The 
January  number  is  illustrated  with  a  beautiful  en- 
graving of  the  Sheldon  pear,  and  half  a  dozen  out- 
lines of  other  pears,  with  a  view  of  the  residence 
of  the  late  A.  J.  Downing,  and  numerous  points 
of  interest  in  the  beautiful  grounds  about  it.  The 
number  is  filled  in  evei-y  respect  with  useful  and 
pleasing  matter,  and  we  heartily  commend  it  to 
every  lady  and  gentleman  of  taste  in  the  country. 
Such  a  work,  widely  extended,  must  have  an  im- 
portant iuQuence  not  only  on  the  general  aspect 
and  prosperity  of  the  country,  but  on  the  moral 
condition  of  the  people. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


65 


URBANISTE  PEAR. 

The  original  of  the  above  beautiful  portrait 
was  plucked  from  a  tree  in  the  garden  of  Col. 
Wilder,  of  Dorci. ester,  and  furnished  us  by  hiui 
as  a  fair  subject  to  be  engraved.  In  the  descrip- 
tion below,  which  we  take  from  Downing,  it  ap- 
pears that  the  Urbaniste  compares,  nearly,  in 
deliciousness  of  flavor,  with  "the  old  Doyenne  or 
Virgalieu."  These  are  other  names  for  the  old 
and  favorite  St.  Michael,  a  pear  better  known, 
perhaps,  than  almost  any  other  in  this  region. 
The  above  engraving  is  a  very  perfect  figure  of  the 
fruit,  and  branch  on  which  it  hung,  and  is  much 
more  beautiful  in  its  outlines  than  any  represen- 
tation we  have  seen  in  the  books. 

"The  Urbaniste  is  a  fruit  for  which  we  confident- 
ly predict  the  highest  popularity  in  this  country. 
In  its  delicious  flavor  it  compares,  perhaps,  more 
nearly  with  the  favorite  old  Doyenne  or  "Mrgalieu, 
than  any  other  fruit,  and  adds,  when  in  perfec- 
tion, a  delicate  perfume,  peculiarly  its  own.  Its 
handsome  size  and  appearance,  and  remarkably 
healthy    habit,    commend    it    for   those    districts 


where,  from  neglect  or  bad  soil,  the  Doyenne  does 
not  flourish.  The  tree  is  a  moderately  vigorous 
grower,  and  though  it  does  not'begin  to  bear  so 
early  as  some  of  the  new  varieties,  it  yields  abun- 
dant and  regular  crops,  and  gives  every  indication 
of  a  long'lived,  hardy  variety.  For  the  orchard 
or  garden  in  the  middle  States,  therefore,  we  con- 
sider it  indispensable.  With  so  many  other  fine 
sorts,  we  owe  this  to  the  Flemish,  it  having  been 
originated  by  the  Count  de  Coloma,  of  Malines. 
It  was  first  introduced  into  this  country  in  1823. 
Young  shoots  upright, short-join ted,grayish  yellow. 
Fruit  of  medium  size,  often  large,  pyramidal  obo- 
vate.  Skin  smooth  and  fair,  pale  yellow,  with  gray 
dots,  and  a|few  russet  streaks.  Stalk  about  an  inch 
long,  rather  stout,  and  inserted  in  a  well  marked 
or  rather  broad  depression.  Calyx  small,  closed 
and  set  in  a  narrow  basin,  which  is  abruptly  and 
rather  deeply  sunk.  Flesh  white,  (yellowish  at 
the  core,)  buttery,  very  melting  and  rich,  with  a 
copious,  delicious  juice,  delicately  perfumed.  Ri- 
pens from  the  last  of  September  till  the  end  of 
November,  if  kept  in  the  house." 


66 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Feb. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
HONEY  BEES. 

Messrs.  Editors  : — A  subscriber  wishes  to  know 
why  swarms  of  bees  so  frequently  die  in  winter — 
and  sometimes  in  other  seasons  of  the  year,  with- 
out any  apparent  cause.  Permit  me  to  reply  to 
this  inquiry  through  the  medium  of  your  excellent 
paper,  and  I  will  communicate  some  truths  that 
nave  fallen  under  my  observation  during  a  term  of 
thirty  years,  During  several  of  the  first  years  of 
my  keeping  bees,  I  fell  into  the  same  error  so  oft- 
en committed  at  the  present  day,  by  having  no 
ventilator  to  my  hives  during  winter,  except  where 
the  bees  pass  out  and  in  at  the  bottom  of  the 
hives  ;  the  consequence  was,  I  lost  many  valuable 
swarms  as  I  supposed,  by  freezing  to  death.  1 
tried  to  winter  them  in  the  cellar  ;  the  dampness 
would  mould  the  comb,  then  the  bees  would  be- 
come sickly  and  frequently  die.  I  then  concluded 
to  let  them  stand  in  the  bee  house  and  take  their 
chance.  I  watched  year  after  year  to  ascertain 
what  kind  of  weather  affected  them  most ;  I  found 
w^^en  there  came  snow  attended  with  wind  drifting 
around  the  bottom  of  the  .hives  closing  the  en- 
trance, such  swarms  were  certain  to  die  by  suffo- 
catiim  before  morning.  I  have  known  several  in- 
stances of  a  person's  losing  their  entire  stock  of 
bees  in  a  single  night  by  suii[i)cation,  caused  by  the 
snow  drifting  in  around  the  hive.  I  have  also  lost 
valuable  swarms  by  a  few  dead  bees  dropping 
down  inside,  closing  the  mouth  of- the  hive  so  as 
produce  sufiocation. 

My  opinion  now  had  become  completely  changed 
in  regard  to  the  manner  of  treating  bees  during 
winter  seasons.  I  then  made  a  new  set  of  hives 
with  chambers  and  honey  drawers  to  fit  and  to  ob- 
viate the  difficulty  of  the  bees  being  smothered  in 
future  from  lohalever  cause.  With  o  three-fourth 
inch  centre  bit,  I  bored  a  hole  through  the  front 
side  of  all  my  hives  about  eight  inches  from  the 
bottom,  fixing  wires  across  the  hole  horizontally 
inside  of  the  hive  at  such  distances  that  a  bee 
could  not  quite  get  through.  This  I  called  the 
ventilator.  The  reason  why  they  should  not  pass 
out  and  in  at  the  ventilator  is  this  : — 

Bees  are  notorious  robbers,  and  a  hive  can  bet- 
ter defend  themselves,  if  there  is  but  one  point 
where  they  can  be  attacked.  I  put  all  young 
swarms  that  come  out  into  this  kind  of  hives  ;  the 
bees  would  close  up  tlie  ventilators  in  summer 
with  wax.  About  the  first  of  Dec.  I  would  clear 
out  the  ventilators  with  the  point  of  an  awl  and 
they  would  remain  open  during"  the  winter.  I  al- 
so raised  each  hive  from  the  bottom  board,  not 
quite  high  enough  to  allow  the  bees  to  ci'eep  out, 
by  putting  a  small  wooden  wedge  under  each  cor- 
ner of  the  hive  ;  if  the  snow  blew  in  about  the 
hives  closing  them  ever  so  tight  at  the  bottom,  the 
ventilators  would  supply  the  swarm  with  sufliclent 
air  to  prevent  sufTocatiim.  I  put  no  straw  about 
my  hives — used  no  quilts  to  cover  them — yet  my 
entire  stock  of  bees  would  stand  the  severest  win- 
ter that  ever  blew.  Other  bee  masters  in  the 
neighborhood,  who  had  been  in  the  habit  of  put- 
ting their  bees  in  the  cellar,  seeing  how  mine 
wintered,  have  treated  their  entire  stock  in  like 
manner,  and  have  not  lost  a  single  swarm. 

During  the  severest  weather,  when  the  ther- 
mometer indicated  ten,  sometimes  sixteen  degrees 
below  zero,  I  would  examine  my  bees  at  sunrise. 


As  the  sun  shone  in  through  the  ventilator,  I 
could  see  their  operations  ;  they  would  be  close 
against  the  ventilator,  and  as  lively  as  in  sum- 
mer, seeming  delighted  to  breathe  the  fresli  air. 
Xo  cattle,  fowls,  boys,  or  anything  else,  should 
be  allowed  to  disturb  bees  in  cold  weather  ;  and  I 
believe  a  good  swarm  of  V>ees  canntit  l>e  frozen  to 
death  in  a  hive  well  supplied  witli  comb  and  honey, 
rightly  ventilated,  and  nut  disturbed,  in  the  cli- 
mate of  Massachusetts. 

Bees  are  liable  to  fail  in  the  warm  season  of  the 
year  from  various  causes.  In  the  first  place, 
however  short-lived  the  working  bees  are,  the 
queen,  I  think,  lives  to  be  several  years  old  ;  yet 
the  time  must  come  when  she  will  die.  If  her 
death  takes  place  in  winter,  there  being  no  brood 
comb  in  the  hive,  however  numerous  the  swarm, 
they  will  not  be  able  to  provide  anotlier  sovereign. 
(I  never  knew  a  hive  of  bees  that  lost  their  queen 
in  the  winter,  make  any  effort  to  supply  them- 
selves with  a  new  queen,  except  in  (me  instance.) 
[See  Boston  Cultivator,  of  April  24,  1847.] 

When  warm  weather  returns,  tliis  swarm  will 
remain  inactive  in  the  hive  and  dwindle  away,  till 
the  bees  of  some  other  hive  step  in  and  take  away 
their  honey,  or  the  bee  moth  takes  possession  of 
the  hive.  I  have  lost  as  many  as  four  hives  of 
bees  occasioned  by  losing  tlieir  queen  in  winter. — 
About  three  years  ago,  in  February,  1  finind  the 
queen  on  the  bottom  board  of  one  of  my  best 
hives  apparently  dead.  1  placed  her  in  my  hands  ; 
by  breathing  warmly  upon  Iier  for  a  few  minutes, 
she  was  restored  to  her  usual  activity.  I  opened 
the  chamber  of  the  hive  where  she  belonged,  re- 
moved the  communication  cap  and  placed  her 
among  the  bees.  In  March,  I  found  her  again 
on  the  bottom  board,  apparently  hfeless.  I  warmed 
and  returned  her  to  tiiehiveaa  before.  x\l)outthe 
first  of  April,  I  picked  her  up  a  third  time,  but 
the  vital  spark  had  fled.  I  examined  her  through 
a  magnifying  glass,  and  found  her  antenna;  gone, 
three  of  her  feet  worn  off;  no  doubt  she  died  of 
old  age.  The  swarm  remained  inactive  in  the 
liive  till  some  time  in  the  summer,  when  tlie  bees 
of  another  hive  took  away  their  honey. 

Another  reason  why  a  hive  of  bees  may  run 
down  in  summer,  is  this  : — When  a  hive  of  bees 
becomes  pretty  numerous  in  the  spring,  they  go  to 
work  and  erect  four  or  five  royal  cells ;  in  each  of 
these  cells  may  be  found  a  young  queen  ;  they  all 
hatch  about  the  same  time  and  send  out  a  swarm 
accompanied  by  the  old  qvecn,  leaving  tlie  young 
queens  in  the  old  hive.  If  we  gt)  some  morning 
about  eight  days  from  tliis  time,  and  place  the  ear 
against  the  old  hive,  and  hear  the  young  queens 
piping,  (so  called)  we  then  expect  a  second  swarm 
out  of  the  old  hive — which  takes  place  from  nine 
to  fourteen  days  after  the  first  swarm.  Some- 
times there  will  be  a  tliird  swarm.  Now  it  occa- 
sionally happens  that  two  or  more  queens  go  out 
with  second  or  third  swarms  ;  (I  have  seen  tliree;) 
when  this  happens,  they  may  light  in  two  or  three 
different  places,  each  bunch  of  bees  having  a  queen  ; 
theysliould  all  be  collected  and  put  into  one  hive. 
Sometimes  all  the  j'oung  (jueens  will  go  out  of  the 
old  hive  with  the  second  swarm  ;  (oftener  with  the 
third  swarm;)  in  this  case  all  the  queens  but  one 
will  be  put  to  death  during  that  day  or  the  night 
following.  Now  the  old  hive  being  destitute  of  a 
queen,  and  but  few  workers,  will  run  down  in  the 
course  of  the  summer  (as   described  in  the   case 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


67 


where  a  hive  lost  their  qncen  in  the  winter.)  I 
have  lost  several  old  hives  of  bees  in  the  manner 
last  described. 

I  have  said  second  and  third  swarms  are  always 
accompanied  by  young  queens.  Now  the  younjj; 
queen  in  tlie  course  of  a  few  days  goes  abroad  (It  is 
supposed  to  meet  the  male  on  the  wing.)  When 
slve  returns,  not  being  accustomed  to  leave  the 
hive,  slie  is  liable  to  make  a  mistake  and  enter  a 
wrong  hive,  especially  if  there  are  other  hives  on 
either  side  resembling  her  own  ;  she  is  immediately 
seized  and  put  to  death. 

A  few  years  ago  I  found  one  of  my  young  swarms 
in  great  commotion  just  before  dark  ;  they  were 
forcing  an  entrance  into  every  hive  in  the  bee- 
houses,  notwithstanding  the  strong  exertions  made 
by  every  hive  to  keep  tliem  out.  They  were  mak- 
ing the  greatest  effort  to  enter  a  hive  standing  next 
their  own,  contending  manfully  till  it  was  so  dark 
they  could  no  longer  see  to  fly.  It  required  no  ef- 
fort on  my  part  to  imagine  the  cause  of  all  that  was 
transpiring,  E;u-ly  next  morning  I  v,'ent  in  search 
of  the  lost  queen.  She  had  entered  the  wrong  hive 
where  her  subjects  wei'e  making  the  most  diligent 
search  tlie  niglit  bef)re.  After  being  put  to  death 
she  was  thrown  upon  the  ground  beneath  the  hive. 
Now  this  young  swarm  having  lost  their  sovereign 
before  there  was  any  young  in  the  hive,  soon  made 
their  abode  among  the  other  swarms.  I  have  known 
other  young  swarms  ])roken  up  in  like  manner.  To 
prevent  other  similar  occurrences  I  have  my  hives 
painted  different  coli)rs,  making  such  a  contrast  be- 
tvi'een  them  that  the  bees  soon  learn  to  know  their 

own.  A.  KiLBUEN. 

Luncnhurs:,  1S>2. 


birds  mostly  returned  to  their  haunts  in  field   and 
forest. 

It  was  as  if  a  common  enemy  had  been  slain, 
and  they  were  celebrating  the  event,  for  tlieir  de- 
monstratiims  were  joyous  ones — had  none  of  th« 
appearance  of  funeral  obsequies.  Tlie  species  of 
snake  to  which  tlio  dead  one  belonged,  fascinate 
birds,  and  thus  make  prey  of  them — they  break 
up  tlieir  nests,  devour  the  eggs  and  unfledged 
young  ones; — do  not  these  facts  furnish  a  solutl'on 
of  the  mysterious  and  singular  gathering?  But 
by  what  silent  and  unseen  agency  did  the  news 
go  out  to  all  the  haunts  of  these  birds  in  woods 
and  meadows,  bush  and  brier,  orchards  and 
gardens,  and  so  soon  effect  a  gathering  so  nu- 
merous and  incongruous. — Rochester  Union. 


Rem.^rks. — We  are  obliged  to  our  correspondent 
for  his  full  account  of  the  cause  of  death  among 
bees  in  the  winter.  It  was  received  last  February, 
and  just  after  we  Iiad  two  or  three  shorter  articles 
on  the  same  subject,  and  found  it  more  convenient 
to  insert  them.  ^Ve  are  often  obliged  to  defer  long 
articles  when  they  are  really  much  better  than 
some  of  the  short  ones  which  we  insert. 


A  BIRD  CONVENTION. 

We  witnessed  a  few  years  since,  a  congress,  or 
convention  of  birds,  the  character  of  which  was 
inexplicable,  and  is  unexplained  in  all  ornithological 
'  works.  We  question  whether  Messrs.  Audubon 
or  Wilson  ever  saw  the  like,  for  if  they  had  they 
would  have  deen  quite  likely  to  have  made  a  note 
of  it.  Spending  some  days  at  a  friend's  house  in 
Wyoming  county  during  haying  time,  we  were 
among  the  mowers,  one  of  whom,  with  his  scythe, 
cut  in  twain  a  large  spotted  adder,  or  milk  snake, 
the  parts  of  which  he  tossed  over  the  fence  into 
the  public  highway.  In  a  few  minutes,  birds  be- 
gan to  collect  upon  the  fences  on  either  side  of  the 
dead  snake,  and  witliin  one  hour  there  was  a  large 
flock  composed  of  almost  every  variety  of  birds  of 
our  forest.  It  was  truly  a  mi.xed  assemblage  ;  sit- 
ting upon  the  same  r.iil  were  birds  that  we  seldom, 
if  ever  see  in  so  close  proximity,  twittering,  flutter- 
ing, singing,  as  if  they  were  having  a  jubilee. 

Occasi.inally  they  would  leave  the  fences,  light  in 
the  road,  and  form  a  hoU  iw  square,  in  the  centre 
of  which  would  be  the  body  of  the  dead  snake. 
The  scene  continued  about  two  hours,   when   the 


FARM  ACCOUNTS. 

At  a  recent  meeting  of  the  Concord  Farmers^ 
Club,  the  question  for  discussion  being  Farm  Ac- 
counts— 

Dr.  Reynolds  said,  every  former  would  find  his 
advantage  in  keeping  a  debt  and  credit  account, 
not  only  with  his  male  and  female  help,  but  with 
his  cows,  oxen,  horses,  hogs  and  sheep.  He  should 
charge  each  animal,  or  each  lot  of  animals,  with 
their  cost,  the  expense  of  keeping,  losses  by  disease, 
injury  and  death  ;  credit  them  with  their  increase, 
milk,  butter,  cheese,  labor,  wool,  mutton,  pork, 
beef,  product  of  sales  when  sold  alive,  &c. 

In  the  same  way  he  should  keep  an  account  with 
each  field,  charging  it  with  its  viilue,  taxes,  ma- 
nures, and  labor  expended  upon  it,  and  giving 
credit  for  crops  and  improvements.  Thus  he 
would  know  his  profit  or  loss  from  year  to  year  ; 
what  crops  and  what  animals  are  most  profitable  ; 
would  benefit  by  his  experience  and  might  have  ac- 
curate information  for  his  neighbors. 

Simon  Brown  said  such  accounts  might  be  easily 
kept :  all  that  was  Avanting  was  an  effi3rt  to  begin. 
He  hoped  they  would  all  begin  on  the  first  of  Jan. 
Each  one  might  keep  such  a  journal  as  he  pleased. 
He  has  for  years  kept  a  journal  in  which  he  not 
only  kept  his  accounts  with  his  help  and  his  neigh- 
bors, but  in  W'hich  he  has  noted  the  time  when  the 
birds  appear  and  depart,  when  the  blossoms  open, 
when  he  planted  his  ground,  how  much  seed  h3 
sowed,  and  a  variety  of  incidents  of  dom'^stic  as 
well  as  of  a  philosophical  nature.  We  are  creatures 
of  habit ;  if  we  once  get  into  the  way  of  keeping 
such  a  record  we  shall  find  it  easy  and  pleasant. 
He  also  spoke  of  the  moral  effect.  It  would  make 
a  man  not  only  a  better  farmer  but  a  better  man, 
and  better  citizen,  lie  would  know  himself  better, 
as  well  as  the  state  of  his  affairs,  and  would  have 
more  courage  to  engage  in  the  conflicts  of  life. 

Elijau  Wood,  Jr.,  said  he  had  written  much 
more  since  he  joined  the  club,  than  ever  before. 
He  devoted  at  least  one'evening  a  week  to  writing 
and  reading.  It  might  be  easily  done  if  we  would 
set  about  it.  If  he  raised  a  good  crop  he  recorded 
the  amount  and  the  mode  of  cultivation.     Farmers 


68 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Feb. 


should  keep  an  accurate  account  with  their  dairies. 
This  might  be  done  with  more  ease  than  with  their 
crops.  He  intended  to  write  more  than  he  ever 
had  done,  and  he  would  do  it  for  his  own  improve- 
ment, if  for  no  other  reason. 

Wm.  D.  Brown  had  kept  a  journal  and  daybook 
together  in  which  he  noted  the  day's  work,  the 
state  of  the  weather,  the  state  of  the  season,  the 
times  of  planting  and  maturing  of  crops,  of  com- 
menf^ing  and  finishing  haying,  and  such  incidents 
as  interested  him  at  the  time.  lie  wrote  some- 
thing in  this  book  every  day — and  be  thought  ev- 
ery one  might  steal  time  to  do  this. 

J.  B.  Farmer  spoke  of  such  journals  as  valuable 
meteorological  registers. 

Dr.  Reynolds  spoke  of  them  as  historical  docu- 
ments of  great  interest  to  posterity.  What  would 
he  not  give  for  such  a  record  kept  by  our  fathers 
for  50  years  past.  They  would  contain  a  history 
of  our  families  and  of  the  town,  intensely  interest- 
ing not  only  to  our  posterity,  but  to  the  future  his- 
torian. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
A  QUERY. 

Mr.  Editor  : — In  the  "Farmer's  Fireside  Talk" 
of  your  Essex  correspondent,  is  the  following  re- 
mark: "If  the  stalk  is  returned  and  plowed  in,  in 
the  full  or  spring,  the  ground  receives  back  near- 
ly the  value  it  has  given  out.  It  receives  the  same 
kind  it  gave  out  ;  and  I  think  more  in  amount  of 
fertilizing  matter  than  from  a  cord  of  stable  mat- 
ter.^'' I  suppose  this  last  word  should  be  manure, 
when  it  irould  read  "stable  manure."  It  is  well 
known  that  one  crop  requires  a  larger  amount  of 
one  particular  mineral  substance  than  another, 
and  that  soil  "gives  out"  to  one  crop  more  of  this 
mineral,  than  it  does  to  another.  The  latter  may 
require  more  silex  than  the  former.  Now  if  a  crop 
requiring  a  larger  amount  of  lime  is  grown  on  a 
field,  the  soil  is  pi-oportionably  exhausted  of  lime. 
Suppose  this  crop  to  be  corn,  and  that  you  wish 
to  return  to  the  soil  the  lime  which  it  has  "given 
out"  to  the  corn.  Certainly  you  must  return  the 
"estover"  and  "plow  it  in,"  or  return  it  in 
some  other  way.  But  I  would  ask  your  corres- 
pondent, or  "the  man  I  spoke  of,"  if  the  manure, 
liquid  and  solid,  produced  by  feeding  upon  the 
•"estover  of  an  acre,"  would  not  return  to  the 
ground  "nearly  the  value  it  has  given  out"  of  min- 
eral matter?  Docs  not  the  soil  receive  in  this 
way,  the  "same  kind"  that  it  gave?  I  suppose 
that  mineral  substances,  as  lime,  silex  &c.,  are  not 
digested  in  the  stomach  of  the  animal,  and  that 
only  a  small  amount  of  them  is  taken  into  the  cir- 
culation, but  that  they  pass  off  in  the  dejections, 
and  may  thus  all  be  returned  to  the  soil,  and  the 
"estover"  be  used  at  the  same  time  as  food  for  the 
stock.  Is  not  the  "same  kind"  as  certain  to  be 
returned  to  the  soil  in  this  way,  as  though  the 
stalk  were  plowed  in,  or  burned,  and  the  ashes  re- 
turned to  the  soil?  The  estover  is,  when  well 
cured,  very  valuable  and  healthy  food  for  cattle, 
and  if  it  can  be  made  to  feed  the  stock  first,  and 
then  feed  the  next  crop  equally  well,  it  will  be  dou- 
bled in  value — a  matter  of  some  importance. 
Jan.  1,  1853.  j.  r. 


For  the  New  Em^land  Farmer. 

"THAT  IS  MY  HOME." 

BV    A.    G.    COMINGS. 

Many  a  farmer  manages  in  such  a  way  that 
neither  his  sons  nor  his  daughters  can  take  any 
pleasure  in  directing  the  eye  of  a  stranger  to 
the  family  dwelling,  and  saying,  "That  is  my 
home." 

It  is  not  in  the  erection  of  costly  and  temple- 
like houses,  or  ornamenting  other  buildings  with 
much  profitless  expense,  that  "home"  is  made 
most  beautiful.  These  costly  decorations  may  ap- 
pear very  splendid  at  first,  but  they  are  of  that 
character  which  loses  beauty  instead  of  increasing 
it.  The  mind  of  youth  is  reaching  forward,  and 
is  most  pleased  with  that  kind  of  ornament  Avhich 
every  day  grows  more  beautiful. 

Most  men,  in  l)uilding  houses,  expend  much 
money  in  making  the  house  showy.  One,  two, 
or  five  hundred  dollars  spent  in  this  way  is  a  com- 
mon item  in  building.  But  this  is  all  just  "pay- 
ing too  much  for  the  whistle."  Such  beauty  on- 
ly pleases  while  it  is  new.  The  second  look  at  it 
has  no  interest.  The  eye  ceases  to  behold  with 
pleasure  whatever,  from  its  fixed  character,  be- 
comes familiar  and  established.  Simplicity,  order 
and  neatness,  constitute  the  sum  of  all  beauty,  in 
everything  which  is  of  a  fixed  character. 

Let  the  farmer  adopt  a  different  course,  and 
plant  around  his  neat  and  simple  dwelling,  one, 
two  or  five  hundred*dollars'  worth  of  trees,  shrubs, 
vines  and  flowers,  and  what  a  world  of  beauty  and 
attraction  it  would  present.  These- are  "tilings 
of  life,"  and  their  beauty  will  be  progressive. — 
When  the  eye  of  a  stranger  shall  rest  upon  it,  he 
will  exclaim  "how  beautiful!"  and  that  lovely 
daughter,  whose  presence  always  gives  joy  and 
gladness  to  the  home  circle,  will  be  happy  always, 
when  she  thinks  "that  is  my  home."  And  that 
noble-spirited  young  man  who  would  have  left  the 
homestead  years  ago,  but  for  these  attractions, 
will  feel  a  conscious  elevation  of  character,  a  grow- 
ing greatness,  inspired  by  the  objects  with  which 
he  is  surrounded.  It  is  certainly  true  that  the 
character  of  men  is  shaded  by  the  ol)jects  which 
constantly  engage  their  attention  and  care. 

There  is  not  another  class  of  men  in  the  world 
to  whom  is  granted  such  a  privilege  of  uniting 
beauty  with  worth,  pleasure  with  interest,  as  the 
farmers.  And  the  most  attractive  beauty,  too,  is 
that  which  will  grow  more  beautiful  and  more 
profitable  at  the  same  time. 

The  attractions  of  home  are  also  full  of  moral 
power,  and  social  refinement.  The  eye  of  love 
never  sparkles  with  more  brilliancy  tlum  when  it 
is  surrounded  by  the  blandest  beauties  of  natural 
scenery.  Earth  affords  no  happier  spot  tlian  where 
the  throbbing,  anxious,  hopeful  spirit  of  youth  is 
quieted  and  satisfied. 

The  farmers  of  New  England  may  refuse  to 
gi'atify  their  sons  and  daughters,  by  attention  to 
the  rural  scenery  about  their  dwelliugs,  and  see 
their  sons  and  daugliters  become  "anxious  for  a 
trade,"  and  their  daughters  determined  on  "g(  ing 
to  the  factory,"  or  they  may  see  them  wedded  to 
home  as  to  an  earthly  paradise.  And  taking  up 
this  idea  of  paradise,  it  is  proper  to  remark  that 
in  the  scriptural  descrijition  of  Eden"s  paradise,  as 
in  every  vision  of  poetic  thought,  the  abode  of 
peace  and  happiness  is  in'  the  midst  of  rural 
scenery. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


60 


It  is  one  of  the  greatest  matters  of  importance, 
in  relation  to  society,  morality,  relii>;iun,  or  even 
patriotism,  that  our  young  men  should  be  more 
attached  to  agriculture  and  its  kindred  arts ;  to 
home  and  its  ass  jciations.  This  will  never  be 
brouglit  about  by  accusing  the  young  men  of  be- 
ing reckless  and  unsteady.  The  mind  of  a  noble 
youth  is  to  be  captivated,  not  chained. 

To  look  upon  a  blighted  and  leafless  tree,  and 
upon  a  family  where  the  young  men  have  fled 
from  home  to  trade  or  speculate,  and  the  young 
women  to  the  factory,  leaving  matron  and  sire  to 
die  alone,  produces  a  similar  sensation. 

To  carry  our  agricultural  matters  to  the  proper 
and  desirable  elevatit)n,  we  must  have  a  deep  in- 
terest existing  in  the  minds  of  the  intelligent  and 
enterprising  sons  of  farmers. 

To  have  our  young  men  attached  to  home,  their 
beautiful  and  lovely  sisters  must  be  there,  and 
happy  in  the  circumstances  which  surround  them. 
A  home  where  the  girls  are  not  contented,  has  a 
cold  and  vacant  air,  like  an  old  bachelor's  hovel. 
They  fill  a  large  place  in  th6  world  of  life.  And 
the  very  tone  with  which  a  young  woman  says 
"Tiiat  is  my  home,"  describes  the  scenery  without 
and  the  spirit  within  that  dwelling. 

There  is  a  growing  complaint  that  young  peo- 
ple are  becoming  indiflerent  to  home  and  parental 
love.  It  is  of  little  use  to  grumble  and  complain. 
The  remedy  is  an  easy  one.  Let  the  young  be 
supplied  with  well  chosen,  interesting  and  in- 
structive reading  matter,  every  week,  and  let  at- 
tention be  given  to  the  surrounding  scenery,  ac- 
cording to  the  common  idea  of  all  ages,  and  God 
will  bless  the  bowers  and  smile  on  those  who 
dwell  happily  among  them,  and  age  will  renew  its 
youthful  ji)ys,  and  the  rose  and  the  myrtle  will 
beautify  each  other,  and  love  and  hope  and  joy 
shall  be  there  ;  while  birds  shall  sing  in  the  spring 
time,  a  cooling  and  refreshing  shade  be  felt  in  sum- 
mer's sultry  day,  a  golden  harvest  be  gathered  in 
autumn,  and  a  happy  group  and  a  bountiful  board 
within  and  the  merry  bells  without  will  cheer  up 
the  wintry  day,  and  the  good  old  song  of  "Home, 
sweet  home,"  shall  warble  with  melting  melod^'. 

Mason,  N.  H. 

How  THEY  Used  to  Plow. — In  some  parts  of 
Scotland,  in  former  times  the  plows  used  to  be 
drawn  by  four  horses  abreast,  and  required  the 
assistance  of  three  men.  The  Itusiness  of  one 
man  was  to  drive.  For  that  purpose  he  placed 
himself  between  the  middle  horses,  with  his  face 
towards  the  plow,  to  guide  it  straight,  and  in  this 
position  he  stepped  backwards  with  the  reins  in 
his  hand.  Another  walked  behind  the  horses 
with  a  cleeked  staff,  which  he  fostened  in  front  of 
the  beam,  and  by  means  of  it  regulated  the  depth 
of  the  furrow  by  raising  or  lowering  the  plow,  as 
occasion  requires.  The  plowman  followed  with 
hold  of  the  stills  ;  and  in  this  formidalile  and  ludi- 
crous manner  they  repeated  their  attacks  on  the 
soil. 

In  harvest,  a  basket  machine  was  placed  on 
horseback  for  carrying  home  the  grain  ;  and  per- 
sons were  employed  on  each  side  with  forks  to  keep 
it  in  a  proper  poise.  It  is  said  that  the  practice 
is  yet  ti)  be  met  with  in  Galloway. 

Many  practices  subsisting  even  at  this  day  in 
Ireland  are  still  more  ridiculous.  Mr.  Arthur 
Young  tells  us  that  in  Donegal  he  has  actually 
seen  horses  plowing  by  the  tail ! — Exchange. 


ORGANIC  ELEMENTS. 
Vegetation  is  composed  principally  of  the  four 
organic  elements,  yet  the  relative  proportions  in 
which  they  occur  in  plants,  are  by  no  means  uni- 
form. Still  they  are  all  alike,  equally  indispensa- 
ble to  the  growth  and  development  of  the  system; 
they  are  by  no  means  necessary  in  an  equal  degree. 
In  most  crops,  when  artificially  deprived  of  their 
moisture,  an  analysis  of  the  remaining  solid  parts 
ordinarily  gives  from  forty  to  fifty  per  cent,  of  car- 
bon— nearly  or  quite  one-half  of  the  actual  weight — 
while  the  oxygen  constitutes  not  far  from  thirty- 
three  per  cent.,  the  hydrogen  five,  and  the  nitro- 
gen seldom  more  than  two  and  a  half.  This  is 
very  nearly  the  relative  proportions  in  which  these 
organic  elements  exist  in  most  of  the  farm  products 
applied  for  the  sustenance  of  animal  life.  In  one 
thousand  parts  their  proportions  are  as  follows  : — 


B^S 

V 

o* 

» 

a 

<; 

» 

o 

00 

5-c:? 

w 

»   3 

a 

S.S  3 

»■ 

AS 

Carbon, 

507 

507 

494 

471 

465 

455 

458 

441 

[lydrogeii, 

66 

64 

re 

56 

61 

57 

50 

58 

Jxjgeii, 

389 

367 

350 

349 

401 

431 

387 

439 

Nitrogen, 

38 

22 

70 

24 

42 

34 

15 

12 

Ash, 

40 

28 

100 

31 

23 

90 

50 

1000  1000  lOUO  1000  1000  1000   1000 

The  quantity  of  water  present  in  most  vegeta- 
bles is  generally  large.  Exposed  to  a  temperature 
of  230*  fahrenheit,  the  loss  was  as  follows,  viz  : — 


)  parts  of  Potatoes              lost            722 

parts  of  water 

of  Wheat                   "               166 

"           of  Hay                        "               158 

"          of  Aftermath  Hay    "  136  to  150 

"          ofOats                      "              151 

"          of  Clover  Seed        "               112 

"          of  Peas                     "                 66 

" 

So  far  as  regards  the  form,  or  state  of  combina- 
tion in  which  carbon,  hydrogen,  nitrogen  and  oxy- 
gen, minister  to  the  growth  of  plants,  I  refer  the 
reader  to  the  following  extract  from  a  lecture  de- 
livered by  Prof.  Johnston  upon  the  subject.  He 
says  : — 

"Neither  of  these  elementary  bodies  is  likely  to 
enter  directly,  or  in  a  simple  state,  into  the  circula- 
tion of  plants.  The  former  (carbon)  being  a  solid 
substance,  and  insoluble  in  water,  cannot  obtain  ad- 
mission into  the  pores  of  the  roots,  the  only  parts  of 
the  plants  with  which,  in  nature,  it  cannot  come  in 
contact.  The  latter  (hydrogen)  does  not  occur  either 
in  the  atmosphere  or  in  the  soil  in  any  appreciable 
quantity,  and  hence,  in  its  simple  state,  forms  no 
part  of  the  food  of  plants.  Oxygen  and  nitrogen, 
again,  both  exist  in  the  atmosphere  in  the  gaseous 
state,  and  the  former  is  known  to  be  inhaled,  under 
certain  conditions,  by  the  leaves  of  plants.  Nitrogen 
may  also  in  like  manner  be  absorbed  by  the  leaves 
of  living  plants,  but  if  so,  it  is  in  a  quantity  so  small 
as  to  have  hitherto  escaped  detection.  The  two  latter 
substances  (oxygen  and  nitrogen)  are  also  slightly 
soluble  in  water,  and,  beside  being  inhaled  by  the 
leaves,  may  occasionally  be  absorbed  in  minute 
quantity  along  with  the  water  taken  in  by  the  roots. 
But  by  for  the  hirgest  proportion  of  these  two  ele- 
mentary bodies,  and  whole  of  the  carbon  hydrogen 
which  find  their  way  into  the  interior  of  plants,  have 
previously  entered  into  a  state  of  mutual  combination 


70 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Feb. 


— forming  what  are  called  distinctive  chemical  com- 
pounds. Before  describing  the  nature  and  consti- 
tution of  these  compounds,  it  will  be  proper  to  ex- 
plain, 1"  the  constitution  of  the  atmosphere  in  which 
plants  live,  and,  2°  the  nature  of  chemical  combina- 
tion and  the  laws  by  which  it  is  regulated." 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
FARM  WORK  FOR  THE  CENTURY. 

BY    n.    F.   FRENCn. 

My  Dear  Brown  : — You  probably  are  aware 
that  a  bill  is  pending  before  the  Legislature  of  New 
Hampshire,  providing  for  a  Board  of  Agriculture 
and  a  Commissioner.  Its  provisions  are  similar  to 
those  of  the  Massachusetts  Act,  the  Commissioner 
being  substantially  the  same  as  the  Secretary  of 
your  Board. 

Again  and  again,  the  question  has  been  asked, 
what  is  the  use  of  such  a  Board,  and  what  are  to 
be  the  duties  of  such  a  Secretary  or  Commission- 
er ?  Perhaps  the  views  of  others  may  differ  from 
mine,  as  to  the  reply  to  these  questions.  If  they 
do,  there  is  so  much  the  more  reason  that  some 
one  should  undertake  to  be  definite,  so  that  a  full 
discussion  of  the  subject  may  be  had,  and  that  we 
may  enlighten  the  ignorant,  and  learn  from  the 
wise. 

I  propose  briefly  to  suggest  some  among  the 
many  things,  that  are  availing  to  he  done  in  New 
England,  under  the  direction  of  Boards  of  Agricul- 
ture for  its  advancement ;  and  for  the  sake  of  per- 
spicuity, I  will  arrange  my  ideas  like  an  old  fash- 
ioned sermon,  under  distinct  heads.  The  Secreta- 
ry or  Commissioner  should  give  his  early  atten- 
tion— 

I.  To  \hQ  forrnation  of  farmer'' s  clubs  in  every 
town,  holding  out  as  an  inducement  to  the  mem- 
bers of  them,  the  idea  that  they  would  be  especial- 
ly remembered  in  the  distribution  of  all  publica- 
tions, whether  of  the  patent  office  or  of  transac- 
tions of  the  State  Board  or  county  societies,  and 
of  seeds  and  plants,  which  might  come  under  his 
control.  The  officers  of  these  clubs  would  be  his 
reliable  correspondents  and  assistants  in  all  his 
movements. 

II.  He  would  deliver  lectvres  at  meetings  of  the 
town  clubs,  or  county  societies,  of  a  familiar  and 
practical  character,  and  engage  others  in  discus- 
sions, in  the  way  best  calculated  to  develop  the 
talent  and  knowledge  of  the  farmers  themselves. 
His  lectures  would  involve  the  mechanical  treat- 
ment of  the  soil,  as  by  plowing,  harrowing,  sub- 
soiling,  under-draining  and  the  like — the  chemical 
treatment  of  it  by  manures  of  various  kinds,  as 
guano,  the  phosphates,  lime,  salt,  and  the  various 
composts,  as  well  as  l)arn  manure — the  adaptation 
of  the  various  kinds  of  soil  to  different  crops,  wheth- 
er of  gi-ain,  grasses,  roots  or  fruits. 

In  short,  such  lectures  miglit  touch  upon  any 
branch  of  knowledge,  whether  of  a  scientific,  or 
practical  nature,  which  might  be  best  adapted  to 
the  occasion. 

HI.  He  would  open  a  correspondence  with  all 
the  leading  Agricultural  and  Horticultural  socie- 
ties of  this  and  other  countries,  with  the  heads  of 
our  Agricultural  Department  at  Washington, 
(when  we  get  one?)  and  with  distinguished  agri- 
culturists, so  as  to  act  in  concert  with  the  pro- 
gressive minds  of  the  world,  and  be  kept  constant- 
ly informed  of  the  attainments  of  others. 


IV.  He  would  be  prepared  with  accurate  analyses 
of  the  various  products  of  the  earth,  as  of  wheat, 
corn,  the  grasses  and  roots,  as  made  by  the  most 
relialjle  chemists,  at  home  and  abroad,  showing 
how  these  products  are  affected  in  their  constitu- 
ent elements  by  the  soil  on  which  they  grow. 

He  should  have,  also,  analyses  of  specimens  of 
the  various  classes  of  soil,  as  of  the  pine  plain,  the 
peat  and  swamp  mud — the  granite  soil  of  the  hills, 
the  alluvial  lands  of  the  rivers,  and  the  various 
clays,  so  as  to  give  as  accurate  information  as  tiie 
nature  of  the  case  admits,  of  the  peculiar  adap- 
tation or  deficiencies  of  each  for  the  growth  of  par- 
ticular crops. 

The  range  of  investigation  in  this  direction  is 
literally  boundless,  for  although  nature  is  ready  to 
disclose  her  mysteries  to  the  earnest  student,  new 
depths  are  constantly  revealed. 

V.  He  would  institute  systematic  experiments, 
upon  an  experimental  farm,  which  some  public 
spirited  man  will  present  to  the  State,  if  not  oth- 
erwise provided.  He  will  thus  be  able  to  settle 
many  disputed  points,  which  ought  to  have  been 
settled  years  ago. 

VI.  He  would  engage  in  an  agricultural  survey 
of  the  State,  taking,  perhaps,  one  cotfnty  each 
year,  in  the  manner,  somewhat,  of  the  surveys 
made  of  Seneca  and  Madison  counties,  in  New 
York. 

Such  a  survey  should  show,  among  other  things, 
1st,  The  history,  political,  civil  and  religious,  of 
tlie  county,  very  briefly.  2d,  The  geogra-pliy,  as 
the  mountains,  plains  and  valleys,  with  the  rivers, 
canals  and  water-powers.  3d,  The  nature  and 
resources  of  the  forests,  the  value  of  the  several 
kinds  of  timber  and  for  what  uses.  4th,  The  cli- 
mate. The  mean  and  extremes  of  heat  and  cold, 
at  different  periods,  and  at  the  same  periods  in 
different  years — the  days  when  the  injui'ious  frosts 
came  latest  in  spring  and  earliest  in  autumn,  with 
a  view  to  ascertaining  the  best  times  of  planting 
and  sowing,  and  of  gathering  the  harvest.  5th, 
The  geology  of  the  county;  in  general  its  rock 
formation,  and  in  particular  the  value  and  uses  of 
its  rocks  for  building  and  other  purposes, — its  min- 
eral resources  of  all  kinds,  and  especially  its  depo- 
sits of  mineral  and  vegetable  manures,  as  lime, 
marl,  peat,  swamp  mud  and  tlie  like. 

G.  Statistics  of  agriculture,  as  the  average  product 
per  acre  of  each  crop  of  corn,  wheat,  rye,  oats,  hay, 
potatoes  and  roots, — the  average  cost  per  bushel 
or  ton  of  producing  them,  in  the  various  localities, 
under  common,  and  under  the  best  cultivation, — a 
census  of  the  population  and  how  eu)ployed, — the 
number  of  all  the  cattle,  horses,  sheep  and  other 
live  stock,  in  the  county, — their  value,  and  the 
cost  and  profit  or  loss  of  raising  and  keeping  them, 
— the  number  of/«r/ns,  with  their  extent  ia  acres, 
how  much  is  arable,  pasture  and  wood ;  how 
much  good  pasturing  will  suffice  for  each  animal, 
and  on  how  much  worn-out  pasture  an  animal  may 
starve ;  the  various  breeds  of  stock,  and  their  points 
of  difference  and  value;  the  amount  of  flour,  corn, 
and  the  like  brought  into,  and  soldi  from,  each 
town,  with  a  thousand  other  interesting  statisti- 
cal facts. 

7.  The  botany  of  the  county,  with  a  list  of  all 
its  valuable  trees,  shrubs  and  jdants  ;  a  list  of  all 
the  noxious  weeds,  as  the  white-weed,  thistle, 
witch  grass,  and  the  best  mode  of  exterminating 
them. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLANB  FARMER. 


71 


8.  Entomologi/. — Under  this  ]ioad  all  the  nox- 
ious insects  should  be  particularly  described,  such 
as  the  wheat  Uy,  locusts,  canker  worm,  curculio, 
and  the  means  of  preventing  their  ravages.  Dr. 
Harris's  valuable  treatise  nearly  exhausts  the  first 
branch  of  this  topic. 

9.  The  natural  liislory  of  animals,  especially  of 
those  injurious  to  tlie  farmer's  interests,  with  a 
discriminating  tariff  of  protection  iu  favor  of  use- 
ful birds. 

10.  The  commissioner  or  secretary  would  sys- 
tematically, by  means  of  carefully  prepared  circu- 
lars, filled  with  interrogat(H-ies,  and  through  the 
best  journals,  and  transactions  of  societies  and  by 
personal  enquiry  and  observation,  collect  and  ar- 
range all  the  facts,  theories  and  suggestions  deemed 
useful  to  the  cause,  and  prepare  them  in  the  form 
of  an  annual  report  to  the  board  for  publication, 
and  distribution. 

Here  you  have,  hastily  sketched,  some  idea  of 
my  views  of  the  labor  to  be  performed  under  the 
direction  of  a  Board  of  Agriculture. 

If  our  friends  will  continue  the  subject,  and  send 
you  their  suggestions  of  such  additional  matters 
as  seem  to  them  to  require  attention,  I  doubt  not 
the  Board  of  Agriculture,  whenever  established, 
will  treat  them  with  due  consideration. 

Your  friend,         II.  F.  FRENcn. 


POWJGR  OF  THE  SOIL  TO  RETAIN  MA- 
NURES. 

BY   PROF.    J.    J.    M.^PES,    NEWARK,    N.    J. 

We  propose  in  our  present  number  to  show  the 
power  of  the  soil  to  retain  manures,  and  the  means 
of  improving  this  property  when  required. 

For  a  long  time  it  was  supposed  that  all  materi- 
als soluble  in  water  would  pass  downward  in  solu- 
tion, and  thus  be  lost  to  plants — those  who  worked 
clayey  soils  claimed  that,  because  water  could  not 
readily  percolate  their  soils,  that  hence,  they  were 
not  leachy,  and  therefore  retained  manures — while 
other  operators  Avith  sandy  soils  argued  that  ma- 
nures passed  downward  and  were  soon  lost  to  the 
surface  soil. 

All  these  positions  are  false.  It  is  true,  that  a 
fair  proportion  of  alumina  is  valuable  to  soils  and 
in  the  absence  of  carbonaceous  matter  is  absolute- 
ly necessary  for  the  retention  of  manures,  but  it 
13  not  true  that  the  tenacious  property  of  clay  need 
exist  to  such  an  extent  as  to  prevent  the  freefiltra- 
tion  of  pure  water  before  the  manures  will  be  re- 
tained— for  many  soils  which  will  pass  pure  water 
readily,  will  still  retain,  from  impure  water,  all  its 
impurities,  permitting  only  tlie  pure  water  to  de- 
scend. Indeed  this  is  true  of  all  arable  soils,  and 
if  it  were  not  so,  the  water  in  all  our  wells  wcmld 
be  unfit  to  drink  from  being  surcharged  with  soluble  \ 
organic  matter. 

Even  the  brown  fluids  of  a  barn -yard  will  not 
leach  downward  in  the  soil,without  leaving  all  the 
foetid  matter  in  the  surface.  Dig  in  an  old  barn- 
yard, but  a  few  inches  below  where  the  soil  has 
been  before  disturbed,  and  it  will  be  found  not  to 
have  become  dark-colored,  and  not  to  contain  any 
undue  proportion  of  the  soluble  matters  resident 
at  the  surface,  but  to  be  like  the  subsoil  of  adjoin- 
ing fields. 

Aluuiina  (clay)  has  the  curious  property  of  re- 
ceiving and  retaining  all  animal  and  vegetable 
substances,  and  their  gaseous  products,  until  ab- 


stracted again  by  gi'owing  plants,  and  for  this  rea- 
son a  free  clayey  loam  will  purify  water  durino-  its 
passage  tlirough  the  surface  soil,  retaining  all  the 
fertiliKing  substances  originally  held  in  the  solu- 
tion, and  permitting  the  pure  water  to  pass  down- 
ward. Nor  does  this  retaining  power  cease  with 
organic  sul)stances  alone,  for  many  of  the  alkalies 
are  also  retained,  and  all  of  them  to  a  certain  ex- 
tent. Excess  of  lime,  potash  or  magnesia  will 
pass  down  and  therefore  the  chemist  finds  variable 
proportions  of  these  alkalies  in  our  well  water. 

This  peculiar  property  of  clay  was  noted  by  Mr. 
Teschmaker  of  Boston ,  in  his  public  addresses  many 
years  since,  and  in  our  published  addresses  before 
the  American  Institute,  as  far  back  as  1840,  the 
same  truths  are  set  forth.  Within  the  last  tWo 
years.  Professor  Way  and  other  English  chemists 
are  claiming  this  as  a  new  discovery. 

Alumina  is  not  the  only  substance  in  soils  which 
has  this  retaining  power,  for  carbon  in  every  form 
has  similar  properties,  and  it  is  not  important 
whether  charcoal  dust  be  artificially  added,  or  ex- 
ist in  the  soil  by  the  decay  of  former  vegetation  or 
of  manures  ;  for  in  either  case  ciirbon  is  the  result, 
and  as  such,  has  similar  retaining  powers  to  those 
of  clay.  Thus  charcoal  dust  placed  for  a  time  near 
a  fermenting  dung  heap,  will  receive  and  retain 
the  gases  arising  from  decomposition,  and  if  placed 
in  the  soil  will  give  out  these  gases  again  to  the 
roots  of  growing  plants.  Privies,  stables,  &c.,  are 
rendered  inodorous  by  the  use  of  charcoal  dust. 
Decomposed  peat,  turf,  swamp  muck,  &c.,  are  but 
varied  forms  of  carbon,  with  some  more  partially 
decomposed  vegetable  matter.  The  dark  color  of 
soils  is  due  to  the  presence  of  carbon  ;  humus,  veg- 
etable mould,  &c.,  are  but  modifications  of  carbon. 

All  know  that  an  old  and  black  garden  soil  will 
retain  nianure  longer  than  field  soils,  and  that  a 
less  quantity  of  manure  will  act  in  them,  for  the 
simple  reason,  that  the  carbon  (charcoal,)  con- 
tained in  them,  and  arising  from  p»revious  decay, 
retains  the  resultant  gases  from  the  decomposition 
of  the  manure  until  used  up  by  plants.    ' 

Let  any  larmer  try  the  following  experiment  and 
lie  will  be  satisfied  of  the  truth  of  our  statement. 

Prepare  four  barrels  by  taking  out  the  upper 
heads  and  boring  small  holes  in  the  lower  heads, 
stand  the  barrels  on  end  and  fill  them  with  the 
following  substances. 

No.  1.  Barren  sand  with  one-tenth  the  bulk  of 
clay  intimately  mixed  throughout  the  mass. 

No.  2.  Barren  sand  with  one-tenth  of  finely 
ground  charcoal  dust. 

No.  3.  A  dark  colored  loam  or  garden  soil. 

No.  4.  Barren  sand  alone. 

Pour  on  all  four  barrels  the  brown  solution  from 
the  barn-yard,  and  it  will  be  found,  that  the  water 
running  out  of  the  bottoms  of  Nos.  1,  2,  and  3, 
will  be  colorless  and  without  smell ;  while  that 
from  No.  4  will  be  unaltered  and  as  offensive  as 
when  placed  on  the  top. 

The  question  may  now  be  asked,  "if  the  soluble 
results  of  vegetable  decay  do  not  filter  downward, 
what  becomes  of  them  T'  We  answer,  that  resid- 
ent in  the  earth's  surface,  from  the  combined  in- 
fluences of  sun  and  air,  they  decay,  and  take  the 
aseous  form ;  if  the  soil  contains  either  clay  or 
carbon,  these  gases  are  absorbed  by  thein,  until 
abstracted  by  growing  plants.  But  if  these  sub- 
tances  are  not  resident  in  the  soil,  then  the  gases 
rise  into  the  atmosphere,  and  are  absorbed  by  bet- 


72 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER, 


Feb. 


ter  prepared  soils  elsewhere,  or  are  carried  to  the 
ocean  and  arc  thus  lost  for  a  time  from  the  land. 

Let  our  readers  reflect  that  both  the  Tegetable 
and  animal  productions  of  the  earth's  surface  are 
continually  decaying,  and  tliat  nothing  but  the 
facts  we  have  stated  can  account  for  continued 
fertility.  For  if  the  results  of  decay  could  filter 
downward  in  solution  with  water,  long  before  this 
time,  the  whole  amount  of  organic  constituents 
would  have  passed  below  the  fertile  surface,  all  our 
wells  would  be  filled  with  masses  of  filth,  and  both 
animal  and  vegetable  life  would  have  ceased.  The 
simple  facts  are,  that  all  organic  manures  do  decay 
in  the  earth's  surface,  and  are  only  lost  by  rising 
in  the  gaseous  form,  and  not  by  sinking  below  the 
toots  of  plants,  and  therefore  tliey  should  be  plowed 
under  to  such  a  depth  that  their  resultant  gases 
when  rising  shall  meet  with  a  sufficient  quantity 
of  alumina  or  carbon  to  arrest  them. — Journal  of 
Agriculture. 

For  the  Ifeiv  England  Farmer. 
FARMS— BUTTER. 

Friend  Browx  : — I  have  been  fur  three  weeks 
past  viewing  the  Farms  amidst  the  hills  and  vales 
"of  the  old  Granite  State."  It  is  rather  unfavor- 
able at  this  time  of  the  year,  to  decide  on  the  fer- 
tility of  the  soils ;  yet,  there  are  some  indications 
left,  to  tell  something  of  the  land  in  this  vicinity. 
There  are  many  good /arms  in  Hillsboro'  country  ; 
having  large  dairies,  the  land  l)eing  adapted  fur 
grazing,  and  a  large  number  of  cows  are  kept  by 
many  farmers,  sometimes  fifty.  There  is  a  great 
inquiry  vp  here  about  the  best  7nod8  of  churning, 
and  what  churn  is  best  adapted  for  use  where  large 
quantities  of  cream  are  to  be  churned.  Please  an- 
swer these  inquiries,  and  oblige  a  large  number  of 
your  readers.  Yesterday  while  passing  from  iNIa- 
son  village  to  this  place,  I  was  deeply  interested 
in  the  scenery  through  which  I  passed.  Standing 
on  an  eminence,  at  the  east  of  this  village,  the 
scenery  around  me  was  beautiful  and  grand.  Be- 
low me  a  river,  winding  along  in  its  serpentine 
course, 

Leaping,  and  foaming  in  sportive  giee. 

To  find  its  level 
In  the  deep  blue  sea. 

At  tlie  east,  the  Peterboro'  Mountain  lay  along, 
filling  up  the  back  ground  with  its  walls  of  Granite 
and  Mica  slate.  And  at  the  west,  the  Monadnoc 
Mountain  reared  its  massive  top  amidst  the  clouds 
of  heaven.  How  the  soul  seems  to  rise,  (at  such 
times,)  in  adoration  and  praise,  to  the  author  of 
Heaven  and  earth,  that  ho  has  given  us  power  to 
admire  his  works.  But  we  shall  never  be  fully  sat- 
isfied until  we  stand  on  Mount  Zion  above,  and 
drink  in  those  pure  and  unalloyed  delights. 

"Where  joys  like  morning  dew  dislils, 
And  all  the  air  is  love  " 

Peterboro\  Dec.  11,  1852.  j.  k. 


Remarks. — The  common  thermometer  churn  is 
the  best  we  have  ever  used  where  not  more  than 
SO  or  40  pounds  of  butter  a  week  was  made.  The 
common  dash  churn  is  used  in  Western  New  York 
in  some  of  tlie  large  dairies,  moved  by  dog  or  sheep 
power,  and  is  preferred  to  any  other.  The  barrel 
and  rocking  churn  are  also  used.  Some  like  one 
and  some  another  kind,  best. 


ALKALINE  WASHES  FOR  THE  SUR- 
FACE OF  TREES, 

Almost  all  the  alkalies  have  in  turn  been  used 
for  this  purpose.  The  trunks  of  trees  have  been 
white-washed  with  lime,  and  perhaps  this  is  the 
worst  practice  which  has  l)een  cesorted  to  for  the 
destruction  of  fungi  and  insects,  and  although  at 
the  time  of  its  application,  the  lime  is  caustic  and 
will  decompose  parasitical  plants,  this  action  lasts 
but  for  a  very  short  time.  The  lime  becomes  con- 
verted into  carbonate  of  lime,  fills  the  ultimate 
surfaces  of  the  bark,  and  prevents  the  healthy 
respiration  of  the  tree  ;  therefore,  trees  which 
have  been  treated  with  white-wash,  while  they 
present  an  apparently  clean  surfiice,  are  not  in  an 
entirely  healthy  state. 

Solutions  of  potash  Vihen  saturated,  were  found 
occasionally  to  destroy  the  tree,  and  this  gave  rise 
to  its  use  in  the  form  of  soap,  which  will  adhere 
for  a  greater  length  of  time,  and  was  found  to  be 
less  deleterious. 

One  alkali,  (soda)  however,  may  be  used  with 
impunity,  without  tlie  fear  of  injuring  the  bark  of 
any  tree  ;  for,  while  it  causes  the  rapid  decay  of 
the  dead  portions  of  the  bark,  it  has  no  effect  upon 
the  living  parts.  If  the  body  and  branches  of  a 
tree  be  wetted  with  a  saturated  solution  of  a  good 
quantity  of  sal  soda,  such  as  we  have  often  de- 
scribed as  Bleacher's  No.  1  Soda,  it  will  invariably 
improve  the  health  of  the  tree — the  inert  portions 
of  the  bark  Avill  be  softened,  and  mosses,  and  oth- 
er fungi,  will  be  decomposed — the  cocoons  and 
ova  of  insects  will  be  destroyed.  During  the  af- 
tergrowth of  the  tree,  the  decomposed  portions  of 
the  bark  will  be  thrown  off,  leaving  a  clean  and 
healthy  surface.  No  tree  can  be  fruitful,  and  im- 
prove in  size  and  figure,  unless  its  bark  be  perfect- 
ly clean. 

The  application  of  soda,  made  by  dissolving  one 
pound  in  a  gallon  of  water,  and  applied  in  spring 
and  late  summer,  will  ensure  vigor  not  attainable 
without  such  means,  and  will  do  away  with  the 
necessity  of  scraping  or  slitting  trees  to  prevent 
their  becoming  hide-bound.  Such  trees  as  have 
smooth  barks,  may  be  rubbed  with  a  woolen  cloth 
one  week  after  the  application  of  the  soda,  and  a 
shiny  smooth  surface  will  be  produced. 

We  have  a  few  trees  in  which  the  soda  has  been 
applied  for  three  years  in  succession  to  the  point 
where  the  branches  commence,  and  it  is  now  evi- 
dent that  the  portion  of  the  tree  thus  treated  is 
larger  and  in  finer  health  than  the  part  immedi- 
ately above  it.  We  first  saw  this  treatment  at  the 
seat  of  Robert  Rennie,  Esq.,  Lodi,  New  Jersey. — 
Working  Farmer. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
A  CRACK  FROM  THE  NORTH. 

There  is  a  profit  in  pork  as  well  as  poultry.  The 
undersigned  has  recently  butchered  a  swine  which 
had  brought  a  litter  of  pigs  this  season  worth  $30. 
She  was,  when  butchered,  six  feet  in  length,  sis 
feet  two  inches  in  girth,  and  weighed  with  the 
rougli  fat,  six  hundred  and  thirty  pounds,  at 
eighteen  months  old. 

If  any  of  my  brother  farmers  in  Massachusetts 
have,  or  can,  beat  this,  this  season,  I  will  try 
again  next.  Richard  Whittier. 

Grafton,  N.  H. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


73 


OXEN  AGAINST  HORSES  FOR  FARM 
WORK. 

EXPERIENCE  OF  MR.  GEO.  DEWEY,  OF  UAXOVER,  N.  II. 

Horse  teams  upon  the  flirm  with  good  rigging 
make  Kuch  a  fine  appearance  that  many  take  a 
great  fancy  to  them.  And  sucli  persons  generally 
manage  in  some  way  or  other  to  persuade  them- 
selves that  they  are  much  more  serviceable  and 
more  profitable  than  oxen.  On  this  subject  the 
experience  of  our  friend  Mr.  Dewey  is  well  worth 
considering. 

First  Cost. — In  the  first  place,  the  cost  of  a  good 
span  of  working  horses,  says  Mr.  D.,  is  at  least 
twice  the  cost  of  a  good  yoke  of  oxen.  And  the 
wagons,  harnesses,  and  other  rigging  necessary, 
will  cost  more  than  twice  as  much  aa  for  oxen  ; 
$32G  will  not  be  more  than  enough  to  purchase 
two  y<)ung  and  good  working  horses,  with  a  wagon, 
and  cart,  and  rack,  and  other  suitable  equipments, 
while  the  sum  of  $100  will  provide  a  choice  yoke 
of  oxen,  and  a  cart  and  wheels,  and  rack,  and  all 
else  necessary  for  them  in  ordinary  farm  work. 

Cost  of  Keeping. — Then  the  cost  of  keeping 
horses  is  well  known  to  he  considerably  more  than 
the  cost  of  keeping  o.xen,  even  if  the  latter  are  ever 
so  well  taken  care  of.  The  blacksmith's  bill  is  sure 
to  be  twice  as  much  upon  the  horses,  and  then  the 
wear  and  tear,  and  breaking  of  tools  will  go  high- 
er still.  Horses  are  liable  to  numerous  casualties. 
They  get  chafed,  lame,  sick,  or  something  else,  ten 
times  where  a  yoke  of  oxen  is  troubled  once.  If 
the  horses  are  at  all  active  and  spirited  as  they 
should  b*,  they  cannot  well  be  trusted  to  any  but 
a  choice,  careful  teamster.  Besides,  hired  hands 
are  very  apt  to  make  them  go  sometimes  with  much 
more  than  useful  speed.  Now  and  then  a  horse  is 
unharnessed  from  tlie  plow  where  he  has  been  hard 
at  work" in  the  field,  and  put  upon  the  very  top  of 
his  speed  to  the  store,  a  mile  or  two  off,  to  get  a 
pipe  or  plug  of  tobacco,  or  some  such  indispensable 
article. 

Service  Done. — Oxen  will  do  all  kinds  of  farm 
work  well,  and  many  things  altogether  better  than 
horses.  For  instance,  starting  out  manure,  haul- 
ing rocks,  getting  out  wood,  Mr.  D.  says  that  a 
strong  yoke  of  oxen  will  do  as  much  as  a  span  of 
horses,  if  well  kept,  and  oxen  must  be  well  kept 
to  be  profitable.  Give  the  oxen  the  same  keeping 
as  the  horses  and  they  will  follow  them  in  plowing 
any  length  of  time,  provided  the  furrows  be  oi 
equal  depth,  and  they  will  do  this  through  any 
weather,  except  the  very  warmest.  The  great 
fault  of  those  who  complain  of  the  slowness  of  ox- 
en, and  their  want  of  strength  and  endurance,  ie 
that  they  do  not  keep  their  oxen  well.  And  an- 
other point'of  great  consequence  is,  that  the  oxen 
are  put  to  work  at  a  very  early  age,  and  before 
they  have  had  time  to  gain  their  proper  size  and 
strength.  Horses  do  not  so  often  have  their  early 
growth  checked  in  this  way.  Besides,  calves  are 
often  so  meanly  fed  that  they  are  greatly  stinted 
by  that  also. 

Keeping. — They  should  be  kept  so  as  to  be  al- 
ways fit  for  the  butcher.  Mr.  D.  has  a  farm  of 
150  acres,  40  of  which  is  in  tillage.  He  uses  no 
other  cattle  for  labor  except  one  yoke  of  large  ox- 
en. They  are  so  kept  and  used  that  they  are  fit 
for  the  Imtcher  through  the  hardest  of  the  work. 
During  the  first  part  of  the  winter,  till  March,  they 
get  hay  in  the  morning,  oat  straw  at  noon,  and 


corn  fixlder  at  night.  Later  in  the  season  they 
are  fed  with  a  peck  of  meal  per  day,  with  chaffer 
cliopped  hay,  sometimes  moist^in  addition,  and  a 
bushel  of  turnips  twice  a  week.  The  meal  is  made 
from  corn  and  cobs — two  bushels  of  cobs  and  one 
bushel  of  corn  on  the  cobs,  and  perhaps  a  bushel 
in  ten  or  twelve,  of  oats,  are  mixed  ground  to- 
gether. Cattle  do  not  feed  so  well  on  hay  or  on 
grain  alone,  as  on  a  mixture.  Vegetables  are  of 
great  service  to  make  them  healthy.  When  Mr. 
D.  fats  cattle  he  gives  them  daily  a  bundle  of 
green  corn  fodder  in  the  summer  and  fall  till  the 
frost  comes,  and  then  green  turnips  and  beets 
thinned  out  of  the  field,  and  afterwards  a  bushel  of 
turnips  and  a  peck  of  meal,  like  that  above  men- 
tioned, till  sold. 

TuE  Profit. — Allowing  well  fed  oxen  to  be  just 
about  as  serviceable  as  horses,  besides  the  extra 
cost  in  the  beginning,  the  repair  of  tools,  the  extra 
expense  of  slioeing,  risk  of  lameness  and  disease, 
and  the  great  care  needful  in  managing,  there  are 
other  things  that  increase  the  profit  of  oxen.  The 
manure  they  make  is  more  valuable.  The  best 
kept  horses  v.ill  decrease  in  value  $10  annually, 
take  one  year  with  another,  while  oxen  will  in- 
crease in  value.  Mr.  D.  never  buys  a  yoke  of  oxen 
till  about  six  years  old.  If  they  do  not  prove 
just  the  team  desired,  he  sells  them  in  a  year  and 
gets  another  pair.  They  will  do  well  till  12  years 
old.  His  experience  for  the  last  20  years  is  as 
follows  :  where  is  presented  the  first  cost  of  the 
oxen,  the  number  of  years  kept  on  the  farm,  and 
the  price  sold  at.  And  during  that  time  the  oxen 
have  been  the  only  team  for  farm  Avork,  and  have 
not  in  all  been  turned  out  from  labor  for  the  pur- 
pose of  fattening,  three  weeks  during  the  20 
years. 

Coat.  Time  kept.                          Sold  at. 

$  72 About  6  years $115 

70... "      1      "  95 

10.5 "     5     "  9« 

70 "      i      "  98 

85 '      3      "  112 

60 "     3      "  110 

£0 "     1      "  105 


$573 


$731 
,..573 


Cost 

Profit $158 

Granite  Farmer. 


DON^T  TAKE  THE  PAPERS ! 

In  making  an  excursion,  the  other  day,  a  little 
out  of  the  State,  we  indulged  ourselves  as  usual, 
in  taking  a  hasty  survey  of  the  farms,  buildings, 
orchards,  &c.,  as  we  passed  along.  The  glance 
that  may  he  obtained,  as  rapidly  as  one  rushes 
along  in  a  car,  is  oftentimes  a  pretty  good  index 
to  the  whole  establishment.  And  we  have  some- 
times thought  we  could  write  a  tolerably  correct 
description  of  the  habits  of  the  inmates  of  an  es- 
tablishment by  merely  passing  the  premises. 

One  homestead  we  saw,  worthy  the  age  when 
cast-off  hats  and  pantaloons  ornamented  the  win- 
dows. The  house  had  been  erected  with  fair  pro- 
portions and  painted  white;  the  elements  had 
wasted  the  paint,  leaving  only  patches  here  and 
there  to  indicate  its  original  color,  while  the  fences 
were  scattered  in  every  direction,  like  a  platoon  of 
routed  troopers.     The  barn  stood  awry,  rickety, 


74 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Feb. 


and  uninviting,  with  all  the  avenues  from  the  barn- 
yard prostrate.  Nothing  loth,  the  cattle  had  for- 
saken its  gloomy  precinct,  and  were  basking  in  the 
sunshine  on  the  south  side  of  the  dwelling-house — 
one  cow  quietly  chewing  her  cud  with  her  nose 
over  the  tlireshold  of  the  front  door  !  All  other 
things  about  the  premises  were  in  excellent  keep- 
ing with  this  one  point.  While  we  wish  the  oc- 
cupants much  joy  in  their  primitive  possessions, 
we  cannot  help  believing  that  they  do  not  take  the 
papers — or,  at  any  rate,  that  they  do  not  take  the 
New  England  Farmer  ! 


For  the.  New  En^iJand  Farmer. 

FARMER'S  FIRESID3E]  TALK— TOP- 
PING CORN. 

Well,  as  I  was  telling  you,  the  other  evening, 
the  man  I  spoke  of  had  something  to  say  about 
top) ling  corn,  as  well  as  hilling  up.  I  do  pretty 
much  as  the  way  is  here, — a  few  days  before  the 
corn  is  ripe,  I  cut  off  the  tops  of  the  stalks,  and 
take  them  in  for  fodder  ;  then,  in  say  a  fortnight 
or  so,  I  gather  the  corn.  After  that,  I  cut  the 
bottom  stalks  fiir  fodder.  That  is  generally  the 
way  about  in  this  neighborhood.  Some  though 
don't  cut  the  bottom  stalks  but  let  them  stand,  and 
in  the  spring  cut  them  down  with  a  plow,  spHt- 
ting  the  hills,  as  they  call  it,  and  then  rake  and 
gather  the  stalks  into  the  stable  yard. 

He  says  ho  has  great  doubts  of  the  advantage  of 
this  plan  :  and  whether  there  is  not  more  lost  to 
the  grain  than  is  gained  in  fodder.  His  idea  about 
that  is  something  in  this  sort,  if  I  can  tell  it  right. 
"In  the  first  part  of  the  season,  in  spring  and  till 
about  midsummer,  the  sap  goes  up  or  ascends,  be- 
ing drawn  up  by  the  roots,  and  it  goes  up  to  all 
parts  of  the  plant.  In  the  latter  part  of  summer 
the  sap  goes  down.  The  upward  sap,  he  thinks, 
forms  the  stem  and  leaves  of  the  plant.  This  it 
is  wliicli  gives  it  growth  and  expansion.  When 
the  sap  ceases  to  go  up,  it  must  be  because  the 
roots  cease  to  take  it  up  from  the  earth.  The 
function  performed  by  the  roots  in  the  early  part 
of  the  season  is  changed.  They  no  longer  take 
up  and  convey  sap  to  the  stem  and  branches.  The 
descending  sap  now  begins  to  pass  down.  The 
leaves  are  now  formed.  The  scientific  writers  up- 
on the  vegetable  structure  and  economy  tell  us 
f  lat  the  sap  that  is  taken  up  by  the  roots  passes 
into  all  parts  of  the  plant,  and  lastly  into  the 
leaves;  — and  that  in  its  passagf  through  the  leaves, 
it  ])ecames  changed,  and  passes  again  through  the 
plant,  a  different  fluid  from  that  which  passed  up. 
The  change  which  is  made  in  the  leaf  is  likened 
t )  the  change  which  the  blood  of  man  undergoes 
in  passing  through  the  lungs.  The  difference"  in 
fact,  between  the  ascending  and  descending  sap  is 
S3  great,^that  there  are  plants  whose  sap  in  the 
spring  when  ascending  is  agreeable  and  nutritious, 
and  is  drank  by  the  people  of  the  country,  but  af- 
ter midsummer,  when  descending,  it  is  acrid,  and 
even  deadly  poisonous.  The  inhabitants  of  the 
Canary  islatids  draw  off  and  drink  the  ascending 
sap  of  a  species  of  Euphorbia,  a  native  plant, 
which  is  very  pleasant  while  the  descending  sap  is 
very  acrid,  and  much  like  the  juice  of  common 
spurge.  Now  it  is  this  descending  sap  that  gives 
whatever  is  peculiar  to  any  plant.     It  gives  the  in- 


dividuality, or  particular  property.  If  a  tree  has 
a  coloring  matter,  gum,  starch,  oil,  tannin,  or  any 
other  peculiar  product  or  property,  it  is  commun- 
icated by  the  descending  sap.  This  forms  theliruit. 
It  is  the  sap  descending,  passed  down  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  season,  from  the  leaves,  that  forms  the 
corn,  and  gives  to  it  its  nourishing  property.  My 
idea  of  the  origin  and  formation  of  this  new  £ap  is 
a  little  diffei-ent  from  that  of  the  writers  ;  or,  rath- 
er, I  should  state  it  differently.  The  leaves  of 
plants  evaporate  very  rayiidly.  Some  plants  evap- 
orate their  whole  weight,  and  even  more,  in  twen- 
ty-four hours.  And  as  the  upward  sap  and  down- 
ward sap  flow  at  different  seasons,  I  am  inclined 
to  think  that  the  last  is  rather  to  be  considered  a 
new  matter,  not  merely  resulting  from  a  change 
in  the  upward  sap,  by  the  function  of  the  leaf,  but 
that  the  upward  sap  is  wholly  passed  off  by  evap- 
oration, and  that  then  the  action  of  the  root  ceas- 
ing, that  of  the  leaf  begins, — and  taking  in  oxy- 
gen and  other  constituents  of  the  air,  the  down- 
ward sap  is  rather  made  anew  in  the  leaf,  from 
these  new  materials,  and  then  passed  over  the 
plant.  But  I  need  not  say  anything  about  this, 
because  whichever  it  may  be,  the  effect  on  the 
plant  is  the  same.  It  is  the  downward  sap  that 
makes  the  corn, — and  this  downward  sap  is  made 
or  qualified  in  the  leaf,  and  cannot  be  in  any  oth- 
er part,  or  by  any  other  process.  Now,  therefore. 
If  you  cut  off  tlie  top  with  the  leaves  above  the 
ear,  before  the  ear  is  ripe,  you  stop  the  growth  of 
tlie  ear,  at  that  point  to  which  it  has  attained. 
It  grows  no  more.  It  had  before  ceased  to  dravT 
anj'  thing  from  the  ground.  And  if  lefrto  stand 
on  the  stalk  a  fortnight,  it  will  gain  nothing,  either 
in  weight  or  nourishment,  but  will  be  exactly  the 
same  as  if  gathered  on  the  day  it  was  topped. — 
It  may  sweat  or  dry  on  the  stalk,  as  it  would  in 
the  crib,  or  perhaps  better ;  but  it  gains  nothing. 
This  has  been  proved  by  weighing.  Mr.  Testall, 
my  neighbor,  weighed  some  of  his  corn  that  had 
been  thus  topped,  and  the  same  quantity  on  the 
same  Seld  that  had  not  been  topped,  and  found 
the  grain  of  the  topped  stalks  to  be  three  bushels 
less  in  measure  to  the  acre,  than  that  which  had 
not  been  topped,  and  the  bushel  four  pounds  less 
in  weight,  making  over  another  three  bushels  to 
the  acre.  If  this  is  correct,  the  gain  in  estovers  is 
just  balanced  by  the  loss  in  the  grain — and,  of 
course,  whatever  the  stalk  is  worth  as  a  restorer  of 
the  soil,  is  the  true  loss  by  topping. 

By  thus  weighing  the  topped  and  the  un topped 
corn,  an  estimate  by  approximation  may  be  made 
of  the  advantage  or  loss  by  the  process  of  topping. 
And  this  is  the  question. 

Mr.  Brooks,  of  Princeton,  Worcester  county,  in 
a  statement  made  in  the  New  Enghmd  Farmer, 
Dec,  1851,  apparently  made  with  knowledge  and 
care,  puts  the  average  for  a  crop  of  corn  in  this 
State  at  40  bushels,  the  value  80  cents,  worth  of 
estovei's  seven  dollars  the  acre.  One,  at  least,  or 
perhaps  two  dollars  additional  cost  is  incurred  in 
cutting  the  stalk  or  topping  and  binding,  per  acre. 
This  would  make  the  value  of  the  tops  live  or  at 
most  six  dollars  to  the  acre  for  fodder.  Six  bush- 
els of  corn  more  to  the  acre,  at 80  cents,  would  be 
$5.00  less  20  cents.  If,  by  leaving  the  corn  un- 
topped,  you  gain  so  much  corn,  then  there  will  be 
no  advantage  in  topping.  But  if  the  increase  of 
the  corn  is  only  a  small  part  of  this  ratio,  or  sup- 
pose, even,  it  is  nothing,   is  there  not  as  much 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


75 


giin  by  restoring  the  stalk  to  the  exhausted  soil, 
as  by  feeding  it  ? 

At  any  farm  in  this  State,  a  cord  of  stable  ma- 
nure costs  five  or  six  dollars.^  Now  by  restoring 
the  estovers  of  an  acre,  I  believe  you  enrich  the 
acre  more  than  by  a  cord  of  manure.  You  restore 
nearly  all  that  has  been  drawn  from  the  soil  by 
the  growing  crop.  The  ear,  as  I  said,  is  drawn 
h-oin  the  air,  not  tlie  eartli,  and  the  evaporations 
of  the  }ilant  are  nearly  pure  water.  If,  therefore, 
the  stalk  is  returned,  and  plowed  in  in  the  fall  or 
spring,  the  ground  receives  back  nearly  the  value 
it  has  given  out.  It  receives  the  same  kind  that 
it  gave,  and  I  think  more  in  amount  of  fertilizing 
matter  than  from  a  cord  of  stable  matter.  Of 
course,  if  this  is  so,  there  is  a  loss  by  topping,  even 
without  counting  the  loss  of  grain." 

This  is  about  what  he  said  on  topping,  as  near 
as  I  can  tell  it.  It  is  curious  to  me.  Now,  wheth- 
er the  man  is  critically  e.xact  in  considering  the 
stalks  to  be  of  more  value  fur  manure  than  for 
fodder,  is  what  I  can't  tell,  though  I  suppose  ev- 
ery one  must  work  that  out  by  his  own  experience 
and  calculation.  But  it  was  the  way  of  coming  to 
it,  that  took  me.  In  fact,  I  shall  be  obliged  to 
think  there  is  something  in  science,  after  all.  For 
it  was  his  knowledge  of  the  science  of  the  vegeta- 
ble growth  that  led  him  along  to  reason  as  he  did, 
and  brought  iiim  right  down  to  the  point.  There 
must  be  some  benefit  to  a.  farmer,  to  have  that 
sort  of  knowledge,  that  is  certain.  Don't  you 
think  so,  neighbor  Brown.  w.  J.  a.  b. 

Essex,  Nov.  30,  1852. 

Remarks. — Certainly,  certainly,  friend  B.;  there 
is  no  more  doubt  on  our  mind  on  that  point,  than 
there  is  that  tapping  the  stalk  decreases  the 
amount  of  grain.  We  have  tried  both  ways,  but 
continue  to  cut  the  stalks  for  two  reasons.  1st, 
Because  Ave  get  on  the  top  stalk  a  lai-ge  amount  of 
the  best  fodder  we  cut  on  the  farm.  2d,  Because  it 
is  so  much  more  convenient  harvesting  the  corn. 


Officers  of  Barnstadle  County  Society. — We 
are  indebted  to  Charles  II.  Bursley,  Esq.,  for  the 
following  list  of  the  officers  of  the  Barnstable  Co. 
Agricultural  Society,  elected  on  the  thirteenth  of 
October  last. 

For  President — Charles  Marston,  of  Barnstable. 

Fice  Presidents — Enoch  Pratt,  of  Brewster;  Walter  Crock- 
er, of  Barnstable. 

Recording  Secretary— Charles  H.  Bursley,  of  Barnstable. 

Corresponding^  Secretary — F.  W.  Crocker,  of  Barnstable. 

Treasurer — Frederick  Scudder,  of  Barn.stahle. 

Executive  Committee — Matthias  HincKley,  George  Mars- 
ton,  Nathan  Jenkins.  Nathan  Crocker,  Frederick  Parker,  of 
Barnstable;  Thomas  L.  Swift,  Falmouth;  C.  B.  II.  Fessen- 
den,  Sandwich;  J  G.  Ilallet,  Yarinoulh;  William  Howes, 
Dennis;  George  Copeland.  Brewster;  Obed  Brooks,  Jr.,  Har- 
wich; David  Howes,  Chatham;  John  Kenrick,  Orleans;  Jas. 
H.  Knowles,  Easlham;  P.  G.  Atwood,  Wellileet;  Solomon 
Davis,  Truro;  Thomas  I.nthrop,  Provincetown. 


Old  Apple  Trees. — There  is  a  bearing  apple 
tree  in  Connecticut,  alive  and  flourishing,  at  the 
advanced  tige  of  two  hundred  and  fourteen  years. 
It  is  of  the  English  Pearmain  variety,  and  was  im- 
ported in  1G38,  by  Gov.  George  Wyileys,  and  bore 
good  fruit  tliis  season,  on  the  "Charter  Oak  Place,'' 
now  owned  by  Hon.  T.  W.  Stuart,  Hartford. 
Some  of  the  fruit  of  this  venerable  tree  was  pre- 
sented to  the  Connecticut  Horticultural  Society  in 


October  last.  For  more  than  two  centuries  have 
the  people  been  blessed  with  the  fruit  of  Gov. 
Wylleys's  regard  for  the  welfare  of  men  who  should 
"come  after  him."  Every  mtin  should  set  out 
fi'uit  and  shade  trees,  so  long  as  he  has  the  physic- 
al power  to  do  so,  that  "future  generations  may 
rise  up  and  call  him  blessed." — Vermont  State 
Journal. 

PAPERS  FROM  AFRICA. 

Through  the  politeness  of  Mr.  C.  F.  Dennett,  we 
have  received  the  Cape  Monitor,  of  the  15th  Sep- 
tember, and  The  South  African  Commercial  Adver- 
tiser, of  Oct.  2,  both  published  at  Cape  Town,  Cape 
of  Good  Hope.  Tiie  Advertiser  contains  a  report 
of  a  public  sale  of  Merino  and  Thibet  Rams,  the 
Merinos  averaging  $180  each,  and  the  Thibets 
$155  each.  The  Monitor  conttiius  a  report  of  an 
agricultural  Show  and  Fair  at  the  Cape  on  the 
14th  Sept. ,  at  which  matters  seem  to  have  "been 
managed  much  as  they  are  with  us.  The  premiums 
on  the  horned  cattle  we  notice  were  $25  each. 

The  Advertiser  contains  an  interesting  letter,  a 
few  extracts  from  which  we  give  below,  which 
shows  what  is  going  on  in  a  portion  of  the  interior 
of  Africa. 

The  Orange  River  Sovereignty,  as  you  are  aware, 
is  situated  betwean  the  Great  Orange  and  Vaal 
Rivers.  Sixteen  years  ago,  before  the  "great 
trek"  of  the  Emigrant  Boers,  it  was  a  "trackless 
desert,"  a  "howling  wilderness" — "a  land  in 
which,  although  thinly  populated  hj  skulking 
broods  of  Bushmen,  and  by  the  starving  remnants 
of  nomadic  pastoral  tribes,  which  have  been  broken 
up  by  war  and  violence,  no  man  permanently  dwelt, 
neither  was  the  soil  any  man's  property  ;" — a  land 
in  which,  for  hundreds  of  miles,  the  eye  was  not 
greeted  by  the  smallest  trace  of  human  industry, 
or  by  any  vestige  of  human  habitation — the  wild 
and  interminable  expanse  ever  presenting  the  same 
appearance — that  of  one  vast  uninhabited  solitude. 

Such  was  the  picture  drawn  by  the  well-known 
traveller,  Capt.  W.  C.  Harris,  in  1836 — 7,  of  the 
country  between  the  Vaal  and  Orange  Rivers. 

This  vast  country  is  divided  off  into  fixrms — I 
forget  the  precise  number,'  but  I  think  somewhere 
about  1,500,  the  greater  proportions  of  which  are 
occupied  and  stocked. 

The  most  striking  feature  in  the  country  is  the 
enormous  extent  of  its  flats,  covered,  after  passing 
Smithfield,  with  thousands  of  head  of  game,  com- 
prising the  springbuck,  blesbok,  hartebeest,  quag- 
ga,  and  wildebeest — and  last,  though  not  least,  the 
"King  of  Beasts,"  that  noble  animal  "which 
sweeps  the  desert  with  his  rolling  eye ! ' '  The  pas 
turage  of  these  plains,  with  the  e.xccption  of  what 
the  Dutch  term  the  "hoogeveld,"  or  "wildebeeste 
fiats,"  which  are  covered  with  a  sour  wiry  grass, 
is  principally  what  is  termed  in  the  colony  "ge- 
bruken  veld,"  or  a  mixture  of  sour  and  sweet 
grass. 

But  what  must  before  the  lapse  of  many  years 
raise  this  country  to  a  very  important  position,  is 
the  fact  thtit  it  is  well  adapted  for  wooUed  sheep. 

The  elevation  of  the  country  being  very  great, 
the  winters  are  cold— the  ground  being  generally 
c  ivered  with  frost,  snows  frequent,  and  the  wat- 
ers— excepting  the  large  running  stream — frozen. 


76 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Feb. 


I  have  ^een  ice,  half  an  inch  thick,  at  two  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon.  This  keeps  the  sheep  in  rather 
low  condition  in  winter,  but  the  length  of  staple 
of  the  wool  is  considerably  inci-eased  thereby.  As 
to  tlie  quality  of  the  wool,  the  best  proof  is  that 
•Sovereignty"  wools  have  realized  as  much  as  Is. 
3  l-2d.  in  the  London  market.  Upwards  o? fifteen 
hundred  bales  have  been  exported  from  the  last 
clip,  and  taking  each  bale  to  be  worth  only  £10, 
this  will  give  a  total  of  £15,000.  No  better  proof 
can  be  required  of  the  suitability  of  the  country  for 
sheep-farming. 

SUPER-PHOSPHATE  OF  LIME. 

Our  space,  this  month,  is  not  sufficient  to  admit 
of  publising  the  numerous  letters  we  have  received 
from  those  who  have  used  the  Improved  Super- 
phosphate of  Lime.  In  all  cases  where  it  was 
used  preceding  the  spring  rains,  its  results  have 
been  truly  wonderful.  On  later  crops  since  the 
rains  of  July,  its  effects  are  equally  great.  We 
have  applied  it  to  one  field,  on  which  are  planted 
60,000  cabbages,  all  of  which  are  in  a  most  flour 
isuing  condition,  and  fully  equal  those  raised  in 
the  richest  and  oldest  soil.  Tliis  field  was  plowed 
in  June,  being  the  first  time  for  many  years.  It 
was  an  old  pasture,  over-run  with  weeds  and  foul 
grasses  and  entirely  out  of  heart.  We  applied 
250  lbs.  broadcast  per  acre  of  the  Improved  Super- 
phosphate of  Lime,  and  after  putting  out  the 
plants  at  the  first  hoeing  gave  250  lbs.  more, 
making  in  all  500  lbs.,  at  a  cost  of  $12,50  per  acre, 
and  we  state  confidently  tliat  this  will  give  twelve 
thousand  merchantable  cabbages  per  acre. 

Those  who  have  used  the  new  manure  on  grass, 
wheat,  corn,  &c.,  are  more  than  delighted  with  its 
effects,  while  for  turnips  the  results  are  still  more 
wonderful.  It  hurries  their  growth  so  rapidly,  as 
to  force  them  beyond  the  fly  and  ensure  their 
perfection  at  an  early  date. —  Working  Farmer. 

New  Haven,  August  24eh,  1852. 

Prof.  J.  J.  Mapes  : — Dear  Sir — Allow  me  here 
to  add  one  tribute  of  notice  to  the  many  you  are 
doubtless  receiving  in  behalf  of  that  valuable  manu- 
facture with  which  you  have  to  do,  and  which 
cannot  fail  to  prove  a  valuable  acquisition  to  the 
agricultural  interests  of  our  coimtry. 

As  you  well  know,  I  desired  you  to  send  me  one 
h  ilf  ton  of  the  Improved  Super-phosphate  of  Lime 
which  was  duly  received,  and  applied  to  the  various 
crops  connected  with  horticultural  operations. 
Having  had  an  analysis  of  the  soil,  I  was  well 
aware  of  the  results  that  would  probably  follow 
its  application,  nor  have  I  been  disappointed  in 
my  expectations  ;  all  that  I  could  have  expected  or 
hoped  for  has  been  fully  realized.  While  the  ap- 
plications which  I  have  made  were  for  improve- 
ment, yet  to  mark  the  result,  I  have  not  forgotten 
the  value^of  experiment  in  leaving  some  portions 
of  the  crops  without  the  benefit  of  the  application, 
that  I  might  more  fully  realize  and  exhibit  its  real 
value.  I  have  applied  it  to  corn,  potatoes,  beets, 
onions,  carrots,  beans,  squashes,  tomatoes,  cucum- 
bers, melons,  cabbages,  turnips,  itc,  &c.,  &c., 
including  most  other  vegetables  raised  for  the 
market,  and  in  all  cases  I  have  been  obliged  to 
credit  it  with  marked  effects  ;  and  notwithstanding 
the  drought,  which  has  hitherto  prevailed  yet  the 
Improved  Super-phosjjhate  of  Lime  hus  not  failed 
to  show  its  infliuence,  thereby  proving  what  most 


desire  to  know,  that  it  is  readily  soluble  and 
suitable  for  the  wants  of  plants.  While  I  am 
unable  to  give  you  precise  results,  as  the  crops 
mostly  remain  unperfected  in  growth,  yet  it  re- 
quires no  long  mathematical  demonstrations  to 
show  where  tlie  liberal  hand  of  its  application  was 
iliven. 

But  I  need  not  enlarge  upon  its  virtues ;  all 
who  have  used  it,  are  doubtless  aware  of  its  in- 
fluence, and  those  who  have  not,  only  need  try  it 
and  be  convinced. 

Amid  the  improvements  which  are  now  gather- 
ing in  behalf  of  agi'icultural  interests,  may  the 
recent  manufacture  of  Improved  Super-phosphate 
of  Lime  take  no  unworthy  place,  and  find  no  light 
esteem  in  the  minds  of  all  who  greet  agricultural 
interests  with  a  cheerful  hand  ;  and  while  I  be- 
speak for  it  a  general  reception  in  our  agricultural 
communities,  I  feel  I  am  doing  nothing  more  than 
its  merits  M'ill  warrant,  and  successful  cultivation 
demand.  And  may  we  hail  with  pleasure  the 
dawn  of  thatdelightful  day,  when  agriculture  shall 
take  science  as  her  guide  in  the  fields  of  labor,  and 
make  it  the  "Day  Spring"  of  lier  energies,  im- 
proving and  enriching  as  effectually  the  mind  as 
the  suil.  When  this  shall  come,  we  shall  no 
longer  see  hesitation  in  the  use  of  needful  fer- 
tilizers, but  will  behold  each  improvement  as  a 
new  beam  iu  the  radiant  liglit  of  a  glorious  morn. 
Respectfully  yours, 

Solomon  Mead. 

FARMERS'  CLUES. 

We  cannot  urge  upon  our  readers  with  too  much 
earnestness  the  importance  of  forming  clubs  for 
the  discussion  of  all  matters  relating  to  the  farm 

Now  is  the  appropriate  time — suffer  it  not  to 
pass  unimproved.  You  will  find  amusement,  im- 
provement, and  capital,  in  its  deliberations,  which 
you  cannot  now  appreciate.  Form  the  club,  and 
)>e  determined  to  take  an  active  part  in  it,  and 
you  will  find  your  thoughts  ranging  in  new  and 
delightful  fields  through  another  year.  Meet  at 
j'our  own  dwellings,  and  thus  while  you  are  inter- 
changing civilities  with  each  other,  you  will  save 
all  expense  of  hall  hire,  fuel  and  lights. 

The  following  is  a  suitable  form  of  a  constitu- 
tion : — 

CONSTITUTION. 

Art.  1. — This  Association  shall  be  styled  The 
Farmer^s  Club. 

Art.  2. — Its  officers  shall  be  a  President,  Vice 
President,  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  who  shall  be 
chosen  annually  by  ballot. 

Art.  3. — The  President  shall  preside  in  all 
meetings  of  the  Club,  with  power  to  preserve  or- 
der, appoint  Committees,  and  assign  topics  for 
discussion. 

Art.  4. — In  the  absence  of  the  President,  all 
his  powers  shall  be  exercised  by  the  Vice  Presi- 
dent. 

Art.  5. — The  Secretary  shall  keep  a  record  of 
the  proceedings  of  each  meeting,  which  shall  be 
read  by  him  at  the  next  subsequent  meeting.  He 
shall  preserve  all  reports  of  Committees,  and  con- 
duct whatever  correspondence  shall  be  ordered  by 
the  Club. 

Art.  6. — There  shall  be  at  each  meeting  a  dis 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


cussion  upon  a  topic  previously  announced,  which 
shall  be  commenced  by  four  members  designated 
at  the  preceding  meeting  by  the  presiding  officer  ; 
and  such  other  exercises  as  the  Club  shall  deem 
proper. 

Art.  7. — There  shall  be  in  the  Club  twelve 
Standing  Committees  : — One  on  Manures  ;  Hoed 
Crops  ;  lloot  Crops  ;  G  rain  Crops  ;  Grass  Crops  ; 
Live  Stock ;  Farm  Buildings  and  Farms  ;  Farming 
Tools  ;  Reclaiming  Waste  Lands  ;  Garden  Fruits  ; 
Ornamental  Gardening ;  Fruit  and  Ornamental 
Trees. 

A^T.  8. — Select  Committees  may  be  appointed 
as  the  exigencies  of  the  Club  may  require. 

Art.  9. — Each  Committee  shall  make  report  in 
writing,  from  time  to  time,  as  the  Club  may  or- 
der, and  the  reports  so  made  shall  be  at  the  dis- 
posal of  the  Club. 

Art.  10. — Any  person  may  become  a  member 
of  this  Club  by  paying  one  dollar  to  the  Treasurer. 

Art.  1L — The  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Club 
shall  be  holden  on  the  first  Monday  of  Noverabe;- 
of  each  year,  for  the  election  of  officers  ;  and  all 
officers  to  hold  over  until  new  officers  are  elected. 


For  the  Neio  Vlngiand  Farmer. 
CORN-COBS— BESS. 

I  have  been  a  reader  of  the  IS.  E.  Farmer  for 
fche  past  year,  and  I  trust  that  it  has  not  been 
without  profit.  I  have  tried  some  of  its  directions, 
and  particularly  those  relating  to  the  management 
of  fowls,  and  have  realized  a  larger  amount  of  eggs 
this  year  than  any  year  heretofore  ;  this  I  must 
attribute  to  the  reading  of  the  Farmer. 

Now  I  want  to  ask  you  a  question  or  two.  And 
first,  in  regard  to  corn-cobs.  Much  has  been  said 
in  our  section  for  and  against  their  use.  Some  say 
that  corn  ground  with  the  cob  is  worth  as  much 
as  its  bulk  in  oats,  while  others  say  that  cobs  are 
entirely  worthless. 

Now  I  want  to  know  your  opinion  in  re- 
gard to  this  matter  ;  whether  there  is  any  nutri- 
ment in  them  or  not ;  if  there  is,  what  is  the  best 
manner  of  feeding  them  to  cattle  or  swine  ?  The 
next  question  is  in  regard  to  E.  Jordan's  Honey 
Bee  Feed,  a  notice  of  which  I  send  you.  Now 
I  would  like  to  know  how  many  lbs.  of  feed 
will  make  a  pound  of  honey  ?  Do  you  believe  that 
the  one  dollar  invested  in  this  business  may,  as  he 
says,  be  made  worth  ^50  twice  told,  or  is  it  all  a 
humbug r  A.  D.,  2d. 

Dudley,  Dec.  1852. 


Remarks. — We  have  no  analysis  of  the  cob,  and 
can,  therefore,  only  speak  of  it  in  general  terms. 
Without  possessing  nutrient  properties  it  may 
be  used  to  advantage  on  other  accounts.  For  in- 
stance, if  you  find  it  necessary  to  feed  store  pigs  on 
com  entirely,  for  want  of  less  concentrated  food, 
such  as  potatoes  or  pumpkins,  we  have  no  doubt  it 
would  be  better  to  grind  the  cob  with  the  corn 
for  them.  But  for  fattening  swine,  the  pure  meal 
would  be  far  better.  A  certain  amount  of  bulk 
is  as  necessary  as  nutriment  itself,  to  the  healthy 
growth  of  the  animal  in  all  its  parts.  For  cattle, 
fed  daily  with  hay,  the  cob  would  be  of  little  or  no 
service  ;  but  deprived  of  a  considerable  portion  of 


the  hay  usually  fed  to  them,  the  cob  would  be 
beneficial.  There  is  considerable  potash  in  the 
cob,  and  it  may  possibly  answer  some  good  pur- 
pose on  that  account.  Fowls  flourish  finely,  fed 
on  cob-meal  mixed  with  scalding  water,  as  a  change 
firom  dry  food. 

We  know  nothing  of  Mr.  Jordan^s  mode  of  feed- 
ing bees,  and  of  course  cannot  say  whether  it  is  a 
"  humbug  "  or  not.  Persons  do  feed  bees  advan- 
tageously,- with  West  India  honey  and  the  com- 
mon molasses  sugar,  heated  together  and  strained, 
at  an  expense  of  three  or  four  cents  a  pound. 
Seven  swarms  of  bees,  to  which  we  fed  this  com- 
position, carried  off  eighteen  pounds  in  two  hours, 
but  how  much  it  added  to  our  profits  we  had  no 
means  of  ascertaining. 

There  is  little  doubt  but  that  bees  may  be  aided 
in  their  business  when  their  pasturage  is  short,  as 
is  sometimes  the  case,  by  a  mixture  somewhat  like 
the  above.  But  probably  not  to  any  great  extent, 
as  all  that  they  receive,,  must  pass  through  a 
thorough  elaboration  in  their  bodies,  and  cannot 
be  greatly  hastened,  as  one  would  a  water  wheel 
by  raising  the  gate  and  letting  on  a  stronger  head 
of  water. 

FARMERS'  vvIVSS, 

We  gladly  give  room  to  the  following  extract,      ^ 
and  doubt  not  but  that  the  sentiments  therein  ex- 
pressed will  agree  with  those  of  our  readers  gen- 
erally : — 

The  farmers. of  this  country  occupy  a  position 
of  honor  and  usefulness.  They  are  the  source  of 
a  nation's  wealth  and  prosperity,  and  by  their 
vote  and  influence  can,  at  any  moment,  decide  its 
destiny.  Farmers'  wives  occupy  a  position  of  cor- 
responding importance  in  our  own  country's  his- 
tory ;  they  are  and  have  been  the  mothers  of  the 
men  whom  our  nation  delights  to  honor,  whose 
voice  of  wisdom  and  warning  is  heard  in  our  na- 
tion's councils.  Lebanon  shorn  of  its  stately  ce- 
dars, would  be  her  sad  emblem,  were  our  land  be- 
reaved of  our  patriotic  and  heroic  men  whose  ear- 
ly youth  was  associated  with  rural  scenes,  with 
woods  and  streams,  and  the  bird  voices  that  fill 
the  air  with  melody.  But  the  sweet  voice  that 
stilled  the  cry  of  infancy,  the  kind  hand  tliat  led 
them  to  the  altar  of  prayer  ;  the  counsels  that 
conducted  them  in  the  paths  of  wisdom,  the  in- 
fluence that  developed  their  moral  nature — those 
were  the  pledges  and  presages  of  their  future  great- 
ness. The  wives  of  our  farmers,  wliose  thrift  and 
industry  have  secured  for  their  husbands  a  com- 
petency, whose  intelligence  is  the  light  of  the  so- 
cial circle,  and  whose  piety  is  the  guardian  of  do- 
mestic peace,  are  emphatically  "the  mothers  of 
our  men . "  A  failure  in  the  country — with  all  the 
opportuidties  of  success,  away  from  all_  the  moi-al 
contaminations  of  a  crowded  city,  amid  the  free 
refreshing  winds,  among  all  that  is  pure  and  poetic 
in  nature,  amid  all  that  is  suggestive  of  truth  and 
beauty,  and  all  that  is  bountiful  and  beautiful  in 
agricultural  pursuits  and  success— rightly  to  train 
up  children,  should  awaken  the  voice  of  instruc- 
tive warning.     There  may  have  been  no  failure  in 


78 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Feb. 


accumulating  wealth,  none  in  making  home  beau- 
tiful and  tasteful  to  the  eye  ;  but  the  failure  has 
been  wlicre  it  is  must  fatal,  in  training  the  heart 
and  directing  the  footsteps  of  childhood.  There 
may  have  been  lavish  expenditure  to  gratify  fash- 
ion and  perverted  taste,  but  little  care  to  devehipe 
the  intellect  and  train  the  heart.  There  may  have 
been  great  expense  to  teach  children  to  sing,  to 
play  and  dance  well,  but  none  to  make  them  use- 
ful, virtuous  and  happy.  Hence  the  failure,  and 
the  need  of  warning.  There  is  tendency  in  these 
days  of  wealth  and  luxury  among  our  farmers,  to 
imitate  the  ostentation  of  fashionable  city  life. 
We  wage  no  war  against  rehnement.  We  are  not 
averse  to  the  elegancies  of  life  ;  but  to  train  up 
our  daughters  only  to  shine  in  the  parlor,  to  play 
the  guitar  and  speak  correctly  tlie  French  accent, 
and  our  sons  to  despise  the  honest  toil  of  the  hus- 
bandman, to  feel  that  they  must  aspire  to  a  pro- 
fession, if  they  would  become  men;  tliis  is  a  sin 
not  to  pass  unrebuked.  Our  fothers,  who  laid  the 
foundation  of  ournation's  greatness,  were  the  hum- 
ble tillers  of  the  soil ;  and  many  who  have  plowed 
the  field  and  sowed  the  seed,  have  risen  to  guide 
the  affairs  of  state,  to  hqld  converse  with  the  muse, 
or  to  sweep  with  a  Milton's  hand  tlie  harp  strings. 
Our  mothers,  whose  names  and  heroic  deeds  are 
immortal,  cultivated  the  domestic  virtues,  plied 
the  loom  and  tlie  needle,  and  made  tlie  garments 
of  the  men  whose  names  are  associated  with  tlie 
heroism  of  the  past.  We  must  look  still  to  far 
mcrs'  wives,  who  are  blessed  with  children,  foi 
the  men  of  strong  frames,  of  iron  nerves  and  he 
roic  hearts,  to  accomplish  our  nation's  destiny 
Let  them  not  be  recreant  to  their  high  trust,  'if 
they  flill,  to  whom  shall  we  look  for  the  men,  and 
the  women,  that  shall  be  worthy  to  steady  the 
ark  of  God,  and  train  the  coming  generation  for 
usefulness  in  the  blessedness  in  heaven. — Anoni/- 
mous. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
ON  BARNS. 

Simon  Brown,  Esq.  : — Dear  Sir,— -You  will  please 
apply  one  of  the  enclosed  $2,  to  the  payment  of 
one  copy  of  the  Nciv  England  Farmer  for  one  year 
commencing  January,  18-53  ;  and  the  remaining 
one  to  arrearages  ;  and  consider  me  a  permanent 
subscriber  while  I  live,  &c. 

And  here  let  me  ask  another  favor.  Will  you 
be  kind  enougli  to  describe  or  refer  me  to  the 
most  approved  barn  for  winter  feeding  20  or  25 
head  of  fat  cattle  or  milch  cows,  as  the  case  may 
be?_  Having  in  view  a  sufficient  cellar  room  for 
storing  roots  enough  for  one  feed  per  day  for  five 
ruontlis  ;  cheapness  and  durability  of  construc- 
tion, convenience  and  economy  in  storing  and  feed- 
ing ;  health  and  comfort  of  the  animals,  and  last, 
the  making  and  saving  of  manure.  Location  for 
the  barn  is  level  land  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
Ohio  river.  J.  II.  Collins. 

Locust  Lawn,  New  Albany,  Indiana.,  \ 
Dec.  16,  1852.  <, 

Remarks. — Our  corrc.-ipondent  will  find  a  plan 
of  a  barn  on  page  272  of  the  Montlily  Farmer  for 
1852,  which  we  consider  as  perfect  in  its  arrange- 
ments as  any  we  have  ever  seen.  The  description 
is  full  and  easily  understood,  and  comliines  about 
all  the  conveniences   we  can   suggest.      If  your 


ground  is  level,  make  half  the  depth  of  your  cel- 
1  ir  below  the  surface,  using  wbat  is  thrown  out  to- 
wards wharfing  up  the  drive  ways  and  cellar  wall. 
Have  your  cellar  eight  or  nine  feet  deep,  and  ar- 
range your  leantos  and  horse  stalls  so  as  to  gather 
all  the  droppings  under  one  end  of  the  barn,  leav- 
ing the  other  end  of  the  cellar  for  roots,  imple- 
ments, barrels,  lumber,  &c.  This  arrangement 
will  leave  the  hay  over  the  root  cellar,  and  of 
course  mostly  away  from  the  vapors  of  the  ma- 
nure. By  an  examination  of  the  engraving,  and 
a  careful  perusal  of  the  remarks  attached  to  it, 
you  will  readily  study  out  the  best  mode  of  con- 
structing a  barn. 


For  the  IS&w  Ens^land  Farmtr. 

BIRDS  OF  NSW  ENGLAND. 
THEIR  PAST  AND  PRESENT  HISTORY. ..  .No.  1. 

BY    S.    P.    FOWLER. 

There  v/aa  but  very  little  correct  knowledge  up- 
on the  subject  of  ornithology  previous  to  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  great  work  of  Alexander  Wil- 
S(m,  which  was  fii'st  published  in  September,  1808. 
It  is  true  that  Catesby,  Jefferson,  William  Bar- 
tram,  and  Dr.  Barton  in  the  southern  portion  of 
our  union,  had  written  upon  ornithology,  but 
some  of  these  works  were  expensive,  particularly 
that  of  Catesby,  and  were  seldom  seen;  Jefferson, 
who  copied  from  Catesby  and  Edwai-ds,  furnished 
us  with  nothing  but  a  catalogue.  Mr.  Bartram, 
who  was  more  complete  in  his  history  of  our  birds, 
described  in  his  travels  through  North  and  South 
Carolina  in  1791,  two  hundred  and  fifteen  sjjecies, 
and  Dr.  Barton,  in  his  fragmentary  Natural  His- 
tory of  Pennsylvania,  has  furnished  us  some  infor- 
mation upon  this  subject.  In  New  England,  Dr. 
Belknap  in  his  history  of  New  Hampshire,  and 
Dr.  Williams  in  his  history  of  Vermont,  have  each 
enumerated  a  few  of  our  birds  ;  the  former  being 
published  in  1792,  and  the  latter  in  1794.  But 
most  of  the  knowledge  of  the  natural  history  of 
our  country  previous  to  the  nineteenth  century, 
was  to  be  found  only  in  scattered  portions,  written 
chiefly  by  travellers,  journalists  and  civil  histori- 
ans, who  possessed  very  little  taste  for  the  study 
of  the  natural  sciences.  The  descriptions  of  our 
animal  and  vegetable  productions,  by  some  of  the 
early  writers,  are  mere  fibles,  and  are  laughable 
and  ludicrous  to  us,  in  the  extreme.  One  of  the 
earliest  works  on  the  natural  history  of  New  Eng- 
land, was  written  by  John  Josselyn  Gent,  and  pub- 
lished in  London  in  1G72.  It  was  a  book  not  much 
larger  than  the  New  England  primer,  and  fur- 
nished with  plates,  and  entitled  "New  England 
Rarities."  This  compared  with  Audubon's  splen- 
did work  on  the  "Birds  of  America,"  shews  to  the 
student  in  natural  history,  a  greater  contrast,  than 
he  had  supposed  this  country,  with  all  its  march 
of  improvement,  could  ever  have  furnished.  We 
will  now  quote  from  the  writings  of  several  au- 
thors, who  wrote  upon  the  subject  of  our  natural 
history  in  early  times,  and,  who  probably  believed 
that  what  they  had  written  was  veritable  truth, 
and  not  to  be  gainsayed.  Our  first  quotation  is 
from  the  New  England  Rarities,  where  the  au- 
thor is  describing  nothing  more  or  less  than  our 
bull  frog,  and  the  reader  cannot  fail  to  notice, 
there  is  not  one  word  of  truth  in  his  whole  de- 


1853, 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


79 


seription.  He  says,  "The  Pond  Frog,  will  chip  in 
the  Spring  like  SpaiTows,  and  crokc  like  Toads  in 
autumn  ;  iSome  of  these,  when  they  set  upon  their 
breech,  are  a  Fool  high ;  the  Indians  will  tell  you 
that,  up  in  the  Country,  there  are  Pond  Frogs  as 
bijr  as  a  child  of  a  year  old/''  Our  author  describes 
a  bird,  which  he  calls  the  Troculus,  and  says  "it 
is  a  small  bird,  black  and  white,  no  bigger  than  a 
swallow,  the  points  of  whose  Feathers  are  sharp, 
which  they  stick  into  the  sides  of  the  Chimney,  to 
rest  themselves  [their  Legs  being  exceedingly 
short]  where  they  breed  in  Nests,  made  like  a  swal- 
lows Nests,  but  of  a  glevvey  substance,  and  which 
is  not  fiistened  to  the  Chimney  as  a, swallows  Nest, 
but  hangs  down  the  Chimney  by  a  clew  like  siring 
a  yard  long  and  when  they  go  away,  they  never  fail 
to  throw  down  one  of  their  young  Birds  into  the 
room  by  ivay  of  Gratitude. ^^ 

The  above  relation  of  the  Troculus,  is  no  doubt 
intended  for  our  chimney  svfallow ;  and  if  we  can 
credit  any  of  Josselyn's  description  of  it,  we  may 
notice  that  this  bird,  very  early  in  the  settlement 
of  the  country,  forsook  its  natural  abode  in  hollow 
trees,  to  seek  the  habitations  of  men,  and  the  pro- 
tection they  aiford.  We  are  not  one  of  those  per- 
sons, who  entertain  the  idea  that  this  swallow 
hangs  its  nests  in  our  chimneys  by  a  string,  as  a 
sailn*  does  his  hammock,  between  decks,  or  that 
gratitude  to  the  owner  of  the  chimney  in  furnish- 
ing these  birds  with  a  breeding  place,  prompts 
them  to  leave  behind  them  one  of  their  own  off- 
spring. In  point  of  fact,  the  chimney  swallow 
constructs  its  nest  of  very  small  twigs  glued  to- 
gether, and  to  the  chimney  by  a  gum,  which  the 
bird  secretes  from  its  mouth.  This  nest  is  small, 
and  to  the  young  birds  crowded,  and  not  being 
lined  is  hard  and  uncomfortable,  thus  inducing 
them  to  leave  it,  when  only  a  few  days  old,  and 
attach  themselves  by  their  sharp  claws  to  the  in- 
side of  the  chimney.  In  this  situation  they  fre- 
quently lose  their  hold,  and  fJiU  down  the  flue, 
and  perhaps  flutter  into  the  room.  If  we  must  be 
compelled  to  believe  strange  relations  in  regard 
to  the  habits  of  the  swallow  tribe,  as  related  by 
the  old  writers  on  Ornithology,  with  our  own  ob- 
servations to  assist  in  guiding  us,  we  should  give 
a  preference  to  those  wdiich  relate  to  the  torpidi- 
ty of  these  birds  in  winter,  at  the  bottom  of  our 
ponds  immersed  in  mud  and  water. 

There  were  a  few  birds,  that  early  attracted  the 
notice  of  the  first  settlers  of  our  country.  There 
were  others,  to  which  their  attention  had  been 
called  by  the  Indians,  those  close  observers  of  na- 
ture. One  of  the  birds  mentioned  by  the  old  wri- 
ters, was  called  by  the  aborigines  the  Wakon  Bird, 
and  is  thus  described.  "The  Wakon  Bird,  as  it  is 
termed  by  the  Indians,  appears  to  be  of  the  same 
species  as  tha  birds  of  paradise.  The  name  they 
have  given  it,  is  expressive  of  its  superior  excel- 
lence, and  the  veneration  they  have  for  it ;  the 
wakon  bird,  being  in  their  language,  the  bird  of 
the  Groat  Spirit.  It  is  nearly  the  size  of  a  swal- 
low, of  a  brown  colour,  shaded  about  the  neck, 
with  a  briglit  green  ;  its  talc  is  composed  of  four 
or  five  feathers,  which  are  three  times  as  long  as 
its  body.  It  carries  this  fine  length  of  plumage, 
in  the  same  manner  that  a  peacock  does  his.  Capt. 
Jonathan  Carver,  the  traveler  through  the  interior 
parts  of  North  America  inlTGG,  says  the  Naudow- 
essie  Indians,  cauglit  several  of  them,  wdien  I  was 
in  their  Country,  and  seemed  to  treat  them  as  if 


they  were  of  a  superior  rank,  to  any  other  of  the 
feathered  race.  Mr.  Loskiel,  a  missionary  of  the 
United  Brethren  among  the  Indians  of  North 
America,  speaks  of  the  bird  of  the  Great  Spirit— 
or  the  Wakon  Bird,  and  describes  it  nearly  in  the 
same  language  as  that  used  by  Capt.  Carver.  It 
is  difficult  at  this  time,  to  asd'ertain  v/hat  these 
birds  were  that  were  seen  and  described  by  our 
travelers,  in  the  Indian  Country.  They  were  sup- 
posed to  exist  up  to  the  time  of  Wilson."  The 
description  of  our  King-bird,  as  given  by  the  old 
travellers,  is  as  follows.  "The  King  Bird  is  like  a 
swallow,  and  seems  to  be  of  the  same  sjiecies  as 
the  black  martin,  or  swift ;  it  is  called  the  King 
Bird,  because  it  is  able  to  master  almost  every  bird 
that  flies.  I  have  often  seen  it  bring  down  a  hawk." 
It  would  seem  that  the  Indians  observed  tlie  cour- 
ageous and  tyrannical  habits  of  this  bird,  before 
the  arrival  of  our  ancestors,  and  gave  it  the  name 
of  Sachem  Bird.  Roger  Williams,  in  his  key  to 
the  Indiaan  tongue,  says  "the  Sachem  is  a  little 
Bird,  about  the  bignesse  of  a  swallow,  or  lesse,  to 
whom  the  Indians  give  that  name  because  of  its 
Sachim  or  Prineelike  courage  and  Command  our 
greater  Birds,  that  a  man  shall  often  see  this  small 
Bird  pursue  and  vanquish  and  put  to  flight  the 
Crow  and  other  Birds,  farre  bigger  than  itselfe." 
The  generic  description  of  the  King  bird,  as  given 
by  our  old  writers,  is  inaccurate,  the  description 
of  its  habits  is  more  correct.  The  Hnmmino-  Bird 
was  very  generally  known  by  our  ancestors,  and 
early  attracted  notice,  and  their  descriptions  of  it, 
are  generally  correct,  with  the  exception  of  its  size. 
In  Ogilby'sAmerica,  published  in  1071,  the  author 
says,  "The  Humbird  is  one  of  the  wonders  of  the 
country,  being  no  bigger  than  a  Hormet,  yet  hath 
all  the  dimensions  of  a  Bird,  and  wings  with  quills, 
spider-like  legs,  small  claws  :  for  color,  she  is  as 
glorious  as  the  rainbow;  as  she  flies,  she  makes  a 
little  humming  noise,  like  the  Humble-bee,  where- 
fore she  is  called  the  Humbird."  The  Wild  Pig-  " 
eon  is  mentioned  by  most  of  our  old  writers,  and 
they  were  vei-y  abundant  in  New  England  in  1G40; 
Josselyn  says,  "The  Pidgeon,  of  which  there  are 
millions  of  millions,  I  have  seen  a  flight  of  Pidg- 
eons  in  the  spring,  and  at  Michaslmas,  when  they 
return  back  to  the  Southward,  for  four  or  five 
miles,  that  to  my  thinking  had  neither  beginning 
nor  ending,  length  nor  breadth,  and  so  thick  that 
I  could  see  no  sun,  they  joyn  Nest  to  Nest,  and 
Tree  to  Tree  by  their  Nests,  many  miles  together 
in  Pine  Trees.  I  have  bought  at  Boston  a  dozen 
of  Pidgeons  ready  puU'd  and  garbidged  for  three 
pence." 

The  AVhip-poor-will  was  another  bird  which  from 
its  singular  note,  attracted  the  attention  of  our 
ancestors.  It  is  well  known,  that  it  acquired  its 
n:ime  Whip-poor-will,  very  early  in  the  history  of 
our  country.  The  Indians  called  it  muck-a-wiss, 
the  note  of  the  bird  striking  an  Indian's  ear  and 
imagination,  differently  from  what  it  did  the  Eng- 
lish. There  was  a  bird  described  by  our  old  trav- 
ellers in  1762,  and  said  to  be  found  in  our  woods, 
and  called  by  ^lem  the  Whetsaw  Bird.  Their  de- 
scription of  it  wa^  as  follows  :  "The  Whetsaw  is 
of  the  cuckoo  kind,  being  like  that,  a  solitary  bird 
and  scarcely  ever  seen.  In  the  summer  months, 
it  is  heard  in  the  groves,  where  it  mixkes  a  noise 
like  the  filing  of  a  saw,  from  which  it  receives  its 
name."  This  solitary  bird  of  the  cuckoo  kind, 
above  mentioned,  was  no  doubt  the  little  Acadian 


80 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Teb.. 


Owl,  and  well  known  in  Massachusetts.  Au(lul)on 
says  it  receives  its  name  from  the  sound  of  its  love 
notes,  bearing  a  great  resemblance  to  noise  pro- 
duced by  filing  the  teetli  of  a  large  saw.  These 
notes,  when  coming,  as  they  frequently  do,  from 
the  interior  of  a  deep  forest,  produce  a  very  pecu- 
liar effect  on  the  traveller,  who  not  being  aware  of 
their  real  nature,  expects,  as  he  advances  on  his 
route,  to  meet  with  shelter  under  a  saw-mill  at  no 
great  distarjce.  In  "Ogilby's  Anieriea,"  pviblished 
in  1G71,  we  find  our  birds,  ealied  by  him  common, 
and  peculiar,  thus  enumerated  somewhat  after  tlie 
manner  of  Spencer  in  his  Faery  Queen. 

'  The  Princely  Eagle,  arxi  (he  so;iri;i»  Hawk, 

Whom  in  (heir  unknown  ways  theres  non  can  ehaJk — 

The  Ilunjbird  for  some  Cineefis  rich  ciige  more  111, — 

Than  hi  the  vacant  wilderness  to  sit. 

The  swilt  winged  Swallow  .sweeping  to  and  fro. 

As  swift  a.s  arrow  frnn}  Tartarian  bowe. 

When  as  .\urora's  infant  day  new  sprm;^?, 

When  the  morning  n!0»nliii<r  lark  her  sweet  lays  sings; 

The  harmonious  1  hriish,  swift  Pigeon  Turtle  dove. 

Who  to  her  mate  doth  ever  constant  prove, 

Turkey,  Pheasant,  Heath  cock  Partridge  rare. 

The  Carr'in  tearing  Crovi',  and  hurtful  stare, 

The  long-lived  Raven,  ihe  ominous  Screech  Owl, 

Who  tells,  ^.3  old  Wives  say.  disasters  foul. 

The  drowsie  Madge,  that  leaves  her  day  !o-?'d  nest. 

And  love^^  lo  rovt,  when  day  birds  be  al  rest, 

The  Eel  inuriUerinf;  iferon  and  greedy  Cormorant, 

That  neir  ifie  Creeks,  in  moorish  marshes  haaiit. 

The  bellowing  Bittern,  with  Ihe  long  leg'd  Ciane, 

Presaging  Winters  hard  and  Death  of  Grain, 

The  silver  Swan,  that  tunes  her  mournful  breath, 

To  sing  the  Dirge  of  her  approaching,'  death, 

The  Tattering  Oldwires  and  the  cackling  Geese, 

The  feardil  Gull,  thafshuns  the  murlhering  Piece. 

The  strong  winged  iVIallrrrd,  with  the  nimble  Tea), 

And  ill  shajie't  l.oone  with  h  s  harsh  notes  doth  squeal, 

There  Widiiins,  Sheldrakes,  and  Hutnililies, 

Snipe-,  Dipiiera,  Sea  Larks  in  whf  je  millions  flees." 

The  belief  that  swallows  became  torpid  at  the 
approach  of  winter,  and  buried  themselves  at  the 
bottom  of  ponds,  ]>elongs  to  the  past  history  of 
our  birds,  being  very  generally  believed  by  orni- 
thologists previous  to  the  nineteenth  century.  In 
our  nest  communication  we  shall  speaU.  of  the 
.brumal  or  winter  retreat  of  the  swallow. 

Danversport,  Jan.  1,  1853,  s.  p.  f. 


For  the  New  Enirland  Farmer. 

WARTS  ON  PLUM  TRESS. 

Frequent  complaints  continue  to  be  made  by 
correspondents  of  agricultural  papers,  and  others, 
of  the  black  bunches  on  plain  tvees,  and  as  many 
inquiries  for  a  remedy.  Cutting  off  the  bunches 
and  burning  them  in  the  fire  is  every  where  pre- 
scribed as  t!iat  remedy,  and  more  than  tliirty  years 
of  personal  practice,  and  observation  of  the  prac- 
tice of  others,  enables  me  to  say  that  remedy  is  ef 
fectual.  It  is  easy  and  simple,  though  sometimes 
a  little  severe  on  the  tree.  It  may  he  it  is  too 
simple,  and  that  a  compound  drug  of  many  foreign 
hard-named  materials  would  be  more  attractive, 
the  appliciition  of  which  would  be  ten  times  the 
labor  that  the  ready  use  of  the  knife  requires.  If 
the  dt^predation  of  the  curculio  could  be  as  easily 
prevented  as  the  black  warts,  plums  would  be  vast- 
ly more  abundant  than  they  have  been.  The  last 
seas  )n,  however,  my  plums  suffered  but  little,  and 
my  cherries  much  less  t!ian  ever  Wbfore  iTnm  tlie 
bite  of  the  curculio.  [  attributed  this  to  the  very 
frequent  high  winds  that  prevailed  about  the  usual 
time  that  the  plums  Jind  clierriesget  their  wounds. 
High  winds  clear  tiie  atmosphere  of  musquitoes 
and  may  partially  d.)^tlie  same  of  the  insects  or 
bugs  and  millers  that  sting  fruit. 


Peach  and  cherry  trees  suffered  much  the  past 
season  by  the  great  flow  of  gum.  On  examination 
of  the  bark  about  where  the  gum  oozed  out  it  wa& 
found  dead,  and  the  v/ood  dead  or  aSected  under 
it.  Whether  the  Sow  of  tlie  gum  is  caused  by  r., 
worm  or  not  I  cannot  tell,  though  it  appears  to  me 
that  irritation  from  this  source  affects  it.  Upon, 
that  supposition  I  use  the  knife,  gouge  or  chisel  to- 
remove  the  dead  bark  with  the  gtJm,  and  leave  the 
wood  naked  to  the  sound  line  of  bark  and  wood ; 
and  if  done  thoroughly  the  gum  ceases  to  flow — 
tlie  wound  becomes  dry  and  is  soon  covered  with 
the  growing  wood.  I  had  a  young,  thrifty  cherry,, 
the  Yellow  Spanish,  several  years  ago,  badly  affect- 
ed and  nearly  girdled  by  dead  bark,  which  I  re- 
moved with  the  gum  and  to  such  eztent  that  I  ex- 
pected to  lose  the  tree.  The  gam  ceased  to  flow 
tind  the  tregjsooa  healed  over  sound  and  has  growii 
vigorous  and  large.  No  gum  has  till  the  past  sea- 
son made  its  appearance.  On  examination  the 
same  state  of  the  bark  and  wood  as  formerly  ap- 
peared— the  same  remedy  applied,  and  thus  far 
with  the  same  good  etS>ct.  Whetlier  the  cause  b& 
a  worm,  or  a  disease  or  cancer  of  the  wood,  so  to- 
speak,  the  free  use  of  the  knife  appears  to  be  the 
efficient  remedy.  On  peach  trees  the  effect  of  re- 
moving the  dead  bark  and  gum  and  leaving  the 
naked  wood  to  the  air  has  had  the  same  good  ef- 
fect, so  far  as  my  liuiited  experience  has  gone. 

Kures  McIntire. 

Parsonsfidd,   Me. 

For  the  Ne;f  England  Farmer. 

NORTHERN  SPY  APPLS. 

De.\r  Sir  : — In  answer  to  your  inquiries  about 
the  Northern  Spy  apple,  I  am  not  fully  prepared 
to  give  all  tlie  information  you  desire  ;  but  as  faz 
as  1  have  been  able  to  test  it,  I  am  confident  that 
it  will  do  well  with  us  in  our  northern  climate. — 
The  tree  in  the  nursery  is  a  very  strong  and  hand- 
some, upright  grower,  rather  long  jointed,  but  as 
it  grows  older  the  head  thickens  up,  making  it  one 
of  the  handsomest  trees  grown.  I  have  two  hun- 
dred of  them  set  out  in  my  orchard  now,  five  years 
from  the  bud.  There  can  be  no  loss  to  any  man 
setting  an  orchard  of  them,  even  if  they  should 
not  tneet  his  expectations  in  fruiting,  as  they  are 
the  handsomest  growing  apple  tree  I  have  ever 
seen,  and  the  stocks  would  be  worth  more  than 
any  others,  to  work  other  kinds  of  fruit  on,  being 
so  very  thrifty.  To  have  them  fruit  well,  I  think 
they  vfant  a  very  strong  soil, with  high  cultivation. 
The  specimens  sent  were  grown  upon  scions  set  in 
young,  thrifty  Baldwin  trees  five  years  since,  this 
being  the  second  year  they  have  Iruited,  l^earing 
about  one-half  the  quantity  there  would  have 
been  of  Baldwins  upon  the  same  tree.  The  ap- 
ple grown  with  us  is  much  heavier  and  firmer  and 
keeps  better  than  it  does  grown  in  New  York.  I 
do  not  consider  it  in  prime  eating  until  May,  and 
then  I  think  it  the  best  apple  I  have  ever  eaten. 
It  will  keep  well  until  July.         Yours  truly, 

TopsJich/.Jan.,  1853.  W.  G.  Lake. 


Old  Farmer's  Almanack. — Number  sixty-one  of 
this  old  favorite  is  published  for  the  year  1853.  It 
is  well  printed  and  filled  with  useful  and  interest- 
ing matter,  and  interspersed  with  blank  leaves,  so 
that  the  farmer  will  find  it  exceedingly  convenient. 
Published  by  Jenks,  Ilickling  &  Swan,  Boston, 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


81 


STSAMfi'TG  APPARATUS 

When  hay  is  S20  per  ton,  and  iiU  grains  pro- 
portionately high,  it  becomes  the  farmer  to  adopt 
every  measure  to  economize.  We  have  ah'eady, 
this  winter,  spoken  of  the  importance  of  cutting 
hay,  straw,  corn  stalks,  &c.,  before  feeding  it  out, 
and  we  have  thought  the  subject  of  steaming  of 
sufBcient  importance  to  justify  the  expense  of  an 
engraving  to  illustrate  the  manner  of  doing  it.  The 
description  vre  find  in  that  excellent  work,  the 
American  Agriculturist,  published  by  A.  B.  Allen, 
N.  Y. 

In  some  respects  steaming  is  superior  to  boiling  ; 
it  depends  considerably  upon  the  amount  of  food 
to  be  cooked. 

In  boiling,  the  blaze  is  outside  of  the  kettle  and 
the  food  inside  ;  it  is,  therefore,  in  continual  dan- 
ger of  being  burned  and  much  injured,  unless  some 
one  stands  by  constantly  stirring  it.  This  is  not 
only  troublesome  and  inconvenient,  but  often  adds 
more  to  the  expenses  of  cooking,  in  the  time  of  the 
person  thus  employed,  than  under  ordinary  circum- 
stances can  well  be  afforded.  Nor  do  we  see  how 
this  is  to  be  avoided,  unless  the  kettle  be  made 
with  false  sides  and  bottom,  allowing  several  inch- 
es space  between  them  and  the  true,  which  space 
must  be  kept  constantly  full  of  water.  This  would 
nearly  double  the  expense  of  the  apparatus,  require 
its  being  closely  watched  during  the  boiling,  in  or- 
der to  fill  the  space  between  with  water  as  fost  as 
it  evaporated  ;  the  process  of  cooking  would  also 
be  slower  in  this  method,  as  it  would  require  more 
heat  around  a  double  than  a  single  kettle  to  bring 
the  water  within  to  a  boiling  point. 

If  food  is  to  be  cooked,  on  a  small  scale,  boiling 
may  be  cheapest ;  if  on  a  large  scale,  steaming  is 
not  only  cheapest,  but  infinitely  more  compact ; 
for  the  f)rmer  would  require  a  very  large,  or  sev- 
eral furnaces  for  diffirent  sets  of  kettles,  whereas, 
the  latter  may  be  done  with  one  small  furnace, 
steamer,  and  pipe,  as  shown  in  the  cut,  with  any 
reasona1>le  number  of  vats  or  tubs  surrounding,  in 
which  to  steam  tlie  food.     In  order  to  do  this,  the 


steam  pipe  must  be  made  movable  with  a  screw, 
fliexible,  or  be  composed  of  some  material  that 
when  the  food  is  cooked  in  one  tub,  the  pipe  can 
be  turned  and  inserted  into  another.  We  have 
seen  no  less  than  five  tubs  holding  150  gallons  each, 
surrounding  a  small  steamer,  all  of  which  could  be 
filled  with  food  and  cooked  within  twenty-four 
hours.  Three  tubs,  however,  are  usually  sufficient 
for  a  large  stock,  in  which  the  food  of  the  first 
may  be  cooking,  that  in  the  second  cooling,  while 
that  in  the  third  is  being  fed  out.  A  single  per- 
son may  be  able  to  oversee,  and  efficiently  manage 
all  these  operations. 

The  furnace,  steamer,  and  tub,  are  so  plainly 
delineated*in  the  above  cut,  that  they  need  no  ex- 
planation. In  cooking  potatoes  and  other  roots, 
the  tub  should  have  a  false  bottom  perforated  with 
numerous  small  holes,  and  set  resting  on  blocks 
from  3  to  4  inches  above  the  true  bottom.  The 
steampipe  should  enter  the  tub  nearest  to  the  true 
bottom.  The  steam  is  thus  introduced  between 
the  two  bottoms,  quickly  rises  upward,  and  is  even- 
ly diffused  through  the  whole  of  the  food.  While 
the  cooking  process  is  going  on,  the  top  of  the  tub 
should  be  kept  dov,m  as  tight  as  possible,  so  as  to 
prevent  the  escape  of  any  steam.  In  cooking  grain 
or  meal,  the  false  bottom  must  be  taken  out  and 
the  tub  filled  with  water,  as  the  steam  heats  the 
water  and  brings  it  to  a  builing  point  as  readily  as 
a  blaze  or  hot  coals  around  a  kettle. 

Steaming  is  said  to  do  its  work  more  thoroughly 
than  boiling,  as  it  is  so  insinuating,  it  easily  enters 
and  bursts  all  the  minute  globules  in  the  grain  and 
vegetables.  Be  this  as  it  may,  certain  it  is,  that 
either  process  renders  the  food  more  digestible, 
and  easier  assimilated  by  the  absorbing  vessels, 
and  therefore  more  economical. 

The  following  table  in  the  Edinburgh  Journal 
of  Agriculture,  shows  very  nearly  the  increase  of 
bulk  of  different  linds  of  grain  boiled  to  bursting. 


4  measures 

of  oats  increased  to 

7  measures 

4         " 

bailey        " 

10 

4 

buckwheat  or  bran 

14 

4          " 

maize  increased  to 

13 

4          " 

wheat         " 

10 

4 

rye              " 

15 

4          " 

beans          " 

oj 

82 


WEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Feb. 


Boiled  food,  especially  in  winter,  is  much  more 
nutritious,  if  fed  :is  nearly  blood  warm  as  possible. 
If  quite  cold,  or,  al)ove  all,  if  in  the  least  degree 
frozen,  we  doubt  whether  it  is  so  beneBcial  as  if 
uncooked — grain  and  meal  we  are  certain  are  not ; 
for  animals  will  eat  tho  raw,  cold,  more  greedily 
than  they  will  the  cooked.  Stock  fed  upon  cooked 
food  will  eat  more  of  it  than  if  uncooked,  and  lie 
down  quicker  to  rest.  Of  course  all  tl.is  is  better 
for  them,  as  they  will  thrive  faster,  look  finer,  and 
do  more  work.  It  is  particularly  Ijenefiuial  to  give 
hard-working  horses  or  oxen,  just  as  much  whole- 
some, cooked  food  as  they  can  eat,  soon  after  com- 
ing in  at  night.  Tuiling  all  day  in  the  open  air, 
man  appreciates  and  knows  well  the  benefit  of  a 
warm,  hearty  supper.  Let  him  remember,  then, 
that  a  warm  mess  and  abundance  of  it,  is  equally 
beneficial  to  the  animals  which  a  kind  Providence 
has  given  him  as  efficient  aids  in  his  arduous  la- 
bor. 

MILK  CONVENTION. 

The  milk  ^rade  has  now  got  to  be  an  important 
branch  of  business  ;  twenty  to  thirty  thousand  dol- 
lars worth  being  annually  carried  into  Boston  from 
a  single  town.  Like  all  other  business  in  the  out- 
set, this  has  been  conducted  somewhat  loosely, 
and  without  those  wholesome  guards  and  regula- 
tions which  every  important  business  demands. 

Milk  is  purchased  and  sold  in  very  large  quan- 
tities by  the  can,  for  a  stipulated  price,  under  the 
general  supposition  that  the  can  contains  eight 
quarts  and  no  more.  The  can  has,  therefore,  come 
to  be  a  measure  as  much  as  the  half  bushel  or 
pock.  But  upon  an  examination  of  these  cans  it 
is  found  that  they  vary  considerably  in  their  capa- 
city, some  containing  a  gill,  and  others  tl^half  pint, 
more  than  the  quantity  sold  for  eight  quarts. 

It  is  partly  on  this  account,  and  partly  on  ac- 
count of  the  low  price  at  which  milk  is  now  sold, 
that  those  producing  it  have  resolved  to  have  a 
uniform  standard  of  measure.  In  order  to  efiect 
this  desirable  end  they  met  in  convention  at  Brigh- 
ton, on  Thursday,  the  30th  day  of  December,  to 
take  into  consideration  what  ought  to  be  done  in 
the  premises.  A  large  number  of  highly  respecta- 
ble citizens  assembled,  and  were  called  to  order  by 
Wm.  IIobbs,  Esq.,  of  Waltham,  and  the  meeting 
was  then  organized  by  choosing  IMansur  W.  Marsh, 
Esq.,  of  West  Cambridge,  Chairman,  and  Benjamin 
Wellington,  Esq.,  of  Waltham,  Secretary. 

At  this  meeting  a  business  committee  reported 
resolutions  which  were  discussed  and  a  portion  of 
them  adopted ;  and  after  an  animated  discussion 
the  convention  adjourned  to  meet  at  the  same  place 
on  Thursday,  the  6th  inst. 

At  the  adjourned  meeting  on  the  Gth,  there  was 
a  much  more  numerous  gathering^han  at  the  first 
meeting ;  there  being  delegates  from  nearly  every 
part  of  the  commonwealth  and  from  New  Hamp- 
shire. All  persons  present  interested  in  the  sub- 
ject were  invited  to  take  seats  and  a  part  in  the 
proceedings.     The  whole  subject  matter  was  dis- 


cussed, committees  were  appointed  to  prepare  busi- 
ness for  another  meeting,  to  petition  the  Legisla- 
ture, to  attend  to  the  procuring  of  a  hall,  to  adver- 
tise, &c.  Great  harmony  of  action  and  unanimity 
of  views  prevailed  throughout  the  deliberations, 
with  an  earnestness  and  determination  of  purpose 
not  surpassed  by  any  political  convention  in  the 
heat  of  a  campaign. 

Tlie  fuUowing  resolutions  Avere  passed  with 
scarcely  a  dissenting  voice. 

Resolved,  That  wine  measure,  that  being  the  on- 
ly legal  measure,  be  adopted  as  a  standard  and 
uniform  measure  in  the  purchase  and  sale  of  milk, 
on  and  after  such  time  as  this  convention  shall  de- 
termine. 

Resolved,  That  a  petition  be  presented  to  the 
legislature  now  in  session  for  tlie  passage  of  an  act 
requiring  that  oil  milk  cans  shall  he  sealed. 

Resolved,  That  wine  measure,  as  a  measure  for 
milk,  be  adopted  on  and  after  the  first  day  of  April 
next. 

A  committee  was  then  appointed  to  arrange,  if 
possible,  with  the  directors  of  the  various  railroads 
to  take  passengers  to  and  from  this  convention  at 
half  price. 

The  convention  then  adjourned  to  meet  in  Bos- 
ton on  Wednesday,  the  19th  inst.,  at  such  hour 
and  place  as  will  be  designated  in  the  notice  of  the 
committee  appointed  to  attend  to  that  duty. 


OONSEQUENOSS    OF   COLD   FEET. 

"Life  is  warm  ;  Dcalh  is  cold  " 

If  there  be  one  subject  that  beyond  all  others 
demands  the  earnest  attention  of  the  American 
mother,  that  subject  is  the  protection  of  tlie  feet 
of  her  daughter  from  the  cold  and  dampness  of 
the  pavement.  We  give  it  more  than  usual  prom- 
inence, because  the  evil  is  neither  understood  nor 
regarded  in  any  other  light  than  a  remote  contin- 
gency not  worth  a  moment's  thought,  when  com- 
pared to  the  gratification  of  making  an  impression 
on  her  admirers,  by  what  she  imagines  a  beauti- 
ful foot. 

Physiologists  have  proved  by  actual  experiment 
with  the  thermometer,  that  the  central  heat  of  the 
body,  or  that  of  the  blood  as  it  issues  from  its 
starting  point,  the  left  ventricle  of  the  heart,  is 
101  degrees  ;  and  that  at  the  sole  of  the  foot  it  is 
not  more  than  90  degrees. 

The  great  and  unchangeable  law  of  the  Creator 
that  developes  life,  is  warmth.  The  egg  of  the  fowl 
only  possesses  latent  life,  till  tlie  warmth  of  the 
mother  expands  the  germ,  and  gives  the  heart  its 
first  contractile  or  active  force  ;  without  Avarmthit 
would  never  assume  its  organized  form  nor  contin- 
ue its  action  ;  this  gives  conclusive  evidence  of  the 
truthfulness  of  our  motto. 

Before  we  speak  of  tlie  influence  of  cold  on  the 
nerves  of  the  feet,  and  its  still  more  rapid  eflect  on 
the  circulation  of  the  blood,  through  the  action  of 
the  heart,  let  us  consider  the  value  of  the  great 
facts  we  have  presented  to  the  reader,  viz.,  the  nat- 
ural decrease  of  the  warmth  of  the  blood  in  the 
vessels  of  the  feet,  as  a  probable  means  of  permit- 
ting the  ill  effect  of  cold  on  these  great  central 
organs  of  life,  the  lungs,  if  not  prevented  by  art. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


83 


It  is  conceded  by  all  intelligent  observers,  that 
a  vi(jlent  cliill  conmiunicated  to  the  body,  is  very 
soon  and  sensilily  fult  in  the  lungs,  and  that  pleu- 
risies and  inllamiuations  of  the  lungs  themselves, 
are  the  frequent  consequences  of  such  exposure. 
Now,  it  is  known  tliat  heat  or  calorie  has  a  ten- 
dency tu  equalize  itself  in  all  the  various  bodies  in 
the  univeri-ie  :  ice  itself,  only  melting,  by  the  inev- 
itable necessity  of  imbibing  heat,  when  exposed  to 
it,  according  to  this  unchangeable  law,  it  can 
only  exist  as  ice  durinn  tlie  summer  montlis,  by 
interposing  between  the  atmosphere  and  it,  sub- 
stances possessing  a  known  power  of  lepelUng  heat. 
Thus  it  is  preserved  in  ice-houses.  "When  the 
earth  is  colder  tlian  the  body,  this  law  instantly 
begins  to  operate  upon  the  feet  standiug  upon  it; 
and  as  the  body  is  a  producer  of  heat  its  safety  is 
secured  precisely  in  proportion  to  the  vigor  of 
health  it  possesses,  or  in  otiier  words,  the  rapidi- 
ty with  which  its  blood  circulates  through  the 
lungs.  It  therefore  follows  that  the  feebler  the 
circulation,  the  more  unable  the  body  is  to  part 
with  its  heat.  If  you  clothe  the  body  warmly, 
and  thus  prevent  its  warmth  from  transmission  to 
the  atmospliere,  and  interpose  a  cork  sole  be- 
tween the  sole  of  tliC  foot  and  the  earth,  this 
transmission  of  heat  is  stopped, because  cork,  wool, 
silk  and  cotton  are  non-conductors  of  heat. 

In  a  woman  of  ordinary  size,  there  can  be  no 
reasonable  doubt  from  the  computation  of  phys- 
iologists, that  half  of  her  blood  passes  under  the 
feet  in  two  minutes  at  the  least !  so  that  it  will  be 
seen  the  conducting  power  of  the  damp  earth  must 
continually  deprive  the  blood  of  its  warmth.  The 
effect  of  cold  upon  the  nerves  is  yet  more  rapid 
than  this.  It  is  known  to  most  persons,  that  in- 
stantaneous sneezing  is  often  produced  by  standing 
on  the  cold  hearth-stone  or  oil-cloth  ;  and  the 
speedy  action  of  damp  or  cold  feet  on  the  bowels, 
is  often  painfully  evident  to  many  invalids.  As- 
suming the  body  to  be  a  producer  of  electricity 
(and  it  seems  impossible  to  conclude  otherwise,) 
that  fluid  is  known  to  be  subject  to  the  same  law 
as  heat,  i.  e.,  to  seek  a  constant  equilibrium  with 
surrounding  objects.  There  can  be  no  better  con- 
ductor than  the  damp  earth  ;  all  positively  or 
negatively  electrified  bodies,  not  isolated  or  cut  off 
by  a  non-conductor,  seek  an  instant  equilibrium. 

Tliis  is  well  known  to  philosophers,  and  ought 
also  to  be  equally  so  to  every  intelligent  and 
rational  being  ;  therefore,  it  must  be,  that  if 
heat  and  electricity  be  not  the  same  thing,  still 
the  same  danger  must  be  incurred  by  too  light 
clothing  and  shoes.  Dr.  James  Murray  has  as- 
serted, and  he  thinks  proved,  that  cholera  is  ren- 
dered impossil>le,  1>y  is(ihiting  the  feet  by  cork 
soles,  and  feeding  and  clothing  the  body,  so  as  to 
keep  up  a  high  degree  of  electricity.  AH  experi- 
ence has  proved  that  tliose  persons  most  afihcted 
during  both  the  epidemics  which  occurred  in  this 
city,  were  those  who  endured  the  greatest  expo- 
sure to  dampness,  and  ate  the  most  watery  and 
ill-cooked  food  ;  and  what  is  more  conclusive,  that 
they  were  mostly  attacked  towards  morning,  when 
the  atmospheric  temperature  was  lowest. 

Cork  si/les,  of  proper  thickness,  are  an  absolute 
non-conductor ;  and  when  the  leather  of  the  shoe 
is  of  good  quality,  they  will  prove  sufBcient  for  all 
the  purposes  of  health  till  the  month  of  December. 
By  tliat  time  tlie  pedestrian  should  accustom  her- 
self to  a  well-made  boot  with  buckskin  leggings, 


made  in  all  respects  like  those  worn  by  males. 
Without  such  protection,  she  is  never  safe  from 
the  vicissitudes  of  an  American  climate,  nor  from 
the  liahility  to  disease  which  will  soon  destroy  her 
gracefulness  and  beauty. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
SOWING  GRASS  SEED. 

Friend  Brown:  —  Last  summer  I  inquired, 
through  the  N.  E.  Farmer,  what  should  be  done 
witli  land  on  which  grass  seed  failed  to  come  up 
in  the  spring.  Inmiediately  afterwards,  I  received 
a  letter  from  Francis  Brewer,  of  Springfield,  Mass., 
kindly  answering  the  question  l)y  giving  the  re- 
sults of  his  own  experience  in  the  case. 

And  here  I  will  acknowledge  my  obligation  to 
him  for  his  early  reply,  enabling  me  to  try  the  ex- 
periment this  year,  so  that  I  can  now  give  the  re- 
sult for  the  consideration  of  others.  But  first  I 
will  transcribe  a  portion  of  his  letter,  believing  it 
belongs  to  the  public  as  well  as  myself,  and  there- 
fore that  he  will  excuse  me  for  the  lil^erty  I  take. 

Says  he,  "The  month  of  August  istlecidedly  the 
most  favorable  time  in  the  year  for  stocking  land 
to  grass  seed, — first,  you  are  more  sure  of  a  per- 
fect catch  of  the  seed,  than  when  sown  with  spring 
grain,  and  your  crop  of  grass  will  be  free  from  the 
stubble  which  remains,  and  is  unavoidably  gath- 
ered in  tlie  first  crop  of  hay  succeeding  the  first 
process.  It  also  furnishes  an  opportunity  of  ap- 
plying those  manures,  or  stinndants,  for  a  suc- 
cession of  the  hay  crop,  which  it  would  be  injudi- 
cious to  apply  to  the  grain  crop  ;  and  again  be- 
cause you  are  secured  against  any  loss  of  expen 
ses  by  the  crop  of  turnips,  and  these  I  consider  im- 
portant reasons  ;  and  I  venture  to  recommend  to 
you,  that  you  plow  your  land  as  soon  as  practica- 
ble, have  on  your  compost  heap  from  100  to  150 
bushels  of  leached  ashes,  or  100  pounds  sifted  gua- 
no per  acre,  and  have  it  spread  evenly,  and  well 
harrowed  in  ;  mix  1  lb.  of  turnip  seed  with  a  suf- 
ficient portion  of  grass  seed  to  go  over  the  piece 
one  way,  sow  the  remainder  of  the  grass  seed  in 
the  opposite  direction,  then  with  a  light  roller  or 
with  a  brush  cover  the  seed,  and  I  will  warrant 
you  success." 

The  above  was  received  the  10th  of  8th  month 
(Aug. ,)  and  pursuant  to  the  recommendations  con- 
tained therein,  I  had  1 J  acres  plowed  the  11th,  on 
which  we  applied  five  and  one-half  cords  of  barn- 
yard manure  that  had  lain  in  a  heap  all  summer, 
harrowed  it  in  thoroughly,  and  the  loth,  I  sowed 
half  a  bushel  of  herdsgrass  seed,  half  a  bushel  of 
redtop,  8  lbs.  of  clover,  and. Li  lbs.  of  turnip  seed 
and  rolled  it  in.  A  crop  of  barley  had  been  taken 
from  the  ground,  and  the  seed  that  shelled  in  har- 
vesting, came  up  and  produced  a  good  swarth. 

All  the  seed  came  well,  and  I  found  the  turnips 
much  too  thick.  Early  in  the  10th  month  we 
commenced  thinning  them,  and  pulled  more  than 
one-half  of  the  plants,  Avhich  gave  a  large  quanti- 
ty of  valuable  fodder  for  our  cows.  I  think  the 
fodder  was  wo4h  more  than  the  cost  of  thinning, 
so  I  have  made  no  account  of  either.  The  weath- 
er being  favorable,  I  thought  it  best  to  leave  the 
turnips  in  the  ground  as  late  as  it  would  answer, 
so  we  did  not  commence  liarvesting  on  this  piece 
until  the  20th  of  11th  montli.  We  took  off  142 
bushels,  or  125  bushels  to  an  acre.  The  turnips 
were  not  large,  from  want  of  sufficient  time  to 


84 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Feb. 


grow  in,  but  they  were  very  good.  The  market 
price  here  is  25  cents  a  bushel,  so  the  account 
stands  thus: 

Labor, — plowing,  sowing  and  harve.«ting... $13,00 

Manure 15,50 

Seed 3,13  S31 ,63 

.  142  bushels  liiriiii)s,  at  25  cts 35,50 


larly  of  those  about  erecting  new  buildings.  Af- 
ter reading  it,  most  persons  will  be  convinced  that 
it  is  better  to  expend  money  in  planting  trees, 
shrubbery  and  flowers  about  a  dwelling,  than  to 
expend  it  in  making  a  showy  house. 


Leaving  ii  nelt  profit  of $3,87 

besides  having  a  fair  prospect  of  a  good  crop  of 
grass  next  year,  while  on  a  part  of  the  same  field 
which  was  not  plowed,  scarcely  any  grass  is  to  be 
seen.  On  that,  I  intend  to  sow^  grass  seed  next 
spring— a  plan  recommended  by  some  people. 

The  result  of  this  experiment  is  entirely  satis- 
factory to  me,  and  I  confidently  recommend  others 
to  try  it  whenever  their  grass  seed  fails  in  the 
spring;  and  my  opinion  is  that  it  would  ))e  better 
not  to  sow  it  with  grain,  for  there  is  always,  on 
dry  land  especially,  an  uncertainty  of  getting  a 
catch  of  grass  seed.  If  I  should  try  it  again,  how- 
ever, and  I  intend  to,  I  should  not  sow  more  than 
seven  or  eight  ounces  of  turnip  seed  on  art  acre. 

Will  some  one  who  knows  give  me  the  analysis 
of  rut;i-bagas,  parsnips,  sugar  beets,  and  mangle- 
wurtzel,  or  the  value  of  each  compared  with  hay? 

L.  Vabney. 
Friends''  Boarding  School, 
Providence,  R.  I.,  12  Mo.  2lst,  1852. 

Remarks. — The  analyses  below  were  made,  of 
the  turnip  and  mangold-wurzel,  by  Sir  Humphrey, 
Davy,  and  of  the  sugar  beet  and  orange  globe  man-i 
gold-wurzel,  by  Mr.  Herepath,  a  celebrated  chem 
ist  in  Bristol,  England. 


Roots. 

Quantiti/  of  Nutritive  Matter  in 
\i)m  parts. 

Species. 

Mucil- 
age or 
Starch. 

Sugar. 

Gluten 
or  Albu- 
men,. 

Total  of 
nutritive 
matter. 

Swedisli  Turnips, 
White  Turnip, 
Mangold  Wurzel, 
Orange  Globe, 
Sugar  Beet, 

9 

7 
13 

25J 

m 

51 

34 
119 
106  J 
126J 

2 
1 
4 
120 
H 

64 
42 

136 

\m 

116} 

Stephens,  in  his  Book  of  the  Farm,  states  that 
the  quantity  of  nutritive  matter  in  the  ruta-baga 
is,  in  the  white  turnip  from  8  to  13  parts  in  100, 
and  in  the  yellow  turnip  from  llj  to  17;  so  that 
20  tons  of  one  crop  may  be  in  feeding  as  30 
tons  of  another,  which  is  an  important  fact,  and 
may  account  for  the  discrepancies  experienced  by 
farmers  in  feeding  stock. 

We  can  give  no  comparison  of  the  value  of  hay 
with  turnips  with  sufficient  accuracy  to  be  intro- 
duced here.  In  a  trial  at  Whitelaw,  in  England, 
between  turnips,  oil-cake  and  corn,  in  fattening 
cattle,  the  turnips  were  found  to  produce  one 
pound  of  live  weight  much  cheaper  than  either  of 
the  other  substances.  If  such  be  the  case  with 
oil-cake  and  corn,  we  can  see  no  reason  why  tur- 
nips should  not  possess  the  sam»  advantage  over 
hay.  We  have  similar  results  related  to  us  in 
this  vicinity,  but  our  experience  has  not  been  suf- 
ficient to  warrant  the  expression  of  an  opinion. 


New  Buildings. — We  call  attention  to  the  ar- 
ticle entitled,  "That  is  my  Home,"  and  particu- 


FoT  the  New  England  Farmer. 
INDEPEND-ENCE  OP  THE  FARMER. 

jMr.  Editor  : — Everybody  in  America  wants  to 
be  independent.  We  have  lawyers,  physicians, 
mechanics,  ministers  and  formers  ;  all  striving  to 
obtain  or  secure  independence ;  and  all,  in  a  good 
degree,  feel  satisfied  with  the  result  of  their  labors 
in  this  behalf.  We  gl)ry  in  our  political  and  re- 
ligious freedom  ;  all  of  us.  Here,  we  are  all  equal, 
from  the  President  down  to  the  pauper  ;  if,  in- 
deed, the  down  hill  slopes  in  that  direction,  which 
is  a  question  fairly  debatable.  But  after  all,  there 
is  no  class  among  us  so  decidedly  independent  as 
the  farmer. 

Look  at  the  minister  I  Does  he  dare  give  utter- 
ance to  sentiments  that  he  knows  will  l)e  general- 
ly distasteful  to  his  society?  Does  the  lawyer 
want  to  displease  his  townsmen,  on  whom  he  may 
depend  for  a  living  ?  Or  do  the  merchant  and 
mechanic  feel  perfectly  free,  at  the  commence- 
ment of  their  business,  when  the  good  will  of  the 
community  may  be  considered  as  a  portion  of  their 
capital,  to  take  decided  positions  on  the  unpopu- 
lar side?  There  are  many  of  these  classes,  to  be 
sure,  that  feci  as  independent  as  the  farmer  ;  be- 
cause, by  success  in  business  they  do  not  feel  the 
necessity  of  employing  this  unndy  capital,  the 
breath  of  popular  applause.  So  long  as  men  see 
that  their  daily  bread,  in  a  good  measure,  depends 
on  the  esteem  of  their  fellows  they  must  be  de- 
sirous of  securing  it.  The  mechanic  depends  in 
part,  and  principally,  on  his  skill  ;  and  so  of  all 
professions.  But  they  all  depend  also,  in  some  de- 
gree, on  the  good  will  of  others. 

The  farmer  also,  relies  on  his  skill ;  but  the  opin- 
ion of  his  neighbor  is  not  worth  a  groat  to  him, 
so  far  as  his  ability  to  live  is  concerned.  He  plants 
his  fields,  and  the  good  Lord,  who  "sends  his  rain 
on  the  just  and  the  unjust,"  makes  no  distinction. 
He  waters  the  fields  of  the  Whig,  the  Democrat,  the 
Abolitionist,  the  Infidel,  and  the  pious  man,  alike. 
The  wildest  fiinatic  in  the  country,  by  suitable  til- 
lage, may  raise  as  good  a  crop  as  any  one,  and 
sell  it  as  well.  But  let  him  attempt  to  live  by 
preaching,  as  a  mei'chant,  or  mechanic ;  how  would 
he  prosper?  He  would  certainly  be  driven  from 
the  pulpit,  and  most  likely  starved  from  his  shop. 
Professional  men  must  study  social  laws.  The 
farmer  depends  on  the  laws  of  nature.  The  for- 
mer are  always  changing ;  the  latter,  never.  Con- 
sequently, the  professional  man  is  often  in  a  di- 
lemma and  hardly  knows  what  to  do,  for  fear  he 
shall  offend  the  popular  taste  or  broach  an  idea 
not  in  fashion.  The  farmer  says  just  what  he 
pleases  ;  for  it  never  was  yet  discovered  that  it 
killed  his  cattle  or  rotted  his  potatoes.  And  the 
farmer  has  more  leisure  time  tlian  most  mechanics 
or  professional  men.  Or  if  he  has  not,  it  is  his 
own  fault.  No  farmer  needs  be  a  drudge,  [a.] 
Ilis  flocks  in  the  pasture  and  his  crops  in  the  field 
are  growing  while  he  sleeps.  When  the  merchant 
or  mechanic  closes  his  shop,  the  income  from  his 
business  is  suspended.     But  the  farmer's  income 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


85 


is  always  increasing.  He  relies  on  nature,  who  la- 
bors for  liiin  continually,  and  on  nature's  God 
who  never  slumbers. 

If  a  young  man  wants  to  engage  in  business  that 
will  insure  hiin  in  middle  age  the  greatest  amount 
of  leisure  time,  there  is  nothing  more  sure  than 
farmin'--.  If  he  has  an  independent  turn  of  inind, 
let  hiiirbe  a  farmer.  If  he  wants  to  engage  in  a 
healthy  occupation,  let  him  till  the  soil.  In  short, 
if  ho  would  ho  independent  let  him  get  a  spot  of 
earth  ;  keep  within  his  means,  to  shun  the  lawyer  ; 
be  temperate,  to  avoid  the  doctor  ;  be  honest,  that 
he  may  have  a  clear,  conscience ;  improve  the  soils 
so  as  to  leave  the  world  better  than  he  found  it  ; 
and  then  if  he  cannot  live  happily  and  die  con- 
tented, there  is  no  hope  for  him.  s.  f.,  jr. 

Ltjme,  Dec.  2S(h,  1852. 

Reu.vrks. — [a.]  ^yesay^otoo.  Even  if  h*lacks 
capital  to  manage  his  farm  matters  as  he  would 
be  glad  to,  he  is  out  in  the  free  sunlight,  goes  and 
comes  as  he  will,  sustains  his  health,  and  calls  no 
man  master.  AVe  thank  you,  friend  "F.,"  for  the 
utterance  of  these  just  thoughts. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer 

Mr.  Brown  : — Having  been  a  regular  subscriber 
of  your  valuable  farming  journal  from  the  com 
mencement  to  the  present  time,  I  wish  to  inquire 
if  you,  some  of  your  correspondents,  or  numerous 
readers,  will  describe  the,  symptoms  of  glanders  in 
the  horse  ;  also  'prescribe  a  cure,  if  any  there  is. 
Also  the  symptoms  of  horse  ail  with  a  cure.  Also 
the  best  medicine  for  cleansing  the  blood  of  the 
horse ,  and  you  will  greatly  oblige  a 

Bridgewater,  Jan.,  1853.  Subscriber. 


Remarks. — The  first  symptom  of  glanders  in  the 
horse  is  a  discharge  at  the  nose.  Eventually  pus 
(matter)  mingles  with  the  discharge.  If  there  is 
a  discharge  from  both  nostrils  the  glands  within 
the  under  jaw  will  be  on  both  sides  enlarged,  and 
spots  of  ulceration  will  probably  appear  on  the 
membrane  covering  the  cartilage  of  the  nose — not 
mere  sore  places,  but  small  ulcers,  with  the  edges 
abrupt  and  prominent.  As  the  disease  progresses, 
other  symptoms  appear.  The  hind  legs  swell  to  a 
great  size,  and  become  stiff,  and  hot,  and  tender. 
The  membrane  of  the  nose  becomes  of  a  dirty  livid 
color,  and  the  animal  loses  flesh  and  strength  every 
day.  The  disease  is  almost  always  fatal.  Various 
remedies  are  prescribed,  but  we  have  little  confi- 
dence in  them.  Turn  the  horse  to  grass,  if  in  the 
summer,  and  let  him  enjoy  a  pure  atmosphere,  and 
if  he  is  occasionally  giddy  give  him  a  few  globules 
of  stramonium. 

The  glanders  is  the  most  danger ms  disease  to 
which  the  horse  is  subjected  ;  it  is  also  infectious 
both  to  man  and  beast. 

There  is  some  similarity  between  the   disease 
termed  "horse-ail,"  and  the  glanders. 

The  best  medicine  for  "cleansing  the  blood  of 
the  horse,'*  is  careful  attention,  proper  feeding. 


and  demanding  from  him  only  a  reasonable  service 
in  return.  With  these  his  blood  will  be  pure,  his 
spirits  good,  and  he  will  yield  you  an  annual 
profit. 

For  a  full  description  of  the  liorse  and  his  dis- 
eases we  refer  yon  to  Youatt  on  the  Horse,  pub- 
lished by  Saxton,  N.  Y.,  price  $1,25,  or  to  one  of 
Saxton's  Rural  Hand  Books,  on  Horses,  their  Va- 
rieties, Breeding  and  INIanagement  in  Health  and 
Disease,  by  H.  D.  Richardson,  price  25  cents.  Or 
to  Cole's  Book  on  the  Diseases  of  Animals,  pub- 
lished by  J.  P.  Jewett  &  Co.,  Boston,  price  5§ 
cents.  In  these  you  will  find  full  treatises  on  ev- 
ery thing  relative  to  the  horse. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
ALUM, 
The  alum  of  commerce  consists  of  sulph.  acid, 
alumina  and  potash.  Alumina  is  never  found 
pure  in  nature  except  in  the  ruby  an*l  sapphire, 
which  consist  of  crystalized  alumina  combined  with 
some  coloring  matter.  Alum  is  the_  basis  yf  all 
clay  soils,  in  which  it  is  always  combined  with  si- 
lex  or  sand.  The  purity  of  the  clay  used  in  the 
arts,  depends  upon  the  greater  or  less  amount  of 
sand  combined  with  it.  Clay  has  a  strong  affini- 
ty for  water,  and  absorbs  and  retains  it  in  large 
quantity,  thus  rendering  the  soil  in  Avhich  it 
abounds,  wet  and  cold. 

It  is  very  adhesive.  Its  particles  have  a  strong 
attraction  for  each  other,  rendering  the  soil  firm 
and  compact.  Much  force  is  required  to  plow  or 
work  it.  The  roots  of  trees  and  other  vegetables 
penetrate  it  with  difficultv.  Hence  a  strong  clay 
soil  is  both  difficult  to  cultivate  and  unproductive. 
It  requires  sufficient  sand  mixed  with  it  to  separ- 
ate its  particles,  and  overcome  their  tenacity,  so 
that  the  tender  and  delicate  radicles  of  plants  can 
readily  penetrate  them.  In  a  sandy  soil,  the  par- 
ticles are  so  loosely  attached  to  each  other,  and 
have  so  little  tenacity,  that  water  percolates  freely 
through  them,  and  sufficient  moisture  is  not  re- 
tained to  supply  the  demands  of  vegetation.  _ 

A  mixture  of  these  two  elements  in  suitable 
proportions  constitutes  the  basis  of  all  good  soils. 
Different  vegetables  require  different  proportions 
of  these  ingredients.  Some  require  more  clay  and 
some  more  sand,  some  love  a  moist  soil  and  some  a 
dry  one.  Clay  has  another  property  also,  besides 
that  of  absorbing  and  retaining  moisture,  which  is 
of  immense  importance  to  vegetation.  It  has  a 
strong  affinity  for  carbonic  acid  and  ammonia,  and 
whenliurned  up  by  the  subsoil  plow,  it  rapidly  con- 
denses them  from  the  atmospUere. 

In  light  sandy  soils,  a  certain  amount  of  clay 
is  always  found,  commonly  from  ten  to  fifteen 
per  cent.  A  sandy  loam  contains  from  thirty 
to  forty  per  cent,  of  clay.  A  clayey  loam  sev- 
enty to  eighty  per  cent.  The  stiSest  clay  soils  con- 
tain from  eiahty  to  ninety  per  cent. 

It  is  often  desirable  to  ascertain  what  propor- 
tions of  clay  or  sand  are  found  in  particular  soils. 
This  may  be  done  with  sufficient  accuracy  for  all 
agricultural  purposes,  by  putting  a  portion  of  the 
soil  into  five  or  six  times  its  weight  of  water,  shak- 
ino'  it  smartly,  and  pour  in  the  mixture  into  a  deep 
glass  vessel  or  tube.  A  common  lamp  funnel, 
with  one  end  set  upon  a  ball  of  putty  or  clay,  wiU 


86 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Feb. 


answer  very  well.  Leave  the  mixture  at  rest  in 
the  gliss.  The  coarse  sand  will  soon  be  seen  col- 
lecting at  the  bottom.  The  finer  sand  will  form 
a  second  layer,  and  the  clay  the  upper  or  third  lay- 
er. By  observing  the  amount  of  each  thus  depos- 
ited, we  may  ol)tain  a  sufficiently  accurate  notion 
of  the  proportion  of  each  ingredient  in  the  soil. 

A  good  soil  must  have  clay  enough  to  retain 
the  water,  the  carbon,  the  lime,  the  ammonia,  and 
other  aliments  that  minister  to  the  growth  of 
plants,  so  that  they  may  be  found  and  absorbed 
by  the  roots,  as  they  stretch  tliemselves  among  the 
particles  of  the  soil,  feeling  after  the  kind  of  nutri- 
ment which  they  need.  At  the  same  time  it  must 
contain  sufficient  sand,  to  allow  the  surplus  matter 
to  settle  through  it,  or  evaporate  from  it,  so  that 
the  soil  shall  not  be  too  Avet  or  too  stiflf.  Differ- 
ent vetjetables,  as  has  been  already  remarked,  re- 
quire different  proportions  of  these  elements. — 
Herdsgrass  is  fond  of  a  moist  soil,  containing  a 
large  proportion  of  clay,  wlsile  clover  delights  in  a 
mellow,  loamy  soil.  Rye  thrives  best  in  a  w^arm, 
sandy  soil,  while  Avheat  requires  a  stronger  soil, 
with  a  lar^r  proportion  of  clay.  Both  require  a 
good  supply  of  lime.  The  art  of  mixing  soils  in 
proportions,  suited  to  the  crops  that  are  to  be  put 
upon  them,  is  one  of  the  most  important  that  can 
engage  the  attention  of  the  farmer.  Whenever 
Massachusetts  shall  establish  an  agricultural  col- 
lege, the  study  of  this  subject  will  demand  its 
share  of  time  and  talent.  The  ancient  Italians, 
as  we  learn  from  Virgil,  understood  that  certain 
soils  were  suited  to  certain  crops  ;  but  it  does  not 
appear  that  they  knew  how  to  supply  the  elements 
that  were  wanting,  or  to  neutralize  those  that  were 
injurious,  by  the  addition  of  others,  that  would 
combine  with  them,  and  form  useful,  or  at  least 
innocent  compounds.  This  is  an  art  that  belongs 
to  modern  times.  It  has  received  but  little  atten- 
tion, as  yet,  in  this  country.  Its  importance  will 
be  more  and  more  estimated,  as  manures  become 
more  expensive,  and  more  difficult  to  obtain. 

Concord,  Nov.  9.  j.  r. 


OFFICERS  OP   COUNTY  SOCIETIES. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  officers  of  the 
Hampshire,  Fraxklin  and  Hampden  Society,  for 
1853. 

President— Vkoii  Lathhop,  Smith  Iladley. 

Vice  Presidents— George  W-  Hubbard,  Hatfleld;  William 
Clark,  Northampton;  Elisha  Edwards,  Southampton;  George 
Dickinson,  Hadlej  ;  Christopher  Wright,  Northampton. 

Treasurer— H.  L.  Hinrkley. 

Secretary— WUlltim  O   Gorham. 

Auditor — L.  I.  Washburn. 


Franklin  County  Society. 
President— Uesrv  \y.  Cushman,  Bernardston 
Vice  Presidents— \SB.  Howlaiid,   Conway;    Zebina  Steb- 
bins,  Deerfield. 

Secretary— H.  G.  Parker,  Greenfield. 
Treasurer— A.  G.  Haniiuond,  Greenfield. 


Hampshire  County  Society. 

President— Alfred  Uaker,  Amherst. 

Vice  Presidents  — F.dwnrd  Dickinson,  of  Amherst;  Linus 
Green,  Hadley;  Edmund  .Smith,  South  Hadley;  Israel  Towne, 
Belchertown;  N.  Austin  Smith,  Sunderland;  Samuel  Wells. 
Northampton. 

Secretary  and  Treasurer— J.  W.  Boyden,  Amherst. 


Lime  Water  for  Hens. — Accidental  Discovery 
— During  the  last  season,  Kir.  Joseph  Wilcox,  of 
this  town,  having  occasion  to  administer  lime  wa 


ter  to  a  sick  horse,  inadvertently  left  a  pail  of  the 
preparation  in  his  barn,  which  remained  there  for 
some  months,  serving  as  a  favorite  drink  for  liis 
hens.  He  soon  afterwards  found  that  the  laying 
of  his  hens  was  apparently  increased  to  a  consid- 
rable  extent.  Being  convicted  of  the  importance 
of  the  (to  him)  new  discovery,  he  has,  during  the 
present  season,  kej)t  his  hens  constantly  supplied 
with  lime  water,  placed  in  troughs  within  their 
convenient  access,  and  the  result  was  an  increase 
in  eggs  of  nearly  four-fold  tis  cumpared  with  previ- 
ous experience.  lie  is  willing  to  share  the  ben- 
efits of  the  experiments  witli  h.is  neighbors  if  they 
choose  to  try  it;  and  hence  this  publication.  The 
newness  of  the  discovery  (tliough  it  may  not  now 
be  new  to  all,)  is  claimed  only  asapplicalile  to  the 
iiKxle  of  impiirting  tlie  lime  in  this  case — its  use 
in  another  form  fn*  the  same  purpose,  having  been 
previously  understood  by  many. —  Wayne  Senti- 
nel. 

For  the  Neiv  Enstand  Farmer. 
THE  CHESTNUT  TREE. 

Gent.  : — Sometime  since,  I  sent  to  the  agricul- 
tural warehouse  in  Boston  to  get  some  chestnuts 
to  plant,  but  fiiiled  to  get  them.  I  can  get  enough 
of  them  at  the  stores,  and  wish  you,  if  you  will, 
to  inform  me  if  those  will  answer  to  plant ;  how 
tliey  should  be  kept  through  the  winter  to  plant 
in  the  spring,  and  whether  it  would  answer  to 
plant  them  this  winter,  if  I  should  catch  the  ground 
open.  Yours,  &c.,  N.  J.  Thomas. 

Eden,  Maine,  Jan.,  1853. 


Re-marks. — The  chestnut,  both  on  account  of  its 
timber  and  the  fruit  it  produces,  deserves  more 
attention  than  it  receives.  The  nuts  intended  for 
planting  should  not  be  allowed  to  become  thor- 
oughly dry.  Those  having  been  kept  in  quantity 
in  the  stores  would  probably  sprout.  They  should 
be  kept  slightly  moist  through  the  winter  and 
planted  in  the  spring.  Nature  plants  them  in  the 
autumn  and  covers  witli  a  thick  coat  of  leaves ; 
but  it  is  probable  that  large  numbers  of  those 
spared  by  the  boys  and  squirrels  never  germinate, 
for  want  of  being  placed  under  favorable  circum- 
stances of  light  and  warmth.  It  is  said  that  they 
need  protection  the  first  winter,  as  there  is  dan- 
ger of  their  being  killed  by  freezing.  In  trans- 
planting, the  next  spring  they  require  much  the 
same  attention  as  other  trees,  but  without  so  rich 
a  soil  as  is  required  for  fruit  trees.  In  Italy, 
chestnuts  grow  to  the  size  of  small  apples,  and 
are  used  for  food  by  the  peasantry. 

At  a  farnfbrs'  meeting,  in  New  York,  Mr.  Rice, 
speaking  of  planting  chestnut  timber,  remarked, 
that  he  plowed  up  a  tract  of  unproductive  liill  side, 
several  years  ago,  and  planted  it  with  chestnuts, 
in  rows  four  feet  aptrt  every  way.  The  first 
sprouts  coming  up  rather  crooked  and  scrubby,  he 
went  over  tlie  field  and  cut  them  down  close  to  the 
ground,  which  caused  new  shoots  to  spring  up 
straight  and  vigorcms.  The  trees  are  very  thrifty, 
completely  shade  the  ground,  and  grow  more  and 
more  rapidly  as  tlie  soil  becomes  strengthened  by 
the  annual  deposit  of  leaves.  »So  well  satisfied  is 
he  with  the   experiment,  that  he    is  now  placing 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


87 


other  worthless  lands  in  a  similar  course  of  im- 
provement. 

Emerson,  in  his  "Trees  and  Shrubs,"  says  the 
chestnut  tree  is  found  on  the  banks  of  the  Mous- 
um  River,  in  the  county  of  York,  Maine,  a  little 
beyond  the  43d  parallel  of  latitude,  and  thence 
southward,  as  far  as  Florida,  and  in  the  Western 
States.  It  is  found  in  every  part  of  Massachusetts, 
but  does  not  readily  and  abundantly  ripen  its 
fruit  in  th.e  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  sea. 

^lichaux  says  chestnut  copses  arc  considered  in 
France  as  the  most  valuable  species  of  property  ; 
every  seven  years  they  are  cut  for  hoops,  and  the 
largest  branches  serve  for  vine  props  ;  at  the  end 
of  14  years  they  furnish  hoops  for  large  tubs,  and 
at  the  age  of  25  years  they  are  proper  for  posts 
and  liglit  timber.  The  chestnut  grows  well  on 
rocky  hills,  and  other  lands  hardly  rich  enough  for 
cultivation. 

MAN   AND    HORSE. 

When  a  horse  does  little  work,  we  give  him  less 
attention — when  mit  worked  at  all,  v>-e  know  that 
mischief  will  result,  unless  he  is  well  exercised. 
When  a  horse  is  hard  worked  we  know  it  to  be 
impolitic  to  lead  its  stomach  while  suffering  from 
fatigue.  When  a  horse  comes  in  from  a  journey, 
a  groom  knov.-s  that  its  health  depends  on  its  skin 
being  freed  I'vom  the  dust  and  perspiration,  and 
also  that  the  animal  can  not  be  comfortable  unless 
cleaned  once  a  daj-.  If  its  food  does  not  agree 
•with  it,  tlie  groom  varies  it  in  quantity  and  quali- 
ty or  both.  No  sensible  owner  lets  his  horse 
drink  while  in  violent  perspiration,  nor  do  more 
than  rinse  its  mouth,  but  will  let  it  drink  its  fill 
about  an  hour  before  its  meals,  neither  allowing 
it  to  load  its  stomach  with  liquid  either  at  meals, 
or  when  hard  work  is  immediately  to  follow. 

This  is  all  sound  physiological  treatment,  drawn 
from  a  watchful  observation  of  the  effects  of  a 
regulated  diet  and  regimen  on  the  health  and  ca- 
pabihties  of  tlie  animal.  How  differently  man  acts 
to  himself.  When  he  is  streaming  with  pei'spi- 
ration  and  giving  oi'ders  for  careful  attention  to 
his  horse,  he  will  walk  into  a  refreshment  or  even 
an  ice-cream  I  His  diet  is  regulated  by  his  tastes 
and  cravings ;  the  quantity  varies  not  with  his 
exertion  or  labor,  but  Avith  his  palatability.  His 
meals  consist  ofdishes  proportionate  to  the  length 
of  his  purse.  The  times  of  eating  depend  on 
business,  fashion,  or  anything  but  his  physical 
wants.  His  drink  also  is  taken  according  to  his 
inclinations,  or  according  to  the  society  he  mixes 
"with,  and  quantity  or  quality  vary  on/i/  witli  his 
palate  and  means  !  Those  who  work  least,  gene- 
rally fire  the  richest.  The  skin  of  a  horse  must 
be  kept  clean  or  disease  ensues,  but  the  horse's 
master  is  heedless  of  this,  and  when  visited  by 
disease,  wonders  how  it  happened  !  Surely  man  is 
the  most  inconsistent  animal  on  earth  ! 


Saddles. — The  clearest  proof  of  the  antiquity 
of  saddles,  says  Beckmann,  is  the  order  of  the  Em- 
peror Theodosus,in  the  year  385,  by  which  those 
who  wished  to  ride  post-horses  were  forbidden  to 
use  saddles  that  weiglied  more  than  sixty  pounds. 
If  a  saddle  was  heavier,  it  was  cut  to  pieces.    Sad- 


dles in  the  fifth  century,  must  have  been  very 
splendid  ;  so  much  so  that  a  prohibition  was  is- 
sued by  the  Emperor  Leo  I.,  in  which  it  was  or- 
dered that  no  one  should  ornament  them  with 
pearls  or  precious  stones. 

OLD  MIDDLESEX. 

The  annual  meeting  of  the  Trustees  of  this 
county  took  place  at  Concord,  on  the  5th  Jan., 
1853.  They  decided  that  the  next  exhibition  of 
the  agricultural  society  shall  be  holden  at  Con- 
cord, on  the  first  Tuesday  and  Wednesday  of  Oct. 
next,  it  being  the  4th  and  5th  days.  This  society 
heretofore  has  occupied  but  one  day  in  its  annual 
exhibition.  The  committee  of  arrangements  were 
instructed  to  provide  accommodations  for  ladies  at 
the  dinner  table  on  the  second  day  of  the  show. 
This  is  another  new  feature  and  a  most  commend- 
able one,  we  think,  in  this  old  society.  The  diffi- 
culty has  been  heretofore,  we  understand,  that  no 
room  large  enough  to  contain  more  than  the  mem- 
bers of  the  society  could  be  obtained.  The  Trus- 
tees propose  now  to  purchase  land,  enclose  it  with 
a  substantial  tight  fence,  and  erect  buildings  for 
the  accommodation  of  the  fruits,  vegetables,  flow- 
ers, household  manuflicturcs,  and  machinery  and 
implements,  where  they  may  all  be  exhibited  un- 
der cover.  This  will  leave  the  spacious  and  beau- 
tiful hall  recently  erected  in  that  town  to  be  oc- 
cupied for  the  dinner,  where  some  five  to  seven 
hundred  persons  may  be  seated. 

In  addition  to  the  usual  exhibition,  a  Spading 
Match  has  been  directed;  the  premiums  offered 
are  five  in  number,  consisting  of  5,  4,  3,  2  and 
$1. 

A  new  premium  of  $10  will  also  be  offered  on  a 
single  team  of  one  pair  of  oxen,  driven  only  by 
those  who  have  already  taken  the  society's  high- 
est premium  on  plowing. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
DOOR  YARDS. 

Messrs.  Editors  : — By  your  paper,  I  learn  that 
the  Hon.  Josiah  Quincy,  Sen.,  is  still  at  the  good 
work  of  giving  encouragement  to  agriculture,  by 
addressing  the  fiirmers  at  a  cattle  show  dinner  ; 
and  in  the  same  paper,  I  saw  an  article  in  refer- 
ence to  cle.an  door  yards.  More  than  thirty  years 
have  elapsed,  since  I  saw  in  one  of  Mr.  Quincy's 
addresses  at  an  agricultural  dinner,  the  following 
paragraph,  which  will  serve  as  his  opinion  at  that 
time.  If  I  do  not  use  the  precise  words  of  the 
venerable  author  he  will  excuse  me,  as  I  acciden- 
tally saw  the  address  while  travelling  in  an  ad- 
joing  State,  i 

"In  viewing  the  farm  we  will  stop  at  the  door ; 
far  be  it  from  me  to  enter,  for  where  neatness  and 
economy  reign  without,  the  husband  seldom  fails 
to  be  seconded  by  his  companion  within.  But  how 
is  the  path  ?  Is  it  a  pavement  inlaid  with  broken 
crockery  and  abandoned  utensils  of  household  fur- 
niture ?  Do  the  thistle,  the  briar  and  the  worm- 
wood contend  for  the  mastery  along  the  fence  ? — 
Are   the  poultry  roosting   upon  the  window  sills, 


88 


NEW  ENGL.'^ND  FARMER. 


Feb. 


the  geese  strutting  at  the  front  door  or  the  pig 
playing  puppy  in  tlie  entry?  The  proprietor  of 
such  an  ahode  may  call  himself  a  farmer,  but 
practically  speaking,  he  is  ignorant  of  the  a,  b,  c, 
of  the  art,  for  the  first  tliree  letters  of  the  farmer's 
alphabet  are  neatness,  economy  and  order. 
Ilarclwicic,  D.c.  29, 1852.     W.^lter  JIandell. 


For  tlie  New  England  Farmer. 

ON  PRODUCING   FRUIT   TREES  FROM 
SEEDS. 

This  seems  to  many  an  uncertain  business — be- 
sides they  want  a  quicker  way.  Others  are  will- 
ing to  take  time  to  do  anytliing  the  best  way,  if 
they  could  know  what  that  is.  Others  still  go  in 
the  beaten  track,  buy  their  trees  to  set  of  a  nur- 
seryman, and  leave  it  for  those  who  can  afford  it, 
to  ihiiik  and  make  experiments.  While  the  pomolo- 
gist  observes  the  uniformity  of  Nature's  operations, 
in  every  species  and  variety  of  fruit,  leaf,  blos- 
som, branch  and  trunk;  fruit,  color,  flavor  and 
time  of  ripening,  hardiness  and  productiveness  ; 
learning  tlie  characteristics  of  each  class  and  kind 
" — constantly  inquiring  for  her  laws  and  produc- 
tions, anddelighted  with  every  new  discovery,  acts 
with  her,  and  with  safety,  certainly  and  success. 
Now,  Mr.  Editor,  for  the  gratification  of  this  class, 
and  the  benefit  of  all,  permit  me  through  your 
columns  to  share  with  them  tlie  pleasure  and  pro- 
fit I  have  derived,  as  a  learner  from  Nature's 
teachings. 

In  past  years,  the  country  farmer  used  to  select 
his  best  apples  for  eating  and  market,  and  make 
the  rest  into  cider.  The  pomace  was  spread  from 
which  to  r.yse  a  nursery.  Of  course,  these  seed- 
lings were  of  the  poorest  quality.  The  trees  might 
be  hardy  and  g>Jod  bearers,  and  grafting  was  re- 
sorted to,  for  obtaining  choice  varieties,  by  the 
most  enterprising.  Still,  the  best  fruit  was  sold 
or  used  for  eating,  never  sowed  ;  and  nurseries  still 
raised  from  the  pomace  of  the  poorer  kinds,  bud- 
ding them  when  small,  became  at  length  quite  a 
business  as  the  only  way  of  securing  desirable 
fruit.  Not  unfrequently,  scions  o( different  kinds 
were  set  in  one  tree.  In  towns  near  the  mar- 
ket, (say  Boston)  more  choice  fruit  was  raised, 
and  sometimes  a  fair  seedling  was  allowed  to  stand 
and  bear,  and  perhaps  a  new  and  valuable  sort  ob- 
tained, say  a  Porter,  by  chance.  Now  supposing 
(what  I  cimsider  to  be  certain)  that  this  seedling 
was  from  a  good  apple,  perhaps  partaking  the  na- 
ture of  two  kinds  growing  on  the  same  tree  or 
near  each  other,  one  earlier  than  the  other  and 
less  acid,  this  would  account  for  its  difference  in 
flavor,  and  time  of  maturity.  Suppose  another 
seedling  resembling  Baldwins  in  form  and  the  hab- 
its of  the  tree,  but  fruit  of  a  different  flavor,  could 
not  this  be  produced  from  seed  of  a  Baldwin  ap- 
ple, affected  by  anotlier  whose  flavor  it  partook? 

I  have  spoken  only  of  apples  ;  but  I  think  the 
principle  will  apply  to  different  species  of  fruit 
trees,  standing  in  proximity,  and  in  blossom  at  the 
same  time.  By  mingling  the  pollen,  the  habits  of 
the  tree  and  flavor  of  the  fruit  may  be  affected, 
and  thus  while  some  of  the  original  kinds,  many 
of  new  varieties  may  be  produced  from  the  seed 
taken  from  orchards  containing  many  kinds. 

Let  it  be  observed,  no  tree  can  contribute  to 
produce  seed  different  from  itself.  Good  trees  ming 
ling  can  produce  only  good  fruit.    Two  trees  ming 


ling  cannot  produce  more  than  one  neiv  variety. 
Sweet  varieties  cannot  produce  sour,  nor  can  early 
apples  produce  late.  Or  diSerent  varieties  of  win- 
ter and  sour  mingling  produce  a  variety  of  sweet 
or  early.  So  it  is  easy  to  see  why  valuable  new  va- 
rieties of  seedlings  may  be  obtained  from,  or  near 
our  market  towns  and  cities,  and  the  groat  im- 
probability of  getting  them  from  tlie  pomace  of 
tlie  poorest. 

:\gain,if  as  I  suppose,  seedlings  far  surpass  en- 
grafted trees  in  longevity,  and  are  certain  to  have 
a  uniform  character,  which  one  budded  or  engraft- 
ed may  lack  (by  reason  of  difference  between  the 
stock  and  scion,  especially  when  one  is  early  and 
tlie  other  late,)  thci-e  are  at  least  two  reasons  fa- 
voring the  seedling.  If  great  improvements  in  the 
haliits  of  trees  are  possible,  probable,  and  as  I 
think  certain,  by  combining  hardy  with  delicate 
trees, — the  constant  and  large  bearers  with  the 
sparse — those  of  rapid  growth  and  early  maturity 
with  slow,  late,  &c.,  as  well  as  the  acquisition  of 
new  and  choice  varieties,  it  would  seem  to  accord 
with  the  spirit  of  the  age  to  attempt  it,  though 
like  many  other  discoveries,  it  might  displace  ex- 
isting operations. 

I  might  shov.^  the  analogy  between  this  and 
stock  breeding  and  the  evidence  that  "these  things 
are  so" — not  speculations,  and  give  some  tlioughts 
I  have  had  on  ways  oi protecting  trees  from  ming- 
ling, and  of  obtaining  pure  seed  and  choice  varie- 
ties for  nurserymen  as  a  business  ■which,  if  de- 
sired, I  will  give  you  in  another  article. 

Before  closing,  I  wish  to  say  something  about 
vegetables. 

For  some  years,  I  have  been  trying  to  improve 
some  kinds.  The  first  attempt  was  with  sugar 
beet.  Finding  the  French  seed  grew  more  than 
half  out  of  the  ground,  and  that  part  was  woody 
when  ripe, (tough)  of  little  value,  1  determined,  and 
succeeded  in  three  years  to  obtain  a  crop  of  equal 
weight,  grown  under  ground,  all  white  and  ten- 
der with  small  tops.  Next  I  set  about  a  change 
in  my  carrots,  which,  though  very  large,  were 
very  tapering.  I  am  much  gratified  with  my 
late  crops.  They  hold  their  bigness  remarkably. 
I  would  like  you  to  see  some  selected  for  seed 
when  I  dug  them  (as  I  always  do)  and  their  size 
A  foot  from  the  top;  and  to  furnish  seed,  and  one 
carrot  from  each  of  three  kinds.  Orange, Purple  and 
White  Belgian,  from  which  to  get  a  plate  and  ex- 
hibit in  the  store  and  in  your  journal,  that  Yan- 
kees might  see  the  article  from  which  the  offered 
seed  was  raised. 

Some  years  since,  in  pulling  my  English  tur- 
nips, (raised  from  imported  seed)  though  a  great 
^•ield,  they  run  quite  too  much  to  tops  with  dish- 
mg  crowns.  Finding  one  only,  with  a  small  top 
and  small  root,  shaped  like  two  saucers  put  to- 
gether, I  preserved  it  for  seed,  and  the  next 
year  sowed  what  I  got  from  it,  among  my  pota- 
toes, then  beginning  to  be  affected  with  disease. 
They  mostly  died  ;  but  I  got  75  bushels  of  turnips 
•'true  to  the  seed."  I  saved  and  set  out  8  bush- 
els of  the  most  beautiful  I  ever  saw.  This  was 
in  Springfield.  All  who  saw  them  admired  them, 
and  spoke  for  some  of  the  seed,  which  I  circulated 
freely  at  $1  the  pound.  Tops  barely  enough  to 
pull  up  the  single  root,  not  much  bigger  than  a 
pipe-stem.  They  were  good  as  handsome.  All 
this  goes  to  encourage  me  in  selecting  the  best 
roots  and  employing  the  best   means   possible,  for 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


89 


obtaining  the  very  best  seed,  from  wliich  to  secure 
the  reward  for  the  best  care  and  culture  of  the 
orchard,  field  and  garden. 

Yours,  truly,  Benjamin  Willard. 

Lancaster,  Jan.  1,  1853. 


VflGETATION  OF  THE  ARCTIC 
REGIONS. 

The  soil  is  always  frozen,  and  merely  thaws 
during  the  summer  a  few  feet  below  the  surface. 
But  the  tiiawing  is  by  no  means  uniform.  In  peat 
it  extends  not  deeper  than  two  feet,  while  in  other 
formations,  especially  in  sand  or  gravel,  the  ground 
is  free  from  frost  to  the  depth  of  nearly  a  fatlioni ; 
showing  that  sand  is  a  better  conductor  of  heat 
than  peat  or  clay,  corroborating  the  observation 
of  the  accurate  J.  D.  Hooker,  who,  after  a  series 
of  experiments  in  India,  arrived  at  the  same  con- 
clusion. The  roots  of  the  plants,  even  those  of  the 
shrubs  and  trees,  do  not  penetrate  into  the  frozen 
subsoil.  On  reaching  it,  they  recoil,  as  if  they 
touched  upon  a  rock  through  which  no  passage 
could  be  forced.  It  may  be  surprising  to  behold 
a  vegetation  flourishing  under  such  circumstances, 
existing  independent,  it  would  seem,  of  terrestrial 
heat.  But  surprise  is  cffanged  into  amazement  on 
visiting  Kotzebue  Sound,  where,  on  the  tops  of  ice- 
bergs, her  lis  and  shrubs  are  thriving  with  a  luxu- 
riance only  eciualled  in  more  favored  climes.  There, 
from  Elephant  to  Eschscholtz  point,  is  a  series  of 
cliffs  from  seventy  to  ninty  feet  high,  which  present 
some  striking  illustrations  of  the  manner  in  which 
arctic  plants  grow.  Three  distinct  layers  compose 
these  cliffs.  The  lower  as  far  as  it  can  be  seen 
above  tlie  ground,  is  ice,  and  from  twenty  to  fifty 
feet  high.  The  central  is  clay,  varying  in  thick- 
ness from  two  to  twenty  feet,  and  being  inter- 
mingled with  remains  of  fossil  elephants,  horses, 
deer,  and  husk  oxen.  The  clay  is  covered  by 
peat,  the  tliird  layer  bearing  the  vegetation  to 
which  it  owes  its  existence.  Every  year,  during 
July,  August  and  September,  masses  of  ice  melt, 
by  which  the  uppermost  layers  are  deprived  of  sup- 
port, and  tumble  down.  A  complete  chaos  is 
thus  created :  ice,  plants,  bones,  peat,  and  clay, 
are  mixed  in  the  most  disorderly  manner.  It  is 
hardly  possiljle  to  imagine  a  more  grotesque  as- 
pect. Here  are  seen  pieces  still  covered  with 
lichens  and  mosses,  there  a  shoal  of  earth  witli 
bushes  of  willow.  At  one  place  a  lump  of  clay 
with  senecios  and  polygonums  :  at  another,  the 
remnants  of  the  mammoth  tufts  of  hair,  and  some 
brown  dust,  wiiich  emits  the  smell  peculiar  to  burial 
places,  and  is  evidently  decomposed  aniuial  matter. 
The  foot  frequently  stumbles  over  osteological  re- 
mains, some  elephants'  tusks  measuring  as  much 
as  twelve  feet  in  length,  and  weighing  more  than 
two  hundred  and  forty  pounds.  Nor  is  the  for- 
mations confined  to  Eschscholtz  Bay.  It  is  ob 
served  in  various  parts  of  Kotzebue  Sound,  on  the 
river  Biickl.md,  and  in  other  localities  ;  making  it 
probable  tluit  a  great  portion  of  extreme  NiH'th- 
western  America  is,  underneath,  a  solid  mass  of 
ice.  With  such  facts  before  us,  we  must  acknowl- 
edge that  terrestrial  heat  exercises  but  a  limited 
and  indirect  influence  upon  vegetable  life,  and  that 
to  the  solar  r.iys  we  are  mainly  indebted  for  tlie 
existence  of  these  forms  which  clothe  with  verdure 
the  surface  of  our  planet. — Botany  of  the  Voya!j;(: 
ofH.  M.  S.  ^'Dcraldr 


For  the  new  England  Farmer. 

ON  POULTRY. 

Mr.  Editor  :  —  I  keep  a  few  native  fowls,  ex- 
pressly for  the  profit  of  the  eggs  ;  I  raise  no  chick- 
ens to  sell;  and  I  profess  no  skill  in  raising  chick- 
ens. As  I  am  often  inquired  of  whether  I  get  eggs 
enough  to  pay  the  expense  of  keeping,  I  thought 
I  would  send  you  a  fair  statement  of  the  expendi- 
tures and  income  of  the  year  1S52,  commencing 
January  1;  and  if  you  see  fit  to  give  it  a  place  in 
your  columns,  each  one  may  judge  as  to  the  profit 
for  himself. 

Jail.  1,  1852—32  hens,  worth  2.5  cts.  each $9,75 

They  consumed  29  bushels  of  corn 22,09 

Do.  4  biiishtl.s  huckwheat 2,00 

Do.  13  l)ushels,(>f  OHis 67 

Do.  7i  lbs.  nieiil : U 

4  hens  bought  in  the  f.ill 67 

Making  the  ex[ienses S35,41 

Income— No.  of  egi^s  sold,  353  dozi-n $54,6) 

2  hens  raised  and  killed 33 

Hens  on  hand  Jan.  1,  1853—40,  worth  25  cts.  each..lO  CO 

Income $64,93 

Subtract  expenses 35,41 

Actual  proSts ^. . .  $29,52 

Which  bears  a  profit  on  each  hen  of  75  cents  and 
nearly  6  mills.  You  will  see  that  I  make  no  ac- 
count of  interest  on  the  hens  I  started  with,  and 
I  give  no  credit  for  manure,  which  I  consider  very 
valuable  on  my  land, — more  than  the  interest  on 
$9,75.  And  I  have  given  no  credit  to  the  hens 
for  the  eggs  used  in  a  small  family.  Eggs  sell 
much  lower  in  Berkshire  county  than  in  the  east- 
ern counties.  I  have  sold  the  past  year  143  doz. 
for  12  cts.  per  doz.,  and  some  others  for  12.^  cts. 
Hinsdale,  Jan.,  1853.  J.  Aebott. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
CULTURE  AMONG  TREES. 

In  a  recent  number  of  the  Farmer,  I  noticed  an 
article  speaking  discouragingly  of  culture  among 
fruit  trees.  I  was  surprised  at  this,  because  my 
own  observation  has  been,  that  the  keeping  the 
ground  light,  and  well  pulverized  about  trees,  even 
as  far  as  their  limbs  extend,  and  occasionally  dress- 
ing the  ground  with  some  fertilizing  substance, 
improves  their  growth,  and  their  bearing  qualities. 
So  fully  have  I  been  persuaded  of  this,  that  I  have 
thought  their  products,  in  a  series  of  ten  years, 
would  be  doubled  by  so  doing.  I  know  that  a 
large  proportion  of  tlie  apple  trees  on  our  farms, 
stand  in  the  fields  or  pastures,  where  the  grass 
grows  about  them,  receiving  no  culture  or  atten- 
tion whatever  ;  and  more  tlian  half  the  time,  yield- 
ing little  or  no  fruit.  Some  trees  standing  thus 
yield  fruit  in  abundance.  But  as  a  general  thinof, 
those  trees  which  are  best  cultivated,  bear  best, 
both  in  quantity  and  quality.  So  fully  satisfied  are 
the  dealers  of  fruit  in  our  markets  of  this,  that 
they  will  readily  pay  from  six  ti<  ten  per  cent,  more, 
for  fruit  that  grows  on  cultivated  grounds. 

That  trees  are  sometimes  injured  by  carelessly 
holding  the  plow,  whereby  the  roots  ai-e  broken, 
and  the  bodies  barked,  there  can  be  no  doubt. 
Such  culture  is  not  to  be  commended.  This,  I  think, 
must  have  been  the  kind  of  cidture  condemned  by 
your  correspondent  from  Maine.  I  presume  the 
same  kind  of  usage,  would  be  equally  injurious  to 
vegetables. 

I  know  one  orchard  of  forty  Baldwin  apple  trees, 


90 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Feb. 


that  yielded  more  than  three  hundred  harrels  of 
fruit  of  best  quality,  the  past  season  ; — and  about 
the  same  quantity  in  the  season  of  1850.  The 
ground  about  these  trees  has  been  kept  in  a  per- 
fectly pulverized  state  for  a  half  a  dozen  years  or 
more,  and  manured  like  a  garden.  Can  any  one 
doubt  that  the  proprietor  has  found  the  reward  of 
his  labor,  in  the  abundance  and  quality  of  his 
fruit? 

The  benefits  of  such  culture  is  particularly  seen, 
in  relation  to  the  Dancers  Winter  Sweet.  When 
fully  cultivated,  it  yields  fruit  large,  fair  and 
bright ; — when  left  with  the  grass  growing  under 
and  about  the  tree,  the  first  is  dwarfish,  spotted, 
and  oftentimes  knurly.  The  same  is  true,  to  a 
great  extent,  in  relation  to  the  Baldwin,  both  of 
which,  I  have  often  observed.  p. 

Jan.  10, 1853. 


Remarks. — We  fully  agree  with  our  intelligent 
correspondent  in  what  he  says  above.  Some  I'e- 
marks  which  we  have  made  on  the  subject  of  cul- 
tivating orchards,  were  with  the  intention  of  cau- 
tioning persons  against  entering  their  orchards 
with  large  plows  and  heavy  teams  and  tearing  up 
the  earth  and  roots,  as  they  would  those  in  re- 
claiming a  meadow. 

Our  own  practice  is  to  cultivate  where  the  trees 
are  compact,  and  to  dig  around  and  manure  those 
standing  in  pastures,  once  or  twice  a  year. 


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 

From  Mr.  Asa  Clements,  nurseryman,  Dracut, 
fine  specimens  of  the  Winter  Green  Sweeting, 
Mother  Apple,  and  Jewett's  Fine  Red.  The  first 
is  rather  too  dry — the  other  two  apples  of  fine  fla- 
vor and  well  worth  cultivation  if  they  are  good 
bearers. 

Also,  later,  a  box  of  fine  apples  from  Mr. Clements, 
of  Dracut.  With  some  good  judges  we  have  tast- 
ed the  fruit  and  do  not  think  his  recommendations 
too  high,  and  so  stand  aside  and  let  him  speak  for 
himself.     He  says, 

I  send  you  six  varieties  of  apples.  No.  1. 
Minister,  a  well  known  variety  in  Essex  County  ; 
with  me,  it  is  nut  strong  and  vigoi'ous  in  the  nur- 
sery, but  is  hardy  in  the  tree,  and  produces  enor- 
mous crops  of  fair  and  good  keeping  fruit. 

No.  2.  Presidrnt. — The  original  tree  is  now 
standing  on  the  farm  of  Capt.  John  White,  (1 
think  it  is  John)  in  Salem,  N.  H.  It  was  in  a 
bearing  state,  when  Washington  was  inaugurated 
President,  and  was  named  for  him.  I  have  seen 
it  full  of  showy  fruit  twice  within  a  few  years. 
The  tree  now  looks  venerable  and  healthy,  and  as 
though  it  might  outlive  the  people  of  Pelham,  and 
a  large  portion  of  ''the  rest  of  mankind."  In  the 
nursery,  rather  vigorous. 

No.  3.  Mother. — I'his  variety  I  have  once  only, 
fruited,  and  these  specimens  are  a  portion  of  the 
crop.  In  my  judgment  it  is  one  of  the  best  apples 
extant,  and  sliould  think  from  appearances  quite 
prolific ;  though  on  that  point,  the  short  experience 
I  have  had  will  not  enable  me  to  determine  with 
accuracy. 

No.  4.  Jewctt's  Fine  Red,  or  Nod-head. — This  ap- 


ple, I  have  been  informed  is  addicted  to  the  naughty 
(knotty)  habit  of  growing  unfair  for  two  or  three 
years  when  it  first  begins  to  bear,  and  as  far  as  ray 
own  experience  will  enable  me  to  judge  it  sustains 
that  reputation  to  the  fullest  extent,  albeit  it  is  a 
fine  apple,  and  worthy  of  cultivation.  Young  trees 
are  tolerably  vigorous  and  form  beautiful  heads, 
well  balanced,  between  the  upright  and  horizon- 
tal. 

No.  5.  R^d  Cheek. — A  local  name, scarcely  known 
out  of  Dracut  ;  matures  immediately  after  the  Por- 
ter, Oct.  and  Nov.,  and  fills  a  space  that  is  almost 
a  vacuum  hereabouts  so  flir  as  good  apples  are  con- 
cerned. I  had  about  three  bushels  which  wore  the 
most  beautiful  in  appearance,  and  1  had  almost 
said,  in  quality,  of  any  apple  on  my  fiirm.  I  cer- 
tainly sold  them  better  than  any  other,  this  sea- 
son, except  the  Early  Sweet  Bough,  which  always 
commands  a  good  price  on  account  of  its  good 
qualities  and  early  maturity.  They  grew  on  one 
side  of  an  old  tree  grafted  four  or  five  years  ago, 
with  three  other  sorts,  on  other  parts  of  the  same 
tree.  It  grows  well,  and  bears  ditto  ;  young  trees 
strong  and  vigorous,  and  I  regret  that  through 
negligence  or  some  other  cause,  they  have  been 
permitted  to  dwindle  nearly  out  of  the  nursery. 
They  shall  be  renewed.   » 

No.  6.  Name  unknown,  a  late  fall  apple  ;  my 
father  brought  the  scions  from  Vermont  a  few 
years  since.  It  was  there  called  Red  Cheek,  which 
name  appears  to  be  a  misnomer,  as  there  is  seldom 
any  blush  upon  them,  except  on  specimens  much 
exposed  to  the  sun.  Young  tr^es  hardy  and  pretty 
fair  growers,  and  in  my  estimatio  it  is  deserving 
a  name  and  cultivation.  Please  make  the  best 
use  of  the  single  specimen  I  send. 

AsA  Clement. 

Dracut,  Jan.  13,  1853. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
DEATH  OF  WM=  G.  LAKE,  ESQ. 

Died  in  Topsfield,  on  the  10th  inst.,  Mr.  Wil- 
liam G.  Lake,  aged  45  years. 

Mr.  Lake  was  somewhat  extensively  known,  aa 
a  horticulturist  and  dealer  in  nursery  trees.  He 
had  devoted  his  whole  time  and  energies,  for  the 
last  fifteen  years,  to  the  cultivation  of  fruit  and 
fruit  trees.  lie  had  spared  no  pains  or  expense  to 
procure  the  best  varieties  for  cultivation.  He  had 
made  himself  practically  acquainted  with  the  grow- 
ing of  trees,  and  of  performing  the  various  nurse- 
ry operations. 

For  several  years  past,  his  tables  at  our  agri- 
cultural and  horticultural  shows  have  not  been 
surpassed  by  any  otiier  contributor. 

lie  had,  ibr  several  years,  supplied  the  vicinity 
with  fruit  trees,  and  sevei'al  pares  of  the  common- 
wealth, the  southern  parts  of  New  Hampshire, 
and  even  the  inhabitants  of  California  will  soon  be 
gathering  fruit  from  trees  sent  out  by  iNIr  Lake, 
and  which  were  raised  on  the  soil  of  Topstield. 

JNIr.  Lake  lias  sold  trees  from  25  cents  to  25  dol- 
lars apiece.  He  has  left  on  his  grounds,  (ten 
acres)  between  twenty  and  thirty  thousand  worked 
fruit  trees  from  one  to  four  years  old,  on  the  bud, 
for  transplanting,  besides  leaving  the  grounds  sup- 
plied with  standard  trees,  just  beginning  to  bear 
limit ;  various  ornamental  trees  have  had  a  full 
share  of  his  attention. 

The  town  of  Topsfield  is  indebted  to  Mr.  Lake 


185^ 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


91 


foi'  tliG  buHJing  up  of  quite  a  village,  ornamented 
with  a  variety  of  forest  trees  and  shrubbery,  where 
fourt(!en  years  ao;o,  but  one  single  dwelling,  and  a 
tall  pine  tree,  relieved  the  monotony  of  mossy  stone 
walls  that  bordered  the  highway. 

i\Ir.  Lake  has  certainly  left  a  growing  and  en- 
during memorial  of  his  industry,  activity  and  taste. 

About  a  fortnight  before  his  death,  ho  met  with 
an  accident  on  Charlestown  bridge,  from  which  he 
had  very  nearly  recovered,  wlien  he  wis  attacked 
with  inllammation  of  the  chest,  three  days  before 
his  death,  lie  leaves  a  wife  and  three  children, 
who,  for  their  great  and  sudden  bereavement, 
have  the  deep  sympathy  of  the  public. 

Topsfteld,  Jan.  14,  1853.  ii.  a.  r. 


MASS.  STATE  BOARD    OF  AGRICUL- 
TURE. 

Wednesday,  January  12,  1853. 

Gov.  BouTWELL  in  the  chair.  The  proceedings 
of  the  last  meeting  having  been  read,  the  Secretary 
read  a  letter  from  the  Hon.  Levi  Lincoln,  brother 
of  the  lamented  Col.  John  W.  Lincoln,  a  late 
member  of  the  Board,  in  reply  to  a  letter  of  con- 
dolence from  the  Board.  Also,  a  letter  from  the 
Worcester  Society  announcing  the  election  of  Har- 
vey Dodge,  Esq.,  of  Sutton,  as  a  member  of  this 
Boai'd  as  successor  of  Col.  Lincoln. 

A  letter  from  M.  Vattemare  was  read,  acknowl- 
edging the  receipt  of  certain  agricultural  documents 
from  Mr.  Walker,  Secretary  of  State. 

Mr.  John  C.  Gray  reported  on  orchards. 

Mr.  Sprague,  of  the  Plymoutli  Society,  reported 
on  the  Barnstable  and  Bristol  Societies. 

Prof.  Hitchcock  reported  upon  the  Essex  Coun- 
ty S  )ciety. 

Mr.  Brewer  reported  on  the  Worcester  AVest 
Society. 

Mr.  Lawtox  reported  on  the  Housatonic  Soci- 
ety. 

Gov.  BouTWELL  reported  on  the  Hampshire, 
Franklin  and  Hampden  Societies. 

Prof.  Hitchcock  read  a  paper  recommending  the 
establishment  of  Farmers'  Institutes  throughout 
the  Commonwealth,  similar  to  the  Institutes  for 
the  promotion  of  education.  The  following  are 
the  leading  suggestions  of  the  paper  : — 

1.  A  vast  amount  of  knowledge  concerning  the 
principles  of  agriculture  could  be  imparted  to  the 
farmers  in  every  part  of  the  State.  It  would,  in 
fact,  form  an  ambulatory  agricultural  school,  where 
the  young,  especially,  would  learn  very  rapidly 
from  the  best  masters. 

2.  It  would  give  an  opportunity  to  men  well 
qualified,  after  looking  at  the  chemical  and  geolo- 
gical constitutiim  of  the  soil,  to  make  suggestions 
to  the  farmers  of  the  different  districts  as  to  im- 
proved modes  of  culture. 

3.  It  w  )uld  furnish  a  good  mode  of  communi- 
cating intelligence  to  the  farmers  of  discoveries 
and  improvements  in  agriculture,  of  distributing 
new  varieties  of  seeds,  and  making  known  new  and 
improved  breeds  of  domestic  animals. 


4.  It  would  probably  bring  to  light  new  animal 
manures  in  different  parts  of  the  State  by  the  re- 
searches of  the  lecturers,  and  of  the  farmers  after 
they  were  p-it  upon  the  track 

5.  It  would  awaken  a  deeper  interest  in  agricul- 
tural pursuits,  and  give  them  increased  respecta- 
bility. 

G.  Opportunity  miglit  be  given  during  the  meet- 
ings of  the  Institute  for  visiting  some  of  the  best 
conducted  forms  and  gardens  in  the  vicinity,  and 
thus  witnessing  the  operations  of  scientific  princi- 
ples. 

Mr.  Brown  read  a  report  upon  the  Education  of 
the  Young  Farmer. 

Mr.  Brewer  presented  a  report  on  laying  down 
land  to  grass. 

Mr.  Proctor  moved  that  the  subject  of  electing 
a  Secretary  be  now  taken  up. 

Mr.  Wilder,  from  the  committee  appointed  to 
present  the  names  of  candidates,  said  he  had  no 
written  report  to  make,  but  would  state  that  the 
names  of  several  gentlemen  had  been  recommend- 
ed from  various  parts  of  the  State, which  names  he 
would  report  if  the  Board  desired  it. 

Mr.  Fessenden,  of  Sandwich,  moved  that  the 
further  consideration  of  the  election  of  a  Secretary 
be  postponed  until  the  next  meeting  of  the  Board, 
and  that  the  present  Secretary  continue  to  act 
until  another  is  appointed. 

On  motion  of  ]Mr.  French,  it  was  voted  that 
when  the  Board  adjourns,  it  adjourns  to  meet  again 
on  Tuesday,  the  25th  inst.,  at  10  o'clock,  A.  M. 

Mr.  Lawton  reported  on  Indian  Corn. 

Some  arrangement  was  made  in  regard  to  the 
meeting  of  the  several  County  Agricultural  Socie- 
ties. 

Mr.  Proctor,  from  the  committee  appointed  to 
examine  the  Progressive  Farmer,  a  work  by  Mr. 
J.  A.  Nash,  Teacher  of  Agriculture  in  Amherst 
College,  made  a  favorable  report,  and  recommend- 
ed its  use  as  a  reading  book  in  common  schools. 

And  at  a  quarter  past  G,  P.  M.,  the  Board  ad- 
journed to  meet  as  above  stated. 


Hops. — Quantity  in  market  at  present  time  for 
sale,  150  to  200  bales ;  will  not  exceed  the  latter. 
Quantity  in  hands  of  gi'owers,  to  come  to  market, 
will  not  exceed  1000' bales,  making  1150  to  1200 
bales,  against  about  1000  bales  in  market,  and  in 
hands  of  growers  to  come  to  market,  last  year  at 
this  time.  The  quantity  exported  since  the  1st  of 
September,  will  reach  nearly  GOO  l)ales,  purchased 
in  this  market,  a  large  proportion  of  which  was 
sent  to  New  York,  and  shipped  fi-om  that  port. 

The  statement  in  the  Courier  4th  inst.,  and  the 
Boston  Shipping  List  of  Saturday,  is  very  wide  from 
being  correct,  and  will  have  a  tendency  to  mislead 
both  growers  and  consumers,  if  not  corrected; 
(whether  the  statements  referred  to  were  made 
designedly  or  not  the  autlior  can  best  answer.) 
The  above  statement  is  correct,  and  can  be  relied 
upon. 

Sales  have  been  made  vv'ithin  the  last  week,  of 
125  bales  at  19a20  cents,  first  sort.  w.  b. 


92 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Feb. 


^'  The  following  remarks  by  the  Hon.  R.  B. 
Hubbard,  which  are  copied  from  the  Ploio,  the 
Loom  and  the  Anvil,  are  interesting  inasmuch  as 
they  show  the  doctrine  heretofore  entertained  in 
respect  to  the  degree  of  intense  cold  fatal  to  the 
peach  bud  is  erroneous.  We  have  heard  other  New 
England  authority  stating  that  the  peach  bud  out- 
lived last  winter  a  degree  of  cold  equal  to  2G  deg. 
below  zero.  We  are  however  by  no  means  inclined 
to  believe  in  the  opinion  set  forth  in  this  article, 
that  budding  (jf  itself  enervates  the  health  and  vig- 
or of  the  peach  tree.  A  well-grown  specimen  of 
the  peach  raised  by  budding  is  quite  as  hardy,  in 
our  opinion,  as  a  tree  of  the  same  sort  from  a  pit. 
It  is  next  to  impossible  that  it  should  be  otherwise. 
Some  varieties  are  hardier  than  others,  but  the  dif- 
ference in  vigor  proceeds  from  causes  other  than 
the  mode  of  propagatit)n. 

PEACH  TRUES. 

For  a  few  years  past  we  have  been  encouraged 
in  the  belief  that  we  could  raise  peaches  in  Massa- 
chusetts— that  we  should  not  be  always  depend- 
ent upon  New  Jersey  and  Delaware  for  this  most 
delicious  of  fruits.  But  the  result  of  the  last  win- 
ter has  terribly  shaken  our  faith..  I  have  never 
known  such  destruction  among  fruit  trees  of  any 
kind.  I  have  been  in  each  of  the  New  England 
States,  and  Bnd  that  the  remark  is  true  of  all. 

A  large  portion  of  the  trees,  probably  one-third, 
were  killed  outright.  Of  the  remaining  portion, 
a  moiety  came  out  unscathed,  while  much  the  lar- 
ger part  show  signs  of  sickly  life,  here  a  bud  and 
there  a  limb  ;  of)  fruit  there  will  of  course  be  but 
very  little.  Many  gardeners  are  discouraged,  and 
say  it  is  of  no  use  trying  to  raise  peaches  in  New 
England.  Many  years  will  elapse  before  we  shall  be 
permitted  to  witness  such  a  crop  of  peaches  as 
last  autumn. 

But  I  took  my  pen  to  submit  some  queries  which 
have  arisen  in  my  own  mind  touching  the  culture 
of  the  peach. 

It  has  been  asserted  })y  writers  of  distinction, 
and  generally  believed,  that  the  peach  bud  would 
not  endure  a  greater  degree  of  cold  than  12  de 
below  zero.  The  correctness  of  this  is  disproved 
by  last  w'inter's  experience.  In  this  place,  the 
mercury  frequently  sank  below  12  deg.,  and  three 
times,  as  low  as  20  deg.  Yet,  there  are  some 
peaches  this  season.  I  have  seen  three  trees, 
standing  together  on  the  sunny  side  of  a  dwell- 
ing house,  which  appear  as  healthy  as  ever,  and 
are  burdened  with  fruit ;  while  nineteen-twenti- 
eths  of  the  trees  in  town  had  not  a  blossom,  and 
at  least  three-fifths  were  killed.  In  some  places, 
trees  standing  on  the  north  side  of  buildings  were 
uninjured,  while  those  on  the  south  side  were 
killed.  In  tlie  hilly  towns  of  vVorcester  county, 
also  in  York  county,  Maine,  the  trees  have  suf- 
fered comparatively  little  ;  wliile  in  the  valleys  of 
the  Connecticut  and  Merrimac  most  of  the  trees 
are  dead.  I  notice  also  that  in  the  same  locality 
the  trees  which  have  survived  are  those  which 
have  grown  slowly,  while  those  which  have  made 
rapid  growth,  have  verified  the  adage,  "soonest 
matured,  soonest  decay."  Another  fact  I  notice  ; 
the  trees  which  survived  are  mostly  natural  fruit. 
In  my  garden  were  twelve  trees  of  budded  fruit ; 
every  one  died.  In  the  garden  of  a  neighbor  near 
by,  with  similar  soil,  were  about  twenty  trees  of 
natural  growth,  all  of  which  are  alive  and  doing 
well. 


From  these  facts  I  draw  the  following  inferen- 
ces :  the  surest  way  of  raising  the  peach  is  the 
natural  way — from  the  stone.  Like  produces  like 
in  the  peach  almost  as  surely  as  in  corn.  The 
natural  tree  is  hardy,  even  in  cold  New  England, 
after  bearing  twenty  years.  The  artificial  is  al- 
ways delicate — seems  an  exotic — a  hot  house  plant, 
whose  life  is  as  a  vapor.  The  growth  of  the  tree 
should  never  be  forced.  If  the  soil  is  rich,  growth 
should  be  retarded,  by  placing  underneath  the 
tree  gravel  and  sterile  earth. 

The  observance  of  these  two  'simple  rules,  I  be- 
lieve will  insure  us  good  peaches,  and  in  abun- 
dance, even  in  Massachusetts. 

AVhat  say  you,  Messrs.  Editors,  to  this  radical- 
ism ?  R.  B.  HUBB.^RD. 

Sunderland,  Mass. 


U.  S.  AGRIOUIiTURAL  SOCIETY. 

The  Recording  Secretary,  Robert  C.  Walker, 
Esq.,  has  issued  the  following  notice,  which  we 
take  pleasure  in  placing  before  the  public. 

"The  first  Annual  Meeting  of  the  United  States 
Agricultural  Society  will  be  held  in  the  Smithsou 
nian  Institute,  Washington  City,  on  Wednesday, 
the  2d  day  of  February  next,  at  10  o'clock,  A.  M.; 
the  OiBcers  of  the  Society  for  the  ensuing  year  are 
then  to  be  elected.  The  importance  of  strength- 
ening in  its  infancy  an  Institution  which  has  for  its 
object  the  promotion  of  our  National  Agriculture, 
it  is  hoped  will  secure  the  attendance  of  a  large 
number  of  members. ' ' 

It  is  earnestly  hoped  that  all  the  officers  of  our 
County  Societies  will  become  members  of  the  Na- 
tional Association,  by  sending  their  names  and  the 
initiation  fee  of  $2  by  the  delegates  from  their  re- 
spective Societies.  This  National  Association  needs 
now,  especially,  the  countenance  and  support  of 
those  who  feel  the  importance  of  a  more  enlight- 
ened system  of  agriculture  throughout  the  coun- 
try. 

We  will  not  doubt  but  that  the  government  will  ' 
before  long  lend  its  aid  to  the  noble  work  begun ; 
not  by  granting  any  special  privileges  to  the  far- 
mer— that  we  do  not  ask — but  by  taking  such  a  sure 
and  liberal  course  as  shall  promote  its  own  inter- 
ests and  strengthen  its  own  hands.  But  as  the 
people  are  always  in  advance  of  the  government, 
it  is  necessary  for  the  present  to  sustain  the  great 
national  movement  by  individual  effort. 


Vocal  MAcniNERT  of  Birds. — It  is  difficult  to  ac- 
count for  so  small  a  creature  as  a  bird  ujaking  a 
tone  as  loud  as  some  animals  a  thousand  times  in 
size;  but  a  recent  discovery  has  shown  that,  in 
birds,  the  lungs  have  seveml  openings,  communi- 
cating with  Corresponding  air  bags  or  cells  which 
fill  the  whole  cavity  of  the  body  from  the  neck 
downwards,  and  into  which  the  air  passes  and 
repasses,  in  the  progress  of  breathing.  This  is  not 
all  ;  the  bones  are  hollow,  from  which  air  pipes  are 
conveyed  to  the  most  solid  parts  of  the  body,  even 
into  the  quills  and  feathers.  The  air  being  rare- 
fied by  the  heat  of  their  bodies,  adds  levity.     By 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


93 


forcing  the  air  out  of  the  body,  they  can  dart  down 
from  the  gnnitest  heights  with  astonishing  velocity. 
No  doubt  the  same  luachiuci-y  forms  the  basis  of 
their  vocal  power,  and  at  once  resolves  the  mys- 
tery.  

BULL  RINGS. 


ly  unnecessary,  and  causes  a  waste  of  the  nitro- 
genous parts  of  the  bone.  A  much  better  plan  is 
to  throw  them  into  dilute  sulphuric  acid,  and  af- 
ter a  week  draw  off  the  super-phospliate  of  lime 
formed  by  the  solution  of  {tart  of  the  bones  in  the 
sulphuric  acid,  and  break  the  bones — they  are  ea- 
sily broken  after  such  treatment,  and  may  then 
be  returned  to  the  dilate  sulphuric  acid  for  furth- 
er solution.  We  name  this  for  the  use  of  those 
who  are  too  lar  from  the  large  markets  to  procure 
phosphate  of  lime  in  any  other  form  than  as  whole 
bones ;  but  when  the  native  apatite  of  Dover, 
N.  J.,  or  Crown  Point,  Lake  Champlain,  or  the  re- 
fuse bone-black  of  tlie  sugar  refiners  can  be  pro- 
cured and  treated  with  sulphuric  acid,  its  cost  will 
probably  be  less  than  that  of  collecting  bones,  ex- 
cept in  the  vicinity  of  slaughter  houses. — Ibid. 


"Put  not  your  trust  in  princes,"  is  good  sound 
doctrine,  and  we  wish  to  add,  as  somewhat  more 
in  our  line, — nor  in  bulls.  These  animals  may  be 
docile  and  manageable  for  years,  and  then  sud- 
denly become  dangerous,  and  destroy  limb  and 
life.  A  farmer  in  S.  had  a  fine  animal,  which  he 
had  been  in  the  habit  of  fondling  in  the  pasture, 
and  who  never  had  shown  any  vicious  propensi- 
ties ;  but  upon  neglecting  these  attentions,  one 
day,  the  bull  suddenly  turned  upon  and  wounded 
him  so  that  he  lived  but  a  short  time.  They 
should  never  be  trusted.  The  insertion  of  a  ring 
in  the  nose  is  not  a  cruel  process  when  properly 
done, — not  as  much  so  as  the  heathenish  practice 
of  boring  the  ears  of  children.  With  a  suitable 
punch,  a  little  larger  than  the  ring  to  be  inserted, 
the  cartilage  of  the  nose  may  be  perforated  at  a 
single  blow,  with  very  little  pain.  The  ring  may 
then  be  put  in  place  and  screwed  together,  and 
the  wound  will  soon  heal  over.  In  this  manner 
the  most  fractious  animal  may  be  managed  with 
too  much  troulile. 


Manuring  FRutx  Trees. — ^lany  fruit  trees  which 
have  been  considered  valueless,  may  l)e  recovered 
by  being  manured  in  fall  and  winter  ;  and  during 
warm  days  wlien  the  surflice  of  the  soil  is  not 
frozen,  even  stimulating  manures  may  be  applied, 
with  impunity  and  covered  with  earth.  Thus  Pe- 
ruvian guano,  now  applied,  will  be  so  divided 
through  the  sjil  by  spring,  as  not  to  injure  the 
young  spongioles  from  the  roots  when  they  re- 
sume growth  ;  whereas,  if  ap[ilied  after  the  spring 
growth  commences,  tlie  spongioles  would  be  in- 
jured. Lime,  ashes,  and  other  manures  appro- 
priate to  different  soils  and  trees,  may  be  applied 
in  a  similar  manner. 

Peach  trees  should  be  laid  bare  to  the  top  of 
the  roots  at  this  season,  and  the  crops  of  the  next 
year  will  be  materially  increased,  while  the  frosts 
destroy  the  ova  of  insects  resident  in  the  surface 
soil. —  Workinir  Farmer. 


Burning  Bones. — We  see  some  of  our  cotem- 
poraries  are  recommeding  the  burning  of  bones  to 
render  them  easily  reducible,  by  breaking  before 
dissolving  them  in  sulphuric  acid.     This  is^entire- 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

ANALYSIS  OF  SOILS. 

Mr.  Editor  : — A  few  days  since,  a  young  gen- 
tleman, son  of  a  substantial  farmer  of  tins  place, 
called  on  me  to  inquire,  where  he  could  go  to  learn 
how  to  analyze  soils,  and  to  witness  practical  il- 
lustrations of  experiments  of  this  kind.  I  was 
mortified,  not  to  be  able  to  name  any  place  with- 
in Jifiy  miles,  where  this  information  could  be  ob- 
tained. I  told  him  that  an  experimental  depart- 
ment in  agriculture  was  getting  under  way  in 
connection  with  the  college  at  Amherst,  where 
this  kind  of  instruction  would  be  dispensed  ;  but 
whether  students  would  be  admitted  for  a  short 
time,  or  on  what  terms  they  would  be  admitted, 
I  was  unable  to  say.  I  inquired  of  him,  what  at- 
tention he  had  given  to  agricultural  studies.  He 
said  he  had  read  Prof.  Leibig's  works,  and  sever- 
al others, — and  took  your  paper,  and  read  it  care- 
fully,— and  knew  most  of  the  elementary  substan- 
ces to  be  found  in  soils,  but  did  not  know  their  ex- 
act proportions,  or  how  to  ascertain  them.  He 
said  he  had  much  leisure  in  the  winter  months, 
and  should  be  glad  to  devote  his  attention  to  it  if 
he  could  find  some  one  to  direct  liim  in  so  doing. 
If  he  could  be  informed  what  articles  of  chemical 
apparatus  Avere  needed  to  proceed  in  an  analysis 
of  soils,  in  a  manner  to  be  relied  on,  he  should  like 
to  obtain  them  ;  as  he  knew  several  of  his  associ- 
ates who  contemplated  farming  as  their  emplov- 
ment,  and  would  be  glad  to  possess  the  informa- 
tion. I  was  pleased  with  the  intelligent  inquiries 
of  the  young  man,  and  placed  in  his  hands  such 
books  as  I  had  at  command,  which  I  thought  would 
assist  him.  But  books  alone  will  not  be  sufficient. 
He  will  need  some  experienced  hand  to  guide  his 
experiments,  at  least  for  a  time.  Presuming  that 
he  is  only  one  of  the  many  similar  cases,  within 
the  limits  of  the  circulation  of  your  paper,  I 
thought  I  would  state  his  case  to  you  ;  and  hope 
you  will  be  able  to  give  such  advice  as  will  be  of 
service.  Perhaps,  if  you  should  mention  bis  case, 
at  the  next  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Agriculture, 
some  of  the  gentlemen  thei-e  would  be  al'le  to  tell 
something  about  it.  We  have  had  much  /alk  about 
agricultural  education  ;  it  seemstome  almost  time 
to  have  something  besides  (alk, — in  the  form  of 
experimental  instruction.  * 

Jan.  3,  1853. 


Remarks. — Amherst,  and  the  ]\Iount  Airy  Insti- 
tution, are  the  only  places  within  our  knowledge, 


94 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Feb. 


where  the  pupil  can  receive  systematic,  scientific 
teaching.  When  the  Massachusetts  Board  of  Ag- 
riculture gets  through  some  of  its  preliminary  busi- 
ness incident  to  a  new  organization,  we  trust  the 
sui'-o'estion  of  our  correspondent  will  be  attended 


to. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

FRUITS  FOR  NORTHERN  CULTIVA- 
TION. 

Mk.  Editor  :  —  Annexed  I  hand  you  a  list  of 
fruit  of  sueli  varieties  as  I  have  in  a  l)earing  state, 
all  in  field  cultivation,  without  high  brick  walls  or 
board  fences  to  protect  them.  I  have  fruited  eve- 
ry variety  upon  the  list,  and  they  all  do  well  with 
me,  with  the  exception  of  two  varieties,  whicli  T 
have  not  so  fully  tested  as  I  have  the  others  ; — 
those  are  the  N  >rthern  Spy  and  S[)itzonburg.  I 
feel  confident  the  Spy  will  do  well  witli  us  in  good 
cultivation  ;  and  if  so,  it  will  prove  one  of  the  best 
late-keeping  apples,  and  should  be  extensively  cul- 
tivated. The  vSpitzenburg  is  a  very  handsome, 
rich  flavored  and  late  keeping  apple,  but  it  has  the 
appearance  of  being  a  poor  bearer,  but  may  do 
better  as  the  tree  grows  older. 

I  have  several  other  varieties  of  new  fruit  under 
cultivation,  which  I  shall  speak  of  hereafter,  if 
you  think  the  annexed  list  worth  publishing. 

Yours  truly,  W".  G.  Lake. 


APPLES. 


Lnte  Keeping  Winter. 
Baldwin, 
Roximry  Russet, 
Rhode  Island  Greening, 
Uanvers  Winter  Sweet, 
Northern  Spy, 
Spitzenburg. 

Early  Winter. 
Ilubbardston  Nonsuch, 
Aunt  llnun.ih, 
Sweet  Baldwin. 


Fall. 
Fall  Ilarvcy, 


Porter, 

Minister, 

Gravenstein, 

Alexander, 

River  Apple, 

Luscombe, 

William  Hill. 

Early  Summer. 
Williams'  Favorite, 
Early  Sweet  Bough, 
Early  Junealing, 
Bailing  Sweet, 
Red  Astracan. 


PEARS. 


Bartlett, 

Beurre  Bosc, 

Fleiui-h  Beauty, 

Beurre  Die], 

Duchess  de  Angnuleme, 

Louise  Bon  de  Jersey, 

Andrews, 

Vicir  of  Winkfield, 

Gloiit  Morceau, 

Winter  Nelis, 

Fulton, 

Seckel, 

Rosteezen, 


BufTuni, 

Van  Mons,  Leon  le  Clerc, 

St   Ghistlain, 

Golden  Beurre, 

Belle  Lucrative, 

TIrhaniste, 

Bf  urre  de  Aremberg, 

Columbia, 

IJix, 

Tyson, 

Beurre  de  Anjou, 

Lawrence. 


CHERRIES. 


Black  Tartarean, 
Black  Ea^le, 
Knight's  K  irly  Black, 
Davenport, 
Yellow  Spanish, 


Arden's  White  Heart, 
Large  White  Bigarreau, 
American  Amber, 
Early  May  Duke. 


PLUMS. 


Green  Gage, 
Red  Gase, 

Prince's  Vellow  Gage, 
-Jmoerial  Gage, 
Washington, 


Lawrence's  Favorite, 
JefTerson, 
Black  Lnperial, 
Lombard. 


Re.\iarics. — The  above  was  sent  us  by  Mr.  L.\ke 
on  the  6th  inst.,  and  before  the  ink  was  scarcely 
dry,  he  was  summoned  from  this,  to  that  untried, 
world,  "from  whose  bourne  no  traveller  returns." 


Mr.  Lake  was  an  excellent  nurseryman,  and  full 
of  devotion  to  his  business,  as  these,  perhaps  the 
last  linos  lie  ever  penned,  will  declare.  Thus  in 
the  flush  of  manhor)d  and  life,  one  after  another 
are  called  from  this  busy  and  anxious  state  to  that 
to  which  each  passing  day  is  hurrying  us  on.  May 
we  seek  from  above  help  to  apply  our  hearts  unto 
wisdom,  and  be  prepared  for  the  summons,  how- 
ever unexpectedly  it  may  come. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
KEEP  FXACr  RECORDS. 

Mr.  Editor: — Some  remarks  in  your  paper  of 
the  Ist  inst.  have  led  me  to  make  the  remarks 
which  follow,  and  wliich  if  you  deem  appropriate 
at  the  present  time,  are  at  your  service. 

Farmers  should  record  with  more  care  than  they 
are  accustomed  to  do,  the  results  of  their  own  ex- 
perience. When  they  raise  a  g(jod  crop,  they 
should  record  the  fact,  and  describe  the  soil  and 
the  mode  of  tillage  by  which  so  good  a  result  waa 
obtained.  If  they  make  a  poor  crop,  they  should 
make  a  record  of  this  also,  and  the  circumstances 
which  led  to  it.  The  experience  of  the  practical 
farmer  is  worth  more  than  all  the  theories  and  ex- 
periments of  the  chemist  in  his  laboratory.  Ex- 
perience at  the  bedside  is  worth  more  to  the  physi- 
cian, than  all  the  theories  of  the  Professor  in  the 
lecture  room.  Theories  may  assert  experience. 
They  may  give  a  right  direction  to  the  experiments 
of  the  practical  man,  and  often  enable  liim  to  ar- 
rive at  his  conclusions  by  a  shorter  path  tlian  he 
would  without  them.  But  experience,  after  all, 
must  decide.  In  the  living  organization  we  do  not 
always  obtain  the  exact  results  from  the  applica- 
tion of  chemical  principles,  that  we  do  when  ex- 
perimenting upon  dead  matter  in  thg  laboratory. 

This  is  true  in  the  stomach.  Medicines  often 
fail  of  their  expected  results,  because  their  action 
is  modified  by  substances  which  they  meet  with  in 
the  stomach,  or  by  the  vital  powers  of  the  system. 
So  in  vegetables,  the  promises  of  the  chemist  are 
not  always  fulfilled.  There  are  so  many  varying 
circumstances  connected  with  temperature,  mois- 
ture, and  the  constitution  of  the  atmosphere  for 
the  time  being,  which  are  beyond  our  control,  but 
wliieh  nevertheless,  modify  the  results  of  chemical 
activities,  that  the  promises  even  of  a  Liehig  must 
be  received  with  considerable  latitude — a  wide 
margin  must  be  allowed  for  the  record  of  the  devi- 
ators  from  the  rigid  rule. 

Theories  can  only  give  a  general  direction  to  ex- 
periment. Like  theories  in  medicine  and  morals, 
they  need  to  be  corrected  in  their  working  by  ex- 
perience. 

But  the  sciences  of  morals  and  medicine  are  not 
therefore  useless.  Far  from  it,  they  impart  to  us 
the  knowledge  of  certain  fundamental  princijiles, 
which  are  of  universal  application,  but  which,  in 
their  application  to  individuals,  require  the  modi- 
fying hand  of  experience.  The  case  is  precisely 
analogous  in  agriculture.  The  careful  hand  of  in- 
telligent experience  is  needed  to  modify  the  appli- 
cation of  its  theories.  For  this  reason  the  man  of 
mere  science  is  not  the  safest  teacher,  or  the  surest 
guide.  He  may  be  an  accomplished  scholar,  he 
may  present  plausible  theories  and  fine  specula- 
tions, but  they  may  not  be  applicable  in  the  cir^ 
cumstanccs  under  which  it  is  proposed  to  apply 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


95 


them.  The  man  who  is  to  meet  the  farmer  in  the 
walks  of  every-da)/  life,  who  is  to  suggest  to  him 
safe  and  useful  experiments,  who  is  to  assist  his  ef- 
forts, and  correct  his  practical  errors,  who  is  to  se- 
cure his  confidtnce  and  be  to  him  a  guide  and  a 
friend,  must  be  nut  only  a  man  of  science,  but  a 
practical  man.  He  must  possess  a  large  share  of 
practical  sense,  and  have  occupied  a  loide  circle  of  ob- 
servation. The  mere  Agricultural  Chemist,  fresh 
from  the  schools  of  Germany,  would  cost  our  far- 
mers more  bi/  the  fruitless  and  unsuccessful  experi- 
ments he  would  sel  them  upon,  than  all  the  advan- 
tage would  be  worth,  that  would  result  from  his 
teachings.  Our  farmers  would  be  disgusted  with 
his  ignorance  of  practical  details. 

That  fine  spirit  that  is  manifesting  itself  at  the 
present  time,  especially  among  our  young  farmers, 
needs  to  be  fostered  and  encouraged.  If  it  is  di- 
rected by  a  skilful  liand,  it  cannot  fail  to  lead  to 
good  results.  IJut  if  an  unskilful  hand  attempt  to 
give  it  direction,  it  will  bo  more  than  discouraged. 
It  will  be  changed  to  prejudice,  against  all  ^ience 
— which  will  retard  for  years,  the  march  of  im- 
proveaient ;  like  the  prejudice  which  arose  against 
the  expensive  and  impracticable  experiments  of  the 
gentlemen  farmers  of  the  last  generation,  and 
whicli  has  not  yet  died  out  of  the  community,  but 
is  still  f  lund  opposing  the  effijrts  of  the  patriot  and 
the  philanthropist  f(jr  the  good  of  his  country  and 
his  race. 

It  seems  to  me,  that  what  is  wanted  at  the 
present  time,  is  that  tlie  spirit  of  improvement  and 
enterprise  should  be  encouraged  and  strengthened, 
and  the  farmers  tauglit  to  unite  their  efforts,  and 
concentrate  their  influence  for  their  own  and  the 
public  good.  Prejudice  is  to  be  overcome,  and  a 
disposition  is  to  be  awakened  and  developed  in  some 
practical  form,  to  secure  for  themselves  and  their 
children  more  and  better  instruction  than  they  have 
hitherto  enjoj'ed  upon  all  subjects  relating  to  their 
daily  business.  When  a  public  feeling  has  been 
called  forth,  and  a  demand  created  for  more  scien- 
tific instruction — then  the  farmers  will  be  prepared 
to  sustain  institutions  that  will  afford  them  in- 
struction of  a  higher  character.  But  until  a  larger 
demand  exists,  it  will  be  in  vain  to  furnish  a  sup- 
ply. Scientific  instruction  of  a  high  grade  will  not 
be  appreciated,  and  if  provided  before  the  practical 
men  are  prepared  for  it,  it  will  only  serve  to  put 
off  to  a  more  distant  day  the  very  object  at  which 
we  are  all  aiming,  viz.,  practical  farming,  guided 
by  scientific  knowledge. 


completed,  furnishing  her  in  the  richest  manner, 
at  a  cost  of  $50,000  over  ordinary  ships  of  the 
kind.  About  the  first  of  May  he  will  take  on  board 
his  sons  and  daughters  and  forty  or  fifty  other 
guests,  and  sail  for  London,  Copenhagen,  Stock- 
holm, St.  Petersburgh,  Havre,  Bordeaux,  Lisbon, 
Gibraltar,  Marseilles,  Naples,  ]\Ialta,  and  .such 
other  ports  as  may  be  desirable,  staying  a  short 
time  at  each  port,  giving  fetes  and  seeing  the  lions. 
The  entire  expense,  which  is  estimated  at  more 
than  $200,000,  will  be  borne  by  the  projector. 
This  is  about  the  most  extensive  plan  of  a  pleasure 
trip  ever  yet  entertained,  and  when  carried  out 
(which  it  undoubtedly  will  be)  will  be  very  apt  to 
give  Europeans  some  new  ideas  of  the  outside  bar- 
barians of  Yankeedom. — Neio  York  Tribune. 


AUTUMN  AND  WINTER. 

BY    FRANCES    GAGE. 

The  Autumn  is  going  with  its  beauty  so  glowing. 
And  Winter  o'er  all  things  is  casting  its  pall; 

The  rose-tree  is  fading,  no  longer  'tis  shading 
The  arbor  of  love  or  the  bright  water-fall. 

Tlie  dahlias  are  lopping,  the  ripe  fruit  is  dropping, 
The  corn-leaves  are  withered  and  dry  on  the  stalk; 

The  ring-dove  is  sighing,  the  grasshopper  dying, 
The  fire-fly  no  longer  enlivens  the  walk. 

The  forests  are  changing,  the  wild  birds  are  ranging 
To  hunt  out  a  home  v^here  the  skies  are  more  clear; 

The  stream  deeply  flowing,  the  chilly  winds  blowing. 
All  tell  us  that  Winter,  cold  Winter  is  near. 

Summer's  sweets  while  we're  tasting,  away  all  care  hasting, 

The  days  of  the  peach  and  melon  are  o'er; 
Then  let  us  be  trying,  while  Autumn  is  dying. 

To  lay  up  for  Winter  a  plentiful  store. 

Work  freer  and  harder,  fill  the  barns  and  the  larder, 
Then  give  to  old  VV'inter,  uhene'er  he  shall  come, 

A  welcome  most  willing;  we'll  heed  not  its  chilling, 
If  there's   warmth   round  the   hearth  stone  and  plenty  at 
home. 

But  while  we  are  cheerful  — no  c.iuse  to  be  tearful, 
Let  us  think  of  the  children  of  Sorrow  :ind  Wrong; 

And  give  from  our  treasure,  with  no  stinted  measure, 
Of  the  good  gifts  of  Heaven  to  help  them  along. 

Ohio  Cultivator. 


Remarks. — We  commend  the  above  suggestions 
to  every  reader,  and  especially  to  those  in  every 
State,  who  have  a  controlling  influence  in  direct- 
ing agricultural  education.  The  first  thing  to  be 
done  is,  to  prepare  the  mind  for  a  better  system 
by  the  plainest  and  most  practical  teachings — the 
initiatory  steps — and  until  that  can  be  accom- 
plished, all  higher  aims  will  prove  worse  than  use- 
less. 


A  M.\GNtFicKNT  Pleasure  Trip. — A  prominen 
steamboat  owner  of  this  city,  who  has  made  an 
immense  fortune  in  steamboating,  has  devised  a 
novel,  most  liberal  and  magnificent  plan  for  dis- 
bursing some  of  his  gains,  lie  proposes  to  rig  in 
the  most  perfect  style,  a  steamer  yacht,  now  nearly 


For  the  New  Encrland  Farmer. 

PSACH  BORER  PLASTERED  UP. 

Having  in  my  garden  a  very  vigorous  peach  tree, 
aiid  observing  that  it  was  very  much  afiected  by 
borers,  especially  in  the  forks  of  its  limbs,  I  began 
to  cut  them  out.  Still  F  was  afrai<l  that  tliis  op- 
eration, to  be  performed  in  many  places,  might  in- 
jure the  tree,  and  as  I  had  some  very  fine,  almost 
pure  white  clay  prepared,  I  plastered  the  limbs  of 
the  tree  with  it,  and  closed,  when  the  plastering 
cracked  in  becoming  dry,  the  cracks  by  rubbing 
them  over  with  a  painter's  brush,  dipped  in  water. 

The  plastering  became  hard  enough  to  with- 
stand the  effects  of  rain  fiir  several  weeks,  after 
the  elapse  of  which  all  the  borers  were  dead.  The 
wounds  caused  by  them,  healed  quickly  over,  and 
the  tree  is  as  healthy  as  it  can  be. 

This  experiment  corroborates  the  fact,  relating 
to  the  destruction  of  the  iipple  borer,  communica- 
ted in  No.  —  of  the  New  England  Farmer. 

Charles  Siedhof. 


96 


NEW  ENGLATND  FARMER. 


Feb. 


THE   GARDEN 

The  first  outline  below,  that  -with  the  short 
stem,  is  a  good  outline  of  the  Garden  Royal  Ap- 
ple. The  fruit  is  below  medium,  roundish-flat, 
dull,  greenish,  russ&ty  yellow,  mostly  covered  with 
dull,  deep  red  in  the  sun,  with  numerous  large, 
light  red  specks,  stem  short,  slender,  in  a  medial 
cavity  ;  calyx  medial,  open  in  a  broad,  shaUoAV  ])a- 
ein  ;  flesh  very  fine,  tender,  almost  melting,  crisp, 


ROYAL  APPLE. 

of  a  delicious,  higlily  aromatic  flavor.  There  is 
scarcely  an  apple  superior  to  it  in  point  of  flavor. 
Fit  for  use  in  September  and  October.  Moderate 
grower  and  great  bearer.  Every  garden  should 
have  a  tree  or  two.  Ratlicr  small  for  market.  It 
originated,  we  believe,  in  the  town  of , Sudbury, 
near  Boston,  and  is  produced  there  now  in  per- 
fection. 


THE  LONG  STEM  APPLE. 

This  apple  is  excellent  for  the  dessert  or  cooking 
from  the  first  of  September  to  the  last  of  October. 
It  is  a  good  and  constant  bearer.  Originated  in 
East  Bridgewater,  in  this  State. 

The  fruit  is  large,  medial  size  ;  flattish  round  ; 
pale  yellow,  brown  full  in  the  sun;  dark  specks 
and  patches ;  stem  extremely  lung,  slender,  in  a 
broad,  deep  cavity  ;  calyx  large,  rather  open,  in  a 
broad  and  shallow  basin  ;  flesh  white  and  tender, 
juicy,  of  a  rich,  mild,  delicious,  sprightly  and  aro- 
matic flavor. 

FARMING    IE;r    THE    EXTREME    EAST. 

Some  people,  in  Massachusetts,  seem  to  think 
that  if  you  go  as  far  "down  east"  as  Kennebec, 
you  have  arrived  at  the  extreme  point  of  the  Ag- 
ricultural kingdom,  beyond  which  no  dependence 
can  be  placed  on  cultivated  crops  ;  if  they  continue 
on  as  far  as  Penobscot,  nothing  is  to  be  found 
there  but  Iceland  moss  struggling  for  existence  on 
cold  blue  clay  ;  and  if  they  should  dare  proceed 
to  the  St.  Croix,  and  thence  follow  up  the  line 
that  separates  Maine  from  New  Brunswick,  as  far 
as  the  mouth  of  the  Aroostook,  they  would  have 
to  encounter  granite  boulders  and  perpetual  ice 
quarries  all  the  way.     There  is  a  great  mistake  in 


this  matter,  and  we  have  often  wondered  that  ou 
neighbors  just  west  of  us  should  remain  so  strange- 
ly ignorant,  as  most  seem  willingly  to  be,  of  the 
soil,    climate    and  agricultural   capacities  of  this 
very  "down  east"  State  of  Maine. 

We  recollect  that  three  or  four  years  ago  last 
summer,  we  passed  leisurely  with  our  own  horse 
and  carriage  along  the  eastern  line  of  our  State 
from  Eastport,  through  Calais,  by  the  State  road 
to  Houltou  ;  and  we  were  pleased  to  notice  in  most 
places,  the  excellent  quality  of  the  soil,  and  the 
exuberant  crops  that  were  growing  out  of  the  bo- 
som of  the  earth.  Grass,  grain  of  all  sorts,  po- 
tatoes and  other  vegetables  were  superior  to  any- 
thing of  the  Sort  we  ever  saw  iu  Massachusetts. 
The  trees  of  the  fijrests  through  which  we  passed 
wer3  larger  than  can  be  found  elsewhere  in  New 
England.  In  the  course  of  our  ride,  one  day,  we 
remember  we  came  to  a  spacious  opening,  and  our 
eye  rested  upon  a  large,  white  editice  that  we  took 
at  first  for  a  great  meeting-house.  On  a^iproach- 
ing  nearer,  and  inquiring  for  the  use  of  the  build- 
ing, we  ascertained  that  it  was  a  barn.  Its  piazzas, 
its  neat  finish,  and  its  ventillators  on  the  roof,  re- 
sembling towers,  gave  it  the  appearance  of  a 
comely  church.  It  was  on  the  farm  of  Samuel  J. 
Foster,  formerly  of  this  city,  whose  neat  and  com- 
fortable mansion  house  was  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  road.  We  halted  to  see  an  olu  neighbor. 
His  location  is  in  Weston,  a  town  named  for  judge 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


97 


of  sucli  successful  agriculture  is  equally  compi- 
mentary  to  the  scientific  skill  of  Mr.  Foster,  and 
to  the  fine  capability  of  our  State  as  a  farming 
country. 

Meuiorandum  of  crops  from  thirty-six  acres  of 
land,  in  the  town  of  Weston,  in  Maine,  cultivated 
by  Samuel  J.  Foster. 

30  tons  of  hay ;  667  bushels  oats  ;  186  do. 
•wheat ;  97  do.  buckwheat ;  40  do.  corn  ;  17  do. 
peas  ;  947  do.  potatoes  ;  812  do.  carrots  ;  21  do 
turnips. 

The  average  of  oats  was  67  bushels  per  acre  ;  of 
wheat,  32;  of  buckwheat,  56  ;  of  carrots,  1008  ; 
of  potatoes,  750. 

Mr.  Foster  remarked  that  he  did  not  think  the 
whole  expense  of  the  buckwheat,  when  threshed 
and  in  the  granary,  exceeded  12  1-2  cents  per 
bushel. 

I  think  it  may  be  questioned  whether  any  of  our 
Western  States  afford  a  more  successful  sample  of 
agriculture  than  this.  Yours  truly,        • 

T.  CusniNG. 

P.  S.  I  also  learn  from  Mr.  Foster,  that  he  dug 
from  a  field  on  the  bank  of  the  Molunkus  river,  a 
carrot  of  the  orange  kind,  measuring  four  feet  and 
eight  inches  long." 

That  carrot,  we  suppose,  is  cousin  to  those  of 
the  same  family  which,  in  Illinois,  grow  down  in 
the  earth  till  they  come  through  on  the  other  side 
in  the  Chinese  empire.  Seriously,  we  ask  any 
rational  man  where  he  can  go  in  Massachusetts,  or 
any  other  New  England  State,  and  with  tlie  same 
labor  obtain  larger  and  better  crops  than  accrued 
to  Mr.  Foster  the  past  season?  Let  this  prejudice 
against  "down  east"  be  done  away. —  Gospel  Ban 
ner. 

liSGISLATIVE  AGRICULTURAL  MEET 
INGS. 

Second  Meeting— Tuesday  EvEiViNo,  Jan.  25,  1853. 

The  second  Legislative  Agricultural  Meeting  of 
the  season  was  held  on  Tuesday  evening,  at  the 
State  House. 

The  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  B.  V. 
French,  of  Braintree. 

Mr.  Brown,  of  Concord,  moved  that  a  commit- 
tee of  five  be  appointed  by  the  chair  to  nominate 
a  permanent  list  of  officers  and  prepare  business 
for  the  meeting. 

The  motion  was  carried,  and  Messrs.  Brown, 
Howard,  of  Boston,  Dodge,  of  Worcester,  Page, 
of  New  Bedford,  and  Merriam,  of  Tewksbury, 
were  appointed  that  committee. 

They  subsequently  reported  the  following  gen- 
tlemen to  constitute  the  Executive  Committee, 
whose  duty  it  is  to  secure  chairmen  for  the  meet- 
ings, prepare  rules,  and  select  subjects  for  discus- 
sion— and  they  were  unanimously  chosen  :  B.  V. 
French,  of  Braintree,  J.  II.  W.  Page,  of  the  Ex- 
ecutive Council,  Joseph  Smith,  of  the  Senate, 
J.  W.  Proctor,  of  Essex,  and  Nath'l  Trull,  of 
the  House.  Mr.  Small,  of  Truro,  was  subsequent- 
ly added. 

Mr.  M.  P.  Wilder,  of  Dorchester,  was  invited 
to  take  the  chair,  which  invitation  he  com- 
plied with. 


The  Executive  Committee  not  having  time  for 
action,  a  topic  for  discussion  was  called  for,  where- 
upon , 

Mr.  Merriam,  of  Tewksbury,  suggested  for  this 
purpose,  Avhether  some  change  could  not  be  made 
in  the  method  of  bestowing  premiums  by  agricul- 
tural societies,  which  would  enable  them  more 
effectually  to  attain  the  objects  for  which  premi- 
ums are  designed. 

Mr.  Merriam  remarked  in  explanation,  that  he 
conceived  that  the  present  modes  of  bestowing 
premiums  failed  to  accomplish  their  true  aim, 
viz.,  improvement  in  agricultural  products.  For 
instance,  take  the  milch  cow.  The  first  premium 
is  awarded  to  the  best  animal,  without  regard  to 
the  place  where  she  was  raised,  provided  she  had 
been  kept  in  the  county  for  a  period  of  perhaps 
six  months.  She  may  not  be  owned  by  a  breeder, 
nor  kept  for  the  purpose  of  breeding,  and  was 
bought,  perhaps,  at  an  extravagant  price,  to  please 
the  fancy  of  some  rich  gentleman  rather  than  to 
improve  our  stock  of  milch  cows.  Her  competi- 
tor m  1  (  cow  raised  in  the  State,  and  by  a 
farmer  who  rears  his  own  stock  ;  but  the  former 
gets  the  premium.  Is  this  course  calculated  to 
improve  in  the  least  our  stock  of  milch  cows  ?  He 
did  not  suppose  that  the  object  of  premiums  was 
to  induce  rich  men  to  purchase  the  best  cow  that 
can  be  found  in  the  State  or  country.  The  same 
remarks,  Mr.  Merriam  continued  were  also  appli- 
cable to  working  oxen.  In  his  (Middlesex)  coun- 
ty, the  regulation  is  that  they  must  have  been 
owned  in  the  county  six  months. 

Mr.  Merriam  wished  to  have  the  intellectual 
faculties  of  the  farmer  stimulated,  as  well  as  his 
hands,  and  for  this  purpose  would  have  the  con- 
trol of  agricultural  societies  placed  entirely  under 
his  control,  and  have  him  draw  up  the  reports, 
make  the  addresses,  &c.  He  was  confident  that 
it  would  prove  of  great  benefit,  and  be  a  decided 
improvement  on  the  present  method. 

Mr.  Seth  Sprague,  of  Duxbury,  considered  it  a 
matter  of  some  difficulty  to  ascertain  how  to  im- 
prove our  neat  stock,  owing  to  the  variance  of 
opinion  which  exists  in  regard  to  the  superiority 
of  foreign  and  native  blooded  cattle.  As  to  milch 
cows,  our  native  cows  carry  off  the  premiums  as 
often  or  oftener  than  the  imported  ones.  He 
thought  farmers  generally,  paid  too  little  attention 
to  sources  from  which  their  cattle  spring.  They 
have  no  criterion,  and  when  they  purchase  cattle 
are  guided  by  no  particular  reason  in  making  a  se- 
lection, but  usually  judge  of  an  animal  by  its  gen- 
eral appearance.  We  replenish  our  stocks  of  cat- 
tle generally  from  the  droves  that  come  from  Maine, 
Vermont  and  New  Hampshire.  Hence,  until  the 
farmers  of  Massachusetts  rear  their  own  stock  it 
will  be  vain  for  us  to  talk  of  improving  either  our 
milch  cows  or  our  oxen.  We  may  select  good 
cows,  take  them  to  the  shows,  and  get  premiums, 


98 


NEW  ENGLAIND  FARMER. 


Fe33. 


but  when  the  cow  dies  there  is  an  end  to  her  su- 
periority, if.  she  has  left  no  progeny  behind  her  ; 
nor  even  then,  unless  care  has  been  taken  in  the 
selection  of  the  male  to  propagate  from.  And  in 
order  to  raise  good  stock  we  must  have  some 
standard.  If  there  is  all  sorts  of  blood  in  an  ani- 
mal it  will  be  impossible  to  tell  what  the  charac- 
ter of  its  issue  will  be.     It  is  all  hap-hazard. 

Mr.  J.  Brooks,  of  Princeton,  offered  some  re- 
marks in  regard  to  the  breeding  of  cattle.  He  said 
he  could  in  time  produce  any  characteristic  in  an 
animal  that  he  wislied,  and  that  to  any  desired 
extent,  and  with  perfect  certainty — as  color,  shape, 
for  beef  or  for  milk,  and  a  certain  quantity  of  milk. 
For  the  last  twenty  years  he  had  not  failed  in  these 
matters.  But  he  could  not  go  beyond  a  certain 
limit ;  and  he  was  skeptical  whether  any  man 
could  get  above  a  certain  maximum  ;  therefore,  if 
we  would  breed  for  any  particular  purpose,  we 
must  have  that  purpose  in  view.  There  should  be 
a  particular  state  of  feeling  between  both  animals 
in  order  to  propagate  with  certainty.  In  Europe 
great  attention  is  paid  to  this  matter  and  it  will  be 
found  to  be  of  great  importance,  for  if  wished, 
anything  can  be  propagated  that  may  be  desired. 

He  thought  there  was  one  thing  agricultural  so- 
cieties were  deficient  in,  and  that  was  a  method  of 
determining  the  comparative  value  of  milch  cows, 
exhibited  at  the  shows.  The  cow  that  gives  the 
most  milk  gets  the  premium,  while  another  along- 
side of  her  that  weighs  more,  and  is  really  the  best 
cow,  gets  nothing.  The  weight  of  the  animal,  the 
amount  of  food  it  consumes,  and  the  quantity  of 
milk  yielded  in  proportion  to  the  cost  cf  keeping 
ftnd  the  live  weight  should  be  accurately  ascer- 
tained, in  order  to  fix  the  ac{;ual  value  of  the 
beast, 

Mr.  Dodge,  of  Sutton,  stated  that  in  Worcester 
County  premiums  were  awarded  only  for  such  an- 
imals as  were  raised  in  the  county,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  bulls  and  boars,  that  may  be  brought 
in  with  a  guarantee  that  they  shall  be  kept  for  the 
improvement  of  our  stock.  They  had  been  breed- 
ing from  imported  stock,  but  could  not  succeed 
with  the  females  of  either  Devon  or  Ayrshire  blood, 
but  had  with  half  bloods.  He  had  tried  a  cross  of 
the  Devon  with  the  Durham,  but  found  it  a  very 
undesirable  cross.  He  was  entirely  satisfied  that 
unless  some  standard  could  be  obtained,  it  would 
be  utterly  useless  to  offer  premiums  so  long  as 
foreign  steck  is  permitted  to  be  brought  in. 

Mr.  Wilder,  of  Dorchester,  submitted  a  few  re- 
marks in  relation  to  the  importance  of  having  pure 
blood  to  breed  from.  By  particular  attention  to 
this  on  the  part  of  the  male,  we  may  be  sure  of 
great  advancement. 

Mr.  Brooks,  of  Princeton,  desired  to  know  what 
numbe;?  of  quarts  of  milk  it  required  to  make  a 
pound  of  cheese.  He  knew  of  two  dairies  supplied 
hj  Durham  cows,  wheye  it  took  about  nine  pounds 


of  milk  to  make  a  pound  of  cheese.  He  desired  to 
know  how  it  was  with  other  dairies,  but  no  re- 
sponse was  made  at  this  point. 

Hon.  AiiASA  Walker,  spoke  on  the  subject  of 
breeding  cattle.  He  said  one  fact  was  not  general- 
ly taken  into  account  in  relation  to  imported  stock. 
He  believed  it  was  impossible  to  raise  Durham  or 
Devonshire  cattle  in  this  country.  There  is  a  rad- 
ical difference  between  our  climate  and  that  of 
England,  which  he  believed  changed  the  charac- 
teristics of  every  animal  imported  fi-om  thence. 
We  must  depend  on  a  truly  Americanised  stock. 
He  had  some  very  superior  Durham  cows,  raised 
in  this  country,  and  unsurpassed  by  any  others  he 
knew.  But  he  had  a  little  native  breed  cow, 
(what  breed  he  could  not  tell)  that  was  really  a 
more  profitable  animal  than  the  Durhams,  consid-' 
erin^the  cost  of  keeping  her  and  the  quality  of  her 
milk. 

Mr.  Howard,  of  Boston,  rose  to  respond  to  the 
inquiry  of  Mr.  Brooks,  of  Princeton,  in  regard  to 
the  quantity  of  milk  necessary  to  make  a  pound  of 
cheese.  He  stated  that  no  fixed  rule  could  be 
adopted  owing  to  a  variation  in  the  quality  of  the 
milk.  That  milkwhich  is  lightest,  is  the  richest.  In 
New  York  it  is  assumed  that  ten  pounds  of  milk, 
will. make  one  pound  of  cheese,  or  one  pound  of 
butter.  The  quantity  of  milk  usually  allowed  in 
England,  for  a  pound  of  butter,  is 'twelve  quarts. 
But  that  milk  which  gives  the  most  butter,  some- 
times does  not  give  so  much  cheese. 

Mr.  Howard  also  replied  to  the  remarks  of  INIr. 
Walker,  in  regard  to  breeding  imported  cattle. 
He  did  not  perceive  the  distinction  which  had  beeq 
drawn  between  native  and  foreign  stock,  for  we 
have  no  native  indigenous  breeds  among  us  ;  they 
were  all  originally  imported.  The  first  cattls 
brought  to  this  section  of  the  country,  came  frora 
the  southern  part  of  England,  and  one  Devon 
brought  over  to  Connecticut,  gave  rise  to  that  nu- 
merous breed  known  as  "Farmington  reds"  ;  and 
any  one  who  has  an  eye  for  stock  can  see  that  they 
bear  to  this  day  a  striking  affinity  to  the  Devon 
cattle.  If  these  cattle  have  retained  their  affini^ 
ty  to  the  Devon  breed  for  200  years,  are  we  justi* 
fied  in  saying  that  we  can  never  ])reed  Devonshire 
cattle  in  this  country  1  They  have  been  subjected  to 
no  system,  and  if  we  adopt  an  enlightened  system 
of  propagation  we  certainly  have  every  reason  to 
believe  that  Devons  can  be  raised  as  well  in  this, 
as  in  their  native  country.  In  Naw  York,  •where 
the  speaker  had  had  considerable  experience,  the 
Devons  have  greatly  increased,  and  instead  of  re-- 
ceding from  the  Devon  standard,  have  gradually 
conformed  more  and  more  to  it.  He  believed  that 
the  fault  in  rearing  cattle,  was  in  the  map,  and 
not  in  the  animal. 

Dr.  Reed,  of  Pittsfield,  wished  that  premiums 
should  be  awarded  only  to  those  farmers,  who  di? 
rect  particular  attention  to  breeding  a  good  cQW'i 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


99 


and  not  give  them  to  men  who  happen  by  chance 
to  have  a  good  animal  in  their  possession.  In  re- 
gard to  competitors  for  prizes  for  crops,  he  would 
require  them  to  make  a  definite  statement  of  the 
mode  of  tillage,  the  kind  of  soil,  what  crops  had 
preceded  it,  the  quantity  and  kind  of  seed  that 
was  sown,  &c. 

Mr.  Walker  replied  to  Mr.  Howard,  stating 
that  he  knew  very  well  that  our  neat  stock  origin- 
ally came  from  England,  but  that  he  considered 
stock,  which  had  been  in  the  country,  for  two  hun- 
dred years  as  thoroughly  acclimated,  naturalized, 
and  Americanized,  and  fairly  entitled  to  be  called 
native. 

The  hour  of  9  having  arrived,  the  meeting  ad- 
journed. 

PRACTICAL   FACTS  FOR  PRACTICAL 
FARMERS. 

Under  this  head  Mr.  Levi  Bartlett,  of  Warner, 
N.  H.,  writes  as  follows  iot\\Q  Journal  of  Agricul- 
ture : — 

The  seed-bearing  plants  cultivated  by  the  farm- 
er, in  common  with  allother  vegetable  productions, 
are,  from  the  first  movements  of  the  germ  in  the 
seed  up  to  the  full  maturity  of  the  plant,  subject 
to  and  regulated  in  all  their  growth  by  fiscd  laws. 

Under  ordinary  circumstances,  the  results  and 
operations  of  these  laws  are  the  same.  The  roots 
possess  the  power  of  absorbing  the  moisture  of  the 
•soil,  which  constitutes  the  sap.  The  sap  of  plants 
is  a  solution  of  nutrient  matters,  saline  and  organic, 
which  have  been  dissolved  from  the  constituents 
of  the  soil,  manure,  &c.  The  sap  passes  from  the 
root  through  the  pores  and  tissues  of  the  stem, 
trunk,  or  stalk,  into  the  leaves.  The  salts  are  as- 
similated, as,  also,  is  a  part  of  the  water';  the  re- 
jnainder  being  evaporated  by  the  laavGg.  While,  at 
the  same  time,  carbonic  acid  is  absorbed  by  and  de- 
composed in  the  leaf — the  carbon  assimilating  with 
the  salts  and  organic  matters.  From  the  leaves  the 
prepared  sap  descends  through  another  set  of  ves- 
sels and  furnishes  materials  to  build  up  the  perfect 
plant  in  all  its  varied  parts. 

Nature,  in  the  production  of  the  cereals,  corn, 
wheat,  rye,  oats,  &c.,  has  two  objects  in  view  :  the 
perfection  of  the  seed  for  the  reproduction  of  its 
species,  and  the  providing  food  for  man  and  ani- 
mals. 

Prom  the  early  growth  of  the  plant  up  to  the  first 
formation  or  foundation  of  the  seed  the  plant  is 
busily  employed  in  drawing  from  the  soil,  water, 
and  the  atmosphere,  the  necessary  materials  re- 
quired in  the  mature  seed  ;  but  as  the  seed  progress- 
es towards  maturity,  the  phosphates,  salts,  nitro- 
gen, &c.,  that  were  disseminated  through  the  en- 
tire plant  are  drawn  from  it  and  concentrated  in 
the  seeds ;  and  when  they  are  fully  ripened  the 
stems,  stalks,  and  straw  are  much  more  deficient 
in  nutritive  matters  than  at  the  time  of  the  flow- 
ering of  the  plant.  But  as  the  seed  of  the  corn, 
graui,  Sec,  is  the  first  object  of  the  farmer,  and  the 
forage  of  secondary  consequence,  the  seed  is  suf- 
fered to  ripen  before  harvesting. 

The  same  or  very  similar  results  occur  in  the  ri-  i 
pening  of  the  seeds  of  the  various  grasses  cultiva- 
ted for  hay.  But  as  it  is  the  stems,  leaves  and! 
heads  of  the  grasses  that  are  valuable,   rather  I 


than  the  seeds,  for  feeding  purposes,  it  is  for  the 
interest  of  the  farmer  to  cut  his  grass  for  hay  at 
the  time  it  will  yield  the  greatest  amount  of 
available  nutriment. 

Plants,  at  the  time  of  coloring,  contain  starch, 
gum,  sugar,  and  mucilage  ;  all  of  Avhich  are  easi- 
ly digested  in  the  stomach  of  cattle — and  they  are 
all  known  to  nourish  them.  In  the  formation  of 
the  seed  the  stem  and  leaves  are  greatly  exhausted 
of  these  substances  ;  and  the  substance  which  re- 
mains is  chiefly  W'oody  fibre — a  less  nutritive  and 
a  less  easily  digested  substance. 

Farmers  differ  much  in  opinion  in  regard  to  the 
proper  time  of  cutting  grass.  But  I  find  (and  it 
does  not  require  very  close  observation  eitlier)  that 
my  cattle  are  much  more  fond  of  clover,  redtop 
and  herdsgrass  that  were  cut  when  the  plants 
were  in  bloom,  than  they  are  of  the  same  kinds  that 
remain  uncut  till  the  seeds  were  ripe  enough  to 
vegetate. 

From  the  change  that  takes  place  in  the  grass 
from  the  blossoming  to  the  ripening  of  the  seed 
and  the  preference  given  by  the  cattle  to  the  ear- 
ly cut  hay,  and  the  more  favorable  apparent  efiect 
it  has  upon  them,  I  am  strongly  of  the  opinion 
that  a  given  quantity  of  the  early  cut  affords  more 
nritriment  than  the  same  grasses  that  are  left  to 
nearly  mature  their  seed. 

But,  as  I  have  said,  farmers  differ  in  their  views 
upon  a,  proper  time  of  cutting  grass  for  winter 
fodder  for  their  stock.  I  should  like  to  have  an 
expression  of  the  opinion  of  those  who  advocate  a 
later  cutting  of  the  "hay  crop,"  through  the  col- 
umns of  the  Journal  of  Agriculture. 


•  For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

Mr.  Editor  : — Will  you  be  so  kind  as  to  advise 
me.  I  want  to  become  a  rural  architect,  and  to 
commence  at  the  bottom,  as  the  saying  is,  even  at 
the  root  of  the  subject.  What  work,  or  loorhs  do 
I  want  to  assist  me  ?  What  are  best  ]  An  early 
answer  in  the  Farmer  will  much  oblige  a  young 
friend.  Artisajj. 

North  Sanbornton,  N.  H. 


Remarks. — That  is  right.  Become  a  Rural  Ar- 
chitect, if  you  have  a  taste  for  that  business,  and 
stick  to  your  determination  to  be  a  thorough  one. 
Not  one  half  of  the  carpenters  in  the  State  are  ca- 
pable of  giving  satisfactory  estimates  of  the  cost  of 
a  common  house  or  barn. 

You  will  find  Shaw's  Architecture  a  oompleto 
theoretical  and  practical  system  of  building,  con- 
taining the  fundamental  principles  of  the  art.  It 
has  eighty- two  copper-plate  engravings,  showing 
the  elevation  and  working  plans  of  numerous  struc- 
tures. Published  by  John  P.  Jewett  &  Co.,  Corn- 
hill,  Boston. 

There  is  also,  The  Carpenter's  Assistant,  by 
Wm.  Brown,  and  the  Modern  Builder's  Guide,  by 
MiN'ARD  Lafever — ninety  engravings,  for  sale  by 
Jewett. 

The  American  Architect,  by  Johm  W.  Ritce, 
published  by  Saxtox,  N.  Y.,  comprises  original  de- 
signs of  cheap  country  and  village  residences,  witU 


100 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Feb. 


details,  specifications,  plans,  directions,  and  an  es- 
timate of  the  cost  of  each  design. 

Read  carefully  Downing's,  Allen's  and  Wheel- 
er's works  on  rural  architecture. 


THE   PROGRESSIVE   FARMER. 

This  is  the  title  of  a  work  prepared  by  Rev.  J. 
A.  Nash,  Instructor  of  Agriculture  in  Amherst 
College,  and  member  of  the  Massachusetts  Board 
of  Agriculture.  The  following  are  the  leading 
heads  of  subjects  which  are  discussed,  viz  : — Ag- 
rkuUural  Chemistry ;  Geology  of  Agriculture  ; 
Vegetable  Physiology ;  Animals  and  their  Products; 
Manures  and  Practical  Agriculture.  Under  these 
general  heads,  particular  subjects  are  treated  in  a 
clear,  comprehensive,  and  attractive  manner  ;  such, 
for  instance,  as  the  origin  of  soils ;  amending 
soils;  chemistry  of  soils  ;  growth  of  plants  ;  sour- 
^^s  of  food  to  plants;  animals, — kind  to  be  kept, 
general  treatment  of,  and  feeding ;  milk,  butter, 
cheese ;  relations  of  soils  and  crops  to  manures  ; — 
home  resources  for  manures  ;  barn-cellar  and  pig- 
pen manures ;  night  soils,  sink  drainings,  com- 
posting ;  relation  of  soil  to  the  atmosphere ;  appli- 
cation of  manures  ;  deep  plowing;  profits  of  amend- 
ing lands  ;  mixing  soils  and  rotation  of  crops.  The 
arrangement  and  explanation  of  the  chemical 
terms,  is  excellent ;  and  the  tabular  views  of  ele- 
ments, compounds,  and  salts,  are  made  more  easi- 
ly understandable  than  we  have  ever  seen  in  any 
other  book.  We  believe  the  work  most  admira- 
bly adapted  for  use  in  common  schools,  and  equal- 
ly so  to  every  young  farmer  in  the  commonwealth. 
It  has  been  submitted  by  the  author  to  the  State 
Board  of  Agriculture,  from  which  it  was  referred 
to  a  committee  who  reported  upon  it  as  follows  : 

That  studies,  of  this  description,  might  be  at- 
tended to  with  much  benefit,  under  competent 
teachers.  The  surprise  is,  that  they  have  been 
omitted  so  long,  while  so  many,  of  less  practical 
utility,  have  been  introduced. 

Probably,  the  want  of  text  books  adapted  to 
the  understanding  of  the  pupils,  has  been  the 
cause  of  this. 

The  Committee  have  examined  the  Progressive 
Farmer,  a  work  recently  published  by  Prof.  Nash, 
of  Amherst,  and  think  it  better  adapted  to  the 
wants  of  the  community,  than  any  work  of  the 
kind,  that  has  come  to  their  knowledge 
J.  W.  Proctor, 


J.  W.  Proctor,       '\ 

Edward  Hitchcock,  >   Committee. 

Stephen  Reed,  ) 


The  work  is  published  by  Saxton,  the  Agricul- 
tural Book  Publisher,  N.  Y.,  in  his  usual  good 
style, — large  type,  fine  paper  and  handsome  bind 
ing,  at  75  cents  a  copy,  and  is  worth  to  most  far- 
mers three  times  as  much.  The  omission  of  a  good 
alphabetical  index  is  the  only  fault  we  have  to 
find  with  the  work.  In  future  editions  (for  they 
will  soon  be  demanded)  we  hope  this  valuable  fea- 
ture will  be  supplied. 


GUANO. 

With  the  nature  and  uses  of  this  substance  ev- 
ery one  is  familiar.  But  where  and  how  it  is  ob- 
tained, and  other  facts  connected  with  the  sources 
of  supply,  are  not  so  well  known — and  as  guano 
has  been  productive  of  considerable  public  excite- 
ment of  late,  a  chapter  upon  the  subject  may  not 
be  devoid  of  interest. 

It  is  a  common  impression  that  the  discovery  of 
the  fertilizing  properties  of  guano  has  been  quite 
recently  made,  and  that  it  is  only  within  a  few 
years  that  it  has  come  into  use.  This  is  by  no 
means  the  case.  It  has  been  used  by  the  Peruvi- 
ans ever  since  the  discovery  of  America,  having 
been  imported  by  them  from  the  islands  on  the 
coast.  Humboldt  was  one  of  the  first  who  car- 
ried it  into  Europe  and  brought  it  into  notice  on 
that  continent.  This  must  have  been  at  least 
thirty  years  since.  It  was  at  first  introduced  into 
this  country  in  1825,  but  was  not  used  to  any  ex- 
tent, and  was  soon  forgotten.  It  was  not  until  it 
was  very  extensively  employed  in  England,  that  it 
was  again  imported  into  this  country.  Even  now 
very  little,  comparatively,  is  used  here,  as  will  be 
seen  by  the  following  statement  of  the  imports  for 
three  years : 

1849 21,313  tons. 

1850 11,740  " 

1851 23,153  " 

The  importation  of  this  article  into  England, 
amounts  at  the  present  time  to  not  far  from  200,- 
000  tons  per  year. 

Guano  is  found  upon  barren  islands  on  the  coasts 
of  Peru,  Bolivia,  Chili  and  Patagonia.  It  is  some- 
times met  with  on  the  headlands  of  the  coast. — 
Tliat  from  the  coast  of  Peru  and  Bolivia  is  by  far 
the  best,  for  the  reason  that  rain  seldom  visits 
those  latitudes.  That  derived  from  islands  farther 
south  being  frequently  saturated  with  moisture,  is 
partially  decomposed,  and  has  much  of  its  fertiliz- 
ing properties  washed  away. 

Guano  consists  of  the  excrements  of  sea-birds, 
intermixed  with  the  bones  of  fishes,  the  fleshy 
parts  of  which  have  served  them  for  food,  the 
shells  of  eggs,  and  the  remains  of  the  birds  them- 
selves— all  of  which  are  partially  decomposed  and 
mixed  together.  It  accumulates  rapidly,  first,  be- 
cause the  swarms  of  birds  of  which  it  is  the  pro- 
duct are  numberless,  and  secondly,  because  it  is 
very  rarely  washed  by  rains.  The  cfuautity  of  the 
deposits  on  some  of  the  islands  is  almost  incredi- 
ble. It  is  stated  by  Mr.  Wilson,  formerly  British 
Consul  at  Peru,  that  on  theChincha  islands — not- 
withstanding more  than  three  hundred  tons  a  year, 
have  been  taken  away  for  use  in  Peru  for  centu- 
ries, and  of  late  years  many  thousands  of  tons — 
it  is  estimated  that  there  is  still  remaining  the 
enormous  quantity  of  17,000,000  tons.  An  official 
survey  of  several  islands  claimed  by  Peru  was 
made  in  1847,  from  Avhich  it  was  ascertained  that 
there  were  on  them  over  23,000,000  tons — enough 
at  the  present  rate  of  consumption  to  supply  the 
world  one  hundred  and  seventy  years. 

In  some  places  on  the  Chincha  islands  the  guano 
is  two  hundred  feet  thick,  and  it  varies  from  that 
thickness  down  to  three  or  four  feet.  It  occurs  in 
successive  horizontal  strata,  each  of  which  is  from 
three  to  ten  inches  thick.  The  lower  strata  is  of  a 
dark  brown  color,  growing  lighter  towards  the 
surface.  No  earthly 'matter  is  found  in  these  vast 
deposits. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


101 


At  the  time  of  the  first  introduction  of  guano  to 
the  world,  it  was  generally  supposed  to  exist  only 
on  the  coast  of  Peru  and  the  adjacent  islands. 
But  its  value  stimulated  search,  and  deposits  of  a 
similor  character  were  found  on  the  coast  of  Pata- 
gonia, and  on  portions  of  the  coast  of  Africa. 
Near  the  latter  the  island  of  Ichaboe  was  discov- 
ered to  be  covered  with  thi8jvalual)leifertilizcr,  from 
which  large  quantities  were  procured.  But  the 
island  being  accessible  to  the  whole  world  without 
restriction,  there  was  quite  a  scramble  for  the  ar- 
ticle, and  the  guano  Avas  soon  removed.  It  has 
been  stated  that  tlierc  were  at  one  time  over  two 
hundred  vessels  loading  at  Ichaboe. 

The  manner  of  loading  guano  is  usually  to  haul 
the  vessel  under  a  cliff,  if  practicable,  or  if  not  the 
ship's  boat,  and  fill  up  by  means  of  a  chute  or 
long  canvass  bag  open  at  both  ends,  and  leading 
from  the  top  of  tne  cliff  to  the  hold  of  the  vessel 
or  into  the  boat.  The  work  proceeds  with  great 
rapidity  when  operations  have  fairly  commenced. 
Boston  Jou. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
EATING  THEIR  BODIES  UP. 

BY   A.  G.   COMINGS. 

There  are  many  strange  things  in  this  world, 
and  among  them  it  is  not  a  little  strange  that  a 
people  having  so  high  claim  to  the  rank  of  intelli-i 
gence  and  wisdom  as  the  people  of  New  England,! 
should  really,  in  this  nineteenth  century,  raise! 
and  keep  any  race  or  kind  of  pigs,  poultry,  or 
other  four  legged  or  two  legged  animals,  which 
can,  being  permitted,  fall  to  and  most  unsparing- 
ly eat  up  their  own  bodies,  not  leaving  ought  in 
gratitude  or  respect  to  their  reputable  owners. 
But  every  day  reminds  us  that  "Truth  is  stranger 
than  fiction." 

Being  mindful  of  the  fact  that  the  kinds  of  ani- 
mals have  been  somewhat  popular  heretofore,  and 
not  wishing  to  incur  the  censures  of  any  well  dis- 
posed person  through  any  misunderstanding  of 
the  subject  matter  under  consideration,  it  may  be 
permitted  that  a  representation  be  made,  to  whom- 
soever it  may  concern,  to  this  end  and  purport, 
namely,  that  certain  inconsiderate  and  unprosper- 
ous  persons  who  have  not  the  fear  of  poverty  be- 
fore them,  do  keep,  and  propose  hereafter  to  keep, 
for  the  occupancy  and  use  of  their  farms,  pigs, 
poultry,  and  other  living  things,  which  creatures 
have  a  most  vicious  propensity  and  inclination  to 
eat  up  their  own  bodies.  And,  moreover,  as  in 
our  judgment  the  interests  of  all  keepers  of  stock 
of  every  kind  common  to  forms,  may,  consistently 
with  the  public  safety,  submit  to  the  exclusion  of 
all  such  vicious  animals  from  the  farms  of  New 
England,  this  humble  prayer  is  most  respectfully 
addressed  and  made  to  the  General  Court  of  Com- 
mon Sense,  now  in  session,  and  from  hence  to  con- 
tinue in  session  in  New  England,  that  the  said 
vicious  kinds  of  animals  be  expelled  from  among 
us  for  reasons  which  may  follow. 

Wliereas,  there  has  come  among  us,  and  to 
the  no  small  detriment  and  dishonor  of  the  old 
yellow  hen,  which  was  a  faithful  friend  to  those 
who  lived  before  us,  various  kinds  of  ill-looking 
creatures  which  claim  to  be  liens,  but  have  none! 
of  the  comeliness  of  the  old  yellow  hen,  some  of 
which  have  their  feathers  on  wrong  end  foremost, 
and  some  do  make  most  unmusical  howlings  which' 


are  not  fit  to  be  called  crowings,  and  many  of 
these  do  in  a  manner  most  unworthy  of  all  praise, 
and  without  leaving  one  praiseworthy  egg,  cat  up 
their  own  bodies,  it  is  desirable  that  these  be  forth- 
with driven  out  of  the  farm-yard  and  out  of  the 
market-place. 

And  whereas  there  are  that  are  called  cows, 
some  of  which  may  appear  very  beautiful  without, 
that  have  become  intruders  in  many  of  the  barn- 
yards of  New  England,  which  do  not  give  milk 
enough  to  pay  for  their  daily  bread,  and,  as  a 
consequence  do  without  any  restraint  eat  up  their 
own  bodies,  it  is  desirable  that  these  all  be  re- 
quired, in  all  their  tribes  and  generations,  as  soon 
as  possible,  to  offer  themselves  to  the  butcher  and 
be  ready  to  lie  down  in  quiet. 

And  whereas,  also,  there  are  hogs  and  old 
horses,  dogs  and  dandies,  which  all  do  fixU  short 
of  earning  for  themselves  a  living,  and  most  of 
which  do  eat  up  their  own  bodies  without  modesty 
or  shame,  it  is  desirable  that  these  be  delivered  to 
such  officers  as  will  duly  execute  upon  each,  ac- 
cording to  his  circumstances,  whatever  judgment 
the  public  good  shall  require. 

ABOUT    HENS, 

Much  has  been  said  about  the  importance  of 
large  hens.  It  is  fast  coming  to  be  understood 
and  known  that  the  difference  between  the  large 
fowls  and  the  common  fowls  which  we  have  raised 
heretofore,  is  about  this.  The  large  ones  will 
grow  to  double  the  weight  of  the  common  hens, 
and  with  double  the  weight  of  body  there  is  three 
times  the  weight  of  bones.  The  cost  of  raising  a 
hundred  weight  of  the  large  kind  is  more  than  of 
a  hundred  weight  of  the  small  kind,  and  is  less 
saleable  in  market  and  less  inviting  upon  the  table. 
Before  the  large  hens  can  be  brought  to  full  size 
and  well  fattened,  they  will  much  more  then  eat 
up  their  own  bodies,  in  the  cost  of  keeping,  under 
ordinary  circumstances.  The  more  such  fowls  a 
man  raises  for  market,  the  poorer  he  will  be. 

ABOUT  cows  . 

Among  country  farmers  there  are  a  great  num- 
ber of  cows  kept  which  give  milk  not  more  than 
about  eight  months  in  the  year,  and  during  this 
time  would  not  make,  on  an  average,  more  than 
two  pounds  of  butter  each  week.  Thus  a  cow 
would  fall  short  of  making  75  pounds  of  but- 
ter in  a  year.  The  average  price  of  butter,  in  the 
country,  is  not  over  16  cents,  taking  one  year 
with  another.  This  would  give  for  the  butter  $12. 
Add  to  this  $2  for  the  milk  after  the  cream  has 
been  taken  off  and  $1  for  the  calf  at  three  days 
old,  and  you  have  $15  as  the  proceeds  of  the  cow 
for  one  year.  Now  for  her  cost.  Call  the  cow 
worth  $15  to  turn  into  beef.  The  interest  of  $15 
is 90  cents.  (Omit  tax  on  the  cow.)  Her  keep- 
ing in  summer  $5.  In  winter  $12.  Time  and 
labor  in  milking  and  taking  care  of  milk  and  but- 
ter, $8.  This  would  make  the  sum  of  $25,90  for 
the  yearly  expense  of  the  cow,  while  her  yearly 
income  is  only  $15. 

Now  suppose  that  the  cow  would  give  milk  10 
months  in  the  year,  and  for  25  weeks  would  make 
8  lbs.  of  butter  per  week,  and  for  17  weeks  more 
would  make  4  lbs.  per  week,  making  in  all  2G8 
lbs.,  (which  is  far  below  the  product  of  many 
good  cows,)  it  would  amount  to  $12,88  cents. 
V7ho  will  find  a  difficulty  in  seeing  that  one  of  the 
cows  is  a  dead  loss  of  nearly  $11  in  a  year,  and 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Feb. 


would  eat  her  body  up,  under  such  cu-cumstanees, 
in  less  than  a  year  and  a  half,  while  the  other 
would  give  a  clear  profit  of  nearly  $17  p^er  year, 
allowing  the  same  expense  of  keeping,  occ.  iiut 
makint'  $5  allowance  for  extra  expense  of  interest 
keeping  and  tending,  and  there  would  still  re- 
main a  clear  profit  of  about  $12  per  year,  or  the 
interest  of  $200,  and  a  difference  in  the  profits  ot 
the  two  of  about  $25  per  year  A  good  cow, 
with  good  keeping,  ought  to  afford  300  lbs.  or 
more  of  butter  yearly 

ABOUT      HO  RSES. 

The  old  horse  that  does  not  earn  more  than  a 
half  dollar  per  week,  the  year  round,  will  cost  tor 
keeping  and  shoeing  not  less,  certainly,  than  $oU 
in  a  year.  Suppose  him  to  be  worth  S20,  and 
see  how  the  gain  or  loss  will  be.  Interest  on  ^20 
for  one  year  will  be  $1,20  ;  taxes  we  will  ca  1  10 
c^nts;  cost  of  keeping  and  shoeing  $50  ;  making 
a  total  of  $51,30.  Service  of  the  horse  at  50 
cents  per  week,  $26.  This  subtracted  from  $51  30 
leaves  a  bill  against  the  old  horse  of  $25,30.  Ihis 
is  $5  30  more  than  the  horse  was  worth  at  the 
beo-inning  of  the  year.  The  old  horse  has  eaten 
his°body  up,  and  is  ready  to  go  about  doing  it 
again.  Pretty  soon  he  will  swallow  down  a  calf 
oravearlincr,  or  perhaps  a  small  cow,  besides 
eating  himself  up.  Whether  farmers  will  continue 
to  keep  such  kinds  of  creatures  is  a  matter  tor 
them  to  inquire  into. 

As  to  dogs  and  dandies,  they  are  generally 
about  as  much  profit  to  a  farm  as  the  itch  is  to  a 
family  of  children.  They  keep  the  farmer  scratch- 
ing all  of  the  time,  to  make  a  poor  hving.  ihey 
are  not  fit  to  throw  to  the  hogs,  and  they  eat 
themselves  all  up  for  a  breakfast  every  day  they 
live  All  the  use  we  can  think  profitably  ot  mak- 
ing of  them  is  to  put  them  into  the  poultry  yard 
to  help  the  Shanghai  roosters  to  crow. 
Mason,  N.  H. 

illeil)anic3'  Department,  ^Tlvts,  ^c. 


five  hours  and  three-quarters  !  This  is  the  quick- 
est time  ever  made  over  the  road.  Twenty-five  pas- 
sengers enjoyed  this  whirling  through  the  air. 


Bow's  Department. 


A    FLOGGING  MASTER   OF  THE    LAST 
CENTURY. 


HoosicK  Tunnelling  Machine.— A  writer  in  the 
Traveller  furnishes  a  long  report  of  the  doings  of 
this  machine,  the  substance 'of  which  is,  that 
though  difficulties  incident  to  the  magnitude  and 
novelty  of  the  machinery  have  been  encountered, 
its  ultimate  success  is  considered  certain  by  those 
best  acquainted  with  it.     He  says  : 

"It  may  be  proper  to  state  that  among  those 
who  have  witnessed  these  operations,  are  some  of 
the  best  engineers  and  most  scientific  gentlemen 
in  the  United  States.  They  have,  without  an  in- 
dividual exception,  expressed  a  flivorable  opinion 
of  the  principle  on  which  its  superior  excellence  is 
founded,  and  believe  it  will  not  disappomt  the  ex- 
pectations of  its  numerous  friends  and  well-wish- 
ers The  directors  of  the  Troy  and  Greenfield 
Railroad  Company  are  satisfied  that  its  success  is 
sure,  as  their  expectations  are  more  than  real- 
ized."  

^=-  Fast  Travelling.-The  express  train  which 
left  Boston  at  4  P.M.  Sunday,  with  _  the  English 
mails  for  the  South,  reached  the  depot  m  New  lork 
S  quarter  before  10  o'clock,  making  the  passage  in 


In  the  volumes   of  J^Iiscellanies  by   De  Quincy, 
iust  publisliedin  this  country,  the  "opium  eater 
thus  describes  Bowyer,  a  teacher,  who  rebgiously 
adhered  to  the  doctrines  contained  in  the  oldjro- 
verb,  of  "Spare  the  rod  and  spoil  the  child  :    -- 

"The  third  person  raised  to  divine    honors  by 
Coleridge   was  Bowyer,    the  master   of  Christ  a 
Hospital,  London— a  man  whose  name  rises  into 
the  nostrils  of  all  who  knew  him  with  the  gracious 
odor  of  a  tallow-chandler's   melting  house   upon 
melting  day,  and  whose  memory  is  embalmed  m 
the  hearty  detestation  of  all  his  pupils.  Coleridge 
describes  this  man  as  a  profound  critic.     Our  idea 
of  him  is  different.     We  are  of  opinion  that  Bow- 
yer was  the  greatest  villain  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury.    We  may  l)e  wrong ;  but  we  cannot  be  tar 
wron^.     Talkofknouting  indeed!  which  we   did 
at  th?  beginning  of  this  paper  in  the  mere  play- 
fulness of  our  hearts— and  which  the  great  master 
of  the  knout,  Christopher,  who  visited  men  s  tres- 
passes like  the  Eumenides,  never  resorted  to  but 
in  love  for  some  great  idea  which  had  been  out- 
raged :  why,  this   man  knouted  his  way  through 
life,  from  bloody  youth  to  truculent  old  age.    Grim 
idol'  whose  altars  reeked  with  children's  blood, 
and  whose  dreadful  eyes  never  smiled   except  as 
the  stern  goddess  of  the  Thugs  smiles,  when  the 
I  sound  of  human  lamentations  inhabits  her  tears. 
So  much  had  the  monster  fed  upon  the  great  idea 
'  of 'fioc'o-ing'  and  transmuted  it  into  the  very  nutri- 
ment of  his  heart,  that  he  seems  to  have  conceived 
the  gigantic  project  of  flogging  all  mankind  ;  nay 
worseffor  Mr.  Gilman,  on  Coleridge's  authority, 
tells  us  (p.  24)  the  following  anecdote  : 

'Sirrah  Til  flog  you,'  were  words  so  famihar  to 
him,  that  on  one  occasion  some  female  friend  ot 
one  of  the  boys  (vrho  had  come  on  an  errand  ot  in- 
tercession), still  lingering  at  the  door,  after  having 
been  abruptly  told  to  go,  Bowyer  exclaimed- 
'Bring  that  woman  here,  and  I'll  flog  her. 


Novel  School  Regulations.— A  Canadian  paper 
gives  the  following  as  the  literal  copy  of  the  rules 
tnd  rcmlations  adopted  by  the  school  trustees  ot 
schoollection  No.  14,  in  the  township  of  Nissouri„ 
Oxford.  It  is  worthy;)f  preservation  as  a  curiosity 
of  literature : —  ,    ,,       ,  ^i, 

"Thou  Shalt  not  lie  thou  shalt  not  swear  thou 
Shalt  not  speak  a  smoty  or  blagard  talk  thou  shalt 
not  steal  thy  neighbor's  dinner  his  mk  or  handle  his 
books  or  anything  that  is  his.  ,.04. 

"No  whispering  no  laughing  no  leaving  beats 
with  liberty  nor  medole  with  books  Slates  pens  nor 
ink  without  liberty  no  quarreling  no  lying  no  Swear- 
ino-  Stealing  nor  telHng  tales  out  of  schools  no  dis- 
puting no  bad  language  no  fitting  no  pushing  each 
other   in  the  mud  nor   in  the  ditch  on  the  road 

home .  ,     , 

"Any  children  coming  without  proper  books 
their  parents  to  be  no  te  fiyed  by  a  letter  if  not 
punctually  attended  to  shall  be  liable  to  be  dismissed 
from  school." 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


103 


^lnjcftismg  department. 


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an  I  wood. 


Great  Offering  of  Ileal  Estate. 

The  subscriber  wishes  to  sell  his  homestead 
place  well  known  as  the  CAT  BOW  FARM,  con- 
sisting of  five  hundred  acres,  over  two  hundred  of 
which  is  first  quality  intervale,  and  in  a  state  of 
jiih  cultivation,  the  residue  is  upland  pasturing 
The  farm  is  beautifully  situated  in  Lancaster,  the 
shire  town  of  Coos  County,  N.  II.,  on  the  banks  of  the  Con- 
necticut River.  The  location  is  one  of  the  most  attractive 
and  beautiful  in  New  England,  the  scenery  is  magnificent,  both 
in  summer  and  winter,  and  for  beauty  cannot  be  surpassed. 
The  river  at  this  place  assumes  the  form  of  a  curve,  so  that 
sixty  Jive  acres  are  enclosed  by  nineteen  rods  of  fence.  It  is 
but  one  day's  ride  from  Boston,  and  is  only  a  short  distance 
from  the  Atlantic  and  St.  Lawrence  Railroad.  There  are  two 
good  dwelling-houses  and  other  necessary  buildings  on  the 
place.  A  suilicient  quantity  of  water  of  excellent  quality  is 
conducted  to  the  houses  and  yards  from  a  never  failing  spring. 
lie  also  offers  for  sale,  a  large  tract  of  eighteen  hundred  acres 
nearly  adjoining  the  above,  mostly  covered  with  timber  and  of 
easy  access  to  said  river.  He  will  also  sell  his  house  known  as 
the  "WHITE  MOUNTAIN  HOUSE"  and  farm  of  two  hun- 
dred acres,  well  and  pleasantly  situated  at  the  White  Moun- 
tains; has  a  good  run  of  custom  during  the  visiting  season 
This  is  a  fine  opportunity  for  n  good  and  safe  investment.  All 
or  part  of  the  above  property  will  be  sold  at  a  bargain,  as  the 
owner  wishes  to  lessen  his  care.  For  further  particulars  and 
terms,  inquire  of  the  subscriber  at  Lancaster,  or  at  this  office. 

.JOHN  II.  WHITE. 
Jan.  15,  183.3.  3m*  1^ 


A>TsIiire  Stock. 


about  one  year  old. 
.Tan.  1,  1853. 


Wanted,  a  thorough  bred  Ayrshire  Bull, 
and  Heifer,  not  exceeding  two  years  old. 
Any  person  having  such  for  sale,  or  very 
likely  Calve-?,  will  please  apply  to  the  sub- 
scriber at  this  office. 

inr  Also  wanted,  a  fine  native  Bull, 
JOHN  RAYNOLDS. 


Admifiistrator's  Sale  of  a  Farm  lii 
Concortl,  3Iass. 

BY  License  of  the  Court  of  I'robate  for   (he  County  of  Mid- 
dlesex, will  be  sold  at  Public  Auction  on  S:iturday,  March 
26th.  at    1   o'clock  P.  M.,  on   the   premises;    the  farm   lately 
owned  by  Capt.  Humphrey  Hunt,  (deceased)  situated  in  Con- 
cord, Mass.,  A  a  mile  from  the  village  centre,  on  the  main  road 
to  Lowell— cofnprising   about  75  acres  of  first  rate  land,  well 
divided,  and  entirely  fenced  with  stone  w:ill,   having  thereon 
two  wells  of  excellent  water,  also,  a  spring  of  soft  water;  is 
abundantly  stocked  with  fruit  trees,  mostly  budded  and  graft- 
ed fruit,  and  a  good  cranberry  meadow,  which  yield  largely  in 
favorable  seasons.     Said  firm  has   descended   from  father  to 
son,  since  the  first  settlement  of  the  town  to  the  present  time, 
•  and  has  always  been  kept  in  a  high  stale  of  cultivation,  and  is 
considered   by  competent  judges  to  be  as  desirable  a  farm, 
both   from   quality  of  soil,  and   beauty  of  location,  as   any  in 
the  county.     Also  will  be  sold  about  60  acres  of  pasture  land, 
situated   in  north  part  of  the   town,  and    U  miles  from  said 
farm;  also,  5  acres  situated   in  east  part   of  town,  known   as 
"Great  Field."     Likewise,  two  good  cows,  small  lot  of  good 
English  hay,  one  cart,  and  a  few  farming  tools.     Immediately 
following  the  sale  of  the  above,  will  be  sold  a  portion  of  the 
household  furniture,  bedding,  <kc.,  &c.     Terms  liberal,   and 
made  known  at  time  of  sale.     Should  the  weather  be  stormy 
on  ihe  day  above  mentioned,  the  sale  will  lie  postponed  to  the 
same  hour  on  following  Monday      For  further  particulars,  in- 
quire on  the  premises,  or  to        SIMON  BROWN,  ESQ., 
Editor  of  the  New  England  Farmer. 
B.  N.  HUDSON,?    ,  ,     ...     , 
J.B.MOORE,    'I  Admmistrators. 
S.  STAPLES,  Auctioneer. 
Concord,  Jan.  29,  1853.  8t 


Bound  Volumes. 


BACK  VOLUMES  ol  the  NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER,  ele- 
gantly bound  in  Musliu,  Gilt  and  Embossed,  are  now  for 
sale  at  this  office. 


The  Farmers'  Library. 

JUST  RECEIVED,  the  following  assortment  of  Agricultural 
and  Horticultural  Books,  embracing  the  standard  works  of 

eminent  American  and  European  writers,  on  the  Farm,  the 

Orchard,  the  Garden,  &c.  &c. 

PKICE. 
American  Farm  Book,  by  Allen,  $1,00 
Farmer's  Treasure,  by  Faulkner  and  Smith,  75 
Dana's  Muck  Manual,  1,00 
Prize  Essay  on  Manures,  by  Dana,  25 
American  Muck  Book,  by  Browne,  1,00 
Lectures  on  Practical  Agriculture,  by  Johnstone,  75 
Elements  of  Scientific  Agriculture,  by  Norton,  50 
Principles  of  Agriculture,  by  Thaer,  2,50 
Practical  Agriculture,  by  Johnstone,  75 
Agriculture  for  Schools,  by  Blake,  1,00 
Catechism  of  Agriculture  and  Chemistry,  by  John- 
stone and  Norton,  25 
American  Agricullurist,  by  Allen,  1,00 
Liebig's  Complete  Work  on  Chemistry,  1,00 
Farmer's  and  Emigrant's  Hand  Book,  by  Marshall,  75 
Home  for  all,  by  Fowler,  50 
Book  of  the  Farm,  by  Stephens  and  Skinner,  4,00 
Cottage  and  Farm  Houses,  by  Downing,  2,00 
Downing's  Country  Houses,  4,00 
Rural  Architecture,  by  Allen,  1,25 
Downing's  Landscape  Gardening  apd  Rural  Archi- 
tecture, 3,50 
Downing's  Cottage  Residences,  2,00 
Fruit  Garden,  by  Barry,  1,25 
Complete  Gardener  and  Farmer,  by  Fessenden,  1,25 
Bridgeman's  Gardener's  Assistant,  2,00 
Bridgeman's  Kitchen  Gardener's  Instructor,  50 
American  Fruit  Culturist,  by  Thomas,  1,00 
Gardener  and  Complete  Florist,  25 
Florist's  Guide,  by  Bridgeman,  50 
New  England  Fruit  Book,  by  Ives,  56 
Youatt  and  Martin  on  Cattle,  by  Stevens,  1,25 
Rose  Culturist,  38 
Johnson's  Gardener's  Dictionary,  by  J^andreth,  1,50 
Rural  Economy,  by  Boussingault,  1^00 
American  Rose  Culturist,  25 
Bigelow's  Plants  of  Boston,  1.25 
Genera  of  Plants  of  the  U.  S.,  by  Gray,  2  vols.  12,00 
Gray's  Botany,  2,U0 
Parnell's  Chemistry,  '  1,00 
New  England  Farmer,  by  Cole,  1,00 
Ladies'  Guide  and  Skilful  Housewife,  by  Mrs.  Abel,  25 
Hive  and  Honey  Bee,  by  Richardson,  25 
Bee  Keeper's  Manual,  by  Miner,  50 
Bird  Fancier,  by  Browne,  paper  25  cents,  50 
Townley  on  Bees,  5o 
American  Poultry  Yard,  by  Browne,  1,00 
American  Poulterers'  Companion,  by  Bement,  1,00 
American  Fowl  Breeder,  by  Moore,  25 
American  Herd  Book,  by  Allen,  3,00 
American  Shepherd,  by  Morrill,  1,00 
Domestic  Animals,  by  Allen,  75 
Diseases  of  Animals,  by  Cole,  50 
Hints  to  Sportsmen,  by  Lewis,  1,25 
Dadd's  Anatomy  and  Physiology  o  /the  Horse,  I.UO 
Mason's  Farrier  and  Stud  Book,  by  Skinner,  1,25 
Management  of  Sheep,  by  Canfield,  1,00 
Yowatt  on  the  Pig,  60 
Knowlson's  Complete  Cow  Doctor,  25 
Horse  Doctor,  25 
Guenon's  Treatise  on  Milch  Cows,  38 
Tre.itise  on  Hot  Houses,  by  Leuchara,  1,00 
Allen  on  the  Grape,  I^qq 
Schenck's  Text  Book,  5o 
Breck's  Book  of  Flowers,  75 
Downing's  Fruit  and  Fruit  Trees,  1,50 
For  sale  at  the  Publishers'  prices  by  RUGGLES,  NOURSE 

MASON  &  Co.,  Uuincy  Hall,  {over  the  i^/ar^•e^,)  Boston. 
April  3,  1852.  tf* 


Pure  Suffolk  Pigs. 

The  subscriber  has  now  on  hand  pure 
blooded  Suffolk  Pigs  for  sale.  Purchasers 
ordering  them  from  a  distance  for  breed- 
ers, may  rely  on  getting  the  best  patterns 
of  the  breed,  curefullv  selected  from  dif- 
ferent litters.  J.L.  LOVERING. 
Quechee,  Vt.,  May  29,  1852.  tf 


Garden  Seeds. 


WE  respectfully  solicit  the  attention  of  purchasers  of  GAR- 
DEN SEEDS  to  our  extensive  stock,  which  we  offer  for 
sale.  We  have  all  the  sorts  of  Vegetable  Seeds  that  hava 
proved  worthy  of  cultivation;  also.  Grain,  Grass  and  Flower 
Seeds.  All  the  varieties  are  raised  and  selected  expressly  for 
our  trade,  and  we  do  with  confidence  recommend  them  to  all 
who  desire  to  procure  seeds  that  will  prove  true  to  their  names. 
O"  Catalogues  gratis,  on  application. 

RUGGLES,  NOURSE,  MASON  &  CO., 
Jan.  1.  Over  Quincy  Market,  Boston. 


104 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Feb. 


CONTENTS  OF  THIS  NUMBER. 

Calendar  for  February . : .•••,••••  ;■• ' "  ••";••  'Jr*^^  " 

The  Richness  of  Lnnd   proportKmed  lo  ihe  quanliiy  of 

Slock  kept-Mnck-Thorn  and  Quince  block 58 

First  Legislative  Agricultural  Meeting sJ 

Celery ti 

Compo?liiis  with  Muck - 

The  Milk  Uusiness— Expenmeuts— Bees o^ 

Convention  of  Milkmen  and  Farmers ^| 

Fanners'  Libraries ^g 

Honey  Bees • • .- 

A  Bird  Convention— Farm  Accounis "/ 

A  Query— "That  is  my  Home" . . . .  • • " 

How  they  used  to  Piow-Organic  Elements b» 

Farm  Work  for  the  Century ' 

Power  of  the  Soils  to  retain  Manures..... i'- 

Farms-Butter— A  Crack  from  the  North '^ 

Alkaline  Washes  for  the  Surface  of  Trees ^^ 

Oxen  against  Horses  for  Farm  Work ^^ 


Don't  take  the  Papers 
Farmer's  Fireside  Talk 


-Topping  Corn. 


Papers  from  Africa-Old  Apple  Trees 

Super-Phosphate  of  Lime— Farmers'  Clubs /» 

Corn-Cobs-Bees-Farmers'  Wives ' ' 

On  Barns-Birds  of  New  England '^ 

Warts  on  Plum  Trees-Northern  hpy  Apple  HU 

Milk  Convention— Consequences  ol  Cold  t  eet o^ 

Sowing  G  ras«  Seed „  j 

Independence  of  the  Farmer g, 

Glanders  in  Horses— Alum -; ' 

Lime  Water  for  Hens-The  Chestnut  Tree.    86 

Man  and  Horse  -Old  Middlesex-Uoor  \  ards 8/ 

On  producing  Fruit  Trees  from  Seed o^ 

vegetation  of  the  Arctic  Regions^ •  •  •  -  •  °^ 

"  """'  .9C 

.91 
.92 


On  Poultry— Culture  amorg  Trees 

Heath  of  Wm.G.  Lake,  Esq •• 

Mass.  State  Board  of  Agricultute-Hops 

Peach  Trees— U.  S.  Agricultural  Society ......-.•--••  ••   ■■^'i 

Manuring  Fruit  Trees-Bur.iing  Bones-Analysis  of  Soils.  ..93 

Frui"s  for  Northern  Cultivation-Keep  Exact  Records 94 

Antumu  and  Winter-Peach  Borer  plastered  up 9n 

Farming  in  the  extreihe  EhsI.. '^ 

Second  Legislative  Agricultural  Meeting ^' 

Practical  Facts  for  Practical  t  armers »^ 

Rural  Architecture ;"„P 

The  Progressive  Farmer— Guano ^^ ^ 

Eating  their  Bodies  up ^^^2 

Mechanics'  Department,  Arts,  itc -^^^ 

Boys's  Department 

ILLUSTRATIONS. 

„  65 

Urbaniste  Pear 

Steaming  Apparatus '        gg 

Bull  Ring • ■•■  •• 96 

Garden  Royal  Apple— Long  Stem  Apple 


NEW  ETS^GLAND  PAUMEE 

Is  published  on  the  first  of  every  month,  by  John  Ravnolds 
and  Joel  Noursb,  at  Qiiincy  Hall,  South  Market  St.,  Boston. 

SIMON  BROWN,  Editor. 
FREDERICK  HOLBROOK,  ?  Associate 
HENRY  F.  FRENCH,  5   Editors. 

(rr  Terms,  §1,00  per  annum  in  advance. 

rrr  All  subscriptions  to  com nieiice  with  the  volume,  Jan.  1. 

The  Farmer,  is  devoted  exclusively  to  Agricullure,  Hor- 
ticulture, and  their  kindred  Arts  and  Sciences;  making  a  neat 
volume  of  .576  octavo  pages,  embellished  with  numerous  en- 
gravings It  m:\y  be  elegantly  bound  in  muslin,  embossed  and 
"rilt  at  2'i  cts.  a  volume,  if  left  at  the  office  of  publication. 
°  ECr  Also  published  at  the  same  office  every  Saturday,  on  a 
large  handsome  folio  sheet,  the 

NEW  ENGLAND  FAB.MER,   (WEEKLY,) 
An  Independent  A^ricuHural  Family  New'Tcp^''- 

The  News  and  Miscellaneous  departments  under  the  charge 
of  WILLIAM  SIMONDS,  will  include  a  full  and  careful  re- 
port of  the  news  of  the  Markets,  and  the  news  of  the  week, 
such  as  Domestic,  Foreign  and  Marine  Intelligence,  Congres- 
sional and  Legislative  proceedings,  Temperance  and  Religious 
Intelligence,  and  a  general  variety  of  Literary  and  Miscellane- 
ous matter,  adapted  to  family  reading,  comprising  more  use- 
ful and  valuable  reading  matter  than  any  other  Agncnltural 
Newspaper  published  in  New  England.  Ev«;rything  o(  a  hurt- 
ful or  even  doubtful  tendency  will  be  carefully  excluded  from 
its  columns. 
(Ij=  Terms  $2,00  per  annum  in  advance. 
The  monthly  contains  nearly  the  same  matter  as  the  Agri- 
cultural department  of  the  weekly. 

TT  Postmasters  and  others,  who  will  forward   four  new 
ubscribers  on  the  above  named  terms,  for  either  publication, 
hall  receive  a  fifth  copy  gratis  for  one  year. 
SZr  All  orders  and  letters  should  be  addressed,  ;)os<-;)aid, 
RAYNOLDS  &  NOURSE, 
QiuNCY  Hall,  South  Market  Street,  Boston. 


rrr  Postage.— The  postage  on  the  New  England  Farmer, 
monthly,  is  U  cents  per  quarter,  or  6  cents  per  year,  to  any 
part  of  the  United  Stales,  to  be  paid  in  advance  at  the  oflice 
where  the  same  is  received. 


Pure  BKack  Spamsli  Fowls. 

_  .     r : ^v.^i^a  lilanl.- Snnni«h  T 


A  few  pairs  choice  Black  Spanish  Fowls, 
raised  from  stock  imported  this  season. 
For  sale  by  THOMAS  THACHER,  Jr.,  at 
the  Fulton  Iron  Foundry,  South  Boston. 

Oct.  16,  18.52.  3m*3 


Corn  Shellers. 


TMPROVED  YANKEE  CORN  SHELLERS,  with  and  with- 
1  out  separators.  These  machines  are  adapted  to  large  and 
small  varieties  of  corn,  will  shell  rapidly  and  not  liable  to  get 
out  of  order  For  sale,  wholesale  and  retail,  over  the  market, 
out  01  order.  ruqglES,  NOURSE,  MASON  &  CO. 

Nov.  27, 1852.  2m         


Horse  Empire  State. 

This  splendid  Horse,  which  was  the  admiration  of  all  who 
saw  him  last  season,  has  again  made  his  appearance,  and  will 
be  kept  at  MaTHES'  STABLE,  ROXBURY,  for  the  improve- 
ment of  stock.  ,     .     ,         J        , 

Said  horse  is  of  the  Messenger  and  Durock  stock,  and  is  ol 
a  beautiful  jet  black  color,  weighs  1150  lbs.,  and  is  thought  by 
competent  judges  to  be  the  handsomest,  fastest  and  best  enJir* 
horse  in  New  England. 

Roxbury,  April  24,  1852.  tf 


AGRICULTURAL 

WAREHOUSE  AND  SEED  STORE, 

qUINCY  HALL,  OVER  THE  MARKET,  BOSTON. 

THE  Proprietors  having  recently  enlarged  their  Warehouse, 
and  increased  their  works  at  Worcester,  would  respect- 
fullv  invite  the  attention  of  Planters  and  Dealers  in  AGKl- 
CllLTURAL  &  HORTICULTURAL  IMPLEMENTS,  GAR- 
DEN and  FIELD  SEEDS,  &c.,  to  theirstock,  comprising  the 
largest  and  best  assortment  to  be  found  in  the  United  &ta;es, 
which  are  offered  at  low  prices.  ,  ,  ■    ■        ,j 

Of'PLOUGHS— we  have  the  greatest  variety  of  kinds  ana 

'^'Tmoroved  Sod  Ploughs,  for  flat  furrows— improved  Scotch 
Plouohs  for  lapped  furrows— improved  Stubble  Ploughs,  which 
are  e''specially  adapted  to  deep  tillage,  or  varying  from  6  to  12 

'"sllf-sharpen^ng,  Hill  Side,  Sub-soil,  Double  Mould,  Com, 

"^  cXd^^'nlrcWr^bmith's  Patent  Lever  Gate,  and  oth 
pr^  Patent  Corn  Shellers,  with  and  without  t^eparators. 
Seed  Sowers,  of  various  sizes  and  prices.  Batchelder's  patent 
Corn  Planter,  improved.  Fanning  Mills  of  various  sizea, 
Horse  Powers,  Threshing  Machines,  thermometer  Churns 
Robbins'  patent  Centrifugal  Churn,  Cylinder  Churn,  Dash 
Churn  Corn  Planters,  together  with  almost  every  article 
wanted  on  the  Plantation,  Farm  or  Garden. 

Illustrated  Catalogues  sent  gratis  on  application,  post  paid. 

lllustratea  v.ai      -^^^.^j  g|^  NOURSE,  MASON  &  CO. 

Boston  and  Worcester,  Mass.,  Jan.  1,  1852  tf 


Dtirhaiu  Bull. 


iiii^^ 


Wanted,  a  pure  bred  DURHAM  BULL, 
from  one  to  two  years  old,  of  handsome 
form  and  color. 

Apply  at  this  oflice. 

Jan.  15.  tf 


Ice  Cutting  Tools. 

TTTYETHE'S  Patent  Ice  Markers.     Do.  do.  Hand  and  Large 
W      Cutters.     Also,   a  large   assortment   of  Hooks,   Saws, 
Grooving  and  Packing  Bars,  Tongs,  &c.  A:c. 
For  sale  and  warranted,  at  mMmUclmtrs'vfxces,^ 

BUGGLES,  NOURSE,  MAhON  &  CO., 
j^       13  tf  Over  Quincy  Market,  Boston. 


DEVOTED  TO  AGRICULTURE  AND  ITS  KINDRED  ARTS  AND  SCIENCES. 


VOL.   V. 


BOSTON,  MARCH,  1853. 


NO.  3. 


RAYNOLDS  &  NOURSE,  Proprieto   s. 
Office Quincv  IIai.l. 


SIMON  BROWN,  Ediior. 


FUED'K  HOI.BROOK.i  Associate 
HENRY  F.  FRENCH,  5   Editors. 


CALENDAR  FOR  MARCH. 

'March,  monlli  of 'iiisiny  weiilliers,'  wildly  comes 
In  hail,  and  snow,  and  riin,  and  ihrealeiing  hums. 

From  bank  to  bank,  alon-r  the  meadow  lea, 
The  river  sprer.ds,  and  shines  ii  lillle  sea." 

WiLLi.\.M  HowiTT,  in  "The  Book  of  the  Seasons," 
says  "March  is  a  rude  and  boisterous  month,  pos- 
sessing many  of  the  characteristics  of  winter,  yet 
awakening  sensations  perhaps  more  delicious  than 
the  two  following  spring  months  ;  for  it  gives  us 
the  first  announe.ment  and  taste  of  spring. 

"There  are  occasionally  mornings  in  March  when 
a  lover  of  nature  may  enjoy,  in  a  stroll,  sensations 
not  to  be  exceeded,  or  perhaps  equalled,  by  any- 
thing which  the  full  glory  of  summer  can  awaken." 
Now  the  first  signs  of  the  early  spring  appear  in 
the  snowdrops ;  they  peep  above  the  ground  and 
try  to  show  a  flower  ;  the  yellow  hellebore  and  the 
spring  crocus  appear  in  warm  situations,  and  if  in 
regular  form,  give  to  the  garden  a  brilliant  aspect  : 

"Crocuses,  like  drops  of  gold, 
Studded  on  the  deep  brown  mould, 
Snowdrops  fair,  like  flakes  of  snow. 
And  bright  liv.rworts  now  blow." 

Well  did  the  puct  call  March  the  month  of 
"mamj  wealhcrs,''  so  changeable  is  it.  Sometimes 
the  tempest  howls,  driving  flakes  of  snow  through 
the  air.  At  other  times,  the  cold  and  sleety  rain 
falls  in  torrents,  carrying  along  with  it  the  snow 
which  it  has  melted  in  the  mountains,  and  at  oth- 
er times  the  hoar  frost  lies  thick  and  chill,  and 
spreads  its  snowy  mantle  over  the  fields,  while  the 
deep  blue  sky,  and  the  sun  rising  in  the  glowing 
east,  without  a  cloud,  speak  deceitfully  of  to-mor- 
row's softness  and  beauty.  And,  in  the  beautiful 
verse  of  ^Irs.  Barbauld — 

"Hardly  now  the  snowdrop  dares  appear, 
The  first  pale  blossom  of  the  unripened  year; 
As  Flora's  breath,  by  some  transforming  power, 
Had  changed  an  icicle  into  a  nower; 
Its  name  and  hue  the  scentless  plant  retains, 
And  winter  lingers  in  its  icy  veins." 

But  there  are  interesting  proofs  of  the  advancing 
year.  The  day  has  increased  in  length,  and  the 
sun  takes  a  wider  sweep   and  darts  more  vertical 


beams.  The  buds  begin  to  swell,  the  tops  of  the 
elin  and  white  maple  thicken  wonderfully,  while 
the  catkins  of  the  willow  throw  their  elegant  forms 
on  the  sight.  In  still  days,  and  sunny  places,  un- 
der the  friendly  brush  heap,  or  in  the  sheltered 
nooks  of  the  garden,  the  warbling  sparrow  regales 
us  with  its  cheerful  song,  or  the  plaintive  note  of 
the  blue-bird  is  heard  for  a  few  moments  from  hia 
old  hollow  briinch  in  the  morning.   •• 

Then,  stronger  suns  warm  up  the  bosom  of  the 
earth,  new  forms  of  vegetation  appear  ;  the  gay 
dandalion  dots  the  reluctant  green,  and  the  modest 
violets  hold  up  their  beautiful  heads. 

Now  that  we  have  briefly  glanced  at  the  grand 
movements  of  Nature,  let  us  turn  to  some  of  our 
own,  so  humble  compared  with  her  imposing 
March. 

Books. — All  farmers  have,  or  ought  to  have, 
trees — and  they  ought  to  understand  sotnething  of 
their  peculiar  properties.  Such  as  their  compara- 
tive value  for  fuel  or  timber,  or  endurance  as  fenc- 
ing materials.  Well,  Emerson's  book  on  Trees 
and  Shrubs,  to  a  farmer  who  loves  his  calling,  is 
more  interesting  than  a  political  paper  or  the  last 
novel.  There  is  time  now,  before  the  evenings  are 
short  or  the  snow-flakes  cease  to  fly,  to  give  that 
book  a  perusal.  If  you  intend  to  clean  out  those 
ditches,  or  have  not  (juite  decided  to  get  up  50  cords 
of  swamp  mud  next  summer  to  experiment  upon 
with  guano,  or  lime,  or  salt,  these  blustering 
March  days  and  evenings  will  aS"ord  a  fine  oppor- 
tunity to  bring  your  decision  up  to  the  sticking  .- 
point,  by  reading  Dana's  Muck  Manual,  the  Amer- 
ican Muck  Book,  or  several  others  full  of  safe 
teachings. 

Science! — Is  a  humbug,  is  it?  Ah,  no.  We 
are  all  indebted  to  it  for  the  best  comforts  we  en- 
joy. No  man  is  already  more  deeply  indebted  to 
its  teachings,  or  may  still  look  forward  with  expec- 
tations of  benefit  from  it,  than  the  farmer.  It  is 
merely  making  the  head  work,  instead  of  tlie  hands. 
Its  iron  thews  and  sinews  do  not  ache  or  tire.     It 


105 


NEW  EN^GLA-ND  FARMER. 


March 


is  but  "knowledge  methodically  digested  and  ar- 
ranged—a liberal  art."  And  the  springs  of  the 
hills,  or  the  sunshine  of  Heaven,  have  been  no 
more  liberal  to  the  farmer,  than  this  much  con- 
temned science !  There  is  still  time  left  in  March 
to  understand  it  better. 

Manure. — While  the  mominga  are  frosty  and 
the  ground  frozen  for  a  fevr  hours,  the  opportunity 
should  be  improved  to  cart  out  manure  and  drop  it 
in  heaps  of  convenient  access  to  the  fields  where  it 
is  to  be  used.  The  heaps  should  be  covered  with 
muck  or  loam,  and  occasionally  overhauled,  and 
thoroughly  pulverized  and  mingled.  It  is  an  error 
to  use  coarse  and  crude  manures ;  the  finer  they 
are  made,  the  more  generally  will  they  be  diffused 
through  the  soil,  and  give  off  their  fertilizing  pro- 
perties to  the  delicate  roots  in  search  of  sustenance. 
It  is  therefore  labor  well  repaid  to  get  manure  into 
compact  heaps,  bring  it  into  slight  fermentation, 
and  work  it  over  until  it  is  all  reduced  so  fine  as  to 
be  easily  worked  with  the  shovel. 

Seed  Potatoes. — Sort  and  collect  such  potatoes 
as  are  intended  for  seed ;  also  prepare  the  seed 
corn,  and  all  garden  seeds,  that  no  time  may  be 
lost  when  the  earth  is  waiting  to  receive  them,  and 
when  you  feel  that  the  day  is  scarcely  long  enough 
to  accomplish  what  you  desire. 

The  Wood  Pile. — Money  invested  in  a  year's 
stock  of  good  wood,  so  that  it  may  always  be  had 
dry,  is  better  than  in  6  per  cent,  stocks.  In  this 
estimate  we  do  not  take  the  item  of  good  temper 
into  the  account  at  all,  but  look  at  it  merely  in  a 
financial  manner.  Then  let  it  be  cut,  split, — and 
if  it  can  be  put  under  cover  where  a  draft  can  pass 
throuo-h  it, — piled  before  the  month  closes.  Such 
fuel  has  a  wonderful  tendency  to  keep  peace  in  the 
kitchen ! 

The  Stock. — Perhaps  at  no  season  does  the  stock 
require  more  attention  than  in  this  month — espe- 
cially cows  that  are  coming  in.  They  should  not 
be  exposed  to  sudden  changes — sleet,  snow,  sun- 
shine and  high  winds.  Feed  liberally,  and  use  the 
card  gently,  but  freely. 

But,  enough  for  March.  Seed  time  has  been 
promised  us.  Soon  the  earth  will  unfold  her  am- 
ple bosom  to  receive  our  labors,  and  we  must  be 
ready  to  accept  her  favors,  which,  if  once  neglect- 
ed, cannot  be  recalled. 


in  by  J.  L.  Loyerino,  Esq.,  of  Hartford,  Vt.  These 
hogs  were  pronounced  by  tho&e  accustomed^to  the 
porkers  as  the  l>est  lat  seen  in  our  market  this  sea- 
son. They  were  selected  for  fatting,  as  they 
lacked  some  of  the  fine  points  for  which  Mr.  Lover- 
ing's  swine  are  famoua.  The  one  giving  the  larg- 
est weight  above  was  a  sow  who  gave  a  litter  of 
pigs  in  September  last. 

The  SuSblks  which  we  have  frequently  obtained 
for  our  friends  were  from  this  gentleman's  stock. 


Dairy  Woman  Wanted. — Attention  is  called  to 
the  advertisement  for  a  dairy  woman,  in  the  proper 
department  of  this  paper.  Windsor  is  one  of  the 
most  romantic,  healthy,  and  beautiful  towns  in 
New  England,  and  the  opportunity  for  a  skilful 
person  to  engage  in  this  business  is  a  good  one. 


PECULIAR  DIFFICULTIES  OF  NEW 
ENGLAND  HUSBANDRY. 

lEXTRACTS    FROM    Mr.    FrENCH's    ADDRESS  ] 

The  abolition,  in  our  country,  of  the  rights  of 
primogeniture,  and  preference  of  males  over  fe- 
males, in  inheritance,  is  another  difference  between 
us  and  England,  which  operates  to  prevent  the  ac- 
cumulation of  large  estates  ;  and  so,  to  render  im- 
possible here  the  grand  and  expensive  schemes  of 
improvement,  of  which  we  read  so  much  in  works 
on  British  husbandry. 

By  the  English  Common  Law,  the  eldest  son  in- 
herits all  the  father's  i-eal  estate.  Here  every  sod 
and  daughter  inherits  an  equal  share. 

There,  immense  tracts  of  land  are  owned  by  a 
single  individual,  and  it  is  his  pride  to  preserve 
and  increase  the  estate  in  extent  and  value  through 
his  life,  and  transmit  it  to  the  son  who  bears  hrs 
title,  while  the  other  children  are  left  landless  and 
often  dependent. 

Mr.  Colman  states  that  the  Duke  of  Portland, 
by  turning  the  course  of  a  river,  irrigates  at  his 
pleasure  between  three  and  four  hundred  acres  of 
land.  liord  Yarboro'  has  more  than  60,000  acres 
of  land  in  his  plantation.  He  has  150  tenant  farm- 
ers, and  more  than  600  tenants  in  all,  and  you  can 
ride  upon  his  estate  in  a  direct  line  thirly  miles. 
One  of  his  tenants  said  he,  the  tenant,  raised 
18,000  bushels  of  wheat  in  a  year  ;  and  many  of 
the  tenants  pay  a  rent  of  5  or  $6000  a  year. 

barren  new  ENGLAND  SENDS  FOOD  TO    STARVING    IRE- 
LAND. 

But,  while  we  are  amazed  at  the  grandeur  of  the 
estates  of  the  English  nobility,  while  we  feel  thai 
the  vast  operations  in  agricultural  improvement 
practiced  there  are,  from  the  nature  of  our  lands, 
impossible  with  us,  we  should  remember  also,  that 
600  tenants,  the  happiness  of  each  of  whom  is  of 
as  much  value  in  the  sight  of  Omniscience  as  that 
of  the  lord  of  this  vast  domain,  are  dependent, 
that  one  may  be  great.  And  we  have  a  right  to 
fell  proud,  that  New  England,  from  her  barren  hills 
and  small  and  lialf  cleared  farms,  but  a  few  years 
since,  freighted  whole  ships  with  food,  as  cliarity 
for  starving  Ireland, — with  food  for  the  tenants 
even  on  the  estates  of  English  nobles,  and  that 
although  we  have  no  great  estates,  we  have,  on 
the  other  hand,  enough  for  ourselves,  and  some- 
thing for  our  hungry  neighbors. 

poverty   of  new   ENGLAND    SOIL. 

The  poverty  of  our  soil  would  be,  at  once,  sug- 
gested by  a  citizen  of  a  southern  or  western  State 
as  the  one  great  insuperable  obstacle  in  the  way 
of  farming  in  New  England. 

If,  however,  we  had  time  to  institute  a  thorough 


Fine  Pork. — We  recently  noticed  a  lot  of  nine 
Suffolk  ho"s  at  the  stall  of  Mr.  Richards  in  Faneuil 
Hall  Market,  weighing  respectively  263,  256,  392, 
318,  351,  236,  309,  252,  and  229,  fatted  and  sentj comparison  between  the  condition  of  the  whole 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


107 


population  of  those  fertile  regions  and  our  own, 
we  should  find  little  reason  to  envy  their  position. 
I  have  somewhere  seen  an  anecdote,  which  illus- 
trates, iir-a  few  words,  tlie  peculiar  advantages  of 
the  southern  mode  of  agriculture.  A  planter  was 
speaking  of  the  large  quantity  of  corn,  and  the 
nuinber  of  swine  annually  raised  on  his  plantation. 
i'You  must  grow  rich  very  rapidly,"  remarked  a 
bystander,  "at  that  rate."  "Yes,"  said  he,  "I 
should,  were  it  not  for  one  or  two  circumstances  ; 
but  the  fact  is,  every  winter  my  slaves  eat  all  the 
corn,  and  my  slaves  eat  all  my  swine,  and  in  the 
spring  I  have  nothing  but  the  slaves  left." 


W'HEAT  CROP  REDUCED    FROM   FORTY  TO  FIFTEEN   BUSH- 
ELS  AN   ACRE. 

New  England  soil  may  now,  perhaps,  be  proper- 
ly denommated  poor,  and  this  is  partly  its  natural 
state,  and  partly  induced  by  an  exhausting  course 
ot  husbandry.  The  great  and  ruinous  mistake  of 
American  husbandry  thus  far,  has  been  that  of 
taking  icithout  giving— o?  rohhing  the  soil  of  the 
elements  of  fertility,  and  returning  nothing  to  it. 
1  his  course  has  been  pursued  everywhere  throuo-h 
our  country,  under  the  false  though  specious  ide°a, 
ot  developing  (he  resources  of  (he  comUrif. 

Railroads  and  canals  have  been  opened.     Wheat 
was  developed  in  New  England,  until  the  lands 
which  a  century  ago,  produced  abundant  crops 
now  produce  no  crop  whatever.     It   has  been  de- 
veloped in  the  fertile  lands   of  New  York,  till  the 
average  product  of  whole  countries  has  been  re- 
duced from  40  to  15  bushels  to  the  acre.     The  re- 
sources of  the  soil  of  Virginia  have  been  developed 
m  the  shape  of  tobacco,  till  the  lands  were  abso- 
lutely barren,  under  their  old  system  of  treatment, 
and  Yankee  enterprise,  with  improved  cultivation 
IS  just  now^  restoring  them  to  fertility,  making  New 
^ngland   homes  where,  as   John   Randolph  said 
Virginia  aristocracy  was  fairly  starved  out. 

THE    SAME   SYSTEM  WILL  BRING    THE    SAME   RESULTS  IN 
THE   SOUTH  AND  WEST. 

Such  a  robbery  of  the  soil,  of  the  very  marrow 
ot  Its  system,  such  a  development  of  the  resources 
ot  tlie  land,  as  freights  whole  rivers  and  canals 
arid  railways  with  potash  and  phosphoric  acid,  and 
the  other  essential  elements  of  growth,  in  the  form 
ot  wlieat,  and  corn,  and  cattle,  carrying  them  to 
large  cities,  to  be  there  consumed,  or  shipped 
abroad  and  making  no  return  to  the  soil,  will  soon 
bring  to  a  level  the  fertile  lands  of  the  West  and 
bouth,  and  the  hills  of  New  England. 
^  The  difference  is  diminishing  every  day,  and  the 
time  IS  not  far  distant,  when  everywhere  in  the 
bouth,  the  West,  and  the  North,  the  truth  will  be 
torced  upon  us,  that  we  can  receive  from  the  soil 
no  more  than  by  intelligent  culture  we  in  some 
way  cause  to  be  returned  to  it,  and  it  depends  up- 
on ourselves  whether  we  shall  pursue  a  ruinous 
course  of  husbandry,  till  our  lands  are  cursed  with 
barrenness,  like  the  tobacco  lands  of  Virginia  or 
whether  we  shall  clothe  our  hills  with  traces'  of 
beauty  and  fiU  our  valleys  with  fertility. 

NEW     ENGLAND   ENJOYS    AN    UNSURPASSED     CIVIL    AND 
RELIGIOUS    FREEDOM. 

Yes,  New  England  soil,  compared  with  that  of 
portions  of  the  West,  is  poor  and  hard  to  till,  but 
yet  compared  with  most  portions  of  the  cultivated 
countries  of  the  earth,  it  yields  a  fair  return  for  la- 
bor.    Indeed,  it  yields  already,  as  I  have   said 


enough  and  to  spare  of  the  necessaries  of  life  • 
and  if  we  sit  down  and  soberly  make  up  the  ac- 
count, remembering  that  no  other  land  on  which 
the  sun  in  his  course  looks  down,  enjoys  at  this 
moment  so  much  of  true  civil  freedom  and  "free- 
dom to  worship  God"  as  this  New  England,— that 
in  no  other  land  are  life  and  property  so  secure- 
in  no  other  land  is  education  so  generally  diffused 
—remembering  too,  that  God  has  so  ordered  it, 
that  pure  morality,  and  brave  and  honest  hearts 
should  ever  thrive  best  upon  a  rugged  soil re- 
membering too,  that  here  are  the  graves  of  our 
flithers,  and  here  the  happy  homes  of  our  child- 
hood. If  we  consider  all  thesi?  things,  we  shall 
still  take  courage  and  thank  our  Maker  that  our 
lives  have  flillen  in  pleasant  places,  and  that  we 
have,  indeed,  a  goodly  heritage. 

AGRICULTURAL    SCHOOLS. 

The  want  of  Agricultural  Schools,  and  of  the 
opportunities  for  obtaining  an  accurate  scientific 
knowledge  of  the  true  principles  and  practice  of 
husbandry,  is  in  New  England  at  the  present  day 
a  singular  circumstance  to  be  named  as  a  difficulty 
in  such  pursuits. 

It  would  seem  that  we  regarded  agricultural  skill 
as  an  instinct  of  our  nature,  that  we  supposed  this 
to  be  an  exception  to  the  general  rule,  that  knowl- 
edge IS  found  by  studious  search  for  it,  and  that, 
like  the  birds  of  the  air,  which  a  thousand  years 
ago  built  their  nests  as  skilfully  as  now,  we  had 
by  nature  implanted  in  us,  as  much  of  a  sort  of 
gift  of  cultivating  the  earth  as  would  ever  be  of 
any  advantage  to  us. 

_  Men  begin,  however,  to  regard  this  matter  in  a 
different  aspect,  and  are  getting  light  enough  to 
make  the  darkness  visible.  They  begin  to  feel, 
that  from  the  fact  that  farmers  live  apart  from 
each  other,  and  have  not  like  merchants,  and  law- 
yers, and  manufacturers,  occasion  to  meet  and 
compare  results,  and  form  systematic  arrangements 
for  future  action,  they  lose  the  great  advantages 
of  mutual  experience. 

They  begin  to  feel,  that  to  learn  from  Nature 
a,lone  is  a  slow  and  toilsome  process— that  human 
life  is  too  short  for  e;ich  individual  to  work  out  for 
himself  every  experiment  important  to  be  tried— 
that  some  Board  of  Agriculture,  some  Department 
of  Government — some  central  point  somewhere 
must  be  established,  whereby  the  results  of  care- 
ful and  continued  observations  may  be  collected, 
and  compared  and  published  to  the  world. 

LITTLE   PROGRESS    IN    TW^O    THOUSAND   YEARS. 

It  is  lamenlable  to  observe,  how  entirely  almost 
for  centuries  agricultural  experience  has  been 
wasted,  how  little  progress  has  been  made,  even 
in  2000  years,  in  many  branches  of  husbandry. 
The  Greeks  and  Romans  understood,  almost  as 
well  as  we  do,  the  uses  of  various  kinds  of  ma- 
nures. We  read  now-a-days  in  the  Agricultural 
Reports  and  journals  of  the  importance  of  mixino- 
soils — clay  with  sand — as  if  it  were  some  grand 
discovery  of  modern  times  ;  yet  Theophastus  re- 
commended the  same  thing  twenty  centuries  ago. 
Farmers  talk  about  feeding  down  their  winter  grain 
in  autumn  as  a  thing  worth  trying;  a  practice  of 
which  Virgil  speaks,  as  familiar  among  the  Ro- 
mans. 

The  science  of  chemistry  has  indeed  opened  in 
modern  times  a  book  of  Nature's  operations  before 
entirely  sealed,  giving  us,  if  not  yet,  an  accurate 


108 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


March 


knowledge  of  how  she  curiously  fashions  bud,  and  So  may  the  valleys  echo  with  your  tones,  and  the 
leaf,  and  blossom,  of  various  form  and  color,  and  hills  send  back  the  sounds  to  the  remotest  parts 
taste  and  fragrance  from  the   same  air  and  earth  Qf  ji^g  j^nd. 

and  water — giving  us  at  least  some  hints  of  the  re- '  

suits  of  her  elective  affinities — showing  us  that 
each  rootlet  instinctively  seeks  out  the  nourish- 
ment essential  to  the  plant — that  the  elements' 
which  compose  the  harvest  must  be  somehow  sup- 1     Mr.  Brown  : — Sir,  T  noticed  in  a  late  number  of 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
BLACK  KNOTS  ON  PLUM  TREES, 


plied  to  the  growing  crop,  and  that  the  ear  of  corn  the  New  England  Far /ner,  an  inquiry  by  W.  R.  C.^ 
is  but  a  new  arrangement  of  particles  of  matter  concerning  the  black  knots  on  plum  trees,  and  a 
every  one  of  which  before  existed,  and  that  Nature  reply  by  G.  B.  Slade.  So  much  has  been  pub- 
herself,  however  mysteriously,  works  with  means,  \hhed  upon  the  subject,  that  I  can  hardly  expect 
and  though  she  fashions  anew,  never  creates.  [to  communicate  anytliing  new,  yet  I  feel  disposed 

^ I  to  give  an  account  of  some  of  the  experiments  that 

THE  MILK  TRADE.  !^  ^;;.^'^  wUnessed.     The  practice  of  W.  R.  C    in 

:  cuttmg  on  the  warts  as  soon   as  they  appear,  ana 
This  important  business  is  attracting  considera- 1  burning  them,  is  a  good  one,  and  the  recommen- 
ble  interest.     The  flxcts  elicited  at  the  recent  con-;dation  of  Mr.  Slade,  saying,   "cut  freely,  sparing 
ventions  have  drawn  attention  to  the  subject,  and,iio  imperfection  of  wood,"  cannot  be  improved  up- 
.    J     ,    ,,      1  J  ion.     There  IS  indisputable  evidence  that  the  ex- 

peopie  are  surprised  at  the   looseness  and  uncer-  _„      4.u^t     e  •        t     e     -j-u^^, 

^  .^     .       ^  .^  erescences  are  the  work  oi  msects,  for  in  the  ex- 

tamty  in  which  the  matter  is  conducted.  It  islperiments  made  by  different  members  of  my  fami- 
just  as  important  to  the  consumer  as  to  the  pro-|ly,  two  different  species  of  insects  have  uniformly 
ducer,  that  the  whole  trade  should  be  regulated  by  been  found  to  inhabit  them.  One,  the  curculio, 
law,  as  is  all  other   commerce.     We  trust   that'^'"  P^^"»  ^'^evil;  and  the  other,  a  small  moth,  about 

those  who  have  taken  the  incipient  measures  to- i^^^'^^*'^  ^'^  %"  ^°'^'  ^°  H°^*V  ^j°f  l^^^i^S  t'j^ 
,  1  i-      ..      -1,  ,         ,•  11,        .      J  appearance  01  copper,  watered  with  brown  velvet, 

wards  regulating  it,  will  be  active  and  determined /j^'j^  experiments  were  made  by  cutting  out  a  sec- 
until  all  those  guards  andrestraints  are  sanctioned!  tion  of  the  limb  containing  the  excrescence,  and 
by  th«  Legislature,  which  are  indispensable  to  a; placing  it  in  a  small  box  or  glass  partly  filled  with 
fair  trade  in  the  article.  !  moist  earth,  covering  the  top  with  coarse  gauze 

The  people  of  Waltham  have  backed  up  iX-,^i^\lo  ^^io  ^&mit^\v,jin&^v^x^mes<,ji^<,.  My  daugh- 
.      ,,     /-,,.,  ,  ,r  Iters,  m  pursuing  their  experiments,  procured  a  lot 

action  in  the  Convention  by  several  meetings,  atlf^heap  glass  tumblers  and  rings  of  wire  that 
one  of  which  they  adopted  the  following  pream-|  could  be  passed  over  them  easily,  then  cut  pieces 
ble  and  resolutions.  We  hope  to  find  this  spirit!  of  gauze  large  enough  to  fall  over  the  top,  about 
prevailing  in  every  town  in  the  Commonwealth.     |  an  inph  deep,and  wound  the  edge  of  theguaze  over 

inn  i.i.1,    ^T-n  /-.  X-      1    n  •    -r.  I  the  rino;  and  sewed  it  tight,  thus  makino;  the  cov- 

Whereas  at  the  M.Ik  Conven  ion  held  in  Boston,  ^,  g,,„°,  ^^^  ^asy  to  l>e°managed.  The  maggots 
Jan.  2bth  It  was  voted  to  adopt  wine  measure  l.^^uld,  in  a  short  time,  leave  the  excrescence,  apart 
as  a  standard  measure  for   milk    also   to  petition       5^    ^^^  th^   oth^r  part  enter  the   earth; 

the  Legislature  for  the  passage  of  an  act  requiring  f.^^^^  ^^e  cocoons  came  the  moths  above  described, 
all  milk  cans  to  be  sealed.     Therefore  i  ^j^^^^  ^^^^  ^^^^^^^  ^^e  earth  were  curculios. 

Resolved,  That  we   the  farmers  of  Waltham,  do;     of  course,  we  were  exceedingly  puzzled  to  de-' 

heartily  concur  with  those  resolut,ons_ which  aim  at  ,ja,,^l,5,j,ie,,^ere  the  authors  of  the  mis- 
a  reform  much  needed,  and  when  carried  into  effect  „i,;^f     Or...  aon«nr 
will  prove  a  mutual  benefit  both  to   the  producer 
and  consumer. 


Resolved,  That  on  and  after  April  1st,  we  will 
sell  our  milk  by  wine  measure,  and  by  no  other. 

As  it  is  a  well  known  fact  to  every  farmer  that 
the  producing  of  milk  is  a  money  losing  business. 


chief.  One  season,  when  the  late  frosts  had  de- 
stroyed the  fruits,  the  black  warts  were  unusual- 
ly numerous ;  we  then  supposed  it  must  be  the 
eurculio,  but  more  recent  investigations  have  con- 
vinced me  that  it  is  the  moth,  and  that  the  eurcu- 
lio takes  possession  of  the  spongy  excrescence  for 
want  of  other  accommodations.     I  have  come   to 


Resolved,  That  we  ^.^11  take  such  measures  _  as  |  the  above  conclusion,  from  the  fact,  that  the  black 
Trhriarr              F^^^'^^er  a  flur  compensation  jknots  have  within  threeor /our  years  almost  en- 
'  I  tirely  disappeared  in  this  vicinity,  while  the  rava- 


Address  at  tue  Vermont  State  Fair. — Through 
the  polite  attentions  of  the  author,  Wm.  S.  King, 
editor  of  the  Journal  of  Agriculture,  we  have  re- 
ceived a  copy  of  the  Address  delivered  by  him  at 
the  late  State  Fair  in  Vermont.  After  a  brief  no- 
tice of  the  object  of  such  associations,  and  a  glance 
at  the  offerings  on  the  occasion,  the  address  is 
principally  devoted  to  the  inculcation  of  scientific 
husbandry.  It  is  written  in  an  easy  and  attrac- 
tive style,  abounds  with  forcible  illustrations,  and 
knocks  in  the  head  a  thousand  of  the  current  pre- 
judices.which  exist.  Labor  omnia  vincil,  brother 
King — we  shall  conquer  if  we  labor  and  fiiint  not. 


ges  of  the  eurculio  are  as  destructive  as  ever. 
Moreover,  the  excrescences  do  not  appear  until 
the  month  of  July,  and  long  before  that  time  the 
first  crop  of  curculios  have  done  their  work,  and 
undergone  their  change. 

The  moths  must,  of  course,  pursue  the  habits  of 
all  the  wood  borers,  lay  their  eggs  on  the  bark  of 
the  limb,  and  when  they  are  hatched,  the  little 
maggots  eat  through  the  bark  into  the  wood  and 
there  increase  in  size  until  they  are  ready  to  go 
into  the  chrysalis  state,  preparatory  to  their  change 
into  the  perfect  insect.  Mr.  Slade  thinks  that  lo- 
cality has  nothing  to  do  with  it.  I  think  so  too, 
but  am  convinced  that  variely  has,  for  I  have  no- 
ticed that  trees  bearing  a  certain  kind  of  plum 
were  destroyed,  or  their  limbs  killed  and  rendered 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


109 


unsightly,  wliile  other  varieties  in  their  immediate 
neighborhood  were  left  undisturbed.  So  with  the 
cherry.  The  Black  Hearts  would  suffer  from  their 
attacks,  whil«  the  Honey  Hearts  and  Red  Bigar- 
reaus  standing  near  them  would  escape.  It  is  there- 
fore reasonable  to  conclude,  that  insects  can  dis- 
cover as  different  tastes  iii  the  woi)d  of  different 
kinds  of  trees,  as  we  do  in  the  fruits  they  bear. 

I  intended  when  I  commenced  writing,  to  make 
a  few  remarks  on  the  habits  of  ants  and  aphides, 
but  my  article  is  already  too  long  for  the  value  it 
contains.  But  why,  may  I  ask,  is  the  study  of  en- 
tomology so  much  neglected  ?  Nothing  can  be  more 
interesting  or  useful  to  the  lovers  of  nature,  and 
surely,  nothing  can  be  more  beautiful  than  many 
of  the  insect  tribes,  to  wit :  the  moths  and  butter- 
flies, for  truly  has  a  distinguished  writer  said, 
"that  nature  appears  the  most  beautiful  in  her 
smallest  works."         Yours  respectfully, 

Mr.s.  Noyes  Darling 

Neto  Haven,  Ci.,  Jan.  31,  1853. 


Remarks. — It  is  a  sgnificant  and  encouraging 
evidence  of  the  interest  taken  by  ourf>eople  in  t!ie 
cultivation  of  fruits  and  flowers,  as  well  as  grains 
and  all  other  farm  and  garden  productions,  to  find 
them  replying  readily  to  queries  propounded  by 
others.  Only  two  or  three  weeks  since  an  inquiry 
was  made  by  one  of  our  correspondents  for  a  rem- 
edy for  warts  on  plum  trees.  We  have  received 
some  half-dozen  replies,  and  among  them,  the 
above  from  a  lady,  an  ardent  lover  of  the  farm  and 
the  garden.  AVhere  the  inquiries  are  pertinent 
and  the  answers  brief  and  clear,  we  know  of  no 
way  better  calculated  to  elicit  valuable  informa- 
tion. We  welcome  our  fair  correspondent  to  our 
columns,  and  trust  "the  daughters"  will  catch 
the  pure  and  natural  tastes  which  prompt  the 
mother  to 'contribute  her  portion  to  the  waiting 
world.  Well  may  she  inquire  why  the  study  of 
entomology  is  so  much  neglected  ?  It  is  true  that 
nature  presents  in  her  lowly  works,  some  of  the 
most  wonderful.  Nothing  created  is  more  beau- 
tiful (if  we  may  except  a  good  and  pretty  girl!) 
than  the  spidisr  !  Place  him  under  the  microscope 
and  look  at  his  eye,  his  spinners,  his  feet  \vith 
balls  of  hair,  his  plumage,  not  equalled  by  the  ex- 
quisite dyes  of  the  wood  duck  or  the  burning  col- 
ors of  the  flamingo!  Behold  him  work,  twist  his 
gossamer  threads  and  fill  his  distaff,  set  his  snares 
to  entangle  the  unwary  fly,  or  build  his  house,  for- 
tifying it  on  ev(?Ty  hand,  and  then  you  will  kindle 
with  a  desire  to  know  more  of  the  lowly  life  which 
you  contemn.  Spiders,  moths,  and  caterpillars, 
will  become  as  loveable  as  humming  birds,  cana- 
ries, or  cats,  and  prove  the  source  of  delightful  re- 
search and  contemplation.  We  have»8cattered 
this  seed,  Madam,  for  years,  and  trust  some  of  it 
has  fallen  on  genial  soil.  If  the  thoughts  of  the 
young  were  turned  into  the  right  channels,  there 
would  ever  be  found  at  hand  enough  for  instruc- 
tion, and  amusement ,  for  all. 


UNITED  STATES  AGRICULTURAL  SO- 
CIETT. 

The  first  annual  meeting  of  this  national  associ- 
ation took  place  at  the  Smithsonian  Institution, 
at  Washington,  on  the  2d  of  February,  1853,  and 
continued  in  session  through  two  days  and  an  eve- 
ning. There  were  present  representatives  of  the 
great  national  industry,  agriculture,  from  more 
than  half  the  States  and  territories  of  the  Union. 
These  gentlemen  had  come  from  the  various  occu- 
pations of  life; — the  farmer,  mechanic,  merchant, 
clergyman,  physician  and  lawyer  were  there,  and 
engaged  with  an  earnestness  and  zeal  that  pre- 
cludes dou')t  of  future  success.  A  common  pur- 
pose, and  fraternal  feeling,  animated  every  breast, 
l^he  main  feature — the  prosperity  of  agricultural 
pursuits — was  kept  prominently  in  view,  and  en- 
listed the  attention  of  every  person  present.  No 
fancy  schemes  or  tales  of  romance  were  enter- 
tained or  propounded — no  assurance  of  success, 
only  through  lab>»r  guided  by  intelligence — no  pro- 
mise that  enlightened  art  should  supersede  the  ne- 
cessity of  scientific  knowledge,  or  that  the  appli- 
cation of  science  should  ever  make  patient  and  in- 
structed labor  unnecessary. 

All  was  accomplished  that  was  expected.  Offi- 
cers vrere  elected  for  the  ensuing  year,  and  such 
arrangements  made  as  were  deemed  necessary  to 
promote  the  objects  of  the  society. 

Resolutions  were  passed  expressive  of  the  sense 
of  the  society  in  relation  to  the  action  of  the  gen- 
eral government  upon  the  subject  of  agriculture, 
and  committees  appointed  to  make  respectful  pre- 
sentation of  them  to  Congress.  In  the  language 
of  the  distinguished  President  of  the  society,  in 
the  closing  part  of  his  address,  we  say  that 
"cheering  prospects  are  before  us.  We  dwell 
with  pleasure  on  the  bright  future." 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

THE  CORE-WORM. 

Friend  Brown  : — Having  seen  in  your  own  valu- 
able paper,  as  well  as  in  the  columns  of  two  or  three 
other  agricultural  journals,  several  inquiries  made 
during  the  past  year,  touching  that  pest  of  Amer- 
ican apples — the  core-ivorm,  asking  for  advice 
and  information  as  to  a  remedy  or  preventive  ; 
and  as  I  have  thus  far,  seen  nothing  satisfactory 
to  myself  in  reply,  I  take  the  liberty  of  giving  you 
my  own  experience  in  the  premises,  that  you  may 
lay  it  before  your  numerous  readers,  if  you  deem  it 
of  sufficient  importance. 

I  send  you  the  information  rather  than  publish 
it  myself,  as  ours,  not  being  an  agricultural  paper, 
it  would  be  less  liable  to  be  read  by  those  whom  it 
may  benefit,  than  if  published  in  the  New  England 
Farmer. 

So  for  as  T  have  investigated  the  matter,  the  core- 
worms  of  the  apples  in  this  country  are  in  no  par- 
ticular different  from  the  piratical  apple  depreda- 
tors of  France,  England,  Portugal,  and.  South 
America,  and  are  the  offspring  of  a  brown  miller, 
somewhat  larger  than  the  mother  of  our  common 


110 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


March 


moths,  which  deposits  her  eggs  at  night  in   the 
dried  blow  of  the  apple,  when  about  half  grown. 

In  the  island  of  Jersey,  a  place  famous  for  its 
fruit,  the  depredations  of  the  "/)2;?/7m-T<;orm" — as 
they  are  there  called — is  entirely  avoided  by  the 
farmers  placing  among  the  branches  of  their  ap- 
ple trees,  sometime  in  April,  tufts  of  pea  straw, 
or  what  is  better  still,  bean  stalks,  which  have 
been  kept  through  the  winter  for  that  purpose. 
In  the  cavities  of  these,  the  miller  deposits  her 
eggs,  which  in  due  time  becomes  a  grub,  of  an  al- 
together diflFerent  character  apparently,  from  the 
apple-bred  offsprings  of  the  same  miller. 

Those  grubs  never  enter  an  apple,  and  what  few 
of  them  escape  the  keen  observation  of  the  black 
hornet  or  the  speckled  girdler,  find  their  way  to 
the  ground,  in  which  they  burrow,  lying  dormant 
for  about  ten  months,  when  they  become  changed 
to  millers  in  time  for  the  next  crop  of  apples. 

I  have  seen  in  the  island  of  Jersey,  the  apples 
from  a  tree  unprotected  by  the  simple  precaution 
mentioned,  literally  alive  with  worms,  while  those 
of  all  the  other  trees  in  the  same  orchard  were  en 
tirely  free  from  the  plague. 

I  have  tried  the  experiment  in  South  America 
frequently,  with  the  most  complete  success  ;  and 
as  I  believe  the  North  American  worm  is  identical 
with  the  apple-worm  of  other  countries,  I  would 
advise  that  farmers  generally  try  the  experiment. 
It  does  not  cost  much,  and  if  successful,  is  just  as 
good  as  a  more  expensive  i-emedy. 

I  am  Dear  Sir,  very  respectfully, 

Geo.  S.  Raymond. 

Office  JVorthern  Light, 
Hallowell,  Me.,  Feb.,  1853. 


Remarks. — Thank  you,  friend  Raymond,  for  the 
above.  We  shall  try  it.  If  it  is  a  remedy,  it  is 
one  of  those  simple  ones  which  all  may  have. 


For  the  New  Eng-land  Farmer. 
CHINESE  FARMING. 

This  oldest  and  most  populous  country  in  the 
world,  if  I  am  rightly  informed,  has  the  least  sup- 
ply of  cattle  of  any  other  nation,  ancient  or  modern, 
where  agriculture  has  been  successfully  and  sys 
tematically  pursued.  How  they  replenish  their 
soil  century  after  century,  in  the  absence  of  one  of 
the  main  sources  of  producing  manures  in  all  other 
countries,  has  long  been  to  me  a  most  embarrassing 
question,  and  one  object  in  this  communication  is 
to  solicit  some  remarks  on  this  subject,  from  some 
of  your  correspondents,  who  are  adequate  to  the 
task. 

I  have  been  told  that  they  have  the  art  of  im- 
parting fertilizing  properties  to  heaps  or  vaults  of 
earth,  which  serve  as  a  substitute  for  the  composts 
of  other  countries.  What  chemical  agents  they 
employ  for  this  purpose  may  be  useful  for  us  to 
know. 

I  have  seen  it  stated  that  all  old  lime  and  mor- 
tar is  by  them  carefully  preserved  for  manuring 
purposes.  This  policy  I  can  understand,  as  I 
adopted  it  to  advantage  long  before  I  read  of  it 
among  this  people,  and  was  not  a  little  gratified 
thit  I  had  stumbled  upon  a  course  which  these  in- 
genious cultivators  from  time  immemorial  have 
pursued. 

The  ^-ay  I  came  to  think  of  making  use  of  an 
article  so  dry,  and  apparently  dead  and  worthless, 


was  from  seeing  how  strong  a  lie  it  would  produce 
after  being  soaked  in  water  for  a  short  time.  Aa 
lime  was  difficult  to  be  procured  except  in  casks, 
at  too  high  a  price  for  farming  purposes,  and  as  I 
was  satisfied  my  land  needed  the  article,  and  as  a 
number  of  my  neighbors  were  making  large  re- 
pairs on  their  buildings,  I  daily  obtained  the  priv- 
ilege of  removing  what  no  one  accounted  of  any 
value.  I  soon  carried  off  hundreds  of  loads,  at 
first  somewhat  at  a  venture.  Some  of  it  I  left  in 
heaps,  mixed  with  earth  for  future  use  ;  most  of 
it,  however,  I  spread  on  the  land,  lumps,  flakes, 
and  all,  where  they  melted  away  by  degrees,  in 
the  course  of  a  few  years.  After  this  preparation, 
a  much  less  quantity  of  other  manures  was  needed 
for  a  good  production. 

A  Chinaman  will  sometimes  replaster  his  house 
sooner  than  he  would  otherwise  do,  for  the  sake  of 
getting  the  old  refuse  for  his  land.  But  this  can 
afford  but  a  scanty  supply,  and  after  all,  the  ques- 
tion comes  up,  how  have  the  Chinese  kept  their 
lands  in  a  productive  state,  for  so  many  centuries, 
with  so  few  facilities  for  enricliing  them,  which  are 
known  to  us?  The  natural  richness  of  the  most 
exuberant  soils  will  in  process  of  time  be  dimin- 
ished, and  they  must  be  replenished  by  some  fer- 
tilizing process,  or  scanty  crops  will  be  the  portion 
of  the  cultivator.    . 

I  am  aware  that  rice  is  the  staple  article  for  food 
in  China,  as  well  as  in  most  parts  of  eastern  Asia, 
for  the  growth  of  which  I  believe  manure  is  not 
needed,  as  all  rice  lands  must  not  only  be  watered, 
but  overflowed  a  portion  of  the  year.  The  /nodus 
operandi  in  the  growing  of  this  crop  I  conclude 
is  similar  in  all  countries.  The  fields  in  the  first 
place  must  be  entirely  level,  and  they  must  be  ac- 
cessible to  water,  which  must  be  let  on  and  off  at 
different  times,  after  the  seed  is  sown.  In  the 
southern  States,  the  rice  fields  are  mostly  adjoining 
fresh  water  rivers,  where  the  tides  rise  and  fall 
suflBciently  for  thesupply  of  the  fields.  This  is  the 
ordinary  way  of  growing  rice  in  this  country.  But 
in  some  cases  they  lay  up  water  in  rainy  seasons 
to  be  let  on  when  it  shall  be  required. 

In  India  I  am  told  this  method  is  usually  prac 
ticed,  and  in  China  the  same  course  is  probably 
pursued. 

As  to  the  growing  of  the  tea  plant,  I  am  wholly 
unimformed  respecting  the  kind  of  soil  or  dressing 
it  requires. 

But  a  large  portion  of  China  is  in  too  high  a 
latitude  for  the  culture  of  either  rice  or  tea,  and 
the  question  still  returns  : 

How  have  the  Chinese  managed  to  keep  their 
lands  in  a  productive  condition  for  so  many  centu- 
ries, with  so  few  cattle,  and  without  the  usual 
fiicilities  for  producing  manures  which  are  common 
to  all  other  highly  cultivated  regions? 

Agricola. 

Elijah  M.  Reed,  of  Tcwksbury,  informs  us  that 
he  is  now  making  butter  from  his  Ayrshire  cow, 
and  obtains  one  pound  from  four  quarts  of  milk  ! 
She  was  Tm  exhibition  at  the  Middlesex  Show  in 
October  last,  and  was  then  an  animal  of  fine  ap- 
pearance. He  did  not  state  to  us  the  manner  of 
feeding  in  obtaining  this  product.  One  cow  pro- 
ducing this  amount  must  be  of  as  much  value  as 
two,  at  least,  ordinary  cows. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  lARMER. 


Ill 


For  the  New  En^laKcl  Farmer. 
THE  CULTIVATION  OF  FLOWERS. 

liV   J.    REVNOLDS,    M.    D. 

Said  an  excellent  and  kind-hearted  old  man  to 
me,  one  day,  on  observing  some  flowersinthe  win- 
dow, "I  love  to  see  these  about  a  house.  They 
shew  that  there  is  good  feeling  within,  that  there 
is  taste,  a  regard  for  the  feelings  of  others,  that 
the  mind  is  not  wholly  wrapped  up  in  love  orself." 
And  is  it  not  so  ?  \V  here  you  see  a  fine  collection 
of  flowers  in  or  about  a  house,  well  trained  and 
cultivated,  and  where  you  see  the  daughters,  aye, 
and  the  sons  too,  taught  to  love  them  and  watch 
over  them  and  protect  them  from  enemies  and  in- 
juries, do  you  not  feel  assured  that  the  mistress  of 
the  house  is  a  lady  of  taste,  that  she  has  an  eye 
for  the  beauties  of  nature,  that  slie  has  other 
sources  of  pleasure  besides  money  and*dress  and 
display  ?  Do  you  not  feel  that  she  has  a  soul  en- 
dowed with  some  of  the  finer  sensibilities  of  our 
nature,  and  that  she  is  developing  and  cultivat- 
ing these  sensibilities  in  her  children  ?  Do  you 
not  expect  to  find  in  the  mind  of  the  woman  who 
has  a  love  for  these  delicate  and  beautiful  oVijects 
of  nature,  a  nice  sense  of  propriety,  a  strong  and 
ardent  love  of  truth,  and  a  keen  and  quick  percep- 
tion of  moral  beauty?  Would  you  not  commit 
your  daughters  to  the  instruction  of  the  woman 
who  possesses  a  strong  love  for  fiowers,  other 
things  being  equal,  rather  than  to  her  who  has  no 
taste  for  their  delicate  forms,  and  blushing  and  al- 
most speaking  beauties  ? 

I  have  been  in  the  habit  of  associating  a  love 
for  flowers,  and  for  the  more  delicate  beauties  of 
nature,  with  all  that  is  refined  and  tender  and 
lovely  in  woman, and  indeed,  it  is  because  there  is  a 
finer  tone  in  the  feelings  of  the  female  heart,  that 
she  so  much  more  frequently  than  man  possesses  a 
keen  relish  for  the  modest  pearl  drops,  the  bvil- 
Kant  gems,  the  delicate  hues,  the  rich,  blushing 
tints,  the  beautiful  commingling  of  light  and  shade, 
which  the  pencil  of  nature  has  scattered  so  pro- 
fusely around  us. 

Man  seizes  the  bolder  and  stronger  features  of 
the  landscape — the  noble  tree — the  lofty  moun- 
tain— the  broad  expanse — the  flowing  river — the 
rolling  wave  ;  but  woman  instinctively  loves  the 
flowers.  They  speak  to  her  heart,  and  commune 
with  it  in  language  of  their  own,  of  all  that  is  ten- 
der, and  gentle  and  kind  and  provident  and  pa- 
tient and  loving  in  nature,  and  she  feels  that  her 
heart  is  made  better  by  the  sweet  communion,  and 
she  is  inspired  by  it  with  strength  and  patience 
and  fitness  for  the  tasks  of  life.  They  are  the 
beautiful  and  most  appropriate  instruments  em- 
ployed by  her  kind  Father  al)ove  to  give  birth  to 
loving  thoughts  in  her  heart,  from  which  over- 
flow to  all  around  her,  gentle  words  and  the  sweet 
chacities  of  life. 

There  is  nothing  more  fascinating  to  the  heart 
of  a  true  woman,  than  the  cultivation  of  flowers. 
When  the  fondness  for  it  is  indulged,  it  may  be- 
e©me  a  passion,  and  absorb  time  and  thoughts  due 
to  other  duties.  But  among  our  fair  country-wo- 
men, such  instances  are  but  rarely  seen.  The 
error  is_ usually  in  the  opposite  direction.  Suffi- 
cient time  and  attention  are  not  given  to  this 
charming  pursuit;  a  pursuit  full  of  beauty  and 
health  for  the  body  and  of  improvement  to  the 
mind  and  the  heart. 


Let  husbands  and  fathers  see  to  it  that  they 
never  discourage  a  taste  for  the  cultivation  of  flow- 
ers. Rather  let  them  furnish  all  the  facilities 
within  their  power.  Every  wife  and  every  daugh- 
ter, however  lowly  her  lot  in  life,  may  cherish  a 
rose  or  train  a  sweet  pea  or  a  morning  glory.  Let 
no  father  or  husband  frown  upon  such  an  exhibi- 
tion of  taste  and  love  for  nature,  as  he  values  a 
sunny  smile,  a  cheerful  tone,  a  gentle  word,  and 
a  loving  heart. 

Every  farmer  can  provide  the  neat  border,  or 
the  warm  sunny  patch,  (and  let  him  not  grudge 
the  time  or  labor  of  its  preparation)  where  the 
modest  crocus,  the  lily  of  the  valley,  the  sweet 
violet,  and  the  gay  tulip  may  spring  up  to  meet 
the  coming  birds,  where  the  mignionette — the 
sweet  balsam,  the  pink  and  the  rose  may  mingle 
their  perfumes  at  dewey  eve,  and  the  rich,  ever- 
varying  tints  of  the  amaranth,  the  dahlia,  the  as- 
ter and  the  chrysanthemum,  may  recall  the  more 
delicate  hues  and  the  sweeter  blossoms  o-f  spring. 
There  shall  lessons  of  gentleness,  of  cheerfulness, 
of  contentment,  of  love  of  home,  be  read  by  lov- 
ing eyes,  and  garnered  up  with  the  heart's  trea- 
sures, in  the  store  house  of  memory,  to  be  repeat- 
ed around  the  cheerful  liearth — when  the  wintry 
blasts  and  the  drifting  snows,  shall  have  rendered 
alike  bleak  and  desolate,  the  garden  and  the  field. 
And  when  the  frosts  of  age  shall  have  whitened 
the  locks  and  furrowed  the  brow,  the  sweet  scenes 
of  youth,  still  fragrant  with  the  breath  of  flowers, 
shall  gush  up  from  the  deep  memories  of  the  past. 
The  influence  of  flowers  upon  the  young  heart  is 
never  wholly  lost. 

'You  may  break,  you  may  ruin  the  vase  if  you  will, 
But  the  scent  of  the  roses  will  hang  round  it  stiil." 

Concord,  Feb.,  1853.  J.  R. 


For  the  New  En^iand  Farmer. 

BRISTOL  COUNTY  AGRICULTURAL  SO- 
CIETY. 

Transactions  for  the  Year  1852. 

No  publication  of  this  kind  has  impressed  me  so 
fixvorably  as  this  pamphlet  of  seventy-two  pages. 
The  first  thirty  pages  contains  the  finished  address 
of  Mr.  Winthrop;  which,  although  it  may  not 
guide  the  farmer  in  the  operations  upon  his  field, 
presents  such  general  topics  for  reflection,  in  a 
style  so  chaste,  that  it  will  be  read  again  and  again 
with  instruction.  The  farmer  cannot  fail  to  be 
encouraged  in  his  laborious  pursuit,  when  he  finds 
men  like  Wintlirop,  rage,and  others,  ready  to  lend 
a  helping  hand. 

Among  the  Reports  in  this  pamphlet,  my  atten- 
tion was  particularly  arrested,  by  (me  on  "Orna- 
mental and  Forest  Trees."  For  thirly  years,  I 
have  seen  premiums  oflered  on  this  subject ;  l)ut  I 
have  never  before  seen  anything,  that  so  nearly 
approximated  to  practical  utility,  as  the  sugges- 
tions of  this  writer.  1  hope  they  will  be  era- 
bodied  in  the  State  abstract,  and  be  the  means  of 
difl"asing  an  agreeable  shade  through  all  our  vil- 
lages. On  jiage  35,  I  notice  Mr.  Leonard's  crop 
of  corn,  yielding  more  than  one  hundred  husheh  to 
the  acre.  If  such  things  can  be  done  in  the  shal- 
low soils  of  Bristol  and  Plymouth  ; — shame  upon 
the  farmerrs  in  counties  with  better  soils,  who  re- 
main content  with  crops  of  half  this  amount.  _Mr. 
Leonard  plowed  his  land  nine  inches  deep  ;  might 
not  this  operation  be  one  of  the  reasons  of  his  good 


112 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


March 


crop^  nertain  am  T,  when  land  is  thus  plowed, 
and  properly  manured,  it  is  better  prepared  to  en- 
counter the  drought  of  August  and  .September, 
than  in  any  other  way.  My  particular  oljject  in 
taking  pen  in  hand,  was  to  commend  tlie  neat  ap- 
pearance of  this  pampldet ;  compared  with  many 
others  I  Jiave  seen,  it  is  much  their  superior. 
Feb.  4th,  1853.  ?■ 


COUNTY  AGRICULTURAL.  TRANSAC- 
TIONS. 

Plvmoutii  County  Society. — A  neat  volume  of 
6^  pages  ;  the  Address  was  by  CoL  Pase^  of  New 
Bedford. 


Bristol  Co.  Society. — Address  by  Robert  C. 
AViNTHROP,  Boston.  Printed  elegantly  and  contains 
71  pages. 

Worcester  Co.  Society. — In  addition  to  the 
usual  transactions,  this  volaine  contains  the  re- 
port of  the  committee  on  feeding  stock,  which  we 
published  at  length  in  the  Farimr  last  year.  Ad- 
dress by  Prof.  Mapes,  of  New  Jersey. 

We  thank  the  donors,  respectively,  for  these 
pamphlets,  and  hope  to  receive  them  from  each 
county  in  the  Sfcat-3,  as  they  are  valuable  books  of 
reference  for  us  tlirough  the  year.  We  had  re- 
ceived them  from  N'urfikand  Essex,  but  they  have 
been  taken  from  oar  table. 


HiLiSBORo',  N.  H.,  StK'iETY. — Through  the  po- 
liteness of  Brooks  Shattuck,  Esq.,  we  have  the 
Address  of  Gov.  Boutwem^  before  this  Society  on 
September  last.  We  give  a  few  extracts,  all  we 
can  find  room  for  at  proaeut.  Every  line  of  it 
ought  to  be  spre  id  broad-cast  before  the  people. 
We  hope  to  refer  to  it  again. 

Agriculture  is  a  labori  nia  occupation,  yet  it 
tempts  men  of  alt  ages  and  conditions  from  marts 
o-f  business,  closets  of  study  and  palaces  of  wealth 
and  luxuriance,  to  its  quiet  and  ennobling  paths 
and  pursuits.  If  your  State  has  not  made  so  rap- 
id progress  in  wealtli  and  ntuiil>ers  as  some  other 
members  of  the  confederacy,  the  disparity  may 
well  bo  setoff  by  the  advantages  of  an  agricultural 
and  mechanical  p  )pulatiin  whose  liahitsand  phys- 
ic.d  systems  eoiTcspond  m.ire  nearly  with  the 
frugality  and  hardihood  of  earlier  times.  Civil- 
ization is  not  any  where  an  unmixed  good,  and 
though  the  wealth  of  cities  may  encourage  a  taste 
for  literature  and  the  fine  arts,  the  chief  depend- 
ence must  stiil  be  upon  the  coasts  of  tlie  ocean  and 
the  agricult,uv:il  distrirts  fir  our  groat  men.  Your 
state  it>  to  Xcv  Rnglanl,  what  Sparta  was  to 
Gree.-e.  »  *  *•  * 

Men  ar.;  u  -t  r.  unpens  iti'd  so  much  for  the  phys- 
ical streagtii  (>f  t'leir  ar.ii,^,  as  for  the  genius  and 
power  of  t'leir  heads.  In  no  country  has  the  igno- 
rant 1  lb  Ter  ev<!r  been  a  will  paid  lal>  .rer,  and 
wit'i  a  reasonable  appr  isiiaation  to  trutli  it  may 
be  said  that  in  no  country  has  the  well  educated, 
industrious  man  ever  been  without  the  means  of 
subsistence.  And  wherever  the  mass  of  lalx)rers 
aro  ignorant,  the  failure  of  one  branch  of  bushiess 
or  the    loss  of  a  particular   crop,  is  sure  to  be  fol- 


lowed by  distress  and  famine.  But  in  an  intelli- 
gent community  such  a  calamity  is  only  partial, 
temporary,  and  befjre  the  frosted  leaf  decays  in- 
dustry and  competency  return.  There  is  a  vitality 
and  confidence  and  intelligence  which  enables  its 
posses-sor  to  rise  above  tlie  ordinary  ills  of  life, 
ralont  and  genius  are  every  where  appreciated. 
[n  Ireland,  a  man  suited  to  take  charge  of  a  man- 
ufacturing establishment  will  command  as  great 
wages  as  in  England.  But  a  country  can  only  be 
truly  prosperous  v.hen  its  entire  laboring  popula- 
tion is  well  educated,  for  there  is  no  employment 
for  which  an  ignorant  man  is  so  well  fitted  as  an 
intelligent  man.  It  no  doubt  ha.s  happened  that 
the  education  of  the  schools,  and  more  especially 
the  education  of  society,  has  tainted  the  public 
mind  with  the  idea  that  labor  is  discreditable. 
Labor  is  JionaraMe.  It  slionld  ha  so  regarded  and 
taught  everywhere.  Not  this  labor  or  that  only, 
but  every  form  and  variety  which  adds  to  the 
wealth,  or  promotes  the  comfort  of  society.  He 
only  is  discredited  whom  a  false  pyide  has  raised 
above  honest  industry,  or  he  who  is  not  qualified 
for  the  sphere  he  has  cliosen.  Parents  sometimes 
express  the  hope  that  their  children  may  live  with- 
out work.  Hope  so  no  longer, — but  hope  only 
that  your  children  may  live  by  work.  *  *  * 
111  view  of  the  progress  which  the  human  mind 
has  made  we  may  say  that  there  is  no  limit  to  its 
cap.^city.  It  has  not  numbered  the  hairs  of  the 
head,  but  worlds  it  has  Aveighed  as  in  a  balance 
The  powers  of  nature,  fiir  from  being  exhausted, 
are  not  even  known.  Nothing  is  created  in  vain. 
Everything  we  behold  in  some  way  will  minister 
to  the  wants  of  men.  The  work  of  creation  goes 
on.  The  mountains  of  rock  and  the  deserts  of 
sand  shall  yet  develope  their  wealth.  The  gene- 
rations and  races  of  men  succeed  each  other,  but 
the  earth's  capacity  is  not  diminished  by  their 
existence.  And  Avhat  a  beautiful  provision  of 
nature  is  this,  that  the  intelligent  cultivation  of 
the  land  does  not  exhaust  but  enriches  it !  Thus 
a  farmer  for  fifty  years  may  sow  and  reap  and 
gather  into  barns,  his  products  annually  increasing 
and  nature  freely  and  continually  giving  nev? 
pledges  for  the  bounties  of  the  future.  •  It  is  only 
the  indolent  or  ignorant  man  who  exhausts  nature. 
But  the  farmer  as  well  as  the  mechanic  needs  to 
be  educated. 

TO  CORRESPONDBNTS. 

During  the  winter  season  we  usually  receive  lib- 
eral contributions  from  our  intelligent  correspond- 
ents. Such  is  the  case  at  present.  We  are  thank- 
ful for  their  attentions,  and  will  publish  as  fast  as 
our  space  will  permit,  exercising  our  judgment  as 
to  the  most  appropriate  time  for  each.  Many  of 
you  will  still  find  opportunity,  during  the  bluster- 
ing March,  to  add  to  the  store  for  summer  use! 

•  'l"o  J.  D.,  Ontario,  Ohio.  We  have  known  par- 
tially decayed  potatoes  fed  to  cows,  without  inju- 
ry, a  few  at  each  feed.  You  can  ascertain  their 
value  by  using  them  for  a  time  with  one  or  two  of 
your  cows.  If  they  are  generally  decayed,  they 
cannot  be  of  service,  and  might  be  injurious.  Tast- 
ing the  milk  Avill  detect  an  unusual  flavor  if  there 
is  any ;  if  the  milk  has  it,  of  course  it  would  be 
imparted  to  the  butter. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


113 


THE  AM  JRICAN  CRAB  APPLE. 

We  manifest  our  appreciation  of  friend  Fow- 
ler's kindness  in  sending  us  specimens  of  the 
American  Crab  Apple,  the  first  we  had  ever  seen, 
by  procuring  the  above  engraving,  which  is  a  per- 
fect portrait.  The  fjllowing  description  is  from 
Mr.  Fowler. 

Dear  Sir  : — I  send  you  some  specimens  of  the 
species  of  wild  apples,  found  in  the  greatest  abun- 
dance in  the  mor^;  southern  portion  of  our  union. 
It  is  peculiar  to  this  country,  being  distinct  from 
the  common  applj  we  cultivate,  this  being  found 
in  the  temperate  parts  of  Europe  and  Asia.  It  is 
indigenous  in  the  Western  and  Middle  States,  and] 
does  not  occur  in  Massachusetts.  It  is  first  seen 
in  New  York,  which  is  probably  not  far  from  its 
northern  limits.  It  would  probably  be  an  inter 
estingtree  in  the  f];arden,  being  distinguished  for  its 
dwarfish  habit,  its  beautiful  rose-colored  flowers, 
diffusing  a  delightful  odor  all  around,  and  its  green 
fragrant  fruit,  it  can  be  propagated  from  seed, 
or  by  budding,  or  grafting  it  upon  the  stock  of  the 
common  apple  tree.  The  fruit,  as  you  will  perceive, 
is  small,  and  very  sour,  but  it  is  capable  of  being 
made  into  a  fine  preserve  with  the  addition  of  su- 
gar. Yours,  &c.,        S.  P.  Fowler. 

Danvcrsport,  Jan.,  1853. 


5^^  Young  persons  often  err  grievously,  when 
they  suppose  certain  practices  to  be  safe  because 
others  have  pursued  them  without  apparent  harm. 
For  many  men  of  fair  exterior  suffer  from  infirmi- 
ties known  to  few.  Those  who  cite  their  example 
■would  often  be  dismayed  if  they  knew  tlieir  condi- 
tion. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
B2RD3  OF  NSW  SNGLAND. 
THEIR  PAST  AND  PRESENT  IHSTORY.  ...No.  2. 
BY   S.    P.    FOWLER. 

The  belief,  that  swallows  became  torpid  at  the 
approach  of  winter,  and  buried  themselves  at  the 
bottom  of  ponds,  belongs  to  the  past  history  of 
our  birds,  being  very  generally  believed  by  orni- 

tlrologists,  previous  to  the   nineteenth  century. 

Mr.  Foster,  in  his  "  Natural  History  of  Swallows  " 
says,  there  is  perhaps  no  subject  in  natural  histo- 
ry, which  has  more  engaged  the  attention  of  nat- 
uralists, in  all  ages,  than  the  brumal  retreat  of 
the  swallow.  Neither  is  there  any  subject,  on 
which  more  various  and  contrary  opinions  have 
been  entertained.  ' 

The  reader  may  learn  the  interest  which  the 
subject  of  the  winter  retreat  of  the  swallow  l)as 
excited,  when  he  reflects,  that  few  natural  histo- 
rians, from  the  time  of  Aristotle  to  our  days,  have 
omitted  the  discussion  of  this  subject.  It  has  fre- 
quently been  alluded  to,  by  the  ancient  bards  ;  and 
even  poems  have  been  written  upon  it.  In  the 
library  of  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  is  a  curious  one  in 
Latin  hexameters,  written  in  Holland,  on  the'oc- 
casion  of  a  swallow  being  found  torpid,  in  an  old 
tree.  In  Prussia,  and  some  of  the  northern  coun- 
tries, was  the  question  of  the  place  of  their  re- 
treat considered  of  so  mucli  importance,  by  some 
naturalists,  that  persons,  who  asserted  themselves 
to  have  found  them  torpid  under  water,  were  put 
to  their  oath,  or  induced  to  make  affidavits,  and 
give  written  documents,  imp(n-ting  the  particulars 
of  the  fact.  The  periodical  journals  were  full'  of 
the  controversy,  about  their  place  of  retreat ;  and 
upwards  of  a  hundred  letters  on  the  subject,  were 


IM 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


March   ^ 


published  In  the  Gentleman's  Magazine.  We  will 
now  give  the  opinion  of  old  European  writers  on 
the  subject  of  the  winter  retreat  of  swallows. 

Kaliu  thought  that  swallows  generally  mi- 
grated from  the  teniperatc  climates  of  Europe ; 
but  that  those  found  in  the  more  northern  regions, 
partook  of  the  wintry  torpors  of  some  other  po- 
lar creatures.      Klein   was  decidedly  of  opinion 


tumn,  to  distant  countries,  and  return  in  the 
spring,  or  remain  with  us  during  the  winter,  in  a 
torpid  state;  and  that  the  former  opinion  has  gen- 
erally prevailed.  "When  therefore,  I  acquaint  you- 
that  I  have  adopted  the  latter,  witli  respect  to  the 
AoM5e  swa//oit',  you  ^ill  justly  expect  that  I  give 
you  substantial  reasons,  for  differing  from  sa 
many,  who  have   maintained  the   contrary.     The 


■that  chimney  swallows  wintered  in  the  water,  and, late  Judge  Foster,  of  Brookfield,  a  year  or  twobe- 
sand  martins  in  their  holes,  in  the  Ixinks  of  the  fore  his  death,  assured  me,  that  he  saw  a  certain 
rivers.  linnfcus  asserts  that  chimney  swallows  pond  drained,  about  the  season  of  the  year,  when 
and  martins  immerse  themselves  in  the  water  in  ]  the  swallows  first  appear.  The  business  being  ef- 
winter;  but  supposes  that  swifts  lay  concealed  in!  fected,  and  the  weather  fair  and  warm,  he,  with 
holes,  in  church  towers,  and  other  secure  places,  several  others,  observed,  a  rippling  motion  in  many 
Pontoppidan  gives  it  as  his  belief,  that  swallows  parts  af  the  emptied  hollow;  which  on  a  near  in- 
spent  the  winter  in  water ;  and  asserts  that  they  spection,  they  found  to  be  occasioned  by  a  multi- 
are  frequently  taken  out  of  that  element,  in  large  tude  of  swallows,  endeavoui-ing  to  disengage  them- 
raasses,  by  fishermen,  in  Norway  and  other  north-  selves  from  the  mud,  which  was  scarcely  covered 
ern  countries.  Daines  Barrington  supposed  that  by  the  shallow  remains  of  water, 
the  chimney  swallow  remained  during  winter,  im-  I  shall  now  mention  some  other  facts,  which 
merscd  in  water  ;  but  that  the  martin  lay  hid  in  [render  it  probable,  that  this  sort  of  swallows  sink 
cavities  of  rocks,   old  towers,  and  other  secluded  into  ponds  and  rivers,  in  the  fall  of  the  year,  an^ 


retreats,  in  support  of  which  opinion,  he  adduces 
a  great  number  of  facts.  Pennant  believed  that 
the  l)ulk  of  each  species  migrated  ;  but  admits 
that  some  individual  birds  may  have  occasionally 
been  found  torpid  in  winter  ;  in  which  opinion, 
Latham  and  White,  and  in  fact,  most  naturalists 
of  their  time,  appear  to  have  concurred.  The 
earliest  opinion,  which  we  have  been  able  to  trace, 
is  given  by  Olaus  Magnus,  archbishop  of  Upsal, 
in  Sweden,  published  in  1555. 

"From  the  northern  waters,"  saya  the  arch- 
bishop, "swallows  are  often  dragged  up  by  fisher- 
men, in  the  form  of  clustered  masses,  among  the 
reeds  from  the  bottom."  Etmuller,  professor  of 
Botany  and  Anatomy  at  Leipsic,  a  century  after 
Olaus,  gives  his  personal  testimony  to  the  circum- 
stance. "I  remember,"  says  he,  "to  have  found, 
more  than  a  bushel  measure  would  hold,  of  swal- 
lows, closely  clustered  among  the  reeds  of  a  fish- 
pond, under  the  ice,  all  of  them  to  appearance 
dead,  but  the  heart  still  pulsating."  Baron  Cu- 
vier  asserts  of  the  bank  swallow,  as  well  au- 
thenticated, that  it  falls  into  a  lethargic  state 
during  winter,  and  even  that  it  passes  that  sea- 
son at  the  bottom  of  marshy  waters. 

In  the  dissertations  read  before  the  Academy  of 
Upsal,  the  submersion  of  swallows  was  received  in 


lie  there,  benumbed  and  motionless,  until  the  re- 
turn of  spring.  You  know.  Sir,  that  my  house  i& 
near  a  large  river.  This  river  is,  in  many  parts, 
shallow,  and  has  a  muddy  bottom.  A  former 
neighbour  of  mine,  a  plain,  honest  and  sensible 
man,  now  deceased,  who  lived  still  nearer  the 
river,  used  frequently  to  say  to  me,  as  the  warm 
weather  came  on  in  the  spring,  "it  is  almost  tima 
for  the  swallows  to  come  out  of  the  mud,  where 
they  have  lain  all  winter."  He  repeatedly  as- 
sured me,  he  had,  in  the  autumn  of  many  years, 
seen  great  numbers  of  them,  on  one  day  only  in 
each  year,  and  nearly  about,  but  not  always  on 
the  same  day  of  the  month,  sitting  on  the  willow 
bushes,  [which,  by  the  way,  they  are  not  wont  to 
roost  upon  at  other  times]  on  the  borders  of  the 
river,  a  little  after  sunset ; — that  they  seemed  as 
if  their  torpitude  had  already  begun,  as  they 
would  not  stjr  from  the  twigs,  which,  hj  the 
weight  of  the  swallows,  were  )>ent  down  almost 
to  the  water;  and  that  although  he  had  never 
seen  them  sink  into  it,  yet  he  had  waited  till  it 
was  so  dark,  that  he  could  not  discern  them  at  all; 


and  doubted  not  of  their  immersion,  any  more 
than  if  he  had  been  a  witness  of  it;  fur  he  had 
never  observed  any  flying  about  afterwards,  till 
the  return  of  spring.  He  added,  that  if,  as  be 
Sweden  as  an  acknowledged  fact.  Such  were  the 'wished,  I  would  carefully  look  for  their  resurrec- 
opinions  entertained  by  many  of  the  distinguished  jtion,  he  believed  it  would  not  be  in  vain.  Altho' 
naturalists  of  Europe,  in  regard  to  the  retreat  of ,  I  paid  little  regard  to  it,  for  some  years,  yet  I 
swallows  in  winter.  We  may  add  that  in  Germa- j followed  his  advice  at  length,  and  watched  for 
ny,  a  reward  of  an  equal  weight  in  silver,  with  their  appearance  several  seasons,  as  carefully  as  I 
the  birds  thus  found,  was  publicly  offered  to  any  could.  I  have  not  indeed  beheld  them  rising  out  of 
one,  who  should  produce  swallows,  thus  discovered,  the  water;  yet  I  and  my  fixmily  have,  in  more 
under  water,  but  as  Frisch  informs  us,  nobody  years  than  one,  seen,  at  the  proper  time  in  the 
ever  claimed  the  money.  The  subject  of  the  tor-  spring,  A'cry  large  flocks  of  them,  in  my  own,  and 
pidity  of  swallows,  has  attracted  the  attention  of;  in  my  neighbour's  land,  so  near  the  margin  of  the 
naturalists,  in  our  country.  We  find  an  article]  river,  that  from  that  circumstance,  the  appearance 
on  this  subject,  in  the  1st  Vol.  of  the  Memoirs]  of '  of  their  feathers,  and  their  being  unable  to  use 
the  American  Academy,  page  494,  entitled,  "A  their  wings  as  at  other  times,  we  concluded,  they 
Letter  on  the  Pietreat  of  House  Swallows  in  Win-  [  were  newly  emerged  from  the  water.  When  they 
ter,  from  the  Honourable  Samuel  Dexter,  Esqr.,  to  attempted  to  fly,  they  could  not  reach  above  eight 


the  Honourable  James  Bowdoin,  Esqr. ,  Pres.  A.  A. 

Dedhain,  June  3d,  1783. 
Dear  Sir  : — Among  more  important  liranehes 
of  natural  history,   with  which  you  are   conver- 
sant, ornithology  cannot  have  escaped  your  notice. 
I  know  it  has  been  a  prol)lem  among  naturalists. 


or  ten  yards,  before  they  settled  to  the  ground, 
and  then  might  be  drove  about,  like  chickens. -- 
They  appeared  unwilling  to  be  disturbed,  and,  if 
not  frightened  by  some  noise  or  motion,  would 
cluster  together,  seeming  to  want  to  rest  them- 
selves, as  if  feeble,  or  fiitigued.     They  were  not 


whether  certain  species  of  birds  emigrate  jn  au^' ^"t^^^ly  recovered  from  their  stupor.-there  was 


1853- 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


115 


a  viscous  substance  on  and  about  tiieir  wings,  or 
they  were  too  weak  to  fly  away.  In  addition  to 
the  foregoing,  I  can  a.^sure  you,  on  the  most  cred- 
ible testimony,  that  there  have  boon  more  instan- 
ces than  one  of  a  pickerel's  being  caught  in  tliis 
river,  at  the  season  of  the  coming  of  swallows, 
with  one  or  more  of  those  birds  in  its  l)elly. 

I  am,  with  the  sincerest  esteem.,  Sir,  your  most 
-obedient  servant,  Samuel  Dexter. 

Doct.  Williams,  in  his  History  of  Vermont, 
Vol.  1st,  page  140  says,  that  at  Dauby  in  this 
State,  the  inhabitants  report,  that  swallows  were 
takcB  out  of  a  pond  in  that  town  some  years  ago. 
A  man  was  engaged  iii  the  winter,  to  procure  the 
roots  of  the  pond  lily,  for  m.ediciraal  purposes. — 
Among  the  mud  and  roots, , which  ho  threw  out, 
several  swallows  were  found  inclosed  in  the  mud; 
alive,  but  in  a  torpid  state.  The  account  is  not 
doubted  among  the  inhabitants;  but  I  have  not 
the  testimony  of  any  person  who  saw  these  swal- 
lows. It  has  been  doubted  by  some  able  natural- 
ists, whether  it  is  possible  for  the  swallow  to  live 
in  such  a  situation.  I  saw  an  instance,  which 
puts  the  possibility  of  the  Hxet  beyond  all  room 
for  doubt.  About  the  year  1760,  two  men  were 
digging  in  the  salt  ma;rsli  in  Cambridge,  Massachu- 
setts :  on  the  baiik  of  Charles  river,  about  two 
feet  below  the  surface  ef  the  ground,  they  dug  up 
a  swallow,  wholly  surrounded  and  covered  with 
mud.  The  swallow  was  in  a  torpid  state,  but  be- 
ing held  in  their  hands,  it  revived  in  about  half 
an  hour.  The  [-.lace  where  this  swallow  was  dug 
up,  was  every  <hs,j  covered  with  the  salt  water; 
which  at  every  high  tide,  was  four  or  five  feat 
deep.  The  time  when  this  swallow  was  found, 
was  the  latter  part  of  the  month  of  February, 
but  the  men  assured  me,  they  had  never  found 
any  other  swallows  in  such  a  situation. 

The  species  calh'd  the  house  or  chimney  swal- 
low, has  been  fcvjiul  during  the  winter,  in  hollow 
trees.  At  Middl.^'nu-y  ia  this  State,  continues  Dr. 
Williams,  there  was  a  large  hollow  elm,  called  by 
the  people  in  the  vicinity,  the  swallow  tree.  From 
a  man  who,  for  several  years,  lived  within  twenty 
rods  of  it,  I  procured  this  information.  lie  al- 
ways thought  tlie  swallows  tarried  in  the  tree, 
through  the  winter,  and  avoided  cutting  it  down, 
on  that  account.  About  the  first  of  May,  the 
swallows  came  out  of  it,  in  large  numbers,  about 
the  middle  of  the  day,  and  soon  returned.  As 
the  weather  grew  warmer,  they  came  out  in  the 
morning  with  a  loud  noise,  or  roar,  and  were  soon 
dispersed.  About  half  an  hour  before  sundown, 
they  returned  in  millions,  circulating  two  or  three 
times  round  the  tree,  and  then  descending  like  a 
stream,  into  a  hole  about  sixty  feet  from  the 
ground.  It  was  customary  for  persons  in  the  vi- 
cinity, to  visit  this  tree,  to  observe  the  motions  of 
these  birds.  And  when  any  persons  disturbed 
their  operations,  by  striking  violently  against  the 
tree,  with  their  axes,  the  swallows  would  rush  out 
in  millions,  and- with  a  great  noise.  In  Novem- 
ber, 1701,  the  top  of  this  tree  was  blown  down, 
twenty  feet  below  where  the  swallows  entered. — 
There  has  been  no  appearance  of  the  swallows 
since.  Upon  cutting  down  the  remainder,  an  im- 
mense quantity  of  excrements,  quills  and  feathers, 
were  found;  but  no  appearance  or  relics  of  any 
nests. 

Another  of  these  swallow  trees  was  at  Brid- 
port.     The  man   who  lived  nearest  to  it  gave  this 


account.  The  swallows  were  first  observed  to 
come  out  of  the  tree,  in  the  spring,  about  the  time 
that  the  leaves  first  begun  to  appear  on  the  trees. 
From  that  season,  tlicy  came  out  in  the  mornin"-, 
about  half  an  hour  after  sunrise.  They  rushed 
out  like  a  stream,  as  big  as  the  hole  in  the  tree 
would  admit,  and  ascended  in  a  perpendicular 
line,  until  they  were  above  the  height  of  the  ad- 
jacent trees;  then  tissumed  a  circular  motion,  per- 
forming their  revolutions  two  or  three  times,  but 
always  in  a  lai'ger  circle,  and  then  dispersed  m 
every  direction.  A  little  before  sundown,  they 
returned  in  immense  numbers,  forming  several 
circular  motiims,  and  then  descended  like  a  stream 
into  the  hole,  from  whence  they  carae  out  in  the 
morning.  About  the  middle  of  September,  they 
were  seen  entering  the  tree,  for  the  last  time. — 
These  birds  were  ail  of  the  s|3ecies,  called  the 
house  or  chimney  swallow.  The  tree  was  a  large 
hollow  elm,  the  hole  at  which  they  entered,  was 
about  forty  feet  a,bove  the  ground,  and  about  nine 
inches  diameter.  The- swallows  made  their  first 
appearance  in  the  spring,  and  their,  last  appear- 
ance in  the  fall,  in  the  vicinity  of  this  tree;  and 
the  neighboring  ip.habitants  had  no  doubt  but 
that  the  swallows  continued  in  it  during  the  win- 
ter. A  few  j^ears  ago,  a  hole  was  cut  at  the  bot^ 
torn  cf  the  tree,  and  from  that  time,  the  swallows 
have  been  gradually  forsaking  the  tree,  and  have 
now  almost  deserted  it. 

The  following  account  from  Nathan  Rumsey, 
Esqr.,  of  Hubbard  ton,  is  more  circumstantial  and 
conclusive.  "Sometime  in  the  month  of  March, 
A.  D.  1786,  when  the  snow  was  deep  on  the 
ground,  I  was  making  sugar  in  the  town  of  Hub- 
bardton,  with  the  assistance  of  some  boys.  The 
boys  informed  me,  that  they  had  discovered  a 
large  number  of  birds,  flying  out  from  a  tree.  I 
went  myself  to  the  tree,  and  found  that  the  birds 
were  swallows  of  the  chimney  kind.  The  tree 
was  an  elm  of  a  large  size,  and  hollow  fifty  or 
sixty  feet  from  the  ground.  Remaining  for  sever- 
al days  in  the  vicinity  I  observed  the  swallows  in 
the  fore  part  of  the  day  going  out,  and  in  the  lat- 
ter part  of  the  day  going  in  at  the  same  place.  I 
chopped  a  hole  in  the  tree,  from  w^hence  I  could 
see  through  it,  to  the  place  where  they  went  out, 
and  found  that  they  extended  from  fifty  or  sixty 
feet  in  height  near  down  to  the  ground;  and  ap- 
peared to  be  sticking  to  the  tree,  as  thick  as  they 
could  be  placed,  and  that  the  sides  of  the  cavity 
were  every  where  lined  with  them;  a  considerable 
part  of  them  seemed  to  be  in  a  torpid  state." 
From  these  accounts,  says  Doct.  Williams,  I  am 
led  to  believe  that  the  House  swallow,  in  this  part 
of  America,  generally  resides  during  the  winter 
in  the  hollow  of  trees;  and  that  the  ground  swal- 
lows find  security  in  the  mud,  at  the  bottom  of 
lakes,  rivers  and  ponds.  s.  p.  f, 

Danversport,  Jan.  Ath,  1853. 

[to  be  continued.) 


The  Grumbler. —  Grumble  !  grumble  !  grumble  ! 
continually  !  0  what  a  grumbler  !  lie  grumbles  all 
the  time,  night  and  day,  week  in  and  week  out. 
Whenever  and  wherever  you  meet  him,  it  is  grum- 
ble, grumble,  grumble  !  Always  some  foot  out  of 
joint,  some  shoe  down  at  the  heel  I 

Always  something  to  grumble  about.  If  he  has 
nothing,  or  nobody  to  grumble  at,  he  will  grumble 


IIG 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


March 


about  himself.  He  -will  be  sure  to  grumble  any 
how. 

Man,  do  smooth  down  your  face  a  little,  smile 
now  and  then  ;  you  look  sour  enough  to  turn  milk 
to  cheese  !  Awful ! 

O  what  a  wretchedlymiserable  companion  is  one 
of  these  perpetual  grumblers  !  Run  !  run  !  take  to 
your  heels  !  run  ! —  Golden  Rule. 


STATE  BOARD  OF  AGRICULTURE. 

Met  January  2r>,  1853. 

The  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  the  Secre- 
tary, Mr.  Walker,  who  stated  that  the  first  busi- 
ness of  the  Board  was  to  elect  a  chairman  for  the 
ensuing  year,  when  John  H.  Clifford,  Governor 
of  the  Commonwealth,  was  unanimously  elected 

Mr.  Gray  presented  copies  of  his  essay  on  or- 
chards. 

The  reports  of  several  of  the  County  Agricultural 
Societies  were  presented  to  the  Board. 

Mr.  Wilder  presented  a  dried  specimen  of  a 
plant  covered  with  seed,  which  he  had  received 
from  A.  n.  Ernst,  late  President  of  the  Cincin- 
nati Horticultural  Society.  The  plant  is  the 
Cajanus  JIavus,  near  allied  to  the  Lupines.  -The 
seed  was  introduced  into  the  country  two  years 
since  by  one  of  our  ships,  which  found  a  Japan 
vessel  in  distress,  from  which  the  crew,  with  part 
of  the  stores, were  taken  and  carried  into  San  Fran- 
cisco. This  seed  was  among  their  provision  stores, 
and  a  small  quantity  was  brought  to  Alton,  Illinois, 
by  Dr.  Edwards,  and  grown  by  Mr.  John  H.  Lea, 
a  careful  horticulturist  of  that  place.  The  plant 
presented  grew  in  Cincinnati  last  summer.  Mr. 
Wilder  read  a  statement  from  Mr.  Teschemaker, 
which  describes  this  new  plant  as  follows  •  "Shrub 
erect,  pubescent,  native  of  the  East  Indies,  Am- 
boyna,  Japan,  &c.  The  seeds  are  good  to  eat,  and 
when  young,  very  delicate. 

"The  Cajanus  JIavus  or  Pigeon  T^ea,  is  cultivated 
in  most  tropical  countries.  In  some  parts  of  the 
West  Indies  it  serves  as  a  fence  to  sugar  planta- 
tions. In  Martinique,  the  seeds  are  generally  pre- 
ferred to  peas.  In  Jamaica,  they  are  much  used 
for  feeding  pigeons,  and  are  there  called  the  Pigeon 
pea,  and  the  whole  plant  with  its  seed  is  much  es- 
teemed for  fottening  hogs  and  cattle. 

"The  round  seed,when  soaked  for  about  an  hour 
in  hot  water,  .takes  exactly  the  form  and  appear- 
ance of  the  common  white  bean  ;  it  gets  very  ten- 
der and  is  good  to  eat,  being  quite  mealy ;  it  is 
oily,  and  this  accounts  for  its  quality  of  fattening 
cattle.  It  is  doubtful  to  me  whether  there  is  length 
of  hot  weather  enough  to  ripen  the  seeds  here,  and 
at  all  events  it  would  not  stand  the  winter — but  if 
the  seeds  ripen  well  here  it  might  be  made  an  an- 
nual produce." 

The  seeds  were  distri]>uted  among  the   mem- 
bers. 

Mr.  Wilder  also  presented  an  Essay  on  Educa- 
tion  by  Dr.  John  Si'arr,  of  North  Dartmouth, 


Mass.,  which  was  received  and  ordered  to]:)e  placed 
on  the  file  of  the  Board. 

Mr.  Page  reported  on  the  Franklin  and  Plymouth 
County  Societies. 

^Ir.  Nash  reported  on  the  Hampden  County  So- 
ciety. 

Mr.  Sprague  read  a  report  upon  Neat  Cattle. 

A  committee  on  Publication  was  appointed,  con- 
sisting of  Messrs.  Walker,  Wilder,  Proctor, 
French  and  Page. 

Mr.  Proctor  read  a  report  on  the  Culture  of 
Vegetables  as  farm  products. 

Mr.  French  reported'  on  thorough  draining  and 
subsoil  plowing.  • 

The  Secretary,  Mr.  Walker,  read  the  annual 
report  required  by  act  of  the  Legislature,  and  which 
is  to  be  laid  before  that  body. 

The  committee  appointed  to  nominate  a  suitable 
person  to  act  as  Secretary  of  the  Board,  reported 
the  name  of  Charles  L.  Flint,  Esq.,  of  New 
York. 

The  vote  was  taken  by  ballot,  and  Mr.  Flint 
was  elected,  and  the  Secretary  was  directed  to  no- 
tify him  of  his  election. 

Messrs.  Walker  and  Smith  were  elected  a  Com- 
mittee on  Accounts. 

The  paper  of  Dr.  Hitchcock  upon  the  forming 
of  Farmers'  Institutes,  and  the  resolution  of  Mr. 
Nash,  upon  the  subject  of  a  State  Chemist,  were 
referred  to  a  special  committee  consisting  of  Messrs. 
Proctor,  Brown,  Hitchcock,  Nash,  and  Walker, 
the  acting  Secretary,  to  be  reported  on  at  the  next 
meeting  of  the  Board. 

And  after  an  arduous  session  of  about  nine 
hours,  the  Board  adjourned,  sine  die. 


For  the  New  En  inland  Farmer. 
PEA  FODDER. 

It  is  generally  believed  by  farmers,  that  the 
haulm  of  the  pea  crop  is,  if  not  wholly,  very 
nearly  valueless  as  an  article  of  food  for  stock. — 
Such,  however,  is  not  the  fact.  I  have  made  a 
fair  and  impartial  trial  of  pea  fodder  as  a  feed  for 
cows,  and  find  that  it  possesses  high  value  for  this 
purpose.  lyast  June  there  was  on  my  fiirm  a 
small  tract  of  land,  on  which  there  grew  nothing 
but  red  sorrel,  and  which  I  could  not  prepare 
properly  for  a  more  exhausting  crop,  as  I  had  pre- 
viously appropriated  all  my  manure  t6  other  crops. 
Not  wishing,  however,  to  let  it  remain  entirely 
idle,  and  being  desirous  of  limiting,  as  far  as  cir- 
cumstances rendered  the  result  practicable,  the 
growth  of  the  sorrel,  I  had  the  land  carefully 
plowed,  and  after  spreading  a  few  bushels  of 
lime  and  plaster  on  the  surface,  previous  to  har- 
rowing, sowed  it  in  peas.  As  soon  as  the  vines 
had  podded,  and  about  one-half  of  the  pods  were 
filled,  I  had  the  crop  carefully  mowed  and  made 
in  a  bright  day,  turning  them  frequently  to  ensure 
the  benefit  of  the  sun's  rays,  and  throwing  them 
into  small  bunches  at  night,  in  order  to  prevent 
the  deteriorating  efiects  of  the  dew  and  rain.  On 
packing  them  away  in  the  barn,  a  small  quantity 
of  salt  was  sprinkled  over  a  part  of  the  mass,  but 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


117 


I  think  without  any  essential  advantage  to  the 
fodder.  It  appeared  to  me,  indeed,  very  much 
like  adding  perfume  to  the  rose,  but  the  suggestion 
having  been  made  by  a  neighbor,  I  was  induced 
to  make  the  trial.  I  did  not  perceive  that  the 
portion  of  the  crop  which  received  the  salt,  was 
any  more  acceptable  to  the  cows  than  that  which 
had  none.  It  is  true  the  animals  were  liberally 
supplied  with  salt  in  its  natural  state,  a  bos  being 
kept  full  in  the  yard  during  the  winter,  and  to 
which  they  had,  at  all  times,  free  access.  It  is 
possible  and  quite  probable  that,  under  a  different 
method  of  treatment,  the  salted  fodder  would 
have  been  preferred.  By  permitting  the  peas  to 
ripen,  and  threshing  them,  the  value  of  the  straw 
or  haulm  will  of  course  be  materially  lessened  for 
feeding  purposes;  it  will  be  dry  and  unsucculent, 
and  unless  there  be  warm  and  very  dry  during  the 
later  stages  of  its  growth,  there  will  be  an  unsa- 
vory taste,  and  a  very  unpleasant  smell  engen- 
dered, which  it  will  be  extremely  difficult,  if  not 
impossible,  to  remove.  But  when  cut  in  the  man- 
ner presented  above,  the  dryest  vines  may  be  used 
as  food.  The  most  economical  method  of  using 
them,  however,  is  to  prepare  them  by  chaffing, 
and  mix  them  with  meal  and  other  sapid  viands. 
Rasped  roots  make  an  excellent  accompaniment, 
and  if  used  constantly  on  the  farm,  will  aid,  very 
essentially  in  effecting  a  profitable  appropriation 
of  much  that  would  otherwise  be  lost. 


FoT  the  New  England  Farmer. 
THE  FARMER. 

BY     D  .      W  .     C  .      PACKARD. 

O,  noble  is  the  farmer's  lot, — 

That  man  of  giant  frame  ; 
Ilis  big  heart  knows  no  sordid  spot — 

No  vices  dim  his  fame. 

His  brow,  it  wears  no  bloody  bays. 

Nor  springs  his  fame  from  Death  ; 
But  quickening  Nature  bears  his  praise 

Upon  her  balmy  breath. 

His  hand,  it  is  an  honest  hand, 

And  brown  it  is  with  toil ; 
Then  let  the  farmer  take  his  stand, 

The  sovereign  of  the  soil. 

The  forests  bow  to  meet  their  lord — 

The  waving  fields  rejoice  ; 
By  countless  herds  he  is  adored — 

The  ruler  of  their  choice. 

Then  let  the  farmer  take  his  stand, 

The  sovereign  of  the  soil. 
And  every  lip  in  every  land 

Shall  bless  the  farmer's  toil. 
y.  Bridgewater,  Jan.  7,  1853. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

A  YOUNG  FARMER. 

Gent.  : — I  am  G  years  old;  I  send  $1,00 for  the 
N.  E.  Farmer,  monthly.  Yours,  j.  s. 

New  Market,  N.  H.,  Jan.  13,  1853. 


Remarks. — If  we  can  find  our  way  to  the  hearts 
of  the  young  men  and  women,  and  to  those  of  the 
children,  even,  we  shall  feel  sure  of  success.  If 
they  become  imbued  with  the  right  spirit  and  doc- 
trine, the  next  generation  will  be  right.  We  are 
often  encouraged  with  applications  similar  to  the 


above,   and  earnest  inquiries  from  the  youn*  in- 
terested in  agriculture. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
CUTTING  FODDER  FOR  STOCK. 

BY   HENRY    F.    FRENCH. 

"Do  you  think  it  will  pay  to  cut  fodder  for 
stock  V  is  the  question  often  proposed .  The  gen- 
eral impression  among  well-informed  farmers  seems 
to  be  that  it  ivill. 

The  report  from  the  Worcester  County  Society 
on  feeding  stock,  published  in  the  N.  E.  Farmer 
of  July  and  August,  1852,  seems  to  have  been 
taken  as  conclusive  on  the  subject.  So  far  as  the 
opinions  of  that  committee  are  concerned,  they 
are  entitled  to  great  respect,  as  are  the  opinions 
of  many  persons  named  in  their  report. 

A  premium  had  been  offered  for  "the  best  ex- 
periment in  determining  the  advantages  or  disad- 
vantages of  cutting  hay  as  food  for  stock,"  and  it 
is  to  the  experiments  offered  for  the  premium,  that 
I  wish  to  call  attention. 

However  correct  may  be  the  conclusion  of  the 
committee,  from  all  their  premises,  it  seems  tome 
that  the  experiments  themselves  are  far  from  sat- 
isfactory as  evidence  of  the  profit  of  cutting  ^ood 
hay,  or  any  fodder  that  cattle  will  eat  up  entirely, 
uncut.  -Before  analyzing  the  results  of  those  ex- 
periments, I  had  the  impression  that  a  great  sav- 
ing in  the  quantity  of  food  actually  consumed  was 
made  by  cutting  it ;  but  those  experiments,  as 
published,  show  that  the  cattle  on  lohich  the  trials 
were  made,  consumed  a  very  little  more  cut,  than 
uncut  hay,  in  the  same  number  of  days. 

The  conditions  of  the  trials  were  in  part  as  fol- 
lows : — "The  trial  to  be  made  with  at  least  two 
animals — the  time  of  trial  to  continue  at  least 
eight  weeks,  divided  into  periods  of  two  weeks 
each.  One  animal  to  be  fed  with  cut,  when  the 
other  is  fed  with  u7icut  hay,  and  the  feed  of  each 
to  be  changed,  at  the  expiration  of  each  two 
weeks." 

Four  experiments  are  reported.  The  first  by 
Mr.  Demand,  on  two  cows  not  in  milk,  both  ex- 
pected to  calve  in  about  two  months.  The  result 
is  briefly  this.  Cow  No.  1,  gained  in  the  eight 
weeks,  61  lbs.  She  gained  38  lbs.  on  cut  hay  and 
23  lbs.  on  uncut.  She  ate  611  lbs.  oi  cut  and  563 
lbs.  wncwi  hay. 

Cow  No.  2  gained  in  all,  59  lbs  ;  on  cut  hay  26 
lbs.;  on  uncut  33  lbs.  She  ate  560 lbs.  oicut,  and 
586  lbs.  uncut  hay.  Mr.  Demand's  two  cows 
then  ate  in  the  whole  time  22  lbs.  more  cut  than 
uncut  hay,  and  gained  8  lbs.  most  on  the  cut  hay. 
Calliag  the  hay  worth  $10  per  ton,  he  lost  eleven 
cents'°worth  of  hay.  Calling  the  weight  gained, 
worth  four  cents  per  lb.,  he  gained  32  cents'  worth 
of  weight.  So,  on  the  whole,  he  got  21  cents  for 
the  trouble  of  cutting  the  fodder  of  two  cows  four 
weeks,  which,  considering  the  wear  of  the  ma- 
chine, is  rather  poor  pay.  One  cow,  it  seems, 
gained  most  on  cut,  the  other  on  uncut  hay. 

The  second  experiment  was  made  by  Mr.  Dodge 
on  two  steers.  The  near  steer  gained  in  the  8 
weeks,  50  lbs.  weight.  He  gained  55  lbs.  on  the 
uncut  hay,  and  lost  five  pounds  on  the  cut  hay.  He 
ate  447  lbs.  cut,  and  469  lbs.  rincut.  The  q^ steer 
o-ained  in  all,  80  lbs.  He  gained  75  lbs.  on  the 
cut,  and  5  lbs.  on  the  uncut.  He  ate  469  lbs.  cut, 
and  480  lbs.  uncut  hay. 


118 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


March 


On  the  whole,  Mr.  Dodge  gained  Z3  lbs.  of  hay, 
worth  17  ccntg,  and  10  lbs.  weight,  worth  40 
cents,  making  in  all  57  cents  for  the  trouble  of 
cutting  hay  for  a  yoke  of  steers  4  weeks,  or  about 
two  cents  per  day. 

In  each  of  the  foregoing  experiments,  it  will  be 
seen,  that  one  animal  gained  most  on  the  cut,  and 
the  other  on  the'Mncut  hay.  They  seemed  to  lake 
sides  on  the  question  with  considerable  decision. 

The  third  experiment,  by  Mr.  Lincoln,  gives  a 
better  result  for  the  hay-cutter.  Ilis  cow  Beauty 
gained  in  the  8  weeks  125  lbs.  She  gained  100 
lbs.  on  the  cut  hay,  and  25  lbs.  on  the  uncut.  She 
ate  G85  lbs.  cut,  and  C68  lbs.  uncut  hay.  His  cow 
Chernj  gained  in  all  35  lbs  ;  30  lbs.  on  the  cut, 
and  5  lbs.  on  the  uncut  hay.  She  ate  464  Ihs.cut 
and  402  lbs.  uncut  hayin  all.  The  two  gained  100 
lbs.  more  on  the  cut  than  on  the  uncut  hay,  in  the 
whole,  and  ate  about  Vd  lbs.  more  cut  than  uncut 
hay.  Upon  our  former  estimate,  Mr.  Lincoln 
gained  four  dollars'  worth  of  weight,  and  lost  but 
9  1-2  cents'  worth  of  hay.  This  result  alone 
would  indicate  that  it  pays  to  cut  the  hay.  As  to 
milk,  Mr.  Lincoln's  cows  gave  22  lbs.  more  milk 
on  the  cut,  than  on  the  uncut  hay,  an  item  of  some 
30  cents  more  to  be  carried  to  the  credit  of  the 
hay-cutter.  The  results  were  not,  however,  uni- 
form as  to  the  milk,  for  Beauty  gave  45  lbs.  more 
on  the  cut  hay,  and  Cherry  about  23  lbs.  more  on 
the  uncut. 

Tho,  fourth  experiment,  by  Mr.  Hawes,was  with 
a  yoke  of  oxen.  The  near  ox  gained  in  8  weeks, 
in  all,  12G  lbs.  He  gained  120  lbs.  on  the  cut, 
and  G  lbs.  on  the  uncut.  He  ate  1078  lbs.  of  cut 
and  1028  lbs.  o^ uncut  hay. 

The  off  ox  gained,  in  8  weeks,  104  lbs.  He 
gained  on  the  cut  hay  17  lbs.,  on  the  uncul^llhs. 
He  ate  in  the  8  weeks,  1028  lbs.  cut  and  1078  lbs. 
uncut  hay.  On  the  whole,  the  two  gained  44  lbs. 
most  on  the  cut  hay,  and  ate  precisely  the  same 
quantity  of  cut  and  uncut.  The  results  here, 
again,  were  different,  in  the  two  oxen.  One  gained 
the  most  on  the  cut  hay,  and  the  other  most  on 
the  uncut.  One  ate  more  cut  than  uncut,  while 
the  other  ate  most  of  the  uncut. 

Mr.  Hawes  extended  his  trial  longer  ;  but  the 
results  give  no  new  light  on  the  subject.  By  my 
former  mode  of  reckoning,  he  gained  170  cents' 
worth  of  weight  in  his  oxen,  by  cutting  their  fod- 
der four  weeks. 

On  the  whole,  the  results  of  these  experiments 
are  not  very  satisfactory.  They  are  lacking  in  uni- 
formity, in  almost  every  particular.  They  should 
be  repeated,  and  it  seems  to  me,  under  different 
regulations.  Two  weeks  is  not  a  term  long  enough, 
for  each  kind  of  food.  The  food  of  tliis  week  may 
make  ihQ  fat  of  next  week.  Cows,  heavy  with 
calf,  are  likely  to  gain  in  weight,  on  almost  any 
food,  and  their  weight  could  hardly  be  expected  to 
vary  rapidly  by  change  of  food  two  weeks  at  a 
time,  except  as  their  bowels  might  be  full  or  emp- 
ty. It  is  proper  to  say,  that  all  the  cattle  re- 
ferred to  received  other  food,  either  roots  or  meal, 
during  the  experiments,  so  that  it  must  not  be  in- 
ferred that  the  quantities  of  hay  above  stated,  are 
alone  sufficient  food  for  such  animals. 

Having  glanced,  thus,  at  these  experiments,  I 
will  suggest  wliat  seems  to  me  the  most  reasona- 
ble views  on  this  subject.  I  cut  all  my  fodder  for 
my  horse  and  cows,  this  winter,  not  because  I  sup- 
pose that  there  is  any  nutriment  added  to  a  lock 


of  hay  by  cutting  it  into  inch  pieces,  nor  because 
Nature  has  in  general  furnished  animals  with  hay- 
cutters  of  their  own,  insufEcient  properly  to  masti- 
cate their  food.  Horses  have  powerful  grinders, 
and  usually  chew  their  hay  sufficiently.  An  ex- 
periment reported  in  the  Patent  Office  Report  for 
1851,  at  page  71,  shows,  that  the  food  of  a  horse, 
fed  on  tincut  hay,  was  equally  exhausted  of  its  nu- 
tritive properties,  in  passing  through  the  animal, 
as  when  fed  on  exit  hay. 

Ruminaling  animals,  if  they  swallow  their  food 
hastily,  may  chew  it  over  again  at  their  leisure, 
and  this  seems  to  be  a  very  innocent  and  becom- 
ing recreation  for  a  cow  that  has  nothing  else  to 
do.  The  advantages  of  cutting  fodder,  I  appre- 
hended, are  these  : 

1st.  Working  cattle  and  horses  thrive  better  on 
cut  fodder,  because  they  eat  it  in  less  lime,  and  have 
more  time  for  rest.  And  besides,  they  are  not  so 
liable  to  lose  their  breakflist,  by  the  oversleeping 
of  the  teamster. 

2d.  Old  animals,  whose  "grinders  are  few," 
can  eat  chopped  food  more  readily. 

3d.  Chopped  hay  can  be  readily  measured,  and 
the  animals  receive  a  more  regular  allowance  than 
when  fed  with  long  hay. 

4th.  No  hay  will  be  ivasted  by  over-feeding,  as 
your  boys  will  be  too  lazy  to  cut  more  than  is  need- 
ful, whereas  common  hands  will  always  fill  the 
rack  more  or  less,  if  they  pitch  the  hay  to  the  ani- 
mals. 

Lastly,  and  most  important  of  all,  if  we  have 
corn  stalks,  buts,  fresh  hay  or  coarse  clover  which 
cattle  will  never  eat  entirely  up,  such  fodder  may 
be  passed  through  the  hay-cutter,  and  they  will 
eat  it  much  more  readily.  At  the  present  price 
of  hay,  (about  twenty  dollars  a  ton,)  grain  is 
cheaper  than  good  hay  for  cattle.  By  cutting 
coarse  fodder  into  a  box,  moistening  it,  and  add- 
ing a  small  quantity  of  meal,  or  shorts,  much 
may  be  consumed  to  advantage,  that  is  usually 
thrown  into  the  fyard  for  manure. 

No  good  fiirmer  will  be  long  without  a  hay-cut- 
ter. Whether  it  be  worth  his  while  to  chop  all 
his  hay  or  not,  may  be  doubtful,  but  he  will  every 
year  find  occasion  for  its  use,  for  one  or  more  of 
the  reasons  already  suggested. 

This  matter  of  chopping  fodder  is  another  of 
the  thousand,  that  needs  careful  investigation  at 
the  hands  of  Boards  of  Agriculture,  and  upon  our 
anticivaled  Model  Farms.  h.  f.  f. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
LIVE  FSNOES. 

Mr.  Editor  : — Will  you  or  some  of  your  corres- 
pondents, please  give,  through  your  paper,  some 
information  upon  live  fences  ;  dead  fences  are  be- 
coming expensive  in  this  part  of  the  country,  and 
we  wish  to  know  if  live  fences  are  cheaper,  and  if 
so,  what  is  the  best  kind;  where  the  seed  can 
be  had ;  at  what  price  ;  the  time  and  mode  of 
planting,  and  the  whole  mode  of  operation,  and 
you  will  oblige,  d-  h.  li. 

Hollis,  N.  H. 

Remarks. — Will  some  of  our  correspondents 
reply  to  the  above  ?  The  subject  is  becoming  of 
more  and  more  importance  as  the  railroads  are  ex- 
tended through  the  country,  and  the  population 
and  building  increases. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


119 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
FARMING  INTERESTS  NEGLECTED. 

Mr.  S.  Brown  : — I  have  read  with  pleasure,  and 
I  trust  profit,  the  Farmer  the  past  year.  In  this 
vicinity  there  has  been  little  done  beyond  what 
the  fathers  and  grandfiithers  used  to  do  in  the 
farming  line.  There  is  not  a  subsoil  plow  in  this 
town,  nor  have  I  ever  known  any  of  our  farmers  to 
plow  more  than  six  inches  deep.  The  farming  in- 
terest is  far  behind  what  it  should  be.  There  is  a 
great  deal  of  poor,  Avorn-out  land  in  this  region  of 
country,  and  few  are  doing  but  little  towards  im- 
proving their  forms,  while  the  greater  part  are  just 
living  from  hand  to  mouth,  as  the  saying  is.  Farm- 
ing is  so  unprofitable,  that  most  of  our  young  men 
seek  some  other  employment  for  a  living,  and  those 
that  choose  to  farm  it  for  a  living,  are  in  most  cases 
driven  to  the  necessity  of  hiring  out  several  years 
to  get  something  to  buy  land  with  ;  and  then  they 
must  go  to  the  West  where  land  is  cheap,  or  go 
without  a  farm,  (a)  The  reason  is,  that  those  who 
have  land  which  could  be  spared  as  well  as  not, 
hold  it  so  high  that  it  would  take  quite  a  fortune 
to  buy  a  farm  here. 

The  south  half  of  Woodstock  numbers  about 
thirty  less  families  now,  than  it  had  in  1800,  that 
were  then  farmers.  The  Avestern  fever  has  carried 
off  a  good  many,  but  the  worst  feature  is,  their 
lands  have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  rich, or  those 
who  will  keep  them  at  all  hazards  as  long  as  they 
can  get  enough  from  them  to  pay  the  taxes  on  the 
land,  unless  they  can  get  an  extravagant  price  for 
them ;  this  is  the  reason  why  Vermont  does  not 
keep  her  population  good,  and  increase,  (i.)  There 
are,  at  the  present  time,  some  signs  of  reform ;  if 
nothing  more,  some  are  inquiring  if  there  cannot 
be  something  done  to  restore  our  worn  out  lands. 
There  are  but  few  that  have  any  faith  in  what  they 
call  book-farming ;  Ave  have  no  farmers'  club,  and 
only  a  few  interest  themselves  enough  to  take  or 
read  an  agricultural  paper.  But  the  great  work 
must  and  icill  go  ahead ;  necessity  ,will  bring  our 
farmers  to  the  work  before  long,  or  they  will  have 
to  abandon  their  lands. 

I  had  no  thought  of  Avriting  but  a  very  few  lines 
when  I  set  down.  It  will  give  you,  at  least,  some- 
thing of  a  picture  of  what  is,  and  has  been,  doing 
here  in  relation  to  agriculture.  Enclosed  is  $1 
for  the  Monthly  for  1853,  and  with  my  best  re- 
spects to  you,  dear  sir,  and  your  coadjutors.  I 
hope  you  may  all  enjoy  a  long,  useful,  and  happy 
life,  and  that  through  your  instrumentahty  and 
the  spread  of  scientific  truth,  thousands  may  be 
turned  from  ignorance  to  knowledge,  and  prove 
blessings  to  their  race. 

I  should  like  to  ask  Avhat  time  to  cut  those  fruit 
sprouts  to  be  stuck  in  a  potato  before  planting, 
and  how  long  before  planting,  or  whether  they 
must  be  planted  immediately  after  cutting,  (c.) 

Cephas  Ransom 

Woodstock,  Vt.,  Jan.  15,  1853. 


Remarks.—  (a.)  Certainly.  The  young  man  who 
wishes  to  purchase  land  must  first  earn  the  money 
to  purchase  with,  unless  he  is  otherwise  supplied. 
It  is  just  so  Avith  the  merchant,  and  mechanic. 
But  they  take  a  different  course, — they  hire  cash, 
or  start  upon  credit,  and  if  they  succeed  in  busi- 
ness, pay  up,  if  not,  they  fail.     So  many  of  our 


best  clergymen  and  lawyers,  having  the  stamina 
in  them,  and  being  determined  to  "go  ahead," 
obtain  the  means  of  acquiring  an  education  partly 
by  teaching  and  partly  by  loans  or  credits.  The 
young  farmer,  in  this  respect,  stands  on  as  favora- 
ble ground  as  others. 

(b.)  In  this  particular,  other  professions  have 
great  advantages  over  the  young  farmer.  There 
is  no  monopoly  in  learning,  none  in  carpenter's  or 
other  tools ;  but  the  evil  complained  of  by  our  cor- 
respondent often  operates  injuriously  to  the  growth 
and  prosperity  of  a  town.  There  can  be  no  ques- 
tion, it  seems  to  us,  but  that  small  farms  and  hif^h 
cultivation  are  the  most  profitable  for  all. 

(c.)  Last  spring  we  made  the  experiment  of 
inserting  scions  in  potatoes  and  setting  the  latter 
in  the  ground.  The  suggestion  was  made  in  some 
foreign  agricultural  work.  The  potatoes  grcAv  and 
gave  us  a  small  crop,  but  none  of  the  scions  lived. 
One  experiment,  however,  is  not  a  fair  trial,  and 
as  the  cost  is  very  trifling,  we  intend  to  try  again. 
Cut  the  sprouts  or  scions  about  the  first  of  March, 
and  keep  them  moist  on  the  bottom  of  the  cellar, 
and  set  them  as  soon  as  the  ground  is  warm  in  the 
spring. 

FARM    LABOR— ITS   MISAPPLICATION. 

It  is  no  uncommon  thing  to  hear  farmers  com- 
plaining of  the  small  remuneration  they  receive 
for  their  labor,  when  compared  Avith  that  received 
by  other  classes  of  society.  I  have  been  led  to  re- 
flect upon  the  subject,  and  have  come  to  the  con- 
clusion, that  if  these  complaints  are  well  founded, 
it  must  be  because  our  efforts  are  not  put  forth  sys- 
tematically ;  because  they-  are  not  governed  by 
intellect — in  a  word,  because,  like  Cyclops,  we  are 
content  to  "go  it  blind." 

I  find  that  labor  is  the  most  expensive  item  in 
the  management  of  a  farm,  and  I  presume  this 
will  be  admitted  by  all  practical  men. 

NoAv,  whenever,  and  wherever  the  amount  of 
manual  labor  can  be  lessened  either  by  more  judi- 
cious application,  or  by  the  substitution  of  machin- 
ery, the  profit  of  the  farm  must  be  increased.  We 
see  the  manufacturer  continually  upon  the  alert  to 
adopt  means,  whose  end  shall  bo  the  saving  of  la- 
bor, and  consequently  the  increase  of  his  profits. 

Now,  farmers  of  the  State  of  Maine,  cannot  we 
profitably  abridge  human  labor,  in  many  of  the 
operations  of  the  farm  ?  Cannot  we  produce  fifty 
bushels  of  corn  on  an  acre,  with  an  outlay  of  three- 
fourths  of  the  labor  usually  applied.  Cannot  we 
harvest  our  hay,  and  grain,  Avith  one-fourth  less 
expense,  by  the  (substitution  of  machinery,)  than 
Ave  now  do.  In  a  Avord,  hoAV  many  farms  are 
there  in  the  State,  on  which  the  same  amount  of 
crops  might  be  annually  raised,  as  at  present,  with 
three-fourths  of  the  outlay  of  human  labor? 

IIow  many  thousands,  (might  we  not  say  mil- 
lions,) are  annually  lost  to  the  State,  by  the  inju- 
dicious application  of  the  motive  poAver.  Let  far- 
mers think  of  these  things !  Let  them  remember 
that  if  they  would  not  ahvays  be  like  Issachar, 
"a  strong  ass  crouching  down  between  tAvo  bur- 
thens," they  must  rouse  up  and  use  their  2>i/e//cc^5, 
as  well  as  their  "huge  paAvs"  and  brawny  shoul 
ders. 


120 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


March 


That  it  is  possible  to  make  as  great  an  advance 
upon  the  present  mode  of  agricultural  practice,  as 
has  been  already  effected  in  manufactures,  by  the 
substitution  of  the  spinning  frame,  and  power  loom, 
for  the  handloom  and  wheel  of  "auld  lang  syne  ;" 
I  fully  believe,  judging  from  the  testimony  which 
has  been  adduced,  I  cannot  but  believe,  that  the 
man  who  cuts  40  or  more  tons  of  hay  in  a  season, 
on  a  tolerably  smooth  bottom,  jwould  find  his  in- 
terests promoted,  by  the  use  of  one  of  the  im- 
proved mowing  machines.  The  cost  of  one  is 
about  $105,  as  I  learn.  This  will  cut  its'lO  or  12 
acres  a  day,  as  much  as  5  or  C  men  ordinarily  mow, 
at  a  cost  of  as  many  dollars,  exlusive  of  board,  and 
the  latter  item  be  reckoned  at  less  than  25  cts. 
each  per  day.  Then  we  think  it  will  be  fair  to  as- 
sume that  the  expense  of  mowing  ten  acres  of  good 
grass  with  the  scythe,  will  average  in  the  State 
twelve  dollars  and  a  half. 

Now,  everybody  knows  that  during  the  hay 
harvest,  labor  is  scarce  as  well  as  dear  ;  and  there- 
fore, those  who  have  considerable  hay  to  cut,  be- 
gin at  least  one  w^eek  before  the  grass  has  attained 
the  state  most  fitting  ;  and  they  continue  haying 
at  least  one  week  after  this  period  has  passed. — 
Perhaps,  it  will  be  a  safe  calculation,  if  we  assume 
that  those  farmers  who  cut  48  tons  of  hay,  cut  10 
of  it  at  such  a  period  in  the  season,  (either  before 
it  has  attained  maturity  or  after  that  period  has 
passed,)  that  one-half  of  its  nutritive  substance  is 
lost.  Assume  that  this  ratio  will  hold  good,  with 
farmers  in  this  State,  generally,  and  we  have  a 
loss  in  the  hay  crop  of  one-sixth,  just  because  it  is 
cut  out  of  season. 

If  I  have  assumed  too  large  a  per  centage  of  the 
crop  as  being  cut  at  an  improper  season,  the  read- 
er can  readily  perceive  the  error,  and  make  the 
proper  estimate  himself. 

According  to  the  above  assumption,  the  farmer 
who  cuts  48  tons  of  hay,  by  a  loss  of  one-half  of 
the  nutriment  contained  in  IG  tons,  actually  wastes 
8  tons ;  wastes  it  just  as  much  as  though  he 
pitched  it  into  his  barn  yard,  instead  of  into  his 
hay  mow. 

These  8  tons  would  be  worth,  ordinarily,  $6  a 
ton,  to  feed  to  stock  ;  amounting  to  $48  loss  an- 
nually." Would  it  not  be  good  policy  for  the  far- 
mer to  stop  this  leak  ;  if  it  can  be  done  by  em- 
ploying machinery,  which  never  sweats,  never 
tires,  even  though  the  sun  pours  forth  its  hottest 
rays.  Some  will  bo  ready  to  answer  in  the  affirm- 
ative, provided  the  machinery  will  work  well. 

The  statement  was  sent  forth  to  the  world,  that 
at  the  great  trial  of  those  machines  in  New  York, 
last  year,  some  two  or  three  of  them  did  work 
well  on  a  rather  rough  bottom,  and  a  light  crop, 
(only  about  half  a  ton  to  the  acre)  of  wire  grass, 
which  every  farmer  knows  to  be  one  of  the  most 
difficult  to  cut. 

I  need  not  mention  the  saving,  effected  in  the 
substitution  of  horse  labor  for  manual,  in  raking, 
because  the  subject  is  familiar  to  all. 

For  four  years  past,  we  have  raised  annually, 
from  75  to  130  bushels  of  Indian  corn,  averaging 
about  fifty  bushels  to  the  acre,  which  has  been 
produced  without  manure  in  the  hill,  it  being  all 
spread  upon  the  land  when  first  carted  from  the 
barn,  and  turned  under  with  the  plow  some  8 
inches.  Sometimes  I  have  re-plowed  the  land  in 
the  spring  ;  at  others,  not.  The  land  which  I  have 
thus  treated,  has  been  river  interval  and  light  loams, 
and  gravels. 


Another  great  misapplication  of  labor  is,  in  cul- 
tivating two  acres  of  land  to  produce  the  crop 
which  should  be  obtained  from  one.  If  we  assume 
that  thirteen  days  labor  are  required,  in  plowirg, 
planting,  and  hoeing  an  acre  of  ground  in  corn, 
it  necessarily  follows  that,  if,  for  want  of  proper 
manuring,  we  are  obliged  to  plow,  plant,  and 
hoe  two  acres  to  raise  fifty  bushels  of  corn,  which 
might  be  raised  on  one,  we  have  thrown  away 
thirteen  days  labor  ;  as  effectually  misspent  it,  as 
if  we  had  spent  the  thirteen  days  in  transporting 
a  brick  from  the  back  door  to  the  pig  pen,  and 
then  back  to  the  door  again. 

How  many  farmers  are  there  who  prefer  loaning 
money  at  interest,  rather  than  apply  it  to  the  cul- 
ture of  their  farms  ?  Who  plod  on  the  "old  way" 
of  the  boy  who  put  a  stone  in  one  end  of  the  bag, 
to  balance  the  grist  in  the  other?  If  we  would 
make  farming  a  good  business,  we  must  economise 
our  labor.  Jabez  D.  Hill. 

Maine  Farmer. 


DWARFING  FRUIT  TREES. 

The  French  have  a  method  of  cultivating  dwarf 
fruit  trees,  or  trees  which  have  been  stultified,  by 
a  certain  process,  which  their  writers  describe  as 
follows : — 

"Young  trees  are  to  be  treated  in  the  following 
manner.  If  there  are  more  than  three  shoots  on 
the  plant,  reduce  them  to  that  number,  and  shorten 
each  to  three,  four  and  six  eyes,  according  to  their 
strength.  The  following  season,  reduce  the  num- 
ber of  leading  shoots  to  six,-  and  shorten  them  to 
three-fourths  of  their  length,  and  spur  in  the  re- 
maining shoots.  The  tree  should  be  managed  in 
every  respect  in  this  manner,  until  it  has  attained 
the  required  size,  which  of  course  depends  upon 
the  fancy  or  convenience  of  the  owner,  or  conduc- 
tor of  the  garden.  I  make  a  point  of  letting  the 
trees  take  their  natural  form  of  growth,  as  far  as 
the  system  described  will  admit  ;  for  I  consider  it 
of  little  consequence  what  shape  is  given  to  the 
tree,  provided  my  end  is  attained  ;  that  is,  to  make 
every  branch,  as  it  were,  a  long  spur,  with  bear- 
ing buds  from  the  extremity  to  the  base." 

It  is  asserted  by  both  French  and  English  wri- 
ters, that  treea  so  stultified  are  not  so  much  ex- 
posed to  injury  from  high  winds,  that  they  pro- 
duce better  fruit,  bear  earlier  and  more  abundant- 
ly, and  occupy  less  space.  Dwarfs  are  also  pro- 
duced by  innoculating  on  stocks  of  small  growth. 
The  apple  is  often innoculated  on  the  Paradise  or 
Douciu  stock,  the  peach  on  a  slow  growing  plum, 
and  the  pear  on  the  quince.  We  have  seen  large 
pears  on  trees  not  more  than  five  feet  high,  the 
tops  of  which  were  not  possessed  of  sufficient 
strength  to  sustain  their  weight  of  fruit  without 
the  assistance  of  props.  This  is  a  common  result 
where  some  varieties  of  the  pear  are  set  in  quince 
stocks.     The  writer  above  quoted  says  : — 

"Two  or  three  years'  trial  of  this  method  only, 
might  possibly  deter  many  from  a  continuance  of 
it,  in  consequence  of  the  young  Avood  which  will 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


121 


be  produced  yearly  at  first  and  from  the  apparent 
difficulty  of  getting  rid  of  the  superfluity.  But 
that  inconvenience  will  be  utterly  surmounted  if 
the  foregoing  instructions  are  attended  to,  and  the 
continuance  will  be  the  possession  of  both  healthy 
and  fruitful  trees." 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
HARDY  FRUITS  FOR  THE  NORTH. 

Mr.  Brown  : — As  fruit  raising  is  becoming  a  fa^ 
vorite  pursuit,  the  question  arises,  what  kind  of 
trees  shall  we  select  to  set,  what  varieties  best  for 
market,  Avhich  the  most  hardy,  and  best  bearers  ; 
what  kind  of  soil  and  location  best  suited  to  the 
different  varieties  of  trees,  &c.  These  are  all 
very  important  questions  to  be  investigated,  before 
setting  an  orchard.  But  as  the  different  varieties 
of  fruits  vary  in  different  climates,  locations,  and 
soils,  we  cannot  adopt  any  general  rule.  For  in- 
stance, the  Esopus  SpUzanburg  apple,  so  beautiful 
when  grown  in  its  native  soil  on  the  Hudson  River 
valley,  becomes  poor  and  insipid  here.  The  Bald- 
win, so  delicious  in  New  England,  becomes  an  or- 
dinary fruit  in  many  of  the  western  States  ;  this 
seems  to  be  the  case  with  many  choice  varieties, 
more  especially  of  pears  than  most  any  other  fruits. 
Every  well-established  fruit-grower  is  aware  that 
certain  fruits 'succeed  in  one  place  and  fail  in  oth- 
ers ;  and  that  the  same  sorts  are  more  likely  to 
succeed  in  contiguous  districts,  than  in  such  as  are 
widely  separated.  But  as  a  general  rule,  the 
known  native  fruits  of  any  country,  are  best  adapt- 
ed to  that  country;  and  why?  because  out  of 
many  thousands  of  seedlings,  they  have  been  se- 
lected as  the  best  fitted  to  that  soil,  or  peculiar  re- 
gion ;  experience  shows  them  the  best  adapted  to 
it ;  but  there  might  have  been  many  others  among 
those  thrown  aside,  better  adapted  to  other  parts 
of  the  world.  This  opinion  is  proved  by  the  fact 
that  some  foreign  fruits  are  actually  better  here 
than  in  their  native  locality.  Still  there  are  some 
kinds  well  adapted  to  almost  all  climates  and  soils, 
and  those  are  generally  our  hardiest  varieties. 

From  our  experience  of  locations  and  soils,  we 
believe  high  lands  or  swells,  are  generally  pre- 
ferred to  valleys,  and  a  good  loam  soil, — as  hills 
are  less  liable  to  early  and  late  frosts.  I  have  had 
some  experienee"in  fruit  and  trees,  and  having  ob- 
served them  carefully  for  many  years,  I  will  name 
a  few  varieties  that  prove  hardy  and  good  in  the 
climate  of  this  region. 

Summer  Apples — Red  Astracan,  Sops  of  Wine, 
Williams's  Favorite,  Early  Joe,  Sweet  Bough, 
Golden  Sweet,  and  Bemis  Sweet.- 

Autumn — Fall  Pippin,  Gravenstein,  Jewett's 
Fine  Red,  Porter,  Maiden's  Blush,  Jersey  Sweet, 
and  Pound  Sweet. 

Winler — Baldwin,  Blue  Pearmain,  Hubbardston 
Nonsuch,  Red  Canada,  R.  I.  Greening,  Seek-no- 
further,  Northern  Spy,  Peck's  Pleasant,  Tolman's 
Sweet,  and  Ladies'  Sweet. 

Summer  Pears — Bartlett,  Doyenne  d'Ette,  Iilad- 
eleine,  Osband's  Summer  and  Tyson. 

.4?</M»i«—Buffum,  White  Doyenne,  (St.  Michael) 
Flemish  Beauty,  Fulton,  Heathcote,  Louise  Bonne 
d'Jersey,  Napoleon,  Stevens's  Genesee,  Swan's 
Orange,  Beurre  d'Amulis,  Duchess  d'Angouleme, 
Oswego  Beurre,  Seckel  and  Stearlino-. 

Winter — Beurre  d'Aremberg,Vicarof  Winkfield, 
Lewis  and  Winter  Nelis. 


All  the  above  mentioned  fruits  have  been  well 
tested,  in  this  high  northern  latitude,  and  canbj 
recommended  for  general  cultivation  Avith  safety. 

I  have  one  thousand  or  more  standard  fruit 
trees  at  the  present  time,  with  two  hundred  or 
more  varieties.  But  many  of  them  have  not  borne 
yet  so  as  to  be  fully  tested  in  this  climate.  But 
we  hope  to  make  a  report  by  and  bye,  that  will 
enlarge  our  list,  and  gladden  the  hearts  of  northern 
cultivators.  L.  Burt. 

Walpole,  N.  H.,  Jan.  3,  1853. 


Remarks. — The  adaptation  of  particular  fruits  to 
particular  localities,  deserves  more  attention.  The 
Rhode  Island  Greening  produces  an  abundance  of 
fine  fruit  in  some  places,  while  in  others  the  fruit 
grows  largo,  but  is  cast  early,  and  is  very  wormy. 
So  it  is  with  other  varieties.  The  Baldwin  does 
not  flourish  equally  Avell  in  all  parts  of  New  Eng- 
land. So  that  the  inquiries  of  our  correspondent 
deserve  attention. 

THS  DOLLAR  MARK. 

In  the  Merchants  Magazine  were  published  sev- 
eral statements  as  to  the  origin  of  the  dollar  ($) 
mark.  A  correspondent  of  the  New  Orleans  Com- 
mercial Times  publishes  the  following  from  a  cor- 
respondent, and  expresses  the  opinion  that  it  is 
the  most  likely  to  solve  the  difficulty.  Here  it 
is : — 

"I  have  observed  in  the  several  prints,  lately, 
some  amusing  attempts  to  make  a  mystery  out  of 
a  very  simple  matter — I  mean  the  dollar  mark,  or 
prefix.  One  paragraph  derives  it  from  an  abbrevi- 
ation of  a  representation  of  the  pillars  of  Hercules, 
which  are  supposed  to  be  represented  upon  the 
Spanish  dollar.  Another  makes  it  an  abbreviation 
of  the  U.  S.  The  true  derivation  of  it  is  the  figure 
8.  The  Spaniards  from  whome  we  derive  the 
dollar,  counts  by  reals — as  the  French  do  by  francs. 
A  real  is  in  value  twelve  and  a  half  cents,  or  one- 
eighth  part  of  a  dollar.  Any  one  who  has  read 
Gil  Bias  or  Don  Quixotte  will  recollect  the  phrase 
^'piece  of  eight"  which  is  frequently  used  by  the 
authors  of  those  works.  This  term,  then,  means 
nothing  more  than  a  dollar,  or  8  reals.  When, 
therefore,  the  dollar  became  generally  used,  the 
figure  8  was  prefixed  to  express  dollars,  and  in  the 
process  of  time  the  8  has  been  changed  to  the  pre- 
sent mark.  It  has  been  asserted,  but  I  know  not 
whether  correctly  or  not,  that  Gen.  Hamilton  first 
used  this  mark,  soon  after  the  adoption  of  our 
currency  of  dollars  and  cents.  However  this  may 
be,  the  figure  8  is,  no  doubt  the  original  of  the 
mark,  and  the  derivation  I  have  given  above,  the 
correct  one." 

VANDALISM. 

I  have  learned  with  astonishment  that  the  town 
authorities  of  the  town  of  Hingham  have  caused 
to  be  cut  down  a  row  of  venerable  and  beautiful 
elms  and  ashes  which  stood  in  front  of  the  man- 
sion house  of  the  late  Gen.  Benjamin  Lincoln,  and 
which  is  still  in  the  occupation  of  his  descendents, 
and,  what  makes  this  act  of  vandalism  still  more 
extraordinary,  is  the  fact  that  these  trees,  or  most 
of  them,  were  planted  by  General  Lincoln's  own 
hands,  and  thus  have  an  historical  interest,  in  ad- 
dition  to  their  beauty  and  grateful  shade  •  and 


122 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


March 


that  the  blows  of  the  axe  -which  felled  them_  were 
like  blows  upon  the  hearts  of  the  grand-children 
of  that  distinguished  soldier  and  patriot.  The  ex- 
cuse or  pretence  for  this,  was  an  alleged  necessi- 
ty of  widening  or  straightening  the  road  !  What 
can  be  the  meaning  of  all  this?  The  people  of 
Hingham  are  rather  remarkable  for  cultivation  and 
intelligence,  and  in  behalf  of  all  who  remember 
those  fine  trees  with  pleasure,  I  would  ask  why 
they  have  allowed  the  government  of  their  town 
to  pass  into  the  hands  of  men  who  have  so  little 
sense  of  beauty  and  so  little  reverence  for  the  past  1 
For  my  part,  were  I  resident  of  that  pleasant  town, 
I  would  rather  see  the  road  as  crooked  as  a  ram's- 
horn,  than  to  have  had  one  venerable  limb  shorn 
off  from  those  green  patriarchs.  In  my  judgment, 
the  causeless  destruction  of  a  fine  tree  is  a  sort  of 
murder. 

Arboricide  is  a  crime,  as  well  as  homicide.  The 
name  of  Gastrell,  who  cut  down  Shakspeare's  mul- 
berry tree,  is  justly  followed  by  the  execrations  of 
posterity  ,and  hangs  forever  on  a  gibbet  of  reproach, 
vainly  craving  the  boon  of  oblivion.  It  is  good  to 
suspend  judgment,  till  both  sides  have  been  heard, 
and  now  I  call  upon  the  men  who  cut  down  Gen. 
Lincoln's  elm  to  say  why  sentence  should  not  be 
passed  upon  them. — Transcript. 


LBGI3LATIVS  AGRIOULTURAIi  IvIEBT- 
INGS. 

TmnD  Meetin-o— TuESDAV  Evening,  Fee.  1,  1853. 

The  third  meeting  of  the  series  was  held  in  Rep- 
resentatives' Hall,  at  the  State  House,  on  Tuesday 
evening,  Feb.  1st.  The  meeting  was  called  to  or- 
der at  quarter  past  7  o'clock  by  Hon.  J.  W.  Proc- 
tor, of  Danvers,  and  His  Honor,  Lieut.  Govern- 
or Huntington  was  invited  to  preside  for  the  eve- 
ning. 

Upon  taking  the  chair,  Mr.  Huntington  returned 
his  thanks  for  the  honor  which  he  conceived  had 
been  done  him,  and  briefly  expressed  his  high  ap- 
preciation of  the  importance  of  agriculture,  which 
might  truly  be  said  to  be  the  greatest  interest  in 
the  Commonweath  or  even  in  the  country.  He 
then  announced  the  meeting  as  open  for  business. 

Mr.  Proctor  submitted  the  report  of  the  Exec- 
utive Committee  appointed  at  the  last  meeting, 
embracing  rules  and  regulations,  and  subjects  for 
discussion,  as  follows  : — 

The  committee,  who  were  instructed  to  prepare 
regulations  for  these  meetings,  &c.,  have  attended 
to  the  duty  assigned  them,  and  report — 

RULES    AND    REGULATIONS. 

1.  The  Executive  Committee  shall  propose  sub 
jects  for  discussion,  and  give  notice  of  the  same, 
one  week  previous  to  the  meeting.  They  shall 
nominate  at  each  meeting  a  chairman  to  preside. 

2.  No  speaker  will  be  allowed  to  occupy  more 
thiin  fifteen  tninutcs''  time,  unless  by  special  per 
mission  of  the  meeting. 

3.  Meetings  shall  be  opened  at  1-4  past  7,  and 
closed  at  9  o'clock ;  unless  otlierwise  specially  or 
dered. 

4.  The  chairman  will  l)e  expected  to  state  the 
suVject  for  discussion ;  with  such  remarks  thereon, 
as  he  may  deem  pertinent. 


5.  All  members  of  the  government,  and  otli«afi 
interested  in  agriculture,  espeeially  operative  far- 
mers, are  invited  to  be  present,  and  participate  in 
the  discussions. 

G.  Editors  of  agricultural  and  other  papers  are 
invited  to  take  notes  of  what  is  said  and  done,  and 
publish  the  same  in  their  respective  journals. 

7.  The  number  of  meetings  for  the  season  shall 
not  exceed  twelve. 

SUBJECTS  FOR  DISCUSSION. 

1 .  The  relative  importance  of  the  agricultural 
interest,  in  sustaining  the  well  being  of  the  State ; 
as  compared  with  any  and  all  other  interests. 

2.  The  best  mode  of  breaking  up  and  pulverizing 
soils  ;  and  the  depth  of  this  process  best  adapted 
to  ordinary  cultivation. 

3.  The  comparative  value  and  profit,  in  the  cul- 
tivation of  grass,  grain  and  vegetables,  as  farm 
products. 

4.  The  cultivation  and  preservation  of  fx'uits. 

5.  Preparation  and  application  of  manures. 

C.  Subdivision  and  fencing  of  the  lands  of  a 
farm. 

7.  Structure  and  position  of  farm  buildings. 

8.  The  breeds  of  neat  stock  best  suited  to  the 
farms  of  Massachusetts  ;  including  the  manner  of 
feeding  and  improving  the  same. 

9.  The  expediency  of  autumnal  plowing  of  land 
intended  fur  culture  the  ensuing  season. 

On  motion  of  Hon.  Seth  Sprague,  of  Duxbury,  the 
report  was  adopted. 

Mr.  Proctor  was  then  called  upon  to  express 
his  views  upon  the  subject  for  the  evening's  dis- 
cussion, viz.,  "The  relative  importance  of  the  ag- 
ricultural interest,  in  sustaining  the  well-being  of 
the  State,  as  compared  with  any  and  all  other  in- 
terests." 

Mr.  Proctor  remarked  that  we  hear  a  great  deal 
said  about  the  interests  of  the  farmer,  but  do  we 
find  those  interests  sustained  in  proportion  to  what 
is  said  respecting  them  ?  More  than  one-half  of 
the  laboring  community  ai"e  engaged  in  cultivating 
the  soil,  but  does  the  State  protect  farmers  in  any- 
thing like  the  same  ratio  that  other  classes  of  the 
community  are  fostered  and  sustained  1  Does  the 
compensation  received  by  the  farmer  for  his  labor, 
compare  with  that  which  accrues  to  other  em- 
ployments ?  In  looking  over  the  accounts  of  farm- 
ing operations,  he  had  found  that  even  the  best 
of  farmers  get  a  very  limited  income  from  their 
farms.  In  looking  over  the  records  of  the  returns 
from  Worcester  the  present  year,  he  found  that 
the  income  of  the  farm  which  received  the  highest 
premium  was  only  $242  above  the  expenses.  In 
Essex,  the  committee  state  that  very  few  farmers 
realize  more  than  $200  or  $300  over  and  above 
the  expenses  of  their  farms.  He  thought  this 
disproportionate  to  the  labor  and  respectability  of 
the  profession,  and  the  question  is,  can  the  State 
do  anything  to  advance  the  interests  of  agricul- 
ture 1  Propositions  have  been  made  for  the  edu- 
cation of  the  farmer,  but  how  shall  it  be  brought 
about  ■? 

Mr.  Sprague,  of  Duxbury,  was  not  aware  of  any- 


1853, 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


123 


thing  that  could  bo  done  by  government  for  the 
benefit  of  the  farmer,  except  in  the  regulation  of 
the  general  policy  of  tlie  country.  We  are  a  pro- 
ducing people,  and  the  difficulty  is  not  with  ua  the 
want  of  protection  to  enable  us  to  compete  with 
other  nations.  We  produce  more  agricultural  pro- 
ductions, than  we  can  consume  ;  hence  we  want  a 
market,  and  if  we  cannot  find  it  abroad,  we  must 
seek  it  at  home.  So  far  as  New  England  is  con- 
cerned, it  costs  us  more  to  raise  a  bushel  of  corn 
or  grain  than  any  where  else  in  the  world,  and  it 
is  more  a  matter  of  astonishment  that  we  succeed 
ia  farming  at  all,  than  that  we  get  but  a  small  re- 
ward for  it.  The  most  important  thing  that  can 
be  done  for  the  farmer  in  New  England  is  to  pro- 
vide him  a  market,  and  the  next  to  improve  his 
mode  of  cultivating  the  soil.  We  must  extend  the 
science  of  our  profession.  We  have  as  yet  paid 
but  little  attention  to  the  philosophy  of  farming, — 
to  the  breeding  of  cattle,  and  the  stock  with  which 
our  farms  should  be  supplied.  We  must  overcome 
the  difiSculties  under  which  we  labor  in  competing 
with  the  productions  of  the  valley  of  the  !Mississip- 
pi,  by  our  superior  skill,  and  by  having  a  ready 
market  near  at  hand.  The  want  of  a  market  is 
supplied  by  the  manufacturing  interest  that  exists 
in  New  England,  and  the  speaker  contended  that 
the  interests  of  agriculture  and  manufacture  were 
identical.  Ile.was  unable  to  decide  which  was  the 
most  important,  for  if  you  destroy  one  you  em- 
phatically destroy  both.  Take  away  the  manu- 
facturing and  mechanical  interests  of  ]\fassachu 
setts,  and  you  take  away  all  the  market  which  the 
farmer  has  for  his  products. 

In  allusion  to  the  remarks  of  Mr.  Proctor  in  re 
gard  to  the  profits  of  farming,  the  speaker  said  that 
he  was  acquainted  with  a  good  many  farmers  in 
the  vicinity  of  his  residence,  and  he  did  not  know 
of  a  single  individual  that  got  his  living  exclusive- 
ly by  farming.  He  knoAvs  some  very  good  farm- 
ers, with  farms  that  a  few  years  ago  would  have 
been  considered  worth  $8000  or  $10,000,  who  did 
not  make  any  profit  on  their  estates  ;  he  was  cer- 
tain they  did  not  accumulate.  He  was  strongly  of 
opinion  that  the  farmers  of  the  Commonwealth  got 
nothing  for  their  capital.  Some  farmers,  he  was 
aware  did  make  money — those  who  produced  milk, 
and  those  that  raise  a  great  deal  of  fruit,  and  hay, 
for  which  they  have  a  ready  market — but  these  are 
exceptions. 

Col.  W.  E.  Faulkner,  of  Acton,  said  that  in  his 
town  there  were  formers  who  had  made  money 
within  the  last  twenty  years.  But  they  were  men 
ol  iron  constitutions,  who  got  along  with  but  httle 
hired  help.  They  went  25  miles  to  market  before 
tlie  railroad  went  through  the  town,  and  made  $600 
per  year,  chiefly  on  hay.  He  believed  that  a  time 
was  coming  when  forming  would  be  more  profita- 
ble than  now,  because  in  the  South  and  West  the 
soils  are  becoming  exhausted  from  improper  man- 


agement, and  people  were  moving  back  ;  and  the 
time  is  at  hand  when  we  shall  have  a  home  con- 
sumption, which  is  considered  by  all  practical  men 
as  better  than  a  foreign  market.  The  speaker  al- 
luded to  the  necessity  of  agricultural  schools,  to 
give  our  children  a  knowledge  of  chemistry,  so  that 
they  might  know  how  to  treat  soils,  and  keep  them 
fertile  and  productive.  He  believed  that  by  skill 
and  industry,  the  farmers  of  New  England  would 
be  able  successfully  to  compete  with  the  farmers 
of  the  other  sections  of  the  country.  He  stated 
that  most  of  the  Rour  which  is  ground  in  New  York 
was  raised  in  Michigan,  and  the  county  west  of 
New  York,  whose  lands  are  fost  running  out.  He 
thought  that  fiiriners  were  not  so  well  paid  as  me- 
chanics. Farmers'  sons  cannot  be  induced  to  farm 
it  for  a  living,  because  they  can  get  more  at  other 
callings. 

Mr.  Merri.vm,  of  Tewksbury,  dwelt  at  some 
length  on  the  relative  importance  of  the  agricul- 
tural interest  of  the  country,  and  complained  that 
nothing  had  been  done  by  government  to  foster  it. 

Dr.  CoGGSwELL,  of  Bedford,  humorously  related 
the  reasons  which  induced  him  to  give  up  practic- 
ing physic,  to  follow  farming,  the  primary  cause 
being  an  old  picture  representing  a  king,  a  clergy- 
man, a  lawyer,  a  physician,  and  a  farmer.  The 
king  was  represented  with  this  motto,  "I  govern 
all ;"  the  clergyman  with  the  legend,  "I  pray  for 
all ;"  the  lawyer,  "I  plead  for  all ;"  the  physi- 
cian, "I  prescribe  for  all."  The  farmer  was  repre- 
sented as  drawing  out  rather  reluctantly  his  purse, 
with  this  inscription,  ^'^  I  pay  for  all.''''  It  was  this 
incident  which  gave  him  his  first  impressions  of 
the  true  dignity  of  manual  labor,  and  he  had  en- 
joyed more  true  pleasure  during  his  eight  years  of 
forming  life,  than  during  the  twenty  he  had  spent 
in  making  pills.  He  believed  the  only  useful  class- 
es were  the  farmer,  the  mechanic,  and  the  trader. 
All  others,  lawyers,  doctors,  ministers,  &c.,  he  be- 
lieved could  be  dispensed  with  altogether,  and  the 
world  wag  on  just  as  well  without  them.  He  firm- 
ly believed  from  his  own  experience,  that  farming 
was  profitable. 

Mr.  Hastings,  of  Framingham,  a  mechanic,  con- 
trasted the  position  and  remuneration  of  the  farm- 
er with  the  mechanic,  placing  the  farmer  in  much 
the  most  favorable  light.  The  former  spent  less 
time  about  his  business  than  the  mechanic,  had 
more  leisure,  less  trouble  in  collecting  his  dues, 
more  privileges  &c.  He  could  point  to  twenty 
farmers  who  had  got  something  to  show  for  their 
labor,  where  he  could  to  one  mechanic  in  the  same 
circumstances.  The  farmers  have  the  balance  of 
power,  and  they  can  fix  things  their  own  way  if 
they  choose. 

Mr.  Trull,  of  Tewksbury,  said  he  had  got  his 
living  by  forming,  and  he  disliked  to  hear  his  broth- 
er formers  depreciating  their  occupation.  As  far 
as  the  profits  of  farming  were  concerned,  he  had 


124 


JSEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


March 


never  seen  the  want  of  money.  He  had  watched 
manufacturers  and  mechanics,  and  he  considered 
his  chance  for  a  living  as  good  as  theirs,  with  the 
same  degree  of  hibor.  A  great  many  farmers  mis- 
take their  calling.  They  must  not  expect  to  get 
rich  in  one,  or  five,  or  ten  years.  The  farmer 
should  go  perseveringly  into  the  labor  himself,  take 
his  coat  off,  rise  early,  and  work  late,  and  see  that 
his  business  is  continually  going  ahead,  and  if  he 
works  systematically  and  energetically,  he  will 
meet  with  a  fair  measure  of  success. 

Mr.  Clark,  of  Northboro',  said  he  had  had  some 
experience  in  forming,  and  thought  the  idea  that 
farmers  do  not  make  so  much  money  as  other  peo- 
ple, perfectly  fallacious.  A  few  years  ago  he  had 
a  farm  of  150  acres  which  he  could  not  take  care 
of,  and  so  let  it  for  $200  per  year,  withholding  the 
wood.  At  the  end  of  the  year  the  tenant  said  he 
could  not  get  along,  at  that  rent,  and  proposed  a 
partnership,  to  which  the  speaker  assented.  He 
commenced  a  new  system,  took  in  stock,  and*  in- 
stead of  hiring,  let  out  work  by  the  job  ;  and  in 
the  spring,  after  selling  out  stock,  got  $400  rent 
instead  of  $200.  In  thinking  of  the  wages  of  the 
mechanic,  the  farmer  does  not  consider  that  he  has 
got  his  house-rent,  his  firewood,  and  most  of  his 
provisions  from  his  own  estate.  He  would  like  to 
know  how  much  a  farmer  would  lay  up  at  nine 
shillings  per  day,  without  a  farm  ?  The  farmer,  too, 
keeps  a  horse,  and  enjoys  the  pleasure  of  riding  to 
mill  and  where  he  pleases,  without  extra  cost. 
While  the  mechanic  has  to  pay  for  this  chance, 
and  lose  his  time  beside. 

The  speaker  related  the  result  of  an  experiment 
he  made  with  a  piece  of  land.  It  was  covered  with 
high  bushes,  which  he  had  mown  off,  then  got  a 
kind  of  harrow  made  and  got  the  roots  out  and 
burnt  them,  and  then  put  on  some  manure  and 
sowed  it  down  with  rye.  From  this  land  he  ob- 
tained 45  bushels  of  rye  to  the  acre.  That  land  he 
said,  netted  him  100  per  cent., — land  that  was  not 
worth  originally  $5  per  acre,  and  had  not  cost  $40, 
but  was  now  worth  $200  per  acre. 

The  speaker  contended  that,  where  farmers 
could  not  superintend  their  work,  they  should  let 
it  out  by  the  job,  instead  of  hiring.  They  could 
make  more  money  by  it.  He  believed  the  fsirmer 
could  secure  just  as  much  profit  for  the  same 
amount  of  labor,  capital  and  skill,  as  any  other 
profession. 

Mr.  BucKMiNSTER  took  occasion  to  exhibit  a  cake 
of  solidified  milk,  or  milk  and  sugar,  which  was 
brought  from  New  York,  a  convenient  article  to 
carry  to  sea. 

Dr.  CoGGSWELL,  alluding  to  the  charge  that  gov- 
ernment had  not  legislated  for  the  benefit  of  agri- 
culture, said  that  God  had  taken  the  legislation  in- 
to his  own  hands.  For  the  last  few  years,  he  has 
visited  the  farmer  with  the  potato  disease,  which 
is  a  blessing  in  disguise,  and  a  punishment  to  that 


community  which  has  refused  to  legislate  for  the 
farmer.  It  has  brought  that  staple  article  up  from 
20  to  50  cents  per  bushel,  and  he  thought  it  would 
not  again  fall  below  that  point.  So  also  of  the 
scarcity  of  hay,  the  past  season,  which  has  in- 
creased greatly  in  price.  He  believed  it  would 
continue  high  for  years  to  come. 

Mr.  Small,  cf  Truro,  knew  that  farming 
was  unprofitable  as  far  as  dollars  and  cents  were 
concerned.  One  great  cause  is,  that  those  who 
have  capital  and  skill,  will  go  into  some  other 
business,  for  a  man  who  can  make  a  hundred  dol- 
lars a  month  catching  fish,  will  not  lake  to  farm- 
ing. Farmers  as  a  general  thing  are  ignorant  of 
their  calling;  they  want  more  light,  more  intelli- 
gence to  understand  the  soils  they  cultivate.  We 
have  no  reai  system  cf  farming,  and  most  work  is 
dene  by  guess.  One  great  fault,  he  thought,  was, 
feeding  soils  with  too  mnch  manure,  especially  that 
which  is  stimulating.  He  thought  the  cause  of  the 
potato  rot  was  brought  about  by  over-feeding  with 
manure.  It  is  just  so  with  our  animals — too  much 
food  injures  them.  Therefore  we  want  to  know 
just  how  much,  and  what  kind  of  manure,  our  soils 
need.  He  thought  that  if  farmers  in  genera;  un- 
derstood these  things,  there  would  be  no  difficulty 
in  getting  a  comfortable  support  from  the  earth. 

Mr.  Proctor  explained  that  in  making  the  state- 
ments he  did  m  the  early  part  of  the  evening,  in 
regard  to  the  unprofitableness  of  farming,  he  did  so 
with  a  view  of  calling  forth  statements  of  an  oppo- 
site character.  He  had  no  doubt  that  in  his  coun- 
ty there  were  farms  which  yielded  $1500,  or 
$2,000,  per  year.  Mr.  Ephraim  Brown,  who 
owns  a  farm  in  Marblehead,  had  informed  him  that 
he  had  sold  the  produce  of  his  farm  in  market  for 
$5,000  in  one  year,  and  one-half  of  that  was  clear 
profit.  Half  an  acre  of  onions  yielded  600  bush- 
els, which  sold  on  an  average  for  40  cents.  Still 
Mr.  Proctor  believed  there  were  many  more  farm- 
ers who  come  short  of  $300,  per  year,  than  of 
those  who  go  beyoud  it. 

The  hour  of  9  having  arrived,  the  meeting  ad- 
journed. 

The  subject  next  Tuesday  evening,  will  be — 
"The  best  mode  of  breaking  up  and  pulverizing 
soils,  and  the  depth  of  this  process  best  adapted  to 
ordinary  cultivation." 

Correction. — In  our  report  of  the  last  meeting, 
Mr.  Howard  was  represented  as  saying  that  "in 
New  York  it  is  assumed  that  ten  pounds  of  milk 
will  make  one  pound  of  cheese  or  one  pound  of  but- 
ter." It  should  have  read,  "ten  quarts  of  milk 
will  make  one  pound  of  butter  or  three  pounds  of 
cheese."  In  the  report  of  the  same  gentleman's 
remarks,  instead  of  "one  Devon  brought  over  to 
Connecticut,"  read  "one  importation  of  Devons." 


11^°  The  only  thing  which  every  one  can  do,  and 
the  only  thing  which  any  one  need  do,  is  his  duty. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


125 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
TO  INVENTORS. 

Mr.  Editor  : — A  machine  is  ivanted  by  many 
farmers,  by  means  of  which,  horse  power  may  be 
applied  to  loading  manure,  muck,  &c.,/ro??i  heaps 
into  carts. 

It  should  be  simple,  light,  cheap,  strong,  and 
capable  of  loading  a  cart  in  from  one  to  three  min- 
utes. Any  person  who  can  invent  such  a  machine 
will  be  amply  repaid  in  money,  and  in  the  gratifi- 
cation of  being  able  to  facilitate  this  laborious  op- 
eration. 

A  shovel,  moved  by  steam  power,  loads  with 
gravel  a  car  at  a  time.  Cannot  this  machinery 
be  so  modified  as  to  be  used  for  the  above-men- 
tioned purpose,  substituting  grappling  tines  for  the 
shovel  ?  One  "reaper"  collects,  and  deposits  the 
grain  in  heaps  ready  for  binding.  Cannot  this  ma- 
chinery receive  the  requisite  modification  ? 

Jan.  18,  1853.  L.  r. 


Rem.\rks. — AVell,  we  don't  know.  If  on  very 
large  farms  the  manure  all  fell  into  one  enormous 
heap  of  some  thousands  of  loads,  such  an  imple- 
ment might  be  found  useful.  However,  your  in- 
quiries can  do  no  harm,  and  we  cheerfully  give 
them  currencv. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 


ANALYSES  OP   SOILS. 

Gentlemen: — From  no  branch  of  scientific  agri 
culture,  perhaps,  is  more  expected  than  from  that 
which  teaches  the  analysis  of  soils.     If  the  farmer 
by  subjecting  a  few  handfuls  of  earth  from  his  va 
rious  fields,  could  ascertain  exactly  what  was  ne- 
cessary to  promote  its  fertility,  he  might  proceed 
intelligibly — would  know  exactly  what  to  do.    He 
might  then  laugh  at  the  plodding  experience   of 
his  fathers,   and,  following  the  sure   teaching  of 
positive  knowledge,  be  certain  of  the  most  happy 
results.     But  is  it  safe  to  encourage  such  expecta- 
tions ?     Do  men  who  are  learned  va  these  matters 
profess  to  be  able  by  an  analysis  of  the  soil,  to  an 
swer  the  questions  w^hich  an  intelligent  farm-hand 
might  propose  ? 

For  one,  Mr.  Editor,  I  have  little  confidence  in 
the  analyses  of  soils  in  the  present  stale  of  the  sci 
ence.     My  skepticism  on  this  point  I  ascribe  to  my 
agricultural  reading,  and  to  the  cautions  and  con 
fessions  of  chemists  themselves  ;  as  v.-ell  as  to  the 
-  unsettled  and  contradictory  theories  which  have 
been  based  upon  the  results  of  attempts  to  analyz 
soils.     The  lamented  Prof.  Norton,  in  one  of  his 
letters  to  the  Albany  Cultivator,  makes  the  follow 
ing  acknowledgment:     "TAe  laboratory  alone   is 
pretty  sure  to  go  lorong  ichen  it  attempts  to  prescribe 
rules  for  practice.'"     Speaking  of  the   change  of 
Prof.   Liebig,  from   the  ammonia  to  the  mineral 
theory,  Mr.  Norton  uses  the  following  language 

"The  principal  supporter,  and  indeed  the  origi- 
nator of  this  theory,  (the  mineral  manure  theory,) 
is  Prof.  Liebig.  This  distinguished  chemist,  dis- 
tinguished no  less  by  his  clear  lucid  style,  than  by 
his  high  scientific  reputation,  was  for  a  time  devo- 
ted to  "the  ammonia  theory,"  excluding  those 
mineral  manures  to  which  he  now  attaches  so 
much  importance.  A  few  years  since,  however, 
he  saw  cause  to  change  his  ground,  and  has  since 
held,  that  if  we  furnish  mineral  manures  in  abun 


dance,  plants  will,  without  doubt,  always  obtain 
their  ammonia,  or  ratlier  their  nitrogen,  from  the 
atmosphere  or  the  soil.  In  pursuance  of  this  idea, 
he  went  so  far  as  to  compound,  after  careful  study 
of  ash  analysesj  specific  mineral  manures  for  wheat, 
rye,  oats,  turnips,  &c.,  which  were  to  take  effect 
upon  all  soils  in  a  proper  physical  condition.  The 
failure  of  these  specific  manures,  which  were  pa- 
tented in  England,  was,  as  many  of  your  readers 
doubtless  are  aware,  very  decisive." 

The  chemist  to  the  Ohio  Board  of  Agriculture, 
Mr.  David  A.  Wells,  devoted  the  summer  of  1851 
to  "examining,  analyzing  and  reporting  upon  the 
nature  and  composition  of  the  soils  of  that  State." 
He  gives  the  following  as  the  result  of  his  analysis 
of  some  of  the  richest  soil  of  the  celebrated  Scioto 
valley — soil  that  has  been  cultivated  fifty  years, 
and  now,  says  he,  "with  the  most  ordinary  cul- 
ture, yields  on  an  average,  one  year  with  another, 
eighty  bushels  of  corn  to  the  acre." 

ANALYSIS    OF   SCIOTO   YALLEV  SOIL. 

Whoie  amount  of  insoluble  matter,  silicious  sand 

and  clay 83.00  per  can t. 

Lime 0.40 

Phosphoric  acid 0.04        " 

Allialies 0.  IG        " 

Organic  matter 6.00        " 

He  compares  this,  with  analyses  of  Jlassachu- 
setts  soils,  as  given  in  the  Geological  Report  of  the 
State,  by  President  Hitchcock.  The  following  is 
the  result  of  the  analysis  of  soil  from  Palmer, 
Hampden  County,  Mass. 

Insoiubie  siiicates 88.00 

Phosphates • 0-60 

Lime 2.00 

Organic  matter 8.00 

On  this  comparison  of  analyses,  Mr.  Wells  re- 
marks :  "We  find  but  little  difference  in  the 
amount  and  value  of  the  mineral  constituents  of 
the  Ohio  and  Hampden  county  soils  ;  if  any  thing, 
the  advantage  is  on  the  side  of  Massachusetts 
soils." 

Having  witnessed  the  growth  of  corn  in  both 
States,  I  must  here  confess  my  surprise  at  these 
results  ;  and  will  acknowledge  they  have  done 
much  to  shake  my  fliith  in  the  value  of  all  chemi- 
cal analyses  of  soils.  Is  it  possible,  that  by  care- 
ful analyses  of  soils  from  sterile  Massachusetts, 
and  of  those  from  the  Scioto  valley,  famous  for  its 
wonderful  fertility,  no  clue  to  the  vast  difference 
between  the  two  can  be  detected  ! 

The  editor  of  the  Ohio  Cultivator,  after  admit- 
ting that,  in  common  Avith  other  agricultural  wri- 
ters, he  has  urged  the  importance  of  analyses  of 
soils,  for  some  ten  j-ears  past,  now  says  : 

"We  confess,  however,  that  we  are  disappoint- 
ed in  regard  to  the  practical  advantages  that  have 
resulted  thus  f\ir  from  the  analyses  of  soils  in  Ohio 
and  elsewhere  ;  and  we  do  not  at  present  see  what 
benefit  is  likely  to  be  soon  realized  from  such 
analyses." 

President  Hitchcock,  in  a  letter  to  a  friend  and 
pupil,  who  had  been  appointed  State  geologist,  by 
the  Executive  of  Vermont,  v.rites  as  follows  : 

"I  should  not  tliink  it  strange  if  some  should  be 
disappointed,  as  they  have  been  in  otiier  States, 
by  anticipating  too  much  from  the  mere  analyses 
of  soils.  The  impression  is  very  strong,  flhrough 
the  community,  that  the  chemist,  by  such  an 
analysis,  can  determine  what  is  wanting  to  ren- 
der a  soil  fertile,  or  what  renders  it  barren.  Now- 
even  admitting  that  he  could  do  this,  an  analysis 


126 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


March 


of  the  soil  from  almost  every  farm  in  the  State, 
nay,  from  almost  every  field,  -woukl  be  necessary 
to  make  it  of  much  value  ;  and  it  is  not  generally 
knovra  that  every  such  analysis,  accurate  enough 
for  this  purpose,  could  not  consume  less  than  two 
or  three  weeks.  Bui  I  do  not  believe  thai  agricul- 
lural  chemistry  is  yd  advanced  enough  to  enable 
the  chemist  to  say  in  many  coses  what  ingredient 
added  will  be  sure  to  render  a  barren  soil  prolific.'" 

I  have  written  this  article,  Mr.  Editor,  not  for 
the  purpose  of  throwing  doubt  or  suspicion  upon 
the  just  claims  of  science  ;  but  simply  to  bring  be- 
fore your  readers  the  question  whether  the  popu- 
lar mind  is  not  demanding  and  hoping  more  from 
her  than  she  has  ever  promised  to  do — more  than 
she  can  perform  ;  and  consequently  whether  there 
is  not  danger  of  fostering  expectations,  the  certain 
disappointment  of  which  will  strengthen  prejudice 
against  all  scientific  teachings.  And  I  will  close 
with  a  few  reflections.  The  e.'ipcrience  of  the  prac- 
tical farmer  may  be  undervalued,  in  the  advocacy 
of  scientific  knowledge.  The  impotence  and  falli- 
bility of  what  is  called  science,  rather  than  the 
stupidity  of  farmers,  a  reason  for  the  slow  advance 
of  "scientific  agriculture."  Instead  of  the  ff;)jt)/i- 
cation  of  science  to  agriculture,  the  crealio?!  or  per- 
fection of  science  for  agriculture,  is  needed.  "The 
first  thing  to  be  done  is,  [not]  to  prepare  the  mind 
[of  firmers]  for  a  better  system,"  but  to  prepare 
the  "better  system."  "The  preparation  of  com- 
petent teachers  ....  will  necessarily  precede  the 
instruction  of  pupils."  s.  F. 

Winchester,  Jan.,  1853. 


AGRICULTURAL  IMPLEMENTS. 

The  use  of  horse-power,  for  the  purposes  of  cut 
ting  and  harvesting  grain,  for  plowing  and  other 
operations,  may  very  probably,  before  many  years, 
be  superseded  in  a  measure  by  steam  power.  The 
idea  has  been  already  suggested,  and  some  at- 
tempts have  been  made  to  carry  it  into  practical 
operation.  It  would  seem  that  steam  power  coiUd 
only  be  applied  successfully  to  plowing,  by  run 
ning  the  plow  on  v/heels,  as  is  done  in  some  parts 
of  Europe,  and  in  the  prairie  plow  in  the  West 
and  then  that  it  could  not  be  used  to  advantage 
except  on  level,  or  nearly  level  lands,  free  from 
stumps  and  large  stones.  Some  experiments  were 
recently  made  in  England  with  the  plow,  subsoil 
plow  and  harrow,  operated  by  steam  power,  all  of 
wliich  are  represented  as  fully  answering  all  rea- 
sonable expectations.  The  plowing  took  place  on 
old  lands,  having  some  dips.  In  one  experiment, 
four  acres  were  plowed  in  ten  hours,  and  might 
have  been  subsoiled  at  the  same  time,  making  the 
amount  plowed  nearly  an  acre  an  hour.  The  re- 
lative expense  of  plowing  twenty-four  acres,  is 
found  I>y  that  trial  to  be,  by  horse  power,  $-14  23, 
and  by  steam  power,  §30  75,  making  a  difference 
in  favor  of  the  steam  power  in  ploM'ing  tiie  twenty- 
four  acres,  of  $13  48.  We  can  hardly  realize 
that  it  will  ever  be  of  practical  use  in  New  Eng- 
land. 

After  the  most  judicious  selection  of  a  plow,  the 
work   will  be   quite   likely  to  be  badly   executed, 


unless  the  principles  of  draft  are  understood.  "So 
great  is  the  difference  between  an  awkward  and 
skilful  adjustment  of  the  draft  to  the  plow,  that 
some  workmen  with  a  poor  instrument  have  suc- 
ceeded better  than  others  have  with  the  best ;  and 
plows  of  second  quality,  sometimes  for  this  reason, 
have  been  preferred  to  those  of  the  most  perfect 
construction." 

Perhaps  the  object  of  the  Massachusetts  State 
Agricultural  Society,  in  instituting  the  plowing 
matches  at  Brighton,  was  principally  an  improve- 
ment in  the  breed  of  vrorking  oxen.  Yet  so  slow 
were  the  competitors  in  those  honorable  and  use- 
ful contests,  to  allow  of  any  deficiency  in  their  an- 
imals, and  to  lay  upon  them  the  stigma  of  defeat, 
that  they  were  led  to  most  searching  examination 
into  the  structure  of  their  plows,  to  which  they 
were  not  willing  to  charge  it.  The  result,  there- 
fore, has  been  successive  improvements  in  the 
plow.  A  geueral  impetus  has  been  thence  com- 
municated to  the  whole  art  of  agriculture.  Im- 
provements and  inventions  have  abounded.  New 
implements  have  been  invented,  old  ones  improved, 
and  thus  a  better  tillage  has  been  produced,  and 
greater  ficilities  in  harvesting  have  enabled  the 
fanner  the  better  to  save  his  crops. 

Another  indispensaWe  implement  upon  the  farm, 
and  one  of  great  practical  utility,  is  the  harrow. 
This  instrument  naturally  follows  the  plow  in  farm 
operations,  and  although  scarcely  less  important, 
in  the  service  which  it  renders,  than  the  plow 
itself,  has  not  seemed  to  obtain  that  attentiori 
which  it  deserves.  Indeed,  while  constructed  io 
the  manner  in  which  are  most  of  them  now  used, 
they  will  gain  few  golden  opinions  from  intelligent 
men.  Their  great  objection  lies  in  their  weight. 
They  are  too  heavy  and  are  moved  too  slowly.  In 
order  to  pulverize  the  soil  thoroughly  and  leave  it 
in  fine  and  delicate  tilth,  it  is  necessary  to  use  a 
light  harrow,  with  sharp  teeth,  and  to  move  it 
quickly  over  the  ground.  "If  we  examine  a  field 
one  half -of  which  has  been  harrowed  by  weak,  in- 
efficient horses,  and  whose  pace  was  consequently 
sluggish,  the  other  half  by  an  adequate  strength 
and  swiftness  of  animal  power,  we  shall  find  tho 
former  will  be  rough  and  unfinished ;  the  latter 
comparatively  fine  and  level,  and  conipleted  in 
what  would  be  called  a  husbandry-like  mannQv .' ^ 
On  meadow  sward,  that  is  filled  with  roots  of  small 
bushes  and  coarse  grass,  alight  harrow  with  sharp 
teeth,  moved  rapidly  over  the  surface,  cuts  the 
roots  apart  and  brings  up  the  fine,  light  soil,  ad- 
mirably prepared  to  receive  grass  seed  ;  while  a 
heavy  instrument,  slowly  moved,  would  turn  up 
innumerable  sods,  and  do  little  towards  pulveriz- 
ing the  surface.  "Many  would  be  surprised,  who 
have  never  made  the  experiment,  at  the  amount  of 
reduction  of  which  seed  harrows,  at  least,  are 
capable  ;  and  where  land  is  clear,  to  see  how 
effective  very  light  small  toothed  harrows^  may  be 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


127 


made."  In  an  experiment  made  between  a  pair 
of  wooden  harrows,  and  a  pair  of  iron  ones,  con- 
structed alike,  although  the  iron  ones  were  twenty 
pounds  the  lightest,  yet  they  worked  decidedly 
better  and  steadier  then  those  made  of  wood.  It 
seems  to  he  requisite  to  have  the  desired  weight 
in  the  most  compact  from  ;  the  instrument  per- 
forms its  work  easier  and  better,  while  it  is  more 
conveniently  handled  by  the  operator. 

The  horse  rake,  in  its  various  forms,  has  proved 
itself  of  great  service.  One  patented  by  a  Mr. 
Delano,  of  Maine,  has  been  considerably  used  in 
this  State,  and  is  scarcely  excelled  by  any  labor- 
saving  machine  in  use  on  the  farm.  Its  teeth  act 
independently,  thus  adapting  itself  to  all  surfiices, 
and  the  operator  rides  as  he  rakes.  The  process, 
of  raking  is  rapid,  thus  enabling  the  haymaker  to 
leave  his  spread  grass  to  the  benefit  of  the  sun, 
until  a  late  hour  in  the  afternoon,  and  frequently 
to  get  it  in  on  the  same  day  in  which  it  is  cut. 
It  is  cheap,  simple  in  construction,  and  dura- 
ble. 

A  horse-mowing  machine,  and  a  machine  for 
spreading  swaths,  are  implements  much  wanted, 
and  are  inviting  subjects  for  the  inventive  genius 
of  some  of  our  citizens. 


For  the  New  England  Farnif.r. 
EXPERIMENTAL  FARMING. 

BY    SILAS    BROWN. 

Messrs.  Editors: — This  will  compare  with  ex- 
perimental religion  ;  no  religion  is  genuine  but  ex- 
perimental religion  ;  and  so  it  is  with  farming.  Our 
greatest  theorists  in  both,  sometimes  run  into  the 
regions  of  moonshine  and  are  deceived  by  trusting 
to  reflected  light. 

The  chemist  may  analyze  the  soil  on  my  farm 
and  discover  the  deficiencies  which  are  required  to 
constitute  a  good  soil,  and  point  out  the  ingredient 
or  ingredients  which  are  wanting,  theoretically, 
and  I  go  to  work  practically,  and  lind  my  land  un- 
productive as  before  ;  or  he  may  analyze  the  soil 
in  one  situation,  and  find  it  totally  deficient  of  an 
element  which  abounds  plentifully  at  a  little  dis- 
tance from  the  soil  analyzed.  Many  of  our  farm- 
ers have  soils  varying  every  few  rods,  and  what 
would  prove  a  suitable  ingredient  in  the  manure 
for  one  place  would  be  worthless  applied  to  an- 
other. 

AVe  dug  a  well  a  few  years  ago  for  the  accommo- 
dation of  my  barn  animals  ;  after  removing  the  soil 
at  the  surface,  we  entered  a  quicksand  which  con- 
tinued to  the  bottom  of  the  well,  and  proved  so 
troublesome  by  flowing  into  it  and  filling  it  up, 
that  I  had  a  new  one  dug  about  50  feet  distant 
from  the  other  ;  there,  after  removing  the  soil,  we 
came  upon  hard,  compact  clay  gravel,  which  con- 
tinued to  the  bottom,  and  was  pecked  up  at  a 
greatly  increased  expense  over  digging  the  first 
well ;  liere  was  an  illustration  of  the  change  of 
soils  worth  noticing.  In  this  neighborhood  the 
changes  from  clay  to  sand  may  frequently  be  seen  ; 
bricks  have  been  made  within  a  few  rods  of  a  sandy 
soil  witliout  the  least  appearance  of  clay. 

Thus  analyzing  soil  in  any  one  location  will  not 


truly  represent  the  different  locations  on  a  farm,  or 
point  out  the  different  ingredients  required  to  en- 
rich them,  and  after  all,  the  only  thing  to  be  relied 
on  is  the  practical  application  of  different  kinds  of 
substances  to  the  soil,  and  decide  experimentally 
which  is  best.  All  farmers  know  that  clay  witli 
sand,  or  mud  with  sand,  will  improve  the  soil,  but 
it  is  very  difficult  for  farmers  to  go  into  critical 
analyzations  of  soils,  even  by  the  help  of  a  chemist, 
but  with  doubtful  success. 

It  appears  to  me  to  be  a  difficulty  approaching 
an  impossibility,  that  the  best  practical  chemist 
can  give  directions  to  the  farmer  how  to  prepare 
his  manure  to  suit  his  different  kinds  of  soils,  and 
fit  them  to  produce  different  kinds  of  crops,  with 
any  precision.  The  farmer,  after  all,  hap  got  to 
learn  by  a  fair  trial  and  accurate  observation,  how 
to  enrich  his  land  and  fit  it  for  any  particular  crop. 
As  a  general  rule,  in  the  application  of  manure, 
perhaps  it  would  be  the  best  way  to  follow  the  ex- 
ample of  the  poor  traveller,  who  got  destitute  of 
money  and  was  obliged  to  exercise  his  wits  to  pur- 
sue his  journey,  and  understanding  the  gullibility 
of  "poor  human  nature,"  he  concluded  to  make 
an  attack  upon  it  in  its  most  vulnerable  part,  and 
pronounced  himself  a  doctor  ;  he  soon  found  a  pa- 
tient and  promised  a  cure ;  (a  matter  of  course 
with  certain  benevolent  people  who  have  a  single 
eye  to  the  benefit  of  others,  and  a  double  one  at 
the  contents  of  their  money  purses  ;)  the  next  thing 
was  which  way  to  go  to  work  to  do  it.  At  length 
he  hit  upon  a  plan  like  one  who  suddenly  awakes 
from  a  revery,  and  with  true  Yankee  shrewdness, 
he  went  out  into  the  fields  and  gathered  every  kind 
of  herb  that  came  in  his  way  and  said  it  was  very 
strange  if  some  one  among  them  would  not  be  a 
suitable  remedy  for  the  disease  of  his  patient. 

I  believe,  with  the  limited  state  of  our  knowledge, 
that  in  the  preparation  and  application  of  manures, 
the  better  way  would  be  to  make  a  compound  of 
every  substance,  vegetable  and  mineral,  which 
would  have  a  tendency  to  benefit  any  kind  of  soil, 
and  like  the  doctor's  prescription,  it  would  be  very 
strange  if  some  of  the  ingredients  should  not  prove 
of  the  right  kind. 

Wilminglon,  January,  1853. 

Remarks. — This  is  the  common  practice,  friend 
B.,  and  one  to  which  we  are  obliged  to  resort  for 
want  of  an  exact  knowledge  of  what  each  particu- 
lar crop  needs.  We  have  no  doubt  a  great  deal  of 
medicine  is  administered  in  the  same  way.  A  mix- 
ture is  given,  that  something  in  it  may  hit,  where 
a  simple  article  would  have  been  better,  had  the 
disease  been  thoroughly  understood.  In  manur- 
ing from  a  compost  heap  made  up  of  all  sorts  of 
materials  usually  collected  on  the  fiirm,  do  we  not 
apply  from  it  certain  substances  already  abounding 
in  the  soil,  and  which  the  crop  does  not  need?  It 
seems  to  us,  therefore,  that  analyses,  although 
only  approximating  the  truth,  are  better  than  an 
indiscriminate  use  of  manures. 


A  Compound  Solar  Microscoi-e  has  recently 
been  commenced  in  the  citv  of  New  York,  by  Pro- 
fessor J.  Hinds,  formerly  of  Salem,  N.  Y.,  capa- 
ble of  magnifying  olrjects  17,450,000  times. 


128 


I^EW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Marce 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
HISTORY  OP  THE  BORER. 

Mr.  Bkowx  : — The  insect  wliich  propagates  this 
destructive  worm  usually  lays  its  eggs  in  the  month 
of  June  or  July,  and  they  are  hatched  in  the  fol- 
lowing month  of  August  or  Septemljer  ;  immedi- 
ately the  maggots  penetrate  the  bark,  eating  the 
pulpy  part  next  the  wood.  The  latter  part  of  Sept. 
they  are  not  more  than  1-lG  of  an  inch  in  length, 
and  are  easily  removed,  being  usually  found  with- 
in an  inch  of  the  top  of  the  ground.  It  requires 
keen  eyes  to  discover  them,  but  it  may  be  done  in 
young  trees  by  observing  a  little  roughness  where 
the  maggot  enters,  and  a  slight  discoloration  of 
the  bark  at  tliat  particular  spot.  By  the  last  of 
November,  slight  cuttings  may  be  seen  through 
some  very  small  punctures  in  the  bark.  At  this 
season,  the  worm  will  be  found  about  3-lG  of  an 
inch  in  length,  and  to  have  eaten  in  the  soft  bark 
and  pulpy  sap-wood,  a  space  as  large  in  ai-ea,  as  a 
middling  sized  bean.  Up  to  this  time  they  have 
done  very  little  damage,  and  are  easily  removed 
with  a  sharp  pointed  knife. 

Early  the  next  spring  they  commence  their 
course  downward,  working  in  the  last  year's  sap- 
wood,  directly  under  the  bark.  This  year,  their 
depredations  are  most  destructive,  working  main- 
ly below  the  surface  of  the  ground.  I  have  known 
four  worms  half  girdle  a  tree  four  inches  in  diam- 
eter, eating  most  of  the  sap-wood  on  one  side,  and 
running  their  path  together  in  various  directions 
from  the  top  of  the  ground  to  the  junction  of  the 
roots.  In  the  Nijvember  of  the  2d  year  they  are 
about  3-4  of  an  inch  in  length,  and  may  almost  al- 
ways 1)6  found  below  the  point  where  they  first  en- 
tered the  bark,  and  rarely  ever  beneath  the  wood, 
but  in  the  sap-wood  beneath  the  bark,  which  is 
usually  discolored,  but  not  broken.  The  next 
spring  they  turn  upwards,  following  up  some  chan- 
nel which  they  have  previously  made,  until  they 
are  about  as  high  as  tlie  point  where  tliey  first  en- 
tered ;  they  then  eat  inward,  in  a  direction  not 
usually  straight,  mainly  upward,  and  rarely  ever 
more  than  an  inch  into  tlie  solid  wood  of  the  tree. 
Here  they  remain  the  third  winter  of  their  life,  and 
are  about  an  inch  or  an  inch  and  quarter  in  length. 
The  next  spring  they  turn  their  course  out  towards 
the  bark,  and  when  nearly  through  the  wood,about 
the  1st  of  June,  they  are  transformed  to  a  perfect 
winged  insect,  which  soon  eats  directly  out  through 
the  remaining  wood  and  bark,  leaving  a  round  hole 
about  1-4  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  usually  from 
six  to  ten  inches  above  the  place  of  enti*ance. 

I  have  on  the  5tli  of  June  taken  from  a  section 
of  tree  which  it  had  spoiled,  a  perfectly  formed  in- 
sect, with  aT)out  the  same  thickness  of  wood  as  of 
bark  to  cut  through  to  effect  its  liberation.  Thus 
they  generally  occupy  nearly  three  years  in  the 
circle  of  life  ;  I  say  generally,  as  I  have  some  evi- 
dence that  they  are  not  entirely  uniform,  a  few 
making  the  circle  in  two  years. 

I  have  been  induced  to  write  this  sketch  of  the 
borer,  as  most  accounts  of  the  insect  which  I  have 
seen,  describe  its  course  upward,  and  only  upward, 
whereas,  its  most  destructive  operations  are  later- 
al and  d(jwnward,  during  its  second  year,  and 
least  liable  to  observation,  as  cuttings  are  rarely 
seen,  its  operations  being  at  and  beneath  the  sur- 
face. 

Of  the  means  of  prevention,  or  destruction,  I 


have  treid  the  following  :   A  mound  of  ashes  round 

the  tree  only  drove  the  insect  to  deposit  the  egg;? 
just  alxjve  them.  A  wash  of  spirits  of  turpentine, 
or  strong  ley,  is  not  sure,  although  it  will  kill  the 
eggs;  yet  some  of  them  may  be  hatched,  and  when 
once  within  the  bark  any  wash  leaves  them  un- 
harmed. 

A  newspaper  or  wrapping  paper  wowid  around 
the  tree  and  fastened  there,  is  a  perfect  security.  I 
have  tried  it  for  twelve  years  and  never  have  had 
a  tree  infested  that  was  thus  secured — and  it  is 
(mly  through  my  neglect,  since  I  first  tried  it,  that 
I  have  been  troubled.  When  they  are  in  or  under 
the  bark,  a  sharp-pointed  knife  is  the  only  sure 
instrument — remove  them  the  first  autumn  or  next 
early  spring,  if  possible.  This  can  be  done  only 
by  close  observation.  After  they  have  struck  in- 
to the  wood  and  are  working  upward,  I  destroy 
them  by  introducing  a  sharp  wire,  or  a  very  small 
sponge  fastened  to  the  end  of  a  small  wire  dipped 
in  spirits  of  turpentine,  v/hich,  if  it  touches  them, 
is  certain  death,  and  I  believe  it  is  if  the  hole  is 
wet  with  it.  In  looking  for  borers  in  the  month 
of  October,  which  is  perhaps  the  best  month,! 
advise,  that  when  one  is  found,  be  careful  to  look 
for  more  in  the  same  tree.  I  have  usually,  when 
I  neglected  to  paper  my  young  trees,  found  borers 
in  perhaps  one  in  six,  and  from  those  taken  out, 
from  four  to  twelve,  showing  that  a  quantity  of 
eggs  is  usually  deposited  on  one  tree: 

Yours,         Richard  C.  Stone. 

Sherburne,  June  10,  1852. 


RESULTS  OF  ACCIDENTS. 

Some  of  the  most  useful  inventions  owe  their 
existence  entirely  to  accident;  such,  for  instance, 
as  the  accidental  discovery  that  Plaster  of  Paris 
was  a  non-conductor  of  heat — a  peculiarity  to  which 
our  "fire-proof  safes"  are  entirely  indebted  for  their 
usefulness  and  popuhirity.  The  discovery  was 
first  made  in  this  city  in  1830,  by  a  mechanic,  who 
carried  on  various  branches  of  smith-work  in  Eld- 
ridge  Street.  Having  occasion  to  heat  some  water, 
he  took  a  cast-iron  vessel  in  v/hich  plaster  of  Paris 
had  been  used,  and  to  which  some  had  adhered, 
forming  a  crust  or  coating  on  the  inside  of  the 
kettle  from  one-half  to  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in 
thickness  ;  he  poured  in  water  and  put  it  over  a 
fire,  with  a  view  of  heating  the  water  sufl!iciently 
for  his  purpose  ;  to  his  great  surprise,  after  remain- 
ing in  some  time,  he  found  that  no  change  had 
been  made  in  the  temperature  of  the  water  ;  he 
blew  the  bellows,  rendered  the  fire  still  hotter, 
and  was  still  more  surprised,  after  a  long  lapse  of 
time,  that  the  water  did  not  become  warm  ;  he 
left  the  water  on  the  fire,  and  went  on  with  his 
work.  Returning  after  some  hours,  he  found  the 
water  had  only  become  a  little  tepid  ;  on  this  he 
laid  various  combustible  substances  on  the  fire, 
but  still  no  effect  was  produced.  Being  somewhat 
puzzled  to  account  for  so  strange  a  state  of  things, 
he  next  day  instituted  a  scries  of  inquiries,  the 
result  of  which  was  the  invention  of  the  celebrated 
"Salamander  Safe,"  for  the  privilege  of  manu- 
facturing which,  Mr.  Wilder,  of  this  city,  pays 
the  discoverer,  S.  C.  Herring,  $25,000  a  year. 
So  much  for  having  an  accident  in  the  family, 
and  properly  taking  advantage  of  it. — iV.  Y. 
Dutchman. 


t853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


129 


SILBSIAN    MEeiI«50  BWES. 

The  above  engraving  represents  a  group  of  Silc- 
sian  jNIerino  Ewes,  owned  by  Jlr.  George  Campbell, 
of  Westminster,  Vt.  He  purchased  tliem  in  Prus 
sian  Silesia,  in  the  spring  of  1851.  In  a  letter  in 
the  October  number  of  the  Wool  Groiver,  Mr.  C. 
says,  "  tliese  sheep  are  descendants  from  the  far- 
fimed  Infantardo's  flock,  so  much  admired  in 
Spain,  some  fifty  years  ago,  and  as  far  as  my 
knowledge  extends,  they  are  now  the  only  flock  of 
this  variety  that  liave  been  preserved  in  their  pure 
state,  to  the  present  time. 

"  The  proprietor  of  this  flock  imported  the  origi- 
nal stock  from  Spain,  m  1811,  and  since  that  time, 
has  given  his  own  personal  attention  to  his  sheep, 
and  by  this  means  has  been  able  to  still  further 
improve  them,  especially  as  regards  the  quality  of 
wool,  which  has  been  increased  in  fineness,  without 
diminishing  the  weight  of  fleece.  It  is  believed 
that  very  fe*v,  if  any,  sheep  in  the  country  at  the 
present  day,  will  produce  more  pounds  of  wool, 
according  to  cost  of  keeping,  than  the  Silesian 
Merino.  For  the  shape  of  the  sheep,  I  will  refer] 
you  to  the  engraving,  as  it  is  a  faithful  copy  of  a 
daguerreotype  ;  and  to  convince  you  of  their  har- 
diness and  strong  constitution,  I  need  only  to  refer 
you  to  the  circumstance,  that  one  ewe  of  this  flock 
lived  to  be  21  years  old.  The  skin  of  this  sheep 
was  carefully  stuffed  and  placed  in  the  sheep-fold, 
where  it  now  stands  with  quite  a  life-like  appear- 
ance. I  mention  this  fact  merely  to  show  that  the 
gentleman  takes  an  interest  in  his  flock. 


"My  Silesian  Ewes  suckled  lambs  during  the 
winter,  which  every  one  knows  will  lessen  the  fleece 
at  least  one  pound  per  head.  They  were  thor- 
oughly washed  and  sheared  as  soon  as  properly 
dry,  shearing  an  average  of  41bs.  5  1-2  oz.  per  head. 
Bucks  of  this  variety,  when  fully  grown,  will 
shear  from  6  to  10  lbs.  of  well  washed  wool." 


A  GOOD  EXAMPLE. 


It  was  recently  stated  that  James  M.  Whiton, 
Esq.,  had  given  S20  to  the  New  Hampshire  State 
Agricultural  Society,  but  the  purposes  for  which 
the  donation  was  made  were  not  stated.  In  the 
report  of  the  Committee  of  Needlework,  at  the  late 
fair  at  Meredith  Bridge,  the  suggestion  was  made 
that  "large  quantities  of  embroidery  and  expensive 
work  were  ofiered  for  premiums,  and  but  little 
needlework  which  was  of  practical  utility."  Act- 
ing upon  this  suggestion,  Mr.  Whiton  sent  the  $20 
to  the  officers  of  the  society,  with  the  request  that 
it  might  be  offered  in  premiums  for  the  best  speci- 
mens oi patching  and  darning.  This  is  truly  prac- 
tical, and  the  New  Hampshire  girls  will  now  have 
an  opportunity  of  showing  their  skill  in  a  descrip- 
tion of  needlework  of  far  more  importance  and  in- 
terest to  the  hard-fisted  yeomanry  of  their  native 
State,  than  fancy  quilts,  embroidered  ottomans, 
tapestry,  &c.  We  imagine  that  those  excelling  in 
this  new  department  will  be  in  great  demand  to 
grace  the  homes  of  the  young  farmers  of  New 
Hampshire.  We  are  glad  to  notice  this  provision 
for  the  award  of  premiums  for  excellence  in  those 
acquirements  which  will  fit  the  daughters  of  our 
farmers  for  the  practical  duties  of  life.  Many  who 
can  tastily  embroider  an  ottoman,  it  is  to  be  feared, 
would  be  completely  at  a  loss  to  know  how  to  neat- 


130 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Maech 


ly  darn  the  heel  of  their  father's  stockings,  or  sew 
a  patch  upon  his  homespun  pantaloons.  The  ex- 
ample of  Mr.  Whiton,  in  offering  a  premium  for 
patching  and  darning  is  worthy  of  imitation  by  all 
our  agricultural  societies. — Boston  Journal. 


GOOD 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
MANAGEMENT    VS.   BAD    MAN- 
AGEMENT. 

The  last  garment  was  mended,  neatly  folded, 
and  placed  in  the  drawer  on  Saturday  afternoon, 
when  Mrs.  Lee  took  her  knitting,  for  there  were  a 
few  spare  moments  just  now. 

Mr.  Lee  enters,  and  is  speaking  of  his  new 
neighbor,  Mr.  Prentice. 

"Ah!  Stranger  things  have  happened,  Ellen. 
Why,  don't  you  remember  how,  through  bad  man- 
agement, Major  Simes  lost  his  farm  and  all  his 
property.  Prentice  has  bought  another  plow,  a 
subsoil,  they  call  it,  that's  the  third  he  has  bought 
since  he  came  here.  I  rather  think  he  will  'im- 
prove himself  out  of  doors'  one  of  these  days,  as 
old  Col.  Durgin  used  to  say,  when  people  talked 
to  him  about  improvements  on  a  farm.  Why, 
Ellen,  Prentioe  spends  more  for  tools  in  a  year, 
than  you  and  I  do  for  clothes  in  twice  that  time  ! 

"But,  as  I  said  before,  I  really  think  he  is  a  fine 
man  and  means  well ;  but  you  see  he  has  begun 
at  the  *big  end  of  the  horn,'  and  if  he  is  not  amaz 
ing  careful,  he  will  come  out  at  the   'little  end 
This  being  'more  nice  than  wise'  on  a  farm,  don't 

pay.     That  farm  will  have  to  be  sold  again,  and  if  are  talking  so  fast,  I  cannot 
wc  should  have  it,  why,  as  I  said  before,  'twould  wise,'     Now,  boys,  out  and  see  if  you  cannot  help 


But  we  have  wandered  from  our  story — and 
now  the  sound  of  merry  voices  upon  the  bridge 
tells  us  that  school  is  out ;  and  now  the  boys  come 
rushing  in,  and  with  their  voices  raised  to  th? 
highest  pitch,  one  exclaims — 

"^lother,  there  is  going  to  be  a  great  thunder 
shower,  wont  father's  hay  all  get  wet  V 

"0,  mother,  why  didnH  ftither  buy  that  'horse 
raker  Mr.  Prentice  has  bought  it  and  is  raking 
now  with  it ;  his  black  horse  goes  complete  in  it — 
there,  hark  !  don't  you  hear  it,  mother?  don't  it 
make  a  queer  noise?  Mother,  what  teas  the  rea- 
son father  didn't  buy  it  ?  I  wish  he  had — George 
Prentice  said  father  engaged  it  a  week  ago,  and 
the  man  brought  it  for  hira,  but  he  concluded  not 
to  have  it,  this  afternoon  ;  so  INIr.  Prentice  has 
taken  it  on  trial.  I  think  his  old  one  might  have 
done  for  him.  See,  they  have  finished,  and  it  will 
be  in  before  the  rain  comes." 

"Wouldn't  I  like  to  see  our  Nelly  harnessed  in 
that  rake,  making  such  nice  rolls  of  hay  in  our 
smooth  field  !" 

"Here  comes  sis, — she  is  always  behind  us  boys 
— she  has  so  many  last  words  for  the  girls,  that 
one  would  think  every  Saturday  was  the  last  day 
of  school." 

"Yes,  but  I  guess  you  don't  know  that  father  has 
sold  Nell,  and  got  a  strange  horse  !  Look  quick, 
pa  is  leading  him  into  the  stable  now." 

"Nell,  gone — gone — she  was  the  kindest  crea- 
ture in  the  world  !     'Tis  too  bad — I  declare  it  is  ! " 

"Children,  you  have    said  enough;  why,    you 
get  a  word  in  edge- 


be  no  stranger  than  many  things  we  have  known 

"Well,  Jerry,  I  don't  know  what  we  should  do 
with  it,  for  don't  we  have  as  much  as  we  can  do 
now?" 

"Yes,  but  if  It  has  to  be  sold,  it's  handy  to  us, 
and  if  we  have  good  luck,  I  mean  to  show  you  a 
'pocket  full  of  rocks,'  half-a-dozen  years  hence, 
without  going  to  California,  either.  One  must  in- 
vest money  somewhere,  and  I  believe  land  is  as 
safe  as  any  thing." 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lee  were,  in  "Yankee  parlance," 
very  ^'clever  folks.'"  At  the  death  of  his  father, 
Jerry  being  an  only  son,  inherited  the  homestead  ; 
and  now,  a  dozen  years  from  that  time,  we  find 
him  comfortably  settled,  with  four  bright-eyed 
boys,  and  little  Ellen,  the  much-loved  pet  of  the 
whole  household. 

Was  INIr.  Lee  a  stingy,  crabbed  man  ?  By  no 
means;  was  he  cross  to  the  children?  Ah,  no — a 
kinder  father,  you  nor  I  don't  often  see. 

And  now,  with  this  farm  productive,  easily- 
worked,  and  everything  apparently  favorable  for 
success,  what  is  to  hinder  Mr.  Lee  from  having 
that  "pocket  full  of  rocks,"  to  pay  for  that  farm 
if  it  is  sold?  AVe  mean  the  "Nelson  form,"  that 
Mr.  Prentice  bought  last  spring. 

Mr.  Prentice  was  not  "brought  up"  on  a  farm,but 
in  the  city ;  and  having  acquired  a  snug  little  for 
tune,  he  chose  to  buy  a  small  place  where  he  could 
"sit  under  his  own  vine  and  fig  tree  ;"  and  then 
he  never  found  it  easy  to  banish  from  his  mind  the 
few  happy  days  of  his  boyhood,  which  were  spent 
on  his  grandfather's  farm.  That  dear  old  man — 
"peace  to  his  ashes,"  how  kindly  he  smiled  as  he 
patted  the  curly-headed  boy,  and  said, — 

"If  Billy  lives,  he  must  have  a  farm,  and  not 
always  live  with  brick  and  mortar,  dust  and 
heat." 


father  rake  up  his  hay,  for  the  shower  will  soon  be 
here." 

And  now  as  the  three  boys,  rake  in  hand,  are 
scampering  for  the  hay  field,  let  us  sit  down  qui- 
etly with  little  Ellen,  the  pet  of  the  household, 
and  after  mother,  we  mean  INIrs.  Lee,  has  closed 
the  windows  so  that  the  rain  may  not  come  in,  she 
will  join  us. 

It  was  a  hot  day  in  August,  the  thermometer 
at  ninety  degrees  ;  but  as  Mr.  Lee  remarked  in 
the  morning,  "a  capital  hay  day." 

"Now,  Ellen,"  said  Mr.  Lee  to  his  wife,  on  the 
Monday  previous,  "I  am  going  to,  (by  the  way, 
'I'm  going  to,'  was  a  very  frequent  expression  of 
Mr.  Lee's,  a  sort  of  watchword,  that  begun  and 
ended  many  excellent  plans,)  I  am  going  to  get 
additional  help  and  finish  our  haying  in  short  me- 
ter. If  we  have  fine  weather,  I  wont  be  behind- 
hand this  season.  And  then  I'm  tired  seeing  you 
work  so  hard.  I  suppose  Prentice  will  finish  Sat- 
urday night ;  I  will  be  up'with  him,  and  Ellen,  I 
believe  I  shall  buy  a  horse  rake,  although  I  do  not 
think  much  of  new-fangled  notions  about  farming  ; 
yet  ril  venture  to  buy  this  and  see  how  it  works  ; 
so  if  it  holds  fair  by  Saturday  night,  you  may  ex- 
pect to  see  my  hay  in  the  barn." 

"  Well,  it's  just  my  luck,  Ellen,"  exclaimed  Mr. 
Lee,  as  after  changing  his  wet  garments  and  tak- 
ing little  Ellen  upon  his  knee,  he  seated  himself 
with  the  rest  of  the  family  in  the  front  room. — 
"How  it  pours — it  is  all  for  the  best,  I  know,  but 
I  can't  help  thinking,  if  Prentice  had  half  a  dozen 
tons  of  hay  out  just  fit  for  the  barn,  it  would  not 
have  rained  so.  Well,  he  has  been  a  lucky  dog 
about  his  hay,  this  season,  if  he  don't  manage  so 
saving  as  some.  Scarcely  a  load  wet  any — none 
to  do  any  injury,  and  here  I've   had  two-thirds  of 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


131 


mine 
I  slia 


wet,  and  I  fear  a  good  part  of  it  spoiled  ;  but 
'nt  fret,  I  never  did  andl  sha'ntbegin  now." 

"Father,  what  is  that  horse's  name,  you  have 
got?"  A  sharp  Hash  of  lightning  accompanied 
by  a  tremendous  peal  of  thunder,  prevented  any 
reply;  but  little  Ellen  was  not  so  easily  satisfied 
without  an  answer.  Upon  the  question  being  re- 
peated, j\Ir.  Lee  whispered  in  the  child's  ear, 
while  he  gave  a  half  anxious,  inquiring  glance  at 
his  wife, — 

"I  don't  know,  dear,  but  don't  you  say  any 
more  abnut  it,  now,  Ellen  dear  ;  now  mind  pa." 

"I  will,  pa  ;  but  you  will  tell  me  ab(nit  it,  and 
what  you  let  Nell  go  for,  as  soon  as  it  is  done  rain- 
ing, wont  you  father?" 

The  truth  is,  ^Ir.  Lee,  like  all  sensil)le  people, 
found  it  quite  satisfactory  to  himself,  to  be  able  to 
give  a  good  reason  even  to  his  children. 

But  now  he  would  rather  talk  with  Mrs.  Lee 
alone  than  to  be  questioned  by  the  children. 

Ah,  Jerry,  you  well  know,  or  you  may  know  if 
you  will  only  look  at  matters  candidly,  that  you 
forgot  for  the  moment  what  your  old  grandfatlier 
used  to  say  to  you,  quite  as  often  as  you  wished 
to  hear  it,  "never  give  up  a  certainty  for  an  un- 
certainty." And  now  as  you  look  out  at  the 
heavy  masses  of  black  clouds,  that  with  the  strong 
east  wind  give  indication  of  a  long  storm,  you  don't 
care  to  acknowledge  to  yourself  even,  that  if  you 
had  "let  well  enough  alone,"  your  "best  hay" 
would  now  have  been  nicely  stowed  away  in  your 
barn.  You  don't  want  to  let  Mrs.  L.  and  the 
children  know  that  the  vicious  animal  you  have  ex 
changed  kind  Nell  for,  despises  a  horse  rake,  and 
will  have  no  more  to  do  with  it,  than  you  with  a 
subsoil  plow.  As  the  music  of  neighbor  Prentice's 
rake  resounded  in  your  ears  this  afternoon  what 
were  your  feelings?  I  fancy  you  felt  something 
as  you  would  have  done,  were  you  doomed  with 
pinioned  hands  to  listen  to  the  music  of  your  near- 
est neighbors,  and  those  neighbors  Avere — musqui- 
toes  ! 

But  we  will  let  it  all  go,  as  Jerry  said  to  him- 
self; we'll  let  it  go,  as  the  money  which  you 
saved  to  pay  for  that  rake,  and  to  pay  for  this 
week's  hired  hands,  has  gone  to  pay  the  difference 
in  value  between  a  kind  family  horse,  and  as  vi- 
cious and  good  for  nothing  an  animal,  as  you  will 
often  find  on  a  farm. 

"But  hark  !  what  is  that  rumbling  noise,"  ex- 
claimed George.  "It  wasn't  thunder,  no;  ah,  it's 
the  stage  just  come  over  the  bridge." 

"I  know  somebody's  coming  here — it  don't  come 
this  way  for  nothing.  Let  us  all  run  for  the  front 
door  ;  it  is  going  to  stop  here — who  can  it  be  com- 
ing here  in  the  stage  coach  ?" 

"Umph  !  think  I  don't  know,"  exclaimed  Bill, 
"it'ssomebodymade  a  mistake;"  and  he  wasabout 
to  rectify  the  same,  when  an  exclamation  of  joy- 
ful surprise  and  recognition  from  the  father  pre- 
vented him  from  so  doing. 

'  0,  it  is  Aunt  Fanny,"  exclaimed  every  one,  as 
the  coach  door  was  swung  open  and  Mr.  Lee  and 
the  driver  assisted  a  grave-looking  lady  to  alight. 
A  warmer  and  more  hearty  welcome,  Fanny  Lee 
never  received  after  a  long  absence,  not  even  when 
she  liad -upon  that  same  threshold,  been  clasped 
in  the  arms  of  her  own  dear  flither  and  mother. 

Long  years  had  no  power  to  dim  the  affection  of 
that  brother  for  his  only  and  orphan  sister.  Fan- 
ny was,  as  we  have  said,  Jerry  Lee's  only  sister, 


and  while  withher  brother,  she  inherited  from  her 
mother  a  large  share  of  "good  nature,"  she  also 
possessed  much  good  sense,  or  as  Aunt  Judy  used 
to  say,  a  "dreadful  sight  of  discrimination." 

Be  that  as  it  may  ;  yet  we  are  sure  that  Fanny, 
reserved  and  quiet  as  she  was,  exerted  a  silent, 
but  powerful  influence  wherever  she  moved. 

Iler  hand  seemed  to  shed  abroad  order,  regu- 
larity and  peace,  and  under  her  eye  everything 
found  its  proper  ;place,  and  everything  was  done 
at  the  proper  time.  As  Jerry  said  to  his  wife, 
"Fanny  has  such  a  pretty  way  with  her,  and 
then  she  ahvays  had,  and  then  she  sees  into 
anything  so  quick  ;  'tis  true,  she  makes  no  noise 
or  palaver  about  it.  But  did  you  mind  how  quick 
she  noticed  my  wet  hay — and  also  that  the  Pren- 
tice field  was  all  clear  1  One  word  from  her  is 
enough,  although  she  never  twits  one  about  one's 
bad  luck." 

No  wonder  the  children  loved  Aunt  Fanny,  for 
she  was  a  capital  story-teller. 

"Done  reaping!  done,  all  done,"  exclaimed 
Bill,  as  entering  the  kitchen  he  tossed  his  cap  on 
the  hook,  "and  now  if  Aunt  Fanny  would  like  it, 
father  says  we  may  all  go  down  to  the  oak  pas- 
ture. Are  you  rested.  Aunty?  over  a  week  since 
you  came."  Aunty  was  rested,  but  of  course  she 
well  knew  the  children  would  enjoy  the  walk  quite 
as  well  when  haying  was  over,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  additional  pleasure  of  having  Mr.  Lee's  com- 
pany. 

"All  ready,  Aunt  Fanny,  all  ready  for  that  walk! 
Father  says  W3  must  be  quick,  for  that  good  for 
nothing  horse  wont  stir  an  inch,  and  father  says 
we  must  walk  all  the  way  ;  but  it  is  so  pleasant 
we  wont  mind,  will  we,  Aunt  Fanny,"  said  little 
Ellen,  as  she  placed  her  little  warm,  soft  hand  in 
Fanny's,  and  with  father  and  the  boys  before,  pi'O- 
ceeded  down  the  hill,  and  over  the  bridge. 

And  now  as  little  Ellen  leaves  Aunt  Fanny,  and 
joins  the  boys  in  their  search  for  berries,  let  us 
follow  the  brother  and  sister. 

As  they  past  the  old  moss-grown  and  dilapidat- 
ed school  house,  memories  come  rushing  back — 
days  of  their  happy  childhood  ;  and  now,  seated 
on  a  rock,  beneath  a  wide-spreading  oak,  as  Mr. 
Lee  recounts  one  by  one  his  plans  for  the  future, 
and  his  bright  hopes  of  success,  why  did  that  sis- 
ter remain  silent,  till  urged  by  Mr.  Lee  to  give  her 
opinion  in  regard  to  the  matter  1 

"I  reckon  you  don't  think  much  of  farm- 
ing,' Fanny.  You've  been  down  south,  where  la- 
bor is  disreputable  and  degrading,  and  I  guess  you, 
with  all  your  New  England  sense,  can't  shake  off 
this  feeling  in  a  minute.  Nothing  strange,  though, 
but  I  tell  you  Fanny,  farming  is  the  best  business 
in  the  world,  if  well  followed." 

"Well  7nanaged." 

"Yes,  sister,  I  calculate  if  you  come  to  see  us 
half  a  dozen  years  hence,  to  show  you  a  little  of 
the  profits  of  farming — there,  do  you  see  at  the 
foot  of  the  hill,  those  men  digging  that  deep 
ditch,  there  in  the  Nelson  swamp  ?" 

"Yes,  what  of  it?" 

"Nothing,  only  that  is  what  I  call  a  fair  speci- 
men of  folly,  or  mismanagement.  Money  thrown 
away.  Would  you  believe  it,  if  I  were  to  tell  you 
that  the  clearing  of  that  piece  of  land  cost  Pren- 
tice two  hundred  dollars,  and  I  think  sixty  more, 
at  least,  will  be  expended  in  draining  it.  Money 
out  of  pocket.     I  longed  to  tell  him  better  when 


132 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


March 


he  told  me  this,  but  then  it  would  have  been  use- 
less ;  well,  some  must  buy  their-  experience, 
dearly,  too. 

"Well,  Fanny,  I  wouldn't  say  it  to  every  one, 
but  'it  is  an  ill  wind  that  blows  good  to  no  one.' 
That  farm  will  have  to  l)e  sold  again,  no  two  ways 
about  it.  _  I  don't  want  it  exactly,  that  is,  I  don't 
need  it;  it  may  do  for  one  of  the  boys — it's  han- 
dy, say,  what  think  of  it,  Fanny?" 

"Brother,  mine,  did  I  ever  differ  from  you,  need- 
lessly, foolislily  ?  Your  attachment  to  this  home 
of  our  childhood  cannot  be  strongct,  or  more  en- 
during than  mine. 

"Often  as  I  have  reclined  beneath  the  beauti- 
ful dark  cypress  of  Alabama,  have  my  thoughts 
wandered  back  to  this  very  spot ;  yes,  often  in 
imagination, 'have  I  been  seated  upon  this  rock,  be- 
neath the  branches  of  this  widespreading  oak, where 
were  passed  many  hours  of  our  fresh  and  happy 
childhood,  and  affection's  long  slumberings  have 
been  recalled  in  all  their  purity.  And  how  has 
my  bosom  yearned  towards  home  !  You  need  but 
to  go  where  I  have  been,  to  see  what  I  have  seen, 
to  know  the  true  dignity  of  labor.  Where  sucli 
pleasant  homes,  where  such  pure  hearts  as  here  in 
New  England?  You  have  but  to  see  as  I  have 
seen,  the  effect  of  sloth,  indolence,  exemption  from 
labor  and  care,  to  appreciate  your  own  highly-fa- 
vored position,  that  of  the  'tiller  of  the  soil.' 

"But  brother,  I  must  speak  plainly  ;  beware, 
lest  in  avoiding  what  you  consider  a  useful  ex- 
pense, you  commit  a  greater  error.  No  matter  if 
you  do  not  put  the  cash  in  your  pocket,  if  you 
make  a  free  and  happy  home  for  your  own  fiimi- 
ly,  if  with  pure  and  loving  hearts  you  find  and 
cherish  what  money  cannot  buy  in  this  selfish 
world,  true  happiness,  then  be  content. 

"But  do  not  suppose  for  one  moment,  that  mo- 
ney uselessly  expended  in  improvements,  or  rather 
supposed  improvements,  for  may  be  I  shall  differ 
from  you  there,  is  the  only  evil  to  be  avoided. — 
There  is  an  evil,  greater  than  all  the  ditching  and 
pubsoiling  of  which  you  have  been  speaking.  It 
is  an  improvident,  careless,  neglectful  way  of  far 
ming,  which  brings  misery  and  want  in  its  train 
'He  that  dealeth  with  a  slack  hand,'  you  know  the 
rest  of  it,  brother. 

"By  the  way,  have  you  thus  far  been  success 
ful  in  your  plans — have  your  expectations  been  re- 
alized—do  you  know  how  you  stand — what  is  your 
yearly  income  1 ' ' 

"0,'well,  ahem,  Idon't'exactly  know,  now  ;  but 
then  'I  am  going'  to  reckon  up  one  of  these  days, 
and  then  I  can  tell ;  but  then  you  must  know, 
Fanny,  that  keeping  accounts,  &c.,  on  a  farm,  is 
what  one  can  do  or  not,  just  as  one  chooses  ;  its 
well  enough,  though,  if  one  has  plenty  of  time  to 
do  everything,  no  harm  perhaps  can  come  of  it, 
then,  but  hang  it,  (excuse  me  sister)  if  I  would 
have  the  name  of  my  wife's  keeping  books  or  ac- 
counts for  me  if  'twas  never  done.  They  say  Mrs. 
Prentice  assists  her  husband  in  such  matters." 
_  "1  shall  begin  to  think  quite  highly  of  this  Pren- 
tice family,  if  I  remain  here  through  the  season, 
I  suspect,"  replied  Fanny  with  a  smile. 

'_'0,  I  have  nothing  against  them,  save  perhaps 
a  little  prejudice  ;  it's  their  management,  I  speak 
of,"  said  Mr.  Lee. 

"Now,  Fanny,  don't  you  remember  Major 
Simes?  Well,  he  undertook  to  manage  something 
after  this  fashion  ;  he  bought  new-fivshioned  tools 


of  all  descriptions,  drained  all  his  low  lands, 
grafted  his  apple  trees,  and  tried  all  sorts  pf  book 
farming,  took  I  know  not  how  many  agricultural 
papers,  and  what  was  the  end  of  it,  do  you  re- 
member, Fanny?"  said  Mr.  Lee  with  a  trium- 
phant smile. 

"Yes,  I  remember  it  all,  and  do  you  remember 
when  we  children  went  to  school,  how  the  tools 
and  machines  all  lay  1)y  the  road  side,  piled  and 
covered  with  snow — wliat  strange  flintastic  forms 
they  were  ;  how  the  gates  Avere  off  the  hinges, 
fences  down,  and  the  cattle  traversing  tlie  fields, 
breaking  the  young  fruit  trees,  the  well  sweep 
broken,  and  the  pole  with  a  tin  pail  fastened  on 
the  end  to  draw  with! 

"Do  you  remember  how  you  used  to  snow-ball 
the  house  where  no  smoke  issued  from  the  chim- 
ney, on  your  way  to  school  in  the  morning,  with 
no  fear  of  a  remonstrance  from  its  inmates,  who 
seemed  to  care  for  nought  but  'a  little  more  sleep?' 
Do  you  remember  how  'his  grafts'  died  for  want 
of  care?  and  again  my  memory  is  not  at  fault ;  if 
Major  S.  reaJ  agricultural  papers,  you  and  I  know 
he  never  paid  for  them  ! 

"Yes,  Jerry,  I  remember  all  these  things,  and 
it  was  not  booh  farming  that  ruined  him,  it  was 
down-right — shall  I  say  it,  brother,  shifllcssness  ; 
not  a  very  pretty  word,  is  it?  If  the  Major  had 
united  habits  of  regularity,  industry  and  economy, 
with  energy,  his  book  farming  could  never  have 
harmed  him  ;  but,  alas  !  all  these  important  requi- 
sites were  wanting. 

"As  well  might  you  suppose  that  the  locomo- 
tive which  is  now  flying  past  us  in  the  distance, 
would  reach  its  destination  with  its  burden  of  liv- 
ing freight,  at  the  given  time,  safe  and  sound, with- 
out wood  or  water,  and  the  constant  and  unwea- 
ried care  and  oversight  of  man, — as  to  think  far- 
ming, with  the  most  complete  tools  to  work  with, 
and  correct  ideas  of  their  use,  can  be  made  a  pro- 
fitable or  useful  employment  without  a  systemat- 
ic arrangement  of  one's  affairs  with  skill  and  pru- 
dence, and  the  same  order  which  is  requisite  to 
render  any  other  business  prosperous. 

"In  truth,  brother,  I  do  not  believe  it  is  a  mo- 
ney-making business ;  but  that  is  of  little  conse- 
quence ;  do  not  teach  your  children  that  money- 
making,  is  of  the  most  importance,  but  tell  them 
by  your  example,  that  'money  is  nothing,  that 
greatness  is  nothing,  thai  goodness  is  the  real  jew- 
el in  the  casket,'  and  learn  them  to  cherish  it  well. 
And  brother,  let  me  again  speak  plainly,  do  not 
let  cares  press  too  heavily  upon  your  wife.  You 
may  not  have  noticed  as  I  have,  that  Ellen  is  look- 
ing quite  care-worn  ;  believe  me,  brother,  'tis  not 
time  alone,  that  has  deepened  and  widened  the 
furrows  on  her  pale  brow — hard  work,  brother — 
hard  work" — 

How  long  the  conversation  would  have  contin- 
ued, we  know  not,  had  not  the  sound  of  merry 
voices  and  the  lengthening  shadows  told  tl)em  it 
was  time  to  return. 

As  they  neared  the  house,  Mr.  Lee  was  accost- 
ed by  a  man  awaiting  his  return.  "I  called  for 
to  settle  up  that  little  account  Avith  you,  'squire; 
shouldn't  be  particular,  but  I  talk  of  going  away, 
and  I  thought  'twould  be  handy  to  pick  up  enough 
so  as  not  to  be  put  to  it  for  money  to  pay  my  ex- 
penses, ye  see — thought  'twould  be  well  enough  to 
'square  off.'  " 

"Well,  yes,  ahem;    how  much  is  there  due, 
Mr.  W.?" 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


133 


"Have  you  looked  over  your  account,  'squire?" 

"No,  not  lately." 

"0,  well,  your  books  will  tell,  I  suppose." 

"I  believe  I  didn't  put  that  on  the  book,  (be 
careful,  Jerry,  you  have  no  book)  but  I  made  a 
minute  of  it  on  a  piece  of  paper.  Do  you  remem- 
ber any  thing  of  a  piece  of  bluish  white  paper, 
with  figures  on  it,  motherV 

"I  have  seen  several  such  pieces,  and  I  will 
bring  them  to  you."  Mrs.  Lee  left  the  room  and 
soon  returned  with  a  handful  of  bits  of  paper, 
but  the  desirable  one  was  not  in  tlie  parcel ;  the 
cliildren  were  now  called  in — they  had  been  hav- 
ing a  fine  frolic  with  Aunt  Fanny,  removing  an  ox- 
sled,  which  the  last  snow  of  March  had  left  as  an 
ornament  near  the   front  door.      "I  wish  you'd 

mind  your I  was  going  to  move  that  myself," 

said  Mr.  Lee,  with  some  impatience;  he  did  not 
say  when,  but  he  would  have  done  it,  I  dare  say, 
the  first  good  sledding. 

"Children,  come  in,  and  tell  me  if  you  have  seen 
anything  of  a  piece  of  blueish-white  paper  round, 
with  figures  on  it.  George,  do  you  know  any- 
thing about  it  ?" 

"No,  sir — but  I  will  look  where  you  say." 

"Well,  take  all  the  drawers  out  of  the  secreta- 
ry, move  ever3'tliing  and  see  if  it  is  there.  Wil- 
liam, you  go  and  look  in  all  the  table  drawers, 
while  I  look  in  my  pockets."  The  drawers  were 
emptied  of  their  contents,  and  after,  with  much 
satisfaction,  spying  all  the  wonders,  the  children 
returned  from  their  fruitless  search.  They  final- 
ly concluded  that  it  was  no  where  to  be  found. — 
Fanny  Lee  thought  she  perceived  a  gleam  of  satis- 
ftiction  light  up  the  half-shut  grey  eyes  of  the  vis- 
itor, as  this  conclusion  was  settled. 

"We  must  fix  it  the  best  way  we  can,"  said  Mr. 
Lee,  as  he  took  down  pen  and  ink  from  the  shelf. 

"I  guess  we  can  fix  it,"  said  Grey  Eyes.  "I  cal- 
culate to  do  what's  right  always."  At  this  mo- 
ment, to  his  great  relief,  Mr.  L.  remembered  put- 
ting some  figures  upon  the  cellar  door,  and  those 
might  be  the  very  ones  ;  he  at  once  proceeded  to 
the  door  ;  but  wo  to  the  housewife  who  erases 
figures  in  house-cleaning — there  were  no  traces  of 
chalk  now. 

"What   have  you  for  a  bill  again^  me,  Mr. 

"Why  it  amounts  to  eighty-four  dollars." 

"Zounds!  Mr.  W.,  you  are  surely  mistaken, 
surely." 

"Well,  well,  you  know  you've  something  agin' 
me  that  has  got  to  come  out  on't." 

"Yes,  yes,  but  how  you  can  have  charges  against 
me,  to  that  amount,  is  more  than  I  know." 

'Now  Mr.  W.,  just  read  over  the  various  items, 
as  you  have  them." 

jNIr.  Lee  was  perfectly  sure  many  of  these  were 
unjust,  but  as  he  had  nothing  to  bring  forward  to 
disprove  the  same,  and  as  W.  agreed  with  him  on 
his  own  side,  he  was  not  a  little  perplexed. 

"Wall,  I  guess  you  had  better  settle  it  now, 
Mr.  Lee — I  am,  you  see,  uncommon  particular 
about  my  business — keep  things  square  and  fair — 
posted  up,  and  always  sure  my  dates  are  right." 

"les  sir,  but  I  have  those  very  same  charges  of 
yours,  somewhere,  on  a  piece  of  paper,  and  I  am 
■positive,  sir,  you  have  charged  me  thirty  dollars 
more  than  you  agreed.  All  I  ask  of  you,  sir,  is  to 
let  tlie  matter  rest  where  it  is,  until  I  find  that 
paper." 


"You  see,  Mr.  Lee,  just  now  I  am  fixed.  I  am 
going  away,  and  I  felt  obliged  to  leave  my  busi- 
ness with  a  lawyer,  but  I  hated  to  put  to  trou})le 
an  upright  man  like  yourself,  so  I  rode  over  fnjin 
town  a  purpose,  to  save  you  from  any  hard  feeling. 
I  want  you  to  be  satisfied." 

Mr.  Lee  was  fully  aware  that  he  was  now  in  the 
hands  of  a  "Shylock,"  but  he  had  not  a  particle  of 
proof  to  bring  against  his  demand. 

"I'll  tell  you  what  I'll  do,  Mr.  L.— I'm  short, 
and  must  have  the  cash,  but  I  shall  be  round  here 
about  a  week  or  so,  and  if  you  find  your  account, 
bring  it  over  fo  me,  and  I'll  pay  you  back  the  mo- 
ney if  I'm  wrong  ;  ain't  that  fair  enough,  Mr  Lee? 
I  call  myself  putty  ginrous  there  !" 

Very  reluctantly,  Mr.  Lee  paid  the  demand,  and 
as  his  visitor  was  stepping  into  his  wagon,  he  again 
says— "A  week  hence  if  you  find  any  flaw,  I'll  fix 
it  right  for  you — good-day  sir." 

For.  several  days  Mr.  L.'s  spare  time  was  spent 
in  fruitless  search  for  the  paper,  until  one  stormy 
evening,  he  took  from  a  peg  in  the  kitchen  an  old 
hat,  which  he  had  ceased  wearing ;  and  there, 
tucked  away  under  the  lining  with  several  others 
of  considerable  value  for  company,  was  the  identi- 
cal paper,  soiled  and  worn,  so  as  to  be  hardly 
readable. 

It  plainly  proved,  as  Mr.  Lee  was  before  con- 
vinced, that  he  had  overpaid  it  by  thirty  dollars. 

Early  the  next  morning  he  hastened  to  the  vil- 
lage to  rectify  matters  with  W.  ;  but  true  to  hia 
character,  "Old  Gray  Eyes"  left  for  the  West,  as 
he  intended,  the  very  night  he  received  the  mo- 
ney. 

He  was,  as  Dickens  says  of  Mr.  Smallweed,  "a 
two-legged,  money-getting,  species  of  spider,  who 
spun  webs  to  catch  unwary  flies,  and  retired  into 
holes  until  they  were  entrapped."  Knowing  the 
careless  business  habits  of  Mr.  Lee,  he  succeeded 
in  his  purpose,  with  but  slight  difficulty. 

"I  am  unlucky,"  said  Mr.  Lee,  as  he  returned 
"but  I  will  let  it  go,  and  say  nothing  about  it." 

For  a  moment  only,  a  tear  glistened  in  Fanny 
Lee's  dark  eye,  as  she  gave  the  parting  word  and 
kiss  to  her  dearly  beloved  brother  and  his  family. 

A  week  after  Fanny's  departure,  a  box  arrived 
containing  presents  for  the  children. 

"Why,  what  is  this  queer  thing?"  exclaimed 
Billy,  as  his  father  was  reading  the  letter. 

The  "queer  thing"  was  a  neat  mahogany  writ- 
ing desk,  containing  a  day-book  and  ledger  and 
some  little  memorandums  to  be  filled. 

"Why,  this  is  father's  present,''  said  Mrs.  Lee, 
as  she  read  the  letter  which  her  husband  passed 
to  her  while  he  examined  the  desk  and  its  con- 
tents. 

"This,  my  dear  brother,"  said  Fanny  in  the  let- 
ter, "this  present,  please  accept,  and  if  well  used, 
it  may  prove  a  sort  of  leather-patch  upon  your 
pocket;  and  should  a  kind  Providence  permit  me 
to  meet  you  and  yours,  years  hence,  may  I  find  it 
well  filled." 


Six  years — how  rapidly  do  they  pass,  and_  yet 
how  many  events  may  be  crowded  in  a  briefer 
space  of  time.  Six  years  have  passed  since  Fanny 
left  the  old  homestead,  and  now  a  bright,  blazing 
fire  burns  on  the  hearth,  and  the  family  are  seat- 
ed round  it,  all  but  Mr.  Lee  and  Fanny,  Avho  were 
busy  writing  at  a  table,  a  little  back.     The  chil- 


134 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Mae  en 


dren — how  happy  they  look — Mrs.  Lee  sits  in  the 
easy  chair  trying  to  smile,  but  'tis  a  sad  smile. 

"Well,  Fanny,"  exclaims  Mr.  Lee,  "I  never 
should  have  thought  it,  how  thankful  1  am  you 
have  come."  (Aside  to  Mrs.  Lee.)  "Isn't  it  time 
for  the  children  to  go  to  bed  mother?"  "Yes,  eight 
o'clock,  good  night."  The  two  eldest  Avere  per- 
mitted to  remain  a  short  time  longer. 

"As  I  was  going  to  say,  Fanny,  I  don't  know 
what  I  should  have  done  if  you  had  not  come.  I 
did  not  think  it  was  half  so  bad,  but  I  never  had 
the  heart  to  look  difficulties  fairly  ijj  the  face  as 
you  have.  Well,  it  is  better  to  know  tlie  worst, 
even  if  one  can't  see  one's  way  out  of  trouble — 
but  I  declare,  I  can't  see  where  it  has  gone,  I  am 
sure  you've  been  prudent,  Ellen,  and  worked  hard 
all  the  time,  but  I  don't  know  but  farming  is  poor 
business,  after  all." 

"Let  me  see  your  books,  now,  brother,"  said 
Fanny,  "perhaps  it  is  not  so  bad  asyou  suppose." 

"0  dear  !  Fanny,  I  may  as  well  tell  the  whole, 
I  have  never  made  a  mark  in  those  books — I  meant 
to,  but  I  put  it  off  and  off,  and  finally  I  let  it  go." 

A  look  of  sorrow,  accompanied  with  a  deep  sigh, 
was  Fanny's  only  reply,  and  as  she  sat,  and  with 
a  clear  head  reduced  his  tangled  affairs  to  order, 
he  exclaimed, 

"Fanny,  you  would  make  a  capital  lawyer; 
there,  I  didn't  mean  to  say  so,  for  I  hale  lawyers, 
cheating  rascals  !  Ah,  they  have  got  more  out 
of  me  than  they  ever  will  again  !" 

"Why  did  you  meddle  with  them,  then?" 

"I — I  didn't,  but  you  see  others — " 

A  tittering  and  whispering  between  the  boys 
caused  the  father  to  leave  the  remark  unfinished. 

"What  pleases  you,  William  ?  What  are  you 
laughing  for?" 

"Nothing,  only  I  was  thinking  Aunt  Fanny 
would  make  a  better  lawyer's  ivife.'' 

It  was  now  Fanny's  turn  to  smile,  and  blush  too. 

"Eh,  I  guess  I  know  something — George  Pren- 
tice told  us  about  it !" 

"About  what?"  exclaimed  Mr.  L.,  with  un- 
feigned surprise." 

"About  Aunt  Fanny — how  she  is  going  to  mar- 
ry his  uncle,  Mr.  Prentice's  brother,  a  lawyer  !" 

Aunt  Fanny  was  still  busy,  and  it  was  thought 
best  for  the  boys  to  go  to  bed. 

"Why,  Fanny,  why  didn't  you  tell  us  about 
this  before,"  said  Mr.  L.,  as  the  boys  left;  "I 
never  dreamed  of  such  a  thing  !" 

"As  you  did  not  think  much  of  these  neighbors, 
when  I  was  here  last,  perhaps  you  will  object." 

"I  always  said  Prentice  was  a  fine  man;  I  only 
thought — but  no  matter  now,  what  I  thought.  To 
tell  you  the  truth,  sister,  everything  he  puts  his 
hand  to  prospers.  If  I  had  anything  to  do  with 
now,  I  would  manage  this  farm  as  near  like  him  as 
I  could,  for  I  believe  he  is  a  safe  man  to  follow. 
But  I  want  you  to  tell  me  just  what  to  do — you 
see  just  how  my  affairs  stand — my  indebtedness  is 
so  much;  I  did  think  of  moving  in  town  and  taking 
boarders,  but  it  would  bo  too  hard  for  Ellen,  we 
could  not  afford  to  hire  help.  What  would  you 
advise  me  to  do,  Fanny?" 

It  is  none  of  our  business  how  matters  were  set- 
tled, it  is  enough  for  us  to  know  that  Mr.  L.'s  af- 
fairs lucre  adjusted  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  parties, 
and  Mr.  L.  remained  on  the  farm ;  and  if  for  a 
short  time  the  family  felt  the  pressure  of  poverty, 
it  only  bound  them  closer  together. 

"Sweet  are  the  uses  of  adversity." 


'Tis  true  'twas  rather  late  in  the  journey  of  life, 
to  learn  to  "stop  and  know  what  link  in  the  chain 
was  lost;"  but  Mr.  L.  did  conquer  difficulties,  and 
learn,  though  late  came  the  knowledge,  that  diffi- 
culties are  not  impossibilities. 

Mr.  heeborroived^h.  Prentice's  "subsoil  plow," 
the  next  spring,  (bad  management  that  borrow- 
ing,) but  then  it  is  "all  in  the  family"  now,  and 
Mr.  Prentice  takes  some  pardonable  vanity,  in 
speaking  of  "my  sister,  Mrs.  Prentice." 

Mrs.  Lee  is  in  feeble  health,  but  Ellen  is  a  good 
deal  of  help,  and  saves  her  mother  many  steps, 
and  Mr.  Prentice  is  never  tired  saying,  "she  is 
just  like  my  sister,  Mrs.  Prentice."  One  thing 
more — Mr.  Lee  would  as  soon  "let  the  sun  go 
down  on  his  wrath"  as  to  neglect  to  open  aud  shut 
that  writing-desk,  and  see  that  all  was  right 
there,  before  the  clock  tolled  the  hour  for  retir- 
ing. M.  F.  D. 

Brentioood,  N.  H. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
CRANEBRRIES. 

Mr.  Editor:  —  Cranberries  have  not  only  be- 
come one  of  our  indispensable  articles  of  food,  but 
are  also  an  article  of  commerce.  In  1852,  in  Mas- 
sachusetts alone,  there  were  more  than  ^50,000 
worth  sold,  to  be  exported  to  California,  besides  a 
much  larger  quantity  exported  to  England  and 
other  countries.  That  being  the  case,  it  behoves 
those  who  have  bogs  or  upland  suitable  to  their 
culture,  to  improve  it  to  the  best  advantage,  in 
raising  this  most  delicious  fruit  for  culinary  use. 
It  is  now  five  years  since  1  have  turned  my  atten- 
tion to  this  suljjcct ;  I  have  experimented  consid- 
erably, and  find  that  cranberries  will  grow  on  al- 
most any  soil ;  but  the  best  in  low  meadows, where 
but  little  grass  grows.  I  have  succeeded  best 
where  it  is  not  plowed  summer  or  winter  ;  where 
the  soil  is  deep,  and  before  draining  it  was  swim- 
ming meadow.  I  mean  when  you  walk  on  it,  on 
the  turf,  it  would  sink  from  one  to  two  feet,  and 
then  rise  again  when  the  weight  was  removed. — 
My  best  cranberries  are  in  a  meadow  where  it  was 
impossible  to  go  on  it  with  a  horse.  In  18-18  I 
drained  the  meadow  by  ditching,  so  as  to  make  it 
solid,  and  took  care  in  mowing  not  to  injure  the 
vines  ;  this  has  increased  the  fruit  from  about  2 
bushels  to  50  bushels.  My  hay  is  in  less  quanti- 
ty, but  in  much  better  quality,  on  the  same  mea- 
dow. 

I  have  raised  cranberries  this  year  on  dry,  san- 
dy pasture,  in  wet,  springy  swamp,  on  hillocks, 
also  on  the  best  of  mowing  land.  I  have  no  doubt 
that  cranberries  could  be  cultivated  on  any  soil, 
with  proper  care  and  attention.  They  may  be 
propagated  by  roots  or  seeds.  The  best  way  is  to 
select  the  best  kinds,  and  take  up  with  a  spade,  a 
turf  that  contains  plenty  of  vines,  and  dig  a  hole 
and  put  it  in  where  you  want  it,  and  tread  it  down 
hard  with  the  feet ;  then  throw  on  one  or  two 
shovels  full  of  sand  or  gravel,  taking  care  to  make 
the  surffice  even,  and  not  quite  cover  the  top  of 
the  vines.  This  should  be  done  in  the  fall,  or 
early  in  the  spring.  The  first  season  they  will 
spread  almost  to  meet,  if  they  are  put  four  feet 
apart,  and  the  next  year  they  will  produce  fine 
fruit  enough  to  pay  charges  and  trouble.  T'hey 
will  continue  to  increase  if  you  keep  them  well 
provided  witli  a  slight  coat  of  sand  or  gravel  every 
fall  or  winter. 


1P53. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


135 


The  vines  are  easily  obtained  if  wanted,  of  either 
the  hirge  pale  kinds,  the  oval,  or  the  round  or  flat 
kind,  which  is  mucli  the  richest,  as  well  as  the 
greatest  bearer  with  us,  and  of  a  dark  red  color. 

S.  A.  SllURTLEFF. 

Spring  Grove,  Jan.,  1853. 


UNITED  STATES  AGRICUliTURAL 

SOCIETY. 

The  First  Annual  Meeting  of  the  United  States 
Agricultural  Society  was  holden  at  Washington, 
on  the  2d  of  February  1853,  at  10  o'clock,  in  the 
Lecture  Room  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution. 

The  meeting  was  called  to  orber  by  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  Society,  Marshall  P.  Wilder,  Esq.,  of 
Massachusetts. 

Tlie  States  and  Territories  of  the  Union  were 
called  in  the  usual  order,  and  members  present 
gave  in  their  names.  It  was  found  that  mem- 
bers from  the  following  States  and  Territories 
were  present,  viz..  New  Hampshire,  INIassachu- 
setts,  Rhode  Island,  Connecticut,  New  York,  New 
Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Delaware,  Maryland,  Vir- 
ginia, Ohio,  Indiana,  Michigan,  Texas,  AVisconsin, 
the  District  of  Columbia  and  Minnesota. 

The  Chair  requested  that  all  reports  from  State 
Societies  to  this  Society  be  sent  to  the  Correspond- 
ing Secretary. 

Prof.  Mapes,  of  New  Jersey  presented  speci- 
mens of  the  Japan  pea,  an  account  of  which  we 
have  recently  given,  as  it  was  presented  at  the 
State  Board  of  Agriculture,  on  the  25th  January. 

The  President  then  delivered  his  annual  address. 
It  represented  the  prospects  of  the  Society  to  be 
highly  flattering ;  such  as  should  inspire  every 
member  with  encouragement,  and  a  determina- 
tion to  do  all  he  can  towards  the  furtherance  of 
the  great  ends  of  the  association.  It  alluded  suc- 
cessively to  the  subject  of  the  appointment  of 
members  of  the  National  Board  of  Agriculture  ; 
the  printing  and  publication  of  the  Journal  of  the 
Society,  the  first  of  which,  consisting  of  14-4  octavo 
pages,  is  already  in  the  hands  of  most  of  the 
members,  and  a  second  will  be  shortly  issued  ;  the 
opening  of  correspondence  and  co-operation  with 
distinguished  agriculturists  and  local  associations 
all  over  the  United  States,  which  the  President 
thinks  should  be  extended  even  to  trans-atlantic 
nations,  and  the  assistance  of  the  General  Govern 
ment  solicited  in  regard  to  it. 

The  address  acknowledges  the  advantages  at- 
tending the  central  location  of  the  headquarters 
of  the  Society  in  Washington,  and  notices  in  hand- 
some terms  the  courtesy  of  the  Directory  of  the 
Smithsonian  Institution  in  granting  to  the  Society 
the  free  use  of  their  hall.  The  Society,  must  how- 
ever, look  around  and  secure  the  permanent  use  of 
a  public  building  or  offices  in  some  existing  edifice 
for  the  Corresponding  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  for 
the  preservation  of  the  records  and  of  the  agricul- 
tural seeds  and  products  which  are  now  or  may  be 


hereafter  acquired,  and  also  for  an   agricultural 
ibrary,  museum,  and  cabinet. 

It  will  be  necessary  soon  to  employ  a  perma- 
nent Secretary  with  a  salary,  whose  time  and  tal- 
ents will  be  wholly  devoted  to  the  interests  and 
business  of  the  Society.  The  Treasurer,  also,  will 
have  to  be  suitably  compensated. 

The  President  submits  whether,  for  the  pay- 
ment of  officers,  the  printing  and  publication  of 
the  journals  and  transactions,  postage,  and  other 
necessary  and  contingent  expenses »,  some  aid  may 
not  be  obtained  from  Government — 

"Either,"  says  Mr.  Wilder,  "as  a  grant  in  furth- 
erance of  our  objects,  on  the  same  general  principle 
as  many  of  the  State  Governments  bestow  their  pat- 
ronage upon  the  agricultural  societies  within  their 
territorial  limits,  or,  if  Government  would  so  direct, 
as  a  consideration  for  the  performance  by  this  Soci- 
ety of  the  duties  of  the  Agricultural  Department  of 
the  Patent  Office. 

"The  sum  now  expended  by  Government  in  that 
branch  of  the  Department,  if  placed  at  the  disposal 
of  this  Society, would  enable  us  to  collect,  through  our 
auxiliaries  and  corresponding  bodies,  the  most  reli- 
able statistics  and  the  most  recent  and  valuable  in- 
formation, and  would  also  enable  us  to  publish  the 
same  and  to  distribute  it,  through  the  members  of 
this  Society,  and  of  the  hundreds  of  kindred  local 
associations  acting  in  concert  with  us  throughout  the 
country. ' ' 

In  the  course  of  allusion  to  what  has  been  and 
might  be  done  for  the  Society  by  private  munifi- 
cence, the  President  stated  that — 

"A  gentleman  of  fortune,  Hon.  Samuel  Appleton, 
of  Boston,  whose  name  is  honorably  associated  with 
various  philanthropic  and  charitable  enterprises  of 
our  age  and  nation,  has  the  honor  of  commencing 
worthy  action  in  our  behalf  by  a  donation  of  one 
thousand  dollars.  Several  other  distinguished  gen- 
tlemen have  subscribed  liberally  to  our  funds,  in  the 
form  either  of  donation  or  of  life-memberships,  a  de- 
tailed statement  of  which  will  hereafter  be  submitted 
and  published  in  the  Society's  transactions." 

The  following  are  the  concluding  sentences  of 
the  President's  Address  : — 

"A  brighter  day  has  begun  to  dawn.  It  is  within 
the  recollection  of  many  that  the  first  Agricultural 
Society  was  organized  in  the  United  States  ;  indeed, 
it  is  not  fifty  years  since  the  establishment  of  the 
Horticultural  Society  of  London,  the  first  institution 
of  the  kind  in  the  world.  This  was  soon  followed  by 
kindred  associations  in  France,  Pennsylvania,  Mas- 
sachusetts and  other  places.  Agricultural  and  Hor- 
ticultural Societies,  and  Farmer's  Clubs,  spring  up 
as  by  enchantment  throughout  our  country,  all  zeal- 
ously engaging  in  the  work  of  improvement. 

While  we  rejoice  in  these  favorable  indications, 
and  in  the  cheering  prospects  before  us,  we  are  re- 
minded by  the  absence  of  those  whom  we  have  been 
wont  to  meet  on  similar  occasion,  that  the  Destroy- 
er has  been  among  us.  They  involuntarily  rise  up 
before  us,  and  their  valuable  services  claim  our 
'grateful  remembrance.  AVhen  we  were  last  assem- 
bled in  this  city,  the  'Farmer  of  Ashland'  lay  upon 
the  bed  of  death,  and  has  since  been  borne  with  dis- 
tinguished funeral  honors,  amidst  a  nation's  sorrow, 
fir  hence  to  the  sepulcher  of  his  fathers. 

The  great  Landscape  Gardener  and  Rural  Archi- 
tect of  America,  upon  whose  genius  the  goverment 
depended  for  the  laying   out  and   adornment  of  the 


136 


I^EVV  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Mar  cu 


public  grounds  sun-ounding  these  premises,  and  who 
did  so  much  to  elevate  the  standard  and  improve 
taste  in  the  rural  arts,  conveniences  and  refinements 
of  life,  was  numbered  with  the  victims  by  that  aw- 
ful disaster  upon  the  waters  of  the  Hudson,  on  the 
28th  of  last  July,  which  agonized  the  hearts  of  so 
many  American  citizens. 

The  cause  of  scientific  Agriculture  in  this  country, 
has  sustained  a  great  loss  by  the  death  of  one  of  its 
most  distinguished  and  promising  professors — a 
gentlemen,  who,  though  young,  had  already  made 
many  valuable  contributions  to  Agricultural  litera- 
ture, who  had  no  superior  of  equal  age,  and  from 
whose  future  labors  much  was  anticipated.  Down- 
ing and  Norton  ai'e  no  more — both  cut  down  in  the 
midst  of  life  and  usefulness. 

One  of  the  distinguished  representatives  of  the  Es- 
sex Society  of  Massachusetts,  the  Hon.  Judge  Mack, 
of  Salem,  who  was  present  and  participated  in  the 
organization  of  this  Society,  a  rnost  worthy  gentle- 
man, and  who  filled  with  honor  and  integrity  various 
stations  in  life,  has  also  gone  to  his  rest. 

The  'Marshfield  Farmer'  is  also  numbered  with 
the  mighty  dead.  He  was  a  farmer, — the  son  of  a 
farmer,  and  the  noblest  production  of  American  soil ! 
His  majestic  form,  his  mountain  brow  and  expressive 
countenance,  his  deep,  yet  melodious  voice,  his  whole 
person  eloquent  in  every  step  and  act,  are  bright 
Yisions  on  which  we  delight  to  dwell. 

AVe  fondly  cherish  the  remembrance  of  him  as  he 
appeared  in  this  assembly  at  the  organization  of  our 
Society,  and  in  the  cordial  manner  in  which  he  salu- 
ted the  worthy  representative  of  the  immortal  Wash- 
ington, the  'Farmer  of  Arlington.'  We  love  to 
think  of  his  subsequent  reception  of  us  at  his  hospit- 
able mansion  in  this  city,  and  of  the  close  of  his  elo- 
quent address,  and  especially  of  his  friendly  benedic- 
tion :  'Brother  farmers — I  shall  remember  you,  and 
the  occasion  which  has  called  us  together.  I  invoke 
for  you  a  safe  return  to  your  homes.  I  invoke  for 
you  an  abundant  harvest;  and  if  we  meet  not  again 
in  time,  I  trust  that  hereafter  Ave  shall  meet  in  a 
more  genial  clime,  and  under  a  kindlier  sun.' 

Gentlemen — Cheering  prospects  are  before  us.  I 
dwell  with  pleasure  on  the  bright  future.  I  seem 
to  see  this  Association  enrolling  among  its  members 
thousands  of  our  intelligent  yeomanry,  and  whether 
from  the  North  or  the  South,  the  East  or  the  West, 
all  banded  and  leagued  together  as  brethren  by  a 
common  interest  ;  a  State  Society  auxiliary  to  this 
in  every  Commonwealth, — County  Societies,  Far- 
mers' Clubs,  Agricultural  Schools  and  Colleges, 
each  drawing  from  its  own  peculiar  section  and  re- 
sources the  means  of  information  and  improvement, 
and  all  with  united  purpose  and  harmonious  action, 
both  disseminating  and  receiving  aid  from  one 
another,  and  thus  illustrating  the  power  of  voluntary 
associations  under  the  fostering  care  of  goverment, 
and  tending  to  make  ourselves  and  our  beloved  na- 
tion the  most  intelligent,  enterprising,  yirtuous, 
happy  and  powerful  people  on  the  earth." 

On  motion  of  Nath.  P.  Causin,  Esq.,  of  the 
District  of  Columbia,  it  was 

Resolved,  That  5000  copies  of  the  President's  an- 
nual address  be  printed  for  distribution,  first  to 
members  of  the  Society  and  then  to  such  other  per- 
sons as  the  Executive  Committee  may  approve. 

Gen.  Rusk,  of  Texas,  in  seconding  Mr.  Causin's 
motion,  spoke  handsomely  of  the  address,  and 
thought  that  its  circulation  would  do  much  good, 
and  materially  tend  to  further  the  objects  of  the 
association. 

J.  D.  Weston,  Esq.,  of  Wisconsin,  moved  the 
oUowing  resolution,  which  was  agreed  to 


Reaolved,  That  so  much  of  the  President's  address 
as  refers  to  the  co-operation  of  this  Society  Avith  the 
General  Goverment  in  the  diffusion  of  agricultural 
knowledge,  the  distribution  of  seeds,  plants,  &c.,be 
referred  to  a  committee  of  three,  with  authority  to 
report  to  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Society  at 
such  times  as  may  suit  their  convenience. 

The  committee  finally  appointed  by  the  Chair 
under  this  resolution  consists  of  Messrs.  King,  of 
New  Yoi'k,  Browx,  of  Mass. ,  and  Medary,  of  Ohio 
— the  mover  having  at  his  own  request  been  ex- 
cused from  serving.  The  Society  generally  seemed  to 
think  Gen.  Rusk  eminently  fitted  to  occupy  a  place 
on  this  committee  ;  and  appeared  desirous  that  he 
would  accept  one. 

In  reply  to  numerous  expressions  of  this  cliarac- 
ter,  Gen.  Rusk  acknowledged  the  compUment  in- 
tended him,  but  thought,  as  a  member  of  Congress, 
he  ought  not  to  bo  on  the  committee.  He  hoped 
to  serve  the  Society  in  Congress  in  liis  legislative 
capacity,  but  if  he  accepted  this  place  on  the  com- 
mittee, it  might  be  said  to  him  in  Congress  that 
he  was  but  fighting  for  his  own  bantling.  The 
following  resolution,  by  Mr.  Kixg,  of  New  York, 
from  the  committee  to  which  was  referred  the 
recommendation  of  the  President's  address  as  to 
funds,  &c.,  was  adopted: 

Resolved,  That  the  Executive  Committee  be  re- 
quested to  make  immediate  application  to  Congress 
for  that  portion  of  the  money  now  annually  appro- 
priated to  the  Patent  Office  for  the  preparation  of  the 
Agriculturrl  Report  and  the  collection  and  distribu- 
tion of  seeds,  with  the  veiw  to  the  performance  of 
the  same  work  by  the  United  States  Agricultural 
Society. 

On  motion  of  Dr.  Elwtn,  of  Penn.,  it  was  voted 
that  a  number  of  copies  of  the  President's  address, 
when  printed,  should  be  placed  at  the  disposal  of 
the  Smithsonian  Institution  for  distribution. 

The  same  gentleman  moved  for  a  committee  of 
one  from  each  State  to  nominate  a  list  of  officers 
for-  the  current  year,  which  motion  was  adopted. 

A  motion  of  Mr.  Smith,  of  the  Dis.  Col.,  for  the 
Society  to  hold  an  exhibition  in  connection  with 
the  Metropolitan  Association,  was  referred  to  the 
Executive  Committee,  as  also  the  subject  of  the 
connection  of  the  Society  with  the  Smithsonian  In- 
stitution, respecting  accommodations,  and  the  sub- 
ject touching  a  Permanent  Secretary.  That  con- 
cerning agencies  received  the  same  disposition. 

Upon  the  question  of  joining  the  Crystal  Palace 
Association  in  their  intended  exhibition  at  New 
York,  an  animated  discussion  arose.  The  gentle- 
men who  took  part  in  this  discussion  were  Messrs. 
Roberts,  of  Pa.,  King,  of  N.  Y.,  and  King,  of 
R.  I.,  Calvert,  of  Md.,  Brooks,  Brown,  Poore, 
French  and  Reed,  of  Mass.,  McAllister,  A.  B.  Da- 
vies,  Landry,  Watterston,  Dis.  Col.,  Mapes,  Judge 
Chatfield,  of  Wis.,  and  Medary,  of  Ohio. 

The  discussion  was  finally  closed  by  the  adoption 

of  the  following  resolution  of  Mr.  Brown,  of  Mass. 

Resolved,  That  this  Society  do  not  consider  it  ex- 
pedient, in  its  infancy,  to  enter  into  an  arrangement 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


137 


with  the  Directors  of  the  Crystal  Palace,  at  New 
York,  in  relation  to  a  public  exhibition  ;  and  that 
the  Chair  appoint  a  committee  of  three  persons  to 
inform  the  committee  from  that  association  accord- 
ingly- 

The  committee  appointed  under  this  resolution 
are  the  President  of  the  Society,  Brown,  of  Mass., 
and  Medary,  of  Ohio. 

It  was  resolved,  on  motion  of  Mr.  Poore,  of 
Massachusetts,  that  when  this  meeting  adjourn  it 
adjourn  to  meet  to-morrow  morning,  at  9  o'clock. 

The  Chair  appointed  Messrs.  French,  of  INIassa- 
chusetts.  King,  of  New  York,  and  Calvert  of  Mary- 
land, a  committee  to  audit  the  Truasurer's  ac- 
counts. 

The  following  preamble  and  resolution  were  of- 
fered by  C.  B.  Camt:rt,  Esq.,  of  Maryland,  and 
made  the  order  of  the  day  for  to-morrow  at  10 
o'clock,  A.  M.,  viz: 

"Whereas  the  cause  of  agriculture  requires  that  its 
greal  interests  should  be  represented  in  the  councils 
of  the  nation  :  Therefore — 

Resolved,  That  Congress  be  memorialized  to  estab- 
lish a  Department  of  the  Government,  to  be  called 
the  Department  of  Agriculture,  the  head  of  which 
department,  when  established,  shall  be  a  Cabinet 
oflBcer. 

And  then,  on  motion  of  Mr.  King,  of  New  York, 
the  meeting  adjourned. 

SECOND    DAT. 

The  Society  met  according  to  adjournment,  yes- 
terday morning,  at  9  o'clock,  in  the  lecture  room 
of  the  Smithsonian  Institution.  It  was  called  to 
order  by  the  President  at  10  o'clock,  when  it  was 
found  that,  in  addition  to  the  States  and  Territo- 
ries present  the  previous  day,  Minnesota  was  now 
represented. 

The  order  of  the  day  being  the  resolution  of  Mr. 
Calvert  on  the  subject  of  memorializing  Congress 
to  establish  an  Agricultural  Department  of  the 
Government,  with  its  head  a  Cabinet  Officer,  was 
then  taken  up.  It  was,  however,  laid  on  the  table 
temporarily,  to  receive  the  report  from  the  Com- 
mittee on  Nominations. 

After  some  discussion,  this  too  was  laid  on  the 
table,  in  order  to  consider  the  report  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Amendments  to  the  Constitution.  The 
sections  of  the  constitution  in  question  were  then 
successively  read,  and  in  several  cases  amended. 

-.The  following  is  the  substance  of  the  principal 
amendments  passed  : 

The  Executive  Committee  was  increased  from 
five  members  to  seven. 

The  Recording  and  Corresponding  Secretaries  to 
be  considered  as  ex-officio  members  of  the  Execu- 
tive Committee  and  the  General  Board  of  Agricul- 
ture. 

In  the  absence  of  the  President  of  the  Society, 
the  Executive  Committee  shall  elect  its  own  chair- 
man. 

Four  members  present  shall  constitute  a  quorum 
of  the  Executive  Committee. 

The  future  annual  meetings  of  the  Society  shall 
be  held  in  Washington,  on  t\\Q  fourth  Wednesday 
of  February. 


Mr.  Wheeler,  of  Massachusetts,  proposed  a  re- 
duction of  the  fee  for  life-membership  from  §25  to 
$10,  with  two  dollars  entrance  money  and  one  dol- 
lar annual  subscription.  This  reduction  he  thought 
would  bring  many  members  into  the  Society  who 
might  be  excluded  by  the  present  terms.  This 
opinion  was  favored  by  Mr.  Brooks,  of  Massachu- 
setts, and  by  Professor  Mapes  and  Dr.  Weston,  so 
far  as  regarded  life  membership,  but  was  strongly 
opposed  by  Messrs.  A.  B.  Davis,  Jones  and  Cal- 
vert, of  Maryland,  Roberts,  of  Penn.,  and  Reed, 
of  Mass.  The  Society  finally  determined  not  to 
make  any  change  now. 

The  order  of  the  day,  on  Mr.  Calvert's  resolution, 
was  then  taken  up,  but  temporarily  laid  aside  to 
consider  a  resolution  moved  by  jMr.  Brown,  of 
Massachusetts,  which  was  unanimously  adopted, 
as  follows : 

Resolved,  That  the  thanks  of  this  Society  be  ten- 
dered the  Hon.  Samuel  Appleton,  Thomas  H.  Per- 
kins, Josiah  Quincy,  Robert  G.  Shaw,  and  others, 
who  have  so  generously  contributed  to  its  funds, 
and  thereby  increased  the  ability  of  the  Society  to 
diffuse  agricultural  information  throughout  the  coun- 
try. 

The  following  gentlemen  were  then  proposed  as 
honorary  members  of  the  Society,  the  proposition 
being  warmly  received  and  adopted,  viz.  :  'Millard 
Fillmore,  Franklin  Pierce,  Samuel  Appleton, 
Thomas  H.  Perkins,  Josiah  Quincy,  and  Robert  G. 
Shaw. 

Mr.  Calvert's  resolution  being  read,  he  said 
that  he  had  waited  for  some  one  else  to  take  the 
initiative  in  this  matter :  but,  as  that  had  not 
been  done,  he  had  nothing  to  do  but  to  act  for 
himself.  The  object  sought  in  the  resolution  was 
a  primary  one  of  the  Society.  The  only  question 
to  be  asked  in  relation  to  it  was,  will  a  Government 
department  of  Agriculture  benefit  the  farmers  of 
this  country  ;  will  it  maintain,  protect,  and  advance 
their  varied  interests  and  all  the  other  interests 
dependant  upon  theirs  ?  If  the  answer  was  in  the 
affirmative,  nothing  remained  to  be  done  but  to  go 
straight  to  the  mark,  and  vote  unanimously  a  pe- 
tition to  Congress  for  its  establishment.  It  would 
do  no  longer  to  connect  this  great  matter  with 
party  politics  ;  no  longer  would  the  agriculturists 
of  the  United  States  be  nose-led  by  political  parti- 
sans. Commerce  has  its  representative  and  pro- 
tector in  the  Cabinet  in  the  person  of  the  Secreta- 
ry of  the  Treasury ;  so  had  the  army,  so  had  the 
navy;  then  why  should  agriculture,  an  interest 
greater  than  all  the  rest  put  together,  be  excluded  ? 
Four-fifths  of  all  the  wealth,  power,  numbers,  la- 
bor, and  elements  of  strength  and  greatness  of  this 
country  were  agricultural,  and  it  had  no  repre- 
sentative in  the  Executive  branch  of  our  Govern- 
ment. Measures  hostile  to  the  farming  interest 
may  arise  in  the  Cabinet  and  be  recommended  to 
Congress,  and  as  at  present  constituted  they  could 
not  be  resisted.     This   question  had  indeed  much 


138 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


March 


to  do  with  politics  in  its  higher  and  proper  sense, 
but  in  the  lower  and  meaner  one,  nothing  what- 
ever. Let  any  one  refer  to  Noah  Webster's  DIct 
tionary,  and  they  would  be  convinced  of  this.  Last 
year  a  bureau  of  agriculture  would  have  satisfied 
gentlemen  ,|jbut  that  day  is  gone  by  ;  what  is  want- 
ed now  is  a  full  department,  with  a  full  Cabinet 
Minister  at  its  head.  All  the  Presidents  of  the 
United  States  have  recommended  such  a  depart- 
ment, and  the  time  had  come  to  establish  it.  Ue 
hoped  the  meeting  would  be  unanimous  in  its  vote 
on  this  subject. 

Mr.  French,  of  Massachusetts,  said  he  was  one 
of  those  who  would  have  been  once  satisfied  with 
a  Bureau,  but  he  now  called  for  a  Department, 
and  he  proceeded  to  advocate  a  Department,  as 
proposed  by  Mr.  Calvert. 

[While  Mr.  F.  was  speaking,  the  President  of  the  United 
States  and  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  entered  the  room, 
when  the  members  rose  to  their  feet,  and  so  remained  until 
the  President  was  seated.] 

Professor  !M\pes  said  his  friend  from  RIaryland 
had  stated  the  outline.  Had  he  gone  into  detail, 
the  fact  that  four-fifths  of  the  people  were  allied 
to  agriculture  would  be  made  more  strongly  to  ap- 
pear. In  some  districts  of  the  United  States  one 
hundred  bushels  of  shelled  corn  to  the  acre  were 
raised,  but  the  average  was  only  thirty  bushels. 

This  last  proportion  ought  to  be  and  could  be 
greatly  increased,  and  the  land  restored  to  fertility. 
In  the  State  of  New  York  twelve  and  a  half  bush- 
els of  wheat  per  acre  was  the  average  ;  formerly 
it  was  thirty.  Ohio  once  gave  an  average  of  thir- 
ty-fiye  ;  she  had  now  sunk  to  fifteen.  To  restore 
the  decreasing  fertility  and  wealth  of  our  fields  all 
over  the  Union, was  a  measure  deserving  the  serious 
attention  of  our  Government.  Therefore  let  us 
have  a  Department. 

Farmers  are  a  busy  class  ;  they  have  not  much 
time  to  think  or  to  compare  notes  with  their  fel- 
lows at  a  distance.  Thus  improvements  did  not 
trtivel  fast.  A  town  or  a  county  was  often  the 
limiting  area  of  the  knowledge  of  a  great  improve- 
ment. !Much  knowledge  useful  to  all  was  thus 
lost  to  the  generality.  For  instance,  there  was 
the  fact  that  eighteen  and  a  half  pounds  of  cooked 
corn  meal  would  produce  as  much  meat  and  mus- 
cle as  fifty  pounds  uncooked.  But  farmers  would 
not  believe  this  without  endorsement  from  a  known 
and  respectable  source.  In  almost  every  county 
in  the  Union  some  one  man  was  celebrated  for  his 
crops  ;  but,  notwithstanding  they  were  before  the 
eyes  of  his  neighbors,  they  would  not  believe  him 
as  to  his  own  accounts  of  his  success  ;  they  would 
ascribe  to  him  some  secret  plans,  or  something 
more  than  appeared.  The  farmers,  as  a  class, 
were  incredulous.  It  was  necessary  to  bring  the 
force  of  fashion  to  bear  upon  them.  When  men 
of  talent,  learning,  and  wide  iulluence  lent  respon- 
sibility to  statements,  farmers  would  believe,  but 
not  till  then. 


Much  labor  was  necessary  to  open  the  eyes  of 
the  people  of  this  country  to  these  things.  Hap- 
pily, within  a  year  or  two,  we  had  taken  a  better 
view,  and  the  result  was,  that  the  improvements 
for  a  single  year  were  worth  more  than  the  gold 
returns  from  California  could  be  in  a  century. 

At  the  port  of  New  York,  British  ships  would 
come  and  fill  their  holds,  on  their  return  voyage, 
with  American  bones,  carrying  away  the  chief  con- 
stituent of  the  fertility  of  our  fields,  phosphate  of 
lime.  And  this  helped  us  to  understand  why, 
when  our  fields  were  parting  with  their  invaluable 
constituents,  the  fields  of  England  had  raised  their 
crops  from  fourteen  bushels  per  acre  to  fifty-one 
bushels.  Let  this  be  stopped  ;  let  us  understand 
what  these  things  mean  ;  let  our  people  be  put  on 
their  guard  against  these  insiduous  attacks  on  our 
very  vitals ;  let  the  Government  have  a  Depart- 
ment presiding  over  this  branch  of  our  national 
store,  and  we  shall  not  be  likely  long  to  waste  our 
own  strength  and  vitality  by  tamely  yielding  them 
over  toothers.     [Applause.] 

The  resolution  of  Mr.  Calvert  being  then  put  to 
vote,  it  was  unanimously  adopted,  as  follows  : 

Resolved,  That  Congress  be  memorialized  to  estab- 
lish a  Department  of  the  Government,  to  be  called 
the  Department  of  Agriculture,  the  head  of  which 
Department,  when  established,  shall  be  a  Cabinet 
officer. 

The  report  of  the  nominating  committee  being 
nest  in  order,  the  officers  for  the  next  year  were 
elected  by  ballot. 

[At  this  stage  tlie  President  of  the  United  States  and  Secre- 
tary of  the  Interior  retired,  the  members  all  standing  until 
they  had  left  the  room.] 

The  following  are  the  gentlemen  elected  to  the 
respective  offices  of  the  ensuing  year  : — 

PRESIDENT, 

MARSHALL  P.  WILDER,  of  Massachusetts. 

VICE    PRESIDENTS, 


Ezekiel  Holmes,  of  Maine, 
G.  W.  Nesmith,  N.  H. 
Frederick  Ilolbrook,  Vt. 

B.  V.  French,  Mass. 
Josiah  Chapin,  R.  Island, 
S.  D.  Hubbard,  Conn. 
Henry  Wager,  New  York, 
James  .1    Mapes,  N.  Jersey, 
Fred.  Watts,  Pennsylvania, 

C.  P.  Holcomb,  Delaware, 
W.  D.  Bowie,  Maryland, 
G.  W.  P.  Custis,  Virginia, 
Henry  K.  Burgin,  N.  C. 
John  Witherspoon,  S.  C. 
P.  M.  Nighliiigale,  Georgia, 
Richard  Jones,  Alabama, 
Alex.  H.  Befiues,  Miss. 

A.  B.  Roman,  Louisiana, 


Samuel  Medary,  Ohio, 
Robert  Mallory,  Kentucky, 
M.  P.  Gentry,  Tennessee, 
Joseph  A.  Wright,  Indiana, 
S.  A.  Douglas.  Illinois, 
R.  Atchison,  Missouri, 
T.  B.  Flournoy,  Arkansas, 
J.  C.  Holmes,  Michigan, 

Baker,  Florida, 

T.  J.  Rusk,  Texas, 

W.  F.  Coolbaugh,  Iowa, 

A.  C.  Ingh;ni,  Wisconsin, 

Homer.  California, 

J.  H.  Bradley,  Dist.  Col., 
S.  M.  Baird,  New  Mexico, 
H.  H.  Sibley,  Minnesota, 
Joseph  Lane,  Oregon, 
Jos.  L.  Hayes,  Utah. 


EXECUTIVE    COJDIITTEE, 
C.  B.  Calvert,  Moses  Newell, 

J.  A.  King,  Arthur  Watts, 

A.  L   Ehvyn,  Richard  Peters. 

J.  D.  Weston. 

Joseph  C.  O.  Kennedy,  Corresponding  Secretary. 

W.  S.  King,  of  Rhode  ix\a.niX,  Recording  Secretary . 

William  Selden,  Treasurer. 

Whilst  the  ballots  were  being  counted,  the  Vice 
President  of  the  Society,  G.  W.  P.  Custis,  Esq., 
of  Arlington,  addressed  the  meeting  with  great  unc- 
tion and  effect,  detailing  in  a  most  interesting  way 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


139 


his  agricultural  experience,  and  the  incalculable 
benefits  conferred  upon  him  and  the  whole  farm- 
ing interest  of  Virginia  by  the  genius  and  industry 
of  Edmund  Ruftin.  If  ever  a  conqueror  merited  a 
Avreath,  then  did  this  conqueror  of  ignoronce,  big- 
otry, and  agricultural  desolation.  After  hand- 
somely alluding  to  Mr.  Fillmore,  now  shortly 
to  retire  from  the  labors  of  office,  to  go  back  to  his 
farm  ;  to  his  country's  father  and  friend,  the  Far- 
mer of  Mount  A'ernon  ;  and  to  the  farmers  and 
sons  of  farmers  whose  hearts  and  arms  gave  suc- 
cess to  the  revolution,  Mr.  Custis  concluded  with 
the  sentiment  of  "Speed  the  Plow,"  and  may 
health,  happiness,  and  glorious  success  attend  the 
Society  and  its  efiForts.     [Cheers.] 

The  President  of  the  Society  acknowledged  the 
kindness  of  Mr.  Custis's  remarks,  and  reciprocat- 
ed by  wishing  him,  on  behalf  the  Socjety,  in  re- 
turn, all  the  blessings  of  health  and  prosperity. 

Professor  Mapes  moved  that  Edmund  Ruffin,  of 
Virginia,  be  elected  an  honorary  member  of  the 
Society. 

Carried  unanimously  and  with  applause. 

Dr.  Reed;  of  Massachusetts,  offered  a  resolution, 
which  was  passed,  as  follows  : — 

Resolved,  That  the  subject  of  lectures  before  this 
Society  at   its  future  meetings,  and  the  selection  of 
lecturers,  be  referred  to  a  select  committee  of  five 
of  whom  Professor  Henry,  of  the  Smithsonian  Insti- 
tution, shall  be  chairman. 

The  committee  appointed  under  this  resolution 
consists  of  Professor  Henry,  and  Messrs.  Wilder 
and  Reed,  of  jMassachusetts,  Calvert,  of  Maryland, 
and  the  Corresponding  Secretary. 

It  was  made  the  duty  of  the  Corresponding  Sec- 
retary to  notify  all  members  of  their  election,  and 
if  any  decline,  the  Executive  Committee  may  ap- 
point others  to  fill  the  vacancies. 

A  paper  written  by  Professor  Booth,  of  Phila- 
delphia, on  the  inadequacy  and  inability  of  chem- 
ical analyses  of  soils  in  the  present  state  of  the 
science,  was  read. 

Professor  Mapes  hoped  it  would  not  be  placed 
among  the  transactions  of  the  Society,  as  he  dif- 
fered with  its  able  and  learned  author  on  the  sub- 
ject, and  believed  he  could  successfully  disprove 
his  positions.  There  was  evidence  on  every  hand, 
both  in  England  and  America,  that  chemical  anal- 
yses had  done  the  greatest  amount  of  good  to  ag- 
riculture. 

The  Society  having  understood,  at  length,  that 
the  paper  of  Professor  Booth  was  not  before  the 
Society,  under  his  sanction,  it  was  withdrawn,  to 
be  placed  under  the  control  of  the  gentleman  who 
first  produced  it. 

Resolved,  That  a  circular,  in  the  name  of  the  So- 
ciety, be  addressed  by  the  Corresponding  Secretary 
to  the  various  Agricultural  boards  and  Societies  in 
this  Republic  and  in  other  lands,  requesting,  if  con- 
venient, copies  of  their  reports  already  published, 
with  an  exchange  of  future  publications. 


The  Treasurer's  report  was  then  handed  in. 
On  the  meeting  of  the  Society  on  "Wednesday  morn- 
ing there  were  $182  G2  to  the  credit  of  the  Society  ; 
since  then  this  had  been  raised  to  $1,920  G2, 
which  was  their  present  wealth.     [Cheers.] 

The  meeting  then  adjourned  to  meet  again  at 
7  P.  M. 

THIRD   AND    CONCLUDING    SESSION. 

The  Society  met,  pursuant  to  adjournment,  at 
7  o'clock  P.  M.  on  Thursday,  to  hear  the  lecture 
of  Professor  Mapes  on  "Fertilizers."  This  very 
able  gentleman,  and  practical  agriculturist,  en- 
chained his  auditory  for  about  an  hour  as  very  few 
living  men  could  do  on  such  a  topic.  He  spoke 
without  "notes,  but  such  is  his  fund  of  information 
and  intelligence  that  possibly  his  extemporaneous 
addresses  excel  the  generality  of  written  effusions 
on  these  subjects. 

After  the  addresses,  the  Executive  Committee 
met  and  transacted  much  business  respecting  ar- 
rangements and  agencies  for  the  collection  of  funds, 
for  the  publication  of  the  Journal,  for  which  origi- 
nal papers  were  promised  by  Professor  Mapes, 
Mr.  Calvert,  Dr.  Arthur  Watts,  Dr.  Elwyn, 
and  Jos.  C.  G.  Kennedy. 

The  committee  requested  a  copy  of  the  Address 
of  Mr.  Custis  for  publication. 

Professor  Henry  was  elected  an  honorary  mem- 
ber of  the  Society. 

After  the  transaction  of  business  of  minor  im- 
portance, the  Executive  Committee  adjourned 
sine  die. 


For  the  Neiv  England  Farmer. 
SWEET  CORN. 
A  correspondent  of  the  New  England  Farmer, 
among  other  pertinent  questions,  asks,  "How  does 
sweet  corn  affect  the  soil  on  which  it  is  raised  1  has 
it  been  tried  as  food  for  stock  ?  and  if  so,  with 
what  success  r'  We  have  had  some  little  success- 
ful experience,  for  the  last  five  or  six  years,  in 
raising  sweet  corn,  for  the  table,  and  for  fodder  ; 
and  that  experience  has  taught  us  that  sweet 
corn  exhausts  the  soil  just  about  in  proportion  as 
the  stalk  is  larger  and  more  nutricious  than  the 
northern  yellow  corn.  The  kind  of  sweet  corn 
we  have  raised  grows  about  eight  feet  high,  the 
ears  eight  or  ten  inches  long,  large  white  and 
plump  kernel,  and  ten  rows  to  the  ear,  the  pith 
of  dark  red  color,  and  is  called  the  Evergreen 
Sweet  Corn.  The  seed  was  procured  from  Ohio 
some  eight  years  since.  For  fodder  wc  sow  it  in 
drills,  three  feet  apart,  and  drop  the  kernels  from 
six  to  ten  inches  apart.  The  yield  of  fodder  the 
last  year  was  at  the  rate  of  seven  tons  to  the  acre. 
Our  horses  and  cows  leave  the  best  of  hay  to 
luxuriate  upon  sweet  corn  stalks,  well  cured,  and 
run  through  the  straw  cutter.  The  stalks  of  the 
sweet  corn  are  large,  and  recfViire  much  care  in 
curing  to  prevent  mould.  They  should  stand 
erect  in  the  barn,  or  wherever  sheltered,  and  en- 
joy the  benefit  of  air.  Cutting  the  stalks  as  near 
the  ground  as  possible,  we  leaned  the  tops  of  two 
rows  together,  leaving  here  and  there  a  stalk  un- 
cut, and  tying  from  ten  to  twenty  stalks  together 


140 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


March 


near  the  top,  to  prevent  falling.  In  this  manner 
the  stalks  dried  rapidly,  and  gathering  them  be- 
fore the  heavy  and  late  rains,  we  have  not  lost  a 
pound  of  fodder.  Sweet  corn  should  be  planted, 
or  sown  in  drills,  or  broad  cast,  (if  any  prefer,) 
at  the  same  time  that  common  corn  is  planted. 
The  richer  and  deeper  the  soil,  tlie  more  sure  and 
abundant  the  crop.  We  have  about  a  bushel  of 
sweet  corn  for  seed,  and  can  accommodate  a  few 
early  applicants  with  good  seed,  if  it  be  wanted, 
at  the  rate  of  fifty  cents  per  quart. 

E.  P.  Walton. 
Montpelier,  Vt.,  Jan.,  1853. 


LEGISLATIVE  AGRICULTURAL  MEET- 
INGS. 

Fourth  Meeting— Tuesday  Evening,  Feb.  8,  1853. 

The  fourth  meeting  of  the  series  was  held  at  the 
State  House,  on  Tuesday  evening.  Hon.  Seth 
Sprague,  of  Duxbury,  was  called  to  the  chair, 
whereupon  the  sulyect  of  discussion  for  the  eve- 
ning was  announced,  as  follows  : — 

"The  ]>est  method  of  breaking  up  and  pulver- 
izing soils,  and  the  depth  of  this  process  best 
adapted  to  ordinary  cultivation." 

Mr.  Howard,  of  Boston,  read  a  letter  from  Mr. 
Proctor,  of  Danvers,  (who  was  unable  to  be  pre- 
sent) submitting  some  remarks  in  relation  to  this 
subject.  Pulverization  of  soils  he  regarded  as  the 
basis  of  cultivation.  However  large  a  plant  may 
be,  its  extreme  rootlets  will  be  of  the  smallest  pos- 
sible dimensions,  and  consequently  the  soil  should 
be  loose  and  free,  in  order  to  present  no  obsta- 
cles to  their  growth.  Plowing,  of  course,  is  the 
most  efficient  means  of  stirring  up  the  soil.  As 
to  the  depth  of  plowing,  agricultural  societies 
seem  to  fix  upon  six  inches  as  the  standard,  which 
Mr.  Proctor  thought  was  founded  on  the  system 
of  using  only  one  yoke  of  oxen  in  the  operation. 
He  was  of  opinion  that  larger  teams  should  be 
used  and  plowing  carried  deeper,  say  to  9  or  12 
inches  depth,  especially  when  the  soil  rests  upon 
a  hard  pan.  He  knew  of  no  crop  that  would  not 
grow  better  when  the  soil  is  stirred  to  that  depth, 
than  when  plowed  six  or  seven  inches.  Addition- 
al manures  will  convert  the  gravel  and  sand  which 
may  be  thrown  up  into  good  soil,  in  a  few  years. 

Mr.  Sprague  thought  there  might  be  a  question 
in  some  places  as  to  the  best  instrument  to  be 
used  in  preparing  the  soil  for  cultivation.  Plow- 
ing is  the  only  mode  which  the  farmers  of  this 
country  can  use.  He  alluded  to  the  improvements 
which  have  been  made  in  the  plow  in  this  coun- 
try, and  to  the  fact  that  an  American  plow  had 
carried  away  the  highest  prize  at  the  World's  Fair, 
in  London.  This  event  demonstrates  the  fact  that 
the  farmers  of  this  country  possess  the  best  plows 
that  the  world  can  produce  for  preparing  the  soil 
for  planting.  Mr.  Sprague  thought  there  was  a 
great  lack  of  skill  among  our  farmers  in  the  art  of 
plowing.  The  plow  should  be  made  to  run  just 
such  a  depth,  and  the  furrow  slice  proportioned  to 


the  depth.  The  soil  is  better  pulverized  when 
this  precision  is  gained.  Plowing,  as  a  general 
principle,  should  be  deep.  But  it  depends  upon 
circumstances  as  to  whether  or  no  land  should  be 
plowed  deep.  Subsoiling  some  lands,  if  they  are 
not  properly  drained,  makes  them  more  capable  of 
retaining  water  than  of  raising  good  crops.  He 
spoke  of  the  clod-crushers,  an  implement  used  in 
England,  made  like  a  roller  with  teeth  or  pikes  to 
break  the  clods  in  pieces,  which  is  valuable  on  some 
kinds  of  land. 

Hon.  Am  ASA  Walker  spoke  of  the  importance 
attached  in  England  to  a  thorough  pulverization 
of  the  soil,  a  fact  which  he  said  was  strikingly  in- 
dicated by  the  great  number  and  difierent  kinds  of 
plows  which  they  used.  At  the  manufactory  of 
Ransom  &  Co.,  in  Ipswich, Eng.,  he  had  seen  107 
different  kinds.  Some  of  these  had  5-4  di  -erent 
mould-boards,  and  some  40  shares.  There  were 
one  thousand  different  patterns  of  plowshares. 
All  these  modifications  were  intended  to  meet  the 
requirements  of  the  various  kinds  of  soil.  The 
complement  for  one  farmer  is  generally  twenty- 
five  plows.  But,  for  all  this  pains-taking,  we  have 
the  best  plows.  The  speaker  enforced  the  neces- 
sity of  a  thorough  breaking  up  of  the  soil,  as  be- 
ing essential  to  the  thrifty  growth  of  all  agricul- 
tural production. 

Mr.  Sheldon,  of  Wilmington,  recommended  the 
use  of  the  Michigan  subsoil  plow  for  breaking  up 
grass  lands.  The  depth  of  plowing  he  believed 
should  be  decided  by  the  judgment  of  the  farmer. 
Some  varieties  of  land  need  to  be  plowed  a  great 
deal  more  than  others.  This  should  depend  in  a 
great  measure  upon  the  amount  of  manure  that 
will  be  bestowed  upon  the  soil.  If  plowed  deep, 
it  requires  more  dressing  than  if  plowed  shallow. 
We,  however,  seldom  plow  deeper  than  we 
ought.  He  thought  from  seven  to  nine  inches  was 
deep  enough  to  plow  on  common  land.  Mr.  Shel- 
don also  alluded  to  the  benefit  arising  from  skil- 
ful plowing.  He  believed  there  was  a  great  sav- 
ing in  plowing  straight.  It  makes  much  better 
finished  land. 

Mr.  Darling,  of  Leominster,  said  that  in  plow- 
ing, regard  should  be  had  to  the  use  which  is  to 
be  made  of  the  land.  If  he  had  a  piece  of  grass 
land  which  he  wanted  to  use  for  corn,  he  would 
plow  it  in  the  fall  about  three  inches  deep,  and 
leave  it  for  the  frost  to  work  upon  and  finish. 
Frost  will  tear  it  completely  in  pieces.  In  the 
spring  if  he  were  going  to  plant  in  furrows,  he 
would  harrow  it,  spread  on  his  manure,  and  then 
cross-plow  it.  By  this  mode  not  a  particle  of  turf 
is  left  on  the  ground  or  in  it.  He  had  never  seen 
anything  so  efiectual  as  this  for  pulverizing  the 
soil. 

Mr.  CoLLAMORE,  of  Pembroke,  inquired  the  na- 
ture of  the  soils  which  Mr.  Darling  had  treated  in 
this  way.     His   experience  had  been  that  on  a 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


1-il 


loamy,  sandy  soil,  plowing  in   the  fall  was  inju- 
rious. 

]Mr.  Darling  replied  that  they  were  generally  a 
light,  mellow  loam,  on  the  hills  the  soil  was  clayey. 
He  believed  that  tlie  system  he  describecrliad  been 
found  to  apply  equally  to  the  clayey  as  the  other 
kinds  of  soils. 

JMr.  Walker  was  of  opinion  that  common  sense 
must  be  applied  to  this  matter  of  plowing,  as  well 
as  to  everything  else.  A  gentleman  of  his  acquaint- 
ance had  lieard  a  great  deal  said  about  deep  plow- 
ing, and  determined  to  try  it  upon  a  field  of  light 
soil,  underneath  which  was  a  very  coarse  gravel. 
Plowing  deep,  he  brought  this  to  the  surface,  cov- 
ering up  the  natural  soil,  and  consequently  lost  the 
use  of  his  land.  With  such  soils  the  policy  should 
be  to  draw  up  the  sand  or  gravel  little  by  little, 
and  gradually  convert  it  into  a  soil  by  the  applica- 
tion of  manure.  In  a  few  years  a  soil  may  be  in- 
creased from  six  inches  to  a  foot  in  depth,  and  thus 
doubled  in  value,  for  it  will  grow  double  the 
crops. 

Mr.  Sprague  was  confident  that  fall  plowing  in 
dry,  sandy  land,  was  injurious.  He  had  a  large 
quantity  of  land  with  a  loose,  sandy  subsoil,  and 
he  believed  that  the  quicker  it  was  planted  after 
being  plowed,  the  better.  But  not  so  with  lands 
having  a  hard  subsoil,  which  will  not  let  the  water 
down,  and  which  may  bring  up  vegetable  substances 
beneficial  to  plants. 

Col.  Faulkner,  of  Acton,  said  the  depth  of  plow- 
ing should  depend  on  the  nature  of  tlie  soil.  He 
cultivated  eleven  acres  of  land,  which  is  unusually 
infested  with  rocks  and  stones,  so  much  so  that 
he  almost  despaired  of  reclaiming  it.  On  the  pro- 
duce of  this  amount  of  Lind  he  keeps  ten  cows,  a 
yoke  of  oxen,  and  two  horses,  besides  selling  two 
to  five  tons  of  hay  annually.  His  mode  of  cultiva 
tion  is  this.  The  land  is  jilowed  as  deep  as  possi- 
ble. In  May  he  plants  with  potatoes,  and  after 
removing  the  crop  in  the  fall  plows  again.  In 
May  of  the  next  year  it  is  plowed  and  harrowed 
twice,  and  then  sowed  with  millet,  which  yields  a 
crop  equal  to  a  ton  and  a  half  of  hay.  About  the 
middle  of  August  manure  is  spread  over  the  stubble 
left  by  the  millet,  the  land  plowed  and  harrowed 
twice,  and  sowed  down  with  timothy  and  red-top 
a,lone.  Not  less  than  sixty  loads  of  manure  are 
applied  to  the  acre,  and  the  land  lasts  seven  years, 
generally  yielding  two  to  three  tons  of  hay  to  the 
acre. 

^Ir.  F.  said  he  could  raise  much  better  potatoes 
by  using  plaster  and  salt,  mixed  together,  and 
none  of  them  had  decayed  since  he  tried  it. 

Mr.  Small,  of  Truro,  said  he  plowed  his  corn 
land  about  five  inches  deep.  It  would  not  answer 
to  plow  deeper,  on  account  of  a  want  of  manure  to 
vitalize  the  dead  earth  brought  up  by  plowing  deep. 
But  if  there  was  no  lack  of  manure,  it  was  no  mat- 
ter how  deep   land  was  plowed.     On   the   Cape, 


they  always  found  they  could  raise  good  corn^when 
they  could  bring  their  land  over  to  a  sward.  Neat 
cattle  he  considered  the  best  means  of  accomplish- 
ing this,  fur  after  they  take  the  feed  off  the  grass, 
there  is  nothing  so  beneficial  to  the  land  as  the 
manure,  both  solid  and  liquid,  which  they  leave  up- 
on it. 

Mr.  Sprague  thought  farmers  were  generally  in 
too  much  haste  to  get  their  seed  into  the  ground, 
and  did  not  take  sufficient  pains  to  get  the  soil 
permeable,  and  in  proper  condition. 

Mr.  SuELDON  asked  leave  to  make  some  remarks 
on  the  subject  discussed  at  the  last  meeting,  viz., 
the  importance  of  agriculture  to  the  well-being  of 
the  State  as  compared  with  any  or  all  other  in- 
terests. He  illustrated  his  views  by  comparing 
the  different  professions,  as  farmers,  mechanics, 
&c.,  to  a  tree,  of  which  the  farmer  formed  the 
trunk,  the  other  classes  the  branches,  and  the  la- 
boring men  who  serve  them  all,  the  roots.  He  il- 
lustrated at  some  length  the  results  of  a  separa- 
tion of  the  various  classes  of  society,  and  the  ab- 
solute necessity  of  mutual  assistance  and  depend- 
ence. 

Mr.  Sheldon  then  went  on  to  remark  that  much 
was  said  about  protecting  the  farmer,  that  the 
government  had  done  nothing  for  him,  &c.  In  his 
view,  the  protection  the  farmer  needs,  is  good  free 
schools,  that  they  may  feel  when  they  are  grown 
up  that  they  need  not  be  ashamed  to  get  up  at 
these  meetings,  and  speak  in  vindication  of  their 
own  cause.  He  believed  that  every  manufactory 
started,  and  every  mechanical  pursuit  opened,  af- 
forded protection  to  the  farmer. 

Some  pertinent  remarks  in  relation  to  the  pul- 
verizating  of  soils  were  made  by  Rev.  Mr.  Trask, 
of  Fitchburg,  and  at  9  o'clock  the  meeting  ad- 
journed. 

For  the  New  Ensland  Farmer, 

CARROTS  FOR  HORSES. 

Friend  Brown  : — Do  you  recommend  the  feed- 
ing of  carrots  to  horses  on  the  same  score  that 
you  do  to  cows?  I  know  that  the  opinion  obtains 
in  many  sections  that  they  are  paramount  to  al- 
most any  other  kind  of  grain.  Yet  this  practice 
has  to  my  knowledge  been  attended  with  very  se- 
rious results.  ]Mr.  Holbrook  has  often  recorded 
his  views  with  regard  to  the  carrot — its  culture, 
and  that  for  which  it  was  best  adapted,  but  if  I 
mistake  not,  he  has  never  introduced  the  horse  in 
this  connexion.  k.  n.  n. 


Remarks.  —  We  have  used  carrots  for  horses 
with  the  best  results,  for  years,  and  believe  them 
to  be  excellent  feed  for  any  stock. 


To  Kill  Lice  on  Cattle. — H.  Mudgett,  in  the 
Prairie  Farmer,  says  that  a  small  quantity  of  dry 
slacked  lime  rubbed  into  the  hair  of  cattle  will  de- 
stroy all  lice.  If  a  remedy  it  is  a  cheap  and  easy 
one. 


142 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


March 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 

Since  the  est:il>lish)iient  of  this  paper,  by  Mr. 
Cole,  I  have  Ijeen  a  constant  reader  of  it,  first  in 
its  book  form,  and  latterly  as  a  weekly  paper.  A 
few  days  since,  I  concluded  to  take  the  monthly, 
as  the  tiles  of  the  weekly,  Avhich  I  have  carefully 
preserved,  are  much  less  convenient  for  reference. 
Well,  the  January  number,  after  having  been 
stitched  into  a  cover  and  the  leaves  cut,  now  lies 
before  me,  having  been  looking  it  over. 

By  what  can  the  progress  of  the  world  be  more 
strikingly  illustrated  than  by  this  same  New  Eng- 
land Farmer  J  In  1274,  less  than  six  hundred 
years  ago,  a  single  copy  of  the  Bible  cost  about 
$1G0,  although  the  standard  of  value  was  so  dif- 
ferent then  from  that  of  our  times,  that  the  ordi- 
nary price  for  a  day's  work  by  a  common  laborer, 
was  three  cents, — that  of  a  bushel  of  wheat  ten 
cents  ;  so  that  a  Bible  was  equal  in  value  to  about 
300  barrels  of  flour  !  And  only  about  400  years 
ago,  a  man  in  England  gave  a  load  of  hay  for  a 
single  leaf  of  St.  James'  Epistle.  So  say  the  re- 
cords. Now,  in  1853,  half  a  bushel  of  wheat  will 
pay  for  twelve  numbers  of  the  Farmer,  each  con- 
taining reading  matter  equal  to  a  volume  of  some 
135  pages  of  ordinary  book  printing.  A  single 
pound  of  butter  will  buy  four  times  as  much  read- 
ing matter  in  Boston,  A.  D.  1853,  as  the  whole 
yearly  salary  of  the  king's  physician  Avould,  in 
London,  A.  D.  1359.  Yet  some  people  who  really 
would  be  glad  of  the  Farmer  can't  afford  to  take 
it! 

But  these  reflections  are  carrying  me  away  from 
my  purpose,  which  was  to  take  a  bird's-eye  view 
of  the  January  Farmer,  the  first  number  of  the 
monthly  I  have  seen  since  the  weekly  was  com- 
menced. Here  then  it  is.  Hold  it  up.  ^^  New 
England  Farmer,'''' — something  patriotic  and  ven- 
erable in  the  very  name.  A  pretty  frontispiece, — 
a  farmer  casting  seed  upon  the  well-plowed  field, 
surrounded  by  his  flocks  and  herds,  implements, 
sheaves,  fruit,  poultry,  bee-hive  and  farm-build- 
ings, while  in  the  distance  the  steeple  of  the  meet- 
ing-house, where  he  publicly  worships  God,  and 
the  dim  outlines  of  the  school-house  are  seen,  rest- 
ing against  the  dark  form  of  the  "  everlasting 
hills."  Then  follow  names  of  proprietors  and  ed- 
itors. AVhat  a  trio  occupy  the  editorial  "chair," 
representatives  of  three  States.  The  farm  of  the 
principal  editor  lies  in  a  town  that  was  visited  by 
a  party  of  "Good  old  English  Gentlemen,"  who 
strolled  into  that  neighborhood  on  the  19 tb  of 
April,  1775,  but  who  took  so  little  flincy  to  the 
agricultural  advantages  of  the  section,  that  they 
did  not  stop  long  enough  to  make  a  very  thorough 
analysis  of  the  soil.  One  of  the  assistant  editors 
is  experimenting  upon  the  soil  of  the  Green  Moun- 
tain State,  the  other  upon  that  of  the  Granite 
State.  Let  us  now  look  a  little  closer  at  the  re- 
sult of  their  labors,  as  exhibited  in  the  sheet  be- 
fore us.  We  will  take  up  the  articles  successively. 

" TAe  New  Year.''' — Reflections  on  the  past,  sug- 
gestions for  the  future. 

"A  Valuable  Book  for  Reference. ^^ — Eight  char- 
acteristics of  the  monthly  Farmer. 

^^  Great  Yield  of  Carrots,"  in  Wendell,  cultiva- 
ted by  Mr.  Cook.  Clear  profit  of  $100  on  three- 
fourths  of  an  acre.  Detailing  particulars  of  state 
of  land,  mode  of  tillage,  price  of  crop,  &c.  Infor- 
mation well  worth  a  ride  of  a  half-day  for  any 


farmer  to  obtain,  who  don't  hold  to  "Books."  By 
the  way,  Mr.  Cook,  why  not  charge  manure  1  Out 
hero  it  is  worth  $7  per  cord. 

^'■The  Season." — Comparing  the  present  with 
the  last.  Very  acceptable  facts,  as  everybody 
talks  of  tne  weather. 

"T/te  Use  of  Guano." — Information  in  relation 
to  its  use  in  Virginia,  by  one  who  had  tried  the 
article  on  worn-out  lands  in  that  State.  The  same 
information  might  jiave  been  given  to  each  one  of 
your  many  thousand  subscribers,  by  letter! 

^'■Profit  of  Fowls." — An  apparently  honest  ac- 
count for  two  years  with  some  75  biddies,  show- 
ing a  profit  of  about  50  cents  a  year  on  each  hen. 
Every  body  likes  to  read  such  accounts  ;  very  few 
have  patience  to  make  them. 

"^4  Remedy  for  Bots  in  Horses." — Don't  sound 
quaekish  at  all. 

'■^Advantages of  'Warm  Weather." — Estimate  to 
show  that  two  and  a  half  millions  of  dollars  will 
be  saved  in  fodder  alone  by  the  mild  winter,  in 
New  Hampshire.  Is  not  the  "wind  tempered  to 
the  shorn  laml)?" 

'■'■Peculiar  Diff cullies  of  New  England  Farm- 
ing."— Want  of  system,  skill,  education,  capital, 
&c.,  discussed.  Comments  on  some  Yankee  hab- 
its,— going  West,  to  California,  turning  preacher, 
doctor,  ]\lember  of  Congress  or  shoemaker  !  A 
spicy  article.  But  are  not  some  of  the  best  homes 
in  the  land  enjoyed  by  shoe-making  farmers  of 
Massachusetts  ? 

'■'■Harvest  Hymn." — Alas,  how  many  of  us  need 
to  alter  the  last  two  lines,  thus  : 

The  incense  of  a  grumbling  heart, 
Is  all  that  we  do  bring. 

'■^Lyceum  Lectures." — Endorsing  the  proposi- 
tion of  the  State  Board  to  employ  lecturers  on  Ag- 
riculture. Can't  help  saying  I  have  little  faith  in 
this  project.  This  lecturing,  is  it  not  an  attempt  to 
build  a  sort  of  "royal  road  to  knowledge."  They 
have  to  dig  for  gold  in  California ;  so  must  we  dig 
for  knawledge.  That's  the  price,  and  it  cannot 
be  bought  any  cheaper.  But  lectures  may  stir  the 
waters  and  open  the  way  for  something  better. 

'■'■Two  Acres." — Grand  good  hints  to  those  of 
us  who  have  so  much  land  that  we  are  too  poor  to 
cultivate  any  of  it  properly.  Almost  persuaded 
to  sell  a  part  of  mine  first  chance,  and  then  see  if 
I  can't  do  something  worth  while  on  what  is  left. 

"  J?P(i  Russet»" — Its  history  and  character,  with 
a  fine  picture  of  its  fruit.  When  some  people  get 
hold  of  a  kind  of  fruit,  or  any  other  thing  that 
sells  well,  they  feel  inclined  to  keep  the  secret  to 
themselves.  Not  so  the  correspondents  and  edi- 
tors of  the  Farmer. 

'■^The  Season  q/"  1852  at  Wilmington  and  Vicin- 
ity."— By  Silas  Brown.  Everything  from  his  pen 
is  "twenty-four  carets  fine." 

^^ State  Board  of  Agriculture." — Proceedings, 
Dec.  1,  1852. 

Vegetation  in  California." — Lots  of  tough  sto- 
ries. To  think  of  eating  onions,  like  apples,  when 
they  weigh  twentj'-one  pounds  apiece,  almost 
brings  tears  to  one's  eyes,  without  looking  at 
spruce  trees  360  feet  high,  or  solid  cabbages  seven 
feet  in  circumference  !  Yet  Mr.  Shelton  tells  of 
many  such  things. 

''Crops  i)i  Canada,"  ''■Whittier's  Corn  Song," 
"A  Siberian  Winter,"  are  short,  pithy  articles. 

*^  Winter  Lectures." — A  suggestion  to  sulisti- 
tute  practical  men  for  professional  lecturers  consid- 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


143 


ered,  and  a  sort  of  tea-party  or  pic-nic  of  half  an 
hour  or  so,  recommended  to  precede  the  lectures, 
by  which  the  sharp  corners  of  unsociability  may 
be  rubbed  oif.  Pity  'tis  laboring  men  cannot  be 
induced  to  try  their  hand  in  literary  efforts  oftener 
than  they  do.  The  preparation  of  one  address 
would  do  any  of  us  more  good  than  the  mere  lis- 
tening to  a  dozen  much  better  ones,  by  others. 

"S(;7«u/  Maxims  in  Fanning.'" — Old  hints  here, 
to  new  reformers  in  our  line. 

'•^Susceptibility  of  Animals  to  Atmospheric  Influ- 
ence.''^— Curious  fiicts  stated  on  this  suliject.  Some 
of  them,  at  least,  familiar  to  the  wcatherwise. 

"Gathering  and  Preserving  Winter  Fruit.'''' — 
One  of  those  practical  articles,  which  I  value  just 
as  highly  in  print,  as  I  should  if  the  words  fell 
from  the  lips  of  the  fruit-grower,  liimself.  My 
own  experience  corroborates  the  principle  that 
"warmth  occasions  rapid  decay;"  but  how  shall 
a  warm  cellar  be  made  cool  ? 

"Lime,  Guano,  Bone-dust." — "Lime  in  agricul- 
ture." Scientific  facts  and  suggestions.  Inter- 
esting for  farmers'  use,  or  ought  to  be,  inquiring 
what  they  shall  do  to  improve  the  soil. 

"  Warts  on  Plum  Trees." — Inquiry  for  a  remedy 
— none  found. 

"The  Way  Russians  Treat  their  Horses.''^ — An 
article  that  should  be  read  by  all  rough,' profane 
Yankee  teamsters,  till  they  are  ashamed  of  the 
treatment  this  noble  animal  receives  at  the  hands 
of  some  of  them. 

"Honey  Bees." — Facts  about  these  patterns  of 
industry — such  as,  that  bees  secrete  honey,  as  cows 
do  milk,  not  cull  or  gather  it,  as  people  suppose 
they  do,  from  flowers. 

"Raising  and  Selling  Milk." — The  dark  side  of 
the  business,  by  a  Westboro'  man,  who  seconds 
the  motion  for  a  Milk  Convention. 

"House  Plants." — Girls,  this  is  for  you. 

"Plowing  Orchards." — This  article  certainly 
"plows"  a  deep  furrow  into  the  prevailing  notions 
on  the  subject,  and  reverses  Mr.  Cole's  teachings. 
Hope  we  shall  not  have  to  change  our  practices 
in  agriculture,  as  often  as  ladies  do  their  taste  in 
bonnets.  Still  we  like  to  hear  all  sides.  Was  it 
not  the  "pruning  closely" — words  that  make  me 
shudder — and  not  the  "plowing  often,"  that 
caused  the  disease  1 

"Apples." — Cautions  as  to  new  varieties,  and 
remarks  on  certain  qualifications  essential  to  first 
rate  fruit. 

"Great  Yield." 

"United  States  Agricultural  Society." — First 
meeting,  character  and  objects. 

"Inventory  of  New  Hampshire,"  "A  Beauti- 
ful Art,"  and  the  Last  Rose  of  Summer,  bring  us 
to  the 

"Bull — Earl  of  Seaham,"  who  occupies  the  last 
page  of  the  first  half  of  the  January  Farmer.  And 
here  I  must  stop, — with  my  design  of  reviewing 
the  whole  number,  half  accomplished  ;  although  I 
have  expended  twice  the  labor  that  I  thought  the 
whole  would  require.  Just  look  at  the  articles 
enumerated — practical,  scientific,  humane, — j'ct 
they  constitute  but  the  one-twenty-fourth  part  of 
a  whole  volume,  i.  e.,  four  cents  worth. 

And  here  I  wish  to  make  a  remark  or  two  upon 
the  weekly  Farmer,  in  which  the  agricultural  mat- 
ter occupies  about  one  of  its  four  pages.  First,  as 
to  the  liberality  of  the  publishers.  Most  publish- 
ers of  weekly  papers  think  it  all  they  can  afford, 


to  pay  one  editor.  If  it  is  a  religious  paper,  and 
edited  perhaps  by  a  clergyman,  whose  hands  are 
full  of  professional  duties,  he  is  required  not  only 
to  write  and  select  the  matter  of  a  religious  char- 
acter, but  also,  to  "keep  the  run"  of  secular  af- 
fairs, from  the  "doings  in  Congress,"  to  the  latest 
railroad  "accident."  The  same  is  the  case  with 
political,  literary  and  agricultural  papers  general- 
ly. No  wonder  he  fails  in  some  one  or  more 
points,  when  so  many  tilings  are  attempted  hy  one 
man.  The  agricultural  editor  has  other  duties 
than  those  of  his  editorial  sanctum.  He  should 
attend  agricultural  meetings,  fiiirs,  cattle  shows, 
&c. ,  &c.  Not  only  this,  he  ought  to  go  among  the 
farmers,  visit  them  in  their  fields,  houses  an(J 
barns  ;  beside  managing  his  own  farm.  Without 
meddling  with  the  miscellaneous  department  of 
the  paper,  he  has  plenty  to  do.  Who  then  shall 
attend  to  that?  the  boys  in  the  printing  office? 

Messrs.  Raynolds  &  Nourse  think  not.  They 
hire  a  man  for  this  purpose.  And  may  the  invest- 
ment be  as  profitable  to  them  as  it  is  advantageous 
to  their  readers.  The  weekly  Farmer,  as  to  mis- 
cellaneous reading,  condensed,  yet  comprehensive 
news  items,  I  regard  as  a  model  paper.  Here, 
there  is  a  place  for  every  thing,  and  every  thing  is 
always  in  its  place.  But  the  amount  of  labor,  re- 
search, and  tact  necessary  to  keep  them  so,  week 
after  week,  is,  I  apprehend,  generally  underrated. 
The  labor  of  an  author — one  who  "makes  pieces  out 
of  his  own  head" — is  far  better  appreciated  than 
that  of  one  who  strips  facts,  thoughts  and  inci- 
dents of  their  unnecessary  verbiage,  or  clothes 
them  in  simple  attire  and  arranges  them  in  order 
for  reading  or  reference.  Yet,  to  the  success  of  a 
public  journal,  the  faithful  performance  of  the  du- 
ties of  the  mere  editor  is  not  less  important  than 
those  of  the  author. 

With  such  journals,  to  collect  the  results  of  the 
practices  of  the  best  farmers,  and  the  suggestions 
of  the  most  learned  and  scientific  men  in  the 
land, — with  most  of  our  highest  Universities  open 
to  all,  for  such  partial  course,  if  desired,  as  shall 
enable  students  to  pursue  any  branch  that  may  be 
thought  to  have  particular  bearing  upon  their  oc- 
cupations, is  there  need  of  changing  the  New  Eng- 
land system  of  common  education,  to  that  partial 
system  which  would  establish  one  college  for  the 
flirmer,  another  for  the  merchant,  and  so  on? 

Winchester,  Jan.,  1853.  s.  F. 


For  tlie  Ifew  England  Farmer. 
THORN  AND  QUINCE  STOCKS  FOR 
PEARS. 

"Is  the  thorn  as  good  as  the  quince  to  graft  the 
pear  into?"  No.  You  ask  why;  I  will  give  some 
reasons  why  I  think  they  are  not  so  good.  The 
thorn  when  taken  from  the  woods  has  but  very 
few  fibrous  roots,  and  I  have  found  that  they  were 
very  slow  to  throw  out  roots  in  the  nursery  ;  I 
have  transplanted  and  after  two  years  grafted 
them,  and  the  scions  would  grow  very  well  the 
first  year,  and  some  the  second,  but  die  the  third  ; 
I  have  pulled  up  those  that  have  thus  died,  and 
found  that  they  had  no  more  fibrous  roots  than 
when  I  set  them  out.  Of  quite  a  lot  that  I  have 
tried,  I  have  not  got  one  left.  They  are  as  lialile 
to  be  attacked  by  the  borer  as  the  quince,  and  it 
is  almost  impossible  to  find  them  in  tliis  vicinity 
free  from  this  nuisance .     I  have  known  cases  where 


144 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


March 


the  pear  has  been  -worked  on  the  thorn  with  suc- 
cess ;  I  have  also  known  tlie  quince  worked  on  the 
thorn  six  or  eight  feet  high,  but  this  is  no  advan- 
tage. 

The  quince,  it  is  well  known,  has  a  great  many 
small  roots,  and  will  live  and  flourish  where  not  one 
in  ten  of  the  thorns  will  live.  Quince  stocks  come 
cheap,  and  would  prove  cheaper  in  the  end  than 
the  thorns  if  they  could  be  had  free  of  expense. 
My  advice  is,  for  dwarfs,  try  quince  stocks  instead 
of  thorn.  j.  f.  c.  n. 

Newton  Centre,  Feb.  1st,  1853. 


Remarks. — This  advice  is  from  a  practical  nurse- 
ryman, who  speaks  what  he  knows. 


A  MILD  WINTER. 

Up  to  the  12th  of  February  there  had  been  no 
eleighing  in  this  vicinity  Avith  the  exception  of  a 
few  days  in  Boston  and  its  immediate  neighborhood. 
Pansics,  or  Heart's  Ease,  have  been  in  blossom 
throughout  the  winter,  in  our  garden  at  Concord, 
but  without  the  delicate  perfume  which  they  give 
out  in  the  summer. 

Farmers  have  been  enabled  to  perform  various 
kinds  of  labor  which  will  considerably  facilitate 
their  spring  work,  so  that  if  the  April  weather  is 
favorable  we  may  look  for  an  unusual  amount  of 
sowing  and  planting  for  the  coming  season. 

Plov.-ing  was  going  on  as  we  passed  through 
New  Jersey  last  week  on  our  return  from  Wash- 
ington ;  and  the  peach  trees  ivere  in  blossom  on  the 
eleventh  February  at  Baltimore. 

The  air  to-day,  (the  12th)  is  as  soft  as  the  first 
of  May ;  overcoats  hang  on  their  pegs,  and  win- 
dows are  open  on  the  sunny  sides  of  houses. 

As  the  sun  is  up  earlier  and  remains  longer,  the 
prospects  of  the  ice-dealers  grow  fainter  for  a  crop 
of  that  pellucid  article. 

The  roads  are  heavy,  and  locomotion  slow  off"  of 
the  rails,  while  the  skaters  and  sleigh-riders  do 
not  sing  praises  of  such  weather  half  as  cheerily  as 
do  those  who  find  it  a  little  difficult  to  get  coppers 
to  purchase  coals. 

The  prognostications  of  the  almanacks  have  not 
all  failed.  The  old  Farmer''s  Almanack  has  hit  it 
to  a  T.  Of  the  days  9,  10,  11  and  12,  it  says— 
"  Quite  mild  for  February.''''  Who  can  doubt  its 
inflxUibility  hereafter^  Success  to  the  Old  Far- 
mer's Almanack;  and  don't  forget  it  in  haying 
time  ! 

A  Splendid  Pear. — At  the  room  of  Col.  Wil- 
der, 1  Pearl  Street,  we  saw  the  other  day  a  spe- 
cimen of  the  Belle  Angevinc  Pear,  grown  with 
eleven  others  on  the  same  tree  at  St.  Germain, 
France,  which  weiglied  when  green  thirty-four 
ounces  !  Its  height  was  eight  inches,  and  circum- 
ference fifteen.  It  was  purchased  and  presented 
Mr.  Wilder  by  Geo.  D.  Parrish,  Esq.,  of  Phila- 
delphia. It  was  preserved  in  alcohol,  and  in  per- 
fect condition. 


BLOODGOOD  AND  ROSTIEZSR   PEARS. 

The  Bloodgood  is  a  very  highly-flavored  pear, 
and  deserves  a  place  in  every  garden  among  the 
early  fruits.  It  was  brought  into  notice  about 
the  year  1835,  by  James  Bloodgood,  a  nursery- 
man, at  Flushing,  Long  Island.  The  sort  was 
brought  to  that  nursery  as  a  new  variety,  without 
a  name,  and  Mr.  B.  was  never  able  to  trace  its 
history  further.  The  tree  is  rather  short  jointed, 
with  deep  reddi.-li  brown  wood,  grows  moderately 
fast,  and  bears  early  and  regularly.  The  fruit, 
like  that  of  all  early  pears,  is  better  if  ripened  in 
the  house. 

It  surpasses,  says  Downing,  every  European  va- 
riety of  the  same  season,  and  together  with  the 
Dearborn's  Seedling,  another  native  sort,  will 
supplant  in  all  our  gardens  the  Jargonelle,  and  all 
inferior  early  pears. 

Fruit  of  medium  size,  turbinate  to  obovate. — 
Skin  yellow,  sprinkled  with  russet  dots,  giving  it  a 
russety  look  on  one  side.  Calyx  strong  and  open, 
scarcely  depressed.  Flesh  yellowish  white,  buttery 
and  melting,  with  a  rich,  sugary,  highly  aromatic 
flavor.  Ripe  from  the  25th  of  July  to  the  10th  of 
August. 


The  RosTiEZER,  which  is  the  smaller  outline,  is 
supposed  to  be  a  German  pear,  and  is  likely  to 
prove  a  capital  variety.     It  bears  abundantly. 

Fruit  of  medium  size,  oblong-pyriform.  Skin  a 
dull  yellowish  green,  with  a  reddish  brown  cheek, 
and  whitish  dots,  light  russet.     Stalk  very  l  ng. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


145 


nearly  two  inclies,  irregular,  slender,  set  with  very 
little  depression.  Calyx  open,  but  little  sunk. — 
Flesh  juicy,  a  little  coarse,  but  very  melting, 
sweet  and  delicious,  with  a  rich  perfume.  Ripe 
August  and  September. 


AT  HOMS  AGAIN 

On  returning  from  our  late  attei;d:inceupon  the 
first  annual  meeting  nf  the  United  States  Agricul- 
tural Society,  at  Washington,  we  find  an  accumu- 
lation of  communications,  inquiries,  new  books, 
papers,  &c.,  upon  our  desk  which  could  not  nil  be 
noticed  in  the  brief  space  of  a  week,  but  wliich 
shall  receive  respectful  attention  at  an  early  mo- 
ment. We  beg  leave  to  utter  new  expressions  of 
thankfulness  for  these  favors — these  sure  indica- 
tions of  progress  and  improvement  among  the 
thousands  of  our  readers. 

Our  last  year's  volume  was  increased  some  one 
hundred  and  sixty  pages  to  make  room  fn*  the  con- 
tributions of  our  friends.  But  this  increased  space 
will  not  sufficiently  accommodate  their  increased 
activity  of  mind.  The  occupation  has  now  a  litera- 
ture ;  farmers  have  broken  down  the  partition 
walls  that  long  separated  them  from  the  world  of 
letters.  Wi^-^  their  new  modes  of  culture  they 
have  found  new  modes  of  expression,  and  are  con- 
stantly furnishing  the  agricultural  press  with  clear, 
and  cotnprensive  statements  of  their  operations. 
Such  contributions  are  ah'eady  giving  tone  and 
character  to  these  publications,  and  will  prove  of 
essential  benefit  to  every  inquirer  in  the  art. 

Our  visit  at  the  metropolis  was  a  pleasant  one. 
Its  direct  object  being  accomplished,  a  few  days 
were  devoted  to  friendly  interchanges  among  old 
and  dear  friends,  and  in  conversation  with  gentle- 
men from  various  parts  of  the  Union.  One  day 
was  most  agreeaVdy  spent  on  the  plantation  of  Mr. 
Calvert,  in  Maryland,  in  looking  at  his  one  hun- 
dred milch  cows,  his  new  and  unique  barn  and 
sheds,  and  other  matters  of  interest.  These  may 
form  topics  of  remark  hereafter.  In  returning,  a 
day  which  will  long  be  remembered,  was  passed 
in  a  visit  to  the  Caloric  ship  Ericsson — that  beau- 
tiful structure,  and  wonderful  embodiment  of  man's 
genius.  We  went  among  the  depths  of  her  ma- 
chinery, examining  the  finish  and  nice  adjustment 
of  its  parts,  and  kindled  with  enthusiasm  as  we 
believed  that  upon  bidding  she  must  "walk  the 
water  like  a  thing  of  life."  An  hour  or  two  at 
the  "literary  emporium"  of  the  Harper's  closed 
the  day. 

Now,  again  at  our  post,  not  only  your  written 
favors,  but  your  faces,  kind  readers,  we  shall  be 
glad  to  see.  The  interest  in  which  we  are  engaged 
is  a  common  one,  and  each  must  "magnify  his  of- 
fice" as  best  he  may. 

To  Kill  Lice  on  Sv.-ine. — The  N.  Y.  Agricultor 
says  that  sour,  warm  buttermilk,  well  salted,  and 


rul)bcd  upon  the  backs  of  swine,  will  destroy  all 
the  vermin  there. 


A 


"Q 


Fis:  I 
Cattle  Proban 


REMEDY  FOR  CHOKED  CATTLE. 

We  were  not  aware,  until  quite 
recenlly,  that  there  is  an  annual 
loss  by  the  choking  of  cattle  which 
amounts  to  a  very  serious  item  in 
the  commonwealth.  On  raention- 
iug  the  subject  lately,  a  gentleman 
informed  us  of  several  instances  of 
quite  recent  occurrence,  some  of 
which  proved  fatal. 

Having  a  cow  in  the  habit  of  get- 
ting choked,  we  found  it  necessary 
to  find  some  ready  way  of  relieving 
her,  or  else  to  see  her  die.  The 
plan  described  below  is  easy  and 
sure.  At  any  rate,  we  have  known 
a  woman  "  unchoke  a  cow,"  re- 
peatedly, alone,  with  these  imple- 
ments. 

Take  a  round  stick,  fifteen  inches 
long,  and  two  or  two  and  a  half 
inches  in  diameter,  and  bore  an  inch 
hole  through  the  centre,  as  shown 
in  Fig.  2  at  b;  take  a  common  broom 
handle  and  pass  its  upper  end 
'"'  through  the  hole  at  h,  in  the  stick. 
Fig.  2,  and  draw  it  along  to  the  lower  end,  at  let- 
ter a.  The  end  of  the  stick  at  a,  must  be  wound 
with  cotton  cloth  to  make  a  bunch  about  two  and 
a  half  inches  through,  and 
the  cloth  nailed  on  so  as  to 
prevent  all  possibility  of  its 
slipping  off,  —  then  cover 
the  cloth  with  lard,  so  as 
to  make  it  slip  easy.  Now 
place  the  stick,  Fig.  2, 
across  the  cow's  mouth, 
and  fasten  it  with  strings 
or  straps  about  the  roots  of  the  horns,  then  gent- 
ly press  the  stick,  or  probang,  down  the  throat, 
and  the  work  is  done  I 

These  articles  may  be  fitted  ready  for  use  in 
half  an  hour,  and  should  always  be  in  readiness. 
After  having  them  by  us  for  several  years,  we  find 
that  the  practice  is  an  old  English  one,  and  the 
same  operation  is  described  in  some  of  the  English 
books. 

For  the  New  Ensland  Farmer. 
A   RARE  BROOD. 

Mr.  Editor  : — I  have  been  interested  in  the 
accounts  published  in  your  paper,  relating  to 
Fowls,  their  treatment,  profit  of  keeping,  &c.  I 
have  a  few  of  several  varieties,  but  having  lately 
commenced  farming,  have  no  rcsw/Zs  to  offer  as  yet. 
A  fact,  however,  has  come  under  my  observation, 
which  I  think  may  not  be  uninteresting.  A  neigh- 
bor of  mine  has  a  hen  which  hatched  last  spring, 


146 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Ma 


in  one  brood,  twenty-nine  (29)  chickens,  all  of 
which  she  raised  during  the  past  season.  She  is 
large,  and  I  should  judge  a  native,  with  a  cross 
of  the  Cochin  China  or  some  other  large  breed. 
Sheldon,  Vl.,  Jan.,  1853.  Novice. 


liEGISLATIVB  AGRICULTURAL  MEET- 
INGS. 

Fifth  Meeting— Tuesday  Evening,  Feb.  15,  1853. 
The  fifth  meeting  of  the  series  was  held  on  Tues- 
day evening,  at  the  State  House. 

The  meeting  was  called  to  order  at  quarter  past 
7  o'clock  by  Mr.  Proctor,  of  Danvers,  and  Hon. 
Am.\sa  Walker  was  called  upon  to  preside. 

Upon  taking  the  chair,  Mr.  Walker  announced 
the  subject  for  the  evening's  discussion,  as  fol- 
lows— 

"The  comparative  value  and  profit  in  the  culti- 
vation of  grass,  grain,  and  vegetables,  as  farm  pro- 
ducts." 

In  opening  the  discussion,  the  chairman  re- 
marked that  he  was  very  unexpectedly  called  up- 
on to  preside,  and  was  entirely  unprepared  to  speak 
on  the  topic  of  the  evening.  He  observed,  how- 
ever, that  the  agriculture  of  Massachusetts  had 
entirely  changed  witliin  the  last  twenty-five  years, 
in  that  the  opening  of  railroads,  affording  rapid 
communication  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  with 
Boston,  the  great  market  of  the  State,  had  given 
a  new  value  to  different  articles  of  farm  production. 
We  now  have  to  compete  with  the  West,  with 
which  we  are  in  direct  connection.  By  next  fall, 
cattle,  and  almost  all  agricultural  products,  will  be 
brought  here  from  the  Western  Reserve,  in  Ohio, 
whereas  twenty-five  years  ago  we  had  a  market 
which  was  essentially  our  own.  From  this  change 
of  circumstances,  of  course  our  farming  must 
change  also,  and  we  must  turn  our  attention  to  the 
cultivation  of  those  crops  in  which  we  can  compete 
successfully  with  those  sections  of  the  country 
which  share  our  markets  with  us.  And  in  doing 
this,  reference  must  especially  be  had  to  the  cost 
of  transportation  entailed  upon  these  foreign  pro- 
ductions, for  in  the  ratio  of  this  expense  is  the  ex- 
tent of  our  protection,  and  advantage  over  the 
foreign  producer.  As  for  instance  the  expense  on 
certain  articles  in  proportion  to  their  value, — the 
greater  the  expense  on  this  value  of  course  the 
more  chance  we  have  of  profitable  competition. 
Are  there  not  some  products  which  we  can  get 
sooner  to  market  than  our  competitors,  and  also 
some  perishable  ones  which  cannot  be  profitably 
transported  long  distances?  In  deciding  what  ar- 
ticles to  raise,  much  depends  upon  the  judgment 
and  circumstances  of  the  farmer. 

Mr.  Proctor,  of  Danvers,  said  he  would  not  re- 
commend the  exclusive  application  of  the  lands  of 
a  farm   to   either  grass,  grain,  or  vegetables,  be 
cause  each  is  in  a  measure  useful.     lie  then  pro 
ceeded  to  institute  a  compjirison  of  the  relative  va 


lue  of  those  crops,  first  taking  up  that  of  grass, 
grown  for  the  making  of  hay,  and  this  because 
the  grass  grown  in  pastures  is  more  of.  a  natural 
production.  lie  thought  it  could  not  be  doubted, 
however,  that  our  pastures  might  be  greatly  bene- 
fited by  proper  attention  and  renovation.  The 
main  objects  which  the  farmer  has  in  view  are  to 
secure  the  means  of  feeding  their  stock,  and  their 
families,  and  to  produce  something  which  will  sup- 
ply them  with  cash.  As  a  general  thing  the  hay 
crop  on  well  conducted  farms  does  not  much  ex- 
ceed one  ton  to  the  acre,  and  lands  devoted  to  it 
cannot  be  estimated  to  yield  more  than  $20  net 
income  to  tlie  acre,  with  a  very  moderate  allow- 
ance for  the  necessary  fertilizing  agents.  Of  the 
grain  crops,  Indian  corn,  all  things  considered,  is 
the  most  valuable.  The  average  of  this  crop 
throughout  the  State  does  not  exceed  40  bushels  to 
the  acre,  though  on  lands  fairly  manured  and  in 
good  condition,  .50  bushels  would  be  a  fair  crop. 
But  the  general  value  of  corn  cannot  be  stated 
higher  than  $40  per  acre  ;  and  allowing  $20  for 
extra  manure  and  labor,  the  net  income  of  any 
kind  of  grain  lands  will  not  exceed  $20  per  acre. 
Of  root  crops,  carrots,  beets,  and  turnips,  are  the 
most  profitable  for  feeding  stock.  Carrots  require 
much  care  in  pi-eparing  the  soil,  but  yield  abund- 
antly. From  12  to  20  tons  to  the  acre  are  fre- 
quently raised,  and  they  are  valued  by  men.of  ex- 
perience at  half  the  worth  of  English  hay  for  horses 
and  neat  stock. 

Mr.  Proctor  had  no  doubt  that  lands  properly 
managed  would  yield  double  the  value  in  carrots 
that  they  would  in  grass  or  grain,  and  the  same  is 
true  to  a  certain  extent  of  beets,  turnips  and  pars- 
nips. He  believed  carrots  to  be  the  most  valuable 
crop  the  farmer  could  raise  ;  but  they  can  be  grown 
only  on  good  soil,  with  thorough  tillage  and  liberal 
manuring.  The  land  should  be  plowed  at  leas^ 
nine  to  twelve  inches  in  depth,  well  pulverized,  and 
sown  in  rows  14,  16,  or  18  inches  apart.  They 
can  be  cultivated  with  less  uncertainty  than  any 
other  crop,  and  the  speaker  knew  of  no  insect  that 
operates  to  destroy  them.  Estimating  10  tons  as 
a  fair  crop,  at  $8  per  ton  they  would  yield  $128; 
and  deducting  $68  from  this  for  extra  labor  and 
manure,  it  leaves  a  net  profit  of  $60  per  acre, — 
more  than  double  that  of  grain  or  grass  crops. 

Beets,  perhaps,  would  be  nearly  as  profitable  as 
carrots,  and  they  are  quite  as  flivorablc  for  cattle  ; 
but  they  cannot  be  grown  for  several  successive 
years  on  the  same  soil,  and  leave  it  in  good  condi- 
tion. At  the  end  of  two  years  some  rotative  crop 
is  necessary,  and  no  crop  will  grow  advantageous- 
ly after  them.  With  carrots  there  are  some  crops 
that  will  grow  better  after  thera — onions,  for  in- 
stance. He  had  known  a  crop  worth  $200  per 
acre  to  be  raised  on  land  which  had  been  used  for 
carrots. 

Mr.  Smith,  Senator  from   Hampshire    County, 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


147 


said  that  in  his  section  of  the  State  the  crops  raised 
were  those  best  adapted  to  stock  feeding,  as  they 
were  not  located  near  enough  to  markets  that  would 
give  them  good  prices.  Hence  they  chose  such 
crops  as  would  most  benefit  their  lands,  and  looked 
to  their  stock  for  their  income.  Root  crops  were 
but  very  little  cultivated.  Broom  corn  is  cultivated 
with  great  success  ;  it  affords  a  good  deal  of  feed 
for  cattle.  Many  have  gone  into  the  cultivation 
of  tobacco  ;  it  requires  double  the  manure  of  ordi- 
nary crops.  The  general  average  of  corn  is  about 
40  bushels,  though  sometimes,  on  particular  pieces 
of  land  GO  to  80  bushels  are  raised.  Ilis  system 
of  cultivation  was  a  rotation  of  crops,  plowing  up 
green  sward,  putting  on  ten  or  twelve  loads  of 
manure,  and  getting  therefrom  GO  bushels  of  corn 
to  the  aero  ;  then  plant  in  September  with  rye  and 
get  30  bushels  ;  and  then  sow  it  down  and  get  2 
tons  of  hay — all  by  one  dressing  of  manure.  In 
reply  to  an  inquiry,  as  to  whether  broom  corn  can 
be  grown  12  or  14  years  in  succession  without  ex- 
hausting the  soil,  Mr.  Smith  stated  that  he  did  not 
think  it  did  ;  he  Iiad  a  piece  of  land  he  had  plant- 
ed with  it  for  .30  years.  The  cost  per  acre  of  rais- 
ing tobacco  he  stated  to  be  about  four  times  as 
much  as  that  of  Indian  corn.  He  also  stated  in 
reply  to  inquiry  that  he  considered  his  thirtieth 
crop  of  broom  corn  from  the  same  land  as  good  as 
the  first.  It  averages  600  to  TOO  lbs.  of  "brush" 
to  the  acre,  and  is  worth  3^  to  12  cents  per  hun- 
dred ;  G  cents  is  a  fair  price.  From  a  well  ma- 
tured crop,  10  bushels  of  seed  can  be  obtained  from 
a  hundred  weight  ;  and  it  is  as  good  for  feeding 
out  as  oats. 

Mr.  Rowley,  of  Egremont,  said  the  farmers  of 
the  southern  part  of  Berkshire  were  turning  their 
attention  considerably  to  grass  crops,  and  from 
having  no  market  near  at  hand,  their  products 
were  fed  on  the  farm.  Much  attention  was  paid 
to  the  improvement  of  grass  lands  by  manuring 
and  underdraining,  which  latter  operation  it  was 
considered  caused  an  increase  of  one  quarter  in  the 
yield  of  clayey,  wet  lands ;  $10  is  the  average  mar- 
ket price  for  hay  in  his  locality.  Of  grain  crops, 
corn  is  considered  the  staple  production,  and  more 
of  it  is  raised  than  of  any  other  crop.  The  average 
yield  is  50  bushels.  The  corn  is  cut  in  September 
and  stacked.  He  considered  an  acre  of  corn  fod- 
der equal  to  an  acre  of  grass.  Wheat,  for  the  last 
two  seasons,  had  been  cultivated  with  great  suc- 
cess. Mr.  Rowley  stated  that  a  neighbor  of  his 
had  gathered  from  a  field  of  15  acres  282  bushels 
by  measurement,  and  313  by  weight,  it  weighing 
G4  lbs.  to  the  bushel.  Tliis,  however,  is  more  than 
an  average.  If  put  down  at  20  bushels  to  the  acre, 
at  $1,25  per  bushel,  and  corn  at  40  bushels,  at  G2i 
cents,  we  find  that  each  amount  to  $25 — while  in 
addition  to  the  corn  we  have  the  fodder.  The  cost 
of  seed  for  corn  25  cents,  of  wheat  $3,  per  acre, 
and  then  a  little  addition  for  liming  the  wheat,  to 


be  reckoned  with  which  is  the  straw.  He  consid- 
ered the  corn  crop  the  most  profitable.  It  is  best 
adapted  of  any  kind  of  grain  for  feeding.  !Mr. 
Rowley  stated  the  system  in  his  locality  to  be  thus 
— "We  mow  the  most  of  our  lands,— all  that  we 
can — we  crop  the  rest,  and  fill  our  yards  with  stock 
from  the  West — cattle,  sheep,  horses,  &c.,  and 
then  we  feed  our  grain  during  the  winter  season. 
Living  nearer  New  York,  Brighton  and  Boston,  we 
have  the  advantage  over  the  western  country. 
With  daily  communication  we  can  ascertain  the 
condition  of  the  market,  and  we  can  run  our  pro- 
ducts quicker  than  tliey  can." 

The  speaker  stated  that  he  had  had  but  little 
experience  in  root  crops  ;  they  failed  him  entirely 
last  season  in  consequence  of  the  drought.  He 
related  an  instance  of  extraordinary  yield  in  carrots 
in  the  town  of  Monterey,  which  come  before  the 
County  Agricultural  Society.  It  was  judged  by 
the  committee  that  the  yield  would  reach  1800 
bushels  to  the  acre.  The  soil  was  cold,  clayey, 
and  wet. 

He  stated  in  explanation  that  the  estimate  was 
based  upon  a  measurement  made  about  the  20th 
of  September  by  the  committee.  One  row  was 
dug  as  a  part  of  a  rod,  to  reckon  from,  and  that 
row  measured  at  the  rate  of  over  a  thousand  bush- 
els to  the  acre.  '  This  was  after  a  severe  drought, 
and  as  the  fall  rains  were  tlien  coming  on,  the 
committee  were  of  opinion  that  the  crop  would 
double  before  it  was  gathered.  No  accurate 
measurement  had  been  rendered  to  the  committee. 
The  speaker  stated  in  conclusion  that  he  believed 
that  50  per  cent,  of  the  actual  profits  of  farming  in 
southern  Berkshire,  came  directly  or  indirectly 
from  raising  Indian  corn. 

Mr.  Walker  inquired  of  the  last  speaker  the 
cost  of  bringing  corn  from  Chicago. 

Mr.  Rowley  replied  that  he  could  not  tell ;  but 
the  millers  of  Berkshire  furnished  western  corn  for 
about  GO  cents. 

Col.  Faulkner,  of  Acton,  said  he  had  paid  50 
cents  a  bushel  on  wheat  from  Chicago.  Col.  F. 
also  desired  information  in  regard  to  the  use  of 
guano  as  a  manure,  and  in  some  remarks  on  the 
subject  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  many  farmers 
spread  their  manure  over  too  much  ground.  He 
incidentally  stated  that  the  value  of  the  milk 
brought  over  the  Fitchburg  railroad  into  Boston 
the  past  year,  at  4  1-2  cents  per  quart,  was 
$146,5G0,20. 

Mr.  Howard,  of  Boston,  said  that  in  using  plas- 
ter with  guano,  the  former  should  be  in  a  state  of 
solution,  in  order  to  retain  the  ammonia  of  the 
guano.  If  dry,  a  combination  of  the  sulphuric 
acid  with  it  would  not  take  place  and  the  ammo- 
nia would  evaporate.  It  takes  a  large  quantity  of 
water — 70  to  1— to  render  plaster  sufficiently  solu- 
ble to  form  available  combination  with  the  guano. 

I\Ir.  Proctor  moved  that  the  following  be  the 


148 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


March 


subject    for  cHi-cas.sion  nest  Tuesday  evening,  in 
liau  of  the  subject  in  ordei-  for  that  evening  : 

"The  expediency  of  establishing  in  the  several 
counties  of  the  State,  Farmers'  Institutes,  and 
the  most  useful  form  of  such  organization." 

Mr.  Proctor  explained  that  the  object  was  to 
establish  something  similar  to  the  Teachers'  Insti- 
tutes novf  existing  under  the  Board  of  Education. 
The  subject  is  now  pending  before  the  Board  of 
Agriculture,  and  was  suggested  by  President 
Hitchcock,  who,  it  was  probable,  might  be  present 
and  address  the  meeting  next  Tuesday  evening 
The  motion  was  carried,  and  at  9  o'clock  the  meet- 
ing adjourned. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
A  FEW  REMARKS  ON  RAISING  CEL- 
ERY. 

Mr.  Editor  : — I  saw  an  article  on  celery  in  the 
last  number  of  the  Farmer  for  January ,with  which 
I  cannot  fully  agree,  though  in  most  respects 
good  and  true.  Your  correspondent  quotes  fi'om 
the  Patent  Office  Report,  which  says:  "As  the 
plant  groVvs,  continue  to  earth  up,"  &c.  Now, 
my  experience  is  that  it  should  not  be  hoed  up  at 
all,  until  within  four  ivQeks  of  the  time  you  intend 
to  dig  it,  if  early  celery  ;  if  late,  it  requires  longer, 
as  it  does  not  blanch  so  fast  when  the  weather 
becomes  cool.  Last  season  I  tried  both  ways, 
and  the  result  was,  that  that  which  was  earthed 
up  at  different  times  as  the  plant  advanced  in 
growth,  was  some  of  it  very  rusti/,  and  all  of  it 
more  or  less  so  ;  while  that  which  was  not  hoed 
up  at  all  until  within  four  weeks  of  the  time  I 
dug  it,  was  entirely  fi-ee  from  rust,  blanched  up 
twenty  inches,  and  as  white  as  snow.  From  these 
fiicts,  as  well  as  the  testimony  of  others,  and  all 
previous  experience,  I  must  say,  I  think  the  prac- 
tice of  earthing  up  at  different  times  is  a  very  bad 
one ;  and  I  would  advise  all  who  h-:ive  been  in  the 
habit  of  hoeing  up  as  recommended  by  your  cor- 
respondent, to  try  the  plan  I  have  recommended 
above,  and  I  am  satisfied  they  never  will  return  to 
the  other.  j.  f.  c.  h. 

Newton  Centre,  Jan.  1,  1853. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
A  NEW  APPLE. 

Gents.  : — I  send  you  by  bearer,  a  few  apples  of 
a  variety  which  my  father  has  growing  upon  his 
farm,  and  fur  which  he  knows  no  name.  I  would 
like  to  have  you  try  them,  and  tell  me  if  they  are 
a  variety  which  are  grown  to  any  extent  in  the 
N.  E.  States.  I  do  not  know  of  any  like  them  ex- 
cept in  this  place.  The  tree  is  a  good  grower  and 
an  excellent  bearer  in  even  years.  The  fruit  is 
uniform  in  size  and  color,  will  keep  as  well  as  a 
Baldwin,  and  is  preferred  to  Baldwins  by  all  who 
have  eaten  them.  I  sold  the  fruit  this  year  high- 
er than  other  fruit.  I  ought  to  have  sent  the  ap- 
ples before  this  ;  they  are  a  little  past  the  prime. 

Respectfully  yours,         Addison  Richardson. 

East  Midway,  Feb.,  1853. 


Remarks. — This  apple  has  been  kept  a  little  too 
long,  but  is  a  good  one  still.     It  has  a  striking 


similarity  to  the  Red  GilUflower,  but  does  not  agree 
in  all  particulars  sufficiently  for  us  to  pronounce  it 
identical.  It  is  a  much  better  apple  than  many 
now  under  cultivation.  We  know  of  no  fruit 
like  it. 

EXTRACTS   AND   REPLIES. 

Mr.  Samuel  Blodget,  Acworth,  N.  IL,  has  an 
apple  of  six  years'  growth.  Three  inches  from 
the  ground  it  is  13  1-2  inches  in  circumference  ; 
and  5  inches  from  the  ground  10  1-2;  15  feet  and 
7  inches  in  height.  Bore  the  (jt!i  year  five  and  a 
half  pecks  of  apples  ;  the  tree  bears  common  fruit, 
and  has  had  no  cultivation. 

Large  Hogs. — Mr.  Joseph  P.  Gould,  of  Mid- 
dleton,  slaughtered  a  hog  on  the  27th  Jan.  which 
was  but  20  months  old,  and  weighed  651  pounds. 

Messrs.  Blood  &  Bent,  of  Faneuil  Ilall  Market, 
havejust  received  of  Mr.  Joseph  Jameson,  of  South- 
boro',  4  hogs  which  weighed,  respectively,  723, 
G07,  513,  and  506  pounds  !  Also,  from  Mr.  Jonas 
Cutter,  of  Weston,  two  hogs  which  weighed  567 
pouuds  each ! 

To  J.  K.,  Bradford,  Vt.— There  can  be  hardly  a 
question  but  that  guano  will  materially  increase 
your  corn  crops  on  the  interval  lands  you  mention, 
if  you  apply  it  during  a  gentle  rain,  or  in  such  a 
manner  as  that  it  shall  not  give  off  its  fertilizing 
properties.  If  you  sow  it  broadcast  let  it  be  dur- 
ing a  moist  day  ;  if  you  put  it  in  the  hill,  mix 
with  five  parts  of  moist  loam,  on  the  morning  of 
the  day  in  which  you  intend  to  apply  it,  thorough- 
ly pulverizing  the  lumps  of  guano  and  incorporate 
them  with  the  loam.  On  a  portion  of  the  gua- 
noed land,  make  some  experiments  with  ashes, 
salt,  lime  and  plaster,  and  note  the  results.  Say 
a  few  rods  only  of  each.  On  a  few  rods  apply 
ashes,  on  a  few,  salt,  and  so  on.  It  will  be  clear 
to  you,  we  think,  on  reflection,  that  your  land 
abounds  now  in  vegetable  matter,  but  that  by 
long  cropping,  and  no  manuring,  the  mineral  pro- 
perties are  expended. 

Friend  Brown  : — Dear  Sir, — Can  you  or  any 
body  else,  tell  us  how  to  make  hard  water  sof 
if  you  can  you  will  oblige  a  subscriber. 

There  is  a  New  Hampshire  girl  in  New  York 
City,  who  has  been  offered  |20  per  week  to  go 
to  London  and  learn  tlio  girls  how  to  use  the  sew- 
ing machine,  and  her  expenses  in  a  steamer  going 
and  coming  all  borne — God  bless  her.  d.  «. 

Lebanon,  1853. 

From  two  to  four  ounces  of  sal  soda  dissolved 
in  a  barrel  of  water  is  usually  sufficient  to  soften 
it.  This  is  a  very  cheap  salt,  and  is  one  of  the 
principal  articles  used  in  making  the  famous  wasli- 
ing  fluid  so  much  in  use  at  present,  and  sold  at 
the  shops  at  from  20  to  50  cents  a  gallon. 

L.  H.,  Burlington,  F/.,  describes  a  steer  raised 
and  owned  by  Jacob  Perkins,  of  that  town.  At 
one  day  old,  it  weighed  1241-2  lbs. ;  at  30  months, 


1853. 


NEW  EI^ GLAND  FARMER. 


149 


1,737  lbs  . ;  and  at  four  years  old,  3,135  lbs.  It 
has  not  been  fatted,  althougli  its  girth  is  9  feet  and 
3  inches ! 


LIME  IN  AGRICULTURE. 

Mr.  Nesbit,  principal  of  the  Agiaciiltural  and 
Chemical  College,  Kensington,  England,  in  a  lec- 
ture on  the  use  of  lime,  says:  "Pure  limestone 
consists  of  22  parts  of  c;irbonic  acid  and  28  of  lime. 
When  the  limestone  is  lieated  in  t!ie  furnace,  the 
carbonic  acid  is  driven  off.  and  pure  lime  is  left  be- 
hind, if  the  limestone  itself  is  pure.  Lime,  how- 
ever, that  is  not  perfectly  pure,  ho  says,  is  best 
adapted  f  )r  agricultural  purposes.  Those  varieties 
that  have  in  them  phosphate  of  lime  are  most  val- 
uable ;  and  those  which  contain  Silica  in  a  soluble 
state,  sulphate  of  lime,  and  gypsum,  are  also  valu- 
able :  for  these  impure  limestones  convey  to  the 
soil  other  constituents  besides  calcareous  matter." 
Mr.  Nesbit  sums  up  his  remarks  by  saying,  "Lime 
can  be  used  beneticially  upon  soils  which  have 
been  little  stirred,  little  exposed  to  the  air,  upon 
soils  containing  organic  matter,  upon  new  snils,  or 
upon  those  which  contain  naturally  or  artificially 
a  certain  amount  of  organic  matter,  and  upon 
heavy  clay  soils  it  acts  best ;  but  if  used  ivithout 
maraire  upon  arable  soils  from  which  crop  after 
crop  has  been  taken,  lime  will  not  restore  fertility 
There  is  an  old  and  true  proverb, 

"The  use  of  lime  without  manure 
Will  always  make  the  farmer  poor." 

As  to  the  quantity  of  lime  to  be  applied,  Mr.  N 
was  in  favor  of  applying  it  in  small  quantities  fre 
quently,  rather  than  in  large  quantities  at  long  in- 
tervals. The  application  of  lime  to  grass  lands  is 
producing  very  striking  results,  not  only  on  mow 
ing,  but  on  pasture  lands. 


Agricultural  Exhibitions  for  1853. — The  fol 
lowing  is  the  order  of  the  Annual  Exhibitions  of 
the  County  Agricultural  Societies  of  Massachu- 
setts for  1853,  as  reported  from  the  several  socie- 
'ties  to  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture. 

Worcester  Coimty  Society Sept.  21  and  22. 

Norfolk  County  Society Sept.  27  and  28. 

Essex  County  Society Sept.  28  and  29. 

Ilousatonic  Society Sept.  28  and  29. 

Worcester  West  Society Sept.  30. 

nristol  County  Society Oct.  4  and  .5. 

Middlese.x  County  Society Oct.  4  and  5. 

Berkshire  County  Society .Oct.  5  and  6. 

Plymouth  County  Society Oct.  6. 

Franklin  County  Society Oct.  6  and  7. 

Barnst  ible  County  Society Oct.  7. 

_  Hai7ipden,  Franklin  and  Hampshire  do.. .Oct.  11  and  12. 

Hampden  County  Society Oct.  18  and  14. 

Hampshire  County  Society Oct.  25. 


Agricultural  Mass  Meeting. — The  people  of 
Middlesex  county  propose  to  hold  an  Agricultural 
Mass  Meeting,  at  Concord,  early  in  March,  to  dis- 
cuss the  general  interests  of  agriculture,  dine  to- 
gether, and  incite  each  other  to  a  more  systemat- 
ic and  intelligent  mode  of  cultivating  the  soil.  W« 
hope  this  "ball  will  be  put  in  motion,"  and  /ol- 
lowed  by  every  county  in  the  Commonwealth. 


Cables'  !Depai-tment. 

RECEIPTS  FOR  THE  SICK. 

Sugared  Orange.— Select  the  lightest  colored 
oranges  for  this  purpose,  as  they  are  more  acid 
than  the  dark.  Peel  off  the  rind  and  .slice  them, 
laditiidinally  or  cross-wise,  about  tlie  eighth  of  an 
inch  in  tliiekness.  Strew  over  them  some  powdered 
white  sugar,  in  the  proportion  of  a  teaspoonful  of 
sugar  to  each  slice.  Let  them  stand  fifteen  min- 
utes. They  are  very  palatable  in  fevers  as  they 
serve  to  cleanse  the  mouth  and  keep  it  cool. 

Sugared  Lemons,  No.  1. — These  may  be  prepared 
in  the  same  manner  as  the  sugared  oranges  (see 
above,)  only  they  should  have  a  tea-spoonful  and 
a-half  of  sugar  to  each  slice  ;  as  they  are  more  firm 
than  oranges,  they  require  to  stand  longer  to  be- 
come perfectly  impregnated  with  the  sugar.  They 
are  better  to  stand  about  an  hour  before  they  are 
to  be  eaten.  The  white  skin  should  be  carefully 
peeled  off,  as  it  imparts  an  unpleasant  bitter  fla- 
vor when  permitted  to  remain  long  in  the  sugar. 
These  are  very  grateful  to  the  sick  and  feverish. 

Sugared  Lemons,  No.  2. — Select  fine  large  lem- 
ons. Peel  off  the  outer  skin  and  as  much  as  pos- 
sible of  the  white  skin.  Cut  them  in  slices  lati- 
tudinally  ov  round  the  lemon,  about  the  eighth  of 
an  inch  thick.  Sprinkle  *them  with  white  pow- 
dered sugar,  a  tea-spoonful  of  sugar  to  each  slice. 
Let  them  stand  three  hours,  then  strain  off  as  much 
of  the  juice  as  possible  from  the  lemons,  put  it  in 
a  pauce-pan  over  a  slow  fire,  and  as  soon  as  the 
juice  begins  to  simmer  throw  in  the  slices  of  lemon. 
Let  them  cook  five  minutes,  take  them  out  and 
pour  the  syrup  over  them.  Should  the  lemons  not 
prove  sufficiently  juicy  to  melt  the  sugar  entirely, 
a  little  water  may  be  added. — National  Cook 
Book. 


Clover  Seed  for  an  Acre.— Mr.  NicnoL,  in  the 
Rural  New  Yorker,  thinks  six  pounds  of  clover 
seed  sufficient  for  an  acre. 


TIED  DOWN  AT  HOME. 

A  friend  of  ours,  living  not  far  from  Pontiac, 
was  importuned  one  pleasant  day  lately,  by  his 
wife,  to  take  her  a  sleigh  riding.  The  gentleman, 
being  a  man  of  business,  plead  his  engagements, 
when  the  wife  replied  with  the  old  story,  and  that 
she  must  be  tied  down  at  home.  The  husband 
rejoined  that  if  any  person  would  furnish  him  with 
clothes  to  wear  and  enough  to  eat  and  drink,  that 
he  would  be  willing  to  be  tied  down  at  home. 

A  few  days  after,  the  gentleman  came  earlier 
then  was  his  custom,  and  being  fatigued,  lay  down 
upon  the  sofa  and  fell  into  a  sound  sleep.  His 
wife  took  some  cords  and  slyly  tied  liis  hands  to- 
gether— served  his  feet  the  same  way  and  made 
him  fist  to  the  sofa.  She  then  set  a  table,  with 
all  that  the  house  afiRjrded,  and  placed  an  extra 
suit  of  clothes  within  his  reach.  This  done  she 
started  to  pay  a  friend  a  visit.  Upon  her  return 
late  in  the  evening,  she  found  her  subject  of  do- 
mestic discipline  as  she  left  him,  except  that  he 
was  wide  awake,  and  very  mad. 

"What  on  earth  does  all  this  mean?"  says 
he.  _  ^  ^ 

"Nothing,"  quietly  remarked  his  wife,  "except 
the  consummation  of  your  earthly  wishes — enough 
to  eat,  drink,  and  wear,  and  to  be  (ied  doirn  at 
home!^^  That  couple  were  seen  sleigh-riding  the 
next  day. — Detroit  Advertiser. 


150 


i\EW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


March 


Bon's  Pcpirtmcnt. 


KINDNESS  TO  THE  AGED. 

My  young  friends,  let  me  claim  your  kindness 
for  the  old.  They  are  well  entitled  to  your  sym- 
pathy. Through  this  bright  world  they  move 
mistily,  .and  though  they  rise  as  soon  as  the  birds 
begin  to  sing,  they  cannot  hear  the  music.  Their 
limbs  are  stiff,  their  senses  dull,  and  that  body 
which  was  once  their  beautiful  abode  and  their 
willing  servant  has  become  a  cage  and  a  heavy 
clog.  And  they  have  outlived  most  of  those  dear 
companions  with  whom  they  once  took  sweet  coun- 
sel. 

"One  world  deceased,  Hnother  born, 
Like  Noah  they  behold, 

O'er  whose  white  hair  and  furrowed  brows, 
Too  many  suns  have  rolled." 

Make  it  up  then  as  well  as  you  can.  Be  eyes  to 
the  blind  and  feet  to  the  lame.  On  their  way  to 
the  sanctuary  be  their  supporting  staff,  and  though 
it  may  need  an  extra  effort  to  convey  your  words 
into  their  blunted  ear,  make  thateff)rt ; — for  youth 
is  never  so  beautiful  as  when  it  acts  as  a  guardian 
angel  or  a  ministering  spirit  to  old  age.  And 
should  extreme  infirmity  or  occasional  fretfulness 
try  your  patience,  remember  that  to  all  intents  you 
were  once  the  same,  and  may  be  the  same  again  ; 
in  sec  )nd  childhood  as  yji  first,  the  debtor  of  others 
"patience  and  tenderness  and  magnanimity." — 
Hamillon''s  Royal  Preacher. 


Encouragement  for  the  Lowly. — Gideon  Lee 
said  late  in  his  life,  "I  remember  when  I  was  a 
lad,  living  with  my  uncle,  it  was  my  business  to 
feed  and  water  the  cows  ;  and  many  a  time,  long 
before  light  in  the  morning,  I  was  started  off  in 
the  cold  and  snovr,  without  shoes,  to  my  work, 
and  used  to  think  it  a  luxury  to  warm  my  frozen 
feet  on  the  spot  just  before  occupied  by  the  ani- 
mal I  had  aroused.  It  taught  me  to  reflect,  and 
to  consider  possibilities  ;  and  I  remember  asking 
myself,  Is  it  not  possible  for  me  to  benefit  my  con- 
dition ?''  Mr.  Lee  reflected  to  some  purpose. 
From  a  poor  boy  he  became  one  of  the  wealthiest 
men  in  New  York,  and  Mayor  of  the  city. 


^^'The  following,  from  the  Haverhill  Gazelle, 
may  serve  to  exercise  the  arithmetical  abilities  of 
some  of  our  school  boys.  It  can  be  done,  as  we 
have  seen  it  demonstrated  : — 

A  Puzzle. — The  following  sum  or  problem  was 
given  to  a  boy  by  a  gentleman  who  offered  him 
$50  if  he  would  do  it  within  six  months,  .at  the 
same  time  assuring  him  that  it  could  be  done,  and 
there  was  no  "trick,"  or  "catch,"  about  it. 

Take  the  nine  figures,  digits,  123  4  56789 
and  also  the  0,  and  add  them  together  so  that 
they  amount  to  just  100 — using  them  all  once  and 
but  once.  Thus,  for  instance,  take  7  and  the  0 
and  they  make  70,  and  then  to  the  70  add  all  the 
rest  of  the  figures,  not  used  in  making  70.  We 
have  made  99,  which  is  the  nearest  we  have  come 
to  it.  If  any  one  will  let  us  know  how  it  is  done, 
we  will  inform  our  readers. 


5^"  Dicken's  Household  Words  maintains  that 
in  seventy  years  we  have  but  about  fifteen  for  labor 
He  deducts  the  remainder  for  sleep,  eating,  amuse- 
ments, &c.     [Editors  and  printers  excepted.] 


O"  A  limited  number  of  advertisements  of  an  appropriate 
character  will  be  inserted  in  the  rnonlhly  Farmer  at  the  fol- 
owiiig 

RATES. 

For  one  square  of  15  lines,  one  insertion $1,00 

For  each  subsequent  insertion 50 

Q^"  The  above  rates  will  be  charged  for  all  advertisements, 
whether  longer  or  shorter. 

Yaluable  Potatoes  for  Sale. 

THE  subscriber  oflers  the  following  valuable  potaioes  for 
sale.  A  particular  description  of  some  of  them  will  be 
found  in  the  last  volume  of  Tnmsactions  of  the  N.  Y.  Slate 
Agricultural  Society  f(jr  1851.  This  society  awarded  him  a 
special  premium  at  the  State  Fair  at  lliica,  and  also  voted 
him  $100  at  their  meeting  at  Albany  during  the  present 
month,  as  encouragement  in  these  experimenis. 

No.  1.  Rough  Purple  Chili,  imported  in  April,  1851,  at  a 
great  expense.  For  yield,  hardiness,  and  table  quality  it  has 
no  equal.  Price  $10,00  per  bushel.  This  i)Otato  yielded  me 
last  year,  ninety-two  from  one  by  measure;  while  to  Mr.  Uel- 
afield,  of  Geneva,  it  yielded  one  hundred  and  twelve  from  one 
by  weight. 

No.  2.  Seedlings  originated  iti  1849.  They  are  hardy,  pro- 
ductive and  good  for  table  use.  Price  $7, CO  per  barrel,  or 
$3,00  per  bushel.  Many  of  these  have  been  tested  this  year 
under  the  eye  of  the  State  Society,  and  yielded  from  twenty 
to  sixty  four  from  one,  by  weight. 

No.  3.  Seedliiigs  of  1852.  These  consist  of  many  choice 
kinds  selected  from  4i00  varieties,  and  consisting  of  eleven  dif- 
ferent fimilies.  They  were  selected  with  especial  re'trence 
to  hardiness,  fine  flesh,  yield  and  mode  of  growth  in  the  hill. 
They  afford  a  basis  for  the  entire  renewal  of  the  potato  crop 
in  our  country.     Price  $10,00  per  bushel. 

No.  4.  Potato  Seed  from  the  seed-ball-  These  seeds  con- 
sists of  two  kinds,— that  produced  by  No.  1,  and  the  choice 
sort  ill  No.  2,  above, — and  are  the  same  that  prtduced  the 
seedlings  of  1853, — No.  3,  above.  As  they  have  thus  been 
tested  so  they  are  warranted  to  produce  a  large  proportion  of 
hardy,  productive  and  shapely  tubers. 

Price  $1,00  per  paper,  the  paper  to  contain  more  than  1000 
seeds,  to  be  sent  to  the  purchaser  by  mail,  post  paid,  and  ac- 
compaTiied  with  directioi  s  forcultiv.  tion. 

E.ioh  parcel  of  tubers  ordered,  will  be  put  up  with  cases, 
the  different  sorts  kept  separate,  and  the  whole  forwarded  to 
the  directions  of  the  purchaser  by  e.xpress,  railroad,  canal,  or 
as  otherwise  directed,  as  soon  as  the  weather  will  admit,  and 
at  the  expense  and  risk  of  the  purchaser. 

0°  Purchasers  are  advistd  to  take  No.  1  and  2,  for  immedi 
ate  field  crops,  and  No.  3,  as  a  source  of  new  and  valuable 
sorts. 

0°  Persons  passing  through  Utica,  are  requested  to  call 
and  see  specimens  at  the  store  of  WM.  BRISTOL  &  CO.,  i08 
Genesee  Street,  or  at  the  residence  of  the  subscriber  near  the 
Iiis-ne  Asylum. 

Jgr  All  orders  answered  only  for  cash. 
References:— 

The  olticers  of  Ih?  N.  Y.  State  Agricultural  Society. 

B.  P.  .lohnson,  (Jor.  Secr'y  of  do.,  Albany,  N.  Y. 
Hon.  I.  Delafield,  Geneva,  N.  Y. 

I.  P.  Fogg,  Agricultural  Ware  House,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 
Win.  Bristol  &  Co.,  Druggists,  Utica,  N.  Y. 
Charles  Tracy,  Esq.,  New  York  City. 

C.  L.  Whiting.  Granville,  Ohio. 

C.  E.  GOODRICH. 
Utica,  N.  Y,  March  1.  2m 


Oooseberries,  Fastolf  Raspber- 
ries, &c. 

JOHN  SAUL,  Washington,  D.  C,  offers  the  following  for 
sale: 

4000  Lancashire  Gooseberries,  comprising  all  the  leading 
varieties,  such  as  Crown  Bob,  Roaring  Lion,  Red  Warring- 
ton, Cha.Tipagne,  Leigh's  Rifleman,  Parkinson's  Green  Laurel, 
Woodward's  Whitesmith,  &c.  The  plants  are  very  vigorous 
and  thrifty,  and  true  to  name. 

4000  Fastolf  Raspberries,  strong  canes,  warranted  the  gen- 
i^ne  variety. 

300  Raby  Castle,  or  Victoria  Red  Currant, — the  largest  and 
best.  300  Wilmot's  Large  Red  do.;  500  White  Dutch  do.; 
300  Black  Maples  do. 

(Ej-  The  above  at  very  reasonable  prices. 

March,  1833.  It 


Bound  Volumes. 


BACK  VOLUMES  ol  ihe  NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER,  ele- 
gantly bound  in  Muslin,  Gilt  and  Embossed,  are  now  for 
Bale  at  this  office. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


151 


Farm  to  be  Let. 


Thtit  well  known  farm   in   the  southerly  part 
of  West  t^amhridge,  called    the  "Perry  Farm." 
It  conj^ists  of  alioiil  100  acrea,  divided    into  or 
charding,  tillage  and   pasture,  and  is  at   present 
I     I  cultivated  as  a.  milk  and  fruit  farm.     Tlie  builil 
inj;s,  &.C.,  are  sulKcienl  and  in  good  order. 

For  terms  and  particulars,  please  apply  to  WM.  MAPLES- 
DEN,  on  the  jiremises. 

Pel).  26.  tf* 


Dairy  Woman  Wanted. 

ADAIRV  WO.MAN   is  wanted   to  take  charge  of  a   large 

dairy  on  Connecticut  River,   where  butter   only  will  be 
made,  which  must  be  of  the  rcri/  bist  quality  for  family  uxc. 

Any  who  are  ijualified,  having  best  of  references,  may  address 
by  mail,  ''Box  No.  59,  Windaor,  Vermont,"  post-paid. 
Feb.  26,  18.53.                                               * 

The  Farmers'  Library. 

JUST  RECEIVED,  the  following  assortment  of  Agricultural 
and  Horticultural  Uooks,  embracing  the  standard  works  ol 
eminent  American  and  Euroi)ean  writers,  on  the  Farm,  th« 
Orchard,  the  Garden,  &c.  JLc. 

PRICE. 

American  Farm  Book,  by  Allen,  $],0G 
Fanner's  Treasure,  by  Faulkner  and  Smith,  7-5 
Dana's  Muck  Manual,  1,00 
Prize  Essay  on  Manures,  by  Dana,  25 
American  Muck  Hook,  by  Browne,  1,00 
Lectureson  Practical  Agriculture,  by  Johnstone,  7.5 
Elements  of  Scientific  Agriculture,  by  Norton,  50 
Principles  of  Agriculture,  by  Thaer,  2,50 
Practical  Agriculture,  by  Johnstone,  75 
Agriculture  for  Schools,  by  Blake,  1,00 
Catechism  of  Agriculture  and -Chemistry,  by  John- 
stone and  Norton,  25 
American  Agriculiurist,  by  Allen,  1,00 
Liebig's  Complete  Work  on  Chemistry,  1,00 
Farmer's  and  Emigrant's  Hand  Book,  by  Marshall,  %  75 
Home  for  all,  by  Fowler,  50 
Book  of  the  Farm,  by  Stephens  and  Skinner,  4,00 
Cottage  and  Farm  Houses,  by  Downing,  2,00 
Downing's  Country  Houses,  4,00 
Rural  Architecture,  by  Allen,  1,25 
Downing's  Landscape  Gardening  and  Rural  Archi- 
tecture, 3,50 
Downing's  Cottage  Residences,  2,00 
Fruit  Garden,  by  Barry,  1,25 
Complete  Gardener  and  Farmer,  by  Fessenden,  1,25 
Bridgeman's  Gardener's  Assistant,  2,00 
Bridgeman's  Kitchen  Gardener's  Instructor,  50 
American  Fruit  Culiurist,  by  Thomas,  1,00 
Gardener  and  Complete  Florist,  25 
Florist's  Guide,  by  Bridgeman,  50 
New  England  Fruit  Book,  by  Ives,  56 
Youatt  and  Martin  on  Cattle,  by  Stevens,  1,25 
Rose  Culturist,  36 
Johnson's  Gardener's  Dictionary,  by  Landreth,  1,50 
Rural  Economy,  by  Boussingault,  1,00 
American  Rose  Culturist,  «  25 
Bigelow's  Plants  of  Boston,  1,25 
Genera  of  Plants  of  the  U.  S.,  by  Gray,  2  vols.  12,00 
Grny's  Botany,  2,00 
Parnell's  Chemistry,  1,00 
New  England  Farmer,  by  Cole,  1,00 
Ladies'  Guide  and  Skilful  Housewife,  by  Mrs.  Abel,  25 
Hive  and  Honey  Bee,  by  Richardson,  25 
Bee  Keeper's  Manual,  by  Miner,  50 
Bird  Fancier,  by  Browne,  paper  25  cents,  50 
Townley  on  Bees,  50 
American  Poultry  Yard,  by  Browne,  1,00 
American  Poulterers'  Companion,  by  Bemeot,  1,00 
American  Fowl  Breeder,  by  Moore,  25 
American  Herd  Book,  by  Allen,  3,00 
American  Shepherd,  by  Morrill,  1,00 
Domestic  Animals,  by  Allen,  75 
Diseases  of  Animals,  by  Cole,  50 
Hints  to  Sportsmen,  by  Lewis,  1,25 
Dadd's  Anatomy  and  Physiology  of  the  Horse,  1.00 
Mason's  Farrier  and  Stud  Book,  by  Skinner,  1,25 
Management  of  Sheep,  by  Canfield,  1,00 
Yowait  on  the  Pig,  60 
Knowlson's  Complete  Cow  Doctor,  »  25 
Horse  Doctor,  25 
Guenon's  Treatise  on  Milch  Cows,  36 
Tre.itise  on  Hot  Houses,  by  Leuchars,  1,00 
Allen  on  the  Grape,  ]  oo 
Schenck's  Te.\t  Book,  '50 
Breck's  Book  of  Flowers,  75 
Downing's  Fruit  and  Fruit  Trees.  1  50 
For  sale  at  the  Publishers'  prices  by  RUGGLES,  NOURSl 
MASON  &  Co.,  ftuincy  Hall,  {over  the  Market.)  Boston. 
Jan.  1,  1853.                                   tf* 


Highland  Nurseries,  Newburgh, 

NEW  YORK. 

A.  SAUL  &  CO.,  in  inviting  the  attention  of 
iheir /jfl^rod.!  and  the  public  in  general,  to  their 
very  extensive  collection  of  FRUIT  AND  OR- 
ISAMEJSTAL  TREES,  SHRUIIS,  ifC.  SfC, 
would  respectfully  inform  them  iha'.  the  slock 
which  they  offer  for  sale  the  coming  spring  is  un- 
usually fine,  both  as  regards  (jualily  of  trees,  variety  of  kinds, 
&c.,  &.C. 

The  soil  and  climate  of  our  Hudson  Highlands  have  ren- 
dered proverbial  the  success  of  the  trees  sent  from  here  to 
all  pirls  of  the  union,  and  the  accuracy  and  precision  so  in- 
dispensable in  the  i)rop:igation  of  fruit  trees,  for  which  thia 
establishment  has  long  been  celebrated,  render  errors  in  no- 
menclature of  rare  occurrence. 

They  have  propagated  in  large  quantities,  all  \Me  leading 
standard  varieties,  which  are  proved  best  ada|)ted  for  general 
cultivation,  especially  those  recommended  by  the  American 
Pomological  Society;  as  well  as  novelliei  of  both  native  and 
foreign  origin. 

To  particularize  within  the  limits  of  an  advertisement  would 
be  impossible;  they  refer  to  their  general  catalrgue,  a  copy  of 
which  will  be  sent  to  all  post-paid  applicants,  on  enclosing  a 
post  oflice  stamp. 

The  following  comprises  a  portion  of  their  stock,  and  are 
all  of  fine  growth,  viz: 

Pears  in  over  400  varieties,  both  standards  on  their  own 
stock  for  orchard  culture,  and  on  the  Quince  for  Dwarfs,  Pyr- 
amids, and  Quenoucle,  for  garden  culture. 

Apples  in  over  300  varieties,  both  standards  and  dwarfs; 
also.  Cherries,  both  standards  and  dwarfs;  Plum,  Apricot, 
Peach  Nectarines  and  Qnince  trees  in  every  variety. 

Grape  Vines,  (liolh  native  «nd  foreign,  for  vineries;)  also, 
Gooseberries  (50  bet-t  Lancashire  varieties  ) 

Currants,  Raspberry  and  Gooseberry  plants  of  all  leading 
and  known  kinds,  together  with  Seakale,  Asparagus  and  Rhu- 
barb roots. 

Ornamental  Trees,  Shrubs  aiid%Vines,  both  deciduous  and 
evergreen,  suitable  for  street  and  lawn  planting,  embracing 
"11  the  new  and  rare  Conifers,  Weeping  Trees  and  Shrubs  of 
recent  introduction. 

Roses  in  every  variety,  including  Hybria  periietual,  Hybrid 
Bourbon,  Hybrid  China,  Hybrid  Damask,  Prairie,  Boursalt, 
Ayit-hire,  and  other  hardy  climbing  and  garden  varietits,  as 
well  as  the  more  tender.  Tea,  China,  Bengal,  Bourbon,  and 
Noisette  varieties. 

Herbaceous  jilanis,  a  large  collection  of  Fwonies,  Phlokes 
Companula,  Penstemon,  Oenothera,  &c  ,  &c. 

Dhali  IS  and  bedding  plants  for  the  parterre  and  flower  gar- 
den, in  large  quantities  and  variety. 

Hedge  Plans,  U  0,000  Buckthorn  and  Osage  Orange  Plants, 
two  years  growth,  Arbor  Vilse  for  screens,  &c  ,  &c 

Dealers  and  planters  of  trees  on  a  large  scale  will  be  dealt 
with  on  the  most  liberal  teims. 

Newburgh,  Feb.  26,  1853.  2m 


IVorway  Spruce,  Silver  Fir,  &c. 

JOHN  SAUL,  WASHINGTON,  D.  C, 
Offers  the  following  for  sale: 
300.000  Norway  Spruce,  4  to  6  inchts. 


300,000        "  "  6  to  8 

15,000         "  "  9  ro  12    " 

8,100         "  '•■  2  to  3  feet. 

10,000  Silver  Fir,  4  to  5  inches. 

30,000     "        "  5  to  6      •' 

10,000     "         "  6  to  7      '• 

1,000-  "         "  12  to  18  " 

1,000     •'         •'•  2  to  3  feet. 

3,000  Larch.  (Errropean)  2  to  3  feet. 
The  attention  of  Nuri-erymen  and  Planters  generally,  is  re- 
spectfully called  to  the  above  extensive  collection,  which  will 
be  sold  at  very  low  prices.  Persons  taking  large  quantities 
will  be  dealt  with  liberally.  The  whole  are  remarkably  thrifty 
and  fine. 
March,  185-3.  Im 


Durham  Dull. 


Wanted,  a  pure  bred  DURHAM  BULL, 
from  one  to  two  years  old,  of  hindsome 
form  and  color. 

Apply  at  this  ofllce. 
Jan.  15. 


Corn  Shellers. 


TMPROVED  YANKEE  CORN  SHELLERS,  with  and  with- 
1  out  separators  These  machines  are  adapted  to  large  and 
small  varieties  of  corn,  will  shell  rapidly  arid  not  liable  to  get 
out  of  order.  For  sale,  wholesale  and  retail,  over  the  market, 
by  RUGGLES,  NOURBE,  MASON  it  CO. 

Jan.  1,  1852.  2m 


152 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


March 


CONTENTS   OF  THIS  NUMBER. 

Calendar  for  Marcli Page  105 

Peculiar  Uiinculiies  of  New  Engliiiid  Husbandry 106 

The  Milk  Trade— Ul.ick  Knots  on  Plum  Trees 1' 8 

U.  S.  Aiiricultural  Society  -The  Core- Worm 109 

Chinese  Farming 110 

The  Cultivation  of  Klowers Ill 

Bristol  County  Agricultural  Society Ill 

County  Agricultural  Transactions 112 

Birds  of  New  Enjjlaiul 113 

State  Board  of  Agriculture — Pea  Fodder lib 

The  Farmer — Cutting  Fodder  for  Stock 1 17 

Live  Fences 118 

Farming  Interests  Neglected 119 

Farm  Labor — its  misapi)liciition 119 

Uwarfmn  Fruit  Trees 1^0 

Hardy  Fruits  for  the  North— The  Dollar  Mark 121 

Third  Le^'islative  Agricultural  Meeting 122 

To  Inventors — Analyses  of  Soils 125 

Agricultural  In^plements 126 

Experimental  Farming 127 

History  of  the  Borer— Results  of  Accidents 128 

A  Good  Example 129 

Good  Management  vs.  Bad  Management 130 

Cranberries 134 

United  States  Agricultural  Society 135 

Sweet  Corn 139 

Fourth  Legislative  Agricultural  Meeting 1^0 

Carrots  for  Horses HI 

New  England  Farmer 142 

Thorn  and  Quince  Slocks  for  Pears 143 

A  Mild  Winter— A  Splendid  Pear 144 

At  Home  again — A  rare  Brood 145 

Fifth  Legislative  Agricultural  Meeting 146 

A  few  Remarks  on  Raising  Celery US 

A  new  Apple— Extracts  and  Replies 148 

Lime  in  Agricultu'e  — Exl  ibitions  in  1853 149 

Ladies'  Department 149 

Boy's  De[iartment 150 

ILLUSTRATION'S. 

The  American  Crab  Ajiiilef. 113 

Silesian  Merino  Ewes 129 

Bloodgood  snd  Rosiiezer  Pears ..   ..144 

Remedy  for  Choked  Cattle 145 


Great  Olli^riiig  of  ReJil  Estate. 

The  subscriber  wishes  to  sell  his  homestead 
place  well  known  as  the  CAT  BOW  FARM,  con- 
sisting of  Ave  hundred  acres,  over  two  hundred  of 
which  is  first  quality  intervale,  and  in  a  stale  of 
high  cultivation,  the  residue  is  upland  pasturing 
The  farm  is  beautifully  situated  in  Lancaster,  the 
shire  town  of  Cgos  County,  N.  II.,  on  the  banks  of  the  Con- 
necticut River.  The  location  is  one  of  the  most  attractive 
and  beautiful  in  New  England,  the  scenery  is  magnificent,  both 
in  summer  and  winter,  and  for  beauty  cannot  be  surpassed. 
The  river  at  this  [dace  assumes  the  form  of  a  curve,  so  that 
sixty  Jive  acres  are  enclosed  by  nineteen  rods  of  fence.  It  is 
but  one  day's  ride  from  Boston,  and  is  only  a  short  distance 
from  the  Atlantic  and  St.  Lawrence  Railroad.  There  are  two 
good  dwelling-houses  and  other  necessary  buildings  on  the 
place.  A  sufiicient  quantity  of  water  of  excellent  quality  is 
conducted  to  the  houses  and  yards  from  a  never  failing  spring. 
He  also  olTtrs  for  sale,  a  large  tract  of  eighteen  hundred  acres 
nearly  ailjoining  the  above,  mostly  covered  with  limber  and  of 
easy  access  to  said  river.  He  will  also  sell  his  house  known  as 
the  "WHITE  MOUNTAIN  HOUSE"  and  farm  of  two  hun- 
dred acres,  well  and  pleasantly  situated  at  the  White  Moun- 
tains; has  a  good  run  of  custom  during  the  visiting  seasoft 
This  is  a  fine  opportunity  for  a  good  and  safe  investment.  All 
or  part  of  the  above  property  will  he  sold  at  a  bargain,  as  the 
owner  wishes  to  lessen  his  care.  For  further  particulars  and 
terms,  inquire  of  the  subscriber  at  Lancaster,  or  at  this  ollice. 

.lOHN  H.  WHITE. 
Jan.  15,  1853. 3niny 

Hens,  Turkeys  and  Geese. 

The  subscriber  offers  for  sale  a  few  pairs 
of  the  following  choice  breeds  of  poultry  | 
White  and  Bulf  Shanghaes.  Gold  and  Sil- 
ver Spangled   Polands,    Bolton  Gray    and 
Black  Spanish;  also,  Virginia  Tui  keys,  and 

Bremen   Geese.     These   fowls  are   of  the 

purest  blood,  most  of  them  being  bred   from   stock  recently 
imprrted,  and  very  handsome.     They  will  be  sold  low  if  ap- 
plied for  soon.     For  further  particulars,  address  postpaid, 
H.  H.  LITTLE,  East  Marshfleld. 
Feb.  19, 1653.  tf'' 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMEll 

Is  published  on  the  first  of  every  month,  by  JoiiiV  Ravnolds 
and  .lo   L  NouRSE,  at  Quincy  Hall,  South  Market  St.,  Boston. 

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FREDERKJK  HOLBROOK, 
HENRY   F.  FRENCH, 


Associate 
Editors. 


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N.  B.— Orders  should  be  sent  as  early  as  possible. 
^ewlon  Centre,  Mass.,  Feb.  19,  ie53.  5w*2 


AGRIOULTURAIi 

WAREHOUSE  AND  SEED  STORE, 

qUINCY  HALL,  OVER  THE  MARKET,  BOSTON. 

THE  Proprietors  having  recently  enlarged  their  Warehouse, 
and  increased  their  works  at  Worcester,  would  respect- 
fully invite  the  attention  of  Planters  ;md  Dealers  in  AGRI- 
CULTURAL &  HORTICULTURAL  IMPLEMENTS,  GAR- 
DEN and  FIELD  SEEDS,  &c.,  to  their  stock,  comprising  the 
largest  and  best  assortment  to  be  found  in  the  United  Sta'es, 
which  are  offered  at4ow  prices. 

Of  PLOUGHS — we  have  the  greatest  variety  of  kinds  and 
sizes. 

Improved  Sod  Ploughs,  for  flat  furrows — improved  Scotch 
Ploughs  for  lapped  furrows — improved  Stubble  Ploughs,  which 
are  especially  adapted  to  deep  tillage,  or  varying  from  6  to  12 
inches  in  depth. 

Self-sharpening,  Hill  Side,  Snb-soil,  Double  Mould,  Corn, 
Cotton  and  Rice  Ploughs. 

Cylinder  Hay  Cutters,  Smith's  Patent  Lever  Gate,  and  oth 
ers.  Patent  Corn  Shellers,  with  and  without  Separators. 
Seed  Sowers,  of  various  sizes  and  prices.  Batchelder's  patent 
Corn  Planter,  improved.  Fanning  Mills  of  various  sizes. 
Horse  Powers,  Threshing  Machines,  thermometer  Churns, 
Bobbins'  patent  Centrifugal  Churn,  Cylinder  Churn,  Dash 
Churn,  Corn  Planters,  together  with  almost  every  article 
wanted  on  the  Plantation,  Farm  or  Garden. 

Illustrated  Catalogues  sent  gratis  on  application,  post  paid. 
RUGGLES,  NOURSE,  MASON  &  CO. 

Boston  and  Worcester,  Mass.,  Jan.  1,  1853  tf 


Garden  Seeds. 


WE  resi)ectfully  solicit  the  attention  of  purchasers  of  GAR- 
DEN SEEDS  to  our  extensive  stock,  which  we  offer  for 
sale.  We  have  all  the  sorts  of  Vegetable  Seeds  that  hav« 
proved  worthy  of  cultivation;  also.  Grain,  Grass  and  Flower 
Seeds.  All  the  varieties  are  raised  and  selected  expressly  for 
our  trade,  and  we  do  with  confidence  recommend  them  to  all 
who  desire  to  procure  seeds  that  will  prove  true  to  their  names. 
IC  Catalogues  gratis,  on  application. 

RUGGLES,  NOURSE,  MASON  &  CO., 
Jan.  1.  Over  Quincy  Market,  Boston. 


g^k^lMlP^/f^^ 


DEVOTED  TO  AGRIOULTURE  AND  ITS  KINDRED  ARTS  AND  SCIEI-fCES. 


VOL.  V. 


BOSTON,  APRIL,  1853. 


NO.  4. 


RAYNOLDS  &  NOURSE,  Proprietors. 
Office Q,uin'cy  Hall. 


SIMON  BROWN,  Editor. 


FRED'K  HOLBROOK,i  Associate 
HENRY  F.  FRENCH,)  Editors. 


CALENDAR  FOR  APHIL. 

"Spring,  the  year's  youth,  fair  mother  of  new  flowers, 
New  leaves,  new  loves,  dr.iwu  by  the  wing-ed  hours, 
Thou  art  returiitd." 

April,  says  the  author  of  the  'Mirror  of  the 
Months,  is  ByTing — the  only  ppring  month  we 
possess — the  incst  juvenile  of  the  months,  and  the 
most  feminine — the  sweetest  month  of  all  the 
year  ;  partly  because  it  ushers  in  May,  and  part- 
ly for  its  own  sike,  so  far  as  anything  can  be  valu- 
able without  r^'Jerence  to  anything  else.  It  is 
worth  two  Mays,  because  it  tells  tales  of  May  in 
every  sigh  that  it  breathes,  and  every  tear  that  it 
lets  fall.  It  is  the  harbinger,  the  herald,  the 
promise,  the  pn.'pheey,  the  foretaste  of  all  the 
beauties  that  are  to  follow  it — of  all,  and  more — 
of  all  the  delights  of  summer,  and  all  the  "pride, 
pomp,  and  circu:;istance  of  glorious  autumn."  It 
is  fraught  with  beauties  that  no  other  month  can 
bring  before  us,  and 

"It  bears  a  glass  which  shows  us  many  more." 

Ah,  April!  April!  this  might  have  been  thy 
character  once,  or  in  other  climes,  but  we  should 
scarcely  recognize  the  portrait  here.  True,  it  has 
its  flush  of  new  green  on  the  meadow,  its  cro- 
cuses, hyacinths,  daffodils,  and  other  gems  of 
beauty ;  it  gives  us  the  first  voice  of  the  gentle 
birds,  and  a  thousand  awakenings  of  new  life 
about  us,  but,  ah,  has  it  not  its  fierce  winds,  chill- 
ing frosts,  snows  and  pelting  storms  from  the  eas- 
tern sky  1  Treacherous  April !  Did  it  not  send 
its  heralds  last  year,  the  robin  and  the  bluebird, 
and  sweet  gales  from  the  south,  and  ere  their 
voice  and  their  fragrance  had  died  away,  the  fierce 
North  resumed  her  sway  and  poured  her  stores  of 
icy  winds  and  chilling  snows  into  her  lap.  Where 
were  the  birds  and  the  southern  airs  on  the  7th  of 
April,  one  revolutiim  of  the  earth  ago,  when  the 
roads  were  blocked  with  drifts,  and  the  stone 
walls  were  ought  of  sight  ? 

But  then  we  are  thankful  for  April,  fickle  as  it 
is,  and  couldn't  well  do  without  it,  as  it  affords 


opportunity  to  make  so  many  prepiirations  for  the 
busy  seed-time. 

Plans. — All  the  general  plans  of  the  farmer 
must  be  laid  out  now,  if  it  has  been  neglected 
until  this  time.  Do  not  enter  the  field  by-and-by, 
and  wonder  what  crop  you  shall  apply  to  this  part 
or  that,  and  hesitate  whether  you  shall  break  up 
an  acre  or  two  on  the  hill  or  take  another  piece 
on  the  meadow.  No,  no,  this  is  periilexing  when 
the  day  is  waning,  and  saen  and  teams  are  waiting. 

So  of  the  garden  ;  take  the  plan  in  your  hands 
when  you  carry  out  your  seeds.  Here  is  the  spot 
for  the  beds,  their  length  and  width  all  laid  down; 
the  new  pear  trees  are  to  occupy  that  vacant  and 
sheltered  spot  in  the  south  corner  ;  the  raspber- 
ries and  strawberries,  the  tomatoes,  cucumbers 
and  melons,  the  beans,  peas  and  cabbages  the  ear- 
ly potatoes,  corn,  radishes  and  lettuce,  all  have 
their  particular  place  assigned,  and  the  mind  is 
not  distracted  with. the  feeling  that  all  must  be 
done  promptly,  and  yet  it  has  not  decided  how  to 
direct  the  operations. 

Make  as  much  garden  as  you  can, — it  is  the 
most  profitable  part  of  the  farm.  There  is  of- 
ten more  profit  on  a  quarter  of  an  acre  in  garden 
than  from  2  or  3  acres  of  the  farm.  Get  in  early 
peas  and  potatoes.  On  the  sunny  side  of  a  wall, 
sprung  up  to  briars  and  young  bushes,  clear  up 
and  put  in  seed  for  early  potatoes  ;  it  is  just  such 
a  spot  as  they  like  ;  the  new  earth  so  light  and 
warm.  You  may  have  them  by  the  4th  of  July 
in  perfection. 

Pruning. — The  Messrs.  Allen,  in  ihQ  American 
Agriculturist  for  1842,  page  65,  say  they  think 
pruning  should  be  done  "after  that  period  when 
the  excessive  flow  of  thin  and  watery  sap  has  sub- 
sided, and  the  leaves  have  fully  matured,  which 
happens  in  this  latitude,  from  the  20th  of  June 
to  the  15th  of  July."  It  is  worth  while  to  try 
this  mode  and  see  how  it  works.  At  any  rate, 
cut  off  no  large  limbs  in  April. 

Peach  Trees. — By  cutting  about  one-half  of  the 


15 


JSEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


April 


last  year's  growth  of  the  limbs  you  will  prevent 
them  from  stretcliing  off  into  long  and  slender 
forms,  and  l)reaking  down  whenever  they  bear. — 
It  has  the  effect,  al30,of  thinning  the  fruit,  because 
it  takes  away  a  considerable  portion  of  the  blos- 
som buds. 

Mowing  Fields. — See  that  the  drains  are  all 
free,  and  gather  up  branches  from  the  apple  trees 
or  brush  left  on  meadows  which  have  been  over- 
flowed, so  that  they  may  not  be  in  the  way  in 
haying  time. 

TR.xNsrLANTixG. — Nothing  is  easier  if  you  know 
how — and  really,  it  is  a  very  simple  matter  to  do 
it,  and  do  it  well. 

If  the  true  is  two  years  from  the  bud,  a  hole  six 
feet  in  diameter  is  not  too  large  ;  18  inches  deep 
will  answer,  throwing  back  the  top  earth  into  the 
bottom  of  the  hole.  Take  the  trees  up  with  the 
utmost  care,  and  break  as  few  of  the  little  sponge- 
lets  as  possible.  How  could  a  child  suck  an  orange 
with  jaws  broken,  and  lacerated  lips !  In  the 
centre  of  the  six-foot  hole  raise  a  little  conical 
hill  and  place  the  tree  gently  upon  it ;  the  roots 
will  then  fall  into  a  somewhat  natural  position. 
Now  with  the  fingers  place  them  all  straight,  and 
sift  in  the  fine,  rich  mould,  that  the  delicate  fibres 
may  nestle  among  it. 

There  !  you  have  treated,  that  tree  with  proper 
consideration,  and  it  will  bow  to  you  ere  long, 
filled  with  luscious  fruit. 

Plowing.— Plow  not  while  the  soil  is  wet  and 
mixes  into  mortar.  It  will  bake  in  lumps  and  re- 
main so  through  the  summer  unless  by  dint  of 
hard  knocks  they  are  broken  up.  Even  though 
the  season  be  late,  it  is  doubtful  whether  any 
thing  is  gained  by  plowing  before  the  ground  is 
sufficiently  dry  to  have  it  drop  partially  to  pieces 
on  its  being  turned  over. 

But  plow  deep — take  hold  a  little  lower  than 
you  did  last  year ;  an  inch  of  yellow  subsoil  will 
soon  become  more  than  an  inch  of  black  upper 
soil.  Remember  the  proverb  about  having  "corn 
to  sell  and  keep." 

Grafting,  fencing,  the  nursery,  clearing  up  the 
garden,  the  door-yard,  the  wood-pile,  and  numer- 
ous other  things,  will  require  attention  now.  Let 
us  lay  hold  of  the  work  liefore  us  with  cheerful 
and  hopeful  hearts,  and  pursue  it  with  a  well-tem- 
pered zeal ;  the  seeds  sliall  spring  upward  from 
the  sod,  and  He  who  giveth  the  increase  shall  glad- 
den our  hearts  with  abundant  Harvest. 


A  New  Mixture. — Those  who  cannot  economi- 
cally procure  a  supply  of  guano  for  their  crops, 
will  find  an  excellent  substitute  in  the  following. 
The  quantity  is  for  one  acre,  and  will  be  found 
sufficient  to  ensure  a  good  crop  : — 

Tak^  two  bushels  of  bone-dust,  4  bushels  of 
ashes,  25  lbs.  nitrate  of  potash,  saltpetre  25  lbs., 


nitrate  of  soda,  {soda-saltpetre)  and  50  lbs.  of  com- 
mon salt. 

Mix  the  whole  well  together,  sow  broadcast, 
harrow  in,  and  roll. 

By  many  trials  made  with  this  mixture,  it  has 
been  proved  to  be  an  excellent  article,  especially 
on  corn  or  wheat.  * 


For  the  New  Ensland  Farmer. 
MONTHLY  FARMER  FO^  MARCH.  ' 

Mr.  Brown  : — I  offer  the  following  brief  review 
of  the  March  number  for  publication,  byway  of 
experiment.  If  my  remarks  on  the  various  arti- 
cles shall  induce  a  more  careful  reading  of  the 
Farmer,  one  chief  design  will  be  accomplished ; 
for  I  apprehend  careless  reading  is  becoming  one 
of  the  vices  of  the  time. 

^^  Calendar  for  March. '^ — Pleasant  remarks  on 
this  month  of  "many  weathers,"  with  suggestions 
upon  several  topics  of  thought  and  action  appro- 
priate to  the  month.  Books  and  study  recom- 
mended. Now,  that  the  prospect  for  the  immedi- 
ate establishment  of  agricultural  schools  has  be- 
come rather  dubious,  let  us  resolve,  like  Esop's 
Reapers,  to  take  hold  of  the  work  ourselves. 

'■^PemHar  DifficuUies  of  New  England  Hus- 
bandry.''''— From  want  of  the  60,000  acre  estates 
of  England,  our  schemes  of  improvement  must  be 
more  liumble  than  theirs.  There,  one  farmer  di- 
rects GOOO  pair  of  hands  ;  here,  often,  two  pair 
only.  A  difference  too  often  overlooked  in  our 
"books."  Our  soil,  too,  is  poor  ;  but  our  com- 
petitors. South  and  West,  are  fast  reducing  their- 
to  an  equality  with  ours. 

^'■Black  Knots  on  Plum  Trees.'''' — Experiments 
which  show  the  cause  of  the  trouble  to  be  a  small 
moth.  The  writer  alludes  to  "remarks  on  ants 
and  aphides,"  which  we  hope  to  see  before  our 
trees  are  again  infested  by  them.  Necessity  will 
soon  bring  us  to  the  study  of  Entomology.  If  la- 
dies will  take  hold  of  the  subject,  there  may  be 
hope  ;  but  at  present,  insects  seem  to  have  the 
advantage,  altogether,  of  the  men. 

'■^Core  Worm." — A  simple  remedy  proposed. 
Try  it — it  may  do  good. 

'■'■Chinese  Farming.'''' — How  much  history  tells 
of  kings  and  fighters  ;  how  little  of  what  we  ought 
to  know  I  Have  looked  over  a  large  volume  on 
China,  lately  published  by  Sears,  without  finding 
any  answer  to  the  question,  how  do  the  Chinese 
keep  tlieir  land  productive  ?  Have  always  under- 
stood they  saved  everything. 

^'■Cultivation  of  Flowers"  recommended. 

^^ Bristol  County  Agricultural  Society." — No- 
tice of  its  "Transactions,"  with  a  richly  deserved 
compliment  for  the  address  of  Hon.  !Mr.  Win- 
throp.  Following  which,  are  notices  of  several 
other  County  "Transactions,"  with  an  extract  from 
Gov.  Boutwell's  address  before  the  Ilillsboro' 
(N,  H.)  Society.  The  Governor  says  "the  intelli- 
gent cultivation  of  the  land  does  not  exhaust  but 
enriches  it."  Why,  then,  need  England  import 
bones,  guano,  &c.? 

' '  The  American  Crab  Apple. ' ' — Never  was  much 
interested  in  crabby  apples,  generally,  but  this 
cut  and  description  of  the  original,  is  certainly 
very  interesting. 

'■'■Birds  of  New  England,"  No.  2,  on  the  win- 
ter retreat  of  swallows.     Our  birds  are  fast  de- 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


155 


creasing,  and  the  depredations  of  insects  as  rapid- 
ly increasing.  Yet  things  in  form  of  men  kill  lit- 
tle birds  for  pleasure  J 

^'Pca  Fodder.'''' — Pea  vines,  properly  cured,  re- 
■commendcd  for  fodder.  My  father  always  raised 
peas  for  pig-feed  ;  after  threshing,  the  vines  were 
piled  in  a  corner  of  the  yard.  Cattle,  in  the  win- 
ter, used  to  make  holes  into  the  piles,  up  to  their 
«yesand  chew  away  upon  it,  for  fun,  as  we  thought, 
— for  we  never  asked  them  to  eat  pea  vines. 

"L/re  Fences.'" — Nearly  from  the  first  settle- 
ment of  our  country,  attempts  have  been  made  to 
grow  something  like  the  hedges  of  England  ;  yet, 
so  far  as  I  know,  the  first  half  mile  of  effective 
"live  fence"  in  the  United  States  is  yet  to  be 
planted. 

^^Farming  Interests  Neglected^''  in  the  south  half 
of  "Woodstock,  Tt.  A  gloomy  picture  ;  but  too 
truthful,  I  apprehend,  of  the  state  of  most  old  ag- 
ricultural sections  of  New  England.  I  will  here 
venture  a  caution  to  the  writer  of  this  article 
against  trying  on  a  very  large  scale  that  "sprout- 
to-be-stuck-in-a-potato"  experiment  he  speaks  of 
It  as  an  old  humbug. 

'■^Farm  Labor.'''' — Inquiries  and  suggestions  in 
relation  to  labor-saving  machines. 

'■^Dwarfing  Fruit  Trees.''' — How  much  pains 
folks  do  take  to  "work  against  natur." 

^^ Hardy  Fruits  for  the  North.'" — Remarks  by 
Mr.  Burt,  of  Walpolc,  N.  H.,  on  the  adaptation 
of  particular  fruits  to  particular  localities.  He 
places  the  Northern  Spy  in  his  list.  Mr.  Burt  will 
gratify  many  readers  of  the  Farmer,  by  giving  the 
reasons  which  induced  bim  to  recommend  this 
fruit  f)r  his  section. 

"  Vandalism." — Indignation  for  the  destruction 
of  shade  trees  in  Waltham. 

^^Legislative  Agricultural  Meeting." — Report  of 
third  meeting,  Feb.  1, 1853.  Although  there  may 
occasionally  be  a  rather  flighty  speech  made  at  the 
State  House,  are  not  the  Farmer  reports  of  them, 
alone,  worth  the  subscription  price  for  the  year  1 

''To  Inventors." — "L.  R."  wants  a  simple  ma- 
chine to  shovel  manure,  m^ick,  &c.,  into  his  cart. 
Second  the  motion ! 

''■  Analyses  of  Soils." — The  writer  is  afraid  some 
people  expect  too  much  of  science  in  general,  and 
of  analyses  of  soils  in  particular. 

"Agricultural  Implements." — Facts  about  plow- 
ing by  steam — common  plows — wood  and  iron  har- 
rows— horse  rakes — mowing  machines,  &c. 

''■  History  of  the  Borer,"  with  directions  for  its 
prevention  and  destruction.  One  of  those  articles 
that  are  studied. 

"Experimental  Farming." — DiflSculties  in  the 
way  both  of  theoretical  and  scientific  farming. 

"Silesian  Merino  J^wes," with  a  pictured  group, 
in  which  I  see  nothing  to  make  one  feel  as  John 
Randolph  did,  when  he  said  he  would  go  halfa  mile 
to  kick  a  sheep. 

"A  Good  Example." — No  doubt  that  patching 
pantaloons  and  darning  stockings  have  kept  many 
a  man's  head  "above  water"  who  claimed  the  cred- 
it for  himself  and  boys,  that  was  duetto  his  wife 
and  daughters.  Mr.  Whiton's  name  will  be  re- 
membered, for  his  thought  and  deed. 

"  Good  Management  vs.  Bad  Management." — A 
Novel  in  the  Farmer. 

"Cranberries." — Inducements  and  directions  for 
cultivating  this  fruit. 

"Evergreen  Sweet  Corn." — A  recommendation 


of,  and  directions  for  raising  it,  &c.,  by  E.  P.  Wal- 
ton, Montpelier,  Vt.,  who  has  seed  for  sale,  at  50 
cents  per  quart ! 

"Carrots  for  Horses^* — "To  Kill  Lice  onCattle." 

"New  England  Farmer." — A  glance  at  articles 
in  first  half  of  January  number. 

"Thorn  and  Quince  Stochs  for  Pears." — Rea- 
sons for  preferring  the  quince. 

"Bloodgood  and  Rosliezer  Pears"  recommended, 
with  outlines  of  each. 

''Remedy  for  Choked  Cattle,"  mth  cuts  of  the 
simple  appparatus  recommended. 

Shorter  Articles,  on  Raising  Celery — A  new  Ap- 
ple— Large  Tree — Large  Hogs — Use  of  Guano — 
How  to  make  Hard  Water  Soft — A  Mild  Winter — 
Splendid  Pear— At  Home  a^ain— Large  Steer- 
Lime — County  Exhibitions, lb53 — Clover  Seedfor 
an  acre — Poetry,  &c.,  with  articles  in  the  Ladies' 
and  Boys'  Departments,  advertisements  and  index, 
conclude  our  bill  of  fiire  for  the  feast  of  March, 


GUANO. 

Of  natural  guano,  the  following  is  the  result  of 
an  analysis  made  by  Voeckl,  and  published  in  1841 
in  the  "Bulletin  Universalle  tie  Geneve." 

Urate  of  ammonia 9.6 

Oxalate  of  ammonia 10.6 

Oxalate  of  lime 7.0 

Phosphate  of  ammonia 6.0 

Phosphate  of  ammonia  and  magnesia...   2.6 

Sulphate  of  Potash 5.5 

Sulphate  of  Soda • 3.8 

Muriate  of  ammonia..... 4.2 

Phosphate  of  lime  14.3 

Clay  and  sand 4.7 

Undetermined  and  organic  matters,  (|  of  which  is  so- 
luble in  water,)  and  water  with  traces  of  soluble 
salts  of  iron 32.3 

100. 
Of  this  "undetermined  or ga7uc  matter,"  neither 
Liebig  nor  Vanguelin  make  any  mention.  In  con- 
sequence of  the  very  decided  demonstrations  by 
the  farming  community  in  favor  of  this  fertilizer, 
and  the  anticipated  failure  of  the  natural  supply, 
chemists  have  succeeded  in  compounding  a  sub- 
stance which  is  said,  by  those  who  have  tried  it 
on  various  crops,  to  possess  nearly  if  not  quite  the 
same  virtues  as  the  natural  guano. 


For  ike  New  England  Farmer^ 
MUSIC  OF  THE  CORN  SHELLER,. 

Messrs.  Editors. — I  have  usually  got  out  my 
corn  by  shelling  by  hand,  {a  slow  process.)  Last 
fall,  I  purchased  a  corn  sheller,  and  have  used  it 
thus  far  through  the  winter,  and  I  am  well  pleased 
with  it ;  not  only  on  account  of  the  dispatch  of 
business,  but  for  the  effect  of  the  music  it  creates 
when  in  operation.  I  have  been  much  troubled 
for  years  past,  by  rats  and  mice  in  my  corn  house 
destroying  the  corn-,  and  it  seemed  almost  impos- 
sible to  keep  them  out  of  the  house  ;  but  since  I 
have  used  the  sheller,  which  is  placed  in  my  corn 
house,  I  have  not  discovered  a  rat,  or  the  mark  of 
one,  in  the  house.  In  case  it  will  have  a  similar 
effect  in  ottvii  i^laces,  I  would  advise  all  my  broth- 
er farmers,  who  have  not  got  a  sheller,  to  pur-, 
chase  one  without  delay.  F.  KylEi 

Chester  Village,  1853. 


156 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


April 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

NEW  ENGLAND  HOUSEWIVES. 

The  following  literary  curiosity  is  from  the 
Southern  Planter,  published  at  Richmond  Va.,  and 
is  worthy  of  the  attention  of  our  readers,  as  well 
for  the  peculiar  force  of  its  logic,  as  for  its  enlarged 
views  of  the  rights  of  man,  and  the  true  position 
of  woman.  A  few  passages  are  put  in  italics,  that 
they  may  be  the  more  readily  referred  to. 

NEW  ENGLAND  HOUSEWIVES. 

Many  a  time  liav»we  heard  the  matrons  iil' Virginia  bemoan 
tlieir  Ini.  Tlie  ordinary  troubles  of  a  family  are  to  them  ag,- 
gravated  by  what  they  think  the  hard  res|ionsibiIilies  of  their 
conditioii  in  the  midst  of  slaves,  whose  labors  in  many  cases 
they  must  direct,  whose  well  being  it  i.s  at  all  times  a  part  of 
their  duly  to  consult,  and  whose  comfort  in  sickness,  in  infan- 
cy and  in  age,  it  is,  or  ought  to  be  their  special  province  to 
provide  for.  We  have  never  sympathized  with  their  repin- 
ings,  because  we  have  always  thought  that  such  labors  were 
good  for  them — that  slavery  had  done  them  a  decided  benefit 
ir^  liivins  them  something  to  do;  and  that  something  equally 
well  calculated  to  employ  their  hands  and  to  engage  their 
hearLs.  We  have  always  regarded  it  as  one,  and  by  no  means 
the  least,  of  the  blessings  which  ive  ascribe  to  slavery,  and 
which  makes  us  love  the  word,  that  it  compels  us,  by  interest, 
if  yon  choose,  to  dispense  the  charities  of  life  with  no  niggard 
hand,  and  to  contribute  so  much  of  the  poor  rates  without  niu 
aicipal  requirement. 

VVe  have  sometimes  heard  these  ladies  compare  their  stale 
with  the  imaginary  comfort  of  free-soil  dames,  and,  from  mere 
weariness  of  spirit,  wish  themselves  surrounded  by  the  same 
circumstances  of  ease,  comfort,  and  e.vemption  from  domestic 
care.  We  have  combated  this  notion  with  them,  have  repre 
senled  to  them  their  superiority  in  the  very  particulars  which 
formed  the  topics  of  their  disparagement,  and  have  exhorted 
them  to  patience  and  thankfulness.  Of  late  we  have  been 
aided  in  these  views  by  the  two  novels  of  a  very  charmin^ 
writer,  and  have  shown  them  how,  both  in  Q,ueechv  and  The 
Wide,  Wide  World,  the  authoress,  having  by  her  pictures 
of  New  England  Rural  Manners,  shown  its  unfitness  for  the 
abode  of  the  highest  female  refinement,  has,  in  each  case, 
translated  tier  heroines  to  England  in  order  that  they  might 
continue  to  maintain  the  highest  graces  of  country  life.  Still 
our  friends  have  been  incredulous.  These  were  but  novel  , 
they  said,  and  the  lady  that  wrote  them,  charming  as  she  was^ 
and  no  doubt  sincere,  filled  too  with  the  most  beautiful  sense 
of  propriety,  and  refined  to  the  utmost  tension  of  female  del 
cacy,  was  yet  rather  high  strung,  and  may  have  pushed  her 
fastidious  imagination  into  matters  of  fact.  But  what  can  be 
said,  when,  (as  in  the  following  extracts  from  the  address  of 
Mr.  FRiiNCH,  associate  editor  of  the  New  England  Farmer 
from  which  paper  we  have  taken  it,  an  address  accredited  to 
us  by  ihe  regular  editor  as  one  of  the  three  best  that  he  had 
ever  seen,)  "the  peculiar  station  which  woman  occupies  in 
New  England  society"  is  made  the  subject  of  stringent  com- 
ment in  a  public  speech.  We  shall  not  attempt  to  add  one 
touch  to  this  picture  by  a  native  limner,  familiar  with  the 
scene  he  paints,  and  endorsed  for  accuracy  by  one  of  the  lead- 
ing agricultural  journals  of  his  section.  We  offer  this  picture 
to  the  contemplation  of  our  lady  readers.  It  is  not  of  our 
drawing.  Let  them  ponder  it— let  them  consider  that  "o  tna- 
jorily  of  the  wives  of  respectable  New  England  farmers 
aye,  and  of  men  of  all  other  classes,"  in  the  country,  are  ex- 
pected by  their  husbands  "«o  be  at  the  same  tiine  cook  and 
chambermaid,  lady  and  serving  girl,  nurse  and  se?npstress 
and  governess,  laundress  and  dairytnaid;"  and  then  let  then 
ask  themselves,  first,  if  they  would  change  places  with  tht 
New  England  matron.'  and  .second,  if  <A«/r  husb.mds  would 
impose  as  much  Inbor  on  four  slaves  as  ihe  men  of  New  Eng- 
land require  of  one  wife.' 

'be 
moan  their  lot."  They  envy 
North,  "and  wish  themselves  surrounded  by  the 
same  circumstances  of  ease,  comfort,  and  exemption 
from  domestic  care,"  but  he  tells  them  they  are 
ignorant  of  their  true  position,  and  he  has,  even, 
as  he  says,  "combatted  this  notion  with  them"  and 
"exhorted  them  to  patience  and  thankfulness." 

Surely,  the  ladies  of  Virginia,  are  entitled  to  a 
more  respectful  hearing,  than  this  writer  seems 
willing  to  give  them.  I  have  regarded  these 
southern  matrons  as  a  highly  educated,  refined  and 
intelligent  class,  over  whom  the  natural  principles 
of  justice  and  humanity,  and  the  teachings  of  the 

religion  of  Christ,  have  a  controlling  influence an 

influence  too  powerful  to  be  successfully  "combat- 


"The  matrons  of  Virginia,"  says  the  writer, 
lOan   their  lot."     They  envy  the   ladies   of  the 


ted"  by  the  poor  sophistry  of  the  author  of  the 
foregoing  article. 

They  justly  complain  of  the  burdens  which  sla- 
very imposes  on  women.  lie  has  "never  sympa- 
thized with  their  repinings,"  but  has  told  them 
bluntly  that  ^  ^  such  labors  ivcre  good  for  them — that 
slavery  has  done  them  a  decided  beneBt,  in  giving 
them  something  to  do."  His  argument  would 
seem  to  be  correctly  stated,  in  the  following  syllo- 
gism. Labor  is  good  for  them,  slavery  brings  them 
this  labor,  therefore  slavery  is  good  for  them.  A 
most  ingenious  form  of  argument  to  establish  the 
general  proposition,  that  their  condition  is  superi- 
or to  that  of  "Freesoil  Dames,"  because  the  latter 
are  in  a  position  to  labor! 

But,  perhaps,  in  the  peculiar  Mndo?  labor  which 
slavery  imposes  on  southern  ladies  consists  the 
blessing  which  that  "peculiar  institution"  brings 
to  them  ;  the  cae,  for  instance,  of  some  score  or 
two  of  "the  images  of  God  in  ebony,"  "in  sick- 
ness, in  infancy  and  age,"  which,  to  use  again  his 
language,  "refines  to  the  utmost  tension  of  female 
delicacy"  the  character  of  woman  !  No  doubt  the 
nursing  and  watching  over  those,  so  degraded  as 
to  be  unfit  to  take  care  of  each  other — an  office  which 
might  well  engage  the  attention  of  a  Sister  of 
Charity,  or  of  an  angel  from  Heaven,  is,  for  the 
most  part,  faithfully  performed  by  Virginia  ma- 
trons, in  their  households  ;  and  this,  surely,  is  a 
mission  beyond  the  reach  of  Northern  ladies,  ex- 
cept, perhaps,  the  matrons  of  our  almshouses  and 
hospitals. 

But  that  Southern  ladies  should  regard  such  a 
necessity,  however  salutary  its  discipline,  as  "a 
hard  responsibility,"  and  a  burden  peculiar  to 
themselves,  shows  their  just  appreciation  of  their 
position. 

The  Planter  invites  a  comparison  between  the 
position  of  woman  at  the  North  and  South.  We 
have  enough  at  home  to  engage  our  attention, 
and  need  not  to  be  reminded  that  our  state  of  so- 
ciety is  imperfect — that  we  have  wrongs  to  be 
righted,  and  sins  to  be  repented  of,  and  unless 
challenged  to  do  so,  have  no  desire  to  institute 
comparisons  between  our  condition  and  that  of  our 
Southern  neighbors. 

Personally,  I  am  identified  with  no  abolition  or 
freesoil  party,  but  have  the  feeling  of  every  true 
man  at  the  North  on  this  subject,  and  if  I  have 
ever  said,  or  thought,  or  done  anything  that  may 
be  fairly  construed  into  a  justification,  excuse  or 
apology  for  slavery,  except  as  a  mei-e  temporary 
necessity,  I  humbly  desire  to  repent  of  that  trans- 
gression. If  I  have  said,  that  the  condition  of 
woman  is  hard  at  the  North,  I  have  never  said,  for 
I  have  never  thought,  that  it  was  more  desirable 
at  the  South. 

Without  considering  the  one-half  of  the  sex, 
that  is  bought  and  sold,  and  scourged,  and  every 
way  dishonored,  at  the  will  of  others,  where  slave- 
ry exists,  a  single  glance  at  the  position  of  a 
Southern  lady  as  a  mother,  and  a  teacher  of  her 
children,  vt-ill  be  enough  to  satisfy  Northern  wo- 
men, that  indeed,  the  heart  of  the  Southern  ma- 
tron "knoweth  its  own  bitterness." 

In  the  address,  from  which  the  editor  of  the 
Southern  Planter  has  endeavored  to  deduce  an  ar- 
gument for  slavery,  I  spoke  honestly,  and  earnest- 
ly, to  New  England  men,  of  the  condition  of  New 
England  society,  and  cautioned  them  against  allow- 
ing their  personal  schemes  of  business,  or  amuse- 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


157 


ment,  to  take  such  forms,  as  to  impose  upon  the 
other  sex  an  undue  share  of  life's  burdens  and 
cares.  We  have,  in  this  part  of  New  England, 
neither  hunger,  nor  nakedness,  nor  ignorance,  nor 
slavery.  We  regard  labor  as  respectable  for  all, 
both  men  and  women,  and  I  have  yet  to  learn  that 
the  latter,  whatever  cause  may  exist,  have  com- 
plained that  their  lines  have  not  "fallen  in  pleas- 
ant places;"  or  that  they  envy  the  condition  of 
the  ladies  of  the  South. 

Should  they  do  so,  it  is  hoped  they  may  find  a 
more  courteous  champion  than  the  ladies  of  Vir- 
ginia seem,  so  fruitlessly,  to  have  selected. 

Henry   F.  French. 

Exeter,  N.  H.,  March  14,  1853. 


RYE. 

According  to  some  writers,  rye  was  derived 
originally  froui  Crete.  It  is,  however,  no  doubt, 
a  Hictitious  grain,  like  wheat,  and  other  similar 
pi'oductions.  The  tradition  of  the  Egyptians  as- 
signed its  introduction  among  their  ancestors  to 
the  beneficence  of  one  of  their  principal  deities, 
believing  that  before,  both  wheat  and  rye  were 
found  only  in  the  woods.  In  its  nutritive  proper- 
ties, this  grain  probably  comes  nearer  to  wheat 
than  either  corn  or  barley.  In  Pennsylvania  and 
most  of  the  New  England  States,  rye  is  extensive- 
ly cultivated,  and  where  the  soil  is  well  adapted  to 
it  the  crop  is  generally  found  to  be  lucrative.  It 
requires  a  light,  porous  soil,  with  a  sandy  subsoil. 
In  Russia  and  the  German  States,  rye  is  the  prin- 
cipal bread  corn,  and  in  about  every  country  on 
the  continent,  it  is  cultivated  much  more  exten- 
sively than  wheat.  It  is  there  contemplated  not 
only  as  a  much  more  certain  crop  than  the  latter, 
but  as  demanding  far  less  labor  and  manure.  In 
Great  Britain  and  Wales,  where  this  gi'ain  was 
formerly  grown  in  large  quantities,  its  cultivation 
has  of  late  years  almost  wholly  ceased,  and  in  Ire- 
land and  Scotland  it  at  present  engrosses  much 
less  attention  than  formerly,  and  can  scarcely  be 
enumerated  among  the  bread  grains  of  either  coun- 
try. On  the  pine  plains  land  of  Maine  and  New 
York,  it  is  unquestionably  the  most  certain  and 
lucrative  crop  that  can  be  grown.  Both  the  sum- 
mer and  winter  kinds  do  well  on  such  soil. 


cumstances,  be  cultivated  with  far  more  success 
and  profit,  generally    speaking,    than  any  other 


MILLET. 

This  grain,  where  the  seed  is  the  principal  ob- 
ject, may  be  got  in  any  time  before  July.  We 
have  known  affluent  crops  from  seed  sown  as  late 
as  the  fourth  of  this  month  ;  but  as  a  general  rule, 
the  sowing  ought  not,  perhaps,  to  be  deferred  be- 
yond the  last  week  in  June.  When  hay  is  the 
main  object  of  the  cultivator,  it  must  be  sowed  ear- 
lier. May  is  probably  the  best  time.  Convinced 
as  we  are  of  the  great  value  of  millet  as  a  field 
crop,  we  are  strongly  desirous  of  seeing  it  more 
generally  introduced— and  especially  in  those  sec- 
tions where  there  is  a  large  proportion  of  light, 
warm,  soil,  and  on  which  it  can,  from  various  cir- 


For  the.  New  England  Farmer. 
THE   CHURN. 

Mr.  Editor  :— In  looking  over  the  Feb.  No.  of 
your  valuable  journal,  I  find  an  inquiry  in  relation 
to  the  most  available  churn  for  large  dairies.  As 
you  have  not  definitely  answered  your  correspond- 
ent, J.  R.,  perhaps  through  motives  of  prudence, 
many  SLilesmen  Iiaving  a  direct  interest  in  the 
final  deeisiim  of  this  question,  I  respectfully  sub- 
mit the  result  of  my  experience  in  using  two 
churns  nov,-  in  my  possession.  I  have  used  a  com- 
mon crank  or  flat  churn  nine  years  in  my  dairy  of 
forty  cows.  It  is  an  upright  bos,  the  arms  or 
floats  occupying  the  lower  portico,  with  a  flat  lid 
on  the  top.  By  using  this  churn,  which  has  much 
space  within,  above  the  floats  which  never  break 
all  of  the  cream,  I  have  lost  nearly  one  pound  of 
butter  in  every  twenty  produced  in  it  during  the 
nine  years  I  have  used  it.  Feeling  most  sensibly, 
the  loss  I  was  sustaining  in  this  way,  a  little  over 
a  year  ago  I  caused  a  barrel  rotary  churn  to  be 
built  for  my  dairy.  It  is  a  small  cask  fourteen 
inches  by  twenty-two,  turns  or  rotates  around  a 
stationary  bar  placed  in  the  upper  portion  of  the 
interior  space  ;  and  is  provided  with  an  apparatus 
for  tempering  the  fluid  by  cold  or  warm  water 
when  necessary,  which  can  be  passed  throughout 
the  centre  of  the  barrel  before  and  during  the 
operation  of  churning.  This  size  will  produce 
from  twenty  to  thirty-five  pounds  of  butter,  and 
is  sufficient  for  my  dairy  of  under  sixty  cows. — 
One  hundred  pounds  of  butter  can  be  produced  in 
it  from  thick  sour  cream  at  three  churnings  in 
less  than  one  hour. 

The  Excelsior  Churn  appears  to  fill  a  place  in 
large  dairies,  which  the  old  dash  churn,  to  say  no- 
thing of  the  various  patent  churns,  many  of  which 
are  great  fiivorites  in  the  dairy, have  not  occupied. 
A  practical  test  has  demonstrated  to  all  persons 
who  have  witnessed  its  operation  that  it  works  ea- 
sily, makes  no  ivasie,  and  produces  the  finest  qual- 
ity of  butter.  Its  cheap  and  effective  tempering 
apparaus  enables  the  dairyman  to  apply  the  wa- 
ter of  his  well  or  fountain  to  the  centre  of  the  bar- 
rel, which  desideratum  could  never  be  attained  in 
the  old  dash  churn.  The  illustration  and  descrip- 
tion recently  published  in  the  Farmer,  is  designed 
to  awaken  inquiry, and  to  shew  dairyman  at  a  glance 
the  result  of  my  humble  efforts  to  avoid  or  save  the 
waste  of  the  churn.  Wide  fields,  rich  feed,  and  the 
best  selected  cows,  fail  to  shew  an  increase  in  the 
ordinary  product  of  the  dairy,  where  an  imperfect 
churn  is  daily  wasting  or  turning  small  portions  of 
rich  cream  to  the  '■'■barrel,''''  instead  of  the  firkin. 
Query — which  is  the  most  profitable,  to  churn 
new  milk,  or  milk  and  cream  together  when  sour  ; 
or  cream  only  taken  from  sour  milk  ? 

Geo.  B.  Clarke. 

Leonardsville,  Madison  Co.,N.  Y.  March,  1853. 


To  Prevent  ^Iildew. — Mildew  is  one  of  the 
greatest  pests  of  green-houses  and  all  sorts  of  plant 
structures.  The  following  remedy  has  been  tried 
in  the  houses  of  the  London  Horticultural  Society, 
and  it  is  thought  will  prove  efficacious  :  "Sulphur 
and   unslaked"  lime   put   into  a  tub  of  water,  in 


158 


J!9EW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Afrtl 


which  they  are  quickly  and  intimately  mixed,  and 
the  trees  and  plants  sj-ringed  with  the  clear  liquid 
after  these  substances  have  settled  at  the  bot- 
tom. 

For  the  New  Ens^land  Farmer. 
RURAL  PLEASURES. 

ifherc  is,  perhaps,  no  situation  in  life  which 
affords  greater  facilities  for  enjoyment,  than  that 
of  the  husbandman.  Exempt  firom  the  many  cares 
which  throng  the  pathway  of  the  professional 
man,  the  farmer  finds  ample  opportunity  to  culti- 
vate his  mind  and  expand  his  intellect,  and  even 
whila..  engaged  in  labor,  may  still  be  a  learner 
from  the  great  book  of  Nature.  As  the  plow- 
share turns  the  sods,  his  eye  wanders  over  the  rich 
landscape,  and,  in  the  meandering  streams,  the 
wood-crowned  hills  and  smiling  vales,  he  traces 
the  finger  of  God.  The  glory  of  the  spring-time 
is  not  by  him  unheeded.  He  sees  with  delight 
the  delicate  verdure,  mantling  in  beauty  the  awak- 
ening earth — he  views  with  pleasure  the  fair  pet- 
als of  innumerable  blossoms  as  they  unfold  to  the 
genial  sunbeams,  and  he  feels  upon  his  cheek,  the 
soft  breeze  which  is  laden  with  their  balmy  per- 
fume. Fur  him,  the  minstrels  of  heaven  have  a 
song  of  joy,  and  all  nature  seems  hymning  an  an- 
them of  praise.  Gladly  the  farmer  greets  the 
spring-time,  and  witli  a  light  heart  prepares  his 
fields,  and  sows  the  tiny  seed,  which  will  yet  yield 
a  glorious  autumn  offering.  No  feverish  escita- 
raent  disturbs  his  placid  life — no  wild  dreams  of 
fame  and  glory — no  ambitious  schemes,  whose 
bright  hopes  gleam  for  a  space^  then  fade  in  dark- 
ness away.  His  course  is  before  him — simple  and 
plain — peace  and  contentment  are  the  inmates  of 
his  breast.  Day  after  day  beholds  him  at  his 
healthful  toil,  and  fortune  smiles  upon  him.  His 
table  boasts  few  foreign  luxuries,  but  fair  plenty  is 
ever  there,  and  the  viands  produced  by  his  own 
care  are  partaken  of  with  a  relish  which  the  epi- 
cure might  envy.  Home  is  to  the  husbandman  a 
delightful  spot.  Care  flees  from  his  fireside  and 
the  evening  hours  are  spent  in  calm  converse  or 
innocent  glee.  When  night's  sombre  curtains, 
enfold  the  earth,  he  finds  a  sweet  repose,  for  toil 
has  lent  "a  blissful  zest  to  slumber."  How  many 
young  men  who  now  forsake  their  rural  homes, 
and  seek  the  crowded  city,  would  escape  the 
snares  of  the  tempter  and  shun  the  cup  of  sorrow, 
if  they  remained  upon  the  peaceful  farms  of  their 
fathers.  e.  c.  l. 

Lebanon,  Ct. 

The  American  Crab  Apple.— The  American 
Crab  apple  is  found  in  the  Southern  and  Middle 
Atlantic  States  and  as  far  North  as  New  York  : 
and  at  the  west  as  far  north  as  Wisconsin.  When 
in  bloom  we  have  found  the  forest  for  a  consider- 
able distance  delightfully  perfumed  by  a  single 
wild  tree  ; — decidedly  the  finest  perfume  to  be 
found  among  American  Trees  and  Shrubs,  so  far 
as  we  know.  AVe  should  prefer  it  decidedly,  as 
an  ornamental  tree,  to  the  common  Siberian  Crab  : 
and,  as  it  grows  in  about  our  latitude  at  the  West, 
should  suppose  that  it  might  be  introduced  here. 
We  are  prompted  to  this  notice  by  seeing  the 
fruit  figured  in  the  New  England  Farmer.  Why 
is  it  not  found  on  any  of  our  nursery  catalogues? 
Anonymoxis. 


From  the  New  England  Farmer. 
SOUTHERN  SPRING. 

[Extract  of  a  letter  liatei)  Columbia,  S.  C,  March  5,  1853.] 

Dear  Sir  :  —  The  spring  is  not  a  forward  one 
here ;  the  plums,  poaches  and  straw^jerries  are  in 
blossom,  still  the  weather  is  cool.  The  planters 
are  about  planting  tlieir  corn  ;  some  fields  are  al- 
ready planted,  and  many  others  will  be  the  com- 
ing week.  The  trees  are  beginning  to  put  out 
their  young  leaves,  and  in  a  week  or  two  we  shall 
have  spring  in  earnest.  To-day  we  have  had  quite 
a  snow  storm,  which  lasted  several  hours,  (the 
first  snow  this  season,)  but  it  soon  disappeared. 

I  am  glad  that  the  good  work  of  progress  goes 
bravely  on  with  you  in  the  old  Bay  State.  I  hope 
that  old  Middlesex  will  not  falter  in  her  onward 
course,  but  will  keep  up  with  the  times,  and  offer 
such  inducements  to  her  noble  sons  as  to  secure 
their  best  efforts  for  improvement  in  every  branch 
of  agricultural  science,  and  in  everything  connect- 
ed with  mother  earth. 

Yours  truly,  Solon  Dike, 

Remarks. — We  received  the  above  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  15th,  and  the  night  previous  ice  made 
half  an  inch  thick  in  our  dwelling,  and  the  wind 
blew  what  the  sailors  call  half  a  gale.  The  roads, 
which  were  all  mud  when  the  wind  began,  were 
soon  "stiff  as  the  ribs  of  death,"  in  all  their  rough 
ugliness,  and  whe-u-uu,  how  every  thing  cracked 
again  I 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
PLOWS. 

To  the  former  who  tills  but  few  acres  it  is  quite 
an  event  to  get  a  new  plow.  If  he  gets  the  right 
one,  he  may  follow  it  a  score  of  years  rejoicing  in 
its  good  works.  If  the  wrong  one,  he  may  endure 
it  with  vexation  much  longer  than  he  ought.  In 
short,  it  is  a  time  well  worthy  of  a  confab  with 
friends  and  neighbors  ;  so  I  take  the  liberty  to 
write  to  my  friend  the  editor.  The  plow  now 
wanted,  is  a  plow  for  "old  land,"  as  we  fiirmers 
call  it,  that  is,  land  that  was  planted  last  year. — 
Our  Agricultural  Societies  seem  to  have  strangely 
neglected  this  part  of  the  plowing  business,  and 
in  consequence  or  not  in  consequence,  the  improve- 
ments in  pilows  for  this  work  seem  to  have  pro- 
gressed somewhat  in  the  style  of  the  truant's  jour- 
ney to  school  that  slippery  morn,  viz.,  two  steps 
back  and  one  forward. 

The  improved  plow  described  by  Mr.  Ilolbrook 
two  years  since  may  be  just  the  thing  want- 
ed (though  I  am  afraid  it  is  more  the  thing  for 
light,  pliable  soils  than  for  our  stiff,  stony  lands) 
but  otherwise  I  think  there  has  been  no  plow 
made  for  old  land  equal  to  the  old-fashioned  iron 
plows  made  twenty  or  thirty  years  ago — sliort, 
wide  behind  and  liigh  beam.  I  recollect  one  of 
that  pattern,  I  often  held  when  a  boy;  there  was 
no  maker's  name  on  it,  but  "Boston  Iron  Co.,"  on 
the  casting,  and  in  truth  it  was  rather  an  awk- 
ward looking  concern,  but  out  in  the  last  year's 
corn  and  potato  field,  it  did  its  work  up  in  a  style 
hard  to  be  improved.  Throwing  the  soil  aside 
with  a  clean  furrow — seldom  or  never  clogging — 
not  easily  thrown  out  of  its  true  path  by  every 
malicious  pebble  lying  in  ambush,  but  burying  the 
litter  and  manure  all  under  and  leaving  the  plowed 


1853, 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


159 


land  nearly  as  smooth  as  if  harrowed.  My  pres- 
ent plow,  purchased  of  a  fomoiis  Boston  establish- 
ment six  years  since,  and  having  twenty  years 
improvements  on  it  since  the  old  one,  is  lonjj;  and 
narrow  and  the  beam  low.  It  takes  the  soil  up 
gingerly  and  tenderly  as  if  afraid  of  disarranging 
a  particle  ;  part  of  it  remains  up  in  the  shape  of 
a  little  ridge  and  part  rolls  back  in  the  furrow.  If 
there  is  much  litter  or  course  manure  it  clogs,  and 
like  all  lazy  plows  that  I  have  held,  is  thrown  in- 
to fits  at  sight  of  a  pebble.  In  short,  to  work 
with  it,  is  a  bore  to  any  man  who  wishes  to  do  his 
work  with  a  contented  mind  and  a  clear ^  con- 
ecience;  I  threw  it  aside  last  spring,  and  did  all 
my  work  with  a  sod  plow.  But  let  us  come  to 
the  point.  I  think  of  making  another  sally  among 
the  plow-makers  this  spring,  and  I  wish  to  know 
if  any  of  the  old  sort  are  yet  in  the  market  ?  If 
80, 1  shall  be  tempted  lo  give  all  improvements  the 
cold  shoulder  and  grasp  my  old  friend  heartily. 
By  the  humble  Bachblok- 

Marck  1,  1853. 

Remarks.— If  "Bachelor"  will  call  at  the  Agri- 
cultural Warehouse,  Quincy  Hall,  we  believe  he 
may  be  accommodated  to  any  kind  of  a  plow  he 
desires. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
SHELL  LIME. 

Simon  Brown,  Esq  : — I  noticed  in  a  late  number 
of  the  New  England  Farmei-  an  advertisement  in 
reference  to  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  shell  lime 
with  a  recipe  for  its  use  in  agriculture,  which  I 
think  promises  well  to  the  Farmer ;  displaying  the 
provident  munificence  of  nature  and  its  readiness 
to  reward  the  hand  of  industry  as  applied  in  agri- 
<;ulture,  one  of  the  noblest  and  most  favorable  em- 
ployments.    The  following  is  the  recipe — vrzj: 

Take  four  barrels  of  lime  to  one  bushel  of  salt, 
•and  one  cord  of  mud  or  peat  with  one  bushel  of 
■common  salt.  Dissolve  the  salt  in  water;  with 
this  solution  slake  the  lime,  and  mis  this  compound 
with  the  mud.  The  result  of  this  may  be  explained 
In  the  follovi'ing  manner.  Tlie  salt  is  decomposed, 
its  acid  passes  to  the  lime,  forming  muriate  of 
•lime,  and  leaving  caustic  soda  in  the  mixture, 
which  causes  decomposition  in  the  mud  and  the 
air,  winch  is  known  to  pervade  and  fill  light  por- 
ous substances.  This  arrangement  furnishes  the 
presence  of  elements,  which  form  a  valuable  and 
highly  fertilizing  compound.  These  are  brought 
into  commingled  action  the  carbon  and  elements 
of  the  geine,  the  oxygen,  the  hydrogen  and  the  ni- 
trogen of  the  air  and  the  water,  and  new  com- 
pounds are  formed.  The  caustic  soda  renders  so- 
luble the  peat — carbonic  acid  is  evolved — nitrogen, 
hydrogen  and  oxygen  form  nitric  acid  and  ammo- 
nia. That  which  is  now  muriate  of  lime  becomes 
carbonate  of  lime.  The  muriatic  acid  repasses  to 
the  soda,  re-forming  common  salt.  When  the  ac- 
tion has  ceased,  there  is  nitrate  of  ammonia,  car- 
bonate of  lime,  and  common  salt,  with  soluble 
geine.  When  applied  to  the  soil  and  growing 
plants,  the  nitrate  may  all  bo  transformed  into 
vegetable  lifej  the  other  salts,  besides  contribut- 
ing to  the  formation  of  the  plant,  are  ready  to  de- 
compose the  elements  of  the  soil,  and  render  it 
more  rich  in  nutricious  substance.  Thus  it  will 
he  seen  that  nature  is  in  readiness  to  contribute  a 


rich  reward  to  the  industry  of  agriculture,  and  the 
fiirmer  will  be  wise  to  regard  her  intimations. 

The  compound  would  be  improved  by  the  addi- 
tion of  ashes ;  but  it  is  highly  valuable  without 
this  addition,  and  forms  a  cheap  ccanomical,  and 
certainly  a  highly  valuable  fertilizer. 

BowEN  Barkek. 

Hanson,  1853. 

Fer  the  New  England  Farmer. 
CELERY. 

Mr.  Editor: — One  word  more  about  celery.  It 
will  soon  be  time  to  sow  for  celery  that  is  to_b8 
dug  in  the  fall ;  and  it  seems  to  me  to  be  «ry  im- 
portant that  all  who  intend  to  raise,  this  article 
should  get  the  ri<rht  kind,  for  it  costs  no  more  to 
raise  a  good  variety,  than  it  does  a  fonr  one;  and 
to  those  who  have'not  been  in  the  habit  of  raising 
celery,  and  intend  to  this  year,  I  would  say,  when 
you  go  to  buy  your  seed  ask  for  "Seymjur's,"  or 
"Seymour's  Superb,"  as  it  is  sometimes  called.  I 
think  there  is  nothing  better  than  this.  I  raised 
two  kinds  last  year,  and  all  who  tried  them  pro- 
nounced "Seymour's"  the  best ;  sometimes  I  have 
bought  what"  is  called,  "White  Solid,"  but  this  is 
a  great  misnomer,  for  it  is  as  hollow  as  a  pumpkin 
stalk,  and  not  much  better  for  eating;  it  has 
proved  so  with  me  for  several  years.  Seymour's 
are  both  white  and  solid,  as  well  as  good  flavored. 
Winter  celery  should  not  be  sown  until  the  last  of 
May  or  first  of  June.  If  any  of  your  subscribers 
know  of  any  better  kind  of  celery  "than  that  which 
I  have  recommended,  I  should  like  to  have  them 
tell  us  what  it  \s.  J.  f.  c.  h. 

Nevjten  Centre^  March  Mlh,  1853. 


EXTRACTS  AND  REPLIES. 

To  S.  W.  Jr.,  North  Wayne,  Me.  What  is  the 
best  food  to  keep  hens  on,  and  will  it  answer  to 
keep  them  in  a  building  which  is  partly  under 
ground  1 

Corn,  barley,  oats,  wheat,  potatoes  boiled  and 
mixed  with  meal,  bits  of  fresh  meat  and  scraps 
occasionally,  and  cob  meal,  scalded  in  winter,  are 
all  excellent  for  fowls.  All  of  them  may  not  be 
necessary,  though  they  like  a  variety  of  food. — 
To  this  must  be  added,  always,  access  to  gravel ; 
and  if  they  can  have  lime-mortar,  old  bones, 
broken  and  pounded  oyster-shells,  they  will  like  it 
so  much  the  better.  AH  this,  however,  will  fail 
to  make  them  profitable  layers  unless  you  furnish 
them  with  a  warm,  dry  place,  for  shelter.  They 
dislike  cold  and  snow.  If  the  shelter  is  dry  and 
warm,  admitting  the  sun  through  the  middle  of 
the  day,  it  will  not  be  disagreeable  to  the  fowls, 
even  though  partly  under  ground.  We  have  kept 
30  hens  through  the  winter,  and  average  one  doz- 
en eggs  each  day,  and  consider  that  the  hens  do 
all  that  ought  to  be  required  of  them,  when  it  is 
taken  into  account  that  there  is  constantly  from 
three  to  five  hens  out  of  the  30,  all  the  time  cluck- 
ing and  wishing  to  sit.  Indeed,  this  propensity  to 
sit  is  the  greatest  trouble  we  have  with  fowla. 
Our  hens  gave  the  same  product  through  the  win- 


160 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Apkil 


ter  of  1852,  aHhough  the  weather  was  extremely 
col  J. 

We  are  really  obliged  to  S.  W.,  Jr. ,  for  his  good 
opinion  of  the  Farmer,  and  will  endeavor  to  con- 
tinue it  whit  lie  a  lys  it  is  now  : — "a  plain,  com- 
mon-sense pafier,  and  such  as  evcFy  farmer  ought 
to  take." 

To  W.  B.  W.,  Gilford,  N.  II.  Your  letter  was 
mislaid,  or  it  would  have  been  noticed  sooner. 
Every  churn  that  comes  to  us  is  recommended  as 
the  cheapest  and  best.  For  a  dairy  of  six  or  eiglit 
cows  \\,G  have  found  nothing  better  than  the  com- 
mon thermometer  churn.  But  then  we  have  nev- 
er used  Wilhird's,  Davis',  Clarke's,  and  many  oth- 
ers that  are  said  to  be  g^jod.  The  quotations  in 
our  price  current  list  are  corrected  weekly  by  the 
dealers  themselves,  and  the  jwices  do  not  vary  ma- 
terially among  them.  Shorts  have  ranged  consid- 
erably higher  than  quoted  at  the  date  of  your  let- 
ter. 

To  B.  F.  R.,  Freehold,  N.  /.—-An  acre  would  be 
quite  small  enough  for  the  range  of  200  fowls,  and 
if  it  were  Jice  it  would  be  better.  There  should 
be  plenty  of  v/ator,  and  shade — a  running  stream 
is  desirable.  AVe  do  not  think  a  building  of  any 
size  would  be  too  large,  providing  it  had  a  tight 
sunny  corner  for  winter  use.  Build  as  large  as 
you  can  afford.  No  part  of  form  stock  suffers  more 
from  being  crowded  than  our  domestic  fowls.  We 
have  never  known  them  profitable  where  they  were 
in  large  numbers  and  crowded.  We  have  the  plan 
of  a  building  for  fowls  now  in  progress,  which  will 
be  given  soon.  If  you  are  near  a  city  or  village, 
where  "swill"  can  be  collected,  you  will  find  it  ex- 
cellent in  such  a  collection  of  fowls. 

To  J.  W.,  North  Springfield,  7/.— "Can  guano 
be  used  profitably  in  raising  eorn^"  Yes,  but  we 
would  not  spread  manure  on  the  sward  and  turn 
it  under,  as  your  practice  seems  to  be  ;  because  if 
the  plowing  is  done  well,  the  nmnure  will  be  un- 
der the  surface  some  G  to  10  inches.  Is  not  that 
the  reason  of  your  corn  "invariably  looking  pale?" 
How  will  this  plan  answer  : — Just  before  you  wish 
to  plant,  turn  over  the  sward,  (already  covered 
with  a  green  crop,)  to  the  depth  of  8  or  10  inches, 
spread  the  manure  bro;idcast  and  work  it  in  well 
with  the  cultivatiir.  Then,  after  furrowing,  drop 
a  handful  of  guano  mixed  with  old  muck  or  loam, 
into  the  liills?  You  then  have  the  guano  to  give 
the  plants  t'leir  early  support,  wliile  the  broadcast 
manure  v.'ill  gradually  decompose  and  feed  the 
roots  as  they  scritch  away  in  search  of  sustenance. 
The  applieatir.n  yuu  make  of  two  parts  ashes  and 
one  of  plaster,  is  capital. 

The  Potato  Disease. — We  have  liad  on  our  ta- 
ble for  some  weeks  a  long  report  on  this  subject, 
from  a  committee  of  the  New  York  Assembly,  and 
also  two  or  three  long  newspaper  articles  on  the 
same  subject,  by  Cuaunci'  S.  Goodrich,  Avho  claims 


I  to  have  found  a  remedy  for  the  disease.  He  thinks^ 
the  disease  occi^sioned  by  climatic  influences,  and 
that  the  remedy  must  be  the  repeated  reproduc- 
tion of  the  potato  from  the  seed  balls.  In  the 
present  crowded  state  of  our  columns,  we  have  no 
room  for  extracts. 

To  E.  A.,  Providence,  R.  I. — The  plan  of  feed- 
ing bees,  given  below,  Mr.  A.  says  he  has  tried 
and  found  to  work  well. 

"Take  of  cheap  West  India  honey  1  gal.,  10  lbs. 
of  white  coffee  sugar  and  2  qts.  water  ;  heat  it  all 
over  the  fire  until  it  begins  to  boil,  skim  it,  and 
when  cool  it  ia  ready  for  use.  Feed  in  a  wood- 
en trough,  or  tin  pan,  with  perpendicular  sides, 
with  a  float  on  the  feed  ;  the  float  is  made  of  wood, 
an  eighth  of  an  inch  thick,  just  large  enough  to  fit 
the  inside  of  the  tin  pan  or  wooden  bos,  and  have 
it  play  up  and  down  easily.  Fill  the  float  with 
small  holes  by  first  making  holes  with  a  brad  awl, 
then  burn  them  out  with  a  hot  iron  made  for  the 
purpose,  but  not  so  large  as  to  admit  a  l^ee.  Keep 
the  feed  in  a  eool  place  when  not  in  use.  Bees 
can  be  fed  in  this  manner  with  the  utmost  ease, 
and  in  any  kind  of  hive,  either  inside  or  out." 

To  J.  J.  J.,  V/cllsboro\  Pa.— Will  send  grafts 
of  the  Hunt  Russet  aa  requested — cannot  obtain 
the  pear. 

A  Reader,  Taunton  Ms. — We  should  graft  the 
pear  tree  you  speak  of  with  the  Bartlett,  as  it  does 
well  on  old  trees,  and  will  return  you  a  crop  in 
three  or  four  years.  The  Ticar  of  VVinkfield  is 
not  a  first  rate  fruit,  but  is  hardy  and  produc- 
tive. 

To  C.  H.  R.,  N ,  N.  i/.— You  need  a  rich, 

moist  loam,  for  strawlserries — the  deeper  you  dig 
it  the  better.  Any  good  manure  is  suitable,  lib- 
erally applied  and  well  spaded  in.  Set  the  plants 
in  April,  when  they  have  started,  so  that  you  can 
see  which  are  the  vigorous  ones.  Set  them  in 
rows  three  feet  apart,  and  one  foot  apart  in  the 
row.  IIovey"s  Seedling,  Boston  Pine,  and  Early 
Virginia,  are  perhaps,  as  good  as  any.  When  the 
plants  are  well  up,  an  occasional  sprinkling  of  gu- 
ano water,  say  one  or  two  quarts  of  guano  to  a 
barrel  of  rain  or  river  water,  if  it  is  convenient,  will 
have  a  wonderful  effect  on  them.  For  further 
particulars,  see  the  3d  vol.  of  the  Neio  England 
Farmer. 

To.  L.  T.,  Sutton,  Ms. — Guano  should  not  be 
suffered  to  take  the  place  of  manure  which  may  be 
made  from  the  natural  resources  of  the  farm.  But 
as  an  adjunct,  something  to  aid  in  restoring  lands 
too  far  from  home  to  cart  manure  to,  or  where  it 
is  found  desirable  to  renova-te  old  pastures,  guano 
will  come  in  as  a  capital  auxiliary.  So  it  may  be 
profitably  used  in  gardens,  particularly  in  liquid 
form. 

There  are  different  qualities  of  guano — the  Pe- 
ruvian is  considered  the  best.  The  price  is  now 
$50  a  ton.  It  may  be  found  at  Quincy  Hall,  Bos- 
ton. 


^5S. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


161 


FO  DICING  VEGETATION— HOT-BED, 

We  have  compiied  the  above  isode  fyf  manage- 
ment from  ScuENic's  Garbkner's  Text-Book,  pub- 
lished by  J.  P.  Jewett  &  Co.,  17  Cornhill,  Boston, 
which  may  be  referred  to  for  more  particulars  on 
the  subject.  Those  unacquainted  with  the  meth- 
ods of  forcing  in  hot-beds,  will,  of  course,  proceed 
carefully,  step  by  step,  by  making  such  inquiries 
as  will  assist  them  in  the  work. 

Forcin;;  is  the  art  of  accelerating  the  growth  of 
plants,  by  the  warmth  afforded  by  certain  ferment- 
ing substances,  so  as  to  obtain  vegetables  at  unu- 
sual seasons  of  the  year.  The  practice  appears  to 
be  as  old  as  the  time  of  the  Romans.  We  consider 
its  chief  value  to  be  in  raising  young  plants  for 
removal  to  the  opeu  ground  in  spring. 

In  American  gardens,  forcing  under  glass  is 
generally  conduotei  in  frames  and  pits.  There  are 
several  substances  employed  in  obtaining  tliis  ar- 
tificial heat,  such  as  tanner's  bark,  leaves  and 
grass,  but  the  fresh  dung  of  well-fed~  animals  is 
generally  preferred. 

The  first  object  is  to  get  rid  of  the  violent  heat 
and  rank  vapor  produced  when  fermentation  is 
most  ^powerful.  For  this  purpose,  a  certain  de- 
gree of  moisture  and  air  is  necessary;  and,  there- 
fore, it  will  be  the  gardener's  business  to  place  the 
dung  in  a  conical-shaped  heap  near  the  place  where 
wanted  for  use  ;  to  turn  it  over  about  once  a  week, 
shaking  it  well  together,  so  that  all  parts  may  be 
equally  exposed  to  the  atmosphere  ;  and  to  apply 
water  when  the  materials  appear  at  all  dry.  In 
cold,  wet  or  boisterous  weather,  the  heap  ought  to 
be  covered  to  a  moderate  depth,  with  coarse  sta- 
ble litter. 

There  is  considerable  difference  of  opinion,  with 
regard  to  the  time  that  stable  dung  shall  be  per- 
mitted to  lie  thus  in  the  heap.  Care  must  be  ta- 
ken that  the  process  is  not  carried  too  far,  as  in 
that  case  there  will  not  be  suificient  heat  left  for 


the  bed,  and  the  plants  will  be  rendered  small  and 
sickly.  Perhaps  it  is  a  good  rule,  to  wait  until 
the  greater  part  of  the  straw  assumes  a  dark  brown 
color. 

The  hot-bed  should  be  in  a  place  free  from  the 
shade  of  trees  or  buildings,  and  having  an  aspect 
rather  a  point  eastward  of  the  south.  Shelter  on 
the  north- vrest  is  particularly  necessary.  The  next 
labor  will  be  to  mark  out  the  dimensions  of  the 
bed,  which,  on  all  sides,  ought  to  be  at  least  ten 
inches  larger  than  the  frame,  and  a  stake  should 
be  driven  down  at  each  corner  as  a  guide  for  keep- 
ing the  edges  perfectly  straight. 

The  general  rules  of  management  are: — to  keep 
the  sashes  covered  with  boards,  mats  or  straw, 
during  cold  nights  and  severe  storms  ;  to  admit  air 
freely  in  pleasant  weather,  by  sliding  down  tffe 
sashes  for  an  inch  or  two,  or  by  raising  them  up 
with  wedges  at  the  back  part  of  the  frame  ;  and 
occasionally  to  apply  water  in  moderate  quantities, 
after  it  has  been  kept  in  the  frame  for  at  least 
twelve  hours. 

The  air  within  the  frame  should  be  frequently 
renewed,  or  the  jdants  will  become  spindling,  with 
a  sickly,  yellowish  colur. 

Ass  )onas  the  heat  is  found  to  decline,  "linings," 
as  they  are  called,  should  be  applied.  The  litter 
having  been  first  removed,  the  edges  of  the  bed 
are  to  be  cut  down  by  a  spade  close  to  the  frame. 
It  may,  perhaps,  be  best  to  take  only  one  side  at 
a  time,  by  which  means  the  heat  will  be  rendered 
more  regular  and  permanent.  Several  holes  are 
to  be  opened  in  the  manure  by  the  crowbar  or  a 
large  stake,  and  a  bank,  or  "lining,"  of  fresh  dung, 
is  to  take  the  place  of  that  which  has  just  been 
removed.  The  width  of  this  "lining"  will  vary 
from  ten  to  twenty  inches,  according  to  the  cold- 
ness of  the  season  ;  and  it  should  not  be  carried  up 
much  higlier  than  the  bed,  lest  the  violent  heat 
escape  directly  into  the  mould,  and  thereby  injure 
the  roots  of  the  plants.  To  prevent  the  heat  being 
wasted  in  the  air,  it  will  be  necessary  to  cover  the 


162 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


ApR13' 


lining  with  a  few  inches  of  earth.  This  process 
may  be  repeated  once  or  twice,  until  the  maturity 
of  the  crop,  or  the  increasing  warmth  of  spring, 
shall  render  it  useless. 


Fcyr  the  Hew  England  Farmer. 

A  NEW  GRASS. 

To  THE  Hon.  Marshal  P.  Wilder. 

Dear  Sir  : — You  will  justify  me  in  taking  the 
liberty  to  address  you  (through  the  New  England 
Farmer,  our  common  friend,  and  a  medium  of 
intercourse  with  the  fraternity,)  upon  a  subject  of 
general  interest,  and  especially  in  view  of  your 
known  wishes  and  facilities  for  furthering  the  de- 
mands of  our  yeomanry.  It  is  to  introduce  to  your 
notice  a  new  seedling  variety  of  grass.  A  spe- 
cies of  Bromus  obtained  from  a  single  flant  of  sur- 
passing luxuriance  found  among  Euglish  turnips, 
grown  from  imported  seed,  which  I  transferred  to 
my  garden,  and  raised  what  seed  I  could,  till  I  had 
twenty  acres  of  it  growing,  when  I  invited  the  at 


ance  the  second  years'  growth.  I  saw  in  Man- 
chester the  produce  of  three  cuttings  of  one  sea- 
son of  Italian  rye  grass,  the  united  length  of 
which  was  more  than  thirteen  feet." 

Lord  Hatherton  sows  annually  at  Teddesley,. 
about  100  acres  of  rye  grass.  Ilis  letter  to  me 
states  that  "common  rye  grass  is  always  sown 
with  clover,  about  one  peck  of  rye  grass  seed  to  the 
acre.  Italian  rye  grass  is  generally  sown  alone, 
three  bushels  to  the  acre,  and  may  be  mown  three 
times."  I  will  not  multiply  quotations,  but  sub- 
mit it  to  your  superior  judgment,  whether  to  pre- 
sent the  subject  to  our  State  Legislature  first,  or 
to  our  State  or  National  Board  of  Agriculture.  If 
either  or  all  of  them  should  recommend  it,  or  of- 
fer a  premium  for  raising  the  seed  f)r  2  ar  3 
years,  or  send  s  ome  to  different  societies  for  dis- 
tribution in  small  samples,  its  wide  circulation 
would,  in  a  few  years,  bring  it  beside  our  stand- 
ard grasses  with  a  fair  supply. 

It  gives  me  increased  pleasure  to  write  you, 
as  one  aware  of  the  great  amount  of  capital  and 
tention  of  our  Worcester  County  Agricultural  So-jscience,  which  in  Europe  and  in  England  particu- 
ciety  to  it.  Their  President,  the  late  Col.  J.  W.  larly,  are  embarked  in  agriculture,  and  o-f  the  cost- 
Lincoln,  and  Col.  Estabrook,  of  the  committee  on  ly  experiments  made,  and  in  process,  to  ascertain 
farms,  came  and  viewed  it.  One  field  of  five  acres,  and  diffuse  knowledge  of  the  best  measures — and 
waving  higher  than  their  heads — some  seven  acres  j  by  the  Royal  and  other  societies,  clubs,  and  pre- 
of  pine  plain  in  pasture  ;  and  a  mow  of  three  tons  miums,  to  awaken  and  encourage  a  deeper  inter- 
fragrant  hay,  cut  in  bloom,  from  one  acre.  The  est  in  improvements  in  every  department  of  the  art. 
President  remarked,  "It  is  well  worth  a  journey  requiring  capital,  labor  and  skill.  If  English  land- 
from  AVorcester,  to  sec  this   splendid  grass.'''     A  ^ holders  have  demonstrated  that  the  heat  on  a  soil 

thoroughly  underdrained  and  deeply  pulverized, oiper- 
ates  atonce  to  promote  vegetation,  which  ivilhout  it 
would  be  employed  in  evaporating  stagnant  water, 
for  days  and  perhaps  for  weeks,  by  which  the  crop 
is  lessoned,  and  often  lost,  it  needs  no  argument  to 
prove  the  wisdom  of  a  measure  that  makes  sun- 
shine available  for  the  profit  of  labor  to  prepare 
the  soil  as  well  as  the  woodpile.  If  by  skilful 
feeding  they  have  found  that  twice  the  amount 
of  stock  may  be  kept  by  summer  soiling,  that 
could  be  by  pasturing,  from  the  same  acres,  to 
which  the  stall  of  all,  being  saved,  is  applied,  and 
if  absorbents  may  be  used  to  prevent  the  escape  of 
ammonia,  and  greatly  to  increase  the  value  of 
manure  ;  if  a  breed  of  cattle,  sheep  and  swine, 
&c.,  may  be  obtained  by  systematic  breeding  and 
crossing  that  will  return  20  or  30  per  cent,  more 
than  otherwise  could  be  had  for  the  same  cost — 
and  if  science  and  experience  will  equally  improve 
fruit,  vegetables,  implements,  buildings,  &c.,  lead- 
ing to  eminence  in  farming  there,  then  surely, 
those  kindred  spirits  in  our  republic  should  be  en- 
couraged, who,  by  importing  the  choicest  stock 
and  seeds  and  trees,  or  by  the  press— or  lectures — 
or  by  study  of  Nature's  laws,  by  tests  and  demon- 
strations, are  bringing  out  new  focts  and  reme- 
dies— or  by  associations,  visits  and  correspondence, 
are  seeking  to  bring  every  fai-mer  to  share  in  the 
knowledge,  toil  and  gain,  to  what  the  spirit  of  the 
age  invites  him,  by   co-operation.     With  respect, 


notice  of  it,  with  my  letter,  appeared  in  their  An- 
nual Report,  1851,  pages  G7  to  70,  to  which  please 
refer.  You  may  find  a  brief  description  of  its  pro- 
perties in  my  letter  to  Hon.  J.  Davis,  Chairman 
of  the  Agricultural  Committee  held  in  the  State 
House,  Feb.  13.  Subject,  Grasses;  published  in 
the  N.  E.  Farmer,  June,  1852,  and  Mass.  Plough- 
man, April  17.  I  have  taken  much  pains  by  cor- 
respondence and  by  sending  specimens  of  my  Bro- 
mus seed  to  England,  and  by  comparing  it  with 
the  seed  of  their  Italian  Rye  Grass  (which  it  mo^t 
resembles)  to  ascertain  its  relative  properties  and 
yal&e.  The  result  is  decidedly  in  favor  of  mine,  as 
to  early  maturity, — greater  productiveness — and 
the  nutritive  value  of  the  seed  being  full  twice  as 
heavy  as  any  English  variety  I  have  seen  ;  whicli, 
I  think,  they  never  use  for  feed.  This  excellence 
I  attribute  to  the  artificial  culture  to  which  I  have 
subjected  it  ;  always  saving  the  seed  from  crops 
the  first  year  after  being  sown,  thus  inducing  the 

habit  of  an  annual  upon  the  plant.  In  other  re- 
spects, all  they  say  is  true  of  mine.    I  quote  a  few 

of  many  encomiums. 
The   Messrs.  Lawsons  say,  "The    Italian  Rye 

Grass  produces  many  sub-varieties  ;  as  a  proof  of 

this,  we  received,  one  year,   specimens  of  no  less 

than  fifty  distinct  spikes,  collected  in  a  field  near 

North  Berwick.     It  is  eaten  greedily   by  cattle, 

green  or  dry.     It  yields  fifty  per  cent,    of  hay. — 

It  is  excellent  feed  for  working  horses  and  makes    ^ 

abundance  of  milk  from  cows.     It  is  valuable  as 'yours  truly,  Benjamin  Willard. 

on  early  grass  and  retains  its  power  of  growth  ti       Lancaster,  Jan.  30th,  1853. 

a  late  period  in  the  season.  It  withstands  the  se- 
verity of  winter  when  sown  late."' 

Mr.  Dickinson  says,  "it  fits  well  for   sowing  in 

mixture  with  other  grasses  intended  for  permanent 

pasture.     It  is   in  high  repute,   and  is  invaluable 

for  the  alternate  husbandry.     Ewes  and  lambs  do 

better  upon  it  than  upon  any  thing  I  have  given 

them."     Colman  says,  "I  saw  it   in  great  luxuri- 


Mr.  Clift's  Address. — Through  the  polite  at- 
tention of  Rev.  Mr.  Clift,  wc  have  received  the 
Transactions  of  the  Windham  Cdunty,  (Ct.)  Ag- 
ricultural Society,  for  the  year  1852,  together  with 
Mr.  Clift's  Address.  It  is  printed  neatly,  and  the 
reports  show  a  prosperous  state  of  affairs  in  the 


i85S, 


I^EW  ENGLAND  FARMEil. 


163 


■society.  The  address  is  a  capital  one,  tak'ing  hold 
of  the  right  points  and  urging  them  in  the  right 
way.  It  cannot  fail  of  doing  miich  good.  SVxi  are 
indebted  e^^'ory  day,  to  the  clergy,  for  some  of  the 
best  efiarts  put  forth  to  advance  the  long  neglect- 
ed cause  of  agricultuve — to  dispel  the  gross  dark- 
ness that  sits  upon  the  people  in  relation  to  an  in- 
telligent cultivation  of  the  soil.  Mr.  CLirr  nill 
please  accept  our  thanks.  We  hope,  hereafter,  to 
find  room  for  extracts  frora  the  address. 

XEGISIiATIVB  AGRICULTURAL  MEET- 
INGS. 

Si.XTH  MEETING— Tuesday  Evem.ng,  Feb.  22,  1853. 

The  sixth  meeting  of  the  series  was  h^eld  in  the 
Representatives'  Hall  at  the  State  House,  on  T-ues- 
day  evening. 

The  meeting  was  called  to  ord^r  by  Mr.  B.  V. 
FREXcn,  of  Braintree,  and  IMr.  Pkootor,  of  Dan- 
vers,  was  invited  to  preside.  The  subject  was 
then  announced, 

"The  expediency  of  establishing  Farmers'  In- 
stitutes in  the  several  counties  of  this  State  *  and 
the  beat  mode  of  perfecting  such  organizations." 

Mr.  Prgctgr,  in  taking  the  clmir,  remarked  that 
he  was  unprepared  to  discuss  the6ul)jecfc.  Hean- 
aiounoed  with  rogret,  that  President  Hitehcock,of 
Amherst  College,  who  had  been  expected  to  at- 
tend, and  address  the  meeting,  was  not  present. 
He  expressed  th^  opinion  that  the  establishment 
•of  farmers'  institutes,  would  prove  mo.st  beneficent 
to  the  farmer, — more  especially  to  the  young  far- 
mer, who,  by  an  attendance  on  their  lectures  and 
a  participation  in  their  discusaoDS,  could  not  fail 
to  learn  much  that  he  needs  to  know.  He  would 
aothave  them  established  1)y  the  State.,  but  formed 
and  sustained  at  the  expense  of  the  farmers  them- 
selves. 

Ak-vs-^  Walker  expresssd  himself  pleased  with 
the  subject,  because  it  was  in  harmony  with  the 
spirit  of  the  age,  which  tends  to  association,  and 
because  it  is  evident  that  there  is  a  great  revival 
in  the  agricultural  interests  of  the  Commonwealth. 
He  thoaght  there  was  no  doubt  that  the  project 
would  meet  the  approbation  of  agriculturists 
throughout  the  State.  The  speaker  alluded  to 
the  greatly  increased  interest  which_ teachers'  in- 
stitutes have  awakened  in  the  cause  of  education, 
and  remarked  that  something  similar  must  be  done 
to  bring  agricultural  education  home  to  the  mass  of 
the  people.  Farmers'  institutes  are  just  the 
things  for  diffusing  agricultural  information,  both 
new  and  old.  The  scientific  man  and  the  practical 
farmer  would  be  brought  together,  and  every  pe- 
riod of  improvement  in  regard  to  agriculture 
would  be  brougl*  forward  and  discussed.  As  ev- 
idence of  the  need  of  exciting  increased  interest  in 
agriculture,  he  stated  that  not  more  than  one 
man  in  three  in  the  State  now  takes  any  interest 


in  the  matter,  and  preiKiums  are  distributed  onh" 
in  the  proportion  of  one  in  five  towns. 

Mr.  BroWxV,  of  the  Neiv  England  Farr.ier,m  re- 
ply to  a  call  from  the  chaiTman,  said  that  he  had 
no  de'nnite  views  in  vegard  to  the  subject,  Ixit  he 
though. t  it  was  necessary  to  do  something  to  in- 
crease the  interest  in  agriculture  ;  and  ho  believed 
ithat  when  the  time  came  to  establish  institutes, 
they  would  accomplish  great  good,  not  only  in 
this  State,  but  throughout  the  country.  But 
first,  he  thought,  primary  associations  should  be 
formed  in  eaKjh  town  by  th-e  fiu-mers,  fi>r  mutual 
consultation  and  discussion  on  all  subjects  of  in- 
terest to  them  ;  and  by  this  method  they  would 
quaiify  themselves  to  form  4ind  <}ondiict  the  high- 
er association,  or  institute.  By  the  formation  of 
farmers' clubs  in -ea-ch  town ,  and  the  attendance 
of  farmers  upon  them  during  the  winter,  he  be- 
lieved tho  lands  and  crops  of  such  towns  would 
exhibit  an  increase  in  value  of  ons  per  cent,  from 
year  to  y«ar  ;  farmers  would  become  more  intelli- 
gent by  such  mutual  counsd.  He  thought  th« 
time  had  not  com*  to  call  upon  the  State  to  do  any- 
thing more  for  the  farmer  than  she  has  done  al- 
ready, but  when  that  time  did  come,  he  believed 
that  «he  would  be  found  liberal. 

Mr.  Brooks,  of  Princeton,  coincided  with  the 
views  expressed  by  Mr.  Brown.  He  was  not  pre- 
pared at  present,  to  advocate  the  establishment  of 
an  institution  similar  t-o  the  teachers'  institute. 
That  provides  for  lectures  ;  and  the  lecturer  must 
have  a  test  or  fact  to  speak  upon  ;  and  where  will 
that  textcom.e  from  ?  It  must  come  from  science  ; 
but  we  have  no  American  agricultural  science. 
We  -cannot  raise  either  wheat  or  cattle  as  they  do 
in  England.  The  speaker  enforced  this  point  by 
illustrating  the  inapplicability  of  the  conclusions 
of  English  science  to  forming  in  this  country,  as 
in  draining.  Yet,  many  towns,  he  said,  already 
had  small  farmers'  clubs,  and  he  believed  they 
would  prove  of  great  benefit. 

Mr.  French,  of  Braintree,  would  have  the  coun- 
ty societies  set  apart  a  day  or  half  a  day  at  their 
annual  exhibitions,  to  listen  to  lectures  from  able 
men,  and  to  discuss  agricultural  subjects.  Peo- 
ple are  awaking  to  the  importance  of  the  agricul- 
tural interest,  and  demanding  a  higher  class  of 
instruction  than  they  have  hitherto  obtained. 
Ohio  has  ninety  county  societies,  sustained  by  the 
State.  He  did  not  agree  with  Mr.  Brooks,  that 
we  have  no  reliable  agricultural  science,  and  re- 
ferred in  proof  to  the  statement  of  Mr.  Ccsxis,  be- 
fore the  National  Agricultural  Society,  that  at 
one  time  he  cultivated  8000  acres  of  land  with  100 
men,  and  raised  only  TOO  bushels  of  wheat— so 
exhausted  and  sterile  had  become  the  soil ;  but  af- 
ter being  instructed  by  Edmund  Pvuffin  how  to  fer- 
tilize his  land,  obtained  from  it  7000  bushels  of 
wheat. 

Mr.  French  stated  that  from  personal  observa- 


164 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMi.R. 


April 


tion,  he  should  judge  that  not  more  than  six  in 
one  hundred  acres  of  land  throughout  the  State 
were  in  a  condition  fit  for  the  use  of  the  plow.  He 
thought  tbis  strong  evidence  that  our  people  need 
stimulating. 

Dr.  Reynolds,  of  Concord,  remarked  that  it  was 
a  most  important  subject,  upon  the  solution  of 
which  might  depend  the  question  whether  our 
young  men  should  cultivate  their  native  acres,  or 
dig  in  the  golden  sands  of  California  or  Australia, 
though  it  had  been  remarked  that  they  were  choos- 
ing the  latter.  What  is  necessary,  is  to  make  ag- 
riculture more  respectable  and  successful — not  that 
he  meant  it  was  not  respectable,  but  that  it  should 
be  made  more  respectable  in  the  eyes  of  our  young 
men,  v/ho  ai-e  taught  even  by  their  fathers  that  it 
is  unprofitable,  and  beneath  tlie  ambition  of  enter- 
prising men  ;  that  it  is  fit  only  for  men  who  can 
do  nothing  else  ;  and  that  men  who  have  failed  in 
all  things  else  can  fall  back  upon  it.  Young  men 
must  be  taught  to  give  weight,  influence  and  char- 
acter to  farming  ;  and  this  can  only  be  done  by 
making  it  more  intellectual.  When  the  intellect 
is  as  vigorously  exerted  in  agriculture  as  in  other 
professions,  it  will  engage  the  ambition  of  our 
young  men. 

Intercourse  among  men,  he  urged,  was  a  great 
means  of  increasing  knowledge,  and  by  means  of 
institutes  the  farmers  would  be  brought  into  more 
frequent  intercourse  with  each  other,  to  their  great 
benefit.  The  mind  strikes  out  new  paths,  and 
new  thoughts  are  eliminated.  The  speaker  alluded 
to  the  teachers'  institutes  as  improving  and  stimu 
lating  the  teachers  themselves,  and  rendering  them 
more  efficient,  from  which  he  inferred  the  same  re 
suit  would  follow  the  establishment  of  institutes 
for  the  farmer. 

He  believed  that  much  benefit  would  accrue  from 
lectures,  and  had  no  fear  from  the  diffusion  of  sci- 
ence even  in  its  present  state,  or  that  the  theories 
of  scientific  men  would  mislead  our  strong  common- 
sense  farmers  to  any  great  extent.  Science  is  the 
basis  of  all  true  agriculture.  The  speaker  recog- 
nized the  necessity  of  kindling  up  an  increased  in- 
terest among  the  farmers  in  our  State,  and  ex- 
pressed the  opinion  that  the  Board  of  Education 
had  a  duty  to  discharge  in  reference  to  the  mat- 
ter. They  should  secure  the  introduction  into  our 
high  schools  of  the  study  of  agricultural  chemistry, 
geology,  &c.  It  would  be  of  great  benefit,  and 
prepare  the  way  for  agricultural  colleges.  We 
should  begin  in  the  small  circles. 

Mr.  Sprague,  of  Duxbury,  expressed  himself  fa- 
vorableto  the  formation  of  such  institutions,  and 
gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  more  is  to  be  learned  by 
intercourse  with  well  informed  men  than  in  any 
other  way.  The  difficulty  with  farmers,  is,  that 
they  make  a  great  many  mistakes  owing  to  a  lack 
of  accurate  scientific  knowledge.  We  cannot  dis- 
cuss agriculture  without  benefit. 


Mr.  CoGGSWELL,  of  Bedford,  remarked  that  the 
more  intelligent  the  farmer,  the  more  successful 
he  would  be, — farmers  should  be  thinking,  reflect- 
ing men,  and  should  study  their  soils  as  closely  as 
the  physician  does  the  materia  medica. 

Prof.  Nash,  of  Amherst  College,  thought  much 
might  be  done  without  legislative  aid,  by  voluntary 
association.  He  agreed  witli  Dr.  Reynolds,  that  it 
is  necessary  to  make  farming  appear  more  respect- 
able to  our  sons,  and  the  only  way  to  do  this  is  to 
make  it  more  intellectual.  These  institutes  will 
have  a  tendency  to  draw  out  the  farmer,  and  make 
him  more  intelligent.  In  regard  to  lectures,  the 
lecturer  should  not  only  be  thoroughly  versed  in 
agricultural  science,  but  also  be  a  practical  farm- 
er, else  his  teachings  will  be  liable  to  mislead. 

Mr.  Brooks,  of  Princeton,  in  explanation  of  his 
former  remarks,  said  he  would  not  be  understood 
as  opposing  science,  lectures,  or  farmers'  insti- 
tutes. The  meetings,  so  far  as  they  bring  farm- 
ers together,  are  useful.  Farming  is  extremely 
variable,  and  the  same  rules  of  science  will  not  al- 
ways apply.  As  for  instance  you  may  raise  wheat 
on  one  side  of  a  hill,  and  not  upon  the  other,  al- 
though the  soil  is  identically  the  same. 

The  hour  of  adjournment  having  arrived,  the 
meeting  adjourned  until  Tuesday  evening  nest, 
when  "The  cultivation  and  preservation  of  Fruits'' 
will  be  taken  up  for  discussion,  and  an  interesting 
meeting  is  anticipated. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
HOUSING   AND    PAINTING     FARM 
VEHICLES. 

It  is  strange  what  a  diflTei'ence  there  is  among 
farmers  with  regard  to  the  importance  of  housing 
their  wagons  and  carts.  Prudent,  economical 
men,  in  most  things,  are  wholly  insensible  to  the 
great  loss  they  experience  by  allowing  their  expen- 
sive vehicles  to  be  beaten  upon  and  soaked  by  the 
storms,  and  checked  and  shrunk  by  the  blazing 
sun. 

Wagons  and  carts  from  the  maker's  shop  are 
seldom  well-painted.  The  owner  gets  so  anxious 
to  be  using  his  new  cart,  and  the  old  one  seems  so 
unbearable,  that  the  cart  is  taken  from  the  shop 
before  the  little  openings  in  the  wood  and  the  joints 
are  half  filled  with  paint, — the  farmer  "guesses  it 
will  do,"  and  away  it  goes  to  commence  a  straight- 
forward course  to  decay.  A  few  days  after,  it 
rains.  The  cart  body  is  soaked  through.  The 
joints  absorb  water  and  swell.  By-and-by,  when 
the  water  has  dried  out,  after  having  been  dragged 
about  the  farm  for  several  days,  the  joints  become 
loose.  Tliis  process  needs  only  to  be  repeated  a 
sufficient  number  of  times  to  give  you  a  heavy, 
rickety  body,  which,  in  a  few  years,  breaks  up  and 
sends  you  to  the  mechanic  again. 

But  the  wheels  are  the  most  important  part.  Upon 
them  has  the  most  labor  been  expended  in  propor- 
tion to  their  weight,  and  of  them  should  the  most 
care  be  taken.  The  hubs,  generally,  are  made  of 
elm.  Elm,  exposed  to  the  weather,  is  of  short  du- 
ration. It  is  used  because  it  is  difficult  to  spht  it 
in  driving  the  spokes.     White-oak  hubs  invaria- 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


165 


bly  check  and  open,  -when  uncovered  by  paint, 
and  exposed  to  the  weather.  White-oak  timber, — 
indeed  all  timber,  loses  its  strength  and  tenacity 
after  being  again  and  again  exposed  to  rain  and 
air.  The  hub  then  grows  soft,  the  spokes  settle 
into  it  a  very  little,  and  the  consequence  is  that 
the  tire  is  loose,  and  the  blacksmith's  aid  is  need- 
ed. 

A  wagon  left  out  of  doors  will  in  a  few  years 
become  a  spongy,  heavy  mass,  unprofitable  to  use. 
As  proof  of  the  correctness  of  these  remarks,  we 
know  of  a  farmer  who  has  run  down  three  sets 
of  wheels  by  exposure,  and  not  by  work,  while 
another  has  a  pair  of  wheels  perfectly  sound,  built 
a  year  or  two  before  his  neighbor's  first  pair.  In 
the  first  case  the  wheels  have  never  been  housed, 
winter  nor  summer  ;  but  have  been  left  by  the 
road-side,  as  if  impregnable  as  the  stone  wall  to 
injury  from  the  weather.  In  the  other  case  the 
cart  has  been  uniformly  housed,  and  always  well 
painted.  It  must  be  very  intelligible  to  the  read- 
er which  is  the  wiser  course. 

PArXTING    FARM    VEHICLES. 

The  reasons  for  painting  farm  vehicles  as  well  as 
housing  them  are  many  and  obvious.  Paint  af- 
fords a  present  shelter.  You  are  sometimes  neces- 
sarily out  in  the  rain.  Your  well-painted  wheel 
will  be  injured  but  a  little.  Paint  closes  up  the 
pores  and  keeps  in  that  life  of  the  wood,  which  is 
its  whole  strength.  Besides,  a  man  will  work 
more  cheerfully  and  accomplish  more  when  things 
are  a  "little  decent"  about  him.  The  appearance 
of  good,  convenient,  respectable  vehicles  about  a 
farm  is  always  agreeable  to  the  stranger.  Their 
influence  too,  upon  the  laborer's  spirit  and  temper, 
is  worthy  of  consideration. 

A  word  as  to  the  colors  most  suitable  to  use  in 
painting.  As  your  vehicles  will  have  to  be  out  in 
the  hot  sun,  while  in  service,  the  lighter  the 
color  the  less  will  the  wood  shrink.  A  wheel 
painted  black  will  become  as  hot  in  the  sun  as  the 
hand  can  bear  ;  while  another  painted  a  light  lead 
color,  which  is  the  cheapest,  will  be  cold  to  the 
touch.  Of  course  in  the  former  ease  the  wood 
will  shrink,  loosening  the  tire,  while  in  the  latter 
all  will  reman  firm.  av.  d.  b. 

Concord,  1853. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
WHAT  rviANUREJ   FOR  SWAMP  LAND? 

Mr.  Editor  : — I  would  like  to  inquire  what  is 
the  best  manure  for  swamp  land,  where  the  vege- 
table matter  is  two  or  more  feet  deep?  I  have 
used  common  horse  manure  with  good  success,  af- 
ter draining,  plowing,  pulling  out  the  roots,  &c., 
and  seeding  to  grass  in  the  fall.  On  such  land  I 
get  about  two  tons  to  the  acre,  of  English  grass. 

I  have  thought  there  might  be  a  cheaper  sub- 
stance than  manure  to  bring  such  lands  into  Eng- 
lish grass,  if  I  only  knew  what  it  was.  I  know 
that  it  is  recommended  by  some  of  your  writers,  to 
spread  over  sand  or  gravel,  and  then  manure,  but 
that  is  too  expensive  here,  where  hay  generally  is 
about  $8  a  ton.  £.  Scott. 

Ludlow,  Vt.,  1853. 


Remarks. — If  you  get  two  tons  per  acre  as  a 
general  result,  it  ought  to  be  a  satisfactory  crop, 
unless  an  extraordinary  amount  of  money  and  la- 
bor is  expended.     There  is  nothing  better,  prob- 


ably, in  the  long  run,  than  good  barn  manure, 
composed  of  the  droppings  of  horses,  cattle,  swine, 
sheep  and  fowls.  But  on  some  of  your  new  swamp 
land  you  might  do  well  to  try  lime  on  a  small 
piece,  on  another  ashes,  on  another  guano,  watch- 
ing carefully  the  results  of  each.  New  swamp 
lands  contain  generally,  most  or  all  the  elements 
which  the  plant  needs  ;  but  they  sometimes  require 
sand  or  lime,  as  they  have  an  excess  of  acids,  at 
first  unfavorable  to  the  growth  of  the  plant.  Thor- 
ough plowing,  plenty  of  composted  manure,  and 
such  experiments  as  we  have  suggested,  will  bring 
you  satisfactory  results,  if  you  persevere. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

STOWELL'S  EVERGREEN  SWEET 
.CORN, 

He  who  expects  to  find  this  article  as  much  su- 
perior to  the  common  sweet  corn,  as  the  ambrosia 
of  the  gods  is  to  the  food  of  mortals,  will  lay  down 
his  cob,  and  pick  his  teeth  in  disappointment.  He 
will  rise  from  the  table,  and  call  it  a  humbug. 
The  fact  is,  he  who  has  good  sweet  corn  upon  his 
table,  picked  at  the  right  time  and  well  cooked, 
has  an  epicurean  dish,  that  he  miglit  ask  any  sen- 
sible god  in  the  mythology  to  partake  of,  without 
fear  of  refusal.  Should  some  German  commenta- 
tor upon  classic  lore  undertake  to  prove,  that  this 
was  the  veritable  ambrosia,  it  would  be  difficult  to 
disprove  his  position.  The  man  who  does  not  ap- 
preciate sweet  corn,  and  consider  it  a  standard  of 
excellence,  lacking  no  element  of  gustatory  satis- 
faction, is  not  the  man  to  appreciate  anything. 
But  were  the  Stowell's  decidedly  superior  tb  all 
other  kinds,  for  the  table,  we  should  not  expect  to 
have  the  multitude  believe  it,  even  after  they  had 
tried  it.  We  have  heard  a  very  sensible  man  as- 
sert, that  common  field  pumpkin  made  as  good 
pies,  as  the  marrow  squash  of  Boston  notoriety. 
From  that  date,  our  path  was  very  much  strength- 
ened in  the  old  adage,  that  there  is  no  use  in  dis- 
puting about  tastes.  If  the  new  variety  of  corn  is 
as  good  as  the  old  for  the  table,  and  has  other  ex- 
cellencies that  the  old  does  not  possess,  it  will 
prove  an  acquisition. 

It  has  been  introduced  to  the  agricultural  pub- 
lic, mainly  through  the  agency  of  Prof.  ^lapes, 
who  has  sent  out  thousands  of  samples  of  the  seed 
to  the  readers  of  the  Working  Farmer  in  various 
parts  of  the  country.  He  gives  the  following  ac- 
count of  its  origin  in  his  paper  for  Dec,  1850. 
"Stowell's  sweet  corn  is  a  new  sort,  and  is  every 
way  superior  to  any  other  we  have  seen  ;  for  after 
being  pulled  from  the  ground  the  stalks  may  be 
placed  in  a  dry,  cool  place,  free  from  moisture, 
frost,  or  violent  currents  of  air,  (to  prevent  dry- 
ing,) and  the  grains  will  remain  full  and  milky,  for 
many  months.  Or  the  ears  may  be  pulled  in  August, 
and  by  tying  a  string  loosely  around  the  small  end, 
to  prevent  the  bushes  from  drying  away  from  the 
ears,  they  may  be  laid  on  shelves,  and  kept  moist 
and  suitable  for  boihng,  for  a  year  or  more.  This 
corn  is  a  hybrid  between  the  menomony  soft  corn, 
and  the  northern  sugar  corn,  and  was  first  grown 
by  Mr.  Nathan  Stowell,  of  Burlington,  N.  J.  Near 
the  close  of  the  fair  of  the  American  Institute,  1850, 
I  presented  the  managers  with  two  ears  gulled  in 
August,  1819,  and  twelve  ears  pulled  in  1850. 


166 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


April 


They  were  boiled  and  served  up  together,  and  ap- 
peared to  be  alike,  and  equal  to  corn  fresh  from 
the  garden. 

"The  cars  are  larger  than  the  usual  sweet  corn 
^nd  contain  twelve  rows.  To  save  the  seed,  it  is 
necessary  to  place  them  in  strong  currents  of  air, 
freed  from  most  of  the  husks,  and  assisted  slightly 
by  fire  heat  when  nearly  dry.  In  damp  places  this 
corn  soon  moulds,  and  becomes  worthless.  The 
seed,  when  dry,  is  but  little  thicker  than  writing 
paper,  but  is  a  sure  grower.  The  stalks  are  very 
sweet,  and  valuable  as  fodder." 

A  writer  in  the  Rural  Neio-Yorker  tried  it  in 
1851,  and  speaks  thus  of  it.  "Until  it  began  to 
tassel  out,  it  appeared  very  much  like  enormous 
broom  corn,  and  exhibited  no  symptoms  of  putting 
forth  ears,  until  very  late  in  the  season,  when  it 
eared  out  rapidly,  and  bore  three  very  large  full 
ears  on  all  the  best  stalks,  and  in  some  cases  the 
fourth  ear  was  fairly  set.  Only  a  very  few  of  the 
stalks  bore  single  ears.  It  matured  rapidly  and 
very  perfectly,  but  it  was  many  weeks  after  frost 
set  iR,  and  the  corn  was  housed,  and  after  the 
husks  had  become  entirely  white,  before  any  of 
the  kernels  presented  the  shrivelled  appearance  of 
sweet  corn. 

"That  it  will  do  all  that  has  been  said  of  it,  I 
have  no  reason  to  doubt.  As  far  as  my  obsei^a- 
tion  during  one  season  extends,  I  am  satisfied  it  is 
a  most  valuable  acquisition  to  our  sweet  corn.  It 
grows  freely,  is  of  the  first  quality,  and  produces 
m  my  garden  this  season  far  beyond  any  corn  I 
have  ever  seen.  Beside  the  greater  number  of 
ears  on  a  stalk,  each  ear  and  kernel  is  very  large, 
although  it  dries  down  for  seed  to  a  very  small  ear 
and  kernel.  Very  few  of  the  ears  have  less  than 
fourteen  rows,  and  I  have  just  noticed  an  ear  of  it 
only  7  inches  long  and  yet  it  had  IG  rows,  and 
contained  more  than  800  kernels.  The  day  I 
planted  this  com,  I  planted  an  equal  number  of 
hitls  of  a  very  superior  sweet  corn,  the  kernels  of 
which  most  perfectly  resemble  this,  and  although 
the  exposure  and  soil  was  equal,  yet  the  vStowell 
coi'n  surpassed  it  in  every  respect.  I  shall  try  it 
another  season  with  increased  interest.*' 

Another  writer  in  the  same  paper  gives  us  his 
experience  for  1852.  "When  I  read  of  the  vron- 
derful  productiveness  and  keeping  quality  of  this 
new  kind  of  corn  I  rather  regarded  it  as  a  humbug. 
However,  I  bought  a  gill  of  corn  for  25  cents,  and 
planted  it  May  25th  in  rather  an  unHivorable  spot 
for  late  planting.  But  it  matured  in  good  time, 
and  produced  from  three  to  seven  perfect  good 
ears  on  a  stalk — and  one  stalk  had  on  it  sixteen — 
the  shortest  about  two  inches,  but  well  filled  out, 
and  all  ripe  enough  and  good  for  seed.  I  wish  to 
record  my  vote  in  favor  of  the  Evergreen  Corn — 
that  it  is  no  humbug.''^ 

1  will  add  to  these  trials  of  the  article  my  own 
experience  for  the  last  two  seasons.  I  procured  a 
few  seeds  from  the  ofiice  of  the  Working  Farmer  in 
New  York  in  the  spring  of  1851.  Planted  them 
late,  but  owing  to  drought  only  G  kernels  came  up. 
I  had  18  perfect  ears  from  these  G  kernels  and  two 
imperfect  ones.  This  showed  the  corn  a  very  su- 
perior bearer.     The  growth  of  stalks  was  large. 

I  had  now  seed  enough  to  plant  about  one-third 
of  an  acre,  after  giving  away  some  to  friends.  The 
soil  was  badly  exhausted  by  tillage  and  was  not 
highly  manured.  But  the  growth  of  stalks  was 
large,  and  the  yield  of  corn  satisfactory,  though 


the  season  was  one  of  great  drought  and  corn  suf- 
fered much  throughout  the  country.  Some  of  the 
stalks  had  three  ears  and  many  of  them  two,  with 
settings  for  more,  showing  what  it  had  a  mind  to 
do  if  there  was  only  food  enough  under  it.  I  have 
no  doubt  at  all,  that  in  very  rich  soil  "there  will 
often  be  three  ears  upon  a  single  stalk — and  some 
stalks  of  twice  that  number.  We  may  then  set 
down  the  advantages  of  this  sweet  corn  as  mainly 
the  following : — 

1st.  Its  exquisite  flavor  is  not  injured  by  the  hy- 
bridizing, as  has  been  the  case  with  other  attempts 
at  crossing  the  sweet  corn  with  other  varieties. 

2nd.  It  secures  a  very  much  larger  yield  of  corn. 
The  number  of  rows  upon  an  ear  varies  from  8  to 
20  ;  a  very  large  proportion  of  them  are  12  and  up- 
wards. Most  of  the  larger  ears  have  from  4  to  800 
kernels  upon  them.  Then  we  have  more  ears  up- 
on a  stalk. 

3d.  It  prolongs  the  season  of  green  corn  in  the 
garden  until  frost  comes,  and  if  it  be  pulled  up  by 
the  roots  and  sheltered,  it  lengthens  it  out  until 
•freezing  weather. 

4th.  If  you  have  a  fruit  room,  where  you  can 
command  the  temperature,  you  can  have  green 
corn  the  year  round  on  the  cob.  But  as  we  have 
no  such  room,  we  have  not  tried  this  part  of  the 
experiment. 

5ih.  It  furnishes  the  largest  amount  of  fodder 
of  any  kind  of  corn  grown  in  the  world.  Prof. 
Mapes  says,  "the  Sto well  corn, when  thickly  sown, 
will  yield  double  the  burden  of  stalks  and  leaves 
of  any  other  corn  we  have  tried.  It  is  more  readi- 
ly cured,  and  preferred  by  cattle  even  to  the  best 
English  hay." 

The  only  draw-back  upon  it,  is  the  danger  of  its 
going  back  to  the  originals  from  which  it  was  pro- 
duced, a  danger  that  is  common  to  all  hybrids,  I 
believe,  until  they  have  become  very  thoroughly 
established.  Whether  the  variety  of  rows  that 
the  difierent  ears  assume  is  any  indication  of  a  re- 
lapse, the  experimenter  must  judge  for  himself.  I 
have  full  confidence  in  the  article,  and  believe  it  a 
great  acquisition  to  the  garden  and  the  farm. 

W.  Clift. 

Stonington,  Ct.,  Jan.  17,  1853. 


MILK  TRADB  OF  NEW  YORK. 

We  have  before  us  an  elegantly  printed  volume 
of  118  pages,  published  by  Fowlers  &  Wells, 
Boston,  in  which  it  is  stated  how  the  production, 
manufacture  and  sale  of  milk  in  the  city  of  New 
York  and  the  vicinity  is  managed.  By  Joun  Mul- 
LALLY,  with  an  introduction  by  Dr.  R.  T.  Trall. 
We  must  say  that  the  developments  are  of  the 
most  astounding  as  well  as  disgusting  character. 
It  is  no  longer  a  wonder  that  upwards  of  nine 
thousand  children  die  annually  in  the  city  of  New 
York,  and  as  is  supposed  by  the  physicians,  pois- 
oned by  an  article  called  milk. 

Mr.  Mullally,  and  all  engaged  in  exposing  this 
iniquitous  and  brutalizing  business,  are  entitled  to 
the  thanks  of  the  community  for  their  efforts  in 
the  matter.  The  book  should  be  in  the  hands  of 
every  head  of  a  fiimily,  that  parents  may  see  what 
it  is  they  feed  to  their  children  under  the  name  of 
milk !    The  milk  business  in  our  New  England  ci- 


JS3. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


167 


ties  is  first  becoming'an  important  one,  and  unless 
there  are  proper  guards  and  restraints  thrown 
around  it,  we  shall,  quite  likely,  by-and-by,  have  a 
similar  state  of  things  among  us  here.  There  are 
frauds  practised  within  our  own  personal  know- 
ledge, which  lead  us  to  this  opinion.  The  book 
may  be  sent  by  mail  to  any  part  of  the  country  for 
a  trifling  postage.  The  New  York  Courier  says 
Mr.  MuLLALLY  has  given  a  fair,  foithful  and  impar- 
tial view  of  the  whole  milk  trade  in  that  city ; — 

"He  exposes  the  horrible  system  of  distillery 
milk  manufacturers — the  process  of  making  sweet 
■cream  out  of  distillery  milk,  hogs  or  calves  brains, 
molasses  and  chalk — and  sketches  with  a  vivid  and 
powerful  pen  the  multitude  of  evils  that  arise  from 
the  infamous  traffic.  He  gives  us  a  description  of 
a  ewill  milk  establishment  and  its  internal  econo- 
my, as  well  as  the  disgusting  practises  and  brutal- 
ity of  those  employed  in  them — a  description  al- 
most enough  to  make  the  reader  forswear  the  use 
of  milk  in  the  city  forever.'  The  exposes  of  the 
work  are  positively  shocking.  We  knew  that  abom- 
inable, disgusting  frauds  were  practiced  by  the 
milk  dealers  of  the  city,  but  really,  we  were  not 
■prepared  for  such  an  exhibition  of  human  deprav- 
ity and  cupiditv  as  is  here  bared  to  our  view." 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 


FARMERS'  LIBRARIES. 

Mr.  Editor  : — In  a  former  number  of  the  Far 
mer  I  made  some  remarks  on  the  benefits  of  Ag- 
ricultural lectures  in  lyceums.  This  was  done  un- 
der the  impression  that  such  institutions  were  in 
operation  in  all,  or  nearly  every  toAvn  and  hamlet 
wherever  the  remarks  might  be  so  fortunate  as  to 
be  read.  I  suppose  such  institutions  are,  through 
the  winter  months,  in  existence  almost  everywhere. 
But  a  new  question  comes  up  with  regard  to  them. 
Are  they  established  on  the  principle  of  firmness, 
and  conducted  with  the  systematic  order  that  such 
associations  should  be  ^  I  refer  now  to  lyceums 
in  agricultural  communities,  where  the  intellectu- 
al wants  are  more  for  agricultural  information,  and 
prosperity  arises  more  from  agricultural  success 
than  from  any  other  natural  cause. 

Now  I  have  a  beau  ideal  of  what  such  a  lyceum 
should  be.  In  the  first  place,  it  should  be  an  ag- 
ricuhural  lyceum,  embracing  in  its  phalanx  those 
who  design  to  cultivate  the  earth  as  a  profession, 
and  who  have  enough  respect  for  that  profession 
to  give  their  influence  and  hearty  goodwill  to  ele- 
vate it  to  the  position  where  nature  and  nature's 
God  designed  it  should  rank.  I  am  very  well 
aware  this  picture,  which  should  every-where  be 
visible,  is  a  bold  one,  and  implies  many  things. 
In  the  first  place,  I  suppose  it  clearly  shows,  that 
to  be  a  farmer  does  not  imply  "a  mere  clop-hop- 
per," an  animated  mass  of  clay  whose  noblest  at- 
tribute is  physical  energy,  excited  by  the  idea  of 
adding  field  to  field,  and  increasing  the  swelling 
numbers  of  herds  and  flocks. 

No,  the  position  I  take  elevates  him  above  all 
this,  and  defines  him  as  an  intellectual  being,  sent 
into  the  world  to  pluck  out  the  thorns  and  thistles 
that  man's  perverseness  sowed,  and  plant  roses  and 
myrtles  in  their  place.  It  is  for  him  to  make  the 
desert  smile  in  verdure,  and  waste  places  to  yield 
bountiful  harvests.     He   is,  through  all   coming 


time,  to  give  bread  to  the  millions  of  earth,  and 
when  he  draws  its  rich  treasure  from  her  teeming 
bosom,  he  must  do  it  in  so  kind  and  restoring  a 
manner  as  not  to  exhaust  her  resources.  Mind 
must  guide  in  these  operations,  and  to  do  it  sue- 
ces.sfully,  mind  must  be  enlightened  by  science  as 
well  as  aided  by  experience,  or  too  often  its  no- 
blest efforts  will  prove  abortive. 

Now,  how  is  tins  farmers'  lyceum  to  aid  him  in 
this  intellectual  culture  which  is  so  very  essential 
to  the  cultivation  of  the  earth  ?  We  have  spoken 
of  lectures  as  one  means,  a  very  important  one, 
too,  on  many  accounts.  But  these  are  incidental, 
■periodical,  coming,  it  may  be,  once  a  month, 
though  I  should  hope  oftener.  At  any  rate,  there 
must  be  a  gap  between  them,  and  these  gaps  in 
the  progress  of  mind,  like  the  rent  in  a  garment, 
unless  fitted  up  and  closed,  will  be  very  apt  to  be- 
come larger,  until  the  whole  is  rent.  I  say,  then, 
to  fill  up  this  empty  chasm  as  it  will  too  often 
prove,  that  in  connection  with,  and  as  a  part  of 
these  lyceums,  the  library  should  form  an  impor- 
tant feature. 

Agricultural  libraries  among  farmers  are  not  an 
unknown  feature  of  the  age;  all,  however,  do  not 
seem  disposed  to  possess  them.  But  get  up  such 
libraries  in  connection  with  the  lyceum,  and  for 
ought  we  know,  all  would  read.  At  least,  we 
may  fairly  suppose  that  many  will.  Now  how  tri- 
fling would  be  the  expense  for  the  members  of  an 
agr?cultural  lyceum  to  take  all  the  first-class  agri- 
cultural publications.  And  with  an  equal  sum 
thereto  added,  what  rich  collections  would  be  made 
each  year  in  scientific  works  on  matters  relating 
to  the  farmer's  well  being.  By  these,  young  far- 
mers would  be  taught  the  principles  and  progress 
of  science,  and  by  the  former,  he  could  learn  the 
result  of  these  principles  when  reduced  to  practice, 
their  failures  and  successes. 

0  !  what  a  beautiful  ormament  such  an  institu- 
tion, endowed  with  a  well  selected  library,  adapt- 
ed to  its  progress,  would  be  to  any  town  in  our 
good  old  State.  Yet  how  many  such  can  our  State 
boast?  Have  we  one?  Where  is  the  goodly  land 
where  it  may  be  found?  We  would  gladly  go 
there  in  the  expectation  of  seeing  unusual  thrift, 
countenances  beaming  with  happiness  and  content- 
ment, bought  by  the  rich  gift  of  intelligence,  oper- 
ating like  a  main-spring  to  regulate  all  movements. 
How  many  farmers  have  we  in  Massachusetts, 
who  will  pledge  themselves  to  become  even  sitting 
and  hearing  members  of  such  an  association?  If 
there  is  a  town  where  ten,  nay  five,  can  be  found, 
who  will  meet  once  a  week  to  hear  and  talk  about 
farming,— 7-(SoZrerf  that  noble  effects  shall  grow 
out  of  it,  the  agricultural  destiny  of  that  town  can 
be  saved.  A  lyceum,  like  the  one  I  would  have  in 
every  town,  would  soon  be  established,  the  intel- 
lio-ence  of  the  inhabitants  would  brighten  under 
its  influence, — a  purer  stream  of  thought  breaking 
out,  and  fed  from  fountains  of  truth ,  would  purify 
all  parts ;  the  earth  w^ould  smile  under  more  varied 
and  richer  harvests.  Here  it  would  be  found  that 
competence  and  wealth  could  be  drawn  from  the 
earth,  not  by  "servile  labor,"  but  by  well-direct- 
ed, careful  industry,  such  as  men  in  every  sphere 
must  practice  in  order  to  succeed — in  short,  hap- 
piness as  pure,  intelligence  as  high,  refinement  as 
chaste,  as  earth  can  afford,  would  here  be  found. 
Taste  would  aid  economy  in  rearing  buildmgs, 
planting  trees,  dividing  of  fields— indeed,  in  every- 


im 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


April 


thing  to  make  earth  beautiful,  home  delightful, 
and  aW  things  pleasant  to  enjoy. 

And  would  not  these  attractions  tend  to  check 
the  spirit  of  discontent  which  is  now  bringing  so 
many  young  men  into  scenes  and  occupations 
which  are  drudgery  in  comparison  with  the  farmer's 
life  ■?  Farmers  in  the  present  day,  if  you  would 
have  your  sons  respect  the  profession  which  you 
have  followed  so  calmly  through  life,  if  you  would 
have  them  stay  "on  the  old  homestead,'"  dear  to 
you  from  a  thousand  associations,  and  which  you 
may  wish  to  retain  in  your  family, — if  you  would 
save  them  from  vice  and  folly — to  which  new  scenes 
frequently  allure, — teach  them  that  mind  can  find 
as  great  a  sphere  for  operation  in  the  farming 
fields  as  in  the  pent-up  shops  and  counting-rooms, 
and  that  independence  is  easier  won  in  the  pure 
air  of  the  country,  than  in  the  dingy,  contamina- 
ted atmosphere  of  town,  and  encourage  the  far- 
mers' lyceum  as  a  means  of  elevating  them  to  the 
positions  they  so  earnestly  desire.  w.  b. 

Elmwood,  Jan.  22,  1853. 

Remarks — We  commend  the  above  remarks  to 
everybody.  It  will  be  gratifying  to  friend  B.  to 
learn  that  the  farmers  of  the  State  are  occasion- 
ally getting  an  agricultural  lecture  in  the  town  ly- 
ceums,  and  surprise  him  as  much  to  be  informed 
that  probably  not  one  town  in  ten  in  the  common- 
wealth has  a  farmer's  club  orlyeeum,  where  agri- 
culture, in  its  higher  phases,  is  discussed.  Here 
and  there,  in  the  town  libraries,  a  few  agricultu 
ral  books  are  supplied.  Where  there  are  ncf  town 
libraries,  farmers  cannot  do  better  than  to  form  a 
club,  and  purchase  a  few  of  the  best  books  for 
their  own  purposes,  and  when  the  town  library  is 
formed,  merge  them  in  that. 


ROOTS  VS.  HAY. 


Many  farmers  are  loud  in  their  denunciations  of 
roots  as  a  substitute  for  hay  in  feeding  stock. 
They  regard  them  as  vastly  more  expensive  than 
the  latter,  and  in  every  important  respect,  inferior. 
Some  who  were  formerly  loud  in  their  praises  of 
rata  baga,  sugar  beet,  parsnips,  carrots,  &c.,  are 
now  as  loud  in  their  denunciations.  Truth,  we 
opine,  hovers  in  the  middle  region  between  these 
extremes,  and  it  may  not  Iw  improper  to  call  the 
attention  of  those  interested  in  the  premises,  to  a 
few  facts  which  have  a  very  important  and  direct 
bearing  upon  the  subject. 

As  far  as  mere  nutriment  is  involved,  we  are  by 
no  means  in  the  dark  concerning  the  value  of  any 
farm  product,  not  excepting  even  the  meanest  and 
most  worthless.  Science  has  already  made  us  ac- 
quainted with  this  part  of  the  subject.  We  know 
that  one  thousand  parts  of  the  potato,  for  instance, 
contains  fi-om  200  to  2G0  parts  of  nutritive  matter, 
consisting  mostly  of  starch  with  a  small  admixture 
of  mucilage — from  15  to  20  of  saccharine  matter, 
and  from  30  to  40  of  gluten. 

The  common  red  beet  contains,  in  1000  parts, 
150  parts  of  nutritive  matter— L.  e.,  14  parts  of 


starch,  121  of  saccharine  matter,  and  13  or  14  of 
gluten. 

Mangel  wurtzel  contains,  in  1000  parts,  136 
parts  of  alimentary  matter,  which  is  made  up  of 
13  parts  of  starch,  119'  saccharine  matter,  and  4 
of  gluten. 

English  turnips,  in  1000  parts,  contain  42  parts 
of  nutritive  matter,  i.  e.,  7  of  starch,  and  34  of 
saccharine  matter. 

The  ruta  baga-rthe  root  sometimes  denounced 
at  this  day  with  great  virulence — contains  in  1000 
parts,  G4  parts  nutritive  niatter,  consisting  of  0^ 
parts  of  starch,  51  saccharine  matte?  and  2  of 
gluten.  In  1000  parts,  the  parsnip  affords  100  of 
nutritive  matter,  10  of  which  are  starch,  and  ther 
residue  saccharine  substance. 

The  carrot,  in  1000  parts,  affords  9&  of  nutritive 
matter  ;  3  of  which  are  starch  and  95  of  saccha- 
rine matter.  There  is  also  in  addition  to  these, 
an  extract  which  appears  insoluble. 

But  these  nutritive  products  are  not  the  only 
valuable  parts — the  remainder  of  the  vegetables  is 
composed  of  fi.brous  substance  which  assists  ali- 
mentation by  eommunicating  to  the  stomach  the- 
stimulus  of  distention^  and  by  other  means  not  yet 
fully  ascertained. 

Now  let  us  examine  elover.  Of  this  hay,  lOOO 
parts  contain  about  41  parts  of  alimentary,  of  which 
32  are  starchy  3  saccharine  matter,  2  gluten,  and 
3  insolubk  vegetable  estract. 

Of  herds-grass  {Phleum  Pratense)  we  have  no- 
very  reliable  analyses,  as  yet.  Some  chemists  s&t 
down  the  nutritive  matter  it  contains  at  100,  oth- 
ers at  89,  90  and  97,  in  1000  parts. 

If  we  ascertain  the  number  of  tons  of  either  of 
the  above  named  roots,  produced  on  an  acre  of  any 
lesser  extent  of  surface,  with  the  sost  of  produc- 
tion, we  may,  by  the  assistance  of  the  above  table^ 
decide  with  a  tolerable  degree  of  accuracy  as  to 
the  specific  value  of  each,  compared  with  bay,  or 
any  other  description  of  fodder.  That  a  vastly 
greater  amount  of  fodder  may  be  obtained  from 
an  acre  cultivated  in  roots  than  from  a  similar  ex- 
tent of  surface  in  grass,  is  a  point  already  too  ob- 
vious to  need  any  demonstration.  The  following, 
from  the  Newark  Daily  Advertiser  s-hows  what  may 
be  expected,  with  proper  care  from  the  potato : — 
"Mr.  Joseph  I>.  Coe  raised  from  an  ounce  and 
a  quarter  pf  seed,  40  Rohan  potatoes,  weighing  18- 
lbs.  whi&h  he  tells  us,  after  an  accurate  measure- 
ment of  the  ground  occupied ,  is  at  the  rate  of 
1440  bushels  to  the  acre.  He  cut  his  seed  into 
five  tubers,  and  the  produce  is  equal  to  225  bushels- 
of  potatoes  to  one  bushel  of  seed.  The  largest  po- 
tato weighs  about  2  pounds.  The  vine  grew  eleveii 
feet  three  inches." 

From  the  Farmer  and  Gardener  we  estract  the 
following  on  "Horse  Feed." 

"There  is  no  one  who  regards  the  comfort  of 
domestic  animals — those  noble  creatures  which 
contribute  so  much  to  the  comfort  of  every  hom  &- 
stead,  wliether  it  be  the  splendid  establishment  of 


1S53. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


169 


the  rich,  or  the  more  humble  domicil  of  the  poor, 
but  must  rejoice  to  learn  th.at  the  root  culture  is 
gaining  favor  with  most  intelligent  farmers.  _  The 
advantages,  indeed,  which  result  from  devoting  a 
few  acres  to  such  purposes  are  so  striking,  and  add 
80  much  to  the  profit  and  economy  of  every  well 
conducted  form,  that  one  wonders  how  intelligent 
agriculturists  could  so  long  have  rejected  the  evi- 
dences which  have  so  obviously  presented  them- 
selves for  consideration-,  and  with  a  view  of  bring- 
ing these  facts  more  immediately  to  view,  we  will 
freely  state  them. 

"To  begin,  then,  we  will  premise,  that  each 
working  horse  will  consume  three  gallons  of  corn 
per  day,  (equal  to  that,  without  hay)  or  1095  gal- 
lons per  year.  Now  if  we  take  thirty  bushels  as 
the  average  yield  of  an  acre  in  corn,  Avhich  is  a 
large  one,  it  will  take  four  acres,  sixty  perches  of 
ground  to  raise  corn  enough  to  sustain  a  single 
horse.  On  the  other  hand  let  us  suppose  that  an 
acre  in  carrots  will  raise  three  hundred  bushels, 
(and  this  is  a  small  average,  for  seven  hundred 
bushals  have  often  been  produced  on  an  acre,)  and 
as  it  has  been  ascertained  that  three  pecks  of  this 
root  are  sufficient  to  sustain  a  horse  well  at  labor, 
and  as  there  are  12  hundred  pecks  in  three  huu-' 
dred  bushels,  so  will  one  acre  sustain  a  horse  one 
year  and  thirty-five  days,  making  a  saving  of  three 
acres  and  ninety  perches  of  land,  and  nearly  the 
equivalent  of  that  amount  of  labor  is  tillage,  as  all 
will  admit  that  if  the  carrots  h&  judiciously  drilled, 
the  amount  of  labor  to  be  performed  on  their  cul- 
ture is  very  little  greater  than  what  is  requisite 
to  secure  a  good  yield  of  corn — one  thinning  and 
three  hoeings  being  all  that  is  necessary  to  ensure 
a  good  crop.  As  to  manuring,  we  will  observe  that 
they  do  not  require  more  than  ought  to  be  given 
to  corn,  as  less  than  twenty  loads  should  not  b( 
devoted  to  either.  The  gathering  and  prcserva 
tion  is,  to  I>e  sure,  more  tedious  per  acre ;  but  when 
the  labor  to  be  bestowed  on  four  acres  and  ninety 
perches  in  corn,  is  compared  with  that  requisite 
for  one  acre  of  carrots,  we  think  the  amount  will 
stand  decidedly  in  favor  of  the  latter." 

That  tlje  writer  of  the  foregoing  should  have  in- 
dulged the  belief,  as  he  seems  to  have  done,  that 
seven  hundred  bushels  is  to  be  regarded  as  the 
maximum  yield  of  an  acre  cultivated  j?(f/£cio?is/y  in 
this  root,  is  certainly  deserving  of  surprise.  A 
Mr.  Little  residing  in  Newbury,  or  Newburyport, 
in  this  State,  some  years  since  harvested  twice  that 
quantity — 1400  from  one  acre,  and  in  the  reports 
of  many  of  our  agricultural  societies,  as  well  as 
those  of  Great  Britain,  it  is  seldom  that  any  crop 
not  exceeding  seven  hundred  bushels  is  mentioned. 
The  sugar  beet,  mangel  wurtzel,  and  other  popu- 
lar root  crops,  often  exceed  one  thousand.  The 
latter  are  perhaps  less  expensive,  so  far  as  cultiva- 
tion is  concerned,  than  the  carrot;  but  they  are 
less  nutritive,  and  are  supposed  to  be  more  ex- 
hausting to  the  soil  on  which  they  grow.  For 
neat  stock,  the  parsnip  is  now  highly  esteemed  by 
cattle  breeders,  both  in  this  country  and  in  Eu- 
rope. Its  yield  is  about  equal  to  that  of  the  ear- 
rot,  and  it  requires  about  the  same  soil  and  treat- 
ment. It  is  an  excellent  feed  for  hogs,  sheep,  and 
other  stock. 


POTATOES—INTERESTING  EXPERI- 
MENT, 

The  Journal  of  the  New  York  State  Agricultu- 
ral Society  contains  a  very  elaborate  and  care- 
fully prepared  table,  showing  the  result  of  experi- 
ments in  the  cultivation  of  potatoes,  in  every  pos- 
sible mode,  and  under  all  the  different  circum- 
stances which  could  well  be  conceived;  the  whole 
forming  a  mass  of  information  seldom  found  con- 
densed into  so  small  a  compass.  It  is  from  the 
pen  of  our  friend  H.  H.  Eastman,  Esq.,  of  Mar- 
shall, one  of  the  best  practical  farmers  in  the 
State — a  careful  experimenter  and  exact  observer 
of  results.  In  this  table  Mr.  E.  has  presented 
the  result  of  his  experiments  with  such  exactness, 
and  in  so  concise  a  form,  as  to  be  readily  under- 
stood by  tlie  reader.  We  only  regret  that  it  is  so 
formidable  as  to  prevent  its  being  laid  before  our 
readers  in  detail,  especially  as  the  rule  and  figure 
work  in  the  table  is  very  inconvenient  for  our  col- 
umns. We  may,  however,  as  briefiy  as  may  be, 
state  some  of  the  results  of  the  experiments,  as 
gathered  from  a  careful  perusal  of  the  table,  hop- 
ing at  some  future  time  to  present  the  matter  in 
a  more  acceptable  form. 

1.  Manures.  Tlie  experiments  embrace  Hog 
manure.  Fermented  and  Unfermented  Yard  Ma- 
nure, Compost,  Manure  of  Fowls,  Lime,  Ashes, 
Gypsum,  Sulphur,  Saltpetre,  &c.  &c.  The  re- 
sults are  decidedly  favorable  to  the  use  of  Hog 
manure  the  manure  of  Fowls  coming  next,  the 
Compost  next,  then  the  Unfermented  Manure. 
The  Lime  and  Gypsum  did  not  increase  the  yield 
beyond  that  part  on  which  no  manure  was  used. 
The  same  may  be  said  of  the  Sulphur  and  Saltpe- 
tre. 

2.  Time  of  Planting.  The  earliest  planting 
proved  decidedly  best — the  difference  between  the 
18th  and  28th  Slay  being  19  bushels  per  acre,  and 
a  further  reduction  on  that  portion  planted  as  late 
as  10th  June  of  34  bushels  per  acre,  with  a  deci- 
ded advantage  as  to  size  and  quality  in  favor  of 
those  planted  early. 

3.  Whole  and  Cut ;  and  Large  and  Small  Seed. 
Here  the  result  proves  precisely  as  we  anticipated. 
The  seed  from  large  potatoes  produced  decidedly 
best.     We  will  give  the  exact  statement. 

Weight  of    Weight  of  Bushels 
Seed.  Product,    pr  acre, 

10  lbs.  6  on.    71  lbs.  8  oz.      192 


Large  Potatoes  One  whole 

whole,  in  a  hill, 

Large  Potatoes  Two  halves  ,„  .,      ,. 

halved,  in  each  l.i!l,  10  ^l'^-  •>  ^'^ 

Large  Potnloe?  One-half  in 

halved,  each  hill, 

Large  Potatoes  4   ciuarters 

quartered,  in  each  hill. 


5  lbs.  3  oz. 
9  lbs. 


8  libs. 
5S  lbs. 
58  lbs. 


217 
139 
156 


Thus  far  with  reference  to  cut  and  uncut ;  those 
htxlved  producing  most  when  used  in  the  same 
quantity,  but  a  little  smaller  in  size  than  the  pro- 
duct from  the  whole  seeds.  The  produce  of  the 
quartered  seed  was  much  smaller  and  inferior. 
The  following  is  a  pretty  clear  test  between  large 
and  small  seed. 

Weight  of  Weight  of  Bushels 

Seed.  Product,    prare. 

12  lbs.  4  OE.  80  lbs.  215 

6  lbs.  50  lbs.  8  oz.     135 

31bs.  7oz.  43  lbs.  8  OK.      117 

6  lbs.  14  01.  51  Ibe.  138 

9  lbs.  63  lbs.  167 


Large,     oae  whole  in  hill. 
Medium,         "  " 

Small,  '•  '■ 

Small,    two  whole  in  hill, 
Small,    four  whole  in  hill 


The  produce  of  small  seed  inferior  and  unmarketable. 

A  very  clear  demonstration ,  so  far  as  our  experi- 
ment goes,  in  fitvor  of  large  seed,  a  result  which 


170 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


April 


"will,  we  doubt  not,  be  generallj  reached  in  all  ex- 
periments, with  whatever  crop,  between  perfect 
and  imperfect  seed.  There  are  many  other  re- 
sults to  be  drawn  from  this  paper,  which  we  should 
be  glad  to  lay  before  our  readers,  could  we  con- 
veniently do  so.  The  public  are  under  obligations 
to  Mr.  Eastman  for  this  elaborate  and  accurate  ex- 
periment, and  we  hope  he  may  repeat  it  another 
season. — Neio  York  Farmer. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

MANURES. 

Messrs.  Editors  : — In  the  New  England  Farmer 
for  Feb.  9,  which  I  received  a  few  days  ago,  about 
ten  days  after  time,  I  perceive  a  query  by  J.  R.  "If 
the  manure,  liquid  and  solid,  produced  by  feeding 
on  the  'estover  of  an  acre'  would  not  return  to 
the  ground,  'nearly  the  value  it  has  given  out,' 
of  mineral  matter?"  And  after  the  query,  the 
wriier  says,  "I  suppose  that  mineral  substances, 
as  lime,  silex,  &c.,  are  not  digested  in  the  stomach 
of  the  animal,  and  that  only  a  small  amount  of 
them  is  taken  into  the  circulation,  but  that  they 
pass  off  in  the  dejections,  and  may  thus  allha  re- 
turned to  the  soil,  and  the  estover  be  used  at  the 
same  time  as  food  for  the  stock." 

It  was  so  manifest  to  me  that  your  querist  is 
an  expert  in  the  animal  physiology,  of  which  I 
have  little  knowledge,  and  that  his  query  was  not 
proposed  as  seeking  information,  but  as  a  modest 
m.ode  of  conveying  instruction,  that  I  did  not  de- 
sign to  make  an  answer,  which  evidently  was  not 
desired  by  him.  But  on  reflection,  I  have  thought 
that  if  J.  R.  would  state  more  fully  his  views  in 
the  matter,  in  doing  so  he  would  not  only  correct 
my  erroneous  idea,  but  would  probably  be  giving 
valuable  instruction  to  other  of  your  readers,  and 
therefore  conclude  to  answer  the  query,  by  stating 
what  my  view  was.  I  take  the  succeeding  clausQ 
above  quoted,  as  a  part  of  the  proposition  implied 
in  the  query,  which  is,  that  the  dejections  of  the 
cow  produced  by  or  resulting  from  the  feeding  of 
a  corn  stalk  will  impart  as  much  mineral  matter 
to  the  soil  as  the  corn  stalk  itselfwould  have  done. 
My  answer  is  that  I  certainly  did  not,  by  any 
means,  suppose  this  to  be  the  case.  I  considered 
that  when  the  cow  had  laid  in  her  bone  and  milk 
from  the  lime  of  the  corn-stalk  that  it  would  be 
sensibly  diminished,  and  that  the  amount  passed 
off  in  the  dejections  would  be  much  less  than  the 
portion  taken  into  the  stomach  in  the  corn  stalk. 
Further,  I  supposed  also  that  a  considerable  por- 
tion of  the  salts  taken  into  the  stomach  with  the 
food,  passed  off  in  the  perspirations  of  the  animal, 
while  still  another  portion  was  deposited  in  the 
blood  and  flesh.  And  further,  I  supposed  that 
some  portion  of  what  passed  off  in  the  dejections 
would  be  dissolved  and  lost  in  the  barn-yard,  pass- 
ing into  the  earth  there,  or  into  the  atmosphere. 
By  these  multiplied  means  of  abstractions,  I  con- 
sidered that  much  the  largest  portion  of  the  min- 
eral matters  would  be  lost,  and  that  the  stable 
matter,  (the  word  was  correctly  printed  as  it  was 
written,  and  written  as  designed)  produced  from  a 
corn  stalk  fed  to  a  cow  would  return  to  the  ground 
but  a  small  part  of  the  mineral  matters  which 
were  contained  in  the  stalk  itself. 

But  you  will  please  remind  J.  R.  that  the  phrase 
mineral  matters  was  not  used  in  the  "Fireside 
Talk."     It  was  said   "the  ground  receives  back 


nearly  the  same  value  it  has  given  out,  and  I  think 
more,  in  amount  of  yer/i/izino-  matter,  than  in  a 
cord  of  stable' matter."  My  idea  was  this.  That 
a  large  portion,  say  seven  or  eight  tenth  parts  of 
the  corn-stalk,  consists  of  carbon  and  oxygen, 
which  by  the  decay  of  the  stalk  in  the  earth  would 
be  set  free  and  deposited  in  the  earth  in  form  of 
carbonic  acid,  the  great  thing  necessary  for  the 
plant  ;  that  another  considerable  portion  consist- 
ing of  hydrogen  and  nitrogen,  would  in  the  same 
manner  impart  ammcmia  to  the  soil,  both  of  which 
it  had  taken  up  partly  from  the  soil,  (or  would,) 
and  partly  from  the  atmosphere.  That  the  first 
of  these  would  be  principally,  if  not  wholly,  and 
the  last  partially  lost  in  passing  the  stalk  through 
the  cow.  That  the  mineral  matters  constituted 
only  from  one  to  two  tenth  parts  of  the  stalk,  and 
that  the  greatest  part  of  that  would  be  lost,  as 
above  explained. 

I  have  stated  my  ideas  exactly  and  definitely,  in 
order  that  not  only  myself,  but  the  public  may 
have  the  benefit  of  the  correction  of  your  corres- 
pondent J.  R.  in  full  in  relation  to  this  matter, 
and  that  my  error  may  be  wholly  rectified. 

It  seems  to  me  that  my  farm  must  become  to 
me  a  mine  of  wealth,  if  I  can  pass  the  crop  through 
the  cattle,  and  after  that,  from  the  dejections,  re- 
turn even  all  the  mineral  matter  taken  from  it ; 
but  I  desire  also  to  know  more  exactly  how  this 
is  with  all  the  remaining  ingredients  of  the  corn- 
stalk, if  any  there  are.  b. 


BITS  OP  THOUGHT. 


To  raise  good  cattle,  a  fiirm  should  be  in  such  a 
state  that  it  would  produce  good  corn,  good  cab- 
bages, or  good  clover. 

An  increase  of  farm  products  lessens  the  mar- 
ket price,  and  the  consumer  is  more  benefited 
than  the  producer.  Therefore  the  encouragement 
of  agriculture  is  the  interest  of  the  whole  people. 
It  is  the  first  duty  of  States  to  encourage  agricul- 
tural improvement. 

The  brightness  of  the  plow-share  will  prove  a 
better  security  to  our  republican  institutions  than 
all  the  windy  patriotism  of  long  speeches  in  Con- 
gress. 

He  who  encourages  young  men  in  the  pursuit  of 
agriculture  is  doing  a  good  work  for  the  morals  of 
society  a  hundred  years  hence. 

The  lady  who  treats  the  husbandman  with  scorn, 
because  he  is  a  farmer,  contributes  something  to- 
wards increasing  the  number  of  candidates  for  the 
State  pj'ison  and  the  gallows. 

All  the  true  honor  or  happiness  there  is  in  this 
world  follows  labor.  Were  it  not  for  working-men, 
there  could  be  no  progress  in  either  science  or  art. 
Working-men  are  earth's  true  nobility.  Those 
who  live  without  work  are  all  paupers. 

For  the  community  to  honor  one  who  spends 
life  in  genteel  idleness,  is  like  dressing  a  hog  in 
silk  stockings. 

Mirth  and  vanity  are  known  like  a  bottle  of 
beer;  but  wisdom  and  virtue  by  their  abundant 
products  for  lasting  good.  It  is  not  the  most 
show  that  does  the  most  service.  Still  water  of- 
ten runs  deep.  a.  g.  c. 
—  Granite  Fanner. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


17 


LEGISLATIVES  AGRICULTURAL  MEET- 
INGS. 

Seventh   MEETiiiO— Tcesd* y    Evenino,  March.  1,  1853. 

The  seventh  meeting  of  the  season  was  held  at 
the  State  House  on  Tuesday  evening.  The  meet- 
ing was  called  to  order  by  Jlr.  pRENcn,  of  Brain- 
tree,  and  John  C.  Gray,  of  Boston,  was  called  to 
the  chair. 

The  subject  for  discussion  was  ' '  The  Cultivation 
■and  Prtservation  of  Fruit  Trees.''' 

Mr.  Gray,  upon  taking  the  chair,  submitted 
some  excellent  practical  remarks  in  regard  to  the 
cultivation  of  fruits.  The  plum,  he  said,  was  very 
•difficult  to  raise  good  crops  of,  from  year  to  year, 
and  they  are  very  subject  to  the  ravages  of  the 
curculio.  In  respect  to  icaris  upon  plum  trees,  he 
said  it  had  been  recommended  as  the  best  method 
to  get  rid  of  them,  to  cut  them  off  in  the  early 
stages  of  their  development,  and  rub  the  wound 
with  salt. 

In  the  cultivation  of  peach  trees,  pruning  is  ab- 
solutely necessary.  The  last  yeixr's  growth  of  bear- 
ing branches,  which  may  be  known  by  a  red  color, 
should  be  cut  down  one-half  to  two-thirds,  and  the 
whole  tree  should  be  kept  down.  It  is  subject  to 
a  borer  distinct  from  the  apple  borer,  an  effectual 
remedy  for  which  is  to  dig  around  the  tree  in 
March  and  put  in  unleaehed  ashes.  They  should 
be  planted  twenty  feet  apart,  and  a  large  portion 
of  the  fruit  should  be  removed.  Two  men  can  re- 
move the  surplus  fruit  and  search  for  borers,  at 
the  rate  of  sixty  trees  per  day.  As  a  remetly  for 
the  curling  of  the  leaves,  cutting  them  off  was 
recommended  ;  the  leaves  will  put  out  a  new  set 
which  will  te  exempt  from  this  defect.  The  soil 
should  not  be  over  rich — such  as  would  be  rather 
poor  for  apples — and  cultivating  vegetables  in  the 
orcliard  is  f.jund  to  be  of  great  advantage.. 

Prof.  Nash,  of  Amherst  College,  said  he  had  no- 
ticed two  years  ago  that  some  peach  trees  which 
etood  in  clusters,  bore  bountifully,  while  trees 
which  were  isolated  produced  scarcely  any.  He 
desired  to  know  the  reason  for  this. 

JIajor  Wheeler,  of  Framingham,  said  it  was 
owing  to  the  location  of  the  trees,  and  not  in  their 
being  placed  in  clusters.  Peaches  will  not  flourish 
in  cold,  low  lands,  but  require  warm  soils,  which 
are  found  only  upon  elevated  situations.  In  his 
opinion,  we  have  as  favorable  a  climate  as  any  in 
the  country  for  peaches.  He  had  lately  visited 
New  Jersey,  and  from  the  information  gathered 
there,  he  was  convinced  that  our  climate  was  more 
favorable,  in  some  respects,  than  that  enjoyed 
there.  In  New  Jersey,  owing  to  the  earliness  of 
the  season,  they  are  subject  to  frosts  after  the 
fruit  is  set, — a  thing  which  seldom  occurs  among 
us.  The  highest  hills  are  the  best  for  peaches,, 
from  being  Avarmest.  He  knew  of  some  hills  in 
Framingham  where  crops  had  not  failed  for  thirty 
years.     He  con.'jidered  success  certain,  if  peaches 


were  cultivated  on  elevated  land.  It  is  important, 
too,  to  remove  a  large  portion  of  the  blossoms,  ns 
a  tree  brings  forth  six  times  as  many  blows  as  can 
come  to  maturity.  To  kill  the  borer,  he  used  ley, 
and  did  not  believe  it  would  injui-e  the  trees  in  the 
least.  He  had,  for  experiment,  used  two  pounds 
of  potash  to  a  gallon  of  water,  and  discovered  not 
the  least  injury  in  applying  it  to  young  trees  in 
his  nursery.  Nothing  he  considered  se  eSective 
for  desti-oying  the  borer.  Generally  puts  two 
pounds  of  pota-sh  into  nine  or  ten  quarts  of  water, 
which  he  thought  strong  enough. 

In  setting  out  trees,  his  rule  was  to  dig  a  hole 
six  feet  over  and  two  deep,  pulverizing  the  soil 
well,  and  putting  the  best  at  tlie  bottom,  and  then 
plowing  the  ground  with  a  subsoil  plow.  He  nev- 
er "mulched"  his  trees.  If  the  ground  is  well 
pulverized  and  cultivated  through  the  summer, 
there  is  no  danger  of  tbe  trees  suffering  from 
drought. 

In  regard  to  trimming  trees,  it  is  very  important 
that  the  apple  should  be  well  trimmed.  He 
trimmed  his  trees  to  the  shape  of  an  inverted  um- 
brella, » 

Mr.  Adams,  of  Newbury,  remarked  tliat  a  great 
many  trees  were  ruined  from  a  want  of  care  in 
taking  them  from  the  nursery.  The  roots  should 
be  taken  up  as  whole  as  possible,  and  a  spade 
should  never  be  used  if  it  can  be  dispensed  with. 
His  method  was  for  one  or  two  to  take  hold  of  a 
tree  and  pull  it  up.  Every  root  of  any  size  should 
be  cut  off  where  broken  with  a  sharp  knife.  Dig 
the  hole  six  inches  larger  than  the  roots  spread, 
and  set  the  tree  so  that  when  the  ground  settles 
the  trees  may  stand  as  they  did  in  the  nursery. 
If  the  land  is  in  a  good  state,  no  manure  is  neces- 
sary, but  the  soil  should  be  well  pulverized,  the 
roots  placed  in  a  natural  position,  sifting  the  soil 
in  around  the  roots  and  fibres,  and  the  earth  left 
free  and  loose  about  the  tree,  without  being  trod- 
den. He  had  set  a  large  number  of  trees  in  this 
manner,  and  on  comparing  them  with  those  which 
remained  in  the  nurserj',  could  not  perceive  that 
they  had  been  checked  the  least  in  their  growth  ; 
the  land,  however,  was  in  a. little  better  condition 
than  the  nursery  land.  The  soil  was  a  gravelly 
loam.  If  orchard  land  is  tilled  there  is  no  danger 
from  drought.  Orchards  need  as  much  care  as 
green-houses.  He  should  plant  his  trees  twenty- 
five  feet  apart. 

In  regard  to  trimming,  he  thought  that  a  young 
orchard  needed  looking  after  every  year,  and  some 
limbs  taken  out.  They  grow  too  thick,  and  re- 
quire strict  attention  to  shape  them  before  they 
get  too  large.  Many  are  in  the  habit  of  using 
saws  in  pruning  their  trees,  and  leaving  the  end 
of  the  limb  rough,  which  should  be  trimmed 
smooth  with  a  knife,  and  then  it  will  heal  over. 

The  speaker  also  made  some  remarks  in  relation 
to  the  running  out  of  fruit,  the  reclamation  of  old 


172 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


April 


orchards,  &c.  lie  contended  that  fruits  would  run 
out,  and  in  proof  cited  a  case  which  had  come  un- 
der his  observation.  The  fruit  of  young  trees 
grafted  from  the  old  ones  had  the  same  defects 
that  the  fruit  from  the  old  trees  had. 

He  thought  old  orchards  might  be  brought  into 
a  state  to  last  for  a  number  of  years,  if  taken  in 
hand  in  season. 

In  keeping  fruit,  Mr.  Adams  said  his  plan  was 
to  place  his  apples  on  shelves  furnished  with  slats 
to  retain  the  apples  and  admit  the  passage  of 
the  air  through  them,  and  then  open  his  cellar 
door  and  allow  the  cold  air  to  rush  in  upon  them. 
By  this  means  his  apples  were  kept  until  April,  in 
as  good  condition  as  when  put  in  in  the  fall — 
sound,  bright,  and  of  good  flavor,  though  perhaps 
a  little  shrunk.  Apples  should  be  kept  very  cool. 
He  considered  Baldwin  apples  the  most  profitable 
crop  which  the  farmer  could  raise. 

Mr.  French,  of  Braintree,  said  it  was  known 
that  fruits  had  their  years  of  sickness  and  depre- 
ciation. We  know  that  the  buttonwood  has  been 
dying  out  for  ten  years  ;  but  this  year  we  find  but- 
tons growing  on  the  trees,  an(T  young  button- 
woods  growing  up.  We  have  undoubted  evidence 
that  the  "Pomme  Appi"  apple  has  been  in  exis- 
tence for  a  century  and  a  half,  and  he  had  no 
tree  on  his  farm  that  was  so  hardy  and  bore  so 
well.  There  are  springing  up  before  us,  every 
day,  new  varieties  of  fruit,  and  the  only  difSculty 
is  to  know  what  we  shall  do  with  them  all.  In 
Philadelphia,  lately,  he  was  shown  more  than  for- 
ty new  varieties  of  apples,  and  all  of  them  desira- 
ble.    We  do  not  want  more  than  thirty  varieties. 

Mr.  Brown,  of  the  N.  E.  Farmer,  said  he  had 
no  doubt  we  should  always  have  plenty  of  new  va- 
rieties, and  described  one  variety  of  apple  which 
had  its  origin  in  the  town  of  Concord,  and  is  prin- 
cipally confined  to  that  locality,  where  it  is  exten- 
sively cultivated.  It  is  called  the  Hunt  Russet ; 
he  had  seen  some  of  them  which  were  two  years 
old,  still  juicy,  fair,  and  retaining  their  flavor. 

In  regard  to  the  time  for  trimming  trees,  it  was 
his  opinion  that  it  should  not  be  done  while  the 
sap  was  in  full  flow.  He  considered  the  practice 
which  extends  throughout  New  England  of  prun- 
ing trees  in  March  and  April  to  be  destructive  to 
them.  If  the  limbs  are  severed  while  the  sap  is 
ascending,  it  will  continue  to  flow  and  run  down 
the  limb  and  trunk  of  the  tree,  forming  a  discol- 
ored line,  which  can  readily  be  seen  on  noticing  a 
tree  thus  treated.  This  sap,  which  is  sweet  at 
first,  on  exposure  to  the  atmosphere,  becomes  ex- 
tremely acrid  and  bitter,  and  acts  as  a  poison  up- 
on the  tree,  eventually  destroyng  it,  as  it  flows  out 
from  the  limb  with  every  returning  flow  of  the  sap. 
Trees  should  either  be  trimmed  when  the  sap  is  not 
in  motion,  or  when  they  are  full  of  young  foliage, 
which  will  divert  the  sap  from  the  wound  to  the 
leaves,  and  give  it  an  opportunity  of  healing  over. 


Trees  can  be  trimmed  in  midsummer  without 
injury,  or  in  the  autumn,  when  in  repose.  If 
trimmed  when  the  sap  is  not  in  flow,  a  green, 
•smooth  bark  grows  about  the  edges,and  the  wound 
heals  up  much  better  than  if  cut  in  any  of  the 
months  when  the  upward  current  of  the  sap  is 
free.  It  is  the  running  sap  that  prevents  the 
healing  process.  He  also  cited  the  practice  of 
eminent  horticulturists  to  sustain  his  views. 

Mr.  Adams,  of  Newbury,  agreed  with  Mr. 
Brown's  views  as  to  the  proper  time  for  trimming 
trees. 

Mr.  Wheeler,  of  Framingham,  considered  the 
matter  very  important.     His  experience  had  con-  ' 
vinced  him  that  the  best  time  for  pruning  was  when 
the  sap  was  not  in  full  flow. 

Prof  Nash,  detailed  a  plan  for  pres'erving  ap- 
ples. In  the  fall,  place  them  in  the  garret,  (the 
cooler  the  room  the  better)  enveloped  in  fine  saw- 
dust, about  a  bushel  and  a  half  to  a  barrel,  and  a 
little  apart  from  each  other  and  the  barrel.  They 
will  not  freeze,  thus  protected,  in  the  severest  win- 
ter, and  fruit  which  will  not  generally  keep  be- 
yond January,  will  keep  in  good  condition  until 
April. 

The  hour  of  nine  having  arrived,  the  meeting 
adjourned. 

Note. — The  reports  of  agricultural  discussions 
at  the  State  House,  give  opinions  fur  which  we 
feel  no  sort  of  responsibility.  This  is  also  the  case 
with  communications  which  we  publish.  Many 
of  them  contain  doctrines  which  we  co«ld  not  en- 
dorse ;  but  we  consider  it  fair  that  gentlemen  shall 
have  a  hearing,  and  have  no  fears  but  their  opin- 
ions, as  well  as  our  own,  will  be  taken  for  all  they 
are  worth. 


For  the  Nevj  Enixland  Farmer. 
COMPARATIVE  MERITS 
OF  THE  TALL  AND  LATE  AND  THE  SHORT  AND 
EARLY  KINDS  OF  CORN. 

Our  farmers  hereabouts  plant  much  of  the  tall 
growing  variety  of  corn,  which  is  often  materially 
injured  by  the  early  frosts,  and  their  reason  for 
preferring  it  is,  that  the  ear  is  larger ,-and  they  get 
a  much  larger  yield  to  the  acre  {provided  the  frost 
does  not  destroy  half  the  crop.)  The  low  grow- 
ing variety  of  corn,  if  planted  the  last  of  May  or 
first  of  June,  ripens  earlier,  escapes  the  frost,  and 
although  the  car  is  smaller,  gives  a  sure  crop.  I 
wish  to  know  if  an  equal  number  of  bushels  of  the 
small  and  early  variety  may  not  be  produced  to 
the  acre  by  planting  the  rows  of  the  low  and  ear- 
ly variety  nearer  together  than  the  usual  three  feet 
apart  distance  of  the  tall  kind,  (a.)  The  low 
growing  corn  probably  does  not  extend  its  roots  to 
such  a  distance  as  the  taller  corn.  But  our  fiirm- 
ers  say  if  the  rows  are  nearer  than  three  feet,  the 
passage  of  the  horse  and  whiffletree  with  the  cul- 
tivator, will  destroy  by  breaking  down  a  large 
amount.  But  is  it  not  bad  policy  to  pass  with  the 
cultivator  when  the  corn  is  high  enough  to  be 
broken  down,  on  account  of  injury  to  the  roots'? 


[853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


173 


(&.)  Or  at  least,  is  it  not  better  to  use  the  hoe, 
than  the  cultivator,  at  such  a  stage  of  the  <;;rowth, 
if  thereby  we  can  pUice  six  r  )\V8  of  short  corn 
where  otherwise  we  must  have  but  four?  I  plant- 
ed the  last  season  an  half-acre  with  the  low  grow- 
ing variety.  My  men  had  planted  the  first  three 
rows,  each  three  feet  apart,  contrary  to  my  inten- 
tions.    The   remainder  was  planted  in  rows  two 

feet  apart.  The  yield  was  98  bushels  (in  the  ear;) 
IG  of  which  were  pig  corn  and  82  good  sound 

corn.  L.  s.  H. 

Norlhampton,  March  1,  1853. 

Remarks. — (a.)  We  have  known  some  of  the 
largest  and  best  crops  of  corn  from  the  eight 
rowed  Canada  kind.  (6.)  The  cultivator  can 
scarcely  be  used  too  freely  in  the  early  stages  of 
the  corn  plants;  but  when  it  has  grown  tall 
•enough  to  be  broken  down  in  cultivating,  the  roots 
must  have  formed  a  net  work  over  nearly  the  whole 
ground.     Cultivating,  then,  cannot   be  beneficial. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
INFLUENCE  OP  NEWSPAPERS. 

Messrs.  Editors  : — Newspapers  wieid  an  influ- 
ence which  controls  nations,  not  by  brutal  force, 
not  by  the  din  and  smoke  of  war,  nor  the  arbitrary 
mandates  of  a  despot,  but  by  a  still,  impulsive 
power,  which  permeates  the  mind  for  good  or  for 
evil;  they  exert  as  great  if  not  greater  influence 
over  the  public  mind  than  all  the  orators  of  the 
professions  as  moral  or  immoral  agents.  Newspa- 
pers conducted  by  good,  well-informed,  higli-mind- 
ed  editors,  will  disseminate,  in  the  public  at  large, 
as  much  useful  knowledge  and  as  much  moral 
principle,  I  believe,  as  our  schools  and  c  )lleges. 
We  can  all  discern  the  difference  between  tliose 
who  read  tlie  productions  of  good  liberal  minded 
-editors,  and  those  who  read  scurrilous  party  psi- 
pers,  by  their  elevated  conversation.  A  bigoted 
editor  will  propagate  bigotry,  a  vicious  one  vice,  a 
demagogue  deception,  an  infidel  skepticism,  and 
the  libertine  will  propagate  licentiousness,  and  so 
on  to  the  end  of  the  catalogue  of  influences.  There 
is  no  necessity  of  party  individuals  being  bigots  ; 
charity  covers  a  multitude  of  faults;  "vv'e  may 
agree  to  differ"  in  a  gentlemanlike  manner,  with- 
out those  rancorous,  uncharitable  feelings,  which 
add  nothing  to  the  items  which  constitute  happi- 
ness, but  rather  infringe  upon  the  good  rules  of 
Christianity. 

In  a  community  where  there  are  indi\'iduals  who 
will  traffic  away  their  own  souls  and  the  souls  of 
others  for  lucre,  we  have  reason  to  fear  the  worst 
of  consequences  from  the  circulation  of  licentious, 
immoral  and  youth-corrupting  newspapers.  There 
are  no  kind  of  wicked  propensities  in  man  but  what 
can  be  accommodated  with  a  creed  from  an  un- 
principled editor  whose  influence,  Bohon  Upas-like, 
poisons  all  who  venture  within  its  atmosphere,  and 
whose  only  idea  is  to  get  money  without  regard  to 
means  or  consequences. 

Farmers  and  mechanics  are  daily  reaping  bene- 
fits from  the  instructions  which  they  get  from  read- 
ing newspapers  conducted  by  good,  scientific,  and 
judicious  editors.  But  few,  comparatively,  would 
know  the  improvements  which  are  yearly  taking 
place  in  agriculture  and  the  mechanical  arts,  were 
it  not  for  this  channel   of  conveyance.     Many  a 


man  gains  knowledge  from  a  source,  unconscious 
from  whence  he  derived  it,  and  of  course  is  unable 
to  render  '* honor  to  whom  honor  is  due."  Some 
of  the  editors  of  our  political  papers,  in  their  par- 
ty zeal,  make  an  impression  upon  the  minds  of 
some  of  those  who  read  them,  not  at  all  favorable 
to  the  prevalence  of  brotherly  love  in  the  commu- 
nity. The  mischievous  effects  of  persecution  for 
honest  political  opinions,  are  felt  in  every  neigh- 
borhood; if  the  authors  of  these  offences  are  not 
rewarded  soimer  or  later,  justice  must  have  sti'ayed 
away  from  home. 

Intelligence  seems  to  spread  and  enlighten  the 
people  in  a  nation  in  proportion  to  the  freedom 
wliich  is  allowed  by  government  to  the  circulation 
of  the  thoughts  and  opinions  of  each  other  by 
newspapers;  look  at  the  laboring  classes  in  des- 
potic Europe,  where  a  paper  is  not  permitted  to  cir- 
culate without  passing  the  censorship  of  a  govern- 
ment tool,  and  see  the  difference  between  them 
and  those  living  under  the  liberal  governments  of 
England,  the  United  States,  and  all  other  liberal 
governments.  Under  despotic  rule,  ignorance  is 
the  huge  chain  which  binds  the  people  to  servi- 
tude ;  when  that  chain  is  once  sundered  tb.e  des- 
pots tremble  in  their  shoes  for  consequences  :  there 
is  no  chain  strong  enough  to  bind  a  virtuous  and 
intelligent  people.  Let  farmers,  mechanics  and 
all  people  who  are  dependent  upon  their  wits  and 
hands  consider  well  their  situation  and  responsi- 
bilities, and  let  them  discourage  vitiating  publica- 
tions from  entering  their  doors,  to  do  more  toward 
corrupting  youth  than  all  the  clergy  in  the  com- 
munity can  counteract. 

The  impressions  made  on  the  minds  of  youth  are 
enduring  and  hard  to  eradicate,  whether  the  im- 
pressions are  made  by  reading  contaminating  pub- 
lications or  associating  with  filthy  brained  rowdy 
companions ;  many  a  parent  has  found  to  his  sor- 
row that  p.s  the  "twig  was  bent  the  tree  was  in- 
clined," while  making  a  desperate  attempt  to  re- 
claim an  incorrigible  son,  that  had  been  neglected 
while  young,  without  success. 

In  making  a  selection  of  newspapers,  the  man 
who  would  "train  up  a  child  in  the  way  he  should 
go"  will  see  the  importance  of  selecting  those 
which  will  have  a  tendency  to  exalt  and  purify  the 
mind,  instead  of  corrupting  and  debasing  it  by 
sowing  the  seeds  of  pollution  broad  cast  in  the 
public,  to  bring  forth  their  fruits  by  producing  a 
generation  of  ill-bred  juveniles,  qualified  to  enter 
the  ranks  of  street  rowdies  and  public  plunderers, 
rather  than  gladden  the  hearts  of  their  parents  and 
prove  useful  members  of  society. 

Silas  Brown- 

Wilmingtofi,  1853. 


U.  S.  AcRrcuLTrsAL  Society. — We  understand 
that  the  yieople  of  the  State,  and  particularly  of 
this  vicinity,  are  taking  strong  hold  of  this  nation- 
al association.  Numerous  "subscriptions  of  $25, 
which  constitutes  a  life-membership,  have  recent- 
ly been  made,  and  among  those  of  a  still  broader 
liberality,  there  is  a  subscription  of  $500,  from 
the  Hon.  Jonathan  Phillips,  of  Boston.  In  all 
this  we  think  we  can  see  the  untiring  activity  of 
the  honored  President  of  the  society.  We  con- 
sider the  institution  as  now  established  on  a  per- 
manent basis  ;  and  that  if  its  members  imitate  tho 


174- 


JNEW  El^ GLAND  FARMER . 


iipRii 


zeal  of  its  head,  and  harmony  shall  prevail  in  its 
councils,  it  will  l>e  the  means  of  shedding  ui>told 
blessings  upon  the  nation  and  worlds 


BONES  rOR  MANUlEiEf. 
Tc  A.  S.,  South  Freedom,  Me. — "Where  can  I 
get  sulphuric  acid  to  dissolve  bones?  (a.)  What 
is  the  price  ■?  {b.)  What  quantity  I's  needed  m  pro- 
portion to  the  bones  to  I>e  dissulved  ?  (c.)  Do  you 
think  it  would  be  profitable  to  purchase  a-cid  to 
dissolve  all  tha  bones  !•  can  get?"  {d.} 

Remarks."— (rt.)  You  can  procure  aulphuric  acid 
In  any  quantity^  at  tlie  drug  store  of  Charles  II. 
Badgeu  &  Co.,  47  and  49  Blackstonc  Street,  Bos- 
ton. 

{b.)  By  the  Carboy,  Containing  15'0  to  200  gal- 
lons, 2i  cts.  a  pound  ;  it  weighs  about  16  lbs.  to 
the  gallon.  In  small  quuntities  it  would  eome  a 
little  higher. 

(c.)  Get  a  box  made,  say  G  feet  long  by  2  feet 
high  and  two  or  three  wide,  dove-tailed  and  joint- 
ed with  white  lead.  Put  in  the  y,'ater  first ;  then 
thf,  swlph'jric  aCid,  allowing  one-half  more  bulk  of 
Water  than  acid,  and  one-half  less  lought  of  acid 
than  bones  ;  that  is,  to  a  gallon  of  acid,  allow  a 
gallon  and  a  half  of  water ;  and  to  100  pounds  of 
bones,  allow  50  lbs.  of  acid..  Then  add  the  bones 
finely  broken  up,  and  mix  the  whole  intimately 
and  equally  Cover  the  bos  with  a  lid  or  old  sacks. 
and  let  it  stand,  untouched,  48  hours. 

This  method  of  dissolving  bones  is  given  in  the 
Transactions  of  the  Ilighla'd  and  Agricultural  So- 
ciety of  Scotland,  for  1851,  and  ia  the  simplest  and 
easiest  with  which  we  are  aequainted.  It  is  re- 
eommended  by  some  that  wlien  the  dissolving  pro- 
cess has  been  gone  through  with,  that  the  mass  be 
thoroughly  mixed  with  dry  ashea  before-  b^ing  ap- 
plied to  the  soil. 

('/.)  We  do — because  the  bones  ai-^  exceedingly 
valuable,  and  tlie  acid  is  also  a  fertilizer  in  itself. 
But  make  careful  a.nd  esact  experiments,  in  a 
small  way,  to  begin  with,  and  tell  us  the  results  of 
your  experience. 

While  speaking  of  this  subject,  it  may  bo  proper 
to  add  that  sulphuric  acid  is  invaluable  for  many 
purposes,  and  is  coming  iuto  common  use,  particu- 
larly among  English  farmers.  It  used  to  cost  some 
seven  or  eight  cents  a  pound,  but  since  the  intro- 
duction of  platinum  receivers,  in  wliioli  it  is  manu- 
factured, a  great  reduction  in  price  has  been  effect- 
ed, notvvitlistanding  t!iese  receivers  cost  about 
$5,000  e;ie?).  I'ho  production  of  crops  removes 
the  phospliate  of  lime  from  tlie  soil — bones  dis- 
solved in  sulphuric  acid  produce  this  phosphate, 
and  the  phosphoric  acid  so  produced  has  been 
brought  to  hear  upon  the  land  with  most  beneficial 
effects.  Professor  Likbig  gives  it  as  liis  opinion, 
that  the  commercial  prosperity  of  a  country  may 
be  estimated  by  the  quantities  of  sulphuric  acid  it 


consumes;  and  Mr.  Pusey,  M.  P.,  declared  in  a 
lecture  on  it,  that  he  considers  it  no  inadequate 
critsrion  of  the  degree  of  civilization.  However, 
tShat  is  pretty  much  like  many  other  things  intro- 
duced. There  is  scarcely  a  greater  indication  of  a, 
high  degree  ofcivilization  than  the  immense  quan- 
tities  oi  c&tton  cloth  used  in  the  country, -^and  cer- 
tainly, no  one  thing  add&  more  to  fehe  comfort  of 
our  peopJe.  In  Wiley  and  Putnam^s  edition  of 
Liebig,  page  184,  it  is  remarked  that  IngenhousS 
proposed  dilute  sulphuric  as  a  means  of  increasing 
the  feTtility  of  the  soil.  This  is  meationed  to  give 
force  to  OH-r  reply,  alx)ve,  under  lettei?  (d.) 

Sulphuric  acid  comes  f?om  sulphur  aivd  oxygen ,- 
one  part  or  atom  of  the  former,  and  three  part& 
or  atoms  of  the  latter.  It  may  also  be  obtained  in 
a  solid  and  dry  state.  SxccKnARDT  says  that  what> 
iron  is  to  the  machinist,  sulphuric  acid  is  to  the 
chemist,  and  that  it  stands,  as  it  were,  the  Hercu- 
les among  the  acids,  and  by  it  we  are  able  to  ovei"-- 
power  all  others,  and  expel  them  fifoia  their  eom- 
binations. 


THE  PICTORIAL  FISI.D-BOOK. 

This  rich  quarry  of  historic  wealth  is  now  ia 
completed  state,  accessible  to  every  Am erLean,  and 
certainly  every  American  should  dig  in  its  ample- 
mines.  Mr.  Lo-^sing.  has  come  to  the  rescue  at  the- 
right  period.  Ten  years-  more  and  it  would  have- 
been  too  late.  Every  year  or  month  was  sweeping; 
away  some  tenement  around  which  gathered  revo- 
lutionary associations,  some  ancient  record  or  fur- 
rowed face,  and  whiah  soon  would  have  been  lost 
forever  to  the  world,  but  which  are  now  securely 
embalmed  by  the  pen  and  pencil  of  this  artist-au- 
tlior.  Our  countrymen  were  so  absorbed  in  the- 
present,  that  they  were  forgetting  the  past.  Pro- 
gress was  striding  over  our  ancient  battlefields,  re- 
gardless of  the  bones  that  bleached  beneath  her 
feet.  Agriculture  drove  her  remorseless  coulter 
through  the  mossy  ramparts  that  once  sheltered 
the  gallant  heroes  of  our  liberty.  The  time-hon- 
ored sti'uctuyes  that  kept  oif  the  dew  and  the  rain 
from  many  a  patriot  liead,  were  tiunbling  indis- 
criminately ))8f'ore  the  blows  of  that  improvement, 
which  would  destroy  an  association  as  ruthlessly 
as  it  would  erusli  a  weed.  The  mound,  the  wall, 
the  ditch,  that  had  witnessed  the  intensest  suffer- 
ing, the  bravest  endeavor,  the  most  hei^oic  defences 
and  assaults,  over  which  the  whistling  balls  had 
cut  the  air,  and  almost  yet  echoing  with  the  clang 
of  battle  and  the  shouts  of  victory,  were  yielding 
to  friendly  strokes  what  they  refused  to  hostile 
arms,  and  surrendering  their  ancient  forms  to  the 
desecrating  plow.  Why  should  they  longer  i-e- 
niain  to  remind  a  people  of  the  struggles  their  free- 
dom had  cost?  Wheat  would  not  grow  in  the 
ditch,  nor  corn  spring  out  of  the  wall.  And  in  a 
country  so  crowded  for  room,  hitting  its  elbows 
against  the  oceans  as  it  turned  round  on  its  nar- 
row base  of  sixty  degrees  of  latitude,  it  could  not 
affjrd  to  let  an  old  tree  stand,  though  its  rough 
bark  held  the  testimony  of  a  terrible  conflict,  nor 
permit  the  remnants  of  a  venerable  fortification  to 
mark  to  the  eye  of  posterity  some  spot  hallowed 
with  patriot  blood.  Hapidly,  rapidly  were  these 
glorious  mementoes  disappearing  before  the  utili- 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


175 


tarian  spirit  of  the  age,  and  oblivion  would  soon 
have  rolled  her  waters  over  them  all.     But  the 
time  so  often  gives  what  its  necessities  require.    A 
historian  of  a  new  stamp  appears  as  he  is  wanted  ; 
not  confining  himself  within  the  four  walls  of  a  li*[ 
brary,  nor  satisfied  with  collating,  in  new  forms, ' 
the  researches  of  others,  he  sallies  forth  to  a  per-! 
sonal  inspection  of  every  scene  of  revolutionary  in- 
terest, he  searches  out  the  hoary  actors  that  yet 
remain  ;  he  follows  their  tottering  steps  over  fields 
of  slaughter;  sketches  the  physical  features  that 
were  connected  with  the  contest;  and  as  his  pen' 
takes  the  narration  from  the  trembling  lips  of  these 
venerable  partakers  and  vdtnesses,  and  transcribes 
their  mouldy  documents,  his  faithful  and  ready  j 
pencil  transfers  their  features  and  figures  to  the' 
enduring  page.     Thus  we  have  fac-similes  of  the 
autographs  of  Washington  and  Jefferson,  of  Co-' 
Iambus  and  Cotton  Mather,  of  Uncas  and  Brant,' 
of  Burgoyne  and  Gates,  of  Arnold  and  Andre,  and  ■ 
of  most  of  those  stern  men  whose  shoulders  upheld : 
the  ark  of  our  liberty.     Thus,  too,  their  lineaments ' 
look  out  from    these  life-like  pages,  and  even  the  ■ 
deep  wrinkles  that  a  century  had  worn  ia    the 
cheeks  of  old  John  Battin,  and  the  frosts  that  time ; 
had  sprinkled  on  his  locks,  revealed  the  truthful-] 
ness  of  the  artist's  skill.     The  I)enignant  features 
of  Pocahontas  beam  with  affection,  and  the  coun- 
tenance of  Kosciuseo  and  Lafayette,  of  Montgome- 
ry and  Putnam,  Stark,  Wayne,  Mercer,  Marion, 
Sumpter,  and  a  host  of  others  equally  worthy  of 
preservation,  show  the  reader  what  cast  of  men 
led  our  armies  to  victory  in  the  heroic  days  of  the 
republic.     Accurate  maps  of  battle-fields,  the  mon- 
uments that  gratitude  has  erected  to  the  memory 
of  our  heroes,  the  habitations  that  were  the  scenes 
of  stirring  interest,  are  here  truthfully  depicted. 

But  for  this,  all  v.-ould  soon  become  vague;  im- 
portant localities,  intangible  ;  indefiniteness  Vt^ould 
conceal  our  consecrated  places,  and  the  roads  en- 
crimsoned  by  the  bleeding  feet  of  our  warriors — 
their  long  marches  and  frosty  bivouacsr — would  in 
many  instances,  become  indistinct  and  legondary. 
Dates  and  localities  are  the  eyes  of  history,  through 
which  its  truths  are  made  manifest  and  steadfast. 
As  we  read  these  clear  and  beautiful  pages,  we 
feel  a  sentiment  of  nationality  glow  in  our  veins, 
and  look  with  honest  pride  upon  those  inflexible, 
upright  physiognomies,  and  with  melancholy  inter- 
est upon  those  quaint  old  specimens  of  architec- 
ture that  held  the  living,  and  upon  those  tomb- 
stones that  protect  and  mark  the  sleeping-plaoes 
of  the  illustrious  dead.  Our  author  does  not  be- 
lieve that  the  antiquarian  spirit  should  be  devoted 
only  to  unfolding  the  mysterious  ciphers  that  dec- 
orate the  sarcophagus  of  an  Egyptian  princess, 
but  he  would  seize  those  hieroglyphics  of  our  past 
— these  frail  memorials,  so  swiftly  crumbling  into 
dnst,  and  enshrine  them  on  his  ample  leaves — the 
record,  the  evidence,  and  the  illustration  of  a  great 
and  triumphant  struggle. 

Accordingly  we  see  our  historic  pilgrim  travers- 
ing and  re-traversing  the  broad  field  of  the  revolu- 
tion— touching  at  every  memorable  place — in 
trackless  forest — amid  mountain  ridges — over  fruit- 
ful plains — pursuing  the  devious  windings  of  rivers 
— in  thronging  cities  tracing  the  revolutionary  rel- 
ics, around  which  the  multitude  heedlessly  tramped 
—in  solitary  walks  hunting  the  footprints  of  our 
armies— suddenly  performing  some  distant  journey 
to  save  the  impress  of  a  fort  or  building  about  to'' 


be  defaced  by  sacriligious  hands,  following  wher- 
ever the  progress  of  American  story  Ijeckoned  him 
— till,  compassing  more  than  eight  thousand  miles, 
and  transferring  from  fading  reality  to  perpetual 
forms,  many  hundred  cherished  scenes  and  por- 
traits, he  consummates  his  interesting  narrative  of 
more  than  fourteen  hundred  large  and  compact 
pages,  and  gives  the  invalujjjle  contribution  to  the 
descendants  of  those  Avhose  deeds  he  thus  nobly 
commemorates  and  preserve-s. 

These  volumes  are,  hereafter,  to  perform  an  im 
portant  part  in  educating  the  people  in  tlic  details 
of  American  history.  Certainly  no  work  is  so  well 
calculated  to  lure  the  minds  of  the  young  through 
the  different  stages  of  the  great  drama  of  our  inde- 
pendence. Uniting  the  two  attractions  of  engag- 
ing narrative  and  pictorial  representation,  it  inter- 
ests the  reader  in  a  double  sense,  and  will  tend, 
we  do  not  doubt,  to  imbue  the  generation  now 
rising  to  manliness,  with  a  deeper  and  fuller 
knowledge  than  it  would  else  have  had,  of  the  la- 
bors, hardships,  dangers  and  triumphs  of  the  first 
sons  of  the  republic. 

In  the  modesty  of  his  preface,  tlie  autlior  regrets 
that  others,  more  competent,  had  not  gone  lorth 
to  this  undertaking.  But  he  is  the  com[>etent  man 
who  does  the  wuik;  and  surely  no  one  could  have 
accomplished  it  with  greater  fidelity,  truthfulness 
or  skill,  infued  more  freshness  and  vivacity  into 
the  current  of  his  narrative,  or  poured  out  the  en- 
thusiastic devotion  of  a  more  thoroughly  American 
heart.  It  was  a  task  that  indifference  could  not 
achieve.  It  required  not  merely  the  determination 
to  write  a  book,  but  also  the  promptings  of  an  ar- 
dent desire,  a  burning  love  of  country,  familiarity 
with  her  history,  and  an  irresistible  impulse  to 
gather  and  preserve  whatever  might  be  the  subject 
to  demolition  or  decay  of  all  those  things  that 
could  throw  light  upon,  or  that  became  memora- 
ble in  the  progress  of  this  country  from  depend- 
ence to  freedom.  The  patriotism  that  thus  sacred- 
ly collects,  guards  and  perpetuates  the  proof  of 
American  valor,  is  of  the  stamp  that  would  perform 
deeds,  themselves  worthy  of  record,  when  the  time 
requires. — N.  Y.  Daily  Times, 


TREATIS3E5  ON  MILCH  COWS. 

Some  years  ago  a  book  on  the  subject  of  milch 
cows  afjpeared  among  us,  written  by  a  French- 
man by  the  name  of  Guenon.  It  was  translated, 
we  think,  by  Mr.  Skinner,  late  editor  of  the  Plow, 
Loom  and  Anvil.  This  book  proclaimed  a  the- 
ory which  was  then  new  to  most  of  us,  and 
to  which  JMr.  Skinner  assented.  The  theory  brief- 
ly is  this  ;   that 

"The  hair  of  the  horned  cattle,  as  is  well  known, 
grows  downwards,  only  in  the  milk  mirror  which 
begins  at  the  udder,  the  down-like,  delicate,  short 
and  lighler-coiorGA.  hair  grows  upwards  ;  and  where 
the  ascending  and  descending  hair  meet,  they 
form  an  elevated  s/ripe,  a  vorlex  or  whirl.  This 
whirl  is  the  real  frame  or  border  of  the  uiilk-mir- 
ror,  and  gives  it  its  shape.  This  shape  is  the  prin- 
cipal mark  i)f  the  productiveness  of  the  cow.  One 
shape  shows  a  greater  productiveness  of  milk  than 
another." 

The  work  has  recently  been  examined  and  com- 
piled in  a  condensed  form  by  John  Nefflin,  a 


176- 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMEK. 


ApRI3L 


German  farmer,  who  has  had  manj'  opportunities 
of  developing  the  nature  and  character  of  Gucnon's 
observations.  Prof.  Wilkinson,  iTite  of  the  Mount 
Airy  Institute,  says  he  is  satisOed  that  this  is  the 
only  reliable  system  by  which  cowa  can  be  select- 
ed. The  circular  of  the  publisher  states  that  a 
thorough  understandifig  of  the  system,  will  ena- 
ble the  farmer  or  dairyman  to  determine  [I^  not 
only  the  daily  quantity  of  milk  a  cow  will  yield, 
but  liow  long  this  yield  will  continue.  Again,  it 
is  susceptible  of  application  to  ealves  of  three 
months  okl,  so  that  the  breeder  can  determine, 
even  at  that  early  age,-  wbish  pyomiae  ta  become 
good  milkers,  and  which  do  not.  And  agam,  as 
the  marks  can  be  discerned  in  bull  calvea  as  well 
as  in  cows,  the  important  iriformation  is  secured 
to  the  fiirm.er,  v/hich  enables  him  to  couple  such 
male  and  female  animals,  as  belong  to  tlie  same 
class,  and  thus  increase  their  productiveness  for 
the  dairy,  to  the  utmost  possible  estent.  The 
breeder,  by  a  proper  applfcation  of  the  rules,  may 
so  improve  the  character  of  hia  stock,  as  to  double 
its  value. .^ 

The  work  is  printed  handsomely,  with  a  large 
plate  illustrating  the  principles  laid  down.  Price 
EO  cents  a  copy,  or  50  cents  each  for  bound  copies. 
Pubhshed  by  C.  B.  Rogers,  29  Market  Street, 
Philadelphia,  Circulars  describing  the  work  will- 
be  handed  to  persons  calling  for  them  at  this  office. 
We  believe  the  matter  worth  attending  to. 


Fur  the  New  England  Farmer. 
DUNGING  IN  THE  HILL. 
Dunging  corn  in  the  hill  appears  to- me  an  iniu 

dicious  method  of  applying  manure,  even  when  ;'----  "•'--•" ---r      'rinn^'"  'Tv  ^T"  .' 
•      •  .- i  1 --^     ^^^._  i.\       \     (.     1        lost  in  the  milk  business   $iO0O.''     ^\  ould  not 


Last  year  I  used  hen  manure  mixed  with  plas- 
ter, by  putting  it  in  with  the  corn,  but  found  that 
it  hurt  the  corn,  as  ?t  did  not  come  up  well.  This- 
year  I  intend  to  make  the  same  mixture,  and  ap- 
ply it  after  the  corn  is  up. 

Your  friend,  B.  T.  €onant. 

Lyme,  N.  H. 

Remarks. — The  bone  dust  will  not  be  a  suflieieni 
manuring  in  itself.  Your  saturated  plaster  will  be 
excellent  in  the  hill,  iiitiiRately  mingled  with  3oi2 
before  dropping  the  corn. 

For  the  rfpiv  Ens'.tnd  Farmer. 

AGRICULTORAL  PREMIUMS, 

The  question,  I  notice,  is  asked,  whether  the- 
present  system  of  diaburaing  premiums  may  not  be- 
improved.  I  have  often  thought  it  questionable- 
policy  to  confine  premiums  to  successful  experi- 
ments or  results,  la  it  not-  as  important  to  avoi3 
the  evil,  as  to  pui'sue  the  good,  in  all  departments 
of  life?  Light -houses  are  built  on  dangerous  points. 
Charts  point  out  the  roeka  on  which  vessels  have- 
foundered,  as  well  as  the  deep  water,  where  they 
may  ride  in  safety — the  shoals  and  quiek-sands,. 
as  well  as  the  harbors.  The  historian  would  illy 
perform  his  task  who  should  dwell  upon  the  causes^ 
of  national  prosperity,  and  omit  all  notice  of  those- 
which  brought  about  its  decline  and  ruin .  To  thc- 
prudent  man,  the  knowledge  and  study  of  the- 
meansof  success  are  scarcely  more  important  than- 
those  of  failure. 

In  former  numbers  of  the  Farmer,  accounts  of 
great  success  in  raising  and  selling  milk,  by  farm- 
ers rear  Boston,  have  been  published — accounts- 
representing  men  as  realizing  $100  a  year  from; 
each  cow.  Lately  a  Mr.  Marsh,  of  Cambridge,  is 
reported  as  having  stated  in  the  "Convention  of 
Milkmen  and  Farmers,"  that  "In  four  years  he 


the  quantity  is  small.'  "  It  gives  to  the  plant  a  lux- 
uriant start,  provided  the  maniiro  is  rotted,  but 
too  often  pi-oves  of  little  value  afterwards.  The 
small  fibres  of  the  roots  are  the  mouths  of  the 
plants  through  which  the  food  passes  to  the  stock. 
If  we  examine  the  roots  of  corn  we  shall  perceive 
that  they  extend  as  far  in  tlie ground  as  the  stocks 
do  above.  Hence  it  will  be  perceived  that  the 
ditng,  if  placed  in  the  bill,  cannot  benefit  the  roots 
nor  materially  the  plant,  after  they  have  extended 
beyond  the  circle  where  it  is  deposited.  Whereas, 
if  it  is  spread  and  buried  in  the  soil,  it  benefits 


premium  to  Mr.  Marsli,  not  exactly  for  his  failure,, 
but  for  a  detailed  statement  of  the  whys  and  the 
wherefores  of  the  result,  be  a  good  investment?  I 
think  so,  and  have  said  thus  much  by  way  of  sug- 
gestion to  those  who  manage  premiums. 

Winchester,  February,  185S.  s.  f. 


For  the  New  Slna-land  Farmey. 

PEARS  ON   THORN  STOCKS. 

The  present  system  of  dwarfing  fruit  trees,  which 
them  in  their  whole  extent;  there  probably  not  i  is  said  to  be  applicable  to  the  pear  as  well  as  to 
being  a  square  foot  of  ground  in  the  field  into  which  other  varieties  of  caltivated  fruits,  removes,  in  a 
the  roots  do  not  penetrate  in  search  of  food.  And  'great  measure,  the  oltjections  urged  against  the 
for  the  next  crop,  it  benefits  only  parts  of  the  soil  'thorn,  by  nurserymen.  It  has  generally  been  as- 
where  the  corn  has  grown.  I  have  noticed  that  in  sorted,  and  no  doubt  truly,  that  while  the  scion  of 
the  next  crop,  which  is  usually  wheat  in  this  sec- 'the  pear  does  remarkably  well,  and  makes  a  rapid 

growth  on  the  thorn,  the  latter  is  not  large  enough 


tion,  I  can  see  where  tlie  rows  of  corn  were  last 
year  ;  theref  jrc  I  think  it  would  l>e  1>eltcr  to  spread 
this  manure  and  plow  it  in. 

If  we  wi.sli  to  give  corn  a  luxuriant  start,  we  can 
make  some  kind  of  compost  to  use  in  the  hill.  It 
is  stated  that  phosphate  of  lime,  or  bone  dust,  will 


to  secure  a  good  sized  and  healthy  tree.  But  in 
dw-arfing,  the  size  is  a  secondary  consideration. 
Very  productive  trees  are  obtained  by  this  method, 
and  they  are  ver;^  generally  preferred  in  conse- 
quence of  their  being  less   liable  to   injury  from 


furnish  the  necessary  elements  of  the  whole  plant  winds,  more  easily  managed,  and  requiring  far  less 
without  the  aid  of  much  if  any  other  manure.  ground.     Thorn  stocks,  also,  are  easily  obtained. 

And  now,  friend  Brown,  I  want  to  know  if  gyp-  'whereas  quince  stocks  and  pear  stocks  are  expcn- 


sum  or  plaster,  saturated  in  urine,  dried,  pulver- 
ized, and  put  in  with  the  corn  in  the  hill,  would  be 
any  benefit,  or  would  it  kill  the  corn  ? 


sive,  and  obtained  only  with  difiSculty,  and  from  a 
distance,  of  those  who  grow  them  for  sale,  and  an 
■exorbitant  price.  u.  d.  w. 


1863. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


177 


VIOAR  OP  WINKFIELD. 

The  pear  of  which  the  above  engraving  is  a  por- 
trait, grew  in  the  grounds  of  Col.  Wilder,  of  Dor- 
chester, and  was  presented  us  for  the  especial  pur- 
pose to  which  we  have  devoted  it.  Downing's  ac- 
count of  it  is,  that  it  was  discovered  as  a  natural 
seedling  in  the  woods  of  Clion,  France,  by  a  French 
curate,  whence  it  obtained  the  name  of  Le  Cure, 
or  Monsieur  le  Cure.  It  was  afterward  imported 
into  England  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Rham,  of  Winkfield, 
and  cultivated  and  disseminated  from  thence,  be- 
coming known  in  the  neighborhood  of  London  as 
the  Vicar  of  Winhfitld.  It  is  called;  therefore,  in 
the  books  by  each  of  the  three  names  which  are 


given  in  italics.  And  by  Kenrick,  it  is  called  Clion, 
after  the  name  of  the  place  in  which  it  was  found 
growing  wild. 

Different  cultivators  accord  to  it  different  mer- 
its. Mr.  Downing  says  that  with  him  it  was  al- 
ways large,  fair  and  handsome,  and  a  first  rate 
baking  pear  ;  occasionally  fine  as  a  table  pear,  but 
generally  astringent  and  only  third  rate  for  this 
purpose.  Its  great  productiveness,  hardiness,  and 
fine  size,  will  always  give  it  a  prominent  place  m 
the  orchard  as  a  profitable,  market,  cooking  pear. 
The  tree  grows  thriftily,  with  drooping  fruit  branch- 
es.    Shoots  diverging,  dark  olive. 

Thomas,  in   his   Fruit   CuUurist,  speaks  well  of 


178 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


April 


it;  says  it  ripens  late  autumn  and  early  winter, 
for  about  three  months,  and  is^ne  on  quince  stocks. 
Its  neat  and  uniform  productiveness,  its  fine  qual- 
ities for  cooking,  and  the  long  period  of  its  con- 
tinuance, render  it  eminently  valuable. 

B.\RRy,  in  his  Fruit  Garden,  says  the  tree  is  a 
most  vigorous  grower  on  both  pear  and  quince,  and 
on  the  latter  makes  a  beautiful  and  productive  py- 
ramid;  and  that  it  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  of 
all  late  pears.     Ripens  well  in  the  cellar. 

Cole,  in  his  Fruit  Book,  says,  as  it  is  hardy;  a 
great  grower  and  enormous  bearer,  the  fruit  large, 
fair,  and  it  comes  in  when  pears  are  scarce,  it  is 
one  of  the  most  profitable  for  the  market  or  home 
consumption.  Requires  a  warm  location,  and  a 
long  warm  season. 

Very  large,  long  pyriform;  pale  yellow-brown, 
full  in  the  sun ;  stem  1^  inches  long,  slender, 
obliquely  set  without  cavity;  slight  basin;  flesh 
greenish  white,  juicy.     Excellent  for  cooking. 


AGRICULTURAL   MASS   MEETING. 

The  mass  meeting  of  the  farmers  of  Middlesex 
came  off  on  the  10th,  to  the  entire  satisfection  of 
all  concerned.  We  went  to  bed  on  the  evening 
of  the  9th,  with  a  cold,  drizzling  rainfiilling  around 
us,  and  feeling  that  our  prospect  for  the  next 
day  was  dark  and  dubious.  But  Providence  was 
better  to  us  than  our  fears.  The  morning  sun 
rose  fair  and  bright,  and  his  cheering  beams 
warmed  all  our  hearts.  At  the  appointed  hour, 
the  active,  stout-hearted  and  intelligent  farmers 
of  Concord  and  the  neighboring  towns  began  to 
assemble,  and  took  hold  of  the  business  of  the  day 
as  though  they  had  come  for  a  day's  work,  and 
meant  to  do  it,  too.  They  were  cheered  by  the 
presence  of  several  distinguished  friends  of  agri- 
culture from  different  sections  of  the  State  and 
from  other  States.  All  tlie  services  of  the  day 
were  of  a  highly  interesting  character.  Indeed, 
the  interest  was  not  only  sustained,  but  increased 
from  hour  to  hour,  until  10  o'clock  in  the  eve- 
ning, when  the  meeting  broke  up,  amidst  the 
universal  regrets  that  we  had  not  another  day  to 
spend  in  the  same  way.  Not  an  unpleasant  cir- 
cumstance occurred  to  mar  the  pleasure  of  the 
day.  Universal  good  feeling  prevailed.  We  had 
a  good  dinner  and  it  is  not  enough  to  say  that  we 
had  a  pleasant  time.  We  had  a  good  time — 
a  grand  time.  It  was  a  proud  day  for  the  Con- 
cord farmers  and  a  proud  day  for  old  Concord. 
And  we  trust  that  many  of  the  towns  in  our 
State  will  have  just  such  a  time  this  very  spring, 
and  every  spring  for  years  to  come,  and  when 
they  do,  "may  we  be  there  to  see." 

The  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  Elijah 
Wood,  Jr.,  Esq.,  and  organized  by  the  choice  of 
Simon  Brown,  President ;  Maj.  B.  Wheeler,  Fra- 
mingham,   and  Col.    He.\rd,   of  Wayland,  Vice 


Presidents,  and  Dr.  Jos.  Reynolds,  Secretary. 
The  doings  of  the  Concord  Farmers'  Club,  at  their 
two  last  meetings  in  which  this  Convention  origi- 
nated, were  then  read  by  the  Secretary. 

The  throne  of  grace  was  then  addressed  in  a 
very  appropriate  manner  by  Rev.  L.  Angier,  of 
Concord.  The  President  made  some  remarks  ex- 
planatory of  the  objects  of  the  meeting.  Letters 
were  then  read  from  A.  W.  Dodge,  of  Essex,  W. 
S.  King,  of  Providence, Editor  of  the  Journal  of  Ag" 
ricuUure,  Prof.  J.  G.  Hoyt,  and  J.T.  Gilman,  Ex- 
eter, and  from  C  .  Jj.  Flint,  Secretary  of  the  Board 
of  Agriculture,  expressing  their  regret  at  being 
unable  to  be  with  us,  and  giving  us  words  of 
cheering  and  encouragement. 

The  subject  of  farm  buildings  was  then  taken 
up.  Wii.  D.  Brown,  of  Concord,  read  an  essay 
full  of  wit,  humor  and  instruction,  in  which  he  de- 
scribed minutely  the  size,  construction  and  ar- 
rangements of  Farmer  Goodman's  barn.  The  essay 
was  full  of  useful  hints  and  suggestions. 

The  subject  of  neat  stock  was  then  taken  up,  and 
occupied  the  remainder  of  the  morning  session. 
Setii  Sprague,  of  Duxbury,  President  of  tlie  Ply- 
mouth County  Agricultural  Society,  made  some 
very  interesting  statements  upon  this  subject. 
He  said  that  a  great  difficulty  with  us  is  that  if 
we  have  a  good  animal,  w'eare  not  sure  of  getting 
another.  The  English  farmers  regard  the  milking 
and  flesh-gaining  properties  of  their  stock.  They 
use  horses  principally  for  the  draft,  so  that  work- 
ing oxen  are  of  less  importance.  They  have  suc- 
ceeded admirably,  and  they  are  certain  of  success 
in  getting  the  kind  of  stock  they  desire.  Our  na- 
tive cattle  have  mixed  blood  in  their  veins,  and 
we  know  not  how  to  cross  and  mix  them. 

We  need  to  purify  their  blood.  We  must  pay 
great  attention  to  the  character  of  the  males  if  we 
wish  to  improve  the  quality  of  our  stock.  We 
must  have  pure-blooded  males.  A  stain  in, the 
blood  from  any  strong-blooded,  vigorous  race,  will 
shew  itself  for  many  generations,  and  oftentimes 
will  be  strongly  marked,  after  its  origin  is  forgot- 
ten. As  an  illustration  of  this,  he  said  that  the 
Galloways  or  hornless  cattle  were  introduced  many 
years  ago  into  this  country,  and  now  we  occasion- 
ally find  a  no-horned  animal  in  our  herds,  when 
its  parents,  grand-parents  and  gi-eat-grand-pa- 
rents  all  had  horns.  Mr.  S.  thinks  the  Durhams 
the  best  for  milk  and  beef,  where  the  feed  is  rich 
and  abundant.  Alderneys  or  Jerseys  are  now 
being  imported.  Their  milk  is  very  rich  and  they 
make  an  abundance  of  fine  butter.  But  they  are 
small,  and  not  very  hardy ;  what  the  result  will 
be  from  them  is  uncertain.  lie  has  found  that 
the  Durhams,  the  Ayrshires  and  the  Devons  all 
take  flesh  much  better  than  our  native  stock.  He 
thinks  that  the  same  keeping  that  will  make 
three  lbs.  of  flesh  in  native  stock,  will  make  four  in 
any  of  the  above  kinds, 


i853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


179 


Geo.  M.  Barrett,  of  Concord,  said  he  had  had 
some  experience  in  the  breeding  of  stock,  more  es- 
pecially of  the  Ayrshire.  But  his  experiments 
have  not  been  continued  long  enougli  to  deter- 
mine its  absolute  value.  Ilia  present  impression 
ia,  that  they  will  prove  the  best  for  milk.  Ayr- 
shire cows  have  short  teats,  and  sound,  compact 
bags.  Where  they  have  one-quarter  native  blood, 
they  have  good  ?ized  teats. 

Maj.  B.  Wheeler  said  he  had  liad  some  expe- 
rience in  raising  stock.  Durhams,  he  thinks  the 
best  fur  beef.  They  are  large,  hardy,  and  take 
fat  easily.  If  the  object  of  the  raiser  was  to  get 
cattle  for  beef,  he  would  recommend  Durhams. — 
But  he  has  not  been  successful  in  getting  great 
milkers  from  them.  The  Ayrshires  he  thinks  fine 
milkers.  The  only  objection  is  their  small  teats. 
The  xVlderneys  give  very  rich  milk,  but  they  are 
not  hardy,  and  within  his  observation,  they  are 
apt  to  be  poor. 

Col.  Heard,  of  Wayland,  keeps  seven  cows  and 
always  raises  his  own.  Selects  from  his  best  and 
takes  them  to  the  best  bull  he  can  find.  His  cows 
have  been  mostly  natives,  but  he  has  had  some 
very  good  ones.  Some  15  years  ago,  he  and  one 
of  his  neighbors  purchased  a  bull,  half  Ayrshire, 
andkept  him  for  the  use  of  the  neighborhood,  and 
the  result  has  been,  that  the  stock  has  been  a  good 
deal  improved.  He  thinks  the  Devons  are  very 
hardy  and  keep  in  flesh  well  through  the  winter. 
Ayrshire  cows  make  more  butter,  and  the  butter 
keeps  better  than  that  from  other  cows. 

The  President  made  some  inquiries  respecting 
abortion  in  cows.  This  is  becoming  a  very  com- 
mon occurrence  and  a  serious  evil.  He  inquired 
if  any  one  could  assign  a  cause  for  this? 

Several  gentlemen  observed  this  had  frequently 
happened  within  their  observation  of  late,  but  as- 
signed no  reason  for  it.  Mr.  Sprague  said  that 
in  his  county,  the  butchers  found  the  calves  in  a 
certain  neighborhood  were  very  fine,  and  they 
w  ere  willing  to  pay  from  fifty  cents  to  a  dollar  more 
for  them  than  for  other  calves,  and  this  was  found 
to  be  the  result  of  the  introduction  of  a  certain 
bull  into  the  neighborhood.  This  was  a  matter 
of  no  small  importance.  In  England  the  breeding 
has  been  carried  on  by  the  best  males.  He  re- 
ferred to  the  practice  of  breeding  in  and  in  ;  an 
idea  prevails  in  this  country  that  this  deteriorates 
the  breed.  In  England  a  different  idea  prevails, 
and  it  is  by  this  mode  that  the  Devon  Stock  has 
been  especially  improved. 

Mr.  Amasa  Walker  had  nothing  to  say  but 
what  he  had  said  before  upon  other  occasions. — 
We  talk  about  native  stock  and  foreign  stock.  But 
it  was  all  one  stock.  The  only  question  is,  which 
has  been  longest  in  the  country.  Our  fathers 
brought  the  best  stock  they  could  find.  Other 
stock  has  been  imported  since.  But  we  cannot 
re-produce  stocks  imported,  anymore  than  we  can 


breed  Englishmen.  Although  we  are  from  the 
same  stock,  we  are  not  Englishmen.  Under  the 
different  climatic,  dietetic  and  social  influences  we 
are  very  different  from  Englishmen.  We  are  less 
muscular  and  more  active  and  nervous.  We  are 
now  importing  largely  the  muscles  of  Englishmen 
and  Irishmen  to  labor  for  us.  We  have  brains 
enough,  we  do  not  need  to  import  them.  Our 
object  must  be  to  improve  our  stock  by  crossing. 
The  raising  of  foreign  stock  is  usually  very  expen- 
sive. It  will  do  for  amateur  farmers.  He  has  a 
fine  pair  of  oxen.  lie  knows  none  finer,  three- 
fourths  Durham, — but  they  have  been  very  ex- 
pensive. So  of  some  cows  he  has  had.  They 
were  fine  cows,  but  expensive.  He  has  one  small 
native  cow  that  cost  much  less,  and  costs  much 
less  in  keeping  ;  but  she  gives  milk  of  fine  quality 
and  in  large  quantity  and  his  women  tell  him  that 
she  is  the  best  cow  he  has.  Select  such  cows  and 
breed  from  them  by  crossing  and  we  shall  get  good 
cows. 

Mr.  Sprague  did  not  agree  with  Mr.  W.  He 
thinks  it  very  important  to  have  good  blood.  If 
we  get  a  good  cow  from  such  crosses  as  Mr.  W. 
referred  to,  it  would  be  accidental.  We  were  not 
sure  of  it.  Purify  the  blood,  is  a  fundamental 
principle  in  stock  breeding. 

jMr.  Smith,  of  Lincoln,  said  if  we  select  the  best 
native  stock,  and  cross  with  imported — we  can  im- 
prove the  stock.  He  has  seen  this  demonstrated 
in  the  case  of  what  is  called  the  Prentiss  stock  in 
his  neighborhood.  Mr.  Lewis,  of  Framingham, 
said  he  was  surprised  to  hear  it  said  that  it  costs 
more  to  raise  foreign  stock  than  native.  He 
thinks  this  is  not  true  except  in  the  case  of  Dur- 
hams. He  has  an  Alderney  that  yields  one  lb.  of 
butter  to  6  quarts  of  milk.  Now,  he  mixes  her 
milk  with  that  of  his  other  cows  and  gets  1  lb.  to 
eight  quarts.     It  usually  takes  10  quarts  to  a  lb. 

Mr.  Brown  said  that  the  cow  that  makes  the 
most  butter,  will  not  always  make  the  largest 
calf. 

Dr.  Reynolds  thought  the  cow  that  gives  the 
richest  milk  would  make  the  fattest  calf.  Fat  oil, 
of  which  butter  chiefly  consists,  will  make  fat, 
but  not  bone  and  muscle.  The  caseine  which 
abounds  in  curd,  contains  a  large  amount  of  nitro- 
gen. This  is  essential  to  the  formation  of  muscle. 
Hence  milk  that  yields  the  most  cheese  will  make 
the  largest  and  most  meaty  calves,  but  not  the 
fattest. 

Mr.  Fren'Ch,  of  Exeter,  was  a  believer  in  blood. 
He  said  we  were  in  the  habit  of  importing  into 
this  country  live  stock  from  the  coast  of  Africa 
with  black  skins  and  curly  hair,  and  he  would  in- 
quire how  long  it  would  take  if  it  was  bred  in  and 
in  to  change  it,  in  this  country  into  red  skin  with 
long  straight  hair.  He  thought  it  would  take 
some  time  to  run  out  the  blood.  You  can  no 
more  get  a  Durham  from  a  Devon i  than  an  Indioj:i 


180 


WEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


April 


from  a  negro.  The  marks  of  the  Devons  are  fixed 
and  permanent.  The  Durhams  are  nearly  as 
much  so,  but  the  Ayrshires  are  not  so  well  fixed 
for  they  have  not  been  distinct  races  so  long. 
Why  not  breed  from  good  native  stock  1  Because 
you  are  not  sure  of  a  good  progeny.  He  related 
an  instance  in  his  own  experience  to  prove  this. 
We  must  find  the  stock  that  has  the  qualities 
which  we  desire  in  the  greatest  degree,  and  breed 
from  that. 

Mr.  J.  B.  Farmer,  of  Concord,  said  his  grand- 
father always  raised  his  own  stock  from  his  own 
bulls,  and  he  thinks  that  his  stock  deteriorated. 
One  spring  he  had  nine  calves,  seven  of  which 
were  idiotic  and  good  for  nothing.  He  thinks 
raising  in  and  in  not  a  good  practice. 

Mr.  Heard  said  that  old  cows  gave  to  their 
progeny  their  own  marks  more  strongly  than 
young  ones. 

Prof.  Nash,  of  Amherst,  said  he  had  but  little 
experimental  knowledge  upon  the  subject. 

But  he  would  make  one  inquiry.  It  is  conced- 
ed that  it  is  important  to  take  the  cow  to  a  good 
bull.  He  believed  that  opinion  true.  His  inqui- 
ry is  the  following.  Is  not  the  cow  herself  dete- 
riorated by  taking  her  to  a  mean  animal  1  If  you 
take  a  fine  mare  to  a  mean  animal,  she  deterio- 
rates from  sympathy  with  the  male.  Is  not  the 
same  thing  true  of  the  cow  1 

Mr.  Robinson,  of  Dorchester,  said  he  was  not 
much  acquainted  with  raising  stock.  He  keeps 
stock  for  their  milk.  He  thinks  the  care  of  stock 
of  more  importance  than  the  breeding.  This 
matter  of  the  care  of  stock  is  of  infinitely  more 
consequence  than  is  usually  imagined.  If  he  were 
to  give  an  opinion  upon  the  comparative  value  of 
different  breeds  he  would  say  the  Ayrshires, 
were  the  best  for  the  dairy  and  the  Devons  for  the 
plow. 

Dr.  Reynolds  said  the  crop  of  hay  last  year 
was  small,  and  he  presumed  it  had  led  to  experi- 
ments in  feeding  stock.  He  would  inquire  the 
results  of  experiments  upon  cutting  hay,  the  pres- 
ent winter.  Mr.  Gleason,  of  Wayland,  thought 
the  quality  of  the  hay  last  year  was  better  than 
usual,  and  although  the  amount  given  to  stock 
has  been  less  than  usual,  he  thinks  stock  in  gene- 
ral is  coming  out  well  this  spring.  He  does  not 
think  much  is  gained  by  cutting  hay.  But  he 
thinks  all  feed  should  be  wet — as  to  raising  stock, 
it  costs  moj-e  to  raise  than  to  buy,  but  we  are 
more  sure  of  good  stock.  Take  a  cow  that  is  a 
good  milker  to  a  bull  that  came  from  a  good  milk- 
er and  you  are  almost  sure  of  a  good  milker. 

Mr.  Sprague  made  some  remarks  upon  the  im- 
portance of  taking  better  care  than  we  usually  do 
of  our  calves  and  young  stock. 

Dr.  Bartlett,  of  Chelmsford,  said  that  the  sub- 
ject of  feeding  was  of  more  importance  than  any 
other  in  relation  to  stock.     He  uses  apples  very 


freely  in  feeding  young  stock,  and  he  thinks,  fed 
in  this  way,  they  will  do  better  than  on  roots  and 
hay.  Corn  fodder  he  uses  extensively,  sows  South- 
ern flat  corn  broad  cast,  very  thick,  that  the  stalks 
may  be  small,  and  he  thinks,  pound  for  pound, 
it  is  worth  more  than  English  hay.  He  sows  in 
July  for  winter  feeding,  and  early  for  summer  feed- 
ing. Salts  it  in  the  mow,  and  cattle  prefer  it  to 
hay.  He  gives  apples  to  his  milch  cows,  and 
thinks  them  excellent  food.  He  would  freeze  and 
then  thaw  them  and  immediately  feed  to  the  cows. 

Maj.  B.  Wheeler  has  used  apples  as  food  for 
cows,  for  thirty  years,  very  successfully  ;  values 
them  highly  for  this  purpose. 

At  this  stage  the  meeting  adjourned  for  dinner. 
One  hour  was  spent  in  discussing  the  good  things 
of  the  table.  The  farmers  then  returned  promptly 
to  the  hall,  and  the  subject  o^ Plows  and  Plowing 
was  called  up.  Several  plates  were  arranged  on 
one  side  of  the  hall  exhibiting  various  patterns  of 
plows,  ancient  and  modern.  Explanation  of  the 
plates,  with  remarks  upon  the  improvement  in  the 
structure  of  this  most  important  implement  in  the 
cultivation  of  the  soil,  were  made  by  the  Presi- 
dent. 

The  next  subject  called  up  was  Agricultural 
Education.  Mr.  Walker  addressed  the  meeting 
in  a  most  interesting  and  eloquent  manner.  He 
said  this  subject  was  arresting  the  public  attention 
more  strongly  of  late  than  ever  before.  He  took 
the  ground  that  every  farmer  should  understand 
the  science  of  his  profession,  and  that  he  can  un- 
derstand it.  The  physician  who  does  not  know 
why  he  gives  a  certain  dose  of  medicine,  is  not  en- 
titled to,  and  does  not  have  our  confidence.  The 
farmer  has  more  to  do  with  the  laws  of  nature 
than  any  other  profession.  If  he  is  guided  by  tra- 
dition it  is  a  very  uncertain  guide.  The  farmer 
has  to  do  with  fifteen  elementary  substances,  and 
he  must  act  in  conjunction  with  the  laws  of  nature, 
in  effecting  their  combination  and  decomposition. 
He  then  named  and  described  these  elements  viz., 
oxygen,  chlorine,  sulphur,  phosphorus,  silicon, 
hydrogen,  nitrogen,  iron,  manganese,  potassium, 
sodium,  calcium,  magnesia  and  alumina.  The 
firmer  ought  to  understand  geology  which  teaches 
the  nature  and  composition  of  soil  and  rock.  Soil 
is  made  mainly  of  decomposed  rocks.  Rocks  are 
divided  into  stratified  and  unstratified,  aqueous 
and  igneous,  those  that  have  been  deposited  by 
the  agency  of  water  in  strata,  and  those  that  have 
been  deposited  by  the  agency  of  fire  not  in  strata. 
He  then  spoke  of  the  constituents  of  rocks.  Gran- 
ite contains  a  large  amount  of  potash.  It  con- 
tains soda,  lime,  manganese  and  iron.  Pulver- 
ized rocks  manure  the  soil  and  repair  its  waste. 
When  we  learn  to  2:)ulverize  rocks  readily  and 
cheaply,  we  shall  have  the  very  manure  we  want 
for  some  soils  and  for  some  crops.  Wo  want  to 
know  the  composition  of  vegetables  that  we  may 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


181 


a^apfc  them  to  our  soils,  that  we  may  furnish  to 
our  soils  the  elements  needed  in  raising  any  given 
crops.  This  then,  is  a  matter  of  practical  utility. 
We  want  to  know  the  comparative  value  of  ma- 
nures. In  order  to  do  this  we  must  know  the 
component  elements  of  different  manures,  and  to 
know  how  to  combine  and  to  preserve  manures. 
How  to  fix  their  volatile  elements.  There  is  hard- 
ly a  farming  process  carried  on  by  the  farmer  or 
his  wife  that  is  not  a  chemical  process,  and  they 
can  be  carried  on  better  when  they  are  understood. 
Butter-making  is  an  example  of  a  purely  chemical 
process.  Butter  is  oil  which  in  cream  is  contained 
in  little  bags,  covered  with  caseine  or  cheese  ;  at  a 
low  temperature,  you  cannot  break  tliese  bags  to 
get  at  the  oil,  by  any  mechanical  force.  But  at 
C0°  Farenheit  by  constant  stirring  and  thus 
bringing  them  into  contact  with  the  oxygen  of  the 
air,  these  little  bags  will  burst,  and  their  particles 
of  oil  will  run  together  and  accumulate  into  lumps. 
Butter  must  be  worked  as  long  as  the  caseine  comes 
out.  The  object  of  workingjls,  to  get  clear  of  this 
caseine,  which  will  soon  putrify  and  become  ran- 
cid. Must  not  be  worked  too  much  or  you  will 
work  out  the  sugar,  which  gives  its  sweet  flavor 
to  butter. 

His  second  proposition  was,  that  every  farmer 
can  understand  the  science  of  his  profession.  A 
few  years  ago  this  could  not  be  said.  But  the 
science  of  agriculture  has  been  simplified  like  the 
science  of  geography,  so  that  every  one  can  under- 
stand all  that  is  essential,  in  a  few  months.  He 
would  advise  every  young  farmer  to  go  to  studying, 
and  to  i^ersevere  until  he  masters  the  subject,  so 
that  when  he  reads  in  the  Farmer  about  phos- 
phates, and  carbonates,  he  may  understand  what 
he  reads.  He  spoke  of  the  Progressive  Farmer,  a 
book  that  costs  but  50  cents,  and  has  been  pre- 
pared with  great  care  for  the  use  of  those  who  de- 
sire simple,  practical  information  upon  these  sub- 
ects.  He  advised  young  men  to  form  themselves 
into  classes,  and  pursue  the  study.  The  whole 
lecture  was  intelligible,  instructive,  and  highly  in- 
teresting, and  we  want  a  hundred  such  in  the 
State  the  present  year. 

The  subject  of  root  crops  was  then  called  up. 
Wm.  D.  Brown  spoke  of  carrots,  turnips,  &c., 
raising,  storing  and  feeding  them.  He  stated  that 
when,  a  few  years  ago,  the  landlords  in  Scotland 
raised  the  rents,  the  farmers  went  into  the  rais- 
ing of  root  crops,  and  paid  their  rents  with  the 
avails  of  their  crops  easier  than  before. 

Maj.  Wheeler  said  it  costs  but  little  more  to 
raise  carrots  than  corn,  if  we  manage  right.  The 
ground  should  be  plowed  deep,  and  sowed  about 
the  middle  of  June.  As  soon  as  the  carrots  show 
themselves,  they  should  be  hoed,  and  then  fre- 
quently hoed,  and  they  will  require  but  little 
weeding. 


Mr.  Sprague  said  turnips  are  a  great  crop  in 
England.  They  sometimes  get  40  tuns  to  the  acre. 
The  climate  and  soil  suit  them.  We  cannot  raise 
them  in  such  abundance  in  this  climate — six  or 
eight  hundred  bushels  is  as  much  as  we  can  ex- 
pect. He  has  raised  IGOO  to  the  acre.  We  pro- 
bably expect  too  much  from  them.  The  English 
do  not  expect  so  much  from  them.  He  thinks 
ruta-baga  the  best  kind  of  turnips — more  easily 
raised  than  carrots.  Salt  hay  alone  is  poor  food 
for  cows,  and  turnips  are  poor  food  for  cows  ;  but 
give  them  both  together,  and  they  are  very  good 
food.  He  is  fattening  two  cows  upon  them  at 
this  time.  We  can  raise  turnips  at  from  six  to 
eight  cents  per  bushel  ;  at  this  rate  they  are  good 
food.  Cattle  feeding  upon  dry  hay,  do  better  for 
some  succulent  vegetables. 

Mr.  Comings,  of  Mason,  N.  H., followed  in  some 
interesting  remarks  upon  feeding  stock. 

Hon.  J.  W.  Proctor  did  not  arrive  until  after 
5  o'clock,  P.  M.  He  closed  the  afternoon  session 
with  some  interesting  remarks. 

At  the  close  of  Mr.  Proctor's  remarks,  the 
meeting  adjourned  till  7  o'clock. 

At  7  o'clock  returned  to  the  hall  and  met  a 
brilliant  assembly  of  farmer's  wives  and  daughters, 
blooming  and  intelligent.  At  half-past  7,  Mr.  II. 
F.  French,  of  Exeter,  N.  II.,  commenced  a  lecture 
which  continued  one  hour,  and  fixed  the  attention 
of  the  audience  to  the  last.  He  spoke  in  a  plain, 
simple  and  easy  style,  of  the  importance  of  science 
to  the  agriculturist,  and  of  the  embarrassments  at- 
tending the  pursuit  of  scientific  researches  ;  we 
must  not  expect  too  much  of  science,  nor  must  we 
be  deceived  by  the  promises  of  those  who  are  mere 
pretenders  to  science.  We  cannot  dojustice  to  this 
lecture  without  reporting  the  whole — one  must 
have  heard  it,  properly  to  appreciate  it. 

Mr.  French  was  followed  by  a  lecture  from 
Prof.  Nash,  of  Amherst,  upon  the  most  impor- 
tant elements  of  manures.  He  exhibited  speci- 
mens of  Hydrogen,  Oxygen,  Chlorine,  Carbonic 
acid,  Ammonia,  Carbon,  Carbonate  of  Potash,  Po- 
tassa,  Potassium,  Lime,  Magnesia,  and  described 
them  and  showed  their  properties.  He  then  spoke 
of  the  elements  in  animal  manures,  their  action  up- 
on the  soil  and  upon  plants;  how  to  improve  man- 
ures and  to  fix  their  volatile  elements,  and  various 
matters  of  great  interest  to  the  farmer.  His  remarks 
were  very  correct,  and  proved  him  to  be  thorough- 
ly master  of  the  subject  which  he  undertook  to 
discuss.  The  audience  manifested  much  interest 
in  all  his  remarks,  notwithstanding  the  lateness  of 
the  hour. 

Thus  ended  the  experiment  of  a  Farmers'  Mass 
Meeting,  and  considering  that  it  was  an  experi- 
ment and  the  first  time  it  has  ever  been  tried,  it 
may  be  considered  perfectly  successful. 


182 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER, 


April 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
PRESERVING  APPLES. 


in  diameter,  making  the  length  of  tlie  scarf  ab(flit 
4  times  the  diameter  of  the  stock  ;  cut  off  the  point 

m,         .-  ,  .  n         I         1     -.u  1      J  .or  top  of  the  stock  down  to  about  the  thickness  of 

lake  a  tisht  flour  barrel  ■\vith  one  head,  cover Lj,g     -  ...  -.     - 


the  bottom  with  dean,  dry  saw-dust,  then  a  layer 
of  apples,  blow  end  down,  not  allowing  them  to 
touch  each  other  or  come  in  contact  with  the  bar 
rel,  leaving  a  space  on  the  outside  of  about  one 
inch  ;  cover  one  inch  with  saw-dust,  then  a  layer 
of  apples,  &c.,  until  the  barrel  is  full,  leaving  about 
three  inches  saw-dust  on  the  top.  Put  the  bar- 
rels into  a  room  without  fire,  or  into  a  tight  out- 
building, they  will  not  freeze  or  rot  ;  the  places  in 
the  aj^ples  bruised  by  falling  from  trees,  or  other- 
wise, instead  of  decaying,  will  become  like  dried 
apples,  and  the  bahmce  remain  sound. 

Your  ob't  servant,         Geo.  B.  Green. 
Windsor,  Vt.,  1853. 


GRAFTING. 

The  season  is  near  at  hand  for  performing  this 
operation.  Scions  should  be  cut  immediately  and 
kept  in  a  cool  moist  place.  There  are  various 
modes  of  grafting,  but  a  few  of  the  best  are  suffi- 
cient for  all  purposes.  We  copy  from  Cole's  Fruit 
Book,  and  believe  the  directions  are  suflBciently 
clear  and  precise  for  the  direction  of  any  who  may 
have  the  work  to  do. 

Cleft  Grafting  is  the  most  common.  It  is 
practised  on  large  stocks  and  those  rather  small. 
In  large  stocks,  an  inch  or  moi-e  in  diameter,  two 
scions  are  set ;  this  aids  in  healing  over  the  stock, 
and  keeping  it  sound  and  healthy  ;  and  when  the 
scions  interfere  the  second  or  third  year,  one  is 
usually  cut  out.     Sometimes  both  remain. 

Saw  off  the  stock  with  a  fine  saw,  and  pare 
smoothly  with  a  sharp  knife  ;  then  split  the  stock 
with  the  grafting-knife,  and  open  it  with  the 
wedge  on  the  same.  Or  a  common  knife  and  a 
wooden  wedge  may  be  used.  Sharpen  the  scion 
on  both  sides,  with  a  straight  scarf  like  a  wedge  ; 
let  the  scarf  be  about  1^  inches  long,  more  or  less, 
according  to  the  size  of  the  scion  and  the  splitting 
of  the  stock,  making  the  scarf  of  the  sci- 
on as  long  as  it  can  be  conveniently  fitted 
to  the  stock.  Large  scions  should  liave 
shoulders  at  the  top  of  the  scarf,  else  the 
stock  would  be  split  too  wide.  It  is  best 
for  the  stuck  to  cover,  or  almost  cover, 
the  scarfs  on  tlie  scion.  The  outer  part 
of  the  scion  should  be  slightly  thicker, 
to  make  a  close  fit  there.  Leave  two 
buds  on  the  scion,  setting  the  lower  bud 
just  below  the  top  of  the  stock.  Adjust 
the  scion  so  that  the  joint  between  'the  (^''"f^'^s- 
bark  and  wood,  in  the  stock  and  scion,  will  exact- 
ly correspond  ;  this  is  important,  as  that  is  the 
place  of  union  between  them.  This  done,  with- 
draw the  wedge,  and  apply  the  cement  or  clay. 
In  cutting  scions,  reject  the  but,  as  the  buds  start 
reluctantly  or  not  at  all,  and  reject  the  top  also, 
as  it  is  too  Soft,  or  may  be  winter-killed. 

Scarfing  tue  Stock. — When  only  one  scion  is 
set  in  a  stock  of  moderate  or  small  size,  if  the 
stock  be  scarfed  off  on  the  side  opposite  the  scion, 
(as  at  a,  in  the  figure,)  it  will  heal  over  the  soon- 
er. We  have  grafted  as  follows  with  excellent 
success.  With  a  drawing  stroke  of  the  knife,  cut 
off  stocks  or  small  limbs,  say  from  J  to  |  an  inch 


Cleft 


scion  ;  (as  at  b;)  then  split  the  stock,  shape 
the  scion,  and  with  a  wide  knife  at  the  end,  or 
blue  point,  pry  open  the  stock  on  the  scarfed  side, 
and  adjust  the  scion,  which  should  be 
thicker  on  the  outside.  We  have  graft- 
ed in  this  way  ;  and  in  tlie  fall,  stocks 
I  of  an  inch  in  diameter  have  been  cora^ 
pletely  healed  over,  and  so  neatly  in 
some  cases,  that  we  could  not  determine 
by  tlieir  appearance  whether  they  had 
been  grafted.  We  prefer  this  mode  ;  it 
is  neat,  expeditious,  and  successful.  We 
have  put  good  new  tops  on  small  stand- 
ard trees,  in  one  season,  by  grafting  the 
limbs  in  this  way,  so  that  the  change 
was  hardly  perceptible. 

_ Splice  OR  Whip  Grafting.  This  mode 

TAes^ocI' is  adapted  to  small  stocks,  and  it  suc- 
Hcarfed.  ceeds  best  when  the  scion  and  stock  are 
precisely  of  the  same  diameter.  When  one  is  lar- 
ger, they  should  be  matched  precisely  on  one  side. 
The  stock  and  scion  are  scarfed  off,  about  \^  inch- 
es in  length,  and  by  cutting  downward  in  the 
stock  and  upward  in  the  scion,  a  tongue 
is  raised  on  each,  {a,  a,)  which  is  fitted 
into  the  cut  of  the  other.  This  is  a  very 
perfect  and  sure  method,  and  stone  fruit 
will  sometimes  take  better  in  this  way 
than  in  any  other.  Bind  it  very  neatly 
with  matting,  and  then  apply  composi- 
tion ;  or  better  still,  wind  round  compo-  a\ 
sition  cloth  without  matting.  The  cloth 
will  yield  in  warm  weather,  as  the  tree 
grows,  and  is  better  than  matting,  as 
that  will  girdle  the  tree,  if  not  loosened. 
Side  Grafting. — IMake  a  T  in  the  bark, 
as  in  budding;  then  cut  out  a  small  piece 
of  bark  crosswise  just  above  the  cut,  that 
it  may  allow  the  scion  to  fit  closely  to  the  ^"'f^''^s- 
wood  below.  Scarf  off  the  scion,  as  in  splice  oraft- 
ing,  commencing  the  scarf  at  a  slight  crook,  if 
such  there  be  in  the  scion,  that  it  may  stand  off. 
Sharpen  the  point  of  the  scion  on  the  side  oppo- 
site the  scarf,  cutting  a  little  each  side  of  the  round 
part,  that  it  may  slide  down  well,  then  raise  the 
bark  as  in  budding,  and  press  down  the  scion;  if 
the  upper  part  hugs  closely  to  the  stock  above  the 
cross-cut,  press  it  to  the  stock  where 
it  is  set  in  the  bark,  and  bend  tlie 
upper  part  off.  Bind  it  closely  to 
the  stock,  and  apply  composition. 
When  the  bark  does  not  peal,  the 
stock  may  be  scarfed  off  a  little,  and 
the  scion,  foi'med  as  usual,  festened 
on.  In  this  way,  side  limbs  may  be 
formed  when  there  is  a  deficiency, 
and  grafting  done  without  cutting 
off  the  tree  or  stock. 

Crown  Grafting  is  the  same  as 
side  grafting,  only  instead  of  across- 
cut  in  the  bark,  the  stock  is  cut  off. 
It  is  adapted  to  stocks  that  are  too  large  for  cleft 
grafting.  Or,  after  cleft  grafting  large  stocks, 
scions  are  set  in  this  way  between  the  other  sci- 
ons, to  keep  the  stock  alive  and  promote  healing, 
and  they  may  be  cut  off  for  scions,  and  the  others 
will  cover  the  stock. 

Saddle   Grafting  is  but  little  practised.     The 


Splice 


Side  Grafting. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  lARMER. 


183 


stock  is  sharpened  in  wedge-form ;  the  scion  is 
split  up  in  the  centre,  and  each  half  thinned  away 
on  the  inside  to  a  Qat  point,  and  tlien  set 
on  the  stock,  vith  a  good  fit,  at  least, 
on  one  edge.  It  is  most  practised  on 
stone  fruit,  and  when  the  scion  is  im- 
mature. 

Sometimes  large  stocks  are  grafted 
after  the  usual  season,  by  splitting  up 
the  scions  two  or  three  inches,  with  one 
side  the  stronger.  The  stock  is  scarfed 
ofi"  on  one  side,  and  the  stronger  side  of 
the  scion  is  fitted  into  the  bark  opposite 
the  scarf,  and  the  thin  part  is  brought 
down  over  the  scarf,  and  the  lower  end 
inserted  under  the  bark  below  the  scarf. 
The  thin  part  of  the  scion  passing  over  Jj 
the  scarf  promotes  healing.  ^ 

Root  Grafting.— In  the  Middle  States  (jf^j^'^^V 
and  the  West,  this  mode  succeeds  better 
than  in  the  North,  where  the  seasons  are  shorter. 
Roots  arc  cut  into  pieces  of  various  sizes,  from  3  to 
5  inches.  If  large,  cleft  grafting  is  best ;  if  small, 
splice  grafting  is  preferable.  Some  apply  compo- 
sition, others  omit  it,  as  the  root  is  covered  in 
earth.  The  surest  way  is_to  apply  it,  but  with 
omission  it  is  generally  successful.  The  better 
way  is  to  have  the  roots  accessible  in  winter,  and 
graft  the  latter  part  of  winter  or  early  in  spring. 
and  set  out  the  stocks  in  earth  in  the  cellar,  in 
boxes  or  not,  until  the  ground  is  dry  enough  for 
setting  out. 

Grafting  Large  Trees  should  generally  be  done 
gradually,  occupying  2  or  3  years,  according  to  the 
size  of  the  tree  and  manner  of  grafting.  Graft  the 
top  first,  as  scions  at  bottom  will  not  grow  well 
while  overspread  by  large  branches.  Leave  twigs 
and  shoots  on  the  limbs,  to  sustain  the  limb  till 
the  scions  grow,  and  then  remove  them  gradually, 
but  perhaps  not  till  the  second  year.  !Many  an 
orchard  of  large  trees  has  been  ruined  by  cutting 
ofi"  all  the  top  at  once,  in  grafting,  exposing  the 
trunk  and  branches  to  the  hot  sun,  and  giving  a 
sudden  check  to  the  growth  and  life  of  the  tree. 
But  if  the  Hmbsare  all  cut  oif  and  grafted  at  once, 
towards  their  extremities,  say  where  only  an  inch 
in  diameter,  and  numerous  twigs  and  little  limbs 
are  left,  then  the  tree  does  not  feel  a  shock,  as  the 
twigs  and  numerous  scions  soon  form  a  good  supply 
of  foliage ;  and  as  the  latter  grow,  the  former  are 
removed.  Or  graft  limbs  enough  for  a  new  top, 
where  not  very  lai-ge,  and  remove  the  others  in  a 
year  or  two,  as  the  scions  supply  their  place. 

Never  graft  an  unthrifty  tree  ;  it  is  lost  labor. 
First  cultivate,  prune,  and  wash,  and  put  it  in  a 
vigorous  condition. 

Grafting  Composition,  and  its  Application. — 
1  part  good  beef  tallow,  2  parts  beeswax,  4  parts 
white,  transparent  rosin  ;  melt  all  together,  turn 
into  cold  water,  and  work  and  pull  it  thoroughly, 
as  shoemaker's  wax.  This  composition  is  not  so 
soft  as  to  melt  in  warm  weather,  nor  so  hard  as  to 
crack  in  cold  weather ;  but  it  gives  as  the  tree 
grows.  It  is  of  great  importance  to  have  it  of  a 
right  temperature,  and  well  applied,  else  it  will 
peel  off  in  cold  weather.  While  warm,  it  should 
bo  pressed  closely  to  all  the  wounded  part  of  stock 
and  scion. 


ROCKINGHAM  COUNTY,  N.H. 

The  farmers  of  old  Rockingham  held  an  agricul- 
tural mass  meeting,  at  Exeter,  N.  II.,  on  the  10th 
of  February,  which  was  "  a  starter."  A  large 
number  of  people  were  present.  Henry  F.  French, 
Esq.,  of  Exeter,  presided.  "He  stated  the  object 
of  the  meeting  to  be, — to  adopt  measures  for  the 
promotion  of  agriculture — to  awaken  a  new  inter- 
est in  behalf  of  the  association  they  had  recently 
formed,  and  to  arrange  for  a  Fair  in  the  autumn." 
Everything  was  propitious;  on  the  28th  of  October 
they  had  no  organization  —  now  they  are  organ- 
ized, and  at  work  with  a  fund  of  over  $1,500  ! — 
Prof.  IIoYT,  and  Mr.  French,  of  Exeter,  Robinson, 
of  Brentwood,  Cram,  of  Hampton  Falls,  Currier, 
of  Dcrry,  Clarke,  of  Atkinson,  Bartlett,  of  Strat- 
ham,  Learned,  of  Chester,  Sanborn,  of  Kingston, 
and  others,  we  learn,  made  capital  speeches,  in- 
teresting and  instructive.  The  following  resolu- 
tions were  reported,  and  we  believe  adopted. 

Resolved,  That  a  National  Bureau  of  Agriculture 
ought  to  be  established. 

Res^olved,  That  our  State  Legislature  ought  to  es- 
tablish a  State  Board  of  Agriculture,  appoint  a  State 
Commissioner,  and  make  appropriations  in  aid  of 
Agricultural  Societies. 

Resolved,  That  it  is  important  to  improve  our  pi-e- 
sent  breeds  of  stock,  by  a  cross  with  the  best  import- 
ed breeds. 

Resolved,  That  the  ladies  be  invited  to  enrol  their 
names  as  honorary  members  of  the  Society. 


j^"  An  ornamental  tree  society  has  been  formed 
in  Stoneham. 


For  the  New  England  Varmer. 
CARROTS  VS.  ENGLISH  HAY. 

Gents  : — Annexed  is  an  extract  from  a  letter 
received  from  one  of  the  best  experienced  farmers 
in  the  county  of  Worcester.  His  estimate  of  the 
value  of  carrots,  as  feed  for  stock,  comes  short  of 
most  others, — but  not  so  much  as  appears  on  the 
first  reading.  Valuing  English  hay  at  S20  the 
ton,  Mr.  Brooks  would  value  carrots  at  $8  the 
ton.  Generally  speaking,  they  are  placed  at  half 
the  price  of  hay.  Perhaps  their  true  value  will  be 
found  between  one-third  and  one-half  that  of  good 
hay — according  to  the  purposes  for  which  they  are 
wanted.  Mr.  Brooks'  view  of  draining  are  vvor- 
thy  of  much  consideration.  This  is  a  mode  of  im- 
provement but  little  practiced  among  us  and  less 
understood.  I  remember  to  have  seen  it  very  suc- 
cessfully applied,  by  Mr.  Colman  on  his  flirm  in 
Lynn,  whereby  the  value  of  the  land  was  increased 
fourfold.  What  is  mea<  for  one,  may  be  jsoison 
for  another ;  so  in  directions  for  farming,  circum- 
stances materially  alter  cases.  General  rules  can- 
not be  applied  without  qualifications. 

Very  truly  yours,  J.  W.  Proctor. 

Danvers,  Feb.  16,  1853. 


My  Dear  Sir  :— Your  favor  of  the  10th  ult. 
came  duly  to  hand,  acknowledging  the  receipt  of 
the  Worcester  County  transactions,  and  saying 
that  you  had  recently  turned  your  attention  to 
the  culture  of  the  root  crops,  for  which  I  am 
glad,  as  I  have  no  doubt  you  will  add  much  that 
is  useful  to  this  important  subject.  Pruf  Mapes 
is  too  sanguine  in  his  statement  as  to  the  value  of 
carrots.     It  is  true,  that  a  horse  fed  partly  on  car- 


184 


NEW  ENGLA.ND  FARMER. 


April 


rots  or  any  otlier  green  food,  or  even  wetted  hay, 
is  less  subject  to  heaves,  than  vyhen  fed  on  dry 
hay  alone.  It  is  not  true  that  when  a  horse  is 
fed  in  part  on  carrots,  that  shells  of  oats  and 
pieces  of  cut  hay  will  not  be  found  in  his  dung.  I 
have  fed  a  colt  this  winter,  (coining  three  years 
old)  a  portion  of  the  time,  on  cut  hay,  with  one 
peck  of  carrots  daily,  and  a  part  of  the  time  on 
cut  hay  alone,  and  can  discover  no  differences  in 
his  excrement,  it  being  equally  chappy  when  fed 
on  hay  and  carrots  as  when  fed  on  hay  only. — 
The  statement  that  50  per  cent  is  saved,  by  cook- 
ing meal  for  hogs,  is  beyond  my  experience,  which 
is  not  more  than  25  per  cent,  saving  in  cooking 
corn,  rye,  barley,  or  oat  meal,  and  15  per  cent, 
saving  in  cooking  roots.  You  will  find  a  state- 
ment of  all  I  know  as  to  the  comparative  value  of 
good  English  hay,  Indian  meal,  fiat  turnips,  car- 
rots, and  good  oat  straw  in  my  letter  to  the  Wor- 
cester county  societies'  committee  on  feeding  ; 
published  in  the  supplement  to  their  transactions 
of  1852,  page  29. 

In  the  trials  there  detailed,  I  make  five  pounds  of 
flat  turnips  equal  to  one  pound  of  hay,  three  pounds 
of  carrots  equal  to  one  pound  of  hay,  and  one 
pound  of  Indian  meal  equal  to  four  pounds  of  hay  ; 
the  trials  were  made  with  good  English  hay,  and 
were  for  milk.  In  these  trials  you  will  perceive 
that  three  tons  of  carrots  are  equal  to  one  ton  of 
English  hay  ;  therefore  hay  at  ten  dollars  a  ton, 
would  leave  carrots  worth  three  dollars  and  thir- 
ty-three cents  the  ton.  You  will  find  in  the  same 
supplement,  page  32d,  a  letter  from  the  late  J. 
W^  Lincoln,  in  which  he  says  he  gained  one 
quart  of  milk,  daily,  by  feeding  one  peck  of  car- 
rots ;  allowing  carrots  to  weigh  50  pounds  the 
bushel,  or  12^  pounds  the  peck,  and  milk  to  be 
worth  on  the  fiirra  2t  cents  the  quart,  and  hay 
ten  dollars  the  ton,  the  amount  would  stand  thus  : 
Eour  pecks  or  one  bushel  of  carrots  equal  four 
quarts  of  milk  at  2^  cents,  would  be  ten  cents 
the  bushel  for  carrots  ;  40  bushels  of  carrots  to 
the  ton  would  bo  ten  times  forty-four  dollars  the 
ton  for  carrots,  and  to  this  the  daily  saving  of  four 
pounds  of  hay,  the  hay  value  of  12i  pounds  of 
carrots,|hay  at  one-half  a  cent  the  pound,  and  you 
have  $4.02  as  the  value  of  one  ton  of  carrots,  or 
69  cents  the  ton  more  than  I  made  them  worth  in 
my  trial. 

I  have  but  little  experience  as  to  the  value  of 
the  beet  family,  having  made  but  one  trial,  and 
that  with  the  mangel  wurtzel.  On  the  15th  of 
November,  1833,  I  commenced  feeding  a  steer 
43  months  old,  and  weighing  1205  pounds  live 
weight.  I  fed  him  on  30  pounds  of  good  English 
hay  daily  for  30  days  ;  he  gained  in  weight  in  the 
30  days,  00.^  pounds.  I  then  fed  him  30  days 
on  24  pounds  of  hay,  and  30  pounds  of  mangel 
wurtzel  daily,  and  he  gained  in  30  days  62| 
pounds,  showing  36  pounds  of  mangel  wurtzel  to 
be  equal  to  12  pounds  of  hay.  I  then  fed  30  days 
on  30  pounds  of  luiy,  and  108  pounds  of  mangel 
wurtzel  daily,  and  the  steer  gained  in  the  30  days 
125  pounds,  or  about  4  pounds  daily,  or  twice  as 
much  as  whgn  fed  on  30  pounds  of  hay  alone, 
which  ^goes  to  show  that  108  pounds  of  mangel 
wurtzel  are  equal  to  30  pounds  of  hay,  or  that  3 
pounds  of  this  root  is  worth  one  pound  of  good 
English  hay,  which  I  believe  to  be  about  the 
truth . 
Your  query   as  to  whether  drains  cut  so  deep 


and  near  together  as  recommended  by  the  Wor- 
cester committee,  is  a  just  one,  and  worthy  of 
consideraticm.  In  some  favorable  situations,  it 
may  no  doubt  prove  a  good  investment,  but  gener- 
ally in  this  State,  land  suital)le  for  cultivation  is 
t:)0  cheap  to  pay  for  tliorough  draining.  If  land 
I)e  drained  at  all,  th')rough  draining  is  in  the  end 
cheapest,  and  you  cannot  drain  thoroughly  with- 
out cutting  drains  deep,  and  frequent,  for  the  rea- 
sons stated  in  the  Worcester  county  committee's 
report.  There  is  a  query,  however,  before  yours 
to  be  settled,  which  is,  whether  in  our  dry  cli- 
mate, draining  (except  it  be  our  peaty  swamp 
meadows)  be  recommended  afall, whether  the  ad- 
vantage gained  by  draining  our  retentive  uplands, 
wet  in  a  season,  will  not  be  lost  in  a  dry  season,  is 
a  question  not  yet  decided  in  this  country.  I  have 
doubts  upon  this  question,  and  we  need  practice 
and  experience  to  determine  the  facts.  There  are 
good  reasons  for  draining  in  England  under  their 
drizzly,  rainy  sky,  that  do  not  exist  in  our  coun- 
try. Ten  years  ago,  I  cut  a  drain  3i  feet  deep, 
and  six  feet  wide,  througli  a  piece  of  retentive  clay 
loam  land  about  twenty  rods  long;  last  summer  the 
grass  20  feet  each  side  of  the  drain  evidently  suf- 
fered more  from  the  drought  than  in  other  parts  of 
the  field.  This  leads  me  to  doubt  the  utility  of  in- 
discriminate draining,  as  some  ardent  gentlemen 
recommend.  The  profits  on  Mr.  Bailie's  farm 
was  probably  $100  or  $150  more  than  stated  by 
him,  he  being  an  old-fashioned  farmer  and  very 
conscientious  in  his  statements  ;  he  would,  no 
doubt,  make  the  income  from  the  f;xrm  quite  as 
small  as  it  really  was.  The  farm,  though  large 
in  acres,  is  small  in  value,  a  considerable  portion 
of  it  being -poor,  sandy  land,  producing  but  httle. 
Very  respectfully  yours,  John  Brooks. 
Princeton,  Feb.  10,  1853. 


GLEANINGS. 


Warm  Stables. — The  Valley  Farmer  says  the 
owner  of  seven  horses,  who  kept  them  in  a  warm 
stable,  ventilated  near  the  eves,  stated  to  him  that 
they  ate  only  two- thirds  the  quantity  of  food  in  a 
given  time  that  they  required  in  the  same  time  in 
common,  open  stables,  and  the  horses  were  in  bet- 
ter condition  than  they  had  ever  been  before. 

TuE  Oats  Crop. — The  Gcrmanlown  Telegraph 
thinks  the  proper  time  for  sowing  oats,  is  as  soon 
as  by  the  absence  of  frost  the  earth  can  be  plowed 
and  put  in  good  order  ;  that  the  early  sown, 
makes  the  most  grain  and  best  quality.  Right, 
undoubtedly.  lie  says,  too,  that  agricultural  as- 
sociations are  multiplying  rapidly  in  Pennsylva- 
nia. Prof.  Wilkinson,  in  the  same  paper,  announ- 
ces his  intention  of  discontinuing  his  Institute  at 
Mount  Airy,  on  the  first  of  March.  It  has  exist- 
ed eight  years — had  217  pupils,  among  whom 
were  but/our  sons  of  farmers — "the  latter  think- 
ing that  they  are  competent  to  educate  their  own 
sons."  A  large  majority  of  these  pupils  have 
embarked  in,  or  design  to  make,  agriculture  their 
profession. 

Skinning  a  Pear  Tree. — W.  S.  Lyles,  in  the 
Soil  of  the  South,  Columbus,  Ga.,  says  he  stript  a 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


185 


favorite  pear  tree  entirely  of  its  bark,  from    the 
limb  to  the  root,  on  the  21st  day  of  June,  and  "it 


Stone  Buildings — Lumber  is  every  day  becom- 
ing scarce  and  higher.     Buildings  constructed  of 


neither  wilted  a  leaf  nor  dropt  a  pear  ;  but  ripened  wood    arc    quickly  perishable,  unless    constantly 

the  latter,  with  which  it  was  loaded,  to  perfection. 

It  has  now  [no  date]  a  fine  coat  of  smooth,  young, 

glossy  bark,  except   on  a  few  spots,  where  the 

knife  happened   to  strike    the  wood."      Mr.    L. 

thinks  this  operation  will  rejuvenate  old  trees. 

Native  Grasses.— The  Farmer  and  Planter, 
Pendleton,  S.  (J.,  thinks  the  native  grasses,  which 
grow  on  their  branch  and  creek  bottoms,  much 
better  than  any  tliat  grow  naturally  or  can  be  cul- 
tivated successfully  on  up-land,  in  that  part  of  the 
country.  Will  the  Planter  inform  us  how  much 
its  crop  of  corn  was,  per  acre,  in  his  experiment 
with  guano  and  plaster  ?  Both  parcels  of  land — 
where  the  gain  by  manuring  was  33  percent.,  and 
on  the  unmanured. 

The  American  Farmer,  Baltimore,  advises  to 
sow  12  pounds  of  clover  seeds  over  every  acre  in 
ivheat.  Is  that  intended  for  pasture  or  a  grass 
crop?  For  a  wash  for  trees  he  recommends  1 
gallon  of  soft  soap,  1  quart  of  salt,  and  1  pound 
of  flour  of  sulphur.  He  says,  "a  peck  of  crushed 
cobs  and  a  peck  of  cut  fodder,  hay  or  straw, 
thrice  a  day,  will  keep  your  cows  well  up  to  their 
milk."  If  that  quantity  of  feed  would  keep  owr 
cows  "well  up  to  their  milk,"  we  could  make  a 
profit  at  present  prices.  But  we  fear  that  not  on- 
ly the  milk  would  disappear  but  the  flesh  also. 

High  Price  for  Land. — 140  acres  of  land  have 
recently  been  sold,  eight  or  ten  miles  from  N.  Y. 
city,  at  a  price  of  $500  to  $870  an  acre  ! 

Influences  of  Forests. — M.  Becquerel,a  French 
savant,  has  just  published  an  elaborate  work  on 
forests  and  their  influence  on  nature,  in  which  he 
treats  the  subject  at  once  scientifically  and  histor- 
ically. He  has  lately  presented  to  the  Academy 
of  Sciences  an  analysis  of  that  work,  containing  a 
notice  of  the  principal  conclusions  at  which  he  has 
arrived.  They  are  in  brief  these,  as  we  learn 
from  the  Paris  correspondence  of  the  Boston 
Journal :  "That  forests  act  upon  the  climate  of  a 
country  as  frigorific  causes  ;  that  they  also  act  as 
protection  against  winds  and  as  a  means  of  pre- 
serving living  springs  ;  and  that  they  prevent  the 
degradation  or  wearing  away  of  mountains.  As 
to  tlie  influence  of  forests  upon  the  climate,  there 
is  much  difference  of  opinion,  but  the  above  is  the 
opinion  of  the  author,  stated  with  due  deference 
to  the  distinguished  persons  who  hold  different 
views.  M.  Bocquerel  also  considers  that  forests 
act  as  protection  against  the  communication  from 
place  to  place  of  contagious  diseases." 

Wash  FOR  Trees. — "A  Practical  Farmer,"  in 
the  Gennanloion  Telegraph,  s^y^,  "for  young  trees 
he  prefers  a  ley  made  of  house  ashes,  to  potash  ; 
and  that  when  he  tries  the  latter  it  is  only  one 
pound  to  two  gallons  of  water. 


covered  with  a  coat  of  paint,  and  if  kept  so  covered, 
they  are  too  expensive.  We  have  millions  of 
perches  of  good  stone  scattered  through  New  Eng- 
land, large  portions  of  which  now  cumber  the 
ground  by  preventing  the  growth  of  crops  and 
breaking  farm  implements.  Houses  constructed  of 
stone,  are  more  durable,  much  less  expensive  to  be 
kept  in  repair,  warm  in  winter,  and  cool  in  sum- 
mer. Will  some  one  who  understands  the  matter 
give  us  the  difference  of  cost  of  construction  be- 
tween stone,  brick  and  wood,  with  such  other 
facts  as  shall  turn  attention  to  this  important  mat- 
ter? ^ 

For  the  Neio  England  Farmer. 
ORNAMENTAL  TREE3S. 

UY  J.  REYNOLDS,  M.   D. 

In  arranging  our  estates,  it  is  always  well  to 
have  some  regard  to  their  market  value.  This  is 
a  duty  we  owe  to  our  families  ;  life  is  uncertain, 
and  we  know  not  how  soon  our  property  may  be 
thrown  into  the  market.  A  man  is  under  the  same 
kind  of  obligation  to  regard  the  market  value  of  his 
property,  that  he  is  to  seek  safe  and  profitable 
stocks,  when  he  would  invest  his  money  in  stocks. 

A  few  dollars  in  money  or  labor,  expended  in 
no  other  way,  will  add  so  much  to  the  value  of  an 
estate,  as  when  expended  in  setting  out  ornamen- 
tal trees.  Nothing  adds  so  much  as  trees,  to  the 
pleasant  and  cheerful  aspect  of  a  house  and  the 
grounds  about  it.  The  magnificent  elm,  with  its 
long  arms  stretching  towards  the  sky,  the  lighter 
ash,  the  cheerful  maple,  and  the  thick  heavy  fo- 
liage of  the  horse  chestnut,  interspersed  with  the 
fir,  the  pine  and  the  arbor  vitte,  whose  deep  green 
gives  cheerfulness  even  to  the  dreariness  of  Avinter, 
when  tastefully  arranged,  and  placed  in  judicious 
contrast  with  each  other,  give  a  pleasant  aspect 
and  an  inviting  appearance  to  a  house  and  home, 
that  exposed  unprotected  to  the  scorching  rays  of 
the  summer  sun,  and  to  the  pitiless  blasts  of  win- 
ter, would  be  unpleasant  and  uninviting. 

A  hundred  dollars  laid  out  in  almost  any  other 
way  upon  one's  premises,  will  scarcely  be  noticed. 
If  expended  in  building  a  porch,  an  arbor  or  a  trel- 
lis, they  will  soon  decay  and  require  a  new  outlay 
to  keep  them  in  repair.  But  money  expended  in 
trees  increases  in  value  annually,  faster  than 
money  at  compound  interest.  A  beautiful  tree 
that  costs  perhaps,  set  out,  one  dollar,  will  add  to 
the  value  of  an  estate  in  ten  years,  fifty  or  a  hun- 
dred dollars.  The  growth  of  trees,  which  costs 
only  a  little  care,  increases  their  value  rapidly*. 
And  a  circumstance  of  much  impurtince  is,  that 
such  trees  may  be  usually  placed  in  situations 
where  fruit  trees  would  yield  but  little  profit.'  For- 
est trees  are  generally  longer  lived  than  fruit  trees, 
and  do  not  require  to  be  so  often  rejil  iced. 

Oaks  and  elms  when  once  rooted  in  tlie  soil, 
become  incorporated  with  the  earth,  an  integral 
part  of  the  estate  ;  we  look  upon  them  as  we  do 
upon  the  rocks  and  hills,  as  permanent  fixtures, 
and  when  we  recall  the  places  and  scenes  with 
which  we  were  familiar  in  early  life,  we  find 
that  our  memories  have  retained  the  forms  aud 


186 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


April 


appearances  of  these  old  trees,  among  their  most 
cherished  treasures. 

One  of  the  attributes  with  which  nature  has  en- 
dowed us,  and  one  which  contributes  much  to  our 
happiness,  is  a  love  of  beauty.  A  tree,  or  a  group 
of  trees,  is  in  itself  a  beautiful  object.  By  select 
ing  and  setting  out  beautiful  and  symmetrical 
trees,  we  have  them  always  before  us,  and  thus 
gratify  and  cultivate  cne  of  the  most  pleasing  in 
stincts  of  our  nature.  And  then,  in  surrounding 
our  dwellings  with  shade  ti'ees,  there  is  a  peculiar 
fitness.  They  are  associated  in  our  minds,  with 
shelter,  protection,  comfort,  and  are  most  appro- 
priate to  each  other. 

The  moral  effdct  of  surrounding  ourselves  Avith 
these  beautiful  objects,  is  by  no  means  to  be  over- 
looked, especially  when  interspersed  with  trees 
are  flowers,  and  flowering  shrubs.  These  last  are 
peculiarly  beautiful  in  their  season.  The  fragrant 
lilac  with  its  modest  blush,  the  creamy  white  se- 
ringa peeping  from  the  deep  green  of  its  foliage, 
the  hawthorn,  the  sweet  briar  and  the  wild  rose, 
filling  the  air  with  sweetness,  the  snow-ball,  with 
its  clustering  petals,  the  delicate  hues  of  the  al- 
thea  and  the  pearls  of  the  snow-drop  mingle  their 
beauties  and  their  fragrance  with  the  scene.  And 
while  our  sight  and  our  smell,  our  love  of  beauti- 
ful forms  and  sense  of  fitness  are  gratified,  and  a 
spirit  of  clieer fulness  and  contentment  steals  over 
us,  we  can  rejoice  that  this  is  our  home,  and  our 
hearts  swell  with  gratitude  for  so  many  pleasant 
gifts.  Contrast  the  possessor  of  such  a  group  of 
flowering  shrubs  and  beautiful  trees,  with  the  man 
whose  home  knows  no  cooling  shade,  no  sweet 
scented  flower,  no  graceful  forms  waving  in  the 
wind  or  murmuring  in  the  breeze,  and  say  if  the 
latter  would  not  make  a  cheap  purchase  could  he 
secure  the  pleasure  which  the  former  is  enjoying, 
at  many  times  its  actual  cost. 

Our  fathers  set  out  many  elms  and  sycamores 
and  maples,  and  there  are  in  many  of  our  villages, 
fine  trees  of  these  kinds,  the  monuments  of  their 
taste  and  foretliought.  We  can  only  regret  that 
they  did  not  plant  a  greater  variety,  and  plant 
them  in  greater  numbers.  Were  all  the  villages 
of  New  England  ornamented  with  avenues  of  elms, 
oaks,  maples,  ash,  horse  chestnuts  and  English 
elms,  interspersed  with  firs,  pines  and  arbor  vitas 
trees,  and  the  immediate  vicinity  of  our  dwellings 
adorned  with  flowering  shrubs,  as  is  the  case  with 
some  villages  in  the  near  vicinity  of  the  metropo- 
lis, and  beauty  and  taste  thus  combined  with  Yan- 
kee thrift  and  enterprise.  New  England  would  be 
unsurpassed  for  attractiveness,  by  any  part  of  our 
country.  A  judicious  mingling  of  trees  adds  much 
to  the  beauty  of  a  rural  scene.  Evergreens  growing 
under  the  shelter  of  more  lofty  deciduous  trees, 
add  to  the  cheerfulness  of  tke  picture,  and  aSijrd 
a  useful  screen  from  the  wtuTry  blasts,  when  they 
can  be  planted  upon  the  n&rih  side  of  avenues, 
yards  and  gardens.  Trees  planted  in  groups  as 
they  grow  in  the  forest  prevent  in  some  degree  the 
evaporation  of  moisture  from  the  soils,  and  are 
more  likely  to  thrive  than  when  standing  alone. 
In  their  native  forests,  nature  provides  for  the  nu- 
triment of  the  trees,  by  the  annual  decay  of  their 
leaves.  But  when  trees  are  set  singly,  or  in  small 
groups,  their  falling  leaves  are  mostly  dispersed  by 
the  winds,  and  the  ground  must  be  made  rich  by 
other  means,  if  we  expect  them  to  thrive  rapidly. 
Probably  the  best  manure  for  forest  trees  is  a  col-] 


lection  of  their  own  leaves,  covered  with  sufficient 
soil  to  prevent  them  from  blowing  away.  The  cul- 
tivation of  forest  trees  has  been  but  little  attend- 
ed to ;  it  has  been  thought  quite  enough  to  set  them 
out.  But  there  is  no  doubt  that  forest  trees,  as 
well  as  fruit  trees,  will  tlirive  better  under  suita- 
ble culture,  and  will  amply  repay  judicious  care. 
I  intended  to  speak  of  the  proper  methods  of  re- 
moving and  setting  trees,  but  mast  defer  it  to 
another  time. 

Concord,  Feb.  17,  1853. 


A  SONG  FOR  THE  MILLION. 

The  following  beautiful  song  was  written  by  request  of  the 
Hon.  Zadock  Pratt,  ofPratlsville,  N.  Y.  It  is  one  of  those 
productions  which  never  grow  old, — for  as  long  as  there  is  oc- 
cupation for  men,  and  Iheir  hearts  beat,  there  will  be  found  a 
sentiment  in  it  to  touch  the  heart  and  encourage  it. 

BV    HO.\.    D.    B.    FRENCH. 

Am  — The  Hunters  of  Kentucky. 

The  noblemen  of  Nature  are 

The  hardy  working  classes, 

The  tillers  of  the  yielding  soil, 

The  blouses  and  the  masses. 

The  stalwart  farmer  drives  his  team, 

And  while  he  turns  the  sod,  sir, 

He  sings  his  song  of  happiness. 

And  puis  his  trust  in  God,  sir  ! 

O,  the  Farmer,  the  independent  Farmer- 
O,  the  Farmer,  the  independent  Farmer  ! 

lie  to  the  soil  commits  the  seed, 
The  fruits  spring  forth  and  thrive,  sir; 
lie  gathers  in  the  harvest,  and 
He  keeps  the  world  alive,  sir. 
Then  bless  the  Farmer  in  your  prayers, 
And  neither  thwart  nor  flout  him; 
Be  grateful  to  him  always,  for 
You  cannot  live  without  him  ! 
O,  the  Farmer,  &c. 

The  Blacksmith— how  beneath  his  sledge 

The  sounding  anvils  ring,  sir; 

Amid  the  flying  sparks  he  stands 

More  sovereign  than  a  king,  sir : 

The  heated  mass  assumes  a  shape 

Beneath  his  swinging  blow,  sir — 

The  coulter,  and  the  scythe,  and  spade, 

Within  his  furnace  glow,  sir. 

O,  the  hammer,  the  anvil  and  the  hammer — 
O,  the  hammer,  the  anvil  and  the  hammer  I 

Blacksmiths  are  men — "aye,  every  inch" — 
Their  sinewy  arms  behold,  sir; 
They,  solid  as  their  anvils,  are 
Of  Nature's  purest  mould,  sir. 
The  Blacksmith  takes  the  precedence — 
Of  trades  it  is  the  trade,  sir — 
The  haft  is  worthless  till  it  holds 
The  keen  and  glittering  blade,  sir  .' 
O,  the  hammer,  &c. 

Next  in  the  scale  of  workingmea 

The  hardy  Taimer  see,  sir, 

Delving  amid  his  hides  and  bark, 

As  busy  as  a  bee,  sir  : 

His  art  converts  the  unseemly  hide 

Into  the  polished  leather, 

Which  sparkles  in  the  mazy  dance 

Or  brushes  through  the  heather. 

i>,  the  Tanner,  the  busy  bustling  Tanner — 
O,  the  Tanner,  the  busy  bustling  Tanner  1 

Should  enemies  invade  our  soil. 
Their  force  we  would  repel,  sir, 
By  calling  all  the  Tanners  out, 
To  tail  the  rascals  well,  sir; 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


187 


They'd  stripe  them  off,  and  star  them  o'er, 

And  curry  them,  no  doubt,  sir; 

So  that  "iheir  anxious  marms  would  guess 

Their  children  had  been  out,"  sir  I 
O,  the  Tanner,  &c. 

A  niche  for  good  Saint  Crispin's  sons. 

Of  quiet  life  and  manner} 

The  world  were  bootUss  but  for  them— 

They  second  well  the  Tanner; 

Well  are  they  styled  -the  gentle  craft," 

O'er  Beauty's  foot  they  bow,  sir; 
And  oft,  I  ween,  they  steal  a  kiss 

From  Beauty's  placid  brow,  sir  ! 

O,  Saint  Crispin— the  gentle  sons  of  Crispin- 
O,  Saint  Crispin— the  gentle  sons  of  Crispin  ! 

But,  should  we  name  each  working  class 

In  this  our  working  song,  sir, 

Perchance  it  never  would  be  sung, 

For  it  would  be  too  long,  sir; 

Then  here's  to  all  who  use  the  plane — 

The  axe,  the  saw,  the  crow,  sir — 

The  soldering  iron,  the  turning  lathe. 

The  shovel,  spade,  or  hoe,  sir. 

O,  the  masses— the  independent  masses — 
O,  the  masses— the  independent  masses  1 

The  days  of  monarchy  are  o'er — 

All  men  are  monarchs  now,  sir; 

The  people  rule,  and  monarchs  may 

Before  their  sovereigns  bow,  sir  1 

The  jewelled  crown,  the  purple  robe, 

Man  far  away  shall  fling,  sir; 

And  sceptres  shall  be  working-tools — 

The  printing  press  the  King,  sir  ! 

O,  the  people — the  independent  people — 
O,  the  people— the  independent  peojile  ! 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
THE  FARMER  WITH  TWO  IDEAS. 

BY    A.    G.    COMINGS. 

There  was  a  farmer  I  knew,  and  a  merry  man 
was  he,  who  had  one  idea  at  rising  up,  which 
went  with  him  all  the  day,  and  another  at  going 
to-bed,  which  last  was  as  old  as  its  brother  idea, 
and  these  made  the  merry  mood  of  the  merry  far- 
mer I  knew. 

The  morning  idea  danced  out  with  a  jovial  song 
for  A  Present  Profit  to  the  worker  who  breaks  the 
turf  and  mellows  the  yielding  soil;  and  the  eve- 
ning idea  was  as  merry  as  merry  could  be,  among 
the  growing  trees,  the  stretching  vines,  the  chil- 
dren at  school  or  play,  and  all  the  growing  tribes 
in  house  or  barn,  as  the  song  of  A  Profit  for  years- 
to-come  was  heard  with  inspiring  glee. 

Year  after  year  the  merry  man  kept  up  his  two 
ideas,  and  they  filled  his  barns,  they  filled  his  cel- 
lar, they  filled  both  garret  and  stall,  and  they 
filled  his  purse  so  the  strings  would  often  break 
and  the  bank  would  only  take  the  burden  of  his 
toils.  And  the  merr}'  Hirmer  became  a  walking 
wonder,  and  a  thousand  wondering  people  said 
"Why  is  it?" 

Then  they  all  began  to  talk  about  the  farmer's 
two  ideas,  and  how  they  kept  him  in  such  a  mer 
ry  mood.  And  they  found  that  the  morning  idea 
was  not  forgotten,  nor  allowed  to  trespass  on  the 
eveninw  idea.  So  the  farmer  never  worked  his 
farmwithout  feeding  it,  and  he  was  careful  to 
give  it  food  which  would  cause  it  to  produce  very 
plentifully  in  immediate  action,  and  yet  remain 
healtliy  for  tiiiie  to  come.  It  was  established  also 
that  the  evening  idea  should  not  be  left  alone  at 
any   time  ;  bnt,  where  much  was   hoped  for  in 


time  to  come,  much  must  also  be  exacted  in  the 
passing  day. 

His  fields  produced  plentifully,  but  every  year 
gave  an  increase  of  plentifuJness,  compared  with 
the  year  before.  lie  procured  the  most  active  ma- 
nures, and  by  these  ^secured  large  and  immediate 
crops.  Upon  the  same  ground  he  put  large  supplies 
of  less  active  manure  at  the  same  time,  and  this 
gave  promise  for  the  futui'c.  One  gave  him  "joy 
in  harvest,"  while  the  other  gave  him  hope  of  "a 
good  time  coming." 

His  gardens  flourished,  his  trees  grew,  the  birds 
sang  by  his  door,  his  daughters  were  virtuous 
and  happy,  his  sons  loved  the  open  world  for  a 
workshop,  and  his  wife  sat  a  queen  in  their  own 
quiet  court  ;  and  all  this  joy  and  gladness  came 
along  in  the  very  same  path  where  the  farmer's 
two  ideas  led  the  way. 

Thus  lived  the  merry  man  to  a  good  old  age, 
and  prospered  in  all  his  many  years,  singing  along 
the  way  of  life  about  "A  present  profit,"  and  "A 
profit  for  years  to  come." 

A    RKASOM    FOR    THIS  AND    THAT. 

To  manage  a  farm  for  mere  present  profit,  at  a 
sacrifice  of  its  ability  to  produce  in  future,  is  like  a 
man's  tearing  down  one  side  of  his  house  for  fire- 
wood, in  a  winter  day.  He  makes  a  gain  by  a 
greater  loss.  Yet  the  practice  of  skinning  and 
robbing  farms  by  reducing  their  ability  to  produce, 
for  a  present  scanty  profit,  is  a  w-'y  that  too  many 
follow.  It  is  very  seldom  the  case  that  a  man 
makes  a  profit  by  the  cultivation  of  any  piece  of 
ground  which  is  not  really  made  better  for  future 
use  at  the  same  time.  But  it  can  be  made  poorer 
either  by  cropping  without  manuring,  or  by  crop- 
ping while  a  scanty  amount  only  of  very  active 
manure  is  applied. 

To  manage  a  farm  only  for  future  profit,  while 
the  owner  has  no  wealth  beside,  upon  which  to 
rest,  is  like  going  to  sea  in  a  bark  canoe  with  the 
expectation  of  finding  a  good  and  richly  laden 
ship  in  some  quarter  of  the  ocean  ;  or  like  a  pen- 
niless man  starting  for  California  without  provi- 
sions. Every  man  who  needs  to  increase  his 
wealth,  by  farming,  must  give  attention  to  pre- 
sent profit. 

Every  farmer  should  study  to  know  the  way  of 
securing  a  present  and  also  a  continued  profit, 
with  an  increase. 

The  idea  of  a  present  and  a  continued  or  future 
profit  in  farming,  is  like  the  boatman's  illustra- 
tion of  faith  and  works  by  the  two  oars  of  his 
boat.  If  he  pulled  upon  the  one  which  lie  called 
faith,  he  made  no  headway,  bat  only  whirled 
round  and  round.  If  he  pulled  upon  the  other, 
which  he  called  works,  he  was  whirled  about  in 
the  opposite  direction.  If  he  drew  both  at  the 
same  time,  his  boat  was  hurried  over  the  waters. 

Upon  most  farms  there  is  necessity  of  cultivat- 
ing a  variety  of  grains  and  grasses,  some  of  which 
must  be  cultivated  with  care,  attention  and  ma- 
nuring every  year,  to  secure  a  profit.  It  should 
be  equally  the  object  of  the  common  farmer  to 
manage  his  grain  and  grass  fields,  his  orchards 
and  his  garden  grounds,  so  as  to  secure  present 
profit  while  he  is  preparing  every  department  to 
give  a  better  profit  in  years  to  come. 

In  the  management  of  some  fariuers  a  habit  of 
doing  things  "for  the  present"  prevails  over  every 
idea  of  doing  substantially  what  is  done.  In  this 
way  everything  is  daily  found  out  of  place  or  out 


188 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


April 


of  order.  Continual  loss  is  consequent  upon  it. 
This  is  justly  called  the  "short-sighted"  policy. 
It  is  so  much  the  way  of  some,  in  the  farm  house 
as  well  as  outside  of  it,  that  the  short-sighted 
economy  which  they  pursue  is  a  source  of  con- 
stant loss  and  misfortune.  They  may  be  indus- 
trious, apparently  econominal,  and  seek  prosperi- 
ty with  untiring  diligence,  but  poverty  comes  in 
their  train.  With  such  a  fiimily,  either  the  man 
or  the  woman  is  shortsighted  in  management,  and 
the  order  that  is  necessary  to  prosperity  is  not 
with  them. 

TWO    PERSONS     FOR    TWO    IDEAS. 

The  prosperous  farmer  has  the  two  ideas  which 
lead  to  prosperity  ;  and  he  has  a  wife — yes  certain- 
ly, a  wife  he  has,  who  has  also  the  same  two  ideas 
with  himself.  She  can  see  beyond  the  end  of  her 
nose  as  well  as  he,  and  she  can  see  what  is  with- 
in her  reach  also,  as  well  as  he.  She  secures 
the  present  profit  and  the  profit  for  years  to  come, 
and  puts  to  use  the  proper  things  in  the  proper 
time,  and  when  she  has  used  them  she  always 
puts  them  in  proper  order  and  in  a  proper  place. 
And  all  I  have  to  say  more  is  only  this  :  the  mer- 
ry farmer  I  knew  had  two  good  eyes,  and  he  had 
"a  little  wife  well  willed,"  who  had  also  two  good 
eyes,  and  they  both  together  had  two  good  ideas, 
and  they  walked  the  path  of  life  together,  seeing 
to  learn,  and  learning  to  a  profit ;  and  nobody 
can  wonder  any  longer  that  he  was  a  raerry  far- 
mer all  his  days. 

Mason,  N.  H. 


LEGISLATIVE  AGRICULTURAL  MEET- 
INGS. 
Eighth  Meeting— Tuesday  Evening,  March  15,  1853. 

The  eighth  meeting  of  the  season  was  held  at 
the  State  House  on  Tuesday  evening.  The  sub- 
ject for  discussion  was  ''TAe  Preparation  and  Ap- 
plication of  Manures.'''' 

Simon  Brown  editor  of  the  New  England  Far- 
mer, presided,  and  on  taking  the  chair,  expressed 
the  opinion  that  by  an  intelligent  investigation  of 
the  subject  of  manuring,  our  neglected  lands  might 
be  increased  in  fertility  to  the  amount  of  millions 
of  money  annually.  He  then  offered  some  prac- 
tical remarks  in  relation  to  the  subject.  All  mat- 
ter stimulative  of  vegetation  is  manure,  and  the 
constituent  elements  of  vegetables  tell  us  what  in- 
gredients manure  should  contain  in  order  to  pro- 
duce vegetation.  Vegetables  are  composed  of  ox- 
ygen, hydrogen,  carbon  and  nitrogen,  and  of 
course  the  manure  applied  to  them  should  contain 


these  elements  ;  in  preparing  manures,  we  should 

collect  all  such   vegetables  substances  as  contain!  Great  care  should  be  observed  not  to   let  it  fer- 


gen,  which  evolves  the  ammonia,  and  gives  man- 
ure its  chief  value  ;  but  t^iis  is  not  contained  in 
the  hay.  Hence  the  kind  of  food  fed  to  cattle  is 
important.  A  cow,  fed  liberally,  according  to 
Dana,  will  prepare  daily,  about  one  bushel,  or 
854  lbs.  of  manure,  or  in  a  year 

4,800  lbs.  of  humus,  or  geine. 
677  lbs.  ofciirbonate  of  ammonia. 
71  Ills,  of  bone  duat. 
37  lbs.  of  plaster. 

37  lbs.  of  limestone,  marble  or  chalk. 
25  lbs.  of  common  salt. 
15  lbs.  of  sulphate  of  potash. 

A  cow  will  produce  about  3i  cords  of  pure  ma- 
mare  in  a  year,  weighing  9,289  lbs.  By  taking  the 
number  of  cattle  in  the  State,  and  making  an  es- 
timate as  ticcurate  as  possible  of  the  amount  of 
manure  they  furnish,  and  affixing  its  cash  value, 
we  can  ascertain  what  it  ought  to  produce  in 
crops. 

Basing  his  calculation  on  the  census  ofl8.50,  Mr. 
Brown  estimated  that  there  were  in  this  State, 
150,000  milch  cows,  47,000  working  oxen,  and 
83,000  other  cattle,  each  yielding  3^  cords  of  ma- 
nure annually,  making  an  aggregate  of  980,000 
cords.  Besides  these,  42,000  horses,  at  2  cords 
each,  84,000  cords ;  81,000  swine,  at  3  cords  each, 
243,000  cords;  188,000  sheep,  which  with  the 
poultry,  will  equal  the  swine,  giving  243,000  cords 
more.  This  gives  a  total  of  1,550,000  cords,  which 
at  7$  per  cord,  a  price  which  has  ruled  in  Con- 
cord [Mr.  Brown's  residence]  for  many  years,  con- 
stitutes a  value  of  $10,850,000  per  year  !  Besides 
this,  the  speaker  estimated  that  a  Hiir  valuation 
of  night  soil,  street  sweepings,  refuse  matter  of 
sugar  refineries,  &c.,  would  swell  the  amount  to 
$20,000,000  annually. 

In  order  to  ascertain  what  this  amount  of  ma- 
nure should  produce  in  the  way  of  crops,  the 
speaker  selected  the  article  of  corn.  If  this  grain 
is  planted  at  the  usual  distance  of  3.^  by  3  feet,  it 
gives  4,148  hills  per  acre.  One  peck  of  manure 
to  each  hill,  which  is  a  large  allowance,  would  in 
149,796  acres  absorb  the  estimated  amount  of 
barn  manures.  At  40  bushels  to  the  acre,  this 
would  yield  5,991,840  bushels  of  corn  annually, — 
more  than  double  the  quantity  ever  yet  produced 
in  the  State. 

After  manure  has  been  saved,  it  should  be  kept 
from  exposure  to  rain  and  the  sun,  else  its  salts 
will  be  washed  out  and  its   gases   evaporated. — 


these  requisites — those  which  may  be  fed  to  stock 
and  that  which  can  be  used  to  absorb  the  liquid 
manure  which  falls  from  them.  Vegetable  mat- 
ters decomposed  by  placing  in  the  barn-yard  or 
under  cattle,  are  nearly  worthless  compared  with 
an  equal  amount  converted  by  stock.  One  hun- 
dred lbs.  of  fresh  cow  offal  will  furnish  2  lbs.  2 
ounces  of  carbonate  ammonia,  while  Johnson  says 
100  lbs.  of  hay  would  scarcely  affjrd  as  many 
ounces  aa  the  former  does  pounds.     It  is  the  nitro- 


ment  too  much,  because  such  an  excess  destroys 
its  most  useful  qualities.  Mr.  Coke,  a  distin- 
guished English  agriculturist,  has  discontinued 
fermenting  his  manures,  and  he  states  that  his 
crops  are  as  good  as  ever,  while  the  manure  goes 
nearly  iicice  as  far.  When  placed  under  the  soil, 
and  contiguous  to  the  seed,  unfermented,  the 
plant  secures  the  benefit  of  the  fertilizing  fluids 
which  exude  from  it  in  the  course  of  fermentation, 
while  the  heat  evolved  renders  the  Soil  about  the 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


189 


plant  a  sort  of  hot-bed.  A  slight  fermentation  pre- 
vious to  use  is  undoubtedly  useful,  as  that  com- 
mences the  process  necessary  to  make  the  ma- 
nure impart  its  fertilizing  properties. 

As  to  the  application  of  manures,  the  speaker 
said  that  green,  coarse  manures,  might  be  plowed 
under  late  in  autumn,  and  the  ground  plowed  again 
in  the  spring,  before  planting.  He  had  pursued 
this  course  with  satisfactory  results.  On  corn 
land  he  would  spread  broad-cast,  plow  under  three 
or  four  inches,  on  a  light  soil,  and  one  or  two 
inches  on  a  compact  soil,  and  apply  ashes,  guano, 
or  some  other  special  manure  in  the  hill. 

In  regard  to  guano  as  a  manure,  Mr.  Brown  be- 
lieved it  to  be  a  most  powerful  fertilizer,  notwith- 
standing many  -who  have  used  it  have  been  disap- 
pointed, and  call  it  a  "humbug."  But  it  must  be 
used  with  extreme  care — the  proper  time  being 
when  the  atmosphere  is  damp.  It  should  be  cov- 
ered up  immediately  on  being  applied,  and  not  suf- 
fered to  remain  on  the  surface  of  the  ground.  It 
should  be  used  with  peat  mud  that  has  been  thrown 
out  a  year,  pulverizing  both  well,  and  mixing  five 
or  six  parts  of  muck  to  one  of  guano,  which  should 
be  done  on  the  morning  of  the  day  on  which  it  is 
to  be  used.  Mr.  Brown  thought  the  difficulty 
vrhich  flirmers  had  experienced  in  using  it  arose 
from  applying  it  when  dry.  The  best  method  is 
to  apply  it  in  a  liquid  state,  but  this  cannot  be 
conveniently  done  except  in  gai'dens. 

Mr.  Wilder,  of  Dorchester,  was  called  upon  by 
the  chairman,  and  offered  some  remarks  in  regard 
to  guano.  He  believed  that  at  the  present  high 
price  of  labor,  the  cost  of  barn-yard  manure  on  a 
piece  of  land  would  exceed  that  of  an  amount  of 
guano  sufficient  to  produce  an  equal  crop.  He 
considered  it  the  very  best  kind  of  manure.  It  al 
ways  succeeds  best  in  a  moist  climate,  and  hence 
the  immense  quantity  introduced  into  England, 
where  $8,000,000  per  annum  is  expended  for  it 
Mr.  Wilder  related  some  instances  of  its  great 
fertilizing  effects.  Mr.  Venable,  M.  C.  from  North 
Carolina,  had  communicated  to  him  the  results  of 
its  use  upon  his  farm.  He  had  several  thousand 
acres  which  he  regarded  as  hardly  worth  cultiva- 
tion. He  applied  guano  to  it,  plowing  it  in  deep, 
at  the  rate  of  only  150  pounds  to  the  acre  ;  and 
from  the  whole  of  this  land  he  obtained  an  average 
of  23  bushels  of  wheat  per  acre ;  whereas  before 
applying  the  guano  he  got  only  5  bushels.  Anoth- 
er instance  was  that  of  Mr.  Holcomb,  of  Delaware, 
who  purchased  a  farm  of  2300  acres,  with  a  brick 
house  thereon,  for  $2500.  owing  to  the  miserable 
condition  of  the  land.  He  sowed  75  acres  of  it 
with  wheat,  plowing  in  about  10  tons  of  guano  ; 
and  the  first  crop  paid  for  the  form  and  all  its  ex- 
penses, and  left  a  small  surplus  besides. 

Mr.  Wilder's  plan  was  to  compound  one  part 
of  guano  with  six  parts  of  meadow  mud,  pulveriz- 
ing it,  and  adding  another  part  of  charcoal ;  plac- 


ing it  in  a  heap  (which  must  be  kept  covered,) 
three  weeks  before  using  it.  He  had  found  by  ex- 
periment that  half  a  handful  of  this  compost  Avas 
as  good  as  a  whole  handful  put  in  dry.  In  sandy 
soils  it  should  be  placed  pretty  deep,  but  in  clayey 
lands,  shallow.  It  should  be  applied  early  in  the 
spring.  Seven  years  ago  he  reclaimed  a  piece  of 
meadow,  and  dressed  it  with  300  lbs.  guano  to  the 
acre.  The  first  year  the  crop  was  so  heavy  that 
it  mildewed,  and  he  had  not  been  obliged  to  renew 
it. 

Mr.  Shattuck  of  New  Hampshire,  said  he  had 
tried  guano  considerably  the  past  year,  using  it 
on  most  every  crop  on  his  farm,  and  generally 
with  good  results.  lie  had  a  peice  of  land  of  about 
two  acres  which  he  had  always  considered  worth- 
less. He  plowed  it  up  and  manured  it  with  guano, 
quicklime  and  plaster,  and  planted  with  early 
potatoes,  which  yielded  the  best  crop  he  ever  had. 
His  manure,  which  cost  $6  per  acre,  was  com- 
posed of  130  lbs.  guano, 800  of  plaster,  and  100  of 
quicklime.  The  plaster  and  quicklime  were  first 
sown  broadcast,  and  throughly  incorporated  in  the 
land,  and  then  the  guano,  mixed  with  meadow 
mud,  was  plowed  in,  and  the  ground  harrowed 
thoroughly.  The  seed  was  dropped  immediately 
upon  the  compost.  The  soil  was  very  dry.  He 
used  the  lime  to  dissengage  the  ammonia  of  the 
guano.  Mr.  Shattuck  plants  his  potatoes  in  a 
furrow,  without  hills,  on  loamy  land,  and  thinks 
them  less  liable  to  suffer  by  drought,  because  hills 
shed  the  water.  The  New  Hampshire  farmer 
who  took  the  premium  at  the  State  Fair  for  his 
potatoes,  planted  them  on  a  flat  surface  having  a 
mellow  soil  beneath  for  the  plant  to  strike  its  roots 
into. 

The  speaker  regarded  guano  as  most  excellent 
manure  to  force  crops  ;  and  stated  that  he  had  a 
plot  of  cucumbers  which  the  bugs  destroyed  two 
or  three  times,  and  it  being  late  in  the  season  he 
concluded  to  plant  again  and  force  with  guano. 
He  mixed  guano  with  lime  and  put  it  into  the 
hills  covering  it  and  placing  the  seed  upon  it. 
In  three  days  after  dropping  the  seed,  with  no 
rain  in  the  meantime,  the  cucumbers  were  up  an 
inch,  and  he  had  an  abundant  crop. 

Prof.  Nash,  of  Amherst  College,  said  he  had  ap- 
plied guano  the  past  year  to  about  a  third  of  an 
acre  of  land,  at  the  rate  of  200  lbs  to  the  acre,  and 
gathered  therefrom  a  splendid  crop  of  Indian  corn, 
remarkably  well  filled-  out,  and  surpassing  that 
raised  on  contiguous  land  manured  with  bone-dust. 
He  was  of  opinion  that  our  farmers  should  avail 
themselves  of  all  the  resources  of  their  farms  for 
manures  before  purchasing  guano.  The  farm,  as 
a  general  rule,  should  be  made  to  fertilize  itself. 
Prof.  Nash  coincided  with  the  chairman  in  regard 
to  using  green  manure  ;  if  put  immediately  into 
the  soil,  its  operation  is  very  advantageous,  be- 
cause the  plant  gets  the  benefit  of  a  large  proper- 


190 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


April 


tion  of  ammonia,  nitrogen  and  carbonic  acid, 
which  would  be  lost  if  the  manure  were  suffered  to 
lay  over.  Plow  it  in  shallow,  if  the  soil  is  clayey 
a  little  deeper  if  loamy,  and  still  deeper  if  sandy. 
On  motion  of  Mr.  Clark,  of  Waltham,  the  sub- 
ject of  manures  was  continued  to  the  next  meeting, 
when  a  part  of  the  evening  will  be  devoted  to  it, 
and  the  remainder  to  "The  subdivision  and  fencing 
of  the  lands  of  a  farm." 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

THE  PEWEE— SOOT  FOR  PLANTS. 

Mr.  Editor  : — Having  seen  in  your  valuable  pa 
per  an  inquiry  made  touching  the  Ijirds  of  New 
England,  I  send  you  the  following  facts  concern- 
ing the  well  known  little  bird,  Pewee,  or  fly-catch- 
er. About  five  years  ago,  I  had  a  jxiir  of  these 
birds.  (You  will  pardon  me  for  calling  them 
mine,  for  they  were  iny  songsters  and  companions, 
for  fourteen  years,  and  left  me  only  when  repairs 
of  buildings  drove  them  from  tiieir  old  home.)  In 
the  last  of  March,  or  first  of  April,  perched  on  the 
buildings  or  fences,  will  be  seen  the  Pewee,  filling 
the  air  with  his  joyful  notes.  But  his  stay  at  this 
time  is  only  about  a  fortnight,  for  he  soon  gets 
weary  calling  "Phebee,"  for  she  answers  not.  If 
it  is  fine  weather,  a  journey  of  twelve  or  fourteen 
days  will  find  t'lera  at  their  old  home,  busy  repair- 
ing or  building  their  nest. 

For  eight  successive  years  they  built  their  nest 
on  a  sleeper  of  my  barn,  within  a  few  feet  of  each 
other,  and  in  this  time  they  built  four  nests,  con- 
structing a  new  one  every  other  year.  They  re- 
pair the  inside  of  the  nest  after  the  first  brood  have 
flown.  The  next  spring,  if  the  upper  edge  of  the 
nest  gets  loose,  they  repair  it,  and  replenish  the 
inside  with  a  new  coating,  and  do  the  same  after 
the  first  brood  has  flown  the  second  year,  so  that 
in  eight  years  they  had  four  new  nests,  and  re- 
paired them  twelve  times,  each  nest  having  been 
used  for  four  broods. 

It  takes  them  seven  or  eight  days  to  repair  a 
nest.  Afterwards  they  placed  their  nest  in  a  build- 
ing over  my  tanner's  beam,  and  several  times 
changed  it  to  different  buildings  as  I  changed  my 
plac3  of  work.  They  would  alight  on  the  beam 
and  watch  their  prey  whilst  I  was  near  them. 

In  fourteen  years,  they  reared  about  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  young,  for  none  were  destroyed 
by  idle  boys,  and  even  old  puss  seemed  to  have 
learned  to  respect  them,  as  she  was  never  known 
to  catch  any.  They  are  very  industrious  in  catch- 
ing flies,  taking  fi'om  two  to  four  a  minute,  when 
they  make  a  business  of  feeding  their  young. 

SOOT  TO  DESTROY  VERMIN. 

I  have  been  informed  by  a  gentleman  from  Eng- 
land that  they  pay  145  per  load  for  chimney  soot, 
to  spread  on  their  land  for  the  purpose  of  killing 
vermin.  I  wish  to  know  if  it  is  used  for  such  a 
pupose  in  this  country?  AVould  it  not  be  good  to 
roll  corn  in  before  planting? 

Respectfully  yours,         John  M.  Merrill. 

Bristol,  N.  IL,  March  4,  1853. 


Remarks. — Soot  is  a  capital  fertilizer,  and  is  fre- 
quently used  to  kill  insects.  It  is  certainly  advis- 
able to  save  it  all  and  apply  it  in  some  way  to  the 
crops. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
AUTUMNAL  MARROW  SQUASH. 

^Ir.  Brown, — Dear  Sir  :— Much  discus.-ion  has 
lately  arisen,  about  who  first  introduced  among  us 
this  fine  variety  of  squash,  which  has  been  re- 
ceived with  so  much  favor,  as  to  nearly  shove 
aside  all  others.  In  a  letter  that  I  received  from 
Dr.  Harris,  of  Caml)ridge,  dated  Nov.  C,  1851,  he 
speaks  of  this  variety,  as  having  been  "first  de- 
scriljed  by  Mr.  Ives,  of  Salem,"  who  "procured 
the  seeds  of  it  from  North  Hampton."  I  think  I 
have  heard  the  same  statement  from  Mr.  Ives,  him- 
self, whom  I  know  to  be  a  discriminating  cultiva- 
tor of  garden  vegetables.  I  have  lately  l)uen  in- 
formed l)y  Mr.  A.  Lord,  of  Salem,  that  he  grew 
the  first  specimens  of  this  squash  that  were  ever 
raised  in  Mass.  That  he  received  the  seeds  from 
Mr.  George  C  Buxton,  of  Danvei-s,  to  whom  six 
seeds  came  in  a  letter  from  South  America,  tivo  on- 
ly of  which  produced  fruit— these  under  the  care 
of  ^Ir.  Lord.  Without  presuming  to  say  who  is 
right  and  who  is  not,  I  present  such  facts  as  have 
come  to  my  knowledge  ;  leaving  it  to  those  who 
know  more  to  correct  my  statements,  if  errone- 
ous. Your  obedient  servant, 

Danvers,  i^ti.  12,  1853.  J.  W.  Proctor. 


STOCKHARDT'S  FIELD  LECTURES- 

A  capital  buck,  which  we  commend  cordially  to 
every  farmer.  We  like  it  for  several  reasons  :  Isl, 
Because  the  doctrines  it  teaches  are  true  ;  2d, 
Because  it  is  written  in  a  clear,  simple  style,  and 
can  be  readily  comprehended  by  those  who  are  not 
adepts  in  chemistry ;  and  3d,  Because  it  places 
science  in  its  true  position.  While  it  claims  for 
it  the  importance  that  justly  belongs  to  it,  it  re- 
cognizes the  value  and  the  authority  of  experi- 
ence. It  admits  that  "the  chemist  cannot  here 
exert  a  sovereign  sway  over  fixed  invariable  quan- 
tities, and  uniformly  continuous  conditions,"  but 
is  as  dependent  upon  soil,  climate,  wind  and 
weather,  as  the  husbandman  himself." 

His  chaptei's  upon  artificial  manures,  guano  and 
bones,  are  of  great  value,  and  cannot  be  too  high- 
ly commended  to  the  attention  of  all  cultivators. 
Had  he  been  acquainted  with  the  value  of  barn 
cellars  in  the  manufacture  and  preservation  of  com- 
post manures,  we  should  have  learned  the  fact  in 
his  chapter  on  stall  manures  and  straw.  In  this 
respect  we  think  New  England  farmers  have  made 
a  step  in  advance  of  their  Teutonic  cousins.  We 
are  sorry  to  observe  so  great  carelessness  in  the 
use  of  numbers,  as  we  have  noticed  in  perusing 
the  book.  For  instance,  on  the  154th  page,  we 
are  told  that  Saxony  contains  7000  inhabitants  to 
a  square  mile.  Being  somewhat  startled  at  this, 
we  looked  into  the  matter  and  find  that  according 
to  the  Saxe  Weimar  Almanac,  Saxony,  in  1840, 
contained  270  to  the  square  mile.  Belgium,  the 
most  populous  country  in  Europe,  contained  305. 
On  the  194th  page  we  are  told  that  one-half  an 
ounce  of  the  best  Peruvian  Guano,  on  being  burned, 
leaves  only  one   drachm  (30  to  33  per  cent.)  of 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


191 


ashes.  On  the  196th  page,  we  find  2  drachms 
(from  50  to  55  per  cent.)  If  one  drachm  is  30  to 
33  per  cent.,  2  drachms  must  be  more  than  50  to 
55.  But  every  school-boy  knows  that  8  drachms 
make  one  ounce,  and  that  1  drachm  is  25  per  cent, 
of  half  an  ounce.  Why  then  use  numbers  so  care- 
lessly ?  In  the  tables,  too,  in  which  peculiar  care 
should  be  used,  we  notice  several  great  incongrui- 
ties. We  trust  these  errors  will  be  corrected  in 
future  editions,  and  we  are  the  more  desirous  they 
should  bo,  because  the  bi>ok  is  one  of  the  best  that 
can  be  put  into  the  hands  of  the  practical  farmer. 


labor  of  plowing,  by  pursuing  such  a  course.     Bet- 
ter plow  less  and  take  good  care  of  it. 

You  will  find  scattered  through  t!ic  volumes  of 
the  monthly  Farmer,  accounts  of  cranberry  cul- 
ture. Where  you  can  turn  up  a  white  sand  by 
plowing,  cranberries  usually  succeed  well.  We 
doubt  whether  they  would  in  a  cluy  subsoil. 


For  the  New  Enifland  Farmer. 

OLD  PASTURES  AI^D  CRANBERRIES. 

Mr.  Editor  : — Having  a  pasture  of  several  acres 
situated  a  mile  and  a  half  or  two  miles  from  home, 
that  needs  plowing  very  badly,  I  have  thought 
proper  to  inquire  through  your  paper,  from  you 
or  some  of  your  correspondents,  the  most  profita- 
ble way  to  manage  it.  The  land  is  suitable  for 
rye  or  curn,  and  capable  of  producing  large  crops 
of  either  ;  containing  as  it  does  a  sufficient  quanti- 
ty of  rich  loam  interspersed  with  gravel. 

Would  it  be  best  to  plow  it  in  the  spring,  pur- 
chase some  guano,  lime  or  such  like  manure,  (as 
it  is  too  far  to  cart  barn-yard  manure)  and  plant 
it  to  corn  ;  or  would  a  wiser  course  be,  to  plow  it 
in  August  or  September,  and  sow  it  down  to  rye 
or  grass,     (a.) 

If  tlie  former,  what  would  be  the  cheapest  ma- 
nure to  purchase,  and  the  probable  cost  and  quan- 
tity per  acre.  If  it  was  not  thought  advisable  to 
plant  corn  at  so  great  a  distance  from  home,  should 
rye  or  grass  seed  be  sown  without  any  manure  be- 
ing applied  to  the  land.    (6.) 

Oraxberries. — Will  some  of  yourcorresponderAs 
give  tlieir  experience  in,  and  methods  of  cultivat- 
ing the  cranberry.  Can  the  cultivation  of  this 
plant  be  made  profitable  to  the  farmer?  Having 
several  acres  of  swale  land  near  by,  producing  but 
little  hay,  as  the  soil  is  of  a  mucky  nature  to  the 
depth  of  three  or  four  inches,  and  underneath  is  a 
hard  pan  of  clay,  I  have  serious  thouglits  of  plow- 
ing up  a  portion  of  it  and  setting  out  the  plants  of 
the  upland  cranberry;  but  before  doing  so, I  wish  to 
ascertain  whether  the  soil  is  adapted  to  the  growth 
of  that  plant,  and  whether  I  could  use  the  land  to 
a  better  purpose. 

Any  information  in  relation  to  the  above  sub- 
jects, will  be  thankfully  received  by  a 

Young  Farmer. 

Remarks. — (a.)  We  have  a  pasture  ofeight  acres 
which  has  been  regularly  fed  for  25  years,  until 
the  whole  product  is  not  more  than  what  one 
acre  ought  to  be.  The  conclusion  arrived  at  after 
reflecting  upon  the  whole  matter,  is,  that  we  shall 
pl)w  it  in  August,  manure  a  portion  with  plaster 
and  guano,  and  sow  with  rye  and  grass  seed,  and 
let  tlie  cows  run  upon  it  about  the  first  of  June. 
Another  portion  with  plaster  and  phosphate  of 
lime,  and  another  with  plaster  and  ashes.  Will 
you  do  so  and  let  us  know  the  result  1 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
CORN   CULTURE. 

Mr.  Edtior  : — In  the  last  volume  of  the  Farmer 
may  be  found  some  remarks  by  me,  on  the  culti- 
vation of  corn,  at  pages  73  and  324.  Since  that 
time  I  have  had  occasion  to  change  my  views,  as 
expressed  on  this  subject,  on  page  73,  Vol.  IV.,  as 
it  regarded  phmting  corn  on  land  that  had  been 
planted  to  potatoes  the  year  previous. 

Last  spring  I  planted  five-eights  of  an  acre  to 
corn,  using  eight  cords  of  unfermented  manure, 
composted  with  muck,  according  to  Mr.  Hol- 
brook's  directions,  page  381,  Vol.  III.,  of  the 
monthly  Farmer,  plowing  it  in  to  the  depth  of 
eight  inches,  and  then  cross  plowing  to  the  same 
depth,  and  then  harrowed  down  smooth,  and  fur- 
rowed out  and  applied  three  cords  in  the  hill,  ma- 
king in  all  eleven  cords  used.  About  150  lbs.  of 
gypsum  was  put  on  after  the  corn  was  up.  The 
yield  was  forty  bushels.  Potatoes  were  grown  on 
this  the  year  previous.  Four  cords  less  of  manure 
were  on  the  five-eights  of  an  acre,  than  were  used 
on  the  acre  and  a  half  the  year  previous,  yet  the 
yield  was  15  bushels  the  most  on  the  five-eights. 

Now  I  attribute  this  to  two  causes.  First,  the 
manure  was  put  on  in  a  sufficient  quantity  to  be 
felt  by  the  corn  the  whole  season.  The  decom- 
posed manure  gave  it  a  start  the  first  of  the  sea- 
son, and  the  last  part  the  green  manure  did  its 
work  in  producing  a  crop.  The  second  I  attribute 
to  the  deeper  plowing,  one  being  six  and  the  other 
eight  inches.  Of  the  benefits  •of  deep  plowing  I 
need  not  speak,  for  they  have  been  so  clearly  point- 
ed out  in  the  Farmer  for  the  last  two  years,  that 
all  who  have  read  it  need  nothing  but  facts  to  be 
able  to  see  the  good  effiict  at  a  single  glance. 
Y^ours  for  the  cause  of  agriculture, 

S.  Tenney. 

Lewiston  Falls,  March  7,  1853. 


{b.)  No,  you  would  lose  a  large  portion  of  your  Ition. 


Mass.  HorticulturaIj  Society. — Through  the 
attention  of  E.  Wight,  Esq.,  Corresponding  Sec- 
retary of  the  Society,  we  have  before  us  the  sched- 
ule of  prizes  offered  for  1853,  as  follows  : 

Prospective  prizes $750 

Gardens   Greenliouses,  <S;c 200    , 

For  Fruits 620 

Plants,  Flowers  and  Designs 750 

For  Vegetables 250 

Making  in  all  the  handsome  sum  of  $2,520,00. 
The  prospective  prizes  are  for  objects  to  be  origi- 
nated subsequent  to  theyear]846,  and  which,  af- 
ter a  trial  of  five  years,  shall  be  deemed  equal,  or 
superior,  in  quality  and  other  characteristics,  to 
any  now  extant.  Many  of  our  citizens  are  scarce- 
ly yet  aware  of  the  high  degree  of  pleasure  and 
profit  they  may  derive  from  a  connection  and  more 
intimate  acquaintance  with  this  excellent  associa- 


192 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


April 


CLARK'S  EXOBLSIOR  CHURN. 

We  know  nothing  of  this  churn  from  personal 
experience,  but  as  it  is  spoken  highly  of,  and  has 
the  appearance,  in  itself,  of  being  a  useful  article, 
we  give  the  inventor  an  opportunity  to  explain  the 
machine  himself.    » 

A  is  the  rotating  or  rev(jlving  liody,  worked  by 
crank  and  gearing,  as  shown,  or  it  may  be  attached 
to  any  motive  power  by  passing  a  band  directly  on 
to  its  raised  hoops  G  G.  Two  or  more  large  churns 
can  thus  be  driven  in  one  frame,  by  passing  a  short 
band  from  the  first  cylinder  to  tlie  second,  and 
from  that  to  a  third,  &c.,  thus  afPn-ding  facilities 
for  churning  any  quantity  of  milk  and  cream,  to- 
gether or  separately,  at  one  operation.  By  a  new 
and  simple  device,  the  body  is  easily  made  water 
tight  at  its  lid  and  bearings  on  the  fixed  or  per- 
manent axles.  The  cross  bar  or  dasii  is  a  nar 
row  wooden  bar,  placed  huigitudinally  above  the 
centre  of  the  barrel  or  body,  with  projections  B  on 
its  upper  edge,  extending  upward  to  the  priphei-y, 
at  any  desired  angle.  Pins  inserted  in  two  side 
staves  of  the  cylinder,  pass  between  the  projec- 
tions on  the  cross  bar,  which  is  removably' at- 
tached, or  supported  by  iron  braces,  to  the  axles 
on  which  the  body  rotates  or'revolves.  The  axles 
are  hollow,  with  ventilating  funnels  C  C  set  in  the 
-blocks  and  extending  downward  into  their  cavities. 
By  closing  the  outward  ends  of  the  axles,  a  per- 
fect ventilation  of  the  cylinder  is  effected,  even 
when  filled  above  the  place  of  its  axis.  The  cav- 
ities of  the  axles  permit  the  crooked  water  tubes 
E  E  to  be  passed  tlu'ough  them,  to  be  inserted  in 
the  corked  ends  of  the  small  metalic  cylinder  in 


the  centre  of  the  cliurn.  Through  these  tubes, 
(which  close  by  their  flanges,  the  outward  ends  of 
the  axles,  and  being  of  less  diameter  than  the  cav- 
ities, so  as  not  to  obstruct  the  ventilation,)  a  stream 
of  cold  water  can  be  kept  running  ;  the  water  pass- 
ing down  the  outward  injecting  funnel  through 
the  tube,  filling  the  tempering  cylinder,  (the  small 
tube  on  the  cylinder  should  be  corked  alter  the  air 
has  escaped,)  and  passing  out  at  the  waste  pipe. 
These  need  only  ,be  used  when  tempering  is  nec- 
essary, and  where  running  water  cannot  be  ap- 
plied, a  few  pails  from  the  well  will  reduce  the 
temperature  sufficiently.     A  thermometer  may  be 

used  to  ASCERTAIN    THE  TEMPERATURE  OF    THE  WATER 

at  the  waste  pipe,  which  will  indicate  directly  milk 
or  cream.  The  cross  bar,  tempering  cyhnder  and 
tubes,  can  all  be  removed  from  the  barrel  of  the 
churn,  thus  leaving  nothing  but  the  empty  cylin- 
der for  cleansing 

The  Excelsior  Churn  is  not  designed  merely  as 
an  improvement  on  any  other  patent  churn.  It  is 
in  fact  different  in  construction  and  operation  from 
all  that  have  preceded  it,  consequently  the  olyec- 
tions  which  may  be  made  in  reference  to  other 
churns,  will  in  no  sense  apply  to  this.  The  pro- 
pi'ietor  having  had  many  years  expriencein  a  large 
dairy,  professes  to  know  what  dairymen  need,  and 
what  they  require  iu  a  perfect  churn.  It  is  nec- 
essary that  milk  and  cream  should  be  kept  below 
the  temperature  of  summer  air,  both  before  and 
during  the  operation  of  churning,  certainly  as  low 
as  62^^.  The  Excelsior  Churn  will  do  this.  The 
running  water  will  not  only  reduce  the  tempera- 
ture in  passing  through  the  metalic  cylinder,  but 
it  will  also  take  away  all  of  the  animal  heat  from 
new  milk,  and  also  the  ei^ectricity  from  the  fluid, 


1853. 


i\EW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


193 


whether  it  bo  milk  or  cream,  to  be  churned.  The 
scientific  dairyman  will  understand  tliis.  The  re- 
sult is  an  increase  of  the  rRODUcT,  while  the  pecu- 
liar action  of  the  churn,  in  bringing  all  of  the  fluid 
within  the  resistance  of  the  dash  or  cross  bar,  adds 
at  least  one  pound  in  twenty  to  the  quantity  of 
good  marketable  butter. 

BENEFITS  OF  ASSOCIATED  EFFORT. 

[RemMks  of  the  lion.  J.  W.  Pboctor  at  the  Agricultural  Mass 
Meeting  Hi  ConconI,  March  10,  1853. 

The  notice  of  the  meeting  of  farmers  of  Middle- 
sex to  be  holden  al  Um  time,  at  this  place,  awtikened 
in  my  breast  the  liveliest  desire  to  be  present,  and 
to  be  instructeJ  thereby.     Where  the  ball  of  free- 


dom received  its  first  impulse,  eighty-seven  years 

gone  by,  seemed  to  me  a  place  peculiarly  appro-  onlyto  be  exposed',  to  be  scouted  and  despised. 
priate  to  start  anew  in  the  march  of  agricultural     r^Q  illustrate  the  benefits  that  may  accrue  fron 


not.  Who  does  not  remember,  when  the  drift  of 
snow  used  to  form  across  the  way,  when  he  was  a 
boy,  on  his  route  to  school ;  let  him  go  there  now, 
after  a  drifting  northeaster,  he  will  find  the  same 
position,  blocked  in  the  same  manner.  So  in  the 
vegetable  economy,  the  laws  of  origin  and  pro- 
gress are  alike  unchangeable.  A  careful  observa- 
tion of  these,  will  guard  against  many  a  mistake. 
The  farmer  needs  "line  upon  hne,  and  precept  up- 
on precept."  For  this  purpose,  farmers  should 
come  together  and  compare  their  notions.  The 
interchange  of  views,  rules  asperities,  and  corrects 
absurdities.  Let  a  person  be  once  put  down,  in 
inculcating  false  notions,  and  he  will  ever  after- 
wards be  more  careful  in  his  remarks— or  if  not 
they  will  soon  cease  to  command  attention.  There 
are  many  notions  abroad  in  the  world,  which  need 


prii 

improvements.  It  is  fit,  that  Middlesex,  the  first 
born  of  the  Massachusetts  family,  fourteen  in  num- 
ber, should  call  this  family  meeting,  to  greet  each 
other,  and  consult  for  the  common  good.  There 
are  no  jealousies  or  bickerings  to  disturb  our  har- 
mony. There  is  no  occasion  for  any  one,  to  crowd 
upon  any  other.  Th.e  field  is  broad  enough  for  all, 
and  the  crop  is  ready  for  the  harvest.  All  have 
the  same  purpose  in  view.  It  is  meet  therefore, 
to  consult  together,  how  this  purpose  can  best  be 
accomplished. 

While  we  the  children  are  looking  about  to  see 
what  is  the  duty  incumbent  upon  us,  we  must  not 
forget  the  mother  of  us  all — the  Massachusetts  So- 
ciety for  promoting  Agriculture — who  although 
stricken  in  years,  still  gives  evidence  that  the  vig- 
or of  youth  fl.ows  in  her  veins.  In  the  annals  of 
this  society,  will  be  found  much  wisdom.  When 
perusing  thefwjgos  put  forth  by  Lowell,  Pickering, 
and  their  associates,  I  have  often  doubted  whether 
we  were  advancing  in  improvement  so  rapidly  as 
we  profess  to  be.  Fortunate  will  be  the  man  who 
can  write  better  essays,  or  make  better  speeches, 
than  those  men  made  fifty  years  ago.  I  htive  had 
communication  with  many  farmers,  and  many  men, 
who  professed  to  have  knowledge  of  agricultural 
science,  but  I  frankly  admit,  that  I  never  met  the 
man,  who  so  clearly  comprehended  the  reason  for 
what  he  knew  about  the  cultivation  of  the  earth, 
as  Timothy  Pickering. 

Who  does  not  remember  the  hints  that  appeared 
every  spring,  on  the  pages  of  the  Columbian  Cen- 
tinel,  from  the  pen  of  the  Roxbury  farmer.  Plain 
and  simple  in  their  character,  but  still  of  great 
value  in  their  consequences.  These  were  among 
the  first  lessons  in  agriculture  I  ever  learned.  I 
remember  with  what  interest  1  used  to  look  for 
them,  and  how  my  father  used  to  read  them,  and 
compare  them  witii  his  own  experience  and  obser- 
vations. Instance  the  time  of  flowering  of  fruit 
trees  ;  the  temperature  about  that  time  ;  the  pre- 
vailing winds  ;  and  many  other  accompanying  cir- 
cumstances ;  and  hence,  an  inference  was  drawn, 
as  to  the  prospects  of  the  coming  season.  By  such 
habits  of  observing  and  recording,  the  experience 
of  many  years  is  concentrated  in  one,  and  useful 
lessons  of  instructions  are  accumulated.  In  f\xct, 
the  difierence  between  a  wise  man,  and  one  not 
vvise,  consists  in  the  accumulation  and  concentra- 
tion of  small  facts.  "Many  a  little  makes  amickle," 
as  is  the  proverb  ; — which  expresses  more  truth 
than  elegance.     The  laws  of  the  seasons  chano-e 


ay  accrue  from  the 
meeting  of  farmers,  and  familiar  interchange^  of 
ideas,  allow  me  to  refer  to  a  farmer's  association 
formed  in  my  own  town,  befoi-e  agricultural  soci- 
eties had  much  come  into  being,  in  1S09  or  10,  I 
think.  A  series  of  questions  was  propounded  to 
them  by  the  State  Society,  such  as  were  forward- 
ed to  many  other  towns  of  the  commonwealth,  and 
each  member  was  required  to  bring  in  his  own  ex- 
perience, that  correct  answers  might  be  returned. 
At  this  time,  being  a  boy,  and  ready  in  the  use  of 
the  pen,  I  remember  to  have  been  employed  by 
my  father,  himself  an  observing  farmer,  to  arrange 
and  copy  these  answers,  to  be  returned  to  Boston. 
I  felt  honored  by  the  commission.  I  cannot  doubt 
that  the  impressions  then  taken  gave  an  impulse 
to  my  mind  in  favor  of  the  employment  of  the 
farmer.  I  have  only  to  regret  that  it  had  not  been 
sprung  to  such  a  degree  as  never  to  have  been  di- 
verted. For  after  more  than  forty  years  observa- 
tion of  men  and  things,  I  am  free  to  say,  that  the 
man  who  starts  in  life  with  a  determination  con- 
tentedly to  devote  his  energies  to  tlie  culture  of 
the  soil,  free  of  ambition,  of  official  distinctions  of 
every  kind,  takes  the  wisest  course.  In  this  free 
country,  where  every  man  can  readily  acquire  a 
title  to  the  soil  he  tills,  such  employment  will 
surely  succeed  ;  provided  he  has  the  discretion  to 
graduate  his  expenses  according  to  his  income. 
And  no  employment  will  succeed,  without  this  lim- 
itation. Thus  managing,  at  the  age  o^  fifty,  he 
will  be  found  comfortably  situated  on  his  own 
farm,  with  a  lovely  family  around  him  ;  made  vig- 
orous and  happy  by  the  same  labor  that  has  af- 
forded the  means  of  living.  What  position  can 
be  more  desirable^  Well  did  the  Roman  poet  ex- 
claim— "O,  too  happy  farmer  !  did  you  but  know 
the  enjoyments  at  your  command." 

A  few  years  since,  Simeon  L.  AVilson,  of  Methu- 
en,  (I  believe  he  is  not  living  now,)  sent  in  his 
statement  to  the  committee  on  farms  of  the  Es- 
sex Society  ;  which,  when  the  facts  came  to  be 
known,  awakened  much  interest.  It  appeared, 
that  this  cultivator  of  the  soil  had  been  a  cripple 
from  his  youth,  with  no  command  of  his  lower  ex- 
tremities whatever,  and  only  able  to  move  from 
place  to  place,  as  moved  by  others,  or  in  the  little 
go-gig  that  his  ingenuity  had  constructed.  He  had 
come  into  possession  of  about  an  acre,  of  what  was 
deemed  a  worthless  bog,  situated  by  the  side  of  the 
way — for  years  claimed  by  no  one, — and  liad  con- 
trived to  drain  it,  and  cover  it  from  the  adjoining 
knolls,  so  that  he  grew  thereon,  a  nursery  of  more 


194 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


April 


than  12,000  fruit  trees,  and  a  variety  of  fruits  of 
fine  quality  in  considerable  abundance.  In  fact, 
he  so  managed  it,  as  to  be  able  to  sell  enough  to 
support  himself  and  his  mother,  from  the  products 
of  this  reclaimed  acre  ;  thereby  saving  the  town 
more  than  $100  a  year,  to  which  they  would  oth- 
erwise have  been  properly  subjected.  In  the  close 
of  his  statement,  he  exclaims  with  devout  rever- 
ence of  that  Providence  which  had  so  greatly  fa- 
vored him, 

"I  am  monarch  of  all  I  survey; 

My  right  there  is  none  to  dispute." 

"Who  will  say  that  this  humble  cripple  did  not 
sleep  as  soundly  and  enjoy  as  much  as  does  the 
monarch  of  all  the  Russias  ? 

In  my  reference  to  the  association  of  farmers  at 
Danvers,  the  point  I  intended  chiefly  to  illustrate, 
was  the  benefits  that  accrued  to  the  flirmers  them- 
selves. Each  thereby  became  informed  of  the 
more  successful  operations  carried  on  around  him, 
and  the  means  whereby  they  were  brought  about; 
and  having  learned  these,  he  would  no  longer  be 
delving  on  in  the  old  way,  realizing  only  half  as 
much  as  his  neighbor.  A  man  will  work  content- 
edly when  he  does  not  know  that  others  are  doing 
better  than  himself,  but  when  he  does,  he  soon  be- 
comes uneasy.  No  man  will  be  content  to  grow 
but  thirty  bushels  of  corn  to  the  acre,  when  by 
the  same  exertion  properly  applied,  he  could  se- 
cure fifty.  Does  not  this  illustration  explain  the 
condition  of  the  farmer  in  Massachusetts  at  the 
present  time  1  Has  it  not  been  again  and  again 
demonstrated,  that  on  lands  of  only  moderately 
good  quality,  more  than  fifty  bushels  of  corn  to 
the  acre  can  readily  be  grown  1  Why  then  should 
the  farmer  be  content  with  their  present  crop,  of 
this  indispensable  grain,  averaging  at  present  little 
more  than  thirty  bushels  to  the  acre  ?  What  is 
true  of  this  crop  is  applicable  to  most  others. 

Let  me  illustrate  the  position  I  have  taken,  by 
reference  to  the  farm  of  Mr.  J.  D.  Brown,  of  this 
town,  the  interesting  account  of  the  cultivation  of 
which  has  lately  appeared  in  the  admirably  ar- 
ranged pamphlet  of  the  Middlesex  Society ;  and 
which  if  I  mistake  not,  commanded  the  first  premi- 
um of  this  society.  Does  not  this  show  his  crops 
to  have  more  than  doubled  in  a  very  few  years — 
and  this  under  a  mode  of  culture  that  brings  its 
own  reward  ?  I  know  there  may  be  a  hot-bed 
growth — that  costs  more  than  it  comes  to — but 
such  cultivation  cannot  be  approved.  What  is 
wanted,  is  a  mode  of  culture  that  yields  fair  crops, 
and  at  the  same  time,  leaves  the  grounds  in  im- 
proved condition.  Another  instance  is  to  be  found 
in  the  same  book,  on  Mr.  Wheeler's  farm  of  forty 
acres,  which,  if  I  understand  his  statement,  has 
been  made  to  yield  a  nett  income  of  $20  an  acre, 
for  the  whole  farm — that  is,  an  income  of  $800  a 
year  from  a  farm  of  forty  acres.  Now,  sir,  apply 
$300  of  this  to  contingencies,  you  will  have  $500 
left,  which  is  double  the  amount  usually  realized 
by  cultivators  of  the  soil.  I  have  purposely  re 
ferred  to  these  home  illustrations,  in  Middlesex, 
because,  if  I  am  wrong,  there  are  those  present 
who  will  correct  ray  errors.  Though  I  could  re- 
fer to  instances  of  the  culture  of  vegetables  in  Es- 
sex, that  would  go  far  ahead  of  the  samples  men- 
tioned. 

Whoever  reflects  upon  the  tenure  of  the  soil  in 
Massachusetts,  as  well  as  in  most  of  the  N.  E. 
States,  cannot  but  be  impressed  with  the  influ- 


ence of  this  tenure  upon  its  culture.  To  ensure 
successful  culture,  "the  tiller  of  the  soil  should 
have  an  interest  in  the  soil  he  tills."  What  in- 
ducement has  the  tenant-at-will  to  make  improve- 
ments 1  Possibly,  his  landlord  may  not  advance 
his  rent  in  proportion  to  the  improvements  made  ; 
hwi  three  chances  out  oj  four,  this  will  be  done. 
Adam  Smith  says,  in  England,  the  tenant  has  for 
his  labor,  the  smallest  fraction  whereby  he  can 
live — and  whoever  suspected  Yankee  landlords  of 
being  more  generous  than  Englishmen  1  Generosi- 
ty is  not  a  marked  trait  of  character,  in  this  land, 
in  those  who  hold  the  title  to  large  possessions. 
Generally,  it  is  found  in  the  inverse  ratio  of  their 
possessions.  1  would  sooner  hope  for  a  favor  from 
the  honest  laborer,  who  earns  a  support  for  his 
family  and  himself  by  his  daily  toil,  than  from  the 
conceited  proprietor  of  many  acres,  who  lives  by 
the  industry  of  others.  In  this  free  country,  no 
man  is  fit  to  live,  who  is  not  willing  to  work  for  a 
living. 

It  was  sagaciously  remarked,  by  the  late  John 
Randolph,  of  Virginia,  "The  time  will  come  ere 
long,  when  masters  will  run  away  from  their 
slaves,  and  be  advertised  in  the  newspapers." 

This  wise  saying  was  based  on  the  fact,  that 
those  who  tilled  the  soil  in  Virginia,  and  other 
slave-holding  States,  had  no  personal  interest  in 
the  soil  they  tilled.  How  important  then,  so  to  ad- 
vance the  conditions  of  every  efficient  laborer,  that 
he  may  entertain  the  well-founded  hope  of  being 
an  independent  free-holder,  and  of  leaving  to  his 
children  and  children's  children,  the  direct  bene- 
fits of  his  labor  ! 


LEGISLATIVE  AGRICULTURAL  MEET- 
INGS. 

Ni.NTH  Meeting — Tuesdav  Evening,  March  22,  1853. 

The  ninth  meeting  of  the  season  was  held  at  the 
State  House  on  Tuesday  evening,  Mr.  Brown,  of 
the  Farmer,  in  the  chair. 

The  subject  of  the  '■'■Preparation  and  Application 
of  Manures''''  was  taken  up,  and  continued  through 
the  evening. 

Mr.  Brown,  upon  taking  the  chair,  alluded  to  a 
report  of  discussions  in  the  New  York  Farmer''s 
Club,  strongly  corroborative  of  the  remarks  made 
by  him  at  the  last  meeting  in  regard  to  the  waste 
of  manures.  It  appeared  by  statements  made  by 
Mr.  Robert  L.  Pell,  of  Ulster  Co.,  that  the  ni- 
trogen contained  in  the  excreta  of  one  person 
would  grow,  in  combination  with  the  aid  of  the 
ammonia,  phosphates  and  sulphates  obtained  from 
the  atmosphere,  800  lbs.  of  wheat  per  year — at 
which  rate  the  population  of  Boston  (15,000) 
might  furnish  sufficient  to  raise  120  million  pounds 
of  wheat  yearly.  Add  to  this  a  small  quantity  of 
ashes  and  bone  dust,  and  with  the  natural  resources 
of  the  farm  we  could  bring  up  our  lands  to  an 
amazing  degree  of  fertility.  Mr.  Pell  stated  that 
he  had  put  40  cords  of  cattle  manure  on  an  acre 
of  land,  costing  $80.  By  removing  the  liquid  from 
the  ordure,  and  using  the  nitrogen  only,  sixteen 
pounds,  worth  fifty  cents,  would  be  of  equal  bene- 
fit, and  $80  worth  of  this  latter  would  enrich  160 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


m 


acres.  The  solid  and  liquid  manuring  substances 
produced  in  factories  of  various  kinds  in  our  cities, 
■with  the  sewerage,  &c.,  is  equal  to  one  ton  for 
each  inhabitant.  Allowing  the  same  calculation 
for  Boston,  it  would  give  150,000  tons  per  annum. 
In  addition  to  this,  150,000  tons  of  street  dirt, 
ashes,  &c. ,  might  be  saved  every  year,  the  whole 
furnishing  valuable  fertilizing  matter  worth  at  least 
$150,000.  Mr.  Pell  suggested  the  erection  of 
reservoirs,  with  buildings  over  them,  at  the  ter- 
minations of  the  sewers,  for  the  purpose  of  collect- 
ing the  rising  gases,  and  crystalizing  them  by 
chemical  process  for  agricultural  purposes. 

Mr.  Clark,  of  Waltham,  read  extracts  from 
several  letters  from  gentlemen  in  the  Southern 
States,  going  to  show  the  value  of  guano  both  as 
a  temporary  and  permanent  manure.  Mr.  Clark 
entered  into  a  calculation  of  the  comparative  cost 
of  dressing  an  acre  of  land  with  guano  and  with 
manure.  20  loads  of  manure  are  about  G  cords, 
which  at  $7  per  cord,  amounts  to  $52.  This 
would  manure,  not  very  heavily,  one  acre.  300 
lbs.  of  guano  will  manure  about  equally  with  6 
cords  of  manure,  and  at  $50  per  ton,  would  cost 
$7,50.  It  there.fijre  costs  $42  to  drefs  an  acre 
with  barn-yard  manure,  and  only  $7,50  with  guano 
— leaving  a  difference  in  favor  of  the  latter  of 
$34,50.  And  if  the  expense  of  applying  the  two 
is  taken  into  the  account,  the  difference  will  be 
still  greater  in  favor  of  guano.  It  is  said  that  gua- 
no is  not  so  permanent  in  its  effects  on  the  soil, 
but  this  is  not  so  certain.  Experiments  have  not 
yet  been  made  on  a  scale  of  sufficient  magnitude 
or  accuracy  to  test  this  point  thoroughly.  Many 
experiments,  if  they  can  be  relied  upon,  prove  that 
the  effects  of  guano  are  as  lasting  as  those  of  ma- 
nure. Mr.  Clark  thought  that  it  might  be  used 
with  very  great  advantage. 

Mr.  French,  of  Braintree,  made  some  remarks 
in  relation  to  the  great  attention  paid  to  the  sub 
ject  of  manuring  in  Europe.  In  Great  Britain  he 
said,  $300,000,000  worth  of  fertilizing  mattere  are 
used  annually.  He  considered  it  a  very  important 
matter  that  measures  should  be  taken  to  secure 
the  benefit  of  the  vast  amount  of  manure  which  is 
wasted  annually  in  our  cities  and  about  our  farms 
The  occasional  failure  of  guano,  he  believed — was 
owing  to  a  misapplication.  He  related  a  case  of 
some  gentlemen  who  bought  up  a  lot  of  extremely 
poor  laud,  paying  only  one  dollar  per  acre  for  it, 
which  they  manured  with  guano,  and  the  first 
year  cleared  the  land,  paid  all  the  expenses  of  cul- 
tivation, and  had  a  surplus  besides,  as  the  result 
of  the  operation.  This  he  believed  was  owing  to 
a  judicious  application  of  the  guano,  a  point  on 
which  we  are  without  accurate  information,  and 
which  is  much  needed. 

Mr.  Walker,  of  North  Brookfield,  inquired  if 
Mr.  French  had  had  any  experience  in  applying 
guano  to  pastures  or  grass  lands.     He  thought  if 


guano  could  be  advantageously  applied  to  pasture 
lands  it  would  be  a  gi-eat  benefit  to  the  common- 
wealth. In  Worcester  counnty,  for  instance, 
there  were  pastures  that  had  been  used  for  150 
and  perhaps  200  years,  without  being  replenished, 
owing  to  the  expense  and  difficulty  of  conveying 
barn-yard  manure  on  to  the  hills. 

Mr.  French  replied  that  he  had  had  no  experi- 
ence in  applying  guano  to  pastures,  but  had  used 
it  on  grass  lands  with  decided  benefit.  He  pul- 
verized it  and  spread  it  broadcast  in  Jupe,  while 
raining  gently. 

Col.  Faulkner,  of  Acton,  expressed  the  opin- 
ion that  one-quarter  of  the  value  of  barn-yard  ma- 
nure was  wasted  by  the  manner  in  which  it  was 
put  out.  He  conceived  the  best  plan  to  be  to 
heap  it  up  before  warm  weather,  covering  it  up 
closely,  by  putting  sawdust  or  plaster  over  it, 
which  will  prevent  the  fertilizing  gases  from  es- 
caping. He  believed  that  this  process  brought  it 
into  a  form  nearly  akin  to  guano,  and  he  thought 
made  it  almost,  if  not  quite,  as  valuable.  If  gua- 
no were  treated  in  the  way  the  bulk  of  our  do- 
mestic manure  is,  it  would  be  worth  no  more 
than  that  is.  He  believed  that  manure  plowed 
into  land  in  a  green  state  lost  one-fourth  of  its 
value  by  the  working  off  of  its  nutritive  gases. 
He  considered  the  great  cause  of  sterility  in  pas- 
ture lands  to  be  in  overstocking  them,  by  which 
the  grass  blades  were  fed  too  closely.  Grass  blades 
which  were  apparently  dead  nearly  to  the  roots  in 
the  fall,  renew  themselves  very  rapidly  in  the 
spring,  becoming  perfectly  green  in  a  few  days  of 
favorable  weather.  Hence,  if  not  fed  too  closely, 
a  pasture  will  maintain  its  vigor  and  fertility  for 
many  years. 

Mr.  Clabk,  of  Waltham,  said,  that  having  a 
very  unproductive  pasture,  he  took  half  a  ton  of 
plaster  of  Paris,  and  spretid  it  on  ten  acres  ;  and 
during  the  whole  season  he  could  see  a  great  dif- 
ference between  that  part  of  the  land  which  re- 
ceived the  plaster,  and  that  which  did  not. 

Mr.  French  thought  the  case  must  be  an  excep- 
tion. He  did  not  think  plaster  would  be  applied 
with  advantage  on  lands  near  the  seacoast.  It 
may  do  better  at  a  distance  from  the  sea  breezes, 
where  the  cattle  need  saline  matter.  But  the  Shak- 
ers at  Canterbury,  say  that  plaster  has  no  effect 
on  their  land.  If  any  one  was  disposed  to  use  it 
he  would  advise  the  trial  of  a 'small  quantity  at 
first,  as  he  considered  its  use  of  very  doubtful  ex- 
pediency. We  read  that  lime  is  an  excellent  arti- 
cle ;  he  had  heard  of  an  instance  where  a  man 
bought  200  casks,  which  he  put  into  his  barn-yard 
and  his  hog-pens,  and  the  result  was,  it  smelt 
very  strong,  which  led  him  to  anticipate  great  ben- 
efit from  its  use  ;  but  he  was  in  error,  for  the  val- 
uable qualities  were  passing  off,  and  he  probably 
lost  all  his  lime,  and  all  his  manure.  These  mis- 
takes are  continual;  and  we  shall  notget  right  till 


196 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


April 


we  have  some  farm  where  experiments  can  be  without  other  manures  it  loses  its  efficacy,  and  it 
tried,  which  people  can  visit  and  ascertain  the  re-jbecomes  necessary  to  apply  animal  or  vegetable 
suits.     Individuals  cannot  do  this  work.  |manures. 

Mr.  Emersox,  of  Boston,  inquired  the  effect  of  Mr.  Faulkxer  said  he  found  the  use  of  plaster 
plaster  on  pasture  lands  covered  with  moss.  jto  produce  the  same  effect  from  year  to  year.     In 

Col.  Faulkner  replied  that  on  a  pasture  more  jFramingham  he  liad  known  it  to  be  applied  for 
than  a  hundred  years  old,  covered  on  the  north  fifty  and  seventy  years  with  good  effect.  He  said 
side  and  on  the  top  of  the  Indian  hills  with  white  |  he  had  commenced  using  oyster  shells  upon  hia 
moss,  he  had  applied  plaster  and  brought  the  land  j land,  grinding  them  somewhat  coarse.  lie  applied 
into  clover  the  second  year.  It  also  eradicated  j  them  to  cabbages  with  excellent  effect,  putting 
the  red,moss  on  the  low  lands,  and  the  hardback  ^  half  a  gill  around  each  plant.  He  also  found  it  a 
was  also  gone,  which  he  attributed  to  the  action  ■  complete  protection  against  bugs  on  his  squash 
of  the  plaster.  ;and  cucumber  vines. 

Mr.  Walker  said  the  effects  of  plaster  could  Mr.  Emerson,  of  Boston,  offered  some  remarks 
not  always  be  seen  the  first  year.  lie  had  used  it  in  relation  to  preserving  the  gases  of  manure,  and 
three  successive  years  on  a  piece  of  land,  and  did  at  the  same  time  protecting  cattle  from  breathing 
not  perceive  any  considerable  result  from  it  until  its   noxious   exhalations,  and  hay  from  becoming 


the  third  year. 

Rev.  Mr.  Tra5k,  of  Fitchburg  said  that  plaster,  if 
applied  under  the  earth,  would  in  his  opinion,  be 
of  great  benefit.  He  had  tried  it  on  land  some- 
60  or  70  miles  from  theseacost  with  good  success, 
particularly  on  potato  crops,  and  believed  that  it 
might  be  applied  with  success  near  the  seaboard, 
if  we  could  only  obtain  the  rationale  of  the  matter, 
80  as  to  use  it  intelligently. 

Mr.  Brooks,  of  Princeton,  made  some  remarks  in 
relation  to  guano.  He  said  he  did  not  think  that 
farmers  generally  could  afford  to  purchase  foreign 
manures,  but  should  get  a  full  supply  from  their 
own  farms.  lie  did  not  believe  that  farm  manures 
would  cost  the  farmer  so  much  as  guano.  He 
thought  that  25  per  cent,  of  the  products  of  a  farm 
could  be  sold,  and  then  leave  sufficient  to  keep  it 
in  a  fertile  condition.  He  made  all  his  own  ma- 
nure, and  kept  a  year's  supply  always  on  hand.  If 
a  man  sells  all  his  crop  he  must  buy  manure.  It 
will  pay  in  extensive  farming  near  cities,  but  not 
in  extensive  farming  a*ay  from  them.  The  gen- 
tleman considered  the  criterion  in  using  plaster  to 
be,  whether  the  land  will  produce  clover.  He 
applied  about  100  pounds  to  the  acre.  Mr.  Brooks 
related  a  course  he  had  pursued  with  green  ma- 
nure in  raising  cabbages.  He  took  4  bushels  of 
green  cow  offiil,  4  bushels  peat  muck  that  had  laid 
a  year,  one  bushel  of  ashes,  one  bushel  of  hen  ma- 
nure, and  half  a  bushel  of  plaster.     He  put  it  on 


scented  by  them.  He  detailed  a  plan,  to  dig  a  pit 
under  the  back  side  of  the  barn,  into  which  to 
throw  the  manure,  the  pit  being  made  and  kept 
tight,  with  a  pipe  or  box  leading  to  the  ridgepole 
of  the  barn  to  convey  off  such  gases  as  must  find 
vent. 

The  meeting  adjourned  at  half-past  9  o'clock. 


AGRICULTURAL  BOOKS. 

Below  we  give  a  list  of  agricultural  books  pub- 
lished by  C.  M.  Saxton,  N.  Y.  These  are  only  a 
small  portion  of  the  excellent  woi'ks  issued  by 
that  enterprising  publisher.  They  are  the  expo- 
nents of  other  men's  minds,  and  embody  the  ex- 
periments and  practices  of  persons  distinguished 
alike  for  their  knowledge  and  successful  operations 
in  the  matters  of  which  they  treat.  We  recom- 
mend one  or  all  these  books  to  every  farmer  in  the 
land.     All  farmer's  clubs  should  have  them. 

PRICE. 

The  Conii)lete  Farmer  and  Gardener $1,25 

Johnston's  Agricultural  Chemistry 1,25 

The  Progressive  Farmer,  by  Piof.  Nash 50 

The  American  Muck  Book 1,00 

Rural  Architecture 1,25 

The  Young  Gardener's  Assistant 1,50 

Fruits  and  Fruit  Trees  of  America 1,25 

Rogers'  Scientific  Agriculture 75 

Farmer's  Companion,  a  most  excellent  work  by 

Judge  Buel 73 


ALLEN  ON  THE  GRAPE  VINE. 

The  inquiry  was    made  of  us   the   other  day, 
'Where  can  a  good  treatise  on  the  grape  vine  be 


800  plants  and  raised  800  heads  of  fine  Savoy  cab- 1  found  ?"     We  find  on  our  table   this  morning,  a 


bages  weighing  3  to  8  lbs.  each.  It  operated  exceed- 
ingly well.  ♦ 

Mr.  Collamore,  of  Pembroke,  had  seen  plaster 
applied  with  effect,  and  thought  more  depended 
on  the  soil  than  on  the  location.  In  Plymouth 
county  no  effect  is  seen  from  its  use  except  on  po- 
tatoes. Farmers  there  think  it  does  not  pay  to 
apply  plaster  to  their  lands. 

Mr.  Smith,  of  Hadley,  said  he  had  used  plaster 
for  a  great  many  years.  Applying  100  lbs.  to  the 
acre  for  a  few  years  he  found  to  produce  a  sensible 
effect,  but  when  continued  for  a  series   of  years 


beautifully  printed  work  with  the  following  title  : 
"A  practical  treatise  on  the  culture  and  treatment 
of  the  Grape  Vine,  embracing  its  history,  with  di- 
rections for  its  treatment,  in  the  United  States  of 
America,  in  the  open  air,  and  under  glass  struc- 
tures, with  and  without  artificial  heat.  By  J. 
FisK  Allen.  C.  M.  Saxton,  Agricultural  Book 
Publisher,  1853.  Third  edition— enlarged  and  re- 
vised." This  is  just  the  book  wliich  every  person 
needs  who  wishes  to  attend  to  the  cultivation  of 
grapes.  Beside  this,  it  is  a  comfort  to  read  Mr. 
Saxton's  books,  because  they   are  printed  in  the 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


197 


right  form,  and  have  Buch  large  and  clear  type. 
It  is  also  handsomely  illustrated,, and  has  a  good 
index ! 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
CONCORD  FARMERS'  CLUB. 

At  the  meeting  on  the  evening  of  Feb.  24tli, 
the  subject  for  discussion  was  farming  implements. 
Simon  Brown,  Esq.,  gave  a  very  interesting  his- 
torical sketch  of  the  origin. of  the  plow,  and  of  the 
gradual  improvement  in  the  mechanism  and  con- 
struction, from  the  earliest  plow  used  on  the  banks 
of  the  Nile,  down  to  the  beautiful  and  polished  in- 
struments in  use  at  the  present  d:iy.  This  sketch 
was  illustrated  by  10  plates,  drawn  for  the  purpose, 
exhibiting  the  forms  of  various  Egyptian,  Grecian, 
Roman,  Italian,  Saxon  and  American  plows.  The 
first  was  a  simple  crotched  stick  bound  by  wil- 
low thongs  to  a  rough  beam.  There  were  plows 
with  coulters  and  without  them — with  mould- 
boards  and  without  them,  with  wheels  and  with- 
out them.  His  remarks  upon  the  progress  of  me- 
chanical skill  manifested  in  their  structure,  and 
upon  their  capacity  to  answer  the  purpose  for 
which  the  plow  is  designed,  were  instructive  as 
well  as  entertaining,  and  indicated  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  whole  subject.  There  was  mat- 
ter enough  in  a  condensed  form,  in  the  remarks 
which  he  made,  to  make  a  most  interesting  lec- 
ture of  an  hour  long.  And  the  wish  has  been  ex- 
pressed by  more  than  one  meml)er  of  the  club, 
that  he  would  expand  his  material  into  a  lecture 
for  the  benefit  not  only  of  the  Concord  Farmers' 
Club,  but  of  all  other  agricultural  associations, 
that  may  be  so  fortunate  as  to  secure  his  services. 
J.  Reynolds,  M.  D.,  Sec. 


For  the  Neir  England  Farmer. 
BONE  WENS. 

Mr.  Editor  : — I  wish  to  inquire  through  your 
paper  if  there  is  any  cure  for  the  bone  wen,  so 
called,  that  grows  on  the  under  jaw  of  cattle.  I 
had  to  nearly  sacrifice  a  valuable  heifer  last  fall 
in  consequence  of  one  of  them,  and  one  of  my 
neighbors  now  has  a  cow  which  he  will  probably 
have  to  lose.  If  any  of  the  readers  of  the  Farmer 
know  of  a  remedy  that  they  have  tried  and  found 
to  be  effectual,  they  will  confer  a  great  favor  by 
making  it  known,  as  it  may  be  the  means  of 
saving  many  a  valuable  animal.  j.  a.  s. 

Colebrook,  Ct.,  1853. 

Cooked  Food  for  Cows.— Mr.  James  S.  Hubert 
lately  stated  before  the  Philadelphia  County  Far- 
mer's Club  that  he  had  proved  by  actual  experi- 
ment in  feeding  12  cows  180 days  upon  cooked  food, 
that  he  made  a  net  gain  of  $32.  In  place  of  20 
lbs.  of  hay  per  day,  formerly  fed  raw,  he  now 
feeds  12  lbs.  cut  and  steamed.  With  this  he  mix- 
es 4  1-2  quarts  of  shipstuff,  Indian  corn  meal  and 
oil  cake  meal,  in  about  equal  portions.  This  with 
the  hay,  weighs  about  46  lbs.  when  cooked,  hav- 
ing gained  21  lbs.  by  that  process.  He  says  it  is 
not  only  more  economical,  but  more  palatable  to 
the  cattle  ;  they  eat  without  waste  and  keep  in 
better  condition.  His  steaming  apparatus  cost 
$25,  which  he  more  than  saved  in  six  months 
feeding.  He  considers  however,  the  greatest  gain 
is  in  the  health  of  the  animals. — N.  Y.  AgricuUor. 


Cables'  ^Department. 

HOW  TO  TOAST  BREAD. 

Chesnut  brown  will  be  far  too  deep  a  color  for 
good  toast ;  the  nearer  you  can  k^p  it  to  a  straw- 
color,  the  more  wholesome  it  will  be.  If  you  would 
have  a  slice  of  bread  so  toasted  as  to  be  pleasant 
to  the  palate  and  wholesome  to  the  stomach,  nev- 
er let  one  particle  of  the  surface  be  charred.  To 
effect  this  is  very  obvious.  It  consists  in  keeping 
the  bread  at  the  proper  distance  from  the  fire,  and 
exposing  it  to  a  proper  heat  for  a  due  length  of  time. 
By  this  means  the  whole  of  the  water  may  be  evap- 
orated out  of  it,  and  it  may  be  changed  from  dough, 
which  has  always  a  tendency  to  undergo  acetous 
fermentation,  whether  in  the  stomach  or  out  of  it, 
to  the  pure  farina  wheat,  which  is  in  itself  one  of 
the  most  wholesome  species  of  food,  not  only  for 
the  strong  and  healthy,  but  for  the  delicate  and 
diseased.  As  it  is  turned  to  farina,  it  is  disinteg- 
rated, the  tough  and  gluey  nature  is  gone,  every 
part  can  be  penetrated,  it  is  equally  warm  all  over, 
and  not  so  hot  as  turn  the  butter  into  oil,  which, 
even  in  the  case  of  the  best  butter,  is  invariably 
turning  a  wholesome  substance  into  a  poison. 
The  properly  toasted  slice  of  bread  absorbs  the  but- 
ter and  farina  are  in  a  state  of  very  minute  divis- 
ion, the  one  serving  to  expose  the  other  to  the  free 
action  of  the  gastric  fluid  in  the  stomach  ;  so  that 
when  a  slice  of  toast  is  rightly  prepared,  there  is 
not  a  lighter  article  in  the  whole  vocabulary  of 
cookery. — Household  Almanac  for  1853. 


Female  Women. — We  respect,  admire  and  love 
a  female  woman.  We  admire  her  in  the  beauty 
of  her  person,  her  moral  presence  and  position  ; 
we  respect  her  simple  truthfulness  and  innocence, 
and  we  love  her  as  the  embodiment  of  the  highest 
charms  and  sweetest  attributes  of  humanity.  But 
a  male  woman,  who  can  bear  !  We  cannot  read 
of  monster  meetings,  in  which  women  perform  the 
leading  parts  ;  of  lectures  on  the  subject  of  mar- 
riage, to  promiscuous  audiences  by  female  tongues, 
and  of  the  perambulating  female  spouters  who  go 
about  the  country,  without  an  involuntary  emotion 
of  disgust.  Many  of  these  women  are  mothers, 
who  have  families  of  tender  age  at  home,  and  hus- 
bands who  should  have  tender  heads.  Home  du- 
ties forsaken,  and  the  misguided  mistresses  go 
about  teaching  other  people  iheir  duties  !  What 
comfortable  wives  they  must  be  !  What  kind  and 
assiduous  mothers !  How  thoy  must  hallow  a 
home  that  is  too  small  to  hold  them  !  Gods  of 
War  !  W^e  would  as  soon  live  witli  a  hyena  or  a 
steam  engine.  Don't  come  this  way,  we  beg  of 
you. — Springfield  Republican. 


Bog's  Department. 


HOW  TO  MAKE  CRAYONS. 

Every  school-room  has,  or  should  have,  black- 
boards. On  these,  chalk  is  almost  universally  em- 
ployed. There  are  many  objections  to  the  use 
of  chalk,  not  the  least  of  which  is,  that  after  a 
problem  is  performed,  the  finger  and  clothing  pre- 
sene  a  dirli/  white  appearance.  Crayons  are  far 
preferable.  Could  they  be  generally  emploj-ed, 
it  would  be  a  favor  done  to  some  dehcate   hands. 


198 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


April 


to  say  nothing  of  a  large  amount  of  wearing  ap- 
parel. 

White  crayons  may  be  made  of  Paris  white,  or 
Spanish  white,  which  arc  nearly  the  same,  and 
wheat  flour  andjvater.  The  correct  proportions 
are  five  pounds  of  Paris  white,  one  pound  of  flour, 
and  sufficient  water  to  make  a  dough  of  these  ma- 
terials, hard  enough  not  to  crumble,  and  soft 
enough  to  roll.  Little  balls  of  this  are  then  rolled 
out  into  cylinders  about  the  size  of  a  pipe-stem, 
and  laid  away  in  a  warm  place,  or  in  the  sun,  to 
dry ;  the  drying  will  generally  require  from  twelve 
to  twenty-four  hours. 

The  process  of  rolling  may  be  performed  upon 
a  table,  or  any  flat  board.  This  process  will  be 
expedited  somewhat,  and  the  crayons  be  of  a  more 
equal  size,  if  a  rolling-board  be  employed  ;  which 
is  simply  a  strip  of  board,  say  a  foot  in  length,  and 
eight  or  ten  inches  in  width,  with  a  handle  on  the 
top,  and  with  the  edges  upraised  about  a  third  of 
an  inch  in  thickness  on  the  side  of  the  lower  sur- 
face, on  which  it  may  slide  back  and  forth,  as  the 
crayons  are  rolled.  With  an  apparatus  simple  as 
this,  crayons  may  be  made  with  great  rapidity  and 
cheapness.  Every  school  contains  some  lad  pos- 
sessing skill  enough  to  manufacture  them  with 
ease.  The  expense  is  trifling,  scarcely  greater 
than  that  of  chalk,  while  it  is  far  superior.— Mas- 
sachusetts  Teacher. 

Save  tour  Earnings. — The  practice  which  ap- 
prentices, clerks,  and  others,  have  of  spending 
their  earnings  as  fast  as  they  accumulate,  isone 
great  reason  why  so  many  never  attain  a  position 
above  mediocrity  in  life.  A  person  who  receives 
but  a  small  compensation  for  his  services,  will 
with  a  little  care  over  his  exchequer,  and  a  sys- 
tem of  regularity  in  his  expenditures,  find  that  at 
the  end  of  the  year  he  is  prepared  to  encounter 
any  emergency  or  mishap.  But,  as  a  general 
thing,  they  manage  to  get  rid  of  their  earnings 
quite  as  quick  as  they  are  due,  thus  leaving  them 
wholly  unprepared  for  emergencies,  by  sickness 
or  otherwise.  A  system  of  curtailing  unnecessa- 
ry expenses,  if  adopted  by  our  younger  folks, 
would  bring  around  the  most  happy_  and  gratify- 
ing results,  and  be  the  means  of  raising  to  emi- 
nence and  standing  in  society,  many  who  now 
have  contracted  the  halat  of  parting  with  their 
earnings  so  readily  and  foolishly — for  the  habit  of 
keeping  continually  in  debt,  begets  indiSerence 
and  dissipation,  a  lack  of  self-respect,  and  an  ut- 
ter disregard  for  future  prospects.  The  real  cause 
for  a  great  deal  of  crime  may  be  traced  to  the 
habit  of  a  foolish  expenditure  of  money  in  early 
days. — Albany  Transcript. 


Farm  to  be  Let. 


That  well  known  farm   in   the  southerly  part 
of  West  Cambridge,  called   the  "Perry  Farm.* 
It  consists  of  nliout  100  acres,  divided   into  or- 
charding, tillage  and  pasture,  and  is  at  present 
_  cultivated  «s  a  milk  and  fruit  farm.     The  build- 
ings, &.C-,  lire  sufficient  and  in  good  order. 

For  terms  and  particulars,  please  apply  to  WM.  MAPLES- 
DEN,  on  the  premises. 
Feb.  26.  tf* 


Boiuicl  Volumes. 


BACK  VOLUMES  ol  ,he  NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER,  ele- 
gantly bound  in  Muslin,  Gilt  and  Embossed,  are  now  foi 
sale  at  this  office. 


^hjcrtistng  Department. 


lO"  A  limited  number  of  advertisements  of  an  appropriate 
character  will  be  inserted  in  the  monthly  Farmer  at  the  fol- 
lowing 

RATES. 

For  one  square  of  15  lines,  one  insertion §1,00 

For  each  subsequent  insertion 50 

O"  The  above  rates  will  be  charged  for  all  advertisements, 
whether  longer  or  shorter. 


A.  L.  Biugliiim's  Third  Annual 
Slieep  Shearing  Festival. 

THE  undersigned  gives  noiire  ihat  he  will  huld  his  Third  An- 
nual Sheep  Shearing  Fesiivifl,  at  the  well  ki  own  resort 
of  James  K.  Hyde,  in  Sudbury,  Rutland  County,  Vermont,  on 
the  first  and  second  days  of  .lune  next,  commencing  at  ten 
o'clock  A.  M.  He  proposes  to  shear  publicly,  from  fifty  to 
one  hundred  French  Merino  Ewes,  with  a  view  to  enable  all 
interested  in  this  branch  of  production,  to  see  and  judge  for 
themselves  of  the  weight  and  vitlue  of  these  sheep  as  com- 
pared with  others.  All  wool  growers,  and  manufacturers  are 
respectfully  invited  to  attend.  Several  very  superior  Bucks 
and  Ewes,  of  the  best  French  importations  and  stock,  will  be 
on  exhibition  and  for  sale.  A  number  of  gentlemen  largely 
interested  in  the  celebrateil  Black  Hawk  and  other  Morgan 
Horses,  have  signified  their  intention  to  avail  themselves  of 
the  occasion  to  exhibit  a  splendid  collection  of  the  l)est  horses 
in  Vermont.  A.  L.  BINGHAM. 

West  Cornwall,  Vt.,  April  1,  1853. 


Garden  Seeds. 


WE  respectfully  solicit  the  attention  of  purchasers  of  GAR- 
DEN SEEDS  to  our  extensive  stock,  which  vi&  offer  for 
sale.  We  have  all  the  sorts  of  Vegetable  Seeds  that  have 
proved  worthy  of  cultivation;  also,  Grain,  Grass  and  Flower 
Seeds.  All  the  varieties  are  raised  and  selected  expressly  for 
our  trade,  and  we  do  with  confidence  recommend  them  to  all 
who  desire  to  procure  seeds  that  will  prove  true  to  their  names. 
O"  Catalogues  gratis,  on  application. 

RUGGLES,  NOIIRSE,  MASON  &  CO., 
Jan.  1.  Over  Quincy  Market,  Boston. 


Clover  and  Grass  Seeds. 

lyrORTHERN  Herds  Grass. 
ll  Western  Herds  Grass. 

Northern  and  Southern  Red  Top. 

Northern,  Western  and  Southern  Red  Clover. 

White  Dutch  Clover. 

Orchard  Grass. 

Kentucky  Blue  Grass. 

Fowl  Meadow  Grass,  &c.  &c. 
All  of  the  growth  of  1852,  and  of  best  quality.     For  sale  by 
RUGGLES,  NOURSb,  MASON  &  CO., 
March  26,  1853.  tf  Over  (iuincy  Market,  Boston. 


Bridgewater  IVurseries. 

The  subscriber  offers  for  sale,  cheap  for  cash, 
a   large   assoriment   of  Fruit   and   Ornamental 
Trees,  Shrubs,  Roses,  Herbaceoun  and  Green- 
house Plants,  Currants,- Quince,   Strawberries, 
Gooseberries,   Raspberries,   Grape   Vines,   Bul- 
bous Roots,  and   Hedse  Plants.     Everything  in 
the  nursery  line  will  be  supplied  upon  short  notice.     All  or- 
ders promptly  executed,  EBENEZER  GAY. 
Biidgewater,  March  26,  1853.  3w*^ 

Hens,  Turkeys  and  Geese. 

The  subscriber  offers  for  sale  a  few  pairs 
of  the  following  choice  breeds  of  poultry. 
White  and  Buff  Shanghaes,  Geld  and  Sil- 
ver Spangled  Polands,   Bolton  Gray   and 
[j^\    _  ,^.     Black  Si)anish-,  also,  Virginia  Turkeys,  and 
.-.,»*=sjg^^^/""    Bremen   Geese      These   fowls  are   of  the 
purest  blood,  most  of  thern  being  bred   from   stock  recently 
imported,  and  very  handsome.     They  will  be  sold  low  if  ao 


plied  for  soon. 
Feb.  19, 1853 


For  further  particulars,  address  post-paid, 
H   H.  LITTLE,  East  Marshtleld. 


Wanted, 


A  SUITABLE  MAN  AND  WIFE  to  Superintend  the  affairs 
of  the  Poor  Farm,  in  the  town  of  Concord. 
Apply  to  the  Overseers. 
March  26,  1853. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


199 


AGRICULTURAL 

WAREHOUSE  AND  SEED  STORE, 

QUINCY  HALL,  OFER  THE  MARKET,  BOSTON. 

THE  Proprietors  having  recently  enlarged  their  Warehouse, 
and  increased  their  works  at  Worcester,  would  respect- 
fully invite  the  attention  of  Planters  and  Dealers  in  AGRI- 
CULTURAL i  HORTICULTURAL  IMPLEMENTS,  GAR- 
DEN and  FIELD  SEEDS,  &c.,  to  their  stock,  coinprisuig  the 
largest  and  best  assortment  to  be  found  in  the  United  Stales, 
which  are  offered  at  low  prices. 

Of  PLOUGHS — we  have  the  greatest  variety  of  kiuda  and 
sizes. 

Improved  Sod  Ploughs,  for  flat  furrows — improved  Scotch 
Ploughs  for  lapped  furrows — improved  Stubble  Ploughs,  which 
are  especially  adapted  to  deep  tillage,  or  varying  from  6  lo  12 
inches  in  depth. 

Self-sharpening,  Hill  Side,  Sub-soil,  Double  Mould,  Corn, 
Cotton  and  Rice  Ploughs. 

Cylinder  Hay  Cutters,  Smith's  Patent  Lever  Gate,  and  oth- 
ers. Patent  Corn  Shellers,  with  and  without  Separators. 
Seed  Sowers,  of  various  sizes  and  prices.  Batchelder's  patent 
Corn  Planter,  improved.  Fanning  Mills  of  various  sizes. 
Horse  Powers,  Threshing  Machines,  thermometer  Churns, 
Robbins'  patent  Centrifugal  Churn,  Cylinder  Churn,  Dash 
Churn,  Corn  Planters,  together  with  almost  every  article 
wanted  on  the  Plantation,  Farm  or  Garden. 

Illustrated  Catalogues  sent  gratis  on  application,  post  paid 
RUGGLES,  NOURSE,  MASON  &  CO. 

Boston  and  Worcester,  Mass.,  Jan.  1,  1853  tf 


Highland  IViirseries,  Newbiirgli, 

NEW  YORK. 

A.  SAUL  &  CO.,  in  inviting  the  attention  of 
their  patrons  and  the  public  in  general,  to  their 
very  e.vlensive  collection  of  FRUIT  AND  OR- 
NAMENTAL TREES,  SHRUBS,  ^c.  ffC, 
would  respectfully  inform  them  that  the  stock 
which  they  offer  (or  sale  the  coming  spring  is  un- 
usually line,  both  as  regards  quality  of  trees,  variety  of  kinds, 
&c.,  &.C. 

The  soil  and  climate  of  our  Hudson  Highlands  have  ren- 
dered proverbial  the  success  of  the  trees  sent  from  here  to 
all  pirts  of  the  union,  and  the  accuracy  and  precision  go  in- 
dispensable in  the  propagation  of  fruit  trees,  for  which  this 
establishment  has  long  been  celebrated,  render  errors  in  no- 
menclature of  rare  occurrence. 

They  have  propagated  in  large  quantities,  all  the  leading 
siandard  varieties,  which  are  proved  best  adapted  for  general 
cultivation,  especially  those  recommended  by  the  American 
Pomological  Society;  as  well  as  nove/ties  of  both  native  and 
foreign  origin. 

To  particularize  within  the  limits  of  an  advertisement  would 
be  impossible;  they  refer  to  their  general  catalogue,  a  copy  of 
which  will  be  sent  to  all  post-paid  applicants,  on  enclosing  a 
post  office  stamp. 

The  following  comprises  a  portion  of  their  slock,  and  are 
all  of  fine  growth,  viz: 

Pears  in  over  40C  varieties,  both  standards  on  their  own 
stock  for  orchard  culture,  and  on  the  Quince  for  Dwarfs,  Pyr- 
amids, and  Quenoucle,  for  garden  culture. 

Apples  ill  over  300  varieties,  both  standards  and  dwarfs; 
also,  Cherries,  both  standards  and  dwarfs;  Plum,  Apricot, 
Peach  Nectarines  and  Quince  trees  in  every  variety. 

Grape  Vines,  (both  native  wnd  foreign,  for  vineries;)  also. 
Gooseberries  (.50  best  Lancashire  varieties  ) 

Currants,  Raspberry  and  Gooseberry  plants  of  all  leading 
and  known  kinds,  together  with  Seakale,  Asparagus  and  Rhu- 
barb roots. 

Ornamental  Trees,  Shrubs  and  Vines,  both  deciduous  and 
evergreen,  suitable  for  street  and  lawn  planting,  embracing 
all  the  new  and  rare  Conifers,  Weeping  Trees  and  Shrubs  of 
recent  introduction. 

Roses  in  every  variety,  including  Hybria  perpetual,  Hybrid 
Bourbon,  Hybrid  Chin.a,  Hybrid  Uamask,  Prairie,  Boursalt, 
Ayrshire,  and  other  hardy  climbing  and  garden  varieties,  as 
well  as  the  more  tender.  Tea,  China,  Bengal,  Bourbon,  and 
Noisette  varieties. 

Herbaceous  plants,  a  large  collection  of  Pasonies.  Phlokes 
Companuls,  Penstemon,  Oi;nothera,  &c  ,  <fcc. 

Dhaliis  and  bedding  plants  for  the  parterre  and  flower  gar- 
den, in  large  quantities  and  variety. 

Hedge  Plan's,  1(0,000  Buckthorn  and  Osage  Orange  Plants, 
two  years  growth.  Arbor  Vila;  for  screens,  &c.,  &c. 

Dealers  and  planters  of  trees  on  a  large  scale  will  be  dealt 
with  on  the  most  liberal  teims. 

Newburgh,  Feb.  26,  (8.53.  2m 


Grafting  Wax, 


A  FIRST-RATE  ARTICLE,  made  by  an  experienced  Fruit 
Grower,  for  sale  by 

RUGGLES,  NOURSE,  MASON  &  CO. 
March  26,  1S53.  tf         Over  Quincy  Market,  Boston. 


Valuable  Potatoes  for  Sale. 

THE  subscriber  offers  the  following  valuable  potaloes  for 
sale.  A  particular  description  of  some  of  them  will  be 
found  in  the  last  volume  of  Transactions  of  the  N.  V.  State 
Agricultural  Society  for  1851.  This  society  awarded  him  a 
special  premium  at  the  State  Fair  at  Ulica,  and  also  voted 
him  $100  at  their  meeting  at  Albany  during  the  present 
month,  as  encouragement  in  these  experiments. 

No.  1.  Rough  Purple  Chili,  imported  in  April,  1851,  at  a 
great  e.xpense.  For  yield,  hardiness,  and  table  quality  it  has 
no  equal.  Price  $10,0H  per  bushel.  This  potato  yielded  me 
last  year,  ninety-two  from  one  by  measure;  while  to  Mr.  Del- 
afleld,  of  Geneva,  it  yielded  one  hundred  and  twelve  from  one 
by  Weigh  i- 

No.  2.  Seedlings  originated  in  1849.  They  are  hardy,  pro- 
ductive and  good  for  table  use.  Price  $7,t0  per  barrel,  or 
$3,00  per  bushel.  Many  of  these  have  been  tested  this  year 
under  the  eje  of  the  State  Society,  and  yielded  from  twenty 
to  sixty-four  from  one,  by  weight. 

No.  3.  Seedlings  of  1852.  These  consist  of  many  choice 
kinds  selected  from  4i:00  varieties,  and  consisting  of  eleven  dif- 
ferent families.  They  were  selected  with  especial  reference 
to  hardiness,  fine  flesh,  yield  and  mode  of  growth  in  the  hill. 
They  afford  a  basis  for  the  entire  renewal  of  the  potato  crop 
in  our  country.     Price  $10,(i0  per  bushel. 

No.  4.  Potato  Sted  from  tke  seed-ball.  These  seeds  con- 
sists of  two  kinds,- that  produced  by  No.  1,  and  the  choice 
sort  in  No.  2,  above,— and  are  the  same  that  produced  the 
seedlings  of  18S3, — No.  3,  above.  As  they  have  thus  been 
tested  so  they  are  warranted  to  produce  a  large  proportion  of 
hardy,  productive  and  shapely  tubers. 

Price  $1,0U  per  paper,  the  paper  to  contain  more  than  1000 
seeds,  to  be  sent  to  the  purchaser  by  mail,  post  paid,  and  ac- 
companied with  direciioiis  forcultiv.  tion. 

Each  luircel  of  tubers  ordered,  will  be  put  up  with  cases, 
the  different  sorts  kept  separate,  and  the  whole  forwarded  to 
the  directions  of  the  purchaser  by  express,  railroad,  canal,  or 
as  otherwise  directed,  as  soon  as  the  weather  will  admit,  and 
at  the  expense  and  risk  of  the  purchaser. 

0=  Purchasers  are  advised  to  take  No.  1  and  2,  for  immedi 
ate  field  crops,  and  No.  3,  as  a  source  of  new  and  valuable 
sorts. 

O"  Persons  passing  through  Utica,  are  requested  to  call 
and  see  specimens  at  the  store  of  WM.  BRISTOL  <fe  CO.,  108 
Genesee  Street,  or  at  the  residence  of  the  subscriber  near  the 
Insane  Asylum. 

5^^  All  orders  answered  only  for  cash. 
References:  — 

The  otiicersof  the  N.  Y.  State  Agricultural  Society. 

B   P.  .lohnson,  Cor.  Secr'y  of  do.,  Albany,  N.  Y. 

Hon.  I.  Delafield,  Geneva,  N.  Y. 

I.  P.  Fogg,  Agricultural  Ware  House,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

Wm.  Bristol  ■Si.  Co.,  Druggists,  Utica,  N.  Y. 

Charles  Tracy,  Esq.,  New  York  City. 

C.  L.  Whiting.  Granville,  Ohio. 

C.  E.  GOODRICH. 
Utica,  N.  Y..  March  I.  2m 


Sale  of  Short  Horned  Cattle. 

I  will  sell  by  auction,  at  my  residence, 
on  WEDNESDAY,  Bih  .June  next,  at  1 
o'clock  P.  M  ,  about  thirty  thorough  bred 
Short  Horned  Cattle.  About  twenty  of 
them  are  Cows  and  Heifers,  the  remain- 
der young  Bulls.  Nearly  every  animal 
are  the  produce  of  the  Imported  Bull  "York  Shire.man"  and 
3d  "Duke  of  Cambridge,"  bred  by  the  late  Thomas  Bates, 
Esq.,  of  Kirkleaviiigion,  England,  and  "E.4RL  op  Seaiiam" 
and  "Van  Tempest,"  bred  by  .John  Stephenson,  Esq.,  of  Dur- 
ham, England   and  are  of  his  famous  Princes  family. 

The  upset  prices  of  these  animals  will  be  from  $150  to  $300, 
as  to  age,  A:c.,  ic. 

I  will  also  offer  the  above  named  Imported  Bull,  "Van  Tem- 
pest,"— his  upset  price  is  $1000. 

Terms  -Cash,  on  satisfactory  notes  at  three  months,  pay- 
able at  the  Bank  of  Auburn,  with  interest. 

I  will  also  have  for  sale   at  that  time   a  few  South  Down 
Rams  and  Suffcdk  Pigs. 

Catalogues  will  be  ready  about  15th  March  next,  and  will 
be  found  with 
A.  B.  Allen,  Esq.,  69  Water  Street,  New  York. 
Sanford  Howard,  Esq.,  Cultivator  office,  Boston. 
Luther  Tucker,  Esq.,  and  B.  P.  Johnson,  Esq.,  Albany. 
L.  F.  Allen,  Esq.,  Black  Rock. 
M.  B.  Btteham,  Esq.,  Columbus,  Ohio. 
W.  T.  Dennis,  Esq.,  Richmond,  Indiana,  and  with  the  sub- 
scriber. J.  M.  SHERWOOD. 
Auburn,  N.  Y..  March  12,  1853.  *2 


Scions, 


SUPPLIED  in  large  or  small  quantities,  by 
JAMES  HYDE  <fe  SON. 

N.  B. — Orders  should  be  sent  as  early  as  possible. 
Newton  Centre,  Mass.,  Feb.  19,  1853.  5w*2 


200 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


April 


CONTENTS  OF  THIS  NUMBER. 

Calendar  for  April Page  153 

A  New  Mixture — Farmer  for  March 154 

Gumo— Music  of  the  Cora  Sheller 155 

New  England  Housewives 156 

Rye— Millet— The  Churn 157 

Rural  Pleasures — American  Crab  Apple 158 

Southern  rSpriiig— Pious ^ l-S 

Shell  Lime — Celery — Extiacts  and  Replies 15S 

A  New  Grass ' 162 

Sixth  Legislative  Agricultural  Meeting 163 

Housing  and  Painting  Farm  Vehicles 164 

What  Manure  for  Swamp  Land  i 165 

Stowell's  Evergreen  Sweet  Corn 165 

Milk  Trade  ol  New  York 166 

Farmer's  Libraries 16V 

Roots  vs.  II  ay 168 

Potatoes— Interes'irig  Experiment 169 

Manures— Bits  of  Though  t 170 

Seventh  LegisUtive  Agricultural  Meeting 171 

Comparative  Merits  of  the  Tall  and  Late  and  the  Short 

and  Early  kinds  of  Corn 172 

Influence  of  Newspapers 17o 

Bones  for  Manure— The  Pictorial  Field  Book 174 

Treatise  on  Milch  Cows 175 

Dunging  in  the  Hill  -Agricultural  Premiums 176 

Pears  on  Thorn  Siocks 1^6 

Agricultural  Mass  Meeting 178 

Preserving  Apples — G raiting 1?2 

Rockingham  Co.,  N.  H.— Carrots  vs.  English  Hay 183 

Gleanings 184 

Ornamental  Trees 185 

A  Song  for  the  Million 186 

The  Farmer  with  Two  Ideas 187 

Eighth  LegisUtive  Agricultural  Meeting 188 

The  Pewee— Soot  for  Pfuits— Autumnal  Marrow  Squash..  190 

Stockhardt's  Field  Lectures 190 

Old  Pastures  and  Cr^nbe  ries— Corij  Culture 191 

Benefits  of  Associated  Etfojrt 193 

Ninth  Legislative  Agricultural  Meeting 194 

Agricultural  Books— .Mien  on  the  Grape  Vine 196 

Concord  Farmers'  Club -Bone  Wens 197 

Ladies'  Department 19' 

Boy's  Department 197 

ILLrSTRATiONS. 

Forcing  Vegetation 161 

Vicar  of  Winkfield  Pear H' 

Grafting  182 

Clark's  Excelsior  Churn 192 


Morgan  Stock  Horse  for  Sale. 

For  sale  by  the  subscriber,  a  Morgan 
Colt,  4  years  old  lust  May,  weight  1125 
lbs.,  the  best  model  of  his  Sire  (the  Green 
Mountain  Morgan  owned  by  Hale)  that 
could  be  found  in  New  England;  his  color 

and  action,  his  temper,  and  gait,  are  like 

the  old  horse  and  he  is  reputed  to  be  the  best  roadster  of  the 
whole  race  of  Morgans.  C.  W.  BELLOWS. 

Pepperell,  Mass.,  March  12,  1852.     On   Nashua   and  Wor 
cester  Railroad.  *tf  March  12. 


New  Garden  Seeds. 

EARLY  and  Late  Peas  of  htsrh  and  low  growth,  Dwarf  and 
Climbing  Beans,  Cauliflower,  Cabbage,  Lettuce,  Cucum- 
ber, Radish,  Squash,  Turnip,  and  other  sorts  of  Vegetable 
Seeds.  Flower  Seeds  in  great  variety.  Early  and  Late  Pota 
toea,  &c.,  for  sale  in  large  or  small  quantities  by 

RUGGLES,  NOURSE,  MASON  &  CO., 

Boston,  March  26,  1853. 


Over  Quincy  Market, 
tf 


Whale  Oil  Soap, 

I;iOR  SALE,  in  large  or  small  quantities,  by 
^  RUGGLES,  NOURSE,  MASON  &  CO., 

March  28,  1853.  tf  Over  Quincy  Market,  Boston. 


Spring  Seed  Grain. 


B 


LACK  Sea  Wheat, 
B  Id  Club  Wheat, 
Barley, 
Buckwheat, 
Millet, 
Spring  Rye, 


Dutton  Field  Corn, 
Whitman  Field  Corn, 
Canada  Field  Corn, 
Golden  Field  Corn, 
Sweet  Corn,  {for  fodder.) 
Oats,  &c.  <tc. 


For  sale  by        RUGGLES,  NOURSE,  MASON  &  CO., 


NEW  ENGLAND  EAEMEE 

Is  published  on  the  first  of  every  month,  by  Joh.v  Ravnolds 
and  Joel  Nourse,  at  (iuincy  Hall,  South  Market  St.,  Boston. 

SIMON  BROWN,  Editor. 

FREDERICK  HOLBROOK,  )  Associate 
HENRY  F.  FRENCH,  3   Editors. 

03=  Terms,  §1,00  jier  annum  in  advance. 

03'  All  subscriptions  to  commence  with  the  volume,  Jan.  1. 

The  F.4HMEB,  is  devoted  exclusively  to  Agriculture,  Hor- 
ticulture, and  tlieir  kindred  Arts  and  Sciences;  making  a  neat 
volume  of  576  octavo  pages,  enibeUi.shed  with  numerous  en- 
gravings. It  may  be  elegantly  bound  in  muslin,  embossed  and 
gilt,  at  2)  cts.  a  volume,  if  left  at  the  o.'Hce  of  publication. 

fjiy  Also  published  at  the  same  o:lice  every  Saturday,  on  a 
large  handsome  folio  sheet,  the 

NEW  ENGLAND  PARMITJR,   (WBEKIiT,) 

An  Independent  As:n'cultural  Family  Newspaper. 

The  News  and  Miscellaneous  departments  under  the  charge 
of  WILLIAM  SIMONDS,  will  include  a  full  and  careful  re- 
port of  the  news  of  the  Markets,  and  the  news  of  the  week, 
such  as  Domestic,  Foreign  and  Marine  Intelligence,  Congres- 
sional and  Legislative  proceedings.  Temperance  and  Religious 
Intelligence,  and  a  general  variety  of  Literary  and  Miscellane- 
ous matter,  adapted  to  family  reading,  con.prising  more  use- 
ful and  valuable  reading  matter  than  any  other  Agricultural 
Newspaper  published  in  New  England.  Everything  of  ahurt- 
ful  or  even  doubtful  tendency  will  be  carefully  excluded  from 
its  columns. 

[nr  Terms  $2,00  per  annum  in  advance. 

The  monthly  contains  nearly  the  same  matter  as  the  Agri- 
cultural department  of  the  weekly. 

[O"  Postmasters  and  others,  who  will  fi  rward  four  new 
subscribers  on  the  above  named  terms,  for  either  publication, 
shall  receive  a  fifth  copy  gratis  for  one  year. 

IJ3"  All  orders  and  letters  should  be  addressed, /(osZ-^aid, 

RAYNOLDS  &<  NOURSE, 

Qi'iNCY  Hall,  South  Market  Street,  Boston. 


0°  Postage. — The  postage  on  the  New  Eriglar.d  Farmer, 
monthly,  is  IJ  cents  per  quarter,  or  6  cents  per  year,  to  any 
part  of  the  United  States,  to  be  paid  in  advance  at  the  oflice 
where  the  same  is  received. 


Walnut  Grove  Iltirsery. 

The  subscribers  would  respectfully  inform  their 
friends  and  the  f  ublic,  that  they  have  on  hand 
an  unusually  large  stock  of  Apple,  Pear,  Plum, 
Cherry,  Peach,  and  other  Trees. 

Also,  Quinces,  Currants,  Raspberries,  Grape- 
vines, &c.,  &c. 
Ornamental  Trees,  and  Shrubs,  Buckthorn  Plants,  &c.  &c. 
Lot  of  Seedling  Horse  Chestnut,  two  years  old. 
Lot  of  European  Sycamore,  two  years  old. 
Good  plants  of  the  new  and  improved  high  bush  P.lackber- 
ry,  the  fruit  of  which  is  of  enormous  size. 

Fine  Apple  Trees,  three  to  five  years'  growth  from  bud,  sev- 
en to  nine  feet  high,  $25  per  hundred. 
Also,  a  fine  lot  of  Norway  Spruce,  good  size. 
We  devote  ourselves  solely  to  the  raising  of  trees;  they  re- 
ceive our  strict  personal  attention;  we  are  therefore  able  to 
warrant  every  article  true  to  name. 

Those  who  intend  purchasing  large  quantities  of  Apple 
Trees  are  respectfully  invited  to  call  before  purchasing,  and 
examine  our  stock,  as  it  is  large,  and  doubtless  unsurpassed 
by  any  in  the  vicinity. 
Trees  delivered  in  Boston  free  of  expense,  packed  if  desired. 
Catalogues  sent  to  post-paid  applicants.  All  orders  thank- 
fully received  and  promptly  executed. 

JAMES  HYDE  &  SON. 
Newton  Centre,  Mass.,  March  26,  1853.  8w*2 


Super-Phosphate  of  Lime, 

IN  bags  and  barrels,  made  by  C  B.  DeBURG,  a  warranted 
pure  and  genuine  article,  with  full  directions  for  use.  For 
sale  by  GEO.  DAVENPORT,  5  Commercial,  corner  of  Chat- 
ham St.,  Boston,  agent  for  the  manufacturer, 

Also,  for  sale,  Ground  Bone,  Bone  Dust,  Burnt  Bone,  Gua- 
no, and  Grass  Seeds  of  reliable  quality. 
March  26,  1853.  tf* 


Seed  PotJitoes, 


March  26,  1853. 


tf 


Over  Quincy  Market,  Boston. 


EARLY   AND  LATE  SORTS,  for  s.leby 
RUGGLES,  NOURi^E,  MASON  &   CO., 
March  26,  1852.  tf  Over  Quincy  Market,  Boston. 


DEVOTED  TO  AGRICULTURE  AND  ITS  KINDRED  ARTS  AND  SCIENCES. 


VOL.  V. 


BOSTON,  MAY,  1853. 


NO.  5. 


RAYNOLDS  &  NOUR?E,  PROriuETORS. 
Office.  ..  .Quixcv  Hail. 


FRED'K  HOLBROOK. 


SIMON  BROWN,  Editor.  ^^^^^^  p    FRENCH  J  ErnxoR 


CALENDAR  FOR  MAY 

Sweet  May — 

For  thee,  the  fragriint  zephyrs  blow, 
For  thee  descends  the  sunny  shower  ; 

The  rills  ii;  softer  )Murmursflow 
And  brighter  blossoms  gem  the  bower. 

So  sang  Darwin,  and  scarcely  a  poet  but  praises, 
or  describes,  or  alludes  to  the  beauties  of  this 
month.  He  sings  it  as  the  offspring  of  the  solar 
beams,  and  invites  it  to  approach  and  receive  the 
greetings  of  the  elemental  beings. 

The  year  awakes  from  her  winter  nap  in  April ; 
but  she  only  gets  half  awake,  and  does  not  seem 
to  feel  certain  wliether  it  ought  to  be  winter  or 
spring!  So  she  gives  us  a  touch  of  both  seasons 
— now  fierce  and  cold  winds,  and  then  balmy  airs  ; 
scowling  clouds  and  soft  sunshine  ;  now  hail  and 
snow,  then  soft,  pattering  rains,  washing  the  face 
of  the  fields,  and  bringing  out  a  bright  color  here 
and  there  in  her  new  dress. 

But  May  unfolds  unnumbered  charms.  She 
spreads  the  earth  with  green,  and  dots  it  with 
flowers  of  varied  hue ;  fills  the  trees  and  shrubs 
with  bursting  buds  and  expanding  blossoms,  and 
loads  the  air  with  fragrance.  All  is  activity  and 
love  in  lovely  May  !  Fair  maidens  and  bounding 
youth  skim  the  hills,  the  margin  of  the  winding 
brooks,  and  sheltered  nooks  in  the  wood,  for  early 
flowers.  As  the  expanding  flowers,  so  expand 
their  beating  hearts,  and  knit  in  holy  love,  they 
ripen  together  here  for  a  still  lovelier  May-Day  in 
the  skies  ! 

The  elms  and  maples  that  for  a  week  or  two 

have  held  their  pendent  tassels,  and  invited  whole 

colonies  of  bees  to  taste  their  sweets,  now  scatter 

innumerable  seeds,  and  go  on  with  their  work  of 

growth.     The  robin  is  here,  and  the  blue-bird,  the 

early  swallow,  the   wren,  the  warbling  sparrow, 

chattering  black-bird,  and  lark,  and  occasionally 

•  *  *  '^all  hurst  fonh  in  choral  minstrelsy, 
As  if  one  quick  and  sudden  gale  had  swept 
An  hundred  airy  harps." 

But  May  is  too  busy  a  month  to  afford  us  much 
time  in  a  description  of  its  beauties.     It  is  as 


crowded  with  active  duties  for  the  husbandman, 
as  it  is  active  in  vegetable  and  animal  life.  Lag- 
ging will  not  answer  now.  Your  plans  being 
laid,  and  your  implements  in  order,  you  go  to 
work  with  good  nature,  with  a  stout  heart  and 
willing  hands,  and  every  stroke  will  tell. 

Grafting. — There  are  thousands  of  old  orchards 
still  remaining  in  New  England,  which  would  pay 
well  for  being  newly  worked  over  by  plowing,  ma- 
nuring, pruning,  scraping  and  grafting.  If  there 
is  a  healthy  shell  of  four  inches  thickness,  we  con- 
sider the  tree  worth  this  labor.  Many  trees  where 
the  heart-wood  is  entirely  gone,  bear  plentifully 
through  many  successive  years.  Fruit  may  be 
obtained  from  old  trees  in  a  much  less  time  than  it 
can  be  from  young  ones  ;  beside,  they  are  often 
old  friends,  have  long  served  us  well,  and  form  a 
pleasant  part  of  the  landscape.  Do  not,  then, 
cut  down  the  old  trees.  At  least,  grafted  and 
well  tended,  they  will  produce  food  for  your  cattle 
and  swine  more  cheaply  than  you  can  produce  po- 
tatoes, corn  or  hay. 

In  grafting,  do  not  cut  off  all  the  limbs  the  first 
year  ,  in  so  doing  you  check  its  natural  forces  and 
induce  an  unhealthy  state.  Beside,  the  suitable 
season  for  grafting  is  not  the  best  time  for  prun- 
ing. Therefore  cut  off  only  the  limbs  to  be  graft- 
ed, and  leave  the  others  to  shelter  the  young  sci- 
ons through  the  summer,  and  prune  gradually  af- 
terwards. 

The  Garden. — Examine,  carefully,  all  the  trees, 
shrubs,  and  plants  in  the  garden,  to  see  thnt  noth- 
ing exists  to  obstruct  their  growth.  Insects  may 
have  been  sheltered  on  them  through  the  winter 
which  can  now  easily  be  destroyed  ;  or  moss  may 
have  gathered  which  must  be  rubbed  off,  and  the 
trees  washed  with  soft  soap  and  water. 

Sow  an  abundance  of  seed  for  kitchen  vegeta- 
bles ;  beets,  parsnips,  carrots,  early  turnips,  let- 
tuce, radish  ,cabbage,cauli9ower,  broccoli,  also  mel- 
ons of  various  kinds,  and  if  not  done  in  April,  set 
raspberries,  currants,  gooseberries  and   strawber- 


202 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Mat 


ries.  All  these  fruits  are  cheaper  and  more  whole- 
some in  hot  weather  than  a  principal  meat  diet. 
Flesh  is  stimulating,  while  fruits  are  sufficiently 
nutritious,  and  are  cooling  under  our  hot  summer 
suns. 

Screen  the  garden  from  the  portheast  and  north- 
west winds  ?jy  rows  or  clumps  of  pines  and  ce- 
dars, or  other  evergreens,  interspersed  with  the 
maple,  birch,  beech,  or  oak.  This  will  require 
no  cash  outlay  to  the  farmer,  and  a  little  done  ev- 
ery year  will  wonderfully  improve  and  beautify 
the  homestead. 

Pastures. — Unless  these  are  extensive  and  va- 
ried, that  is  hilly,  and  containing  low,  moist  pla- 
ces, affording  very  early  feed,  it  is  a  good  plan  to 
keep  the  cattle  from  them  until  the  first  of  June  ; 
the  grass  tlien  becomes  more  vigorous — the  roots 
gain  a  firmer  hold,  and  consequently  continue 
stronger  through  the  season.  Pastures  fed  close 
early  in  the  season  are  worth  but  little  during 
the  dry,  hot  months. 

Soiling  Cattls. — Sow  southern  corn  this  month 
to  be  cut  green  for  early  fodder.  An  half  acre 
devoted  to  this  purpose  will  help  out  your  pas 
tures  wonderfully — and  the  increased  product  of 
your  cows  more  than  pay  cost  of  labor.  Then 
continue  sowing,  weekly,  until  July,  and  you  will 
be  able  to  keep  up  a  large  flow  of  milk. 

The  Corn  Crop. — Remember  the  old  adage, 

"When  (laks  look  gray, 
Plaiil  night  and  day." 

Plow  deep,  pulverize  and  manure  well,  and  then 
let  it  be  wet  or  dry,  you  will  rarely  fiiil  of  obtain- 
ing a  good  crop  of  corn, — one  of  the  most  sub- 
stantial and  profitable  crops  of  New  England. 
We  have  retained,  in  our  practice,  many  of  the 
English  modes  of  cultivation,  and  among  others 
that  of  hilling  corn,  and  perhaps  all  the  hoed 
crops.  In  a  climate  where  moisture  is  redundant, 
this  practice  may  prove  beneficial ;  but  under  our 
burning  suns  of  July  and  August,  and  with  the 
usual  drouth  attending  those  months,  the  practice 
is  evidently  a  bad  one.  Let  the  cultivation  be 
deep,  mellow,  and  level,  and  we  presume  the  crop 
will  do  better  on  a  level  cultivation. 

Corn  is  valuable  for  household  purposes,  and 
for  every  sort  of  stock ;  is  suited  to  our  climate 
and  most  ot  our  soils,  and  if  accurate  accounts 
are  kept,  will  be  found  i\. profitable  crop.  We  hope 
more  attention  will  be  given  it. 

Asparagus. — Obtain  one  or  two  hundred  roots 
and  set  them  in  a  trench  a  foot  wide  and  deep, 
and  a  foot  apart  in  the  trench.  Spread  the  roots 
out  in  their  natural  position,  at  the  distance  of 
one  foot  apart  on  each  side  of  the  trench,  making 
two  rows  in  one  trench,  or  100  plants  in  50  feet. 
This  is  the  plan  recommended  by  Mr.  Cutter,  of 
Pelham,  in  volume  4  of  the  Monthli/  Farmer, 
which  may  be  referred  to  for  a  more  particular 
description . 


The  plant  is  wholesome,  easily  cultivated,  and 
a  profitable  market  vegetable. 

May  is  an  important  month  to  the  farmer,  as 
much  of  his  success  for  the  year  depefids  on  his 
operations  now.  Most  of  the  crops  he  cultivates 
must  be  put  in,  and  their  value  will  depend  con- 
siderably upon  the  time  and  manner  of  doing  it. 
He  that  would  get  the  best  return  for  the  least  la- 
bor, must  work  seasonably  and  syslematicaUy ,  and 
with  such  thoroughness  as  to  leave  nothing  un- 
done necessary  to  secure  a  good  crop. 


For  the  New  England  FarmtT. 
PLOWJNG. 

BY    A.     G.     COMINGS. 

Who  knows  how,  and  when,  to  plow  T 

To  understand  the  one  simple  matter  of  plowing, 
is  one  of  the  great  things  necessary  to  good  farm- 
ing. If  there  is  among  all  your  intelligent  read- 
ers, a  man  to  be  found  who  knows  all  about 
plowing,  he  ought  to  write  a  book  for  the  instruc- 
tion of  the  rest  of  mankind. 

In  my  intercourse  with  farmers  it  has  become 
very  evident  to  me  that  there  is  no  fettled  and  un- 
derstood theory  of  plowing.  Concerning  the 
time  and  depth  of  plowing,  every  man  has  his 
ideas  ;  and  there  is  no  common  understanding  of 
any  settled  principle  of  action,  for  different  soils 
and  the  soils  of  different  altitudes,  and  different 
inclinations,  and  different  expo.sures. 

There  are  "a  thousand  things"  to  be  known 
about  this  one  important  part  of  the  farmer's 
work. 

The  different  kinds  of  soil,  from  the  lightest  to 
the  heaviest,  will  vavy  the  necessary  work  of  the 
plowman.  The  man  who  would  plow  stiff,  clay 
soils,  in  the  same  precise  manner  that  he  would 
light,  sandy  soils,  is  the  man  who  will  perhaps 
live  to  learn  to  do  differently. 

Those  who  write  about  plowing,  if  I  am  not 
much  mistaken,  take  into  view  too  lew  items.  We 
see  but  little  from  the  pens  of  the  best  writers,  ex- 
cept upon  the  questions  of  shallow  or  deep  plow- 
ing, fall  or  spring  plowing,  sod  plowing,  stubble 
plowing,  subsoil  plowing,  itc. 

If  w^e  take  up  the  single  subject  of  fall-plowing, 
the  whole  matter  requires  that  we  consider  the 
kind  of  soil,  the  present  state  of  the  soil,  how  it 
will  be  exposed  to  the  frosts  of  winter,  how  it  will 
be  effected  by  washing  in  the  spring,  how  it  may 
be  exposed  to  the  action  of  wintry  winds  ;  and  in 
addition  to  this  the  farmer  is  to  consider  whether 
the  turf  will  be  more  readily  decomposed  and  the 
soil  more  readily  and  suitably  prepared  for  use  the 
next  season,  for  the  production  of  the  peculiar  crop 
which  is  desired. 

If  we  are  considering  spring-plowing,  the  sub- 
ject involves  a  great  variety  ot  peculiar  points,  as 
to  the  dryness  and  warmth  of  the  ground  before 
plowing,  how  deep  each  particular  piece  of  ground 
should  at  the  time  be  plowed,  how  the  furrows 
for  each  different  piece  should  be  turned,  what 
kind  of  a  plow  will  do  the  work  best,  what  will  do 
it  easiest,  what  will  do  it  quickest,  and  what  plow, 
considering  these  points  together,  should  be  used; 
and  how  should  the  plowman  hold  the  plow,  to 
secure  the  best  performance  in  the  shortest  time 
and  with  most  ease  to  himself  and  his  team. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


203 


If  we  are  considering  the  depth  of  plowing, 
very  many  things  are  to  be  considered,  and  ought 
to  be  understood.  There  must  be  considered,  the 
state  of  the  soil  and  the  amount  of  manure  to  be 
put  upon  it  for  an  immediate  crop,  for  the  pro- 
auction  of  what  may  be  necessary  the  first  year; 
the  depth  necessary  for  the  continued  fertility  of 
the  soil,  the  depth  necessary  for  ground  much  ex- 
posed to  drought,  for  land  much  exposed  to  wet, 
for  side- hills  where  heavy  rains  are  apt  to  wash 
them,  for  long-cultivated  land  which  has  never 
been  plowed  deep,  and  for  land  which  has  never 
before  been  plowed.  Besides,  there  is  the  ques- 
tion between  the  action  of  the  Subsoil  Plow  and 
the  Micliigan  Double  Plow. 

If  we  inquire  whether  furrows  should  be  laid 
flat  and  smooth,  it  must  be  considered  whether 
the  peculiar  soil  or  the  peculiar  season  of  the  year 
when  the  peculiar  soil  is  plowed  has  any  bearing 
on  the  question. 

All  these  things,  and  very  many  others,  have  a 
relation  to  the  subject  of  plowing. 

There  are  certain  fixed  laws  in  nature,  which 
the  well-instructed  plowman  must  understand. 
These  are  not  to  be  regarded  as  either  accidental 
or  providential.  They  do  not  happen.  They  are 
as  naturally  to  be  expected  as  the  moon's  changes 
are.  They  should  therefore  be  considered  and 
understood. 

There  are  alsoprobabilities  to  be  anticipated  by 
the  farmer.  These  relate  to  the  heat  and  cold  of 
the  seasons — to  wet  and  dry — and  to  other  circum- 
stances which  we  may  call  Providential  probabili- 
ties* 

To  know  how,  and  when,  to  plow,  requires  that 
a  man  should  be  a  wise  man,  a  man  of  understand- 
ing, and  a  real  philosopher.  Agriculture  calls 
for  the  services  of  such  men. 

Only  one  out  of  many  among  men  are  acquaint- 
ed with  the  reasons  in  favor  of  deep  plowing. 
Few  consider  the  difference  of  soils,  and  the  loca- 
tion and  situation  of  soils,  as  regards  the  subject 
of  fall-plowing. 

I  go  to  a  farmer,  and  ask  his  opinifjn  in  refer- 
ence to  the  practice  of  fall  plowing.  He  is  great- 
ly in  favor  of  it,  and  is  eloquent  in  advocating  the 
practice.  I  go  to  another  and  find  him  strongly 
opposed  to  the  practice.  Both  are  thriving  farm- 
ers ;  and  each  tells  me  that  he  has  proved  his  the- 
ory by  years  of  practice,  in  which  he  has  tried 
both  ways.  But  this  does  not  settle  the  question. 
I  find  that  the  peculiarities  of  the  soil,  and  the 
other  circumstances  which  have  an  influence  upon 
different  soils,  quite  explain  the  matter.  It  is  not 
proven  that  the  practice  is  useful  under  all  cir- 
cumstances, nor  useless  under  all. 

Farmers  have  got  very  much  to  learn,  and  who- 
ever understands  this  matter  fully,  if  any  man 
does,  owes  to  the  public  something  which  will 
open  our  blind  eyes. 

If  any  man  will  write  a  book  on  plowing,  and 
faithfully  instruct  us  on  this  matter  of  so  much 
consequence"  to  fiirmers,  I  will  be  glad,  if  I  am 
alive  to  see  it  forth  coming,  to  do  all  in  my  power 
to  gain  it  the  support  which  is  due  to  it. 

If  there  was  something  like  the  great  and  no- 
table hen-fever,  as  touching  the  many  important 
things  about  plowing,  the  books  would  come  out, 
"thick  as  blackberries  in  harvest  time."  We 
should  then  perhaps  hear  of  plows  that  could  go 
alone,  and  do  fine  work,  if  they  could  not  talk. 


But  the  men  who  understand  plowing  are  not  the 
men  for  such  fancy  work. 

It  does  really  appear  to  me  that  the  Editor  of 
the  New  England  Farmer  made  a  beginning  in  the 
History  of  the  Plow,  at  the  late  mass  meeting,  at 
Concord,  which  is  worthy  of  being  followed  by 
the  History  and  Philosophy  of  Plowing.  Every 
young  farmer  wants  to  know  more  about  plowing. 

Mason,  N.  H. 

MILLET. 

In  the  April  number  of  the  monthly  Farmer  we 
gave  a  short  paragraph  on  the  subject  q[  millet,  to 
be  cut  green  and  dried  for  fodder.  Since  that  time 
inquiries  have  been  made  which  seem  to  call  for 
more  particulars  in  relation  to  it  as  a  hay  crop. 

It  has  been  considerably  cultivated  in  this  region 
by  some  of  the  milk  producers  who  pronounce  it 
an  excellent  article  for  milch  cows  and  oxen. 
Their  practice  has  been  to  sow  it, — eight  quarts 
of  seed  to  the  acre, — from  the  10th  to  the  20th  of 
June.  In  the  accounts  quoted  below,  the  quantity 
of  seed  used  is  much  larger  than  is  used  in  this  vi- 
cinity, and  it  seems  to  us  more  than  is  necessary. 
The  seed  should  be  sown  with  great  care,  sowing 
both  ways  across  the  field,  in  order  to  touch  all 
the  ground  and  cover  it  evenly.  The  cultivator 
must  exercise  his  own  judgment  in  regard  to  the 
time  of  cutting. 

The  seed  is  highly  relished  by  birds  and  fowls, 
is  nutritious,  and  in  some  countries  is  made  into 
bread.  We  copy  two  or  three  paragraphs  in  re- 
lation to  the  cultivation  and  product  of  millet  from 
Fessenden's  Complete  Farmer,  published  by  C.  M. 
Saxton,  N.  Y. 

"Mr.  Ruder,  of  Pennsylvania,  sowed  one  peck 
to  the  acre  in  May,  and  put  in  four  acres  ;  cut  it 
in  the  middle  of  August,  and  dried  it  in  the  sun 
two  or  three  days.  He  had  seventy-five  bushels 
of  seed  to  the  acre,  and  six  tons  of  fodder  on  four 
acres.     His  cattle  relished  it  very  well." 

It  is  stated  in  the  Plough  Boy,  that  millet 
sowed  in  June,  on  good  ground,  will  give  from  two 
to  four  tons  of  fodder,  and  from  twenty  to  thirty 
bushels  of  seed,  equal  to  corn  for  fattening  hogs. 
It  is  cultivated  in  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland  as 
a  fodder  crop,  and  cut  in  the  milk.  It  is  preferred 
in  the  winter  by  neat  cattle  to  clover. 

A  crop  of  fodder  can  be  produced  if  sowed  as 
late  as  the  last  of  July. 

John  Hare  Poweli  ,  Esq.,  of  Pennsylvania,  has 
given  us  the  following  observations  on  the  culture 
of  this  crop  : 

'I  have  made  many  experiments  on  various 
soils,  and  at  different  seasons,  to  ascertain  the  pro- 
duct as  well  as  the  properties  of  millet.  Upon 
light  land,  in  good  condition,  it  succeeds  well.  It 
requires  in  all  cases  fine  tilth,  and  as  much  strength 
of  soil  as  is  necessary  to  produce  heavy  oats.  I 
!have  not  seen  either  in  Europe  or  America,  any 
I  green  crop  wliich  so  largely  rewards  accurate  til- 
lage and  plentiful  supplies  of  manure,  as  the  spe- 
cies of  millet  usually  grown  in  this  and  the  adjacent 
counties.  I  have  sown  it  from  the  1st  of  Alay  to 
the  20th  of  June,  and  have  invariably  obtained 
more  fodder  than  could  have  been  had  from  any 


204 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Mat 


grass  under  similar  circumstances.  On  the  1st 
of  May,  Ave  bushels  of  millet  seed  were  sown  on 
four  acres ;  on  the  fifth  of  July  the  crop  was 
hauled,  and  estimated  at  four  tons  per  acre.  I 
have  obtained  this  season  forty  tons  from  sixteen 
acres,  of  which  four  only  had  been  manured  ;  the 
remainder  could  not  have  borne  a  good  wheat  crop. 
One  of  the  loads  was  weighed  ;  an  account  of  them 
was  regularly  kept ;  their  size  was  made  as  nearly 
equal  as  possible.  I  have  generally  used  a  large 
quantity  of  seed,  as  not  more  than  two-thirds  of( 
that  which  is  usually  sown  will  vegetate.  Whilst 
my  own  oxen  consumed  millet  in  its  green  state, 
they  performed  their  work  with  more  strength  and 
vigor  than  they  had  done  before,  or  have  shown 
since,  except  when  fed  with  grain.  My  cattle,  of 
all  ages,  prefer  it  to  both  red,  and  the  best  white 
clover,  meadow,  or  timothy  hay." 

The  quantity  of  seed  used  for  seeding  and  ob- 
tained as  a  crop,  is  set  extravagantly  high,  in  the 
quotations  above.  We  are  assured  by  those  hav- 
ing long  experience  in  the  cultivation  of  millet, 
that  eight  quarts  is  seed  enough  for  an  acre. 


SPECIAL  MANURES. 

It  is  said  that  the  employment  of  manures  which 
are  rich  in  nitrogen  not  only  causes  a  large  crop, 
but  also  produces  a  gain  which  is  much  richer  in 
gluten.  The  experiments  which  have  hitherto 
been  chiefly  relied  upon  in  proof  of  this  result  are 
those  of  IIermbstadt.  On  ten  patches  each  100 
square  feet,  of  the  same  soil,  (a  sandy  loam,)  ma- 
nured in  equal  weights  of  different  manures  in  the 
dry  state,  he  sowed  equal  quantities,  (ilb.)  of  tho 
same  wheat, — collected,  weighed  and  analysed  the 
produce.  His  results  are  represented  ia  the  foU 
fowing  table  : 


WELCOME  SPRING. 

The  Halloivell  Gazette,  after  some  happy  reflec- 
tions upon  the  delightful  season  of  Spring,  makes 
the  following  just  and  applicable  remarks. 

When  we  hear  a  farmer  tell  about  selling  his 
farm,  with  the  intention  of  changing  his  business, 
we  are  always  reminded  of  Esau.  There  are  some 
men  who  seem  to  have  been  born  for  an  adventur- 
ous life  of  trade  ;  who  seem  to  enjoy  its  fluctua- 
tions and  uncertainties,  and  consider  it  sport  to 
run  desperate  ventures  ;  who  can  descend  from  a 
palace  to  a  hovel,  or  ascend  from  a  hovel  to  a  pal- 
ace, with  equal  indifference  to  their  fate.  Let 
them  enjoy  it — let  them  be  princes  to-day  and 
paupers  to-morrow  if  they  will,  but,  reader,  if  you 
are  the  oAvner  of  a  farm,  sow  this  spring  as  in 
times  past  your  seed  ;  and  when  the  autumn  shall 
come  you  shall  reap  your  harvest,  whatever  may 
be  the  condition  of  stocks  or  the  price  of  cotton, 
or  whether  the  store  of  the  merchant  shall  be  in 
his  possession  or  in  the  hiinds  of  his  creditors. 

Then  let  us  all,  with  contented  mind  and  hope- 
ful anticipations,  hail  the  approach  of  spring,  re- 
membering that 

"Contentment  walks 
The  sunny  glades,  and  feels  an  inward  blisa 
Spring  o'er  his  mind,  beyfind  the  power  o   kings 
To  purchase.     Pure  serenity  apace 
Induces  thought  and  contemplation  still 
By  swift  degrees  the  love  of  Nature  works, 
And  warms  the  bosom;  till  at  last  sublimed 
To  rapture  and  enthusiastic  heat, 
We  feel  the  present  Deity,  and  taste 
The  joy  of  God  to  see  a  happy  world  !" 


For  the  Neit>  England  Farmer. 
BONE  WENS. 

Mr.  Editor  : — I  noticed  an  inquiry  for  a  cure 
of  bone  wens ;  I  have  a  recipe  which  I  have  used, 
and  has  effected  a  cure.  Take  equal  parts  of  indi- 
go dissolved  in  wine,  and  soft  soap;  apply  it  quite 
warm,  with  a  swab,  twice  or  three  times  a  day. 
This  I  have  tried  on  a  calf  six  months  old,  and  on 
a  two  years  old,  and  effected  a  cure. 

Hanover,  1853.  J.  Brqoks. 


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Pear  Trees. — We  passed  an  hour  in  the  nur- 
sery grounds  of  Col.  Wilder,  of  Dorchester,  on 
Friday,  and  came  to  the  conclusion  that  if  any  of 
our  readers  are  in  want  0? pear  trees,  they  can  find 
them  there  of  all  varieties,  on  pear  and  quince 
stocks,with  prices  varying  according  to  the  age  and 
perfection  of  the  tree.  It  is  worth  a  journey  there 
merely  to  look  at  his  trees. 

i^"  Mr.  Levi  Burt,  nurseryman  at  Walpole, 
N.  II.,  writes  us  that  after  16  years  experience  in 
raising,  budding  and  grafting  fruit  trees,  he  is  sat- 
isfied that  to  get  good  healthy  pear  trees,  that  will 
last  and  be  productive,  it  ia  necessary  to  graft  on 
pear  stock. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


205 


For  the  Neiv  England  Farmer. 
HOW  CAN   CHEMISTRY  BENEFIT  THE 
FARMER? 

BY   HENRV   F.    FRENCH. 

The  novelist  Coopet,  somewhere  says  that  "men 
at  thirty  put  on  their  interested  spectacles,  and  sel- 
dom afterwards  see  anything  very  lovely,  that  is 
not,  at  the  same  time,  very  lucrative  V 

Farmers  are  obliged,  at  the  Nortli,  to  keep  on 
their  interested  spectacles,  and  look  through  them 
pretty  sharply  too,  to  discern  clearly  what  is  show 
and  what  is  substance.  They  need  all  the  aid  that 
knowledge  can  give  them,  and  cannot  afford  to  be 
often  deceived.  We  cannot  expect  to  live  long 
enough  to  plant  and  gather  more  than  some  forty 
or  fifty  annual  crops,  and  a  few  years  of  error 
make  a  sad  discount  on  the  good  results  of  our 
life,  whether  it  be  in  field-culture  or  heart  culture. 

All  knowledge  eventually  becomes  practical. 
The  unaccountable  turning  of  the  needle  to  the 
pole,  the  expansive  power  of  heat  upon  water  and 
air,  and  the  instantaneous  passage  of  electricity, 
are  as  much  practical,  hard  working  facts,  as  are 
our  horses  and  oxen.  Chemistry,  if  it  has  not 
discovered  the  philosopher'' s  stone,  vrhich  shall 
turn  all  it  touches  to  gold,  nor  the  universal  sol- 
vent, nor  the  secret  o?  renewing  youth,  and  render- 
ing it  perpetual,  has  doneyar  better  for  mankind, 
by  analyzing  the  stones  on  our  farms,  teaching 
how  to  dissolve  them,  and  convert  their  elements 
into  food  for  the  hungry. 

The  chemist  now  makes  great  promises,  as  did 
the  alchemist  of  old.  Ilis  laboratory  is  a  mystery, 
and  his  technical  language  unintelligible,  to  most 
working  men — as  much  so  now  as  centuries  ago. 
And  sad  though  it  be,  we  must  believe  that  learned 
men  will  still  be  found,  base  enough  to  deceive 
their  fellow-men,  under  the  pretence  of  benefiting 
them,  for  their  own  advantage.  When  Aaron  cast 
down  his  rod  before  Pharaoh,  and  it  became  a  ser- 
pent, the  magicians  and  sorcerers  by  their  en- 
chantments did  the  same,  and  caused  their  rods 
also  to  become  serpents,  and  from  that  time  to 
this,  the  contest  between  truth  and  error  has  been 
60  evenly  matched,  that  the  world  has  been,  like 
poor  Pharaoh,  sorely  puzzled  always,  to  discern  the 
difference. 

The  science  of  chemistry,  though  full  of  myste- 
ry and  difficulty,  has  already  established  certain 
great,  tangible,  practical  principles,  of  infinite 
value  to  the  agriculturist.  It  has  disclosed  to  us, 
among  the  rest,  that  plants,  which  were  looked  up- 
on formerly  as  the  results  of  incomprehensible  acci- 
dents, are  made  of  something,  and  that  the  same 
kind  of  plant  is  formed  substantially  always  o[  the 
same  materials.  It  takes  the  plant  to  pieces,  and 
weighs  and  measures  its  constituent  parts,  and 
tells  us  how  much  of  each  it  contains,  and  so  we 
learn  that  the  plant  cannot  be  formed,  unless 
somehow  the  elements  of  which  it  consists  are 
furnished. 

And  next,  chemistry  looks  at  our  soil,  takes  that 
to  pieces,  and  tells  us  of  what  it  is  composed;  and 
chemistry, too,  makes  a  pretty  good  guess  at  least, 
of  what  the  air  supplies  to  the  plant,  and  so  in- 
forms us,  whether  the  plant,  which  we  desire  to 
raise  on  our  land,  can  find  enough  to  eat  and 
drink,  and  be  clothed  withal,  with  leaves  and  flow- 
ers and  fruit,  within  its  reach. 

The  principles  being  thus  settled,  aad  being  so 


simple  that  a  child  may  comprehend  them,  next 
comes  the  practical  application  of  them. 

Farmers, like  "the  rest  of  mankind,"  have  con- 
siderable human  nature  in  them  !  They  are  pleased 
with  new  fancies,  and  nearly  as  likely,  though  I 
think  not  quite,  to  be  humbugged,  as  their  neigh- 
bors. The  Merino  sheep  fever,  when  a  handsome 
buck  brought  two  thousand  dollars,  and  the  Mul- 
ticaulis  fever,  attackedyarmers,  as  well  as  others  ! 

The  market  is  full  of  scientific  manures,  as  well 
as  of  scientific  principles.  Farmers  are  assured, 
in  advertisements,  that  specific  manures  may  be 
purchased,  ao  valuable  and  cheap,  that  stable  ma- 
nure would  not  be  worth  hauling  a  mile,  if  to  be 
had  for  nothing  I  and  other  advertisements  assure 
them,  that  for  a  few  dollars,  analyses  of  their  soils 
will  be  furnished  with  infallible  directions,  for 
the  treatment  of  their  land. 

Now  it  is  well  known,  that  gross  frauds  have 
already  been  practised,  in  the  sale  of  adulterated 
uano.  No  farmer  can  distinguish  pure  Peruvian 
guano,  from  a  mixture  readily  formed,  which 
shall  be  but  one-third  guano.  Superphosphate  of 
lime  is,  perhaps,  the  best  scientific  preparation  for 
manure  yet  discovered,  but  nothing  short  of  a 
chemical  analysis  can  detect  the  vilest  imposition 
in  its  manufacture.  The  soil  can  be  analyzed  ac- 
curately, but  all  chemists  agree,  that  the  process 
is  one  of  great  care,  and  nicety,  requiring  much 
skill  and  practice  and  time,  and  that  a  charge  of 
twenty  dollars  is  reasonable  for  a  single  process, 
properly  conducted.  The  farmer  who  procures  an 
analysis,  has  of  himself  no  means  of  knowing 
whether  the  result  given  him  is  accurate,  wheth- 
er it  is  a  mere  approximation  to  the  truth,  or  a 
mere  guess. 

The  only  security,  then,  that  the  farmer  has 
against  imposition,  the  only  security  that  true  sci- 
ence has  against  quackery  and  false  pretensions, 
is  in  the  personal  character  of  those  engaged  in  the 
departments  in  question. 

Employ  a  chemist,  as  you  employ  a  physician, 
not  only  because  he  has  skill,  but  because  he  has 
a  high  reputation  for  integrity  and  honor.  Pur- 
chase costly  fertilizers,  as  you  would  purchase  val- 
uable jewels,  only  of  dealers,  whose  known  char- 
acter places  them  above  suspicion  of  fraud.  The 
different  results  of  experiments  with  specific  ma- 
nures arise  probably,  as  often  from  differences  in 
the  substances  used,  as  in  the  soil  itself. 

The  true  value  of  the  science  of  chemistry  will 
never  be  appreciated,  until  more  of  system  is  con- 
nected with  its  application  to  the  use  of  the  far- 
mer. I  have  thought  that  in  Massachusetts,  a 
State  advanced  far  beyond  its  neighbors  in  agricul- 
tural improvements,  that  a  system  like  the  follow- 
ing might,  ere  long,  be  adopted.  Let  there  be  a 
chemist  for  each  county,  residing  there,  and 
acting  under  the  direction  of  the  County  Soci- 
ety, or  the  Board  of  Agriculture.  Let  him  be_  a 
practical  chemist  and  a  practical  farmer.  Let  him 
make  careful  analyses  of  the  various  classes  of 
soil  which  compose  his  county — of  the  pine  plain 
— of  the  clay — of  the  alluvial  soil  by  the  rivers — 
of  the  hard  pan  soil  of  the  hills.  A  decent  knowl- 
edge of  the  geological  formation  of  the  country 
about  him,  a  series  of  careful  observations  as  to 
the  mechanical  condition  of  the  soil,  with  the  re- 
sults of  his  researches  in  his  laboratory,  might,  it 
would  seem,  give  him  such  a  general  knowledge 
of  the  requirements  of  each  class  of  soil,  that, 


20G 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Mat 


with  the  proper  information  derired  from  the  oe-[  should  be  gathered  in  June  or  July,  and  both  kinds 


cupant,  by  personal  inquiry,  he  might  be  soon  as 
competent  to  give  advice  as  to  the  culture  of  the 
land  about  him,  as  the  doctor  to  prescribe  for  the 
sick,  or  the  lawyer  to  advise  his  client.  No  phy- 
sician vi'ould  dare  prescribe  for  a  dangerous  dis- 
ease, upon  the  description  of  it  given  by  an  un- 
skilful informant,  and  no  agriculturist,  however 
learned,  can  give  much  valuable  advice  about  the 
culture  of  afield, from  information  derived  through 
unlearned  sources. 

An  analysis  of  a  pound  of  earth,  from  a  farm, 
would  perhaps  give  a  somewhat  better  idea  to  a 
chemist  of  its  requirements  for  fertility,  than  would 
the  examination  of  the  paring  of  a  finger-nail  of  a 
patient  whom  he  never  saw,  give  to  the  physician, 
of  the  physical  ills  of  the  sufferer.  But  as  a  gen- 
eral thing,  it  would  seem,  that  the  specimen  sent, 
must  be  quite  too  small,  and  quite  too  uncertain, 
to  be  the  means  of  much  valuable  information. 

No  man  can  take  from  a  cultivated  field  a  pound 
of  earth,  and  feel  any  confidence  that  it  fixirly  rep- 
resents the  condition  of  the  whole,  while  our  chem- 
ist of  the  county,  who  had  analyzed  perhaps  twen- 
ty specimens  of  soil  in  the  neighborhood,  of  simi- 
lar character  and  position,  would  be  able  to  judge, 
without  a  new  experiment,  with  great  accuracy, 
by  a  superficial  examination  merely,  what  must  be 
its  chemical  constituents. 

I  repeat  what  I  have  often  said,  that  I  have  the 
fullest  faith  in  the  advantages  to  be  derived  by  the 
farmer,  from  the  aid  of  chemistry,  and  it  is,  be- 
cause I  desire  that  all  men  should  charge  their  dis- 
appointments, in  attempting  to  avail  themselves  of 
her  services,  to  the  right  account,  and  not  always 
to  the  science  itself,  that  I  have  ventured  to  make 
the  foregoing  suggestions.  h.  f.  f. 

Ecceler,  N.  II.,  April  &,  1853. 


are  easy  to  cultivate.  I  set  14  rods  of  white  birch 
hedge  last  week,  at  an  expense  of  less  than  one 
dollar,  the  trees  averaging  2  feet  high,  and  got 
them  in  in  good  order;  so  you  see  it  will  not  cost 
me  much  to  try  the  experiment.  The  Silver  or 
River  Maple  would  grow  on  good  land  the  quick- 
est of  any  tree  tliat  I  ever  cultivated,  and  may  be 
easily  obtained  by  seed  or  seedling  trees.  The 
seed  may  be  gathered  in  June  or  July,  and  sowed 
the  same  year.  B.  F.  Cutter. 

Pelham,  N.  H.,  April  4.,  1853. 


EMERY'S  REAPING-  AND  MOWING 
MACHINE  COMBINED. 

We  lay  before  our  readers  this  new  labor-saving 
machine,  in  order  that  it  may  be  seen  and  exam- 
ined, before  the  busy  season  arrives,  when  it  may 
be  called  into  use. 


^or  the  jyew  England  Farmer. 
HEDGES. 


Mr.  Editor  : — I  propose  to  write  a  few  lines  in 
answer  to  your  correspondent  from  Hollis,  on  the 
subject  of  the  hedges,  that  will  stop  cattle.  Al- 
most any  kind  of  tree  properly  managed  will  make 
a  fence,  but  the  tree  should  be  adapted  to  the 
land  where  it  is  to  be  grown.  In  looking  about  for 
some  tree  for  a  hedge,  on  poor  pine  plain  land,  I 
asked  myself  what  tree  would  grow  on  this  kind 
of  land  and  be  the  least  objectionable,  and  with 
the  least  care  and  expense,  and  have  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  the  White  Birch  and  the  White 
Pine  are  the  best.  These  trees  will  grow  and 
flourish  without  cultivation  almost  anywhere,  and 
may  be  had  for  the  taking  up;  or  the  seed  of  either!  key 


As  will  readily  be  seen,  it  is  provided  with  a 
driver's  seat  and  wheels,  independent  of  the  ma- 
chine itself,  but  attached  by  hinges  in  such  a  man- 
ner as  to  allow  an  easy  action  and  adjustment, 
while  this  method  does  away  entirely  with  all  the 
side  draft. 

The  machine  itself  is  provided  with  a  large  main 
wheel,  being  about  forty  inches  diameter  and  eight 
inches  face,  with  the  necessary  projections  on  its 
surface.  This  wheel  is  cast  with  an  internal  gear- 
ing at  one  side  of  the  spokes,  the  teeth  of  which 
are  protected  from  dirt  and  strengthened  by  a 
deep  flange  of  nearly  three  inches.  The  main 
frame  is  suspended  from  this  wheel,  by  means  of 
adjustable  pinion  boxes,  the  boxes  being  hung  in- 
side of  hangers  attached  to  the  frame  itself.  By 
applying  a  kind  of  wrench  to  the  box,  (which  pro- 
jects far  enough  beyond  the  hangers,  and  is  made 
square,)  it  may  be  turned  ;  thus  by  the  action  of 
its  teeth  on  the  corresponding  teeth  on  the  hang- 
er, the  frame  itself  is  raised  or  lowered  to  any  de- 
sired point,  where  it  is  confined  by  a  simple  iron 


may  be  easily  obtained,  and  sowed  where  they  are 
wanted  to  grow.  The  seed  of  the  birch  can  be 
gathered  in  November,  and  the  pine  in  August  or 
September. 

There  are  hundreds  of  miles  of  fence|on  the  lines 
of  railroads,  where  hedges  might  be  raised  much 
cheaper  than  rail  or  board  fence  can  be  built,  and 
if  the  older  roads  had  been  hedged  when  they  were 
first  built,  the  hedge  would  before  this  time  have 
l>een  large  enough  to  turn  cattle,  and  the  piae 
trees  in  many  places  kept  the  snov/  from  drifting. 
J  think  the  river  birch,  or  the  canoe  birch,  would 
be  very  suitable  for  river  intervale  on  meadows, 
where  rail  fence  is  liable  to  be  taken  up  by  ice  and 


A  small  pinion  is  placed  inside  of  this  large 
wheel  at  the  forward  part,  and  its  shaft  confined 
to  the  under  side  of  the  frame  itself,  this  shaft  ex- 
tending far  enough  outside  to  receive  an  eccentric 
close  up  to  the  frame. 

The  motion  of  the  cutters  is  obtained  by  eccen- 
tric straps  and  connecting  rod,  passing  along  the 
outside  of  the  frame  to  the  fore  end,  where  it  con- 
nects with  an  elbow  or  knee  iron,  as  shown  at  A, 
in  Fig.  1.  This  elbow  extends  its  other  end 
through  to  the  front  of  the  main  frame,  as  seen  at 
B,  and  is  confined  in  position  by  a  heavy  substan- 
tial bed-plate  of  iron.  The  end  of  the  cutter  bar 
itself,  connecting  with  the  elbow  at  B,  has  its  mo- 


carried  off  by  freshets;  the  seed  of  both  these  trees  tion  simply  and  directly  from  the  main  wheel,  all 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


207 


parts  working  constantlj'  in  line,  giving  a  stroke 
of  eight  inches  by  the  eccentric,  and  each  end  of 
the  elbow  being  eight  inches  from  its  centre  of  mo- 
tion, causes  on  either  end  a  deflection  of  hut  five- 
eighths  of  an  inch  beyond  a  straight  centre  line. 
At  the  same  time,  the  cutters  have  as  much  velo- 
city as  the  best  reapers  and  mowers  in  use.  They 
make  but  half  the  reverses  or  vibrations,  and  re- 
quire less  than  half  the  weight  of  cutter  bar  and 
connections  of  either  of  them,  while  it  is  equally 
strona;. 


These  cutters  and  dividers  are  not  dissimilar  to 
those  used  by  the  first  premium  mowing  machine 
at  the  late  trial  by  the  State  Society,  with  the  ex- 
ception that  the  divider  is  made  to  fit  round  the 
under  side  of  a  wrought  iron  cutter  beam,  the 
beam  itself  l)eing  made  of  two  plates  of  wrought 
iron  rolled  into  a  sort  of  trough,  with  their  con- 
cave faces  placed  together,  and  then  firmly  riveted, 
thus  forming  a  hollow  beam.  An  enlarged  but 
imperfect  representation  of  the  divider  is  shown  in 
Fig.  3. 

Through  this  hollow  beam  a  shaft  is  passed, 
and  at  its  extreme  end  this  shaft  is  turned  at  right 
angles  to  the  rear  of  the  beam  about  two  feet,  and 
a  wheel  attached  to  its  rear  end,  to  support   the 


This  cut  represents  a  transverse  section  of  the 
wrought  iron  cutter  beam,  with  a  section  of  the 
cutter  bar,  cutters  and  divider.  B  represents  the 
cutter  bar  to  which  the  steel  blades  are  attached, 
on  its  underside, — the  bend  of  the  blades  being 
upon  their  upper  side,  and  sickle-edged.  These 
blades  also  extend  back  of  the  cutter  bar,  with 
cutting  angle  and  edges  same  as  before  it,  but  not 
terminating  in  a  poinfc.  This  rear  projection  serves 
to  cut  a.nd  clear  the  "clog"  or  fibre  which  may 
possibly  escape  the  forward  cut  and  be  drawn  into 
the  dividers.  D  represents  a  section  of  the  crank 
axle  which  extends  tiirough  the  hollow  beam  and 
supports  its  outer  end.  C  repi-esents  the  double 
plate  hollow  beam  with  attaehments.  A  repre- 
sents the  divider,with  openings  and  guides  through 
which  the  cutters  pass;  this  divider  is  made  very 
true,  and  with  sharp  corners  over  which  the  cut- 
ters pass,  forming  a  p(>rfect  shears  cutting  action. 
These  dividers  are  wider  than  most  others,  leaving 
a  space  of  about  two  inches  between  them,  thus 
better  protecting  the  cutters  from  injury  from! 
stones,  also  comjiressing  the  grass  or  grain  into  al 
more  dense  body,  and  better  condition  for  the  ac- 
tion of  the  cutters. 


Fii 


The  cut  showing  the  mower  represents  wheels 
attached,  same  as  with  the  reaper.  However, 
where  the  fields  are  small,  and  it  is  desirable  to 
have  it  smaller,  and  the  crop  of  grass  or  grain  is 
80  light  as  not  to  produce  an  excessive  side  draft 
on  the  liorses,  the  forward  wheels  and  seat  may 
.  be  removed,  and  the  horses  hitched  closely  up  to 
the  machine,  the  driver  moving  back  upon  a  seat 
directly  fjrward  or  over  the  large  main  wheel. 


outer  end  of  the  beam.  At  the  inner  end  of  this 
shaft  is  attached  a  sort  of  crank  or  lever  about  two 
feet  long,  extending  forward  towards  the  driver's 
seat,  with  a  leather  strap  or  cliain  attached  to  it. 
This  strap,  passing  upwards  and  over  a  shieve,  ex- 
tends along  the  large  lever  to  the  driver's  seat, 
and  passing  another  shieve,  and  is  then  attached 
to  the  foot  b)ard  of  the  driver.  This  main  lever, 
which  is  seen  passing  the  driver's  seat,  is  made 
permanent  to  the  machine  itself,  and  is  kept  in  its 
desired  position  or  elevation,  by  means  of  an  up- 
riglit  post  beside  the  seat,  with  a  series  of  catches 
and  latch,  operated  by  the  driver's  foot,  so  that 
while  the  person  is  raising  the  lever  with  his  hand, 
with  his  foot  he  loosens  or  confines  it  where  he  de- 
sii'es. 

Therefore,  while  he  raises  the  lever,  lifting  by 
it  the  side  of  the  machine  directly  in  rear  of  him- 
self, the  strap  or  chain  is  drawn  over  the  shieves, 
and  the  end  of  the  wrench  lever  is  raised  sufficient- 
ly to  turn  the  crank  shaft  which  extends  through 
the  cutter  beam,  and  by  this  being  turned,  the 
wheel  at  the  outer  end  becoming  a  fulcrum  on  the 
ground,  the  beam  itself  must  be  raised  at  its  out- 
er end  so  as  to  maintain  a  uniform  elevation  of  its 
whole  cutting  front  from  the  ground. 

The  apron  itself  is  shown  with  its  fixtures  in 
Fig.  2,  detached.  It  is  made  of  a  strong  frame 
work  and  light  covering  of  wood  and  tin.  The  T 
standard  at  its  back  is  a  breastwork  to  protect  and 
support  the  raker,  who  stands  erect,  face  forward, 
directly  behind  it.  The  delivery  is  at  one  side, 
and  has  a  slight  elevation  above  the  cutters,  about 
1.^  inches,  and  is  over  four  feet  wide.  A  reel^may 
be  used  at  pleasure,  and  is  always  sold  with  the 
machine.  The  reel  is  driven  by  a  pulley  on  the 
main  wheel  shaft— the  band  passing  below  the 
apron  to  the  front  side,  where  it  passes  upward 
to  and  over  a  pulley  on  the  reel  shaft.     The  band 


203 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMLR. 


Mat 


and  pulley  have  been  omitted  by  the  engraver,  al- 
though in  his  sketch  made  from  the  machine. 

Price  complete  for  this  macliine  will  be  about 
one  hundred  dollars,  vrith  the  warranty. 


THE   HIVE   AND  HONEY  BEE. 

In  advance  of  publicatiun,  wo  liave  been  permit- 
ted to  look  at  the  slioets  of  a  forthcoming  work  on 
the  above  subject,  by  the  Rev.  L.  L.  Langstroth, 
of  Greenfield,  Mass.  We  have  read  them  with 
pleasure,  and  lielieving  in  their  statements,  as  we 
do,  from  our  own  observation  of  the  habits  of  the 
bee,  we  may  add,  with  gratification  and  delight. 
The  descriptions  are  clear  and  concise,  and  are 
strengtiiened  by  quotations  from  the  ablest  writers 
on  t!ie  subject.  We  give  below  a  single  extract 
now,  and  shall  refer  to  the  subject  again. 

Many  persons  have  not  the  slightest  idea  that 
every  thing  may  be  seen  that  takes  place  in  a  bee- 
hive. But  hives  have  for  many  years  been  in  use, 
containing  only  one  large  comb,  enclosed  on  both 
sides  by  glass.  These  hives  are  darkened  by 
shutters,  and  when  opened,  the  queen  is  exposed 
to  observation  as  well  as  all  the  other  bees.  With- 
in the  last  two  years,  I  have  discovered  that  with 
proper  precautions,  colonies  can  be  made  to  work 
in  obsei  ving  hives,  without  shutters,  and  exposed 
continually  to  the  fall  light  of  day ;  so  that  ob- 
servations may  be  made  at  all  times,  Avithout  in 
the  least  interrupting  the  ordinary  operations  of 
the  bees.  By  the  aid  of  such  hives,  some  of  the 
most  intelHgent  citizens  of  Philadelphia  have  seen 
in  my  Apiary,  the  queen  bee  depositing  her  eggs 
in  the  ceils,  and  constantly  surrounded  by  an  af- 
fectionate circle  of  her  devoted  children.  They 
have  also  witnessed,  with  astonishment  and  de- 
light, all  the  steps  in  the  mysterious  process  of 
raising  queens  from  eggs  which  with  the  ordinary 
development,  would  have  produced  only  the  com- 
mon bees.  For  more  than  three  months,  there 
was  not  a  day  in  which  some  of  my  colonies  were 
not  engaged  in  making  new  queens  to  supply  the 
place  of  those  taken  from  them,  and  I  had  the 
pleasure  of  exhibiting  all  the  facts  to  bee-keepers 
who  never  before  felt  willing  to  credit  them.  As 
all  my  hives  are  so  made  that  each  comb  can  be 
taken  out,  and  examined  at  pleasure,  those  who 
use  them,  can  obtain  from  them  all  the  informa- 
tion which  they  need,  and,  are  no  longer  forced 
to  take  any  thing  upon  trust. 


For  the  rfew  England  Farmer. 
POSTS  AND  STAKES. 

Mr.  Editor: — I  have  been  a  constant  reader  of 
the  New  England  Fanner  over  one  year,  and  do 
not  recollect  of  seeing  anything  in  it  about  setting 
posts  and  stakes  in  fence.  I  had  heard  it  stated 
that  the  top  end  of  the  stick  should  be  stuck  in  the 
ground.  In  1838  I  took  a  stick  14  feet  long  and 
cut  it  in  tiie  middle,  setting  the  butt  of  one  up, 
and  the  otlur  down,  12  feet  apart.  In  five  years 
the  one  witli  the  butt  down  rotted  off,  and  the  oth- 
er stands  sound  yet.  J.  Davis. 

East  Barnard,   Vi. 


Remarks. — The  above  is  a  model  communication, 
Mr.  Davis  utters  his  facts  without  preface  or  cir- 


cumlocution. They  are  read  in  a  moment,  under- 
stood as  quickly,  and  are  worth  a  "mint  of  money." 
The  evidence  is  strong  enough  to  induce  any  man, 
if  he  will  but  look  at  it,  to  set  his  posts  and  stakes 
butt-end  up. 

A  person  writing  in  the  Hartford  Times  several 
years  since,  said  that  in  taking  up  a  fence  that  had 
been  set  fourteen  years,  he  noticed  that  some  of 
the  posts  remained  nearly  sound,  while  others 
were  rotted  off  at  the  bottom.  On  looking  for  the 
cause,  he  found  that  those  posts  that  were  set 
limh  fart  down,  or  inverted  from  the  way  they 
grew,  were  sound.  Those  that  were  set  as  they 
grew,  rotted  off. 

"A  Farmer"  writing  in  the  Germantoren  Tele- 
graph in  1849,  says  a  gentleman  in  one  of  the  New 
England  States  set  a  series  of  white  oak  posts,  and 
for  the  purpose  of  testing  the  theory,  set  every 
other  one  top  part  down.  After  eight  years  the 
inverted  posts  were  sound  and  good,  while  those 
that  had  been  set  with  the  butts  down  were,  in  al- 
most every  instance,  decayed. 

Another  person  in  the  same  State  set  two  chest- 
nut posts  for  the  purpose  of  lianging  a  gate.  Af- 
ter a  lapse  of  eighteen  years  lie  found  the  one  butt 
end  down  very  rotten,  while  the  other,  set  with 
the  top  end  in  the  soil,  scarcely  exhibited  any  ap- 
pearance of  rot. 

The  reason  probably  is,  that  the  sap  vessels  are 
filled  with  sap,  undergo  a  chemical  change,  and 
induce  internal  decay,  while  the  moisture  from 
the  earth  carries  on  the  same  operation  on  the  ex- 
ternal parts  of  the  wood.  Or,  it  may  be,  that  the 
tubes  through  which  the  sap  ascends  have  valves 
or  separations,  to  prevent  tlie  weight  of  the  sap 
from  falling  back,  and  that  if  the  posts  are  set  as 
they  grew  the  moisture  would  rise  as  did  the  sap. 
While  if  inverted,  not  only  would  the  sap  flow 
down,  leaving  the  post  dry,  but  no  moisture  would 
rise. 

But  we  are  not  certain  about  this.  The  sub- 
ject is  important,  and  worthy  the  attention  of  some 
of  our  scientific  correspondents. 

All  persons  making  fence  will  do  well  to  re- 
member these  facts. 


TuE  Cold  Grapery. — This  is  the  title  of  a  neat 
little  book  giving  directions  how  to  raise  grapes  in 
houses  under  glass  and  without  artificial  heat.  It 
is  prepared  by  William  Ciiorlton,  Gardener  to  J. 
C.  Green,  of  Staten  Island,  N.  Y.  We  have  read 
it  with  interest,  and  think  it  will  prove  very  use- 
ful to  those  attempting  to  cultivate  the  grape  with- 
out fire.  Many  persons  would  be  glad  to  erect 
the  building  and  fit  it  up,  if  in  this  way  they  could 
succeed  in  cultivating  the  grape  without  the  con- 
stant trouble  and  expense  of  erecting  furnaces  and 
keeping  up  an  artificial  heat.  We  hope  that  by 
the  aid  this  book  will  afford,  they  will  be  able  to 
succeed.  Published  by  J.  0.  Riker,  12i3  Fulton 
Street,  N.  Y. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


209 


GUENC  N  ON  MILCH  COWS. 

We  have  1  erctofore  noticed  the  work  of  M. 
GuENON  in  relation  to  testing  milch  cows  by  cer- 
tain appearances  of  the  hair  commencing  at  the 
udder  and  runnii.g  up  the  tliighs.  Having  a  good 
deal  of  confidence  in  this  mode  of  ascertaining  the 
milking  properties  of  cows,  both  from  our  own  ex- 
perience and  the  opinions  of  other  observing  per- 
sons, we  have  thought  the  matter  of  sufficient  im- 
portance to  procure  an  engraving,  and  give  such 
other  brief  illustrations  as  would  make  the  subject 
clear  to  the  reader. 

While  the  subject  is  before  us,  we  find  the  Ed- 
itor of  the  Germariioiun  Telegraph  has  been  giving 
it  attention,  and  we  avail  ourselves  of  his  labors, 
mainly  agreeing  with  him  in  the  value  and  impor- 
tance of  the  system.  He  says,  "sometime  ago,  at 
a  meeting  of  the  Philadelphia  Society  for  Promot- 
ing Agriculture,  Mr.  John  Nefflin,  an  elderly, 
respectable  and  intelligent  farmer  from  Germany, 
was  introduced,  for  the  purpose  of  enlisting  the 
attention  of  the  society  to  Gcenon's  method  of  in- 
creasing the  yield  of  the  milch  cow,  by  selecting 
the  proper  animals  for  the  dairy,  according  to  his 
method,  or  rather  discovery.  Mr.  Nefflin  desired 
that  a  committee  should  be  appointed  to  test  this 
system,  as  he  was  satisfied  that  all  that  was  need- 
ed to  impress  the  members  of  the  society  and  the 
farming  public  with  its  truthfulness  and  impor- 
tance, was  a  trial,  or  many  trials,  inasmuch  as  he 
had  never  known  the  tests  to  fail,  after  many  years 
of  observation  and  experiments. 


The  Society,  always  anxious  to  promote  the  in- 
terests of  agriculture,  even  at  heavy  pecuniary  ex- 
pense, when  the  object  seems  to  warrant  it,  at 
once  appointed  a  committee  to  investigate  the 
matter — though  several  members  had  previously 
been  strongly  impressed  with  the  truth  of  the  sys- 
tem— consisting  of  Dr.  Elwyn,  George  Blight, 
Isaac  Newton,  John  Wilkinson,  Samuel  Williams, 
and  Samuel  C.  Ford. 

The  committee,  after  the  trials  had  taken  place, 
say  in  their  report  : 

"More  than  forty  cows  were  examined  by  Mr. 
Nefflin,  in  the  presence  of  members  of  the  com- 
mittee. All  the  remarks  of  Mr.  N.,  all  the  ques- 
tions and  answers,  were  taken  down  at  the  mo- 
ment by  Mr.  Arthur  Cannon,  phonographic  re- 
porter ;  and  all  his  statements  were  compared 
with  those  of  the  owners  of  the  cows  ;  and  after 
a  full  and  particular  investigation,  carried  on  in 
the  most  searching  manner,  and  sharpened  by 
incredulity,  the  committee  have  no  hesitation  in 
giving  their  adhesion,  and  expressing  their  con- 
currence in  the  views  of  Guenon.  The  precision 
and  accuracy  with  which  Mr.  Nefflin  described 
the  qualities  of  the  animals,  and  the  unh  sitating 
manner  in  which  he  revealed  all  their  pr  iperties, 
could  not  but  impress  the  committee  with  an  en-. 
tire  reliance  on  his  own  skill,  and  a  perfect  confi- 
dence in  the  views  of  his  teacher." 

The  stock  of  Mr.  Ford  having  been  examined 
and  their  qualities  described,  Mr.  F.  certifies  that 
"it  is  a  correct  report  of  the  qualities  of  his  co™"- 
Mr.  Wilkinson  also  certifies  as  to  his  stock 
amined   and  described  in  the  same   mannej 
follows : 


210 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


May 


"The  deacription  given  of  my  cows  by  Mr,  Neff- 
liN,  ufter  he  examined  them  by  his  improved 
GuENON  system,  is  in  the  main  very  correct,  and 
satisfies  me  that  this  is  the  only  reliable  system  by 
which  cows  can  be  selected." 

We-  will  tuld  that  Ghenon's  system,  whieir  has 
been  simplified  and  made  more  manifest  by  Mr. 
Neffmn,  i«  principally  comprised  in  the  fellow- 
ing  •; 

The  hai?  of  the  ho?ned  eattle,  as  is  well  known, 
grows  downwards,  only  in  the  milk  mirror  which 
begins  at  the  udder,  the  downlike,  delicate,  short 
and  rt^/i^cr-colored  hair  grows  upwards  ;•  and  where 
the  ascending  and  descending  hair  meet,  they /orm 
an  elevatrd  stripe,  a  vortecc  or  i-^hirl.  This  whirl  is 
the  real  frame  or  border  of  the  milk  mirror,  and 
gives  it  its  shape.  This  shape  is  Ikeprincipal  mark 
of  the  productiveness  of  the£oic.  One  shape  shows 
a  greater  productiveness  of  milk  than  another." 

To  extend  the  usefulness  of  this  really  impoTtant 
discovery,  Mr.  Nefflin  has  prepared  a  treatise  on 
the  subject,  which  has  just  been  published  by  Mr. 
C.  B.  Rogers,  29  Market  Street,  Philadelphia, 
with  a  handsomely-engraved  chart,  containing 
seventy-eight  illustfations  of  the  system — the  pe- 
rusal and  possession  of  which  we  would  recommend 
to  every  farmer  fur  his  guide  in  selecting  his  dairy 
stock ;  and  especially  do  we  commend  it  to  their 
attention,  as  the  rules  laid  down  are  applicable  to 
calves  three  months  old. 

Explanation   of  the  Letters. 

a,  a,  The  greatest  breadth  of  the  mirror  in  all 
the  class(!s  and  orders. 

b,  b,  breadth  of  the  upper  end  of  the  mirror  in 
the  first  class. 

c,  c,  ovals  (0)  above  the  teats. 

The  cow  of  the  first  figure  is  represented  to  yield 
20  quarts  a  day  for  nine  months  ;  that  of  the  sec- 
ond figure  Gi  quarts  a  day  for  four  months;  and 
that  of  the  third,  2^  quarts,  and  no  particular 
time  mentioned. 

The  Editor  of  the  Country  Genilerjwn  says, 
"Guenon's  chief  rule  consists  in  the  breadth  of 
the  'escutcheon,'  or  space  immediately  behind  the 
milk  bag  and  contiguous  parts,  contained  within 
the  boundary  lines,  formed  by  the  meeting  of  hair 
growing  in  opposite  directions.  The  hair  on  the 
escutcheon  grows  upwards  and  meets  with  the  hair 
on  the  other  parts.  In  the  very  ))est  cows,  or 
those  which  give  the  greatest  quantity  of  milk  and 
also   cuntinue  in  milk  a  lon^  time,  or    tlie   year 


round,  the  escutcheon  is  very  broad  and  extends 
upward  to  the  root  of  the  tail.  Such  animals  are 
very  rare,  and  in  ordinary  instances  and  under 
good  feeding  and  keeping,  will  yield  about  sis  gal- 
lons of  milk  per  day. 

In  less  perfect  animals,  the  escutcheons  will  be 
narrower,  and  frequently  will  extend  only  part 
way  to  the  tail,  and  so  in  difierent  cows  diminish- 
ing in  l)readth  until  it  reaches  the  medium  which 
is  found  to  exist  in  the  greatest  number,  by  far,  of 
dl  milch  cows.  In  poor  milkers,  it  is  quite  small ; 
it  varies  also  considerably  in  shape,  but  the  same 
general  rule  applies  to  all  shapes,  namely,  that 


the  area  of  this  escutcheon  is  an  accurate  indica- 
tion of  the  amount  of  milk  any  cow  will  give. 
Guenon  figures  and  describes  no  less  than  seventy- 
two  different  forma  and  sizes  of  escutcheons,  all 
exemplifying  this  general  rule,  with  a  few  excep- 
tions, whieh  he  states,  but  which  we  cannot  her& 
point  out,  and  all  indicating  with  much  accuracj 
the  quantity  of  milk  given  and  its  quality  and  du- 
ratioa." 

From  tke  Ifew  England  Fdrmer, 
MORE  ABOUT  PLOWING. 

Farmers  who  look  at  the  plowing  of  their  neigh-' 
bors,  and  at  cattle  show  plowing  fields,  with  a 
critic's  eye,  notice  much  difference  in  the  state  of 
the  soil  where  different  plows  have  been  used,  eveii 
though  they  all  turn  fiat  furrows,  and  all  done  in 
a  workmanlike  manner.  A  few  years  ago  this  wa© 
more  noticeable  than  at  present.  We  might  on. 
cattle  show  day  go  on  to  the  field  after  all  is  fin- 
ished and  find  some  lands  turned  upside  down  so 
smoothly  and  nicely  that  it  seems  ^s  though  the 
only  change  made  is,  the  soil  is  cut  in  slices  and 
turned  the  other  side  up,  lying  about  as  compact 
as  before.  Other  landa  we  would  find  with  the 
furrow  slice  lying  in  a  slightly  rolling  position^ 
highest  in  the  middle,  and  the  soil  therefore  more 
loose  and  crooked  than  the  other.  Sometimes  a 
land  would  be  seen  which,  from  some  peculiarity 
about  the  plow,  had  the  appearance  of  having  beeii 
finely  harrowed.  • 

This  matter  of  the  condition  of  the  soil  in  the 
furrow  slice,  whether  loose  and  porous  or  solid, 
seems  not  to  have  attracted  due  notice  from  plow 
judges  and  writers.  They  have  said  much  about 
the  position  and  width  of  the  furrow,  but  seem  to 
have  left  its  pulverization  as  a  matter  of  course  to- 
the  gentleman  with  the  harrow.  Now  harrowing 
on  stiff  land,  newly  broken  up,  I  find  to  be  the 
most  hard  and  wearisome  of  all  spring  work,  both 
for  team  and  teamster ;  therefore  the  plow  which 
leaves  the  soil  in  a  good  condition  to  harrow  quick 
and  easy,  is  plainly  far  preferable  to  one  which 
merely  turns  it  and  leaves  it  about  as  solid  as  it 
found  it.  The  Michigan  double  plow  does  this  to 
perfection,  and  is  likely  to  be  popular  on  that  ac- 
count. 

But  it  is  plain  by  what  we  have  all  seen,  that 
the  single  plow  may  be  greatly  improved  in  this 
respect.  Let  our  plow-makers  care  less  about  the 
trial  with  the  dynamometer  and  more  about  put- 
ting the  soil  in  good  condition  ;  that  is  the  first  and 
main  point,  ease  of  draft  is  secondary.  I  believe 
there  is  yet  plenty  of  room  for  improvement  in  the 
making  of  plows,  both  for  breaking  up  the  sod  and 
for  working  old  land.  Bachelor. 

March  12,  1853. 


Sheep  Shearing  Festival. — The  third  annual 
Sheep  Shearing  Festival,  by  A.  L.  Brigham,  Esq., 
of  West  Cornwall,  Vt.,  will  take  place  at  the  ho- 
tel of  James  R.  Hyde,  in  Sudbury,  Rutland  coun- 
ty, Vermont,  on  the  first  and  second  days  of  June 
next,  at  10  o'clock,  A.  M.  From  50  to  100  French 
Merino  Ewes  will  be  publicly  sheared,  so  that  all 
may  see  and  judge  of  the  sheep  and  fleeces  for 
themselves.  Every  accommodation  will  be  ren- 
dered to  make  the  stay  of  the  visitor  agreeable. 


1853. 


NEW  KNGLAND  FARMER. 


211 


HINTS  FOR  THE  HUSBANDMAN. 

Sorrel. — The  presence  of  this  production- 
grass  we  are  not  permitted  to  call  it — is  always  to 
be  considered  as  an  indication  of  a  lack  of  calca- 
reous matter,  for  where  the  quantity  of  lime  in  the 
8Ch1  is  aot  deficient,  sorrel  wilt  not  grow.  On  all 
light,  silicious  lands,  lime  has  consequently  been 
found  a  most  useful  article,  and  its  application  in- 
variably attended  with  higlily  favorable  results. — 
And  just  in  the  ratio  of  its  uses,  whether  in  com- 
post or  in  its  natural  state,  so  far  as  our  informa 
tion  extends,  has  been  the  diminution  of  the  sor 
rel  crop. 

Goo©  Tools. — The  old  adage — "He  must  in 
deed  be  a  good  workman  who  can  afford  to  work 
with  poor  tools,"  is  one  which,  in  our  opinion, 
embodies  a  great  deal  of  truth.  If  we  farmers 
employ  a  mechanic — a  mason  for  instance,  or  a 
house  carpenter,  to  execute  a  "job  of  work,"  we 
of  course  expect  he  will  cume  provided  with  the 
requisite  tools.  Should  he  make  his  appearance 
upon  the  premises  with  but  half  the  implements 
required  for  the  expeditious  and  successful  con- 
summation of  the  work  intended,  we  should  not 
hesitate  to  deaiur,  and  doubtles.s  would  dismiss 
him  and  entrust  the  job  to  another  and  more  com- 
petefit  hand.  But  how  is  it  on  our  farms?  Are 
we  always  as  j-.nilous  of  our  interests  here  ?  We 
think  not.  How  often  indeed  is  it  the  case  that 
our  "helps"  are  required  to  plow,  mow,  reap,  and 
hoe,  with  imple'Jients  which  are  not  only  "out  of 
fashion,"  but  too  clumsy  and  ponderous  for  any 
except  an  Ajax  to  wield.  Many  of  the  old-fash 
ioned  implements  are  still  to  be  found  on  our 
farms — such  an  plows,  dung-forks,  hoes  and  the 
like,  and  with  these  "hired  men"  and  boys  are 
frequently  expected  to  perform  as  yyiuch  work 
daily,  and  to  "finish  it  off"  "os  neatly"  as  though 
they  were  provided  with  the  best  implements  the 
market  can  afford.  This  is  poor  economy.  It 
is  better  to  give  away  a  poor  or  inefficient  tool — 
no  matter  what  may  have  been  its  original  cost, 
and  purchase  a  new  one  of  modern  construction 
that  will  easily  enable  the  operator  to  perform 
more  work,  and  in  a  more  workmanlike  manner, 
in  one  day,  than  he  can  possi])ly  accomplish  in 
two,  with  the  old  one,  than  to  retain  it  in  use,  and 
lose  ten  times  its  value  in  the  result.  Away  with 
the  "old  fogies,"  then,  and  obtain  the  light,  con- 
venient, and  beautiful  ones  of  modern  days. 

Good  Farming. — Rawstone,  in  his  "Remarks  on 
Lancashire  Farming" — a  very  valuable  and  eru- 
dite work,  says  : — 

"It  may  be  laid  down  as  a  standing  rule,  and 
as  a  guide  to  direct  us,  that  all  good  forming — 
the  whole  of  that  process  by  which  bad  land  is 
to  be  converted  into  good  and  productive,  and  to 
be  continued  in  that  state, — is  comprised  in  the 
three  following  operations  of  husbandry,  viz.  : — 


1.  To  carry  off  all  superfluous  and  stagnant  wa- 
ter, by  means  of  judicious  draining. 

2.  To  retrieve,  througli  the  me<iium  of  manure, 
the  strength  and  fertility  which  has  been  exhaust- 
ed by  cropping. 

3.  To  extract  all  noxious  weeds,  that  the 
strength  of  the  manure  may  be  thrown  into  the 
crops,  and  not  into  the  weeds."  Every  farmer 
who  exercises  his  mind  in  the  cultivation  and  man- 
agement of  his  fields,  will  at  once  recognize  the 
importance  of  attending  to  the  foregoing  observ^i- 
tions.  Yet,  obvious  as  are  the  truths  they  incul- 
cate, many,  we  fear,  will  fail  to  profit  by  them. — 
Farmers  need  "line  upon  line,  and  precept  upon 
precept,"  in  these  matters. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
SUGGESTIONS  IN  COMPOSTING- 

BY   F.    HOLBRCOK. 

Mr.  Brown  : — Your  correspondent,  S.  Tenney, 
of  Lewiston  Falls,  in  a  communication  dated  March 
7th,  upon  corn  culture,  gives  the  results  of  deep 
plowing  and  high  manuring  upon  |ths  of  an  acre. 
He  states  that  by  applying  as  much  manure  into 
four  cords,  on  this  piece  as  he  applied  the  year 
previous  on  1^  acre,  (of  which  the  Itha  formed 
a  portion,)  and  plowing  deep,  he  obtained  fifteen 
bushels  more  of  corn  than  he  did  the  year  previ- 
ous on  the  ;v^hole  acre  and  a  half. 

I  have  to  request  of  Mr.  Tenney  that  he  will 
lay  the  i  ths  of  an  acre,  and  the  balance  of  the 
1^  acre,  down  to  grass  with  grain,  and  let  the  two 
pieces  remain  in  mowing  for  say  four  years,  care- 
fully noting  the  comparative  products  of  grain  and 
hay  on  them.  If  he  does  not  find  himself  paid 
many  times  over  in  the  extra  product  of  the  for- 
mer over  the  latter  piece,  for  the  extra  labor  and 
expense  of  the  manuring  and  deep  plowing.,  then 
my  past  observations  in  the  field  are  erroneous. 
It  would  be  an  experiment  easily  tried,  and  desi- 
rable as  affording  an  argument  with  which  to  con- 
vince the  farmers  in  his  neighborhood  of  the  value 
of  deep  plowing  and  generous  cultivation.  As  I 
have  frequently  observed,  it  seems  to  me  that  here 
in  New  England  we  need  more  generally  to  adopt 
a  system  of  high  manuring,  deeper  plowing,  and 
a  more  thorough  pulverization  of  the  soil.  Mr. 
Tenney's  experiment  thus  far  is  in  the  right  direc- 
tion, and  I  hope  he  will  carry  it  forward  to  a  full 
demonstration. 

I  would  like  to  suggest  another  mode  of  tillage 
to  Mr.  Tenney  as  worth  his  while  to  try.  It  is 
this  :  take  a  piece  of  grass  land  that  needs  plow- 
ing, and  turn  it  over  this  spring.  If  the  land  hag 
heretofore  been  plowed  six  inches  deep,  plow  it 
eight  inches  thisspring  ;  or  if  seven  inches  former- 
ly, plow  nine  inches  this  spring,  laying  the  fur- 
rows accurately  and  smoothly  over.  If  he  has  no 
sod-plow  that  will  work  rightly  at  these  depths, 
let  him  procure  Ruggles,  Nourse,  Mason  &  Co.'s 
Deep  Tiller  No.  75,  and  he  will  find  he  has  pur- 
chased an  instrument  worth  having.  If  the  com- 
post is  not  very  strawy,  spread  it  before  harrow- 
ing the  furrows,  then  harrow  both  ways,  and  then 
take  alight  plow  guaged  with  a  wheel  to  work 
shallow  and  turn  the  manure  in  three  to  four  inch- 
es deep.  If  the  compost  is  pretty  coarse,  then 
harrow  first,  spread  the  dressing  and  plow  it  in  as 


212 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Mat 


bafore,  alvvajs  avoiding  the  bringing  of  the  sod  to 
the  sarface.  Phint  corn  and  cultivate  it  cleanly. 
The  next  spring  open  and  pull  down  the  corn-hills 
with  a  heavy  harrov\%  then  plow  down  three  or  four 
inchea  deep,  still  leaving  the  sod  undisturbed  be- 
saeath,  and  sow  grain  with  grass  seed  and  convert 
the  land  to  mowing.  Su  fur  as  I  know,  Mr.  Ten- 
ney  will  find  this  the  cheapest  combined  with  the 
quickest  mode  of  restoring  tillage  fields  considera- 
bly worn,  to  productiveness  and  profit.  What  was 
before  the  surface  and  became  filled  with  vegeta- 
ble matter  in  the  form  of  grass  roots  and  stems, 
remaining  l:)eneath  to  decay,  is  a  fine  mellow  bed 
of  nutriment  for  tlie  growing  crops  ;  while  the  for- 
mer cold  lower  stratum  is  made  active  by  the  at- 
mosphere and  the  manure  ;  and  the  roots  of  the 
grasses  having  a  deeper  range  than  formerly  by 
shallow  plowing,  the  sward  will  not  so  soon  be- 
come bound  out  by  the  entangling  of  its  roots  in  a 
thickly-matted  web,  and  the  hay  crops  will  Ije  con- 
sequently more  lasting  and  productive. 

Your  correspondent,  "Young  Farmer,"  in  acom- 
munication  dated  March  19th,  inquires  for  ways 
to  re-invigorate  an  old  pasture,  too  far  off  to  re 
eeive  manure  from  the  stables  and  yards  You  ad- 
vise him  very  judiciously  as  to  the  time  for  plow- 
ing it,  and  indicate  several  fertihzing  compounds 
which  he  may  undoubtedly  apply  with  advan- 
tageous results  following.  With  your  permission 
I  will  extend  the  list  a  little  farther. 

If'Y'oung  Farmer"  has  a  bed  of  muck  lying 
near  his  pasture,  he  had  better  try  on  a  portion  of 
the  plowed  land  a  compost  of  muck  with  ashes  or 
lime.  The  compost  should  be  finely  worked,  and 
mixed  in  t!ie  proportions  of  two  bushels  of  un- 
leached  ashes  or  one  bushel  of  dry-slacked  lime  to 
a  half  cord  of  muck,  and  lay  in  heap  a  few  weeks 
before  using  it  on  the  land.  If  the  bed  of  muck 
lies  handy,  and  the  ashes  do  not  come  higher  than 
fifteen  cents,  nor  the  lime  higher  than  thirty  cents 
per  bushel,  a  good  coat  of  compost  can  be  furnished 
for  from  eight  to  ten  dollars  per  acre. 

Plow  the  land  in  August,  seven  inches  deep,  in 
narrow  furrows  laid  over  smoothly,  apply  the  com- 
post on  the  surface  of  the  plowed  land,  and  har- 
row fine.  Sow  rye,  with  a  mixture  of  red  and  white 
clover,  herds-grass  and  red-top  seeds.  Sow  grass- 
seed  liberally,  so  as  to  fill  the  surflice  with  a 
good  stand  of  the  grasses.  If  present  profits  must 
necessarily  Ije  considered,  harvest  a  grain  crop  the 
next  year  ;  but  if  a  later  return  can  be  waited 
for,  feed  off  the  rye  as  pasture,  taking  no  matured 
grain-crop,  and  the  ultimate  profits  will  be  the 
greater. 

Your  correspondent,  F.  11.  Currier,  in  a  com- 
munication dated  Jan  Sth.,  inquires  for  ways  to 
compost  muck  and  fit  it  for  use  as  manure.  Among 
other  modes,  you  refer  him  to  one  of  mine,  de- 
tailed in  the  3d  Vol.  Monthly  Former,  page  381, 
and  also  recommend  composting  it  with  lime  or 
ashes.  I  have  frequently  tried  these  modes,  and 
can  speak  confidently  in  regard  to  each  of  them. 
A  few  years  since,  I  plowed  up  a  tract  of  grass 
land,  and  not  having  manure  enough  from  the  sta- 
bles and  yards  to  go  over  the  whole  piece,  made 
a  compost  of  muck  and  ashes  to  supply  the  defi- 
ciency. Thirty  cords  of  muck  dug  a  year  previous 
were  composted  with  one  hundred  bushels  of  un- 
leached  hard-wood  ashes,  and  the  mixture  was  ap- 
plied to  two  acres.  The  ashes  cost  me  fourteen 
cents  per  bushel,  and  the  muck  two  shillings  per 


half  cord,  delivered  on  the  field.  The  compost 
was  intimately  mixed  up  in  the  fivll,  in  one  large 
heap,  which  was  once  shovelled  over  the  following 
spring.  It  was  applied  on  the  surface  and  har- 
rowed in.  The  corn-crop  oh  these  two  acres  was 
entirely  satisfactory  in  amount  and  quality. 

I  have  frequently  applied  a  compost  of  muck 
with  dry-slacked  lime, — though  when  I  can  buy 
ashes  readily  at  not  too  high  a  price,  I  prefer  a 
given  outlay  in  ashes  rather  than  in  lime.  The 
best  fresh  unslacked  lime  is  the  cheapest,  l>eeause 
it  is  more  effective  in  compost  and  swells  very  much 
in  bulk  when  dry-slacked  for  use.  Six  years  since, 
I  had  a  heap  of  seventy-five  half  cords  of  muck 
mixed  with  lime,  in  the  proportion  of  a  half  cord  of 
muck  with  a  bushel  of  lime.  The  muck  was  drawn 
to  the  field  when  wanted  in  August.  A  bushel  of 
salt  to  a  tiei'ce  of  lime,  6  bushels,  was  dissolved  in 
water  enough  to  slack  the  lime  down  to  fine  dry  pow- 
der, the  lime  being  slacked  no  faster  than  wanted, 
and  spread  immediately  while  warm,  over  the  layers 
of  muck.  The  layers  of  muck  were  about  six  inches 
thick,  then  a  coating  of  lime,  and  so  on  till  the  heap 
reached  a  height  of  five  feet,  a  convenient  width, 
and  length  enough  to  embrace  the  whole  quantity 
of  the  muck.  In  about  three  weeks  a  powerful 
lecomposition  was  apparent,  and  the  heap  was 
nicely  overhauled,  nothing  more  being  done  to  it, 
till  it  was  loaded  the  next  spring  for  spreading. 
The  compost  was  spread  on  the  plowed  surface  of 
a  dry  sandy  loam,  at  therate  of  about  fifteen  cords 
per  acre,  and  harrowed  in.  The  land  was  plant- 
ed with  c.)rn,andthe  crop  was  rising  of  sixty  bush- 
els per  acre. 

It  has  been  the  custom  with  me  for  several  years 
past  to  make  composts  of  this  kind  to  supply  any 
deficiency  in  quantity  of  other  manure  to  dress 
and  fertilize  the  amount  of  land  I  may  want  to 
plow.  When  these  alkalines  are  used  in  compost, 
the  mass  should  be  applied  to  and  kept  near  the 
surface  of  the  soil, as  tlieir  tendency  is  to  sink  down. 
They  are  very  valuable  when  mixed  with  muck, 
because  they  neutralize  its  acids,  promote  its  de- 
composition, and  make  it  a  free  mass  of  vegetable 
or  organic  substance,  fit  for  the  nourishment  of 
crops. 

And  now,  my  friend,  if  you  think  these  hasty 
observations  may  be  interesting  or  valuable  to  any 
of  your  readers,  you  may  use  them  for  that  pur- 
pose. Anything  herein  that  is  notmade  plainand 
specific  enough,  will  be  detailed  more  fully,  at  the 
request  of  yourself  or  others.  F.  Holbrook. 

Braltl(boro\  March  18,  1853. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
CHOKED  CATTLE. 

Mr.  Editor: — I  notice  in  the  March  number  of 
the  Farmer,  page  145,  an  article  upon  the  subject 
of  C'lttle  choking  in  feeding.  It  is  a  subject  with 
which  I  have  had  some  experience,  but  since  the 
discovery  of  the  following  method  of  operation  have 
bad  no  difficulty  in  relieving  in  all  cases  where  it 
has  been  applied.  When  an  animal  is  discovered 
to  be  choked,  it  should  as  soon  as  possible  be  placed 
where  it  jan  be  handled,  and  an  instrument  of  the 
following  description  forced  down  the  throat  until 
it  is  relieved. 

Take  a  tough  piece  of  timber  the  size  of  a  good 
whip  stock,  from  three  to  four  and  a  half  feet  long, 
a  ball  of  yarn,  or  some  soft  substance  put  on  the 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


213 


small  end, — a  piece  of  soft  leather  drawn  over  it 
and  confined  to  the  stick  with  a  cord  or  twine  tied 
.around  above  the  ball,  and  secured  from  pulling 
oflF  by  moans  of  notches  cut  in  the  stick  ;  the  ball 
should  be  from  one  to  two  inches  in  diameter,  in 
proportion  to  the  size  of  the  animal,  and  greased 
when  used.  Such  an  instrument  may  be  used  with- 
out any  danger  of  injury  to  the  animal  operated 
upon.  I  have  used  it  with  perfect  success  with 
choked  swine,  in  several  cases. 

But  in  general,  a  preventive  is  better  than  a 
cure;  therefore,  perhaps  I  cannot  render  a  greater 


his  own  walls,  if  he  can  but  persuade  himself  to 
think  so.  By  rolling  the  largest  stones  into  lines 
and  securing  them  by  smaller  ones  to  prevent 
their  canting  out  of  place,  and  building  upon  them 
with  smaller  stones,  till  the  fence  is  of  the  required 
or  proper  height,  a  substantial  wall  will  be  pro- 
cured at  a  very  trifling  expense,  as  the  work  may 
be  performed  at  seasons  of  comparative  leisure, 
and  when,  generally,  there  is  little  of  any  thing 
else  to  do.     "Double  walls,"  and  "faced  walls," 


benefit  to  the  feeders  of  neat  cattle,  than  to  in-  though  they  have  a  more  neat  and  finished  ap 


form  them,  if  not  already  acquainted,  with  a  sim- 
ple, hut  I  think,  infallible  remedy  against  cattle 
choking  when  feeding;  they  may  get  choked  when 
running  at  large,  but  when  animals  are  to  be  fed 
with  any  article  with  which  they  are  liable  to  get 
choked,  place  them  in  the  stall,  or  tie-up,  and 
simply  put  a  bar  or  stick  over  their  necks  sufficient 
to  keep  them  from  raising  the  head  above  the  lev- 
el of  their  bodies,  they  never  get  choked,  try  it. 
A  Subscriber  up  North. 


COST    OP   FENCES. 


"We  are  not  aware  that  any  very  reliable  estimates 
have  as  yet  been  made,  by  practical  men,  relative 
to  the  cost  of  the  several  species  of  enclosures  or- 
dinarily made  use  of  on  farms.  In  looking  over  an 
old  number  of  the  Farmer  recently,  we  found  a 
paper  on  this  subject  furnished  by  Mr.  Shurtleff, 
which  is  worth  repeating.  The  estimates  are  giv- 
en by  Mr.  S.  as  the  deductions  of  his  own  esperi- 
ment  : — 

"  White  cedar  fence  made  of  posts  and  rails, 
five  rails  in  height,  three  lengths  to  two  rods  near- 
ly, cost  91  cents  a  rod. 

White  pine  rails  sawed  two  inches  by  eight,  and 
chestnut  posts,  four  rails  high,  three  len.ths  to 
two  rods  nearly,  cost  64  cents  a  roi.  In  both 
these  instances  the  cost  was  exclusive  of  the  set- 
ting. 

Good  four  and  a  half  feet  stone  wall  varies  from 
$1  to  $2, .50  the  rod,  according  to  the  ease  with 
which  the  stone  could  be  procured,  and  the  man- 
ner in  which  it  was  laid,  whether  by  trenching  (  r 
otherwise. 

Hedge  fence  made  of  Virginia  thorn  plants, 
(Crataegus  cordata,)  set  twenty-one  to  a  rod,  cost 
at  the  end  of  the  fourth  year,  including  planting, 
trimming,  &c.,  50  cents  a  rod." 


pearance,  are  never  desirable,  except  when  there 
is  a  large  amount  of  stones  to  be  worked  up,  or 
where  the  wall  is  near  buildings,  and  intended 
partly  for  ornament,  as  well  as  utility.  In  "fac- 
ing," stones  are  often  laid  with  reference  to  neat- 
ness, rather  than  stability.  To  secure  a  "good 
face,"  some  of  the  most  important  principles  of 
masonry  are  frequently  neglected,  and  beauty  se- 
cured at  the  expense  of  durability.  Single  walls, 
if  the  stones  are  of  proper  size,  are  to  be  pre- 
ferred. 

For  the  Nexv  England  Farmer. 

BENEFITS  OF  AGRICULTURAL  PA- 
PERS. 

Messrs.  Editors  : — Knowing  by  experience  that 
much  good  results  from  the  matter  contained  in 
papers,  I  think  it  necessary  that  we  all  strive  to 
improve  them.  How  can  this  be  done  ?  It  can 
be  done  in  various  ways.  Let  every  reader  that 
has  received  a  dollar's  worth  of  information, 
through  the  papers,  acknowledge  it,  and  at  the 
same  time  communicate  something  from  his  own 
experience,  to  benefit  his  neighbors.  One  man 
can  raise  a  bushel  of  corn  for  less  expense  than 
another;  let  him  show  his  method,  with  all  the 
items  of  expense.  One  thinks  poultry  and  eggs 
can  be  produced  with  a  handsome  profit,  another 
believes  different ;  let  facts  decide.  The  manufac- 
turer of  plows  will  tell  you  that  his  is  the  best,  and 
his  story  seems  true,  until  his  neighbor,  the  plow- 
man, decides  to  the  contrary.  A  word  about 
plows;  is  it  a  fact  that  plows  are  better  than  they 
were  in  bygone  days'?  More  than  thirty  years 
ao-o  I  held  a  plow  that  did  actually  cut  and  turn 
over  furrow  after  furrow,  keeping  its  place  at  the 
end  without  a  hand  being  applied  to  it.  Then 
there  was  Keith's  plows  so  generally  used  twenty 
years  ago,  that  I  verily  believe  do  better  service 
than  many  of  those  now  in  use.  The  woodchop- 
per  works  to  disadvantage,  when  he  wields  a  heavy 


irregularly  formed  axe.     Perhaps  a  hint  to  agri- 
It  will  not  be  questioned,  we  presume,  that  inLultural  societies  to  ofier  a  handsome  premium  for 


the  above  estimate,  the  cost  of  stone  walls  is 
greatly  too  high.  The  expense  of  transporting 
stones  from  fields  and  pastures  when  they  oppose 
a  serious  obstacle  to  the  operations  of  the  cultiva- 
tor, and  when  they  occupy  much  land  which  their 
removal  renders  available  for  important  purposes, 
ought  not,  we  think,  to  be  taken  into  the  account. 
The  cost  of  "laying"  wall,  when  the  stones  are 
of  proper  size,  is  generally  from  twenty  to  thirty 
cents,  but  the  artistic  skill  demanded  in  the  oper- 
ation is  so  slight  that  any  farmer  can  construct 


the  best  axe  might  result  in  lasting  good._  The 
cultivator  of  corn  would  be  wise  to  avail  himself 
of  a  remedy  against  the  ravages  of  the  cut-worm, 
which  remedy  has  been  applied  by  the  writer  of 
this,  for  nearly  forty  years,  without  a  single  failure. 
It  is  a  coating  of  tar  applied  to  the  seed  corn. 

To  make  our  agricultural  papers  useful  and  in- 
teresting, it  requires  talent  as  well  as  the  offerings 
of  the  small  farmers  ;  to  bring  about  this  result, 
let  the  officers  and  members  of  agricultural  socie- 
ties write  over  their  proper  names,  the  principles 
of  farming-,  and  facts  connected  therewith  ;  let  the 
farmers  of  unlimited  means  show  by  figures,  the 


214 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Mat 


expense  and  income  of  their  crops,  each  different 
croj.  by  itself,  then  sum  them  all  up,  so  as  to  know 
whether  their  business  will  pay  ;  and  let  the  farm- 
er of  limited  means  tell  his  story,  and  meet  his 
wealthy  opponent  for  a  fair  discussion  of  the  whole 
matter  of  agriculture.  Too  many  of  our  able  writ- 
ers keep  themselves  behind  some  assumed  name, 
so  that  we  know  not  who  we  have  to  contend 
with  ;  then  again  what  they  write  is  so  void  of 
particulars,  that  we  can  hardly  take  ground  to  re- 
ply to  them.  Would  it  not  be  well  for  you  to 
give  out  weekly,  some  particular  point  in  farming, 
to  be  discussed  by  your  readers,  their  communica- 
tions to  be  inserted  in  two  weeks  from  the  date  of 
the  question,  all  writers  to  bo  limted  to  a  certain 
space.  This  would  have  the  advantage  of  a  Ly- 
ceum, by  the  writer  being  obliged  to  advance  his 
own  opinions  without  being  swayed  by  those  of 
others. 

I  like  short  articles  from  practical  men.  I  like, 
when  reading  a  statement  of  any  branch  of  farm- 
ing, made  to  show  that  it  is  profitable,  to  be  direct- 
ed to  the  exact  amount  in  dollars  and  cents. 

West  Needham.  R.  Mansfield. 


INDIAN  CORN. 


ITiere  will  never  be  a  time,  probably,  when  In- 
dian corn  will  not  be  contemplated  in  the  light  of 
an  important  staple,  by  the  American  agriculturist. 
For  a  great  variety  of  uses,  it  is  certainly  unsur- 
passed in  the  catalogue  of  grains,  and  in  point  of 
productiveness  it  compai-es  favorably  with  most 
grains.  Yet  there  are  a  great  many  who  consider 
its  cultivation  as  a  matter  involving  much  uncer- 
tainty and  risk.  They  complain  of  the  early  frosts, 
which  cut  off  the  young  plants;  of  the  drought, 
which  coerces  or  averts  the  development  of  the 
grain,  and  of  the  later  frosts,  by  which  it  is  some- 
times, though  rarely,  destroyed.  All  crops  are  lia- 
ble to  accidents,  and  corn  can  by  no  means  claim 
an  exemption.  Yet  that  it  is  more  liable  to  suffer 
and  be  destroyed  by  untoward  events  than  other 
crops  of  similar  value,  is  what  no  OEe,  perhaps, 
who  candidly  contemplates  the  subject,  will  pre- 
tend to  assert.  If  the  early  frost  withers  the  ten- 
der blades,  it  never  destroys  tlie  roots  ;  a  few  warm 
days  reclothes  the  field  in  its  pristine  verdure,  and 
the  real  injury  is,  at  most,  but  nominal.  The 
drought,  or  its  effects,  none  can  prevent,  though 
the  latter  may  be  very  essentially  mitigated  by 
adopting  a  judicious  course  of  cultivation.  For- 
merly the  old  Indian  method  of  elevating  a  high 
conical  hill  around  the  roots  was  in  vogue  ;  but 
this  has  been  found  to  be  an  error.  The  more  of 
these  bills  there  are  on  an  acre,  the  greater,  of 
course  will  be  the  extent  of  surface  exposed  to  the 
8un  and  winds,  and  the  greater  the  exposure,  the 
greater  too  must  necessarily  be  the  evaporation  in 
a  dry  time.  It  was  also  deemed  essential,  in  or- 
der to  obviate  the  effect  of  drought,  to  allow  the 
weeds  to  grow  and  cover  the  soil  to  keep  out  the 
sun,  and  thus  preserve  the  soil  perfectly  moist  and 
cool.     Now  experience  has  demonstrated,  and  the 


most  indifferent  observation  will  convince  any  one 
that  the  more  vegetation  there  is  on  an  acre 
the  greater  will  be  the  drought  upon  its  moisture. " 
If,  in  a  severe  drought,  you  pull  up  a  handful  of 
weeds  from  a  mass,  the  foliage  of  which  complete- 
ly shuts  out  the  sun  from  the  soils,  you  will  find 
the  roots  bring  up  no  moist  dirt ;  while  the  soil  on 
which  no  weeds  have  grown,  though  in  the  imme- 
diate vicinity  of  the  former,  and  exposed  to  the 
unmitigated  heat  of  the  sun,  will  be  damp.  In 
working  corn  lands,  we  should  endeavor  to  keep 
the  surface  clean  and  light.  Fine,  well  pulverized 
earth  is  a  non-conductor,  and  consequently  the.of- 
tener  we  pass  through  our  fields  with  the  harrow 
or  cultivator,  in  dry  weather,  the  better  will  it  be 
for  the  crop.  A  brick,  fresh  from  the  mould,  if 
placed  in  the  yard  and  covered  with  a  stratum  of 
perfectly  dry  sand,  will  retain  its  moisture  five 
times  as  long  as  one  struck  from  the  same  clay  and 
at  the  same  time,  if  exposed  openly  by  its  side. 
No  hills  should  be  made  around  Indian  corn. 
Plant  so  as  to  pass  both  ways  through  the  fields 
i.  e.,  longitudinally  and  transversely,  and  do  the 
working  with  the  cultivator  and  horse.  The  few 
weeds  that  remain  after  the  latter  has  passed,  are 
easily  eradicated  with  the  hoe  or  hand,  and  all  the 
rain  that  falls  will  be  carried  to  the  roots,  instead 
of  being  thrown  from  them  into  the  centre  of  the 
space  between  the  rows.  If  you  plant  a  kernel  of 
Indian  corn  in  rich  soil,  and  suffer  it  to  grow  with- 
out hilling,  it  will  take  as  strong  a  hold,  and  main- 
tain itself  as  firmly  against  winds,  as  one  that  is 
hilled,  and  more  so.  But  if,  after  it  has  run  up 
to  the  height  of  three  or  four  feet,  you  bring  up 
three  inches  of  dirt  around  the  foot  stalk,  the 
lateral  roots,  which  are  its  stays  and  braces,  will 
stop  growing,  and  a  new  emission  of  laterals  will 
be  induced  from  the  section  covered  by  the  fresb 
soil.  The  old  stalk  will  also  be  blanched  by  the 
privation  of  air,  become  crisp  and  brittle,  like  as- 
paragus grown  under  leaves,  and  easily  break. 
The  same  will  take  place  as  often  as  fresh  dirt  is 
drawn  up  ;  and  the  energies  of  the  system  ex- 
hausted by  sending  forth  roots  from  which  it  in 
return  can  derirve  but  comparatively  slight  sup- 
port. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

OYSTER  SHELL  LIME. 

Mr.  Editor  r — Dear  Sir, — Will  you  inform  me 
through  your  valuable  paper,  of  the  comparative 
value  of  oyster  shell  lime  and  stone  lime,  as  a  cor- 
rective of  the  acid  in  peat  mud,  in  conjunctiou 
with  salt,  according  to  the  receipt  of  Prof.  Mapes. 
Many  of  my  neighbors,  as  well  as  myself,  wish  to 
use  the  oyster  shell  lime,  manufactured  at  Med- 
ford,  if  it  is  really  valuable.  By  giving  its  infor- 
mation, you  will  confer  a  favor  on  Many. 


Remarks. — See  advertisement    for  explanation 
in  another  part  of  the  paper. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


215 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
FIELD  SEEDS. 
Mr.  Brovtn  : — I  venture  to  send  you  a  few 
thoughts  on  the  subject  of  field  seeds.  And  as  the 
time  approaches  when  farmers  have  occasion  to 
use  them,  I  trust  that  these  thoughts,  if  deemed 
worthy  of  a  place  on  your  pages  at  all,  will  not 
be  accounted  unseasonable. 

Magy  formers  are  awaking  to  the  importance  of 
seeking  the  best  kinds  of  stock,  and  the  best  qual- 
ity of  field  seeds.  But  I  do  not  recollect  to  have 
seen  a  caution  offered  on  your  pages,  with  suffi- 
cient explicitness,  against  allowing  foul  seeds  of 
any  sort  to  be  mingled  with  the  seed  we  use. 

No  man  needs  to  be  informed  that  soil  pre-oc- 
cupied  with  weeds,  cannot  very  largely  yield  useful 
produce.  Every  intelligent  farmerknows,  though 
too  many  are  very  remiss  in  improving  their 
knowledge,  that  if  ho  would  secure  a  good  yield 
of  either  grass  or  grain,  the  strength  of  the  soil 
must  be  reserved  for  it. 

The  former  who  sows  foul  seed  in  his  fields 
commits  an  error  which  in  the  end  must  cost  hin^ 
dear.  He  may  use  an  indifferent  bull  or  horse,  or 
buck,  and  suffer  only  temporary  injury,  because 
he  can  rid  himself  of  his  worthless  stock,  and  thus 
end  his  loss.  Not  so  when  he  sows  foul  seed 
His  loss  but  begins  with  his  error.  He  introduces 
an  enemy  into  his  enclosures,  to  which  he  must 
either  surrender  at  discretion,  or  maintain  at  end- 
less labor  and  expense,  a  warfare  always  exhaust- 
ing and  commonly  futile,  because  not  wao-ed 
with  sufficient  energy  and  thoroughness.  He  en- 
tails, too  upon  posterity,  a  curse  of  inestimable 
magnitude. 

Do  not  dealers  in  agricultural  seeds  often  con- 
tribute to  the  evil  in  question;  sometimes  inad- 
vertently, but  as  often,  perhaps,  for  the  sake  of 
the  profit  they  secure  ?  Of  the  occurrence  of  the 
toliowing  fact  I  am  assured. 

Some  two  years  since,  a  gentleman  of  this  com- 
munity wishing  to  obtain  some  "imported  spring 
wheat,  a,nd  some  spring  rye,  wrote  to  a  friend 
m  your  city  to  ascertain  whether  he  could  pro- 
cure It  for  him  perfectly  clear.  The  friend  re- 
phed  that  he  had  the  assurance  of  a  dealer  whom 
he  had  consulted,  that  he  would  furnish  both  the 
kinds  of  seed  sought,  in  the  condition  specified. 
A  tew  bushels  were  accordingly  ordered,  and  with 
the  bill  transmitted,  there  was  a  printed  assur- 
ance that  the  house  dealt  in  no  seeds  but  those  of 
the  best  quality  and  in  perfect  condition.  Great 
was  the  purchaser's  surprise,  therefore,  when  on 
opening  the  casks,  his  attention  was  attracted  not 
by  the  beauty  of  the  grain,  but  by  the  variety  of 
toul  matter  it  contained.  Happily  for  him  his 
neighbors  had  engaged  most  of  the  wheat  before 
Its  arrival,  so  that  he  had  but  a  single  bushel  re- 
?^^'°i".g-  This  he  attempted  to  clean  with  screens, 
but  f:„  ed  because  a  part  of  the  foul  seed  was 
fnrfl-i''°  !^®  .S^^^^-  H^  ^^s  compelled,  there- 
S  ff  f  **"  (^'^S°  *^^  ^-^^i^g  «f  tlie  seed,  or 
Knd    Jl  '7  that  which  would  be  ruinous  to  his 

hand.  The  latter  course  he  adopted,  looking  over 
a  spoonful  at  a  time,  and  it  is^  hardly  credible 
though  strictly  true,  that  besides  a  libeml  sprink- 
hng  of  rye  and  barley,  he  found  no  less  than  four- 
teen different  kinds  of  foul  seed,  amounting  in  the 
Whole  to  about  three  quarts.     This,  too,  was  im- 


ported Toul  seed,  as  though  our  formers  have  not 
already  indigenous  weeds  enough  to  contend  with. 

The  case  of  the  rye  was  not  much  better.  It 
could  not  be  cleaned  by  screening,  and  it  was  not 
worth  picking  over.  So  the  purchaser  carried  it 
to  the  mill  and  had  it  ground  for  his  swine.  To 
a  word  of  remonstrance  sent  by  the  purchaser  to 
the  dealer,  the  latter  replied  that  he  sold  "as 
clean  seed  as  others  sold,  of  the  same  importa- 
tion." To  the  rye  he  made  no  allusion. 
_  Now,  Mr.  Editor,  I  hold  that  important  as  the 
introduction  of  certain  grains  may  be  to  our  coun- 
try, their  usefulness  can  never  equal  the  mischief 
done  by  the  simultaneous  introduction  of  a  dozen 
kinds  of  foul  seed,  to  become,  by  unavoidable  dis- 
semination, a  pest  through  the  land.  Who  will 
pretend  to  estimate  the  mischief  of  a  single  im- 
portation of  grain  in  the  condition  of  thai  above 
specified?  Who  can  tell  the  amount  of  the  evil  1 
Would  not  any  quantity  of  seed,  in  such  condil 
tion,  be  a  dear  gift  to  the  country,  since  some  of 
It  wuuld  of  course  be  sowed  by  careless  formers 
and  since  the  spread  of  noxious  weeds  when  once 
rooted,  though  it  may  be  gradual,  is  inevitable. 

A  word  of  exhortation,  and  I  have  done.  If  we 
would  raise  good  crops,  let  us  seek  seed  of  the 
best  quahty.  If  we  would  have  clean  fields  let 
us  use  only  clean  seed.  If  we  would  enjoy 'the 
pleasures  as  well  as  the  profits  of  farming,  let  us 
labor  to  keep  our  farms  in  good  condition,  while 
we  labor  with  equal  diligence  to  keep  a  "conscience 
void  of  offence  toward  God,  and  toward  man." 

L.  Matthews. 
Cornwall,  Vt.,  March  20,  1853. 


^  Remarks.— We  improve  the  earliest  moment  to 
give  place  to  these  timely  and  valuable  suggestions. 
Endless  troubles,  labors  and  losses,  grow  out  of 
the  practice  of  sowing  mixed  seeds.  It  is  hoped 
these  hints  will  lead  to  a  careful  examination  of 
seeds  before  they  are  committed  to  the  soil,  as 
well  as  a  stricter  regard  to  their  purity  by  those 
who  import  and  sell  them. 


ADDRESS  BY  WM.  S.  KING,  ESQ. 

We  have  read  with  interest,  the  Address  by  Mr. 
King,  editor  of  the  Journal  of  Agriculture,  before 
the  New  Hampshire  Agricultural  Society,  at  Mer- 
edith Bridge,  on  the  7th  October  last,  at  its  third 
annual  exhibition.  We  give  below  an  extract, 
all  we  have  room  for  at  present.  The  address  is 
written  with  spirit,  and  exposes  the  inconsistencies 
of  those  who  mock  at  "book  farming,"  or  in  oth- 
er words,  intelligent  labor. 

It  was  our  fortune  to  have  there,  (at  the  World's 
Fair)  among  others,  one  man,  who  deserves  hon- 
orable mention  at  this  farmer's  festival, — the  com- 
missioner from  the  State  of  New  York,  B.  P.  John- 
son ;  then,  as  now,  Secretary  of  the  New  York 
State  Agricultural  Society.  For  many  dreary 
weeks,  he  stood  almost  alone  ;  sad  and  desolate, 
amid  the  neglected  contributions  of  his  country. 
Who  chanced  to  visit  us,  came  to  sneer.  "These 
Yankee  plows,"  said  an  unusually  unprejudiced 
visitor,  one  day,  "may  do  well  enough  among 
the  rocks  and  stumps  of  America ;  but  they  are 
not  comparable,  for  general  work,  to  our  English 


216 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARME^ 


Mat 


plows,  or  even  to  the  Belgian."  '^'Do  you  know," 
retorted  Johnson,  "that  in  our  country,  we  have 
fields,  without  a  fence,  or  a  rock,  or  a  stump,  lar- 
ger than  your  whole  island  of  Great  Britain  ;  and 
these  plows  have  been  found  to  work  well  there, 
as  they  will  work  well  anywhere.  This  flour  is 
made  from  the  wheat,  you  see  yonder ;  and  the 
wheat  was  grown  on  land  plowed  with  implements 
like  these  ;  that  crop  of  v/heat  averaged  62^  bush- 
els to  the  acre,  weighing  03  pounds  to  the  bushel." 
So  with  the  reapers.  The  Lo/idon  Tii'/nes  paraded 
an  account  of  tlie  American  department,  and  chris- 
tened McGonuick's  machine,  "a  cross  betwixt  a 
flying-machine,  a  ti*ead-mill,  and  an  Astley's  char- 
iot." "That  fiying  machine  must  be  tested  on  the 
field,"  insisted  the  sturdy  Johnson,  "and  let  them 
laugh  that  win."  The  tread-mill  was  tried.  The 
grain,  green  and  storm-soaked  as  it  was,  went 
down  before  it,  as  if  it  were  the  shears  of  Fate  ; 
"and  loud,  though  late,  v^ere  the  honest  congratu- 
lations of  our  discomfited  critics.  The  introduc- 
tion of  the  2\merican  Reaper,  alone,  was  by  com- 
mon consent,  allowed  to  compensate  England  for 
all  the  gross  expenses  of  the  exhibition.  In  like 
manner,  the  plows  were  found  to  work  well  on 
English  land.  And,  finally,  the  bitter  opponent 
of  all  that  is  American  and  republican, — that  same 
London  Times — confessed  that  the  United  States, 
by  their  contributions  for  ensuring  the  good  of  the 
many,  instead  of  pandering  to  the  luxuries  of  the 
few,  had  carried  off  the  palm,  in  this  World's  Tour- 
nament. 

Why  was  it  that  at  the  eleventh  hour,  only, 
was  justice  done  to  one  of  the  competing  countries  1 
Why  did  thousands,  whose  voices  were  afterwards 
loudest  in  praise, — to  their  honor  be  this  said, — 
for  so  long  time  speak,  but  to  scoff?  Prejuc-ice 
had  pre-oceupied  their  minds,  and  jaundiced  their 
vision. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
NEW  BRUNSWICK. 

Mr.  Browm  : — ^I  have  been  a  reader  of  the  New 
England  Farmer  this  last  twelvemonth,  and  like  it 
very  much.  But  I  have  sometimes  felt  a  little 
nettled  at  never  seeing  the  name  of  New  Brunswick 
mentioned  in  it,  either  as  regards  farming  or  any 
thing  else.  You  must  be  aware  that  there  is  such' 
a  place  as  New  Brunswick,  and  that  your  paper 
extends  its  circulation  hither  ;  but  I  suppose  you 
think  that  "New  Brunswick  is  no  good  for  fiirm- 
ing."  It  is  better,  however,  than  you  are  perhaps 
aware  of;  and  to  convince  you  of  that,  I  have  re- 
solved on  writing  you  some  particulars  regarding 
its  capabilities.  What  kind  of  land  we  have — how 
we  get  along — and  what  we  can  raise.  I  do  not 
feel  myself  altogether  qualified  for  the  undertak- 
ing, having  only  been  two  years  in  the  country, 
and  not  being  much  used  to  writing,  but  it  seems 
there  is  no  one  with  better  qualifications  that  thinks 
it  worth  their  trouble. 

This  place  is  situated  thirty  miles  from  Frederick- 
ton  the  seat  of  the  Provincial  government,  and  thii'- 
ty-five  from  the  American  frontier — Calais,  Me. 
The  settlers  are  a  mixture  of  Scotch  and  English, 
the  first  of  which  commenced  in  the  forest  fifteen 
years  ago.  They  have  stuck  to  their  farms  and 
done  well.  The  soil  is  a  clayey  loam,  (not  very 
stony)  and  rests  upon  a  hard  pan.  The  geological 
formation   is   grey  sandstone   and   granite.     The 


growth  of  wood  may  be  said  to  be  a  mixture  of 
spruce  and  hemlock,  birch,  beech  and  maple. 

Chopping  down,  clearing  up,  and  fencing  new 
land,  costs  £3  10s,  or  $14  an  acre.  When  it  i& 
sown  with  oats  3  bushels  is  allowed  to  the  acre, 
and  the  return  is  50,  more  or  less  ;  70  is  sometimes 
obtained.  The  ground  is  only  harrowed  twice 
over,  and  raked  round  the  stumps.  It  ought  to 
get  more  stirring. 

We  raise  famous  potatoes  here.  We  hajj  300 
bushels  from  the  acre  last  season,  good  and  sound. 
There  was  800  bushels  raised  on  one  acre,  near 
Frederickton,  last  year.  The  ground  was  a  sandy 
loam, plowed  out  of  the  sward,  and  had  no  manure 
except  .50  bushels  of  leached  ashes.  I  saw  some 
bushels  of  them  at  the  Provincial  Exhibition.  We 
are  not  very  particular  in  planting  our  potatoes  on 
new  land  ;  we  make  no  hole  for  the  seed — ^just  lay 
down  the  cuts  (3  to  a  hill)  on  the  surface,  and 
draw  the  ashes  and  dirt  round  them.  A  neighbor 
of  mine  says,  "he  thinks  they  are  gie  wed  rigged 
if  he  gets  a  chip  on  them."  We  raise  grass  seed 
in  large  quantities,  and  of  superior  quality  ;  per- 
haps you  may  have  heard  of  the  Harvey  Timothy, 
a  great  part  of  it  is  sent  to  Boston.  We  sow  only 
3  pints  to  4  quarts  on  an  acre — sometimes  a  little 
clover  is  added.  The  clover  grows  very  strong  ;  a 
neighbor  of  mine  tells  me  that  he  used  to  sow 
some  clover,  but  it  grew  so  strong  that  he  could 
not  cut  it,  and  he  quit  sowing  it. 

We  top  the  herds-grass  with  the  sickle,  hence 
the  seed  is  very  pure.  A  good  hand  is  allowed  tc- 
top  an  acre  a  day.  Four  bushels  from  the  acre  is 
a  fair  crop.  As  for  plow  land  farming,  I  have  sev- 
eral times  seen  oats,  barley  and  wheat  raised  here, 
which  weighed  respectively,  50,  CO,  and  70  lbs- 
per  bushel.  The  land  would  do  well,  if  it  was 
well  attended  to  ;  but  there  is  great  room  for  im- 
provement. Indeed,  I  have  often  been  surprised 
to  see  the  crops  which  are  obtained  by  the  )uode 
of  cultivation  sometimes  practised.  I  know  the 
farmers  in  my  country  would  think  hard  to  expect 
a  crop  from  the  same  system.  I  have  often 
thought  that  the  farmers  in  this  country  calculate 
too  much,  sir.  Tlie  fiirmers  in  Scotland  do  not 
calculate  so  much,  and  yet  they  are  bettor  farm- 
ers ;  moreover  they  have  been  allowed  to  be  the 
best  farmers  in  the  world,  and  yet  it  has  been  said 
of  them,  that  "they  are  strong  as  tlie  ox,  and  as 
ignorant  as  sirong." 

I  shall  just  state  that  oats  here  this  winter  have 
sold  at  2s.  QhL  per  bushel,  potatoes  23.,  Timothy 
seed  14s.,  and   hay  £4   per  ton,  all  on   the  spot. 

A  Scotchman  in  the  backwoods  of  New  Bruns- 
wick. John  Taylor. 

Harvey  Settlement.  N.  B.,  > 

Via  Calais,  Me.,  March  2nd,  18S3.  5 


Remarks. — The  New  Brunswickers  shall  have  a 
fair  chance  with  us.  They  send  us  the  finest  grass 
seed  the  world  can  produce,  and  we  suppose  the 
men  and  women  would  come  under  the  same  com- 
parative degree.  A  "Scotch  backwoodsman" 
seems  to  be  as  glib  with  the  pen  as  the  axe,  and 
if  he  can  impart  something  to  benefit  "mankind 
in  general,  and  farmers  in  particular,"  why  he 
can  "put  it  through"  our  columns. 


FRAMrNGH.Mu  Farmers'  Club. — We  had  the  pleas- 
ure of  attending  a  meeting  of  this  Club,  at  Fra- 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


217 


minghiim,  on  the  2l8t  March.  A  large  audience 
of  ladies  ancf  gentlemen  was  present,  and  by  their 
attention  manifested  a  deep  interest  in  all  the  ex- 
ercises of  the  evening.  They  had,  as  usual,  an 
address,  followed  by  a  discussion,  wiiich  last  was 
on  the  importance  of  a  good  library,  and  a  better 
knowledge  of  Agricultural  books.  There  is  wealth, 
and  talent,  there,  sufficient  to  establish  the  first, 
and  to  appreciate  the  attractive  literature  of  the 
latter.  Witli  an  organization  a  little  more  precise, 
with  standing  committees  on  the  leading  subjects, 
and  essays  and  reports,  one  of  the  most  useful  as- 
sociations in  the  State  may  spring  from  this  germ. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
CULTIVATION  OF  FRUIT. 

The  cherry,  plum,  peach,  quince,  pear,  and  ap- 
ple, are  the  staple  fruits  of  New  England,  and  ev- 
ery farmer  whose  climate  and  soil  is  adapted  to 
their  culture,  should  raise  an  abundant  supply  for 
his  own  family,  and  as  many  as  possible  for  the 
best  market  he  can  command.  There  are  many 
sections,  however,  in  Maine,  New  Hampshire  and 
Vermont,  where  the  stone  fruits,  as  also  the  quince, 
cannot  be  raised.  For  instance,  the  farmers  of 
Vermont  should  not  expect  much  profit  from  the 
peach,  plum,  cherry,  or  quince,  as  they  cannot 
be  raised  with  advantage  unless  in  the  southern 
countries,  and  the  towns  bordering  on  the  Con- 
necticut. 

But  in  the  southern,  middle,  and  eastern  por- 
tions of  Massachusetts,  and  the  vicinity  of  all  our 
cities  and  large  villages,  they  may  be,  and  are 
raised  for  greatly  remunerating  prices.  A  single 
plum  tree  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston,  has  produced 
$30  or  .$40  in  a  year,  and  many  farmers  have  car- 
ried to  the  market  from  3  to  500,  and  some  as  high 
as  8  or  1000  bushels  of  peaches,  and  sold  from  $1 
to  $2  per  bushel,  obtaining  more  clear  profit  from 
one-half  acre  of  land,  than  is  realized  from  a  ma- 
jority of  the  farms  in  the  State.  The  cherry  should 
be  raised  for  family  use,  and  every  good  husband 
(whether  he  has  a  wife  or  not)  who  has  ground 
on  v/hich  to  grow  them,  may  have  the  luxury  in 
the  different  varieties  of  good  sweet  cherries,  from 
four  to  six  weeks. 

The  quince,  may  be  grown  to  great  profit,  al- 
though its  culture  cannot  become  so  generally 
profitable,  as  the  peach  or  apple.  The  culture  of 
the  apple  is  one  of  importance  to  fruit  growers, 
in  all  climates  where  it  can  be  made  to  flourish, 
and  there  is  hardly  a  farm  in  New  England  that 
has  not  some  locality  well  adapted  for  an  apple 
orchard. 

My  object  will  be  to  make  some  suggestions  de- 
rived from  mj  own  observation  and  experience,  to 
induce  others  to  engage  in  this  lucrative  and  pleas- 
ant branch  of  farming.  But,  says  some  good  old 
farmer,  "I  shall  never  live  to  raise  fruit,  if  I  set 
out  trees  ;  my  son  James  or  William  may  if  they 
want  tu."  But  my  friend,  suppose  you  do  not  live 
to  enjoy  the  fruit  from  those  trees,  somebody  else 
will  regale  themselves  by  eating  it.  And  beside, 
have  you  not  eaten  fruit  a  hundred  times  from 
trees  tliat  you  did  not  set  ouf?  And  does  not  jus- 
tice to  the  world  require  that  you  do  as  much  for 
others  that  come  after  you,  as  has  been  done  for 
you  by  others  before  you  ?     Away  then  with  that 


false  and  selfish  policyj  so  detrimental  to  all  im- 
provement in  the  moral  and  physical  world.  How 
noble  to  see  a  man  in  the  decline  of  life  planting 
the  little  acorn  that  shall  grow  to  a  tree,  under 
which,  generations  yet  to  be  born,  shall  be  screened 
from  the  mid  summer's  sun.  Who  does  not  wish 
to  do  some  beneficent  act,  to  leave  the  world  a  lit- 
tle better  for  having  lived  in  it,  and  perpetuate  a 
pleasant  remembrance  to  those  that  come  after  us. 
A  gentleman  some  years  since,  was  riding  through 
old  Framingham,  in  Middlesex  county,  and  pass- 
ing a  fine  orchard,  saw  a  man  standing  under  an 
apple  tree  very  greedily  devouring  a  fine  apple. 
The  stranger  halted,  and  asked  the  man  to  give 
him  an  apple.  He  did  so,  and  finding  the  fruit  ex- 
cellent, he  inquired  of  the  man  under  the  tree. 
"Who  set  out  this  fine  old  orchard  sir."  "An  old 
Mr.  John  Ames,  Go<;l  bless  his  old  soul,"  said  the 
man  with  a  mouthful  of  the  rich  apple.  Who  does 
not  wish  to  have  a  liearty  "God  bless  his  soul" 
rest  on  his  memory  for  having  done  something  un- 
selfish for  the  good  of  others.  But  look  here  friend, 
don't  you  see  tliat  every  good  fruit  tree  set  on 
your  farm  makes  it  the  more  valuable,  if  you  ever 
want  to  sell  it,  or  fur  your  sons  and  daughters  to 
live  on  it?  But  any  man  under  seventy  years,  in 
good  health,  and  in  favor  of  the  Maine  Law,  may 
hope  to  live  to  cat  of  the  fruit  from  the  trees  set 
by  his  own  hands.  Rev.  Mr.  Davis,  of  Fitchburg, 
tells  of  an  old  acquaintance  of  his,  in  Michigan, 
who  set  out  an  orchard  after  he  was  eighty  years 
old,  and  lived  to  eat  the  fruit  thereof,  a  number  of 
years.  Joshua  S.  Everett. 

EverettviUe,  Princeton. 


LEGISLATIVE  AGRICULTURAL  MEET- 
INGS. 

Tenth  Meeting— Tuesdav  Evening,  March  22,  1S53. 

The  tenth  meeting  of  the  series  was  held  at  the 
State  House  on  Tuesday  evening. 

The  subject  of  discussion  was  "TAe  Subdivision 
and  Fencing  of  the  Lands  of  a  Farm.^^ 

Mr.  Brooks,  of  Princeton,  presided,  and  on 
opening  the  discussion  remarked  that  he  had  but 
little  experience  in  the  matter.  As  to  the  material 
for  fences,  in  the  district  where  he  resides  stone 
fences  are  almost  universally  used,  and  are  con- 
sidered the  cheapest — their  first  cost  being  very 
little  more  than  wood  fence  of  any  kind.  They 
will  stand  thirty  to  forty  years  without  re-setting, 
and  can  be  renewed  at  a  cost  of  50  cents  per  rod. 
He  had  stone  fences  on  his  farm  fifty  years  old, 
which  he  had  renewed  for  25  to  30  cents.  He 
preferred  to  renew  his  walls  upon  the  old  founda- 
tion layer  of  stones,  because  they  get  firmly  fixed 
in  the  earth  and  are  less  liable  to  the  action  of  the 
frost.  In  regard  to  the  subdivision  of  lands,  he 
considered  small  lots  preferable.  In  his  neighbor- 
hood the  practice  is  to  enclose  in  lots  of  one  to 
three  or  four  acres.  Frequent  fences  serve  to  keep 
the  snow  upon  the  ground,  and  retain  the  fructi- 
fying substances  which  fall  with  the  snow  and 
rain.  They  also  prevent  the  light  debris  from  be- 
ing blown  from  land,  and  thus  serve  to  retain  fer- 
tilizino;  matter.     Around  the  wall  of  an  acre  lot 


218 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Ma, 


the  soil  for  the  distance  of  a  rod  will  be  fertilized,  of  subdividing  lands  in  New  England  was  at  pre- 
by  the  nutritive  substances  which  are  blown  from  sent  very  much  determined  by  accident,  which 
the  centre  of  the  lot.     In  large  lots  this  proportion  should  not  be  the  case.     He  conceived  the  design 


would  be  smaller. 

Mr.  French,  of  Braintree,  said  he  considered 
the  sul  ject  one  of  much  importance.  lie  agreed 
with  the  chairman  in  a  measure.  On  land  where 
there  are  a  great  many  boulders  which  cannot  be 
disposed  of  in  any  other  way,  it  is  good  policy  per- 
haps to  work  them  into  fencing.  But  if  land  is 
free  for  the  plow,  and  intended  for  cultivation,  he 
much  preferred  to  see  it  all  in  one  lot,  with  a  sin- 
gle exterior  fence,  and  the  buildings  as  nearly  in 
the  centre  of  the  farm  as  possible.  By  this  meth- 
od the  operation  of  plowing  is  made  much  more 
convenient— there  is  more  room  to  turn  round ; 
but  this  is  on  the  supposition  that  cattle  are  not 
to  be  turned  in  to  get  the  "after  feed."  In  build- 
ing stone  wall,  if  in  a  pasture,  it  might  be  well  to 
use  the  old  foundations,  but  if  on  arable  land,  not 
on  a  boundary  line,  he  would  dig  a  new  trench  and 
remove  such  of  the  old  stones  as  are  used  into  that. 
By  his  method  the  old  trench  is  left  for  a  drain, 
which  is  quite  useful,  as  gravelly,  stony  land  is 
usually  very  moist — and  the  bushes  and  briars 
which  always  cluster  around  a  fence  can  be  extir- 
pated. The  work,  too,  can  be  prosecuted  more 
rapidly.  He  was  disposed  to  favor  stone  fences 
because  they  are  durable,  and  easily  kept  in  re- 
pair. 

In  setting  post  fences  he  urged  strongly  the  ben- 
efits of  charring  the  butt-ends  of  the  posts  before 
setting  them.     He  had  on  his  place  a  post  fence 
which  had  been  standing  for  18   years,  the  posts 
having  been  charred.     Last  year,  he  had  to  re-set 
some  of  them  on  account  of  their  being  thrown 
over  by  the  frost,  and  found  them  perfectly  sound 
Charring  is  a  great  preservative  against   decay 
Posts  should  be  set  4^  or  5  feet  into  the  ground 
For  something  more  permanent,  he  thought  wire 
fence  Avould  be  very  cheap,  and  might  be  made 
very   strong.      He    would    suggest    to    farmers, 
whether,  on   gravelly  soil,  it  would  not  be  the 
cheapest  that  could  be  put  up. 

In  regard  to  hedges,  Mr.  French  said  that  in 
France  and  England  they  were  fast  losing  favor, 
and  were  being  removed,  as  it  is  found  that  they 
impoverish  the  soil,  drawing  a  great  deal  of  fer- 
tilizing matter  from  it  through  their  roots.  If  a 
person  desires  a  screen  around  his  buildings,  there 
is  nothing  better  of  this  sort  than  buck-thorn  or 
arbor  vitaj — but  neither  can  be  said  to  be  safe 
against  cattle,  though  they  maybe  combined  with 
a  wire  fence  and  rendered  safe.  Mr.  French 
thought  farmers  might  add  a  great  deal  to  the 
beauty  of  their  farms,  without  extra  expense,  by 
a  little  care  in  setting  their  fences  with  regularity 
and  a  regard  to  the  rules  of  taste. 

Mr.  Proctor,  of  Danvers,  said  that  the  matter 


offences  to  be  the  enclosure  of  feeding  land,  and 
the  protection  of  cultivated  land  from  cattle.  If  a 
farmer  has  no  feeding  land,  fences  will  be  an  in- 
cumbrance in  the  farming  operations,  as  plowing, 
for  instance.  He  also  considered  it  a  great  advan- 
tage to  have  the  buildings  in  the  centre  of  a  farm, 
without  regard  to  highways,  because  it  saves  time 
in  teaming  manure,  going  to  the  various  parts  of 
the  farm,  &c.  Mr.  Proctor  thought  a  great  deal 
of  money  was  lost  on  stone  fences,  although  he 
was  aware  of  their  great  popularity.  They  may 
be  of  some  service  in  retaining  the  manures  on 
land,  and  fruit  trees  perhaps  do  better  alongside 
of  them  ;  but  numerous  fences  are  so  inconven- 
ient in  doing  farm  work,  there  are  so  many  bars 
to  take  down  and  put  up,  &c.,  that  he  believed  the 
disadvantages  offset  those  benefits,  and  it  was  bet- 
ter to  have  a  farm  all  in  one  lot. 

Mr.  proctor  took  occasion  to  dissent  from  the 
extravagant  views  (as  ,he  deemed  them)  which 
have  been  advanced  at  these  meetings  in  regard 
to  the  value  of  guano  as  a  manure.  He  was  not 
satisfied  as  to  its  efficacy  in  all  cases.  He  knew 
of  an  instance  where,  in  a  dry  season,  it  proved  a 
failure  in  producing  a  corn  crop,  while  ordinary 
manure  was  completely  successful.  It  may  do 
well  at  the  South,  as  has  been  related,  but  it  doea 
not  follow  that  it  will  do  well  here.  He  was  in- 
clined to  call  \t  fancy  farming. 

Prof.  Nash,  of  Amherst  College,  was  of  the 
opinion"  that  if  lands  were  stony  it  would  be  well 
to  cut  them  up  into  small  lots  ;  but  on  lands  easi- 
ly cultivated  and  level,  the  policy  of  the  farmer 
should  be  to  have  as  few  fences  as  possible.  They 
should  be  strong,  and  able  to  resist  the  attempts 
of  cattle.  Numerous  fences  are  expensive,  and 
farmers  cannot  support  them.  In  fencing,  refer- 
ence should  be  had  to  duration  and  expense,  along 
with  the  beautiful.  It  can,  perhaps,  as  easily  be 
made  handsomely,  as  awkwardly, — we  should  en- 
deavor to  combine  the  beautiful  with  the  useful. 

Mr.  Smith,  of  Hadley,  said  that  in  his  part  of 
the  State  (the  Connecticut  valley)  the  lands  were 
scarcely  subdivided  at  all,  even  among  different 
owners,  owing  to  their  being  held  in  small  lots, 
and  the  high  cost  of  fencing  materials  ;  they  can- 
not afford  to  fence  their  lands,  and  a  great  part  of 
them  are  held  in  common.  This  is  on  intervale 
lands.  He  considered  division  fences  inconven- 
ient, besides  lessening  the  amount  of  productive 
land.  Cannot  get  a  crop  within  a  rod  of  the  fence. 
Pasture  lands  alone  are  considered  necessary  to 
be  enclosed  by  the  farmei*s  in  his  vicinity. 

Mr.  Flint,  Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Agricul- 
ture, considered  the  question  one  of  mere  econo- 
my, but  what  was  best,  he  was  not  prepared  to 
say.     He  had  seen  a  good  deal  of  wire  fencing, 


1853, 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


219 


and  detailed  a  plan  for  tightening  the  wires.  It 
was  to  have  a  small  roller,  with  three  holes  bored 
in  it,  oue  in  the  middle  and  one  in  each  end, 
which,  after  the  wires  are  drawn  through  the 
holes  in  the  posts,  should  be  placed  against  the 
second  post,  and  the  wire  passed  through  the  hole 
in  the  centre  ;  then  by  means  of  pins  placed  in  the 
holes  at  the  ends,  the  roller  can  be  turned,  and 
tb*^  desired  amount  of  tension  obtained.  There  is 
<3ne  objection  to  wire  fences.  lie  Iiad  known  two 
or  three  valuable  horses  to  be  killed  by  them. — 
Horses,  when  let  out  in  the  spring,  are  extremely 
prone  to  gambol,  and  in  racing  from  one  end  of  a 
field  to  the  other,  are  apt  to  run  with  great  force, 
against  a  wire  fence,  from  not  observing  it,  and 
are  instantly  killed.  He  did  not  know  of  any  pre- 
ventive, except  to  lead  them  round  and  let  them 
know  that  there  is  something  for  theni  to  look  out 
for. 

Mr.  Howard,  of  the  Boston  Cuhirator,snhmit- 
ted  some  remarks  in  relation  to  wire  fences.  He 
knew  of  no  better  mode  of  constructing  them  than 
tJiat  described  by  Mr.  Flint.  They  can  be  built 
with  very  long  fastenings,  trees  forming  the  best 
posts;  he  knew  of  a  line  of  wire  fence  where  the 
fastenings  were  half  a  mile  apart.  It  is  important 
to  have  good  wire.  No.  8  is  as  small  as  should  be 
used.  Annealed  wire  is  not  proper,  because  the 
process  of  annealing  renders  it  more  liable  to  cor- 
rode, and  it  has  been  proved  by  experiment  that 
it  will  support  less  weight  than  any  other  kind. 
He  had  known  wire  fence  which  had  been  up  four 
years,  and  last  season  was  perfectly  sound. 

Mr.  Clark,  of  Waltham,  thought  the  subject 
resolved  itself  into  the  character  of  the  lands  of 
the  farm  to  be  fenced.  If  part  is  fit  only  for  pas- 
turage, it  should  be  enclosed  ;  if  arable,  it  should 
be  thrown  into  one  lot.  Where  stones  abound, 
it  is  good  policy,  perhaps,  to  make  them  into 
walks. 

The  chairman,Mr.  Brooks,  inquired  whether  100 
acres  of  pasture  land,  divided  into  10  acre  lots, 
would  not  furnish  more  feed  than  if  thrown  to- 
gether. 

Prof.  Nash  replied,  that  he  thought  it  would. 
Better  feed  can  be  secured,  and  it  can  also  be  re- 
served if  desired. 

Mr.  French  thought  the  system  might  operate 
very  well  for  a  couple  of  months  in  the  first  part 
of  the  season,  but  after  that  time,  he  thought  it 
would  be  full  as  advantageous  to  throw  the  pas- 
tures together. 

GUANO. 

Mr.  Brooks,  of  Princeton,  made  an  excellent 
speech  at  the  State  House,  on  the  subject  of  ma- 
nures, while  that  question  was  under  discussion. 
He  thought  guano  a  valuable  fertilizer,  and  may 
be  used,  under  certain  circumstances,  with  advan- 
tage.    But  the  former,  ho  said,  must  place  his  chiej 


dependence  upon  the  natural  resources  of  the  farm 
for  its  fertilizing  agents.  He  had  a  farm  of  fifty 
acres  left  him,  upon  which,  for  a  life-time,  had 
been  kept  six  cows,  a  pair  of  oxen  and  a  horse. 
This,  under  tlie  old  practice,  was  the  extent  of  its 
capacity.  He  had  added  one  hundred  acres  of 
land,  and  was  feeding  from  the  whole  forty-one 
head  of  cattle.  That  is,  he  has  added  two  propor- 
tions of  land  and  more  than  six  proportions  of 
stock !  and  had  paid  for  the  whole,  from  the  profits 
of  the  land.  He  believed  that  25  per  cent,  of  all 
crops  maybe  sold  from  the  farm  annually,  and  the 
farm  still  grow  better  ;  and  that  from  such  sales  a 
nett  gain  of  from  10  to  15  per  cent,  may  be  realized, 
yearly.  Mr.  Brook's  practice  sustains  his  opin- 
ion. 

But  Ave  intended  to  speak  more  particularly  of 
guano.  We  think  well  of  it,  and  use  it,  moderate- 
ly. There  is  danger,  however,  that  our  people 
will  get  into  s,  furor  about  it,  and  neglect  the  true 
sources  of  gain  on  their  own  lands.  We  hope  to 
see  no  hen,  or  pig,  or  tnuUicaulis  fever  on  this  sub- 
ject, but  that  every  cultivator  will  improve  every 
possible  way  to  swell  his  domestic  manure  heaps 
first,  and  then,  as  an  auxiliary,  he  may  carefully 
test  the  virtues  of  guano. 


AGRICULTURAL  EDUCATION. 

Collegiate  education,  as  hitherto  directed,  can 
hardly  be  said  to  have  been  available  to  farmers' 
sons,  except  as  they  were  about  to  leave  the  em- 
ployment of  their  fathers  for  other  callings.  No 
fault  should,  on  this  account,  be  ascribed  to  our 
colleges.  They  were  established  mainly  for  the 
purpose  of  educating  young  men  for  the  learned 
professions.  They  have  done  this ;  have  done  it 
well  ;  are  still  doing  it  fiiithfully  and  impartially, 
taking  young  men  from  all  the  walks  of  life,  as  well 
from  the  farm  as  otherwhere,  and  training  them 
for  higher  fields  of  usefulness. 

But  while  fiirmers,  in  common  with  all  others, 
can  educate  their  sonsy'or  leaving  the  farm,  does 
not  the  public  good  require  that  they  should  also 
have  the  means  of  educating  them  to  slay  on  the 
farm?  Has  not  a  want  of  this  kind  sprung  up  in 
the  progress  of  our  institutions?  Is  it  not  deeply 
felt  by  the  friends  of  enlightened  agriculture? 
and  would  not  our  colleges  do  well  to  meet  it 
promptly?  As  they  have  libraries,  cabinets,  and 
courses  of  lectures  already  estabhshed,  they  could 
meet  the  exigency  altogether  more  economically 
than  it  could  be  provided  for  by  the  establishment 
of  institutions  exclusively  for  that  purpose. 

The  plan  should  embi*ace  instruction  in  Analyti- 
cal Chemistry  in  Natural  History,  and  in  Theoret- 
ical and  Practical  Agriculture.  Instruction  could 
be  given  in  the  first  two,  in  connection  with  the 
regular  collegiate  course,    without   increased  ex- 

Sense.  The  students  in  agriculture  should  be  un- 
er  the  direction  of  an  instructor  appointed  for 
that  specific  purpose.  He  should  be  at  once  sci- 
entific and  practical — capable  on  the  one  hand  of 
directing  their  studies,  and  on  the  other  of  show- 
ing them  the  best  samples  of  all  kinds  of  farm- 
work,  done  by  himself.  A  portion,  at  least,  of 
his  lectures,  should  be  in  the  open  field,  with  hoe, 


220 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Mat 


spade,  or  scythe  in  hand.  He  should  be  able  to  spring  season — the  summer  season — and  the  au- 
do  anything  that  is  to  be   done  on  a  form,  and  to  tumnal  season. 

give  a  reason  for  its  being  done  in  the  right  way. '  In  other  parts  of  the  world,  they  have  rainy  sea- 
And  he  should  be  an  economist,  capable  of  show-  sons,  when,  although  it  does  not  pour  down  all 
ing  how  the  cost  of  production  may  be  diminished,  the  time,  yet  there  is  more  or  less  rain  almost  every 
and  how  crops  may  be  expended  so  as  to  give  the  day,  and  this  is  alternated  with  the  dry  season,  in 
best  return,  both  in  pecuniary  and  in  fertilizing  which  no  rain  falls.  In  some  latitudes,  the  wind 
value.  [sets  in,  and  blows  with  little  or  no  variation  for 

The  employment  of  sach  a  man  would  add  some-  months  in  one  direction  only, 
thing  to  the  annual  expenditures  of  a  college.  Noj  In  Peru  they  have  a  cloudy  season,  Humboldt 
other  part  of  the  aiTangement  would.  Lectures  says,  that  for  several  months,  a  thick  mist  ob- 
on  botany,  chemistry,  geology,  natural  philosophy,  |  scares  the  firmament.  Not  a  planet,  not  the  most 
vegetable  physiology,  &c.,  can  be  given  as  cheap-  brilliant  stars  of  the  southern  hemisphere,  neither 
ly  to  many  as  to  few.  It  costs  no  more  to  keep  up  Canopus  nor  the  Southern  Cross,  are  visible.  It  is 
cabinets  in  mineralogy,  geology  and  natural  histo- 1  frequently  almost  impossible  to  distinguish  the 
ry  for  five  hundred  students,  than  for  one  hundred.  [  position  of  the  moon. 


The  same  is  true  of  nearly  every  appliance  for  col- 
legiate education.  The  economy  of  uniting  agri- 
cultural departments  with  colleges  already  estab- 
lished, is  a  matter  of  great  importance.    If  it  is  the 


duty  of  a  State  to  educate  its  youth,  it  is  no  less  a 
duty  to  educate  them  with  a  reasonable  regard  to 
economy.  Funds  for  this  purpose,  whether  from 
public  or  private  munificence,  should  be  applied  as 
advantageously  as  possible  towards  the  accom- 
plishment of  the  object.  For  these  reasons  I  have 
supposed  that  our  colleges  would  do  a  work  of  im- 
mense public  utility  by  providing  for  instruction  in 
agriculture.  There  need  be  no  rivalry  between 
them,  unless  it  be  the  rivalry  of  doing  good.  If 
each  can  furnish  agricultural  instruction  for  its 
own  region  cheaper  than  can  be  furnished  other- 
wise, why  should  we  not  rejoice  if  the  others  can 
do  the  like  for  their  locations  respectively?  It  is 
infinitely  better  to  sustain  the  institutions  we  have, 
than  to  create  new  ones  to  languish  for  want  of 
support.  Let  the  colleges  of  our  country  provide 
for  agricultural  education  in  their  respective  re- 
gions, and  their  own  interests,  if  it  be  possible  for 
them  to  have  interests  distinct  from  those  of  the 

public,  will  not  fail  to  be  advanced.  

Why  should  not  the  young  man,  who  can  be  Maine  Farmer. 

spared  from  the  farm  for  a  single  year,  enjoy  as| 
rich  privileges  for  that  time,  as  those  who  pursue 
a  prolonged  academical  course  ?  Why  should  not 
he  he  educated  for  his  profession  as  well  as  they 
for  theirs?  His  profession  is  not  unimportant  ;  it 
is  not  more  easily  learned  than  all  others  ;  it  re- 
quires a  large  amount  of  knowledge  ;  and  the  very 
fact  that,  as  a  general  rule,  young  men  who  are  to 
become  farmers,  will  take  but  a  short  course  of 
previous  study,  seems  to  be  a  good  reason  why  the 
best  pi  ssible  means  should  be  furnished  to  them, 
that  they  may  learn  much  in  little  time.  Such 
means  should  be  furnished  at  so  cheap  a  rate,  that 
the  son  of  the  poorest  farmer  in  the  country  need 
not  be  debarred  ;  and  our  established  colleges 
should  furnish  them,  because  they  can  do  it  at 
less  than  half  the  expense  of  supporting  separate 
institutions. — Journal. 


If  by  chance,  the  outline  of  the  sun's  disk  be 
visible  during  the  day,  it  appears  devoid  of  rays, 
as  if  seen  through  colored  glasses,  being  generally 
of  a  yellowish  red,  sometimes  of  a  white,  and  oc- 


casionally even  of  a  bluish  color.  The  mariner, 
driven  onward  by  the  cold,  south  current  of  the 
sea,  is  unable  to  recognize  the  shores,  and  in  the 
absence  of  all  observations  of  latitude,  sails  past 
the  harbor's  mouth  which  he  desired  to  enter. 

Except  the  usual  variations  of  spring,  summer, 
fall  and  winter,  our  latitude  is  not  subject  to  such 
periodical  onsets  of  rain,  or  trade  winds,  or  misty 
and  cloudy  weather.  It  is  as  a  general  thing  very 
clear,  and  with  the  exception  of  occasional  clouds, 
and  storms  of  compai'atively  short  duration,  we 
have  no  cloudy  seasons,  nor  misty  seasons,  nor 
rainy  seasons.  The  light  of  the  sun,  and  moon, 
and  stars,  shines  for  the  most  part  unobstructed, 
and  with  beautiful  brilliancy.  This  is  as  condu- 
cive to  health,  as  it  is  to  the  pleasure  of  the  body, 
and  although  we  complain  of  occasional  cold  win- 
ters, and  backward  seasons,  these  blessings  alone 
are  sufficient  to  counterbalance  all  evils  of  that 
kind.  The  health  of  both  the  animal  and  vegeta- 
ble  kingdom  is   intimately   connected  with  light. 


CLOUDY  SEASON. 

Every  part  of  the  globe  has  certain  seasons  dur- 
ing the  year,  which  come  constantly,  and  regular- 
ly, at  certain  periods  of  the  year  ;  and  which,  al- 
though variable  in  their  daily  characteristics,  have 
nevertheless  a  general  character,  which  is  some- 
what uniform  from  year  to  year,  and  distinguishes 
them  from  the  seasons  of  other  periods.  Here,  in 
our  own  latitude,  we  have  the  winter  season — the 


LOOK  AT  YOUR  BEES. 


If  you  desire  early  and  strong  young  swarms  of 
bees,  you  must  see  that  they  have  plenty  of  honey 
during  the  latter  part  of  March  and  up  to  the  mid- 
dle of  April.  But  honey  alone  is  not  sufficient. 
The  bees  intend  to  lay  up  an  abundant  supply  of 
pollen,  or  bee-bread,  but  if  their  store  is  short,  and 
the  season  is  backwai-d,  they  are  unable  to  find  it 
in  sufficient  quantities  for  their  own  use  and  that 
of  their  young,  whose  nourishment  chiefly  depends 
upon  it. 

On  the  23d  and  24th  of  JIarch,  the  days  being 
clear  and  warm,  we  placed  West  India  honey  and 
loaf  sugar  melted  together,  before  our  bees,  by  set- 
ting a  feeding  box  containing  the  mixture  on  a  flour 
barrel,  20  feet  from  the  hives.  The  feeding  was 
suggested  because  one  or  two  of  the  swarms  were 
weak.  Five  swarms  carried  away  a  pint  of  the 
mixture  in  a  few  hours.  The  next  day  the  box 
was  replenished,  and  at  the  same  time  a  tea-cup 
full  of  flour  was  laid  on  a  shingle  near  the  barrel ; 
when  the  bees  very  soon  forsook  the  honey  and 
carried  away  the  whole  of  the  flour,  and  did  the 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


S21 


same  with  an  equal  amount  on  the  25th.  On  the 
2Gth,  another  cup  full  was  supplied  in  the  after- 
noon. During  the  succeeding  night  a  gentle  rain 
wet  the  surface  of  the  flour,  which  was  dried  by 
the  winds  into  a  hard  crust  before  9  o'clock  on 
the  morning  of  the  27th.  The  bec3  came  to  it  be- 
fore ten,  but  they  were  puzzled  to  take  it  up  as 
they  had  done,  and  it  became  a  matter  of  curiosi- 
ty to  see  what  course  they  v/ould  pursue.  Their 
instincts,  however,  did  not  fail  them.  Ranged 
side  by  side  along  the  base  of  the  mound,  they  soon 
perforated  the  crust,  and  long  before  night  the  ex- 
cavation was  nearly  completed,  and  most  of  the 
flour  carried  away. 

Bee-bread,  or  pollen,  is  collected  and  packed 
down  for  future  use,  and  often  covered  with  wax. 
Flour  is  a  similar  substance,  and  answers  their 
purpose  pretty  well,  therefore  supply  it. 


suscitated  swallow,  in  the  depth  of  winter,  from 
the  bottom  of  a  mill-pond,  is,  I  confess,  a  phenom- 
enon in  ornithology,  that  I  have  never  met  with." 
Now,  in  point  of  fact,  Mr.  Wilson's  knowloilge  of 
our  birds,  extended  only  through  a  period  of  nine 
years — to  wit,  frcmi  1804  to  his  death,  in  1813. 
And  we  strongly  suspect  he  met  a  man,  who 
was  as  conversant  with  our  birds  as  himself,  when 
he  saw  for  the  first  time,  in  IMarch,  iyiO,at  Louis- 
ville, in  Kentucky,  the  author  of  the  Birds  of 
America.  Mr.  Audubon's  account  of  this  inter- 
view and  Mr.  Wilson's  subsequent  notice  of  it, 
may  be  seen  in  the  1st  vol.  of  Audul)on's  Birds, 
page  437.  And  he  certainly  "marked  the  pecu- 
liarities of  our  birds,  when  he  made  the  discovery 
and  described  the  Red  Owl  as  a  distinct  species, 
since  all  ornitholgists  subsequent  to  his  time  have 
failed  to  distinguish  it,  and  have  ascertained  that 
the  Red  Owl  is  no  other  than  the  Mottled  Owl,  in 
his  juvenile  years.  We  should  think  from  read- 
ing Wilson's  Life  by  Mr.  Ord,  that  his  biographer 
supposed  that  he  would  probably  have  beconie,had 
he  have  lived,  a  reformer  in  the  Natural  History 
of  our  country.  And  that  all  stories  published 
in  our  Philosophical  and  Natural  History  transac- 
tions and  Institutes,  such  as  the  torpidity  of  swal- 
lows, toads  found  deeply  imbedded  in  the  earth  or 
roeks.the  Gloucester  Sea  Serpent,  &.c.,  and  all  gross 
fictions  fas  he  was  pleased  to  call  them]  palmed 
upon  mankind,  the  Paisley  weaver  was  destined  to 
ii     i.      -J-.      p        M  -    '    .1.       ■   L  J  X  „,x  lexpose.     Doet.  Barton,  in  a  letter  to  the  editor  of 

the  torpidity  of  swallows  m  the  winter,  and  treats  r^^l'^-.    ^'^\.        ,,     '    .  ,        allnrl^no-  tn  thp 

-^ -     •' -  -  _..'..  "! the  PAj/oso-o/ijca;  Ma "-flsme,  when  auuning  10  me 


THi 


F'sr  the  New  England  FarmtT. 
BIRDS  OF  NEV/  ENGLAND. 

3IR  PAST  AND  PRESENT  iUSTORY.  ...No.  3. 
BV    8.    P.    FOVTIiER. 

The  Iflte  Alexander  Wilson,  the  author  of  the 
"American  Ornithology,"  was   a   disbeliever   in 


the  whole  subject  with  ridicule.     In  his  history  ofj 
our  birds,  he   copies  Doct.  Williams's  account  of 
the    chimney   swallows,    found   torpid  in    hollow 
trees,   in  the  towns  of  Danby   and  Bridport,    as 
before  written,  but  wholly  omits  to  notice  the  one 
from  Mr.  Ramsey,  from  llubbardston,  so  conclu- 
sive.    He  says,  "I  cannot,  in  the  cases  cited,  see 
any  sufficient  cause  for  the  belief  of  the   torpidity 
of  swallows.     The  birds  were  seen  to  pass  out  on 
the  first  of  May,  or  in  the  spring,  when  the  leaves 
began  to   appear  on   the   trees,  and,  about  the 
middle  of  September,  they  were  seen  entering  the 
tree  for  the  last  time  ;  but  there  is  no  information 
here,  of  their  being  seen  at  any  time  during  win- 
ter, either  within  or  around  the  tree."  This  is  ex- 
^leedingly  unfair,  on  the  part  of  Mr.   Wilson,  for 
it  will  be  seen  in  the  account  given  by  ]Mr-.  Ram- 
sey, from  Hubbardston,  that  swallows  were   seen 
by  him  in  March,   when  there  was  a  deep   snow 
upon  the  ground,  and  that  the  birds  were  actual- 
ly examined,  when  inside  the  tree,  and   some  of 
them  had   the    appearance   of  being  in  a  torpid 
state.      Mr.    Wilson   admits,    that   the   chimney 
swallow  usually  arrives  in  May  from  the  south, 
and  departs  in  September.     Now  I  would  inquire, 
how  came  these  birds  to  be  found  in  a  hollow  tree 
in  Vermont,   in  a  partially   torpid  state,   in  the 
month   of  March,    with    a  deep   snow   upon  the 
ground,  if  they  had  not  hibernated  there  during 
the  winter  ?  Would  they  have  migrated  from  the 
south,  80  early  in  the  spring  1     Mr.  Wilson,  when 
writing  upon  the  subject  of  the  torpidity  of  swal- 
lows in  winter,  says,  "Away  with  such  absurdi- 
ties !   they  are  unworthy  of  a  serious  refutation. 
I  should  be  pleased  to  meet  with  a  man,  who  has 
been  personally  more  conversant  with  birds,  than 
myself,  who  has  followed  them  in  their  wide  and 
devious  routes,  — studied  their  various  manners — 
mingled   with,    and   marked   their   peculiarities, 
more  than  I  have  done;  yet  the  miracle  of  a  re- 


subject  of  the  torpidity  of  swallows,  says,  "I  have, 
at  this  time,  in  the  press,  a  memoir  on  the  migra- 
tion and  torpidity  of  these  birds.  I  am  confident 
that  I  shall  be  able  to  convince  every  candid  phi- 
losopher, that  great  numbers  of  swallows,  of  dif- 
ferent species,  do  occasionally  pass  into  a  state  of 
torpidity,  more  or  less  profound.  I  do  not  sup- 
pose that  all  the  swallows  of  North  xVmerica  be- 
come torpid.  It  is  my  present  opinion,  and  it  was 
my  opinion  when  I  published  the  'Fragments' 
in  1799,  that  the  swallows,  in  general,  are  migra- 
tory birds.  But  subsequent  and  very  extensive  in- 
quiries have  convinced  me,  that  the  instances  of 
torpid  swallows  are  much  more  frequent  than  I 
formerly  supposed  they  were  ;  and  that  there  are 
two  species  of  the  genus  Hirundo,  which  are  pe- 
culiarly disposed  to  pass  the  brumal  season  m 
the  cavities  of  rocks,  in  the  hollows  of  trees,  and 
in  other  similar  situations,  where  they  are  often 
found  in  a  soporose  state.  These  species  are  the 
Hirundo  riparia,  or  sand  swallow ;  and  the  H. 
pelasgia,  which  we  call  chimney  swallow.  There 
is  no  fact  in  ornithology  better  established  than 
the  fact  of  the  occasional  torpidity  of  these  two 
species  of  Hirundo  T' 

From  some  cause  not  known,  Doct.  Barton 
never  published,  as  he  had  promised,  his  "Me- 
moir on  the  Migration  and  Torpidity  of  Swal- 
lows," and  from  this  circumstance,  Mr.  Ord,  the 
biographer  of  Alexander  Wilson,  infers  that  the 
Doctor  was  deterred  from  doing  it,  in  consequence 
of  the  great  fight  shed  upon  the  vexed  subject 
of  the  torpidity  of  swallows,  by  the  author  of 
"The  American  Ornithology  ;"  and  that  he  mani- 
fested great  discretion  in  suppressing  it.  We 
have  reason  to  suppose  Mr.  Wilson  was  not  ta- 
miUar  with  the  habits  of  our  birds,  as  they  are 
seen  in  New  England.  I  have  not  been  able  t» 
learn,  that  he  ever  visited  the  north,  with  a  single 


222 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Mat 


view  of  examining  its  birds.  lie  set  out,  he  says, 
in  one  of  hig  letters  to  Mr.  Bartram,  under  date 
of  Sept.  21st,  1808-,  fur  the  East-ern  States,  in 
search  of  birds  and  subscribers,  but  how  many 
birds  he  found  the  hist  of  September,  in  New  Eng- 
land, he  does  not  inform  us.  The  whole  time 
spent  by  Mr.  Wilson  at  the  north,  in  the  autumn 
of  1808,  was  less  than  two  mimtlis  In  his  letters, 
sent  home  to  his  friends  during  this  tour,  he  ex- 
presses the  greatest  contempt  of  the  climate  and 
habits  of  the  people  of  New  En-gland  v  he  says^ 
"Lawyers  swarm  in  every  town,  like  locusts  ; 
almost  every  door  has  the  word  Office  painted  over 
it,  which,  like  the  web  of  a  spider,  points  out  the 
place,  where  the  spoiler  lurks  for  his  prey.  There 
is  little  or  no  improvement  in  agriculture  ;  in  fifty 
miles  I  did  not  observe  a  single  grain  or  stubble 
field,  though  the  country  has  been  cleared  and 
settled  these  one  hundred  and  fifty  years.  In  I 
short,  the  steady  habits  of  a  great  portian  of  thej 
inhabitants  of  those  parts  of  New  England  through  | 
which  I  passed,  seem  to  be  laziness  and  law  bick-; 
erings.  My  journey  through  almost  the  whole  of  j 
New  England,  has  lowered  the  Yankees  in  my  es-{ 
teem.  Except  a  few  iieat  academies,  I  found | 
their  school-houses  equally  ruinous  and  deserted 
with  ours  ;  fields  covered  with  stones  ;  stone  fenc- , 
es  ;  scrubby  oaks,  and  pine  trees;  wretched  or-' 
charda  ;  scarcely  one  grain  field  in  twenty  miles  ; 
the  taverns  along,  the  road  dirty,  and  fii'le^l  with! 
loungers-,  brawling  about  law  suits  and  politicks  ;  j 
the  people  snappish  and  cxtortionei-s,  hizy,  andj 
two  hundred  years  behind  the  Pennsylvanians,  in 
Agriculturar  iai  prove  men  ts.  Mr.  \Yilson  found 
Boston  so  filtliy,  that  he  would  not  disgust  his 
friend  with  a  descrfption  of  It.  The  draymen  in 
shouting  to  their  horses,  made  such  a  hideous 
howling  in  the-  streets  of  Boston,  at  every  corner, 
that  he  was  reuiinded  of  some  miserable  wretch, 
expiring  on  the  wlieel."  Upon  reading  this  ac- 
count, Ave  were  led  to  think  that  if  Mr.  V/ilson 
was  not  better  acquainted  with  the  habits  of  New 
England  birds  than  he  was  of  the  character  of  the 
people,  not  mucli  reliance  should  be  placed  on  his 
opinion,  in  regard  to  the  torpidity  of  svrallows. 
For  they  are  chiefly,  if  not  wholly,  to  be  found  at 
the  North.  It  would  seem  Mr.  Audubon's  mind 
was  not  settled,  in  regard  to  tliis  subject.  For 
we  find  in  his  1st  vol.  of  the  "Birds  of  America," 
page  17'J,  when  speaking  of  the  ClifFS  wallow,  where 
he  says,  "I  embraced  every  opportunity  of  e.\am- 
ining  their  habits,  carefully  noted  tlieir  arrival 
arid  disappearance,  and  recorded  every  fact  con- 
nected witli  their  history,  being  extremely  desir- 
ous of  settling  the  long-agitated  question,  respect- 
ing the  migvatii  n  or  supposed  torpidity  of  swal- 
lows." 

In  the  spring  of  183G,  the  writer  of  this  article 
Vr'itnessed  wiiat  he  has  suppo.sed  to  be  an  instance 
of  the  t  >rpidity  of  tlie  swallow.  By  referring  to 
a  diary  kept  that  year,  I  find  t'le  date  of  this  oc- 
curence the  lOth  of  April.  It  was  upon  a  fine 
spring  m ortiiiig,  succeeding  a  plj.isant  day,  I  dis- 
covered about  sunrise  two  Whito  Bellied  Swallows 
[the  Hiruu'lo  viridis  of  Wilson]  fluttering  on  the 
ground,  and  un  ;ble  to  fly.  fhey  were  easily 
caught,  and  examined,  as  it  was  my  impression  at 
the  time,  they  had  been  injured  by  a  cat.  Upon 
examination  1  was  satistiod  this  was  not  the  case. 
T|jey  were  wet  with  mud  and  water,  and  after 
being  wiped  dry,  they  were  taken  into  the  house, 


j  and  placed  on  a  window  in  the  sun.     In  a   few 

hours  they  recovered  their  consciousness,  and  flew 
out  of  the  window  into  the  open  air.  In  the  vi- 
[cinity  where  these  birds  were  found,  was  a  pond 
;  filled  with  mud  and  water.  The  mud  found  upon 
these  swallows  was  not  the  black  dirt  of  the  gar- 
den, but  was  a  slimy  mud.  We  have  since  seen 
Bank  Swallows,  under  circumstances  that  have 
led  ua  to  suppose  they  were  in  a  partial  state  of 
torpidity.  Such  as  sitting  on  willow  twigs,  by  the 
side  of  rivers  and  streams,  a  few  inches  from  the 
water ;.  at  one  time  as  early  in  the  spring  as  the 
25th  day  of  March.  Upon  the  whole,  I  am  in- 
clined to  the  belief  that  the  subject  of  the  torpidi- 
ty of  the  swallow  is  still  an  open  one,  and  not  by 
any  means  so  effectually  closed,  as  Mr.  Wilson 
and  some  others  had  supposed.  a.  p.  F. 

Danversport ,  Jan.  10th,  1853. 
[to  be  continued.] 


REMARKS  ON  BUDDING  AND  GRAFT- 
ING. 

Buds  should  always  be  set  before  the  stosk  or 
bud  has  ceased  to  grow  for  the  season.  In  setting 
pears  in  pear  stocks,  it  is  important  to  commence 
earlier  than  with  apples,  as  the  former  do  not  grov? 
so  long  as  the  latter.  Plum  and  cherry  stocks  also 
&top  growing  early  ^  unless  the  development  is 
kept  up  by  stimulating  manure,  and  careful  tillage. 
Apple  trees,  if  healthy  and  in  a  good  growing  con- 
dition, may  be  budded  late  in  August.  Peach 
trees  continue  to  grow  even  longer  than  apple  trees^ 
and  it  is  never  advisable  to  bud  them  early.  la 
all  trees,  when  budded,  there  should  be  sufficient 
sap  to  cause  the  bark  to  peel  freely.  Of  th.e  pro- 
per time  for  perforniing  this  operation  in  the  sev- 
eral kinds  of  trees  above  mentioned,  the  ready 
peeling,  of  the  bark  is  the  only  criterion  to  be  re- 
lied on.  In  grafting,  it  is  frequently  necessary 
for  those  who  are  engaged  extensively  in  the  busi- 
ness, to  preserve  scions  for  some  months  before 
the  time  arrives  for  inserting  them.  For  this  pur- 
pose, no  material  has  yet  been  discovered  superior 
to  damp  sawdust.  In  regard  to  its  efEciency  the- 
editor  of  the  Albany  Cultiealor  says: 

"The  mode  first  suggested  to  us  by  T.  G.  Yeo- 
MANS,  of  Walworth,  N.  Y.,  of  preserving  the  scions 
of  fruit  trees  in  moist  sawdust,  has  proved  superior 
to  any  other.  It  is  better  than  damp  moss,  in  the- 
facility  with  which  the  scion  may  be  perfectly 
imbedded  in  it,  leaving  no  interstices;  and  it  excels 
moist,  sand  it  being  lighter,  more  spungy,  and 
entirely  free  from  a  grit  .which  may  injure  a  knife. 
We  have  without  difficulty  preserved  scions,  which 
were  cut  in  the  summer  for  budding,  till  the  fol- 
lowing spring,  and  inserted  them  as  grafts  with 
entire  success  ;  and  we  have  kept  winter  cut  gi-afts 
till  midsummer  perfectly  fresh,  and  emjJoyed  them 
successfully  in  budding.  A  bushel  of  sawdust 
will  retain  its  moisture  for  many  weeks  nearly  un- 
altered,but  water  must  not  be  applied  too  copiously 
or  water  soaking  and  decay  will  be  therusult.  The 
north  side  of  a  building  or  a  cool  cellar  is  the  best 
place." 

In  KenricVs  Work  on  Orcharding,  we  have  the 
following  remarks  on  Inxoculating  ; 


1853.. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


^3 


"Innoculating  is  the  operation  of  transferring 
any  desirable  variety  of  tree  upon  the  stock  of  an 
inferior  or  wild  variety.  The  operation  is  princi- 
pally practised  on  small  trees,  and  only  durinp; 
the  time  the  sap  flows  freely,  and  chiefly  during 
the  months  of  August  and  September.  Select  for 
the  buds  the  ripest  young  tvrigs  of  the  present 
year,  and  cut  off"  the  leaves,  leaving  the  footstalk 
entire.  Having  selected  a  smooth  place  in  the 
stocli,  make  a  perpendicular  slit  downward,  quite 
through  the  bark,  an  inch  or  a  little  more  in  length. 
Make  a  cross  cut  at  the  top  of  this  slit  quite 
through  to  the  wood,  a  little  slanting  downward  ; 
nest  with  theivory  haft  of  the  budding  knife-,  raise 
the  bark  on  both  sides  from  top  to  bottom,  being 
very  careful  not  to  injure  in  the  least  the  cambium 
or  sap  wood.  Next  and  with  expedition  proceed 
to  take  oiF  a  bud  ;  this  is  effected  by  entering  the 
knife  a  little  more  than  half  an  inch  below  the  bud 
or  eye,  quite  through  the  bark,  and  separating  the 
bark  from  the  wood  to  the  same  distance  above  the 
eye,  always  leaving  a  very  thin  slip  of  wood  of  about 
one-third  of  the  length  of  th«  bud,  this  thin  slip 
of  wood  occupies  the  middle  section  of  its  length. 
The  bud  is  to  be  inserted  in  the  stock  to  the  bot- 
tom of  the  slit,  and  between  the  bark  and  wood  : 
and  the  top  of  the  bud  being  squared  even  with 
the  cross  cut,  every  part  except  the  eye,  is  firmly 
bound  and  covered  with  strong  wet  bass  string  or 
matting." 

F-or  the  New  England  Farmer. 
MANURES  AGAIN. 

Mr.  Editor  : — Your  very  pleasant  correspond- 
ent, B.,  seems  to  doubt  the  correctness  of  my  crit- 
icism upon  his  fireside  talk.  Now,  sii",  I  would 
not  set  myself  up  as  an  instructor  of  others,  nor 
■would  I  say  a  word  tliat  looks  like  controversy 
with  so  courteous  a  writer,  nor  would  I  cavil  about 
words  or  forms  of  expression.  Perhaps  I  did  not 
make  myself  clearly  understood.  ]My  object  was 
to  inquire  whether  the  nutriment  which  vegeta- 
bles derive  from  the  soil  may  not,  near!)/  all,  be  re- 
turned to  the  soil,  as  food  for  future  crops,  after 
the  vegetables  have  been  used  as  food  for  animals. 
I  believe  it  is  generally  conceded  .that  vegetables 
derive  their  carbon  from  the  atmosphere,  and  their 
oxygen  and  hjdrogen  from  water.  So  that  as 
these  elements  are  not  derived  from  the  soil,  they 
need  not  be  taken  into  the  account  in  this  in- 
quiry. 

But,  notwithstanding  the  apparent  Irishism  citn- 
tained  in  the  remark  that  follows  my  query,  yet  I 
see  no  reason  to  doubt  the  correctness  of  the  gen- 
eral proposition  contained  in  the  query  itself, 
which  was — "If  the  manure,  liquid  and  solid,  pro- 
duced by  feeding  on  the  estover  of  an  acre  would 
not  return  to  the  ground  nearly  the  value  it  has 
given  out,  of  mineral  matter!" 

Suppose  "the  cow'lays  in  her  bone  and  milk 
from  the  lime  of  the  cornstalk?"  In  the  adult 
animal,  do  not  the  excretions  go  on  pari  passu, 
■with  the  secretions  ?  Are  not  the  particles  of  old 
bone,  muscle,  hair,  &c.,  carried  off,  as  fast  as  new 
particles  are  deposited  ?  At  the  end  of.  the  year, 
is  there  more  bone  and  other  tissues  than  there 
were  at  the  beginning?  After  the  milk  has  passed 
througli  the  calf,  the  pig,  or  the  human  stomach, 
does  not  its  lime  find  its  way  back  to  the  soil  1  And 
do  not  the_bones,  hair,  wool,  muscle,  &c.,  of  the 
c  h  the  same  destination  at  last  1     Have 


not  ground  woolen  rags  and  bone  dust  become  im- 
portant articles  of  commerce  because  of  their  value 
as  fertilizers? 

As  to  the  loss  of  mineral  matter  by  the  urine, 
this  will  not  take  place  to  any  great  extent — when 
the  stable  has  a  proper  cellar  furnished  with  suit- 
able materials  for  absorliing  this  excrement.     Nor 
will  there  be  much  loss  even  in   the    yard,  when 
this  IS  properly  provided  with  soil  and  cfirhonaoeous 
matters   designed   to   absorb   it.     Evaporation  is 
supposed  to  leave   the  mineral  matter  moEtly  be- 
hind.    So  that  the  loss  of  mineral  matter.^  except 
the  small  amount  of  potash  and  soda  can-icil  off  in 
the  perspiration,  really  amounts  to  very  little,  and 
e^'en  the  potash  and  soda  of  the  perspiration  most- 
ly dries  upon  the  skin  and  hair,  and  is  rul)bed  off 
by  the  Ciird  and  brush.     But  it  seems  B.  did  not 
say  "mineral  matters,"  but  "fertilizing  raatter," 
a-od  he  refers  to  the  carbon,  oxygen,  hydrogen  and 
nitrogen  contained  in  the  cornstalk.     The  consti- 
tuents of  vegetables  may  be   divided   into   three 
classes,    ist.  The  non-nitrogenous,  as  woody  filjre, 
sugar,  starch,  fat,  oil,  &c.     24,  The  nitrogenous, 
as   albumen   gluten,  caseine  &c..     And  ad.  The 
mineral,  as  lime,  silex,  potash,  sulphur,  &c.     Most 
vegetables  contain  but  a  small  amount    of  the  2d 
class,  and  what  they  do  cont-ain,  is  chietly  in  their 
seeds.     I  have  never  seen  a  chemical  analysis  of 
corn  or  the  corn  stalk.     But  wheat  straw  contains 
960  parts    of  organic  matter  in  a  thousand,  and 
only  4  parts  of  nitrogen.     Oat  straw  contains  970 
parts  of  organic  matter,  and  only  3  of  nitrogen. 
Wheat  itself  contains  20  parts  of  nitrogenous  mat- 
ter in  a  hundred.     Oats  contain  14.     If  we  may 
judge   at   all  from  analogy,  we   may  suppose  the 
corn  stalk  to  consist  of  woody  fibre,  sugar,  starch, 
lime,  silex,  potash,  and  traces  of  nitrogen  and  sul- 
phur.    But  woody  fibre,  sugar  and  starch  consist 
wholly  of  carbon,  oxygen  and  hydrogen,  and  may 
be  converted  the  one  into  the  other,  by  changing 
the  proportion  of  their  elements.     Probably  corn- 
stalks contain  some  950  or  GO  parts  in  1000  of  or- 
ganic matter,  mostly  carbon.     But  carbon  has  of 
itself  but  little  value  as  a  manure.     Its  chief  value 
is  as  a   retainer   of  ammonia,  for  which   it  has  a 
strong  affinity,  and  as  a  vehicle  by  which  this,  and 
mineral   matters,  are   conveyed   to   the   roots   of 
plants. 

Some  have  denied  that  carbon  is  ever  taken  up 
by  the  roots  of  plants.  It  certainly  never  is,  ex- 
cept in  the  form  of  carbonic  acid  dissolved  in  wat- 
er, and  probably  in  that  f  )rra  only  in  small  quan- 
tity, except  when  the  roots  are  stimulated  by  ni- 
trogen and  mineral  substances.  The  carl)on  used 
in  building  up  the  frame  work  of  plants  and  trees 
is  mostly  obtained  from  the  carbonic  acid  contained 
in  the  atmosphere,  by  means  of  the  leaves.  By  a 
curious  chemical  process  in  the  leaf,  the  cai'bon  is 
separated  from  the  oxj'gen,  and  each  element  is 
appropriated  to  the  use  for  which  it  is  wanted. 
Hydrogen  and  oxygen  are  also  obtained  by  the  de- 
composition of  water  in  the  leaf,  to  wliich  it  is  con- 
veyed from  the  soil — and  hy  which  it  is  absorbed 
along  with  carbonic  acid,  from  the  atmosphere. 
From  all  which  it  results  that  the  chief  .value  of 
the  corn  stalk  as  a  manure,  resides  in  the  mineral 
matter  it  contains.  If  B.  would  enrich  his  soil, 
and  thus  secure  a  large  crop  by  burying  his  corn- 
stalks in  the  ground,  he  must,  to  use  another 
Irishism,  bury  the  corn  along  with  them,  and  then 
he  will  get  a  tolerable  amount  of  nitrogen— the 


224 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Maj 


very  element  in  which  the  ehie-f  value  of  animal 
manure  consists.  Indeed,  European  farmers  are 
using  rape  seed  and  oil  cake  as  a  manure,  because 
they  are  rich  in  this  element.  The  peculiar  value 
of  animal  manures,  I  take  it,  consists  in  the  nitro- 
gen they  contain.  Their  mineral  elements  are  in- 
deed vaiuahle.  But  these  may  be  obtained  at  a 
cheaper  rate,  from  other  sources. 

I  have  not  time,  had  I  the  ability,  nor  will  you 
give  me  space,  Mr.  Editor,  to  go  more  fully  into 
this  copious  subject ;  and  I  will  close  by  saying 
that  just  in  proportion  as  friend  B.  can  make  his 
farm  furnish  nutriment  to  his  animals  to  such  an 
extent,  that  ihfy  shall  aif  jrd  nutriment  to  succes- 
sive/i/  increasing  crops,  will  it  prove  a  "mine  ofj 
wealth"  to  him.  But  if  he  has  to  raise  one  crop 
to  feed  his  animals,  and  another  to  feed  his  crops, 
he  had  better  dig  in  some  other  mine. 

In  order  that  land  may  maintain  itself  at  a  high 
degree  of  productiveness,  it  must  yield  abundant, 
nay  luxuriant  crops.  It  is  only  such  crops  that 
can  return  to  it  the  "fertilizing  matter"  necessary 
to  keep  it  at  the  maximum  point  of  fertility.  This 
I  suppose  fo  be  tl  e  standard  at  which  every  flirm- 
er  should  aim,  and  just  in  proportion  as  he  ap- 
proaches it,  will  his  farm  prove  to  him  a  mine  of 
wealth.  Permit  me  to  add  a  short  extract  or  two 
from  Stockhardt's  Field  Lectures,  a  book  which 
I  should  be  glad  to  see  in  the  hands  of  every 
farmer  who  would  understand  the  principles  of 
chemical  science,  as  they  apply  to  the  processes 
of  agriculture. 

"There  are  probably  few  farms  on  which  natural 
manure  is  produced  in  such  plentiful  quantity  as 
to  suffice  for  perfectly  manuring  their  surface. 
As  long  as  a  farm  has  not  reached  the  highest  point 
of  cultivation,  every  means  must  be  pronounced 
acceptable,  which  puts  the  farmer  in  a  position  to 
provide  his  fields  with  more  liberal  dressing  than 
he  is  able  to  give  them  from  his  own  supply  of 
home  produced  natural  manure.  Whoever  seeks 
to  arrive  quickly  at  this  state  of  cultivation,  must 
make  extensive  use  of  those  auxiliary  or  artificial 
manures,  that  are  now  offered  him  by  commerce. 
For  if  by  the  agency  of  artificial  manares,  fields 
are  speedily  brought  into  a  state  of  greater  pro- 
ductiveness, more  straw  and  fodder  will  also  be  pro- 
duced ;  and  by  their  assistance  the  stock  can  be  so  in- 
creased and  the  supply  af  natural  manure  so  enlarged, 
that  the  importation  of  artificial  manures  is  no  long- 
er necessary.''^  j.  r. 

For  the  New  En^lamd  Farmer. 
GRAFTING  ON  THE  THORN. 

BY   C.    GOODRICH. 

I  have  lately  seen  an  article  in  your  paper  re- 
commending the  common  New  England  thorn  tree, 
as  stocks  for  pears.  As  the  writer  merely  gives  it 
as  a  matter  of  opinion,  rather  than  experience,  it 
)nay  lead  many  to  try  experiments  where  disap- 
pointments are  sure  to  follow. 

The  whole  family  of  thorns.  Mountain  Ash,  and 
ShadbeiTy,  I  believe  will  generally  prove  worth- 
less for  dwarf  pears ;  they  may  occasionally  suc- 
ceed, but  each  one  grown  will  cost  the  owner  more 
tiian  a  dozen  good  trees  on  pear  stocks. 

Some  fifteen  years  since,  I  procured  two  or  three 
dozen  thorn  trees,  planted  them  with  care,  and 
the  next  season  grafted  with  pears  ;  about  one-half 


grew,  which  had  a  sickly  existence  a  h\f  years 
and  died. 

My  nest  experiment  was  with  Shadberry,  with 
no  better  success.  In  1851,  I  planted  5G  Moun- 
tain Ash  trees — averaging  1^  inches  in  diameter — 
and  grafted  near  the  ground  with  some  eight  vari- 
eties of  pears.  All  grew  very  finely,  but  in  Sep- 
tember, they  began  to  appear  sickly,  which  so  in- 
creased, that  in  1852  all  were  dug  out  and  thrown 
away.  I  last  year  purchased  the  largest  nursery 
on  the  east  side  of  Like  Champlain,  some  twenty 
miles  from  Burlington.  Among  the  stock  were 
twenty  thousand  pear  seedlings  and  some  thou- 
sands of  grafted  trees  of  ail  ages  and  sizes.  I  no- 
ticed a  number  of  sciraggy  thorns,  and  on  inquiry 
the  intelligent  owner  told  me  he  had  f  )r  ten  years 
tried  to  raise  pear  trees  on  thorn  stocks,  had  tried 
more  than  one  hundred,  but  had  not  succeeded  in 
raising  but  one  tree,  which  he  showed  me.  This- 
had  a  sickly  growth  ;  I  transferred  it  to  my  garden 
last  spring  but  it  has  gone  the  way  of  all  others. 

On  large  vigorous  trees,  and  grafted  in  the  tops-, 
pears  will  grow  well  on  the  1  horn, Mountain  Ash, 
or  Shadberry,  for  a  few  years.  I  once-  grafted  a 
thorn  tree  of  this  character,  and  the  fourth  year 
picked  four  bushels  of  pears  from  it.  All  large- 
trees  of  this  class,  in  rich  soils,  are  valuable  for 
grafting  with  thepear — but  for  "dwarfs,"  or  stand- 
ards, grafted  when  young,  thorn  stocks  generally^ 
are  worse  than  useless.  The  Mountain  Ash  and 
Shadberry,  I  think  of  the  same  general  character 
as  the  thorn — but  have  not  seen  experiments 
enough  to  give  an  opinion  of  their  value  for  stocks 
for  pears. 

It  is  said  that  the  pear  will  graft  wel}  on  the 
apple,  but  "outgrows"  it.  This  is  all  a  mistake. 
The  sap  flows  freely  from  the  apple  to  the  pear 
and  produces  a  vigorous  growth,  but  not  return- 
ing freely,  the  apple  stock  is  dwarfed.  If  one  wisli- 
es  to  try  the  experiment,  he  will  find,  by  grafting 
apples  and  pears  on  the  same  tree,  that  although 
the  pears  at  first  will  outgrow  the  apples,  the 
limbs  on  which  apples  are  grafted  will  grow  four 
times  as  fast  as  those  grafted  with  pears.  But  few 
varieties  of  pears  will  grow  on  apple  stocks.  I  have 
tried  many  sorts,  but  never  had  much  success  with 
but  one.  The  T)ld  Summer  Bon  Chretien,  (Good 
Christian,)  a  very  irregular  scraggy  grower,  grows 
as  readily  on  the  apple,  as  pear  stocks,  and  bears 
well  a  few  years  on  old  trees,  or  until  the  limbs  on 
which  they  are  grafted  become  too  much  dwarfed. 

If  any  one  can  give  any  successful  experiments 
of  raising  trees  on  thorn  stocks,  I  shall  be  glad  to- 
see  them  ;  but  until  I  see  practical  demonstration, 
will  caution  all  of  depending  on  the  thorn  as  a 
stock  for  pears. 

Burlington,  Vt. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
A  QUESTION  FOR 'THE  CURIOUS, 

Sir: — I  have  a  small  pear  tree  in  my  garden, 
which  the  last  season  bure  fruit  of  good  qualityj 
but  not  pears,  although  nourished  and  matui'ed  by 
the  sap  of  the  tree,  and  on  the  wood  produced  by 
the  pear  gr;i.ft  or  bud,  nor  were  there  pears  in  any 
part  of  the  tree  which  came  to  maturity,  what 
fruit  was  it  ?  Horticulturist. 

Groton,  1853.  

Reji.\rks. — Well,  we  rather  guess  'twas  a  pear  ? 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


225 


BEURRS  DE  ANJOU. 

The  above  l)eautiful  portrait  was  taken  from  a 
pear  furnished  us  by  the  Hon.  Marshall  P.  Wild- 
er, from  his  garden  in  Dorchester,  and  is  a  faith- 
ful representation  of  the  fruit,leaves,  and  a  portion 
of  the  branch  upon  which  it  hung. 

Synonym — Ne  plus  Meuris  of  the  German  and 
French  Catalogue. 

Size — JiUrge. 

Form — Obovate,  obtuse,  pyriform,  outline  and 
surface  often  slightly  irregular. 

Stem — Short,  thick,  inserted  without  much  de- 
pression. 

Calyx — Moderately  sunk  in  small  uneven  basin. 

Skin — Greenish-yellow,  coarsely  dotted,  russet- 
ed  at  the  stem  and  eye,  and  with  a  brownish  red 
cheek  on  the  sunny  side. 

Flesh — Yellowish  white,  very  juicy,  melting  and 
buttery. 

Flavor — Rich  sub-acid,  with  a  delicious  aroma 
resemblino;  that  of  the  Brown  Beurre. 


Season — November  to  January. 

Class— ''Best:' 

Tree— Hardy  and  productive  either  on  the  pear 
or  quince  stock. 

The  Beurre  de  Anjou  was  introduced  by  Mar- 
shall P.  Wilder,  from  Eurof.e,  about  ten  years 
ago.  Mr.  W.  considers  this  variety  one  of  his 
most  valuable  acquisitions,  and  worthy  of  general 
dissemination. 


Northern  Spy  Apple. — D.  Taber,  in  the  same 
paper  says  the  "past  winter  was  one  of  unusual 
severity  to  fruit  trees  in  the  nursery,  destroying 
many  of  our  Baldwins  and  other  varieties— and 
the  Northern  Spy,  standing  in  rows  by  their  side 
within  four  feet  of  Baldwins,  remained  almost  en- 
tirely without  injury.  They  possess  one  advantage 
over  any  other  kind  with  which  I  am  acquainted  ; 
that  is,  being  about  ten  days  later  in  putting  out 
in  the  spring,  making  the  risk  much  less  of  injury 
from  late  frosts." 


226 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


May 


For  the  New  England  Farmei . 
LIVE  FENCES. 

Mr.  Editor  : — Some  questions  have  been  asked 
concerning  hedges  in  the  columns  of  your  paper, 
which  I  will  venture  to  answer.  "Are  live  fences 
cheaper  than  other  fence  ;  what  is  the  best  kind  ; 
\yhere  the  seed  can  be  had  ;  at  what  price  ;  the 
time  and  mode  of  planting,  and  the  whole  mode  of 
operation  1" 

I  think  live  fences  are  as  cheap  or  cheaper  than 
wood  fence  ;  that  is,  if  wood  will  bring  a  fair  price 
cut  for  any  otl.er  purpose ;  but  if  wood  is  very 
plenty  and  comparatively  valueless,  then  I  should 
think  it  would  be  cheaper  than  live  fence  ;  if  stones 
are  plenty — and  in  some  places  they  are  so  plenty 
that  we  are  glad  to  get  rid  of  them  the  best  way 
we  can,— then  I  should  think  it  would  be  best  to 
use  stone  instead  of  hedge  :  I  am  now  speaking  of 
d  virion  fences  and  the  like. 

Many  use  hedges  of  some  kind  to  enclose  front 
gardens,  or  even  vegetable  gardens,  for  by  the  use 
of  evergreen  hedge,  we  may  obtain  a  sheltered  po- 
sition for  a  garden,  enabling  us  to  raise  early  veg- 
etables with  greater  success.  The  best  kind  of 
plant  for  fence  is  Buckthorn,  {Rhamus  cafharticus) 
it  IS  perfectly  hardy,  and  does  well  in  wet  or  dry 
land,  will  accomodate  itself  to  most  any  situation, 
and  is  entirely  free  from  borers  ;  forms,  with  good 
care,  in  a  few  years,  an  almnst  impenetrable  hedge 
and  altogether  I  think  it  is  the  best  thing  known 
for  live  fences.  The  seed  can  be  had  at  Ruggles, 
Nourse,  Mason  &  Co.'s,  or  at  most  any  seed  store; 
or  the  plants  of  suitable  size  can  be  had  reasona- 
ble of  any  of  the  nurserymen  in  this  vicinity  ;  the 
price  for  the  seed  is  one  dollar  per  quart,  washed 
out  separate  from  the  pulp;  this  is  not  a  high 
price. 

_  As  for  the  time  and  mode  of  planting,  I  will 
give  you  my  method,  though  it  may  differ  from  the 
practice  of  some  others; — "doctors  sometimes  dis- 
agree"— all  I  can  say  is  that  the  plan  I  shall  rec- 
ommend has  done  well  with  me.  I  take  my  seed 
after  it  is  washed  free  from  the  pulp,  and  mix  it 
with  sand  and  loam,  about  half  of  each,  using 
enough  to  prevent  the  seed  from  heating ;  after 
having  thug  mixed  them,  put  them  into  a  tub  or 
box,  and  place  them  away  in  the  barn-cellar  or 
some  such  place,  looking  out  that  the  mice  don't 
get  at,  or  water  run  in,  to  rot  them.  In  the  spring 
prepare  the  ground  by  first  spreading  on  manure, 
then  plow  it  well,  that  it  may  be  ivell  pulverized, 
after  which  strike  a  shallow  furrow  and  manure 
again  shghtly  in  the  drills,  mixing  it  up  with  the 
soil,  and  then  sow  the  seed  as  peas  are  sown,  not 
too  thick,  for  the  plants  will  not  grow  so  stout ; 
this  should  be  done  as  soon  as  the  ground  is  dry 
enough  to  work  well.  It  is  unnecessary  to  say 
that  they  should  be  kept  entirely  free  from  weeds. 
Should  they  make  good  growth,  many  of  them 
would  do  to  set  up  in  hedge  the  next  spring,  but 
i  t  is  generally  best  to  let  them  grow  two  pears  in 
the  seed  bed.  In  order  to  have  a  good  hedge  of 
Buckthorn — for  of  that  I  have  been  speaking — it 
is  necessary  first  to  prepare  your  trench  where 
your  plants  are  to  be  set,  by  digging  it  from  three 
to  four  feet  widp,  and  not  less  than  two  feet  deep, 
that  is  if  the  soil  is  not  very  good, — and  filling  it 
up  with  good  loam,  with  a  liberal  quantity  of  well 
decomposed  manure  compost.  This  is  necessary 
in  setting  a  hedge  of  any  kind,  if  you  want  it  to 
flourish. 


The  Buckthorn  plants,  before  setting,  should  be 
cut  down  to  within  two  ortliree  inches  of  the  root, 
mere  stubs  ;  then  in  regard  to  setting,  some,  where 
they  want  abroad  hedge,  set  them  in  double  rows, 
but  if  set  in  a  single  row  as  they  ought  to  be,  four 
inches  apart — it  generally  makes  a  hedge  thick 
enough.  They  will  make  some  growth  the  first 
year  they  are  set,  which  should  be  cut  down,  and 
so  continue  to  cut  them  down  allowing  them  to 
gain  two  or  three  inches  a  year  until  the  bottom 
becomes  thick.  All  hedges  need  clipping  at  least 
once  a  year,  many  clip  twice.  After  the  hedge  has 
attained  the  desired  height  and  shape,  it  is  but 
little  work  to  keep  it  in  order,  clipped,  as  I  have 
before  said,  every  year,  manured  occasionally,  and 
the  grass  and  weeds  kept  out,  is  all  that  is  neces- 
sary. 

Having  spoken  of  hedges  for  fence,  I  will  now 
say  a  few  words  concerning  fancy  or  ornamental 
hedges,  which  when  well  taken  care  of,  are  really 
beautiful  objects.  For  such  hedges,  Arborvitae  is 
much  used,  does  very  well,  but  is  liable  to  be 
killed  out  by  the  winter.  Privet  or  Prim  is  one 
of  the  best  things  for  an  ornamental  hedge  that  I 
know  of,  and  I  am  surprised  that  it  is  not  used 
more.  Hemlock  makes  a  very  dense  and  beautiful 
hedge,  admirable  for  screens  around  a  garden  and 
other  places.  Arborvitae  is  used  in  the  same  way. 
Norway  Spruce  is  said  to  make  a  good  hedge,  but 
is  now  too  expensive  for  that  use.  But  enough 
for  the  present, — may  refer  to  the  subject  some 
other  time.  j.  f.  c.  n. 

Newton  Centre,  March  24,  1853. 


For  the  Netv  England  Farmer. 
MARYLAND  FARMING. 

Mr.  Farmer  : — Knowing  you  to  be  "national" 
in  your  agricultural  views,  I  trust  you  will  take 
an  interest  in  what  pertains  to  this  favored  region, 
the  sunny  South.  It  must  be  admitted  that  na- 
ture has  been  partial  in  the  distribution  of  her  gifts. 
I  have  strong  attachments  to  New  England, — to 
the  Old  Bay  State,  I  would  not  exchange  her  for 
any  State,  or  nation,  I  have  yet  seen.  No,  not  for 
all  put  together.  Yet  Massachusetts  owes  her 
wealth,  her  institutions,  and  her  peaceful,  happy 
hours,  not  to  her  climate,  nor  to  her  soil ;  but  to 
the  character  of  her  population,  which  secures 
wealth — the  comforts  and  luxuries  of  life — which 
acquires  knowledge,  and  makes  it  available  in  ev- 
ery apartment  of  human  industry,  in  spite  of  nat- 
ural disadvantages.  Yes,  the  Yankee  not  only 
compels  the  rocky  and  naturally  sterile  soil,  to 
yield  an  abundant  harvest,  and  every  stream  of 
water,  by  propelling  machinery,  to  become  a  source 
of  wealth,  but,  by  his  alchemy,  he  transmutes  the 
very  frosts  of  winter  into  gold. 

But  I  took  my  pen  to  write  of  INIaryland,  not  of 
Massachusetts.  The  condition  of  agriculture  in 
this  State  is  generally  bad.  The  skinning  system 
has  been  practised  here,  as  in  New  England,  till  a 
large  portion  of  the  territory  has  been  so  far  re- 
duced as  not  to  pay  for  cultivation.  Bat  happily, 
here,  as  in  the  northern  States,  flirmers  are  begin- 
ning to  find  out  that  there  is  a  better  way.  With- 
in the  last  five  yeivrs  a  great  change  has  been  ef- 
fected. It  has  been  ascertained  that  worn-out 
lands  may  be  effectually  reclaime'd  by  the  applica- 
tion of  lime.  Limestone  is  abundant  in  most  of 
the  counties  of  the  State.     And  lime  may  be  ob- 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


227 


tained  in  almost  every  part,  for  12^  cents  per  bush 
el.  The  mode  of  applying  it,  is  by  sowing  it  broad 
cast.  The  amount  thus  applied,  varies  from  75  to 
100  bushels  to  the  acre.  Land  thus  dressed,  at  an 
expense  of  from  $12  to  15  per  acre,  I  am  told, 
will  produce  good  crops,  without  any  additional 
dressing,  for  ten  years. 

In  many  portions  of  the  State,  I  am  informed, 
the  price  of  laud  has  advanced  fifty  per  cent,  with- 
in five  years.  New  England  farmers  manure  for 
corn.  The  Maryland  farmer  manures  for  wheat, 
and  leaves  his  corn  crop  to  take  care  of  itself. 
Corn  is  planted  upon  the  lightest  soil  and  receives 
the  least  attention.  The  land  is  imperfectly  plowed, 
and  after  planting,  the  corn  receives  very  little  at- 
tention, except  tliat  a  shovel  plow  is  passed  be- 
tween the  rows  two  or  three  times. 

With  such  attention,  corn  could  not  be  raised 
in  New  England  at  all.  I  am  by  no  means  cer- 
tain, however,  that  the  labor  we  bestow  upon  this 
crop  would  not  pay  well  here.  Where  25  or  30 
bushels  are  harvested  now,  I  believe,  witli  proper 
cultivation,  50 might  be  secured.  It  was  early  in- 
stilled into  my  mind,  as  an  agricultural  tenet,  that 
"corn  cannot  be  cheated."  Two  bushels  of  corn 
may  be  raised  here,  at  less  expense  than  one,  on 
the  best  corn  lands  in  Massachusetts.  The  same 
I  think  is  true  of  many  other  crops,  so  that  if  the 
farmer  wishes  to  make  money,  and  nothing  else, 
he  will  do  well  to  leave  Massachusetts  and  come 
to  Maryland. 

I  visited  a  few  days  since,  the  celebrated  farm 
of  Mr.  George  Patterson,  of  Carrol  County.  Tru 
ly,  that  is  a  farm  as  is  a  farm.  The  tract  contains 
seventeen  hundred  acres,  all  in  one  body,  lying 
nearly  in  the  form  of  a  square.  The  surface  is 
gently  undulating,  nowhere  too  abruptly  hilly,  nor 
too  level.  On  the  whole  tract  there  is  very  little, 
if  any  waste  land. 

The  mansion,  which  is  an  imposing  structure  for 
a  farm-house,  and  so  located  as  to  produce  a  most 
pleasing  effect  upon  the  beholder,  occupies  an  em- 
inence in  a  central  position,  overlooking  nearly  the 
whole  territory.  The  landscape  is  beautifully  di- 
versified with  hills  and  dales,  cultivated  fields  and 
forests.  In  the  season  of  foliage,  the  scenery  must 
be  enchanting.  There  needs  but  a  castle,  with  a 
high  tower,  a  moat  and  a  draw  bridge,  to  give  it 
the  air  of  a  baronial  estate.  But  in  the  absence 
of  these  lunar  fardels,  for  which  feudal  lords  were 
wont,  whilom,  to  fight  and  bleed,  the  lowing  herds 
of  cattle,  the  bleating  flocks  of  sheep,  the  pranc- 
ing steeds,  the  grunting  swine,  and  the  cackling 
fowls,  indicate  "the  piping  time  of  peace;"  that 
the  sword  has  given  place  to  the  plowshare,  that 
rural  and  civic  duties  have  succeeded  to  the  reign 
of  Mars  and  Bellona. 

A  beautiful  rivulet  divides  the  farm,  which  is 
made  to  pay  tribute  in  the  way  of  converting  the 
proprietor's  grain  into  flour. 

Thoroughness  is  a  prominent  characteristic  in 
every  department.  The  adage,  what  is  worth  do- 
ing at  all,  is  worth  doing  well,  seems  to  be  a  ruling 
principle  of  action.  The  fences  are  a  great  curi- 
osity. As  far  as  I  saw,  they  were  all  made  of 
chestnut  and  oak  rails,  about  ten  feet  in  length, 
laid  up  Virginia  fashion,  from  ten  to  twelve  rails 
in  heiglit,  with  a  pair  of  stakes  at  each  corner. 
The  proprietor  has  learned,  from  poor  Richard,  or 
from  some  other  source,  that  an  ounce  of  preven- 
tion is  better  than  a  pound  of  cure.     "Twould  be 


well  for  all  farmers  to  learn  and  practice  the  same 
lesson.  With  such  fences,  there  would  be  no 
breachy  cattle,  and  consequently  no  losses  from 
their  depredations. 

The  barns  are  neatly  and  substantially  built,  and 
most  of  them  after  the  same  model ;  being  30  feet 
by  18,  and  wholly  devoted  to  hay  and  grain. 

But  that  is  a  small  barn,  says  the  New  England 
farmer.  Very  true.  But  what  there  lacks  in  size, 
may  be  made  up  in  number.  The  barns  are  all 
numbered,  and  I  saw  No.  47,  and  was  told  there 
were  50  in  all,  on  the  farm.  Of  this  number,  sev- 
eral are  devoted  to  the  sheltering  of  stock  ;  for  in- 
stance, one  to  milch  cows,  one  to  working  oxen, 
one  to  horses,  one  to  sheep,  and  so  on.  These  are 
much  larger  and  specially  adapted  to  the  purposes 
for  which  they  are  used. 

No  man  has  done  more  for  the  introduction  of 
good  stock  and  improvement  in  the  breeds  of  cat- 
tle, in  this  country,  than  Mr.  Patterson.  lie  has 
spared  neither  pains  nor  expense.  He  seems  to  till 
the  earth  as  I  think  every  man  should,  not  solely 
for  the  purpose  of  extracting  wealth  therefrom, 
but  con  amove, — for  the  sake  of  beautifying  it, — 
for  the  sake  of  developing  and  perfecting  its  re- 
sources,— for  the  sake  of  multiplying  luxuries  and 
increasing  the  comforts  of  human  society.  He  has 
devoted  to  his  work  intelligence,  the  results  of  ex- 
tensive and  accurate  observation, together  with  the 
triumphs  of  science  and  art.  He  is  now  reaping  a 
rich  reward. 

Of  his  stock,  the  nature  of  his  soil,  and  his  meth 
od  of  cultivation,  I  may  write  hereafter. 

Yours,  R.  B.  H. 


Reuarks. — Please  to  do  so — and  fill  out  the 
above  initials,  so  that  we  may  know  to  whom  we 
are  indebted  for  such  lucid  and  interesting  descrip- 
tions. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer, 


TRANSPLANTING. 

Mr.  Editor  : — Sir, — As  you  are  very  good  to 
give  advice  and  counsel  to  the  needy,  through  the 
columns  of  your  paper,  1  beg  leave  to  propose 
tvpo  or  three  questions.  I  wish  you  to  tell  me 
what  to  do  to  cherry  trees,  to  have  them  bear  good 
sound  fruit  and  prevent  them  from  being  wormy  ? 
Also,  the  best  month  in  the  year  to  set  out  fruit 
and  shade  trees,  viz  :  Maple,  Elm  and  Spruce!  In 
so  doing,  you  will  confer  a  favor  upon  a  constant 
reader  of  the  New  England  Farmer. 

Deerfield,  March  25,  1853.         G.  W.  Mann. 

Remarks. — Keep  your  cherry  trees  healthy  and 
vigorous  by  manure  and  cultivation,  and  keep  in- 
sects from  stinging  the  fruit  if  you  can. 

Set  your  trees  as  early  in  the  month  of  April  as 
the  frost  will  permit.  Directions  how  to  do  it  were 
given  in  the  Weekly  Fariner  of  March  26.  Do  not 
let  the  sun  shine  or  the  wind  blow  on  the  roots  of 
the  evergreens  a  moment.  Keep  them  covered 
with  earth,  wet  moss,  matting,  or  something  of 
the  kind,  till  the  moment  they  are  set  back  into 
the  ground. 

Eggs. — Mr.  Edward  Aborn,  of  Providence,  R. 
I.,  has  sent  us  three  eggs,  laid  by  one  of  hiq 


228 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


May 


Shanghai  hens,  (of  Forbes's  importation.)  Two  of 
the  eggs  are  not  above  the  usual  size  of  hen's 
eggs,  but  are  very  heavy,  weighing,  one  2^  the 
other  2J  ounces.  The  third  is  of  a  very  large  size, 
weighing  4  ounces,  and  measuring  8|  inches  one 
way,  and  5  13-16  inches  the  other.  Mr.  Aborn 
will  please  accept  our  thanks  for  the  above. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
THE    VALUE    OF  SULPHATE    OF   ZINC 
(WHITE  VITRIOL)  TO  THE  FARMER. 

Having  formerly  been  a  practitioner  of  medicine, 
my  knowledge  of  the  properties  of  the  above  ar- 
ticle has  led  me  to  some  knowledge  of  its  value  as 
a  topical  application  in  the  farm  yard. 

At  one  of  our  Annual  Agricultural  Exhibitions 
a  year  or  two  since,  I  met  with  a  farmer,  who,  1 
remembered,  had  the  previous  year  exhibited  a  cow 
whose  fine  bag  had  attracted  my  attention,  and 
which  it  seems  always  gave  an  abundant  yield  of 
milk  after  calving,  which  was  regularly  and  seri- 
ously diminished  by  the  difficulty  of  milking  occa- 
sioned by  her  teats  becoming  sore  not  many  weeks 
after  the  calf  was  taken  away.  He  informed  me 
that  he  had  made  the  application  to  her  teats 
which  I  had  recommended  the  year  before,  and 
that  it  had  speedily  and  entirely  cured  the  teats 
and  that  they  had  remained  perfectly  well  ever 
since.  I  had  entirely  forgotten  having  recom- 
mended anything,  and  he  could  not  remember 
the  name  of  my  prescription  ;  but  upon  my  repeat- 
ing one  or  two  articles  which  I  thought  most  like- 
ly to  have  been  suggested  by  me  to  him,  he  con- 
fidently caught  at  the  name  as  I  repeated  it  of  the 
article  above  mentioned  as  the  one  which  he  had 
so  succesfully  used.  It  was  not  many  mouths  af- 
ter that,  my  hired  man  complained  of  a  similar 
difficulty  in  a  valuable  cow  owned  by  myself,  caus- 
ing her  frequently  to  raise  her  foot  while  being 
milked,  and  preventing  thorough  milking  of  the 
afifected  teat.  Recalling  to  mind  the  instance 
above  mentioned,  I  promised  the  man  a  remedy 
for  trial ;  but  other  cares  led  me  to  postpone  its 
preparation  until  I  found  after  two  or  three  weeks 
that  the  sore  or  excoriation  on  the  teat  was  of  the 
size  of  a  finger  nail.  I  then  dissolved  perhaps  a 
teaspoonful  of  sulphate  of  zinc  in  a  half  pint  of 
water,  aiad  directed  my  man  to  apply  it  after  each 
milking,  by  means  of  a  soft  rag  saturated  with  the 
solution.  It  was  four  or  five  days,  I  think,  (but 
possibly  a  week,)  thereafter,  before  I  thought  to 
inquire  as  to  its  effiscts,  when  i  confess  I  was  as 
much  surprised,  as  ray  man  seemed  pleased,  to 
find  a  perfect  cure  efiected  and  natural  and  healthy 
appearing  skin  in  place  of  the  excoriation  or  sore 
skin.  This  occurred  some  time  last  summer,  I 
should  think  about  July  or  August,  and  when  I 
left  home  the  last  of  January,  she  had  been  milked 
regularly  since  that  time  without  the  slightest  re- 
turn of  soreness. 

The  hand  of  the  man  who  milks  is  usually  suf- 
fered to  be  applied  dry  to  the  teat,  and  is  often 
hardened  by  hard  work,  and  it  is  not  surprising 
that  the  friction  occasioned  thereby  (and  by  a  very 
different  surface  from  the  moist  mouth  of  thecal! 
— the  milker  designed  by  dame  nature)  should  oc- 
casion inflammation  in  the  skin,  and  a  consequent 
cessation  of  the  slight  oily  secretion  natural  to  the 
pores  of  the  skin  of  the  teat.    The  sulphate  of 


zinc  is  a  decided  astringent,  and  free  from  the  ob- 
jectionable properties  of  some  mineral  astringents. 
Again  ;  I  had  a  litter  of  Suffolk  and  JNIackay 
pigs  littered  last  autumn,  at  that  season  when  a 
hot  sun  following  cold  nights  is  liable  to  produce 
irritation  and  cracking  of  their  tender  skins,  and 
a  consequent  thick  black  scabs  on  the  back,  while 
their  tails  become  an  entire  scab  and  drop  off. — 
Five  of  this  litter  were  thus  affected.  They  looked 
as  if  they  had  been  lying  or  rolling  in  black  mud, 
but  tlie  pen  was  perfectly  dry  ;  it  increased  from 
day  to  day,  and  the  state  of  the  tail  also  satisfied 
me  that  they  were  affected  by  some  disease  of  the 
skin,  I  knew  not  what.  I  therefore  resorted  to  a 
book  upon  the  breeding  and  diseases  of  this  ani- 
mal, and  found  the  affection  well  described  and 
accounted  for,  but  the  treatment  very  unsatisfac- 
tory to  me.  I  determined  therefore  to  try  the 
zinc,  as  I  thought  it  reasonable  and  probable  that 
in  this  instance  also  it  would  prove  useful.  Up- 
on removing  the  little  things  from  the  pen,  we 
found  their  backs  occupied  by  scabs  of  great 
thickness,  and  so  nearly  touching  each  other  as  to 
present  the  appearance  of  an  uniform  black  patch; 
but  the  skin  was  discoverable  in  the  cracks  be- 
tween each  scab  or  row  of  scabs,  and  the  scabs  we 
found  surrounding  and  involving  the  hairs.  I  had 
prepared  the  zinc  by  mixing  perhaps  a  heaping 
tea-spoonful  with  a  lump  of  hog's  lard  of  the  size 
of  a  goose  egg,  incorporating  it  thoroughly  with  a 
case  knife.  This  was  thoroughly  rubbed  upon  the 
parts  affected,  and  the  pigs  returned  after  each  ap- 
plication to  their  pen.  It  was  repeated  every  oth- 
er day,  until  it  had  been  applied  three  times  ;  af- 
ter which,  the  thick  scabs  disappeared  from  four 
of  the  five,  leaving  the  skin  in  a  natural  state, 
with  the  exception  of  a  very  slight  blush  of  red 
where  the  scabs  had  been.  But  this  shortly  dis- 
appeared. The  fifth  was  one  which  we  had 
brought  up  by  hand,  and  was  not  cured  until  the 
application  had  been  made  five  or  six  times.  The 
tails  were  hopelessly  lost,  except  one  or  two  where 
the  root  of  the  tail  alone  was  affected.  The  oth- 
ers, when  we  commenced  with  the  zinc,  had  the 
whole  tail  involved  and  cracked  and  looking  as 
though  roasted  (not  brown)  but  to  blackness. — 
The  speed  with  which  the  cure  was  effected,  con- 
sidering that  the  scabs  were  at  least  an  eighth  of 
an  inch  thick,  and  that  the  pigs  were  continued 
in  the  same  exposure  where  the  disease  originat- 
ed, leads  me  to  feel  confident  that  the  cure  could 
not  be  solely  attributable  to  the  lard,  which  I 
have  no  doubt  would  be  so  far  servicable  that  with 
longer  time  it  might  or  probably  would,  remove 
the  difficulty.  I  sold  the  little  fellows  at  five 
weeks  old,  for  $5  a  pair. 

But  to  ascend  from  cows  and  pigs  to  a  higher 
order  of  beings  for  whose  sake  it  may  be  worth 
while  to  possess  and  to  use  this  preparation  of 
zinc.  Suppose  a  mother  to  have  given  her  young 
child  an  orange  to  amuse  it  or  to  eat,  and  not  be- 
ing watched,  the  little  fellow  has  eaten  the  peel 
as  well  as  the  pulp.  Or,  suppose  that  it  has  eat- 
en some  other  equally  indigestible  article,  and  that 
its  stomach  and  delicate  nervous  system  rebels 
against  the  unwelcome  intruder.  The  child  is 
found  before  long,  as  sometimes  happens,  in  a  fit 
or  convulsion.  It  is  laid  upon  the  bed  and  seems 
to  return  to  consciousness,  but  another  and  an- 
other fit  succeed.  The  doctor  is  sent  for,  but  half 
of  our  farmers  live  one  or  two  ^miles  distant  from 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


229 


the  doctor,  and  half  the  time  the  doctor  is  not  at 
home.  In  such  a  case,  what  a  relief  to  the  parents 
and  household  it  would  be,  to  know  just  what  the 
doctor  would  do  if  there,  and  to  have  the  remedy 
at  hand. 

Lot  them  dissolve  (according  to  the  age  of  the 
child)  from  one-twelfth  to  one-fourth  of  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  iulphate  of  zinc  in  a  great  spoonful  of 
water,  and  give  it  to  the  child  from  the  spoon;  (for 
.if  a  fit  should  occur,  it  might,  bite  a  piece  from  a 
cup  or  glass)  and  in  from  three  to  five  minutes 
the  contents  of  the  stomach  will  be  evacuated,  the 
cause  removed,  and  nothing  further  but  rest  is 
needed.  Its  operation  would  probably  be  has- 
tened by  giving  drink  of  warm  water  in  order  to 
slightly  distend  the  stomach.  If  it  does  not  oper- 
ate in  five  minutes,  the  dose  should  be  repeated 
until  the  stomach  is  evacuated.  It  might  be  well 
to  give  from  two  to  six  drops  of  laudanum  after- 
wards, to  allay  any  irritation  of  stomach  caused  by 
the  zinc  or  the  indigestible  food,  especially  if  there 
is  tenderness  upun  slight  pressure  on  the  pit  of 
the  stomach. 

FARM  ACCOUNTS. 

We  have  been  permitted  to  look  at  a  Journal  of 
Farm  Accounts,  kept  by  D.  Tennet,  Esq.,  of  Sut- 
ton, commencing  with  .the  year  1822.  Mr.  Tenney 
has  divided  his  farm  into  small  lots,  to  each  of 
which  he  has  given  a  name.  This  name  is  en- 
tered on  the  top  of  the  left-hand  page  of  the  jour- 
nal, together  with  the  amount  of  land  which  the 
lot  contains.  Then  follows  the  account  as  set 
forth  below.  This  lot  is  entitled  "Young  Orchard," 
containing  three-fourths  of  an  acre,  and  the  profits 
are  given  for  each  year,  from  1844  to  1852,  inclu- 
sive. We  have  selected  a  lot  showing  quite  favor- 
able returns ;  but  every  lot  shows  a  fair  gain  on 
the  capital  and  labor  invested.  In  the  "Young 
Orchard"  lot,  in 

1844,  the  profit  was $47.00 

184=1,  "  "        16.40 

1846,  "  "          75.40 

1847,  "  " 57.38 

1848,  "  "         101.50 

1849,  "  "         60  18 

1850,  "  "         132.50 

1851,  "  "        13115 

1852,  "  "        79.00 

The  account  is  kept  in  the  following  form  : 


Lffl-hand  Page. 
1852.    By  lu  days  work  i)ick- 
ing  apples,  at  75  cis., 

$7.50 


Right-hand  Page. 

1852.    By  197  bushels  of  winter 

apples,  or  79  barrels,  at  S 1  — 

$79.00 

125  do.  cider  apples,  at  6c,  7.50 


Deduct  labor,  7.50 

$79.00 

In  1851,  the  apples  sold  at  the  door  for  S2  a 
barrel,  while  in  1852,  they  only  brought  $1,  after 
being  transported  to  AYoreester. 

The  Journal  contains  accounts  kept  with  vari- 
ous kinds  of  land,  where  it  was  reclaimed,  as  well 
as  old  land,  and  the  results  are  all  favorable.  If 
farmers  would  adopt  Mr.  Tenney's  mode  of  keep- 
ing accounts,  we  think  they  would  find  better  re- 
turns from  their  farms  than  they  have  been  in  the 
habit  of  giving  them  credit  for. 


ANALYSES  OF  CLAM  AND  OYSTER 
SHELLS. 

Messrs.  Editors: — In  your  January  number  of 
the  "Plough, Loom  and  Anvil,^'  is  a  brief  notice  of 
the  application  of  oyster  shells  as  a  manure  for 
fruit  trees.  That  those  who  use  them  may  know 
what  they  are  adding  to  their  soil  when  they  ap- 
ply them,  I  here  send  you  for  publication  their 
analysis,  together  with  the  analysis  of  the  clam 
shell. 

In  the  vicinity  of  the  sea-coast  and  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  large  towns,  the  common  clam  and 
oyster  shells  are  quite  extensively  used  by  farm- 
ers as  a  manure.  They  are  sometimes  thrown  up- 
on the  land  whole,  sometimes  previously  broken 
into  fragments,  and  often  burned.  As  a  general 
rule,  the  latter  method  may  be  considered  prefer- 
able to  either  of  the  others. 

Soils,  however,  containing  already  a  sufiicient 
quantity  of  lime  for  present  demands,  and  where 
the  object  is  merely  to  compensate  for  the  gradual 
waste,  shells  unburned  may  answer  quite  as  good 
a  purpose  as  those  which  have  been  burned.  \V  hen 
used  before  burning,  owing  to  their  compact  tex- 
ture, they  are  acted  upon  but  slowly  by  the  ordi- 
nary agents  to  which  they  are  subjected ,  and  hence 
it  requires  a  much  larger  quantity  of  them  than  of 
burned  shells  to  exert,  in  a  given  time,  the  same 
den^ree  of  influence  upon  the  soil.  Unlnirned,  their 
eSects  are  not  materially  different — throwing  aside 
the  small  quantity  of  animal  matter  and  soluble 
salts  they  contain — from  ordinary  limestones  bro- 
ken equally  fine  and  disposed  of  in  a  similar  man- 
ner. 

Before  burning — omitting  moisture — they  are 
made  up  principally  of  carbonates,  with  a  small 
quantity  of  organic  matter,  phosphates,  sulphates, 
and  chlorides.  The  process  of  burning  expels  near- 
ly air  of  the  carbonic  acid  and  organic  matter,  with 
some  of  the  chlorine,  leaving  the  phosphate,  sul- 
phates, and  a  small  amount  of  chlorides  and  car- 
bonates. The  rest,  lime,  which  makes  up  nearly 
the  whole,  is  in  a  caustic  state. 

As  the  composition  of  these  shells,  both  before 
and  after  burning,  maybe  of  some  interest,  I  here 
give  them : 

The  common  clam  shell  (Venus  mercenaria) — 
100  parts  of  the  dry  unburned  shell  gave  of 

Silica none. 

Pho.sphates  of  iron,  lime  and  magnesia 1.250 

Carbonate  of  lime 69  204 

Sulphate  of  lime 0.815 

Lime,  probably  combined  with  organic  matter 13.907 

Magnesia 1.400 

Poiassa 1.847 

Chloride  of  sodium 6.101 

Organic  matter 6.050 

100.614 

The  same  shell,  burned  till  the  organic  matter 
and  carbonate  acid  were  nearly  all  expelled — 100 
parts  gave  of 

Silicia none. 

Phosphates  of  iron,  lime  and  magnesia 1.856 

Lime 78.610 

Sulphate  of 1.210 

Magnesia 2.078 

Potassa 2.816 

Soda  and  chloride  of  sodium 10.386 

Carbonic  acid 3.043 

Organic  matter trace. 

99.999 

Shell  of  the  common  oyster  (Ostrea  borealis) — 
100  parts  of  the  fresh  shell,  deprived  Of  water, 
gave  of 


230 


JSEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


May 


Phosphates  of  iron,  lime,  and  magnesia 0.842 

Carbonate  of  lime 86.203 

Sulphates  of  lime 2.061 

Lime,  probably  combined  with  organic  matter 6.035 

Magnesia 0.338 

Pola.ssa 0,191 

Soda  and  chloride  of  sodium 0.690 

Organic 3.613 

99.613 

The  same  shell,  burned  till  nearly  all  the  car- 
bonic acid  and  organic  matter  were  expelled — 100 
parts  gave  of 

Phosphates  of  iron,  lime,  and  magnesia .0.800 

Lime 91.918 

Magnesia 0.  .560 

Potassa 0.316 

Soda  and  chloride  of  sodium 1.144 

Sulphuric  acid 2.011 

Carbonic  acid 2.050 

Organic  matter trace. 

98.799 

From   these  analyses  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
shells  of  the  clam  contain  a  much  larger  percen- 
tage of  phosphates,  magnesia,  potassa  and  soda, 
than  those  of  the  oyster;  while  the   latter  are 
much  the  richest  in  linis  and  sulphuric  acid. 
Tours  truly, 
J.  H.  Salisbury,  State  Chemist. 
Old  State  Hall,  Albamj,  Feb.  14,  1853. 
— Plough,  Loom  and  Anvil. 


LEGISLATIVE  AGRICULTURAL  MEET- 
INGS. 

Eleventh   Meeting— Tuesday   Evening,  April  5,  1853. 

The  eleventh  meeting  of  the  series  was  held  at 
the  State  House,  on  Tuesday  evening.  The  sub- 
ject under  consideration  was'TAe  Structure  and 
Position  of  Farm  Buildings.''^ 

Mr.  Proctor,  of  Danvers,  presided,  and^n  open- 
ing the  discussion  remarked  that  in  his  opinion, 
the  cost  of  farm  buildings  should  be  proportionate 
to  the  value  of  the  farm  ;  that  is,  they  should  not 
cost  more  than  the  land,  but  as  much  less  as  pos- 
sible. On  a  farm  worth  $5000,  the  house  should 
not  cost  more  than  $2500.  The  buildings  should 
be  so  situated  as  to  save  travel  and  power  in  farm- 
ing operations,  as  on  uneven  land,  the  necessity  of 
transporting  manure  up  hill,  as  this  is  generally 
the  heaviest  labor  on  a  farm.  It  would  be  much 
easier  to  draw  produce  up  hill  than  manure. 

The  barns  and  sheds  should  also  be  so  arranged 
as  to  afford  the  most  comfort  and  convenience  to 
the  animals  occupying  them.  Much  suffering  and 
loss  occurs  from  a  neglect  of  this  matter.  Farm- 
ers should  avoid  building  their  houses  too  high, 
because  if  constructed  with  three  or  four  stories, 
the  upper  stories  are  inconvenient  to  get  at.  Who- 
ever builds  in  this  manner,  errs  in  taste  and  mis- 
applies his  money. 

Farm  buildings,  too,  should  be  adapted  to  the 
purposes  for  which  the  farm  is  designed — as,  if  a 
dairy  farm,  or  a  cheese  farm,  rooms  should  be 
built  expressly  to  meet  the  requirements  of  such 
farming. 

Mr.  Proctor  thought  the  habit  of  keeping  cat- 
tle in  the  barn  during  the  entire  winter,  was  un- 


necessary ;  because,  if  sheds  and  yards  are  proper- 
ly constructed,  young  cattle,  certainly,  can  be  well 
kept  in  them. 

Mr.  Brown,  of  the  jV.  E.  Farmer,  said  that  one 
great  difBculty  in  arranging  our  farms  and  build- 
ings is,  that  most  of  them  come  to  us  either  by 
inheritance  or  purchase,  and  alterations  in  them 
are  expensive.  If  he  were  to  lay  out  a  farm,  he 
would  form  it  into  an  oblong  square,  and  if  the 
lands  were  extensive,  h(f  would  place  the  build- 
ings somewhere  near  the  centre — if  not  very  am- 
ple, near  the  front  centre,  and  nearest  the  high- 
way, to  be  used  in  connection  with  the  hiriu.  He 
agreed  with  the  Chairaiivn,  in  regard  to  the  house 
on  a  fixrm,  for  he  believed  there  was  much  truth 
in  the  old  couplet, 

"A  little  house  and  a  great  barn. 
Is  a  sure  sign  of  a  good  farm." 

One  of  the  most  important  apartments  in  a 
house,  is  the  cellar  ;  and  yet,  among  farmers  it  is 
often  more  deficient  than  any  other  apartment. 
The  cellar  should  be  eight  or  nine  feet  high  from 
the  bottom  to  the  floor  of  the  house,  and  should 
be  well  painted  and  white-washed.  It  should  be 
kept  in  such  a  manner  as  to  keep  it  moist,  so  that 
the  hoops  on  the  barrels  should  not  drop  off,  but 
not  so  moist  as  to  cause  the  casks  and  bins  to 
rot.  Mr.  Brown  stated  that  he  had  a  stream  of 
water  running  through  his  cellar  nearly  all  the 
time,  the  springs  flowing  out  from  the  hill  side 
behind  his  house,   being   conducted  through  it. 

He  found  that  fruit  would  keep  better  in 
this  cellar  than  in  any  other  he  had  ever  used  ; 
he  had  no  doubt  he  could  keep  some  kinds  of  ap- 
ples in  it  two  years,  without  withering  or  shrink- 
ing much.  The  casks  are  always  in  good  condi- 
tion if  the  cellar  is  cleaned  out  two  or  three  times 
a  year,  as  he  intends  to  have  it. 

In  regard  to  the  structure  of  barns,  Mr.  Brown 
thought  that  if  any  inan  would  furnish  a  design 
for  such  a  barn  as  thousands  of  our  farmers  are  at 
the  present  moment  in  need  of, — something  neat, 
convenient  and  cheap — he  would  confer  a  great 
benefit.  He  instanced  the  farm  of  a  gentleman  in 
Wostboro',  which  accommodated  under  one  roof 
the  carriages,  the  hay,  and  the  implements,  by 
which  means  the  expense  of  constructing  roofs  for 
separate  buildings  is  avoided.  Then  from  the 
centre  of  this  barn,  is  another  for  the  cattle,  the 
droppings  of  manure  being  thrown  under  this 
building, — leaving  the  cellar  of  the  main  barn 
sweet  and  clean  for  the  reception  of  the  crops  of 
the  farm  throughout  the  year,  lie  had  endeav- 
ored to  form  one  after  the  same  fashion.  There  was 
one  great  inconvenience  connected  with  it,  how- 
ever ;  the  bays  for  hay  were  very  wide  and  long, 
and  it  often  required  three  persons  to  unload  and 
stow  it  away,  which  is  more  labor  than  can  be 
spared  in  the  haying  season. 

Mr.  Sheldon  of  Wilmington  said  he  had  never 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


231 


seen  a  barn  which  exactly  suited  him,  but  the  one 
described  by  ]Mr.  Brown  accorded  well  with  his 
views.  He  had  l)uilt  his  barn  with  a  cellar  under 
it  where  he  kept  his  hogs  ;  but  lie  did  not  like  it 
because  ho  thought  the  odors  from  the  manure 
affected  the  hay  injuriously.  Cattle  would  not  eat 
it  so  well.  He  would  prefer  to  have  a  barn  with 
a  cellar  separate  for  manure.  In  regard  to  unload- 
ing hay,  if  practicable,  he  would  have  one  end  of 
the  barn  so  as  to  drive  in  over  the  beams.  He 
would  also  have  his  barn  large,  so  that  when,  as 
frequently  happens,  in  case  of  showers,  hay  has  to 
be  housed  before  it  is  fairly  cured,  there  might  be 
room  to  complete  the  process  before  it  is  mowed 
away.  As  to  the  position  of  buildings,  he  would 
as  a  general  thing  have  them  in  the  centre  of  a 
farm  but  would  not  get  into  a  hollow,  because  it 
is  apt  to  keep  the  cellars  too  wet,  and  the  manure 
in  the  spring  is  too  wet  also.  Farmers  are  apt  to 
get  their  cellars  too  low  and  their  buildings  too 
high. 

Mr  Clark  of  Waltham  said  the  position  and 
structure  of  farm  buildings  depended  very  much  on 
circumstances  as  to  expenses,  points  of  the  com- 
pass, Sue.  He  thought  that  as  lumber  was  becom- 
ing scarcer  and  dearer  every  year,  our  farmers 
would  soon  be  obliged  to  resort  to  stone  or  some 
other  material  than  wood  for  their  buildings.  He 
remarked  that  he  had  noticed  this  winter  that  his 
cattle  preferred  spring  water  to  well  water,  al- 
though he  considered  the  latter  superior.  Farmers 
should  have  an  abundance  of  water,  because  if  they 
drive  their  stock  away  from  home  they  lose  a  good 
deal  of  manure  as  well  as  time. 

Mr.  Brooks,  of  Princeton,  said  he  had  been  op- 
posed to  barn  cellars  to  keep  manure  in,  for  he  be- 
lieved they  injured  the  hay  and  affected  the  health 
of  the  cattle.  If  we  build  barns  tight  enough  to 
keep  cattle  warm,  we  retain.the  gases  of  manure 
when  it  is  in  a  cellar  under  the  barn,  and  they  in- 
jure the  cattle  and  the  hay  :  therefore  he  would 
build  a  barn  entirely  separate  for  hay,  and  then 
build  a  leanto  one  story  high  for  cattle  ;  and  then 
back  of  that  dig  a  cellar — or,  if  the  land  was  not 
convenient,  build  a  shed  for  the  manure. 

Mr.  Brown  said  he  believed  that  manure  under 
the  hay  and  under  cattle  was  injurious.  As  an  il- 
lustration, he  related  the  case  of  a  friend  of  his, 
who  built  a  barn  which  he  thought  he  got  com- 
pletely fixed  in  every  respect,  and  digging  a  cellar 
under  it.  He  purchased  a  good  deal  of  manure 
and  brought  his  lands  into  a  high  state  of  fertility, 
producing  large  crops  of  hay,  some  of  which  grew 
quite  rank.  This  he  allowed  to  accumulate  in  his 
barn.  He  finally  sold  his  stock  to  be  pressed  in- 
to bundle  hay.  Some  of  it  had  lain  in  the  bay  for 
three  years, and  when  it  was  removed  to  be  screwed 
down,  it  was  so  offensive  two  or  three  feet  from 
the  floor,  that  the  men  employed  to  press  it  were 
unable  to  endure  it,  although  the  barn  was  entire- 


ly open,  and  a  thorough  ventilation  was  secured  ; 
and  they  were  obliged  to  throw  away  portions  of 
it. 

Mr.  Brown  remarked  further,  that  it  was  diffi- 
cult to  arrange  barns  so  as  to  have  the  cattle  en- 
tirely separate  from  the  hay.  We  must  wait  un- 
til we  can  build  anew.  We  cannot  afford  the  ex- 
pense of  changing  the  barns  we  now  have.  He 
would  suggest  as  a  remedy  in  part  to  strew  the 
floor  of  the  leanto  every  morning,  or  whenever 
the  cattle  are  cleaned,  with  ground  plaster.  It 
will  very  speedily  absorb  the  gases,  aud  thus  pre- 
vent the  odors  arising  from  the  manure.  But  the 
thing  of  great  importance,  is  to  cover  the  manures, 
once  a  day  loith  the  great  absorbent,  peat-mud. 

The  suggestion  of  Mr.  Clark  in  regard  to  the 
use  of  stone  as  a  building  material  by  farmers, 
Mr.  Bro^-n  regarded  as  very  important  on  ac- 
count of  the  constantly  increasing  value  of  lumber. 
In  his  opinion  we  must  have  some  thing  to  take 
the  place  of  it.  All  over  New  England  there  are 
found  stones  that  will  split  easily,  and  there  are 
also  slate  stones  that  will  make  very  fine  building 
material.  He  desired  that  farmers  should  give  the 
matter  earnest  consideration,and  ascertain  wheth- 
er we  cannot  build  as  cheaply  with  stone  as  with 
wood.  Stone  buildings  may  cost  the  most  at  the 
outset,  but  once  built,  there  is  little  to  be  done  to 
them  for  a  long  time  afterward,  while  on  wooden 
buildings  there  is  a  constant  expenditure  for  paint- 
ing and  repairing. 

Mr.  Clark  said  he  would  make  one  suggestion 
in  relation  to  the  construction  of  horse  stalls.  He 
did  not  believe  that  horses  ought  to  stand  on  plank 
floors.  His  horses  stand  upon  the  ground  summer 
and  winter — or  rather  upon  a  slight  pavement, 
the  bottom  of  the  stable  being  paved  with  small 
stones,  underneath  which  is  a  hard  pan.  He  could 
not  discover  that  he  lost  any  liquid  manure  by 
this  method.  Standing  on  plank  floors  he  thought 
injured  the  horses'  feet  and  produced  disease. 

Mr.  Brooks  did  not  consider  the  remedy  for  ob- 
viating the  effects  of  the  noxious  gases  of  manure, 
viz.  plaster,  suggested  by  Mr.  Brown,  as  entirely 
sufficient  for  that  purpose,  because  these  gases  are 
continually  rising,  and  therefore  plaster  occasion- 
ally thrown  down  cannot  effectually  suppress 
them.  He  certainly  would  have  no  manure  un- 
derneath the  hay.  In  reply  to  inquiry,  he  re- 
marked that  he  did  not  suppose  any  injury  would 
accrue  where  one  side  of  the  cellar  was  left  open  ; 
but  in  such  case  the  barn  could  not  be  warm 
enough  for  the  cattle.  Still  he  had  known  of  old- 
fashioned  farms  where  this  was  the  case,  and  the 
cattle  were  healthy  ;  but  it  undoubtedly  took  more 
to  feed  them.  The  idea  is  to  keep  cattle  suffi- 
ciently warm.  They  eat  three  per  cent,  of  their 
live  weight  per  day.  If  they  are  kept  cold,  they 
will  eat  more,  and  if  very  warm,  less.  Mr. 
Brooks  considered   a  warmth   of  55  degrees  as 


232 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


May 


about  the  right  temperature.  He  believed  it 
would  be  a  gain  to  keep  a  fire  in  a  barn  in  order  to 
bring  the  temperatui-e  up  to  this  point. 

Mr.  Brooks  attributed  the  preference  shown  by 
cattle  for  spring  warer  over  well  water,  to  the 
greater  warmth  of  the  spring  water.  He  had 
^und  by  experiment  that  cattle  prefer  water  from 
which  the  "chiU"-has  been  taken  off.  If  he  were 
going  to  build  a  barn  according  to  his  ideas  of 
perfection,  he  would  have  an  apparatus  for  heat- 
ing water — he  believed  it  would  pay. 

Mr.  SuELDON  said  he  had  a  barn  with  the  cel- 
lar open  on  the  south  side,  but  the  hay  will  injure 
on  the  north  side.  He  coincided  with  Mr.  Clark 
in  regard  to  plank  floors  for  cattle.  He  had  had 
more  experience  with  oxen  than  with  horses,  and 
some  years  since,  when  he  kept  a  large  number, 
he  used  to  spread  meadow  hay,  which  was  then 
very  cheap,  under  them,  for  them  to  stand  on  ; 
and  he  would  as  readily  have  oxen  thus  kept,  trav- 
el 18  miles  a  day,  as  to  allow  those  kept  on  a 
plank  floor  to  travel  15. 

Mr.  Emerson,  of  Boston,  thought  barns  should 
be  placed  on  the  northern  or  northeastern  side  of 
the  dwelling,  because  the  unpleasant  and  noxious 
vapors  arising  from  manures,  which  are  readily 
carried  off  by  the  dense  atmosphere  and  strong 
winds  of  winter,  are  too  heavy  to  be  forced  up- 
wards by  the  lighter  air  and  currents  of  summer, 
and  hence,  if  the  barns  are  located  on  the  north 
side,  will  become  very  annoying  during  the  warm 
months,  as  the  southerly  currents  will  waft  them 
directly  upon  the  house.  The  barn-yard,  also, 
should  not  lie  between  the  house  and  the  barn, 
but  be  fixed  beyond  the  barn,  in  order  to  avoid 
passing  through  the  yard  in  going  to  the  barn.  It 
would  also  tend  to  prevent  annoyance  from  nox- 
ious vapors  in  summer. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
PLASTERED  HOUSES. 

Mr.  Brown  : — I  noticed  in  the  last  No.  of  the 
last  Vol.  of  the  Farmer,  an  article  inquiring  "if 
the  outside"  of  a  house  "could  be  plastered  or  fin- 
ished with  concrete  or  hydraulic  cement,  and  then 
painted  and  penciled  in  imitation  of  granite,  so  as 
to  be  durable  r' 

Mr.  Camp  can  plaster  with  common  lime  mor- 
tar, leaving  it  rough,  or  as  the  leveller  leaves  it, 
until  well  dried,  then  a  coating  of  plaster  paris  can 
be  applied,  and  when  dry  it  can  be  painted  to  suit 
his  taste.  The  plaster  paris  will  cost  about  twelve 
and  a  half  cents  per  square  yard,  including  mate- 
rial and  labor  of  putting  it  on,  and  forms  a  per- 
fectly hard,  smooth  surface. 

I  have  been  looking  for  an  answer  which  would 
be  of  use  to  me,  as  well  as  Mr.  Camp. 

As  the  season  for  repairing  and  building  is  at 
hand,  cannot  some  one  give  some  useful  and  prac- 
tical hints  in  regard  to  the  subject  ?  Surely,  there 
is  a  broad  uncultivated  field  here,  which  ought  to 
be  occupied  immediately.  Artesan. 


Fur  the  New  England  Farmer. 
OBSERVATIONS  ON  SPRING  WORK. 

BY    F.    nOLiJROOK. 

The  Spring  of  the  year  is  a  busy  and  hurrying 
time  with  farmers,  and  yet  there  are  some  opera- 
tions of  tillage  which  they  can  ill-afford  to  exe- 
cute in  a  slight  and  superficial  manner.  It  would 
be  impossible  in  a  communication  of  reasonable 
length  to  speak  of  all  the  methods  of  culture  per- 
taining to  this  season  ;  and  only  a  portion  of  the 
more  important  of  field-operations  will  be  noticed 
at  this  time.  Observation  would  rather  induce 
the  remark,  that  the  preparation  of  the  ground 
in  the  Spring,  for  the  reception  of  seeds,  is  not 
generally  as  thorough  as  it  should  be.  A  more 
particular  and  finished  style  of  plowing,  for  in- 
stance, would  undoubtedly  well  reward  any  extra 
labor  involved,  by  the  extra  amount  of  product  of 
crops  it  would  ensure.  The  furrows  are  generally 
too  wide,  shallow,imperfectly  turned  and  matched, 
the  crops  are  lessened  by  the  means,  while  the  la- 
bor and  expense  of  the  after-cultivation  is  increased. 
Then,  again,  it  is  too  common  to  plow  the  differ- 
ent soils  in  the  same  style,  while  they  require  va- 
riations as  themselves  vary.  The  style  of  plow- 
ing a  stiff,  compact  clay,  should  be  different  from 
that  of  a  dry,  loose,  porous,  sandy  or  gravelly 
soil. 

The  best  way  of  plowing  a  stiff  clay,  consists  in 
cutting  very  narrow  furrow-slices  in  proportion 
to  their  depth,  and  setting  them  over  as  nearly  as 
may  be,  to  an  inclination  of  45^^,  thus  making 
high-crested  lapped  work.  To  do  this  the  most 
surely,  the  depth  of  the  plowing  should  equal 
about  two-thirds  its  width, — say  as  7  inches  deep 
by  10  inches  wide,  or  8  by  12,  or  9  by  13  to  14 
inches.  When  the  earth  is  turned  over  in  slices 
of  these  proportions,  the  plow  in  the  act  of  turn- 
ing them,  can  finely  crack  and  disintegrate  them  ; 
then  they  are  set  up  so  lightly,  and  so  lightly  rest 
against  each  other,  that  the  atmosphere  can  circu- 
late among  them,  the  rains  pass  through  them, 
their  projecting  angles  or  exposed  faces  present 
the  greatest  attainable  surface  to  the  atmosphere, 
and  the  greatest  contents  of  soil  to  the  opera- 
tions of  the  harrow,  so  that  it  can  the  better  slack- 
en and  break  down  tbe  stiffness  of  the  soil,  comb- 
ing out  its  too  compact  constituent  parts  into  fine 
particles,  and  raising  a  deep  mellow  seed-bed. 

With  a  view  of  satisfying  myself  of  the  advan- 
tages or  otherwise  of  lapped  over  flat  plowing  of 
stiff  soil,  I  last  year  selected  an  acre  of  formerly 
wet,  and  naturally  heavy  tenacious  pasture-land, 
that  had  never  been  plowed,  and  plowed  half  of 
it  in  7  by  10  lapped  furrows,  and  half  in  7  by  12 
flat  furrows, — both  kinds  being  done  in  a  particu- 
lar and  finished  style.  The  land  was  moderately 
manured,  and  planted  with  potatoes.  In  the  oper- 
ation of  harrowing,  it  was  found  that  the  surface 
of  the  lapped  furrows  soonest  yielded  a  fine  tilth, 
and  gave  the  deepest  seed-bed.  The  hoeing  upon 
the  lapped  work  was  the  mellowest,  and  the  horse, 
in  passing  between  the  rows  on  this  half  with  the 
cultivator  at  hoeing- time,  would  frequently  sink 
down  fetlock  deep  between  the  furrows.  A  great- 
er luxuriance  of  vines  on  the  lapped  than  on  the 
flat  furrows,  as  also  a  superiority  in  the  size  of  the 
potatoes,  and  in  yield  of  crop,  was  quite  apparent ; 
and  the  hand-cultivation  was  performed  with 
greater  case  and  expedition. 

But  dry,  sandy  and  gravelly  lands,  being  already 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


233 


too  loose  and  porous,  are  best  plowed  in  perfectly 
flgt  furrow-slices,  the  edges  closely  matchedjn,  and 
the  plowed  land  lying  smooth  and  firm  ;  and  if  a 
heavy  roller  is  passed  over  it,  closely  pressing  the 
furrows  down  and  together,  it  is  generally  all  the 
better  fa-  the  succeeding  crop, — more  particular- 
ly if  a  dry  season  follows.  I  have  had  much  to 
do  with  very  light,  dry,  sandy  and  gravelly  lands, 
and  have  succeeded  best  by  one  thorough  sod- 
plowing,  as  deep  as  circumstances  would  warrant, 
turning  the  sod  over  perfectly  flat,  then  pressing 
the  plowed  hinds  down  with  a  heavy  roller,  then 
raising  a  tilth  two  to  three  inches  deep  with  a  light, 
fine-toothed  harrow,  planting  one  year,  the  next 
year  plowing  quite  shallow  and  seeding  to  grass 
with  grain,  and  leaving  the  turf  undisturbed  be- 
neath. I  have  frequently  observed  that  the  new 
seeding  gained  a  thicker  and  better  stand  after 
this  mode  of  cultivation,  than  when  the  turf  was 
brought  again  to  the  surface  at  seeding  time,  and 
there  left  to  dry  and  become  dissipated  by  sun 
and  wind. 

The  soils  of  medium  texture  between  the  extra 
stiff  and  the  loose  and  porous,  are  perhaps  gener- 
ally as  well  plowed  in  flat  furrows,  as  any  way, 
— only  let  the  slices  be  as  narrow  in  proportion  to 
depth,  as  will  do,  and  turn  over  handsomely,  be- 
cause the  soil  turned  over  in  narrow  slices,  is  more 
surely  and  readily  disintegrated  and  broken  into 
particles.  The  sod  and  subsoil  plow  appears  to  be 
quite  well  adapted  to  the  working  of  these  soils, 
where  the  land  is  not  too  rough  or  too  much  en- 
cumbered with  obstructions.  It  is  sometimes 
claimed,  indeed,  that  this  kind  of  plow  is  best 
adapted  to  every  soil ;  but  the  claim  is  perhaps 
rather  broad,  and  possibly  it  might  1)6  as  well  to 
leave  a  slight  margin  for  the  present,  at  least. 

In  plowing  stubble  or  old  land,  it  is  well  to  use 
a  plow  of  shorter  mould-board,  more  abrupt  in 
curvature  than  that  of  a  first-class  sod  or  break- 
ing-up  plow,  so  as  to  give  the  furrow-slices  that 
short  twist  in  turning  them,  which  shall  break  and 
separate  the  soil  into  particles,  mixing  it  up  and 
leaving  it  a  mellow  bed  for  grain  and  grass  seeds. 

Pretty  nearly  all  soils  here  in  New  England, 
are  rather  too  shallow,  and  may  be  safely  and  pro- 
fitably deepened  by  a  gradual  process,  ultimately 
attaining  a  depth  of  surfiice-soil  of  eight  or  nine 
inches,  of  uniformly  good  fertile  qualify.  I  have 
tried  the  process,  and  know  that  it  will  not  spile 
the  land.  The  advantages  of  a  deep,  over  what 
can  be  realized  from  a  shallow  soil,  ai'e  too  appa- 
rent to  need  comment. 

In  harrowing  land  for  a  crop  in  the  spring,  the 
operation  is  too  commonly  executed  in  a  careless 
and  superficial  style,  notwithstanding  that  such 
style  cannot  well  be  afforded.  The  crop,  of  what- 
ever kind,  will  start  the  quicker  and  be  the  more 
forward  and  vi^^orousjif  the  seed-bed  has  been  made 
deep,  fine  and  nicllow  ;  and  if  a  planted  crop,  the 
planting  and  first  hoeing  will  be  enough  better  and 
quicker  executed  to  more  than  three  times  pay 
for  the  extra  time  and  labor  spent  in  thorough 
harrowing.  Great  improvements  have  been  made 
in  the  construction  of  harrows,  and  it  is  quite  sin- 
gular to  me  that  the  coarse,  uncouth  implements 
of  former  days,  should  now  be  used,  when  those 
so  very  much  more  effective,  are  so  readily  pro- 
cured. Some  of  the  best-constructed,  modern 
hinge-harrows  are  adapted  in  their  operation  to 
the  surface  of  the  ground  in  all  places,  and  wheth- 


er going  through  little  sharp  hollows,  or  over 
stones,  knolls  or  ridges,  they  always  hug  the 
ground  closely,  and  produce  a  fine,  equal  pulveri- 
zation in  less  time  than  is  consumed  in  mangling 
and  bruising  the  ground  with  the  old,  clumsy, 
coarse-toothed,  ill-constructed  harrow.  In  anoth- 
er communication,  I  will  give  a  drawing  and  de- 
scription of  a  hinge-harrow  which  I  use  and  think 
a  good  one,  and  which  every  farmer  can  readily 
make,  or  get  made  in  his  neighborhood. 

Manure  to  be  applied  to  sod-land  pbwed  for  a 
crop  in  the  Spring,  if  fine  compost,  generally  pro- 
duces the  best  results  when  spread  on  the  surface 
of  the  furrows,  and  mingled  with  the  soil  to  the 
depth  of  two  to  four  inches.  An  ordinary  coat  can 
be  suitably  mixed  with  the  soil  by  the  harrow  ; 
and  if  a  very  heavy  coat  is  to  be  applied,  the  sod- 
plowing  may  be  of  good  depth,  so  that  the  man- 
ure when  spread  on  top  may  first  be  harrowed  in, 
and  then  turned  down  and  mixed  with  the  soil  to 
the  depth  of  three  or  four  inches  by  a  light  plow. 

If  coarse,  unfermented  manure  is  to  be  used, 
and  the  sod-plowing  is  to  be  no  deeper  than  that 
which  generally  prevails,  then  the  manure  may  as 
well  be  spread  on  the  grass  and  turned  beneath 
the  furrow,  spreading  it  not  much  ahead  of  the 
plowing  ;  but  if  the  plowing  is  to  be  extra  deep, 
the  manure  may  as  well  be  spread  on  the  surface 
of  the  plowed  land  after  it  is  harrowed,  and  then 
buried  four  inches  or  so,  with  a  plow  guaged  and 
regulated  by  a  wheel  on  the  beam.  Any  kind  of 
manure,  in  any  state,  if  to  be  applied  to  stubble 
or  old  land,  had  better  be  plowed  in,  for  it  is  the 
nature  of  stubble  plowing  to  turn  no  part  of  the 
crumbling  furrow-slice  exclusively  to  the  bottom 
of  the  channel,  but  rather  to  mix  up  the  various 
parts  all  the  way  from  bottom  to  top,  so  that  the 
manure  will  be  found,  on  inspection,  to  be  well 
mixed  with  the  soil,  and  not  buried  too  deep. 

My  friend,  J.  W.  Oolburn,  Esq.,  of  Springfield. 
Windsor  Co.,  Vt.,  one  of  the  best  farmers  we  have 
in  Vermont,  informs  me  that  his  practice  is  to  use 
coarse,  unfermented  manure,  spreading  it  upon 
the  grass  land  to  be  plowed  in  the  Spring,  and 
turning  it  under  with  a  sod-furrow  .six  inches 
deep  ;  he  then  plants  the  land  with  corn  ;  and 
the  next  year  plows  it  ten  inches  deep  and  seeds 
with  spring  grain  and  grass  seeds,  lie  has  often 
commmended  the  practice  to  me  as  attended  with 
satisftictory  results  ;  and  has  frequently  taken  the 
premiums  of  the  Windsor  County  Agricultural 
Society  for  fine  crops. 

The  earlier  Spring  sowing  can  be  done  after  the 
ground  is  fit  to  be  worked,  the  better  will  it  gener- 
ally be  for  both  the  grain  and  young  gnss.  It  is 
customary  with  some  to  sow  grass  seeds  with  grain 
in  the  spring,and  with  others  to  omit  the  grass  seed- 
ing at  that  time,  and  plowing  the  grain  stuhble  un- 
der after  harvest,  seed  with  grass  in  August  or 
September.  I  have  practised  both  modes,  sou  Q- 
times  succ:!eding  best  with  the  Spring,  and  some- 
times with  the  late  summer  seedirg.  If  the  foro 
part  of  the  season  is  pretty  moist,  the  latter  part 
is  often  apt  to  be  dry ;  and  in  that  case  Spring 
seeding  will  be  likely  to  succeed  best :  on  the  oth- 
er hand,  if  the  fore  part  of  the  season  is  prevalent- 
ly dry,  it  is  often  followed  by  a  moist  autumn ; 
and  then  the  late  seeding  succeeds  best.  As  w© 
cannot  anticipate  the  character  of  the  season  with 
much  certainty,  I  have  rather  fdlen  into  the  prac- 
tice of  sowing  grass  seeds  with  grain, in  the  Spring, 


234 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


May 


and  if  a  good  catch  is  not  obtained, the  land  is  at  once 
plowed  again  after  grain-harvest  and  reseeded  with 
grass  only.  A  failure  in  having  one's  new-stocked 
mowings  well  set  with  grass,  is  a  great  disappoint- 
ment and  vexation,  and  the  best  relief  is  found  in 
plowing  and  rcseeding  again  the  first  fit  opportuni- 
ty. These  remarks  upon  laying  land  down  to  grass 
have  exclusive  reference  to  stubble  land,  and  not 
to  the  plowing  and  reseeding  of  mowings  after  hay- 
ing, for  the  purpose  of  renewing  them. 

Oats  are  a  hardy  crop  for  one's  own  feeding 
purposes,  command  a  good  and  readycash  price  in 
market,  and  therefore  are  quite  generally  sown  ; 
but  if  the  land  is  to  be  stocked  to  grass  at  the  same 
time,  and  a  good  catch  is  to  be  principally  consid- 
ered, they  are  not  as  good  a  crop  to  sow]as  barley. 
If  they  grow  stout,  they  shade  and  choke  the 
young  grass  too  much  ;  and  if  they  lodge  they  fall 
flat  upon  the  ground,  smothering  and  killing  the 
grass  ;  but  barley  gives  the  grass  a  better  chance 
for  growth,  and  if  it  lodges,  it  rather  crinkles  or 
doubles  over  than  falls  flat,  so  that  the  young  grass 
maintains  a  stand  in  the  soil.  I  have  sometimes 
been  led  to  observe  quite  a  superiority  in  my  first 
hay-crop  after  seeding  with  barley  over  that  after 
oats  ;  and  the  result  may  probably  be  attributed 
to  the  fact  that  the  young  grass  got  better  foothold 
so  as  to  more  completely  occupy  the  soil  in  the  for- 
mer than  in  the  latter  case. 

I  have  found  peas  and  oats  a  valuable  crop,  par 
ticularly  for  early  autumnal  feeding  of  fattening- 
swine,  and  generally  for  any  stock  at  any  time.  I 
usually  sow  one  and  one-half  bushel  of  peas,  and 
two  bushels  of  oats  to  the  acre,  which  makes  about 
the  right  mixture  of  straw  to  stand  up  pretty  well 
while  growing,  and  of  grain  for  feeding.  Some  of 
my  crops  from  this  seeding  have  been  very  luxuri- 
ant and  profitable.  Year  before  last,  I  obtained  57 
bushels  of  grain  and  agreat  quantity  of  straw  from 
a  little  less  than  one  acre,  and  considered  it  the 
most  profitable  grain-crop  raised  that  year,  from 
that  quantity  of  land.  If  the  crop  of  peas  and  oats 
is  very  stout,  it  cannot  be  cradled,  and  must  there- 
fore either  be  cut  with  the  sickle  or  scythe.  I  pre- 
fer reaping  to  mowing,  because  the  crop  is  easier 
cured,  handled  in  carting,  and  threshed,  and  takes 
less  barn-room.  It  would  not  be  advisable  to  sow 
grass-seed  with  peas  and  oats,  for  the  latter  are  too 
smothering  to  the  young  grass  ;  but  the  stubble 
may  be  plowed  in  and  the  grass-seed  sown  in  the 
fall. 

In  stocking  hind  to  grass,  the  seed  should  be 
strown  broadcast  with  a  liberal  hand.  There  is  no 
economy  at  all,  in  sprinkling  it  over  the  ground. 
If  sown  bountifully, foul  stuff  will  be  shut  out,  the 
quality  of  the  hay  Avill  be  fine,  the  sward  will  be 
thick  and  firm,  and  when  plowed  under  for  the  next 
rotation,  will  return  a  heavy  coat  of  vegetable  mat- 
ter in  its  roots  and  stems  to  the  soil, enriching  it 
and  nourishing  the  succeeding  crops. 

The  more  general  sowing  of  white  clover-seed  is 
confidently  recommended.  If  land  is  in  good  heart 
at  the  time  of  stocking  it  to  grass,  white  clover 
sown  witli  the  other  grass-seeds  will  thicken  up 
the  bottom  of  mowings,  growing  some  eight  or  ten 
inches  high  and  in  a  thick  mat,  "and  the  burden  of 
hay  will  prove  much  heavier  than  it  seemed  likely 
to  be  before  mowing.  Soon  after  the  practice  of 
sowing  white  clover  on  the  tillage-fields  commences, 
the  plant  will  begin  to  show  itself  in  various  places 
on  the  farm,  and  ultimately  gets  pretty  well  scat- 


tered over  the  pastures,  as  it  seeds  very  profusely, 
and  the  seeds  are  carried  from  place  to  place  in  the 
manure  and  otherwise.  The  price  of  the  seed  per 
pound  in  market  is  high  ;  but  then  one  pound  of  it 
will  seed  more  land,  than  two  pounds  of  red  clover 
seed  ;  so  that  in  fltct  the  former  is  the  cheaper  seed 
of  the  two,  for  an  acre. 

Red-top,  red  clover  and  white  clover  seeds,  sown 
together,  produce  a  quality  of  hay  universally  rel- 
ished by  stock.  My  practice  is,  to  seed  all  dry 
sandy  and  gravelly  lands  with  this  mixture.  The 
red  and  white  clover  pretty  much  make  the  crop 
the  first  year;  the  second  year,  the  red  clover  be- 
gins to  disappear,  and  the  red-top  to  take  its  place; 
and  after  that,  the  red-top  and  white  clover  have 
full  possession  and  make  the  very  best  hay  for 
horses  or  oxen,  milch  cows  or  young  stock,  that  I 
have  been  able  to  produce.  The  crop  per  acre,  as 
compared  with  herds-grass,  is  not  so  bulky  ;  but 
tested  by  weight  and  by  spending  quality  in  the 
winter,  it  is  much  the  most  valuable. 

Herds-grass  hay  grown  on  m(jist  uplands  or  re- 
claimed meadows,  and  swamps  of  a  mucky  soil,  or 
lands  not  over-charged  with  silica,  is  of  good  qual- 
ity ;  but  when  grown  on  sandy  and  gravelly  soils 
abounding  in  silex,  the  stalks  are  hard,  Aviry,coat- 
ed  with  silicates  as  with  glass,  and  neither  horses 
or  cattle  will  eat  it  as  well,  or  thrive  as  well  on 
it  as  on  hay  made  of  jred-top  and  clover  ;  and  as  for 
milch  cows,  they  winter  badly  on  it,  and  do  not 
give  out  the  milk  as  when  fed  on  softer  and  more 
succulent  hay.  Still,  it  is  a  valuable  grass  for  hay 
on  other  kinds  of  soil ;  particularly  valuable  for 
stocking  down  reclaimed  peat  meadows,  and 
swamps  of  mucky  soil ;  for  these  lands  are  general- 
ly more  or  less  deficient  in  those  matters  which 
give  strength  of  stem  to  the  crop  ;  and  herds-grass 
while  by  its  disposition  toattain  a  stiS'stem, thrives 
and  stands  up  straight  on  such  land,  till  harvest, 
yet  makes  succulent  and  nutritive  hay,  because  it 
cannot  appropriate  a  redundance  of  silicious  mat- 
ter as  in  the  other  soils  alluded  to.  For  similar 
reasons  it  makes  good  hay  on  all  soils  not  over 
abounding  in  silica. 

I  intended  at  the  commencement  of  these  obser- 
vations, to  say  something  upon  planted  crops  and 
upon  root  crops  ;  but  as  my  remarks  have  already 
attained  too  great  length,  I  will  bring  them  to  a 
close  with  Que  observation  upon  planting  corn, 
namely;  when  planted  on  dry,  loose,  land,  it  is 
best  to  cover  the  seed  from  two  to  three  inches 
deep,  so  that  if  very  dry  weather  succeeds  imme- 
diatety  after  planting,  the  germination  may  pro- 
ceed, and  the  young  sprout  not  become  withered 
by  heat  and  drought ;  and  indeed  on  all  land  suit- 
able for  corn,  it  is  generally  safest,  one  year  with 
another,  to  cover  the  seed  pretty  well  in  planting, 
so  that  if  a  frost  succeeds  after  the  corn  is  up, the 
vitality  of  the  plant  may  be  preserved  by  the  ex- 
tra covering  of  earth.  If  planted  quite  shallow, 
the  crop  is  liable  to  fail,  both  from  drought  and 
frost.  F.  H. 

Brattleboro\   7;!.  ^pn7  2,  1853. 


To  Cure  Sheep  Skin  with  the  Wool  on. — Take 
one  spoonful  of  alum  and  two  of  saltpetre  ;  pul- 
verize and  mix  well  together,  then  sprinkle  the 
powder  on  the  flesh  side  of  the  skin,  and  lay  the 
two  flesh  sides  together,  leaving  the  wool  outside. 
Then  fold  up  the  skins  as  tight  as  you  can,  and 
hang  them  in  a  dry  place.     In  two  or  three  days, 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


235 


as  soon  as  they  arc  dry,  take  them  down  and  scrape 
them  with  a  blunt  knife  till  clean  and  supple.  This 
completes  the  process,and  makes  a  most  excellent 
saddle  cover.  Other  skins  which  you  desire  to 
cure  with  the  fur  on,  may  be  treated  in  the  same 
way. 

We  can  speak  in  favor  of  the  above  receipt.  It 
does  all  it  promises.  Such  skins  make  excellent 
mats  for  indoors. — Detroit  Farmer's  Companion. 


ORNAMENTAL  AND  SHADE  TREES. 

It  is  a  marked  peculiarity  of  the  native  popula- 
tion of  Massachusetts,  those  especially  Tvhose  an- 
cestors have  been  indigenous  to  the  soil  for  two  or 
three  generations,  that  they  exhibit  a  very  close 
conformity  in  habits,  customs,  manners,  ways  of 
business,  ways  of  thinking,  and  general  views. 

This  conformity  of  thought  and  action  has  orig- 
inated an  apt  phrase  to  designate  it  in  the  expres- 
sion, "a  Boston  notion."  This  peculiarity  is,  per- 
haps, as  manifest  and  striking  in  our  farmers,  as 
in  any  other  part  of  our  population.  One  follows 
another,  neighbor  imitates  neighbor,  and  son  con- 
tinues the  practices  of  the  father,  without  inquir- 
ing into  the  reasonableness  or  advantage  of  the 
practice,  or  if  he  inquires,  it  is  generally  to  sustain 
himself  in  his  course  by  the  authority  of  his  pro- 
genitors, or  that  of  some  distinguished  living  man, 
more  often  than  by  the  force  of  unprejudiced  ar- 
gument or  impressive  fact.  There  is  a  great  uni- 
formity in  the  crops  raised,  and  in  the  mode  of 
cultivation,  though  the  discrepancies  in  the  state- 
ments and  opinions  of  farmers  would  often  lead 
one  to  opposite  conclusions.  This  disposition  is 
carried  out  in  the  planting  of  shade  and  ornament- 
al trees,  and  the  general  mode  of  adorning  the 
"front  yard." 

The  house  is  generally  placed  at  from  ten  to 
forty  feet  from  the  dusty  road,  as  if  there  were 
not  room  on  the  premises  for  the  family  edifice ; 
and  if  the  proprietor  concludes  to  go  into  any  ex- 
travagance beyond  the  paint  pot,  two  or  four  trees 
are  selected,  which  are  almost  always  of  one  spe- 
cies, to  secure  uniformity,  and  planted  in  a  me- 
chanically straight  line  for  the  same  object.  For- 
merly the  favorite  tree  selected  for  this  purpose 
was  the  Lombardy  Poplar,  the  most  unsightly  of 
all  the  trees,  and  odious  for  the  armies  of  innu- 
merable hairy  caterpillars,  whose  favorite  resort  it 
was.  Here  and  there  stands  one  now,  straight  as 
a  mackerel,  reminding  us  of  the  female  costume  in 
the  pictures,  before  moreen  petticoats  were  in 
vogue,  and  when  cotton  was  too  costly  to  set  off 
the  "human  form  divine,"  in  new  humps  and 
graces.  Previous  to  the  day  of  the  poplar,  the 
elm  had  generally  been  the  chosen  tree,  and  that 
has  again  succeeded  to  favor  since  the  poplar  has 
fallen  into  merited  disrepute.  The  elm  is  certain 
ly  a  beautiful  and  majestic  tree.  In  these  attrib 
utes  it  is  not  surpassed.  It  is  not  in  good  taste 
however,  to  observe  the  rule  of  uniformity  by  using 


only  one  species.  Several  should  be  used,  differ- 
ent species  intermingled,  and  set  in  disorder,  not 
in  linear  order.  If,  however,  one  species  were  to 
be  the  sole  ornament  to  a  rural  house,  there  are 
trees  which  have  claims  quite  equal  to  the  elm. 
The  pine  is  a  tree  not  surpassed  in  beauty,  has 
the  advantage  of  continuing  through  the  year  in 
foliage,  and  has  the  most  agreeable  and  wholesome 
quality  of  drying  the  atmosphere  wliere  it  stands, 
and  of  giving  out  a  delicious  fragrance.  Other 
evergreens,  the  fir,  spruce  and  larch,  are  beautiful 
trees.  The  walnuts,  the  chestnut,  the  scaly-bark, 
hickory,  in  addition  to  the  recommendations  of  be- 
ing handsome  trees,  yield  pleasant  fruit.  The 
wild  cherry,  also,  does  the  same. 

Some  of  the  oaks,  the  beech,  the  fragrant  birch, 
called  the  black-birch,  the  ash,  a  stately  and  beau- 
tiful tree,  and  for  a  pleasing  variety  the  holly  and 
red  cedar,  the  locust,  red  maple,  linden,  and  oth- 
ers, are  all  worthy  to  do  their  part  in  adorning  the 
farmer's  ground,  and  are  capable  of  giving  a  high- 
er degree  of  ornament  than  the  most  finished  and 
elegant  architecture, — and  that  without  much 
cost. 

For  the  Neiv  England  Farmer. 
MORE  ABOUT  POTATOES. 

By  a  notice  on  page  48  of  the  current  volume  of 
the  N.  E.  Farmer,  it  appears  that  T.  D.  Merison, 
of  Hill,  N.  H.,  claims  to  have  discovered  a  certain 
remedy  for  the  potato  rot ;  at  least  one  may  readi- 
ly suppose  that  friend  M.  considers  it  an  infallible 
remedy,  from  the  fact  that  he  has  presented  hia 
claim  for  the  "$10,000."  Now  I  do  not  wish  to 
infringe  upon  his  rights,  or  upon  those  of  any  oth- 
er individual,  but  I  will  inform  him  that  his  theory 
has  been  in  vogue  several  years,  and  with  a  view 
to  test  its  correctness,  I  tried  some  experiments 
last  year, — the  result  of  which  I  offer  for  the  ben- 
efit of  others. 

t  planted  a  piece  of  ground  with  potatoes,  on 
the  north  side  of  a  shed,  and  on  about  half  of  the 
piece  I  planted  two  or  three  kernels  of  corn  in  a 
hill.  In  my  corn-field  I  planted  a  bushel  or  more 
of  potatoes,  a  few  hills  in  a  place,  so  that  the  po- 
tatoes were  pretty  well  shaded.  A  part  of  the 
same  piece  was  wholly  planted  with  potatoes.  On 
a  third  piece  I  planted  potatoes  at  the  north  side 
of  a  wood  lot.  None  of  my  potatoes  rotted  badly. 
Those  near  the  shed,  and  in  the  hills  in  which 
corn  was  planted,  showed  quite  as  strong  symp- 
toms of  infection  as  those  in  the  hills  where  no 
corn  was  planted.  So  with  those  in  the  corn- 
field ;  some  hills  had  but  few  sound  tubers  in  them, 
while  in  others  there  were  but  few  decayed  ones. 
But  very  little,  if  any  difference  was  observable  be- 
tween the  potatoes  growing  amongst  the  corn,  and 
those  growing  ourside  of  it.  I  he  third  piece  gave 
similar  results.  Only  a  few  infected  tubers  were 
found,  but  those  growing  nearest  the  woods  were 
not  entirely  exempt.  Nearly  all  my  potatoes  grew 
on  light,  sandy  loam.  Now  I  think  I  have  given 
the  shade  theory  one  fair  trial,  and  as  it  did  not 
entirely  prevent  the  disease  for  which  it  is  recom- 
mended, I  shall  enter  my  protest  against  the  pay- 
ment of  the  premium  until  after  another  trial.     I 


236 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


May 


hope  farmers  will  not  accept  any  theory,  -without 
practical  proof.  If,  by  experiments  carefully  made, 
it  is  found  that  sheds,  hoard  fences,  or  corn-slalks, 
are  a  sure  preventive,  then,  if  the  originator  of  the 
theory  can  be  found,  let  him  receive  the  reward. 
Patent  medicines  are  apt  to  yield  a  good  profit  to 
the  inventor,  but  I  do  not  believe  any  one  yet  pro- 
posed for  the  cure  of  "this  vegetable  cholera"  will 
greatly  replenish  the  pockets  of  him  who  offers  it 
in  market. 

Prof  Hoyt,  in  his  able  essay  upon  the  "Potato 
Rot,"  recommends  mowing  the  tops  close  to  the 
ground.  In  1848  I  had  a  small  piece  of  potatoes 
in  which  the  blight  began  to  appear.  I  took  a 
scythe  and  mowed  the  tops  on  a  part  of  the  piece, 
having  heard  that  that  would  arrest  the  disease. 
The  result  was,  that  every  potato,  I  think,  in  the 
hills  from  which  the  tops  were  cut,  was  entirely 
rotten,  while  on  the  remainder  of  the  lot  a  consid- 
erable portion  were  sound.  Hence  it  appears  that 
similar  experiments  produce  different  results  in 
diflferent  locations, — positive  evidence  that  the 
true  remedy  is  not  yet  fCund. 

Levi  Varney. 

Sandwich,  N.  H. 


LEaiSLATIVB  AGRICULTURAL  MEET- 
INGS. 

Twelfth  Meeting— Tuesday  Evening,  April  12,  1853. 
The  twelfth  and  concluding  meeting  for  this 
year  was  held  at  the  State  House  on  Tuesday  eve- 
ning, His  Excellency  Governor  Clifford  presiding. 
Mr.  Proctor,  of  Danvers,  previous  to  the  open- 
ing of  the  discussion  for  the  evening,  submitted  a 
motion  to  the  effect,  that  the  Secretary  of  the 
Board  of  Agriculture  be  requested  to  call  a  meet- 
ing of  the  friends  of  agriculture,  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  next  Legislative  session,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  organizing  such  a  series  of  meetings  as  will 
be  best  calculated  to  advance  the  cause  of  agricul 
ture.     The  motion  was  unanimously  adopted. 

The  subject  for  the  evening'sdiscussion  was  then 
taken  up,  viz  :  "The  obligation  of  the  State  to  af 
ford  additional  encouragement  to  the  farming  in- 
terest, and  the  best  means  of  doing  this." 

Governor  Clifford,  in  opening  the  discussion, 
remarked  that  he  could  not,  with  any  consistency, 
or  with  any  deference  to  his  own  interest  in  the 
subject  of  agriculture,  have  failed  to  respond  to  the 
invitation  extended  to  him  to  preside  at  this  meet- 
ing. He  felt,  however,  that  his  position  was  that 
of  a  listener  and  a  learner,  rather  than  a  teacher. 
Yet  no  one  could  doubt  that  the  subject  would  al- 
most spontaneously  give  rise  to  some  of  the  best 
thoughts  in  the  minds  of  those  who  are  interested 
in  the  prosperity  of  the  people  of  this  common- 
wealth. 

The  Legislature,  within  the  last  year  or  two, 
have  manifested,  what  the  people  too  have  begun 
to  feel,  a  new  interest  in  the  subject  of  agriculture, 
and  the  establishment  of  the  Board  of  Agriculture 
is  an  indication  that  that  interest  has  begun  to 
put  on  the  form  of  active,  intelligent  and  efficient 
eflfort  for  the  promotion  of  that  great  cause.    That 


it  shall  be  intelligent,  is,  after  all,  the  great  object 
to  be  gained.  There  can  be  no  indisposition  in 
those  who  meet  here  in  discharge  of  public  duties, 
to  do  everything  in  their  power  to  promote  the 
cause  of  agriculture ;  the  point  is,  that  they  shall 
have  a  clear  understanding  of  what  may  conduce 
to  that  end.  With  an  intelligent  Board  of  Agri- 
culture, there  will  be  brought  before  the  Legisla- 
ture and  the  people  of  the  commonwealth,  such  in- 
formation as  will  leave  no  hesitation  on  the  part  of 
the  Legislature  in  carrying  proper  measures  into  ef- 
fect. The  speaker  thought  the  selection  of  a  Sec- 
retary to  the  Board  had  been  fortunate,  and  spoke 
very  highly  of  that  gentleman's  qualifications  for 
the  office. 

How  far  it  was  practical  for  the  government  to 
give  direct  aid  to  agriculture,  or  to  any  other  de- 
partment of  industry,  was  a  question  of  such  a 
broad  nature,  involving  so  many  considerations 
that  are  not  perceptible  to  a  cursory  examination, 
that  he  would  not  enter  upon  a  discussion  of  it. 
But  there  is  no  doubt  that  whatever  government 
can  do  to  foster  and  stimulate  the  education  of  the 
farmer,  is  within  the  legitimate  scope  of  her  duty. 
There  seems  to  have  been  among  men  an  idea 
that  there  were  two  classes  of  minds  in  the  world 
who  draw  all  their  powers  of  usefulness  directly 
from  nature — these  were  the  farmers  and  the 
statesmen,  two  classes  of  persons  whose  ultimate 
objects  are,  or  should  be,  the  same,  to  scatter  plen- 
ty over  the  smiling  land.  To  accomplish  this, 
there  seems  to  have  been  an  idea  tliat  every  man 
has  been  born  into  the  world  full-armed, — that  he 
does  not  require  special  education  to  be  a  farmer 
or  a  statesman.  Almost  every  one  of  us  feels  com- 
petent to  solve  the  most  knotty  questions  of  public 
policy,  and  in  our  popular  assemblies,  measures 
which  reach  in  their  results  far  into  the  future  and 
puzzle  our  wisest  statesmen,  are  discussed  and  de- 
cided in  the  most  flippant  manner. 

So  with  farming.  What  other  occupation  to 
which  the  energies  of  man  are  devoted,  is  deemed 
to  be  sufficiently  answered  in  its  preparation  by 
the  education  which  has  heretofore  been  given  to 
our  farmers'?  If  a  man  were  intending  to  make 
a  lawyer  of  his  son,  he  would  put  him  through  a 
regular  course  of  study.  But  what  is  there  anal- 
agous  to  this,  in  the  education  of  our  agricultu- 
ral population?  Is  there  anything  like  a  system- 
atic education  for  the  farmer?  Does  not  the  pos- 
session of  unusual  intelligence  and  enterprise  lead 
a  young  man  to  leave  his  father's  farm,  as  being 
better  fitted  for  some  other  profession?  Gov. 
Clifford  thought  he  could  see  in  the  future  a 
state  of  things  where  the  education  of  a  farmer's 
boy  to  a  farmer's  pursuit  may  be  made  so  attrac- 
tive to  him  as  that  he  shall  have  no  temptation  to 
leave  that  noblest  of  all  occupations  which  the 
Almighty  has  given  to  his  creatures.  His  intel- 
lectual nature  will    be   satisfied  in    the   studies 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


237 


which  belong  to  the  scientific  and  truly  intelli- 
gent agriculturist.  \V  hy  should  it  not  be  ■?  Why 
should  it  be  taken  for  granted,  because  a  young 
man  exhibits  signs  of  remarkable  talent,  that  he 
cannot  live  a  farmer  ?  All  professions  look  to 
this  i3ursuit  for  their  final  reward.  As  soon  as 
men  in  other  callings  obtain  a  competency,  their 
thoughts  turn  towards  retiring  upon  a  farm. 
This  shows  that  the  cultivation  of  the  earth  is 
congenial  with  the  natural  tastes  of  man. 

Tlie  remedy  for  this  desertion  of  forming  by  the 
young  men,  is  to  educate  them  for  the  practice  of 
farming,  as  other  men  are  educated  for  their  pur- 
suits ;  and  it  is  too  late  in  the  day  to  say  that  if 
you  give  them  the  taste  for  higher  departments  of 
thought  and  of  action,  it  will  create  a  distaste  for 
muscular  labor.  How  this  education  shall  be  car- 
ried out.  His  Excellency  thought  would  be  wisely 
answered  by  the  Board  of  Agriculture.  He  be- 
lieved it  to  be  one  of  its  most  important  duties  to 
give  an  answer  to  this  question,  and  once  an- 
swered, he  believed  the  government  of  Massachu- 
setts, in  whoseever  hands  it  might  be,  would  not 
fail  to  second  the  accomplishment  of  such  an  ob- 
ject. What  the  State  will  do,  will  depend  very 
much  upon  the  manner  in  which  the  Board  of 
Agriculture  shall  discharge  its  duties. 

Mr.  Proctor,  of  Danvers,  expresed  his  gratifica- 
tion at  the  views  of  His  Excellency.  He  thought 
there  was  much  difficulty  connected  with  the  ques- 
tion of  "How  shall  the  fiirmer  be  educated  for  his 
calling  r'  He  would  suggest  that  something 
might  be  done  through  the  medium  of  the  county 
Agricultural  Societies  of  the  Commonwealth.  Pla- 
ces are  needed  for  the  trial  of  experiments  in  farm- 
ing, because  farming  in  books  without  experience 
amounts  to  nothing.  You  may  read  and  philoso- 
phize to  the  end  of  time,  but  if  you  do  not  plant 
and  watch  vegetation,  science  is  good  for  nothing. 
Each  of  these  county  societies  has  a  fund,  raised 
by  assessments  on  its  members,  and  by  subscrip- 
tions, and  if  that  fund  amounts  to  the  sum  of 
$3000,  the  State  gives  20  per  cent,  on  that 
amount  to  the  society,  which  is  $G00  per  annum. 
He  thought  a  part  of  this  fund  might  be  advanta- 
geously invested  by  the  societies  in  model  or  ex- 
perimental farms,  which  might  be  made  to  yield  a 
good  interest  and  at  the  same  time  afford  excellent 
facilities  for  the  instruction  and  improvement  of 
the  farmers  of  the  Commonwealth.  These  farms 
he  would  have  under  the  management  of  the  differ- 
ent societies,  subject  to  an  annual  visit  from  the 
Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Agriculture.  Let  them 
be  required  to  furnish  annual  reports  to  the  Board, 
and  let  the  different  records  thus  obtained  be 
brought  together  and  compared,  and  conclusions 
deduced  therefrom.  He  thought  it  would  be  well 
for  the  State  to  see  that  these  funds  were  appro 


Mr.  Sprague,  of  Duxbury,  alluded  to  the  neces- 
sity for  definite  information  among  fawners.  It  is 
highly  important  to  establish  principles  in  agri- 
culture. In  making  experiments  some  farmers 
succeed,  while  others  do  not,  but  the  reasons  of 
the  success  and  of  the  failure  are  alike  unknown 
to  them.  If  by  establishing  a  Board  of  Agricul- 
ture great  leading  principles  can  be  definitely  fixed, 
the  work  is  begun,  and  the  end  is  certain. 

Mr. Walker,  of  North  Brookfield,  considered  an 
experimented  farm  in  an  agricultural  community 
to  be  a  matter  of  economy,  as  experiments  can  be 
made  more  accurately  and  are  therefore  more  re- 
liable. He  also  forcibly  urged  the  establishment 
of  farmers'  institutes  as  a  most  important  means 
of  diffusing  sound  agricultural  information. 

Mr.  Wright,  Secretary  of  the  Commonwealth, 
made  some  interesting  remarks  in  relation  to  the 
improvements  which  have  been  made  during  the 
last  ten  or  fifteen  years  in  farms  and  farming  im- 
plements, and  eloquently  set  forth  the  advantages 
of  furnishing  the  farmer  with  a  thorough,  practi- 
cal education. 

Mr.  Flint,  Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Agriculture, 
alluded  to  a  remark  made  by  the  distinguished 
Professor  Johnson  of  Scotland,  in  one  of  his  works, 
that  New  England  was  eighty  or  ninety  years  be- 
hind Scotland  and  England  in  farming,  and  that 
they  could  and  would  maintain  this  superiority. 
He  thought  the  Professor  might  not  have  taken 
into  consideration  all  the  circumstances.  In  his 
country  all  the  land  is  owned  by  33,000  persons, 
noblemen,  gentlemen,  lawyers,  and  the  hke,  and 
of  the  three  millions  of  laborers  not  one  owned  a 
rod  of  soil.  These  33,000  proprietors  can  com- 
mand the  most  eminent  talent  in  agricultural 
knowledge,  while  the  American  farmer  has  not  tl  e 
necessary  means.  With  us  the  desideratum  is  to 
perform  the  greatest  amount  of  labor  with  the 
smallest  amount  of  capital.  But  while  we  have 
something  to  learn  of  European  agriculturists,  p3r- 
haps  they  have  something  to  learn  of  us. 

Mr.  Flint  thought  the  agricultural  interest 
should  be  the  leading  object  of  public  regard,  and 
he  believed  that  if  farmers  gave  expression  to  their 
wants  they  would  be  met.  The  only  way  to  re- 
cruit the  energies  of  our  exhausted  lands,  is  to  in- 
crease the  diffusion  of  agricultural  knowledge. 
He  stated  that  the  State  had  dispensed  $10,000 
during  the  past  year  to  the  county  agricultural 
societies,  and  he  was  not  sure  but  this  was  the 
best  method. 

Mr.  Brooks,  of  Princeton,  said  that  model  farms 
might  answer  very  well  for  certain  purposes,  as 
experimenting  on  the  best  food  for  stock,  &c.,  but 
they  are  not  good  for  determining  all  farming  ope- 
rations, because  the  soils  of  different  farms  and  the 
soils  on  a  single  farm  vary  so  much,  that  the  ex- 


priated  in    this  manner,   and   specific   donations  periments  would  not  always  be   safe  guides.     His 
made  on  the  recommendation  of  the  Board.  'idea  would  be  to  have  an  experimental  farm  under 


238 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


May 


the  control  of  the  Board  of  Agriculture,  where  ex- 
periments iiT  feeding  stock  might  be  made.  On 
the  farm  he  would  have  a  chemist,  paid  by  the 
State,  who  should  furnish  farmers  throughout  the 
State  with  analyses  of  soils,  on  condition  that  they 
should  experiment  on  their  own  farms.  By  this 
means  experiments  will  be  obtained  all  over  the 
State,  and  in  much  greater  number  than  in  any 
other  way.  The  farmer,  too,  would  collect  his 
facts  on  his  own  farm,  and  from  his  own  experi- 
ence. If  any  of  these  experiments  failed,  they 
would  be  explained  and  corrected  by  the  Secre- 
tary, who  could  afterwards  collect  and  publish  the 
results  thereof. 

Mr.  Brown,  of  the  iV.  E.  Farmer,  considered 
the  inquiry,  what  shall  the  State  do,  an  important 
question  to  be  answered  ;  and  he  had  an  opinion 
in  relation  to  what  the  State  might  do,  and  that 
with  great  advantage.  The  State  may  establish 
somewhere  in  the  Commonwealth  an  experimental 
farm  —  which  may  be  the  poorest  land  to  be 
found  anyvrhere — at  a  small  expense,  and  culti- 
vate it  in  such  a  manner  as  in  the  end  to  incur  no 
expense  whatever  to  the  commonwealth  ;  the  in- 
come of  the  farm  itself,  and  increased  value  of  the 
land  which  it  might  eventually  spare,  repaying  ev- 
ery dollar  invested  in  such  a  purchase.  He  agreed 
with  the  gentleman  from  Princeton  that  such  a 
farm  would  not  be  a  criterion  for  the  whole  State, 
but  it  might  be  of  great  benefit  in  some  respects, 
and  particularly  such  as  the  kind  of  stock  to  be 
reared,  and  the  manner  of  feeding  it— a  subject 
of  great  importance,  and  of  which  very  little  is 
known.  Although  he  had  had  many  years  expe- 
perience  in  feeding  stock,  he  still  felt  ignorant  of 
the  true  principles  to  be  adopted,  and  was  not 
confident  that  he  was  pursuing  the  best  plan. 
There  are  a  great  many  other  experiments  which 
might  be  made  on  such  a  farm. 

Another  thing  he  would  have  the  State  do,  was, 
to  make  an  impression  on  the  general  government. 
He  would  not  ask,  at  presont,  for  the  establish- 
ment of  a  department  or  bureau,  at  great  expense, 
with  its  head  as  a  cabinet  cabinet  officer,  and  a 
corps  of  clerks,  but  he  would  have  our  charges, 
consuls,  naval  officers,  and  all  scientific  persons 
paid  by  the  government,  instructed  to  make  re- 
searches into  the  state  and  practice  of  agriculture 
in  the  countries  they  visit ;  to  collect  seeds  and 
plants  of  every  description  which  might  be  consid- 
ered useful  here,  and  return  them  to  the  govern- 
ment,together  with  such  reports  as  their  opportuni- 
ty and  ability  had  enabled  to  draw  them  out.  These 
collections  could  be  referred  to  the  proper  officer, 
and  make  a  part  of  the  annual  agricultural  publica- 
tion issued  by  the  government,  or  referred  to  such 
of  the  state  societies  as  would  engage  to  prepare 
and  publish  the  reports,  or  experiment  with  the 
seeds  and  plants. 

Mr.  Brown   said  it"  had  been  remarked  that 


"the  good  time"  was  coming  for  the  former,  but 
he  declared  that  the  glorious  day  had  already  come, 
for  the  great  point  in  securing  his  prosperity  was 
to  soften  his  prejudices  and  gain  his  good  will ;  he 
believed  that  time  had  arrived.  We  have  gained 
the  public  ear,  and  people  are  willing  to  listen  and 
read.  Scientific  effort  had  been  looked  upon  with 
distrust ;  the  term  science  has  been  made  a  gor- 
gon's  head  to  frighten  people  from  experiments 
and  books ;  but  the  partition  wall  is  now  broken 
down,  and  when  the  dust  and  rubbish  is  cleared 
away,  we  shall  go  on  in  the  clear  light  of  rational 
progress. 

The  hour  of  nine  having  arrived.  Governor  Clif- 
ford brought  the  discussion  to  a  close,  with  a  few 
remarks,  in  the  course  of  which  he  expressed  his 
pleasure  at  the  remarks  of  Jlr.  Brown  in  regard 
to  the  breeding  and  feeding  of  stock,  that  he  was 
not  satisfied  with  what  knowledge  he  had  in  the 
matter.  "We  should  adhere  to  that  idea,  and  not 
be  satisfied  with  present  attainments.  In  this  we 
have  the  best  assurance  of  future  improvement. 
These  discussions  are  sufficient  evidence  that  the 
course  of  agriculture  is  in  good  hands. 

At  a  few  minutes  past  nine  o'clock  the  meeting 
adjourned,  sine  die. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

SHOVELDOM. 

Mr.  Editor  : — Enclosed  you  will  find  a  most  in- 
teresting article  from  the  Christian  Register,  on 
^^Shoveldom.-^  Everybody  who  ever  used  a  shovel 
in  America,  must  have  known  something  of  0. 
Ames  &  Sons'  shovels  Easton,  Mass.  This  tells 
(after  the  manner  of  Dickens'  Household  Words, 
in  describing  the  manufacture  of  nails  or  tacks  and 
other  articles)  how  they  are  made.  Being  a  na- 
tive of  the  adjoining  town,  I  have  always  under- 
stood from  my  youth  up,  the  cause  of  the  great 
reason  of  the  success  of  the  Messrs.  Ames  to  be, 
that  ^'whatever  they  thought  worth  doing  at  all, 
tvas  u-orth  doing  ice//."  Here  is  a  practical  and 
ocular  demonstration  of  the  capital  working  of 
such  a  motive  power  and  principle.  Many  hard 
days  of  shovelling  has  the  very  hand  which  traces 
these  words  done  with  Ames'  shovels.  But  con- 
siderably more  than  half  of  my  life  has  since  been 
spent  in  Boston,  endeavoring  to  shovel  up  dollars 
and  cents,  and  in  all  my  experience,  I  can  truly 
say,  that  if  the  instruments  of  my  work  were  as 
perfect  as  that  article,  and  if  the  motive  power  or 
motto  above  had  been  more  strictly  adhered  to, 
my  success  would  have  been  greater,      w.  R.  b. 

"Pardon  a  brief  descent  to  details,  gentle  reader, 
and  imagine  yourself  holding  in  your  hand  a  bran 
new  "Ames's  Cast  Steel  Shovel,"  to  serve  for  a 
text.  Do  you  know  that  useful  tool  is  the  result, 
by  virtue  of  a  wise  divison  of  labor,  aided  by  apt 
machinery,  of  some  Jorti/  different  processes,  not 
including  the  make  of  the  handle,  which  came  with 
millions  like  it,  from  Maine,  where  trees  are  plen- 
ty !  Such  is  the  veritable  fact.  Space  will  not 
allow  of  minute  description  ;  but  a  few  items  will 
furnish  convincing  proof. 
In  the  first  place  by  a  knife  of  irresistible  edge 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


239 


as  it  obeys  the  irresistible  force  of  the  "water 
power,"  a  plate  of  the  right  size  is  cut  from  a 
sheet  of  steel  as  if  it  were  a  sheet  of  silk  before  the 
scimitar  of  Sahidin.  Two  more  similar  clips  from 
two  similar  knives  gives  the  right  outline  for  the 
shovel.  To  remove  the  "black  scale"  the  plate  is 
ground  on  a  grindstcme  ;  then  it  is  punched  for  the 
rivets  which  arc  to  hold  the  back  and  front  straps 
to  the  blade  ;  then,  after  having  been  heated,  its 
surface  is  shaped  by  pressure  between  two  dies 
with  a  weight  of  about  1200  pounds.  Next  comes 
the  "setting"  done  by  hand,  to  remove  "wakes," 
straighten  sides  and  correct  twists.  A  vitriol  bath 
to  remove  scales,  and  a  vigorous  polishing  on 
wheels  covered  with  emery,  dismisses  the  plate  for 
the  present,  and  leaves  us  at  liberty  to  prepare 
the  "straps"  needed  to  bind  it  to  the  handle. 
These  are  cut,  rolled,  sheared,  pounded,  levelled, 
shaped,  annealed,  polished,  countersunk,  &c., 
mostly  by  ingenious  machinery,  and  then  they  are 
riveted  to  the  front  and  back  of  the  shovel,  close 
as  you  see  them,  fitting  like  a  glove  that  fits  as  a 
well  behaved  glove  should. 

We  move  on  now  to  the  handle  shop.  The  two 
holes  for  rivets  in  the  head  of  the  handle  are  bored 
at  once,  by  bits  revolving  two  thousand  times  a 
minute.  The  "bending"  -to  give  the  graceful 
curve  and  right  balance  for  easy  working,  is  an 
amusing  operation.  The  lower  end  is  boiled  for 
an  hour  or  two  to  take  the  obstinacy  out  of  it  and 
make  it  pliable.  When  it  is  soft  enough  to  be 
docile  and  manageable,  it  is  placed  between  two 
iron  blocks,  with  the  rightly  undulating  grooves 
and  connected  by  a  hinge,  as  a  lemon  is  put  into 
a  squeezer ;  and  then  the  blocks  are  brought  to- 
gether by  a  powerful  pressure  and  fastened,  and 
so  the  prisoner  is  kept  encased  until  he  grows  cool 
and  promises  never  again  to  straighten  himself  out. 
With  this  underatanding  he  is  released  and  put 
away  for  three  weeks  to  dry,  and  get  thoroughly 
seasoned  for  the  laborious  Hfe  before  him.  How 
the  caps  to  the  rivets  and  the  rivets  themselves 
are  made,  how  tlie  handle  is  inserted  between  the 
straps  and  screwed  and  wedged,  how  all  rough 
edges  are  filed  down,  and  wood  and  iron  rendered 
agreeable  to  the  liand, — how  the  plate  is  scoured 
and  all  metal  parts  of  the  tool  burnished,  and  the 
shovel  complete  is  made  bright,  clean  and  trig 
ready  for  inspection — we  have  neither  time,  room, 
nor  descriptive  power  to  tell.  Suffice  it  to  say  that 
such  facility  and  perfection  has  been  attained 
in  the  manufacture  of  the  respective  parts,  and 
Buch  the  number  of  persons  employed,  that  on  the 
average  a  shovel  is  made  now  in  less  time  than  it 
once  took  to  bore  the  holes  through  the  head  of 
the  handle.  Experiment  and  ingenuity  and  in 
dustry  have  achieved  this  really  marvellous  result 
in  this  model  establishment,  whose  name  and 
fame  are  such,  that  it  has  not  been  able  for  years 
to  fill  all  its  orders  or  to  supply  the  demand  for 
its  products.  This  success  is  greatly  due  to  strict 
observance  of  these  principles,  viz  :  1,  that  the  la- 
bor shall  be  divided  into  as  many  distinct  process- 
es as  possible  ;  2,  that  each  man  shall  learn  but 
one  process,  and  learn  that  thoroughly  ;  3,  that 
each  workman  shall  be  paid  so  much  per  doz.,  for 
his  work — so  if  indolent  he  shall  be  the  loser,  and 
if  industrious  the  gainer  ;  4,  that  the  shovels  shall 
be  inspected  at  every  stage  of  their  manufacture, 
and  when  they  are  finished, In  order  to  guard 
against  poor  work ;  and  5,  that  none  but  the  very 
best  materials  shall  be  used. 


Of  the  statistics,  of  "Shoveldom"  it  is  enough  to 
say — omitting  all  reference  to  its  indirect  effects, — 
that  it  uses  each  day  4  tons  of  iron  and  2  tons  of 
cast-steel, — it  employs  250  men,  paying  them  from 
5  to  $n,000  per  month  in  wages, — turns  out  more 
than  2000  shovels  of  various  stylos  and  prices  per 
day, — and  sold  last  year  something  like  $000,000 
worth  of  its  fabrics.  In  view  of  tiiese  figures  were 
we  not  right  in  designating  "Slioveldom"  as  a 
kingdom  ;  and  who  will  deny  that  its  liberal-mind- 
ed, intelligent  and  enterprising  proprietors,  have 
been  and  are,  in  the  way  of  business,  benefactors 
to  the  community,  by  furnisliing  employment  to 
so  many  operatives,  creating  as  it  were  a  thriving 
town,  and  equipping  armies  for  the  peaceful  phy- 
sical conquests  of  the  times?  No  one  certainly 
who  has  visited  their  establishment. 


WEALTH  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

The  property,  real  and  personal,  in  the  United 
States,  is  estimated  by  the  census  at  $7,133,369,- 
725.  This  will  make  an  average  of  between  S300 
and  $400  to  each  individual,  or  $1,800  to  each 
family.  Upon  this  the  Providence  Journal  re- 
marks : 

"Considering  the  .great  distribution  of  wealth  in 
comparison  with  the  accumulation  of  foreign  wealth 
in  few  hands,  this  shows  a  degree  of  material 
prosperity  which,  we  presume  no  other  country 
can  approach.  The  fourth  of  July  talk  about  our 
being,  "as  we  ourselves  have  voted,"  the  freest 
and  most  enlightened  nation  on  earth,  is  not  an 
idle  boast.  It  is  literally  and  strictly  true.  No 
where  else  is  there  so  much  freedom  ;  no  where 
else  is  intelligence  so  generally  diffused,  although 
in  many  parts  of  the  world,  science  and  learning 
are  carried  to  a  far  greater  height ;  no  where  else 
are  the  physical  comforts  of  life  so  widely  distrib- 
uted among  all  the  people,  and  these  comforts  are 
the  only  sure  foundation  of  moral  and  intellectual 
improvement. 

"How  deeply  it  concerns  us  to  guard  this  great 
inheritance,  and  to  transmit  it  as  we  have  received 
it.  Most  of  all  can  we  do  this  by  assuring  the 
prosperity  of  the  country  in  all  the  peaceful  arts, 
in  the  development  of  its  miglity  resources  and  in 
all  its  means  of  contributing  to  human  happiness 
and  human  advancement.  We  cannot  do  it  by  an 
insane  desire  for  territorial  aggrandizement,  by  un- 
scrupulous means  of  extenuing  our  area,  and  by 
bad  fiiith  with  the  nations  around  us.  Never  was 
the  course  of  power  and  greatness  more  plainly 
marked  out  to  a  people.  It  will  ho  sinning  against 
the  hght  of  Heaven  if  we  tail  to  pursue  it.  Our 
punishment  will  be  as  well  deserved  as  it  will  be 
signal  and  severe." 

Remarks. — We  have  no  doubt  that  the  state- 
ments made  above  are  true,  and  the  reflections  on 
them  are  certainly  just.  And  yet,  amidst  the 
abundance  so  liberally  bestowed  by  Him  who  con- 
trols all  things — amidst  such  fertile  soils  and  con- 
genial seasons,  pouring  into  the  lap  of  industry 
more  than  enough  for  all,  if  their  products  were 
more  equally  distributed,  how  muny  languish  and 
suffer  for  want  of  employment  and  food,  and  a  per- 
manent home!  With  all  our  freedom,  our  excel- 
lent institutions,  our  safe  and  wholesome  municip- 


240 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


May 


al  arrangements,  with  all  the  effjrts  of  the  philan- 
thropic and  good,  there  is  still  suffering  and  sor- 
row all  around  us  that  ought  not  to  exist.  Our 
social  organization  is  still  extremely  imperfect. 
There  is  immense  loss  and  worse  than  waste,  from 
the  indulgence  of  morbid  appetites,  and  constant 
and  heavy  expenditures  for  defence  against  crim- 
inal and  foreign  invasion  of  the  public  peace.  How 
these  evils  are  to  be  remedied,  is  a  question  de- 
manding the  earnest  consideration  of  all.  With 
those  who  are  correct  in  their  ha.bits  and  who  are 
industrious,  there  should  be  no  suffering  for  want 
of  food  or  shelter  ;  and  yet,  this  is  the  very  class 
who  suffer  the  most ;  who,  having  honor  and  po- 
sition to  lose,  shrink  from  the  rude  gaze  of  the 
world,  and  suffer  on  in  silence  rather  than  ask 
charities  which  are  too  often  grudgingly  doled  out. 
We  express  no  new  zeal  on  this  subject,  but  speak 
of  what  we  know  to  exist. 

It  is  for  the  interest  of  all  that  all  should  possess 
permanent  homes,  be  well  fed  and  clothed  and  be 
happy.  Let  each  strive  to  accomplish  this  for 
himself  and  his  neighbor,  and  the  world  will  soon 
present  a  new  aspect. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
PLA3TEE. 

It  is  not  unfrequently  that  we  hear  farmers  ex- 
tol the  virtues  of  plaster  in  imparting  a  more  vig- 
orous growth  to  vegetation,  while  others,  equally 
well  skilled  in  practical  agriculture,  declare  they 
can  see  no  improvement  in  their  crops  by  its  use. 
One  contends  that  plaster  increases  the  clover  on 
mowing  fields,  without  any  essential  benefit  to  the 
other  grasses  ;  another  is  sure  his  potatoes  are  ben- 
efited by  its  uses,  while  his  corn  looks  as  if  con- 
sumption mortgaged  it,  if  he  depends  entirely  on 
plaster  to  manure  his  crop. 

In  looking  over  the  proceedings  of  the  Legisla- 
tive Agricultural  Meeting,  March  22,  the  value  of 
plaster,  I  perceive,  was  generally  appreciated,  ex- 
cept in  the  county  of  Plymouth,  where  the  speak- 
er said  no  effect  could  be  seen  from  its  use  except 
on  potatoes. 

Mr.  Smith,  of  Hadley,  was  sure  it  would  lose  its 
efficacy  if  applied  to  the  same  piece  of  land  for  a 
series  of  years  without  the  aid  of  other  manures, 
while  Mr.  Faulkner  had  found  the  use  of  plaster 
to  produce  the  same  effect  from  year  to  year,  even 
for  fifty  or  seventy  years. 

Farmers  hereabouts  agree  that  a  pasture  should 
be  lightly  stocked  after  plastering,  in  order  to  give 
the  grass  a  start;  this  I  believe  is  true,  whether 
plastered  or  not,  and  I  believe  Col.  Faulkner  hit 
the  nail  on  the  head  when  he  said  he  considered 
the  great  cause  of  sterility  in  pasture  lands  to  be 
in  overstocking  them.  Grass  grows  but  very  little 
in  April,  or  the  first  half  of  May. 

Why  some  fields  become  green  sooner  than  oth- 
ers in  the  spring,  is  Ijocause  more  grass  was  left 
on  them  in  the  fall;  tlie  grass  does  not  grow,  but 
the  withered  blades  tui-n  green.  So  if  the  farmer 
plasters  his  pasture  and  takes  out  half  his  stock 
he  sees  an  improvement  in  the  i)asture  which  he 
ascribes  to  the  plaster,  when  the  cause  may  be  at- 
tributed to  the  stock.     I  believe  our  old  pastures 


need  something  more  than  plaster.  Jlany  of  them 
are  trod  exceedingly  hard,  and  the  grass  roots  are 
short,  where  the  moss  has  suffered  them  to  remain. 

Let  such  land  be  thoroughly  plowed  two  or  three 
times,  and  liberally  manured,  in  return  for  what 
has  been  taken  from  it,  the  grass  roots  could  then 
descend  to  the  subsoil  and  the  moss  would  be 
ashamed  to  grow  without  the  aid  of  plaster. 

1  would  not  be  uQdersti)od  to  say  there  is  no 
virtue  in  plaster  as  a  manure;  I  only  say  I  have 
not  been  able  to  discover  its  effects.  I  think  it 
very  harmless;  it  may  attract  the  heat  of  the  sun 
and  force  the  grass  along  in  tlie  spring.  Pick  up 
the  stones  that  have  fallen  from  your  walls  in  the 
spring;  you  find  the  grass  higher  around  them  than 
elsewhere.  The  question  then  should  be,  is  it 
profitable  to  buy  plaster  at  five  or  six  dollars  per 
ton  for  manure  ?  Is  it  profitable  for  t'.ie  farmer  to 
buy  that  for  manure,  which  will  not  aff.jrd  him  a 
crop  of  Indian  corn,  even  if  he  put  a  cart  load  to 
the  rod  1 

Some  years  ago  I  planted  a  field  with  corn  which 
others  had  also  planted  with  the  same  crop  before, 
and  witnessed  astonishing  effects  of  plaster.  After 
dressing  the  same  with  l:)arn-yard  manure,  I  plas- 
tered every  hill  of  the  field  excepting  one  row 
through  the  field,  putting  a  stake  in  said  row.  I 
harvested  the  same  in  autumn,  and  but  for  the 
stake,  should  not  have  known  the  row  which  did 
not  receive  its  quota  of  plaster.  Still  I  may  be 
prejudiced  against  the  use  of  plaster,  and  cannot 
see  its  favorable  effects  ;  while  others  having  favor- 
able opinions,  may  think  they  perceive  improve- 
ment in  their  crops  from  its  use,  when  in  reality 
there  is  none,  or  if  there  is,  it  may  be  the  result 
of  some  other  cause.  11.  Fowler. 

Stowe,  March,  185-3. 


For  the  Neiv  England  Farmer. 
TAKING  HONEY. 

Mr.  Editor:  —  Report  says  a  new  method  pre- 
vails in  many  places  of  obtaining  honey  annually 
without  destroying  the  bees.  1  he  method  is  some- 
what thus  : — The  hive  is  suddenly  turned  over  and 
a  new  one  placed  upon  it,  then  by  drumming  light- 
ly with  the  hands  on  the  old  hive,  the  bees  ascend 
into  the  new  one,  when  it  may  be  slipped  off  and 
treated  precisely  like  a  young  hive,  leaving  you  in 
undisturbed  possession  of  the  old  one.  The  advan- 
tages are  these  : — The  bees  are  preserved,  and  the 
honey  obtained  is  of  superior  quality,  the  comb 
never  becoming  dark  colored,  as  is  often  found  in 
hives  that  have  stood  a  few  years. 

Now  can  you  or  any  of  your  readers  give  any 
more  definite  information  concerning  this  method, 
as  to  the  time  of  year ;  also,  what  time  in  the  day 
is  preferable.  I  should  suppose  the  early  morning, 
or  after  the  bees  are  still  for  the  night.  I  should 
like  to  know,  also,  if  there  was  not  great  danger 
of  the  bees  leaving  the  new  hive  and  going  away, 
and  if  they  are  not  reluctant  to  leave  the  old  hive. 
Benjamin  Stetson. 

Hanover,  1853. 

The  Stone  Gatherer. — We  would  inform  our 
young  friend  that  we  have  no  engraving  of  the  ma- 
chine by  which  stones  are  gathered  from  the  fields; 
a  description  of  the  manner  in  which  it  is  opera- 
ted was  given  in  the  Monthly  Farmer  for  August, 
1852. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


241 


gg^^^g5^^^^^««e 


BRUSH  SEED  SOWER. 

The  raising  of  roots  for  feeding  stock,  as  well  as 
for  culinary  purposes,  is  becoming  quite  coiumon 
with  most  farmers.  This  we  are  glad  to  perceive, 
and  shall  endeavor  to  afford  such  suggestions  from 
time  to  time  as  will  enable  the  cultivator  to  pro- 
duce root  crops  at  a  less  cost  than  he  has  been 
able  to  heretofore.  Sowing  small  seeds  by  the 
hand  is  an  exceedingly  slow,  fatiguing  operation. 
It  is  necessary  to  stoop  in  order  to  drop  the  seed 
into  the  drill,  or  it  is  liable  to  be  blown  away  by 
the  wind.  Then  the  process  of  covering  is  slow 
and  uncertain.  But  with  a  good  machine  one  may 
sow  and  cover  an  acre  in  a  few  hours,  and  so  even- 
ly, both  as  to  distance  and  depth,  that  if  the  seed 
is  good,  scarcely  one  shall  fail  to  come  up,  and 
come  in  the  right  place. 

We  have  in  use  a  machine  like  the  one  repre- 
sented above,  and  find  it  portable,  easily  kept  in 
order,  and  certain  in  its  work.  Well,  that  is  all 
which  is  desired  of  it  as  a  seed  sower.  But  we  will 
venture  to  suggest  to  the  enterprising  manufac- 
turers, Ruggles,  Nourse,  Mason  4"  Co.,  whether 
they  cannot  so  a'rrange  them  as  to  unship  the  sow- 
ing and  covering  part,  and  in  its  place  supply 
works  to  weed  and  cultivate  the  crop  with  less  than 
one-half  the  labor  that  is  now  required  to  do  it  by 
the  hand.  We  believe  this  may  be  done  so  as  to 
make  the  frame  work  answer  both  purposes  well. 


The  Bee  Moth. — Such  of  our  readers  as  are  en- 
gaged in  the  bee  culture  will  be  glad  to  learn  that 
a  remedy  has  been  discovered  which  effectually 
prevents  the  ravages  of  the  bee  moth.  The  fre- 
quent and  serious  injury  caused  by  this  pestiferous 
insect  has  deterred  many  persons  from  entering 
into  the  business  of  raising  bees,  more  especially 
as  in  some  localities  the  ravages  have  been  so 
great  as  nearly  to  destroy  both  bees  and  honey. 
The  plan  is  this  :  Split  joints  of  cane  through  the 
centre  and  arrange  them  on  the  four  sides  of  the 
hive,  with  the  split  side  resting  on  the  platform. 
The  moth,  instead  of  depositing  its  eggs  under  the 


edge  of  the  hive,  will  lay  them  under  the  split 
cane.  From  these  depositories  they  may  be  re- 
moved and  destroyed  as  often  as  necessary  with 
little  trouble.  A  friend  informs  us  that  he  knows 
the  plan  has  been  tried  and  found  entirely  success- 
ful.— Mobile  Tribune. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
MODEL  FARMS,  &0. 

In  what  manner  can  the  State  beneficially 
aid  the  farmer  1 

This  inquiry  lies  at  the  foundation  of  all  our  ac- 
tion. During  the  discussions  of  the  present  sea- 
son, there  has  been  an  endeavor  to  avoid  the  in- 
troduction of  this  topic  ;  and  to  direct  the  atten- 
tion to  subjects  of  a  practical  character.  This  has 
been  done,  because  we  would  not  presume  to  dic- 
tate to  the  powers  that  be  ;  and  would  willingly 
leave  to  those  in  authority,  the  determination  of 
these  matters.  It  was  long  ago  said  with  empha- 
sis, that  "a  cat  might  look  upon  a  king"— -much 
more  then,  may  the  people  make  suggestions  to 
their  rulers  ;  who  are  the  rulers — but  the  people 
themselves  1— for  who  does  a  thing  by  another,  is 
himself  responsible  therefor. 

Educational  Schools  and  Model  Farms  first  oc- 
cur to  the  mind,  when  this  inquiry  is  made.  With- 
out doubt,  much  might  be  done,  in  both  these 
ways.  Much  has  been  done,  in  other  countries, 
by  the  establishment  of  schools,  for  the  education 
of  the  young  farmer — and  we  have  the  benefit  of 
their  examples.  If  there  could  be  any  assurance 
that  those  thus  educated  bore  would  continue  to 
apply  their  improved  energies  to  the  labors  of 
the  flirm,  there  would  be  some  encouragement  to 
give  this  instiJ-uction.  But  in  this  land  of  freedom 
and  of  enterprise,  where  every  one  is  his  own  mas- 
ter,— three  chances  out  of  four,  as  soon  as  the 
boy  is  well  prepared  to  take  the  superintendence 
of  a  farm,  he  will  be  off,  about  something  else  ; 
and  it  will  not  be,  until  all  his  visionary  plans  of 
advancement  have  been  foiled,  and  his  own  physi- 
cal energies  spoiled,  that  he  will  learn  that  it 
would  have  been  better  for  him  to  have  applied 
himself  constantly  upon  the  farm.  Many_  learn 
this  lesson,  when  it  is  too  late  to  profit  by  it.  It 
is  too  common  for  boys  of  enterprise,  to  think  that 
the  drudgery  of  a  farm  is  not  suited  for  them  ; 


242 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Mat 


and  it  is  equally  common  for  parents  to  connte- 
nancesuch  thoughts — their  own  pride  is  flattered 
with  the  idea  that  if  their  sons  can  be  seen  and 
heard,  making  a  noise  in  the  world,  it  will  in  a 
measure  redound  to  their  own  credit. 

As  to  model  farms— how  could  our  County  So- 
cieties do  better,  than  to  take  the  care  and  di- 
rection of  such  a  farm— each,  within  their  own 
limits  ?_  Most  of  them  have  funds  ample  for  the 
procuring  of  a  farm— and  the  presumption  is,  if 
aiscreetly  purchased,  it  would  continue  to  be 
worth  what  it  cost.  I  know  of  societies,  that 
for  20  years,  have  had  funds  to  the  amount 
ot"  eight  or  ten  thousand  dollars — why  not  judi- 
ciously invest  these  funds  in  a  farm?  Will  it 
be  said,  that  no  investment  of  the  kind  can  be 
made  that  ivill  pay  ?  That  the  societies  cannot 
get  along  without  the  income  of  their  funds  1  Is 
this  true  1  If  it  be,  is  it  not  a  most  discouraging 
fact?  It  certainly  is  not  true,  that  all  farms  are 
unproductive;  for  numerous  instances  can  be  found, 
in  all  the  counties  of  the  Commonwealth,  where  in- 
dividuals have  become  independent,  by  the  opera- 
tions of  their  farms  alone.  Then,  it  must  be  that 
associated  bodies  cannot  conduct  farms. so  advan- 
tageously as  individuals.  This  may  be  true  to 
some  extent  in  farming — but  it  is  not  true  in 
manufacturing— m  this  class  of  industry,  the  most 
successful  examples  are  usually  found,  in  associa- 
ted enterprise.  The  same  would  be  true  in  farm- 
ing—with labor  properly  directed.  If  not,  let  the 
first  movement  of  the  society  be,  when  their  farm 
is  purchased,  to  select  an  individual  of  best  prom- 
ise, to  take  the  management  of  it ;  and  let  the 
trustees  hold  their  monthly  meetings,  at  the  farm, 
not  for  the  purpose  of  instructing  their  farmer^ 
but  to  improve  themselves  by  observing  his  man- 
agement. Such  an  arrangement  of  model  farms, 
in  each  county,  under  the  supervision  of  the  Coun 
ty  Societies,  with  a  detailed  statement  of  their  en 
tire  management  and  products  annually  made, 
revised  and  published  by  the  Secretary  of  the 
Board  of  Agriculture,  would,  in  my  judgment,  at 
the  present  time,  be  one  of  the  best  modes  of  ad 
vancing  the  interests  of  the  farmer. 

Much  is  said  about  the  application  of  chemical 
science  to  the  operations  on  the  farm ;  and  the 
benefits  to  be  derived  from  an  intelligent  under- 
standing of  the  constituent  elements  of  soils.  How 
is  this  knowledge  to  be  attained  1  By  study  or  by 
labor  ■?  I  answer,  by  a  combination  of  these.— ^ 
Neither,  alone,  will  be  sufficient.  A  man  may 
treasure  in  his  mind  all  the  learning  of  the  books, 
and  be  a  complete  master  of  all  the  manipulations 
of  the  laboratory  ;  still,  without  reaZ  experiments 
illustrative  of  the  principles  thus  acquired,  he  nev- 
er can  be  confidentin  his  own  knowledge.  A  man 
may  know  all  the  elements  to  be  found  in  the  anal- 
ysis of  Indian  corn,  for  instance;  but  still,  until 
the  growth  of  it  has  been  tried  uponlhe  field— he 
cannot  say  whether  or  not,  it  will  succeed.  The 
food  of  plants  is  not  found  entirely  in  the  earth 
beneath — the  heavens  above  contribute  their  por- 
tion. Therefore,  no  analysis  of  the  ground  alone 
will  ever  be  a  sure  indication  of  the  result  of  the 
cultivation  of  a  particular  crop.  All  such  calcu- 
lations are  based  upon  the  supposition,  that  other 
things  being  equal,  and  that  they  will  go  on,  in 
the  ordinary  way.  Is  it  not  certain  that  a  given 
quantity  of  rain  is  necessary  for  the  production 
of  a  crop  of  corn  1    Whoever  knew  a  field  of  corn 


come  to  maturity  without  rain  ?  Bat  it  may  be 
said,  the  rain  will  of  course  come — because  it  al- 
ways has  come.  True,  what  has  been,  probably 
will  be.  But  not  necessarily  so.  Who  can  say 
that  the  dews  of  the  night,  are  not  essential  to  the 
maturity  of  a  crop  1  No  one  will  presume  to  say 
that  they  ever  knew  a  crop  come  to  maturity  with- 
out being  moistened  by  such  dews.  Then  who 
can  say  that  the  dew  is  not  the  one  thing  need- 
ful for  perfecting  the  crop.  But  the  analysis  of 
the  elements  of  the  soil  gives  no  information  as 
to  the  rain  from  above,  or  as  to  the  dew  of  the 
atmosphere.  AVho  will  presume  to  say,  that  the 
electric  fluid  which  pervades  all  space,  has  not 
something  to  do  with  the  growth  and  maturity  of 
plants'?  If  I  do  not  mistake,  theories  have  been 
started,  tending  to  show  that  electricity  is  an  es- 
sential element  in  the  growth  of  plants.  And 
plans  have  been  proposed  of  advancing  their 
growth  ])y  electrical  operations.  But  I  am  not 
aware  that  Chemistry  or  Philosophy,  have  as  yet 
defined  with  any  precision,  the  laws  of  Nature  in 
this  particular.  Perhaps  when  we  fully  under- 
stand the  transmission  of  ideas  from  shore  to  shoye, 
by  means  of  magnetism,  we  shall  better  compre- 
hend the  power  of  electricity  in  the  growth  of 
vegetables. 

If  it  be  true,  as  learned  professoi-s,  not  of  Mas 
sachusetts,  particularly,  confidently  assert,  that 
the  soils  of  our  fields  can  be  so  subdivided  and  an- 
alyzed, that  their  productive  powers  can  be  esti- 
mated, with  as  much  precision  as  the  hours  of 
the  day  can  be  numbered,  it  is  high  time  this 
were  known,  and  the  means  of  doing  this  placed 
at  the  command  of  every  cultivator.  Where  in 
Massachusetts  can  this  science  be  attained? — 
Where  can  a  young  man  go  to  learn  practically 
the  sure  method  of  analyzing  soils  ?  Can  it  be 
done  at  Cambridge,  the  fountain  of  knowledge  for 
New  England.  It  may  be,  that  it  can  be  there 
acquired  ;  but  I  have  not  had  the  good  fortune  to 
meet  any  of  the  sons  of  Cambridge  thus  learned. 
Can  it  be  acquired  at  Amherst?  If  so,  who  Avill 
teach  it?  President  Hitchcock  and  Professor 
Nash  say,  they  themselves  are  anxious  to  acquire 
the  art.  They  do  not  profess  to  know  it.  They 
are  modest,  honest,  sensible  men,  willing  and 
ready  to  tell  what  they  know,  and  nothing  more. 
Would  others,  in  like  position,  do  this  and  no 
more,  science  would  be  respected.  But  when 
the  learned  mingle  the  marvellous  with  the  real, 
and  thus  impose  on  the  credulity  of  those  whom 
they  address,  they  very  soon  cease  to  command 
respect.  p. 

April  12,  1853. 


How  TO  Raise  Fruit  every  Year. — If  rightly 
understood,  few  trees,  unless  absolutely  dead  or 
rotten,  need  occupy  ground,  without  yielding  a 
plenteous  crop.  After  a  long  and  varied  series  of 
experiments,  I  gradually  adopted  the  following 
mode  :  As  soon  as  the  winter  has  sufficiently  dis- 
appeared, and  before  the  sap  ascends,  I  examine 
my  trees  ;  every  dead  bough  is  lopped  off,  then, 
after  the  sap  has  risen  sufficiently  to  show  where 
the  blossoms  will  be,  I  cut  away  all  the  other 
branches  having  none  on,  and  also  the  extremity 
of  every  limb  the  lower  part  of  which  bears  a  con- 
siderable number  of  buds,  thus  concentrating  the 
sap  of  the  tree  upon  the  maturation  of  its  fruits, 
and  saving  what  would  be   a  useless  expenditure 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


243 


of  strength.  In  the  quince,  apricot  and  peach 
trees,  this  is  very  important,  as  these  are  very  apt 
to  be  luxuriant  in  leaves  and  destitute  of  fruit. 
You  may  think  this  injures  the  trees,  but  it  does 
not ;  fur  you  will  find  trees  laden  with  fruit,  which 
formerly  yielded  nothing.  Of  course,  all  other 
well-known  precautions  must  be  attended  to  ;  such 
as  cutting  out  worms  from  the  roots,  placing  old 
iron  on  the  limbs,  which  acts  as  a  tonic  to  the  sap, 
&c.  Try  it,  ye  who  have  failed  in  raising  fruit. — 
Farmer  and  Mechanic. 


THE  GOOSEBERRY. 


HOW   TO   RAISE   THE    HANDSOMEST   PLANTS    OF    THE  NA- 
TIVE  VARIETIES. 

In  the  early  spring  of  1849,  when  the  buds  of 
the  wild  gooseberry  began  to  burst,  I  took  an 
April  sylvan  excursion  through  damp  places,  and 
with  a  sharp  pruning  knife  cut  as  many  vigorous 
and  clean  shoots  as  I  could  find,  from  the  different 
kinds  of  the  much  neglected  native  gooseberry. 

Having  made  a  large  collection  of  cuttings  for 
the  purpose  of  propagation  in  a  nursery  bed,  I  cut 
them  short — one  foot  long — rejecting  the  tender 
parts  and  trimming  all  the  buds  off,  except  three 
or  four  upper  ones.  Then  I  planted  them  in  a 
rich,  well  trenched,  and  rather  moist  soil,  6  inch- 
es apart  in  straight  rows.  The  soil  around 
them  was  kept  loose  and  clear  of  weeds  by  fre- 
quent hoeing,  and  in  a  good  condition  by  occasion- 
al waterings.  In  the  fall  they  were  found  very 
fine  plants — strong  rooted — fit  for  transplanting 
the  nest  season  ;  they  shooted  from  12  to  18  inch- 
es high  the  same  season.  To  render  the  plants 
more  vigorous,  I  clipped  the  tender  ends  of  the 
limbs,  trimming  them  in  the  form  of  miniature 
trees. 

The  second  year  they  yielded  a  plenty  of  nice 
fruit,  of  a  double  size.  The  third  year  all  the 
plants  were  heavily  loaded  with  still  larger  ber- 
ries of  different  colors  and  flavor.  Last  season  I 
picked  fifty  quarts  of  much  larger  gooseberries, 
beside  what  were  eaten  by  my  friends  and  visit- 
ors to  my  fruit  garden.  Some  of  my  native  goose- 
berries seemed  much  larger  than  Houghton's  seed- 
ling gooseberry. 

I  know  of  no  sort  of  gooseberry  which  promises 
so  much,  and  seems  so  easy  of  cultivation,  with  so 
little  labor,  and  so  well  adapted  to  our  climate,  as 
our  native  gooseberry.  This  gooseberry  is,  though 
very  sweet,  delicious  and  rich  in  its  wild  nature, 
much  despised  on  account  of  its  small  size,  in  com- 
parison to  the  pride  of  Lancashire  Horticulturists, 
who  have,  by  their  unspared  of  pains  of  per- 
severence,  improved  the  insignificant  size  and 
inferior  qualities  of  their  wild  European  goose- 
berry to  a  wonderful  size  and  richness  of  flavor. 

Are  we,  American  horticulturists,  who  enjoy 
the  blessings  of  undisturbed  freedom  on  our  virgin 
soil  beneath  a  bright  sun,  slaves  dependent  upon 
a  foreign  nation  for  her  horticultural  skill  in  pro- 
ducing a  celebrated  species  of  gooseberry,  which 
is  so  imperfectly  suited  to  our  climate  \  Why  do 
not  we  try  to  do  the  same  towards  improving  our 
native  gooseberry,  which  is  not  only  perfectly 
adapted  to  our  soil,  but  also  promises  to  pay  well 
for  whatever  attention  we  shall  be  wiHin<>'  to  be- 
stow upon  111  If  our  American  apples  f«e  far  su- 
perior to  those  of  England,  I  can  see  no  reason 
why  we  may  not  produce  American  varieties  of 


gooseberry,  superior — even  far  superior  to  those 
of  far-famed  Lancashire,  by  hybriddin^  our  native 
gooseberry  with  the  choice  sorts,  and  oy  repeated 
sowing  of  seed  of  fine  kinds. — Farmer  and  Me- 
chanic. 

For  the  Neiv  England  Farmer. 
WHAT  SHALL  I  DO  ? 

Editors  Farmer  : — At  the  present  prices  paid 
for  farm  labor  compared  with  that  of  mechanical, 
what  inducement  is  there  for  a  young  man  of  tal- 
ent and  energy  to  follow  farming^ 

In  this  section,  bootmakers  obtain  for  their  work 
from  $1,25  to  $2,00  per  day,  while  the  same  men 
could  not  command  more  than  from  $10,00  to 
$15,00  per  7nonth  on  most  of  our  farms,  and  that 
only  for  the  summer  months.  The  old  farmers 
iiereabouts  shrug  their  shoulders  and  complain 
bitterly  at  paying  over  $13,00  per  month. 

Now  I  would  like  to  ask  if  you  would  advise  me, 
or  any  other  young  man,  who  can  get  $2,00  per 
day  at  a  trade,  to  learn  it,  or  refuse  it  and  work 
on  a  farm.  I  want  to  be  a  farmer,  but  when  I 
consider  that  I  am  like  thousands  of  other  young 
men,  starting  unassisted,  without  money  or  land, 
I  am  almost  discouraged.  Most  young  men  with 
whom  I  converse,  own,  that  farming  is  the  best 
business  in  the  world,  and  say  that  they  would 
farm  it,  if  they  only  had  land  of  their  own.  But 
as  to  working  out  by  the  month  fur  50  cents  per 
day,  they  will  not  do  it. 

Now  I  wish  to  know  if  you  can  blame  them,  or 
call  them  unwise.  c.  w.  a. 

S ,  Mass. 


Remarks. — If  our  young  friend  can  actually  earn 
more  money,  and  can  keep  it  profitably  and  secure- 
ly invested,  in  some  other  way  than  by  working 
on  a  farm,  why,  then,  he  had  better  spend  a  few 
years,  perhaps,  in  some  other  employment.  But 
if  he  intends  to  pursue  farming  after  a  while,  he 
must  be  a  close  observer,  thinker,  and  reader  of 
farm  matters  during  these  years,  and  he  will  thus 
qualify  himself  for  his  future  business  while  he  is 
accumulating  the  means  to  engage  in  it.  It  is  not 
desirable  that  all  shall  be  farmers,  but  those  who 
have  a  decided  taste  for  farming  should  make  all 
their  plans  tend  that  way ;  and  there  are,  un- 
doubtedly, various  modes  of  obtaining  a  farm,  be- 
side working  on  one  at  fifty  cents  a  day.  If  your 
opportunities  enable  you  to  get  $2,00  a  day,  do 
so,  until  such  time  as  you  can  invest  your  earnings 
in  the  spot  which  you  intend  to  make  a  permanent 
home.  But,  the  subject  is  an  interesting  and  im- 
portant one,  and  perhaps  some  of  our  correspond- 
ents who  have  the  leisure  and  inclination  will 
speak  of  it  more  at  length  than  we  are  able  to  at 
present. 

§^M.  Eugene  Sue  states  that  in  Savoy,  all  the 
farm-work  of  plowing  and  drawing,  instead  of  be- 
ing done  by  horses  or  oxen,  is  perftn-med  by  milch 
cows,  which  work  eight  or  ten  hours  a  day,  with- 
out the  slightest  depreciation  of  the  quality  or  quan- 
tity of  milk. 


244  NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER.  May 


CONCORD   FARMERS'  CLUB.  jthen  sung  by  Mr.  JoshuaR.  Brown.     He  was  fol- 

The  Concord  Farmers'  Club  had  its  annual  sup-  lowed  bv  the  venerable  Samuel  Hoar,  who  made 
per  on  the  evening  of  the  19th  of  April,  at  the  some  remarks  upon  the  intellectual  and  moral  ef- 
Town  Hall.  The  evening  was  one  of  the  most  fects  of  improvement  in  Agriculture  and  Floricul- 
beautiful  of  the  season,  and  about  two  hundred  ture.  Mr.  R.  W.  Emerson  made  a  short  and 
plates  were  occupied  at  the  table.  After  spending  pleasant  speech,  and  was  followed  by  W.  W. 
one  hour  in  social  intercourse,  the  company  came  Wueildon,  Dr.  Bartlett,  C.  W.    Goodnow  and 


around  the  tables,  which  were  very  tastefully 
spread,  about  9  o'clock,  and  after  partaking  of  the 
good  cheer  which  was   liberally  provided  by  Mr 


C.  B.  Davis. 

The  speeches  were  interspersed  with  toasts  pre- 
pared for  the  occasion,  and  followed  by  volunteer 


Silas  Hosmer,  the  President  called  up  Mr.  Simon  sentiments  ;  and  at  about  11  o'clock  the  compa- 
Brown,  who  gave  a  sketch  of  the  origin  of  the.Dy  broke  up,  feeling  the  occasion  had  been  a  pleas- 
Club.  He  was  followed  by  Rev.  Mr.  Frost,  who  ant  and  profitable  one.  The  young  people  were 
spokeof  the  progress  which  has  been  made  in  farm-  present  in  force,  and  although  many  of  them  are 
ing,  during  the  past  15  years.  After  he  had  been  not  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  they  were 
in  town  4  years,  some  one  sent  him  a  plate  of  willing  to  give  countenance  to  the  Club,  and  hear 
cherries.  He  then  remarked  they  were  the  first  something  of  the  Great  Art  which  feeds  and 
cherries  he  had  seen  in  Concord.  Now,  not  only: clothes  them  in  common  with  all. 
cherries,  but  plums,  pears  and  apples  are  very'  We  are  requested  to  tender  the  thanks  of  the 
abundant,  in  great  variety  and  in  high  perfection.  |  Club  to  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the  town,  for 
He  spoke  of  the  fine  barns  with  their  cupolas, 'their  attendance,  for  their  efforts  to  make  the  eve- 
which  had  been  mistaken  for  churches,  and  of  the, ning  a  pleasant  one,  and  for  their  kind  expres- 
greatly  improved  appearance  of  farms,  all  over  sions  of  approbation  of  the  designs  and  influence  of 
town,  and  then  of  the  intellectual  and  moral  ef-,the  Club. 


feet  of  this  proo-i-ess  in  the  cultivation  of  the  earth.  r.     ,i    ,.      ^     ,    ^  r^ 

I      °  For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

Dr.  Reynolds  then  gave  a  humorous  sketch  of  ^  SHOWER  OF  MUD 

the  doings  of  the  club,  and  enumerated  the  sub- 1     jy^^^  g^^  :-Enclosed  you  will  find  a  small  pack" 
jects  in  their  order,  which  had    come  under  dis-  age  of  a  substance  that  1  should  like  to  have  an- 


cussion  during  the  winter.     His  remarks  were  re- 
ceived with  great  enthusiasm 

Judge  Hoar  was  then  called  upon.     He   spoke 


alized  by  some  chemist,  if  you  think  advisable,  for 
I  should  like  to  know  of  what  it  is  composed,  and 
where  it  came  from,  if  the  scientific  world  can  tell. 


„.,      ,  ,    ,,  ,  •  j^  J      -i.,   -i    •     It  came  in  my  possession  in  the  following  manner : 

of  the  day  and  the  events  associated  with  it  mn^  the  8th  inst.,  about  sunset,  there  was  rather 
the  history  of  the  past,  of  the  example  of  our  rev-|a  singular  phenomenon  visible  in  the  heavens.  On 
olutionary  fathers,  and  of  the  great  obligations  the  morning  of  the  9th  it  commenced  snowing — 
which  we  are  under  to  them.  They  perilled  their j  the  snow,  as  it  lay  on  the  old  snow,  had  a  rather 
lives  and  all  that  was  dear  to  them,  and  we,  their  i^^'^'^k,  or  bluish  appearance  ;  it  rained  in  the  after- 
^,        •  ,    1  .        1-11        I  noon  and  froze  a  little  the  loUowmo:  night.     The 

sons,  are  reaping  the  rich  harvests  which  have ^^^^  morning  I  skimmed  off  the  dark  crust  and 
sprung  from  the  seed  which  they  sowed  ;  and  they  [melted  a  pailful  of  the  snow  ;  the  water  was  high- 
have  left  to  their  descendants  a  treasure  richer  ly  colored,  having  a  dark,  bluish  appearance.  The 
than  gold.  They  have  left  a  name  that  will  be  package  is  the  sediment  that  settled  and  was  dried 
cherished,  when  the  mere  possessor  of  gold  will  be  \  ^^'^wn  by  the  fire.  I  could  save  but  a  small  pro- 
c       LL  rri  J  •     i.  J  11     J  1  portion  of  what  was  in  the  water,  lOr  it  would  not 

lorgotten.     Ihey  sowed  in  tears  and  blood,    i^ndi^  ,.,  ' 

the  harvest  is  now  being  reaped  by  millions  of  i  xhere  must  have  fallen  several  thousand  bushels 
freemen  all  over  the  land.  He  hoped  the  Far-  in  this  State  alone,  to  say  nothing  of  what  fell  in 
mers'  Club  would  continue  to  select  this  day  for, others,  if  the  storm  was  very  extensive,  and  I 
their  anniversary,  and  thus  hand  down  to  their  ^hould  like  to  know  what  it  is  and  where  it  came 
■^  from.  S.  Oscar  Cross. 


children  the  memory  of  those  farmers,  who  upon 
this  day,  in  defence  of  their  hearths   and  their 
fields,  poured  out  their  blood  upon  the  soil  of  Con- 
cord. 
Col.  J.  S.  Keyes  was  next  called  up.    He  did  not 


Kingsbury,  March  19,  1853. 


A  paint  for  Brick  Houses. — A  correspondent  of 
the  Ohio  Farmer  has  used  a  cheap  and  very  du- 
rable paint  for   the   exterior  of  brick   dwellings, 
think  it  quite  foir  that  all  but  the  members  of  the  I  which  has  already  stood  several  years,  and  is  now 


r,i   u    1      11  1        11   q       i.  1       iT«  „•  !,„ J  i.^! quite  as  fresh  as  when  first  applied.     It  consists 

Club  should  be  called  on  to  speak.     Ho  wished  to  i^.      ,      «  ,.       „    .        -,.1,   o„i,;i,of<^  r^F  „\Y.r,  na  q 

/  simply  01  lime-wash,  with  sulphate  ot  zinc  as  a 

hear  from  the  farmers  themselves.     He  was  pleased  |  fl^j^g  ingredient.     Any  requisite  shade  is  given  by 


with  the  festival ;  we  have  too  few  holidays.  He 
was  glad  the  farmers  have  instituted  this  gather- 
ing, and  hoped  it  would  be  continued  on  this  day. 
Such  meetings  have  a  good  effect  on  our  social 
feelings. 
A  humorous  and  excellent  agricultural  song  was 


adding  the  colors  used  by  house-painters.  A  clear 
and  rich  cream  color  may  be  obtained  by  apply- 
ing yellow  ochre  to  the  common  new  brick  ;  a 
livelier  and  warmer  shade  will  be  added  by  a  little 
Venetiarf  red.  Burnt  sienna  may  likewise  be 
used.  This  paint  is  far  cheaper  than  oil  paint, 
and  costs  but  \ittle  more  than  common  whitewash. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER, 


245 


ly,  they  become  fat,  but  are  unhealthy.  It  will 
also  teach  us  that  the  niiiik  of  cows,  from  which 
butter  is  to  be  made,  would  be  benefited  by  mix- 
■ng  their  food  with  steeped  peas  and  beans. — Tof- 


ham. 


THE  GOOD  EFFECTS  OF  GARDENING. 

"Gardening  is  a  civilizing  and  improving  occu- 
pation in  itself;  its  influences  are  all  beneficial ;  it 
usually  makes  people  more  industrious,  and  more 
amiable.     Persuade  a  i'areless,  indolent  man  to 

take  an  interest  in  his  garden ,  and  his  reformation  ,j,q  CORRESPONDENTS 

has  begun.     Let  an  idle  woman  honestly  watch  ^^^-it-a. 

over  her  own  flower-beds,  and  she  will  naturally!     Thanks  to  L.  W.  C, — Sovth/mdge,  Mass.  Shall 
become  more  active.     There  is  always  work  to  be  I  be  happy  to  hear  from  him  again. 
done  in  a  "-arden,  some  little  job  to  be  added  to      m^  xr   t>  a/t        o  u         mu     i.       ..-r  i 

yesterday  \s"task  without  which  it  is  incomplete;!  1«  N- P.  M.,-&rnem//e. -The  beautiful  ap- 
books  may  be  closed  with  a  mark  where  one  left  P;^^  *^'*^  '^J  JO"  are  probably  local.  You  must 
off,  needlework  may  be  thrown  aside  and  resumed  give  them  such  a  name  as  your  own  fancy,  or  some 
again  ;  a  sketch  may  be  left  half  finished,  a  piece  peculiarity  in  their  origin  or  growth,  may  suggest. 


of  music  half  practiced ;  even  attention  to  house 
hold  matters  may  relax  in  some  measure  for 
a  while  ;  but  regularity  and  method  are  constant- 
ly required,  are  absolutely  indispensable,  to  the 
well-being  of  a  garden.  The  occupation  itself  is 
so  engaging,  that  one  commences  readily,  and  the 
interest  increases  so  naturally,  that  no  great  share 
of  perseverance  is  needed  to  continue  the  employ- 
ment, and  thus  labor  becomes  a  pleasure,  and  the 
dangerous  habit  of  idleness  is  checked.  Of  all 
faults  of  character,  there  is  not  one,  perhaps,  de- 
pending so  entirely  upon  habit  as  indolence  ;  and 
nowhere  can  one  learn  a  lesson  of  order  and  dili- 
gence more  prettily  and  more  pleasantly  than  from 
a  flower-garden. 

"But  another  common  instance  of  the  good  effect 
of  gardening  may  be  mentioned  : — it  naturally  in- 
clines one  to  be  open-handed.  The  bountiful  re- 
turns which  are  bestowed,  year  after  year,  upon 
our  feeble  labors,  shame  us  into  liberality.  Among 
all  the  misers  who  have  lived  on  earth,  probably 
few  have  been  gardeners.  Some  cross-grained 
churl  may  set  out,  perhaps,  with  a  determination 
to  be  niggardly  with  the  fruits  and  flowers  of  his 
portion  ;  but  gradually  his  feelings  soften,  his 
views  change,  and  before  he  has  housed  the  fruits 
of  many  summers,  he  sees  that  these  good  things 
are  but  the  free  gifts  of  Providence  to  himself,  and 
he  learns  at  last  that  it  is  a  pleasure,  as  well  as  a 
duty,  to  give.  This  head  of  cabbage  shall  be  sent 
to  a  poor  neighbor  ;  that  basket  of  refreshing  fruit 
is  reserved  for  the  sick  ;  he  has  pretty  nosegays 
for  his  female  friends  ;  he  has  apples  or  peaches 
for  little  people ;  nay,  perhaps  in  the  course  of 
years  he  at  length  achieves  the  highest  act  of  gen- 
erosity— he  bestows  on  some  friendly  rival  a  por- 
tion of  his  rarest  seed,  a  shoot  from  his  most  pre- 
cious root !  Such  deeds  are  done  by  gardeners." 
— Miss  Cooper'' s  ^^ Rural  Hours. ^^ 


Equivalent  Value  of  different  kinds  of  Food. 
— The  following  table  gives  a  synoptical  equiva- 
lent value  of  different  kinds  of  food  ;  albumen  re- 
presenting the  flesh-forming  principle,  and  unazo- 
tized  matter  the  fat-forming. — Play/air. 

Albumen.        Unazotized  Matter. 

Peas 29 5U 

Beans 31 52 

Lemiles 33 48 

rolatoes 2 24J 

Oais ICJ 68 

Barley  Meal 14 68 

HHy 8 68i 

Turnips 1 9 

Carrots li 8i 

From  the  above  table  we  see  why  pigs  fed  upon 
potatoes  and  barley  meal  soon  fatten  and  keep  in 
health  ;  whereas,  when  supplied  with  potatoes  on- 


To  G.  N.,— Bedford,  N.  H.—The  cause  of  your 
plum  tree  peeling  was  undoubtedly  extreme  cold. 
The  sap  froze,  and  in  expanding,  pressed  the  bark 
from  the  wood,  and  as  far  as  this  extends  the  bark 
will  die.  We  have  seen  several  trees  affected  in 
the  same  manner.  A  too  vigorous  growth  is  apt 
to  induce  this  difiiculty. 

Danvers  Winter  Sweet  Apples — brought  in  by 
Dea.  Fowler,  as  hard,  fair  and  beautiful  as  they 
were  in  December  last.  It  is  a  valuable  variety, 
but  does  not  succeed  equally  well  in  all  locations. 

A  Young  Reader, — S.,  Mass. — If  your  grass 
seed  mostly  failed,  the  best  way  is  to  plow  and 
sow  again  with  an  oat  or  barley  crop.  If  killed 
only  in  patches,  clover  seed  should  have  been 
sown  in  March.  If  the  spots  were  sjirinkled  now 
with  fine  compost  and  herd's-grass  and  red-top 
seed,  raked  in,  it  will  make  the  field  even  and  give 
a  partial  crop  this  year. 

We  cannot  inform  you  what  kind  of  bee-hive  is 
best.     See  notice  in  this  paper  of  a  new  hive 
which,  to  us,  seems  to  promise  more  than  any 
thing  we  have  seen  or  heard  of  yet. 

Make  your  soil  deep  and  rich  for  strawberries. 
Manure  from  the  pig-pen  or  hen-house  is  excel- 
lent. If  your  land  is  a  stiff  clay  soil,  horse  ma- 
nure, thoroughly  incorporated  with  it,  will  be 
good.  Cut  the  runners  about  the  stool  with  a 
sharp  spade,  and  pinch  off  the  new  ones  until  the 
fruit  is  well  set. 

To  D.  F.  G.,  Woodstock,  Vt.  You  must  rely  on 
the  natural  resources  of  your  farm  to  increase  its 
fertility.  A  little  plaster,  guano,  bone  dust,  ash- 
es or  phosphate  of  lime  may  be  tried  on  a  portion 
of  your  hill  pastures,  with  propriety — or  they  may 
be  used  on  your  corn  or  grain  fields  or  garden,  in 
small  quantities,  and  on  small  portions  of  land, 
each  year.  It  is  unwise  for  the  farmer  to  engage 
in  new  and  untried  schemes  with  costly  manures, 
on  an  extensive  scale.  Use  them  moderately,  if 
at  all,  and  with  the  most  careful  observation.  The 
whole  subject  has  been  repeatedly  discussed  in  the 
Farmer  within  the  last  six  months,  and  prices  giv- 
en, both  in  advertisements  and  editorial  columns. 
"A  reader  of  the  Farmer''^  may  obtain  scions  of 
the  Hunt  Russet,  of  Capt.  Nathan  Barrett,  Con- 
cord, Mass.     Don't  know  about  the  Pippin. 


46 


JSEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


May 


Calrieg'  ^Department. 

THE  SECRET  OF  MATRIMONIAL  HAP- 
PINESS. 

Zschokke,  in  one  of  his  tales,  gives  the  following 
advice  to  a  bride  : — "In  thy  first  solitary  hour 
after  the  ceremony,  take  the  bridegroom  and  de- 
mand a  solemn  vovf  of  him,  and  give  him  a  vow 
in  return.  Promise  one  another  sacredly,  never, 
not  even  in  jest,  to  wrangle  with  each  other ;  never 
to  bandy  words  or  indulge  in  the  least  ill-humor. 
Never,  I  say,  never  !  wrangling  in  jest,  and  put- 
ting on  an  air  of  ill-humor  merely  to  tease,  be- 
comes earnest  by  practice.  Mark  that !  Next, 
promise  each  other,  sincerely  and  solemnly,  never 
to  have  a  secret  from  each  other,  under  whatever 
pretext,  with  whatever  excuse  it  might  be.  You 
must  continually,  and  every  motnent,  see  clearly 
into  each  otlier's  bosom.  Even  when  one  of  you 
has  committed  a  fault,  wait  not  an  instant,  but 
confess  it  freely — let  it  "cost  tears,  but  confess  it. 
And  as  you  keep  nothing  secret  from  each  other, 
so,  on  the  contrary,  preserve  the  privacies  of  your 
house,  marriage  state,  and  heart,  from  father, 
mother,  sister,  brother,  aunt,  and  all  the  world. 
You  two,  with  God's  help,  build  your  own  quiet 
world  ;  every  third  or  fourth  one  whom  you  draw 
into  it  with  you,  will  form  a  party,  and  stand  be- 
tween you  two.  That  should  never  be.  Promise 
this  to  each  other.  Renew  the  vow  at  each  temp- 
tation. You  will  find  your  account  in  it.  Your 
souls  will  grow  as  it  were  together,  and  at  last 
will  become  as  one.  *  Ah,  if  many  a  young  pair 
had  on  their  wedding  day  known  this  secret,  how 
many  marriages  were  happier  than,  alas,  they 
are!" 

FAMILY  HARMONY. 

1.  We  may  be  quite  sure  that  our  will  is  like 
to  be  crossed  in  the  day;  so  prepare  for  it. 

2.  Everybody  in  the  house  has  an  evil  nature 
as  well  as  ourselves,  and  therefore  we  are  not  to 
expect  too  much. 

3.  To  learn  the  different  temper  of  each  indi- 
vidual. 

4.  To  look  upon  each  member  of  the  family  as 
one  for  whom  Christ  died. 

5.  When  any  good  happens  to  any  one,  to  re- 
joice at  it. 

6.  When  inclined  to  give  an  angry  answer,  to 
lift  up  the  heart  in  prayer. 

7.  If  from  sickness,  pain,  or  infirmity,  we  feel 
irritable,  to  keep  a  very  strict  watch  over  our- 
selves. 

8.  To  observe  when  others  are  so  suffering, 
and  drop  a  word  of  kindness  and  sympathy  suited 
to  their  state. 

9.  To  watch  for  little  opportunities  of  pleasing, 
and  to  put  little  annoyances  out  of  the  way. 

10.  To  take  a  cheerful  view  of  everything,  and 
encourage  hope. 

11.  To  speak  kindly  to  the  servants,  and  com- 
mend them  for  little  things  when  they  deserve  it. 

12.  In  all  the  little  pleasures  which  may  oc- 
cur, to  put  self  last. 

13.  To  try  for  "the  soft  answer  that  turneth 
away  wrath." 

14.  When  we  have  been  pained  by  an  unkind 
word  or  deed,  to  ask  ourselves, — "Have  I  not  of- 
ten done  the  same,  and  been  forgiven?" 


15.  In  conversation,  not  to  exalt  ourselves  but 
bring  others  forward. 

10.  To  be  very  gentle  with  the  younger  ones, 
and  treat  them  with  respect,  remembering  that 
we  were  once  young  too. 

17.  Never  to  judge  onl  another,  but  attribute 
a  good  motive  when  you  can. 

18.  To  compare  our  manifold  blessings  with 
the  trifling  annoyances  of  life. 

19.  To  read  the  scriptures  every  morning,  and 
ask  God's  blessing  to  attend  each  member  of  the 
family  through  the  day. 


^liucrtisiug  Department. 


lO"  A  limited  number  of  advertisements  of  an  appropriate 
character  will  be  inserted  in  the  monthly  Farmer  at  the  fol- 
lowing 

RATES. 

For  one  square  of  15  lines,  one  insertion $1,00 

For  each  subsequent  insertion 50 

O"  The  above  rates  will  be  charged  for  all  advertisements, 
whether  longer  or  shorter. 


A  Card  to  Dairymen. 

pLARKE'S  EXCELSIOR  CHURN  is,  beyond  all  question 
\j  "the.  best  churn  for  large  dairies.  The  two  favoiiie  sizes, 
are  $7,00  and  $10  each.  The  latter  size  is  suitable  lor  ten  to 
thirty  cows,  indeed,  for  any  large  dairy,  as  one  hundred 
pounds  oi  Jirst  rate  butter  can  be  produced  in  it,  at  three 
churnings,  in  less  than  one  hour.  It  will  be  delivered  on  all 
paying  orders,  in  Boston,  New  Vnrk,  and  Buffalo,  free  of 
charge  for  freight. 

0=  Every  churn  sent  out  is  warranted  to  please  !  This 
new  and  saleable  churn  presents  great  inducemerts  to  capi- 
talists and  manuficturing  companies  to  puichase  State  and 
County  rights.  For  full  description,  recommendations,  &;C  , 
apply  at  any  time,  to  GEO.  B.  CLARKE,  Patentee,  Leonards- 
ville,  Madison  Co.,  N.  Y. 

May  1st,  1853.  Im^ 


Sale  of  Short  Horned  Cattle. 

I  will  sell  by  auction,  at  my  residence, 
on  WEDNESDAY,  8ih  .lune  next,  at  1 
o'clock  P.  M  ,  about  thirty  thorough  bred 
Short  Horned  Cattle.  About  twenty  of 
them  are  Cows  and  Heifers,  the  remain- 
der young  Bulls.  Nearly  every  animal 
are  the  produce  of  the  Imported  Bull  "YonK  Shireman"  and 
3d  "Duke  OF  Cambridge,"  bred  by  the  late  Thomas  Bates, 
Esq.,  of  Kirkleavington,  England,  and  "Earl  op  Seaham" 
and  "Van  TE.MPEST,"bred  by  .lohn  Stephenson,  Esq.,  of  Lur- 
ham,  England,  and  are  of  his  famous  Princes  fanjily. 

The  upset  prices  of  these  animals  will  be  from  $1.50  to  $300,  . 
as  to  age,  &c.,  &c. 

I  wi'.l  also  offer  the  above  named  Imported  Bull,  "Van  Tem- 
pest,"— his  upset  price  is  $1000. 

Terms— Cash,  on  satisfactory  notes  at  three  months,  pay- 
able at  the  Bank  of  Auburn,  with  interest. 

I  will  also  have  for  sale  at  that  time   a  few  South  Down 
Rams  and  Suffolk  Pigs. 

Catalogues  will  be  ready  about  15th  March  ne.\t,  and  will 
be  found  with 
A.  B.  Allen,  Esq.,  69  Water  Strfet,  New  York. 
Sanford  Howard,  Esq.,  Cultivator  office,  Boston. 
Luther  Tucker,  Esq.,  and  B.  P.  .lohnson,  Esq.,  Albany. 
L.  F.  Allen,  Esq.,  Black  Rock. 
M.  B.  Bateham,  Esq.,  Columbus,  Ohio. 
W.  T.  Dennis,  Esq.,  Richmohd,  Indiana,  and  with  the  sub- 
scriber. J.  M.  SHERWOOD. 
Auburn,  N.  Y.,  March  12,  1853.  *2 


Clover  and  Grass  Seeds. 

TVTORTIIERN  Heids  Grass. 
W  Western  Herds  Grass. 

Northern  and  Southern  Red  Top. 

Northern,  Western  and  Southern  Red  Clover. 

White  Dutch  Clover. 

Orchard  Grass. 

Kentucky  Blue  Grass. 

Fowl  Meadow  Grass,  &c.  &c. 
All  of  the  growth  of  1852,  and  of  best  quality.     For  sale  by 
RUGGLES,  NOURSli,  MASON  &  CO., 
March  26,  1853.  tf         Over  Quincy  Market,  Boston. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


247 


PRICE. 
$1,00 

75 
1,00 

25 
1,00 

75 

50 
2,50 

75 
1,00 


The  Farmers'  Library. 

JUST  RECEIVED,  tht;  tollowins  assortment  of  Agriculturbl 
and  Ilorticuliuitil  Books,  embracing  the  standard  works  cl 
eminent  American  and  European  writers,  on  the  Farm,  th« 
Orchard,  the  Garden,  &.c.  &c. 

American  Farm  Book,  by  Allen, 

Farmer's  Treasure,  by  Faulkner  and  Smith, 

Dana's  Mack  Manual, 

Prize  Essay  on  Manures,  by  Dana, 

American  Muck  Book,  by  Browne, 

Lectures  on  Practical  Agriculture,  by  Johnstone, 

Elements  of  Scientific  Agriculture,  by  Norton, 

Principles  of  Agriculture,  by  Thaer, 

Practical  Agriculture,  by  Johnstone, 

Agriculture  for  Schools,  by  Blake, 

Catechism  of  Agriculture  and  Chemistry,  by  John 

stone  and  Norton,  25 
American  Agriculturist,  by  Allen,  1,00 
Liehig's  Complete  Work  on  Chemistry,  1,00 
Farmer's  and  Emigrant's  Hand  Book,  by  Marshall,  75 
Home  for  all,  by  Fowler,  50 
Book  of  the  Farm,  by  Stephens  and  Skinner,  4,00 
Cottage  and  Farm  Houses,  by  Downing,  2,00 
Downing's  Country  Houses,  4,00 
Rural  Architecture,  by  Allen,  1,25 
Downing's  Landscape  Gardening  and  Rural  Archi- 
tecture, 3,50 
Downing's  Cottage  Residences,  2,00 
Fruit  Garden,  by  Barry,  1,25 
Complete  Gardener  and  Farmer,  by  Fessenden,  1,25 
Bridgeman's  Gardener's  Assistant,  2,00 
Bridgeman's  Kitchen  Gardener's  Instructor,  50 
American  Fruit  Culiurist,  by  Thomas,  1,00 
Gardener  and  (-oniiilete  Florist,  25 
Florist's  Guide,  by  Bridgeman,  50 
New  England  Fruit  Book,  by  Ives,  56 
Youatt  and  Martin  on  Cattle,  by  Stevens,  1,25 
Rose  Culturist,  3g 
Johnson's  Gardener's  Dictionary,  by  Landreth,  1,50 
Rural  Economy,  by  Boussingault,  1,00 
American  Rose  Culturist,  25 
Bigelow's  Plants  of  Boston,  1,25 
Genera  of  Plants  of  the  U.  S.,  by  Gray,  2  vols.  12,00 
Gray's  Bofany,  2,00 
Parnell's  Chemistry,  1,00 
New  England  Farmer,  by  Cole,  1,00 
Ladies'  Guide  and  Skilful  Housewife,  by  Mrs.  Abel,  25 
Hive  and  Honey  Bee,  by  Richardson,  25 
Bee  Keeper's  Manual,  by  Miner,  50 
Bird  Fancier,  by  Browne,  paper  25  ceuts,  50 
Townley  on  Bees,  50 
American  Poultry  Yard,  by  Browne,  1,00 
American  Poulterers'  Companion,  by  Bement,  1,00 
American  Fowl  Breeder,  by  Moore,  25 
American  Herd  Book,  by  Allen,  3,00 
American  Shepherd,  by  Morrill,  '  1,00 
Domestic  Animals,  by  Allen,  75 
Diseases  cf  Animals,  by  4!;ole,  50 
Hints  to  Sportsmen,  by  Lewis,  1,25 
Dadd's  Anatomy  and  Physiology  of  the  Horse,  1,00 
Mason's  Farrier  and  Stud  Book,  by  Skinner,  1,25 
Management  of  Sheep,  by  Canfield,  1,00 
Yowatt  on  the  Pig,  60 
Knowlson's  Complete  Cow  Doctor,  25 
Horse  Doctor,  25 
Guenon's  Treatise  on  Milch  Cowa,  ^ 
Tre.itise  on  Hot  Houses,  by  Leuchara,  1,00 
Allen  on  the  Grape,  1,00 
Schenck's  Te.vt  Book,  50 
Breck's  Book  of  Flowers,  .  75 
Downing's  Fruit  and  Fruit  Trees.  1  50 
For  sale  at  the  Publishsrs'  prices  by  RUGGLES,  NOTJRS 
MASON  &  Co.,  Quincy  Hall,  {over  the  Market.)  Qa&loa. 
Jan.  1,  1853.                                   if* 

A.  L.  Bingham's  Tliird  Annual 
Slseep  Shearing  Festival. 

THE  undersigi  ed  i;ives  notice  that  he  will  hold  his  Third  An 
nual  Sheep  tJlit-aniig  Fe.sliVHl,  at  the  well  known  resort 
of  James  K  H>rfe.  in  Sudbury,  Rutland  County,  Vermont,  on 
the  first  and  s^econd  days  of  June  next,  commencing  at  ten 
o'clock  A.  M.  lie  proposes  to  sheer  publicly,  from  fifty  to 
one  hundred  French  Merino  Ewes,  with  a  view  to  enable  all 
interested  in  iliis  branch  nf  production,  to  see  and  judge  for 
themselves  of  ihe  weight  and  VHlue  of  these  sheep  as  com- 

lllttTu  ""'''"■ .  A'-i  •-"fti-fr-SVvVTS.and-il.ariuKcturers  are 
respectfully  myi.ed  In  attend.  Several  very  superior  Bucks 
and  Ewes,  o,  the  best  French  importations  Ind  stock,  will  be 
on  exhibition  and  lor  sale  A  number  of  gentlemen  lar^elv 
mterest.d  in  the  celebrated  Black  Hawk  and  other  Mor°4n 
Horses,  have  sii-iii'ied  their  intention  to  avail  themselves  of 
the  occasion  to  exhibit  a  splendid  collection  of  the  best  horses 
in  Vermont.  -    


West  Cornwall,  Vt.,  April  1,  1853. 


A.  L.  BINGHAM. 


Walnut  Grove  IVursery. 

The  subscribers  would  respectfully  inform  their 
friends  and  Ihe  |  ublic,  that  they  have  on  hand 
an  unusually  large  stock  of  Apple,  Pear,  Plum, 
Cherry,  Peach,  and  other  Trees. 

Also,  Quinces,   Currants,  Raspberries,  Grape- 
vines, &c.,  &c. 
Ornamental  Trees,  and  Shrubs,  Buckthorn  Plants,  <fcc.  &C. 
Lot  of  Seedling  Horse  Chestnut,  two  years  old. 
Lot  of  European  Sycamore,  two  years  old. 
Good  plants  of  the  new  and  improved  high  bush  Blackber- 
ry, the  fruit  of  which  is  of  enormous  size. 

Fine  Apple  Trees,  three  to  five  years' growth  from  bud,  sev- 
en to  nine  feet  high,  S25  per  hundred. 
Also,  a  fine  lot  of  Norway  Spruce,  good  size. 
We  devote  ourselves  solely  to  the  raising  of  trees;  Ihey  re- 
ceive our  strict  personal  attention  ;  we  are  therefore  able  to 
warrant  every  article  true  to  name. 

Those  who  intend  purchasing  large  quantities  of  Apple 
Trees  are  respectfully  invited  to  call  before  purchasing,  and 
examine  our  slock,  as  it  is  large,  and  doubtless  unsurpassed 
by  any  in  the  vicinity. 

Trees  delivered  in  Boston  free  of  expense,  packed  if  desired. 
Catalogues  sent  to  post-paid  applicants.     All  orders  thank- 
fully received  and  promptly  executed. 

JAMES  HYDE  &  SON. 
Newton  Centre,  Mass.,  March  26,  1853.  8w*2 


AGRICULTURAL 

WAREHOUSE  AND  SEED  STORE, 

qUINCY  HALL,  OVER  THE  MARKET,  BOSTON. 

THE  Proprietors  having  recently  enlarged  their  Warehouse, 
and  increased  their  works  at  Worcester,  would  respect- 
fully invite  the  attention  of  Planters  and  Dealers  in  AGRI- 
CULTURAL &  HORTICULTURAL  IMPLEMENTS,  GAR- 
DEN and  FIELD  SEEDS,  &c.,  to  their  stock,  comprising  the 
largest  and  best  assortment  to  be  found  in  the  United  States, 
which  are  offered  at  low  prices. 

Of  PLOUGHS — we  have  the  greatest  variety  of  kinds  and 
sizes. 

Improved  Sod  Ploughs,  for  flat  furrows — improved  Scotch 
Ploughs  for  lapped  furrows— improved  Stubble  Ploughs,  which 
are  especially  adapted  to  deep  tillage,  or  varying  from  6  10  12 
inches  in  depth. 

Self-sharpening,  Hill  Side,  Sub-soil,  Double  Mould,  Cora, 
Cotton  and  Rice  Ploughs. 

Cylinder  Hay  Cutters,  Smith's  Patent  Lever  Gats,  and  oth- 
ers. Patent  Corn  Shellers,  with  and  without  Separators. 
Seed  Sowers,  of  various  sizes  and  prices.  Batchelder's  patent 
Com  Planter,  improved.  Fanning  Mills  of  various  sizes, 
Horse  Powers,  Threshing  Machines,  thermometer  Churns, 
Robbins'  patent  Centrifugal  Churn,  Cylinder  Churn,  Dash 
Churn,  Corn  Planters,  together  with  almost  every  article 
wanted  on  the  Plantation,  Farm  or  Garden. 

Illustrated  Catalogues  sent  gratis  on  application,  post  paid 
RUGGLES,  NOURSE,  MASON  &  CO. 

Boston  and  Worcester,  Mass.,  Jan.  1,  1853  tf 


Morgan  Stock  Horse  for  Sale. 

For  sale  by  the  subscriber,  a  Morgan 
Colt,  4  years  old  last  May,  weight  1125 
lbs.,  Ihe  best  model  of  his  Sire  (the  Green 
Mountain  Moigan  owned  by  Hale)  that 
can  be  found  in  New  England;  his  color 
and  action,  his  temper,  and  gait,  are  like 
the  old  horse  and  he  is  reputed  to  be  the  best  roadster  of  the 
whole  race  of  Morgans.  C.  W.  BELLOWS. 

Pepperell,  Mass.,  March  12,  18.53.     On   Nashua   and  Wor- 
cester Railroad.  *tf  March  12. 


Farm  to  he  Let. 


That  well   known  farm   in   the  southerly  part 
of  West  C'ambridge,  called    Ihe  '-Perrv  Farm." 
It  consists  of  about  100  acres,  divided    into  or- 
charding, tillage  anil   pasture,  and  is  at  present 
^. —  cultivated  >'.s  a  milk  and  fruit  farm.     The  build- 
ings, &c.,  are  sufficient  and  in  good  order. 

For  terms  and  particulars,  please  apply  to  WM.  MAPLES- 
DEN,  on  the  premises.  ,  vj:- 
Feb.  26. 


tf* 


.L»0*^ 


super-Phosphate  of  Lime, 

TN  bags  ai.d  barrels,  made  by  C  B  DeBURG,  a  warranted 
-'-,''l"^^!ll^^""'"*'  "'■'''^'«'  ™'"'  """ll  <lirections  for  use  For 
sale  by  GEO.  DAVENPORT,  5  Commercial,  conerofChat 
ham  St.,  Boston,  agent  for  ihe  m.nHifacturer 

Also  for  sale  Ground  Bone,  Bone  Dust,  Burnt  Bone  Gua- 
no, and  Grass  Seeds  of  reliable  quality  o"o,  uua- 

March  26,  1853.  ' '  ,ft 


248 


>NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Mat 


CONTENTS   OP  THIS  NUMBER. 

Calendar  for  May Page  201 

Plowing f  02 

Millet 203 

Welcome  Spring^Eoiie  Wens— Special  Manures 204 

How  can  Chemistry  benefit  the  Farmer? 205 

Hedges 206 

The  Hive  and  Honey  Hee — Posts  and  StaJtes 208 

More  about  Plowing 210 

Hints  for  ihe  Husbandman— Suggestions  in  Composting. .  .211 

Choked  Cattle 212 

Cost  of  Fences — Benefits  of  Agricultural  Papers 213 

Indian  Corn— Oyster  Shell  Lime 214 

Field  Seeds- Address  by  Wm   S.  King,  Esq 215 

New  Brunswick 216 

Cultivation  of  Fruit 217 

Tenth  Legislative  Agricultural  Meeting 217 

Guano— Agticultural  Education 219 

Cloudy  Season— Look  at  your  Bees 220 

Birds  of  New  England 221 

Remarks  on  Budding  and  Grafiing 222 

Manures  again 223 

Grafting  on  the  Thorn— Quesi ion  for  the  Curious 224 

Live  Fences — Maryland  Fiirmiiig 226 

Transplanting 2i7 

The  Value  of  Sulphate  of  Zinc  to  the  Farmer 228 

Farm  Accounts — Analysts  of  Clam  and  Oyster  Shells 229 

Eleventh  Legislative  Agricultural  Meeting 230 

Plisteted  houses— Observations  on  Spring  Work 232 

Urnanienlal  and  Shade  Trees — More  about  Potatoes 235 

Twelfth  Legislative  Agricultural  Meeting 236 

Shoveldom 238 

Wealth  of  the  United  States 239 

Plaster- Taking  tloney 240 

Model  Farms,  &;c 241 

How  to  Raise  Fruit  everv  Year 242 

The  Gooseberry— What 'shall  I  do? 243 

Concord  Farmers'  i;liih— A  Shower  of  Mud 244 

Good  Effects  ot  Gardening— To  Correspondents 245 

Equivalent  Value  of  different  Kinds  of  Food 245 

Ladies'  Department 246 

ILLUSTRATIONS. 
Emery's  Reaping  and  Mowing  Machine  combined .    .  .206,  207 

Guenon  on  Milch  Cows 209 

Beurre  de  Anjou  Pear 225 

Brush  Seed  Sower 241 


Parker  &  White, 

8  4"  10  Gcrrish  Block,  Blackstone  Street, 

AREo  w  remly  to  serve  their  Spring  customers  with  Agri- 
cultural Tools  and  Seeds  of  every  description.  They  have 
enlarged  their  establishment  and  are  prepared  to  show  a  lar 
ger  and  better  assortment  of  Goods  than  ever  before. 

The  following  are  some  of  their  leading  articles. 

1000  Martin's  celebiated  Green  Sward,  Stubble,  Horse  and 
Hill  side  Plows. 

50O  other  manufactures,  all  sizes  and  varieties. 

100  Michigan  Plows. 

300  Improved  Cultivators. 

Geddes'  and  other  kind  of  Harrows. 

Improved  Seed  Sowers. 

Churns,  Wheelbarrows,  Oxyokes,  Grindstones,  Improved 
Grindstone  Hanging,  by  which  any  farmer  can  hang  his  own 
grindstone. 

700  doz.  Tuttle's  improved  concave  cast  steel  Hoes. 

200  doz.  Graves  &  Hatch's  improved  socket  concave  cast 
steel  Hoes. 

Also,  Plimpton's,  Tower's,  Nason's,  Clarke's  and  other 
kinds. 

100  doz.  Partridge's,  4,  and  6  prong  cast  steel  Manure  Forks; 
with  every  variety  of  other  manufactures. 

650  doz.  Ames's,  Carr's,  Stone's  and  White's  cast  steel  Shov- 
els; with  every  kind  of  garden  tools,  Rakes,  Spades,  Trowels, 
Forks,  Iloes,  &c.,  &c. 

'  IfO,  Fruit   and  Orniimenlal   Trees,   Grass,  Field,  Garden 

A.     '  i.xr  Seeds.     All  at  low  prices,  wholesale  and  retail. 
and  Flowtlt—  ^^  PARKER  &  WHITE, 

8  &  10  Getrish''Brock,  BlackstOT*e'5(*,  Bi'^'P"'-- 
April  9,  1853^ ^ - 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER 

Is  published  on  the  first  of  every  month,  by  John  Ravnolds 
and  Jo.cL  Nourse,  at  Q.uincy  Hall,  South  Market  St.,  Boston 

SIMON  BROWN,  Editor. 


FREDERICK  HOLBROOK, 
HENRY  F.  FRENCH, 


n 


ssociate 
Editors. 


Jj"  Terms,  $1,00  per  annum  in  advance. 

Bj"  All  subscriptions  to  commence  with  the  volume,  Jan.  1. 

The  Farmer,  is  devoted  exclusively  to  Agriculliire,  Hor- 
ticulture, and  their  kindred  Arts  and  Sciences;  making  a  neat 
volume  of  576  octavo  pages,  embellished  with  numerous  en 
gravings.  It  may  be  elegantly  bound  in  muslin,  embossed  and 
gilt,  at  25  cts.  a  volume,  if  left  at  the  office  of  publication. 

[HT  Also  published  at  the  same  office  every  Saturday,  on  a 
large  handsome  folio  sheet,  the 

NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER,   (WEEKLY, ) 

An  Independent  Agricultural  Family  Newspaper. 

The  News  and  Miscellaneous  departments  under  the  charge 
of  WILLIAM  SIMONDS,  will  include  a  full  and  careful  re- 
port of  the  news  of  the  Markets,  and  the  news  of  the  week, 
such  as  Domestic,  Foreign  and  Marine  Intelligence,  Congres- 
sional and  Legislative  proceedings.  Temperance  and  Religious 
Intelligence,  and  a  general  variety  of  Liternry  Mnd  Miscellane- 
ous matter,  adapted  to  family  reading,  con.jirising  more  use- 
ful and  valuable  reading  matter  than  any  other  Agricultural 
Newspaper  published  in  New  England.  Everything  of  a  hurt- 
ful or  even  doubtful  tendency  will  be  carefnll}''e.\cluded  from 
its  columns. 

0=  Terms  $2,00  per  annum  in  advance. 

The  monthly  contains  nearly  the  same  matter  as  the  Agri- 
cultural department  of  the  weekly. 

0°  Postmasters  and  others,  who  will  frward  four  new 
subscribers  on  the  above  named  terms,  for  either  publication, 
shall  receive  a  fifth  copy  gratis  for  one  year. 

inr  All  orders  and  letters  should  be  addressed, /)o«/;-/)aid, 

RAYNOLDS  &  NOURSE, 
(ii'iNCY  Hall,  South  Market  Street,  Boston. 


{Cj"  Postage. — The  postage  on  the  New  England  Fanner 
monthly,  is  U  cents  per  quarter,  or  6  cents  rer  year,  to  any 
part  of  the  United  States,  to  be  paid  in  advance  at  the  oflice 
where  the  same  is  received. 


DeYonsliire  StoeK. 


Grafting  Wax, 

\    FIRST-RATE  ARTICLE,  made  by  an  experienced  Fruit 

A  G'^»«'«'-'f'"-RtGGLES,  NOIIRi^E,  MASON  &  CO., 
March  26,  1653.  if         Over  Quincy  Market,  Boston. 


For  sale,  a  pure  blond  North  Devon 
Bull.  Also,  two  Spring  Bull  Calves,  all 
as  highly  as  can  be  found  in  this  country. 

Inquire  at  this  office,  postage  paid. 

April  23,  1853.  6w2* 


Garden  Seeds. 


"ITfE  respectfully  solicit  the  attention  of  purchasers  of  GAR 
VV  DEN  SEEDS  to  our  extensive  stock,  which  we  offer  for 
sale.  We  have  all  the  sorts  of  Veget.ible  Seeds  that  have 
proved  worthy  of  cultivation;  also.  Grain,  Grass  and  Flower 
Seeds.  All  the  varieties  are  raised  and  selected  expressly  for 
our  trade,  and  we  do  with  confidence  recommend  them  to  all 
who  desire  to  procure  seeds  that  will  prove  true  to  their  names. 
0»  Catalogues  gratis,  on  application. 

RUGGLE8,  NOURSE,  MASON  &  CO., 
Jan.  1.  Over  Quincy  Market,  Boston. 


Houghton's  Seedling 
Bushes. 


Gooseherry 


IT'ROM  one  to  five  thousand  of  the  above-named  Bushes, 
^  well  rooted,  for  sale  on  the  premises  of  HE^J.AIV11N  C. 
MATPEiVLY,  Chatham  Street,  Lynn,  at  prices  tn  suit,— from 
four  10  twenty  dollars  per  hundred.  Persons  desirous  of  ob- 
taining some  of  these  muchsoughi-for  bushes,  will  now  have 
an  opiiortiinity. 

0=  Orders  sent  to  any  part  of  the  United  States  will  be  im- 
mediately attended  to.     Address        B.  C.  MaTTENLY, 
-  ""■ — - —  Gkal.h.;'.;:i  ."itree!,  Lynn,  Mass. 

April  2,  1833.  5w 


Seed  Potatoes, 


EARLY  AND  LATE  SORTS,  for  s  le  by 
RUGGLES,  NOURSE,  MASON  &  CO., 
March  26,  1852.  tf  Over  Quincy  Market,  Boston. 


DEVOTED  TO  AGRICULTURE  AND  ITS  KINDRED  ARTS  AND  SCIENCES. 


VOL.  V. 


BOSTON,  JUNE,  1853. 


NO.  6, 


RAYNOLDS  &  NOURSE,  PnopniETORS. 
Office Quincy  Hall. 


SIMON  BROWN,  Editor.  jjeNRY  F.  FRENCH,  \  EmTORs 


CALENDAR  FOR  JUNE. 

Lo  !  The  winter  is  past;  the  r;iin  is  over  and  ^one-,  the  flow 
ers  appear  dii  the  earth,  the  time  of  the  singinj;  of  hirda  is 
come,  and  the  voice  of  the  turtle  is  he  ird  in  our  luid. — Song 
OF  Solomon. 

Thus  sang  one,  said  to  be  the  wisest  among  men. 
The  changes  of  the  seasons,  the  times  when  the 
birds  came  and  ])egan  to  sing,  and  the  voice  of  the 
turtle  Avas  first  heard,  when  the  beautiful  flowers 
appeared,  and  all  the  new  and  varied  aspects  of 
jiature  presented  themselves,  were  not  unnoticed 
or  disregarded  !)y  him,  filled  with  wisdom  as  he 
was  beyond  the  usual  capacity  of  men.  That  wis- 
dom rather  gave  him  new  powers  to  appreciate 
their  wonderful  structure,  usefulness  and  beauty ; 
and  in  the  fulne^.s  of  his  heart  he  gave  utterance 
to  the  pleasant  p  »ng  which  we  have  quoted  above. 

SolSmon  probably  looked  at  these  revelations  of 
nature  individually,  as  well  as  collectively,  as  we 
believe  any  wise  man  must.  Most  of  us-live  alto- 
gether too  fast. 

Spring  comes,  a,nd  all  the  elements  of  fertility 
are  active  ;  frost  ;:nd  snow  disappear,  while  strong 
winds  sweep  off  the  redundant  moisture.  The 
more  vertical  solar  rays  warm  the  earth,  set  the 
sap  in  motion  and  cause  the  flowers  to  appear, 
studding  the  shrubs  and  trees  as  with  so  many 
gems ;  they  deck  the  landscape  with  their  grace- 
ful forms  and  brilliant  colors,  while  no  nook  is  so 
secluded,  or  hill-side  so  poor  as  not  to  produce, 
with  a  seeming  extravagance,  these  beautiful  and 
gentle  denizens  of  the  field  and  forest. 

We  look  and  admire,  perhaps  exclaim,  "how 
past  all  human  skill  they  are,"  and  forget  them. 
We  have  looked  on  them  as  a  whole,  and  retain  no 
distinct  recollection  of  any.  So, we  think,  did  not 
Solomon.     Now  look  at  tlfat  bed  of  tulips, 

-"where  beauty  plays 


Her  idle  freaks 

or  that  branch  from  the  gnarled  oak,  with  its  tiny 
apples  and  tasseled  flowers,  or  the  blade  of  corn 
or  grass, — look  at  these  with  a  little  study  and 
thought,  and  you  seem  to  arrest  the  march  of 


time, by  fixing  an  enduring  impression  of  the  varied 
attractions  of  this  season  on  the  mind»  The  mind 
has  something  individual  and  posi'.ive  to  go  back 
to,  whose  associations  will  introduce  again  the 
whole  panorama  of  this  delightful  period. 

To  "know  a  little  of  everything"  is  well  ;  but  to 
know  a  good  deal  of  some  things  will  afford  the 
most  substantial  enjoyments.  To  know  more  of 
farming  will  be  to  know  more  of  these  things  of 
which  we  are  speaking  ;  and  to  know  these  we 
must  give  them  attention,  thought  and  investiga- 
tion, separately.  Pause,  then,  under  this  tree,  ex- 
amine its  bark,  the  form  of  its  branches,  its  leaves 
and  flowers,  and  let  this  examination  be  the  sub- 
ject of  your  reflections /or  the  next  hour.  And  so 
of  other  things.  Lettffere  be  a  daily  examination 
of  some  of  the  stones,  insects,  plants  or  flowers 
about  you  ;  it  is  all  "in  the  line  of  your  duty,"  as 
the  military  men  say,  and  loill  increase  your  pow- 
er over  the  crops  in  your  future  operations,  as  well 
as  multiply  the  dimes  in  your  pocket  ! 

Some  may  say  that  all  t\\\s  is  not  practical , — and 
has  no  bearing  on  their  calling.  So  said  the  by- 
standers to  Newtox,  and  Fraxklix,  and  ^Fulton. 
Who  could  see  a  passage  to  Europe  in  eleven  days, 
in  the  wheels  and  sheet  iron  pots  of  Fulton?  or  the 
lightning  drawn  from  the  clouds  and  quietly  de- 
posited in  the  earth,  inert  and  harmless,  through 
the  bobs  and  strings  and  iron  keys  of  that  crotch- 
ety fellow,  Ben  Franklin  ? 

It  is  practical.  ^  better  knowledge  of  the  wants 
of  plants  leads  to  a  better  cultivation  of  them,  and 
a  greater  profit  from  the  labor  expended.  We 
shall  yet  find  something  in  farming,  beside  the  ex- 
penditure of  muscle  on  the  clods  and  dung-heaps  ; 
and  that  false  notion  which  prevails  with  so  many; 
and  cries  in  the  ears  of  the  farmer, — toil,  toil, 
eighteen  hours  per  day  are  demanded, — must  ere 
long  give  place  to  more  enlightened  views  and 
practices. 

But  connected  with  this  practical  part,  there 


250 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


June 


are  other^matters  no  less  important,  and  to  a  few  of 
which  we  will  briefly  advert. 

June  is  one  of  the  fervid  months  ;  hot  suns  and 
drying  winds  usually  prevail,  and  unless  there  are 
frequent  showers,  plants  will  begin  to  fail  where 
careful  cultivation  is  neglected.  Much  may  be 
done  to  prevent  this,  by  a  frequent  stirring  of  the 
soil,  by  mulching  the  young  trees,  shrubs,  toma- 
toes and  other  plants,  and  an  occasional  watering 
of  those  considered  the  most  valuable.  When  wa- 
tering is  resorted  to,  it  should  be  done  liberally, 
wetting  the  ground  thoroughly  about  the  roots  of 
the  plant,  and  then  omit  for  a  few  days.  A  fre- 
quent dribbling  of  water  only  wets  a  little  below 
the  surface  which  soon  becomes  caked,  and  pre- 
vents the  admission  of  air  and  atmospheric  influ- 
ences. 

Those  who  are  cultivating  dwarf  pears,  or  any 
young  trees,  will  find  much  benefit  from  mulching  ; 
it  prevents  escessive  evaporation,  and  weeds  from 
springing  up  ;  keeps  the  ground  porous,  and  yet, 
if  properly  done,  will  admit  heat  sufficient  for  the 
vigoi'ous  growth  of  the  plant.  Coarse  hay,  straw, 
leaves,  saw-dust,  tan,  fine  brush,  sucli  as  the  tops 
of  white  birches,  or  fine  chips  from  the  door-yard, 
will  answer  a  good  purpose.  It  should  be  laid 
loosely,  and  not  so  thick  as  to  prevent  the  rays  of 
the  sun  from  reaching  the  ground. 

The  Garden  will  require  </a27y  care.  Weeds  will 
grow  while  you  sleep,  or  take  your  "nooning." 
Give  the  garden  a  half  hour's  attention  just  after 
milking  every  morning.  Fill  the  waste  corners 
with  cabbages  for  the  cows  ;  a  few  hundred  heads 
may  be  raised  in  this  way»and  the  lalx>r  scarcely 
be  felt. 

Millet.—  This  is  a  fine  crop  for  haying  for  win- 
ter fodder.  Some  farmers  of  experience  say  it  is 
as  valuable  as  an  equnl  amount  of  English  hay. — 
Sow  about  the  10th  of  June,  eighl  quarts  of  seed 
to  the  acre.  See  recent  articles  in  the  Farmer  on 
this  subject. 

Hoeing. — If  the  season  is  a  dry  one,  cultivate  a 
flat  surface  ;  but  if  rainy,  as  was  the  summer  of 
1850,  perhaps  slightly  hilling  the  corn  and  pota- 
to crop  may  prove  advantageous.  The  clear,  hot 
days  are  the  days  for  hoeing  ;  leave  the  weeds  on 
the  surface  a  few  hours  at  such  a  time,  and  they 
will  trouble  you  no  longer. 

Haying. — If  some  particular  pieces  of  grass 
lodge  and  require  to  be  cut  early,  do  not  allow  this 
beginning  to  call  off  your  attention  entirely  from 
the  hoeing.  Great  losses  are  annually  sustained 
among  us  1)y  this  practice.  No  weeds  should  be 
allowed  to  grow  among  your  hoed  crops  ;  and  the 
ground  ought  to  be  stirred  once  in  10  or  12  days, 
if  there  are  no  weeds !  This  was  Jeturo  Tull's  the- 
ory, and  he  proved  its  efficacy  by  the  test  of  prac- 
tice. 

Young  Trees. — Trees  coming  into  blossom  for 
the  first  time,  should  not  be  allowed   to  perfect 


much  fruit.  If  it  grow  on  the  ends  of  the  limbs  it 
bends  them  out  of  shapes  and  diverts  the  sap  from 
making  wood  into  the  fruit,  while  the  growth  of 
the  tree  is  what  is  desired. 

The  Curculio. — Sift  lime-dust  over  the  plum  and 
apricot  trees  when  the  dew  is  on  them,  and  this 
little  plague  will  not  sting  the  fruit.  Two  or  three 
sprinklings,  at  intervals  of  several  days,  will  pro- 
bably be  sufficient.  Try  the  same  remedy  on  some 
of  your  apple  treea. 

Striped  Bugs. — Many  persons  say  that  a  box  put 
round  the  plants  will  positively  prevent  the  attack 
of  these  bugs.  Three  shingles  5  or  C  inches  high, 
supportedby  the  earth  or  sticks, answer  every  pur- 
pose. Mr.  T.  0.  Paine,  in  the  Eastern  Mail,  says 
he  has  practised  this  plan  with  success  for  12 
years. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
PASSING  MATTERS. 

BT  A.    G.   COMINGS. 

Imagination  in  Cows. — Being  at  Mil  ford,  N.  II., 
a  short  time  since,  I  learned  from  Mr.  P.  M.  Ros- 
siter,  of  that  place,  a  singular  and  striking  case 
illustrative  of  the  effect  of  imagination  in  cows. 
Sometime  during  the  winter  Mr.  Rossiter  lost  a 
cow,  and  the  following  circumstances  attended 
the  case.  The  cow  died  in  the  evening,  and  was 
skinned  by  candle  light,  that  is,  by  lamp-light,  in 
a  part  of  his  barn,  at  some  distance  from  his 
cow  stable.  The  position  of  the  cows  was  such 
that  when  the  body  of  the  dead  animal  lay  upon 
the  back  the  legs  would  be  in  full  view  of  the  cow 
in  the  stable.  In  such  a  position  they  were  skin- 
ned, and  the  matter  disposed  of,  on  that  evening.  . 

In  the  early  part  of  March,  if  my  memory  is 
correct,  a  very  fine  Devon  cow  gave  a  calf,  ■which, 
was  most  singularly  marked  in  the  legs,  they  be- 
ing in  a  great  measure  destitute  of  hair  or  even 
skin  upon  the  lower  portion  of  tlie  legs,  and  the 
hind  legs  were  without  feet,  that  is,  without 
hoofs. 

The  case  is  one  which  should  be  attributed, 
doubtless,  to  the  effect  of  imagination  in  the  .cow. 
It  is  a  strong  case,  as  I  had  the  statement,  which 
I  presume  was  correct.  If  imagination  produced 
such  an  effect  in  the  days  of  Jacob,  in  the  color 
of  cattle,  what  other  effects  may  follow  from  the 
same  cause  we  cannot  determine.  It  appears 
to  me  to  be  indicative  of  an  unusual  degree  of  in- 
telligence, as  it  is  common  for  people  to  express 
it,  in  certain  animals  ;  and  certainly  some  of  Mr. 
Rossiter's  cattle  look  as  though  they  did  really 
know  something,  if  they  cannot  talk. 

MiLFORD  Village,  &c. — It  is  decided  that  the 
Hillsborough  County  Agricultural  and  Mechani- 
cal Society  will  hold  its  next  annual  fair  at  Mil- 
ford,  on  the  28th  and  29th  of  September  next. 
We  expect  to  be  fovored  with  an  Address  on  the 
occasion  from  Hon.  Johfi  AV.  Proctor,  of  Danvers, 
Mass.  The  first  fair  of  the  Society  was  at  Mil- 
ford  in  the  fall  of  1850.  So  the  next  will  be  our 
fourth  annual  fair. 

At  that  place  a  large  number  of  Eagle  plows 
are  manufactured,  from  whence  they  go  to  Cali- 
fornia, Australia,  Oregon,  the  Sandwich  Islands, 
&c.,  as  well  as  for  a  large  sale  nearer  home.     The 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


251 


agents,  Messrs.  Putman  and  Chase,  are  doing  a 
great  business  in  that  line.  With  the  immense 
business  of  other  establishments  turning  out  thou- 
sands of  improved  implements  yearly,  perhajfs  I 
might  say,  daily,  it  shows  the  throbbing  pulse  of 
an  advancing  people  for  improvement. 

Experiment  ox  a  Tree. — Late  in  April,  in  the 
spring  of  1852,  two  men  paid  a  visit  by  night  to 
an  orchard  which  is  subject  to  my  care,  and  grati- 
fied their  propensities  by  cutting  down,  &c.,  a 
large  number  of  fruit  trees.  I  discovered  what 
had  been  done  very  early  the  next  morning,  and 
upon  one  tree,  some  ten  or  twelve  inches  through, 
which  had  been  completely  girdled  for  the  dis- 
tance of  about  two  feet,  I  put  a  light,  single  cov- 
ering of  white  cotton  cloth,  without  any  other 
protection.  The  tree  lived  through  the  season 
and  bore  fruit.  The  woody  growth  of  the  tree 
was  very  good,  the  twigs  having  extended  from 
six  inches  to  two  feet,  in  the  formation  of  a  new 
growth.  This  spring,  the  tree  puts  out  fair  and 
bright,  promising  fruit,  and  yet  there  is  not  any- 
where that  I  can  see  any  connection  of  the  bark, 
nor  of  the  newlj  formed  wood  of  last  year.  No 
new  bark  has  been  formed  over  the  girdled  part  of 
the  tree,  nor  is  there  any  new  formation  of  wood 
over  that.  The  new  layer  of  wood  above  and  be- 
low the  girdled  part  is  of  about  the  same  thick- 
ness, and  is  about  one-fourth  of  an  inch  in  thick- 
ness. On  some  spots  where  the  bark  was  not 
taken  entirely  oif,  but  where  it  was  taken  off  all 
around,  there  a  new  formation  of  wood  is  seen, 
but  less  in  thickness  than  it  is  above  or  below  the 
girdle. 

I  chose  a  clear  white  cloth  in  preference  to  any- 
thing else,  because  the  white  would  reflect  the 
rays  of  the  sun,  and  therefore  keep  the  surface 
from  being  much  heated.  I  would  not  bind  it  on 
with  any  bandages,  or  strings,  lest  they  should 
bind  on  the  peeled  surface  too  tightly;  and  there- 
fore put  the  cloth  around  and  fastened  it  with 
some  small  nails.  The  experiment  is  giving  me 
much  instruction  as  to  the  growth,  maturity  and 
life  of  trees.  It  teaches,  I  think,  the  following 
truths  : — 

1.  That  the  life  of  a  tree  does  not  absolutely 
depend,  for  the  time  being,  upon  its  having  a  cov- 
ering of  bark. 

2.  That  the  sap  circulates  in  other  ways  than 
directly  lengthwise  of  the  wood. 

3.  That  trees,  which  would  otherwise  certainly 
die,  may  be  preserved  in  this  simple  manner,  so  as 
to  give  ample  time  to  take  other  measures  to  pre- 
serve them  completely. 

How  long  the  above  named  tree  will  live  and 
grow  remains  to  be  seen.  a.  g.  c. 

Mason,  N.  H. 


health  and  condition,  and  I  should  be  happy  to 
see  any  persons  interested  in  agricultural  matters, 
and  let  them  judge  for  themselves. 


Cob  Meal. — Mr.  Tuomas  Motley,  Jr.,  of  West 
Roxbury,  says,  in  the  Boston  CuUivalor  : — I  have 
fed  out  over  Ave  hundred  bushels  this  winter  to 
horses,  working  oxen,  milch  cows  and  pigs — in 
fact,  I  have  used  no  other  grain.  My  horses 
have  never  been  in  better  condition  than  at  pres- 
ent, and  have  worked  hard  all  winter  ;  they  have 
been  fed  regularly  upon  the  following  feed  :  12 
lbs.  out  hay  and  8  quarts  cob  meal  to  each  horse 
per  day.     Horses,  oxen  and  cows  are  all  in  good 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
SKETCHES  OF  TRAVEL. 

Friend  Brown  : — I  am  about  taking  a  trip  to 
Lancaster,  Pa.,  and  if  any  of  your  readers  will  run 
the  risk  of  getting  their  heads  broken  by  collision, 
or  open  draws,  or  from  other  infernal  machinery, 
such  as  our  railway  managers  know  how  to  use, 
and  seem  determined  to  use,  for  the  destruction  of 
what  few  people  remain,  let  them  jump  on  and  go 
along  with  me. 

Well,  here  we  are  in  the  depot  of  the  Baltimore 
and  Susquehanna  Railroad,  leading  to  Harrisburgh, 
Pittsburgh  and  Cincinnati.  Fare  through  only  fif- 
teen dollars  !  Think  of  thai,  ye  "solid  men  of  Bos- 
ton," who  want  to  go  to  the  West  by  the  safest  and 
cheapest  route,  and  see  all  the  world  and  the  rest 
of  mankind. 

The  steam  is  up  and  we  are  off  through  the  sub- 
urbs ;  no,  I  mistake.  Baltimore  has  no  suburbs. 
Out  of  the  city  and  you  are  in  the  country,  and  a 
ratherish  poor  country  at  that.  Those  suburban 
villas  and  princely  residences  M'hich  cluster  about 
the  purlieus  of  some  cities,  are  not  found,  but  to 
a  v.ery  limited  extent,  about  Baltimore.  ■  It  is  much 
like  the  approach  to  Washington,  where  you  grope 
your  way  for  a  long  distance  through  a  goose-pas- 
ture, till  of  a  sudden  you  come  upon  a  huge 
Dutch  barn,  with  a  cupola  on  it,  which  proves  to 
be  nothing  less  than  Uncle  Sam's  capitol. 

So,  ho!  what  now?  bridge  gone,  burnt  down 
yesterday-  Wonder  they  didn't  run  us  all  into 
the  creek.  After  two  hours  detention,  we  are  un- 
der way  again.  Here's  Texas,  not  the  "valley  of 
rascals,"  though  a  hard  looking  place.  It  is  built 
wholly  o/ limestone  and  upon  limestone.  Houses, 
barns,  fences,  gardens  and  roads,  all  of  the  same 
material.  The  sole  occupation  of  the  people 
seems  to  be  to  quarry,  burn  and  haul  limestone. 
And,  judging  from  the  color  of  their  dresses,  one 
would  suppose  them  also  made  of  limestone.  They 
have  no  visible  means  of  support  but  upon  lime- 
stone;  and  I  know  not  but  they  substitute  it  for 
flour.  Certain  I  am,  that  they  breathe  it,  for 
they  can't  do  "nothing  else"  while  they  remain 
there. 

From  these  quarries  comes  a  large'portion  of  the 
lime  used  in  Baltimore.  It  is  sold  at  the  kilns  for 
three  fips*  a  bushel.  Look  first  on  this,  and  then 
on  that.  This  is  the  dividing  line  between  Mary- 
land and  Pennsylvania.  Geographers  teach  that 
mathematical  and  political  divisions  are  merely 
imaginary.  But  in  this  case  the  dividing  line  is 
scratched  upon  the  surface  of  the  earth,  so  indeli- 
bly, that  he  who  rides  in  the  cars  may  see  and  per- 
ceive. 

We  Marylanders  are  loth  to  admit  that  slave 
labor  curses  the  soil  as  well  as  the  people.  But 
facts  are  stubborn  realities  ;  and  any  one  who 
passes  from  Baltimore  to  York,  his  eyes  open,  need 
not  be  told  where  the  dividing  line  is. 

Here  is  York,  the  shire  town  of  York  County, 
a  right  smart  place,— population  good, — well  built, 
and  a  place  of  considerable  business.  It  contains 
a  poor-farm  and  an  almshouse,  where  all  the  poor 


*  A  "fiji,"  is  our  four-pence,  half-penny. 


252 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Juke 


of  the  county  are  provided  for.  Thia  plan  has 
some  advantages  over  tliat  of  town  provision, 
adopted  throughout  New  England.  It  equalizes 
the  burdens,  and  probably  lessons  the  aggregate 
expense. 

We  liave  the  Harrisburgh  road  h&re,  and  turn- 
ing eastward,  go  on  to  Wrightsville.  This  is  a  lum- 
bering village,  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Susque- 
hanna, where  the  tide  water  and  Susquehanna  ca- 
nal crosses  the  river.  There  are  some  large  lum- 
ber mills  here,  owned  by  lumber  merchants  in 
Baltimore. 

Wrightsville  is  connected  with  Columbia,  by  a 
bridge  across  the  Susquehanna  a  mile  and  a  quar- 
ter in  length.  This  bridge  is  an  object  of  some 
curiosity.  It  has  two  railway  tracks,  two  canal 
Sow  paths  and  accommodations  for  public  travel. 
It  is  said  to  have  cost  $230,000. 

Here  we  are  in  Columbia  !  Hail  Columbia,  hap- 
py land  I  what  a  passion  we  Yankees  have  for  at- 
taching big  names  to  little  things.  Well,  the 
names  may  haul  them'  up  and  make  them  sound 
large,  if  they  are  not  really  so.  Columbia  is  a 
great  lumber  land.  Most  of  the  lumber,  cut  up- 
on the  several  branches  of  the  Susquehanna,  is 
hauled  up  at  this  place.  Iron  is  abundant  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  on  both  sides  of  the  river. 

Several  furnaces  are  in  full  blast.  The  popula- 
tion is  about  COOO,  and  rapidly  increasing.  We 
observe  here,  what  is  common  in  this  State,  and  I 
])elieve,  through  the  South.  All  marketing  is  done 
at  stated  times  ar«J  in  the  market  place.  Qn  cer- 
tain fixed  days,  the  buyers  and  the  sellers  congre- 
gate early  in  the  morning,  in  the  market-place, 
the  one  to  be  rid  of  cash,  and  the  other  of  what 
they  deem  equivalents.  I  think  this  far  better,  for 
all  concerned,  than  to  have  marketing  dribbling 
along  through  the  whole  week. 

From  Columbia  to  the  Gap  so  called,  on  the 
fDorders  of  Chester  county,  we  pass  through  the 
most  beautiful  agricultural  region  I  have  ever  seen. 
I  have  travelled  in  fourteen  of  the  States  and  up- 
per and  lower  Canada,  but  have  seen  nothing  that 
will  compare  with  Lancaster,  for  farming  purpos- 
es. The  land  is  gently  rolling.  No  hills,  no  marsh- 
es. Most  of  the  land  cleared, — laid  off  with  great 
regularity, —  enclosed  with  high  and  substantial 
fences  and  under  the  highest  state  of  cultivation. 
You  might  go  over  thousands  of  acres  and  not  find 
a  briar  or  bush ,  or  useless  tree.  Every  foot  of 
ground  seems  to  be  made  productive  ;  such  an  ex- 
hibit of  wheat,  rye,  oats  and  clover,  I  have  never 
seen.  Should  a  landscape  painter  color  his  pic- 
ture so  highly,  as  many  of  these  fields  appear  to 
me,  I  should  have  accused  him  of  extravagance 
A  New  Englander,  after  passing  through  this  re- 
gion, will  understand  the  meaning  of  the  language 
so  often  applied  to  the  land  of  his  nativity,  "rock- 
bound  and  barren." 

Three  reasons  may  be  given  for  the  fertility  of 
these  lands.  The  soil  is  naturally  good.  Where 
excavations  have  been  made  for  the  railroad,  the 
grass  grows  up  in  few  years  and-  covers  the  slope 
down  to  the  track.  Indeed,  the  very  track  is  com- 
pletely turfed  and  produces  grass  abundantly.  A 
gentleman  who  acted  as  engineer  on  the  first  road 
constructed  through  the  county,  remarked  to  me 
that  the  earth,  taken  from  15  feet  below  the  sur- 
face, exposed  for  a  short  time  to  sun  and  rain, 
would  support  vegetation  as  well  as  the  surface 
soil. 


2.  Lime  is  abundant  and  is  freely  applied.  Al- 
most every  farm  has  a  limestone  quarry,  and  the 
ma,king  and  applying  of  lime  constitutes  an  essen- 
tial part  of  the  business  of  every  good  farmer.—^ 
Lime  may  be  had  at  any  of  the  kilns,  for  nine 
cents  a  bushel,  and  often  for  seven.  This  is  spread 
upon  the  surface,  at  the  rate  of  about  50  bushels 
per  acre  and  plowed  in.  Once  thoroughly  limed,. 
the  land  needs  nothing  more  for  many  years,  un- 
less it  may  be  a  crop  of  clover. 

3.  The  farmers  here  understand  their  avocation. 
The  German  farmers  of  Pennsylvania  "can't  be- 
beat."  They  are  intelligent,  in  their  way,  pa^ 
tient,  industrious  and  economical.  Their  barns  are- 
models  for  imitation.  The  basement  or  cellar,  of 
stone  or  brick,  and  is  devoted  to  stabling  and  shel- 
ter. The  second  story,  where  the  hay  and  graia 
are  deposited,  is  approached  by  a  causeway.  Many 
are  burlt  entirely  of  stone  ;  others  have  stone  base- 
ments and  brick  above.  The  houses  are  generally 
large  and  commodious,  and  everything  about  indi- 
cates comfort  and  independence. 

But  these  fiirmers  have  their  peculiarities. — 
Among  these,  the  Yankee  would  notice  thei? 
teams.  The  Yankee  wishing  to  remove  a  quanti- 
ty of  wood  draws  it.  The  I>utchman  hauls  it. — 
The  farmer  uses  one  horse  or  at  most,  two,  or  a 
pair  of  oxen,  with  a  wagon  or  cart  adapted  to  hig. 
team.  The  latter,  hitches  six  horses,  each  as  large 
as  a  small  elephant  and  so  fat  as  to  be  seemingly 
uncomfortable  to  a  nondescript  vehicle,  resem- 
bling nothing  of  v/^hich  we  read  in  history,  either 
sacred  or  profane,  unless  it  be  Noah's  Ark  ort. 
wheels, — the  tongu*  projecting  from  4  to  G  feet  in 
advance  of  the  heads  of  the  wheel  horses,  and  so- 
low  as  almost  to  strike  the  ground,  each  horse 
having  so  much  leather  about  him,  as  to  render  a 
fly  screen  vinnecessary.  He  then  mounts  the  near 
wheel  horse  and  Vvfith  one  rein  in  his  left  hand  and 
a  short  whip  in  his  right,  he  cries  out  yea — aup. 

Another  peculiarity  is  the  plow.  The  Dutch- 
men in  plowing  are  all  Benjaminites, — they  turn 
the  furrow  to  the  left.  The  only  reason  I  could 
get  for  this  foible,  is  that  they  guide  their  horses 
with  one  rein  ;  this  is  attached  to  the  near  horse,, 
and  if  he  is  permitted  to  walk-  in  the  furrow,  he 
needs  less  guiding  from  the  plowman.  A  plow  in 
common  use  there,  is  made  of  iron  entire. 

The  price  of  land  in  thia  county  answers  to  its 
quality  ;  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  per  acre,  taking  a  whole  farm,  the 
buildings  included.  I  was  shown  a  tract  of  80^ 
acres,  without  buildings,  which  was  sold  recent- 
ly for  $140  per  acre.  At  this  rate,  a  form  of  one 
hundred  acres  would  bring  the  clever  little  sum  of 
$14,000.  I  was  told  by  several  farmers  that,  not- 
withstanding the  good  quality  of  their  lands,  far- 
mers did  not  generally  get  more  than  three  per 
cent,  on  the  estimated  value  of  their  farms. 

Labor  is  very  high  and  difiicult  to  obtain.  The 
farmers  say  that  the  Legislature,  in  their  zeal  to 
protect  and  aid  the  poor,  in  other  words,  to  be 
very  Democratic,  have  legislated  poor  laboring, 
men  all  out  of  the  State.  It  is  generally  admit- 
ted, I  believe,  that  the  Pennsylvania  Legislature^ 
have  for  some  years  past  been  legislating  for  ev- 
ery body  else,  rather  than  for  their  own  people. 
But  I  am  spinning  a  long  yarn,  or  plowing  a  long 
furrow,  I  should  say,  and  against  this,  you  cau- 
tioned your  correspondents  last  week.  But  I  sup- 
pose that  was  intended  for  prosy  writers.     Now  1 


1 


i853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


253 


am  not  prosy,  not  I.     Did  you  ever  know  a  writer 
prosy  in  his  own  estimation  ?     All  men  think  all 

men  sinners  but  themselves. 

Allow  me  to  introduce  one  indii'idual,  to  sub- 
stantiate what  I  have  said  of  the  intelligence  and 
fihrewdneseof  the  Pennsylvania  farmers,  and  then 
5  will  break  up.  (Jol.  Ringwalt,  living  near  the 
R.  R.  Depot,  at  Downington,  Chester  Co.,  has  a 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres,  25  in 
wood.  Of  that  which  is  cleared,  the  largest  por- 
tion is  a  pasture.  He  gathered  last  season,  75 
ions  of  good  hay.  H«  might  have  gathered  150 
tons,  but  he  pastured  a  portion  of  his  mow  lots. 
He  keeps  a  public  house  and  entertains  many  dro- 
vers with  herds  of  cattle  and  flocks  of  sheep.  He 
harvested  1000  bushels  of  sound  corn,  getting  from 
■GO  to  §0  bushels  to  the  acre, — 350  of  wheat,  and 
oats,  and  other  small  grains  and  roots  in  propor- 
tion. 

He  understands  and  practices  thorough  drain- 
ing successfully.  He  showed  me  a  taract  of  land 
which  he  purchased  four  years  ago,  for  $50  per 
acre.  It  is  now  worth,  he  says,  $100.  But,  he 
added,  I  will  never  sell  it.  When  he  purchased, 
the  land  was  so  wet,  though  upon  aside-hill,  as  to 
be  wholly  unfit  for  tillage.  It  is  now  covered  with 
wheat,  rye  and  clover,  better  than  any  I  saw  else- 
where in  the  county. 

He  has  thoroughly  drained  it,  sinking  his  ditch- 
*3S,  in  some  instances,  eleven  feet,  so  as  in  all  ca- 
ses, to  arrest  the  water  at  the  fountain.  He  fills 
all  his  drains  with  stones,  arranging  them  at  the 
bottom,  so  as  to  form  a  sluice  for  th«  water.  The 
top  he  covers  with  strav/,  weeds  or  shavings,  and 
that  with  earth.  He  allows  no  stones  to  remain 
upon  the  surface  of  his  fields,  or  below  it,  within 
reach  of  his  plow.  He  is  not  afraid  to  disturb  the 
yellow  dirt,  but  plows  deep  and  subsoils.  His  ro- 
tation of  crop  is  peculiar.  He  plants  corn  two 
aeasons  in  succession, — then  takes  off  two  crops  of 
wheat,  then  seeds  to  grass  and  mows  from  three  to 
five.  When  he  turns  in  turf,  he  plows  but  five  or 
six  inches.  The  second  season  he  plows  much 
deeper.  The  first  crop  of  corn  he  depends  mainly 
upon  lime,  spreading  about  fifty  bushels  to  the 
acre.  The  second,  he  applies  compost  and  barn- 
yard manure.  Afte?the  second  corn  crop,  he  sows 
wheat  and  clover.  In  the  autumn,  after  taking 
off  the  wheat,  he  sows  plaster  and  turns  in  the 
clover  and  stubble  and  sows  wheat  and  clover  the 
second  time.  He  thinks  he  gets  more  corn  and 
more  wheat  the  second  crop  than  the  first,  and  that 
the  land  is  more  thoroughly  subdued  and  pulver- 
ized and  in  a  better  condition  for  grass.  He  slacks 
all  his  lime  in  salt  water  and  spreads  it  and  plows 
under,  while  smoking  hot.  This  he  regards  as 
very  essential.  | 

Another  idea  which  maybe  worth  the  attention 
of  your  readers.  The  Colonel  makes  great  use  of 
oyster  shells,  but  says  they  should  not  be  burnt.  I 
Burning  destroys  the  distinctive  properties  of  the' 
shell.  A  burnt  shell  differs  not  essentially  from 
atone  lime,  except  that  it  contains  a  small  quanti- 
ty of  phosphorous.  But  unburnt,  in  addition  to 
what  it  contains  when  burnt,  there  is  found  in  it 
a  large  quantity  of  animal  matter  which  is  highly 
nutritive  to  plants.  He  dries  them  by  exposure  to 
iUe  sun,  then  grinds  them  in  a  plaster  mill  and  ap- 
plies them  as  he  does  otlier  mineral  manures. — 
He  is  careful  to  save  all  the  liquid  manures  of  his 
barn-yard,  and  keeping  the  ground   covered  with 


sand,  loam,  muck,  saw-dust  and  other  absorbents. 
In  answer  to  ray  inquiry  how  he  made  his  apple 
trees  grow  so  fast  and  look  so  clear  and  thrify,  he 
replied,  "Keep  them  limed  and  washed  with  soao 
suds."  ^ 

_  Now,  Mr.  Farmer,  have  not  I  established  my  po- 
sition '  Yankee  flvrmers  are  cute  chaps,  and  can 
do  most  things  as  wellas  any  body  else.  But  they 
need  to  be  cautioned  now  and  then,  lest  they  come 
to  think  that  they  are  the  people,  and  all  wisdom 
touching  the  matter  of  tillage  will  die  with  them. 
Yours,  E.  B.  H.  • 


PLOWMAN'S   SONG. 

BY    THE    "peasant   BARB." 

Swe-ct  are  Utc  fields  where  the  clover  is  .springing, 
And  llilhe  is  the  carol  that  floats  from  the  bougli: 

And  soft  verniil  breezes  a  gladness  are  hringing 
To  cheer  nie  as  gaily  I  foHow  the  plow. 

Tliough  hard  be  my  toil,  and.  dew-drops  of  labor 
Make  damp  the  brown  locks  that  encircle  my  brew. 

No  envy  I  feel  for  my  ease-loving  neighbor, 
For  pride  more  ie  mine,  as  I  follow  the  plow. 

The  lordling  may  boast  of  his  titular  story; 

The  vote  seeking  grandee  obsequious  bow; 
What  care  I  for  all  their  nonsensical  glory.' — 

A  Noble  of  Nature,  I  follow  the  plow, 

I  muse  npoii  those,  while  turning  the  furrow. 
Who,  called  like  Elisha,  are  glorified  now; 

Tho'  hand  delve  in  earth,  yet  the  mind  need  not  burrow. 
But  spring  to  the  light,  as  I  follow  the  plowi 

Connecticut  Veltey  Farmer^ 


For  the  New  England  Farmer, 
STATS  FARM  AT  WESTBOROUGH. 

Mr.  Brown  : — As  model  farms  and  educated 
fiirmers  are  prominent  topics  of  consideration  at 
the  present  time,  may  there  not  be  propriety  ia 
instituting  the  inquiry,  as  to  the  management  of 
the  State  farm  at  Westborough  ? 

If  rightly  informed,  there  is  a  fivrm  ef  about  two 
hundred  acres,  as  well  situated  for  cultivation  and 
improvement  as  any  other  in  the  Commonwealth, 
There  are  several  hundred  boys,  between  the  ages 
of  twelve  and  twenty  years,  healthy,  vigorous  and 
able  to  work  ;  in  need  of  instruction,  hoio  to  work. 
There  are  means  of  expenditure  at  command,  to 
sustain  any  and  all  reasonable  experiments.  Why 
not  put  this  farm  under  the  care  of  a  man,  able 
and  competent  to  conduct  such  experiments? 
Would  it  not  be  for  the  benefit  of  the  boys  to  be 
thus  employed  ■?  Can  they  not  l)e  made  to  con- 
tribute something  towards  their  own  support? 

It  is  stated  by  Dr.  Bell,  of  the  McLean  Asylum, 
that  the  ikirty  acres  of  land  connected  v/ith  that 
institution  yielded,  the  last  year,  a  clear  profit  of 
$1400 — or  more  than  $46  per  acre.  Suppose  fifty 
acres  of  the  land  on  the  farm  at  Westborough  to 
be  put  under  cultivation,  with  crops  of  vegetables 
at  a  profit  of  $40  per  acre — would  not  this  be  an 
item  wortliy  of  consideration?  If  I  do  not  mis- 
take, there  are  those  who  would  undertake  the 
management  of  these  lands,  and  guarantee  this  in- 
come, if  they  could  have  the  use  of  classes  of 
these  boys,  six  hours  in  the  day,  for  this  pur-pose. 

I  hope  that  this  matter  will  be  looked  into  by 
some  one  competent  to  judge,  and  that  the  State 
fiirm  will  be  found  worthy  of  the  State  of  Massa- 
chusetts. 

May  18,  1853. 


254 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


June 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
OLD  APPLE  TREES. 

Reading  the  advice  in  the  May  Calendar  to  graft 
old  trees,  I  thought  of  some  trees  in  the  neighbor- 
hood which  had  undergone  that  process,  and 
wished  the  editor  had  appended  to  his  advice  a  rap 
over  the  knuckles  of  such  as  follow^  it  so  badly. 

Old  trees  of  quite  a  decent  and  respectable  figure 
in  their  native  state,  are  sometimes  converted  into 
a  mere  collection  of  bare,  crooked  limbs,  vpith 
brushes  on  the  ends,  perhaps  improved  in  fruit 
out  an  eye-sore  and  a  nuisance  to  all  who  love  to 
see  the  fields  adorned  with  fine  trees  as  well  as 
fruit.  There  is  no  need  of  the  trees  remaining  in 
this  awkward  fix — the  old  branches,  it  is  true,  must 
be  grafted  near  the  ends,  but  a  multitude  of  suck- 
ers always  spring  out  lower  down,  and  in  trimming 
some  of  these  should  alwiiys  be  left  in  the  right 
places  to  bring  the  tree  into  good  shape.  In  two 
or  three  years  they  will  be  large  enough  to  graft. 

I  once  had  half  a  dozen  old  trees  headed  down 
in  order  to  graft  entirely  on  the  young  sprouts. 
Two  of  them  were  sawed  off  near  the  parting  of 
the  limbs,  leaving  but  little  beside  the  bare  trunk. 
On  the  others  the  limbs  were  left  six  to  ten  feet. 
The  snronts  cnme  out  nbnndantly,  and  in  due  time 
were  grafted  and  trimmed.  It  is  now  three  years 
since  they  were  grafted,  and  I  find  the  trees  which 
were  headod  down  close  have  done  much  the  best, 
and  make  the  handsomest  trees,  the  grafts  grow- 
ing most  thrifty  and  less  troubled  with  suckers 
from  the  uld  wood.  Bachelor. 

Mmj  18,  185S. 

RULES  FOR  THE  APPLICATION  OF 
GUANO. 

As  guano  is  now  extensively  used  as  a  fertilizer, 
and  is  constantly  coming  into  the  hands  of  those 
who  have  little  or  no  experience  in  its  application, 
everything  calculated  to  aid  the  inexperienced  will 
be  acceptable.  Indeed,  inquiries  are  constant  with 
regard  to  the  quantity  proper  to  be  used  per  acre, 
and  the  best  modes  of  application.  In  addition, 
therefore,  to  what  we  have  already  said  in  relation 
to  it,  we  give  below  certain  rules  laid  down  by  A. 
B.  Allen,  Esq.,  of  New  York,  late  editor  of  the 
American  Agriculturist,  a  g-entleman  who  is  able 
to  speak  from  actual  experience  on  the  application 
and  effects  of  this  important  manure. 

We  have  appended  a  few  notes  at  the  close  of 
his  rules,  calling  particular  attention  to  some 
points  of  his  circular,  and  have  somewhat  changed 
the  order  of  his  arrangement. 

The  rules  are  worthy  of  attentive  considera- 
tion. 

VALUE. 

Guano  is  valuable  for  every  kind  of  soil,  except 
that  which  is  already  very  rich,  and  to  every  kind 
of  field  and  garden  crop,  grass,  grain,  vegetables, 
fruits  and  flowers.  The  reason  it  is  so  serviceable 
to  all,  arises  from  the  fact  of  its  containing  every 
kind  of  food  necessary  for  the  growth  of  stem, 
flower,  fruit,  and  seed.  The  eminent  chemist.  Dr. 
Jackson,  of  Massachusetts,  says  :  "It  comes  nearer 
to  a  UNIVERSAL  COMPOST  than  any  other  excremental 
manure." 


Guano  is  particularly  valuable  for  conservatories 
and  gardens,  inasmuch  as  it  is  quickly  and  easily 
applied  ;  its  fertilizing  matter  is  in  a  very  condensed 
form  ;  and  it  contains  no  seeds  of  weeds  to  shoot 
up  and  check  the  growth  of  plants  desired  to  be 
cultivated.  Its  fertilizing  properties  being  in  a 
very  condensed  form,  the  whole  cost  of  enough  for 
an  acre  and  its  application,  is  frequently  less  than 
the  cost  of  mere  transportation  of  city  or  barnyard 
manures  to  the  ground  v/here  they  ape  to  be  used. 
This  is  a  very  important  consideration  to  the  far- 
mer, and  especially  the  gardener, 

PREPARATION. 

Before  using  guano,  pass  it  through  a  fine  sieve, 
and  all  lumps  remaining  break  up,  and  these  pas& 
through  the  sieve.  Now  take  at  least  four  times 
its  bulk  of  sand,  or  dry  sandy,  or  light  loamy  soil, 
and  pass  this  through  a  coarser  sieve,  if  you  have 
one,  and  mix  it  in  layers  with  the  guano.  Let 
this  compost  lie  a  few  days — several  weeks  would 
be  better — (a.)  then  toss  it  over  and  beat  it  up 
well  together,  and  it  will  be  fit  for  use.  Some  pre- 
fer mixing  the  guano  with  ten  or  twenty  times  its 
bulk  of  soil  for  a  compost,  and  do  not  take  the 
trouble  of  sifting  it,  but  mix  them  together  in  al- 
ternate layers  as  well  as  it  can  be  done  with  a 
shovel.  Sifting,  however,  is  besE,  as  it  is  done  so 
much  more  evenly.  Sawdust  is  an  excellent  ma- 
terial with  which  to  mix  guano ;  but  powdered 
charcoal  is  perhaps  the  best  of  ail,  as  it  fixes  the 
ammonia,  absorbs  its  unpleasant  smell,  and  is  in 
itself  an  excellent  manure.  When  convenient  to 
be  obtained,  plaster  of  Paris  ought  to  be  used  in 
the  compost,  at  the  rate  of  30  to  50  lbs.  for  every 
100  lbs.  of  guano,  as  it  also  acts  in  the  same  way 
as  charcoal.  Lime  and  ashes  must  be  avoided  in 
composts,  as  they  rapidly  expel  the  ammonia,  the 
most  valuable  part  of  the  guano.  Muck,  if  possi- 
ble, should  not  be  used  for  the  compost,  as  it  is 
too  moist  and  tenacious  to  form  a  proper  mixture. 
(b.)  The  same  objection  holds  good  against  clay  or 
any  tenacious  soil.  Nevertheless,  if  there  be  no-  • 
other  soil  at  hand,  muck  or  clay  may  be  thorough- 
ly dried  and  pulverized,  and  then  used.  Guano 
should  not  be  mixed  with  barnyard  manures,  or 
indeed  with  any  moist  substajjce,  as  these  cause  it 
to  undergo  the  very  decomposition  requisite  to 
promote  vegetation.  The  compost  should  be  made 
under  cover  unless  the  weather  be  dry.  Rain 
would  be  quite  injurious  to  it,  in  hastening  the 
decomposition  of  the  Guano,  and  expelling  its  am- 
monia in  the  atmosphere. 

QUANTITY  REQUIRED  PER  ACRE. 

This  depends  upon  the  kind  of  soil  and  its  con- 
dition, and  the  kind  of  crop  to  be  grown.  From 
250  to  400  lbs.  of  guano  per  acre  is  the  safest 
quantity  to  apply.  It  acts  quickest  in  a  light 
sandy  soil  or  loam,  and  is  excellent  to  start  crops 
on  cold,  moist  land.  It  hastens  the  ripening  of 
crops  on  all  kinds  of  soil. 

Take  Particular  Notice. — In  speaking  below 
about  applying  a  tablespoonful,  or  any  other  quan- 
tity of  guano,  we  mean  that  amount,  without  ad- 
mixture ;  if  mixed  with  four  times  its  quantity  of 
soil,  then  it  would  require  five  tablespoonfuls  of 
this  compost  to  be  applied  to  get  the  single  07ie  of 
Guano,  &c. 

GRASS    AND    GRASS    LANDS. 

Spread  broad-cast,  from  250  to  400  lbs.  per 
acre,  mixed  in  a  compost  of  earth  of  about  four  to 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


255 


one.  As  soon  as  the  snow  is  off  the  ground  and 
the  frost  bef:;ins  to  come  out,  J3  the  best  time  to 
apply  it.  Another  application  of  from  150  to  200 
lbs.  maybe  given  in  midsummer,  directly  after  the 
first  mowing.  Care  shonhl  be  taken  to  do  this  just 
before  a  rain,  (r.)  Grass  lands  may  be  top-dressed 
jn  the  fall ;  but  in  that  case,  much  of  the  Guano 
is  likely  to  Ixi  -washed  off  by  the  h^vy  rains  and 
lost.  We  recommend  applying  it  at  the  rate  of 
200  to  300  lbs.  per  acre,  on  land  just  seeded  with 
grass.  This  should  be  done  just  previous  to  har 
roMing  and  rolling. 

When  sward  land  is  to  be  plowed  for  a  crop,  it 
may  be  top-dressed  with  Guano  previous  to  plow- 
ing, and  then  be  turned  under  the  sod.  It  will 
warm  and  hasten  the  decomposition  of  the  sod,  and 
afford  food  for  the  crop  about  the  time  the  grain 
or  fruit  is  filling,  and  thus  add  largely  to  the  pro 
duct. 

WHEAT,    RVE,    BARLEY,    OATS,    &C. 

On  winter  wheat  and  rye,  spread  broad-cast 
from  200  to  300  lbs.  of  Guano,  per  acre,  just  be- 
fore the  plant  commences  growing  in  tlie  spring. 
If  applied  in  the  fiill,  unless  on  very  poor  soil,  it  is 
apt  to  give  the  crop  too  rank  a  growth  before  win- 
ter sets  in.  On  spring  wheat,  rye,  barley,  oats, 
&e.,  spread  the  same  quantity  at  the  time  of  sow 
ing,  and  harrow  it  in  with  the  seed.  If  this  be 
not  convenient,  it  may  be  applied  within  a  week 
or  fortnight  after  the  grain  appears  above  gr-iind. 
Caution  must  be  used  about  applying  too  much  on 
the  small  grain  crops,  otherwise  it  will  be  likely 
to  promote  too  rank  a  growth  and  occasion  smut. 

INDIAN    CORN. 

For  this  crop,  Guano  may  be  spread  broad-cast 
upon  the  land,  the  same  as  for  wheat;  but  it  is 
better  to  apply  it  directly  to  the  hill.  Hollow  out 
the  hill  with  the  hoe,  put  in  about  a  tablespoonful 
of  Guano,  cover  it  over  one  and  a  half  to  two  inch- 
es deep  with  soil,  and  then  sow  the  seed  and  cover 
up.  If  the  corn  be  sowed  in  drills,  furrow  out 
lightly  with  a  (me-horse  plow,  then  apply  the  Gua- 
no as  in.  hills,  and  cover  it  with  the  hoe  or  other 
implement.  At  the  first  time  hoeing,  put  double 
the  above  quantity  of  Guano  around  the  hill,  and 
hoe  it  in,  taking  particular  care  that  it  does  not 
touch  the  stalks,  otherwise  it  will  be  very  likely  to 
kill  them.  If  this  can  be  done  just  before  a  rain, 
so  much  the  better.  Some  apply  Guano  again  just 
as  the  corn  is  ready  to  tassel  and  fruit,  but  we 
should  hardly  think  this  necessary,  except  in  very 
poor  soil.  If  more  than  the  above  quantity  be  ap- 
plied to  corn,  it  must  be  planted  extra  wide  apart, 
otherwise  the  growth  will  be  so  large  as  to  make 
the  stalks  and  leaves  intermix  and  produce  smut. 

Potatoes,  Tomatoes,  Sugar  Cane,  Tobacco,  Cot- 
ion,  Cabbage,  Cauliflower,  and  some  other  crops, 
may  be  treated  nearly  in  the  same  manner  as 
corn. 

PEAS,    BEANS,    TURNIPS,     BEETS,    C.-IRROTS,    PARSNIPS, 
AND    ONIONS. 

If  these  are  sown  broad-cast,  apply  the  Guano 
in  the  same  way  as  directed  to  wheat ;  if  in  drills, 
as  directed  with  corn,  except  ic  might  not  be  best 
to  cover  the  Guano  with  over  one  to  one  and  a 
half  inches  of  soil  in  the  drill,  and  then  sow  the 
seed. 

ASPARAGUS   AND    CELERY. 

It  is  a  good  top-dressing  for  these  early  in  the 
spring. 


MELONS,  CUCUMBERS,  SQUASHES  AND  PUMPKINS, 

Treat  to  Guano  the  same  as  corn,  in  the  hill, 
allowing  an  even  tablespoonful  for  each  plant  to  be 
left  to  run  to  vine. 

STRAWBERRIES,    R.\SPBERRIES,    CURRANTS,    GRAPE- 
VINES, 

And  indeed  all  fruits,  may  have  Guano  dug  in 
about  the  small  roots,  e&rly  in  the  spring. 

APPLE,    PEAR,    PEACH,    CHERRY,    PLUM,     QUINCE,     AND 
OTHER   FRUIT    TREES. 

Guano  not  only  adds  to  the  size,  and  foir,  plump 
appearance  of  all  fruits,  but  is  said  to  increase  the 
delicacy  of  their  flavor.  It  should  not  be  applied 
around  the  body  of  the  tree  unless  it  be  a  very 
small  one,  but  to  the  extreme  ends  of  the  roots, 
otherwise  it  cannot  be  absorbed,  and  of  course 
will  be  nearly  all  lost.  Roots  of  trees  spread  un- 
der ground  aljout  the  same  distance  from  the 
trunk,  as  the  branches  do  above  ground.  Let  the 
soil  be  well  trenched  from  one  to  three  feet  wide, 
according  to  the  size  of  the  tree,  directly  under 
the  circle  formed  by  the  ends  of  the  branches,  and 
the  Guano  then  be  incorporated  with  the  soil, 
within  a  few  inches  of  the  top  of  the  rootlets ;  it 
will  thus  find  its  way  to  their  mouths,  and  as  it 
uecouipuses  be  taken  up  in  the  sap  fur  Lhe  beueflt 
of  the  tree  and  its  fruit.  If  applied  later  than 
May  or  June,  it  will  make  a  large,  soft,  spongy, 
growth  vi  u/uipenul  wood  ol  no  >ulue  vvLalevei'. 

STEEPS  AND  LIQUID  FOR  WATERING  PL.VNTs'i 

For  one  pound  of  Guano  use  5,  10,  or  even  20 
gallons  of  water  ;  or  at  the  same  rate  for  a  small- 
er proportion.  Stir  it  up  well  and  cover  over  the 
vessel  tight,  so  as  to  prevent  the  escape  of  the 
ammonia,  and  let  it  remain  from  one  to  three  days 
before  being  used.  Now  wntev  around  {not  upon) 
the  plants  as  occasion  may  require.  If  this  liquid 
touches  the  plant,  it  is  apt  to  burn  it.  Previous 
to  watering,  stir  the  earth  well  around  the  plant. 
One  pound  of  Guano  for  20  gallons  of  water  may 
be  thought  to  make  a  very  xccak  steep  for  water- 
ing plants,  but  such  is  not  the  fact ;  we  have  seen 
the  most  surprising  results  from  watering  with  a 
a  steep  no  stronger  than  this.  Some  of  our  friends 
last  year  steeped  their  corn  and  other  grain  in  this 
liquid,  from  3  to  25  hours  previous  to  planting. — 
It  came  up  unusually  thick  and  grew  very  rapidly. 
For  steeps  we  would  recommend  10  to  20  gallons 
of  water  to  each  pound  of  Guano,  using  the  latter 
quantity  for  the  more  delicate  seeds.  It  is  so  pow- 
erful a  substance,  there  is  great  danger  of  its  kill- 
ing the  embryo  of  the  seed,  if  applied  in  too  strong 
doses.  The  phosphate  of  lime  and  magnesia  in 
the  Guano  are  insoluble  in  water  ;  the  sediment 
therefore  is  valuable  to  spread  on  the  land. 

TO  THE  LADIES. 

Guano  is  very  easily  applied  by  you,  and  in  the 
neatest  possible  manner,  to  your  conservatory  and 
garden  plants.  Purchase  a  neat  keg  of  it  contain- 
ing about  60  lbs.,  have  a  hole  bored  in  the  head, 
into  which  insert  a  stopper.  Now  place  the  keg 
on  its  side  as  if  to  draw  liquor  out  of  it.  Then  as 
often  as  you  wish  to  use  the  Guano,  take  out  the 
stopper  and  draw  out  what  is  necessary  from  the 
keg  with  an  iron  rod  flattened  and  slightly  crooked 
at  the  end.  Now  make  a  liquid  of  it  as  described 
above,  or  with  a  trowel,  dig  a  small  quantity  of  it 
in  the  earth,  around   the  plant.     This,  says  Mr. 


256 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


JUNB 


Tescheinachery  most  be  done  liefore  the  plants 
form  their  full-sized  flowering  buds,  otherwise  they 
■will  begin  ta  make  new  shoots,  th©  buds  will  be 
left  behind,  and  the  flowers  will  open  with  dimin- 
ished beaut)/.  Be  very  careful  not  to  let  the  Gua- 
no touch  the  stems  or  leaves  of  your  plants,  other- 
wise it  will  be  certain  to  kill  them. 

A  bouquet  of  flowei's  may  be  preserved  a  long 
time  in  water,  by  adding  a  very  small  quantity  of 
Guano  to  it  as  often  asi-enewed.  A  quarter  of  an 
ounce  to  a  quart  of  water  would  be  sufficient.  It 
might  l»  well  abo  to  add  a  talkie  spoonful  of  pul- 
verized charcoal  at  the  game  time. 

CAUTION  IN  APPLICATION. 

Be  very  careful  to  place  the  Guano  so  that  it 
will  not  touch  the  embryo,  or  young  roots,  or 
stalks  of  corn,  potatoes,  cabbages,  tobacco,  sugar- 
cane, cotton,  or  any  plant  that  has  but  one  stem 
from  its  root;  for  it  is  of  such  a  burning  nature, 
that  if  a  portion  no  larger  than  a  small  pea  comes 
in  contact  with  the  plant,  before  being  watered  or 
rained  on,  or  undergoing  partial  decomposition,  it 
instantly  kills  it.  (d.)  With  grass  and  small 
grains  tiiis  caution  is  not  important,  aa  other  shoots 
from  the  roots  will  immediately  supply  the  place 
of  those  killed. 

CESTRUCTIVE  TO  INSECTS. 

That  Guano  is  destructive  to  insects  may  be 
proved  by  any  one  disposed  to  make  the  experi- 
ment. Take  insects  and  put  them  in  a  saucer  or' 
bottle,  and  sprinkle  a  little  Guano  on  them  ;  or 
mix  up  a  tablespoonfol  of  Guano  in  a  gill  of  wa- 
ter, and  pour  this  liquid  upon  the  insects.  It  will 
be  found  to  kill  the  smaller  ones  almost  instanta- 
neously, and  the  larger  in  one  to  two  hours  time 

ANALYSES    OF  VARIOUS   GUANOS   BY    EMINENT    CHEMISTS 
IN   EUROPE. 


Peruvian. 

Chilian. 

African. 

Ammoniacal  salts, 

33  to  41)  pr.  c. 

12  pr.  c. 

23  to  28  pr. 

Animal  miUter, 

5  to    7 

3 

5  to    9 

Salts  of  potash  > 
and  soda,       S 

6  to  12 

8 

9  to  11 

Phosph.  of  lime,  ^ 

Magnesia  and     > 

23  to  23 

53 

30  40  37 

Oxalate  of  lime,  ) 

Water, 

10  to  13 

22 

18  to  25 

Sand, 

—       — 

2 

—       — - 

ANALYSES    OF    VARIOUS    GUANOS    BY   DR.    CHILTON,    OF 
NEW    YORK. 


Peruvian. 
Phosphate  of  lime,  28.^2 

Ammoniacal  sails,  46. 4i 

Oxalate  of  lime,  5.44 

Phosph.  of  ma;jnesia,  ammonia,   2  00 
Carbonate  of  litne, 
Chloride  of  so'lium, 
Sul|ihate  of  potassa, 
Sul|ihale  of  soda, 
Silica,  i 

Alumina,  &c.,  5 
Undetermined  organic  matter  \ 
containing  niirogen,  '_ 

Water  and  loss, 


.51 


125 

5.4.5 
12.10 


Cliilian. 
52.65 
3.16 


,^.36  ? 

4.41 
16.22 


3  88 
5.20 


African. 
38.00 
22.94 


15.26 
19.05 


100.00 


Remarks. — {o.)  We  should  prefer  mixing  the 
guano  and  applying  it  immediately.  Though 
mixed  with  five  or  six  parts  of  loam,  more  than  its 
own  bulk,  it  is  still  in  quite  a  concentrated  form, 
and  would  give  off  considerable  ammonia.  But  if 
mixed  and  immediately  applied  to  the  soil,  what- 
ever is  given  off  will  be  arrested  by  the  soil  of  the 


field  into  which  it  has  been  intimately  incorpo- 
rated. 

{h.)  Muek  that  has  h^Qn  dug  for  a  year  and 
left  lying  in  a  heap  will  form  one  of  th&  1>est  ma- 
terials for  an  absorbent  as  well  as  a  distributor- 
It  is  not  90  moist  as  to  be  tenacious,  or  sticky,  but 
sufficiently  |p  to  receive  the  escaping  ammonia. 

(c.)  Guano  ghould  always  be  used  in  a  moist 
state.  For  flowers,  a  few  Ixjds  of  vegetables,  or  a 
few  favorite  trees  or  shrubs,  or  for  a  small  garden, 
borders,  &c.,  it  is  better  to  dissolve  it.  Put  a 
quart  into  a  barrel  of  spring,  rive?  or  rain  water, 
stir  it  well  and  water  at  evening  through  a  water- 
pot. 

{d.)  This  is  an  important  caution.  There  have 
been  instances  where  corn  has  been  dropped  on  the 
guano  and  came  up  well  ~,  but  this  must  have  been 
owing  to  fortunate  circumstances.  Where  a  co- 
pious rain  immediately  succeeds  the  planting,  the 
guano  would  be  likely  to  get  leashed,  and  thus 
prevent  injury  to  the  corn.  To  be  safe,  tlie  guano 
should  be  mixed  with  the  soil  on  which  it  is  dropt. 
This  may  be  readily  done  with  the  foot  before 
dropping  the  eorn. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
DURATION  OF  POSTS. 

The  result  of  forty  years  experience  and  obser- 
vation, with  me,  is  that  common  fence  posts 
set  in  the  ground  ^rcen,  and  butt  end  downwards, 
will  last,  in  a  sandy  loiim,  about  10  or  12  years. 
The  same  set  in  a  like  situation,  inverted,  will  last 
15  or  18  years.  The  same  timber,  (and  soil  the 
the  same,)  well  seasoned  before  setting,  -will  last 
8  or  10  years  longer.  I  speak  of  good  white  chest- 
nut or  white  oak. 

Timber  cut  in  the  old  of  the  moon  in  February, 
will  not  be  eaten  by  worms,  will  not  snap  in  burn- 
ing, and  will  last  much  longer  made  into  posts 
than  when  cut  at  any  other  time.  I  have  chest- 
nut and  white  oak  posts  standing  well  that  were 
set  28  years  since.  *     Otis  BrIgham. 

Westboro',  April  4,  1853. 


FEEDING  TEAMS. 

All  cattle  should  be  fed  regularly,  and  about  the 
same  quantity  given  at  each  feed.  If  from  a 
change  of  weather  or  any  other  cause  the  appe- 
tite becomes  a  little  dull,  take  away  from  before 
them  what  is  left,  and  leave  the  place  clean  and 
sweet.  If  oxen  or  horses  ai-e  to  Ije  put  to  work 
at  7  o'clock  in  the  morning,  they  should  begin  to 
feed  as  early  as  five,  and  will  require  an  hour  or 
i»ore  to  eat.  If  extra  feed  is  to  be  gi vea,  as  0.  O . 
proposes,  such  as  carrots,  it  would  be  better  to 
give  it  at  night,  after  the  animal  has  enjoyed  an 
hour  or  two  of  rest.  C.  0.  will  observe  thait  it  is 
the  nutritive  properties  of  the  food  assimilated  and 
sent  through  the  System  that  gives  the  animal 
strength,  and  nob  the  undigested  mass  in  the 
stomach.  A  little  rest  after  a  hearty  meal  is  al- 
ways conducive  to  comfort  and  health. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


257 


PLAN  AND  DESCRIPTION  OF  A  PRIMARY  SCHOOL  HOUSE  IN  EXETER,  N.  H. 


FRONT   ELE^^ATION. 


The  school-house,  of  which  the  foregoing  cut 
presents  a  somewhat  incomplete  view,  was  built 
under  the  direction  of  H.  F.  French,  Orix  Head, 
and  J.  G.  Hoyt,  after  designs  drawn  by  the  latter 
gentleman.  It  stands  back  about  60  feet  from  the 
street  in  the  midst  of  a  half-acre  lot,  and  is  sur- 
rounded and  ornamented  with  trees.  In  respect 
to  style,  construction,  convenience  of  internal  ar- 
rangement, elegance  of  finish,  furniture,  means  of 


lime,  cement  and  lamp-black,  with  an  outside 
coat  of  stucco  as  hard  as  marble,  and  as  black  as 
the  three  bad  boys  that  St.  Nicholas  dipped  in  his 
ink-stand.  Over  the  teacher's  platform  there  is  a 
ventilating  trap-door,  opening  by  cord  and  pulleys 
into  the  attic.  The  attic  is  relieved  of  the  vitiated 
air,  thus  constantly  rising  into  it,  by  means  of  a 
copper  ventilator  on  the  roof. 
The  abbreviation  marks  on  the  plan  may  be  ex- 


ventilation,  as  well  as  amplitude  of  grounds,  it  plained  as  follows 
maybe  pointed  to  as  a  model.  It  is  2G  feet  by  J.,  School-room,  25  feet  by  25,  besides  the  re- 
34,  and  13  feet  high  in  the  clear.  The  pitch  of  the  cess  near  the  chimney,  containing  62  arm-chairs, 
roof  is  20  degrees.     The  windows  are  hung  with  with  book  and  slate-racks  attached.     The  chairs 


weights  and  shaded  with  Venetian  blinds.  The 
walls  are  beautifully  papered  and  ornamented 
with  busts  and  casts.  As  a  substitute  for  a  rick- 
ety, rattling  black-board,  the  end  wall  by  the 
teacher's  platform  is  plastered  with  a  mortar  of 


PLAN  OF  FLOOR. 


are  made  for  comfort,  and  are  fine  specimens  of 
workmanship  from  the  manufactory  of  TV".  G. 
Shattuck,  Boston. 

B,  Recess  back  of  the  stove,  G  feet  by  2^,  fin- 
ished at  the  top  with  a  Gothic  arch. 

C,  Broad  steps  under  the  porches,  defended  by 
balustrades. 

D,  Entry  for  boys,  about  12  feet  by  71,  furnished 
with  hooks  for  hats  and  coats. 

E,  Entry  for  girls,  about  12  feet  by  7|,  furnished 
with  hooks  for  bonnets  and  cloaks. 

F,  Flue,  12  inches  square,  plastered  smooth  in- 
side. 

G,  Additional  flue  of  the  same  size,  built  in  case 
it  should^ver  be  deemed  advisable  to  "annex''  an- 
other school-room. 

P,  Platform  for  teacher,  10  feet  by  5,  elevated 
8  inches,  and  provided  with  one  of  Shattuck's 
desks. 

R,  Register  for  the  admission  of  pure  air. 

The  building  is  raised  about  5  feet,  and  windows 
are  left  in  the  underpinning  under  the  porches,  so 
that  the  air,  which  ascends  through  the  register 
into  the  school-room,  comes  fresh  from  the  out- 
door world.     The  stove  stands  over  the  register; 


258 


WEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


JlTNK 


the  cold  air,  therefore,  when  admitted,  clings,  as 
a  matter  of  natural  philosophy,  around  the  hot 
stove,  until  it  is  warmed,  and  then  is  drawn  over 
the  children  towards  the  ventilator  at  the  other 
end  of  the  room. 

S,  Sinks  in  the  entries,  provided  with  pails, 
dippers,  wash-bowls,  towels  and  a  lookino^-glass 
for  the  girls. 

As  an  item  of  special  interest  to  small  districts 
in  country  towns,  it  may  be  added,  that  the  whole 
expense  was  just  S 1208, 73.  This  includes  not  on 
ly  the  house  itself,  but  also  the  grading  of  the 
grounds,  the  planting  of  several  hundred  trees, 
the  construction  of  tasteful  fences  and  necessary 
out-buildings,  together  with  $300  paid  for  the  lot. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer 

PATRONS— PATRONAGE,  &,0. 

Mr.  Editor  : — In  the- last  Farmer  ih%i&  ia  an 
article  on  "Inquiries  and  Censures,'"  by  John  Wil- 
cox, and  some  editorial  remarks  attached.  Mr. 
Wilcox  says  "farmers  ought  to  know  the  truth,  as 
far  aa  possible.  If  deceived  by  those  to  whom 
they  look  for  correct  information,  they  are  under 
strong  temptations  to  withdraw  their  patronage, 
&c.  To  this  you  add  in  substance,  "Then  the 
word  patronage,  as  used  in  this  sentence,  is  not 
known  to  us.  We  have  no  patrons.  When  the 
reader  of  the  Farmer  thinks  he  does  not  get  an 
equivalent  for  his  money,  we  advise  him  to  seek 
some  other  source  of  benefit.  So  long  as  we  have 
hands  and  feet,  and  a  modicum  of  sense  to  guide 
them,  we  shall  have  no  patrons.  The  farmer  has 
his  customers  for  his  wheat,  corn  and  cattle,  and 
the  printer  his  for  the  articles  he  has  to  spare, 
but  they  are  neither  of  them  patrons." 

We  have  often  heard  "editors"  revert  to  their 
subscribers  in  this  same  way  before  ;  yet  we  never 
cqyld  see  the  force  of  the  argument,  nor  can  we 
see  it  yet  in  that  light.  As  we  see  the  subject, 
every  subscriber  to  a  paper  is  a  "patron"  to  all 
intents  and  purposes,  whether  he  gets  the  full 
amount  of  his  money,  or  more  or  less,  as  the  case 
may  be.  But  if  we  understand  the  editor,  what 
he  means  by  a  patron,  is  one  who  does  a  piece  ofl 
work,  or  favor  for  another,  without  any  stipulated 
sum  to  be  paid.  Or  one  who  does  a  piece  of 
work  gratuitously  for  another  or  makes  a  donation 
for  a  certain  object.  But  I  presume  we  can- 
not have  better  authority  on  this  point,  than  Dr. 
Webster  himself.  He  says  that  a  "Patron  is 
one  who  countenances,  supports  and  protects, 
either  a  person  or  a  work,"  &c.  And  of  "Patron- 
age," he  says,  "Special  countenance,  or  support, 
lend  or  aid  afforded  to  second  the  views^f  a  per- 
son to  promote  a  design,"  &c.  Now  if  any  sub- 
scriber to  a  paper  or  book  does  not  countenance, 
support  and  aid  the  works  they  pay  for,  then  what 
do  they  do?  It  must  be  plain  as  noon-day,  that 
every  subscriber  to  a  paper  is  a  real  patron  in  the 
right  sense.  So  is  every  customer  of  the  farmer 
for  his  produce,  a  real  pati'on.  Of  course  evei-y 
subscriber  to  a  good  paper,  will  get  his  pay,  and 
he  may  get  it  in  a  single  number.  But  this  fact, 
to  our  mind,  does  not  make  him  any  the  less  a 
real  patron,  by  no  means.  But  suppose  the  pa- 
per should  fall   below  par  or  "mediocral,"    and 


yet  the  subscriber  would  continue  to  take  and  pay 
for  the  paper,  as  long  as  published,  whether  it  was 
worth  half  price  or  not,  what  then?  Would  he, 
then,  and  then  only,  be  considered  a  patron,  or 
would  he  not  be  as  much  a  real  patron  when  the 
paper  was  in  its  palmy  days. 

The  plain  truth  is,  we  as  men  are  so  selfish,  th&t 
we  are  not  lyilling  to  give  half  as  much  credit 
to  our  fellow-men  as  we  should  do.  For  in- 
stance, we  have  been  trying  for  the  last  twelve 
years  in  our  plain  way  to  stimulate  the  farmers  to 
greater  effort  and  exertions  to  improve  themselves 
and  the  soil.  This  we  have  tried  to  do  in  various 
and  several  agricultural  journals  in  the  States. — 
And  so  far  as  asking  any  pay  in  dollars  and  cents, 
we  have  oftentimes  found  it  hard  to  get  a  hearing 
at  all,  though  all  done  gratuitously  on  our  part. — 
This  we  call  real  patronage  for  the  press,  and  edit- 
ors and  publishers  may  call  it  what  they  please. 
And  yet  it  is  not  bound  up  in  so  close  quarters  as 
this  even.  For  It  is  more  on  the  liberal  scale  of 
getting  good,  doing  good,  and  communicating  to 
others.  Every  gratuitous  correspondent  to  an  ag- 
ricultural journal  can  testify  to  the  same  thing. 
What  would  an  agricultural  journal  be  in  this 
age  were  it  not  for  the  help  of  its  numerous  cor- 
respondents ?-  More  than  nine-tenths  of  all  these 
must  come  from  gratuitous  writers.  Yet,  in  ordi- 
nary journals,  it  13  only  a  few  such  as  "sub  or  as- 
sociate editors"  that  can  be  paid  for  their  time. 
We  will  just  say  for  Mr.  Wilcox  that  the  "Pre- 
pared super-phosphate  of  Lime"  is  not  manufac- 
tured at  New  Haven,  Ct.  But  it  is  kept  for  sale- 
there,  by  Munson  &  Johnson,  of  the  agricultural 
store,  49  State  Street.         Yours,  &c., 

L.   DURANU. 

Derby,  Ct.,  May  5,1853. 

Remarks. — It  affords  us  pleasure  to  know  that 
our  readers  are  so  watchful  of  what  is  said  in  the 
columns  of  the  Farmer  ;  that  Argus-eyed  corres- 
pondents watch  its  expressions  and  weigh  its  sen- 
timents. A  kind  correction  of  our  errors  can  do- 
us  no  harm,  and  may  be  of  considerable  public- 
benefit.  We  had  rather  supposed  that  the  com- 
mon acceptation  of  the  meaning  of  the  word  was 
that  i\\Qpatron  had  the  gift,  or  disposition  of  some 
special  benefit,  some  special  countenance  or  sup- 
port. The  word  is  never  applied,  we  thinly  to 
the  butcher,  the  baker,  mechanic  or  tradesmfffl,  in 
the  sense  in  which  friend  Durand  uses  it.  But  if  its 
meaning  is  generally  accepted,  according  to  his 
explanation,  we  have  no  objection  to  it  as  used  in 
Mr.  Wilcox's  article. 


Sullivan  Co.  Agricultural  Societv. — At  the 
Annual  Meeting,  holden  March  10,  1853,  of  the 
Sullivan  Uo.  (N.  II.)  Agricultural  Society,  the  fol- 
lowing gentlemen  were  elected  its  officers  for  the 
ensuing  year : — 

John  S.  Walker,  Claremont,  President. 

Charlks  E.  Wheeler,  Newport,  Secretary. 

John  H.  Higbee,  Newport,  Treasurer. 

The  Birds. — Attention  is  called  to  another  of 
the  delightful  articles  of  Mr.  Fowler,  upon  the 
Birds  of  New  England. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


259 


Fer  the  Tfew  England  Farmer. 
"EXPERIMENTAL  FARMING." 

Messrs.  Editors: — Finding  in  one  of  my  week- 
lies an  article  unJer  the  significant  and  attractive 
caption,  "Experimental  Farming,"  copied  from  the 
New  England  Farmer,  I  felt  moved — by  the  spirit 
of  controversy — to  "also  show  mine  opinion." 
The  comparative  allusion  the  writer  makes  is  well 
calculated  to  gain  him  a  hearing  among  some 
classes  of  persons  who  in  too  many  instances  are 
already  behind  the  times  in  agricultural  science. 
Since  he  made  the  allusion  I  will  remind  him  that 
one  noted  in  olden  time  for  his  wisdom  and  ex- 
tensive observation  once  remarked,  "He  that  is 
first  in  his  own  cause  seemeth  just,  but  his  neigh- 
bor cometh  and  seareheth  him." 

Your  correspondent  strikes  his  first  blow  at  sci- 
entific farming  on  this  wise — mark  the  expression 
"The  chemist  may  analyze  the  soil  on  my  farm 
*  *  *  and  point  out  the  ingredient  or  ingre- 
dients which  are  wanting,  theoretically,  and  I  go 
to  work,  practically,  and  find  my  land  unproduc- 
tive as  before."  This  way  be  so,  is  not  always 
satisfactory  to  those  who  understand  the  use  of 
figures.  In  the  Worfiing  Farmer,  Vol.  3,  No.  2 
Prof.  Mapes  writes,  "Within  the  lastthree  years 
we  have  visited  many  farms,  and  some  of  the  own 
ers  sent  certificates  of  results."  One  represented 
that  under  our  advice  he  had  added  the  missing 
constituents  to  his  soil,  at  an  exp^ense  of  only 
$4,12.^  per  acre,  with  proper  tillage,  and  pro- 
duced, in  consequence,  the  following  crops  : — Corn 
128  bushels  of  ears  per  acre,  where  formerly  with 
much  larger  expenditure  for  manures,  but  30 
bushels  of  shelled  corn  had  been  produced.  Po- 
tatoes, 310  busliels  per  acre.  Mangold  wurtzel 
IG  tons  per  acre,  and  other  crops  in  proportion. 
Had  your  corres[)ondent  cited  an  instance  where  a 
person  having  an  analysis  of  his  soil  by  a  compe 
tent  chemist — hid  added  the  required  amend- 
ment— as  in  the  instance  above  quoted,  and  failed 
of  satisfactory  results,  I  might  have  remained  si- 
lent ;  but  he  doos  no  such  thing  ;  he  only  gives 
his  ipse-disit,  and  goes  on  to  prove  from  his  prac 
iical  experience  \n  well-digging  that  soils  are  so 
variable  even  within  short  distances  that  an 
analysis  must  be  of  doubtful  utility. 

Of  his  first  well,  he  states  :  "after  removing 
the  soil  at  the  surf  ice  we  entered  a  quicksand  &c.," 
of  the  second,  some  fifty  feet  distant,  he  continues  : 
"After  removing  the  soil  we  came  upon  hard  com- 
pact clay  gravel,"  &c.  and  closes  the  sentence  with 
the  remark,  "here  was  an  illustration  of  the 
change  insoils  worth  noticing."  Here  is  an  illus- 
tration of  the  way  some  people  jump  at  conclu- 
sions, unparalelled  in  my  previous  reading.  I  had 
always  supposed  that  the  portion  of  the  earth's 
surface  through  which  the  plow  passes,  into  which 
the  manure  is  worked,  and  to  which  the  seed  is 
committed, is  ihe'soil — proper — the  part  that  chem- 
ists and  agriculturists  bad  most  to  do  with,  but 
your  correspondent  having  removed  this  in  both 
instances  without  noting  any  difference,  has  seemed 
to  entirely  lose  sight  of  it,  and  digging  down  into 
the  5M6-soil  and  not  finding  the  bowels  of  mother 
Earth  perfectly  even  and  uniform,  he  announces 
tlie  discovery  of  a  principle  in  agriculture  that  is 
likely  to  baffle  the  combined  skill  of  chemists  and 
farmers  in  their  attempts  to  improve  our  system 
of  husbandry. 

In  perfect  keeping  with  his  conclusions,  he  re- 


fers to  the  course  of  practice  of  a  self-constituted 
physician  as  an  example  worthy  of  imitation  by 
farmers  in  their  treatment  of  infertile  soils.  Sup- 
pose he  should  find  a  quantity  of  sulphuret  of  iron 
conveniently  near  his  compost  heap  ;  we  should 
expect,  according  to  his  own  recommendation,  to 
find  him — following  the  example  of  his  model  doc- 
tor, carting  it  in  for  the  improvement  of  his  farm. 
"Would  not  it  be  strange  if  it  did  not  benefit 
some  portion  of  his  changeful  farm?  Again,  sup- 
pose he  M'ished  to  ascertain  whether  his  soil 
needed  lime — for  instance  ;  would  he  procure  a 
quantity  and  compost  it  with  numerous  vegetable 
and  mineral  substances,  and  if  his  crops  were 
benefited  by  the  application  of  such  artificial  ma- 
nures, continue  year  after  year  to  add  lime  to  his 
compost  in  the  belief  that  it  is  the  required  amend- 
ment? J. 


P.  S. — The  above  was  written  before  receiving 
the  March  number  of  the  Farmer,  which  contains 
your  remarks  showing  some  of  your  oljections  to 
the  i-ecom»endation  of  your  correspondent,  which 
the  paper  in  which  I  first  read  the  article  did  not 
copy. 

I  find  too  in  the  same  number  another  corres- 
pondent seems  to  have  doubts  as  to  the  practical 
benefit  of  analysis  of  soils.  He  says,  "Is  it  possi- 
ble that  by  careful  analysis  of  soils  from  sterile 
Mass.,  and  of  those  from  the  Scioto  valley,  famous 
for  its  wonderful  fertility,  no  clue  to  the  vast  dif- 
ference between  the  two  can  be  detected?"  "I 
here  confess  my  surprise  at  the  results,  and  will 
acknowledge  they  have  done  much  to  shake  my 
faith  in  all  chemical  analysis  of  soils." 

I  would  inquire  if  the  specimen  of  soil  from 
Hampden  Co.  is  a  fair  representative  of  sterile 
Mass.  soil;  also  what  is  the  average  produce  of  the 
Hampden  Co.  soil.  "Having  witnessed  the 
growth  of  corn  in  both  States,"  has  he  found  out 
no  difference  in  the  geological  character  of  the 
different  places,  nor  found  any  difference  in  me- 
chanical condition  ?  Has  he  taken  into  considera- 
tion the  difference  in  latitude,  temperature  of  cli- 
mate ?  &c.  Has  he  read  Prof.  Johnston's  lecture 
on  the  Relations  of  Physical  Geography  to  prac- 
tical Agriculture  ?  j. 

Bridgewatcr,  March,  1853. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
RURAL  PLEASURES. 

There  is^  perhaps,  no  situation  in  life  \'ihich  af- 
fords greater  facilities  for  enjoyment  than  that  of 
the  husbandman.  Exempt  from  the  many  cares 
which  throng  the  pathway  of  the  professional  man> 
the  farmer  finds  ample  opportunity  to  cultivate  his 
mind  ajjd  expand  his  intellect,  and  even  while  en-  * 
gaged  in  labur,  may  still  be  a  learner  from  the 
great  book  of  Nature. 

As  the  plowshare  turns  the  sods,  his  eye  wan- 
ders over  the  rich  landscape,  and  in  the  meander- 
ing streams,  the  wood-crowned  hills  and  smiling 
vales,  he  traces  the  finger  of  God.  The  glory  of 
the  spring-time  is  not  by  him  unheeded.  He  sees 
with  delight  the  delicate  verdure  mantling  in  beau- 
ty the  awakening  earth — he  views  with  pleasure, 
the  fair  petals  of  innumerable  blossoms  as  they  un- 
fold to  the  genial  sunbeams,  and  he  feels  upon  his 
cheek,  the  soft  breeze  which  is  laden  with  their 
balmy  perfume.     For  him,  the  minstrels  of  heaven 


260 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


June 


have  a  song  of  joy,  and  all  nature  seems  hymning 
an  anthem  of  praise.  Gladly  the  farmer  greets 
the  spring-time,  and  with  a  light  heart  prepares 
his  fields,  and  sows  the  tiny  seed,  which  will  yet 
yield  a  glorious  autumn  offering.  No  feverish  ex- 
citement disturbs  his  placid  life, — no  wild  dreams 
of  fame  and  glory — no  ambitious  schemes,  whose 
bright  hopes  gleam  for  a  space,  then  fade  in  dark- 
ness away.  His  course  is  before  him — simple  and 
plain — peace  and  contentment  are  the  inmates  of 
his  breast.  Day  after  day  beholds  him  at  his 
healthful  toils,  and  fortune  smiles  upon  him.  His 
table  boasts  few  foreign  luxuries,  but  plenty  is 
ever  there,  and  the  viands  produced  by  his  own 
care  are  partaken  of  witli  a  relish  which  the  epic 
ure  might  envy.  Home  is  to  the  husbandman  a 
delightful  spot.  Care  flees  from  his  fireside,  and 
the  evening  hours  are  spent  in  calm  converse  or 
innocent  glee.  When  night's  sombre  curtains  en- 
fold the  earth,  he  finds  a  sweet  repose,  for  toil  has 
lent  "a  blissful  zest  to  slumber." 

How  many  young  men  who  now  forsake  their 
rural  homes  and  seek  the  crowded  ^ity,  would 
escape  the  snares  of  the  tempter  and  shun  the  cup 
of  sorrow,  if  they  remained  upon  the  peaceful  farms 
of  their  fathers.  e.  c.  l. 

Lebanon^  Vt. 


WITCH  GRASS. 

There  are  few  spurious  productions  character- 
ized by  a  more  invincible  tenacity  of  life  than  witch 
grass.  When  it  has  once  become  thoroughly 
radicated  in  the  soil,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  get 
rid  of  it.  Some  writers  who  appear  to  be  im- 
pressed with  the  idea  that  no  human  effort  is  com- 
petent thoroughly  to  cleanse  lands  which  have  be- 
come fouled  by  its  presence,  recommend  cultivat- 
ing it  as  hay  ;  but  we  can  contemplate  witch  grass 
in  no  other  light  than  that  of  a  most  troublesome 
and  exhausting  truant,  and  one  that  the  farmer 
cannot  do  better  than  to  keep  at  a  distance,  let 
the  expense  be  what  it  may.  That  it  makes  a 
most  excellent  and  nutritious  feed  for  stock,  when 
cut  early  and  properly  cured,  admits  not  of  any 
doubt ;  and  we  are  far  from  denying  that  there 
are  any  circumstances  in  which  it  may  be  advan- 
tageously and  profitaWy  cultivated,  as  for  instance, 
on  soils  of  a  low  description,  where  the  surface  is 
somewhat  soft,  and  which  are  otherwise  constitu- 
tionally incapacitated  for  tillage.  In  such  situa- 
tions there  is  at  least  a  strong  probability  that  its 
introduction  would  be  attended  with  success.  But 
no  farmer  who  understands  its  nature,  will  ever  be 
seduced  into  the  practice  of  sowing  witch  grass 
seed  on  lands  intended  to  be  cultivated  subse- 
qu3ntly.  The  well-known  difficulty  attending  its 
eradication,  will  operate  on  most  minds,  as  an  ef- 
ficient caution  in  this  respect.  Indeed,  every  one 
who  appreciates  easy  and  thorough  cultivation, 
•will  guard  against  its  propagation  and  spread  as 
much  as  practicable.  In  light  soils,  of  a  rich  and 
warm  character,  the  labor  of  extirminating  it — un 
less  extra  means  are  resorted  to — is  usually  the 
labor  of  a  life,  and  we  can  now  point  to  many  fields 


in  which  sufficient  extra  labor  has  been  performed 
in  consequence  of  the  usurpation  of  this  pest,  to 
purchase  the  soil  twice  over,  and  yet  the  crop  is 
more  luxuriant  and  vigorous  than  it  was  when  at- 
tention was  first  directed  to  them.  The  roots  of 
this  grass  are  very  strong  and  numerous,  they  are 
also  remarkably  tenacious  of  life,  and  unless  they 
are  removed  from  the  soil  entire,  this  may  be  a 
temporary  abridgement  of  the  evil  but  no  perman- 
ent cure.  Some  gardeners,  when  this  pest  has  be- 
come radicated  in  their  soil,  cover  the  surface  with 
boards,  and  allow  the  land  to|rest  a  year.  In  this 
way  it  is  suffocated,  and  is  probably  more  easily 
destroyed  than  in  any  other  way.  The  loss  of  the 
year's  crop  is  of  trifling  consequence,  as  the  pres- 
ence of  the  witch  grass  would  render  the  expense 
of  cultivating  it  too  great  to  allow  of  much  profit, 
even  under  the  most  favorable  circumstances. 

When  a  soil  can  be  covered  for  two  successive 
seasons,  in  this  way,  the  eradication  is  thorough, 
generally  speaking,  and  with  proper  care  in  the 
after  cultivation  it  will  rarely  be  restocked.  Salt, 
in  large  quantities,  will  destroy  witch  grass  ;  but 
the  amount  required  for  this  purpose  renders  the 
undertaking  expensive,  especially  if  the  soil  is 
deep,  rich  and  mellow,  as  in  such  cases  the  roots 
extend  to  a  great  depth,  and  generally  numerous, 
vigorous  and  strong.  It  propagates  mostly  by  its 
lateral  roots,  and  when  allowed  to  grow,  generally 
produces  a  medium  crop  for  two  years ;  it  then 
begins  to  dwindle,  the  stalks  l>eco3ne  annually 
thinner  and  less  numerous,  and  it  finally  "runs 
out,"  although  upon  plowing  and  manuring  the 
land,  it  always  reappears  and  flourishes  as  before. 

The  best  and  cheapest  way  we  have  found  to 
exterminate  this  grass,  is,  to  plow  deep,  pulverize 
finely,  and  then  with  a  rake  and  the  hands  gather 
up  the  roots  and  cast  them  away,  or  burn  them. 
Then  with  a  three-toothed  cultivator,  the  teeth 
being  ten  or  twelve  inches  long,  go  over  the  ground 
thoroughly ,which  will  bring  up  a  still  further  por- 
tion, which  must  be  gathered  as  before. 

In  this  thoi'ough  manner  we  have  cleared  «an 
acre  in  a  single  season  so  as  to  find  little  trouble 
from  it  afterwards.  Harrowing,  raking  with  the 
spring-tooth  and  the  independent  acting  rakes, 
have  proved  utterly  futile  with  us  in  collecting 
these  grass  roots. 

Harrowing  late  in  autumn,  after  the  ground  has 
been  frozen,  and  thawed  again  two  or  three  inches 
in  depth,  is  said  to  kill  the  roots  by  turning  them 
out  and  exposing  them  to  winter  frosts. 


Cure  and  Preventive  of  the  Potato  Rot. — Mr. 
H.  Penoyer,  of  Union  county,  Illinois,  publishes 
in  the  St.  Louis  Fepitblican  his  experience  and  suc- 
cess in  preventing  the  potato  rot.  He  has  tested 
his  preventive  for  four  years,  with  perfect  success, 
while  others  in  the  same  field  who  neglected  it  lost 
their  entire  crop.  It  is  asserted,  also,  that  the 
root  is  nearly  double  the  size.     The  remedy  is  as 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


261 


follows:  "Take  one  peck  of  fine  salt  and  mix  it 
thorouglily  with  half  a  bushel  of  Nova  Scotia  plas- 
ter or  gypsum,  (the  plaster  is  the  best,)  and  im- 
mediately after  hoeing  the  potatoes  the  second 
time,  or  just  as  the  young  potato  begins  to  set, 
sprinkle  on  the  main  vines,  nest  to  the  ground,  a 
table  spoonful  of  the  above  mixture  to  each  hill, 
and  be  sure  to  get  it  on  the  main  vines,  as  it  is 
found  that  the  rot  proceeds  from  the  sting  of  an 
insect  in  the  vine,  and  the  mixture,  coming  in  con- 
tact with  the  vine,  kills  the  effect  of  it  before  it 
readies  the  potato."  Mr.  P.  asks  nothing  for  his 
discovery  beyond  what  those  who  are  benefited 
are  willing  to  give,  and  he  desires  a  test  to  be  made 
before  an  opinion  is  formed.  This  is  reasonable, 
and  the  experiment  costs  so  little  that  it  is  worth 
testing. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
THE  FARMER'S  CABINET. 

The  field  of  science  which  invites  the  farmer  to 
investigation  is  a  boundless  one.  The  atmosphere, 
the  earth  with  its  rocks  and  plants,  its  animals 
and  insects,  and  immense  variety  of  soils,  are  all 
intimately  connected  with  his  success  in  his  pro- 
fession. All  farmers,  who  have  for  a  length  of 
time  cultivated  the  earth,  may  be  supposed  to  have 
some  knowledge  in  all  these  matters,  for  observa- 
tion, however  blunted  it  may  have  appeared,  will 
sometimes  be  in  action,  and  when  allowed  to 
exist,  practical  benefits  will  result. 

Now  one  of  the  benefits  we  claim  as  resulting 
from  farmers'  lyceums,  beyond  that  furnished  by 
the  library,  with  its  shelves  fiUing  with  scientific 
works,  got  up  by  individuals  who  have  closely  in- 
vestigated the  subjects  on  which  they  treat,  and 
by  the  means  we  have  proposed,  bringing  the 
fruits  of  their  researches  within  the  means  of  all 
who  desire  the  benefit  of  them,  is  that  by  these  so- 
cial gatherings  of  exchange  of  thought,  the  re- 
sult of  the  observations  of  the  many  become  the 
common  stock  of  all.  So,  then,  if  under  certain 
circumstances,  Mr.  A.  has  seen  things  different 
from  their  presentation  to  Mr.  Y.,  it  is  seen  at 
once,  that  individual  observation  has  not  been 
pushed  to  its  full  extent,  and  then  the  opinion  of 
each,  being  contradictory  to  the  other,  though 
each  may  have  been  right  under  the  circumstan- 
ces, not  only  they  will  enter  the  field  with  new 
zeal  and  fresh  hopes,  but  their  conflicting  opinions 
will  draw  others  into  the  same  work, — the  curi- 
osity will  be  excited,  investigation  will  follow  and 
facts  demonstrated  which  to  them  might  have  for- 
ever  remained  mysteries. 

To  aid  in  these  investigations  and  to  make  all 
certain  that  things  are  called  by  their  right  names, 
we  would  have  well  selected  cabinets  connected 
with  all  these  institutions. 

First,  we  would  have  a  cabinet  of  minerals. 
Soils  consist  to  a  great  extent  of  the  disintegration 
of  rocks,  and  minerals  are  the  representatives  of 
these  rocks.  Now  the  wearing  down  of  mica 
slate  does  not  produce  a  soil  like  that  of  limestone 
origin,  nor  do  the  different  varieties  of  limestone 
produce  a  soil  alike  in  its  proporti(ms.  But  vari- 
ety is  found  to  exist  as  often  as  the  composition 
of  rocks  changes.  Consequently,  the  productive 
power  of  the  soils  vary.  Their  character,  to  a 
great  extent,  may  be  determined  by  the  character 
of  the  principal  rock,  and  so  when  the  field  is  dis- 


tant, by  a  specimen  of  the  rock  we  may  approxi- 
mate towards  the  quality  of  the  soil.  So  then, 
we  would  have  a  mineralogical  cabinet  connected 
with  the  farmers'  lyceum.  And  this  should  in 
no  way  be  confined  to  fragments  of  rocks  them- 
selves ;  but  should  embrace,  as  far  as  possible, 
the  different  varieties  of  soil  made  up  from  these 
rocks. 

Then  we  would  have  a  botanic  cal/met.  Here 
we  would  have  well  prepared  specimens  of  all  the 
grasses  and  grains  fit  for  cultivation,  neatly  ar- 
ranged in  their  different  species  and  varieties,  so 
that  the  young  farmer  could  mark  at  once  their 
peculiar  features  and  see  the  difference  they  pre- 
sent in  their  different  stages  from  wild  growth  to 
the  most  successful  cultivation.  In  addition,  let 
such  plants  as  experience  has  'proved  to  be  nox- 
ious to  the  farmer's  interest,  have  a  place  here, 
labelled  as  such,  to  warn  the  unwary  and  inexpe- 
rienced of  the  danger  of  admitting  them  to  his 
grounds. 

If  specimens  of  different  varieties  of  wood,  with 
the  leaf  and  seed,  were  added,  it  would  give  addi- 
tional interest  and  open  a  beautiful  field  of  study 
to  the  young  mind.  Then  we  would  have  a  cabi- 
net of  insects,  each  labelled  strictly  with  its  good 
or  bad  qualities.  Many  of  these  are  fatal  pests  to 
the  farmer,  yet  how  little  does  he  know  of  their 
general  character !  How  few  of  them  can  he  rec- 
ognize by  their  countenances,  much  less  can  he 
call  by  name  when  he  meets  them.  In  short,  so 
great  has  been  his  indifference  in  the  matter,  that 
probably  not  one  in  fifty  of  the  farmers  of  New 
England  can  distinguish  his  friends  from  his  foes 
in  the  feathered  or  the  insect  races.  Hence,  it  ia 
no  wonder  that  he  often  sacrifices  the  former  and 
gives  countenance  to  the  latter.  His  ignorance 
in  the  matter  leads  him  to  do  it  and  suffer  the 
losses  that  too  often  result.  And  yet  who  is  to 
blame  for  this  ignorance,  when  he  every  day  is 
holding  communion  with  nature  in  all  her  works, 
and  each  day  furnishes  some  leisure  moments 
when  he  might  investigate  the  things  that  sur- 
round him  in  the  air  above  and  the  earth  over 
which  he  walks, — when  science  is  opening  her 
rich  store-house  and  inviting  him  to  come  in  and 
take  liberally  of  her  treasures. 

We  have  thus  glanced  hastily  at  what  we  would 
have  a  farmers'  lyceum  cabinet  contain  of  natural 
history,  to  which  we  would  add  works  of  art,  such 
as  drawings  and  models  of  implements,  paintings 
of  animals  and  fruits,  and  indeed  everything  that 
can  interest,  enlighten  and  please  the  farmer's 
mind  and  keep  it  in  vigorous  and  healthy  action. 
And  here  we  submit  the  query,  if  there  was  a 
place  in  eaeh  town  or  even  in  every  county  like 
the  one  we  have  briefly  sketched,  would  not  its  in- 
fluence on  agriculture  and  the  rural  arts  be  of  a 
salutary  and  progressive  character  ?  Under  such 
circumstances,  with  tlje  facts  drawn  out  and  placed 
before  their  eyes,  would  not  farmers  see  at  once, 
that  science  in  beauties  and  its  practical  influence 
was  for  them,  and  instead  of  encouraging  their 
sons  to  leave  the  plow  and  the  scythe  to  engage 
in  other  professions  in  hope  of  greater  glory  or 
gain,  would  they  not  see  a  field  of  ambition  and 
reward  open  here,  more  than  large  enough  for  all 
their  claims  1  And  young  men,  too,  would  see  the 
bright  destiny  that  was  inviting  them  upward  and 
no  longer  pant  for  the  renown  of  counter  jumpers 
or  seek  professions  of  uncertain  success,  feeble  in- 


262 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


cTfnk 


dependence,  and  have  no  gi-eater  demand  on   in- 
tellectual progress  than  their  own. 

We  hear  objections  to  the  plan  we  have  pro- 
posed. The  ghost  of  some  old  Hunks  is  whisper- 
ing in  our  ears  that  we  have  laid  out  too  much 
work.  It  canH  be  accomplished  without  serious 
interference  with  the  m«re  important  object  of 
getting  '•'■the  dollar,''^ — the  almighty  friend  of  ig- 
norance and  parsimony.  We  do  not  despise  "/Ae 
dollar,^''  but  wish  we  had  enough  and  to  spare  to 
many  such  institutions.  It  would  be  a  bright  in- 
vestment. But  we  insist  upon  it,  that  man  is  en- 
dowed with  too  high  flxculties  to  be  borne  down  by 
the  grovelling  demands  of  pecuniary  gain.  He 
has  intellect  to  appreciate  nobler  objects  than  bags 
of  gold  or  large  domains, — a  mind  that  can  ex- 
pand through  infinitude,  and  not  only  drink  in 
pleasure  from  all  the  fountains  of  nature  and  art, 
but  can  turn  the  waters  of  those  fountains  through 
the  elevated  regions  of  taste  and  refinement  to  in- 
crease, beautify  and  variegate  the  products  of  the 
earth,  and  make  cultivation  a  delightful  toil. 

It  can'l  be  done.  Individuals  have  their  libra- 
ries, not  only  in  other  professions,  but  in  the  ag- 
ricultural, and  as  long  as  this  is  the  fact  in  cases 
of  men  whose  business  occupations  are  making  con- 
tinual drafts  on  their  time,  often  bringing  toil  and 
fatigue  in  times  when  they  anticipated  leisure, 
cannot  associated  effort  accomplish  the  same  ob- 
ject 1  Especially,  cannot  farmers  in  whose  ordi- 
nary pursuits  the  very  elements,  with  whose  pow- 
er he  should  be  familiar,  throw  obstacles  to  labor 
do  as  much  1 

It  is  an  age  when  much,  very  much  is  saying  and 
doing  on  this  matter  of  agricultural  education  ;  yet, 
after  all,  but  very  little  progre&s  seems  to  manifest 
itself  in  the  matter.  Thus  far  we  may  infer  there 
has  been  more  wind  than  rain  in  the  strong  flow 
of  words  that  have  been  uttered  on  the  subject. 
The  wind  will  ere  long  pass  away,  and  then  we 
hope  farmers  will  take  hold  of  the  subject  them- 
selves, assg^t  and  defend  their  rights — take  the 
position  that  God  has  given  them,  and  resolve  that 
they  will  be  an  intellectual  and  a  highly  educated 
class.  When  they  do  this,  success  hitherto  un- 
known, will  crown  their  efforts.  w.  b. 

Elmwood,  Feb.  15, 1853. 


For  the  New  England  FarTner. 
THE  SEASON. 

Mr.  Editor  : — The  season  up  here  in  the  Old 
Granite  State,  is  about  four  weeks  earlier  than  it 
was  last  spring.  The  flirmers  have  commenced 
plowing  and  sowing  a  little,  and  will  finish  most 
of  tlieir  spring  sowing  in  the  course  of  ten  or  fifteen 
days.  Winter  grain  looks  as  well  as  it  has  any 
spring  for  several  years  past.  There  being  no  frost 
in  the  ground,  the  grass  is  quite  green  as  soon  as 
the  snow  is  gone.  The  sugar  season  was  not  as 
good  as  it  was  last  by  full  one-third.  I  think  that 
we  shall  have  hay  enough  in  this  section  of  the 
country,  as  the  season  is  so  far  advanced  that  the 
cattle  are  out  to  grass  in  some  places. 

Samuel  L.  Powers. 

Cornish,  N.  H.,  April  15,  1853, 


Spent  Tan  Bark. — The  Pa.  Farm  Journal  tells 
of  a  successful  application  of  tan  bark,  made  by 
mistake  to  a  portion  of  the  editor's  garden.  lie 
ordered  a  certain  part  to   be  well  spaded  and  ma- 


nured for  beans,  but  the  gardener  dag  up  another 
plot  and  applied  a  heavy  coating  of  pretty  well 
composed  tan  bark.  The  soil  was  a  stiff  clay,  and 
no  other  manure  was  applied  or  had  been  to  this 
bed  for  several  years  previously.  The  beans  were 
planted  and  were  the  most  thrifty  and  vigorous 
in  the  neighborhood,  and  the  stiff  soil  has  become 
quite  mellow,  and  appears  to  retain  its  warmth 
and  moisture  much  better  than  any  other  in  the 
garden. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
INSEOTE—PLUM-TREE  WARTS. 

The  depredations  of  insects  upon  fruits  and 
vegetables  may  sometimes  prompt  the  fiirmer 
to  wish  it  were  in  his  power  to  exterminate  their 
whole  race.  But,  as  tlie  Creator  has  granted  ev- 
ery green  herb  for  food  to  "every  creeping  thing," 
no  less  than  to  fowls  and  beasts,  as  well  as  nobler 
man,  and  has  effectually  secured  them  from  any 
such  sad  doom,  we  must  content  ourselves  to  be 
fellow-commoners  with  them,  despite  all  we  may 
wish  or  do.  The  fruits,  flowers  and  plants  which 
we  claim  as  exclusively  ours,  they  emphatically 
declare,  by  unmistakable  deeds,  are  no  less  theirs  ; 
for  hate  and  fight  them  as  we  may,  they  will  live, 
beget  their  progeny,  and  eat  freely  what  they  like^ 
find  it  as  they  may,  in  the  prince's  or  the  humbles-t 
cottager's  enclosure.  Choicest  fruits,  sweetest 
flowers  they  love,  as  decidedly  as  man.  Do  they 
invade  our  rights?  Not  so  ;  they  claim  instinct- 
ively, only  their  own.  A  vast  family  is  supplied 
from  the  same  bountiful  hand,  and  it  would  be' 
wise  for  the  agriculturist  to  reflect  more  upon  ol>- 
vious  facts,  in  the  providential  arrangements  estab- 
lished between  him  and  inferior  orders  of  animal 
existence. 

Suppose  all  insects  that  annoy  us  and  prey  upork 
fruit  trees  and  cultivated  plants  were  extinct. 
Then  what  wouM  become  of  the  birds?  They 
would  be  robbed  of  their  appointed  food,  and. 
starved,  and  their  matchless,  wild  music  would 
greet  us  at  our  hard  toils  no  longer.  What  soli- 
tude, amid  the  luxuriant  vegetatfon,  and  bright 
suns  of  summer !  Say  you,  be  it  sol  Our  fruits- 
and  grains  are  safe,  from  these  vile  foes.  Patience, 
friend — think  again,  what  result  would  follow  even 
as  to  these.  Not  a  blossom  or  germ  would  be  at- 
tacked, by  a  marauder,  and  all  of  them  would  be 
left  to  live  or  die  as  they  might,  in  unimpeded  de- 
velopment. Think  you  that  your  trees  would  be 
sure  to  cast  offal!  the  superfluous  fruit,  and  I'eserve 
only  a  quantity  which  they  were  capable  of  well 
sustaining,  and  bringing  to  perfection?  Not  so  ; 
they  would  be  over-loaded,  and  your  fruit  would 
be  smaller  and  of  inferior  quality,  and  at  the  same 
time  the  trees  would  be  greatly  exhausted,  and 
perhaps  rendered  shortlived,  by  overtasking  their 
vital  powers.  Their  wood  and  branches  must 
grow  annually,  and  be  sustained  by  the  same  stock 
that  yields  the  fruit,  and  in  due  proportion  to  the 
general  demands  upon  the  trees  for  maturing  their 
present  fruit,  and  preserving  their  vigor  and  health 
for  subsequent  years.  Many  lessons  the  Ruler  of 
Nature  teaches  us,  which  through  inattention  we 
are  wont  to  overlook.  If  animals  need  rest,  and 
can  endure  only  a  given  amount  of  labor,  why 
should  not  fruit  trees  follow  the  same  law,  and  be 
relieved  of  the  excessive  burden  they  would  be  des- 
tined to  bear,  without  that  kind  of  pruning,  for 
which  certain  insects  are  employed  ?     I-'Ct  us  not 


1853. 


NEW  KNGLAND  PARMER. 


263 


say,  then,  that  they  are  altogether  pernicious, 
when  we  see  our  peach  branches  sure  to  break 
down  without  props,  or  unless  much  relieved  of 
their  burden  by  our  own  hands,  and  when  we  may 
be  sure  a  superabundant  and  imperfect  fruitage 
would  load  our  orchatds,  if  no  worm-eaten  apple 
were  dislodged  from  their  branches. 

As  to  plum  tree  warts,  my  conjecture  is,  that  as 
they  have  not,  so  far  as  I  know,  been  proved  to  be 
produced  by  insects,  they  arise  from  the  want  of 
the  healthy  deposition  of  the  woody  fibre,  and  that 
this  may  result  from  obstructed  circulation  of  the 
sap,  this  being  caused  by  deficiency  of  one  or  more 
ingredients  in  the  soil.  Impeded  circulation  of  sap 
may  cause  an  accumulation  of  it  in  particular 
places,  there  forming  the  warts.  If  the  conjecture 
should  be  well  founded,  the  desideratum  would  be 
to  ascertain  what  to  apply  to  the  soil  around  the 
tree,  to  promote  free  circulation  of  the  sap.  I  de- 
sire vegetable  physiologists  to  cast  light  upon  the 
subject  if  they  can  ;  if  such  is  the  disease,  what  is 
the  cure  1  W  e  v/ould  refrain  from  constant  am- 
putation of  the  trees,  if  a  better  course  can  be  pre- 
scribed. 

A  young  seedling  peach  tree  began  last  spring 
to  send  out  long,  curly,  misshapen  leaves,  on  cer- 
tain branches,  and  where  these  grew,  the  branch- 
es were  distended,  grew  crooked,  and  stopped  ex- 
tending themselves.  Free  application  of  urine  to 
the  root  was  followed  by  their  recovery  and  healthy 
growth.  Hence  I  surmise  that  as  the  disease  of 
the  peach  tree  yielded  to  this  application,  the  same, 
or  phosphate  of  ammonia,  or  phosphate  of  lime, 
might  have  the  like  effect  upon  the  plum  tree. 
But  fair  experiments  are  better  than  conjectures  or 
surmises.  J.  Lee. 

'Salisbuiy,  Conn.,  Feb.  8ik,  1853. 

P.  S.  Feb.  9th.  Since  writing  the  foregoing  re- 
marks, my  conjecture  as  to  the  cause  is  much 
strengthened,  by  examining  two  warty  twigs  from 
a  neighbor's  plum  tree.  I  have  wanted  a  lens 
however,  to  enable  me  positively  to  decide  whether 
there  are  any  traces  of  a  minute  insect's  work. 
Two  holes  through  the  black  coating  of  the  largest 
wart  I  traced  with  my  knife  carefully,  and  some 
evidence  of  the  dusty  gnawings  of  a  worm  was  in- 
dicated for  some  distance,  and  a  minute  trace  of 
his  course  seemed  discernible.  Yet  if  a  worm  had 
been  at  work,  he  might  have  sprung  from  an  egg 
deposited  in  the  wart  while  young  and  growing, 
and  not  be  the  original  cause  of  it.  The  other 
twig  presented  no  discoverable  symptom  of  this 
kind.  The  diseased  growth  encompassed  the  twig 
half  round,  the  distance  of  about  two  inches  in 
length.  It  is  evidently  a  fungus  formation,  shoot- 
ing in  layers  from  the  wood  of  the  twig,  and  ex- 
tending sometimes  nearly  to  its  pith.  A  iittle  be- 
low the  wart,  the  early  stage  of  the  disease  is  seen, 
indicating  that  the  bark  had  first  cracked  open 
along  the  /twig,  and  then  exudation  of  sap  had 
formed  an  incipient  wart  firmly  attached  to  the 
wood  beneath.  The  healthy  deposit  of  woody 
fibre  beneath  the  bark  gives  place  to  this  curious 
exhausting  malformation,  whatever  may  be  the 
peculiar  predisposing  cause.  The  knobs  and  wens 
on  oaks  possibly  are  of  a  similar  character,  espe- 
cially those  found  at  times,  upon  their  smaller 
branches.  The  exuding  gum  of  peach  trees  seems 
incapable  of  producing  a  like  effect,  yet  it  extends 
disease  beneath  the  bark,  by  being  forced  out  of 


its  appropriate  course.  So,  also,  I  find  the  inner 
bark  of  the  plum  twig  diseased  some  distance  be- 
low the  wart.  What  I  have  thus  stated,  even  if 
I  have  formed  a  wrong  opinion,  may  awaken  in- 
vestigation, and  perhaps  result  in  a  clear  explana- 
tion of  the  subject,  by  some  pen  more  competent 
to  the  task.  j.  l. 
• 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
MONTHLY  FARMER  FOR  APRIL. 

Did  you  ever  write  an  article  for  the  Farmer, 
several  pages  of  fiiir,  legible  manuscript — (of 
course  you  would  send  no  other  to  the  printers,  as 
an  honest  man  you  would  not,  for  they  earn  a  liv- 
ing by  their  profession,  and  when  obliged  to  "take" 
bad  copy  they  lose  time,  patience,  and  money,  too, 
almost  as  directly  as  though  it  were  "picked" 
from  their  pocket  by  the  careless  writer  ;  and  not 
only  do  they  receive  all  such  excuses  as  "in  haste," 
"no  time  to  re-write,"  "excuse  my  scribbling," 
&c.,  most  ungraciously,  but  they  do  sometimes  say 
hard  words,  very  hard,  about  the  writing  and  the 
writer  ;  no,  you  never  sent  any  such  !) — but  as  I 
was  about  to  inquire,  did  you  not  experience  some- 
thing like  disappointment  when  you  saw  how 
small  a  space  your  article  of  several  sheets  of  let- 
ter-paper occupied,  when  printed?  I  have  felt  so 
myself ;  and  this  has  set  me  a-thinking  of  the  mass 
of  manuscript  required  to  fill  up  a  single  number 
of  the  monthly  Farmer,  whieh  consists  mainly  of 
original  matter. 

But  the  amount  is  not  all ;  look  a  moment  at 
the  variety  of  the  "pile"  of  brain-dust  that  is 
monthly  coined  into  a  circulating  medium,  at  this 
one  mint. 

Besides  all  that  is  written  by  the  editor,  inclu- 
ding reports  of  over  fifty  speeches  or  remarks  at 
agricultural  meetings,  and  replies  to  some  ten  or 
fifteen  correspondents,  by  initials,  in  various  parts 
of  the  country,  and  a  few  choice  selections,  we 
find,  in  the  April  number,  in  the  order  of  its  pages, 
articles  on  various  topics,  from  gentlemen  who 
have  "subscribed  themselves"  as  follows  : — 

,  (no  signRture.)  Silas  Brown,  Wilmington, 

F.  Kyle,  Chester  Village.  B.  F.  Conant,  Lyme,  N.  II. 

Henry  F.French,  Exeter,  N.H.  S.  F>,  Winchester. 

G    B.  Clarke,  Leonardsviile.     H.  D.  W. 

E.  C.  L.,  Lebanon,  Ct.  Geo.  B.  Green,  Windsor,  Vt. 

Solon  Uykc,  Columbia,  S.  C.    J.  W.  Proctor,  Danvers. 

Bachelor.  John  Brooks,  Princeton. 

Bow€n  Barker,  Hanson.  J.  Reynolds,  Concord. 

.1.  F.  C.  IL,  Newton  Centre.    A.  G.  Comings,  Mason,  N.  H. 

Benjamin  Willard,  Lancaster.  John  Merrill,  Bristol,  N.  H. 


W.  D.  B.,  Concord. 

E   Scott,  Ludtow,  Vt. 

W.  Clift,  Stouiiigton,  Ct. 

W.  B.,  Elmwood. 

B. 

L.  S.  IL,  Norttiamptcn. 


J.  W.  Proctor,  Danvers. 
Young  Farmer. 
S.  Tenny,  Lewiston  Fals. 
3.  W.  Proctor,  Danvers. 
J.  Reynolds,  Concord. 
J.  A.  S.,  Colebrook,  Ct. 


One  or  two  thoughts  are  suggested  by  the  fore- 
going list. 

First,  that  mere  initials  deprive  an  article  of 
much  of  that  force  and  reliableness  of  character, 
which  the  name  in  full,  and  place  of  residence,  of 
the  writer,  confer  upon  his  production. 

Secondly,  that  the  names  enumerated  show  the 
impropriety  of  holding  the  editor  responsible  for 
all  opinions  that  may  be  advanced  in  the  columns 
of  the  Farmer.  One  would  suppose  that  the  print- 
er sufficiently  distinguished  the  editorials  from  the 
communications,  and  both  from  the  selections,  to 
prevent  doubt  or  confusion.  The  editorial  is  al- 
ways "leaded,"  by  which  the  lines  are  so  separa- 
ted as  to  give  it  an  open  appearance,  while  the 


264 


NEW  ENGLAND.  FARMER. 


JlftTE 


lines  of  all  other  articles  are  "close"  together.  At 
the  head  of  each  eommanication  is  this  annonnce- 
ment,  '^For  the  New  England  Farmer;''^  which  is 
as  much  as  to  say,  "this  article  was  written  for, 
not /)y  the  Farmer,  and  therefore  the  responsibility 
thereof  belongs  to  the  writer,"  whose  name,  or 
"mark"  at  least,  is  appended.  As  to  selections, 
we  find  their  source  or»>"credit"  distinctly  giv- 
en. 

While  some  readers  confound  or  overlook  all 
these  distinctions,  and  regard  the  Farmer  as  an 
indivisible  whole,  for  wliich  the  editor  alone  is  re- 
sponsible, there  are  others  who  do  understand 
them,  but  hold  that  the  editor  ought  not  to  allow 
space  to  be  occupied  in  the  propagation  of  what 
they  regard  as  heresy.  Alas,  poor  human  nature  ! 
That  same  old  leaven  which  fermented  society 
when  the  Copernican  system  was  announced,  when 
the  first  saw-mill  was  mobbed  out  of  England, 
when  men  sneered  at  Fulton's  steamboat,  still 
lurks  in  the  whole  lump  of  humanity  ;  so  that  the 
editor  of  the  Farmer,  in  the  number  before  us, 
finds  it  necessary  to  announce,  in  a  note  to  his  ac- 
count of  a  Legislative  Agricultural  Meeting,  that 
"the  reports  of  agricultural  discussions  at  the 
State  House,  give  opinions  for  which  we  feel  no 
sort  of  responsibility.  This  is  the  case  with  com- 
munications which  we  publish."  And  why  should 
you  ?  Who  ever  thought  of  holding  the  President 
of  the  Senate,  the  Speaker  of  the  House,  or  the 
reporter  of  either  body,  responsible  for  the  opin- 
ions stated  in  debate  by  the  members'?  Why  then 
the  editor  for  those  of  his  correspondents,  so  long 
as  they  do  not  transgress  tlie  "rules  of  order," 
which  he  should  see  to  it  are  always  observed  ? 

The  importance  of  the  utmost  freedom  of  dis- 
cussion on  the  subject  of  American  agriculture, 
must  be  an  apology  for  these  remarks.  In  our  ef- 
forts to  build  up  an  American  system,  we  may  find 
it  necessary,  to  pull  down  some  of  the  principles 
of  the  European  one  brought  over  by  our  fathers. 
We  have  not  only  to  establish  principles,  but  to 
root  out  prejudices  ;  not  only  to  learn  things  new, 
but  to  unlearn  time-honOred  practices.  One  of 
the  committees  of  the  Massachusetts  board  says : 
"We  are  practising  on  principles  and  theories 
originating  in  a  country,  in  some  respects  widely 
.different  in  climate,  soil,  products,  and  the  social 
condition  of  its  laboring  population.  In  England 
the  farmer  has  to  guard  against  excess  of  mois- 
ture ;  here  he  has  to  guard  against  the  want 
of  it.  There,  land  is  dear  and  labor  cheap  ;  here, 
labor  is  dear  and  land  cheap.  Yet  our  agricultu- 
ral works  are  mostly  of  English  origin."  We  need, 
therefore,  a  system  adapted  to  our  situation.  The 
exercise  of  our  own  eyes,  experience,  and  judg- 
ment, is  required,  in  its  construction  ;  and  a  pret- 
ty large  margin  must  l)e  allowed  for  the  various 
opinions  of  those  who  are  lieartily  engaged  in  this 
great  work.  The  principle  that  holds  correspon- 
dents amenable  to  editors,  would  hold  the  editor, 
also,  responsible  to  some  "higher  power,"  and 
must  result  in  nothing  sliort  of  tliat  censorship  of 
the  press  which  has  always  checked  progress  and 
improvement,  and  bound  the  people  to  ignorance 
and  servitude.  How  disastrously  this  principle 
would  affect  the  character  of  tlie  Fariner.  It  would 
destroy  that  independence,  freedom,  originality, 
and  spirit,  which  now  mark  every  page,  and  give 
interest  to  the  whole. 

Make  the  editor,  or  any  one  of  his  correspon- 


dents, responsible  for  all  the  opinions  advanced  in 
the  April  Farmer,  and  what  a  fluttering  there 
would  be  among  the  "articles"  of  which  it  is  com- 
posed. 

Notwithstanding,  for  instance,  that  the  editor 
has  often  expressed  his  belief  that  "successive  im- 
provements'" have  been  made  in  plows,  on  page 
158,  "Bachelor"  is  allowed  a  "confab,"  in  which 
preference  is  expressed  for  one  20  years  old,  and 
the  "cold  shoulder" — a  habit  of  all  bachelors — is 
given  to  modern  "improvements." 

On  page  168,  the  editor  gives  tables,  from  vari- 
ous analyses,  of  the  nutritive  value  of  roots  com- 
pared with  hay  ;  by  which  it  appears  that  1000 
parts  of  carrots  contain  about  the  same  amount  of 
nutritive  matter  as  1000  parts  of  herds-grass,  or 
2000  parts  of  clover  hay.  Yet  on  page  183,  ex- 
periments are  given  which  place  the  value  of  car- 
rots at  "between  one-third  and  one-half  that  of 
good  English  hay."  On  page  195,  Mr.  Clark  es- 
timates the  cost  of  dressing  an  acre  with  barn-yard 
manure  at  $42,  with  guano  only  $7,50;  yet  the 
editor  finds  it  necessary  to  caution  formers  against 
a  "guano  fever,"  and  recommends  it  only  aa  an 
adjunct. 

Similar  instances,  to  almost  any  extent,  might 
be  adduced,  but  the  foregoing  will  suffice.  Truth, 
not  agreement,  should  be  the  object  s'livrht. 
"Many  men  of  many  minds,"  is  an  old  Bayiug  ; 
and  all  the  inquisitions,  racks,  censors,  auu  oj^.ies, 
yet  invented  have  failed  in  making  men  think, 
speak  and  write  alike.  As  we  have  done,  so  let 
us  continue  to  do — "agree  to  differ;"  and  each 
one  bear  the  responsibility  of  the  reasons  given  for 
the  faith  that  is  in  him. 

Having  said  thus  much  in  relation  to  the  April 
Farmer,  in  general,  we  have  space  for  but  a  few 
remarks  upon  the  articles  in  particular. 

The  suggestions  in  "the  calendar  for  April"  re- 
specting flans,  would  furnish  woof  for  the  whole 
web  of  a  volume.  Who  can  give  a  better  state- 
ment of  the  difference  between  great  men  and  lit- 
tle ones,  than  that  the  one  can,  and  the  other  can- 
not, form  distinct  plans  of  action? 

Until  '■'■Nexv  England  Houseieives^^  bemoan  their 
lot  as  they  "compare  their  state  with  the  imagi- 
nary comfort"  of  those  who  have  slaves 

-"to  fan  them  while  they  sleep 


And  tremlile  when  ihey  wake," 

it  may  be  unnecessary' to  discuss  fiu'ther  this  for- 
bidden topic,  especially  as  it  would  seem  that  those 
who  "love"  slavery  are  already  engaged  in  "com- 
batting" and  "exhorting"  "matrons"  at  home. 

^^ Shell  Lime.''' — The  writer,  or  printer,  has  put 
an  extra  "bushel  of  salt"  into  the  directions  for 
preparing  this  article.  Has  this  composition  been 
ti'ied  extensively  ? 
"J.  New  Grassy — We  have  here  a  very  sanguine 
recommendation  of  a  new  grass,  particularly  for 
light  soils,  which  the  writer  obtained  from  a  sin- 
gle plant  found  among  turnips  raised  from  English 
seed.  The  committee  on  Farms  of  Worcester  Co., 
who  examined  this  grass,  is  rather  less  sanguine 
than  Mr.  Willard  appears  to  be.  On  the  pine- 
plain  pastui-e,  they  found  "much  white  clover  in 
blossom,  and  some  of  the  brome  grass."  As  hay, 
they  speak  of  it  as  "coarse,"  and  reserve  their 
recommendation  of  its  general  use  until  a  "jury  of 
cows"  shall  have  passed  upon  it.  {Trans.  1851, 
p.  153.  Is  it  not  time  this  verdict  should  be  ren- 
dered ? 


1853, 


NEW  ENGBAND  lARMER. 


265 


"Influence  of  Neivspapers.^^ — Mr.  Brown  gives 
us  a  lecture  liere,  that  ought  not  to  bo  forgotten. 
"Can  a  man  take  fire  in  his  bosom  and  his 
clotlies  not  be  bumt."  Can  the  family  read  some 
papers  weekly,  and  correct  notions  of  life  not  be 
destroyed?  Wlien  ftu-mers  complain  that  their 
sons  leave  for  the  city,  and  that  their  daughters 
prefer  the  factory  or  shop  to  a  good  home,  I  feel 
curious  to  learn  the  character  of  the  newspaper 
they  have  provided  for  their  children. 

'^Farmers''  Lihraries,^^  recommended  for  neigh- 
borhoods. I  like  the  suggestion  of  the  editor  that 
toAvn  libraries  be  supplied  with  agricultural  books. 
So  far  as  possible  the  established  and  endowed  in- 
stitutions for  education ,  and  all  the  usual  means 
of  improvement  at  command,  should  be  made  avail- 
able for  the  advancement  (jf  the  agricultural  inter- 
est, instead  of  looking  for  new  and  untried  schemes. 

" Legislative  Agricultural  Meetings.'''' — With 
this  number  of  the  Farmer  in  our  hands,  we  can 
sit  by  our  own  fire-side,  and  "hear"  the  discus- 
sions at  four  of  these  ineetings  ;  when  "Farmers' 
Institutes,"  "Fruit  Trees,"  and  "Manures,"  were 
debated.  Few  of  us  can  go  to  Boston  and  attend 
these  assemblies  ;  the  editor  therefore  gives  us  full 
reports  of  the  sayings  of  our  wise  men. 

'■'■Agricultural  Mass  Meeting.'''' — The  discussions 
and  speeches  on  this  occasion,  judging  from  the 
reports  here  given,  were  of  rare  variety,  and  abil- 
ity— the  man  of  science  and  the  rigid  practical 
man,  met  face  to  face,  where 

"Mind  with  mind  did  blend  and  brighten," 

on  such  topics  as  farm  buildings,  stock,  education, 
root  crops,  manures,  &c.,  &c.  The  remark  that] 
we  cannot  "re-produce  stocks  [of  cattle]  imported,  ■ 
anymore  than  we  can  breed  Englishmen,"  and 
the  reply  of  Mr.  French,  furnish  texts  for  thought, 
and,  I  would  suggest,  for  dissertations.  "Al- 
though we  are  from  the  same  stock,  we  are  not 
Englishmen."  Is  not  the  difference  alarming? 
AVhat  mean  the  sunken  cheeks,  depressed  chest, 
round  shoulders,  projecting  head,  decayed  teeth, 
pre-ternatural  bright  eyes,  and  sickly  countenance, 
that  distinguish  the  American  everywhere  ? 

^'■The farmer  with  tioo  ideas,^''  by  the  author  of 
"Eating  their  bodies  iip,"  articles  on  "Grifting," 
•on  "Forcing  Vegetables,"  "Benefits  of  Associated 
Efforts,"  "Ornamental Trees,"  "Experiments  with 
potatoes,  as  to  manure,  time  of  planting,  seed," 
Ac.,  and  a  great  variety  of  other  instructive  and 
interesting  articles,  that  fill  up  this  number,  have 
as  little  need  of  my  recommendation  as  I  have 
space  in  which  to  give  it.  I  wish,  however,  just 
to  ask  the  boys  if  they  read  the  last  article  in 
their  department.  Who  will  read  it  again,  and 
look  out  for  "number  one,"  by  heeding  its  sug- 
gestions. A  Reader. 

Winchester,  April,  1853. 


securing  the  blade  of  the  scythe  to  the  snath,  by 
passing  its  shank  through  the  end  of  a  stationary 
metal  cap,  and  securing  it  by  means  of  the  upward 
pressure  of  a  screw.  This  invention  is  by  Mr.  Al- 
PHEDS  KiMB.\LL,  of  Fitchburg,  Mass.,  and  it  seems 
to  us  to  be  a  decided  improvement  over  any  other 
mode  we  have  seen. 


For  the  New  England  Farmtr. 
INQUIRIES  AND  CENSURES. 

Mr.  Brown  : — I  notice  in  the  New  England 
Farmer  an  advertisement  for  super-phosphate  of 
lime — a  chemical  compound,  said  to  be  very  use- 
ful as  an  application  to  crops  of  different  kinds,  on 
light,  loamy  soils.  It  is  offered  for  sale  in  bags  or 
barrels.  Its  price  is  not  stated,  by  the  pound  or 
hundred  weight,  v/hich  is  a  great  defect  in  the  ad- 
vertisement, (a.) 

No  common  farmer  can  with  safety  purchase 
this,  without  knowing  its  price,  and  its  fertilizing 
qualities,  and  hovv'  to  apply  it,  and  in  what  quan- 
tities. If  he  should,  without  any  experimental 
knowledge  of  his  own,  or  directions  from  others 
who  might  know,  he  would  suffer  a  loss  in  propor- 
tion to  his  outlay  ;  and  thus  his  prejudice  against 
book  farming  and  agricultural  papers  be  in- 
creased,  (b.) 

Is  it  not  the  duly  oj  an  editor  of  an  agricultural 
paper,  when  he  inserts  a  notice  of  a  new  fertilizing 
substance,  to  state  its  price  and  what  he  knows 
about  it,  and  how  it  is  to  be  applied?   (c.) 

Farmers  ought  to  know  the  truth,  as  far  as  pos- 
sible. If  deceived  by  those  to  whom  they  look 
for  correct  information, they  are  under  strong  temp- 
tations to  withdraw  their  patronage,  (d.)  The 
truth  should  be  told  and  all  known  facts  stated, 
and  if  the  farmer  suffers  loss,  he  has  no  one  to 
blame  excepting  himself. 

There  are  humbugs  in  agriculture,  as  well  as  iu 
politics  -,  and  if  editors  of  agricultural  papers  give 
them  their  sanction,  they  do  an  essential  injury  to 
the  cause  they  profess  to  aid.   (e.) 

It  is  not  intimated  that  the  Neio  England  Farm- 
er is  of  this  character  ;  its  editorial,  and  other  ar- 
ticles, are  of  practical  utility,  bat  its  advertise- 
ment in  relation  to  super-phosphate  of  lime  needs 
explanation.  Is  this  as  good  as  that  manufactured 
at  New  Haven,' L'onn.,  styled  improved  super-phos- 
phate of  lime,  and  sold  at  two  and  a  half  cents  per 
pound  by  the  quantity?  John  Wilcox. 

Newport,  N.  H.,  April,  1853. 


Scythe  Fastenings. — Every  thing  that  tends  to 
facilitate  the  business  of  haying,  if  it  does  not  come 
at  an  extravagant  cost,  is  desirable.  Labor  is  al- 
ways high  during  that  busy  period,  and  the  crop  is 
of  such  a  nature  as  to  depreciate  rapidly  if  not 
gathered  at  the  proper  moment.  We  want  not  only 
good  tools,  but  those  that  are  not  easily  liable  to 
get  out  of  order.  The  scythe  is  the  important  im- 
plement at  that  time.     We  notice  a  new  way  of 


Remarks. — AVe  give  all  concerned,  readers  and 
advertiser,  the  benefit  of  friend  Wilcox's  com- 
munication, as  well  as  to  afford  us  opportunity  to 
say  a  word  of  the  relation  which  exists  between 
the  publisher  and  advertiser. 

(a.)  It  seems  to  us  that  advertisers,  as  a  gener- 
al thing,  would  find  customers  more  readily  and 
save  themselves  unnecessary  vexation  and  expense, 
by  stating  the  price  in  plain  terms,  of  the  commod- 
ity they  Avish  to  sell.  And  in  regard  to  special 
manures,  no  fixrmer  in  the  possession  of  his  sen- 
ses would  think  of  ordering  them  before  knowing 
their  cost.  He  is,  in  the  first  place,  obliged  to 
write  and  ascertain  what  the  price  is,  and  then,  if 


266 


NEW  ENGLANfl  FARMER. 


June 


it  suits  liim,  write  again  to  oi'der  the  article. — 
This  causes  unnecessary  delay  and  expense. 

(b.)  If  a  farmer  hasn't  a  head  of  his  own,  and 
^r'ill  not  think  and  investigate  for  himself,  he  has 
no  cause  to  blame  the  books  or  newspapers.  He 
should  not  go  into  large  outlays  for  manures  or 
any  thing  else  upon  the  declaration  of  any  book  or 
newspaper  in  existence.  Let  him  begin  moderate- 
ly, "try  all  things  and  hold  fast  that  which  is 
good."  There  are  so  many  varying  circumstan- 
ces, that  no  set  of  rules  will  be  applicable  to  all 
farms.  The  cultivator  must  learn  this,  and  then 
exercise  his  own  judgment,  after  such  discussions 
with  his  neighbors  as  he  may  always  be  able  to 
have.  As  a  conductor  of  a  public  Journal,  we  feel 
bound  to  give  our  best  energies  to  the  vyork  in 
which  we  are  engaged ;  mind  and  body,  and  if 
need  be,  a  portion,  at  least,  of  our  estate.  No 
part  of  life  ever  found  us  a  more  ardent  student 
than  in  your  service  now  ;  no  heart  beats  more 
responsive  to  the  calls  that  come  up  from  every 
part  of  the  land  for  "more  light,"  in  the  great  art 
which  sustains  us  all.  This  application  of  the 
mind,  together  with  the  daily  application  of  the 
hands  to  the  cultivation  of  the  soil,  ought,  and 
does  give  us  confidence  in  a  great  many  particu- 
lars in  relation  to  the  art.  But  after  all,  we  are 
fallible,  and  mean  to  be  cautious. 

(c.)  No  !  A  skilful  chemist  and  practical  far- 
mer, for  instance,  states  that  he  has  prepared  a 
valuable  fertilizer,  and  desires  to  make  it  known 
through  the  columns  of  the  Farmer.  Are  we 
bound  to  refuse  him  that  right  until  we  have  ex- 
perimented on  his  article  two  or  three  years,  or 
incurred  an  expense  of  $25  to  procure  a  chemical 
analysis  ?  Certainly  not.  The  advertising  depart- 
ment is  out  of  our  province.  We  sometimes  re- 
fer to  advertisements  when  we  are  confident  the 
article  spoken  of  is  worthy  public  attention  ;  be- 
yond that,  we  have  nothing  to  do,  confident  that 
the  publishers  will  admit  nothing  having  an  im- 
moral tendency,  or  in  any  way  injurious  to  the 
public  welfare.  Our  correspondent  is  referred  to 
another  article  in  this  number  signed  "A  Reader." 

{(!.)  We  agree  with  the  genei-al  proposition  of 
this  sentence,  but  its  connection  is  unfortunate. 
Because  we  refrain  from  speaking  of  an  article  ad- 
vertised, it  cannotbyanyfair  process  of  reasoning, 
be  supposed  that  deception  is  intended.  Then  the 
word  patronage,  as  used  in  this  sentence  is  not 
known  to  us.  We  have  no  patrons.  When  the 
reader  of  the  Farmer  thinks  he  does  not  get  an 
equivalent  for  his  money,  we  advise  him  to  seek 
some  other  source  of  benefit.  So  long  as  we  have 
hands  and  feet,  and  a  modicum  of  sense  to  guide 
them,  we  shall  have  no  patrons.  The  farmer  has 
his  cust07ners  for  his  wheat,  corn  and  cattle,  and 
the  printer  his  for  the  articles  he  has  to  spare,  but 
they  are  neither  of  them  patrons. 


(e.)  This,  too,  is  correct  doctrine,  but  placed  in 
juxtaposition  with  foregoing  remarks,  admits  of 
different  constructions.  But  the  premises  being 
wrong  in  supposing  that  we  are  bound  to  approve 
or  condemn  whatever  may  be  found  in  our  adver- 
tising columns,  the  deductions  that  follow  are  also 
wrong. 

We  wish  this  matter  understood.  Unless  we  ap- 
prove an  article  advertised,  the  fi^ct  that  it  appears 
in  the  columns  of  the  Far^ncr,  is  no  evidence  of 
commendation  from  us.  The  article  in  question, 
super-phosphate  of  lime,  has-been  spoken  of  by 
others,  in  our  columns,  and  analyses  have  been 
given  by  distinguished  chemists  which  we  will  in- 
sert. The  price  of  the  super-phosphate  is  about 
$55  per  ton. 

GRECIAN  FARMERS". 

Professor  Felton,  of  Cambridge,  is  delivering  a 
course  of  lectures  at  the  Lowell  Institute,  in  thi» 
city,  on  "Life  in  Greece."  From  his  third  lecture, 
as  reported  in  the  Traveller,  we  take  the  follow- 
ing interesting  description  of  rural  life  among  the 
ancient  Greeks. 

The  love  of  rural  life  was  one  of  the  deepest  pas- 
sions of  the  Grecian  heart,  beyond  the  realm  of 
Arcadia,  real  or  ideal.  Wliat  lovely  touches  of 
nature  adorn  with  their  exquisite  beauty  the  dia- 
logues of  Plato  and  even  the  comedies  of  Aristo- 
phanes. Through  the  whole  compass  of  Greek 
literature,  the  sights  and  sounds  of  the  country, 
the  sweet,  calm  sunshine,  the  fleecy  cloud,  the 
song  of  the  lark  and  the  nightingale,  the  rising 
sun,  the  rich  meadow,  the  cattle  feeding  in  the 
pastures,  furnished  thoughts  which  moved  harmo- 
nious members.  When  the  Peloponnesian  war 
opened,  the  plains  of  Attica  were  covered  with 
residences,  elegantly  furnished,  which  the  inhab- 
itants with  regret  and  tears  looked  back  upon  from 
the  walls  of  the  city,  while  the  Spartan  armies 
were  laying  all  waste  with  fire  and  sword.  The 
country  was  tastefully  decorated  with  little  tem- 
ples or  chapels,  consecrated  to  the  nymphs  and  ru- 
ral deities;  and  the  lands  were  made  holy  ground, 
because  in  them  were  buried  the  ancestors  of  the 
families  residing  in  the  mansions. 

The  Greek  gardens  were  laid  out  with  lawns, 
groves,  thickets  and  avenues  ;  while  fountains  fed 
meandering  rivulets.  Beds  of  asphodel,  hyacinth 
and  violets,  roses,  myrtles  and  pomegranates,  di- 
versified the  scene,  or  wafted  perfume  to  the  senses. 
Here  Athenian  taste  and  luxury  displayed  itself. 
The  Greek  as  a  farmer  or  city  gentleman,  is  not 
the  Greek  of  classical  associations  ;  and  yet,  per- 
haps, just  in  these  relations,  he  was  most  intense- 
ly Greek. 

Homer  gives  a  lively  sketch  of  the  primitive 
country  life.  Ilcsiod  was  a  Boeotian  fiirmer,  and 
gives  precepts  which  seem  to  have  been  drawn 
u'om  his  own  experience,  concerning  lucky  and 
unlucky  days,  weather,  &c.  The  early  Greek  phi- 
losophers carefully  observed  the  phenomena  of  the 
heavens,  and  were  skilled  in  the  arts  of  the  seasons. 
The  habits  of  animals,  the  properties  of  soils  and 
their  adaptation  to  different  kinds  of  crops,  were 
matters  of  which  they  knew.     Wagons,  carts, 


1853. 


NEW  ENGJ.AND  FARMER. 


267 


plows  and  harrows  were  manufactured  on  the 
farm  or  in  its  vicraity,  and  the  wood  used  was  cho- 
sen with  care.  Corn  was  ground  in  a  mortar  with 
a  pestle,  and  in  later  times  ina  mill.  The  list  of 
otiicr  implements,  such  as  scythes,  saws,  spades, 
rakes,  &c.,  could  hardly  bo  extended  now.  The 
use  of  guano,  sea-weed,  and  commoner  substances, 
was  perfectly  understood ._  Land  was  allowed  to 
recover  its  strength  by  lying  fallow.  Scarecrows 
were  set  up  in  the  fields  to  scare  away  birds  ; 
though  a  ''spell"  was  also  used,  viz  : — having 
caught  a  toad  they  carried  him  around  the  field  by 
night  alive,  and  then  put  him  in  a  jar,  scaled  him 
»ap,  and  buried  him  in  the  middle  of  the  ground; 
when,  this  representative  enemy  being  buried,  the 
seed  was  supposed  to  be  safe  from  enemies.  The 
value  of  hay  was  well  understood.  The  time  for 
mowing  was  carefully  determined,  and  the  hay- 
ricks made  with  due  precautions  against  both 
damp  and  spontaneous  combustion.  When  the 
time  ol  harvest  came,  the  laborers  of  Athens 
ranged  themselves  round  the  agora  and  waited  to 
be  employed  by  the  farmers. 

The  grain  was  separated  from  the  straw  by 
horses,  oxen  and  mules,  in  a  circular  threshing 
floor,  usually  placed  on  an  eminence  in  the  opjen 
field.  A  pole  was  set  up  in  the  centre,  and  the 
cattle  fastened  to  it  by  a  rope  reaching  to  the  cir- 
cumference. They  moved  round  it  until  they 
were  brought  up  at  the  centre  by  the  winding  up 
•of  the  rope,  and  were  then  turned  in  the  opposite 
direction  till  it  was  unwound.  Sometimes  a  rude 
threshing  machine,  toothed  with  stones  or  iron, 
or  a  flail,  was  employed.  In  Homer's  time  a  win- 
nowing machine  was  used  also.  When  the  har- 
vest was  completed,  the  event  was  celebrated  by 
a  festival  in  honor  of  Deraeter  and  Dionysius,  at 
which  cakes  and  fruit  alone  were  oflered. 

The  culture  of  the  vine  was  a  subject  of  impor- 
tance, and  the  selection  of  a  spot  for  a  vineyard, 
the  direction  of  its  exposure,  the  effects  of  climate 
and  of  particular  winds , were  sedulously  considered . 
Hedging,  weeding,  setting  out  slips,  the  treatment 
of  the  vine  were  all  described  by  writers  before 
the  time  of  Virgil.  The  appearance  of  a  vineyard, 
composed  of  tree-climbing  vines,  is  beautifully  de- 
scribed by  Mr.  St.  John,  the  trees  being  ash,  pop- 
lar, maple  or  elm,  and  planted  one  row  above  an- 
other on  a  declivity,  with  the  lower  branches  cut 
off;  the  vine  climlied  thirty  to  sixty  feet,  accord- 
ing to  the  depth  of  the  soil,  and  running  out  on 
the  high  branches  arched  from  tree  to  tree,  or  on 
bridges  of  reeds. 

A  series  of  lofty  arches  was  thus  created,  beneath 
which  the  breezes  could  freely  play,  abundant  cur- 
rents of  pure  air  being  regarded  as  no  less  essential 
than  constant  sunshine  to  the  perfect  maturing  of 
the  grape.  The  fruit  was  kept  frest  or  made  into 
raisins.  It  would  be  endless  to  attempt  a  descrip- 
tion of  all  the  fruits  and  the  methods  of  raising 
them.  Cider  and  perry  were  made  from  apples 
and  pears.  The  olive  was  perhaps  most  extensively 
raised,  as  its  oil  was  used  for  lights  and  as  the  basis 
of  cookery. 

The  farmyards  had  their  noisy  tenants.  Geese 
and  ducks  often  waddled  into  the  kitchen,  in  one 
corner  of  which  might  be  heard  the  comforting 
sounds  of  th-;  occupant  of  the  pig-stye.  The  art 
of  enlarging  the  goose's  liver  for  epicures  was  well 
known  both  to  Greek  and  Egyptians.  Henerys, 
furnished  with  roosts,  were  attached  to  the  kitchen 


so  as  to  received  its  smoke,  which  was  supposed  to 
be  agreeable  to  barndoor  fowls.  Pigeons,  peacocks, 
pheasants,  guinea-hens,  &c.,  were  to  be  found  at 
the  establishments  of  wealthier  farmers.  The  la- 
boring animals  were  much  the  same  as  now,  ex- 
cept that  the  horse  was  comparatively  more  un- 
common in  the  working  of  the  farm,  being  reserved 
for  the  chase,  war,  &c.  The  arrangements  of -a 
Greek  dairy  were  much  like  ours,  and  though  but- 
ter was  little  used  in  the  classical  ages,  yet  cheese 
v/as  universally  eaten^  generally  while  fresh  and 
soft.  Milk  was  sold  in  the  Grecian  markets  by 
women,  and  it  frequently  reached  the  customer  in 
the  shape  of  milk  and  water.  A  method  used  for 
detecting  the  cheat,  was  to  drop  a  little  on  the 
thumb-nail ;  if  the  milk  was  pure,  it  would  remain 
in  its  place, — if  not  it  would  flow  away. 


SOIL— TBMPBRING  THE  SOIL. 

The  character  of  the  soil,  by  which  we  mean  its 
capacity  to  afford  a  habitation  to  the  plant  appro- 
priate to  it,  and  at  the  same  time  to  furnish  the 
required  aliment,  is  a  matted,  as  all  farmers  must 
see,  of  the  first  importance.  What  are  the  re- 
quisites to  a  soil  of  this  character?  and  how  shall 
they  be  supplied,  when  wanting? 

The  soil  sliould  be  such  as  to  afford  sufficient 
moisture  to  the  roots  and  to  admit  the  air  to  pen- 
etrate it  freely.  The  soil  consists  of  decayed  veg- 
etable matter,  sometimes  mixed  with  particles  of 
rock  reduced  to  fine  pieces  by  the  action  of  the  at- 
mosphere and  of  water,  and  sometimes  by  the 
roots  of  plants.  It  is  unnecessary  to  describe  the 
different  kinds  of  soils  in  regard  to  adaptation  to 
this  olyect  of  supplying  moisture;  second,  it  should 
afford  a  supply  of  carbonic  acid.  This  is  furnished 
by  the  decay  of  vegetable  matter,  or  by  absorption 
from  the  atmosphere.  This  faculty  of  absorption 
is  assisted  by  mixing  charcoal,  gypsum,  or  other 
matters  having  a  great  absorbing  power.  Char- 
coal has  a  great  power  of  absorbing  this  substance, 
and  it  has  been  found  that  plants  will  grow  more 
luxuriantly  in  this  than  in  any  other  soil,  if  well 
supplied  with  water.  The  benefit  of  the  charcoal 
or  gypsum  is  only  as  a  medium  of  absorption  ;  the 
fertilization  is  derived  from  the  water,  which  is 
converted  by  the  plant  itself,  in  its  vegetable  la- 
boratory, into  carbonic  acid.  Third,  the  soil 
should  be  capable  of  furnishing  a  supply  of  ammo- 
nia to  the  roots.  This  also  is  much  assisted  by 
gypsum  and  charcoal,  which  absorb  it  from  the 
atmosphere.  The  usual  mode  is  by  addition  of 
animal  matter  from  the  stable.  Nitrogen  imparts 
ammonia  to  the  plant,  and  it  is  to  this  last  that 
the  nutritive  power  of  the  cereal  grains  and  escu- 
lent vegetables  is  owing. 

Fourth,  it  should  contain  those  mineral  ingre- 
dients which  are  necessary  to  the  growth  of  plants. 
These,  if  wanting,  must  be  supplied.  The  usual 
mode  of  doing  this  is  by  the  mixture  of  other  soils. 
This  is  also  advantageously  resorted  to  when  the 
soil  is  too  little  or  too  fhuch  retentive  of  moisture 


268 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


June 


in  consequence  of  being  too  loose  or  sandy  or  cal- 
careous, or  too  compact  and  stiff.  This  is  called 
tempering  the  soil.  "When  a  soil  is  too  loose  and 
porous,  or  too  stiff,  the  mixture  of  the  opposite 
kind  in  just  proportions  will  bring  it  to  a  more  suit- 
able condition.  In  this  way  a  body  is  given  to 
those  lands  that  are  deficient  of  it,  and  those  which 
are  too  heavy  and  tenacious  are  made  more  light 
and  loose.  This  process  brings  no  nutriment  to 
the  plant  directly,  but  only  mediately  by  attaining 
a  retentive  power  in  the  right  degree,  and  thus 
furnishing  nutriment  by  a  proper  supply  of  water  ; 
and  it  also  acts  favorably  on  the  health  and  quali- 
ty of  the  plant.  Irrigation  is  the  most  beneficial 
mode  of  applying  water  to  plants,  for  the  reason 
that  in  running  over  the  ground  it  takes  up  and 
holds  in  solution  the  mineral  matters  required. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
MANURES. 

Many  a  farmer  possessed  of  acres  of  cultivated 
land,  which  in  its  present  state  is  a  source  of 
aeitlier  pleasure  or  profit,  is  convinced  of  the  ne- 
cessity of  increasing  its  productiveness,  but  is  in 
the  dark  as  to  how  the  work  is  to  be  done. 

He  may  be  unable  to  purchase  specific  manures  ; 
or  from  the  many  in  general  use,  not  know  which 
to  select.  Or — as  many  have  done — he  may  have 
erred  in  applying  foreign  fertilizers.  Perhaps 
gypsum,  sown  on  low,  wet  land,  proved  less  valu- 
able than  sand  from  the  wayside;  and  guanOj 
placed  in  the  hill,  killed  the  young  corn. 

Now,  to  all  who,  in  the  use  of  specific  manures, 
have  foiled  to  reap  the  anticipated  reward,  we  beg 
leave  to  speak  of  a  way,  in  which  your  farms  can 
be  made  more  productive,  and  that,  too,  at  a  very 
trifling  expense.  And  the  expenditure  is  an  item 
which  should  enter  the  account  of  every  farmer, 
for  economy  is  essential  to  prosperity. 

And  first — i/ou?-  barn-yard,  in  which,  perhaps, 
for  want  of  a  cellar,  all  your  manure  is  thrown  to 
be  dried  by  the  sun,  and  drenched  by  the  rain, 
till  little  is  left,  except  the  worthless  vegetable 
fibre,  with  which  to  dress  your  soil.  Cannot  some- 
thing be  done  here  ?  As  it  is,  it  may  be  the  high- 
way or  .the  brook  receive  the  liquid  manure,  for 
which  your  fields  are  languishing.  And  is  not 
the  air,  for  rods  around,  surcharged  with  ammo- 
nia, which  conduces  to  the  destruction  of  animal 
life,  instead  of  contributing  to  the  support  of  the 
vegetable  kingdom? 

Why  not  drain  that  unsightly  bog,  or  dig  the 
turf  from  beside  that  wall,  where  brakes  and  bri- 
ars grow,  deforming  the  whole  field  ;  and  cart  the 
sods  and  muck  to  your  yard  1  The  muck  and  loam 
may  be  of  little  worth  if  spread  upon  your  land  in 
their  crude  state  ;  but  incorporate  them  with  your 
manure  heap,  and  they  become  valuable  by  ab 
sorbing  what  now  escapes. 

And  your  pig-stye  !  Is  it  not  a  fit  companion  for 
the  barn-yard  1  Is  it  not  often  flooded  with  water  1 
Does  not  your  hog,  for  want  of  better  employment, 
undermine  his  fence,  and  break  forth  from  his  en- 
closure, to  the  serious  injury  of  the  garden  or  corn- 
field? 

Give  your  hog  plenty  of  leaves,  potato-tops,  and 
grass  sods,  and  his  labor  will  be  turned  to  some 


account.  He  will  earn  you  from  ten  to  twenty 
dollars  in  the  course  of  the  season,  and  in  the  fall 
fill  just  as  large  a  barrel,  as  if  he  had  spent  his  life 
in  idleness  or  mischief. 

But  perhaps  you  say,  "the  substances  above 
spoken  of,  as  materials  from  which  to  manufac- 
ture manure,  are  worthless, — that  spread  upon  the 
field  they  will  not  increase  the  crop."  In  their 
present  or  natural  state  they  may  be  indifferent 
fertilizers  ;  and  so  is  hay,  before  eaten  by  stock, 
and  wood,  before  reduced  to  ashes.  m. 

Chester,  April  18,  1853. 


For  the  P/ew  England  Farmer. 
THE  CURRANT  BORER. 

Mr.  Editor  : — There  is  an  enemy  of  the  horti- 
culturist which  is  very  destructive  in  these  parts, 
and  as  I  have  reason  to  believe,  is  not  unknown 
elsewhere,  although  I  have  not  met  with  a  notice 
of  it  in  your  valued  periodical.  I  allude  to  an  in- 
sect known  as  the  currant  borer.  Forty  years  ago, 
there  were  luxuriant  crops  of  most  excellent  cur- 
rants produced  in  this  neighborhood,  almost  spon- 
taneously. At  the  present  day  they  cannot  be 
obtained  of  good  quality  by  any  degree  of  trouble 
and  attention.  This  change  has  been  brought 
about  by  the  borer,  a  worm  or  rather  maggot, 
very  similar  in  size  and  appearance  to  the  apple 
worm,  which  also  has  long  been  destructive  to  the 
produce  of  our  orchards.  For  neither  of  these 
pests  is  any  available  remedy  known  ;  nor  is  it  pro- 
bable that  any  will  be  discovered,  until  the  nature 
of  the  insects  be  sufficiently  understood. 

Possibly  some  of  your  contributors  may  be  able 
to  impart  the  requisite  knowledge  of  their  origin, 
and  of  their  habits  during  the  several  seasons  of 
the  year.  Independently  of  its  effects,  the  currant 
worm  is  only  known  to  me  by  observation,  when 
pruning  the  bushes  in  the  spring.  I  find  the  stems 
and  branches  hollow,  the  pith  being  destroyed, 
and  a  black  powder  occupying  its  place  ;  while  at 
the  termination  of  the  hollow  part,  and  sometimes 
at  each  end  of  the  tube,  a  white  maggot,  of  half 
or  three-quarters  of  an  inch  in  length,  occupies 
the  place  of  the  pith  that  has  been  consumed. — 
There  is  generally  perceptible  a  small  puncture  in 
some  part  of  the  twig,  by  which  it  would  appear 
the  worm  made  its  entrance  ;  but  whether  it  even- 
tually drops  into  the  ground,  or  undergoes  its 
transformation  into  a  fly  Avithin  the  twig,  or  what 
description  of  fly  it  becomes,  are  points  that  have 
not  been  ascertained,  and  which  it  is  evident  must 
be  determined  in  order  that  a  remedy  may  be  ap- 
plied with  reasonable  hope  of  success. 

The  same  uncertainty  rests  upon  the  proceed- 
ings of  the  apple  worm.  Impressed  with  the  idea 
that  the  worms,  on  their  exit  from  the  apple,  en- 
tered the  earth,  I  caused  sea-weed  to  be  laid  un- 
der the  trees,  early  in  the  summer,  to  the  depth 
of  a  foot,  and  extended  it  over  all  the  ground  near 
the  trees,  and  allowed  it  to  remain  until  after  the 
bloom  was  well  over  ;  supposing  that  if  the  flies 
were  not  by  these  means  destroyed,  their  maturi- 
ty would  be  delayed,  so  that  they  would  not  rise 
out  of  the  ground  until  the  time  for  mischief  should 
be  passed.  However,  little  or  no  effect  was  visi- 
ble from  this  proceeding.  Wormy  apples  were 
as  plentiful  as  in  former  seasons.  I  know  not 
what  to  think  of  the  failure  in  this  matter.  It 
can  hardly  be  that  the   worms  become  chrysalids 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


26^ 


in  the  bark  of  ,the  trees.  They  would  surely  be 
detected  on  close  inspection.  And  if  they  retire 
into  the  ground,  it  is  difficult  to  imagine  that  they 
would  not  be  destroyed,  or  at  least  delayed  in  their 
transformation,  by  the  overlying  depth  of  sea- 
weed. 

Allow  nic  to  bring  to  your  notice  another  sub- 
ject which  I  have  not  seen  adverted  to  in  the  col- 
umns of  the  Farmer.  The  advantage  of  applying 
lime  to  cultivated  land  has  often  been  discussed  ; 
but  when  lime  is  naturally  superabundant  in  the 
soil,  what  then  is  the  corrective  ?  In  this  quarter 
there  is  land  apparently  formed  of  decomposed 
limestone.  On  removing  the  flat  limestones  lying 
on  the  surface,  a  black  mould  is  seen  underneath, 
and  large  collections  of  similar  mould  exist,  re- 
sembling the  richest  soil  in  appearance,  but  which 
is,  in  fact,  perfectly  sterile.  Not  a  grass  or  weed 
of  any  kind  grows  in  it.  A  mass  of  black  dust  in 
summer,  and  mud  in  winter,  it  remains  unchanged 
for  years.  It  is  to  be  presumed  that  similar  de- 
composed limestone  soils  exist  elsewhere,  but  I 
have  not  met  with  a  notice  of  them,  nor  with  any 
information  bearing  on  the  mode  of  treatment 
proper  for  land  of  this  description. 

If  any  of  your  correspondents  may  be  induced  to 
throw  light  upon  the  sul^jects  of  this  communica- 
tion, it  Avill  be  satisfactory  to  your  old  subscriber 
and  constant  reader,  Far  East. 

Aprils,  1853. 

P.  S.  Since  writing  the  above,  I  have  examined 
the  old  stems  of  currant  bushes  which  have  been 
subjected  in  former  years  to  the  inroads  of  the 
borer ;  and  from  certain  indications  observed,  I 
am  of  opinion  that  the  insects  accomplish  their 
changes  in  the  wood  ;  a  circumstance  that  ren- 
ders an  effectual  attack  upon  them  a  matter  of 
difficulty.  They  might  be  more  easily  reached  in 
the  ground.  It  is  probable  that  they  are  not  to 
be  annoyed  or  kept  at  a  distance  by  the  use  of 
odoriferous  substances  ;  for  the  strong  smelling 
black  currant  is  liable  to  their  invasions  equally 
with  the  red  and  white  kinds. 


grade,  from  the  surpliced  parson  to  the  frockcd 
plowman,  can  meet  and  greet  on  an  equality.  If 
no  other  benefit  accrued  from  these  shows,  this 
alone  would  sanctify  them.  I  admire  the  ar- 
rangement of  this  pamphlet,  and  the  comprehen- 
sive intelligence  it  contains.  I  like  to  know  who 
the  farmers  of  Franklin  are,  and  who  countenance 
this  employment.  I  would  respectfully  suggest 
whether  the  ladies  of  the  county  could  not  be 
brought  in  to  take  a  more  active  part,  with  much 
benefit.  If  I  rightly  remember,  in  the  account 
published  of  the  llampshire  Society  the  last  year, 
every  man  had  his  mate  ;  and  judging  from  what 
I  saw  and  know  of  them,  they  were  not  the 
least  interesting  part  of  the  show.  The  truth  is, 
whatever  the  ladies  take  hold  of,  must  go-ahead. 
Charming  creatures,  God  bless  them.  * 

April  27,  1853- 


Remarks. — There  are  important  inquiries  above, 
which  we  hope  will  receive  the  attention  of  our 
correspondents  who  are  informed  on  the  subjects. 


For  the  New  England  Fanner. 

TRANSACTIONS  OP  THE  FRANKLIN 
COUNTY  SOCIETY. 

I'his  youngest  of  the  sisters  of  the  Massachusetts 
family  comes  forth,  gallanted  by  Prof.  Mapes  and 
guided  by  President  Cushman,  in  an  array  calcu- 
lated to  arrest  the  attention,  and  secure  the  ad- 
miration of  all  she  meets.  If  we  do  not  mistake, 
she  has  made  a  distinct  impression.  Considering 
the  material  on  which  she  operated,  she  has  done 
much.  Take,  for  instance,  the  plowing  field,  on 
which  were  only  seven  teams,  and  see  the  work 
reported — and  sensibly  reported  too.  The  remarks 
on  deep  ploiving  and  thorough  pulverization  of  the 
soil,  are  my  sentiments.  They  cannot  be  too  oft 
repeated.  Tlie  humor  let  off  in  view  of  the  kinds 
exhibited,  by  one  who  knows  how  to  feather  his 
own  nest  as  well  as  most  other  politicians,  shows 
that  the  rancor  of  party  finds  no  place  at  Agricul- 
tural Shows.  This  is  as  it  should  be.  Fortunate 
is  it,  that  there  is  one  field  on  which  men  of  every 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
ANTS  AND  APHIDES. 

Mr.  Brown  : — Sir — I  observe  that  "Reviewer," 
in  the  April  number,  has  called  for  remarks  on 
ants  and  aphides,  and  finding  myself  fairly  com- 
mitted, I  feel  too  proud  to  retreat,  and  yet  half 
afraid  to  proceed ;  but  I  will  to  my  subject. 

My  childhood  was  spent  in  a  very  retired  place 
in  the  country,  where  children  know  very  little  of 
the  costly  and  artificial  nm.'iRerK^nts  of  the  city. 
A  few  neighboring  children,  with  myself,  used  to 
amuse  ourselves  by  turning  over  small  stones  that 
had  become  partly  imbedded  in  the  turf  by  the 
side  of  the  road,  to  see  the  ants  under  them  carry 
their  young  down  into  their  subterranean  abodes. 
As  I  increased  in  years,  ants  became  more  and 
more  subjects  of  interest,  as  they  were  continual- 
ly pointed  to,  as  patterns  of  industry ;  and  yet 
there  were  so  many  obstacles  in  the  way,  that  I 
made  but  little  progress  in  their  real  history. 

Some  sixteen  years  ago,  one  pleasant  spring 
day,  I  was  attending  to  the  dressing  of  my  flower 
borders,  and  noticing  that  some  house-leeks  that 
I  had  growing  in  a  terrace  wall  had  been  thrown 
out  of  place  by  the  freezing  and .  thawing  of  the 
previous  winter,  I  went  to  arrange  them,  and  on 
removing  a  stone,  I  saw  a  number  of  ants  seize 
something  in  their  mouths,  and  run  about  in  great 
confusion.  My  first  thoughts  were,  that  they 
were  protecting  their  young ;  the  next  was,  it  was 
quite  too  early  in  the  season  for  them  to  have 
young,which  induced  me  to  examine  closer ,when  I 
discovered  that  the  objects  of  their  solicitude  were 
large  plant  lice,  that  appeared  to  be  in  a  torpid 
state.  I  was  not  much  surprised  at  what  I  saw, 
for  it  is  generally  believed  that  ants  lay  up  food 
for  the  winter  ;  and  knowing  many  species  to  be 
carniverous,  or  nearly  so,  I  supposed  the  aphis 
were  for  food.  But  I  related  to  my  husband  what 
I  had  seen.  He  appeared  to  think  that  they  had 
a  different  object  in  view  ;  so  he  took  from  his  li- 
brary the  writings  of  Huber,  and  translated  for  me 
his  account  of  the  ants  of  Switzerland,  with  which 
I  was  exceedingly  interested,  and  which  opened 
for  me  a  new  field  for  observation. 

Huber  asserts  that  ants  feed  upon  the  honey- 
dew  that  exudes  from  the  aphis,  and  are  therefor© 
induced  to  take  good  care  of  them,  and  thai  they 
carry  them  down  into  their  burrows  in  autumn, 
where  the  aphis  become,  torpid ,  and  remain  so 
during  the  winter,  and  that  the  ants  expose  them 


270 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


JUNB 


gradually  to  the  genial  air  of  spring  until  they 
have  revived  into  life,  and  then  place  them  upon 
leaves  or  roots,  where  they  will  find  sap  suitable 
for  their  nourishment. 

Since  the  alxive  related  incident  occurred,  it  has 
been  no  uncommon  thing  for  me  to  see  ants  at- 
teudiLig  upon  aphis.  \V'hen  I  have  pulled  up  ra- 
dishes or  young  beets  in  the  garden,  I  have  fre- 
quently found  a  cluster  of  small  aphis  upon  the 
roots,  and  seen  small  ants  take  them  in  their 
mouths,  and  hasten  to  a  place  of  safety,  and  ap- 
pear quite  as  anxious  to  save  their  property  as 
their  lives.  I  have  never  seen  an  ant  take  an 
aphis  from  its  family  circle  and  place  it  upon  a 
leaf  by  itself  to  found  a  new  colony  ;  and  yet  I  am 
as  certain  that  they  do  do  it,  as  if  I  had  been  an 
eye-witness  of  the  fact.  I  have  frequently  seen  on 
my  woodbines  a  single  apis,  on  a  fair  leaf,  half  a 
foot  above  its  fellows,  and  in  two  days  after  that, 
there  would  be  a  cluster  of  young  ones  around  it, 
that  could  hardly  be  covered  with  a  ten  cent  piece; 
the  aphis  could  hardly  have  got  away  from  its 
companions  without  assistance,  for  they  are  not 
travellers  until  they  have  wings  ;  and  they  sel- 
dom liave  those  until  autumn. 

In  conclusion,  I  have  little  to  say  in  favor  of 
ants.  I  cannot  point  to  any  good  deed  they  do, 
beyond  their  untiring  industry.  Of  their  evil 
deeds,  they  pile  up  the  eartli  and  make  it  unsight- 
ly and  troublesome,  and  furiously  attack  those 
that  disturb  them,  and  almost  every  housekeeper 
is  more  or  less  annoyed  with  them  among  the  eat- 
ables in  her  pantries  and  closets  ;  they  bite  and 
mutilate  our  choicest  and  sweetest  fruits,  besides 
being  extensive  breeders  of  aphides.  Some  natu- 
ralists say  tliat  different  clans  of  the  same  species 
carry  on  furious  and  exterminating  wars  with  each 
other,  and  that  many  of  them  are  slave-holders, 
and  rob  tlie  neighboring  tribes  of  their  servants. 

I  have  told  my  story,  and  as  "dominion  has  been 
given  to  man,  over  every  creeping  thing  that 
creepeth  upon  the  earth,"  I  leave  the  case  for  the 
gentlemen  to  decide,  whether  ants  are  worthy  of 
life  or  not. 

Of  the  aphis,  I  have  no  knowledge  to  impart  be- 
yond what  was  written  by  my  late  husband  eight 
years  ago.  I  therefore  send  the  following  extract 
from  an  address  delivered  by  tlie  late  Judge  Dar- 
ling before  the  Agricultural  and  Horticultural  So- 
cieties of  New  Haven  county,  and  city,  in  1845. 

"The  plant  louse,  (aphis)  is  to  be  seen  on  the 
underside  of  the  leaves  of  almost  every  species  of 
plant.  And  there  is  appropriated  to  almost  every 
species  of  plant  its  distinct  species  of  aphis.  Thus 
the  cabbage-louse  is  wholly  unlike  that  of  the 
peach,  which  again  is  quite  different  from  that  of 
the  plum.  Tliey  exist  of  every  color,  gi-een,  black, 
blue,  brick  red,  brown  and  crimson, — of  all  sizes, 
from  that  of  a  pea-bug  to  that  of  a  mite,  just  visi- 
ble, naked,  or  covered  with  meal  or  wool.  Trees 
are  not  ofcen  killed  by  them,  but  they  are  checked 
in  their  growth,  and  made  to  become  crooked  and 
deformed.  When  the  plant-lice  fasten  themselves 
upon  the  roots  of  iierbaceous  plants,  as  some  spe- 
cies do,  they  prove  fatal.  The  ladies  may  have 
observed  their  China  asters,  in  particular,  to  turn 
yellow,  stop  growing,  and  finally  perish  without 
any  visible  cause.  The  grower  of  watermelons, 
too,  sees  the  leaves  of  his  vines  become  smooth 
and  glassy,  and  after  .a  few  days  die.  This  is 
caused  by  the  aphis  on  the  roots  of  the  aster  and 


melon.  The  powers  of  increase  given  to  this  in- 
sect cannot  be  contemplated  withmit  amazement. 
Reaumur,  from  the  most  careful  observation,  es- 
timated that  a  single  aphis  might  be  the  progeni- 
tor of  near  sis  thousand  millions  in  one  summer. 

"Well  might  Dr.  Darwin  fear  that  'their  count- 
less numbers  might  in  process  of  time  destroy  the 
vegetable  world.'  And  yet  perhaps  there  is  no 
insect  so  completely  in  our  power  as  this.  We  have 
only  to  put  in  practice  the  great  rule  of  farmers, 
to  do  everything  at  the  proper  time,  and  we  can  pro- 
tect our  plants  wholly  from  this  insect  with  little 
labor.  You  see  to-day,  a  plant-louse  upon  the 
leaf  of  a  cherry  tree  ;  you  neglect  to  destroy  it, 
and  to-morrow,  there  are  25 — in  22  days  more, 
there  are  50,000,  and  in  one  day  after  that,  there 
are  more  than  100,000.  A  touch  of  your  finger 
on  the  first  day  of  the  month,  may  save  you  there- 
fore the  lalior  of  a  week  with  soap-suds  and  syr- 
enges  at  the  end  of  the  month.  Destroy  the  first 
that  come  in  the  spring,  and  the  business  of  Jdlling 
plant-lice  is  finished  for  the  season.  We  are  in- 
formed by  Huber,  that  the  ants  of  Switzerland 
take  into  their  keeping  several  species  of  the  plant- 
louse,  which  they  tend  with  the  utmost  care  for 
the  sake  of  their  honey,  as  a  dairyman  tends  his 
cows  for  their  milk.  We  have  evidence  that  the 
small  brown  ants,  which  you  see  coursing  up  and 
down  the  stems  of  cherry  and  peach  trees  with 
great  animation,  take  charge  of  some  of  our  plant- 
lice  in  a  similar  manner,  particularly  those  on  the 
cherry  tree,  and  those  on  roots.  Accordingly  the 
aphis  generally  are  first  to  be  found  very  near  to 
the  ground.  There  search  them  out  and  destroy 
them.  If  unfortunately  they  escape  your  atten- 
tion, till  they  have  multiplied  to  a  considerable  ex- 
tent, you  may  still  master  them  with  proper  ap- 
plications. One  of  the  best  of  these  for  trees,  is  a 
strong  solution  ofivhalc  oil  soap.  The  ends  of  the 
branches  ?nay  be  bent  over  and  held  in  the  soap-wa- 
ter about  a  fourth  of  a  minute.  A  small  paint  brush, 
dipped  in  the  wash,  may  be  used  in  some  cases, 
especially  on  cabbages,  and  on  the  branches  of 
pear  trees  infested  with  that  species,  which  col- 
lect about  the  buds  and  produces  a  black  rust. 
Common  soap-suds,  warm  and  strong,  will  serve 
to  kill  the  aphis,  but  it  is  apt  to  kill  the  leaves  al- 
so. A  decoction  of  tobacco  is  a  sure  destroyer  of 
the  aphis.  It  cannot  be  used  upon  leaves,  but 
nothing  perhaps  is  better  to  pour  around  the  roots 
of  plants,  when  those  are  infested  by  the  insect. 
Ladies  may  call  upon  their  friends  who  use  cigars, 
to  puff  the  smoke  upon  their  rose-bushes,  and  thus 
'do  the  State  some  service.'  Several  insects  are 
appointed  by  Providence  to  assist  us  in  keeping 
the  aphis  in  check.  Two  only  will  be  noticed  at 
present.  One  is  the  speckled  bug,  about  the  size 
and  shape  of  a  half-pea,  called  by  children,  lady- 
bird, (Ooccinella.)  The  other  is  a  beautiful  green 
fly,  (Chrysopa  ;>er/a,)  with  eyes  of  gold  and  wings 
of  lace,  but  fetid  almost  as  the  squash  bug.  The 
eggs  of  this  fly  are  hung  by  threads,  alwut  a  quar- 
ter of  an  inch  long,  to  the  underside  of  leaves. 
You  will  be  careful  not  to  Imrm  those  useful  in- 
sects."        Very  respectfully  yours, 

Mrs.  Noyes  Darling. 

New  Haven,  Ct.,  April  15,  1853. 


To  Correspondents. — One  more  word  to  our 
valued  correspondents,  to  make  their  articles  brief. 
We  have  twenty  communications  on  hand  now, 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


271 


gome  of  them  from  gentlemen  of  large  experience, 
and  who  are  also  excellent  writers,  for  which  it  is 
difficult  to  find  room.  The  object  of  the  writer  is 
-  partially  defeated,  in  writing  long  articles,  as  a 
long  article  is  seldom  copied,  while  one  of  three 
pages,  written  well,  would,  perhaps, pass  through 
half  the  agricultural  papers  in  the  country.  Be 
brief  and  comprehensive.  There  is  no  subject 
■which  can  be  fully  discussed  in  a  single  article  ol 
suitable  length  for  a  newspaper. 


FARMER  PENNYWISE    AND    FARMER 
POUNDWISE. 

There  is  a  Farmer  Pennywise  with  whom  I  am 
acquainted,  who  will  occasionally  raise  a  good 
heifer,  steer  or  colt,  for  his  neighbors  who  keep 
good  breeds,  and  he  is  by  accident  occasionally 
benefited  thereby.  When  he  has  such  an  animal 
in  his  flock,  he  is  apparently  uneasy  until  it  is  dis- 
posed of;  and  after  selling  such  an  animal,  a  heif- 
er for  instance,  you  may  hear  something  like  the 
following : 

"Well,  my  dear,  I  have  sold  the  big  heifer  for 
fifteen  dollars;  is  that  not  a  good  price  for  a  heifer 
of  her  age  1 ' ' 

"Good  price,  indeed!"  his  wife  would  reply, 
"you  had  better  have  sold  two  of  them  cat-hammed, 
crooked  legged,  scrawny  things  that  you  always 
keep  for  cows.  The  reason  that  our  cattle  al- 
ways look  so  bad,  and  that  we  sell  so  little  butter 
and  cheese  is,  that  you  always  sell  the  best  heif- 
ers." 

Poor  woman  !  I  pi^  her  ;  her  pride  and  ambi- 
tion are  injured,  her  children  and  self  in  rags,  be- 
cause her  native  industry  and  economy  ai-e  cramped 
by  the  foolish  and  niggardly  policy  of  her  hus- 
band. 

The  picture  is  reversed  in  farmer  Poundwise, 
who  always  keeps  his  best  animals  until  full  grown  ; 
then  selecting  his  best  breedei's  for  his  own  use, 
■he  sells  the  rest.  If  he  has  a  good  young  horse, 
he  will  say  that  he  will  make  a  fine  team  horse  ;  a 
mare,  she  will  make  a  fine  brood  mare. 

"And  what  will  you  do  with  that?"  says  his 
neighbor,  pointing  to  an  ordinary  animal. 

"Between  you  and  I,"  says  he,  "I  shall  sell  that 
colt  the  first  chance.  Such  an  animal  spoils  the 
looks  of  all  the  rest,  and  will  not  pay  for  his  keep- 
ing." 

Thus  he  will  sell  his  poor  steers,  heifers,  sheep 
and  pigs  at  the  first  offer.  If  not  sold,  he  would 
fatten  those  tliat  would  pay  the  expense,  and  give 
away  those  that  would  not.  Not  pay  the  expense 
of  fattening  !  Are  there  any  cattle,  sheep  or  hogs 
that  will  not  pay  the  expense  of  fattening? — 
Reader,  take  some  of  each — of  the  real  Pharaoh 
breed — feed  them  until  fiit ;  keep  an  exact  account 
of  the  expenses,  and  you  can  answer  this  question 
yourself,  fn  this  way  Farmer  Poundwise  always 
has  valuable  stock;  his  steers  are  ready  sale,  and 
command  a  good  price  ;  his  horses  are  the  best  in 
the  neighborhood,  and  the  first  to  be  looked  at  by 
purchasers.  So  with  all  the  animals  he  raises. 
Pennywise,  on  the  contrary,  is  thronged  with  an 
ill-shaped,  worthless  stock,  that  none  will  buy  or 
pay  the  expense  of  raising  ;  which  are  continually 
eating  out  his  substance  and  making  no  return. 
Thus  Pennywise  drags  on  a  miserable  life  in  the 


road  to  ruin,  while  Poundwise  moves  easily  and 
happily  along  in  the  road  to  wealth. — Maine  Far' 


For  the  New  England  Farmer 

FARMING   IMPLEMENTS  AND  MA- 
CHINES. 

Mr.  Editor  : — I  have  noticed  for  the  last  twelve 
years  that  one  of  the  greatest  drawbacks  to  im- 
proved farming  is  a  want  of  good  implements  aad 
machines.  Even  those  farmers  who  go  in  for  im- 
provements, and  are  known  as  friends  to  "new 
things,"  and  are  opposed  to  this  "old  fogyism," 
many  of  them  are  sadly  in  want  of  good  tools  to 
carry  on  farming  with.  This  arises  more  from  a 
careless  indifference  and  a  want  of  knowledge  of 
what  good  tools  are  worth  over  poor,  inferior  ones, 
than  it  does  from  other  causes.  I  say  now  what 
I  have  often  said  before,  that  I  have  seen  more 
"slack  farming"  in  the  last  ten  years  directly 
from  this  cause  alone  than  from  all  other  causes 
put  together.  Poor  tools  and  indifferent  imple- 
ments beget  careless  habits  in  farmers,  whereas 
improved  farming  implements  give  new  life,  ener- 
gy and  activity,  and  enable  the  farmer  to  go  on 
and  strive  to  do  his  work  in  the  best  manner. — 
There  is  a  class  of  farmers,  when  they  find  out 
the  real  difference  between  good  tools  and  bad 
ones,  will  immediately  lay  aside  the  old  unes,  aud 
take  the  new  ones.  There  is  still  another  class 
of  farmers  who  are  well  convinced  of  the  impor- 
tance of  having  good  tools,  because  they  have  seen 
the  good  effects  of  them  in  their  neighbor's  fields. 
And  yet  they  go  on,  from  year  to  year,  using  the 
same  tools,  and  why,  simply,  because  they  love 
their  money  better  than  they  do  good  tools.  So 
the  consequence  is,  they  keep  their  money,  or 
spend  it  for  something  else,  and  let  the  tools  go. 

For  the  last  six  or  eight  years  I  have  used  two 
of  Prouty's  plows,  the  old  Sod  C  pattern,  and  No. 
5^,  self-sharpening.  Both  of  these  plows  do  good 
work,  as  well  as  many  of  their  new  patterns, 
which  they  now  make.  Ruggles,  Nourse,  Mason 
&  Co.  also  make  a  variety  of  good  plows  of  differ- 
ent patterns,  which  are  in  extensive  use,  some  of 
which  are  hard  to  beat.  There  are  also  many 
otlier  good  plow-makers  in  the  country.  What 
the  farmers  want  is  to  get  a  good  plow  or  plows 
of  some  kind  that  will  do  good  work.  The  "sub- 
soil plow"  is  another  implement  which  should  be 
used  much  more  than  it  is  by  fiirmers.  All  soils, 
in  the  course  of  a  six  years'  cultivation,  will  be 
more  or  less  benefited  by  subsoiling. 

The  best  harrow  that  I  have  ever  used  is 
"Geddes'  Hinge  Harrow,"  with  thirty  teeth.  This 
harrow  works  well,  cuts  the  ground  up  fine,  and 
as  it  is  made  in  the  triangle  form,  it  works  much 
easier  than  the  square  harrow  with  the  same  num- 
ber of  teeth,  and  it  is  not  as  liable  to  clog  up.  A 
single  yoke  of  cattle  can  draw  the  harrow  on  any 
soil  with  ease,  as  it  does  not  lug  like  the  old  catch 
harrows. 

The  "horse  rake"  is  another  important  farm 
implement,  and  one  of  the  greatest  labor-saving 
machines  in  use  on  the  farm.  It  is  astonishing 
now  to  see  how  many  farmers  still  rake  hay  by 
hand,  preferring,  as  it  would  seem,  to  pay  a  dol- 
lar or  more  a  day  for  hand  rakers  in  preference  to 
seven  or  eight  dollars  for  a  horse  rake,  which  will 
pay  for  itself  twice  over  in  one  season  to  any  far- 


272 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


June 


mer  who  has  got  twenty-five  or  thirty  tons  of  hay 
to  get.  In  all  smooth  meadows,  and  those  with 
but  few  stone,  we  prefer  the  "revolving  rake,"  as 
it  rakes  easier,  and  rakes  the  hay  cleaner  from 
dirt  and  leaves  than  the  spring- tooth  rake.  An- 
other good  implement  is  the  large  gleaning  rake, 
with  thirty  teeth.  This  rake  is  made  on  purpose 
to  rake  after  the  cart ;  as  it  is  made  liglit  and 
stiff,  one  hand  can  do  more  work  and  easier  than 
two  or  even  three  hands  in  a  windy  time,  with 
only  the  common  hand  rake. 

In  this  manner  I  might  go  on,  naming  the  dif- 
ferent varieties  of  improved  farming  implements 
which  are  in  use  by  many  farmers.  But  it  is  not 
necessary  to  name  them  separately,  as  all  thor- 
ough farmers  will  be  ready  to  adopt  them  when 
wanted.  I  might  name  the  "corn-sheller"  as  a 
great  saving  of  labor  ;  all  farmers  raise  more  or 
less  corn,  and  to  shell  out  a  bushel  in  four  or  five 
minutes,  is  a  saving  of  time.  The  one  I  have 
used  for  six  or  seven  years  is  "Burall'slron  Shell- 
er;"  this  machine  separates  the  corn  from  the 
cobs,  letting  the  corn  into  the  half-bushel,  while 
the  cobs  are  pushed  out  of  a  hole  in  the  side.  How 
any  farmer,  after  using  one  of  these  shellers  for 
an  hour  or  two,  can  go  back  and  set  down  on  a 
shovel,  or  astride  of  an  old  frying-pan  handle,  to 
shell  corn,  is  more  than  I  can  imagine.  And  yet 
there  are  many  farmers  to  our  knowledge  who  go 
on  in  this  way  now,  and  probably  will  for  a  long 
time  to  come.  That  they  have  not  much  idea  of 
improvement  is  true  ;  what  they  may  come  to 
hereafter,  I  cannot  say.  But  one  tiling  is  certain, 
that  if  they  can  make  any  improvements  at  all, 
they  must  begin  at  some  periods  in  their  lives. — 
When  farmers  learn  to  make  use  of  all  the  means 
in  their  reach  for  farm  improvements,  we  then 
shall  see  sometliing  worthy  of  their  name  and  sta- 
tion. Yours,  &c.,  L.  DuRAND. 

Derby,  Conn.,  April  19,  1853. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 


THE  STATE  FARM. 

Mr.  Editor  : — At  the  last  and  concluding  Leg- 
islative Agricultural  Meeting,  among  other  sug- 
gestions for  the  advancement  of  Agricultural  Sci- 
ence, that  of  establishing  a  model  farm  or  farms 
was  adverted  to  by  some  of  the  speakers.  That 
a  model  farm,  under  the  patronage  of  the  State, 
might  be  made  to  greatly  aid  the  interests  of  Ag- 
riculture, no  one,  I  think,  would  for  a  moment 
doubt, — provided  it  was  reared  and  carried  on  in 
such  a  manner  as  to  render  it  truJi/  a  model  ivor- 
thy  of  being  ■pallerncd  after  by  every  farmer  in  the 
State.  In  addition  to  its  being  a  model  farm,  it 
should  also  have  an  experimental  department.  Ta 
start  such  an  establishment,  the  State  need  not 
purchase  more  land,  as  it  already  owns  a  farm  in 
VVestboro'  in  connoxicm  with  the  State  Reform 
School,  of  sufficient  dimensions  to  commence  with 
This  farm  ouglit  long  before  now  to  have  present- 
ed, at  least,  an  approximation  to  a  model  farm  ; 
but  the  thing  seems  never  to  have  been  thought 
of;  although  this  establishment  possesses  nearly 
all  the  elements  necessary  for  the  successful  man- 
agement of  such  a  farm  ;  and  that,  too,  without 
any  additional  expense  in  maintaining  the  institu- 
tion; but  on  the  contrai-y,  an  improved  system  of 
husbandry,  would,  in  the  opinion  of  many  persons, 
materially  lessen  its  present  yearly  d>  mands  upon 


the  State  treasury.  This  farm  contains,  I  be- 
lieve, between  two  and  three  hundred  acres  of 
various  soils, — favorably  located,  which,  with  the 
adequate  supply  of  labor  of  the  boys,  together 
with  an  official  Agricultural  force,  who  if  not  al- 
ready, might  in  future  be  selected  with  reference 
to  their  proper  agricultural  attainments,  affords 
such  an  economic  opportunity  for  the  establish- 
ment of  a  model  and  experimental  form,  that  it  is 
to  be  wondered  at  that  it  has  not  (at  least  to  my 
knowledge)  been  suggested  before.  Believing 
such  an  establishment  would  greatly  aid  the  in- 
terests of  agriculture,  and  believing  also  that  here 
is  a  most  favorable  opportunity  to  try  the  experi- 
ment at  no  extra  cost  to  the  State,  I  have  ventured 
thus  to  suggest  my  ideas  upon  the  subject  to  you, 
Mr.  Editor,  and  to  the  consideration  of  youi*"  nu- 
merous readers.  I  see  no  good  reasons  why  the 
State  Board  of  Agriculture,  together  with  the  trus- 
tees of  this  institution,  if  clothed  with  the  requi- 
site authority  by  the  "powers  that  be,"  could  not 
cooperate  in  bringing  about  this  needed  transfor- 
mation in  this  already  State  farm.  What  say  you, 
Mr.  Editor,  to  these  suggestions  ?  If  you  think 
favorably  of  them,  give  us  the  weight  of  your  in- 
fluence, and  the  thing  is  done — perhaps. 

T.    A.  s. 

Westboro\  April,  1853. 


Remarks. — "T.  A.  S."  has  given  above  valuable 
and  timely  suggestions,  and  we  see  no  reason  why 
they  may  not  be  acted  upon  with  benefit  to  all 
concerned.  At  any  rate,  his  remarks  prove  that 
he  is  interested  in  the  subject,  and  has  taken  the 
true  course  to  make  others  so.  Accomplish  this, 
friend  "S.,"  and  the  "powera  that  be"  will  come, 
up  to  the  work.  Legislators,  and  other  associat- 
ed deliberative  b'odies  of  men,  are  usually  a  little 
behind  the  masses. 


Interesting  to  Farmers. — The  N.  Y.  Ecepress 
makes  some  suggestions  in  connection  with  a  ref- 
erence to  the  material  advance  in  the  prices  of 
beef  cattle,  which  are  worthy  the  consideration  of 
farmers  and  farmers'  clubs.  The  reason  for  this 
advance  is  found  in  the  fact  that  the  graziers  in 
the  northern  Illinois  region,  who  have  heretofore 
been  among  the  most  extensive  contributors  to  the 
great  cattle  markets  of  New  York,  Philadelphia, 
Baltimore  and  Boston,  now  drive  their  herds 
across  the  plains  to  California,  where  very  much 
higher  rates  are  realized.  The  pasturage  along 
the  route  is  good,  and  the  cattle  arrive  in  excellent 
condition,  and  find  a  ready  market.  The  cattle 
dealers  of  Ohio  are  turning  their  attention  in  the 
same  direction,  and  in  some  instances  have  re- 
called their  droves  from  their  journey  to  New  York, 
to  be  sent  across  the  plains.  New  York  requires 
some  five  or  six  millions  worth  of  animal  food  in 
the  coarse  of  the  year,  and  the  £'.r/'res5 urges  that 
the  only  way  to  meet  the  threatened  deficiency,  is 
for  the  agriculturists  nearer  home  to  bestow  more 
attention  on  the  raising  of  cattle.  Another  drain 
upon  the  beef  market  is  made  by  the  very  exten- 
sive shipments  to.  Australia.  Immense  quanti- 
ties of  beef  have  been  and  are  now  being  packed 
and  shipped  for  that  market.  In  view  of  these 
facts,  there  cannot  be  a  doubt  that  the  raising  of 
beef  will  be  a  much  more  profitable  business  than 
it  has  been  for  years  past. 


,1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


273 


'^•V\"^g^^?3^fe4' 


SPANISH   MERINO  EWES. 

We  have  been  favored  by  Geo.  Campbell,  Esq., 
of  West  Westminster,  Vt.,  with  a  group  of  his 
beautiful  sheep,  which  we  take  pleasure  in  laying 
before  the  reader.  The  raising  of  wool,  to  say  no- 
thing of  the  good  mutton,  has  got  to  be  an  impor- 
tant branch  of  business  in  various  portions  of  the 
country.  The  abundance  and  cheapness  of  cotton 
cloth  are  among  the  rich  blessings  of  our  exist- 
ence. It  is  a  great  civilizer.  And  now  wool,  in 
various  shapes,  is  becoming  common  among  all 
classes  of  our  people.  In  the  way  of  coarse  car- 
peting, its  use  is  a  matter  of  economy  witli  the 
poor  ;  it  is  manufactured  into  soft,  light  and  very 
warm  waddings,  and  in  the  sleighs  and  carriages, 
is  taking  the  place  of  the  buffalo  robes.  It  is  al- 
so made  into  under-shirts,  and  in  our  variable  cli- 
mate, is  conducive  to  health. 

But  Mr.  Campbell  will  explain  the  group  him- 
self. 

The  group  of  ewes,  of  which  I  send  you  a  cut, 
is  of  my  old  Spanish  stock,  which  are  pure  de- 
scendants from  the  importations  of  Jarvis  and 
Humphrey.  They  are  of  fair  size  and  well  propor- 
tioned, with  thick,  long,  fine  wool,  which  is  suffi- 
ciently oily  to  produce  a  natural  dark  surface.— 
According  to  their  size,  they  produce  more  wool 
than  the  French  Merinos. 

The  whole  flock  of  this  breed  sheared  an  aver-i 


age  of  5i  lbs.  of  well  washed  wool  last  season, 
which  was  sold  at  52i  cts.  per.  lb.  I  have  just 
sheared  my  two  year  old  ewes  of  this  stock,  with- 
out washing.  Their  fleeces  of  only  eleven  months 
growth,  average  a  trifle  over  8  lbs.  Many  of  them 
are  as  white,  and  appear  to  be  almost  as  clean,  as 
washed  wool. 

Their  wool  will  compare,  as  to  quality,  with 
any  Merinos  in  Vermont,  the  Siberians  excepted. 
I  do  not  hesitate  to  give  it  as  my  opinion,  that 
more  fine  wool  can  be  grown  from  the  same  amount 
of  keeping,  than  of  the  coarser  grades. 

Many  of  the  sheep  in  the  country  called  Meri- 
nos, are  not  worthy  of  the  appellation,  and  those 
wishing  to  purchase  a  pure  article  cannot  be  too 
cautious  of  whom  they  purchase. 

Geo.  Campbell. 

West  Westminster,  April  18,  1853. 


Grafting  Cloth. — We  have  been  using  the  past 
week  the  grafting  cloth  recommended  last  year  by 
Col.  Little,  of  Bangor,  and  find  it  a  most  admira- 
ble article  for  grafting  or  covering  wounds  made  by 
pruning.     It  is  easily  made  and  very  convenient. 

6  lbs.  beeswax. 
1  lb.  rosin. 
1  pint  linseed  oil. 
This  quantity,  spread  evenly  on  cotton  cloth, 
would  be  sufficient  for  several  farms  for  the  year. 


274 


JNEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Jdne 


For  the  New  England  Farme; . 
DISSOLVING   BONES. 

Mr.  Brown  : — In  the  last  Farmer  (monthly) 
you  gave  some  directions  for  dissolving  bones  in 
sulphuric  acid.  As  I  have  made  three  unsuccess- 
ful trials,  and  do  not  care  to  "give  it  up  so,"  will 
you  give  us  a  little  more  definite  information  on 
the  subject. 

Haio  finely  should  the  bones  be  broken  1 

What  is  the  best  and  cheapest  way  of  crushing 
them  ?  In  the  trials  I  made  I  found  the  labor  of 
breaking  them  quite  considerable,   (a.) 

Are  the  bones  entirely  dissolved?  (b.)  I  have 
not  succeeded  in  dissolving  more  than  |  to  ^  of 
them. 

Will  as  good  results  be  obtained  when  but  few 
pounds  of  bones  are  used,  as  when  the  quantity  is 
100  or  more?    (c.) 

Is  it  essential  that  the  bulk  of  the  water  should 
be  just  U  times  the  bulk  of  the  acid  1  (d.)  I  find 
different  writers  differ  in  this  particular. 

What  is  the  most  convenient  method  of  using 
the  dissolved  bones,  and  how  large  a  quantity  can 
safely  be  applied?  (e.)  A  Subscriber. 


Remarks. — (a.)  They  should  be  first  broken  in- 
to coarse  pieces  and  then  ground  in  a  mill. 

(b.)  They  will  be  if  the  bones  are  ground. 

(c.)  The  difference  in  quantity  will  probably 
have  no  material  effect  on  the  process. 

(d.)  If  the  bones,  when  ground,  are  not  conr 
verted  into  a  soft  paste-like  substance  by  the  op- 
eration, add  a  little  more  acid. 

(e.)  The  bone  manure  may  be  used  in  any  way 
in  which  you  use  other  manures  ;  like  all  other  fer- 
tilizers, keep  it  covered  up.  There  are  so  many  va- 
rying circumstances,  that  no  rule  can  be  given  for 
its  application.  Professor  Low  states  that  some 
of  the  English  farmers  were  in  the  habit  of  apply- 
ing 60  or  70  bushels  to  the  acre ;  while  here  10  or 
15  bushels  is  considered  a  good  dressing.  But  the 
quantity  required  must  depend  on  the  condition  of 
the  land.  See  Farmers'  Encyclopedia,  article, 
"Bones,"  and  Browne's  Muck  Book. 


NEW  SEEDLING  GRAPE. 

C.  M.  Ilovey  states  in  his  Magazine  of  Horti- 
culture, that  a  new  seedling  grape  has  been  pro- 
duced from  a  native  vine,  fully  equal  to  the  Isa- 
bella, and  ripening  at  least  one  month  earlier  than 
that  variety.  He  received  specimens  of  the  fruit 
as  early  as  the  middle  of  September,  which  wefe 
the  very  last  of  the  crop.  The  berries  were  round, 
black,  and  covered  with  a  dense  bloom  ;  bunches 
as  large  as  those  of  the  Isabella  ;  skin  thin  ;  flesh 
tender,  with  scarcely  any  pulp,  "exceedingly  sweet 
and  delicious."  The  vine  is  hardy,  vigorous  and 
productive.  The  name  of  the  originator  is  not 
given,  as  it  would,  if  known,  subject  him  to  a  flood 
of  orders.  The  vine  will  probably  be  secured  in 
the  hands  of  a  few,  and  in  due  time  be  offered  to 
the  public,  who  will  of  course  make  some  allow- 
ance for  the  charms  which  novelty  throws  around 
every  new  horticultural  production.  Should  this 
prove  nearly  so  valuable  as  is  hoped,  and  the  same 
result  be  verified  of  Dr.  Talk's  new  seedling,  and 


Longworth's  newly  discovered  hardy  foreigner,  we 
shall  soon  have  quite  an  addition  to  our  list  of  val- 
uable varieties. 


Remarks. — The  originator  of  the  grape  men- 
tioned above  presented  us  a  liberal  dish  of  the  fruit 
last  autumn,  and  we  found  it  scarcely  inferior  to 
the  best  Isabella.  It  ripens,  as  stated,  in  the  open 
air,  and  before  the  usual  heavy  frosts.  We  hope 
it  will  be  extensively  propagated,  and  afford  a 
grape  that  may  be  depended  upon  in  all  parts  of 
New  England. 

For  t/ie  New  England  Farmer. 
SHELL  LIME. 

Mr.  Editor  : — On  reading  the  article  on  this 
subject,  in  the  last  number  of  the  Neiv  England 
Farmer,  I  noticed  a  slight  error  or  deviation  from 
the  meaning,  which  it  was  intended  to  convey. 
The  error  related  to  the  quantity  of  common  salt. 
One  bushel  of  common  salt  is  designed  to  form  the 
result.  The  recipe  referred  to,  states/o?/r  barrels 
of  shell  lime,  one  bushel  of  common  salt,  and  one 
cord  of  summp  mud  or  feat.  Another  recipe,  which 
I  have  noticed,  in  order  to  form  a  similar  result, 
is  the  following  : — Take  one  barrel  of  common 
quick  limPjOne  bushel  of  common  salt,  and  one  cord 
of  peat  or  muck.  The  salt  is  to  be  dissolved  in 
water ;  with  this  solution,  the  lime  is  to  be  slaked, 
and  this  compound  is  to  be  mixed  with  the  peat. 
These  two  formulas  are  prepared  in  the  same  way 
and  produce  a  similar  result.  The  explanation  may 
be  regarded  as  correctly  stated.  Lime,  slaked  in 
this  way,  results  in  the  formation  of  caustic  soda, 
which  is  highlp  active  when  combined  with  the 
other  substances.  The  soda,  the  elements  of  air 
and  water,  viz  :  oxygen,  hydrogen  and  nitrogen, 
and  the  geine  as  found  in  the  peat,  form,  in  their 
ultimate  disposal,  a  compost  rich  in  nitrogenous 
matter,  largely  contributing  to  the  formation  and 
growth  of  plants  ;  while  a  reaction  is  made  upon 
the  elements  of  the  soil,  which' will  be  in  favor  of 
subsequent  vegetation.  These  effects  and  changes 
can  be  demonstrated,  by  the  well  known  actions 
of  chemical  science,  and  can  be  proved  by  actual 
fact.  These  processes  are  not  only  richly  remu- 
nerative to  the  practical  farmer,  but  are  also  high- 
ly beautiful  and  instructive  to  the  agricultural 
chemist. 

There  is  latitude,  however,  in  the  use  of  these 
and  other  materials.  The  compound  noticed  may 
be  mixed  with  the  droppings  of  the  stall  and  peat. 
Plaster  and  ashes  may  be  added.  Or  shell  lime 
or  common  quick  lime,  plaster,  ashes  and  common 
salt,  may  be  mixed  with  the  droppings  of  the  stall 
and  peat  with  sand  or  loam,  until  at  the  close  of 
the  year,  or  at  the  return  of  April  and  May,  a  pile 
of  compost  may  be  found,  five,  six  or  seven  times 
greater  in  amount  than  the  droppings  of  his  stock. 
The  elements  will  be  steadily  and  untiringly  at 
work.  Man  and  his  domestic  animals  may  stop  to 
refresh  themselves  and  may  be  preparing  for  fresh 
efforts;  the  sun  may  retire  beneath  the  horizon  and 
leave  the  earth  to  be  shrouded  in  darkness  ;  all  na- 
ture may  be  hushed  into  silence  and  repose,  and 
man  himself  may  be  wrapped  in  the  slumbers  of 
the  night;  but  these  elements  are  Avorking  out 
their  mighty  changes  and  yielding  a  sure  reward 
to  the  care,  industry  and  economy  of  the  husband- 


:853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


275 


(man,  manifesting  the  handy  workmanship  of  Prov- 
idence and  her  readiness  to  minister  to  the  wants 
of  man.  The  quantum  reahzed  in  these  prepara- 
tions at  the  time  of  use,  will  depend  upon  the 
amount  of  materials  added  and  the  skill  of  the  ac- 
tor. BowEN  Barker. 
Hanson,  April  18,  1853. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
SPARE  THE  SWEET  SONGSTERS. 

Mr.  Editor  ; — Dear  Sir — A  few  short  weeks  ago, 
the  low,  plaintive  note  of  the  blue-bird  was  borne 
to  our  ears  on  the  morning  gales  of  spring.  And 
it  gladdened  our  hearts  ;  for  it  was  a  harbinger  of 
the  return  of  sweet-scented  winds  and  sunnier  days, 
and  its  arrival  was  like  the  return  of  an  old  and 
valued  friend. 

A  few  days  later,  the  beautiful  red-breast  had 
returned  to  its  summer  haunts.  But  a  foe  await- 
ed him,  and  scarce  had  he  commenced  to  cheer  us 
with  his  sweet  song,  ere  the  sharp  report  of  a  gun 
is  heard,  and  the  winged  messenger  falls  from  his 
airy  height,  fluttering  in  the  last  agonies  of  death. 

Oh  !  ivho  caused  its  death  1  'Twas  a  member 
of  the  self-styled  human  family — inhuman  would 
be  the  more  fitting  name.  I  grieve  to  say  it — but 
there  is  a  sad  propensity  among  the  boys  to  shoot 
the  innocent  birds — those  that  do  no  harm,  Ewd 
much,  very  much  good.  Some  do  it  for  mere 
sport — others,  because  others  do.  Some  wish  to 
exhibit  their  prowess,  and  think  people  will  call 
them  manly  and  courageous.  But,  far  from  it.  It 
betokens  a  coarse,  evil-dispositioned,  lawless  char- 
acter. 

'Twas  Fast-day  that  I  saw  two  lads  out  hunting 
the  pretty  robins,  and  when  asked  wliy  they  killed 
them,  one  returned  for  answer — "Ol^to  eat."  To 
eat !  yet  they  were  the  sons  of  wealthy  fathers. 
My  advice  to  those  fathers  is,  to  compel  or  per- 
suade their  dainty  sons  to  stay  at  home  on  the 
holidays,  and  feast  on  less  dainty,  but  more  sub- 
stantial food.  Our  Creator  made  all  manner  of 
insects ;  but  lie  also  provided  us  with  birds,  to 
keep  tbem  from  increasing  too  fast ;  and  if  farmers 
permit  their  sons  to  kill  them,  they  must  not  com- 
plain, though  worms  cut  down  their  corn,  and 
bugs  eat  up  their  vines  ;  the  borers  construct  ca- 
nals and  railroads  in  the  trunks,  and  caterpillars 
weave  silken  houses  in  the  tops  of  their  trees. 
No  ;  not  even  if  worms  and  insects  approach  their 
worthy  selves  with  hostile  intentions.  And  you, 
young  readers  of  the  Farmer,  did  you  never  walk 
forth  to"  admire  the  beauty  of  Nature,  when  the 
sweet  song  of  the  birds  formed  its  greatest  attrac- 
tions. Oh  !  spare  our  sweet  songsters,  and  they 
will  repay  you,  by  singing  a  song  sweeter  than 
ever  came  from  mortal  lips.  c.  p.  b. 

Sutlon,  April  IQlh,  1853. 


Remarks. — "We  wish  there  were  a  general  police 
all  over  New  England  on  "Fast"  and  "Election 
Days,"  to  prevent  people  from  destroying  the  birds, 
or,  if  they  refused  to  desist,  to  enforce  the  penal- 
ties of  the  law  on  them.  A  friend  living  in  Dan- 
vers  has  informed  us  that  he  has  spent  many  an 
election  day  in  traversing  the  fields  and  shady 
lanes  to  prevent  boys  from  killing  the  birds.  Ills 
praise  should  be  on  every  lip  and  his  example  fol- 
lowed by  others. 


VALUABLE  EXTRACTS. 

Some  notice  has  already  been  made  of  the 
Transactions  of  the  Franklin  County  Society  for 
the  year  1852  ;  but  we  turn  to  them  again  with 
pleasure,  to  make  extracts  from  the  valuable  ad- 
dress by  Prof.  Mapes  at  the  annual  exhibition  in 
September. 

The  reports  of  this  gathering  show — as  have 
many  others — that  it  was  not  an  exhibition,  only, 
of  the  grosser  elements,  the  oxen,  the  horses,  cows, 
vegetables  and  fruits,  but  that  it  was  made  an  in- 
tellectual occasion,  where  the  mind  and  morals 
were  cultivated,  as  well  as  the  fruits  of  the  earth. 
Beside  the  address  to  which  we  shall  chiefly  turn 
our  attention,  there  were  others,  which  would 
grace  any  of  our  halls  of  learning,  and  were  models 
for  the  young,  as  well  as  full  of  instruction  for 
all. 

In  the  remarks  of  Mr.  Cushman,  President  of 
the  Society,  he  said  that  the  path  of  duty  and  use- 
fulness to  farmers  is  like  that  to  fame — upwards 
and  onwards.  *We  may  have  done  well  to-day; 
we  must  do  better  to-morrow  and  in  all  coming 
time.  "The  past,  for  good  or  evil,  is  behind  us. 
The  present,  only,  beautiful  but  fleeting,  can  we 
call  our  own.  He  that  can  seize  her,  ere  she  flies, 
and  make  her  wholly  his,  is  indeed  happy." 

"Progress,  improvement — a  higher  destiny,  a 
happier  day — these  all  men  should  seek — should 
labor  for,  to  the  last." 

All  he  said  was  just,  and  applicable  to  all.  "If 
we  knew  more,  he  said,  we  could  raise  more  with 
the  same  labor  and  expense ;  and  consequently 
could  make  more  profit  than  we  now  do." 

Mr.  Paige,  President  of  the  Bristol  County  So- 
ciety, made  pleasant  and  excellent  remarks.  In 
visiting  two  shows,  last  year,  each  attended  by 
10,000  persons,  he  had  not  heard  a  profane  or  vul- 
gar word,  or  seen  any  one  intoxicated!  Are  not 
these  the  happier  days  that  the  old  poets  cele- 
brate,— 

"those  golden  times, 

And  those  Arcadian  scenes,  that  Maro  sings, 
And  Sidney,  warbler  of  poetic  prose  .'" 

Highly  as  these  annual  gatherings  are  estimated, 
they  are  not  fully  ^appreciated  yet,  as  there  are 
thousands  who  do  not  attend  them,  and  know  lit- 
tle or  nothing  about  them.  They  are,  however, 
what  commencement  is  to  the  student  and  his 
friends;  the  convention  to  the  statesman,  when 
some  great  project  is  on  foot;  or  the  anniversaries 
of  the  various  religious  denominations.  They  are 
a  summing  up  of  the  operations  of  the  year ;  a 
comparison  of  notes  and  opinions  ;  a  bond  of  union, 
and  powerful  incentives  to  further  progress.  As 
at  present  conducted,  we  do  not  anticipate  any 
unfavorable  influences  springing  from  them.  Their 
moral  aspect  is  guarded  with  a  stern  vigilance,  so 
that  no  licentious  practices  shall  be  mingled  with 
their  exercises.     But  to  our  extracts  ; 


276 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


JUN-E 


SYSTEM — OR    SCIENCE. 

The  learned  professor  said,  "the  day  has  passed 
away  when  farmers  repudiate  science.  They  now 
know  that  science  means  simply  knowledge  reduced 
to  a  system  so  as  to  be  readily  taught  and  easily 
understood,  and  therefore  every  truly  practical 
farmer  must  necessarily  be  a  scientific  agricultur- 
ist. Books  are  now  no  longer  repudiated,  and  a 
fact  is  known  to  be  no  less  a  fact  because  it  is 
printed.  The  practical  man,  who  is  sufficiently 
daring  to  adopt  new  and  useful  practices  which 
have  been  well  tested  by  able  persons  is  not  now 
looked  upon  by  his  neighbors  as  visionary." 

That  there  is  more  respect  for  scientific  effort 
than  heretofore,  there  is  no  doubt ;  and  that  there 
is  more  confidence  in  it,  is  encouraging.  But  large 
numbers  look  on  it  still  distrustfully,  or,  if  they 
depart  from  their  old  habits,  engage  extravagant- 
ly in  the  opposite  extreme. 

OS    VENTILATION. 

"The  ventilation  of  stables  is  of  great  impor- 
tance. "When  animals  are  surrounded  by  the 
gases  given  off  from  the  surface  of  their  bodies, 
and  annoyed  by  quantities  of  ammonia  continually 
being  ^rccd  irom  thou'  fei'meutlag  eAcretia,  ihey 
require  a  much  larger  amount  for  their  sustenance 
than  when  in  stables  properly  ventilated.  If  an 
ox  be  enclosed  in  a  varnished  silken  bag  tied  about 
the  neck  so  as  to  leave  the  head  free  to  breathe 
the  atmospheric  air,  the  amount  of  gases  given  off 
from  the  surface  of  the  body  and  confined  within 
the  bag  for  a  single  24  hours  will  cause  his  death  ; 
so  that  it  will  be  readily  understood  that  the  ill 
effects  of  badly  ventilated  stables  are  in  a  great 
degree  deleterious.  Proper  temperature  is  of  the 
highest  importance.  The  organism  of  the  ox  is 
such  that  his  improvement  in  flesh  making  is  de- 
pendent not  only  on  the  amount  of  food  consumed 
but  also  upon  the  temperature  by  which  he  is  sur- 
rounded when  digesting  it.  Much  of  its  results 
will  be  required  to  supply  the  necessary  animal 
heat,  unless  by  proper  protection  from  cold  he  is 
not  called  on  to  furnish  it  by  parting  witlf  a  cor- 
responding quantity  of  fatty  matter." 

More  attention  is  given  to  the  subject  of  venti- 
lation, both  in  our  houses  and  barns,  than  has 
been  the  practice  heretofore.  The  subject  of  ven- 
tilating barns  was  freely  discussed  at  the  agricul- 
tural meetings  at  the  State  House  during  the  past 
winter,  and  facts  were  stated,  proving  the  impor- 
tance of  a  pure  atmosphere,  even  for  our  animals. 

GREAT    PRODUCTS   FROM   HIGH    CULTURE. 

"Look  at  the  Bergen  gardeners.  Many  of  them 
pay  $50  or  some  $75  per  acre  per  annum,  yet  by 
improved  methods  of  culture  they  raise  remunerat- 
ing crops,  while  gardeners  in  other  parts  of  the 
country  would  consider  such  a  rental  a  complete 
drawback  to  their  success. 

"A  few  farms  are  found,  in  almost  every  town 


where  wheat  is  grown,  that  yield  45  bushels  of 
wheat  or  more  per  acre,  and  still  the  average  crop 
of  this  State  is  not  13  bushels  per  acre.  Should 
not  every  farmer,  for  this  reason,  endeavor  to  ^et 
at  the  cause  why  his  crops  are  so  inferior  ?  and 
more  especially  so,  when  I  inform  you  that  in  very 
many  instances,  the  soils  upon  which  these  differ- 
ences of  crops  exist  are  very  similar.  Some  farm- 
ers in  Massachusetts  have  raised  100  bushels  of 
shelled  corn  yier  acre.  Why  should  not  all  en- 
deavor to  raise  similar  amounts  V 

WHY   CROPS   LODGE. 

"I  have  been  requested  to  state  the  causes  why 
wheat  and  other  grain  crops  sometimes  lodge. — 
This  is  evidently  for  want  of  proper  strength  of 
straw,  and  the  cause  may  be  then  readily  under- 
stood. The  rattan,  bamboo  and  corn  stalk,  &c  , 
have  a  silicious  coating  or  varnish  on  their  sur- 
faces. If  we  place  in  the  fire  an  ordinary  Hes- 
sian crucible  and  throw  in  it  the  outer  peelings  of 
corn  stalks,  keeping  the  crucible  at  a  red  heat,  the 
woody  fibre  will  burn  off,  and  by  continuing  the 
operation  for  many  hours  until  the  coating  of  many 
stdlks  has  been  thus  consumed,  we  shall  find  the 
crucible  to  contain  a  button  of  glass,  which  being 
analyzed  will  prove  to  be  a  combination  of  silex, 
the  base  of  common  sand  with  one  of  the  alkalies. 

"Now  as  common  sand  is  not  solublein  water, 
and  as  plants  have  no  mechanical  contrivance  for 
disintegrating  it,  they  are  unable  under  ordinary 
circumstance^to  take  up  the  proper  amount  for 
creating  their  surfaces  and  giving  strength  to  the 
straw  ;  for  straw,  like  the  corn  stalks,  owes  to  si- 
lex  the  .whole  of  its  power  to  maintain  a  perpen- 
dicular position  ;  but  if  the  soil  contain  either 
lime,  potash,  or  soda  in  sufficient  quantities  to  dis- 
solve the  silex,  or  rather  to  render  it  soluble  so  as 
to  form  the  silicate  of  lime,  the  silicate  of  soda, 
or  the  silicate  of  potash,  in  sufficient  quantities  so 
as  to  be  dissolvable  in  water  and  carried  into  the 
plant  for  the  necessary  appropriation,  then  the 
crops  will  not  lodge. 

"If  the  farmer  manui'es  entirely  with  putrescent 
manures,  such  as  those  furnished  by  the  barn- 
yard, and  his  soil  be  not  originally  charged  with 
excess  quantities  of  alkalies,  the  growth  of  the 
grain  may  be  large  enough  by  its  weight  to  bend 
down  the  straw." 

We  suppose  the  same  reasoning  is  applicable  to 
the  grass  crop.  On  a  clay  soil  where  the  grass  in 
certain  parts  of  the  field  usually  lodges,  interesting 
experiments  may  be  made  by  spreading  sand  lib- 
erally on  some  of  the  spots,  and  noting  the  effect. 

IMMENSE  SUPPLY  OF  FRUIT. 

"Notwithstanding  the  great  scarcity  of  fruit  in 
this  country  compared  with  our  wants  or  desires, 
still  the  amount  raised  is  many  times  greater  than 
in  England.  During  the  last  year,  an  account  was 
given  in  the  London  Times  of  the  amount  of  fruit 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


277 


brought  to  England  from  the  continent.  The  home 
production  was  also  estimated.  I  had  the  curios- 
ity to  reduce  the  quintals,  bushels,  hampers,  etc., 
enumerated,  to  the  size  of  peach  baskets,  and 
found  that  the  whole  amount  of  fruit  consumed  in 
Great  Britain  in  one  year  was  not  as  great  as  the 
amount  of  peaches  and  strawberries  carried  into 
the  New  York  market  from  the  State  of  New  Jer- 
sey in  one  week.  The  Amboy  railroad  has  re- 
ceived in  one  day,  $1100  as  freight  on  peaches,  at 
8  cents  per  basket,  and  this  is  only  one  of  the 
many  channels  through  which  peaches  are  car- 
ried to  New  York  from  New  Jersey.  Ninety  thou- 
sand baskets  of  strawberries  have  crossed  the  Jer- 
sey city  ferry  in  a  single  day.  A  steamboat  from 
New  Brunswick,  carries  daily  many  thousands  bas- 
kets of  peaches  on  her  deck.  Steamboats  are  dai- 
ly plying  during  the  peach  season  from  Delaware 
to  New  York,  and  one  grower,  Mr  Reybold,  owns 
two  steamboats  used  exclusively  for  this  trade." 

Near  the  cities  and  large  towns  of  New  Eng- 
land, there  is  a  pretty  fair  supply  of  good  fruit. — 
But  iu  tiie  country  towns,  beyond  guud  apples  and 
a  few  indifferent  pears  and  cherries,  there  is  little 
or  nothing  in  the  way  of  cultivated  fruit.  There 
is  room  for  the  effort  of  a  thousand  minds  and 
hands  among  us,  on  the  subject  of  gardening. — 
Comparatively  few  farmers  have  any  of  the  small- 
er fruits  on  their  tables,  such  as  strawberries, 
gooseberries,  raspberries,  blackberries,  plums,  ap- 
ricots, peaches,  and  the  finer  pears.  They  have 
not  learned  their  value  as  articles  Of  diet  or  as 
crops  profitable  for  the  market.  And  the  love  of 
home,  the  contentment,  and  the  influence  over 
the  morals  and  heart  which  a  well-ordered  garden 
creates,  has,  Avith  most  farmers,  never  been  taken 
into  the  account  at  all.  There  are  two  or  three 
hundred  thousand,  perhaps  half  a  million  people 
in  the  State  of  Massachusetts  alone,  who  raise  no 
fruit.  To  afford  them  a  fair  supply,  such  as  health 
demands  in  hot  weather, — to  say  nothing  of  ap- 
petite,— requires  vastly  more  than  is  produced 
among  us.  The  New  Jersey  peaches  are  brought 
to  us  in  large  quantities ;  but  as  they  must  be 
plucked  some  time  before  they  are  ripe,  in  order 
to  get  them  here  with  any  of  their  fair  proportions, 
they  undergo  an  acetous  fermentation  which  ren- 
ders them  unhealthy. 

USES  OF  THE    ATMOSPHERE. 

"In  all  maniputations  of  the  soil,  ^he  agricul- 
turist should  bear  in  mind  that  the  atmosphere 
■plays  an  important  part  in  all  vegetable  growth. 
Without  its  influences,  none  of  the  chemical  chan 
ges  necessary  for  the  creation  of  plants  or  the 
meliorations  of  soil  can  take  place.  Subsoiling, 
plowing  and  underdraining,  are  mere  adjuncts  to 
facilitate  the  meliorating  influences  of  the  atmos- 
phere. The  hoe,  and  the  rake,  cultivator,  and 
every  other  agricultural  tool  used  for  disturbing 
the  soil,  are  for  the  common  purpose  of  permitting 


the  atmosphere  to  pass  between  the  particles.  Its 
uses  above  and  below  the  surface  of  the  soil  are 
equally  efficient.  On  top  it  is  the  vehicle  for  the 
reception  of  moisture  and  of  gases  arising  from  de- 
ciying  vegetation  which  it  holds  until  the  descent 
of  dews  and  rains,  carrying  them  into  the  soil. 
Oxygen,  one  of  its  constituents,  is  necessary  to 
cause  the  ultimate  particles  of  the  soil  to  yield  up 
their  constituents  for  the  use  of  plants.  Without 
oxydation,  the  soil  would  be  destitute  of  many  of 
these  materials,  which  are  rendered  soluble  and 
fit  food  for  plants  by  atmospheric  agency.  The 
great  constituent  of  all  plants,  carbon,  exists  in 
the  atmosphere  as  carbonic  acid,  and  is  received 
from  the  decomposition  of  farm  crops,  animal  res- 
piration, etc.  ;  hence  the  great  mass  of  all  plants 
is  derived  from  the  atmosphere,  and  if  it  be  shut 
out  from  freely  circulating  in  the  soil,  we  cannot 
hope  for  profitable  results.  In  the  compost  heap, 
it  is  equally  valuable,  for  both  in  it  and  the  soil, 
it  is  the  vehicle,  transferring  heat  and  moisture. 
The  slightest  reflection,  therefore,  will  show  the 
farmer  how  necessary  it  is  to  manipulate  his  soil 
so  as  to  insure  the  easy  ingress  and  egress  of  atmo- 
spheric air. 

VALUE  OF  CARROTS. 

"Cattle  become  accustomed,  during  summer,  to 
green  food,  and  when  kept  altogether  on  hay  and 
other  dry  fodder,  they  cease  to  take  on  flesh  with 
great  rapidity. 

"The  use  of  carrots,  particularly,  should  be  in- 
troduced. Carrots  for  horses  are  now  the  ordina- 
ry practice  of  even  the  livery  stable  keepers  of  the 
larger  cities. 

"A  bushel  of  carrots  and  a  bushel  of  oats  fully 
equal  as  food  for  the  horse  two  bushels  of  oats  ; 
for  although  carrots  do  not  contain  the  same 
amount  of  nutriment  by  measure  as  the  oats,  still 
their  pectic  acid  gelatinizes  the  contents  of  the 
stomach  of  the  animal,  and  enables  the  oats  to  be 
entirely  digested." 

Too  much  money  is  paid  out  by  farmers  for 
grain  for  their  milch  cows.  There  must  be  a  more 
general  resort  to  roots  to  be  fed  with  good  Eng- 
lish hay  ;  when  these  are  in  sufficient  quantity  to 
carry  the  stock  through  the  winter,  there  maybe 
profit  in  producing  milk  for  the  market. 


Vegetables. — Put  in  the  seed  liberally  for  veg- 
etables for  winter  feed  for  stock.  They  will  pro- 
mote the  health  of  your  cattle,  save  hay,  and  ena- 
ble the  milk-producer  to  keep  his  money,  instead 
of  paying  it  out  for  grain.  Sow  various  kinds, — 
carrots,  beets,  parsnips,  mangel  wurzels  and  ruta 
bagas;  sow  in  small  patches  on  diflerent  soils,  and 
then,  whether  the  season  be  wet  or  dry,  a  fair 
crop  may  be  expected. 

Buggy  Peas. — Before  sowing  peas,  immerse  them 
in  hot  water  for  a  minute  or  two,  by  which  means 


278 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


JCNE 


the  weevil  will  be  killed,  and  the  sprouting  of  the 
peas  will  be  quickened. 

Prof.  Harris  says  the  insect  is  limited  to  a  cer- 
tain period  for  depositing  its  eggs  ;  late  sown  peas 
therefore  escape  its  attacks.  The  late  Mr.  Picker- 
ing observed  that  those  sown  in  Pennsylvania  as 
late  as  the  20th  of  May,  were  entirely  free  from 
the  weevil ;  and  Mr.  Worthington,  of  Rensselear 
County,  N.  Y.,  who  sowed  his  peas  on  the  10th 
of  June,  six  years  in  succession,  never  found  an 
insect  in  them  during  that  period. 


From  the  New  Ens^/and  Farmer. 
AN  ALYSE  S— PLOWING— WATERING. 

Mr.  Editor: — In  your  paper  of  the  12th  of  Feb 
ruary  is  a  letter  signed  S.  F.,  from  Winchester 
The  writer  is  very  skeptical  as  to  the  value  of 
analyses  of  soils,  and  gives  the  analysis  from  the 
Scioto  valley,  and  from  Palmer,  Mass.,  in  which 
the  advantage  is  rather  on  the  side  of  good  old 
Massachusetts,  God  bless  her  !  I  have  mislaid 
Mr.  Wells'  statement,  but  if  I  remember  rightly, 
he  remarks  on  the  extremely  minute  division  of  the 
Scioto  soil — he  was  obliged  to  use  an  extra  fine 
sieve  to  separate  it,  I  think  sixty  meshes  to  an 
inch,  and  the  percentage  of  coarse  matter  was 
very  small  which  did  not  go  through  and  that 
was  mostly  fibrous.  A  state  of  things  certainly 
most  conducive  to  the  growth  of  all  plants,  as  the 
roots  are  able  to  penetrate  in  all  directions,  and 
always  in  close  contact  with  appropriate  food  ;  and 
then  again  the  great  depth  of  the  soil  is  to  be  con- 
sidered, which  we  have  not. 

There  is  another  case  of  some  remarkable  to- 
bacco land  in  Virginia,  which  on  analysis  proved  to 
contain  a  very  large  percentage  of  iron,  but  it  was 
in  the  same  state  of  minute  division,  and  it  is  the 
best  land  in  the  State. 

Analysis  tells  us  that  our  soil  contains  a  rather 
better  supply  of  the  various  salts  necessary  to 
vegetation  than  the  Scioto — but  we  must  put  our 
land  to  the  plow,  dig  deep,  and  pulverize  well ; 
to  produce  the  same  effects;  no  four  inch  skinning 
will  do  it.  Delicate  roots,  whose  pores  must  be 
sought  for  with  the  aid  of  a  magnifying  glass,  re- 
quire their  food  to  be  presented  in  homoeopathic 
doses,  and  it  is  very  unreasonable  to  expect  a  great 
crop,  where  the  plant  is  forced  to  seek  its  support 
through  a  hard  pan  that  has  not  been  disturbed 
since  the  flood.  That  large  crop,  can  be  raised  in 
these  parts,  by  proper  attention,  is  a  settled  fact ; 
and  I  believe  easier  than  poor  ones. 

Farmers  will  be  very  incredulous,  on  being  in- 
formed that  their  iron  tailed  cow  can  be  turned  to 
a  more  noble  use,  and  yield  a  far  greater  profit, 
by  watering  their  manure,  instead  of  watering 
their  customers''  milk  !  (not  that  I  would  insinuate 
that  all  farmers  make  a  practice  of  it,  but  there 
are  amateurs  in  all  professions  !)  like  that  prince 
of  farmers,  J.  J.  Mechi,  who  by  high  culture,  is 
able  to  raise  mangel  wurzel  at  an  expense  of  one 
dollar  twenty-five  cents  per  ton  of  2240  lbs.  I 
American  farmers  think  of  that  !  The  average  on 
a  ten  acre  field  was  forty-three  tons  per  acre ! 
costing  fifty-three  dollars  seventy-five  cents ;  in 
fact  his  whole  farm  is  kept  like  a  garden,  and 
produces  accordingly.  His  procedure  in  the  above 
case,  was  to  applj  two  hundred  and  twenty-five 


pounds  of  dissolved  bones  to  the  acre,  and  water 
the  growing  crops  profusely  with  liquid  manure, 
he  finds  that  one  load  of  dung  rendered  liquid, 
will  manure  as  much  land  as  lour  loads  dry,  and 
its  effects  are  seen  at  once  as  it  penetrates  the 
ground  and  presents  itself  in  an  acceptable  man- 
ner to  every  tender  rootlet,  whereas  in  the  com- 
mon mode  of  spreading  with  a  shovel,  it  is  scat- 
tered here  and  there,  some  plants  getting  more 
than  their  share,  and  othersnot  enough.  At  first 
sight,  it  miglit  appear  quite  a  task  to  water  acres 
of  land!  l)ut  I  think  it  Avould  be  found  in  prac- 
tice that  it  can  be  done  cheaper  than  by  the  old 
method,  as  from  a  watering  machine  (which  any 
farmer  could  make)  it  spreads  itself  as  fast  as  the 
team  walks  across  the  field.  One  hundred  and  fifty 
pounds  of  green  manure  to  one  tun  of  water,  or 
two  hundred  and  fifty  gallons,  would  be  quite 
strong  enough  probably. 

I  think  it  is  not  best  to  spin  any  more  yarn  this 
time,  as  perhaps  Mr.  Editor  you  will  not  think  it 
worth  weaving  into  your  pleasant  sheet,  particu- 
larly when  you  learn  that  it  comes  from  a  book 
farmer,  without  any  land! 

Respectfully  yours,  J.  G.  Cuaxdler. 

Under  the  Cliff,  lioxhury,  Mass. 


For  ttie  New  England  Farmer. 
PLOV/ING  OR  PLOUGHING. 

The  season  for  this  operation  having  again  re- 
turned, awakens  the  inquiry,  how  is  the  term  pro- 
perly spelled  ?  We  cannot  perceive  any  good  rea- 
son why  three  letters  {ugh)  should  be  used,  when 
one  {w)  will  do  quite  as  well.  We  know  such  has 
been  the  usage — but  usage  without  reason,  is  not 
of  itself  satisfactory.  If  authorities  are  cited, 
they  will  be  found  both  ways.  The  Albany  Cul- 
tivator, the  leading  agricultural  journal  of  the  Em- 
pire State,  uses  the  letter  lo  only,  the  Massachu- 
setts Ploughman,  adheres  to  the  old  mode  We 
are  opposed  to  innovations,  without  benefit ;  but 
where  distinct  benefits  are  apparent,  and  no  dis- 
advantages to  accrue,  we  go  in  heartily  for  the  im- 
proved mode  of  speUing.  It  is  time  that  uniform- 
ity should  prevail.  Will  not  your  Board  of  Agri- 
culture, Mr.  Editor,  settle  this  matter?  This 
brings  to  mind  a  favorite  idea,  oft  repeated  by  a 
distinguished  member  of  this  Board,  that  not  more 
than  six  per  cent,  of  the  lands — or  six  acres  in  a 
hundred,  of  the  lands  in  Massachusetts,  are  fit  to 
be  plowed.  I  am  at  a  loss  to  comprehend  the 
meaning  of  this  assertion.  Surely  it  cannot  be, 
that  generally  on  a  farm  of  one  hundred  acres, 
not  more  than  six  acres,  can  be  benefited  by  the 
plow.  The  reverse  of  this  is  nearer  the  truth. — 
On  most  farms  it  will  be  difficult  to  find  six  acres 
in  a  hundred,  that  will  not  receive  benefit  from  be- 
ing plowed.  Pastures,  as  well  as  fields,  may  be 
benefited  b^  the  plow.  To  be  sure,  some  lands 
are  much  rougher  than  others,  but  very  few  lots 
are  so  rough,  that  a  plow  cannot  be  beneficially, 
used  in  some  parts.  I  would  not  have  presumed 
thus  to  criticise  this  expression,  had  it  not  have 
been  reiterated,  year  after  year  at  the  Legislative 
meetings,  by  one  whose  instructions  are  regarded 
by  the  people  with  much  respect.  I  hope,  there- 
fore, he  will  condescend  to  explain  what  he  means, 
when  he  says  that  "not  more  than  six  per  cent. 
>f  the  lands  of  Massachusetts  are  susceptible  of 
benefit  from  the  use  of  the  plow."  r. 

May  2,  1853. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


279 


For  the  ffeto  England  Farmer. 

THEORIES  AND  FACTS— DO  THEY 
AGREE  ? 

I  once  heard  it  remarked  by  a  neighbor  of  mine, 
that  "ho  never  yet  saw  anything  that  he  could  not 
find  some  fault  in."  I  would  not  cultivate  the 
spirit  of  fiiult-finding  ;  I  would  not  strive  hard  to 
see  the  spots  on  the  bright  face  of  the  sun,  nor 
blemishes  in  the  character  or  outward  life  of  my 
dear  friend.  But  sometimes,  without  seeking 
them,  and  contrary  to  my  sincere  desire,  I  see,  or 
think  I  see,  imperfections  in  my  wifeHepzibah,  in 
my  daughter  Felicia,  and,  I  grieve  to  say  it,  in  the 
New  England  Farmer.  Now  in  all  these  cases  I 
would  very  much  like  to  be  able  to  believe  that 
there  Avas  no  blemish,  not  even  "the  shadow  of  a 
shade"  to  obscure  their  brightness.  But  alas!  I 
must  either  believe  they  sometimes  err,  or  else  that 
I  myself  do  not  see  clearly.  Under  these  circum- 
stances, who  can  doubt  which  horn  of  the  dilem- 
ma I  take  hold  of  ^  Possibly  I  may  be  in  the 
wrong — if  so,  I  ask  for  light.  As  I  am  a  man  of 
few  words,  I  will  come  at  once  to  the  point. 

In  th'c  first  place,  you,  Mr.  Editor,  assert  in  the 
last  Farmer  that  the  pine  "has  the  most  agreea- 
ble and  wholesome  quality  of  drying  the  atmo- 
sphere where  it  stands."  (a.)  Is  it  sol  I  have  al- 
ways supposed  that  all  shade  trees  had  the  oppo- 
site tcndcncyjin  proportion  to  the  dcnseness  of  their 
foliage.  I  have  always  been  a  great  lover  of  wood- 
walks,  and  have  spent  many  an  hour  in  pine  woods, 
and  oak  woods,  and  mixed  woods,  but  it  never 
struck  me  that  there  was,  on  similar  soils  and  sim- 
ilar exposure  to  the  sun  and  air,  any  excess  of  dry- 
ness in  the  pine  woods  over  other  woods.  But  it 
may  be  that  my  physical  organization  is  not  suffi- 
ciently delicate  to  note  the  nice  difference  that 
may  exist.  If  your  opinion  is  grounded  on  scien- 
tific facts,  would  it  bo  asking  too  much  to  request 
that  you  will  give  those  facts  ?  I  presume  they 
would  be  interesting  to  others,  as  well  as  to  my- 
self. 

Nextly, — A  correspondent,  on  the  same  page, 
who  writes  about  plaster,  advances  one  or  two  no- 
tions which,  I  think,  a  more  careful  observation 
would  show  to  be  erroneous.  He  says  :  "Why 
some  fields  become  green  sooner  than  others  in  the 
spring,  is  because  more  grass  was  left  on  them  in 
the  fall  ;  the  grass  does  not  grow,  but  the  ivithcred 
blades  turn  green.''''  Now  I  would  in  all  diffidence 
ask,  if  the  writer  of  that  sentence  has  ever  actu- 
ally seen  the  dry,  withered  blades  of  grass  become 
green.  I  can  hardly  believe  it.  I  must,  for  the 
present,  think  he  permits  his  theories  to  deceive 
his  senses,   {b.) 

Again,  a  little  further  on,  the  same  writer 
gives  me  occasion  to  infer  that  he  supposes  stones 
to  exert  a  beneficial  influence  on  the  soil,  or  at 
least  that  they  promote  the  growth  of  the  neigh- 
boring vegetation,  (c.)  I  know  there  is  a  pre- 
vailing opinion  that  stones  make  themselves  use- 
ful by  attracting  moisture  on  soils  that  would  oth- 
erwise be  dry,  and  assist  to  warm  those  that  are 
cold  and  wet.  If  they  do  perform  both  these  of- 
fices, they  are  accommodating,  truly.  But  is  there 
not  more  theory  than  fact  here.  I  grant  there  is 
some  fact ;  but  it  leads  me  to  a  different  conclusion. 
I  grant  for  instance,  that  when  the  stones  lie  upon 
the  surface  of  your  land,  the  grass  around  the  stones 
will  be  stouter  than  elsewhere.  Why  is  it  ■?  Sim- 
ply because  that  grass  has  the  advantage  of  the 


soil  beneath  the  stones  ;  and  thus,  if  the  stones 
cover  half  the  surface,  the  grass  on  the  other  half 
has  the  use  of  the  whole  field.  But  do  you  get 
more  grass  because  the  stones  are  there  1  I  think 
not.  And  where  the  stones  sink  deeply  into  the 
soil,  I  have  not  been  able  to  perceive  that  the 
grass  which  surrounds  them  is  more  luxuriant  than 
that  which  is  at  a  distance  from  them.  There  is  a 
fine  opportunity  to  examine  this  matter  in  some  of 
the  pastures  lying  north  of  old  Pongatasset,  in  this 
town.  Jonathan  Doolittle. 

Concord,  April,  1853. 

Remarks. — Our  correspondent's  signature  is  a 
misnomer.  We  have  the  pleasure  of  his  acquaint- 
ance, and  know,  that  instead  of  "doing  little," 
he  is  a  man  of  progress,  and  does  his  part  to  keep 
the  world  in  motion,  llis  inquiries  are  interest- 
ing, and  shall  receive  such  light  as  our  "dim  can- 
dle'' can  shed  upon  them. 

(a.)  Our  remark  that  "the  pine  has  the  most 
agreeable  and  wholesome  quality  of  drying  the  at- 
mosphere where  it  stands,"  was  not  based  on  sci- 
entific facts,  but  upon  the  observation  of  many 
years,  strengthened  by  what  we  considered  cor- 
roborating circumstances. 

The  character  of  the  tree  depends  much  on  the 
shape  and  operation  of  its  leaves.  Those  of  the 
pine  are  long,  numerous,  and  needle-like,  dividing 
the  currents  of  air  into  minute  portions  as  it  pass- 
es among  them,  and  producing  those  delightful 
sounds,  peculiar  to  the  bass  notes  of  the  ^Eolian 
harp. 

At  Nahant,  where  the  winds  swept  unobstruct- 
ed over  the  farm  of  Mr.  Tudor,  frustrating  all  at- 
temps  at  raising  the  finer  fruits  and  vegetables,  he 
constructed  a  fence  sixteen  feet  high  with  spaces 
of  two  or  three  inches  between  the  palings.  The 
effect  upon  the  damp  east  winds  and  cold,  was 
such,  that  on  the  south  side,  the  frost  only  pene- 
trated the  earth  about  as  many  inches  as  it  did 
feet  on  the  north  and  east  side,  and  he  was  ena- 
bled to  raise  fruits,  vegetables  and  flowers  in  per- 
fection where  they  would  not  mature  before !  There 
was  a  warmth  and  dryness  on  the  south  side,  while 
the  other  side  of  the  open  fence  was  damp  and 
chilly.  Do  not  the  pine  leaves  and  the  fence  have 
a  similar  influence  on  the  atmosphere  ?  Is  there 
not  a  reason  for  setting  pines  on  the  north-eastern 
exposure  of  garden8,beside  that  of  merely  obstruct- 
ing the  wind  1  Is  it  not  softened  and  tempered 
in  its  passage  through  them,  losing  something  of 
its  chilling  dampness,  as  well  as  force  ?  We  be- 
lieve so,  and  therefore,  "that  the  pine  has  the 
most  agreeable  and  wholesome  quality  of  drying 
the  atmospere  where  it  stands"  by  the  mechani- 
cal, and  perhaps,  physiolgical,  operation  of  its 
leaves.  Miciiaux  says,  in  his  interesting  work, 
The  North  American  Sylva,  "the  debris  of  granite 
rocks  may  be  considered  as  the  universal  soil  suit- 
ed to  the  pine  and  fir  tribe,  and  a  dry  subsoil  an 
essential  condition  for  their  entire  prosperity,  but 


280 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


June 


they  will  grow  on  all  soils  whatever,  that  are  not 
surcharged  with  water.  The  roots  are  near  the 
surface,  and  hence  do  not  require  a  deep  soil ;  and 
as  tlieir  needlo-like  leaves  do  not  carry  off  much 
moisture  by  evajooration,  their  soil  may  be  drier 
than  that  required  for  any  other  kind  of  tree." 

In  Peck's  Gazette,  published  some  twenty  years 
since,  after  describing  the  beauty  of  the  pine,  he 
speaks  of  the  delightful  atmosphere  in  tlieir  pres- 
ence, calling  it  a  ''tcrcbinlhine  atmosphere;"  the 
word  terebinthine  being  the  Latin  word  for  turpen- 
tine. 

"We  thought  our  theory  worth  uttering  ; — at 
some  future  time  it  may  be  dignified  into  a  scien- 
tific fact. 

(b.)  The  gentleman  who  said  the  reason  "why 
some  fields  become  green  sooner  than  others',  in 
the  spring,  is  because  more  grass  was  left  on  the 
them  in  the  fall, and  that  the  withered  blacks  turned 
green,'"  stated  what,  he  said, were  facts— what  he 
had  carefully  observed,  by  marking  portions  of 
grass  and  watching  the  change  from  day  to  day. 
He  presented  parcels  of  the  grass  which  he  said 
had  been  changed  in  this  manner. 

(c.)  With  regard  to  the  good  influence  o?  stones 
on  the  land,  the  gentleman  who  introduced  the 
topic  at  the  agricultural  meeting  at  the  State 
House  must  defend  himself.  Many  persons  (but 
not  among  them  our  intelligent  correspondent, 
"Jonathan,")  seem  to  have  an  idea  that  weeds, 
beyond  a  sufficient  quantity  to  give  the  pigs  an  oc- 
casional feed,  and  stones  enough  to  make  what 
wall  is  wanted,  are  nothing  but  a  pest  and  a 
plague.  In  wisdom  He  made  them  all,  that  made 
the  corn-plants  and  the  fruits  and  flowers.  Weeds 
are  but  grasses  out  of  place,  and  stones  impart,  at 
least,  hut fu'.ure  harvests  of  manure.'  Large  por- 
tions of  our  soil  come  from  the  stones ;  the  gran- 
ite, so  common  all  about  us,  contains  some  of  the 
richest  elements  of  fertility.  One  kind  of  its  feld- 
spar contains  nearly  seventeen  -proportions  in  a  hun- 
dred of  potash.  We  are  also  dependent  on  the 
rocks  for  the  liuie  and  gypsum  which  we  use  as 
fertilizers.  Marl  is  a  compound  of  lime  and  clay, 
while  clay  itself  has  been  formed  by  a  decompo- 
sition of  rocks,  such  as  granite,  feldspar,  clay 
slate,  &c.  We  have  heard  of  an  instance  where  a 
farmer  manured  a  large  field  unwittingly.  Wish- 
ing to  dispose  of  a  surplus  of  small  stones,  he 
placed  some  hundreds  of  loads  along  a  side  hill 
where  he  intended  at  a  future  time  to*  build  a  wall; 
circumstances  prevented  this,  and  after  awhile  he 
noticed  that  tlie  grass  crop  for  several  rods  below 
the  stones  had  materially  increased  ;  and  this  pro 
cess  went  on  until  several  acres  were  fertilized  in 
this  manner.  We  know  nothing  of  the  particu- 
lars of  this  case,  but  presume  the  stones  were  in 
a  state  of  partial  disintegration.  If  they  were  feld- 
spar, it  will  readily  be  seen,  from  what  has  al- 


ready been  said,  what  an  amount  of  potash  they 
might  supply. 

Our  friends,  however,  will  hardly  consider  their 
stone  heaps  a  reliable  source  of  fertility  for  their 
exhausted  acres.  We  only  mention  this  instance 
to  show  that  with  many  of  us,  there  are  a  great 
many  things  "which  our  philosophy  never  dreampt 
of."  

For  the  New  Ens:land  Farmer. 
FRUIT  TREES. 

The  very  great  and  increasing  interest  in  fruit, 
and  fruit  trees,  will  be  my  apology  for  offering  a 
few  remarks  upon  the  subject. 

Your  correspondent  P.,  a  few  weeks  ago,  spoke 
of  an  orchard  of  40  trees  that  produced  300  barrels 
of  Baldwin  apples,  in  each  of  the  years  1850  and 
1852.  This  is  certainly  an  extraordinary  yield, 
and  would  seem  to  warrant  almost  any  amount  of 
cultivation.  I  think  the  public  would  like  to  know 
some  more  of  the  particulars  about  this  orchard. 
How  the  trees  were  set  out  upon  the  ground  ? 
How  far  apart;  whether  the  ground  was  all  shaded, 
by  the  trees,  or  whether  they  were  standing  more 
open,  admitting  the  sun  more  freely  ?  How  much 
ground  did  they  stand  on  ?  Did  those  standing 
near  the  wall  bear  any  better  than  those  in  the 
centre  of  the  lot  T  What  kind  of  soil  ?  &c. ,  &c.  Be- 
cause it  is  doubted  by  some  whether  it  is  best  to 
cultivate  so  highly.  It  is  thought  that  forcing  the 
tree  beyond  its  natural  and  h3althy  powers,  will  be 
injurious  to  its  longevity  and  future  productivness. 

It  is  thought  by  many,  that  fruit  trees  are 
forced  too  much  at  the  present  day,  more  especial- 
ly apple  trees  ;  pear  trees  will  bear  a  higher  state 
of  cultivation. 

In  support  of  this  theory,  it  is  asserted  that  veg- 
etables, if  cultivated  too  highly,  will  not  bear  fruit ; 
potatoes  will  run  all  to  vine,  corn  to  stalk,  &c. 
Animals  may  be  fed  too  highly,  wear  out  and  be- 
come useless  in  a  short  time.  Stage  horses  are 
soon  used  up,  and  even  cows  when  forced  to  yield 
three' pounds  of  butter  a  day  for  one  season,  are 
seldom  heard  of  afterwards. 

We  think  that  young  apple  trees  should  not  be 
forced  with  very  rich  manure.  If  the  ground 
around  the  trees,  from  2  to  G  feet,  according  to 
the  age  of  the  tree,  be  kept  cultivated  and  free 
from  weeds,  if  a  quantity  of  mulch,  or  meadow- 
hay  be  placed  about  it,  the  weeds  will  be  kept 
from  growing,  and  the  hay  will  be  suflicient  ma- 
nure. We  think  we  have  seen  trees  that  have 
been  forced  and  driven  too  fast,  especially  peach 
trees  ;  at  least  the  fruit  on  them  was  scarce. 

Some  flourishing  peach  orchards,  in  this  neigh- 
borhood, have  been  rooted  up,  and  burnt,  on  ac- 
count of  the  disappointment  of  the  owners. 

Trees,  when  forced  so  much  beyond  the  natural 
and  healthy  growth  designed  by  the  Author  of 
Nature,  are  much  more  liable  to  be  affected  by  the 
cold  of  winter.  The  tender  and  succulent  growth 
of  the  wood  will  not  get  suSiciently  hardened  to 
resist  the  frosty  weather. 

Young  apple  trees  were  injured,  in  this  region, 
in  the  winter  of  1850 — 1,  on  the  north  side  of  the 
tree  ;  the  most  thrifty  and  latest  growth  were  the 
most  affected,  and  more  on  the  north  side  of  the 
hill  than  the  south  ;  and  mostly  confined  to  ele- 
vated grounds.  Ji* 

Topsjield.        . 


1853. 


lyj^W  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


281 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
HARLY  RADISHES  AND  TURNIPS. 

BY    DR.    JOSEPH    REVNOLDS. 

The  soil  of  gardens  that  have  long  been  cultiva- 
ted becomes  filled  with  worms  that  interfere  great- 
ly with  the  production  of  early  vegetables.  Rad- 
ishes and  turnips,  of  all  sorts,  and  lately  beets,  are 
so  much  infested  by  woi'ms,  that  it  is  exceedingly 
dilEcult  to  obtain  them  fit  for  the  table  in  tlie  ear- 
ly part  of  the  season.  They  are  so  perforated  by 
worms,  and  so  knotty,  that  they  are  unfit  for  use, 
and  many  persons  who  are  fond  of  them  have 
ceased  all  attempts  to  cultivate  them.  It  is  very 
well  known  to  every  farmer,  that  we  can  raise 
good  turnips  of  various  kinds,  from  seed  sown  in 
August,  upon  land  upon  which  turnips  sown  in 
April  would  be  of  no  value  whatever.  Now  most 
of  the  worms  which  prey  upon  our  vegetables 
spend  a  portion  of  their  lives  in  eating  and  grow- 
ing, preparatory  to  a  change  of  form.  It  is  dur- 
ing this  eating  period,  wliich  occurs  in  the  spring 
and  early  part  of  summer,  that  they  are  so  de- 
structive. After  this  period,  they  either  assume 
the  form  of  winged  insects  and  fly  away,  or  are 
busy  depositing  their  eggs  and  forming  their  co- 
coons for  the  coming  winter.  After  worms  attain 
-their  full  growth,  their  depredations  usually  cease.. 
To  this  there  m'ay  be  exceptions,  as  the  worm  that 
feeds  upon  the  tubers  of  the  potato,  until  late  in 
the  fall.  But  most  worms  cease  tlieir  depreda- 
tions upon  roots  before  the  middle  of  July,  many 
even  before  the  end  of  June. 

Now,  Mr.  Editor,  any  man  will  confer  a  great 
favor  upon  the  lovers  of  good  vegetables,  who  will 
tell  us  how  to  prevent  the  invasion  of  these  insects 
even  upon  our  early  radishes  and  turnips,  to  say 
nothing  about  those  clay  colored  villains  who  steal 
out  in  the  darkness  of  night,  and  cut  off  our  early 
cabbage  plants  and  cauliflowers,  with  such  mali- 
cious delight,  and  when  daylight  approaches, 
sneak  back  into  their  hiding-places.  I  have 
thought  a  good  deal  about  this  matter,  and  have 
made  some  experiments  with  relation  to  it,  at  dif- 
ferent times.  In  a  piece  of  ground  where  worms 
had  injured  the  potatoes  very  much,  I  planted 
them,  manuring  the  alternate  rows  with  compost 
manure  and  with  plaster.  The  potatoes  that  were 
manured  with  plaster  alone  were  smooth  and  fair, 
and  of  fine  quality,  while  those  that  grew  in  the 
rows  manured  with  compost  were  rendered  almost 
worthless  by  the  worms.  I  have  noticed  that  seed 
corn  steeped,  in  a  solution  of  saltpetre  and  dried 
by  being  mixed  with  plaster  is  seldom  attacked 
by  the  cutworm. 

Worms  do  not  abound  in  sandy  soils,  and  they 
are  rarely  found  in  clay.  Soils  containing  a  large 
amount  o^iumus,  which  consists  of  decayed  vege- 
table and  animal  matter,  are  those  in  which  "they 
most  do  congregate."  This  affords  them  the  pab- 
ulum which  they  require.  Such  are  the  soils  of 
our  gardens.  By  the  application  of  large  quanti- 
ties of  compost,  year  after  year,  they  have  become 
rich  in  this  element,  and  are  thus  doubtless  better 
adapted  to  the  production  of  the  greater  number 
of  vegetables,  than  they  could  be  rendered  by  any 
other  means.  But  the  gardener  docs  not  require 
a  uniform  soil.  lie  needs  perhaps  half  a  dozen 
different  soils,  and  as  many  different  kinds  of  ma- 
nure, within  his  little  enclosure,  it  may  be,  of  on- 
ly a  few  square  rods.  But  this  subject  is  too  pro- 
lific to  be  entered  upon  here.    Perhaps  upon  some 


other  occasicm,  I  may  give  you  some  thoughts  upon 
it.  What  I  would  say  now  is,  that  I  have  raised 
very  good  radishes,smooth  and  fair,in  an  old  wormy 
garden  in  the  following  way.  Dig  a  trench,  four 
feet  wide  and  10  or  12  inches  deep,  throwing  out 
all  the  soil  to  that  depth.  Then  set  hoards  edgewise 
against  the  sides  of  the  trench.  This  will  not  on- 
ly prevent  the  sides  from  caving  in,  Imt  prevent 
the  incoming  of  worms  from  the  adjacent  soils. 
Then  witli  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  of  sand  and 
clay  fill  the  trench  to  within  two  inches  of  the  sur- 
face. Let  these  be  well  incorporated  tjgether. 
Then  manure  with  fresh  cow  manure,  and  work 
it  into  tlie  mixture  thoroughly  ;  sow  your  radish- 
es, and  you  will  seldom  if  ever  fail  to  get  a  fine 
crop.  If  it  is  an  object  to  get  them  very  early, 
let  the  boards  around  the  sides  of  the  trench  pro- 
trude four  or  five  inches  above  the  surface,  and 
cover  with  glass. 

Such  a  bed  will  last  two  or  three  years,  when  it 
should  be  renewed.  In  the  same  way  early  tur- 
nips may  be  raised  ;  but  as  these  are  wanted  in 
larger  quantity,  and  of  course  require  more  ground, 
I  have  adopted  a  different  course  with  them,  and 
with  good  success.  Take  six"  parts  wood  ashes, 
one  part  air-slacked  lime,  one  part  plaster,  mix 
them  well  together,  and  sow  the  mixture  upon  the 
plowed  surface ;  work  it  in  well  with  a  rake. 
Then  with  the  hoe  form  the  surface  into  slightly 
elevated  ridges,  sow  the  seed,  and  cover  with  the 
rake.  Use  no  other  manure.  If  the  small  black 
fly,  which  is  so  great  an  enemy  to  the  early  tur- 
nip, attacks  them,  sift  ashes  freely  over  them  just 
before  a  rain,  or  at  sundown  after  the  dew  has  be- 
gan to  fall,  and  unless  the  season  shall  be  very 
dry,  you  will  get  a  good  proportion  of  fair,  eatable 
turnips,  not  indeed  like  turnips  grown  in  Septem- 
ber and  October,  but  very  much  better  than  the 
early  turnips  usually  grown  in  our  gardens. 

Concord,  May,  1853. 


Fur  the  New  England  Farmer. 

YARROW,  OR  WILD  CAMOMILE, 

I  would  be  obliged  to  you  or  some  of  your  con- 
tributors for  information  relative  to  the  destroying 
that  pestiferous  weed,  "Yarrow,  or  Wild  Camo- 
mile," without  plowing;  and  whether  it  could 
not  be  destroyed  by  some  chemical  agent,  instead 
of  pulling.  My  reason  for  the  above  is;  that  my 
irrigated  meadows  are  beginning  to  be  attacked, 
though  not  80  liable  as  where  the  water  seldom 
runs,  and  which  we  have  no  desire  to  plow.  There 
is  another  called  "Pigeon  weed"  in  parts  of  this 
settlement,  but  it  has  not  made  its  appearance 
here  yet ;  it  is  spoken  of  by  those  who  know  it  to 
be  worse  than  the  yarrow,  grows  tall  and  strong, 
and  the  seed  quick  to  vegetate.  If  known  by  this 
uame  to  any  of  your  correspondents,  I  would  also 
like  to  hear  about  it  as  above. 

M.  A.  Wilson. 

Fonthill  Nursery, 
near  Freeport,  Penn. 


I 


Horticultural  Exhibition  at  Concord. — We 
are  informed  that  the  enterprising  citizens  of  Con- 
cord, the  old  battle  town,  will  have  an  exhibition 
of  fruits,  vegetables  and  flowers,  to  take  place, 
as  the  season  may  warrant,  on  the  11th  or  18th 
of  June.      Committees  of  ladies  and  gentlemen 


282 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


June 


have  been  appointed  to  make  the  necessary  ar 
rangements,  and  we  doubt  not  they  will  make  it 
an  occasion  worthy  the  reputation  of  that  ancient 
and  time-honored  old  town.  It  is  expected  that 
the  citizens,  generally,  will  contribute  to  the  ex- 
hibition, which  will  be  free  and  open  to  all  who 
may  choose  to  attend. 


THE    SOD  AND  SUBSOIL  PLOW. 

One  of  these  plows,  from  the  warehouse  of  Rug- 
gles,  Nuurse,  Mason  &  Co.,  of  Boston,  was  in  op- 
eration on  the  fiirm  of  II.  F.  French,  Esq.,  of  Exe- 
ter, last  Monday.  Many  of  our  best  farmers  were 
present,  and  with  one  voice  pronounced  it  a  de- 
cided improvement  on  any  breaking  up  plow 
they  had  ever  seen.  It  is  the  same  implement 
known  in  many  places  as  "<Ae  Michigan  double 
plow.""  It  is  like  an  ordinary  sward  plow,  with 
another  smaller  plow  set  in  the  beam,  forward  of 
the  larger.  The  forward  plow  cuts  a  shallow  fur- 
row, turning  the  sod  merely,  while  the  other  turns 
the  rest  of  the  furrow  upon  the  inverted  sod. 
Both  plows  may  be  guaged  to  any  desired  depth. 
Upon  Mr.  French's  land,  a  sandy  loam,  the  for- 
ward plow  turned  four  inches,  and  the  large  plow 
seven  inches,  making  a  clean  furrow  of  fully  eleven 
inches  depth,  and  fifteen  inches  width,  by  re- 
peated measurement.  The  land  when  plowed  had 
the  appearance  of  finely  pulverized  old  ground,  no 
vestige  of  sward  or  grass  roots  being  visible.  It 
is  found  that  no  greater  strength  is  required  to 
draw  the  double  plow,  than  the  common  plow, 
the  splitting  of  the  furrow-slice  lessening  very 
much  the  friction  upon  the  mould-board.  Four 
oxen  were  abundantly  sufficient  to  do  the  work  as 
above  stated.  The  plow  used  was  the  Eagle,  No. 
35.  The  advantages  of  such  a  plow,  in  effectual- 
ly subduing  witch  grass,  in  lightening  the  labor 
of  planting  and  hoeing,  and  in  turning  over  mead- 
ows in  order  to  lay  them  down  at  once  to  grass, 
are  obvious  from  the  facts  already  stated. — Exe- 
ter Ntws  Letter. 


Remarks. — We  have  several  times  seen  these 
plows  in  operation,  as  well  as  examined  their  pe- 
culiar make.  The  curve  of  the  skim-plow,  or 
forward  mould-board,  is  such  as  to  turn  directly 
upside  down  the  turf  which  it  cuts  up.  The  turn 
of  the  rear  mould-board  is  very  beautiful,  and  be- 
ing constructed  upon  strictly  mathematical  princi- 
ples,offers  the  least  possible  resistance  to  the  earth 
against  which  it  is  pressing.  Although  curving, 
as  a  whole  so  as  to  roll  the  subsoil  over  and  com- 
pletely c^iver  the  turf  which  the  skim-plow  had  cov- 
ered, it  is  in  fact  a  series  of  straight  lines  upon 
which  the  soil  moves  easily  away  until  deposited 
where  desired.  A  stick  with  a  straight  edge  may 
belaid  along  this  mould-board, in  various  ways, so 
that  the  light  will  scarcely  be  admitted  under  it, 
strange  as  it  may  seem.  The  adjustment  of  the 
forward  mould-board  to  the  beam  is  one  of  extra 
strength  and  convenience,  by  which  various  depths 
of  work  are  easily  and  expeditiously  secured. 

The  forward  mould-board  overturns  the  entire 
sod  as  wide  as  the  working  of  the  rear  mould,  and 


so  places  it  in  the  channel  previously  made,  as  in 
no  case  whatever  to  be  brought  to  the  surface  by 
the  harrow  or  other  implement  of  after  cultivation. 

The  rear  mould-board  takes  up  the  under  soil 
and  sifts  it  over  the  inverted  sod,  entirely  filling 
the  surface,  and  at  the  same  time  disintegrating 
and  mellowing  the  earth  so  thoroughly  that  the 
plowed  land  requires  little  or  no  harrowing  to  fit 
it  for  the  reception  of  seed,  and  in  free  loams  the 
use  of  the  harrow  or  other  instruments,  as  pul- 
verizers, is  dispensed  with. 

The  draught  of  the  plow  is  remarkably  light, 
considering  the  great  amount  of  work  and  the 
thorough  pulverization  effected  by  it. 


COMPARISON  BETWEEN  OX  &  HORSE 
LABOR  FOR    THE  FARM. 

Some  time  ago  we  published  a  communication 
containing  the  experience  of  Mr.  Geo.  Dewy,  of 
Hanover,  upon  this  subject.  Thef^ractical  value 
of  that  article  found  for  it  a  place  in  nearly  every 
agricultural  journal  in  the  country.  In  a  late 
number  of  the  Wisconsin  and  loxoa  Farmer,  we 
find  another  calculation  arriving  at  similar  results. 
It  is  well  worth  the  consideration  of  the  farmer. 
We  are  well  aware  of  the  attraction  that  a  fine  span 
of  horses  has  for  the  young  f;irmer.  The  motion 
of  the  horses  is  more  congenial  to  young  blood  or 
to  fast  blood.  The  movement  of  cattle  is  general- 
ly slow  and  sleepy  compared  to  the  life  and  ener- 
gy of  the  movement  of  the  horse.  Then  a  fine 
span  of  horses  has  a  more  noble  appearance,  es- 
pecially when  taken  from  the  plow  and  driven  to 
the  street.  It  is  pleasant  too,  once  in  a  while  to 
be  able  to  convert  the  spirited  plow  team,  into  a 
spanking  pair  for  the  pleasure  carriage.  But  the 
advantages  in  favor  of  the  use  of  oxen  for  farm  la- 
bor are  such  as  renders  it  difficult  to  dispense  with 
them.  The  pros  and  cons  may  be  summed  up  in 
three  propositions. 

1.  The  yoke  of  good  oxen,  with  good  care  will 
do  as  much  work  annually  as  the  span  of  horses. 

2.  The  oxen  improve  in  value,  or  at  least  do 
not  diminish,  until  at  the  close  of  their  labor  they 
are  still  as  valuable  for  beef  as  when  at  five  or  six 
ytars  old;  while  the  horse  is,  at  twelve,  material- 
ly depreciate  in  value, and  in  a  few  years  more  be- 
comes a  burden,  only  to  be  thrown  off  by  the  axe. 

3.  The  first  cost  of  oxen  and  fixings  is  less  than 
that  of  horses,  and  the  annual  cost  of  keeping, 
and  the  general  wear  and  tear  is  less  by  one  third 
or  two  fifths. 

Under  these  considerations  quite  a  profitable 
difference  in  favor  of  the  use  of  oxen  is  cyphered 
out. 

The  writer  whose  statement  we  exhibit,  as- 
sumes the  cost  of  a  good  pair  of  horses  to  be  $200, 
and  their  harnesses  $25,  making  $225,  the  inter- 
est of  which  at  7  per  cent  makes  $15,75.  It 
costs  to  feed,  for  grain,  $68,50,  and  for  hay, 
$48,00.  making  the  entire  annual  cost  $132,25. 
A  yoke  of  good  oxen,  yoke  and  chains  cost  $110, 
which  at  7  per  cent  interest  is  $7,70  : — grain  to 
feed  costs  $34,35,  and  hay  $48,  making  the  an- 
nual cost  of  a  yoke  of  oxen  $89,95. 

tVt  these  rates  per  annum  the  account  is  kept 
for  ten  years  with  the  same  set  of  animals. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMi^R. 


28^ 


Keeping  one  pair  of  horses,  at  $132,25 $1322,50 

Shoeing,  at  $12  per  annum 120,00 

Total $1441,50 

Keeping  one  yoke  ofoxes  ten  years,  at  $89,95 $699,50 

Shoeing,  at  $5  per  annum 50,00 

Total $949,50 

At  this  time  the  yoke  of  oxen  arc  worth  for 
beef  $80,00,  which  being  taken  from  the  cost 
of  the  ox  hibor  for  the  ten  years. 

Considering  the  pair  of  Iiorses  at  fourteen  worth 
$125,  this  sum  is  to  be  taken  from  the  cost  of 
horse  labor  which  reduces  that  sum  to 

Cost  of  horse  labor $1327,50 

Cost  of  ox  labor 869,50 

.«;448,00 

In  ten  years  ihen  the  farmer  is  better  in  his 
standing  by  $448,  by  the  use  of  oxen  instead  of 
horses  for  farm  work. — Granite  Farmer. 


WASH  FROM  THE  SINK. 

There  is  probably  no  article  that  can  be  applied 
to  growing  vegetables,  more  decidedly  valuable, 
than  the  wash  from  the  sink  spout.  And  yet  this 
is  not  generally  understood  by  farmers,  and  few 
efforts  are  made  even  by  the  most  economical,  to 
economize  an  article  in  which  are  to  be  found  all 
the  elements  which  contribute  to  the  sustenance 
of  vegetables  in  a  state  of  perfect  solution,  and 
consequently  in  a  condition  the  most  readily  ap- 
propriable by  the  organs  they  are  designed  to 
nourish,  invigorate  and  sustain. 

It  has  been  computed  by  chemical  men  that  the 
amount  of  pabulum,  or  alimentary  matter,  con- 
tained in  the  urine  of  animals,  is  equal  to  that  of 
the  solid  voidings.  It  has  also  been  asserted  that 
one  hogshead  of  soap-suds,  if  applied  in  irrigation, 
would  produce  effects  upon  the  corn  crop  as  obvi- 
ous and  enduring,  as  those  resulting  from  a  cord 
of  the  best  manure.  This  assertion  is,  perhaps, 
erroneous  ;  but  that  the  effects  of  the  article  ap- 
plied in  the  manner  specified,  would  be  highly  sal- 
utary, no  one  who  has  witnessed  the  effects  of 
soap-suds  upon  cucumbers,  squashes,  house  plants, 
&c.,  can  indulge  a  doubt.  But  the  most  econom- 
ical method,  probably,  of  saving  and  appropria- 
ting this  liquid  to  the  purposes  of  vegetable  en- 
richment, is  to  mix  it  with  the  materials  of  the 
compost  heap.  Any  substance  which  will  absorb 
it,  may  be  made  a  vehicle  for  conveying  it  to  the 
fields,  such  as  swamp  muck,  which,  in  a  dry  state, 
readily  absorbs  three  times  its  weight  of  water, 
loam,  old  tan,  rotten  leaves,  straw  or  saw  dust, 
all  of  which  are  highly  valuable,  and  act  favorably 
both  on  the  soil  and  crop. 

If  it  is  found  inconvenient  to  convey  the  sink 
waste  to  the  piggery  or  barn  cellar,  dig  a  hole  near 
the  house  six  feet  square,  and  two  or  three  feet 
deep,  according  to  the  amount  of  water  from  the 
sink.  If  this  is  designed  as  a  permanent  arrange- 
ment, it  would  be  well  to  stone  or  brick  it  and  cov- 
er the  bottom  and  sides  with  water  cement.     But 


it  will  answer  very  well  without  either,  by  laying 
some  old  timber,  joist  or  stones  round  tlie  edge, 
and  banking  the  earth  up  against  it  so  that  it  may 
be  covered  up  and  not  be  offensive  to  the  sight  or 
smell. 

On  the  bottom  of  this,  lay  meadow  mud,  straw 
leaves,  weeds,  or  common  loam,  and  let  the  watec 
on.  These  materials  should  be  frequently  sup- 
plied in  small  quantities  until  the  place  is  full, 
when  it  may  be  carted  away  and  the  operation  con- 
tinued. 

A  farmer  who  has  adopted  this  plan,  thinks  he 
can  make  by  it  at  least,  twenty  dollars'  worth  of 
the  best  of  manure  in  a  year,  though  the  opera- 
tions of  the  kitchen  are  limited,  the  family  being 
small. 

"TIRED   OF  FARMING." 

A  few  months  ago,  a  man  who  had  been  a  farm- 
er from  "his  early  life,  came  to  the  city  to  buy 
stoves  to  sell  again.  Said  he  to  the  stove  dealer, 
"the  weevil  begins  to  infest  the  wheat,  and  all 
things  considered,  I  am  'tired  of  farming,'  and  so 
have  sold  my  farm."  The  stove  dealer  remarked, 
that  he  thought  within  himself,  that  just  as  like 
as  not  the  discontented  farmer  would  find  a  weevil 
in  the  heart  of  the  new  business — and  so  it  proved, 
for  when  the  day  arrived  on  which  the  note  ma- 
tured, given  for  the  stoves,  the  old  farmer,  now 
turned  tradesman,  confessed  that  he  had  not  been 
able  to  sell  his  stoves — that  he  had  most  of  them 
on  hand. 

"Tired  of  farming,"  the  most  independent  busi- 
ness a  man  can  engage  in,  because,  forsooth,  there 
are  disappointments,  and  perplexities,  and  trials, 
and  vexations,  attending  it.  Remember,  you  who 
are  tillers  of  the  soil,  that  your  cares  and  troubles 
and  anxieties  are  few  and  far  between,  compared 
with  those  suffered  by  commercial  men.  If  your 
chances  to  become  rich  are  not  so  inviting  and 
profitable,  as  thoseof  the  tradesman,  bear  in  mind 
that  the  dangers  of  being  very  poor  and  destitute 
are  far  less.  Famine  and  abject  poverty  seldom 
overtake  the  farmer,  or  haunt  him  in  their  ghost- 
ly visits.  He  lives  on  the  high  table-land  of 
promise,  rising  far  above  the  murky  region  of  want 
and  destitution.  His  children  can  say  there  is 
bread  enough  in  our  father's  house,  and  a  piece  to 
spare  to  the  hungry  of  other  less  fortunate  call- 
ings. 

"Tired  of  forming!"  Supposing  you  are. — 
What  is  to  be  done  in  such  a  case  ?  Do  you  ex- 
pect to  find  an  employment  without  trials  and 
perplexities  ?  If  so,  you  are  doomed  to  disap- 
pointment. There  is  no  vocation  in  tMh  world 
that  will  exempt  those  who  engage  therein,  from 
cares  and  fears  and  vexations.  So  if  you  are  tired 
of  farming,  the  best  way  is  to  get  rested  just  as 
soon  as  you  can,  and  prosecute  anew  the  Ijusiness 
for  which  you  were  early  trained,  and  which,  if 
diligently  followed,  will  yield  a  good  supply  of  all 
the  necessaries  and  comforts  of  life,  together  with 
opportunities  for  mental  and  moral  culture. — Ru- 
ral Netv- Yorker. 

Franklin  County  Society. — Through  the  polite- 
ness of  Hon.  H.  W.  CusHMAN,  we  Iiavc  received 
the  Transactions  of  tliis  Society  for  the  year  1852. 


284 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


June 


The  Annual  Exhibition  was  at  Greenfield,  on  the 
29th  and  30th  September.  The  Address  by  Prof. 
Mapes, — practical,  concise,  clear  and  excellent. 
The  reports  of  Committees  and  Treasurer's  report 
show  a  prosperous  condition  of  the  society.  The 
committee  on  "fine  arts,  fancy  articles,  &c.,"  was 
composed,  mostly  of  ladies — right — why  was  not 
the  committee  on  "carpeting,  rugs,  flannel,  &c.," 
made  up  in  the  same  manner  ] 

The  pamphlet  is  well  compiled,  printed  hand- 
somely, and  reflects  credit  on  the  society. 


COWS  AND   OXEN  IN  PORTUGAL. 

The  Secretary  of  the  N.  Y.  State  Society  has 
favored  us  with  the  following  extract  from  a  letter 
from  C.  B.  Haddock,  the  United  States  Charge 
d'Affaires  to  Portugal. 

Oxen,  strange  as  it  seems,  are  almest  exclusive- 
ly employed  in  agriculture  ;  nor  do  they  appear  to 
feel  tije  heat  much.  Indeed  the  Portuguese  have 
a  kind  of  Hindoo  respect  for  the  bovine  race,  and 
always  treat  them  well.  I  never,  in  any  country, 
saw  oxen  and  cows  so  universally  fat  and  healthy 
in  appearance.  During  the  winter,  though  there 
was  not  a  single  frost,  the  cows  driven  into  the 
street,  in  which  I  live,  and  milked  there  every 
morning  at  the  doors  of  their  customers,  were  gen- 
erally covered  with  warm  woolen  blankets.  Ox- 
en are  often  protected  from  rain  and  flies  by  an 
oilcloth,  covering  them  from  the  hips.  I  every 
day  see  a  beautiful  ox  belonging  to  the  Duke 
Palmella,  and  used  to  draw  water  in  a  hogshead, 
upon  wheels,  covered  entirely  with  a  canvass  awn- 
ing, raised  in  an  arch  over  the  shaft  of  his  cart. 
Like  the  snail,  the  happy  fellow  carries  his  house 
with  him.  And  both  oxen  and  cows  are  so  trained 
it  is  curious  to  see  them.  The  cow  is  as  tame,  as 
easy  handled,  as  quiet,  whilst  women  or  children 
are  playing  with  its  horns,  as  a  pet  dog.  The  calf 
is  driven  to  town  with  its  mother,  and  learns  to  go 
through  all  the  operations  which  are  to  be  the  fu- 
ture business  of  its  humble  life,  whilst  it  is  thus, 
with  its  nose  muzzled,  following  the  herd  of  milch 
kine.  It  is  called  and  sent  off  at  will,  with  a  word. 
Oxen  are  driven  by  a  man,  who  goes  before  them, 
and  sometimes  between  their  horns  even  ;  he  turns 
his  face  to  them  and  brads  them  with  his  long 
goad-stick  in  the  side  or  the  flanks ;  or  he  takes 
hold  of  a  rope  which  unites  their  horns,  and  leads 
them  as  we  lead  a  horse.  These  animals  are  the 
peasant's  pride,  and  are  often  decked  with  ribbons 
and  bells.  I  saw,  at  the  October  fair,  at  "Campo 
Grande,"  near  Lisbon,  more  than  a  thousand  yoke, 
many  of  them  splendid  animals,  and  all  gaudily 
ornameij^ed,  and  driven  by  men  as  gaily  attired  as 
themselves. 

The  yoke,  what  an  instrument  that  is  !  and  the 
cart,  and  the  plow.  These  man  makes ;  God 
makes  the  oxen.  The  yoke  is  a  straight  piece  of 
chestnut  wood,  about  four  inches  by  two  and  a 
half,  slightly  hollowed,  where  it  lies  upon  the 
neck  ;  it  has  two  straight  pins,  a  foot  long,  run- 
ning from  it,  at  right  angles,  where  is  put  the  bow, 
and  united  under  the  animal's  neck  by  a  bit  of 
rope,  or  thong  of  green  hide.  The  rude  imple- 
ment is  confined  to  the  tongue  of  the  cart  with 
ropes,  and  to  the  horns  with  thongs.  Unyoking  is 
untying   the   strips  which  unite  the  pins   under 


the  neck,  and  those  upon  the  horns.  And  as  the 
tongue  of  the  cart  is  fastened  to  the  body,  tipping 
up  carries  up  tongue  and  yoke  together,  and  leaves 
the  oxen  all  ungeared  below.  The  cart  has  solid 
wheels,  about  three  feet  high,  and  from  four  to 
six  inches  thick,  with  a  fixed  axle,  that  turns, 
of  course,  with  a  wheel.  The  body  and  tongue 
are  framed  together,  and  are  confined  to  the 
axle  by  pins,  between  which  it  revolves  with  a 
noise,  frequently,  that  may  be  heard  for  a  mile. 
Now  and  then  the  axle  is  oiled,  but  not  generally  ; 
the  "stridentia  plaustra"  of  Virgil  is  recalled  to 
you  upon  every  public  road.  The  plow  is  even 
ante-Roman  ;  ruder  than  Virgil  describes.  The 
beam  extends  to  the  yoke,  and  is  fastened  to  it 
with  cords.  The  same  stick  serves  for  share, 
coulter  and  handle,  and  is  morticed  to  the  beam 
at  not  quite  a  right  angle.  It  is  generally  pointed 
with  iron.  The  harrow  and  hoe  are  similarly 
rude. 

And  yet,  with  such  instruments  the  fields  are 
made  to  yield  abundantly.  Beautiful  crops  of  bar- 
ley, wheat,  Indian  corn,  and  potatoes  cover  them 
on  every  side.  Saving  of  labor  seems  hardly  an 
object.  Men  work  for  fifteen  cents  a  day  and  find 
themselves. 

STATE  BOARD  OF  AGRICULTURE. 

SEVENTH    MEETING  . 

The  Board  was  called  to  order  by  his  Excellen- 
cy, Gov.  Clifford,  the  roll  called  and  the  proceed- 
ings of  the  last  meeting  read  by  the  Secretary,  Mr. 
C.  L.  Flint.  Present,  Gov.  Clifford,  Mr. 
Wright,  Secretary  of  State,  Messrs.  Wilder, 
French,  Proctor,  Sprague,  Hitchcock,  Nash, 
Parkhurst,  Lawton,  Reed,  Brown,  Wood,  Dodge, 
Paige  and  Smith. 

The  Secretary  was  directed  to  confer  with  the 
Sergeant-at-Arms,  and  make  arrangements  for  a 
room  for  the  accommodation  of  the  meeting  to- 
morrow. 

Mr.  Wilder  distributed  the  Transactions  of  the 
Norfolk  Agricultural  Society,  among  the  members 
of  the  Board. 

Mr.  Proctor,  from  the  Committee  in  relation  to 
a  Slate  Chemist,  reported  as  follows : — 

The  committee,  instructed  to  report  on  the  ex- 
pediency of  employing  a  State  Chemist,  for  the 
analysis  of  soils  and  other  experiments  connected 
with  culture  : — fully  impressed  with  the  impor- 
tance of  such  operations  and  the  knowledge  to  be 
derived  from  them  ; — are  still  of  the  opinion  that 
the  time  has  not  yet  arrived,  when  it  will  be  ex- 
pedient to  recommend  any  distinct  action  on  the 
subject. 

Mr.  Proctor  also  reported  as  follows  on  the 
subject  of  Farmers'  Institutes  : — 

The  committee  to  whom  was  referred  the  prop- 
osition for  the  establishment  of  Farmer's  Insti- 
tutes in  the  several  counties  of  the  Commonwealth, 
analogous  to  the  teachers'  institutes,  that  have 
been  holden  with  so  much  favor,  have  considered 
the  subject,  and  entertain  an  opinion  favorable  to 
the  proposal. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


285 


It  seems,  if  assemblages  of  farmers,  and  others  ally,  and  report,  or  send  a  member  of  the  Board 
interested,  could  be  hifd  in  connection  with  the  as  a  substitute 
movements  of  the  several  county  societies,  and  in 
a  measure  co-operating  with  these  societies,  their 
influence  might  be  beneficially  extended.  Espe- 
cially would  these  meetings  be  beneficial,  in  en- 
listing the  co-operation  of: young  men.  There  are 
some  things  which  can  be  better  done  by  the  en- 
ergy and  ardor  of  youth,  than  in  any  other  man- 
ner. Without  presuming  to  dictate  the  particu- 
lar mode  of  organization,  they  are  content  to 
recommend  such  organization  to  the  favorable  con- 
sideration of  the  Board  ;  not  doubting  that  the 
secretary  will  be  able  to  devise  a  plan  of  particu- 
lars, that  will  secure  all  the  benefits  reasonably  to 
be  expected. 

The  only  experiment  of  the  kind,  within  the 
knowledge  of  the  committee,  was  that  which  took 
place  in  March  last,  at  Concord,  County  of  Mid- 
dlesex ;  which  succeeded  to  the  admiration  of  all 
who  witnessed  it. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  Sprague,  the  report  was  re- 
committed to  the  committee,  to  which,  Mr.  Flint, 
the  Secretary,  was  added. 

The  Secretary  laid  before  the  Board  circulars 
and  tables  which  he  had  prepared,  to  be  circulated 
throughout  the  State,  in  order  to  elicit  more  exact 
information  in  relation  to  the  agricultural  resources 
of  the  State.  An  interesting  discussion  took  place 
upon  these  papers,  and  they  were  referred  to  a 
committee  consisting  of  Messrs.  Proctor,  Flint, 
Dodge,  Paige  and  French. 

The  Governor  here  called  Mr.  Wilder  to  the 
chair,  who  continued  to  preside  throughout  the 
day. 

The  officer  having  in  charge  the  publication  of 
the  Transactions  of  the  counties,  was  instructed 
to  cause  one  thousand  copies  of  the  Transactions 
of  the  Board  to  be  struck  off  and  bound  separate- 

Messjs,  Reed,  Hitchcock  and  Paige,  were  ap- 
pointed a  committee  to  report  what  action  is  ne- 
cessary to  facilitate  the  objects  of  Prof.  Nash's 
visit  to  Europe. 

Mr.  Proctor  moved  that  a  delegate  from  this 
Board  be  appointed,  to  visit  each  of  the  County 
Agricultural  Societies  in  the  State ;  which  was 
done  as  follows  :  To  visit  the  county  of 

Worcester Stephen  Reed. 

Norfolk J.  H.  W.  Paige. 

Essex Harvey  Dodge. 

Hnusntonic Edward  Hitchcock. 

Worcester  West Seth  Sprague. 

Bristol M.  P.  Wilder. 

Middlesex B.  V.  French. 

Berkshire Elisha  Huntington. 

Plymouth E.  M.   Wright. 

Franklin J.  W.  Proctor. 

Barnsltible Joshua  R.  Lawton. 

Hanip.-ihire,  Franklin  and  Hampden  Si.mon  Brown. 

Hampden   Joseph  S.mith,  C.  B.  H.  Fessende.n. 

Hampshire John  C.  Gray. 

It  was  voted  that  the  gentlemen  elected  as  dele- 
.  .  L  3      societies  shall  attend,  person 


Messrs.  Brown,  Flint  and  Rked,  were  appoint- 
ed a  committee  to  collect  the  names  of  the  officers 
of  the  several  Societies,  and  the  places  at  which 
the  next  exhibition  of  each  is  to  be  holden. 
afternoon  session. 

Messrs.  Smith  and  Flint  were  elected  a  com- 
mittee on  accounts. 

The  committee  on  the  subject  of  the  blanks  re- 
ported by  the  Secretarj'^,  approved  of  the  forms, 
but  left  them  open  for  such  modifications  as  might 
be  deemed  appropriate  by  the  Secretary. 

The  Secretary,  in  connection  with  the  Ex.  Com., 
was  directed  to  furnish  subjects  for  Essays,  and 
members  of  the  Board  requested  to  select  from 
them  and  report  at  the  next  meeting  at  the  close 
of  the  year. 

The  following  paper  from  a  committee  was  then 
accepted : 

State  Board  of  Agriculture  \ 
Boston,  May  11,  1853.  5 

Whereas,  the  Rev.  John  A.  Nash,  Professor  of 
Theoretical  and  Practical  Agriculture  in  Amherst 
College,  and  a  member  of  this  Board,  is  about  to 
visit  England  and  other  countries  of  Europe,  for 
the  purpose  of  gaining  information  relating  to  the 
science  and  practice  of  Agriculture,  this  Board 
takes  pleasure  in  testifying  to  the  high  personal 
character  and  the  scientific  attainments  of  Profes- 
sor Nash,  and  to  his  zeal  in  the  cause  to  which  he 
has  devoted  himself;  and  cordially  commend  him 
to  the  kind  regards  of  the  scientific  and  practical 
agriculturists,  and  of  all  agricultural  associations 
in  the  countries  which  he  is  about  to  visit. 

THURSDAY   MORNING. 

His  Excellency,  the  Gov.,  being  engaged  in  his 
official  duties,  Col.  Wilder  was  requested  to  re- 
sume the  chair. 

The  proceedings  of  Wednesday  were  then  read. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  French,  it  was  voted  that  a 
bushel  of  sound,  merchantable  corn,  shall  be  con- 
sidered by  all  the  societies  to  consist  of  fifty-six 
lbs.  of  shelled  corn  weighed  at  any  time  before  the 
30th  of  November,  and  that  80  lbs.  shall  be  con- 
sidered a  bushel  on  the  cob  when  taken  from  the 
field. 

A  bushel  of  rye .56  lbs. 

"  barley 46  lbs. 

"  buckwheat 46  |hs. 

"  oats 30  lbs! 

"  wheat 6U  lbs. 

"  potatoes .•.60  lbs. 

"  carrots 55  |bs. 

"  sugar  beets 60  lbs. 

"  mangel  werzel 60  Ihs. 

"  ruta  baga 60  lbs. 

"  parsnips 45  lbs. 

"  English  turnips i 50  lbs. 

"  white  beans 60  lbs. 

"  peas 60  lbs. 

"  oniona 50  lbs. 

The  Secretary  was  directed  to  notify  the  Agri- 
cultural Societies  of  this  vote,  and  request  them 
to  conform  to  it  as  soon  as  their  circumstances 
will  permit. 

Messrs.  Wilder,   Page,  Proctor,  Hitchcock, 


286 


NiJW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Jun:e 


Smith,  Dodge,  French,  Brown,  Sprague  and  Law- 
ton  were  appointed  a  committee  to  confer  with  the 
Governor  of  the  Commonwealth  and  consider  and 
report  whether  any,  and  if  so  what  aid  may  conve- 


the  mysteries  of  seed  time  and  harvest,  and  un- 
folding all  the  beautiful  knowledge  drawn  from 
natural  laws  connected  tlierewith.  Yet  most  of 
these  "usual  means  of  improvement"  would  of  ne- 
cessity have   to  venture  upon   "new  and  untried 


niently  be  afforded  by  the  State  to  this  Board  to  ijc/jgr/jcs.' 

facilitate  experiments  in  scientific  cultivation  of  the      We  have   often  thought  that  science  as  con 

soil  by  the  use  of  the  lands  connected  with  the 

State  Reform  School  at  Westboro'. 

Messrs.  French,  Sprague  and  Wilder  were  ap- 
pointed a  committee  to  audit  the  accounts  of  the 
late  acting  Secretary. 

Messrs.  Wilder  and  Brown  were  added  to  the 
Executive  Committee. 

At  2  o'clock  the  Board  adjourned. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
NEW  AND  UNTRIED  SCHEMES. 

"So  far  as  possible,   the  eslalilislieti  and  cniiowed  institu- 
tions for  education,  and  all  the  iisual  means  of  improvement 
at  commRiid,  should  he  made  available  to  the  advancement  of 
the  agricultural   interest,  instead  of  looliing  for  new  ar.d  un 
tried  schemes." — Reviewer  in  N.  E.  Farmer  of  April  30,  1853. 

The  above  cautious  remarks  are  made  in  the  re- 
view of«the  monthly  number  of  the  Fanner  for 
April,  in  the  paragraph  captioned  "Farmers'  Li- 
braries. 

In  order  to  assume  a  position  in  this  matter, 
and  have  a  fair  starting  point  from  which  to  reck- 
on our  latitude  and  longitude,  we  should  like  to 
know  what  our  incog  friend  means  by  "new  and 
untried  schemes."  He  seems  to  admit  as  a  fact, 
that  "our  established  and  endowed  institutions 
for  education,  and  all  the  usual  means  at  com- 
mand, should  be  made  available  for  the  advance- 
ment of  the  agricultural  interest,"  To  this  we 
respond  a  hearty  amen !  But  when  or  where  has 
this  been  done'?  It  is  now  but  a  few  years  since 
the  application  of  science  to  agriculture  has  re- 
ceived the  least  attention  in  our  country.  It  is 
yet  the  opinion  of  too  many,  that  ignorance  in 
these  matters  is  a  befitting  quality  in  the  cultiva- 
tor of  the  soil,  although  the  mass,  we  hope,  have 
risen  far  above  so  grovelling  a  view  of  things,  and 
many  are  anxious  to  see  a  better  order  of  things 
introduced  ;  and  to  effect  it,  are  willing,  with  the 
same  nobleness  of  purpose  as  led  Columbus  to 
venture  on  unknown  seas  in  search  of  a  n?w  world 
— to  venture  "on  new  and  untried  schemes.'^  Ag- 
ricultural schools  have  been  the  subject  of  much 
consideration,  and  their  effect  on  those  who  could 
be  benefited  by  them  would  probal)ly  be  of  a  salu- 
tary character.  But  the  public  mind  does  not  j'et 
(it  will  be,  however,  some  time,)  seem  prepared  for 
their  endowment.  Agricultural  professorships,  as 
a  remedy,  are  being  introduced  into  some  of  our 
colleges.*  The  effect  will,  no  doubt,  be  a  good 
one.  But  at  present  it  is  a  "new  and  untried 
scheme,''''  even  in  our  "established  and  endowed 
institutions  for  education."  We  hope  the  scheme 
will  prove  so  successful  and  its  benefits  so  fully 
appreciated,  that  every  college  in  the  land  will 
find  such  a  professorship  a  necessary  appendage, 
and  that  the  cultivation  of  the  soil  will  be  taught 
practically  as  well  as  theoretically  at  all  such  in- 
stitutions. And  our  academies,  too,  and  "all  our 
higher  seminaries  of  learning,"  whatever  name 
they  bear,  v.'hat  a  beautiful  idea  it  would  be  if 
they  would  arise  and  elevate  themselves  into  a  new 
atmosphere  and  shine  forth  by  richly  developing 


nected  with  agriculture  might  be  successfully 
taught,  to  a  limited  extent,  in  our  common  schools, 
which  are  accessible  to  every  child  in  the  country. 
We  are  now  of  the  same  opinion.  If  nothing  more 
was  done  in  these  humble  seminaries  than  by  oc- 
casional talkings  of  the  teacher  to  interest  the 
mind  of  the  scholar  in  natural  objects  by  pointing 
out  their  uses  and  defining  their  beauties  and  call- 
ing them  by  their  right  names,  the  curiosity  would 
be  awakened  so  that  a  research  into  these  things, 
to  continue  through  life — widening  and  deepening 
and  presenting  new  attractions  all  the  way  through 
life — would  by  the  result,  and  from  so  humble  a 
beginning  invaluable  consequences  would  necessa- 
rily arise.  But  the  thing  has  never,  to  our  know- 
ledge, been  done  so  as  to  give  a  fair  result  of  the 
experiment;  consequently,  it  would  be  venturing 
upon  a  "nrw  and  untried  scheme,^''  which  many  in 
the  outset  would  pronounce  visionary  and  false  to 
attempt  the  innovation. 

Almost  half  a  century  ago,  a  few  individuals 
away  back  on  the  Berkshire  hills,  established  a 
society  for  the  promotion  of  agriculture  and  do- 
mestic manufactures.  The  first  beginning  in  this 
affiir  was  very  small.  Farmers  shook  their  heads 
and  thought  no  good  would  come  out  of  tlie  mat- 
ter. Others  thought  the  project  visionary,  and 
that  if  it  did  not  end  in  smoke,  its  greatest  result 
would  be  wind.  It  was  a  scheme  luhol/y  new  and 
untried,  and  in  order  to  get  up  the  first  exhibition, 
if  we  have  been  rightly  informed,  the  few  who 
managed  the  affair  borrowed  of  their  neighbors  in 
order  to  increase  the  number  of  articles  compris- 
ing a  small  exhibition.  Still  they  persevered,  and 
saw  the  dark  clouds  of  discouragement  pass  away, 
and  now  the  numbar  of  such  institutions  in  the 
land  are  almost  innumerable,  while  the  beufits  re- 
sulting from  them  defy  calculation.  Berkshire 
numbers  two  within  her  borders,  each  of  them  in 
flourishing  condition,  calling  each  year  thousands 
from  the  hills  and  valleys  to  their  annual  fairs, 
and  each  one  come  in  the  strength  of  zeal^nd  ful- 
ness of  admiration  which  attends  the  progress  of 
a  desirable  and  fixvorite  object. 

When  the  experiment  of  sustaining  agricultural 
societies  was  fully  tested  and  their  utility  had  be- 
come a  fixed  fact,  another  new  and  untried  scheme 
presented  itself  to  the  consideration  of  the  cultiva- 
tors of  the  earth.  Horticulture  had  thus  far  been 
under  the  fostering  care  of  a  few  individuals. — 
Choice  fruits,  healthful  vegetables  in  abundant 
supply,  and  rare  and  beautiful  flowers,  were  re- 
stricted in  their  growth  to  the  gardens  of  wealth 
and  taste,  while  the  thought  that  they  were  in- 
tended for  the  multitude  had  never  entered  into 
the  heart  of  man.  But  the  union  of  effort  which 
had  given  agricultural  associations  success,  and 
had  given  new  impulse  to  agricultural  progress, 
was  seen  to  be  good  and  lovely  in  its  operations, 
and  its  aid  was  invoked  in  behalf  of  horticulture. 
The  Massachusetts  Horticultural  Society  is  an  im- 
perishable monument  of  the  success  whi(Ji  such 
effort  In-ings  ;  and  numerous  similar,  though  hum- 
ble institutions,  spread  all  around  us,    are  now 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


287 


each  year  feasting  the  eye  with  new  beauties  and 
regaling  the  taste  with  still  more  delicious  fruits. 
One  more  new  and  untried  scheme  upon  which 
the  farmer  lias  ventured,  and  we  are  done.     This 
is   patronizing    and    sustaining    the   agricultural 
press.     Almost  one-fourth  of  the  nineteenth  cen 
tury  had  passed  away  when  the  first  agricultural 
paper  made  its  appearance  in  America  ;  and  it  is 
not  probable  that  one  in  a  hundred  of  the  formers 
saw  such  a  paper,  or  one  in  fifty  knew  of  its  exist- 
ence, for  years  after  its  first  issue.     By  the  many 
it  was  looked  upon  as  a  regular  humbug,  fresh 
from  tlie  city.     But  it  lived, — its  circulation  in- 
creased, it  was  read  and  re-read.     The  demand 
came  for  more,  and  now  not  less  than  a  dozen  sim 
ilar  papers,  each  of  high  character,  are  issuing  in 
various  sections  of  the  country,  besides  a  host  of 
smaller  fry,  whose  columns  are  in  part  devoted, 
professedly,  to  the  same  object  of  giving  agricul 
tural  knowledge.     We  might  go  further,  but  we 
promised  to  stop,  and  therefore  forbear,  only  hop 
ing  that  agricultural  lyceums  and  farmers'  clubs, 
or  whatever  name   they  may  bear,   will  be  multi 

{)lied  until  their  numl)ers  become  as  plenty  as  the 
ocusts  of  Egypt,  and  that  every  lyceum  or  club 
will  have  its  library  and  cabinet,  and  every  other 
appendage  necessary  or  convenient  for  intellectual 
progress  in  tlie  arts  so  essential  to  the  well  being 
of  mankind  at  large. 

Yours  truly,  w.  B. 

Elmwood,  May  6,  1853. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
OXEN  AND  HORSES. 

BY  M.  M.  FISKE. 

Messrs.  Editors: — Having  read  an  article  in 
your  paper  of  Jan.  1st,  which  advocated  the  supe- 
riority of  oxen  over  horses  for  farming  purposes, 
and  having  some  leisure  time  which  could  not  be 
employed  to  better  advantage,  I  have  thought 
proper  to  offer  the  following  remarks. 

The  ox  is  certainly  a  noble  animal,  his  species 
being  one  of  the  greatest  blessings  ever  conferred 
upon  man  ;  and  what  will  be  more  acceptable  to 
our  Creator  for  the  above  than  to  care  and  provide 
for  such  animals  as  are  committed  to  our  steward- 
ship, as  we  would  wish  to  be  cared  for  undef  the 
same  circumstances.  Indeed,  I  firmly  and  reli- 
giously believe  that  it  is  a  law  of  Heaven,  designed 
for  their  special  protection,  that  the  benefit  to  be 
derived  from  their  possession  will  be  in  exact  pro- 
portion to  the  kindness  and  mercy  exercised  to- 
wards them. 

To  the  farmer  whose  land  is  very  rocky  and  un- 
even, oxen  are  indispensable;  but  to  those  whose 
soil  is  measurably  smooth  and  easy  of  cultivation, 
the  horse  is  decidedly  preferable,  whether  for  the 
profit  of  his  labor  or  the  pleasure  of  driving. 

To  ascertain  the  correctness  of  the  above,  we 
must  calculate  the  cost  of  keeping  for  each,  per 
week,  and  which  will  answer  the  best  and  great- 
est variety  of  purposes  of  the  farmer. 

A  statement  was  published  a  few  years  since, 
by  the  Hon.  B.  V.  French,  of  Braintree,  in  which 
he  made  the  actual  cost  of  keeping  his  horses  per 
head,  per  week,  to  be  $1,50  ;  this  was  probably 
when  hay  was  lower  than  at  present,  but  this  fact 
will  bear  equally  against  the  ox. 

It  is  a  common  saying  that  a  horse  will  eat  as 
much,  or  more,  than    two  cows,  and  that  two 


horses  will  eat  as  much  as  three  oxen,  and  it  may 
be  so,  but  ray  experience  gives  entirely  a  different 
result.  A  pair  of  oxen  weighing  3000  lbs.  are  by 
no  means  uncommon,  as  many  such  cattle  are  kept 
in  this  vicinity,  and  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying 
that  such  a  pair  will  eat  700  lbs.  of  hay  per  week, 
if  they  are  kept  at  labor  during  the  fair  weather, 
allowing  them  all  the  stormy  weather  for  rest.  To 
support  this  assertion  by  evidence,  I  would  ad- 
duce the  fact  of  an  experiment  being  made  in  this 
town  by  two  different  men,  whose  names  will  be 
given  if  required,  purchasing  each  a  yoke  of  oxen, 
to  accommodate  the  people  of  their  vicinity  with 
the  labor  of  themselves  and  oxen  at  $2,50  per 
day ;  they  had  work  in  such  abundance  that  it 
was  with  difiiculty  they  could  keep  their  custom- 
ers at  peace  with  themselves  and  each  other,  as 
to  whom  they  should  first  serve.  Being  obliged 
to  purchase  everything  that  their  cattle  eat,  they 
could  not  get  money  enough  to  support  them  and 
their  families,  and  were  obliged  to  abandon  the 
enterprise  altogether. 

Another  case  in  point,  is  that  of  a  friend  who 
says  he  had  not  the  least  doubt  of  his  making  mo- 
ney by  working  out  with  his  oxen  at  $2,00  per 
day,  until  he  purchased  600  lbs.  of  hay  at  $1,00 
per  hundred,  which  was  consumed  by  them  alone 
in  five  and  a  half  days. 

A  pair  of  horses  weighing  2000  lbs.  are  of  re- 
spectable size,  and  are  as  large  as  would  be  prof- 
itable for  most  farmers  to  keep.  Now  is  it  rea- 
sonable to  suppose  that  it  will  cost  as  much  to 
support  2000  lbs.  of  horse  flesh,  as  3000  lbs.  of  ox 
flesh  ■?  No  sane  man  will  say  so,  whose  mind  is  free 
from  prdjudice.  But  it  will  be  argued  that  oxen 
can  be  kept  cheap  in  winter  when  they  are  idle  ; 
to  this  I  would  answer,  so  can  a  horse  under  the 
same  circumstances.  But  neither  should  be  kept 
to  look  at,  as  there  is  no  reason,  to  my  knowledge, 
why  they  should  not  with  proper  care  in  feeding, 
or  driving,  &c.,  work  every  fair  day,  as  well  as 
their  owner  or  driver. 

I  have  known  some  men  to  be  dreadfully  dis- 
turbed if  their  horses  or  oxen  worked  over  8  hours, 
or  even  that,  in  a  day,  while  they  could  see  their 
wives  and  daughters  work  sixteen  or  eighteen  with 
the  most  perfect  indifference. 

Two  horses  harnessed  side  by  side  on  a  four 
wheel  cart  will  haul  as  much  manure  as  a  yoke  of 
oxen;  on  any  common  plain  they  will  be  fully  equal, 
if  not  superior  for  plowing,  and  if  the  weather 
should  be  extremely  warm,  as  it  often  is  in  the 
spring,  the  advantage  is  nearly  two  to  one  in  favor 
of  the  horses. 

An  ox  team  of  one  yoke  cannot  be  divided  ;  the 
horses  can;  otie  can  go  to  the  mill  or  to  the  store, 
or  to  visit  a  sick  friend,  while  the  other  is  plowing 
out  the  corn,  &c.;  two  teams  can  be  made  of  them 
to  cart  hay,  rake,  &c. 

Since  writing  the  above,  T  have  conversed  with 
a  number  of  citizens  of  this  town,  who  use  horses 
exclusively,  and  others  who  use  both  oxen  and 
horses,  upon  the  comparative  expense  of  their 
keeping  and  value  of  their  labor.  The  statements 
of  some  of  these  I  will  give,  not  desiring  to  be  un- 
derstood that  the  men  whose  names  I  shall  men- 
tion are  wise  above  all  others,  but  that  they  will 
be  considered  as  good  authority,  wherever  they 
are  known. 

Mr.  Harrison  Eames  keeps  a  pair  of  horses 
weighing  about  2000  lbs. ;  cost  of  keeping  per  week 


288 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


JtTNE 


as  near  as  he  can  estimate  is  $3,00.  These  horses 
for  a  number  of  years  have  done  all  the  work  on 
his  farm,  (which  is  a  good  sized  one,)  in  addition 
to  a  large  amount  of  plowing,  hauling  manure, 
wood,  &c.,  for  his  neighboi-s,  being  constantly  em- 
ployed either  at  home  or  abroad.  These  horses, 
when  hitched  to  a  dead  pull,  such  as  rocks,  logs, 
&c.,  will  draw  equal  to  any  oxen.  Mr.  Earaes  says 
he  can  plow  two  acres  of  common  grass  land  in  a 
day  with  his  horses  as  quick  as  ho  could  one  and  a 
quarter  acres  of  the  same  with  oxen. 

Col.  Wm.  Hastings  has  a  pair  of  horses  whose 
weight  is  2200  lbs.;  cost  of  keeping,  as  near  as  he 
can  estimate,  per  week,  S.'>,40.  Keeps  from  one 
to  three  yokes  of  oxen — knows  by  experiment  that 
a  yoke  of  oxen  of  3000  lbs.  weight  at  labor,  will 
consume  100  lbs.  of  good  hay  in  24  hours,  and  al- 
so that  his  horses  will  perform  nearly  or  quite  fif- 
ty per  cent,  more  labor  of  almost  any  kind,  than 
will  the  oxen. 

Mr.  Buckley  Moores  has  a  pair  of  horses  whose 
weight  is  2500  lbs.;  cost  of  keeping,  as  near  as  he 
can  estimate,  per  week,  $3,40.  The  performance 
of  these  horses  upon  any  kind  of  work  he  feels  safe 
in  fixing  at  75  per  cent,  more  than  any  oxen  in  the 
vicinity.  If  he  kept  oxen  he  would  be  obliged  to 
keep  one  horse  ;  kept  four  oxen  formerly,  and  but 
one  horse,  but  found  the  cost  of  keeping  much  too 
large  to  leave  an}''  margin  of  profit.  But  by  dis- 
posing of  his  oxen  and  purchasing  another  horse, 
the  face  of  affairs  was  entirely  changed,  the  span 
of  horses  doing  all  the  work  of  the  four  oxen,  at 
about  one-third  of  the  expense  of  keeping,  besides 
doing  the  single  horse's  work  of  going  to  mill, 
store,  meeting,  &c. 

Mr.  F.  Child's  span  of  horses  weighs  2000  lbs.; 
cost  of  keeping  for  dve  weeks,  ending  Feb.  28,  was 
$17,30,  being  per  week,  $3,40.  The  greatest  ac- 
curacy of  the  cost  of  keeping  was  obtained  in  this 
case,  as  Mr.  C.  purchases  the  whole  of  his  hay  and 
grain,  whereas  those  of  whom  I  have  before  made 
mention,  produce  everything  necessary  for  the  pur- 
pose, from  their  farms. 

A  loss  of  about  10  per  cent,  is  sustained  by 
those  who  purchase  their  hay  as  they  need  for 
present  use,  over  those  who  take  it  in  from  the 
field.  These  horses  are  principally  employed  on 
the  severest  kind  of  labor,  in  hauling  stimes  from 
the  ledge  of  Messrs.  F»-anklin  Cloyes  and  bn^hers, 
to  their  difFarent  places  ot  destination,  often  car- 
rying 4500  lbs.,  besides  the  wagon,  to  Natick,  a 
distimce  of  about  eii^ht  miles  from  the  led-ic, 
over  a  somewhat  hilly  road.  The  nroceeds  of  the 
above  five  weeks'  work  was  something  over  $50,00. 
there  beinf  much  bad  weather  and  soft  travelling. 
All  of  the°above  teams  are  in  the  finest  working 

order.  ,     ,  ^. 

Now  if  the  above  statements  and  calculations 
are  correct,  we  have  the  following  result,  viz  : 
that  a  pair  of  horses  can  be  kept  for  about  37i  per 
cent.  less  than  a  pair  of  oxen,  and  will  perform, on 
an  average,  at  least,  37i  per  cent,  more  labor. 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  oxen  cannot  be 
kept  at  hard  labor  and  high  feed  more  than  two 
years,  before  they  will  lose  their  appetite  and 
streno-th,  which  can  only  be  regained  by  a  whole 
summer's  good  pasture  and  perfect  freedom  from 
labor.  The  cost  of  shoeing  is  nearly  as  much  for 
oxen  as  for  horses.  No  domestic  animal  is  more 
beneficial  to  man,  under  certain  circumstances, 
than  the  horse,  and  there  are  none  which  have  suf- 


fered more  from  his  cruelty.  In  all  ages  of  the 
world,  and  in  all  stages  of  civilization  and  barbar- 
ity, he  has  been  his  esteemed  favorite.  To  the 
shame  of  civilized  men  be  it  said,  that  the  savage 
has  ever  been  the  kindest  master.  It  is  not  un- 
common to  see  some  very  professedly  pious  people, 
f  )r  the  sake  of  five  paltry  dollars,  dispose  of  a  faith- 
ful old  servant  to  some  vagabond  to  be  abused  in 
the  most  shameful  manner,  and  all  this  without  the 
least  compunction  ;  such  people  may  possess  great 
piety,  but  it  is  not  so  great  as  their  avarice.  In 
times  of  danger  and  distress  what  more  faithful 
and  efficient  friend  1  And  it  is  then  that  we  can  in 
some  measure  appreciate  the  feelings  of  Shake- 
speare's Richard  the  Third,  when  his  kingdcmi  was 
considered  to  be  of  the  lesser  value. 

Yours  truly,  M.  M.  Fiske. 

Framingham,  April  2,  1853. 


Remarks. — Many  thanks,  friend  Fiske,  for  the 
above  excellent  article.  Your  declaration  in  the 
outset,  that  you  could  not  better  employ  your  lei- 
sure than  in  giving  expression  to  your  thoughts  on 
this  subject,  was  correct.  We  have  no  doub|  thou- 
sands will  be  influenced  by  these  opinions.  Let  us 
have  more  of  them  on  other  topics. 


GRAFTING. 

At  a  meeting  of  several  gentlemen  of  the  Horti- 
cultural Society,  on  the  29th  of  January,  the  sub- 
ject discussed  was  "TAe  Cultivation  of  (he  Pear." 
The  discussion  is  pretty  fully  reported  by  Mr  Ho- 
vey  in  his  Magazine.  Mr.  Walker  said,  "great 
errors  were  committed  in  grafting  trees ;  some 
persons  took  off  the  whole  top  of  a  large  tree,  and 
then  large  quantities  of  suckers  are  thrown  out 
below  the  graft ;  many  of  his  friends  had  cut  them 
off  as  fast  as  they  appeared  ;  the  consequence  was 
that  the  grafts  failed,  or  the  trees  died.  Thus,  he 
said,  it  would  always  be;  for  if  you  continue  to 
bleed  trees  every  week  they  cannot  live." 

These  remarks  apply  to  the  apple,  as  well  as 
pear  tree.  We  believe  the  practice  of  cutting  off 
the  entire  top  of  an  apple  tree  at  once,  a  bad  one. 
It  leaves  a  large  amount  of  vigorous  roots  with 
nothing  to  balance  them  ;  nothing  to  receive  the 
great  flow  of  sap  which  the  roots  are  constantly 
sending  up.  The  tree,  then,  in  order  to  equalize 
its  powers,  throws  out  great  numbers  of  suckers 
— these  are  cut  off,  and  another  set  is  started,  and 
the  struggle  goes  on  between  the  tree  and  the  man 
with  the  jack-knife,  until  the  tree  knocks  under 
and  dies.  If  any  trees  survive  this  operation,  it 
must  be  attributed  to  the  kindness  and  persistence 
of  nature,  and  not  to  any  discernment  of  the  ope- 
rator. 

Remedy  for  the  Onion  Worm. — "A  Farmer's 
Daughter,"  in  the  Maine  Farmer,  says  the  com- 
nion  poppy  growing  among  the  onions  will  pre- 
vent attacks  of  the  worm.  When  the  poppy 
plants  become  too  numerous  or  strong,  pull  them 
up  and  leave  the  uprooted  stalks  on  the  bed. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLA.ND  FARMER. 


289 


PHELPS>  BEE-HIVE. 

We  have  had  no  experience  with  this  hive,  but 
give  the  description  of  the  inventor,  that  those  in- 
terested may  judge  for  themselves.  Address  E. 
W.  PflELrs,  Westfield,  Mass. 

Figure  1  is  a  view  of  the  back  of  the  hive,  with 
the  hd  or  cover  raised,  and  the  rear  door  opened, 
showing  the  arrangement  of  the  main  boxes,  and 
also  the  top  boxes.  Each  of  the  large  boxes  is 
constructed  with  a  pane  of  glass,  7  by  9,  for  the 
back  side,  by  which  an  opportunity  is  afforded  to 
learn  the  number  and  condition  of  the  bees,  with 
the  amount  of  honey  and  of  wax.  Each  of  these 
boxes  communicates  with  those  on  either  side,  as 
shown  by  the  next  figure. 

Figure  2  represents  one  of  the  large  boxes.  The 
slide,  g,  closes  the  communication  between  the 
boxes,  which  consists  of  a  narrow  slot  a  few  inches  i 
in  length,  as  seen  on  the  interior,  on  the  right 
side  of  the  box.  This  slide  turns  upon  a  screw 
pivot  near  the  bottom  of  the  box.  A  slot  on  this 
side  corresponds  with  that  on  the  box,  when  fixed 
in  the  proper  position  for  opening  the  communica- 
tion. 

Figure  3  is  one  of  the  small  boxes,  wliich  is  to 
be  placed  on  the  top  of  the  large  or  main  box,  and 
connects  with  it  by  means  of  the  circular  holes  no- 
ticed in  the  second  figure.     The  top  of  the  small 


box  is  also  covered  with  glass.  When  filled  with 
honey,  the  large  boxes  contain  about  30  lbs.,  and 
the  small  boxes  from  8  to  10  lbs.  each.  The  up- 
per ones  may  be  removed  when  filled,  as  also  the 
large  ones. 

The  patentee  claims  for  it  the  following  impor- 
tant advantages : 

1.  It  is  adapted  to  either  large  or  small  colo- 
nies, as  the  bees  occupy  from  one  to  six  boxes  (or 
sections,)  as  their  numbers  may  require,  and 
thereby  give  them  at  all  times  as  much  or  as  little 
room  as  they  may  need  at  each  and  all  seasons  of 
the  year. 

2.  It  affords  the  best  facilities  for  observing  the 
operations  of  the  bees,  for  ascertaining  the  amount 
of  honey  stored,  and  the  strength  and  condition  of 
the  colony,  without  the  least  exposure  to  the  bees. 

3.  The  arrangement  for  removing  the  old  brood 
combs,  (so  essential  to  keep  a  colony  in  health  and 
vigor,)  and  for  removing  the  surplus  honey,  are 
equalled  by  no  other  hive,  as  the  bees  may  be 
made  to  leave  either  box  before  removing  it  from 
its  place  in  the  hive. 

4.  It  is  desidedly  the  best  non-swarming  hive 
ever  invented,  as  colonies  may  be  divided  and  mul- 
tiplied without  the  trouble  and  uncertainty  of 
swarming  ;  or  swarming  may  be  prevented,  by 
giving  ample  room,  and  taking  the  surplus  honey 
as  fast  as  gathered. 

5.  It  is  also  the  best  swarming  hive,  as  the 


290 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


JtJNH 


bees  may  be  confined  to  a  small  amount  of  room 
during  the  fore  part  of  the  season,  and  thereby  in- 
duced to  swarm  early,  after  which  more  room  may 
be  given  them,  so  as  to  prevent  their  clustering  on 
the  outside  of  the  hive,  and  a  much  larger  amount 
of  honey  obtained  than  in  any  other  hive. 

6.  It  affords  the  bees  better  protection  against 
the  ravages  of  the  moth  and  miller,  and  the  apia- 
rian better  and  more  effectual  means  to  destroy 
them  after  they  have  entered  the  hive,  than  any 
other. 

7.  Each  section  is  well  ventilated,  and  the  bot- 
tom, when  closed,  is  proof  against  the  miller,  but 
being  attached  by  butts,  may  be  let  down  and 
cleaned  at  pleasure. 

8.  The  bees  are  better  protected  against  the  at- 
tacks of  both  robber-bees  and  millets  in  this  hive 
than  in  any  other. 

_  9.  It  affords  better  accommodations  for  feeding 
either  late  swarms,  or  for  obtaining  honey,  as  the 
arrangement  is  such  that  for  robbers  to  gain  access 
to  the  feeding  apparatus,  they  must  enter  a  small 
passage  at  the  spout,  and  pass  directly  through 
the  main  body  of  the  hive. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

THE  MONTHLY  FAHMBR  FOR  MAY, 

With  its  forty-eight  double-columned  pages, 
filled  with  Roine  seventy-five  articles,  on  nerhnns 
twice  as  many  subjects,  and  with  "pictures  to 
match,"  is  rather  a  lusty  subject  for  review,  to 
one  who  has  nut  yet  finished  his  planting,  and 
who  has  lost  his  "literary  hours,'.'  by  having  the 
evenings  cut  off  from  the  night  and  tacked  on  to 
the  skirts  of  the  day.  Yet  as  I  do  not  like  to  give 
up  the  privilege  of  a  little  chat  with  the  readers 
and  writers  of  the  Farmer,  I  will  begin  with, 

THE  FIRST  TEN  PAGES. 

Editorial  hints  on  Grafting,  Soiling,  Corn,  and 
Asparagus,  everybody  has  read ;  but  some  of  us 
have  put  off  the  suggestions  till  next  year.  The 
next  article  is  a  nut  for  the  man  to  crack  who 
knows  all  about  plowing, — how  and  when.  Pass- 
ing articles  on  Millet,  cultivation,  yield, &c.;  Spring; 
Bone  Wens ;  Special  Manures,  with  table  of  re- 
sults, &c.,  we  come  to  an  article  on  Agricultural 
Chemistry  that  is  well  calculated  for^a  sort  of 
"third  man"  between  the  combatants  on  this  sub- 
ject. No  matter  whether  you  laughed  or  scowled, 
read  it  again.  The  writer  puts  spice  in  his  things. 
Then  comes  a  recommendation  of  white  birch  and 
white  pine  for  hedges  to  turn  cattle.  How  would 
currant  bushes  answer?  A  description,  with  cuts, 
of  Emery's  Reaping  and  Mowing  Machine  ;  Honey 
Bees  ;  Posts,  best  little  end  down  ;  account,  with 
engravings,  of  Guenon's  mode  of  selecting  cows  by 
their  "curls  ;"  and  More  about  Plowing,  and  our 
first  decade  is  completed. 

THE  SECOND  TEN  PAGES, 

Like  the  first,  begin  with  editorial  hints,  in  which 
the  first  principle  of  "Rawstone's  Lancashire  Farm- 
ing" is,  to  drain  off  all  superfluous  water.  I  wish 
some  "Thorough-draining"  man  would  visit  my 
place  nest  August  and  point  out  a  few  specimens 
of  this  "superfluous  water."  Suggestions  in  Com- 
posting, not  from  England,  nor  from  books,  but 
from  practice  on  a  flirin  in  V-ermont;  Choked  Cat- 
tle, remedy  and  prevention;  Cost  of  different  kinds 
of  Fences  ;  Agircultural  Papers  ;  against  Hilling 


ICorn,  &c.;  and  cautions  against  buying  foul  seed, 
I  bring  us  to  a  New  Brunswicker,  who  complains 
that  the  name  of  his  place  is  never  seen  in  the 
Farmer.  Mr.  Taylor  has  given  the  right  direction 
to  his  indignation.  One-half  of  the  world  don't 
know  how  the  other  half  lives  ;  but  such  articles 
give  us  some  clue  to  this  knowledge.  Cultivation 
of  Fruit,  recommended,  but  nothing  said  about 
bugs  and  worms.  I  am  afraid  the  curculio  will  yet 
claim  as  great  a  share  of  our  apples'  as  it  does  of 
our  plums.  My  apples  for  a  year  or  two  have  been 
badly  stung.  Now  comes  another  legislative  dis- 
cussion, on  the  division  and  fencing  of  farms,  in 
the  course  of  which  objections  are  made  to  hedges. 
Guano,  Wire  Fences,  &c.  Another  plan  for  Ag- 
ricultural Education,  and  some  observations  on 
climate  in  other  parts  of  the  world,  bring  us  to 

THE  THIRD  TEN  PAGES. 

And  here  we  have  Birds  of  New  England;  a 
valuable  article,  the  most  pleasing  sentence  of 
which,  however,  is  one  near  the  bottom,  in  these 
words,  "to  be  continued."  Passing  Remarks  on 
Budding  and  Graftigg,  we  have  Manures  Again, — 
a  discussion  of  the  question  whether  the  nutri- 
ment which  vegetables  derive  from  the  soil,  may 
not,  nearly  all,  be  returned  to  the  soil  in  the  ma- 
nure produced  by  feeding  animals  upon  the  vege- 
tables. This  is  an  important  question.  I  am  in- 
clined to  the  opinion,  that  the  cultivation  of  the- 
earth  gradually  impoverishes  the  soil.  Grafting 
on  the  Thorn,  by  a  new  correspondent,  but  an  old 
orchardist,  who  has  the  independence  to  acknowl- 
edge a  failure,  and  to  publish  it  as  a  caution.  In 
connection  with  the  experience  of  Mr.  Burt,  (p. 
204)  I  think  Mr.  Goodrich's  article  conclusive  on 
the  subject  ;  certainly  it  is  with  me,  for  I  happen 
to  know  that  extra  pains  were  taken  with  some  of 
his  thorn  stalks.  We  will  now  jump  over  Live 
Fences;  thank  "R.  B.  H."  for  his  account  of  Ma- 
I'yland  Farming  ;  just  say  that  a  "practitioner  of 
medicine"  recommends  Sulphate  of  Zinc  for  one 
of  the  dairyman's  aflflictions,  sore  teats,  and  for 
other  complaints;  admire  Farm  Accounts,  by  which 
seventy-nine  barrels  of  apples  were  picked,  market- 
ed, and  the  "lot"  taken  care  of  for  $7,50,  and 
will  call  the  valuable  Analyses  of  Clam  and  Oyster 
Shells,  by  the  State  Geologist  of  New  York,  the 
last  article  in  this  division. 

THE   FOURTH    TEN   PAGES. 

A  discussion  by  our  law-making  farmers,  on 
Farm  Buildings.  Then  an  Artisan  tells  us  how  a 
wooden  house  may  be  plastered  and  made  to  look 
like  granite.  Of  all  architectural  absurdities,  this 
plastering  and  streaking  wooden  houses  in  imita- 
tion of  stone  is  the  most  ridiculous.  Observations 
on  spring  work,  by  F.  Holbrook,  whose  articles 
are  rather  to  be  done  about  than  talked  about. — 
In  an  article  on  "Shade  Trees,"  the  editor  directs 
to  "set  in  disorder,  not  in  linear  order."  Are  you 
sure  of  this  being  "good  taste,"  Mr.  Editor?  I 
know  Downing  says  so  ;  but  does  tliat  settle  the 
question?  "Follow nature."  Ah  !  do  not  the  ho- 
ney bee  and  geometric  spider  follow  nature?  Does 
not  the  rainbow  as  it  arches  the  heavens,  or  the 
thunderbolt  as  it  angles  across  the  dark  cloud,  fol- 
low nature  ?  Would  either  of  these  become  an  ob- 
ject of  greater  admiration  were  it  to  abandon  its 
geometric  instinct,  for  the  most  commendable  "dis- 
order?" While  a  cow  or  a  sheep  juight  plant  an 
orchard  or  a  grove  in  utter  confusion,  may  there 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


291 


not  be  in  man  a  principle  or  instinct  that  prompts 
him  to  the  manifestation  of  order,  proportion, — 
geometric  figures,  if  you  please,  in  those  he  plants  ? 
On  riding  past  an  orchard  planted  with  mathe- 
matical precision,  who  does  not  experience  sensa- 
tions of  pleasure,  as  the  changing  rows  marshal 
themselves  l)efore  his  eyes,  that  disorder  never  ex- 
cites. But  enough  of  this.  Passing  on,  we  have 
more  About  Potatoes,  in  which  several  "Cures" 
are  cured  of  all  cure  ;  the  last  legislative  Agricul- 
tural meeting  of  the  season  ;  Shovel  Making  ; 
Wealth  of  the  United  States ;  and  Comments  on 
Plaster. 

LAST   EIGHT  PAGES 

Commence  with  a  cut  and  comments  on  Brush 
Seed  Sower,  followed  by  a  remedy  for  the  B^e 
Moth;  then  Model  Farms,  &c.,  are  discussed.  1 
understood  the  writer  to  say  that  the  inquiry,  In 
what  manner  can  the  State  beneficially  aid  the 
farmer,  lies  at  the  foundation  of  all  our-  action  ! 
O,  no.  That  talk  may  do  for  Frenchmen,  but  not 
for  Yankees.  What  are  we  doing  ourselves,  is  the 
question  for  us  to  build  upon  and  to  answer.  Na- 
tive Gooseberry  recommended  ;  those  in  this  sec- 
tion, though  better  than  none,  are  not  much  es- 
teemed. What  shall  I  do?  I'll  tell  you  what,  Mr. 
"C.  W.  A."  Go  to  the  city  and  work  at  a  trade, 
till  Saturday  night — pay  $3,25  to  the  landlady, 
,and  40  cents  to  the  washwoman,  and  you  will  soon 
'learn  bettor  than  to  contrast  wages  icitkoui  board 
and  washing,  with  wages  tvilh  board,  washing 
and  mending,  and  may  pick  up  a  few  other  facts 
worth  remembering.  Proceedings  of  Concord 
Farmer's  Club,  on  the  memorable  19th  of  April ; 
A  Shower  of  Mud;  Paint  for  Brick  Houses  ;  Gar- 
dening ;  a  Column  of  Replies  to  Correspondents  ; 
Ladies  Department ;  Advertisements  and  Con- 
tents, complete  the  task  for  this  month  of 

A  Reader. 
Winchester,  May,  1853. 


AGRICULTURAL  AXIOMS. 

In  no  department  is  Bacon's  celebrated  maxim, 
•'Knowledge  is  power,"  worth  more  than  in  ag- 
riculture. Hence,  no  farmer  can  be  accounted 
skilful  in  his  profession,  who  does  not  avail  him- 
self of  the  information  to  be  derived  from  the  ex- 
perience of  others,  and  who  does  not  improve  his 
knowledge  of  husbandry  by  the  perusal  of  the 
ablest  works  which  have  been  written  on  that  sub- 
ject. It  is  absurd  to  imagine,  that  the  communi- 
cation of  knowledge  which  has  promoted  the  ad- 
vancement of  every  other  art,  should  be  of  no  use 
in  agriculture.  Endeavor  to  raise  good  grain,  for 
it  will  always  sell,  even  in  years  of  plenty;  where- 
as it  is  only  in  dear  and  scarce  seasons  that  there 
is  demand  for  grain  of  an  inferior  quality.  Let 
your  stock  of  cattle,  horses,  &c.,  be  of  the  best 
bloods,  and  more  remarkable  for  real  utility  than 
for  beauty  or  fashion.  No  fiirmer  ought  to  un- 
dertake to  cultivate  more  land  than  he  can  manage 
to  advantage.  It  is  better  to  till  twenty  acres 
well,  than  one  hundred  in  a  slovenly  manner.  A 
man's  owning  a  large  form  is  no  excuse  for  im- 
perfect tillage.  What  he  cannot  improve,  he  need 
not  undertake  to  cultivate.  A  large  farm,  with- 
out skill,  capital,  and  industry,  is  a  plague  to  its 
owner.  It  is  like  what  somebody  said  of  self-right- 
eousness, the  more  you  have  of  it,  the  worse  ^ou 
are  oflP. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
BIRDS  OF  NEW  ENGLAND. 
THEIR  PAST  AND  PRESENT    HISTORY. ...No.  4. 
BY  S.    P   FOWLER. 

It  is  our  intention,  in  this  article  and  others 
which  may  follow,  to  present  to  the  notice  of  the 
Farmer  and  Horlicullurist ,  some  of  the  habits  of 
our  birds  most  interesting  to  them.  But  in  order 
to  present  to  the  reader  something  of  the  present 
history  of  the  feathered  tribes,  wesliall  enumerate 
all  the  species  in  their  orders  to  be  found  in  the 
Union,  together  with  those  that  are  known  to 
have  been  discovered  in  Massachusetts. 

The  first  order  includes  the  rapacious  and  noc- 
turnal birds  of  prey.  These  take  up  their  abode 
in  forests  and  solitary  places  for  the  most  part, 
and  refuse  to  receive  the  protection  afforded  by 
man  and  flee  from  his  presence.  They  subsist  by 
war  and  rapine  waged  upon  other  birds  and  small 
quadrupeds. 

The  second  order  are  the  omnivorous  birds,  so 
called  because  they  are  not  discriminating  in  their 
food,  feeding  upon  insects,  worms  and  carrion. 

In  the  third  order  we  find  the  insectivorous 
birds,  so  called  because  they  principally  feed  on 
insects,  only  occasionally  feeding  upon  fruits  and 
berries. 

The  fourth  order  embraces  the  graminiv^irous 
birds,  so  named  on  account  of  their  habit  of  feed- 
ing principally  upon  grain,  and  seeds,  insects  only 
constituting  a  part  of  their  food. 

The  fifth  order  is  the  Zygodactyli,  derived  from 
two  Greek  words  to  join,  and  a  finger,  and  used 
by  ornithologists  to  designate  those  birds  whose 
feet  are  furnished  with  two  toes  before,  and  two 
behind,  as  the  Parrots  and  Woodpeckers.  These 
birds,  particularly  the  Parrots,  subsist  principally 
upon  nuts  and  hard  seeds,  while  the  Woodpeckers 
add  to  their  bill  of  fare  caterpillars,  worms,  the 
larva  of  insects,  and  occasionally  fruits. 

Order  sixth  are  the  slender  billed  birds,  or  the 
Ten-u-i-rosters,  from  the  Xaim  tenuis ivndirostrum, 
and  applied  to  birds  with  a  long  and  slender  bill, 
as  the  Humming  Bird.  Nearly  all  this  order  feed 
upon  insects. 

The  seventh  order  contains  only  the  Iving- 
fisher,  an  odd,  grotesque  looking  fellow,  who  gets 
an  honest  living  by  fishing.  His  note  is  as  singu- 
lar as  his  appearance,  and  resembles  the  springing 
of  a  watchman's  rattle.  It  is  the  only  species  as 
yet  discovered  in  North  America.  It  is  known  to 
ornithologists  as  the  Belted  Kingfisher. 

In  the  eighth  order  we  find  the  Swallow  tribe. 
These  birds  feed  exclusively  on  insects. 

The  ninth  order  contains  tlie  Pigeon  tribe. 
The  food  of  these  birds  consists  of  grain  and  seeds, 
rarely  of  insects. 

In  the  tenth  order  are  included  the  gallinaceous 
l)irds.  These  subsist  on  grain  and  seeds,  not  un- 
frequently  adding  buds  of  trees,  berries,  and 
larger  insects,  to  their  fare. 

The  large  number  of  water  birds  may  be  classed 
as  Wading  birds,  and  Lobe-footed  and  Web-footed 
birds.  They  feed  upon  fish,  reptiles,  marine  in- 
sects, seeds,  vegetables  and  shell-fish.  Their  voice 
is  unmusical,  they  are  shy  and  retiring  in  their  ha- 
bits, and  avoid  the  haunts  of  men.  It  is  in  New 
England  that  we  find  the  greatest  number  of  birds, 
both  useful  and  interesting  to  the  flxrmer  and 
horticulturist.     Massachusetts,  particularly  in  the 


292 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


June 


warm  season  of  the  year,  abounds  with  beautiful 
birds.  The  fondness  of  many  birds  for  our  glori- 
ous old  Commonwealth,  doubtless  arises  from  its 
variegated  surface,  diversified  as  it  is  by  hills  and 
dales,  streams  of  water,  beautiful  ponds  and  lakes, 
saline  marshes  and  grassy  meadows,  open  bays 
and  sandy  shores,  its  forests  and  sylvan  groves, 
extensive  orchards,  cultivated  fields  and  beautiful 
gardens.  !Most  birds,  except  the  rapacious  ones, 
avoid  deserts  and  solitudes,  and  are  seldom  found 
in  those  parts  of  our  country  covered  with  dense 
forests.  It  has  been  remarked  by  all  ornitholo- 
gists of  observation,  that  birds  are  soon  attracted 
to  the  habitations  of  men,  and  when  a  clearing  is 
made  in  the  forest,  or  a  fur  post  is  opened  on  the 
shores  of  the  rivers,  or  the  lakes  in  the  West, 
the  birds  [excepting  the  carnivorous  ones]  always 
increase  about  them.  This  arises  from  their  de- 
sire to  flee  from  birds  and  beasts  of  prey,  always 
to  be  found  in  the  woods,  and  from  there  being 
usually  a  greater  supply  of  food,  to  be  found  in 
the  cultivated  fields  and  gardens,  and  to  seek  shel- 
ter and  protection  from  men.  It  is  a  fact  which 
evei'y  observing  man  must  have  noticed  who  cul- 
tivates the  soil,  that  insects  and  weeds  constantly 
follow  his  footsteps.  And  that  the  higher  the 
state  of  his  cultivation,  the  more  various  his  pro- 
ductions, and  the  larger  the  number  of  trees, 
shrubs  or  plants  he  has  under  culture,  the  greater 
in  numbers  and  varieties  will  these  pests  be  found 
to  exist. 

In  view  of  these  facts,  let  us  look  around  for 
means  to  assist  us  in  extirpating  or  keeping  in 
check  our  noxious  insects.  And  where  can  we 
find  better  allies  to  help  us  in  performing  this 
great  work  than  insectivorous  birds  1  And  what 
cultivator,  when  he  considers  all  the  benefits,  and 
the  pleasures  to  be  derived  from  the  presence  of 
these  beautiful  creatures,  would  wish  to  deprive 
them  of  the  occasional  gratification  of  eating  a 
few  of  our  fruits  that  we  can  so  well  spare.  The 
shooting  of  our  small  birds  by  thoughtless  boys. 
we  have  for  many  years  considered  a  great  evil. 
We  always  admired  the  limitation  given  to  bird 
shooters  by  our  old  and  respected  friend,  many 
years  since  principal  of  the  Bradford  Academy  in 
the  County  of  Essex.  When  requested  by  his 
scholars  to  give  them  pei'mission  to  go  a  gunning 
"Election  Day",  he  always  cheerfully  granted  their 
request,  but  with  this  wise  and  safe  proviso,  to- 
wit  : — They  might  go  and  shoot  all  the  Eagles 
they  could  find,  but  if  they  killed  any  other  kind 
of  birds  he  would  ^o^  them.  Verily,  Master  G. 
should  be  honored  as  much  for  his  wisdom  and  hu- 
manity, as  he  is  for  his  attainments  in  mathemat- 
ics. But  perhaps  some  will  say,  give  us  the  evi- 
dence that  birds  are  useful  in  the  destruction  of 
insects,  and  they  shall  receive  our  protection. 
Well  my  friends,  that  is  the  very  thing  we  intend 
to  do  in  our  next  communication. 

Danversport,  Feb.  1,  1853.  s.  p.  F. 


Stir  the  Soil  Thoroughlt. — Plowing  and  har- 
rowing and  stirring  the  soil,  is  the  order  of  the 
day  for  the  most  of  tliis  month.  This  stirring  of 
the  soil,  old  Jethro  TuU  used  to  teach  us,  was  the 
first  and  the  last  essential  of  "goode  husbandrie." 
Indeed,  he  was  of  opinion  that  better  crops  could 
be  raised  by  very  finely  pulverizing  the  soil  and 
putting  on  no  manure,  than  could  be  raised  by 
manuring  highly  and  pulverizing  the  soil  but  little. 


By  the  improved  implements  of  the  present  day, 
we  can  pulverize  very  thoroughly  at  comparative- 
ly much  less  labor  and  cost  than  they  could  in 
Tull's  day.  Why  not  adopt  his  theory  of  thor- 
ough pulverization  and  the  modern  theory  of  high 
manuring.  Combine  them  together.  At  any  rate, 
if  you  plow  at  all,  plow  well  and  make  the  soil  as 
mellow  as  possible. — Maine  Farmer. 


THE  BLACK  KNOT  ON  THE  PLUM. 

liY  WM.    MERVINE,    UTICA. 

Many  causes  have  been  assigned  for  the  disease 
in  question,  none  of  which,  so  far  as  my  informa- 
tion extends,  are  satisfactory.  Some  have  sup- 
posed it  to  be  occasioned  by  diseased  sap,  or  vege- 
table ulcer;  some,  that  it  is  the  work  of  the  cur- 
culio  ;  others,  with  more  plausibility,  assert  that 
it  is  the  result  of  poison  infused  by  the  minute 
sting  of  an  insect.  But  none  of  those  entertain- 
ing the  latter  opinion  have  described  the  kind  of 
insect,  or  its  characteristics;  and  it  is  therefore 
fair  to  assume  that  their  belief  rests  upon  conjec- 
ture alone.  The  latter  opinion,  however,  with 
the  exception  of  the  minuteness  of  the  sting,  is 
correct.  It  will  be  permitted  me  to  say,  that  I 
believe  myself  to  be  first  in  determining  the  fact, 
and  in  ascertaining,  certainly,  the  habits  and  char- 
acter of  the  insect.  I  will,  therefore,  proceed  as 
briefly  as  may  be,  and  without  regard  to  possible' 
charges  of  egotism,  for  asserting  in  opposition  to 
many  scientific  men  on  the  subject,  what  I  know 
beyond  a  doubt  to  be  the  origin  of  the  excres- 
cence, or  tumor,  and  to  describe  the  insect  which 
causes  it,  its  habits,  and  the  best  method  of  guard- 
ing against  its  attacks  and  increase. 

The  insect  here  referred  to  belongs,  I  believe, 
to  the  Hymenoptera  class,  and  is  about  an  inch  in 
length;  color,  pale  yellow  ;  has  four  wings,  and 
hind  legs  resembling  those  of  the  grasshopper, 
which  seem  designed  for  similar  use  ;  and,  al- 
though furnished  with  wings,  it  uses  them  only, 
so  far  as  I  have  discovered,  for  calling  its  mates. 
This  it  effects  by  shrill  notes  through  the  medium 
of  vibrations,  created  by  a  rapid  motion  of  them, 
and  which  affords  the  means  of  tracing  it.  Tlie 
abdomen  of  the  female  is  much  larger  than  that 
of  the  male,  in  the  extremity  of  which  is  con- 
cealed a  sting  of  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in 
length,  with  which  it  pierces  any  shrub  or  limb 
selected  as  a  receptacle  for  its  eggs — often  num- 
bering a  dozen  or  more,  which  are  deposited  with 
some  acid  poison  in  separate  cells,  longitudinal- 
ly. From  these  eggs  the  larvoe  are  hatched — 
changed  to  the  pupre,  or  chrysalis  state,  and 
emerge  during  the  ensuing  June. 

The  excrescence  does  not  appear  until  after  the 
escape  of  the  insects,  the  swelling  of  which  is 
caused  by  the  circulation  of  the  sap  being  arrested 
in  its  natural  course  by  the  poison  infused,  which 
flows  round  the  punctured  parts,  extravasates, 
and  gradually  forms  the  tumor.  On  dissecting 
one  of  these  tumors,  a  grub  may  be  sometimes 
found,  but  it  does  not  cause  the  excrescence. 
Any  one  may  satisfy  himself  of  the  truth  of  the 
foregoing  remarks  by  observing  the  appearance  of 
the  insect  during  the  months  of  August  and  Sep- 
tember, especially  the  latter,  that  being  the  sea- 
son of  coition,  when  it  may  be  found  making  its 
deposits  ;  these,  on  being  completed,  arc  varnished 
over  with  a  water-proof  substance,  presenting  a 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


293 


dark,  glazed  appearance, by  which  it  may  be  known, 
and  on  carefully  splitting  a  stung_  limb  in  the  di- 
rection of  the  perforations  early  in  June,  the  in- 
sect may  be  found  in  the  larv£e  state. 

I  have  carried  on  for  two  years  past  a  war 
against  this  insect,  and  never  suffer  one  to  escape 
when  it  can  be  traced;  which,  together  with  a  ju- 
dicious application  of  the  knife  in  cutting  off,  and 
out,  all  the  affected  parts  so  soon  as  they  appear 
and  burnini^  them,  I  manage  to  preserve  and  keep 


my  trees  clear  of  the  unsightly  tumors.  If  all 
those  who  are  interested  in  the  growth  and  pres- 
ervation of  those  trees  would  adopt  the  course 
pursued  by  me,  this  destructive  insect  might,  in 
time,  be  exterminated,  or  its  effects,  at  least,  very 
much  lessened.  Indeed,  unless  something  be 
done  to  arrest  its  progress,  many  years,  in  my 
opinion,  will  not  elapse  ere  the  cultivation  of  the 
Plum  and  Cherry  will  have  to  be  abandoned. — 
Horticulturist. 


MONAMET  SWEETING—GOLDEN  SWEETING. 


We  believe  the  sweet  apple  may  be  profita- 
bly produced  as  food  for  swine  and  cattle ;  and 
there  is  this  advantage  over  hoed  and  sowed 
crops,  that  when  your  trees  are  once  well  in  bear- 
ing, little  more  is  to  be  done,  to  give  you  a  boun- 
tiful return  fur  many  years,  than  to  keep  the  soil 
light  and  rich. 

For  culinary  purposes  they  are  scarcely  sur- 
passed by  any  food  that  comes  on  the  table.  They 
may  be  cooked  in  various  ways,  are  cheap,  whole- 
some, and  not  so  perishable  but  they  may  be  kept 
in  good  condition  through  several  months. 

MoNAMET  Sweeting. — {Dotted  Outline.) — Large 
medial;  flattish  ;  yellow  ground,  mostly  bright, 
unbroken  red,  russet  around  the  stem  and  on  the 
base ;  stem  medial,  deep  cavity ;  calyx  large,  in 
narrow  basin  ;  flesh  whitish,  tender,  rich,  and 
very  sweet.  20th  Aug.  to  10th  Sept.  Origin, 
Plymouth,  Mass. 

Golden  Sweet — Orange  Sweet. — Large  medial ; 
round  ;  pale  yellow;  stem  an  inch,  rather  slender, 
in  a  narrow,  deep  cavity  ;  calyx  closed,  in  medial 
cavity;  flesh  tender,  of  very  sweet,  rich  and  excel- 
lent flavor.  Latter  part  of  Aug.  and  Sept.  A  good 
grower  and  great  bearer.     Origin,  Conn.     There 


has  long  been  known  in  New  England  another  Or 
ange  Sweet,  larger,  roundish  conical,  yellow,  ri- 
pens same  time  ;  excellent,  but  poor  bearer. 


EXTRACTS  AND  REPLIES. 

.  From  D.  IL,  2d,  HoUis,  i\fe.— "Thanks  to  your 
correspondents  from  Newton  Centre,  for  informa- 
tion upon  hedges,  and  from  Pelham  for  the  same, 
on  hedges  and  forest  trees.  These  remarks  have 
suggested  another  species  of  forest  trees  which  I 
think  would  do  well  for  hedges ;  it  is  what  we 
commonly  call  pitch  pine.  It  is  one  of  the  most 
hardy  trees,  grows  well  in  barren  soils,  needs  no 
protection  or  cultivation,  other  than  planting  or 
setting,  and  does  not  sprout.  I  think  it  may  prove 
one  of  the  most  valuable  trees  for  hedges. 

Can  you,  or  some  of  your  correspondents,  tell 
me  what  will  kill  lice  on  house  roses ;  several 
remedies  have  been  recommended  in  your  paper, 
but  they  fail." 

We  know  of  nothing  better  to  destroy  the  insect 
you  speak  of  than  lohale  oil  soap ;  syringe  the 
plants  freely  with  it,  or  place  it  in  a  broad  pan 
and  bend  the  branches  of  the  bush  over  into  it. 


294 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


JCNE 


Mississippi  Farmers. — The  following  extracts  of 
a  letter  from  a  friend  and  correspondent,  at  Ed- 
wards, Miss.,  will  give  some  idea  of  the  difference 
in  magnitude  of  their  operations,  and  ours  in  New 
England,  as  well  as  in  the  kind  of  crop  cultivated. 
The  letter  is  dated  the  13th  of  April.  The  wri- 
ter says,  I  am  now  doing  what  is  very  unusual  on 
this  place,  plow  and  plant  as  I  go.  Generally  I 
am  a  long  way  ahead  in  plowing,  but  it  has  been 
too  wet  to  plow  until  April,  and  then  it  is  time  to 
plant  cotton.  I  have  to-night  90  acres  in  corn, 
and  it  is  up — I  intend  to  put  in  50  acres  more.  I 
have  about  145  acres  in  cotton,  and  will  put  in  80 
to  90  more.  We  usually  plant  corn  about  1st  of 
March  ;  this  year,  though  ready,  could  not  plant 
until  25th,  and  then  the  earth,  where  plowed, 
was  too  wet. 

This  year  I  hope  to  fruit  100  varieties  of  the 
pear.  I  have  seen  blossoms  on  over  75.  lean  pro- 
duce of  this  years'  growth,  about  12  inches,  of  the 
"Horse  Chesnut."  We  have  had  blooms  of  Hya- 
cinth, Tree  Peony,  Purple  Magnolia,  Drummond's 
Flox,  Spirea,  Iris,  Weigela,  quite  a  number  of  ro- 
ses, and  other  flowers.  Strawberries,  also,  are 
about  ripening. 

Bees  and  Hoxey. — I  sometime  since  received  a 
pomological  letter  from  a  friend  in  Aroostook 
County,  Maine.  He  closes  his  letter  as  follows, 
viz:  "Before  I  close  I  must  tell  you  about  my 
honey  bees,  in  order  to  show  you  that  this  is  a 
great  honey  country.  You  will  recollect  when  I 
was  at  your  store  in  Bangor  last  winter, 1851-2,  I 
had  just  returned  from  Piscataqua  County,  Me., 
where  I  had  purchased  28  swarms  of  bees,  22  in 
the  common  box  hive,  and  6  in  my  improved  hive. 
I  have  kept  them  all  on  my  place  [in  Amity,  Aroos- 
took County,]  and  have  had  fifty-one  young 
swarms,  and  have  put  them  all  in  my  improved 
hives,  and  they  are  now  worth  ten  dollars  each, 
(the  cost  of  the  hives  being  $2  each  only)  and  I 
have  drawn  off  one  thousand  founds  of  very  pure 
honey  in  bores,  and  all  without  feeding  the  bees, 
which  shows  that  we  have  a  very  fertile  country, 
in  flowers  at  least." 

This  is  certainly  succeeding  admirably.  He  writes 
also  of  very  good  success  in  his  nursery  business. 
Respectfully,  Henrt  Little. 

Bangor,  April  25,  1853. 


Bon's  ^Department. 


APPLES  FOR  MILCH  COWS. 

Five  minutes  ago  a  gentleman,  who  deals  in 
facts  and  figures,  as  well  as  fine  cattle,  informed 
us  that  he  fed  out  last  winter  more  than  two  hun- 
dred barrels  of  sweet  apples  to  his  milch  cows,  and 
that  the  increased  quantity  and  richness  in  quali- 
ty of  'the  milk  paid  him  better  than  any  other  use 
to  which  he  could  have  applied  them.  He  states 
that  he  is  raising  trees  annually,  for  the  purpose 
of  raising  apples  for  stock. 

Another  important  statement  of  his,  is,  that 
since  he  has  fed  apples  to  his  cows,  there  has  not 
been  a  case  of  milk  fever  among  them. 


FOLLY   OR    ANGER. 

If  a  provocation  has  been  offered  you,  before 
you  fly  into  a  passion  remember  the  old  proverb, 
"If  thou  art  vexed,  thou  wilt  have  two  troubles." 
A  wise  man  once  observed,  "If  I  am  angry,  I 
punish  myself  for  the  faults  of  another;"  and 
there  is  much  good  sense  in  the  remark.  I  doubt 
whether  even  the  most  irritable  man  really  enjoys 
a  fit  of  anger.  It  is  at  best  a  painful  passion. 
In  fact,  the  literal  meaning  of  the  word  anger,  is 
pain,  anguish,  grief,  &c.  An  irritable  man  has 
been  happily  compared  to  "a  hedgehog  rolled  up 
the  wrong  way,  tormenting  himself  with  his  pric- 
kles." The  sting  of  a  single  fit  of  passion  some- 
times lasts  for  years.  Soon  after  Lord  Byron 
commenced  writing  poetry,  he  was  sharply  criti- 
cised by  the  Edinburgh  Review,  which  so  excited 
his  anger,  that  he  published  a  bitter  satire,  in 
which  he  held  almost  all  the  prominent  writers  of 
the  day  up  to  ridicule.  Many  years  after,  in 
writing  to  one  of  the  poets  whom  he  had  unjustly 
abused,  he  made  the  following  confession  respect- 
ing this  famous  satire  : — "I  can  only  say  that  it 
was  written  when  I  was  very  young  and  very  an- 
gry, and  has  been  a  thorn  in  my  side  ever  since, 
more  particularly  as  almost  all  the  persons  ani- 
madverted upon  became  subsequently  my  friends  ; 
which  is  heaping  coals  of  fire  upon  an  enemy's 
head,  and  forgiving  me  too  readily  to  permit  me 
to  forgive  myself." 

The  dreadful  results  which  often  ensue  from 
fits  of  anger,  furnish  another  reason  why  we  should 
shun  it.  A  man  was  once  at  work  over  a  kettle 
of  melted  lead,  when  a  few  drops  of  water  acci- 
dentally fell  into  it,  and  caused  an  explosion  which 
sent  the  burning  metal  all  over  his  face  and  breast. 
A  single  angry  word,  Mling  into  an  inflamed  heart, 
will  sometimes  occasion  an  explosion  even  more 
terrible  than  this.  Thus  it  is  that  anger  and 
murder  are  often  so  nearly  allied.  Where  there 
are  no  angry  words,  there  are  seldom  any  angry 
blows  ;  but  with  the  passionate  man  it  is  a  "word 
and  a  blow."  It  is  therefore  well  to  avoid  as- 
sociating, as  far  as  possible,  with  those  who  are 
given  to  sudden  fits  of  passion.  Solomon  says, 
"Make  no  friendship  with  an  angry  man;  and 
with  a  furious  man  thou  shalt  not  go."  Prov.  22  : 
24. — Boy''s  Own  Guide. 


Strike  the  Knot. — When  we  were  boys,  little 
fellows,  our  fiither  began  to  teach  us  to  work,  and 
we  were  anxious  to  perform  the  allotted  tasks. 
We  were  splitting  wood.  A  rough,  obstinate  knot, 
tried  all  the  skill  and  strength  of  a  weak  arm,  and 
we  were  about  to  relinquish  the  task,  when  ftith- 
er  came  along.  He  saw  the  piece  of  wood  had 
been  chipped  down  and  the  knot  hacked  around, 
and  took  the  axe,  saying,  "Always  strike  the 
knot."  The  words  have  always  remained  safe  in 
my  memory.  They  are  precious  words,  brethren. 
Never  try  to  shun  a  difficulty,  but  look  it  right  in 
the  face  ;  catch  its  eye,  and  you  can  subdue  it  as 
a  man  can  a  lion.  It  will  cower  before  you,  and 
sneak  away  and  hide  itself.  If  you  dread  difficul- 
ties, difficulties  will  grow  upon  you  till  they  bury 
you  in  obscurity. —  Cal.  Ch.  Adv. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


295 


^liucitising  ?i)c|)ai1mcnt. 


(Cr  A  limited  number  of  advertisements  of  an  appropriate 
character  will  be  inserted  in  the  monthly  Farmer  at  the  fol- 
lowing 

RATES. 

For  one  square  of  15  lines,  one  insertion $1,00 

For  each  subsequent  insertion 50 

O"  The  above  rates  will  be  charged  for  all  advertisements, 
whether  longer  or  shorter. 


AGRICULTURAL 

WAREHOUSE  AND  SEED  STORE, 

quincy'hall,  over  the  market,  boston. 

THE  Proprietors  having  recently  enlarged  their  Warehouse 
an<l  increased  their  works  at  Worcester,  would  respect- 
fully invite  the  attention  of  Planters  iind  Dealers  in  AGRI 
CULTURAI,  &  HORTICULTURAL  IMPLEMENTS,  GAR 
DEN  and  FIELD  SEEDS,  &c.,  to  their  stock,  comprising  the 
largest  and  best  assortment  to  be  found  in  the  United  Stales 
which  are  ofTered  at  low  prices. 

Of  PLOUGHS — we  have  the  greatest  variety  of  kinds  and 
sizes. 

Improved  Sod  Ploughs,  for  flat  furrows — improved  Scotcli 
Ploughs  for  lapped  furrows — improved  Stubble  Ploughs,  which 
are  especially  adapted  to  deep  tillage,  or  varying  from  6  lo  IJ 
inches  in  depth. 

Self-sharpening,  Hill  Side,  Sub-soil,  Double  Mould,  Corn 
Cotton  and  Rice  Ploughs. 

Cylinder  Hay  Cutters,  Smith's  Patent  Lever  Gate,  and  oth 
ers.  Patent  Corn  Shellers,  with  and  without  Separators 
Seed  Sowers,  of  various  sizes  and  prices.  Batchelder's  pateni 
Corn  Planter,  improved.  Fanning  Mills  of  various  sizes 
Horse  Powers,  Threshing  Machines,  thermometer  Churns 
Bobbins'  patent  Centrifugal  Churn,  Cylinder  Churn,  Dash 
Churn,  Corn  Planters,  together  with  almost  every  articl* 
wanted  on  the  Plantation,  Farm  or  Garden. 

Illustrated  Catalogues  sent  gratis  on  application,  post  paid 
RUGGLES,  NOURSE,  MASON  &  CO. 

Boston  and  Worcester,  Mass.,  Jan.  1,  1853  tf 


LANGSTROTH'S 

Movable  Comb  Hive, 

(Patented  Oct.  5lh,  1652.) 

EACH  comb  is  built  on  a  movable  frame,  and  in  five  min 
utes  they  may  all  be  taken  out,  without  cutting  them  or 
enraging  the  bees.  Weak  stocks  may  be  helped  to  honey  and 
brood  from  stronger  ones;  queenless  colonies  supplied;  the 
worms  caught;  and  new  colonies  formed  in  less  lime  than  in 
usually  required  to  hive  a  natural  swarm.  That  the  safe  and 
assy  control  of  the  combs,  makes  a  complete  revolniion  in 
bee-keeping  the  subscriber  prefers  to  prove  rather  than  as- 
sert. At  his  Ajiiary,  combs,  honey  and  bees  will  be  taken 
from  the  hives,  the  queen  e.xhibiled,  and  new  colonies  formed. 
By  the  close  of  May  his  work  (-350  pages)  on  the  Honey-Bee 
will  be  publit^hed.  It  contains  many  new  and  highly  impor 
tant  discoveries,  and  gives  full  directions  for  managing  bees, 
in  the  author's  hive,  or  any  other.  Cost  of  hives  from  one  to 
five  dollars;  farm  rijjhts  five  dollars.  For  one  dolliir,  postage 
paid,  ihe  book  will  he  gent  free  by  mail.  On  receipt  of  eleven 
dollars,  a  beautiful  hive  .showing  all  the  combs,  (with  glass  on 
four  sides,)  will  be  sent  with  book  and  right,  freight  paid,  to 
any  Railroad  station  in  New  England;  a  right,  book  and  hive 
for  two  colonies,  with  glass  on  each  side,  for  $13;  a  thorough- 
ly made  hive  for  two  colonies,  glass  on  the  bank  only,  with 
book  and  right,  for  Sll.     Address, 

L.  L.  L'VNGSTROTH,  Green6eld,  Mass. 
May  14,  1853.  3w*3 


Super-Phosphate  of  Lime, 

IN  bags  and  barrels,  made  by  C  B.  DeBURG,  a  warranted 
puie  and  genuine  article,  with  full  directions  for  use.  For 
sale  by  GEO.  DAVE.NPORT,  5  Commercial,  corner  ef  Chat- 
ham St.,  Boston,  agent  for  Ihe  manufacturer. 

Also,  for  sale.  Ground  Bone,  Bone  Dust,  Burnt  Bone,  Gua- 
no, and  Grass  Seeds  of  reliable  quality. 
March  26,  1853.  tf* 


Devonshire  Stock. 


For  sale,  a  pure  blood  North  Devon 
Bull.  Also,  two  Spring  Bull  Calves,  all 
as  highly  as  can  be  found  in  this  country. 

Imiiiire  at  this  olfice,  postage  paid. 

April  23,  1853.  6w2* 


Auction  Sale  of  1000  Acres  of 
Land. 

ON  TUESDAY,  the  12lh  day  of  .lULY  next,  the  subscriber 
will  offer  for  sale  at  public  auction,  several  choice  and 
valuable  farms  in  the  vicinity  of  Lockport,  in  the  county  of 
[Niagara,  and  State  of  New  York;  among  them  some  of  the 
best  improved  and  most  highly  cultivated  farms  in  this  region 
of  country.     Also, 

2000  Acres  of  Choice  Timbered  Land, 
lying  about  eight  miles  east  of  Lockport,  and  five  miles  from 
the  Erie  canal  and  the  Rochester,  Lockport  and  Niagara  Falls 
Railroad.  The  timber  is  j  rincipally  Beech,  Maple,  Bass, 
Ash,  Hickory  and  Oak.  In  the  midst  of  this  tract  has  been 
erected 

A  First  Class  Steavi  Saw  Mill, 

with  a  variety  of  valuable  machinery/capable  of  manufac- 
turing 20,01j'0  feet  of  lumber  every  24  hours,  all  in  fine  condi- 
tion and  active  operation.  The  mill  and  the  improvements 
connected  therewith,  have  been  erected  within  the  past  two 
years  at  a  cash  cost  of  over  $20,000.  The  mill  will  also  be 
offered  for  sale. 

This  tract  is  surrounded  by  a  highly  improved  farming  coun- 
try, is  watered  by  various  streams  which  meander  through  it, 
and  is  well  situated  for  subdivision.  The  soil  is  of  the  first 
quality.  These  lands  have  never  before  been  offered  for  sale. 
No  higher  commendation  of  the  property  offered  is  needed, 
than  to  say  it  lies  in  the  midst  of  the  most  fertile  and  flourish- 
ing portion  of  Western  N.  York.  The  proximity  of  the  rail- 
road, 

The  Local  Demand  for  Cord  Wood 
and  other  lumber,  render  Ihe  timber  upon  this  tract  of  very 
considerable  value.  This  land  will  be  sold  in  lols  of  50  acres 
and  upwards,  as  purchasers  may  desire.  The  quantity,  con- 
dition, quality  and  value  of  the  property  offered,  constitute 
inducements  to  purchase,  rarely  presented  to  the  public, 
whether  capitalists  or  agriculturists. 

The  titles  are  beyond  question,  and  the  sales  will  be  abso- 
lute. 

A  liberal  credit  will  be  given  to  those  desiring  it,  for  a  prin- 
cipal part  of  the  purchase  money.  The  whole  quantity  of 
land  that  will  be  offered  for  sale  will  be  over  4'  00  acres.  An 
examination  of  these  lands  is  invited  before  the  day  of  sale. 
Lists  and  descriptions  will  be  furnished  to  those  desirii  g  the 
same. 

[nr  The  sale  will  commence  at  1  o'clock  P.  M.,  upon  the 
2000  acre  tract,  and  will  continue  until  all  the  lands  shall  be 
sold.  .     A.  WOLCOTT. 

Lockport,  May  28,  1853.  7w* 


Wanted, 


An  Ayrshire  Bull,  (full  blood)  from  1  to 
2  years  old.  Apply  immediately  at  this 
ollice. 

May  21,  1853.  tf' 


0=  The  subscriber  begs  leave  to  refer  the  public  to — Hon. 
Nathan  Dayton,  Hon.  .1.  L.  Woods,  Hon.  Hiram  Gardner, 
Lyman  A.  Spalding,  Esq.,  Lockport;  Hon.  Levi  A.  Ward, 
Rochester;  Gen.  R.  Harmon,  Wheatland,  Monroe  county; 
L.  C.  Fitch,  Esq  ,  West  Bloomfield,  Ontario  county;  A.  A. 
Boyce,  Esq  ,  Utica. 


Morgan  Stock  Horse  for  Sale. 

For  sale  by  the  subscriber,  a  Morgaiv 
Colt,  4  years  old  last  May,  weight  1125 
lbs.,  the  best  model  of  his  Sire  (the  Green 
Mountain  Morgan  owned  by  liale)  llftit 
can  be  found  in  New  England;  his  color 
and  action,  his  temper,  arkd  gait,  are  like 
the  old  horse  and  he  is  reputed  to  be  the  best  roadster  of  the 
whole  race  of  Morgans.  C.  W.  BELLOWS. 

Pepperell,  Mass.,  March  12,  1853.     On   Nashua   and   Wor- 
cester Railroad.  *tf  March  12. 


Garden  Seeds. 


WE  respectfully  solicit  the  attention  of  purchasers  of  GAR 
DEN  SEEDS  to  our  extensive  stock,  which  we  offer  for 
sale.  We  have  all  the  sorts  of  Vegetable  Seeds  that  have 
proved  worthy  of  cultivation;  also.  Grain,  Grass  and  Flower 
Seeds.  All  the  varieties  are  raised  and  selected  expressly  for 
our  trade,  and  we  do  with  confidence  recommend  them  to  all 
who  desire  to  procure  seeds  that  will  prove  true  to  their  names. 
O"  Catalogues  gratis,  on  application. 

RUGGLES,  NOURSE,  MASON  &  CO., 
Jan.  1.  Over  ftuincy  Market,  Boston. 


296 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


June 


CONTENTS  OF  THIS  NUMBER. 

Calendar  for  June Page  249 

Passing  Matters 250 

Cob  Meal— Sketches  of  Travel 251 

Plowman's  Song— Slate  Farm  al  Westborough 253 

OM  Apple  Trees 254 

Rules  for  the  Application  of  Guano 255 

Duration  of  Posts-  Feeding  Teams 256 

Patrons — Patronage,  ic 258 

Experimental  Farming— Rural  Pleasures 259 

Witch  Grass— Cure  and  Preventive  of  the  Potato  Rot 260 

The  Farmer's  Cabinet 261 

The  Season— Insects— Plum-Tree  Warts 262 

Monthly  Farmer  for  Ai)ril 263 

ln<iuiries  and  Censures 265 

Grecian  Farmers 266 

Soil— Tempering  the  Soil 267 

Manures— The  Currant  Borer 268 

Transactions  of  the  Franklin  County  Society 269 

Ants  and  Aphides 269 

Farmer  Penny  wise  and  Farmer  Pound  wise 271 

Farming  Implements  and  Machines 271 

The  Stale  Farm— Interesting  to  Farmers 272 

Dissolving  Bones— New  Seedling  Grape— Shell  Lime 274 

Spare  the  Sweet  Songsters— Valuable  Extracts 275 

Analyses— Plowing— Watering— Plowing  or  Ploughing 278 

Theories  and  Facts- Do  they  Agree? 279 

Fruit  Trees 280 

Early  Radishes  and  Turnips— Yarrow,  or  Wild  Camomile. 281 

The  Sod  and  Subsoil  Plow 282 

Comparison  between  Ox  and  Horse  Labor  for  the  Farm.  ..282 

Wash  from  the  Sink—Tired  of  Farming 283 

Sows  and  Oxen  in  Portugal 284 

State  Board  of  Agriculture 284 

New  and  Untried  Schemes 286 

Oxen  and  Horses 287 

Grafting 268 

The  Monthly  Farmer  for  May 290 

Agricnllural  Axioms— Birds  of  New  England '^91 

The  Black  Knot  on  the  Plum 292 

Extracts  and  Replies 293 

Apples  for  Milch  Cows 294 

Boy's  Department 294 

ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Primary  School  House  in  Exeter,  N.  II 257 

Spahish  Merino  Ewes 273 

Phelps'  Bee-Hive 289 

Monamet  Sweeting  and  Golden  Sweeting  Apples 293 


Clarke's  Excelsior  Cliurii. 

MR.  EDITOR  :  — I  append  a  literal  copy  of  recommenda- 
tions which  I  am  in  the  pos-session  of, — a  fair  specimen  of 
what  accompanies  the  introduction  of  this  churn.  I  am  rap- 
idly gaining  the  favor  and  confidence  of  stranger  dairymen 
solely  by  testing  the  churn  wherever  1  can  get  a  chance  to  do 
so.  You  will  soon  believe  me  luithout  an  affidavit— }\ist  so 
with  others.  ,  GEO.  B.  CLARKE. 

Leonardsville,  June  1,  1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  EAMER 

Is  [lublished  on  the  first  of  every  month,  by  John  Ravnolds 
and  JocL  NoL'RSE,  at  Quincy  Hall,  South  Market  St.,  Boston 

SIMON  BROWN,  Editor. 

FREDERICK  HOLBROOK,  )  Associate 
HENRY  F.  FRENCH,  J   Editors. 

(jj-  Terms,  SI,00  per  annum  in  advance. 

O"  All  subscriptions  to  commence  with  the  volume,  Jan.  1. 

The  Farmer,  is  devoted  exclusively  to  Agriculture,  Hor- 
ticulture, and  tlieir  kindred  Arts  and  Sciences;  making  a  neat 
volume  of  576  octavo  pages,  embellished  with  numerous  en 
gravings.  It  may  be  elegantly  bound  in  muslin,  embossed  and 
gilt,  at  25  cts.  a  volume,  if  left  at  the  office  of  publication. 

jfr  Also  published  at  the  same  office  every  Saturday,  on  a 
large  handsome  folio  sheet,  the 

NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER,   (WEEKLY,) 

An  Independent  Agricultural  Family  Newspaper. 

The  News  and  Miscellaneous  departments  under  the  charge 
of  WILLIAM  SIMONDS,  will  include  a  full  and  careful  re- 
port of  the  news  of  the  Markets,  and  the  news  of  the  week, 
such  as  Domestic,  Foreign  and  Marine  Intelligence,  Congres- 
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Intelligence,  and  a  general  variety  of  Literary  and  Miscellane- 
ous matter,  adapted  to  family  reading,  coniprising  more  use- 
ful and  valuable  reailing  matter  than  any  other  Agricultural 
Newspaper  published  in  New  England.  Every  ihing  of  a  hurt- 
ful or  even  doubtful  tendency  will  be  carefully  excluded  from 
its  columns. 

U  Terms  $2,00  per  annum  in  advance. 

The  monthly  contains  nearly  the  same  matter  as  the  Agri- 
cultural department  of  the  weekly. 

113=  Postmasters  and  others,  who  will  fnrvv'ard  four  new 
subscribers  on  the  above  named  terms,  for  either  publication, 
shall  receive  a  fifth  copy  gratis  for  one  year. 

(HT  All  orders  and  letters  should  be  aiidreaseii,  post-paid, 

RAYNOLDS  &,  NOURSE, 

(iiiiNCY  Hall,  South  Market  Street,  Boston. 


O"  Postage. — The  postage  on  the  New  Englnnd  Farmer 
monthly,  is  U  cents  per  quarter,  or  6  cents  per  year,  to  any 
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where  the  same  is  received. 


Mr.  Geo.  B.  Clarice: — The  trial  of  your  Patent  Excelsior 
Churn  at  my  house,  is  perfectly  satisfictory,  and  has  fully  an- 
swered my  expectations,  as  it  has  performed  what  you  have 
promised  of  it,  in  your  advertisements  and  circulars. 

Yours,  ever,  E.  S.  PERKINS. 

Cazenovia,  N.  Y.,  May  3,  1853. 


I  cheerfully  concur  in  the  above,  having  been  present  at  the 
testing  of  the  E.xcelsior  Churn  at  my  son's  house,  as  above 
Slated  by  him.  STILLMAN  PERKINS. 


This  is  to  show  that  I  have  purchased  C'arke's  Excelsior 
Churn,  and  paid  him  $10  for  it,  he  having  churned  about  thir- 
ty^ounds  of  butter  in  it  at  my  house,  where  its  operation  has 
given  me  entire  satisfaction. 

E.S.PERKINS. 
1'^ 


Yours,  &0., 
Cazenovia,  N.  Y.,  May  4,  1853. 


Taiacre  Scythe  Stones. 

rAA  Dozen  Taiacre  Burr  Scythe  Stones  for  sale,  to  arrive 
OUU  in  a  few  days  from  ship  GEN.  TAYLOR,  from  Liver- 
pool. Parties  wishing  to  supply  themselves  for  the  coming 
season,  should  forward  their  orders  to  the  subscriber  as  early 
as  possible,  to  save  delay.  Boxes  contain  6  and  8  dozen  each. 
T.  B.  BROWNE,  No.  7  Doane  St.,  Boston. 
May  21,  1853.  2w 


Bound  Volnnies. 


BACK  VOLUMES  ol  ihe  NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER, ele- 
gantly bound  in  Muslin,  Gilt  and  Embossed,  are  now  fo) 
sMe  at  this  office. 


Farm  in  Westboro',  Mass., 

For  sale  or  exchange,  for  Boston  property,  sit 
uated  on  the  old  Grafton  road,  within  i  mile  of 
the  Railroad  Depot,  containing  27  acres  of  as 
good  lai;d  as  any  other  27  acres  laying  in  one 
body,  in  the  town;  it  is  elevated  about  75  feet 
above  ihe  railroad,  and  overlooks  the  town,  and  is  within  7 
minutes  walk  of  three  churches  and  the  town  house,  which 
for  healthy  location  is  unsurpassed.  The  buildings  consist  of 
a  modern  house,  built  by  Boston  mechanics  in  1651,  and  is  32 
by  22  feet,  with  a  kitchen  attached,  16  by  23  feet,  two  stories 
high,  with  a  cellar  under  the  whole.  Wood-house,  16  by  20 
feet;  work-shop  16  by  12  feet;  carriage  and  hen  house,  16  by 
21  feet;  jjouliry  yard,  30  by  53  feet,  enclosed  by  slat  fence  8 
feet  high;  barn,  60  by  36  feet,  with  cellar  under  the  same,  so 
divided  as  to  give  a  vegetable  cellar  containing  about  2000 
bushels;  cistern  and  well  water  is  brought  into  the  house,  and 
all  the  wash  of  the  kitchen  and  privy  is  conducted  by  a  drain 
to  the  barn  cellar;  likewise  a  farm  house  24  feet  square,  1 J 
stories  high,  cellar  under  the  same;  there  are  three  good  wells 
of  water  and  one  good  brick  and  cement  cistern  on  the  prem- 
ises. There  are  now  on  the  farm  142  large  apjile  trees,  most- 
ly grafted,  also  220  young  thriving  apple  trees,  mostly  Bald- 
wins, from  4  to  (^  years  from  the  bud,  some  of  them  have 
borne  fruit;  likewise  34  peach  trees  of  early  choice  variety, 
10  pear  trees,  &.c  There  has  been  taken  from  the  farm  the 
past  year,  30  tons  of  hay,  375  bushels  of  corn  in  the  ear,  700 
bushels  of  carrots,  beets  and  S.  turnips,  80  barrels  grafted 
fruit,besides  vegetables  used  in  the  family.  For  further  infor 
malion,  apply  at  this  office,  of  Messrs.  SIMON  BROWN  or 
WILLIAM  SIMONDS;  at  Westboro',  of  Messrs.  PAYER 
WETHER  ff  GRIGGS. 
Feb.  5.  1853.  tf 


Ayrshire  Calf. 


For  sale,   a   fine   Ayrshire  Bii/l  Calf, 
(warranted  pure)  about  4  weeks  old. 
Apply  at  this  office. 
Mav  28.  tf 


SEVOTUD  TO  ASRIGULTUilE  AND  ITS  KINDHED  ARTS  AND  SCIENCES. 


VOL.  V. 


BOSTON,  JULY,  1853. 


NO.  7. 


RAYNOI.US  &  NOURSK,  FnorKiETOiis. 
OPFICE (luiNCY  Hail. 


SIMON  BROWN,  Editor. 


FRED'K  HOLIiROOK,!  Associate 
HENRY  F.  FRENCH,  5   Editors. 


CALENDAR  FOR  JULY. 

■"Now  comes  JuLV,  and  wiih  his  fervid  noon 
tinsinews  hihiir.     The  swinkt*  mower  siteps; 
The  weary  mnid  r«kes  feelily;  the  warm  swain 
■Pitches  his  liwid  reJuctar.i;  ihe  faint  st«er, 
Lashing  his  sides,  draws  sulkiJy  along 
The  slow  eucjiubereJ  wain  in  middiy  heat." 

A  great  many  of  the  words  we  use,  as  well  as 
a  great  many  of  the  arts  we  practice  and  customs 
we  observe,  are  borrowed  from  the  Germans.  Thus 
we  heard  a  nei^libor  say  the  other  day,  that  he 
'"always  had  to  slang  the  hay  out  of  a  certain 
meadow."  The  word  being  new  to  us,  we  aeked 
such  questions  as  caused  him  to  repeat  his  remark 
two  or  three  times,  until  we  were  satisfied  that  he 
meant  to  say  ho  Avas  obliged  to  pole  out  his  hay. 
On  reference  to  ^Vebster  we  found  the  word  stang, 
common  to  several  languages,  the  Saxon,  Danish, 
German  and  Swedish,  and  means  a  pole. 

To  ride  the  stang,  is  to  be  carried  on  a  pole  on 
men"'s  shoulders,  in  derision. 

The  word  is  u.sed  here,  only  among  the  descend- 
ants of  the  old  English  settlers. 

The  old  Saxon  and  German  Avords  are  often  beau- 
tifully expressive.  JuLr,  they  called  AcTimewa (A, 
which  probably  expressed  the  meaning  of  the  Ger- 
man word  hain,  signifying  wood  or  trees,  and 
hence  henmonath  might  mean  foliage  month.  They 
also  called  it  heymonath,  or  hay  month ;  because 
"therein  they  usually  mowed  and  made  their  hay- 
harvest." 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  so  few  of  our  writers 
give  their  thoughts  and  pens  to  descriptions  of  the 
changes  and  beauties  of  the  seasons,  instead  of 
the  senseless  tales  of  fiction  which  are  enfeebling 
the  minds  of  so  many  of  our  youth,  and  exciting 
them  to  revel  in  the  voluptuous  scenes  they  de- 
scribe. 

It  is  their  truthfulness  to  nature— their  strong 
common  sense  views  of  the  living  and  breathing 
world  about  them,  that  gives  such  life  and  force 
to  the  writings  of  the  old  English  authors.  They 
will  exist  and  instruct,  long  after  mountains  of  the 
*  ^vnnKT.— Over-labored,  tired. 


modem  trash  will  he  consigned  to  their  merited 
dust. 

In  his  '^Months,"  Leigh  Hunt,  with  his  accus- 
tomed minuteness  of  observation,  says  "the  heat 
is  greatest  in  this  month  on  account  of  its  previous 
duration.  The  reason  why  it  is  less  so  in  August 
is,  that  the  days  are  then  much  shorter,  and  the 
influence  of  the  sun  has  been  gradually  diminish- 
ing. There  is  a  sense  of  heat  and  quiet  all  over 
nature.  The  birds  are  silent.  'J  he  little  brooks 
are  dried  up.  The  earth  is  chapped  with  parch- 
ing. The  shadows  of  the  trees  are  particularly 
grateful,  heavy,  and  still.  The  cattle  stand  in  the 
shade,  or  stand  in  the  water.  The  active  and  air- 
cutting  swallows,  now  beginning  to  assemble  for 
migration,  seek  their  prey  about  the  shady  places, 
where  the  insects,  though  of  differently  compound- 
ed natures,  'fieshless  and  bloodless,'  seem  to  get 
for  coolness,  as  they  do  at  other  times  for  warmth." 
There  are,  also,  strange  humming  sounds  in  the 
air  as  of  innumerable  insects,  though  none  can  be 
seen — 

"Their  murmuring  small  trumpets  soumleu  wide," 

as  Spencer  says.  And  in  the  blazing  sun,  by  the 
dusty  way-side,  the  locust  utters  his  harsh  note 
with  screechinj:  wins:. 

A  thousand  other  pleasant  things  press  on  the 
thoughts,  which  we  will  not  utter,  lest  some  de- 
clare "they  are  not  practical,  they  do  not  teach  the 
art  of  rearing  slock,  or  of  cultivating  luell.'"  Here, 
then,  we  are  at  issue— for  it  is  our  firm  belief  that 
the  larmer  who  closest  observes  the  operations  of 
nature,  such  as  the  birds  and  animals  and  insects 
she  periodically  brings ;  notes  their  habits,  the 
food  they  require  and  their  modes  of  propagation, 
will,  all  other  things  being  equal,  be  the  best  and 
thriftiest  farmer,  the  best  citizen,  and  the  better  pre- 
pared for  Heaven  ivhen  his  last  crops  are  harvested 
here  ! 

The  poet  did  n  )t  take  too  much  license  when  he 
said  there  is  "sermons  in  stones" — they  are  there, 
just  as  much  as  there  is  sound  doctrine  and  whole- 


298 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


July 


some  reproof  in  the  sermons  which  you  sleep  un- 
der on  Sunday.  If  you  do  not  hear  "music  in  the 
running  brooks,"  it  is  because  your  heart  is  not 
attuned  to  nature,  but  still  dwells  among  the 
clods ! 

How  many  of  these  beantiful  things,  so  interest- 
ing, impressive,  and  full  of  teaching,  are  passed 
unnoticed  by  us,  votaries  as  we  are,  of  this  work- 
a-day  world. 

But  as  the  busy  season  of  haying  approaches, 
our  week-day  sermon  shall  be  short,  important  as 
it  may  appear  to  us. 

The  Hay  Crop. — This  is  the  leading  crop  of  New 
England.  Its  aggregate  value,  if  known,  even  in 
Massachusetts,  would  be  a  matter  of  surprise  to 
most  of  us.  But  ivc  are  too  poor  yet,  to  have  re- 
liable statistics  on  this,  or  any  other  agricultural 
product,  in  our  State  !  The  value  and  importance 
of  the  crop  must  be  guessed  at  a  little  longer. 

A  large  proportion  of  the  grass  cut,  is  herds 
grass  or  timothy,  it  being  the  same  grass,  but 
called  by  these  different  names.  When  well  cured 
it  is  an  excellent  fodder ;  the  cattle  eat  it  with 
avidity  and  thrive  well  on  it,  and  will  so  continue 
through  the  winter.  When  grown  on  new,  rich 
ground,  it  is  coarse  and  wiry,  and  inferior  to  clover 
or  red  top.  Herds  grass  may  be  cured  or  hayed 
in  one  day  as  well  as  two  if  cut  early  in  the  morn- 
ing and  closely  tended  until  3  o'clock,  of  a  hot  Ju- 
ly day. 

Clover-hay  has  fallen  into  disrepute  with  many, 
and  we  think  in  consequence  of  its  being  so  often 
improperly  cured.  Cut  it  in  the  morning  and  let 
it  remain  in  swath  until  3  or  4  o'clock  in  the  af- 
ternoon, when  it  should  be  carefully  turned  upside 
down,  and  left  until  the  following  day.  About  2 
or  3  o'clock  on  the  second  day  take  up  the  swaths 
carefully  with  a  fork,  and  lay  them  in  cocks  where 
they  may  remain  36  or  48  hours,  and  should  not 
be  opened  until  there  is  a  fair  prospect  of  obtain- 
ing a  few  hours  of  good  weather  to  complete  the 
curing  process.  When  this  is  the  case,  open  the 
cocks  as  soon  as  the  dew  is  off,  only  partially 
spreading  them.  If  thought  not  to  be  sufficiently 
dry  on  examination,  they  may  be  carefully  turned, 
and  in  an  hour  or  two  afterwards  got  in. 

When  clover  is  prepared  in  this  manner,  the 
leaves  will  adhere  to  the  stems,  the  cattle  will  eat 
the  whole  with  a  high  relish,  and  we  scarcely  be- 
lieve that  any  fodder  is  more  profitable  for  them. 

Hay  is  as  often  made  too  much  as  too  little. 
Indeed,  we  believe  it  the  fault  of  New  England 
hay-makers  that  they  dry  the  grass  too  much. 
The  secret  of  making  good  hay,  says  Low,  is  to 
prepare  it  as  quickly  as  possible,  and  with  as  little 
exposure  to  tl^e  weather,  and  as  little  waste  of  the 
natural  juices,  as  circumstances  will  allow.  When 
we  are  enabled  to  do  this  the  hay  will  be  sweet, 
fragrant,  and  of  a  greenish  color. 

Hoeing. — This  important  operation  must  not  be 


neglected  in  order  to  hurry  on  the  haying.  The 
loss  on  your  growing  crops  would  be  greater  by 
such  neglect,  than  to  leave  a  few  acres  of  grass 
beyond  the  proper  time  for  cutting.  It  will  be 
well  to  remember  thai  the  atmosphere  is  the  great 
store-house  of  manures,  and  that  it  will  not  impart 
them  to  a  hard,  unyielding  soil,  be  it  ever  so  hun- 
gry. Hoe,  then,  you  that  thirst  for  richer  soila 
and  larger ^crops.  But  you  need  not  do  it  all  with 
yourown  hands  ;  make  the  "old  mare,"  or  "Jer- 
ry," do  it  with  the  horse  hoe  or  cultivator. 

Roots. — It  will  not  be  too  late  to  put  in  any  of 
the  turnip  ci'ops  early  in  July.  Raise  roots  for 
your  stock,  and  use  the  money  for  other  purposes 
which  you  have  heretofore  expended  in  the  pur- 
chase of  grain.  Weed  thoroughly  and  stir  the 
ground  often,  and  with  God's  blessing  you  will 
not  fail  of  a  good  crop.  Purchase  one  of  the  Es- 
sex County  Onion  Iloes  and  your  root  crops  will 
cost  you  only  about  half  as  much  as  they  will 
without  it — provided  you  use  it  often.  The  cost 
is  $1,50  cents.  Try  it,  and  you  will  feel  encour- 
aged to  cultivate  more  roots. 

Yourself — gentle  reader — makes  an  important 

item   of  your   care.     Without  firm   health  there 

will  be  little  elasticity  of  body  or   mind.     Retire 

and  rise  early — 

"Of  all  the  hours  of  cheerful  light. 
The  morning  is  the  best." 

Don't  hurry,  nor  fret,  unless  the  farm  implements 
are  left  dirty  and  out  of  place  ;  fretting  is  pardon- 
able in  such  a  case,  if  it  will  do  any  good! 

When  fatigued,  rest ;  when  hungry,  eat  mod- 
erately ;  when  thirsty,  rinse  the  mouth,  and  bathe 
the  wrists  anl  forehead  before  drinking,  and  as  a 
general  rule  avoid  ice-water.  Stimulants,  of  any 
sort,  as  a  beverage,  are  injurious.  Eat  sparingly 
of  meat — it  is  too  stimulating  for  hot  weather  ; 
shun  unripe  fruits  and  scolding,  of  every  sort. 

If  the  garden  has  been  well  conducted  it  will 
now  afli)rd  an  abundant  supply  of  cheap  and  whole- 
some food,  which  will  not  only  nourish  the  body 
but  gladden  the  heart. 

Observing  these  simple  rules,  you  ought  to  be 
happy  and  cheerful,  and  make  glad  the  heart  of 
your  wife  and  children  ;  and  lacking  these,  glad- 
den the  heart  of  some  pretty  maiden,  who  likely 
enough,  would  be  ivilling  to  become  your  "gude 
vrouw." 

But  enough  for  a  hot  day  in  July — when  the 
thermometer  is  at  101^  degrees  !  We  shall  now 
seek  the  fields,  wishing  you  a  God-speed  in  your 
labors  through  all  this  beautiful  Hat-Month  or 
July  ! 

Rockingham  Fair.— The  first  exhibition  of  the 
Rockingham  Fair,  will  be  held  at  Exeter,  N.  IL, 
September  15th.  The  address  will  be  delivered 
by  Mr.  Brown,  of  the  New  England  Farmer.  A 
plowing  match  will  take  place,  on  the  day  of  the 
Fair. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER, 


299 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
BIRDS  OF  NEW  ENGLAND. 

THEIR  PAST  AND  PRESENT  HISTORY No.  5. 

BY   S.    P.    FOWLER. 
OMNIVOROUS     BIRDS, 

The  American  Starling  or  Meadow  Lark,  is  a 
bird,  well  known  in  New  England,  and  often  seen 
in  our  old  fields  and  meadows.  It  is  a  shy  bird, 
with  a  plaintive,  agreeable  note,  and  perfectly 
harmless    in   its   habits,    feeding    upon    insects, 


the  whole  of  North  America,  and  is  found  in  the 
greatest  abundance.  It  is  probably  one  of  our 
most  mischievous  birds,  and  many  suppose  that 
very  little  can  be  said  in  its  favor,  to  recommend 
it  to  the  protection  of  the  farmer.  But  we  shall 
find  when  we  are  better  acquainted  with  the  hab- 
its of  the  Red-wings,  that  the  benefits  derived 
from  them  much  more  than  counterbalance  tl  e 
mischief  they  occasion.  Mr  Wilson,  the  ornithol- 
ogist, who  appears  to  have  noticed  with  care  the 
habits  of  the  bird,  under  consideration,    as   they 


worms,  beetles,  the  seed's  of  grifss  and  weeds.—  appeared  to  him  in  theMiddle  States,  says,  "they 


There  is   no  bird  that  can  better  claim   the  pro- 
tection of  the  farmer,  than  the  meadow  lark. 

The  Baltimore  Oriole,  or  Golden  Robin,  is  a 
beautiful  and  interesting  bird.  With  us  they  are 
only  a  summer  resident ;  leaving  us  in  autumn, 
they  pass  on  through  the  States,  to  Mexico,  where 
they  remain  in  flocks  through  the  winter.  They 
arrive  witli  us  in  the  latter  part  of  May,  when  our 
fruit  trees  are  in  blossom,  and,  by  their  beautiful 
appearance  and  mellow  notes,  add  much  to  the 
gaiety  of  the  season.  They  are  particularly  fond 
of  hanging  their  pensile  nests,  to  the  drooping 
limbs  of  the  white  elm,  and  spend  the  breeding 
season  in  the  vicinity  of  gardens  and  orchards  ; 
and  we  always  associate  these  brilliant  birds,  and 
their  whistling  trumpet-notes,  with  a  lovely,  qui- 
et summer's  day,  in  leafy  June,  when  the  very  at- 
mosphere is  fragrant  with  flowers.  The  Golden 
Robin  feeds  principally  upon  insects,  during  the 
spring  and  summer  months,  and  later  in  the  season 
it  subsists  on  fruits  and  seeds.  Mr.  Audubon  says 
they  feed  on  cherries,  mulberries  and  strawber- 
ries, but  this  is  not  in  accordance  with  our  own 
observation.  They  sometimes  attack  the  pea 
vines,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  the  grub  of  the 
pea  bug,  which  is  found  therein,  and  not  for  the 
love  of  the  pea,  as  has  been  erroneously  supposed. 
These  birds  certainly  deserve  the  protection  of 
farmers  and  horticulturists. 

We  are  now  about  to  notice  one  of  our  most 
mischievous  birds,  the  Red-winged  Blackbird.  He 
has  long  been  known  to  the  farmer  as  a  sad  thief, 
and  was  regarded  by  the  Indians  as  a  trouble- 
some fellow,  long  before  he  was  known  to  us. — 
And  here,  with  the  permission  of  the  reader,  we 
will  step  aside,  and  turn  back  for  the  purpose  of 
relating  the  past  history  of  the  blackbird,  as  found 
in  Roger  Williams'  Key  to  the  Indian  Language, 
published  in  16-13,  and  to  furnish  an  account  of 
the  method  pursued  by  the  Indians,  to  protect 
their  corn  from  the  depredations  of  these  birds. — 
Mr.  Williams  says  "of  the  black-birds,  there  be 
millions,  which  are  great  devourers  of  the  Indian 
corn,  as  soon  as  it  appears  out  of  the  ground  ;  un- 
to this  sort  of  birds,  especially,  may  tiie  mysticall 
Fowles,  the  Divells  be  well  remembered  [and  so 
it  pleaseth  the  Lord  Jesus  himselfe,  to  observe 
Matthew  13]  which  mysticall  Fowle  follow  the 
sowing  of  the  word,  and  pick  it  up  from  loose  and 
carelesse  hearers  as  these  black-birds  follow  the 
material  seed.  Against  these  birds,  the  Indians 
are  very  careful!,  both  to  set  their  corne  deep 
enough,  that  it  may  have  a  strong  root,  not  so 
apt  to  be  pluckt  up  [not  too  deep,  lest  they  bury 
it,  arid  it  never  comes  up  :]  as  also  they  put  up 
little  watch-houses  in  the  middle  of  their  fields,  in 
which  thoy,  or  their  biggest  children  lodge,  and 
early  in  the  morning  prevent  the  birds,"  &c. 
The  Red-winged  blackbird  is  a  summer  resident  in 


arrive  in  Pennsylvania  late  in  March.  Their  gen- 
eral food  at  this  season,  as  well  as  durrng  the 
early  part  of  summer  consists  of  grub  worms,  cat- 
erpillars, and  various  other  larva,  the  silent,  but 
deadly  enemies  of  all  vegetation,  and  whose  secret 
and  insiduous  attacks  are  more  to  be  dreaded  by 
tne  husbandman,  than  the  combined  forces  of  the 
whole  feathered  tribes  together.  For  these  ver- 
min, the  Red-winged  Blackbirds  search  with  dili- 
gence ;  in  the  ground,  at  the  roots  of  plants,  in 
orchards  and  meadows,  as  well  as  among  buds, 
leaves  and  blossoms,  and  from  their  known  vorac- 
ty,  the  multitudes  of  these  insects  which  they  de- 
stroy must  be  immense.  Let  me  illustrate  this, 
by  a  short  computation. 

If  we  suppose  each  bird  on  an  average,  to  de- 
vour fifty  of  these  larva  in  a  day  [a  very  moderate 
allowance]  a  single  pair  in  four  months,  the  usual 
time  such  food  is  sought  after,  will  consume  up- 
wards of  twelve  thousand.  It  is  believed,  that 
not  less  than  a  million  pair  of  these  birds  are  dis- 
tributed over  the  whole  extent  of  the  United  States 
in  summer,  whose  food  being  nearly  the  same, 
would  swell  the  amount  of  vermin  destroyed,  to 
twelve  thousand  millions.  But  the  number  of 
young  birds  may  be  fairly  estimated  at  double 
that  of  their  parents  ;  and  as  these  are  constantly 
fed  on  larva  for  at  least  three  weeks,  making  only 
the  same  allowance  for  them  as  for  the  old  ones, 
their  share  would  amount  to  four  thousand  two 
hundred  millions  ;  making  a  grand  total  of  sixteen 
thousand  two  hundred  millions  of  noxious  insects 
destroyed  in  the  space  of  four  months  by  this  single 
species  !  The  combined  ravages  of  such  a  hideous 
host  of  vermin  would  be  sufficient  to  spread  fam- 
ine and  desolation  over  a  wide  extent  of  the  rich- 
est and  best  cultivated  country  on  earth. 

All  this,  it  may  be  said,  is  mere  supposition. — 
It  is,  however,  supposition  founded  on  known 
and  acknowledged  facts.  "I  have,"  continued 
Mr.  Wilson,  "never  dissected  any  of  these  birds 
in  spring,  without  receiving  the  most  striking  and 
satisfactory  proofs  of  these  facts  ;  and  though  in  a 
matter  of  this  kind,  it  is  impassible  to  ascertain 
precisely  the  amount  of  the  benefits  derived  by  ag- 
riculture from  this  and  many  other  species  of  our 
birds,  yet  in  the  present  case,  I  cannot  resist  the 
belief  that  the  services  of  this  species,  in  spring, 
are  far  more  important  and  beneficial  than  the  val- 
ue of  all  that  portion  of  corn  which  a  careful  and 
active  farmer  permits  himself  to  lose  by  it.  Mr. 
Audubon,  who  was  perhaps  better  acquainted  with 
the  habits  of  our  birds  than  any  other  perscm, 
says  the  Red-winged  Blackl)ird  is  so  well  known 
as  being  a  bird  of  the  most  nefarious  propensities, 
that  in  "the  United  States  one  can  hardly  mention 
its  name,  without  hearing  such  an  account  of  its 
pilferings  as  might  induce  the  young  student  in 
nature  to  conceive  that  it  had  been  created  for  the 


300 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


July 


purpose  of  annoying  the  farmer.  That  it  destroys 
an  astonishing  quantity  of  corn,  rice  and  other 
kinds  of  grain,  cannot  be  denied  ;  bat  that  before 
it  commences  its  ravages,  it  has  proved  highly  ser- 
viceable to  the  crops,  is  equally  certain.  The  mil- 
lion of  insects  which  the  Red  wings  destroy  at 
this  early  season,  are,  in  my  opinion,  a  full  equiv- 
alent for  the  corn  which  they  eat  at  another  pe- 
riod. 

Mr.  Nuttall,  our  own  New  England  ornitholo- 
gist, fully  endorses  the  opinions  of  Wilson,  in  re- 
gard to  tlie  utility  of  the  Red-wings  in  destroying 
insects,  and  adds,  Kalm  remarked,  that  after  a 
great  destruction  made  among  these,  and  the  Crow 
Blackbirds,  for  the  legal  reward  of  three  pence  a 
dozen,  the  Northern  States,  in  1749,  exp3rienced 
a  complete  loss  of  the  grass  and  grain  crops, 
which  were  now  devoured  by  insects.  In  a  for- 
mer communication  upon  the  value  of  the  Indian 
corn,  we  alluded  to  a  tradition  among  the  Indians, 
that  the  Red-winged  Blackbird  first  brought  the 
maize  or  corn  into  New  England  from  Mexico. — 
This  belief  induced  them  to  spare  the  lives  of  these 
birds,  although  they  undoubtedly  caused  them 
much  trouble  in  their  little  corn  fields.  Now  we 
are  not  disposed  at  this  late  period,  and  with  no- 
thing but  the  shadawy  evidence  cf  an  Indian  tra- 
dition, to  attempt  to  establish  the  claims  of  the 
Red-wing,  in  introducing  that  most  valuable  plant, 
the  Indian  corn,  and  perhaps  thereby  obtain  a 
silver  whistle,  from  the  Massachusetts  Horticultu- 
ral Society,  lest  a  rival  from  some  unexpected  quar- 
ter should  arise,  and  contest  the  prize  with  our 
bird.  And  judging  from  the  blackbird's  love  of 
Indian  corn,  and  their  boldness  at  all  times,  and  in 
all  places,  in  appropriating  it  to  their  own  use,  we 
should  suppose  the  birds  themselves  believed  the 
tradition,  and  that  they  were  but  honestly  takinw 
what  in  part  belonged  to  them.  Finally,  in  view 
of  all  that  has  been  said  in  favor  of  the  Red-wing, 
we  may  justly  claim  for  them  exemption  ti-om  the 
cruel  assaults  of  idle  gunners,  truant  schoolboys, 
and  from  the  necessity  of  witnessing  the  vain  at- 
tempts of  honest  farmers  to  frighten  them  with 
scare  crows. 

We  are  now  about  to  notice  the  most  singular 
bird,  we  mean  so  f;ir  as  its  habits  are  concerned, 
to  be  found  in  the  Union.  It  is  the  Cow  Black- 
bird, and  is  but  little  known,  except  to  ornitholo- 
gists. Boys,  son^etimes,  in  their  excursions  after 
birds'  egg,  when  peeping  into  the  hanging  nest  of 
the  Red-eyed  Fly-Catcher,  notice  one  egg,  differ- 
ently marked,  and  larger  than  the  rest,  but  are 
not  aware  that  it  belongs  to  the  bird  under  con- 
sideration. Like  the  European  Cuckoo,  they 
never  pair  like  other  birds,  but  males  and  females 
flock  together,  and  roam  over  the  country,  living 
in  a  state  of  concubinage  and  vagrancy,  like  a  band 
of  Gipsies.  Their  young  are  never  cared  for  by  their 
parents,  but  are  bred  as  foundlings,  they  being  the 
only  bird  found  in  this  country  that  do  not  build 
a  nest,  and  feed  their  young.  As  we  have  before 
remarked,  the  Cow-birds  are  banded  together  in 
small  parties,  both  mule  and  female,  during  the 
summer  months,  and  in  the  breeding  season,  and, 
when  the  female  is  prompted  by  nature  to  lay 
her  egg,  she  leaves  her  companions  in  the  flock, 
and  searches  for  the  nest  of  some  small  bird,  in 
which  to  make  her  deposits.  If  she  chances  to 
find  the  neat  basket  nest  of  the  Red-eyed  Fly- 
catcher, and  the  owner  of  it  not  at  home,  she  sly- 


ly and  in  great  haste,  drops  in  the  nest  her  solita- 
ry egg,  and  quickly  leaves  the  premises,  and  again 
joins  the  flock,  usually  uttering  some  notes  expres- 
sive of  her  success,  in  thus  relieving  herself  of  her 
care.     The  honest  mother  and  owner  of  the  nest, 
upon  her  return,    as  we  may  well   suppose,  feels 
indignant  at  the  shameful  conduct  of  the  Cow-bird, 
but  if  she  had  eggs  of  her  own,  in  the  nest  before 
the  deposit  of  the  strange  egg  is  made,  the  attach- 
ment to  home  is  sufiiciently  strong  to  prevent  her 
abandoning  her  nest.     Some  birds,  who  have  had 
their  homes  visited  by  the  Cow-bird,  build  a  false 
bottom   to  their  nest,  and  thus  covering   the   egg 
of  the    parasite,  prevents  its  incubation.     Upon 
this  additional  flooring  in  the  nest,  the  parent  bird 
commences  anew  to  lay  her  eggs.     Bat  usually  the 
Red-eye,  after  the  egg  of  the  Cow-bird  is  deposited, 
commences  sitting,  and  in  due  time  the  parasite 
egg  is  hatched,  always  before  the  eggs  of  the  pa- 
rent bird.     The  young  of  the  Red-eyed  Flj-oatch- 
er,  or  Vireo,  usually  does  not  appear  until  the  13th 
day  from  the  time  incubation  commences,  whereas, 
the  young  of  the    Cow-bird  usually  appears   on 
the  twelfth  day.     Should  the  Red-eye  continue  on 
the  nest  until  all  the  eggs  are  hatched,  the  young 
Cow-bird  being  a  much  larger  bird,   and  receiving 
the  most  attention  from  the  duped  nurse,  grows 
apace,  until  he  nearly  fills  the  small  and  crowded 
nest,  fairly  covering  up,  putting  out  of  sight,   and 
at  last  stilling  the  young  of  the  legitimate  bird, 
which  when  dead,  are  carried  from  the  nest  by  the 
foster  parent,  leaving  the   black  stranger  alone  in 
the  nest,  to  enjoy  all  her  affectionate  attention. — 
It  frequently  happens  that   the  Red-eyed  Vireo, 
upon  the   hatching  of  the  egg   of  the  Cow-bird, 
which  we  have  before  said  takes  place  befure  that 
of  the  vireo,  immediately  leaves  the  nest,  to  sup- 
ply the  foundling  with  food,  and  by  so  doing  leaves 
her  own  eggs  to  perish,  for  the  want   of  a  little 
more  incubation.     The  unhatched   eggs  are  soan 
ejected  by  the   parent  bird,   from  the  nest,  as   is 
supposed,   who  continues  to  feed  the   sooty  stran- 
ger until  he  leaves  the  nest,  and  for  some  time  af- 
ter.    Some  thirty  years  since,  we  took   an  egg  of 
the  Cow-bird  from  the  nest  of  the  Red-eyed  Vireo, 
and  placed  it  in  the  nest  of  a  barn  swallow,  for 
the  purpose  of  more  conveniently  watching  its  in- 
cubation.    At  the  time  of  the  deposit  there  were 
three  eggs  in    the  nest  of  the  swallow,  when  she 
laid  one  more  egg  and  commenced   sitting.      In 
about  twelve  or  thirteen  days,  I  noticed  that  the 
parasite's  egg  was  hatched,    but   the   swallow's 
eggs  were  not.     Soon   after  the  hatching  of  the 
Cow-bird,  the  swallow  came  off  her  nest,  and  ne- 
glected her  incubation,  to  supply  the  young  found- 
ling with  food.     The   then  remaining  unhatched 
eggs  of  the  swallow,  after  a  few  days,  were  eject- 
ed as  I  then  supposed  by  the  parent  bird,  and  were 
f  )und  under  the  nest.     The  foundling  had  now  the 
whole  nest  to   himself,  and   being  constantly  fed, 
by  both   the  male  and  female  swallows,  became 
exceedingly  large  and   fat,    completely   filling  the 
nest,  and  still  clamorous  for  food.     The  swallows 
continued  to  feed  the  young  bird  for  several  days 
after  it  left  the  nest,  and  one  day,  I  believe,  upon 
the  top  of  the  barn,  where  it  attracted  considera- 
ble attenti(m  from  persons  passing  by. 

The  egg  of  the  Cow-bird  is  oval,  and  small,  we 
should  think,  for  the  size  of  the  bird,  and  thickly 
marked  with  small  spots  of  olive  brown,  on  a 
white  ground,  tinged  with  green.     The  eggsjof  the 


185S. 


NEW  ENGLAND  J^ARMER. 


301 


Red-eyed  Fly-catcher  are  white,  with  a  few  small 
brown  spots  at  the  large  end.  We  give  these  de- 
scriptions, with  the  beautiful  basket  nest  of  the 
Red-eye,  containing  the  eggs  of  the  duped  owner 
of  it,  and  the  solitary  egg  of  the  vagrant,  on  a  ta- 
ble before  us,  and  we  can  but  notice  the  great  dif- 
ference between  them,  both  as  to  size,  markings 
and  figure.  The  favorite  nurse  selected  by  the 
parasite,  is  the  Red-eyed  Fly-catcher.  But  when 
she  is  not  to  be  found,  she  seeks  the  nest  of  the 
White-eyed  Fly-Catclier,  Maryland  Yellow  Throat, 
Indigo  Bird,  V'hipping  Sparrow,  Song  Sparrow, 
Blue-eyed  Yellow  Warbler,  Blue  Grey  Fly-catch- 
er, Golden-crowned  Thrush,  W^ilson's  Thrush 
Blue  Bird,  and  some  others.  The  Cow-bird  is 
known  by  many  names,  such  as  the  Cow- Trop- 
ical, Cow-pen  Bird,  Cow  Black-bird,  Cow-pen 
Bunting,  and  Cow-pen  Finch.  The  Cow-bird 
should  not  be  confounded  with  the  American  Cuc- 
koo, so  called  from  its  notes  resembling  the  words 
cow,  cow.  Tlie  cuckoo  builds  a  rude  nest  of  its 
own  and  lays  f^ur  or  five  greenish  lilue  eggs,  which 
it  hatches,  and  rears  its  young  with  great  care. — 
The  singular  habits  of  the  Cow-bird  have  for  many 
years  attracted  the  notice  of  ornithologists.  Mr. 
Wilson.when  speaking  of  the  bird, remarks,  "what 
reason  nature  may  have  f  )r  this  extraordinary  de- 
viation from  her  general  practice  is,  I  confess,  al- 
together beyond  comprehension.  There  is  noth- 
ing singular  to  be  observed  in  the  anatomical 
structure  of  the  bird,  that  would  seem  to  prevent 
or  render  it  incapable  of  incubation.  Many  con- 
jectures, indeed,  might  be  formed  as  to  the  proba- 
ble cause,  but  all  of  them  that  have  occurred  to 
me,  are  unsatisfactory  and  inconsistent.  Future 
and  more  numerous  observations,  made  with  care, 
may  throw  more  light  on  this  matter;  till  then, 
we  can  only  rest  satisfied  with  the  reality  of  the 
fact."  These  remarks  were  made  by  Mr.  Wilson 
in  his  Ornith(jlogy,  more  than  forty  years  since, 
and  we  are  not  aware  that  any  more  light  upon 
the  subject  of  the  strange  habits  of  the  Cow- bird, 
has  been  elicited. 

Modern  naturalists  have  recognized  among  some 
animals,  certain  aberrant  and  mutilated  forms, 
and  establish  what  they  term  the  theory  of  degra- 
dation. And  for  an  example  they  give  us  the  mis- 
placement of  parts  such  as  are  now  exhibited  in 
the  fish,  known  as  the  flounders,  turbot  and  hali- 
but. These  are  supposed  to  have  once  moved 
about  upright,  like  other  fishes,  but  from  some 
cause  or  other,  a  long  time  ago,  they  were  thrown 
over,  and  made  to  swim  upon  their  sides,  their 
squinting  eyes  stuck  upon  the  top  of  their  heads, 
and  their  mouths  twisted  awry.  The  Scriptures 
teach  us  also,  that  man  himself  is  in  a  state  of 
moi-al  degradation,  and  his  affections  misplaced. — 
But  we  are  precluded  from  supposing  that  the 
Cow-bird  has,  at  any  period,  suffered  from  degra- 
dation or  misplacement  of  its  parts,  thereby  ren- 
dering it  incapable  of  incubation  ;  from  the  fact, 
that  upon  dissecting  it,  no  disarrangement  has  as 
yet  been  found.  We  think  it  is  evident,  that  the 
Cow-bird's  unnatural  habits  are  such  as  were 
given  it,  by  the  Author  of  its  being,  and  are  not 
the  result  of  degradation,  or  mutilated  forms,  or 
a  vice  of  habit.  This  to  my  mind  is  very  evident, 
when  we  consider  the  singular  fact,  that  when 
its  solitary  egg  is  deposited,  with  those  of  the 
duped  nurse,  in  the  same  nest,  the  parasite's  egg 
invariably  hatches  from  twenty-four  to  forty-eight 


hours  before  those  of  the  foster  parent.  Here 
we  find  a  special  provision  made  in  favor  of  the 
Cow-bird,  on  which  depends  the  continuation  of  the 
species.  By  consulting  the  early  writers  on  our 
ornithology,  we  learn  tliat  its  vagrant  habits  have 
not  changed  during  a  period  of  more  than  one 
hundred  years. 

We  will  close  this  article  by  observing  that  the 
Cow-birds  are  thought  by  ornithologists  to  be  re- 
lated to  the  Red-winged  Blackbirds,  certainly  as 
near  as  cousins,  with  whom  they  are  often  seen 
associated,  but  are  much  less  inclined  to  injure  the 
crops  of  the  fariuer,  and  feed  more  upon  insects 
than  their  namesakes,  the  Red-wings,     s.  P.  f. 

Danversport,  March  1,  1853. 

[to  be  continued] 


RIDGING— DRAINING. 

"Stagnant  water,"  says  Loudon,  "may  be  con- 
sidered to  be  injurious  to  all  the  useful  classes  of 
plants,  by  obstructing  perspiration  and  intro-sus- 
ception,  and  thus  diseasing  their  roots  and  sub- 
merged parts.  Where  the  surface  soil  is  properly 
constituted,  and  rests  on  a  subsoil  moderately  po- 
rous, both  will  hold  water  by  capillary  attraction, 
and  what  is  not  so  retained,  will  sink  into  the  in- 
terior strata,  by  its  gravity  ;  but  where  the  sub- 
soil is  retentive,  it  will  resist,  or  not  admit,  with 
sufficient  rapidity,  the  percolation  of  water -to  the 
strata  below,  and  which,  accumulating  in  the  sur- 
face soil,  till  its  proportion  becomes  excessive  in 
a  component  part,  not  only  carries  off  the  extrac- 
tive matter  (the  food  of  plants,)  but  diseases  the 
plants  themselves.  Hence  the  origin  of  surface 
draining,  that  is,  laying  lands  in  ridges  or  beds, 
or  intersecting  it  with  small  open  gutters." 

The  reader  will  perceive  at  once  from  the  fore- 
going, that  the  propriety  or  impropriety  of  adopt- 
ing this  method  of  amelioration,  will  depend  upon 
a  variety  of  circumstances,  Avhich  may  vary,  and 
indeed  do  vary,  in  every  district,  and  on  almost 
every  farm.  General  rules  cannot,  of  course,  be 
expected  ;  as  a  course  of  procedure  which  might 
be  perfectly  beneficial  on  an  undulating  and  warm 
surface,  in  one  locality,  would  be  highly  prejudicial 
in  another.  Where  the  soil  is  of  a  cold  or  humid 
character,  or  where  the  surface  is  of  a  more  por- 
ous or  friable  texture,  but  reposes  on  a  substratum 
of  a  compact  and  tenacious  formation,  the  adop- 
tion of  this  system  of  drainage  cannot  be  other- 
wise than  beneficial.  But  in  all  cases  where  the 
subsoil  is  open  and  porous,  as  in  the  case  of  grav- 
elly substrata,  and  where,  consequently,  the  su- 
perabundant moisture  or  water  encounters  few  or 
no  obstacles  in  its  descent,  but  is  permitted  freely 
to  percolate  and  pass  off,  throwing  the  surfiice  in- 
to ridges,  as  is  the  proper  course  under  an  oppo- 
site modification  of  physical  circumstances,  is  by 
no  means  advisable,  as  it  is  calculated  to  produce 
far  greater  harm  than  good.  As  to  ridges,  when 
necessary,  the  fi)llowing  rules  maybe  observed: — 

1.  Ridges  should  be  laid  with  the  slope  of  the 


302 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


July 


field,  that  the  waters  may  pass  off  freely;  and  if 
hollows  or  hills  intervene,  cross  drains  should  be 
cut,  after  the  lield  is  ridged,  from  the  loyf  places, 
to  carry  off  the  water,  in  the  direction  to  which 
the  surface  inclines. 

2.  The  breadth  of  the  ridge  must  depend  upon 
circumstances,  and  may  vary  from  two  to  thirty 
feet.  The  flatter  the  surface,  and  the  more  tena- 
cious the  soil,  the  narrower  should  the  ridges  be 
laid.  The  manner  of  forming  them  of  different 
breadth,  and  of  different  inclination  of  surface, 
will  be  found  amply  described  in  the  course  of  our 
previous  volumes.  It  is  well  to  remark  to  those 
who  admire  and  imitate  British  husbandry,  that 
ridging  is  not  so  essential  here  as  in  Great  Britain 
— from  the  circumstance  of  our  climate  being  warm 
and  less  humid. 

For  the  Tfeiv  England  Farmer. 
STR  A  WBERRIE  S. 

Mr.  Farmer  : — Perhaps  some  of  your  readers 
would  like  to  know  how  strawberries  are  produced 
in  such  abundance  in  this  region.  Having  taken 
a  pedestrian  trip  among  the  gardens  of  Ann  Arun- 
dell  Co.  one  day  lust  week,  I  will  give  you  the  re- 
sult of  my  observations,  touching  this  matter. 

All  the  land,  which  I  saw  devoted  to  strawber- 
ries, was  of  lightish  sandy  soil.  It  is  prepared, 
as  it  would  be  fur  corn,  by  plowing  and  manuring 
fi'eely,  with  such  manure  as  is  brought  from  the 
city.  The  price  of  manure,  in  Baltimore,  is  02^ 
cts.  a  cart  load,  or  about  $1,50  per  cord. 

The  land  is  prepared  and  the  roots  are  set  in  April. 
They  are  planted  in  rows,  about  five  feet  apart. 
The  plants,  in  the  rows;  18  inches.  The  plow  and 
cultivator  are  run  between  the  rows,  disturbing 
the  ground  two  feet  in  width,  leaving  three  feet 
to  be  occupied  by  the  vines.  During  the  first  sea- 
son, no  fruit  is  expected,  but  much  pains  is  taken 
to  keep  the  ground  clean  of  grass  and  weeds. 
The  second  year,  they  look  for  fruit,  and  as  long 
thereafter  as  the  cultivator  chooses  to  keep  the 
ground  clean,  which  I  believe,  seldom  exceeds 
three  or  four  seasons. 

The  kinds  cultivated  are  the  "Alpine,"  "Ho- 
vey's  Seedling,"  "Pine  Apple,"  and  what  is  here 
called  the  "Heart  Strawberry."  Hovey's  seed- 
ling is  not  liked,  by  the  cultivator.  The  berry  is 
large,  but  in  number,  few. 

The  picking  is  mostly  done  by  colored  hands, 
free  and  slave,  who,  in  the  season  of  fruit,  make 
business  of  picking. 

The  regular  price,  for  picking,  is  one  cent  and  a 
half  a  quart.  In  the  best  of  the  season,  the  most 
expert  hands  often  pick  200  quarts  a  day.  It  is 
not  uncommon  to  see  fifty  hands  picking  in  one 
field. 

For  picking,  wooden  boxes  are  used,  holding  a 
quart  each.  Tliese  are  distributed  along  the  rows, 
by  the  superintendent,  as  they  will  be  needed. 
-The  picker  fills  and  leaves  them  upon  the  ground. 


Strawberry  picking  is  a  gala  season,  with  the 
negroes.  As  great  numbers  of  them  are  as- 
sembled, on  these  occasions,  they  are  wont  to 
gather  together,  at  the  close  of  the  day,  under  the 
protection  of  some  large  tree,  if  they  can  find  no 
better  shelter, — bring  out  tlie  fiddle,  and  spend 
much  of  the  night  in  hopping  it  on  the  light  fan- 
tastic toe_  Why  not  as  proper,  as  the  occasion 
of  sheepshearing  or  cornshacking? 

As  in  other  departments  of  horticulture,  the 
gardeners  go  into  the  strawberry  business,  on  a 
pretty  large  scale.  A  gentleman,  by  the  name  of 
Brian,  has  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  in  straw- 
berries. He  picked,  I  am  informed,  200,000  quarts 
last  year,  and  cleared,  on  that  crop  alone,  $5000. 
He  produced  peaches  and  garden  vegetables  in 
like  proportion. 

So  abundant  are  these  berries  in  Baltimore 
markets,  that  they  are  sold  very  low.  They  be- 
gin at  25  cts.  per  quart,  but  soon  get  down  to  six 
cts  :  and  the  latter  part  of  the  season,  may  be  had 
in  any  quantity  for  four  cts. 

Why  may  not  these  berries  be  produced,  in 
abundance,  in  New  England  ?  I  believe  the  cli- 
mate and  soil  are  both  as  well  adapted  to  their 
growth.  They  grow  spontaneously  in  most  parts 
of  every  State  in_  New  England.  Not  so  here. 
They  are  seldom  seen  in  the  fields.  There  needs 
but  attention,  on  the  part  of  gardeners,  and  good 
strawberries  may  be  liad  in  your  markets,  for  less 
than  25  cts.  for  a  quart  basket  holding  but  a  pint, 

R.  B.  H. 

Baliimore,  June  8,  1853. 


THE  TURNIP  CROP. 


These  boxes  are  placed  with  care  in  a  large  chest, 
perforated  with  holes,  for  the  free  admission  of 
air,  and  in  this  way,  carried  to  market,  without 
injury.  Large  quantities  are  carried  from  here  to 
Philadelphia  and  to  New  York. 


The  time  was  when  little  was  known  of  the  tur- 
nip family  except  from  two  of  its  members,  the 
common  flat  and  the  long  and  many  rooted  French 
variety.  These  were  raised  only  for  the  table. 
The  French  was  sowed  in  May  and  transplanted 
like  the  cabbage,  and  from  one-half  to  two  bush- 
els was  a  large  crop  for  one  family.  For  the  com- 
mon turnips  nothing  would  answer  but  a  piece  of 
new  land  well  burnt  over  and  proceeded  with  by 
the  law, 

"Twenty-ftfth  of  July, 

Sow  your  turnips,  wet  or  dry." 

Some  fifteen  years  since  the  Ruta  Baga,  was  in- 
troduced, and  a  real  "Multicaulis"  fever  followed. 
The  doctrine  became  prevalent,  that  if  a  man 
raised  a  half  acre  of  Ruta  Bagas,  it  Avould  be  all 
sufficient  to  winter  two  horses,  twenty  cows,  and 
a  hundred  sheep,  with  the  usual  complement  of 
pigs  and  poultry.  It  was  found,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  that  it  failed  to  do  this,  and  not  answering 
these  extravagant  expectations,  it  was  cast  out  as 
a  worthless  thing.  Like  some  other  friends  whom 
arbitrary  decisions  have  banished,  it  has  been  re- 
called, and  found  truly  valuable,  as  answering  all 
reasonable  expectations.  Next  to  the  Ruta  Baga 
came  the  true  long  white  or  cow-horn,  raised  like 
tlie  common  flat,  and  a  valuable  addition  to  the 

This 


list.    The  yellow  Aberdeen  has  been  added. 
^  may  be  raised  by  broadcast  sowing,  but  is  much 

where  they  are  counted  and  entered  to  his" credit,  improved  by  drilling  and   hoeing.     Recently  we 


have  some  very  valuable  turnips  for  table  use  and 
for  stock,  introduced  from  abroad,  under  the 
names  of  the  long  yellow,  the  Grecian,  the  Sweet, 
the  Spring,  the  Cabbage,  the  Swedish,  &c.  There 
are  among  them  two  or  more  distinct  varieties,  al- 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


.303 


though  the  same  varieties  pass  under  diflFerent 
names.  Some  of  them  are  yellow,  others  white. 
They  keep  well  tlirough  the  winter  and  spring  and 
are  very  valuable  in  that  dry  period  which  precedes 
the  early  garden  vegetables. 

Their  culture  is  similar  to  the  rata  baga,  sugar 
beet  and  carrot.  The  ground  should  be  made  rich, 
well  and  deeply  plowed,  and  made  fine. 

Much  difference  of  opinion  exists  as  to  the  time 
of  sowing  not  only  the  turnip,  but  the  beet  and 
the  carrot.  From  the  first  to  the  tenth  of  June 
we  should  prefer.  If  sowed  early  the  vegetation 
of  the  seed  is  a  little  less  certain,  and  always  slow- 
er. The  ground  becomes  hard,  the  weeds  get  the 
start  of  the  plants,  and  the  labor  of  tending  is 
much  increased.  But  if  the  ground  is  replowed  or 
thoroughly  pulverized  with  a  good  cultivator  in  the 
first  part  of  June,  one  crop  of  weeds  is  destroyed, 
the  seed  comes  quick  and  the  plants  are  strong, 
insects  are  less  troublesome  and  less  destructive, 
and  the  labor  of  weeding  very  much  less. 

If  you  ask  farmers  why  they  raise  so  few  roots, 
one-half  at  least  will  tell  you  it  is  too  much  work 
to  weed  them.  This  is  a  true  answer  if  the  meth- 
od often  pursued  is  adopted.  But  if  the  ground 
is  plowed  early  and  manured  with  some  compost 
or  other  article  in  which  the  seeds  of  weeds  are 
wanting,  and  the  ground  stirred  so  as  to  kill  all 
the  weeds  that  may  start  before  June,  then  sowed 
in  rows  eighteen  inches  or  two  feet  apart,  and  the 
plants  thinned  so  that  a  hoe  will  pass  between  them 
in  the  rows,  the  labor  will  be  reduced  to  less  than 
one-fourth  what  it  will  be  if  the  ground  is  man- 
ured with  commou  stable  manure  and  the  sowing 
made  before  the  middle  of  May,  and  in  such  man- 
ner that  the  fingers  are  the  chief  instrument  of  cul- 
ture. Raised  for  extensive  use,  they  must  be 
raised  as  other  field  crops  are.  The  plow  and  hoe 
must  do  the  work  which  in  garden  culture  is  per- 
formed by  the  spade  and  the  fingers.  In  this  way, 
and  in  this  only,  can  the  farmer  afford  to  cultivate 
roots  for  stock. — Culturist  and  Gazette. 


edy  published.    I  have  tried  it  the  past  year,  and 
the  result  was,  not  a  single  diseased  potato. 
Georgetown,  Mass.,  l^bZ.  i-  n.  M. 

Remarks. — The  above  was  mislaid  ;  but  some  of 
its  advice  may  be  adopted  now  if  any  one  desires 
so  to  do.  Very  few  potatoes  rotted  last  year 
where  no  precautions  were  taken.  When  a  "sov- 
ereign balm"  is  found  to  cure  the  sycamores,  we 
shall  have  hope  that  a  remedy  for  the  potato  rot 
is  discovered.  We  predict  a  fair  crop  of  sound 
potatoes  from  the  present  planting.  Planting  al- 
ternate rows  of  corn  with  the  potato  has  been  of- 
ten tried  without  valuable  results. 


Remarks. — Good  crops  of  turnips  may  be  had 
by  sowing  any  time  before  the  10th  of  July,  or 
even  later.  But  if  convenient,  we  should  prefer 
sowing  in  June.  % 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
THE  POTATO  CROP. 

Mr.  Editor  : — Sir,  as  the  subject  of  the  rot  has 
been  brought  up  this  spring  through  the  column;- 
of  your  paper,  I  should  like  to  have  the  flxrmers 
try  my  method  to  prevent  the  disease,  which  is,  in 
the  first  place  you  are  not  to  plant  potatoes  where 
corn  .will  not  do  well,  and  then  spread  your  ma- 
nure and  plow  it  in ;  let  your  furrows  run  north 
and  south  three  feet  apart,  your  hills  two  and  a 
half;  plant  first  a  row  of  corn,  next  a  row  of  pota- 
toes, and  so  on  through  the  field,  the  last  row 
corn.  Put  on  a  table  spoonful  of  salt  to  each  hill. 
When  your  potatoes  are  up,  put  on  a  pint  of  un- 
leached  ashes,  or  slaked  lime  round  the  vines  ;  let 
the  tops  of  stalks  stand  till  digging  time,  not  put 
your  potatoes  in  the  cellar  till  the  first  of  October  ; 
have  your  cellar  well  ventilated,  and  put  one  bush- 
el of  pulverized  charcoal  to  every  fifty  bushels  po- 
tatoes. 

Those  that  have  taken  the  New  England  Farm- 
er for  two  years  past  will  recollect  seeing  this  rem- 


From  the  New  Eni^rand  Farmer. 
TO  PRESERVE  MANURES. 

It  is  very  easy  to  preserve  the  most  valuable  of 
all  fertilizers,  that  brown,  fetid  liquor,  that  is  so 
often  allowed  to  run  away,  or  the  gases  that  are 
allowed  to  escape  from  the  manure  heap,  by  a  lit- 
tle judicious  care,  at  a  very  trifling  expense.  To 
accomplish  this,  take  a  quantity  of  the  sulphate  of 
iron,  (green  copperas,)  which  is  easily  dissolved 
in  water,  at  a  temperature  of  100  degrees.  When 
completely  dissolved,  mis  it  v?ith  water  of  the 
dung  heap,  adding  a  fresh  quantity  of  the  sul- 
phate of  iron  each  time  ;  when  the  water  from 
the  dung  heap  is  alkalized,  after  having  run 
through  it,  repeated  throwing  over  the  dung  heap, 
it  is  easily  ascertained  by  dipping  a  piece  of  Utmus 
paper  into  it,  when  the  color  turns  brown  or  red, 
and  the  water  thus  charged  with  the  sulphate  of 
iron  in  a  state  of  solution  penetrates  into  every 
pore  of  the  heap,  and  converts  the  carbonate  of 
ammonia,  which  is  very  volatile,  into  the  sulphate 
of  ammonia.  By  adopting  this  system  or  process, 
the  richness  and  duration  of  the  dung  are  consid- 
erably increased,  at  a  very  trifling  expense.  The 
manure  thus  saturated  with  the  sulphate  of  iron 
can  be  exposed  to  the  sun  and  air  without  losing 
its  most  essential  properties,  because  the  sulphate 
of  ammonia  does  not  volatilize  itself,  like  the  car- 
bonate of  ammonia.  M.  A.  Perry. 

Watertown,  June,  1853. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
FRONT   FENCES— SETTING   POSTS. 

Mr.  Editor: — I  wish  to  make  a  few  inquiries 
of  you  or  your  correspondents.  I  wish  to  build  a 
door  yard  'fence.  It  should  be  plain,  not  expen- 
sive, but  one  that  will  look  well  when  completed. 
Posts  set  in  the  common  way  would  be  sadly 
thrown  with  the  frost.  In  view  of  this,  in  what 
manner  or  style  should  the  fence  be  built?  How 
can  posts  be  set  so  as  to  prevent  them  from  beipg 
heaved  with  the  frost  1  Permit  me  also  to  in- 
quire the  best  way  to  exterminate  alder  bushes, 
that  grow  so  luxuriantly  on  the  margin  of  brooks. 
By  answering  these  inquiries  in  the  Farmer,  if 
proper,  you  will  greatly  oblige  myself,  and  I  doubt 
not  many  others  of  your  readers. 

Yours,  &c.,  s.  G.  B. 


Remarks.— Many  of  our  readers  have  the  knowl- 
edge which  "S.  G.  B."  wants;  will  some  one 
oblige  us  and  him  by  communicating  it  soon? 


304 


^EW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


JuLT 


WATERING  THE  GARDEN. 


THE   WATERING    POT. 

The  season  has  a.rnved  when  the  garden  usual- 
ly requires  u  little  more  moisture  than  the  clouds 
send,  in  order  to  secure  a  good  crop  of  the  garden 
vegetables.  We  offer  therefore  a  few  suggestions 
and  heTps  to  the  gardener  in  th.e  way  of  watering 
Great  benefit  may  be  derived  from  mulching;  for 
it  is  as  well  to  prevent  excessive  evaporation  as  to 
supply  the  water. 

The  first  cut  is  the  common  Watering  Pot.  It 
is  an  artrcle  indispensa-ble  in  every  good  garden, 
and  will  be  found  of  great  service  in  distributing 
guano  water  over  the  plants. 


THE    WATER    CARRIER. 

The  second  is  the  Water  Carrier,  and  consists 
merely  of  a  tight  barrel  or  cask,  attached  to  a  pair 
of  old  wheels,  ami  used  for  carrying  water  about 
the  grounds,  or  bringing  water  from  brooks  or 
springs  for  washing  and  other  household  purposes. 
When  large  quantities  are  wanted,  this  is  far  less 
tiresome  than  to  carry  it  in  buckets.  Besides,  it 
makes  a  great  saving  of  time.  No  person  who  has 
ever  made  use  of  one  would  willingly  be  deprived 
of  it.     Its  cost  would  be  saved  in  one  season. 


THE    garden    engine. 


This  machine  is  adapted  to  the  wants  of  a  very 
large  garden.  The  one  represented  above  will 
liold  about  forty  gallons,  and  can  be  easily  wheeled 
around  and  worked  by  one  person.  It  will  throw 
water  to  th.e  height  of  forty  feet,  and  tc)  the  dis- 
tance of  seventy  feet  horizontally.     It  may,  there- 


fore, be  found  of  use  in  extinguishing  fire  in  build- 
ings. 


BUCKWHEAT. 


Buckwheat — or  Beechwheat,  as  it  should  have 
been  called,  for  it  was  named  from  its  resemblance 
to  the  beech  nut — is  an  excellent  crop  as  far  as  it 
goes,  and  for  the  uses  required.  It  is  easily  raised, 
requiring  neither  an  extra  rich  soil  nor  a  culture 
more  particular  than  good  management  requires 
for  any  crop.  Tlie  late  period  in  the  season  when 
it  may  be  sown  allows  a  destruction  of  weeds  at 
a  time  when  sueh  destruction  is  commonly  fatal  to 
them  ;  so  that  the  culture  of  this  crop  is  favora- 
ble to  clean  fields. 

It  may  be  sown  at  any  time  during  the  month 
of  June  ;  and  we  have  known  it  to  ])e  yjut  in  on 
the  fourth  of  July,  in  a  region  where  the  summers 
are  shorter  than  ours,  and  a  good  crop  obtained. 
It  is  usual  to  sow  from  three  pecks  to  a  bushel 
per  acre  broadcast  and  cover  v.itli  the  harrow.  It 
is  desirable  to  roll  the  ground  after  sowing.  In 
addition  to  the  common  reasons  for  so  doing,  the 
crop  grows  low,  and  is  liable,  without  careful  man- 
agement, to  become  foul  with  sand  or  earth,  and 
thus  injure  the  flour  made  from  the  grain.  The 
land  should  be  in  good  tilth,  otherwise  there  is  no 
difficulty  in  the  culture. 

The  crop  is  cut  with  the  cradle  before  frost, 
and  should  be  raked  very  carefully  in  a  dry  day 
to  avoid  the  dirt.  A  good  way  is  to  set  up  the 
gravels  on  the  buts  for  drying,  and  to  carry  them 
to  the  floor  and  thresh  immediately.  The  crop  is 
liable  to  heat  if  stacked  or  packed  closely  in  a  mow. 
The  grain  requires  thorough  cleaning  if  it  is  to  be 
eaten  by  human  beings,  but  when  that  is  attend- 
ed to,  and  the  grain  is  well  floured,  it  furnishes 
cakes  for  winter  use  which  many  people  do  not 
know  how  to  dispense  with. 

Buckwheat  is  perhaps  the  very  best  crop  for 
sod  ground  to  be  had.  We  have  known  full  crops 
to  be  obtained  on  such  lands. — Prairie  Far?ner. 


For  the  New  England  Fanner. 
SUMMER  AND  AUTUMN  APPLES. 

Planting  and  grafting  ■s^inter  varieties  of  the  ap- 
ple has  engaged  the  attention  of  farmers  so  exten- 
sively of  late,  that  good  summer  and  fall  kinds  are 
comparatively  scarce  in  some  sections  and  sell 
readily  at  a  fair  price. 

Good  baking  sweetings  are  much  called  for,  and 
every  one  who  has  an  orchard  should  have  a  few 
trees  of  the  best  early  and  late  varieties. 

The  early  bough,  the  orange  sweet,  and  Hask- 
ell sweet,  are  among  the  best  kind  ;  there  are  many 
others  that  might  be  mentioned, from  which  to  make 
a  selection  ;  every  one  can  exercise  his  own  judg- 
ment in  this  matter ;  in  general,  we  are  more 
prone  to  raise  too  many  kinds  than  too  few.  Of 
the  acid  and  pleasant  varieties,  the  Porter  is  one 
of  the  best  for  cooking  and  dessert,  and  is  in  use 
for  a  long  time.  *  The  Gravenstien  is  a  line  fruit 
of  foreign  origin,  and  is  well  adapted  to  this  region. 
The  Leland  pippin,  or  New  York  spice,  is  a  first- 
rate  kind,  worthy  of  extensive  cultivation.  Of 
the  earlier  kinds  the  red  Astracan,  early  V.'illiams, 
and  others,  might  be  named  ;  the  "VVilliams  re- 
quireshigh  cultivation,  and  then  produces  beautiful 
and  fine-flavored  fruit.  0.  V.  Hills. 

Lcurninstcr,  June,  1853. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


305 


GERMAN   AGRICULTURE. 

Each  German  has  his  house,  his  orchard,  his 
road-side  trees,  so  laden  with  fruit,  that  if  he  did 
not  carefully  prop  up  and  tie  together,  and  in 
many  places  hold  the  boughs  together  with  wood- 
en clamps,  they  would  be  torn  asunder  by  their 
own  weight.  He  had  his  corn  plot,  his  plot  of 
mangold  wurtzel,  or  hay,  for  potatoes,  for  hemp, 
&c.  He  is  his  own  master,  and  he,  therefore,  and 
every  branch  of  his  family,  have  the  strongest 
motive  for  constant  exertion.  You  see  the  effect 
of  this  in  his  industry  and  his  economy. 

In  Germany  nothing  is  lost.  The  produce  of 
the  trees  and  the  cows  is  carried  to  market ; 
much  fruit  is  dried  for  winter  use.  You  see  it 
lying  in  the  sun  to  dry.  You  see  strings  of  them 
hanging  from  their  chamber  windows  in  the  sun. 
The  cows  are  kept  up  for  the  greater  part  of  the 
year,  and  every  green  thing  is  collected  for  them. 
Every  little  nook,  where  the  grass  grows  by  road- 
side, and  brook,  is  carefully  cut  with  the  sickle, 
and  carried  hoire  on  the  heads  of  the  women  and 
children  in  baskets,  or  tied  in  large  cloths.  Noth- 
ing of  any  kind  that  can  possibly  be  made  of  any 
use,  is  lost ;  weeds,  nettles,  nay,  the  very  goose 
grass  which  covers  waste  places,  is  cut  and  taken 
for  the  cows.  You  see  the  little  children  stand- 
ing in  the  streets  of  the  villages,  in  the  streams 
which  generally  run  down  them,  busy  washing 
these  -weeds  before  they  are  given  to  the  cattle. 

They  carefully  collect  the  leaves  of  the  marsh 
grass,  carefully  cut  their  potato  tops  for  them, 
and  even  if  other  things  fail,  gather  green  leaves 
from  the  woodlands.  One  cannot  help  thinking 
continually  of  the  enormous  waste  of  such  things 
in  England — of  the  vast  quantities  of  grass  on 
banks,  by  road-sides,  in  the  openings  of  planta- 
tions, in  lanes,  in  church-yards,  where  grass  from 
year  to  year  springs  and  dies,  but  which,  if  care- 
fully cut,  would  maintain  many  thousand  cows  for 
the  poor. 

To  pursue  still  farther  this  subject  of  German 
economy.  The  very  cuttings  of  the  vines  are 
dried  and  preserved  for  winter  fodder.  The  tops 
and  refuse  of  hemp  serve  as  bedding  for  the  cows  ; 
nay,  even  the  rough  stalks  of  the  poppies,  after 
the  heads  have  been  gathered  for  oil,  are  saved, 
and  all  these  are  converted  into  manure  for  the 
land.  When  these  are  not  sufficient,  the  children 
are  sent  into  the  woods  to  gather  moss,  and  all 
our  readers  familiar  with  Germany  will  remember 
to  have  seen  them  coming  homeward  with  large 
bundles  of  this  on  their  heads.  In  autumn,  the 
falling  leaves  are  gathered  and  stacked  for  the 
same  purpose.  The  fir  cones,  which  with  us  lie 
and  rot  in  the  woods,  are  carefully  collected  and 
sold  for  lighting  fires. 

In  short,  the  economy  and  care  of  the  German 
peasants  are  an  example  to  all  Europe.  They 
have  for  years,  nay  ages,  been  doing  that,  as  it 
regards  agricultural  management,  to  which  the 
British  public  is  but  just  now  beginning  to  open 
its  eyes.  Time,  also,  is  as  carefully  economised  as 
everything  else.  They  are  early  risers,  as  may 
well  be  conceived,  when  the  children,  many  of 
whom  come  from  a  considerable  distance,  are  at 
school  at  six  in  the  morning.  As  they  tend 
their  cattle  or  their  swine,  the  knitting  never 
ceases,  and  hence  the  quantities  of  stockings  and 
other  household  things  which  they  accumulate, 
are  astonishing. — Howitt. 


CISTERNS. 


Explanation  op  Fig.  1. 

G,  is  the  pipe  for  conducting  tlie  water  into  the  cistern;  F, 
pump  pipe,  for  drawing  the  filtered  water;  A.  B,  C,  D,  E, 
layers  of  charcoal,  gravel  and  sand.  The  black  square  dots 
seen  at  the  bottom  of  the  partition  are  to  admit  the  passage 
of  the  water  from  one  part  of  the  cistern  to  the  other. 

Every  man  who  regards  the  comfi)rt  and  con- 
venience of  his  wife  and  daughters,  will  see  that 
they  are  provided  with  plenty  of  soft  water  ;  and 
as  we  do  not  all  have  it  in  our  wells,  and  have 
no  floAving  streams  or  limpid  springs  at  our  com- 
mand, it  becomes  a  question  of  some  importance, 
how  we  shall  obtain  a  plentiful  supply  in  the 
cheapest  and  most  convenient  way.  In  most  ca- 
ses, we  believe  it  may  best  be  done  by  conducting 
the  water  from  the  roofs  of  the  buildings  into  a 
cistern  placed  under  ground,  and  there  preserved 
for  use  as  it  may  be  required. 


In  Allen's  American  Farm  Book  there  are  the 
outlines  of  two  cisterns  which  are  represented, 
with  slight  alterations,  above. 

The  first,  with  a  flat  bottom,  shows  how  the 
water  may  be  filtered,  so  as  to  be  fit  for  cooking 
purposes,  or  drinking.  The  'explanation  above 
will  show  the  operation  of  the  filtering  materials. 

Some  years  ago  we  constructed  one  to  contain 
5000  gallons,  and  had  it  built  egg-shape,  believing 


306 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


tsvf 


it  to  be  stronger,  less  liable  to  cave  in  or  crack,  the  surplus  water.     If  a  cistern  is  made  out  of 
and  more  easily  cleansed  than  a  flat  bottom.    The  [doors,  it  must  be  below  the  reach  of  frost.     Lead 


bottom  was  covered  with  hydraulic  cement  and 
the  bricks  laid  flat  upon  it,  and  continued  so 
throughout.  Between  the  bricks  and  earth  of  the 
sides,  a  space  of  an  inch  was  puddled  with  six  parts 
sand  to  one  of  cement.  For  this  purpose,  clay, 
pounded  carefully  in,  would  probably  be  better. 
It  was  arched,  leaving  an  apertui^  of  the  size  of  a 
flour  barrel;  the  top,  which  was  a  foot  below  the 
surface  of  the  ground,  and  the  inside,  covered  with 
two  or  three  coats  of  cement.  The  walls  may  be 
made  of  wood,  stone,  or  brick,  and  a  great  many 
are  made  without  either.  But  the  safest  and  cheap- 
est way,  if  a  permanent  cistern  is  desired,  is  to 
use  stone  or  brick.  Where  the  water  is  want- 
ed for  cooking,  "the  cistern  should  be  permanent- 
ly divided,  as  represented  in  fig.  1,  into  two  apart- 
ments, one  to  receive  the  water,  and  another  for  a 
reservoir  to  contain  such  as  is  ready  for  use.  Al- 
ternate layers  of  gravel,  sand,  and  charcoal,  at  the 
bottom  of , the  first,  and  sand  and  gravel  in  the 
last,  are  sufficient ;  the  water  being  allowed  to  pass 
through  the  several  layers  mentioned,  will  be  ren- 
dered perfectly  free  from  all  impurities." 

In  the  last  year's  volume  of  the  Monthly  Far- 
mer, Mr.  David  Blaisdell,  of  Amestury,  was  kind 
enough  to  send  us  a  table  giving  the  contents  of 
cisterns  of  different  sizes,  which  we  copy  in  con- 
nection with  the  engravings  given  above. 

A  cistern  3J  feei  diameter  will  hold  for  every  10  inches  in 
depth 59  gallons. 

4  feet  diameter 78        " 

4i  "  99        " 

5  "  122         " 

5J  "  148         " 

6  "  176         " 

You  will  find  by  this  table  that  a  cistern  6  feet 
deep  and  6  in  diameter  will  hold  1260  gallons,  and 
each  foot  you  add  in  depth  will  hold  210  gallons. 
Therefore,  one  10  feet  deep  and  6  in  diameter  will 
contain  2100  gallons. 

I  have  one  in  my  house  cellar,  entirely  below 
the  bottom  of  the  cellar,  6i  feet  deep  and  5.^  in  di- 
ameter, holding  about  1000  gallons.  It  was  dug 
6  feet  8  inches  deep  and  7  feet  in  diameter.  The 
bottom  being  made  smooth,  was  laid  over  with 
brick.  The  mason  then  began  the  side  with  brick 
laid  in  cement,  leaving  a  space  all  round  between 
the  brick  and  earth  about  5  inches.  After  raising 
the  work  about  18  inches,  he  carefully  filled  the 
space  between  the  brick  and  side  of  the  hole  with 
earth,  well  and  carefully  pressed  down.  If  you 
wet  the  earth  or  clay  as  you  fill  it  in,  it  will  be 
more  compact. 

When  you  get  within  about  two  feet  of  the  top, 
commence  gradually  to  draw  in  the  work  towards 
the  centre,  leaving,  when  finished,  a  space  open 
about  two  feet  across.  The  next  thing  is  to  plas- 
ter the  inside  with  cement ;  also,  the  top  on  the 
outside,  commencing  where  you  began  to  draw  in. 
About  two  course  of  brick  are  laid  round  the  mouth 
of  the  cistern,  forming  a  neck  which  adds  to  the 
strength  of  the  top.  Now  cover  the  whole  with 
earth  except  the  neck.  The  Avator  is  conducted  to 
my  cistern  through  a  small  brick  drain  laid  in  ce- 
ment.    I  also  have  a  drain  near  the  top,  to  let  off 


pipe  would  probably  be  cheaper  than  brick,  to  con- 
duct water  to  and  from  the  cistern. 

I  have  no  doubt  but  that  a  cistern  made  this 
way  of  hard  brick  would  last  a  century.  Mine, 
holding  1000  gallons,  cost  $18,00.  The  larger  the 
size,  the  less  the  cost  in  proportion  to  the  eapaci-* 
ty.  If  the  earth  is  firm  and  hard,  you  may  lay 
the  brick  close  against  it,  thus  saving  the  trouble 
of  filling  in  and  digging  so  large.  I  have  known 
them  made  by  cementing  directly  on  the  earth, 
using  no  brick,  and  covering  the  top  with  timbers 
or  plank.  One  made  with  brick  will  cost  more, 
but  I  think  it  best  and  cheapest,  taking  into  con- 
sideration safety  and  durability. 

We  give  the  process  below  by  which  any  one  by 
figuring  a  little,  may  ascertain  for  himself  the  con- 
tents of  any  cistern : 

To  find  the  contents  of  any  cistern  in  wine  gal- 
lons, the  diameter  and  depth  being  known  : — 

1.  Multiply  one-half  the  diameter  by  itself. 

2.  Multiply  the  above  product  by  3  1-7 ;  whicb 
will  give  the  area  of  the  bottom  of  the  cistern, 
nearly. 

3.  Multiply  this  by  the  number  of  feet  in  depths 
this  will  give  the  cubic  contents  in  feet. 

4.  Multiply  the  last  product  by  1728,  (the  num- 
ber of  cubic  inches  in  a  foot)  which  gives  the  num- 
ber of  cubic  inches. 

5.  Divide  the  whole  result  by  231  (the  number 
of  cubic  inches  in  the  wine  gallon)  and  the  i-esult 
will  be  the  number  of  gallons  in  the  cistern. 


Tor  the  New  England  Farmer. 
APPLE  TREES. 

Mr.  Editor  : — Your  correspondent  M.,  hailing 
from  Topsfield,  can  find  a  satisfactory  answer  to  all 
his  inquiries,  about  the  produce  of  Baldwin  apples, 
to  wit,  an  average  of  more  than  five  barrels  to  a 
tree,  on  40  trees,  in  each  of  the  years,  1850  and 
1852,  by  calling  on  Mr.  Francis  Dodge,  on  the 
summit  of  Ingersol's  Hill,  in  Danvers.  I  know 
the  facts  as  stated,  because  I  saw  the  fruit,  each 
year,  when  at  maturity.  All  these  trees  were  set 
on  the  borders  of  the  field,  about  12  feet  distant 
from  a  high  stone  wall ;  and  the  ground  about 
them  was  dressed  with  manure,  and  kept  in  a  pul- 
verized condition  on  the  surface. 

It  is  now  about  25  years  since  the  trees  were 
set  by  John  Andrews,  Esq.,  of  Salem.  p. 

May  14,  1853. 


For  the  New  Ensland  Farmer. 
ALMOST  A  ROOK'S  EGG. 

Mr.  Editor  : — As  I  am  a  constant  reader  of 
your  valuable  paper,  I  have  noticed  that  you  are 
very  accommodating  in  publishing  articles  that 
some  might  refuse,  especially  concerning  fowls  and 
their  eggs — and  it  being  rather  natural  for  us  to 
like  to  have  as  smart  fowls  as  others,  I  send  you 
the  measure  of  an  egg,  laid  a  few  days  since  by 
our  Shanghai,  a  last  fall  chicken,  which  was  eight 
inches  round  it  the  hmgest  way  ;  it  seems  rather 
a  large  story  but  is  nevertheless  true. 

Lincoln,  'Vt.,  May  20,  1853.  a.  s.  k. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


307 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
HAWAIIAN  AGRICULTURE. 

Makawao,   Maui  1./.nd  Islands,    ? 
March  28lh,  1853.  > 

Gentlemen  : — About  a  year  ago'I  addressed  you , 
requesting  the  paper  for  my  son,  and  giving  you 
some  items  respecting  the  ishmds  which  I  thought 
might  interest  you,  and  your  readers.  _  I  also  pro- 
mised to  coiamunioate  with  you  from  time  to  time 
as  I  might  have  anything  worth  your  hearing.  I 
have  dehxyed  too  long,  and  now  hasten  to  prepare 
another  communication. 

Some  months  since,  I  forwarded  you  a  Polyne- 
sian, our  weekly  newspaper  printed  at  Honolulu. 
In  tills  number  you  saw  probably,  a  report  on 
"wheat,  corn,  oats,  and  other  grains,"  which  I 
had  the  honor  of  presenting  to  the  Royal  Haw- 
aiian Agricultural  Society.  If  you  had  the  pa- 
tience to  read  this  long  report,  you  are  informed  of 
the  history  of  w^icat  and  grain  growing  on  this 
group  of  islands.  I  am  much  mistaken  if  the  fact 
that  wheat  can  be  raised  at  the  Sandwich  Islands, 
will  not  afford  you  i)leasure.  You  will  not  de- 
spise the  day  of  small  things,  but  will  bid  us  "God 
speed' '  in  our  efforts  to  produce  our  own  flour  and 
grains  of  other  kinds.  Allow  rae  to  tell  you  what 
we  are  doing  to  increase  this  important  means  of 
sustenance  since  the  meeting  of  our  society  in 
June,  1852. 

Judge  Lee,  our  worthy  President,  in  his  address 
at  the  opening  of  the  last  meeting  in  speaking  of 
our  wheat  at  this  place,  remarked,  that  "Maka- 
wao now  has  the  honor  of  owning  the  only  thresh- 
ing machine  and  ft  jur  mill  on  the  islands."  This 
is  true,  and  though  some  400  bushels  of  wheat 
were  raised  on  my  farm  and  soon  after  harvested 
and  put  into  stacks,  yet  I  am  sorry  that  I  cannot 
report  more  favoraljly  of  the  results  of  wheat 
growing  and  flour-iaanufacturing  up  to  this  date 
The  fact  is,  I  depended  upon  a  broken  reed  in  the 
shape  of  a  farmer,  'f  he  threshing  machine,  a  small 
one  of  the  Albany  manufacture,  belongs  to  me  ; 
but  my  farmer  who  had  taken  my  place  for  five 
years,  owned  the  horse  power.  Beingj^eadstrong 
and  self-sufficient,  instead  of  consulting  with  a  ma- 
chinist in  the  neighborhood,  and  having  things 
done  properly,  he  went  ahead  and  broke  down  ere 
the  team  had  gone  their  round  a.  single  time. 
He  then  went  to  work  and  constructed  a  wooden 
power,  but  after  spending  some  7  or  8  days  in 
threshing  80  bushels,  he  gave  it  up,  and  sold  out 
his  part  of  the  wheat  and  left  my  place.  Ere  he 
left,  however,  he  undertook  to  grind  some  of  his 
wheat  in  the  flour  mill.  In  this  he  did  not  suc- 
ceed, but  nearly  ruined  the  mill,  a  small  mill  de- 
signed for  domestic  manufacture.  The  wheat  re- 
mained in  the  stack,  exposed  to  all  our  storms  and 
to  the  ravages  of  rats  and  mice,  till  the  gentleman 
who  purchased  the  wheat  visited  San  Francisco 
and  purchased  another  power.  We  then,  about 
the  middle  of  January,  threshed  out  our  wheat, 
but  found  that  much  had  been  destroyed  by  the 
vermin  and  injured  by  the  rains.  The  machine 
did  not  thresh  clean,  through  some  defect  in  mak- 
ing, so  that  we  had  much  less  wheat  than  we  ex- 
pected. I  immediately  commenced  planting  in 
drills,  and  continued  to  plant  till  the  last  of  Feb- 
ruary. I  then  found  that  the  weevil  was  devour- 
ing my  wheat,  and  I  finished  it  by  sowing  and  har- 
rowing it  in  as  soon  as  possible.  Some  sixty  bush- 
els I  thus  committed  to  the  bosom  of  the  earth. — 


Mr.  Gower,  the  owner  of  the  other  parts  of  the 
wheat,  has  sown  some  90  or  100  bushels,  and  oth- 
er neighbors  have  planted  and  sown  some  20  or 
30  bushels  more.  Mr.  Gower  has  sent  home  for 
a  flouring  mill  and  designs  to  go  into  the  business 
of  manufacturing  flour,  corn,  meal,  &c.,  &c. 

The  weather  seems  to  be  favorable  for  wheat- 
growing,  being  rainy  and  cool.  But  we  have  our 
own  trials.  I  had  hoped  we  should  escape  the 
ravages  of  the  pelua  or  cut  worm,  as  I  had  seen 
scarcely  a  dozen  in  covering  several  acres  of  wheat 
as  I  did  with  my  own  hands.  But  no  sooner  had 
I  finished  sowing  and  harrowing  in  the  wheat,  than 
they  appeared  in  great  numbers  and  attacking  it 
very  young,  so  soon,  indeed,  as  it  began  to  peep 
from  the  ground  ;  tiicy  have  destroyed  or  neixrly 
so,  several  acres.  They  take  down  other  things 
such  as  squashes,  melons,  cucumbers,  corn,  &c. — 
This  is  a  trial,  I  assure  you,  one  which  it  requires 
much  patience  to  endure,  for  though  I  think,  on 
the  whole,  we  have  fewer  destructive  insects  at 
the  Islands  than  you  have  in  the  United  States, 
for  the  pelua  and  weevil  are  nearly  all  which  we 
fear — yet  we  have  no  means  of  repairing  our  loss. 
There  is  not  a  bushel  of  wheat  left  on  all  the  Sand- 
wich Islands.  So  that  if  half  or  all  my  wheat 
should  be  eaten  down  by  the  pelua,  there  is  no 
remedy.  So  of  all  our  seeds.  I  have  about  one 
hundred  ears  of  corn,  and  a  quart  of  beans,  but  I 
fear  to  plant  any  of  these  grains  lest  they  be 
destroyed,  and  I  lose  all.  So  of  garden  seeds.  Had 
we  a  seed  store  on  Maui,  I  should  experiment 
often.  As  it  is,  the  thing  is  dangerous.  Still  there 
is  hope  in  regard  to  Hawaiian  agriculture.  We 
have  a  committee  on  "worms  and  other  injurious 
vermin,"  and  though  no  light,  or  none  of  any  con- 
sequence has  yet  been  cast  on  the  best  means  of 
destroying  them,  I  am  not  without  hope  that 
something  will  yet  be  effected.  I  shall  expect 
something  important  from  the  chairman  of  this 
committee,  W.  Newcomb,M.  D.,  a  scientific  mem- 
ber— at  our  next  meeting.  I  think  that  a  place 
might  be  found  some  five  miles  from  the  top  of  the 
mountain  back  of  my  place,  where  garden  seeds 
might  be  raised,  and  were  I  young  and  vigorous,  I 
would  try  the  experiment  of  a  garden  for  that  pur- 
pose. I  shall  keep  the  idea  of  such  a  garden  be- 
fore my  mind  and  some  one  may  be  induced  to 
take  hold  of  the  thing.  Few  of  the  garden  seeds 
germinate  on  reaching  the  islands,  hence  the  scar- 
city of  New  England  vegetables.  We  seldom  see 
a  beet  or  a  carrot  or  a  turnip,  and  how  much  such 
vegetables  would  add  to  our  comfort,  I  need  not 
attempt  to  tell  you. 

But  my  dear  friends,  the  editors  of  the  New 
England  Farmer,  and  ye  friends  who  read  the  pa- 
per, you  see  on  reading  my  report,  that  the  great 
obstacle  to  success  in  agriculture  lies  back  of  all 
these  difficulties.  It  may  be  found  in  the  want  of 
laborers.  Farming  is  in  low  repute,  and  for  aught 
I  see,  it  is  likely  to  be  so.  I  cannot  think  of  a  sin- 
gle youth,  if  I  except  my  own  son,  who  thinks 
even  of  becoming  a  practical  farmer.  Some  fa- 
thers tell  of  such  and  such  a  son — young  and  ten- 
der as  yet,  becoming  a  farmer  all  in  good  lime.  I 
have  little  confidence  that  any  such  thing  will  be 
realized,  and  for  the  obvious  reason  that  all  the 
sons  of  these  fathers,  so  soon  as  they  approach 
manhood,  are  either  sent  to  the  United  States  to 
acquire  an  education,  or  are  allowed  to  go  behind 
the  counter,  and  devoted  to  the  important  work  of 


308 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


July 


measuring  tape  and  weighing  sugar  and  nails. — 
So  strong  is  this  feeling  among  us,  at  the  islands, 
that  I  am  acquainted  with  a  Christian  mother, 
who  declares  that  she  would  not  consent  that  a 
daughter  of  hers  should  marry  a  farmer,  because 
farmers'  work  is  so  dirty.  And  yet,  we  all  see  at 
the  islands,  that  the  nation  is  dying  out  and  out, 
and  the  foreign  community  is  suJBTering,  commerce 
languishing,  every  thing  and  every  body  suffering, 
because  scarcely.no  one  is  willing  to  cultivate  the 
earth.  The  Hawaiian  fields  might  "laugh  with 
abundance  ;"  but  instead  of  this,  they  are  fruit- 
ful in  their  own  disgrace.  Where  there  is  one  acre 
filled  with  vegetation  and  fruitfulness,  there  are 
hundreds  lying  uncultivated,— filled  with  thistles 
and  noxious,  or  useless  weeds.  Do  you  ask  what 
are  foreigners  now  doing,  since  the  crippling  of 
commerce  has  closed  so  many  stores,  and  then 
blighted  the  prospect  of  gain  from  this  quarter? 
I  will  tell  you,  gentlemen,  as  I  told  the  people  in 
an  address  which  I  prepared  for  the  chiefs  and 
their  subjects,  persuading  them  to  unite  with  us 
in  our  agricultural  society.  Most  of  them  are  seek- 
ing to  suck  the  breasts  of  government — dri/  though 
they  are — ivhile  the  mother  earth  shows  her  bosorn 
full  of  nourishment  and  aching  to  he  draion,  they 
turn  from  her  with  scorn.  Without  a  figure,  near- 
ly all,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  planters,  seek 
some  easier,  and  as  they  seem  to  think,  more  hon- 
orable method  of  gaining  a  livelihood  than  by  toil- 
ing, and  drawing  their  support  from  the  bosom  of 
the  earth.  You  can  see  at  once  that  while  pub- 
lic sentiment  shall  set  in  this  direction,  there  is  not 
much  hope  that  we  shall  become  an  agricultural 
community.  The  Ilawaiians  are  wonderfully  im- 
itative. Naturally  indolent,  they  seem  rejoiced  to 
find  examples  of  indolence  among  foreigners.  And 
at  present,  the  weight  of  influence  is  so  strong  on 
the  side  of  trade,  barter,  which  can  be  done  on 
horseback,  that  the  voice  of  the  few  who  are  will- 
ing to  seize  the  plow  and  the  hoe  or  spade  and 
cry — "come  on;  toil  and  eat  the  fruits  of  the 
earth  obtained  by  the  sweat  of  the  brow,"  I  say 
the  voice  of  such  seems  well  nigh  drowned  in  the 
clamor  of  voices  which  cry,  "Ilosanna  to  trade." 

Still,  I  hope  for  better  times,  and  that  I  may  do 
something  to  usher  in  the  day  of  Hawaiian  agri- 
culture. I  am  laboring  both  by  precept  and  ex 
ample,  to  make  the  cultivation  of  the  earth — as  I 
believe  it  to  be,  second  to  no  business  or  profes- 
sion, in  genuine  honor.  With  what  success  I  may 
toil,  remains  to  be  seen.  If  spared,  you  shall 
hear.     Yours,  with  esteem,  J.S.Green. 


For  the  New  Eni^land  Farmer. 
PLOWS. 
Mr.  Editor  : — Dear  "Sir, — I  have  lately  had  on 
trial  two  plows  of  Ruggles,  Nourse,  Mason  & 
Co. 's  manufacture.  I  tried  them  on  about  four 
acres  of  green  sward.  Part  of  it  was  free  from 
stones  and  the  other  was  not.  I  had  always 
supposed  that  the  double  plow  would  not  work 
well  unless  the  ground  was  free  from  stones.  But 
I  found  it  on  trial  otherwise.  The  front  plow- 
taking  from  three  to  four  inches  of  the  surftico 
and  turning  it  under,  the  back  plow  more  easily 
flings  out  the  stones,  by  the  surface  being  turned 
under,  and  the  plow  keeps  on  in  its  course  with- 
out breaking  the  furrow.  I  also  tried  the  73  1-2, 
which  does  the  work  admirably,  if  you  wish  for  a 


flat  furrow.  It  cuts  a  furrow  fifteen  inches  wide 
and  eight  deep.  But  the  difference  between  the 
two  plows  is  this : — The  double  plow  leaves  the 
ground  in  an  easy  state  of  cultivation.  It  not 
only  turns  the  surface  underneath,  but  turns  up 
four  or  five  inches  of  mould,  which  cannot  be  ob- 
tained from  the  flat  furrow  by  harrowing."  And 
by  going  over  it  once  with  a  light  harrow  pre- 
pares the  ground  for  the  reception  of  seed. 

I  think  that  Mr.  Knox,  the  pattern  maker  for 
Ruggles,  Nourse,  Mason  &  Co.,  has  made  great 
improvement  on  the  Michigan  double  plow. 

Respectfully  yours,  Peter  Fay. 

Southboro\  May  2bth,  1853. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
BORERS—VARIETY  OF. 

S.  Brown,  Esq.  : — A  lady  correspondent  calls 
for  an  explanation  of  the  borer,  described  by  me 
in  your  March  number,  stating,  that  the  one  which 
I  described  is  not  among  her  acquaintances — I 
wish  it  was  not  among  mine,  as  its  depredations 
upon  my  trees  have  destroyed  some  of  my  fairest 
and  best. 

There  are  several  worms  of  similar  size,  color 
and  configuration,  which  may  appropriately  be 
called  by  the  name  of  borer — among  them  maybe 
reckoned,  the  common  wood  worm,  which  is  found 
in  such  abundance  in  seasoned  wood  during  its 
second  summer.  I  have  now  before  me  tAvo  of  this 
class,  halfaninehin  length.  The  work  of  this 
kind  commenced  about  a  year  since,  upon  a  cord 
of  wood,  and  such  were  their  numbers  and  activi- 
ty, that  the  bark  now  readily  cleaves  from  the 
wood,  they  having  entirely  eaten  the  sap-wood  im- 
mediately beneath  the  bark  ;  they  are  now  about 
one  year  old ;  how  long  they  occupy  in  the  round 
of  their  existence  I  am  unable  to  say. 

There  is  another  kind  of  similar  configuration, 
much  larger,  often  two  inches  in  length,  and  as 
large  round  as  a  pipe-stem,  found  in  soft  decayed 
wood.  There  is  another  kind  called  the  sawyer 
or  oak-pruner.  These  generally  feed  upon  the 
sap-wood  f\f  oak  branches,  until,  at  length  they 
eat  into  the  centre  of  the  limb,  and  finally  cut  it 
off,  when  the  branch  and  the  worm  fall  to  the 
ground  together. 

Another  kind  called  the  peach  tree  borer,  pre- 
vails to  a  considerable  extent  among  us.  The  eggs 
of  this  insect  are  laid  in  the  spring,  and  early  sum- 
mer, upon  the  peach  tree  very  near  the  ground. 
When  hatched,  the  maggot  immediately  eats  its 
way  within  the  bark,  and  feeds  upon  the  bark  and 
sap-wood,  usually  leaving  the  outer  bark  unbro- 
ken ;  its  depredations  are  usually  at  or  below  the 
surface  of  the  ground,  and  its  presence  may  be  de- 
tected by  the  flow  of  gum,  mixed  with  its  cuttings. 
I  have  never  been  able  to  prevent  or  destroy  this 
insect,  except  by  removing  them  from  the  tree. 
This  may  be  easily  done  by  first  removing  a  few 
inches  of  earth  around  the  tree,  and  then  with  a 
sharp  pointed  knife  find  the  habitation  of  the 
worm,  which  is  always  in  the  sap-wood  just  under 
the  bark.  But  of  all  the  evils  with  which  the  fruit 
grower  has  to  contend,  the  apple  tree  borer,  which 
also  attacks  the  quince,  locust,  ash,  and  some  oth- 
ers, is  the  greatest.  This  is  the  borer  of  which  I 
attempted  to  record  the  history,  just  as  the  borer 
itself  has  recorded  it  upon  my  apple  trees  ;  togeth. 
er  with  such  observations  as  seemed  to  me  migh 


18  53. 


NEW  KNGLAND  FARMER. 


309 


be  useful  to  all  such  as  had,  like  myself,  unprofit- 
ably  made  its  aa/uainiance.  There  are  probably 
more  of  the  family  of  borers  than  I  have  enumer- 
ated, but  the  last  two  produce  the  greatest  injury, 
and  especially  the  last  one,  which  is  the  scourge 
of  all  our  orchards  and  has  by  way  of  eminence, 
been  called  The  Borer.  Its  similarity  to  the  peach 
tree  borer  is  that  the  head  of  each  is  of  the  same 
color,  as  is  also  both  the  color  and  length  of  the 
body  ;  but  the  dissimilarity  is  so  striking,  that  a 
person  of  common  observation  would  never  mis- 
take the  one  from  the  other.  The  head  of  the 
peach  tree  borer  is  rounder,  resembling  the  head 
of  the  grey  corn  worm,  or  cut  worm,  while  the 
head  of  the  apple  tree  borer  is  small,  protruding  in 
a  sharpish  point  from  the  body,  which  is  thickest 
and  largest  and  rather  flattened  where  the  head 
projects  forth  ;  the  last  is  also  more  tapering  to- 
wards the  tail,  and  is  entirely  without  legs  or 
points  upon  which  it  walks,  while  the  peach  tree 
borer  is  furnished  with  sixteen  pairs  of  points  which 
serve  it  as  legs. 

The  insect,  which  is  the  highest  form  of  its  ex- 
istence, is  still  more  dissimilar  than  is  the  worm. 
That  producing  the  peach  tree  borer  resembles  a 
wasp,  of  a  steel  blue  color,  while  that  producing 
the  apple  tree  borer  is  a  beetle,  striped  with  light 
brown  and  white.  I  have  thus  given  an  explana- 
•tion  or  a  key,  to  my  former  communication,  which 
I  hope  may  unlock  some  truth  or  lead  to  some 
action  in  arresting  the  progress  of  this  destructive 
insect ;  for  a  beautiful,  a  healthy  and  productive 
orchard,  is  next  in  the  scale  of  man's  happiness, 
to  a  good,  a  virtuous,  and  an  intelligent  wife. 

Yours,        Richard  C.  Stone. 
Sherburne,  May  18,  1853. 


been  removed  formed  a  ditch  twelve  inches  deep 
and  eighteen  inches  wide ;  so  that  with  such  a 
plow,  and  a  strong  and  steady  team,  a  great 
amount  of  ditching  might  be  accomplished  in  a 
day  by  passing  through  the  furrow-trough  a  second 
time  with  a  smaller  plow,  constructed  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  throw  a  considerable  portion  of  the 
earth  to  the  surface. 

Mr.  Whipple's  opinion  is,  that  we  should  not 
wait  to  accumulate  large  quantities  of  manures  be- 
fore "breaking  up;"  and  particularly  in  regard  to 
old  pastures.  His  practice  is  to  turn  the  sward 
under  twelve  inches,  roll,  then  thoroughly  pulver- 
ize with  plow,  cultivator  or  harrow,  until  the  whole 
is  reduced  to  a  fine  tilth .  On  passing  over  a  field 
just  treated  in  this  manner,  we  found  it  somewhat 
difficult  to  find  the  graSs,  so  deep,  and  compactly 
had  it  been  placed  away. 

A  strong  evidence  of  the  benefit  of  deep  plowing 
was  afforded  in  the  mass  of  grass  roots  which  were 
found  on  the  inverted  furrow ;  they  had  penetrated 
lower,  even,  than  the  twelve  inches  turned  up, 
and  were  exceedingly  numerous.  In  such  a  soil 
a  drought,  unless  very  8evere,would  scarcely  affect 
the  crop. 

We  believe  all  were  gratified  who  beheld  the 
exhibition,  and  will  be  induced  to  recommend  to 
others  the  practice  under  which  Mr.  Whipple  has 
been  so  successful. 


A  DAY  WITH  THE  "GREAT  PLOW." 

Oliver  M.  Whipple,  Esq.,  of  Lowell  has  long 
been  an  advocate  for  deep  ploicing, 

"And,  strange  (o  tell,  hus  practiced  what  he  preached." 

On  Friday,  the  21st  May,  we  had  the  pleasure 
of  witnessing  his  operations  in  the  company  of  sev- 
eral gentlemen,  two  or  three  of  whom  were  plow 
manufacturers.  Ten  years  ago  the  field  had  been 
plowed  twelve  inches  deep,  manured,  planted, 
well  cultivated  one  or  two  seasons,  and  laid  down 
to  grass.  For  two  or  three  years  a  heavy  crop  of 
grass  was  cut,  which  decreased  in  amount  until 
the  last  season  when  about  a  ton  to  the  acre  was 
obtained.  The  soil  is  a  sandy  loam,  and  when 
turned  up  ten  years  ago  was  yellow,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  two  or  three  inches  on  the  surface.  On 
turning  it  over  now,  eight  inches  was  found  to  be 
a  fine,  black,  and  apparently  rich  soil. 

The  plow  used  was  one  of  Ruggles,  Nocrse,  Ma- 
BON  &  Co.'s  Eagle,  77.  It  cut  a  furrow  twelve 
inches  deep,  and  occasionally  where  every  thing 
was  favorable,  thirteen  inches,  and  eighteen  inches 
wide,  laying  it  over  in  an  angling  position,  so  as 
to  hide  all  the  grass,  and  leaving  a  ridge  of  broken, 
loose  soil,  more  than  ten  inches  in  depth.  Here 
was  an  opportunity  for  the  roots  of  plants  to  ram- 
ble, luxuriate  and  feed,  that  we  never  saw  sur- 
Each  place  from  which  a  furrow  had 


Aberdeenshire  ox, 
Short  horned  ox, 
Short  horned  heifer, 
Short  horned  steer, 


LIVE  AND  DEAD  WEIGHT  OF  OATTLE. 

Salesmen  commonly  calculate  that  the  dead 
weight  is  one-half  of  what  the  animal  weighs  when 
alive;  but  the  butcher  knows  that  the  produce  is 
greater  ;  it  often  approaches  to  three-fifths  ;  and  by 
an  extensive  stock  bailiff  of  the  late  Mr.  Curwen, 
it  was  found  that  the  dead  weight  amounted  to 
fifty-five  per  cent,  of  the  live.  But^'Jie  amount 
differs  strangely,  as  may  be  seen  by  t.^g!_  following 
statement  of  Mr.  Ferguson,  of  Woe^^jjj,'^  Canada 
West:  '-i'--' 

Live  Weisht.   Dead  Weight.  Tallow. 

St.       Lbs.           St.    Lbs.  St.   Lbs. 

132         11             84        6  16        5 

132           0             90        1  14        0 

120           4             77        9  15        8 

120           5             67        7  14      12 

British  Husbandry,  vol.  1,  p.  392. 

The  subject  of  live  and  dead  weight  of  cattle  be- 
ing one  that  deeply  interests  farmers,  we  again 
call  attention  to  the  subject,  in  the  hope  that  it 
may  awaken  inquiry,  as  to  the  question  what 
should  be  the  rule  of  paying  the  farmer,  for  beef 
he  may  have  grown  ?  It  costs  him  quite  as  much 
to  grow  hide  and  tallow,  as  it  does  muscle  or  flesh, 
and  we  should  like  to  know,  why  he  should  not  be 
paid  for  so  doing  1— /•"(/.  Am.  Farmer. 

In  continuation  of  this  subject,  we  make  the  fol- 
lowing extracts  from  Colman's  Massachusetts  Re- 
port :  ,    , 

"In  New  York,  only  four  quarters  are  made  by 
the  slaughterer,  and  the  hide  and  tallow  are  not 
reckoned  in  the  price  :  facts  which  are  to  be  re- 
membered in  making  comparisons  of  prices  in  the 
different  markets."  ,       c  ,-  j 

"The  following  are  some  examples  ot  live  and 


310 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


July 


dead  weights  of  New  England  cattle  killed  at 
home,  and  after  being  driven  from  Connecticut  riv 
er  to  Brighton,  the  Boston  beef  market,  a  distance 
of  75  or  80  miles  : 

Example  1. — One  ox  live  weight  in  market, 
2,393  lbs.;  quarters  weighed  418  lbs.,  415  lbs., 
324  lbs.,  331  lbs.;  hide,  150  lbs.;  tallow  173  lbs.— 
1,811. 

Difference,  582  lbs. 

Example  2. — Two  oxen  of  A.  S.,  killed  at  home 
weighed  as  follows  : 

Live.  Killed. 

1,979  lbs.  1,400  lbs.    " 

1,910  lbs.  1,841  lbs. 

About  294  lbs.  loss  on  a  hundred  of  the  live 
weight. 

Example  3. — An  ox  weighing  on  Connecticut 
river  2,250  lbs.,  weighed  in  market,  1,472  lbs. 
Loss,  778  lbs. 

Example  4. — An  ox  weighing  as  above,  2,255 
lbs.,  weighed  in  market  1,487  lbs.     Loss,  768 lbs. 

Example  5. — A  fat  bull,  of  D.  S.,  killed  at 
home,  and  weighed  alive  1,495  lbs.;  dead,  1,051. 
Loss,  544  lbs. — Stock  Register. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
"EXPERIMENTAL    FARMING"    AGAIN. 

Messrs.  Editors: — Your  correspondent  J.,  of 
Bridgewater,  in  the  N.  E.  Farmer,  April  30th, 
criticises  the  communication  "Experimental  Far- 
ming" with  a  "home  thrust,"  and  makes  a  pass 
at  my  friend,  S.  F.,  of  Winchester,  but  the  armor 
of  S.  F.  is  so  well  adjusted  in  every  part,  that  the 
effort  is  as  vain  as  chemical  analyses  are  follible. 

How  Mr.  J.  is  going  to  defend  himself  in  his 
"opinion,"  and  by  his  spirit  of  "controversy," 
against  the  results  of  the  experiments  of  our  best 
practical  chemists,  I  have  yet  to  learn.  I  advise 
every  farmer  to  read  the  communication  of  S.  F. , 
of  Winchester,  in  the  N.  E.  Farmer,  No.  3,  for 
March,  1853,  page  125,  caption,  "Analyses  of 
Soils."  If  sidb.men  as  Professor's  Norton,  Hitch- 
cock, Llebifoifaipd  othei-s,  have  acknowledged  the 
imperfect'iigfet  chemical  -analyses  of  soils  as  ap- 
plicable to  practical  purposes  in  agriculture,  how 
can  Mr.  J.  make  us  believe  that  we  are  behind  the 
times,  beyond  telescopic  reach,  or  does  he  suppose 
we  are  to  swallow  down  the  reports  of  chemists, 
good  or  bad,  as  infallible,  for  genuine  science,  at 
"first  sight,"  without  an  emollient  to  lubricate  the 
way?  Is  it  not  only  very  possible  but  very  prob- 
able, that  the  instance  of  augmented  crops,  related 
by  Professor  Mapes,  might  have  been  owing  par- 
tially, if  not  wholly,  to  a  more  careful  cultivation, 
or  a  more  favorable  season,  or  both  combined?  I 
have  but  little  faith  in  reports  of  that  kind  where 
no  responsible  names  are  given.  I  have  repeated- 
ly raised  double  the  quantity  f)f  produce  on  an  acre 
one  scitson  I  qo\\\(\  g.'t  on  another,  soil  and  treat- 
ment being  equal  ;  tl;e  result  of  one  year's  trial  of 
a  particular  ingredient,  as  manure,  would  not  sat- 
isfy the  most  of  us,  as  it  would  not  allow  time 
enough  for  a  fair  experiment,  and  if  Mr.  J.  con- 
cludes that  because  Mr.  none  of  us  know  who, 
raised  large  crops  after  having  his  soil  analyzed, 
that  we  can  do  the  same  here,  he  must  "jump  at 
conclusions' '  wonderfully , considering  that  as  much 
depends  upon  a  favorable  season  us  upon  the  quan- 
tity and  quality  of  the  manure  applied  to  the  land. 


I  did  suppose  that  the  surface  soil  was  very  much 
dependent  upon  the  subsoil  for  its  fertility,  till  I 
have  been  better  taught  by  my  friend  J.  in  his 
surface  reasoning.  I  believe  in  many  instances  we 
can  form  a  better  opinion  by  examining  the  sub- 
soil, what  the  surface  soil  requires  to  fertilize  it, 
than  a  chemist  would  be  likely  to  do  by  analyzing 
the  surface  soil.  Experience  has  taught  us  that 
clay  applied  to  the  surface  of  a  quicksand  subsoil 
was  a  proper  application,  but  no  experienced  far- 
mer would  apply  it  to  an  argillaceous  foundation. 

If  my  friend  J.  can  make  an  accurate  estimate 
by  "figures"  how  much  more  ground  will  produce 
by  being  analyzed,ihe  must  be  the  greatest  mathe- 
matical juggler  of  the  age. 

If  farmers  are  to  be  governed  by  the  dictation 
of  chemists  of  doubtful  skill,  they  must  be  forced 
into  a  labyrinth  of  uncertainties  quite  as  perplex- 
ing as  the  old  system  of  composting  and  experi- 
menting. I  am  in  favor  of  chemical  analyzation 
of  soils  for  all  who  are  disposed  to  go  into  it,  and 
think  that  good  may  come  out  of  it ;  but  by  the 
reports  of  our  most  able  chemists  themselves,,  of 
the  uncertainty  of  deciding  accurately  enough  to 
give  positive  practical  directions,  and  considering 
the  great  variety  of  surface  soils  on  our  farms  in 
New  England,  I  feel  but  little  confidence  in  the 
application  of  the  science  to  my  land,  thinking  to 
be  remunerated  for  my  labor  and  expense,  but  I 
hope  my  friend  J.  will  engage  in  the  practical  an- 
alysis of  his  soil  with  a  zeal  becoming  "a  man  of 
science,"  and  with  that  success  which  his  enter- 
prise shall  deserve,  and  be  able  to  enlighten  us 
who  are  behind  the  times  by  giving  us  good  prac- 
tical demonstrations.  Silas  Brown. 

Wilmington,  May  10,  1853. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
PLASTER,  ASHES,  &0. 

There  seems  to  be  nearly  as  many  opinions  in  re- 
gard to  the  value  of  plaster,  as  there  are  people  ; 
and  it  is  not  strange  that  such  is  the  case, — for 
while  some  soils  are  benefited  from  its  use,  others 
appear  to  receive  no  advantage  whatever.  Until 
within  a  few  years  I  have  had  no  foith  in  applying 
it  to  any  soil.  But  for  three  years  past,  I  must 
acknowledge  that  I  have  been  materially  benefited 
by  using  it  on  potatoes,  planted  on  light,  sandy 
land.  I  have  very  little  faith  in  making  use  of  it 
on  other  soils.  But  my  candid  opinion  is,  that  it 
will  pay  for  the  farmer  to  purchase  plaster  at  pres- 
ent prices  to  put  on  potatoes,  where  they  are  plant- 
ed on  a  soil  of  dry,  sandy  loam.  Last  spring,  I 
plowed  up  a  piece  of  land  in  a  worn-out  pasture, 
which  grew  nothing  but  sweet-fern  and  whortle- 
berry bushes,  and  planted  the  same  to  potatoes, 
(potatoes  too  small  to  sell  in  market)  and  used  a 
small  handful  of  plaster  in  the  hill  at  planting, 
and  the  same  at  hoeing, — and  I  had  the  largest 
yield  of  potatoes  and  of  the  best  quality  that  I 
have  raised  for  several  years. 

I  have  experimented  some  with  ashes,  and  am 
of  the  opinion  that  unleached  ashes  have  but  very  • 
little  effect  when  applied  to  corn  hills  at  hoeing 
time.  I  was  in  the  habit  several  years  ago,  of 
carefully  saving  all  my  wood  ashes  to  put  on  my 
corn,  and  thought  the  while  I  was  getting  well 
paid  for  the  operation  ;  but  on  bringing  the  mat- 
ter to  the  test  (putting  ashes  on  some  rows,  and 
leaving  them  off  on  others,  side  by  side,)  I  was  ful- 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


311 


!y  convinced  it  did  not  "pay."      Leached   ashes      When  once  in  good  condition,  clay  lands  ■will 
spread  on  broadcast,  are  of  far  greater  value.— lyidd  fine  cropa  of  grass  for  many  years,  with  the 


But  the  best  way  to  treat  one's  ashes  taken  from 
the  stove  or  fire-place,  is  to  einpty  them  into  the 
hen-roost ;  and  with  the  addition  of  plenty  of 
sandy  loam,  mixed,  as  of  course  it  will  be,  with  the 
droppings  from  the  hens,  a  good  "home-made  gua- 
no" is  manufactured,  which  when  rightly  applied 
to  the  corn-field  pays  the  farmer  well  for  his 
trouble.  From  a  flock  of  thirty  fowls,  a  half  cord 
of  ^oo(/ manure  may  be  easily  made;  and  it  will 
be  equal  in  value  to  one  cord  of  manure  commonly 
purchased  at  stables.  By  throwing  ashes  into  the 
hen-roost,  a  two-fold  benefit  is  derived  ;  it  not  on- 
ly adds  greatly  to  the  manure  heap,  but  acts  as  an 
excellent  preventive  against  lice.  Nothing  is  a 
surer  remedy  to  destroy  barn-lice,  than  ashes  and 
sand.  Fowls  will  soon  rid  themselves  of  lice  if 
they  have  free  access  to  those  ingredients. 

A.  Todd. 
Smithfield,  R.  I.,  8th  mo.,  1853.  * 


ACTION    OF   THE    ATMOSPHERE    ON 
THE   ROOTS    OF   PLANTS. 

It  is  necessary  that  air  should  have  access  to 
the  roots  of  plants,  as  much  as  possible.  The 
admission  of  air  to  the  roots  is  necessary  to  the 


application  only  of  a  little  annual  top  dressing. 

The  action  of  decaying  vegetable  matter,  as 
dead  leaves  and  vegetable  mould  about  the  roots 
of  trees,  is  to  give  out  carbonic  acid.  If  the  soil 
is  loose  the  tree  will  profit  by  this,  and  take  up 
by  its  roots  the  carbonic  acid  evolved.  But  if 
there  is  a  stiff  bed  of  clay  between  the  dead  mat- 
ter and  the  roots,  the  tree  will  be  prevented  from 
taking  up  the  carbonic  acid,  and  no  benefit  will 
be  received.  From  this  knowledge  the  farmer 
will  at  once  see  the  advantage  of  keeping  the  soil 
light  about  the  roots  of  trees,  which  he  wishes  to 
preserve  in  health  and  vigor. 

A  similar  operation  goes  on  also  in  the  roots  of 
the  grass,  corn,  and  other  plants ;  so  that  it  be- 
comes a  matter  of  importance  to  keep  the  soil  al- 
ways light  and  porous  wherever  we  cultivate. 


For  the  Neiv  England  Farmer. 
STATE  PAUPER   FARM. 

Mr.  Editor: — Being  in  the  vicinity  of  the  State 
Pauper  Farm,  in  Tewksbury,  a  few  days  since,  I 


growth  of  the  plant,  and  to  the  germination  of i  availed  myself  of  the  opportunity  to  go  on  to  the 
the  seed.     The  oxygen  of  the  air,  in  combination  jgrj^^^nd'^.^i^^.Jf^e^^^has^^^ 
with  carbon,  forms   carbonic   acid,  which   is  an 


The  institution  stands  upon  a  gentle  swell  of  land, 
about  half  a  mile  east  of  the  centre  of  the  town. 
The  building  is  of  wood,  three  stories  high.  The 
centre  of  the  main  building  is  to  be  four  stories. 
The  walls  of  the  western  wing  are  up  and  covered 
in ;  the  sills,  floor  timbers  and  first  floor  of  the 
centre  and  eastern  wing  are  laid,  and  ready  to  re- 
ceive the   walls,  which  are   nearly  ready   to  be 


agent  at  once  of  communicating  vital  heat  and 
aliment  to  the  plant.  This  necessity  of  the  ad- 
mission of  air  to  the  seeds  and  roots  of  plants, 
suggests  to  the  farmer  two  conditions  necessary 
to  be  observed  in  cultivation.     First,  seeds  should 

not  be  planted  too  deep.  If  they  are  so  far  be- 1  raised.  The  building  stands  upon  the  northern 
low  the  surface  of  the  earth  that  the  air  cannot  declivity  of  the  hill,  and  the  main  front  has  a 
reach  them,  there  can  be  no  germination.  It  northerly  aspect.  The  ground  descends  gently 
has  been  found  by  experiment  that  potatoes  plant- 1  f™"i.  ^he  buildings  on  three  sides  ;  on  the  other 
A  i.u      ii         •     V,      u  1        A  c         .,,  Side  it  continues  to  ascend  some  thirty  or  more 

ed  more  than  three  inches  below  the  surface  will      a     \,  i.  -r  a.\  ■  ^     ^  i.     *.*.  •         «„•     j.  „i 

rods,  but  i  think  does  not  attain  sumcient  eleva- 
not  grow  ;  but  where  covered  by  turfs  or  light  jtioQ  to  furnish  a  supply  of  water  to  the  upper  sto- 
substances^  they  may  germinate.  The  other  con-  ries  of  the  building  ;  nor  is  there  any  hill  in  the 
dition  is  that  the  earth  should  be  loose  over  the,  vicinity  from  which  water  can  be  readily  obtained. 
roots.  For  obtaining  this  result,  if  the  soil  is  not  I*  is  very  desirable  that  this  indispensable  article 
,       ,,      ,  ,  u   i.     1  1     ,.„.  should  be  furnished  by  an  aqueduct,  in  unfailing 

naturally  loose  _  and  open,  but  clayey  and  stifi-,.^j^^^j^^^^_     ^^1^^  convenience  of  this    has  been 

'deep    plowing    is  necessary,    and    loosening  the  demonstrated  at  the  Asylum  at  Worcester,  and 
soil  as  much  as  possible.     It  is  for  this  reason 'at  several  other  public  institutions  in  the  country. 
particularly  that  a  clayey  soil  is  inferior  to  all  So  desirable  is  this  that  the  Cochituate  has  been 
other.     To  bring  this  kind  of  soil  to  a  proper  con- 1  carried  from   Boston    to  the  McLean  Asylum,  at 
.  .  .      J    -7  xi      „•     -,.  •    „„n  4.     f  ..'great  expense.     Where  an  aqueduct  cannot   be 

sistence  to  admit  the  air,  it  is  well  to  temper  it  f  . .    ,,    ^/.     •  .  \„     „„„»t„  i   i.     u 

•  .         J  I  laid,  the  forcing  pump  must  be  resorted  to,  by 

by  admixture  with  sand.  which,  with  great  labor,  a  scanty  supply  may  be 

In  plowing  clay  lands  the  furrow  should  not  be  obtained.     The  barn  is  erected,  and  stands  at  a 

entirely  inverted,  that  is,  thrown  over  flat,  be- suitable  distance  from  the  house.     I  think  it  is 

cause  that  would  leave  it  too  compact.     But  if, not  a  model  barn.     The  cellar  extends  the  whole 

turned  with  a  plow  that  will  cut  a  furrow  seven  i  If  8*^' '  ^"*  T^T  t^^-^'^iy^^^f  ^^t  ^'^^^''f.'^  '"^ 
.     1        ■,  X       •     1  ■^  ,  .  i  the  very  part  where  a  cellar  IS  most  wanted,  there 

inches  deep,  ten  inches  wide,  and  turn  it  up,  jg  Q^Ufe  ^it  all.  The  posts  I  should  judge  to  be  24 
leaving  it  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees,  some- 'or  25  feet  high.  It  will  take  a  very  long  pitch- 
thing  like  the  roof  of  a  house,  then  the  air  Avill' fork,  and  very  strong  arms  to  reach  the  high 
be  admitted  and  the  whole  mass  will  become  lio-ht-  beams.     It  is  heavily  timbered,  and  appears  to  be 


er.     In   this   mode   of  plowing,  all  the  grass  is 
covered  in,  leaving  an  edge  of  the  soil  nearly  sev- 


well  built. 

I  understood  from  one  of  the  workmen,  who  ap- 
peared to  be  an  intelligent  man,  and  who  showed 


en  inches  thick  for  the  harrow  to  pulverize  into  a, me  the  plans,  that  the"  original  contract  required 
pleasant  and  productive  tilth.  'the  building  to  be  completed  in  October,  but  that 


312 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


JuLT 


SO  many  alterations  had  been  made  that  he  thought 
the  snow  would  fly  before  it  was  done.  The  build- 
ing stands  near  the  centre  of  a  beautiful  flat  of 
ground,  containing  some  forty  acres,  a  portion  of 
which — that  which  ascends  to  the  southward  and 
eastward — is  covered  with  bushes  and  scrub  oaks. 
Here  is  a  fine  location  for  an  orchard,  after  suffi- 
cient labor  shall  have  been  expended  upon  it. 
The  remainder  of  the  flat,  after  deducting  some 
ten  or  twelve  acres  for  avenues  and  a  lawn,  may 
be  converted  into  a  beautiful  garden  for  the  pro- 
duction of  vegetables  for  the  establishment.  The 
soil  is  good  and  contains  but  few  stones,  and  with 
proper  cultivation  may  be  rendered  productive. 
At  the  foot  of  the  hill,  and  across  the  road  lead- 
ing from  the  meeting-house  to  the  railroad  junc- 
tion, the  soil  is  light  and  sandy,  as  is  most  of  the 
land  in  that  section  of  the  town.  It  bears  good 
rye,  and  with  a  good  deal  of  manure  of  the  right 
sort  may  yield  tolerable  crops  of  corn.  There  is 
some  pasture  land  upon  the  hill  to  the  southeast 
of  the  house.  From  the  front  of  the  house  there 
is  an  extensive  prospect  to  the  north  and  north- 
east of  the  range  of  broken  highlands  that  extend 
along  the  court^e  of  the  Merrimack,  constituting 
the  southern  side  of  its  basin,  from  the  mouth  of 
the  Concord  river  to  the  city  of  Lawrence,  and  of 
North  Tewksbury,  which  lies  upon  this  range. 
This  village  has  much  increased  within  a  few 
years.  It  contains  several  fine  farms,  and  a  very 
pretty  church.  The  fiirm,  I  think,  should  the 
house  be  filled  to  its  entire  capacity,  can  do  but 
little  towards  sustaining  the  inmates.  It  may 
yield  garden  vegetables,  potatoes,  and  milk.  The 
surrounding  country  finds  a  ready  market  at  Low- 
ell and  Lawrence,  which  are  but  a  few  miles  dis- 
tant. Boston  market  must  be  the  ultimate  resort 
for  flour,  grain,  pork  and  beef.  If  the  good  peo- 
ple of  this  state  are  expecting  that  the  farm  will 
contribute  in  any  important  degree  to  sustain  the 
establishment,  they  will  be  sadly  disappointed. 
Its  support  must  obviously  be  drawn  from  the 
State  Treasury  and  not  from  the  soil.  There  are 
upon  the  farm  some  ten  or  more  old  apple  trees, 
and  with  this  exception  it  is  very  bare  of  trees. 
Every  thing  is  to  be  done  to  get  the  farm  into 
proper  shape.  Fences  are  to  be  built,  fields  to  be 
laid  out,  avenues  to  be  constructed,  drains  to  be 
dug,  trees  to  be  set  out,  and  years  of  patient  la- 
bor to  be  performed  in  order  to  develope  the  capa- 
bilities of  the  farm,  and  produce  any  satisfactory 
results.  The  constant  changes  to  which  the  force 
by  which  all  this  is  to  be  accomplished  will  be 
subject,  must  increase  exceedingly  the  difficulty 
of  its  accouiplishment.  By  the  time  a  raw  hand 
is  so  trained  that  he  can  understand  the  direc- 
tions given  him,  he  will  be  off,  and  one  still  more 
raw  be  put  in  his  place.  Any  practical  man  who 
has  attempted  to  carry  on  labor  by  such  hands, 
will  readily  comprehend  the  difficulties  attending 
it.  But  perseverance  overcomes  all  things,  and 
in  the  lapse  of  years  will  onvert  this  into  a  beau- 
tiful establishment,  which  will  not  only  illustjiite 
the  liberality  of  the  State  to  the  needy  and  home- 
less, but  also  the  good  taste  and  judgment  of 
those  who  have  had  the  management  of  its  con- 
cerns. Yours,  &c.,  J.  R. 
Concord,  May  19. 

1!^"  Agriculture,  like  the  leader  of  Israel,  strikes 
the  rock — the  waters  flow,  and  the  famished  peo- 
ple are  satisfied. 


CIRCULATION  OF  SAP— VEGETABLE 
ECONOMY. 

The  circulation  of  sap  in  plants  has  much  anal- 
ogy to  the  circulation  of  the  blood  in  man.  This 
is  especially  true  in  regard  to  the  action  of  the 
leaves  upon  the  sap,  and  its  subsequent  altered 
quality.  In  the  ascent  of  the  sap  from  the  root 
before  it  reaches  the  leaf,  it  is  elevated  in  the  same 
manner  as  oil  rises  in  the  wick  of  a  lamp.  The 
leaves  receive  it  and  throw  off  an  immense  amount 
by  evaporation.  In  this  way  there  is  a  constant 
corresponding  action  between  the  root  which  draw8 
the  water  from  the  earth,  and  the  leaf  by  which  it 
is  exhaled.  But  the  leaf  also  takes  in  water  as 
well  as  the  root.  The  most  important  function  of 
the  leaf,  however,  is  that  which  transforms  a  por- 
tion of  the  water  or  ascending  sap  into  the  pecu- 
liar juices  %f  the  plant,  and  sends  it  back  again, 
circulating  it  through  the  vegetable  system  in  a 
new  form  ;  much  as  the  lungs  change  the  venous 
blood  into  arterial.  This  sap,  after  passing  thus 
through  the  leaves,  parting  there  with  some  car- 
bonic acid,  and  receiving  other  elements  from  the 
air,  becomes  invested  with  a  new  character.  In 
some  plants  whose  ascending  sap  is  poisonous,  the 
descending  sap,  or  matter  contained  in  it,  is  highly 
nutritious.  And  it  becomes  also  elaborated  into 
those  special  secretions  known  to  us  in  the  form  of 
gum,  sugar,  starch,  gluten,  oil,  tannin,  turpentine, 
wax,  coloring  matters,  narcotic,  astringent,  fra- 
grant and  acid  properties,  and  the  various  products 
of  different  plants  which  are  nutritive,  medicinal, 
useful  in  the  arts,  or  destructive  to  life. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
ORCHARDS. 

Mr.  Brown  : — The  Tree  Fever,  which  usually 
prevails  about  this  season,  has  been  a  little  more 
violent  this  year  than  ever  before.  Trees  by  loads 
have  been  removed  from  the  close  comp-Jnionship 
of  the  nursery,  to  scattered  situations  in  remote 
fields.  I  sometimes  send  a  thought  after  those 
I  have  slowly  reared  from  the  seed,  and  wonder 
how  they  fare  in  their  new  localities.  Alas  !  sir, 
that  I  hear  occasionally  of  failure  and  disappoint- 
ment. I  am  not  surprised  by  it.  I  only  am  when 
I  hear  of  young  trees  doing  well  under  circumstan- 
ces the  most  unfavorable. 

I  have  done  a  little,  perhaps,  to  induce  others 
to  plant  orchards,  honestly  believing  by  so  doing 
that  they  would  immediately  add  value  to  their 
acres.  JBut  it  has  happened  that  the  imperfect 
manner  in  which  the  work  has  been  done,  has 
soon  discouraged  those  who  had  too  little  faith  at 
best. 

Orchards  are  planted  every  year  without  due 
consideration.  It  is  a  matter  of  some  importance 
to  the  cultivator  that  he  start  right  in  a  work 
which  will  absorb  time  and  capital  for  years,  and 
yield  a  return  exactly  in  proportion  to  the  judi- 
cious application  of  his  labors. 

With  some  exceptions  will  he  do  better  than  to 
select  the  comparatively  level  slope  south  of  his 
buildings  for  his  orchards.     Here  the  north  winds 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


313 


■will  be  broken.  The  land  Ijing  near  the  house  is 
easily  overlooked  and  tilled.  "A  walk  in  the 
orchard"  will  become  a  pleasure  the  whole  family 
may  often  and   conveniently  enjoy. 

I  prefer  ground  that  is  level  for  an.  orchard,  to 
that  which  is  uneven  ;  principally  for  this  reason, 
— the  greater  ease  of  cultivation.  By  frequent 
plowing  among  trees  on  a  side  hill,  ridges  are  pro- 
duced which  are  a  damage  to  the  land.  Heavy 
rains,  also,  wash  the  soil  down  from  tlie  top  to  the 
valley,  whei*e  it  accumulates  to  an  unprofitable 
depth.  The  team-work  on  hilly  ground  is  great, 
and  fatiguing.  It  is  economy  to  have  as  little  such 
as  possible. 

It  will  be  understood,  that  I  suppose  the  or- 
chard to  be  plowed  and  cultivated  every  year. — 
To  be  sure,  I  believe  in  no  other  system.  You 
must  take  care  of  your  trees  as  you  would  of  your 
corn  and  notatoes.  Clear  cultivation  with  these 
crops,  all  allow  is  necessary.  The  idea  that  young 
trees  will  ever  grow  in  a  tough  green  sward  is  an 
absurdity.  Therefore,  I  would  plant  the  orchard 
with  something — low-hoed  crops  nearest  the  rows 
are  the  best — every  year.  Some  plant  a  few  po- 
tatoes around  their  trees.  "It  keeps  the  land 
loose,"  they  say.  This  is  sheer  nonsense,  and  a 
bad  pi-actice.  Such  seem  afraid  the  trees  will  hav» 
too  good  a  chance.  What  they  gain  in  the  few 
potatoes — which  in  fact  is  no  gain,  being  so  scat- 
tered— is  doubly  lost  to  the  tree. 

I  will  add  to  these  suggestions  a  paragraph  from 
Cole's  American  Fruit  Book.  That  Mr.  Jones 
knows  how  to  obtain  a  generous  return  from  his 
orchard,  it  is  by  being  generous  to  it  himself. 

"Mr.  MosES  JoNES,  orBrookline,in  this  vicinity, 
a  most  skilful  cultivator,  set  112  apple  trees,  two 
rods  apart,  and  peach  trees  between  both  ways. — 
The  eighth  year,  he  had  228  barrels  of  apples,  and 
in  a  few  years  from  setting  the  trees,  $400  worth 
of  peaches  in  a  single  year  ;  and  the  best  part  of 
the  story  is,  that  large  crops  of  vegetables  were 
raised  upon  the  same  land,  nearly  paying  for  the 
manure  and  labor.  The  tenth  year  from  setting, 
many  of  the  apple  trees  produced  four  or  five  bar- 
rels each."  w.  d.  b. 

Concord,  Mass.,  May,  1853. 


world  will  make  upon  it.  Agriculture  will  flour- 
ish, because  the  demand  for  its  products  will  bo  in- 
cessant, and  then  the  good  seed  of  our  friend  will 
spring  up,  cover  the  islands  with  beautiful  fields 
of  corn  and  grain,  trees,  vegetables,  and  all  man- 
ner of  fruits  and  flowers.  May  he  live  to  behold 
a  still  greater  change  than  this,  springing  from  his 
noble  eflbrts. 

IST  Will  he  inform  us  in  what  manner  we  can 
occasionally  send  him  such  books  and  periodicals 
as  we  may  think  would  ]ye  useful  and  interesting 
to  him  in  his  extensive  field  of  practice  and  obser- 
vation ? 


HAWAIIAN  AGRICULTURE. 

The  reader  will  find  an  interesting  letter  in  an- 
other column,  on  the  subject  of  agriculture  at  the 
Sandwich  Islands.  lie  will  find,  too,  that  the 
same  prejudices  exist  there  against  honest  toil, 
that  are  to  be  found  among  us  here.     We  thank 


A  CHAPTER  FOR  NICE  OLD  FARMERS. 

Can  any  body  tell  why  country  people  so  uni- 
versally and  pertinaciously  persist  in  living  in  the 
rear  of  the  house?  Can  any  body  tell  why  the 
front  door  and  windows  are  never  opened,  save  on 
the  4th  of  July  and  at  Thanksgiving  time  ?  Why 
Zedekiah,  and  Timothy,  and  Jonathan,  and  the 
old  flirmer  himself,  must  go  round  the  house,  in 
order  to  get  into  it?  why  the  whole  family  (obliv- 
ious of  six  empty  rooms,)  take  their  "vapor  bath," 
and  their  meals,  simultaneously,  in  the  vicinity  of 
a  red  hot  cooking  range,  in  the  dog  days?  Why 
the  village  artist  need  paint  the  roof,  and  spout, 
and  window  frames  bright  crimson,  and  the  doors 
the  color  of  a  mermaid's  tresses?  Why  the  detes- 
table sun-flower  (which  I  can  never  forgive  "Tom 
Moore"  for  noticing)  must  always  flaunt  in  the 
garden?  Why  the  ungraceful  prim  p'oplar,  fit  em- 
blem of  a  stiff  old  bachelor,  is  preferred  to  the 
swaying  elm,  or  drooping  willow,  or  majestic  horse- 
chestnut? 

I  should  like  to  pull  down  the  green  paper  win- 
dow-curtains, and  hang  up  some  of  snowy  muslin. 
I  should  like  to  throw  wide  open  the  hall  door, 
and  let  the  south  wind  play  through.  I  should 
like  to  go  out  in  the  woods,  and  collect  fresh, 
sweet,  wild  flowers  to  arrange  in  a  vase,  in  place 
of  those  defunct  dried  grasses,  and  old  maid  "ev- 
erlastings." I  should  like  to  show  Zedekiah  how 
to  nail  together  some  bits  of  board  for  an  embryo 
lounge  ;  I  should  like  to  stuff  it  with  cotton,  and 
cover  it  with  a  neat  "patch."  I  should  like  to  cush- 
ion the  chairs  after  the  same  fashion.  Then  I  should 
like, when  the  white-haired  old  farmer  came  panting 
up  the  road  at  twelve  o'clock,  with  his  scythe  hang- 
ing over  his  arm,  to  usher  him  into  that  cool,  com- 
fortable room;  set  his  bowl  of  bread  and  milk  be- 
fore him,  and  after  he  had  discussed  it,  cnox  him 
(instead  of  tilting  back  on  the  hind  legs  of  a  hard 


our  correspondent   for   the  interesting  letters  he 

furnishes,  and  for   the  hearty  interest  he  feels  in  :^;;;°i;y7o"t;^7;;'^,,7^'^j;uygr^^^^^^ 

the  noble  pursuit  of  that  calling,   which,   if  any  jsofa,  while  I  kept  my  eye  on  the  clouds,  to  see 

can,  will  elevate  the  human  race  and  lead   it  on  that  no  thunder  shower  played  the  mischief  with 

to  the  highest  enjoyments  and  dignity  it  is  capa-  hisjiay 


ble  of  achieving  here.  He  must  not  be  disheart- 
ened. If  the  seed  he  casts  to  the  earth  foil  to 
spring  up  and  grow,  that  which  he  is  sowing  by 
his  excellent  cxam^ha  will  not  fail,  hut  increase  an 
hundred  fold ! 

As   the  native  population  dwindles  away,  that 


I  should  like  to  place  a  few  common  sense,  prac- 
tical books  on  the  table,  with  some  of  our  fine  daily 
andnveekly  papers.  You  may  smile  ;  but  these  in- 
ducement^and  the  comfortable  and  pleasant  air 
of  the  apartment  would  bring  the  family  oftener 
together  after  the  day's  toil ;  by  degrees  they 
would  lift  the  covers  of  the  books,  and  turn  over 

«i.o-if  i-oofino.  v,ia«a   ;„   fv.^    V  u  c        ^-        the  newspapers.    Constant  interchange  of  thought, 

great  restinor-piaee   in  the    hishwav  of   nations  <•    i.         "^i*    •  •  •,!    t         •         r..!  „  :™S„_ 

^      ^,  ,jx  "l&iivv.ij,  ui    "'^"'^"'^  feeling  and  opinion,  with  discussions  of  the  impor- 

must  be  peopled  by  a  more  active  race,  in  order  to  |  tant  and  engrossing  questions  of  the  day,  would  of 

supply  the  demands   which   the  commerce  of  the  Icourse  necessarily  follow. 


314 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Jul  t 


The  village  tavern-keeper  would  probably  frown  all  they  have  ever  received,  yet  still,  for  the  sake 
upon  it  ;  but  I  will  venture  to  predict  for  the  in-  of  a  few  paltry  dollars,  they  are  sold  to  those  who 
mates  of  the  farm-house  a  growing  love  for  home,  will  cruelly  treat  them  to  the  last  moments  of  their 
and  an  added  air  of  intelligence  and  refinement,  existence.  It  appears  to  me  that  the  man  who 
of  which  they  themselves  might  possibly  be  uneon-  will  thus  part  with  hia  horse,  is  as  virtually  cruel. 


scious. — Fanny  Fern — Olive  Branch. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
CRUELTY  TO  ANIMALS. 

1  would  not  enter  on  my  list  of  friends, 

(Though  graced  with  polished  manners  and  fine  sense, 

Yet  wanting  sensibility,)  the  man 

Who  needlessly  sels  foot  ujion  a  worm Cowper. 

He  who  knowingly  would  injure  the  harmless 
creatures  God  has  made,  can  Jfiave  little  feeling 
for  human  kind.  Injury  to  creatures  may  some- 
times be  done  by  accident,  or  through  necessity. 
Such  acts  "incur  no  blame."  But  he,  who,  for 
the  sake  of  gratifying  his  own  passions,  cruelly 
treats  those  animals  God  has  placed  here  for  the 
benefit  and  service  of  man,  is  justly  deserving  no 
claims  to  humanity.  It  is  not  the  man  who  beats 
w'ith  a  goad  hia  ox  or  liis  horse,  that  may  be  called 
the  most  cruel  or  unmerciful ;  for  he  who  neglects 
to  provide  for  the  comfort  and  health  of  his  dumb 
creatures  is  equally  censurable.     But  in  most  ca 


as  he  who  abuses  him  after  he  has  him  in  his  pos- 
session. Is  it  not  more  an  act  of  mercy  to  take 
the  life  outright,  of  a  worn  out  beast,  than  to  dis- 
pose of  him  to  an  individual  who  will  kill  by  de- 
grees ■? 

I  have  never  been  the  owner  of  but  one  horse, 
and  although  he  is  considerably  on  the  down-hill 
side  of  life,  money  would  not  tempt  me  to  part 
with  him,  unless  I  felt  sure  he  was  going  into  the 
hands  of  a  merciful  man.  I  have  respect  for  the 
aged  ;  and  verily  kindness  is  actually  due  those 
animals  whose  Bervices  are  so  beneficial  to  man- 
kind. 

Who  would  see  an  aged  father  or  mother  (whose 
lives  had  been  spent  for  their  children)  turned  ofiF 
with  hard  usage  and  unkind  treatment,  because 
the  infirmities  of  age  had  rendered  them  unfit  for 
service'?  Of  course  the  kinder  treatment  is  their 
due,  in  consideration  of  what  they  have  been,  and 
what  they  have  done. 

Cruelty  to  animals,  is  a  subject  deserving  espe- 


ing  pain  upon  every  animal  that  comes  in  his  way, 
is  pretty  sure  to  be  a  cruel  and  hard  master,  over 
whom  and  whatever  he  has  the  control. 

"Mercy  to  him  that  shov.-s  it,  is  the  rule 

And  righteous  limitation  of  its  act. 

By  which  heaven  moves  in  pard'ning  guilty  man; 

And  he  that  shows  none,  being  ripe  in  years, 

And  conscious  of  the  outrage  he  commits. 

Shall  seek  it  and  not  find  it  in  his  turn." 

A..T0DD, 

Smithfield,  R.  /.,  Ind  Mo.,  1853. 


ses  it  is  pretty  true  that  he  who  is  guilty  of  thelp'-i^  attention.  Parents  ought  to  make  it  a  point 
one  act,  is  equally  guilty  of  the  other.  I  have  of  ^^^ty  to  train  their  children  to  be  merciful  to 
reason  to  believe,  however,  that  a  greater  degree  animals,  as  well  as  to  human  kind.  If  this  were 
of  kindness  is  shown  towards  dumb  animals  now,  piore  generally  done,  certain  it  is  there  would  not 
than  formerly— that  less  beating  and  bruising  is 'be  so  many  unfeeling  and  cruel  men.  The  boy  who 
resorted  to  in  the  trtiining  of  young  horses  or  ox-  is  suffered  to  grow  up  with  the  privilege  of  inflict- 
en  ;  yet  there  are  many  who  still  adhere  to  former 
customs,  although  late  discoveries  and  observa- 
tions prove  that  gentle  means  and  mild  measures 
may  be  more  salisfactorily  used  towards  subduing 
the  brute  creation.  The  "whip  for  the  horse" 
will  be  but  frequently  used  if  the  hand  that  plies 
it  is  associated  with  a  kind  and  feeling  heart.  How- 
ever great  a  reformation  has  been  made  in  the 
mode  of  training  animals  to  service,  too  harsh 
measures  are  still  used. 

The  horse,  the  most  noble  of  all  amimals  used 
by  man,  is  the  most  cruelly  treated.  Even  in  the 
present  state  of  civilization,  I  presume  not  one 
horse  in  five  is  treated  in  such  a  manner  as  that 
he  lives  out  tlie  term  of  his  natural  life.  My  opin- 
ion is,  that  if  this  animal  were  properly  cared  for, 
and  kindly  treated,  he  would  be  in  as  tit  condition 
to  labor,  at  the  age  of  twenty,  as  he  now  is,  with 
present  treatment,  at  twelve.  Very  few  horses  at 
the  present  day  ever  arrive  at  the  latter  age  in 
good  condition,  with  soundness  in  body  and  limb. 
Hard  labor  and  improper  care  render  him  unfit 
for  service  at  an  early  age.  The  constitution  of 
the  horse  is  very  similar  to  the  constitution  of 
man,  hence,  the  former  is  no  more  fitted  to  bear 
excessive  labor  and  unkind  treatment,  than  the  lat- 
ter. It  is  as  injurious  to  the  constitution  of  the 
horse  to  keep  him  at  labor  in  stormy  weather,  as 
it  is  injurious  to  man  ;  hence  it  is  as  necessary  for 
a  teamster  (if  he  Avould  provide  for  the  health  and 
comfort  of  his  team,)  to  use  the  same  car^  for 
them,  that  he  does  for  himself.  ^ 

There  is  one  cruel  act  of  which  too  many  are 
guilty,  and  about  which  I  cannot  forbear  speaking.  l^  To  feed  an  ox  Hd  one  thousand  two  hundred 
I  have  reference  to  the  practice  of  putting  off  hors-  pounds  weight,  usually  takes  five  years  ;  while  the 
es  which  have  become  unfit  for  service,  in  conse-  same  weight  of  poultry  can  be  made  ready  for  the 
quence  of  old  age,  to  cruel  tmd  inhuman  persons,  table  in  about  three  months,  and  at  less  than 
Although  horses  thus  put  off  have  served  their  half  the  cost  in  food.  So  gays  an  English  poul- 
masters  faithfully,  and  doubly  paid,  perhaps,  for  I terer. 


«  For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

GRAFTING  OLD  TREES. 

Messrs.  Editors  : — I  have  had  some  experi- 
ence in  grafting,  and  propose  to  give  you  my 
method  of  grafting  old  trees.  I  select  such 
limbs  as  are  thrifty  and  of  a  proper  size,  pi-eferring 
those  not  exceeding  one-half  inch  in  diameter.  If 
the  stock  is  not  too  large,  I  splice  graft — if  one- 
half  inch  or  more  in  diameter,  I  prefer  cleft  graft- 
ing. I  set  but  one  scion  and  scarfe  off  on  the  op- 
posite side.  I  use  composition  without  either  mat- 
ting or  cloth,  and  consider  it  better  than  either, 
if  it  is  a  good  article.  With  proper  care  and  at- 
tention, old  trees  maybe  made  to  yield  a  handsome 
profit  sooner  tlian  young  trees  from  nurseries.  I 
have  formed  handsome  tops  on  trees  with  scarce- 
ly any  signs  of  life,  by  thoroughly  trimming  and 
scraping,  grafting  and  washing  with  soap  suds. 

S.  E.  Hooker. 

Poullncy,  Vt.,  April  b,l'ib^. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


315 


For  tlie  New  England  Farmer. 

DIVERSITY    IN    THEORY  AND   PRAC- 
TICE. 

Mr.  Editor  : — I  have  often  wondered  why  it  is, 
that  in  the  business  of  agriculture,  there  should 
exist  among  farmers  such  Ti  chaos  of  theory  and  prac- 
tice. It  is  difTieult  to  find  two  farmers  who  agree 
in  hardly  any  two  of  the  practical  operations  of 
their  pursuit.  And  if  a  novice  in  the  business 
should  judge  from  the  various  and  contradictory 
theories',  and  statements,  and  variety  of  results 
from  experiments,  he  would  come  to  the  conclusion 
that  the  science,  (or  rather  the  business,  of  agri- 
culture, for  science  it  could  not  be  called,)  was  as 
inexplicable  as  the  hidden  springs  of  life  and 
thought. 

Modern,  intelligent  farmers  say,  '^plow  deep,^' 
but  much  of  the  wisdom  of  long  experience  says, 
no !  unless  you  wa.nt  to  ruin  your  land.  One 
farmer  says,  top  dress  your  highland  grass  ground, 
but  the  thinking,  calculating  farmer  says  no, — 
cultivate  no  more  land  than  can  be  kept  in  g-)od 
heart  by  plowing  in,  during  tillage,  a  sufficient 
quantity  of  the  right  kind  of  food  for  plants,  to 
support  whatever  crops  may  be  anticipated,  till 
the  proper  time  arrives  for  again  disturbing  the 
soil  Compost  your  manure,  says  one  ;  nonsense, 
says  another,  it's  time  and  labor  lost.  Just  as 
though  you  can  make  manure  of  loam,  muck,  sand 
and  such  trash  ;  there  is  your  manure,  and  you 
cannot  make  any  more  of  it  by  adding  a  heap  of 
worthless  stuff.  One  farmer  says  a  good  cellar  is 
an  indispensable  appendage  to  a  barn  for  econo- 
my in  the  preservation  and  manufacture  of  ma- 
nure !  Fudge !  says  another,  barn  cellars  are 
more  outsets  than  income.  Cut  your  fodder  for 
your  cattle  as  well  as  for  yourself,  says  the  econ- 
omic farmer;  absurd,  says  the  objector,  to  suppose 
that  cutting  increases  the  nutritive  properties  of 
hay  ;  there  is  a  certain  amount  of  nourishment  in 
a  pound  of  hay,  cut  or  uncut — therefore  cutting  is 
labor  lost.  I  might  go  on  and  write  page  after 
page  of  such  contradictory  theories  and  practices 
without  exhausting  their  number,  but  it  is  need- 
less, they  will  suggest  themselves  to  every  .far- 
mer. 

Now  what  I  wish  to  inquire  is,  whence  comes 
this  confusion  of  ideas?  this  variance  in  men's  ex- 
perience ?  Are  there  no  settled  principles  in  agri- 
culture on  which  we  can  rely  for  guidance?  Is 
Buccess  in  its  pursuit  so  much  a  matter  o^  chance, 
that  we  can  establish  nothing  as  certain  in  relation 
to  it?  Such  would  be  our  conclusions  certainly, 
were  we  to  give  credit  to  all  the  opinions  of  farm- 
ers in  relation  to  their  avocation.  !Mere  opinions 
in  relation  to  the  practical  part  of  other  sciences, 
are  not  permitted  to  occupy  the  doubtful  position 
of  theories,  generation  after  generation,  but  are 
either  soon  exploded,  or  are  reared  into  the  digni- 
ty 0? facts,  and  are  then  at  least,  adopted  by  those 
whose  interests  are  involved,  but  its  not  so.  As 
a  general  thing  with  farmers,  one  man  attempts 
to  verify  the  theory  of  deep  plowing,  and  with  no 
regard  to  circumstances  or  conditions,  he  tOrns  up 
the  subsoil  of  an  already  starving,  exhausted  top 
soil,  manures  with  his  accustomed  sparing  hand, 
and  then  discards  deep  plowing  because  he  gets 
'  poorly  paid  for  his  ill  devised  experiment.  Another 
man  tries  tlie  advantage  of  compost  manure,  he 
applies  it  sparingly  to  a  lean  soil,  plowed  with  a 


skinning  hand  to  a  depth  of  three  or  four  inches  ; 
a  drought  ensues  and  he  obtains  an  indifferent 
crop,  and  forthwith  concludes  there  is  but  little 
virtue  in  compost  manure.  Again,  another  farm- 
er at  considerable  expense  provides  a  cellar  to  his 
barn,  but  neglects  to  supply  it  with  loam,  muck,  or 
sand  to  soak  up  the  liquids,  and  absorb  and  fix  the 
ammonia  of  the  manure  ;  hauls  the  fermenting 
heap  out  in  February  or  March,  dumps  it  in  small 
heaps  upon  his  field,  where  the  searching  winds, 
scorching  suns  and  drenching  rains  of  spring  ex- 
tract the  largest  portion  of  its  fertilizing  proper- 
ties, and  then  concludes  that  barn  cellars  are  more 
cost  than  profit.  Once  again,  and  the  plodder  on 
attempts  to  verify  the  profit  of  chopped  fodder  for 
his  cattle — but  he  commences  without  the  requi- 
site knowledge  of  how  much  unchopped  fodder  is 
necessary  to  satisfy  the  demands  of  his  stock  at 
certain  seasons  and  temperatures,  tries  the  thing 
for  a  few  days  ;  finds  some  ivork  in  it — which  to 
avoid,  he  concludes  there  is  no  gain,  but  a  loss  in 
time  and  labor,  and  straitway  gives  it  up  as  a  new 
fangled  notion  of  amateur  formers.  In  this  blind 
and  indolent  manner  do  hundreds  of  farmers  lose 
the  advantage  of  many  modern  improvements  in 
agriculture.  I  say  blind,  because  circumstances 
and  conditions  are  not  sufficiently  taken  cognizance 
of;  and  I  say  indolent,  because  '■'■nothing  that  is 
truly  valuable  can  be  obtained  without  labor  and 
pains. ^' 

Chemists  could  never  have  developed  many  val- 
uable resources  of  nature  had  they  not  applied  the 
closest  scrutiny  and  most  untiring  perseverance  in 
watching  and  testing  the  nice  conditions  and  ad- 
aptation of  circumstances  which  nature  requires 
for  her  wondrous  operations.  A  like  patient  ener- 
gy is  demanded  at  the  hands  of  the  farmer — en- 
ergy of  mind  to  think — and  think  profoundly,  as 
well  as  of  the  will  to  do.  To  render  his  experi- 
ence of  value,  he  must  analyze  facts,  compare  re- 
sults, and  note,  if  possible,  the  conditions  neces- 
sary to  success  in  every  experiment.  Nothing 
would  aid  the  farmer  in  these  pursuits,  in  my  hum- 
ble judgment,  more  than  the  formation  of  Social 
Clubs  or  Agricultural  Lyceums.  They  would  afford 
an  opportunity  to  every  former  in  a  town,  to  make 
a  profitable  exchange  of  his  experience  for  that  of 
others.  Nor  is  the  advantage  of  such  social  gath- 
erings confined  to  the  acquisition  of  knowledge  to 
aid  merely  in  material  gain.  They  serve  to  dis- 
seminate an  interest  in  all  matters  calculated  to  ad- 
vance the  moral  and  intellectual  well-being  of  a 
community.  They  serve  to  awaken  and  nourish 
those  kind  and  generous  feelings  which  render  life 
agreeable  and  lightens  toil  of  more  than  half  its 
burdens.  County  Agricultural  Societies  are  un- 
questionably doing  good  service,  but  their  influence 
is  not  of  that  direct  character,  that  is  needed  for 
practical  advancement  amongst  the  whole  body  of 
farmers.  They  serve  to  exhibit  the  results  oi  suc- 
cessful effort,  rather  than  point  out  the  errors  in 
unsuccessful  experiments.  Active  Town  Societies 
are  needed  not  only  for  their  direct  and  immediate 
influence  On  the  agriculture  of  the  town,  but  for 
the  important  aid  they  would  afford  to  the  useful- 
ness of  the  County  Associations,  by  awakening  an 
increased  interest  in  every  department  of  husband- 
ry ;  and  thereby  greatly  augmenting  the  number 
of  competitors  for  premium  productions.  There 
are  many  Town  Societies  already,  but  it  is  feared 
they  are  too  generally  in  a   dormant  state.     It 


316 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


July 


strikes  me  that  these  mightbebroughtmto  a  more 
active  condition,  and  new  ones  created,  if  the  State 
Society  should  issue  circulars  to  every  Agricultu- 
ral town  in  the  State  inviting  the  attention  of  its 
farmers  to  the  subject,  and  requesting  such  re- 
turns, either  to  the  State  or  County  Society,  as 
would  insure  life  and  activity.  If  these  sugges- 
tions are  of  any  worth,  I  hope  you,  Mr.  Editor,  or 
some  of  your  correspondents,  who  are  better  qual- 
ified than  myself,  will  enlarge  upon  them  and  set 
them  forth  in  order.  t.  a.  s. 

Westboro',  May,  1853. 

THE  TRUE  MODE  OP   CULTIVATION. 

Mr.  Editor  : — I  was  much  interested  in  the  re- 
marks of  my  friend  T.  A.,  in  your  last  paper.  He 
is  an  intelligent,  public  spirited  man.  He  has 
within  a  few  years  removed  from  the  sea-shore, 
and  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  the  soil,  and  his 
own  farm  is  showing  the  effect  of  energy  directed 
by  intelligence.  He  wants  to  see  all  the  farms 
around  him  cultivated  in  the  best  manner,  and 
carried  to  their  maximum  of  productiveness.  I 
perceive  that  he  has  got  hold  of  the  true  idea  of 
farming,  viz.,  that  it  costs  no  more  to  carry  on  a 
farm  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  in  which  it  shall 
yield  a  large  crop  of  the  most  profitable  kind,  than 
it  does  to  carry  on  one  which  shall  yield  but  half 
a  crop,  and  that  of  but  little  value.  I  am  glad  he 
has  called  the  attention  of  the  public  to  the  sub- 
ject of  the  proper  cultivation  of  the  State  farms. 

You  will  recollect  that  in  a  conversation  I  had 
with  you  a  few  days  ago,  I  mentioned  the  idea  of 
the  proper  laying  out  and  cultivating  the  State 
Pauper  farms,  which  the  government  is  now  pre- 
paring for  the  reception  of  foreign  paupers.  Were 
suitable  men  placed  in  the  office  of  superintend- 
ents of  those  farms,  men  who  are  not  only  compe- 
tent to  govern  the  inmates  and  manage  the  affairs 
of  the  establishment  economically,  but  who  have 
a  theoretical  and  practical  knowledge  of  agricul- 
ture,— who  have  taste  and  judgment  to  lay  out  the 
farms  in  the  most  convenient  manner,  and  assign 


on  impracticable  schemes, — but  men  of  intelli- 
gence, judgment  and  experience. 

1  trust  this  subject  will  receive  the  serious  con- 
sideration of  the  "powers  that  be,"  and  that  the 
suggestions  thus  made,  may  be  like  "seed  sown 
on  good  ground,"  which  shall  bring  forth  an  abun- 
dant harvest  of  good  results.  J.  B. 

Concord,  May,  1853. 


each   part    to   its  most   appropriate   use,    model 

farms  might  soon  be  produced  at  small  extra  cost,  I  the -thistles  will   be   at  once   destroyed. 


which  would  not  only  be  a  credit  to  the  State,  and 
would  contribute  largely  to  the  support  of  the  in- 
mates, but  would  be  patterns  to  all  the  surround- 
ing country.  The  superintendents  might  consult 
with  the  Board  of  Agriculture,  and  receive  their 
advice  in  the  management  of  the  farms  ;  indeed  it 
might  be  proper,  that  the  Board  should  be  con- 
sulted in  the  appointments.  They  should  be  re- 
quired to  keep  accurate  accounts,  of  debt  and 
credit  with  the  farms,  and  report  their  modes  of 
cultivation,  with  the  results,  from  year  to  year. 
In  this  way  they  might  be  made  to  some  extent 
experimental  farms.  The  Secretary  of  the  Board 
of  Agriculture  might  direct  the  cultivation  of  foreign 
seeds  and  grains  that  might  come  into  his  hands, 
upon  these  farms.  Experiments  may  be  made 
with  imported  stock,  and  in  various  ways  informa- 
tion acquired  by  expeiiments  upon  these  f;irms 
might  be  rendered  useful  to  the  community. 

But  every  thing  of  this  sort  must  depend  upon 
the  men  placed  at  the  head  of  these  institutions. 
They  must  be  men  who  understand  the  funda- 
mental principles  of  agriculture — men  who  can 
distinguish  between  a  false  theory  and  a  true  one. 
Men  who  shall  not  waste  their  time  and  force  up- 


WEEDS. 

Weeds,  it  should  be  recollected,  are  always 
more  exhausting  to  soil  than  either  roots  or  grain 
crops.  They  are  indigenous,  consequently  gross 
feeders,  and  abstract  from  the  soil  only  those  ele- 
ments of  fertility  which  are  essentially  and  indis- 
pensably requisite  to  sustain  the  more  valuable  and 
cultivated  crops.  It  should  ever  be  a  rule  with 
the  farmer,  to  allow  no  plant  to  perfect  its  seed  on 
his  premises,  that  will,  in  any  way,  diminish  the 
productiveness  of  his  soil.  There  are  many  weeds 
which,  if  cut  close  to  the  soil,  while  in  inflores- 
ence,  inevitably  die  ;  and  others,  if  so  treated,  will 
not  start  again  till  the  following  year,  or  if  they  do, 
it  will  be  very  feebly,  and  with  so  little  vigor  that 
they  will  effect  but  little  injury,  comparatively 
speaking,  and  without  any  possibility  of  producing 
seed.  Mullen,  thistles,  burdocks  and  many  other 
noxious  productions  of  a  similar  class,  may  be 
eradicated  by  placing  a  table  spoonful  of  salt  upon 
the  stump  of  each  plant  after  cutting  it.  "When 
these  weeds  are  "in  force,"  we  have  frequently 
found  it  profitable  to  sow  salt  freely  after  mowing, 
as  the  exuding  fluids  of  the  roots  dissolve  it,  and 
of  course  take  a  portion  of  it  into  their  vessels 
where  it  acts  as  a  most  efficient  destroyer.  If  a 
field  infested  with  thistles  be  mowed  when  the 
thistles  are  in  full  bloom,  and  salt,  say  two  bush- 
el^to  the  acre,  be  sowed  upon  the  stumps,  and 
sheep  permitted  to  graze  intheinclosure,  it  is  said 

This  is 


perhaps  a  more  economical  method  of  eradication, 
than  removing  the  plants  by  the  roots,  which  is 
tedious,  expensive  and  but  seldom  effectual. 


For  the  T/ew  England  Farmer. 
ABOUT  SHEEP  AND  STEERS. 

Will  Mr.  Geo.  Campbell,  of  Westminster,  Vt., 
please  answer  the  following  questions  for  the  ben- 
efit of  wool  growers  ? 

1st.  How  much  tar  do  you  put  in  to  a  gallon  of 
oil? 

2d.  How  much  lampblack  ? 

3d.  Do  you  put  in  any  brimstone,  sulphur,  ros- 
in, or  any  kind  of  mineral? 

4th.   What  do  you  put  it  on  with  ? 

5th.  How  much  will  it  take  to  put  on  one  hun- 
dred sheep  ? 

6th.  What  advantage  it  is  to  shear  sheep  the 
first  of  April? 

Will  some  one  tell  how  I  can  make  steers'  horns 
turn  up  when  they  begin  to  lop  1 

Young  Wool  Grower. 

Cheshire  County,  N.  H.,  May,  1853. 


1853, 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


31/ 


VISIT  TO  THE  STATE  REFORM  SCHOOL. 

No  better  evidence  of  the  progress  of  men  in  vir- 
tue, and  of  their  gradual  approach  to  the  high 
standard  left  us  by  the  Saviour,  is  needed,  than 
the  institutions  founded  for  the  comfort  of  the  un- 
fortunate and  the  reformation  of  the  erring.  In 
this  Commonvpealth  these  are  numerous,  general- 
ly managed  with  ability  and  good  judgment,  and 
are  accomplishing  the  objects  desired  by  their 
benevolent  founders. 

The  Reform  School  at  Wcstboro''  is  one  of  the 
noblest  of  these  charities.  In  the  language  of  the 
report  of  the  commissioners,  we  believe  "that  of 
the  many  and  valuable  institutions  sustained  in 
whole  or  in  part  from  the  public  treasury,  there  is 
none  of  more  importance,  or  holds  a  more  intimate 
connection  with  the  future  prosperity  and  moral 
integrity  of  the  community,  than  one  which  prom- 
ises to  take  neglected,  wayward,  wandering,  idle 
and  vicious  boys,  with  perverse  minds  and  cor- 
rupted hearts,  and  cleanse,  and  purify,  and  reform 
them,  and  thus  send  them  fortli,  in  the  erectness 
of  manhood  and  in  the  beauty  of  virtue,  educated 
and  prepared  to  be  industrious,  useful,  and  virtu- 
ous citizens." 

Connected  with  this  school  there  is  a  farm  con- 
sisting of  285  aci'es  of  excellent  land.  This  is  di- 
versified, having  fine  hill  pastures,  rich  bottoms, 
broad  plains  of  light,  sandy  soil,  suitable  for  corn 
and  roots,  and  the  heavier  granite  formations,  ex- 
cellent for  grass  fields,  apples  and  other  fruits. 

The  location  of  the  farm  is  one  of  surpassing 
loveliness.  Chawic'ey  Pond,  a  sheet  of  clear,  pure 
water,  about  30  feet  in  depth,  and  covering  one 
hundred  and  seventy-eight  acres  of  land,  laves 
the  foot  of  the  pastures  and  fields,  while  the  ground 
rises  by  a  gentle  acclivity  from  the  shores  to  a 
height  which  overlooks  this  beautiful  gem  of  a  lake, 
and  an  extent  of  country  beyond,  embracing,  in 
part,  the  village  of  Westborough,  and,  from  some 
portions  of  the  farm,  the  glittering  spires  of  the 
churches  at  Northboro'.  The  situation  is  suffi- 
ciently retired,  and  yet  of  easy  and  convenient  ac- 
cess ;  the  depot  at  the  village  of  Westboro'  being 
within  two  and  a  half  miles,  and  the  road  level,  or 
of  very  gradual  ascent. 

The  main  buildings  are  of  brick,  their  architec- 
tural style  imposing,  and  the  internal  arrange- 
ment of  them  commodious,  airy  and  convenient, 
while  some  of  the  accessaries  are  entirely  out  of 
place.  T\i&  piggery  being  on  one  side,  and  an  im- 
mense reservoir  for  the  collection  of  the  drainage 
being  on  another  side  of  the  house,  the  inmates 
may  regale  their  sense  of  smell  on  "an  ancient 
and  fish-like"  odor,  from  whatever  point  of  com- 
pass the  winds  may  come. 

There  are  now  nearly /our  hundred  hoys  at  the 
school,  and  their  time  is  divided  as  follows  : — for 
labor,  sis  hours;  for  school,  four  hours  ;  for  sleep. 


eight  and  one-half  hours  ;  and  one-half  hour  for 
devotional  exercises,  incidental  duties,  and  recre- 
ation. In  one  apartment,  we  saw  Ijetween  GO  and 
70  boys  stitching  men's  shoes  ;  in  another,  70  at 
work  on  children's  and  women's  shoes,  and  in  a 
third,  between  80  and  90  sewing  on  cotton  cloth, 
and  on  the  blue  material  for  jackets  and  panta- 
loons, and  knitting,  or  darning.  Otliers  were  en- 
gaged in  various  duties  about  the  house,  and  the 
remainder  occupied  on  the  fiirm. 

During  their  playtime,  after  dinner,  we  went 
among  these  boys  and  had  free  conversation  with 
them.  On  inquiring  what  work  they  chose  to  be 
engaged  in,  the  universal  reply  was,  farming,  farm- 
ing; and  their  countenances  brightened,  as  they 
replied,  each  seeming  to  infer  from  the  inquiry  that 
they  might,  perhaps,  elect,  what  business  they 
should  pursue.  But  as  it  is  unnatural  that  chil- 
dren should  be  subjected  to  so  much  restraint, 
shut  up  within  brick  walls  and  close  rooms,  it  is 
not  strange  that  they  all  declared  for  the  green 
fields,  the  babbling  brooks,  and  the  singing  birds. 
Alas !  that  so  many  young  hearts  should  throb  in 
vain  for  the  enjoyments  of  this  beautiful  world, 
open  and  free  to  all,  whom  the  seductive  influences 
of  error  have  not  rendered  unsafe  to  go  at  large, 
amidst  its  peaceful  paths  and  glowing  forms  !  On 
these,  the  stamp  of  such  influences  was  plain. — 
Some  countenances  there  were,  meek  and  sad, 
expressive  of  contrition  and  shame  ;  but  on  most, 
that  bold  and  hardened  cast  impressed  on  those 
early  initiated  in  the  school  of  vice,  was  particu- 
larly evident.  On  remarking  that  they  appeared 
happy,  one  of  them  replied,  "aA.'  some  of  us  can't 
help  thinking ;  those  ivho  donH  think,  do  well 
enough.'" 

The  institution  was  founded  by  munificent  do- 
nations and  bequests  from  the  Hon.  Theodore  Ly- 
man, of  Brookline,  in  this  State,  amounting,  in  all, 
to  the  sum  of  ^72,500.  The  farm  has  now  cost 
some  twelve  or  fifteen  thousand  dollars. 

It  is  not  our  intention,  however,  to  speak  in  de- 
tail of  the  founding  of  the  institution,  or  the  man- 
agement of  its  inmates  ;  but  briefly  to  notice  it  in 
an  agricultural  point  of  view. 

At  the  last  meeting  of  the  State  Board  of  Agri- 
culture, the  following  resolution  was  adopted  : — 
Resolved,  That  Messrs.  Wilder,  Page,  Proctor, 
Hitchcock,  Smith,  Dodge,  French,  Brown, 
Spragub,  and  Lawton,  be  a  committee  to  confer 
with  the  Governor  of  the  Commonwealth,  and  con- 
sider and  report,  whether  any,  and  if  so,  what  aid 
may  conveniently  be  afforded  by  the  State  to  this 
Board,  to  facilitate  experiments  in  scientific  culti- 
vation of  the  soil  by  the  use  of  the  lands  connect- 
ed with  the  State  Reform  School  at  Westboro'. 

In  accordance  with  these  instructions  most  of 
the  gentlemen  named  in  the  resolution,  accom- 
panied by  Mr.  Flint,  Secretary  of  the  Board,  and 
Gen.  Sutton,  of  the  Council,  visited  the  farm  and 


318 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


JciY 


school  on  Wednesday  the  first  of  June,  and  devo- 
ted the  day  to  such  examinations  and  inquiries  as 
they  were  able  to  make.  They  found  the  farm  as 
has  been  already  suggested,  possessing  every  nat- 
ural capaliiUty  that  is  desirable;  the  soil  not  only 
varying  in  quality,  but  lying  so  as  to  render  every 
facility  in  the  various  operations  of  cultivation. 
Many  improvements  have  been  made,  such  as  the 
removal  of  old  buildings  and  the  erection  of  a  house 
for  the  farmer,  an  excellent  bsim,  152  by  42  feet, 
grading  about  the  institution,  making  roads,  dig- 
ging wells  and  trenches  to  lay 'water  pipes,  setting 
fruit  trees,  &c.,  &c.  A  thousand  other  things,  in- 
cident to  a  new  place,  have  also  been  done,  which 
would  scarcely  be  noticed  by  an  unpractised  eye. 
In  common,  we  believe,  with  all  the  committee, 
•we  were  disappointed  in  not  finding  the  farm  in  a 
higher  state  of  cultivation, — a  more  perfect  system 
of  cropping, — better  fences  and  gates,  and  that 
general  air  of  neatness  and  order  which  indicates 
skill  and  thrift.  There  were  certainly  some  nui- 
sances which  ought  never  to  have  been  allowed  to 
exist,  and  which  ought  to  be  at  once  abated;  and 
there  is  room,  we  are  confident,  for  the  exercise 
of  a  degree  of  skill  and  energy  which  has  not  yet 
been  brought  to  bear  upon  it. 

Upon  a  careful  examination  of  the  reports,  how- 
ever, we  find  there  has  been  a  gradual  increase  in 
the  income  of  the  form,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  fol- 
lowing statement  condensed  from  the  annual  re- 
ports for  the  last  four  years : — 

The  estimated  value  of  the  produce  of  the  farm  for  the  year 

ending  Nov.  30.  1849,  was $3,181  04 

Do.  do.  do.  1850 3,97.5  21 

Do.  do.  do.  16.51 .....'...'.'..5,163  15 

Do.  do   do.  1852 6,032  14 

We  have  no  disposition  to  find  fault  with  what 
has  been  done,  or  neglected  to  be  done.  Our  own 
experience,  both  in  building  and  in  reclaiming  im- 
poverished lands,  has  been  sufficient  to  convince 
us  that  it  requires  a  great  expenditure  of  money, 
and  the  lapse  of  years  of  energetic  application,  to 
change  the  face  of  300  acres  and  render  it  attrac- 
tive to  the  critical  visitor. 

Tlie  committee  were  of  opinion  that  the  fiirm  af- 
fords every  facility  for  making  such  experiments 
as  are  considered  important,  and  with  pecuniary 
profit  to  the  State  ;  and  that  the  farm  ought,  and 
under  skilful  management,  may,  become  the  Mod- 
el Farm  of  the  Commonwealth. 

The  Trustees,  in  tlieir  annual  reports,  speak, 
throughout,  in  the  highest  terms  of  the  faithful- 
ness and  ability  of  all  the  officers  in  the  institution. 
We  infer,  therefore,  that  whatever  the  Trustees 
have  (lircclrd,  has  been  faithfully  accomplished. 
That  some  important  matters  have  been  over- 
looked, and  that,  with  tlie  means  at  hand,  a 
more  rapid  progress  might  have  been  made,  would 
be  evident  to  the  eye  of  every  skilful  farmer. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  present  Board  of  Trus- 
tees will  scrutinize  every  department,  and  give  it 


all  the  energy  of  which  it  is  susceptible,  and  that 
if  unacquainted  with  any  of  the  operations  neces- 
sary to  be  conducted,  they  will  call  to  their  aid 
the  enlightend  wisdom  of  those  conversant  with 
the  details  of  every  branch  of  improved  husbandry. 
We  saw  enough  in  this  Ijrief  visit  to  contradict 
the  sentiment  of  the  poet,  that 

"Men's  evil  manners  live  in  brass,  their  virtues 
We  write  in  water." 

The  memory  of  the  founder  of  this  noble  insti- 
tution shall  be  fresh  in  the  hearts  of  the  people, 
when  monuments  of  brass  and  marble  shall  have 
crumbled  to  their  native  dust.  It  shall  dwell  in  the 
hearts  of  the  redeemed  from  youthful  error,  when 
they  stand  in  the  purity  of  manhood  before  the 
world,  saving  and  restoring  in  their  turn,  the  way- 
ward and  the  sinning.  Let  it,  then,  be  our  care  to 
watch  over  its  interests,  and  see  that  the  objects 
of  its  founder  are  fully  atkxined. 


LUNAR  AND  STELLAR  INFLUENCE. 

We  were  under  the  impression  that  sensible 
people  no  longer  consulted  the  "Man  in  the  Alma- 
nac" as  to  when  crops  were  to  be  planted,  hogs 
killed,  and  children  weaned  ;  and  in  all  serious- 
ness, placed  the  alleged  influenceof  lunar  changes 
on  the  animal  and  vegetable  kingdoms,  in  the  same 
category  with  those  which  set  Friday  down  as  an 
unlucky  day.  In  this,  if  we  are  to  credit  the  fol- 
lowing, we  have  been;  and  in  quite  a  large  and  re- 
spectable company,  unlearning  too  fast. 

Mrs.  Lydia  Jane  Pierson,  in  a  controversy  with 
a  correspondent  of  the  Farm  Journal,  on  the  sub- 
ject of  lunar  influences,  after  some  earnest  argu- 
ments, invites  him  to  a  trial  of  the  following  ex- 
periments. She  says  : — "Firs't,  we  test  the  influ- 
ence of  the  moon  in  her  nodes.  If  Medicus  will 
lay  a  board  on  young  growing  grass,  when  the 
moon  is  in  her  descending  node,  he  will  find,  on 
taking  it  up  after  a  week  or  so,  that  it  has  smoth- 
ered the  grass  under  it,  and  settled  close  to  the 
earth.  A  similar  board  similarly  placed,  in  the 
time  of  the  moon's  ascension,  will  not  do  so.  He 
will  find,  on  taking  it  up,  after  the  same  interval, 
that  the  grass  has  continued  to  grow  under  it,  ap- 
parently lifting  the  board  with  its  growth.  Next 
for  the  phases,  he  shall  select  a  head  of  the  large 
double  French  marigold ;  he  shall  have  no  seed 
but  what  grows  in  this  head.  He  shall  plant  some 
near  the  full  of  the  moon,  when  the  sign  is  in  Gem- 
ini or  Libra  ;  they  will  produce  large  double  flow- 
ers, lie  shall  plant  the  same  head  of  seeds  near 
the  change  of  the  moon,  and  the  flowers  will  be 
single  ;  and  if  the  sign  be  at  Leo  or  Scorpio,  they 
will  not  dovelope  even  one  full  row  of  petals. 
j  "He  shall  sow,  plant,  or  transplant  herb,  vine 
or  tree,  when  the  moon  is  near  the  full,  and  the 
sign  of  Virgo,  and  he  will  have  abundance  of  blos- 
soms, and  of  long  succession,  but  great  paucity  of 
seed  or  fruit,  lie  shall  transplant  trees,  or  cut 
down  weeds,  briars  or  thistles,  when  the  moon  is 
old,  and  in  the  sign  of  the  Heart,  and  if  they  do 
not  die  at  once,  they  will  never  thrive,  but  dwin- 
dle away  and  perish. 

"When  Medicus  shall  have  made  these  experi- 
ments, and  witnessed  their  results,  year  after  year, 
he  will  become  a  convert  to   the  theory  of  lunar 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


319 


and  stellar  iaflaence  ;  and  though  like  hundreds  all  others  that  had  been  or  were  then  on  the  earth, 
of  others  he  may  know  nothing  of  the  astrological  To  produce  and  maintain  this  difference,  the  insti- 
principles  by  which  nature  is  governed,  he  willbe-|  tutions  for  education  were  to  have  a  correspond- 
iieve  the  results  which  he  sees,  and  cannot  contro- 
vert. Then  I  shall  expect  to  hear  from  him 
again."  


For  the  Nev)  Ens;land  Farmer 
MOUNT  AIRY  INSTITUTE. 

It  appears  by  a  notice  in  a  number  of  the  Far- 
mer, that  this  institution  has  been  discontinued, 
after  having  been  in  operation  eight  years.  It  is 
stated,  also,  that  of  the  217  pupils  that  have  at 
tended  this  agricultural  school,  four  only  were 
sons  of  farmers. 

Had  Professor  Wilkinson  been  satisfied  with 
the  above  announcement,  I  should  not  have  trou 
bled  you  with  this  communication.  It  is  to  the 
inference  which  he  draws  from  the  f;icts  stated, 
that  I  wish  to  call  attention, — viz.  :  that  the  rea 
son  why  less  than  one-fiftieth  of  the  students  were 
sons  of  farmers,  is  because  the  latter  think  that 
they  are  competent  to  educate  their  own  sons. 

From  these  instructive  facts,  I  draw  a  different 
inference  ;  farmers  do  not  patronize  these  isolated 
institutions,  because  they  believe  our  system  of  pub- 
lic schools  are,  or  should  be,  fully  competent  to  edu- 
cate their  sons. 

It  is  hoped  that  a  brief  discussion  of  this  subject 
may  do  something  towards  turning  the  expecta- 
tions and  reliance  of  the  friends  of  agricultural  ed- 
ucation, in  this  country,  from  schools  of  an  Euro- 
pean type,  to  those  of  the  New  England,  or  as  it 
is  rapidly  becoming,  the  American  system. 

That  isolated  agricultural  schools  succeed  in  Eu- 
rope, is  with  me  prima  facie  evidence  that  they 
will  not  succeed  here.  England  has  excellent 
schools  fjr  the  soldier,  for  the  priest,  for  the  gen- 
tleman farmer,  &e.,  but  for  the  "myriads  of  chil- 
dren that  throng  the  by- places  and  thorough  fores 
of  her  great  cities, — which  cluster  like  bees  in  her 
vast  manufacturing  establishments,  and  overspread 
her  well  tilled  fields,"  her  government  provides 
none.  Benevolent  individuals  have  indeed  done 
something  towards  supplying  this  deficiency  ;  but 
then  it  must  be  by  means  of  "Ragged  Schools" — 
as  though,  in  England,  charity  for  the  child  of  ne- 
glect, dared  not  minister  to  its  necessities,  with- 
out mingling  insult  with  relief.  This  system  of 
education,  or  rather  want  of  all  system,  may,  and 
probably  does,  accord  with  the  principles  of  gov- 
ernment and  the  forms  of  society  existing  there  ; 
and  consequently  is  unsuited  to  either,  as  estab- 
lished in  the  United  States. 

However  brilliant  the  success  of  the  "model" 
schools  of  Europe  may  appear,  they  are  generally 
schools  that  none  may  enter  but  tliose  born  in  cer- 
tain circumstances,  or  possessing  certain  patron- 
age or  influence  ;  and  it  is  with  the  most  pleasur- 
able emotions  that  I  tarn  my  thoughts  from  them 
to  our  own  New  England  system  of  education,  with 
her  district  and  high  schools,  and  colleges, — the 
birth-right  of  every  child  born  on  our  soil,  and  free 
to  the  children  of  the  thousands  who  annually  come 
to  us  from  other  lands.  The  world  ha.s  never  seen 
the  like.  "History,"  says  Prof.  G.  W.  Bknedict, 
in  a  discourse  upon  the  subject,  "showed  our  fore- 
fathers the  close  connection  between  the  charac- 
ters of  the  various  governments  of  the  world,  and 
that  of  the  institutions  of  learning  existing  under 
them.     Our  government  was  to  be  different  from 


ing  character."  ....  "It  is  from  the  want  of  a 
right  understanding  of  the  system  thus  established, 
that  so  many  and  such  diverse  schemes  are  en- 
tered upon  to  effect  what  can  be  done  in  reality 
only  by  the  system  itself.  Thus,  instead  of  all 
devoting  their  care  and  their  efforts  to  the  advance- 
ment and  perfection  of  its  several  parts,  attempts 
without  end  have  been  made  at  all  times  and  in 
almost  all  parts  of  our  country,  by  individuals,  by 
neighborhoods,  and  by  assemblages  of  men,a'^ree- 
ing  in  some  peculiar  opinions,  to  establish  schools 
of  all  grades  and  ^rms,  quite  different  from  the 
public  ones ;  and  by  which  out-of-the-way  pro- 
ceeding they  have  hoped  some  times  to  secure  per- 
sonal and  local  objects,  and  not  unfrequently  to  ac- 
complish some  extraordinary  good  to  their  fellow- 
citizens.  These  serve  to  distract  the  public  atten- 
tion from  the  schools  o"f  the  system,  and  oft-times 
for  a  while  to  do  them  a  serious  injury.  Yet  the 
result  always  vindicates  the  excellence  and  power 
of  the  public  system,  and  its  adaptednessto  the 
genius  of  our  "government.  It  moves  quietly  on 
its  way,  and  inevitably  they  are  so  modified  as  to 
conform  to  its  principles  and  become  a  part  of  it, 
or  they  fall  before  it.  One  after  another  it  de- 
vours them,  as  Aaron's  rod  of  miraculous  life  swal- 
lowed the  magic  serpents  of  Egypt." 

That  the  "  public  system  "  has  thus  far  de- 
voured the  various  schools  which  have  been  estab- 
lished to  teach  the  science  of  agriculture,  is  to  me 
a  su'iject  of  congratulation  ;  although  I  would  not 
impeach  the  motives  of  the  advocates  of  these 
"out-of-the-way  proceedings."  Men  are  prone  to 
look  beyond  themselves  and  their  circumstances 
for  the  means  of  doing  great  things.  The  mind 
somehow  inclines  to  overlook  the  understood  and 
available,  and  reach  forth  for  something  new, 
something  distant,  or  mysterious,  whenever  a  pow- 
erful effort  is  to  be  made.  Hence,  good  men,_in 
their  desire  to,,  advance  the  cause  of  education 
among  formers,  seem  to  overlook  our  New  Eng- 
land system  of  schools, — a  system  born  of  the  very 
necessities  of  freedom — a  system  on  which  the  lib- 
erties of  twenty-three  millions  of  freemen  rest — a 
system  in  which  they  have  themselves  been  edu- 
cated,— and  advocate  the  adoption  of  the  schools 
of  England  and  of  the  continent  as  models  for  in- 
stitutions in  which  American  farmers  are  to  be 
educated ! 

That  the  demand  for  agricultural  colleges  add 
schools  involves  this  idea,  I  am  fully  satisfied. — 
They  do  not  harmonize  with  our  free  institutions  ; 
they  fovor  a  c/ass— a  large  one,  to  be  sure,  but  all 
the  worse  for  that  ;  as  a  large  influence  would  be 
withdrawn  from  schools  common  to  all._ 

I  fear  our  system  of  public  schools  is  in  danger, 
both  from  the  assaults  of  open  enemies,  and  the 
indifference  of  friends.  A  large  portion  of  the 
foreigners  who  annually  flock  to  our  shores  are  di- 
rectly or  indirectly  opposed  to  the  entire  plan._  It 
is  boldly  attacked,  already,  in  our  large  cities  ; 
and  will  be  everywhere,  as  soon  as  opposition  can 
be  made  with  any  prospect  of  success.  Are  the 
descendents  of  the  founders  of  this  system  of  free 
schools  aware  of  the  position  they  assume  towards 
it,  when  they  acknowledge,  that,  as  to  the  educa- 
tion of  nine-tenths  of  the  people,  it  has  proved  m- 
eflicientl  ^*  *"• 

Winchester,  March,  1853. 


320 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


JULT 


LIVING  IN  CLOVER. 

That  there  is  considerable  difference  between 
"seed-time  and  harvest,"  is  sometimes  evident  to 
the  "meanest  capacity."  In  the  spring  of  prom- 
ise the  demagogue,  the  humbug  and  the  specula- 
tor, incontinently  make  up  their  minds  that  there 
is  "a  good  time  coming."  The  demagogue  as- 
sures his  supporters  that  his  plan  will  hasten  it, 
but  "the  good  time"  is  his  own  electicm  to  a  fat 
office.  The  humbug  lectures,  sings,  spouts  and 
prints,  and  the  "good  time"  comes  to  him  in  large 
subscriptions  and  accumulating  pence — the  "isms" 
and'^'ites"  and  "titcs"  and  "bites"  sell  to  advan- 
tage, and  the  seedy  old  coatapnds  itself  in  "high 
grass."  Tlie  speculator  acts  more  directly  to  the 
purpose  ;  he  forms  his  theory,  keeps  it  secret,  sows 
his  seed  and  awaits  the  harvest ;  but,  alas,  many 
a  blight  defers  the  fruition  of  his  hopes,  and  in 
some  cases,  when  he  has  determined  to  "live  in 
clover,"  and  make  seed  rise  without  sprouting,  he 
finds,  too  late,  that  he  has  only  been  going  through 
a  "course  of  sprouts,"  and  that  it  is  the  free  sell- 
ers and  not  the  monopolizers  who  "live  in  clover." 

Daring  the  last  summer,  when  money  was 
plenty,  the  sun  bright,  the  harvest  abundant,  hay 
fragrant,  yellow  corn  waving,  and  yellow  gold  on 
the  waves,  soine  half  dozen  sagacious  gentlemen 
ofNcvv  York,  in  connection  with  a  profound  direc- 
tor of  a  Philadelphia  bank,  formed  an  association 
for  motives  which  must  have  puzzled  a  Philadel- 
phia lawyer  to  divine.  This  association  being  of 
that  class  who  know  everything,  "who  never  want 
nobody  to  tell  them  nothing,  because  they  know 
more  about  their  business  tiian* anybody  else," 
nevertheless  received  accurate  information  that 
the  crop  of  clover-seed  was  short  in  Germany, 
with  chances  of  short  comings  in  England,  and 
possessed  of  this  information,  they  straigh.twmjs 
concluded  to  make  a  "ten  strike"  and  go  to  grass 
for  the  rest  of  their  days.  Seed  was  about  8^  to 
9  cents  per  lb.,  say  $5,50  per  bushel,  and  they 
began  to  buy  with  a  degree  of  shrewdness,  prompt- 
ness and  sagacity  worthy  of  a  better  cause.  But 
to  buy  is  easy — that  is,  when  you  have  got  the 
money — and  if  you  have  got  a  bank,  you  have  got 
the  money.  Cassar  said,  "Give  me  money  and  I 
will  have  men  ;  give  me  men  and  I  will  get 
money."  The  purchases  went  on  to  the  extent  of 
60,000  bushels,  and  the  price  gradually  rose  to  13 
cents  per  pound.  The  Ohio  formers  and  the  Wes- 
tern growers  opened  their  eyes  and  opened  their 
granaries,  getting  a  pretty  good  yield  from  that 
seed.  But  the  blasted  Dutch  did  not  buy.  They 
are  proverbiiilly  a  slow  race,  and  had  not  found 
out  how  much  they  wanted  "clover-seed."  Like 
the  stupid  English  at  Waterloo,  who  didn't  know 
when  they  were  Ijeaten,  they  were  tremendously 
in  want  of  clover-send  and  didn't  know  it.  So 
phlegmatic  were  they,  that  wlien  the  great  asso- 
ciation had,  f(ir  the  relief  of  the  Dutch,  sent  out 
cargoes,  tlicse  Flemings  absolutely  allowed  it  to 
be  re-shipped  to  London  to  compete  there  with 
direct  shipments  hence,  for  the  relief  of  the  Eng- 
lish, and  these  Eaglish,  wlio,  as  everybody  knows, 
have  some  .Saxon  blood,  absolutely  sent  some  of  the 
seed  back  here. 

Here  is  a  pretty  kettle  of  fish  !  Tlie  great  as- 
sociation, wich  the  Philadelphia  Bank  President 
at  the  top  of  it,  as  Nick  Biddle  was  formerly  at 
the  top  of  the  cotton  market,  is,  with  the  New 
York  Shipping  List  for  an   organ,  stuck  at  the 


close  of  the  season  with  50,000  bushels  clover- 
seed  at  13  cents,  with  interest,  storage,  commig- 
sions,  and  deterioration,  to  hold  over  to  another 
season,  when  the  high  quotations  of  the  last  six 
months  will  stimulate  an  unheard  of  production. 
Fresh  seed  pouring  on  the  market  to  compete  with 
this  old  seed,  will  probably  knock  it  out  of  the 
shell,  and  low  prices  may  be  looked  for.  It  is 
always  the  case  with  these  violent  vacillations  that 
the  market  goes  lower  in  consequence  of  a  rise, 
and  we  should  not  be  surprised  if  the  present 
stock,  say  30,000  bushels  here,  a  good  deal  of  it 
in  Ohio,  and  15,000  bushels  in  Europe,  did  not 
bring  13  cents,  involving  a  loss  of  $150,000,  all 
because  the  Dutch  don't  know  what  they  want. 

The  New  York  Shipping  List  had  the  exclusive 
information  in  relation  to  the  course  of  the  seed 
market,  and  imparted  its  useful  information  gene- 
rally. If  its  readers  didn't  know  all  about  it, 
"hadn't  they  oughten"  to  have  known  all  about 
it  ?  The  seed  did  not  finally  go  to  that  "bourne 
from  whence  no  traveller  returns  ;"  it  came  back, 
and  like  modern  spirits,  to  rap — rap  the  speculat 
tors  over  the  knuckles.  And  the  epitaph  on  Hones- 
John's  horse  will  apply  to  the  dead  speculation  : 

"If  he'd  of  lived,  he'd  of  lived  in  clover, 
But  as  he  died,  he  died  all  over." 

Philadelphia  Paper. 


IMPORTANT  TO  FARMERS. 

Every  article  which  can  aid  the  farmer  in  devel- 
oping the  agricultural  treasures  of  the  earth,  is  of 
consequence  to  the  world  at  large.  Such  an  arti- 
cle is  asserted  to  have  been  found  on  the  Island  of 
St.  Vincent,  one  of  the  West  India  Islands,  in 
what  is  known  by  the  name  of  "pozzolano."  It 
is  said  that  the  island  abounds  in  a  kind  of  earth 
of  the  most  peculiar  properties.  It  has  been  an- 
alyzed by  English  chemists,  who  pronounce  it  su- 
perior to  guano  as  a  manure.  It  is  also  an  excel- 
lent cement  for  use  under  water.  Webster  de- 
fines "pozzuolana"  or  "pozzolana,"  as  "volcanic 
ashes,  used  in  the  manufacture  of  mortar  which 
hardens  under  water.  They  are  from  Pozzuoli,  in 
Italy."  Webster  makes  no  mention  of  its  nutri- 
tive properties,  if  such  it  possess.  The  only  par- 
ticulars Ave  have  in  regard  to  the  extent  to  which 
it  is  being  applied,  are  contained  in  the  following 
extract  from  the  Mirror,  published  on  the  Island 
of  St.  Vincent  : 

"We  are  glad  to  find  that  the  peculiar  proper- 
ties of  this  description  of  earth,  with  which  our 
island  abounds,  of  quality  far  superior  to  what 
may  be  had  from  any  other  island,  are  now  being 
very  generally  understood,  and  that  the  article, 
from  the  increasing  demand  fjr  it,  is  likely  to  be- 
come before  long  one  of  regular  exportation  from 
St.  Vincent.  Nearly  2000  tons  have  been  exported 
hence  to  Bermuda  during  the  last  three  years, 
where  it  is  used  by  government  upon  the  erection 
of  an  extensive  breakwater  at  Ireland  Island,  and 
is  found  to  be  very  far  superior  to  anything  hith- 
erto used  for  simihar  purposes.  It  has  also  been 
recently  analyzed  by  eminent  chemists  in  England, 
and  pronounced  by  them  as  invaluable  manure, 
superior  to  guano.  In  Trinidad,  and  several  oth- 
er colonies,  it  has  been  tried  successfully  for  vari- 
ous purposes,  and  we  have  the  attestations  of  rep- 
utable scientific  men  that,  for  every  description  of 
constructions  under  water,  the  pozzolano  from  this 
island  is  far  preferable  to  Roman  cement." 


853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


321 


YELLOW  SIBERIAN  CRAB. 

The  above  beautiful  portrait  faithfully  repre- 
sents a  cluster  plucked  from  a  tree  in  the  garden 
of  Mr.  Raynolds,  one  of  the  proprietors  of  this 
paper.  The  whole  tree,  fruit  and  all,  was  the 
handsomest  we  ever  saw.  Every  garden  should 
have  a  tree  of  the  red  and  yellow  crab  apple.  The 
fruit  is  esteemed  for  preserving,  while  the  tree  is 
highly  ornamental ;  the  blossoms  are  white,  pro- 
duced in  beautiful  profusion  in  spring,  and  a  large 
crop  of  fruit  regularly  follows. 

Fruit  about  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  diameter 
very  regularly  formed  and  rather  flat.  Stalk  neaii- 
ly  two  inches  long,  and  very  slender.  Calxy  small, 
slightly  sunk.    Fit  for  preserving  in  September. 


For  the  New  England  Farmei . 
CHARCOAL. 

Mr.  Editor  : — Supposing  the  readers  of  the 
Farmer  to  have  an  interest  in  whatever  may  cause 
a  more  bounteous  harvest,  by  enriching  the  soil, 
or  destroying  the  insect  tribes  which  so  often  flour- 
ish at  the  farmer's  expense,  I  thought  to  give  a 
brief  account  of  the  effects  of  charcoal  on  grass 
lands,  field  crops,  garden  and  fruit  trees.  It  was 
not  pure  coal  that  was  used,  but  fine  refuse  coal, 
taken  from  the  hearths  where  pits  had  been  burned ; 
and  so  necessarily  mixed  with  the  loam,  with 
which  the  pits  were  covered,  and  a  small  quantity 
of  ashes.  Such  old  hearths  are  found  in  almost 
every  New  England  town,  particularly  those  at  a 


distance  from  the  cities,  where  wood  is  plenty  and 
manures  scarce  ;  hence  the  necessity  that  every 
thing  "be  turned  to  good  account,"  by  being  made 
to  assist  the  cultivator  of  a  somewhat  sterile  soil, 
to  increase  the  productive  capacity  of  his  farm. 

Some  four  years  since,  a  piece  of  grass  land  was 
top  dressed  with  coal  dust,  at  the  rate  of  about  five 
cords  to  the  acre.  The  crop  of  hay  was  increased 
in  quantity,  and  improved  in  quality.  A  part  of 
the  lot  was  left  undressed,  so  the  efiect  was  readily 
seen.  It  was  moist  land,  and  such  seems  to  be 
most  benefited  by  coal. 

For  about  ten  years,  I  have  used  charcoal,  com- 
posted with  stable  manure,  for  corn  and  potatoes. 
Previous  to  using  it  the  corn  was  frequently  in- 
jured, and  sometimes  destroyed,  by  worms  in  the 
spring ;  but  now  the  corn  is  food  for  hogs  instead 
of  worms.  On  the  same  land,  where  corn  was 
very  much  injured  by  worms  ten  years  ago,  last 
season,  not  a  hill  was  attacked. 

For  potatoes,  it  has  been  used  as  for  corn,  and 
with  equally  good  results.  The  wire-worm  no 
longer  takes  up  his  winter  quarters  in  this  most 
valuable  root.  At  the  table,  no  special  care  is  now 
required  to  distinguish  a  potato  from  the  pepper- 
box. Our  strong  Irish  propensity  is  not  checked, 
at  the  sight  of  the  animal  and  vegetable  cooked  in 
a  little  too  ne.ir  proximity. 

I  have  somewhere  seen  it  stated,  that  charcoal 
would  prevent  the  potato  rot,  but  with  us  it  seems 
neither  to  produce  nor  prevent  it.  ■  On  a  neigh- 
bor's field  which  I  saw,  they  were  equally  rotten, 
in  a  bed  of  coal  dust,  and  where  there  was  no 
coal. 


322 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


July 


An  old,  wormy  garden  was  spread  over  with  a  Of  the  different  modes  of  applying  day  we 
heavy  coat  of  coal  dust  a  few  years  since.  The  Lather  prefer  that  of  hauling  it  on  to  t°he  land  in 
worms  have  died,  or  ceased  their  depredatbns,  it  Lr,        ,  ,        i  ^  ..u    c     l    ^    .  , 

matters  not  which,  since  beets,  radishes  and  onions  1*^'  autumn,^ spread,  and  let  the  frost  do  its  work 
now  grow,  fit  to  be  seen  before  they  are  eaten.       "P*^'^  '^  ^^  winter. 

As   a   dressing  lor  young  trees,  coal-dust  has 
proved  valuable.     It  cljocks,  rather  than  cherishes,  ^<""  "**  ^^"'  England  Farmer. 

that  bore  of  horticulturists— the  borer.     Of  about  MANURES—THEIR  NATURE  AND  CON- 
thirty  trees  around  which  it  was  placed,  hardly  STITUENT  PRINCIPLES. 


one  has  been  injured  ;  while   of  about  the  same 
number  in  a  contiguous  field,  around  which  ma- 


A  manure  may  be  defined  to  be  any  fertilizing 


nures  from  the  barn  were  spread,  nearly  all  bear  compound  or  simple  ingredient  added  to  a  soil  of 
u  •'  which  it  IS  naturally  deficient  ;  and  as  all  c 


the  marks  of  the  hidden  worker. 

I  simply  state  the  results,  and  leave  it  for  others 
to  shed  the  light  of  science  on  this  dark  subject. 

Chester,  N.  H.,  May  25,  1853.  m. 

Remarks. — The  results  which  our  correspond- 
ent states,  ought  to  lead  others  to  copy  his  exam- 
ple in  the  use  of  coal  hearths.  We  hope  to  hear 
from  him  often. 


cultiva- 
ted lands  should  contain  the  earths,  silica,  carbon- 
ate of  lime,  clay,  magnesia,  decomposing  organic 
matter,  and  certain  saline  substances,  it  is  evident 
that  in  cases  where  any  one  of  these  is  contained 
in  the  land  in  insufficient  quantities  for  the  supply 
of  vegetables,  then  the  addition  of  that  substance, 
either  in  its  simple  or  compoand  form,  constitutes 
the  great  art  of  manuring.  Fertilizers,  therefore, 
naturally  divide  themselves  into  three  classes. 
First,  the  earthy,  which  is  by  far  the  most  per- 
OOMPOSTING  manent  portions  of  a  soil,  and  are  usually  applied 

.    „  '  in  the  largest  proportions. 

A  trOOD  Compost  for  Sandy  Land.— Take  10  Second,  the  organic,  vegetable  and  animal,  which 
loads  ot  stable  or  barnyard  manure,  5  loads  of  day,  are  the  least  permanent,  and  are  used  in  much 
M  bushels  of  ashes,  and  twenty  bushds  of  lime  ;  smaller  quantities  than  the  earthy,  and, 
mix  the  whole  well  together,  and  let  it  remain  in  Third,  the  saline,  which  are  the  most  sparingly 
pile  a  few  weeks  ;  then  turn  it  over,  and  it  will  be  used  of  all  fertilizers,  are  the  most  readily  absorbed 
fat  to  apply  to  the  land.  by  plants,  and  whose  period   of  duration  in  the 

1  he  above  will  make   a  better   dressing  for  an  soil  are  longer  than  the  organic,  but  less  than  the 
acre  of   land  than  twenty-five  loads  of  stable    or 'earth  v. 
barn-yard  manure   alone,  and  will  last  longer 


American  Farmer 

In  all  composts  intended  for  light,  sandy  soils, 
clay  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  ingredients  that 
can  possibly  be  used.  One  reason  why  sandy 
lands  are  so  little  capable  of  vegetable  production, 
is  their  want  of  adhesiveness.  It  is  almost  impos- 
sible to  consolidate  them  sufficiently  to  secure  that 
degree  of  retention  so  essentially  and  indispensa- 
bly necessary  to  the  decomposition  of  those  organic 
matters  which  are  applied  in  the  course  of  cultiva- 
tion as  manure. 

The  quantity  of  day  required  to  change  the  con 


earthy. 

A  manure  is  either  useful  to  vegetation  by  af- 
fording in  a  simple  or  a  decomposed  state,  direct 
food  or  constituents  of  food,  or  else  it  is  a  fertili- 
zer, by  giving  to  the  soil  additional  powers  to  ab- 
sorb and  retain  atmospheric  gases  and  moisture. 
I  shall  be  able  to  explain  hereafter  that  most  ma- 
nures applied  to  land  assist  in  the  growth  of  plants 
in  both  ways.  Looking  at  the  question  abstractly, 
it  must  be  evident  that  as  animals  receive  almost 
the  whole  of  their  nutriment,  either  directly  or  in- 
directly, from  the  vegetable  kingdom,  their  excre- 
ment or  their  decomposing  bodies  returning  to 
the  soil,  must  form  the  best  manures.  With  re- 
gard to  some-  inorganic  substances,  clay  of  the 
earthy  manures,  and  some  of  the  saline  fertilizers. 


stitutional   texture   of  such  lands,  is  necessarily  ^^^  P^.'^^^P-'i^lj^y  *h«i^.  absorption  and  retention 

^.         ,     .,,         .  T    i.-  c      L  ,  I  of  moisture,     trvnsum  and  sihca,  it  is  true,  enter 

great ;  yet  with  copious  applications  of  putrescent  j^^^  ^j^^  composition  of  the  grasses,  and  in  minute 
substances,  and  the  regular  and  systematic  mani-  "  "  -      -      -  ... 


pulations  of  judicious  husbandry,  the  task  of  sup- 
plying as  much  as  may  be  necessary  effectually  to 
ameliorate  and  permanently  to  improve  the  tex- 
ture and  productive  capacity  is  by  no  means  te- 
dious. 
There  are  few  farmers  who  could  not   devote 


proportions  other  salts  do  the  same,  but  if  we  ex- 
eept  the  phosphate  of  lime,  (the  earthy  parts  of 
bones)  none  of  the  salts  can  be  considered  to  be  a 
very  general  direct  food  for  plants.  Davy  very 
clearly  explains  the  desirable  objects  in  the  fertil- 
izing of  soils  :  he  says  that  the  plants  growing  in 
a  soil  incapable  of  supplying  them  with  sufficient 
manure  or  dead  organized  matter,  are  generally 


three  or  four  days  in  the  year,with  their  teams,  to  i  very  low,  having  brown  or  dark  green  leaves,  and 
carting  on  day  from  the  low  grounds,  or  to  accu- ^^^eir  woody  fibre  abounds  in  earth.     Those  vege- 

,r..iiof;,,,,u  ;,,  fi.«;,.  „„  ^  ii  i.  ^  u  xi  itating  on  peatv  soils,  he  says,  or  on  land  too  co- 
muiattng  it  m  their  yards  and  hog-styes,  to  be  then!    -7        ^   v    i     -J       •      \  *  ii  t.^ 

,°         J         -^         ,.,'?''.'.  „        piously  supplied  with  animal  or  vegetalue  matter, 

worked  up  and  composted  with  the  voidings  of  the'^apidly  expand,  produce  large,  bright  green  leaves, 

animals  and  other  materials  capable  of  imparting 'abound  in  sap  and  generally  blossom  prematurely. 

fertility  to  their  lands.  Excess  of  poverty  or  riches,  is  equally  fatal  to  the 

The  more  day  one  can  afford  on  such  improve-  h^P^s  of  the  farmer,  and  the  true  constitution  of 

ments,  the  better ;  for  there  is  little  danger,  in  any*''^  T^'  ^T  *-'^  ^'!f  '"'"''P-^'  ''  *^^^  '"  ''''''''''  *^^ 
~        r-       i  1        o      1  11      T      earthy  materials,  the  moisture   and  manure,  are 

case,  of  applying  too  much.  Sand  on  day  lands,  p.^.p/^i^  assodated,  and  in  which  the  decomposing 
IS  equally  beneficial,  and  perhaps,  in  most  cases,  vegetable  or  animal  matter  does  not  exceed  one- 
even  more  so.  'fourth  of  the  weight  of  the  earthy  constituents. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  PARMER. 


323 


Of  the  organic  manurea,  those  which  the  most 
readily  putrefy  are  the  most  rapid  in  their  effects; 
but  then,  on  the  other  hand,  they  are  the  most 
speedily  exhausted;  thus  oil  and  fish,  the  most 
rapid  of  fertilizers,  are  exhausted  by  the  few  first 
crops,  whilst  bones,  which  decay  more  slowly,  last 
longer  in  soil.  The  effect  of  chopped  woollen  rags 
is  excellent  for  two  years  in  heavy  soils,  and  for 
three  in  light  soils.  Farm-yard  manure,  when  ap- 
plied in  a  style  of  freshness,  illustrates  the  same 
result.  Take  two  pieces  of  the  same  kind  of  soil 
and  manure  one  of  them  with  a  mixture  of  dung 
and  straw  higlily  putrefied,  and  the  other  with  the 
same  mixture  newly  made,  and  the  straw  almost 
fresh,  it  will  be  observed  that  the  plants  grown  up- 
on the  land  with  the  putrefied  dung  produce  a 
much  better  crop  the  first  year  than  the  other, 
but  the  second  year  the  land  with  the  fresh  dung 
will  produce  far  the  best  crop,  and  the  same  re- 
sult will  appear  the  third  year,  after  which  both 
will  appear  equally  exhausted. 

It  is  of  the  highest  importance  to  the  farmer 
that  he  should  obtain  a  correct  knowledge  of  the 
mode  in  which  those  manures  operate  which  are 
found  to  be  advantageous  to  the  growth  of  his 
crops.  He  must  discard  from  his  mind  all  those 
false  conclusions  which  are  sometimes  drawn  with 
regard  to  an  imaginary  power  assigned  to  plants 
of  generating  vegetable  substances,  for  they  can 
effect  no  such  miraculous  results.  It  is  true  they 
can  combine  the  gases  or  elements  of  vegetable 
matters  together,  and  form  gluten,  starch,  gum, 
sugar,  woody  fibre,  &c.  They  can  absorb  and  ar- 
range with  those  earths  and  saline  bodies,  but  the 
oxygen,  the  carbon,  the  nitrogen  and  hydrogen  of 
which  the  first  named  are  comprised  and  which 
plants  usually  obtain  from  either  the  atmosphere 
or  the  decomposition  of  organic  matter,  they  can 
no  more  create  than  they  can  form  the  lime  or  si- 
lica which  are  present  in  most  vegetables.  Davy 
proves  this  when  lie  made  a  plant  of  oat  grow  in 
pure  carbonate  of  lime  and  watered  with  distilled 
water.  It  grew  but  weakly,  although  it  had  a 
free  supply  of  atmospheric  air,  yet  the  access  of 
all  dust  was  carefully  prevented.  Upon  analyzing 
the  plant  it  was  found  to  have  much  increased  in 
carbonate  of  lime,  but  its  silica  was  rather  dimin- 
ished. 

It  should  also  be  a  received  axiom  with  the  far- 
mer that  there  is  no  part  of  any  decomposing  ma- 
nure, animal  or  vegetable,  but  what  is  either,  in 
its  gaseous  or  fluid  state, the  natural  food  of  plants; 
thus  the  gases  emitted  by  the  putrefaction  of  a 
dung-hill  are  as  much  lost  to  the  vegetable  mat- 
ters of  the  soil,  as  also  the  liquid  that  is  allowed 
to  run  away  from  the  heap,  and  such  an  injury  is 
never  submitted  to  by  the  intelligent  farmer  but 
from  unavoidable  necessity. 

The  mixing  of  caustic  lime  with  dung  is  a  most 
baneful  practice,  as  it  renders  the  ammonia  caus- 
tic and  volatile  to  the  highest  degree,  and  causes 
the  loss  of  the  most  energetic  portion  of  the  dung. 
When  land  requires  lime  it  should  be  applied  sep- 
arately, as  the  lime  will  in  a  short  time  absorb  the 
oxygen  from  the  air  and  form  carbonate  of  lime 
and  carbonic  acid,  in  which  state  it  is  most  benefi- 
cial to  the  soil,  botli  for  the  absorbing  of  mois- 
ure  from  the  air  and  supplying  the  embryo  plant 
with  carbonic  acid,  which  is  essential  to  its  germi- 
nation and  future  growth.  But  to  return  to  my 
former  subject.     We  sec  the  value  of  green  ma- 


nures, for  in  these  cases  every  portion  of  the  de- 
caying and  fermenting  fertilizer  is  gradually  ab- 
sorbed by  the  roots  and  leaves  of  the  succeeding 
crops.  Mattuew  A.  Perry. 

Waterlown,  May  10,  1853. 


FOOD    OF    PLANTS— MODE    OF    SUP- 
PLY—NOURISHMENT. 

Carbon,  oxygen  and  hydrogen  exist  abundantly 
in  plants.  Nitrogen  is  contained  in  them  in  some- 
what less  quantity  ;  but  is  essential  to  their  growth 
and  nourishment.  It  is  this  last  element,  nitro- 
gen, to  which  the  cereal  grains  and  other  products 
owe  their  nutritive  quality ;  being  a  principal 
component  of  gluten,  which  exists  largely  in  all  the 
grains,  and  most  in  wheat.  It  is  on  account  of  the 
greater  proportion  of  gluten  in  wheat  that  this  is 
more  nutritious  than  the  other  grains.  Wheat 
approaches  nearer  to  animal  flesh  than  most  other 
vegetabies,  nitrogen  and  phosphate  of  lime  being 
in  large  part  the  constituents  of  both. 

These  several  substances  which  are  essential  to 
the  nourishment  of  plants,  are  absorbed  by  them 
from  the  atmosphere,  by  the  action  of  their  leaves 
and  their  general  surface,  and  also  taken  up  from 
the  earth  by  their  roots.  The  four  elementary 
substances  named  are  the  principal  constituents 
of  all  vegetables.  They,  however,  mostly  absorb 
some  earthy  matter  by  their  roots,  as  phosphate 
of  lime  already  mentioned,  and  silica,  which  are  in 
this  way  taken  up  by  wheat  and  constitute  impor- 
tant ingredients  in  the  vegetable  economy. 

The  mode  by  which  this  food  is  taken  up  and 
assimilated  to  the  vegetable  organism,  is  matter 
r^  only  of  curious  knowledge  but  of  most  useful 
instruction  to  the  farmer.  And  we  shall,  there- 
fore, in  a  few  words  explain  the  process. 

Most  of  the  oxygen  contained  in  vegetable  sub- 
stances is  taken  up  by  them  either  in  combination 
with  carbon  or  hydrogen.  These  are  chiefly  ob- 
tained, by  respiration,  from  the  atmosphere,  by  the 
leaves  and  general  surface.  When  the  first  of 
these  gases  is  taken  in  with  hydrogen,  the  com- 
bined substances  form  water ;  when  taken  in  with 
carbon  the  united  substances  form  carbonic  acid, 
the  surplus  oxygen  escaping  in  respiration.  Ni- 
trogen is  taken  in  by  the  plant  in  the  same  way, 
us\ially  in  combination  with  some  of  the  other  at- 
mospheric constituents.  By  its  union  with  hydro 
gen  in  the  tissues  of  plants  ammonia  is  formed, 
which  is  most  essential  to  the  nourishment  of  all 
vegetables.  The  principal  supply  of  this  substance, 
ammonia,  is,  however,  taken  up  by  the  roots. 

Beside  the  earthy  matters  above  mentioned,  si- 
lica, phosphate  of  lime  and  ammonia,  potash,  in 
some  form,  is  found  in  many  vegetables.  Of  these, 
each  different  species  of  plant  has  some  one  or  more 
essential  to  its  growth,  though  not  requiring  a 
large  supply.  The  substances,  in  fact,  absorbed 
from  the  atmosphere  alone,  have  been  found  suffi- 


324 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


JULT 


cient  to  sustain  the  life  of  a  tree  or  plant  for  a 
longtime; — water,  carbonic  acid,  and  ammonia, 
which  are  taken  from  the  atmosphere,  or  formed 
_  within  the  plant  from  the  gases  inhaled,  supplying 
ingredients  of  new  compounds,  which  are  wholly 
sufficient  to  the  vegetable  life. 

Most  plants,  however,  require  for  their  nourish- 
ment, and  vigorous  growth,  something  more  bj 
way  of  aliment  than  can  be  collected  from  the  at- 
mosphere. This  they  are  enabled  to  obtain  by 
their  roots  from  the  surrounding  soil.  Thus  a 
great  deal  of  moisture  is  taken  up  by  the  roots, 
and  with  this  a  small  portion  of  the  earthy  matters 
necessary  to  the  food  of  the  plant.  Some  soils  are 
better  adapted  than  others  to  hold  and  furnish  the 
needed  quantity.  We  cannot  in  a  brief  paragraph 
explain  the  differences. 

It  is  the  office  of  the  soil,  also,  to  supply  car- 
bonic acid  as  well  as  water.  The  decay  of  matter 
in  the  earth  continually  furnishes  this  product, 
and  it  is  also  furnished  to  the  roots,  as  to  the 
leaves  and  aerial  surface,  by  the  atmosphere,  on 
the  two  constituents  of  carbon  and  oxygen,  which 
uniting  in  the  tissues  of  the  plants,  form  the  car- 
bonic acid.  The  absorption  of  this  carbonic  acid 
by  the  roots  may  be  much  assisted  artificially. 
One  way  of  doing  this  is  by  animal  or  vegetable 
substances  in  decomposition,  which  furnish  it 
abundantly.  It  may  be  also  assisted  in  other 
modes.  Some  substances  absorb  gases  to  many 
times  their  own  bulk.  Of  these,  charcoal  has  a 
great  capacity  for  absorbing  carbonic  acid  gas  from 
the  air.  If,  therefore,  charcoal  be  placed  about 
the  roots,  and  an  abundant  supply  of  water  givt  , 
the  carbonic  acid  gas  which  is  extracted  from  tTe 
atmosphere  by  the  charcoal  will  be  dissolved  by 
the  water,  and  with  it  taken  up  into  the  plant  by 
the  root. 

ANALYSIS  OF  SOILS  AND   THEIR  PRO- 
DUCTIONS. 

At  a  recent  meeting  of  the  U.  S.  Agricultural 
Society  at  Washington,  a  paper  was  read  which 
had  been  presented  to  the  Pennsylvania  Agricul- 
tural Society  by  Prof  Booth,  of  Philadelphia,  on 
this  subject.  The  purport  was,  that  in  the  present 
state  of  chemical  science  not  much  practical  bene- 
fit^ could  accrue  to  the  farmer,  from  having  his 
soils  analyzed.  Soils  were  extremely  various,  the 
best  known  methods  of  analysis  complicated,  labo- 
rious, and  of  course,  expensive.  Very  small  quan- 
tities of  some  important  ingredients  were  necessary 
for  the  crop  ;_  the  difficulty  of  determining  these 
minute  quantities  was  very  great ;  and  a  great  de- 
gree of  uncertainty  attended  the  result. 

The  paper  breathed  throughout  the  caution  and 
modesty  of  true  science,  and  as  it  appeared  to  us, 
showed  a  noble  disposition  to  be  satisfied  with 
nothing  short  of  scientific  accuracy.  But  the 
question  is,_may  not  an  analysis  which  is  not  in  all 
respects  minutely  accurate,  be  of  service?  We 
have  no_  doubt  but  it  may  be  in  many  cases.  The 
danger  is  that  the  analist  will  claim  too  much,  his 
directions  fail,  and  science  become,  in  the  view  of 


the  farmer,  a  humbug,  as  we  believe  very  many  of 
the  $5  analyses  truly  are.  Prof  Mapes  attacked 
the  paper  of  Prof  Booth  with  great  vehemence, 
claiming  that  his  positions  were  nearly  all  wrong. 
Considerable  discussion  followed,  after  which,  it 
appearing  that  the  paper  was  not  presented  for 
the  action  of  the  U.  S.  Society,  but  as  a  part  of 
the  proceedings  of  the  Pennsylvania  Society,  and 
so  far  as  could  be  ascertained,  even  without  Prof. 
Booth's  knowledge,  it  was  (not  withdrawn,  as 
many  reports  have  said,)  put  in  the  hands  of  the 
gentleman  by  whom  the  JPennsylvania  proceedings 
were  presented,  to  take  such  course  as  Prof  Booth 
should  direct.  As  the  thing  was  placed,  the  dis- 
cussion was  out  of  place,  and  to  have  directed  it 
withdrawn  would  have  been  very  uncourteous  to 
the  Pennsylvania  Society. 

The  subject  was  deemed  one  of  great  impor- 
tance, and  there  were  many  who  wished  to  have 
the  paper  brought  before  the  Society  in  such  a 
manner  that  it  could  be,  with  propriety,  discussed, 
and  perhaps  be  made  the  basis  of  a  report  from  a 
committee. 

We  have  high  hopes  and  expectations  from  the 
aid  of  science  in  the  cause  of  agriculture  ;  but  when 
the  best  analytic  chemists  of  the  day  speak  with 
great  caution  on  the  subject  of  soil  analysis  as  the 
director  of  the  firmer,  it  should  lead  us  not  to  re- 
ly too  confidently  on  the  decisions  of  second  or 
third  rate  chemists,  however  confident  they  may 
be. 

But  analysis  may  be  a  good  councillor  where  it 
Is  not  entitled  to  the  rank  of  commander.  Some 
ingredient  which  should  exist  in  considerable 
quantities  may  be  so  deficient  that  a  very  Imper- 
fect assay  will  show  a  defect.  If  those  crops 
which  require  a  full  supply  of  the  ingredient  sup- 
posed deficient,  have  failed  on  the  soil  analized, 
the  probability  would  be  very  strong  that  we  were 
on  the  right  track.  Butr  this  last  thought  sug- 
gests another  field  for  scientific  analyses,  which  is, 
in  our  view,  subject  to  less  difficulty,  and  offijrs  a 
richer  harvest. 

We  refer  to  the  analysis  of  the  products  of  the 
soil.  If  it  is  known  of  what  ingredients  the  ker- 
nel of  wheat  is  composed,  and  of  what  the  straw, 
we  may  often  tell  why,  on  some  fields,  a  heavy 
growth  of  straw  with  small,  poor  kernels,  is  the 
U5ual  result.  It  may  be  said  that  the  small  grain 
comes  from  the  falling  down  of  the  straw ;  but 
the  question  is,  why  does  the  straw  fall?  Every 
one  knows  that  it  is  not  always  because  It  is 
large.  It  will  often  fall  when,  if  it  stood  up  and 
filled  well,  nothing  more  than  a  medium  crop 
could  be  obtained.  Straw  generally  falls  because 
It  lacks  a  due  portion  of  silica,  (silex,  flinstone.) 
It  is  this  that  adds  due  strength  to  It.  Now  it  is 
true  that  almost,  if  not  all  soils,  muck  excepted, 
contain  silex  enough,  but  It  is  not  In  a  state  to  be 
dissolved  by  water.  If  potash  be  added  you  get 
a  silicate,  a  new  compound,  which  Is  soluble.  If 
common  yard  manure,  unfermented,  be  applied 
freely  to  soils  not  well  supplied  with  silica  in  a 
soluble  state,  you  will  get  a  large  growth  of  straw, 
extremely  weak  and  almost  certain  to  fall  early. 
But  If  the  soil  is  rich  from  manure  applied  the 
year  previous,  and  now  well  decomposed  and 
thoroughly  mixed  with  the  earth,  and  a  due  pro- 
portion of  alkalies  and  other  Ingredients  of  the 
crop  are  present,  you  may  set  as  heavy  a  growth 
of  straw  standing  erect   and  carrying  to  perfect 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER 


325 


maturity  thrible  the  weight  of  grain  obtained  in 
the  other  case.  But  tlie  kernel  contains  a  very 
large  portion  of  phosphoric  acid  and  but  little 
silica.  You  may,  therefore,  get  a  good  straw 
with  a  small,  poor  berry.  We  have  no  doubt  that 
a  shrunk  berry  is  often,  not  always,  but  often 
caused  by  the  want  of  a  proper  quantity  of  phos- 
phoric acid  in  the  soil. 

Now  the  diSerent  crops  draw,  in  general  terms, 
on  the  same  ingredients  of  the  soil,  but  in  ex- 
tremely different  proportions.  While  the  ash  of 
one  production  will  be  composed  of  fifty  parts  in  a 
hundred  of  some  particular  ingredient,  the  ash  of 
another  will  show  less  than  one  part  in  five  hun- 
dred of  that  ingredient,  but  it  will  draw  largely 
upon  some  other  element.  Hence  the  great  value 
of  changing  crops, — rotation  of  crops.  Every 
farmer  should  have  good  tables  of  the  ingredients 
of  the.  various  productions  of  the. soil,  and  make 
them  his  councillors  in  all  his  operations. — Pitts- 
field  Culturist. 

ANOTHER  TRIAL  OF  PLOWS. 

Stop  the  Plow,  and  if  it  did  not  stop  civilization, 
it  would  give  it  such  a  blow  as  to  stagger  it  almost 
beyond  further  power  of  progress.  We  wonder 
even  now,  how  people  subsist,  and  on  what  they 
subsist,  in  populous  countries,  where  the  plow 
still  remains  a  rude  and  unwieldy  instrument,  or 
where  it  is  scarcely  worthy  the  name  of  an  im- 
plement of  husbandry,  and  is  too  ill-contrived  and 
inefBcifint  to  remove  the  soil  more  than  an  inch  or 
two  in  depth. 

We  were  never  more  forcibly  reminded  of  the 
vast  importance  of  the  Plow  than  in  witnessing 
the  trial  of  several  of  new  and  most  beautiful  con- 
struction on  the  farm  of  Mr.  Joel  Nourse,  in  Ips- 
wich, on  Tuesday,  the  24:th  of  May.  Severalgen- 
tlemen  of  great  practical  experience  were  present, 
as  well  as  others  acquainted  with  the  mathemati- 
cal construction  of  the  implement,  among  whom 
was  Mr.  Knox,  the  Pattern-maker  in  the  large  es- 
tablishment of  Messrs.  Ruggles,  Nourse,  Mason  & 
Co.,  of  Boston  and  Worcester. 

A  plow  to  possess  the  necessary  strength,  and 
at  the  same  time  to  lay  off,  and  lay  handsomely 
away,  the  earth,  or  furrow,  raised  by  the  move- 
ment of  the  team,  must  not  only  be  constructed 
with  mechanical  skill,  but  upon  true  mathematical 
principles.  The  mould  board  must  be  so  shaped 
as  to  roll  easily  away  the  furrow,  which  has  been 
placed  upon  it,  while  those  shapes  must,  at  the 
same  time,  offer  the  least  possible  resistance  to  the 
progress  of  the  plow.  It  must  combine  the  prop- 
erties both  of  the  wedge  and  screw.  Happily, 
Mr.  Kxox  seems  to  understand  these  wants,  and 
has  accordingly  given  us  plows  which  are  models 
of  mechanical  skill  and  whose  forms  are  fashioned 
by  mathematical  rules. 

We  have  space  at  present  to  speak  of  only  two 
of  the  plows  used  in  this  trial, — the  Deep  Tiller, 
No.  77,  and  the  Double  Mould-board,  or  Skim 
Plow,  and  a  few  words  of  a  new  implement  called 
"TAe  Horse  Hoe." 


The  ground  on  which  the  trial  took  place  was  a 
sandy  loam,  never  having  been  plowed  deeper 
than  8  or  9  inches,  free  from  stones,  and  altogeth- 
er favorable  for  the  trial. 

The  team,  consisting  of  two  pairs  ot  oxen,  was 
hitched  to  the  Deep  Tiller,  and  set  in  motion,  and 
never  before  did  we  witness  such  execution  with 
the  plow.  A  trench  12  to  13  inches  deep,  and  24 
inches  wide,  was  cut  and  cleaned  out  at  every 
round,  the  furrow  being  laid  over,  not  entirely  flat, 
but  80  as  to  cover  every  blade  of  grass.  What  an 
achievement!  And  going  down,  too,  some  3  or  4 
inches  where  plow  had  never  been  before.  It  was 
done  quietly,  and  without  over  exertion  to  the 
team,  the  cattle  taking  an  even  and  steady  step 
round  the  land.  There  was  almost  a  sublimity  in 
this  rapid  change  of  the  solid  earth.  In  it  we  saw 
not  only  future  harvests  of  swelling  fruits  and 
golden  grain,  but  the  pioneer  of  civilization,  the 
triumphs  of  science  and  skill  over  the '  resisting 
form  of  the  earth!  An  old  observer  remarked, 
that  12  oxen  were  formerly  required  to  cut  such  a 
furrow  with  a  ponderous  mis-shapen  machine. 

On  laying  a  ten  foot  pole  across  the  plowed 
ground  and  lapping  over  the  unplowcd,  it  was 
found  that  the  process  of  plowing  had  raised  the 
ground  sis  inches  higher  than  it  laid  before. 

The  trial  with  the  double  plow  was  no  less  sat- 
isfactory. It  cut  a  furrow  9  inches  deep,  and  12 
inches  wide,  first  taking  off  3  inches  of  the  turf 
and  laying  it  fairly  over,  with  both  edges  resting 
on  the  bottom  of  the  previous  furrow — or,  in  other 
words,  leaving  the  centre  of  the  turf  a  little  the 
highest.  It  turns  up  and  pulverizes  the  remain- 
ii^  portion  of  the  furrow  in  the  most  desirable 
manner,  leaving  it  in  such  condition  that  a  trifling 
labor  only,  is  necessary  to  prepare  it  for  the  seed. 
It  appeared  to  us  that  the  power  required  to  plow 
a  given  depth  was  not  as  much  with  the  double 
plow  as  with  a  single  one. 

But  the  operations  of  the  "Horse  Hoe,"  a  new 
and  beautiful  implement,  invented  by  the  manu- 
facturers, added  a  crowning  grace  to  this  interest- 
ing trial.  We  shall  give  a  more  particular  descrip- 
tion of  it  hereafter. 

The  Horse  Hoe  is  the  most  attractive  implement 
we  have  ever  seen  on  the  farm,  and,  after  the 
plow,  we  shall  be  mistaken  if  it  does  not  prove  one 
of  the  most  eiBcient. 

Among  others  present  on  this  occasion,  was  our 
Associate,  Mr.  F.  Holbrook,  the  farmer  of  Ver- 
mont, as  graceful  with  the  plow  handles  as  with 
the  pen,  and  always  the  cool,  sound,  practical  man. 

The  trial  was  more  satisfactory  than  any  we 
had  before  witnessed,  inasmuch  as  the  ground  was 
more  favorable,  and  the  plows  in  exact  working 
order. 

Our  thanks  are  due  all  the  persons  attending 
for  kind  attentions,  and  particularly  to  the  gentle- 
manly proprietor  of  the  farm. 


326 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


July 


THE  FLOWERS. 

BV   C.    D.    STUART. 

There  is  a  legend  old  us  earlh, 

But  beauiifiil  and  true, 
Which  tells  us  how  the  flowers  had  birth, 

And  wherefore  came  the  dew. 

When  Eve,  through  Satan's  sore  deceit, 

Touched  the  forbidden  tree, 
And  templed  her  "good  man"  to  eat, 

The  Lord  came  angrily; 

And  straightway  turned  from  Eden's  bowers 

These  first-born  sinners  forth, 
Away  from  all  its  smiling  flowers — 

Upon  the  barren  earth. 

But  pitying— ere  to  Heaven  he  passed— 

His  angels— brothers  then — 
O'er  all  the  earlh  their  fooiprints  cast, 

And  hill,  and  vale,  and  glen. 

Sparkled  with  flowers— Earth's  starry  spheres- 

And  ere  they  fled  from  view, 
They  strewed  the  flowers  with  pitying  tears, 

Wliich  since  has  passed  lor  dew. 

And  thus,  though  Paradise  was  lost 

By  first  of  human  kind, 
Their  children  know,  though  sorely  crossed, 

God's  love  is  left  behind. 


HORSES— CAREFUL  USE  OF,  &0. 

An  acquaintance  lost  his  horse,  a  few  days  ago 
in  a  manner  that  would  suggest  an  habitual  cau- 
tion in  driving.  The  horse,  a  valuable  one,  well 
kept,  in  good  spirits,  and  in  perfect  health,  was 
taken  from  the  stable  and  driven.  He  had  ascend- 
ed a  long  and  hard  hill  within  the  first  mile  of 
driving,  and  as  soon  as  the  summit  was  reached, 
the  driver,  as  is  the  habit  of  many,  touched  him 
with  the  whip  ;  he  sprang,  stopped,  staggered, 
and  fell,  and  by  the  time  the  driver  could  alight 
from  the  carriage,  he  was  dead.  An  examination 
showed  that  a  large  blood-vessel  near  the  heart  hSd 
been  ruptured.  No  appearance  of  disease  could 
be  detected. 

Now  there  would  be  in  the  same  circumstances 
always  a  danger  of  a  similar  occurrence.  Espe- 
cially if  the  stomach  should  happen  to  be  filled,  as 
it  would  be  directly  after  a  full  meal. 

Every  increase  of  the  muscular  action  of  any  an- 
imal produces  an  increase  in  the  rapidity  of  the 
circulation  of  the   blood.    This  arises   from  two 


full  and  pressing  upon  the  cavity  of  the  lungs,  it  is 
easy  to  see  that  a  great  pressure  of  blood  in  the 
lungs  and  the  great  cavities  of  the  heart  must  take 
place.  Almost  every  person  has  experienced  the 
sharp  pain  and  distress  produced  by  this  state  of 
things  after  having  run  a  little  way  sharply,  not 
being  accustomed  to  the  exercise.  It  is  not  diffi- 
cult to  see  how,  in  this  crowded  state  of  the  ves- 
sels, a  sudden  and  powerful  muscular  exertion 
should  cause  a  rupture  of  some  one  of  the  distend- 
ed vessels. 

When  a  rupture  of  a  blood  vessel  does  not  re- 
sult, oftentimes  so  much  injury  is  done  to  the  del- 
icate membrane  of  the  air  cells  as  to  produce  an 
incurable  heaves. 

We  were  early  taught  this  lesson  of  care  in  driv- 
ing, by  an  old  stage  proprietor  of  whom  we  once 
had  a  pair  of  horses  for  a  journey.  '  'The  only  cau- 
tion," said  he,  '.'I  care  to  give  you  about  driving, 
is  never  to  start  quick  from  the  top  of  a  hill  you 
have  just  ascended.  If  you  do  you  may  spoil  the 
horses'  wind." — Granite  Farmer. 


THE  ONION  WORM. 


Within  a  few  years  past,  our  gardeners,  in  many 
parts  of  the  State,  have  been  exceedingly  annoyed 
by  a  little  worm  that  would  be  found  in  the  very 
heartof  their  young  onions,  which  destroyed  them 
entirely,  if  not  eradicated  in  season.  In  some 
places  it  has  been  impossible  to  raise  onions  at  all, 
and  their  cultivation  has  been  given  up.  Almost 
every  expedient  has  been  tried  to  prevent  the  rav- 
ages of  these  little  destroyers,  but  with  very  little- 
effect.  Indeed,  there  has  been  a  good  deal  of  ob- 
scurity in  regard  to  the  origin  and  habits  of  it,  and, 
therefore,  no  very  systematic  course  of  prevention 
could  be  adopted  understandingly. 

We  were  pleased  to  find  a  chapter  on  this  sub- 
ject in  the  last  Granite  Farmer,  communicated  to 
that  excellent  paper  by  Hon.  Edmund  Burke,  for- 
merly Commissioner  of  Patents  at  Washington. 

Mr.  B.  found  that  this  insect  laid  a  claim  to  the 
onion  beds  in  his  garden,  and  was  destroying  them 
both  root  and  branch,  affording  him  no  prospect 
of  having  a  single  onion  to  flavor  even  a  "hasty 
plate  of  soup"  in  the  fall. 

In  searching  out  the  causes  that  left  him  thus 
onionless,  he  says  he  found  a  description  of  it  in 
"KoUar's  work  on  insects  injurious  to  gardens," 
and  he  forwards  to  that  paper,    Kollar's   descrip- 


causes,  one  mechanical,  as  the  compression  of  the 

blood-vessels  by  the    muscular  contraction;  and  I  tion  and  history  of  this  insect,  a  part  of  which  we 

one  physical,   as  the  necessity  for  the  more  rapid  here  borrow  for  the  benefit   of  our   readers  who 


purification  of  the  blood  in  a  period  of  exercise. 

Physiology  teaches  that  every  muscular  action 
is  attended  with  a  waste  of  the  material  of  the 
body,  as  in  galvanic  action  when  zinc  is  used  in  the 
circuit,  at  each  period  of*  action,  portions  of  the 
zinc  are  destroyed.  Tliis  waste  portion  of  the 
animal  solid  goes  into  the  blood  and  must  be  dis- 
charged mainly  from  the  blood  in  the  lungs.  The 
more  violent  the  muscular  action,  the  more  of  this 
waste  matter  is  o;iven  to  the  blood,   and  this  once 


have  heretofore  had  cause  to  mourn  over  their  des- 
olated onion  beds  in  the  spring. 

The  perfect  insect  or  fly,  says  KoUar,  is  entirely 
of  an  ash  gray  color  in  the  females,  with  black 
stripes  in  the  males,  (known  to  naturalists  by  the 
name  of  Anthomyia  Ccparum,)  the  wings  clear 
like  glass,  with  blood  iridescent  reflections,  and 
yellowish  brown  veins.  It  is  found  throughout 
the  summer  in  several  generations.  The  larva 
lives  during  that  season  singly,  aiid  also  gregari- 


loaded  witl:  it  is  useless  until  it  has  been  purified  ously  on    the  different  sorts  of  leeks    and  onions 


in  the  lungs.  Consequently  the  blood  is  sent  to 
the  lungs  in  a  vastly  increased  current,  and  the 
breathing  becomes  more  rapid  to  introduce  larger 
portions  of  air  to  the  blood  in  the  lungs.  Here, 
then,  are  increased  quantities  of  air  in  the  lungs 
at  the  same  time,  producing  a  state  of  fullness  if 
the  lungs  have  full  play.     But  if  the  stomach  is 


and  does  great  damage  among  the  white  onions, 
so  that  it  often  destroys  the  whole  crop. 

"The  fly  lays  her  eggs  on  the  leaves  of  the  on- 
ions, close  to  the  earth.  The  newly  hatched  mag- 
got bores  through  the  first  leaf  and  then  descends 
between  the  leaves  into  the  onion  in  its  base,  when 
it  entirely  destroys  the  bulb,  which  soon  becomes 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


327 


rotten.  It  leaves  the  onion  to  undergo  its_  trans- 
formation in  the  earth,  and  becomes  an  elliptical, 
reddish-brown,  wrinkled  pupa,  out  of  which  the 
perfect  fly  is  developed  in  summer,  in  from  ten  to 
twenty  days.  The  later  broods  pass  the  winter  in 
the  pupa  state." 

The  same  insect  is  mentioned  in  Kirbey  and 
Spence's  work  on  Entomology.  After  learning  its 
history,  I  observed  carefully  its  habits,  and  found 
them  to  conform  precisely  to  the  account  of  it  giv- 
en by  Kollar. 

So  much  for  the  description  of  the  insect.  The 
next  thing,  and  a  very  important  one,  too,  is  to 
know  what  is  the  best  mode  of  prevention,  and  what 
the  best  mode  of  destroying  after  you  have  found 
that  you  have  not  prevented  its  attacks.  This  has 
not  yet  been  found  out.  Kollar  says  it  is  very 
difficult  to  destroy  these  insects,  and  Kollar  speaks 
the  truth,  as  all  who  have  tried  to  doit  will  abun- 
dantly testify. 

He  recommends  the  use  of  powdered  charcoal 
which  he  says  must  not  be  applied  to  every  part 
of  the  bed,  because  it  is  advisable  to  sacrifice  a 
portion  of  the  crop  rather  than  lose  the  whole,  by 
leaving  patches  free  from  charcoal,  where  the  pa- 
rent fly  will  deposit  her  eggs,  and  when  Imtcbed, 
the  lavaj  can  be  easily  removed  in  the  onions  left 
for  them  to  devour,  and  be]  buried  very  deep  or 
burnt. 

This  process,  however,  is  not  very  sure.  Char- 
coal ashes,  tobacco  water,  and  such  like  things, 
have  been  tried  here  with  but  very  little  success.] 
Unless  3'ou  happen  to  hit  when  the  worm  is  on 
the  outside  of  the  leaf,  and  before  it  has  burrowed 
into  the  stalk,  you  do  not  disturb  it  much,  and 
after  he  gets  in  out  of  the  reach  of  your  ashes  and 
tobacco  spittle,  what  cares  he  how  much  you  "pile 
on?" 

Mr.  Burke  also  says  : — 

"I  have  also  learned  from  other  sources  that 
lime  from  the  dry  purifiers  of  gas  works,  and  soot 
are  also  very  eflicient  preventives  of  the  ravages 
of  this  insect.  And  recently  I  have  been  informed 
that  tar — raw  tar  sprinkled  daily  upon  the  plants, 
is  also  an  effectual  remedy.  I  was  recommended 
by  one  of  the  Shakers  of  Enfield,  to  try  ashes  and 
lime.  I  made  the  application  to  my  beds  the  pre- 
sent season,  aud  succeeded  in  saving  about  one- 
fourth  part  of  the  crop." 

We  should  think  that  raw  tar,  sprinkled  upon 
the  plants,  could  be  of  no  particular  service  un- 
less it  covered  them  entirely,  and  if  it  did  so,  it 
would  be  as  destructive  as  the  worm  itself,  for  no 
plant  could  grow  encased  in  a  coat  of  tar.  It  is 
probable,  if  tar  is  of  any  use  as  a  preventive,  it  is 
owing  to  its  odor  being  offensive  to  the  fly,  and 
thereby  keeping  it  off  the  premises.  If  so,  tar  in 
cups,  or  on  chips,  placed  plentifully  among  the 
onions,  would  be  a  better  way  of  applying  it.  We 
leave  tlie  matter  for  further  research  and  experi- 
ment.— Maine  Farmer. 


_  The  IIumax  Family. — From  a  curious  statistical 
digest  just  published  in  Europe,  it  appears  that 
the  human  family  numbers  7000,000,000,  and  the 
annual  loss  by  death  is  18,000,000,  which  produces 
624,400  tons  of  animal  matter,  which  in  turn  gen- 
erates by  decomposition  9,000,000  cubic  feet  of 
gases,  which  are  cleared  away  from  the  atmosphere 
by  vegetable  matter  decomposing  and  assimilating 


them  for  their  own  uses.     This  is  an  interesting 
subject  for  philosophy. 

For  the  Neiv  England  Farmer. 

MONTHLY  FARMER.  FOR  JUNE. 

In  green-sward  or  other  tough  hoeing,  especially 
if  the  rows  are  rather  long,  and  one  has  to  work 
alone,  there  is  some  comfort,  at  least,  in  appor- 
tioning the  work  and  time,  and  keeping  a  sort  of 
reckoning  of  one's  progress.  On  the  same  princi- 
ple, I  found  so  great  convenience,  last  month,  in 
parcelling  out  the  pages  of  the  Farmer,  that  I 
shall  adopt  the  same  method  tliis  month. 

THE  FIRST  TEN  PAGES. 

The  "Calendar,"  as  usual,  leads  the  dance,with 
pleasant  thoughts  and  practical  hints.  The  dan- 
ger of  our  observation  and  knowledge  being  too 
much  in  general,  too  little  in  particular,  is  well  put. 
"Passing  Matters"  is  a  specimen  of  the  valuable 
articles  that  might  be  furnished  by  all  farmers 
were  they  in  the  habit  of  recording  such  passing 
matters  as  almost  ^aily  make  a  momentary  im- 
pression on  their  minds,  then  slip,  and  are  lost  to 
themselves  and  the  world.  Young  men,  especial- 
ly, should  cultivate  the  habit  of  committing  their 
thoughts  and  impressions  to  writing.  It  was  not 
without  practice  that  "R.  B.  H."  acquired  the 
ability  to  paint  with  such  life  and  distinctness,  as 
he  does  in  "Sketches  of  Travel."  He  shows  us 
things  and  scenes, — villages,  fields,  Pennsylvania 
horses,  wagons,  barns  and  the  Col.'s  farm— all  he 
saw,  we  see.  Following  "Plowman's  Song"  we 
have  a  proposition  that  the  "State  Farm  at  West- 
borough"  be  made  a  sort  of  model  aud  experimen- 
tal farm.  The  subject  is  continued,  by  another 
writer,  on  page  272,  and  on  page  285,  we  no- 
tice the  appointment,  by  the  State  Board  of  Agri- 
culture, of  a  committee  to  confer  with  the  Gov- 
ernor upon  the  subject.  "Old  Apple  Trees" — 
Strictures  and  Advice  on  Grafting.  All  right,  old 
Bach  ;  but  I  have  another  little  job  for  you  in  your 
knuckle-rapping  line.  Those  folks  who  set  out  lit- 
tle switches  of  trees,  high  as  your  hat  and  large 
as  your  thumb,  and  wont  allow  a  leaf  or  branch  to 
shade  the  sapling  lower  down  than  the  backs  of 
the  team  they  intend  to  plow  with,  need  your  opin- 
ion. But  we  must  hurry  through  our  first  divi- 
sion, although  we  have  to  pass  over  such  articles 
as  "Rules  for  using  Guano,"  which  give_ informa- 
tion that  probably  cost  the  writer  the  price  of  the 
Monthly  Farme?- many  times  over;  "Duration  of 
Posts;"  "Feeding  Teams;"  "Plan 'of  a  School 
House;"  "Patrons,  Patronage,  &c." 

THE    SECOND    TEN    PAGES, 

Commence  with  a  criticism  on  "Experimental Farm- 
ing" in  the  March  nuniber.  In  relation  to  the 
writer's  idea  of  Me  soil,  I  will  remark  that  in  dig- 
ging my  barn-cellar  we  came  upon  a  strata,  of 
gravel  about  two  inches  thick,  and  nearly  two  feet 
below  the  surface.  Now,  this  same  strata,  or 
layer,  "crops  out"  and  becomes  soil, — all  there  is 
of  soil, — same  six  or  eight  rods  from  the  barn. — 
Then  we  have  "Rural  Pleasures,"  and  directions  for 
destroying  "Witch  Grass."  To  those  who  think  of 
trying  Mr.  Penoyer's  "Potato  Rot  Cure,"  I  will  say 
that  for  two  years  past,  I  have  applied  a  mixture  of 
lime  and  plaster  by  shaking  it  from  a  small  bail- 
basket  over  and  onto  the  potato  vines.  "Farm- 
ers' Cabinets"— A  little  experience,  years  since, 


328 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


July 


in  this  cabinet  line,  forced  upon  me  the  conviction 
that,  for  all  practical  purposes,  there  is  a  differ- 
ence between  men  as  they  might  be,  and  men  as 
they  are.  "Insects" — The  writer  thinks  insects 
are  not  the  cause  of  plum-tree  warts  ;  and  he  even 
goes  into  a  defence  of  the  whole  race.  Trouble- 
some as  insects  are,  who  knows  that  any  of  us 
cjuld,  after  all,  make  a  much  better  world,  than 
the  one  in  which  our  patience  is  sorely  tried  ? — 
^^ Monthly  Farmer  for  April." — A  month  behind- 
hand, Mr.  Reviewer  ;  but  they  did  get  along  with- 
out you.  Your  preaching  about  editors  not  being 
responsible  for  opinions  of  correspondents  is 
"backed  up"  by  ^'Inquiries  and  Censures,"  which 
makes  the  editor  responsible  even  for  the  quality 
of  the  wares  advertised  in  the  columns  of  his  pa- 
per. "Grecian  Farmers,"  the  vulgar  fellows,  they 
planted  their  vineyards  in  "rows."  Passing  an 
article  on  "Soil,"  its  origin,  character,  &c.;  and 
one  on  Manures,"  our  second  lesson  endeth  witl 
some  account  of  the  ravages  of  "The  Currant 
Borer,"  by  one  who  keeps  both  his  name  and  res 
ideace  to  himself.  I  find  that  something  is  trim- 
ming off  a  part  of  this  year's  growth  from  many 
of  my  currants.  Is  this  the  work  of  your  borer, 
Mr.  Far  East  ? 

THE  THIRD   TEN   PAGES. 

After  a  notice  of  the  Franklin  County  Transac 
tions,  we  have  a  very  interesting  article  on  "Ants 
and  Aphides," — their  curious  relation  to  each 
other, — and  hints  on  the  best  means  of  preventing 
the  ravages  of  the  latter.  The  writer  says  a  de 
coction  of  tobacco  is  a  sure  destroyer  of  the  aphis, 
but  it  cannot  be  used  upon  leaves.  I  have  fre- 
C[uently  immersed  the  branches  of  small  apple  trees 
in  it  with  little  or  no  injury  to  them.  "Farmer 
Pennywise  and  Farmer  Poundwise"  contrasted; 
good  "Farming  Implements  and  Machines"  recom- 
mended ;  "The  State  Farm  ;"  a  group  of  "Spanish 
Merino  Ewes  ;"  and  we  turn  over  to  a  catechism 
on  "Dissolving  Bones;"  read  a  brief  notice  of  a 
very  desirable  "New  Seedling  Grape,"  and  direc- 
tions for  using  "Shell  Lime;"  with  a  theoretical 
explanation  of  its  operation — who  will  give  the 
practical?  "R.  B.  H.'s"  Pennsylvania  Farmer 
(p.  253)  says  the  shells  should  not  be  burnt,  as  a 
burnt  shell  differs  not  essentially  from  stone  lime, 
except  that  it  contains  a  small  quantity  of  phos- 
phorus. An  appeal  to  farmers  to  "Spare  the 
Sweet  Songsters,"  or  cease  complaining  of  the 
ravages  of  insects.  From  the  Address  of  Prof. 
Mapes  at  the  Franklin  County  Exhibition,  last 
year,  the  Editor  takes  extracts  on  various  topics. 
"Science,"  says  the  learned  Professor,  "means 
simply  knowledge  reduced  to  a  system  so  as  to  be 
readily  taught  and  easily  understood,  and  there- 
fore, every  truly  practical  jlirmer  must  necessarily 
be  a  scientilic  agriculturist."  Well,  well;  is  this 
all  there  is  of  Scientific  Agriculture  1  Two  articles 
more,  one  a  criticism  on  a  letter  from  S.  F.,  of 
Winchester,  published  in  the  March  number  of  the 
Monthly  Farmer,  and  the  other,  on  spelling  the 
word  plow,  and  we  have  reached  the  first  of 

THE   FOURTH   TEN   PAGES. 

"Theory  and  Facts — do  they  Agree?"  Some- 
times they  do  not,  that  is  certain.  The  question, 
however,  is  well  discussed  here.  "Fruit  Trees" — 
Inquiries  about  4G  Baldwin  trees  that  were  said  to 
have  produced  300  barrels  of  apples  in  each  of  the 


years,  1850  and  1852,  and  some  very  judicious 
cautions  against  forcing  trees  with  rich  manure. 
Directions  for  raising  "Early  Radishes  and  Tur- 
nips" clean  and  nice,  even  in  an  old,  wormy  gar- 
den. Trial  of  the  "Sod  and  Subsoil  Plow"  in  Ex- 
eter, N.  11.  The  next  article,  "Comparison  between 
Ox  and  Horse  Labor  for  the  Farm,"  I  am  going  to 
get  round,  by  placing  by  its  side  that  otlier  arti- 
cle, by  Mr  Fiske,  in  the  latter  part  of  our  present 
ten  pages,  and  the  one  by  Mr.  Dewey,  in  the  num- 
ber fur  March,  of  this  year,  with  the  single  remark 
that  I  have  never  yet  seen  any  such  twenty  years' 
result  with  horses  as  Mr.  Dewey  figures  up  with 
his  oxen.  The  "Wash  from  the  Sink"  of  a  small 
family  worth  $20 — how  manure  is  wasted  !  "Tired 
of  Farming;"  then  "get  rested  as  soon  as  you 
can,"  and  up  and  at  it  again.  Tliat's  it.  "Cows 
and  Oxen  in  Portugal"  are  better  off,  I  should 
think  from  this  account,  than  the  men  themselves, 
who  "work  for  fifteen  cents  a  day,  and  find  them- 
selves." Proceedings  of  "State  Board  of  Agricul- 
ture," seventh  meeting.  "New  and  Untried 
Scliemes" — The  Reviewer  handsomely  reviewed. 
Special  and  exclusive  might  perhaps  have  better 
expressed  my  idea  than  "new  and  untried."  I 
was  testing  the  recommendation  of  Farmer's  Li- 
braries by  this  practical  sort  of  home  reasoning — 
Here,  is  our  Winchester  Library,  costing  some  5 
or  GOQ  dollars,  fitted  up  with  cases,  catalogues,  &c., 
is  insured,  and  in  care  of  a  good  librarian,  who  is 
paid  25  dollars  a  year  for  his  services  ;  all  classes 
of  our  people  are  interested  in  its  progress  and  use- 
fulness ;  it  has  many  agricultural  works, — Down- 
ing's,  Fessenden's,  Coleman's,  A^.  E.  Farmer, 
Farmer's  Own  Book,  &c.,  &c.  Now,  will  even 
"our  incog  friend"  advise  the  few  farmers  in  Win- 
chester to  attempt  the  "new  and  untried  scheme" 
of  founding  for  themselves  a  special  and  exclusive 
library?  Our  last  ten  pages  now  close  with  a  rap 
on  the  knuckles  of  the  man  with  the  jack-knife, 
hand-saw  and  meat-axe,  who  is  yet  occasionally 
allowed  to  show  his  skill  in  training  up  trees  in 
the  way  they  should  go. 

THE  LAST   EIGHT  PAGES, 

Give  us  a  cut  and  descrifition  of  "Phelps's  Bee 
Hive;"  Review  of  the  May  Farmer;  Agricultu- 
ral Axioms;"  No.  4  of  Mr.  Fowler's  "Birds  of 
New  England,"  which  one  Ccvnnot  read  with 
much  satisfaction  while  the  "village  boys"  are  up 
in  the  wood-lot  a-gunning  ;  a  minute  description 
of  the  appearance  and  habits  of  the  insect  that,  the 
writer  thinks,  produces  "The  Black  Knot  on  the 
Plum;  out-lines  and  description  of  "Monamet 
Sweeting  ;"  a  column  of  "Extracts  and  Replies," 
including  a  notice  of  a  Mississippi  farmer,  who 
plants  some  130  acres  of  corn,  220  of  cotton,  and 
has  100  varieties  of  Pears  ;  a  recommendation  of 
"Apples  for  Milch  Cows,"  which  reminds  me  ofa 
little  incident  in  my  own  experience — about  the 
time  of  the  advent  of  Temperance  Societies,  my 
father's  cidermill  gave  out  early  one  fall,  the  ap- 
ples were  gathered  and  sheltered  in  the  mill,  which 
however  was  not  repaired,  and  the  apples  froze 
up  ;  during  the  winter  they  were  put  into  a  ket- 
tle, thawed  and  fed  out  sparingly  to  the  stock. 
I  recollect  my  father  estimated  those  frozen  ap- 
ples at  half  the  value  of  potatoes,  and  that  the  ap- 
pearance of  our  stock  was  remarked  by  the  neigh- 
bors, as  uncommonly  sleek  and  fine.  This,  with 
the  Boy's  Department,  completes  the  June  num- 
ber of  the  Monthly  Farmer,  which  the  more  it  is 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLA.ND  FA.RMER. 


329 


studied,  the  closer  it  is  read,  the  higher  it  will 
stand  in  the  estimation  of  all. 

A  Reader. 

Winchester,  June,  1853. 


SOILING  COWS. 

The  superiority  of  soiling  over  tlie  common 
method  of  turning  cattle  to  pasture,  or  in  other 
words  allowing  them  a  free  range,  is  strongly  con- 
tended for  by  many  at  this  day.  The  practice,  so 
far  as  it  at  present  prevails  in  this  country,  has 
been  introduced  from  Europe,  where  it  has  ob- 
tained for  a  long  time,  and  where  certain  peculi- 
arities of  soil,  climate  and  population,  render  it 
far  more  necessary  than  it  now  is,  or  very  soon 
can  be,  with  us.  Yet  if  it  really  possesses  the 
high  merits  claimed  for  it  by  its  advocates — many 
of  whom  are  among  the  most  intelligent  and  dis- 
criminating farmers  and  dairymen  our  country  can 
boast  of,  it  is  certainly  by  no  means  to  be  neglect- 
ed. We  have  now  before  us  as  we  write,  the 
statements  of  many  men  of  this  class,  and  among 
the  number  a  gentleman  of  Waltham,  Middlesex" 
Country,  Mass.,  who  had  "four  cows,  and  not  a 
rod  of  ground  which  could  be  appropriated  to  pas- 
turage. These  animals,  therefore,  were  never  out 
of  the  barn  or  the  bard  yard,  and  were  fed  with 
grass  mowed  for  them,  with  green  corn  fodder, 
which  had  been  sown  broad  cast  for  them,  and 
with  about  three  pints  of  meal  each,  per  day. — 
The  amount  of  their  produce  was  kept  for  thirteen 
weeks.  Two  of  these  animals  were  heifers  of  two 
years  old,  which  had  calves  in  the  spring.  The 
-whole  milk  of  one  of  them  was  taken  by  her  calf 
during  six  out  of  the  thirteen  weeks.  Some  of  the 
milk  of  the  other  was  taken  for  fomily  use,  but  the 
quantity  was  not  determined.  Under  these  cir- 
cumstances three  heifers  could  not  be  rated  as  more 
than  one  cow  of  full  age  and  milk.  From  this 
stock,  however,  thus  circumstanced  and  fed,  three 
hundred  and  eighty-nine  pounds  of  butter  were 
made  in  the  thirteen  weeks !  An  additional 
pound  would  iiave  given  an  average  of  thirty  pounds 
a  week,  for  the  whole  time,  to  a  stock  which  must, 
in  fairness,  be  set  down  as  three  cows  only." 

Where  the  soiling  system  is  adopted,  as  it  is  on 
many  farming  establishments — among  which  we 
may  mention  that  of  the  Shakers  of  New  Leba- 
non, N.  J.,  the  superior  quantity  and  quality  of 
the  manure  is  said  to  be  sufficient  to  defray  all  the 
extra  expense  of  cutting  the  fodder  and  feeding 
It  is  all  saved,  the  liquid  as  well  as  the  solid  ex 
creraent,  and  being  preserved  under  cover,  is  of 
great  strength  and  energy. 

In  our  own  practice  we  have  been  obliged  to  re- 
sort to  this  mode  of  feeding  in  order  to  keep  stock 
enough  to  produce  any  thing  like  the  amount  of 
manure  we  desire  to  use. 

By  keeping  the  cows  in  the  barn  until  about 
the  tenth  of  June,   our  eight  acres   of  old  worn 


out  pasture  (though  as  good  eight  aeresof  land  as 
any  fiirmer  need  desire,)  affords  eight  cows  a  pret- 
ty good  bite  until  a  crop  of  "cow  corn,"  put  into 
a  warm  and  rich  piece  of  land  as  early  as  it  is  fit 
for  the  seed,  gets  high  and  stout  enough  to  cut. 
After  this  there  is  bo  difficulty,  as  a  succession  of 
crops  of  this  highly  nutritious  fodder  may  then 
be  obtained  until  October. 


INVESTMENTS  IN  WEEDS. 

It  is  some  six  thousand  years  since  weeds  be- 
came a  serious  and  positive  evil ;  yet  if  we  should 
judge  ftom  the  undisputed  empire  which  they  ap- 
pear to  have  obtained  on  some  men's  domains,  we 
should  very  naturally  suppose  that  tliis  long  pe- 
riod had  not  been  sufficient  to  reveal  the  fact.  El- 
ders, thistles,  mulleins,  Johnswort,  red  root,  chess, 
cockle,  fox-tail,  pig-weed,  mustard,  ox-eye,  &c., 
consume  as  much  of  the  strength  of  the  soil  on 
some  single  farms,  as  would  furnish  grain  for  the 
family's  yearly  supply.  We  have  heard  of  many 
bad  investments  of  capital,  from  the  South  Sea 
scheme,  a  century  or  more  ago,  down  to  the  mul- 
ticaulis  speculation  of  a_^  later  day,  and  railroads 
whose  only  dividends  were  the  old  iron  originally- 
used  in  making  them.  But  South-Sea  bubbles,mul- 
ticaulis  humbugs  and  grass-covered  railroads  have 
not  consumed  a  tithe  of  the  money  lost  every  year 
by  the  mighty  legions  of  foul  materials  in  the 
shape  of  weeds,  which  are  secretly  and  openly  de- 
vouring the  strength  of  the  soil  in  all  quarters  of 
this  round  globe,  wherever  cultivation  has  turned 
up  the  soil  to  the  sun. 

We  do  not  propose  to  say  anything  new  on  the 
subject  of  an  evil  that  existed  even  "before  anti- 
quity appears  to  have  begun;"  but  perhaps  we 
may  make  a  few  suggestions  of  some  use,  at 
the  present  juncture,  when  the  weeds  are  ap- 
proaching the  height  of  their  vigor,  and  to  which 
the  wetness  of  the  season  in  many  parts  of  the 
country  has  imparted  unusual  strength. 

"How  shall  we  destroy  themi"  This  is  an  in- 
teresting question,  but  there  is  no  "royal  road" 
to  their  eradication  ;  it  must  be  accomplished  by 
vigilance  and  labor.  There  are,  however,  differ- 
ent modes  of  attack — some  laborious  and  expen- 
sive, and  others  comparatively  expeditious  and  eco- 
nomical. It  is  our  present  object  to  point  out 
some  of  these. 

When  weeds  are  newly  introduced,  and  when 
only  a  few  scattered  plants  have  made  their  ap- 
pearance, they  may  be  easily  and  thoroughly  root- 
ed out  by  the  hand  or  hoe.  But  when  they  have 
multiplied  from  a  few  to  millions — when  the  num- 
bers become  swollen  like  the  little  rill  to  the 
mighty  river,  such  a  rett^l  attempt  would  be  as 
futile  as  trying  to  dip  out  the  waters  of  Niagara 
with  a  quart  cup.  In  such  instances,  we  are  to 
look  for  some  means  of  making  a  wholesale  sweep 
of  them.  These  means  will  vary  with  the  nature 
of  the  weed  against  which   the  war  is   declared. 

We  need  not  go  into  detail  with  the  modes  pf 
destroying  weeds.  Those  which  prevail  most  in 
pastures  and  meadows,  are  commonly  best  exter- 
minated by  a  rotation  of  such  crops  as  do  not  favor 
tlieir  increase;  and  on  the  other  hand,  many 
others  are  checked  or  smothered  by  a  heavy  seed- 
ing with  grass.  With  some,  as  chess,  cockle,  &c., 
especial  care  must  be  taken  to  sow  clean  seed. 


330 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


July 


Chess  is  remarkably  insidious  in  the  numberless 
ways  in  which  its  seeds  get  possession  of  the  soil, 
besides  its  rapid  increase  under  favorable  circum- 
stances, which  has  in  some  instances  been  five 
thousand  fold  in  a  single  season,  making  five  thou- 
sand plants  tlie  second  season,  twenty-five  mil- 
lion the  third,  over  a  hundred  thousand  million 
the  fourth,  and  so  on,  provided  every  fiacility  is 
given  to  its  growth.  Wild  mustard,  like  red  root, 
increases  by  seed,  which  if  buried  deep,  will  re- 
main dormant  a  long  period,  ready  to  spring  into 
life  when  the  soil  is  turned  up  ;  but  being  an  an- 
nual, instead  of  a  biennial  like  red-root,  annual 
sown  crops  are  not  favorable  to  its  destruction, 
but  it  is  best  eifected  by  hoed  crops,  or  by  frequent 
plowing  and  harrowings. 

The  scythe,  the  hoe,  the  plow,  and  the  cultiva- 
tor, if  kept  in  motion,  should  be  looked  to  as  the 
great  exterminators  of  weeds,  but  there  are  cer- 
tain crops  that  oft^  prove  powerful  auxiliaries. 
Dense  grass  is  unfriendly  to  nearly  all  weeds  ; 
buckwheat  often  exerts  a  cleansing  eiFect  on  peren- 
nial rooted  creepers,  by  its  smothering  influence, 
besides  the  mellowing  tendency  of  its  deep  roots  ; 
but  we  have  never  seen  anything  equal  to  corn 
sown  in  thick  drills,  in  reducing  both  annual  and 
perennial  weeds,  as  well  a?  the  tenacious  grasses. 
Sown  at  the  rate  of  three  bushels  per  acre  in  fur- 
rows three  feet  asunder,  and  then  covered  with 
the  harrow ;  dressed  with  the  one  horse  cultiva- 
tor when  a  foot  high,  with  no  hoeing,  it  has  left 
the  land  in  autumn  as  clean  as  a  newly  plowed 
field,  which  without  its  effectual  shade  would  have 
presented  an  unbroken  crop  of  weeds  and  grass  as 
thick  as  they  could  grow. — The  Country  Gentle- 
man. 


CORN— FLAT  VS.  HILL  CULTURE. 

In  your  last  number,  under  the  head  of  "Spring 
Work,"  you  express  a  desire  to  be  informed  as  to 
the  "relative  advantages  of  hilling  up  corn,  or  let- 
ting it  remain  as  planted,  merely  keeping  it  clean 
by  horse  and  hand  hoeing."  After  experimenting 
both  ways  for  some  time  past,  I  have  not  the 
slightest  doubt  as  to  which  mode  is  preferable. 
The  planting  being  in  rows  at  right  angles,  I  sim- 
ply use  the  Corn  Cultivator  crosswise,  and  thus 
leave  the  field  mellow  and  level.  This  may  be 
done  as  often  as  necessary ;  but,  as  it  is  easily 
done,  I  do  it  three  times,  and  at  each  time  let  a 
man  follow  up  with  a  hoe  to  repair  injuries,  which 
is  done  in  a  short  time,  and  also  to  destroy  the 
suckers  at  the  last  time.  A  ten  acre  lot  can  thus 
be  easily  and  thoroughly  dressed  very  soon,  com- 
pared with  the  tedious  hoeing  and  hilling  system. 
It  is  obvious  that  this  method  decidedly  economises 
both  tinip  and  labor,  as  the  horse  and  driver  do 
nine-tenths  of  it  on  a  walk.  But  this  is  not  all. 
The  stalk,  having  but  one  set  of  roots  (which  are 
long  and  strong,)  shoots  up  vigorously  and  well 
supported,  and  consequently  is  not  much  affected 
by  strong  winds  ;  the  growth  being  steady  and 
strong,  the  yield  is  more  productive ;  there  being 
no  furrows,  ridges,  or  hills,  but  all  on  even  surface, 
it  is  quite  natural  tliat  this  is  the  true  way  to  re- 
sist a  drouglit.  This  was  abundantly  demonstrated 
.the  last  season,  so  unusually  dry,  with  my  yield. 

If  it  be  desirable  to  seed  the  field  with  clover 
and  timothy,  or  either,  it  can  successfully  be  done 
at  the  last  cultivating  in  July,  for  pasture  or  mea- 
dow the  next  season.     If  this  be  done,  the  stalks 


should  be  cut  off  close  to  the  ground  in  the  fall. 
It  is  surprising  to  see  the  happy  effect  of  this  way 
and  time  of  seeding.  I  can  show  a  field  treated 
thus  the  last  season,  having  grass  six  inches  high 
and  looking  as  rich  as  an  old  meadow  of  two  or 
three  years  husbandry. 

Persuaded  that  the  cultivator  ought  to  be  adopt- 
ed, instead  of  the  old  fashion  hoeing  and  hilling 
system,  I  am  prepared  to  believe  that  it  will  not 
be  long  before  farmers  will  have  but  one  opinion 
on  the  subject.  To  become  fully  satisfied,  I  think 
they  need  but  one  trial  in  a  fair  field.  The  result 
will  readily  establish  this  way  of  managing  corn, 
for  vigorous  growth  and  yield,  for  security  against 
the  gale,  for  resisting  a  drought,for  facility  of  seed- 
ing to  grass,  and  above  all,  for  economy  of  time 
and  labor. —  Genesee  Farmer. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

LAYING  LANDS  TO  GRASS—STONES-- 

TURNIPS. 

Comfort  for  fHrmrrs  in  New  England — Laying  new  land  to 
Grass — Turnips  and  Super-phosphate  of  Lime— The  Dou- 
ble Michigan  Plow. 

My  Dear  Brown  : — My  professional  harness  has 
been  fretting  me  so,  of  late,  that  even  the  glories 
of  the  "leafy  month  of  June"  have  been  floating 
around  me  for  a  whole  week,  without  wholly  en- 
ticing me  from  such  antique  companionship,  as 
Coke  and  Blackstone. 

But  at  length,  "Richard  is  himself  again,"  and 
now,  for  a  season,  as  Daniel  Webster  said  in  his 
famous  letter  to  John  Taylor,  "our  talk  is  of  ox- 
en," and  we  will  see  whether  we  cannot  render 
ourselves  worthy  of  a  place  in  the  list  of  those 
"benefactors  of  mankind"  who  "make  two  spires 
of  grass  grow,  where  but  one  grew  before  "  There 
is  infinite  satisfaction  in  overcoming  difficulties, 
whether  in  mathematics,  or  agriculture,  in  conic 
sections,  or  sections  of  earth  by  the  plowshare. 
Scott  resolves  all  this  satisfaction  into  "the  con- 
scious pride  of  art,"  the  glory  one  takes  to  him- 
self for  doing  what  other  men  have  f\xiled  to  do, 
perhaps  have  not,  even,  had  courage  to  attempt. 
"Hence  we  see"  how  much  more  happiness  is  to 
be  derived  from  the  cultivation  of  New  England 
hills  and  valleys,  than  of  a  western  prairie.  You 
ought  to  be  thankful,  for  the  inexhaustible  store 
of  comfort  treasured  up  for  you  and  James,  in  the 
stones  which  adorn  your  homestead,  and  /for  the 
stumps,  which  give  such  scope  for  genius  on  my 
new  place  !  Shakespeare  found  "sermons  in  stones, 
and  good  in  everything,"  and  by  the  way,  it  oc- 
curs to  me,  that  on  this  idea  of  the  illustrious 
bard,  your  family  need  not  go  far  from  River  Cot- 
tage to  attend  as  much  preaching  as  may  be  need- 
ful! 

The  great  hero,  who  wept  that  he  "had  not 
another  world  to  conquer,"  might  have  saved  his 
foolish  tears,  had  he  baen  comfortably  "located" 
on  a  hundred  acres  of  New  England  land. 

Perhaps  my  mode  of  subduing  the  earth,  and 
making  many  spires  of  grass  grow,  where  none 
grew  before,  may  differ  enough  from  the  common 
f;ishion  to  be  worth  the  notice  of  those  readers  of 
the  Farmer  who  think  as  I  do,  that  grass  is  the 
most  profitable  of  all  the  staple  crops.  Having  a 
new  fiirm,  my  object  has  been  to  make  grass  fields,- 
in  the  cheapest  and  most  expeditious  manner.  I 
have  pursued  the  same  course  on  bog  meadows,  on 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


381 


a  clay  loam  by  the  river  side,  and  on  a  sandy  loam 
on  the  hill  side,  with  equal  success.  My  practice 
has  been,  to  lay  the  land  to  grass,  ivithout  first 
raising  any  hoed  crop,  or  grain,  upon  it.  The  com- 
mon practice  has  been,  among  our  fanners,  first  to 
clear  the  land,  then  take  off  a  crop  of  winter  rye, 
pasture  a  few  years,  plow  up  and  plant  with  corn 
or  potatoes,  two  years,  and  lay  down  to  grass  with 
oats,  rye  or  wheat,  in  the  spring.  This  may  be 
the  best  mode  of  doing  the  thing,  on  many  old 
farms,  but  it  is  too  long  a  ivay  to  a  hay  crop,  when 
one  must  keep  a  stock  of  cattle,  and  sees  plainly, 
that  hay  will  be  worth  twenty  doUiirs  a  ton,  next 
year !  I  have  a  couple  of  acres  of  upland,  which 
you  may  recollect,  just  over  the  bridge,  now  under 
treatment,  and  I  will  give  you  the  process,  as  an 
illustration  of  the  shortest  crit  to  a  crop  of  hay. 
Late  last  autumn,  my  men  dug  out  by  the  roots, 
all  the  growth,  enough  to  make  twenty  cords  of 
wood  ;  principally,  yellow  pine.  We  dug  round 
the  trees,  cut  off  the  principal  roots,  attached  a 
rope  to  the  trunks  some  twenty  or  thirty  feet 
from  the  ground,  and  pulled  tlie  trees  over,  cut 
them  into  cord  wood,  and  hauled  the  wood  away. 
We  have  now  drawn  upon  the  lot,  about  twenty 
loads  of  good  compost  manure.  Next  week  we 
expect  to  burn  the  brush,  and  plow  the  land  with 
a  heavy  plow.  Three  good*yoke  of  oxen,  with  one 
man  to  drive,  one  to  hold  the  plow,  one  to  cut  be- 
fore the  coulter,  with  a  sharp  axe  to  sever  the 
roots  ;  and  a  fourth  to  follow  with  a  bog  hoe  to 
turn  the  balks,  make  up  my  regular  team  for  the 
business.  This  force  will  thoroughly  plow  from 
one-half  to  two-thirds  of  an  acre  a  day.  Gener- 
ally, I  use  no  harrow,  but  level  the  furrows  with 
bog  hoes.  This  may  seem  an  unnecessary  expen- 
diture of  labor,  but  the  object  is,  to  finish  the 
work  without  disturbing  the  furrow,  and  the  har- 
row will  often  bring  up  the  sods,  so  as  to  require 
more  labor  to  remove  them ,  than  to  level  the  whole 
by  liand.  Six  men  can  level  with  hoes  an  acre  of 
any  land  thoroughly  turned  over  by  the  plow,  in 
a  day,  burying  the  turf  in  the  hollows,  and  piling 
up  for  burning,  whatever  roots  come  to  light.  The 
next  step,  after  taking  off,  or  burning  these  roots, 
is,  to  spread  the  manure,  say  seven  cords  to  the 
acre.  If  there  is  need  of  drains,  they  must  be  fin- 
ished before  the  manure  is  applied.  Brush  the 
manure  in  well  with  a  birch  brush,  drawn  by  a 
horse.  Sow  a  half  bushel  of  herdsgrass,  and  a  bush- 
el of  red-top  to  the  acre,  roll  the  land,  and  the 
business  is  done.  I  prefer  to  sow  it  the  last  of 
August,  or  early  in  September,  but  have  had  a  full 
crop  when  I  have  sowed  as  late  as  the  first  of  Oc- 
tober. Early  in  spring,  on  one  of  the  last  snows, 
sow  eight  or  ten  pounds  of  ck>ver  seed  to  the  acre. 
Clover  generally  dies  in  winter,  if  sowed  in  the 
full.  Farmers  will,  of  course,  find  it  for  their  in- 
terest to  vary  the  details  of  the  operation  accord- 
ing to  the  condition  of  their  land.  My  land  is  en- 
tirely free  from  stones,  and  when  once  properly 
plowed,  ten  or  twelve  inches  deep,  is  in  pretty 
good  subjection.  It  is  indispensable  to  success, 
that  a  very  heavy  furrow  be  turned  and  laid  flat, 
that  the  small  bushes  and  grass,  may  not  find  their 
way  to  the  surface. 

I  have  more  than  a  dozen  acres  which  have  been 
treated  substantially  in  this  manner,  except  that 
most  of  it  had  been  cut  over,  so  that  I  had  stumps 
instead  of  trees,  to  dig  out.  A  stump-puller  would 
much  facilitate  operations,  but  I  have  never  been 


able  to  procure  one  when  I  stood  in  need  of  it. 
My  belief  is,  that  land  reclaimed  at  once,  in  this 
way,  may  be  brought  into  grass  with  less  manure, 
than  by  the  common  method.  The  usual  crops 
of  potatoes  and  grain  exhaust  the  land,  so  that 
the  grass  runs  out  sooner  than  on  land  entirely 
!new.  My  fields,  thus  made,  are  as  smooth  as  old 
fields  ordinarily  are— smooth  enough  to  be  raked 
perfectly  clean  with  Delano's  Independent  Horse- 
'  rake. 

I  last  year  laid  down  about  a  half  acre,  with 
grass  seed  and  English  turnips  the  last  of  July. 
Most  of  my  turnip  seed  proved  to  be  mustard,  but 
not  all,  and  I  picked  up  between  thirty  and  forty 
bushels  of  excellent  turnips,  with  no  extra  labor 
or  expense,  but  the  gathering.  I  </?>/,  however, 
apply  one  barrel  of  bone-dust  to  the  land,  which 
was  intended  for  the  good  of  the  turnip  crop  espe- 
cially. I  propose  this  year,  to  lay  down  one  acre 
with  turnips,  if  I  can  procure  a  bag  or  two  of  su- 
per-phosphate of  lime,  which  is  undoubtedly  a 
powerful  specific  manure  for  all  plants  of  the  Bras- 
sica  genus. 

I  am  experimenting,  in  a  small  way,  with  the 
super-phosphate,  this  season.  Tliere  is  no  doubt 
that  it  will  prove  a  valuable  aid  to  the  market  gar- 
dener and  nurseryman.  Whether  it  will  be  cheap 
enough  for  several  field  crops,  is  o«e  of  the  ques- 
tions. Another  is,  whether  we  shall  ever  be  able 
to  know  whether  the  article  is  genuine,  or  a  hum- 
bug. I  am  using  Mapes's,  and  think  well  of  it,  so 
far.  One  of  my  neighbors  is  using  another  stamp, 
and  thinks  it  an  imposition.  We  shall  be  ready 
to  say  more  of  it  by  and  by. 

Many  of  our  farmers  are  adopting  the  practice 
of  turning  over  their  grass  lands  after  haying,  ap- 
plying a  dressing  of  compost,  and  seeding  again  to 
grass.  I  think  well  of  this  method,  having  tried 
it  with  success.  With  the  help  of  the  Michigan 
Double  Plow,  the  work  can  be  done  to  perfection. 
I  have  top-dressed  my  grass-land  a  good  deal,  but 
am  convinced,  that  as  a  general  practice,  it  is  a 
waste  of  manure,  that  is  to  say,  that  it  is  not  the 
most  economical  mode  of  using  it.  There  may  be 
low  places,  on  every  farm,  where  top-dressing  may 
be  judicious. 

And  now,  friend  Brown,  I  want  you  to  try  one 
acre  of  your  land,  with  grass  seed  and  turnips, 
manured  with  the  super-phosphate.  Your  hill 
pasture  will  not  be  injured  by  the  experiment,  I 
am  confident.    "Verbum  Sap,"  &c. 

Yours,  H.  F.  FrexNxh. 

Ejneier,  N.  H.,  June  8,  1853. 


PRODUCTIVE    FARMING. 

In  a  treatise  on  Productive  Farming  just  issued 
from  the  press,  the  following  observations  occur: — 
"It  is  in  vegetable  as  in  animal  life  ;  a  mother 
crams  her  child  exclusively  with  arrow  root — it 
becomes  hi,  it  is  true,  but,  alas !  it  is  rickety, 
and  gets  its  teeth  very  slow.ly,  and  with  difficulty. 
Mamma  is  ignorant,  or  never  thinks,  that  her  off- 
spring can  not  make  bone — or  what  is  the  same 
thing,  phosphate  of  lime,  the  principle  bulk  of 
bone — out  of  starch.  It  does  its  best  ;  and  were 
it  not  for  a  Uttle  milk  and  bread,  perhaps  now  and 
then  a  little  meat  and  soup,  it  would  have  no 
bones  and  teeth  at  all.  Farmers  keep  poultry  ; 
and  what  is  true  of  fowls  is  true  of  a  cabbage,  a 
turnip,  or  an  ear  of  wheat.     If  we  mix  with  the 


332 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


July 


food  of  fowls  a  sufficient  quantity  of  egg-shells  or 
chalk,  which  they  eat  greedily,  they  will  lay  many 
more  eggs  than  before.  A  well-fed  fowl  is  dis- 
posed to  lay  a  vast  number  of  eggs,  but  can  not 
do  so  without  the  materials  for  the  shells,  how- 
ever nourishing  in  other  respects  her  food  maybe. 
A  fowl,  with  the  best  will  in  the  world,  not  find- 
ing any  lime  in  the  soil,  nor  mortar  from  walls, 
nor  calcerous  matter  in  her  food,  is  incapacitated 
from  laying  any  eggs  at  all.  Let  farmers  lay  such 
facts  as  these,  which  are  matters  of  common  ob- 
servation, to  heart,  and  transfer  the  analogy,  as 
they  justly  may  do,  to  the  habits  of  plants,  which 
are  as  truly  alive,  and  answer  as  closely  to  evil  or 
judicious  treatment,  as  their  own  horses." 


THE  NORTH  AMERICAN  SYLVA. 

We  have  examined  with  much  gratification  the 
splendid  work  of  Michaux  and  Nuttall,  now  re- 
published in  this  country,  at  Philadelphia.  No 
recommendation  of  the  work  to  our  readers  would 
be  too  strong,  in  urging  them  to  purchase  it. — 
Hundreds  of  them  can  spare  the  $45,00  required, 
and  experience  no  inconvenience,  while  they  would 
find  much  instruction  and  gratification  in  their  pe- 
rusal. They  would  also  subserve  the  cause  of  sci- 
entific investigation. 

We  adopt  the  language  of  the  Horticulturist,  in 
its  notice  of  the  new  edition  of  the  work,  and  only 
regret  that  our  limited  means  will  not  allow  us  the 
privilege  of  always  having  it  at  hand. 

We  are  happy  to  learn  that  the  superb  edition  of 
this  great  national  work,  published  by  Mr.  Smith, 
is  in  such  demand  that  copies  cannot  be  supplied 
as  fast  as  they  are  called  for.  This  speaks  well 
for  the  growth  of  taste  among  the  American  peo- 
ple and  for  the  interest  they  are  taking  in  the  pro- 
ductions of  their  own  forests.  It  is  a  work  that 
deserves  the  most  complete  success,  not  only  for 
the  important  information  which  it  contains,  but 
for  its  elegance.  The  style  of  the  engravings  is 
good,  and  the  coloring,  done  in  this  country,  is, in 
many  respects,  equal  to  the  original  French  edi- 
tion. Those  editions  have  long  been  out  of  print, 
commanding,  before  this  appeared,  no  less  than 
one  hundred  dollars  a  copy  ;  that  price  was  ofiered 
to  our  late  American  Ambassador  in  London  for 
Michaux  alone.  The  present  edition,  better  trans- 
lated than  the  English  one  which  appeared  in  Par- 
is, is  now  to  be  procured  for  twenty-four  dollars  ; 
and  with  Nuttalls's  Continuation,  also,  in  three 
superb  volumes,  the  whole  is  oflFered  ?ov  forty-five 
dollars. 

From  the  nature  of  this  work  it  can  never  be- 
come a  "common  book  ;"  indeed,  to  possess  it  will 
always  confer  a  sort  of  distinction.  It  is  even 
now  somewhat  difficult  to  procure  a  copy  of  this 
new  edition,  so  much  time  is  necessarily  employed 
incoloring  the  plates  by  hand,  as  so  few  artists 
exist  in  this  country  who  can  be  trusted  to  work 
upon  tbem.  They  give  regular  support  to  a  num- 
ber of  ladies  and  gentlemen  who  do  little  else  than 
color  from  morning  to  night.  The  result  is,  pic- 
tures entirely  fit  to  be  framed  for  ornamenting  a 
drawing-room.  By  a  little  study  of  its  valuable 
plates  and  comprehensive  letter  press,  all  may 
identify  the  products  of  our  splendid  forests,  and 


learn  to  love  what  is  so  beautiful  and  worthy  of 
study.  If  it  were  only  to  be  able  to  know  exact-'' 
ly  all  our  American  Oaks,  or  if  they  only  were 
figured  by  this  master  of  engraving,  the  work  would 
be  cheap,  nay  invaluable  ;  but  in  addition,  we 
have  in  Michaux  and  Nuttall  all  the  trees  of  our 
continent.  The  first  named  author  described  the 
trees  of  the  Atlantic  slope,  and  Nuttall  continued 
tlie  labor  to  the  Pacific,  including  Oregon  and 
California.  The  trees  from  these  new  possessions 
are  already  finding  their  way  to  our  nurseries  and 
gardens,  and  Nuttall's  volumes  are  therefore  in- 
dispensable, for  his  are  the  only  descriptions  ex- 
tant of  these  western  novelties. 

Mr.  Smith,  the  editor,  happily  remarks  in  his 
introduction,  "It  was  a  singular  circumstance, 
and  a  happy  one  for  advancing  science,  that  Mr. 
Nuttall  arrived  in  this  country  the  very  year  that 
the  younger  Michaux  left  it.  *  #  # 
The  two  works  are  now  one  and  homogenous;  the 
former  most  highly  valued  by  all  lovers  of  trees, 
and  the  latter  destined  to  be  equally  so." 
*  #  #  *  * 

The  elder  Michaux  is  deceased,  having  fallen  a 
sacrifice  to  his  scientific  zeal  on  the  coast  of  Mad- 
agascar ;  Redonte,  the  engraver,  who  has  left  such 
a  world-wide  reputation  by  his  engravings  of  the 
work,  the  Liliaceoe  Rosftceae,  &c.,  is  no  more  ;  both 
Mr.  Maclure  and  Dr.  Morton  have  lately  paid 
the  debt  of  nature. 

The  elder  Michaux  commenced  the  "Sylva," 
by  describing  the  Oaks  of  America;  his  son,  F. 
Andre  Michaux,  who  completed  it,  still  survives, 
and  resides  in  Paris,  at  the  age  of  eighty-three 
years.  He  displayed  a  vocation  for  the  natural 
sciences  at  an  early  age,  and  accompanied  his 
father  on  his  voyage  to  America.  In  1802  he 
was  employed  by  the  French  government  to  ex- 
plore the  country  west  of  the  Alleghany  moun- 
tains, and  published  in  1804  his  travels  in  that 
then  distant  and  almost  unexplored  region.  A  sec- 
ond volume  contained  a  memoir  on  the  naturaliza- 
tion of  roots  of  American  forest  trees  in  France. 
In  1810  he  published  the  Sylva.  No  country  can 
boast  a  more  magnificent  or  useful  account  of  any 
part  of  its  natural  production  ;  it  unites  the  ad- 
vantages of  a  work  strictly  botanical,  and  of  one  re- 
lating to  the  useful  arts,  collecting  all  the  scat- 
tered details  which  books  or  experience  could  fur- 
nish him,  with  respect  to  the  application  of  the  va- 
rious kinds  of  wood  to  the  purposes  of  life,  which 
are  extremely  useful  and  important  at  the  present 
day.  The  fame  of  both  fxther  and  son  may  be  re- 
garded as  the  common  inheritance  of  France  and 
the  United  States. 


Farming  Inconsistencies. — Farmers  dig  their 
gardens  two  feet  deep,  but  only  plow  their  land 
five  inches.  They  take  especial  care  of  their  nag 
horses  in  a  good  warm  stable,  but  expose  their 
farm  horses  and  cattle  to  all  weathers.  They  de- 
ny the  utility  of  drainage  in  strong  tenacious  clays, 
but  dare  not  dig  an  underground  cellar  in  such 
soils,  because  the  water  would  get  in.  They 
waste  their  liquid  mauure,  but  buy  guano  from 
Peru  to  repair  the  loss  ;  and  some  practical  men, 
who  are  in  ecstacies  with  the  urine  of  the  sheep- 
fold,  have  been  known  seriously  to  doubt  the  ben- 
efit of  manure.  But  it  may  be  asked,  "Where  is 
the  capital  to  come  from  for  all  these  improve- 
ments?"   The  reply  will  be,  "Where  does   the 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  1<ARMER. 


333 


capital  come  from  to  make  railways  and  docks,  to 
build  steam  vessels,  to  erect  a  whole  town  of  new 
squares  and  streets,  and  to  carry  out  every  other 
useful  and  profitable  undertaking. 


For  the  Netv  England  Farmer. 
WITCH  GRASS— STATE  CHEMIST. 

Friend  Brown  : — In  the  June  number  of  your 
excellent  Farmer  I  see  an  article  on  Witch  Grass, 
in  which  you  give  a  description  of  the  various 
means  resorted  to,  to  free  our  soil  from  this  most 
stubborn  and  troublesome  occupant.  The  reme- 
dies you  propose  are  much  more  expensive  and  te- 
dious than  I  think  is  required.  And  as  I  have 
had  to  battle  with  it  fyr  the  past  ten  years,  I  will, 
with  your  permission,  give  you  the  outlines  of  the 
course  I  have  pursued,  which  is  very  simple,  and 
has  proved  entirely  successful. 

It  is  this.  Let  the  first  plowing  be  rather  late 
in  the  spring  ;  not  till  after  the  witch  grass  is 
pretty  well  up.  Let  the  ground  remain  some  four 
or  five  days  after  plowing — then  harrow,  and 
ridge  up  as  you  would  for  carrots,  let  it  remain  in 
this  condition  some  three  or  four  days,  watch  fur 
a  hot  sun,  and  throw  open  the  ridges  with  a  cul- 
tivator. Let  it  remain  in  this  way  some  two  or 
three  days,  then  ridge  again  as  before — and  by 
following  out  the  process  of  ridging  and  throwing 
open  with  the  cultivator  twice,  you  may  be  sure 
you  have  destroyed  the  witch  grass,  and  for  suc- 
ceeding years  too,  providing  you  plant  a  crop  that 
will  cover  the  ground  pretty  quick.  As  I  have 
occasion  to  use  a  large  quantity  of  corn  fodder, 
(which  by  the  way,  is  the  most  profitable  crop  I 
believe  that  can  be  raised,  for  green  feeding  to 
milch  cows,)  I  usually  plant  this.  You  perceive 
that  it  will  be  towards  the  first  of  June  before  you 
can  have  gone  thoroughly  through  with  this  pro- 
cess, but  still  in  ample  time  for  corn  fodder,  pota 
toes,  or  even  field  corn — but  one  of  these  crops  is 
better  than  any  other  I  think  of,  to  make  complete 
clearing  out,  both  of  root  and  branch.  The  advan- 
tage of  this  plan  over  any  other  is,  that  you  can 
do  it  all  with  your  plow  and  cultivator,  making  a 
great  saving  in  hand  labor,  and  without  being  un- 
der the  necessity  of  removing  any  of  the  roots  from 
the  field — let  them  remain — they  will  all  disappear 
in  the  course  of  the  season.  So  that  the  second 
year  you  wouldn't  know  there  had  ever  been  a 
root  in  the  ground.  I  am  now,  (the  7th  of  June,) 
working  a  piece  of  land  in  the  way  I  have  described, 
and  if  you  have  any  that  you  wish  to  try  my  plan 
upon,  just  let  me  know  the  result. 

I  notice,  what  I  am  sorry  for,  that  the  State 
Board  of  Agriculture  report  against  the  employ- 
ment of  a  State  chemist.  You  say  the  committee 
are  "fully  impressed  with  the  importance  of  such 
operations  and  knowledge,  but  are  still  of  the 
opinion  that  the  time  has  not  yet  arrived  when  it 
will  be  expedient  to  recommend  any  distinct  action 
on  the  subject." 

Now  as  you  are  a  member  of  the  Board,  it  is 
quite  possible  you  can  give  your  readers  some  good 
reason  for  such  a  conclusion.  For  my  own  part, 
I  know  of  none.  If  you  wait  for  our  State  Legis- 
latures to  propose  any  thing  of  the  kind,  the  time 
is  surely  a  great  way  off,  for  action ;— there  can  be 
no  political  capital  made  out  of  all  this  matter  of 
agriculture,  it  is  too  common  a  thing  altogether 
for  so  wise  and  dignified  a  body  to  meddl*  with 


How  long  will  the  people  remain  contented  and 
satisfied  with  all  this,  can  you  tell  me,  friend 
Brown?  If  so  I  wish  you  would.  For  one,  I  am  ready 
to  move — and  let  the  people  move,  through  their 
County  Societies,  and  Conventions ;  and  in  my 
humble  opinion,  we  shall  see  some  movements 
through  our  State  authorities  different  from  that 
we  have  yet  seen.  I  have  written  enough  for 
once,  and  will  stop.  Yours,         j.  h.  r, 

Dorchester,  June  7th,  1853. 

Remarks. — Thank  you,  friend  R.,  for  the  above, 
and  hope  that  now  your  pen  is  in  motion,  we  shall 
hear  from  you  often. 

With  regard  to  the  appointment  of  a  State 
Chemist,  our  own  convictions  corresponded  with 
the  report  of  the  Committee.  Our  rule  of  prac- 
tice would  be  like  that  of  the  miller;  that  is,  to 
keep  the  means  of  improvement  always  ready,  as 
he  keeps  his  hopper  filled  with  corn,  but  not  to 
supply  it  faster  than  it  can  be  received  and  well 
ground.  We  would  scatter  the  higher  agricultural 
information  as  all  other  knowledge  is  spread,  when 
it  will  fall,  not  upon  a  rock,  but  upon  a  soil  pre- 
pared in  some  degree  to  receive  it.  The  mind 
may  be  overburdened,  as  well  as  the  mill-stones, 
and  by  attempting  too  much,  you  gain  nothing, 
but  actually  retard  the  natural  current. 


EDUCATION  OF  OXEN. 

A  "Glenburn  Farmer,"  in  the  Bangor  Whig, 
contends  that  the  practice  of  testing  the  merits  of 
working  oxen,  at  cattle  shows,  by  the  mere  abili- 
ty to  drag  the  heaviest  possible  burden,  is  unsat- 
isfactory and  unsafe,  as  not  exhibiting  the  most' 
valuable  qualities  of  the  animals,  nor  showing  their 
most  useful  capacities  in  the  performance  of  their 
ordinary  work.  AVe  annex  a  part  of  his  sensible 
remarks  : 

"I  would  suggest  that  at  the  next  trial  of  oxen 
at  the  Society's  Show,  it  would  be  upon  a  judicious- 
ly loaded  cart,  and  that  the  exercise  should  con- 
sist of  drawing,  turning,  and  backing.  What  the 
public  want  in  regard  to  working  oxen,  is  an  ex- 
hibition of  the  best  trained  cattle  for  farm  purpo- 
ses. Nor  is  this  all.  AVe  want  to  see  the  man 
who  trained  them,  and  his  manner  of  doing  it. 
We  want  an  exhibition  of  good  teamsters  as  well 
as  good  teams  ;  for  very  much  of  the  merit  of  a 
yoke  or  team  of  cattle  belong  to  the  teamsters. 
And  instead  of  giving  all  the  premiums  to  good 
oxen,  one-half  at  least  should  go  to  good  drivers. 
No  driver,  however,  should  receive  a  premium  for 
himself  or  oxen,  however  good  they  may  be,  who 
uses  profane  language  during  the  exhibition.  A 
rule  of  this  kind  would  have  changed  the  direction 
of  more  than  one  premium  at  the  late  trial. 

"Good  teamsters  are  worth  from  five  to  ten  dol- 
lars a  month  more  than  poor  ones  ;  and  yet,  with 
this  difference  in  price,  it  is  very  easy  to  find  a 
hundred,  and  I  might  say  a  thousand,  poor  ones 
for  one  good  one.  No  man  can  be  a  good  team- 
ster who  is  not  a  gentleman.  He  must  be  gentle, 
kind  and  careful.  No  good  teamster  will  put  his 
oxen  to  an  unnecessary  waste  of  strength,  or  to 
unnecessary  pain,  by  the  use  of  the  goad  stick  or 
brad. —  Wisconsin  Farmer. 


334 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


July 


HINTS  ON  THINNING  FRUIT. 

The  prospects  of  an  abundant  fruit  crop  through- 
out most  of  the  fruit-growing  regions  of  this  coun- 
try, have  scarcely  ever  been  better,  according  to 
the  best  information  we  can  obtain,  than  they  are 
the  present  season.  The  winter  was  of  more  than 
an  average  mildness  ;  and  the  spring,  though  ear- 
ly, has  been  cool,  without  any  violent  changes 
likely  to  affect  the  fruit  buds.  At  the  present  mo- 
ment (May  14th)  peaches,  cherries,  and  pears, 
show  a  remarkable  profusion  of  blossoms.  The 
temperature  is  lower  than  we  could  wish  it  to  be, 
and  for  several  nights  there  has  been  here  a  light 
frost,  but  owing  to  the  dryness  of  the  atmosphere, 
it  has  not,  as  far  as  we  are  able  to  judge,  done  any 
serious  injury.  Everything  looks  promising.  Last 
season  the  crop  was  very  light  generally — in  many 
localities  a  total  failure  ;  and  this  will  contribute 
much  to  the  abundance  of  this  season's  crop. 

Now  we  wish  to  offer  a  few  hints  in  regard  to 
certain  precautions,  which  the  circumstances  call 
for  ;  that  is,  provided  the  crop  will  be  as  heavy  as 
we  have  reason  to  anticipate.  It  is  very  well 
known  that  in  favorable  seasons,  after  a  failure  es- 
pecially, trees  bear  too  much.  It  is  very  com- 
mon to  see  them  so  loaded  with  fruit  as  not  only 
to  cease  growing  entirely,  but  to  bend  and  break 
down  under  its  weight.  This  should  be  guarded 
against^  Trees  are  in  a  multitude  of  cases  enfee- 
bled, broken,  contract  diseases,  and  are,  in  short, 
ruined  by  excessive  bearing  ;  and  every  man  who 
appreciates  the  value  of  a  full  grown  bearing  tree, 
worth  from  $100  to  $500  as  the  case  may  be, should 
guard  against  such  a  result  as  carefully  as  he 
would  his  ox  or  his  horse  against  excessive  labor 
that  would  be  certain  to  injure  or  kill  them. 

Trees,  like  animals,  have  constitutions  that  can, 
by  proper  treatment,  be  kept  sound  for  a  great 
length  of  time,  or  by  neglect,  or  bad  treatment, 
broken  down.  Our  opinion  is  that  the  feeble,  dis- 
'eased,  and  short-lived  condition  of  the  peach  tree 
in  New  Jersey,  is  due,  in  a  great  measure,  to  a 
greedy  or.careless  system  of  over-cropping.  We 
know  how  races  of  men  and  horses  degenerate, 
from  hard  labor  and  bad  treatment — how  they 
dwindle  down  in  size,  lose  their  proportion,  sym- 
metry and  intelligence — in  short,  wear  out,  to  use 
a  very  common  but  expressive  term.  Trees  "wear 
out,"  too.  How  many  we  have  all  seen  that  in  their 
youth,  even  before  they  had  arrived  at  a  full  bear- 
ing age  and  size,  began  to  look  old — the  branches 
twisted  and  knarly,  the  bark  rough  and  mossy  and 
all  covered  with  small,  feeble,  ill-formed  buds  and 
fruit  spurs,  loaded  perhaps  with  small,  worthless 
fruit,  not  worth  picking  up. 

Now  those  who  desire  to  guard  their  trees 
against  wearing  out,  must  not  be  too  greedy  of  a 
great  crop.  Thoy  must  master  that  natural  re- 
luctance we  all  feel  to  pick  off  a  portion  of  the 
fruit.  They  must  thin  them  out  so  as  to  leave 
them  evenly  distributed  over  the  tree,  and  only  so 
many  as  can  be  brought  to  full  and  perfect  ma- 
turity without  injury  or  death  to  the  tree.  But 
we  shall  be  asked,  "How  are  we  to  know  how 
many  we  ought  to  leave  or  how  many  to  take?" 
Well,  we  confess  it  takes  some  little  skill  and  ex- 
perience to  thin  a  crop  judiciously,  but  he  who  goes 
about  in  earnest  will  find  some  indications  to  aid 
him.  It  will  not  do  to  thin  in  all  cases  alike,  be- 
cause the  vigorous  tree,  in  a  generous  soil,  will  car- 
ry a  large  crop  without  injury,  and  one  that  would 


be  almost  certain  death  to  a  delicate  or  feeble  tree 
having  limited  resources  in  the  way  of  food,  just  as 
a  healthy,  robust,well-fedman  can  perform  a  day's 
work  with  ease  that  a  weakly,  ill-fed  man  dare  not 
attempt.  The  growth  of  a  tree,  the  appearance 
of  its  foliage,  the  length  and  thickness  of  its  young 
shoots,  afford  a  very  reliable  guide  as  to  the  vig- 
or of  a  tree  and  its  ability  to  bear  a  heavy  crop. 
Some  varieties  are  naturally  moderate  and  con- 
stant bearers,  and  if  kept  under  good  culture 
might  never  require  thinning,  while  others  bear 
enormously  some  years,  the  fruit  actually  cover- 
ing every  part  of  the  tree  and  requiring  props  and 
supports  to  keep  it  from  being  torn  to  pieces.  Such 
trees  cannot  bear  so  in  successive  years,  nor  can 
they  long  remain  healthy.  Then  beside  thinning 
the  fruits,  good  culture  must  be  given  them  in 
their  fruitful  years,  and  top-dressings  of  composts 
in  a  well  decayed  state.  Garden  trees  may  have 
liquid  manure  and  mulching  instead  of  tup-dress- 
ing. Such  care  as  this,  not  costing  much,  will  not 
only  sustain  the  vigor  and  health  of  trees,  but  pro- 
duce large,  handsome,  marketable  fruits.  When 
a  tree  is  loaded  to  breaking  down,  one-half  or 
three-fourths  of  the  fruit  is  worthless,  and  all  the 
advantage  of  a  large  crop  is  lost. 

We  consider  this  subject  of  much  importance  to 
the  fruit  grower.  We  know  by  ample  experience 
that  it  is.  We  crop  our  own  trees  heavily,  per- 
haps too  heavily  ;  but  every  season  we  have  to 
perform  a  thinning  process,  and  we  should  consid- 
er the  neglect  of  it  nothing  less  than  the  wilful  de- 
struction of  our  trees. —  Genesee  Farmer. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
FARM  SCHOOL  AT  WESTBORO'. 

Mr.  Brown: — I  am  pleased  to  see  tlie  attention 
of  the  ptiblic  called  to  the  uses  that  should  be 
made  of  the  State  form  at  Westboro'.  Here  are 
hundreds  of  boys,  that  are  from  year  to  year  to 
be  scattered  abroad  in  the  community,  dejiendent 
on  their  own  exertions  for  a  living ; — starting  un- 
der the  necessity  of  having  their  first  impressions 
eradicated.  How  important  then  that  tliey  be 
guided  right !  That  they  be  so  instructed  as  to  be 
useful  and  respectable  in  the  stations  they  may 
be  called  to  fill !  Suppose  each  of  these  boys  to  be 
thoroughly  instructed  in  the  operations  required 
of  the  farmer,  so  that  he  could  take  the  charge  of 
this  class  of  labor  ; — and  that  the  young  men  who 
may  go  out  from  this  institution,  should  have  the 
reputation  of  being  there  instructed  ;  would  there 
be  any  question  of  their  finding  immediate  employ- 
ment ?  It  is  safe  to  say,  there  would  not.  How 
important  then,  for  the  young  men,  and  for  the 
community,  that  they  be  thus  instructed. 

If  special  care  be  not  taken,  so  to  instruct  them, 
they  will  assuredly  be  bad.  As  well  may  you  at- 
tempt to  confine  a  multitude  in  a  close  rot>m,  with- 
out ventilation,  and  expect  the  air  to  remain  pure, 
as  to  expect  a  multitude  of  youth,  when  congre- 
gated together,  without  employment,  to  retain 
their  purity.  All  experience  proves  the  evils  of 
such  associations.  Satan  always  finds  employ- 
ment for  the  idle.  When  good  is  not  doing,  mis- 
chief will  be  brewing. 

But  sir,  short  stories  are  best.  I  hope  those 
who  have  the  power,  will  not  be  unmindful  or 
neglectful  of  their  duty. 

MayZl,  1853. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


335 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
OORN-PODDER,    AND     CORN-STALK 
CUTTER. 

The  advantages  of  cutting  up  corn- fodder  and 
mixing  meal  with  it,  for  the  feeding  of  cattle,  par- 
ticularly during  a  winter  when  hay  is  scarce  and 
of  a  high  price,  were  lately  illustrated  at  the 
farm  of  Levi  A.  Dowley,  Esq.,  in  Brattleboro'. 
Mr.  Dowley  having  a  numerous  stock  to  winter, 
and  hay  being  worth  fifteen  dollars  per  ton,  and 
not  plenty  at  that  price,  he  was  induced  to  try 
the  experiment  of  cutting  corn-stalks  and  mixing 
meal  with  them,  as  a  substitute  for  hay  in  the 
feeding  of  a  portion  of  his  cattle.  Eleven  cows, 
six  steers  coming  four,  six  coming  three,  and  ten 
coming  two,  years  of  age, — in  all,  thirty-three 
animals  —  were  accordingly  separated  from  the 
fatting  cattle,  and  fed  from  about  the  first  of  De- 
cember to  the  first  of  March  last,  with  thirty- 
three  bushels,  each  morning,  of  finely-chopped 
stalks  muistened_  with  water  and  then  three  pecks 
of  meal  mixed  through  the  mass,  with  a  like 
quantity  each  evening,  and  with  uncut  oat  straw 
each  noon.  The  meal  was.  a  mixture  of  Indian 
corn  and  of  oil  meal,  in  the  proportion  of  three 
quarts  of  the  latter  to  twenty  one  of  the  former. 

The  stalks  fed  during  the  three  months  as  above 
mentioned,  were  a  part  of  the  crop  grown  on 
eighteen  acres  of  land  planted  with  corn  last  sea- 
son, and  yielding  an  unusually  great  product, 
both  of  grain  and  stalks.  The  entire  crop  was 
cut  up  at  the  surface  of  the  ground,  before  the 
autumnal  frosts  appeared,  and  while  the  stalks 
were  yet  green  and  succulent,  was  well  cured  in 
the  field,  and  then,  after  husking,  the  fodder  was 
placed  in  shed  lofts  and  over  the  barn  floors,  so 
that  it  came  out  in  the  winter  fresh  and  sweet. 

Some  less  than  two-thirds  of  the  quantity  of 
fodder  produced  on  the  eighteen  acres,  was  con- 
sumed by  these  cattle,  during  the  period  of  three 
months  ending  on  the  first  of  March  ;  and  it  was 
calculated  that  if  the  whole  product  of  the  same 
grown  thereon,  had  been  cut  and  fed  as  during 
the  three  months,  it  would  have  kept  this  lot  of 
stock  till  the  first  of  June  :  but  on  the  first  of 
March,  it  was  quite  apparent  that  the  hay  on 
hand  would  be  sufficient  for  the  feeding  of  the  en- 
tire farm  stock  till  grass-time  ;  and  accordingly 
the  thirty-three  animals  received  their  portion  of 
the  hay  night  and  morning  with  the  other  stock, 
and  the  l)alance  of  the  corn  forage  was  thrown 
about  the  yards  during  the  day,  the  best  of  it 
eaten,  and  the  coarser  parts  trampled  under  foot 
for  litter  and  manure. 

The  wages  and  board  of  one  man  formed  the 
extra  expense  incurred  by  reason  of  passing  the 
stalks  through  the  chaff-cutter,  moistening 
them  with  water,  adding  the  meal  and  feeding 
the  prepared  mas^s  to  the  animals.  The  person 
employed  fur  this  purpose  was  paid  twelve  dollars 
per  month,  and  his  board  may  be  called  eight  dol- 
lars per  month — making  an  extra  monthly  expense 
of  twenty  dollars.  The  amount  and  value  of  the 
corn  and  oil  meal  fed  each  of  the  three  months  may 
be  called — 39  bushels  of  corn  meal  at  83  cents  per 
bushel, — $32.37  ;  and  6  bushels  of  oil  meal  at  78 
cents  per  bushel, — S4,68  ;  making  a  total  cost  of 
meal  per  month  of  $37,05. 

Prices  of  labor,  board,  and  of  forage  and  proven- 
der varying  more  or  less  with  different  localities, 


no  nice  calculation  of  the  exact  cost  or  saving  of 
this  mode  of  feeding  will  here  be  made  ;  but  from 
tlie  details  that  are  given,  each  reader  may  draw 
his  own  conclusions  of  the  expediency  or  other- 
wise of  the  same.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  the  ex- 
periment resulted  satisfactorily  to  the  projector  of 
it,  the  animals  were  healthy  during  its  continu- 
ance, and  in  good  flesh  at  its  conclusion. 

The  corn  fodder  was  reduced  to  a  complete  state 
of  chaff,  or  was  cut  in  pieces  one-quarter  to  one- 
half  inch  long,  by  a  stalk-cutter  invented  and  man- 
ufactured by  Reuben  Daniels,  at  Woodstock,  Vt. 
It  is  a  good  machine,  perhaps  the  best  chaff-cutter 
yet  made  for  reducing  corn  stalks  to  a  fit  state  for 
being  fed  with  meal  ;  and  it  may  be  guaged  to  cut 
hay,  straw,  &c.,  to  any  length,  from  four  inches  to 
one-fourth  of  an  inch.  However,  it  has  not,  per- 
Iiaps,  all  that  capacity  to  take  in,  and  to  cut  com 
stalks  as  rapidly  as  one  could  desire. 

We  farmers  are  very  much  in  want  of  a  power- 
ful, effective  chaff-cutter,  which  shall  take  in  a  gen- 
erous mouthful  of  corn  stalks,  cutting  them  very 
fine,  and  having  that  capacity  of  fly  wheel  and  of 
geerings  which  shall  cause  the  machine  to  work 
with  facility  and  expedition  by  the  application  of 
the  turning-power  of  one  man.  There  are  vari- 
ous machines,  denominated  hay  cutters,  in  the 
market,  which  are  well  adapted  to  the  purpose 
their  name  indicates  ;  but  they  are  wholly  inade- 
quate to  the  proper  and  profitable  cutting  of  corn 
fodder — the  very  quality  of  forage  which  most 
needs  improvement  by  being  reduced  to  a  fine  and 
soft  state,  and  by  the  addition  of  meal.  If  our 
agricultural  machine-makers  could  but  invent  the 
right  cutter  for  this  business,  they  would  confer  an 
important  benefit  upon  the  farmers,  as  well  as  find 
already  sale  for  such  invention.  Quite  an  addition- 
al breadth  of  corn  and  other  coarse  forage  would 
be  grown  for  winter  feeding,  if  money  could  only 
purchase  a  suitable  machine  for  quickly  and  cheap- 
ly reducing  such  forage  to  a  proper  state  for  eco- 
nomical feeding.  F.  Holbrook. 

Brattleboro'' ,  JuneS,  1853. 


TOWN  HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETIES. 

-"To  ileck  the  shapely  knoll 


That  softly  swell'd,  and  gaily  dressM  appears 
A  flow'ry  island  from  the  dark  green  lawn 
Emerging,  must  be  deemed  a  labor  due 
To  no  mean  hand,  and  asks  the  touch  of  taste." 

Mr.  Editor  : — Conversing  with  a  friend  in  Mass- 
achusetts, a  few  days  ago,  1  was  much  interested 
with  his  plan  for  the  formation  of  town  horticul- 
tural societies.  Through  his  agency,  such  a  soci- 
ety exists  in  Andover,  Mass.,  which  has  been 
found  both  useful  and  pleasant  to  its  members. 
Before  the  existence  of  this  society,  little  interest 
was  felt  in  ornamental  flowers  and  shrubs  or  in 
scientific  gardening.  Through  the  agency  of  a  sin- 
gle individual.  Dr.  Eastman  Sanborn,  of  that  vil- 
lage, a  warm  interest  has  been  awakened  in  hor- 
ticulture. Dr.  Sanborn  is  enthusiastic  in  the  cul- 
ture of  fruits  and  flowers;  and  like  every  other  ear- 
nest and  true  patriot,  he  imparts  both  of  his  zeal 
and  his  choice  flowers  to  others.  When  his  neigh- 
bors see  the  beauty  and  inhale  the  fragrance  of 
the  beautiful  products  of  his  industry  and  skill, 
they  admire  his  plan  of  creating  c^imfort  and  hap- 
piness at  home,  and  "go  and  do  likewise."  It  is 
not  enough  to  see  and  smell  a  beautiful  flower  while 
it  lasts,  one  likes  to  have  it  with  him  ;  and  when 


336 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


July 


a  person  has  enjoyed  the  society  and  sweet  Ian 
guage  of  a  single  flower,  he,  like  Oliver  Twist,  al- 
ways "asks  for  more." 

The  Andover  Society  holds  regular  meetings, 
and  furnishes  occasional  exhibitions  of  fruits  and 
flowers.  Each  member  saves  seeds  from  his  own 
garden,  for  exchange  with  other  societies  and  with 
the  Patent  Ofiice  at  Washington.  Thus  they  se- 
cure to  themselves  the  most  valuable  specimens  of 
flowers,  fruits,  plants,  shrubs,  and  edible  roots, 
which  the  gardens  of  the  world  afford. 

They  may  malce  horticulture  a  source  of  income, 
if  they  choose  ;  tliey  cannot  fail  to  make  it  a  source 
of  pleasure.  The  love  of  flowers  is  one  of  the 
most  innocent,  pure,  and  healthy  afiections  of  the 
4iuman  soul.  There  is  no  rivalry  or  loss  of  love  in 
it.  The  passion  never  decays,  but  actually  "grows 
by  what  it  feeds  on."  It  interferes  with  no  duties, 
domestic  or  public,  but  adds  a  new  charm  to  both 
and  gilds  with  "the  purple  light  of  love"  all  the 
asperities  and  inequalities  of  life. 

The  biographer  of  the  Empress  Josephine  men- 
tions it,  to  her  credit,  that  she  was  fond  of  flow- 
ers; and  adds  that  this  passion  in  females  usually 
indicates  a  gentle  temper  and  a  loving  heart.  If 
this  be  the  fact,  in  relation  to  females,  the  culti- 
vation of  flowers  may  have  very  important  bear- 
ings upon  their  prospects  in  life. 

The  formation  of  village  societies  for  improve- 
-  ment  in  experimental  gardening  is,  certainly,  wor- 
thy of  consideration.  If  our  citizens  are  indiffer- 
ent to  the  ornamental  part  of  horticulture,  they 
Cannot  be  so,  with  I'eference  to  the  useful  and  pro- 
ductive department.  The  berries,  fruits,  plums, 
currants  and  edible  roots  of  a  well  cultivated  gar- 
den add  very  essentially  to  the  substantial  enjoy- 
ments of  life.  They  also  contribute  greatly  to  the 
ordinary  support  of  a  family. 

The  quantity  and  quality  of  these  comforts  of  a 
farmer's  life  may  be  materially  improved  by  skill 
and  industry.  The  skill  may  be  acquired  by  com- 
paring notes  at  a  horticultural  meeting  and  by  per- 
sonal experiments.  The  reward  is  certain.  Let 
those  who  feel  any  interest  in  the  welfare  of  their 
respective  communities,  consider  these  suggestions 
and  resolve  to  act. —  Granite  Farmer. 


THE  CLIMATE  OF  COUNTRIES. 

Although  Edinburgh,  in  great  Britain,  is  situa- 
ted ten  degrees  farther  north  than  the  city  of  New 
York,  it  has  a  much  warmer  climate  in  winter,  and 
the  heat  and  cold  never  attain  to  such  extremes. 
The  cHmate  of  England  is,  to  the  majority  of  our 
people;  a  mystery.  The  island  is  situated  between 
50  and  55  deg  north  latitude,  and  it  has  a  milder 
climate  than  we  enjoy  in  the  latitudes  of  40  and 
•45  deg.  The  British  Isles  are  situated  in  the  path 
of  warm  ocean  currents,  which  flow  across  the 
Atlantic  and  beat  upon  and  circulate  around  them. 
The  wild  Orkney  Islands,  which  are  situated  in 
59  deg.  5  minutes,  have  warmer  winters  than  we 
have  in  New  York  city,  which  is  situated  about 
17  deg.  further  south.  In  the  city  of  Glasgow, 
the  mean  temperature  in  the  month  of  January  is 
38  deg.,  and  it  has  never  been  below  zero  but 
twice  in  forty  years,  and  then  only  3  deg.  for  two 
days.  In  Unst,  in  the  Shetland  Isles,  in  latitude 
GO  deg.,  5  min.,  the  mean  temperature  in  Janua- 
ry is  40  deg.  In  many  places  of  the  United  States, 
ranging  from  New  York  to  Maine,  in  lat.  45  deg.. 


the  mean  temperature  is  6  deg.  below  zero.  Unst 
is  only  one  degree  colder  than  Constantinople,  in 
January,  and  no  country  in  Europe,  nor  the  world, 
perhaps,  enjoys  the  mildness  of  climate  peculiar 
to  Great  Britain  and  Ireland.  This  must  have 
a  wonderful  effect  upon  the  health  and  organiza- 
tion of  the  people.  The  cause  is,  as  we  have  stat- 
ed, generally  attributed  to  the  currents  of  the 
Gulf  Stream  ;  one  philosopher,  however,  attrib- 
utes the  genial  warmth  to  moist  breezes  from  Af- 
rica, which  come  over  the  Atlantic,  crossing  the 
equator.  In  Russia,  Moscow  is  on  tl.e  same  line 
with  Edinburgh,  yet  its  temperature  in  winter  is 
at  least  13  deg.  lower.  The  climate  of  England  is 
moist  and  wet.  To  foreigners,  accustomed  to  clear 
skies,  it  is  disagreeable.  The  atmosphere  is  cloudy 
in  summer,  and  this  is  one  reason  why  it  is  not 
so  warm  as  in  other  countries  in  the  same  north- 
ern latitude.  "Were  it  not  for  the  warm  ocean 
currents  and  the  warm  breezes,  the  coasts  of  Eng- 
land would  be  ice-bound,  and  many  of  the  plants 
which  now  flourish  there  as  evergreens,  would  be 
unknown. 

On  the  northern  coast  of  our  continent — in 
northern  Oregon — the  olimate  is  much  warmer  in 
winter  than  in  places  on  the  same  lines  of  latitude 
in  our  Eastern  States.  It  is  believed  that  currents 
from  the  orient  flow  over  the  Pacific  and  wash  the 
Oregon  shores,  as  the  Gulf  Stream  nf  the  Atlantic 
does  the  British  Isles.  During  the  past  winter 
the  thermometer  ranged  at  17  deg.  above  zero, 
and  the  prairies  were  green  all  the  time,  except 
when  covered  by  occasional  snow  storms.  The 
farmer  is  not  compelled,  as  in  the  Eastern  States, 
to  depend  for  the  winter  sustenance  of  his  cattle 
on  hay  raised  the  previous  season  ;  his  cattle  can 
graze  there  throughout  the  whole  year,  and  wild 
flowers  may  often  be  plucked  in  the  months  of  Jan- 
uary and  February. — Scientific  American. 


THE  FIRST    SAW   MILL. 

The  old  practice  in  making  boards  was  to  split 
up  the  logs  with  wedges  ;  and  inconvenient  as  the 
practice  was,  it  was  no  easy  thing  to  persuade  the 
world  that  it  could  be  done  in  any  better  way.  Saw 
mills  were  first  used  in  Europe  in  the  15th  centu- 
ry ;  but,  so  lately  as  1555,  an  English  Ambassa- 
dor, having  seen  a  saw-mill  in  France,  thought  it 
a  novelty  which  deserved  a  particular  description. 
It  is  amusing  to  see  how  the  aversion  to  labor 
saving  machinery  has  always  agitated  England. 
The  first  saw-mill  was  established  l)y  a  Dutchman, 
in  16G3  ;  but  the  public  outcry  against  the  new- 
fangled machine  was  so  violent,  that  the  proprie- 
tor was  forced  to  decamp  with  more  expedition 
than  ever  a  Dutchman  did  before.  The  evil  was 
thus  kept  out  of  England  for  several  years,  or 
rather  generations;  but  in  1758,  an  unlucky  tim- 
ber merchant,  hoping  that  after  so  long  a  time  the 
public  would  be  less  watchful  of  its  own  interest, 
made  a  rash  attempt  to  construct  another  mill. 
The  guardians  of  the  public  welfare,  however, 
were  on  the  alert,  and  a  conscientious  mob  at 
once  collected  and  pulled  the  mill  to  pieces.  Such 
patriotic  spirit  could  not  always  last,  and  now, 
though  we  have  nowhere  seen  the  fact  distinctly 
stated,  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  saw-mills 
are  used  in  England. 

a^  Drinking  water  neither  makes  a  man  sick, 
nor  in  debt,  nor  his  wife  a  widow. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


337 


Tor  the  Neiv  England  Farmer. 
FANCY  liOP-EAR  RABBITS. 

Mr.  Editor  : — Above  I  hand  you  a  drawing  from 
life  of  a  doG  and  young,  of  the  English  Lop-cared 
Rabbits  — such  as  are  now  bred  to  a  wide  extent  in 
Great  Britain,  and  which  are  very  highly  esteemed 
for  the  table,  when  fattened,  or  as  pets  with  ama- 
teurs. 

This  tribe  are  beautiful  creatures,  are  very  easi- 
ly reared,  and  have  proved  a  most  interesting  ad- 
dition to  the  stock  of  fanciers  who  have  bred  them. 
In  England,  they  receive  a  good  share  of  attention, 
and  clubs  exist  there  in  all  the  largo  cities  and 
towns  who  hold  annual  eshil)itions,  at  which  a 
good  deal  of  competition  is  evinced  for  superioi'ity. 

My  stock  I  imported  last  spring  from  London, 
Liverpool  and  Dublin  ;  and  I  shall  be  happy  to 
show  it  to  those  interested,  at  my  residence,  in 
Melrose.  The  peculiarities  of  this  race  consist 
chiefly  in  their  great  size,  their  fine  colors,  and 
their  long  pendant  ears.  They  are  exceedingly 
prolific — breeding  six  or  seven  times  in  a  year — 
and  may  be  kept  advantageously  in  a  very  small 
space. 

My  rabbitry  occupies  a  building  12  by  .''>0  feet. 
The  animals  are  confined  in  hutches  three  feet 
long  and  two  feet  wide.  These  hutches,  (or  apart- 
ments,) are  ranged  in  tiers,  one  over  another,  five 
on  a  tier  ;  and  each  rabbit  occupies  a  separate 
hutch.  The  young  are  taken  from  the  mother  at 
our  to  sis  weeks  old,  and  are  afterwards  kept  to- 


gether (six-to  ten,)  in  a  larger  hutch,  in  a  sepa- 
rate room  of  the  rabbitry.  They  are  ready  for 
breeding  at  6  to  8  months  old. 

I  am  not  aware  that  these  pretty  animals  are 
now  very  extensively  bred  in  this  country,  Mr. 
Rotch,  of  Morris,  N.  Y.,  and  Mr.  Rodman,  of 
Dedham,  being  the  only  gentlemen  that  I  know, 
who  have  fine  stock ;  yet  I  think  we  shall  very 
soon  see  more  of  them,  from  the  fact  that  there  is 
at  present  a  good  deal  of  inquiry  for  them,  at  home 
and  abroad.  I  am  yours,  &c., 

Geo.  p.  Burnh.am. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

STATE  PAUPER  FARM. 

Mr.  Editor  : — In  my  remarks  upon  the  pauper 
fiirm  at  Tewksbury,  I  said,  "If  the  good  people  of 
this  State  expect  that  the  farm  will  contribute  in 
any  important  degree  to  sustain  the  establishment, 
they  will  be  disappointed."  But  from  this,  it  by 
no  means  follows,  that  it  is  unwise  or  ill-judged,  to 
connect  a  fiirm  with  the  institution.  As  I  re- 
marked, "it  will  furnish  potatoes,  garden  vegeta- 
bles, and  milk."  It  will  do  more  ;  it  will  furnish 
employment  to  a  portion  of  the  inmates  f  3r  a  part 
of  the  year  at  least.  To  furnish  employment,  and 
especially  profitable  employment,  to  the  inmates  of 
such  institutions,  has  ever  been  the  most  difficult 
problem  to  solve  in  connection  with  them.^  It  will 
afford  many  conveniences  to  the  institution  and 
contribute  very  much  to  its  beauty  and  agreeable- 


338 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


July 


ness.  It  will  furnish  to  invalids  and  to  those  re- 
covering from  sickness,  ample  grounds  in  which  to 
take  air  and  exercise,  and  by  allowing  the  lines  of 
enclosure  to  be  removed  to  a  greater  distance  from 
the  house,  will  diminish  its  prison-like  appear- 
ance. 

Its  moral  effect  also  upon  the  people  in  the 
house,  is  by  no  means  to  be  overlooked.  Almost 
every  human  being,  however  ignorant  and  degra- 
ded, is  influenced  by  the  circumstances  in  which 
he  is  placed,  by  the  scenery  by  which  he  is  sur- 
rounded. The  people  who  will  occupy  this  estab- 
lishment, will  be  more  easily  governed  and  kept 
in  proper  order,  in  a  neat,  convenient,  well  ar- 
ranged house,  and  in  grounds  adorned  with  beau- 
tiful trees  and  flowers,  and  with  avenues  well 
kept  and  clean,  than  they  would  in  a  house  in 
which  no  regard  was  paid  to  appearances,  and  in 
whose  arrangements  g(jod  taste  had  not  been  con- 
sulted. There  is  in  every  human  heart  a  chord 
that  vibrates  responsive  to  the  voices  of  nature  and 
of  beauty  ;  and  by  these  gentle  voices,  the  most 
rugged  and  savage  nature  is  softened  and  human- 
ized. It  is  by  no  means,  a  matter  of  indifference, 
by  what  grounds  and  by  what  scenery,  this  and 
similar  institutions  are  surrounded.  But  not  to 
enlarge  upon  this  subject,  there  is  another  reason 
why  it  is  well  that  farms  have  been  connected  with 
the  pauper  establishment  of  the  State.  I  notice 
by  the  report  of  the  last  meeting  of  the  Board  of 
Agricultural  Commissioners,  that  the  subject  of 
appropriating  a  portion  of  the  Reform  School  farm, 
to  the  purposes  of  experimental  farming,  was  ta- 
ken up  and  referred  to  a  committee  who  are  to 
confer  with  the  Governor  in  respect  to  it.  I  see 
no  reason  why  a  portion  of  each  of  the  pauper 
farms  may  not  be  devoted  to  a  similar  use,  with- 
out diminishing  in  any  material  degree  its  econom- 
ical value  to  the  State.  A  series  of  scientific  ex- 
periments might  be  accurately  conducted  with  re- 
spect to  the  adaptedness  of  certain  seeds  and  plants 
and  fruits  to  the  climate  and  soil  of  New  England; 
with  regard  to  the  value  of  different  kinds  of  ma- 
nure, both  natural  and  artificial;  with  regard  to 
the  kind  of  manure  which  different  vegetables  re- 
quire ;  with  regard  to  different  modes  of  cultiva- 
ting crops  of  established  value  ;  with  regard  to  the 
feeding  of  stock,  the  value  of  different  articles  of 
nutriment,  and  their  effect  in  producing  muscle 
and  fat,  and  the  amount  and  quality  of  milk.  We 
need  a  series  of  accurate  experiments  upon  all 
these  and  many  other  subjects,  and  if  their  pro- 
cesses and  results  were  carefully  stated,  they  would 
be  of  inestimable  value  to  the  farmers  and  gai-den- 
ers  of  the  State.  I  have  had  occasion  to  observe 
before,  in  your  paper,  that  the  deductions  of  sci- 
ence, especially  when  they  relate  to  subjects  pos- 
sessing vitality,  need  to  be  verified  by  experiment. 
When  they  relate  to  dead  matter,  if  the  circum- 
stances are  all  known,  they  maybe  more  safely 
relied  on.  But  when  they  relate  to  subjects  mod- 
ified by  the  vital  power,  a  power  with  regard  to 
whose  essence  we  know  absolutely  nothing,  and 
•with  regard  to  whoso  laws  we  know  but  little,  then 
they  are  to  be  relied  on  no  liirther  than  they  are 
justified  by  actual  experiment.  The  State  now  owns 
three  farms,  situated  in  sections  distant  from  each 
other,  and  different  series,  or  different  classes  of 
experiments,  might  be  instituted  upon  each  of 
them. 

For  instance,  the  Tewksbury  farm  is  situated  in 


a  fruit-growing  section  of  the  >State.  The  geolog- 
ical formation  of  all  that  region  indicates  its  adapt- 
edness to  the  cultivation  of  the  apple ;  and  were 
this  indication  wanting,  the  success  of  the  fruit 
growers  of  Bedford,  Billerica,  North  Tewksbury, 
Wilmington  and  Andover,  proves  this  region  suit- 
ed to  the  cultivation  of  fruit.  The  Woodpecker  or 
Baldwin,  AA'as  first  found  in  Burlington,  but  a  few 
miles  distant,  and  first  cultivated  to  any  extent,  in 
Woburn  and  Wilmington,  by  Col.  Baldwin  and 
Capt.  Jacques.  The  farm  itself  is  admirably  situ- 
ated for  the  cultivation  of  fruit.  The  whole  plat 
of  ground  on  which  the  buildings  are  situated, 
would  make  a  splendid  orchard;  some  subsoil  drain- 
ing might  perhaps  be  required  of  a  portion  of  it. 
Consideraljle  portions  of  it  might  be  appropriated 
to  the  cultivation  of  different  kinds  of  fruit,  and  to 
grafting  and  budding  upon  different  kinds  of  stocks 
without  interfering  essentially  with  the  production 
of  vegetables  for  the  establishment.  A  portion  of 
the  farm  has  a  soil  well  adapted  to  the  cultivation 
of  garden  seeds,  and  perhaps  a  part  of  the  females 
in  the  house  might  be  profitably  employed  in  this 
kind  of  culture. 

The  stock  owned  by  the  State  Agricultural  So- 
ciety might  be  kept  at  Southboro',  and  this  might 
be  made  the  stock  farm  of  the  State.  Grains  and 
grasses  might  be  cultivated  at  Palmer,  and  thus 
the  Agricultural  Board  or  its  Secretary  might  have 
an  interest  in  each  of  them,  and  by  visits  and  sug- 
gestions, by  supplying  seeds  and  plants,  and  arti- 
ficial manures,  and  in  various  ways,  might  contri- 
bute to  their  agricultural  success,  and  by  collect- 
ing the  results  of  these  various  experiments,  and 
laying  them  before  the  public,  they  might  accom- 
plish one  important  end  for  which  they  were  ap- 
pointed. J.  R. 

Concord,  June  14,  1853. 


For  the  Neiv  England  Farmer. 
STATE  REFORM   SCHOOL. 

Mr.  Editor: — The  discriminating  notice  of  the 
Institution  for  the  reformation  of  disobedient  boys, 
established  by  the  State  at  Westboro',  by  the  mu- 
nificent donation  of  the  late  Gen.  Lyman,  con- 
tained in  your  paper  of  this  date,  is  worthy  of 
more  than  one  perusal.  Having  participated  in 
the  view  of  the  condition  of  the  Institution,  as  it 
appeared  on  the  1st  of  June,  I  thought  I  might  be 
excused  in  a  few  suggestions,  for  which  you  did 
not  find  space. 

First,  as  to  the  personal  cleanliness  of  the  boys. 
If  I  do  not  mistake,  there  was  a  great  deficiency. 
Their  hands  and  their  faces  looked  as  though  ivater 
was  scarce  and  soap  dear.  Their  heads  too,  it  makes 
me  crai<;/ a// ot'er  to  think  of  them.  Such  things 
ought  not  to  be.  Who  can  wonder  that  deaths 
should  be  sudden  and  frequent,  under  such  cir- 
cumstances 1  One  poor  fellow  from  Salem,  it  was 
said,  died  the  week  previous,  after  an  illness  of 
only /owr  hours  ;  was  this  cholera  1  It  cannot  be 
called  J.sia/ic  Cholera.  One  gentleman  remarked, 
he  died  o{  rotten  potatoes — and  when  the  collar  was 
examined,  there  was  no  want  of  proof  on  this  point. 
Such  an  eflluvia  as  pervaded  the  establishment  en- 
tire, from  decaying  vegetables,  I  have  never  before 
met.  Perhaps  it  was  worse  at  that  time,  as  they 
were  then  occupied  in  clearing  the  cellar.  The 
error  was  in  ever  putting  them  there,  or  certainly 
in  suffering  them  to  remain,  until  they  rotted. 


1S53. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


339 


Second,  as  to  the  ocaipafion  of  the  boys.  A 
large  proportion  o£them,sAy seven-eighths  at  least, 
were  employed  in  sewing  leather,  or  scioing  coarse 
garments,  for  a  paltry  hire  of  15  cents  per  day. 
This  will  do  when  there  is  nothing  else  that  can 
be  done.  But  why  coop  up  the  boys  in  this  man 
ner,  when  there  is  so  much  to  be  done  upon  the 
fixrm,  where  they  are  anxious  to  be  employed? — 
Such  confinement  enervates  their  bodies,  and  hu- 
miliates their  minds.  It  would  not  be  strange  at 
all  under  such  circumstances,  that  they  should  be 
refractory.  No  one  could  blame  them  for  being  so 

The  purpose  of  the  founder,  if  I  rightly  appre 
hend  it,  was  to  prevent,  rather  than  to  pimish  offen 
ces.     A  truly  noble  purpose.     This  he   would  ac 
complish,  by  taking  those  youth  who  were  so  un- 
fortunate as  to  be  under  no  parental  guidance  or 
restraint,  and  placing  them  during  their  minority, 
where  they  could  be  employed  and  instructed  ;  so 
that  when  they  come  upon  the  world,  they  might 
be  found  useful  and  worthy  of  confidence.     To  do 
this  effectually,  it  is  necessary  that  the  boys  who 
enter  the   institution   should  feel  it  to  be  a  privi 
lege  granted  them,  rather  than  a  punishment  inflict- 
ed; and  80  it  is,  the  indiscretionsof  youths  of  their 
age  are  not  to   be  viewed  as  crimes.     The  char 
aoter  of  their  acts  is  far  different  from  those  of  old 
offenders. 

The  boys  should  feel  a  confidence  in  being  en- 
tirely forgiven.  They  should  not  be  harrassed  by 
the  reflection,  that  they  had  done  wrong.  So 
long  as  they  feel  themselves  to  be  looked  upon  as 
criminals,  so  long  criminal  thoughts  will  be  upper- 
most in  their  minds.  The  boy  who  remarked  in 
your  hearing,  "Some  of  us  cannot  help  thinking," 
told  the  whole  story.  While  they  thus  meditate, 
their  chief  aim  will  be  to  counteract  the  restraints 
of  their  overseers.  Until  they  can  be|made  to  re- 
spect themselves,  they  will  never  be  worthy  to  be 
respected  by  others. 

To  suppose  these  boys  more  disposed  to  evil, 
than  the  generality  of  boys  of  their  age,  in  the 
community,  is  a  great  mistake.  The  fact  is,  boys, 
like  men,  are  pretty  much  alike  every  where — 
only  made  different  by  accidental  circumstances. 
I  doubt  not  as  much  talent  and  as  much  virtue, 
can  be  found  in  a  hundred  of  these  boys,  as  in  a 
hundred  of  the  same  age  in  any  of  our  Colleges, 
Then  why  not  so  preserve  and  guide  them,  as  to 
make  men  of  them  ?  If  the  State  fails  to  do  this 
it  will  fail  to  do  its  duty.  Essex. 

June  11,  1853. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

TRIMMING  PINE  TREES. 

Mr.  Brown  : — Will  you  please  to  put  into  your 
valuable  paper  a  few  lines  respecting  whether  it 
is  best  or  not  to  trim  young  pine  trees,  and  when 
is  the  best  time  to  do  it  to  prevent  them  from 
bleeding.  g.  f.  w. 


Remarks. — We  cannot  answer  the  questions  of 
our  friend  with  much  confidence  that  we  can  affjrd 
him  aid.  The  remark  has  been  familiar  to  us  from 
boyhood,  that  evergreen  trees  must  not  be  trimmed ; 
that  nature  will  cast  off  the  lower  limbs,  when 
the  tree  has  done  using  them,  in  a  better  manner 
than  we  can  separate  them  with  the  saw  or  knife. 
On  the  other  hand,   Ave   have  known  individual 


trees  that  were  trimmed  and  flourished  well,  and 
we  have  in  our  mind  at  this  time,  a  large  number 
of  white  pine  trees  standing  in  a  body  that  were 
pruned  seven  years  ago,  and  which  have  grown 
well  since.  They  stood  thick,  and  were  pruned 
up  perhaps  six  feet  from  the  ground. 

If  pruned  at  all,  we  have  no  knowledge  at  what 
time  the  work  should  be  done. 

The  inquiries  are  important,  and  we  hope  those 
possessing  knowledge  in  relation  to  them  will 
impart  it  to  us. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
A  NEW  ENEMY  IN  THE  FIELD. 

Within  the  past  three  days,  we  have  noticed  on 
our  apple  trees,  a  small  worm,  which  threatens 
destruction  to  our  most  valuable  crop.  His  man- 
ner and  size  are  much  after  the  style  of  the  canker 
worm,  but  his  personal  appearance  is  different. — 
Like  the  canker  worm,  he  devours  the  leaf,  all  but 
the  tough  fibres,  and  if  you  suddenly  shake  the 
tree,  spins  dowYi  on  his  thread  like  a  spider,  and 
he  leaves  the  tree  looking  as  if  seared  by  fire. 

The  canker  worm,  if  I  recollect  aright,  when  he 
visited  New  Hampshire  twenty  years  ago,  or  more, 
was  always  of  a  dark  color,  and  moved  soberly,  by 
measure,  like  an  inch  worm,  while  these  creatures 
are  of  all  colors,  black,  brown,  green  and  striped, 
and  they  slip  off  your  hand,  with  a  sort  of  waltz- 
ing step, in  a  second. 

I  have  traveled  from  Chester,  through  Raymond 
and  other  towns,  home,  to-day,  and  have  observed 
them  all  along.  They  are  abundant,  not  only  on 
the  apple  tree,  but  on  the  plum,  and  on  the  white 
and  red  oak.  The  peach,  which  promises  a  great 
crop,  this  season,  seems  to  be  free  from  them. — 
Probably  they  are  not  fond  of  prussic  acid.  I 
note  the  matter  hastily  for  the  Farmer,  without 
investigation,  myself.  Probably  Professor  Harris 
can  tell  us  all  about  the  animal  in  a  moment. 


Exittr,  N.  H.,  June  20, 1853. 


H.  F.  French. 


Remarks. — These  new  plagues  are  common  in 
this  vicinity,  and  threaten  sad  havoc  to  the  apple 
trees  !  but  they  infest  our  strawberry  beds  and 
even  the  pines  in  the  woods.  Every  effort  should  be 
made  to  suppress  them  and  th'^ir  progress  minute- 
ly watched,  so  that  we  may  know  more  of  their 
habits.  Shaking  the  trees  pretty  freely,  dislodges 
them,  but  whether  they  return  to  the  tree  harm- 
less, or  not,  we  have  not  observed.  We  advise 
this  practice  and  also  the  syringing  the  young  tree 
well  with  whale  oil  soap,  strong  soap  suds,  or  even 
clear  water. 

We  understand  that  the  muriate  of  lime  manu- 
factured by  James  Gould,  at  Charlestown,  Mass., 
will  destroy  them,  by  sprinkling  the  ground  with 
the  lime,  and  shaking  the  worms  down  upon  it. 


To  Keep  Birds  from  Picking  Fruit. — As  the 
season  is  coming  on  for  the  depredations  of  birds, 
I  beg  to  report  my  experience  of  last  year,  when 
I  saved  my  currants  and  gooseberries  by  winding 
colored  worsted  around  and  across  my  bushes  ;  and 


340 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


JULT 


my  cherries  by  hanging  up  several  pieces  of  tin 
with  strong  thread  in  the  different  trees,  two  pieces 
being  hung  near  enough  together  to  chish  with  the 
wind,  which  sound,  with  the  bright  reflection  of 
the  tin  in  the  sun,  certainly  frightened  them  away  ; 
and  I  had  my  due  share  of  fruit,  which,  the  pre- 
ceding year,  I  was  obliged  to  relinquish  to  them. 
— Agricultural  Gaz. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
ORCHARDS-.-MUOK— ASHES. 

I  have  an  orchard  which  I  think  needs  lime. — 
There  is  a  pile  of  swamp  mud  near  it  which  was 
hauled  there  last  fall.  I  purpose  after  haying,  to 
mix  lime  with  the  mud  and  apply  it  to  the  orchard 
next  spring.  Can  I  do  better?  {a.)  Had  the  lime 
better  be  slacked  before  mixing  with  the  mud  or 
not? 

I  have  several  coal  hearths  on  my  farm,  where 
coal  was  burnt  about  20  years  ago.  Would  it  be 
profitable  to  put  around  apple  trees  ;  if  not,  is  it 
of  more  value  than  swamp  mud  for  any  use  1   (b.) 

Cole,  in  the  American  Fruit  Book,  gives  the 
analysis  of  the  ash  of  the  Apple  Tree,  potash,  so- 
da, lime,  &c.  He  says,  supply  potash  in  wood 
ashes,  soda  in  common  salt,  and  so  on.  If  there 
is  soda,  lime,  and  other  inorganic  matters  in  wood 
ashes,  will  they  not  supply  them  as  well  as  potash  ? 
(c.)  Of  course  the  ashes  of  different  kinds  of  wood 
will  supply  them  in  different  proportions. 

There  are  different  opinions  as  to  what  killed 
the  fruit  trees  winter  before  last.  Trees  grew 
very  late  in  the  fall,  and  the  latter  part  of  October 
there  was  a  cold  snap  which  I  think  was  the  prin- 
cipal cause.  I  took  up  some  tender  trees  the  be- 
ginning of  November,  and  covered  them  so  that 
they  were  nearly  below  the  action  of  the  frost  ; 
others  of  the  some  lot  I  let  stand  through  the  win- 
ter ;  botl]  kinds  were  badly  killed  ;  I  think  there 
was  not  much  difference.  A  Subscriber. 


Remarks. — (a.)  You  will  certainly  do  well  to 
mix  your  muck  with  quick  lime,  and  let  it  slake 
in  the  heap.  We  think  of  no  way  at  present,  in 
which  you  could  do  better  with  the  materials. — 
Overhaul  the  heap  as  often  as  you  can  afford  to 
before  using,  and  if  you  spread  it  on  the  surface  in 
the  autumn  the  frost  will  act  upon  a  much  larger 
portion  of  it,  and  better  prepare  it  for  being  plowed 
in. 

(b.)  Charcoal  may  be  applied  with  advantage, 
in  the  powdered  state,  as  a  top-dressing.  Wher- 
ever an  increased  supply  of  ammonia,  escaping 
from  the  air,  the  earth,  or  from  any  putrescent 
matter,  is  desirable  to  be  caught  and  retained, 
charcoal  will  always  do  good.  The  fresh  burnt 
article,  also — contains  much  saline  matter  that  will 
be  dissolved  by  rain,  and  contribute  to  tlie  enrich- 
ment of  the  soil. 

(c.)  Wood  ashes  are  better  than  potash  to  be 
used  on  most  of  our  soils  ;  and  even  leached  ash- 
es are  capital  fertilizers.  They  impart  as  much 
potash,  soda,  sodium,  chlorine,  &c.,  as  the  plants 
need,  and  they  would  take  up  no  more  in  a  given 
time  if  the  quantity  present  were  ten  times  as 
great.     That  is,  we  believe  that  plants  have  an 


elective  power,  both  as  to  quantity  and  quality, 
as  well  as  animals,  and  therefore,  it  is  under  a  due 
and  proper  admixture  of  all  the  elements  of  fertili- 
ty, that  the  plant  flourishes  best.  Leached  ash- 
es, therefore  may  be  just  as  valuable  for  the  crop 
as  unleached,  but  its  permanent  effects  might  not 
be  the  same. 

We  must  be  on  our  guard  against  the  idea  that 
the  application  of  a  single  element  will  always  in- 
crease the  crop.  It  undoubtedly  will  in  some  ca- 
ses, but  until  the  science  of  chemistry  in  its  rela- 
tion to  agriculture  are  carried  to  a  much  higher 
degree  of  perfection  than  it  now  is,  we  must  ap- 
ply most  of  the  principal  fertilizers  to  our  soils, 
to  feel  any  certainty  of  reaping  a  remunerative 
crop.  Dr.  Dana  aptly  illustrates  this  point.  lie 
says  that  attempting  to  work  the  soil  without  all 
the  ingredients  of  plants  present  in  sufficient  abun- 
dance is  like  a  man  attempting  to  build  a  vessel 
thus:  he  may  have  all  the  plank,  and  ship  knees, 
and  spars,  and  sails,  and  rigging,  and  all  other  re- 
quisite materials,  but  no  nails  and  spikes .'  &nd  he 
can't  possibly  build  his  ship  successfully.  Nails 
and  spikes  are  small  matters,  compared  with  the 
rest  of  the  vessel,  but  he  can't  get  along  without 
them. 

ORDER  IN  EVERYTHING. 

A    PROPOSED    EXPERIMENT. 

There  has  been  no  saying  oftener  repeated,  and 
none  more  worthy  of  repetition,  so  far  as  farm 
economy  is  concerned,  than  "A  place  for  every- 
thing, and  everything  in  its  place."  One  of  the 
best  modes  for  every  farmer  to  apply  this  rule  in 
practice,  is  to  make  a  complete  list  of  all  his  farm 
implements,  from  his  wagons,  carts  and  plows, 
down  to  awls,  gimblets,  and  screw-drivers.  Let 
every  implement  be  immediately  returned  to  its 
place  after  using,  no  matter  how  inconvenient 
tliis  may  be,  instead  of  throwing  it  on  the  ground 
till  forgotten,  with  the  intention  of  replacing  it 
when  a  suitable  moment  occurs  to  do  so.  Now, 
if  any  one  is  unprepared  to  adopt  this  plan,  we 
would  recommend  the  following  experiment,  in 
order  to  reduce  its  merits  to  the  test  of  accurate 
figuring: — Let  him  keep  an  accurate  record  of  all 
the  time  lost  in  one  year  by  hunting  for  lost  tools 
in  times  of  emergency,  adding  in  the  losses  occa- 
sioned by  keeping  other  persons  or  teams  in  wait- 
ing while  the  search  is  in  progress  also  adding 
the  waste  occasioned  by  the  consequent  exposure 
of  such  tools  to  the  weather,  or  by  finally  losing 
them, — and  not  forgetting  to  estimate  the  detri- 
ment to  his  crops  and  farming  operations  general- 
ly, by  the  delay  thus  frequently  occasioned.  (lie 
may,  likewise,  if  he  chooses,  keep  an  account  cur- 
rent of  the  amount  of  vexation  caused  by  these 
frequent  annoyances — unless  he  is  so  far  gone  that 
disorder  and  delay  are  matters  of  indifference  to 
him.)  We  have  no  doubt  that  such  an  experi- 
ment as  this,  faithfully  followed  out,  would  great- 
ly surprise  him  at  the  end  of  the  year,  and  furnish 
satisfactory  proof  of  the  immense  superiority  of 
the  plan  first  proposed  by  us.  Who  will  be  wil- 
ling to  give  bolh  ways  a  full  trial  ? — Albany  Culti- 
vator. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


341 


For  the  Tfew  En^ln-nrt  Farmer. 

PROTECTION  AGAINST  THE  BEE- 
MOTH. 

Mr.  Editor  : — You  are  aware  that  the  great 
obstacle  to  the  successful  and  profitable  culture  of 
the  Iloney-Bee  consists  in  the  depredations  of  the 
Bee-moth.  Owing  to  these  depredations  many  cul- 
tivators of  bees  have  lost  their  entire  stock  and 
abandoned  the  enterprise.  The  great  desideratum 
for  many  years  has  been  to  provide  a  remedy.  The 
ill  success  of  others  in  this  respect  has  led  me  to 
be  slow  in  announcing  to  the  public  what  I  have 
long  believed  to  be  an  effectual  safe-guard  against 
the  evil  complained  of.  The  remedy  consists  in  a 
proper  construction  of  the  hive  ;  and  I  have  to  an- 
nounce to  you,  (and  through  you  to  the  public,) 
that  I  have  constructed  a  hive  which  has  proved 
itself  to  be  a  complete  protecdon  against  the  en- 
croachments of  the  Bee-moth .  In  its  use  for  the 
space  of  12  years  I  have  not  lost  a  swarm  of  bees 
nor  had  one  in  the  least  injured  in  this  way  ;  and 
I  am  now  ready  to  warrant  to  others  the  same 
protection.  Those  who  wish  to  avail  themselves 
of  such  protection  can  examine  my  somewhat  ex- 
tensive stock  of  bees  at  my  residence,  or  may  ad- 
dress me  by  mail. 

Henry  Eddy,  M.  D. 

North  Bridoewater,  May  19,  1853. 


Remarks. — The  above  article  is  strictly  an  ad- 
vertisement, but  we  are  too  good  natured  this 
morning  to  reject  it  as  a  communication,  hoping 
that  by  extending  the  information  we  shall  be  the 
means  of  sweetening  many  a  mouth  that  "wat- 
ers," every  time  the  word  honey  is  mentioned. 


EXTRACTS  AND  REPLIES. 

C.  S.  Hamilton,  Hartford,  Vt.,  says,  "I  have 
protected  my  melons,  squashes  and  cucumbers 
from  the  ravages  of  the  bugs  and  worms  with 
boxes  made  about  one  foot  square,  covered  with 
musquito  netting,  while  my  neighbors  have  been 
much  troubled  with  them.  The  worms  move  on 
the  top  of  the  ground,  and  do  not  get  under  the 
boxes,  and  the  plants  grow  much  better. 

To  T.  S.  F.,  Canaan  Vt. — Stable  manure  is  not 
improved  by  being  kept  over  one  year,  but  is  very 
liable  to  be  injured,  if  not  ruined,  by  being  heated 
too  much.  It  would  be  difficult  to  keep  it,  under 
any  circumstances,  so  that  it  would  not  lose  much 
of  its  fertilizing  power. 

•  If  you  can  haul  out  a  large  bed  of  muck  and 
lay  it  say  12  to  18  inches  thick  in  some  out  of  the 
way  place,  and  there  let  it  remain  a  year  or  more 
before  using  it,  you  will  be  less  likely  to  bring 
meadow  grass  into  your  high  grounds.  During 
the  time  it  is  lying  in  the  heap,  plow  it  occasion- 
ally. 

After  it  is  a  year  old  cart  and  spread  it,  in  the 
autumn,  on  the  land  where  you  intend  to  plow  it 
in. 

Large  quantities  of  muck  may  also  be  advan- 
tageously used  by  mixing  it  daily,  or  two  or  three 
times  a  week,  with  the  droppings  from  the  cattle 


stalls.  This  takes  up  and  holds  the  liquids  and 
prevents  evaporation,  in  a  considerable  degree,  of 
the  gases. 

"E.  S.,"  in  reply  to  the  inquiries  of  S.  G.  B.," 
about  fence  posts  being  thrown  by  the  frust,  says, 
"dig  the  holes  large  and  fill  them  with  stones  or 
charcoal  dust.  In  setting  post  and  rail  fence,  fill 
the  holes  only  two-thirds  full  of  earth.  This  will 
prevent  the  posts  rotting  for  several  years  longer 
than  though  the  holes  were  full."  He  adds — 
"The  best  time  to  kill  alder  bushes  is  in  the  old 
of  the  moon  in  August.  If  they  are  small,  cut 
them  down  with  a  bush  scythe  ;  if  large,  use  a 
common  narrow  axe,  with  a  crooked  helve,  about 
three  feet  long,  fur  then  they  can  be  cut  without 
stooping  over  ;  cut  them  close  to  the  surface  of  the 
ground,  and  if  they  spring  up  again  the  second 
year,  they  can  be  cut  down  with  a  grass  scythe. 
In  this  manner  I  have  been  successful  in  killing 
many  of  these  bushes." 

Kyanizing  Timber. 
Friend  Brown  : — I  have  of  late  heard  much  of 
the  durability  and  increased  value  of  timber  that 
has  been  Kyanized,  for  fence-posts,  shingles,  &c. 
Will  you  or  some  one  who  understands  the  mo- 
dus operandi,  please  inform  me  "and  the  rest  of 
mankind"  how  to  Kyanize  wood,  and  much  oblige. 
Yours,  truly,  A.  D.  Hager. 

Proctor sville,  Vt.,  May  9,  1853 


Remarks. — The  process  of  Kyanizing  lumber  is 
now  abandoned,  it  having  been  ascertained  that 
it  does  not  accomplish  the  desired  end, — that  is, 
the  preservation  of  lumber  from  decay.  It  con- 
sisted in  soaking  the  materials,  whether  wood, 
hemp,  rope,  or  other  vegetable  articles,  in  a  solu- 
tion of  corrosive  sublimate.  It  was  held  that  a 
change  took  place  in  the  gluten  of  the  vegetable 
analogous  to  that  effected  by  the  tannic  acid  upon 
the  gelatine  of  skins  in  the  process  of  tanning.  It 
is  now  believed  by  those  who  have  made  use  of 
the  process  that  it  is  of  little  or  no  value.  The 
term  is  derived  from  the  name  of  the  inventor,  Ky- 
an. 

May  Flower  Apples. 

Mr.  Brown  : — I  leave  a  package  containing  a 
few  of  my  May  Flower  Apples,  which  I  wish  you 
to  taste.  You  thought  I  was  rather  too  favorably 
impressed  with  them,  "as  most  men  were  apt  to 
be  with  an  apple  kind  enough  to  spring  up  on  their 
own  land."  I  think  their  equal  is  not  found,  con- 
sidering their_  bearing,  late  keeping,  and  table 
qualities  combined.  The  barrel  from  which  these 
were  taken,  were  put  up  in  a  common  manner  the 
last  of  September,  and  without  especial  care  rolled 
into  my  cellar,  which  is  none  of  the  best  for  ap- 
ples, and  opened  the  25th  of  May.  Less  than  a 
peck  were  rotted  or  specked.  Tiie  tree  is  a  good 
bearer.  Its  eating  qualities  please  test,  and  es- 
pecially Z<a/.:ehalf  what  I  left  you,  and  see  how  near 
you  coincide  with  me  that  they  are  number  one. 
KicnARD  C.  Stone. 


Remarks. — Well,  sir,  so  far  as  the  eating  quali- 


342 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


July 


ties  are  concerned',  the  May  Flower  Apples  are  all 
you  give  them  credit  for,  if  they  did  come  up  unbid- 
den on  your  land.  Some  of  the  apples  were  baked 
and  tested  at  our  social  board,  and  the  only  regret 
seemed  to  be,  that  you  did  not  send  a  barrel,  in- 
stead of  "the  package."  They  are  deserving  of 
extensive  cultivation,  and  the  introduar  of  them, 
of  the  thanks  of  all  the  apple-eating  people. 


Cabies'  JHepartmcnt 

DOMESTIC  RECIPES. 

Indian  Meal  Dough  Nuts. — A  tea-cup  and  a 
half  of  boiling  milk,  poured  on  two  tea-cups  of 
sifted  Indian  meal.  When  it  is  cool  add  two  tea- 
cups of  wheat  flour,  one  tea-cup  of  butter,  one 
and  a  half  of  sugar,  one  of  yeast,  and  two 
eggs  with  a  table  spoonful  of  cinnamon  or  a  grat- 
ed nutmeg.  If  not  sufficiently  stiff,  add  equal 
portions  of  wheat  and  Indian  meal.  Let  it  rise 
till  very  light.  Roll  it  about  half  an  inch  thick, 
and  cut  it  into  small  diamond  shaped  cakes,  and 
boil  them  in  lard. 

Indian  Meal  Short  Cakes. — Stir  into  a  pint 
of  sweet  milk,  three  well  beaten  eggs,  add  a  little 
salt,  and  half  a  cup  of  butter,  with  enough  sifted 
Indian  meal  to  make  a  thick  batter.  Drop  it  from 
a  large  spoon,  upon  buttered  tins.  Bake  them  in 
a  quick  oven — when  they  are  lightly  browned  they 
are  done.  Send  them  to  table  hot,  and  eat  them 
with  butter. 

Indian  Meal  Waffler. — Boil  two  cups  of 
hominy  very  soft,  add  an  equal  quantity  of  sifted 
Indian  meal,  a  table  spoon  full  of  salt,  half  a  tea- 
cup of  butter,  and  three  eggs,  with  milk  sufficient 
to  make  a  thin  batter.  Beat  all  well  together, 
and  bake  in  waffle  irons.  When  eggs  cannot  be 
procured,  yeast  is  a  good  substitute.  Put  a  spoon- 
ful in  the  batter,  and  let  it  stand  an  hour  to  rise. 

To  Boil  Ham. — Wash  the  ham  in  cold  water 
two  or  three  times,  and  put  in  a  kettle  of  hot 
(not  boiling)  water  to  cover  it ;  let  it  boil  gently, 
according  to  its  weight,  (fifteen  minutes  to  each 
pound)  ;  it  must  be  kept  slowly  boiling  all  the 
time;  keep  the  pot  covered  except  to  take  off  the 
scum  as  it  rises  ;  if  it  is  like  to  boil  over,  take  the 
lid  partly  off. 

Putting  meat  down  to  boil  in  cold  water  draws 
out  its  juices.  Hard  or  fast  boiling  makes  it  tough 
and  hard. 

When  it  is  done,  take  off  the  skin,  trim  off  the 
under  side  neatly,  and  put  spots  of  pepper  and 
stick  cloves  at  regular  intervals  over  the  whole 
upper  surface.  Or  dredge  it  well  with  wheat 
flour  or  rolled  crackers,  and  brown  it  in  a  hot  oven 
or  before  a  hot  fire.  Serve  hot  with  the  gravy 
from  it,  and  boiled  vegetables  ;  or  it  may  be 
served  cold.  Trim  the  bone  with  parsley  or  the 
delicate  leaves  of  celery,  and  put  sprigs  of  the 
same  around  it  on  the  dish  ;  lemon  sliced  and 
dipped  in  flour,  or  batter  and  fried,  may  be  laid 
over  the  ham  and  on  the  dish.  Mashed  potatoes, 
stewed  apple,  or  cranberry,  dressed  celery,  or 
boiled  spinach,  or  cauliflower  and  mashed  turnips, 
are  served  hot  with  ham. 

•  With  cold  ham  serve  pickles  or  dressed  celery, 
or  both,  and  bread  and  butter  sandwich. 


Bob's  Pcparlment. 


THE  SUIiKY  BOY. 

This  is  a  species  of  ill-temper  with  which  you 
are  all  familiar.  We  see  persons  afflicted  with  it, 
almost  every  day — and  a  sad  affliction  it  is,  too, 
both  to  themselves  and  to  their  neighbors.  There 
is  Robert — for  instance — a  good  boy,  in  many  re- 
spects, but  once  in  a  while  he  has  a  desperate  fit 
of  the  sulks,  which  nearly  if  not  quite  balances 
the  credit  side  of  his  character,  and  leaves  him 
with  more  demerits  than  merits.  So  long  as  he 
can  have  his  own  way,  every  thing  goes  on  pleas- 
antly, but  let  his  f;\.ther  interfere  with  some  plan 
he  has  formed,  or  set  him  about  some  job  he  does 
not  like,  and  you  will  soon  find  out  what  his  tem- 
per is.  For  hours  after,  perhaps  for  a  day  or  two, 
he  is  surly,  morose  and  gloomy.  He  says  but  lit- 
tle, but  when  he  speaks,  he  snaps  and  growls  like 
an  angry  wolf.  He  pouts,  scowls  and  looks  sour 
at  every  body,  friends  as  well  as  foes  ;  and  should 
you  attempt  to  reason  kindly  with  him  on  his  fol- 
ly he  grows  more  obstinately  sullen  than  ever. 
Do  you  ask  what  good  all  this  does  1  I  do  not 
know.  There  certainly  can  be  no  pleasure  in  thus 
punishing  one's  self;  on  the  contrary,  he  greatly 
aggravates  his  disappointment.  A  cheerful, 
sprightly  temper  makes  its  possessor  happy ;  but 
a  sulky  one  can  only  render  its  owner  wretched. 
The  lad  I  have  described  indulges  only  occasional- 
ly in  these  fits  ;  but  there  is  danger  that  this  sul- 
len state  of  mind  will  after  a  while  become  per- 
manent with  him,  if  he  does  not  soon  break  him- 
self of  the  habit.  He  is  gradually  souring  his  dis- 
position, and  the  habit  is  growing  upon  him.  It 
will  be  well  if  he  does  not  turn  out  in  the  end  a 
mere  Nabal — the  churl  whosecharacter  is  described 
in  1  Sam.  25. — Boy''s  Own  Guide. 


^Liucrtisiug  Department. 


[ET  A  limited  number  of  advertisements  of  an  appropriate 
character  will  be  inserted  in  the  monthly  Farmer  at  the  fol 

lowing 

RATES. 

For  one  square  of  15  lines,  one  insertion $1,00 

For  each  subsequent  insertion 50 

O"  The'ubove  rates  will  be  charged  for  all  advertisements 
whether  longer  or  shorter. 


English  Fancy  Lop-ear  Rabbits. 


THE  undersigned  will  be  happy  to  show  a  choice  lot  of  im 
ported  Lnp-eared  Rahbitf!,  to  gentlemen  inlerestf  d,  at  his 
residence  in  Melrose.  This  stock  is  from  the  best  in  England, 
and  was  selected  with  care.  I  have  a  few  youni;  Rabbits  for 
sale,  which  will  be  ready  to  deliver  in  .July  and  August. 

Address,        GEO.  P.  BURNHAM,  Box  22,  Post  office. 
Boston,  June  11,  1853,  4w*3 


Wanted, 


An  Ayrshire  Bull,  (full  blood)  from  1  to 
2  years  old.  Apply  immediately  at  this 
office. 

May  21,  1853.  tf» 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


343 


Auction  Sale  of  4000  Acres  of 
Land. 

ON  TUESDAY,  the  12lh  ilny  of  JULY  next,  the  subscriber 
will  offer  for  sale  ut  public  auction,  several  choice  anil 
valuable  farms  in  the  vicinity  of  Lockport,  in  the  county  of 
Niagara,  and  State  of  New  York;  among  them  some  of  the 
best  improved  and  most  highly  cultivated  farms  in  this  region 
of  country.     Also, 

2000  Acres  of  Choice  Timbered  Land, 
lying  about  eight  miles  east  of  Lockport,  and  five  miles  from 
the  Erie  canal  and  the  Rochester,  Lockport  and  Niagara  Falls 
Railroad.  The  timber  is  j  rincipally  Beech,  Maple,  Bass, 
Ash,  Hickory  and  Oak.  In  the  midst  of  this  tract  has  been 
erected 

A  First  Class  Steam  Saw  Mill, 
with  a  variety  of  valuable  machinery  ^capable  of  manufac 
luring  20,0i'0  feet  of  lumber  every  24  hours,  all  in  fine  condi- 
tion and  active  oper  ilion.  The  mill  and  the  improvements 
connected  iheiewiih,  h.ive  been  erected  within  the  past  two 
years  at  a  cash  cost  of  over  $20,000.  The  mill  will  also  be 
ofTered  for  sale. 

This  tract  is  surrounded  by  a  highly  improved  farming  coun- 
try, is  wiitered  by  various  streams  which  meander  through  it, 
and  is  well  situated  for  subdivision.  The  soil  is  of  the  first 
quality.  These  lauds  have  never  before  been  offered  for  sale. 
No  higher  commendHtiou  of  the  property  offered  is  needed, 
than  to  say  it  lies  in  the  midst  of  the  most  fertile  and  flourish- 
ing portion  of  Western  N.  York.  The  proximity  of  the  rail- 
road, 

The  Local  Demand  for  Cord  Wood 
and  other  Uimher,  render  the  timber  upon  this  tract  of  very 
considerable  value.  This  land  will  be  sold  in  lots  of  50  acres 
and  upwards,  as  purchasers  may  desire.  The  quantity,  con- 
dition, quality  and  value  of  the  property  offered,  constitute 
inducements  to  purchase,  rarely  presented  to  the  public, 
■whether  capitalists  or  agriculturists. 

The  titles  are  beyond  question,  and  the  sales  will  be  abso- 
lute. 

A  liberal  credit  will  be  given  to  those  desiring  it,  for  a  prin- 
cipal part  of  the  purchase  money.  The  whole  quantity  of 
land  that  will  be  offered  for  sale  will  be  over  4d00  acres.  An 
examination  of  these  lands  is  invited  before  the  day  of  sale 
Lists  and  descriptions  will  be  furnished  to  those  desirii.g  the 
same. 

O"  The  sale  will  commence  at  1  o'clock  P.  M.,  upon  the 
2000  acre  tract,  and  will  continue  until  all  the  lands  shall  be 
sold.  A.  WOLCOTT. 

Lockport,  May  28,  1853.  7w* 


(T?*  The  subscriber  begs  leave  to  refer  the  public  to — Hon. 
Nathan  Uayton  Hon.  ,1.  L.  Woods,  Hon.  Hiram  Gardner, 
Lyman  A.  Spalding,  Esq.,  Lockport;  Hon.  Levi  A.  Ward, 
Rochester;  Gen.  R.  Harmon,  Wheailaud,  Monroe  county; 
L.  C.  Fitch,  Esq.,  West  Bloomfield,  Ontario  county;  A.  A. 
Boyce,  Esq  ,  Utica. 


Snper-Pliospliate  of  Lime, 

IN  bags  and  barrels,  made  by  C  B.  DeBURG,  a  warranted 
pure  and  genuine  article,  with  full  directions  for  use.  For 
sale  by  GEO.  DAVENl'ORT,  5  Commercial,  corner  of  Chat- 
ham St.,  Boston,  agent  for  the  manufacturer. 

Also,  for  sale,  Ground  Bone,  Bone  Dusl,  Burnt  Bone,  Gua- 
no, and  Grass  Seeds  of  reliable  quality. 
March  26,  1853.  tf* 


Haycock  Covers. 


"TlOR  SALE,  Haycock  Covers  made  of  the  leaves  of  Bamboo, 
JD  water  tight.  These  mats  are  very  useful  to  the  fanner  in 
getting  in  his  hay  crop  diirmg  showery  weather,  and  will  an- 
nually save  more  than  their  cost  in  the  quality  of  the  hay. 

Foi  sale  by  RUGGLES,  NOURSE,  MASON  &  CO. 

Boston,  June  25,  1853. 


Talacre  Scytlie  Stones. 

Qrtri  DOZEN  TALACRE  SCYTHE  STONES  for  sale  Derj^ 

OUU/OU)  by  -    -     -- 

Boston,  June  25,  1853. 


T   B.  BROWNE,  7  DoaneSt. 
2w 


Garden  Seeds. 


WE  respectfully  solicit  the  attention  of  purchasers  of  GAR 
DEN  SEEDS  to  our  extensive  stock,  which  we  offer  for 
sale.  We  have  all  the  sorts  of  Vegetable  Seeds  that  havt 
proved  worthy  of  cultivation;  also,  Grain,  Grass  and  Flowet 
Seeds.  All  the  varieties  are  raised  and  selected  expressly  foi 
our  trade,  and  we  do  with  confidence  recommend  them  to  all 
who  desire  to  procure  seeds  that  will  prove  true  to  their  names 
O*  Catalogues  gratis,  on  application. 

RUGGLES,  NOURSE,  MASON  &  CO., 
Jan.  1.  Over  Quincy  Market,  Boston. 


THE  BOSTON  AND  WORCESTER 

EAGLE    DOUBLE    PLOAVS. 


THE  superior  merits  of  these  Plows,  consist  in, 
1.  The  mode  of  attaching  the  forward  mould-board  to  the 
beam,  by  which  great  strength  and  durability  are  secured,  as 
also  the  various  desirable  changes  in  depth  of  work,  and  rela- 
tive depth  of  each  plow,  the  same  being  regulated  to  any  shade 
of  nicety,  with  perfect  facility. 

2.  The  entire  and  handsome  overturning  of  the  sod  furrow, 
by  the  forward  mould-board,  to  the  extent  of  the  whole  width 
of  furrow  taken  by  ihe  plow,  placing  it  beneath,  out  of  the 
way  of  the  teeth  of  the  harrow,  cultivator,  or  other  imple- 
ment, so  that  it  is  in  no  case  dragged  to  the  surface  in  the  af- 
ter-cultivation of  the  crop: 

3.  The  thorough  and  finished  work  done  by  the  rear  mould- 
board,  in  taking  up  its  furrow  of  undersoil  and  sifting  or  scat- 
tering it  over  the  inverted  sod,  so  as  to  entirely  fill  to  the  sur- 
face, and  at  the  same  time  break  open  any  undue  cohesion  of 
the  soil,  leaving  the  plowed  land  in  a  finely  pulverized  condi- 
tion, requiring  little  labor  with  the  harrow  or  other  surface- 
working  instrument, — and  indeed,  in  all  tolerably  free  loams, 
rendering  the  use  of  these  instruments,  as  pulverizers,  quite 
unnecessary: 

4.  The  remarkably  light  draught  of  the  plow,  in  proportion 
to  the  amount  of  work  and  the  thoroughness  of  pulverization 
accomplished. 

Sever  1  sizes  of  the  BOSTON  &  WORCESTER  EAGLE 
DOUBLE  PLOW,  are  made  by  the  subscribers,  from  patterns 
of  their  own  original  invention.  They  invite  their  friends  and 
customers  to  examine  these  Plows,  as  to  quality  and  durabil- 
ity of  material,  thoroughness  and  finish  of  construction,  and 
to  lest  their  working  properties 

Manufactory  at  Worcester,  and  Warehouse  Quincy  Hall, 
over  the  Market,  Boston. 

RUGGLES,  NOURSE,  MASON  &  CO. 

April  30,  1653. 


Farm  in  Westboro',  Mass., 

For  sale  or  exchange,  for  Boston  property,  sit 
uated  on  the  old  Grafton  road,  within  i  mile  of 
Ihe  Railroad  Depot,  containing  27  acres  of  as 
good  laud  as  any  other  27  acres  laying  in  one 
body,  in  the  town;  it  is  elevated  about  75  feet 
above  the  railroad,  and  overlooks  the  town,  and  is  within  7 
minutes  walk  of  three  churches  and  the  town  house,  which 
for  healthy  location  is  unsurpassed.  The  buildings  consist  of 
a  modern  house,  built  by  Boston  mechanics  in  1851,  and  is  32 
by  22  feet,  with  a  kitchen  attached,  16  by  23  feet,  two  stories 
high,  with  a  cellar  under  the  whole.  Wood-house,  16  by  20 
feet;  work-shop  16  by  12  feet;  carriage  and  hen  house,  16  by 
21  feet;  poultry  yard,  30  by  53  feet,  enclosed  by  slat  fence  8 
feet  high;  barn,  60  by  36  feet,  with  cellar  under  the  same,  so 
divided  as  to  give  a  vegetable  cellar  containing  about  2000 
bushels;  cistern  and  well  water  is  brought  into  the  house,  and 
all  the  wash  of  the  kitchen  and  privy  is  conducted  by  a  drain 
to  the  barn  cellar;  likewise  a  farm  house  24  feet  square,  IJ 
stories  high,  cellar  under  the  same;  there  are  three  good  wells 
of  water  and  one  good  brick  and  cement  cistern  on  the  prem- 
ises. There  are  now  on  the  farm  142  large  apple  trees,  most- 
ly grafted,  also  220  young  thriving  apple  trees,  mostly  Bald- 
wins, from  4  to  f  years  from  the  bud,  some  of  them  have 
borne  fruit;  likewise  34  peach  trees  of  early  choice  variety, 
10  pear  trees,  &c.  There  has  been  taken  from  the  farm  the 
past  year,  30  tons  of  hay,  375  bushels  of  corn  in  the  ear,  700 
bushels  of  carrots,  beets  and  S.  turnips,  80  barrels  grafted 
fruit, besides  vegetables  used  in  Ihe  lamily  For  further  infar 
malion,  apply  at  this  office,  of  Messrs.  SIMON  BROWN  vt 
WILLIAM  SIMONDS;  at  Westboro',  of  Messis.  FAYEB- 
WETHER^  GRIGGS. 
Feb.  5.  1853.  tf 


Sutfolk  Pigs. 


June  II,  1853. 


The  undersigned  can  supply  a  few  or- 
ders for  choice  Suffolk  Pigs  of  the  beat 
blood  in  the  country.  Also,  a  few  Breed- 
ing  Sows  and  2  Roars.  Address,  post- 
paid, LUTHER  GILBERT, 

Newton,  Lcwer  Falls. 
tf 


344 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


JoLt 


CONTENTS   OP  THIS  NUMBER. 

Calendar  for  July Page  297 

Birds  of  New  England 299 

Ridgins— UrainiiiK 301 

6trawherries--Tlie  Turnip  Crop 302 

The  Potaio  Crop— To  Preserve  Manures 303 

Fro:! I  Fences — i^eltiug  Posts .3(3 

Buckwheat— Sum nier  and  Autumn  Apples 304 

German  Agriculture 305 

Apple  Trees — Almost  a  Rook's  Egg 306 

liawaiifin  Agriculture  3o7 

Plows— Variety  of  Borers 308 

A  Day  with  the  "Great  Plow" 309 

Live  and  Dead  Weight  of  Cattle .3..9 

'•Experimental  Farmitig"  again— Plaster  Ashes,  &c 310 

Action  of  the  Atmosphere  on  the  Roots  of  of  Plants 311 

Stale  Pauper  Farm 311 

Cirrnlalidn  of  Sap — Vegetible  Economy — Orchards 312 

Hawaiian  Agriculture— Chapter  for  Nice  Old  Farmers 313 

Cruelty  to  Animals— Grafting  Old  Trees 314 

Diversity  in  Theory  and  Practice 31fi 

The  True  Mode  of  Cultivation — Weeds 316 

About  Sheep  and  Steers 316 

Visit  to  the  Slate  Reform  School 317 

Lunar  and  Stellar  Influence 318 

Mount  Airy  Institute   319 

Living  in  Clover— Important  to  Farmers 32ii 

Charcoal 321 

Manures— their  Nature  and  Constituent  Principles 32;^ 

Composting 322 

Food  of  Plants— Mode  of  Supply — Nourishment 323 

Analysis  of  Soils  and  their  Productions 324 

Another  Trial  of  Pluws 325 

The  Flowers  — filorses— Careful  Use  of,  &c 326 

The  Onion  Worm 3<!6 

Monthly  Farmei  for  June 327 

Soiling  Cows — Investment  in  Weeds 320 

Corn— F1,U  vs.  Hill  Culture 330 

Laying  Lands  to  Grass— Stones— Turnips 330 

Productive  Farming 331 

The  North  American  Sylva  332 

Witch  Grass— State  Chemist— Education  ofOxen 333 

Hints  on  Thinning  Fruit— Farm  School  at  Westboro' 334 

Corn-Fodder  and  Corn-Slalk  Culler 330 

Town  Horticultural  Societies 335 

The  Climate  of  Countries -The  First  Saw  Mill 336 

State  Pauper  Parm 337 

State  Reform  School 338 

Trimming  Pine  Trees— A  New  Enemy  in  the  Field 339 

Orchards— Muck— Ashes  — Order  in  Everything 34') 

Protection  against  the  Bee  Moth— Extracts  and  Replies. ..341 

Ladies'  Dejiartment 342 

Boy's  Department 342 

ILLUSTRATIONS . 

Watering  the  Garden 304 

Cisterns 305 

Yellow  Piberian  Crab 321 

Fancy  Lop -Ear  Rabbits 337 


LANGSTROTH'S 

Movable  Comb  Hive, 

(Patented  Oct.  5th,  1852.) 
TTIACH  comb  is  built  on  a  movable  frame,  and  in  five  min- 
Jji  ules  they  may  all  be  taken  out,  without  cutting  them  or 
enraging  the  be.es  Weak  stocks  may  be  helped  to  h^mey  and 
brood  from  stronger  ones;  queenless  colonies  supplied;  the 
worms  caught;  and  new  colonies  formed  in  less  time  than  in 
usually  reijuired  to  hive  a  natural  swarm.  Thut  the  Srife  and 
easy  control  of  the  combs,  makes  a  complete  revolution  in 
bee-keeping  the  subscriber  prefers  to  prove  rather  than  as- 
sert. At  his  Apiary,  combs,  honey  and  bees  will  be  taken 
from  the  hives,  the  queen  exhibited,  and  new  colonies  formed. 
By  the  close  of  May  his  work  (350  pages)  on  the  Honey-Bee 
will  be  puiilished.  It  contains  many  new  and  highly  impor 
tant  discoveries,  and  gives  full  directions  for  managing  bees, 
in  the  author's  hive,  or  any  other.  Cost  of  hives  from  one  to 
five  dollars;  farm  rights  five  dollars.  For  one  doll  ir,  postage 
paid,  the  book  will  be  sent  free  by  mail.  On  receipt  of  eleven 
dollars,  a  beautiful  hive  showing  all  the  combs,  (with  glass  on 
four  siiles,)  will  be  sent  with  book  and  right,  freight  paid,  to 
any  Railroad  station  in  New  England;  a  right,  book  and  hive 
for  two  colonies,  with  glass  im  each  side,  for  .$13;  a  thorough 
ly  made  hive  for  two  colonies,  glass  on  the  bank  only,  with 
book  and  right,  for  $11.     Address, 

L.  L.  LANGSTROTH,  Greenfield,  Mass. 
May  14,  1853.  3\v*3 


Round  Voliimes. 


BACK  VOLUMES  ol  ihe  NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER,  ele 
gantly  bound  in  Musliu,  Gilt  and  Embossed,  are  now  fo) 
sale  at  this  office. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMEU 

Is  published  on  the  first  of  every  month,  by  John  Raynolds 
umJ  JoiiL  NoiiBSE,  at  Quincy  Hall,  South  Market  St.,  Boston. 

SIMON  BROWN,  Editor. 

FREDERICK  HOLBROOK, )  Associate 
HENRV   F.  FRENCH,  5   Editors, 

[J3=  Terms,  81,00  per  annum  in  advance. 

azr  All  subscriptions  to  commence  with  the  volume,  Jan.  1. 

The  Farmer,  i-i  devoted  exclusively  to  Agriculture,  Hor- 
ticultUre,  and  tlieir  kindred  Arts  and  Sciences;  making  a  neat 
volume  of  576  octavo  pages,  embellished  with  numerous  en 
gravings.  It  may  be  elegantly  bound  in  muslin,  embossed  amJ 
gilt,  at  2)  cts.  a  volume,  if  left  at  the  office  of  publication. 

JSZF  Also  published  at  the  same  office  every  Saturday,  on  a 
large  handsome  folio  sheet,  the 

NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER,    (WEEKLY,) 

An  Independent  AsTicultural  Family  Neivxpnper. 

The  News  and  Miscellaneous  departments  tinder  the  charge 
of  WILLIAM  SIMONDS,  will  include  a  full  and  careful  re- 
port of  the  news  of  the  Markets,  and  the  iiewS^  of  the  week, 
such  as  Domestic,  Foreign  and  Marine  Intelligence,  Congres- 
sional and  Legislative  proceedings.  Temperance  and  Religious 
Intelligence,  and  a  general  variety  of  Literary  juid  Miscellane- 
ous matter,  adapted  to  family  reading,  con. prising  more  use- 
ful and  valuable  reading  matter  than  any  other  Agricultural 
Newspaper  published  in  New  England.  Everything  of  a  hurt- 
ful or  even  doubtful  tendency  will  be  carefully  e.vcluded  from 
its  columns. 

(0°  Terms  $2,00  per  annum  in  advance. 

The  monthly  contains  nearly  the  same  matter  as  the  Agri- 
cultural department  of  the  weekly. 

inr  Postmasters  and  others,  who  will  f  rward  four  new 
subscribers  on  the  above  named  terms,  for  either  publication, 
shall  receive  a  fifth  copy  gratis  for  one  year. 

O"  All  orders  and  letters  .should  be  addressed,  7)osi-/)Oirf, 

RAYNOLDS  &  NOURSE, 
QiiiNCY  Hall,  South  Market  Stheet,  Boston. 


O"  Postage. — The  postage  on  the  New  England  Farmer 
monthly,  is  IJ  cents  per  quarter,  or  6  cents  per  year,  to  any 
part  of  the  United  Slates,  to  be  paid  in  advance  at  the  office 
where  the  same  is  received. 


Haying  Tools. 

1000  dozen  superior  Grass  Scythes. 

PHILLIPS,  Messer  &  Colby's— Darling's— Farwell's-Mans- 
field  &  Lamb's— Keyes  &  Dunn's. 
Also,  Lawn,  Grain  and  Bush  Scythes,  of  the  best  quulity. 

1000  dozen  Scythe  Sneaths. 

Patent  Grass,  Lawn  and  Bush  Sneaths,  from  the  best  man- 
ufacturers in  the  country. 

2500  dozen  Hay  Rakes. 

Hall's,  Simonds's,  Carpenter's,  Page  &  Wakefield's,  Robin- 
son's, Duggan's  and  English  best  Hand  Rakes. 

500  Drag  Rakes. 

This  Rake  is  a  hybrid  between  the  Hand  and  Horse  Rak« 
every  good  farmer  should  have  one  or  more. 

3000  dozen  Scythe  Rifles. 

Clark's  celebrate')  Whetstone  Grit  and  Emery  Rifles.  Also, 
Austin's,  Anson's,  Willard's,  and  others. 

200  gross  Scythe  Stones. 

(luinebaug,  Chnc'ilate,  Norway  Rag  and  Indian  Pond;  also, 
Woodward  and  Talacre  (English)  Scythe  Stones. 

20  tons  Grindstones. 

A  well  selected  assortment  of  the  celebrated  Blue  Sheet, 
warranted.  Also,  Grindstones  of  all  sizes,  mounted  on  frames 
and  rollers  complete. 

Grindstone  Fixtures,  viz:  Flanges,  Arbors,  Cranks  and 
Rollers. 

800  Horse  Hay  Rakes. 

Delano's  Patent  Revolving  and  Spring  Tooth  Hay  Rakes; 
all  of  which  will  be  sold  at  wholesale  or  retail,  al  very  low 
prices,  by  RUGGLES,  NOURSE,  MA'sON  &  CO  , 

Over  the  Market,  Boston. 

June  25.  1853.  '*■ 


DEVOTED  TO  AGRICULTURE  AND  ITS  KINDRED  ARTS  AND  SCIENCES. 


VOL.  V. 


BOSTON,  AUGUST,  1853. 


NO.  8. 


RAYNOLDS  &  NOURSE,  Propkietoks. 
Office.  .  ..(luixcY  Hall. 


SIMON  BROWN,  Editor. 


FREU'K  HOLBROOK.i  Associate 
HENRY  F.  FRENCH,  5   Editors. 


AUGUST. 

"There's  niDsic  in  the  dawiting  ntorn, 
Ere  Ihe  lark  liis  pinion  dries — 

'Tis  the  rush  nf  she  hreeze  tlirou^h  tlic  dewy  corn- 
Through  the  gjiriieii's  iierfunie<i  djes." 

Men  breathe  freely  again  ;  tLe  burden  of  the 
Hay  and  Grain  harvest  is  over.  The  weather  has 
been  propitious,  and  the  bays  and  scaffolds  swell 
with  the  rich  treasures  of  the  newly  shorn   fields. 

"August,"  says  a  beautiful  "wriier,  "is  that  de- 
batable ground  of  the  year,  which  is  situated  ex- 
actly upon  tlie  coniines  of  summer  and  autumn; 
and  it  is  diffic-ult  to  say  which  has  the  better  claim 
to  it.  It  is  dressed  in  half  the  flowers  of  the  one, 
and  half  the  fruits  of  the  other  ;  and  it  has  a  sky 
and  temperature  all  its  own,. and  which  vie  in 
beauty  with  those  of  the  spring." 

The  whole  face  of  Nature  has  undergone,  since 
last  month,  an  obvious  change.  The  dark  green 
of  the  corn-fields  now  beautifully  contrasts  with 
the  brown  stems  of  the  grass  roots,  while  the  stub- 
ble of  the  early  harvest  is  only  left  of  the  recent 
waving  fields  of  golden  grain. 

The  trees  and  shrubs  and  fields  are  still  green, 
"but  i^t  the  fresh  and  tender  green  of  the  spring, 
nor  the  full  and  satisfying  green  of  the  summer  ; 
but  many  greens,  that  blend  all  those  belonging 
to  the  seasons  first  named,  with  others  more  grave 
and  more  bright,  and  the  charming  variety  and  in- 
terchange of  which  are  peculiar  to  this  delightful 
month,  and  are  more  beautiful  in  their  general  ef- 
fect than  those  of  either  of  the  preceding  periods  ; 
just  as  a  truly  beautiful  woman  is  perhaps  more 
beautiful  at  the  period  immediately  before  that  at 
which  her  charms  begin  to  wane,  than  she  ever 
was  before."  i^ 

The  season  grows  old  in  animated  life,  too.  New 
voices  disturb  the  hot  and  listless  noon,  or  swell 
on  the  evening  air.  The  birds  have  paired,  nest- 
ed, and  reared  their  young,  and  now  in  "sober  rus- 
set clad,"  gather  in  garrulous  joy,  or  sport  in  airy 
circles  about  the  old  trees  of  the  farmer's  home. 

In  England,  this  month,  their  great  harvest  sea- 


son, is  one  of  gladness.  Here,  we  rush  on  to  see 
how  large  a  crop  we  can  raise  and  gather  in  with- 
out any  outward  expressions  of  gratitude  and  de- 
light. But  there,  Leigh  Hunt  says,  our  ancestors 
used  to  burst  into  an  enthusiasm  of  joy  at  the  end 
of  harvest.  They  crowned  tlie  wheat  sheaves  with 
flowers,  they  sung,  they  shouted,  they  danced, 
they  invited  each  other,  or  met  to  feast,  as  at 
Christmas,  in  the  halls  of  rich  houses. 

We  like  these  outward  expressions  of  joy  ;  they 
are  sympathetic,  and  toiich  the  whole  nation's 
heart.  Our  great  harvest,  the  liNDi.AN  Corn  Har- 
vest, is  followed  by  our  annual  festival,  Thanks- 
giving, in  which  nearly  all  our  people  participate. 
But,  as  with  the  English  people,  we  should  like 
some  ceremonies  in  the  fields,  some  crowning  of 
the  sheaves,  some  relaxation  from  stern  labor,  and 
joyous  gatherings  of  the  young  and  old  to  commem- 
orate the  harvest  scenes.  ^Ve  copy  the  customs 
of  our  ancestors  in  many  things— we  should  be 
glad  if  our  people  would  do  so  in  some  of  their 
Harvest  Scenes. 


CALENDAR  FOR  AUGUST. 

*  Within  our  recollection,  and  within  our  own  prac- 
tice, but  under  the  direction  of  others,  haying  was 
not  concluded  until  the  first  week  in  September  ; 
the  last  week  in  August  or  the  first  in  the  follow- 
ing month  being  thought  early  enough  for  cutting 
the  meadows.  The  period  usually  occupied  now, 
in  tliis  important  part  of  husbandry,  does  not  oc- 
cupy one-half  the  time  that  it  did  forty  or  fifty 
years  since.  Many  fiirmers  who  cut  fifty  to  a  hun- 
dred tons  of  hay  in  a  season,  accomplish  it  within 
the  space  often  to  twenty  days,  and  get  it  in  bet- 
ter condition  than  it  used  to  be  when  two  months 
were  occupied. 

This  is  one  of  the  important  improvements  in 
farming,  which  has  been  effected  by  labor-saving 
implements,  and  by  a  better  knowledge  of  the  na- 
ture of,  and  better  modes  of  [reserving,  the  nutri- 
tious qualities  of  the  grasses. 


346 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Aug. 


Meadows,  this  year,  when  hay  will  be  some- 
what scarce  and  high,  should  be  cut  early  in  Au- 
gust, if  they  have  been  omitted  until  that  time. 
If  cut  when  the  grass  is  tender  and  succulent, 
most  of  it  will  be  consumed  by  the  stock  if  fed  in 
the  morning  during  the  coldest  weather.  Indeed, 
we  have  often  found  milch  cows  preferring  one  or 
two  fodderings  of  meadow  hay  in  the  day,  to  that 
of  the  best  English.  They  like  variety,  and  wili 
thrive  better  for  an  occasional  feed  of  inferior  hay. 
It  also  answers  a  good  purpose,  cut,  and  mixed 
with  better  hay  or  straw,  and  Indian  or  oil  meal. 
It  is  all  worth  saving  in  good  condition  this  year. 

The  Turnip  Crop. — This  crop,  in  its  varieties, 
is  always  important,  but  particularly  so  when  the 
hay  crop  is  short.  It  will  be  well  to  sow  the  flat 
turnip  as  late  as  the  first  week  in  August ;  the 
expense  of  seeding  is  small,  so  that  if  the  crop 
fails,  the  loss  is  trifling;  if  the  season  proves  fa- 
vorable, a  fine  crop  may  be  obtained  and  the  win- 
ter's supply  of  fodder  greatly  enhanced. 

Attention  must  be  given  to  the  ruta  bagas  and 
mangel  wurtzels.  All  weeds  should  be  taken  out 
and  the  plants  thinned  so  as  to  give  each  ample 
room  to  expand  itself  into  a  good  size  and  shape. 
The  distance  required  will  depend  much  on  the 
richness  of  the  soil.  If  that  be  in  good  condition 
twelve  inches  between  the  plants  will  be  none  too 
much.  The  crop  will  be  benefited  by  hoeing  in 
good  super-phosphate  of  lime  or  dissolved  bones. 
Do  not  neglect  the  turnip  crop. 

Reclaiming  Meabows. — Every  observing  cultiva- 
tor must  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
best  lands  of  New  England  lie  in  our  low  grounds, 
or  even  the  boggy  swamps  which  are  scattered  all 
over  it.  When  once  subdued,  no  lands  yield  such 
ample  returns  for  the  expense  incurred,  or  remain 
in  good  condition  so  long  without  being  again  bro- 
ken up.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  repeat  what  we 
have  so  often  said  on  this  subject,  but  refer  the 
unpracticed  to  an  article  in  another  column  on 
"Swamps  and  Draining,"  and  to  the  last  year's 
volume,  under  "Farm  Work  for  September." 

August,  also,  is  a  good  time,  perhaps  the  best, 
for  breaking  up  and  laying  down  old  grass  lands 
that  have  "run  out."  The  process  is  simple — 
plow  deep,  manure  well,  turning  it  under  two  or 
three  inches  with  the  cultivator  or  harrow,  and 
seed  liberally.  The  manure  used  in  such  cases, 
should  be  fine,  so  as  to  mingle  thoroughly  with  the 
soil.  Twelve  quarts  of  herds  grass  and  three  pecks 
of  red-top  seed,  are  sufficient  for  an  acre.  Sow  six 
pounds  of  clover  seed  per  acre,  on  a  light  snow  in 

March. 

« 

Grape  Vines. — Everybody  likes  grapes.  There 
is  scarcely  a  person  who  has  a  garden  but  adorns 
it  with  a  grape  vine.  Great  efforts  are  being  made 
to  introduce  varieties  that  are  delicious  and  hardy; 
by-and-by,  we  shall  succeed.     The  old  idea,  long 


entertained,  that  the  leaves  must  be  stript  off  in 
order  that  the  fruit  might  ripen,  has  nearly  lived 
out  its  day.  it  only  lingers,  like  a  heavy  brick, 
in  the  noddles  of  some  of  the  "old  fogies,"  who 
are  determined  that  the  world  shall  be  no  wiser 
than  they  themselves  are.  As  well  may  we  strip 
the  apple  tree  of  its  leaves  that  the  sun  may  enter 
and  ripen  the  fruit,  or  tear  off  a  man's  arms  and 
legs,  that  his  head  may  sooner  be  ripe  with  wis- 
dom !  No,  no — let  the  leaves  alone  ;  they  kindly 
prepare  rich  juices  for  the  fruit,  as  the  bird  pre- 
pares food  for  her  young.  Nature  is  accommoda- 
ting in  some  things  ;  the  tree  does  not  object  to 
send  its  unelaborated  sap  into  the  veins  of  scions 
not  her  own,  and  comfort  and  protect  them,  but 
she  will  not  be  turned  from  her  proprieties  in  oth- 
er things.  She  cannot  be  roMed  of  her  lungs  or 
leaves,  and  produce  good  blood  or  fruit. 

Grains. — The  grains  which  have  cost  you  so 
much  labor,  which  you  have  cut  and  garnered  up, 
will  still  require  care.  If  frequented  by  rats  and 
mice,  the  loss  is  not  only  in.  what  they  consume, 
but  in  shelling  it  out  and  mixing  it  with  their  of- 
fal. By  thrashing  and  clearing  up  early  you  will 
find  a  more  favorable  return  from  your  acres. 

Celery. — This  is  a  wholesome  winter  salad;  easi- 
ly raised  and  always  brings  a  fair  price  in  market. 
It  ought  to  be  common  among  all  classes.  The 
eartliing  up  about  the  plants  must  be  carefully  at- 
tended to  this  month.  Gather  up  the  leaves 
neatly  and  not  bury  the  hearts  of  the  plants. 

Beans  and  the  early  kinds  of  cucumbers  may  be 
planted  for  pickles, if  done  immediately;  herbs, 
such  as  are  desired,  must  be  saved  now  ;  the  sage 
cut  and  dried,  and  hops  picked  and  dried. 

Budding. — The  season  has  again  approached 
when  this  operation  may  best  be  performed.  The 
process  is  so  familiar  to  most  persons,  that  we  will 
only  refer  the  uninitiated  to  our  former  remarks 
on  the  subject. 

Haul  out  Muck. — Now  that  the  swamps  are 
mostly  dry,  and  the  haying  is  out  of  the  way,  the 
opportunity  should  be  improved  to  go  into  the  much 
mines  and  remove  large  quantities  to  the  high 
lands.  Spread  it  shallow  on  pasture,  or  on  grass 
lands  which  are  to  be  plowed,  so  that  the  winter 
frosts  may  penetrate  the  whole  heap  and  thus  pre- 
pare it  for  use. 

A  shovel  full  of  meadow  muck,  and  a  half  gill  of 
guano  in  a  hill  for  corn,  will  give  about  thirty 
bushels  to  the  acre  on  almost  any  land  that  is  not 
utterly  impoverished. 

I^  A  JSToble  Act  Rewarded.— 'Rev.  Eufus  W. 
Gtiswold  has  presented  to  Mr.  Linus  Benedict,  of 
Norwalk,  (who  saved  the  life  of  his  daughter,  at  the 
Norwalk  calamity,  after  she  was  supposed  to  be 
drowned,)  a  very  costly  gold  watch  and  appendages, 
as  an  evidence  of  his  gratitude  and  that  of  his  fami- 
ly, for  his  extraordinary  and  successful  efforts  on  that 
occasion. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


3^ 


F^r  the  New  England  Farmer 
COMPOSTING. 


BY    H.    F.     FRENCH. 

"I  should  like  to  have  you  tell  me  what  is  the 
advantage  of  hauling  a  great  lot  of  common  soil 
into  a  barn  cellar,  and  then  hauling  it  out  again, 
into  the  field?  Why  is  not  it  just  as  well  to  plow 
in  the  green  manure  and  letit  mix  in  the  ground?" 
_  This  question,  proposed  by  a  working  man,  de- 
sirous of  a  rational  reply,  suggested  to  me  the 
idea  of  saying  something  on  the  subject  of  Com- 
posting. 

By  supplying  our  yards  and  cellars  with  common 
soil  in  proper  quantities,  we  retain  the  liquid  por- 
tion of  the  manure,  which  must  otherwise  be  most- 
ly lost,  and  we  prevent  the  evaporation  of  the  vol- 
atile elements  which  exist  in  all  manure.  In  the 
case  of  stable  manure  we  also  prevent  loss  by 
heating,  and  fire-fanging.  Now  it  does  not  require 
avast  addition  of  soil,  to  effect  all  these  objects, 
and  as  carting  this  material  is  very  expensive, 
true  economy  tells  us  to  reflect  upon  the  objects 
in  view,  and  stop  when  we  have  attained  them. 

If  you  can  carry  out  at  ten  loads,  the  same  ele- 
ments of  fertility  that  you  have  heretofore  carried 
out  at  twenty,  you  havegained,  by  saving  it,  three 
or  four  dollars  worth  of  labor,  which,  in  the  spring 
of  the  year,  is  worth  minding.      Quantity  is  not  al- 
ways  value.     More  than   eighty  pounds  of  every 
hundred  of  barn-yard   manure,  hauled  into   the 
teld,  are   nothing  more  nor  less  than  water,  just 
such  as  the  clouds  will  give  us  in  abundance,  about 
planting  time.     Let  the  farmer  keep  this  in  mind 
as  one  guiding  principle,  that  manure  is  valuable 
not  for  Its  bulk   or   weight,  but  for  its  fertilizing 
properties,  which  make  but  a  small  part  of  either 
Again,  we  frsquently  see   farmers  in  a  bright 
windy  April  day,  expending  much   labor  in  com- 
posting m_  their  fields,  shoveling   over  and   over 
again,  their  manure    heaps,  often  mixing  no^mp- 
with  them,  and  oftener  perhaps,  road-side   sand 
or  worthless  soil.     We  will  speak  of  the  gain  pres 
ently.     The  /05s  by  the   operation   is  manifest  to 
more  senses  than  one.     It  was  stated  in  a  public 
•lecture  by  a  learned  chemist,  that  about  o/ie-ZiA 
ot  the  value  of  a  heap  of  stable  manure  would  es-l 
cape  by   evaporation   in   such   a  day  as  I  have' 
named,  by  a  single  shoveling  over  and  shaking  up 
m  the  usual  way. 

_  Letthe  former  bear  in  mind,  as  another  guid- 
ing principle,  that  one  of  the  most  valuable  con- 
stituents of  the  manure  hea^— ammonia,  is  also 
one  of  the  most  volatile.  It  has  little  more  than 
halt  the  weight  of  common  air.  It  is  the  same 
compound  that  is  used  by  the  ladies,  as  smelling 
salts,  and  the  same  which  often,  almost  suffocates 
you,  as  it  does  also  your  horse,  in  the  stall  at 
your  stable.  Whenever  your  sense  of  smelling 
gives  warning,  then  you  may  know,  that  the  air 
13  carrying  off  your  manure  heap,  though  invisibly, 
of^n  as  rapidly  as  an  Irishman  could  do  it,  with 
a  wheelbarrow. 

For  hoed  crops,  the  old  way  of  plowing  in  the 
manure  as  It  comes  from  the  yard  is  often,  the 
true  economy.  Nothing  is  then  lost  by  evapora-, 
tion  and  no  labor  is  expended  in  repeatedly  hand- 
ling  It  over.  •'  I 

But  for  gardens,  for  top-dressing  for  grass  and 
lor  harrowing  in,  for  any  purpose,  coarse  manure 
cannot  well  be  used.     Spread   upon  the  surface 


its  whole  yalue  is  almost  lost,  and  the  harrow  will 
not  cover  it.  It  must  be  composted  for  convenience 
I  and  economy.  This  is  best  done  in  the  barn  cellar, 
[and  if  done  elsewhere,  a  still  moist  day  should  be 
chosen  for  the  work. 

Thus  far,  I  have  spoken  only  of  composting  with 
common  earth.  Few  farms  are  so  poor  as  not  to 
afford  something  better.  If  the  compost  is  for 
sandy  land,  clay-loam  or  clay  pulverized  by  frost, 
may  often  be  used  to  advantange.  It  is  desira- 
ble to  save  ammonia,  which,  as  has  been  said,  is  a 
very  hrad  creature  to  keep.  A  good  cork  is  neces- 
sary to  confine  it  in  a  bottle.  Now  it  happens, 
that  clay  has  the  power  to  attract  and  retain  am- 
monia greater  than  any  other  kind  of  soil,  so  that 
a  double  advantage  may  be  gained  in  some  cases 
by  its  use,  even  in  large  quantities.  To  pine  san- 
dy lands,  I  have  applied  twenty  cart  loads  of  clay 
to  the  acre,  at  once,  with  advantage.  Composting 
it  with  stable  manure  renders  it  less  compact  ant 
more  friable. 

On  the  other  hand,  upon  a  clai/ei/  soil  sand  is  of 
great  use,  especially  when  applied  to  the  surface 
in  laying  it  to  grass.  And  to  black  swamp  mead- 
ows, sand  is  frequently  indispensable  to  the  growth 
of  a  crop  of  grass.  For  such  uses,  then,  it  may  be 
the  very  best  economy,  to  use  in  compost,  large 
quantities  of  sandy  loam  or  even  of  pure  sand 
if  nothing  better  offers.  ' 

A  half  inch  of  sand,  upon  a  bog  or  clay  mead- 
ow, will  do  much  towards  preventing  the  heaving 
hij  frost,  which  often  ruins  our  newly  sprouted 
grass. 

Clay  and  sand  are,  however,  but  mere  amend- 
ments of  the  soil,  operating  for  the  most  part  me- 
chanically, the  clay  rendering  sandy  soil  more  com- 
pact and  retentive  of  water  and  manure,  the  sand 
rendering  clay  soil  more  open,  and  peremable  to  the 
air,  and  the  roots  of  plants.  In  addition  to  this, 
as  has  been  already  hinted,  sand  supplies  to  bog 
meadows  a  substance  known  by  the  name  of  silex 
not  usually  found  in  such  soil,  which  enters  largely 
into  the  formation  of  the  stalks  of  all  plants,  ap- 
pearing as  pure  flint,  on  the  stalks  of  rye  and 
other  grain. 

There  exists,  however,  within  reach   of  almost 
ev«ry  farmer,  another  class  of  materials  of  vastly 
greater  value  than  any  th^it  have  been  named,  in 
the  form  of  swamp  mud  and  peat.     These  'deposits 
differ  very   widely,  some  having  very  little   value, 
and  others  having  almost  precisely  the  same  con- 
stituent elements  as  barn  manure.     Usually  they 
contain  the  same  elements  which  constitute  barn 
and  stable  manure,  except  ammonia.     This   am- 
monia, we  have  seen, exists  in  cow  and  horse  man- 
ure in  larger  quantities  than  they  can  alone  retain. 
By  using  them  in  our  barn  cellars,or  compost  heaps, 
swamp  mud  or  peat,  we  actually  add  to   the  mass 
most  of  the  valuable  constituents  of  manure,  and 
at  the  same  time  retain  the  volatile   part,  which 
would  otherwise  escape,  and  which  alone  is  needed 
to  make  the  muck  itself  a  valuable  fertilizer.  Very 
few  deposits  of  swamp  mud  have  been  found,  which 
have  nut  proved  valuable  when  composted  with 
i  barn  or  stable  manure.     Occasionally,  a  deposit  is 
found  which  is  valuable,  applied  to  the  land  direct- 
ly from  the-  bed  whence  it  is  dug.     Usually  an  ex- 
posure of  one  or  two  years  to  the  action  of  frost 
and  the  atmosphere,  or  the  application  of  caustic 
lime  or  of  hme  slaked  with  a  solution  of  salt,  will 
neutralize  the  acids  which  exist  in  most  swamps. 


348 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


AXJG. 


A  careful  attention  to  the  reason  of  things,  a  rain,  affiict  the  Hawaiian  as  well  as  the  New  Eng 
constant  endeavor  to  understand  as  far  as  may  be j  land  ftirmer ;  but  worse  than  all,  says  Mr.  Greene, 
the  principles  of  vegetation,  and  the  operation  of  is  the  fact  that  farming  is  in  low  repute— the  peo- 
various  fertilizers  upon  the  different  crops  and  soils,  pie  naturally  indolent,  prefer  any  means  of  subsis- 
will  lead  to  more  useful  results   than  any  general  fpnoo  tn  Imnpst.  fn!!      An  m-M'^^io  nn  "PiniiT=  "  ^^a 


rules  of  practice  that  can  be  given 
Exeter,  N.  H.,  1853. 


n.  F. 


For  the  New  Ens;land  Farmer. 
MONTHLY  FARMER   FOR  JULY. 

July  !  Who  can  tliink  of  July,  and  forget  Inde- 
pendence 1  Not  the  boys,  if  they  can  get  crackers. 
Nor  the  men,  if  they  contrast  their  situation  with 
that  of  their  European  brethren.  The  world  prob-, 
ably  needed  just  such  a  specimen  of  old-fashioned!  ^''I,''  f'r"J^*'-. 

-  •  ''--■  -    '-  A.  Todd,  Srnithville,  R.  I. 


tence  to  honest  toil.  An  article  on  "Plows,"  and 
one  on  "the  Variety  of  Borers,"  complete  our  firsfe 
lesson. 

THE  SECOND   TWELVE  PAGES 
Contain  articles  from 

The  Editor. 

t>tock  Register. 

Silas  Brown,  Wilmington. 

A,  Todd,  Smithfield,  R.  I 

The  Editor. 

.1.  R.,  Coi.cfird. 

W.  D.  B.,  Concord. 

The  Ediior 


despotism.  Liberty  of  the  press,  of  speech,  of 
thought,  of  locomotion, — will  now  Iw  better  un- 
derstood. But  tliis  is  not  reviewing  the  Farmer, 
with  its  almost  interminable  contents.  Orators 
and  writers  when  they  wished  to  round  off  a  pe 


S.  E.  Hooker,  Poullney,  Vt. 

T.  A.  S.,  Westboro'. 

J.  R..  Concord. 

The  Editor. 

Wool  Grower,  Cheshire  Co. 

The  Editor.  [N.  H. 

Farm  .loiirnal 

S.  F.,  Winchester. 

Philadelphia  Paper. 

St.  Vincent  Mirror. 


"A  Day  with  the  Great  Plow"  tells  us  of  plow- 
ing furrows  12  inches  deep,  and  18  wide !  Statis- 
tics on  the  difference  between  the  "Live  and  Detid 
Weight  of  Cattle,"  is  followed  by  some  strictures 


riod  with  an  idea  of  the  vastness  of  our  field,  used!  on  a  criticisin  of  "Experimental  Farming."  Fol 
to  say,  sometimes,  "from  Maine  to  Florida."  The!  lowing  which  are  valuable  articles  on  "Plaster, 
correspondents  of  the  Farmer,  in  the  Provinces  of' Ashes,  &c.  ;"  "Action  of  the  Atmosphere  on  the 
the  North,  in  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and  along  the!  roots  of  Plants  ;"  description   of  the   new  "State 


Pacific  coast,  open  to  us  a  field  so  much  more  ex 
tensive,  as  almost  to  provoke  a  smile  at  this  ex- 
pression. 

THE    FIRST   TWELVE   PAGES 


Pauper  Farm,"  in  Tewksbury  ;  explanation  of  the 
"Circulation  of  Sap ;"  remarks  on  "Orchards," 
and  a  "Chapter  for  nice  old  Farmers."  The  "body" 
that  undertakes  to  tell  Fanny  why  country  folks 
live  in  the  rear  of  the  house,  will  please  inform 
me  why  it  is  that  city  people  live  in  the  cellar, 
while  they  have  so  many  stories  above  ground. 
Then  we  find  a  protest  against  "Cruelty  to  Ani- 
mals ;"  Mr.  Hooker's  successful  method  of  "Graft- 
ing Old  Trees  ;"  and  comments  on  "Diversity  in 
Theory  and  Practice."  In  my  observation  among 
practical  farmers  I  have  never  been  much  troubled 
in  the  salutatory  "Calendar"  the  editor,  as  helby  the  "chaos  of  theory  and  practice,"  which  the 
loves  to  do,  blends  the  sentimental  and  the  prac-  writer  of  this  article  so  feelingly  deplores.  Is 
•D„i _  ..  xi.  .i.  ___.     r  ,  1       ,  there  greater  uniformity  in  the  prosecution  of  any 


The  Editor. 

S.  P.  Fowler,  Danversport. 

The  Editor. 

R.  B.  H.,  Baltimore. 

Culturist  Mild  Gazelle. 

J.  N.  M.,  Georgetown. 

M.  A.  Perry,  Watertown. 

S.  G.  B. 

The  Editor. 


Contain  articles  from 

Prairie  Farmer. 

O.  V.  Hills,  Leominser. 

Howits. 

The  Ediior. 

P. 

A.  S.  R.,  LincoTn. 

J.  S.  Greene.  Sandwich  Islands. 

Peter  Fay,  Soulhboro'. 

Richard  C.  Stone,  Soulhboro'. 


tical.  Believing  that  even  farmers  have  heads  as 
well  as  hands, — hearts  as  well  as  stomachs,  he 
would  point  out  the  beauties  as  well  as  suggest 
the  hard  labors  of  this  "fervid  noon"  of  the  year. 
The  fifth  number  of  the  "Birds  of  New  England" 
describes  particularly  the  Meadow  Liirk,  the  Gold- 
en Robin,  the  Red- winged  Blackbird,  and  the  ec- 
centric Cow  Blackbird.  Remarks  on  "Ridging 
and  Draining,"  with  directions  for  the  work, 
"when  necessary,"  are  succeeded  by  a  very  inter 
esting  article  on  "Strawberries  near  Baltimore.' 
Some  sensible  comments  on  "The  Turnip  Crop," 
which  somehow  appears  to  be  a  much  greater  fa 
vorite  with  "book-farmers"  than  with  the  practi 
cal  ones  of  my  acquaintance.  Short  articles,  giv- 
ing a  remedy  for  the  "Potato  Rot ;"  how  to  "Pre- 
serve Manures  ;"  suggestions  on  "Watering  the 
Garden,"  with  cuts  of  implements  ;  directions  for 
raising  "Buckwheat ;"  some  good  "Summer  and 
Autuiun  Apples"  recommended  ;  observations  on 
"German  Agriculture,"  that  reminds  us  tliat  we 
have  lessons  yet  to  learn  in  eccmomy,  especially  of 
manures  :  and  valuable  and  minute  directions  for 
building  cisterns,  more  interesting  to  those  who 
have  a  "great  fuss"  every  washing  day  to  haul  soft 
water,  than  to  those  who,  like  "our  folks,"  have 
a  never-failing  well  of  clear,  soft,  cold  water  ;— 
bring  us  to  an  agricultural  communication  from 
the  Sandwich  Islands,  written,  nut  by  some  stray 
sailor,  or  transient  visitor,  but  by  one  who  raised 
400  bushels  of  wheat  on  Iiis  farm  there,  last  year. 
The  weevil,  the  cut  worm,  and  other  injurious  ver- 


other  business?  Indeed,  are  not  we  old  farmers 
charged  with  following  traditions — of  doing,  gen- 
eration after  generation,  as  our  fathers  did  1  "The 
true  mode  of  Cultivation"  is  the  caption  of  an  ar- 
ticle on  State  Pauper  Farms,  in  which  the  writer 
suggests  that  they  may  be  so  managed  as  to  "be 
patterns  to  all  the  surrounding  country."  The 
result  of  the  "Visit  to  the  State  Reform  School" 
farm — given  on  the  next  page — does  not  seem  to 
me  to  afford  much  ground  for  these  sanguine  hopes. 
Have  1'own  Poor-farms  often  proved  models,  either 
as  to  crops  or  profit  ?  But  it  is  well  that  public 
attention  is  turned  to  these  State  institutions — 
they  cannot  be  watched  too  closely,  lest  they  prove 
hot-beds  of  abuse  and  mismanagement,  instead  af 
"models."  But  we  must  proceed  to  a  defence  of 
"Lunar  and  Stellar  Influence  ;"  comments  on  the 
late  "Mt.  Airy  Agricultural  Institute,"  in  which 
the  writer  attempts  to  show  that  all  similar  schools 
are  antagonistic  to  the  New  England  system  of 
free  schools  ;  a  sarcastic  account  of  a  clover-seed 
speculation  ;  and  a  notice  of  a  kind  of  earth  founti 
in  St.  Vincent,  more  valuable  for  manure  than  gua- 
no. 

THE   THIRD  TWELVE    PAGES 

Contain  articles  from 

The  Editor.  C.  1).  Stuart. 

M.,  Che-ster,  N.  11.  Granite  Farmer. 

The  Editor.  Maiiie  Fiiriner. 

M.  Perry,  Watertown.  A  Reader,  Winchester. 

The  Ediior.  The  Country  Gentlein.in. 

Pillsfield  Culturist.  H.  F.  French,  Exeter,  N.  E. 

The  Editor.  Horticulturist. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


349 


This  division  commences  with  a  fine  picture  of 
the  "Yellow  Siberian  Crab."  "Charcoal"  recom 
mended  ns  a  fertilizer.  Is  not  this  tantalizing  to 
nine-tenths  of  the  Hirmers  in  New  Engliind,  who 
would  not  know  where  to  find  charcoal  enough  to 
smut  their  faces  witli  1  "Composting" — a  recipe 
for  an  acre,  including  "twenty  bushels  of  lime," 
is  followed  by  a  scientifi^ind  of  article  on  "Ma- 
nures," in  which  the  writer  says  "the  mixing  of 
caustic  lime  with  dung  is  a  most  baneful  practice." 
A  valuable  dissertation  on  the  "Food  of  Plants," 
Is  followed  by  some  explanations  of  tlie  action  of 
the  U.  S.  Agricultural  Society  on  a  paper  by  Prof. 
Booth  on  Analysis  of  Soils,  that  places  the  matter 
in  a  more  favorable  aspect,  than  did  the  report 
published  in  the  Farmer.  Account  of  a  trial  of 
plows  in  Ipswich,  with  a  notice  of  a  new  "Horse 
Hoe  ;"  Poetical  origin  of  Flowers  ;  a'lesson  that 
taught  one  man  to  be  careful  of  horses,  and  sug- 
gests the  query,  are  not  men  often  injured  in  the 
same  way — violent  exercise  with  a  full  stomach. 
A  description  of  the  "Onion  Worm,"  with  ac- 
counts of  diverse  failures  of  remedies.  Review  of 
the  ^'■Monthly  Farmer  for  ]May."  An  article  on 
''Soiling"  is  followed  by  one  showing  an  invest- 
ment in  weeds,  however  large  the  dividends  may 
be,  is  a  poor  one  for  farmers.  "Flat  vs  Hill  Cul- 
ture" discussed,  and  we  then  have  another  of  those 
playful  letters  from  the  New  Hampshire  associate 
editor.  Does  your  "short  cut"  to  a  hay  crop  fay? 
After  the  trees  or  stumps  are  dug  out  by  the  roots, 
your  process  would  cost  me,  here,  over  $70  per' 
acre  to  prepare  the  land  for  seeding.  This  division 
closes  with  a  notice  of  a  splendid  book  on  North 
American  trees,  costing  S45.  Such  works  ought 
to  be  purchased  by  town  libraries,  instead  of  ex- 
pending all  their  funds  on  cheaper  and  more  acces- 
sible books. 

THE    LAST   TWELVE    PAGES 

Contain  articles  from 

5.  H.  R. ,  Dorchester.  Essex. 

Wisconsin  Farmer.  G.  F.  W. 

Genesee  Fanner.  Agricultural  Gazette. 

,  May  31,  1853.  H.  F.  French. 

F.  FInlbrnnk,  Hratlleboro',Vt.  A  Subscrilier. 

Granite  Farmer.  Albany  Cultivator. 

Scientific  American.  Henry  Eddy.  M.  D. 

Geo.  P   Burnham.  Editor  and  Correspondents. 

J.  R.,  Concord.  Richard  C.  Stone. 

The  foremost  article  of  our  last  division  rejoices 
in  the  caption  "Witch  Grass — State  Chemist" — 
the  first  part  of  which  gives  directions  for  exter- 
minating this  pest  of  our  fields  by  plowing  ;  while 
the  last  part  of  the  article  seems  to  indicate  a  be- 
lief that  there  is  somewhere  in  the  "upper  regions" 
a  vast  quantity  of  agricultural  knowledge  bottled 
up,  and  that  a  State  chemist,  an  agricultural  col- 
lege, or  something  of  the  sort,  is  necessary  to  draw 
the  corks,  and  let  a  refreshing  stream  flow  in  upon 
the  parched  minds  of  farmers.  In  the  next  arti- 
cle, "Education  of  Oxen,"  the  writer  says  "No 
man  can  be  a  good  teamster,  who  is  not  a  gentle- 

ni:in."      .Sfimpt.bino- ?n   fVi.nf        "TTJ^fo    /->.^  +l<;.^.-.;Kirv. 


in  a  hundred  of  these  boys,  as  in  a  hundred  of  the 
same  age  in  any  of  our  colleges."  And  these  boys, 
as  I  understand  it,  are  the  legal  skimming  of  our 
whole  State.  Collect  a  hundred  of  the  most  vi- 
cious horses  in  the  State,  and  will  "Esses"  call 
it  a  "great  mistake  to  suppose  them  more  disposed 
to  evil"  than  an  equal  number  that  should  be  se- 
lected for  their  docility?  Notice  of  "A  New  Ene- 
my in  the  Field;"  "Orchards — Muck — Ashes;" 
"Order  in  Every  tiling  ;"  an  instructive  page  of 
"Extracts  and  Replies,"  with  articles  in  the  La- 
dies' and  Boys'  Departments,  conclude  our  review 
of  the  Monthly  Farmer  for  June.  A  Reader. 
Winchester,  June,  1853. 


THE  MILK-MAID  AND  THE  BANKER- 

A  milk-maid  vvilh  ii  very  pretty  face, 

Who  lived  at  Acton, 
Had  a  black  cow,  the  ugliest  in  the  place, 

A  crooked-backed  one, 
A  beast  as  dangerous,  too,  as  she  was  frightful, 

Vicious  and  spiteful. 
And  so  confirmed  a  liuant,  that  she  bounded 
Over  the  hedges  daily,  and  got  pounded. 
'Twas  all  in  vain  to  tie  her  with  a  telher, 
For  then  both  cord  and  cow  eloped  together. 

Armed  with  an  oaken  bough  (what  folly! 

It  should  have  been  of  birch,  or  thorn,  or  holly,) 

Patty  one  day  was  driving  home  the  beast, 
Which  had,  as  usual,  slipped  its  anchor, 
When  on  ihe  road  she  met  a  certain  banker, 

Who  stopped  to  give  her  eyes  a  feast 
By  gazing  on  her  features,  crimsoned  high 
By  a  long  cow-chase  in  July. 

"Are  you  from  Acton,  pretty  lass.'"  he  cried; 

"Yes,"  with  a  curtesy,  she  replied. 

"Why  then  you  know  the  laundress,  Sally  Wenchf' 

"She  is  my  cousin,  sir,  and  next  door  neighbor." 
"That's  lucky,  Tvc  a  message  for  the  wench. 

Which  needs  despatch,  and  you  may  save  my  labor. 
Give  her  this  kiss,  my  dear,  and  say  I  sent  it. 
But  mind,  you  owe  me  one, — I've  only  lent  it." 

"She  shall  know,"  cried  the  girl,  as  she  brandish'd  her  bough, 

"Of  the  loving  intentions  you  bore  me; 
But  as  to  the  kiss,  as  there's  haste,  you'll  allow 
That  you'd  better  run  forward,  and  give  it  my  cow, 
For  she,  at  the  rate  she  is  scampering  now, 

Will  reach  Acton  some  minutes  before  me." 


mari.''  Something  in  that.  "Hints  on  thinning 
Fruit" — quite  unnecessary  in  this  section,  where 
the  curculio,  &c.,  save  us  all  trouble  in  this  line. 
An  experiiuent  in  feeding  cut  corn-stalks  ;  "Influ- 
ence of  Horticultural  Societies,"  and  "The  Climate 
of  Countries,"  carry  us  over  to  a  cut  of  "Fancy 
Lop-eared  Rabbits" — funny  looking  things  they 
are  !     We  now  have  another  chapter  on  the  State 

PauperFarm,  undone  on  the  State  Reform  School.]  that  Providence  made  a  mistake  in  letting  suckers 
The  writer  of  the  latter  article  says,  "I  doubt  not  grow  on  the  corn  plant ;  he,  of  course,  would  not 
as  much  talent  and  as  much  virtue  can  be  found' destroy  them  if  he  did  not  think  so.     I  was  brought 


For  ihe  Neiv  England  Farmer. 
HILLING  PLANTS. 

Mr.  Editor; — In  your  last  No.  I  notice  an  ar- 
ticle from  the  Genesee  Farmer,  entitled  "Corn, 
Flat  vs.  Hill  Culture."  Most  of  the  ideas  I  like 
well.  If  nature  had  designed  more  earth  around 
the  corn  stalk,  would  she  not  have  made  it  grow 
deeper  in  the  ground  ?  I  guess  she  would  have 
done  so, — and  if  nature  has  made  the  proper  part 
of  the  com  plant  grow  out  of  the  ground  of  itself, 
why  may  we  not  suppose  that  she  has  properly 
arranged  the  potato  and  all  other  plants  ?  If  she 
has  made  them  right,  then  all  our  hilling  is  wrong 
— if  she  has  made  a  mistake  in  one  case  what  rea- 
son have  we  for  knowing  that  anything  is  made 
right? 

I  find  that  if  I  hill  up  trees  it  kills  them,  instead 
of  helping  them  to  stand  up  strong. 

Won't  Mr.  Genesee  Farmer  tell  us  how  he  knows 


350 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Aug. 


up  to  think  that  "He  (Providence)  "doeth  all 
things  well."  If  he  does,  let  us  look  at  his  works 
and  not  endeovor  to  improve  them,  except  so  far 
as  we  can  by  making  everything  tend  to  supply 
natural  wants. 

One  who  has  Much  to  Learn. 
New  Haven,  Conn.,  July,  1853, 


SWAMPS—DRAINING. 

There  is  no  month  of  the  year  more  favorable  for 
draining  and  reclaiming  swamps  than  August. 
Von  Thaer,  author  of  the  Principles  of  Agricul- 
ture, in  that  section  of  his  work  devoted  to  a  con- 
sideration of  the  system  of  draining,  says  : — 

"A  proper  degree  of  draining  tends  to  protect 
crops  from  injuries  which  are  the  result  of  excess 
of  moisture,  and  contributes  materially  to  ensure 
their  success.  This  operation  alone,  has  often 
been  sufficient  to  render  extensive  sterile  plains 
exceedingly  fertile." 

There  are  probably  few  farms  of  any  extent,  on 
which  drains  are  not  more  or  less  necessary. — 
Swamps  and  bogs  exist  in  most  sections,  and 
these  can  never  be  profitably  worked,  or  rendered 
of  any  essential  benefit  to  their  possessors  till  they 
have  been  thoroughly  ameliorated  by  opening 
channels  for  the  passage  of  all  the  superabundant 
water  they  contain.  Draining,  in  this  case,  must 
necessarily  precede  all  other  improvements,  and  if 
it  be  not  thoroughly  and  systematically  accom 
plished,  the  operator  will  find  all  his  subsequent 
efforts  of  no  avail. 

As  an  instance  of  successful  and  economical 
draining,  we  may  mention  the  case  of  the  Rev. 
D.  Huntington,  from  whose  communication  to  the 
committee  of  the  Hampshire  and  Hampden  Agri- 
cultural Society,  we  gather  the  following  facts  : — 
"x\  few  years  since,"  says  Mr.  H.,  "this  land 
was  a  swamp  covered  with  bogs,  and  brakes  and 
bushes — the  haunt  of  snakes  and  frogs  and  mud- 
turtles — an  entire  waste."  It  was  not  only  use- 
less, but  being  located  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  his  homestead,  was  a  constant  eyesore,  anpro- 
bably  unhealthy.  In  reclaiming  it,  he  first  cut 
the  bushes,  and  then  opened  a  ditch  three  feet 
wide,  and  two  and  a  half  feet  deep,  extending 
through  its  whole  length.  The  bog  heads  were 
then  cut,  taking  off  the  entire  surface  where  it  was 
thought  to  be  necessary,  and  removed  to  an  adja- 
cent lot,  the  soil  of  which  was  sandy.  Here  they 
were  made  to  act  as  manure,  and  being  intimate- 
ly mixed  with  it,  they  soon  so  ftir  improved  its  ca- 
pacities, as  fully  to  recompense  him  for  the  cost 
and  trouble  involved  in  their  removal. 

The  greater  part  of  this  soil  has  had  crops  up- 
on it,  and  some  parts  repeatedly,  and  the  whole, 
at  the  time  the  report  was  presented  to  the  com- 
mittee, was  fit  for  the  plow.  What  the  expense 
was,  Mr.  H.  expressed  himself  unable  to  state, 
but  was  confident  it  bore  no  proportion  to  the  im- 


proved value  of  the  land.  The  cutting  the  bushes, 
opening  the  ditch  and  removing  the  "bog-heads," 
could  not  involve  a  very  heavy  outlay,  as  the  work 
was  performed  at  "odd  jobs,"  and  when,  proba- 
bly his  help  had  little  else  to  do.  The  Northamp- 
ton Courier,  in  speaking  of  this  subject,  says  : — 

"As  to  intrinsic  value,  lands  thus  redeemed  are 
to  be  ranked  with  the  very  l^est.  For  some  crops, 
broom-corn  and  beans  for  instance,  other  soils  are 
preferable.  But  for  the  standard,  substantial 
crops  of  Indian  corn,  potatoes,  oats  and  the  dif- 
ferent kinds  of  grasses  raised  in  our  valley,  expe- 
rience will  show  abundantly,  that  we  have  no  bet- 
ter lands  than  those  thus  reclaimed.  Having  no- 
thing in  view  but  to  subdue  and  improve  them 
as  well  as  possible,  he  has  never  been  particular 
to  ascertain  precisely  the  quantity  of  crops  raised. 
Compared  with  those  raised  on  the  alluvial  lands 
adjoining,  however,  they  will  in  the  proper  season 
of  crops,  speak  for  themselves  and  the  soil  that 
produces  them.  In  some  respects  the  soil  of  re- 
claimed lands  has  manifestly  the  advantage.  It  is 
naturally  richer.  Having  for  its  basis  clay  or  hard 
pan,  ii  retains  the  manure  put  upon  it  much  long- 
er. It  is  as  easily  cultivated,  and  excepting  those 
portions  of  the  alluvial  which  are  benefited  by 
freshets,  it  is,  to  say  the  least,  as  easily  kept  in 
good  heart." 

Covered  ditches  are  now  used  to  a  considerable 
extent,  and  answer  all  the  purposes  of  draining 
admirably,  while  they  may  be  plowed  over  and 
cultivated  as  are  other  parts  of  the  land,  so  that 
there  is  no  loss  of  surface  and  no  disfigurement  of 
the  fair  face  of  the  field. 

These  drains  are  constructed  of  various  materi- 
als. They  will  last  many  years  made  of  brush  laid 
lengthwise  in  the  ditch  ;  but  if  a  gullet  is  made 
at  the  bottom  6  inches  square  by  stoning,  and  the 
ditch  filled  with  small  stones  to  within  12  inches 
of  the  top  of  the  ground,  it  will  make  a  ditch  that 
will  last  a  lifetime. 

Brush  drains  may  answer  the  desired  purpose, 
where  stones  cannot  be  obtained;  yet  we  question 
whether  it  would  be  best  to  lay  down  such  works, 
where  permanent  drains  are  required.  A  field 
drained  with  good  and  permanent  covered  drains, 
presents  a  neat  appearance  ;  there  are  no  ridges  or 
gutters,  but  the  entire  surface  is  level  and  unbrok- 
en. A  cheap  and  convenient  article  may  now  be 
had  in  draining  tile,  which  possesses  a  permanent 
efficiency  and  value.  It  is  made  of  various  sizes, 
with  and  Avithout  bottoms,  and  some  of  it  perfora- 
ted on  the  sides  so  as  to  receive  the  water  at  what- 
ever point  it  may  flow  in  upon  them. 

We  have  a  covered  drain  across  a  twelve  acre 
lot,  diagonally,  made  of  stones,  with  a  six  inch 
gullet,  which  has  supplied  us  with  tivelve  hundred 
gallons  of  pure  water  every  24  hours  through  all 
the  late  drought.  On  the  ground  thus  drained, 
we  have  just  cut,  by  the  estimation  of  good  judges, 
a  crop  of  herds  grass,  red  top  and  clover,  equal  to 
three  tons  to  the  acre,  where  two  years  ago  about 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


351 


one  ton  of  meadow  gras3,   skunk  cabbage,  hard- 
hack  and  hassock  grass  grew  ! 

Where  stones  are  plentiful  on  the  farm,  they 
are  the  material  we  ought  to  use  in  underdraining. 
If  stones  cannot  be  had,  draining  tile,  which  can 
now  be  obtained  at  most  of  our  Agricultural  ware- 
houses, are  far  more  preferable  than  wood,  and 
will  be  found  more  efficient,  as  well  as  more  profit- 
able, in  the  end. 


For  the  Neto  England  Farmer. 

"INDIGENOUS  FRUITS  AND  SHRUBS"— 
IMPROVING  FRUIT. 

Mr.  Editor: — I  noticed  in  your  last  week's  pa- 
per that  one  of  your  correspondents  wants  "in- 
formation on  the  rearing   of  our   indigenous  fruit 
trees  and  shrubs."     1  have  no  doubt  that  a  great 
deal  might  be   done  in  the  way  of  improving  our 
native  fruits  ;  but  is  there  any  necessity  of  going 
back  to  the  crab  apple,  when  we  have  got  so  many 
fine,  and  perfectbj  hardy  varieties  of  the  apple  ?     To 
effect  any  great  change  in  the  character  of  a  fruit 
is  the  work  of  a  long  lifetime  ;  but  this  should  not 
deter  us,  if  there  is  need  of  it.     Van  Mons  did  a 
great  dp;il  towards  improving  pears  ;  he  found  that 
the  fifth  generation  were  nearly  all  of  good  quality. 
He  selected  the  seed  from   some   young,  healthy 
seedling  trci^,  and  p1;inted  ;  the  fruit  of  most  of  the 
first  generation  proved  of  inferior  quality,  but  he 
selected  seed  from  the  best,  and  planted  again  and 
so  on.     Now  this  would  lie  the  way  in  wliich  your 
friend  might  improve  the  crab  spoken   of,  (Pyrus 
coronoria,)  so   perhaps    with   the  choke   cherry. 
{Cerasus    Virginiann,)  though  we   think  it  would 
be  a  waste   of  time,  for  the  same  may  bo   said  of 
cherries  that  was  said  of  apples  ;  there  are  so  many 
and  good  varieties  that  it  would  seem  hai-dly  prof- 
itable   to   go   over    the   same    or  nearly  the  same 
ground  that  has  already  been  traversed.     It  prob- 
ably would  not  take  so  long  to  improve  the  cherry 
as  the  pear  or   apple.     Do  not   understand  me  to 
say,  nor   do  I  thiuk  that  there  is  no  room  for  im- 
provement in  the  fruits  I  have  spoken  of;  I  think 
there  is,  though  many  say  we  have  arrived  at  per- 
fection in  soaie  of  the  fruits,  such  as  strawberries, 
raspberries,  &c.     Allowing  that  there  is  nothing 
to  be  done  towards  improving  some  of  the  fruits, 
still  there  is  a  broad  field  open  before    us.     We 
want  some  good  varieties  of  the  gooseberry,  those 
that  will  flourish  in  almost  any  location  and  yet  be 
free  from  mildew  which  so  much  troubles  the  Eng- 
lish sorts  ;  we  have  none  now  that  can  be  depend- 
ed upon  except   Houghton's  Seedling,  and  that  is 
quite  small  compared  with  the  foreign  kinds.    And 
then  we  want   some   better,   and   earlier,  hardy 
grape,  and  whoever  succeeds  in  obtaining  just  the 
thing,  will,  if  he   chooses,  make  a  handsome  sum 
out  of  it.     1  have  spent  considerable  time  in  this 
way,  and  have  now  a  good  many  seedlings  of  dif- 
ferent fruits,  some  of  which  are  very  promising  ;  I 
have  tried  pears,  apples,  cherries,  plums,  peaches, 
grapes,  rasjiberries,  gooseberries  and  others.     We 
shall  meet  with  disappointment,  but  never  mind  if 
we  fail  once,  try  again,  keep  trying. 

Your  friend  speaks  of  the  whortleberry,  and  says 
he  iia.^  been  unsuccessful  in  producing  them  from 
the  seed  ;  I  have  never  tried  them,  but  think  tliere 
is  no  trouble  in  doing  it ;  the  seed  should  as  soon 
as  washed  from  the  pulp','  be  put  into  moist  loam, 


or  sown,  and  if  the  latter  is  done,  they  will  prob- 
ably come  up  early  the  next  spring  ;  if  the  former, 
they  should  be  kept  through  the  winter  scmiewhat 
moist,  and  planted  ae  soon  as  the  ground  will  an- 
swer ;  they  may  not  come  up  the  first  year  ;  it  takes 
two  yeai's  for  some  seeds  to  vegetate,  among  which 
is  the  mountain  ash,  but  they  come  well  the  second 
year. 

I  think  something  might  be  done  towards  im- 
proving the  whortleberry,  and  some  other  native 
fruits  which  have  been  hitherto  neglected. _  I  have 
not  done  the  subject  justice,  for  want  of  time,  but 
shall  refer  to  it  again.  J-  f-  c.  h. 

Newton  Centre,  July  9th. 


THE    DROUGHT. 

It  was  said  by  one  of  old  that  men  would  not  leave 
certain  habits  and  practices,  even  though  one  from 
the  dead  should  warn  them  of  their  errors.  We 
suppose  there  are  those  living  at  this  enlightened 
day,  whose  practices  in  agriculture  could  not  be 
changed  by  any  amount  of  evidence,  ocular  or 
oracular,  that  could  be  adduced.  But  we  ask  eve- 
ry man  to  observe  now,  for  himself,  whether,  in 
nearly  all  lands  that  have  been  deeply  plowed  and 
highly  cultivated,  there  has  not  been  a  heavy  crop 
of  grass,  or  grain,  and  there  is  not  promise  of  good 
crops  of  corn,  potatoes  and  vegetables.  We  have 
been  close  observers,  and  certainly  such  is  the 
case  throughout  the  range  of  our  observation. 

Is  there  any  better  evidence  needed,  then,  that 
the  true  way  to  manage  our  land  is,  to  cultivate 
only  so  much  as  we  can  plow,  manure  and  tend 
in  the  most  thorough  manner,  and  giving  each 
crop  such  attention  as  it  requires  at  any  moment? 

There  has  been  but  one  season  within  our  ree- 
collection  where  a  fair  return  could  not  be  had  on 
lands  cultivated  in  this  manner.  Indeed,  there  is 
no  surer  return  for  the  money  and  labor  invested 
in  any  business,  than  there  is  to  the  farmer  on  such 
lands  as  these. 

A  too  great  expansion  of  business  with  the  far- 
mer operates  in  its  results  precisely  as  it  does 
with  the  mechanic  or  merchant.  A  man  may  re- 
move several  ton's  weight  in  a  day,  and  deposit  it 
safely  at  the  desired  point ;  but  if  he  undertakes  it 
at  once,  he  sinks  beneath  its  weight  and  is  buried 
in  the  ruins. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

IMPORTANCE  OF  THE  LEAF  TO  THE 
PLANT. 

Mr.  Editor:— Seeing  you  have  appreciated  the 
few  extracts  that  1  sent  and  given  them  a  place 
in  your  excellent  journal  so  well  suited  to  the 
wants  of  the  present  day,  I  think  it  is  the  duty  of 
every  man  at  all  conversant  with  the  elementary 
principles  of  agricultural  science  to  contribute 
whatever  mite  of  information  he  has  got  for  the 
good  of  his  fellow-man.  I  consider  that  the  man 
who  can  make  two  blades  of  grass  grow  where  on- 
ly one  grew  formerly,  is  a  greater  patriot  to  his 
country  than  tlie  blood-stained  hero.  With  these 
few  remarks,  I  beg  leave  to  give  you  a  few  more 


352 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


AVG. 


straws  from  the  gleanings  of  the  field  of  practical 
science. 

Such  as  the  wonderful  journeys  of  a  far  fide  of 
carbon.  We  are  too  apt  to  overlook  the  wonders 
of  thint^s  with  whicli  we  are  every  day  familiar, 
and  which  are  close  to  us,  hut  after  a  little  mure 
minute  attention  and  examination,  we  begin  to 
find  out  a  great  many  extraordinary  powers  in  ob- 
jects with  which  we  seemed  already  familiarly  ac- 
quainted. 

Not  the  least  of  these,  is  the  air  ive  breathe.  It  is 
certainly  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  substan- 
ces we  are  acquainted  with,  especially  that  portion 
of  it,  the  oxvgen,  that  n.ctive  agent  on  which  de- 
pends our  very  existence,  and  by  which  so  many 
substances,  by  its  chi-mieal  combination,  are  pro- 
duced. I  will  Confine  myself  to  one  of  the  pro- 
ducts of  the  universal  agent, the  oxygen, by  its  chem- 
ical combination  with  carbon,  one  of  the  simple  el- 
ements. 

Let  us  look  round  upon  the  bright  green  robe 
in  which  the  fields  and  trees  are  dressed  ;  look 
round  with  wonder,  for  each  leaf  you  see  is  apart 
of  the  Almighty  chemist's  laboratory,  and  here, 
amidst  all  this  beauty,  there  is  going  on  from  early 
morn  to  dewy  eve,  a  work  of  such  importance  that 
if  it,  were  discontinued,  the  wh  le  animal  creation 
would  soon  cease  to  exist.  Here,  in  these  little 
laboratories,  is  applied  a  mighty  force,  to  which 
the  most  powerful  galvanic  battery  cannot  l»e  com- 
pared, and  here  is  a  change  effected,  which  estab- 
lishments of  human  power,  l)acked  by  human  in- 
genuity, has  hitherto  been  unable  to  accomplish, 
a  change  so  utterly  beyond  man's  power  is  effect- 
ed. Let  us  look  round  with  joy  that  so  much 
beauty  shrouds  the  work-shop  of  the  mighty  chem- 
ist;  look  round  with  thankfulness,  that  so  great 
provision  is  made  for  o\ii-  security  and  comfort, 
and  while  we  walk  amongst  these  green  leaves, 
look  with  reverence,  for  the  hand  that  works  there- 
in, is  the  Creator's. 

Let  us  now  examine  this  mi^ihty  laboratory,  this 
little  leaf.  Plants  are  not  so  much  nourished  by 
their  roots  as  many  persons  suppose  ;  the  leaves 
and  the  soft  green  covering  of  the  stem  perform  a 
much  more  important  part  in  supplying  the  plant 
with  food.  Plants  grow  by  the  absorption  of  wa 
ter  and  the  fixation  of  carbon  ;  of  these  substan 
ces  plants  are  almost  entirely  composed,  and  un 
less  they  are  supplied,  the  plant  will  die.  The" 
leaves  are  the  principal  agents  in  the  absorption 
and  decomposition  of  carbonic  acid,  and  the  re- 
tention of  carbon,  as  a  very  simple  experiment  will 
prove.  Take  a  sprig  of  any  succulent  plant  and 
keep  it  in  a  dark  place  till  you  use  it.  Fill  a  tum- 
bler three  [larts  full  with  water,  and  with  a  cle^in 
tobacco  pipe  breathe  into  it  for  some  minutes  ; 
then  fill  up  the  glass  carefully,  without  wetting 
the  edges  ;  then  drop  in  the  sprig.  (The  glass 
should  be  full,  so  as  to  make  the  water  stmd 
above  the  edges.)  A  flat  piece  of  paper  having 
been  laid  on  the  top  and  a  flat  plate  above,  then 
turned  upside  down,  and  put  in  the  sunshine — 
you  will  see  globules  form  upon  the  leaves  of  the 
sprig  and  rise  to  the  upper  end  uf  t!ie  inside  ol 
the  glass  ;  tliis  is  pure  oxygen  gas.  Tlie  carbon- 
ic acid  which  the  water  absoi-I)ed  has  undergone 
decomposition  and  the  oxygen  set  free. 

The  nutritious  fluids  of  the  plant,  like  the  blood 
of  aaliu.ils,  need  exposure  to  the  air  before  they 
are  fit  to   take    a  place  in   the    organism   cf  the' 


plant,  or  form  its  tissue,  and  thus  contact  with  the 
air  is  brought  about  in  the  leaf,  the  anatomy  of 
wliicli,  in  some  instances,  may  be  seen  without  a 
magnifying  glass.  If  you  split  a  stem  down  care- 
fully at  the  point  where  aleaf  is  attached,  you  may 
be  able  to  detect  the  stalk  of  the  leaf  in  connec- 
tion with  the  central  pith  or  medulla.  A  leaf  is 
composed  of  four  layers  of  tissue,  or  two  layers 
folded  upon  themselves.  The  skin  or  cutiele  of 
the  leaf  is  composed  of  compressed  or  condensed 
cellular  tissue  ;  beneath  it,  run  the  vessels  which 
bring  the  sap  up  from  the  root,  wliich  coming 
from  the  medulla  or  pith,  flows  first  over  the  upper 
surface  of  the  leaf,  and  then  having  been  turned 
under  towards  the  stem,  deposit  new  wood  within 
the  bark.  All  the  juices  of  plants  are  the  same 
till  they  pass  along  these  vessels  in  the  leaf  where 
they  undergo  a  change.  After  having  been  ex- 
posed to  light  and  air  in  the  myriads  of  vessels 
which  run  along  the  leaf,  the  juice  passing  down- 
wards on  tlio  outside  of  the  stem,  deposits  woody 
fibre  in  its  downward  course.  This  is  chiefly  com- 
posed of  the  carbon  which  has  been  taken  from 
the  air  in  the  state  of  carbonic  acid  by  the  leaves, 
which  have  really  much  more  to  do  with  the 
nourishment  of  plants  than  the  roots. 

In  illustration  of  this,  a  bough  of  a  tree  round 
which  a  plant  of  woodbine  has  been  tightly  bound, 
will  be  swelled  above  the  woodbine,  not  below, 
proving  that  the  growth  of  the  tree  takes  place 
from  above,  downwards.  It  may  also  be  proved 
l)y  a  simple  experiment  with  a  cord  l)Ound  tightly 
round  the  stem  of  some  rapidly  growing  tree.  It 
will  be  fi)und  in  a  short  time,  the  fibres  sent  down 
from  the  leaves  will  swell  the  stem  above  the  lig- 
ature, while  the  portion  of  the  stem  below,  will 
not  have  increased  in  size  ;  never,  therefore,  sliould 
the  leaves  of  plants  bo  taken  off,  with  the  idea  that 
they  have  got  more  than  the  roots  can  nourish, 
for,  on  the  contrary,  the  leaves  are  the  support 
of  the  plant,  where  there  is  a  free  admission  of 
air.  The  beautiful  green  color  of  leaves  depends 
upon  the  absorption  and  decomposition  of  carbon- 
ic acid  in  their  vessels,  and  what  we  are  l^reathing 
out  of  our  lungs  to-day,  may  probably  be  incorpor- 
ated with  the  tissues  of  a  beautiful  plant  to-mor- 
row ;  perhaps  with  some  blade  of  grass  ;  on  that 
grass  the  cow  will  feed  and  again  appropriate  the 
carbon  by  absorbing  it  into  her  circulation  and 
forming  the  butter  of  milk  ;  and  of  that  butter, 
whose  chief  component  part  was  breathed  out  from 
the  lungs  a  week  before,  we  may  eat,  digest,  and 
again  breathe  out  into  the  atmosphere .  The  adap- 
tation of  such  a  variety  of  important  changes,  so 
diffetent  in  their  charactei'S  and  the  ends  to  be  ful- 
filled in  sueha  manner  as  all  to  be  brought  about 
Ijy  one  universal  agent,  and  the  supplying  of  this 
agent  to  all  bodies  which  require  it,  by  giving  it 
the  gaseous  form  and  making  it  encircle  the  earth 
on  all  aides,  may  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  most 
striking  instances  which  can  be  adduced,  of  that 
liarmony  of  adjustment  which  pervades  the  works 
of  nature.         Yours,  i&c,  M.  A  Pekry. 

Watcrtown,  July  1,  1853. 


The  Swallow. — "Will  some  of  our  friends  in 
different  parts  of  New  England,  be  kind  enough 
to  note  the  time  of  departure  of  the  swallows, 
and  let  us  know. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  l-ARMERT 


353 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
ROSE   BUGS. 

This  pest  of  our  gardens  is,  as  usual,  makino; 
his  attacks  directly  upon  the  blossoms  of  our 
grape  vine^.  Truly  "destruction  wasteth  at  noon- 
day." The  following  contrivance  may  bfe  found 
useful.  Take  a  coiuinon  tunnel ;  insert  a  handle 
from  two  to  three  feet  long  into  tlie  spout  ;  then 
having  a  slender  pointed  stick  of  tlie  same  length 
in  your  right  hand,  hold  the  mouth  of  the  tunnel 
under  the  cluster  of  blossoms  upon  which  the 
bugs  have  lit ;  "stir  them  up"  witli  your  short 
stick  and  they  will  drop  into  the  tunnel.  Its 
steep  smooth  sides  prevent  iheir  getting  up  again. 
They  become  entangled  with  each  other,  and  at 
convenient  intervals  you  can  turn  them  into  a 
basin  of  water.     The  thing  is  worth  trying. 

UNION     IS     STRENGTH. 

Mr.  Editor — I  am  a  decided  convert  to  the  doc- 
trine that  farmers,  and  especially  fruit-growers, 
may  accomplish  a  great  deal  if  they  will  only 
unite  in  a  general  warfare  against  their  common 
enemy,  the  "insects  injurious  to  vegetation." 
For  nearly  ten~years,  I  had  in  my  gardens,  plum 
trees  of  the  choicest  varieties,  but  I  never  was 
blest  with  a  single  ripe  specimen  of  the  fruit. 
Within  the  last  three  years  I  have  had  specimens 
upon  all  my  trees  ;  and,  I  am  ashamed  to  confess, 
not  through  any  plans  or  efforts  of  my  own.  1 
think  I  am  reaping  the  results  of  the  labors  of 
others.  All  around  me  I  see  my  neighbors  using 
various  means  to  "desti'oy  the  bugs."  Cotton 
around  the  plum  trees,  and  no  doubt  other  con- 
trivances less  visible,  must  have  done  something 
to  tliin  out  the  destroyers.  Let  me  quote  a  line 
or  two  from  Dr.  Harris's  recent  work  on  "Insects 
injurious  to  Vegetation:  "Eighty-six  of  the  spoil- 
ers (rose-bugs)  Wf  re  known  to  infest  a  single  rose 
bud,  and  were  crashed  with  one  grasp  of  the 
hand.  Suppose,  as  was  probably  the  case,  that 
one  half  of  them  were  females,  by  this  destruc- 
tion eight  hundred  eggs  at  least  were  prevented 
from  becoming  matured." 

Three  days  ago  my  grape  vines  were  almost 
covered  with  rose  bugs.  Twelve  hours  would 
have  sufficed  for  the  destruction  of  every  cluster 
of  blossoms.  By  using  the  instrument  described 
above,  (which  is  far  more  convenient  than  a  basin 
of  water  hot  or  cold)  I  have  cleared  my  vines  al- 
most entirely.  The  number  of  victims  is  growing 
less  and  less  and  my  grapes  look  finely.  "Union 
is  strength."  Let  each  fruit  grower  guard  hi.>- 
own  post,  and  the  victory  is  ours. 

Pepperell.  | 


Remarks. — Caj)ital  advice — hope  it  will  not  be 
in  vain.     "Unite"  with  us  again,  friend  B. 


The  Wheel  Hoe. — One  of  the  most  accurate  ob- 
servers of  men  and  things,  and  one  of  the  most  in- 
telligent of  our  correspondents,  in  speaking  of  this 
implement,  says  : — "I  think  a  man  will  complete 
three  times  the  work  with  one  of  these  machines, 
in  the  same  time,  that  he  can  with  any  other  I 
have  seen.  They  not  only  thoroughly  cut  up  the 
weeds  but  they  leave  ther  surface  in  fine  condition 
for  the  growth  of  the  plant." 


APPLICATION  OF  WIND  AS  A   POWER 
FOR  RAISING  WATER. 

To-pump  from  a  well  the  requisite  supplies  of 
water,  was  a  work  of  no  small  labor.  It  led  to 
the  investigation  of  a  method  of  working  a  pump 
by  means  of  the  wind.  The  practicability  of  the 
plan  I  am  about  to  suggest,  does  not  remain  to  be 
tested  by  experiaient.  During  former  years,  a 
small  wind-mill  was  in  successful  operatiim  upon 
the  farm  of  Mr.  Anderson,  five  miles  west  of  Ash- 
land, Ohio,  on  the  road  leading  to  Mansfield.  It 
worked  a  pump  that  amply  furnished  a  large  stock 
of  cattle,  which  otherwise  could  obtain  no  water. 
Two  days  only  did  it  cease  to  perform  .its  duties 
during  more  than  two  years,  and  that  interrup- 
tion was  occasioned  by  the  meddling  of  mischiev- 
ous boys.  It  is  still  in  operation  for  aught  I  know. 
The  cost  of  this  simple  machine,  including  pump, 
did  not  exceed  fifteen  dollars. 


By  reference  to  Plate,  the  principles  upon  which 
it  was  constructed  will  be  at  once  comprehended. 
The  direct  application  of  the  power,  without  the 
intervention  of  any  gearing  ormachinery,  obviates 
much  friction,  hence  a  small  amount  only  of  pow- 
er is  required.  The  diameter  of  the  wheel  should 
not  exceed  four  feet,  a  few  inches  less  is  preferable. 
It  is  firmly  fixed  by  its  hub  on  an  iron  axle  formed 
of  a  square  inch  bar.  The  sails  or  buckets  are  se- 
cured at  their  outer  ends  to  a  wooden  rim,  like 
that  of  a  large  spinning  wheel.  An  inch  and  a 
half  crank  is  raised  on  the  axle  at  C,  whicli ,  at  that 
point,  is  cylindrical,  and  upon  which  is  adjusted 
the  upper  ends  of  the  piston  rod  of  the  pump  B. 
This,  when  in  motion,  of  course  commands  a  plaj 
of  three  inches. 


354 


JNEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Aug. 


The  Body  of  the  Mill. — A  piece  of  pine  plank, 
M,  is  suspended  from  the  cross-j^irt  of  a  frame,  E, 
by  an  iron  bolt,  I,  furnished  at  its  lower  end  with 
a  large  head,  and  a  washer,  and  secured  by  a 
key,  at  the  upper  end,  admittino;  of  an  easy  cir- 
cular motion  of  M,  around  the  bolt.  This  motion 
is  coincident  with  that  of  a  swivel  on  the  pis- 
ton-rod. Tlie  rudder,  or  vane,  will  necessarily 
throw  the  wheel  at  all  times  into  the  wind.  The 
axle.  A,  is  suspended  from  the  body  by  two  straps 
of  iron,  through  which  it  passes  at  L,  N,  where  it 
is  cylindrical  without  regard  to  perspective  and 
proportion,  but  will  perhaps  illustrate  the  subject 
suflBciently. 

A  breeze  which  merely  agitates  the  leaves  of 
the  trees  will  set  the  machinery  in  operation.  A 
reservoir  of  some  six  or  eight  hogshead  was  kept 
nearly  filled,  and  when,  in  windy  weather,  a  sur- 
plus of  water  was  raised,  it  was  returned  to  the 
well  by  a  waste-pipe.  In  the  hands  of  an  in- 
genious mechanic  it  might,  no  doubt,be  greatly  im- 
proved. Iron,  in  some  of  its  parts,  might  be 
substituted  for  wood. 

A  well,  suitably  located,  will  furnish  water  for 
an  ordinary  garden,  and  without  labor,  by  aid  of 
this  mill.  IIow  much  it  would  improve  our  flow 
ers,  fruits  and  esculent  vegetables,  cannot  be  esti 
mated,  but  it  would  surely  effect  a  revolution  in  our 
present  modes  of  gardening  here  in  the  West, 
where  we  suffer  much  every  season  from  drought. 
Public  tanks,  inns,  tanneries,  and  thousands  of 
prairie  farms,  require  its  aid. 

In  all  this,  gentle  reader,  there  is  no  Quixotism. 
Its  feasibility  has  been  amply  tested. 

J.  P.  KiRTLAND. 

Cleveland,  Ohio. 

In  connexion  with  the  above  we  copy  the  fol- 
lowing appropriate  remarks  from  the  Genesee  Far- 
mer. There  are  farms  all  over  New  England  where 
their  proprietors  have  been  pumping  water  by 
hand  for  large  stocks  of  cattle  for  a  hundred  years, 
when  the  expenditure  of  a  few  dollars  in  some 
such  contrivance  as  we  have  given  above,  would 
have  furnished  an  ample  supply. 

Agricultur.\l   Mechanics. 

Mechanical  science  and  arts  are  doing  more  for 
the  advancement  of  agriculture  in  the  United 
States  than  all  other  agencies  combined,  so  far  as 
immediate  results  are  attained.  Ultimately,  chem- 
istry, physiology,  meteorology,  geology,  and  other 
departments  of  the  natural  sciences,  will  confer 
benefits  on  all  industrial  pursuits  far  transcending 
any  mere  mechanical  advantages.  Indeed,  the 
most  valuable  mechanical  powers,  even  now,  are 
more  the  fruits  of  an  intellectual  culture  than  of 
original  genius  ;  and  the  successful  study  of  natu- 
ral phenomena  precedes  nearly  all  important  in- 
ventions and  discoveries.  Operations  that  have 
been  practiced  thousands  of  years,  like  those  of 
plowing,  weaving,  grinding  grain,  and  pumping  or 
lifting  water  by  wind,  are  seen  from  an  entirely 
new  point  of  view  by  the  man  of  science  ;  and  he 
is  able  to  suggest  improvements  that  never  could 
have  occurred  to  a  mind  not  illuminated  by  the 
numerous  and  brilliant  lights  kindled  by  modern 
researches  into  the  laws  of  matter. 

We  have  been  led  into  this  train  of  thought  and 
remark  by  perusing  in  the  Horticulturist ,  the  val- 


uable article  on  the  "Application  of  Wind  as  a 
Power  for  Raising  Water,"  from  the  pen  of  Prof. 
KiRTLAND,  of  Cleveland,  to  which  the  reader's  at- 
tention is  invitedin  this  number.  By  keeping  the 
wheel  always  in  the  direct  current,  if  it  had  any 
force,  the  flanges  would  catch  it,  and  turn  the 
wheel,  as  a  current  water-wheel  is  turned.  Such 
a  wheel  with  the  necessary  shaft  and  crank  may 
be  made  of  iron  for  a  few  dollars  ;  and  every  one 
can  understand  from  the  illustration  furnished  by 
Prof.  KiRTLAND,  that  this  simple  apparatus  will 
work  successfully  whenever  the  atmosphere  has 
any  active  motion.  ThesS  current  wheels  (they 
are  in  no  sense  mills)  and  pumps,  if  manuflictured 
in  a  large  way,  might  be  sold  at  prices  which 
would  enable  every  farmer  to  have  a  score  of  them 
for  irrigation,  and  for  the  distribution  of  liquified 
manui'e,  if  he  saw  fit  to  make  the  mechanical 
power  *f  the  winds  create  wealth  for  himself  and 
mankind. 

With  durable  and  cheap  machinery,  vast  quan- 
tities of  water  may  be  elevated  to  any  desirable 
height  on  every  farm,  for  agricultural  purposes  ; 
and  the  thanks  of  the  farming  community  are  due 
to  Prof.  KiRTLAND  for  his  very  intelligible  illustra- 
tion of  a  simple  and  useful  wheel  and  crank  to  be 
put  in  motion  by  wind.  The  water  that  falls  up- 
on every  square  foot  of  ground  in  a  field  is  equal, 
on  an  average,  in  this  country,  to  200  lbs.  a  year; 
and  so  much  of  this  as  descends  deep  into  the 
earth  and  reappears  in  wells  and  springs,  always 
contains  both  the  vegetable  and  mineral  food  of 
plants  (dissolved  out  of  the  soil  in  passing  through 
it)  in  greater  or  smaller  quantities.  In  rare  in- 
stances such  water  is  poisoned  by  an  excess  of 
acids,  or  acid  salts. —  Genesee  Farmer. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
MUCK. 

I  like  to  see  the  fixrmev  returning  home  from  his 
day's  toil,  with  his  team  loaded  with  muck  or  rich 
sod.  It  gives  almost  sure  evidence  of  thrift.  Yet 
there  are  some  people  who  become  muck-mad. 
They  seem  to  hold  the  highway,  as  both  private 
and  public  property,  in  a  manner  that  1  am  un- 
willing to  acknowledge  their  claim.  The  high- 
way is  public,  so  far  as  the  unobstructed  right  of 
pass- way  is  concerned,  and  private,  to  the  extent 
that  one  may  set  out  fruit  or  shade  trees,  or  plant 
potatoes  against  his  premises,  provided  he  does 
not  encumber  the  public  travel.  These  muck- 
mongers  do  not  stop  here.  They  go  about  plow- 
ing up  the  highway,  and  digging  their  pitfalls  not 
only  against  their  own  fsirms,  but  their  neighbors. 


Mr 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
THE  NEW  INSECT. 
Brown  : — We  are  visited  here  by  a  multi- 


tude of  canker  worms,  and  they  are  destroying  our 
fruit  at  a  great  rate  ;  we  think  the  trees  will  suffer 
for  the  want  of  leaves.  The  course  I  have  taken 
to  drive  them  away  is  to  throw  sand  through  the 
tops  of  the  trees  with  a  shovel,  when  they  will 
come  down  like  a  shower.  This  should  be  done 
a  number  of  times,  and  I  think  will  prove  benefi- 
cial. To  prevent  their  going  back,  I  have  wound 
a  piece  of  birch  around  the  tree  and  covered  it  with 
a  compound  made  of  tar,  lamp-oil  and  spirits  of 
turpentine,  and  they  will  fiot  pass  over  it. 
York  County,  Me.  b.  m. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


355 


For  the  liew  England  Farmer. 

NEW  YORK    STATE    AGRICULTURAL 
COLLEGE. 

Mr.  Browx  : — I  have  just  received  a  pamphlet 
containing  the  Charter,  Ordinances,  &c.,  of  the 
New  York  State  Aj^ricultural  College, from  which  I 
learn  that  the  Legislature  of  the  State  incorporated 
the  Institution  in  April,  1853,  and  that  an  organ- 
ization has  heen  effected  under  the  Act,  hy  tlie 
choice  of  Jount  Dklafield,  President;  John  A. 
King,  Cliairman  of  the  Board  of  Trustees;  Joel 
W.  Bacon,  Secretary  of  the  Board  ;  and  N.  B. 
Kidder,  Treasurer. 

The  Charter  is  quite  brief,  simply  giving  the 
common  rights  and  privileges  incident  to  corpora- 
tions ;  prescribing  that  at  least  three  hundred 
acres  of  land  sliall  helong  and  be  attached,  to  the 
College  ;  that  the  plan  of  instruction  shall  em- 
brace— practical  and  scientific  agriculture,  clicinis- 
try,  mathematics  and  mechanics,  surveying  and 
engineering,  geology  and  botany,  the  practical 
management  of  the  farm,  of  the  dairy,  of  the  va- 
rious kinds  of  live  stock  ;  also,  such  other  branch- 
es of  knowledge  as  may  be  deemed  useful  and 
proper.  The  capital  stock  is  fixed  by  the  corpo- 
ration at  sixty  thousand  dollars,  divided  in  shares 
of  fifty  dollars  each  ;  and  liberty  is  given  to  in- 
crease the  stock  from  time  to  time,  as  the  Trus- 
tees may  judge  advantageous  and  proper.  The 
corporation  is  to  become  active  for  the  primary 
purpose  designed,  when  forty  thousand  dollars 
shall  have  been  subscribed,  and  fifty  per  cent,  on 
each  share  subscribed  for  shall  have  been  paid  in. 
The  College  is  to  l)e  endowed  and  put  in  operation 
by  private  individual  enterprise  and  liberality. 
The  Trustees  have  accordingly  adopted  measures 
which  will  lay  the  subject  before  the  farmers  and 
otiiers  at  once ;  a!id  a  private  letter  from  the  Presi- 
dent informs  me  tliat  they  have  already  been  en- 
couraged by  liberal  unsolicited  subscriptions  to 
the  stock. 

The  corporation  declare  their  chief  object  to  be, 
"to  provide  a  syst.^n  of  instruction  essential  and 
practically  useful  to  tlie  agricultural  interests  of 
the  State — at  once  combining  theory  with  prac- 
tice, aff)rding  wholesome  discipline  to  the  mind. 
an  accumulation  of  knowledge,  and  promoting 
habits  of  labor  and  industry."  To  this  end,  a 
farm  of  not  less  than  three  hundred  acres  of  varied 
soil  is  to  be  connected  with  the  college,  and  to  be 
managed  with  a  view  to  the  residts  of  a  mixed 
hust)andry.  Tlie  college  year  is  to  be  divided 
into  two  sessions.  The  first  session,  commencing 
the  first  of  April,  and  ending  the  first  of  October" 
is  to  be  mainly  occupied  in  the  conduct  of  the 
field  operations,  interspersed  with  instruction  rela- 
tive thereto,  thus  aff.rding  the  students  a  practi- 
cal knowledge  of  the  various  departments  of  the 
farm.  The  second  session,  commencing  the  first 
of  November,  ami  ending  the  first  of  March,  is  to 
be  principally  devoted  to  study  and  attendance 
■  upon  courses  of  lectures,  particularly  and  elabo- 
rately illustrating  ihe  various  subjects  and  scien- 
ces bearing  upon  agricultural  pursuits.  The  plan 
for  lectures  marked  out  by  the  officers,  is  very 
full  and  complete,  leaving  no  subject  of  direct  im- 
portance to  the  farmer  untouched.  The  course 
of  instruction  for  each  student  is  to  continue  for 
three  consecutive  years,  at  the  expiration  of 
which,  and  upon  the  recommendation  of  the  Presi- 


dent and  Professors,  the  Trustees  will  confer  di- 
plomas. 

Each  candidate  for  admission  into  the  College, 
must  be  able  to  read  and  write  the  English  lan- 
guage well  and  have  a  good  knowledge  of  the 
ground  rules  of  arithmetic — must  be  at  least  six- 
teen years  of  age,  and  give  evidence  of  good  moral 
cliaracter. 

For  the  present,  the  charge  for  instruction,  with 
board  and  lodging,  lights,  fuel  and  wasliing,  ia 
fixed  at  three  hundred  dollars  per  annum,  payable, 
one-half  at  the  commencement  of  the  first,  and 
one-half  at  the  commencement  of  the  second  ses- 
sion ;  but  the  Trustees  intend  to  lessen  the  cost  of 
instruction,  and  make  the  distribution  of  knowl- 
edge as  free  as  possible,  as  fast  as  endowments  or 
State  patronage  shall  permit. 

Judicious  rules  of  discipline  are  adopted,  the 
enforcement  of  which  will  be  calculated  to  pro- 
mote industrious  and  virtuous  habits. 

For  one,  I  feel  under  great  obligations  to  the 
enterprising  agriculturists  of  New  York,  who,  by 
their  persevering  labors,  amid  much  contumely, 
have  at  length  succeeded  in  giving  life  and  tangi- 
ble shape  to  an  Agricultural  Institution,  now  acr 
tually  on  the  eve  of  commencing  a  practical,  well- 
defined  course  of  instruction,  where  the  young 
farmer  may  gain  informati(m  in  principles  of  great 
importance  to  a  proper  and  the  most  successful 
prosecution  of  farming  affairs,  may  have  his  mind 
so  expanded,  refined  and  disciplined,  as  to  render 
succeeding  life  more  agreeable  and  desirable,  be- 
cause the  avenues  for  pleasurable  emotions  have 
been  greatly  opened  and  increased. — more  influen- 
tial and  beneficial,  because  the  informed  and  dis- 
ciplined mind  is  an  engine  of  power  and  strength, 
always  fit  f(ir  valuable  service  as  occasion  may  de- 
mand. I  trust  tliat  this  Institution  will  greatly 
flourish,  and  that  other  communities,  observing  its 
good  fruits, will  be  influenced  to  the  establishment 
of  like  advantages  for  the  training  of  young  men. 

Believe  me,  my  friend,  we  have  had  quite  enough 
of  speculation  upon  the  possible  and  probable  ad- 
vantages of  educating  the  young  farmer ;  every 
needed  argument  has  been  stated,  in  every  variety 
of  form  and  connection  ;  and  now  the  great  want 
is  action,  'practical  action.  Public  and  desultory 
discussion  can  do  but  very  little,  if  any  more  good; 
earnest  individual  effort  must  develope  system,  and 
set  it  in  active  practical  operation.  Those  of  us 
here  in  New  England,  who  believe  it  would  not 
hurt  our  forming  youth  to  be  better  educated,  in 
our  endeavors  to  pi'ovide  the  necessary  facilities 
for  their  instruction,  must  not  look  too  high  for 
aid,  or  expect  to  bring  it  from  afar;  we  must  seek, 
and  shall  find  it  among  our  enterprising  liberal 
private  citizens.  Legislative  bodies  will  probably 
grant  us  the  chartered  right,  and  privileges  inci- 
dent to  incorporated  schools  of  learning,  but  fur- 
ther they  will  not,  at  present,  aid  us.  Seldom 
leading  in  new  and  untried  plans  of  improvement, 
they  more  generally  reflect  the  views  of  that  large 
or  major  portion  of  the  public  who  are  content 
witb  customs  long  practised,  and  fear  or  despise, 
rather  than  profoundly  investigate  and  reason  up- 
on, those  plans  of  action  which  lead  out  of,  or  be- 
yond the  beaten  paths.  An  Institution  for  the  in- 
struction of  young  men  in  agricultural  and  rural 
affairs,  would  be  quite  an  innovation  upon  old  ways: 
and  for  a  time  at  least,  would  doulitless  be  subject 
to  much    contempt  and  ridicule,  from   persona  of 


356 


NEW  ENGLA-ND  FARMER. 


Aug. 


shallow  ideas  as  to  the  amount  of  education  which 
may  desirably  find  employment  in  the  conduct  of 
such  affairs.  It  therefore  needs  for  its  establishment 
and  its  practical  working,  a  class  of  men,  hopeful 
and  courageous  because  they  have  clear,  compre- 
hensive and  well  defined  views  of  what  can  he  ben- 
eficially done  in  the  way  of  agricultural  education 
— men  who,  understanding  the  exact  condition, 
difficulties  and  wants  of  New  England  farmers  and 
farming,  can  devise,  and  select  suitable  agents  to 
dispense,  a  course  of  instruction  for  our  farming 
youth,  justly  combining  theory  andpractice,and  ac- 
tually fitting  them  for  the  proper  and  most  profita- 
ble cultivation  of  the  earth,  with  the  incidental,  but 
vastly  important  advantage  of  preparing  them,  by 
the  mental  training  attendant  thereon,  for  a  more 
intelligent  and  useful  discharge  of  duties  as  repub- 
lican citizens. 

I  know  of  no  association  of  men  more  favorably 
circumstanced  for  giving  life  and  an  active  practi- 
cal usefulness  to  an  Agricultural  (College,  than 
your  Massachusetts  Board  of  Agriculture.  It  is 
composed  of  persons  of  large  and  long  experience 
in  practical  affairs,  of  persons  of  ripe  scholarship 
and  thorough  experience  in  the  management  of 
seminaries  of  learning,  and  all  entertaining  liberal 
views  of  men  and  things.  You  are  located  in  a 
State  containing  many  wealthy  citizens,  frequent 
in  noble  acts  of  munificence.  One  of  your  citizens, 
resident  in  Boston,  told  me  not  two  years  ago, 
that  he  would  give  the  necessary  land,  located 
■wherever  in  the  State  might  be  judged  best,  to  a 
corporation  duly  chartered  and  organized  for  the 
education  of  young  men  for  farming.  What,  if 
not  the  establishment  of  a  justly  proportioned  Ag- 
ricultural Institution,  is  a  fit  achievement  for  your 
Board?  I  venture,  my  friend,  to  express  to  you, 
a  member  of  this  Board,  a  hope,  and  indeed  ex- 
pectation, that  it  will  not  let  its  great  energies  and 
influence  lie  in  dormancy,  regarding  this  matter,  or 
play,  upon  the  surface  of  it  by  mere  discussions, 
but  will  use  them  actively,  practically,  in  the  pro- 
duction of  something  which  we  can  see,  feel  and 
possess.  Allow  me  to  ask  if  it  would  not  be  well 
to  ascertain  what  can  be  done  by  way  of  private 
subscriptions  to  the  capital  stock,  and  of  individu- 
al endowments  of  such  an  Institution.  You  can 
probably  obtain  a  charter  from  the  Legislature, 
and  not  much  more  at  the  outset.  Aim  not  too 
high  at  the  beginning,  but  make  your  course  of 
instruction  more  and  more  full  and  complete,  as 
experience  and  increasing  funds  shall  dictate  ;  and 
from  first  to  last,  make  it  such  as  shall  be  practi- 
cally beneficial.  The  condition  of  most  of  us  far- 
mers, so  far  as  the  affairs  of  this  life  are  concerned, 
is  one  requiring  primarily,  a  practical  fitness  for 
the  intelligent  discharge  of  a  round  of  daily,  and 
more  or  less  homely,  but  still  manly,  duties  ;  and 
with  this  substantial  ground-work  well  laid,  we 
may  well  add  thereto  all  the  acquirements  and  ac- 
complishments we  can  find  time  for — the  more  the 
better.  It  cannot  need  more  than  a  few  words  to 
say,  that  these  remarks  are  not  made  in  a  criticis- 
ing, or  fault-finding,  meddlesome  spirit,  but  spring 
from  feelings  of  friendship  and  good  will,  and  a  de- 
sire for  the  promotion  of  agricultural  improve- 
ment. F.  HOLBROOK. 

Brattkboro\  June  20,  1853. 


White  Weed.— Capt.  Daniel  Trefethen  of  this 
town,  assures  us  that  he  has  discovered  a  method 


for  killing  effectually,  this  plague  of  a  "farmer's 
life."  He  says  that  the  present  season,  he  had  a 
field,  which  was  literally  covered  with  the  blos- 
soms of  the  white  weed  so  called,  and  having  a 
small  quantity  of  salt  on  hand,  the  thought  sug- 
gested itself  to  him,  that  possibly  some  benefit 
might  accrue  to  the  field  from  the  distribution  of 
it  upon  the  surface.  The  act  was  "father  to  the 
thought."  lie  scattered  the  salt  over  the  field, 
and  in  a  short  time  the  blossoms  all  withered,  and 
upon  examination  the  roots  were  found  to  be  en- 
tirely lifeless.  This  is  certainly  a  valuable  remedy 
for  the  eradication  of  this  detestable  weed,  provid- 
ing the  experiment  prove  as  effectual  in  all  cases, 
as  in  this.  At  all  events,  we  would  recommend 
to  those  farmers  who  are  troubled  with  this  species 
of  weed — to  try  it. — Dover  Gazette. 


For  the  New  E^island  Farmer. 
COWS  AND  TAR. 

Mr.  Editor  : — You  are  aware,  perhaps,  that 
many  good  cows  are  sometimes  troubled  with  the 
garget,  or  they  give  curdled  milk.  Sometimes  it 
injures  the  bag  by  preventting  the  drawing  of  the 
milk.  The  best  remedy  that  I  ever  tried  is  to  cut  the 
hair  out  of  the  hollows  just  back  of  the  horns,  and 
fill  with  tar.  It  is  simple,  cheap  and  easy  ;  try 
it,  and  if  it  is  worth  any  thing  let  it  be  known  ;  or 
if  any  one  knows  anything  better,  I  hope  he  will 
publish  it.  IcHABOD  Davis. 

East  Barnard,  Vt. 


Remarks. — Yes,  sir,  we  are  aware  that  a  great 
many  cows  are  troubled  with  what  is  called  gar- 
get. The  udder  swells,  is  filled  with  bunches,  be- 
comes sore  to  the  touch,  and  sometimes  breaks 
and  destroys  the  value  of  the  cow  for  milking  pur- 
poses. It  is  a  very  serious  evil  to  the  dairyman, 
as  well  as  to  the  poor  animals.  No  remedy  has 
yet  been  found  for  it,  hardly  worthy  the  name, 
unless  you  have  made  the  discovery. 

This  disease,  and  abortion,  which  has  become 
very  frequent,  are  the  most  serious  difficulties 
with  which  the  farmer  has  to  contend  with  his 
cows.  We  really  wish  some  person  who  has  the 
leisure  and  ability  would  search  out  their  causes 
and  suffgest  a  cure.     Who  will  do  so? 


EFFECTS  OF  DEEP  PLOWING. 

The  Farmer  and  Mechanic,  published  at  Lewis- 
ton  Falls,  Maine,  one  of  the  liveliest  and  best  pa- 
pers we  receive,  says  : — "A  gentleman  in  Canton 
took  us  out  the  other  day  on  to  two  acres  of  land 
which  he  had  cultivated  for  a  few  years,  and  which 
he  makes  very  productive.  lie  told  us  that  it  was 
so  wet  when  he  commenced  upon  it  that  he  could 
do  but  little  with  it ;  but  some  three  or  four  years 
ago  he  put  in  a  large  plow,  and  turned  it  over  to 
the  depth  of  nearly  one  foot,  following  with  the 
subsoil  plow  to  the  depth  of  nearly  one  foot  more. 
Since  then  he  has  had  no  trouble  with  the  wet  or 
the  drought.  Every  thing  he  puts  upon  it  flour- 
ishes finely.  This  process  will  pay  on  much  of  our 
land,  whether  the  undermining  will  or  not." 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER, 


357 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
A  RARE  AND  PLEASANT  BOOK. 

Mk.  Editor  :— I  found,  not  long  since,  among 
some  old  books  in  this  village,  a  treatise  on  Fruit 
Growing  and  Gardening,  which  interested  me  so 
much,  that  I  could  not  deny  myself  the  pleasure 
of  sending  a  description  of  it  to  yourself.  _ 

It  is  an  octavo  in  form,  and  divided  into  two 
sections.  The  title  page  to  the  first  part  has  been 
torn  out,  but  the  title  over  Chapter  1,  is  "The 
Best,  Svre  and  Readiest  vay  to  make  a  Good  Or- 
chard and  Garden."  The  date  of  course  is  gone 
with  the  title  page,  but  that  of  the  second  part, 
which  is  probably  the  same,  as  the  pages  are  con- 
tinuous, is  1G31.  The  title  to  this,  "The  Covntry 
Hovse  Vife's  Garden,  containing  rules  for  herbs 
and  seeds  of  common  use,  with  their  times  and 
seasons,  when  to  set  and  sow  them.  Together 
with  the  Husbandry  of  Bees,  published  with  se- 
crets very  necessary  for  euery  housewife.  Also 
diuerse  new  Knots  for  Gardens.  London.  Printed 
by  Nicholas  Okes  for  lohn  Harrison,  at  the  gold- 
en Vnicorne  in  Pater-noster  Row,  1G3L" 

It  is  not  merely  the  antiquity  of  the  book  which 
pleases,  though  I  must  confess  to  the  weakness, 
if  weakness  it  be,  of  possessing  a  very  tender  re- 
gard for  old  things,  among  which  old  friends,  old 
books,  and  old  wine  are  especially  valuable — but 
as  I  remarked,  it  is  not  merely  this  which  makes 
the  book  valuable  ;  but  the  writer  (I  wish  we  had 
his  name)  is  hrimfull  of  love  for  his  subject.  He 
loved  trees  as  men  love  their  children,  and  as  you 
follow  him,  his  simple,  quaint  style,  and  his  ear- 
nest sincerity  win  you  at  once.  You  feel  sure  that 
he  wrote,  not  to  make  a  book,  but  because  he 
couldn^i  help  it.  There  are  seventy-four  pages 
upon  "Making  a  Good  Orchard,"  and  many  of  the 
hints  might  be  safely  followed  by  our  modern 
gardeners.  He  has  inserted  two  or  three  sketch- 
es of  trees,  forms  for  a  garden,  &c.,  of  which  he 
says,  "I  have  shadowed  out  these  for  the  better 
capacity  of  those  that  are  led  more  with  the  eye 
than  the  mind,  craving  pardon  for  the  deformity, 
because  I  am  nothing  skilful  either  in  painting 
or  causing."  He  has  seventeen  chapters  each  of 
them  short  and  to  the  point. 

Il^^ives  minute  directions  for  "Grafting"  "In- 
cisiflP'  "Packing  on,"  &c.  Let  me  copy  his  re- 
marks upon  the  "Age  of  Trees,"  which  will  give 
you  some  idea  of  the  old  gentleman's  style,  and 
if  you  like  it  not,  I  will  send  you  no  more,  but  if 
it  please  your  readers,  I  will  add  another  chapter 
at  a  future  time. 

"All  this  treatise  of  trees  tends  to  this  end,  that 
men  may  love  and  plant  orchards,  whereunto  there 
cannot  be  a  better  inducement  than  that  they 
know  or  at  least  be  persuaded  that  all  that  bene- 
fit they  shall  reape  thereby,  whether  of  pleasure 
or  profit,  shall  not  be  for  a  moneth,  or  one  or  many, 
(but  many  hundreth)  yeeres.  Of  good  things  the 
greatest  and  most  durable  is  alwaies  the  best. 

"If,  therefore,  out  of  reason  grounded  upon  ex- 
perience it  be  made  (I  think)  manifest,  but  I  am 
sure  probable,  that  a  fruit  tree  in  such  a  soile  and 
site,  as  is  described,  so  planted  and  trimmed  and 
kept,  as  is  before  appointed  and  duly  foiled,  shall 


"Let  no  man  think  this  to  be  strange,  but  peruse 
and  consider  the  reason.  I  have  apple  trees  stand- 
ing in  my  little  orchard,  which  I  have  knowne 
these  forty  yeeres,  whose  age  before  my  time,  I 
cannot  learne,  it  is  beyond  memory  tho  I  have  en- 
inquired  of  divers  aged  men  of  80  ycers  and  up- 
wards ;  these  trees  although  come  into  my  pos- 
session very  evil  ordered,  misshapen,  and  one  of 
them  wounded  to  the  heart,  and  that  deadly  (for 
I  know  it  will  be  his  death)  with  a  wound  where- 
in I  might  have  set  my  foot  in  the  heart  of  his 
bulk  (now  it  is  lesse)  notwithstanding,  with  that 
small  regard,  they  have  had  since,  they  so  like, 
that  I  assure  myself  they  are  not  come  to  their 
growth  by  more  than  two  parts  of  three  which  I 
discerne  not  only  by  their  owne  growth,  but  also 
by  comparing  them  with  the  bulk  of  other  trees. 

"And  I  find  them  short  (at  least)  by  so  many 
parts  in  bigness,  although  I  know  those  other 
fruit  trees  to  have  beene  much  hindered  in  their 
stature  by  evill  guiding.  Here  thence  I  gather 
thus. 

"If  my  trees  be  a  hundred  yeers  old,  and  yet 
want  two  hundred  of  their  growth  before  they 
leave  increasing,  which  make  three  hundred,  then 
we  must  needs  resolve,  that  this  three  hundred 
yeere  are  but  the  third  part  of  a  tree's  life,  because 
(as  all  things  living  besides)  so  trees  must  have 
allowed  them  for  their  increase  one-third,  another 
third  for  their  stand,  and  a  third,  part  also  for 
their  decay.  All  which  time  of  a  tree  amounts  to 
900  yeers,  three  hundred  for  increase,  three  hun- 
dred for  stand,  and  three  hundred  for  his  decay. 

"But  every  living  thing  bestows  the  least  part  of 
his  age  in  his  growth,  and  so  must  it  needs  be 
with  trees.  A  man  comes  not  to  his  full  growth 
and  strength  before  thirty  yeers,  and  some  slender 
and  cleane  bodies,  not  till  forty,  so  long  also  stands 
his  strength,  and  so  long  also  must  he  have  al- 
lowed in  course  of  nature  for  decay. 

"Ever  supposing  that  he  be  well  kept  with  nec- 
essaries, and  from  and  without  straines,  bruises 
and  all  other  dominyring  diseases,  I  will  not  say 
upon  true  report,  that  physicke  holds  it  possible, 
that  a  cleane  body  kept  by  these  3  doctors — Dr. 
Diet,  Dr.  Quiet  and  Dr.  Merriman  may  live  neere, 
a  hundred  yeeres.  Neither  will  I  here  urge  the 
long  yeeres  of  Methushalah,  and  those  men  of 
that  time,  because  you  will  say  man's  days  are 
shortened  since  the  flood.  But  what  hath  short- 
ened them  1  God  for  man's  sinnes  ;  but  liy  meanes, 
as  want  of  knowledge,  evill  government,  ryot, 
gluttony,  drunkennesse,  and  to  be  short  on  in- 
crease of  the  curse,  our  sins  increasing  in  an  iron 
and  wicked  age. 

The  testimony  of  Cicero  in  his  booke  De  Sen- 
ecutte,  is  weighty  to  the  purpose  ;  that  we  must 
in  posteras  actates  ferere  arbores,  which  can  have 
no  other  sence  than  that  our  fruit  trees  of  which 
he  speakes  can  endure  for  ages. 

"What  else  are  trees  in  comparison  with  the 
earth  ;  but  as  haires  to  the  body  of  a  man  1 — 
Haires  endure  long,  and  are  an  ornament  and  use 
also  to  the  body,  as  trees  to  the  earth. 

So  that  I  resolve  upon  good  reason  that  fruit 
and  Hke  a  thousand 


trees  well  ordered  may  live 
A.,\.^  innn  ^«..»„^   ,'u      i      \a  ■  i  i  i  •     iveeres,  and  beare  fruit,  and  the  longer  the   more, 

dure  1000  yeares,  why  should  we  not  take  pams  ^         '         ^  ,  '  ^^^^^^^^  1^;^-;       ;      ,^^d 

and  be  at  two  or  three  yeers  charges,    (for /nder         S  whenhis  yeers  are  many^ 

seven  yeeres  will  an  orchard  be  perfected  for  the        ,°        °  „  m  *  „„„  v>,.f  h,^;,.  h.,rla^nrl  Kl^o 

/.     .     r    ,•  o  •    iu   ..  i.'       u    u         ii.i.    /■    •.^       "You  shall  see  old  trees  put  their  ouds  ana  D108- 

first  p  anting,  and  in  that  time  be  brought  to  fruit)  u  ^u  a  ^^^/  T^lant;fMl    +h-in  irmir,,, 

.        ^  ?  j'i.        J       1      °i     .•         '  I  soms  both  sooner  and  more   plentiiui   ttian  young 

to  reape  such  a  commodity  and  80  long  lastmg.       ooiub  uuwi  o^^.  ^  r  j       & 


358 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Aug. 


trees  by  much.  And  I  sensibly  perceive  my  young 
trees  to  enlarge  their  fruit  as  they  grow  greater, 
both  for  number  and  greatness. 

"It  is  good  for  some  purposes  to  regard  the  age 
of  your  fruit  trees,  which  you  may  easily  know, 
till  they  come  to  accomplish  twenty  yeeres,  by  his 
knots.  Reckon  from  his  root  up  an  arme,  and  so 
to  his  top  twig,  and  every  yeeres  growth  is  distin 
guished  from  others  by  a  knot,  except  lopping  or 
removing  doe  hinder." 

We  think  the  worthy  writer  somewhat  enthu- 
siastic ia  his  calculations — and  fancy  he  would  be- 
lieve as  implicitly  in  the  seven  cedars  of  Lebanon, 
as  Lamartinc  himself.  But  there  is  such  a  love 
for  trees  manifested  throughout  his  little  work, 
that  one  easily  forgives  his  enthusiasm,  and  as 
we  travel  back  two  hundred  years,  we  fancy  the 
honest,  kind-hearted  Yorkshire  man  living  himself 
almost  to  the  age  of  Parr,  and  sitting  under  his 
own  vines  and  apple  trees.  One  of  his  conclud- 
ing sentences  is  as  follows  : 

"What  shall  I  say  ?  A  thousand  pleasant  de- 
lightes  are  attendant  in  an  orchard  ;  and  sooner 
shall  I  be  weary,  than  [  can  reckon  the  least  part 
of  that  pleasure,  which  one  that  hath  and  loves  an 
orchard  may  find  therein." 


best  way  is  by  having  one  to  pull  the  tops  over, 
while  another  cuts  them  up ;  but  if  they  are  very 
large  cut  them  down  snug  to  the  ground,  and  when 
sufficiently  dry,  pile  and  burn  them  on  the  ground. 
It  is  of  no  use  to  cut  them  only  in  the  summer 
thinking  to  kill  them  ;  such  is  my  experience.  In 
the  future  I  may  ask  a  few  questions. 

w.  N.  8. 

Kensington,  N.  H.,  1853. 


Remarks. — The  above  pleasant  article  is  from 
a  lady.  It  has  remained  longer  in  "our  pigeon- 
hole" than  it  ought,  and  longer, we  promise,  thanl'R^ell. 
the  next  one  shall,  after  we  get  it.  There  is  a 
beautiful  earnestness  in  her  remarks,  as  well  as 
in  the  text  she  speaks  from  ;  and  we  really  be- 
lieve they  would  excite  us  a  little  even  if  they 
were  not  from  the  hand  of  a  lady  !  We  wish  we 
could  hand  our  correspondent  an  old  volume  en- 
titled "Markham's  Farewell  to  Husbandry,"  some 
idea  of  the  quaintne&s  and  beauty  of  which  she 
may  get  by  referring  to  the  volume  of  the  Farmer 
for  1852,  page  243.  But  it  was  a  borrowed  gem, 
long  ago  returned  to  its  owner  in  Connecticut,  so 
that  we  cannot  please  her  or  gratify  ourselves  by 
so  doing. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer 
FRONT- YARD  FENCES— ALDERS. 

Mr.  Editor: — Your  correspondent  "S.  G.  B." 
inquires  the  best  way  to  build  a  front-yard  fence. 
I  would  advise  him  to  set  stone  posts  in  holes  two 
and  one-half  feet  in  depth,  and  the  same  in  diam- 
eter, and  to  fill  the  space  around  them  with  small 
stones  well  packed  down  with  a  crow-bar  and  noth- 
ing else  ;  and  then  drill  two  holes  in  the  face  of 
the  stone  about  4  inches  deep,  but  not  very  large, 
with  a  space  of  3  feet  between  the  holes  for  the 
purpose  of  securing  the  joist  on  which  the  pickets 
are  to  be  nailed.  Take  some  large  bolts,  (square) 
and  put  them  through  the  joist  and  drive  them  se- 
curely into  the  stone  holes.  The  joist  sliould  be 
about  3^  by  5  inches,  or  thereabouts.  Pickets  4 
feet  long  and  3  inches  wide,  with  the  same  space 
between,  and  then  draw  a  line  on  the  t(}p  of  them 
and  saw  them  true,  and  then  you  want  a  rave  on 
the  top  with  a  groove  in  its  under  side,  in  width 
the  thickness  of  the  pickets ;  and  that  laid  on  the 
top,  nailed  occasionally,  makes  the  whole  firm  and 
strong. 

The  best  time  to  cut  alders  is  in  June,  and  the 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

PLEASANT  WORDS  FROM  "DOWN 
EAST." 

Mr.  Editor  : — I  imjiorted  six  bushels  of  seed 
oats  and  two  bushels  of  barley  last  fall  from  Scot- 
land, which  I  sowed  this  spring,  and  fur  tlie  infor- 
mation of  those  who  may  have  an  idea  of  import- 
ing seed  from  the  old  country  or  elsewhere,  I  pur- 
pose giving  you  some  statements  connected  there- 
with. There  is  a  prevalent  idea  that  oats  or  oth- 
er grain  fi-om  the  mother  country  never  do  well 
here  the  first  season,  but  judging  from  the  pres- 
ent appearance  of  mine,  I  am  inclined  to  believe 
that  if  the  seed  be  good, and  is  properly  taken  care 
of,  and  gets  a  fair  chance,  it  will  do  as  well  the 
first  year  as  it  will  the  second.  They  have  novf 
fliirly  commenced  to  grow,  both  the  oats  and  bar- 
ley, and  I  have  no  doubt  but  they  will  turn  out 
The  oats  are  the  early  kind.  They  were 
raised  near  Forfar  by  one  of  the  best  farmers 
in  that  county.  They  are  as  clean  and  pure  as 
any  oats  I  ever  remember  having  seen ;  the  barley 
also  is  very  pure  and  clean.  They  were  sent  out 
last  fall  and  lay  all  winter  at  St.  Johns.  When 
they  came  to  hand  this  spring,  I  found  they  had 
been  vei-y  carefully  done  up  in  two  barrels,  which 
had  been  well  smoked  or  fumigated,  and  made  per- 
fectly tight,  so  that  the  grain  siiielt  as  fresh  as 
when  it  had  been  put  in.  They  were  shipped  at 
Dundee,  and  the  freight  to  St.  Johns  was  3a.,  the 
duty  Is.  6d.,  entries  9d.,  cartage  Is.  3d.,  (I  was 
charged  nothing  for  storage,)  so  that  the  freight 
and  charges,  exclusive  of  inland  cartage  amounted 
to  Gs.  6d. 

The  soil  and  climate  of  this  province  is  well 
adapted  for  oats,  and  I  think  it  would  be  welLibr 
the  country  if  their  cultivation  received  morlPn;- 
tention.  Oats  in  a  general  way  are  raised  for 
horse  feed,  and  little  pains  is  taken  to  improve 
them  in  quality  ;  the  seed  is  seldom  changed,  and 
is  often  of  inferior  description,  being  light  and 
mixed  with  foul  seed  and  other  grain.  If  the  far- 
mer is  asked  why  he  does  not  sow  better  and  clean- 
er oats,  he  will  say,  "0  its  no  use  being  very  par- 
ticular with  them,  I  can  get  just  as  good  a  price 
for  poor  oats  as  I  can  for  the  best."  Oats  ought 
tiever  to  be  sowed  more  than  twice  or  three  times 
without  being  clianged.  The  seed  should  always 
he  the  best — well  cleansed,  and  free  from  other 
gr;tin  so  that  it  might  be  fit  for  being  made  into 
oat-meal  for  family  use.  Good  oat-meal  wiien 
properly  cooked,  is  quite  palatable,  and  ought  to 
be  used  in  every  family;  as  an  article  of  diet,  it  is 
one  of  the  most  wholesome  aliments  that  can  be 
set  on  the  table.  I  shall  venture  to  assert  that  if 
the  people  in  this  country,  generally,  were  to  use 
more  oat-meal  and  less  superfine  flour,  that  sick- 
ness and  consumption  would  be  much  less  preva- 
lent in  it. 

I  should  like  to  inquire  of  you,  or  any  of  your 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


359 


correspondents,  something  about  the  harvesting 
and  management  of  seed  clover.  It  has  been  tried 
here  on  a  small  scale,  and  the  seed  is  found  to  be 
of  a  very  superior  quality,  but  the  greatest  diffi- 
culty seems  to  be  in  getting  it  thrashed  and  cleansed 
— some  information  therefore  on  that  subject  would 
be  very  acceptable  in  this  quarter. 

In  reference  to  the  remarks  which  you  made  on 
my  previous  eommunicatiun,  I  must  observe  that 
you  gave  us  quite  a  compliment.  My  inference  is 
that  you  seem  to  be  quite  satisfied  respecting  the 
abilities  of  our  soil,  and  the  superiority  of  her 
productions,  but  that  you  would  like  to  know 
something  respecting  the  quality  of  our  men  and 
women.  I  shall  endeavor  to  gratify  your  curiosi- 
ty a  little  in  that  particular,  but  you  must  excuse 
me  if  I  do  not  notice  anything  aVwut  the  smartness 
of  our  own  sex ;  suffice  it,  to  give  a  word  or  two 
about  the  other.  I  think,  sir,  if  you  were  to  come 
through  here  and  see  our  lasses  at  work  about  the 
farm,  you  would  say  that  they  are  better  stuff 
than  your  New  England  girls.  They  can  plant  a 
bushel  of  potatoes  a  day,  (in  good  shape,)  dig  25, 
top  an  acre  of  timothy,  and  reap  24  dozen  oats. 
They  can  pitch  hay,  pick  stones,  pile  brush,  rake 
round  the  stumps,  team  a  horse,  and  milk  the 
cows.  They  can  wash  and  dress,  and  bake  and 
brew,  and  knit  and  sew,  card,  spin  and  cook,  and 
clean  in  style,  and  catch  the  horse  that  beat  the 
boys,  and  drive  the  sheep  to  pasture.  The  girls 
are  very  scarce  here,  people  come  a  long  way  after 
them  for  wives.  j.  t. 

Harvey,  JV.B.,  via  Calais,  Me. 
June  Sth,  1853. 


Remarks. — Thank  you,  "John  Taylor."  Where 
persons  make  a  business  of  raising  clover-seed, 
they  have  a  machine,  moved  by  horse  power,  which 
they  take  into  the  field  and  gather  the  clover 
heads  merely,  leaving  the  stubble  on  the  ground. 
These  heads  are  generally  on  the  "rowen,"  or 
second  crop.  After  being  gathered,  they  are 
threshed  and  cleaned  up  much  as  other  se^ds  are. 

Your  account  of  the  ladies  in  "the  Harvey  Set- 
tlement," smacks  of  olden  times.  As  a  wife,  we 
don't  want  one,  having  the  best  in  "the  States"  al- 
ready— but  as  "a  help,"  gracious,  how  things 
would  shine  at  River  Cottage,  if  we  had  one  of  your 
girls!  But  then,  should  we  feel  safe?  "Team  a 
horse  !  top  an  acre  of  timothy  !  reap  24  dozen  of 
oats!"  and  probably  bind  24  men  if  they  were  to 
steal  a  kiss  unfairly,  from  one  of  these  Amazons ! 

But  we  are  glad  to  hear  from  them,  and  may 
make  more  particular  inquiries,  in  person,  some 
future  day. 

Special  Manure  for  Grapes. — The  wine  com- 
mittee, at  the  exhibition  of  the  Cincinnati  Horti- 
cultural Society,  reported  that  of  two  specimens 
of  wine,  one  from  grapes  to  which  a  special  ma- 
nuring of  potash  had  been  given,  the  wine  from 
the  manure  grapes  was  "bright,  clear,  and  mel- 
low, like  an  old  wine."  The  other  was  declared 
to  be  les3  matured  in  all  its  qualities,  nor  was  it 
clear.  The  grapes  themselves,  from  the  two  por- 
tions of  ground,  were  also  presented  to  the  com- 
mittee.    "Both  were  delicious  and  well  ripened, 


but  it  was  considered  that  those  from  the  manured 
land  were  sweeter,  and  that  the  pulp  was  softer." 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
INDIGENOUS  FRUITS  AND  SHRUBS. 

Mr.  Brown  : — I  desire  information  on  the  rear- 
ing of  our  indigenous  fruit  trees  and  shrubs  from 
seed.  All  our  cultivated  varieties  of  fruit  have 
sprung  from  wild  types,  generally  of  little  value. 
Careful  culture,  and  successive  reproduction  from 
seed,  have  greatly  increased  their  size,  and  im- 
proved their  flavor.  Our  wild  fruits  are  equally 
promising.  Their  size  and  flavor  are  quite  equal, 
and  in  many  instances  superior,  I  believe,  to  exot- 
ics of  the  same  genus.  Besides,  by  their  hardi- 
ness or  other  peculiarities,  they  are  perfectly 
adapted  to  our  climate. 

The  sweet  scented  crab-apple,  (Pyrus  corono- 
ria)  figured  in  the  March  number  of  the  Farmer, 
doubtless  might  be  ameliorated,  and  become  a 
splendid  fruit,  possessing  many  valuable  character- 
istics. The  choke  cherry  (0.  Virginia  of  Gray) 
differ  wonderfully  in  their  varieties  in  size,  and 
flavor  ;  and  I  have  seen  varieties  of  each  growing 
about  the  fields,  which  almost  equalled  the  May 
Duke  in  size.  I  might  go  on,  but  these  will  suffice 
for  examples.  It  may  be  objected  that  the  amel- 
iorating process  is  the  work  of  an  age, — very  true  ; 
but  we  are  enjoying  the  fruit  of  our  ancestors'  la- 
bor. Let  us  repay  to  posterity.  However  the 
time  requisite  for  the  amelioration  of  many  fruits, 
is  perhaps  less  than  is  generally  believed.  My  ex- 
perience is  that  the  Amygdaleep,  or  almond  fami- 
ly, will  fruit  in  four  years  from  gathering  the 
stones  ;  the  bramble  in  three  years,  and  the  grape 
in  four  to  five.  I  have  been  unsuccessful  in  pro- 
ducing the  Vacciniae  or  whortleberry  family  from 
the  seed.  Perhaps  yoarself  or  correspondents  can 
instruct  me.  I  find  no  information  on  the  subject 
in  the  books.  J.  Griffiths. 


Remarks. — Perhaps  Mr.  Hyde,  of  Newton  Cen- 
tre, can  throw  light  on  the  subject. 


ERGOT  IN  GRAIN. 

Some  time  since,  while  looking  over  the  files  of 
the  National  Intelligencer,  our  attention  was  ar- 
rested by  a  communication  from  a  Parisian  corres- 
pondent, in  which  were  detailed  some  of  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  Academy  of  Science,  the  celebrity 
of  which  is  too  well  and  generally  known  to  re- 
quire any  remark.  The  writer,  evidently  himself 
a  man  of  science,  says: — 

"A  paper  was  received  from  Mr.  Valot,  of  Dix- 
on, on  the  larvce  of  various  insects  destructive  to 
plants,  such  as  the  coneineth  masculala,  cimcx 
circulux,  &c.,  and  on  the  existence  of  ergot  as  a 
disease  peculiar  to  rye,  but  Mr.  Valot  announces 
that  he  has  seen  the  same  disease  in  barley.  Af- 
ter the  reading  of  this  paper  M.  A.  Jussica  said 
that  he  had  recently  seen  several  ears  of  wheat 
which  had  been  attacked  by  the  ergot,  and  that 
the  disease  in  rye  had  made  great  ravages." 
We  are  not  aware  that  the  disease  called  ^'ergot" 
has  ever  been  really  destructive  in  this  country. 


360 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Aug. 


Yet  it  is  well  known  that  grain  is  frequently  at- 
tacked by  insects  in  the  bin,  and  not  unfrequently 
ruined  by  them.  We  have  seen  wheat,  rye  and 
barley,  thus  injured.  When  our  national  legisla- 
tors, in  the  plenitude  of  their  wisdom  and  patriot- 
ic liberality,  shall  allow  national  support,  and  en- 
dow a  college  for  the  promotion  of  agricultural 
science,  the  labors  of  the  entomological  depart- 
ment will  no  doubt  throw  some  light  upon  this 
interesting  and  important  study.  Simple  indi 
vidual  effjrt  can  scarcely  be  effectual  in  so  extend 
ed  a  work.  . 

For  the  New  Em^land  Farmer. 
MAKING   BUTTER. 

Messrs.  Editors  : — It  is  somewhat  singular  that 
such  different  results  should  be  produced  by  two 
persons  in  the  operation  of  churning; — one  per- 
son operating  in  your  house,  and  the  other  in 
your  next  neighbor's.  They  are  as  different  as 
the  rose  and  the  poke  weed  in  odor,  and  in  taste 
no  more  alike  than  sherry  wine  and  castor  oil. 
Is  all  this  difference  owing  to  the  house,  or  is  it 
in  the  churn,  the  woman  or  the  cow?  There  is  no 
luxury  produced  in  the  tropics  that  is  a  more 
agreeable  addition  to  the  substantials  of  the  table 
than  good  butter ;  and  carrion  is  not  much  more 
disgusting  than  a  great  portion  of  the  grease  that 
is  marketed  in  the  metropolis  of  our  State  under 
the  name  of  butter. 

This,  however,  is  foreign  to  the  purpose  which  I 
have  in  hand,  and  for  which  I  have  taken  my  pen. 
This  is  not  to  write  upon  the  qualities  of  butter, 
or  to  give  directions  for  making  a  good  article 
My  object  is  rather  to  make  inquiries  than  to  give 
a  lesson,  and  my  aim  is  toward  the  principle  upon 
which  the  article  is  made,  rather  than  the  mo'le 
of  making  it.  I  have  often  thought  it  rather 
strange  that  a  man  so  thoroughly  scientific,  and 
at  the  same  time  so  practical,  as  Chaptal,  who  de- 
voted a  chapter  of  his  excellent  and  instructive 
work  on  Agricultural  Chemistry  to  the  subject  of 
butter,  should  have  omitted  to  inform  us  how  it  is 
produced.  Perhaps  there  is  not  a  butter-maker 
in  this  Bay  State,  though  we  have  a  very  conceit- 
ed opinion  of  our  superior  knowledge,  that  can 
answer  the  question  involved  in  the  four  closing 
words  of  the  last  sentence,  simple  as  it  seems. 
By  answering,  I  mean,  of  course,  giving  a  satisfic- 
tory  explanation.  Is  the  oily  part  of  the  milk, 
which  constitutes  the  article  called  butter,  sepa- 
rated from  the  lime,  serum,  &c.,  by  mechanical 
force,  chemical  affinity,  temperature,  or  fermenta- 
tion 1  At  first  sight  many  readers  will  exclaim 
that  it  is  a  useless,  nonsensical  question,  and  they 
don't  care  to  know.  A  sad  error.  This  knowl- 
edge is  not  only  satisfactory,  as  all  knowledge  is 
in  itself,  but  it  is  practical  and  useful.  If  known, 
it  may  afford  a  clue  to  the  true  mode  of  making  it, 
so  as  to  be  produced  by  less  labor,  and  also  of  a 
superior  quality  : — and  will  direct  us  to  the  true 
desideratum  in  making  the  best  churn,  if  churn 
must  be  used,  or  in  finding  a  substitute  for  that  ma- 
chine, that  will  do  the  work  more  easily,  speedily, 
or  perfectly.  It  is  well  known  that  butter  cannot 
be  produced  if  the  cream  is  at  t(jo  high  a  tempera- 
ture. The  proper  degree  of  heat  is  said  to  be  48, 
or  that  of  the  well  or  cellar  in  summer.    The 


operation  of  the  churn  seems  to  be  founded  on  the 
idea  that  the  separation  is  mechanical,  and  that 
the  cohesion  of  the  oily  particles  with  the  lime  is 
so  slight,  that  repeated  and  continued  blows  with 
a  dasher  or  stick  will  completely  effect  this  sepa- 
ration through  the  entire  mass.  But  if  it  ynayhe 
produced  by  mechanical  force  of  beating,  it  is  cer- 
tain that  it  may  be  produced,  also,  without  that 
means,  as  is  proved  by  the  fact  I  shall  relate.  In 
my  boyhood,  about  forty-five  years  since,  my 
mother  kept  a  single  cow,  to  supply  her  family 
with  milk.  The  household  being  pretty  numerous 
and  several  children,  she  usually  found  a  full  de- 
mand for  the  milk  : — but  having  several  times  col- 
lected a  redundance  of  cream,  and  liaving  no 
churn,  she  tied  her  cream  in  her  thick  pudding 
bag.  and  buried  it  in  the  ground  twelve  or  eigh- 
teen inches,  (if  I  remember  aright,)  and  in  the 
morning  tqok  out  most  excellent  butter,  into 
which  tlie  cream  had  been  changed.  Now  there 
is  no  mechanical  process  in  this  conversion.  And 
the  question  is,  did  the  temperature  alone  effect 
it,  or  was  it  assisted  by  chemical  affinity,  or  by 
fermentation.  Air  produces  fermentation: — so 
does  water.  And  there  is  opportunity  for  the  ad- 
mission of  air,  either  by  the  proceeding  above  re- 
lated, or  by  churning.  The  oxygen  or  hydrogen 
of  the  air  might  also  have  the  effect  of  separating 
the  lime  from  the  oily  part  of  the  milk,  by  mere 
chemical  affinity,  without  fermentation.  And 
this,  I  am  inclined  to  think,  is  the  true  process  in 
the  production  of  butter,  which  is  easier  at  a  par- 
ticular degree  of  temperature,  because,  the  cohe- 
sive power  of  the  oil  and  lime  is  feebler  at  that, 
than  at  a  higher  temperature.  In  churning,  not 
much  air  is  admitted  into  the  churn,  but  the  most 
is  made  of  a  small  quantity,  by  stirring  it  so  that 
it  comes  in  contact  with  every  portion  of  the 
cream.  Now  if  I  have  named  the  true  principle 
of  butter  making,  it  will  afford  a  light  which  will 
serve  to  guide  our  wives  in  this  part  of  their  ru- 
ral industry,  and  the  ingenious  may  make  an  ap- 
plication of  it  that  may  be  serviceable  in  the  keep- 
ing or  conversion  of  the  cream,  or  in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  churn. 

I  think,  that  an  explanation  in  full  of  the  secret 
of  the  production  of  butter  by  a  scientific  and 
practical  chemist,  with  detailed  statements  of  the 
experiments  by  which  he  has  attained  his  results, 
would  be  an  interesting  paper  for  your  columns. 
There  is  nothing  more  interesting  or  more  beauti- 
ful than  the  application  of  science  and  of  useful 
knowledge  to  common  things. 

You  mentioned  in  one  of  your  late  numbers 
that  a  gentleman  of  Brussels  had  recently  found  a 
way  of  separating  the  cream  from  the  milk  more 
speedily  and  perfectly,  by  mixing  a  solution  of 
carbonate  of  soda,  and  other  matters.  This,  I 
think,  confirms  my  idea  that  the  separation  is  ef- 
fected by  chemical  affinity,  and  affords  ground 
for  the  inference  that  the  farther  separation  of 
the  other  matters  from  the  butter  may  be  pro- 
duced by  the  mixture  of  the  same  or  some  other 
substances.  It  may  be  the  carbon  of  the  atmos- 
phere which  produces  the  separation,  by  its  affini- 
ty for  the  other  matters  of  the  milk  and  cream, 
stronger  than  that  of  the  oily  matter. 

Some  of  your  readers  will  say,  perhaps,  as  be- 
fore intimated,  that  all  this  is  of  no  use.  Those 
who  make  good  butter  are  content  to  know  how 
to  make  it,  and  don't  care  to  inquire  into  the  ra- 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


861 


tionale.  And  those  who  make  bad  butter  are  not 
the  kind  who  are  disposed  to  seek  knowledge. 
While  many  people  think  all  knowledge  useless, 
and  others  talk  aliout  useful  knowledge,  in  dis- 
tinction from  that  which  is  useless,  I  am  one  of  a 
third  class  who  tliink  \xll  knowledge  useful.  But 
I  tliink  especially  that  the  knowledge  of  the  prin- 
ciple of  the  production  of  an  article  of  so  much 
prominence  in  our  system  of  dietetics,  composing 
a  part  of  the  table  of  every  family  through  every 
season,  may  be  well  considered  in  tlie  class  of  use- 
ful knowledge,  if  there  be  any  that  is  useless. 

W.  J.  A.  B. 

Essex,  Dec,  1852. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

HORTICULTURAL  EXHIBITION  AT 

CONCORD. 

The  first  exhibition  of  fruits,  flowers  and  vege- 
tables, under  the  auspices  of  the  Concord  Far- 
mers' Club,  was  held  in  the  Court  House  in  this 
town,  on  Saturday,  June  18.  The  contributions 
were  abundant,  and  the  flowers  choice,  rare,  and  ! 
various  beyond  expectation.  The  season  was  too  I 
early  for  a  great  display  of  vegetables,  but 'the  I 
turnip-rooted  beets,  and  summer  squashes,  exhib- 
ited by  Judge  Hoar,  were  very  large  and  fine,  and 
the  strawberries  superb. 

The  contributions  of  wild  flowers  were  abundant. 
Among  them  we  noticed  the  superb  Laurel,  the 
delicate  and  fragrant  Linnaea,  the  charming  Eg- 
lantine, the  spotted  Geranium,  Irises,  the  graceful 
verticillate  Lupin,  and  many  others. 

Among  the  roses,  we  noticed  that  finest  of  all 
yellow  roses,  the  yellow  Persian,  the  yellow  Har- 
rison, with  its  sweet-briar  odor,  the  White  English 
tree  rose,  one  of  the  finest  and  most  vigorous  ro- 
ses, and,  after  a  long  season  of  neglect,  coming 
rapidly  into  favor  again  ;  the  Black  Tuscany,  very 
dark  ;  that  finest  of  all  white  roses,  Madame  Har- 
dy, Red  Moss,  White  do.,  of  which  latter,  Mr. 
Wheildon  showed  one  cluster  containing  thirteen 
buds;  that  finest  of  all  perpetuals.  La  Reine,  Lou- 
is Philippe,  Rivers,  Madame  Laffay,  Lady  Ford- 
wick,  Charles  Duval,  Marquis  Bocella,  Paul  Per- 
ras,  very  large. 

Among  the  climbers,  we  noticed  the  superb  Prai- 
rie Queen,  Baltimore  Belle,  Eva  Corinne,  and  oth- 
ers. Of  the  tender  roses,  the  Multiflora,  Laura  Da- 
voust,  very  beautiful;  Madame  Plan tice, White  Chi- 
na, and  the  Yellow  Noisette. 

The  weather  had  been  hot  and  dry  for  several 
days,  so  as  to  injure  considerably  the  beauty  of 
the  roses,  liut  the  display  by  Mrs.  R.  W.  Emer- 
son, was  very  fine,  in  great  variety  and  the  finest 
in  the  room.  A  fine  Pittosporam  from  David  Lor- 
ing,  and  a  superb  Cactus  Speciocissima,  from  Miss 
Thoreau,  added  much  to  the  beauty  of  the  show. 

Magnificent  bouquets  were  contributed  by  Mrs. 

E.  R.  Hoar,  Mrs.  F.  R.  Gourgas,  Mrs.  Frost,  Miss 

F.  J.  Pritchard,  Miss  E.  Hoar,  and  others  ;  and  a 
beautiful  Rhododendron,  and  the  delicate  Linnaea, 
by  Mrs.  Pratt.  A  wreath  of  Euphorbia  and  scar- 
let Honeysuckle,  by  Miss  Reynolds,  was  very  hand- 
some, and  the  Fuchsia  and  Cactus  by  Mr.  John 
Brown,  were  rare  and  beautiful.  William  Mun- 
roo  shewed  a  dish  of  superb  Pansies  and  cut  flow- 
ers, C.  W.  Davis,  a  dish  of  fine  cherries,  and  W. 
W.  Whieldon,  a  fine  display  of  moss  and  otiier  ro- 
ses, and  plants  in  great  variety  and  beauty,  and  a 


pair  of  large  cucumbers.  J.  B  Moore,  contribu- 
ted a  large  basket  of  Strawberries,  Verbenas,  Pan- 
sies and  Geraniums,  very  fine ;  and  Aliiel  H. 
Wheeler,  shewed  the  first  potatoes  of  the  season. 
Col.  Ilolbrook,  sent  a  magnificent  bouquet ;  Mr. 
Pratt,  a  monstrous  bouquet  of  Laurel,  Mrs.  Pratt, 
Moss  Roses,  from  plants  raised  from  cutting, 
which  is  an  achievement  in  floriculture;  Rev.B. 
Frost,  fine  strawberries,  M.  Pritchard,  Boston  Pine 
strawberries,  and  C.  W.  Goodenov**,  Hunt.Russett 
apples  in  fine  preservation  ;  E.  W.  Bull,  shewed 
Chinese  Peonies,  in  four  varieties,  Roses  in  fifty  va- 
rieties, and  cut  flowers. 

Charming  bouquets  were  contributed  by  Mrs. 
C.  W.  Goodenow,  J.  M.  Dodd,  Miss  Mary  Howe, 
IMiss  Wetherbee,  Miss  Rebecca  Barrett,  Misses 
Brown,  Fred.  Brown,  John  Ho-smer,  Mrs.  N. 
Brooks,  Miss  Mackay,  who  shewed  a  fine  Gladio- 
lus, Mrs.  S.  G.  Wheeler,  Mrs.  J.  Heywood,  Miss 
Sophia  Ripley,  Mr.  Hudson,  Miss  Bates,  and  many 
others  not  marked  with  the  name  of  the  contribu- 
tor. 

Altogether,  the  show  was  very  beautiful,  and 
indicated  both  skill  in  cultivation,  and  good  taste 
in  the  selection  of  plants,  many  of  them  being  of 
the  choicest  kinds. 

At  the  next  exhibition — which  will  take  place 
on  Saturday,  the  3d  of  September,  we  hope  to  have 
a  still  larger  number  of  contributors,  and  to  show 
fruits  and  vegetables  in  abundance. 

For  the  Committe,         E.  W.  Buli  . 


THS  MOTH. 

A  great  fuss  is  usually  made  "about  this  time" 
to  keep  off  that  delicate  and  beautiful  little  insect, 
the  Moth  Miller.  She  has  certain  instincts,  as 
well  as  other  people,  and  they  lead  her  to  deposit 
her  eggs  where  food  can  be  found  when  her  young 
are  "born  into  the  world."  So  she,  like  a  good 
mother,  looks  about  industriously  and  claps  an 
egg  here  and  there  under  the  seams  of  our  best 
woollen  coat,  or  in  madam's  wrist-cuSs,  or  boas, 
or  muff;  or,  for  want  of  better  shelter  and  more 
refined  feeding,  will  deposit  half  a  score  of  eggs 
among  the  hair  of  the  buffalo  robes  that  hang  in 
the  carriage  house.  Now  this  is  very  innocent 
and  commendable  conduct  throughout  all  bug- 
dom,  but  is  looked  upon  by  us  as  a  peculiarly  in- 
sinuating proceeding  by  the  bugs,  and  a  form  of 
deposit  not  altogether  approved. 

So  the  good  housewife  tries  to  defend  herself 
with  cedar  closets,  camphor  draws,  rosemary,  sas- 
safras leaves  and  other  delectable  odors,  but  the 
bugs  care  no  more  for  them  than  does  a  hectoring 
[gallant  for  a  tap  with  his  lady's  fan;  they  are 
I  true  to  their  instincts  still,  and  will  continue  to  be 
'  so  in  spite  of  all  the  nostrums  of  ^sculapius  and 
I  all  his  disciples! 

j  But,  fiiir  lady,  there  is  one  infallible  remedy; 
simple,  and  always  within  reach.  Shake  your  gar- 
I  ments  or  furs  well,  and  tie  them  up  light  in 
ja  pillow-casejar  any  cotton  or  linen  bag,  and  hang 
'that  in  the  garret,  or  any  where  under  cover,  and 
'  your  valuables  tcill  be  perfectly  safe  from  the  ravages 
of  the  moth. 


362 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Aug. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
A  NEW  INSECT. 

Mr.  Brown  : — I  have  noticed  in  some  of  the  ag- 
ricultural papers,  accounts  of  the  depredations  of 
the  canker  worm  ;  but  in  our  vicinity  an  enemy 
has  appeared  upon  our  fruit  trees,  the  apple  and 
cherry,  which  threatens  to  destroy  our  entire 
crop.  So  far  as  I  can  learn,  the  foe  is  a  stranger 
to  our  fruit-growers,  and  for  some  days  was  thought 
to  be  the  canker  worm  of  former  days  ;  but  on  ex- 
amination it  appears  very  different.  It  is  similar  to 
our  former  foe  in  some  points — it  is  spread  upon 
all  parts  of  the  tree,  upon  every  branch,  and  when 
the  limb  is  shaken,  it  drops  from  it,  suspended  by 
a  web,  then  winds  up  its  web  and  again  gains  its 
position  on  the  tree.  The  trees,  when  badly  eat- 
en, present  a  dry  and  sere  appearance.  In  all 
these  points  it  is  like  the  canker  worm,  as  it  is  al- 
so in  size,  and  to  a  casual  observer,  in  passing  by 
an  orchard,  it  would  be  pronounced  their  work. — 
In  many  respects  it  is  dissimilar,  and  evidently  be- 
longs to  another  class  of  insects.  The  canker 
worm  is  brown,  this  is  nearly  white,  with  two  lon- 
gitudinal stripes  running  its  whole  length  ;  the 
canker  worm  is  slow  of  motion,  this  is  very  quick 
and  moves  rapidly  from  place  to  place  in  all  di- 
rections to  escape  an  enemy — the  canker  worm 
moves  forward  by  doubling  or  opening  and  throw- 
ing forward  its  head  and  forepart ; — this  is  pro- 
vided with  IG  legs — 6  near  the  head,  8  near  the 
middle,  and  2  at  the  tail,  and  uses  them  with 
great  celerity  in  running.  The  canker  worm  has 
no  shelter  upon  the  tree,  but  lies  out  upon  the  leaf 
or  branch  ;  this  forms  itself  a  house  by  webbing 
the  corner  of  a  leaf,  into  which  it  retreats  on  the 
first  appearance  of  danger  ;  the  canker  worm  rare- 
ly eats  the  fruit,  if  it  can  get  leaves  ;  this  is  now 
eating  into  and  spoiling  and  disfiguring  the  fruit. 
Of  the  insect  which  produces  them,  I  know  no- 
thing. My  neighbors  say  about  3  or  4  weeks 
aince,  they  noticed  an  abundance  of  small  millers  of 
an  ash  color,  and  they  may  have  proceeded  from 
them.  If  this  insect,  with  its  habits,  are  unknown, 
we  have  before  us  a  work  of  careful  observation, 
as  the  first  descent  of  these  depredators  threatens 
more  injury  to  our  fruit  than  any  other  insect 
which  has  attacked  our  trees.  If  there  is  not 
enough  to  spoil  my  trees  and  fruit  entirely  now,  I 
am  sure  that  double  the  present  number  on  those 
of  my  trees  which  are  most  eaten  would  not  leave 
me  an  apple  or  a  leaf  remaining.  I  wish  for  in- 
formation on  this  subject — are  they  in  other  pla- 
ces? Or  is  Sherburne  exclusively  favored  with 
their  presence  ?  Have  they  been  known  before  ?  if 
so,  can  they  be  prevented  or  driven  ofi"? 

R.  C.  Stone. 

Sherburne,  June  21,  1853. 


on  each  side,  a  short  space  intervenes,  and  then 
there  are  four  legs,  two  on  each  side.  Halfway 
along  the  body,  there  are  two  protuberances  which 
strongly  resemble  the  spinneret  of  the  house-spider, 
and  two  more  of  nearly  the  same  shape  at  the  tail 
or  termination  of  the  body.  These  do  not  termi- 
ntae  with  claws  as  do  the  legs,  but  are  blunt  and 
have  the  appearance  of  being  soft  and  spongy,  and 
if  used  in  walking,  operate  as  does  the  flies  foot  on 
the  pane  of  glass.  We  are  inclined  to  think  that 
these  instruments  are  used  both  for  walking  and 
spinning  its  web,  though  in  our  examination  of  the 
insect  under  a  pretty  good  glass,  we  did  not  see  it 
spin  as  we  have  the  spider. 

We  have  received  several  short  communications 
relating  to  the  insect  which  we  shall  publish,  but 
look,  with  some  impatience,  as  we  know  many 
others  do,  to  Professor  Harris  for  a  better  knowl- 
edge of  this  new  invader. 


Remarks. — We  regret  that  this  article  came  a 
few  hours  too  late  for  last  week's  paper.  The  in- 
sects spoken  of  have  been  numerous  in  this  State, 
in  New  Hampshire,  Vermont,  Connecticut  and 
New  York,  and  probably  in  other  States  :  but  we 
have  heard  only  from  those  mentioned  above. 

Your  description  of  the  insect  generally  agrees 
with  our  observation ;  but  we  can  ^nd  only  six 
legs  instead  of  sixteen,  as  you  say.  The  head  is 
shaped  like  that  of  an  otter,  and  near  the  back  ex- 
tremity of  the  under  jaw  tliere  are  two  legs,  one 


IS  THE  MOLE  A    DEVOURER  OF  VEG- 
ETABLES ? 

We  answer  no — he  is  a  benefactor  to  the  plant- 
er and  gardener,  instead  of  a  destroyer  of  vegeta- 
bles. Away,  say  we,  with  the  erroneous  ideas  that 
they  feed  on  garden  vegetables  and  the  newly  plant- 
ed seeds  of  the  field  crops  ;  let  us  hear  no  more 
complaints  against  this  little  royal  ermine  coated 
friend,  who  is  only  a  seeker  and  devourer  of  earth- 
worms, and  bugs,  and  the  larvEC  of  insects  deposit- 
ed in  the  rich  garden  mould,  or  the  manure  drills 
of  the  cultivated  fields.  Ignorance  is  a  greater  ty- 
rant than  Robespierre  ever  was,  and  it  is  surpris- 
ing that  the  natural  history  of  at  least  all  the 
more  common  animals,  is  not  better  understood, 
even  amongst  the  educated  aud  intelligent.  Thank 
God  !  with  all  the  introductions  from  old  Europe, 
— she  has  never  sent  us  a  professional  mole  catch- 
er— such  lazy  louts,  as  those  who,  with  springs 
and  snares,  do  jobs  of  mole-hanging  for  the  garden- 
ers of  old  England,  at  so  much  a  head.  The  mole 
is  a  study  for  the  lover  of  nature.  His  snug  nest, 
deep  in  the  earth,  with  walls  of  oak  leaves,  and 
lined  with  the  most  delicate  grasses,  shows  that  he 
is  a  considerable  architect.  The  long  galleries 
which  lead  out  into  those  pasture  grounds  abound- 
ing in  his  favorite  food,  are  scientifically  construct- 
ed, and  show  him  to  be  nature's  engineer.  His  in- 
dustry— flying  by  peculiar  locomotion,  with  great 
rapidity,  from  one  point  to  another — is  a  lesson  to 
biped  sluggards.  It  is  true,  that  in  search  of  food, 
he  is  a  perfect  earthquake  amongst  young  vegeta- 
bles ;.  for  he  has  no  respect  for  their  radicles  when 
he  plunges  through  the  soft  mould  in  quest  of  the 
insects  and  their  larvce,  which  feed  upon  their 
roots.  The  chief  food  of  the  mole,  according  to 
Bacuman,  is  the  earth  worm,  (Lumbricus  terrenus,) 
and  he  says  that  they  would  each  devour  forty  or 
fifty  worms  to  satiate  their  inordinate  appetites. 
They  invariably  rejected  vegetables  of  all  kinds, 
but  would  feed  on  flesh,  chrysolides,  and,  even  on 
each  other,  when  not  supplied  with  their  proper 
food.  One  lived  on  a  d«ad  pigeon  for  a  long  time. 
These  facts  prove  their  carnivorous  nature  ;  and 
we  would  hazard  little  in  saying  that  the  mole  is 
highly  beneficial  in  destroying  these  insects.  Veg- 
etables are  often  cut  and  drawn  into  the  ground, 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


363 


and  the  chartfe  is  laid  upon  onr  scraping  favorites. 'inefficiency  of  kyanizing  from  a  conversation  with 
Another  animal,  says  Bacuman,  one  exceedingly  [a  gentleman  recently  an  engineer  on  one  of  the 
shy  in  its  habits,  does  the  mischief;  Lkconte's  ^^^,1;^  ^.^rkg  of  the  general  government.  We 
pine  mouse,  {Arincoja  pincfm;um,)\s  the  destroyer  ^j^^^j^  ,^^    ,^  ^^  ^^^^  ^,^^^  j.,^^  ^^  j^  ^  ^^j^. 

80  much  complained  of  and  is  truly  very  injurious     ,  ,  ^  ^ 

to  vegetables.     Since   the   innocent   character  of, ^'^le  one.  

the  mole  is  established,  upon  the  authority  of  the 
greatest  of  living  naturalists,  we    hope  that   this 


numerous  and  varied  family  will  be  allowed,  in  un 
interrupted  safety,  to  dig  and  delve  for  the  good 
of  man,  and  thus  keep  under  those  insects  which, 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
COWS  SHEDDING  MILK— BUTTER- 


MAKING. 

I  Gentlemen: — Can  you,  or  any  of  your  corres- 
breeding  and  dwelling  in  the  earth,  cannot  he  de-j^^jg^^^g^  ^^^i^q  known  a  simple  and  effectual 
stroyed  by  the  birds.  They  are  both  wise  checks,  I ^^^,^,,^1  ^^  prevent  cows  from  shedding  milk? 
which  tlio  Creator  has  placed  here,  to  aid  and  re- 1  ^yill  some  one  who  has  practical  experience, 
strain  nature,  by  the  exercise  of  their  peculiar  I ^^^3^^.^),^  in  the  Far/Hcr,  the  whole  process  of  but- 
functions,  and  we  say  again,  protect  (he  moles  and  tcr-making,  including  the  place  for  keeping  milk, 

I  (its  ventilation,)  the  kind  of  pans,  de()th  of  milk 

in  them,  churning,  salting,  (and  other  ingredients, 
if  any,)  and  place  of  keeping  it  in  the  tub,  espe- 

'cially  as  respects  dryness,  or  moisture,  &c. 

R.    P. 


t/ie  birds. — Southern  AsricuUurist. 


For  tlie  New  England  Farmer. 

KYANIZING  TIMBER. 

Mr.  Brown  : — I  saw  in  your  last  Farmer  an  in- 
quiry respecting  the  kyanizing  of  timber.  In 
your  remarks  you  say  that  "the  process  has  been 
abandoned,  it  having  been  ascertained  that  it  does 


Doctoring  Cattle. — The  following  remarks  un- 
der the  head  of  Veterinary,  in  the  Dec.  No.  of  the 
Prairie  Farmer,  are  so  physiological,  just,  sensible 


.    ig  y 

anizing  in  this  place.  In  1847,  I  was  employed 
to  kyauize  the  bridge-timber  and  cross-ties,  for  a 
part  of  the  Providence  and  Worcester  Railroad. 
The  ties  were  of  spruce,  and  hemlock,  six  inches 
square.  From  the  small  size  of  the  ties,  they  soon 
began  to  fail  to  hold  the  spikes,  many  of  the  hem- 
lock ones  proving  sliaky.  As  kyanizing  was  a 
new  thing  to  me,  I  felt  a  curiosity  to  see  the  re-, 
suit,  and  accordingly  watched  the  appearance  of  I  fj^^^®' 
the  timber  as  the  ties  were  from  time  to  time   ta- '  ^  ^'"^ 

ken  up  to  substitute  larger  ones  ;  and  recently,  a 
very  large  part  of  the  ties  at  the  joints  of  the  rails 
have  been  taken  up,  and  out  of  the  several  hun- 
dred which  I  have  seen,  not  more  than  two  or 
three  ties  were  decayed  at  all,  and  those  were  ev- 
idently from  unsound  trees.     The  general  appear- 


and furrow  deep,  never  fail  to  float  something 
ashore  worthy  to  be  picked  up  and  garnered  among 
our  choice  things.  Dr.  Kennicott  always,  gener- 
ally says  good  things: 

"We  have  one  piece  of  general  advice  to  offer, 

under  this  head.  Treat  all  domestic  animals  upon 

the  same  principle  that  you  would  the  animal  man 

_j — making  due  allowances  for  the  circumstances  of 

3  case. 

The  best  general  remedy  is  care  ;  a  comfortable 
shelter,  and  a  kind  and  timely  attention  to  natu- 
ral wants  ;  and  the  less  medicine  and  the  fewer 
medications  the  better.  But  if  you  will  "doctor" 
your  cattle,  do  not  employ  quacks,  nor  follow  ev- 
ery floating  recipe  ;  but  get  a  good  veterinary  prac- 
titioner, if  to  be    had,  who  has  read  the  books  of 


ance  of  the  kyanized  ties  is  such,  that  the  people l^^'.^P'-ofess'^"-  a°f  understands  them;  or  better 
in  the  vicinity  are  purchasing  those  taken  up,  and  still,  perhaps,  read  yourselves ;  and  follow  the  in- 
setting them  for  fence  posts,  after  having  been' ^'cations,  it  you  are  right.  And  if  not,  better 
used  for  ties  about  .six  years.  Mr.  Thompson,  (the  *^"^<^  ^^  "'^■^"r^'  ^^i''^®  ^^"^f  «"*  f  ^""'"v,  ^^^""^ 
man  who  has  the  charge  of  keeping  the  road  in|^a"le,_as  well  as  me.v,  are  doctored  to  death  than 
repair  at  this  end)  tells  me  that  he  finds  all  the  people  in  general  suspect, 
kyanized  ties  and  timber  free  from  rot.  I  will 
add  that  T  have  an  open  trough  (for  carrying  off 
the  water  from  a  sink  spout)  made  of  kyanized 
spruce  plank,  partly  in  the  ground  and  partly  out, 
which  has  been  in  that  positiorTsix  years,  and  ap- 
pears to  be  perfectly  sound.     I  know  that  it  may 

be  said  that  six  years  is  not  sufficiently  long  to 'posts  by  frost,  an  evil  which  is  more  or  less  expe- 
test  the  value  of  the  process,  yet  as  I  see  chestnut 'rienced  among  fence  holders  in  proportion  as  the 
ties  unkyanized,  rotting  sooner  than  the  spruce 'soil  in  which  they  are  set  is  more  or  less  wet, 
and  hemlock,  I   must  wait  a  longer  time  to  be ;  clayey,  &c. 

satisfied  that  the  kyanizing  does  no  good.  An  excellent  preventive  forthis  action  of  frost, 

Respectfully  yours,         J.  H.  Benculey.      [and  one  highly  beneficial  to  the  yard  and  contigu- 


Fur  the  New  England  Farmer. 

SETTING  FENCE  POSTS. 

Dear  Sir  : — A  correspondent,  in   your  paper  of 
June  4   asks  a   remedy  for   the  upheaval  of  fence 


Milbvry,  June  20,  1853. 

P.  S.     Should  any  one  be  disposed  to  try  thel^^         t     a-  ^  c  ..  /i  «.„   r^^^  frnm  ;<■ 

kyanizing,  I  will  cheerfully  impart   such  in.forma-!^^"^^   ^*  ^  ^'^^^"«'  «^  *'^^   *'''  ^'^'"'    ^''*  ^'^"^  '^' 


ous  grounds,  may  be  found  in  thoroughly   under- 
draining.     Let  the  drain  run  parallel   with    the 


tion  as  I  possess  respecting  the  process,  &c. 


Remarks. — Mr.  B.  will- please  accept  thanks  for 
the  above  remarks.     We  formed  our  opinion  of  the 


and  be  of  a  depth  greater  than  that  to  which  the 
posts  are  set ;  where  there  is  no  superabundance 
of  water,  there  will  be  but  little  action  of  frost. 

Another  method  which  we  have  often  seen  tried, 
was,  to   dig  the  hole  considerably  larger  than  the 


3M 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Aug. 


post  that  was  to  occupy  it,  setting  the  post  in  the 
centre  and  filling  around  it  with  small  stones, 
pounding  them  down — as  the  earth  was  replaced. 
By  this  operation  great  firmness  can  be  given  to 
posts. 

The  higher  and  heavier  the  post,  the  deeper  it 
must  be  set  in  the  earth  to  give  it  firmness,  and 
the  more  care  must  be  had  to  keep  it  in  a  perpen- 
dicular position  while  setting.  If  it  inclines  but 
slightly,  either  way,  it  will  commence  acting  on 
the  principal  of  tlic  lever  to  throw  the  fence  over. 
To  secure  the  durability  of  his  posts,  S.  G.  B. 
will  find  it  for  his  advantage  to  invert  them  or  set 
the  top  end  downwards.  In  our  own  experience, 
we  have  found  that  a  post  from  the  same  tree,  will 
last  one-fourth  longer  when  so  set,  than  it  will  if 
set  03  it  grew  butt  end  down,  in  which  way  mois- 
ture will  arise  from  the  earth  through  the  sap 
vessels  and  dififase  itself  through  the  post, — dry- 
ness follows,  and  moisture  again  succeeds,  and  rot- 
tenness ensues  before  due  time  has  passed.  If  the 
post  is  inverted,  the  sap  vessels  can  no  longer  give 
ascent  to  liquids,  and  no  absorbing  process  will  be 
going  on.  But  where  posts  are  inverted  the  part 
above  ground  should  be  reduced  so  that  the  diam- 
eter shall  be  no  greater  than  it  is  below  the  sur- 
face, and  if  less,  the  less  liable  the  frost  will  be  to 
upheaval,  leaning,  &c.  If  the  posts  your  corres- 
pondent proposes  to  use  have  been  cut  a  year,  and 
lain  with  the  bark  off,  their  durability  will  in  no 
way  be  diminished  but  rather  increased  by  the 
process.     Yours  truly,  w.  b. 

Elinwood,  June  6,  1853. 


WHAT  THE  FARMER  MOST  NEEDS. 

It  is  not  a  college  endowed  by  the  State,  says  a 
cotemporary ;  it  is  primary  schools,  to  prepare 
farmers'  sons  and  daughters  for  the  higher  walks 
in  science  as  applied  to  agriculture.  They  need 
organization.  They  want  farmers'  clubs  and 
neighborhood  libraries  of  agricultural  books.  They 
need  discussion.  They  need  more  intercourse,  not 
only  in  their  own  town  and  county,  but  through- 
out the  State  and  country,  to  see  and  learn  what 
other  farmers  are  doing,  and  if  they  have  improve- 
ments, learn  what  they  are,  and  adopt  them.  This 
is  the  greatest  need  of  fiirmers.  They  need  to  be- 
come satisfied  with  their  vocation  ;  to  get  rid  of 
the  prevailing  notion  that  farming  is,  necessarily, 
an  unmental  employment ;  that  is,  that  the  farm- 
er has  no  occasion  to  think  ;  has  no  occasion  for 
education,  and  never  can  become  wealthy  or  what 
the  world  would  call  respectable,  while  engaged 
in  the  culture  of  the  earth,  and  therefore  he  seeks 
the  first  opportunity  to  escape  from  an  avocation 
placed  under  ban  not  only  by  all  others,  but  his 
own  class  also.  The  great  need  of  the  farmer  is, 
that  he  shall  declare  himself  independent  of  all 
other  classes;  at  least,  more  so  than  they  are  of  [will,  upon°carefal  examination,' appear  wholly  un- 

him,  and  of  course  he  IS  entitled  to  engage  in  any  I  „,(.,•   „j  u„  .,„,  u       mi,    c  it-         i-i 

ftfKa^  «.,n;.,^  T^i    1.^  jTu    •       o  t'      »,.,•' I  sustained  by  results,     ihe  fermentation  which  pu- 

otner  calling  whatever  ;  and  if  he  is  a  man  of  toil,  L  "^  ,  ,  ,  ^ 

that  is  no  reason  why  he  should  not  be  a  man  of^'^^^'^'^nt  manure  undergoes— unless  under  very  pe- 
intellect.  The  great  need  of  the  farmer  is  organ-  culiar  circumstances — is  rarely,  if  ever,  found  to 
ization,  and  this  must  be  accomplished  by  a  few  rise  sufficiently  high    to   ensure   this  object.     The 


WEEDS. 

"One  year's  seeding  makes  seven  year's  weeding." 

This  old  proverb  conveys  an  important  truth. 
Thoroughly  to  eradicate  the  plants  to  which  one 
prolific  parent  will  give  birth,  is  a  matter  of  no 
small  trouble  and  expense.  The  prolification  of 
some  species  of  noxious  weeds,  is  almost  beyond 
conception,  and  when  permitted  to  mature  their 
seeds  on  soils  under  cultivation,  and  well  fitted  for 
their  support,  they  are  a  great  evil,  and  a  source 
of  no  small  trouble  and  annoyance  to  the  farmer,  to 
say  nothing  of  the  injury  they  inflict  upon  hia 
crops.  It  is  an  excellent  plan,  therefore,  to  go 
over  the  cultivated  fields  and  lands  late  in  autumn 
and  eradicate  every  weed  that  can  be  found.  No 
matter  how  small  or  insignificant  may  be  its  ap- 
pearance, it  will  assuredly  produce  seed  ;  and  this, 
when  disseminated  broadcast  over  the  fields  by  the 
winds,  will  germinate,  and  give  birth  to  a  progeny, 
the  perfect  eradication  of  which  will  take  more  of 
the  time  and  energies  of  the  laborers,  than  the 
crops  will  warrant. 

It  has  been  remarked  by  the  moralist  that  the 
thistle  and  mullein  are  ever  the  inseparable  com- 
panions of  the  sluggard,  and  it  must  be  confessed 
that  the  atmosphere  which  appears  so  congenial 
to  the  one,  appears  to  possess  something  in  its  con- 
stitution highly  advantageous  to  the  other.  Wher- 
ever found,  weeds  indicate  one  of  two  things  : — 
that  the  farmer  has  injudiciously  undertaken  more 
than  he  can  accomplish,  and  do  the  work  well,  or 
they  indicate  a  state  of  indolence  and  inactivity. 

Some  of  our  agricultural  friends  are  in  the  ha- 
bit of  gathering  up  the  spurious  vegetation  of 
their  fields,  and  depositing  it  in  their  yards  and 
styes.  This  is  an  admirable  plan,  provided  the 
vegetables  have  not  become  mature.  In  all  eases, 
however,  where  the  ripening  of  the  seed  has  been 
effected,  and  the  vital  principle  is  sufBciently  de- 
veloped to  ensure  propagation,  the  practice  can 
scarcely  be  attended  Avith  other  than  the  worst  re- 
sults. 

A  very  erroneous  opinion  appears  to  prevail  in 
relation  to  the  degree  of  heat  engendered  by  ma- 
nure while  undergoing  the  process  of  fermenta- 
tion ;  the  commojj  presumption  being  that  it  is 
sufficiently  intense  to  ensure  the  destruction  of  any 
seed  which  may  be  exposed  to  the  influence  of  the 
fermenting    mass.      This   supposition,    however, 


self-sacrificing  men,  who  will  undertake  the  labor 
of  establishing  and  maintaining  farmers'  clubs,  in 
every  neighborhood.  Farmers  need  to  drop  pol- 
itics and  take  up  agriculture.  They  must  talk, 
read  and  think,  and  they  will  be  sure  to  act  or 
their  children  will  act  for  them. 


seeds  of  the  common  red  sorrel — one  of  the  most 
pestiferous  of  all  weeds  in  cultivated  land,  as  well 
as  those  of  the  mullein,  white  weed,  and  numerous 
other  plants  which  so  annoy  us,  appear  to  be  in 
no  way  injured  by  the  utmost  degree  of  heat  that 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


365 


can  be  produced  without  an  actual  combustion  of 
the  heap. 

On  the  contrary,  many  seeds  appear  to  derive  an 
actual  advantage  from  it,— the  heat  to  which  they 
are  subjected,  inducing  a  more  speedy  germination 
and  development,  so  that  by  the  time  the  soil  is  fit 
for  their  reception,  or  for  the  reception  of  the  ma- 
nure in  which  they  are  contained,  they  are  Justin 
the  proper  condition  to  take  root  and  vegetate,  be- 
fore those  upon  which  the  husbandman  bases  his 
expectation  of  a  crop,  have  had  time  to  swell. 
Owing  to  this  premature  development,  the  fields 
are  often  stocked  with  a  spurious  vegetation,  and 
that  which  was  supposed  to  be  the  true  economy, 
results  in  a  ruinous  waste  ;  the  small  quantity  of 
manure  accruing  from  the  decomposition  of  the 
haulm,  being  purchavsed  at  an  enormous  outlay  of 
labor ;  and  what  is  still  worse,  the  soil  instead  of 
being  purged  of  its  noxious  weeds  is  fouler  and 
more  prodigally  infested  than  before.  Those  per- 
sons, therefore,  who  contemplate  cleanliness  of 
cultivation,  should  destroy  the  weeds  that  infest 
their  fields  before  they  mature  their  seeds.  This 
may  require  care  and  labor  but  is  not  impractica- 
ble. But  s]iould  any  escape  the  hoe,  the  scythe, 
or  the  hand,  let  them  be  carefully  gathered  to- 
gether in  some  convenient  place  and  burnt. 

The  thistle,  in  some  districts  is  one  of  the  most 
troublesome  weeds  with  which  the  American  far- 
mer is  called  to  contend.  Yet  we  often  see  it 
growing  in  farm  yards,  gardens,  by  the  road-side, 
and  even  in  the  corners  of  cultivated  fields,  in 
patches  sufficiently  extensive  to  ensure  the  pro- 
duction of  seed  enough  to  "stock"  an  entire  town- 
ship ! 

This  is  bad  policy.  Although  the  thistle  is  a 
"hard  customer,"  and  a  most  impoverishing  ten- 
ant, it  is  yet  a  harder  master.  "When  once  per- 
mitted to  usurp  the  soil,  its  eradication  is  attend- 
ed with  much  difficulty,  and  its  toleration  with 
ruin  to  the  richest  soil.  It  is  now  common  to 
consider  all  productions  as  loeeds,  which  are  not 
purposely  planted  or  sowed.  The  wheat  that  veg- 
etates in  the  corn  field,  and  the  corn  plant  that 
springs  up  accidentally  among  the  cultivated  plants 
of  the  garden,  is  as  much  a  weed  in  the  strict  ac 
eeptation  of  the  term,  aS  the  burdock  which  rears 
itself  in  the  pasture,  or  the  thistle  which  fouls  the 
mowing  field. 

As  most  species  of  spurious  vegetation  are  of  an 
indigenous  character,  they  possess,  naturally,  a 
hardiness  and  vigor  of  constitution  which  enables 
them  to  subsist  and  flourish  on  soils  which  are 
poor  and  thin,  and  to  survive  injuries,  which  no 
valuable  or  cultivated  plant,  not  indigenous  in  the 
soil,  can  do.  This  tenacity  of  life  will  suggest  the 
necessity  of  extra  hoeings,  and  greater  care  in 
their  eradication  than  is  usually  bestowed. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
STATE  REFORM   SCHOOL  AGAIN. 

Mr.  Editor: — Some  of  your  correspondents 
kindly  endeavor  to  remove  the  stigma  impressed 
on  the  Institutiim  at  Westborough,  by  the  sup- 
posed neglect  of  the  personal  condition  of  the  boys. 
No  one  will  more  heartily  rejoice,  than  myself,  if 
this  can  be  fairly  done.  Having  advised  to  the 
committant  there  of  several  boys,  and  given  the 
assurance,  that  they  would  be  well  cared  for,  I 
could  not  endure  the  thought,  that  anything  should 
appear  to  the  contrary.  An  Institution  like  this, 
under  the  special  guardianship  of  the  State,  espe- 
cially the  State  of  Massachusetts,  which  has  the 
reputation  of  being  the  model  example  in  all  be- 
nevolent enterprises,  should  be,  like  Uissar's  wife, 
above  suspicion. 

I  perceive  that  something  is  said  about  using 
the  lands  connected  with  this  farm,  and  the  two 
other  farms  lately  purchased  by  the  State,  for  the 
purpose  of  experiments  in  agriculture.  Why  may 
not  this  be  done  ?  At  either  of  the  Institutions, 
it  will  be  easy  to  command  any  amount  of  labor 
that  may  be  desired,  at  the  same  time  promoting 
the  health  and  comfort  of  those  that  labor. 

Will  it  be  said  that  the  lands  are  not  fitted  for 
successful  experiments  1  Then  let  the  experiments 
be  fitted  to  the  lands.  The  lands  are  a  part  of  the 
Commonwealth,  and  we  want  to  know,  how  all 
our  lands  can  be  turned  to  the  best  account.  He 
who  can  show  how  two  bushels  of  grain  can  be 
made  to  grow,  where  but  one  grew  before,  will 
deserve  well  of  his  country.  A  proper  examina- 
tion and  analysis  of  the  soils  on  these  estates,  will 
soon  enable  the  Board  of  Agriculture  to  do  this. 
My  notion  is,  to  place  the  cultivation  of  these  lands 
under  their  direction,  so  far  as  it  can  be  done  with- 
out prejudice  to  other  more  imperative  purposes  of 
these  establishments. 

June  loth,  1853. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
GIRDLED  APPLE  TREES. 

Mr.  Brown  : — Dear  Sir, — I  noticed  in  the  last 
number  of  your  valuable  paper,  an  article  respect- 
ing apple  trees  ;  stating  that  they  would  grow  af- 
ter being  girdled,  if  taken  care  of.  I  have  a  case 
to  prove  that  they  will  grow  without  any  care. 

Last  June  I  grafted  some  small  trees  in  my  pas- 
ture, leaving  some  of  the  larger  limbs  to  grow  un- 
til this  season.  In  July  I  visited  them,  and  found 
one  had  too  many  limbs,  taking  all  of  the  sap 
from  the  scions.  I  took  my  pen-knife  and  cut 
away  the  bark  from  two  of  them,  for  the  space  of 
five  inches,  thinking  it  would  kill  them.  I  did 
not  visit  them  again  until  a  few  days  before  I  re- 
ceived your  June  number  of  the  Farmer.  Judge 
my  surprise,  when  I  found  these  limbs  all  in  full 
leaf,  drawing  from  the  others  nearly  all  of  the  sap. 
I  examined  them  closely,  to  see  if  their  was  not 
some  communication,  but  found  none.  I  saw, how- 
ever, that  new  bark  had  been  formed  on  the  limb 
part,  nearly  three  inches,  but  none  on  the  part 
next  the  body.  This  led  me  to  conclude  that  the 
watery  matter  collected  from  the  ground  by  the 
spongioles,  is  sent  up  through  the  woody  fibres 
to  the  leaves,  and  there  changes  its  oxygen  for 
carbon,  the  material  it  wants  to  form  wood  ;  and 
descends  along  the  trunk  forming  a  layer  of  wood 
next  to  the  bark.  Now  if  there  is  a  place  denuded 


366 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


AVG. 


it  cannot  pass  it,  leaving  the  part  below  without 
this  fibrous  matter,  unless  there  should  be  twigs 
and  leaves  below  the  girdle,  and  consequently  no 
growth.  This  is  my  theory;  please  set  me  right 
if  I  am  in  the  wrong,  remembering  that  I  am  a 
young  farmer.  L.  w.  c. 

Globe  Village,  June  20,  1853. 


For  the  i\'ew  Enslnnd  Farme.r. 
CROSS  FERTILIZATION. 

Mr.  Editor  : — My  experience  does  not  corres- 
pond with  the  theory  of  your  correspondent  of 
June  22ii,  in  relation  to  producing  fruit  trees  from 
seeds.  He  says,  "the  farmer  selects  his  best  ap- 
ples for  eating  and  the  market,  and  makes  the  rest 
into  cider.  The  pomace  he  plants  for  a  nursery. 
These  seedlings  will  be  of  the  poorest  kind."  I 
think  it  best  to  select  seeds  from  young,  healthy 
and  unworked  trees,  and  these  are  generally  un- 
palatable apples,  fit  only  for  cider.  What  is  the 
aim  of  nature?  It  is  to  furnish  a  healthy  repro- 
duction of  the  plant,  having  the  characteristics 
of  the  parent  or  parents,  as  the  case  may  be.  And 
to  continue  its  species  it  must  have  perfect  seeds. 
The  object  to  be  attained  by  the  fruit  grower  is 
pulp,  not  seeds.  It  is  a  well  known  fact,  that 
when  we  obtain  a  good  fruit,  it  has  a  good  and 
large  pulp,  with  small  seeds.  With  many  of  our 
good  stone  fruits,  the  seeds  will  not  germinate. — 
Therefore  we  must  not  begin  with  fruita  that  have 
reached  their  highest  limit  of  perfection. 

In  these  days  of  cross  breeding,  when  the  prin- 
ciple has  been  reduced  to  a  science,  will  it  be  good 
policy  to  plant  seeds  from  good  trees,  which  he 
says  are  the  production  of  seed  of  two  varieties, 
mixed  by  the  pollen  ?  It  is  obvious  to  all  ac- 
quainted with  fruit  or  plants,  that  there  are  cer- 
tain limits  in  crossing  plants.  The  ofispring  of 
many  of  our  crossings,  (being  mules)  will  not  pro- 
duce perfect  seeds.  Seeds  produced  by  crossing 
are  found  to  possess  a  character  composed  of  the 
characteristics  of  both  their  parents,  although 
some  may  be  superior  to  their  parents.  Would  it 
not  be  a  better  way  to  plant  seeds  produced  by 
cross  fertilization,  than  those  gathered  promiscu- 
ously from  a  good  fruit-bearing  orchard  ?  Certain- 
ly a  much  larger  proportion  of  our  seedlings  would 
bear  good  fruit,  therefore  we  should  need  fewer 
trees,  because  we  could  have  a  few  seeds  of  each 
crop.  While  in  the  other  way  they  might  all  be 
crossed  by  the  earliest  blossoming  tree  in  the  or- 
chard, and  in  that  case  would  all  have  the  same 
male  parent.  Each  seed  has  a  pistil,  and  at  its 
summit  the  stigma.  Some  fruits,  as  the  strawber- 
ry,have  many  pistils.  By  cross  breeding,each  pistil 
may  be  impregnated  by  the  same  male,  by  keep- 
ing the  flower  covered  with  a  gauze  bag.  A  stig- 
ma once  impregnated,  cannot  be  impregnated 
again.  In  the  natural  method  of  impregnation,  1 
think  it  would  be  an  uncertain  business.  It  might 
be  fertilized  by  its  own  pollen — or  a  part  of  the 
seeds,  or  a  part  of  a  tree  might  be  so  fertilized. 
The  stigaui  is  not  always  iu  a  right  condition  to 
receive  the  pollen.  It  may  be  too  late,  or  too 
early.  The  wind  or  insects  may  bring  pollen  from 
different  and  far  off  trees,  and  ca'*h  seed  may  be 
fertilized  by  pollen  of  different  trees.  Such  being 
the  case,  can  we  adopt  his  mode  of  planting  seeds 
with  a  reasonable  prospect  of  success  !  M.  Poi- 
teau  informs  us,  that   the  celebrated  Duhamel, 


during  the  long  course  of  his  scientific  career, 
planted  the  seeds  of  all  the  best  fruits  that  were 
eaten  at  his  table,  and  not  one  produced  fruit  wor- 
thy of  cultivation.  This  French  mode  has  long 
since  exploded.  The  Belgians  are  admitted  to  be 
the  gardeners  of  the  world,  and  as  their  mode  of 
producing  new  fruits  has  been  more  successful  than 
any  other,  will  it  not  be  better  to  follow  them  ? — 
Their  theory  is,  that  in  proportion  as  a  fruit  is  re- 
moved from  a  wild  state  or  state  of  nature,  byre- 
productions,  or  by  planting  the  seeds  of  the  last 
production,  the  fruit  will  become  ameliorated  un- 
til it  reaches  the  highest  state  of  perfection  of 
which  it  is  susceptible,  which  is  usually  about  the 
fourth  or  fifth  generation,  and  that  from  this  point 
it  deteriorates  or  passes  back  to  its  original  quali- 
ties.   

Remark-s. — We  believe  there  is  much  more  talk 
than  actual  knowledge  upon  the  subject  of  the 
above  communication.  We  know  not  that  we  are 
prepared  to  endorse  fully  the  leading  idea  of  our 
friend  N.  Are  the  labors  of  the  past  all  to  be 
thrown  away  ?  Are  our  labors  to  be  of  no  use  to 
posterity  ?  Would  we  improve  our  apples,  must  we 
go  back  to  the  native  crabs  ?  Would  we  improve 
our  stock  of  cattle,  must  we  go  to  the  buffaloes  on 
the  prairies  of  the  West,  or  to  the  wild  herds  of 
the  Tartars  on  the  steppes  of  Central  Asia? — 
Would  we  improve  the  race  of  men,  must  we  seek 
our  wives  among  savages,  or  train  up  the  children 
of  savages  instead  of  our  own  ? 

Has  it  ever  been  demonstrated  that  native  stocks 
do  not  deteriorate  with  the  lapse  of  time  ?  But 
we  leave  the  subject  to  our  correspondents. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
A   NEV/  WEED. 

Mr.  Editor  : — I  send  you  here  enclosed  a  speci- 
men of  weed,  found  on  the  farm  belonging  to  Wm. 
C ,  in  the  town  of  T ,  N.  II.,  and  is  no- 
where else  to  be  produced,  in  this  vicinity.  When 
first  discovered,  which  was  five  or  six  years  ago, 
there  were  but  a  few  sprigs  ;  now  it  covers  nearly 
the  half  of  an  acre.  It  is  very  troublesome,  and 
difficult  to  eradicate.  No  one  that  has  seen  it,  13 
able  to  identify  its  name  ;  and,  as  I  presume  you 
are  a  botanist,  you  may  be  able  to  give  me  informa- 
tion respecting  it.  Such  information,  if  in  your 
power,  will  be  gratefully  received. 

W.  K Y. 

Tuftonborough,  N.  H. 

Remarks. — The  plant  enclosed  is  the  "snap 
dragon,"  or  "toad  flax,"  {Antirrhinum  linaria.) 
It  is  not  supposed  to  be  a  native,  but  that  it  has 
been  introduced.  It  is,  however,  very  common  by 
the  road-sides  about  Boston,  and  is  now  probably 
following  the  fashion,  and  taking  a  trip  to  the 
mountains.  It  is  a  perennial,  and  should  be  im- 
mediately exterminated  by  mowing  when  in  flower, 
as  it  seeds  abundantly,  and  by  plowing.  Every 
farmer  should  be  willing  to  do  something  for  the 
public  good,  even  though  he  be  not  immediately 
rewarded  thereby — so  plow  it  under. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


367 


CULTURE  AND  VALUE  OF  THE  PARS- 
NIP. 

The  following  excellent  article  on  the  culture  and 
value  ofthe  parsnip,  is  worth  a  careful  perusal  by  ev- 
ery cultivator  of  roots.  We  think  the  writer  mis- 
*-,aken  in  saying  "that  no  insect  or  bug  attacks 
,  them  at  any  stage  of  their  growth . ' '  They  are  al- 
ways infested  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  with  a 
worm  which  grows  to  a  large  size  and  becomes 
very  beautiful  before  changing  (as  we  suppose  he 
does)  into  the  butterfly  form.  They  are  very  de- 
structive to  the  parsnips  set  for  seed,  so  that  many 
cultivators  have  abandoned  raising  parsnip  seeds 
for  the  market.  We  have  never  sowed  them  in 
the  fall,  and  cannot  say,  from  our  own  knowledge, 
how  they  would  succeed. 

Culture  and  Value  of  the  Parsnip. 

Messrs.  Editors  : — As  one  who  has  lived  twen- 
ty years  upon  a  farm,  searching  all  the  while  for 
reliable  information,  both  from  his  own  experience 
and  from  that  of  others,  ought  to  be  in  possession 
of  some  "fixed  facts"  and  settled  opinions  ;  and  as 
duty,  propriety,  and  fraternity  require  that  we 
should  allow  others  the  oppurtuuity  of  beiiefitiug 
by  our  experience,  I  feel  moved  to  give  you  a  few 
items  of  information  which  I  think  very  satisfac- 
torily settled  by  evidence  within  ipy  owu  obser- 
vation. 

Disliking  long  prefaces,  and  trusting  that  all 
your  correspondents  will  dispense  witli  them,  I 
commence  the  brief  summary  of  my  experience 
and  observations  of  twenty  years,  by  a  statement 
in  regard  to  the  value  ef  parsnips. 

Parsnips  for  Hogs. — One  of  the  things  which  I 
consider  well  settled,  and  a  reliable  and  useful 
item  of  knowledge,  is  this  :  that  parsnips,  either 
raw  or  cooked,  but  preferably  cooked,  with  the  ad- 
dition of  apples,  potatoes,  &c.,  occasionally,  were 
it  only  to  prevent  the  appetite  from  being  cloyed 
by  "eternal  sameness,"  constitute  the  best  kind 
of  food  wliereonto  fotten  a  hog.  They  are  also  the 
best  kind  of  roots  for  milch  cows.  Both  hogs  and 
cows  eat  them  with  avidity,  and  to  the  milk  and 
butter  they  communicate  a  good,  a  delicious  flavor. 
I  have  seen  it  stated  some  years  ago,  that  beef 
made  from  parsnips  brings  the  highest  price  in  the 
Lofton  market.  I  think,  though  I  may  be  de- 
ceived by  imagination,  that  pork  made  from  feed 
chiefly  composed  of  parsnips,  is  sweeter  than  when 
made  from  anything  else. 

This  is  not  the  only  recommendation  which  may 
be  justly  bestowed  on  the  parsnip.  Among  its 
other  good  qualities  is  this — that  it  requires  no 
care  or  housing  in  the  fall,  as  all  other  roots  do. 
In  all  the  Middle,  Northern,  and  Western  States, 
potatoes,  carrots,  and  turnips  must  he  harvested 
and  housed,  or  buried  ;  and  even  when  all  this  is 
done,  and  with  good  care  and  judgment  too,  a  por- 
tion will  frequently  be  ruined  and  lost  by  frost- 
ing, overheating,  or  decay  from  other  causes. — 
Parsnips,  on  the  other  hand,  require  no  care  in 
the  fall,  as  they  may  be  left  without  injury  in  the 
ground  all  winter.  They  may  also  be  planted  ear- 
lier in  the  spring,  as  the  frost  does  not  injure 
them,  even  at  the  earliest  stage  of  their  growth, 
so  that  this  root  crop  interferes  the  least  of  any 
with  employments  which  crowd  upon  the  farmer 
in  the  spring    and  fall.      It  continues  to  grow 


through  the  whole  season,  until  the  ground  freez- 
es in  winter  ;  it  requires  no  expenditure  to  gather 
or  store  it ;  it  may  be  taken  up  on  several  occa- 
sions during  the  winter,  and  the  roots  that  stay  in 
the  ground  all  winter,  are  not  injured,  and  proba- 
bly improved,  by  the  frost.  Parsnips  seem  to  be 
eaten  with  more  relish  than  either  turnips  or  po- 
tatoes, and  yield,  in  the  raw  state  at  least,  a  great- 
er amount  of  nutriment. 

Another  advantage  in  cultivating  parsnips  is, 
that  on  a  suitable  soil— sand  or  loam,  rich  or  well 
manured,  and  deep  plowed— a  large  growth  may 
be  secured.  At  the  rate  of  1,200  bushels  have 
been  gathered  from  an  acre  of  ground. 

Parsnips  may  be  planted  either  in  spring,  or  in 
the  latter  part  of  summer,  in  August  or  September. 
The  ground  should  be  well  manured,  mellow,  and 
deeply  plowed,  and  the  seed  sown  in  drills,  so  as  to 
have  plants  to  thin  out,  while  preserving  them  at 
about  eight  inches  apart.  This  will  prolmbly  re- 
quire at  about  the  rate  of  two  pounds  seed  to  the 
acre.  The  drills  should  be  two  feet  apart,  and 
the  space  between  well  cultivated  and  kept  clear 
of  weeds.  If  sown  in  the  spring,  the  earlier  the 
better.  A  larger  growth  may  be  secured,  however, 
by  sowing  the  seed  in  September.  There  will  be 
some  considerable  growth  before  the  ground  freez- 
es up,  and  the  growth  will  commence  again  as 
soon  as  the  frost  leaves  the  ground  in  the  spring, 
which  will  continue  throughout  the  whole  season, 
without  running  to  seed.  They  will  thus  have  a 
|o-rowing  season  of  about  twelve  months;  where- 
as, when  sown  in  the  spring,  they  can  grow  only 
eight  or  nine  months. 

All  the  advantages  of  this  root  crop  have  not 
yet  been  named.  Among  them  are  these — that 
Ithey  seem  uninjured  by  either  a  wet  or  dry  season, 
[and  that  no  insect  nor  bug  attacks  them  at  any 
stage  of  their  growth.  Observer. 


AGRICULTURE  IN   NEW    HAMPSHIRE. 

The  extract  below,  is  from  the  late  message  of 
Gov.  Martin  to  the  Legislature  of  New  Hamp- 
shire : — 

Agriculture  is  our  leading  interest,  and  although 
our  State  is  more  mountainous  than  any  of  our 
neighboring  States,  yet  we  can  justly  boast  of 
large  quantities  of  luxuriant  interval  ;  our  uplands 
are  productive  and  afford  a  pasturage  unrivalled 
in  excellence,  and  nowhere  can  the  necessaries, 
convenience  and  comforts  of  life  be  found,  com- 
bined in  greater  abundance.  Our  agricultural  so- 
cieties, both  State  and  county,  are  doing  much  for 
husbandry,  and  the  growing  interest  in  them 
evinced  by  most  of  our  citizens  is  a  favorable  indi- 
cation of  their  utility  and  of  the  benefits  to  be 
derived  from  them.  The  free  interchange  of  infor- 
mation, scientific  and  practical,  can  not  be  too  in- 
timate, and  the  analysis  of  soils,  their  adaptation 
to  the  different  crops,  the  various  and  best  modes 
of  culture,  the  rearing  of  stock,  and  orcharding 
in  all  its  varieties,  are  matters  ofthe  deepest  inter- 
est to  the  agriculturist.  The  three  State  Fairs 
which  have  been  held  have  proved  highly  success- 
ful, and  have  afforded  gratifying  evidence  of  their 
usefulness.  Our  landsimproved  and  under  tillage 
number  2,251,488  acres  ;  value  of  farms  f  55,245,- 
997  ;  farming  implements  and  machinery  $2,314,- 
125;  livestock  $8,871,901;  orchard  products 
$248,563;  domestic  manufactory  $393,455.     We 


368 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Arc. 


raise  an  average  crop  of  185,658  bushels  of  wheat ; 
183,117  bushels  of  rye;  1, 573, 67^  bushels  of  Indi- 
an corn  ;  973,381  bushels  of  oats  ;  70,856  bushels 
of  buck-wheat,  4,304,919  bushels  of  potatoes  ;  and 
we  produce  1,108,476  lbs.  of  wool;  6,977  lbs.  of 
butter;  3,196,663  lbs.  of  cheese;  1,294,863  lbs. 
of  maple  sui;ar  ;  and  598,854  tons  of  hay.  Let 
the  younj>;  farmers  of  this  State  estimate  the  fore- 
going products  of  the  farm  and  dairy  at  fair  aver- 
age prices,  and  see  what  a  fine  ajigregate  of  val- 
ues they  will  have  as  the  result,  bearing  in  mind 
the  while,  that  lie  who  most  increases  the  pro- 
ductiveness of  the  earth,  is  the  greatest  benefactor 
of  his  race.  I  would  renew  my  suggestions  of  last 
June,  in  regard  to  the  establishment  of  an  Agri- 
cultural Commission. 


USS  OP  FLOWERS. 

All  things  have  their  uses.  The  flowers  not 
only  please  the  eye  but  improve  the  thoughts, 
making  them  more  gentle  and  better.  The  full- 
blown rose,  expanded  to  its  utmost  limits,  and 
shedding  its  fragrance  on  all  within  its  reach, 
seems  emblematic  of  a  good  heart,  beaming  forth 
its  kind  influences  on  all  around.  If  the  flowers 
could  thinh,  and  feel,  and  talk,  what  lessons  of 
gentleness  and  love  would  they  teach  us.  All 
children  luve  them  ;  the  old  man  leaning  on  his 
staCF,  pauses  by  the  wayside  and  contemplates  them 
with  delight.  A  vase  of  fresh  flowers  in  the  sick- 
room stands  as  an  emblem  of  the  new  life  that 
will  come  when  the  tried  spirit  shall  bloom  with 
perennial  lustre  in  the  skies. 

Flowers  have  kindly  influences  upon  all ;  we 
can  almost  believe  that  there  were  no  flowers  in 
Paradise,  or  Eve  had  not  yielded  to  the  tempter. 
Bacon  and  Burleigh  did  not  disdain  to  bend  their 
intellects  and  find  recreation  from  their  cares  in 
the  flower  garden.  Pope  and  Lord  Peterdorol'GH, 
and  Rousseau,  thought  they  could  find  friends  in 
the  flowers  when  they  had  no  others.  The  Em- 
peror DiocLESiAN  preferred  his  garden  to  a  throne, 
at  least,  so  Cowley  said,  and  Sir  William  Temple 
had  the  amiable  weakness  to  desire  to  have  his 
heart  buried  in  his  garden. 

What  a  beautiful  custom  was  that  in  the  island 
of  Delos,  at  a  marriage  ceremony,  where  the  in- 
habitants '-assembled  at  day-break,  crowned  with 
flowers  ;  flowers  were  strewed  in  the  path  of  the 
bride  and  Ijride-groom  ;  the  house  was  garlanded 
with  them  ;  singers  and  dancers  appeared,  crowned 
with  oak,  myrtle,  and  hawthorne,  the  bride  and 
bridegroom  were  crowned  with  poppies  ;  and  up- 
on their  approacli  to  tlie  temple  a  priest  received 
them  at  the  entrance,  presenting  to  each  a  branch 
of  ivy, — a  symbol  of  the  tie  wliich  was  to  unite 
them  forever."  The  Greeks  crowned  the  dead 
with  fluwei's,  and  the  mourners  wore  them  in  the 
funeral  ceremonies. 

And  we  love  them  and  feel  tlieir  influence  here, 
cold  and  indifferent,  as  some  say  New  England 
people    are.      No   custom    prevailed   among   the 


Greeks  more  appropriate  and  beautiful  than  that 
of  placing  flowers  before  the  congregation  in  our 
churches.  This  may  be  seen  on  any  Sabbath  in 
the  First  church  in  the  old  town  of  Concord,  Mass. 
They  have  long  been  furnished  by  our  fellow  towns- 
man, W.  W.  Wheildon,  Esq.  On  the  last  Sabbath 
the  bouquet  was  in  the  firm  of  a  cross,  and  noth- 
ing could  be  more  suggestive  of  every  thing  that 
is  "lovely  and  of  good  report."  The  cross  was 
there,  to  be  sure,  but  covered  with  nature's 
sweetest  offerings  ;  rosea,  the  fox-glove,  phloxes, 
the  mountain  laurel,  double  seringa,  larkspur, 
spirea,  and  under  the  arms  of  the  cross  the  beau- 
tiful Dsutzia  scalva,  with  its  modest  bell-like 
flowers.  Did  not  sincere  heart -offerings  go  up  with 
the  fragrance  of  the  flowers  to  the  Elysian  fields 
above  ? 

Flowers  do  speak,  then,  a  clear  and  intelligible 
language  ;  all,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  find  en- 
joyment in  flowers. 

"Are  they  not  all  proofs. 

That  man  immured  in  cities,  still  retains 

His  inborn,  inextinguishable  thirst 

Of  rural  scenes  f" 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
WARTS. 
Mr.  Brown": — Dear  Sir, — Seeing  that  you  are 
ever  ready  to  answer  any  inquiries,  I  would  like 
to  know  what  will  take   warts  from  the  teats  of 
cows.     By  answering  the  above,  you  will  oblige, 
Geo.  Cruickshakks. 
Swamfscot,  June  21,  1853. 


Remarks. — We  have  known  warts  in  numbers 
on  the  hands,  cured  by  wetting  and  rubbing  them 
occasionally,  with  a  pencil  of  lunar  caustic.  Of 
course  it  must  be  used  with  care.  We  copy  a  par- 
agraph from  Cole's  "Diseases  of  Animals." 

"For  warts,  cut  them  open,  and  apply  blue  vit- 
riol, {sulphate  of  copper,)  in  powder.  A  physician 
was  induced  to  try  this,  (and  it  was  attended  with 
excellent  success,)  from  learning  that  a  boy  had 
many  warts  cured  on  his  hands  by  sorting  brass 
nails,  from  the  influence  of  the  copper  in  the  brass. 
Neither  the  cutting  nor  the  application  is  pafcful. 
Or  apply  to  warts  raw  grated  carrots,  mixed  with 
salt.  Warts  are  sometimes  cured  by  the  applica- 
tion of  spirits  of  turpentine,  or  lunar  caustic." 

We  would  not  advise,  however,  to  ciit  the  ivarts 
open,  as  there  is  danger  of  making  a  sore  more 
troublesome  than  the  warts. 


Fine  Cherries. — Mr.  Mirick,  one  of  our  friends 
from  the  United  Family,  at  Harvard,  handed  us  a 
branch  from  a  cherry  tree,  the  other  day,  loaded 
with  most  delicious  fruit.  It  was  so  large  as  to 
spoil  the  old  saying  that  "it  isn't  worth  while  to 
make  two  bites  of  a  cherry,"  dark  red,  sweet,  flesh 
firm,  and  heart-shaped.  They  call  it  by  its  French 
name,  Look-no-furtiier,  and  really,  with  plenty 
of  such  at  command,  one  would  scarcely  care  to 
trouble  himself  for  other  kinds.  We  have  rarely 
seen  a  finer  cherry. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


369 


FRENCH  BUCK,  "MATCHJLBSS." 

This  is  the  figure  of  a  fine  French  Buck,  owned 
by  Mr.  George  Campbell,  of  West  Westminster, 
Vt.  In  his  description,  he  says  the  French  Sheep 
are  so  well  known  at  the  present  time,  that  it  is 
necessary  to  say  but  little  of  them.  "Match- 
less" may  truly  be  said  to  belong  to  the  "upper 
ten."  lie  proves  to  be  an  excellent  stock  getter ; 
is  four  years  old,  and  weighed,  on  the  first  of  last 
March,  280  lbs.  His  wool  is  very  thick,  good 
length,  and  fine.  The  French  sheep  are  large  and 
strong,  and  are  well  calculated  fur  the  production 
of  both  wool  and  mutton.  The  ewes  are  good 
breeders,  and  generally  good  nursers,  and  if  well 
kept,  will  breed  twice  a  year,  if  desired.  They 
require  good  rich  sweet  pastures  in  summer,  and 
good  keeping  in  winter.  These  sheep  are  well 
adapted  to  locations  where  mutton,  as  well  as 
wool,  is  considerable  of  an  object.  They  are  ex- 
cellent feeders  and  if  fed  high  will  gain  in  flesh 
while  suckling  their  young. 


3^  Horticulture  is  that  great  gift  of  God  to 
man,  which  makes  desert  places  into  gardens,  and 
so  beautifies  the  abodes  of  men  as  to  resemble 
Paradise.  Buildings  without  Horticulture,  are 
but  landmarks  in  a  wilderness. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
PALMER  WORM. 

Mr.  Editor  :  —After  a  lapse  of  upwards  of  forty 
years  he  has  made  his  appearance  this  season ; 
fulfilling  tlie  declaration  of  Scripture,  that  what 
the  canker  worm  hath  left,  the  Palmer  ivorm  has 
eaten.  The  habits  of  this  worm  are  much  like 
those  of  the  canker  worm  ;  by  a  sudden  shake  of 
the  tree  it  webs  down  in  the  same  manner  ;  it  is 
not  much  more  than  half  as  large,  and  is  of  vari- 
ous colors.  You  take  him  in  your  hand  and  then 
touch  him  and  he  will  snap  out  at  once. 

This  insect  you  will  find  in  many  of  our  or- 
chards, gardens  and  groves ;  he  makes  the  most 
tender  leaves  his  food  ;  for  instance,  the  Hub- 
bardston  Nonsuch  apple  tree  has  been  eaten  more 
than  any  other.  The  trees  that  leaved  out  late, 
or  w^ere  transplanted  this  spring,  have  in  man^ 
places  been  made  entirely  bare. 

He  dogs  not  attack  the  peach  or  pear  tree,  or 
grape  vine.  In  the  forest,  he  devours  all  that 
comes  in  the  way;  not  even  the  white  pine  escapes 
its  ravages. 

This  old  enemy  of  trees  is  thrice  as  formidable 
as  the  canker  worm,  and  I  know  of  no  way  to 
check  his  ravages  except  in  the  use  of  whale  oil 
soap,  and  this  can  be  applied  to  small  trees  with 
good  success,  by  the  use  of  the  syringe.  The 
sprinkling  of  air-slaked  lime  over  the  small  trees, 
I  have  found  to  have  good  effect. 

The  plum  trees  that  I  had  limed  over  to  keep 


370 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Aug. 


the  curculio  from,  have  not  been  eaten  by  this  in- 
sect, while  those  that  had  not  this  preparation, 
have  been  injured. 
_  I  notice  that  his  ravages  have  been  very  exten- 
sive in  Lynn,  Danvers,  Topsfield;  and  more  or 
less  in  most  of  the  towns  in  Essex  county.  If 
its  true  character  and  habits  are  not  found  out 
and  a  remedy  applied,  all  will  be  lost. 

Topsfield,  June  2b,  \^bZ.  J.Lake. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
THE  PALMER  WORM. 

An  insect,  formerly  known  by  this  name,  has 
appeared  in  great  .numbers  upon  fruit  and  forest 
trees,  during  the  past  month.  Apple,  cherry,  and 
plum  trees,  and,  among  forest  trees,  the  white 
oak,  have  suffered  more  or  less  from  its  depreda- 
tions in  all  parts  of  New  England,  and  in  the  State 
of  New  York.  Communications  concerning  it, 
accompanied  by  specimens,  have  been  sent  to  me 
from  Bradford,  Andover  and  Westboro',  Massa- 
chusetts ;  from  New  Haven  and  Salisbury,  Con- 
necticut ;  and  from  Keene  and  New  Boston,  New 
Hampshire.  About  the  10th  of  June,  the  same 
insects  were  first  observed  on  fruit  trees  in  my  own 
garden,  where,  however,  they  have  not  been  nu- 
merous, and  have  not  done  much  injury.  In  oth- 
er places,  their  ravages  have  been  deplorable,  and 
have  beeu  compared  to  those  of  canker  worms  ; 
the  leaves  of  trees  attacked  by  them  looking  as 
though  they  had  been  scorched  by  fire.  In  some 
orchards,  they  have  not  spared  even  the  fruit, 
which  has  been  attacked  and  mostly  destroyed  by 
them.  They  have  now  come  to  their  growth,  and 
have  finished  the  course,  in  their  present  form, 
for  this  season. 

These  insects  agree,  in  all  respects,  with  the 
accounts  given  of  the  palmer  worms  that  prevailed 
in  many  parts  of  New  England,  in  June,  1791.  It 
was  remarked,  after  this  great  visitation,  that  they 
did  not  return  the  next  year  in  the  same  places. 
Whether,  until  the  present  season,  they  have  ever 
again  been  observed,  in  the  hke  profusion,  is  un- 
known to  me.  Probably  some  of  these  insects 
might  have  been  found  almost  every  year  by  dili- 
gent search.  Perhaps  they  are  the  same  as  those 
heretofore  called  fire-worms,  of  whose  history  I 
cannot  find  anything  in  print. 

A  particular  description  of  the  palmer  worm 
,may  be  thought  unnecessary  and  superfluous,  since 
the  insect  has  been  so  recently  and  so  widely  ob- 
served, and  has  been  pretty  well  described  in  the 
newspapers.  But,  as  I  have  little  more  to  add 
concerning  it,  and  have  been  applied  to  publicly 
and  privately,  for  information  on  the  subject,  it 
may  be  proper  to  put  on  record  an  account  of  it  as 
ik  has  passed  under  my  own  observation.  In  its 
early  stages,  this  worm,  or  caterpillar,  though  va- 
rying somewhat  in  color,  is  mostly  pal«  green, 
with  two  slender  brown  lines  along  the  top  of  the 
back,  and  a  pale  brown  head.  It  has  sixteen  feet, 
six  of  which,  near  the  head,  are  jointed,  ahid  end 
with  a  single  claw ;  the  others  are  merely  fleshy 
protuberances  without  joints,  the  terminal  pair 
beinw  the  longest.  When  fully  grown,  the  insect 
measures  half  an  inch,  or  rather  more,  in  length, 
and  then  bears  a  striking  resemblance  to  the  com- 
mon bud-worm  of  the  apple  tree  ;  the  back  assum- 
ing, generally,  a  darker  color,  and  the  sides  of  the 
body  being  marked  with  black  points,  arranged 


three  together  on  each  side  of  every  ring.  Two 
blackish  semicircular  spots  or  marks,  may  also  gen- 
erally be  observed,  at  this  period,  on  the  top  of 
the  first  ring.  A  few  short  hairs  may  be  seen  on 
the  body  by  means  of  a  magnifying  glass.  On  my 
own  trees,  these  insects  have  confined  themselves 
mostly  to  the  terminal  leaves  and  buds  ;  on  others, 
in  places  where  they  have  been  numerous,  they 
have  spread  over  all  the  leaves,  and  have  devoured 
the  whole  green  substance,  leaving  only  the  net- 
work of  veins  untouched.  They  are  exceedingly 
active  in  their  motions,  moving  either  forwards  or 
backwards  at  pleasure,  with  a  kind  of  impatient 
jerking  motion,  which  renders  it  difficult  to  hold 
them.  When  the  trees  are  shaken,  these  worms 
drop,  and  hang  suspended  by  threads,  like  canker 
worms.  Whether  they  leave  the  trees  in  the  same 
way,  when  they  have  finished  their  course, — if  in- 
deed they  do  leave  them  at  this  time,  and  where 
they  undergo  their  final  transformations,  I  have 
not  ascertained,  being  prevented  by  other  engage- 
ments from  watching  their  further  progress.  One 
of  my  correspondents  has  informed  me  that  these 
worms  mostly  disappeared  after  a  late  hail  storm; 
and  another  one  states  that  they  all  took  lesive 
during  a  heavy  shower  on  Monday  last.  A  few, 
that  were  kept  for  observation  in  a  glass  jar,  have 
covered  themselves  with  a  thin  web  of  silk,  and 
some  of  these  have  already  taken  the  chrysalis 
from  within  their  webs.  More  than  half  of  my 
specimens  have  been  stung  by  ichneumon  flies, 
which  have  deposited  a  single  egg  in  each  one  of 
their  victims.  The  maggots  bred  from  these  eggs, 
are  now  leaving  the  lifeless  worms,  and  are  spin- 
ning themselves  up  in  white,  oblong  oval,  silken 
pods  or  cocoons.  If  the  palmer  worms  elsewhere 
have  suffered  the  same  fate  in  the  like  proportion, 
we  have  little  cause  to  fear  for  their  ravages  next 
year.  The  chrysalis  is  about  one  quarter  of  an 
inch  long,  of  a  pale  yellowish  brown  color,  and 
differs  from  that  of  the  bud-worm  in  not  having 
transverse  rows  of  teeth,  or  little  notches,  around 
its  body.  The  final  transformation  remains  to  be 
observed  ;  and,  until  the  insect  is  obtained  in  the 
winged  or  moth  state,  its  scientific  name  cannot 
be  determined. 

On  the  morning  of  the  28th  of  May,  I  saw,  in 
the  cemetery  at  Worcester,  immense  numbers  of 
gray  or  whitish  moths,  about  twice  the  size  of  the 
common  clothes'  moth,  flying  about  almost  in 
swarms,  being  disturbed  from  the  grass  and  trees 
by  my  passing.  Two  days  afterwards,  a  few  of 
the  same  little  moths  were  seen  in  my  garden ; 
and  Dr.  Sanborn  informed  me  that  his  garden  was 
alive  witti  them  on  the  2.3d  of  May.  They  were 
also  very  numerous,  about  the  same  time,  at  New 
Elaven,  and  in  other  places  since  visited  by  the 
palmer  worms.  But  vrhether  the  latter  were,  or 
were  not,  the  descendants  of  these  little  moths,  it 
would  not  be  safe  now  to  say.  The  moths,  tliough 
not  wholly  unknown  to  me  by  sight,  before  this 
spring,  have  heretofore  been  so  rare  tliat  my  col- 
lection contained  only  a  single  specimen,  and  that 
in  too  poor  a  condition  to  enable  me  satisfactorily 
to  investigate  its  scientific  character  and  ascertain 
to  what  modern  genus  it  belonged. 

As  attention  has  been  generally  directed  to  the 
habits  of  the  palmer  worm  during  the  present  sea- 
son, other  persons,  more  favorably  situated  than 
I  am,  may  be  expected  to  pursue  and  make  known 
the  further  history  and  transformations  of  this  de- 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


371 


structive  insect.  I  regret  not  beiog  able  to  give  a 
better  account  of  it  at  this  tiuie,  and  still  more 
that  the  pressure  of  my  official  duties  necessarily 
interferes  witli  the  continued  and  further  investi- 
gation it  would  otherwise  please  me  to  make  upon 
ft.  T.  W.  Harris. 

Cambridge,  Mass.,  July  6,  1853. 

Remarks. — Professor  Harris  will  please  accept 
our  tlianks  for  the  above  interesting  and  valuable 
paper.  We  can  find  no  account  of  the  worms  that 
appeared  in  1791,  and  are  at  a  loss  to  know  why 
this  insect  is  called  a  palmer  worm. 

In  the  book  of  Joel  i :  4,  it  is  written  ;  "That 
which  the  palmer  worm  hath  left  hath  the  locust 
eaten  ;  and  tliat  which  the  locust  hath  left  hath 
the  canker  worm  eaten  ;  and  that  which  the  can- 
ker worm  hath  left  hath  the  caterpillar  eaten." 
On  reference  to  the  edition  of  the  Scriptures  pub- 
lished by  Knight,  London,  we  find  the  following  : 

^^  The  palmer  worm. — The  Hebrew  writers  gen- 
erally agree  that  the  four  insects  mentioned  in 
this  verse  are  different  species  of  the  locust ;  and 
this  opinion  has  been  supported  by  Bochart,  with 
his  usual  ability  and  research.  There  is,  howev- 
er, a  very  strong  objection  to  this  conclusion,  in 
the  fixct,  that  the  three  rendered  'palmer  worm,' 
'canker  worm,'  and  'caterpillar,'  in  our  version, 
were  not  regarded  as  locusts  by  the  Seventy,  who 
were  likely,  in  this  matter,  to  be  acquainted  with 
the  real  meaning  of  the  Hebrew  words,  and  who 
wrote  much  earlier  than  any  of  those  Hebrew  wri- 
ters who  consider  all  the  words  to  denote  varieties 
of  the  locust. 

"The  original  name,  palmer  worm,  is  gazam,  of 
the  Septuagint.  This  seems  to  be  the  caterpillar 
which  was  called  by  the  Roman  ab  erodendo,  from 
gnawing,  as  Isidore  remarks.  The  ancients  de- 
scribe it  as  a  worm,  which  rolls  up  itself  in  the 
leaves  of  herbs,  and  especially  of  the  vine,  includ- 
ing perhaps  several  species  of  insect  under  one 
name.  Plautus,  an  old  Latin  poet,  speaks  of  it 
as  a  mischievous  "beast,"  that  rolls  itself  up  in  a 
vine  leaf.  It  does  not  fly  like  the  locust  from 
plant  to  plant,  or  run  hither  and  thither  like  some 
other  insects,  and  leave  them  half  eaten,  but  con- 
tinues upon  the  perishing  herbage,  till,  by  its 
sluggish  motion  and  lazy  jaws,  it  has  devoured  the 
whole.  The  ravages  made  by  caterpillars  are  too 
familiar  to  render  any  expatiation  upon  them  neces- 
sary. A  reference  to  the  respective  meaning  of  the 
Hebrew,  Latin  and  Greek  terms,  makes  it  proba- 
ble that  the  same  kind  of  insect  was  intended  by 
ab  erodendo.  The  Hebrew  meaning  to  cut,  to  shear. 
The  Greek,  to  bend,  and  the  Latin  gnawing — the 
first  and  last  pointing  out  to  us  its  mischievous 
operations,  and  the  second,  the  habit  of  rolling 
itself  up  in  the  leaf,  to  protect  itself  against  those 
enemies  which  are  every  moment  upon  the  watch 
to  secure  it.  The  Arabic  version  has  dud,  which 
seems  to  be  a  general  denomination  for  what  we  I 


call  the  larva  state  of  an  insect,  such  as,  for  in- 
stance, the  caterpillar  is  in  regard  to  the  butter- 
fly, l)eing  then  in  the  second  grade  of  its  progress 
towards  the  perfect  or  2ma^'0  condition."  If  this 
gives  a  correct  description,  the  insect  which  has 
come  upon  us  with  such  a  withering  power  is  not 
the  palmer  loorm  ! 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
STATE  REFORM  SCHOOL. 

Mr.  Editor  : — I  perceive  your  brother  editor  of 
the  Culturist  and  Gazette,  at  Pittsfield,  has  kindly 
copied  my  remarks,  supplementary  to  your  article 
on  the  State  Reform  School  at  Westborough,  and 
interlarded  such  exceptions,  as  tend  to  put  the 
boot  on  the  other  leg.  Can  it  be,  sir,  that  we,  and 
those  who  were  with  us,  were  entirely  in  error, 
in  our  conception  of  the  condition  of  things  at  this 
establishment?  I  should  like  to  know  whether 
the  good  doctor  has  ever  been  there  himself.  He 
expresses  a  quere,  whether  it  is  possible  to  keep 
so  many  boys  in  a  clean  and  healthy  condition. 
If  it  is  not,  I  should  say,  they  should  never  be 
brought  together.  Even  the  State  itself  has  no 
authority  to  administer  a  slow  poison,  i»  the  form 
0^ filth  and  vermin. 

His  notions  of  "the  connection  between  sin  and 
punishment"  are  so  abstract,  that  I  must  leave 
them  to  be  settled  by  the  theologians  of  the 
schools.  I  make  no  pretension  to  such  knowledge. 
If  I  rightly  comprehend  the  purpose  of  this  Insti- 
tution, it  is  for  the  reception  and  education  of 
boys  during  their  minority ;  of  those  not  suffi- 
ciently matured  in  crime,  to  be  fit  subjects  for 
punishment  in  our  gaols  and  houses  of  correction. 
He  speaks  of  the  benefits  that  may  accrue  from 
keeping  alive  in  their  memory,  the  errors  of  which 
they  have  been  guilty.  With  all  due  respect  to 
the  doctor's  opinion,  I  think  it  will  be  better  to 
obliterate  the  recollection  of  past  errors,  by  excit- 
ing a  generous  ambition  to  do  well.  Sir,  what 
hope  is  there  of  a  man  or  boy,  who  constantly  feels, 
that  he  is  looked  upon  with  an  eye  of  jealousy  and 
suspicion  !  If  you  would  have  improvement,  you 
should  inspire  confidence. 

"To  err  is  human,  to  forgive  divine." 


June  30,  1853. 


Essex. 


Cows  Holding  up  their  Milk. — Itis  well  known 
that  many  cows  when  they  first  come  in,  when 
their  calves  are  taken  from  them,  will  hold  up  their 
milk,  sometimes  to  such  a  degree  as  almost  to  dry 
themselves  before  they  will  give  it  down.  "A 
few  years  ago,"  writes  a  correspondent  of  an 
English  newspaper,  "I  bought  a  young  cow  which 
proved  to  be  very  wild,  and  when  I  took  away  her 
first  calf  she  would  not  give  her  milk.  I  had  heard 
it  remarked  that  putting  a  weight  on  the  cow's 
back  would  make  her  give  her  milk  down.  I  ac- 
cordingly drove  her  into  a  stable,  got  a  bushel  of 
grain  and  put  it  on  her  back.  VVhile  in  this  po- 
sition she  had  no  power  to  hold  up  her  milk,  for 
it  came  down  freely.  After  doing  this  a  few  times, 
and  afterwards  putting  my  hand  on  the  back  of 
the  cow,  it  would  give  way  and  she  would  imme- 
diately give  down  her  milk."  The  rationale  of 
this  treatment  appears  to  be  that  the  weight  coun- 
teracts the  upward  tendency  of  the  animal's  mus- 
cular action. — Rural  New-  Yorker. 


372 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Aug 


PRACTICE  OP  SHOEING  HORSES. 

Mr.  Chas.  Percival,  veterinary  surgeon  of  the 
Royal  artillery,  Furnishes  the  following  communi- 
cation to  one  of  the  Duhlin  papers  : 

I  have  lately  been  devoting  much  attention  to 
shoeing,  and  flatter  myself  that  the  horses  under 
my  care  arc  as  well  shod  as  any  in  lier  Majesty's 
service. 

The  shoe  I  found  in  use  here  was  made  concave 
next  to  the  foot,  and  flat  on  the  ground  surface, 
than  whicli,  in  my  opinion,  nothing  could  be 
.worse.     This  shoe  I  have  had  reversed,  making 


farriers  are  very  apt  to  apply  the  edge  of  the  rasp 
improperly  to  the  crust,  forming  a  deep  gn'ove 
round  the  same,  which  cannot  but  be  injurious  to 
the  foot,  and,  together  with  taking  away  too  much 
of  the  crust  in  finishing  oif  the  foot,  must  have  a 
tendency  to  render  it  shelly.  Curving  the  shoe  at 
the  toe,  after  the  French  fashion,  where  horses  go 
near  the  ground,  I  am  very  fond  of;  but  I  cannot 
see  any  advantage  in  it  as  a  general  practice. 

Remarks. — We  hope  every  shoer  of  horses  who 
reads  this,  will  compare  its  suggestions  with  his 


the  latter  as  concave  as  the  foot  will  possibly  ad-  practice.     As  is  the  case   with  most  of  the   me- 


mit  of,  leaving  only  sufficient  room  between  the 
shoe  and  the  foot,  for  the  pricker  to  pass  freely 
round,  to  remove  dirt,  &c.  To  the  heels  of  the 
shoe  I  have  given  an  inclined  plane  outwards  on 
the  foot  surface,  with  three  nails  on  the  inside  and 
four  on  the  outside.  The  heels,  instead  of  being 
cut  off  straight,  are  well  sloped,  and  about  the 
same  thickness  as  the  toe.  The  shoe,  one-third 
as  thick  at  the  heel  as  the  toe,  recommended  by 
the  late  professor,  the  majority  of  our  horses  could 
not  travel  in.  There  are  many  pernicious  practi- 
ces which  smiths  in  general,  if  left  to  themselves, 
fall  into,  viz  : 

1.  Mutilating  the  frogs  by  improper  cutting.  I 
have  at  length  got  my  farriers  to  understand  that 
the  only  part  of  the  frog  which  ever  requires  cut- 
ting, unless  ragged,  is  the  point,  to  prevent  the 
sensible  frog  being  bruised  between  it  and  the  cof- 
fin bone. 

2.  Inflicting  serious  injury  to  the  crus*  by  an 
improper  use  of  the  rasp,  but  especially  the  coarse 
side  of  it. 

3.  In  fitting  the  shoes,  by  cutting  too  much  out 
of  the  crust  at  the  toe  to  admit  the  clip.  The  shoe 
is  consequently  set  too  far  back,  instead  of  being 
fitted  full  to  the  crust,  and  afterwards  rasping 
away  the  crust,  making  the  foot,  in  fact,  to  fie  the 
shoe,  instead  of  the  shoe  to  fit  the  foot.  This  is 
a  faulty  practice,  and  very  seriously  so,  which 
smiths  in  general  are  very  apt  to  fall  into  ;  one, 
too,  which  renders  the  crust  shelly,  for  that  part 
Into  which  the  nails  are  driven  from  time  to  time 
is  in  this  way  rendered  weak. 

4.  In  turning  shoes,  smiths  in  general  do  not 
attend  sufliciently  to  beveling  or  sloping  the  edge 
of  the  shoe  from  the  foot  to  the  ground  surface, 
which  I  consider  of  great  importance,  especially  if 
horses  are  given  to  cut  or  interfere  in  their  action. 

5.  Cutting  the  heels  of  the  shoe  oS"  straight. 
This  is  also  a  very  bad  practice.  If  well  sloped, 
like  a  shoe  for  hunting,  to  which  there  cannot  be 
any  objection,  they  are  less  liable  to  be  pulled  off 
by  the  hind  shoe  catching  in  them,  and  contribute 
more  to  safety  of  both  horse  and  rider. 

6.  Leaving  the  inner  edges  of  the  hind  shoes  at 
the  toe  sharp,  which,  if  rounded,  will  in  a  great 
measure  prevent  over-reaches,  as  well  as  render 
the  fore  shoes  less  liable  to  be  pulled  off  by  their 
catching  in  the  heels  of  the  former.  Squaring  the 
toe  of  the  hind  shoe  for  horses  that  forge,  or  "car- 
ry the  hammer  and  pincers,"  as  it  is  termed,  leav- 
ing the  horn  projecting  over  the  shoe,  is,  in  my 
opinion,  good  as  a  general  rule,  not  only  prevent- 
ing that  unpleasant  noise,  but  rendering  horses 
less  liable  to  overreach  and  pull  off  their  fore  shoes, 
provided,  however,  attention  be  paid  to  rounding 
the  inner  edge. 

7.  la  rasping  the  under  part  of  the  clinches 


chanics  of  this  country,  there  is  only  one  in  a  hun- 
dred that  understands  his  business.  It  requires 
art,  to  shoe  a  horse  properly,  as  well  as  to  make 
a  watch.  There  are  important  principles  involved 
in  the  operation  which  the  smith  should  study  and 
understand.  We  believe  there  are  more  horses 
led  into  shambling  gaits,  and  awkward  overreach- 
ing and  stumbling  habits,  by  bad  shoeing,  than  by 
all  other  causes  combined.  And  when  the  horse 
has  acquired  these  habits,  he  is  check-reined,  mar- 
tingaled,  and  abused  in  other  abominable  ways, 
because  he  does«just  as  his  owner  ought  to  have 
known  he  would  do  under  such  a  course  of  shoe- 
ing ! 


IiOVE  ALL. 

BY     C.     D.      STUART. 

Love  all  !     There  is  no  living  thing 

Which  God  has  not  created  ; 
Love  all  !     There  is  no  living  thing 

Which  God  has  ever  hated. 
His  love  sustains  the  meanest  life — 

Whate'er  dolh  live  or  perish  — 
And  man  ma)'  not  disdain  to  love 

What  God  has  loved  to  cherish. 

Love  all  1    For  hate  begettelh  hale, 

And  love  through  love  increaseth; 
Love  all  !  For  hate  shall  faint  and  fall, 

While  love,  like  God,  ne'er  ceaselh. 
Love  is  the  law,  the  life  supreme, 

The  goal  where  all  are  tending; 
The  hate  shall  die,  the  strife  shall  cease, 

But  love  is  never-ending. 


ENTOMOLOGICAL   DISCOVERY. 

The  following  note  from  our  friend,  Mr.  S.  Max- 
well, Jr.,  describes  a  discovery  he  has  made,  which 
will  prove  of  considerable  value,  on  account  of  the 
ease  with  which  the  nit  is  removed.  We  have  ex- 
amined a  number  of  plums  since  receiving  the  note 
and  find  in  every  case  the  nit  under  the  brown 
speck,  except  where  the  punctui-ehas  exuded  gum 
— then  the  worm  is  hatched  out  and  has  com- 
menced his  depredations. 

CuRCULio. — I  have  within  a  week  discovered  a 
fact  about  the  curculio  which  was  new  to  me,  and 
have  also  found  it  entii'ely  new  to  others  to  whom 
I  have  communicated  it.  All  those  who  have  had 
fruit  bitten  by  the  curculio,  have  probably  noticed 
a  little  brown  spot  on  the  inner  edge  of  the  cres- 
cent-shaped puncture.  That  little  brow  spot  covers 
the  egg  left  by  the  bug,  and  the  puncture  seems 
to  be  made  for  a  place  of  safety  for  the  young 
i  worm  when  hatched,  and  also  to  facilitate  its  oper- 


1863. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


373 


atioDs  ia  boring  into  the  fruit.  Persons  having 
plum-trees,  and  leisure,  and  wishing  to  preserve  f 
few  of  tlie  fruit  after  it  lias  been  bitten,  can  witl 
the  point  of  a  penknife,  or  with  the  thumb  or  fin 
ger  nail,  easily  remove  the  spot  from  its  place,  and 
no  harm  will  come  to  the  fruit  except  the  scar  left 
by  it. —  Greenfield  Reptiblican. 


For  the  Neiu  England  Farmer. 
BARN   CELLARS,    RESTORATIVE    GAS 
ES,  AND  OTHER  SPECULATIONS. 

jMessrs.  Editous  : — Most  of  the  farmers  in  this 
vicinity  who  have  renewed  their  barns  have  also 
built  capacious,  well-constructed  cellars  under  the 
whole  building,  at  a  large  additional  expense.  A 
little  experience  has  led  me  to  make  the  following 
remarks  on  the  subject  of  barn  cellars. 

Eleven  years  ago,  I  had  a  cellar  constructed  un- 
der my  cow  hovel  with  the  intention  of  sheltering 
my  manure  from  the  weather  and  saving  the  liquid 
excrements,  which,  under  our  former  manage- 
ment, without  a  cellar,  were  mostly  lost.  The  ad- 
vantages I  have  realized  from  my  cellar  have  not 
but  partially  answered  my  expectations.  The  cel- 
lar was  closed  with  matched  boards  in  front,  and 
walled  with  stones  at  the  sides  to  keep  it  tight ; 
the  floor  over  it  had  openings  to  let  the  excrements 
pass  from  the  hovel  into  the  cellar,  which  would  be 
nearly  full  in  the  spring  when  wanted  for  use.  On 
removing  the  dung  from  the  cellar  we  found  a  large 
part  of  it  dry  and  hard,  and  in  no  condition  to  de- 
compose into  suitable  nourishment  for  immediate 
food  for  growing  vegetables,  the  urine  not  being 
sufficient  to  supply  the  required  amount  of  hu- 
midity necessary  to  promote  fermentation,  its 
state  of  decomposition  being  quite  behind  that 
thrown  out  at  the  hovel  window  and  lying  the 
same  length  of  time,  which  had  been  kept  damp 
by  snow  and  rain.  I  am  not  able  to  compi-ehend 
what  loss  green  manure  can  sustain  in  a  few  weeks 
while  lying  in  a  conical  form  as  thrown  from  the 
window  before  the  process  of  fermentation  takes 
place  to  disengage  the  gases,  or  even  afterward 
within  the  space  of  a  year.  I  have  known  some 
of  our  best  practical  farmers  prefer  to  have  their 
dung  heaps  lay  in  that  form  till  tliey  were  rotten 
enough  to  put  in  the  hills  or  to  spread  to  top  dress 
grass  land.  How  much  the  loss  is,  during  the 
process  of  fermentation,  in  the  escape  of  nutritive 
gases,  cannot  be  ascertained  without  accurate 
chemical  experiments  and  nice  observation.  We 
cannot  make  a  perfect  compost  without  a  large 
supply  of  water  in  the  form  of  rain,  or  from  some 
other  source,  and,  therefore,  I  think  the  rains 
which  fall  upon  a  heap  of  green  manure  must  rath- 
er benefit  than  injure  the  process  of  fermentation 
and  rotting.  After  housing  my  dung  four  or  five 
winters,  I  have  turned  back  to  the  old  custom  of 
throwing  it  through  the  hovel  windows  again.  I 
believe  the  gases  which  escape  and  ascend  from 
our  manure  wliile  in  a  state  of  fermentation  and 
decomposition  descend  again  on  being  condensed 
by  some  chemical  agency  in  the  laboratory  of  the 
atmospliere,  and  fertilize  our  lands  which  lie  in 
a  state  of  rest,  and  as  evidence  of  the  truth  of  my 
theory,  I  will  refer  to  practical  facts  flimiliar  to  all 
farmers  of  observation  who  have  reared  herds  of 
cattle  and  sheep. 

Lands  which  have  been  exhausted  by  cropping 
are  restored   to  fertility   again    after  supplying  a 


flock  of  sheep  with  their  food,  and  their  owners 
with  wool,  pelts  and  mutton,  after  a  lapse  of  a 
few  years,  so  that  they  will  produce  respectable 
crops  of  grain  again  without  manure  ;  now  how 
does  this  happen  if  the  nutritive  gases  do  not  re- 
turn again  to  the  earth  in  such  large  quantities 
as  to  furnish  the  sheep  with  a  living,  the  farmer, 
with  wool,  meat,  and  pelts,  and  at  the  same  time 
(after  so  large  a  deduction  and  draught  ujion  the 
soil)  it  should  continue  to  gain  in  fertility  so  as  to 
produce  one  or  two  crops  of  grain  (mce  in  five  or 
more  years  ?  Those  who  keep  swine  in  their  barn 
cellars,  perhaps  have  much  the  advantngc  of  those 
who  do  not,  as  a  hog  is  an  animal  that  never 
leaves  a  moveable  thing  as  he  finds  it,  generally 
examining  all  sides  of  it,  even  if  it  is  excrement  of 
the  most  offensive  kind  ;  his  olfactories  are  such 
that  he  appears  to  enjoy  the  odor  as  he  would  the 
most  delicate  perfume,  and  as  willingly  works 
among  the  most  nauseous  filth  as  sport  in  the  fra- 
grance of  the  garden  of  Eden.  liogs  are  called 
dung  makers,  which  is  a  very  appropriate  name, 
and  to  those  educated  in  a  barn-cellar  no  one  will 
dispute  their  merit  to  the  title,  but  the  idea  of  eat- 
ing pork  saturated  with  the  filth  of  a  barn  cellar 
is  revolting  to  the  sensibilities  of  those  who  are  so 
particular  as  to  trace  effects  to  causes.  TMe  great- 
est advantage,  and  that  a  real  one,  that  I  have 
found  from  having  a  barn  cellar,  is  from  the  liquid 
excrements  being  all  saved  and  conveyed  through 
holes  in  the  floor  into  the  cellar  where  quantities 
of  earthy  and  vegetable  materials  are  deposited 
purposely  to  absorb  the  urinous  effusions  from 
above  ;  in  this  way  we  have  made  very  valuable 
manure  for  top-dressing  of  grass  land  or  for  grain 
crops,  and  are  compensated  for  the  extra  expense 
of  making  a  cellar. 

The  first  barn  cellar  within  my  knowledge  in 
this  neighborhood  was  made  by  Col.  Loammi  Bald- 
win, the  noted  engineer  of  Middlesex  Canal, 
more  than  half  a  century  ago ;  after  trying  it  a 
few  years  he  told  a  friend  of  mine  who  was  about 
building  a  barn,  that  he  could  not  advise  him  to 
make  a  cellar  under  it  from  any  beneficial  experi- 
ence he  had  received  from  his  own  cellar  ;  and  my 
neighbor  built  a  large  barn  without  a  cellar,  influ- 
enced, as  he  told  me,  by  the  Col.'s  advice.  The 
effluvia  which  fly  off  from  our  barn  cellars  and 
dung  heaps  are  not  lost  but  return  again  to  us 
with  interest,  though  the  same  gases  may  not  de- 
scend upon  the  same  man's  premises  where  they 
originated  ;  they  appear  to  be  equally  distributed 
by  an  impartial  Providence  upon  everyman's  fixrm, 
according  to  his  number  of  acres.  The  man  who 
enriches  his  land  by  plowingjn  his  clover  or  buck- 
wheat is  indebted  to  the  nutritive  gases  which  es- 
cape from  the  decomposition  of  animal  and  vege- 
table substances,  and  enter  life  in  another  form  af- 
ter descending  from  the  great  atmospheric  labora- 
tory. 

Nutritive  gases  transferred  from  the  decomposi- 
tion of  animal  and  vegetable  substances  to  he  re- 
organized in  the  form  of  buckwheat  and  clover, 
constitute  a  considerable  portion  of  those  produc- 
tions as  well  as  other  vegetables  ;  or  why  should 
those  plants  which  are  entirely  indebted  to  the 
earth  for  their  sustenance  add  any  fertility  to  it  by 
being  plowed  under  to  decompose  there,  as  the 
earth  would  only  take  back  what  she  gave,  and 
gain  nothing  by  the  operation.  The  chemical 
operations  of  the  Divine  mind  as  much  surpass  the 


374 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Aug. 


researches  of  human  chemists,  as  the  formation  of 
living  animals  surpass  the  manufiicture  of  the  im- 
itations contrived  by  man  to  represent  birds, beasts, 
and  men,  or  as  the  power  of  the  Almighty  to  cre- 
ate is  beyond  man  who  tries  to  imitate. 

Silas  Brown. 
'Wilmington,  June  28,  1853. 


APPLE  TREES  KILLED  BY  POTASH. 

The  ISew  England  Farmer  mentions  a  case  where 
an  orchard  of  one  hundred  and  six  thrifty  Bald- 
wins were  washed  with  a  solution  of  potash  of  the 
strength  of  a  pound  to  a  gallon  of  water,  which 
killed  the  whole  of  them  in  a  few  days.  In  all  at- 
tempts to  doctor  seeds,  plants,  trees,  or  animals, 
great  caution  should  be  observed.  Guano  is  often 
used  in  a  way  that  destroys  the  vitality  of  seeds  ; 
and  in  soaking  seed  wheat  in  brine,  blue  stone  or 
copperas  water,  a  similar  disaster  frequently  re- 
sults by  steeping  the  seed  too  long.  It  is  better 
to  spread  caustic  ashes,  guano  and  urine  too  spar- 
ingly than  in  excessive  quantities,  or  in  a  too  con- 
centrated form.  First  and  last,  we  have  used  a 
good  deal  of  liquid  manure,  and  never  add  less 
than  five  parts  of  water  to  one  of  urine.  A  pound 
of  potalh  to  five  or  six  gallons  of  water  instead  of 
one,  will  form  a  wash  of  sufficient  strength  to  kill 
moss  on  apple  trees,  and  probably  the  cotton  aphis 
which  so  abounds  at  the  South.  The  finest  peach 
trees  that  we  ever  saw  in  any  part  of  our  extend- 
ed country,  were  treated  frequently  to  a  wash  of 
soap-suds  after  the  servants  had  washed  the  linen 
and  other  clothes  for  the  week.  Spent  ashes  from 
which  soap  has  been  made,  and  the  refuse  wash- 
water  are  of  great  value  as  manures,  and  particu- 
larly to  apply  to  the  soil  over  the  roots  of  all  fruit 
trees.  Many  thoughtful  economical  fiirmers  at 
the  North,  are  careful  to  apply  all  soap-suds  and 
kitchen  slops  not  suitable  food  for  hogs,  to  their 
compost  heaps,  which  is  an  excellent  plan,  for  the 
alkalies  in  wash-water,  in  all  cases  where  soap  is 
used,  or  ley,  aids  in  rendering  the  silica  in  the 
straw,  corn-stalks,  grass  or  weeds  composted, 
soluble  manure.  The  object  of  composting  coarse 
vegetables,  is  to  break  down  their  tissues,  and  ren- 
der them  an  unctious,  soluble  mass.  The  caustic 
ammonia  developed  in  putrid  urine  ;  the  alkalies  in 
ashes,  and  alkaline  minerals,  lime  and  magnesia, 
all  extract  oils  from  plants  and  favor  their  decom- 
position.— D.  Lee,  in  Southern  Cultivator. 


Remarks — That  is  good  sound  teaching,  and 
just  such  as  we  should  expect  from  Dr.  Lee.  He 
not  only  understands  the  chemical  nature  of  pot- 
ash, but  by  ample  experience,  its  action  upon  veg- 
etable life.  If  all  agricultural  editors  could  come 
to  the  opinion  that  they  not  only  do  not  know  ev- 
erything, but  that  many  things  which  they  think 
they  know  should  be  dealt  out  sparingly  to  the 
people,  there  would  be  less  error  in  practice.  We 
were  called  a  few  days  since  to  look  at  a  beautiful 
lot  of  plum  trees,  filled  witli  fruit,  which  had  been 
syringed  with  a  solution  of  the  salts  of  ammonia  ; 
nearly  every  leaf  of  them  was  as  dead  as  they  ev- 
er are  in  December  ;  even  the  hardy  currant  and 
strawberry  leaves  were  as  dead  as  though  they  had 
been  laid  on  a  hot  iron,  wherever  the  solution  had 


touched  them.  The  proprietor  of  the  garden  in- 
formed us  that  he  found  this  nostrum  recommend- 
ed in  the  same  paper  where  the  "pound  and  gal- 
lon" potash  theory  comes  from. 

We  do  not  doubt  but  either  of  these  may  be 
used  without  injury  to  the  tree,  under  certain  cir- 
cumstances, but  the  practice  ought  to  be  aban- 
doned entirely,  because  we  can  never  control  those 
circumstances. 

Fur  the  New  Ensland  Farmer. 


TRIMMING  PINE  TREES. 


25th 


Mr.  Editor  : — Sir,  in  your  paper  of  the  21 
inst.,  I  notice  an  inquiry  of  G.  F.  W.,  about  tri 
ming  pine  trees,  and  in  your  remarks  you  ask  for 
information  upon  the  subject.  I  have  a  piece  of 
land  which  has  for  the  last  twenty  years  been 
coming  into  pitch  pines,  and  as  I  use  evergreen 
boughs  to  shelter  my  strawberry  beds,  &c.,  in  win- 
ter, I  have,  annually,  pruned  the  young  pines  in 
November,  for  the  last  twelve  or  fifteen  years.  I 
cut  the  limbs  with  a  saw,  close  to  the  trunk;  pitch 
exudes  from  the  wound,  and  becomes  hardened  by 
spring,  effectually  protecting  the  wound  from  the 
weather.  I  do  not  think  any  injury  results  from 
the  pruning;  it  has  the  same  effect  as  upon  decidu- 
ous trees,  making  them  grow  less  stocky ,vih\ch  is  an 
advantage  where  the  trees  are  not  close  together. 
Where  they  grow  in  thick  groves,  the  limbs  die 
while  the  trunk  is  small,  leaving  a  clean  trunk, 
free  from  large  knots. 

I  have  occasitmally  cut  limbs  from  them  in 
spring — a  much  larger  quantity  of  pitch  exudes, 
and  as  the  weather  is  warm,  it  does  not  harden 
over  the  wound.         Yours  respectfully, 

F.  W.  Mason. 

Dartmouth,  June  27,  1853. 


Remarks. — Mr.  Mason  has  done  the  public  a 
favor  in  giving  his  experience  on  this  subject.  We 
had  made  many  personal  inquiries  among  our  best 
farmers,  but  found  none  who  had  made  experi- 
ments. There  is,  indeed,  very  little  known  among 
us  in  relation  to  the  treatment  which  our  forests 
ought  to  receive. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
CANKER,  OR  SOME  OTHER  WORMS. 

Mr.  Editor: — The  canker  worms,  in  countless 
numbers  and  with  astonishing  rapidity,  are  almost 
universally  desolating  our  orchards.  Many  noble 
trees,  which  a  few  short  weeks  ago  enlivened  the 
scenery  with  their  beautiful  green,  now  look  al- 
most as  brown  as  though  the  frosts  of  Autumn  had 
swept  over  them,  and  the  rest  will  be  likely  to 
share  their  fate  unless  speedy  measures  are  taken 
to  cheek  or  destroy  the  little  invaders — if  they  can 
be  called  invaders,  living,  as  they  do,  just  where 
they  were  born. 

Of  course,  all  will  depend  upon  your  valuable 
paper,  for  information  upon  this  subject,  and  prob- 
ably they  will  not  be  disappointed.  I  have  heard 
some  express  an  opinion,  that  the  insect  now  so 
common,  is  not  tlie  real  canker  worm  ;  I  think 
it  is;  but  should  be  glad  to  have  some  one  wlio 
knows,  settle  the  question;  anyway,  they  are  bad 
enough,  and    they  seem  almost  exclusively  to   at- 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


375 


tack  our  most  valuable  trees— viz,  apple  trees — as 
though  they  owed  mankind  a  peculiar  grudge. 
While  looking  over  the  third  volume  of-  the  old 
New  England  Farmer,  published  in  1825,  I  think, 
after  something  relative  to  the  canker  worm,  I 
found  on  page  327  an  article,  recommending  locust 
trees,  planted  thickly  through  the  orchard,  as  a 
remedy  for  their  ravages  ;  after  reading  this  I  re- 
membered that  on  my  father's  farm  there  was  a 
small  locust  grove  with  two  or  three  apple  trees 
standing  almost  in  contact  with  it.  Upon  exami- 
nation, these  trees  proved  to  be  equally  infested 
with  the  rest,  thus  disproving  that  theory. 

Should  you  think  it  worth  while  to  insert  this, 
it  may  lielp  some  who,  like  myself,  may  be  referr- 
ing to  old  papers,  and  find  this  suggestion, and  may 
not,  as  I  had,  have  the  means  of  judging  of  its 
merits.  s.  g.  e. 

Chester,  June,  25lh,  1853. 


THE  HISTORY  AND  CULTURE  OF  THE 
MIGNONETTE. 

The  following,  written  by  Dennis  Murray,  one 
of  the  best  gardeners  in  or  around  Boston,  for  the 
Journal  of  Agriculture,  will  be  read  with  inter- 
est : 

It  is  now  an  age  since  this  fragrant  weed  of 
Egypt  first  perfumed  the  European  gardens,  and 
it  is  so  tar  climated,  as  to  spring  from  seed  of  its 
own  sowings.  The  Reseda  Odorata  first  found  its 
way  to  the  south  of  France,  where  it  was  wel- 
comed by  the  name  oi Mignonette,  (Little  Darling,) 
which  was  found  too  appropriate  for  this  sweet 
little  flower  to  be  ever  afterwards  exchanged  for 
any  other.  By  a  manuscript  note  in  the  library 
of  the  late  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  it  appears  that  the 
seed  of  the  mignonette  was  sent  in  1742,  by  Lord 
Bate  man,  from  the  Royal  Garden  at  Paris,  to  Mr. 
Richard  Bateman,  at  Old  Windsor  ;  butweshould 
presume  that  this  seed  was  not  dispersed,  and 
perhaps  not  cultivated  beyond  Mr.  Bateman's  gar- 
den, as  we  find  that  Mr.  Miller  received  the  seed 
from  Dr.  Adrian  Van  Royen,  of  Leyden,  and  cul- 
tivated it  in  the  Botanic  Garden  at  Chelsea  in  the 
year  1752.  From  Chelsea  it  soon  got  into  the 
gardens  of  the  London  florists,  so  as  to  enable 
them  to  supply  the  metropolis  with  plants  to  fur- 
nish out  the  balconies, — a  fact  noticed  by  Cowper, 
who  attained  the  age  of  twenty-one  in  the  year 
that  this  flower  first  perfumed  the  British  atmos- 
phere by  its  fragrance.  The  author  of  the  Task 
soon  afterwards  celebrates  it  as  a  favorite  plant  in 
London — 

the  sashes  fronted  wiili  a  range 


Oforan^e,  myrtle,  or  the  fragrant  weed.' 

The  odor  which  this  little  flower  exhales  is 
thought  by  some  to  be  too  powerful  for  the  house; 
but  even  those  persons,  we  presume,  must  be  de- 
lighted wicli  the  fragrance  which  it  throws  from 
the  balconies  into  the  streets,  giving  something 
like  a  breath  of  garden  air  to  the  "close-pent  man" 
whose  avocations  will  not  permit  a  ramble  beyond 
the  squares  of  the  fashionable  part  of  the  town. 
To  such  persons  it  must  bo  a  lusuriims  treat  to 
catch  a  few  ambrosial  gales  on  a  summer  evening, 
from  the  heated  pavement  where  offensive  odors 
are  but  too  frequently  met  with.  We  have  fre- 
quently found  the  perfume  of  the  mignonette  so 
powerful  in  some  of  the  better  streets,  that  we 
have  considered  it  sufficient  to  protect  the  inhabi- 


tants from  those  effluvia  that  bring  disorder  with 
them  in  the  air.  This  genus  of  plants,  of  wliich 
there  are  a  good  many  species,  was  named  Rcsca- 
da  by  the  ancients,  from  resedare,  to  assuage,  be- 
cause some  of  the  species  were  esteemed  good  for 
mitigating  pain. 

We  find  that  this  sweet  Reseda  hns  crept  into 
the  armorial  bearings  of  an  illustrious  family  of 
Saxony,  by  the  following  romantic  tale  ;  the  Count 
of  Walsthim  was  the  declared  lover  and  intended 
spouse  of  Amelia  de  Nordbourg,  a  young  lady  pos- 
sessing all  the  charms  necessary  for  the  heroine 
of  a  modern  novel,  excepting  that  she  took  delight 
in  creating  little  jealousies  in  the  breast  of  her 
destined  husband.  As  the  beautiful  Amelia  was 
an  only  child  of  a  widowed  mother,  a  female  cous- 
in, possessing  but  few  personal  charms,  and  still 
less  fortune,  had  been  brought  up  with  her  from 
inflmcy  as  a  companion,  and  as  a  stimulus  to  her 
education.  The  amiable  and  humble  Charlotte 
was  too  insignificant  to  attract  much  attention  in 
the  circles  in  which  her  gay  cousin  shone  with  so 
much  splendor,  which  gave  her  frequent  opportu- 
nities of  dispensing  a  part  of  that  instruction  she 
had  received  on  the  more  humble  class  of  her  own 
sex.  Returning  from  one  of  those  charitable  vis- 
its and  euteiiug  the  gay  saloon  of  her  aunt,  where 
her  entry  or  exit  was  now  scarcely  noticed,  she 
found  the  party  amused  in  selecting  flowers,  while 
the  couut  and  the  ot'uer  beaux  were  to  make  vers- 
es on  the  choice  of  each  of  the  ladies.  Charlotte 
was  desired  to  make  herselection  of  a  flower.  The 
sprightly  Amelia  had  taken  a  rose,  others  a  carna- 
tion, a  lily,  or  the  flower  most  likely  to  call  forth 
compliment ;  and  the  delicate  idea  of  Charlotte  in 
selecting  the  most  humble  flower,  by  placing  a 
sprig  of  mignonette  in  her  bosom,  would  proba- 
bly have  passed  unnoticed,  had  not  the  flirtation 
of  her  gay  cousin  with  a  dashing  colonel,  who 
was  more  celebrated  for  his  conquests  in  the  draw- 
ing-room than  in  the  field  of  battle,  attracted  the 
notice  of  the  Count,  so  as  to  make  his  uneasiness 
visible  ;  which  the  amiable  Charlotte,  ever  stu- 
dious of  Amelia's  real  happiness,  wished  to  amuse  ; 
and,  to  call  back  the  mind  of  her  cousin  demand- 
ed the  verses  for  the  rose.  The  Count  saw  this  af- 
fectionate trait  in  Charlotte'sconduct,  took  out  his 
pencil  and  wrote  for  the  rose — 

"Elle  ne  vit  qu'  un  jour,  et  ne  plait  qu'un  momeiit." 

which  he  gave  to  the  lovely  daughter,  at  the  same 
time  presenting  the  humble  cousin  with  this  line 
on  the  mignonette : — 

"Vos  qualites  surpassant  vos  charmes," 

Amelia's  pride  was  aroused,  and  she  retaliated 
by  her  attention  to  the  Colonel  and  neglect  of  the 
Count,  which  she  carried  so  far  as  to  throw  herself 
into  the  power  of  a  profligate,  who  brought  her  to 
ruin.  The  Count  transferred  his  affections  from 
beauty  to  amiability,  and,  rejoicing  in  the  ex- 
change and  as  well  to  commemorate  the  event 
which  brought  about  his  happiness  and  delivered 
him  from  a  coquette,  he  added  a  branch  of  the 
sweet  Reseda  to  the  ancient  arms  of  his  family, 
with  the  motto  : 

Your  qualities  surpass  your  charms. 

The  mignonette  is  transformed  into  a  perennial 
shrub,  which  dispenses  its  odors  at  till  season  of 
the  year,  by  the  following  simple  treatment  :  ^  A 
young  plant  should  be  placedin  a  garden  pot,  with 


37G 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Aug- 


a  stick  of  about  eighteen  inches  in  height  inserted 
by  its  side,  to  tie  up  its  branches  to  ;  as  it  advan- 
ces in  height,  the  leaves  and  young  branches  being 
kept  stripped  off  from  the  lower  part,  so  as  to  form 
a  stem  to  the  height  required,  this  stem  will  be- 
come sufficiently  hard  and  woody  to  endure  the 
winter,  by  being  placed  in  a  green  house  or  the 
window  of  a  sitting  room,  and  may  be  preserved 
for  several  yeass,  if  air  is  given  to  it  whenever  the 
weather  will  allow,  so  that  the  young  branches  do 
not  become  too  delicate.  As  soon  as  the  seed 
vessels  begin  to  form,  they  should  be  cut  off,  wliich 
will  cause  the  plant  to  throw  out  a  fresh  supply  of 
blossoms  ;  but  these  plants  should  never  be  suf- 
fered to  perfect  their  seed,  as  it  would  greatly 
weaken  them,  and  generally  cause  their  entire  de- 
cay ;  for  the  sweet  Reseda  is  an  annual  in  its  prop- 
er climate,  and  therefore  naturally  decays  when  it 
has  ripened  its  seed.  It  is  frequently  observed 
that  the  seeds  of  the  mignonette  which  scattered 
themselves  in  the  autumn  produce  finer  plants 
than  those  that  are  sown  in  the  spring,  which 
should  teach  us  to  sow  a  part  of  our  seed  at  that 
season  of  the  year  in  pots  or  boxes,  kept  iu  frames 
through  the  winter,  or  in  a  green  house. 


while  the  black  knot  insect  appears  as  yet  unknown 
to  him. 

I  have  made  the  above  remarks  more  to  arouse 
a  spirit  of  inquiry  and  investigation,  than  to  arro- 
gate to  myself  any  superior  knowledge  of  the  sub- 
ject. For  the  study  of  Entomology  is  one  so  intri- ' 
cate  and  difficult,  that  one  short  life  is  too  little  to 
)btain  a  thorough  knowledge  of  it  ;  it  appears, 
therefore,  to  be  the  duty  of  students  in  the  science 
to  assist  each  other,  although  they  may  differ  for 
a  while  in  tlieir  opinions  ;  patient  investigation 
will,  in  time,  bring  them  to  the  same  conclusions. 
Very  respectfully, 

Mrs.  Notes  Darling. 

New  Haven,  June  18/A,  1853. 


For  the  Neio  England  Farmer. 
BLACK  KNOTS   AGAIN. 

Mr.  Brown: — Respected  Sir, — I  have  read  with 
considerable  interest  the  communication  Cor  rath- 
er the  postscript)  of  your  correspondent  J.  Lee,  of 
Salisbury,  Conn.  My  object  in  noticing  it  at  this 
time,  is  not  so  much  to  convince  Mr.  L.  by  my 
words,  but  to  put  him  as  well  as  others  in  a  way 
to  convince  themselves.  It  is  no  wonder  that  he 
did  not  find  very  distinct  traces  of  insects  in  old 
knots  of  last  year's  growth,  for  the  grubs  leave 
early  in  August,  and  the  knots  enlarge  and  alter 
their  shape  very  mueh  after  that  time.  But  now 
is  the  time,  the  present  month  of  July.  Watch 
carefully  the  first  swellings,  (they  will  be  difficult 
to  find,  for  they  do  not  turn  black  until  late  in  au- 
tumn,) mark  them  well,  and  dissect  them  from  time 
to  time.  The  grubs  are  so  minute  at  first  that  it 
will  require  a  lens  to  discover  them,  but  will  in 
a  short  time  become  visible  to  the  naked  eye,  then 
cut  out  sections  of  the  limbs,  and  follow  the  prac- 
tice described  in  my  communication  published  in 
the  March  number  of  the  New  England  Farmer . 
And  if  the  result  does  not  prove  the  same,  Black 
Knots  must  be  different,  in  different  localities. 

I  stated  in  my  communication  to  the  March 
number,  that  the  warts  had  almost  entirely  disap- 
peared in  New  Haven, and  its  vicinity  within  three 
or  four  years.  Such  was  the  fact  for  two  or  three 
years,  but  I  find,  upon  examination, that  they  were 
as  numerous  as  ever  last  year  in  some  locations. 

I  have  perused,  also, with  much  interest,  the  ar- 
ticle on  black  knots,  copied  from  the  Horticulturist, 
published  in  the  June  number.  The  writer 
has  evidently  paid  much  attention  to  the  science  of 
Entomology,  and  has  folk) wed  a  very  judicious 
course  in  his  war  of  extermination.  But  in  my 
opinion  he  has  carried  on  his  operations  against 
three  distinct  species  of  insects,  instead  of  one. 
The  one  that  punctured  the  twigs  with  a  sting  or 
Ovapositor,  must   have  been  a  species  of  Cicadae,  has  the  usual  appearance    of  grain   that  js  sown 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
PROSPECTS  OF   THES  SEASON. 

BY    A.  G.  COMINGS. 

It  is  well  sometimes  to  take  a  look  ahead,  and 
see  how  things  are  likely  to  turn  out.  We  are 
now,  [June  25,]  sufl5ciently  near  the  top  of  the 
hill,  in  the  season,  to  desire  to  see  what  our  ag- 
ricultural prospects  are. 

Grass. — Never  during  May  and  June,  in  any 
season  remembered,  have  our  New  England  pas- 
tures been  clothed  with  a  garment  of  more  beauti- 
ful green.  In  the  mowing  fields  grass  has  come 
forward  early,  and  in  this  vicinity  it  now  appears 
as  though  the  crop  would  be  light.  Old  fields 
require  a  cool,  wet  May,  for  the  best  product  of 
mowing  grass.  The  month  was  not  dry ;  but 
much  warmer  than  usual,  this  year.  The  grass 
shot  up  readily  and  rapidly,  but  not  thick.  On 
old  fields,  where  the  soil  was  not  wet  and  cold, 
grass  is  thin,  and  the  crop  will  be  light.  On  new 
ground,  much  of  what  was  sown  to  grass  last 
year  failed  to  "catch"  well.  Such  ground  will  of 
course  give  but  a  light  crop.  Ground  newly  seed- 
ed with  clover,  in  some  parts  of  this  county,  has 
suffered  much  from  the  absence  of  the  ueual  cov- 
ering of  snow,  during  the  winter.  Many  fields 
show  an  entire  or  almost  entire  loss  of  the  clover, 
by  winter  killing.  I  have  seen  acres  together 
where  the  surface  of  the  ground  was  covered  with 
the  roots  of  clover  which  had  been  thrown  out  of 
the  gound  by  freezing  and  thawing.  The  season 
is  now  forward,  and  much  grass,  in  this  vicinty, 
is  losing  vitality,  for  want  of  more  rain.  The 
prospect  is  not  favorable  to  the  idea  of  a  very 
heavy  hay  crop. 

Indian  Corn  looks  remarkably  well  for  the  time 
of  year.  If  the  latter  part  of  summer  should  be 
as  favorable  as  the  first  part  has  been,  the  corn 
crop  will  be  very  fine  this  year.  But  while  we 
ought  always  to  hope,  we  ought  never  to  presume. 
Our  expectations  may  be  cut  short. 

Potatoes  have  not  reached  their  critical  time  of 
life.  There  has  been  a  great  planting,  and  if  there 
should  be  a  great  rotting  before  the  twentieth  of 
September,  it  will  not  very  much  surprise  some 
people.     But  we  hope  for  the  best  of  potatoes. 

Spring  Grain  has  mostly  suffered  somewhat 
from  the  forwardness  of  the  season.     Much  of  it 


Locust,  for  such  is  the  course  that  species  of  iu' 
sect  follows.  The  cluster  of  eggs,  covered  with 
varnish,  was  probably  that  of  the  tent  caterpillar, 


when  the  season  is  so  far  advanced  that  it  comes 
on  too  rapidly.  It  grows  up  tliin  on  the  ground, 
is  light  strawed  and  light  headed. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


377 


The  mischievous  bugs  have  annoyed  farmers 
very  much.  They  have  left  hardly  a  hope  of 
pumpkins  "for  Thanksgiving."  They  have  eaten 
the  cucumbers  before  they  could  be  picked.  They 
have  not  even  waited  fur  a  preparation  of  salt  and 
vinegar.  Squashes,  summer  and  winter  kinds, 
have  been  most  mercilessly  treated  by  the  army 
of  bugs.  But  somebody  will  raise  some  of  all 
these  things  "for  seed,"  undoubtedly. 

The  prospect  is  that  there  will  not  be  much 
crowing  about  fruit,  next  fall.  Tliere  are  two 
reasons.  One  is,  there  are  not  so  many  of  those 
wonderful  roosters  kept  now,  as  were  once.  Crow 
ing  is  therefore  becoming  a  little  unpopular,  since 
the  big  Shanghai  rooster  burst  his  windpipe  in  an 
attempt  to  give  a  speciuien  of  Chinese  music. 
The  other  reason  is,  the  fruit  is,  evidently,  the 
most  of  it,  destined  to  be  "food  for  worms,"  like 
all  fruit  eaters.  Apple  trees  in  many  places  look 
as  though  some  sudden  stop  had  been  put  to  the 
course  of  nature.  I  suppose,  however,  that  it  is 
all  very  natural  for  worms  to  eat,  and  for  trees  to 
look  very  bare  when  their  leaves  are  gone,  or  very 
uninterestingly  when  the  leaves  appear  to  be  dry 
on  the  tree.  If  good  winter  fruit  does  not  com- 
mand a  price,  next  fall,  it  will  be  a  little  strange. 
There  is  hope,  yet,  for  a  good  lot  of  peaclies. 
The  little  mischievous  chap  that  bites  the  plums 
and  tlie  apples  does  not  seem  to  be  so  fond  of 
peaches.  That  is  really  encouraging.  It  is  al- 
ways a  lucky  idea  to  those  who  do  not  raise  any, 
but  have  some  cousins  who  do,  to  remember  the 
relationship  just  at  the  best  time  to  "go  and  see 
the  folks  and  get  some  peaches."  Well,  who 
wouldn't? 

We,  here  in  New  Hampshire,  have  our  particu- 
lar prospects.  Our  Agricultural  Societies  are 
wide  awake,  to  make  the  year  tell.  Our  legisla- 
ture has  had  "the  ague"  over  the  part  of  Gov- 
ernor JMartin's  Message  concerning  an  agricultu- 
ral Commission.  They  have  finally  put  a  wet 
blanket  upon  the  whole  subject  and  sent  it  to  bed. 
Whether  it  will  be  found  to  sleep  a  whole  year  re- 
mains for  time  and  tide  to  tell  and  establish.  At 
any  rate,  the  wisdom  of  this  legislature  has  taken 
its  shape.  On  this  subject  the  mass  of  the  peo- 
pte  have  no  definite  idea,  and  it  is  therefore,  to 
them,  a  matter  of  indifference  whether  it  goes 
this  way  or  that. 

The  hay-season  is  now  upon  us.  The  ground 
is  becoming  very  dry.  The  old  idea  of  making 
hay  while  the  sun  shines  will  not  be  forgotten.  But 
if  hay  is  scorched  excessively  under  a  burning  sun 
it  will  lose  very  much  of  its  value,  by  the  crum- 
bling of  the  leaves  and  heads. 

We  are  all  looking  forward  for  better  success  in 
all  our  efforts,  in  the  future.  Of  what  has  been, 
and  of  what  now  is,  we  have  some  knowledge. 
But  ctmcerning  the  future  all  is  conjecture.  Yet 
we  humbly  hope,  and  every  mind  struggles  in  the 
world  of  mind  to  accomplish  some  desired  and  de- 
sirable service.  The  agricultural  student  wrestles 
violently  with  the  difficulties  which  oppose  his 
progress  ;  and  the  plowman  studies  deep  philoso- 
phy while  he  treads  the  newly  opened  furrow,  and 
pushes  his  conquest  at  the  point  of  the  plow. 

An  interest  for  the  honor  of  agriculture  is  fast 
ripening  to  maturity.  Things  as  of  old  are  pass- 
ing away.  Scholars  will  be  plow-boys,  and  phi- 
losophers will  be  farmers.  The  spirit  of  this 
change  is  touching  the  springs   of  motion,  and 


what  is  to  be  very  soon  will  be.  Ignorance  must 
learn  to  be  ashamed,  and  the  rage  of  dandyism,  in 
its  thousand  forms,  must  give  place  to  that  prac- 
tical comuum  sense  upon  which  the  weal  of  the 
world  depends.  a.  g   c. 

Mason,  N.  H. 


The  figure  above  represents  a  pair  of  Sliding 
Pruning  Shears.  They  have  a  movable  centre  for 
the  motion  of  one  of  the  blades,  by  which  means, 
instead  of  a  crushing  cut,  they  make  a  draw  cut, 
leaving  the  section  of  the  part  attached  to  the 
tree  or  shrub  smooth,  as  if  cut  off  with  a  knife. 

These  shears  are  especially  convenient  and  com- 
fortable in  trimming  raspberry,  blackberry,  goose- 
berry and  other  bushes  that  have  thorns,  or  for 
heading  in  peach  or  plum  trees. 

GARDEN  OR  HEDGE  SHEARS. 


These  are  admirably  adapted  for  shearing  hedg- 
es, borders  of  walks,  or,  if  set  with  a  keen  edge, 
for  heading  in  small  trees. 

GRASS  EDGING  OR  BORDER  SHEARS. 


These  are  used  for  trimming  the  sides  of  box  and 
grass  edgings,  and  are  constructed  with  a  roller  so 
that  the  operator  may  stand  upright  whilst  using 
them  ;  the  one  figured  here  has  a  wheel  attached, 
which  is  generally  considered  an  advantage. 


Errors  in  Growing  Beans. — Lima  bean  vines 
are  usually  suffered  to  wind  themselves  tiDund  a 
pole  twelve  or  fifteen  feet  high,  and  before  the 
vine  reaches  the  top  of  the  pole,  some  beans  are 
already  of  a  size  to  be  pulled,  near  its  bottom. 
Lima  beans  should  be  pinched  off  when  five  and  a 
half  feet  high,  and  they  will  readily  throw  out 
side  shoots  well  filled  with  pods,  which  will  ripen 


,:*. 


378 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Aug. 


before  frost ;  whereas,  when  not  shortened  in,  the 
beans  on  the  upper  ends  of  the  vine  cannot  per- 
fect themselves  in  time  to  be  saved.  It  is  unfair 
to  expect  a  gill  of  sap  to  travel  through  forty  feet 
of  vine  wrapped  around  a  pole,  and  make  a  perfect 
bean  at  the  extreme  end  of  it. 


BLACK  KNOT  IN  PLUM  TREES. 

Mr.  Editor  : — When  the  carrier  brought  the 
last  Farmer  into  uij  door-yard,  I  met  him,  as  I 
was  returning  from  my  garden,  where  I  had  been 
carefully  examining  some  of  the  newly  forming 
"knots'*  upon  some  young  sprouts  growing,  or 
trying  to  grow  in  the  vicinity  of  an  old  "purple 
damson"  tree.  I  took  the  paper,  and  the  first  ar- 
ticle I  noticed,  was  the  one  on  the  first  page,  call- 
ing attention  once  more  to  this  subject.  After 
reading  the  article,  which  afforded  but  little  light 
upon  this  perplexing  point  of  inquiry,  and  which 
was  chiefly  designed  to  induce  careful  observation, 
at  this  favorable  season  of  the  year,  I  returned  to 
the  garden  and  renewed  my  examinations,  and  I 
will  give  you  what /arts  I  have  discovered,  and  my 
speculations  upon  them.  First  the  facts.  These 
protuberances,  or  "knots,"  commence  about  the 
time  the  leaves  open  upon  the  trees,  in  the  charac- 
ter of  a  swelling,  or  enlargement  upon  the  side  of 
the  limb,  and  generally  upon  wood  of  the  lastyear's 
growth ;  always  upon  young,  fresh  and  sappy 
wood.  Soon  the  bark  cracks  open  for  considerable 
extent  upon  the  limb,  varying  from  one  to  six  inch 
es,  and  sometimes  extending  along  continuously 
for  half  a  yai'd.  This  opening  in  the  bark  is  rapid- 
ly filled  with  a  sort  of  fungus,  or  porous  woody 
substance,  in  which  the  regular  fibres  of  healthy 
wood  do  not  appear,  but  which  will  readily  sug- 
gest to  the  observer  the  idea  of  disease — of  a  bad 
sore — of  a  cancer  upon  a  human  limb.  Indeed,  I 
can  think  of  nothing  they  so  much  resemble  as  can- 
cers, or  scrofulous  sores,  I  have  seen  upon  the  hu- 
man body.  As  these  sores  progress,  they  extend 
into  the  bone,  or  into  the  wood,  come  to  the  heart 
of  it,  and  frequently  nearly,  or  quite  round  and 
through  the  entire  limb,  and  the  wood  becomes 
porous,  resembling  a  diseased,  carious  bone,  and 
dies. 

Now  for  another  fact :  in  examining  these  pro- 
tuberances, at  this  season  of  the  year,  I  have 
found,  on  examining  them  carefully,  near  the  cen- 
tral parts  of  the  branches,  or  more  prominent  por- 
tions, a  small  maggot,  very  small,  but  large 
enough  to  be  seen  with  the  naked  eye.  My  ob- 
servations this  morning,  have  detected,  at  least, 
half  a  dozen  of  them,  finding  one  or  more  in  every 
branch,  and  often  discovering  the  path,  half  an 
inch  or  more  in  length,  which  had  undoubtedly 
been  his  "path  of  life,"  aflbrding  him  food  and 
shelter  thus  far  in  his  maggot,  or  first  form  of  ex- 
istence. Two  or  three  weeks  later  than  this  date, 
these  maggots  may  be  found  considerably  larger ; 
but  never,  I  think,  attaining  to  moi-e  than  three- 
eighths  of  an  inch  in  length,  and  the  size  of  a  com- 
mon pin  ;  or  possibly  a  little  more.  Later  in  the 
season  I  have  often  discovered  their  path,  extend- 
ing along  an  inch  or  more,  through  the  central 
part  of  this  fungus  matter,  and  leading  out  at 
length,  where  we  may  suppose  he  found  himself 
possessed  of  a  pair  of  wings,  and  the  power  of 
using  them. 

Now  for  my  speculations.     The  inquiry  may 


arise,  are  these  fungi,  or  sores,  thrown  out  as 
eruptions  appear  upon  the  surface  of  the  human 
body,  from  disease  in  the  sap,  the  blood  of  the 
tree  ?  and  thus  afibrding  a  convenient  place  for  the 
moth,  or  fly,  in  which  to  deposit  its  egg,  become 
incidentally  its  birth  place  and  cradle  ? 

Or  does  the  insect,  the  moth  or  fly,  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  season,  insert  its  egg  in  the  healthy 
i)ark,  or  soft  wood  of  the  summer's  growth,  to  be 
hatched  out  the  ensuing  season,  as  the  sap  flows 
freely,  and  the  warm  sun  is  felt  by  it  ■?  This  lat- 
ter is,  I  am  confident,  the  true  view  of  the  subject. 
But  what  is  the  cause  of  such  an  extensive  "knot" 
or  sore  upon  the  limb?  Certainly  no  such  result 
follows  a  slight  incision  or  wound  made  in  the  or- 
dinary way.  Is  it  not  probable  that  N&.ture  has 
prepared  this  insect,  to  propogate  its  kind,  through 
this  peculiar  process  1  and  accordingly  by  a  law 
we  cannot  fully  scan,  made  its  sting,  or  the  depos- 
ited egg,  act  upon  the  wood  as  a  poison,  throwing 
out  just  such  an  excrescence  as  is  necessary  to  its 
existence?  This  is  my  opinion.  And  I  think  the 
vegetable  world  affords  many  examples  analogous 
to  this  theory.  Many  a  time,  in  my  boyhood, 
have  I  plucked  a  certain  forest  weed  in  the  pasture, 
or  by  the  road  side,  growing  perhaps  to  the  height 
of  three  feet ;  the  stock  grown,  and  about  as 
large  as  a  pipe  stem,  and  having,  somewhere  mid 
way  of  it,  a  ball  or  bulge,  an  inch  in  diameter,  and 
perfectly  sound.  A  careful  examination  of  this 
ball,  showed  clearly  that  some  insect  had  inserted 
an  egg  in  the  stock  of  the  young  weed,  which 
caused  the  fibres  to  part  in  the  centre,  and  swell 
out  to  the  size  above  described,  and  containing 
within  a  pulpy  substance,  in  the  midst  of  which 
would  be,  at  first,  an  egg,  and  then  in  due  time  a 
maggot,  which  feeds  upon  the  tender  juicy  sub- 
stance, Nature  has  so  wonderfully  provided  for  it. 
In  Autumn  these  balls  will  be  found  to  have,  in 
the  side  of  them,  a  small  round  hole,  through  which 
the  imprisoned  maggot  makes  his  escape. 

Similar  to  this  are  the  round  balls  often  seen  at- 
tached to  the  leaves  of  the  oak,  and  familiarly 
called  "oak  apples."  They  are  composed  of  veg- 
etable matter ;  their  formation  is  a  wonderful 
specimen  of  mechanical  precision  and  skill ;  and 
yet  they  grow,  or  result  from  the  insertion  of  the 
egg  of  a  moth  or  fly,  in  the  fibrous  substance  of 
the  young  and  tender  leaf.  They  form  a  perfect 
ball,  the  wall  of  which  is  in  substance  much  like 
the  leaf  itself,  while  in  the  centre  of  the  large  cham- 
ber within,  suspended  by  fine  fibres,  extending  to 
the  wall  all  round,  is  a  small  sack,  or  shell,  in 
which  at  first  is  an  egg,  then  a  maggot,  which 
finally  escapes  by  crawling  through  the  wall  of  its 
prison. 

Now  in  these  cases,  certainly  the  hermit  insect 
is  the  prime  cause.  She  lays  her  egg,  and  Nature 
takes  it  into  its  fostering  care  ;  and  though  we 
cannot  fully  comprehend  the  subtle  principles,  by 
which  the  process  is  carried  on,  yet  the  facts  can- 
not be  disputed.  Nature,  in  her  beneficence,  re- 
gards not  man  alone,  but  all  living  things.  By 
laws  the  most  subtle,  by  arrangements  the  most 
complete,  as  they  often  appear  to  us,  yet  really 
the  most  free  and  simple,  are  the  wants  of  all  sup- 
plied. 

Possibly  in  some  non-essentials  in  the  above 
theory,  I  may  have  erred ;  I  may  not  be  correct 
as  to  the  time  when  the  egg  is  inserted ;  when  it 
takes  its  wings  and   moves   in   the  air.     I  have 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


379 


m:ide  no  discoveries,  that  fully  determined  every 
difficulty  of  these  points  ;— but  that  I  am  right,  as 
to  the  prime  cause  of  the  "Black  Knots  in  Plum 
Trees,''  I  have  no  doubt. 

In  respect  to  a  prevention,  I  can  only  say,  that 
in  case  of  the  "Uurculio"  that  works  upon  tiie 
young  fruit,  upon  the  same  trees,  vre  must  make 
our  effjrts  in  the  direction  of  the  insect  itself.  \Ve 
cannot  prevent  the  injury  to  the  tree,  when  the 
sting  is  made,  the  poison  inserted.  We  must  find 
out  the  fly  and  destroy  him,  or  apply  something  to 
the  bark  of  the  trees  that  will  prevent  its  ravages. 
— Maine  Farmer.  z.  t. 

HAY  CAPS. 

With  the  almost  uniformly  dry  months  of  July 
and  August,  as  we  have  had  for  three  years  past  in 
this  region,  the  haymaker  may  say,  perhaps,  that 
coverings  for  the  protection  of  his  hay-cocks  are 
unnecessary.  But  there  are  sections  of  country 
every  summer,  where  the  "weather  is  catching," 
and  large  quantities  of  hay  are  ruined  or  much 
injured.  After  the  grass  has  been  made  nearly 
ready  for  the  barn,  the  loss  is  not  that  of  the 
grass  alone,  hut  of  the  labor  also  that  has  been 
bestowed  upon  it,  and  which  has  now  become  a 
part  of  the  value  of  the  crop. 

Besides,  if  there  is  a  way  to  protect  the  partial- 
ly made  crop  out  of  doors,  it  prevents  many  tons 
from  being  injured  after  being  taken  in.  When 
the  rain  comes,  the  length  of  its  duration  is  un- 
certain, and  the  farmer  will  often  hurry  in  hay 
that  is  not  sufficiently  cured,  and  that  will  heat 
and  become  musty  in  the  barn.  And  tlien  there 
springs,  both  from  the  wetting  and  the  moulding, 
a  disappointment  and  uneasiness  of  feeling,  that 
should  be  avoided,  if  it  can  be  done  without  too 
expensive  an  outlay. 

Again,  in  curing  clover  hay,  it  is  absolutely 
necessary  that  it  should  remain  out  two  or  three 
nights,  and  there  is  too  much  risk  without  some 
protection  to  the  cocks. 

A  simple,  cheap,  and  thoroughly  effectual  rem- 
edy ag  linst  losses  by  wetting  hay,  may  be  found  by 
using  sheeting  a  yard  wide,  and  sewing  two  pieces 
two  yards  long,  each,  together;  hem  the  edges; 
turn  down  the  corner  an  inch,  and  then  that  turn 
another  inch,  and  sew  it  d(iwn  strong.  This  will 
form  a  loop,  into  which  a  strong  twine  must  be 
placed.  When  the  cap  is  thrown  over  the  cock, 
thrust  a  pine  pin  about  a  foot  long  through  the 
string  at  each  corner,  and  up  into  the  hay,  which 
will  keep  the  cap  in  place,  unless  the  whole  cock 
is  overturned. 

Your  cap,  made  as  above,  v^ill  be  two  yards 
square,  which  will  be  sufficiently  large  to  cover 
half  or  two-thirds  the  way  down  of  a  common 
cock  ;  beyond  this  the  rain  will  do  no  harm,  as  the 
water  will  not  penetrate  the  hay. 

Good  firm  sheeting,  worth  eight  to  nine  cents  a 
yard,  will  slied  the  rain  from  the  hay  through 
a  storm  of  three  or   four  days'  continuance  ;  and 


the  caps  will  last   a  lifetime  by  taking  good   care 
of  them  when  not  in  use. 

Take  a  light  nail  cask  and  make  a  bail  to  it  from 
part  of  a  hoop,  to  keep  and  carry  the  pins  in, 
and  you  are  then  provided  with  a  remedy  which 
will  pay  its  cost  in  a  single  season  of  "catching 
weather." 


For  the  New  Em^land  Farmer. 

EFFECT  OF  HIGH  CULTURE  ON  FRUIT 
TREES, 

Mr.  Editor  : — Your  Topsfield correspondent,  M., 
in  the  Farmer  for  June,  has  started  a  very  interest- 
ing and  important  question  to  the  Horticulturist, 
and  one  which  I  should  be  glad  to  have  fully  dis- 
cussed in  your  columns, —  The  effect  of  high  culture 
upon  the  longevity  as  well  as  the  froduitivtness  of 
fruit  trees.  Cultivators  very  generally  agree  that 
{jrevious  to  planting  an  orchard  the  soil  should  be 
enriched  and  deepened  by  manuring  and  thorough 
cultivation.  Subsoiling  or  trench-phnving  tlie  soil, 
when  practicable,  and  that  for  the  first  tew  years 
at  least  after  planting,  the  ground  should  be  kept 
mellow  by  constant  cultivation.  The  late  Mr. 
Downing  says,  in  his  "Fruit  and  Fruit  Trees," 
"That,  before  planting,  the  ground  should  be  well 
prepared  for  the  trees,"  and,  that  "it  is  an  indis- 
pensable requisite  in  all  young  orchards  to  keep 
the  ground  mallow  and  loose  by  cultivation  ;  in- 
deed,of  two  adjoining  orchardsjone  planted  and  kept 
in  grass,  and  the  other  plowed  for  the  first  five 
years,  there  will  be  an  incredible  difference  in  favor 
of  the  later  ;  not  only  will  these  trees  show  rich, 
dark,  luxuriant  foliage,  and  clean  smooth  stems, 
while  those  neglected  will  have  a  starved  and  sick- 
ly look,  but  the  size  of  the  trees  in  the  cultivated 
orchard  will  be  treble  those  of  the  others  at  the 
end  of  this  time,  and  a  tree  in  one  will  be  ready  to 
bear  an  abundant  crop,  before  the  other  has  com- 
menced yielding  a  peck  of  good  fruit. 
Mr.  J.  J.  Thomas,  in  his  "Fruit  Culturist, "  strono-- 
ly  recommends  "very  thorough  preparation  of  the 
soil  by  manuring  and  deep  plowing  previous  to 
planting,  and  that  when  trench  plowing  cannot  be 
accomplished,  tlie  holes  should  be  7  or  8  feet  in 
diameter  and  from  one  and  a  half  to  two  feet  deep. 
The  earth  should  be  mixed  with  a  liberal  allow- 
ance of  well-rotted  manure,  or  still  better  with  a 
compost  made  and  woiked  over  some  weeks  pre- 
viously, consisting  of  2  or  3  parts  of  muck  or  peat, 
one  of  barn  manure,  and  a  filth  part  of  leached 
ishes.  After  planting, thorough,  constant  cultiva- 
tion with  low  hoed  crops,  and  the  more  frequently 
the  plow  or  cultivator  passes  among  tliem  the 
greater  will  be  the  benefit  to  the  soil."  Again,  he 
says,  "The  truth  should  be  unalterably  fixed  on 
every  farmer's  mind,  that  the  orchard  should  have 
the  best  piece  of  land  on  the  (arm,  so  long  as  clean, 
thrifty  trees,  loaded  with  fair,  large  and  highly  fla- 
vored fruit,  are  to  be  preferred  to  light  cmps  of 
half  grown  and  distorted  fruit,  deficient  in  flavor; 
with  the  additi(mal  difference,  that  the  former  may 
be  brought  into  full  bearing  in  one-third  of  tin;  time 
required  for  the  later."  "If  two  specimens  could 
be  exhibited  side  by  side,  the  one  showing  the 
stunted,  lingering,  mice  eaten  and  moss  covered 
trees,  caused  by  neglect:  and  the  other,  the  vig- 
orous and  thrifiy  growth,  and  the  fair  and  abund- 
ant crops,  resulting  from  fine  and  clean  culture  ; 


380 


JSEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Aug. 


none  could  fiiil  to  be  satisfied  of  the  superiority  of 
the  one  and  the  impolicy  of  the  other." 

Mr.  Barry,  in  his  "Fruit  Garden,"  says,  "No 
soil,  whatever  may  be  its  original  fertility,  can 
sustain  a  heavy  and  continued  vegetation  for  many 
years  without  becoming,  to  some  extent  exhausted. 
Indeed  there  are  few  people  so  fortunate,  except 
those  who  settle  upon  new,  uncultivated  lands,  as 
to  procure  a  soil  that  does  not  need  manuring  to 
fit  it  for  the  first  planting  with  trees."  The  very 
common  practice  in  regard  to  the  use  of  manure, 
is  to  apply  none  for  several  years,  until  the  trees 
have  begun  to  show  signs  of  feebleness  and  ex- 
haustion when  large  quantities  are  applied,  thus 
inducing  a  rank  and  plethoric  growth,  that  can 
scarcely  fail  to  be  seized  with  diseases.  The  proper 
way  is  lo  apply  a  small  dressing  of  well  decomposed 
material,  like  some  of  the  composts  recommended, 
every  autumn."  Instances  have  come  under  my 
own  observation  where  trees  have  been  planted  by 
neighbors  at  the  same  time  with  like  preparation 
and  procured  from  the  same  source  ;  by  difference 
in  after  cultivation  those  of  one  have  in  the  course 
of  five  years  doubled  in  size  those  of  the  other 
which  were  planted  in  ground  seeded  down  the 
second  year  from  planting. 

My  own  conviction,  Mr.  Editor,  is,  that  to  obtain 
the  highest  possible  results  from  orcharding,  the 
ground  should  be  well  prepared — enriched  and 
constantly  cultivated.  In  all  published  examples 
of  the  unusual  yield  of  trees  where  the  attendant 
circumstances  are  narrated — we  find  high  culture' 
proved  to  be  an  important  and  inducing  cause. 
The  following  statement  which  I  cut  from  a  news- 
paper a  short  time  since  will  illustrate  : — "Mr.  Mo- 
ses Jones,  of  Brookline,  near  Boston,  a  most  skil- 
ful cultivator,  set  112  apple  trees,  two  rods  apart, 
and  peach  trees  between  both  ways.  The  eighth 
year  he  had  228  barrels  of  apples,  and  in  a  few 
years  from  setting  the  trees  $400  worth  of  peaches 
in  a  single  year  ;  and  the  best  part  of  the  story  is, 
that  large  crops  of  vegetables  were  raised  upon 
the  same  land,  nearly  paying  for  the  manure  and 
labor.  The  tenth  year  from  setting,  many  of  the 
apple  trees  produced  four  or  five  barrels  each."| 
What  effect  this  forcing,  (if  furnishing  trees  every} 
element  required  to  annually  perfect  large  crops  of 
fruit  may  be  thus  termed,)  will  have  upon  their 
longevity,  I  cannot  speak  from  experience.  I  hope 
those  of  your  correspondents  in  possession  of  fiicts 
on  this  subject  will  communicate  them  for  the  ben- 
efit of  those  less  experienced.  Will  it  not  be  bet- 
ter for  the  orchardist  who  seeks  the  largest  profit 
from  his  investment,  to  pursue  that  course  of  cul- 
ture which  shall  secure  to  him  quick  returns  with 
annual  dividends,  even  though  it  may  be  proved 
that  trees  thus  highly  cultivated  may  not  endure 
80  long  as  when  the  orchard  is  seeded  down  and 
the  trees  pretty  much  left  to  themselves.  If  by 
care  and  culture  an  orchard  may  be  made  to  av- 
erage one  barrel  of  apples  per  tree,  per  annum 
for  fifty  years,  and  by  a  different  course  the  same 
orchard  shall  endure  for  an  hundred  years  and  av- 
erage but  half  a  barrel,  which  think  you,  sir, 
would  be  the  most  useful  and  profitable  mode'? 

A.  G.  Hanford. 

Waukesha,  Wis.,  June  28,  1853. 


by  surgeons,  but  I  am  not  aware  that  it  has  ever 
been  used  to  prevent  the  loss  of  milk  by  leakage 
from  the  udder  of  the  cow.  The  mode  of  apply- 
ing is  as  follows  :  After  milking,  take  a  thin  piece 
of  muslin,  the  size  of  a  three  cent  piece,  wet  it  in 
the  collodion  and  apply  it  quickly  to  the  end  of 
the  teat.  It  dries  immediately,  and  adhering 
firmly,  prevents  the  escape  of  milk  from  the  orifice. 
It  can  readily  be  removed  at  the  next  milking. 

On  first  making  use  of  this  means  I  did  not  an- 
ticipate anything  more  than  temporarily  to  pre- 
vent the  evil.  After  making  a  few  applications  it 
was  discontinued,  and  I  was  somewhat  surprised 
to  find  that  it  had  permanently  lessened  the  fault. 
Upon  reflection,  the  modus  operandi  appeared  as 
follows  :  First,  the  collodion  contracts  the  orifice 
and  thus  prevents  the  escape  of  milk  ;  and  second, 
the  bag  becoming  distended,  its  capacity  is  per- 
manently enlarged.     Try  it. 

Another  useful  purpose  of  this  article  may  be 
mentioned.  Cows'  teats  often  become  tender  from 
chaps  and  deep  fissures  in  them.  They  may  readi- 
ly be  cured  by  moistening  a  piece  of  muslin  in  this 
liquid  and  applying  it  smoothly  to  the  parts  af- 
fected. It  adheres  so  firmly  that  it  will  not  be 
loosened  even  if  the  calf  is  allowed  to  draw  the 
milk. — Neiu   York  As:ricuItor. 


To  Prevent  Cows  from  Shedding  Milk. — Col- 
lodion [Liquid  cuticle]  is  a  somewhat  recent  dis- 
covery, and  has  been  applied   to  useful  purposes 


CIRCULATION  OP  SAP. 

A  clergyman  of  some  distinction  not  long  since 
commenced  his  Sabbath  discourse  as  follows : 
"There  are  some  things  that  I  know  I  know,  some 
things  that  I  think  I  know,  and  some  things  that 
I  know  I  do  not  know."  We  have  often  thought 
of  this  comprehensive  sentence  when  we  have  read 
the  philosophical  explanation  of  some  of  our  con- 
temporaries, in  regard  to  subjects  which  we  are 
very  much  inclined  to  think  might  better  be  classed 
in  the  last  division  of  subjects  above  given,  while 
they  speak  as  if  with  authority.  One  of  our  most  ju- 
dicious writers,  who  seldom  mistakes  the  imagina- 
tion for  the  actual  perception,  (the  learned  editor 
of  the  New  England  Farmer,)  in  a  recent  number 
says,  "The  sap  is  elevated  (in  the  tree)  in  the  same 
manner  as  oil  rises  in  the  wick  of  the  lamp."  We 
"do  not  know"  that  this  is  not  true,  but  it  seems 
to  us  safer  and  therefore  wiser  to  give  only  as  hy- 
pothesis what  must  be  acknowledged  so  very  far 
from  absolute  demonstration.  Perhaps  the  elabo- 
rated sap  descends  "in  the  same  manner,"  and 
perhaps  too  it  does  not.  There  are  very  serious 
difficulties  attending  any  theory  which  has  under- 
taken to  provide  for  the  circulation  of  fluids  in  veg- 
etables. We  have  little  doubt  that  it  is  the  same 
system  of  influences  which  causes  the  entire  cir- 
culation of  vegetable  juices,  which  first  sets  it  in 
motion  at  the  root.  But  we  should  be  unwilling 
to  assert  any  thing  on  this  subject,  as  a  matter  of 
absolute  truth,  beyond  the  mere  fact  that  their  cir- 
culation is  actually  carried  on. 

Some  recent  investigations  in  Europe  have  been 
published,  which  are  of  considerable  importance, 
fhey  refer  to  the  formation  and  propagation  of 
cells,  &c.,  and  to  the  circulation  of  the  sap.  The 
former  are  too  purely  scientific,  without  much 
practical  importance,  to  receive  very  general  at- 
tention. The  theory  on  the  latter  branch  of  the 
subject  approaches  the  point  of  actual  demonstra- 
tion. The  results  arrived  at  are,  that  the  nitro- 
genized  elements,  which  are  used  by  the  plant,  are 


1S53. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


381 


conveyed  upwards  from  the  root  exclusively  through 
the  woody  tissue  of  trees,  while  oxygen  and  carbon 
are  absorbed  and  given  out  only  by  the  leaf.  As 
this  process  is  essential  to  growth,  the  inference  is 
inevitable  that  there  can  be  no  growth  when  there 
are  no  leaves.  AVhether  this  is  in  accordance  with 
supposed  facts,  we  are  not  so  clear.  Tlie  descend- 
ing sap,  after  its  preparation  in  the  leaf,  descends 
only  in  the  hark,  forming  new  layers  on  the  outside 
of  the  wood  already  formed.  Hence  cutting  a  ring 
through  the  bark  does  not  prevent  the_  ascent  of 
sap,  nor  its  elaboration  in  the  leaf,  nor  its  descent 
until  it  encounters  the  ring.  Here  its  progress  is 
stayed.  The  result  is  a  greater  growth  above  the 
ring,  more  wood,  and  more  fruit.  Hence  this  may 
prove  of  practical  benefit  to  the  fruit-grower. 

The  excess  of  sap,  or  that  portion  which  is  not 
used  up  in  new  formations,  enters  the  wood  through 
the  horizontal  organs,  and  again  ascends,  thus 
making  a  constant  circuit,  as  in  animals.  We  can- 
not believe  that  capillary  attraction  does  all  this. 
— Plousrh,  Loom  and  Anvil. 


bor  and  care  of  the  gardener  in  stirring  the  ground 
and  regulating  the  amount  of  sun  and  shade,  air 
and  moisture  they  received. — Ham-pshire  Express. 


Remarks. — Most  of  us  assert  that  things  are  so, 
and  so,  when  we  have  neither  felt  them  nor  seen 
them.  Now  we  hav  e  never  dearly  seen  the  sap 
ascend  in  the  plant,  yet,  from  much  reading,  from 
long  observation,  and  some  investigation,  we  have 
become  so  thoroughly  satisfied  with  this  and  other 
theories  as  to  speak  of  them  unqualifiedly  as  facts. 
At  the  same  time  we  suppose  the  general  appre- 
hension is,  with  nearly  all,  as  we  have  stated. 
Not  that  we  know  things  as  we  assume  to  know 
when  we  repeat  them  under  the  solemnities  of  an 
oath,  but  use  unqualified  expressions  with  I'egard 
to  things  which  all  know  it  is  not  given  to  finite 
wisdom  fully  to  comprehend. 

We  are  glad  to  copy  the  whole  article,  that  we 
may  preserve  the  additional  value  which  the  wri- 
ter has  connected  with'our  poor  remarks. 


HOEING  CORN. 


Some  ask  how  many  times  it  is  best  to  hoe  coi'n 
and  other  crops.  The  best  answer  to  that  ques- 
tion was  given  us  a  few  days  since  by  a  farmer 
whom  we  had  observed  often  at  work  in  a  field  of 
corn  in  sight  of  our  window.  In  going  over  the 
piece  with  him,  and  remarking  the  remarkable 
growth,  we  asked  him  how  many  times  he  usual- 
ly hoed  his  corn.  "Why,"  said  he,  "I  do  as  I 
was  brought  up  by  my  father  to  do.  He  never 
had  any  particular  number  of  times,  but  hoed  it 
all  he  could.  I  find  it  grows  faster,  and  stands 
dry  weather  better,  the  oftener  it  is  hqed."  This 
is  the  true  philosophy  of  culture  ;  stir  the  ground. 
The  direction  for  early  and  good  crops,  after  the 
proper  previous  preparation,  would  be  to  stir  the 
ground.  Crops  are  like  animals — they  need  pet- 
ting and  care.  A  friend  was  remarking  to  us  one 
evening,  the  difference  in  the  growth  of  melon 
vines  in  a  neighbor's  garden  and  in  his  own,  side 
by  side,  of  the  same  kind  of  soil  and  both  rich, 
with  the  same  kind  of  preparation  for  t'le  seed, 
and  the  seed  sown  at  the  same  time.  The  neigh- 
bor's melons  were  in  blossom,  while  his  own,  he 
said,  were  but  three  or  four  inches  in  height.  The 
difference  has  been  produced  by  the  constant  la- 


A  RESIDENCE  IN  CHINA. 

Settled  down  in  the  wilds  of  Kaffraria,  away 
from  libraries  and  books  of  reference,  having  no 
fear  of  "reviewers"  to  daunt  him,  but  having  a 
huge  and  weighty  ennui  to  be  cheated  occasional- 
ly during  the  uncertain  leisure  of  a  tent  life,  Mr. 
Power,  son  of  the  incomparat)le  and  unriplaccable 
Power,  turns  over  the  old  journals  recording  his 
nomadic  life,  and  from  their  somewhat  illegible 
pages  he  constructs  a  most  readable  and  agreea- 
ble book. 

Mr.  Power  has  not  only  travelled,  he  has  lived 
in  the  countries  he  visited ;  by  which  we  mean 
that  he  not  only  saw  them,  but  tried  to  realize 
their  life  ;  and  his  sketches,  even  when  of  merely 
slight  externals  are  always  vivid  and  suggestive. 
A  few  extracts  will  suffice  to  indicate  the  variety 
and  amusement  crowded  into  this  single  volume: — 

A    TETUAN    CAID    "RAISING     THE   WIND." 

"He  was  by  no  means  scrupulous  in  his  mode 
of  acquiring  wealth,  and  regularly  'squeezed' 
every  individual  under  his  government.  One  in- 
genious plan  of  extorting  a  loan  from  an  unwill- 
ing capitalist,  was  to  tie  his  hands  together,  and 
introduce  a  couple  of  wild  cats  into  the  wide  seat 
of  his  inexpressibles.  This  was  a  way  of  bring- 
ing them  to  the  scratch,  which  never  failed,  and 
by  degrees  this  excellent  ruler  grew  to  be  enor- 
mously rich.  The  Emperor,  thinkiiig  at  last  that 
his  sponge  must  be  full,  sent  for  him  to  Fez,  to 
have  a  grand  squeeze. 

"The  wretched  old  victim  was  thrown  into  pri- 
son and  soundly  bastinadoed,  a  process  which  re- 
lieved him  of  some  of  his  too  plethoric  wealth. 
Strips  of  cotton,  dipped  in  turpentine,  were  tied 
round  his  fingers  and  toes,  and  lighted,  which 
produced  a  grand  haul.  The  wild  cats  continued 
for  half  an  hour  to  produce  revelati(ras  of  fresh 
hoards.  A  knight  templar  or  a  Norman  king 
could  scarcely  have  been  more  ingenious  in  their 
financial  experiments  on  a  miserable  Jew.  Re- 
newed tortures  produced  further  discoveries  of 
treasure,  till  the  old  man's  last  doubloon  and 
last  breath  were  yielded  up  together." 

Mr.  Power's  estimate  of  the  Chinese  is  by  no 
means  flattering  :  a  cowardly,  sensual,  floolish 
set  of  barbarians,  for  whom  no  interest  but  that 
of  curiosity  can  be  excited. 

THE  VALUE  OF  AN  OLD  MAN  IN  CHINA. 

"The  reasonableness  and  placability  of  the  na- 
tives were,  on  one  occasion,  evinced  in  rather  a 
remarkable  manner  at  Chusan,  while  I  was  there. 
An  Englishman  had  come  across  some  wild  ducks 
in  the  canal  inside  the  city,  at  which  he  fired  with 
ball,  all  his  shot  having  been  previously  expended. 
The  bullet  missed  the  birds,  and  glancing  from 
the  water,  killed  an  old  Chinaman,  who  was  sit- 
ting at  his  own  door,  enjoying  his  pipe. 

"The  unfortunate  sportsman,  horrified  at  the 
result  of  his  silly  thoughtlessness,  hurried  away  to 
take  counsel  with  his  friends,  who  recommended 
liim  to  try  to  settle  the  matter  with  the  relatives 
of  the  deceased,  to  prevent  their  complaint  from 
being  laid  formally  before  the  authorities,  who 
would  be  obliged  to  award  a  heavy  punishment  for 


382 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Aug. 


such  reckless  carelessness.  With  this  view  one 
of  his  friends  was  dispatched  to  visit  the  family, 
tocond'ile  with  them  for  their  loss,  and  to  explain 
how  thoroughly  it  was  the  result  of  accident. 
He  deplored  the  unhappy  circumstance  which  had 
deprived  the  family  of  80  valuable  and  so  respec- 
table a  member,  and  pointed  out  the  cheering  fact 
that  he  was  very  old,  and,  in  the  natural  course 
of  things,  could  not  have  been  expected  to  live 
much  longer,  and  that  pecuniary  recompense 
should  be  made  to  console  the  family  fnr  the  few 
months'  society  they  might  have  anticipated  en- 
joying with  him.  They  admitted  that  he  was  old, 
very  old,  and  as  he  could  not  have  lived  long,  they 
mentioned  a  hundred  dollars,  as  a  sum  likely  to 
have  a  good  effect  in  assuaging  the  bitterness  of 
their  afiiiction.  The  ambassador,  delighted  at 
hearing  a  demand  so  much  more  reasonable  than 
he  had  anticipated,  but  concealing  his  satisfaction, 
pointed  out  that  the  deceased  was  so  old  that  he 
could  hardly  have  estimated  his  short  remnant  of 
existence  at  such  a  large  sum  ;  that  he  had  died 
a  very  quiet  and  easy  death,  and  that  very  like- 
ly he  was  wanted  in  the  other  world,  so  that  the 
unlucky  bullet  might  be  esteemed  a  messenger 
despatched  by  the  gods.  He  thought,  therefore, 
that  fifty  dollars,  to  make  a  feast  and  burn  plenty 
of  joss-stick  and  paper  money,  would  be  sufficient- 
ly satisfactory  to  the  spirit  of  their  departed  an- 
cestor. The  matter  was  finally  settled  to  the  sat- 
isfaction of  all  parties  by  the  payment  of  seventy- 
five  dollars;  and  I  question  whether  one  might  not 
have  shot  two-thirds  of  the  old  boys  of  Ting-liae  at 
the  same  reasonable  rate,  notwithstanding  the 
veneration  in  which  age  is  held." 

ART    IN    CHINA. 

"The  drama  in  China  is  at  a  very  low  ebb.  It 
is  still  in  the  strolling  state  :  such  as  it  might 
have  been  when  Thcspis  and  his  company  de- 
claimed from  a  wagon,  or  rather,  such  as  it  was 
in  the  middle  ages,  when  mysteries  weni  per- 
formed in  the  open  streets  and  squares  for  popular 
edification. 

"A  wealthy  citizen,  or,  sometimes,  the  parish 
or  municipality,  hire  a  company  of  strollers,  who 
erect  their  stage  across  a  thoroughfare,  with  little 
respect  for  the  public  right  of  way.  The  enter- 
tainer and  his  friends  occupy  seats  in  front  of  the 
stage,  and  the  tag-rag  and  bobtail  stand  in  the 
rear. 

"The  actors  are  mere  boys,  who  are  dressed  in 
robes  of  silk  and  satin,  rich  with  embroidery,  but 
much  tarnished  and  rumpled. 

"The  subject  of  the  play  is  usually  taken  from 
the  life  of  some  hero  of  mythology  or  history  of 
China,  and  the  plot  is  constructed  with  an  atten- 
tion to  the  unities  of  the  drama  that  would  have 
charmed  a  critic  of  the  French  school. 

"'1  he  narrative  begins  with  the  earliest  events 
of  the  hero's  existence,  carrying  them  on  in  unin- 
terrupted dulness  to  his  apotheosis.  The  play 
usually  takes  hours,  and  some  of  them,  1  have 
been  informed,  some  days.  The  spouting  and  pos- 
turing are  varied  by  recitative  singing  in  a  shrill 
contralto  key  ;  and  every  scene  begins  and  ends 
with  banging  of  gongs  and  squealing  of  pipes,  oc- 
casionally varied  by  the  exolosion  of  crackers, 
when  the  interest  becomes  thrilling,  and  some 
great  event  is  enveloped  in  the  noise  and  smoke, 
being  left,  in  otiier  respects,  to  the  imagination 
of  the  audience." 


"There  are  some  dramas  which  treat  of  the 
loves  of  the  heroes,  in  which  little  is  left  to  the 
imagination,  although  the  dialogue  is  carried  on  in 
a  lofty  rant  which  never  descends  toconjtdy,much 
less  to  farce.  With  such  taste,  it  is  not  surpris- 
ing that  this  species  of  amusement  is  not  in  much 
repute,  and  that  its  professors  should  be  classed 
with  the  mountebanks  and  vagabonds,  to  whose 
ranks  they  properly  belong. 

"There  are  no  moral  lessons  to  be  learnt  from 
the  Chinese  drama  :  it  inculcates  no  good  princi- 
ples, nor  does  it  hold  the  mirror  up  to  nature. 
Buffoonery,  coarse  ribaldry,  and  exaggerated  pas- 
sion, are  its  chief  characteristics  ;  one  cannot 
wonder  at  the  low  esteem  in  which  it  is  held. 

"Music  is  not  more  advanced.  All  the  singing 
is  in  an  unnatural  falsetto  key,  pitched  as  high  as 
possible,  so  that  anything  more  hideous  and  ludi- 
crous than  the  sounds  produced  can  scarcely  be 
imagined.  A  tom  cat  caterwauling  on  the  pan- 
tiles is  the  nearest  approach  I  know  to  the  vocal 
music  of  this  refined  nation.  They  frequently  ac- 
company the  voice  with  a  kind  of  violin,  the  scrap- 
ing of  which  is  sufficient  to  put  one's  teeth  on  edge. 
A  lute  with  wire  strings  and  a  very  wiry  tone  is 
sometimes  used  for  the  same  purpose.  Tiie  in- 
strument, however,  that  is  to  be  heard  on  all  oc- 
casions, is  a  sort  of  pipe,  very  much  resembling 
the  bagpipe  in  tone. 

"The  songs  I  have  heard  were  all  of  very  simi- 
lar character,  and  were  sung  in  short  cadences, 
alternating  with  the  symphony,  reminding  me 
very  muoii  of  the  Spanish  seguidilla,  as  it  is  heard 
screeched  by  the  muleteers  in  the  mountain  paths 
of  Andalusia  ;  only  that  while  the  muleteer 
screeches,  thfi  Chinaman  howls  in  a  way  that 
would  excite  the  sympathy  of  a  whole  kennel  of 
hounds,  compelling  them  to  join  in  an  obligato 
chorus. 

"Chinese  poetry  is  on  a  par  with  the  music. 
It  either  delights  in  namby-pamby  sentimentality, 
or  puerile  conceits.  Graceful  metaphor,  subtle 
allegory,  warmth  of  sentiment,  a  picturesque  feel- 
ing for  the  beauties  of  nature,  are  all  utterly  un- 
known ;  while  pliys-upon-words,  and  a  studied 
arrangement  of  jihrases,  delight  the  most  fastidious 
critics,  and  satisfy  their  tastes." — London  Li ader . 


For  the  Neiv  Ensland  Farn^r. 
STATE  REFORM  SCHOOL. 

Dear  Sir  : — The  remarks  in  your  paper  of  late, 
in  relation  to  the  Farm  School  in  this  place  have 
astounded  us  all.  We  had  supposed  it  to  be  a 
star  of  first  magnitude  in  the  constellation  of  the 
charities  of  Massachusetts.  VVe  were  aware 
that  little  had  been  done  to  increase  the  ]»roducts 
of  the  farm,  hut  attributed  this  to  the  spending 
of  lab(jr  in  more  permanent  improvements.  It 
had  not  occurred  to  us  to  suppose  any  want  of  care 
as  to  the  personal  condition  of  the  boys  ;  or  any 
defect  in  the   system  of  instruction  pursued. 

While  the  lamented  Denny  lived,  we  knew  its 
welfare  was  a  prominent  object  of  his  attention, 
and  judging  from  the  report  annually  published, 
we  had  supposed  the  same  vigilant  supervision  had 
constantly  been  exercised.  We  knew  that  the 
late  superintendent  had  been  confident  in  his  own 
opinions — liut  we  supposed  this  confidence  had 
arisen  from  his  long  experience  and  not  from  any 
disposition  to   resist   improvements  suggested  by 


1851. 


NEW  KNGLAND  FARMER. 


383 


others.  It  will  be  a  subject  of  deep  regret,  if  any 
permanent  reproach  shall  be  cast  iiponthe  insti- 
tution, by  recent  examinations,  and  still  deeper 
if  any  radical  defects  shall  be  found  to  exist.  If 
any  such  do  exist,  the  sooner  they  arc  corrected 
the  better.  No  good  reason  can  be  given,  why 
the  farm  and  the  institution,  shall  not  be  made 
models  worthy  of  imitation  in  every  State  of  the 
Union.  When  the  venerable  farmer  Peters  owned 
the  place,  it  was  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  best 
farms  in  the  county  of  Worcester. 
Wtslburo\June  20,  1853. 


INSECT  DESTRUCTIVE  TO  THE  APPLE. 

The  following  article  which  we  find  in  the 
Transcript  is  timely  and  appropriate,  and  we  give 
it  in  connection  with  a  letter  on  the  preceding 
page  letter  from  Professor  Harris. 

NOTES  FROM  THE  MEMORANDCM-BOOK  OF  H.  M.  SIMPSON, 
OF  SAXONVILLE. 

June  l^th,  1853. — Noticed  a  new  worm  upon 
the  apple,  cherry,  and  plum  trees,  that  eats  the 
leaves  and  fruit.  They  are  upon  all  the  trees  of 
these  kinds  in  the  garden. 

June  V)th. — The  worm  before  noticed,  which  is 
to  me  entirely  new,  is  very  destructive  ;  it  eats  the 
tender  shoots  and  also  the  fruit.  The  egg  of  the 
perfect  insect  must  be  deposited  on  the  end  of  the 
shoot  as  it  is  growing,  and  between  two  apples,  if 
they  chance  to  touch  each  other ;  also,  between 
two  leaves.  If  all  the  worms  go  through  their 
transformations,  there  must  be  swarms  enough  to 
destroy  the  trees  in  the  next  generation.  This  lit- 
tle new  comer  will  require  looking  after.  By  jarr- 
ing the  trees,  they  spin  a  fine  fibre  towards  the 
ground,  suspending  themselves  by  it,  and  then 
again  ascend,  to  commit  depredations  upon  the 
leaves  and  fruit.  Deposited  three  of  the  larvae 
with  an  apple  under  glass  to  note  their  habits  and 
changes.  They  may  be  known  by  three  longitu 
dinal  stripes  on  the  back  ;  the  one  in  the  centre 
more  faint  than  the  other  two.  They  have  a  bufi" 
colored,  heart-shaped  head,  and  are  naked  ;  have 
six  fore,  true  legs,  and  eight  fleshy  projections, 
■with  distinct  prop-legs. 

June  23rf. — rhe  larvae  deposited  on  the  19th  have 
changed  to  chrysalides.  It  is  very  remarkable  that 
this  itisect  is  pervading  the  State  and  also  the  ad 
oining  States.  Almost  every  person  I  meet,  who 
lives  in  the  country,  has  noticed  them.  Many 
persons  suppose  it  to  be  the  canker  worm,  but  this 
is  a  mi-!take.  The  canker  worm  belongs  to  a  fam- 
ily called  Geometers,  or  earth  measurers,  that 
creep,  with  the  habit  of  forming  a  loop  in  the  back, 
by  extending  the  fore  part  of  the  body  and  then 
drawing  up  the  centre  in  the  shape  of  a  loop.  This 
insect  creeps  like  the  commmon  caterpillar,  and 
has  a  remarkable  habit  of  springing  backwards 
when  taken  in  the  hand.  They  do  not  spin  a 
cocoon,  nor  any  tissue  of  silk  for  protection,  while 
going  through  their  chrysalid  state.  Their  length 
is  about  five-eighths  of  an  inch. 

July  G/h. — The  chrysalides  have  opened,  and  the 
perfect  insect  proves  to  be  a  little  moth,  with 
wings  of  a  dark  bronze,  wavy,  changeable  appear 
ance.  When  at  rest,  they  have  one  scollop  at  the 
termination,  and  are  very  slender  and  long  in  pro- 
portion to  their  breadth  ;  have  two  feathery  pro 
jections  at  the  head,  with  long  antennas,  and  have 


a  regular  taper  from  the  end  of  the  wing  to  the 
head.  The  abdomen  is  like  a  delicate,  light  col- 
ored satin,  the  legs  nearly  the  same,  and  the  insect 
presents  a  beautiful  appearance  under  the  micro- 
scope. They  deposit  their  eggs  separately,  and  do 
not  live  in  society  on  the  trees,  as  many  of  the 
Caterpillar  tribe,  but  solitary  ;  each  one  looking 
out  for  himself.  When  at  rest,  the  fore  legs  ele- 
vate the  head  and  thorax,  presenting  an  angle  from 
the  ends  of  the  wings  to  the  head,  of  about  thirty 
degrees.  These  insects,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  may 
disappear  as  suddenly  as  they  have  come  upon  us  ; 
if  however,  they  remain,  their  number  must  be 
legion,  as  already  we  have  had  two  generations 
this  season. 

They  may  be  destroyed  by  syringing  the  trees 
with  whale  oil  soap,  when  the  worm  is  first 
hatched  ;  also  by  placing  a  sheet  under  the  tree, 
and  jarring  it,  when  those  that  fall  upon  the  cloth 
can  be  easily  destroyed,  as  well  as  those  which  sus- 
pend themselves  by  the  silken  thread  which  they 
spin.  I  suppose  the  egg  to  be  laid  about  the  first 
of  June.  They  extend  their  wings  about  seven- 
eighths  of  an  inch. 

SALERATUS. 

Saleratus  is  said  to  be  injurious  to  the  human 
system,  and  that  it  destroys  thousands  of  children 
and  some  adults  every  year.  In  New  Brunswick, 
contiguous  to  Maine,  the  physicians  are  wont  to 
say  that  half  the  children  are  killed  by  the  use  of 
saleratus.  The  evil  is  fiist  spreading  throughout 
the  Union.  Families  of  moderate  size  already  use 
from  ten  to  twenty-five  pounds  yearly. 

Remarks. — Storekeepers  who  have  been  engaged 
in  the  business  for  many  years,  have  told  us,  that 
formerly  they  used  to  purchase  three  or  four  small 
kegs  of  saleratus  for  a  year's  supply  in  a  country 
village,  but  that  now  they  purchase  more  than  as 
many  large  casks,  weighing  some  six  or  eight  hun- 
dred pounds  each.  Large  quantities  are  used  in 
making  bread ,  the  most  common  food ,  and  of  which 
all  partake.  Milk  should  take  its  place  there. 
Many  persons  are  in  the  habit  of  adding  a  little 
saleratus  to  most  kinds  of  pastry.  We  are  inclined 
to  believe  the  remarks  quoted  above  have  much 
truth  in  them.  We  do  not  know  how  far  the 
power  of  saleratus  may  be  neutralized  by  a  mixture 
of  other  substances  used  as  food,  but  it  may  be 
known  by  the  chemist,  and  should  be  explained  to 
the  people. 

For  the  Neio  England  Farmer. 
FERRY'S  PATENT  CROSS-CUT  FEED 
CUTTER. 

Mr.  Editor  : — Your  correspondent  from  Brat- 
tleboro',-Mr.  Holbrook,  says,  "farmers  are  very 
much  in  want  of  a  powerful  effective  chaflT-cutter, 
which  shall  take  in  a  generous  mouthful  of  corn- 
stalks," &c.  I  have  long  felt  the  need  of  an  im- 
provement in  machines  for  feed  cutting  ;  and  first 
I  would  say  they  should  be  so  constructed  that  all 
stiff  stem  hay  or  straw,  may  be  cut  at  least  four 
inches  long ;  this  will  induce  the  animal  more  ef- 
fectually to  masticate  it,  thereby  giving  more  nour- 
ishment to  his  feed,  and  will  not  be  as  likely  to 


384 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Aug. 


injure  the  passage  to  the  stomach,  as  when  fed  on 
very  short  hay  or  straw. 

In  answer  to  your  correspondent  I  would  say, 
I  think  a  machine  "with  a  fly  wheel,  and  taking 
in  a  generous  mouthful,  cannot  be  worked  with 
ease  by  one  man."  I  intend  to  manufacture  for 
delivery  in  October,  a  machine  with  a  cross-cut 
motion,  cheap,  simple,  and  one  that  will  cut 
through  a  sheaf  at  every  stroke  of  the  knife. 

L.  Ferky. 

East  Hamfton,  June  18,  1853. 


MUCH  LABOR  ON  LITTLE  LAND. 

The  Farmer^ s  Companion,  in  an  article  on  Small 
Farms,  marks  out  the  following  course  for  the  far 
mer  of  small  capital  to  pursue  : 

You  have  100  acres  clear,  50  of  which  you  keep 
as  pasture  and  for  meadow.  Make  up  your  mind 
to  work  only  25  acres  ;  the  other  25  being  put  down 
to  clover  and  timothy,  as  you  best  can.  You  have 
manure  enough  in  and  about  your  farm  for  six 
acres.  This  year,  haul  that  on  to  your  land,  plow 
it  and  put  in  corn ;  with  a  little  ashes,  and,  ifyou 
can  get  it,  slaked  lime  or  phister  to  every  hill. — 
Plow  twice  as  deep  as  usual ;  and  drag  twice  as 
long,  with  a  long-toothed  drag,  till  the  land  is  like 
a  garden.  If  you  have  got  35  bushels  of  corn  t( 
the  acre  before,  we  can  warrant  you  now  70  or  80  ; 
for  you  cultivate  and  hoe  the  corn  twice  as  mud 
likewise.  You  double  your  crop  at  a  very  little  in 
creased  cost.  Having  no  more  manure,  you  must 
depend  on  deeper  plowing  and  better  dragging  for 
the  other  10  acres  for  this  year  ;  not  forgetting  to 
sow  a  little  more  seed  than  usual,  if  it  is  oats  or 
barley.  In  the  fall,  sow  wheat  where  the  corn 
was,  with  the  same  care  ;  and  next  spring,  ma- 
nure the  next  six  acres  for  corn.  Yes,  but  you  may 
manure  10  "or  12  acres  ;  for  you  have  had  25 
more  acres  for  hay,  or  oat  straw  cut  green  for  fod 
der,  and  can  keep  25  more  cows  through  the  win- 
ter ;  and  knowing  the  value  of  the  manure — that 
it  is  as  important  to  you  as  the  very  soil  itself — 
you  will  take  much  better  care  of  it. 

Thus,  every  two  or  three  years,  all  your  land 
will  get  a  dressing  of  manure,  and  every  year  you 
will  have  a  diffrfrent  crop  on  it.  Every  year  it 
will  improve,  and  you  grow  rich,  with  about  half 
your  work.  But  after  a  while  sow  a  few  acres  of 
this  land  witli  clover  and  timothy,  and  break  up 
as  much  of  your  old  grass.  Y(ju  will  get  doubly 
the  crop  of  hay  on  the  new  piece,  and  a  good  crop 
of  grain  on  the  old  piece.  In  one  word,  of  all 
men  in  the  world,  a  small  farmer  should  work  a 
small  piece  of  land;  work  it  thoroughly  well; 
keep  all  the  stock  he  can  to  make  manure  ;  keep 
the  manure  dry,  and  he  will  not  be  a  small  far- 
mer long.  We  have  tried  it  and  we  know  it.  For 
the  rest,  take  and  read  a  good  formers'  newspaper. 


WAR. 

All  wars  are  demoralizing  and  ruinously  espen 
sive, — they  blunt  the  feelings,  repress  the  senti 
ments  of  love  and  mercy,  and  turn  men  into  hunt 
ers'  of  each  other  more  furious  than  the  beasts  of 
prey. 

Standing  armies,  the  great  provocatives  of  war, 
should  not  be  allowed  in  times  of  peace.  Let  those 
in  power  so  govern  as  to  gain  the  hearts  of  the 


people,  and  in  those  hearts  they  will  find  the  na- 
ti(m's  bulwark  of  safety  when  dangers  threaten. 
With  these  willing  hearts,  and  their  energetic 
hands,  the  raw  materials  of  the  mine  and  the  for- 
est would  be  transformed  into  engines  of  destruc- 
tion, or  arks  of  safety,  with  more  wonderful  rapid- 
ity than  any  of  the  transmutations  wrought  by  the 
magic  influence  of  Aladdin's  lamp.  Gnarled  oaks, 
pigs  of  iron,  and  bars  of  copper,  fields  of  hemp, 
and  rivulets  of  turpentine,  would  be  changed, 
swifter  than  vision  of  alchemist  of  old  ever  saw, 
into  the  means  of  aggression  or  defence. 

Those  hearts,  stimulated  by  the  spirit  of  liberty, 
by  a  love  of  country,  of  home  and  our  institutions, 
would  be  stouter  than  the  ribs  of  oak  and  iron 
themselves,  and  unconquerable,  so  long  as  their 
cause  is  just. 

EXTRACTS  AND  REPLIES. 

Mr.  George  J.  Colby,  of  JanfsviJle,  Vt.,  in- 
quires : — "Why  could  not  the  price  of  the  Osier 
Willow  be  quoted  with  other  products  of  the  firm. 
I  think  there  are  many  engaging  in  the  business 
that  would  like  to  see  the  prices  of  the  imported 
and  American  article. 

If  there  are  any  of  your  correspondents  engaged 
in  the  cultivation  of  the  willow,  I  wish  they  would 
tell  us  with  what  success." 

Mr.  T.  C.  Branch,  of  Cornwall,  Vt.,  in  reply  to 
the  inquiries  of  S.  G.  B.  in  a  late  number  of  the 
Farmer,  says  that  the  bottom  of  the  post  may  be 
framed  into  a  sill  or  a  pin  inserted  in  it  which  will 
prevent  its  being  raised  by  the  frost.  He  would 
cut  alder  bushes  after  they  are  done  growing  ;  has 
seldom  known  them  to  sprout  when  so  cut. 

Mr.  Horace  II.  Winchester,  of  Mar/6oro',  Vt., 
says  that  cows  afllicted  with  garget  may  be  cured 
by  a  few  doses  of  the  root  called  garget. 

This  remedy  has  been  often  mentioned  in  the 
Farmer,  and  is  probably  used  to  some  extent 
throughout  New  England  ;  but  it  very  often  fails 
to  perform  the  cure. 

"J.  D.,"  East  Barnard,  Vt.,  says  the  best  way 
to  set  posts  to  prevent  the  frost  from  throwing 
them,  is  to  dig  a  hole  2  feet  deep,  18  or  20  inches 
across,  and  fill  up  within  6  or  7  inches  of  the  top 
with  small  stones,  then  drive  tight  with  the  head 
of  an  iron  bar,  then  fill  the  remainder  with  tan 
bark.  lie  would  cut  alder  bushes  in  the  latter  part 
of  August. 

Another  writer,  "S.  W.,"  agrees  with  "J.  D.," 
that  the  earth  must  not  come  in  contact  with  the 
posts.  He  says  "alders  should  be  cut  in  winter 
when  the  ground  is  frozen,  and  they  will  die  with 
a  very  little  sprouting.  I  have  long  been  used 
to  them,  have  cut  them  in  the  full  of  the  moon, 
in  August,  and  at  various  other  times,  and  care 
not  whether  the  sign  is  in  the  head  or  heart,  they 
will  sprout  unless  cut  as  above  stated." 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


385 


THE  BLACK  TARTAREAN  CHERRY. 

This  was  formerly  called  the  Duuhle  Heart,  in 
New  England,  and  has  also  been  known  by  sever- 
al other  names,  such  as  Circassian  Cherry,  Black 
Russian,  Fr user's  Black  Heart,  &c.  The  fruit  is 
very  large  ;  heart-shaped ;  skin  glossy,  purplish 
black;  flesh  purple,  half  tender,  juicy,  with  a  rich 
pleasant  flavor ;  stone  small.  Ripens,  generally, 
from  June  23  to  July  4.  Mr.  Robert  B.  Flush- 
ing, L.  I.,  a  successful  fruit  grower,  gave  an  ac- 
count of  this  cherry  in  the  American  Agricultur- 
ist in  1845. 

He  says  the  variety  is  supposed  to  have  origina- 
ted in  Spain,  whence  it  was  transmitted  to  Russia, 
and  was  carried  from  the  last  named  country  to 
England  by  Mr.  John  Fraser.  In  the  account  giv- 
en of  it  in  the  "Pomona  Londinensis,"  it  is  stated 
to  have  been  introduced  into  Britain  from  Circas- 
sia,  by  Mr.  John  Ronalds,  of  Brentford,  in  1794. 
It  is  distinguished  for  its  large,  obtuse-heart- 
shaped,  shining  purplish  black  fruit,  with  an  un- 
even surface,  containing  a  rich,  juicy,  tender,  pur- 
plish ilesh,  and  differs  from  many  other  varieties 
in  hanging  in  clusters,  which  usually  occurs  early 
in  July,  it  readily  commands  in  market,  double 
the  price  of  the  ordinary  kinds. 

This  tree  is  valuable  also,  not  only  for  its  fruit 
alone,  but  from  its  vigorous  growth,  spreading 
branches,  and  symmetrical  form,  it  is  well  adapt- 
ed for  the  purposes  of  ornament,  and  is  well  wor- 
thy of  general  cultivation,  Downing  and  Cole, 
supposed  it  to  be  of  Russian  origin. 


HOW  THE  WATER  BOILED  AWAY 
FROM  THE  POTATOES. 

BY   J.    B.    NEWMAN,    SI.  D. 

I  am  residing  for  the  summer  with  my  family  in 
a  retired  and  very  romantic  place  in  Connecticut, 
seven  miles  from  a  railroad  depot,  and  some  thirty 
in  all  from  New  York  city.  The  distance  from  the 
depot  makes  the  weather  an  object  of  some  consid- 
eration in  visiting  the  city.  Yesterday  was  a  fine 
clear  day,  pleasant  for  either  walking  or  riding, 
there  being  sufficient  breeze  to  moderate  to  comfort 
the  heat  of  the  sun.  Quite  exhilarated  by  these 
circumstances,  I  declared  at  dinner  my  determina- 
tion to  go  early  the  next  morning  to  New  York, 
as  it  was  just  the  weather  for  travelling. 

"You  cannot  go  to-morrow,"  said  my  aunt 
gravely;  "it  is  going  to  rain." 

"I  see  no  signs  of  it,"  said  my  wife  ;  "wind  like 
this  often  continues  for  days  together  without  any 
storm." 

"I  do  not  judge  from  the  wind,  but  from  a  sign 
that  never  fails,  and  that  is,  the  boiling  entirely 
away  of  the  water  from  the  potatoes  this  morn- 
ing." 

"Did  you  put  in  as  much  water  as  usual  V 

"About  the  same.  You  laugh,  I  see  ;_  but  it 
will  rain  to-morrow  in  spite  of  your  laughing." 

Incredulity  did  make  us  merry,  and  each  one 
began  to  recount  tales  of  country  superstitions 
generally.  In  the  course  of  the  conversation,  some 
one  told  a  story  of  an  English  gentleman,  well 
known  in  the  scientific  world,  who,  while  on  a  visit 
to  a  friend,  started  one  morning  on  a  huntuig  ex- 
pedition, but  missed  his  way,  and  inquired  ot  a  lad 
tending  sheep  to  direct  him.  The  boy  showed  the 
desired  path,  but  told  him  it  would  rain  shortly, 
and  he  had  better  return  home  as  soon  as  possi- 


386 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Aug. 


bl3.     The  gentleman,  observing  no  signs  of  the  repulsion.     Bodies  exist  in  three  forms,  as  solids, 
predicted  storm,  ridiculed  the  boy's  notions,  and  liquids,  and  gases.     When  the  attractive  force  pre 


proceeded.  In  the  course  of  two  "hours,  however, 
he  was  retracing  his  steps  completely  drenched, 
and  found  the  J)oy  eating  his  dinner  in  a  little  hut 
near  where  he  had  left  him.  Curiosity  as  to  the 
source  of  the  knowledge  which  he  had  found  thus 
verified  prevailed  over  Jiis  desire  for  speedy  shelter, 
and  he  stopped  his  horse,  and  offered  the  boy  a 
guinea  to  enlighten  him  on  this  point.  The  boy 
took  the  guinea,  and  pointed  to  the  closed  flowers 
of  the  Scarlet  Pimpernel,  some  plants  of  which 
happened  to  be  growing  near  the  hut.  The  gen- 
tleman himself  had  written  about  this  very  fact, 
mentioning  that  its  open  buds  betokened  fiiir 
weather  and  its  closed  flowers  abundance  of  rain, 
and  hence  its  title  to  its  common  name  of  Shep- 
herd's Weather- Glass.  Fully  satisfied,  he  rode 
on. 

^  We  all  allowed  that  there  was  some  sense  in  this 
sign,  and  that  it  could  be  ascribed  to  the  instinct 
with  which  nature  endowed  her  children,  to  guard 
them  from  injury. 

"But  are  there  not,"  said  my  aunt,  "some  con- 
trivances made  to  foretell  rain  1  I  have  seen  a  long 
glass  tube  filled  with  quicksilver,  to  which  there 
was  a  dial-plate  attached,  and  the  rise  and  fall  of 
the  quicksilver  regulated  the  hand  on  the  dial,  so 
that  changes  of  weather  could  be  told.  I  do  not 
see  why  the  boiling  away  of  the  water  from  the 
potatoes  may  not  be  as  good  a  sign  as  the  rise  and 
fall  of  the  quicksilver." 

Again  there  was  a  laugh  at  the  comparison  of 
the  vpater  around  the  potatoes  with  the  handsome- 
ly-finished and  expensive  philosophical  instrument 
termed  a  barometer. 

The  weather  continued  as  pleaeant  as  before,  so 
last  evening  I  packed  up  my  carpet-bag,  and  made 
the  necessary  preparations,  requesting  them  to 
wake  me  at  five  o'clock,  and  have  the  carriage 
ready  in  time  to  convey  me  to  the  depot. 

I  awoke  this  morning,  and  all  was  still  in  the 
house.  Quite  pleased  to  be  beforehand  with  them, 
I  looked  at  my  watch,  and  with  some  difficulty,  on 
account  of  the  dim  light,  found  it  to  be  fifteen 
minutes  after  six.  Much  surprised  at  not  having 
been  called,  I  jumped  up,  and  threw  open  one  of 
the  blinds  of  the  window,  but  directly  closed  it 
again,  as  a  driving  rain  poured  in.  The  reason 
why  I  had  been  permitted  to  sleep  on  was  evident 
enough.  I  dressed,  and  went  down  to  the  break- 
fast-table, where  sat  Aunt  H.  enjoying  her  tri- 
umph. 

^  On  my  return  to  my  study,  forced  as  it  were  by 
circumstances  to  do  so,  I  began  to  reflect  on  the 
boiling  away  of  the  water  from  the  potatoes,  and 
tried  to  discover  whether  the  ensuing  rain  was 
mere  coincidence,  or  due  in  some  way  to  cause  and 
effect ;  whether  in  reality  connected  with  it  or  not. 
The  result  of  my  deliberations  and  subsequent 
conviction  of  the  connection  of  the  phenomenon 
with  rain  I  will  now  proceed  to  give. 

The  pressure  of  the  atmosphere,  which  is  about 
fifteen  pounds  to  the  square  inch,  forces  many  sub- 
stances to  retain  the  liquid  condition  that  would, 
were  that  pressure  removed,  assume  the  form  of 
gases.     Of  this,  ether  is  an  example. 

Chemistry  assumes  that  all  matter  is  made  up 
of  exceedingly  small  particles  called  atoms,  and 
that  around  every  atom  there  are  two  atmospheres, 
the  inner  one  of  attraction  and  the  outer  one  of 


dominates,  the  form  is  a  solid  ;  when  the  attrac- 
tive and  repulsive  forces  are  balanced,  the  form  is 
a  gas.  Caloric,  or  the  principle  of  heat,  is  consid- 
ered by  many,  and  perhaps  rightly  so,  as  synony- 
mous with  the  repulsive  force.  Hence  an  increase 
of  heat  will  make  the  solid  become  fluid,  and  the 
fluid  become  gaseous.  Thus  ice  changes  to  water, 
and  water  to  steam. 

The  atmosphere,  by  its  pressure,  assists  the  at- 
tractive force  in  the  same  manner  that  heat  assists 
the  repulsive,  the  pressure  and  heat,  of  coui'se,  act- 
ing in  opposite  ways.  Whatever,  then,  would 
lessen  the  amount  of  pressure,  would  enable  the 
heat  to  act  more  powerfully.  A  certain  amount 
of  heat,  under  the  ordinary  pressure  of  the  atmos- 
phere, is  required  to  convert  water  into  steam. 
The  less  the  pressure,  the  less  the  heat  required; 
but  if  the  same  amount  of  heat  is  applied  to  the 
same  quantity  of  water,  under  such  circumstances, 
the  more  rapidly  will  it  be  evaporated,  or,  in  other 
words,  boiled  away.  It  is  evident,  enough,  then, 
that  if  the  atmospheric  pressure  is  less  at  times 
preceding  rain,  the  water  will  boil  away  more  rap- 
idly than  usual  from  the  potatoes. 

I  was  frequently  puzzled  in  my  boyish  days  by 
the  assertion  in  scientific  books,  that  the  air  is 
hghter  in  rainy  than  it  is  in  dry  weather.  It 
seemed  to  me  as  if  the  air  at  such  times  should  be 
heavier,  as,  in  addition  to  its  own  substance,  it 
holds  suspended  abundance  of  heavy  clouds,  which 
uiust  surely  increase  its  weight.  For  many  years 
the  problem  remained  unsolved  in  my  own  mind, 
as  it  is  yet  unsolved,  perhaps,  in  the  minds  of  many 
who  read  this.  At  last  the  thought  occurred  to 
me,  that  as  the  weight  of  the  air  per  se  must  re- 
main the  same  at  all  times,  taking  it  as  a  whole, 
did  it  not  really  contain  more  moisture  in  solution 
in  clear  than  in  rainy  weather?  And  such  is  real- 
ly the  fact.  As  water,  by  the  addition  of  salt,  can 
be  made  dense  enough  to  float  an  egg,  and  as  the 
more  the  brine  is  diluted  with  fresh  water,  the 
deeper  will  the  egg  sink  in  it ;  so  is  the  air,  by 
holding  water  in  solution,  rendered  dense  enough 
to  float  clouds  at  a  great  height,  and  the  greater 
the  amount  of  water  it  loses,  the  lower  do  the 
clouds  fall.  This  very  dryness  of  the  air  is,  in  fact, 
one  of  the  many  circumstances  that  cause  rain. 

The  air  then  is  lighter,  the  pressure  consequent- 
ly less,  and  the  unusually  rapid  evaporation  of 
water  from  the  potato-pot  is  as  good  and  trust- 
worthy a  sign  of  approaching  rain  as  the  falling  of 
the  mercury  in  the  barometer ;  and  thus  the  cook 
in  the  kitchen  may  foretel  as  confidently  as  the 
natural  philosopher  in  his  cabinet.  And  yet  more, 
for  nature  is  bountiful :  even  where  the  apparatus 
of  the  kitchen  and  the  cabinet  are  denied,  she  fur- 
nishes, without  expense  to  her  faithful  observers, 
means  even  more  certain  ;  for  the  shepherd  boy 
has  an  unerring  guide  in  the  Scarlet  Pimpernel. — 
Plow,  Loom  and  Anvil. 


d^"  The  Australian  Movement. — The  London 
correspondent  of  the  Philadelphia  jYorth  American 
states  that  emigration  to  the  Australian  colonies  has 
almost  entirely  ceased,  but  shipments  continue  ac- 
tive. The  vessels  now  in  the  port  of  London  under 
despatch  to  the  colonies  amount  in  number  to  73, 
and  iu  tonnage  4i,G57  tons.  Freightage  is  much 
lower. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


387 


PROSPECTS  OF   THE    SEASON. 

The  drouglit  in  all  this  region  continues  severe. 
The  hay  crop  op  old  grounds  will  be  very  light ; 
on  rather  low  and  moist  lands  better  than  last 
year.  Although  the  present  crop  is  more  abund- 
ant than  last  years,  there  will  not  probably  be 
more  hay  in  the  barn  in  September,  as  the  high 
prices  since  that  time  have  drawn  it  all  out.  There 
is,  however,  much  less  stock  than  there  was  last 
year  at  this  time,  so  that  upon  the  whole,  hay  will 
not  command  a  higher  price  than  it  brought  last 
year. 

Corn  has  had  a  fine  color  from  its  first  appear- 
ance and  now  looks  well,  and  unless  on  quite 
dry  lands  has  not  yet  suffered  much. 

The  rye  crop  is  good  ;  oals  light  and  barky  good. 

Some  fields  of  the  Hue  stem  wheat,  which  we 
have  recently  seen  are  very  fine. 

Potatoes  are  suffering ;  no  rains  having  pene- 
trated to  the  roots  since  they  were  planted. 

The  root  crops,  unless  those  sowed  quite  early, 
are  not  promising. 

The  cabbage  crop  has  been  extensively  injured  by 
the  cut  worm,  in  addition  to  the  little  imp  that 
usually  makes  a  home  in  the  root^ 

Vines,  such  as  the  various  squashes,  melons  and 
cucumbers  are  not  looking  fresh  and  vigorous. — 
They  have  had  to  contend  with  armies  of  insects 
as  well  as  drought. 

The  apple  crop  must  be  unusually  light.  One 
gentleman  who  usually  puts  up  a  hundred  barrels 
has  sold  his  whole  crop,  whatever  it  may  be,  for 
ten  dollars. 

On  the  whole,  there  is  no  good  cause  for  de- 
spondency. Earnest  hearts  and  hands  and  econ- 
omical habits  will  bring  all  out  right.  The  Giver 
of  sunshine  and  rain  deals  gently  and  kindly  with 
us  in  this  garden  of  the  world,  and  home  of  the 
oppressed.     We  shall  have  enough  and  to  spare. 


following  spring  they  had  gone  the  way  of  beef, 
and  their  place  was  filled  by  a  new  generation  al- 
together. So  soon,  therefore,  as  the  Ilaff  was 
clear  of  ice,  and  the  steamers  again  began  to  ply 
daily  upon  the  route  between  Elbing  and  Konigs- 
berg,  the  sailors  were  on  the  alert  again  to  witness 
the  old  scene  of  uproar  by  the  water  side.  But 
they  were  disappointed.  Though  there  was  the 
pasture  grounds  well  stocked  with  new  recruits 
for  the  market,  who  had  come  from  distant  island 
farms  or  out  of  stalls  within  the  town,  though 
scarcely  one  of  them — if  anyone — had  ever  seen 
the  apparition  of  a  steamboat,  not  a  cow  flinched. 
The  members  of  the  whole  herd  went  on  grazing 
or  stared  imperturbably  at  the  phenomenon.  It 
was  a  new  thing  no  doubt  for  them  to  see — but 
they  had  already  been  told  of  it.  Every  spring 
the  first  passing  of  the  steamer  is  in  this  way  re- 
garded by  a  fresh  generation  on  the  common  with 
complete  indifference.  The  experience  acquired 
by  its  forefathers  ten  or  twelve  years  ago  seems  to 
be  now  added  to  the  knowledge  of  every  calf,  born 
in  any  corner  of  our  province.  And  yet,  in  what 
way  have  these  calves  been  educated  '  or,  if  this 
fact  has  been  taught  to  them  at  all,  what  else 
may  they  not  know? — Dickens'  Household  Words. 


COMMUNICATION    OF    IDEAS    AMONG 
.    CATTLE. 

There  is  a  large  shallow  inlet  on  the  Prussian 
shore  known  as  the  Frische  Ilaff,  crossed  for  the 
first  time  by  steamers  ten  or  twelve  years  ago. 
Upon  their  way  the  vessels  paddle  by  a  common 
near  the  Elbing  river,  upon  which  the  towns-peo- 
ple turn  cattle  out  to  graze.  AYhen  the  first  steam- 
ers passed  this  common  they  caused  every  flank 
of  beef  to  quake  ;  such  fiends  in  dragon  shape  had 
never  appeared  before  to  try  the  nerves  of  any 
cow,  or  to  excite  wrath  in  the  bully  busom  of  the 
experienced  among  the  warriors  of  the  herd.  With 
tails  erect,  tlierefore,  and  heads  bent  down,  the 
whole  colony  upon  the  common  charged  over 
dykes  and  ditches  inland,  roaring  horribly.  Every 
appearance  of  the  steamer,  to  the  great  joy  of  the 
crew,  caused  a  panic  and  a  scattering  of  oxen ,  un- 
til after  a  few  days,  the  animals  had  become  hard- 
ened to  the  sight,  and  took  it  as  a  thing  of  course, 
and  meant  no  harm  to  them.  Now,  all  the  horned 
beasts  on  the  common  during  that  first  year  were 
in  the  usual  way  placed  there  to  be  ilitted.  In  the 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
MANURE  FOR  LAYING  DOWN  GRASS 
LANDS. 

Dkar  Sir  : — I  have  several  acres  of  land  which 
I  wish  to  bring  into  grass  for  anotler  year,  by 
turning  over,  top-dressing  and  seeding  the  pres- 
ent season.  The  soil  is  a  sandy  loam,  not  poor  at 
all,  but  in  common  parlance  good,  though  consid- 
erably run  out. 

What  article  will  be  the  most  profitable  for  me 
to  use,  considering  expense,  time,  labor  and 
amount  of  crop  ?     Please  answer,  (a.) 

I  have  seen  oyster  shell  lime  advertised  as  an  ar- 
ticle desirable  to  use  for  such  purposes.  Please 
inform  me  how  much  should  be  used  to  the  acre  ? 
and  what  kind  of  soil  it  best  suits?   {b.) 

Muriate  of  lime,  I  also  notice.  What  is  the 
expense  per  hundred  lbs?  and  how  much  per  acre  ? 
(c.) 

How  is  guano  for  similar  purposes .  What  quan- 
tity and  expense  to  the  acre  ? 

Any  information  on  these  subjects  will  be  thank- 
fully received  by  your  friend  and  subscriber. 

L.  W.  Daggett. 

Attleboro'  Falls,  July  4,  1853. 


Remarks. — (a.)  If  near  your  barn,  good  compost- 
ed barn  cellar  manure. 

Ifnot  near  the  barn,  Peruvian  guano,  300  pounds 
to  the  acre,  worked  in  two  or  three  inches  with 
the  cultivator  after  plowing  and  before  sowing 
the  seed. 

{h.)  The  oyster  shell  lime  would  scarcely  be  mis- 
applied on  any  of  our  lands  that  have  been  frequent- 
ly cropt.  The  quantity  of  pure  lime  contained  in 
the  crops  produced  upon  one  acre,  according  to 
Prof.  Johnston,  during  a  four  years'  rotation, 
amounts,  on  an  average,  to  242  pounds,  which  are 
equal  to  about  430  pounds  of  carbonate  of  lime, 
in  the  state  of  marl,  shell,  sand  or  limestone  gray- 


388 


JSEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Aug. 


el.  Two  three  and  sometimes  four  hundred  bush 
els  are  applied  to  the  acre  in  England,  but  we  think 
it  a  better  plan  to  begin  with  a  smaller  quantity, 
say  from  10  to  25  or  50  bushels  to  the  acre.  The 
tendency  of  lime  is  to  stiffen  very  loose  soils  and 
open  the  stiffen  clays. 

(c.)  Five  or  six  barrels  of  the  muriate  of  lime  to 
the  acre.     Price  $1,50  per  barrel. 


For  the.  New  England  Farmer. 

PRESERVING  TIMBER. 

Copperas  Hill,  V(.,  July  9,  1853. 

Mr.  a.  D.  IIager  : — Dear  Sir, — I  notice  in  the 
Neiu  England  Farmer,  your  inquiries  respecting 
"Kyani/.ing  timber."  I  can  inform  you,  that  our 
timber  wliich  baa  been  saturated  with  copperas 
and  exposed  to  all  weather  for  forty  years,  is  per- 
fectly sound  and  hard,  and  has  become  something 
of  the  nature  of  stone. 

Timber  that  has  been  soaked  in  copperas  water, 
say  one  pound  copperas  to  one  pail  of  water,  will 
last  more  than  twice  as  long  as  that  which  has 
not  been  thus  prepared.         Yours  truly, 

John  Reynolds,  Agent 
Vermont  Copperas  Company. 

N.  B.     Copperas  is  cheap,  l|  cents  per  pound. 


Proctorsville,  Vt.,  July  12,  1853. 
Friend  Brown  : — I  received  the  above  in  answer 
to  my  inquii-y  in  the  Neiv  England  Farmer,  and 
although  from  a  stranger,  I  take  the  liberty  of |i7n7;c.;p;;7]7e"Jl7;tt;,f;pa7e"fOT^^ 


The  first  rain  drop  had  no  sooner  started  for 
the  field,  than  the  second  one  said,  "Well,  if  you 
are  going,  I  believe  I  will  go  too,  so  here  I  come  ;" 
and  down  dropped  the  rain  drop  on  another  stalk. 

By  this  time  a  great  many  rain-drops  had  come 
together  to  hear  what  their  companions  were 
talking  about,  and  when  they  heard  them,  and 
saw  them  going  to  cheer  the  former  and  water  the 
corn,  one  said,  "If  you're  going  on  such  a  good 
errand,  I'll  go  too  ;"  and  down  he  came.  "And 
I,"  said  another,  "and  I,"  "and  I,"  and  so  on, 
till  a  whole  shower  of  them  came,  and  the  corn 
was  watered,  and  it  grew  and  ripened,  all  because 
the  first  little  rain-drop  determined  to  do  ivhat  it 
could. 

Never  be  discouraged,  children,  because  you 
can't  do  much.  Do  ivhat  you  can.  Angels  can 
do  no  more. — Anonymous. 


AGRICULTURE  IN   FRANCE. 

A  letter  writer  for  The  Rppuhlic  says  a  trip  of 
six  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  from  the  northern  to 
the  southern  extremity  of  France  justifies  me  in 
the  expression  of  my  opinion  that  God's  sun  does 
not  elsewhere  shed  its  rays  on  so  fair  a  land,  or 
one  so  thoroughly  cultivated. 

The  whole  country  is  literally  a  garden.  Every 
square  foot,  from  the  mountain  top  to  the  lowest 
ravine,  is  made  to  produce  something,  if  it  be 
susceptible  of  it.  Their  mode  of  j^'lanting  or  sow- 
ing their  crops  whether  on  plain  or  hill  side,  pro- 
duces the  finest  effect  on  the  appearance  of  the 


sending  it  to  you,  as  the  facts  may  be  thought  of 
sufficient  importance  to  claim  a  place  in  that  bun 
die  of  valuable  fiicts — the  New  England  Farmer 
Respectfully  yours,         A.  D.  Hager. 


THE  FABLE  OF  THE  RAIN  DROP. 

There  was  once  a  farmer  who  had  a  large  field 
of  corn  ;  he  ploughed  it  and  planted  the  corn, 
and  harrowed  it  and  weeded  it  with  great  care, 
and  on  his  field  he  depended  for  the  support  of  his 
family.  But  after  he  had  worked  hard,  he  saw 
the  corn  begin  to  wither  and  droop  for  want  of 
rain,  and  he  thought  he  should  lose  his  crop.  He 
felt  very  sad,  and  went  out  every  day  to  look  at 
his  corn,  and  see  if  there  was  any  hope  of  rain. 

One  day,  as  he  stood  there  looking  at  the  sky, 
and  almost  in  despair,  two  little  rain  di'ops  up  in 
the  clouds  over  his  head  saw  him,  and  one  said  to 
the  other. 

"Look  at  that  poor  farmer  ;  I  feel  sorry  for  him; 
he  has  taken  so  much  pains  with  his  field  of  corn, 
and  now  it  is  all  drying  up  ;  I  wish  I  could  do  him 
some  good." 

"Yes,"  said  the  other,  "but  you  are  only  a 
little  rain  drop,  what  can  you  do?  You  can't 
even  wet  one  liillock." 

""Well,"  said  tlie  first,  "to  be  sure  I  can't  do 
much,  but  I  can  cheer  the  farmer  a  little  at  any 
rate,  and  I  am  resolved  to  do  my  best.  I'll  try. 
I'll  go  to  the  field  to  show  my  good  will,  if  I  can 
do  no  more  :  so,  here  I  go."  And  down  went 
the  rain  drop,  and  came  pat  on  the  farmer's  nose, 
and  then  fell  on  one  stalk  of  corn.  "Dear  me," 
said  the  farmer  putting  his  finger  to  his  nose, 
"what's  that  ■?  A  rain  drop.  Where  did  that 
come  from  ?  I  do  believe  we  shall  have  a  show- 
er." 


out  in  squares  or  parallelograms  with  mathemati- 
cal pi-ecision,  and  whether  large  or  small,  the  best 
garden  could  not  be  divided  with  greater  accuracy. 

As  there  are  no  fences  or  hedges,  and  as  the 
different  crops  are  in  various  stages  of  maturity 
you  can  imagine  the  variety  of  hues  that  meet  the 
eye,  and  the  magnificence  of  the  panorama  that 
stretches  out  in  every  direction  as  f\ir  as  the  vision 
can  penetrate.  I  am  sorry  to  add  in  this  connec- 
tion that  seven-eighths  of  the  labor  is  performed 
by  females,  while  two  or  three  hundred  thousand 
stalwart  men  are  idling  away  their  time  in  the 
barracks  in  the  cities  and  villages. 

In  the  absence  of  fences,  cattle  secured  by  ropes 
are  driven  about  their  pasturage  by  females,  and 
sheep  are  confined  within  the  required  limits  by 
boys,  assisted  by  a  shepherd's  dog.  Speaking  of 
cattle  reminds  me  that  notwithstanding  fresh  pork 
is  abundant  enough  in  market,  both  in  England 
and  France,  I  have  not  seen  a  live  porker  in  either 
country. 

Excerpts. — Every  plant  that  is  produced,  every 
child  that  is  born,  is  a  new  idea,  a  fresh  expres- 
sion of  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  our  Creator. 

Revenge  reaps  no  reward.  It  is  its  own  most 
fearful  punishment.  Its  thirst  is  death.  Deeds  of 
horror  are  its  luxuries. 

Custom  will  have  the  same  effect,  with  respect 
to  death,  as  to  other  frightful  things  ;  it  will  take 
offits  terror. 

The  noblest  remedy  for  injuries  is  oblivion. 
Light  injuries  are  made  lighter  by  not  regarding 
them. 

No  poultice  has  ever  been  discovered  to  draw 
out  man's  virtues  so  fully  as  the  sod  that  covers 
his  grave. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


389 


For  the  New  Enfuland  Farmer. 
SETTING  POSTS. 

Mr.  Editor  : — On  pa^e  303  of  New  England 
Former,  monthly,  is  an  inquiry  for  the  best  way 
of  setting  posts  and  manner  of  building  front  fence, 
by  S.  G.  B. 

A  very  durable,  and  not  very  expensive  way,  is 
to  take  ilat  pieces  of  granite  of  sufficient  size  and 
weight,  and  in  the  centre  of  these,  drill  a  round 
hole  3  inches  deep  ,  then  take  a  piece  of  round  inch 
iron  20  inches  long,  and  wedge  it  fast  into  the  hole 
you  have  drilled  ;  place  the  surface  of  the  granite 
an  inch  higher  than  the  surface  of  the  ground. 
Then  take  a  post  about  3i  feet  long,  and  in  one 
end  of  it  bore  an  inch  auger  hole  the  length  of  the 
iron,  17  inches,  and  drive  on  the  iron.  This  makes 
-a  very  durable  post,  not  muved  by  frost.  After 
setting  the  posts  the  desired  length  of  the  fence, 
placing  the  posts  about  8  feet  apart,  you  can  saw 
into  your  posts  near  the  bottom,  and  nail  on  a 
joist  2  by  4,  and  on  the  top  another  ;  to  these  you 
can  nail  your  pickets,  or  you  can  build  with  small 
rails  without  pickets. 

Another  way  is,  and  it  may  not  be  more  expen- 
sive whei'e  lumber  is  high,  take  round  iron, 
same  as  above,  the  height  you  wish  to  build  the 
fence,  sharpen  the  top  as  rounds  are  turned  for 
fence,  and  on  these  put  two  rails  lengthwise,  one 
near  the  bottom,  and  the  other  near  the  top,  bored 
with  holes  the  proper  distance  for  rounds,  with  an 
inch  auger.  This  painted,  makes  a  very  durable 
and  neat  fence  for  front  yards.  e.  g.  c. 

Canaan,  Mc.,  1853. 


CANADA  THISTLES. 

Mr.  Tappan,  in  the  Plow,  Loom  and  Anvil,  says 
that  Canada  Thistles  can  be  killed  by  deep  and 
thorough  plowing.  Or  they  may  be  killed  by  mow- 
ing them  when  they  have  attained  to  their  full 
size.  He  says  then  the  stalks  are  hollow ;  the 
blossoms  are  red — not  much  faded  ;  the  lower 
leaves  are  dead  ;  and  the  weather  warm  and  dry. 

J.  H.,  in  the  Rural  New-Yorker,  plants  his 
corn  on  the  thistle  ground,  and  after  the  corn  is 
hoed  the  last  time  passes  through  with  a  spade  and 
takes  ou.t  every  thistle,  root  and  branch,  shakes 
off  the  earth,  and  leaves  the  thistle  on  the  ground, 
where  the  first  few  hour's  sun  kills  it.  This  pro- 
cess he  follows  up  for  a  week  or  ten  days,  and  the 
work  is  thoroughly  accomplished. 


GOOD  TOOLS  FOR  THE  BOYS. 

The  editor  of  the  Portland  Pleasure  Boat  gives 
the  public  some  excellent  practical  advice.  In  an 
article  in  which  he  furnishes  some  hints  in  regard 
to  making  agriculture  a  cheerful  and  agreable  oc- 
cupation, he  closes  the  subjects  thus  : 

Farmers,  furnish  your  young  boys  with  light, 
neat  and  good  tools,  and  teach  them  how  to  keep 
them  in  good  order,  if  you  would  have  them  love 
agriculture,  and  give  them  a  little  lot  for  their 
own  use. 

If  you  wish  to  discourage  them  and  drive  them 
off  to  the  city,  to  sea,  or  to  California,  give  them 
rusty  hoes,  broken  shovels,  dull  scythes,  &c.,  to 
work  with,  and  not  allow  them  to   plant  a  seed  or 


a  tree  for  themselves.  Every  boy  on  a  farm  should 
he  allowed  a  lot  on  which  to  make  a  miniature 
farm,  lie  may  have  a  row  of  ccrn,  a  row  of  po- 
tatoes, a  patch  of  wheat,  oats,  beans,  grass,  and 
if  you  keep  animals  give  him  a  calf,  a  colt,  or  a 
lamb  to  raise. 

With  the  products  of  his  little  farm  he  can  sup- 
ply himself  witli  books,  clothes,  &c.,  so  that  you 
will  be  gainers  by  being  liberal,  and  will  encourage 
industry  and  beget  a  love  for  agriculture  in  your 
sons,  wliich  will  in  future  years  lead  them  on  to 
perfection  in  the  art,  and  place  them  among  the 
highest  of  nature's  noblemen. 


LIME  FROM  GAS  WORKS. 

Mr.  Brown  : — Please  inform  me  in  your  usual 
way,  of  the  principal  qualities,  and  relative  value 
of  the  refuse  lime  of  gas  factories,  when  the  gas  is 
obtained  from  bituminous  coal,  and  best  time  and 
mode  of  applying  it  as  manure. 

Yours,  respectfully,         t.  h.  c. 

Locust  Lawn,  Indiana,  1853. 


LIME  FROM  GAS  WORKS. 

Gentlemen  : — A  subscriber  to  your  useful  New 
England  Farmer  solicits  the  inquiry  respecting 
the  lime  used  at  the  gas  works,  for  tlie  purpose  of 
purifying  the  rosin  and  extracting  the  ammonia. 
It  is  very  powerful,  and  retains  a  peculiar,  strong 
smell.  Can  it  be  used  for  agricultural  purposes? 
It  is  very  cheap,  25  cents  a  ban-el.  Will  it  an- 
swer for  decomposing  peat — earth,  or  muck.  I 
have  heard  of  its  being  used  in  Essex  county,  but 
have  not  seen  notice  of  it  in  any  paper. 

Yours,  respectfully,  h.  s. 

Portsmouth,  June,  1853. 


Remarks. — W^ill  some  of  our  correspondents  re- 
ply to  these  letters  of  inquiry  1 


33ou'3  Department. 


DUTIES   AT  SCHOOL. 

Quinctilian  includes  most  all  the  duties  of  schol 
ars  in  this  one  piece  of  advice  which  he  gives 
them — to  love  those  who  teach  them  as  they  love 
the  science  which  they  learn  of  their  instructors, 
and  to  look  upon  their  teacher  as  fathers,  from 
whom  they  derive  not  the  life  of  the  body,  but 
that  instruction  which  is  in  a  manner  the  life  of 
the  soul.  If  they  possess  this  sentiment  of  affec- 
tion and  respect,  it  suffices  to  make  them  apt  to 
learn  during  the  time  of  their  studies,  and  full 
of  gratitude  all  the  rest  of  their  lives.  Ducility, 
which  consists  in  submitting  to  the  directions  given 
to  them,  in  readily  receiving  the  instruction  of 
their  master,  and  in  reducing  them  to  practice, 
is  as  properly  the  virtue  of  scholars  as  that  of 
masters  is  to  teach  well.  The  one  can  do  nothing 
without  the  other,  as  it  is  not  sufficient  for  a  la- 
borer to  sow  the  seed  unless  the  eartli,  after  hav- 
ing opened  her  bosom  to  receive  it,  encourage  its 
growth  by  warmtli  and  moisture;  so  the  whole 
fruit  of  instruction  depends  upon  a  good  corres- 
pondence between  the  master  and  scholar.  Grat- 
itude for  tliose  who  have  labored  in  our  education 
is  the  characteristic  of  an  honest  man  and  the 
tribute  of  a  good  heart.     "Who  is  there  amongst 


390 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Aug. 


us,"  gays  Cicero  "that  has  been  instructed  with 
any  care,  that  is  not  highly  delighted  with  the 
sight,  or  even  the  bare  remembrance  of  his  precep- 
tors, masters,  and  the  place  where  he  was  taught 
and  brought  up  ?"  Seneca  exhorts  young  men  to 
preserve  always  a  greater  respect  for  the  masters, 
to  whose  care  they  are  indebted  for  the  amendment 
of  their  faults,  and  for  having  imbibed  sentiments 
of  honor  and  prosperity.  The  exactness  and  se- 
verity of  our  teachers  may  displease  sometimes  at 
an  age  when  we  are  not  in  a  condition  to  judge  of 
the  ohligation  we  owe  them  ;  but  when  years  have 
ripened  our  understanding  and  judgment,  we  dis- 
cern tliat  their  admonitions,  and  a  severe  exact- 
ness in  restraining  the  passions  of  an  imprudent 
and  inconsiderate  age,  are  the  very  things  which 
should  make  us  esteem  and  love  them.  Thus 
Marcus  Aurelius,one  of  the  wisest  and  most  illus- 
trious Emperors  that  Rome  ever  had,  thanked 
heaven  for  two  things  especially — for  his  having 
had  excellent  tutors  himself,  and  that  he  had 
found  the  like  fur  his  children.  The  duties  of 
school-boys  consist  in  docility  and  obedience,  re- 
spect for  their  masters,  zeal  for  study,  and  a  thirst 
after  the  sciences,  joined  to  an  abhorrance  of  vice 
and  irregularity,  together  with  a  sincere  and  fer- 
vent desire  of  pleasing  God  and  referring  all  their 
actions  to  him. 

A  Promise. — A  promise  should  be  given  with 
caution  and  kept  with  care.  A  promise  should  be 
made  by  the  heart  and  remembered  by  the  head. 
A  promise  is  the  offspring  of  the  intention,  and 
should  be  nurtured  by  recollection.  A  promise 
and  its  performance  should,  like  the  scales  of  a 
true  balance,  always  present  a  mutual  adjustment. 
A  promise  delayed  is  justice  deferred.  A  promise 
neglected  is  an  untruth  told.  A  promise  attended 
to  is  a  debt  settled. 


Caliies'  IDepartmcnt. 

An  English  Woman's  Opinion  of  Husbands. — 
As  a  general  rule,  we  know  that  men  have,  by  na- 
ture, a  superiority  in  strength  which  enables  them 
to  go  through  labors  and  dangers,  mental  as  well 
as  bodily,  from  which  females  should  be  exempt ; 
and  that  by  education  they  are  qualified  for  exer- 
cising the  several  trades  or  professions  by  which 
they  arc  to  maintain  their  families.  On  the  other 
hand,  women  are  endowed  (besides  all  the  graces 
and  amiabilities  of  the  sex)  with  a  great  superiori- 
•ty  of  quickness,  tact,  and  delicate  discernment,  in 
all  the  every-day  afikirs  of  life.  In  all  these,  there- 
fore, the  iiusband  ought  to  be  completely  guided 
by  his  wife.  And  this  shows  the  Avisdom  of  our 
ancchtors  in  making  the  husband  "endow  with  all 
his  worldly  goods"  the  wife  he  has  chosen.  The 
wife  is  dependent  on  the  husband,  and  clings  to 
him  for  support,  just  as  a  hop-plant  climbs  on  its 
pole,  and  a  sweet  pea  on  the  stick  to  support  it, 
and  as  the  vine  in  Italy  was,  according  to  the  lan- 
guage of  the  poets,  "married  to  an  elm."  But 
if  you  could  only  conceive  a  hop-pole,  or  a  pea- 
stick,  or  an  elm,  imagining  that  those  plants  were 
put  there  on  purpose  for  its  adornment,  you  would 
tell  them  that  this  was  quite  a  mistake  ;  that  the 
climbers  are  cultivated  for  tiie  flowers  or  fruit;  and 
that  the  stakes  are  placed  there  merely  for  their 
sake,  and  must  not  claim  any  superior  dignity  or 


worth  over  the  plants  they  support.  Now  just 
such  is  the  office  of  the  husband  ;  and  this  state- 
ment of  things  is  what  people  approach  to  more 
in  proportion  as  they  advance  in  civilzation. 


Household  Measures. — As  all  families  are  not 
provided  with  scales  and  weights  referring  to  in- 
gredients in  general  use  by  every  housewife,  the 
following  may  be  useful : — 

Wheat  flour,  one  pound  is  one  quart. 

Indian  meal,  one  pound  two  ounces  is  one 
quart. 

Butter,  when  soft,  one  pound  one  ounce  is  one 
quart. 

Loaf  sugar,  broken,  one  pound  is  one  quart. 

White  sugar,  powdered,  one  pound  one  ounce 
is  one  quart. 

Best  brown  sugar,  one  pound  two  ounces  is  one 
quart. 

Eggs,  average  size,  ten  eggs  are  one  pound. 

Sixteen  large  table-spoonfuls  are  half  a  pint, 
eight  are  one  gill,  four  half  a  gill,  &c. 


Wash  for  the  Head. — "A  Mother"  asks, 
"What  is  an  eflicient  remedy  for  removing  dand- 
ruff in  the  hair,  as  she  has  an  objection  to  using 
an  ivory  comb?"  This  objection  is  well  founded, 
as  it  increases  the  evil.  The  following  wash,  ap- 
plied with  a  small  piece  of  flannel,  to  the  roots  of 
the  hair,  will  be  found  excellent :  Three  parts  of 
oil  of  almonds  ;  one  part  lime-water  ;  to  be  shaken 
up  well,  and  can  be  procured  of  any  chemist. —  La- 
dy's Book. 


TlLinertislng  ll^fpartnunt. 


O"  A  limited  niimber  of  advertisements  of  an  appropriate 
character  will  be  inserted  in  the  monthly  Farmer  at  the  fol 
owing 

RATES. 

For  one  square  of  15  lines,  one  insertion $1,00 

For  CHch  subsequent  insertion 50 

XT  The'iibove  rates  will  be  charged  for  all  advertisements 
whether  longer  or  shorter. 


Farm  in  Westboro',  Mass., 

For  sale  or  exchange,  for  Boston  property,  sit 
uated  on  the  old  Grafton  road,  within  \  mile  of 
the  Railroad  Depot,  containing  27  acres  of  as 
good  lai;d  as  any  other  27  acres  laying  in  one 
body,  in  the  town;  it  is  elevated  about  75  feet 
MlHJVf  the  railroad,  and  overlooks  the  town,  and  is  within  7 
minutes  walk  of  three  churches  and  the  town  house,  which 
for  healthy  location  is  unsurpassed.  The  buildings  consist  of 
a  modern  house,  buili  by  Boston  mechanics  in  1851,  and  is  32 
by  22  feet,  with  a  kitchen  attached,  16  by  23  feet,  two  stories 
high,  with  a  cellar  under  the  whole.  Wood-house,  16  by  20 
feet;  work-shop  16  by  '2  feet;  carriage  and  hen  house,  16  by 
21  feet;  poultry  yard,  30  by  53  feet,  enclosed  by  slat  fence  8 
feet  high;  barn,  60  by  36  feet,  with  celbir  under  the  same,  so 
divided  as  to  give  a  vegetable  cellar  containing  about  2000 
bushels;  cistern  and  well  water  is  brought  into  the. house,  and 
all  the  wash  of  the  kitchen  and  privy  is  conducted  by  a  drain 
to  the  barn  cellar;  likewise  a  farm  house  24  feet  square,  li 
stories  high,  cellar  under  the  same;  there  are  three  good  wells 
of  water  and  one  good  brick  and  cement  cistern  on  the  prem- 
ises. There  are  now  on  the  farm  142  large  apple  trees,  most- 
ly grafted,  also  220  young  thriving  apple  trees,  mostly  Bald- 
wins, from  4  lo  '  years  from  the  bud,  some  of  them  have 
borne  fruit;  likewise  34  peach  trees  of  early  choice  variety, 
10  pear  trees,  <fcc  There  has  been  taken  from  the  farm  the 
past  year,  30  tons  of  hay,  375  bushels  of  corn  in  the  ear,  700 
bushels  of  carrots,  beets  and  S.  turnips,  80  barrels  grafted 
fruit, besides  vegetables  used  in  the  lamily  For  further  infer 
nation,  apply  at  this  office,  of  Messrs  SIMON  BROWN  or 
WILMAM  SIMOND.^;  at  Westboro',  of  Messrs.  FAYER- 
WETHER.^  GRIGGS. 
Feb.  5.  1853.  tf 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


391 


The  Farmers'  Library.         I 

JUST  RECEIVED,  the  following  assortment  of  Agricultural 
and  Horticultural  Books,  embracing  the  standard  works  «  f 
eminent  American  and  European  writers,  on  the  Farm,  th> 
Orchard,  the  Garden,  &c.  <fec. 

PRICE. 

American  Farm  Book,  by  Allen,  $1,00 
Farmer's  Treasure,  by  Faulkner  and  Smith,  76 
Dana's  Muck  Manual,  1,0( 
Prize  Essay  on  Manures,  by  Dana,  25 
American  Muck  Book,  by  Browne,  1,00 
Lectures  on  Practical  Agriculture,  by  Johnstone,  75 
Elements  of  Scientific  Agriculture,  by  Norton,  5'j 
Principles  of  Agriculture,  by  Thaer,  2,50 
Practical  Agriculture,  by  Johnstone,  75 
Agriculture  for  Schools,  by  Blake,  1,00 
Catechism  of  Agriculture  and  Chemistry,  by  John- 
stone and  Norton,  25 
American  Agriculiurist,  by  Allen,  1,00 
Liebig's  Complete  Work  on  Chemistry,  1,00 
Farmer's  and  Emigrant's  Hand  Book,  by  Marshall,  75 
Home  for  all,  by  Fowler,  50 
Book  of  the  Farm,  by  Stephens  and  Skinner,  4,00 
Cottage  and  Farm  Houses,  by  Downing,  2,0<i 
Downing's  Country  Houses,  4,00 
Rural  Architecture,  by  Allen,  1,25 
Downing's  Landscape  Gardening  and  Rural  Archi- 
tecture, 3,50 
Downing's  Cottage  Residences,  2,00 
Fruit  Garden,  by  Barry,  1,25 
Complete  Gardener  and  Farmer,  by  Fessenden,  1,25 
Bridgeman's  Gardener's  Assistant,  2,00 
Bridgeman's  Kitchen  Gardener's  Instructor,  50 
American  Fruit  Culturist,  by  Thomas,  1,00 
Gardener  and  Complete  Florist,  25 
Florist's  Guide,  by  Bridgeman,  50 
New  England  Fruit  Book,  by  Ives, 

Youatt  and  Martin  on  Cattle,  by  Stevens,  1,25 

Rose  Culturist,  38 

Johnson's  Gardener's  Dictionary,  by  Landreth,  1,50 

Rural  Economy,  by  Boussingault,  1,00 

American  Rose  Culturist,  25 

Bigelow's  Plants  of  Boston,  1,25 

Genera  of  Plants  of  the  U.  S.,  by  Gray,  2  vols.  12,00 

Gray's  Botany,  2,00 

Parnell's  Chemistry,  100 

New  England  Farmer,  by  Cole,  1,00 

Ladies'  Guide  and  Skilful  Housewife,  by  Mrs.  Abel,  25 

Hive  and  Honey  Bee,  by  Richardson,  25 

Bee  Keeper's  Manual,  by  Miner,  50 

Bird  Fancier,  by  Browne,  paper  25  cents,  50 

Townley  on  Bees,  50 

American  Poultry  Yard,  by  Browne,  1,00 

American  Poulterers'  Companion,  by  Bement,  1,00 

American  Fowl  Breeder,  by  Moore,  25 

American  Herd  Book,  by  Allen,  3,00 

American  Shepherd,  by  Morrill,  1,00 

Domestic  Animals,  by  Allen,  75 

Diseases  of  Animals,  by  Cole,  60 

Hints  to  Sportsmen,  by  Lewis,  1,25 

Dadd's  Anatomy  and  Physiology  of  the  Horse,  1,0( 

Mason's  Farrier  and  Stud  Book,  by  Skinner,  1,26 

Management  of  Sheep,  by  Canfield,  I  OC 

Yowatt  on  the  Pig,  60 

Knowlson's  Complete  Cow  Doctor,  25 

Horse  Doctor,  25 

Guenon's  Treatise  on  Milch  Cows,  3f 

Tre.itise  on  Hot  Houses,  by  Leuchars,  1  oc 

Allen  on  the  Grajie,  1  00 

Schenck's  Text  Book,  50 

Breck's  Book  of  Flowers,  75 

Downing's  Fruit  and  Fruit  Trees,  1  50 
For  sale  at  the  Publishers'  prices  by  RUGGLES,  NOURS 
MASON  &.  Co.,  Quincy  Hall,  (over  the  Market.)  Boston. 
Jan.  1,  1853.                                     tf* 


Ayrshire  Stock. 

The  farmers  and  dairymen  of  Concord, 
(Mass.,)  and  vicinity,  who  are  desirous  o.' 
improving  iheii  stock,  are  iufi.rmed  that 
the  subscriber  has  purchased  a  fine  tlior- 
oush  bred  MALE  of  the  AYRSHIRE 
breed,  which  he  will  keep  for  the  present 
at  his  stahle,  near  the  depot.  JOHN  RAYNOLDS. 

July  9,  1853.  tf 

Super-Phosphate  of  Lime, 

TN  bags  and  barrels,  made  by  C  B.  DeBURG,  a  warranted 
i.  pure  and  genuine  article,  with  full  directions  for  use.  For 
sale  by  GEO  DAVENPORT,  5  Commercial,  corner  of  Chat- 
ham St.,  Boston,  agent  for  the  manufacturer, 

Also,  for  sale,  Ground  Bone,  Bone  Dust,  Burnt  Bone,  Gua- 
no, and  Grass  Seeds  of  reliable  quality. 

March  26,  1853.  tf* 


THE  BOSTON  AND  WORCESTER 

EAGLE    DOUBLE   PLOWS. 


THE  superior  merits  of  these  Plows,  consist  in, 
1.  The  mode  of  attaching  the  forward  mould-board  to  the 
beam,  by  which  great  .strength  and  durability  are  secured,  as 
also  the  various  desirable  changes  in  depth  of  work  and  rela- 
tive depth  of  each  plow,  the:$ame  being  regulated  to  any  shade 
of  nicety,  with  perfect  facility. 

2.  The  entire  and  handsome  overturning  of  the  sod  furrow, 
by  the  lorward  mould-board,  to  the  e.xtent  of  the  whole  width 
of  furrow  taken  by  I  he  plow,  placing  it  beneath,  out  of  the 
way  of  the  teeth  of  the  harrow,  cultivator,  or  other  imple- 
ment, so  that  it  is  in  no  case  dragged  to  the  surface  in  the  af- 
ter-cultivation of  the  crop: 

3.  The  thorough  and  finished  work  done  by  the  rear  mould- 
board,  in  taking  up  its  furrow  of  under  soil  and  sifting  or  scat- 
tering it  over  the  inverted  sod,  so  as  to  entirely  till  to  the  sur- 
face, and  at  the  same  time  break  open  any  undue  cohesion  ol 
the  soil,  leaving  the  plowed  land  in  a  finely  pulverized  condi- 
tion, requiring  little  labor  with  the  harrow  or  other  surface- 
working  instrument,— and  indeed,  in  all  tolerably  free  loams, 
rendering  the  use  of  these  instruments,  as  pulverizers,  quite 
unnecessary: 

4.  The  remarkably  light  draught  of  the  plow,  in  proportion 
to  the  amount  of  wurk  and  the  thoroughness  of  pulverization 
accomplished. 

Sever  1  sizes  of  the  BOSTON  &  WORCESTER  EAGLE 
DOUBLE  PLOW,  aiemiide  by  the  subscribers,  from  patterns 
of  their  own  original  invention.  They  invite  their  friends  and 
customers  to  examine  these  Plows,  as  to  quality  and  durabil- 
ity of  material,  thoroughness  and  finish  of  construction,  and 
to  test  their  working  properties. 

Manufactory  at  Worcester,  and  Warehouse  Quincy  Hall, 
over  the  Market,  Boston. 

RUGGLES,  NOURSE,  MASON  &  CO. 

April  30,  1853. 


Church  and  Barn  Vanes. 

THE  Vane  as  used  on  either  churches  or  b;irns  combines 
both  usefulness  and  ornament-  The  subscriber  ha"  had 
many  years'  experience  in  the  making  of  Vanes,  and  has  man- 
ufactured a  large  number  which  have  given  uniform  saiisfac- 
tiiin.  His  patterns  have  been  procured  at  much  pains  and 
exjiense,  and  embrace  quite  a  vaiiety  of  those  most  approved 
and  sought  after.  His  construction  of  Vanes  is  under  his  own 
eye  and  of  the  best  and  most  durable  material  copper  only 
being  used.  Those  in  want  of  Vanes  for  either  churches  or 
barns,  are  invited  to  make  trial  of  those  made  by  the  subscri- 
ber. On  the  score  of  expense,  strength  and  beauty,  they  will 
be  found  to  be  what  is  required.  I.  S.  TOMPKINS, 

54  (formerly  21)  Union,  near  Hanover  St.,  Boston. 
May  21,  18.53.  ,      6m^ 


Haycock  Covers. 


I71OR  SALE,  Haycock  Covers  made  of  the  leaves  of  Bamboo, 
water  tight.     These  mats  are  very  useful  to  the  farmer  in 
getting  in  his  hay  crop  during  bhowery  weaiher,  and  will  an- 
nually save  more  than  their  cost  in  the  quality  of  the  hay. 
Foi  sale  by  RUGGLES,  NOURsE,  MASON  &  CO. 

Boston,  June  25,  1853. 


Garden  Seeds. 


WE  respectfully  solicit  the  attention  of  purchasers  of  GAR 
DEN  SEEDS  to  our  extensive  stock,  which  we  ofTer  for 
sale.  We  have  all  the  sorts  of  Vegetable  Seeds  that  have 
proved  worthy  of  cultivation;  also.  Grain,  Grass  and  Flower 
Seeds.  All  the  varieties  are  raised  and  selected  expressly  for 
our  trade,  and  we  do  with  confidence  recommend  them  to  all 
who  desire  to  procure  seeds  that  will  prove  true  to  their  names. 
lET  Catalogues  gratis,  on  application. 

RUGGLES,  NOURSE,  MASON  &  CO., 
Jan.  1.  Over  Quincy  Market,  Boston. 


Peruvian  Guano. 


A 


FE  W  TONS,  for  sale  by 


03"  Also,  100  bags  Liverpool  Salt. 
May  14. 


JAMES  GOULD, 
No.  70  Stale  Street. 


392 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Aug. 


CONTENTS   OF  THIS  NUMBER. 

August Page  345 

Calendar  for  J uly 345 

Com  post ing 347 

Monthly  Farmer  for  July 348 

The  Milk  Maid  and  the  Banker— Hilling  Plants 349 

Swamps — Drnining 350 

Indigenous  Fruits  and  Shrubs — Imiiroving  Fruit 351 

The  Drought — Imporlance  of  the  Leaf  to  the  I'laiit 351 

Rose  Bugs 353 

Muck— The  New  Insect 354 

New  York  State  Agricultural  College 355 

Cows  and  Tar — EfTects  of  Deep  Plowing 356 

A  Raie  and  PleasHnt  Hook S'u 

Front-Yard   Fences— Alders 358 

Pleasant  Words  from  "Down  East" 358 

Indigenous  Fruits  and  Shrubs — Ergot  in  Grain 359 

Making  Butter : 360 

Horticultural  Exhibition  at  Concord— The  Moth 361 

A  New  Insect — Is  the  Slole  a  Devourer  of  Vegetables 362 

Kyanizing  Timber — Setting  Fence  Posts 363 

Cows  Shedding  Milk— Butter-Making 363 

What  the  Farmer  most  needs — Weeds 364 

State  Reform  School  again—  Girdled  Apple  Trees 365 

Cross  Fertililaiion — A  New  Weed S66 

Culture  and  Value  of  the  Parsnip 367 

Agriculture  in  New  Hampshire 367 

Use  of  Flowers— Warls 3S8 

Palmer  Worm 369 

State  Reform  School- Cows  holding  up  their  Milk 371 

Practice  of  Shoeing  Horses— Love  All 372 

Entomological  Discovery 372 

Barn  Cellars,  Restorative  Gases,  &c 373 

Apple  Trees  killed  by  Potash— Trimming  Pine  Trees 374 

Canker,  or  some  other  Worms 374 

The  History  and  Culture  of  the  Mignonette 375 

Black  Knots  again — Prospects  of  the  Season 376 

Black  Knot  in  Plum  Trees 378 

Hay  Caps— Effect  of  High  Culture  on  Fruit  Trees 379 

To  prevent  Cows  from  Shedding  Milk 330 

Circulation  of  Sap 33i) 

Hoeing  Corn — A  Residence  in  China 381 

Stale  Reform  School 382 

Insect  Destructive  to  the  Apple — Saleratus 383 

Ferry's  Patent  Cress-Cut  Feed  Cutter 3=3 

Much  L  ibor  on  Little  Land— War — Extracts  and  Replies. 384 

How  the  Water  Boiled  away  from  the  Potatoes 985 

Prospects  ol  the  Season — Communication  of  Ideas,  &c 387 

Manure  for  Laying  Down  Grass  Lands 387 

Preserving  Timber — The  Fable  of  the  Rain  Drop 386 

Agriculture  in  France 388 

Setting  I'osts- Canada  Thistles — Lime  from  Gas  Works.. 389 

Boy's  Department 3?9 

Ladies'  Department 390 

ILLUSTRATxONS. 

Application  of  Wind  as  a  Power  for  Raising  Water 353 

French  Buck  "Matchless" 369 

Garden  Shears 377 

Black  Tartarean  Cherry 385 


NEW  ENGLAND  FAHMEll 

Is  published  on  the  first  of  every  month,  by  .Iohn  Ravnolds 
and  Joel  Noirse,  at  Quincy  Hall,  South  Market  St.,  Boston. 

SIMON  BROWN,  Editor. 
FREDERICK  HOLBROOK, )  A.-=sofiate 
HENRY  F.  FRENCH,  j   Editors. 

[n?  Terms,  S1,00  per  annum  in  advance. 

O*  All  subscriptions  to  commence  with  the  volume,  Jan.  1. 

The  Faumisr,  is  devoted  exclusively  to  Agriculture,  Hor- 
ticulture, and  their  kindred  Arts  and  Sciences;  making  a  neat 
volume  of  ,576  octavo  jiages,  embellished  with  mitiierous  en 
gravings.  It  may  be  elegantly  bound  in  muslin,  eiiibo.ssed  aiul 
gilt,  at  25  cts.  a  volume,  if  left  at  the  oflice  of  iniblication. 

0=  Also  published  at  the  same  office  every  Saturday,  on  a 
large  handsome  folio  sheet,  the 

NEW  ENGLAND   FARMER,    (WB.FKLY,) 

An  hnUpeyident  Agricultural  Family  Ntaspajxr. 

The  News  and  Miscellaneous  departments  under  the  charge 
of  WILLIAM  SIMONDS,  will  include  a  full  and  careful  re- 
port of  the  news  of  the  Markets,  and  the  news  r,f  the  week, 
such  as  Domestic,  Foreign  and  Marine  Intelligence,  Congres 
sional  and  Legislative  proceedings.  Temperance  and  Religiou- 
Intelligence,  and  a  general  variety  of  Literary  and  Miscellanes 
ous  matter,  adapted  to  family  reading,  comprising  more  use- 
ful and  valuable  reading  matter  than  any  other  Agricultural 
Newspaper  published  in  New  England.  Everything  of  a  hurt- 
ful or  even  doubtful  tendency  will  be  carefully  excluded  from 
its  columns. 

[nr  Terins  $2,00  per  annum  in  advance. 

The  monthly  contains  nearly  the  same  matter  as  the  Agri- 
cultural department  of  the  weekly. 

0°  Postmasters  and  others,  who  will  forward  four  new 
subscribers  on  the  above  named  terms,  for  either  publication, 
shall  receive  a  fifth  copy  gratis  for  one  year. 

0=  All  orders  and  letters  should  be  aildressed,;>o.??-y)n7'rf, 
RAYNOLDS  &o  NOURSE, 
(ii'i.NCY  Hall,  Sodtii  Market  Street,  Boston. 


English  Fancy  Lop-ear  Iial)l)i(s. 


THE  undersigned  will  be  happy  to  sBow  a  choice  lot  of  im 
ported  Lop-eared  Rahbitu,  to  gentlemen  interested,  at  his 
residence  in  Melrose.  This  stock  is  from  the  best  in  England, 
and  was  selected  with  care.  I  have  a  few  younz  Rabbits  for 
sale,  which  will  be  ready  to  deliver  in  July  and  August. 

Address,         GEO.  P.  BURNHAM,  Box  22,  Post  office. 
Boston,  June  11,  1853.  4w'-3 


Fruit  anil  Ornamental  Trees, 

HEDGE  PLANTS,  SHRUBS,  &c. 

WILLIAM  HALL,  Bradford,  Mass.,  offers  for 
sale  his  usual  assortment  of  Apple,  Pear,  I'lum, 
Peach,  Cherry,  Apricot,  Quince,  Currant  and 
Gooseberry  Trees.  Ornamental  trees  of  large 
size. 

A  fine  collection  of  Roses  incluiiing  the  New 
and    Yellow    Climbers.     A    fine  stork    of  liucklhorn, 
Privett,  Arbor  Vitas  and  Norway  Spruce,  plants  for  Hedges. 
Orders  promptly  attended  to. 
April  y,  i853.  tf 


Whiit 


O"  Postage. — The  postage  on  the  New  England  Farmer 
monthly,  is  Ji  cents  per  quarter,  or  6  cents  per  year,  to  any 
part  of  the  United  States,  to  be  paid  in  advance  at  the  office 
where  the  same  is  received. 


LANGSTROTH'S 

Movable  Comb  Hive, 

(Patented  Oct.  5th,  1&52.) 

EACH  comb  is  built  on  a  movable  frame,  and  in  five  min- 
utes they  may  all  be  taken  out,  without  cutting  them  or 
enraging  the  bees.  Weak  stocks  may  be  helped  in  honey  and 
brood  froiTi  stronger  ones;  queenless  colonies  supplied;  the 
worms  caught;  and  new  colonies  formed  in  less  time  than  in 
usually  required  to  hive  a  natural  swarm.  Thhl  the  snfe  and 
easy  control  of  the  combs,  makes  a  complete  revoliiiion  in 
bee-keeping  the  subscriber  prefers  to  prove  rather  than  as- 
sert. At  his  Apiary,  combs,  honey  and  bees  will  be  taken 
from  the  hives,  the  queen  exhibited,  and  new  colonies  formed. 
By  the  close  of  May  his  work  (350  pages)  on  the  Honey-IJee 
will  be  pul)lished.  It  contains  many  new  and  highly  impor- 
tant discoveries,  and  gives  full  directions  for  managiiig  bees, 
in  the  author's  hive,  or  any  other.  Cost  of  hives  from  one  to 
five  dollars;  farm  rights  five  dollars.  For  one  doll  ir,  postage 
paid,  the  book  will  be  sent  free  by  mail.  On  receipt  of  eleven 
dollars,  a  beautiful  hive  showing  all  the  combs,  (with  gluss  on 
four  sides,)  will  be  sent  with  book  and  right,  freight  paid,  to 
any  Railroad  station  in  New  England;  a  right,  book  and  hive 
for  two  colonies,  with  glass  on  each  side,  for  §13;  a  thorough- 
ly made  hive  for  two  colonies,  glass  on  the  bank  only,  with 
book  and  right,  for  $11.     Address. 

L.  L.  LANGSTROTH,  Greenfield,  Mass. 
May  14,  1853.  3w*3 


Bound  Volumes. 


BACK  VOLUMES  ol  ,he  NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER,  el«s- 
gantly  bound  in  Muslin,  Gilt  and  Embossed,  are  now  for 
sale  Hi  this  office. 


Suffolk  Pigs. 


The  undersigned  can  supply  a   few  or- 
ders for   choice  Suffolk  Pigs   of  the   best 
blood  in  the  country      Also,  a  few  Bleed- 
ing   Sows    and    2    Boars.     Address,  post- 
^^^_.    paid,  LUTHER  GILBERT, 


June  11,  1853. 


Newton,  Liwer  Falls, 
tf 


DEVOTED  TO  AGRICULTURE  AND  ITS  KINDRED  ARTS  AND  SCIENCES. 


VOL.  V. 


BOSTON,  SEPTEMBER,  1853. 


NO.  9. 


RAYNOLBS  <fe  NOURSE,  Pnoi'jiiETOKS. 
Office.  ...QuiNCY  Hall. 


SIMON  BROWN,  Editor. 


FRED'K  IIOLBRO(tK,i  Associate 
HENRY  F.  FRENCH,  5   Editors. 


CALENDAR  FOR  SSPTEMSER. 

"I  at  my  window  sit,  and  see 

Autumn  his  russet  fingers  lay 
On  every  leaf  of  every  tree; 

1  call,  but  Summer  will  not  stay. 

She  flies,  the  boasting  goddess  flies. 
And,  pointing  where  espaliers  shoot, 

Deserve  my  parting  gift,  she  cries, 
/  take  the  leaves,  but  not  the  fruit." 

Another  summer  has  departed,  with  its  scorch 
ing  suns,  and  p  irching  droughts,  and  the  gorgeous 
livery  which  sho  had  put  on  has  faded  into  wrin- 
kled age. 

"Turn  wheresoe'er  we  may. 
By  night  or  day. 
The  things  which  we  have  seen  we  now  can  see  no  more." 

The  year  is  on  the  wane.  Its  fulness  and  vigor 
are  gone.  "  It  has  reached  the  summit  of  the 
hill,  and  is  not  only  looking,  but  descending  into 
the  valley  below."  The  grass  and  cereal  grain 
harvests  are  gathered  in,  while  our  grea^  Indian 
Corn  Harvest  waits  for  more  cheering  suns,  and 
the  fervid  September  days.  In  robbing  us  of  sum- 
mer beauties,  N.iture  does  not  leave  us  without 
new  objects  to  gratify  both  the  taste  and  eye. 
"  The  Fruit  garden  is  now  one  scene  of  tempting 
profusion.  Ihe  Peaches  and  Nectarines  have  be- 
come fragrant,  and  the  whole  wall  where  they 
hang  is  '  musical  with  bees.'  The  rosy  cheeked 
Apples  look  out  from  among  their  leaves,  like 
laughing  children  peeping  tit  each  other  through 
screens  of  foliage  ;  and  the  young  standards  bend 
their  straggling  boughs  to  the  earth  with  the 
weight  of  their  produce."  The  summer  birds  have 
mostly  gone,  "  urged  thereto  by  a  prophetic  in- 
stinct, that  will  not  be  disobeyed  ;  for  if  they  were 
to  consult  their  feelings  merely,  there  is  no  sea- 
son at  which  the  temperature  of  our  climate  is 
more  delightfully  adapted  to  their  pleasures  and 
their  wants."  The  Bob-o-link  has  put  on  his  rus- 
set dress,  and  as  he  flies  towards  the  South,  higher 
in  the  air  than  he  ever  soared  in  the  summer 
months,  greets  us  with  his  valedictory,  weet,  weetA 
as  he  passes  along.     The  Swallows  and  Martins 


have  also  gathered  up  their  young  and  bid  good- 
bye to  the  summer  here.  We  miss  their  busy 
chatterings,  as  the  absence  of  a  prattling  child. 
The  Blue  Bird  lingers  a  little  longer,  and  the  Lark 
still  utters  his  shrill  note  on  the  topmost  branch 
of  the  neighboring  tree.  The  Flower  Garden  is 
almost  as  gay  as  it  was  in  June,  so  that  Nature 
compensates  us  for  the  losses  of  Summer. 

Such  are  some  of  the  aspects  of  Nature  about  the 
Farm  in  the  first  autumnal  month  ;  it  is  profita- 
ble to  note  them  and  find  instruction  in  their  va- 
ried beauties,  and  in  the  wisdom  and  beneficence  of 
Ilim  who  hath  created  them  all.  There  are  a  thous- 
and others,  too  interesting  to  be  passed  with  idle 
gaze,  and  thoughtless  heart ;  but  we  had  rather 
talk  of  them  with  you  under  the  green  tree,  or  in 
the  social  evenings  by  the  first  autumnal  fires. 

Meadow  Mud.— Though  urged  so  often,  we 
must  suggest  again  to  the  farmer  the  importance 
of  getting  up  a  large  quantity  of  this  valuable  ab- 
sorbent and  fertilizer.  Haul  it  upon  the  uplands 
ready  for  the  corn  land  next  spring,  by  placing  a 
large  shovel-full  in  each  hill,  mingled  with  a  hand- 
ful of  guano.  In  this  process  you  carry  back  the 
vegetable,  together  with  some  of  the  mineral,  mat- 
ter, which  has  been  washed  from  the  hills  through 
a  period  of  hundreds  of  years.  Have  it  in  abun- 
dance, also,  to  cover  the  droppings   of-  the  stalls. 

Fruits. — Gather  up  all  the  windfalls  and  feed 
them  to  cattle  or  swine  ;  if  cooked  and  mixed  with 
meal,  your  porkers  will  pay  you  compound  inter- 
est on  the  cost  and  trouble,  and  you  will  destroy  a 
host  of  insects  which  would  scourge  your  orchards 
another  year.  If  any  of  your  trees  that  were  bud- 
ded last  month  have  failed,  stick  in  another  bud 
now.  They  will  be  likely  to  take,  up  to  the  middle 
of  the  month. 

Strawberries. — Clean  out  and  manure  the  old 
beds,  and  make  new  plantations,  if  it  was  not  doD« 
last  month. 

Nurseries.— Keep    the  nurseries  clean  by  fre- 


394 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Sept. 


quent  hoeing,  and  if  drought  prevails,  as  ia  not  un- 
frequent  in  September,  Water,  mulch,  &c. 

Laying  down  Lands  to  Grass. — See  Calendar 
for  September,  1852  ;  but  it  will  be  well  to  re- 
member that  the  best  time  for  this  work  comes 
only  once  in  twelve  months,  August  and  Septem- 
ber. 

Hops. — The  cultivator  of  this  crop  must  attend 
to  it  now. 

Turnips. — Your  turnips  being  up  and  looking 
well,  see  that  they  are  properly  thinned  and  weed- 
ed. Nearly  half  the  turnip  crops  are  wasted  by 
the  plants  being  left  too  thick. 

Topping  Corn. — While  we  have  no  doubt  that 
the  corn  is  injured  by  this  practice,  we  do  not 
hesitate  to  recommend  it.  We  lose  something  in 
the  weight  of  kernel,  but  gain  in  the  fodder  ;  and 
materially  in  managing  the  future  harvest  ;  it  is 
worth  while,  perhaps,  to  go  a  liitle  more  particu- 
larly into  the  matter. 

The  leaves  of  plants  perform  two  important  func- 
tions. Evaporation,  which  principally  is  effected  by 
the  lower  surface,  and  by  which  the  water  which 
has  been  absorbed  by  the  roots  and  absorbent  ves- 
sels is  carried  off  in  part,  leaving  the  residue  in  the 
form  of  concentrated  juices: — and,  second,  respira- 
ration,  by  which  carbonic  acid  is  taken  into  the 
circulation  of  the  plant  and  performs  an  important 
part  in  the  conversion  of  the  proper  juices,  and  in 
preparing  and  maturing  those  elements  which  con- 
stitute the  nutritious  quahty  of  the  fruit.  This  pro- 
cess must  of  course  cease  when  the  parts  which 
perform  the  office  are  destroyed.  It  would  seem 
that  such  must  be  the  effect  produced  by  topping 
corn  ;  and  though  the  proper  process  may  still  go 
on  by  means  of  the  few  leaves  that  are  left  below 
the  topping,  yet  it  will  be  feeble  and  partial,  the 
corn  will  ripen  by  evaporation  merely  ;  or  rather, 
both  the  evaporation  and  the  respiration  will  be 
diminished,  to  the  consequent  injury  of  the  grain, 
which  will  have  less  of  the  nutritious  property, 
and  less  weight,  will  be  more  liable  to  ferment, 
and  to  lose  more  in  weight  by  the  end  of  winter. 
By  the  process  named,  the  proper  secretions  of  the 
plant  are  in  ripening,  rapidly  converted  into  sugar: 
and  so  far  as  the  topping  checks  the  respiration  it 
would  also  diminish  the  saccharine  quality  and 
render  the  corn  less  agreeable  to  the  taste,  as  well 
as  less  nutritious.  But  after  having  tried  both 
ways,  we  incline  to  the  opinion  that  the  loss  is  less 
to  top  it,  than  to  suffer  the  top  to  stand,  and  dry 
up  and  realize  the  inconvenience  in  harvesting. 

Swine. — Begin  to  feed  the  swine  intended  for 
fattening  more  liberally.  Gather  the  early  pump- 
kins, apples,  and  with  the  small  potatoes,  boil  and 
mix  with  meal  for  them.  To  give. them  now  as 
much  as  they  will  eat  with  a  good  appetite,  is  the 
cheapest  way  to  keep  them. 


For  the  Neiv  England  Farmer. 
THE  WANTS  OF  AGRICULTURE. 

Mr.  Editor  : — In  the  August  number  of  the  Far- 
mcr  may  be  found  an  article  from  a  Brattleboro' 
correspondent,  which  I  sincerely  hope  will  not  es- 
cape the  notice  and  careful  consideration  too,  of 
any  of  your  agricultural  readers.  It  is  a  brief 
description  of  a  charter  obtained  for  establishing 
an  Agricultural  College  in  the  State  of  New  York, 
with  some  comments  and  suggestions  by  the  wri- 
ter upon  the  propriety  of  a  similar  movement  in 
our  own  State.  The  article  referred  to  contains  so 
many  good,  suitable  hints,  that  I  feel  disposed  to 
comment  sojnewhat  upon  their  merits  ;  hints  that 
may  be  made  applicable  to  the  people  at  large, 
and  also  to  the  various  associated  agencies  through- 
out the  State,  whose  object  it  is  to  promote  great 
interest  of  agriculture,  and  more  particularly  our 
"State  Board."      ' 

The  establishment  of  an  institution  of  some  sort, 
for  the  full  development  of  a  more  complete,  sci- 
entific, and,  at  the  same  time,  practical  system  of 
agriculture,  is  what  in  my  opinion  we  ought  to 
aim  at ;  and  for  one,  I  am  glad  to  have  our  neglect 
of  this,  our  "  masterly  inactivity,"  so  presented 
to  our  view.  I  do  not,  however,  wish  to  be  under- 
stood as  believing  that  there  is  not  existing  in 
the  public  mind  a  feeling  favorable  to  the  propo- 
sition ;  not  so  ;  on  the  contrary,  I  believe  that  a 
constantly  increasing  interest  is  being  felt  and 
manifested  ;  but  still,  that  itisso  undefined  and  un- 
shaped,  as  to  justify  the  conclusion  thiit  it  exists 
but  to  a  very  limited  extent. 

A  sound,  practical  knowledge  of  the  science  of 
agriculture,  is  what  of  all  things  we  most  stand  in 
need  of;  we  want  it,  for  the  full  and  complete  de- 
velopment of  all  the  resources  that  a  wise,  crea- 
ting hand  has  so  profusely  placed  at  our  disposal, 
and  upon  which  the  great  mass  of  the  people  are 
as  yet  uninformed. 

What  is  there  that  will  so  much  elevate  or  en- 
sure that  just  estimate  of  the  true  dignity  of  our 
oceupatjon,  an  occupation  which, most  of  all  others, 
constitutes  the  true  greatness  of  a  State  ?  AVhat, 
but  the  possession  of  this  very  kno-ftledge  and  skill 
in  conducting  if?  Let  the  Jaci  but  be  established, 
that  to  make  a  good  farmer,  a  deep  thinking,  well 
educated  mind  is  as  necessary  as  the  strong,  sin- 
ewy arm,  and  you  place  the  profession  in  its  just 
and  rightful  position. 

My  attention  has  been  given  to  this  occupation 
of  forming  to  a  very  considerable  extent  for  the 
last  twenty  years,  and  I  profess  to  understand 
pretty  well  all  its  details ;  that  is,  the  general  or 
common  management  of  a  farm  ;  but  as  to  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  great  principles  appertaining  thereto,  I 
confess  I  am  obliged  to  admit  almost  an  entire  ig- 
norance ;  such,  for  instance,  as  to  the  variety  of 
treatment  required  for  the  various  kinds  of  soils — 
the  proper  mode  of  preparation  and  application  of 
manures — the  adaptedness  of  particular  crops  to 
particular  localities,  and  the  proper  succession  of 
crops  ;  it  is  the  want  of  a  true  knowledge  of  these, 
and  such  as  these,  and  the  gi'eat  principles  con- 
nected with  them,  that  I  so  much  regret — princi- 
ples and  laws  established  and  fixed  by  a  beneficient 
Creator,  and  that  must  continue  as  unbending 
and  fixed  in  all  the  future,  as  they  have  been  in  all 
the  past ;  we  must  go  to  them,  they  won't  come 
to  us— go  by  the  light  of  science,  with  a  well  ed- 
ucated mind,  prepared  fully  to  compass  the  mya- 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


395 


teries  of  our  profession — nothing  short  of  this  will 
satisfy,  nothing  short  of  this  will  ensure  success. 

The  question  now  arises,  what  State  other  than 
our  own  Massachusetts — with  all  its  intelligence, 
wealth,  and  public  spirit,  should  be  foremost  in 
this  important  movement  ?  And  what  associated 
body,  other  than  our  own  "  State  Board  "  of  ag- 
riculture, is  there,  so  able  to  shape  up  and  present 
to  the  people  some  phin  for  establishing  an  insti- 
tution for  the  promotion  of  a  more  enlightened 
system  ■? 

And  now  in  closing  I  will  say,  that  I  have  been 
somewhat  disiTppointed  in  the  action  of  the  Board 
in  this  behalf.  I  do  not  intend  to  find  fault,  for  I 
know  very  well  what  obstacles  there  are  to  con- 
tend with,  and  that  it  requires  deliberation  and 
wisdom  to  manage  judiciously  so  important  a  mat- 
ter ;  but  still,  I  feel  that  it  is  time  something  of 
this  nature  was  submitted  in  some  form,  and  that 
the  people  should  be  advised  in  relation  thereto. 
As  at  present  advised,  I  do  not  see  much  to  en- 
courage the  hope  that  any  thing  of  consequence 
is  to  be  presented  ;  surely  there  is  a  wide  field 
open,  and  the  laborers  are  many  ;  all  that  in  my 
opinion  is  required,  is,  some  efficient  and  decided 
action  by  the  State  Board,  to  ensure  complete 
success. 

I  have  extended  this  train  of  thought  perhaps 
farther  than  I  ought,  and  I  will  stop,  hoping  to 
hear  from  some  of  your  many  able  correspondents 
upon  this  important  subject. 

Yours  truly,  j.  h;  r. 

Dorchester,  Aug.  8th,  1853. 


CHANGES  OF  TIMBER   FROM   CLBAR- 
ING  LANDS. 

_  There  are  few  things  connected  with  the  natural 
history  of  trees  or  plants  more  suprising,  or  that 
have  occasioned  more  speculation,  than  the  chang- 
es that  not  unfrequently  take  place  in  the  growth 
of  timber  after  clearing,  from  what  it  was  before 
that  operation.  So  inexplicable  is  this  change,  in 
many  instance^  on  the  commonly  received  princi- 
ples ofvegetaticm.that  it  has  been  adduced  by  the 
believers  in  the  doctrine  of  spotaneous  production, 
as  oneof  the  strongest  supporters  of  their  system. 
We  think,  however,  that,  singularas  the  phenom- 
ena may  be,  its  solution  cannot  require  a  supposi- 
tion so  unphilosophical. 

In  the  Southern  States,  where  the  timber  is 
principally  pine,  when  that  is  cleared  off,  a  growth 
entirely  different,  and  composed  of  such  as  was  un- 
known to  the  place  before  it  springs  up  ;  and  this, 
when  cut  off,  is  often  succeeded  by  new  varieties, 
01-  perhaps  by  a  return  of  pine.  Lands  covered 
with  oak  and  chestnut,  or  such  timber  as  shoots 
up  from  cut  trees,  do  not  change  the  timber  except 
in  a  stnall  degree  ,  it  is  on  those  lands  covered 
with  timber  that  requires  to  be  propagated  by 
seeds  that  this  change  is  most  apparent"  Every- 
body must  have  noticed  in  what  numbers  a 
species  of  wild  cherry  will  spring  up  where  the  for- 
ests are  cut  down,  or  are  propagated  by  winds, 
though  that  particular  kind  is  rarely  or  never  found 
growing  in  the  unbroken  forest. 

More  than  thirty  years  since,  apart  of  our  farm 
was  cleared  of  its  timber,  a  dense  growth  of  maple, 
bass  wood  and  elm.  A  small  piece  of  perhaps 
half  an  acre  was  separated  from  the  rest  by  a  nar- 
row ravine ;   after  being  cultivated  three  or  four 


years,  and  part  of  it  planted  out  as  a  nursery  of 
fruit  trees,  it  was  left  to  itself.  It  was  soon  cov- 
ered with  young  trees,  which  M'Crc  sufiered  to 
grow  unmolested,  and  there  are  naw  on  this  small 
spot,  white  oak,  black  oak,  butternut,  white  pop- 
lar, common  willow,  walnut,  hickory,  and  black 
cherry,  of  all  varieties  of  which  not  one  was  grow- 
ing near  at  the  time  it  was  cleared,  and  most  of 
them  not  within  three-fourths  of  a  mile.  An  ex- 
planation we  leave  to  others. —  Warren  Journal. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
MOWING  MACHINES. 

Many  of  the  farmers  of  New  England  have  not 
yet  had  an  opportunity  to  see  a  mowing  or  reap- 
ing machine  in  operation,  and  doubtless,  some 
have  the  impression  that  they  will  never  be  much 
used,  upon  our  hill  and  valley  forms  in  New  Hamp- 
shire and  Massachusetts.  Until  I  witnessed  their 
operation,  I  had  myself  the  idea  that  their  appro- 
priate field  would  be  the  western  prairie,  or  the 
broad  wheat  fields  of  a  more  level  country  than 
New  England. 

On  the  26th  of  July  last,  I  attended  the  trial  of 
two  Mowers,  at  Greenbush,  near  Albany,  in  a  fine 
field  of  herdsgrass.  One  of  them  was  a  machine 
of  Ketchem's,  a  description  and  drawing  of  which 
is  contained  in  the  monthly  Farmer  of  August, 
1852;  the  other,  an  improved  Mower  and  Reaper, 
made  by  Emery,  of  Albany. 

I  will  not  undertake  to  decide  upon  the  compa- 
rative merits  of  the  machines,  but  rather  give 
some  general  idea  of  their  operation,  for  the  ben- 
efit of  those  who  have  not  seen  them.  There  was 
no  perceptible  difference  in  the  quantity  or  quality 
of  the  work  done  by  each.  I  have  since  seen  in  tho 
Crystal  Palace,  at  New  York,  Reapers  and  Mow- 
ers of  various  kinds.  They  all  cut  upon  the  same 
principle  ;  by  large  teeth  like  a  saw,  moved  back 
and  forth,  by  gearing  attached  to  a  heavy  iron 
wheel  which  rolls  upon  the  ground,  serving  as  the 
great  wheel  of  the  machine,  and  carriage  wheel 
for  the  machine  and  driver.  The  Mower  is  drawn 
by  two  horses  abreast,  driven  by  a  man  who  rides 
and  drives  and  works  the  machine.  The  work  is 
hard  for  two  good  horses,  but  not  hard  for  the  dri- 
ver. It  cuts  a  swath  about  four  and  a  half  feet 
in  width,  as  fast  as  the  horses  can  walk,  and  the 
mowing  I  saw  done  was  performed  closer  and  bet- 
ter than  any  man  could  do  it,  with  a  scythe.  Af- 
ter the  hay  was  raked  off,  no  mark  of  the  swath 
could  be  seen. 

In  cutting  the  first  swath,  the  horses  walk  in 
the  grass  ;  afterwards  they  travel  over  the  last 
swath.  The  grass  is  spread  very  evenly,  as  it  is 
cut,  so  that  the  boys  who  used  to  spread,  will  be 
out  of  business,  when  horses  do  the  mowing. 

One  of  the  machines  was  owned  by  some  young 
men  in  the  neighborhood,  and  had  been  used,  to 
cut  about  ninety  acres,  the  present  season.  One 
of  the  owners  said  he  could  cut  a  ton  in  one  hour 
easily,  and  that  the  machine  required  no  great 
care,  and  very  little  repairs.  The  cutting  part  re- 
quires grinding  about  once  a  day,  upon  a  common 
grindstone,  which  must  have  a  very  long  crank. 
The  owners,  and  a  very  large  number  of  gentle- 
men who  were  present,  seemed  perfectly  satisfied 
that  mankind  would  soon  shift  the  labor  of  mow- 
ing off  upon  the  brute  creation. 

Mowing  machines  will  no  doubt  be  used  in  most 


396 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Sept. 


if  not  all,  of  the  New  England  States,  the  very 
next  year.  We  have  some  farms  in  Rockingham 
county,  vphich  yield  two  hundred  tons  of  hay  each, 
and  many  wlijch  yield  fifty.  The  Mower  will 
work  on  any  land  where  a  horse-rake  can  be  used. 
We  shall  soon  see  haying  done  about  in  this  man- 
ner. A  man  and  span  of  horses  will  drive  into 
the  field,  at  sunrise,  and  resting  an  hour  at  break- 
fast, will  cut  and  spread  about  six  acres  before 
noon.  Another  man  may  be  occupied  in  the  fore- 
noon, in  cutting  out  with  a  common  scythe  a  few 
corners,  and  spots  near  trees,  where  the  Mower 
cannot  well  go,  and  in  raking  out  with  a  hand- 
rake  a  breadth  from  the  fences,  to  get  ready  for 
the  horse-rake.  After  dinner,  one  of  the  men  will 
mount  a  Delano's  Horse-rake,  and  in  three  hours 
he  can  easily  rake  the  six  acres  into  windrows, 
while  liis  comrade,  with  a  couple  of  extra  hands 
for  the  afternoon,  can  put  the  whole  in  cock. — 
There  should  be  on  the  six  acres  at  least  ten  tons 
of  hay,  making  about  three  hundred  cocks,  and 
two  hundred  of  these  should  be  covered  with  haij 
fa;)s  of  cotton  cloth,  and  so  made  secure  against 
change  of  weather  for  a  week.  The  next  fair  day, 
our  two  men  may  get  in  tlie  hundred  cocks  easily, 
and  they  may  open  the  other  an  hour  to  the  sun, 
and  get  it  into  the  barn  as  fast  as  they  find  it  con- 
venient. 

I  think  by  keeping  up  with  the  times,  and  avail- 
ing ourselves  of  the  thoughts  of  men,  as  made  man- 
ifest in  thpir  inventions,  we  may  see  two  men  per- 
form easily  the  former  labor  of  six,  and  that 
most  of  the  hurry,  and  disappointment,  and  over 
exertion  of  ha^'ing,  may  be  done  away  with. 

And  so,  through  all  farm  labor,  as  in  other 
fields,  the  mind  asserts  its  supremacy  over  the 
body.  The  hands  are  feeble,  and  alone,  are  no 
match  for  the  rugged  obstacles  which  Nature  op- 
poses to  our  wishes  ;  but  aided  by  an  active  intel- 
lect, they  will  finally  gain  for  Us  that  dominion 
over  the  earth  which  is  our  rightful  heritage. 

Henry  F.  French. 

Exeter,  N.  H.,  Aug.  18,  1853. 


POTATOES. 


The  potato  should  not  be  harvested  till  it  is  per- 
fectly ripe.  If  the  tubers  are  moist,  with  much 
soil  adhering  to  them,  it  is  better  to  convey  them 
at  once  to  the  bins,  as  they  are,  llian  to  free  them 
from  the  soil,  as  it  is  utterly  impossible  to  do  this 
with  economy  without  drying  them,  and  equally  as 
impos.sible,  to  dry  them  sufficiently  fir  this  without 
essentially  deteriorating  their  eating  qualities.  In 
some  sections  it  is  a  common  pi-actice  with  the 
cultivators  of  this  root,  to  place  the  crop  in  bar- 
rels or  boxes,  as  soon  as  dug,  and  secure  them  from 
the  contact  of  the  atmosphere  by  a  stratum  of  sand. 
This  retains  them  in  a  moist  condition,  and  effec- 
tually secures  the  preservation  of  all  their  excel- 
lencies. Since  the  prevalence  of  the  potato  disease, 
instances  have  come  to  our  knowledge,  where  po- 
tatoes that  were  dug  and  immediately  deposited 
in  the  cellar,  remained  sound,  while  those  placed 
in  barrels  and  standing  a  day  or  two  out  of  the 
cellar,  and  intended  for  the  early  market,  have 
badly  decayed. 


LEACHED  ASHES  AS  A  TOP-DRESSING. 

Dear  Sir  : — I  noticed  a  communication  callinc 
for  an  experiment  of  applying  leached  ashes  as  a 
top-dressing  upon  meadows. 

I  will  mention  a  striking  instance.  It  was  in 
my  door  yard  lot,  in  about  half  of  which  the  grass 
always  grew  very  luxuriant,  while  the  other  half 
would  hardly  support  weeds.  I  applied  leached 
ashes  to  a  portion  of  the  poor  part,  and  rich  mel- 
low earth  to  the  other,  and  now  to  my  satisfaction 
I  see  the  result  where  the  leached  ashes  were 
placed.  The  grass  is  equal  in  growth  to  any  in 
the  yard,  and  where  the  earth  was  put  it  has 
helped  it,  but  not  one  fourth  as  much.  I  came  to 
the  sage  conclusion,  some  time  ago,  not  to  sell  a 
bushel  of  ashes  off  my  farm.  It  pays  25  per  cent, 
to  apply  ashes  as  a  top-dressing  upon  meadows, 
gardens,  wheat,  or  anything  else,  so  far  as  I  have 
tried  it.  Yours  truly.         Experimenter. 

S^  We  take  the  above  from  the  Ohio  Farmer; 
the  editor  of  which  paper  says,  in  addition  to  the 
communication,  that  "  for  peach  and  apple  trees, 
there  is  nothing  superior  to  leached  ashes." 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
AN  HOUR  WITH  A  BUDDER. 

Seeing  over  my  garden  fence  that  neighbor  Good- 
man had  got  George  Handy,  a  first-rate  budder,at 
work  in  his  little  nursery,  I  first  hung  up  my  hoe, 
and  walked  round  through  the  gate  to  see  a  little 
into  the  operation.  Like  many  other  things,  it  is 
•'very  simple  after  you  understand  it."  I  had  read 
about  the  matter  in  divers  books,  but  Handy  told 
me  what  I  never  knew  before,  and  I  saw  the  thing 
done  too. 

The  trees  were  of  difierent  sizes, — from  a  quar- 
ter of  an  inch  to  an  inch  in  diameter, 'and  were  all 
just  trimmed  up  roughly,  about  two  feet  from  the 
ground.  George  was  budding.  He  sat  on  a  small 
box  the  south  side  of  the  row,  and  had  a  dish  of 
buds,  all  cut  ready  to  be  inserted,^  water  before 
him.  I  was  surprised  to  see  how  snort  is  the  pro- 
cess in  skilful  hands.  George  would  hitch  along 
his  seat  with  one  hand — set  the  dish  forward  with 
the  other — seize  a  tree  and  bend  it  down  under  his 
right  arm,  and  then  make  the  cuts  and  the  open- 
ing, and  slip  in  the  buds  as  quick  as  my  eye  could 
follow  him.  I  noticed  that  lie  selected  a  smooth 
place  in  the  young  tree  near  to  the  ground,  so 
that  the  future  tree  should  have  a  uniform  ap- 
pearance throughout,  and  not  present  an  ugly  jog. 
First  he  made  a  cut  up  the  tree  about  three  quar- 
ters, of  an  incli  long ;  then  another  short  one 
across  the  top  of  the  first, — then  with  the  ivory  in 
the  other  end  of  his  knife,  he  loosened  and  opened 
the  corners  of  the  bark  at  the  top.  He  now  took 
up  a  bud  from  the  dish  before  him,  and  holding  it 
hy  the  foot-stalk — as  he  called  the  stem  without 
the  leaf — he  again  applied  the  ivory,  raising  the 
bark  a  little,  and  at  the  moment  entered  the  bud. 
The  top  of  the  bud  seemed  too  weak  to  admit  of 
being  forced  down  with  the  fingers  the  whole  dis- 
tance. This  was  quickly  done  with  the  end  of  the 
knife-blade,  inserted  just  below  the  foot-stalk. 

The  top  of  the  bud  now  stuck  out  at  the  top  its 
whole  thickness.  A  cross-cut  with  the  knife  ex- 
actly over  the  second  cut  made  in  opening  the  bark 
at  first,  squared  off  the  wood   of  the  bud-slip,  so 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


397 


that  it  settled  at  once  down  into  its  place,  close  to 
the  slimy  hard  wood,  to  which  it  would  soon  adhere 
and  grow. 

George  showed  me  how  he  cut  the  buds.  He  first 
selected  scions  of  this  year's  growth,  not  rank 
sprouts  with  soft,  half-formed  wood;  nor  on  the 
other  hand,  little  peeling  twigs,  hut  good  thrifty 
hard  scions,  from  which  buds  of  some  body  and 
firmness  could  be  readily  cut.  As  he  takes  these 
from  the  tree  he  «ut8  ofl'the  leaves,  as  they  would 
rapidly  rob  the  scion  of  its  fulness  in  hot,  dry 
weather.  He  sliowed  me  how  he  cut  the  buds. 
His  knife  had  a  thin, sharp  blade.  He  held  the  stick 
of  buds  with  the  top  towards  him,  and  inserting 
his  knile  carefully  about  half  an  inch  or  a  little 
more  below  the  footstalk, he  brought  it  outas  much 
above.  The  bud  dropped  off  into  the  dish  of  wa- 
ter, and  the  knife  soon  sent  another  and  another 
after  it. 

I  had  heard  of  budders  cutting  their  germs  as 
they  went  along.  I  told  George  so.  He  replied 
that  "he  should'nt  think  they  would i'-o  a/on «•  very 
fast  then." 
I  took  out  my  timepiece  to  see  how  long  the  young 
man  was  in  setting  a,  bud.  He  seized  the  tree — 
bent  it  down  towards  him — made  the  two  cuts — 
opened  the  bark — slipped  in  the  bud,  and  off  with 
the  top,  in  just  twelve  seconds!  He  set  four  in  good 
shape,  in  fifty  seconds !  Goodman  said  he  never 
saw  the  beat  of  that.  I  told  my  neighbor  that  the 
job  wouldn't  last  a  great  while  at  that  rate.  The 
budder  said  he  didn't  care  how  soon  it  was  done, 
for  it  was  a  little  wor3e  for  the  back  than  the 
spring-tooth  horse  rake. 

To  be  sure  the  budder's  position  is  unfavorable 
to  a  comfortable  spine,  and  ought  he  to  follow 
such  work  many  hours  without  change  ? 

By  this  time  quite  a  number  of  buds  Avere  set, 
and  I  saw  the  tying  done.  George  had  brought  a 
new  furniture  mat,which,  cut  in  squares,  furnished 
the  strings.  These  were  well  wet  and  tucked 
through  his  left  suspender.  George  had  to  down 
upon  his  knees  and  bend  over  pretty  low  to  get  a 
good  chance  at  the  work.  He  placed  the  middle  of 
the  string  a  tritle  below  the  upright  cut  in  the 
bark,  and  carried  the  ends  around  and  around, 
keeping  them  firmly  drawn  until  the  whole  wound 
was  faithfully  covered,  leaving  only,  a  grain  of 
space  above  the  footstalk  for  the  bud,  which  would 
have  "more  air"  when  the  footstalk  drops   away. 

"Very  good,"  said  I,  "and  what  is  the  next  pro- 
cess with  such  a  subject?" 

"The  next  thing,"  said  George,  "is  to  cut  off  the 
string  next  Spring  after  the  bud  has  started.  If  it 
looks  lively,  and  seems  disposed  to  grow,  1  cut  off 
the  whole  tree  down  tj  within  a  few  inches  of 
where  the  bud  was  inserted." 

I  had  some  further  talk  about  the  future  man- 
agement of  the  trees,  which  will  require  another 
chapter.  Yours,  w.  d.  b. 

Concord,  Mass.,  Aug.  IQih,  1853. 


For  the  JSeiv  England  Farmer. 
TO  DESTROY  VERMIN  IN  FOWLS. 

Witli  a  feather,  dipped  in  spirits  of  turpentine, 
touch  those  parts  of  the  fowl  most  infested,  as  top 
of  the  head  and  under  the  wings,  and  they  will 
soon  disappear.  If  there  are  nits,  the  application 
will  need  to  be  repeated.  It  can  easily  be  done  by 
going  among  them  after  they  have  roosted,  and  a 
small  quantity  only  is  necessary. 


A  QUEER  OLD  BOOK. 

"We  have  had  placed  in  our  hands,  by  a  lady  in 
Vermont,  a  collection  of  old  books,  one  of  them 
dated  London,  1G31 ;  and  others  printed  in  Cam- 
bridge, this  State,  matching  them  in  size,  type, 
and  the  old  queer  mode  of  expression.  The  titles 
are  as  funny  as  some  of  the  sentiments.  One  is 
"New  England's  True  Interest  Not  To  Lie."  This 
was  a  sermon  preached  in  Boston,  by  Mr.  W. 
Stoughton, -pTeacher  o£  the  gosT^el  in  Dorchester, 
IGTO'". 

Another  is  "God's  Terrible  Voice  in  the  City  of 
London ;  Wherein  you  have  the  Narration  of  the 
Two  late  Dreadful  Judgements  of  Plague  and 
Fire  Inflicted  by  the  LORD  upon  that  CITY  ;  the 
former  in  the  Year  1665,  the  latter  in  the   Year 

1666.  Cambridge,    Printed  by   Samuel    Green, 

1667.  Another  is  "Tydings  from  Rome;  or  Eng- 
land's Alarm." 

The  two  last  books  are  exact  reprints,  we  think, 
from  "Markhara's  Farewell  to  Husbandry,"  and 
are  upon  Orcharding  and  the  Country  Housewife's 
Garden. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
MIGRATION   OF   SWALLOV7S. 

Mr.  Brown  :  —  Having  noticed  an  inquiry  in 
your  paper,  a  few  weeks  shice,  calling  for  informa- 
tion in  regard  to  the  time  that  swallows  leave  the 
north,  your  correspondent  from  Derby,  Ct.,  says 
some  things  he  knows,  and  some  he  thinks ;  now 
lie  probably  has  seen  barn  swallows  as  late  as  the 
28th  of  August,  but  as  to  his  seeing  chimney 
swallows  as  late  as  the  last  of  September  or  the 
middle  of  October,  T  think  he  must  be  mistaken, 
(unless  it  was  some  heedless  straggler,)  as  they 
invariably  leave  here  as  soon  as  the  first  of  Aug., 
if  not  before.  They  do  not  appear  to  be  as  hardy, 
and  are  not  as  plenty,  as  other  swallows,  for  some 
cold  seasons  they  do  not  visit  us  at  all.  Some 
twenty  years  or  more  ago,  I  lived  with  an  old  gen- 
tleman in  a  town  adjoining  this,  and  he  told  me  a 
man  offered  to  give  him  five  dollars  if  he  would 
show  him  a  swallow  (meaning  a  barn  swallow,) 
after  the  25th  of  July.  Since  then  I  have  observed 
them  with  some  interest.  About  the  20th  of  Jiily 
they  begin  to  congregate  together  on  the  barna 
and  fences,  and  from  then  to  the  first  of  August 
their  numbers  decrease  to  less  than  one-fourth, 
and  after  that  time  but  few  are  seen. 

The  2d  day  of  August,  lSo2,  in  company  with 
a  few  others,  I  paid  a  visit  to  the  Grand  Monad- 
nock,  distant  from  this  place  about  fifteen  miles, 
and  while  standing  on  the  pinnacle,  I  noticed  the 
swallows,  a  few  of  which  were  performing  their 
usual  gyrations  through  the  air  around  me,  appa- 
rently as  much  at  home  as  in  any  farm  yard.  This 
year  I  have  seen  them  every  day,  thus  far,  though 
but  few  are  left. 

The  Labrador  swallows  have  all  gone  from  here; 
they  had  about  fifty  nests  in  sheds  near  us.  It  is 
a  great  place  for  birds  of  most  all  kinds  here,  in 
the  summer  season.  !•  D.  Ward. 

North  Ashhurnham,  Aug.  9,  1853. 


Remarks. — The  above  corresponds  with  our  own 


398 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Sept 


observations.  The  martins  left  their  boxes  in  our 
garden  Sunday  evening,  Aug.  7.  This  year,  the 
barn  swallows  remained  later  than  usual.  A  few 
remain  still,  but  they  are  undoubtedly  late  broods; 
the  largest  portion  of  them  left  the  4th  and  5th  of 
of  August.  For  several  years  past  they  have  left 
on  the  27th,  28th  and  29th  of  July. 


THE  SANDV/ICH   ISLANDS. 

VVe  are  indebted  to  our  correspondent,  Mr. 
Green,  at  Honolulu,  for  several  copies  of  The  Poly- 
NEsiAX,  one  of  which  contains  the  report  of  the 
Royal  Hawaiian  Agricultural  Society,  at  Hono- 
lulu. The  society  appears  to  be  in  a  flourishing 
condition,  and  we  notice  with  pleasure  that  some 
of  our  own  people  are  interested  in  the  prosperity 
of  those  remote  regions,  and  are  active  in  aiding 
the  efforts  of  the  agriculturist  there. 

They  find  the  raising  of  coffee  a  profitable  busi- 
ness, and  one,  "evidently  destined  to  advance;  and 
the  Kona  coffee  of  Hawaii,  it  is  admitted  by  the 
best  judges,  is  not  surpassed  by  any  in  the  world.'' 

The  farmers  of  East  Maui  have  gone  to  work 
with  the  determination  to  raise  sufficient  wheat  to 
supply  their  home  consumption.  The  experiment 
of  raising  wheat  has  been  a  doubtful  one;  but  the 
efforts  of  Mr.  Green,  and  a  few  other  earnest  men, 
have  given  general  couCdeuce  of  future  success. 
They  are  about  erecting  a  good  Flour  Mill  on  the 
Wailuka  river. 

The  Indian  Corn  crop  has  increased,  and  what 
has  been  produced  has  sold  from  three  to  five  cents 
a  pound.  The  corn  crop,  however,  is  a  very  un- 
certain one,  the  success  or  failure  of  which  depends 
in  a  great  degree  on  the  seasons  and  time  of  plant- 
ing. The  study  of  the  weather  is  almost  as  im- 
portant to  the  farmer  of  these  Island,  as  to  the 
mariner.  On  Oahu  the  season  for  plantingis  from 
November  to  March,  while  on  Kauai,  only  70 
miles  distant,  where  corn  has  been  planted  almost 
for  the  first  time  this  year,  it  is  found  that  that 
planted  in  the  winter  months  has  come"  to  nothing. 
On  the  contrary,  that  plaiited  by  Lieut.  Reynolds 
in  September  last,  gave  a  fair  yield. 

The  climate  is  admirably  adapted  to  the  sweet 
potato,  to  which  increased  attention  is  given.  The 
report  states  that  it  grows  well  in  almost  every 
part  of  the  Islands,  and  no  where  better  than 
among  the  dry,  hot  stones  of  Puna,  Kauai  and  Ko- 
na, on  Hawaii.  No  one  who  has  ever  travelled 
over  those  districts  can  flxil  to  have  been  struck 
with  astonishment  at  the  sight  of  beautiful  sweet 
potatoes,  growing  in  liills  of  broken  lava,with  not  a 
particle  of  earth  to  be  seen  in  their  vicinity.  The 
sweet  potato  is  the  great  article  of  food  in  the  dry 
burnt  districts  of  Hawaii,  and  the  cost  of  raising 
them  is  next  to  nothing.  The  yield  is  from  125  to 
175  bushels  to  the  acre. 

Apples,  pears,  plums,  cherries,  &c.,  they  have 


not  yet  been  able  to  raise,  but  produce  figs,  grapes, 
bananas,  oranges,  and  most  other  tropical  fruits 
in  abundance.  The  potato  disease  has  not  made 
its  appearance  among  them. 

The  raising  of  cattle,  when  connected  with  the 
dairy  business,  is  found  profitable.  They  require 
no  feeding,  no  salting,  no  sheltering.  On  the  is- 
land of  Oahu  they  are  worth  about  $5  per  head, 
all  ages  counted,  and  on  the  other -islands  only 
about  half  as  much ,  owing  to  the  difficulty  of  trans- 
portation to  a  market.  They  are  improving  the 
breed  by  importation  of  stock  from  the  states  and 
other  countries,  particularly  Australia. 

Sheep  are  abundant,  and  have  been  kept  hereto- 
fore for  their  flesh,  without  the  least  regard  to  the 
value  of  their  wool. 

The  best  breeds  of  swine  have  been  imported  by 
the  society.  This  report  states  that  the  pigs  im- 
ported were '  'a  present  from  Henry  A.  Pierce, Esq. , 
of  Boston,  and  that  the  freight  etc.,  were  given  by 
Messrs.  Pierce  &  Brewer,  two  gentlemen  who 
seem  ever  ready  to  advance  the  agricultural  inter- 
ests of  the  islands."  We  take  sincere  pleasure  in 
noticing  these  noble  acts  in  our  own  citizens.  Mr. 
Pierce  has  also  pieseuted  the  Society  with  hives  of 
bees,  one  of  which  was  packed  in  ice.  Horses 
and  poultry  of  the  finest  breeds  have  been  import- 
ed, so  that  our  friends  out  there  bid  fair  not  only 
to  produce  the  most  abundant  crops  of  bread  stuffs, 
vegetables,  beef,  poultry  and  pork  for  their  own 
use,  but  for  their  neighbors,  the  Californians.  We 
cannot  but  feel  a  lively  interest  in  their  efforts,  and 
wish  them  complete  success. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
THE  TOMATO. 

To  many  persons  there  is  something  unpleasant, 
not  to  say  disgusting  in  the  flavor  of  this  most  ex- 
cellent fruit.  It  has,  however,  been  used  for  cul- 
inary purposes  in  various  countries  in  Europe,  and 
has  of  late  years  been  extensively  cultivated  in 
this  country.  It  is  one  of  the  most  powerful  de- 
obstruents  of  the  Materia  Medica;  and  in  all  those 
affections  of  the  liver  and  other  organs  where  cal- 
omel is  indicated,  it  is  probably  the  most  effective 
and  least  harmful  agent  known  in  the  profession. 
A  chemical  extract  may  be  obtained  from  it,  that 
will  altogether  supersede  the  use  of  calomel  in  the 
cure  of  diseases.  When  used  as  an  article  of  diet, 
it  is  almost  a  sovereign  remedy  for  dyspepsia  and 
indigestion.  It  is,  also,  a  most  powerful  alterative. 
Eaten  as  fruit  or  as  common  food,  it  is  a  most  ex- 
cellent article;  and  as  a  sauce,  pickle  or  preserve, 
equal  if  not  superior  to  any,  and  may  be  prepared 
and  eaten  in  as  many  different  forms.  I  have  oft- 
en used  it  in  complaints  of  the  liver  and  other  or- 
gans with  the  happiest  success. 

The  method  commonly  adopted  of  preparing  the 
fruit,  is  to  cut  them  in  slices,  and  put  them  in  salt 
and  vinegar  like  cucumbers. 

To  stew  them,  take  them  ripe  from  the  vines, 
slice  them,  put  them  in  a  pot  over  a  stove  or  fire, 
without  water ;  they  will  cook  in  their  own  juice  ; 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


399 


stew  them  sIoav,  and  when  done,  put  in  a  piece  of 
good  butter,  and  oat  tliem  like  apple  sauce. 

To  preserve  them  in  imitation  of  figs,  to  which 
they  probably  are  equal,  cut  them  in  slices,  lay 
them  in  a  stone  pot  with  alternate  layers  of  good 
brown  sugar.  Supposing  the  method  of  raising 
them  to  be  generally  understcxid,  it  is  probably  not 
necessary  to  describe  it  here.  j.  b.  e. 

Vt.  Insane  Asylum^ 


ERUPTION  OF  MANUA  LOA,  FEB. 
20,  1852. 

In  the  Sandwicli  Island  Polynesian,  we  find  the 
following  description  of  an  eruption,  which  formed 
the  subject  of  a  poem  which  is  too  long  for  our 
columns. — 

The  eruption,  of  whicli  the  following  poem  is  a 
truthful  and  vivid  delineation,  is  still  fresh  in  the 
recollection  of  the  residents  of  the  islands.  Nev- 
er, perhaps,  in  the  history  of  the  volcanic  phe- 
nomena of  Hawaii,  has  such  a  startling  eruption 
occurred,  as  the  one  so  graphically  described  in 
this  wild  lyric.  The  scene  was  unique,  grand, 
sublime,  awful,  terrific  !  No  language — no  pencil 
can  paint  it  in  adequate  colors.  To  be  realized, 
it  must  iiavo  been  seen  and/e/^ ;  and  for  tliis,  the 
author  of  the  poem  had  the  most  ample  opportuni 
tj,  having  not  only  watched  its  ragir.g  actions  for 
twenty  days,  but  having  also  ascended  the  thun 
dering  mountain,  and  stood  one  whole  night  in 
close  proximity  to  its  consuming  fires. 

The  eruption  commenced  just  before  day-break 
Hunters  on  the  hills  in  that  vicinity  say  that  they 
heard  subterranean  rumblings,  and  felt  a  quiver 
iog  of  the  mountain  during  the  night  preceding 
the  eruption,  as  described  in  the  poem. 

When  the  mountain  rent,  a  column  of  molten 
rocks,  fused  to  a  white  heat,  and  some  2,000  feet 
in  circumference,  shot  up  from  500  to  1,000  feet 
heavenward,  and  this  fiery  column  continued  its 
ever-varying  and  fantastic  play  for  twenty  days 

The  noises  and  detonations  were  as  varied  and 
startling  as  can  be  well  conceived.  At  times,  the 
roar  was  heard  at  a  distance  of  40  or  50  miles. 
The  atmosphere  was  filled  with  smoke  and  Pcle's 
hair,  ashes  and  cinders  were  scattered  wildly  over 
the  mountain  and  over  the  sea.  Day  after  day 
the  sun  shed  a  yellow  and  baleful  light  through 
the  dark  clouds  of  smoke  which  careered  along  the 
heavens.  Along  the  rim  of  the  exploding  vortex, 
a  hollow  pryamid,  one  mile  in  circumference,  and 
five  hundred  feet  high,  was  soon  raised  by  the  in- 
cessant falling  of  the  matter  expelled  from  the 
burning  orifice.  As  the  descendingshowers  of  fu- 
sion fell  upon  this  pyramid,  it  presented  an  ever- 
changing  scene,  more  glowing  than  the  most  vivid 
imagination  can  paint,  and  more  dazzling  than 
showers  of  countless  briUiants. 

From  this  awful  fountain,  a  burning  river  rolled 
down  the  slope  of  the  mountain  towards  Ililo, 
with  a  breadtli  varying  from  half  a  mile  to  three 
miles,  and  a  supposed  length — including  its  wind- 
ings,— of  from  39  to  40  miles,  entering,  and  cut- 
ting its  way  nearly  through  a  dense  forest  in  the 
rear  of  Ililo.  But  the  fountain  ceased  to  flow  be- 
fore the  molten  river  reached  the  sea,  yet  for 
months  after,  smoke  issued  from  the  orifice,  and 
the  congealed  river  now  remains  as  a  witness  to 
the  mighty  throes  of  the  vast  mountain,  under  the 
olcanic  influence. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
IMPORTANT  QUERY. 

Mr.  Editor: — As  you  gentlemen  of  the  quill, 
arc  supposed  to  know  everything,  I  wish  you 
would  tell  me  what  is  the  best  way  to  do  with  five 
acres  of  potatoes,  so  diseased,  as  to  smell  offen- 
sively, and  to  be  not  worth  digging "!  Ten  days 
ago,  the  field  bid  fair  to  yield  800  bushels — now 
they  are  not  worth  picking  up.  How  will  it  do 
to  plow  the  land  and  turn  them  in,  covered  with 
the  furrow  slice  1  AVill  they  be  of  any  value  as 
a  fertilizer  1  Or  are  they  too  much  poisoned  for 
that!  I  want  them  out  of  sight  and  smell — and 
I  fear  that  many  of  my  neigiibors  are  in  the  same 
boat.     Can  you  tell  me  what  is  best  to  be  done  ? 

Marbkhcad,  August  16,  1853.  Essex. 

N.  B. — Our  cabbages  look  first  rate.  Our  on- 
ions are  blighting  som<3,  so  that  there  will  not  be 
more  than  two-thirds  as  many  as  we  expected. 
Corn  never  appeared  more  promising.  There  will 
be  plenty  of  second  crop. 

Remarks. — Deficient,  sadly  deficient,  ray  dear 
sir,  in  the  information  you  desire.  A  field  of  our 
own,  three  years  ago,  in  the  condition  you  de- 
scribe, was  abandoned,  but  on  trying  some  of  the 
hills  in  October,  fiiir  and  sound  potatoes  were 
found,  and  some  thirty  bushels  dug.  IIovv  came 
they  there?  The  rotten  potatoes  can  be  of  but 
little  value  as  a  fertilizer. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
HOW  TO  CURE    WARTS, 

Mr.  Editor  : — Reading  in  the  Farmer  a  commu- 
nication of  inquiry  for  the  cure  of  Warts  on  the 
teats  of  cows,  I  relate  the  following  for  what  it  is 
worth  : 

Some  two  years  ago  I  was  very  much  troubled 
with  an  aliundance  of  warts  on  my  hands,  and  to 
rid  myself  of  them,  tried,  as  I  thought,  all  the  rem- 
edies,— such  ^s  lunar  caustic,  turpentine,  salera- 
tus  water,  and  the  juice  of  milk  weed,  &o.,  without 
a  cure. 

Now  every  farmer  knows  that  the  shell  of  our 
walnuts  or  butternuts  (for  I  used  both)  contains  a 
juice  which  acts  in  the  character  of  caustic  ;  we 
call  it  stain. 

I  observed  that  fact,and  took  the  benefit  of  it  to 
kill  my  warts,  which  I  most  certainly  did.  It  -fras 
an  experiment  that  proved  well  with  me  and  I  have 
no  other  desire  in  this  communication,  than  that 
others  should  try  the  experiment  so  simple  and  ea- 
sily obtained.  If  any  one  should  see  fit  to  try  it,  I 
hope  he  will  tell  the  results  for  the  information  of 
all*  Yours,  &c.,  A  Subscrider. 

Southbridge,  July  31,  1853. 


Prospects  of  the  Season. — The  prospects  of 
the  season  continue  favorable,  with  the  exception 
of  the  potatoe  crop.  The  rot  is  certainly  among 
them,  and  many  are  already  lost.  Copious  rains 
fell  during  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth  days  of 
August,  washing  out  the  air  and  giving  us  a  clear 
and  delightful  atmosphere  after  the  sultry,  hot 
days  which  preceded  them.  The  lightning  was 
intensely  vivid,  and  the  clouds  were  charged  in  an 


400 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


SeP5 


unusual  degree.  Corn  continues  to  look  finely. 
Apples  will  be  scarce,  but  on  visiting  various  parts 
of  this  State  and  New  Hampshire,  we  find  more 
than  we  had  expected. 


WAIT  AWHILE. 

Cast  a  seed  itilo  ihe  earlti — 

Wail  awhile  ; 
Cheer  the  little  fJow'ret's  birth 

With  a  smile  ; 
Shelter  it  from  wind  and  storm 

Sweeping  by  ; 
No  riii'.e  h:iiifi  let  it  deform. 

Lest  it  (lie. 
In  the  summer  it  shall  bloom, 
Fragrant  with  a  rich  perfume, 

All  your  care  repaying. 

Store  with  truth  an  infant's  mind, 

Wait  awhile  ; 
Greet  the  first  fruits  that  you  find 

With  a  smile  ; 
Bid  it,  with  truth's  fiag  unfurl'd, 

Move  ap.ice  ; 
In  its  battles  with  the  worM 

Tench  it  grace  ; 
Then,  when  youthful  years  have  flown, 
See  the  child  to  manhood  grown, 

God's  whole  law  obeying. 


EXHIBITION  OF  THE  VERMONT  STATE 
AGRIOULTURAL  SOCIETY. 

The  annual  exhibition  of  the  Vermont  State  Ag- 
ricultural Society  will  be  held  at  Montpelier,  on 
Tuesday,  Wednesday  and  Thursday,  the  13th,  14th 
and  15th  of  September,  1853. 

An  area  of  forty  acres  will  be  enclosed  for  the 
exhibition  ;  and  witliin  the  enclosure  suitable 
structures  will  be  erected,  and  arrangements  made 
for  the  accommodation  of  all  who  wish  to  exhibit 
either  animals  or  articles.  Fresh  water,  forage 
consisting  of  hay,  grass,  green  oats,  and  cornstalks 
for  cattle,  horses,  and  sheep,  straw  for  littering 
and  oats  for  feeding  horses,  and  gradn  for  swine 
and  poultry,  will  be  supplied,  free  of  charge,  to 
such  exhibitors  as  choose  to  keep  their  animals  on 
the  grounds  enclosed ;  and  exhibitors  of  valuable 
horses,  desiring  barn  accommodations  for  the 
same,  may  procure  them  in  the  village  at  a  reas- 
onable expense. 

Exhibitors  must  become  members  of  the  Society; 
and  must  have  Avhatever  they  intend  to  exhibit  en- 
tered on  the  Secretary's  books  on  or  before  Tues- 
day, the  loth  of  Septeinber.  It  is  quite  desirable, 
however,  that  the  entries  should  be  made  as  ear- 
ly as  Monday,  the  12tli. 

Pernons  residing  out  of  the  State,  may  compete 
for  premiums  on  foreign  stock,  plowing,  agricultu- 
ral implements,  and  machines,  the  various  manu- 
fiictures  named  in  the  Premium  List  of  the  Socie- 
ty, under  the  head  uf  Discretionary  Premiums  ; 
and  may  make  entry  of  Anhaals  ur  articles  of  any 
class,  fur  exhibition  merely,  v^iicli  will  be  admit- 
ted within  the  enclosure  for  tliat  purpose,  if  deemed 
worthy  l)y  the  Executive  Board. 

Arrangements  have  been  efiected  with  all  the 
Railroad  Companies  in  Vermont,  to  carry  all  ani- 
mals and  articles  for  exhibition,  to  and  from  the 
Fair,  free  of  charge,  and  without  changing  cars  ; 
and  visitors  each  way,  at  half-fare. 

Gentlemen  from  the  States,  and  from   the  Can- 


adas,  are  cordially  invited  to  participate  in  the  ex- 
hibition. 

Communications  may  be  addressed  to  J.  A. 
Beckwith,  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Vt. 
State  Agricultural  Society,  Middlebury,  Vt.,  or  to 
his  agent,  E.  P.  Walton,  Montpelier,  Vt. 

FREDERICK   IIOLBROOK,    PreS. 

J.  A.  Beckwith,  Sec. 


For  the  Tfew  England  Farmer. 
THE  GARGET. 

Relative  to  an  "  Inquiry  touching  the  Garget " 
in  cows,  I  have  to  aay,  that  in  a^erv/case  that  has 
come  under  my  notice,  I  have  prescribed  the  root 
of  whiit  is  commonly  called  "  Crow  Berry,"  and 
have  never  known  it  fail  of  curing  the  malady. 

Mode  of  application  :  cut  a  piece  of  the  root, 
about  the  size  of  a  gill  cup,  in  small  pieces,  and 
mix  with  Indian  meal ;  give  twice  in  twenty-four 
houi's.  Cows  will  eat  it  in  this  way  as  readily  as 
they  will  eat  potatoes.  . 

Crops  ix  Hampshire  CorxTY. — Grass,  first  crop 
was  good ;  aftermath  will  be  superior  ;  late  pas- 
turage abundant ;  rye  and  oats  good.  Corn  looks 
extremely  well,  and  is  forward  for  the  season  ;  po- 
tatoes will  probably  average  a  fair  crop,  although 
some  pieces  show  a  tendency  to  rot.  Broom  Corn, 
a  pi'ominent  crop  in  the  valley  of  the  Connecticut 
River  for  twenty  miles  above  Mount  Tom.  is  but 
ftxir.  Apples  are  a  failure.  Peaches  and  pears 
abundant.  l.  e. 

Northampton,  Aug.  22,  1853. 


For  the  New  Eniclanii  Farmer. 
TO  MAKE  GOOD  WALKS. 

Two  years  ago,  I  tried  an  experiment  for  a  walk 
in  front  of  my  house,  which  has  proved  very  sat- 
isfactory. I  removed  the  soil  one  foot  in  depth, 
and  filled  in  small  cobble  stones.  Then  took  coarse 
gravel,  and  with  two  riddle  sieves  sifted  the  coarse 
and  fine  from  it,  retaining  the  medium  size.  Then 
took  equal  parts  of  lime  and  cement,  and  mixed  in 
as  much  as  I  could  with  the  gravel.  With  a  shovel 
and  trowel  I  placed  it  down  smooth,  like  plaster- 
ing, one  and  a  half  inches  in  depth.  In  the  spring, 
when  it  began  to  thaw  daytimes  and  freeze  nights, 
it  flaked  and  crumbled  about  half  an  inch  in  depth, 
but  has  remained  smooth  and  firm  ever  since.  It- 
is  now  very  solid,  and  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
walks  T  know  of.  f.  e.  b. 

Concord,  1853. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
THE  ONION  WORM. 

Mr.  Brown  : — Noticing  the  remarks  on  the 
onion  worm  in  your  July  number,  I  had  the  im- 
pression that  if  living  creatures  of  the  insect  tribe 
could  live  and  exist  on  the  onion,  tliat  tobacco 
could  have  no  effect,  but  tried  it  effectually.  When 
the  onion  had  got  to  the  size  of  a  pipe  stem,  I 
found  many  of  them  laying  prostrate  on  t'.«i  bed, 
and  a  maggot  in  them  one  fourth  of  an  inch  in 
length.  1  obtained  two  quarts  of  tobacco  liquor, 
and  took  out  every  defective  onion  and  pour'-d  into 
the  drill  the  liquor  ;  then  with  the  hoae  ir  the 
vrater  pot  sprinkled  the  whole  bed,  and  now  there 
is  not  a  more  thrifty  bed  of  onions  in  "  thrfo  dig- 
gins."  n    s. 

Sagamore  Farm,  Rye,  N.  //.,  A«o-.8,18oo. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


401 


A  WHEEL  HOB. 


This  implement,  a  figure  of  ■which  we  give  above, 
is  one  which  has  for  many  years  been  in  use  among 
the  thrifty  farmers  in  Essex  county,  and  particu- 
larly by  those  in  the  practice  of  raising  large 
crops  of  onions.  Nothing,  probably,  will  ever  su- 
persede the  use  of  the  hand  hoc;  it  is  to  the  far- 
mer, what  the  right  hand  is  to  the  mechanic ;  al- 
though it  may  not  do  the  work  as  fast  as  someH)th- 
er  implement,  no  other  can  do  it  any  better.  It 
suits  all  places  and  conditions  of  soil,  and  must  al 
ways  remain  an  indis.pensable  tool  on  the  farm. — 
But  the  lohecl  hoe  is  more  than  "cousin  german' 
to  it ;  in  good  hands,  it  will  perform  five  times  as 
much  service  in  a  given  period,  and  where  every 
thing  is  favorable,  do  it  as  well  as  the  hand  hoe 
The  figure  is  so  plain  that  particular  reference  to 
its  parts  is  unnecessary.  The  knife  may  be  raised 
or  lowered  at  will  by  turning  the  nuts  on  the 
screws, — and  when  worn  down  on  one  side  re- 
versed, and  then  is  as  good  as  ever.  Our  atten 
tion  was  called  to  the  wheel  hoe  in  one  of  the  on- 
ion fields  of  Dan  vers,  by  Mr.  Proctor, of  that  town 
a  gentleman  (though  educated  at  the  feet  of  Black- 
stone  and  ray  lord  Coke,)  full  of  enthusiasm  in 
agricultural  matters,  and  whose  observing  habits 
and  ripe  judgment  render  him  eminently  useful  to 
the  State.  After  seeing  the  beautiful  appearance 
of  the  field  whero  the  hoe  had  been  used,  we  or 
dere#one,  and  in  its  daily  use  through  the  sum 
mer,  find  our  expectations  of  its  excellence  fulh 
realized.  It  is  manufactured  at  Danvers  by  Mr. 
William  Berrv,  and  may  be  purchased  of  him  for 
the  low  sum  of  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents  at  his 
shop. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
BEES. 

Messrs.  Editors  : — I  have  seen  that  your  cor- 
respondents, have  made  the  A'eio  England  Farmer 
a  medium  for  communication,  and  suppose  others 
enjoy  tlie  privilege  of  making  inquiries.  I  have 
kept  bees  for  several  years,  and  they  have  been 
very  profitable,  but  the  two  lost  seasons  have  been 
unfavorable  to  their  increase,  by  swarming,  and 
making  honey  sufficient  even  for  themselves.  Now. 
I  have  attributed  the  cause  of  their  ill  success,  to 
the  dry  weather,  and  suppose  wet  seasons  pro- 
longing the  blossom  of  flowers,  are  better  adapted  to 
the  nature  and  growth  of  bees  in  our  north  New 
England  States.  j. 

From  the  Elms. 


MAY'S  VICTORIA  CURRANT. 

"The  luscious  clusters  of  the  vine 
Upon  my  mouth  do  crush  their  wine." 

The  currant  is  easily  raised  and  propagated. 
They  are  highly  relished  by  many  people  eaten 
from  the  bushes,  and  make  a  capital  jelly .^  shrub, 
and  wine.  As  an  accompaniment  to  roasted  or 
boiled  poultry,  lamb  or  mutton,  the  jelly  is  unri- 
valled. It  is  also  excellent  for  persons  of  feeble 
appetite,  and  for  tarts,  &c.  Frum  the  slirub  may 
be  prepared  a  healthful  summer  drink,  a  thousand 
times  preferable  to  the  lemonade  made  from  sul- 
phuric  acid!    A  pleasant  wine  may  also  be  made 


fronj  their  expressed  juice.  In  Deane's  old  "New 
England  Farmer  or  Georgical  Dictionary,"  pub- 
lished in  1822,  he  says  the  wine  from  the  xohile 
currant  is  far  better  than  that  from  the  red  ;  that 
it  ameliorates  exceedingly  by  age,  becoming  equal 
to  the  best  of  Malaga  wine,  after  being  bottled  a 
year  or  two. 

The  May's  Victoria  is  a  new  variety  from  Eng- 
land. The  bunches  are  sometimes  five  inches  long; 
the  berries  are  large,  bright  red,  excellent  flavor, 
and  hang  long  on  the  bush  in  perfection.  Foliage 
thick  deep  green.     Very  fine. 


402 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


SEfr, 


Some  handsome  specimens  of  the  CnERXY  Cur- 
rant have  been  exhibited  at  the  rooms  of  the 
Masa.  Horticultural  Society  the  present  season, 
but  we  are  not  suflBciently  acquainted  with  its 
merits  to  recommend  it.  Its  appearance  was  very 
fine. 


THE   THRIFTLESS  FARMER. 

The  Fort  Wayne  Times  gives  the  following  life- 
like portrait  of  a  "thriftless  fiirnier  :" — 

The  thriftless  farmer,  then,  provides  no  shelter 
for  his  cattle,  during  the  inclemency  of  the  win- 
ter ;  but  permits  them  to  stand  shivering  by  the 
.  side  of  a  fence,  or  lie  in  the  snow,  as  best  suits 
them. 

He  throws  their  fodder  on  the  ground,  or  in  the 
mud,  and  not  unfrequently  in  the  highway  ;  by 
which  a  large  portion  of  it,  and  all  the  manure  is 
wasted. 

He  grazes  his  meadows  in  fall  and  spring,  by 
which  they  are  gradually  exhausted  and  finally  ru- 
ined. 

His  fences  are  old  and  poor — just  such  as  to  let 
his  neighbor's  cattle  break  into  his  field,  and  teach 
his  own  to  be  unruly,  and  spoil  his  crops. 

He  neglects  to  keep  the  manure  from  around  the 
sills  of  his  barn — if  he  has  one — by  which  they 
are  prematurely  rotted,  and  his  barn  destroyed.      1 

He  tills,  or  skims  over  the  surface  of  his  land, 
until  it  is  exhausted  ;  but  never  thinks  it  worth ; 
while  to  manure  or  clover  it.  For  the  first,  he 
has  no  time,  for  the  last,  he  "is  not  able."  | 

He  has  a  place  for  nothing,  and  nothing  in  its 
place.  He  consequently,  wants  a  hoe  or  a  rake 
or  a  hammer,  or  an  augur,  but  knows  not  where 
to  find  them,  and  thus  loses  much  time. 

He  loiters  away  stormy  days  and  evenings  when 
he  should  be  repairing  his  utensils,  or  improving 
his  mind  by  reading  useful  books,  or  newspapers. 

He  spends  much  time  in  town,  at  the  corner  of 
the  street,  or  in  the  "snake  holes,"  complaining 
of  hard  times,"  and  goes  home  in  the  evening, 
"pretty  well  tore.'" 

He  has  no  shed  for  his  fire  wood — consequently 
his  wife  is  out  of  humor,  and  his  meals  out  of  sea- 
son. 

He  plants  a  few  fruit  trees,  and  his  cattle  forth- 
with destroys  them.  He  "has  no  luck  in  raising 
fruit." 

One-half  of  the  little  he  raises  is  destroyed  by 
his  own  or  his  neighbors'  cattle. 

His  plow,  drag,  and  other  implements,  lie  all 
winter  in  the  field  where  last  used  ;  and  just  as  he 
is  getting  in  a  hurry,  the  next  season,  his  plow 
breaks,  because  it  was  not  housed  and  properly 
cared  for. 

Somebody's  hogs  break  in,  and  destroy  his  gar- 
den, because  he  had  not  stopped  a  hole  in  the 
fence,  that  he  had  been  intending  to  stop  for  a 
week. 

He  is  often  in  a  great  hurry,  but  will  stop  and 
talk  as  long  as  he  can  find  any  one  to  talk  with. 

He  has,  of  course,  little  money  ;  and  when  he 
must  raise  some  to  pay  his  taxes,  &c.,  he  raises  it 
at  a  great  sacrifice,  in  some  way  or  other,  by  pay 
ing  iin  enormous  shave,  or  by  selling  his  scanty 
crop  when  prices  are  low. 

He  is  a  year  behind,  instead  of  being  a  year 
ahead  of  his  business — and  always  will  be. 

When  he  pays  a  debt,  it  is  at  the  end  of  an  ex 
ecution  ;  consequently,  his  credit  is  at  a  low  ebb 


He  buys  entirely  on  credit,  and  merchants  and 
all  others  with  whom  he  deals,  charge  him  twice 
or  thrice  the  profit  they  charge  prompt  paymas- 
ters, and  are  unwilling  to  sell  him  goods  at"  cost. 
He  has  to  beg  and  promise,  and  promise  and  beg, 
to  get  them  on  any  terms.  The  merchants  dread 
to  see  his  wife  eome  into  their  stores,  and  thepo^ 
woman  feels  depressed  and  degraded. 

The  smoke  begins  to  come  out  of  his  chimney 
late  of  a  winter's  morning,  while  his  cattle  are 
suffering  for  their  morning's  feed. 

Manure  lies  in  heaps  in  his  stable  ;  his  horses 
are  rough  and  uncurried,  and  his  harness  trod  un- 
der their  feet. 

His  bars  and  gates  are  broken,  his  buildings 
unpainted,  and  the  boards  and  shingles  falling  off" 
— he  has  no  time  to  replace  them,  the  glass  is  out 
of  the  windows,  and  the  holes  stopped  with  rags 
and  old  hats. 

He  is  a  great  borrower  of  his  thrifty  neighbor's 
implements,  but  never  returns  the  borrowed  ar- 
ticle, and  when  it  is  sent  for,  it  can't  be  found. 

He  is,  in  person,  a  great  sloven,  and  never  at- 
tends public  worship  ;  or  if  he  does  occasionally 
do  so,  he  comes  sneaking  in  when  the  service  is 
half  out. 

He  neglects  his  accounts,  and  when  his  neigh- 
bor calls  to  settle  with  him,  has  something  else  to 
attend  to. 

Take  him  all  in  all,  he  is  a  poor  farmer,  a  poor 
husband,  a  poor  father,  a  poor  neighbor,  and  a 
poor  Christian. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

IMPROVEMENT  AND  HAYING. 

Messrs.  Editors  : — The  twenty-fifth  of  July  is 
calculated  by  astronomers  as  the  commencement 
of  "dog-days,"  and  I  suppose  most  farmers  have 
finished  haying,  and  the  gathering  of  English 
grains  ;  but  the  old  native  meadow  is  yet  to  be 
cut  and  secured  in  dog-day  weather; 

When  rain-drops  lightly  beat, 
And  the  muggy  winds  do  blow. 

The  weather  has  been  remarkably  fine  for  hay- 
ing in  July,  and  I  have  cut  and  secured  about  for- 
ty tons  of  upland  English  grass,  without  having 
a  single  load  of  damaged  hay.  This  mofhing  I 
finished  cutting  a  meadow  that  has  been  reclaimed; 
and  gave  a  heavy  crop  of  herdsgrass. 

A  few  seasons  ago,  August  and  September,  I 
thoroughly  ditched,  so  as  to  drain  the  meadow, 
taking  the  mud  to  the  barn-yard,  fi)r  manure  on 
upland,  and  on  the  sides  of  the  meadow  spreading 
gravel,  and  a  coat  of  manure.  The  low  pans  we 
bogged,  seeded  with  herdsgrass  and  clover,  and 
have  since  manured.  Now,  on  what  was  formerly 
light  meadow  hay,  is  cut  a  heavy  sward  of  English 
herdsgrass.  J. 

Fro7n  the  Elms. 

For  the  Neiv  England  Farmer. 

TO  PREVENT  BUGS   FROM  EATING 
VINES. 

Mr.  Editor  : — I  have  found  by  experience  that 
bugs  have  a  choice  in  what  they  eat ;  they  prefer 
winter  sqmshes  to  melons  or  cucumbers,  and  by 
planting  squashes  among  the  melons,  they  will  be 
protected,  the  bugs  preferring  to  commit  their  dep- 
redations on  the  squashes.  S.  E.  Hooker. 

Poultney,  F^.,  1853.      " 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


403 


ACTION  or  DROUGHT  ON  PLANTS. 

The  article  below  whic'n  we  take  from  the 
Mark  Lane  Expres.'!,{&n  excellent  agricultural  and 
miscellaneous  paper  published  in  London,)  could 
scarcely  be  more  "  applicable  to  this  meridian, 
if  written  expressly  for  it.  It  will  come  to  us 
with  peculiar  force.now,  when  nearly  all  our  crops 
are  suffering  from  a  want  of  rain.  We  commend 
it  to  each  of  our  readers,  as  affording  a  plausible 
theory  wht/  plants  require  so  much  water.  It  also 
affords  strong  arguments  in  favor  of  irrigation, 
especially  in  a  climate  like  ours,  where  the  three 
summer  months  are  usually  very  dry  and  hot. 

The  specific  action  of  drought  on  plants  is  one 
of  the  problems  not  yet  entirely  solved.  Wheth 
er  it  is  the  indirect  waste  of  moisture  on  the 
plants  by  evaporation,  or  the  want  of  fcl'.e  due 
proportion  of  water  necessary  to  build  up  the 
structure  of  plants,  or  whether  it  is  some  indirect 
action  on  the  constituents  of  the  soil,  is  by  no 
means  a  settled  question. 

The  present  season  has  afforded  abundant  illus- 
trations of  the  effect  of  want  of  moisture  on  the 
several  plants  the  farmer  has  to  cultivate ;  and 
what  is  more  remarkable,  the  drought,  though 
absolutely  less  than  it  was  last  year,  seems  to 
have  had  a  far  greater  effect  on  the  plants.  The 
meadows  especially  appear  to  have  suffered.  In 
all  the  northern  counties  particularly,  the  grass 
crop  is  peculiarly  affected.  The  finer  and  shorter 
grasses  are  absolutely  either  wanting,  or  so  thin 
that  they  show  the  meadows  to  be  without  bot- 
tom grass.  The  coarser  grasses  are  tall,  but 
thin,  and  running  to  seed,  forming  no  tillering 
stalks,  and  few  blades  in  comparison  to  those  of 
former  years.  The  corn  is  the  same  —  thin, 
stunted,  and  soiry  in  its  character.  There  has 
been  no  tillering  —  no  thick  matted  surface.  The 
drills  have  been  visible  up  to  the  present  period, 
and  the  steius  ai-e  fast  running  to  ear  before  half 
the  usual  height  is  attained,  being  also  hard  and 
yellow  in  color,  and  as  different  as  possible  from 
the  graceful  flopping  blade  the  wheat  plant  usually 
exhibits  at  this  period. 

Now,  in  what  specific  way  has  this  drought  so 
acted  on  the  plants^  In  ordinary  vegetables  90 
per  cent  of  their  whole  structure  is  simply  water. 
Hence  it  is  easy  to  conceive  how  large  a  quantity 
of  th;it  ta  icerial  is  necessary  during  their  growth 
and  development.  But  there  was  no  such  abso- 
lute deficiency  this  season.  The  soil  always  con- 
tained a  Ci)iQp:iratively  large  amount  of  moisture: 
the  dews  were  often  plentiful,  amounting  to  fully 
as  much  more  as  any  diurnal  development  of  tlie 
plant  could  require,  and  all  the  tables  of  rain 
fallen  in  the  spring  of  this  year,  we  have  seen, 
showed  a  larger  quantity  than  in  the  correspond- 
ing months  of  last  year.  Hence  it  seems  we  must 
look  to  the  abstract  cause  of  the  injury — to  some- 
what beyond  the  mere  denuding  of  the  plant  of 
water,  as  such. 

We  think  the  theory  of  Liebig  far  better 
established  this  season.  The  plant,  to  take  up 
its  elements,  must  have  them  presented  to  it  in  a 
state  of  solution.  The  action  of  rain  operates  to 
dissolve  regularly  and  gradually  the  material  re- 
quired by  the  plant,  both  in  the  soil  and4n  the 
rocks  from  which  the  soil  continually  forming,  by 


disintegrating  the  small  particles  existing  in  the 
land.  These  are  being  supplied  to  the  plant  by 
the  rains  as  it  requires  them,  but  this  year 
they  have  not  been  so  washed  out  and  made 
ready  for  its  use.  But  why  did  not  the  same 
cause  operate  equally  in  the  spring  of  1852  T 
Simply  because  the  incessant  rains  of  the  autumn 
and  early  winter  had  washed  out  the  soluble  con- 
stituents of  the  soil,  so  as  to  leave  less  free  ma- 
terial in  the  land  by  far  than  in  the  previous 
spring,  and  hence  the  ordinary  drought  had  much 
greater  effect  on  the  plants  this  year  than  it  had 
hist. 

The  effect  of  water  on  plants,  regularly  sup- 
plied, is  most  wonderful.  Those  who  have  seen 
the  Clipston  water  meadows,  and  the  small  and 
clear  stream,  which  produce  from  three  to  five 
crops  of  grass  per  annum,  either  depastured  or 
mown,  or  partly  the  one  and  partly  the  other, 
must  be  convinced  that  it  is  almost  as  much  ow- 
ing to  the  plentiful  supply  of  water  in  a  dry 
season,  as  to  any  great  amount  of  manure  held 
by  that  small  river  in  solution,  that  the  vast 
increase  of  grass  is  produced.  By  watering,  Mr. 
Kennedy,  of  Myremill,  keeps  close  upon  a  thous- 
and head  of  stock  on  90  acres  of  Italian  rye-grass. 
In  ordinary  seasons,  from  five  to  nine  sheep  can 
be  kept  on  one  acre  of  land  ;  the  latter  may  be 
done  in  a  dropping  season,  on  clover  lays,  on 
well-cultivated  land  ;  but  with  the  aid  of  a  little 
artificial  food  and  by  the  application  of  liquid 
manure,  in  the  shower  form,  by  steam,  Mr.  Ken- 
nedy can  keep  fifty-six  sheep  per  acre  !  Nor  can 
we  believe  that  this  is  altogether  due  to  the 
manure.  To  that  it  is  partly  owing,  doubtless  ; 
but  it  is  by  far  more  owing  to  its  being  watered 
with  that  manure  in  a  soluble  state,  and  so  fit  for 
the  immediate  use  of  the  plants.  Hence  he  is 
independent  of  season.  The  water-drill,  to  which 
we  before  alluded,  is  an  application  of  the  same 
principle  ;  and  the  wonderful  results  of  the  dres- 
sing of  dissolved  bone  liquid,  in  a  dry  season,  by 
the  Duke  of  Richmond,  is  a  powerful  fact  in  the 
same  direction. 

That  it  is  the  want  of  soluble  manure,  or,  in 
other  words,  elements  of  plants,  which  is  mainly 
the  cause  of  the  injury,  is  manifest  from  the  fact 
that  all  the  poorest  land  has  suffered  by  far  the 
most  from  the  drought.  The  very  highly  manur- 
ed land  has  sustained  the  least  damage  ;  while 
on  land  to  which  very  highly  soluble  manures, 
Peruvian  guano,  for  instance,  and  similiar  materi- 
als, have  been  applied,  the  crops  are  growing  vig- 
orously. 

Nor  let  it  be  forgotten  that  the  rain  brings 
down  the  ammonia,  which,  in  dry  states  of  the 
atmosphere,  will  float  undisturbed  ;  and  this  fail- 
ing, as  well  as  the  soluble  supply  below,  would  of 
course  aggravate  the  cause  of  injury. 

But  what  can  now  be  done,  with  the  meadows 
ripe,  and  not  one-half  or  one-third  of  a  crop? 
We  say,  free  your  pastures  at  once,  and  put  in 
the  whole  of  the  stock,  if  rain  has  come,  and  eat 
up  the  meadows  thoroughly  bare.  This  will  amply 
relieve  the  pastures,  and  aff>rd  them  the  chauce 
of  an  entire  new  growth.  The  meadows,  with 
their  small  produce,  will  soon  be  eaten  up;  and 
let  a  dressing  of  two  or  three  cwt.  of  the  best 
guano  be  then  applied  to  them,  and  a  beautiful 
new  crop,  and  not  very  late,  will  yet  be  secured, 
the  mowing  machine  and  haymaker  will  soon  get 


404 


NEW  ENGLAIND  FARMER. 


Sept. 


it,  even  if  it  should  clash  with  the  harvest  ;  but 
we  are  clear  that  on  all  kinds  of  land  more  prod- 
uce, with  the  present  crop  given  in,  will  be  ob- 
tained by  such  a  course,  and  the  present  crop  will 
be  very  acceptable  of  itself.  The  fog,  or  aftermath, 
has  also  every  prospect  of  being  better  after  thus 
supplying  the  deficiency  of  the  year. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
HIGHWAYS— A  BEAUTIFUL  FEATURE. 

Mr.  Editor  : — In  a  recent  excursion  in  my  own 
vicinity,  a  few  days  since,  I  was  gladdened  by  a 
prospect  such  as  I  had  long  desired  to  look  upon 
in  our  hill  country,  but  after  years  of  patient  wish- 
ing and  waiting,  had  almost  despaired  of  ever  see- 
ing, unless  it  were  in  anticipation.  It  was  the 
beautiful  sight  of  a  highway  free  from  all  wander- 
ing animals,  with  no  long  furrows  plowed  on  the 
sides  of  the  travel  path  to  produce  a  harvest  of 
weeds,  whose  feathery  seeds  may  be  blown  for 
miles,  perhaps  to  vegetate  and  disfigure  some  field 
now  smiling  in  fresh  and  valuable  herbage  ;  no 
deep  gullies  or  dangerous  ditches  to  disfigure  the 
scenery,  and  render  all  '■burning  ouV  when  two 
conveyances  met,  dangerous  to  the  nerves,  if  not  to 
the  life  and  limbs  of  passengers,  but  a  gentle  slop- 
ing declivity,  just  enough  to  turn  the  water  oS. 
Then  the  grass,  tall,  beautiful  grass,  waving  in  the 
light  breeze  and  reflecting  bright  jewels  in  the  dew 
drops  which  hung  upon  it  !  how  rich  it  looked, 
skirting  that  smooth,  well- wrought  highway  ! 
and  how  beautiful  the  ground  will  look  again, 
when  the  mijwer  has  smoothly  shorn  it  of  its 
heavy  burthen  anl  it  is  gathered  into  the  garner, 
all  fresh  and  green  and  lovely  as  the  earliest  her 
bage  of  spring. 

It  has  been  a  source  of  continued  wonder  tome, 
that  in  a  civilized  age  this  street  feeding  should  be 
tolerated  at  all.  The  practice  has  always  looked 
as  a  relict  of  dark  and  barbarous  times,  originat- 
ing and  continued  more  from  a  desire  to  invade 
the  rights  of  others,  rather  than  in  adopting  the 
precept  of  doing  justly  and  loving  mercy.  I  re- 
joice to  see  the  practice  so  far  abandoned,  as  to 
develop  some  bright  spots  along  our  waysides. — 
While  I  feel  a  comfortable  assurance  that  no  rea- 
sonable bcin^,  where  he  once  sees  and  experiences 
the  benefits,  will  willingly  return  to  the  old  way  of 
turning  sheep,  geese,  hogs,  cattle,  horses,  pell- 
mell  into  the  street,  to  the  annoyance  of  every- 
body and  the  neighborhood  in  particular. 

Then,  when  the  streets  are  once  cleared  of  these 
wandering,  mischievous  herds  or  collection  of 
beasts  that  go  about  without  owner  and  keeper  to  ex- 
hibit themselves,  admitting  themselves  freely  wher- 
ever they  find  a  deficiency  offence,  into  the  grain- 
field  or  mowing  land  of  orderly  and  quiet  citizens 
instead  of  taxing  an  admittance  fee,  what  improve- 
ments in  our  highways  may  we  not  reasonably  ex- 
pect? Instead  of  the  too  common  and  disagreea- 
ble fallows  left  by  the  wayside,  we  shall  see  the 
sod  remain  firm  and  protected  beyond  the  necessa- 
ry requirements  for  the  preservation  of  the  road, 
rough  places  will  be  made  smooth  by  the  wayside 
as  well  as  in  the  way,  and  handsomely  laid  to  grass. 
Trees  will  be  planted  all  along,  and  in  variety  as 
great  as  the  neighboring  woodlands  will  permit, 
giving  shade  to  the  traveller,  beauty  to  the  sce- 
nery, and  furnishing  subjects  of  various  investi- 
gations, to  awaken  the  mind  and  enrich  the  heart. 


Then,  too,  if  men  cannot  sit  under  their  own  vines 
and  fig-trees  with  nothing  to  molest  or  make 
them  afraid,  they  may  stand  a  much  better  chance 
than  we  fear  many  now  do,  of  retiring  for  the 
night,  quiet  in  the  reflection  that  the  crops  on 
which  they  have  spent  so  much  care,  and  which 
promise  to  repay  their  labor  so  generously, will  not 
ere  the  morning,  be  destroyed  by  some  troop  of 
wandering  animals. 

I  have  not  written  supposing^hat  I  have  seen 
is  a  solitary  sight  confined  to  a  single  town  or 
neighborhood.  There  are  many  such  places,  but 
not  all,-  and  I  have  been  induced  to  hold  up  this 
one  example  as  a  subject  of  imitation,  to  places 
where  no  such  beauties  mark  the  landscape,  and 
encourage  them  to  hasten  the  day  when  our  coun- 
try shall  be  free  from  a  loathsome,  disagreeable, 
unjust,  unneighborly  and  unlawful  practice. 

Yours,  truly,  w.  b. 

Elmwood,  July  20,  1853. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

GARDEN  AND  FIRE  ENGINES. 

Mr.  Editor  : — In  a  late  number  of  your  paper, 
in  a  notice  of  a  garden  engine,  you  say  "It  will 
throw  water  to  the  height  of  forty  feet,  and  to  the 
distance  of  seventy  feet  horizontally.  It  may, 
therefore,  be  found  of  use  in  extinguishing  fires  in 
buildings."  That  remark  is  in  accordance  with 
the  general  belief  of  the  use  of  such  engines  for  ex- 
tinguishing fires.  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  if  any 
twelve  of  your  customers  who  live  a  mile  from  a 
large  fire  engine,  should  purchase  a  small  one, 
and  their  buildings  should  take  fire,  they  would  at 
least,  eleven  of  them,  run  fur  the  large  one  at  the 
village,  and  never  once  think  of  trying  their  own, 
or  if  they  thought  of  it,  would  give  it  up  as  a  fool- 
ish idea.  A  more  mistaken  idea  than  this,  of  fire 
engines,  never  entered  the  mind  of  man.  Fire  does 
not  wait  while  we  run  for  engines,  but  increases 
in  arithmetical  progression,  and  therefore  if  the 
engine  yon  have  described,  will  not  put  it  out  when 
first  discovered,  the  largest  in  the  world  cannot, 
if  we  have  to  run  but  half  a  mile  and  it  then  has 
to  be  drawn  to  the  fire.  I  want  to  see  a  better  de- 
scription of  the  new  Hitchcock  engine.  I  know 
its  power,  and  I  tell  you  it  is  to  create  an  entire 
change  in  our  fire  departments.  Hundreds  of  towns 
in  the  State  cannot  aSbrd  to  purchase  a  large  one, 
who  could  have  half  a  dozen  of  these  ;  and  three 
of  these  at  proper  distances,  are  better  than  a  large 
one,  because  so  much  sooner  brought  to  work. 
Again,  many  towns  who  have  the  large  ones  should 
purchase  small  ones  for  the  "outsiders,"  who  pay 
their  part  of  the  expense  while  they  are  wholly 
unprotected.  But  enough  for  tliis  time.  If  you 
please,  I  will  again  trouble  you  upon  this  impor- 
tant subject,  and  now  only  say  that  any  of  your 
friends  who  purchase  the  engine  for  garden  pur- 
poses, will  have  a  most  useful  and  effectual  fire  en- 
gine. B. 
Water/own,  1853. 


Remarks. — Having  used  the  engine  you  speak  of, 
and  "knowing  its  power,"  we  hope  you  will  furnish 
the  description  which  the  puVjlic  needs.  The  sub- 
ject is  one  of  importance  to  all,  but  especially  to 
farmers,  and  we  thank  you  for  calling  attention  to 
it.     ' 


1853, 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


405 


THE  HIVE  AND  HONEY  BEE. 

This  is  the  title  of  a  new  work  on  the  Hive  and 
Honey  Bee,  or  a  Manual  for  Bee  keepers,  by  Rev. 
L.  L.  Langstroth,  of  Greenfield,  Mass. 

"We  have  not  only  read  the  book,  bat  conversed 
with  the  Author,  with  interest  and  delight.  Hu- 
ber,  and  several  other  writers  on  bees,  were  some- 
what familiar  to  us,  and  we  bad  mingled  consider- 
ble  practice  witR  our  reading  and  observation, 
and  our  conviction  is,  that  the  writer  of  this  work 
understands   the   habits    and  wants  of  the  Bee 


This  week  we  give  an  extract,  and  take  the 
statement  of  what  may  be  done  by  the  use  of  this 
hive. 

L.  L.  Langstroth's  Movable  Comb  Hive. 

Patented,  Oct.  5th,  1852. 
Each  comb  in  this  hive  is  attached  to  a  separ- 
ate, movable  frame,  and  in  less  than  five  minutes 
they  may  all  be  taken  out,  without  cutting  or  in- 
juring them,  or  at  all  enraging  the  bees.  "Weak 
stocks  may  be  quickly  strengthened  by  helping 
them  to  honey  and  maturing  brood  from  stronger 


better  than  any  other  person  who  has  writen  up-  ones  ;  queenless  colonies  may  be  rescued  from  cer 


on  the  subject.  Huber  devoted  eight  years  to  a 
study  of  them :  our  author  has  given  a  large  por- 
tion of  his  time  to  this  study  for  sixteen  years,  and 
during  a  considerable  portion  of  the  lime  has  been 


tain  ruin  by  supplying  them  with  the  means  of 
obtaining  another  queen  ;  and  the  ravages  of  the 
moth  effectually  prevented,  as  at  any  time  the  hive 
may  be  readily  examined  and  all  the  worms,  &c., 


a  bee  master,  having  a  personal  care  of  numerous  removed  from  the  combs.     New  colonies  may  be 


swarms. 

We  can  use  no  language  more  pleasant  and  ap- 
propriate than  that  used  below  by  the  Christian 
Register,  in  noticing  this  interesting  book.  It 
says  : — "This  treatise  is  written  by  one  who  evi- 
dently delights  in  his  theme,  whose  failing  health 
has  compelled  him  to  leave  the  field  of  theology 
for  one  of  Natural  History,  but  who  finds  there 
not  less  incitements  to  the  highest  sentiments. 
Every  line  has  traces  of  being  written  con  amore, 
(for  the  love  of  it.)  The  book  will  be  interesting 
and  valuable  to  two  classes  of  readers, 
who  delight  in  studies  of  natural  history 


formed  in  less  time  than  is  usually  required  to  hive 
a  natural  swarm  ;  or  the  hive  may  be  used  as  a 
non-swarmer,  or  managed  on  the  common  swarm- 
ing plan.  The  surplus  honey  may  be  taken  from 
the  interior  of  the  hive  on  the  frames  or  in  up- 
per boxes  or  glasses,  in  the  most  convenient,  beau- 
tiful and  saleable  forms.  Colonies  may  be  safely 
transferred  from  any  other  hive  to  this,  at  any 
season  of  the  year  from  April  to  October,  as  the 
brood,  combs,  honey  and  all  the  contents  of  the 
hive  are  transferred  with  them,  and  securely  fas- 
To  those  tened  in  the  frames.  That  the  combs  can  always 
and  who  be  removed  from  this  hive  in  ease  and  safety,  and 


sbould  not?  this  work,  and  especially  the  first  six 
chapters,  which  treat  of  the  "manners  and  cus- 
toms" and  wonderful  instincts  of  these  little  peo- 
ple, will  be  of  special  value.  It  details  some  facts 
which  would  be  incredible  did  they  not  seem  veri- 
fied by  careful  experiment.  It  seems  that  if  you 
adopt  the  same  rule  in  treating  with  bees  that 
Shakespeare  recommended  in  treating  with  irascible 
and  crusty  people  in  general,  you  will  never  get 
stung — that  is,  always  approach  them  after  din- 
ner. Bees  on  a  full  stomach  are  as  harmless  as 
so  many  flies,  unless  you  insult  them .  The  author 
says  too — and  he  is  borne  out  fully  not  only  by 
his  own  observation  but  by  good  authority — that 
the  queen  bee  and  the  worker,  so  vastly  different 
in  all  their  instincts  and  habits  and  their  form  and 
organization,  are  yet  produced  from  the  same  kind 
of  egg,  all  the  difference  being  produced  by  the 
difference  in  the  food  given  to  the  larvfe — a  fact 
worth  something  in  showing  what  circumstances 
can  do  in  producing  diversity  of  races. 

"Another  class  of  readers  will  value  this  book  for 
its  practical  lessons  in  the  management  of  bees. 
The  author  is  the  inventor  of  a  new  hive,  which 
he  thinks  of  very  great  value.  The  book  is  very 
full  on  the  treatment,  feeding  and  management  of 
bees,  and  though  we  cannot  judge  of  this  portion 
from  any  experience  we  have  had,  we  can  yet  say 
that  the  author  writes  like  one  who  thoroughly 
understands  his  subject." 


that  the  new  system,  by  giving  perfect  control 
over  all  the  combs,  effects  a  complete  revolution  in 
practical  bee-keeping,  the  subscriber  prefers  to 
prove  rather  than  assert. 

Those  who  have  any  considerable  number  of 
bees,  will  find  it  to  their  interests  to  have  at  least 
one  movable  comb  hive  in  their  Apiary,  from 
which  they  may,  in  a  few  minutes,  supply  any 
colony  which  has  lost  its  queen,  with  the  means 
of  rearing  another. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

THE  CANKER  WORM. 

Mr.  Editor  : — In  the  last  Farmer  their  is  a  de- 
scription of  the  "Palmer  worm,"  by  Dr.  Harris. 
According  to  his  description  of  the  insect  they  are 
the  same  worm  which  has  committed  such  rava- 
ges in  this  section,  and  all  through  this  region  of 
country.  They  are  known  here  by  the  name  of 
"canker  worm,"  and  as  near  as  our  memory  ex- 
tends they  are  the  same  worm  which  made  such 
destruction  here  in  1836.  We  have  seen  these 
worms  in  small  numbers,  several  times  since  that 
period,  but  not  to  do  any  particular  damage  to 
trees.  In  the  eastern  part  of  this  State,  near  the 
sea-shore,  they  have  made  their  appearance  sever- 
al times  in  the  last  ten  or  twelve  years.  Being  in 
the  northern  part  of  this  State  last  week,  (Win- 
chester and  Norfolk,)  we  found  that  there  the 
worms  had  not  troubled  them  at  all.  This  goes  to 
prove  our  previous  convictions  that  this  worm  does 
most  of  its  work  near  the  sea-shore,  extending 
some  forty  or  fifty  miles  inland.  From  all  accounts 


406 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Sept. 


and  descriptions  of  this  worm  in  different  sections, 
the  present  year,  this  insect  appears  to  be  one  and 
the  same  thing. 

Now,  whether  this  be  the  genuine  canker  or 
palmer  worm,  we  cannot  say.  But  one  thing  is 
certain,  they  are  destructive  everywhere,  let  them 
be  called  by  one  name  or  another.  They  make 
their  appearance  in  this  section,  about  the  6th  or 
lOth  of  June,  and  by  the  Ist  of  July  they  are  gone. 
They  confined  most  of  their  work  here,  to  the  ap- 
ple tree  and  shrub  oak  bushes,  and  this  faat  we  re- 
member, was  the  same  in  1836.  Now  if  Dr.  Har- 
ris, or  any  one  else,  will  give  us  the  habits  of  both 
the  palmar  and  canker  worm,  and  wherein  they 
differ  in  character,  they  will  confer  a  great  favor 
on  the  public.  Yours  truly,         L.  DtiRANT. 

Derby,  Ct.,  July  18,  1853. 


Fiyr  the  New  England  Farmer. 
TURNIPS   AND  GRASS  SEifJD. 

H.  F.  French,  Esq.,  of  Exeter,  N.  H.,  suggested 
in  the  JVew  England  Farmer,  not  long  ago,  what 
was  to  us  a  novel  method  of  laying  down  land  to 
grass.  He  says,  "I  last  year  laid  down  about  a  half 
acre  with  grass  seed  and  English  turnips,  the  last  of 
July.  Most  of  my  turnip  seed  prove!  to  be  mustard, 
but  not  all,  and  I  picked  up  between  thirty  and 
forty  bushels  of  excellent  turnips,  with  no  extra  la- 
bor or  expense  but  the  gathering.  I  did,  however, 
apply  one  barrel  of  bone  dust  to  the  land,  for  the 
good  of  the  turnip  crop  especially." 

Mr.  Fi-ench  does  not  say  what  grass  seed  he  put 
upon  it,  or  how  it  succeeded.  We  presume,  howev- 
er, that  it  WAS  herds'  grass  and  red  top,  as  in  anoth- 
er place  he  recommends  sowing  clover  on  the  snowsin 
spring,  as  clover,  he  says,  is  apt  to  die  during  the 
winter,  when  sowed  in  the  fall. 

I  cut  the  above  from  the  Maine  Farmer,  one  of 
the  best  papers  in  the  country.  I  am  proud  to  be 
able  to  give  its  learned  editor  information,  even 
upon  a  small  matter.  I  did,  as  he  supposes,  sow 
herds'  grass  and  red  top,  at  the  rate  of  about  a 
half  bushel  of  the  former,  and  a  bushel  of  the  lat- 
ter, to  the  acre,  with  the  turnip  seed,  all  mixed  to- 
gether, on  the  28th  day  of  July.  1  he  ground  was 
so  dry  when  I  plowed  that  no  moisture  was  percep- 
tible at  the  bottom  of  a  deep  furrow.  It  was 
sowed,  brushed  and  rolled, and  left  literally  in  dust 
and  ashes  (one  barrel  of  bone  dust  to  25  bushels  of 
ashes  ! )  We  tiad  very  little  rain  till  the  last  week 
in  August.  The  grass  seed  came  up  well,  in  the 
fall.  I  sowed  clover  seed  on  the  snow  in  spring. 
The  grass  was  cut  last  week,  a  heavy  crop,  more 
than  half  clover,  at  the  rate  of  about  two  tons  to 
the  acre.  This  fact  about  the  clover  deserves  no- 
tice. No  clover  seed  was  sowed  last  summer — 
the  land  had  not  been  in  grass  for  six  years,  and 
the  clover  did  not  grow  from  the  seed  sowed  in 
the  spring.  Sowed  in  spring  It  does  not  head  be- 
fore haying  time,  and  this  clover  was  of  full  size, 
80  as  to  lodge  in  spots.  It  must  have  grown  from 
seed  which  had  long  laid  in  the  ground,  or  what 
perhaps  is  more  probable,  which  had  been  carried 
on  in  manure  the  year  before  I  sowed  it.  No  ma- 
nure except  the  dust  and  ashes  was  applied  in  1852, 
and  there  probably  was  no  clover  seed  in  that ! 
One  fact  seems  to  be  indicated  by  this  experiment, 
namely,  that  clover  sown  in  July  does  not  always 
winter  kill.  I  sowed  one  acre  of  new  land  with 
herds'  grass  seed  and  turnips,  on  the  first  day  of 
the  present  July,  with  two  bags  of  superphosphate 


of  lime,  putting  on  at  the  same  titne,  six  pounds 
of  clover.  The  turnips  and  grass  seed  are  up  and 
promise  well.  I  omitted  the  red  top,  because  it 
could  n(jt  l)e  procured  at  a  reasonable  price.  Hay 
is  worth  sixteen  dollars  a  ton  here  from  the  field, 
and  turnips  are  valuable.  Try  the  experiment.  Any 
time  before  the  middle  of  August,  will  be  in  sea- 
son. H.  F.  French. 
Exeter  N.  H.,  JulylSth,  185a. 


AMMONIA. 

We  have  been  supplied  by  the  Publisher  with 
the  sheets  of  a  forthcoming  work  on  the  Elements 
of  Agricultural  Chemistry,  by  Prof.  Johnston,  af 
England.  It  treats  apoa  the  operations  of  the 
farm,  and  explains  the  nature  of  the  substances 
used  as  fertilizers  with  more  clearness  than  any 
other  work  we  have  seen.  The  language  em- 
ployed is  simple,  yet  expressive,  and  any  farmer 
will  scarcely  fail  to  find  important  aid,  and  much 
gratification,  in  frequent  reference  to  its  pages. 

As  there  is  much  use  made  of  the  term,  ammo 
nia,  we  have  selected  a  section  briefly  describing 
it,  and  stating  its  effects  and  value  to  the  farmer. 
Next  week  we  propose  to  give-  another  extract 
on  the  ^^improvement  of  the  soil  by  laying  down 
lands  to  grass,"  and  when  the  whole  work  is 
before  us,  shall  speak  of  it  more  particularly. 

It  is  to  be  published  by  Saxton,  the  indefatiga- 
ble Agricultural  Publisher  of  New  York. 

OF    AMMONIA,    ITS    PROPERTIES    AND     PRODUCTION     IN 
NATURE. 

If  thg  sal-ammoniac,  or  the  sulphate  of  ammo- 
nia of  the  shops,  be  mixed  with  quick-lime,  a 
powerful  odor  is  immediately  perceived,  and  an 
invisible  gas  is  given  off,  which  strongly  affects 
the  eyes.  This  gas  is  ammonia.  Water  dissolves 
or  absorbs  it  in  very  large  quantity,  and  this 
solution  of  the  gas  in  water  forms  the  common 
hartshorn  of  the  shops.  The  white  solid  smelling- 
Siilts  of  the  shops  (carbonate  of  ammonia)  are  a 
compound  of  ammonia  with  carbonic  acid  and  a 
little  water. 

Ammonia  consists  of  nitrogen  and  hydrogen 
only,  in  the  proportion  of  14  of  the  former  to  3  of 
the  latter  by  weight ;  or  17  lb.  af  ammonia  con- 
tain 14  lb.  of  nitrogen  and  3  lb.  of  hydr;>gen. 

The  decay  of  animal  substances  is  an  important 
natural  source  of  this  compound.  During  the 
putrefaction  of  dead  animal  bodies,  ammonia  is 
invariably  given  off.  From  the  animal  substances 
of  the  farm-yard  it  is  evolved  during  their  decay 
or  putrefactiun,  as  well  as  from  all  solid  and  liquid 
manures  of  animal  origin. 

Ammonia  is  naturally  formed,  also,  during  the 
decay  of  vegetable  substances  in  the  soil.  This 
happens  in  one  or  other  of  three  ways. 

a.  As  in  animal  bodies,  by  the  direct  union  of 
the  nitrogen  with  a  portion  of  the  hydrogen  of 
which  they  consist. 

b.  Or  by  the  combination  of  a  portion  of  the 
hydiwen  of  the  decaying  plants  with  the  nitro- 
gen of  the  air. 

c.  Or  when  they  decompose  in  contact,  at  the 
same  time,  with  both  air  and  water— by  their 
taking  the  oxygen  of  a  quantity  of  the  water,  and 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


407 


disposing  its  hydrogen  at  the  moment  of  libera- 
tion, to  combine  with  the  nitrogen  of  the  air,  and 
form  ammonia. 

The  production  of  ammonia  by  either  of  the  two 
latter  modes,  takes  place  most  abundantly  when 
the  oxygen  of  the  air  does  not  gain  very  ready 
access.  Such  arc  open  subsoils  in  which  vegeta- 
ble matter  abounds.  And  thus  one  of  the  benefits 
which  follow  from  thorough  draining  and  subsoil 
plowing  is,  that  the  roots  penetrate  and  fill  the 
subsoil  with  vegetable  matter,  which,  by  its 
decay  in  the  confined  atmosphere  of  the  subsoil, 
gives  rise  to  this  production  of  ammonia.  When 
thus  formed  in  the  soil,  it  is  at  once  absorbed  and 
retained  by  the  humic  and  ulmic  acids  already 
described,  renders  them  soluble,  and  enters  with 
them  into  the  roots  of  living  plants. 

Ammonia  is  also  formed  naturally  during  the 
chemical  changes  that  are  produced  in  volcanic 
countries,  through  the  agency  of  subterranean 
fires.  It  escapes  often  in  considerable  quantities 
from  the  hot  lavas,  and  from  crevices  in  the 
heated  rocks. 

It  is  produced  artificially  by  the  distillation  of 
animal  substances,  (hoofs,  horns,  <fec.,)  and  dur- 
ing the  burning,  coking,  and  distillation  of  coal. 
Soot  contains  much  ammonia,  while  thousands  of 
tons  of  that  which  is  present  in  the  ammoniacal 
liquors  of  the  gas-works,  and  which  might  be 
beneficially  applied  as  a  manure,  are  annually 
carrisd  down  by  the  rivers,  and  lost  in  the  sea. 

Of  the  ammonia  which  is  given  off  during  the 
putrefaction  of  animal  and  vegetable  substances, 
a  variable  proportion  rises  into  the  air,  and  floats 
into  the  atmosphere,  till  it  is  either  decomposed 
by  natural  causes,  or  is  dissolved  and  washed 
down  by  the  rains.  In  the  latter  case  it  sinks 
•into  the  ground,  and  finds  its  way  into  the  roots 
of  plants.  In  our  climate,  cultivated  plants 
appear  to  derive  a  considerable  proportion  of 
their  nitrogen  from  ammonia.  It  is  one  of  the 
most  valuable  fertilizing  substances  contained  in 
farm-yard  manure ;  and  as  it  is  usually  present 
in  greater  proportion  in  the  liquid  than  in  the 
solid  contents  of  the  farm-yard,  much  real  wealth 
is  lost,  and  the  means  of  raising  increased  crops 
thrown  away,  in  the  quantities  of  liquid  manure 
which  are  almost  everywhere  permitted  to  run  to 
waste. 


UNWORTHY  BOOKS. 

The  Western  Plow- Boy,  published  at  Fort 
Wayne,  Indiana,  has  received  ^'through  the  kind- 
ness of  the  publisher,''  a  copy  in  paper  covers,  of 
"Lafitte,  or  the  Pirate  of  the  Gulf,"  and  gives  it 
the  best  notice  we  have  ever  seen.  We  wish  all 
editors  had  the  courage  to  notice  all  books  of  that 
description  in  a  similar  manner.  It  shows  the 
tendency  of  such  writings,  and  closes  its  scathing 
criticism  with  the  annexed  paragraph  :  — 

''We  call  attention  to  this  subject,  because  we 
believe  a  light  and  corrupting  literature,  found 
both  in  books  and  newspapers,  to  be  a  serious  and 
growing  evil  in  our  country  ;  demanding  the  ear- 
nest consideration  of  all  those  who  can  reach  and 
control,  to  any  extent,  the  public  mind.  Ours  is 
an  excited  age,  and  we  want  a  literature  that  can 
soothe  and  steady  as  well  as  instruct  the  minds 
of  the  people." 


SUMMER 


PRUNING    OF 
VINE. 


THE    GRAPE 


The  cultivation  of  the  grape  is  as  common  as 
that  of  any  plant  that  grows. 

There  is  scarcely  any  one  having  a  garden  who 
does  not  consider  this  vine  as  one  of  the  indispen- 
sables. 

If  he  cannot  raise  one  kind  of  grape,  he  can  an- 
other, and  there  is  no  one  but  can  raise  to  advan- 
tage the  hardy  and  prolific  native  grape,  the  Isa- 
bella, for  instance. 

All  native  grapes  are  very  luxuriant  growers, 
throwing  out  shoots  in  one  season,  of  from  twenty 
to  thirty  feet  in  length,  and  producing  a  great  mass 
of  foliage. 

The  almost  universal  practice  is  to  cut  off  all 
the  shoots  beyond  the  outer  bunches  of  grapes, 
and  to  thin  out  a  great  portion  of  the  foliage  in 
other  parts  of  the  vine. 

In  fact  to  such  a  length  do  some  operators  carry 
this  practice,  that  to  see  the  vines  soon  after  this 
"summer  pruning"  has  taken  place,  one  would 
almost  suppose  the  poor  vine  was  in  the  last  stage 
of  consumption,  or  to  remind  one  very  forcibly  of  a 
singed  cat. 

This  operation  is  performed  in  the  month  of 
August,  when  the  grapes  are  about  the  size  of  a 
pea. 

The  idea  entertained  and  acted  upon  by  these 
farmers  is,  that  the  growing  fruit  is  robbed  of  its 
fair  proportion  of  food,  by  letting  too  much  young 
woodand  foliage  remain  on  the  vine,  and  further, 
that  it  is  absolutely  necessary  for  the  full  develop- 
ment and  maturity  of  the  fruit,  that  the  rays  of 
the  sun  should  in  nowise  be  obstructed,  but  that 
each  bunch  should  be  fully  exposed  to  its  influ- 
ence. 

Now,  for  one,  the  writer  thinks  that  if  it  is  so 
necessary  for  the  fruit  to  be  exposed,  nature  would 
not  cover  it  up  so  completely  as  she  does  with  fo- 
liage. He  does  not  believe  in  this  assisting  nature, 
as  it  is  called. 

It  is  a  practice  that,  as  men  advance  in  knowl- 
edge and  inquire  into  the  rationality  of  things, 
will  be  exploded.  It  is  already  becoming  every 
year  more  and  more  unpopular. 

Dr.  Findley,  in  a  work  published  in  1843  on  the 
subject,  starts  the  following  proposition  : 

1st.  If  all  the  leaves  which  a  tree  will  natural- 
ly form  are  exposed  to  favorable  influences,  and 
receive  the  light  of  a  brilliant  sun,  all  the  fruit 
which  such  a  plant  may  produce  will  ripen  perfect- 
ly in  a  summer  that  is  long  enough. 

2nd.  If  all  the  leaves  of  a  tree  are  exposed  to 
such  influences,  all  the  fruit  will  advance  as  far 
towards  ripening  as  the  length  of  the  summer  will 
admit  of;  it  may  be  sour  and  colorless,  but  that 
condition  will  be  perfect  of  its  kind. 

3rd.  But  if  all  the  fruit  which  a  healthy  tree 
will  show  is  allowed  to  set,  and  a  large  part  of  the 
leaves  are  abstracted,  such  fruit,  be  the  summer 
what  it  may,  will  never  ripen. 

4th.  Therefore  if  a  necessity  exists  for  taking 
off  a  part  of  the  leaves  of  a  tree'  a  part  of  its  fruit 
should  also  be  destroyed. 

5th.  But,  although  a  tree  may  be  able  to  ripen 
alHhe  fruit  which  it  shows,  yet  such  fruit  will 
neither  be  so  large  nor  so  sweet  under  equal  cir- 
cumstances, as  if  a  part  of  it  is  removed;  because 
a  tree  only  forms  a  certain  aqjount  of  secretions, 
and  if  those  secretions  are   divided  among  twenty 


408 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Sept. 


fruits  instead  of  ten,  each  fruit  vrill  in  the  former  I  quite  perfect,  so  far,  at  least,  as  regards  outward 
case  have  but  half  the  amount  of  nutrition,  which  !  appearance.  One  of  the  eggs  was  accidentally  brok- 
it  would  have  received  in  the  latter  case.  [en,  but  the  other  has  been  carefully  preserved  by 

Gth.  The  period  of  ripening  in  fruit  will  be  ac-]Mr.  Charles  Pillinger,  clerk  to  Mr.  George,  slate 
celerated  by  an  abundant  foliage,  and  retarded  by  and  timber  merchant,  as  a  curiosity.  The  men 
a  scarcity  of  foliage.  who  made  the  discovery  were  sadly  puzzled  to 

Dr.  Lindlej  further  states,  that  he  considers, guess  how  the  nest  and  eggs  could  by  any  possi- 
these  propositions  as  the  expression  of  general  jbility  get  into  such  a  place,  especially  as  it  is  a 
truths,  applicable  in  all  cases,  but  especially  to  the  'fact  well  known  that  the  wood-pigeon  never  builds 
vi"6-  in  the  hollows  of  trees,  but  in  the  branches.    The 

If  they  are  founded,  as  he  believes,  in  well  as- 'only  manner  in  which  we  can  account  for  this 
certained  laws,  then  the  rigorous  summer  pruning  phenomenon  is,  that  the  bird  built  her  nest  andde- 
of  the  vine  is  totally  wrong,  He  recommends,  on  posited  her  eggs  in  the  fork  of  the  tree,  then  desert- 
the  contrary,  that  not  only  should  the  whole  crop  ling  them,  whicli  this  bird  often  does,  and  that  the 
of  leavesbe  unpruned,  but  that  the  lateral  shoots;  |  body  of  the  tree,  in  its  growth,  closed  around  them, 
always  hitherto  removed,  should  be  allowed  to  re- .leaving  the  nest  in  the  singular  situation  in  which 
main;  because  all  those  laterals,  if  allowed  to  it  was  found.  An  immense  space  of  time  must 
grow,  would  by  the  end  of  the  season  have  contri-  have  intervened  since  the  eggs  were  thus  deposited 


buted  somewhat  to  the  matter  stored  in  the  stem 
for  the  nutrition  of  the  fruit ;  because  the  prepara- 
tion of  such  matter  would  have  been  moch  more 
rapid  ;  and  because  the  ripening  of  the  fruit,  which 
depends  on  the  presence  of  such  matter,  would 
have  been  in  proportion  to  the  rapidity  of  its  for- 
mation. 

It  is  a  mistake,  continues  he,  to  imagine  that 
the  sun  must  shine  on  the  bunches  of  grapes  in  or- 
der to  ripen  them.  Nature  intended  no  such  thing, 
when  heavy  clusters  were  caused  to  grow  on  slen- 
der stalks, and  to  hang  below  the  foliage  of  branch- 
es, attached  to  trees  by  their  strong  and  numer- 
ous tendrils.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  evident  that 
vines  naturally  bear  their  fruit  in  such  a  way  as  to 
secure  it  from  the  sun  ;  and  man  is  most  unwise 
when  he  harshly  interferes  with  this  intention. 
What  is  wanted  is  the  full  exposure  of  the  leaves 
to  the  sun  ;  they  will  prepare  the  nutriment,  of  the 
grape— M^y  will  feed  it,  and  nurse  it,  and  eventu- 
ally rear  it  up  into  succulence  and  lusciousness. 

The   same  writer   goes   on  to   say 


considering  that,  since  that  time,  the  body  of  the 
tree  must  have  grown  30  feet  or  upwards  in  height. 
— Hereford  {English)  Journal. 


however,  the  branches  have  grown  for  many  weeks, 
and  are  in  autumn  beginning  to  slacken  in  their 
power  of  lengthening,  theory  says,  it  is  then  ricrht 
to  stop  the  shoots  by  plucking  off  the  ends,  because 
after  that  season  newly  formed  leaves  have  little 
time  to  do  more  than  organize  themselves,  which 
must  take  place  at  the  expense  of  matter  formini^ 
in  other  leaves.  Autumn  stopping  of  the  vine 
shoots  is  theref)re  not   only  unobjectionable,   but 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

A  NEW  SPECIES  OF  CANKER  WORM. 

Mr.  Editor  : — We  have  noticed  in  this  town  a 
new  species  of  worm,  whose  first  appearance,  to 
attract  attention,  was  on  apple  and  forest  trees, 
particularly  the  oak.  Where  they  work,  the  leaves 
of  the  trees  lose  their  green  appearance,  as  though 
scorched  by  fire.  They  appeared  about  the  first 
of  June,  and  by  the  last  of  the  month  had  nearly 
all  disappeared,  leaving  the  effect  of  their  destruc- 
tive habits  sadly  visible.  Some  call  them  the  can- 
ker worm,  but  they  are  quite  a  different  worm  from 
the  canker' worm  which  made  such  havoc  in  ap- 
ple orchards  about  forty  years  ago.  These  worms 
are,  when  grown,  a  little  over  half  an  inch  long; 
but  the  canker  worm  was  full  one  inch  long,  and 
"  VVhen,  'much  larger  and  darker  colored,  and  moved  differ- 


ently ;  but  both  were  alike  in  providing  themselves 
with  a  fine  spun  web,  when  they  happen  to  fall  by 
the  shaking  of  the  leaf  or  limb  of  the  trees  where 
they  are  eating.  If  the  limb  is  jarred  they  fall  sus- 
pended by  this  fine  web  ;  some  fall  one  f(jot,  some 
two,  three  or  four  feet,  and  then  commence  climb- 
ing up  their  rope  like  a  good  sailor,  and  regain 
the  r  previous  position. 

I  find  by  the  papers  that  this  worm  has  been 


advantageous,  for  the   leaves  which   remain  after 'noticed  in   different  parts  of  this  State,  and  some 
that  operation  will  then  direct  all  their  energy  tojother  States.     If  it  increases  next  year,  our  forest 


the  perfection  of  the  grape." 

Should  the  writer,  by  calling  your  attention  t 
this  subject,  succeed  in  awakening  the   interest  of 
the  vine  growers  in  this  neighborhood,  to  the  per- 
nicious effects  of  summer  pruning,  he  will  be  satis- 
fied, and  will  conclude  with  a  single  remark 

If,  as  we  are  told,  leaves  are  to  the  plant  what 
lungs  are  to  the  human  body,  we  cannot  wonder 
that  summer  pruned  grape  vines  resemble  persons 
in  the  last  stage  of  consumption. 

T.   M.   WiLTBERGER. 

—  West  Philadelphian. 


Singular  Circumstance. — One  day  last  week,  as 
some  sawyers  were  engaged  in  sawing  up  an  elm 
tree  of  extraordinary  dimensions  at  the  canal-wharf, 
near  this  city,  they  found  a  cavity,  or  decayed 
part,  in  the  iniddle  of  the  tree,  and  30  feet  at  least 
from  the  lop,  in  \v?»ich  was  discovered  the  nest  of 
a  wood-pigeon,  containing  two   eggs,  which  were 


and  apple  trees  will  meet  with  a  destruction  fear- 
ful to  contemplate.  In  this  part  of  the  State,  some 
forty  years  ago,  the  canker  worm  made  such  hav- 
oc of  apple  trees  that  owners  of  orchards  thought 
the  insect  would  finally  destroy  all  our  apple  or- 
chards. One  farmer  here,  in  the  month  ot  March, 
in  order  to  get  rid  of  the  pest,  cut  off  Kvtry  limb  of 
his  apple  trets,  so  that  the  worm  could  have  no  sus- 
tenance that  year  !  But  behold  that  season  none 
were  seen;  they  all  disappeared,  and  have  not  made 
tlieir  appearance  since.  This  was  39  years  ago. 
So  it  was  entirely  needless  for  him  to  thus  muti- 
late his  apple  trees  at  that  time. 

Isaac  Stevens. 
Mansfield,  July  ^th,  1853. 

P.  S.  Destructive  insects  are  very  numerous 
here  this  year.  I  liad  growing  in  my  garden  a 
nice  patch  of  parsnips  for  seed.  Looking  at  them 
a  week  or  two  ago,  I  found  the  seed  nearly  de- 
stroyed by  a  fat  looking  worm,  that  by  the  aid  of 


1853. 


MEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


409 


his  web  wrapped  the  seed  together  and  commenced 
eating  away  until  the  whole  of  the  seed  was  de- 
stroyed. We  picked  them  up,  and  upon  breaking 
open  the  stalks,  the  piih  was  pretty  well  filled  with 
the  same  kind  of  worm  which  destroyed  the  seed, 
and  had  also  destroyed  the  pith  of  the  plant. 

I.  s. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

CRANBERRY  CULTURE. 

Mr.  Editor: — In  company  with  a  friend,  I  vis- 
ited Mr.  N.'s  patch  of  cranberries,  that  have  been 
under  culture  for  four  or  five  years  past,  and  have 
been  several  times  noticed  in  your  journal.  I  found 
him  busily  occupied  in  clearing  out  all  impediments 
to  their  growth,  such  as  intruding  grass,  and 
vreeds,  and  superQuous  runners.  Between  the  rows 
there  appeared  to  be  a  dressing  of  light  colored 
sand,  on  which  the  runners  extended.  Many  of 
the  rows  were  thickly  matted,  and  fully  covered 
with  berries.  Others  had  but  few  berries  on  them. 
Mr.  N.  explained  tliis,  as  caused  by  severe  frost, 
shortly  after  the  growth  of  the  vine  started  in  the 
spring.  He  thought  the  crop  would  be  diminished 
one-half  from  this  cause.  He  also  showed  us  ber- 
ries that  had  a  reddish  color,  and  explained  that 
this  appearance  was  caused  by  a  worm  in  the  ber- 
ry, which  was  apparent  on  opening  it.  He 
thought  this  worm  was  implanted  in  the  fruit  by 
an  insect,  not  unlike  the  i/elloio  ivasp,  hnt  of  small- 
er size.  He  had  seen  many  of  these,  dodging  about 
among  the  plants,  and  pointed  out  some  while  we 
were  there.  I  speak  of  these  facts  in  relation  to 
his  culture,  because  he  has  pursued  the  culture 
of  this  berry  with  better  success  than  I  have  else 


For  (he  Neto  Eni^land  Farmer. 
TRANSACTIONS   OF  THE    AGRICULTU- 
RAL SOCIETIES    OF    MASS. 

Mr.  Editor  : — Within  a  few  weeks  past,  there 
has  issued  from  the  press  of  White  &  P.otter,  State 
printers,  a  Volume  of  Transactions  of  the  Agri- 
cultural Societies  of  the  State  of  Massachusetts. 
The  typographical  execution  of  the  volume  is 
creditable  to  the  press  from  which  it  has  issued. 
The  volume  contains  nearly  eight  hundred  pages, 
and  is  a  monument  to  the  industry  and  persever- 
ance of  the  Hon.  Amas.\  Walker,  who  acted  as 
Secretary  of  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture,  until 
a  permanent  Secretary  was  appointed  in  April 
last.  It  exhibits,  too,  the  excellent  judgment  of 
the  Hon.  Secretary  in  the  selections  he  has  made 
from  the  various  reports  and  addresses  that  were 
put  into  his  hands.  To  the  transactions  of  the  va- 
rious Agricultural  Societies,  which  constitute  the 
main  body  of  the  volume,  are  added  the  doings  of 
the  State  Board  of  Agriculture,  and  the  laws  of 
the  State  in  relation  to  Agricultural  Societies. — 
Although  these  additions  increase  the  size  of  the 
volume,  yet  they  add  much  to  its  value,  and  we  are 
glad  to  have  the  information  they  contain  in  such 
shape  that  we  can  conveniently  refer  to  it. 

I  propose,  Mr.  Editor,  to  run  over  the  volume 
and  give  your  readers  the  benefit  of  such  notes  as 
I  may  make  in  my  progress.  I  will  endeavor  to 
keep  within  reasonable  limits,  but  should  I  become 
prosy  and  tedious,  please  exercise  your  editorial 
authority,  and  rap  me  over  the  knuckles,  and  I 
will  take  the  hint.  I  hav«  no  idea  how  long  it 
will  take  me,  or  how  much  I  may  say  ;  but  you 
and  your  readers  have  this  circumstance   in  their 


where  known  upon   the  upland.     He   has  about 'f\xvor,  that  doo- days  are  not  favorable  to  long <liS' 
half  an  acre   under  culture,  a  part   of  which  has       '  °  -      -     ^ 


yielded  berries  for  Jive  years.  He  states  that  the 
produce  tlie  last  season  fully  paid  for  the  attention 
given  to  them — estimating  the  cranberries  at  four 
dollars  per  bushel.  I  can  say,  from  my  own  knowl- 
edge, that  the  fruit  was  worth  double  that  which 
is  usually  grown  on  meadow  land.  I  consider  the 
upland  culture  of  the  cranberry,  as  worthy  of 
more  attention  than  it  has  received.  There  is  no 
vegetable  grown  that  will  find  a  readier  market. 
Danvers,  July  14,  1853.  p. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
MILK  AND  BUTTER. 
Mr.  Brown  : — After  seeing  some  butter  stories 
in  the  papers,  I  thought  I  would  give  you  an  ac- 
count of  some  of  my  butter  and  milk.  I  have  a 
four  year  old  cow,  of  the  Wel)ster  stock,  a  cross 
of  the  Alderney  blood,  that  for  three  weeks  has 
averaged  sixteen  milk  quarts  per  day,  and  as  I  am 
raising  a  heifer  calf  from  her,  I  could  set  the  milk 
only  from  night  until  morning,  and  from  morning 
until  night,  then  take  the  cream  from  it  and  give 
the  milk  to  the  calf.  We  made  2i  lbs.  butter 
daily,  for  some  days,  and  after  seeing  the  Spring- 
field butter  story,  I  set  a  quantity  of  milk  for  a 
proper  time  for  the  cream  to  rise,  and  to  ascertain 
how  muoh^Uk  it  would  take  for  a  pound  of  but- 
ter. From  six  quarts  of  milk  I  had  19  ounces 
of  butter  of  the  nicest  quality.  The  feed  for  the 
cow  was  simply  what  grass  she  could  get  in  a  good 
pasture,  and  one  quart  of  meal  per  day. 

Yours  truly,  J.  Hatch. 

SoiUh  Marshfield,  1853. 


quisitions.  But  to  my  task  ;  for  I  propose  to  make 
a  beginning  in  this  number,  and  in  the  first  place, 
I  notice  that  there  is  a  full  and  accurate  index, 
which  much  increases  the  value  of  the  book,  and 
adds  very  much  to  the  convenience  of  using  it. 

In  the  next  place,  there  is  a  list  of  Agricultural 
Societies  of  the  State,  and  the  times  when  their 
several  exhibitions  are  to  held  in  1853.  This  is  a 
convenient  table  of  reference,  and  perhaps  it  would 
be  well  to  republish  it  in  your  paper.  It  may  save 
some  thousands  of  your  readers  the  necessity  of  • 
asking,  "when  is  our  cattle  show  to  be?"'  The  first 
report  is  that  of  the  Mass.  Society  for  the  Promo- 
tion of  Agriculture.  _  This  is  mostly  occupied  with 
statements  respecting  the  Alderney  stock  import- 
ed by  the  society.  The  number  of  animals  of  this 
stock  now  in  possesion  of  the  society  is  eleven. — 
They  are  represented  as  in  a  thriving  condition, 
and  as  having  endured,  without  inconvenience, 
the  cold  of  the  last  winter.  The  report  states 
"that  nothing  has  occurred  to  throw  any  doubt 
on  the  character  of  this  race,  as  a  most  excellent 
stock  for  the  dairy." 

We  are  somewhat  surprised  to  learn  that  the 
President  and  Secretary,  together  with  Jlr.  Mot- 
ley, who  has  the  care  of  the  Alderney  stock,  have 
arrived  at  the  conviction  that  the  Ayrshire  stock 
formerly  imported  by  the  society,  has  failed  to  give 
satisfaction,  and  that  its  importation  has  been  of 
little  or  no  advantage  to  our  stock. 

Now  we  had  arrived  at  a  diflerent  conclusion. 
So  far  as  our  observation  extends,  Ayrshire  cows, 
whether  full-blooded  or  crossed  with  the  Durham 
or  with  the  native  stock,  are  held  in  high  estima- 


410 


NEW  ENGLAND  PARMER. 


SepI' 


tion,  especially  by  those  farmers  who  make  milk 
for  the  market.  We  believe  the  demand  for  this 
atock  was  never  greater  than  at  the  present  mo- 
ment, and  that  it  is  now  worth  from  ten  to  twenty 
percent,  more  than  any  other  stock  in  the  market. 
We  do  not  think  that  the  butter-making  qualities 
of  this  stock  are  equal  to  those  of  the  Alderneya, 
but  ^ye  do  think  that  the  quantity  of  milk  they 
yield  is  greater  than  that  yielded  by  them.  We 
observe  in  this  volume,  that  several  of  the  premi- 
um cows  in  different  parts  of  the  State  were  Ayr- 
shire cows,  either  full-blooded  or  mixed.  The 
truth  is,  that  in  some  sections  of  the  State,  the 
quality  of  the  milk  is  more  regarded  than  the  num- 
ber of  quarts,  while  in  other  sections,  quarts  are 
of  more  importance  than  quality.  Hence  the  dif- 
ference of  opinion  with  respect  to  different  kinds 
of  stock. 

From  the  manner  of  the  report,  we  should  in- 
fer that  some  apology  was  thought  necessary  for 
importing  the  Alderney  stock,  and  ceasing  to  make 
efforts  to  extend  the  culture  of  the  Ayrshires.  Now 
we  don't  think  that  any  apology  is  needed.  But 
rather  that  the  society  should  import  samples  of 
all  the  good  varieties  with  which  they  may  be- 
come acquainted.  We  would  gladly  see  specimens 
of  all  the  good  varieties  known  in  the  civilized 
world.  One  race  may  be  better  suited  for  one  pur- 
pose, and  another  for  another  purpose.  We  can- 
not expect  to  find  all  the  good  qualities  of  the  dif- 
ferent kinds  of  stock,  united  in  any  one  of  them. 
One  race  is  best  fjr  beef,  another  for  milk,  anoth- 
er for  butter,  another  fji*  the  plow.  Now,  per- 
haps, by  crossing  these  different  races  with  each 
other,  and  with  our  native  stock,  we  may  obtain  a 
variffty  that  shall  combine  more  good  quahties  than 
any  one  of  them  does  at  present ;  and  indeed,  un- 
less we  are  much  mistaken,  some  of  our  milk 
raisers  are  obtaining  a  fine  variety  from  a  cross  be 
tween  the  Durhams  and  Ayrshires.  We  hope  it 
will  not  be  many  yea,r3  before  the  mulctra  fumaii- 
iia  (foaming  milk-pails)  of  Virgil  will  constitute 
the  general  rule,  and  not  the  exception,  as  at  pre- 
sent, in  all  our  dairies.  j.  b. 

Concord,  July  29. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

THE  SWALLOWS. 

Mr.  Brown  : — In  the  last  Farmer  you  wished  cor- 
respondents in  different  sections  of  the  country,  to 
note  the  time  of  the  departure  of  the  "swallows." 
Last  year  I  noticed  the  barn  swallow  here,  as  late 
as  the  25th  to  the  28th  of  August.  I  think  I  have 
seen  the  chimney  swallow  as  late  as  the  last  of 
September,  or  middle  of  October.  As  to  the  bank 
swallow  and  martin  swallow,  I  cannot  say  at  what 
time  they  leave  the  north.  Last  year  I  had  a  vis- 
it of  birds  which  you  call  the  Labrador  swallow. 
They  came  in  numbers,  and  built  about  a  dozen 
nests  in  the  space  of  about  ten  by  twelve  feet,  un- 
der a  corn  liouse.  They  left  with  their  broods 
about  the  first  week  in  August,  and  were  not  seen 
again  that  season.  Tliis  year  they  came  back  and 
built  about  tliirty  nests  in  the  same  place.  They 
left  with  their  broods  about  the  15th  of  July,  and 
probably  will  not  be  seen  here  again  until  next 
season. 

These  birds  build  a  curious  nest,  mostly  of  mud, 
and  when  done  it  looks  something  like  a  hornet's 
nest,  with  a  small  hole  left  near  the  top  just 


large  enough  for  the  bird  to  enter.  Most  of  these 
nests  were  near  to  each  other,  or  joined  together 
as  near  as  they  could  well  be.  These  birds  ate 
about  the  size  of  the  common  barn  swallow,  with 
a  broad  fan  tail  like  the  martin  swallow.  They 
appear  to  be  very  tame  in  their  habits,  as  we  could 
easily  take  them  in  their  nests  by  a  little  caution. 
In  the  last  four  or  five  years  we  have  had  an  oc- 
casional nest  of  these  birds  built  under  the  eaves 
of  the  barn.  But  never  did  they  come  in  any 
numbers  until  last  season.  During  their  stay  here, 
particularly  in  the  morning,  they  would  fill  the 
yard  with  their  swift  gyrations.  And  although, 
strictly  speaking,  the  swallow  is  not  a  bird  of  song, 
their  brisk  clatter  kept  up  together,  is  not  dull 
music  after  all. 

Whether  these  birds  have  bred  in  other  places 
near  here  I  cannot  say,  but  am  inclined  to  think 
they  have  not  to  any  extent.  Any  further  infor- 
mation in  regard  to  the  swallow,  by  you  or  any  of 
your  correspondents,  would  be  gladly  received. 
Yours  truly,  L.  Durant. 

Derby,  Ct.,  Ju/y  26,  1853. 


H^"  Below  we  give  another  extract  from  ^^The 
Elements  of  Agricultural  Chemistry, ^^  by  Profes- 
sor Johnston,  and  soon  to  be  published  by  Saxton, 
of  N.  Y.  We  think  the  reader  will  find  this,  as 
well  as  the  article  last  week  on  "■Ammonia," 
as  plain  as  a  "pike  staff." 


LAYING  DOWN  TO  GRASS. 

IMPROVEMENT  OF  THE  SOIL  EY  LAYING  DOWN  TO  GRASS. 
FACTS  WHICH  HAVE  BEEN  ASCERTAINED. 

On  this  subject,  two  facts  seem  to  be  pretty 
generally  acknowledged. 

First,  That  land  laid  down  to  artificial  grasses 
for  one,  two,  three,  or  more  years,  is  in  some  de- 
gree rested  or  recruited,  and  is  fitted  for  the  better 
production  of  crops  of  corn.  Letting  it  lie  a  year 
or  two  longer  in  grass,  therefore,  is  one  of  the  re- 
ceived modes  of  bringing  back  to  a  sound  condi- 
tion a  soil  that  has  been  exhausted  by  injudicious 
cropping. 

Second,  That  land  thus  laid  down  with  artifi- 
cial grasses  diminishes  in  value  again  after  two, 
three,  or  five  years — more  or  less — and  only  by 
slow  degrees  acquires  a  thick  sward  of  rich,  nour- 
ishing natural  herbage.  Hence  the  opinion  that 
grass  land  improves  in  quality  the  longer  it  is 
permitted  to  lie — the  unwillingness  to  plow  up  old 
pasture — and  the  comparatively  high  rents  which, 
in  some  parts  of  the  country,  old  grass  land  is 
known  to  yield. 

Granting  that  grass  land  does  thus  generally 
increase  in  value,  three  important  facts  must  be 
borne  in  mind  before  we  attempt  to  assign  the 
cause  of  this  Improvement,  or  the  circumstances 
under  which  it  is  likely  to  take  place  for  the 
longest  time  and  to  the  greatest  extent. 

1.  The  valueof  the  grass  in  any  given  spot  may 
increase  for  an  indefinite  period,  but  it.will  never 
improve  beyond  a  certain  extent — it  will  necessa- 
rily be  limited,  as  all  other  crops  are,  by  the  qual- 
ity of  the  land.  Hence  the  mere  laying  down  to 
grass  will  not  make  all  land  good,  however  long 
it  may  lie.  The  extensive  commons,  heaths,  and 
wastes,  which  have  been  in  grass  from  the  most 
remote  times,  are  evidence  of  this.    They  have, 


1853. 


NKW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


411 


in  most  cases,  yielded  so  poor  a  natural  herbage 
as  to  have  been  considered  unworthy  of  being  en- 
closed as  permanent  pasture. 

2.  Some  grass-lands  will  retain  the  good  condi- 
tion they  thus  slowly  acquire  for  a  very  long 
period,  and  luitkoid  manuring— w  the  same  way, 
and  upon  nearly  the  same  principle,  that  some 
rich  corn-lands  have  yielded  successive  crops  for 
100  years  without  manure.  The  rich  grass-lands 
of  England,  and  especially  of  Ireland,  many  of 
which  have  been  in  pasture  from  time  immemori- 
al, without  receiving  any  known  return  for  all 
they  have  yielded,  are  illustrations  of  this  fact. 

3.  But  others,  if  grazed,  cropped  with  sheep, 
or  cut  for  hay,  will  gradually  deteriorate,  unless 
some  proper  supply  of  manure  be  given  to  them — 
which  required  supply  must  vary  with  the  nature 
of  the  soil,  with  the  kind  of  stock  fed  upon  it,  and 
with  the  kind  of  treatment  to  which  it  has  been 
subjected. 

FORM  WHICH  THE  IMPROVEMENT  ASSUMES,  AND   HOW  IT 
IS  BROUGHT  ABOUT 

In  regard  to  the  acknowledged  benefit  of  laying 
down  to  grass,  then,  two  points  require  consider- 
ation. 

1.  What  form  does  it  assume — and  how  is  it 
effected  ? 

The  improvement  takes  place  by  the  gradual 
accumulation  of  a  dark-brown  soil  rich  in  vegeta- 
ble matter,  which  soil  thickens  or  deepens  in 
proportion  to  the  time  during  which  it  is  allowed 
to  lie  in  grass.  It  is  a  law  of  nature,  that  this 
accumulation  takes  place  more  rapidly  in  the 
temperate  than  in  tropical  climates,  and  it  would 
appear  as  if  the  consequent  darkening  of  the  soil 


the  kind  of  grass  and  with  the  kind  of  soil.  When 
wheat  is  cut  down,  the  quantity  of  straw  left  in 
the  field,  in  the  form  of  stubble  and  roots,  is  some- 
times greater  than  the  quantity  carried  off  in  the 
sheaf.  Upon  a  grass  field  two  or  three  tons  of  hay 
may  be  reaped  from  an  acre,  and  therefore,  from 
half  a  ton  to  a  ton  of  dry  roots  is  annually  pro- 
duced and  left  in  the  soil.  If  anything  like  this 
weight  of  roots  die  every  year,  in  land  kept  in 
pasture,  we  can  readily  understand  how  the  veg- 
etable matter  in  the  soil  should  gradually  accu- 
mulate. In  arable  land  this  accumulation  is 
prevented  by  the  constant  turning  up  of  the  soil, 
by  which  the  fibrous  roots,  being  exposed  to  the 
free  access  of  air  and  moisture,  are  made  to  un- 
dergo a  more  rapid  decomposition. 

But  the  roots  and  leaves  of  the  grasses  contain 
earthy  and  saline  matters  also.  Dry  hay  leaves 
from  an  eighth  to  a  tenth  part  of  its  weight  of  ash 
when  burned.  Along  with  the  dead  vegetable 
matter  of  the  soil,  this  inorganic  matter  also  ac- 
cumulates in  the  form  of  an  exceedingly  fine 
earthy  powder  ;  hence  one  cause  of  the  universal 
fineness  of  the  surface-mould  of  old  grass-fields. 
The  earthy  portion  of  this  inorganic  matter  con- 
sists chiefly  of  silica,  lime,  and  magnesia,  with 
scarcely  a  trace  of  alumina  ;  so  that,  even  on  the 
stiffest  clays,  a  surface  soil  may  be  ultimately 
formed,  in  which  the  quantity  of  alumina — the 
substance  of  clay — is  comparatively  small. 

There  are  still  other  agencies  at  work,  by  which 
the  surface  of  stiff  soils  is  made  to  undergo  a 
change.  As  the  roots  of  the  grasses  penetrate 
into  the  clay,  they  more  or  less  open  up  a  way 
into  it  for  the  rains.  Now,  the  rains  in  nearly  all 
lands,  when  they  have  a  passage  downwards,  have 


were  intended,  among  other  purposes,  to  enable  itj  a  tendency  to  carry  down  the  clay  with  them, 
to  absorb  more  of  the  sun's  warmth, _  and  thusj  yiigy  do  so,  it  has  been  observed,  on  sandy  and 
more  speedily  to  bring  forward  vegetation  wher&^peaty  soils,  and  more  quickly  when  these  soils  are 
the  average  temperature  is  low  and  the  summersjiaid  down  to  grass.  Hence  the  mechanical  action 
comparatively  short.  _  of  the  rains — slowly  in  many  localities,  yet  surely 

If  the  soil  be  very  light  and  sandy,  the  thicken- 1  — has  a  tendency  to  lighten  the  surface  soil,  by 
ing  of  the  vegetable  matter  is  sooner  arrested  ;  ifi  removing  a  portion  of  its  clay.  They  constitute 
it  be  moderately  heavy  land,  the  improvement' one  of  those  natural  agencies  by  which,  as  else- 
continues  for  a  longer  period  :  and  some  of  thej  where  explained,  important  differences  are  ulti- 
heaviest  clays  in  England  are  known  to  bear  the  niately  established,  almost  everywhere,  between 
richest  permanent  pastures.  ^     ,  the   surface  crop-bearing  soil  and  the  subsoil  on 

The  soils  formed  on  the  surface  of  all   our  rich      -  -  -   - 


old  pasture  lands  thus  come  to  possess  a  remark- 
able degree  of  uniformity — both  in  physical  char- 


which  it  rests. 

But  further,  the  heSts  of  summer  and  the  frosts 
of  winter  aid  this  slow  alteration.    In  the  extremes 


acter  and  in  chemical  composition.  This  uniformity  If  j^^^,.  ^^^  ^f-  ^^^^    ^^e  soil  contracts  more  than 

^t^^,?"     !!ii^nT.T/'l!!°  "il'^'^u     J^':?i^'„   itlie  roots  of  the  grasses  do  ;  and  similar,  though 

less  visible,  differences  take  place  during  the 
striking  changes  of  temperature  which  are  expe- 
rienced in  our  climate  in  the  different  parts  of 
almost  every  day.  When  the  rain  falls,  also,  on 
the  parched  field,  or  when  a  thaw  comes  on  in 
winter,  the  earth  expands,  while  the  roots  of  the 
grasses  remamed  nearly  fixed  ;  hence  the  soil  rises 
up  among  the  leaves,  mixes  with  the  vegetable 
matter,  and  tlius  assists  in  the  slow  accumulation 
of  a  rich  vegetable  mould. 

The  reader  may  have  witnessed  in  winter  how, 
on  a  field  or  by  a  way-side,  the  earth  rises  above 
the  stones,  and  appears  inclined  to  cover  them  ; 
he  may  even  have  seen,  in  a  deserted  and  undis- 
turbed highway,  the  stones  gradually  sinking  and 
disappearing  altogether,  when  the  repetition  of  this 
alternate  contraction  and  expansion  of  the  soil  for 
a  succession  of  winters  has  increased,  in  a   great 


the  lias  and  Oxford  clay,  which  originally,  no 
doubt,  have  been  left  to  natural  pasture — as  many 
clay  lands  still  are — from  the  difficulty  and  ex- 
pense of  submitting  them  to  arable  culture. 

2.  How  do  they  acquire  this  new  character, 
and  why  is  it  the  work  of  so  much  time. 

When  the  young  grass  throws  up  its  leaves 
into  tlie  air,  from  which  it  derives  so  much  of  its 
nourishment,  it  throws  down  its  roots  into  the 
soil  in  quest  of  food  of  another  kind.  The  leaves 
may  be  mown  or  cropped  by  animals,  and  carried 
off"  the  field  ;  but  the  roots  remain  in  the  soil,  and, 
as  they  ilie,  gradually  fill  its  upper  part  with  veg- 
etable matter.  On  an  average,  the  annual  pro- 
duction of  roots  on  old  grass-land  is  equal  to 
one-third  or  one-fourth  of  the  weight  of  hay  carried 
off* — though  no  doubt  it  varies  much,  both  with 


*  See    the   Author's  Z,ec<«rM    on  Agricultural  Ckemistrv 
and  Geology,  2ii  edilion. 


412 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Sept. 


degree,  the  effects  which  follow  from  a  single  ac- 
cession of  frosty  weather. 

So  it  is  in  the  fields.  And  if  a  person  skilled  in 
the  soils  of  a  given  district  can  make  a  guess  at 
the  time  when  a  given  field  was  laid  down  to  grass, 
by  the  depth  at  which  the  stones  are  found  beneath 
the  surface,  it  is  partly  becasue  this  loosening  and 
expansion  of  the  soil,  while  the  stones  remain  fixed, 
tends  to  throw  the  latter  down  by  an  almost  im- 
perceptible quantity  every  year  that  passes. 

Such  movements  as  these  act  in  opening  up  the 
surface  soil,  in  mixing  it  with  the  decaying  veg- 
etable matter,  and  in  allowing  the  slow  action  of 
the  rains  gradually  to  give  its  earthy  portion  a 
lighter  character.  But  with  these,  among  other 
causes,  conspires  also  the  action  of  living  animals. 
Few  persons  have  followed  the  plow  without  oc- 
casionally observing  the  vast  quantities  of  earth- 
worms with  which  some  fields  seem  to  be  filled. 
On  a  close-shaven  lawn,  many  have  noticed  the 
frequent  little  heaps  of  earth  which  these  worms 
during  the  night  have  thrown  out  upon  the  grass. 
These  and  other  minute  animals  are  continually 
at  work,  especially  beneath  an  undisturbed  and 
grassy  sward — and  they  nightly  briilg  up  from  a 
considerable  depth,  and  discharge  on  the  surface, 
their  burden  of  fine  fertilizing  loamy  earth.  Each 
of  these  burdens  is  an  actual  gain  to  the  rich  sur- 
face soil ;  and  who  can  doubt  that,  in  the  lapse  of 
years,  the  unseen  and  unappreciated  labors  of 
these  insect  tribes  must  both  materially  improve 
its  quality  and  increase  its  depth  ?  * 

*  In  the  Prize  Essays  of  the  His^hland  Society  (vol.  1.  p. 
191,)  the  reader  will  find  the  testimony  of  a  practical  man  thai 
such  was  in  reality  the  case,  as  observed  by  himself  on  part  of 
his  own  farm  in  Roxburgshire. 


NATIONAI4    AGRICULTURAL     SOCIETY 
AND  MOUNT   V3SRNON. 

We  are  happy  to  notice  that  the  officers  of  the 
National  Agricultural  Society  are  promptly  carry- 
ing out  the  objects  proposed  in  one  of  the  resolu- 
tions passed  by  the  society  at  its  last  meeting  in 
Washington.  The  suggestion,  a  most  happy  one 
we  think,  was  made  by  the  President,  Col.  Wil- 
der, whose  accustomed  eneigy  will  see  its  accom- 
plishment   in  good  time. 

A  late  National  Intelligencer  says  : — "We  learn 
that  Mr.  Lossing,  the  distinguished  artist,  is  at 
the  present  moment  occupied  at  Mount  Vernon  in 
taking  a  landscape  view  of  the  venerable  mansion, 
and  sketching  some  matters  of  interest  connected 
with  it,  including  the  carved  marble  mantel,  so 
beautifully  sculptured  with  agricultural  subjects. 
Mr.  L.  is  employed  in  this  duty  by  the  United 
States  Agricultural  Society  with  a  view  to  use  his 
drawings  in  the  designing  of  an  ornamental  diplo- 
ma of  membership.  The  idea  is  an  excellent  one, 
and  we  are  satisfied  that  the  Association  could 
not,  within  the  range  of  subjects  which  our  coun- 
try affords,  have  selected  one  more  ajtpropriate  or 
acceptable  to  the  followers  of  the  virtuous  vocation 
in  the  pursuit  of  which  the  Father  of  his  Country 
manifested  so  great  an  interest,  and  which  he  so 
thoroughly  understood." 


INOCULATION— BUDDING. 

The  propagation  of  fruit  is  effected  either  by 
planting  the  germs,  grafting  or  budding.  Cir- 
cumstances often  render  it  necessary  to  adopt  the 
first,  and  this  necessity  is  generally  encountered 
in  newly  settled  regions  where  stocks  and  scions 
are  not  easily  procured.  It  is  also  necessary  for 
the  nurseryman  to  sow  seeds ;  but  where  one 
merely  aims  at  securing  an  orchard  —  no  matter 
what  may  be  the  description  of  the  fruit,  he  can 
generally,  with  little  trouble,  procure  the  desired 
kinds  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  and  at  less  ex- 
pense than  he  could  possibly  produce  them  him- 
self, from  seed.  In  raising  trees  from  seed,  no 
reliance  whatever  can  be  placed  upon  the  truthful- 
ness of  the  varieties.  The  seeds  of  the  best 
russets,  pippins,  and  Baldwins  often  produce 
inferior  and  even  worthless  varieties.  This  liabil- 
ity renders  it  necessary  to  graft  or  bud,  upon 
stocks  produced  from  such  seeds,  the  kinds  it  is 
desii'able  to  propagate.  For  this  purpose  grafting 
is,  on  several  accounts,  preferred  to  budding. 
Still  it  often  happens  that  if  one  was  desirous  of 
propagating  choice  varieties  of  fruit  when  grafting 
cannot  be  performed,  as  in  the  summer  season, 
when  grafting  is  generally  supposed  to  be  imprac- 
ticable, then  budding  comes  to  our  assistance,  and 
enables  us  to  secure  the  results  and  advantages  of 
grafting  with  comparatively  little  risk. 

The  bud,  which,  in  this  operation,  supplies  the 
place  of  the  scion,  may  be  considered  as  an  embryo 
branch,  characterized  by  its  own  peculiar  structure 
and  qualities  and  individual  vitality ;  and  when 
detached  from  its  parent  limb  and  set,  according 
to  certain  rules  of  art,  in  a  healthy  branch,  ia 
Capable  of  continued  growth  and  a  reproduction 
of  its  species.  The  time  for  performing  the  oper- 
ation of  budding,  is  regulated  in  a  great  measure 
by  the  condition  of  the  tree,  and  the  activity  of 
its  circulation.  The  cherry  is  often  budded  in 
June,  but  the  apple,  pear  and  other  similar  trees, 
are  generally  budded  in  August  and  September. 
One  reason  why  budding  has  so  frequently  failed, 
is,  that  many  attempt  it  at  improper  and  unsuita- 
ble seasons,  and  when  the  new  wood  is  so  far 
advanced  in  the  process  of  lignification,  as  to  be 
incapable  of  forming  or  admitting  new  unions. 
Buds,  however  healthy,  inserted  under  such  cir- 
cumstances, cannot,  of  course,  succeed,  and  dis- 
grace is  brought  upon  the  art  when  none  is 
deserved.  Whenever  the  bark  is  found  to  separate 
freely  from  the  wood,  buds,  properly  inserted,  will 
always  unite  and  grow,  for  the  cambriura,  or  new 
growth  of  wood,  is  then  at  that  stage  of  formation 
most  favorable  to  secure  the  inoculation  of  the  bud, 
and  consequently  to  secure  its  life. 

On  the  subject  of  budding,  we  have  had  an  in- 
finite variety  of  rules  laid  down  by  those  who 
profess  to  be  experienced  in  the  business.     That 


I 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


413 


every  young  former,  on  commencing  life,  should 
adopt  certain  measures  to  secure  a  constant  and 
liberal  supply  of  xsjliolsome  fruit  for  the  use  and 
comfort  of  his  household,  is  a  proposition  the  truth 
of  which  no  one  will  deny.     Even  if  he  restrict 
his  efforts  to  the  simple  object  of  securing  a  do- 1 
mestic  supply  without  reference  to  the  project  ol 
marketing,    the  portion    of  his    time   employed 
therein,  will  be  devoted  to  good   advantage,  and 
insure  no  insignificant  gratification  and  profit  in 
the  end.     But  the  ambition  of  most  formers  will 
not  be  satisfied  with  this  ;  they  will  desire  to  see 
thrifty  orchards  surrounding  their  homesteads,^  or 


The  character  of  the  above  stock  may  be  esti- 
mated from  the  foct,  that  the  originals  of  each 
breed  were  purchased  without  the  shgh test  regard 
as  to  price,  and  will  be  found  to  comprise  some  ot 
the  most  valuable  animals  in  the  United  Kingdom; 
as  sucli,  they  are  especially  deserving  the  attention 
iof  breeders  in  every  part  of  the  world. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
A  PROLIFIC  MEADOW. 

Mr.  Brown:— It  has  become  so  common  of 
late,  to  put  on  record  all  foots  tending  to  show 
the  decay  of  the  potatoe,  I  think  it  but  fair,  when 
anything  to  the  contrary  appears,  it  sh«"l<V^e 

^  ,  „.      istated.     Yesterday  after  the  refreshing  showers 

erownin^^  the  summits  of  their  gently  swelling  1^  ^^^  ^^^j.^;^g^  i„  company  with  a  friend  himselt 
hills  the  produce  of  which  will  secure  them  the  .,  i^^^ge  and  successful  cultivator,  I  went  to  view  a 
mL  of  Uving,  and  supply  cash  for  their  improve-  field  ^ofa^^^^^^^^^^^ 

ments  on  their  estates.     The  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^i^J^Z^  Ts^'^  ^^^^^^1 


pears,  peaches,  grapes,  currants,  _ 
raspberries,  cherries,  strawberries,  cranberries, 
blackberries,  etc.  etc.,  ought  always  to  be  associ- 
ated with  that  of  apples,  and  in  most  sections, 
would  be  found  more  profitable  than  any  branch 
of  farming,  or  simple  gardening,  that  could  be  in- 
troduced. There  are  few  sections  of  our  widely 
extended  country  in  which  most,  if  not  all  of  the 
above  mentioned  fruits,  do  not  flourish  luxuriantly. 


three  or  four  feet.  The  main  brook  of  the  mead- 
ow has  recently  been  cleaned,  so  that  the  surplus 
water  runs  off,  leaving  it  firm  enough  to  cart  upon. 
It  is  covered  with  a  soil  of  richest  qualitj',  more 
like  the  prairies  of  the  west  than  anything  1  know 

hereabouts.  „,/!•,„«  r, 

The  cultivation  was  commenced  by  spreading  a 
coating  of  manure  on  the  grassy  surface,  dropping 
the  seed  among  the  manure,  cutting  ditches  and 
covering  the   potatoes   w'th   the   ma  erud   ^^^^^^^^ 


above  mentioned  fruits,  do  notUourisii  mxurianuy,  covering  uie  pu.a.u..  "-;"•-.  ,  .  ^^^t  five 
.e,airi„,  b.t  H.ele  c»e  after  tra„sp>a„.in„  -^^-^r/i^rSLtwI'TpoSt^f  ■*  bed^ 
producing  generally  an  abundance  of  luscious  and  '  Qtatoes  started  into  growth,  and 

thisl^^^^;  ^^J  ,He  Vound  with   a  -ost  lux™ 
coating  of  vines.     A  part  of  these     the/arhest 
kinds,°.ave  come  to  maturity    and  yield  a  fa  r 


saleable  fruit.     We  hope,  ere  long,    to   see 
department  of  domestic  industry  elevated  to  the 
rank  and  position  it  so  eminently  deserves. 

We  forbear  to  repeat  any  of  the  different 
modes  of  budding,  now,  but  refer  the  reader  to  the 
previous  columns  of  the  Farmer,  where  he  will 
find  the  whole  subject  minutely  described,  as  well 
as  in  most  of  the  books  on  the  subject  of  fruits. 


crop  oF'superior  quality.  An  adjoining  piece  ot 
ground  was  cultivated  in  the  same  ^^J'  ^e  last 
year,  and  when  the  crop  was  8^*^,?^^^ '  *^^" J^^' 
and  Cubbish  were  thrown  into  the  ditches,  and  the 
whole  surfi^ce  was  levelled  off,  and  sown  with 
grass  seed,'  herds  grass,  red  top  and  clover,  and 
?he  present  season  has  yielded  hay  of  good  quality 
to  the  amount  of  three  tons  to  the  acre,  with  a 
SALE  OP  EARL  DUCIE>S  STOCK.  respect  of  a  second  cutting  of  half  as  much  more. 

24th  AND  25th  OF  August.  The  crop   of  potatoes   grown  tl^.^ /it^y^'^y^^^^ 

The  late  lamented  Earl  Ducie  having  requested  paid  for  all  the  ^^^^^PPj ^ en^y  LSs  ^er  acre . 
his  executors  to  dispose  of  his  Agricultural  ^t°ck,  of  the  land  M  not  ex^^^^^^^^^ 

Mr.  Strafford  has   instructions  to  sell  by  auction.  If  any  one  can  siiow^g  ^      j  ^^ould  like 

without  any  reserve,  at  Tortworth  Court,  Glouces-  procur  d  at  an  e^pen  «  ^^  -^s  more  than  one  hun- 
tershire,  on  Wednesday  and  Thursday,  the  24th  to  see  it  Y^P"^,,^,^,  that  has  heretofore 
and  25th  days  of  August  next  the  entire  and  f^^"  f/f^.^.t 'e  of  the  co.rsest  kind  ;  all  of  which 
fomed   herd  of  Short-horned  Cattle  belon-img  to  ff^«^^^^^^  Wmgmg  into  English  mowing  by 

his  lordship,  consisting  of  upwards  of  sixty  head  ofl^.^;fj;;3^'' o^e  peculiarity  about  this  culture 

Bulls,  Cows  and  Heifers,  comprising  the  ^h«^«  «f  t"  JZ'n 'Ts  needed      ™      "    '~  '''"'  °'^"' 

the  justly  celebrated  "Duchess"    and   ^'OKfovd^'lrio  hoeing  is  ne^^^aea 


tribes  of  Short-horns,  which  with  the  "Fourth 
Duke  of  York,"  were  purchased  at  the  late  Mr. 
Bates's  sale  at  Kirklevington,  in  1850  ;  also  the 
"Duke  of  Glo'ster,"  and  many  other  very  promis- 
ing young  Bulls  and  Heifers  bred  from  them,  as 
well  as  others  from  the  most  celebrated  herds  in 


The  few  weeds  that  start 
are'easiiy  pulTed  up  by  the  roots.  My  impression 
is  if  the  ^potato  crop  should  be  continued  /lOO 
;';.;,  the  Iround  woiSdbe  left  in  '-tter  condition 
and  be  likely  to  remain  redeemed.  I  ^^ lU  be  oD 
served  that  no  coating  of  gravel  or  other  mateiia 
has  been  carried  upon  this  meadow -noi  does 
any  appear  to  be  needed.     I  forbear  to  name  the 


the  kingdom  ;  with  the  splendid  flock  of  800  South  "J  J JP^J^  ^^  ^^  1°  abundantly  capable  of  makinc 
Down  Sheep,  bred   from   the  renowned   stock  of  F0P"e*^^^^^^  ^      disposed  to  do  so. 

Ilis  Grace  the  Duke  of  Richmond,  Col.  Kingcote,  his  own  statement,  wben  aisp  ^^ 

Capt.  Pelham,  Messrs.  EUman,   Barclay,   Harris,       Juiy^l,iooo. 

and  others  ;  since  which  have  been  used  the  very      ^  __  ^^T    ,  ^^  rarely  received  a  commu- 

best  Tups  that  could  be   obtained  from  Mr.  Jonas      Ke  iarks.      ^  ^^^^  more  interested, 

Webb.  Also,  the  unrivalled  stock  of  Pigs,  descend-  nication  m  which  ^^^^^^^  ^"'^^      ._^t   and  its 
ed  from  the  most  distinguished  breeds  in  the  coun- 1  than  in  the  above.     Such  an  e^peum      , 


414 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Se?t. 


intelligihle  announcement,  will  often  do  mure 
good  in  its  results,  than  a  whole  volume  of  learned 
argument.  We  are,  therefore,  particularly  obliged 
to  our  observing  correspondent,  "P.,"  for  ena- 
bling us  to  record  it.  The  mode  of  culture  will  be 
certainly  new  to  most  persons,  and  its  results 
must  be  satisfactory  to  all. 


A  NOVEL  ENCOUNTER. 

During  an  afternoon  lately  several  of  Mr.  Rose'; 
men,  whe  were  chattering  together  in  that  gen 
tleman's  stable-jard,  in  Pitt  Street,  became  spec- 
tators of  a  singula?  conflict,  the  issue  of  which 
was  the  signal  defeat  aad  death  of  one  of  the 
combatants.  A  "clucking"  hen  was  busy  at 
work  upon  the  dunghill,  and  had  pursued  her 
scratching  vocation  for  some  time,  when  a  plump, 
sleek-skinned  rat,  about  three  parts  grown,  pre- 
sented his  whiskered  face  at  a  neighboring  hole, 
and,  after  reconnoitering  for  awhile,  ventured 
forth  in  searcli  of  food.  Dame  Tattle,  viewing 
his  presence  in  the  light  of  a  trespass  upon  her 
domains,  ceased  her  scratching  operations  and 
prepared  to  dispute  the  rat's  right  to  feed  upon 
her  territory,  probably  thinking  the  old  feudal 
law  would  hold  good  in  her  case,  that  "  He  may 
takejvho  has  the  power,  and  be  may  keep  who 
can."  _  With  outspread  wings  and  a  look  of  fierce 
determination,  her  ladyship  made  a  sudden  ad- 
vance upon  tlie  enemy,  and,  with  a  well-directed 
peck,  inflicted  a  severe  wound  upon  the  back  of 
the  intruder.  Smarting  with  pain,  the  vat  turned 
upon  the  courageous  dame,  and  forthwith  a  battle 
ensued,  —  peck  for  bite  and  bite  for  peck  being 
the  order  of  the  day.  The  sharp  beak  of  the  hen 
lell  "  flist  and  furious  upon  the  rafs  carcase,  and, 


LIST  OF  STATE  FAIRS  IN  1853. 

Vermont,  Montpelier Sepieniber  13,  14,  1.5, 

Kentucky,  Le.xington. . ,...., Septe.'iiber  13,  14,  isj  16,  17. 

New  York,  SaraZoga ., September  20,  21,  22,  23. 

Ohio,  Dayton Sepiembey  20,  21^  22^  23. 

PeniLsylvania,  Pittsburgh September  27,  28,  29,  30. 

Michigan,  Detroit .September  28,  29,  30. 

Wisconsin,  Watertown October  4,  5,  6,  7. 

New  Hampshire,  Manchester ....October  5,  6  7. 

Indiana,  Lafayette.. October  11,  12,  13,  14. 

Illinois,  Springfield October  11,  12,  13,  14. 

North  Carolina,  Raleigh , October  IS. 

Maryland,  — ■ October  25 ,  26,  ic7,  28. 

Virginia,  Richmond November  1,2  3. 

Lower  Canada September  27  to  30, 

Upper  Canada October  5  to  7. 

Southern  Central  Ag.  Society,  Augusta,  Geo Oct.  17  to  20. 

Agricultural  Exhibitions  in  Massachusetts 
FOE  1853. 

Worcester  County  Society September  21,  J2. 

Norfolk  County  goeiety September  27,  28. 

Esse.v  County  Society September  28,  29. 

Hou.satonic  Society September  28,  29, 

Worcester  West  County  Society  September  30. 

Bristol  County  Society October  4   5. 

Middlfse.x  County  Society October  4  5. 

Berkshire  County  Society October  5,' 6. 

Plymouth  County  Society October  6. 

Frank)in  County  Society Octobers  7. 

Barnstable  County  Society.... October  7. 

Hampshire,  Franklin  and  Hampden  Society Oct.  11,  12. 

Hampden  County  Society October  13,'  14. 

Hampshire  County  Society , October  26, 


finding  himself  coming  off  second  best,  he  sprang 
from  the  midden  ;  but  the  plucky  dame,  havino- 
got  "  !ier  pecker  up,"  pursued  and  again  seized 
the  fugitive,  when  the  latter  instantly  turned  and 
inflicted  a  savage  bite  upon  the  old  lady's  orna- 
mental comb,  completely  severing  that  appendage 
in  two.  The  hen,  however,  nothing  daunted, 
followed  up  her  success,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the 
luckless  rat  lay  at  her  feet  an  "  inanimate  piece 
of  clay,"  when  chuckie  returned  to  the  dunghill, 
uttering,  as  she  strode  across  the  yard,  triumph- 
ant "  cackles."  The  spectators,  who  had  been 
highly  amu.'^ed  with  the  fight,  then  examined  the 
remains  of  the  rat,  and,  to  their  astonishment,  it 
was  ascertained  that  so  furious  and  effectual  had 
been  the  onslaught  of  Dame  Tattle,  that  the  var- 
mint's legs  had  all  been  broken  in  the  conflict 
Presto -I  {English)  Chronicle 


Mr.  B 


t^or  the  New  Ensland  Farmer. 
TRIMMING  PINES. 
KOW\  ; — I  see  of  late  there  is  an   inquiry 


m  regard  to  trimming  pine  trees,  and  will  say  that 
for  tlie  last  r(3\v  yoar.s  I  have  been  in  the  practice 
of  transplanting  white  pine  trees  and  trimming 
them.  Some  of  those  tliat  I  liave  trimmed,  are 
young  trees,  from  5  to  10  or  12  vears  old  ;  the 
time  of  triiaming,  from  the  time  the  buds  are  from 
1  inch  long  to  0  or  8  inches,  and  they  have  gen- 
erally liealed  (iver  smooth  without  any  pitch  dis- 
figuring the  tree.  A.  F. 
North  Reading,  July  19,  1853. 


TREES. 

Persons  who  take  no  particular  interest  in  im- 
proving the  streets  and  spare  ground  in  their  gar- 
dens, hardly  realize  how  soon  they  are  repaid  for 
the  slight  trouble  of  planting,  and  little  subsequent 
care  of  watching  the  growth  of  shade  trees.  The 
first  impulse  in  regard  to  tree  planting  seems  to 
be  checked  by  the  thought  that  it  will  be  so  long 
before  it  will  grow  to  a  size  to  be  serviceable. 
From  our  desk  we  can  see  five  horse  chestnut  trees 
that  were  set  out  only  five  years  ago,  and  they 
now  throw  a  delightful  shade,  and  pay  for  their 
original^  cost  besides,  in  obviating  the  necessity  foy 
an  awning,  which  disfigures  a  street,  while  a  tree 
IS  an  appropriate  and  delightful  ornament,  as  well 
as  protector  from  the  sun. 

There  has  been  some  question  about  what  we 
shall  do  for  fuel  and  shipbuilding  when  the  forests 
within  reasonable  distance  of  the  seaboard  are  all 
destroyed.  A  prudent  foresight  would  suggest 
that  foiest  trees  should  be  planted;  there  will  al- 
ways be  spots  of  land  enough  between  our  large 
towns  and  villages,  to  have  a  grove  of  such  kinds 
of  trees  raised  as  are  best  adapted  to  the  soil.  We 
believe  every  town  and  city  that  has  the  land  to 
spare,  along  the  shores  of  New  England,  or  with- 
in a  few  miles  of  our  railways  that  connect  wilh 
seaport  towns,  could  add  greatly  to  the  value  of 
their  otherwise  unoccupied  lands,  by  planti;  ^y  for- 
est trees.  ° 

Many  a  man  in  Essex  County  could,  we  are  sat- 
isfied, secure  a  fortune  to  his  son,  if  not  tol.iiuself, 
by  planting  forest  trees  on  his  land,  which  would 
be  used  to  build  the  future  ships  of  the  Meiriiuac. 
Some  land  might  be  taken  for  this  purpose  which 
18  almost  useless  for  anything  else.'  And  «/,'  land 
whicli  is  not  profitable  for  other  cultivation,  should 
be   brought  into  wood.     The  pine  may  be  raised 


1S53. 


NEW  ENGLAND  EARMRR. 


415 


from  the  seed  to  the  height  of  ten  feet  in  as  manj 
years,  and  to  a  si/.e  profitable  for  firewood  m  twen- 
ty years 


and  of  course  much  sooner  %yhen  trans- 


For  the  New  Ens^land  Farmer. 

GARGET  IN  COWS. 


ty  years  ;  ana  ot  cuuisc  mv^v..  """"-,    ;    ,      .,,  i     Mk.  Editor  :— Seeing  in  one  of  the  late  numbers 

planted;    and    these   may   be   planned   and   w,         ^^^  ^^^^^^^^^ 

Lurish  in  the  poorest  soil;  that  which  18  fat  ior^^^^^^^^      .     .1  ...     _...  .u.  „.,. 


nothing  else.     Between   here  and   Plum   Island 
with  a'small  outlay,  pine  trees  might  be  set  ou 
and  pine   trees  line   the  road  side   on  land  which 
now  yields  little  or  nothing,  which  would  furnisl 
timber  for  spars  and  many  other  purposes,  in  the 


have  taken  the  first  opportunity  while  the  rain  is 
wetting  our  hay,  to  reply  to  the  inquiry. 

Mr.  Cole,  in  his  "Diseases  of  Animals,  page 
239  says,  "This  disorder  attacks  the  udders  of 
cow's,  particularly  young  ones,  after  their  first 
calving— or  cows  in  high  condition.     Ihe  internal 


course  of  a  few  years  ;  before  the  present  genera-  ^|  ^^^  ^^^^^  becomes  inflamed,  generally  in 
tion  of  ship-builders  and  mast-makers  have  given  ^^^  ^^^  ^^^^^  ^^^  ^^  ^^^  relieved,  it  often  ex- 
„i„^«  ^•,^  fiini'r  nntnr.il  HuccessoTS.  L_    j.i..  j.i ,1,^1^  K.:,n.      Tf,  hofmnes  tender,  much 


Dlace  to  their  natural  successors- 

Every  one  that  plants  a  tree  invests  its  value  in 


tends  to  the  whole  bag.     It  becomes  tender ,_much 


Every  one  that  plants  a  tree  invests  its  value  in  ^^^^^^^  ^^^  ^^^^^  ^^^^^^  ^^^  ^^^^^^_     T^e  milk  co- 
bank  which  never  breaks,  and  which  pays  g«o«L<,^iat(.g   ^ud  is  drawn  oflF  in  thick  masses,  often 


interest;  while  it  lives  it  is  grateful  to  the  eye, 
and  if  cut  down  will  always  bring  more  than  the 
orK^inal  cost.  Let  every  one  that  can,  plantatruit 
tree  in  his  garden,  and  a  shade  tree  on  the  way- 
side, and  another  on  any  spare  spot  for  tuture  use, 
and  we  shall  not  in  future  years,  have  to  goto 
Maine  or  Georgia  for  fuel  and  ship  timber  or  de- 
pend on  imported  and  half  decayed  fruit,  from 
Jersey,  New  York  and   Pennsylvania.— iVeioiwri/- 

port  Herald. 

Fur  the  New  Eii^unid  Fanner. 
THE  WEATHER. 
Mr.  Editor  :— I  see  by  your  paper,  and  by  oth' 


ao-ulates,  and  is  drawn  oflF  in  thick  masses,  often 
bFoody.  The  causes  are  too  high  feeding ;  allow- 
ing the  cows  to  go  dry  too  long  ;  not  drawing  off 
the  milk  when  the  bag  becomes  full  before  calving, 
humors  in  the  system  that  collect  at  this  tender 
place;  and  taking  cold."  "For  remedy,"  he  says, 
"bleed,  physic,  give  garget  root  either  in  their 
food,  or  use  as  a  seton.  Saltpetre,  tobacco  and 
urine,  and  vinegar  or  spirits  as  a  wash." 
I  I  find  that  all  farmers  who  feed  high  and  de- 
pend principally  on  grain  or  green  food  for  keep- 
-        lieir  cows,  aie  most  troubled  with  this  disease. 


ling  then  v^uvro,  i">j  "^-^"^ ^ ,  

I  It  does  not  seem  to  be  very  dangerous  to  the  gen- 
leral  health  of  the  cow  but  only  injures  or  spoils 
.  Editor  :— 1  see  by  your  paper,  auu  uy  «..i.-  ,^^^  ^-^^^  vessels.     V,'Wi\6  visiting  the  farm  o.  Hon. 
ers   that  you  have  had  severe  drought  in  the  last  Ug  y  French,  last  winter,  his  foreman  showed  me 
six'weeks.     I  do  not  remember  a  season  when  veg- 1    g^^^  ^^^^^^  cow  that  bad  brought  three  calves 


o-et  a  pineh  of  drought  in  the  next  six  weeks  here, 
i  shall  be  mistaken.  Yours,  &o., 

L.  DURANT. 

Derby,  Ct.,  July  1^,  1853. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
PEAS— AN  EXPERIMENT. 

Mr.  Editor  :— Being  a  genuine  Yankee,  and  pos- 
sessincr  that  spirit  of  inquiry  which,  to  so  great  a 
degree,  characterizes  them  as  a  people,  I  was  in- 
duced to  try  the  following  experiment  with  peas. 
I  planted  in  drills  2  f(*t  apart,  on  land  that  was 
in  corn  the  year  previous,  manuring  one-third  with 
decoiiiposed  stable  manure,  one-third  with  chip- 
manure  and  planted  the  other  third  without  any. 
Those,  where  the   chip  manure  was  used,  were 


since  her  udder  had  been  destroyed  by  garget,  so 
jthat  not  a  single  gill  of  milk  could  be  drawn  away. 
Yet  the  cow  enjoyed  good  health  otherwise.     A 
ereat  many  fine  cows  lose  part  of  the  bag,  gener- 
tuy  one  quarter  at  a  time.     Now  I  should  say  that 
the  target  is  nothing  more  than  long  continued 
inflammation  of  the  udder,  caused  by  too  great  a 
flow  of  milk— for  it.is  our  best  cows  only,  that  are 
troubled  in  this  way.     A  fat  cow,  or  one  that  in- 
clines more  to  take  on  fat  than  to  "run  to  milk, 
seldom  has  this  disease,  except  immediately  after 
calving.     A  sudden  change  from  poor  to  good  teed- 
in-  while  the  cow  is  thin  of  flesh,  is  generally  the 
immediate  cause  of  garget.     Cows  that  are  poor 
should  be  brought  up  to  good  feeding  very  gradu- 
ally     If  you  feed  fast  you  will  soon  be  warned  ot 
dant'er,  by  fever  in  one  or  more  parts  of  the  udder, 
thick,  and  perhaps  bloody  milk.     The  first  thing 
to  do,  is  to  take  away  all  extra  feed,  draw  oflfall 
the  milk,  and  wash  the  fevered  parts  in  cold  spring 
or  well  water.     You  cannot  wash  or  shower  too 
much  as  long  as  the  fever  remains.     Mr.  French 
uses  a  small  force  pump.    The  amount  of  washing 
or  showering,  depends  entirely  on  the  severity  _o 
the  case.     If  the  cow  has  only  just  calved,  it  will 
often  be  brought  down  soft  by  the  bunting  of  the 
calf,  if  you  keep  him  a  little  hungry      W  ashmg 
every  morning  and  night  will  generally  bring  out 
the  fever,  but  if  a  very  bad  case,  wash  twenty 
times  if  necessary.  , 

We  once  stufted  cold  wet  moss  all  around  the 
udder,  and  confined  it  by  tying  a  banket  over  the 


etation  of  all  kinds  has  continued  to  grow  and 
flourish  as  it  has  here,  thus  far  the  present  season. 
We  had  a  fruitful  rain  here  on  Saturday,  tne  10th 
inst.,  from  twelve  till  half  past  one  o'clock.  The 
streets  and  low  grounds  were  completely  flooded, 
^.nother  fine  shower  we  had  on  Wednesday  raorn- 
ino-  the  20th,  and  still  another  fine  rain  on  Satur- 
day the  23d.  This  morning,  the  26th,  another 
iieavy  shower  of  some  two  hours  in  length.  V\  e 
had  in  the  two  first  weeks  in  the  present  month, 
ten  days  of  as  good  hay  weather  as  any  farmer 
need  ask  for.  So  that  haying  and  harvest  have  been 

but  little  retarded  by  rain.     We  think  the  grass  ^^^  ^^^^^  ^^^^ ^ ^      ^ 

crop  is  rather  large  in  this  section,  while  grain  o    jj^^^g^jate  cause  of  garget.     Cows  that  are  poor 
all  kinds  has  come  In  well.     Corn  never  looked    ,     _,^  x.. 
better  at  this  season  than  now.     But  if  we  do  not 


-""- - -   --i^  .       '^^Kock  and  letting  the  cow  remain  in  that     fax     o\er 

one-third  heavier  than  those  were  where  no  ma-  '^i^ck  anu  i«i,     g 
nure  was  used;  and  those  where  the  stable  manure  p'gn^_  .^  ^^^^  condition,  feed  regular- 

was  used,  were  twice  as  heavy  ;  or  i"  o^^'^/o"^."'  W   milk  dean   akd  use  cold  water  in  cases  of  fever 
where  no  manure  was  used  they  produced  3  parts,  >y.  Thllvev  is  -one   I  think  we  need  be  troubled 
where  the  chip  manure  was  used  -i  parts,  where  tmtne^^^^  ^ith'cows  having  the  garget, 
the  stable  manure  was  used  6  parts.  |     J/^,^^,^,,;/,,  Mass, 

Lewistvn  Falls,  Me.  o-  lENNE-i. 


A.  W.  C. 


416 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Sept. 


FOOD  FOR  CROPS. 

This  is  the  ^^ grand  question''^  among  Cirmers  at 
the  present  day.  In  new  countries,  where  the 
land  has  not  been  cultivated  much,  little  is  thought 
about  giving  the  crop  any  food,  in  order  to  make 
it  into  food  for  ourselves,  but  after  the  fresh  soil 
has  become  exhausted  by  constant  cropping — after 
the  "wew"  is  off,  or  rather  out,  the  farmer  finds, 
that  to  make  food  for  himself,  he  must  give  food 
to  the  plants  he  wishes  to  raise. 

Yv'ell  w!iat  must  it  be  ?  To  answer  it  with  per- 
fect accuracy,  you  should  first  know  what  the  soil 
is  made  of,  and  f.hen  what  the  plant  is  made  of — 
or,  in  other  words,  botli  should  be  analyzed,  and 
the  ingredients  ascertained,  both  as  to  their  quali- 
ty and  quantity.  But  this  requires  a  greater 
knowledge  of  practical  chemistry  than  the  majori- 
ty of  the  people  as  yet  possess,  and  also  more  ex- 
pense than  most  fiirmers  are  able  to  meet. 

What  is  the  nest  best  thing  to  be  done  ?  For- 
tunately the  remains  of  organic  bodies,  (by  which 
we  mean  those  bodies  both  of  animal  and  vegeta- 
ble origin,  that  have  had  life  and  a  set  of  organs 
forming  tlieir  bodies,)  pijssess  most  of  the  ingre- 
dients required  for  this  purpose.  Although  some 
of  these  ingredients  which  make  up  the  mass  of 
organic  manures  may  not  be  needed  in  this  crop, 
they  will  not  be  lost,  and  will  come  in  play  for 
some  future  one. 

We  are  aware  that  there  is  much  said  about 
specific  manure,  and  this  article  and  that  article  is 
loudly  recommended  as  the  very  thing,  and  the 
only  thing  needed.  We  do  not  undervalue  them, 
and  at  the  same  time  we  would  caution  our  read- 
ers not  to  overvalue  them.  Watch  all  experiments 
— use  everything  of  the  specific  kind,  such  as  plas- 
ter, super-phosphate  of  lime,  sulphate  of  ammo- 
nia, guano,  &e.,  &c.,  as  you  know  will  be  benefi- 
cial, but  at  the  same  time  don't  give  up  your  ma- 
nure heap. 

As  a  general  rule,  the  remains  of  manure,  made 
from  the  remains  of  organic  bodies  the  nearest  re- 
lated, that  is  tlie  nearest  in  kind  and  quality  to 
those  which  you  wish  to  raise,  will  make  the  best 
manure  for  them.  Return  to  the  soil  again,  as 
much  of  the  same  crop  as  you  can,  in  order  to 
make  another  one. 

Nature  gives  you  this  advice.  IIow  is  it  that 
yonder  forest  has  kept  up  for  so  many  years  such 
a  heavy  crop  of  wood  ?  IIow  is  it,  that  for  as  long 
as  you  can  remember,  there  has  not  only  been  a 
heavy  burthen  of  wood  on  that  soil,  but  it  has 
been  constantly  increasing  in  growth?  It  is  ma- 
nuredevery  fall,  as  sure  as  tlie  fall  comes,  by  a  thick 
deposit  of  leaves,  and  twigs,  and  small  branches, 
which  the  frosts,  and  the  winds  and  snow  break 
ofi'and  sjiread  around  tlicir  roots.  These  leaves 
and  twigs  are  made  up  of  material,  in  part  drawn 
from  the  soil,  and  in  part  drawn  from  the  air,  and 
of  the  same  kind  as  the  rest  of  the  wood,  and  so 
t!iey  decay  and  supply  food  for  the  standing, 
growing  wood. 

The  vine  growers  in  some  parts  of  France  find 
the  clippings  :ind  prunings  of  thoir  vines  to  be  a 
valuable  dressing  for  their  vineyards.  The  cotton 
growers  f«f  the  soutii  begin  to  find  that  the  cotton 
seeds  and  refuse  cotton  is  a  valuable  dressing  for 
cotton  plants. 

Many  of  our  farmers  begin  to  find  that  the  stalks 
and  husks  of  Indian  corn,  ploughed  undtT,  make  a 


valuable  manure  for  the  corn  crop,  and  that  the 
prunings  of  the  orchard,  chipped  up  and  applied 
to  the  trees  from  which  they  were  taken,  make  a 
valuable  dressing  for  the  orchard. — Maine  Farmer. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
MOWING  MACHINES. 

Mk.  Editor  : — It  has  long  been  the  wish  of  far- 
mers in  New  England,  to  see  a  mowing  machine 
suitable  for  our  small  farms,  and,  after  having 
tried  one  of  the  kinds  now  offered,  I  had  concluded 
that  none  now  made  would  answer.  I  was  in- 
duced this  spring,  to  try  ''Ketchum's,"  made  by 
Howard,  &  Co.,  of  Buffalo,  and  find  that  works 
well.  I  have  tried  it  in  thin  "June  grass,"  in  clo- 
ver and  herdsgrass,  both  standing  and  lodged,  and 
in  coarse  meadow  grass,  and  it  does  the  work  ful- 
ly equal  to  the  best  mowers'.  All  who  have  seen 
it  express  this  opinion.  It  works  better  on  une- 
ven ground  than  any  one  would  suppose.  It  is 
strong  and  durable,  and  will,  I  think,  be  used  suc- 
cessfully on  nine-tenths  of  the  mowing  fields  of 
New  England  if  properly  prepared. 

The  machine  requires  two  good  horses  of  even 
spirit,  good  life,  weighing  not  less  than  1000  lbs. 
The  knives  should  be  sharp,  (though  they  leave 
no  grass  if  dull)  and  the  best  of  machinery  oil 
should  be  used  plentifully;  the  cost  of  oil  is  trifling 
compared  to  the  expense  of  unnecessary  friction. 
The  driver  should  be  a  person  of  judgment,  and 
observe  the  directions,  which  are  few  and  simple. 
Hon.  Samuel  D.  Hubbard,  of  the  city  of  Middle- 
ton,  uses  his  with  a  yoke  of  oxen. 

I  can  in  three  hours  cut  over  as  much  surface 
as  five  men  usually  mow  in  the  forenoon.  And 
in  one  and  one-half  hours,  I  can  rake  it  all, 
with  Delano's  Independent  Horse  Rake,  which  is 
very  far  superior  to  any  kind  now  in  use.  Requir- 
ing not  half  the  attendance  in  labor,  does  the  work 
better,  and  leaves  the  hay  much  lighter  than  the 
revolving  rake.  It  has  all  the  advantages  of  all 
the  other  kinds  and  none  of  the  disadvantages. 

In  raking  hay  mowed  by  a  machine,  the  rake 
should  go  in  the  same  direction  of  the  mowing  ma- 
chine or  directly  across  the  snaths. 

David  Lyman. 

Middletown,  Ct.,  July  26,  1853. 


Remarks. — The  mowing  machine  is  an  imple- 
ment of  great  importance  to  the  farmer,  and,  ere 
long,  will  be  in  use  in  most  neighborhoods  of  pro- 
gressive and  intelligent  cultivators.  In  our  week- 
ly number  of  July  10,  1852,  and  in  the  Monthly 
Farmer  for  August,  1852,  we  gave  a  figure  of  the 
mowing  machine  spoken  of  by  our  correspondent, 
and  appended  some  remarks.  We  believe  there 
is  plenty  of  land  sufficiently  level  in  nearly  every 
neighborhood,  to  justify  the  purchase  of  a  moAing 
machine.  This  might  l)e  done  by  several  p  rsons 
owning  it  jointly,  and  the  expense  of  cuttiuiz;  their 
grass  materially  reduced.  We  hope  to  see  one  in 
use  among  us  soon. 


(3^  A.  pear  bud  inserted  into  a  quince  stock  last 
August,  by  M.  D.  Eaton,  of  Barre,  has  grown 
eleven  feet  and  seven  inches. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


417 


THOROUGH  BRED  AYRSHIRE  BULL, 
PRINCE  ALBERT. 

This  engraving  is  a  fine  portrait  of  an  Ayrshire 
Bull,  the  property  of  Mr.  John  Raynolds,  one  of 
the  proprietors  of  the  Farmer.  He  is  three  years 
old,  of  a  dark  brown  color,  becoming  almost  black 
on  some  parts,  and  beautifully  dappled.  The  white 
parts  are  studded  with  small  spots  of  mingled 
black  and  l)rown  of  varied  shades.  His  disposition 
is  gentle,  so  that  he  is  handled  and  controlled 
with  ease,  while  he  is  almost  as  agile  as  a  cat. 

In  a  "Treatise  on  the  Dairy  Breed  of  Cows," 
by  Mr.  Aiton,  one  of  the  best  writers  on  cattle, 
he  describes  the  Ayrshire  breed  as  follows  : — 

"The  shapes  most  approved  of,  are,  head  small, 
but  rather  long  and  narrow  at  the  muzzle;  the  eye 
small,  but  smart  and  lively  ;  the  horns  small,  clear, 
crooked,  and  their  roots  at  considerable  distance 
from  each  other  ;  neck  long  and  slender,  tapering 
toward  the  head,  with  no  loose  skin  below  ;  shoul- 
ders thin;  fore-quarters  light;  hind-quarters  large; 
back  straight,  broad  behind,  the  joints  rather 
loose  and  open;  carcass  deep,  and  pelvis  capacious, 
and  wide  over  the  hips,  with  round  fleshy  buttocks; 
tail  long  and  small ;  legs  small  and  short,  with 
firm  joints;  udder  capacious,  broad  and  square, 
stretching  fjrward,  and  neither  fleshy,  low  hung, 
nor  loose  ;  the  milk  veins^  large  and  prominent  ; 
teats  short,  all  pointing  outward,  and  at  consider- 
able distance  from  each  other  ;  skin  thin  and  loose; 
hair  soft  and  woolly.  The  head,  bones,  horns,  and 
all  parts  of  least  value,  small;  and  the  general 
figure  compact  and  well  proportioned."  Mr.  Ran- 
kine  very  properly  remarks,  that,  "compared  with 
other  improved  breeds,  the  thighs,  or  what  is 
called  the  twist  of  the  Ayrshire  cow,  are  thin. 
She  is,  characteristically,  not  a  fleshy  animal." 

In  the  edition  of  Youatt  and  M.\rtin  on  Cattle, 
published  by  Saxton,  N.  Y.,  they  state  that  the 


breed  has  much  improved  since  Mr.  Aiton  described 
it,  and  is  short  in  the  leg,  the  neck  a  little  short- 
er at  the  shoulder,  but  finely  shaped  toward  the 
head;  the  horns  smaller  than  those  of  the  High- 
lander, but  clear  and  smooth,  pointing  forward, 
turning  upward,  and  tapering  to  a  point.  They 
are  deep  in  the  carcass,  but  not  round  and  ample, 
and  especially  not  so  in  the  loins  and  haunches. 
Some,  however,  have  suspected,  and  not  without 
reason,  that  an  attention  to  the  shape  and  beauty, 
and  an  attempt  to 'produce  fat  and  sleeky  cattle, 
which  may  be  admired  at  the  show,  has  a  tenden- 
cy to  improve  what  is  only  their  quality  as  graz- 
ing cattle— and  that  at  the  certainty  of  diminish- 
ing their  value  as  milkers. 

The  excellency  of  a  dairy  cow  is  estimated  by 
the  quantity  and  quality  of  her  milk.  The  quan- 
tity yielded  by  the  Ayrshire  cow,  is,  considering 
her  size,  very  great.  Five  gallons  daily,  for  two 
or  three  months  after  calving,  may  be  considered 
as  not  more  than  an  average  quantity.  Three  gal- 
lons daily  will  be  given  for  the  next  three  months, 
and  one  gallon  and  a  half  during  the  succeeding 
four  months.  This  would  amount  to  more  than 
850  gallons  ;  but  allowing  for  some  unproductive 
cows,  600  gallons  per  year  may  be  the  average 
quantity  annually  from  each  cow. 

Several  importations  of  Ayrshire  cattle  have 
been  made,  and  enough  of  them,  we  hope,  are  now 
among  our  people  to  afford  a  fair  trial  of  their  qual- 
ities, both  for  milk  and  beef.  There  will  be^  ten- 
dency to  over-feed,  at  first,  which  must  be  gaurd- 
ed  against,  or  their  true  qualities  when  k-^pt  on 
the  common  feed  of  the  farms  will  not  be  fairly 
tested.     Prince  Albert  is  one  of  the  finest  bulls 


418 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Sept. 


we  have  ever  seen,  and  may  be  examined  at  the 
stable  of  the  proprietor,  near  the  depot  in  Concord 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

ANALYZING  SOILS— FARMING    SCI- 
ENCE, &C. 

Mr.  Editor: — At  the  present  day  much  is  writ- 
ten and  said  about  analyzing  soils  on  the  farm. 
Some  contend  that  each  l)arren  field  should  have 
its  soil  analyzed,  and  then  what  ingredients  are 
wanting  to  make  it  productive  might  be  easily  add- 
ed in  the  shape  of  "special  manures,"  and  then, 
as  each  field  could  be  gone  over  with,  the  whole 
farm  would  be  renovated.  While  others  say  that 
an  analysis  of  soil  is  very  well  in  its  way,  and  is 
important,  yet  no  cultivator  must  expect  that 
from  a  simple  analysis  he  can  go  forward  and  make 
his  barren  fields  at  once  highly  productive  by  add- 
ing a  few  mineral  manures.  This  latter  doct;-ine 
looks  much  the  most  reasonable  of  the  two  to  any 
candid,  well-meaning,  practical  cultivator.  This 
bringing  upa  ''barren  field"  to  a  high  or  good 
state  of  cultivation  in  a  few  weeks,  in  the  way  we 
have  named,  is  but  a  humbug,  and  it  is  just  as 
well  to  say  so  in  the  first  place,  as  to  mince  7nat- 
ters  about  it  hereafter.  All  real,  substantial  farm 
improvements  are  brought  about  gradually,  from 
year  to  year  ;  although  it  is  not  necessary,  always, 
that  a  farmer  should  be  a  certain  number  of  years 
in  renovating  a  barren  field.  Of  course  much  of 
this  vrill  .depend  on  the  means,  skill  and  manner 
in  which  the  farmer  manages  to  bring  about  the 
improvement.  But  the  only  sure  way  to  have 
these  improvements  tliorough  is  for  the  farmer  to 
spend  a  short  life  in  practical  labor  on  the  farm, 
in  connexion  with  a  large  share  of  patience,  per- 
severance, cares,  troubles  and  disappointments 
from  all  quarters  ;  if  he  can  live  above  all  these, 
and  still  keep  his  eye  on  the  main  chance,  im- 
provement, all  will  come  out  right  in  the  end. — 
But  we  have  plenty  of  "agricultural  chemists" 
now,  who  tell  us  that  the  best  way  to  improve  our 
worn-out  lands  is,  to  send  them  a  specimen  of  soil 
for  analysis,  and  they  will  sell  us  a  special  ma- 
nure which  will  restore  it,  and  that,  too,  at  a 
much_  cheaper  rate  than  by  the  ordinary  way  of 
farm  improvements. 

But  there  seems  to  be  a  clashing  of  ideas  among 
the  "chemical  manure  operators"  themselves  in 
this  business.  Hence  we  see  one  of  these  men 
advertises  the  "Superphosphate  of  Lime,"  as  man- 
ufactured by  him,  to  be  a  great  fertilzer.  Reading 
on  still  further  down  the  column,  we  find  another 
advertisement  headed  the  "Improved  Superphos- 
phate of  Lime,"  which  is  manufactured  by  the 
subscriber  at  so  much  per  hundred  or  ton,  war- 
ranted a  pure  and  good  article,  &c.  We  have  no 
doubt  but  this  is  a  very  good  special  manure,  if 
well  made.  So  is  Guano,  Poudrette,  Gypsum, 
Bone-dust,  and  many  other  kinds  of  these  ma- 
nures. But  when  the  manufacturers  of  these  pa- 
tent tnanures  tell  the  farmers  that  for  ordinary 
farming  purposes  they  are  cheaper  and  better  than 
barn-yard  manure,  they  are  telling  that  of  which 
there  is  no  truth  in,  to  say  the  least  of  it. 

While  on  this  point,  we  cannot  do  better  than 
to  give  an  extract  from  the  late  Prof.  Norton's  ad- 
dress before  the  New  York  State  Society,  in  1848. 

"Jt  will  have  been  noticed,  perhaps,  that  I  have 
during  all  my  remarks  spoken  of  inorganic  and  or- 


ganic manures  as  alike  necessary ;  this  may  have 
seemed  strange  to  those  who  have  seen  many  of 
the  views  now  entertained  by  others  on  these 
points.  No  agricultural  questions  have  been  more 
vexed.  At  first  we  were  required  by  a  high  au- 
thority to  fasten  our  faith  upon  'ammonia'  alone  ; 
if  we  succeeded  in  adding  that  to  the  soil,  the 
work  was  nearly  all  done.  Within  the  last  two 
or  three  years,  however,  a  wonderful  change  has 
occurred;  the  same  high  authority  assures  us  that 
all  our  trouble  in  trying  to  catch  ammonia,  our 
precautions  to  prevent  its  escape  have  been,  per- 
haps, not  exactly  useless,  but  rather  unnecssary, 
for  inorganic  manures  are  what  we  want  ;  ammo- 
nia is  very  good,  but  there  is  an  abundance  of  it 
in  the  soil  already.  The  ammonia  theory  was  very 
beautiful,  and  was  received  with  great  eagerness, ' 
but  by  the  time  that  the  mineral  manure  theory 
appeared,  many  had  tired  of  nothing  but  mineral, 
others  were  disappointed  in  their  expectations  of 
success  through  its  use,  and  all  of  these  turned 
naturally  to  the  new  light.  In  England,  specific 
mineral  manures  were  patented,  which  were  to 
work  wonders  under  all  circumstances.  There 
was  a  manure  for  wheat,  one  for  oats,  one  for  tur- 
nips, and  so  on,  all  infallible.  It  is  just  to  say 
that  there  is  no  doubt  but  many  of  these  extrava- 
gancies were  put  forth  by  interested  parties  in 
England,  witliout  the  knowledge  of  the  inventor. 
Tliose  who  have  pieserved  the  English  agricultu- 
ral papers  during  the  last  few  years,  cannot  have 
failed  to  perceive  how  general  has  been  the  disap- 
pointment in  the  use  of  these  manures,  and  how 
much  harm  has  resulted  to  the  cause  of  rational 
improvement." 

Without  doubt  Prof.  Norton  had  particular  re- 
ference to  the  great  German  chemist,  Liebig,  who 
was,  we  beheve,  the  great  author  and  leader  of 
the  ammonia  theory,  as  he  is  now  of  the  special 
manure  theory. 

After  reading  such  language,  from  the  source 
whence  it  comes,  we  ask  every  candid,  thinking 
man  or  farmer  to  judge  for  himself,  and  see  how 
far  it  will  do  to  trust  these  special  manures  to  do 
up  the  work  of  farm  improvement.  On  the  point 
of  the  analysis  of  soils.  Prof.  Norton  is  equally  ex- 
plicit. In  fact,  we  have  no  confidence  ourselves 
in  farmers  turning  chemists,  or  that  they  can  learn 
to  analyze  a  soil  in  three  or  four  weeks'  practice, 
nor  any  thing  like  it.  The  analyzing  of  soils  is  a 
nice  business,  which  belongs  strictly  to  the  labo- 
ratory, to  the  student  and  practical  chemist,  of 
which  a  two  years'  course  of  study  and  practice  is 
a  short  time  enough  for  the  most  quick  and  expert 
scholar  to  make  a  good  and  thorough  analysis. — 
And  if  an  analysis  is  not  a  thorough  and  correct 
one,  what  is  it  good  for,  only  to  lead  the  farmer 
further  in  the  dark.  In  Prof.  Norton's  "Elements 
of  Scientific  Agriculture  and  Scientific  Farming," 
in  the  chapter  on  Chemical  Analyses,  he  says  : 

"Among  all  of  the  subjects  that  have  been  pre^ 
sented  to  the  consideration  of  fiirmcrs,  since  the 
work  of  agricultural  improvement  commenced, 
none  has  been  less  understood  even  by  many  of 
those  who  have  pretended  to  be  its  expounders, 
than  that  of  analytical  chemistry  as  applied  to 
agriculture.  Many  authors  and  speakers  have  la- 
bored to  establish  it  as  a  fact  that  there  is  no  diffi- 
culty in  chemical  investigations  beyond  what  may 
be  overcome  by  a  few  days  of  study  ;  thus  a  large 
portion  of  the  farming  community  have  been  led 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMEH. 


419 


into  the  belief  that  when  proper  institutions  are 
established,  they  themselves,  or  at  least  their  chil- 
dren, mav  in  a  few  weeks'  time  do  all  of  their  own 
anaWtieal  work,  just  as  well  as  the  most  accom- 
pUshed  chemist  can  do  it.     That  such  ideas  as 
S  esc  are  totally  at  variance  with  the  truth   none 
who  have  ever  studied  the  subject  thoroughly  can 
for  a  moment  doubt.     It  is  a  perfectly  safe  con- 
clusion, when  any  man  asserts,  for  instance,  the 
entire  simplicity  and  ease  of  analyzing  a  soil   that 
his  anayses  would  not  be  of  a  very  accurate  de- 
scription.    Chemistry  is  a  science  that  must  be 
studied  earnestly  and  perseveringly,  just  like  any 
other  branch  of  knowledge  which   has   a   wide 
ranse      In  order  to  know  what  is  in  a  soil,  and  to 
determine  what  are  the  quantities  of  its  constitu- 
ents   an  intimate  acquaintance  is  necessary  n()t 
only  with  the  substances  themselves  in  their  al- 
most endless  relations  and  changes,  but  with  great 
numbers  of  other  substances   from   which   they 
must  be  distinguished,  and  with  which  they  are 
likely  to  be  confounded  by  an  inexperienced  per- 
son     We  can  determine  quantities  by  means  ot 
certain  chemical  processes ;  most  of  these  depend 
on  the  addition  of  other  bodies  to  a  solution  in 
which  are  dissolved  those  that  we  wish  to  sepa- 
rate.    Suppose  now  these  bodies  which  are  thus 
added  to  be  impure ;  obviously  the  whole  result 
will  be  erroneous.     The  chemist  then  must  know 
how  to  distinguish  with  certainty  between  pure 
and  impure  substances,  and  to  tell  what  the  im- 
purities are.     When  he  knows  all  of  these  things, 
there  are  still  a  great  number  of  minor  but  very 
important  points,  that  require  attention.  He  must 
use  absolutely  purer  water,  must  filter  his  liquids 
through  paper  that  has  very  little  ash,  and  must 
wei«-h  every  thing  upon  a  balance  that  is  sensitive 
to  a"  least  the  tenth  of  a  grain.     I  might  go  on 
and  mention  other  requisites  necessary  to  a  good 
analysis  ;  but  those  already  noted  are  sufficient  to 
show  that  greater  care,  skill  and  experience  are 
absolutely  essential  in   this   business,  that  unm- 
Btructed  persons  must  constantly  be  making  mis- 
takes of  the  most  flagrant  description.    The  worst 
difficulty  ofcall  is,  that  in  many  cases  not  having 
even  knowledge  enough  to  know  when  ihey  have 
gone  astray,  they  actually  rely  upon  their  work  as 
trustworthy,  and  lead  others  to  do  so  too.  Results 
produced  by  such  deficients  are  unhappily  too  com- 
mon  and  are  always  productive  of  harm  wherever 
they  go.    The  farmer  who  knows  little  or  nothing 
of  even  chemical  names,  perhaps  is  not  competent 
to  iud<Te  of  a  good  analysis  ;  he  cannot  tell  the  dif- 
ference between  a  pretender  to  scientific  know- 
ledire  and  one  who  really  knows  something  that  is 
true  and  valuable.     He  takes  these  erroneous  an- 
alyses as  his  guide,  and  probably  falls  at  once  in- 
to some  serious  mistake  by  attempting  to  alter  the 
supposed   constitution  of  his   soil.     After  he  has 
been  disappointed  in  this  way  a  few  times,  he  is 
very  apt   to  condemn  all  scientific  agriculture  as 
ridiculous  and  of  no  avail  for  any  practical  purpose. 
There  is  truth  in  science,  but  it  is  not  every  one 
who  can  draw  it  out,  and  the  proper  course  in  ca- 
ses of  an  unsatisfactory  nature  is  to  distrust  the 
man  and  not  the  general  principles." 

After  reading  language  of  this  kind,  from  such 
authority,  who  can  doubt  the  truth  of  such  state 
ments^     And   how  mucli    mure   difficult   it  is  to 
have  a  'J-ood  analysis  of  soils  made  than  most  of  us 
would  be  willing  to  believe.     After  all,  practical 


scientific  farming  does  not  depend  on  how  many 
analyses  of  soils  a  farmer  can  have  made  on  his 
farm,  though  this  may  be  all  very  well  in  its  way, 
if  they  are  well  done.  But  a  great  deal  more  de- 
pends on  the  practical  knowledge  which  the  think- 
ing farmer  brings  into  his  business  by  testing  the- 
orfes  and  trying  experiments  of  all  kinds  on  his 
farm.  It  is  the  every-day  practical  working  far- 
mer who  should  study  and  learn  this  science  by  ac- 
tual heart  and  hand  labor  joine'ti  together. 

Ao-ricultural  institutes,  when  they  are  founded 
on  the  right  grounds,  will  be  great  helps  in  this 
business,  and  we  think  a  few  years  hence  wijl  see 
them  established.  Still  we  are  satisfied  that  it  the 
great  mass  of  working  farmers  are  ever  made  sci- 
entific, improving  farmers  at  all,  it  must  be  some- 
thing after  the  plan  we  have  named  above. 

Yours  truly,  L-  Durand. 

Derby,  Conn.,  1853. 


•  For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

THE  MARROW  SQUASH. 

Friend  Brown  :— I  am  desirous  of  obtaining 
some  information  of  you  or  some  of  your  corres- 
pondents for  removing  a  difficulty  in  the  cultiva- 
tion of  the  marrow  squash.  Some  years  1  have 
planted  them  and  they  have  done  well,  but  tor  a 
few  seasons  past  there  has  been  with  me  almost  an 
entire  failure.  This  season  I  again  planted  them, 
and  they  came  up  well  and  grew  finely;  then  came 
the  bugs,  and  quite  a  labor  I  had  of  exterminating 
them  ;  then  I  expected  there  would  be  nothing  to 
check  their  growth,  and  accordingly  looked  tor- 
ward  to  a  plentiful  harvest.  But  herein  I  wis  dis- 
appointed ;  for  about  the  time  they  put  forth  their 
runners  they  began  to  turn  yellow,  wither  and 
die.  So  at  present,  from  quite  a  large  patch,  1 
have  very  few  vines  remaining,  and  am  daily  ex- 
pecting the  rest  Avill  go  the  same  way. 

1  pulled  up  some  of  the  withered  vin*  and  ex- 
amined the  roots  closely,  but  found  them_  not  in- 
iured  by  worms,  but  changed  to  a  yellowish,  wa- 
tery hue,  which  seemed  the  disease  must  originate 
there  If  a  remedy  can  be  found  that  will  obvi- 
ate the  difficulty,  quite  a  favor  will  be  conferred. 
Yours  truly,  M.  Ienny. 

South  Groton,  1853. 

THE    CROPS. 

Mr.  Reed,  Editor  of  the  Cultivator  and  Gazette, 
Pittsfield,  says  : — 

We  spent  the  last  week  among  the  fields  of 
wheot,  rye,  barley  and  oats  in  the  south  part  ot  the 
county.  The  expression  often  meets  us,  "we  nev- 
er raised  so  large  a  crop  before  ;"  and  we  can  tru- 
ly say  that  if  such  crops  can  be  produced  in  old 
Berkshire,  there  is  but  little  use,  or  certainly  but 
little  neces  sity  for  her  sons  to  leave  the  homes  ot 
their  fathers  to  seek  a  more  productive  land,  ihe 
winter  grain,  both  wheat  and  rye,  is  very  heavy. 
Most  of  the  rye  and  some  of  the  wheat  south  ot 
Stockbridge  was  cut  during  the  last  week,  and 
some  of  it  put  in  the  barn .  The  grass  crop  is  not 
as  good  as  the  grain,  but  it  appears  to  us  about  an 
average  with  a  series  of  years, -better  by  far  than 
last  year,  not  as  good  as  in  some  other  Fi^'-s— 
Corn  now  looks  well,  very  unusually  well  foi  the 
sea8.m.  For  fruit,  the  prospect  appears  rather 
dark,  especially  for  the  fruit  of  fruits,-the  apple. 


420 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Sept. 


Very  few  trees  give  any  hope  of  a  harvest.  Cher- 
ries are  as  abundant  as  we  have  the  sun,  and  are 
very  glad  to  see  attention  paid  to  this  fruit.excellent 
for  all  the  purposes  of  dessert  and  cooking.  The 
kind  most  abundant  are  the  small  black  and  red 
English,  but  the  large  and  choice  varieties  are  be- 
ginning to  be  cultivated  to  a  considerable  extent. 
Of  pears,  plums,  peaches  and  quinces  there  is  a 
prospect  of  about  aa  usual  amount,  but  what  will 
come  to  maturity  no  one  can  tell. 


SHELTER. 

In  New  England,  most  persons  appreciate  the 
advantages  of  shelter,  for  themselves  and  their 
animals.  The  importance  of  hiding  from  "the 
peltings"  of  the  pitiless  storm,"  beneath  tight  roofs, 
for  his  family  and  his  cattle,  is  better  understood 
by  the  farmers  among  us,  than  by  those  of  the 
West  and  the  South.  We  take  considerable  care 
so  to  arrange  our  barns,  as  to  form  sunny  nooks, 
for  the  comfort  of  our  cattle  in  winter.  Few,  per- 
haps, give  due  attention  to  their  gardens  and  fruit 
orchards,  although  no  observing  man  has  failed 
to  notice  the  necessity  of  shelter  for  plant^  not  of 
hardy  growth.  The  Isabella  grape  ripens  but 
once  in  four  or  five  years  in  exposed  positions  in 
most  of  New  England,  while  against  a  wall  or 
building,  with  a  southern  exposure,  and  protected 
from  cold  winds,  it  may  usually  be  perfected. 

All  running  vines,  such  as  squashes,  melons, 
and  the  like,  are  liable  to  be  torn  in  pieces  and 
ruined,  by  the  high  winds  which  prevail  in  early 
summer.  The  leaves  even  of  elms  and  maples, 
standing  singly,  are  often  so  torn  by  the  wind 
when  they  are  young  and  tender,  as  to  retain  tra- 
ces of  the  injury  throughout  the  season. 

The  common  mode  of  sheltering  gardens  among 
us,  is  by  the  erection  of  high  close  fences.  This 
is,  perhaps,  more  effectual  for  small  enclosures, 
than  any  other  mode.  It  is  too  expensive,  where 
lumber  is  scarce,  and  for  large  tracts,  in  many  po- 
sitions, is  not  practicable.  A  fence  six  feet  high, 
maysufBciently  protect  a  garden  of  a  half  acre,  but 
for  a  tract  of  five  acres,  in  an  exposed  place,  it 
would  be  entirely  inadequate.  Again,  there  are 
many  situations,  where  a  fence  is  a  great  deformi- 
ty. Indeed,  we  can  hardly  mention  a  particular, 
in  which  a  want  of  good  taste  is  more  often  man- 
ifested, than  in  cutting  up  grounds  immediately 
about  our  dwellings,  into  small  enclosures. 

By  systematic  attention  to  this  subject,  in  the 
substitution  of  belts  of  trees,  instead  of  board  fen- 
ces, especially  on  grounds  newly  laid  out  for  gar- 
den or  ornamental  culture,  much  expense  of  money 
may  be  saved,  and  a  fine  c'Bect  at  the  same  time 
produced. 

The  Horticulturist  for  August  has  an  excellent 
article  upon  this  subject,  althougli,  in  some  particu- 
lars, Ave  must  venture  to  differ  with  the  editor.  He 
recommends,  for  the  purpose  of  protection,  the  Eu- 
ropean Larch,  the  Norway  Spruce  and  the  Hemlock 


Spruce,  or  common  hemlock.  To  these  we  have  no 
objection  where  they  can  be  procured,  and  success- 
fully transplanted.  He  also  names  the  Lombardy 
Poplar  and  snowy  Abele,  which  is  known,  also,  as 
the  Silver-leaf  Poplar. 

Against  the  use  of  the  two  latter,  we  must  en- 
ter our  protest.  The  Lombardy  Poplar,  in  New 
England,  is  a  thin,  tender,  unhealthy  t-ree.  Its 
introduction,  about  fifty  years  ago,  was  a  decided 
misfortune  to  the  country.  It  was  generally 
planted  because  of  its  quick  growth  and  foreign 
appearance,  and  after  occupying  the  place  of  our- 
own  beautiful  forest  trees  for  many  years,  it  has 
at  length  been  scouted  from  good  society,  and 
given  place  to  the  elm  and  maple.  The  Silver-leaf 
Poplar  is  a  fast  growing  and  beautiful  tree,  but 
like  the  Lombardy,  constantly  throws  up  suckers 
from  the  root.  A  belt  of  either  of  these  trees 
would,  in  a  short  time,  without  great  care,  appro- 
priate a  whole  farm.  It  is  not  unusual  to  see  the 
Abele  throw  up  suckers,  at  thirty  or  fi^rty  feet 
from  its  trunk.  A  single  tree  of  the  variety  of- 
ten proves  a  serious  nuisance,  in  well  kept 
grounds. 

For  New  England,  generally,  for  shelter  to  large 
tracts,  especially  of  plain  land,  the  White  Pine, 
we  think,  by  far  the  best  tree.  Planted  in  double 
or  triple  rows,  at  five  or  six  feet  high  as  they  may 
be,  they  form  at  on'ce  a  sufficient  barrier  for  the 
protection  of  an  extent  of  many  rods,  and  in  a  few 
years  will  modify  the  temperature  for  a  great  dis- 
tance. The  White  Pine  never  throws  up  a  shoot 
from  its  root.  It  is  destroyed  at  once,  if  you  de- 
sire its  extermination,  bycuttingoffat  the  ground. 
Its  roots  are  easily  severed  by  the  plow,  and  so 
may  be  kept  within  proper  bounds,  and  although 
beauty  is  a  matter  of  taste,  to  our  eye  no  tree  ex- 
ceeds in  beauty  "the  evergreen  pine.'* 

The  effect  of  belts  of  the  Pine,  as  boundaries  of 
neighboring  owners,  or  divisional  lines  between 
the  useful  and  ornamental  in  tastefully  cultivated 
grounds,  is  like  that  of  beautiful  frames  upon  val- 
uable pictures,  giving  a  finished  appearance  which 
cannot  be  otherwise  produced.  All  vegetable 
growth,  more  or  less,  exhausts  the  ground,  and 
this  consideration  should  always  be  weighed,  in 
determining  our  choice  between  living  and  dead 
fences. 

We  do  not  advise  the  indiscriminate  use  of  hedg- 
es or  barriers  of  trees,  instead  of  stone  walls  and 
board  fences,  but  would  suggest  to  our  readers, 
that  in  many  cases  a  little  thought  on  this  subject 
may  at  least  add  much  to  the  beauty  of  their 
homes. 

Potato  Rot. — There  is  no  doubt  but  this  scourge 
has  appeared  again.  One  of  the  West  Cambridge 
market  gardeners  has  stated  to  us  that  he  had 
seen  them  dug  and  lying  rotten  in  large  heaps, 
and  that  a  neighbor  had  abandoned  a  field  where 
he  expected  to  gather  four  to  sis  hundred  bushels. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


421 


For  the.  New  Ens;land  Farmer. 
INQUIRIES  ABOUT   SWINE,  BREEDING 
SOWS,  SHEEP,  PLOWING,  MANURES. 

Friend  Brown: — Permit  me  through  the  columns 
of  the  Farmer  to  make  the  following  inquiries. 

1.  What  is  the  best  breed  of  swine  for  ftirmers 
to  keep  ;  having  for  their  object  the  rearing  of  pigs 
and  pork  for  marketing  ? 

2.  What  is  the  best  way  to  manage  a  breeding 
sow,  from  the  beginning  to  the  time  of  weaning  the 

pigs- 

3.  What  breed  of  sheep  is  in  your  opinion  the 

most  profitable  for  light  land  ! 

4.  As  I  am  on  a  farm  that  has  been  cultivated 
for  many  years,  and  has  never  been  plowed  more 
than  four  or  five  inches  deep,  Avould  it  be  advis 
able  to  deepen  the  soil  at  once  to  seven  or  eight 
inches  ? 

5.  Will  it  pay  for  farmers  to  buy  manure,  and  if 
so  what  kind  will  pay  the  best  1 

6.  What  kind  of  a  plow  should  I  use  on  my  land  ? 
It  is  very  level,  and  smooth,  and  a  lightish  sandy 
loam. 

Please  answer  the  above  questions  and  oblige 
Yours  truly,  John  Dimon. 

Wakefield,  R.  I.,  July,  1853. 


Remarks. — 1.  Some  of  the  swine  called  "na- 
tive," possess  as  good  points,  and  are  as  handsome 
every  way,  as  any  we  have  ever  seen.  It  is  possi- 
ble they  had  a  touch  of  foreign  blood,  but  was  sup- 
posed they  had  not.  They  ^e  prolific  breeders, 
and  make  as  "good  pork  as  ever  swelled  in  a  pot," 
but  were  great  feeders.  A  cross  of  such  swine  with 
the  pure  Suffolk,  would  probably  give  a  breed  that 
would  be  sufficiently  hardy,  quiet  and  easy  to  take 
on  fat,  moderate  feeders,  and  yet  rapid  growers, 
and  possessing  all  the  qualities  to  make  them  as 
valuable  as  any  breed  now  known  among  us.  It 
is  difficult  to  breed  freely  from  the  pure  Suffolks, 
as  they  a^^  a  little  too  tender  for  our  climate, 
kept  as  our  farmers  generally  keep  their  swine. — 
There  is  no  difficulty  in  obtaining  such  a  cross  as 
•will  give  all  the  desirable  points. 

2.  Breeding  sows  should  have  plenty  of  room, 
with  a  dry,  warm  bed,  and  access  to  the  ground  ; 
fed  moderately,  a  portion  of  the  food  being  green 
and  succulent,  such  as  grass  and  weeds. 

A  week  or  two  before  the  time  for  dropping  the 
pigs,  most  of  the  straw  and  litter  should  be  gradu- 
ally withdrawn  from  the  sleeping  apartment,  and 
the  animal  fed  occasionally  with  bits  of  fresh  meat, 
or  scraps.  After  having  dropt  her  pigs,  if  she  re- 
fuses to  let  them  suck,  and  is  disposed  to  injure 
them,  throw  her  on  her  side  carefully,  and  tie  her 
legs  ;  having  allowed  the  pigs  all  to  suck,  untie  her 
and  she  will  treat  them  in  a  manner  highly  "be 
coming  to  all  nursing  mothers."  Brood  sows,  par 
ticularly,  should  be  made  docile  by  gentle  treat 
ment,  and  regular  and  sufficient  feeding.  Many  of 
them  are  as  ferocious  as  a  hyena,  and  destroy  many 
of  their  young  in  their  anxiety  to  protect  them. 

3.  Among  us  we  have  the  native  breeds  of  sheep, 
also   the  Leicestera,  the  Bakewells,  the  South- 


Downs,  the  Merinos,  Saxon-breeds,  and  more  re- 
cently, the  French  sheep,  and  there  are  others 
under  different  names.  It  would  require  a  wide 
operation  and  large  experience  to  tell  you  what  is 
the  best  sheep  for  '■'light  lands."  Where  forage 
is  light,  a  less  number  of  any  stock  should  be  kept, 
although  it  maybe  that  some  breeds  will  thrive  bet- 
ter than  others  on  the  same  feed.  A  cross  of  the 
best  native  with  the  merinos,  produces  an  animal 
which  does  well  on  the  common  country  pastures, 
and  is  sufficiently  hardy  to  endure  our  winter. — 
This  cross  is  prolific,  and  with  careful  attention  will 
produce  a  fine  grade  of  wool,  and  fleeces  running 
from  three  to  six  pounds  to  the,  clip.  The  sheep 
recently  introduced  into  Vermont  are  certainly  fine 
specimens,  and  we  have  no  doubt,  judging  from 
those  we  have  seen,and  from  the  statements  of  those 
bi'eeding  them,  are  a  superior  bi'eed.  If  we  have 
understood  the  representations  made  correctly, 
they  do  not  require  any  unusual  pasturage  or  win- 
ter care. 

4.  Plow  as  deep  as  you  please  at  once  if  you  have 
plenty  of  manure  :  if  not,  go  down  gradually,  an 
inch  each  year,  until  you  get  down  sixteen  inches. 

5.  Make  all  the  manure  you  can,  on  the  farm, 
by  every  consistent  expedient ;  then  if  you  have 
outlands,  such  as  old  pasture,  or  old  fields,  which 
you  are  particularly  desirous  to  improve,  and  where 
the  expense  of  cartage  would  be  heavy,  purchase 
specific  manures,  unless  you  can  purchase  near  you 
good  barn  or  stable  manures  at  $2,00  to  $4,00  a 
cord.  Peruvian  guano  or  poudrette  is  probably  the 
best  manure  you  can  purchase.  Superphosphate 
of  lime  has  been  used  with  good  results,  especially 
on  turnip  crops. 

6.  On  the  land  you  describe  use  the  Double 
Plow.    It  works  like  a  charm. 


WHAT  SWEET  APPLES  ARE  BEST  FOR 
FARMERS  ? 

An  article  in  the  Country  Gentleman,  entitled 
"Apples  for  Milch  Cows,"  reminds  us  of  a  subject 
to  which  we  have  paid  some  attention,  but  as  yet 
not  arrived  at  any  definite  conclusions.  It  is  this: 
What  varieties  of  sweet  apples  are  the  best  for 
fiirmers,  who  have  plenty  of  land  for  orcharding, 
to  cultivate  for  the  uses  of  their  stock?  We  want 
those  trees  that  are  naturally  hardy,  quick  grow- 
ers, and  profuse  bearers,  and  the  fruit  of  which 
shall  be  the  sweetest  that  can  be  found  ;  and  we 
want  a  succession  of  the  apples  from  September  to 
May. 

A  farmer  who  has  a  suite  of  trees  answering  the 
above  requirements,  has  a  source  of  rich  feed  for 
his  cattle,  sheep  and  hogs. 

We  are  aware  that  objections  are  often  made  to 
feeding  apples  to  milch  cows.  It  is  said  that  they 
will  cause 'cows  to  dry  in  their  milk.  By  overfeed- 
ing them  this  will  be  the  result.  And  so  will 
overfeeding  with  anything  else. 

The  writer  above  alluded  to  very  truly  observes, 
that  "an  unfavorable  opinion  of  apples  as  food  for 
cows  has  sometimes  arisen  from  the  furious  over- 


422 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Sept. 


feeding  of  half  starved  animals  which  have  acci- 
deiitly  broken  into  orchards,  and  brought  on  dis- 
ease, fever,  arid  consequent  drying  of  the  milk  by 
immoderate  g(jrging — a  reason  for  renouncing  such 
food,  would  apply  to  the  exclusion  of  oats  from 
horses,  and  cold  water  from  men,  because  they 
are  sometimes  injured  by  an  excess  of  them."' 

We  wish  farmers,  and  apple-growers,  and  pom- 
ological  societies,  would  turn  their  attention  to 
this  matter,  and  begin  to  investigate,  and  let  us 
hear  the  results  of  their  researches. 

An  acre  of  land  will  afford  room  for  forty  large 
apple  trees.  When  fully  grown,  and  in  full  bear- 
ing, they  ought  to  yield  from  two  hundred  to  four 
hundred  bushels  of  apples, — say  two  hundred  on 
an  average  of  years.  Could  an  acre  of  your  farm 
be  appropriated  to  a  better  and  more  profitable 
use? — Maine  Farmer. 


HOW  TO  DRY  PEACHES. 

The  peach  is  a  palatable  and  wholesome  fruit, 
the  crops  will  be  abundant  this  year,  and  large 
quantities  ought  to  be  preserved  for  winter  use, 
and  for  use  next  spring  in  March,  April  and  May, 
a  period  when  apples  will  be  scarce,  and  before 
the  new  fruits  come  in.  At  the  South  they  are 
dried  as  apples  usually  are,  by  being  spread  on 
boards  and  placed  in  the  open  air.  This  practice, 
however,  is  attended  with  many  inconveniences  ; 
they  require  a  great  deal  of  care  to  protect  them 
from  the  rain  and  dews,  and  are  fed  upon  by  flies, 
bees,  wasps  and  hornets,  beside  all  the  domestic 
animals  that  can  possibly  get  at  them.  The  sun 
is  not  powerful  enough  to  destroy  the  egg  from 
which  the  maggot  springs,  so  that  when  dried  and 
prepared  for  market,  they  have  in  themselves  the 
element  of  their  destruction,  and  sometimes  be- 
come worthless  and  disgusting. 

The  Shakers,  who  usually  manage  their  affairs 
not  only  with  prudence  and  economy,  but  with 
remarkable  neatness,  have  drying  houses  construct- 
ed of  stone  and  heated  by  a  furnace.  These  are 
supplied  with  shallow  drawers  with  bottoms  of 
wire  or  other  gauze,  together  with  movable  bars 
or  fine  lattice  work  on  racks,  where  the  fruit  is 
spread  out  thin.  All  insects  are  thus  kept  out 
and  the  fruit  is  continually  drying,  no  matter  what 
the  state  of  the  atmosphere  may  be. 

Once  or  twice  during  the  process  of  drying,  the 
heat  should  be  raised  to  Such  a  degree  as  shall  de- 
stroy the  vitality  of  the  egg  which  is  deposited  in 
the  flesh  of  the  peach,  and  which  we  as  yet  have 
no  possible  means  of  preventing. 

Wo  do  not  yet,  in  this  country,  use  as  much 
ripe  fruit,  as  an  article  of  food,  as  would  be  con- 
ducive to  economy  or  health.  The  Yankee  tem- 
perament is  sufficiently  ardent  without  the  stimu- 
lant which  a  constant  meat  diet  affords  ;  to  those 
accustomed  to  a  large  amount  of  out-door  exer- 
cise, no  harm,  perhaps,  may  arise  from  such  a  di- 
et, but  to  the  sedentary,  it  is  supposed  to  be  the 
source  of  many  diseases. 


But  how  shall  we  dry  the  peaches?  Some  one, 
in  another  paper,  has  asked  the  same  question, 
and  has  been  kind  enough  to  answer  it  himself,  so 
we  clap  down  here  what  he  has  said  for  the  ben- 
efit of  all  who  desire  a  good  supply  of  this  deli- 
cious fruit  : 

"Do  your  readers  know  how  to  dry  peaches? — 
Take  those  of  the  best  quality,  just  as  they  are 
ripe  enough  to  eat,  halve  them,  remove  the  stones, 
and  sprinkle  over  them,  in  the  hollow  from  which 
the  pit  was  taken,  a  little  nice  sugar ;  dry  them  in 
a  brick  oven  after  the  bread,  &c.,  is  withdrawn. 

"They  are  far  better  than  if  dried  in  the  sun, 
retaining  their  aroma  and  flavor,  and  besides  are 
totally  free  from  insects.  Prepared  in  this  way, 
from  peaches  fully  ripe,  they  need  no  cooking,  but 
are  simply  soaked  out  in  cold  water.  All  the  su- 
gar they  require  (ranging  of  course  with  the  va- 
riety) is  added  while  drying.  Peaches  thus  dried 
and  prepared,  are  only  inferior  to  the  fresh  fruit, 
of  which  they  retain  the  flavor  in  a  remarkable  de- 
gree. If  you  prefer,  take  them  not  quite  so  ripe, 
and  peel  the  fruit,  but  the  flavor  is  not  so  good 
as  when  fully  ripe,  and  is  dissipated  more  in  the 
process  of  drying." 


I^"  We  copy  from  the  April  number  of  Hovey's 
Magazine,  the  following  sensible  conversation  on 
the  Cultivation  of  the  Pear : 


THE  CULTIVATION  OF   THE  PEAR. 

In  a  series  of  Conversati(jnal  Meetings  by  the  Members  of  the 
Massachusetts  Horticultural  Society. 

Saturday,  Feb.  5. — Mr.  E.  M.  Richards  being 
absent,  Capt.  Lovett  was  called  to  the  chair. 

Mr.  Cabot  stated,  that,  as  the  last  meeting  dis- 
cussed the  propriety  of  heading  in  pear  trees  when 
transplanted,  we  might  hear  the  opinions  of  gen- 
tlemen present  in  continuation  of  the  same  sub- 
ject. 

Mr.  Strong  wished  to  ask  INIr.  Hovey  if  he  did 
not  advise  pruning  iu  trees  as  a  general  thing  ;  he 
so  understood  him,  and  would  therefol€  class  him 
as  in  favor  of  heading  in. 

Mr.  HovEY  wished  to  explain.  He  did  say  that 
he  advised  pruning  in  as  a  general  rule,  becaiise, 
as  a  general  rule,  trees  were  badly  transplanted, 
the  roots  destroyed,  or  more  or  less  injured.  Take, 
say  four-fifths  of  the  trees  annually  sold,  and  they 
would  come  under  this  rule,  and  thousands  of 
worthless  trees  were  annually  sold  at  auction,  not 
worth  carrying  home,—  thousands  again  were  im- 
ported, and  more  or  less  injured  on  the  voyage. — 
The  number  of  really  fine,  healthy,  well-rooted 
trees  annually  transplanted  was,  therefore,  only 
a  small  proportion  to  the  whole.  Consequently, 
four-fifths  of  them  needed  doctoring,  nursing,  ex- 
tra care  and  pains  to  make  them  grow,  or  rather 
live, — for  a  great  many  of  them  never  would  grow. 
Such  being  the  case,  he  did  advise  pruning  in,  as 
a  general  thing.  But  when,  as  he  had  l)efore 
stated,  the  trees  were  what  they  should  bo,  he 
would  not  prune,  on  any  consideration,  the  first 
year. 

Mr.  Strong  said  he  should  class  Mr.  llovoy, 
then,  in  favor  of  pruning  in  tre^s,  especially  im- 
ported ones,  or  those  from  the  forest.  He  under- 
stood the  views  of  Mr.  Walker  to  be  different, 
and  he  believed  them  untenable.     Mr.  Strong  dis- 


1853. 


NfiW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


423 


cussed  the  subject  further,  and  in  reference  to  the, worth;  they  looked  very  well  in  the  bundle.  Set 
action  of  sap,  the  functions  of  the  leaves,  and  ci.l-jthem  out  carefully,  and  they  scarcely  made  any 
latteral  matters,  wliich  were  replied  to  by  Mr.  C.|wood;  in  fact,  they  looked  so  badly  side  of  other 
M.  Hovey.  Mr.  Strong  instanced  an  experiment ,  trees  the  next  year,  that  he  pulled  up  three-quar- 
with  mercury,  made  to  lest  the  ascending  force  of,  ters  of  them  ;  the  others  remained  ;  a  few  started 
the  sap.  from  their  bottoms  and  made  a  tolerable  growth  ; 

Dr.'  Wight  stated  that  he  had  satisfactorily  test-  others  he  continued  to  cut  down  till   scarcely  an 
ed  the  value  of  quicksilver  and  sulphur  in  destroy-  original  tree  remained  fit  to  sell.    If  he  had  buried 


ing  insects.  Three  years  ago,  he  bored  a  hole  in 
an  apple  tree,  pouring  in  quicksilver,  and  plugged 
up  tlie  hole  tight.     One  year  after,  he  opened  the 


his  money  he  would  have  been  much  better  off. 

Mr.  Cabot  had  but  little  to  add  to  what  he  had 
already  advanced.     lie  could  not  Avholly   agree 


bole,  and  foun'Si  the  quicksilver  in  the  same  state]  with  Mr.  Hovey.  He  understood  him  to  say  that 
and  the  same  quantity  as  when  put  in  ;  it  had  not  he  would  not  head  in  good  trees,  but  m  certain 
undergone  the  least  change  whatever.  In  anoth-j  cases  he  would  prune,  particularly  imported  trees, 
er  tree  he  bored  a  similar  hole,  and  inserted  rolljHe  had  received  many  imported  trees  so  dry  that 
brimstone.  A  year  afterwards,  it  was  opened  with ,  he  had  to  throw  them  into  a  pond  of  water  to  ra- 
the same  result  as  the  other  experiment ;  not  the,  cover  them.  Yet  they  had  grown  well.  ^ 
least  change  had  taken  place;  the  sulphur  re-  The  leaves  of  trees  act  as  so  many  forcing 
mained  as  when  put  in.                                                 pumps— as  lungs,  throwing  off  water,   &c.      It  is 

Mr.  C.  M.  IIovEY  thought  this  a  perfectly  con-  expedient  to  cut  in  trees,  as  you  cannot  get  all 
vincin<r  proof  of  the  utter  falsity  of  such  eiperi- 1  the  roots— and  the  roots  will  not  take  up  as  fast 
ments°  Dr.  Wight  was  a  careful  observer,  and 'as  the  respiration  of  the  leaves.  Mr.  Hovey  says 
accurate  in  all  his  experiments;  and  he  trusted  that  when  the  roots  are  much  destroyed  he  would 
this  would  forever  set  at  rest,  at  least  with  all! head  in;  when  not  mutilated  he  would  not  cut  m 
reasonable  men,  the  nonsensical  idea  that  the  at  all. 
quicksilver  or  sulphur  would  be   decomposed  and]     Adjourned  one  fortnight. 

absorbed  by  the  sap,  and  carried    throughout  the 

tree,  poisoning  the  insects  which  feed  upon   the  fot  the  New  England  Farmer. 

leaves.     It  was  an  a/mwaZ paragraph  fur  the  news- g„jj.„pjm  Qp  Tp-pt^rp   aSHBS    AS    A  MA- 
papers,  and  underwent  annual  trials   by  persons i  "^  "^■mtt'R'F' 

who  believed  all  they  read  in  them,  especially  up- 
on agricultural  or  horticultural  topics,  and  who      Do  farmers  who  possess  peat  or  mud  swamps  re- 
always  reported  successful  results.     If  these  dis-jalize  the  great  value  of  the  turf,  peat  or  roots  of 
cussions  elicited  such  facts  as  these,  their  import-,  their  swamps  when  drained  and  made  dry,  by  burn- 
ance  could  not  be  questioned.  |ing  to  ashes  and  spreading  on  their  planting  up- 

Mr.  Jos.  Richardson  thought  there  was  not  a  land?  It  was  remarked  of  a  neighbor  of  mine,  who 
great  difference  of  opinion  as  regards  heading  in  moved  into  town  last  spring,  he  had  the  most  lux- 
trees.  He  believed  if  trees  were  not  injured  by  uriant  growing  garden  of  any  one  in  town.  The 
removal,  it  was  best  not  to  cut  them  in, — if  in-  question  was  asked  how  he  managed  to  have  the 
jured,  then  it  was  best  to  prune.  It  was  remarked!  vegetation  in  his  garden  so  green  and  flourishing, 
by  Mr.  Walker,  at  the  last  meeting,  that  he  did  while  most  of  the  gardens  were  suffering  by  the 
not  approve  of  scoring  trees.  He  had  had  some  drought?  The  reiAy  was,  that  he  made  his  own  ma- 
experience  on  this  point,  himself;  and  so  far  as  he  nwre.  But  he  made  it  this  spring.  It  was  asked 
had  tried  it,  it  had  not  been  beneficial;  on  un-\  how?  In  reply  it  was  stated  that  he  collected  to- 
healthy  trees  he  had  no  success.  His  course  was,!  gether  the  turf,  peat,  &c.,  of  a  peat  swamp  which, 
when  a  tree  was  stunted,  to  encourage  the  growth  |  a  few  years  ago,  was  cleared  and  drained.and  cart- 
of  suckers  ;  the  top  of  the  old  tree  he  did  not  re-  ed  it  upon  his  upland  near  his  garden — piled  it  into 
move  ;  but  as  soon  as  the  suckers  were  well  grown,  a  heap  and  burnt  it ;  and  the  ashes  was  the  ma- 


say  in  the  second  year,  then  it  was  cut  off,  and  a 
tree  vigorous  and  healthy  was  the  result.  This 
he  had  found  was  far  better  than  to  attempt  to 
renovate  by  scoring  the  bark. 

He  was  pleased  to  hear  the  remarks   from  Mr. 
Stickney.     He  could  relate  his  experience,  dearly 


nure  used  ;  and  the  beneficial  result  is  manifest  to 
all.  "Will  other  farmers  who  have  peat  swamps, 
go  and  do  likewise  1 

I  have  on  the  farm  that  I  possess  about  50  acres 
of  land  ;  over  one-third  ispeat  or  mud  which  I  have 
managed  to  drain  the  lower  edge,  and  can  drain 


fcought.  Some  ten  years  ago,  he  bought  seventy-  the  whole  by  cutting  level  ditches  through  it,  so  as 
two  dollars'  worth  of  trees  at  auction.  He  set  to  have  the  surface  full  three  feet  above  the  water 
them  out  with  the  greatest  care  ;  nursed  them  up,  in  wet  seasons.  On  the  lower  part  which  I  have 
but  they  would  not  grow  and  appeared  stunted  ;  brought  to,  I  have  stout  grass,  and  peat  where  the 
some  he  scored,  and  others  he  headed  in  the  tops,  water  stood  in  former  days  all  the  year  round,  ex- 
and  took  up  suckers  ;  still  they  grew  worse  and  cept  in  dry  seasons,  where  grew  alders,  love  bush- 
worse,  and  dwindled  away,  until  he  had  dug  up  es,  dog  wood,  and  possessed  by  frogs,  specked  and 
more  than  lialf  of  them.  Those  remaining  were  horn  turtles,  water  makes,  &c.  ;  and  part  hog  li- 
yet  only  indifferent  trees.  He  had  made  up  his  lies,  and  some  white  lilies  grew.  Some  patches  of 
mind  tliat  if  he  had  buried  his  seventy-two  dollars|water  stood  so  deep  that  fish,  eels,  &c.,  were  pre- 
in  the  soil,  he  would  have  been  much  better  off j dominant.  This  year  I  have  corn,  potatoes,  beans, 
BOW.  .  and  cabbages,  which  bid  fair  to  come  to  good  noa- 

Mr.  Breck  wi.shed  to  add  his  experience  in  re-  turity.     It  looks  so  promising  that  I  feel  half  in- 
gard  to  poor  trees.     A  few  years  ago  he  was  pass-  clined  to  give  up  my  upland  for  pasture  and  only 


ing  an  auction  room,  wliere  a  lot  of  Seckel  pear 
trees  were  offered  ;  wishing  to  get  some  of  this  va- 
riety, then  rather  scarce,  he  bought  fifty  dollars' 


plant  the  lowland,  as  hardly  one  year  in  five  but 
what  the  upland  crops  suffer  for  want  of  rain. 
I  intend  to  clear  up,  the  August  coming,  about 


424 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMSR. 


Sept. 


two  acres  of  swamp— get  off  the  wood,  burn  the 
brush, — ^et  a  root  puller  and  haul  over  by  a  yoke 
of  oxen  tlio  branches  which  will  pull  up, — collect 
them  together  ifthe  weather  isdry,put  fire  to  them 
and  reduce  them  to  ashes,  for  the'benefit  of  coming 
crops,  and  also  carry  some  upon  the  uplands.  I 
take  the  month  of  August  to  clear  up  the  swamp, 
as  it  is  over  to  mapie,  swamp  whortleberry,  al- 
ders, dog  wood,  &c.  &c.,  and  it  is  said  that  wood, 
cut  in  August,  or  September,  is  worth  30  percent, 
more  than  that  cut  in  the  Spring,  for  fuel  or  for 
timber  ;  and  by  August  I  shall  have  my  haying 
out  of  the  way. 

A  part  of  the  low  land  planted  as  above  stated, 
I  had  hauled  on  by  the  wheelbarrow  coarse  gravel 
to  the  depth  of  2^  inclies,  so  that  by  plowing,  the 
mud  or  peat  and  gravel  w'as  completely  mixed. — 
The  largest  half  was  not  graveled  at  all  but  purely 
mud  or  peat— so  if  I  live  I  expect  to  see  which  does 
the  best.  I  have  thrown  the  above  items  together, 
thinking  that  some  farmer  might  have  his  ideas  a 
little  stimulated  to  look  into  the  subject  matter  and 
might  lorite  to  give  me  and  others  more  informa- 
tion on  the  points  mentioned  above. 

Yours,  etc.,  Isaac  Stevens. 

Mansfield,  1853. 

HITCHING  POSTS. 

_  C^"  A  short  time  since  a  pair  of  horses  were 
hitched  to  a  locust  tree  in  one  of  our  streets,  and 
while  standing  there  devoured  all  the  bark  of  the 
tree  within  their  reach,  completely  skinning  it  for 
a  considerable  distance  above  and  below  their 
heads.  They  died  within  a  few  hours  afterwards, 
being  killed  by  the  bark  they  had  eaten.  Thus  a 
double  misfortune  happened — the  destruction  of  a 
valuable  tree,  and  the  loss  of  a  still  more  valua- 
ble team. — Rochford  Forum. 


Remarks. — That  the  bark  of  the  locust  is  poison 
to  man  or  beast  is  new  to  us  ;  that  horses''  teeth 
are  poisimous  to  the  bark  of  trees,  vre  have  more 
than  once  had  positive  evidence.  People  often  set 
fine  trees  about  their  buildings  or  gates,  and  leave 
them  unprotected  by  stakes  or  boxes.  By-and- 
by  neighbor  Cleverman  rides  up  with  his  bay  colt, 
full  of  fire  and  mettle,  in  order  to  pass  the  compli- 
ments of  the  evening,  or  perhaps,  purchase  the 
present  year's  crop  of  onions.  He  looks  for  a  post 
to  which  he  may  tie  his  champing  steed,  but 
the7-e  is  none!  nothing  presents  itself  but  a  beau- 
tiful rock  maple,  which,  surprising  asitmayseem, 
has  been  growing  by  the  side  of  the  gate  for  four 
years,  and  has  just  formed  a  head  of  perfect  grace 
and  symmetry.  So  Bucephalus  is  hitched  to  the 
maple,  while  his  owner  chafiers  with  farmer 
Thoughtless  about  the  onions.  The  two  friends 
close  the  bargain,  and  then  sit  long  in  pleasant 
confab  about  the  prospect  of  the  crops,  the  cat- 
tle market,  and  the  construction  of  the  new  road 
to  B.  But  as  there  must  be  an  end  to  all  things, 
so  there  was  to  this  interesting  conversation  ;  the 
moon  had  gone  down,  and  the  shadows  of  night 
covered  the  earth  when  Cleverman  unhitched  his 
impatient  steed,  and  went  clattering  over  the 
bridge. 


I  From  his  chamber  window,  in  the  gray  dawn 
of  the  next  morning,  farmer  Thoughtless  saw  the 
skinned  and  tattered  rock  maple,  poisoned  by 
neighbor  Cleverman's  horse. 

Moral. — If  a  man  sets  hedges  and  gates  and 
makes  fine  fences,  he  must  expect  to  have  them 
trampled  down  or  torn  up  by  his  neighbor's  hors- 
es, unless  he  accommodates  them  with  good  sub- 
stantial posts,  with  holes,  rings  or  hooks,  to  tie 
them  to. 


THE  OLD  GREEN  LANE. 

BY    ELIZA    COOK. 

'Twas  the  verj'  merry  summer  time 

That  garlands,  hills  and  dells, 
And  the  south  wind  rung  a  fairy  chime 

Upon  the  fox-glove  bells  ; 
The  cuckoo  staid  on  Ihe  lady-birch 

To  bid  her  last  good-bye — 
The  laih  sprung  over  the  village  church, 

And  whistled  to  the  sky, 
And  we  had  come  from  the  harvest  sheaves, 

A  bright  and  tawney  train. 
And  tracked  our  path  with  poppy  leaves 

Along  the  old  green  lane. 

'Twas  a  pleasant  way  on  a  summer  day, 

And  we  were  a  happy  set, 
And  we  idly  bent  where  the  streamlet  went 

To  gel  our  fingers  wet  ; 
With  the  dog-rose  here,  and  the  orchis  there, 

And  the  woodbine  twining  through  ; 
With  (he  broad  trees  meeting  everywhere, 

And  the  grass  still  wet  with  dew. 
Ah  !  we  all  forgot  in  that  blissful  spot 

The  names  of  care  and  pain, 
As  we  lay  on  the  bank  by  the  shepherd's  cot. 

To  rest  in  the  old  green  lane. 

Oh  !  days  gone  by  !  I  can  but  sigh 

As  I  think  of  that  ricli  honr 
When  my  heart  in  its  glee  but  seemed  to  be 

Another  woodside  flower  ; 
For  though  the  trees  be  still  as  fair. 

And  the  wild  bloom  still  as  gay— - 
Though  the  south  winds  sends  as  sweet  au  air, 

And  Heaven  as  bright  a  day  ; 
Yet  the  merry  set  are  far  and  wide. 

And  we  never  shall  meet  again — 
We  shall  never  ramble  side  by  side 

Along  that  old  green  lane. 


For  the  Netv  England  Farmer. 
VALUE  OF  doW  MANURE, 

Mr.  Editor  : — Can  you  or  any  of  your  numer- 
ous readers  inform  a  subscriber  what  is  considered, 
to  be  the  value  of  manure,  solid  and  liquid,  dropped' 
by  a  cow,  during  the  time  they  are  usually  sta- 
bled ?  Also  what  proportion  of  the  value  is 
usually  reckoned  as  lost  when  the  manure  is 
thrown  into  the  barn-yard  and  exposed  to  the 
weather?  a. 

Tarry  town,  N.  Y.,  Jvhj  24,  1853, 


Remarks. — The  above  inquiry  is  important, 
being  one  of  a  large  class  which  ought  to  be  re- 
duced to  well-defined  facts.  We  hope  some  of 
our  friendsj  having   experience   on    the  subject, 

11  "let  their  light  shine."  Perhaps  Mr.  Brooks, 
of  Pi'inceton  will  enlighten  us.  We  know  of  no 
person  who  has  experimented  so  systematically 
on  this  subject  as  he  has. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


42o 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

EARTHING  UP  CELERY. 

Mr.  Editor: — In  your  "Calendar  for  August," 
you  say  ;  "The  earthing  up  about  the  (celery) 
plants  must  be  carefully  attended  to  this  month." 
I  cannot  agree  with  you,  because  experience,one  of 
the  best  "teachers,  has  taught  me,  that  celery 
ought  not  to  be  earthed  up  at  all,  until  within  a 
short  time,  say  three  or  four  weeks  befure  you 
want  to  dig  it.  Last  season,  (as  I  have  before 
said  in  a  communication  that  appeared  in  the 
Farmei-  last  winter)  I  tried  both  ways,  earthing 
up  at  different  times  through  the  season,  commenc- 
ing as  so  )n  as  the  plants  were  large  enough  ;  and 
also  the  plan  of  not  earthing  up  until  a  short 
time  befiiro  I  wanted  to  dig  it.  The  result  was, 
as  I  expected,  the  first,  was  more  or  less  rusty, 
some  ol  it  considerably  so,  while  the  latter,  was 
blanched  twenty-two  inches  high,  white  as  snow, 
and  perfectly  free  from  rust ;  it  was  good  en9ugh 
to  take  the  first  prize  of  five  dollars  at  the  Massa- 
chusetts Horticultural  Society's  Rooms,  last  Fall, 
notwithstanding  there  was  quite  a  number  of  com- 
petitors. I  only  ask  those  who  are  raising  celery 
this  year,  and  you  in  particular,  Mr  Editor,  to  try 
both  ways,  and  I  feel  confident,  that  you  all  will 
agree  with  me,  that  celery  should  not  be  earthed 
up  until  within  the  last  three  or  four  weeks  ;  I 
really  don't  like  to  disagree  with  so  good  a  man 
as  the  Editor  of  the  Farmer,  but  I  could  not  help, 
after  reading  the  "Calendar,"  giving  my  experi- 
ence with  this  wholesome  vegetable.  J.  F.  c.  H. 
Newton  Centre,  Aug.  2n3. 


When  it  is  melted  fit  for  use,  add  some  Spanish 
brown,  or  yellow  ochro,  or  any  other  coloring 
substance  of  the  kind  that  you  wish  to  have,  first 
ground  tine  in  some  of  the  oil,  then  lay  it  on  with 
a  brush  while  it  is  hot,  and  thin  as  you  can  have  it. 

Some  days  after  the  first  coat  is  dry,  put  on  a 
second.  It  is  said  that  it  will  preserve  planks  for 
ages,  and  keep  the  weather  from  driving  through 
brick  work.  Common  white  paint  may  be  used 
on  the  top  of  it,  if  required,  for  the  sake  of  appear- 
ances. 

Two  coats  should  always  be  given,  and  in  case  of 
using  it  on  machinery,  the  several  parts  should  be 
painted  witli  it,  before  putting  them  together,  and 
a  third  coat  put  on  to  cover  joints,  and  after  be- 
ing put  together,  especially  if  exposure  to  the  ac- 
tion of  moisture  and  weather — such  as  gutters, 
carts,  tops  of  posts,  and  timber,- on,  or  near  the 
ground.  The  wood  should  be  perfectly  dry  when 
the  composition  is  applied. — Maine  Farmer. 


Remarks. — We  have  never  practised  earthing 
up  celery,  as  recommended  above,  but  will  make 
the  experiment  which  our  correspondent  suggests 
with  great  cheerfulness.  He  has  had  ample  ex- 
perience, and  undoubtedly  understands  the  best 
modes  of  cultivation,  although  he  does  not  fully 
argee  with  some  other  excellent  gardeners.  Culti 
vators  of  this  wholesome  plant,  will  do  well  to  try 
both  modes  of  "earthing  up.' 


ROUGH  PAINT  FOR  FARMERS. 

A  subscriber,  who  subscribes  himself  by  the 
very  expressive  name  of  "Economiser,"  requests 
us  to  publish,  for  the  benefitTof  himself  and  others, 
a,{Iurahle  as  well  as  cheap  paint,  to  preserve  the 
"heavier  and  more  exposed  implements,  such  as 
carts,  as  well  as  rough  gates  and  such  like  fix- 
tures." 

We  have  often  published  recipes  of  the  kind, 
and  it  is  p  )ssible  that  we  have  given  the  fallow- 
ing more  tlian  once  to  our  readers.  We  obt;\.ined 
it  from  the  archives  of  useful  knowledge,  and  it  is 
an  old  but  useful  recipe,  and  our  friend  will  find  it 
to  be  durable,  if  well  prepared  and   well  applied. 

T.ike  twelve  ounces  of  rosin,  and  eight  ounces 
of  roll  brimstone,  each  coarsely  powdered,  and 
three  gallons  of  train'oil.  Heat  them  slowly,  grad- 
ually adilingfmr  ounces  of  beeswax,  cut  "in  small 
bits.  Frequently  stir  the  liquor,  which,  as  soon  as 
the  solid  ingredients  are  dissolved,  will  be  fit  for 
use. 

What  remains  unused  will  become  solid  on  cool- 
ing, but  may  be  remelted  on  subsequent  occasions, 
if  wanted. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
NOTES  BY  THE  WAY. 

August  6th,  1853. 
Mr.  Brown: — To  aid  you  in  portraying  manners 
living  as  they  rise,  I  will  give  you  a  brief  sketch 
of  an  excursion  yesterday  to  view  the  growing 
crops  on  some  of  the  highly  cultivated  grounds  in 
the  vicinity  of  Salem.  I  visited  the  fiirms  of 
Messrs.  Kendall  Osborn,  RiouardS.  Rogers,  Na- 
thaniel Felton,  and  Aaron  C.  Proctor  of  Dan- 
vers; — and  R.  P.  Waters  and  Lyman  Mason  of 
Beverly.  All  of  these  gentlemen  are  known  as 
substantial  and  successful  cultivators.  My  aston- 
ishment was  most  awakened  by  the  extrat>rdinary 
crops  on  the  gi'ounds  of  Mr.  Mason — particularly 
rMhba^es,  squashes  and  onions.  By  some  magic  or 
other,  his  grounds  turn  out  products  exceeding 
anything  before  vritnessed.  I  presume  this  mag- 
ic arises  from  the  materials  collected  on  the  beach 
near  by — unlimited  quantities  of  which  come  in 
for  his  use.  Notwithstanding  many  apologies 
made  for  the  appearance  of  his  grounds,  by  reason 
of  a  want  of  sufficient  help  to  look  after  the  weeds 
at  _  the  proper  time,  the  crops  are  luxuriant— the 
onions,  many  of  them  already  two  inches  in  diam- 
eter, and  so  thick  that  a  dozen  or  more  could  be 
counted  in  the  space  of  one  foot — all  as  viu;orou8 
and  healthy  as  possible.  The  cabbages  bi7l  fair 
to  cover  the  ground  completely — scarcely  a  space 
occurs  through  the  entire  field,  in  which  there 
will  not  be  a  perfect  head.  Mr.  Osbokn's  field  of 
onions  is  more  extensive  than  jMr  Mason's,  and  if 
I  do  not  mistake,  will  yield  2000  bushels  on  his 
four  acres.  Mr.  Proctor  has  a  field  nearly  as 
large.  I  had  no  time  to  examine  the  crops  on 
the  farms  of  Mr.  Felton  and  Mr.  Watkrs.  Their 
barns  and  stock,  are  in  the  best  condition.  On  the 
fiirm  of  Mr.  Rogers'  culture  of  the  first  order  is 
to  be  seen.  His  field  of  carrots  promises  well. 
His  Avorking  oxen,  three  pair,  are  equal  to  any 
others  to  be  found.  They  cost  as  I  was  informed 
about  $200  a  pair.  I  was  shown  a  grass  field 
on  this  farm,  that  has  yielded  4  tons  of  hay  to  the 
acre,  the  present  season,  caused  chiefly  by  the 
dressing  of  liquid  manure  applied — the  machine 
for  distributing  which,  I  examined.  It  consists 
of  a  large  cask  mounted  on  wheels,  into  which 
the  liquid  is  pumped  from  a  cistern,  from  which  it 
flows  into  a  distributor  that  scatters  it  like  drops 


426 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Sept. 


of  rain,  as  the  wheels  pass  along.  Here  is  a  sav- 
ing of  fertilizing  material,  not  often  witnessed. 
Ten  acres  or  more,  were  thus  enriched  on  this 
farm.  All  the  arrangements  about  the  extensive 
farm  of  Mr.  Rogers,  are  in  the  most  complete  or- 
der. On  the  farm  of  Mr.  Waters,  I  saw  a 
mowing  machine,  that  had  been  operated  a  little; 
laid  aside  for  want  of  skill  in  those  who  worked  it. 
I  have  good  reason  to  believe,  that  machines 
for  mowing  will  ere  long  be  in  as  common  use,  as 
machiues  fur  raking  now  are.  The  corn-fields-,  as 
I  passed  along,  appeared  in  fine  condition.  There 
is  no  crop,  in  ray  judgment  as  a  whole,  superior  to 
Indian  corn.  The  manner  in  which  it  leaves  the 
land  for  other  crops,  is  one  of  its  best  features.  I 
felt  in  duty  bound,  as  I  passed,  to  pay  my  respects 
to  the  venerable  pear  tree  on  the  Gov.  Endicott  es- 
tate, without  question  more  than  200  years  old. 
I  found  it  growing  vigorously,  some  of  the 
branches  having  extended  more  than  a  foot  the 
present  season — and  all  of  them  being  fully  laden 
with  fruit;  it  is  indeed  a  curiosity.  I  saw  also 
the  original  stump  of  the  Eppes'  sweeting,  with  a 
tree  growing  out  of  it — but  like  most  other  apple 
trees,  it  bears  no  fruit  this  season.  I  have  rare- 
ly passed  through  a  section  of  country,  with  scen- 
ery more  variegated  and  beautiful — particularly 
the  views  from  the  summits  visited  in  Danvers 
and  Beverly. 

The  beauty  of  Mr.  Water's  position  is  only  sur- 
passed by  the  gentlemanly  hospitality  of  its  pro- 
prietor, p. 

N.  B.  Mr.  Mason,  showed  me  his  onli/  cow,  an 
animal  of  native  breed,  now  about  ten  years  old, 
of  large  size  and  prime  condition — whose  calf, 
killed  at  the  age  of  3  weeks  and  2  days,  weighed 
168  pounds — from  which  cow  33  lbs  of  milk  had 
been  taken  at  a  single  milking — and  17i  lbs  of 
butter  made  in  one  week.  Such  facts  need  no 
comment.  There  may  be  breeds  of  cows  that  do 
better  than  this,  but  I  have  yet  to  see  them. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
SALERATUS. 

Mr.  Brown  : — I  noticed  in  your  August  No.  of 
Neio  England  Farmer,  an  article  on  the  use  of 
saleratus.  I  had  seen  several  articles  on  the  same 
subject  elsewhere.  They  seem  to  be  written  by 
men  who  are  not  aware  that  it  is  never  used  by 
good  housekeepers,  except  in  connexion  with 
some  acid,  which  destroys  its  alkaline  properties. 

In  the  country,  sour  milk  is  much  used,  and 
Cream  of  Tartar  has  of  late  come  into  use  exten- 
sively. The  evil  is  in  using  too  much,  i.  e.  more 
than  sufficient  to  neutralize  the  acid.  When  this 
is  the  cage,  the  bread  will  be  discolored,  and  smell 
and  taste  of  saleratus. 

Bread  raised  with  yeast  is,  no  doubt,  healthiest, 
best,  and  most  economical  for  common  use.  But 
as  this  is  a  process  requiring  usually  four  or  five 
hours,  how  shall  we  "hurry  up  those  cakes,"  of 
which  our  men  folks  are  so  fond,  without  salera- 
tus? Milk  may  be  used  with  it,  but  can  hardly 
"  take  its  place  there,"  as  you  suggest. 

Meg. 


Remarks. — Well,  Mistress  "  Meg,"  we  thank 
you  for  your  pleasant  article  above,  and  are  confi 
dent  you  are  one  of  the  wives  that  the  scripture 


speaks  of  as  "  rising  in  the  morning  and  looking 
to  the  ways  of  her  household."  But  we  shall  be 
obliged  to  fiill  back  on  our  "  reserved  rights  "  in 
this  case,  and  get  our  loife,  who  uses  little  or  no 
saleratus,  to  tell  us  how  she  manages!  We  will 
"  stake  her  bread  against  the  world,"  and  invite 
you  to  call  at  River  Cottage  and  test  it  yourself. 


For  the  New  England  Farrner. 
OLD  FIELDS. 

An  unpromising  subject,  you  will  say,  Mr.  Ed- 
itor. I  grant  it,  but  still  argue  that  it  should  be 
discussed.  Are  you  aware  what  an  amount  of 
land  in  Massachusetts  comes  under  this  denomi- 
nation 1  Suffice  to  say  it  is  very  great.  In  the 
old  county  of  Hampshire,  are  tens  of  thousands  of 
acres  of  this  character.  Land  originally  produc- 
tive, though  light  and  sandy,  which  by  continual 
draining,  or  perhaps  more  properly,  skimming,  haa 
been  so  far  reduced  as  to  be  regarded  as  almost 
worthless. 

These  "old  fields"  are,  for  the  most  part,  sup- 
posed incapable  of  producing  anything  but  rye, 
and  that  in  very  small  quantities. 

The  common  practice  is  to  sow  rye  once  in  three 
years  ;  fallow  plowing  in  June,  and  again  plowing 
and  sowing  early  in  September.  No  grass  seed  is 
sown,  nor  is  it  expected  the  ground  will  produce 
anything  but  weeds  during  the  Jtwo  intervening 
years — but  seek  repose  in  a  short  Van  Winkle  nap. 

The  product  varies  from  five  to  nine  bushels. 
We  will  allow  seven  to  be  the  average,  which  is 
liberal.  The  expense  of  plowing  twice,  harrowing 
and  sowing,  is  at  least  three  dollars.  Such  land 
is  estimated  at  from  ten  to  twenty-five  dollars 
per  acre.  Call  the  interest  sixty  cents  for  three 
years  $1,80.  Taxes  and  fencing,  say  fifty  cents 
per  acre,  $1,50.  Making  an  aggregate  cost  of 
$6,30  for  the  production  of  seven  bushels  of  rye. 
One  bushel  of  which  must  be  deducted  for  seed, 
leaving  six  bushels,  worth,  on  an  average,  5s  per 
bushel=$5,  as  a  return  for  a  cash  outlay  of  six 
dollars  and  thirty  cents.  I  allow  that  the  straw 
will  pay  for  harvesting  and  threshing,  still  the 
cultivator  does  not  get  pay  for  his  labor,  and  would 
be  better  off  without  land. 

This  I  call  an  impoverishing  process.  It  im- 
poveri,shes  both  the  soil  and  the  tiller.  That  the 
cultivator  is  made  poorer,  is  shown  by  figures 
which  can't  lie.  Experience  and  common  sense 
prove  that  land  will  depreciate  and  be  rendered 
less  productive  by  this  process.  Let  the  farmer 
skin  his  horse  and  turn  him  out  to  pasture.  He 
may  save  the  hide,  but  a  long  time  will  elapse  be- 
fore he  will  obtain  another,  or  any  service  from 
his  horse.  A  process  somewhat  analogous  is  pur- 
sued by  those  who  crop  old  fields  with  rye  and 
nothing  but  that. 

Agricultural  products  have  become  too  valuable 
in  New  England  to  suffer  land  to  remain  thus  un- 
productive. The  cause  of  agricultural  science  de- 
mands that  labor,  expended  upon  the  cultivation 
of  the  soil,  should  be  remunerative. 

We  hear  much  said  of  the  old  fields  in  the 
Southern  States, — tracts  of  land,  which,  by  con- 
tinuous cropping  and  bad  tillage,  have  been  ren- 
dered worthless,  and  turned  out  as  part  of  the 
public  goose-pasture. 

We  New  Englanders  regard  this  as  bad  hus- 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


427 


bandry  and  bad  economy.  And  I  regard  as  bad 
economy  every  system  of  crojiping  which  reduces 
the  strength  of  the  soil,— which  diminishes  the 
real  value  of  the  land.  I  say  system.  The  removal 
of  a  specific  crop  may  exhaust  the  land  more  than 
is  equivalent  to  the  manure  applied  for  tliat  crop, 
and  the  land  not  bo  injured  in  the  long  run.  But 
every  circle  or  rotation  of  crops  should  leave  the 
land  in  as  good  heart,  at  least,  as  it  finds  it.  Oth- 
erwise there  is  bad  husbandry  and  must  be  ulti- 
mate failure. 

Good  teamsters  understand  that  it  costs  less  to 
keep  a  horse  in  good  condition  than  otherwise. — 
They  know  also  that  a  horse  thus  kept  will  per- 
form more  labor  and  endure  more  hardships,  and 
that,  too,  far  more  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  own- 
er, than  one  which  seems  vacillating  near  the  star- 
vation point,  and  is  permitted  to  eat  only  to  live 
and  not  die.  They  know,  too,  that  when  a  horse 
begins  to  "run  down  hill,"  'tis  hard  keeping  him 
back. 

So  of  the  soil.  Newly  cleared  land,  which  will 
produce  thirty  bushels  of  rye  to  the  acre,  requires 
no  more  labor  for  tillage  than  the  same  land  will 
require  when  so  reduced  as  to  produce  no  more 
than  seven  bushels.  If  there  is  more  profit  in 
raising  the  former  crop  than  the  latter,  why  will 
not  farmers  take  the  necessary  step  to  secure  it  ? 

As  in  the  case  of  the  horse,  the  soil,  when  in  a 
good  condition,  is  easily  kept  so.  These  need  on- 
ly to  supply  from  year  to  year  the  mineral  ingre- 
dient of  which  the  crop  has  robbed  the  soil.  All 
the  other  ingredients  necessary  to  fin-m  the  pabu 
lum  of  plants,  the  soil,  with  the  combined  agen- 
cy of  water,  air  and  caloric,  will  elaborate  for  it 
self. 

Here  we  see,  Mr.  Editor,  the  necessity  of  a  lit- 
tle "book  knowledge."  Thefarmer  needs  to  know 
what  his  soil  contams, — in  what  it  is  deficient,  ol 
what  his  crop  of  rye  has  robbed  it.  This  can  be 
learned  only  by  analysis.  But  when  learned,  the 
remedy  is  at  hand,  and  can  easily  be  applied. — 
And  when  agriculture  is  conducted  with  the  same 
regard  to  economy  and  thrift  as  other  depart- 
ments of  industry,  this  will  be  understood  and 
practised.  But  to  return  from  this  digression  to 
the  oil  fields.  They  were  compelled  to  submit  to 
a  constant  drain,  with  no  means  of  redress.  Soon 
they  were  so  far  reduced  as  not  to  be  capable  (tl 
producing  corn,  and  rye  was  thought  the  onl} 
cro]^  #iat  would  pay.  Consequently  these  field,- 
have  long  been  in  the  condition  of  the  "poor  old 
horse." 

It  is  not  that  the  soil  is  entirely  worn  out,  that 
its  productive  pn)perties  have  all  been  exhausted. 
There  is  still  vegetable  mould  ;  and  the  pabulum 
of  other  plants,  than  rye,  still  exist  in  suflicient 
quantities.  Tliere  needs  but  a  husbanding  of  the 
resources  which  abound  and  a  change  of  crops.  It 
is  often  easier  to  locate  disease  and  give  it  a  "name, 
than  to  prescribe  a  remedy. 

I  do  not  lay  claim  to  superior  knowledge  in  this 
matter,  nor  have  I  had  much  experience.  I  will 
venture,  however,  a  few  suggestions,  which,  if  in 
themselves  worthless,  may  elicit  from  others  in- 
formation upon  this  important  topic. 

I.  These  lands  should  be  properly  plowed.  Thi.- 
has  seldom  been  done.  The  number  of  farmer.- 
who  plow  well,  is  small  indeed.  The  number  i- 
still  smaller  of  those  who  pljw  old  fields  properly 
The  belief  is  common,  that  these  worn-out  land; 


have  but  little  soil, — that  that  lies  near  the  sur- 
face and  that,  in  "plowing,"  care  must  be  used 
not  to  disturb   the  subsoil. 

The  truth  lies  much  deeper.  One  cause  of  the 
deterioration  of  these  lands  is  improper  plowing. 
I  believe  in  making  soil.  Let  the  subsoil,  or  "yel- 
low dirt," — be  exposed  to  the  sun  and  rain, — let 
it  absorb  the  carbun,  which  is  afloat  in  the  at- 
mosphere, and  the  other  fertilizing  elements  with 
which  it  is  charged,  and  in  one  year  it  changes  ita 
cojor  and  assumes  the  appearance  and  actually 
possesses  the  properties  of  vegetable  mould. — 
Hence  the  importance  of  deep  plowing.  And 
these  old  fields  should  be  disturbed  with  a  "deep 
tiller,"  to  the  depth  of  six  inches,  and  then  sev- 
en, and  so  on  to  at  last  ten.  Then  let  the  sub- 
soil plow  foUdW. 

Or,  if  manure  is  to  be  applied,  in  the  first  in- 
stance, in  sufficient  quantity  to  secure  a  crop  of 
corn,  let  the  subsoil  be  disturbed  to  the  depth  of 
at  least  twelve  inches  from  the  surface.  I  have 
said  that  these  exhausted  lands  might  be  reclaimed 
by  supplying  the  mineral  substances  of  wliich 
they  have  been  deprived  ;  that  the  veget;ible  would 
be  procured  or  elaborated  by  a  natural  process. 
Land,  from  which  a  heavy  growth  of  pine  timber 
has  been  removed,  will  not  yield  another  crop  of 
[lines.  But  oaks,  chestnuts,  or  some  otlier  spe- 
cies will  spring  up  and  grow  vigorously.  Let  the 
mineral  ingredients  of  the  pine  be  supplied,  in 
sufficient  quantities,  and  I  suppose  a  second  crop 
of  pines  would  grow  and  equal  the  first.  So  with 
these  old  fields.  If  you  would  continue  the  grow- 
ing of  rye,  you  must  apply  lime,  potash  and  phos- 
phorus, and  other  minerals  which  enter  into  the 
composition  of  rye. 

2.  These  fields  should  be  plowed  frequently , — 
plowed,  not  for  the  purpose  of  cropping,  but  for 
fertilizing.  If  light,  heat,  moisture  and  atmo- 
spheric agencies  are  relied  upon  to  work  the 
change,  the  soil,  and  the  whole  soil  must  be  kept 
in  such  a  condition  that  these  agencies  may  act 
freely. 

3d.  The  products  of  the  soil  must  be  used  to  en- 
rich it.  One  of  the  most  common  errors  of  farm- 
ers is  the  cropping  of  lands  to  exhaustion.  The 
wool-grower,  who  in  December  shears  liis  sheep, 
luay  save  his  wool  iind  get  a  quick  return.  But 
he  injures  and  probably  destroys  his  flock,  and  in 
the  end  sustains  a  great  loss.  Not  less  unwise 
is  the  husbandman  wlio  carefully  removes  from  the 
soil  everything  it  produces. 

When  in  good  lieart,  lands  will  make  liberal  re- 
turns for  all  they  receive.  But  when  exhausted, 
when  bankrupt, — when  they  have  been  "run"'  till 
their  vaults  are  empty,  they  cannot  be  expected 
to  make  dividends.  Tliey  must  keep  what  tliey 
have  got  and  get  what  they  can,  or  become  hope- 
lessly insolvent. 

If  the  merchant  were  to  abstract  every  dollar 
he  makes  in  trade,  and  invest  it  in  real  estate,  his 
business  would  sufler.  If  wise,  he  keeps  it  as  a 
working  capital.  Let  the  farmer^mitate  his  ex- 
.imple  and  he  will  reap  a  like  reward.  When  he 
has  succeeded  in  growing  alight  crop  of  clover  or 
buckwheat  or  rye  upon  this  long  abused  and  ex- 
liausted  soil  instead  of  removing  it  to  his  barn,  let 
him  deposit  it,  furrow  deep  just  where  it  grew  to 
be  reserved  as  a  working  capital. 

Let  every  thing  which  grows  from  the  soil  be  re- 
turned to  it,  and  in  a  short  time,  "with  no  outlay 


428 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Sept. 


or  expenditures,  save  the  cost  of  plowing,  the  use 
of  the  land,  and  a  small  amount,  for  some  miner- 
al manures,  fertility  may  be  restored. 

4.  Tillage  lands  should  always  be  seeded  with 
grass,  when  suffered  to  rest. 

The  man,  who,  after  driving  a  horae  hard  all 
day,  should  take  his  teeth  out  and  then  tie  him  to 
a  rack,  filled  with  hay,  would  be  denominated  both 
inhuman  and  unwise.  Equally  unwise  is  the  cul- 
tivator, who  suffers  his  land  to  rest,  without  the 
means  of  deriving  nourishment  from  the  great 
storehouse  of  fertilizing  matters, — the  atmosphere. 

Where  muck  may  be  easily  obtained;  the  sa'me 
result  may  be  secured,  by  a  shorter  process.  Af- 
ter plowing,  spread  a  liberal  dressing  of  muck  up- 
on the  surfice  and  pulverize  thoroughly  with  the 
harrow.  Then  sow  clover  seed,  rolled  in  dry  ash- 
es,— ten  bushels  of  ashes  to  the  acre.  Plow  in  the 
first  crop  of  clover, — sow  rye  and  the  last  of  May 
following,  turn  in  tlie  rye,  and  plant  corn. 

Should  these  crude  suggestions  lead  to  examina- 
tion and  farther  elucidation  of  this  subject,  my  ob- 
ject will  have  been  gained.  R.  B.  H. 


STUBBLE    LANDS— THE  ROLLER. 

Lands  from  which  exuberant  crops  of  hay  have 
been  taken,  ordinarily  produce  a  heavy  aftermath, 
or  as  it  is  commonly  called  ''Fall  feed.'"  This 
when  the  sod  is  carefully  inverted  and  suffered  to 
decompose,  furnishes  a  most  excellent  and  sal- 
utary manure.  According  to  some  writers  who 
have  experimented  accurately,  an  acre  of  well  set 
grass  land  contains  (after  the  grass  has  been  cut 
for  hay,)  from  thirty  to  forty  tons  of  soluble  mat- 
ter "fit  for  the  food  of  plants."  This,  by  being 
turned  under  after  haying,  is  in  a  condition  to 
operate  a  highly  salutary  influence  upon  the  soil 
and  its  subsequent  crops.  Science  has  already  de- 
monstrated that  no  manure  which  it  is  within  the 
capacity  of  man  to  apply  to  the  soil,  is  so  efficient 
as  that  produced  by  the  decomposition  of  the 
plants  it  is  required  to  support. 

In  France,  and  other  countries  where  the  grape 
is  one  of  the  chief  staples,  the  leaves  and  tendrils 
of  the  vine  are  used,  and  wheat  of  the  most  sur- 
prising luxuriance  is  produced  by  a  compost  formed 
of  the  chaff  and  straw  of  that  production.  When 
sprinkled  on  grass,  grains  of  wheat  have  vegeta- 
ted and  produced  sound  seed,  when  simply  covered 
with  this  "manure,'"  and  "watered  with  pure 
water."  In  the  case  of  turning  in  stubble,  the 
laws  of  chemistry  act  with  the  greatest  facility, 
and  produce,  without  any  extraneous  assistance, 
the  accomplishment  of  all  the  important  results 
affected  by  the  best  manure.  A  field  that  has  be- 
come so  far  exhausted  as  to  require  manuring, 
harrowed  and  smved  with  grass  seed,  without  the 
impoverishing  effect  of  an  intervening  crop  of  roots 
or  grains,  would  be  at  once  iTCstored  and  made  ca- 
pable of  the  production  of  good  and  remunerating 
harvests  for  a  period  of  several  years. 

This  practice  has  already  been  extensively  adopt- 
ed among  us,  and  with  satisfactory  results.     It  is 


true,  that  in  consequence  of  the  practice  of  "lone 
cropping,"  some  fields  are  so  far  exhausted  as  to 
be  able  to  produce  enough  to  repay  the  cost  of 
turning  down.  On  this  subject  a  late  writer  re- 
marks : — 

"There  are  some  hay  fields,  however,  the  vege- 
table matter  contained  in  which,  would  be  found 
scarcely  sufficient  to  remunerate  one  for  the  cost 
of  turning  it  in.  On  light,  thin,  and  exhausted, 
or  "worn  out"  lands,  this  is  often  the  case.  Yet 
even  such  lands,  (however  weakening  may  have 
been  the  system  of  cropping  previously  pursued,) 
are  by  no  means  undeserving  of  regard.  It  is  bad 
policy  to  neglect  land  simply  because  it  has  been 
neglected.  If  I  have  a  poor  field,  which,  instead  of 
droducing  enough*to  pay  the  expense  of  carrying 
it  on,  annually  runs  me  in  debt,  my  own  interest 
demands  that  I  immediately  set  about  its  improve- 
ment, and  that  I  endeavor  to  effect  this  by  the 
adoption  of  some  method  that,  without  involving 
too  heavy  an  outlay  ,will  ultimately  secure  the  de- 
sired end.  Rather  than  permit  the  soil  to  contin- 
ue longer  in  this  expensive,  exhausted,  and  emas- 
culate condition,  I  should  disburse  liberally,  for 
Hke  bad  habits  in  a  man,  the  evil.,  instead  of  di- 
minishing, will  increase  the  longer  it  is  indulged. 
By  turning  in,  therefore,  whatever  they  have  vigor 
to  produce,  I  necessarily  augment  the  productive- 
ness of  such  soils  ;  and  if  the  texture  be  of  a  light, 
calcareous  description,  the  roller  should  be  applied. 
The  application  of  this  instrument,  indeed,  is  in- 
dispensable, in  order  to  consolidate,  and  give  firm- 
ness to  the  constituent  particles  which  otherwise 
would  remain  too  loose  and  porous  to  permit  the 
ready  decomposition  of  the  substances  turned  in. 
This  operation  also  facilitates,  in  a  very  important 
degree,  the  salutary  influences  resulting  to  the 
soil  from  the  ameliorating  agencies  of  irosts  and 
rains ; — a  body,  the  atoms  of  which  exist  in  a 
state  of  extreme  compression,  being  much  more 
efficiently  operated  on  by  these  principles,  than 
one  whose  constituent  corpuscles  exist  in  astate  of 
separation,  or  farther  apart." 

"All  kinds  of  lands,"  says  Von  Thaer,  in  his 
principles  of  Agriculture,  have  a  tendency  to  ag- 
glomerate, or  become  too  close,  either  in  conse- 
quence of  the  attraction  of  cohesion  of  their  parti- 
cles, or  of  the  pressure  exercised  on  them  by  the 
atmosphere.  The  more  argillaceous  (clayey,)  a 
soil  is,  the  greater  is  the  consistence  and  agglo- 
meration. But  most  of  the  plants  I  cultivate,  are 
unable  to  penetrate  so  hard  a  soil,  or  to  derive  from 
it  the  nourishment  requisite  for  their  support.  It 
is,  therefore,  necessary  that  the  soil  should  be 
loosened  by  some  mechanical  process ;  and  this 
should  be  done  as  perfectly  as  possible,  in  order 
that  rich  vegetation  may  be  produced,  and  all  the 
nutritive  matters  contained  in  the  ground  be 
placed  within  the  reach  of  the  roots  of  the  plants. 
In  order  to  effect  this,  it  is  necessary  that  the  lay- ' 
er  of  vegetable  earth  should  be  pulverized  till  not 
a  clod  or  lump  be  left.  The  fibrous  roots  of  plants 
do  not  penetrate  these  clods  ;  all  they  can  do  is 
to  wind  themselves  around  them,  and  consequent- 
ly, clods  of  earth  scarcely  yield  more  nutriment 
than  stones." 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


429 


In  selecting  hay  seed,  great  care  is  requisite  to 
prevent  deception.  Much  of  the  clover  seed  now 
retailed,  is  damaged  by  fermentation.  Seed  "got 
out"  in  a  proper  condition,  if  "packed"  or  stored 
in  large  masses,  always  undergoes  a  process  which, 
if  not  actually  fatal  to  the  germinating  principle, 
at  least  greatly  diminishes  its  vigor.  A  healthy 
and  vigorous  plant  can  only  spring  from  a  healthy 
and  vigorous  seed. 

For  the  Neio  England  Farmer. 

MONTHLY  FARMER  FOR  AUGUST. 

For  our  bird's-eye  view  of  the  contents  of  this 
number,  we  propose  to  attempt  an  arrangement 
by  subjects.  First  then,  in  alphabetical  as  well  as 
numerical  order,  belongs  what  is  said  of 

AUGUST. 

Editorial  observations  on  the  characteristics  of 
the  month,  with  regrets  that  the  merry-making? 
with  which  our  ancestors  celebrated  the  close  of 
harvest-time,  are  not  observed  by  us.  Followed 
by  hints  for  the  month  on  the  turnip  crop,  re- 
claiming meadows,  grapes,  grains,  celery,  budding, 
muck,  &c. 

BUTTER. 

"  How  is  it  produced  1  "  The  writer  doubts  the 
ability  of  any  butter-maker  in  the  State  to  answer 
the  question,  and  he  wants  some  chemist  to  do  it. 
Chaptal,  he  says,  dodges  it.  Perhaps  he  did  not 
know.  Chemists  don't  know  every  thing.  The 
$10,000  offered  by  the  State  for  the  "  application 
of  science  "  to  the  cause  and  remedy  of  the  potato- 
rot,  is  yet  in  the  treasury  !  while  the  insiduous 
disease,  nothing  daunted,  is  still  doing  its  fatal 
work,  mysteriously  alike  to  the  learned  Professor 
and  the  unlearned  Plowboy. 

CULTIVATION. 

"  Swamps — di-aining."  On  land  drained  by  the 
Editor,  according  to  the  directions  of  this  article, 
three  tons  to  the  acre  of  herdsgrass,  red-top  and 
clover,  were  harvested  this  year,  whei'e  one  ton  of 
meadow  grass,  skunk  cabbage,  hardback  and 
hassock  grass  grew  two  years  ago  I  "  "  The 
Drought  "  does  not  injure  thoroughly  cultivated 
land.  ."  Hoeing  Corn,"  the  more  the  better;  but 
we  are  cautioned  against  "  Hilling  Plants,"  be- 
cause nature  don't.  But  nature  does  mulch;  how 
far  is  this  an  argument  for  hilling?  "  Much  labor 
on  little  land  "  recommended,  and  an  instance  of 
the  "  Effects  of  deep  Plowing  "  in  Maine  is  given, 

FOREIGN    CORRESPONDENCE. 

"  Down  East,"  by  Mr.  Taylor,  gives  us  infor 
mation  on  raising  oats,  and  on  various  other  farm- 
ing matters,  in  New  Brunswick.  In  addition  to 
the  reply  of  the  Editor  to  Mr.  T.'s  inquiries  in 
relation  to  threshing  clover  seed,  I  will  say  that 
years  ago  I  saw  a  mill  for  this  purpose,  in  which 


been  first  separated  from  the  haulm  or  straw. 
We  have  here  also  a  flattering  notice  of  "  Agri- 
culture in  France  ;  "  and  "  A  Residence  in  China'' 
gives  us  some  queer  things  about  the  Celestials  ; 
but  the  question  asked  some  time  ago  in  the 
Farmer,  How  do  the  Chinese  preserve  the  fertility 
of  their  soill  is  not  answered.  Pity  there  are  so 
few  farmers  among  the  multitude  of  Americana 
abroad. 

FRUIT. 

An  inquiry  for  information  on  raising  and  iin- 
proving  our  "  Indigenous  Fruits  and  Shrubs,"  has 
called  out  a  very  able  reply  ;  in  eonnectiofl  with 
which  the  article  on  "  Cross  Fertilization  "  should 
be  read.  We  have  also  an  article  on  the  "  Effect 
of  high  Culture  on  Fruit  Trees,"  a  notice  of  a 
"  Rare  and  Pleasant  Book,"  printed  in  1631  ;  In- 
stances and  theory  of  "  Girdled  Apple  Trees" 
living  after  the  bark  was  removed  for  the  space  of 
five  inches;  a  picture,  description,  and  recom- 
mendation of  "  The  Black  Tartarean  Cherry  ;  " 
and  in  the  article,  "  Apple  trees  killed  by  Potash," 
are  suggestions  and  facts  in  relation  to  other 
washes. 

GARDEN. 

"  History  and  Culture  of  the  Mignonette  ;  " 
Report  of  the  "Horticultural  Exhibition  at  Con- 
cord, Mass.  ;  "  A  pleasant  article  on  the  "Use  of 
Flowers  " — their  being  placed  in  church  is  new  to 
us  ;  with  Figures  and  description  of  "  Pruning 
Shears." 

GRAIN. 

"  Ergot  in  Rye" — an  account  of  a  paper  on 
this  subject,  read  before  the  French  Academy  of 
Science. 

HAT. 

The  haying  season  being  over,  we  find  but  little 
on  this  topic, except  some  remarks  on  "Hay  Caps." 

IMPLEMENTS. 

A  cut  and  description  of  a  simple  apparatus  for 
"  Raising  Water  by  Wind  ;  "  "  Pruning  Shears  " 
illustrated  and  described  ;  "  Cross-cut  Feed  Cut- 
ter," about  to  be  made  by  Mr.  Ferry;  "The 
Wheel  Hoe  "  recommended;  and  some  hints  on 
"  Good  Tools  for  Boys,"  from  which  I  must  quote 
one  sentence  : — "  If  you  wish  to  discourage  your 
boys,  and  drive  them  off  to  the  city,  to  sea,  to 
California,  give  them  rusty  hoes,  broken  shovels, 
dull  scythes,  &c.,  to  work  with." 


The  various  articles  on  this  subject,  in  the  num- 
ber before  us,  are  worth  the  subscription  price  of  the 
Farmer  for  a  year  to  every  person  who  cultivates 
a  single  plant  or  tree,  or  who  has  a  spark  of  curi- 
osity for  the  "  little  folk  "  of  the  animal  kingdom. 
On  the  "  Palmer  Worm,"  or  "  New  Insect,"  we 
find  communications  from  Professor  Harris,  Cam- 
bridge ;  II.  M.  Stimpson,  Saxonville  ;  R.C.Stone, 
Sherburne  ;  S.  G.  E.,  Chester ;  J  Lake,  Topsfield  ; 


the  work  was  done  by  water-power.  I  can  give'B.  M.,  York  Co.,  Me.,  and  remarks  by  the  editor 
no  description  of  it,  further  than  to  say,  it  was  aiAn  article  by  Mrs.  DarUng,  New  Ha\en,  Ct.,  and 
cheap,  simple  machine,  fitted  up  I  think  in  a  saw-ione  copied  from  the  Maine  Farmer,  charging  in 


mill  l)uilding,  and,  like  it,  served  a  whole  neigh 
borhood.  A  shaft  faced  with  sheet  iron,  punched 
like  a  grater,  two  or  three  feet  wide,  and  perhaps 
twice  as  deep,  played  up  and  down,  nearly  in 
contact  with  a  similar  stationai-y  grater-plate. 
Between  these  two  rough  surfaces  the  seed  was 
rapidly  and  effectively  "  threshed,"  after  having 


sects  with  producing  the  black  knot  in  plum  trees, 
are  certainly  interesting  if  not  conclusive.  The 
ladies  will  thank  the  Editor  for  an  infallible  pro- 
tection against  "  The  Moth."  Tlie  "  Rose  Bugs," 
and  other  insects  injurious  to  vegetation,  the  wri- 
ter thinks  may  be  greatly  tlnnned  off  by  a  union 
of  effort  for  their  destruction  on  the  part  of  those 


430 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Sept. 


interested.  I  have  sometimes  thought  one  design 
of  insect  depredations  is  to  teach  man  humility — 
to  show  him  the  weakness  of  his  power,  the  fool- 
ishness of  his  wisdom,  the  fallibility  of  his  sci- 
ence. One  year,  for  instance,  the  grasshopper 
may  be  a  burden — literally  swarming  in  our  fields, 
and  filling  every  square  foot  of  the  soil  with  their 
eggs.  But  in  lace  of  your  mathematical  demon- 
strations that  millions  must  cover  the  land  next 
year,  there  may  not  be  a  dozen  found  on  a  ten- 
acre  lot.  "  Is  the  mole  a  devourer  of  vegetables  ?  " 
The  writer  says  "  No  ;  he  lives  on  earth  worms." 
"  Entomological  Discovery  " — to  destroy  the  nit 
of  the  Curculio. 

MANURES. 

Hints  on  "  Composting,"  by  11.  F.  French  ; 
Effects  of  Potash  as  a  "  Special  Manure  for 
Grapes  ;  "  different  kinds  of  "  Manure  for  laying 
down  Grass  Lands  ;  "  inquiries  about  "  Limefirom 
Gas  Works;  "  "  Barn  Cellars,  Restorative  Gases, 
and  other  Speculations,"  by  Silas  Brown. 

MECHANICS. 

Mr.  Pei'cival,  Veterinary  Surgeon  of  the  Royal 
Artillery,  Dublin,  points  out  several  pernicious 
"  Practices  in  Shoeing  Horses  "  that  smiths  often 
fall  into,  and  gives  many  practical  hints  on  the 
subject.  Appended  to  the  article  on  "  Raising 
Water  by  Wind,"  are  some  suggestive  remarks 
on  agricultural  mechanics. 

PRESERVING    TIMBER. 

A  communication  of  facts,  showing  the  practi- 
cal value  of  the  process  of  "  Kyanizing."  The 
timber  used  last  year  in  rebuilding  the  Lowell  R. 
R.  bridge  over  Charles  river  was,  I  believe,  sub- 
jected to  this  process.  John  Reynolds,  agent 
Vermont  Copperas  Company,  give's  a  statement 
of  the  preservative  qualities  of  Copperas,  that  may 
prove  of  great  importance. 

ROOTS. 

A  well  written  article  on  the  "  Culture  and 
value  of  the  Parsnip." 

SCIENTIFIC. 

This  proves  a  troublesome  "heading."  Of  the 
ninety  distinct  articles  in  this  single  number  of  the 
Farmer,  there  is  scarcely  one  that  is  not  more  (jr 
less  tinctured  with  science.  Which,  then,  shall 
enjoy  the  distinction  of  scientific  ?  I  have  placed 
those  here  which  do  not  appropriately  belong  to 
any  of  our  other  captions.  I  could  tliink  of  no 
better  rule.  "  Lnjjortance  of  the  Leaf  to  the 
Plant,"  and  "Circulation  of  Sap,"  treat  of  the 
growth  of  plants,  and  must  prove  interesting  to 
thinking,  inquisitive  farmers,  although  the  writer 
of  the  latter  article  says,  "  There  are  very  serious 
difficulties  attending  any  theory  which  has  under- 
taken tn  provide  fur  the  circulation  of  fluids  in 
vegetables."  Some  account  of  the  newly-estab- 
lished "  New  York  State  Agricultural  College," 
and  an  exhortation  to  the  Massachusetts  B  >ard 
of  Agriculture,  as  "a  class  of  men,  hopeful  and 
courageous  because  they  have  clear,  comprehensive, 
and  wtll  defined  views  of  what  can  be  beneficially 
done  in  the  way  of  agricultural  education,"  to 
abandon  their  "  mere  discussions,"  and  proceed 
at  once  to  give  "  life  and  an  active  practical  use- 
fulness to  an  agricultural  College"  in  Massachu- 
setts. Illustrating  in  a  familiar  manner  several 
scientific  principles,  we  find  an  article  with  the 
caption  "  How  the  water  boiled  away  from  th.e 
Potatoes." 


SETTING    POSTS — FRONT    FENCES — ALDERS. 

The  inquiries  of  a  correspondent  fur  information 
on  these  topics,  has  occasioned  a  pretty  full  dis- 
cussion— the  views  and  suggestions  of  five  or  six 
writers  being  given  in  this  number. 

STATE   INSTITUTIONS. 

On  this  subject  we  find  two  short  communica- 
tions. 

STOCK. 

"Cows  and  Tar" — a  remedy  for  the  garget. 
The  use  of  collodion  recommended  "to  prevent 
Cows  shedding  Milk,"  and  to  cure  sore  teats. 
"  Cows  holding  up  their  Milk"  cured  by  putting 
a  weight  upon  the  back.  Illustration  of  the 
"  French  Buck  Matchless."     What  a  sheep  ! 

THE   SEASON. 

"  Prospects  of  the  Season,"  in  New  Hampshire, 
by  A.  G.  Comings;  and  in  Massachusetts,  by  the 
Editor. 

WARTS. 

Recipes  for  curing  warts.  We  once  dislodged 
a  numerous  company  from  our  hand  by  occasion- 
ally putting  a  very  little  spirits  of  turpentine 
around  the  roots  of  the  "old  seeder,"  whose 
great  length  exposed  it  to  so  frequent  rubs  as  to 
be  kept  sore,  until  it  was  finally  extracted.  The 
small  fry,  following  the  footsteps  of  their  illus- 
trious predecessor,  soon  disappeared. 

WEEDS. 

A  valuable  editorial  on  the  subject  ;  a  descrip- 
tion of  a  new  weed  in  New  Hampshire  ;  and  a 
sure  method  of  destroying  "  Canada  thistles  "  in 
one  season. 

Even  the  foregoing  comprehensive  summary 
leaves  on  hand  several  articles,  that  do  not  seem 
to  belong  to  either  of  our  divisions,  but  which 
have  a  good  claim  to  especial  notice.  Auumg 
them  are,  "  What  Farmers  most  need  ;  "  Statistics 
of"  Agriculture  in  New  Hampshire  ;  "  on  "Trim- 
ming Pine  Trees  ;  "  "  Saleratus  "  injurious  to 
health  ;  "  Monthly  Farmer  for  July  ;  "  "  Com- 
munication of  Ideas  among  Cattle;  "  "  Fable  of 
the  Rain  Drop,"  and  articles  appropriate  to  the 
Ladies"  and  to  the  Boys'  Departments. 

}A'inchister,  Aug.,  1853.  A  Reader. 


For  the  New  England  Ftirmer. 
TOMATOES. 
Mr.  Editor  : — For  several  years  past,  I  have 
been  in  the  habit  of  trimming  up  my  tomato  vines 
pretty  closely.  After  as  much  fruit  is  set  as  will 
ripen  before  frost,  I  go  among  thera  with  a  pair 
f  shears,  cutting  off  the  tops  and  all  young  shoots, 
to  prevent  any  more  fruit  being  formed.  In  this 
way  they  grow  larjjer,  fairer,  and  ripen  much 
earlier,  as  I  think.  Without  this  thinning  out, 
the  sun's  rays  can  hardly  reach  them  through  the 
rank  growth  of  leaves.  I  have  recommended  this 
plan  to  sjme  of  my  neighbors,  but  as  they  have 
seen  nothing  of  the  kind  "  in  the  books," 
they  cannot  venture  to  cut  off  "  such  beautiful 
I  tranches, "  though  they  see  my  tomatoes  ripe  one 
or  two  weeks  earlier  than  any  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. Now,  Mr.  Editor,  if  you  think  I  am  right, 
just  give  this  a  little  corner  in  the  New  England 
Fanner,  and  my  neighbors  will  receive  it  as  "  by 
authority."  Meg. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  J<ARMER. 


431 


MORNING. 

BY      H.      D.      WHITE. 

The  morn  awakes!    Fresh  from  its  sleep, 

Earth  hails  the  fount  of  light, 
And  (lirough  the  lone  ravines  retire 

The  sombre  shades  of  night. 
The  flowers  refreshed  salute  the  day 
With  dewy  lips  and  blushes  g;iy, 
While  choral  round'lays  from  the  grove 
Announce  the  reign  of  light  and  love. 

Above  the  lake  the  giant  pines 

Stand  like  a  phalanx  grim, 
Arranged  around  their  bannered  shrines 

In  mystic  worship,  dim. 
The  wave's  low  voice — the  streainlet's  chime, 
Soft  murm'ring  o'er  departing  time, 
In  measure  mystic,  like  the  hymn 
Breathed  by  adoring  seraphine. 

Sweet,  holy  scenes!     Can  human  hearts 

Behidd  thy  glories  and  be  sad. 
When  night,  like  gloomy  doubt,  departs. 

And  earth  in  Aidenn  robes  is  clad; 
When  from  great  nature's  breast  there  flows 

Sweet  inspiration  for  the  wise. 
And  naught  save  beauty,  joy  and  love, 

Salute  the  gaze  of  mortal  eyesf 

Kastern  Journal. 

PRAOTIOAL    BEE    KEEPING. 

We  give  below  another  extract  from  Mr.  Lang- 
stroth's  work  on  Bees  : 

The  pres'^nt  condition  of  practical  bee-keeping 
in  this  country,  is  known  to  be  deplorably  low. — 
From  the  great  mass  of  agriculturists,  and  others 
favorably  situated  for  obtaining  honey,  it  receives 
not  the  slightest  attention.  Notwithstanding  the 
large  number  of  patent  hives  which  have  been  in 
troduced,  the  ravages  of  the  bee-moth  have  in 
creased,  and  success  is  becoming  more  and  more 
precarious.  Multitudes  have  abandoned  the  pur 
suit  in  disgust, while  many  of  the  most  experienced, 
are  fast  settling  down  into  the  conviction  that  all 
the  so-called  "Improved  Hives"  are  delusions,  and 
that  they  must  return  to  the  simple  box  or  hollow 
log,  and  "take  up"  their  bees  with  sulphur,  in 
the  old-fashioned  way. 

In  the  present  state  of  public  opinion,  it  requires 
no  little  courage  to  venture  upon  the  introduction 
of  a  new  hive  and  system  of  management ;  but  I 
feel  confident  that  a  new  era  in  bee-keeping  has 
arrived,  and  invite  the  attention  of  all  interested 
to  the  reasons  for  this  belief.  A  perusal  of  this 
Manual,  will,  I  trust,  convince  them  that  there 
is  a  better  way  than  any  with  which  they  have 
yet  been  acquainted.  They  will  here  find  many 
hitherto  mysterious  points  in  the  physiology  of  the 
honey-bee,  clearly  explained,  and  much  valuable 
information  never  before  communicated  to  the  pub 
lie. 

It  is  now  nearly  fifteen  years  since  I  first  turned 
my  attention  to  the  cultivation  of  bees.  The 
state  of  my  liealth  having  compelled  me  to  live 
more  and  more  in  the  open  air,  I  have  devoted  a 
large  portion  of  my  time,  of  late  years,  to  a  care 
ful  investigation  of  their  habits,  and  to  a  series  of 
minute  and  thorough  experiments  in  the  construe 
tion  of  hives,  and  the  best  method  of  managing 
them,  so  as  to  secure  the  largest  practical  results. 

Very  early  in  my  Apiarian  studies,  I  procured 
an  imported  copy  of  the  work  of  the  celebrated 
Huber,  and  constructed  a  hive  on  his  plan,  which 
furnished  me  with  favorable  opportunities  of  veri- 


fying some  of  his  most  valuable  discoveries  ;  and 
I  soon  found  that  the  prejudices  existing  against 
him,  were  entirely  unfounded.  Believing  that  his 
discoveries  laid  the  foundation  for  a  more  extend- 
ed and  profitable  system  of  bee-keeping,  I  began 
to  experiment  with  hives  of  various  construction. 

The  result  of  all  these  investigaticms  fell  far 
short  of  my  expectations.  I  became,  however, 
most  throughly  convinced  that  no  hives  were  fit  to 
be  used,  unless  they  furnished  uncommon  "protec- 
tion against  extremes  of  heat  and  more  especially 
of  COLD.  I  accordingly  discarded  all  thin  hives 
made  of  inch  stufi",  and  constructed  my  hives  of 
doubled  materials,  enclosing  a  "dead  air"  space 
all  around. 

These  hives,  although  more  expensive  in  the  first 
cost,  proved  to  be  much  cheaper  in  the  end,  than 
those  I  had  previously  used.  The  bees  wintered 
remarkably  well  in  them,  and  swarmed  early  and 
with  unusual  regularity.  My  next  step  in  ad- 
vance, was,  while  I  secured  my  surplus  honey  in 
the  most  convenient,  beautiful  and  saleable  forms, 
so  to  facilitate  the  entrance  of  the  bees  into  the 
honey  receptacles,  as  to  secure  the  largest  fruits 
from  their  labors. 

Although  I  felt  confident  that  my  hive  possessed 
some  valuable  peculiarities,  I  still  found  myself 
unable  to  remedy  many  of  the  casualties  to  which 
bee-keeping  is  liable.  I  now  perceived  that  no 
hive  could  be  made  to  answer  my  expectations  un- 
less it  gave  me  the  complete  control  of  the  combs, 
so  that  I  might  remove  any,  or  all  of  them  at  plea- 
sure. The  use  of  the  Huber  hive  had  convinced 
me  that  with  proper  precautions,  the  combs 
might  be  removed  without  enraging  the  bees,  and 
that  these  insects  were  capable  of  being  domesti- 
cated or  tamed,  to  a  most  surprising  degree.  A 
knowledge  of  these  facts  was  absolutely  necessa- 
ry to  the  further  progress  of  my  invention,  for 
withoufit,  I  should  have  regarded  a  hive  designed 
to  allow  of  the  removal  of  the  combs,  as  too  dan- 
gerous in  use,  to  be  of  any  practical  value.  At 
first,  I  used  movable  slats  or  bars  placed  on  rab- 
bets in  the  front  and  back  of  the  hive.  The  bees 
were  induced  to  build  their  combs  upon  these  bars, 
and  in  carrying  them  down,  to  fasten  them  to  the 
sides  of  the  hive.  By  severing  the  attachments  to 
the  sides,  I  was  able,  at  any  time,  to  remove  the 
combs  suspended  from  the  bars.  There  was  no- 
thing new  in  the  use  of  movable  bars ;  the  inven- 
tion being  probably,  at  least,  a  hundred  years  old  ; 
and  I  had  myself  used  such  hives  on  Bevan's  plan, 
very  early  in  the  commencement  of  my  experi- 
ments. The  chief  pecuharity  in  my  hives,  as 
now  constructed,  was  the  fiicility  with  which 
these  bars  could  be  removed  without  enraging  the 
bees,  and  their  combination  with  my  new  mode 
of  obtaining  the  surplus  honey. 

With  hives  of  this  construction,  I  commenced 
experimenting  on  a  larger  scale  than  ever,  and 
soon  arrived  at  results  which  proved  to  be  of  the 
very  first  importance.  I  found  myself  able,  if  I 
wished  it,  to  dispense  entirely  with  natural  swarm- 
ng,  and  yet  to  multiply  colonies  with  much 
greater  rapidity  and  certainty  than  by  the  com- 
mon methods.  I  could,  in  a  short  time,  strength- 
en my  feeble  colonies,  and  furnish  those  which  had 
lost  their  queen  with  the  means  of  obtaining  an- 
other. If  I  suspected  that  anything  was  the  mat- 
ter with  a  hive,  I  could  ascertain  its  true  condition, 
by  making  a  thorough  examination  of  every  part, 


432 


NEW  ENGLA.ND  FARMER. 


Sept. 


and  if  the  worms  had  gained  a  lodgment,  I  could  ease  similar  to  the  potato  rot."  The  potato  crop 
quickly  dispossess  them.  In  short,  I  could  per-  is  also  spoken  of  as  in  a  precarious  condition  not 
form  all  the  operations,  which  will  be  explained  in  only  in  the  British  Islands,  but  in  France,  Holland, 
this  treatise,  and  I  now  believed  that  bee-keeping  Belgium  and  some  parts  of  Germany  likewise;  and 
could  be  made  highly  profitalile,  and  as  much  a  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  a  large  portion  will 
matter  of  certainty,  as  any  other  branch  of  rural  be  lost 

economy.^  j     The  opinion  is  expressed,  that  under  this  state 

I  perceived,  however,  that  one  thing  was  yet  of  affairs,  coupled  with  the  unfavorable  aspect  of 
wanting.  The  cutting  of  the  combs  from  their!  matters  at  the  East,  breadstuffs  can  hardly  be  ex- 
attachments  to  the  sides  of  the  hive,  in  order  to'pected  to  recede  in  price,  though  at  the  present 
remove  them,  was  attended  with  much  loss  of^ moment  there  is  some  languor  in  the  market.  In 
time  to  myself  and  to  the  bees,  and  in  order  to  fa-  consequence  of  the  spread  of  the  potato  disease 
cilitate  this  operation,  the  construction  of  my  hive  corn  afloat  has  advanced  in  price, 
was  necessarily  complicated.  This  led  me  to  in- 
vent a  method  by  wliicli  the  comlis  were  attached 

to  movable  frames,  and  suspended  in  the  hives,  so  GRAPES. 

as  to  touch  neither  the  top,  bottom,  nor  sides. —  ^u-  j  v  •  r  -i.  •  •  i 
By  this  device,  I  was  able  to  remove  the  combs  at^.  ^'^'^  delicious  fruit  is  raised,  we  are  glad  to  see, 
pleasure,  and  if  desired,  I  could  speedily  transfer^"  g^^^*  P'^°*y  ^°  and  around  Boston.  Almost 
them,  bees  and  all,  without  any  cutting,  to  an- ,  •^^^'"y/^''^ '  ^f/g^  enough  toj.lant  a  vine  m,  is  im- 
other  hive.  I  have  experimented  largely  with|r.''^^'e<?' ""^"V  care  that  is  bestowed  upon  the 
hives  of  this  construction,  and  find  that  they  an-! ^'"'^^  ^^  ^^'^^l  ^'^P^^^  i°  ^^^^  abundani   yield   they 


some  ooserving  nives  oi  a  peculiar  consiruc-  j^^  Ij^.^^,  kidneys,  &c.,  and  in  all  the  protean 
,  I  discoveredthat  bees  could  be  made  to  work  I  f,,,„^,  ^^hich  dvspepsia  assumes,  they  are  found 
ass_h.ves,  exposed  to    he  full  light  of  day.-  highly  efficaeioGs      Dyspepsia  and  liver  complaints 


swer   most  admirably,  all    the  ends    proposed  in 
their  invention. 

While  experimenting  in  the  summer  of  1851, 
with  some  observing  hives  of  a  peculiar  construe 
tion,  "  ' 

The  notice,  in  a  Philadelphia  newspaper,  of  this 
discovery,  procured  me  the  pleasure  of  an  ac 
quaintance  with  Rev.  Dr.  Berg,  pastorof  a  Dutch 
Reformed  churcli  in  that  city.  From  him,  I  first 
learned  that  a  Prussian  clergyman,  of  the  name 
of  Dzierzon,  (pronounced  Tseertsone,)  had  attract- 
ed the  attention  of  crowned  heads,  by  his  import 
ant  discoveries  in  the  management  of  bees.  Be 
fore  he  communicated  the  particulars  of  these  dis' 
coveries,  I  explained  to  Dr.  Berg  my  system  of 
management,  and  showed  him  my  hive^  He  ex- 
pressed the  greatest  astonishment  at  the  wonder- 
ful similarity  in  our  methods  of  management,  both 
of  us  having  carried  on  our  investigations  without 
the  slightest  knowledge  of  each  other's  labors.— 
Our  hives  he  found  to  differ  in  some  very  inijiort 
ant  respects.  In  the  Dzierzon  hive,  the  combs 
are  not  attached  to  movable  frames,  but  to  bars, 
so  that  they  cannot,  without  cutting,  be  removed 
from  the  hive.  In  my  hive,  which  is  opened  from 
the  top,  any  comb  may  be  taken  out,  without  at 
all  disturbing  the  others  ;  whereas,  in  the  Dzier- 
zon hive,  whicli  is  opened  from  one  of  the  ends, 
it  is  often  necessary  to  cut  and  remove  many 
combs,  in  order  to  get  access  to  a  particular  one  ; 
Thus,  if  the  tenth  comb  from  the  end  is  to  be  re- 
moved, nine  combs  must  be  first  cut  and  taken 
out.  All  this  consumes  a  large  amount  of  time. 
The  German  hive  does  not  furnish  the  surplus 
honey  in  a  form  which  would  be  found  salable  in 
our  markets,  or  which  would  admit  of  safe  trans- 
portation in  the  comb.  Notwithstanding  these 
disadvantages,  it  has  achieved  a  great  triumph  in 
Germany,  and  given  a  new  impulse  to  the  culti- 
Tation  of  bees. 

TnE  Crops  in  England.  —  The  Londun  Mercan- 
tile Gazette  of  August  5th,  speaking  of  the  wheat 
crop,  says  that  "it  is  certainly  not  promising  in  ap- 
pearance ;  and  however  much  it  may  be  favored 
by  the  weather,  the  yield  must  inevitably  be  short. 
There  are  reports  of  Wight  from  several  parts  of 
the  Kingdom,  and  fears  are  entertained  of  a  dis- 


present  for  the  cultivator's  enjoyment.  The  med- 
icinal properties  of  the  grape  are  hardly  well 
enough  understood.  They  assist,  by  their  dilut- 
ing  properties,  in  removing   obstructions  of  the 


ghly  efficacious.  Dyspepsia  and  liver  complaints 
have  scarcely  an  existence  in  the  vicinity  of  vine- 
yards in  the  old  country,  except  among  the  inva- 
lids from  other  parts.  Mho  resort  to  these  locali- 
ties to  partake  of  this"  delightful  remedy,  to  be 
cured  of  these  maladies.  It  appears  to  bring 
about  these  important  results  by  diluting  the 
blood,  and  in  this  manner  relieving  the  obstruc- 
tions, and  causing  at  the  same  time  a  greatly  in- 
creased circulation  in  the  skin.  In  fever  they  may 
be  used  always  with  advantage,  the  juice  being 
very  invigorating  and  nutritious.  In  dysentery, 
likewise,  they  are  said  to  be  very  efficacious,  and 
in  grape  growing  countries  an  unlimited  freedom 
of  the  vineyard,  during  this  season,  it  is  said,  iff' 
aiiended  with  the  best  results.  But  care  should 
be  taken  that  the  fruit  is  perfectly  ripe  and  sound, 
or  it  may  prove  as  deleterious  as,  in  a  right  con- 
dition, it  is  beneficial.  The  paper  from  which  we 
quote  says,  they  give  vigor  and  great  activity  to 
leeble  and  delicate  constitutions,  and  no  other 
fruit  causes  so  great  a  change  in  the  feelings  and 
strengi,h  of  the  aged,  as  well  as  those  in  the  youth, 
as  the  well  ripened  grape,  when  tnken  in  large 
quantities.  They  are  antiseptic,  and  arrest  a  ten- 
dency to  decomposition  or  mortifieaiion.  They 
cool  the  ))Iood,  allay  irritation,  and  act  as  a  dilut- 
ent,  and  thus  remove  obstructions  of  the  vital  sys- 
tem. Indeed,  it  is  the  prince  of  fruits,  and  divine 
inspiration  places  it  even  higher  than  it  is  held  by 
those  who  ascribe  to  it  all  these  virtues.  Eat  the 
grape  for  pleasure  and  health,  and  you  will  soon, 
in  most  cases,  feel  that  you  have  an  increased 
share  of  buth. 

Col.  Baptiste,  who  has  a  fine  vineyard  of  black 
Spanish  grapes  at  East  Pascagoula,  the  vines  of 
which  are  in  bloom  for  the  third  tteie  this  season, 
intends  to  try  the  experiment  of  wine  making.  The 
New  Orleans  Delta  does  not  doubt  that  in  a  few 
years  tlie  whole  southern  sea  coast  will  be  one 
extended  vineyard,  producing  the  choicest  wines 
th;)t  are  now  imported  from  Spain  and  Italy  — 
Boston  Post. 


1853. 


I^EW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


433 


AX  MAKING. 

The  Ax  Manufacturing  Company  of  East  Doug- 
las turn  out  daily  from  ten  to  fifteen  hundred  ax- 
es, and  from  six  to  ten  hundred  broad  axes, 
adzes,  hatchets,  &c.,  of  nearly  fifty  different  pat- 
terns. The  process  of  manufacture  is  especially 
interesting,  from  the  fiict  that  most  of  the  work  is 
done  by  machinery.  In  the  first  place,  the  bars 
of  iron  of  different  sizes  are  placed  under  ponder- 
ous shears,  which  sever  the  iron  with  perfect  ease. 
The  patterns  are  then  taken  to  the  rolling  mill, 
and  after  being  heated  are  passed  through  rollers, 
which  form  the  eye  of  the  ax.  They  are  then 
bent  over  by  the  same  machine,  and  the  heads  set 
down.  The  ax  then  goes  through  the  process 
of  welding,  which  is  done  by  pump  hammers, 
after  which  the  steel  is  inserted,  which  is  also 
done  by  hammers.  The  finishing  touch  is  given 
by  hand  hammers.  About  two  hundred  persons 
are  employed  in  this  establishment,  their  wages 
ranging  from  one  to  five  dollars  per  day.  The 
proprietors,  Messrs.  L.  B.  &  A.  Hunt,  are  enter- 
prising and  ingenious  men,  and  their  axes  are  un- 
surpassed by  any  other  manufacturer.  The 
amount  of  their  business  is  about  $300,000  per 
annum.  East  Douglas,  we  are  told,  is  a  tliriving, 
wide-awake  place,  and  is  soon  to  enjoy  the  facili- 
ties of  a  branch  railroad. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

THE  POTATO  ROT. 

Mr.  Editor  : — As  I  was  passing  a  neighbor's 
farm  last  evening,  I  discovered  his  field  of  pota- 
toes— vines  of  luxuriant  growth-^had  a  blighted, 
forbidding  aspect,  yellowish  cast,  many  of  the 
leaves  shrivelled,  edged  with  black.  I  soon  met 
an  intelligent  farmer  of  the  neighborhood,  and  in- 
quired of  him  the  meaning  of  this  appearance.  He 
said  the  same  was  the  case  in  his  fields,  and  many 
others  about  there,  that  it  had  come  on  within  a 
few  days,  the  cause  he  did  not  know,— -nor  do  I. 
The  fact  is  certain.  What  is  to  follow,  I  cannot 
say,  whether  this  appearance  of  the  vines  has  any 
connection  with  the  tubers  that  are  expected  to  be 
grown,  time  alone  must  determine.  It  will  be 
well  for  all  cultivators  to  take  notice  of  all  extra- 
ordinary appearances,  and  to  communicate  them 
in  an  intelligible  form.  I  fear  it  is  not  indicative 
of  any  good.  Yours,  &c.,  p. 

Dancers,  August  1st,  1853. 

P.  S.  Vegetation  generally  was  never  more  vig- 
orous, in  this  vicinity.  Corn  looks  first  rate.  On- 
ions are  suffering  much  from  insects. 


BUDDING  AND  PRUNING  KNIVES. 


St.vte  Te.mper.\nce  Convention. —  k  call  has  been 
issued  for  a  State  convention  of  the  friends  of  tem- 
perance, to  be  held  in  the  Tremont  Temple,  Bos- 
ten,  Sept.  18th,  to  devise  measures  for  sustaining 
the  liquor  law  at  the  next  election.  As  the  repeal 
of  this  law  is  to  be  made  a  distinct  question  in  the 
November  elections,  the  friends  of  temperance 
must  prepare  to  meet  the  struggle. 


It  is  pleasant  if  one  has  work  to  do,  to  have  good 
tools  to  do  it  with.  Many  a  spriglitly  lad  has  be- 
come disgusted  with  the  process  of  budding,  from 
being  put  at  it  with  an  old  dull  jack-knife,  that 
probably  did  good  service  in  cutting  up  ' '  cold  junk" 
in  revolutionary  times.  This  is  often  the  case  in 
holding  the  plow,  mowing, itc.  The  beginner  con- 
tracts awkward  habits  which  require  an  unneces- 
sary expenditure  of  labor,  and  which,  perhaps,  ad- 
here to  him  and  vex  him  through  life. 

In  the  above  engraving  may  be  seen  samples  of 
budding  and  pruning  knives,  which  will  enable  the 
operator  to  do  the  work  quickly  and  well,  so  that 
his  trees  will  not  suffer,  provided  he  has  skill  and 
good  judgment  himself.  The  budding  season  is  at 
hand,  and  these  remarks  may  suggest  to  some, 
the  necessity  of  preparation  for  it. 


EARTH,   OR    ROAD   SCRAPER. 

This  implement  is  an  important  labor-saving  ma- 
chine. It  is  usually  called  a  "road-scraper,"  but 
it  is  just  as  valuable  in  many  cases  on  the  fiirm  as 
in  the  roaiJ.  An  old  and  slovenly  practice  prevailed 
of  throwing  up  furrow  after  furrow,  next  to  the 
"runs"  and  walls,  until  they  often  became  too 
large  to  be  passed  over  with  the  team.     The  sera- 


434 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Sept 


per  is  a  capital  implement  to  be  used  in  levelling 
such  places  ;  so  it  is  for  excavations  in  digging  cel- 
lars,  or  levelling  in  the  fields.  It  is  strong,  but 
light;  one  of  them  ought  to  be  in  every  neighbor- 
hood, and  may  be  owned  jointly,  by  several  neigh- 
bora. 


For  the  Tfeto  England  Farmer. 
TRANSACTIONS  OF  THE  AGRICULTUR- 
Ali  SOCIETIES.— NO.  2. 

The  next  article  is  the  Report  of  the  Esses  So- 
ciety. This  is  a  very  interesting  report,  and  con- 
tains many  important  suggestions.  Although  the 
Secretary  is  not  remarkable  for  a  condensed  and 
laconic  style,  he  has  much  experience  in  making 
reports,  and  does  them  up  in  a  workman-like  man- 
ner. This  Society  has  from  the  first,  reckoned 
among  its  members  a  large  number  of  the  most  in- 
telligent and  efficient  men  in  the  county.  Pick- 
ering, Saltonstall,  Nichols  and  King,  among  those 
who  have  passed  away,  and  Perry,  Proctor,  New- 
hall  and  Dodge,  among  those  who  remain,  are  men 
who  do  not  occupy  themselves  in  works  of  no  value, 
and  who  do  not  trifle  with  their  work.  They  are 
earnest  men  ;  men  who  build  their  own  monu- 
ments ;  who  leave  behind  them,  in  the  moulding 
influence  which  their  opinions  and  examples  exert 
on  the  community  la  whicli  tliey  live,  iueflliceable 
marks  of  their  diligence,  fidelity  and  power.  When 
such  men  engage  in  the  noble  work  of  developing 
and  extending  the  science  and  improving  the  prac- 
tice of  agriculture,  not  merely  from  love  to  the 
work  itself,  but  from  the  higher  motive  of  doing 
good  to  their  neighborhood,  to  their  State  and  to 
their  counti'y,  we  may  reasonably  expect  important 
results  from  their  labors.  Of  such  results,  the  re- 
port before  us  affords  abundant  evidence.  For  the 
first  time  in  its  history,  the  Society  continued  its 
exhibition  during  two  days,  and  if  we  may  judge 
from  the  report,  the  result  was  highly  satisfactory 
to  all  concerned. 

We  notice  that  a  majority  of  the  County  Socie- 
ties in  the  State  have  agreed  to  make  the  experi- 
ment of  holding  their  anniversaries  during  two 
days.  This  will  give  opportunity  for  a  more  thor- 
ough examination  of  the  stock  and  articles  pre- 
sented, and  also  for  the  discussion  of  important 
agricultural  questions.  The  evening  of  the  first 
day  may  be  appropriated  to  this  purpose,  in  such 
manner  as  the  trustees  may  direct,  and  cannot 
fail  to  give  increased  interest  to  these  farmers'  fes- 
tivals. 

This  county  has  adopted  the  laudable  practice 
of  awarding  a  premium  for  the  best  essay  which 
may  be  presented,  on  some  subject  immediately 
connected  with  agriculture.  A  committee  is  ap- 
pointed for  this  purpose.  There  can  be  no  doubt 
that  this  practice  has  led  to  much  intellectual  ef- 
fort, and  has  contributed  to  produce  many  of  the 
excellent  essays  that  have  emanated  from  the  mem- 
bers of  that  Society.  The  premium  for  1852  was 
awarded  to  David  Choate,  Esq.,  of  Essex,  for  an 
essay  upon  sheep  culture,  which,  with  a  very  in- 
teresting letter  from  Nathan  Page,  brings  the 
whole  subject  before  us.  There  wer$  formerly 
many  fine  flocks  of  sheep  in  Essex  County.  Sev- 
eral of  its  towns  are  well  suited  to  the  raising  of 
them.  The  granite  ledges  and  rocky  pastures  of 
Cape  Ann   ,vere,  not  many  years  ago,  whitened 


with  flocks  of  sheep.  The  farm  of  the  late  Samuel 
Riggs  contained  several  hundred.  But  I  think 
every  sheep  has  disappeared  from  the  Cape  ;  even 
the  flock  that  used  to  luxuriate  upon  Thatcher's 
Island,  as  a  perquisite  to  the  keeper  of  the  Light 
Houses,  has  all  gone  to  the  "  tomb  of  the 
Capulets."  Sheep  raising  has  almost  ceased  in 
Eastern  Massachusetts.  I  suppose  it  is  every  year 
becoming  more  and  more  difficult  for  New  England 
to  compete  with  the  wool  growers  of  ]\Iichigan  and 
Wisconsin,  and  even  in  the  raising  of  mutton  for 
the  eastern  markets ;  the  increasing  facilities  of 
transportation  are  rendering  the  competition  every 
year  more  difiicult  for  New  England  farmers.  "We 
much  fear  that  the  accurate  statements  and  logical 
reasonings  of  the  essayist,  even  were  they  backed 
by  the  eloquence  of  his  gifted  brother,  will  fail  to 
restore  the  culture  of  sheep  in  old  Esses,  except 
so  far  as  a  few  of  superior  quality  may  be  raised 
for  the  shambles,  by  those  who  have  peculiar  fa- 
cilities or  a  peculiar  flmcy  for  their  culture.  An- 
other circumstance  we  notice  with  approbation, 
and  that  is,  the  accurate,  concise  and  definite 
statements  accompanying  all  articles  to  which 
premiums  were  awarded.  Many  of  these  state- 
ments are  models  of  their  kind,  and  Ave  commend 
them  to  the  imitation  of  farmers  in  other  parts  of 
the  State. 

We  should  infer  from  the  report  that  the  show 
of  poultry,  vegetables  and  stock,  did  not  quite 
come  up  to  the  standard  of  some  former  years. 
But  Ave  have  reason  to  know  that  the  standard  in 
these  respects  is  high  in  Esses,  and  that  some  ar- 
ticles that  Avould  take  a  premium  in  some  other 
counties,  would  fail  to  do  so  in  this.  There  are  no 
better  gardeners  in  Massachusetts  than  are  to  be 
found  in  Essex.  But  they  do  not  seem  to  have 
made  much  effort  to  display  the  productions  of 
their  grounds  on  this  occasion.  Perhaps  this  was 
owing  to  the  flict  that  the  exhibition  Avas  held  at 
one  of  the  extremities  of  the  county. 

The  culture  of  root  crops  is  receiving  much  at- 
tention in  Essex.  There  are  no  crops  that  are 
surer,  or  that  yield  better  returns.  We  believe 
that  fiirmers  throughout  the  State  are  becoming 
more  fully  convinced  of  their  value  and  importance. 

The  exhibition  of  fruits  must  have  been  very  fine. 
Nearly  a  thousand  dishes  and  baskets,  filled  with 
the  finest  specimens  of  fruit,  of  all  the  varieties 
raised  in  Essex,  must  have  been  a  sight  well  Avorth 
a  visit  to  Lawrence.  But  Ave  confess  Ave  pity  the 
gentlemen  who  composed  the  Committee,  lo  de- 
cide which  were  best  among  such  a  great  variety, 
where  all  were  good,  must  have  been  as  difficult  as 
it  is  for  some  bachelors  to  select  a  wife  from  all  the 
girls  in  the  country  ;  and  what  makes  it  still  hard- 
er for  the  Committee  is,  that  they  Avere  bound  to 
decide  at  once,  whereas  the  bachelors  often  take 
years  in  making  up  their  minds,  and  some  even 
never  decide  at  all.  We  have  been  much  interest- 
ed in  the  remarks  of  Mr.  Jves,  the  Chairman  of  the 
Fruit  Committee,  upon  the  culture  of  the  different 
kinds  of  fruit  which  he  specifies.  They  show  a 
thorough  understanding  of  the  subject  and  a  sound 
judgment,  and  we  commend  them  to  the  attention 
of  fruit  growers  throughout  the  country. 

Only  one  farm  was  presented  for  a  premium,  a 
circumstance  at  which  we  are  not  a  little  surprised. 
It  must  be  owing,  we  think,  to  the  excessive  mod- 
esty of  many  of  tlie  young  farmers  in  that  county. 
Were  farmers  aware  of  the  advantages  that  they 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


435 


in  "living  green," — the  beautiful  flelds  and  swell- 
ing uplands,  stretching  away  as  far  as  the  eye  can 
see,  in  every  direction, — the  nicely  trimmed  Eng- 
lish hedges,  with  ornamental  trees  interspersed, 
lining  the  carriage  road  to  the  house, — the  or- 
chards, burdened  with  ripening  fruit, — the  large 
and  majestic  shade  tree  in  front  of  the  house,  the 
branches  of  which  trail  upon  the  ground, — the 
sweet  little  ponds,  with  (locks  of  aquatic  birds  dot- 

,"wi"rthrvie'^roFadvi^ng"theirVopri*-^^       *'''''''  surface,— the  extensive  barns,  poultry- 

"   "    "    ~  "  yards,  hot-houses,  &c., — and  last,  though  not  least, 

the  fine  gardens,  both  floral  and   vegetable— all 

testify  that    Mr.     Webster's  forming  was  on  as 

princely  a  scale  aa  his  more  intellectual  efforts. 

The  mansion  is  spacious,  and  is  in  such  perfect 
order  that  it  has  little  of  the  ancient  look  which 
we  expected  to  see.     It  is  furnished  with  much  el- 

ance,  but  everywhere  evinces  a  taste  for  the 
simple  and  substantial,  rather  than  the  gorgeous 
and  extravagant.  Many  fine  portraits  adorn  the 
walls,  among  which  we  were  pleased  to  see  one 
of  Monica,  Mr.  Webster's  favorite  black  cook. 
The  library  is  a  lofty  and  beautiful  apartment,  and 
its  shelves  are  still  loaded  with  valuable  books. 
Wo  looked  with  deep  interest  upon  the  chamber 
in  which  the  great  statesman  breathed  his  last.  It 
is  one  of  the  most  plainly  furnished  rooms  in  the 
house,  but  is  the  chief  point  of  attraction  to  visit- 
ors, who  linger  reverently  and  silently  around  the 
spot  where  one  of  the  noblest  of  human  intellects 
underwent  a  translation  from  a  mortal  to  an  im- 
mortal state.  That  most  impressive  and  memora- 
ble death-scene  will  be  held  in  remembrance  so 
long  as  the  Christian  religion  endures. 

The  tomb  of  I\Ir.  "Webster  is  in  the  old  !Marsh- 
field  burying-ground,  about  one-fourth  of  a  mile 
from  the  mansion.  The  lot  is  enclosed  within  an 
iron  fence,  and  separated  from  the  estate  only  by 
a  carriage-road.  The  tomb  itself  has  been  cov- 
ered with  earth  and  sods,  and  presents  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  green  mound.  It  is  surmounted  by 
a  plain  white  marble  slab,  which  bears  the  simple 
inscription,  "Dmiel  Webster."  The  day  we  were 
there,  workmen  were  engaged  in  setting  up  the 
small  marble  monuments,  concerning  which  Mr. 
Webster  gave  directions  during  his  last  sickness. 
They  are  four  in  number,  and  are  arranged  on  a  line 
in  front  of  the  tomb,  all  being  of  the  same  size  and 
One  of  them  bears  the  name  and  age   of 


might  derive  from  the  suggestions  of  scientific  and 
intelligent  committees,  while  carefully  examining 
their  farms  and  crops,  they  would  take  more  pains 
to  secure  such  visits  than  they  now  do.  We  have 
often  thought  that  a  portion  of  the  funds  of  our 
Agricultural  Societies  could  not  be  better  expend- 
ed than  in  paying  the  expenses  of  such  commit- 
tees. And  we  would  respectfully  suggest  that  it 
would  be  well  to  appoint  several  committees  in 
each  county,  and  make  it  their  duty  to  visit  and 
examine  a  certain  number  of  farms  in  oach  town 
every  year 

etors  in  the  conduct  of  their  farms,  and  encourag 
ing  them  in  their  efforts  after  better  and  more  sci- 
entific modes  of  cultivation.  These  visits  should 
not  be  confined  to  good  farms,  where  they  would 
be  most  readiljr  received,  but  are  least  needed,  but 
should  have  special  reference  to  tliose  farms  that 
are  suffering  from  the  want  of  Avell  directed  enter- 
prise on  the  part  of  their  proprietors.  Many  a 
man  who  is  now  discoiu-aged,  and  has  made  up  his 
mind  that  farming  is  miserable  business,  might  be 
encouraged  to  renewed  effort,  and  put  in  the  way 
of  attaining  more  successful  results  than  he  has 
before  done.  But  we  have  not  time  to  follow  out 
in  detail  the  advantages  that  would  result  from 
the  appointment  of  such  committees,  especially  if, 
after  visiting  several  farms  in  a  town  during  the 
day,  they  should  meet  the  farmers  of  the  town  in 
some  ceniral  place,  and  spend  tiie  evening  in  social 
conversation  upon  agricultural  subjects.  We  have 
not  time  to  allude  to  many  topics  of  interest  that 
are  suggested  by  this  report. 

The  address  of  Gen.  Oliver  must  have  been  lis- 
tened to  Avith  much  interest.  It  breathes  the 
right  spirit,  and  is  highly  creditable  to  him  as  a 
man  of  taste  and  general  information.  There  is  a 
poetic  vein  running  through  it,  which  must  have 
found  a  sympathizng  chord  in  every  In-east  pos- 
sessing the  least  spark  of  poetic  fire,  or  the  least 
warmth  of  imagination.  j.  r. 

Co?icord,  Azig.  8,  1853. 


MR.  WEBSTER'S  MANSION. 

We  visited  the  late  residence  of  Mr.  Webster, 
at  Marshfield,  last  week,  and  enjoyed  the  privilege 
of  going  over  the  grounds  and  house,  which  have 
so  recently  been  rendered  sacred  by  the  death  of 
their  illustrious  proprietor.  Nearly  everything 
about  the  premises  remains  as  it  was  before  Mr. 
Webster's  decease,  although  the  only  occupants 
are  the  servants  who  have  charge  of  the  mansion. 
The  property  is  still  in  the  hands  of  the  trustees 
appointed  1)y  Mr.  Webster,  and  it  is  j-et  doubtful 
whether  it  can  be  preserved  in  the  family  entire,  jstyle. 
according  to  his  wishes,  the  demands  against  thejlMi-.  Webster,  with  the  epitaph  which  he  dictated, 
estate  haying  proved  larger  than  was  anticipated,  expressing  his  testimony  to  the  truth  of  Christian- 
Mr.  Fletcher  Webster  still  resides  on  his  own  ity.  The  other  monuments  are  in  commemoration 
place,  about  a  mile  from  his  late   father's  man-  of  his  first  wife,  and  of  his  deceased  children  and 


We  were  agreeably  disappointed  in  Marshfield. 
However  bleak  and  dreary  it  may  have  been  orig- 
inally, taste  and  money  have  certainly  done  much 


grand-children,  and  all  bear  appropriate  epitaphs. 
Within  a  rod  or  two  of  this  spot,  is  the  tomb  of 
Gov.  Edward  Winslow,  who  moved  to  Marshfield 
in  1G37,  and  settled  on  land  now  belonging  to  the 


towards  making  a  paradise  of  that  portion  of  the  i  Webster  estate  ;  and  all  around  are  thickly  scat- 
town  which  Webster  selected  for  his  home.  The  tered  the  graves  of  the  Puritan  fathers  and  moth- 
smooth  lawns,  which  our  August  rains  have  clothed 'ers  of  the  "Old  Colony,"  many  of  which  are  un- 


436 


NEWEINGLAND  FARMER. 


Sept. 


marked,  s  ive  hy  rough,  unlettered  stones,  taken 
fri)u\  the  adjoining  fields  or  highways.  An  an- 
cient grave-3'ard  is  always  a  place  of  interest ; 
but  dimhly  so  is  this  venerable  cemetery,  in  whose 
bosom  is  deposited  not  only  the  ashes  of  some  of 
the  fathers  of  New  England,  but  also  the  precious 
dust  of  the  foremost  man  of  our  own  times. 


THE  PALMER  V/ORM. 

The  Boston  papers  speak  of  this  destructive  in- 
sect as  one  that  has  made  its  appearance  this  sea- 
son for  the  first  time  for  many  years.  So  for  as 
this  part  of  the  country  is  concerned,  the  insect  is 
by  no  means  a  new  comer.  A  gentleman  in  this 
place  informs  us  that  he  has  been  fighting  this 
worm  for  twenty  years.  Many  of  the  trees  in 
this  vicinity  have  this  year  been  stripped  of  their 
foliage,  but  according  to  his  general  habits  it  is 
about  time  for  the  Avorm  to  disappear  for  the  sea- 
son. Those  who  have  exercised  vigilance  and 
care  in  removing  the  insects'  nests,  and  have  freed 
their  trees  daily  of  these  troublesome  customers, 
have  succeeded  in  preserving  the  foliage  and  fruit 
of  their  orchards. — Yarmouth  Register. 


For  the  Nev:  Ensland  Farmer. 

BLAST  ON   POTATOES. 

Mr.  Brown  :  —  Within  a  week  a  great  change 
has  taken  place  in  the  appearance  of  potatoes;  the 
vines  of  some  varieties  have  suffered  much  more 
tlian  others,  such  as  the  White  Chenango,  Sand- 
wich Island  Reds,  &c.  I  think  potatoes  will  rot 
baldy,  this  year.  The  crop  with  me  will  be  cut 
short  at  least  one-third,  if  not  half,  on  the  late 
potatoes.  The  new  variety,  Davis  Seedling,  does 
not  appear  to  be  so  tender  as  some  othei'S.  I  am 
taking  some  notes  on  potatoes,  that  I  may  send 
you  some  day,  if  you  would  like  them.  As  yet 
we  have  found  but  few  rotten  potatoes,  though  in 
passing  fields  I  have  noticed  a  strong  smell,  as 
though  the  tubers  were  more  or  less  rotten  ;  one 
of  my  neighbors  told  me  he  could  smell  his  potato 
field  twenty  rods  when  the  wind  was  right. 

Present  appearances  are  unfavorable  to  good 
crops  of  good  potatoes.  j.  r.  c.  h. 

Newton  Centre,  Aug.  lOtfi. 


Remarks. — Mr.  Wilson,  a  nurseryman  at  Wind- 
ham, N.  H.,  while  we  were  looking  at  the  destruc- 
tion the  worms  had  made  among  his  trees,  the  other 
day,  said  the  same  worm  had  been  familiar  to  him 
for  twenty  years,  but  only  few  in  number,  until 
the  present  season. 

PROSPECTS  OF  THE  CROPS. 

During  the  first  week  in  August,  we  had  abun- 
dant rains.  It  came  moderately,  and  without 
much  wind,  so  that  the  crops  have  not  been  torn 
or  beaten  down.  The  ground  now  is  thoroughly 
saturated,  in  all  this  region,  as  far  as  the  roots  of 
plants  usually  extend. 

Corn  never  looked  better,  and  is  growing  with 
great  rapidity.  If  no  untimely  frosts  touch  it,  the 
crop  will  be  heavy. 

Wheat,  barley  and  oats  have  been  materially 
benefited  by  showers  about  the  last  of  July,  so  that 
the  heads  are  better  filled  than  was  anticipated. 

A  north-easterly  storm  has  prevailed  now,  Aug. 
8,  for  several  days,  and  has  caught  in  the  swath, 
cock,  or  stook,  a  large  amount  of  hay  and  grain. 
Some  of  the  meadows  will  be  flooded,  but  not 
much  loss  incurred  in  consequence,  as  the  low 
ground  grass  was  growing  vigorously  when  the 
storm  commenced. 

The  aftergrass  and  the  fall  pastures  must  now 
be  very  fine,  and  will  undoubtedly  lessen  the  price 
of  hay. 

^'  Cattle  Market  at  Manchester,  JV.  H. — The 
subject  is  being  agitated  of  establishing  a  Cattle 
Market  at  Manchester,  N.  H.  There  is  no  market 
of  the  kind  in  the  State.  The  plan  is  to  procure  a 
piece  of  land  containing  ten  or  twelve  acres  and  pre- 
pare it  in  a  suitable  manner  to  accommodate  the 
Cattle  Market, "hnd  also  the  State  and  County  Fairs. 
It  is  estimated  that  iJlOO.OOO  is  now  annually  paid 
in  Manchester  for  meats.  • 


EXTRACTS,  REPLIES,  «&0. 

D.  F.,  Sandwich,  Mass.  Your  article  will  be 
given  next  week.     Hope  to  hear  from  you  again. 

J.  H.,  Temple,  N.  H.,  will  accept  our  thanks 
for  his  interesting  communication  in  regard  to 
Swallows.  We  hope  to  collect  facts  from  all  parts 
of  New  England  in  relation  to  them,  and  always 
feel  obliged  to  our  friends  for  any  information  they 
can  impart.  At  some  future  time,  we  shall  en- 
deavor to  satisfy  the  farmer,  that  these  birds  are 
among  the  best  friends  that  he  has,  and  that  their 
destruction  would  be  followed  by  evils  which 
might  justly  be  termed,  a  calamity ! 

J.  F.  H.,  Newton  Centre,  will  please  consider 
his  health  most  excellent,  for  an  hundred  years  to 
come,  so  far  as  our  wishes  can  establish  it  in  full 
bumpers  of  his  pure  currant  wine  !  Will  he  com- 
municate the  precise  mode  of  making  it? 

M.  A.  P.,  Waterloivn,  Mass.,  will  be  able  to 
obtain  the  white  blackberry  of  Mr.  J.  S.  Need- 
ham,  of  Danvers,  Mass.  He  may  find  an  engrav- 
ing of  the  plant  in  last  year's  volume  of  the  Far- 
mer,  page  418. 

"A.  W.  C,"  Sheldonville,  Mass.,  says  the 
cure  for  garget  is  to  wash  the  udder  in  cold  water 
until  the  inflammation  subsides.  This  will  cure 
if  anything  will.  The  sooner  it  is  tried  after  the 
cow  is  attacked  the  better.  The  way  to  prevent 
the  ^ar^e^,  is- to  keep  the  cow  on  uniform  feed, 
not  changing  suddenly  from  poor  to  good. 

"S.  E.  Hooker,"  Poultney,  Vt.,  says  the  dry 
weather  has  essentially  affected  the  crops  in  that 
section  of  country.  The  palmer  worm  has  injured 
the  fruit,  and  the  "grasshopper  has  become  a  bur- 
den."' 

5^"  The  Editor  of  the  Hampshire  and  Franklin 
Express,  at  Amherst,  Mass.,  will  please  accept  our 
thanks  for  the  intelligent  article  on  Swallows,  in 
his  paper  of  the  19th  of  August.  It  will  find  many 
delitchted  readers. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


437 


It  is  a  matter  of  surprise,  that  on  questions 
which  would  seem  of  so  easy  solution,  it  is  not  sot- 
tied  yet  at  what  particular  time  the  swallows 
leave  New  England  for  the  South,  or  whether  any 
of  them  retire  to  the  mud  for  a  winter  retreat.— 
Mr.  White,  of  Selborne,  one  of  the  most  accurate 
naturalists  of  any  age,  had  jio  doubt  that  they'do 
hybcrnato.  And  although  our  obliging  friend  of 
the  Express  is  equally  as  confident  that  tliey  do 
not,  we  hope  to  be  able  bye-and-bye  to  adduce 
such  evidence  as  to  convince  the  most  skeptical, 
that  swallows  do  sometimes  pass  the  winter  in  the 
margins  of  ponds  in  a  state  of  torpidity  I  This  sub- 
ject, as  well  as  all  others  of  a  kindred  nature,  is 
to  us  intensely  interesting,  and  the  doubts  which 
hang  over  them  all,  show  how  partial  and  incon- 
stant has  been  the  observation  of  nearly  all  per- 
sons upon  them. 

DISCOVERIES  AND  IMPROVEMENTS. 

—  A  new  and  very  useful  application  of  the 
Daguerreotype  art  has  been  discovered  by  Robert 
Langton,  wood  engraver,  of  Manchester,  England. 
The  discovery  consists  in  applying  photography  to 
blocks  of  polished  boxwood,  such  as  are  ordinari- 
ly used  in  his  own  art  for  wood  engraving,  thus 
rendering  the  blocks  ready  for  the  application  of 
the  engraver's  burin.  This  discovery  will  be  of 
invaluable  service,  as  it  will  save  the  expense  of 
employing  draughtsmen  to  mark  the  blocks  pre- 
vious to  engraving.  Drafts  of  complicated  ma- 
chinery in  perspective,  and  other  difficult  sketch- 
es, which  required  much  time,  expense  and  skill 
in  the  preparation  of  blocks  for  engraving,  can  now 
be  produced  in  a  moment  with  the  light  of  the 
sun. 

—  A  "saloon  car,"  combining  elegance,  com- 
fort and  sociability  to  an  extent  not  before  realized 
on  our  railroads,  has  been  placed  on  the  Hudson 
River  Railroad.  It  is  thus  described  by  the  Alba- 
ny Evening  Journal : — 

"The  body  of  the  car  is  of  the  length  and  near- 
ly a  foot  wider  than  those  in  ordinary  use.  It  has 
a  hall  on  the  right  hand  side,  about  three  feet 
wide,  out  of  which  four  saloons  open,  capable  of 
seating  eight  persons  each,  and  one  for  four  per- 
sons. In  the  larger  saloons  is  a  sofa,  five  chairs, 
a  centre  table,  and  a  magnificent  mirror."  The 
panneling  is  beautifully  ornamented  with  land 
scape  and  other  paintings  ;  the  windows  and  blinds 
are  especially  adapted  for  ventilation  and  for  the 
exclusion  of  dust  and  cinders  ;  and  the  whole  is 
splendidly  unique,  neat  and  spacious.  It  is  just 
what  was  needed  for  family  and  other  parties, 
who,  in  their  journeyings,  desire  to  be  alone.  The 
fare  will,  of  course,  be  more  than  in  the  ordinary 
cars,  because  it«contains  fewer  seats."  . 

—  Gutta  Percha  Varnish  is  said  to  be  a  very  ef- 
fectual means  of  preserving  writings,  charts,  bank 
bills,  and  pictures,  as  well  from  injury  by  time  as 
from  forgery  or  alteration.  The  process  consists 
merely  of  running  a  very  delicate  coating  of  gutta 


percha  solution  over  the  surface  of  the  article.  It 
is  perfectly  transparent,  and  it  is  said  to  improve 
the  appearance  of  pictures.  By  coating  both 
sides  of  an  important  document,  it  can  be  kept  in 
the  best  preservation.  It  renders  it  water-proof, 
and  the  plan  would  thus  be  a  valuable  one  for  ship 
charts. 

—  A  correspondent  of  the  Railroad  Record  is  of 
opinion  that  curvature  on  railroads  is  the  main 
cause  of  accidents,  whether  by  collision  or  other- 
wise. Straight  lines  must,  in  the  end,  be  adopted  ; 
and,  though  at  first  more  expensive,  they  are  in 
the  end  more  economical,  and  are  certainly  safest. 
Curves,  the  writer  contends,  should  be  limited  by 
law,  and  states  that  one  degree  curve,  or  5,130 
feet  radius,  offers  as  much  resistance  to  a  train  as 
a  grade  of  ten  feet  to  the  mile.  Two  degrees 
equal  fifteen  feet ;  three  degrees  equal  twenty 
feet ;  four  degrees  equal  twenty-five  feet  ;  five  de- 
grees equal  thirty  feet ;  six  degrees  equal  thirty- 
five  feet — that  is,  if  a  six-degree  curve  be  located 
upon  a  level,  it  offers  the  same  resistance  to  a 
train  as  would  a  grade  of  thirty-five  ieet  to  the 
mile,  on  a  straight  line. 

—  The  following  patents  have  recently  been  is- 
sued :  John  Binder,  of  Chelsea,  Mass.,  for  im- 
provement in  hinges  for  folding  bedsteads.  Thom- 
as Crossley,  of  Roxbury,  Mass.,  for  improvement 
in  printed  carpets.  Benjamin  F.  Delano,  of  Chel- 
sea, Mass.,  for  improved  rudder-brace.  John  P. 
Schencke,  of  Boston,  Mass-.,  assignor  to  John  P. 
Schencke  and  Adolphe  S.  Saroni,  of  same  place, 
for  improvement  in  breech-loading  fire-arms. — 
Aury  G.  Goes,  of  Worcester,  Mass  ,  for  improved 
screw-wrench.  William  Coleman  and  Stephen^* 
G.  Coleman,  of  Providence,  Pi.  I.,  for  improved 
ship's  block.  Abijah  R.  Tewksbury,  of  Boston, 
Mass.,  for  improved  boat  or  scow.  Henry  Stan- 
ton, of  the  Army  of  the  United  States  of  America, 
for  improvement  in  discharging  breech-loading 
fire-arms. 


^iJucitising  ?Dcfiartmenr. 


(Cr  A  limited  number  of  advertisements  of  an  appropriate 
character  will  be  inserted  in  the  monthly  Farmer  at  the  fol 
owing 

BATES. 

For  one  square  of  15  lines,  one  insertion SI, 00 

For  each  subsequent  insertion '0 

XT  The'above  rates  will  be  charged  for  all  advertisements 
whether  longer  or  shorter. 


Middlesex  Agricultural  Society. 

n^HE  Committee  appointed  to  vie^v  Far^iifi  in  Bliddlesex 
1  CouTi^i^  will  enter  upon  their  duties  on  Monday,  the  5th 
day  of  September,  J853. 

All  persons  who  wish  to  enter  for  premiums  on  Farms, 
Orchards,  and  Meadows,  are  requested  to  make  appIicntion  to 
the  Secretary  at  Concord,  or  either  of  the  Committees,  b3- 
fore  the  first  day  of  September. 

CHARLES  BAlJliinGE,  Pepperell.^ 
SAMUEL  CHANDLER,  Lexington.  >     Committee. 
SIMON   BROWN,  Concord.  ) 

July  23,  1653.  6w 


438 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Sept. 


Fishkill  Landing  Mrsery. 

2i  MILES   NORTH    FROM   THE  NEWBURGH   FERRY. 

THE  subscriber  respectfully  solicits  the  atten- 
tion of  Fruit  GnowEns  and  dealers  in   Fruit 
Trees,  to  his  large  slock  for  sale  this  fall,  consist- 
ing of  FORTY  THOUSAND  APPLE  TREES, 
^^^^^^   of  the  most  aijproved  varieties,  6  to  10  feet  high, 
at'l*  cents  each,  or  $12  per  hundred. 

TWENTY  THOUSAND  PEAR  TREES, 
embracing  all  the  varieties  in  general  cultivation,  5  to  7  feet 
hioh,  30  cents  each,  on  Pear  stocks.  On  quince  the  trees  are 
ve'ry  thrifty,  and  include,  in  addition  to  the  leading  stanilard 
sorts,  many  of  the  new  varieties  cf  recent  introduction, which 
promise  well. 

THIRTY  THOUSAND  CHERRY  TREES, 
two  to  three  years  old,  of  nearly  all  the  popular  kinds  in  cul- 
tivation -—Dwarfs,  on  Mahaleb  stocks,  of  the  choicest  varie- 
ties, can  also  be  supplied,  6  to  8  feet  high,  §18  to  $30  per  hun- 
dred. 

TWENTY  THOUSAND  PLUM  TREES, 

of  the  most  highly  esteemed  sorts,  34  cents  each,  $30  per  hun- 
dred ;  Trees  thrifty,  pretty,  and  of  fine  size. 

A  large  stock  of  Apricot,  mostly  on  Plum  stocks,  at  $30  on 
Plum,  $12,50  on  Peach,  per  hundred. 

THIRTY  THOUSAND  PEACH  TREES, 
of  the   most  valuable  standard   varieties,  one  to  two   yeiirs 
growth   on  the    inoculation,   10  cents  each,  $8  per  hundred. 
No  peach  pits  are  planted  but  from  a  district  where  the  "Yel 
lows  "  has  not  yet  made  its  appearance. 

The  stock  of  Isabella  and  Catawba  Crape  Vines  is  very 
large,  two  to  four  years  old,  with  line  roots  ;  having  been  an- 
nually cut  back,  they  are  in  fine  condition  for  vineyard  plant- 
ing—$10  to  $16  per  hundred. 

TWO  THOUSAND  QUINCE  TREES, 
mostly  of  the  Apple  variety  ;  Currant  and  Raspbeiry  bushes. 
Strawberry  plants.  Hybrid  Perpetual  and  other  Roses,  &c.&c. 

FIFTY  THOUSAND  Deciduous  and  Evergreen  Ornament- 
al Trees,  suitable  for  Lawns  and  Avenues,  many  of  which  are 
of  large  size  and  fine  form — among  which  are  10,000  Arborviia>, 
ij  feet  to  5  feet  high,  $12  to  $-30  per  hundred.  (Not  from  the 
State  of  Maine.) 

EIGHTEEN  THOUSAND  Balsam  Fir,  l.J  to  5  feet  high, 
at  from  $15  to  30  per  hundred— together  with  Norway  Spruce, 
Native  Spruce,  Scotch,  Austrian  and  Weymouth  Pines,  Ju- 
nipers, Deoaar  Cedar,  Cedar  of  Lebanon,  English  and  Irish 
Yew,  &c. 

FIVE  THOUSAND  Red  Cedars,  of  suitable  size  for  screens. 

The  most  highly  prized  varieties  of  the  Apple,  Peach,  Pear, 
Plum,  Apricot,  Cherry,  &c.,  which  have  recently  originated 
in  this  country  and  Europe,  have  been  procured  as  early  as 
practicable,  and  tested,  or  are  in  the  course  of  being  tested,  on 
the  grounds  of  the  proprietor.  The  new  and  rare  Deciduous 
*^nd  Evergreen  Ornamental  Trees  are  annually  imported,  of 
which  fine  plants  can  be  furnished.  4,000  seeding  Oaks  and 
Elms,  imported  four  years  since,  are  among  the  Deciduous 
Trees,  many  of  them  very  remarkable  in  their  growth  and  up- 
pearanue. 

The  past  summer  has  been  favorable,  and  trees  of  every  des- 
cription have  made  a  fine  growth. 

The  Nursery  is  located  within  21  miles  of  the  Hudson  River 
Railroad  Depot,  at  Fishkill  Landing.  Steamboats  run  daily  to 
New  York  and  Albany,  from  Newburgh. 

Trees,  &c.,  when  ordered  will  be  taken  up  carefully,  cor- 
rectly labelled,  packed  in  the  best  manner,  forwarded  agreea- 
ble to  order,  and  with  the  least  possible  delay.  Charges  for 
packing  made  only  to  cover  cost. 

Catalogues  sent  in  exchange  for  a  letter  stamp. 

DANIEL  BRINCKERHOFF. 

Fishkill  Landing,  N.  Y  ,  Aug.  18,  1853. 


Sijper-Pliospliate  of  Lime, 

IN  bags  and  barrels,  made  by  C  D.  DeBURG,  a  warranted 
pure  and  genuine  article,  with  full  directions  for  use.  For 
sale  by  GEO.  DAVENPORT,  5  Commercial,  corner  of  Chat- 
ham St.,  Boston,  agent  for  the  manufacturer, 

Also,  for  sale,  Ground  Bone,  Bone  Dust,  Burnt  Bone,  Gua- 
no, and  Grass  Seeds  of  reliable  quality. 
March  26,  1853.  tf* 


Garden  Seeds. 


WE  respectfully  solicit  the  attention  of  purchasers  of  GAR 
DEN  SEEDS  to  our  extensive  stock,  which  we  offer  foj 
sale.  We  have  all  the  sorts  of  Vegetable  Seeds  that  havt 
proved  worthy  of  cultivation;  also.  Grain,  Grass  and  Flowei 
Seeds.  All  the  varieties  are  raised  and  selected  expressly  for 
our  trade,  and  we  do  with  confidence  recommend  them  to  all 
'who  desire  to  procure  seeds  that  will  prove  true  to  their  names. 
XT  Catalogues  gratis,  on  application. 

RUGGLES,  NOURSE,  MASON  &  CO., 
Jan.  1.  Over  Uuincy  Market,  Boston. 


Highland  Nurseries,  Newburgli, 

NEW  YORK. 

A.  SAUL  &  CO.,  in  calling  the  attention  of 
their  patrons  and  public  in  general  to  their  very 
extensive  stock  of  Fruit  and  Ornamental  Trees, 
Shrubs,  &c.  &c.,  which  they  offer  for  sale  the 
__  coming  autumn,  would  remark,  that  owing  to 
the  past  summer  being  one  of  the  n)ost  favorable  for  the 
growth  of  trees  which  they  have  had  for  many  years  in  this  ' 
vicinity,  their  slock  of  trees  and  plants  in  every  department 
is  large,  more  thrifty,  and  in  every  respect y?ner  than  usual. 
To  particularize  within  the  limiis  of  an  advertisement 
would  be  impossible  ;  they  therefore  rekr  planters  and  deal- 
ers in  trees  to  iheir  Catalogue,  a  copy  of  which  will  be  sent 
to  dWpost  paid  applicants,  on  enclosing  a  Post  Office  stamp 
for  the  same. 

They  invite  especial  attention  to  their  slock  of  Standard 
and  Dwf.  Pear  Trees,  which  are  unusually  fine  ;  also  Cherry 
Trees,  as  well  as  Plum,  Peach,  Apricot  ar,d  Nectarine  ;  also 
Crape  Vines,  Gooseberrries,  Currants,  Raspberries,  Strawber- 
ries, &c.,  in  every  known  variety. 

500,000  very  strong  two  year   old  Osage  Orange  Plants,  in 
three  sizes,  at  ten,  eight,  and  six  dollars  per  It 00.    Together 
with  Buckthorn  Plants,  Arbor  Vita;,  Arc. 
Highland  Nurseries,  Newburgh,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  3, 1853. 

2t 


THE  BOSTON  AND  WORCESTER 

EAGLE   DOUBLE    PLOWS. 


THE  superior  merits  of  these  Plows,  consist  in, 
1.  The  mode  of  attaching  the  forward  mould-board  to  the 
beam,  by  which  great  strength  and  durability  are  secured,  as 
also  the  various  desirable  changes  in  depth  of  work,  and  rela- 
tive depth  of  each  plow,  the  same  being  regul-ated  to  any  shade 
of  nicety,  with  perfect  facility. 

2.  The  entire  and  handsome  overturning  of  the  sod  furrow, 
by  the  forward  mould-board,  to  the  extent  of  the  whole  width 
of  furrow  taken  by  ihe  plow,  placing  it  beneath,  out  of  the 
way  of  the  teeth  of  the  harrow,  cultivator,  or  other  imple- 
ment, so  that  it  is  in  no  case  dragged  to  the  surface  in  the  af- 
ter-cultivation of  the  crop: 

3.  The  thorough  and  finished  work  done  by  the  rear  mould- 
board,  in  taking  up  its  furrow  of  under  soil  and  sifting  or  scat- 
tering it  over  the  inverted  sod,  so  as  to  entirely  fill  to  the  sur- 
face, and  at  the  same  time  break  open  any  undue  cohesion  oi 
the  soil,  leaving  the  plowed  land  in  a  finely  pulverized  condi- 
tion, requiring  little  labor  with  the  harrow  or  other  surface- 
working  instrument,— and  indeed,  in  all  tolerably  free  loams, 
rendering  the  use  of  these  instruments,  as  pulverizers,  quite 
unnecessary: 

4.  The  remarkably  light  draught  of  the  plow,  in  proportion 
to  the  amount  of  work  and  the  thoroughness  of  pulverization 
accomplished. 

Several  sizes  of  the  BOSTON  &  WORCESTER  EAGLE 
DOUBLE  PLOW,  are  made  by  the  subscribers,  from  patterns 
of  their  own  original  invention.  They  invite  their  friends  and 
customers  to  examine  these  Plows,  as  to  quality  and  durabil- 
ity of  material,  thoroughness  and  finish  of  construction,  and 
to  test.their  working  properties. 

Manufactory  at  Worcester,  and  VVarehouse  Quincy  Hall, 
over  the  Market,  Boston. 

RUGGLES,  NOURSE,  MASON  &;CO. 

April  30,  1S53.  


Cliiircli  and  Barn  Yanes. 

THE  Vane  as  used  on  either  churches  or  barns  combines 
both  usefulness  and  ornament.  The  subscriber  ha*  had 
many  years'  experience  in  the  making  of  V.anes,  and  has  man- 
ufactured a  large  number  which  have  given  uniform  satisfac- 
tion. His  patlerns  have  been  procured  *it  much  pains  and 
expense,  and  embrace  quite  a  variety  of  those  most  approved 
and  sought  after.  His  construction  of  Vanes  is  under  his  own 
eye  and  of  the  best  and  most  durable  material,  copper  only 
being  used.  Those  in  want  of  Vanes  for  either  churches  or 
barns,  are  invited  to  make  trial  of  those  made  by  the  subscri- 
ber. On  the  score  of  expense,  strength  and  beauty,  they  will 
be  found  to  be  what  is  required.  I.  S.  TOMPKINS, 

54  (formerly  21)  Union,  near  Hanover  St.,  Boston. 
May  21,  1853.  6mr 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


439 


The  Farmers'  Library. 

JUST  RECEIVED,  the  lollowiiig  assortment  of  Agricultural 
and  irorticultural  Books,  embracing  the  standarii  works  of 
eminent  American  and  European  writers,  on  the  Farm,  thi 
Orchard,  the  Garden,  &c,  &c. 

PRICK 

American  Farm  Book,  by  Allen,  ®''5lc 
Farmer's  Treasure,  by  Faulkner  and  Smith,  75 
Dana's  Muck  Manual,  1)0C 
Prize  Essay  on  Manures,  by  Dana,  25 
American  Muck  Book,  by  Browne,  1,25 
Lectures  on  Practical  Agriculture,  by  Johnstone,  75 
Elemtuts  of  Scienlilic  Agriculture,  by  Norton,  50 
.Piinciples  of  Agriculture,  by  Thaer,  2,50 
Practical  Agriculture,  by  Johnstone,  75 
Agriculture  for  Schools,  by  Blake,  1,00 
Catechism  of  Agriculture  and  Chemistry,  by  John- 
stone and  Norton,  25 
American  Agriculturist,  by  Allen,  1,0C 
Liebig's  Complete  Work  on  Chemistry,  1,00 
Farmer's  and  Emigrant's  Hand  Book,  by  Marshall,  75 
Home  for  all,  by  Fowler,  50 
Book  of  the  Farm,  by  Stephens  and  Skinner,  4,00 
Cottage  and  Farm  Houses,  by  Downing,  2,00 
Downing's  Country  Houses,  4,0f 
Rural  Architecture,  by  Allen,  1,25 
Downing's  Landscape  Gardening  and  Rural  Archi- 
tecture, 3,50 
Downing's  Cottage  Residences,  2,0C 
Fruit  Garden,  by  Barry,  1,2'> 
Complete  Gardener  and  Farmer,  by  Fessendea,  1,25 
Bridgenian's  Gardener's  Assistant,  2,00 
Bridgeman's  Kitchen  Gardener's  Instructor,  50 
American  Fruit  Culfurist,  by  Thomas,  1,00 
Gardener  and  Complete  Florist,  25 
Florist's  Guide,  by  Bridgemau,  5C 
New  England  Fruit  Book,  by  Ives, 

Youatt  and  Martin  on  Cattle,  by  Stevens,  1,2' 

Rose  Culturist,  3£ 

Johnson's  Gardener's  Dictionary,  by  Landreth,  1,5' 

Rural  Economy,  by  Boussiugault,  l,Oi 

American  Rose  Culturist,  it 

Bigelow's  Plants  of  Boston,  1,2^ 

Genera  of  Plants  of  the  U.  S.,  by  Gray,  2  vola.  12,0( 

Gray's  Botany,  2,00 

Parnell's  Chemistry,  1,00 

New  England  Farmer,  by  Cole,  1,0C 

Ladies'  Guide  and  Skilful  Housewife,  by  Mrs.  Abel,  25 

Hive  and  Honey  Bee,  by  Richardson,  25 

Bee  Keeper's  Manual,  by  Miner,  50 

Bird  Fancier,  by  Browne,  paper  25  centa,  50 

Townley  on  Bees,  5( 

American  Poultry  Yard,  by  Browne,  1,00 

Americ-in  Poulterers'  Companion,  by  Bement,  l,0l' 

American  Fowl  Breeder,  by  Moore,  25 

American  Herd  Book,  by  Allen,  3,00 

American  Shepherd,  by  Morrill,  1,00 

Domestic  Animals,  by  Allen,  75 

Diseases  of  Animals,  by  Cole,  50 

Hints  to  Sportsmen,  by  Lewis,  1,25 

Dadd's  Anatomy  and  Physiology  of  the  Horse,  1.00 

Mason's  Farrier  and  Stud  Book,  by  Skinner,  1,26 

Management  of  Sheep,  by  Canfield,  1,00 

Yowatt  on  the  Pig,  6'. 

Knowlson's  Complete  Cow  Doctor,  26 

Horse  Doctor,  25 

Guenon's  Treatise  on  Milch  Cows,  36 

Treatise  on  Hot  Houses,  by  Leuchara,  1,00 

Allen  on  the  Grape,  1,25 

Schenck's  Text  Book,  50 

Breck's  Book  of  Flowers,  75 

Downing's  Fruit  and  Fruit  Trees,  1,50 
For  sale  at  the  Publishers'  prices  by  RUGGLES,  N0UR8 
MASON  &.  Co.,  Quincy  Hall,  (over  the  Market,)  Boston. 
Jan.  1,  1S53.                                   tf* 


^^^.. 


English  FSiicy  Lop-ear  Rabbits. 

THE  undersigned  will  be  happy  to  show  a  choice  lot  of  im 
ported  Lop-eared  Ratibiln,  to  gentlemen  interested,  at  his 
residence  in  Melrose.  This  stock  is  from  the  best  in  England, 
and  WIS  selected  with  care.  I  have  a  few  young  Rabbits  for 
sale,  which  willbe  ready  to  deliver  in  July  and  August. 

Address,        GEO.  P.  BURNHAM,  Box  22,  Postofiice. 
Boston,  June  11,  18o3.  4w'3 


Fjirm  in  Westhoro',  Mass., 

For  sale  or  exchange,  for  Boston  projierly,  sit 
uated  on  the  old  Grafton  road,  within  J  mile  of 
the  Railroad  Depot,  containing  27  acres  of  as 
2<uid  land  as  any  other  27  acres  laying  in  one 
body,  in  the  town;  it  is  elevated  about  75  feet 
above  the  railroad,  and  overlooks  the  town,  and  is  within  7 
minutes  walk  of  three  churches  and  the  town  house,  which 
for  healthy  location  is  unsurpassed.  The  buildings  consist  of 
a  modern  house,  built  by  Boston  mechanics  in  18.51,  and  is  32 
by  22  feet,  with  a  kitchen  attacheil,  16  by  23  feet,  two  stories 
high,  with  a  cellar  under  the  whole.  Wood-house,  16  by  20 
feet;  work-shop  16  by  12  feet;  carriage  and  hen  house,  16  by 
21  feet;  poultry  yarcl,  30  by  53  feet,  enclosed  by  slat  fence  8 
feet  high;  barn,  60  by  36  feet,  with  cellar  under  the  same,  so 
divided  as  to  give  a  vegetable  cellar  containing  about  2000 
bushels;  cistern  and  well  water  is  brought  into  the  house,  and 
all  the  wash  of  the  kitchen  and  privy  is  conducted  by  a  drain 
to  the  barn  cellar;  likewise  a  farm  house  24  feet  square,  li 
stories  high,  cellar  under  the  same;  there  are  three  good  wells 
of  water  and  one  good  brick  and  cement  cistern  on  the  prem- 
ises. There  are  now  on  (he  farm  1-12  large  apple  trees,  most- 
ly grafted,  also  220  young  thriving  apple  trees,  mostly  Bald- 
wins, from  4  to  6  years  from  the  bud,  some  of  them  have 
borne  fruit;  likewise  34  peach  trees  of  early  choice  variety, 
10  pear  trees,  (fee  There  has  been  taken  from  the  farm  the 
past  year,  30  tons  of  hay,  375  bushels  of  corn  in  the  ear,  700 
bushels  of  carrots,  beets  and  S.  turnips,  80  barrels  grafted 
fruit, besides  vegetables  used  in  the  (amily  For  further  infer 
mation,  apply  at  this  otiice,  of  Messrs.  SIMON  BROWN  or 
WILLIAM  SIMONDS;  at  Westboro',  of  Messrs.  PAYER 
WETHER  <V  GRIGGS. 
Feb.  5.  1853  tf 


Haying  Tools. 


1000  dozen  superior  Grass  Scythes. 

PHILLIPS,  Messer  &  Colby's— Darling's— Farwell's— Mans- 
field &  Lamb's— Keyes  &  Dunn's. 
Also  .Lawn,  Grain  and  Bush  Scythes,  of  the  best  quality. 

1000  dozen  Scythe  Sneaths. 

Patent  Grass,  Lawn  and  Bush  Snealhs,  from  the  best  man- 
ufacturers in  the  country. 

2500  dozen  Hay  Rakes. 

Hall's,  Simonds's,  Carpenter's,  Page  &  Wakefield's,  Robin- 
son's, Duggan's  and  English  best  Hand  Rakes. 

500  Drag  Rakes. 

This  Rake  is  a  hybrid  between  the  Hand  and  Horse  Rake 
every  good  farmer  should  have  one  or  more. 

3000  dozen  Scythe  Rifles. 

Clark's  celebrated  Whetstone  Grit  and  Emery  Rifles.  Also, 
Austin's,  Anson's,  Willard's,  and  others. 

200  gross  Scythe  Stones. 

Quinebaug,  Chocolate,  Norway  Rag  and  Indian  Pond;  also, 
Woodward  and  Talacre  (English)  Scythe  Stones. 

20  tons  Grindstones. 
A  well  selected  assortment  of  the  celebrated   Blue  Sheet, 
warranted.     Also,  Grindstones  of  all  sizes,  mounted  on  frames 
and  rollers  complete. 

Grindstone  Fixtures,  viz :  Flanges,  Arbors,  Cranks  and 
Rollers. 

800  Horse  Hay  Rakes. 

Delano's  Patent  Revolving  !ind  Spring  Tooth  Hay  Rakes; 
all  of  which  will  be  sold  at  wholesale  nr  retail,  at  very  low 
prices,  by  RUGGLES,  NOURSE  .MASON  <fc  CO., 

Over  the  Market,  Boston. 

June  25,  1853. 


Ahlerney  Calves  for  Sale. 


Aug.  20,  1853. 


FROM  MR.  JVEBSTER'S  STOCK. 

2  Bull  Calves,  thorough  bred. 
1  Cull  Calf,  i  Alderney,  \  Ayrshire. 
(C  Address  "A.,"  Bo.x  416  Boston  Post 
Office. 

5w^ 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND.  FARMER. 


440 


CONTENTS  OP  THIS  NUMBER. 

Calendar  for  September Page  393 

The  Wants  of  Agriculture 894 

Changes  uf  Timber  from  Clearing  Lunds 895 

Mowing  Machines 39-' 

Potatoes — Leached  Ashes  as  a  Top-Dressing 5% 

An  Hour  with  a  B udder 396 

To  Destroy  Vermin  in  Fowls — Migration  of  Swallows.... 397 

The  Sandwich  Islands— The  Tomato 398 

Eruption  of  Manua  Loa,  Feb.  29,  1852 399 

Important  Query— How  to  Cure  Warts 399 

E.xhibition  of  the  Venn  on  I  State  Agricultural  Society 400 

Garget— To  make  Good  Walks— The  Onion  Worm 400 

Bees 401 

The  Thriftless  Farmer — Improvement  and  Haying 402 

To  Prevent  Bugs  from  Eating  Vines 402 

Action  of  Drought  on  Plants .' 4(3 

High  ways— A  Beautiful  Feature 404 

Garden  and  Fire  Engines 4i)4 

The  Hive  and  Honey  Bee— The  Canker  Worm 405 

Turnip  and  Grass  Seed — Ammonia 406 

Unworthy  Books— Summer  i'runing  of  the  Grape  Vine...4o7 

A  new  species  of  Canker  Worm 406 

Cranberry  Culture— Milk  and  Butter 409 

Transactions  of  the  Agricultural  Societies  of  Mass 4C^ 

Swallows — Laying  Down  to  Grass 410 

National  Agricultural  Society  and  Mount  Vernon 412 

Inoculation — Budding 412 

Sale  of  Earl  of  Ducie's  Slock— A  Prolific  Meadow 413 

A  Novel  Encounter — Trimming  Pines 414 

List  of  State  Fairs  in  1853 — Trees 415 

The  Weather — Peas — An  Experiment — Garget  in  Cows... 41 

Food  for  Crops— Mowing  Machines 46 

Analyzing  Soils— Farming  Science,  &c 418 

The  Marrow  Squash — The  Crops 419 

Shelter 420 

Inquiries  about  Swine,  Breeding  Sows,  Sheep,  &c 421 

What  Sweet  Apples  are  best  for  Farmers.' 421 

How  tolDry  Peaches— Cultivation  of  the  Pear 422 

Benefit  of  Peat  Ashes  as  a  Manure 423 

Hitching  Posts — Value  of  Cow  Manure 424 

Earthing  up  Celery — Rough  Paint  for  Farmers 425 

Notes  by  the  Way 4  5 

Saleratus— Old  Fields ■ 4  6 

Stubble  Lands— The  Roller 42; 

Monthly  Farmer  for  August 429 

Tomatoes 430 

Morning— Practical  Bee  Keeping 43 

Grapes 432 

Ax  Making— The  Potato  Rot 433 

Transactions  of  the  Agricultural  Societies,  No.  2 431 

Mr.  Webster's  Mansion 435 

The  Palmer  Worm — Prospects  of  the  Crops 436 

Blast  on  Potatoes— Extracts,  Replies,  &c 436 

Discoveries  and  Improvements 437 

ILLUSTRATIONS. 

A  Wheel  Iloe 40 1 

May's  Victoria  Currant 401 

Thorough  Bred  Ayrshire  Bull  Prince  Albert 417 

Budding  and  Pruning  Knives 433 

Earth,  or  Road  Scraper -. 433 


Old  Colony  JViirseries. 

Wanted,  5  to  10,000  Ajiple  Stocks  of  good  qual 
ity.  Apply  to  B.  M.  WATSON,  Old  Colony 
Nurseries,  Plymouth,  Mass.,  where  may  be  had 
every  variety  of  Fruit  and  Ornamental  Trees  and 
Shrubs,  Plants,  Green-house  Plants.  &c.;  also. 
Pear,  Cherry,  Plum,  Paradise  and  Mahaleh 
Stocks,  for  Nurseries. 

A  great  variety  of  young  Ornamental  Trees  and  Shrubs, 
from  $3  to  $10  per  lOO,  for  Nurseries  or  ornamental  planting. 
Dahlias,  Verbenas,  Roses,  Pea  Heliotropes  and  Fachrias,  new 
dwarf  Chrysanthemums, (100sorts,)Phloxes,  Iris,  Herbaceous 
Plants,  Japan  Lilies,  <fec.,  in  great  variety,  including  many  no 
veUies  lately  imported.     Strawberry  plants  in  80  varieties. 

Carriage  paid  to  Boston.  Catalogues  gratis,  and  prepaid 
on  receipt  of  one  stamp. 

Feb.  26.  tf 


Strawberry  Plants,  &c. 

1  An  f\f\l\  Fl'NE  Strawberry  Plants,  of  the  following 
lUW^UV/U  kinds:— Fay's  Seedling,  Richardson's  Early, 
Richardson's  Late,  Hovey's  Seedling,  Boston  Pine  and  Scotch 
Runners. 

lOoO  Dutch  Currant  Bushes,  red  and  white. 

A  lot  of  Horse  Chestnut,  Latch  and  Maple  Trees,  6  to  8  feet 
high.  For  sale  by  PARKER  &  WHITE, 

59  &  63  Blackstone  Street,  Boston. 

Aug.  27,  1853.  4w 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER 

Is  published  on  the  first  of  every  month,  by  John  Ravnolds 
and  JoKL  NouRSE,  at  Q.uincy  Hall,  South  Market  St.,  Boston. 

SIMON  BROWN,  Editor. 
FREDERICK  HOLBROOK, )  Associate 
HENRY  F.  FRENCH,  5   Editors. 

O"  Terms,  $1,00  per  annum  in  advance. 

aZT  All  subscriptions  to  commence  with  the  volume,  Jan.  1. 

The  Farmer,  is  devoted  exclusively  to  Agriculture,  Hor- 
ticulture, and  their  kindred  Arts  and  Sciences;  making  a  neat 
volume  of  576  octavo  pages,  embellished  with  numerous  en 
gravings.  It  may  be  elegantly  bound  in  muslin,  embossed  and 
gilt,  at  25  cts.  a  volume,  if  left  at  the  office  of  publication.    . 

03=  Also  published  at  the  same  office  every  Saturday,  on  a 
large  handsome  folio  sheet,  the 

NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER,    (WEEKLY,) 

A7i  Independent  Asricultural  Family  Neu-npaptr. 

The  News  and  Miscellaneous  departments  under  the  charge 
of  WILLIAM  SIMONDS,  will  include  a  full  and  careful  re- 
port of  the  news  of  the  Markets,  and  the  news  of  the  week, 
such  as  Domestic,  Foreign  and  Marine  Intelligence,  Congres 
sional  and  Legislative  proceedings.  Temperance  and  Religiou- 
Intelligence,  and  a  general  variety  of  Literary  and  Miscellanes 
oils  matter,  adapted  to  family  reading,  comprising  more  use- 
ful and  valuable  reading  matter  than  any  other  Agricultural 
Ne%vspaper  published  in  New  England.  Everything  of  a  hurt- 
ful or  even  doubtful  tendency  '^ill  be  carefully  excluded  from 
its  columns. 

0°  Terms  $2,00  per  annum  in  advance. 

The  monthly  contains  nearly  the  same  matter  as  the  Agri- 
cultural department  of  the  weekly. 

O"  Postmasters  and  others,  who  will  forward  four  new 
subscribers  on  the  above  named  terms,  for  either  publication, 
shall  receive  a  fifth  copy  gratis  for  one  year. 

(0=  All  orders  and  letters  should  be  addressed,  po.s<-/)airf, 

RAYNOLDS  &o  NOURSE, 
Qi'lNCY  Hall,  South  Market  Street,  Bostox. 


(ET  Postage. — The  postage  on  the  New  England  Farmer 
monthly,  is  1^  cents  per  quarter,  or  6  cents  per  jear,  to  any 
putt  of  the  United  States,  to  be  paid  in  advance  at  the  office 
where  the  same  is  received. 


AGRICULTURAL 

WAREHOUSE  AND  SEED  STORE, 

qUINCY  HALL,  OVER  THE  MARKET,  BOSTON. 

THE  Projirietors  having  recently  enlarged  their  Warehouse, 
and  increased  their  works  at  Worcester,  would  respect- 
fully invite  the  attention  of  Phvnters  and  Dealers  in  AGRI- 
CULTURAL <t  HORTICULTURAL  IMPLEMENTS,  GAR- 
DEN and  FIELD  SEEDS,  &<;.,  to  their  stock,  coniprisuig  the 
largest  and  best  assortment  to  be  found  in  the  United  Stales, 
which  are  offered  at  low  prices. 

Of  PLOUGHS — we  have  the  greatest  variety  of  kinds  and 
.■(izes. 

Improved  Sod  Ploughs,  for  flat  furrows — improved  Scotch 
Ploughs  for  lapped  furrows — improved  Stubble  Ploughs,  which 
are  esjiecially  adapted  to  deep  tillage,  or  varying  from  6  to  12 
inches  in  depth. 

Self-sharpening,  Hill  Side,  Sub-soil,  Double  Mould,  Corn, 
Cotton  and  Rice  Ploughs. 

Cylinder  Hay  Cutters,  Smith's  Patent  Lever  Gate,  and  oth 
ers.  Patent  Corn  Shellers,  with  and  without  Separators. 
Seed  Sowers,  of  various  sizes  and  prices.  Batchelder's  patent 
Corn  Planter,  improved.  Fanning  Mills  of  various  sizes, 
Horse  Powers,  Threshing  Machines,  thermometer  Churns, 
Rohbins'  patent  Centrifugal  Churn,  Cylinder  Churn,  Dash 
Churn,  Corn  Planters,  together  with  almost  every  article 
wanted  on  the  Plantation,  Farm  or  Garden. 

Illustrated  Catalogues  sent  gratis  on  application,  post  paid 
RUGGLES,  NOURSE,  MASON  &  CO. 

Boston  and  Worcester,  Mass.,  Jan.  1,  1853  tf 


Pure  Bred  Fowls. 

For  sale  at  a  moderate  price,  if  applied 
for  soon.  White  and  |4uff  Shanghaes,  Gold 
and  Silver  Spangled  Hamburgh  or  Pheas- 
ants, Black  Sjianish  and  Bolon  Grays; 
also,  Java  Pea  Fowls,  Black  Norfolk  Tur- 

^  .         keys  and  Bremen  Geese.    These  Fuwls  are 

from  imported  and  prize  stocks,  and  very  fine,  and  can  be  for- 
wHidtd  by  express  at  short  notice.  For  further  particulars 
address  H.  H.  LITTLE, 

East  Marshfield,  Plymouth  County,  Mass. 
Aug.  20,  1853.  •  6w 


,3J§f«^^'^^4/f^. 


DEVOTED  TO  AGHIOULTURE  AND  ITS  KINDRED  ARTS  AND  SCIENCES. 


VOL.  V. 


BOSTON,  OCTOBER,  1853. 


NO.  10. 


RAYNOLUS  &  NOURSE,  PuoriiiETOi.s.  „,„^»t  T,T,^,xr,vT    ,:.  FRED'K  HOLBROOK,  i  associate 

Office.... au.NCV  II.li..  ^^^^^  BROWN,  Editor.  ^^^^^^  p_  FRENCH  J  Editors. 


CALENDAR  FOR  OCTOBER. 

"The  wooilpath  is  cirpeted  (  ver  with  leaves, 

The  glories  of  Autumn  decay  ; 
The  Goddesd  of  Plenty  has  bound  up  her  sheaves, 

And  caniefl  the  Harvest  away." 

BRY.\NT,in  his  beautiful  poem  on  the  "Death  of 
the  Flowers,"  where  he  so  vividly  describes  our 
autumn  scenery,  says, — 

"The  melancholy  d.iys  are  come,  the  saddest  of  the  year," — 

and  in  so  saying,  only  utters  the  common  senti- 
ment of  nearly  ;ill  our  people.  There  is,  in  one 
sense,  a  melancholy  aspect  in  the  dying  year. — 
The  bright  fulness  and  vigor  of  the  grass  and 
leaves  and  flowers,  has  shrunk  and  bowed  a  lit- 
tle, as  the  first  touches  of  age  and  care  upon  a 
beautiful  woman.  "Every  day  a  flower  drops 
from  out  the  wroath  that  binds  its  brow — not  to 
be  renewed.  E\ery  hour  the  sun  looks  more  and 
more  askance  up'in  it,  and  the  winds,  those  sum- 
mer flatterers,  come  to  it  less  fawningly.  Every 
breath  shakes  down  showers  of  its  leafy  attire, 
leaving  it  gradually  barer  and  barer,  for  the  blasts 
of  winter  to  blow  through  it.  Every  morning  and 
evening  takes  aw;iy  from  it  a  portion  of  that  light 
which  gives  beauty  to  its  life,  and  chills  it  more 
and  more  into  that  torpor  which  at  length  consti- 
tutes its  temporary  death.  And  yet  October  is 
beautiful  still,  no  less  'for  what  it  gives  than  what 
it  takes  away  ;'  and  even  for  what  it  gives  during 
the  very  act  of  taking  away." 

Spring  l)ring3  its  gentle  airs,  its  bursting  buds 
and  expanding  flowers,  and  summerputs  on  its  full 
dress  of  "living  green  ;"  but  autumn,  like  the  la- 
dy who  doubts  whether  her  charms  are  as  attrac- 
tive as  they  once  were,  puts  on  her  livery  of  many 
hues,  and  sports  in  gorgeous  colors. 

October  is  an  important  month  to  the  farmer  in 
many  particulars.  Great  care  is  necessary  in  pre- 
serving the  crops  he  has  labored  so  assiduously  to 
obtain,  and  in  preserving  the  seeds  upon  which  he 
is  to  depend  for  future  crops. 

Apples. — Unusual  c^re  with  this  fruit  will  be 


well  repaid  this  year  by  the  high  price  which  they 
will  command.  Apples  will  keep  better  by  being 
{ilaeed  on  frames  in  a  cool  cellar  as  soon  as  taken 
from  the  tree  ;  or,  if  put  in  barrels,  place  them  at 
once  in  the  cellar,  rather  than  leave  them  out  ex- 
posed during  the  day  to  the  hot  sun  and  to  the 
low  temperature  of  the  nights.  These  constant 
changes  are  injurious.  Great  care  is  necessary  in 
the  first  place,  in  picking  and  assorting  them. — 
Half  a  peck  of  bad  apples  in  a  barrel  Vv'Ould  spoil 
the  sale  of  the  whole  with  many  a  good  customer  ; 
assort  them  into  different  grades,  and  the  high 
price  on  the  best  will  bring  up  a  fiiir  average  on 
the  whole.  All  articles  sent  to  market  should  be 
assorted  in  this  way.  Sales  are  then  quick,  as  the 
whole  matter  is  readily  understood  by  both  par- 
ties. 

Roots. — Sugar  beets  and_mangel  wurt^el  should 
be  secured  before  any  severe  frosts  occur.  But 
as  soon  as  arrived  at  maturity,  which  may  be 
known  by  the  discolored  and  dead  leaves,  they 
should  be  harvested,  or  they  lose  some  of  their  nu- 
tritious properties. 

Ruta  bagas,  and  flat  turnips  may  remain  till  the 
ground  begins  to  freeze ;  they  still  grow  when 
heavy  frosts  occur,  and  when  the  weather  is  quite 
cold. 

Cabbages  may  also  remain  out  till  snow  falls. 
A  fine  way  to  preserve  them  for  winter  use  is  to 
dig  a  trench  in  the  cellar,  and  after  taking  the 
plants  up,  roots  and  all,  set  them  closely  in  the 
trench,  where  they  will  keep  fresh  and  hard  till 
spring,  if  the  light  is  excluded. 

Cauliflowers  may  be  kept  in  the  same  man- 
ner, and  will  throw  out  fine  heads  on  plants  that 
had  but  just  begun  to  head  when  taken  from  the 
garden.     But  they  must  have  the  light. 

All  roots  that  have  come  to  maturity  and  are 
placed  away  for  winter  use,  are  better  for  having 
the  light  excluded. 

Squashes. — These  may  be  kept  through  the  en- 


442 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Oct. 


tire  winter  t>y  hanging  them  up  in  rooms  where 
they  will  not  freeze.  They  surely  rot  if  laid  in 
a  mass,  touching  each  other. 

Pumpkins  may  be  packed  in  straw  or  hay  in 
warm  barns  and  kept  a  long  time  without  freezing, 
and  then  make  a  change  of  food  for  milch  cows 
which  they  highly  relish. 

Seeds. — Too  much  care  cannot  be  taken  to  pre- 
serve the  best  seeds  for  future  planting,  and  have 
them  placed  where  they  will  be  free  from  the  dep- 
redations of  mice,  and  from  dampness.  It  is  a 
poor  time  to  hunt  up  seeds  and  decide  what  it  is 
best  to  sow  and  plant  after  the  soil  is  ready  for 
the  seed. 

Timber  and  Fuel. — It  is  said  that  timber  and 
fuel  cut  from  July  to  November  is  more  valuable 
than  if  prepared  at  any  other  season. 

Hpsking. — This  work  is  toooftendonein  a  care 
less  and  slovenly  manner.  The  tips  and  butts  of 
the  ear  should  be  taken  off,  as  well  as  the  silks 
To  do  this  work  well,  pays  well  in  the  end. — 
Large  quantities  of  corn  piled  in  the  barn  at  once, 
are  liable  to  heat,  and  injure  the  grain.  It  is  much 
less  liable  to  hurt  in  the  field. 

October  is  one  of  the  most  delightful  months 
of  our.  climate.  No  blight  has  fallen  upon  the 
crops  to  make  futile  the  labors  of  the  farmer's 
hands,  and  amid  the  ingathering  of  the  bountiful 
products  of  the  year,  he  ought  to  possess  a  con 
stantly  greatful  heart,  and  realize  a  great  deal  of 
enjoyment. 

For  the  Neiv  England  Farmer. 
.NORTHERN     APPLES. 

Mr.  Editor  : — At  the  State  Fair  recently  held 
at  Montpelier,  several  varieties  of  apples  which 
were  new  to  me  were  presented  by  Mr.  Bailey, 
of  Plattsburgh ,  N.  Y.,  a  gentleman  of  much  ur- 
banity, and  of  great  intelligence  in  all  matters  re- 
lating to  the  growing  of  fruit.  Perhaps  your  read- 
ers are  better  acquainted  with  them  than  I  am. 
But  they  seemed  to  me  worthy  of  a  passing  no- 
tice. 

The  Bailey  Spice,  a  seedling  which  Mi*.  Bailey 
has  introduced,  is  a  beautiful  white  apple,  with 
furrows  running  from  the  stem  to  the  calyx,  of 
medium  size,  sprightly,  pleasant,  comes  to  maturi- 
ty about  the  last  of  September,  a  fine  apple  for 
the  table  and  for  cooking. 

The  Champlain  is  a  smaller  white  apple.  The 
flesh  is  white  and  delicate,  of  agreeable  flavor. 
The  Sally  Autumn,  a  delicate  light  red  apple,  ta- 
pering towards  the  calyx,  ripe  in  October.  The 
Walworth,  a  small  white  apple,  with  a  rich  blush 
on  one  side,  and  the  St.  Laivrence,  a  good  sized 
apple,  green,  with  a  few  red  stripes  near  the  stem, 
rather  tart  for  a  table  apple,  but  juicy,  and  good 
for  cooking,  hardj  and  a  good  bearer.  He  had  al- 
BO  some  fine  specimens  of  the  Alexander,  an  apple 
I  think  already  known  to  our  nurserymen — a 
large,  fine  looking  red  apple,  and  the  Rosseau, 
which  I  need  not  describe.  The  first  four  varie- 
ties seem  to  me  worthy  of  attention.     I   think  if 


introduced  into  our  gardens,  they  would  become 
larger  under  the  influence  of  our  more  genial  cli- 
mate. The  Bailey  Spice  would  probably  reach 
maturity  early  in  September,  as  it  would  blossom 
somewhat  earlier  with  us,  and  would  prove  a  fine 
fixll  apple.  Pei'haps  it  would  equal  the  Porter, 
which  it  somewhat  resembles.  At  any  rate,  ii 
would  increase  the  number  of  our  fine  autumnal 
apples  ;  I  have  engaged  some  grafts  for  next 
spring.  Mr.  B.  will  supply  all  orders  for  them. 
Yours,  &c.,  J.  R. 

Concord,  Sept.  24. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
LYNN  HORTICULTURAL  EXHIBITION. 

Friend  Brown: — Lynn  has  become  proverbial 
for  its  enterprise  in  the  department  of  Shoes,  of  ev- 
ery grade  and  size.  You  may  go  east  or  west,  north 
or  south  ;  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific — Flori- 
da to  the  Provinces  ;  and  the  name  of  Lynn  is  as 
familiar  as  household  words  ;  Moll  Pitcher, and  her 
mysterious  acts,  are  famous  in  story  and  song  ; 
and  who  has  not  heard  of  '■'■High  Rock  V  Still, 
there  are  other  things  in  which  ij/^^n  is  not  behind 
the  times  ;  it  is  in  her  fine  schools  and  beautiful 
gardens.  The  first,  to  raise  plants  of  "rertojA'w," 
the  other  to  please  the  eye,  and  gratify  the 
sense  and  taste.  Last  evening,  I  had  the  extreme 
pleasure  of  attending  one  of  those  exhibitions  of 
fruits  and  fiowers,  (so  common  at  the  present 
time,)  at  Exchange  Hall.  The  fruit  and  flowers 
exhibited,  were  the  productions  of  the  gardens  in 
this  City,  and  under  the  direction  of  the  Horticul- 
tural Society.  Among  the  managers  are  the  names 
of  B.  F.  INIuDGE,  Ex-Mayor  of  this  city,  Ebenezer 
Brown,  Rev.  Mr.  Shackford,  Otis  Johnson,  Rob- 
ert Bartlett,  and  H.  A.  Breed.  H.  A.  Breed 
had 42  varieties  of  pears,  and  other  choice  fruit  and 
flowers.  B.  Brown  had  40  varieties  of  pears  and 
24  kinds  of  apples.  Otis  Johnson  had  24  kinds  of 
pears,  and  other  choice  fruit.  Rev.  Mr.  Shackford 
had  a  good  assortment  of  apples ;  pears,  peaches, 
quinces,  &c.  Otis  Johnson  had  a  large  variety  of 
rare  fruit.  Robert  Bartlett  had  some  fine  Seckel 
pears,  the  largest  I  have  ever  seen,  also  grapes, 
peaches,  pears,  flowers,  &c.  The  whole  afiPair  was 
well  got  up,  and  spiced  by  the  presence  of  a  large 
number  of  ladies.  This  looks  well  for  this  young 
city — may  prosperity  attend  her  in  the  future. 

Sept.  17th,  1853.  J.  Robinson. 


English  Horses. — Horses  in  England  are  dete- 
riorating ;  as  a  race,  they  are  growing  more  del- 
icate. At  the  military  encampment  at  Cobham, 
the  horses  are  carefully  housed  ;  whereas  in  former 
times,  they  could  do  very  well  in  the  open  air. 
Modern  English  horses  are  also  liable  to  have  sore 
backs  after  a  short  march,  and  they  are  so  weak  in 
the  legs  that  a  number  of  such  marches  would 
soon  produce  lameness.  The  useful  class  of  horses 
which  formerly  supplied  the  cavalry  no  longer  ex- 
ists. Breeders  confine  themselves  to  raising  thor- 
ough-breds  for  the  turf,  to  cart-horses,  harness- 
horses,  and  hunters. 


J^"  lu   some  parts  of  London,  land  is  valued  at 
the  rate  of  two  million  dollar*  an  acre. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


443 


For  the  New  Eni^land  Farmer. 
"OLD  FIELDS." 

Messrs.  Editors  : — Your  correspondent  R.  B.  H. 
in  the  N.  E.  Farmer  20th  of  August,  expresses  a 
correct  idea  of  the  land  called  "old  fields"  at  the 
present  day,  and  the  bad  treatment  they  have  re- 
ceived from  their  owners.  These  old  fields  were 
considered  the  best  land  by  the  first  settlers  ;  they 
most  readily  yielded  the  important  articles  which 
constitute  the  "staff  of  life."  If  they  could  talk, 
it  would  be  on  this  wise  to  the  proprietors  :  "you 
have  shown  partiality;  you  have  bestowed  labor 
and  manure  on  lands  less  deserving  than  we  are, 
because  they  were  obstinate  and  would  not  pro- 
duce without;  while  we  were  ever  obedient  and 
freely  yielded  our  utmost  mite  for  your  benefit, 
without  manure  or  much  labor  ;  and  now,  because 
we  cannot  do  more,  you  despise  us  and  show  your 
ingratitude  by  giving  us  a  bad  character  and  be- 
stowing all  your  favors  on  hard,  stony,  cold  lands 
you  could  not  coax  nor  drive  to  produce  a  crop 
without  manure  and  an  abundance  of  labor ; 
whereas,  if  you  had  treated  us  so  and  not  slighted 
and  starved  us,  but  had  bestowed  upon  us  the 
same  amount  of  manure  and  half  the  labor,  we 
should  have  continued  to  reward  you  with  as  val- 
uable, if  not  better  crops,  to  this  day,  than  your 
favorites,  mud,  clay  and  stones."  I  have  had  an 
opportunity  to  be  acquainted  with  the  use,  and 
have  seen  the  abuse  of  "old  fields"  or  pine  plains  ; 
it  was  my  lot  to  be  born  on  old  fields;  I  received 
my  nourishment  from  old  fields,  and  a  plenty  of  it 
too,  and  grew  six  feet  high  on  old  fields,  and  was 
educated  on  old  fields,  as  any  one  would  readily 
suppose  by  reading  this. 

The  times  have  strangely  altered  since  the  war 
of  1812  ;  corn  and  rye  were  dear  and  labor  cheap, 
during  a  period  of  twenty  years  or  more  dating 
from  1792.  Rye,  if  I  remember  aright,  averaged 
as  high  as  $1,25  or  $1,50  a  bushel  from  that  time 
till  1820  ;  it  sold  at  f  2,50  in  the  time  of  the  last 
war  with  England,and  in  the  years  1836  and  1837 
it  sold  for  $2  or  more  a  bushel,  so  that  skinning 
old  fields  in  those  days  was  a  kind  of  necessary 
evil.  At  the  above  named  periods  farmers  in  New 
England  were  compelled  to  raise  their  own  bread 
stuff;  very  few  were  able  to  eat  wheat  flour  brought 
from  the  West,  it  being  proportionably  dear,  which 
made  the  skinning  of  old  fields  a  more  excusable 
business  than  at  the  present  day.  When  a  man's 
labor  was  worth  but  75  cents  a  day  and  rye  worth 
$1,25  or  $1,50  a  bushel,  there  was  an  inducement 
to  encourage  the  farmers  to  raise  Tye  ;  but  now  la- 
bor is  worth  a  dollar  a  day  and  rye  but  83  cents, 
the  farmer  can  sell  his  time  at  a  higher  price  than 
he  would  get  by  continuing  t]ie  process  of  skin- 
ning old  fields.  At  the  former  period  spoken  of 
above,  it  was  difficult  for  a  farmer  to  fi^d  employ- 
ment off  from  his  own  farm  ;  and  if  he  could  it  was 
more  difficult  to  get  cash  pay  ;  and  he  could  do 
better  at  raising  rye  on  old  fields,  even  at  7  bush- 
els to  the  acre,  than  doing  nothing.  Now  he  had 
better  convert  his  old  fields  into  sheep-pastures  or 
woodlots  than  raise  rye  upon  them  at  the  high  price 
of  labor  and  the  low  price  of  rye.  Summer  fallow- 
ing was  formerly  practised  in  Middlesex,  as  now 
stated  to  be  the  case  by  R.  B.  H,  in  Hampshire 
County;  but  the  practice  has  been  abandoned  for 
years  by  many  of  the  rye  producers  here,  because 
frequent  plowings  they  consider  injures  light  soils 


by  exposing  them  so  much  to  the  weather  that  the 
fertilizing  principles  in  the  soil  are  dissipated. 

The  most  successful  method  of  raising  rye  on 
old  fields  that  I  have  witnessed,  and  least  injurious 
to  the  soil,  is  to  plow  the  ground  well  in  June 
when  the  full  coat  of  grass  and  weeds  have  at- 
tained a  good  growth,  then  not  disturb  it  again 
till  the  middle  or  last  of  August,  then  sow  from 
16  to  24  quarts  of  rye  to  the  acre,  which  is  a  plen- 
ty for  old  fields,  and  a  bushel  of  red-top  seed;  then 
harrow  with  an  iron  harrow  well  both  ways,  and 
smooth  off  with  the  bush  harrow.  The  March  fol- 
lowing sow  any  quantity  of  clover  seed  on  top  of 
a  light  snow.  It  is  an  object  of  importance  on 
such  land  to  start  a  coat  of  some  kind  of  herbage 
which  goes  far  towards  restoring  it  to  a  state  of 
fertility  ;  the  naked  soil  exposed  to  the  drying 
winds  and  scorching  rays  of  the  sun  will  not  im- 
prove much  in  value.  On  this  plan  I  have  raised 
15  or  more  bushels  of  good  rye  to  the  acre  on  old 
fields.  These  old  fields  ought  to  rest  more  than 
three  years  between  cropping,everyseventhyeari3 
often  enough  to  skin  them  unless  manure  can  be 
applied.  I  cannot  recommend  the  above  system  of 
farming,  where  a  better  one  can  be  adopted.  I  was 
told  yesterday  by  a  man  from  Connecticut,  that  a 
farmer  there  bought  a  large  tract  of  old,  worn  out 
fields  of  the  worst  description  for  five  dollars  an 
acre,  and  by  sowing  seed  and  plowing  in  herbage, 
he  restored  it  to  such  a  state  of  fertility  that  it 
produced  fine  crops  and  was  worth  fifty  dollars  an 
acre  ;  this  man  was  an  eye-witness  to  what  he  re- 
lated to  me.  It  strikes  me  that  such  a  course  of 
enriching  land  must  be  more  economical  than  buy- 
ing manure  at  the  customary  price.  While  the 
farmer  is  plowing  in  the  green  crops,  his  land  is 
rising  in  value  probably  to  the  amount  of  what  he 
would  derive  from  the  crops  on  the  same  land  ma- 
nured in  the  same  amount  of  time.  I  think  old 
fields  may  be  much  improved  without  manure  by 
a  judicious  system  of  management;  plowing  in 
any  of  the  natural  herbage  of  the  soil  is  better 
than  nothing. 

All  kinds  of  grass  and  weeds,  as  well  as  clover 
and  buckwheat,  derive  a  great  part  of  their  sub- 
stance from  the  nutritive  gases  of  the  air,  which 
plowed  in  at  a  proper  time,  will  fertilize  the  soil. 
I  believe  that  old  fields  in  different  locations  of 
the  State  require  different  fertilizing  materi- 
als. Gypsum  and  lime  seem  to  be  useless  in 
this  neighborhood,  but  in  some  other  sections  of  the 
State  the  best  results  have  followed  their  use.  I 
have  found  mud,  ashes  and  coal  dust  excellent  ap- 
plications to  my  light  land  for  the  production  of 
corn  and  rye.  I  concur  withR.  B.  H.  in  his  opin- 
ion in  regard  to  rotation  and  making  a  deep  soil  by 
gradually  deeper  plowings  and  exposing  earth  to 
the  sun  that  never  felt  its  influences  before.  These 
old  fields  have  experienced  the  blighting  curse  of 
thoughtless  man's  cupidity,  and  restoring  them  to 
fertility  again  is  all  up-hill  work,  but  science  can 
accomplish  it,  and  at  the  same  time  remunerate  the 
skilful  cultivator  for  his  labor.  Old  fields  so  much 
despised  will  compare  with  a  benevolent  class  of 
people  who  give  away  all  they  have,  and  for  a  com- 
pensation, are  rewarded  with  a  privilege  and  the 
honor  of  a  seat  in  the  poor-house.  If  they  had  been 
so  obstinate  that  they  would  not  have  produced 
without  manure  at  first,  they, some  of  them, would 
have  ranked  with  our  best  lands  at  the  present 
time. 


444 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Oct. 


Every  observing  farmer  who  has  seen  much  of 
the  world  has  seen  the  advantages  and  disadvan- 
tages of  the  different  kinds  of  soils  ;  he  has  seen  a 
great  variety  which  are  denominated  old  6elds; 
some  loamy  and  fine,  some  coarse   and  gravelly; 


the  lofty  cliffs,  there  is  a  curious  recess,  called  the 
Swallow's  Cave.  Great  numbers  of  swallows  in- 
habit this  cavern  in  the  summer  season,  and 
build  their  nests  in  the  upper  part. 

The  Chimney  Swallow  attached  its  nest  to  the 


some  a  loose  quicksand  to  a  great  depth,  which  I,  inside  of  hollow  buttonwoods,  and  other  trees. — 
should  advise  no  man  to  cultivate   where  land  is' At  the  present  day,  in  the  fir  countries   at  the 


cheap ;  the  expense  of  carting  on  clay  and  other 
materials  to  enrich  and  restore  this  leachy  kind  of 
land  would  be  more  than  it  would  be  worth  when 
done.  Let  such  land  be  planted  with  pine  trees. 
On  the  other  hand  he  has  seen  a  great  variety  of 
the  heavy,  strong  soils,  some  fine  and  productive, 
some  coarse,  stony  and  cold,  some  with  too  much 
clay  ;  I  have  seen  hundreds  of  acres  of  handaome- 
ly  located  land  in  the  county  of  Esses  covered  with 
kill-lamb,  forming  a  complete  contrast  with  the 
leachy  quicksand,  and  like  self-righteousness,  the 
less  a  man  has  of  it  the  better  he  is  off,  unless  he 
can  reclaim  it  by  trenching,  or  with  the  subsoil 
plow  ;  manure  has  done  but  little  good  on  it,  where 
I  have  seen  it  applied.  Silas  Brown. 

Wilmington,  August,  1853. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
BIRDS  OP  NEW  ENGLAND. 

THEIR  PAST  AND  PRESENT  HISTORY No.  6. 

BY    S.    P.    FOWLER. 
THE    SWALLOW    TRIBE. 

We  are  now  about  to  describe  a  class  of  birds, 
on  many  accounts,  interesting  to  the  cultivators 
of  the  soil.  They  are  all  insectiverous,  never  dis- 
turbing the  crops  of  the  farmer,  or  the  fruit  of  the 
horticulturist.  But  perhaps  we  should  make  one 
exception  to  the  general  .good  character  of  the 
swallow  tribe,  when  we  come  to  speak  of  the  Pur- 
ple Martin.  They  are  in  general,  social,  intelli- 
gent, volatile,  active  birds,  and  being  fond  of  the 
society  of  men,  they  invariably,  with  one  exception 
leave  the  forests  and  solitary  places,  and  seek  his 
presence  and  protection,  whether  it  be  found  near 
the  wigwam  of  the  Indian,  the  log  cabin  of  the 
Squatter,  the  quarters  of  the  slave,  or  the  culti- 
vated gardens  and  fields  of  the  farmer  or  horti- 
culturist. 

There  are  eight  species  of  the  swallow  tribe 
found  in  the  United  States,  six  of  whom,  and  per- 
haps seven,  are  to  be  seen  not  un frequently,  on 
one  farm  or  in  one  village  in  Massachusetts.  These 
eight  are  the  Purple  Martin,  Barn  Swallow,  Cliff! 
Swallow,  White  Bellied  Swallow,  Bank  Swallow, 
Chimney  Swallow,  Rough-Winged  Swallow,  and 
Violet  Green  Swallow. 

Many  opinions  have  been  expressed,  and  no- 
tions entertained,  in  regard  to  the  first  appear- 
ance of  the  swallow  tribe  in  this  country.  And 
we  have  been  frequently  asked  the  question,  did 
these  birds  visit  the  several  parts  of  our  Union, 
as  they  do  at  present,  before  the  settlement  of  the 
country  by  Europeans'?  And  particularly  was  the 
Purple  Martin  unknown  in  New  England  previ- 
ous to  the  Revolution.  In  answer  to  these  ques- 
tions, we  would  say,  we  have  evidence  that  the 
Barn  and  Chimney  Swallows  were  known  from 
the  first  settlement  of  New  England.  Josselyn  de- 
scribed these  birds  as  early  as  1G38. 

At  tliis  early  period,  the  Barn  Swallow  built 
its  nest  under  the  shelving  ledges  and  beetling 
cliffs,  around  our  shores.     At  Nahant,  in  one  of 


North,  where  there  are  no  human  habitations  to 
invite  the  swallow,  they  build  their  nests  in  the 
lime  stone  caves.  The  Purple  Martin  was  known 
to  inhabit  the  Carolinas  more  than  one  hundred 
and  twenty  years  since.  Mr.  Catesby,  in  1732, 
published  his  Natural  History  of  Carolina,  Flori- 
da, &c.,  where  he  describes  ninety-four  species  of 
our  birds,  and  enumerates  two  Ilirundos — to  wit. 
the  Purple  Martin  and  the  Barn  Swallow.  It 
would  seem,  by  an  examination  of  the  very  in- 
teresting correspondence  which  took  place  in  1759, 
between  John  Bartram  and  Peter  Collinson,  up- 
on the  subject  of  our  Natural  History,  that  Mr. 
Bartram  discovered  in  Pennsylvania  four  species 
of  swallows,  namely  the  Purple  Martin,  Barn 
Swallow,  Bank  Swallow  and  Chimney  Swallow. 

William  Bartram,  the  fourth  son  of  John  Bar- 
tram, one  of  our  early  and  most  distinguished  nat- 
uralists, the  friend  and  patron  of  Alexander  Wil- 
son, published  in  1782  what  has  been  considered 
the  most  complete  and  correct  list  of  American 
birds,  prior  to  the  work  of  Wilson,  in  which  he 
has  four  species  of  swallows,  viz.  :  The  Barn  Swal- 
low, Purple  Martin,  Bank  Swallow  and  Chimney 
Swallow.  It  will  be  seen  that  up  to  the  appear- 
ance of  the  American  Ornithology  by  Wilson,  in 
1808,  no  notice  had  been  taken  by  our  ornitholo- 
gists of  the  White  Bellied  Swallow,  it  being  pro- 
bably confounded  with  the  Bank  Swallow,  and  by 
some  European  writers,  with  the  English  Martin. 
So  far  as  our  observation  extends,  we  should  think 
the  White-Bellied  Swallow  in  Massachusetts  was 
much  less  common  than  the  other  species,  which 
may  be  another  reason  why  it  was  not  earlier  no- 
ticed by  ornithologists. 

We  have  now  traced  the  history  of  the  swallow 
tribe  in  this  country  to  the  time  of  Wilson,  when 
there  were  five  species  of  these  birds.  It  was  in 
the  spring  of  1815,  when  a  new  and  very  distinct 
species  of  swallow  was  just  seen  by  Audubon,  at 
Henderson,  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio  River.  He 
drew  up  a  description  of  it  at  the  time,  and  named 
it  the  Republican  Swallow.  This  was  probably 
their  first  appearance  in  our  Union.  In  1817, 
they  made  their  appearance  at  Whitehall,  near 
Lake  Champlain.  In  1818,  they  began  to  build 
at  Crawford's,  at  the  White  Mountains  in  New 
Hampshire.  In  1827,  we  saw  a  large  number  of 
these  swallows  building  their  nest  under  the  eaves 
of  a  barn,  situated  near  the  entrance  of  the  Penob- 
scot River,  in  Maine.  In  1820,  they  made  their 
appearance  on  the  banks  of  Point  Lake,  in  lat. 
65*^  north,  as  noticed  by  Sir  John  Franklin.  We 
first  noticed  them  in  Dan  vers,  in  the  spring  of 
1839.  The  question  has  been  frequently  asked, 
where  did  the  Cliff  Swallows  come  from  ?  In  an- 
swer, we  would  say,  they  probably  came  from  the 
westerly  side  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

Those  seen  by  Sir  John  Franklin's  party  in 
June,  1825,  along  the  whole  course  of  the  Slave 
and  Mackenzie  Rivers,  came  undoubtedly  from  the 
opposite  side  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  not 
from  the  Atlantic  coasts,  as  it  is  found  that  those 
mountain  ranges   do  not  present  a  barrier  to  the 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


445 


migratory  feathered  tribes.  We  may  suppose 
that  the  Cliff  Swallows  enter  the  northern  part  of 
the  union  from  this  quarter.  They  have  been  for 
some  years  generally  known  in  Nova  Scotia  and 
in  Labrador — hence,  by  some  persons,  they  have 
been  called  the  Labrador  Swallow. 

The  discovery  of  the  seventh  species  of  our  swal- 
lows was  made  on  the  20th  of  October,  in  the 
year  1819,  by  Mr.  Audubon,  as  he  was  walking 
along  the  shores  of  a  forest  margined  lake,  a  few 
miles  from  Bayou  Sara,  in  pursuit  of  some  Ibises. 
But  very  little  is  known  as  yet  of  this  bird  by  or- 
nithologists. Mr.  Audubon  has  named  it  the 
Rough- Winged  Swallow,  and  has  given  us  a  col- 
ored plate  of  it  in  his  Birds  of  America.  They 
so  much  resemble  the  Bank  Swallow,  that  a  care- 
less observer  would  not  notice  the  distinction. — 
Mr.  Audubon  supposes,  that  its  most  habitual 
residence  will  be  found  to  be  in  the  valleys  of  the 
Columbia  River.  The  eighth  and  last  species  of 
our  swallows  whose  first  appearance  we  shall  no- 
tice, is  a  most  beautiful  little  bird,  judging  from 
the  figure  given  it  by  Mr.  Audubon,  for  as  yet 
we  have  not  seen  a  specimen.  It  is  called  by 
him  the  Violet  Green  Swallow,  and  he  speaks  of 
its  first  discovery  as  follows  : — 

"Of  this,  the  most  beautiful  swallow  hitherto 
discovered  within  the  limits  of  the  United  States, 
the  foUowhig  account  has  been  transmitted  to  me, 
by  my  friend  Mr.  Nuttall. 

"  'We  first  met  with  this  elegant  species,  within 
the  table-land  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  they 
were  particularly  abundant  around  our  encamp- 
ment on  Harris  Fork,  a  branch  of  the  Colorado|of 
the  West."  '  In  this  account  of  the  first  notice  of 
this  swallow  we  have  no  dates  but  we  find  in  an 
exploring. tour  beyond  the  Rocky  Mountains,  per- 
formed by  the  Rev.  Samuel  Parker,  in  the  year 
183G,  when  in  the  Oregon  Territory,  he  made  this 
record  in  his  journal.  "Swallows  made  their  ap- 
pearance on  tlie  12th  of  March  ;  and  among  them 
a  new  species,  characterized  by  the  plumage  of 
their  head  and  back,  being  a  most  beautiful  change- 
able green,  with  other  parts  purple  and  white." 

This  no  doubt  was  the  little  beautiful  Violet 
Green  Swallow,  that  arrested  the  attention  of  the 
missionary.  IIow  much  earlier,  if  any,  this  new 
species  of  swallow  was  seen,  we  do  not  know. — 
It  affjrds  us  pleasure  to  believe  that  this  fine  bird, 
whose  home  is  at  present  beyond  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, it  having  never  as  yet  visited  its  eastern 
slope,  will,  at  some  period  more  or  less  remote, 
visit  and  take  up  its  residence  with  us,  who  live 
on  the  Atlantic  coast.  This  belief  we  entertain, 
from  the  well  known  and  constant  habit  of  the 
swallow  tribe  of  leaving  the  accommodations  and 
shelter  affjrded  by  nature  in  the  wilderness,  and 
seeking  those  better  ones  furnished  by  man.  When 
Fort  Franklin  was  erected  on  the  shores  of  Gseat 
Bear  Lake,  in  the  autumn  of  1825,  Dr.  R.ichard- 
son  says,  they  found  many  nests  of  swallows  in  the 
ruins  of  a  house,  that  had  been  abandoned  for 
more  than  ten  years.  In  this  case,  these  birds 
left  the  Tunestone  caves,  where  they  had  been  ac 
customed  to  breed,  for  the  houses  erected  by  the 
fur  company.  One  other  reason  for  believing  that 
we  shall  yet  see  in  Massachusetts  the  Violet  Green 
Swallow,  arises  from  the  fact  of  their  usually  as- 
sociating with  the  Cliff  Swallows,  and  frequently 
occupying  their  deserted  nests.  Under  these  cir- 
cumstances,  they  would   be  likely  to   accompany 


them  to  the  Eastern  States  in  their  migrations. — 
We  had  intended  to  give  a  short  descrip- 
tion of  the  several  species,  composing  the  swal- 
low tribe,  together  with  some  facts  respecting 
their  habits  and  particularly  their  migrations,  as 
we  have  observed  them  for  many  years  ;  but  we 
notice  that  our  communication  already  exceeds 
your  limits.  With  your  own  desire,  and  that  of 
some  of  your  readers,  to  know  more  of  the  histo- 
ry of  our  swallows,  and  with  your  permission,  I 
will  conclude  what  I  have  to  communicate  upon 
the  character  and  habits  of  our  Hirundos  in  my 
next  article.  s.  p.  f. 

Danvcrsport,  Sept.  3,  1853. 


ROCKINGHAM  CATTIiE  SHOW  AND 
FAIR. 

For  some  twentjT  years,  no  Cattle  Show  has  been 
held  in  Rockingham  County,  the  old  Agricultural 
Society  having  died  about  so  long  ago.  The  new 
society,  organized  within  a  year,  appointed  for  its 
first  exhibition,  Thursday,  the  15th  of  September, 
at  Exeter;  liberal  preparations  were  made  for  the 
occasion,  although  there  were  many,  we  under- 
stand, who  echoed  the  ill-omened  cry, that  it  could 
not  succeed. 

The  day  came,  and  with  it  a  storm  from  the 
South,  such  as  is  only  introduced  on  occasions  ex- 
traordinary. It  seemed  as  if  the  windows  of  Heav- 
en were  opened  anew,  as  in  the  days  of  the  first 
navigator  of  whom  the  good  book  speaks.  As  one 
gentleman  said,  it  was  a  storm  of  some  character, 
and  everybody  understood  that  it  meant  very  de- 
cidedly, that  nq, Cattle  Show  should  be  held  on  that 
day.  Forty  cattle  had  already  arrived,  and  a  small 
supply  of  articles  for  the  hall  exhibition. 

After  mutually  criticising  each  other's  long 
faces,  and  wondering  what  good  designs  of  Provi- 
dence could  lie  concealed  under  so  manifestly  a 
wet  blanket,  the  officers  of  the  society  decided  to 
adjourn  the  show  till  Friday,  hoping  better  times, 
though  sorely  distrustful. 

Friday  came,  bringing  a  fair  west  wind,  and 
clear  sunlight  over  the  green  and  beautiful  lawns 
and  trees  of  old  Exeter,  and  it  was  manifest  at 
once,  that  the  power  which  guides  the  storm  had 
not  visited  the  enterprise  in  anger. 

At  about  seven  o'clock  the  noise  of  prepara- 
tion commenced ;  Marshals  on  prancing  steeds 
were  seen  hurrying  through  the  streets,  the  low- 
ing of  cattle,  the  bleating  of  sheep,  the  rattle  of 
wheels  sent  up  a  confused  sound.  At  eight,  the 
Brentwood  band,  in  an  open  carriage  drawn  by 
four  elegant  horses,  made  its  appearance,  and  the 
performances  of  the  day  began. 

THE   HEAMPTOX-FALLS    TE.\M. 

The  grand  entry  of  the  Hampton-Falls  delega- 
tion of  members,  with  ladies,  was  a  beautiul  open- 
ing of  the  display.  The  band  led  by  the  marshal, 
went  out  to  meet  them  a  mile  from  the  village,  and 
escorted  them  into  the   town.     Twenty  yoke  of 


446 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Oct. 


handsome  oxen,  with  their  horns  tastefully  dressed 
ia  blue  and  yellow  streamers  of  ribbon,  were  at- 
tached to  a  car,  mounted  upon  four  wheels,  and 
containing  twenty-seven  young  ladies  of  Hamp- 
ton Falls.  The  car  was  roofed  over  with  green 
corn  leaves,  for  a  screen  from  the  sun,  and  carpet- 
ed and  cushioned  like  a  church.  The  outside  was 
beautifully  decorated  with  evergreens  and  bou- 
quets of  flowers.  Indeed,  no  part  of  the  wood  ev- 
en of  the  wheels  could  be  seen,  but  it  was  an  ele- 
gant combination  of  the  brillant  colors  of  Autumn 
flowers,  with  the  fresh  green  of  the  forest  trees 
and  vines.  Upon  the  sides,  curiously  formed  in 
large  letters,  witWegetables  of  all  kinds,  was  an 
inscription  of  the  name  of  the  town.  Snugly  seat- 
ed among  the  fair  occupants  of  the  car,  were  seen 
the  President  of  the  Society,  and  Orator  of  the 
day,  who  had  gone  out  topay  their  early  respects. 
On  the  square,  teams  from  other  towns  were  ad- 
ded to  the  procession,  to  the  number,  in  all,  of 
soaae  seventy  yoke  of  oxen,  and  at  nine,  by  the 
music  of  the  band,  and  with  occasional  songs  by 
the  ladies,  amid  shouts  and  cheers  of  the  multi- 
tude already  assembled,  the  procession  moved  on 
to  the  cattle  grounds  by  the  depot.  Coaches 
were  then  furnished  by  the  Society  to  the  la- 
dies, who  were  driven  about  the  grounds  to  view 
the  animals,  and  then  escorted  by  the  marshals 
to  the  exhibition  hall.  All  honor  to  the  ladies  of 
Hampton-Falls,  who  have  set  an  example  to  their 
sisters  through  the  county,  of  incalculable  value 
to  this  new  Agricultural  Society. 

THE  CATTLE  PENS.* 

Time  and  space  cannot  now  be  spared  to  give 
details.  About  one  hundred  and  twenty  yoke  of 
oxen  were  upon  the  field,  and  the  pens  contained, 
of  horned  cattle,  about  one  hundred  head.  Gen- 
tlemen from  our  own  State  familiar  with  such 
scenes  declared  that  so  fine  a  display  of  working 
oxen  they  had  rarely  witnessed. 

After  organizing  the  various  committees,  the 
word  was  given  to  proceed  to  witness  the 

PLOWING  MATCH. 

But  seven  teams  were  entered  for  plowing.  Al- 
though the  knowing  ones  could  well  enough  see, 
that  no  great  affair  could  be  made  of  this  part  of 
the  show,  yet  nothing  could  exceed  the  interest 
manifested  by  the  spectators,  to  most  of  whom  the 
spectacle  was  new.  The  plowing  was  tolerably 
well  done,  but  many  such  trials  are  wanting,  to 
bring  the  farmers  of  old  Rockingham  up  to  their 
proper  mark  in  this  department. 

THE  PROCESSION  AND  ADDRESS. 

At  the  close  of  the  plowing  match,  a  procession 
was  formed,  of  tTie  officers  and  members  of  the  so- 
ciety, and  invited  guests,  in  Pine  Street,  and 
marched  to  the  church.  The  Hampton  Falls  car 
with  its  twenty  yoke  of  oxen  bringing  up  the  rear. 


The  wall  pews  of  the  house  were  filled  with  la- 
dies, and  the  members  of  the  society  filled  the 
rest,  standing  in  the  aisles  in  crowds,  after  the 
seats  were  all  taken. 

A  voluntary  was  played  by  the  band,  a  beauti- 
ful selection  of  scripture  was  read  by  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Mann,  who  in  language  appropriate  and  elo- 
quent, also  made  a  prayer,  and  a  hymn  was  sung 
by  the  choir.  The  address,  falling  from  our  own 
lips,  forbids  our  saying  anything  more  about  it  than 
that  it  was  attentively  listened  to. 

THE   EXHIBITION   HALL. 

The  ancient  and  dusty  old  Town  Hall  was  ele- 
gantly decorated,  with  evergreen  and  oak  leaves, 
by  the  young  ladies  of  Exeter,  whose  presence  at 
the  tables,  added  not  a  little  to  the  attractions  of 
the  scene.  Tables  more  than  two  hundred  feet  in 
length,  in  all,  were  arranged  through  the  room, 
completely  covered  with  fruit  and  flowers,  and  ar- 
ticles of  needlework,  and  embodiments  of  a  thous- 
and curious  fancies,  while  the  benches  were  loaded 
with  mammoth  vegetables,  and  the  walls  adorned 
with  pictures  and  embroidery.  The  show  of  fruit 
was  a  surprise  to  all.  Baskets  of  peaches  and 
pears  were  as  fine  as  can  any  where  be  produced. 

To  give  some  idea  of  the  number  of  persons  pres- 
ent on  the  occasion,  we  have  more  reliable  data, 
than  mere  real  estimates,  which  ranged  all  the 
way,  from  five  to  ten  thousand.  We  heard  an  old 
gentleman  say,  that  he  had  lived  in  Exeter  sixty 
years,  and  that  never  before  had  he  seen  so  many 
people  in  the  town  at  one  time.  The  exhibition  at 
the  Hall  was  free  to  members  of  the  Society, 
more  than  four  hundred,  in  number,  and  to  all 
members  of  their  families,  and  all  who  claimed  to 
be  such,  yet  more  than  2,000  persons  paid  an  ad- 
mission fee  at  the  door  !  The  Committee  of  man- 
agers at  the  Hall  estimated  that  more  than  one- 
half  entered  without  payment. 

THE   AWARD   OF   PREIIICMS. 

At  four  o'clock,  the  music  called  together  in 
front  of  tha  Squamscot  House  a  crowd,  such  as  is 
seldom  anywhere  witnessed. 

The  President,  Mr.  French,  from  one  of  the 
porticos,  read  the  reports  of  the  various  commit- 
tees while  "  a  sea  of  upturned  faces  "  anxiously 
awaited  the  decisions. 

He  also  introduced  to  the  meeting,  several  gen- 
tlemen from  abroad,  who  made  short  addresses. 
Col.  Newell,  President  of  the  Essex  Society,  a  vet- 
eran in  the  cause  of  Agriculture,  was  among  them. 
He  complimented,  in  the  highest  terms,  the  exhi- 
bitions of  cattle  and  of  fruit,  pronouncing  them 
equal  to  any  he  had  ever  seen.  Remarks  were 
also  made  by  Mr.  Farnum,  of  Boston. 

A  spectacle  was  here  presented,  such  as  we 
have  never  witnessed  at  any  show  before.  The 
President,  with  several  invited  guests,  stood  upon 
the  balcony  of  the  porch,  while  the  multitude  be- 


1853. 


I'^W  ENGLAND  FARMER, 


447 


low  amounted  to  between  3,000  and  4,000  persons  ;| 
and  there  they  remained,  listening  to  remarks  from 
the  strangers  who  addressed  them,  and  the  dec- 
laration of  the  awards,. from  4  till  half  past  5 
o'clock.  ^Ye  haver  rarely  witnessed  a  more  impo- 
sing and  gratifying  sight. 

At  about  sis  o'clock,  the  crowd  dispersed,  and 
most  of  the  people  from  abroad  were  supposed  to 
have  left  town. 

The  evening,  however,  brought  a  crowd  of  peo- 
ple again  to  the  Hall,  and  the  committee,  at  a  late 
hour,'' was  obliged  to  insist  upon  closing  the  doors, 
and  the  first  annual  exhibition  of  the  Rockingham 

The  whole  affiiir  has  been  highly  creditable  to 
our  enterprising  neighbors.  There  can  no  longer 
be  any  doubters  as  to  the  success  of  the  exper 
iment.  We  saw,  of  course,  some  errors  which 
their  sagacity  will  correct  as  they  proceed.  If  so 
lusty  and  strong  in  their  youth,  how  will  they  ex- 
cel us  in  their  manhood!  Massachusetts  must 
look  out  for  her  laurels ! 


For  the  Neiv  Ens^land  Farmer. 
A  NEW  HSLP  FOR  THS  FARMEH. 

Elements  of  Aoriculthral  Chemistry  and  Geology 
By  J*.MSs  F.  VV.  Johnston,  M.  A..  F.  R.  S.  S.,  -fe-^- with  a 
Preface  and  Index.  By  Simon  Brown,  Editor  of  the  New 
England  Farmer.     New  York  :   C.  M.  Saxton 

We  are  glad  to  see  a  new  edition  of  this  most 
excellent  work.  It  is  a  seasonable  publication. 
Both  the  publisher  and  the  editor  have  done  a 
good  thing  for  the  rising  generation  of  farmers, 
and  we  trust  it  will  prove  a  good  thing  for  them- 
selves. The  preface  contains  several  judicious 
and  sensible  remarks,  and,  like  all  the  writings  of 
Mr.  Brown,  is  marked  by  careful  observation  and 
practical  good  sense.  The  index  appears  to  be 
prepared  with  much  care,  and  adds  materially  to 
the  value  of  the  book.  This  is  true  of  every  good 
index  ;  and,  indeed,  we  consider  no  scientific  work 
eompletvj  without  an  index.  We  wish  authors  and 
publishers  would  lay  this  remark  to  heart  and  re- 
duce it  to  practice.  Many  scientific  books  are 
chiefly  valuable  as  books  of  reference.  But  who 
can  refer  to  a  book  without  an  index?  The  labor 
of  turning  over  a  score  of  pages,  or  reading  a 
whole  chapter  to  find  a  single  remark  or  a  fact 
which  a  writer  wishes  to  use,  is  often  more  than 
the  remark  or  fact  is  worth,  and  is  any  thing  but 

There  is  one  observation  in  the  preface  upop 
which  we  beg  leave  to  offer  a  remark.  The  wri- 
ter speaks  of  instructions  upon  the  science  of  ag- 
riculture as  necessarily  abstruse.  We  take  the  lib- 
erty to  dissent  from  this  idea.  It  is  indeed  true 
that  they  are  often  abstruse,  but  we  do  not  believe 
they  are  necessarily  so.  Chemistry  had  its  origin 
in  Alchemy.  It  was  long  in  the  hands  of  astrolo- 
gers and  pseudo-philosophers,  who  were  searching 
for  the  elixir  of  life  and  the  philosopher's  stone. 
Its  terms  were  borrowed  from  the  Greek  and 
Arabic,  and  it  was  clothed  in  the  language  of 
mysticism.  The  days  of  Astrology  and  Alchemy 
passed  away  with  Paracelsus  and  his  school,  and 
Chemistry  passed  with  them  from  the  laboratories 
of  the  monks  into  the  hands  of  the  physicians, 


who  did  little  to  divest  it  of  the  mystery  which 
enveloped  it  until  the  time  of  Lavoisier   and   his 
illustrious  coadjutors,  who  gathered  up  its  scatterd 
elements  and  reduced  it  to  the  true  form  of  a  sci- 
ence, and  gave  it  a  nomenclature  foundedupon  a 
perfectly  simple  and  most  beautiful  idea,  viz  :  that 
every  term  describing  a  chemical  substance,  should, 
at  the  same   time,  designate  its  composition  if  a 
compound  body,  and  its  most  important  use  if  a 
simple   body.  "For  example,  oxygen  is _  derived 
from  oxus,  signifying  acid,  and  gigno  signifying  to 
generate  ;  by  which  we  are  taught  that  oxygen  is 
the  source  or  generator  of  all  acids.     Hydrogen 
comes  from  hudor,  water  and  the  same  word  gigno, 
indicating  that  hydrogen  is  the  principal  element 
in  water.     Of  compound  bodies  we  will  take  sul- 
phurate of  lime  as  an  example.     This  term  teaches 
that  the  body  which  it  designates  is  composed  of 
sulphuric  a3id  and  lime,  mixed  together  in  propor- 
tions just  sufficient  to  neutralize  each  other.     Mu- 
riate of  soda  indicates   that  the  substance  thus 
designated  is  composed  of  muriatic  acid  and  soda, 
combined  in  the  same   proportions.     So  with  all 
the  terms  used  in  Chemistry.     Give  the  chemist 
the  name  of  a  substance,  and  he  will  tell  you  its 
composition  ;  or  give   him  the   composition  of  a 
body,  and  he  will   give   you  its   name.     A  most 
beautiful  simplicity  runs  through  the  whole  system. 
The  number  of  elementary  bodies  with  which 
the  chemist  has  to  do,  is  hmlted  to  between  fifty 
and   sixty.     The   terms  which  he  uses,  are  com- 
pounded of  the  few  elementary  terms  which  des- 
cribe these  elem-entary  bodies.     For  example,  sul- 
phuric acid,  which  shows  that  this   acid  is  com- 
posed of  sulphur  and  oxygen,  the  common  parent 
of  all  acids  ;  carbonic  acid,  consisting  of  carbon 
and  oxygen.     Nothing  can  be  more  simple  than 
this  whole  system.     The  great  difficulty  in  under- 
standing chemical  instruction  consists  in  the  want 
of  a  proper  explanation  of  the  terms,  or  rather  in 
the  want  of  a  proper   explanation  of  the  princi- 
ples upon  which  the  terms  are  constructed.  Where 
these  principles  are  fully  comprehended,  and  any 
man   of   common   intelligence    may   comprehend 
them  in  an  hour,  the  teachings  of  the  chemist  be- 
come at  once  intelligible  and  interesting.     The 
abstruseness,  the  mystery   that   hangs   over  the 
subiect  like  a  dense  fog,  is  dissipated  by  the  clear 
sunlight   of  simple   truth.     It  is  true  that  many 
subjects  that  present  themselves  to  the  chemist 
are  exceedingly  complex,  but  patient  and  careful 
analysis  can  reduce  them  to  their  constituent  ele- 
ments, and   the   patience   of  the   chemist  is  re- 
warded  by  the   discovery  of  new  and  beautiful 
combinations  of  simple  elements.     Now  there  is 
nothin<v  mysterious,  nothing  magical,  nothing  ab- 
struse ?n  all  this.     And  we  trust  the  time  is  not 
far  distant  when   all   the   children— in  our  high 
schools  at  least— when   all  our  young   men   and 
youn<^  women  will  be  able  to  listen  to  scientifac  m- 
struction  upon  so  much  of  chemistry  as  relates  to 
ao-riculture   and   the   common  arts  of  hfe,  and  to 
read  books  upon  these  subjects  with  no  more  diffi- 
culty in  understanding  them   than   they  have  in 
understanding  household  words. 

The  publication  of  this  volume  will  contribute 
something  towards  this  result.  It  is  simple  in 
its  arrangement,  being  generally  accurate  in  its 
statements,  and  more  easily  comprehended  by  the 
general  reader  than  most  books  upon  the  same 
subject.     Its  analytical   tables   add  much  to  its 


443 


MEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Oct. 


value.  Many  of  the  tables  in  agricultural  works 
are  any  thing  but  reliable.  They  have  been  copied 
from  now  and  then,  and  anon  have  been  stereo 
typed,  to  the  manifest  injury  of  science.  No  intel- 
ligent agriculturist  who  intends  to  keep  up  with 
the  progress  of  knowledge  will  fail  to  place  this 
book  upon  his  table.  Jos.  Reynolds. 

Concord,  Sept.,  1853. 


in  Connecticut,  informed  me  that  they  injured  the 
plant  by  eating  holes  in  the  leaves." 


THE   CLIMBING   CRICKET. 

It  is  pos8iI)le  that  we  have  done  injustice  to  the 
bees,  for  whose  general  character  and  industrious 
habits  we  have  great  respect,  in  accusing  them  of 
being  the  pi-inial  cause  ot  the  decay  of  the  peaches 
this  season,  an  evil  that  is  loudly  complained  of  in 
this  vicinity.  I'hat  the  bees  are  seen  under  very 
suspicious  circumstances  is  a  notorious  fact — actu- 
ally engaged  luxuriating  on  the  saccharine  juice 
exuding  from  the  criroson  cheek  of  a  peach,  which, 
on  examination,  will  show  s-igns  of  rapid  decay. 

But  some  circumstances  induce  us  to  believe 
that  the  l^ee  is  not  the  first  oiFender,  but  that  it 
treads  in  the  steps  of  a  less  worthy  pioneer,  which 
clears  away  all  obaiaclea,  perforates  the  external 
covering  of  the  peach,  and  lays  open  to  view  its 
honeyed  treasures. 

This  piratical  insect  we  believe  to  bo  a  species 
of  cricket,  long-bodied,  and  resembling  a  grass- 
hopper, which  may  be  seen  about  and  among  peach 
trees,  and  which  can  boast  of  a  proboscis^  armed 
with  a  piercer  that  is  well  calculated  to  do  the  mis- 
chief complained  of.  Crickets  of  all  kinds,  it  is 
well  known,  ai'e  exceedingly  fond  of  ripe  peaches 
and  pears,  and  this  particular  species,  known  as 
the  climbing  cricket,  haa  powei'S  of  locomotion  and 
aspiring  tastes,  that  carries  it  among  the  branches 
of  peach  trees,  and  it  has  actually  been  seen  and 
captured  while  revelling  in  the  sweets  extracted 
from  the  sunny  cheek  of  a  peach.  Dr.  Harris,  in 
his  "Insects  of  Massachusetts,"  gives  the  following 
description  of  this  insect  ;  and  although  he  does 
not  accuse  him  of  eating  the  fruit,  yet  the  fact  of 
his  boring  into  peach  trees  looks  somewhat  suspi- 
cious : — Boston  Journal. 

"Of  three  species  which  inhabits  the  United 
States,  one  only  is  found  in  Massachusetts.  It  is 
the  OE:anlhus  niveus,  or  white  climbing  cricket. 
The  male  is  ivory  white,  with  the  upper  side  of 
the  first  joint  of  tiie  antennce,  and  the  head  between 
the  eyes,  of  an  ochre-yellow  C(jlor  ;  there  is  a  mi- 
nute black  dot  on  the  under  sides  of  the  first  and 
second  joints  of  the  antennae;  and,  in  some  individ- 
uals, tlie  extremities  of  the  feet,  and  the  under 
sides  of  the  hindmost  thigh.s,  are  ochre-yellow 
The  body  is  about  half  an  inch  long,  exclusive  of 
the  wing-covers.  The  female  is  usually  rather 
longer,  but  the  wing  covers  are  much  narrower 
than  those  of  the  male,  and  there  is  a  great  diver- 
sity of  oloring  in  this  sex;  the  body  being  some- 
times aim  tst  wiiite,  or  pale  greenish  yellow,  or 
dusky  and  Mackish  beneatli.  There  are  three 
dusky  stripes  on  the  head  and  tliorax,  and  the 
legs,  anten.'ia)  and  piercer,  are  more  or  less  dusky 
or  blackisli.  The  wing-cjvers  and  wings  are  yel- 
lowish v.'hite,  so!)ietii!ies  with  a  tinge  of  green,  and 
the  wings  are  rather  longer  than  the  covers.  Some 
of  these  insects  have  l)cen  sent  to  me  by  a  gentle- 
man who  fijund  them  piercing  and  laying  eggs  in 
the  branches  of  a  peach-tree.  Another  corres- 
pondent, who  is  interested  in  the  tobacco  culture 


For  the  Neiv  Enf^land  Farmer. 
SMITH'S  ORLEANS  PLUM. 

Mr.  Editor  : — I  was  much  gratified  to  see  the 
cut,  and  read  the  remarks  in  your  last  number 
upon  Smith's  Orleans  Plum  ;  but  I  think  that  the 
extract  from  Downing  does  not  do  entire  justice  to 
this  excellent  plum.  With  me,  for  fruitfulness, 
profit  and  general  interest,  it  is  before  all  other 
plums.  It  is  a  wonderful  bearer  ;  bears  good  crops 
every  year,  and  every  other  year  immense  crops. 
The  tree  is  a  very  hardy  and  strong  grower ; 
troubled  much  less  with  "  black  wart"  than  other 
kinds,  while  the  fruit  with  me  entirely  escapes  the 
ravages  of  the  curculio. 

The  fruit  is  quite  large  ;  skin  of  an  elegant  pink 
purple  color,  sometimes  beautifully  mottled;  flesh 
of  an  orange  color  and  agreeable  taste  ;  ripens 
gradually  (with  me)  from  the  10th  to  the  last  of 
August ;  and  besides  its  good  eating  qualities,  is, 
when  picked  a  little  before  lipe,  one  of  the  best 
of  preserving  plums. 

I  have  a  tree  in  my  garden  which  I  purchased 
four  years  ago  for  50  cents.  I  brought  it  home 
while  in  blossom,  and  set  it  out  with  care.  The 
same  season  it  produced  fruit  enough  to  pay  for 
itself.  The  second  year  I  sold  twelve  dollars  worth , 
besides  consumingmany  at  home.  The  third  year 
it  bore  well,  but  the  present  season  it  is  a  sight  to 
behold,  literally  studded  from  stock  to  stem,  so 
that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  touch  the  bark  of  a 
single  limb  with  the  end  of  your  finger  without 
coming  in  contact  with  the  fruit.  I  venture  to  say, 
that  upon  most  of  the  branches,  no  larger  than  the 
one  represented  in  your  last  paper,  the  fruit  aver- 
ages twelve  plums.  One  branch  (although  propped 
up,)  broke  oJGT  three  feet  from  the  end  no  larger 
than  your  thumb,  from  which  I  picked  six  quarts. 
This  plum  finds  a  ready  sale  in  the  market,  selling 
from  twelve  and  a  half  to  seventeen  cents  per 
quart ;  and  for  easy  cultivation  and  certain  crops, 
1  would  recommend  it  above  most  other  varieties. 
N.  A.  Richardson. 

Winchester,  Sept.  \1th,  1853. 

P.  S.  I  cultivate  upwards  of  twenty  kinds  of 
plums,  and  in  some  future  number  I  will  give  you 
my  brief  experience  upon  their  merits,  together 
with  my  manner  of  treatment,  by  which  I  get  a 
good  crop  from  most  kinds  ^very  year. 


Rem.\rks. — We  shall  be  glad  to  receive  the  ar- 
ticles you  propose  to  send. 


Curious  Device  in  Grafting. — The  gardeners 
in  Italy  sell  plants  of  jasmines,  roses,  honey- 
suckles, &c.,  all  growing  together  from  a  slock  of 
orange,  myrtle,  or  promegranate,  on  which  they 
say  they  are  grafted.  But  this  is  a  mere  decep- 
tion ;  the  fact  being,  that  the  stock  has  its  centre 
bored  out,  so  as  to  be  made  hollow,  througli  which 
the  stems  of  jasmines  and  other  flexible  plants  are 
easily  made  to  pass,  their  roots  intermingling  with 
those  of  the  stock.  After  growing  for  a  time,  the 
increase  in  the  diameter  of  the  stems, thus  enclosed, 
forces  them  together,  and  they  as.sume  all  the  ap- 
pearance of  being  united  to  one  common  stem. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


449 


ATKINS'  AUTOMATON    SELF-RAKING 
REAPER. 

This  machine  was  tested  last  fall,  at  Geneva, 
by  the  New  York  State  Agricultural  Society.  We 
know  nothing  of  it  from  personal  experience,  or 
from  any  examination  of  our  own;  but  as  we  are 
desirous  of  keeping  our  readers  informed  of  the 
progress  of  agricultural  machinery,  we  lay  before 
them  an  engraving  of  the  Reaper,  with  such  re- 
marks upon  it  as  we  find  at  hand. 

The  editor  of  the  Albany  Cultivator  says,  "The 
self-raking  machiue  is  the  invention  of  J.  Atkins, 
of  Chicago,  a  person  of  great  ingenuity,  as  this 
contrivance  fully  testifies.  The  rake  sweeps  the 
bed  where  the  fallen  grain  is  deposited,  presses  it 
against  a  toothed  plate,  and  both,  holding  firmly 
the  bundle  of  grain  thus  collected,  swing  round 
the  quarter  of  a  circle  off  behind,  when  they  open 
wide,  and  drop  their  contents  in  a  neat  bunch  up- 
on the  ground.  All  these  motions  are  accom- 
plished by  a  very  singular  piece  of  mechanism;  and 
they  seem  so  nearly  the  immediate  result  of  intel- 
ligence, that  this  machine  was  generally  called  by 
the  name  of  the  Automaton  Reaper.  Its  invention 
is  quite  recent,  and  it  had  scarcely  ever  been  used 
before;  and  hence,  owing  to  an  accident,  it  did  not 
succeed  the  first  day  of  its  trial.  It  was,  however, 
repaired,  a  temporary  reel  attached,  and  tried 
again  on  the  23rd  with  entire  satisfaction,  prov- 
ing decidedly  the  best  self-raker  on  the  ground." 

"New  American  Reaping  Machine. — An  Ameri- 
can millwright,  named  Atkins,  residing  at  Chica- 
o-o,  has  recently  invented  a  very  remarkable  piece 
of  mechanism  for  the  purpose  of  making  the  reap- 
ing machine,  after  cutting  corn,  deliver  it  in  bun- 
dles ready  for  the  binder.     This  was  the  great  de- 


sideratum of  the  machine  as  first  brought  over  to 
this  country  and  shown  in  Hyde  Park  ;  nor  have 
our  implement  makers,  though  they  introduced 
some  important  improvements,  succeeded  in  sup- 
plying the  want  thus  indicated.  Atkins',  who,  it 
appears,  has  been  bedridden  for  ten  5 ears,  de- 
sio-ned  an  automaton  arm,  terminating  in  a  rake, 
which,  as  the  reaper  moves  along,  regularly  sweeps 
the  cut  corn  in  sheaves  off  the  board  on  which  it 
has  been  deposited,  drops  each  parcel  at  the  side 
by  a  rotary  movement,  and  then,  extending  itself, 
returns  to  its  work  again.  Whether  the  invention 
will  stand  the  test  of  experiment  in  the  field  [m 
England]  remains  of  course  to  be  seen  ;  but  some 
of  our  most  eminent  agriculturists  regard  it  with 
great  interest,  and  appear  to  entertain  very  favor- 
able expectations  of  its  performance.  The  me- 
I  chanical  arrangements  by  which  the  automaton 
action  is  secured  are  remarkable  both  for  their 
novelty  and  simplicity;  and  those  who  wish  to  see 
them  should  go  to  the  Polytechnic  Institution, 
Regent  Street,  where  the  new  reaper  is  exhibited 
by  Mr.  J.  S.  Wright,  of  Chicago,  Illinois.  This 
machine,  which  is  built  on model,  also  con 


tains  a  clever  modification  of  the  cutter,  which,  it 
is  said,  entirely  overcomes  the  tendency  to  clog  in 
damp  weather  or  on  unfavorable  ground." — Lon- 
don Times,  Feb.  I2th,  1853. 


THE  MACHINE   AS  A  MOWER. 

Mr.  Atkins  having  planned  his  machine  to  reap 
and  rake,  has  had  doubts  about  its  proving  to  be  a 
o'ood  mower,  and  its  construction  is  not  such  that 
m  rough  land  it  will  operate  equally  well  with  one 
arranged  only  to  mow.  Till  to-day  I  have  been  un- 
able to  try  it  on  gross.  Its  success  was  such  on 
the  rough  prairie,  a  few  miles  from  the  city,  that 
Mr.  James  TowNSEND,  of  Pontiac,  Michigan,  who 
came  here  expressly  to  get  a  machine  that  would 
be  sure  to  mow,  and  who  witnessed  the  whole  trial, 
bought  and  paid  for  one  in  advance  $1G0,  with  no 
warranty  as  to  its  mowing  qualities,  saying  he 


450 


JSEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Oct. 


would  warrant  it  to  do  that,  if  I  would  warrant  it 
as  a  reaper  and  raker,  which  I  do  on  fair  terms. 
On  land  pretty  well  prepared  I  believe  it  will  mow 
very  well,  but  am  unwilling  to  warrant  it  in  this  re- 
spect. J.  S.  Wright. 
^'■Prairie  Farmer''''  Warehouse. 
Chicago,  June2\,  1853. 


CURLED  LEAP  IN  THE  PEACH. 

This  disease,  if  so  we  may  call  it,  has  been,  for 
four  or  five  years  past,  assuming  a  more  and  more 
serious  aspect,  so  that  cultivators  around  us  here 
in  Western  N.  Y.,  begin  to  say  that  if  it  goes 
on  as  it  threatens  to  do,  and  no  remedy  be  discov- 
ered, we  shall  soon  be  compelled  to  abandon  peach 
culture  entirely.  This  would  certainly  be  a  great 
calamity,  and  it  becomes  every  one  who  wishes  to 
escape,  to  investigate  carefully  the  nature  of  the 
disease,  with  a  view  to  the  discovery  of  the  real 
cause.  We  have  been  looking  anxiously  for  some 
new  light  on  the  subject  among  the  journals  of  tlie 
day,  and  find  the  following  in  a  recent  number  of 
the  Country  Gentleman. 

"The  curl  in  the  leaf  of  the  peach,  which  is 
generally  supposed  to  have  had  a  very  unfavorable 
influence  on  the  young  crop,  has  given  rise  to  much 
speculation  as  to  its  immediate  cause,  and  cold 
weather,  aphides,  fungus,  or  mildew,  and  diseased 
map,  have  been  variously  assigned  as  reasons.  The 
cold  weather  theory  will  not  always  apply,  as  the 
disease  sometimes  appears  after  a  continued  suc- 
cession of  warm  days,  and  the  first  opening  of  the 
young  leaves  shows  the  symptoms  when  they  have 
never  been  exposed  to  a  cool  night.  Again,  the 
disease  has  often  made  its  appearance  when  no 
aphides  could  at  any  time  be  detected  with  the 
most  powerful  achromatic  glass  ;  and  newly  open- 
ing leaves,  exposed  only  a  few  hours  to  the  fresh 
air,  and  on  which  no  insect  had  ever  set  foot,  have 
shown  incipient,  but  unmistakable  indications. 
The  explanation  by  '  diseased  sap,'  is  too  general 
and  indefinite  —  the  fungus  theory  has  more  ap- 
pearance of  plausibility,  but  needs  investigation 
and  proof — and  if  correct,  the  fungus  must  be  of 
internal  growth,  as  the  smooth  and  shining  epider- 
mis of  the  leaf  is  quite  unbroken  when  the  curl 
first  appears  in  the  cellular  tissue. 

But  whatever  may  be  the  cause,  the  best  reme- 
dy, so  far  as  discovered,  is  vigorous  growth.  We 
have  observed  trees  standing  in  the  corner  of  a 
hog  yard,  where  they  were  copiously  supplied  with 
manure,  and  as  a  consequence  making  a  rapid 
growth,  covered  with  a  deep  green  foliage,  with 
scarcely  a  vestige  of  the  curl ;  and  a  row  of  peach 
trees  wliich  had  been  very  freely  shortened  in  the 
past  winter,  by  cutting  off  branches  in  some  cases 
an  inch  in  diameter,  have  sent  out  strong  new 
shoots,  almost  wholly  free  from  the  disease,  and 
the  trees  are  well  loaded  with  young  fruit." 

Now,  our  opinion,  formed  several  years  ago,  and 
strengthened  by  later  experience,  is  that  the  curl 
is  produced  by  changes  of  temperature  too  great 
for  the  delicate  constitution  of  the  peach.  It  is  a 
tree  that  vegetates  early,  and  being  usually  and 
from  necessity  planted  in  a  light  soil,  its  earliness 
is  hastened,  and  the  sap  gets  into  active  circulation, 
and  young  leaves  are  put  forth  long  before  the  wea- 
ther in  our  northern  climate  becomes  steadily 
warm.  We  all  know  how  common  it  is  to  have 
warm  genial  spring  weather  about  the  opening  of 


the  buds,  when  a  sudden  change  comes,  and  we 
have  probably  a  week  or  two  of  cold,  rainy  wea- 
ther, with  slight  frosts  probably,  with  cold  dry 
winds.  This  at  once  arrests  the  development  of 
the  young  shoots  and  leaves  ;  the  sap  becomes 
stagnant  and  diseased  ;  the  bark  is  ruptured,  and 
gum  oozes  out  all  over  the  younger  parts  ;  the 
leaves,  whether  in  an  embryo  condition,  rolled  up 
in  the  bud,  or  half  or  wholly  expanded,  become 
swollen  and  diseased  ;  then  mildew  attacks  them, 
as  it  is  always  ready  to  reign  upon  sickly  or  feeble 
vegetation,  and  with  this  aphides  and  other  insects; 
hence  the  opinions  that  mildew  or  insects  were  the 
cause  of  the  disease. 

1849,  we  think,  was  the  first.year  this  disease 
appeared  in  Western  New  York,  in  a  serious  form. 
That  spring  was  cold  and  changeable.  1850  was 
similar,  and  the  curl  was  worse  than  before,  and 
so  has  continued  since.  One  strong  argument, 
at  least  so  we  regard  it,  in  favor  of  this  view,  is  the 
fact  that  if  we  have  fine  weather  at  the  opening 
of  the  peach  buds,  we  have  very  little  curl,  and 
that  immediately  after  a  change  to  cold  the  curl 
appears,  and  its  severity  is  always  in  proportion 
to  the  intensity  and  continuance  of  the  cold. 
Then  again,  as  soon  as  the  weather  becomes  warm 
and  steady,  the  diseased  leaves  drop  and  new  heal- 
thy leaves  appear,  and  the  disease  is  no  more  seen 
that  season,  not  a  symptom  of  it.  Besides,  some 
varieties  are  much  less  affected  by  it  than  others. 
We  have  a  very  hardy  French  variety,  Peche  de 
Vignes,  that  scarcely  ever  shows  a  curl  in  the 
worst  seasons.  We  have  a  short  row  of  six  trees 
that  have  come  almost  hourly  under  our  observa- 
tion ;  the  varieties  are  the  Snow,  Old  MixonFree, 
La  Grande,  Crawford's  Early,  Haines'  Early,  and 
Cooledge's  Favorite.  These  were  all  planted  at 
one  time,  of  the  same  age,  and  in  the  same  soil, 
and  have  been  treated  exactly  alike,  but  the  Craw- 
ford's Early  and  Cooledge's  Favorite  have  suffered 
so  much  less  than  the  others  from  the  curl,  that 
the  trees  are  nearly  twice  as  large,  and  both  have 
now  a  good  crop  of  fruit  on,  while  the  others  have 
few  or  none.  In  going  through  an  extensive  or- 
chard we  might  find  many  instances  of  this  kind. 

In  addition  to  this,  we  find  that  trees  in  shel- 
tered gardens  suffer  less  than  those  exposed ;  and 
under  glass,  there  is  no  such  thing  as  curl.  Are 
not  all  these  facts  sufficient  to  warrant  the  opinion 
we  have  expressed  ? 

The  article  we  have  quoted  says,  "the  disease 
sometimes  occurs  after  a  succession  of  warm  days." 
We  admit  this,  but  it  never  has  appeared  to  our 
knowledge  after  warm  days  without  the  interven- 
tion of  cold  nights.  Has" any  one  seen  it  appear 
in  warm  weather,  say  in  June,  July,  or  subsequent 
months  ? 

It  says,  too,  that  "  the  first  opening  of  the 
young  leaves  show  the  symptoms  when  they  have 
never  been  exposed  even  to  a  cold  night."  We 
grant  this,  but  as  we  have  said,  the  sudden  and 
violent  check  given  to  the  tree  affects  every  part, 
and  the  leaves  even  while  rolled  up  in  the  bud. 
Neither  can  we  agree  with  the  opinion  that  "vig- 
orous growth  is  the  best  remedy,"  for  we  have 
seen  some  of  the  most  vigorous  growing  trees  suf- 
fer most  seriously.  We  regard  well  ripened  wood 
as  more  important  than  vigorous  growth,  but  we 
would  combine  these  if  we  could.  Were  not  the 
trees  quoted  as  examples  benefited  by  some  kind 
of  protection  ■?     To  avoid  in  some  degree  the  ef- 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


451 


fects  of  the  malady  we  can  now  only  suggest  the  this  country  the  abundance  of  timber  appears  to 
selection  of  hardy  varieties  and  planting  in  situa-  have  engendered  the  idea  of  its  worthlessness. — 
tions  somewhat  protected  from  the  cold  west  and  Uj^^  j^  ^^^^  reflect  that  the  rapidly  increasing 
north-west  winds.  Will  peach  growers  who  h'^ve^^^^^^^  ^^^  j^  j^  .,„„y.,ii  ^^^  jji  lessening 
had  opportunity  for  extensive  observation  give  us  I  j  ^,    ^  ^,      •  ,  .u    • 

thebinefitof  their  experience  on  this  subject  ?  | 'he  supply,  and  that  the  increase,  by  growth^s 
If  we  have  drawn  erroneous  conclusions  from  our  by  no  means  so  great  as  the  consumption.  We 
own  observations  we  shall  be  thankful  to  any  one  ^  presume  there  is  not  a  plantation  of  wood-land  in 
who  will  set  us  right.— Genesee  Farmer. 


DESTRUCTION    OF  WOOD. 

An  aged  and  venerable  man  remarked  to  us  re- 
cently, that  in  a  single  neighborhood,  and  in  the 
comparatively  brief  period  of  five  years,  not  less 
than  two  hundred  acres  of  forest  land,  all  of  it 
densely  wooded,  had  been  entirely  denuded  of  its 
original  growth  !  At  this  rate  he  is  of  opinion 
that  in  a  few  years  we  shall  be  compelled  to  pay 
roundly  for  every  thing  we  obtain  in  the  shape  of 
wood,  whether  deflagrable  or  not.  There  is  noth- 
ing more  fatal  to  a  country  than  the  destruction  of 
its  wood,  for  with  the  growth  perishes,  in  a  very 
great  measure,  the  essential  principles  of  vegeta- 
ble fertility.  Mr.  Thaun,  a  few  years  since,  in  a 
speech  before  the  French  House  of  Assembly  rel- 
ative to  this  subject,  remarked  that  war,  famine, 
and  pestilence,  are  less  terrible  afilictions  than  the 
waste  of  wood.  France,  said  he,  will  disappear 
as  many  flourisiiing  countries  already  have,  if  she 
do  not  follow  tl.-e  example  of  Cyrus,  who  planted 
forests  in  i\sia-Minor.  It  is  only  the  abundance 
of  forests  and  water  which  enables  China  to  sup- 
port her  hundred  millions  of  population.  In  that 
empire  there  are  more  trees  planted  than  destroyed. 
Spain,  so  highly  cultivated,  and  so  densely  crowd- 
ed with  inhabitants  in  the  days  of  the  Roman  Em- 
pire, and  in  the  times  of  the  Moors,  and  since 
those  of  Charles  the  Fifth,  owes  her  present  dreary 
and  desolate  appearance  to  the  waste  of  her  woods. 
The  same  is  the  case  with  most  of  the  countries 
of  Asia,  and  the  came  will  no  doubt,  at  no  distant 
day,  be  the  case  in  this  country,  if  not  prevented 
by  the  adoption  of  a  policy  the  reverse  of  that 
which  we  are  now  pursuing.  It  is  indeed  a  pain- 
ful and  revolting  contemplation  to  witness  the 
wanton  destruction  of  our  noble  forests,  and  the 
denuded  hills  and  bleak  mountains  once  clothed  in 
robes  of  living  verdure.     In  Scotland,  many  of  the 


New  England,  where  there  should  have  been  thous- 
ands of  acres.  There  is  much  land  that  can  be 
devoted  to  no  oihQx profitable  use,  and  the  expense 
of  planting  is  too  insignificant  to  be  urged  as  an 
objection  by  any  one.  We  shall  refer  to  this  sub- 
ject again. 

SPEED   THE   PLOW. 

DY  CARLOS  D.  STEWART. 

Speed  the  plow,  and  turn  the  furrow, 

Scatter  wide  the  yellow  grain  ; 
Soon  it  will,  with  golden  harvests, 

Bring  an  hundred  fold  again. 
Who  so  happy  as  the  plowman  ? 

Up  and  singing  with  the  sun — 
Happy,  trudging  in  the  furrow, 

Happy,  when  the  day  is  done. 

Speed  the  plow,  and  turn  the  furrow, 

Sow  the  seed,  and  reap  the  land  : 
Envy  not  the  king  his  sceptre, 

Better  fills  the  plowman's  hand. 
None  so  happy  as  the  plowman. 

None  on  earth  so  true  a  lord  ; 
Reaper  of  the  golden  harvests, 

Planter  of  the  golden  sward  ! 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

METEOROLOGICAL,  &0. 

Mr.  Editor  : — For  seven  days  in  succession,  end- 
ing the  14th  of  this  month,  the  heat  of  the  atmos- 
phere has  been  greater  than  usual.  For  four  days, 
by  Farenheit's  thermometer,  it  ranged  from  84* 
to  89  and  three  days  from  90  to  90.  In  some  lo- 
cations it  rose  in  the  shade  as  high  as  100,  101, 
102,  103,  and  even  104,  between  one  o'clock  and 
two  P.M.  On  the  13th,  there  were  showers  and 
thunder  heard  in  almost  every  direction  from  this 
place ;  but  not  a  drop  of  rain  fell  here  till  five 
o'clock  P.  M.,  and  not  much  then,  yet  the  light- 
ning played  around  and  struck  the  earth  in  the 
East,  West,  North,  and  South,  within  half  a 
mile  of  where  I  was,  amid  almost  clear  sky.  On 
looking  up  to  discover  where  those  bright  and 
dangerous  electrical  missiles  came  from,  a  point  of 
a  cumilus  cloud  was  seen  nearly  to  project  directly 
whose  base  lay   over 


,      ,   ,  •  i       .  n  ,"  I  over  head,   but  not  quite,    „..~.^^  ,.^...  ... 

landed  proprietors  have  for  some  years  been  en-  piyj^^^jji^  county,  some  fifteen  miles  distant.     The 
gaged    in  restoring  the  forests  which  had  been  1  lightning  appeared  to  shoot  beyond   the  cloud  in 


swept  away  in  previous  ages.  The  old  Duke  of 
AinoL  planted  on  his  estate  in  Perthshire,  many 
hundred  thousands  of  mountain  birches.  The  pa- 
triotic efforts  of  Sir  Walter  Scott,  in  restoring 
beauty  to  the  bleak  wastes  and  barren  hill  sides 
in  the  vicinity  of  Abbotsford,  deserves  all  the  com- 
mendation which  literature  can  bestow.  Such  ex- 
amples, are  like  apples  of  gold  in  pictures  of  silver; 
they  have  an  abiding  and  perennial  effect,  opera- 
ting as  a  centre  of  aetiiin  from  which  none  but  the 


the  broad  sunlight  with  such  heavy  and  sudden 
peals  of  thunder  which  was  truly  startling— but 
not  a  drop  of  rain.  Saturday,  the  loth,  was  con- 
sidered the  warmest  day  ever  known  here.  It  is 
not  half  the  year  that  the  thermometer  rises  as 
high  as  90*^  in  August.  The  last  time  it  rose  to 
90*^  in  August,  was  in  1850,  Aug.  5th,  when  it 
was  at  one  o'clock  just  90°.  The  nest  previous 
was  Aug.  1848,  the  10th,  12th,  and  16th,  when 
it  stood  at  1  P.  M.  at  90  each  day.  I  perceive  by 
the  papers  that  Saturday  was  not  the  warmest  day 
in  Boston,  owing,  I  suppose,  to  an  Easterly  wind 


most  desirable  influences  can  flow  forth.     But  in 'from  the  ocean.     Here,  the  wind  in  the  forenoon 


452 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Oct. 


was  mostly  South  West,  but  very  light ;  but  in 
the  afternoon  it  was  variable,  blowing  moderately 
from  every  point  of  the  compass  ;  generally,  from 
the  nearest  thunder  cloud.  On  the  17th,  at  1  P. 
M.,  the  thermometer  stood  at  64"^,  which  is  35  de- 
grees cooler  than  for  four  days  previous. 

The  quantity  of  rain  which  has  thus  far  fallen 


notice  the  same  appearance  of  dying  in  some  pieces 
in  the  neighborhood.  Our  winter  wheat  was  very 
nice  with  the  exception  of  being  winter  killed  con- 
siderably. 

Corn  looks  well  so  f\ir.  Potatoes  also  are  doing 
well.  Most  of  the  swallows  left  early  in  this 
month,  but  some  are  not  gone  yet,  owing  to  their 


Remarks.  — The  article,  a  few  weeks  since,  on 
the  Palmer  worm,  signed  "Isaac  Stevens,"  and 
dated  "Mansfield,"  should  have  been  signed, 
"Isaac  Stearns."  We  are  sorry  thus  to  rob  our 
obliging  correspondent  of  his  well-merited  honors. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
WHAT  KILLS  THE  WHEAT. 

Mr.  Brown  : — I  claim  no  place  in  the  catalogue 
of  correspondents  of  that  most  welcome  weekly 
visitor,  the  New  England  Farmer,  but  will  simply 
relate  a  fact,  that,  from  my  short  opportunity,  I 
have  not  been  able  to  satisfy  myself  fully  as  to  the 
cause. 

Before  our  spring  wheat  was  quite  full  in  the 
milk,  it  began  to  die  on  one  corner  of  the  piece  ; 
and,  as  I  was  passing  it,  1  concluded  the  cause 
was  white  worms  eating  the  roots,  as  they  not  un- 
frequently  do  the  herd  grass.  Some  six  days 
after  our  visiting  it,  I  found  it  had  died  in  far 
enough  and  along  the  edge  to  make  several  square 
rods,  and  another  piece  cornering  near  the  first 
was  sharing  the  same  fate  ;  for,  for  a  distance  of 
say  ten  rods  along  the  edge,  it  was  completely 
dead,  extending  in  some  two  rods.  Onexaminino-, 
I  could  find  no  worms  as  I  expected ;  but  soon  dis- 
covered small  _  bugs  on  the  ground  and  on  the 
wheat  straw  in  great  abundance  ;  their  largest 
size  was  that  of  a  pinched  kernel  of  wheat, or  about 
half  that  of  a  full  kernel.  The  small  ones  were 
black,  but  as  they  grow  larger  their  wings  turn  a 
sort  of  drab  color. 

I  am  not  al:)le  to  point  out  their  work,  except 
that  in  the  morning  they  were  seen  in  abundance 
on  the  straw  and  heads  of  the  grain,  closely  packed 
round  a  joint  in  the  straw,  or  where  the  leaf 
spreads  off  from  the  straw,  and  on  the  head.  AVhen 
the  straw  first  died,  it  was  as  white  as  ever  I  saw 
any  unbleached  straw  until  it  turned  dark  by  dew 
and  rain— the  grain  shriveling  much  more  than  if 
it  had  been  cut  in  the  same  unripe  state.  I  let  it 
stand  till  some  half  acre  was  spoilt,  and  then  cut 
it.  Every  one  here  that  I  have  talked  with,  ap- 
pears an  entire  stranger  both  to  the  dying  of  the 
wheat_  and  to  the  bugs  I  have  described.  In 
watching  their  movements  the  other  day,  I  found 
them  dead  in  bunches  on  the  ground,  so  that  I 
might  easily  have  filled  a  table  spoon  in  a  place.    I 


brood,  I  suppose. 

Sandwich,  8  Mo.  17,  1853. 


D.  Fry. 


this  month,  amounts  to  G  1-2  inches  nearly,  on  a  young  ones  not  having  come  to  maturity — second 
level;    so    that  the  land  is  plentifully  wet,  and  '    '  ~     " 

grass  land  looks  remarkably  green  and  luxuriant ; 
but  the  extreme  heat  after  plenty  of  rain  has  caused 
the  blight  to  fall  upon  potato  vines,  so  that  a  rot- 
ten crop  is  anticipated.  I  find  that  my  black  po- 
tato vines  show  not  the  least  sign  of  blight,  but 
are  perfectly  green  and  in  growing  order.  Corn 
looks  remarkably  well.  The  stalks  have  grown 
larger  and  higher  than  usual,  and  there  is  a  pros- 
pect of  a  good  crop. 

Yours,  &c.,  Isaac  Stearns. 

Mansfield,  Aug.  20th,  1853. 


WHAT   CHEMISTRY    MAY   DO    FOR 
AGRICULTURE. 

We  have  spoken  in  high  terms  of  Professor 

Johnston's  forthcoming  work  on  the  "  Elements 
of  Agricultural  Chemistry,''  and  have  laid  before 
the  reader  some  extracts  from  it.  We  now  give 
the  leading  chapter,  and  believe  that  the  general 
reader  will  find  it  so  plain,  interesting  and  instruct- 
ive, as  to  desire  to  read  the  whole  work. 

"  The  object  of  the  practical  farmer  is  to  raise 
from  a  given  extent  of  land  the  largest  quantity 
of  the  most  valuable  produce  at  the  least  cost,  in 
the  shortest  period  of  time,  and  with  the  least 
permanent  injury  to  the  soil.  Chemistry,  Geology, 
and  Chemical  Physiology  throw  light  on  every  step 
he  takes,  or  ought  to  take,  in  order  to  effect  this 
main  object. 

SECTION  I. — WHAT  CHEMISTY,  GEOLOGY,  AND  CHEMICAL 
PHYSIOLOGY  MAY   HOPE  TO  DO  FOR   AGRICULTURE. 

But  there  are  certain  definite  objects  which,  in 
their  connection  with  agrigulture,  these  sciences 
hope  to  attain.  Thus,  without  distinguishing  the 
special  province  of  each ,  they  propose  generally  : — 

1.  To  collect,  to  investigate,  and,  if  possible,  to 
explain  all  known  fiicts  in  practical  husbandry. — 
This  is  the  first  duty — a  laborious,  difficult,  but 
important  one.  Many  things  which  are  received 
as  facts  in  agriculture,  prove  to  be  more  or  less 
untrue  when  investigated  and  tested  by  experi- 
ment. Many  ascertained  facts  appear  inexplicable 
to  the  uninstructed — many  even  opposite  and  con- 
tradictory, which  known  principles  clear  up  and 
reconcile — yet  there  are  many  more  which  only 
prolonged  research  can  enable  us  to  explain  I 

2.  From  observations  and  experiments  made  in 
the  field  or  in  the  laboratory,  to  deduce  principles 
which  may  be  more  or  less  applicable  in  all  circum- 
stances. Such  principles  will  explain  useful  prac- 
tices, and  confirm  their  propriety.  They  will  also 
account  for  contradictory  results,  and  will  point 
out  the  circumstances  under  which  this  or  that 
practice  may  most  prudently  and  economically  be 
adopted. 

Armed  with  the  knowledge  of  such  principles, 
the  instructed  farmer  will  go  into  his  fields  as  the 
physician  goes  to  the  bedside  of  his  patient, — pre- 
pared to  understand  symptoms  and  appearances 
he  has  never  before  seen,  and  to  adapt  his  practice 
to  circumstances  which  have  never  before  fallen 
under  his  observation. 

To  deduce  principles  from  collections  of  facts  is 
attended  with  much  difficulty  in  all  departments 
of  knowledge.  In  agriculture,  it  is  at  present  an 
unusually  difficult  task.  Observations  and  experi- 
ments in  the  field  have  hitherto  been  generally 
made  with  too  little  care,  or  recorded  with  too 
little  accuracy,  to  justify  the  scientific  man  in  con- 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


453 


fidently  adopting  them  as  the  basis  of  his  reason- 
ings. A  new  race,  however,  of  more  careful  ob- 
servers, and  more  accurate  experimenters,  is  now 
springing  up.  By  their  aid,  the  advance  of  sound 
agricultural  knowledge  cannot  fail  to  be  greatly 
promoted. 

3.  To  suggest  improved,  and,  perhaps,  previ- 
ously unthought-of  methods  of  fertihzing  the  soil. 
— A  true  explanation  of  twenty  known  facts  or 
results,  or  useful  practices,  should  suggest  nearly 
as  many  more.  Thus  the  explanation  of  old  errors 
will  not  only  guard  the  practical  man  from  falling 
into  new  ones,  but  will  suggest  direct  improve- 
ments he  would  not  otherwise  have  thought  of. 
So,  also,  the  true  explanation  of  one  useful  prac- 
tice will  point  out  other  new  practices,  which  may 
safely  and  with  advantage  be  adopted. 

4.  To  analyze  soils,  manures,  and  vegetable 
products. — This  is  a  most  laborious  department  of 
the  duties  which  agriculture  expects  cnemistry  to 
undertake  in  her  behalf. 

a.  Soils. — The  kind  and  amount  of  benefit  to  be 
derived  from  the  analyses  of  soils,  are  becoming 
every  day  more  apparent.  We  cannot,  indeed, 
from  the  results  of  an  analysis,  prescribe  in  every 
case  the  kind  of  treatment  by  which  a  soil  may  at 
once  be  rendered  most  productive.  In  many  cases, 
however,  certain  wants  of  the  soil  are  directly 
pointed  out  by  analysis  ;  in  many  others,  modes 
of  treatment  are  suggested,  by  which  a  greater 
fertility  is  likely  to  be  produced, — and,  as  our 
knowledge  of  the  subject  extends,  we  may  hope 
to  obtain,  in  every  case,  some  useful  directions  for 
the  improvement  or  more  profitable  culture  of  the 
land. 

h.  Manures. — Of  the  manures  we  employ,  too 
much  cannot  be  known.  An  accurate  knowledge 
of  these  will  guard  the  practical  man  against  an 
improvident  waste  of  any  of  those  natural  manures 
which  are  produced  upon  his  farm — thus  lessening 
the  necessity  for  foreign  manures,  by  introducing 
a  greater  economy  of  those  he  already  possesses. 
It  will  also  protect  him  from  the  ignorance  or 
knavery  of  the  manure  manufacturer.  The  estab 
lishment  of  such  manufactories,  conducted  by  skil- 
ful and  honorable  men,  is  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant practical  results  to  which  the  progress  of 
scientific  agriculture  is  likely  to  lead.  And  if  it 
cannot  prevent  unccrupulous  adulterators  from  en 
gaging  in  this  new  traffic,  chemistry  can  at  least 
detect  and  expose  their  frauds. 

c.  Vegetable  Products. — In  regard,  again,  to 
the  products  of  the  soil,  few  things  are  now  more 
necessary  than  a  "rigorous  analysis  of  all  their 
parts.  If  we  know  what  a  plant  contains,  we 
know  what  elementary  bodies  it  takes  from  the 
soils,  and,  consequently,  what  the  soil  must  con 
■  tain,  if  the  plant  is  to  grow  upon  it  in  a  healthy 
manner, — that  is,  we  shall  know,^o  a  certain  ex 
tent,  how  to  manure  it. 

On  the  other  hand,  in  applying  vegetable  sub- 
stances to  the  feeding  of  "stock,  it  is  of  equal 
importance  to  know  what  they  severally  contain, 
in  order  tliat  a  skilful  selection  may  be  made  of 
such  kinds  of  food  as  may  best  suit  the  purposes 
we  intend  them  to  serve. 

5.  To  explain  how  plants  grow  and  are  nour- 
ished, and  how  animals  are  supported  and  most 
cheaply  fed. — What  food  plants  require,  and  at 
diflerent  periods  of  their  growth,  whence  they  ob- 
tain it,  how  they  take  it  in,  and  in  what  form^of 


chemical  combination  1  Also,  what  kind  and 
quantity  of  food  the  animal  requires,  what  purpose 
difierent  kinds  of  food  serve  in  the  animal  economy, 
and  how  a  given  quantity  of  any  variety  of  food 
may  be  turned  to  the  best  account?  What  ques- 
tions ought  more  to  interest  the  practical  farmer 
than  these  \ 

Then  there  are  certain  peculiarities  of  soil,  both 
physical  and  chemical,  which  are  best  fitted  to 
promote  the  growth  of  each  of  our  most  valuable 
crops.  There  are  also  certain  ways  of  cultivating 
and  manuring,  and  certain  kinds  of  manure  which 
are  specially  favorable  to  each,  and  these  again 
vary  with  every  important  modification  of  climate. 
Thus  chemical  physiology  has  much  both  to  learn 
and  to  teach  in  regard  to  the  raising  of  crops. 

So,  diiferent  kinds  and  breeds  of  domestic  ani- 
mals thrive  best  upon  different  kinds  of  food,  or 
require  diiferent  proportions  of  each ,  or  to  have  it 
prepared  in  different  ways,  or  given  at  different 
times.  Among  animals  of  the  same  species,  also, 
the  growing,  the  full-grown,  the  fattening,  and 
the  milking  animal,  respectively  require  a  peculiar 
adjustment  of  food  in  kind,  quantity,  or  form.  All 
such  adjustments  the  researches  of  chemistry  and 
physiology  alone  enable  us  accurately  to  make. 

G.  To  test  the  opinions  of  theoretical  men. — 
Erroneous  opinions  lead  to  grave  errors  in  practice. 
Such  incorrect  opinions  are  not  KB  frequently  en- 
tertained and  promulgated  even  by  eminent  scien- 
tific men.  They  are  in  this  case  most  dangerous 
and  most  difficult  to  overturn ;  so  that  against 
these  unfounded  theories  the  farmer  requires  pro- 
tection, no  less  than  against  the  quackery  of  man- 
ufactured manures.  It  is  only  on  the  basis  of 
often  repeated,  skilfully  conducted,  and  faithfully 
recorded  experiments,  made  by  instructed  persons, 
that  true  theories  can  ever  successfully  be  built  up. 
Hence  the  importance  of  experiments  in  practical 
agriculture. 

Such  are  the  principal  objects  which  chemistry, 
aided  by  geology  and  physiology,  either  promises 
or  hopes  to  attain.  In  no  district,  however,  will 
the  benefits  she  is  capable  of  conferring  upon  agri- 
culture be  fully  realized,  unless  her  aid  be  really 
sought  for,  her  ability  rightly  estimated,  and  her 
interference  earnestly  requested.  In  other  words, 
what  we  already  know,  as  well  as  what  we  are 
every  day  learning,  must  be  adequately  difiused 
among  the  agricultural  body,  and  in  every  district 
means  must  be  adopted  for  promoting  this  diffii- 
sion.  It  is  in  vain  for  chemistry  and  the  other 
sciences  to  discover  or  suggest,  unless  her  discov- 
eries and  suggestions  be  fully  made  known  to 
those  whose  benefit  they  are  most  likely  to  pro- 
mote." 


DESTROY  THE  APPLE  WORM. 

The  present  season  will  be  a  good  time,  to  di- 
minish the  numbers  of  the  apple  worm. 

As  there  will  not  be  so  many  apples  as  usual,  of 
course,  there  cannot  be  so  many  of  these  insects 
propagated,  and  an  opportunity  thus  offers  to  thin 
ofi"the  numbers  of  the  remainder,  so  that  the  ap- 
ples which  may  grow  another  year,  will  not  be  so 
much  infested  with  them. 

There  are  several  ways  by  which  this  may  be 
done.     One  way,  is  to  let  hogs  or  sheep  run  into 
the  orchard,  which  will  be  likely  to  eat  the  ap 
pies  which  these  worms  cause  to  fall  and  thus  de- 
stroy them.     Another   mode  is  to  gather  up  the 


454 


JSEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Oct. 


windfiills,  and  either  throw  them  over  to  the  hogs, 
or  cook  them,  and  mix  them  with  the  swill  that 
you  feed  to  the  hoga,  and  thus  be  sure  to  destroy 
them. 

There  is  another  way  by  which  many  of  them 
can  be  entrapped  and  killed.  These  worms  some- 
times leave  the  apple  while  it  hangs  on  the  tree, 
and  crawl  down  the  trunk  in  search  of  some  con- 
venient place,  to  spin  their  cocoon,  in  which  to 
undergo  their  transformation,  into  a  miller  or  moth 
state. 

If  you  place  a  woolen  rag  in  the  crotch  of  the 
tree,  the  worms,  in  their  journey  down,  will  be 
very  likely  to  come  in  contact  with  it,  and  finding 
it  warm  and  comfortable,  will  be  likely  to  crawl 
under  it,  and  spin  their  cocoons  there. 

They  can  then  be  discovered  by  lifting  up  the 
cloth,  and  thus  easily  destroyed.  It  is  worth 
some  little  pains  to  diminish  their  numbers  at  this 
time. — Maine  Farmer. 


below  the  measurement.  From  the  great  loss  of 
roots,  by  their  spreading  so  deep  and  wide,  I  had 
little  expectation  of  saving  my  tree,  and  still  less 
the  grafts  so  recently  set,  but  was  most  agreeably 
disappointed  in  both. — Rural  New-Yorker. 


MOUNTAIN  BORER. 


The  Hartford  Times  speaks  as  follows  of  an  in- 
vention by  a  Mr.  Talbot  of  that  city,  called  the 
"Mountain  Borer  :" 

"Worked  into  its  own  machinery,  is  an  engine 
of  GO  horse  power.  This  drives  four  piston  rods, 
horizontally,  iyad  these  turn  four  half-circle  plates, 
of  stout  proportions,  to  which  circular  revolving 
blades  are  set.  These  four  plates  are  turned  with 
exactness  about  one-fourth  of  a  circle  and  back, 
and  are  set  upon  a  revolving  plate,  of  about  ten 
feet  in  diameter,  and  as  thus  set,  cut  a  circle  of  17 
feet  in  diameter.  The  machine  weighs  about  80 
tons,  and  is  of  stout  proportions  throughout.  The 
motion  obtained  by  this  invention  is  novel — en- 
tirely new.  By  it  the  revolving  knives,  each  run- 
ning its  quarter  circle,  cut  completely  from  the 
centre  to  the  circumference,  and  they  do  their 
work  steadily  and  surely,  cutting  a  round  hole  as 
they  are  turned  by  the  large  or  centre  plate.  But 
we  cannot  describe  the  great  machine  so  as  to  give 
a  good  idea  of  it,  and  will  not  attempt  it.  We 
say,  however,  that  it  stands  among  the  greatest 
inventions  of  the  age,  and  will  bore  its  way  to  an 
enviable  notoriety.  It  is  to  be  taken  to  a  rock  at 
or  neiir  ILulem,  N.  P.,  for  an  experimental  trial 
All  the  r;ire  things  in  the  Crystal  Palace  com- 
bined, are  not  equal  to  this  machine,  in  the  way  of 
interest  to  the  lover  of  true  mechanical  genius 
and  bold  conception." 


DEPTH  OF  THE  ROOTS  OF  TREES. 

In  the  spring  of  1850,  I  removed  an  apple  tree 
which  was  growing  on  a  gravelly  ridge,  to  a  place 
prepared  for  it  a  short  distance  from  whence  it  was 
taken.  The  tree  was  six  inches  in  diameter,  had 
been  planted,  I  should  judge  about  twenty  years, 
and  had  been  top-grafted  a  few  days  previous  to 
its  removal.  The  tree  and  most  of  the  grafts  set 
in  it  are  growing  thriftily. 

In  the  place  where  the  tree  stood,  I  sunk  a  well, 
and  in  the  digging  traced  the  roots  of  the  apple 
tree  downwards  to  a  depth  of  over  twelve  feet  be- 
low the  surface  of  tlie  ground.  My  attention 
was  called  by  the  appearance  of  the  roots,  as  the 
workmen  were  going  on  with  their  work,  and  a 
measurement  was  made.  How  much  deeper  the 
roots  could  have  been  traced,  I  cannot  tell,  but  I 
was  well  satisfied  that  they  did  extend  some  little 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
APPLICATION  OF  TAN  TO  POTATOES. 

Mr.  Browx: — Early  this  month  my  attention 
was  called  to  a  field  of  potatoes,  several  acres,  on 
the  farm  of  Gen.  Sutton,  (which  I  believe  yon 
have  visited  this  season,)  presenting  features  so 
striking  as  to  be  worthy  of  notice.  The  entire  field 
was  plowed  the  last  Autumn,  with  the  Michigan 
sod  and  subsoil  plow,  to  the  depth  of  about  nine 
inches,  and  manured  with  compost  in  like  manner 
throughout.  In  the  Spring  it  was  furrowed  deep, 
and  the  potatoes  were  dropped  in  continuous  rows. 
On  one  side  of  the  field  the  potatoes  were  covered 
with  tan,  before  the  dirt  was  put  over  them,  taken 
directly  from  the  tannery ;  on  the  other  side,  no 
tan  was  applied.  In  all  other  respects  they  were 
treated  alike.  When  I  first  saw  them,  the 
vines  throughout  appeared  healthy  and  vigor- 
ous, the  only  difference  was,  where  the  tan  was 
applied,  they  were  higher  and  larger  than  the 
others.  This  was  explained  upon  the  supposition 
that  during  the  dry  weather  of  June  and  July,  the 
tan  had  checked  the  evaporation  from  the  earth 
below,  and  the  sod  that  had  been  covered  by  the 
subsoil,  and  thereby  aided  the  growth  of  the  po- 
tato. At  this  time,  no  appearance  of  blight,  or 
discoloration  of  the  vines,  was  to  be  seen  on  any 
part  of  the  field.  To  day,  when  I  looked  at  them, 
on  that  part  of  the  field,  where  no  tan  was  applied, 
the  vines  were  completely  fallen  and  discolored, 
presenting  a  gloomy  aspect.  Where  the  tan  was 
applied,  the  vines  are  still  green  and  luxuriant — 
only  here  and  there  a  sprout  otherwise — probably 
where  the  tan  did  not  completely  cover.  What  is 
to  be  the  result  of  the  application  of  the  tan  upon 
the  tubers  to  be  formed,  can  only  be  determined 
when  the  crop  is  matured.  Perhaps  they  will  all 
be  tainted  with  the  rot,  as  most  other  fields  in  this 
vicinity  now  give  indications  of  being.  I  state  the 
facts,  that  the  curious  in  these  matters  may  look 
for  themselves,  while  the  crop  is  in  the  field.  It 
is  situated  on  the  southerly  side  of  Aborn  Street, 
in  Salem,  near  the  Gen.'s  large  barn.  Probably, 
when  other  cares  will  permit,  the  proprietor  will 
have  more  time  to  look  after  the  humbler,  but  not 
less  useful  and  honorable  pursuits  of  his  well-cul- 
tivated fields. 

The  public  are  under  great  obligations  to  gentle- 
men like  Mr.  Sutton,  for  many  well  conducted  ex- 
periments in  cultivation.  In  this  way,  men  of 
wealth  and  public  spirit  can  do  much  for  the  in- 
struction of  the  farmer,  even  though,  they  do  not 
put  their  own  hands  to  the  plow,  or  shoulder  to 
the  wheel.  Mr.  S.'s  experiment  in  1851,  of  ap- 
plying various  kinds  of  manure  to  the  growing  of 
potatoes,  published  I  think  in  the  Journal  of  Ag- 
riculture at  that  time,  was  highly  creditable  and 
useful.  If  my  recollection  is  right,  those  grown 
on  rotted  tan  alone,  yielded  most  and  of  the  best 
quality.  If  it  be  true  that  tan  can  be  used  for  the 
growing  or  the  protecting  of  potatoes,  this  is  a  fact 
worthy  of  notice.  In  the  village  of  South  Danvers 
alone,  it  is  ascertained  that  about  12,000  cords  of 
hemlock  bark  are  annually  used  in  the  tanneries . 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


455 


I  presume  about  as  much  more  is  used  in  the  ad- 
joining tanneries  of  Salem.  This  spent  bark,  is 
now  dried  and  housed,  and  used  in  the  Steam  Mills, 
for  the  grinding  ot  bark.  For  this  purpose,  when 
dry,  it  is  valued  at  about  one  dollar  a  cord.  "S'ery 
truly  yours,  r- 

Danvers,  Aug.  20th,  1853. 

Note. — Almost  every  farmer  I  meet,  speaks  of 
the  decay  of  his  potatoes.  The  fond  hopes  in- 
dulged the  last  year,  that  the  disorder  had  passed 
its  climax,  I  fear,  rest  on  a  slippery  foundation. 
Let  us  have  the  foots;  from  these  alone,  can  the 
true  cause  be  learned. 


Remarks. — We  should  be  glad  to  say  something 
in  relation  to  the  use  of  tan,  the  potato  crop,  &c., 
but  the  pressure  of  other  duties,  at  present,  pre- 
vents. From  personal  observation,  we  can  speak 
of  the  beautifully  cultivated  fields  of  Gen.  Sctton, 
and  say  that  a  visit  to  his  workshop, and  the  room 
for  the  storage  of  his  Farm  Implements,  the  sheds 
for  his  carts,  wagons,  &c.,  will  richly  repay  any 
farmer  for  a  travel  of  twenty  miles.  This  part  of 
his  farm  husbandry  excels  anything  of  the  kind  we 
have  ever  seen,  in  any  State.  We  received  sever- 
al lessons  there  which  have  already  had  an  influ- 
ence on  our  own  premises. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

LIME  FROM  GAS  WORKS    AND   MUCK. 

Mr.  Brown  : — I  see  inquiries  from  your  corres- 
pondents concerning  the  value  of  gas  lime,  and 
its  efficiency  in  decomposing  peat  muck,  &c.  I 
send  you  herewi'^.h  an  analysis  of  the  gas  lime  from 
it.  It  was  made  for  E.  B.  Brown,  Esq. ,  of  Stoning- 
ton,  Ct.,  by  Dr.  Chilton,  of  New  York. 

Caustic  lime 43.34 

Carbonate  of  lime 30.15 

Water 16.03 

Phosphate  of  lime 1.00 

Sulphate  of  lime 1.12 

llviho  Sulphate  of  lime 2.14 

Stilphatc  and  Hydro  Sulphate  of  lime 3.94 

Trace  of  iron  and  oily  matter 2.11 

Loss 20 

100.00 

It  will  be  seen  by  this  analysis  that  43  per  cent. 
of  this  lime  is  in  a  caustic  state,  and  must  act  as 

f)0werfully  upon  vegetable  fibre  as  any  fresh  burnt 
ime.  The  thirty  per  cent,  of  carbonate  of  lime 
is  as  good  as  any  other  slacked  lime.  It  is  what 
all  our  granite  soils,  that  have  a  fair  proportion  of 
organic  matter  in  them,  need.  The  one  per  cent, 
of  phosphate  of  lime  and  the  1.12  per  cent,  of 
sulphate,  or  plaster  of  paris,  are  well  known  to  be 
valuable  on  almost  all  soils.  The  next  three  con- 
stituents are  probably  of  some  value.  The  iron 
enters  in  small  quantities  into  most  vegetable 
products.  The  precise  nature  of  this  oily  matter 
is  not  revealed  by  the  analysis.  But  if  the  coal 
contains  ammonia,  it  is  probably  to  be  looked  for 
in  this  constituent  of  the  gas  lime. 

Twenty-five  cents  a  barrel  is  much  higher  than 
the  market  price  of  the  article  in  New  York.  There 
it  is  put  on  board  the  vessel  at  one  and  a  half  cents 
per  bushel.  It  was  sold  last  year  at  two  cents  a 
bushel.  The  accumulation  of  the  article  upon  the 
hands  of  the  Gas  Company  has  probably  caused 


this  fall  in  the  price.  Mr.  Brown  procured  a 
thousand  bushels  for  decomposing  muck,  and  it 
succeeds  so  well  that  he  is  enlarging  his  opera- 
tions. For  this  purpose,  or  for  spreading  upon  the 
surface  of  reclaimed  swamps,  it  is  perhaps  the 
cheapest  source  of  lime  at  the  New  York  price. 
At  25  cents  a  barrel,  it  is  a  question  if  it  is  not 
dearer  than  oyster  shell  lime,  fresh  burnt,  which 
can  be  procured  in  the  neighborhood  of  most  of 
our  cities  at  from  five  to  seven  cents  per  bushel. 
Your  correspondents  can  safely  go  ahead  with  the 
gas  lime  and  muck. 

As  muck  and  marsh  mud  are  coming  into  fashion, 
your  readers  will  be  interested  in  the  following 
analysis : — 

Analysis  of  Peat  Muck  on  E.  B.  Brown's  farm, 
by  Prof.  JVorton. 

Lime 4.5 

Magnesia 17 

Alkaline  salts 31  , 

Alumina,  iron  and  phosphoric  acid 2.06 

Soluble  Silica 13 

Insoluble  matter,  sand,  &,c .58.71 

Organic  matter 37.48 

Loss 69 

100.00 

Analysis  of  Marsh  Mud  made  for  Col.  E.  TV.  Sea- 
brook,  of  Edisto  Island,  S.  Carolina,  by 
Prof.  C.  U.  Shepard. 

Water 1966 

Organic  matter 3.50 

Silica 67.50 

Carbonate  of  iron 4.75 

Alumina 1-50 

Carbonate  of  lime  and  magnesia 1.64 

Phosphate  of  lime  and  do trace. 

Chloride  of  Sodium 0.45 

Chloiide  of  potassium O.Ol 

Chloride  of  magnesium f'.OS 

Sulphate  oflime  and  magnesia 0.05 

Loss 99 

100.00 

W.  Clift. 
Sionington,  Ct.,  Aug.  14,  1853. 


TURNIPS. 


Turnips  may  remain  in  the  field  till  late.  They 
ar*far  less  injured  by  frost  than  many  are  inclined 
to  believe.  It  is  very  often  the  case  that  turnips 
are  frozen  into  the  ground,  and  on  the  frosts  break- 
ing up  again  in  the  course  of  a  few  days,  are  re- 
moved as  hard  and  cri^p  as  before.  The  action  of 
the  soil  neutralizes  its  efiects,  and  sometimes  a 
succession  of  several  weeks  of  warm  weather,  after 
a  freezing  night,  adds  as  much  to  the  weight  and 
value  of  the  crop  as  they  gained  in  twice  the  time 
before  the  advent  of  severe  cold.  A  low  tempera- 
ture is  favorable  rather  than  adverse  to  the  devel- 
opment of  all  the  species  of  the  turnip  tribe.  Cabba- 
ges grow  rapidly  in  cold  weather  ;  hence  the  prac- 
tice so  prevalent  at  present  of  allowing  them  to  re- 
main out  till  snow  falls.  In  packing  turnips  of  all 
kinds,  care  should  be  taken  to  secure  them  effect- 
ually against  the  light  and  air.  The  more  per- 
fectly this  is  accomplished,  the  greater  will  be  the 
certainty  of  their  keeping  well,  and  the  more  whole- 
some and  nutritive  will  they  be  found,  both  for 
stock  and  for  table  use. 


456 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Oc*. 


VEGETABLE    REPRODUCTION, 

The  reproduction  of  vegetables  is  very  analagous 
to  that  of  the  animal  kingdom.  The  organs  of 
production  are  the  stamen  and  pistil.  These  are 
situated  within  the  colored  leaves,  which,  together 
with  those  interior  and  essential  parts,  form  the 
flower.  Sometimes  both  atamen  and  pistil  are 
found  in  the  same  flower,  which  is  then  called  a 
perfect  flower.  Sometimes  the  flower  has  only  a 
stamen,  or  only  a  pistil,  and  then  it  is  called  an 
imperfect  flower.  It  is  necessary  that  the  stamen 
and  pistil  should  communicate  in  order  to  the  re- 
production of  the  plant.  In  a  perfect  flower  this 
communication  is  efiected  by  the  contact  of  the 
stamen  and  pistil.  When,  however,  the  flowers 
are  separate,  and  communication  cannot  be  had 
by  contact,  the  fecundation  is  effected  by  the 
agency  of  the  wind,  which  carries  the  pollen  or 
dust  of  the  stamen  and  deposits  it  on  the  pistil  of 
the  other  flower.  Sometimes  the  male  and  fe- 
male flower  are  not  on  the  same  plant,  but  a  dif- 
ferent one,  as  is  the  case  with  the  strawberry, 
the  hemp  and  hop.  Sometimes  they  are  on  the 
same  plant,  but  on  a  separate  stem,  as  the  melon. 
In  plants  of  this  kind,  having  imperfect  flowers, 
the  fecundation  is  supposed  to  be  incomplete  or  to 
fail,  and  it  is  sometimes  assisted  by  the  hand  of 
the  gardener.  In  this  way  the  varieties  of  certain 
species  of  plants  are  chiefly  produced. 

These  hybrid  plants  can  be  produced  only  when 
the  parent  species  are  nearly  allied  to  each  other. 
If  the  hybrid  bear  flowers  which  become  fertilized 
by  its  own  pollen,  it  may  produce  seeds  from  which 
similar  may  be  raised.  This  may  be  repeated  for 
two  or  three  generations,  by  agency  of  its  own  re- 
productive organs,  or  by  intermixture  with  those 
of  the  parent  stock  or  species.  In  this  last  case, 
however,  it  will  be  a  new  variety.  If  the  several 
parent  stocks  from  which  the  variety  proceetled 
are  of  distant  species,  the  new  hybrid  race  becomes 
soon  extinct,  unless  it  be  continued  by  intermix- 
ture with  one  of  the  parent  stock,  in  which  case 
it  becomes  merged  in  that  sk)ck. 

Those  flowers  which  contain  the  pistil  are  called 
fertile  flowers,  because  they  are  capable  of  repro- 
duction if  fecundated  by  the  stamen  bearing  flow- 
er. The  sterile  flower  may  be  easily  distinguish- 
ed from  the  fertile,  by  the  knob  or  bulb  at  the  top 
of  the  stamen,  whieh  becomes  covered  with  a  fine 
yellow  dust,  called  pollen,  which  is  the  fructifying 
element  of  the  stamen,  and  which  must,  in  order 
to  the  reproduction  of  the  plant,  be  brought  into 
contact  with  the  stigma  or  expanded  head  of  the 
pistil  in  the  fertile  flower. 

This  knowledge  is  valuable  to  gardeners,  as  by  it 
they  are  enabled  to  select  the  suitable  sets  for 
strawberries  and  other  fruits,  to  assist  in  the  pro- 
duction of  melons  by  placing  the  pollen  on  the 
stigma,  and,  by  selection  of  pollen  from  diflerent 
species,  to  produce  new  varieties. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
WHEAT  CULTURE. 

Gentlemen  : — I  am  not  a  little  delighted  to  see 
an  awakening  interest  in  wheat  growing  among 
New  England  farmers.  Letters  have  been  ad- 
dressed to  me  from  different  States,  indicating  that 
your  own  Pilgrim  soil  is  still  capable  of  producing 
bread  for  its  people. 

The  foreign  conclusion  that  your  soil  was  ex- 
hausted of  its  lime,  has  now  become  a  bugbear. 
Your  celebrated  Dr.  Jackson  tells  you  that  every 
spoonful  of  manure  has  its  quota  of  lime,  and  hence 
all  the  lime  that  is  necessary  to  vegetable  growth  is 
found  in  the  barn-yard. 

But  time  compels  me  to  be  brief.  In  a  few  words 
I  would  say  to  the  farmer — particularly  tliose  who 
are  remote — begin  the  business  of  raising  the  al- 
most sure  crop  of  winter  wheat.  Your  potatoes 
rot,  your  spring  grains  rws^.and  the  weevil  troubles 
you.  Is  it  not  so?  Now  the  month  of  September 
is  upon  you  ;  sow  your  wheat  early.  If  you  have 
no  seed  at  hand,  send  to  Boston  for  it.*  Wherever 
you  can  get  corn,  there  you  can  get  wheat.  It  is 
as  sure  a  crop  as  winter  rye,  and  much  more  so  on 
strong  sward  lands.  Six  years'  experience  is  my 
only  proof;  and  as  this  is  the  season  between 
"  hay  and  grass,"  and  little  else  for  the  farmer  to 
do  than  plow  his  land,  he  will  find  his  rewafd  in 
this  new  field  of  labor,  and  his  granary  replen- 
ished in  an  important  item  of  domestic  comfort. 
Yours  truly,        Henry  Poor. 

Neiv  York,  Aug.  22,  1853. 


*  Seed  may  be  found  at  Ruggles,  Nourse  &  Mason's,  anU 
other  seed  stores. 


SYMPATHIES  OF  MIND  WITH  THE 
BODY. 

All  are  aware  of  the  wonderful  influence  exert- 
ed by  the  condition  of  the  body  upon  the  faculties 
and  affections  of  the  soul.  The  following,  from 
the  Essay  on  Indigestion,  by  Dr.  James  Johnson, 
contains  some  very  reitiarkable  facts  : — 

"Many  a  happy  and  lucky  thought  has  sprung 
from  an  empty  stomach  !  Many  an  important  un- 
dertaking has  been  ruined  by  a  bit  of  undigested 
pickle — many  a  well-laid  scheme  has  failed  in  ex- 
ecution from  a  drop  of  green  bile — many  a  terrible 
and  merciless  edict  has  gone  forth  in  consequence 
of  an  irritated  gastric  nerve.  The  character  of 
men's  minds  has  often  suffered  from  temporary  de- 
rangements of  the  body  ;  and  thus,  health  may 
make  the  same  man  a  hero  in  the  field,  whom  dys- 
pepsia may  render  imbecile  in  the  cabinet." 

Dr.  J.  illustrates  his  subject  in  his  usual  felici- 
tous manner.  The  following  are  some  of  his  re- 
marks : — 

"I  lately  saw  a  gentleman  of  brilliant  talents 
and  prolific  genius,  who  could  sit  down  and  write 
extemporaneously  whole  pages  of  superior  poetical 
effusions,  with  scarcely  an  effort  of  the  mind,  and 
who  would  yet,  from  sudden  derangement  of  the 
digestive  organs,  be  so  completely  and  quickly 
prostrated  in  intellectual  power,  as  not  to  be  able 
to  write  three  lines  on  the  most  common  subject. 
On  a  late  occasion,  when  he  had  merely  to  com- 
municate an  official  transaction  that  required  not 
more  than  half  a  dozen  lines  in  the  plainest  lan- 
guage, he  could  not  put  pen  to  paper,  though  the 
attempt  was  made  fifty  times  in  the^course  of  two 
days.     At  length  he  was  forced  to  throw  himself 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  PARMER. 


457 


into  a  post-chaise,  and  perform  a  long  journey  to 
deliver  orally  what  mi<rht  Ijave  been  done  in  one 
minute  by  the  pen.  In  half  an  hour  after  this 
ride  was  performed,  he  sat  down  and  wrote  an  ode 
descriptive  of  his  own  state  of  nervous  irritability, 
which  would  not  have  done  discredit  to  the  pen 
of  a  Byron. 

"The  author  of  this  essay  has  himself  been  so 
enervated  by  a  fit  of  what  is  called  indigestion,  as 
to  be  utterly  incapable  of  breaking  the  seal  of  a 
letter  for  twenty-four  hours — though,  to  all  appear- 
ance, in  good  health  at  the  time." 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

MOWING    MACHINES. 

Mr.  Editor: — I  have  been  exceedingly  grati- 
fied with  some  accounts  of  a  trial  of  mowing  ma- 
chines, pubHshed  in  your  valuable  paper,  and  also 
the  strong  interest  you  seem  to  take  in  this  mat- 
ter. As  this  is  an  importirtit  subject  for  ftirmers, 
I  will,  with  your  permission,  offer  a  few  thoughts 
on  this  interesting  topic.  The  late  Judge  Wood- 
BURV,  at  one  of  our  agricultural  festivals,  pro- 
nounced the  hay  crop,  next  to  the  wheat  crop,  as 
the  most  important  crop  of  the  country,  and  he 
estimated  its  yearly  value  in  the  New  England 
States  at  thirty-eight  millions  of  dollars.  If  this 
opinion  has  any  foundation  in  fact,  we  see  the 
magnitude  of  the  interests  involved  in  this  pro- 
duction. What  then,  let  me  ask,  has  been  done 
to  improve  the  methods  of  harvesting  this  -im- 
mense department  of  cultivation  1  While  our  ag- 
ricultural warehouses  have  been  flooded  with  im- 
proved plows  and  other  implements  for  the  vari- 
ous kinds  of  farm  work,  I  am  not  aware  that  any 
new  mode  of  cutting  grass  has  been  introduced  in 
this  part  of  the  country  for  the  last  fifty  or  hun- 
dred years.  Other  sections  of  the  union  have 
shared  largely  of  the  spirit  of  the  age,  but  we 
have  remained  stationary.  Now  in  my  judgment 
these  things  ouglit  not  so  to  be.  It  is  true  the 
horse  rake  has  done  something  to  help  the  farmer 
in  haying,  but  it  has  not  done  all  that  can  be 
done,  or  enough.  The  severity  of  labor  at  this 
season  is  yet  proverbial.  The  farmer  is  still  com- 
pelled to  tug  and  toil  and  bear  the  heat  and  bur- 
den of  the  day,  and  he  needs  relief.  While,  then, 
we  are  thankful  for  the  horse  rake,  we  want 
Something  more.  The  horse  rake  has  lived  long 
enough  in  single  blessedness  ;  we  wish  to  see  it 
married  to  the  mowing  machine,  and  when  this 
union  is  effected  there  will  be  no  want  of  issue. 
These  machines  have  been  in  use  in  the  middle 
and  western  States  for  some  years  ;  and  while  it 
is  admitted  that  they  are  not  all  of  equal  merit, 
there  is  one  upon  which  the  testimony  is  uniform 
and  decisive.  I  allude  to  Ketciium's  Mowing  Ma- 
chine. This  has  several  times  been  put  in  com- 
petition with  others,  and  has  always  borne  off  the 
palm.  All  who  have  seen  it  work  concur  in  one 
report,  and  that  is  praise.  In  a  late  number  of 
the  iVcw  England  Fanner  there  is  a  letter  from 
David  Lyman,  of  Middleton,  Ct.,  and  this  is  his 
.statement.  "  I  have  tried  it  in  thin  June  grass, 
in  clover  and  herds  grass,  both  standing  and 
lodged, and  in  corn  meadow  grass,  and  it  does  the 
work  fully  equal  to  the  best  mowers.  All  who 
have  seen  it  e.xpressthis  opinion.  It  works  better 
on  uneven  ground  than  any  one  would  suppose. 
It  is   strong   and   durable,  and  will,  I  think,  be 


used  successfully  on  nine-tenths  of  the  mowing 
fields  of  New  England,  if  properly  prepared."  lie 
also  states,  "  I  can  in  three  hours  cut  over  as 
much  surface  as  five  men  usually  mow  in  tlie  fore- 
noon." In  a  late  trial  in  the  State  of  Ohio,  such 
was  irts  excellence  and- efficiency  that,  in  the  opin- 
ion of  one  present,  it  could  have  been  sold  at  auc- 
tion for  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  Five  hun- 
dred were  sold  last  year,  and  one  thousand  does 
not  meet  the  demand  the  present  year. 

There  are  some  reasons  which  seem  to  call 
loudly  for  the  mowing  machine.  One  is  the  high 
price  of  labor  in  haying.  During  the  past  season 
good  men  could  not  be  obtained  in  many  places 
for  less  than  nine  shillings  a  day  and  board,  and 
they  were  even  scarce  at  that.  Another  consid- 
eration is  that  we  cannot  hit  upon  the  proper  time 
of  cutting  the  grass  by  the  old  method  of  mowing ; 
some  will  be  cut  too  soon,  and  other  parts  too 
late  ;  whereas,  by  the  use  of  a  machine,  we  can 
at  once  facilitate  and  accelerate  the  operations  of 
haying  so  as  to  bring  every  thing  within  its  proper 
time  and  place. 

I  am  aware  that  some  may  object  against  the 
use  of  this  implement  because  of  the  expense  ; 
but  if  a  single  individual  should  think  that  he 
could  not  afford  to  buy  one,  two  or  three  neigh- 
bors might  club  together  and  purchase  one  for 
their  common  benefit,  and  would  save  enough  by 
being  relieved  from  the  necessity  of  hiring  extra 
hands,  to  pay  for  the  machine  in  one  or  two  years. 
It  may,  perhaps,  be  thought  that  the  circumstance 
of  working  the  machine  with  two  horses  may  oc- 
casion difiiculty  or  inconvenience,  as  most  farmers 
have  but  one.  But  in  reply  to  this  it  is  enough 
to  say  that  the  Hon.  Samuel  D.  Hubbard,  of  the 
city  of  Middleton,  uses  his  with  a  yoke  of  oxen  ; 
and  I  know  of  no  reason  why  oxen  will  not  do  as 
well  as  horses,  except  that  they  do  not  work  so 
fast. 

To  prepare  the  way  for  the  introduction  of  these 
machines,  I  would  suggest  for  your  consideration 
the  expediency  of  having  one  or  more  of  them 
submitted  to  the  test  of  an  experiment,  similar  to 
the  late  trial  in  Ohio.  If  it  were  not  too  late  to 
find  grass  to  work  upon,  the  gathering  at  a  cattle 
show  would  be  just  the  time  for  an  exhibition, 
and  there  cannot  be  a  doubt  that  it  would  attract 
vastly  more  attention  than  the  ploughing  match. 
Nothing  could  have  a  happier  tendency  to  dispel 
doubt  and  banish  prejudice  than  to  see  one  in 
actual  operation.  What  our  farmers  want  is  ocu- 
lar demonstration.  They  want  to  see  with  their 
own  eyes  and  handle  with  their  own  hands,  and 
then  they  will  be  convinced.  In  this  connection 
I  subjoin  Mr.  IvETcnuii's  account  of  his  machine, 
as  published  in  the  Boston  Cultivator  Feb.  10, 1849. 


ketchum's  patent  mowing  machine. 

The  subscriber  having,  during  the  past  summer, 
submitted  his  Mowing  Machine  to  the  most  severe 
tests  of  trial,  in  every  variety  of  grass  and  on 
smooth  and  uneven  surfaces,  and  having  brought 
it  to  a  degree  of  perfection,  is  now  ready  to  offer 
it  to  the  public  with  the  utmost  confidence  in  its 
complete  success,  with  the  assurance  that  the  fol- 
lowing statements  may  be  relied  on  as  facts  : 

1st.  The  machine  is  capable  of  mowing  from  10 
to  15  acres  of  grass  a  day,  with  one  span  of  hor- 
ses and  one  person 'to  drive.  In  addition  to  this, 
it  leaves  the  grass  evenly  spread  upon  the  ground. 


458 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Oct. 


2d.  It  cuts  the  grass  more  closely  and  evenly 
than  is  commonly  done  with  a  scythe  by  the  best 
mowers. 

3d.  It  is  built  mostly  of  iron ;  is  strong  and  dur 
able ;  is  not  liable  to  break  or  get  out  of  repair 
with  fair  usage. 

4th.  It  is  less  work  to  keep  the  cutting  teeth 
sharp  and  in  order  than  it  is  a  scythe. 

5th.  It  is  easier  work  for  a  man  and  a  team  to 
propel  and  manage  the  machine  than  it  is  a  harrow 

Gth.  The  construction  of  the  machine  is  me- 
chanism reduced  to  its  simplest  elements. 

7th.  All  the  difficulties  in  mowing  by  machinery 
are  overcome.  It  may  be  done,  and  this  machine 
will  do  it.  The  price  of  the  machine  is  $100. 
Any  application  for  the  right  to  manufacture  and 
vend,  them  in  specified  districts,  or  for  the  ma- 
chine, may  be  addressed  to  the  subscriber,  or  to 
S.  W.  Hawes,  of  this  city,  and  will  meet  with 
prompt  attention.  William  F.  Ketchum. 

Buffalo,  Sept.,  1848. 


In  conclusion,  let  me  appeal  to  the  great  house 
of  RuGGLES,  NouRSE,  Mason  &  Co.,  and  like  estab- 
lishments of  Boston,  and  ask  if  there  is  not  any 
one  among  them  of  public  spirit  enough,  to  say 
nothing  of  private  interest,  who  will  engage  in 
this  cause.  It  needs  not  the  gift  of  prophecy  to 
say  that  he  who  shall  embark  in  this  enterprise 
will  not  lose  his  reward.  Like  the  fortunate  pub- 
lishers of  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin,  he  may  anticipate  a 
rich  harvest  of  gain,  and  he  will  not  be  disap- 
pointed. A. 

Ac/on,  Aug.  31,  1853. 


Remarks. — Our  correspondent  has  not  run  ahead 
of  our  own  desires  in  regard  to  the  Mowing  Ma- 
chine. The  season  has  passed  for  the  introduction 
of  one  this  year  ;  but  next  season  we  hope  to  see 
them  introduced,  and  shall  give  the  matter  per- 
sonal attention.  We  would  inform  him  that 
Messrs.  Ruggles,  Nourse,  Mason  &  Co.  have  al- 
ready soldKetchum's  and  other  Mowing  Machines, 
and  will  supply  any  demand  made  upon  them  in 
future. 

IMPROVEMENTS  AT  THE  CAPITOL. 

The  labors  of  Major  B.  B.  French,  the  new  com- 
missioner of  Public  Buildings,  are  well  employed 
in  the  improvements  he  is  making  at  the  Capitol. 
The  whole  work  now  in  progress  there  (except  the 
extension  of  the  two  houses  of  Congress)  is  under 
the  superintendence  of  Major  French,  and  he  is 
acquitting  himself  admirably. 

On  the  exterior  the  new  group  of  statuary  by 
Greenougli,  representing  the  "Triumph  of  Civil- 
ization," is  being  placed  on  the  north  base  of  the 
great  staircase,  on  the  east  front.  The  group  is 
composed  of  several  pieces  of  art,  embracing  the 
civilized  man,  the  savage,  a  woman  with  her  son 
in  her  arms,  and  a  trained  dog,  all  to  be  placed 
upon  a  pedestal,  consisting  of  an  irregular  mass  of 
rock,  and  adjusted  in  accordance  with  the  orig- 
inal idea  of  the  illustrious  American  artist. 

In  the  interior  the  building  has  been  renovated 
beautifully  from  the  base  to  the  summit.  The 
two  rotundos  of  the  Senate  and  House  have  been 
elegantly  painted.  The  frescoing  of  the  Hall  of 
Representatives  is  a  great  improvement;  and  when 


the  curtains  and  carpets  are  arranged,  the  room 
will  present  a  splendieJ  appearance. 

The  large  paintings  have  been  much  improved  by 
the  cleaning  of  the  frames  and  the  application  of 
varnish  to  the  canvass.  Should  the  great  paint- 
ing of  the  Discovery  of  the  Mississippi,  by  De  Soto, 
arrive  in  time  to  complete  the  series  of  pictures, 
the  chief  rotundo  will  be  beautiful  and  grand  in- 
deed. It  is  stated  that  this  painting  is  already  on 
its  way.  We  ardently  hope  it  may  arrive  and  be 
put  up  before  the  commencement  of  the  next  ses- 
sion of  Congress. 

But  the  great  feature  of  these  improvements  is 
the  new  hall  of  the  Congressional  Library.  This 
hall  is  now  composed  entirely  of  iron,  having  two 
galleries  and  three  rows  of  alcoves  surrounding  the 
room.  The  painting,  gilding,  carpeting  and  fur- 
nishing are  truly  elegant ;  the  whole  constituting 
a  public  library  hall  without  its  equal  in  the  world. 
The  room  will  be  opened  to  visitors  during  the  day  ; 
and  we  can  assure  all  our  readers  who  may  be  pres- 
ent on  that  occasion  that  they  cannot  fail  to  be 
much  pleased. —  Washington  tfnion. 


STOOK--NATIVE  AND  IMPROVED. 

The  wild  cattle  of  Great  Britain,  and  from  which 
was  derived  its  present  race  of  improved  stocks, 
and  a  pure  specimen  of  which  is  said  to  be  still 
preserved  in  the  Park  at  Cliillingham  Castle,  the 
seat  of  the  present  Earl  of  Tankerville,  are  thus 
described  by  Mr.  Bailey,  the  steward  of  the  Earl 
ofT . 

"  The  color  of  these  animals,"  says  Mr.  B,  "is 
invariably  white  ;  the  whole  of  the  inside  of  the 
ear,  and  about  one  third  of  the  outside,  from  the 
tip  downwards,  red ;  the  horns  are  white,  with 
black  tips,  and  bent  upwards.  Some  of  the  bulls 
have  a  thin  upright  mane,  about  an  inch  and  a 
half  or  two  inches  long.  The  weight  of  the  oxen 
is,  from  twenty-five  to  forty-five  stone,  of  fourteen 
pounds.  The  beef  is  finely  marbled,  and  of  excel- 
lent flavor.  When  the  cows  calve,  they  hide  their 
calves  for  a  week  or  ten  days  in  some  sequestered 
situation,  and  go  and  suckle  them  two  or  three 
times  a  day.  If  any  person  comes  near  the  calves, 
they  clap  their  heads  close  to  the  ground,  and  lie 
close  like  a  hare  in  a  form,  to  hide  themselves. 
This  is  a  proof  of  their  native  wildness,  and  is  cor- 
roborated by  the  following  circumstance  which 
happened  to  the  writer  of  the  narration,  who  found 
a  hidden  calf  two  days  old,  very  lean  and  very 
weak  ;  on  stroking  its  head  it  got  up,  pawed  two 
or  three  times  Hkean  old  bull,  retired  a  few  steps, 
and  bolted  at  his  legs  with  all  his  force  ;  it  then 
began  to  paw  again,  bellowed,  stepped  back,  and 
bolted  as  before  ;  but  knowing  its  intention,  and 
stepping  aside,  it  missed  him,  fell,  and  was  so 
weak  that  it  could  not  rise,  though  it  made  several 
efforts  ;  but  it  had  done  enough ;  the  whole  herd 
was  alarmed,  and  coming  to  its  rescue,  obliged 
him  to  retire  ;  for  the  dams  will  allow  no  person 
to  touch  their  calves,  without  attacking  him  with 
the  utmost  ferocity." 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


459 


As  to  the  value  of  the  several  kinds  of  cattle  though  remote,  for  present  gain.     If  we  v?ish  for 


imported  into  this  country  from  Great  Britain, 
the  Durhams,  Devons,  Ilerefords,  Ayrshires  and 
Alderneys  are  the  most  popular  and  l)est  known. 
Of  these,  many  prefer  the  Devon.  It  is  an  excel- 
lent kind,  especially  for  working  oxen  and  beef. 
They  are  thus  described  by  Arthur  Young,  for- 
merly Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Agriculture,  and 
one  of  the  most  careful  observers  and  best  writers 
of  the  day. 

"  The  thorough  bred  Devon  is  of  a  bright  red  ; 
neck  and  head  small,  eyes  bright  and  prominent, 
and  round  it  a  ring  of  bright  yellow,  the  nose 
round  the  nostril  having  the  same  color  ;  the  horn 
clear  and  transparent,  upright,  tapering,  and 
gently  curved,  but  not  tipped  with  black." 

There  can  be  no  question  that  a  very  important 
improvement  may  be  made  in  our  native  stock  by 
judicious  crossings  with  the  more  valuable  imported 
stock ;  yet  there  appears  not  to  be  the  necessity 
for  this  crossing  of  different  breeds  and  bloods  in 
order  to  elevate  the  character  of  the  former,  which 
many  regard  as  indispensable.  The  great  error  in 
our  system  is  the  habitual  selection  of  our  finest 
animals  for  the  market,  instead  of  retaining  them 
as  breeders.  A  fine  cow  or  a  well  proportioned 
bull  is  almost  sure  to  be  disposed  of,  while  the 
poor  and  diminutive  animals  are  kept  for  propo- 
gation.  No  fiirmer  thinks  it  judicious  to  sell  his 
best  seed  corn,  and  plant  the  shrivelled  and  im- 
perfectly formed  kernels.  His  seed  wheat,  pota- 
toes, oats,  beans,  peas,  and  rye  for  stocking  his 
lands,  are  selected  from  the  best.  Why,  in  stock- 
ing his  farm  with  animals,  should  he  not  pursue 
the  same  good  policy  !  The  practice  of"  breeding 
in  and  in,"  as  it  is  termed,  is  also  another  cause 
of  depreciation.  In  the  human  family  this  law,  so 
repugnant  to  every  feeling  of  delicacy,  is  product- 
ive of  precisely  the  same  result  as  in  the  case  of 
domestic  animals.  Intermarrying  within  certain 
degrees  of  consanguinity  is  sure  to  stultify  the 
progeny,  and  render  ihem  imbecile,  idiotic,  and 
frequently  insane.  Its  effects  are  highly  adverse 
to  all  healthy  developments,  physical,  moral  and 
intellectual,  of  the  true  man.  The  royal  line  of 
Spain  is  reduced  to  a  condition  of  the  most  pitia- 
ble imbecility  and  inefiiciency,  by  the  aristocratical 
and  impolitic  practice  of  intermarriage,  adopted 
with  a  view  of  preserving  from  corruption  the 
purity  of  the  royal  blood.  At  one  period,  not  a 
single  individual,  it  is  asserted,  could  be  found  pos- 
sessed of  suflicient  ability  to  direct  the  most  ordi- 
nary affairs,  much  less  to  sway  the  sceptre  of  a 
realm  over  whose  interests  he  was  expected  to 
watch  with  the  vigilant  anxiety  of  a  parent's  care. 
When  a  well  developed  animal  is  seen  in  our 
flocks  (ir  herds,  we  should  refuse  all  offers  for  it, 
and  dispose  of  our  diminutive  and  less  valuable 
animals,  even  though  the  price  be  small 


good  animals — such  as  will  amply  repay  us  for  the 
expense  and  trouble  of  keeping  them,  and  be  an 
ornament  both  to  our  farmers  and  to  our  com- 
mcm  country,  we  must  revolutionize  the  entire  sys- 
tem of  breeding,  as  it  now  exists  and  is  practised, 
and  adopt  in  its  place  one  which  will  obviate  the 
unpleasant  and  disgusting  results  it  is  so  admira- 
bly calculated  to  produce.  With  our  own  excel- 
lent breed  of  black  cattle,  we  can  accomplish 
much  even  without  foreign  aid ;  but  with  it  we 
can  do  much  better  by  judicious  crossings. 


EFFECT  OF  RAILROADS. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Farmer's  Institute,  New 
York,  where  the  subject  under  discussion  was  the 
benefitof  railroads  to  the  farmer,  Mr.  Solon  Rob- 
inson, Editor  of  theiVetD  York  Agricultor,  sa.\d  : — 

"I have  tried  to  convince  farmers  of  the  im- 
mense value  of  this  rapid  communication  to  them — 
that  it  was  their  salvation.  The  first  eSect  has 
been  to  bring  beef  cattle  one  thousand  miles  to 
our  market  in  a  week.  Game  and  poultry  come 
the  same  distance  in  forty-eight  hours.  The  oxen 
come  as  the  market  requires,  notice  of  which  goes 
by  telegraph  for  the  number  required.  The  cost 
per  ox  is  about  ten  or  twelve  dollars,  whereas,  on 
foot,  as  of  old,  the  oxen  travel  with  loss  of  flesh 
and  heavy  expense  on  the  road,  from  sixty  to  ninety 
days  before  they  reach  New  York.  Strange  that 
many  formers  do  not  understand  this.  Sometimes 
our  city  would  starve  without  this  railroad  supply. 
Last  spring  all  the  chief  articles  within  striking 
distance  were  exhausted ;  now  we  rarely  have  on 
hand  one  hundred  of  oxen  at  a  time.  Some  cattle 
are  shipped  from  Chicago  to  Buffalo — some  from 
Indiana  go  by  cars  to  Cleaveland  on  Cake  Erie, 
thence  by  cars  to  Dunkirk  and  to  Buffalo,  thence 
the  greater  part  come  by  the  Hudson  river.  Last 
week  there  came  in  a  drove  of  cattle  raised  by  the 
Cherokee  Indians,  marked  with  their  hieroglyph- 
ics. An  Illinois  drover  had  bought  them,  fed  them 
a  while,  and  then  brought  them  here  by  railroad, 
&.G.  Look  at  the  map  and  see  what  a  walk  that 
drove  must  have  had  to  reach  New  York  without 
the  steam  and  railroad !  Oxen  can  travel  only 
about  ten  on  twelve  miles  a  day.  And  our  milk 
for  the  morning  coffe  was  milked  last  night,  and 
drawn  from  Chatam  Four  Corners,  one  hundred 
and  thirty  miles  distant  from  our  city.  Some 
years  ago  it  was  proposed  to  Mr.  R.  L.  Stevens, 
to  have  a  freight  train  on  his  road,  but  he  thought 
one  car  only  would  be  used,  and  that,  would  not 
pay.  Now  look — there  is  a  blackberry  train  !  All 
this  intercommunication  is  a  great  civilizer — all 
sorts  of  people  are  brought  to  a  knowledge  of 
each  other,  and  a  knowledge  of  the  business  of 
their  own  country  and  the  world.  The  birds  used 
to  have  the  blackberries  all  to  themselves — nobody 
could  get  the  one-thousandth  part  of  them.  I 
say  nothing  of  the  whortleberries  which  now  come 
by  rail,  and  are  on  the  tables  of  everybody.  And 
the  lands  near  the  railroads  are  growing  more  val- 
uable every  day,  and  they  are  in  course  of  cultiva- 
tion and  improvements,  and  without  the  railroads 


It  is  a! they  would  not   have  been  reached  this  century, 
bad   policy  in    this  matter   to  disregard  future, '^nd  hardly  that.     The  benefits  go  with  the  roads. 


460 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Oct. 


One  improves  the  other  with  a  rapidity  which  re- 
sembles that  of  the  trains  which  glide  through 
the  lands." 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
THE   FARMER'S  SONG. 

OY    HERBERT    INOALLS. 

On  Monadnoc's  lofiy  summit 

Burns  the  sun  of  early  morn, — 
Up  the  East  he  comes  in  henuty, 

And  the  day  again  is  born; 
Forth  with  cheerful  hearts  and  happy, 

To  our  labor  let  us  hie, 
Ere  the  birds  have  hushed  their  matins, 

Or  the  sparkling  dew  is  dry. 

Cheerful  are  oui  hearts  and  voices, 

Ever}'  limb  is  light  and  lithe, 
And  the  billowy  grass  before  us 

Bendeth  to  our  keen-edged  scythej 
And  when  noon-tide  pours  upon  us, 

Hastening  to  the  fields  away. 
We  inhale  the  rarest  perfume 

'Mid  the  sweetly-scented  hay. 

When  the  quiet  evening  closes. 

Gathering  to  our  homes  again, 
We  enjoy  the  sweet  reflection, 

That  our  life  is  not  in  vain. 

Little  know  the  pampered  idlers 

That  despise  our  stubborn  soil, 
All  the  joys  of  mind  and  body 

That  spring  up  to  bless  our  toil; 
Not  within  the  shadowy  future 

Look  we  for  a  brighter  day, 
For  each  bright  returning  uiorning 

Brings  new  duties  with  its  ray. 

Thus  our  days  in  peace  are  passing, — 

Thus  shall  pass  till  life  is  o'er; 
We  are  healthful,  we  are  happy. 

What  can  mortal  covet  more.'' 
Rindge,  N.  H.,  Aug.  20. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
THE  SEASON  AND  THE  CROPS. 

The  farming  season  of  1853  opened  beautifully. 
The  snows  were  early  dissolved,  the  frost  which 
penetrated  the  earth  the  last  winter  to  but  a  mod- 
erate depth,  soon  yielded  to  the  warm  sunshine, 
and  mud,  the  common  appendage  of  a  New  Eng- 
land spring,  held  but  a  short  and  timid  reign.  Of 
course,  spring  crops  were  got  in,  in  good  season 
and  condition,  and  the  moist  month  of  May  opera- 
ted favorably  to  the  full  production  of  agricultural 
products.  June  followed,  a  rainless, almost  cloud- 
less month,  and  the  warm  sunshine,  unaided  by 
moisture,  severely  pinched  the  grass  crop,  so  that 
with  the  killing  out  of  the  drought  of  1852,  and 
the  dryness  of  this  month,  the  average  crop  will 
not  greatly  exceed  that  of  last  year.  On  some 
farms  it  may  be  one-fourth  greater  in  yield,  while 
on  some,  it  falls  short.  It  is  pretty  certain  that 
grass  lands  in  general  must  either  be  re-stocked, 
manured,  or  something  else  done  for  them,  before 
they  can  be  restored  to  the  fertility  of  1851. 

Oats,  barley,  peas  and  meslins  have  given  good 
crops.  Corn  came  up  well,  butin  many  fields  was 
much  injured  by  the  worm,  which,  contrary  to  es- 
tablished theory,  showed  no  respect  to  the  time  or 
manner  of  plowing.  Indeed,  we  saw  many  fields 
which  were  plowed  last  fall,  some  of  them  as  early 
as  Aug.  20,  where  his  desperado  acts  were   so  ef- 


fectual as  to  leave  sad  mementoes  of  his  labor  in 
visible  form  through  the  summer,  and  in  one  field 
where  the  land  was  plowed  last  September,  the 
crop  was  nearly  ruined  by  this  worm.  (Quere,  has 
the  dryness  of  last  year  any  thing  to  do  with  tha 
increase  of  worms,  &c.,  this  season.)  Potatoes 
exhibited  a  fine  appearance  through  the  summer 
months,  the  vines  grew  tall  and  stout  and  produced 
a  profusion  of  blossoms,  like  the  potato  vines  of 
olden  time.  We  saw  in  our  travels  some  three  or 
four  fields,  where  the  tops  gave  indications  of  the 
first  stages  of  rot,  as  early  as  Aug.  20,  and  in 
the  evening  in  our  own  neighborhood,  we  have 
discovered  the  frost  bitten  odor  arising  from  fields 
of  this  crop,  which  is  a  sure  indication  that  the  rot 
is  in  the  vine,  and  unless  this  is  cutoffit  will  soon 
communicate  to  the  tuber.  "We  shall  give  further 
particulars  with  regard  to  this  crop,  after  they  are 
harvested. 

Buckwheat  gives  a  luxuriant  growth  and  prom- 
ises well.  This,  in  a  few  years  past,  has  become  a 
prominent  crop,  and  is  probably  the  very  best 
cleanser  of  foul,  weedy  soils,  that  can  be  intro- 
duced, and  is  with  all  a  very  good  pulverizer. 

The  crop  of  small  early  fruits  was  good,  apples, 
pears  and  plums  will  give  but  a  slight  crop.  The 
excrescence  on  plum  trees  which  has  come  upon 
them  as  a  fire  plague  for  the  last  two  seasons, 
threatens  their  extermination.     Yours  truly. 

Ehnwood,  Sept.,  1853.  w.  B. 


For  the  Tieiv  England  Farmer. 
FRUITS,  &0.,  OF  IOWA. 

Mr.  Editor  : — As  many  are  yearly  wandering 
from  the  old  Yankee  land,  the  home  of  fruit,  to 
this  Western  region, it  maybe  interesting  to  such 
to  learn  something  of  our  present  and  future  pros- 
pects of  fruit.  To  those  reared  amidst  the  luxu- 
ries of  the  varieties  of  the  fruits  of  the  old  States, 
a  deprivation  of  them  maybe  reckoned  among  the 
greatest  deprivations  incident  to  a  new  country. 

Our  native  fruits  are  somewhat  limited  in  num- 
ber. Blackberries,  black  raspberries,  gooseber- 
ries, strawberries,  mulberries,  grapes — generally 
inferior  to  the  fox  grape  of  New  England — wild 
cherries,  crab-apples,  plums  of  various  sizes,  but- 
ternuts, black  walnuts,  hickory,  pecan  and  hazel- 
nuts, are  the  most  important  that  now  occur  to 
me.  Both  the  soil  and  climate  seem  well  adapted 
to  the  culture  of  most  fruits  of  the  temperate  re- 
gions. The  small  fruits,  such  as  strawberries, 
raspberries,  currants,  &c.,  produce  abundantly  in 
our  gardens.  Apple  trees  grow  luxuriantly,  and 
Iowa  can  now  produce  as  fine  specimens  of  the 
apple  as  any  State  in  the  Union. 

The  successful  culture  of  the  fine  cherries  and 
pears  may,  as  yet,  be  considered  doubtful.  Stand- 
ard pear  trees  sometimes  die  in  full  foliage,  as 
though  the  communication  between  the  roots  and 
trunk  was  suddenly  destroyed.  Very  many  of  the 
trees,  apparently  thrifty,  have  dead  spots  on  their 
trunks,  from  a  third  to  half  or  more  of  their  cir- 
cumference. The  fine  cherries  are  often  injured 
in  a  similar  manner.  The  quince  and  plum  trees 
thrive  well,  but  the  curcuiio  generally  destroys 
the  plums. 

Peaches  are  uncertain,  though  we  have  some 
years  abundant  crops.  Budded  peach  trees  seem 
to  be  shy  bearers  here,  if  not  elsewhere.  Much 
attention  is  now  directed  to  dwarf  pears,  and  there 


185S, 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


461 


are  now  in  this  vicinity  promising  specimens  of 
many  varieties.  Thus  far,  the  dwarfs  promise 
well. 

The  Catawba  and  Isabella  grapes  do  well,  and 
some  few  vineyards  are  in  cultivation. 

The  apple,  every  thing  considered — its  ease  of 
cultivation,  its  various  uses,  its  prolonged  season 
in  use,  may  be  considered  tlie  staple  fruit  every- 
where in  the  apple  region.  With  these  we  are  as 
as  well  supplied  in  Burlington,  and  at  as  cheap  a 
rate,  as  you  in  Boston  ;  and  our  oldest  orchards, 
as  yet,  have  hardly  approached  manhood — young 
ones  yearly  coming  into  bearing,  and  an  increas- 
ing attention  paid  to  the  planting  of  more  orchards. 

The  past  spring  the  nurseries  of  this  county, 
alone,  sold  from  forty  to  fifty  thousand  fruit  trees. 
There  is  every  facility  of  obtaining  fruit  trees. 
The  nurseries  here  afford  nearly  all  the  varieties 
of  fruit  and  ornamental  trees  and  shrubs  cultiva- 
ted in  eastern  nurseries,  and  these  too  at  a  price 
nearly  fifty  per  cent,  below  the  price  of  eastern 
nurseries.  We  can  obtain  apple  trees  here,  suita- 
ble for  planting  into  orchards,  at  $10.00  per  hun- 
dred— $90.00  per  thousand — grafts,  ready  for 
planting  out,  at  $20.00  per  thousand.  A  little 
trouble  and  a  trifling  expense  give  the  farmer  his 
orchard.  Thrifty  one  year  old  seedlings  arc  root 
grafted,  grown  in  the  nursery  two  or  three  years, 
planted  into  orchards,  and  these  in  a  few  years 
fruiting. 

In  the  primitive  days  of  New  England  these 
orchards  were  made  of  seedlings — relying  upon 
chance  to  give  them  good  apples  enough  for  the 
table — the  mass  to  be  converted  into  cider.  Not 
so  here.  Seldom  any  but  grafted  trees  are  put 
into  the  orchard ;  the  windfalls  and  the  refuse 
make  our  cider,  and,  thougli  not  of  Jersey  quality 
or  reputation,  it  passes  with  the  temperate  while 
sweet ;  for  in  these  days  of  go-aheadiveness — days 
of  railroads  and  reapers  and  mowers,  no  intem- 
perate man  can  stop  to  get  drunk  on  the  one  horse 
I  power  of  cider.  To  speak  after  the  manner  of 
politicians,  this  root  grafting  and  the  multiplica- 
tion of  orchards  in  the  West,  has  the  odor  of  the 
"Young  America"  about  it.  In  spite  of  the 
gophers  at  the  roots  of  our  trees,  the  borer  at  the 
trunk,  and  the  worms  and  caterpillars  at  the 
foliage,  it  is  the  "  Manifold  Destiny  "  of  the  West 
to  be  the  greatest  apple  region  in  the  world. 

This  world  will  "  go  ahead,"  even  on  the  "  lat- 
ter clause  "  of  Davy  Crockett's  motto.  If  right, 
the  succeeding  generation  can  begin  where  we  left 
off — (if  we  don't  get  through) — if  wrong,  they 
have  only  to  learn  prudence  from  our  rashness, 
then  go  ahead  on  another  track. 

We  of  Iowa,  though  west  of  the  Mississippi, 
just  believe  that  we  are  in  the  very  centre — the 
real  focus  of  the  fertility  of  soil — the  centre  of  civ- 
ilization ;  and  all  the  neighboring  States  believe 
the  same  of  themselves.  If  there  be  an  odor  of 
vanity  in  our  belief,  it's  of  a  consoling  nature,  and 
doeth  good  like  a  hot  flannel  in  a  chill.  Now,  to 
rebut  the  bold  presumption  that  we  have  vanity 
or  State  pride,  we  introduce  the  evidence. 

We  have  aspiring  churches  and  school-houses  ; 
tasty  dwellings  and  log-cabins  ,  big  rivers  and  big 
prairies  ;  land  enough  for  a  farm  for  each  man  in 
the  State  ;  isms  and  ites,  political  and  religious  ; 
office-seekers  enough  to  fill  all  offices  ;  men  enough 
to  supply  every  woman  with  a  husband  ;  insects 
that  annoy  man  and  beast ;  insects  and  reptiles  to 


prey  upon  vegetation  ;  snakes  that  bite  hard  and 
easy;  weeds  in  all  their  varieties  ;  patent  medi- 
cines to  cure  all  diseases  ;  Durham  sliort-horns 
and  eclirubs  ;  Morgan  horses  and  Indian  ponies  ; 
swine  of  the  Berkshire,  China,  Suffi)lk  and  Prairie 
shark  breeds  ;  Shanghae,  Cochin  China,  Chitta- 
gongs,  Bolton  Grays,  Bantams,  &c.  of  the  fowl 
kind  ;  and  as  for  the  railroad  mania,  yours  of  New 
England  could  be  merged  incurs.  In  fine,  just 
now,  we  are  only  a  few  grades  better  than  other 
folks  ;  but  we  have  a  "  smart  chance  "  of  being 
transcendent  in  a  generation  or  two,  when  we  get 
a  good  cross  of  all  the  varieties  of  people  that 
make  our  population.  If  we  only  had  a  "  leetle 
sprinkling"  less  of  the  ague,  a  plenty  of  money 
and  stone  fences,  this  would  be  the  place. 

Nemo- 
BiirUngton,  Iowa. 

Remarks. — We  publish  with  pleasure  the  above 
sprightly  communication  from  Nemo,  and  hope  to 
hear^from  him  again,  and  learn  his  name. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
POTATO  AND  ONION  CROP. 

Mr.  Editor: — "Line  upon  line,  precept  upon 
precept,"  now,  as  in  olden  time,  constitutes  the 
basis  of  knowledge.  Of  what  use  is  it  to  speculate 
upon  the  chemical  operation  of  this  or  that  phos- 
phate, improved  or  not  improved,  if  the  fiicts  ob- 
served in  the  field  do  not  sustain  our  speculations? 
My  attention  was  arrested  by  the  inquiry  from 
Marblehead,  what  is  best  to  be  done  with  half  a 
dozen  acres  of  potatoes,  so  decayed  as  not  to  be 
worth  digging?  INIy  first  impression  was,  that 
there  might  be  some  exaggeration  about  it. 
Subsequent  examination  has  satisfied  me  that  it 
is  no  fiction.  Instead  of  half  a  dozen  acres,  there 
is  in  that  vicinity,  ten  times  that  quantity  not 
worth  digging,  on  land  from  which  the  largest 
and  best  crops  have  usually  been  obtained.  The 
story  is  general,  that  the  Chenangoes  have  failed 
almost  entirely.  One  gentleman  informed  me,that 
from  ten  acres  planted  in  their  field,  they  couldnot 
obtain  potatoes  that  they  dared  to  use  upon  their 
table.  This  must  bo  a  serious  disappointment,  as 
well  as  loss— probably  not  less  than  one  thousand 
dollars  on  one  farm.  I  have  noticed  the  field  in 
Salem,  on  which  the  experiment  was  made,  of  cov- 
ering the  potatoes,  when  dropped,  with  tan,  and 
saw  that  they  were  still  upright  and  green  where 
the  tan  was  put,  while  the  other  part  of  the  field 
was  completely  fallen  and  decayed — looking  most 
dreary  and  forbidding.  How  they  will  turn  out  in 
the  end  remains  to  be  seen  ;  if  I  do  not  mistake, 
there  will  be  at  least,  tivo  blanks  to  a  prize, 
throughout  the  field.  It  requires  something  more 
stringent  than  tan,  in  these  days,  to  save  tlie  po- 
tato. 

While  looking  after  the  potato  crop,  I  have  not 
been  unmindful  of  the  onion.  At  one  time,  the 
j alarm  was  sounded  that  this  was  likely  to  fail  al- 
so. That  the  cut-worm  and  the  maggot,  wore  ta- 
[king  more  than  their  share,  and  that  the  remain- 
der would  be  shrivelled  and  small  by  reason  of 
'the  drought.  On  Saturday,  I  met  a  cultivator  from 
Danvers  with  a  load  of  empty  barrels,  and  in- 
*quiredt)f  him,  how  his  onions  were  doing  this  sea- 
'son?  "Pretty  well,"  said  he.  "I  have  gathered 
'already  one  hundred  and  fifty   barrels,   and  have 


4G2 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Oct. 


them  dry  in  my  barn,  ready  to  be  sent  off — of  the 
red  ^wiJ, which  ripen  earlier  than  the  white.  They 
are  of  good  size."  In  answer  to  the  inquiry,  how 
many  he  got  upon  an  acre.  "About  GOO  bushels" 
said  he — so  you  see  there  will  be  onions  enough 
for  a  "a  hasty  plate  of  soup,"  even  though  the 
potato  may  give  out. 

I  hope  you  will  look  into  tlic  matter  and  give  a 
more  precise  answer  to  the  inquiry  from  Marble- 
head,  "What  is  to  be  done?"  The  public  ask  of 
Editors,  or  of  members  of  the  Board  of  Agriculture, 
or  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Board,  instructions  in 
these  matters.  Of  what  use  is  it  to  have  doctors, 
if  death  is  to  seize  the  patient  before  the  prescrip- 
tion Gomes'?  * 

August  20th,  1853. 

Remarks. — We  know  of  no  person  so  well  qual- 
ified as  our  correspondent,  both  from  fixcts  in  his 
possession,  and  from  bis  constant  and  extended  ob- 
servation, to  speak  of  the  potato  disease,  and  to 
offer  opinions  upon  it.  That  he  will  discover  the 
cause,  or  a  remedy,  at  present,  we  have  little  con- 
fidence. On  this  subject  we  know  nothing,  only 
that  our  potatoes  rot  as  well  as  our  neighbors',  and 
that  we  mean  to  bear  the  calamity  as  patient- 
ly as  possible,  and  plant  no  Chenangoes  another 
year  ! 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
HOW  TO  LAY  OFF  AN  ACRE. 

*'  In  the  "  Editorial  "  of  the  last  number  of  the 
New  England  Farmer,  (weekly)  date  Aug.  20, 1st 
page,  1st  column,  is  the  following  : 

"  How  to  lay  off  a  Square  Acre. — Measure  209 
feet  on  each  side,  and  you  will  have  the  quantity 
within  an  inch." 

Now  my  "  cyphering  "  don't  make  it  come  out 
so,  "  any  way  I  can  fix  it." 

209  by  209  produces  43G81,  which  is  121  more 
than  43560,  the  number  of  square  feet  in  an  acre. 
That  is,  in  measuring  land  by  this  rule,  we  should 
gain  121  square  feet  in  every  acre,  or  nearly  3 
acres  in  every  1000. 

This  may  do  perhaps  where  land  is  a  drug,  but  not 
in  this  old  Bay  State,  where  almost  every  foot  of 
soil  is  worth  the  dollars  it  would  take  to  cover  it. 

When  "  River  Cottage  "  farm  is  to  l)e  sold  by 
this  rule,  "  may  I  be  there  to  see." 

Again,  how  these  121  square  feet  or  17424 
square  inches  can  be  added  to  a  square  acre  so 
that  "  you  will  have  the  quantity  within  an  inch," 
is  more  than  mi/  figures  tell. 

Please  explain,  Messrs.  Editors,  and  oblige 

Yours  truly,  b.  l. 

So.  Weymouth,  Mass.,  Aug.  25,  1853. 

Remarks. — We  found  the  "scrap"  alluded  to 
above  in  ona  of  our  exchanges,  and  thinking  it 
migiit  be  convenient,  gave  it  place  without  testing 
its  correctness. 


liage  of  a  deep  green  and  more  luxuriant ;  the 
seed  pods  much  longer  ;  the  form  of  the  tree  more 
upright  and  compact, the  flower  larger  and  a  purer 
white.  They  are  very  pilenty  in  Dayton,  where 
they  were  first  introduced  some  years  since  by  Dr. 
J.  Haines,  from  two  trees  which  he  found  on  a 
farm  two  miles  south  of  tliatcity.  Where  the  orig- 
inal trees  were  obtained  is  not  known.—  Ohio  Far- 


A  New  Catalpa. — Dr.  AVarden,in  the  August 
number  of  tise  Western  Horticiilturis/,  gives  an  ac- 
count of  a  new  variet}'  of  the  catalpa,  which  he 
found  growing  iu  Dayton,  0.  It  blooms  two  or 
three  weeks  earlier  than  the  other  variety.  The 
bark  of  the  young  trees  is  lighter  in  color,  the  fo- 


THB  ATMOSPHERE  AND  ITS  EFFECTS 
UPON  ANIMAii  LIFE. 

A  very  interesting  lecture  was  delivered  on  the 
11th  inst.  by  Dr.  Griscom,  at  the  New  York  Me- 
chanics' Institute,  on  the  "Influence  of  Air  in  con- 
nection with  Animal  Life."  The  lecturer  com- 
menced by  saying  that  he  supposed  some  of  them 
would  be  surprised  to  hear  that  they  lived  at  the 
bottom  of  an  immense  ocean  of  air  fifty  miles  deep; 
yet  it  was  so,  and  the  color  of  this  ocean  which 
is  called  the  atmosphere,  is  a  deep  cerulean  blue. 
To  perceive  this  color  it  was  necessary  to  be  able 
to  see  at  once  the  whole  volume,  and  also  on  a 
calai  and  clear  day,  for  no  color  could  be  perceived 
if  seen  in  small  quantities,  or  when  there  was 
either  wind  or  haziness.  In  like  manner  the  color 
of  water  could  not  be  seen  in  small  quantities, 
and  was  only  perceptible  where  there  was  a  vast 
expanse  of  ocean.  The  air  was  also  a  substance 
capable  of  condensation  and  expansion.  Its  expan- 
sion was  seen  in  the  winds,  by  which  ships  were 
made  to  traverse  the  ocean,  and  also  in  windmills. 
The  tornado  was  another  phase  of  its  expansion, 
by  which  trees  were  uprooted  and  houses  over- 
turned, and  was  almost  equal  to  the  power  of 
steam.  The  greatest  weight  of  the  atmosphere 
was  fifteen  pounds  to  the  square  inch,  and  this 
weight  presses  on  every  way,  both  upward  and 
downward.  To  explain  the  pressure  upwards,  the 
lecturer  exhausted  the  air  out  of  a  large  vase, 
which  then  remained  fast  to  the  plate  on  which  it 
stood,  but  on  the  air  being  let  in  it  was  easily  re- 
moved. I  remember,  said  he,  being  asked  the 
question,  if  there  is  a  pressure  of  fifteen  pounds  to 
the  square  inch,  the  reason  why  we  were  not  at 
once  crushed  by  the  weight ;  but  this  is,  as  I  be- 
fore explained,  because  the  air  presses  in  all  direc- 
tions with  the  same  equal  force,  and  hence  there 
is  an  equilibrium.  This  is  a  most  important  ele- 
ment, and  one  that  requires  to  be  known,  and  al- 
so that  the  air  never  presses  more  than  fifteen 
pounds  to  the  square  inch. 

The  next  quality  of  the  air  is  elasticity.  Press 
it  to  make  it  occupy  a  smaller  space  than  it  other- 
wise would,  and  then  take  away  the  weight,  and 
it  comes  back  and  occupies  its  original  space.  The 
lecturer  then  explained  that  in  the  air  there  were 
two  gases ;  one  oxygen,  which  is  that  part  of  the 
atmosphere  by  which  chiefly  we  live,  and  which  is 
the  one-fifth  part;  and  the  other  nitrogen,  which 
is  four-fifths  of  the  atmosphere.  Oxygen  sujiports 
life  and  combustion,  and  nitrogen  restrains  its  ef- 
fects and  dulls  its  operations.  The  quantity  of  air 
which  a  person  consumes  depends  in  a  mea:'..re  on 
one's  self,  and  by  training  can  be  made  m  ve  or 
less.  The  tailor  and  shoemaker  take  little  ia  com- 
parison with  the  laborer,  and  the  public  ;  ^  iaker 
or  singer,  or  those  who  cry  commodities  fui-  sale 
through  the  sti'eets.  A  man  in  good  health  inakes 
eighteen  respirations  iu  a  minute,  and"  in  iv/onty- 
four  hours  consumes  fifty-one  hogsheads  of  the  air. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


463 


As  the  ozygen  which  supports  life  is  so  small,  we 
ought  to  be  very  particular  how  we  permit  other 
gases  to  mix  with  it  and  vitiate  it.  The  blood 
when  it  enters  the  lungs,  is  black,  but  when  the 
oxygen  acts  on  it,  it  becomes  red,  and  sends  it 
through  the  veins  to  impart  life  and  animation. 
This  black  blood  is  produced  by  carbon,  and  im- 
parts the  blackness  which  we  see  in  the  face  of 
persons  who  lose  their  lives  by  suffocation,  because 
the  air  was  not  allowed  to  reach  the  lungs  to  puri- 
fy it.  When  we  send  out  the  air  from  the  lungs 
we  do  not  send  it  in  the  same  manner,  as  we  in- 
haled it,  for  when  exhaled  it  is  as  deadly  a  poison 
as  arsenic  or  corrosive  sublimate.  The  lecturer 
showed  this  by  experiments,  and  filled  a  vase  with 
his  own  breath  in  which  a  lighted  candle  would 
not  live.  It  was  such  air  as  killed  persons  who 
went  down  into  wells  in  the  country,  or  who  died 
when  a  pan  of  charcoal  was  placed  in  a  room. 
The  danger  of  taking  impure  matter  into  the  stom- 
ach was  not  so  great  as  into  the  lungs,  for  the 
etomach  had  power  to  eject  impurities  which  the 
lungs  had  not.  Beside  the  impure  air  which  we 
exhale  there  are  2,800  pores  on  every  square  inch 
of  the  surface  of  the  body,  and  to  a  body  of  large 
size  there  are  2,590  square  inches;  and  these  mul- 
tiplied make  7,000,000  of  pores.  There  is  a  sort 
of  drainage  pipe  in  the  body,  which  sends  out  mat 
ter  as  well  as  gas,  and  this  pipe  is  calculated  at 
twenty-eight  miles  long.  Tlie  particles  of  matter 
which  are  sent  out  and  which  do  not  dissolve,  are 
so  numerous,  that  in  China,  where  the  houses  are 
low,  and  a  great  many  persons  are  in  the  habit  of 
assembling  in  one  room,  it  has  been  discovered 
that,  after  fifteen  or  twenty  years,  these  particles 
adhere  to  the  ceiling  of  the  rooms,  that  the  farm- 
ers will  contract  to  put  up  a  new  ceiling  if  they 
are  allowed  to  take  down  the  old  one,  so  valuable 
has  it  been  found  for  manure. — Scknlijic  Ameri- 
can. 

ROOTS. 

Roots  are  divided,  botanically,  into  three  grand 
divisions,  or  classes,  viz.  :  Annual,  Biennial  and 
Perennial. 

The  first  embraces  all  such  as  exist  but  one 
year.  They  are  produced  from  seed,  sown  in  the 
spring,  and  survive  only  to  maturity.  Of  this 
class  are  pears,  beans,  cucumbers,  &c. 

The  second,  or  biennial,  as  the  name  indicates, 
live  two  years.  The  first  season  they  produce  no 
flowers,  but  infloresce  the  next  summer,  and  the 
roots,  as  soon  as  the  seed  has  matured,  die.  The 
cabbage,  onion,  beet,  carrot,  parsnip,  turnip,  are 
biennial.  If  these  are  reset  in  the  soil  in  the  sec- 
ond year,  they  will  produce  flowers,  the  petals  of 
which  will  fiill,  and  the  germ  proceed  rapidly  to 
perfection.  This  is  supposed  to  exhaust  the  vital 
principle  of  the  plant,  and  the  root  having  per- 
formed its  office,  and  accomplished  the  great  cir- 
cle of  vegetable  mutation,  dies,  and  no  power  can 
again  restore  it  to  life. 

Of  the  perennial  class  there  is  a  vast  number, 
as  for  instance,  the  rose,  geranium,  asparagus — 
likewise  trees  and  shrubs.  The  existence  of  these 
is  prolonged  indefinitely.     The  effect   of  climate 


and  culture  on  the  duration  of  vegetables,  is  very 
remarkable.  Many  of  the  perennial  plants,  by 
transplanting,  are  transformed  into  annuals,  if 
the  change  is  from  a  warmer  to  a  colder  climate. 
The  common  nasturtium^  which,  in  South  Amer- 
ica is  perennial,  in  the  gardens  of  North  Ameri- 
ca is  an  annual.  Other  instances  of  a  similar  mu- 
tation might  be  named. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
FORCING  THE  GROWTH  OP  TEE^gS. 

Mr.  Brown: — Your  Wisconsin  correspondent, 
June  28,  has  replied  to  one  of  the  objections  to 
high  cultivaton  of  apple  trees,  which  is  duly  ap- 
preciated. There  are  several  others  to  which  he 
has  not  replied,  and  which  are  quite  as  objection- 
tionable  as  the  one  ho  has  selected — one  is,  the 
danger  of  being  injured  by  the  cold  winters.  We 
had,  in  this  region,  nursery  trees  very  hardly  dealt 
with  in  the  winter  of  1851 — 2.  Some  trees  which 
I  took  from  a  nursery  were  injured,  some  entirely 
killed,  others  but  part  way  down,  and  started  out 
from  the  roots  ;  since,  many  more  were  affected  ia 
the  same  manner  that  were  left  in  the  same  nur- 
sery. A  little  harder  winter  would  have  swept 
the  whole  of  the  Baldwins  from  the  nursery  and 
orchard  too. 

A  distinguished  pomologist  said  to  me  yester- 
day, while  looking  at  some  trees,  for  which  he 
had  taken  the  first  premium,  some  two  or  three 
years  ago,  that  he  should  lay  the  ground  down 
to  grass  and  only  keep  cultivated  about  six  feet 
square  about  the  tree  ;  he  said  he  was  afraid  of 
the  cold  winters. 

Probably  a  medium  between  very  high  culti- 
vation and  total  neglect,  would  be  as  sure  a  course 
as  any  to  pursue  with  trees. 

I  suppose  we  may  manage  a  tree  in  such  a  man- 
ner as  to  make  it  grow  the  fore  part  of  the  year 
and  not  the  latter  part.  In  this  way  the  wood 
that  made  in  the  early  part  of  the  year  would  get 
so  hardened  as  not  to  be  susceptible  to  cold. — 
This  may  be  done  by  keeping  the  grass  and  weeda 
from  growing  the  fore  part  of  the  year  and  ne- 
glecting them  the  latter  part. 

I  think  that  a  tree  will  come  forward  fast  enough 
in  this  way  without  applying  any  manure  to  it. 
Some  that  I  set  out  last  year  grew  from  the  bot- 
tom, above  the  budding,  from  two  to  four  feet. 
They  were  not  in  cultivated  ground  where  corn 
was  planted,  and  they  have  grown  quite  as  well 
this  seasou,  the  land  being  in  Indian  corn  again. 
We  think  with  your  western  correspondent,  that 
the  question  of  high  or  low  cultivation  is  an  im- 
portant one,  and  we  should  be  very  happy  to  hear 
some  remarks  from  the  editors  of  the  New  Eng- 
land Farmer.  M. 

Topsfield,  August  8. 

Remarks. — We  think  the  opinions  expressed 
above  are  worthy  of  being  put  in  practical  opera- 
tion. We  see  fine  trees  every  spring,  even  when 
the  winter  was  as  mild  as  the  last  one,  injured  by 
the  cold,  and  this  happens  invariably  among  trees 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  We  cannot  say 
more  now,  but  shall  be  glad  to  refer  to  this  sub- 
ject at  some  other  time. 


464 


NEW  ENGL.iND  FARMER. 


1853. 


For  the  Neiv  England  Farmer. 

WHY  DON'T    THE    FARMERS  OP  MAS- 
SACHUSETTS RAISE  WHEAT  ? 

Mr.  Editor: — The  question  I  have  asked  is,  I 
think,  one  of  importance,  and  I  should  like  to  have 
it  answered  if  it  can  be.     If  any  one   should   say 


bushels.  I  think  it  is  of  little  use  to  sow  Spring 
grain,  either  wheat  or  rye,Pjr  it  never  amounts  to 
much. 

If  any  one  should  still  say  they  cannot  raise 
wheat,  I  would  reply  that  the  only  reason  is  you 
won't  try  :  for  I  feel  confident  that  we  can  raise 
as  great  or  greater  crops  on  an  average,  than  they 


they  cannot  raise  wheat,  I  with  all  respect  Avouldldo  in  Genesee  Valley,  which  has  been  celebrated 
say,  I  think  they  are  mistaken.  Wheat  can  be j  for  its  good  wheat.  I  further  believe  it  may  be 
grown  as  well  as  rye  and  it  requires  but  little  more!  made  as  profitable  a  crop  as  may  be  grown  ;  and 
attention;  some  may  ask  how  I  know  this  ;  I  wouldi  I  also  think  that  any  person  who  has  ever  eaten 
reply  by  saying,  that  I  know  by  experience,  for  I  fresh  ground  flour  from  northern  wheat,  and  knows 
have  xaised  it  one  year,  and  a  near  neighbor  of  j  how  much  sweeter  and  better  it  is  than  the  flour 
mine  has  raised  it  this   year   with   good  success,  brought  from  the  West,  will,  if  he  can,  raise    his 


For  some  ft)ur  or  five  years  I  have  had  a  desire  to 
try  wheat,  but  my  father  and  others  said  it  was 
folly  to  do  it,  it  would  not  grow  ;  but  I  was  not  sat- 
isfied until  I  had  tried  it.  Two  years  ago  this  month 
I  procured  one  quart  of  "Blue  Stem"  Winter 
Wheat,  of  Euggles,  Nourse,  Mason  &  Co.,  and 
sowed  it  on  a  dry,  gravelly  piece  of  land  on  which 
had  been  put  a  small  coat  of  compost  manure  con- 
sisting of  horse  manure,  night-soil,  and  meadow- 
mud.  The  season  was  very  dry,  and  it  did  not 
grow  tall  but  it  headed  out  well  without  any  ap- 
pearance of  rust,  insects,  or  anything  else  to  injure 
it ;  the  product  of  that  quart  was  one  bushel  of  as 
handsome  grain  as  I  ever  set  my  eyes  on.  This  I 
call  a  great  yield.  I  sold  half  of  it  for  seed  for  one 
dollar  twenty-five  cents,  and  saved  the  rest  to  sow 
which  I  did  notdolastyear,as  I  intended,  but  mean, 
to  do  this  week.  The 
wheat  witli  me;  now  for 

sowed  three  pecks  of  seed,  on  half  an  acre  of  tol 
erably  good  land,  though  more  or  less  overrun  j 
with  witch-grass  ;  put  on  a  cord  and  a  half  of 
barnyard  manure,  sowed  his  wheat  late,  the  7th 
Oct.,  and  it  did  not  spread  as  it  would  had  it  been 
sown  earlier  ;  the  land  had  produced  a  stout  crop 
of  corn  which  was  taken  off  to  make  room  for  the 
wheat.  Now  for  the  result ;  in  the  first  place,  the 
straw  was  stout,  standing  up  straight  five  and  a 
half  feet,very  even  over  the  whole  field.  Secondly, 
the  yield  was  fifteen  bushels  of  wheat  handsome 
enough  to  bring  two  dollars  a  bushel  to  sell  again; 
judges  of  wheat  said  they  had  never  seen  better  ; 
this  was  the  same  variety  that  I  sowed.  The  half- 
bushel  I  sold  last  fall  to  an  Irishman  who  sowed  it 
on  a  quarter  of  an  acre  of  land,  and  sowed  it  very 
late,  the  15th  Oct.,  without  manure,  Avhere  a  crop 
of  potatoes  had  been  raised  :  the  straw  was  stout, 
the  grain  very  plump  and  handsome,  and  as  for  the 
number  of  bushels,  I  don't  know,  fur  he  has  not 
threshed  it  yet,  but  I  think  there  will  at  least  be 
seven. 

It  will  be  seen  by  the  above  experiments  that 
there  is  no  difficulty  in  growing  wheat,  at  least  the 
variety  sp' ikon  of,  which  I  think  is  as  good  as  any 
I  have  ever  seen,  for  it  is  a  beardless  wheat  and 
better  to  handle  on  that  account;  it  is  a  white 
wheat  and  m.ikes  white  flour,  and  then  is  so  easily 
grown.  I  h;ive  heard  from  different  parts  of  the 
State,  whire  this  wheat  has  been  tried,  and  it  has 
uniformly  doni-  well.  'I'he  "Wliite  Flint,"  is  a  fa- 
vorite variety  in  some  parts  of  the  country,  but  I 
have  never  tried  it  and  don't  know  how  it  would 
do.  A  few  words  now  in  regard  to  Spring  wheat. 
Three  years  ago,  1  sowed  a  quart  of  "Italian" 
Spring  Wheat  and  it  rusted  so  bad  that  I  did  not  get 
one  good  kernel.  One  of  my  friends  sowed  half  an 
acre  and  it  did  tolerably  well, for  he  got  about  eight 


wheat,  so  that  he  may  avail  himself  of  one  of 
the  greatest  luxuries  that  a  person  ever  enjoyed, 
bread  from  fresli  ground  northern  wheat.  Now, 
good  friends,  in  conclusion,  let  me  advise  you  to 
sow  some  wheat  this  fall  do  it  immediately,  be- 
fore the  middle  of  September  if  you  can,  for  it  will 
do  better,  though  as  I  have  shown,  it  will  do  la- 
ter. The  seed  is  not  very  plenty,  but  I  think  it  can 
be  had  at  some  of  the  seed  stores.  j.  f.  c.  h. 
Newton  Centre,  Sept.  Gth. 


ENTOMOLOGICAL  DISCOVERY. 

The  following  note  from  our  friend,  Mr.  S.  Max- 
well, Jr.,  describes  a  discovery  he  has  made  which 
will  prove  of  considerable  value,  on  account  of  the 

ri^^x,^  ;^  (.1  ^  ^^o  ,u   f        -1  ease  with  which  the  nit  is  removed.     We  have  ex- 
aoove  IS  the  result  ot  sowmg       .     ,  u        f  i  •  •  •       .i         ,. 

.,1,1,     rT°i  amined  a  number  or  plums  since  receivmg  the  note 
:or  my  neighbor  s  wheat.    He!      jc   j-  *    ^.i         -i.        1*11 

-•'       -^ --  -      -  '  and  nnd  in  every  case  the  nit  under   the   brown 

speck,  except  where  the  puncture  has  exuded  gum 
— then  the  worm  is  hatched  out  and  has  com- 
menced his  depredations. 

CuRCULio. — I  have  within  a  week  discovered  a 
fact  about  the  eurculio  which  was  new  to  me,  and 
have  also  found  it  entirely  new  to  others  to  whom 
I  have  communicated  it.  All  those  who  have  had 
fruit  bitten  by  the  eurculio,  have  probably  noticed 
a  little  brown  spot  on  the  inner  edge  of  the  cres- 
cent-shaped puncture.  That  little  brown  spot  cov- 
ers the  egg  left  by  the  bug,  and  the  puncture 
seems  to  be  made  for  a  place  of  safety  for  the  young 
worm  when  hatched,  and  also  to  facilitate  its  op- 
erations in  boring  into  the  fruit.  Persons  having 
plum  trees,  and  leisure,  and  wishing  to  preserve  a 
few  of  the  fruit  after  it  has  been  bitten,  can  with 
the  point  of  a  penknife,  or  with  the  thumb  or  fin- 
ger nail,  easily  remove  the  spot  from  its  place, 
and  no  harm  will  come  to  the  fruit  except  the  scar 
left  by  it. —  Greenfield  Republican. 


Remarks. — This  will  certainly  not  be  new  to 
many  persons,  having  been  successfully  practised 
for  many  years.  It  is  a  slow  and  tedious  process, 
and  can  only  be  done  by  those  having  little  or 
nothinj!!;  else  to  do. 


Drying  Tomatoes. — The  Ohio  Cultivator  says, 
(early  last  summer,)  "We  ate  some  very  !  ;  e  to- 
matoes not  long  since,  dried  in  the  followiii:  man- 
ner :  Fruit  fully  ripe  was  scalded,  strained  (i  rough 
a  sieve,  slowly  cooked  half  an  hour,  spr;  ;.d  on 
clean  plates,  and  dried  within  an  oven,  the  whole 
process  requiring  about  two  days  before  the  fruit 
was  ready  to  pack  away." 


1853 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


467 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
PLOW   DEEP  TILLER,   NO.  77,   AND 
DEEP  PLOWING. 

Mr.  Brown  :— I  was  well  pleased  with  your 
comments  in  the  July  Farmer  upon  the  great  plow, 
No.  77,  and  its  performances  at  Lowell  and  Ips- 
wich. Probably  for  deep  and  difficult  work,  this 
plow  stands  unrivalled  as  the  king  among  plows. 
The  enterprising  manufiicturers  merit  the  thanks 
of  the  farming  public  for  the  introduction  of  the 
Deep  Tiller — a  plow,  in  my  opinion,  calculated  to 
add  much  to  the  productive  value  of  land  in  cer- 
tain cases,  such  as  where  recently-drained  bogs 
and  swales  are  to  be  broken  up  and  made  subject 
to  refined  cultivation,  or  where  tamer  lands  are 
ready  for  (Jeep  tillage.  Plows  are  plenty  enough 
that  will  lay  furrows  six  or  seven  inches  deep, 
about  as  well  as  it  will  probably  ever  be  done ; 
but  those  of  us  who  wish  for  deeper  plowing,  know 
well  the  vexation  attending  our  attempts  to  prac- 
tice it — particularly  if  the  land  be  difficult  sod — 
with  the  plows  we  can  generally  procure.  For  the 
benefit  of  those  farmers  who  favor  deep  tillage, 
but  have  not  an  instrument  to  effect  it  with  that 
suits  them,  I  will  now  particularly  describe  this 
plow  and  its  work. 

Deep  Tiller,  No.  77,  is  bold  and  grand  in  its 
outlines,  and  yet  shows  you  at  a  glance  that  the 
artist's  "  line  of  beauty  "  is  pleasing  and  graceful 
in  the  plow,  as  well  as  in  works  of  art  and  taste, 
strictly  so  called — that  the  beautiful  and  the  use- 
ful may  be  combined  in  our  agricultural  imple- 
ments. This  plow  is  equal  to  the  overturning  of 
furrow  slices  12  inches  deep  by  18  to  20  inches 
wide,  in  the  most  difficult  soils,  where  the  sod  is 
composed  of  the  roots  of  brakes,  water  grasses, 
and  other  wild  herbage.  Its  range  of  excellent 
practical  work  may  be  stated  at  from  8  to  13 
inches  deep  by  IG  to  20  inches  wide,  though  per- 
haps its  very  best  work  is  10  to  12  by  17  to  18 
inches. 

The  mould-board,  moderately  concave,  is  con- 
structed upon  accurate  mathematical  principles, 
and  has  an  equality  of  curvature  and  harmony  of 
proportions  throughout,  a  combination  of  curved 
lines  and  planes,  which  present  an  equal  bearing 
against  the  furrow  slice,  so  that  the  entire  work- 
ing face  of  the  mould  scours  bright,  and  takes  a 
high  polish  in  any  soil.  When  my  Deep  Tiller 
came  to  me  new  from  the  flxctory,  the  mould  was 
coated  with  blue  varnish  ;  and  when  put  at  work, 
I  noticed  that  the  varnish  was  entirely  scoured  off 
the  third  round  in  plowing.  The  mould-board 
so  effectually  twists  its  furrow-slice  as  to  mellow 
and  disintegrate  the  overturning  earth,  breaking 
open  any  undue  cohesion  of  parts,  while  the  same 
is  so  equally  done  as  to  leave  the  plowed  land 
lying  even  and  regular,  and  in  a  fit  condition  for 
the  raising  of  a  fine  deep  tilth. 

The  share  and  forepart  of  the  mould,  attenuated 
and  gently  rising,  form  an  easy  wedge  to  enter  the 
ground  and  separate  the  slice  on  the  under  side 
from  the  unplowed  land,  and  to  present  the  slice 
to  the  twist  or  curvature  of  the  mould-board  with 
so  little  friction,  that  a  great  work  may  be  done 
by  the  plow  without  the  necessity  of  employing  an 
inconvenient  amount  of  team  ;  and  it  proves  in 
practice  that  four  good  oxen  will  work  the  plow  in 
yielding  easy  soils,  or  sis  in  those  that  are  stiff  or 

t>oggy. 


The  length  of  the  mould-board,  measured  in  a 
straight  line  from  the  upper  corner  of  the  wing  in 
the  rear  to  the  point  of  the  share,  is  4  feet  and  4 
inches.  The  extreme  width  of.  the  mould,  meas- 
ured at  its  upper  corner  in  the  rear  and  at  right 
angles  to  the  plane  of  the  landside,  is  25  inches, 
and  its  height  at  that  point  is  18  inches.  The 
length  of  land  side  is  3  feet.  The  height  of  the 
standard,  or  from  the  ground  to  the  under  side  of 
the  beam  where  it  is  bolted  to  the  mould,  is  19  1-2 
inches,  which  enables  the  plow  to  swim  clear 
through  tall  grass  or  other  clogging  substances. 
The  length  of  the  beam,  from  the  standard  bolt  to 
the  fore  end,  is  4  feet ;  and  the  height  at  the  under 
side  of  the  end  of  the  beam  is  ID  inches  ;  which 
enables  one  to  adjust  the  line  of  draught  so  that 
the  team  may  be  brought  near  the  working  or 
body  parts  of  the  plow.  The  length  from  the 
standard  bolt  back  to  the  end  of  the  left  or  beam 
handle,  measured  in  a  straight  line,  is  5  feet, 
which  gives  the  plowman  a  long  handle,  aad  pow- 
erful leverage  for  the  control  of  the  great  plow  in 
its  great  work.  Then,  too,  the  various  parts  of 
the  plow  are  made  of  selected  material,  of  a  qual- 
ity combining  lightness  with  adequate  strength, 
in  order  to  dispense  with  all  superfluous  weight, 
and  adapt  the  instrument  to  the  control  of  plow- 
men of  "fair  to  middling"  size  and  muscular 
power.  A  large  light  wheel  is  attached  to  the 
land  side  of  the  fore  end  of  the  beam,  and  is  set 
pretty  well  off  to  land,  so  as  to  operate  as  a  brace 
to  neutralise  any  undue  side- pressure  of  a  great 
slice,  when  plowing  stubborn  bog  or  swale  spd, 
and  to  facilitate  the  plowman's  labors  in  keeping 
a  true  course  through  such  land.  The_  plow  is 
rigged  with  a  draft  rod  and  quadrant  clevis — very 
strong  adjustments,  and  affording  the  means  by 
which  the  plowman  may  guage  the  plow  to  any 
desirable  depth  and  width  of  work,  and  have  the 
line  of  draught  such  as  tg  give  the  instrument  a 
level  run  on  its  sole-bearings. 

There  is  one  result  produced  by  the  Deep  Tiller, 
which  I  do  not  know  as  I  can  describe  intelligibly, 
but  I  will  try.  The  plow,  in  the  act  of  twisting 
and  inverting  its  deep  slice,  mellows  it  very  much  ; 
and  a  portion  of  those  parts  that  are  not  held 
together  by  the  roots  of  the  sward,  roll  down  into 
the  channel,  forming  a  slanting  side  to  the  invert- 
ed slice  ;  upon  this  inclined  base  the  next  slice  is 
deposited,  and  so  on — the  edges  of  the  inverted 
slices,  from  the  top  down,  say  halfway,  or  as  far 
as  they  are  preserved  entire  by  the  roots  of  the 
sod,  being  matched  in  side  by  side  ;  so  that  while 
the  sod  is  buried  sufficiently  to  be  out  of  the  way 
in  after-cultivation  of  the  plowed  land,  and  to 
smother  and  kill  the  vegetation  attached  to  it,  the 
surface  soil  is  not  turned  entirely  to  the  bottom, 
but  is  mixed  in  layers  with  the  under  soil — a  part 
of  the  latter  being  below,  and  the  rest  above  the 
surface  soil.  This  is  regarded  as  an  excellent  re- 
sult, especially  where  one  wishes  to  deepen  his 
plowing,  and  to  improve  the  subsoil ;  but  does  not 
want  too  thick  a  layer  of  it  on  the  surface  at  a 
time,  if  it  be  quite  unfertile. 

I  would  like  to  show  you,  friend  Brown,  a  field 
of  nine  or  ten  acres  of  recently  drained  swale  land, 
which  was  broken  up  a  foot  olep  with  this  plow 
last  November,  and  from  which  a  crop  is  aow 
being  harvested.  The  land  is  a  part  pf  a  low 
meadow, — not  of  peaty  soil,  but  a  stiff,  heavy 
loam,  approaching  in  texture  to  clay, — subject  to 


4G8 


NEW  ENGLAIND  FARMER. 


Oct. 


an  annual  overflow  by  the  high  freshets  of  the  Con- 
necticut river,  and  with  a  small  stream  and  springs 
passing  through  it,  which,  before  being  lowered 
from  the  surface  by  the  drains,  made  the  land 
cold  and  wet.  Water  grasses  and  other  poor  herb- 
age had  pretty  general  habitation  on  the  land, 
and  had  held  possession  nobody  knows  how  long. 
The  land  was  ready  for  the  plow  before  my  Deep 
Tiller  came  to  hand,  and  a  commencement  was 
made  with  the  largest  plow  that  could  be  obtained 
here.  This  plow  worked  about  nine  inches  deep 
pretty  well,  except  in  the  more  stiff  and  swaly 
places,  and  there  it  had  not  power  to  stand  up 
straight  and  manage  the  tough  sod  properly.  But 
when  the  No.  77  was  put  to  work,  it  readily  turned 
the  swale  over  in  furrow  slices  12  inches  deep  by  18 
to  20  inches  wide.  The  Deep  Tiller  going  mostly 
below  the  roots  of  the  sward,  separated  the  furrow 
slices  from  their  native  bed  and  completely  invert- 
ed them  ;  but  the  other  plow  had  to  struggle  with 
the  coarse,  wild  roots,  too  near  the  surface,  where 
they  were  larger  and  more  firmly  placed,  and  often 
failed  of  inverting  the  sward.  In  June  last,  a 
good  coat  of  manure  was  spread  over  the  surface 
and  harrowed  in  ;  then  the  land  was  cross-plowed 
about  4  inches  deep,  and  a  fine  seed  bed  was  made. 
Oats  were  sown  for  fodder,  together  with  grass 
seeds  for  futui-e  mowing.  The  oats  are  now  being 
mowed  and  made  into  hay,  and  the  burden  is  enor- 
mous. The  grass  has  come  well,  and  it  now  ap- 
pears probable  that  abundant  crops  of  good  hay 
may  hereafter  be  taken  from  the  land.  It  is  cal- 
culated that  the  Deep  Tiller  has  already  much 
more  than  paid  for  itself,  by  its  efficient  service  in 
the  improvement  of  this  land.  Indeed,  for  the 
next  operation  after  draining  such  land,  I  know  of 
no  instrument  so  valuable  as  this  plow. 

I  would  also  like  to  show  you  a  neighbor's  corn 
field,  a  deep  fat  soil,  a  part  of  which  was  broken 
up  frora  grass  a  foot  deep  with  my  plow,  and  the 
remaining  part  with  another  plow  at  a  less  depth — 
the  manuring  being  alike  in  quantity  on  all  parts, 
and  the  cultivation  also,  with  the  exception  of  the 
plowing.  The  season  here,  up  to  about  the  first 
of  August,  has  been  pretty  dry,  and  the  crop  upon 
the  deep  furrows  has  evidently  quite  an  advantage 
over  that  upon  the  shallow  ones.  The  ranker 
growth  and  deeper  green  color  of  the  former,  in 
contrast  with  the  latter  portion  of  the  crop,  are 
quite  observable,  and  the  line  through  the  piece 
where  the  two  plowings  unite  is  quite  apparent  in 
the  crop. 

It  is  a  noble  and  pleasing  sight  to  observe  the 
Deep  Tiller  at  work — for  instance,  in  a  stubborn 
bog  or  swale,  and  notice  how  bravely  and  firmly 
it  stands  on  its  bearings,  twelve  inches  deep  in  the 
ground,  overturning  its  huge  slices  in  a  majestic 
and  finished  manner,  and  leaving  the  plowed  land 
in  a  fit  condition  to  yield  a  fine  tilth  to  the  harrow 
or  other  instrument,  and  a  deep  seed  bed,  where 
the  roots  of  cultivated  crops  may  range  at  will. 

Whenever  my  great  plow  is  put  at  work,  either 
on  my  land  or  that  of  my  neighbors,  I  contrive  to 
get  hold  of  the  handles  for  a  while,  if  other  en- 
gagements will  possibly  permit,  and  feel  as  well 
satisfied  with  the  ^uployment,  and  that  this  old 
world  of  ours  is  generally  wagging  about  right,  as 
I  ever  do  in  any  place  or  employment.  Having 
hel*  the  No.  77  myself  in  various  kinds  of  land, 
I  can  confidently  commend  it  to  those  persons  who 
have  wet  or  stubborn  lands  to  reclaim,  or  such 


more  feasible   soils  as  are  ready  for  a  deep  fur- 
row. F.   HOLBROOK. 

BraUleboro',  Aug.  10,  1853. 


THE  TARMER'S  DAUGHTER. 

She  may  not  in  the  mazy  dance 

With  jewell'd  maidens  vie  ; 
She  may  not  smile  on  courtly  swain 

With  soft  bewitching  eye  ; 
She  cannot  boast  a  foim  and  meia 

That  lavish  wealth  has  bought  her  ; 
But  ah  !  she  has  much  f;iirer  charms, 

The  farmer's  peerless  daughter  ! 

The  rose  and  lily  on  her  cheek 

Together  love  to  dwell ; 
Her  laughing  blue  eyes  wreathe  around 

The  heart  a  witching  spell  ; 
Iler  smile  is  bright  as  morning  glow 

Upon  the  dewy  plain  ; 
And  listening  to  her  voice  we  dream 

That  spring  has  come  again. 

The  timid  form  is  not  more  wild, 

Nor  yet  more  gay  and  free, 
The  lily's  cup  is  not  more  pure 

In  all  its  purity  ; 
Of  all  the  wild  flowers  in  the  wood, 

Or  by  the  crystal  wattr, 
There's  none  more  pure  or  fair  than  she, 

The  farmer's  peerless  daughter  ! 

The  haughty  belle  whom  all  adore, 

On  downy  pillow  lies, 
While  forth  uponlhe  dewy  lawn 

The  merry  maiden  hies  ; 
And  with  the  lark's  uprising  song, 

Her  own  clear  voice  is  heard  ; 
Ye  may  not  tell  which  sweetest  sings, 

The  maiden  or  the  bird. 

Then  tell  me  not  of  jewelled  fair  ; 

The  brightest  jewel  yet 
Is  the  true  heart  where  virtue  dwells, 

And  innocence  is  set  ! 
The  glow  of  health  upon  her  cheek, 

The  grace  no  rule  hath  taught  her, 
The  fairest  wreath  that  beauty  twines 

Is  for  the  farmer's  daughter. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
TALL   CORN. 

Messrs.  Editors  : — Gentlemen, — I  have  noticed 
in  several  of  our  agricultural  papers  descriptions 
of  "  tall  corn,"  some  of  Avhich,  it  was  said,  had 
obtained  the  height  of  eight  feet  three  inches. 

Having  occasion  to  visit  Camden,  Maine,  quite 
recently,  1  saw  a  piece  of  corn  upon  the  farm  of 
Hon.  JosEFH  Hall,  at  that  place,  some  of  Avhich, 
upon  due  examination,  measured  upwards  of  nine 
feet,  and  the  general  average  of  the  entire  lot  was 
more  than  eight.  This  corn  was  planted  upon  re- 
claimed land  that  but  two  years  since  was  a  wild 
pasture. 

Should  you  ever  visit  the  vicinity  of  Camden,  it 
would  be  well  worth  your  while  to  make  Mr.  Hall 
a  visit,  and  to  examine  not  only  tlie  present  pros- 
perous appearance  of  his  farm,  but  also  to  note 
the  extensive  and  varied  improvements  he  has 
made  thereon  since  it  cau]^)  into  his  possession. 
He  removed  from  this  city  in  the  winter  of  1850, 
and  by  persevering  industry ,  joined  with  a  thorough 
practical  knowledge  of  agricultural  pursuits,  his 
land  has  been  benefited  and  has  greatly  advanced 
in  value.     Mr.  Hall  is  very  industrious,  and  takes 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


469 


a  noble  pride  in  all  that  pertains  to  hia  occupa- 
tion ;  and  if  he  continues  the  same  course  of  fann- 
ing, I  confidently  predict  that  his  will  be  the  model 
farm  of  the  eastern  part  of  Maine.         Veritas. 
Boston,  Aug.  22d,  1853. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
POTATO  DISEASE. 

To  THE  Editor  of  the  Farmer  : — You  and  your 
readers  must  be  heartily  tired  of  seeing  the  above 
caption.  Among  the  hundred  certain  remedies 
which  have  been  prescribed,  I  believe  all  have 
proved  failures.  I  will  state  facts,  and  leave  all 
to  make  their  own  conclusions. 

It  was  first  noticed  here  generally  in  1845.  In 
other  portions  of  the  State  it  had  before  been  se- 
vere. That  year  the  disease  attacked  them  after 
fully  grown  and  ripe.  Had  it  been  understood, 
most  of  the  crop  might  have  been  saved  ;  while, 
without  any  knowledge,  nearly  all  were  lost.  All 
sorts  of  experiments,  as  mixing  lime,  &c.  with 
them,  were  tried  without  success.  The  spring 
following  I  carried  from  va^  cellar  more  than  one 
hundred  bushels,  and  spread  them  on  less  than 
ten  square  rods  of  ground — soil,  a  secondary  for- 
mation of  coarse  gravel — one  mile  from,  and  two 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  above  the  Lake,  (precisely 
the  same  soil  as  they  grew  in.)  They  were  spaded 
in,  and  having  some  parts  not  wholly  decayed, 
they  grew  ;  were  thinned  and  cultivated,  producing, 
some  twenty  bushels  ;  were  dug  late  in  the  fall ; 
put  on  the  bottom  of  a  warm,  damp  cellar,  with 
others  above  them ;  taken  out  in  May  following 
perfectly  sound. 

Does  any  one  want  stronger  proof  Jhat  the  dis- 
ease is  n'ot  in  the  potato  or  the  soil  1 

Another  season  I  had  given  special  directions 
to  my  farmer  to  keep  close  watch  of  his  potatoes, 
and  should  they  be  struck  with  blight  to  pull  the 
whole  at  once,  leaving  them  in  the  bill  as  they 
grew.  I  was  absent  some  weeks,  and  instead  of 
watching  the  tops,  he  daily  pulled  a  few  hills  in 
the  wettest  part  of  the  field  for  a  week,  and  find- 
ing all  sound,  neglected  it.  He  soon  after  found 
they  were  rotting  badly.  The  hills  pulled,  (about 
100,)  scattered  through  the  lower  part  of  the 
field,  were  found  perfectly  sound,  and  the  others 
near  them  entirely  worthless. 

Some  three  or  four  years  since,  I  noticed  the 
disease  had  just  appeared  when  potatoes  were 
ripe,  but  tops  perfectly  green.  Knowing  a  widow 
lady  who  had  planted  an  acre  and  had  a  large 
crop,  (more  than  throe  hundred  bushels,)  I  imme- 
diately called  on  her ;  found  the  whole  struck 
witlf^fclight  where,  one  day  previous,  to  my  cer- 
tain knowledge,  there  was  no  symptom  of  it.  I 
told  her  to  have  the  whole  pulled  immediately, 
which  was  done  within  six  hours.  They  were  dug 
during  the  following  week,  spread  in  dry  places, 
and  the  whole  saved  in  good  order.  One  row, 
left  for  an  experiment  to  satisfy  her  father,  (an 
old  gentleman  of  more  than  seventy  years  of  age,) 
accidentally  present,  in  ten  days  were  perfectly 
rotten  in  the  hills. 

A  favorite  theory  has  been  that  the  potato  has 
Rux  OCT,  and  that  we  must  produce  new  ones  from 
seed.  Facts  have  shown  that  the  new  sorts  have 
been  most  liable  to  rot.  Have  not  experiments 
and  facts  fully  demonstrated  that  the  disease  is 
atmospheric,  and  that  no  precautions  can  produce 


any  eflFect  further  than  they  change  atmospheric 
influence  ?  Also,  that  after  the  potato  is  grown 
and  ripe  before  struck  with  disease,  if  they  are 
promptly  attended  to  by  pulling  or  cutting  the 
tops  on  its  first  appearance,  the  entire  crop  may 
be  saved,  when  a  few  day's  delay  may  cause  a 
total  loss.  C.  Goodrich. 

Burlington,  Vt.,  Aug.  13,  1853. 


TRANSACTIONS   OF    THE  NEW  HAMP- 
SHIRE AGRICULTURAL  SOCIETY. 

A  volume  has  recently  appeared  from  the  press 
of  Butterfield  &  Hill,  Concord,  N.  H.,  that  de- 
serves more  than  a  passing  notice.  The  typo- 
graphic and  artistic  execution  are  highly  creditable 
to  the  press  from  which  it  has  issued,  and  to  the 
taste  of  the  committee  who  had  the  oversight  of 
its  publication.  This  volume  contains  the  trans- 
actions of  the  State  Agricultural  Society,  for  the 
three  years  of  its  existence,  and  although  it  does 
not  equal  in  size  the  more  ponderous  tomes  of  some 
other  States,  yet  we  look  upon  it  with  much  inter- 
est, as  the  commencement  of  a  series  of  publica- 
tions that  are  destined  to  take  an  honorable  place 
in  the  agricultural  literature  of  the  country,  and 
to  exert  an  important  influence  upon  the  prosper- 
ity of  the  granite  State.  New  Hampshire  has  a 
hard  soil,  which  is  more  remarkable  for  the  pro- 
duction of  noblemen,  than  of  luxuriant  vegetation. 
Its  early  settlers  were  principally  employed  in 
lumbering,  trading  and  fishing.  But  for  two  gen- 
erations past,  at  the  present  time,  and  for  all  fu- 
ture time,  agriculture  has  been,  is,  and  must  be 
the  leading  occupation  of  its  inhabitants.  We  are 
glad  to  see  her  people  stimulated  by  the  doings  of 
sister  States,  especially  of  Massachusetts  and  New 
York,  imitating  their  example  and  walking  in  their 
steps.  Years  ago  they  took  them  for  their 
pattern,  in  the  matter  of  education,  and  now,  in  a 
similar  spirit,  they  are  taking  hold  of  the  work  of 
agriculture.  Although  a  majority  of  her  legisla- 
tors have  ever  been  farmers,  and  all  of  them  have 
been  elected  by  inajorities  of  farmers,  yet  they  have 
ever  extended  a  reluctant  and  parsimonious  hand 
to  aid  the  most  important  interest  of  the  State. 
But  although  the  government  has  done  but  little, 
comparatively,  a  healthy  public  opinion  has  been 
forming,  individuals  have  been  industriously  at 
work.  Gov. Hill  accomplished  a  good  Avork  through 
the  columns  of  his  agricultural  paper.  A  large 
portion  of  the  State  is  better  suited  to  grazing  than 
to  any  other  culture.  Hence  we  should  natural- 
ly expect  her  people  to  be  greatly  interested  in  the 
raising  and  improvement  of  stock,  and  much  has 
in  fact  been  done  in  this  direction.  The  example 
of  New  Hampshire's  most  eminent  son  upon  his 
farm  in  Franklin,  as  well  as  that  of  many  of  her 
most  intelligent  citizens,  has  not  been  without  in- 
fluence. The  products  of  the  dairy  have  been 
greatly  improved  within  our  own  recollection,  both 


470 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Oct. 


in  (^ality  and  amount.  We  remember  that  a 
young  and  enterprising  son  of  New  Hampshire, 
then  residing  in  Boston,  some  twenty-five  years 
ago,  printed  at  his  own  expense,  and  circulated 
through  the  State,  a  sheet  of  plain  and  simple  di- 
rections for  making  and  preserving  butter.  Upon 
that  sheet  it  was  stated  that  more  than  fifty  thou- 
and  dollar^were  annually  lost  to  the  State,  for  the 
want  of  proper  attention  to  this  most  important 
farm  product.  At  that  time,  the  butter  of  New 
Hampshire  was  considered  quite  inferior  to  that  of 
Vermont.  Agricultural  papers  from  .other  States 
have  found  their  way  into  the  State.  Some  ar- 
dent friends  of  the  cause  have  been  assiduously 
engaged  in  its  promotion  for  many  years.  Some 
four  years  ago,  public  opinion  appeared  to  take  a 
long  stride  in  advance  of  its  former  position.  The 
value  and  importance  of  associated  effort,  as  ap- 
plied to  this  subject,  seemed  at  once  to  become 
apparent  to  the  farmers  of  the  State.  In  1823, 
Gov.  Woodbury,  with  a  spirit  worthy  of  the  good 
name  he  left  behind  him,  recommended  to  the 
Legislature  to  jnake  an  appropriation  for  a  geo- 
logical survey  of  the  State.  Some  curious  remarks 
were  made  in  the  House,  when  this  portion  of  the 
message  came  under  discussion.  One  man  thought, 
agricultural  shows  exhibited  many  things  loo  small 
for  gentlemen.  In  his  part  of  the  country,  farmers 
already  knew  more  than  they  could  practice.  Anoth- 
er said,  that  for  the  Legislature  to  vote  away  the 
public  money,  to  encourage  men  to  take  their  oxen 
twenty  to  thirty  miles,  fasten  them  to  heavy  loads, 
and  beat  them  unmercifully,  for  the  sake  of  a  few 
dollars  and  the  amusement  of  the  lookers  on,  is 
what  our  constituents,  who  earn  their  money,  will 
not  justify  or  sanction.  Voting  money  for  such  a 
purpose,  is  encouraging  cruelty,  immorality  and 
dissipation.  But  those  days  went  by,  and  the 
Legislature  appropriated  money  for  a  survey  of 
the  State.  This  was  completed  by  that  distin- 
guished geologist.  Dr.  Jackson,  and  his  report, 
which  has  been  freely  circulated  through  the  State, 
has  been  one  important  means  of  awaking  an  in- 
terest in  the  science  of  agriculture.  The  Legisla- 
ture should  be  cheerfully  credited  with  all  it  has 
done.  It  has  from  time  to  time,  afforded  aid  to 
the  County  Societies,  and  the  last  year  it  consent- 
ed to  publisli  the  transactions  of  the  State  Society, 
as  a  State  document,  and  in  consequence  of  this 
consent,  this  voli^ue  has  seen  the  light.  This  we 
believe,  is  all  the  aid  which  it  has  afforded  to 
this  Society.  We  trust  it  will  not  be  long  before 
their  legislators  will  imbibe  more  largely  the  spirit 
of  the  age,  and  no  longer  dole  out  their  aid  with  a 
niggard  hand  to  this,  the  most  important  institu 
tion  within  their  borders.  In  Doc.,  1849,  the 
State  Society  was  organized,  and  the  lion.  G.  W. 
Nesmith  was  placed  in  the  President's  chair.  In 
the  month  of  June  following,  a  series  of  agricul- 
tural meetings  was  held  in  the   State  House  at 


Concord,a.ni  an  act  of  incorporation  granted  to  the 
State  Society,  but  no  appropriation  was  made  to 
give  vitality  to  its  movements.  But  noways  dis- 
couraged, they  undertook  to  get  up  a  State  Fair  at 
Concord,  the  following  October,  and  considering  it 
was  the  first  attempt,  their  success  was  admirable. 
The  range  of  premiums  was  unusually  wide,  and 
by  no  means  confined  to  the  products  of  the  farm. 
A  variety  of  mechanic  arts,  the  products  of  the 
loom  and  the  needle,  came  in  for  their  full  share 
of  encouragement.  This  was  no  doubt  judicious,  for 
by  this  means  all  classes  were  interested  in  promo- 
ting the  success  of  the  exhibition. 

In  the  June  following,  a  convention  was  held  at 
Concord,  of  delegates  from  the  State  Society,  and 
the  several  County  Societies,  to  consult  on  the  con- 
dition and  necessities  of  agriculture  in  the  State, 
and  to  propose  some  plan  for  its  relief.  This  meet- 
ing was  followed  by  a  meeting  of  the  members  of 
the  State  Society  at  Concord,  on  the  same  month. 
The  Legislature  was  again  memorialized  for  aid, 
but  with  the  same  result  as  before.  The  annual 
fair  was  held  at  Manchester,  in  October,  and  the 
exhibition  of  stock,  and  the  display  of  the  products 
of  mechanical  skill  were  very  fine.  But  the  strik- 
ing features  of  the  occasion,  were  the  presence 
of  Daniel  Webster,  and  the  address  of  M.  P. 
Wilder,  two  of  New  Hampshire's  noblest  sons. 
Mr.  Webster  was  greeted  with  an  enthusiasm 
alike  honorable  to  him,  and  to,the  thousands  of  his 
native  State,-  who  were  gathered  abound  him,  a 
large  majority  of  whom  will  remember  that  as  the 
last  time  on  which  he  stood  before  them.  Taken 
in  all  its  parts,  the  exhibition  during  those  fine  Oc- 
tober days  was  one  of  the  most  glorious  events 
that  ever  occurred  in  New  Hampshire.  In  1852, 
the  agricultural  discussions  were  continued  during 
the  session  of  the  Legislature  ;  at  this  session  the 
Legislature  passed  the  resolution  authorizing  the 
publication  of  the  transactions  of  the  Society,  to 
which  we  have  already  referred.  The  annual  ex- 
hibition was  held  at  Meredith  Bridge,  and  in  re- 
spect to  fruit  especially,  appears  to  hav3  excelled 
that  of  the  two  former  years.  In  some  respects 
we  should  infer  from  the  report  that  the  ex- 
hibition scarcely  came  up  to  the  standard  of  the 
previous  year.  The  premiums  were  very  numerous, 
and  embraced  a  wide  range  of  objects.  They  were 
bestowed  with  a  liberal  hand.  The  report  fur  this 
year  is  well  written,  and  together  with  the  essay 
of  Dr.  McFarland,  upon  Draining  and  Subsoil 
Plowing,  of  11.  F.  French,  Esq.,  upon  Fruit  Grow- 
ing in  N.  II.,  and  of  Prof. Ho YT,  upon  Orchard  Cul- 
ture, in  connection  with  the  laws  of  vegetable 
growth,  constitute  about  half  the  volume.  The 
essays  above  referred  to  are  all  highly  creditable 
to  their  authors,  and  deserve  a  place  upon  the  ta- 
ble of  every  farmer  in  New  England.  They  are 
worth  more  than  the  cost  of  the  whole  volume. 
We  hope  the  practice  of  giving  premiums  for  the 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


471 


best  essays  will  be  continued,  and  will  be  adopted 
by  other  societies  more  generally.  It  will  create 
a  species  of  literature,  that  will  be  useful  not  on- 
ly to  the  rising,  but  to  the  risen  generation.  The 
plan  of  occupying  three  days  in  the  annual  meet- 
ing of  the  Society,  adds  very  much  to  the  interest 
of  the  occasion.  There  is  then  no  excuse  for  hur- 
ry, bustle  and  confusion,  but  all  goes  on  with  or- 
der, deliberation  and  system.  These  protracted 
meeting  so?  the  dwellers  among  the  hills  and  valleys, 
who  see  but  little  of  each  other  during  the  year, 
are  not  only  pleasant  but  highly  useful  in  many 
ways  which  we  cannot  now  specify.  Our  remarks 
have  extended  to  a  much  greater  length  than  we 
intended,  and  we  cut  them  short  with  the  wish — 
that  when  the  fair  women  and  the  strong  men  of 
the  Granite  State  come  together  at  Manchester,  to 
hold  their  annual  festival,  may  we  be  there  to  see. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

"EXPERIMENTAL  FARMING"  ONCE 
MORE. 

THE     PASS. 

Messrs.  Editors  : — I  find  in  the  July  number 
of  the  Fanner,  that  your  correspondent,  Mr.  Silas 
Brown,  of  VVilmington,  asserts  that  I  criticise  the 
communication,  "Experimental  Farming,"  with  a 
home  thrust  and  make  a  pass  at  his  friend  S.  F., 
of  Winchester.  If  asking  a  few  questions  of  one 
whose  opportunities  for  observation  have  been 
more  extensive  than  mine,  is  making  a  pass  at  a 
man,  I  am  guilty  of  that  frequently,  and  if  Mr.'S. 
F.  will  answer  those  questions  fairly  and  fully 
as  Mr.  J.  G.  Chandler  has  one  of  them  on  page 
278,  June  No.  Farmer,  he  will  reflect  more  light 
upon  practical  agriculture  than  will  be  likely  to 
be  received  from  all  these  scribhlings  an  experi- 
mental farming. 

I  noticed  his  carefully  adjusted  armor,  but 
there  appeared  to  be  places  where  a  bow  drawn 
at  a  venture  might  perchance  lodge  an  arrow  be- 
tween the  joints  of  his  harness  ;  yet  to  try  to 
draw  out  the  practical  information  which  his  op- 
portunities for  making  observations  on  the  growth 
of  crops,  &c.,  in  different  parts  of  the  country, 
seemed  so  well  adapted  to  enable  him  to  give, 
promised  more  immediate  profit  than  open  hostili- 

ty- 

THE   OPINION. 

But  let  us  return  to  friend  Brown,  who  says 
that  he  has  yet  to  learn  how  J.  is  going  to  defend 
himself  in  his  opinion  and  by  his  spirit  of  contro- 
versy against  the  results  of  the  experiments  of  our 
best  practical  chemists.  Here  let  me  state  once 
for  all,  that  I  intend  to  do  no  such  thing.  My 
opinion  has  been  established  upon  the  authority 
of  just  such  men  as  he  refers  to.  Indeed,  my  lim- 
ited knowledge  of  the  chemical  analyses  of  soils 
my  confidence  in  the  importance  and  value  of  the 
same,  have  each  been  derived  from  our  best  prac 
tical  chemists.  The  Avritings  of  Prof.  Johnston, 
Mapes  and  Norton,  Dr.  Dana  and  others, — not 
excepting  some  of  the  contributors  to  the  N.  E. 
Farmer;  see  Vol.  1,  p-.  389 — in  entire  volumes 
bearing  their  names,  and  in  communications  to 
various  agricultural  journals,  have  for  several  years 


beguiled  much  of  my  leisure  into  hours  of  pleasur- 
able—and I  had  fondly  dreamed  profitable— study, 
and  have  done  much  towards  influencing  me  to 
abandon  my  mechanical  occupation  under  the  im- 
pression that  a  wider  field  was  open  for  the  study 
and  application  of  the  sciences  in  the  pursuits  of 
the  farm.  But  just  as  I  had  begun  to  fancy  my- 
self established  in  the  element  of  scientific  agri- 
culture, Mr.  Silas  Brown,  an  experimental  farmer , 
informs  us  that  chemists  themselves  have  acknowl- 
edged the  imperfections  of  chemical  analysis  of 
soils  as  applicable  to  practical  purposes  in  agri- 
culture. 

SPECIAL  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 

Since  your  correspondent  and  his  friend  S.  F. 
quote  so  largely  from,  and  expatiate  so  freely  upon, 
the  confessions  and  acknowledgments  "of  chem- 
ists themselves,"  let  us  see  if  a  few  more  cannot 
be  extorted  from  them.  Here  is  one  from  Prof. 
Johnston, — found  in  his  Lectures  on  the  Applica- 
tion of  Chemistry  and  Geology  to  Agriculture, 
Lecture  XIII:  "Some  persons  have  been  led  to  ex- 
pect too  much  from  the  chemical  analysis  of  a  soil, 
as  if  this  alone  were  necessary  at  once  to  explain 
all  its  qualities,  and  to  indicate  a  ready  method  of 
imparting  to  it  every  desirable  quality,  while  oth- 
ers have  as  far  depreciated  tlieir  worth,  and  have 
pronounced  them  in  all  cases  to  be  more  curious 
than  useful.  The  truth  here  as  on  most  other  sub- 
jects, lies  in  the  middle  between  these  extreme 
"opiniolJs.  If  you  have  followed  me  in  the  views 
I  have  endeavored  to  press  upon  you  in  regard  to 
the  necessity  of  inorganic  food  to  plants — which 
food  can  only  be  derived  from  the  soil,  and  which 
must  vary  in  kind  and  quantity  with  the  species 
of  crop  to  be  raised,  you  will  at  once  perceive  that 
the  rigorous  analysis  of  a  soil  may  impart  most 
valuable  knowledge  to  -the  practical  man  in  the 
form  of  useful  suggestions  for  its  improvemept. 
It  may  indeed  show  that  to  apply  the  only  availa- 
ble substances  to  the  soil  which  are  capable  of 
remedying  its  defects,  would  involve  an  expense 
for  which,  in  existing  circumstances,  the  land 
could  never  give  an  equivalent  return.  Yet  even 
in  this  latter  case,  the  results  of  analysis  will  not 
be  without  their  value  to  the  prudent  man,  since 
they  will  deter  him  from  adding  to  his  soil  what 
he  knows  it  already  to  contain,  and  will  set  him 
upon  the  search  after  some  more  economical  source 
of  these  ingredients  which  are  likely  to  benefit  it 
most."  Now  hear  Prof.  Norton, — Elements  of 
Sientific  Agriculture,  p.  185  :  "The  farmer  must 
remember  that  all  of  the  substances  with  which 
he  has  to  do,  all  of  the  agents  that  are  at  his 
command,  are  connected  in  their  composition  and 
action  with  the  fourteen  elementary  bodies,  or- 
ganic and  inorganic,  that  have  been  described  in 
this  little  work.  If  he  preserves  them,  or  if  he 
adds  them  as  manures  in  an  improper  form,  his 
utmost  exertions  are  of  little  avail ;  if  in  proper 
form,  his  land  becomes  fertile,  and  his  returns 
all  that  heart  could  wish.  If  one  is  absent,  the 
others  may  all  be  useless  ;  if  one  is  present  too 
largely,  the  same  effect  upon  the  action  of  the  oth- 
ers may  ensue.  How  immensely  important,  then, 
and  how  directly  practical  is  the  knowledge  of 
these  elements,  and  of  the  immense  variety  of  com- 
binations in  which  they  present  themselves."— 
Prof.  Johnston  again.  Lee.  XIII,  ^  2  :  "The  quan- 
tity of  some  of  these  substances  which  is  necessa- 
ry to  plants  is  so  very  small,  that  nothing  but  a 


472 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Oct. 


refined  analysis  of  a  soil  is  capable  in  many  cases,! 
of  determining  Avhether  they  are  present  in  it  or. 
not — much  le:<s  of  explaining  to  what  its  peculiar 
defects  or  excellencies  may  be  owing — what  ought 
to  be  added  to  it  in  order  to  render  it  more  pro- 
ductive— or  why  certain  remarkable  effects  are' 
produced  upon  it  by  the  additional  mineral  or  ani-l 
mal  manures."  ' 

PRACTICAL  RESULTS. 

In  the  N.  E.  Fanner,  Vol.  2,  p.  38G,  is  an  ac- 
count of  an  instance  of  the  successful  application 
of  chemistry  to  agriculture,  at  once  clear  and  con- 
clusive, l)y  which  it  appears  that  by  the  addition 
of  an  artificial  manure  at  a  cost  of  $10  per  acre, 
more  than  twenty-nine  bushels  per  acre  of  wheat 
was  raised  on  a  field  of  ten  acres,  previously  inca- 
pable of  producing  corn.  But  lest  I  should  be 
thought  to  jump  at  conclusions  wonderfully,  in 
supposing  that  if  lion.  Reverdy  Johnson,  near  Bal- 
timore, raised  large  crops,  we  can  do  the  same 
here,  I  will  drop  this,  and  refer  to  another,  nearer 
home ;  and  not  having  noticed  it  in  the  Farmer,  I 
will  quote  the  principal  facts  as  I  find  them  in  an- 
other paper. 

"Mr.  Wm.  P.  Dickinson,  of  Hadley,  had  a 
field  of  eight  acres  thoroughly  grown  over  with 
mosa.  He  procured  an  analysis  of  it  by  the  late 
Prof.  Norton,  and  was  told  that  it  was  deficient 
in  two  or  three  ingredients  which  could  be  cheap- 
ly supplied.  He  plowed  the  field  and  treated  it  in 
every  respect  as  Prof.  Norton  advised,  with  the 
exception  of  here  and  there  a  couple  of  rows, 
which  were  cultivated  as  he  would  have  cultivated 
the  whole  if  he  had  not  been  advised  other jvise. 
The  result  is,  a  crop  of  corn  now  in  the  field  equal 
to  perhaps  twenty  bushels  per  acre  where  culti- 
vated in  the  old  way,  and  very  nearly  fifty  where 
cultivated  as  Prof.  Norton  advised.  Mr.  D.,  after 
keeping  an  exact  account  of  the  expenses,  gives 
it  as  his  deliberate  opinion  that  the  increased  pro- 
fit in  consequence  of  Prof.  Norton's  advise  is  at 
least  fifty  dollars  this  year,  and  besides  this,  he 
has  better  hopes  for  that  land  hereafter." — H. 
and  F.  Express.  The  names  of  the  farmers  be- 
ing given,  Mr.  Brown  may  in  these  instances  know 
who  raised  large  crops  after  having  their  soils  an- 
alyzed ;  but  lest  these  results  of  one  year's  trial  of 
particular  ingredients  as  manure  should  not  satis- 
fy the  most  of  us,  I  will  quote  from  the  Plow,  p. 
254,  a  few  lines  of  what  an  eminent  professor  of 
chemistry  says  of  their  use  in  England  :  "Scarcely 
anything  has  accelerated  the  progress  of  agricul- 
ture so  much  as  the  introduction  of  artificial  ma- 
nures. By  means  of  artificial  manures  the  pro- 
duce of  this  country  has  been  considerably  aug- 
mented ;  new  crops  have  been  introduced  into  the 
usual  rotation,  and  land  so  sterile  that  it  would 
not  repay  the  cost  of  cultivation  in  the  usual  way, 
has  been  forced  at  once  to  yield  remunerative 
crops. _  Even  supposing  the  land  to  be  in  such  a 
condition  as  to  yield  the  maximum  return  which 
the  usual  rotation  of  crops  is  capable  of  furnishing, 
the  extra  command  of  artificial  manures  would 
still  materially  increase  the  profits  of  the  far- 
mer, as  it  would  enable  him  to  dispense  with 
those  crops  which  are  loss  remunerative,  and  to 
replace  them  by  others  which  require  a  larger  dose 
of  manure,  but  which  also  yield  a  larger  profit. — 
These  facts,  says  the  editor,  are  equally  true  and 
applicable  to  the  business  of  farming  in^this  coun- 
try as  in  England." 


THE   FLIGHT    OF   FANCY. 

In  the  still  too  common  mode  of  culture,  where 
the  common  plow  has  been  run  but  a  few  inches 
deep,  and  that  in  a  manner  and  at  times  well 
suited  to  form  a  hard  division  line  between  the 
soil  and  the  subsoil,  so  that  crops  were  drowned  by 
rains,  or  scorched  by  drought,  no^ioubt  much  de- 
pends upon  a  favorable  season.  But  let  us  look 
around  and  see  if  the  buds  of  promise  already  be- 
ginning to  open,  do  not  plainly  foreteH^"a  good 
time  coming,"  when,  by  adopting  a  good  system  of 
draining — by  the  timely  and  sufficient  use  of  such 
implements  as  shall  be  found  to  bring  both  the  soil 
and  subsoil  into  the  best  possible  condition  for  the 
growth  of  the  desired  crops — by  carefully  saving 
the  waste  water  from  the  farm  house,  as  well  as 
barn-yard,  and  applying  it  to  growing  crops  in  a 
more  or  less  dilute  state,  according  to  the  dryness 
of  the  season,by  the  encouragement  of  the  growth 
of  belts  of  hardy  trees  in  such  positions  that  they 
shall  shelter  tillage  lands  from  both  cold  and  dry- 
ing winds,  farmers  shall  not  only  be  able,  notwith- 
standing the  ordinary  changes  of  seasons,  to  se- 
cure good  staple  crops,  but  the  results  of  out  of 
doors  experiments,  conducted  by  scientifically 
practical  men,  shall  approximate  so  closely  to 
those  in  the  laboratory,  that  intelligent  farmers 
shall  no  longer  look  with  any  degree  of  distrust 
upon  the  recommendations  of  those  who  devote 
their  entire  energies  to  the  study  of  the  branches 
of  science  most  applicable  to  agriculture . 

SURFACE    REASONING. 

If  your  correspondent  concludes,  from  my  stating 
that  I  had  supposed  that  what  he  calls  surface 
soil  was  that  which  chemists  and  agriculturists 
ha4  most  to  do  with,  that  I  also  supposed  that 
they  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  subsoil,  he  must 
haMe  suddenly  adopted  a  very  superficial  mode  of 
reasoning.  Indeed,  his  changes  of  position  are 
quite  amusing.  First,  he  plunges  through  "  the 
soil  at  the  surface,"  as  if  it  were  of  no  account, 
and  stops  at  an  unknown  depth  to  make  observa- 
tions that  shall  have  a  bearing  upon  p»-actical  ag- 
riculture ;  but  being  confronted  there,  we  next 
find  him  as  much  above  the  common  level  as  he 
had  probably  before  been  below  ;  then  quietly 
acknowledging  the  reception  of  instructions  never 
given  him,  and  yet  unable  to  overcome  his  habit 
of  going  to  the  bottom  of  things,  he  plunges  again 
into  the  subsoil  to  ascertain  what  the  "  surface 
soil  "  needs  to  render  it  fertile.  Here  truth  may 
be  found  between  these  extremes ;  for,  although 
it  could  hardly  be  said  that  in  the  ordinary  mode 
of  culture  the  soil  depends  to  any  great  extent 
upon  the  subsoil  for  its  fertility,  yet  the  product- 
ive value  of  the  form  will  depend  very  much  upon 
the  character  and  condition  of  the  subsoil.  For 
this  reason  our  best  agriculturists  are  beginning 
to  work  it  deeply  and  examine  it  thoroughly, 
some  being  at  the  expense  of  analysis,  by  which  it 
is  sometimes  found  to  contain  "  all  those  mineral 
constituents  in  which  the  sod  itself  is  deficient." — 
(Johnston.) 

THE    RESTORATIVE. 

It  is  not  at  all  surprising  that  one  who  is 
so  much  of  a  conjurer  as  to  be  able  to  discover 
changes  in  soils  beneath  where  the  soil  has  been 
removed,  and  prescribe  for  exhausted  soils  a  uni- 
versal restorative,  compounded  of  so  many  reme- 
dial agents  that  it  shall  not  fail  of  supplying  "  the 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


473 


deficiencies  which  are  required  to  constitute  a 
good  soil,"  should  he  able  also  "  to  form  a  better 
opinion,  by  examinincr  the  subsoil,  what  the  sur 
face  soil  needs  to  fertilize  it,  than  a  chemist  would 
be  likely  to  do  by  analyzing  the  surface  soil."  But 
to  the  uninitiated  in  the  magic  art,  the  followiuf 
from  the  Family  Visitor  may  not  be  uninteresting 
It  may  be  found  in  t\\Q  Journal  of  AgricuUurc, 
Boston,  July  2d,  1851,  p.  21  :  "  Science  cannot 
long  be  despised  as  the  mere  speculations  of  tlie- 
orists,  but  must  be  considered,  by  all  ranks  of 
men,  in  its  true  point  of  view — as  the  refinement 
of  common  sense,  guided  by  experience,  gradually 
substituting  sound  and  rational  principle  for  vague, 
popular  prejudices.  If  land  be  comparatively  un- 
productive, the  sure  method  of  determining  the 
cause  is — first,  to  ascertain  the  extra  nature  and 
relative  qualities  of  the  ingredients  of  the  soil, 
(which  can  only  be  done  by  chemical  analysis,) 
and  then  to  supply  the  soil  with  the  deficient  ma- 
terials requisite  for  the  growth  of  such  vegetables 
as  it  is  best  fitted  to  produce.  The  preparation 
of  compost  will  only  be  of  real  use  when  materials 
which  do  not  afford,  singly,  an  efScient  or  con- 
venient manure,  are  made  to  do  so  by  their  mix- 
ture. Evei'y  farmer  has  it  in  his  power  so  to 
compound  the  best  from  his  store  of  manuring 
materials,  that  the  defects  of  his  soil  may  not  only 
be  remedied,  but  that  the  crops  may  receive  those 
substances  in  sufficient  quantity  which  are  required 
for  their  vigorous  growth.  To  do  this,  however, 
it  is  requisite  to  know,  not  only  the  component 
parts  of  the  soil,  but  also  those  of  the  crops.  If 
these  are  not  taken  into  the  account,  no  clear  idea 
of  the  composition,  much  less  of  the  action  of  ma- 
nures, will  ever  be  obtained  ;  and  many  substances 
of  real  value  will  be  tried,  and,  from  misapplica- 
tion, tend  to  useless  if  not  injurious  results."  One 
word  more,  and  I  leave  this ;  a  man  with  whom  1 
was  at  work  the  other  day  in  the  hay-field,  and 
conversing  upon  the  subject  of  experimental  farm- 
ing, suggested  the  following  query:  viz.,  If  Mr. 
Silas  Brown  can  ascertain,  by  examining  the  sub- 
soil, what  are  "the  deficiencies  which  are  required 
to  constitute  "  the  "  surface  soil  "  a  good  one, 
can  he  also,  by  the  same  process,  determine  the 
presence  and  relative  quantities  of  those  mineral 
substances,  which,  when  existing  in  excess,  render 
a  soil  "  productive  of  abundant  barrenness." 

TDE   PROPER   APPLICATION. 

In  his  first  communication  on  experimental 
farming,  your  correspondent  asserts  that  "  all  far- 
mers know  that  clay  with  sand  will  improve  the 
soil,"  and  leaves  the  novice  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits to  refer  back  to  a  letter  of  Prof.  Mapes,  on 
page  71  mo.  Farmer  for  February,  to  learn  the 
why  and  wherefore  ;  and  in  his  experimental  farm- 
ing, again  he  goes  still  deeper  into  the  matter, 
and  says,  "experience  has  taught  us  that  clay  ap- 
plied to  the  surface  of  a  quicksand  subsoil  was  a 
proper  application  ;  but  how  he  is  going  to  recon- 
cile the  remark  that  "  no  experienced  farmer 
would  apply  it  to  an  argillaceous  foundation,"  with 
his  recommendation  of  a  "  compound  of  every  sub- 
stance, vegetable  and  mineral,  which  would  have 
a  tendency  to  benefit  any  kind  of  soil,"  is  one  of 
the  things  which  "  I  have  yet  to  learn." 

THE    PROBLEM. 

With  my  small  capability  of  entering  deeply 
into  important  subjects,  I  have  but  little  hope  of 


attaining  the  exalted  position  in  society  which  my 
friend  B.  holds  up  to  view  as  an  inducement  to  at- 
tempt the  solution  of  his  ingenious  problem  in  re- 
lation to  increasing  the  productiveness  of  ground 
by  analyzing  it  ;  yet  "  I  believe  "  that  if  the 
"  soil  at  tlio  surface  "  be  carefully  removed,  and 
the  soil  be  thoroughly  dug  to  a  depth  of  several 
feet  and  carefully  examined,  and  a  fair  average 
sample  selected  for  the  chemist's  use,  which  shall 
not  represent  the  ground  as  deficient  of  any  ele- 
ment of  fertility,  which,  however  absent  from  one 
place,  may  abound  but  a  short  distance  therefrom, 
and  the  "  surface  soil,"  after  the  analysis  is  per- 
formed, returned  to  its  former  position  and  prop- 
erly cultivated,  the  subsequent  crop,  of  whatever 
kind  it  may  be,  will  be  of  far  more  luxuriant 
growth  than  it  would  have  been  had  no  such 
analysis  been  performed. 

THE   DICTATORSHIP. 

Farmers  should  not  "  be  governed  by  the  dicta- 
tion of  chemists  of  doubtful  skill,"  neither  should 
they  rely  entirely  upon  their  own  experiments, 
but  should  know  enough  of  chemistry  to  under- 
stand the  rationale  of  what  is  recommended,  and 
be  able  to  carry  out  an  experiment  in  exact  ac- 
cordance with  the  directions  given.  Here  let  me 
bring  in  a  few  more  testimonials,  from  Prof.  Nor- 
ton and  others  ;  and  let  those  who  prate  of  the 
"  need  of  the  creation  or  perfection  of  science  for 
agriculture,^''  as  well  as  those  who  deem  it  a  "  diffi- 
culty approaching  an  impossibility  that  the  best 
practical  chemist  can  give  directions  to  the  farmer 
how  to  prepare  his  manures  to  suit  his  different 
kinds  of  soils,  and  fit  them  to  pi'oduce  different 
kinds  of  crops  with  any  precision,"  whilst  they 
recommend  an  indescribable  compound  of  an  al- 
most endless  variety  of  substances,  cease  hence- 
forth to  use  the  writings,  or  even  the  name  ol 
Prof  J.  P.  Norton,  for  the  purpose  of  establish- 
ing their  own  retrograde  theories.  Elements  of 
Scientific  Agriculture,  pp.  185,  187,  &c.:  "The 
farmer  can  annihilate  nothing ;  he  can  only  change 
the  form  of  his  materials  ;  every  study  which  will 
enable  him  to  do  this  according  to  his  wish,  should 
be  pursued  eagerly  and  perseveringly.  In  order 
to  know  what  is  in  a  soil,  and  to  determine  what 
are  the  quantities  of  its  constituents,  an  intimate 
acquaintance  is  necessary  not  only  with  the  sub- 
stances themselves,  in  their  almost  endless  rela- 
tions and  changes,  but  with  great  numbers  of  oth- 
er substances  from  which  they  must  be  distinguish- 
ed, and  with  which  they  are  likely  to  be  confounded 
by  an  inexperienced  person.  Uninstructed  per- 
sons must  constantly  be  making  mistakes  of  the 
most  flagrant  description.  The  worst  difliculty  of 
all  is,  that  in  many  cases,  not  having  knowledge 
enough  to  know  when  they  have  gone  astray,  they 
actually  rely 'upon  their  own  work  as  trustworthy, 
and  lead  others  to  do  so  too.  The  farmer  who 
knows  little  or  nothing  of  even  chemical  names, 
perhaps  is  not  competent  to  judge  of  a  good  anal- 
ysis ;  he  cannot  tell  the  difference  between  a  pre- 
tender to  scientific  knowledge  and  one  who  really 
knows  something  that  is  true  and  valuable.  He 
takes  these  erroneous  analyses  as  his  guide,  and 
probably  falls  at  once  into  some  serious  mistake, 
by  attempting  to  alter  the  supposed  constitution 
of  his  soil.  After  he  has  been  disappointed  in  this 
way  a  few  times,  he  is  very  apt  to  condemn  all 
scientific  agriculture  as  ridiculous,  and  of  no  avail 
for  any  practical  purpose.     What  I  wish   to  im- 


474 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Oct. 


press  in  this  connection  is  the  necessity  of  caution 
m  coming  to  such  a  decision.  There  is  truth  in 
science,  5ut  it  is  not  every  one  wlio  can  draw  it 
out ;  and  the  proper  course  in  cases  of  an  unsatis- 
factory nature  is  to  distrust  the  man  and  not  the 
general  principles."  In  a  late  No.  of  The  Work- 
ing Fanner,  in  an  article  on  "  Chemistry  as  ap- 
plied to  Agriculture,"  Prof.  Mapes  says  :  "  With- 
in the  last  few  months  a  new  set  of  objectors  to 
Chemistry,  as  applied  to  Agriculture,  seem  to 
have  arisen.  The  style  of  their  objections  is  truly 
original ;  for  they  first  admit  that  chemistry  may 
be  useful  to  agriculture  when  better  understood, 
but  that  analysis  cannot  be  depended  upon  as  a 
guide  for  the  amendment  of  soil ;  that  farmers  had 
better  trust  to  experience  than  to  science,  &c. 
*  *  *  *  * 

We  know  hundreds  of  instances  where  farmers 
have  applied  in  proper  quantities  and  at  less  ex- 
pense than  the  usual  style  of  application,  the  mis- 
sing ingredients  to  their  soil  ascertained  by  anal- 
ysis, and  in  every  case  with  increased  profit  in 
results.  We  also  assert  that  a  fair  knowledge  of 
Chemistry  and  Natural  Philosophy,  such  as  may 
be  obtained  by  means  entirely  practicable  and 
within  the  reach  of  every  intelligent  farmer,  will 
enable  him,  with  an  analysis  of  his  soil  before  him, 
to  know  not  only  what  it  requires  to  render  it  fer- 
tile, but  also  the  means  by  which  these  require- 
ments may  be  most  economically  furnished  to  the 
soil.  It  is  too  late  in  the  day  for  an  argument  to 
be  maintained  that  facts  are  to  be  arrived  at  by 
guessing  more  readily  than  by  scientific  research. 
Let  those  who  would  war  with  us  on  this  subject, 
bring  forward  their  facts  instead  of  their  satire, 
and  we  are  ready  to  meet  them.  "In  the  Cul- 
tivator, (x\lbany)  April,  1850,  p.  232,  is  a  little 
extract  from  Prof.  Liebig's  Familiar  letters  onChem- 
istry,  which  reads  as  follows  :  "  If  a  farmer,  with- 
out the  guidance  of  just  scientific  principles,  is 
trying  experimients  to  render  a  field  fertile  for  a 
plant  which  it  will  not  otherwise  bear,  his  pros- 
pect of  success  is  very  small.  Thousands  of  farm- 
ers try  such  experiments  in  various  directions, 
the  result  of  which  is  a  mass  of  practical  experi- 
ence, forming  a  method  of  cultivation  which  ac- 
complishes the  desired  end,  for  certain  places ; 
but  the  same  method  frequently  does  not  suc- 
ceed— it  indeed  ceases  to  be  applicable  to  a  second 
or  third  place  in  the  immediate  neighborhood. 
How  large  a  capital,  and  how  much  power,  are 
wasted  in  these  experiments  !  Very  difFdrent,  and 
far  more  secure,  is  the  path  indicated  by  science  ; 
it  exposes  us  to  no  danger  of  failing,  but  on  the 
contrary,  it  furnishes  us  with  every  guaranty  of 
success." 

In  the  Cultivator  for  Aug.  1850,  p.  260,  is  a  "Let- 
ter from  Prof.  Norton,  No.  8,"  a  part  of  which  reads 
thus  : — "I  am  convinced  that  practical  men  will 
remain  in  the  dark  on  many  of  the  most  important 
points  of  agriculture,  so  long  as  they  despise  the 
aid  of  chemistry,  and  persist  in  solving  inquiries 
connected  with  agriculture,  by  blind  experiraenti 
zing;  by  experiments  I  mean  made  without  plan, 
or  anything  clearly  defined  or  distinctly  understood 
If  those  engaged  in  such  random  trials  would  bear 
in  mind  that  nature  does  not  give  a  precise  answer 
to  an  indistinct  question  ;  and  if  they  would  be 
candid  enough  to  believe,  in  all  cases  in  which  an 
experiment  has  failed  to  answer  their  expectations, 
that  the  experiment  itself,  or   the  anticipated  re 


suit,  must  be  false  in  principle,  and  that  conse- 
quently the  fault  is  their  own,  aud  not  on  the  part 
of  nature — a  great  deal  of  good  would  be  effected. 
Unfortunately,  however,  most  men  are  as  quick  in 
condemning  the  value  of  materials  used  in  a  bung- 
ling experiment,  as  they  are  eager  to  praise  and 
enthusiastic  in  reccommending  every  result  when 
the  experiment  proves  favorable  to  their  views ; 
and  when  such  an  experimenter  has  some  kind  of 
theoretical  notion  in  his  head  with  which  the  ex- 
periment can  be  made  to  tally,  the  case  is  still 
worse.  In  this  way  a  great  deal  of  harm  has  been 
done,  and  the  progress  of  scientific  agriculture  re- 
tarded instead  of  advanced,  {Dr.  Voelcker.)  There 
is  much  of  sound  practical  sense  in  the  alDOve  re- 
marks, and  every  person  who  has  studied  over  the 
numerous  unprofitable  and  wearisome  discussions, 
which  fill  up  many  of  our  agricultural  papers,  will 
fully  appreciate  it. ' ' 

PRACTICAL  DEMONSTRATIONS. 

But  why  does  Mr.  B.  hope  that  J.  will  engage  in 
the  practical  analysis  of  his  soil,  (fee?  In  my  criti- 
cism of  his  experimental  farming,  I  gave  a  speci- 
men of  the  numerous  practical  demonstrations  al- 
ready made,  accompanied  by  the  name  of  a  chem- 
ist whose  writings  and  sayings  are  copied  into 
almost  every  agricultural  journal  that  has  lately 
come  in  my  way ,  but  he  coolly  suggests  that  the 
successful  result  is  probably  attributable  to  other 
cause  than  that  indicated,  and  acknowledges  "lit- 
tle faith  in  reports  of  that  kind  where  no  responsi- 
ble names  are  given."  Of  what  use  then  can  it  be 
for  J.  of  Bridgewater,  away  up  among  the  Green 
Mountains,  to  attempt  to  make  practical  demon- 
strations thereby  to  enlighten  those  who  though 

"Convinced  against  tlieir  will, 
Are  of  ilie  same  opinion  siill." 

CONCLUSION. 

If  your  correspondent  will  now  bring  forward  his 
figures  and  responsible  names,  illustrating  the  re 
suits  of  our  best  practical  chemists,  they  shall  b 
duly  considered;  and  I  will  endeavor  to  hold  myse 
in  readiness  to  satisfy  him,  that  there 'are  a  fe  *J 
pages  more  of  the   writings  of  Prof.  Norton,  an*^ 
others,  which  are  not  copied  into  this  lenghtened 
communication. 

THE    REVIEW. 

One  word  more.  Your  reviewer  in  noticing  my 
criticism  says  :  "in  relation  to  the  writer's  idea  of 
the  soil,  I  will  remark  that  in  digging  my  barn- 
cellar  we  came  upon  a  stratum  of  gravel  about  two 
inches  thick,  and  nearly  two  feet  below  the  sur- 
face. Now,  this  same  strata,  or  layer,  crops  out 
and  becomes  soil, — all  there  is  of  soil, — [!]  some 
six  or  eight  rods  from  the  barn."  It  may  be  pos- 
sible that  the  quick-sand  and  clay  gravel  encoun- 
tered in  digging  his  friend  B."s  wells  crops  out 
somewhere  and  becomes  soil  but  that  either  should 
be  called  soil,  or  any  other  earthy  matter  at  a 
depth  of  two  feet,  as  at  any  depth  below  where 
the  "soil  at  the  surface"  had  lately  been  removed, 
should  be  called  soil,  was  unknown  to  me  till  with- 
in the  present  year.  In  Prof.  Johnson's  Lee.  XI, 
1^4,  he  tells  us:  "In  a  mass  of  loose  matter  of 
considerable  depth,  spread  over  an  extent  of  coun- 
try, it  is  easy  to  understand  how,  even  though 
originally  alike  through  its  whole  ma^s,  a  few  inch- 
es at  the  surfiice  should  gradually  acquire  different 
physical  and  chemical  characters  from  the  rest, 
and  how  there  should  gradually  be  established  im- 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


475 


portant  agricultural  distinctions  between  the  first 
twelve  or  fifteen  inches  (the  soil)  the  next  fifteen 
(the  suhs(jil)  and  the  remaining  body  of  the  mass, 
which,  lying  still  lower,  docs  not  come  under  the 
observation  of  the  practical  agriculturist.  Thus 
the  character  of  the  soil  is  that  it  contains  more 
brown  organic,  chiefly  vegetable  matter,  in  a  state 
of  decay— of  the  subsoil,  that  the  organic  matter 
ia  less  in  quantity  and  has  entered  it  chiefly  in  a 
soluble  state,  and  that  earthy  matters  are  present 
in  it  which  have  been  washed  out  of  the  superior 
soil."     So  much  for  "A.  Reader."  j. 

Bridgewater,  Vt.,  Aug.  23,  1853. 

Remarks. — We  dislike  long  articles,  and  are  well 
satisfied  that  most  of  our  readers  do.  The  whole 
of  our  correspondent's  long  communication  is  given 
in  deference  to  his  wishes,  but  with  the  belief  that 
if  it  had  been  judiciously  divided,  it  would  have 
hundreds  of  readers  where  now  it  will  only  find 
tens.  With  one  or  two  exceptions,  no  one  has  ex- 
pressed a  desire  to  see  long  articles  in  these  col- 
umns. 

For  the  Neiv  England  Farmer. 
THE  SEASON,  &0.,  IN  CANADA  WEST. 

Mr.  Brown: — In  this  section  of  the  country  a 
very  severe  drought  has  pi'evailed  during  the  sum- 
mer. In  the  last  three  months  there  has  not  been 
rain  enough  to  wet  potatoes  in  the  hill,  conse- 
quently the  crop  will  be  small.  There  will  also  be 
a  light  crop  of  corn  and  spring  grain  ;  winter  grain 
is  good. 

There  will  be  a  fair  crop  of  apples,  though  not 
so  many  as  the  last  year.  Pears  are  quite  plenty  ; 
mostly  native  varieties,  but  many  of  them  are  of 
good  quality.  One  thing  deserves  to  be  noticed  ; 
the  apple-worm,  it  is  said,  has  never  been  found 
here.  Fruit  is  fair  and  sound,  and  one  can  eat  it 
without  taking  animal  food  with  it. 

Cherry  trees  have  for  several  years  been  infest- 
ed with  an  insect  resembling  a  snail.  It  is  of  a 
dark  green  color,  and  feeds  upon  the  tender  por- 
tion of  the  leaf.  In  a  short  time  the  foliage  is 
changed  to  a  reddish-brown,  the  leaves  resemble 
small  nets,  and  the  fruit  entirely  fails,  or  does  not 
ripen  well.  They  usually  commence  operations 
soon  after  the  fruit  sets.  They  also  attack  currant 
bushes.  Please  inform  what  this  insect  is-,  and 
what  will  prevent  its  ravages. 

A  small  ''blacJi  hug''  did  great  damage  to  cab- 
bage plants  early  in  the  season,  and  lately /ice  are 
troublesome.  What  will  destroy  them?  Answers 
may  be  of  service  next  year.  L.  Yarney. 

Bloomfield,  C.W.,  8  Mo.  31s/,  1853. 


Seventy  Swarms  of  Bees  at  War. — Ezra  Dib 
ble,  a  well  known  citizen  of  this  town,  and  for 
many  years  engaged  extensively  in  the  manage 
ment  of  bees,  communicates  to  us  the  following  in 
teresting  particulars  of  a  battle  among  his  bees 

lie  has  seventy  swarms  of  bees,  about  equally 
divided  on  the  east  and  west  sides  of  his  house. 
On  Sunday,  August  14th,  about  3  o'clock,  the 
weather  being  warm,  and  the  windows  open,  his 
house  was  suddenly  filled  with  bees,  which  forced 
the  family  to  flee  at  once  to  the  neighbors.  !Mr. 
D.,  after  getting  well  protected  against  his  assail- 
ants, proceeded  to  take  a  survey,  and,  if  possible. 


learn  the  cause  which  had  disturbed  them.  The 
seventy  swarms  appeared  to  be  out,  and  those  on 
one  side  of  the  house  were  arrayed  in  battle 
against  those  on  the  other  side,  and  such  a  battle 
was  perhaps  never  before  witnessed. 

They  filled  the  air,  covering  a  space  of  more  than 
one  acre  of  ground,  and  fought  desperately  for 
some  three  hours — not  for  "  spoils,"  but  for  con- 
quest ;  and  while  at  war  no  living  thing  could  exist 
in  the  vicinity.  They  stung  a  large  flock  of  Shang- 
hae  chickens,  nearly  all  of  which  died,  and  per- 
sons passing  along  the  roadside  were  obliged  to 
make  haste  to  avoid  their  sting.  A  little  after 
six  o'clock  quiet  was  restored,  and  the  living  bees 
returned  to  their  hives,  leaving  the  slain  literally 
covering  the  ground,  since  which  few  have  ap- 
peared around  the  hives,  and  those  apparently 
stationed  as  sentinels  to  watch  the  enemy.  But 
two  young  swarms  were  entirely  destroyed,  and 
aside  from  the  terrible  slaughter  of  bees,  little 
other  injury  was  done.  Neither  party  was  victo- 
rious, and  they  only  ceased  on  the  approach  of 
night,  and  from  utter  prostration.  The  occasion 
of  this  strange  warring  among  the  bees  is  not  eas- 
ily accounted  for ;  and  those  most  conversant  with 
their  management  never  before  witnessed  or  heard 
of  such  a  spectacle  as  here  narrated. — Conneaut 
( Ohio)  Reporter. 

WINTER   WHEAT. 

There  should  be  no  delay  in  getting  in  this  im- 
portant crop,  where  it  has  not  already  been  done. 
The  Winter  Blue  Stem  is  a  fine  variety,  and  yields 
well  in  any  land  which  will  produce  a  good  corn 
crop.  The  quantity  of  seed  per  acre  may  be  va- 
ried according  to  the  condition  of  the  land  ;  if  in 
fine  "heart,"  a  much  less  quantity  will  answer 
than  if  the  soil  is  thin  and  poor.  We  have  just 
secured  a  crop  of  Millet,  where  only  eight  quarts 
of  seed  iper  acre  were  sowed,  although  some  of  the 
boots,  and  some  of  the  farmers,  recommended 
sixteen  quarts.  On  two  acres,  good  judges  esti- 
mated that  there  were  five  tons  of  the  dried  crop. 
What  there  would  have  been,  if  the  larger  amount 
of  seed  had  been  sown,  we  can  scarcely  conjec- 
ture. 

On  good  land  we  should  not  sow  more  than  one 
and  a  half  bushels  of  wheat ;  perhaps  even  less 
than  that.  We  hope  ere  long  to  see  Drilling 
Machines  in  use  in  getting  in  all  our  grain  crops. 


Spare  the  Birds. — On  no  pretext  whatever, 
should  farmers  or  gardeners  permit  their  birds  to 
be  disturbed.  Instead  of  killingthem  or  frighten- 
ing them  away,  they  should  make  use  of  every 
means  in  their  power  to  induce  them  to  increase 
in  number,  and  become  more  tame  and  familiar. 
The  worst  of  them  earn  twenty  times  what  they 
eat  ;  and  then,  what  exquisite  pleasure,  to  have 
your  garden,  yard,  orchard,  or  wood,  alive  and  vo- 
cal with  the  music  of  merry  birds.  Plant  trees 
for  them,  build  houses  if  necessary  for  them,  and 
let  no  cat,  dog,  or  boy  ever  molest  them,  and  they 
will  teach  you  lessons  of  domestic  bliss — preach 
you  sermons — and  warble  you  such  hymns  as  you 
never  heard  elsewhere.  Be  kind  to  your  birds. — 
Ohio  Farmer. 


476 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Oct. 


ror  the  New  England  Farmer. 

AGRIGUIiTURAIi  SOOIETIBS.--NO.  3. 

MIDDLESEX   AGRICULTURAL   SOCIETY. 

This  time-honored  Society,  the  oldest  in  the 
State,  held  its  fifty-eighth  anniversary  on  the  Cth 
of  October.  The  day  was  one  of  those  fine  October 
days  which  are  the  glory  of  our  New  England  cli- 
mate, and  all  the  circumstances  connected  with 
the  occasion  were  of  the  most  agreeable  character. 
The  Report  is,  in  one  respect  at  least,  the  model 
report  of  the  volume.  It  is  condensed  into  the 
reasonable  space  of  forty  pages.  The  several  com- 
mittees, in  making  their  reports,  have  not  availed 
themselves  of  the  occasion  to  give  their  opinions 
upon  matters  and  things  in  general,  nor  to  indulge 
in  philosophical  speculations,  calculated  rather  to 
exhibit  their  own  learning  than  to  set  forth  facts 
that  will  be  useful  to  their  brother  farmers.  Their 
reports  consist  of  facts  belonging  to  the  several 
subjects  referred  to  them.  If  we  should  make  any 
exception  to  this  general  remark,  it  would  be  in 
relation  to  the  report  upon  apples  and  pears,  and 
the  report  upon  stock,  each  of  which  might  be  re- 
duced about  one-half  without  material  detriment. 

The  report  upon  f;\rms,  &c.,  is  of  a  highly  inter- 
esting character.  The  practice  of  propounding  a 
series  of  questions  to  the  successful  competitors 
for  premiums,  although  attended  with  a  good  deal 
of  labor  on  the  part  of  the  Secretary,  Simon  Brown, 
Esq.,  by  whom  they,  as  well  as  the  whole  report, 
were  arranged,  brings  out  the  opinions  and  expe- 
rience of  enterprising,  thinking  and  successful 
men,  upon  a  variety  of  important  practical  points. 
We  should  be  glad  to  see  the  practice  adopted 
throughout  the  State. 

We  have  been  much  interested  in  the  remarks 
of  the  committee  upon  the  farm  of  Mr.  Hildreth, 
and  especially  in  Mr.  Hildreth's  own  statement. 
It  is  a  straight- forward,  plain  statement,  showing 
what  the  will  and  industry  of  a  Yankee  can  ac- 
complish. His  land  is  now  remunerating  him 
richly  for  his  persevering  labor,  and  in  a  few 
years  more  he  will  be  the  owner  of  a  beautiful 
farm,  worth  at  least  ten  thousand  dollars,  its 
produce  increasing  annually  in  value,  while  the 
labor  of  cultivating  it  is  growing  less  and  less. 
If  any  men  in  the  country  have  the  prospect  of  an 
independent  old  age,  and  of  leaving  a  good  inher- 
itance to  their  children,  both  in  material  value  and 
in  their  own  noble  example,  it  is  such  men  as  L. 
H.  Hildreth. 

The  results  which  Mr.  J.  D.  Brown  has  accom- 
plished, show  that  he  has  a  head  to  plan  and  a 
hand  to  execute.  He  is  remarkable  for  his  energy 
and  enterprise.  He  has  developed  in  large  meas- 
ure the  faculty  o?  go-aheaditiveness,  and  the  effects 
are  showing  themselves  all  around  him.  We  fear 
it  may  be  inferred  from  the  statements  that  the 
work  done  upon  the  farm  has  all  been  paid  for 
from  its  products  ;  whereas,  those  who  know  the 
extensive  business,  other  than  farming,  in  which 
he  is  engaged,  can  readily  imagine  where  the 
means  have  come  from  by  which  so  much  has 
been  accomplished.  We  would  by  no  means  in- 
sinuate that  it  was  intended  that  the  above  infer- 
ence should  be  made.  'But  we  think  that  justice 
to  other  farmers  requires  that  the  intimation 
should  be  made.  Mr.  B.  deserves  the  highest 
credit  for  what  he  has  accomplished.  !Much  of 
his  farm  consisted  of  rocky,  bushy  pasture  and 


boggy  swamp.  The  twelve  hundred  bushels  of 
corn  which  he  raised  last  year,  and  the  more  than 
twenty  acres  of  luxuriant  oats  which  he  has  mowed 
the  present  year,  show  what  may  be  produced 
upon  such  land  by  perseverance.  His  fine  barns, 
his  noble  stock  of  GO  cows,  his  long  ranges  of 
walls,  his  net-work  of  deep  drains,  all  speak  loudly 
of  enterprise  and  success. 

We  have  been  much  interested  in  the  remarks 
of  the  venerable  Buckingham,  and  most  heartily 
commend  them  to  every  man  in  Massachusetts 
who  has  only  a  small  patch  of  land.  They  show 
what  a  little  land  may  be  made  to  produce,  when 
the  tillage  is  adapted  to  the  soil. 

We  should  infer,  from  the  uniform  success  that 
attends  every  attempt  to  make  a  fine  garden  in 
Cambridge,  and  indeed  everywhere  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  metropolis  of  the  State,  that  gardens  are 
of  a  social  character,  and  that  their  productions 
are  more  willing  to  thrive  in  neighborhoods  where 
good  gardens  abound,  than  in  those  where  they 
are  alone  in  their  beauty.  We  hope  no  one  will 
be  discouraged  by  this  remark  from  making  the 
attempt  to  produce  a  fine  garden  wherever  he  may 
be  located,  but  be  led  the  rather  to  persuade  his 
neighbors  to  join  him  in  the  same  enterprise. 

The  show  of  fruits  was  very  fine,  and  proved 
that  Middlesex  is  behind  no  other  county  in  the 
State  in  this  branch  of  culture. 

There  were  many  fine  specimens  of  stock  on 
the  ground,  both  of  native  and  foreign  blood. 
We  suppose  no  towns  in  the  State  can  exhibit 
finer  milch  cows  than  those  towns  in  Middlesex 
that  raise  milk  for  the  market.  But  we  have  no 
space  to  discuss  this  subject,  and  must  refer  to 
our  remarks  on  the  Report  of  the  Massachusetts 
Society,  in  our  first  number. 

The  great  feature  of  the  day  was  the  plowing 
match.  Some  forty  teams  were  entered  for  the 
premiums  ;  and  we  know  not  that  we  have  ever 
seen  a  more  beautiful  spectacle  than  they  pre- 
sented, each  moving  in  its  own  orbit,  doing  its 
own  work  independently,  steadily,  quietly,  and 
apparently  unconscious  that  any  other  team  was 
in  the  field.  The  order  was  perfect,  and  the  work 
most  perfectly  done.  The  Marshal  of  the  day 
did  himself  credit.  Indeed,  in  our  view,  the 
Colonel  never  appeared  so  well  at  the  head  of  his 
regiment  as  in  directing  the  movements  of  his 
brother  farmers  upon  this  well  contested  field. 

The  only  thing  to  be  regretted  during  the  day 
was'  the  want  of  time  to  be  appropriated  to  the 
several  departments  of  the  exhibition.  We  per- 
ceive that  this  is  to  be  obviated  the  coming  year 
by  taking  two  days  for  the  festival.  We  trust  the 
exhibition,  which  is  soon  to  take  place,  will  be  in 
every  department,  worthy  of  the  eJQTorts  which  the 
government  of  the  Society  have  made  during  the 

fast  year  to  promote  its  prosperity  and  usefulness, 
t  is  sufficient  to  say  of  the  address  that  it  was  de- 
Hvered  by  Hon.  L.  V.  Bell,  and  was  of  course  char- 
acterized by  sound  learning,  important  thoughts 
and  practical  common  sense.  j.  r. 

Concord,  Sept.  5th,  1853. 


Something  for  Farmers. — We  saw,  yesterday, 
the  model  of  a  machine  for  cutting  corn  in  the 
stalk.  It  is  partially  upon  the  principle  of  Mr. 
McCormick's  reaping  machine,  and  is  designed  to 
cut  two  rows  of  corn  at  a  time.  Between  two 
wheels  there  is  an  axle,  to  each  end   of  which  is 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


477 


attached  a  knife  for  cutting  each  row  of  corn.  To 
the  axle  is  also  attached  shafts  for  the  horse  which 
pulls  the  machine.  The  horse  walks  between  the 
rows  of  corn,  and  the  knife  just  on  the  inside  of 
each  wheel  cuts  the  corn,  which  falls  on  a  bed  or 
place  to  catch  it,  in  a  manner 'resembling  the  op- 
erations of  a  wheat  reaper.  The  bed  which  catch- 
es the  coin,  opens  in  the  centre  at  the  pleasure  of 
the  operator  to  discharge  the  corn  in  bundles.  We 
are  informed  that  with  one  man  and  a  horse  the 
machine  will  cut  20  acres  of  corn  per  day.  It  is 
the  invention  of  a  citizen  of  Illinois. — Rich.  Enqui- 
rer. 

THE  SEASONS. 

FROM      THE      GERMAN. 

Hay  and  corn  nnci  buds  and  flowers, 
Snow  and  ice  and  fruit  and  wine — 
Snns  and  seasons,  sleets  and  showers, 
Bring,  in  turn,  these  gifts  divine. 
Spring  blows,  Summer  glows. 
Autumn  reaps.  Winter  keeps  ; 
Spring  prepares,  Summer  provides, 
Autumn  hoards  anil  Winter  hides. 
Come,  then,  friends,  their  praises  sound  ; 
Summer,  Autumn,  Winter,  Spring, 
As  they  run  (heir  yearly  round, 
Each  in  turn  with  gladness  sing  ! 
Time  drops  blessings  as  he  flies — 
Time  makes  ripe  and  Time  makes  wise. 


these,  the  runners  are  started  at  each  weeding,  and 
the  vines  are  thus  prevented  from  running  and 
covering  the  ground.  A  thick  setting  would, 
therefore,  seem  advisable — the  thicker  the  better, 
if  as  close  as  within  six  inches  of  each  other. 
There  is  a  great  difference  in  the  size  and  flavor  of 
the  fruit  growing  in  different  meadows.  The  ob- 
long fruit  is  much  the  best.  Cranberry  culture  is 
as  well  understood  perhaps  in  the  town  of  Sher- 
burn  as  any  where  in  the  State,  and  before  setting 
your  plants  it  would  be  well  for  you  to  talk  with 
some  of  the  cultivators  there. 


Fur  the  New  England  Farmer. 
CRANBERRIES. 

Mr.  Brown  : — Dear  Sir, — Although  I  am  a 
stranger  to  you,  I  wish  to  propound  a  few  questions 
on  the  growth  of  cranberries.  I  have  fitted  about 
2h  acres  of  upland,  which  I  intend  to  set  with  cran- 
berries. The  soil  is  rather  of  a  loam,  and  one  part 
is  more  moist  than  the  other.  When  I  commen- 
ced, the  land  was  covered  with  large  breaks,  what 
is  called  with  us  "  negro  heads."  I  commenced 
in  1852,  with  plowing  it  with  two  yoke  of  oxen  ; 
did  not  get  at  the  soil  the  first  plowing  ;  got  all  the 
break  roots  we  could,  let  it  dry  until  last  of  Aug- 
ust, then  dragged  it  and  went  to  carting  off  the 
negro  heads.  I'hc  next  process  was  to  dig  the  stone 
and  build  the  wall.  I  found  so  many  stone  that  I 
was  compelled  to  build  a  very  large  wall — a  part  of 
it  is  7  feet  wide  on  the  top.  The  ground  was  so 
wet  in  the  spring  I  could  not  finish  it  until  June. 
It  was  then  too  late  to  set  the  cranberry  roots, 
and  I  sowed  it  with  oats  and  have  got  a  good  crop. 
It  has  cost  me  about  three  hundred  dollars  up  to 
this  time  ;  and  now  I  wish  to  get  the  best  informa- 
tion that  I  can  how  to  set  over  this  ground  ;  where 
I  can  get  the  best  fruit,  and  also  whether  meadow 
roots  are  as  good  as  upland  ;  how  far  apart  they 
ought  to  be  set,  and  all  the  necessary  information 
pertaining  thereto.  Spencer  Root. 

Uaydenville,  Aug.  2ith,  1853. 


Remarks. — In  an  operation  of  so  much  conse- 
quence as  the  one  you  describe,  it  is  important  to 
proceed  in  the  right  way  at  each  step.  Our  own 
experience  in  the  culture  of  upland  cranberries 
has  not  been  sufficient  to  afford  reliable  data  for 
the  guidance  of  others.  We  have  found  only  one 
difficulty  in  growing  cranberries  on  upland,  and 
that  is^the   prevalence  of  weeds  ;  in   extirpating 


SPONTANEOUS  PLANTS. 

It  is  well  known  to  our  readers  that  the  marshes 
on  South  Boston  Bay,  between  Roxbury  and  Bos- 
ton, have  been  "filled  up"  within  a  few  years, 
with  gravel  brought  in  railway  cars  from  Quincy. 
This  gravel,  or  a  large  portion  of  it,  was  taken  from 
a  hill,  where  it  had  remained  undisturbed  for  many 
centuries.  Yet  this  large  tract  of  "made  land"  is 
now  covered  with  a  dense  vegetable  growth,  em- 
bracing a  great  variety  of  plants,  most  of  them  of 
common  varieties,  the  seeds  of  which  are  compact, 
hard  and  heavy,  and  covered  with  an  enamelled 
shell,  all  of  which  would  seem  to  preclude  the  idea 
that  they  could  have  been  wafted  from  a  distance 
through  the  atmosphere.  How  could  these  plants 
have  originated  ?  Were  the  seeds  deposited  in  the 
gravel  and  soil,  many  ages  ago,  and  have  now  ger- 
minated on  being  exposed  to  the  action  of  the  at- 
mosphere and  heat?  or  is  there  some  other  pro- 
cess of  nature  by  which  vegetation,  under  certain 
circumstances,  may  be  produced  without  any  ap- 
parent cause  ■? 

Indeed,  there  are  few  things  more  extraordinary, 
or  have  been  a  greater  puzzle  to  naturalists,  than 
the  appearance  and  development  of  certain  plants 
in  certain  circumstances.  It  is  sometimes  the 
case  that  when  a  deep  pit  or  well  is  dug,  the  earth 
is  thrown  up  from  a  great  depth,  fifty  or  a  hun- 
dred feet,  and  which  has  been  for  many  ages  buried 
far  beneath  the  surfiice  of  the  earth,  on  expo- 
sure to  the  atmosphere  and  the  heat  of  the  sun, 
will  give  forth  myriads  of  plants,  of  a  certain  de- 
scription, and  which,  perhaps,  have  not  been  seen 
in  that  vicinity  for  many  years.  It  is  stated  on 
good  authority,  that  after  the  great  fire  in  London 
in  16GG,  the  entire  surface  of  the  destroyed  city 
was  covered  with  such  a  profusion  of  cruciferous 
plant,  the  Sisymbrium  Irio  of  Linnteus,  that  it 
was  calculated  the  whole  of  Europe  did  not  con- 
tain so  many  plants  of  it !  It  is  also  a  well  ascer- 
tained fact,  that  if  a  spring  of  salt  water  makes  its 
appearance  in  a  spot,  at  a  great  distance  from  the 
sea,  the  neighborhood  will  soon  be  cofered  with 
plants  peculiar  to  a  maritime  locality,  which  plants, 
previous  to  this  occurrence,  were  entire  strangers 
to  the  country  ! 

When  a  lake  happens  to  dry  up,  the  surface 
will  almost  always  be  soon  covered  by  a  vegeta- 
tion which  is  peculiar,  and  entirely  different  from 
that  which  flourished  on  its  former  banks.  In  M. 
de  Brebisson's  work  on  the  useful  mosses,  this 
botanist  states  that  a  pond  in  the  neighborhood 
ofFalain,  in  France,  having  been  rendered  dry 
during  many  weeks,  in  the  height  of  summer,  the 
mud,  in  drying,  was  immediately  and  entirely  cov- 


478 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Oct. 


ered,  to  the  extent  of  many  square  yards,  by  a 
minute,  compact,  green  turf,  formed  of  an 
imperceptible  moss,  the  Phaseum  axillare,  the 
stalks  of  which  were  so  close  to  each  other,  that 
upon  a  square  inch  of  this  new  soil,  might  be  count- 
ed more  than  five  thousand  individuals  of  this  mi- 
nute plant,  which  had  never  previously  been  ob- 
served in  this  country. 

These  circumstances  are  singular,  and  furnish  a 
vast  field  of  speculation  for  the  natural  philoso- 
pher.— Boston  Journal. 


For  the  Neiv  England  Farmer. 
MIGRATION    OF  BIRDS. 

Mr.  Editor: — I  am  very  glad  to  see  that  through 
the  columns  of  your  valuable  worthy  Farmer, 
there  has  been  aroused  a  spirit  of  inquiry  upon  a 
subject  which  involves  much  interest  and  deep  cu- 
riosity in  the  result ;  and  which  is  still  enshrouded 
in  mystery  and  doubt;  I  refer  to  the  "migration  of 
the  swallows."  The  precise  time  of  their  final  de- 
parture for  the  winter  months  is  still  a  matter  of 
discussion,  and  one  which  I  hope  your  observing 
correspondents  will  continue  to  examine  and  dis- 
cuss until  the  subject  has  received  all  the  testimo- 
ny necessary  to  entitle  it  to  a  verdict.  Much  he- 
reditary opinion  is  still  indulged  and  received,  up- 
on such  subjects,  where  facts  and  truth  should  be 
established;  and  it  seems,  to  my  view  of  the  sub- 
ject that  a  direct,  easy  and  efficacious  way  of  ob- 
taining this  testimony  may  be  accomplished  by 
enlisting  the  interest  and  action  of  careful  and 
attentive  observers  in  different  sections  of  New 
England,  who  will  faithfully  note  the  first  appear- 
ance of  the  swallow  in  the  spring,  and  particularly 
whether  seen  singly,  in  pairs,  or  in  flocks,  at  what 
time  they  build  their  nests — and  be  particular  in 
noticing  their  annual  conference,  or  congregating 
in  mass  meeting,  as  if  deliberating  upon,  and  ma- 
turing their  arrangements  preliminary  to  going  in- 
to winter  quarters — and  state  definitely  the  day  of 
the  month  and  the  time  of  the  day  vfma  last  seen 
in  autumn.  When  these  points  are  clearly  eluci- 
dated, it  will  open  an  interesting  field  for  discus- 
sion among  naturalists,  whether  the  swallow  is  in 
reality  a  migratory  bird,  and  the  evidence  which 
may  be  elicited  from  so  many  sources  upon  the 
points  above  •  referred  to,  will  furnish  some  relia- 
ble points  for  argument  in  examining  the  last  pro- 
position, but  as  this  question  is  still  in  reserve,  I 
will  forbear  any  further  remarks  until  this  field  is 
opened.  With  much  respect  yours,  &c., 

Springfield,  Sept.,  1853.  F.  b. 


Destroying  Trees. — A  thriving  farmer,  who  had 
just  discovered  the  loss  of  a  hundred  newly  trans- 
planted peach  trees  by  the  mice,  said  to  the  nur- 
seryman who  furnished  them,  "This  is  a  hard  loss 
for  me,  but  it  will  help  you  nurserymeji  /"  A  late 
paper  of  high  character  utters  a  similar  opinion, 
when  describing  the  losses  of  young  trees  by  bad 
pruning  and  other  mismanagement — "no  wonder 
that  the  business  of  nurserymen  is  continuous  and 
thriving!"  Nothing  can  be  more  erroneous.  The 
great  increase  in  the  nursery  business  is  owing,  not 
to  continued  failures  by  purchasers,  but  to  the  im- 
proved cultivation  which  the  trees  of  late  years  re- 
ceive, giving  promise  of  a  full  remuneration  for  the 
outlay.  How  many  men  would  continue  to  buy 
and  plant  trees,  only  to  lose  them?     How  long 


would  farmers  continue  to  raise  wheat,  if  no  crop 
was  ever  yielded?  How  many  gardiners  would 
patronize  the  seed  stores,  if  the  seedsman  should 
bake  and  destroy  the  vitality  of  all  that  he  sold,  as 
we  have  heard  of  being  done  in  certain  places  in 
the  old  world  1  No  man  will  expend  his  money 
without  a  promise  of  a  return,  and  it  is  therefore 
the  nurseryman's  highest  interest  to  assist  as 
much  as  practicable  in  promoting  the  successful 
management  of  the  trees  he  furnishes. — The  Coun- 
try Gentleman. 

LIST  OP  STATE  FAIRS  IN  1853. 

Vermont,  Montpelier September  13,  14,  15. 

Kentucky,  Lexington September  13,  14,  15,  16,  17. 

New  York,  Saratoga September  2n,  21,  22,  23. 

Ohio,  Dayton ' September  20,  21,  22,  23. 

Pennsylvania,  Pittsburgh September  27,  28,  29,  30. 

Michigan,  Detroit September  28,  29,  30. 

Wisconsin,  Watertown October  4,  5,  6,  7. 

New  Hampshire,  Manchester October  5,  6,7. 

Indiana,  LHfayette October  11,  12,  13,  14. 

Illinois,  Springfield October  11,  12,  13,  14. 

North  Carolina,  Raleigh , October  18. 

Maryland, October  25,  26,  27,  28. 

Virginia,  Richmond November  1,  2  3. 

Lower  Canada September  27  to  30. 

Upper  Canada October  5  to  7.  " 

Southern  Central  Ag.  Society,  Augusta,  Geo Oct.  17  to  20 


Agricultural  Exuibitions  in  Massachusetts 
FOR  1853. 

Worcester  County  Society September  21,  52. 

Norfolk  County  Foeiety September  27,  2S. 

Essex  County  Society September  28,  29. 

Housatonic  Society September  28,  29. 

Worcester  West  County  Society September  30. 

Bristol  County  Society October  4,  5. 

Middlesex  County  Society October  4,  5. 

Berkshire  County  Society October  5,  6. 

Plymouth  County  Society October  6. 

Franklin  County  Society October  6,  7. 

Barnstable  County  Society October  7. 

Hampshire,  Franklin  and  Hampden  Society Oct.  11,  12. 

Hampden  County  Society .'..October  13,  14. 

Hampshire  County  Society .- October  26. 


For  the  Nexu  England  Farmer. 
CRUELTY  TO  ANIMALS. 

Your  June  number  I  think  contained  useful  re- 
marks on  Cruelty  to  Animals,  and  I  take  the  lib- 
erty of  sending  you  a  copy  of  a  school  lesson  on 
that  important  subject.  R.  m. 

Canada  East. 

ON   CRUELTY   TO   ANIMALS. 
A  man  of  kindness  to  his  beast  is  kind. 
But  brutal  actions  show  a  brutal  mind. 
Remember — He  who  made  thee  made  the  brute  ; 
Who  gave  thee  speech  and  reason,  form'd  him  mute  ; 
He  can't  complain,  but  God's  all  seeing  eye 
Beholds  thy  cruelty— he  hears  his  cry  ; 
He  was  designed  thy  servant  and  thy  drudge, 
But  know — that  his  Creator  is  thy  Judge  ! 


The  Southern  Agriculturist. — Ifthepeople  of 
South  Carolina  would  take  hold  and  give  this  pa- 
per a  list  of  20,000 paying  subscribers,  they  would 
do  themselves  a  great  service.  It  is  published  at 
Laurensville,  and  is  among  the  handsomest  and 
best  papers  we  receive. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


479 


For  the  New  Ens/and  Farmer. 
THE  CROPS  IN  WASHINGTON  COUN- 
TY, R.  I. 

Mr.  Editor  :— Sir  :  I  take  tho  liberty  to  send 
you  an  account  of  the  crops  harvested,  and  the 
prospect  of  the  crops  unharvested,  in  our  county. 
And  at  the  same  time  I  shall  occasionally  indulge 
my  Yankee  propensity  by  asking  you  a  question. 

Grass.— This  crop  has  come  in  very  good  gen- 
erally  throughout  tho  county,  and  that  which  vras 
secured  previous  to  July  20th  was  of  the  first  qual- 
ity. But  that  which  has  been  cut  since  that  time 
has  (a  large  portion  of  it)  been  wet,  and  conse- 
quently is  not  so  good.  The  kinds  of  grass  usually 
cultivated  here  is  clover,  timothy,  red  top  and 
burden.  ^ 

And  now  I  will  inquire  (my  land  being  a  light- 
ish loam,)  what  kind  of  grass  seed  shall  I  sow,  and 
how  much  to  the  acre,  and  when  1 

Indian  Corn  looks  remarkably  well.  If  we  do 
not  have  any  early  frosts,  or  any  thing  else  to 
destroy  it,  we  shall  get  a  great  crop.  Which  is 
the  most  economical  way  of  harvesting  this  crop 
when  it  is  not  very  heavy  ?  Cut  the  stalks,  or  cut 
it  up  by  the  ground? 

Potatoes  have  nearly  all  rotted  except  the  Do- 
vers  ;  they  stand  it  with  us  the  best  of  any  kind. 

Oats  suiFered  some  from  the  drought  in  June, 
but  upon  the  whole  have  come  in  pretty  well. 

Wheat,  rye  and  barley, \s  not  cultivated  very  ex- 
tensively here.  I  believe  the  former  not  at  all ; 
neither  is  buckwheat. 

Millet  is  cultivated  some  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  county,  but  not  generally  in  the  southern. 
What  I  have  seen  of  this  crop  looks  well.  What 
kind  of  land  and  manure  is  best  adapted  to  this 
crop? 

Coio  Corn  is  cultivated  very  extensively  for  feed- 
ing green,  and  looks  very  thrifty.  Which  is  the 
most  profitable  to  seed  for  fodder,  this  crop  or 
millet?  Yours  truly,  j.  d. 

Wakefield^R.  L,  Aug.  23,  1853. 

P.  S.  Fruit,  of  nearly  all  kinds,  will  prove  a 
failure  with  us. 

Swallows  left  here  about  the  18th  instant. 

Carrots  and  Onions  have  blasted  very  much. 
Can  you  tell  me  the  cause  ?         Yours,        j.  d. 


Remark. — We  will  answer  the  above  questions 
next  week. 

SCHOOLS  IN  CHINA. 

One  of  the  favorite  maxims  of  the  Chinese  is, 
"By  learning,  the  sons  of  the  poor  become  giieat; 
without  learning  the  sons  of  the  great  are  min- 
gled with  the  common  people."  The  beneficial  in- 
fluence of  this  maxim  is  observable  in  the  village 
schools,  which  are  generally  well  attended,  since 
it  is  natural  for  every  ftither  to  hope  that  one  of 
his  children  at  least  may  distinguish  himself  by  a 
superior  capacity,  and  thus  make  his  own  fortune, 
as  well  as  that  of  his  family;  for  as  parents  are 
frequently  degraded  in  consequence  of  the  mis- 
conduct of  g,  son,  so  they  are  often  honored  and 
rewarded  on  account  of  his  virtues. 

It  is  somewhat  remarkable,  that  in  a  country 
where  the  system  of  instruction  is  entirely  regu- 
lated by  the  laws,  and  forms  so  material  a  part  of 
the  constitution,  there  should  be  no  free  schools 


supported  by  the  government,  nor  any  establish- 
ment for  education  founded  by  the  munificence  of 
those  who,  in  every  age,  have  acquired  fame  and 
riches  by  their  literary  attainments.  The  master 
of  a  district  school  is  paid  at  the  rate  of  ten  shil- 
lings a  year  for  each  boy;  yet  even  this  small  sum 
cannot  very  easily  be  spared  by  a  laboring  man, 
whose  wages  are  not  more  than  fourpence  a  day  ; 
so  that  many  families  of  the  poorer  classes  send 
only  one  son  to  school,  selecting,  of  course,  him 
who  shows  the  most  promising  genius. 

The  boys  are  incited  to  industry  and  good  be- 
havior by  the  hope  of  prizes,  which  are  distributed 
at  stated  periods,  and  consist  of  pencils,  Indian 
ink,  paper,  and  little  palettes  for  grinding  the  ink, 
which  are  all  much  prized  by  the  Chinese,  who 
call  them  "  the  four  precious  materials,"  and 
teach  the  children  to  keep  them  in  very  neat  or- 
der. 

In  most  of  the  country  villages  and  in  all  large 
cities,  there  are  evening  schools  for  boys  who  are 
obliged  to  work  in  the  day  time  ;  for  the  children 
of  the  poor  are  inured  to  labor  from  a  very  tender 
age,  so  that  little  fellows  of  five  or  six  years  of 
age  may  be  seen  trudging  along  the  roads,  with  a 
stick  across  their  shoulders,  carrying  loads,  and 
they  are  set  to  work  in  the  fields  almost  as  soon 
as  they  can  walk.  It  is  the  usual  practice,  now, 
for  persons  of  rank  and  wealth  to  engage  private 
tutors  for  their  children  ;  but  whether  the  latter 
are  educated  at  home  or  at  a  public  school,  they 
must  undergo  the  regular  examinations  before 
they  are  eligible  to  office,  nor  are  they  taught  in 
any  way  differently  from  the  boys  at  the-  village 
seminaries. — China,  Pictorial,  Descriptive  and  His- 
torical. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
THE  CURCULIO. 

Mr.  Editor  : — Sir, — I  see  by  your  last  paper, 
from  extracts  from  the  Greenfield  Republican,  that 
a  writer  in  that  journal  has  found  a  remedy  for 
the  bite  of  the  curculio.  His  remedy  may  be  a 
go@d  one  for  a  mafi  of  leisure,  but  the  days  and 
nights  are  not  of  sufficient  length  to  warrant  its 
general  adoption.  I  will  tell  you  briefly  what  I 
have  done  for  my  plum  trees.  My  remedy  for  the 
curculio  is  this  :  as  soon  as  the  insect  had  made 
his  appearance,  and  the  plum  had  fairly  com- 
menced growing,  I  sprinkled  the  leaves  and  plums 
on  the  trees  all  over  with  air  slacked  lime,  select- 
ing a  wet  morning  for  the  operation,  and  after 
that  the  insects  all  left.  On  some  trees  that  had 
no  lime,  scarcely  a  plum  was  left ;  on  one  tree 
that  I  put  lime  on  one  side,  the  curculio  did  not 
trouble  ;  while  on  the  side  that  had  no  lime,  the 
plums  were  completely  destroyed.  When  the 
drought  came  on, I  found  that  my  plums  failed  for 
the  want  of  moisture;  I  took  a  barrel,  and  made 
a  small  hole  in  the  bottom,  and  placed  it  on  the 
root  of  the  trees,  and  then  filled  it  with  water, 
and  as  often  as  the  water  was  exhausted  I  filled 
it  up  ;  and  now  I  shall  have  a  rich  crop  of  plums, 
and  free  from  the  rot  that  prevails  in  this  county ; 
the  limb  I  sent  you  a  few  days  ago  was  from  one 
of  those,  and  is  a  fair  specimen.  J.  Lake. 

Topsfield,  Stpl.  5,  1853. 


E^"An  earthquake  had  occurred  on  the  lake  shore, 
near  New  Orleans,rocking  houses  and  causing  great 
alarm. 


480 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Oct. 


THE  TYSON  FEAR. 

The  Tyson  Pear  is  not  among  the  most  pop- 
ular of  the  pears,  but  is  -worthy  of  a  place  in 
every  fruit  garden,  where  variety  is  desired.  The 
fruit  is  of  medium  size;  short  pyriform;  light 
yellow,  russet  patches,  red  in  the  sun  ;  stem  me- 
dial, set  on  a  point ;  basin  broad  and  shallow  ; 
flesh  white,  melting,  very  juicy,  sweet,  with  a 
very  delicious  aromatic  flavor.  Latter  part  of 
August  to  first  of  September.  The  original  tree 
according  «to  Cole's  Fruit  Book,  is  in  Jenkins- 
town,  Pa.,  and  is  sis  feet  in  circumference. 


DEARBORN'S  SEEDLING. 

(dotted  outline.) 
The  illustrations  of  this  fruit  by  diflerent  artists 
vary  a  good  deal;  so  much  so,  as  scarcely  to  pre- 
serve the  characteristics  common  to  almost  every 
variety.  Mr.  Cole  was  a  careful  observer  of 
fruits,  and  living  in  ihe  neighborhood  where  this 
pear  originated,  and  having  cultivated  and  tested 
it,  we  think   his  description  of  it  entitled  to  full 


credit.  He  says  it  is  small  ;  turbinate  ;  stem  an 
inch  long,  in  a  slight  cavity  ;  shallow  basm  ;  very 
smooth,  yellow,  minute  dots,  a  little  russet  around 
the  stem  ;  flesh  white,  juicy,  melting,  of  a  sweet, 
sprightly  flavor.  Ripe  August  20  to  September 
10.  Originated  by  Gen.  H.  A.  S.  Dearborn,  Rox- 
bury,  Mass.  Downing  says  it  bears  most  abund- 
ant crops  in  every  soil,  and  is  one  of  the  moist 
desirable  early  varieties,  succeeding  the  Blood- 
good,  and  preceding  the  Bartlett.  The  young 
shoots  are  of  a  long,  dark  brown  color. 

THE  OSBORN  PEAR. 

Rather  small ;  obtuse  pyriform  ;  bright  yellow, 
with  brownish  specks  ;  stem  stout,  obliquely  set ; 
calyx  small,  slightly  sunk  ;  flesh  white,  tender, 
melting,  juicy,  of  a  sweet,  lively,  aromatic  flavor, 
with  slight  astringency.  Aug.  at  Cincinnati.  Vig- 
orous. Originated  by  Mr.  John  Osborn,  Economy, 
la.  Ranked  among  the  best  early  pears,  and 
Ernst  thinks  that  it  will  sustain  this  character, 
but  he  has  fruited  it  only  one  yeaf. 


For  the  New  England  Farmir, 
LONG  WHEAT  HEADS. 

Mr.  Editor  : — Among  all  the  accounts  of  large 
things  which  I  have  ever  read,  I  do  not  remember 
of  ever  having  seen  an  account  of  large  for  long) 
wheat  heads.,  I  have  just  shelled  a  head  of  wheat 
which  contained  GO  kernels  of  good  wheat.  I 
think  I  could  pick  out  many  such  heads  from  the 
wheat  I  have  raised  this  year.  Why  not  get 
from  forty  to  sixty  bushels  from  an  acre,  provided 
we  do  not  go  over  too  much  ground  ? 

Yours  truly,         a.  s. 

Freedom,  Me.,  Aug.  23,  1853. 


National  Exhibition  of  Horses. — T'lie  great  fa- 
vor with  which  the  suggestion  of  an  exhibition  of 
horses  at  Springfield  has  been  received  by  the  pub- 
lic, has  induced  the  organization  of  an  association 
in  that  city,  for  the  purpose  of  making  arrange- 
ments for  a  display  of  imported  blood  and  Ameri- 
can breeds  of  horses  next  month.  Hon.  George 
Dwight  has  been  elected  President  of  the  Board 
of  Managers,  James  M.  Thompson  Vice  President, 
and  William  Stowe,  Corresponding  Secretary.  The 
managers  of  the  exhibition  have  adopted  rules  and 
regulations,  and  published  a  list  of  premiums  of- 
fered, which  range  from  $20  to  $200.  The  exhi- 
bition will  be  held  at  Government  Square,  Spring- 
field, from  Wednesday,  October  19th,to  Saturday, 
October  22d._ 

We  recognize  in  the  list  of  Managers  the  names 
of  some  of  the  most  enterprising  and  public  spirited 
citizens  of  Western  Massachusetts,  and  we  have 
no  doubt  the  exhibition  will  bo  one  of  the  most 
successful  affairs  which  has  originated  in  this  sec- 
tion of  the  country. — Transcript. 


J^  Hon.  N.  P.  Banks,  Jr.,  of  Waltham,  has  ac- 
cepted the  invitation  of  the  Barnstable  County  Ag- 
ricultural Society,  to  deliver  the  address  before 
the  Society  at  their  annual  cattle  show  and  fair, 
on  the  7th  of  October. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


481 


HINESBURGH    "IMPERISHABLE  POTA- 
TO" FACTORY. 

We  heard  sometime  since  that  there  was  es- 
tablished in  this  vicinity,  at  Hinesbnrgh,  a  factory 
for  puttin{5  into  a  very  portable  and  almost  imper- 
ishable form  the  edible  substance  of  potatoes,  with- 
out injui-y  to  its  qualities  as  an  article  of  food. — 
From  the  importance  of  such  an  operation  to  the 
agricultural  operations  of  this  State,  the  report  ex 


potato,  if  he  were  in  a  condition  to  choose,  we 
have  often,  within  the  last  five  years,  had  to  be 
content  with  using  potatoes  not  a  whit  better  than 
we  are  speaking  of, — hardly  as  good  even. 

It  is  difficult  to  comprehend  at  once  the  great 
importance  of  such  preparation  of  the  potato.  To 
a  very  large  portion  of  tlie  human  laniily,  the  po- 
tato is  an  article  of  prime  necessity  for  daily  food. 
All  who  have  been  accustomed  to  use  it,  feel  the 
deprivation  sevei'cly  if  placed  beyond  its  reach  for 


cited  a  livolv  interest  in  our  nnnd,  and  we  set  our-       -  -j      1 1    ,•-       --v,-  i.  j.i     r  n  •  a 

1           -.1  "^  i.  1  1      *        ^^^t.,;.,  n,«  ^^..r..^^^„  „r  any  considerable  time.    \ct  the  bulkinessand  per- 
selves  without  dehiy  to  ascertain  the  character  oil.  i-', , j_ _p^,  _  ^  _,._„..  .^ ^ i  j^i.:.- 

the  process,  and  to  see  how  far  it  was  deserving  of 

special  attention. 

We  will  give  our  readers  an  account  of  the  op- 


eration, and  of  what  was  produced  by  it.    If  their 


ishable  nature  of  the  tuber  in  itsnatural  condition, 
make  its  transportation  for  great  distances  by 
either  land  or  sea  an  impossibility.  For  the  want 
of  it  the  health  of  crews  on  long  voyages,  and  of 


opinion  does  not  coincide"  with  our  own',  that  the  soldiers  or  other  persons  occupied  away  from  where 
t^- ■       -      -  ..    _  '  it  can  be  procured,  is  orten  greatly  injured.     In 


subject  is  of  great  consequence  to  this  State,  capa- 
ble as  it  is,  of  producing  for  use  and  manufacture, 
potatoes  of  best  quality  to  an  almost  unlimited 
amount,  we  shall  be  disappointed. 

Taking  the  hint  perhaps  from  the  preservation  of 
tea,  mosses,  &c.,  by  drying,  some  years  ago  exper- 
menters  found  out  that  our  common  vegetables, 
such  as  cabbages,  turnips,  carrots  and  potatoes, 
might  be  taken  fresh,  thoroughly  dried  so  prompt- 
ly as  to  allow  of  no  incipient  fermentation,  and 
pressed  and  packed  in  tight  vessels  so  as  to  exclude 
moistujie ;  and  in  that  state  kept  for  long  periods. 
For  use,  it  was  only  necessary  to  soak  them  prop- 
erly in  fresh  water,  when  they  would  recover  their 
full  bulk,  and  on  cooking,  be  found  to  differ  very 
slightly  indeed  from  others  which  were  fresh. 
Here  was  an  important  discovery.  Tha  expense 
was  small — the  reduction  of  bulk  enormous,  (a 
thing  of  great  consequence  for  shipping  and  trav- 
ellers) and  the  preservation  was  complete.  Gov- 
ernment commissioners  in  Europe  examined  the 
processes,  and  tested  and  approved  the  result;  and 
at  once  the  preparations  came  into  use  under  their 
sanction.  The  application  of  this  method  to  pota- 
toes at  the  Hinesburgh  factory  is  substantially  as 
follows.     Being  thoroughly  cleansed,  deprived  of 


some  districts  too,  where  it  is  relied  upon  as  the 
chief  article  of  food,  great  distress  is  caused  by  the 
failure  of  a  crop,  because  the  Vv'ant  cannot  be  sup- 
plied except  at  very  considerable  expense.  Let  the 
preparation  of  this  "imperishable  potato"  be  made 
common,  and  all  these  evils  are  substantially  done 
away  with.  Government  ships,  whaling  vessels, 
merchant  ships,  will  make  it  a  regular  part  of  their 
stores.  It  will  not  occupy  near  the  room  of  ship 
biscuit,  and  can  be  kept  in  store  with  less  risk  of 
spoiling.  We  are  informed  that  European  vessels 
already  make  it  regularly  a  part  of  their  stores, 
when  going  on  voyages  across  tropics, — and  that 
the  discovery  ships  under  charge  of  Dr.  Kane,  are 
supplied  with  it.  Travellers  across  the  continent, 
and  inhabitants  of  those  parts  of  our  OAvn  country 
where  the  vegetable  cannot  be  raised  successfully, 
must  eventually  find  the  prepared  article  a  most 
convenient  one  for  use. 

Few  persons  have  any  conception  of  the  amount 
of  nutritive  food  which  can  be  raised  in  the  form 
of  potatoes,  where  the  soil  and  climate  are  fiwor- 
able.  Though,  pound  for  pound,  less  nutritious 
than  wheat  or  rye,  as  a  whole,  no  other  crop  can 
equal   it.     Careful  experiments  have   shown  that 


skins  and  properly  prepared,  fresh  currents  of  air  [from  the  same  amount  of  suitable  ground  where 
are  moved  in  contact  with  the  potato  pulp  by  ma-jt^ere  could  be  raised,  on  the  average,  3400  lbs.  of 
chinery.  The  air  rapidly  takes  up  and  carries  off,  wheat,  or  2200  lbs.  peas,  there  could  be  raised 
the  moisture.  The  material  is  made  to  take  the ,38,000  lbs.  potatoes;  or,  reducing  them  all  to 
shape  of  tubes,  (maccaroni  fashion,)  and  when!  the  absolutely  dry  state,  for  3036  lbs.  of  wheat, 
perfectly  dry,  is  broken  in  a  proper  mill  into  the  2080  lbs.  of  peas,  there  Avould  be  9500  lbs.  of  po- 


form  of  what  is  called  "samp"  or  "hominy."  In 
deed  it  might  be  easily  mistaken  for  that  article 
made  from  our  common  yellow  Indian  corn.  By 
the  process,  it  has  lost  nothing  but  water.  But 
by  that  loss  it  is  made  to  occupy  but  one-sixth  of 
its  original  bulk,  and  what  before  weighed  four 
pounds,  now  weighs  but  one  pound.  In  that  con- 
dition it  can  be  packed  in  tight  cases  or  in  tin  can- 
isters, and  be  transported  just  as  easily  as  so  much 
dry  ice.  Years  of  trial  have  proved  the  unchang- 
ing character  of  the  preparation 


tato, — more  than  three  times  the  amount  of  food 
produced  in  the  shape  of  wheat,  and  more  thaYi 
four  times  that  in  the  form  of  peas.  We  quote 
this  statement  from  the  Chemical .  Technology  of 
Dr.  Knapp,  of  Giessen, — a  recent  work  ot  very 
great  authority.  The  practical  results  of  some  ex- 
perimentalists on  the  feeding  of  cattle  with  these 
different  articles,  place  the  relative  value  of  the  po- 
tato at  a  higher  mark  still. 

For  many  years  the  potato  crop  has  been  a  very 
important  one  in  Vermont,  not  barely  for  its  ex- 


No  w  then  for  the  use.  For  one  pound  of  it  take  tensive  use  at  home  for  food  for  man  and  beast, 
three  pounds  of  boiling  water,  or  (to  speak  cook-  but  because  it  has  been  largely  worked  up  in  the 
ery-book  fashion,)  put  atca  cup  full  of  it  into/our  starch  fiictories.  With  a  great  many  farmers  of 
tea  cups  full  of  boiling  hot  water.  In  ten  minutes  small  means  it  has  been  a  chief  reliance  where- 
the  water  is  entirely  absorbed,  and  the  result  is  a 'with  to  obtain  cash  in  hand  by  its  sale.  Since  the 
well  cooked  dish  of  mashed  potatoes,  ready  to  be 'railroads  were  built,  great  quantities  have  gone 
salted  and  buttered,  or  dealt  with,  as  a  like  dish  to  market  in  a  fresh  condition  at  highly  remunera- 
made  from  fresh  potatoes,  might  be.  The  taste  tive  rates  to  the  producer.  The  terrors  of  tlie  po- 
differs  slightly  from  that  of  fresh  potatoes^  pre-  tato  rot  have  in  a  great  measure  passed  by  ;  and 
pared  in  the  same  manner.  We  speak  advisedly,  the  production  can  be,  and  Avill  be  greatly  in- 
for  we  have  tried  it.  Though  we  think  any  one  creased,  if  the  article  we  are  considering  shall 
would  prefer  to  crush  for  himself  a  fresh  mealy ' come  into  a  wide  use,  as  we  think  it  must,   for 


482 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Oct. 


commercial  purposes.  We  learn  that  the  factory 
at  Hinesburgli  is  in  active  operation,  and  with 
abundant  orders  from  the  sea-board.  We  wish 
its  owners  success,  and  look  to  see,  ere  long, 
"Brinsden's  Imperishable  Potato"  spoken  of  as 
one  of  our  large  articles  of  export. — Burlington 
Free  Press. 


THE  HAPPY  FARMER. 

BY   MRS.    L.    H.    SIOOUR.NET. 

Saw  ye  the  farmer  al  his  plow 

As  you  were  riding  by  ? 
Or,  wearied  'ueath  his  noon-day  toil, 

When  summer  suns  were  high  .' 
And  thought  you  that  his  lot  was  hard  .' 

And  did  you  thank  your  God, 
That  you  and  yours  were  not  condemn'd 

Thus  like  a  slave  to  plod  .? 

Come,  see  him  at  his  harvest  home. 

When  garden,  field,  and  tree, 
Conspire,  with  flowing  stores  to  fill 

His  burn  and  granary. 
His  healthful  children  gaily  sport 

Amid  the  new-mown  hay, 
Or  proudly  aid  with  vigorous  arm, 

His  tasks,  as  best  they  may. 

The  dog  partakes  his  master's  joy. 

And  guards  the  loaded  wain. 
The  feathery  people  clap  their  wings, 

And  lead  their  youngling  train. 
Perchance  the  hoary  grandsire's  eye 

The  glowing  scene  surveys. 
And  breathes  a  blessing  on  his  race, 

Or  guides  their  evening  praise. 

The  Harvest  Giver  is  their  friend, 

The  maker  of  the  soil, 
And  earth,  the  Mother,  gives  them  bread 

And  cheers  their  patient  toil. 
Come,  join  them  round  their  wint'ry  hearth. 

Their  heartfelt  pleasures  see. 
And  you  can  better  judge  how  blest 

The  farmer's  life  may  be. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

VERMONT  STATE  FAIR. 

_  My  Dear  Brown  :— I  left  Lowell  at  half-past 
eight  this  morning,  in  the  V.  C.  train,  and  came 
on  through  Nashua,  Manchester  and  Concord  and 
followed  up  the  valley  of  the  Merrimae  and  alono- 
the  southern  and  western  base  of  the  Kearsasge* 
to  Enfield.  Then  leaving  the  Merrimae,  we  fol- 
lowed the  serpentine  Mascoma,  a  small  stream, 
but  so  crooked  that  we  cross  it  fourteen  times  in 
SIX  miles.  This  stream  rises  in  Enfield  pond.  At 
Danbury  we  stopped  about  eight  minutes  to 
lunch.  From  that  place  we  jogged  along,  taking 
up  and  setting  down  ten  cent  passengers,  after 
the  manner  of  an  old-fashioned  stage  coach.— 
This  train  above  Concord  is  truly  an  accommoda- 
tion train.  We  lost  half  an  hour  at  Concord,  and 
an  hour  and  a-half  from  there  to  Montpelier,  where 
we  arrived  a  quarter  past  G  o'clock.  Just  two 
hours  after  the  train  was  due.  After  leaving  the 
Mascoma,  we  soon  struck  the  White  river,  the 
valley  of  which  we  followed  to  the  Connecticut, 
which  we  crossed  at  West  Lebanon  into  Hartford. 
On  crossing  the  Connecticut,  the  soil  at  once  as- 
sumes a  new  character.  We  are  no  longer  in  the 
Granite  State.  Rocky  Mountains  and  ledges  of 
granite  are  no  longer  seen.  Abrupt  hills,  capable 
of  tillage  to  their  very  summits,  and  beautiful  val- 


leys teeming  with  verdure  take  their  places.  Slate 
stone  and  banks  of  clay  show  themselves  upon 
the  borders  of  the  stream.  I  noticed,  as  I  passed 
along  through  the  upper  part  of  New  Hampshire 
and  in  Vermont,  that  the  farmers  are  cutting  up 
the  corn  at  the  ground  and  shocking  it  in  the  field, 
where  it  is  left  to  ripen.  They  do  not  cut  the 
stalks  as  we  do  in  Mass. 

The  corn  is  just  beginning  to  turn.  It  is  not 
as  forward  by  some  two  weeks  as  that  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  Boston.  There  is  said  to  be  a  good  crop 
on  the  ground.  On  reaching  Montpelier,  I  found 
the  hotels  and  boarding  houses  crowded  to  over- 
flowing. _  But  I  reported  myself  at  head  quarters, 
and  received  every  attention  that  I  could  desire. 
I  find  the  citizens  very  polite  and  attentive.  The 
show  ground  is  at  the  east  end  of  the  street,  up- 
on a  beautiful  elevation.  The  most  perfect  ar- 
rangements have  been  made  at  an  expense  of  some 
thousands  of  dollars.  A  range  of  open  sheds  has 
been  erected  for  the  exhibition  of  vegetables,  agri- 
cultural implements,  the  products  of  art,  butter, 
cheese,  wool,  &c.  A  beautiful  arena  has  been  en- 
closed, and  a  splendid  trotting  course  prepared,  and 
an  extensive  scaffolding  erected  for  the  accommo- 
dation of  spectators,  not  indeed  equal  to  the  am- 
phitheatre of  Trajan,  but  the  largest  and  most 
convenient  structure  of  the  kind  whichjjas  ever 
been  got  up  in  New  England,  for  a  similar  occa- 
sion. It  is  designed  to  seat  3000.  A  lofty  flag- 
staff stands  in  the  centre  of  the  arena,  from  which 
floats  the  star  spangled  banner.  An  abundant 
supply  of  water  is  provided  on  the  arena,  with  a 
beautiful  fountain.  Flags  ornament  the  several 
sheds  and  indicate  that  this  is  the  great  gala  day 
among  the  Green  Mountain  boys. 

Wednesday  14th. — The  people  began  to  assem- 
ble on  the  ground  soon  after  8  o'clock.  At  9  the 
officers  and  committees  appeared,  and  the  services 
of  the  day  commenced.  I  first  visited  the  floral 
hall  where  the  flowers  and  fruits  and  fancy  arti- 
cles were  exhibited.  A  fine  car  of  milHnery  and 
a  beautiful  case  of  silver  ware  attracted  notice. — 
Some  fine  harnesses  drew  the  young  horesmen 
around  them.  The  exhibition  of  fruits  was  much 
below  my  expectation.  It  by  no  means  did  jus- 
tice to  the  State  ;  indeed,  there  seemed  to  be  but 
very  little  interest  taken  in  the  subject.  I  under- 
stand there  are  a  good  many  apples  in  the  north- 
ern part  of  the  State  this  year. 

The  show  of  Devon  stock  was  very  good.  Some 
very  fine  animals  of  this  breed  were  on  the  ground.  • 
This  seems  to  be  the  favorite  stock  just  at  this 
time  ;  they  are  considered  quite  equal  as  dairy 
stock  to  the  Durhams,  and  are  said  to  take  fat 
more  readily.  Then  there^were  two  or  three  fine 
Durhams  and  a  few  Ilerefords.  There  were  many 
fine  specimens  of  French  Merinos  on  the  ground, 
and  a  few  Spanish.  I  saw  no  other  breeds  wor- 
thy of  notice  ;  the  great  feature  of  the  day  was 
the  exhibition  of  horses.  There  were  several  fam- 
ilies of  them,  arranged  in  separate  classes,  with  a 
committee  to  each  class.  T  here  were  .35  Sher- 
man Morgans,  4  Bulrush  Morgans,  5  Messengers, 
17  pairs  of  matched  horses,  20  Geldings  and  Mares, 
and  11  foreign  horses,  making  128  horses,  besides 
breeding  mares  and  colts. 

There  were  many  splendid  animals  ;  at  the  na- 
tional exhibition  which  is  to  come  off  at  Spring- 
field, they  must  look  out  for  their  laurels.  The 
Vermonters  mean  to  take  a  full  share  of  the 
prizes. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  JtARMER. 


483 


The  show  of  agricultural  implements  was  not 
large.  There  were  Robinson's  Montpelier  plows, 
and  Taylor's  Bristol  plows.  But  the  plows  were 
those  of  Ruggles,  Nourse  and  Mason.  There  were 
20  of  these  plows  on  the  ground.  There  were  two 
of  the  best  horse  powers  which  I  have  seen,  and 
decidedly  the  best  hay  and  corn  cutter  which  Yan- 
kee ingenuity  has  invented.  This  is  the  invention 
of  Daniels,  and  manufiictured  at  Woodstock.  The 
price  is  very  high,  f  18.  I  am  certain  it  may  be 
sold  profitably  for  $12.  When  it  is  sold  for  $10 
or  $12,  it  must  take  the  place  of  all  others  as  a 
corn  cutter.  It  cuts  corn  butts  from  half  an  inch 
to  2  inches  in  length.  Corn,  cut  more  than  from 
one  to  two  inches  in  length,  may  as  well  not  be 
cut  at  all.  The  use  of  corn  for  fodder  is  increasing, 
and  if  the  proprietors  will  not  bo  too  grasping, 
they  will  sell  an  immense  number,  and  make  more 
money  in  the  end. 

The  oration  was  set  down  in  the  bill  for  2  o'clock, 
but  they  acted  on  the  principle  that  it  is  two  till 
it  is  three.  At  three  the  orator  tookthestand,  and 
a  large  assembly  collected  upon  seats  arranged  up- 
on a  natural  amphitheatre.  But  the  clouds 
threatened  rain,  and  in  the  course  of  15  minutes 
the  rain  began  to  fall,  and  the  audience  began  to 
scatter,  and  in  about  30  minutes,  Dr.  Wheeler 
closed  iiis  beautiful  and  well  written  address. 

T  will  give  you  in  few  words  some  of  its  leading 
thoughts.  He  began  by  paying  a  beautiful  tribute 
to  the  late  Governor  Paine,  who  recently  died  in 
Texas  on  his  way  home  to  his  native  State.  He 
then  imagined  an  assembly  in  ancient  days,  in 
Egypt,  Greece  or  Rome,  and  inquired  what  ap- 
pearance it  would  have  presented,  and  what  would 
have  been  the  condition  ofits  masses,  and  compared 
that  condition  with  that  of  the  assembly  before  him 
He  then  proposed  his  subject — the  relation  of  ag- 
riculture to  the  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  State 
The  spirit  of  traffic  is  cosmopolite,  but  the  tiller  of 
the  soil  becomes  attached  to  his  home.  He  does 
not  buy  his  farm  as  so  much  stock  in  trade,  but  to 
build  a  home  for  himself  and  family;  and  here  he 
builds  a  school-house  in  which  to  educate  his  chil- 
dren, and  a  church  in  which  to  worship  God.  The 
outward  condition  of  the  humanity  of  the  common- 
wealth depends  upon  the  soil,  and  its  ultimate 
strength  and  security  are  derived  from  it — agricul- 
ture is  the  power  at  home,  which  controls  and 
modifies  our  internal  institutions.  The  home  life 
of  the  farmer  is  the  ground-work  of  our  character 
— civil  and  domestic.  The  soil  is  held  directly  or 
indirectly  from  the  State.  Its  possessors  do  not 
hold  it  for  themseves  alone;  personal  property  may 
vanish,  but  real  estate  remains  for  the  life  and  se- 
curity of  the  State.  The  landed  tenures  of  Eng- 
land constitute  the  strength  of  the  State.  The 
landed  tenures  of  our  State  are  the  pillar  of  its 
strength  ;  as  agriculture  flourishes,  so  will  the 
State.  We  must  be  influenced  by  patriotism  as 
well  as  by  other  motives,  to  promote  the  advance- 
ment of  agriculture.  The  most  intelligent  and 
cultivated  men  in  Eur(jpe  and  in  this  country,  have 
ever  been  interested  in  agriculture,  and  lent  their 
influence  to  its  promotion.  These  are  a  few  of  the 
leading  thoughts  in  this  elegant  discourse^  Pres- 
ident Wheeler  was  fallowed  by  Governor  Wright, 
of  Indiana,  who  spoke  for  a  few  moments  in  the 
style  of  true  western  eloquence.  The  trotting 
match,  which  was  to  have  come  off  at  4  o'clock, 
was  prevented  by  the  rain.  Attorney  Gen.  Drum- 


mond  and  several  gentlemen  from  Canada  were 
present,  as  well  as  several  from  New,  York  and 
other  States.  Mr.  Tucker,  of  tlie  Albany  Cultiva- 
tor,  and  our  \eneTah]e  friend.  Major  B.  Wheelet, 
were  of  the  number.  It  was  estimated  that  there 
were  15000  people  on  the  ground. 

The  rain  is  now  falling  copiously,  and  promises 
to  spoil  the  plowing  tomorrow.  A  few  teams 
plowed  this  P.  M.  I  left  one  of  the  Judges  of 
this,  Washington  county,  holding  one  of  Ruggle's 
plows,  and  turning  a  furrow  full  12  inches  deep, 
from  which  I  judge  thatyou  will  judge  that  he  is  a 
Judge  who  will  judge  righteous  judgment. 
Yours  truly, 

Montpelier,  Sept.  13,  1853.  j.  R. 


POISONED  VALLEY. 

A  singular  discovery  has  lately  been  made  near 
Batten,  in  Java,  of  a  poisoned  valley.  Mr.  Alex- 
ander Loudon  visited  it  last  July,  and  we  extract 
a  paragraph  from  a  communication  on  the  sub- 
ject, addressed  by  him  to  the  Royal  Geographical 
Society  : — 

"It  is  known  by  the  name  of  Guevo  Upas,  or 
Poisoned  Valley ;  and  following  a  path  which  had 
been  made  for  the  purpose,  the  party  shortly 
reached  it  with  a  couple  of  dogs  and  fowls,  for 
the  purpose  of  making  experiments.  On  arriving 
at  the  mountain,  the  party  dismounted  and  scram- 
bled up  the  side  of  a  hill,  at  a  distance  of  a  mile, 
with  the  assistance  of  the  branches  of  trees  and 
projecting  roots.  When  at  a  few  yards  from  the 
valley,  a  strong,  nauseous,  suffocating  smell  was 
experienced  ;  but  on  approaching  the  margin,  the 
inconvenience  was  no  longer  found.  The  valley 
is  about  half  a  mile  in  circumference,  of  an  oval 
shape,  and  about  thirty  feet  in  depth.  The  bot- 
tom of  it  appeared  to  be  flat,  without  any  vegeta- 
tion, and  a  few  large  stones  scattered  here  and 
there.  Skeletons  of  human  beings,  tigers,  bears, 
deer,  and  all  sorts  of  birds  and  wild  animals,  lay 
about  in  profusion.  The  ground  on  which  they 
lay  at  the  bottom  of  the  valley  appeared  to  be  a 
hard  sandy  substance,  and  no  vapor  was  perceived. 
The  sides  were  covered  with  vegetation.  It  was 
proposed  to  enter  it ;  and  each  of  the  party  hav- 
ing lit  a  cigar,  managed  to  get  within  twenty  feet 
of  the  bottom,  where  a  sickening,  nauseous  smell 
was  experienced,  without  any  difficulty  of  breath- 
ing. A  dog  was  now  fastened  to  the  end  of  a 
bamboo  and  thrust  to  the  bottom  of  the  valley  ; 
while  some  of  the  party  with  their  watches  in 
their  hands,  observed  the  effect.  At  the  expira- 
tion of  fourteen  seconds  he  fell  off  his  legs,  with- 
out moving  or  looking  around,  and  continued  alive 
only  eighteen  minutes.  The  other  dog  now  left 
the  party  and  went  to  his  companion.  On  reach- 
ing him,  he  was  observed  to  stand  quite  motion- 
less ;  and  at  the  end  of  ten  seconds  fell  down  ;  he 
moved  his  limbs  after,  and  lived  only  seven  min- 
utes. A  fowl  was  now  thrown  in,  which  died  in 
a  minute  and  a  quarter  ;  and  another,  which  was 
thrown  in  after  it,  died  in  the  space  of  a  minute 
and  a  half.  A  heavy  shower  of  rain  fellduring 
the  time  that  these  experiments  were  going  for- 
ward, which,  from  the  interesting  nature  of  the 
experiments,  was  quite  disregarded.  On  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  valley  to  that  which  was  visited, 
lay  a  human  skeleton,  tlie  head  resting  on  the 
right  arm.     The  effect  of  the  weather  had  bleached 


484 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Oct. 


the  bones  a,s  white  as  ivory.  This  was  probably 
the  remains  of  some  wretched  rebel  hunted  to- 
wards tlie  valley  who  had  taken  shelter  there,  un- 
conscious of  its  character." 


CATTLE  GNAWING   BONES. 

Mr.  Editor: — I  wish  to  inquire  if  you,  or  any 
of  your  numerous  subscribers,  can  tell  me  why  it 
is  that  my  cows  and  other  cattle  have  a  liking  to 
chew  old  bones  that  they  find  in  the  fields,  that 
they  will  stand  for  hours  and  chew  them;  they  will 
even  leave  their  salt  many  times  for  this  purpose. 
Please  answer  through  the  Cultivator. 

May  Flower,  April,  1853.  Vixen. 


"We  can  give  no  other  reason  than  the  appetite 
they  acquire  for  some  peculiar  flavor  possessed  by 
the  bones,  or  by  the  small  remaining  portions  o^f 
muscle  and  gelatine  which  remains  upon  them. 
Animals  sometimes  show  nearly  as  strong  an  ap- 
petite for  certain  substances,  as  some  men  do  for 
tobacco.  It  has  been  said  that  the  practice  of 
chewing  bones,  arises  from  a  natural  instinct  for 
phosphate  of  lime  in  such  animals  as  do  not  get  a 
sufficiency  of  this  ingredient  in  their  food,  espec- 
ially in  those  which  are  confined  to  old  pastures 
which  have  exhausted  the  soil  of  its  phosphate. 
This  strikes  us  as  exceedingly  improbable;  for,  to 
say  nothing  about  the  extraordinary  analytical 
discrimination  which  this  would  evince,  throwing 
in  the  back-ground  the  most  delicate  tests  of  the 
longest-headed  professors,  it  so  happens  that  the 
animal's  teeth  usually  make  no  impression  what- 
ever upon  the  hard  bone,  and  only  get  small  por- 
tions of  the  more  soluble  gelatine,  &c.  To  test 
this  matter,  observe  whether  cows  will  continue 
their  liking  for  bones,  after  small  portions  of  bone- 
dust  or  dissolved  bones  have  been  mixed  regularly 
with  their  food.  We  have  known  some  animals, 
and  colts  more  especially,  to  have  an  extraordinary 
propensity  to  chew  leather,  yet  we  neven  could 
discover  that  such  animals  possessed  an  idiosyn- 
cracy,  but  merely  a  depraved  appetite.  Some  hor- 
ses have  a  strange  propensity  to  gnaw  wood  when- 
ever they  can  lay  their  teeth  upon  it,  without  any 
particular  object  or  reason. — Country  Gentleman. 


SUNDRY    OBSERVATIONS. 

Hens. — Why  do  hens  scratch  about  the  roots  of 
trees  and  shrubs  1  Every  gardener  is  exasperated 
by  the  obstinate  pertinacity  with  which  fowls  un- 
cover the  roots  of  his  roses,  raspberries,  cherry 
trees,  and  if  there  is  any  thing  else  which  he  espe- 
cially wishes  to  protect  and  secure.  The  truth  is 
that  hens  know  where  to  look  for  their  food  ;  and 
at  the  roots  of  shrubs,  are  the  precise  places  where 
worms  are  to  bo  found ;  either  because  they  feed 
on  the  sap  of  the  plant,  or  wish  to  be  ready  to 
climb  it  in  due  season,  or  because  a  better  protec- 
tion than  elsewhere  is  there  afforded  them. 

"Shanghai  hens  will  not  scratch."  Yes,  but 
they  will  scratch,  if  not  as  "bad  as  others  as  bad  as 
they  know  how. 

Hens  are  great  lovers  of  lettuce.  They  do  not 
ask  for  vinegar,  or  sugar,  or  oil  to  eat  with  it,  but 
will  mount  into  the  hot  bed  and  take  it  by  word  of 
mouth  just  as  they  find  it,  more  to  their  own  sat- 
isfaction than  that  of  the  gardener  whose  choice 
salad  heads  they  spoil.     Lettuce  might  profitably 


be  sown  for  fowls  when  confined,  and  would  con- 
duce not  simply  to  their  "amusement,"  but  to 
their  comfort  and  health.  Fowls  need  the  food 
proper  to  the  season.  In  summer  they  want  grass 
and  green  succulent  food,  with  but  little  grain  ; 
in  winter  they  want  grain,  straw  or  hay,  and 
meats. — Prairie  Farmer. 


THE    SEASON  AND.  CROPS. 

The  pinching  drought  of  June  and  July  has  been 
succeeded  by  timely  and  copious  rains,  so  that 
vegetation  took  a  new  start  and  has  gone  on  vig- 
orously up  to  this  time,  Sept.  19th.  The  after- 
math, or  second  crop  of  grass,  is  greater  than  we 
have  ever  known  it  before  ;  on  many  fields  larger 
than  was  the  first  crop.  Many  barns  have  thus 
been  filled  beyond  the  expectation  of  their  owners 
in  the  early  season. 

The  feach  crop  is  full  to  repletion — thousands 
of  trees  are  broken  down,  and  many  persons  will 
suppose,  are  ruined  ;  but  if  the  mutilated  limbs 
are  cut  off  smoothly  in  October,  we  are  confident 
that  it  will  be  just  such  a  process  as  a  great  many 
of  the  long,  bare  limbs,  with  a  handful  of  leaves 
on  their  extreme  ends,  required.  They  have  re- 
sembled the  denuded  legs  of  a  poor  Shanghae 
chicken,  more  than  peach-bearing  branches. 

The. corn  crop  has  not  yet  been  touched  by  frost, 
and  is  filling  up  for  a  heavy  gathering.  A  large 
proportion  of  the  stalks  are  cut,  which  gives  op- 
portunity to  see  that  the  crop  will  be  more  than 
an  average  one. 

Potatoes,  particularly  chenangoes,  have  rotted 
badly.  The  Davis,  black  chanangoes,  long  red, 
Danvers  seedling,  and  some  others,  have  not  suf- 
fered so  much.  Still,  one-half,  perhaps,  of  the 
whole  crop,  will  be  cut  off. 

Oats,  barky,  rye  and  lointer  wheat,  where 
threshed,  turn  out  a  full  average  crop.  Fall  feed 
is  abundant  and  sweet;  no  frosts  have  yet  touched 

it. 

On  the  whole,  no  labor  has  been  better  reward- 
ed than  that  of  the  Farmer,  and  his  annual  tribute 
of  thanksgiving  should  be  hearty  and  free. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
SWALLOWS. 
Dear  Sir  : — The   Chimney  Swallows  were  seen 
here,  for  the  last  time  this  year,    upon   the  29th 
of  August;  the  Barn  Swallows   on  Sept.  3d,  and 
the  Martins,  Sept.  1st. 

Dr.  Hubbard,  the  owner  of  one  of  our  best 
farms  here,  lately  made  a  curious  calculation  as 
to  the  number  of  grasshoppers  upon  his  land.  By 
pretty  accurate  measurement  it  was  ascertained 
that  there  were  twelve  bushels  to  the  acre. 
Isn't  this  a  model  letter  to  an  editor  ? 

Yours  truly,  Ann  E   Porter. 

Springfield,  Vt.,  Sept.  14,  1853. 

Remarks. — The  above  is,  truly,  a  model  letter — 
'nullum  in  parvo.  It  contains  just  such  focts  as 
we  are  happy  to   place  on  record.     It  will  lead 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


485 


others  into  similar  observations.     We  really  hope 
Dr.  HuBCi^RD  has  a  thousand  turkies  ! 


Coal  against  Sinews. — Professor  Henry,  Pres- 
ident of  the  Mechanics'  Institute  of  Washington, 
says:  "It  has  been  proved  that,  on  an  average, 
four  ounces  of  coal  are  sufficient  to  draw,  on  a 
railroad,  one  ton  a  mile.  It  has  also  been  found 
on  experiment  that  a  man  working  on  a  tread-mill 
continually  for  eight  hours,  will  elevate  one  and 
one-half  millions  of  pounds  one  foot  high. 

Now  good  Cornish  engines  will  perform  the 
same  work  by  the  expenditure  of  a  pound  and  a 
half  of  coal.  It  follows  from  these  data  that 
about  5  tons  of  coal  would  evolve  as  much  power 
during  its  combustion  as  would  be  equal  to  the 
continued  labor  of  an  able-bodied  man  for  20  years, 
at  the  rate  of  eight  hours  per  day  ;  or,  in  other 
words,  to  the  average  power  of  a  man  during  the 
active  period  of  his  life." 


Going  Up. — Wood  is  now  selling  in  this  city  for 
eight  dollars  a  cord,  with  the  prospect  of  a  decided 
upward  tendency.  Coal  is  also  advancing.  Flour 
sells  for  seven  dollars,  and  seven  dollars  and  twen- 
ty-five cents.  All  kinds  of  provisions  are  sold  at 
enormous  prices.  Every  article  of  groceries,  too, 
has  risen  within  the  last  month,  and  dealers  assure 
purchasers  that  it  will  be  for  their  interest  to  make 
immediate  purchases,  as  provisions  are  still  "go- 
ing up. ' ' —  Ckronicle. 

Exhibition  of  Horses. — There  tvill  be  an  exhi- 
bition of  imported  blood  and  American  breeds  of 
Horses  at  Springfield  on  the  10th,  20th,  21st  and 
22d  days  of  October.  The  Exhibition  is  not  local 
or  sectional  in  its  objects,  but  all  citizens  of  the 
Union  are  invited  to  send  their  contributions  and 
to  join  in  the  competition  for  the  premiums.  We 
are  glad  to  notice  this  new  interest  in  regard  to 
the  Horse.  We  will  publish  the  rules  and  regu- 
lations and  list  of  the  premiums  next  week. 


China — Interesting  Extracts. — We  take  the 
following  extracts  from  an  authentic  work,  pub- 
lished by  Mr.  Williams,  who,  from  a  long  residence 
in  China,  has  been  enabled  to  write  knowingly 
upon  the  various  subjects  embraced  in  his  work  : 

Animals  of  China. — The  denseness  of  the  pop 
ulation  has  long  since  entirely  driven  out  all  wild 
quadrupeds  ;  and  there  are  also  few  domestic  ones, 
such  as  are  found  in  Eastern  countries.  Beasts 
of  burden  are  in  a  grout  degree  superseded  by  the 
means  of  transport  afforded  liy  the  numerous  rivei's 
and  canals,  and  by  the  coulies  or  porters,  a  class 
of  athletic  men,  who  take  the  place  of  animals  in 
carrying  burdens  and  in  dragging  boats.  Animals 
are  excluded,  to  leave  more  food  for  men.  There 
are  no  meadows  for  feeding  cattle  ;  but  the  entire 
soil  is  used  in  raising  food  for  the  inhabitants 
Wild  cats  are  sometimes  caught,  and  are  con 
sidered  a  great  dainty.     Monkeys  are  found  in  the 


south-west  provinces.  What  few  horses  and  assea 
are  found  in  China  are  small,  and  very  inferior  in 
every  respect.  The  buffalo  is  sometimes  used  in 
plowing.  Dromedaries  are  used  between  Peking 
and  Tartary.  There  are  also  hogs,  goats,  and 
sheep.  There  is  but  one  variety  of  dogs  in  the' 
country,  an  animal  about  one  foot  high  and  two 
long,  resembling  a  small  spaniel.  Rats  are  very 
abundant,  and  furnish  the  common  people  with 
meat.  They  are  very  large  and  destructive  to  crops. 

Of  the  birds  in  China,  there  are  the  eagle,  the 
falcon,  the  magpie,  crows,  sparrows,  cormorants, 
curlews,  quails,  pigeons, larks,  pheasants,  the  rice 
birds,  and  many  species  of  aquatic  birds.  Cor- 
morants are  used  by  the  Chinese  for  catching  fish. 
The  falcon  is  imperial  property,  and  the  magpie  is 
sacred  to  the  reigning  family. 

Fish  form  a  very  important  part  of  the  food  of 
the  Chinese,  and  great  care  is  taken  in  raising 
them  in  artificial  fish  ponds.  The  gold  and  silver 
fishes  are  kept  in  glass  globes  as  ornaments. 
Among  the  fish  eaten,  are  the  cod,  sturgeon,  mul- 
let, carp,  perch,  sea-bream,  &c  ;  crab-fish  and 
oysters  are  common  on  the  coast. 

The  larger  species  of  reptiles  are  unknown  in 
China.  Frogs,  lizards,  and  fresh  water  tortoises 
are  common.     Venomous  serpents  are  very  rare. 


23ott'3  Department. 


KINDNESS   TO  ANIMALS. 

Once,  when  his  father  and  the  workmen  had 
been  cutting  down  a  quantity  of  timber,  Isaac  dis- 
covered a  squirrel's  nest  in  a  hole  of  one  of  the 
trees  that  had  fallen.  It  contained  four  new-born 
little  ones,  their  eyes  not  yet  opened.  He  was 
greatly  tempted  to  carry  them  home,  but  they 
were  so  young  that  they  needed  their  mother's 
milk.  So  after  examining  them  he  put  them  back 
in  the  nest,  and  with  his  usual  busy  helpfulness 
went  to  assist  in  stripping  bark  from  the  trees. 
When  he  went  home  from  his  work  toward  evening, 
he  felt  curious  to  know  how  the  mother  squirrel 
would  behave  when  she  returned  and  found  her 
home  was  gone.  He  accordingly  hid  himself  in  a 
bush  to  watch  her  proceedings.  About  dusk,  she 
came  running  along  the  stone  wall  with  a  nut  in 
her  mouth,  and  went  with  all  speed  to  the  old 
familiar  tree.  Finding  nothing  but  a  stump  re- 
maining there,  she  dropped  the  nui  and  looked 
around  in  evident  dismay.  She  went  smelling  all 
about  the  ground,  then  mounted  the  stump  to  take 
a  survey  of  the  country.  She  raised  herself  on 
her  hind  legs,  and  snuffed  the  air  with  an  appear- 
ance of  great  perplexity  and  distress.  She  ran 
round  the  stump  several  times,  occasionally  raising 
herself  on  her  hind  legs  and  peering  about  in  every 
direction,  to  discover  what  had  become  of  her 
young  family.  At  last  she  jumped  upon  the  pros- 
trate trunk  of  the  tree,  and  ran  along  till  she 
came  to  the  hole  where  the  babies  were  concealed. 
What  the  manner  of  their  meeting  was  nobody 
can  tell  ;  but  doubtless  the  mother's  lieart  beat 
violently  when  she  discovered  her  lost  treasures 
all  safe  on  the  warm  little  bed  of  moss  she  had  so 
carefully  prepared  for  them.  After  staying  a  few 
minutes  to  give  them  their  supper,  she  came  out, 
and  scampered  off  through  the  bushes.  In  about 
fifteen  minutes  she  returned  and  took  one  of  the 


486 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Oct. 


young  ones  in  her  mouth,  and  carried  it  quickly  to 
a  hole  in  another  tree,  three  or  four  hundred  yards 
off,  and  then  came  back  and  took  the  others,  one 
by  one,  till  she  had  conveyed  them  all_  to  their 
new  home.  The  intelligent  instinct  manifested  by 
this  little  quadruped  excited  great  interest  in 
Isaac's  observing  mind.  When  he  drove  the 
cows  to  pasture,  he  always  went  by  that  tree  to 
see  how  the  young  family  were  getting  along.  In 
a  short  time  they  were  running  all  over  the  tree 
with  their  careful  mother,  eating  acorns  under  the 
■shady  boughs,  entirely  unconscious  of  the  perils 
through  which  they  had  passed  in  infancy. 

Some  time  after,  Isaac  traded  with  another  boy 
for  a  squirrel  taken  from  the  nest  before  its  eyes 
were  open.  He  made  a  bed  ofmossforit,  and 
fed  it  -very  tenderly.  At  first,  he  was  afraid  it 
would  not  live  ;  but  it  seemed  healthy,  though  it 
never  grew  so  large  as  other  squirrels.  He  did 
not  put  it  in  a  cage  ;  for  he  said  to  himself  that  a 
creature  made  to  frisk  about  in  the  green  woods 
could  not  be  happy  shut  up  in  a  box.  This  pretty 
little  animal  became  so  much  attached  to  her  kind- 
hearted  protector,  that  she  would  run  about  after 
him,  and  come  like  a  kitten  whenever  he  called 
her.  While  "he  was  gone  to  school  she  frequently 
ran  off  to  the  woods  and  played  with  wild  squirrels 
on  a  tree  that  grew  near  his  path  homeward. 
Sometimes  she  took  a  nap  in  a  large  knot-hole,  or, 
if  the  weather  was  very  warm,  made  a  cool  bed 
of  leaves  across  the  crotch  of  the  boughs,  and 
slept  there.  When  Isaac  passed  under  the  tree, 
on  his  way  from  school,  he  used  to  call  "Bun  ! 
Bun  I  Bun!"  If  she  was  there  she  would  come 
to  him  immediately,  run  up  on  his  shoulder,  and 
so  ride  home  to  get  her  supper. 

It  seemed  as  if  the  animals  were  in  some  way 
aware  of  his  kindly  feelings,  and  disposed  to  re- 
turn his  confidence  ;  for  on  several  occasions  they 
formed  singular  intimacies  with  him.  When  he 
was  six  or  seven  years  old,  he  spied  a  crow's  nest 
in  a  high  tree,  and,  according  to  his  usual  cus- 
tom, he  climbed  up  to  make  discoveries.  He 
found  that  it  contained  two  eggs,  and  he  watched 
the  crow's  movements  until  her  young  ones  were 
hatched  and  ready  to  fly.  Then  he  took  them 
home.  One  was  accidentally  killed  a  few  days 
after,  but  he  reared  the  other,  and  named  it 
Cupid.  The  bird  became  so  very  tame,  that  it 
would  feed  from  his  hand,  perch  on  his  shoulder, 
or  his  hat,  and  go  everywhere  with  him.  It  fre- 
quently followed  him  for  miles,  when  he  went  to 
mill  or  market.  He  was  never  put  into  a  cage, 
but  flew  in  and  out  of  the  house,  just  as  he 
pleased.  If  Isaac  called  "Cu!  Cu!'[  he  would 
hear  him,  even  if  he  were  up  in  the  highest  tree 
would  croak  a  friendly  answer,  and  come  down 
directly.  If  Isaac  winked  one  eye,  the  crow 
would  do  the  same.  If  he  winked  his  other  eye 
the  crow  also  winked  with  his  other  eye.  Once 
when  Cupid  was  on  his  shoulder,  he  pointed  to 
a  snake  lying  in  the  road,  and  said  "Cu  !  Cu  !" — 
The  sagacious  bird  pounced  upon  the  head  of  the 
snake  and  killed  him  instantly  ;  then  flew  back  to 
his  friend's  shoulder,  cawing  with  all  his  might, 
as  if  delighted  with  his  exploit.  If  a  stranger 
tried  to  take  hiui,  he  would  fly  away,  screaming 
with  terror.  Sometimes  Isaac  covered  him  with 
a  handkerchief,  and  placed  him  on  a  stranger's 
shoulder  ;  but  as  soon  as  he  discovered  where  he 
was,  he  seemed  frightened  almost  to  death.     He 


usually  chose  to  sleep  on  the  roof  of  a  shed,  di- 
rectly under  Isaac's  bed  room  window.  One 
night  he  heard  him  cawing  very  loud,  and  the 
next  morning  he  said  to  his  father,  "I  heard  Cu- 
pid talking  in  his  sleep  last  night.  His  father  in- 
(juired  whether  he  had  seen  him  since  ;  and  when 
Isaac  answered,  "No,"  he  said,  "Then  I  am 
afraid  the  owls  have  taken  him."  The  poor  bird 
did  not  make  his  appearance  again  ;  and  a  few 
days  after,  his  bones  and  feathers  were  found 
on  a  stump  not  far  from  the  house.  This  was 
a  great  sorrow  for  Isaac.  It  tried  his  young 
heart  almost  like  the  loss  of  a  brother. — Life  of 
Isaac  T.  Hopper,  by  Mrs.  L.  Maria  Child. 


!2li)t)crtisin3  ^Department. 


O"  A.  limited  number  of  advertisements  of  an  appropriate 
ciiaracter  will  be  inserted  in  the  monthly  Farmer  at  the  fol 
lowing 

RATES. 

For  one  square  of  15  lines,  one  insertion $1,00 

For  each  subsequent  insertion 50 

O"  The''above  rates  will  be  charged  for  all  advertisements 
whether  longer  or  shorter. 


flaying  Tools. 


1000  dozen  superior  Grass  Scythes. 

PHILLIPS,  Messer  &  Colby's— Barling's— Farwell's— Mans- 
field <fc  Lamb's— Keyes  &  Dunn's. 
Also  .Lawn,  Grain  and  Bush  Scythes,  of  the  best  quality. 

1000  dozen  Scythe  Sneaths. 

Patent  Grass,  Lawn  and  Bush  Sueaths,  from  the  best  man- 
ufacturers in  the  country. 

2500  dozen  Hay  Rakes. 

Hall's,  Simonds's,  Carpenter's,  Page  &  Wakefield's,  Robin- 
son's, Duggan's  and  English  best  Hand  Rakes. 

500  Drag  Rakes. 

This  Rake  is  a  hybrid  between  the  Hand  and  Horse  Rake 
every  good  farmer  should  have  one  or  more. 

3000  dozen  Scythe  Rifles. 

Clark's  celebrated  Whetstone  Grit  and  Emery  Rifles.  Also, 
Austin's,  Anson's,  Willard's,  and  others. 

200  gross  Scythe  Stones. 

Quinebaug,  Chocolate,  Norway  Rag  and  Indian  Pond;  also, 
Woodward  and  Talacre  (English)  Scythe  Stones. 

20  tons  Grindstones. 

A  well  selected  assortment  of  the  celebrated  Blue  Sheet, 
warranted.  Also,  Grindstones  of  all  sizes,  mounted  on  frames 
and  rollers  complete. 

Grindstone  Fixtures,  viz :  Flanges,  Arbors,  Cranks  and 
Rollers. 

800  Horse  Hay  Rakes. 

Delano's  Patent  Revolving  and  Spring  Tooth  Hay  Rakes; 
all  of  which  will  be  sold  at  wholesale  or  retail,  at  very  low 
prices,  by  RUGGLES,  NOURSE  ,MAS0N  &.  CO., 

Over  the  Market,  Boston. 

June  25,  1853. 


Suffolk  Pigs. 


Suffolk  Pigs  and  Breeding  Sows  for  sale, 
by  GEORGE  W.  WILSON,  Malden,'in 
Mass. 

Also,  to  be  seen  the  most  perfect  Boar 
in  the  country. 

July  16, 1853.  6mf 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


48 


The  Farmers'  Library. 

TUST  RECEIVED,  the  lollowiiig  aasortraent  of  Agricultural 
J  and  Horticultural  Books,  embracing  the  standard  works  of 
eminent  American  and  European  writers,  on  the  Farm,  th« 
Orchard,  the  Garden,  &c.  &.C. 

PRICE. 

American  Farm  Book,  by  Allen,  $1,00 
Farmer's  Treasure,  by  Faulkner  and  Smith,  75 
Dana's  Muck  Manual,  1)00 
Prize  Essay  on  Manures,  by  Dana,  25 
American  Muck  Book,  by  Browne,  .25 
Lectures  on  Practical  Agriculture,  by  Johnstone,  75 
Elements  of  Scientilic  Agriculture,  by  Norton,  50 
Principles  of  Agriculture,  by  Thaer,  2,50 
Practical  Agriculture,  by  Johnstone,  75 
Agriculture  for  Schools,  by  Blake,  1,00 
Catechism  of  Agriculture  and  Chemistry,  by  John- 
stone and  Norton,  25 
American  Agriculiurist,  by  Allen,  1,00 
Liebig's  Complete  Work  on  Chemistry,  1,00 
Farmer's  and  Emigrant's  Hand  Book,  by  Marshall,  75 
Home  for  all,  by  Fowler,  50 
Book  of  the  Farm,  by  Stephens  and  Skinner,  4,00 
Cottage  and  Farm  Houses,  by  Downing,  2,00 
Downing's  Country  Houses,  4,00 
Rural  Architecture,  by  Allen,  1,25 
Downing's  Landscape  Gardening  and  Rural  Archi- 
tecture, 3,50 
Downing's  Cottage  Residences,  2,00 
Fruit  Garden,  by  Barry,  1,25 
Complete  Gardener  and  Farmer,  by  Fessenden,  1,25 
Bridgeman's  Gardener's  Assistant,  2,00 
Bridgeman's  Kitchen  Gardener's  Instructor,  50 
American  Fruit  Culturist,  by  Thomas,  1,00 
Gardener  and  Complete  Florisl^  25 
Florist's  Guide,  by  Bridgeman,  5C 
New  England  Fruit  Book,  by  Ivea, 

Youatl  and  Martin  on  Cattle,  by  Stevena,  l.,2'i 

Rose  Culturist,  3£ 

Johnson's  Gardener's  Dictionary,  by  Landrcth,  1,50 

Rural  Economy,  by  Boussingault,  1,00 

American  Rose  Culturist,  25 

Bigelow's  Plants  of  Boston,  1,2? 

Genera  of  Plants  of  the  U.  S.,  by  Gray,  2  vols.  12,00 

■Gray's  Botany,  2,00 

Parnell's  Chemistry,  1,00 

New  England  Farmer,  by  Cole,  1,00 

Ladies'  Guide  and  Skilful  Housewife,  by  Mrs.  Abel,  25 

Hive  and  Honey  Bee,  by  Richardson,  25 

Bee  Keeper's  Manual,  by  Miner,  50 

Bird  Fancier,  by  Browne,  paper  25  cents,  50 

Townley  on  Bees,  50 

American  Poultry  Yard,  by  Browne,  1,00 

American  Poulterers'  Companion,  by  Bement,  1,00 

American  Fowl  Breeder,  by  Moore,  •  25 

American  Herd  Book,  by  Allen,  3,00 

American  Shepherd,  by  Morrill,  1,00 

Domestic  Animals,  by  Allen,  75 

Diseases  of  Animals,  by  Cole,  50 

Hints  to  Sportsmen,  by  Lewis,  1,25 

Dadd's  Anatomy  and  Physiology  of  the  Horse,  1.00 

Mason's  Farrier  and  Stud  Book,  by  Skinner,  1,25 

Management  of  Sheep,  by  Canfield,  1,00 

Yowatt  on  the  Pig,  6C 

Knowlson's  Complete  Cow  Doctor,  25 

Horse  Doctor,  25 

Guenon's  Treatise  on  Milch  Cows,  88 

Treatise  on  Hot  Houses,  by  Leuchart,  1,00 

Allen  on  the  Grape,  1,25 

Schenck's  Text  Book,  50 

Breck's  Book  of  Flowers,  75 

Downing's  Fruit  and  Fruit  Trees,  1,50 
For  sale  at  the  Publishers'  prices  by  RUGGLES,  NOURS 
MASON  &  Co.,  Ciuincy  Hall,  (over  the  Market,)  Boston. 
Jan.  1,  1853.                                 tf* 


AamCULTURAL 

WAREHOUSE  AND  SEED  STORE, 

quiNCY  HALL,  OVER  THE  MARKET,  BOSTON. 

THE  Proprietors  having  recently  enlarged  their  Warehouse, 
and  increased  their  works  at  Worcester,  would  respect- 
fully invite  the  attention  of  Planters  and  Dealers  in  AGRI- 
CULTURAL &  HORTICULTURAL  IMPLEMENTS,  GAR- 
DEN and  FIELD  SEEDS,  &c.,  to  their  stock,  comi)rising  th« 
largest  and  best  assortment  to  be  found  in  the  United  States, 
which  are  offered  at  low  prices.  • 

Of  PLOUGHS — we  have  the  greatest  variety  of  kinds  and 
sizes. 

Improved  Sod  Ploughs,  for  flat  furrows — improved  Scotch 
Ploughs  for  lapped  furrows — improved  Stubble  Ploughs,  which 
are  especially  adapted  to  deep  tillage,  or  varying  from  6  lo  13 
inches  in  depth. 

Self-sharpening,  Hill  Side,  Sub-soil,  Double  Mould,  Corn, 
Cotton  and  Rice  Ploughs. 

Cylinder  Ilay  Cutters,  Smith's  Patent  Lever  Gate,  and  oth- 
ers. Patent  Corn  Shellers,  with  and  without  Separators. 
Seed  Sowers,  of  various  siz,es  and  prices.  Batchelder's  patent 
Corn  Planter,  improved.  Fanning  Mills  of  various  sizes, 
Horse  Powers,  Threshing  Machines,  thermometer  Chums, 
Robbins'  patent  Centrifugal  Churn,  Cylinder  Chum,  Dash 
Churn,  Cora  Planters,  together  with  almost  every  articla 
wanted  on  the  Plantation,  Farm  or  Garden. 

Illustrated  Catalogues  sent  gratis  on  application,  post  paid. 
RUGGLES,  NOURSE,  MASON  &  CO. 

Boston  and  Worcester,  Mass.,  Jan.  1,  1353  tf 


Old  Colony  IVurseries. 

Wanted,  5  to  10,000  Apple  Stocks  of  good  qual 
ity.  Apply  to  B.  M.  WATSON,  Old  Colony 
Nurseries,  Plymouth,  Mass.,  where  may  be  had 
every  variety  of  Fruit  and  Ornamental  Trees  and 
Shrubs,  Plants,  Green-house  Plants,  &c.;  also, 
Pear,  Cherry,  Plum,  Paradise  and  Mahaleb 
Stocks,  for  Nurseries. 

A  great  variety  of  young  Ornamental  Trees  and  Shrubs, 
from  $3  to  $10  per  100,  for  Nurseries  or  ornamental  planting. 
Dahlias,  Verbenas,  Roses.  Pea  Heliotropes  and  Fachrias,  new 
dwarf  Chrysanthemums,  (100 sorts. )Phloxes,  Iris,  Herbaceous 
Plants,  .lapan  Lilies,  &c.,  in  great  variety,  including  many  no 
velties  lately  imported.     Strawberry  plants  in  SO  varieties. 

Carriage  paid  to  Boston.  Catalogues  gratis,  and  prepaid 
on  receipt  of  one  stamp. 

Feb.  26.  tf 


THE  BOSTON  AND  WORCESTER 

EAGLE   DOUBLE   FLOWS. 


THE  superior  merits  of  these  Plows,  consist  in, 
1.  The  mode  of  attaching  the  forward  mould-board  to  the 
beam,  by  which  great  strength  and  durability  are  secured,  as 
also  the  various  desirable  changes  in  depth  of  work,  and  rela- 
tive depth  of  each  plow,  the  same  being  regulated  to  any  shade 
of  nicety,  with  perfect  facility. 

2.  The  entire  and  handsome  overturning  of  the  sod  furrow, 
by  the  forward  mould-board,  to  the  extent  of  the  whole  width 
of  furrow  taken  by  1  he  plow,  placing  it  beneath,  out  of  the 
way  of  the  teeth  of  the  harrow,  cultivator,  or  other  imple- 
ment, so  that  it  is  in  no  case  dragged  to  the  surface  in  the  af- 
ter-cultivation of  the  crop: 

3.  The  thorough  and  finished  work  done  by  the  rear  mould- 
board,  in  taking  up  its  furrow  of  under  soil  and  sifting  or  scat- 
tering it  over  the  inverted  sod,  so  as  to  entirely  fill  to  the  sur- 
face, and  at  the  same  time  break  open  any  undue  cohesion  of 
the  soil,  leaving  the  plowed  land  in  a  finely  pulverized  condi- 
tion, requiring  little  labor  with  the  harrow  or  other  surface- 
working  instrument,  — and  indeed,  in  all  tolerably  free  loams, 
rendering  the  use  of  these  instruments,  as  pulverizers,  quite 
unnecessary: 

4.  The  remarkably  light  draught  of  the  plow,  in  proportion 
to  the  amount  of  work  and  the  thoroughness  of  pulverization 
accomplished. 

Sever.^^1  sizes  of  the  BOSTON  &  WORCESTER  EAGLE 
DOUBLE  PLOW,  are  mnde  by  the  subscribers,  from  patterns 
of  their  own  original  invention.  They  invite  their  friends  and 
customers  to  examine  these  I'lows,  as  to  quality  and  durabil- 
ity of  material,  thoroughness  and  finish  of  construction,  and 
to  test  their  working  properties 

Manufactory  at  Worcester,  and  Warehouse  Quincy  Hall, 
over  the  Market,  Boston. 

RUGGLES,  NOURSE,  MASON  &;CO. 

April  30,  1853. 


Pure  Bi*e<l  Fowls. 

For  sale  at  a  modc.ate  price,  if  applied 
for  soon.  White  and  Buff  Sliangh-:es,  Gold 
and  Silver  Sjiangled  Hanilmrgh  or  Pheas- 
ants, Black  Spanish  and  Bulion  Grays; 
also,  Java  Pea  Fowls,  Black  Norfolk  Tur- 

^«=»..^?'    keys  and  Bremen  Geese.    These  Fowls  are 

from  imported  and  prize  stocks,  and  very  fine,  and  can  le  for- 
warded by  exriress  at  short  notice.  For  further  parliculare 
address  H.  H.  LITTLE, 

East  Marshfield,  Plymouth  County,  Mass. 
Aug.  20,  1853.  6w 


488 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Oct. 


CONTENTS   OF  THIS  NUMBER. 

Calendar  for  October Page  441 

Northern  Ajiples— Lynn  llonicultur  il  Exhibition 442 

Old  Fields 443 

Birds  of  New  England 444 

Rockinghdm  Cattle  Show  and  Fair 445 

A  New  Help  for  the  Farmer 447 

The  Climbing  Cricket— Smith's  Orleans  Plum 448 

Curled  Leaf  in  the  Peach 450 

Destruction  of  Wood  -Speed  the  Plow— Meteorological. .451 

What  kills  the  Wheat 452 

What  Chemistry  m:iy  d#for  Agriculture 452 

Destroy  the  Apple  Worm 453 

Mountain  Borer— Depth  of  ihe  Roots  of  Trees 45'3 

Application  of  Tan  to  Potatoes 454 

Lime  from  Gas  Works  and  Muck— Turnips 455 

Vegetable  Reproduction — Wheat  Culture 456 

Sympathies  of  Mind  with  the  Body 456 

Mowing  Machines 457 

Improvements  at  the  Capitol 458 

Stock — Native  and  Improved 458 

Effect  of  Railroads 459 

The  Farmer's  Song— The  Season  and  the  Crops 460 

Fruits,  (tc,  of  Iow« 460 

Potato  and  Onion  Croji 461 

How  to  lay  off  an  Acre 462 

The  Atmosphere  and  its  effects  upon  Animal  Life 462 

Roots— Forcing  the  growth  of  Trees 463 

Why  don't  the  Farmers  of  Massachusetts  raise  Wheat. . .  .464 

Entrmological  Discovery 464 

Plow  Deep  Tiller  No.  77,  and  Deep  Plowing 46T 

The  Farmer's  Daughter— Tall  Corn 468 

Potato  Di-sease 469 

Transactions  of  the  New  Hampshire  Agricultural  Society. 469 

Experimental  Farming  once  more 471 

The  Season,  &c.,  in  Canada  West — Winter  Wheat 475 

Seventy  Swarms  of  Bees  at  War \ 475 

Agricultural  Societies— No.  3 476 

The  Seasons— Cranlierries-Spontaneous  Plants 477 

Migration  of  Birds — Destroy  ing  Trees 478 

List  of  State  Fairs  in  18"j3 — Cruelly  to  Animals 478 

The  Crops  in  Washington  County,  R.  1 479 

Schools  in  China— The  Cnrculio 479 

Long  Wheat  Heads— Exhibilioi  ofHorses 480 

Hinesburgh  Imperishable  Potato  Factory 481 

The  Happy  Farmer— Vermont  State  Fair 482 

Poisoned  Valley 483 

Cattle  Gnawing  Bones — Sundry  Observations 484 

The  Seiison  and  Crops— Swallows 484 

China— Boys'  Department 485 

ILLUSTRATIONS . 

Atkins'  Automaton  Self-Rrfking  Reaper 449 

Plow  Deep  Tiller  No.  77 465 

Pears 4S0 


M^\  for  a  Bargain. 

I  wi.sh  to  s.".ll  my  FARM,  situated  in  Amherst, 
N.  H.,  10  mi!f3  from  Manchester,  ami  4J  from 
Danforth's  Corner,  R.  R.  Depot,  containing  72 
acres  of  valuable  land,  on  which  are  a  very  com- 

fortable   and  convenient  house,  containing  nine 

finished  rooms,  two  barns— one  28  by  42,  the  other  26  by  3G— 
a  good  cnrn-house,  formerly  used  as  a  hop-house,  carriage 
rooms,  sheds  at  house  and  barn,  piggery,  ^-c,  pump  for  water 
at  house,  and  aqueduct  at  birn.  The  pltice  produces  ap- 
ples, pears,  peaches,  cherries,  plums,  quinces,  currants  and 
grapes  in  abundance,  and  from  17  to  20  tons  of  hay  annually, 
the  larger  part  of  it  En'.;lish.  The  soil  is  a  sandy  loam,  easy 
of  cultivation,  and  produces  good  crops  of  corn  and  vegeta- 
bles. Any  one  wishing  for  a  good  farm,  for  a  small  sum  of 
money,  and  don't  care  if  it  is  a  little  retired- it  being  two 
miles  N.  E.  from  Amherst  village— is  invited  to  call  soon, 
while  the  present  year's  crops  can  be  seen.     Price  $1500. 

JOHN  W.  BRUCE. 
Amherst,  N.  H.,  Sept.  17,  1853. 

Swr 


Stone  Aqueduct  Pipe. 

THE  Stone  Aqueduct  Pipe  is  made  of  the  same  material  as 
Stone  Pots  and  Stone  Ju2s,  and  coated  with  a  glaze  that  is 
indestructible,  consequently  is  not  liable  to  corrode,  but  will 
deliver  the  water  as  pure  as  it  runs  from  Ihe  spring.  It  is 
made  in  sections  of  2  feel  in  length,  and  warranted  to  stand 
the  pressure  of  300  feet  head,  for  about  half  the  cost  of  cast 
iron  of  the  same  calibre. 

Also,  Drain  Pipe  made  of  a  combination  of  clays,  and  burned 
to  a  perfect  body,  from  3  to  12  inches  diameter,  from  10  to  55 
cents  per  foot.  Agents  for  Boston  and  vicinity,  Ruggles, 
Nourse,  Mason  &  Co  ,  Uuincy  Hall. 

B.  G.  &  C.  CUACE. 
Somerset,  June  4,  1853.  tf 


NEW  ENGLAND  FAllMER 

Is  published  on  the  first  of  every  month,  by  John  Ravnolds 
and  Joel  Nourse,  at  Quincy  Ilall,  South  5larket  St.,  Boston. 

eiMON  BROWN,  Editor. 
FREDERICK  HOLBROOK,  ?  Associate 
HENRY  F.  FRENCH,  5  Editors. 

0=  Terms,  $1,00  per  annum  in  advance. 

(ET  All  subscriptions  to  comtnence  with  the  volume,  Jan.  1. 

The  Farmer,  is  devoted  exclusively  to  Agriculture,  Hor- 
ticulture, and  their  kindred  Arts  and  .Sciences;  making  a  neat 
volume  of  576  octavo  pages,  embellished  with  numerous  en 
gravings.  It  may  be  elegantly  bound  in  muslin,  embossed  and 
gilt,  at  25  cts.  a  volume,  if  left  at  the  office  of  pnt)lication. 

0=  Also  published  at  the  same  office  every  Saturday,  on  a 
large  handsome  folio  sheet,  the 

NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER,   (WEEKLY,) 

An  Independent  Agricultural  Family  Tieuspaper. 

The  News  and  Miscellaneous  departments  under  the  charge 
of  WILLIAM  SIMONDS,  will  include  a  full  and  careful  re- 
port of  the  news  of  the  Markets,  and  the  news  of  the  week, 
such  as  Domestic,  Foreign  and  Marine  Intelligence,  Congres 
sional  and  Legislative  proceedings,  Temperance  and  Religidu- 
Intelligence,  and  a  general  variety  of  Literary  iind  Miscellanes 
ous  matter,  adapted  to  family  reading,  coiiijirising  more  use- 
ful and  valuable  reading  matter  than  any  other  Agricultural 
Newspaper  published  in  New  England.  Everything  of  a  hurt- 
ful or  even  doubtful  tendency  will  be  carefully  excluded  from 
its  columns. 

HJ'  Terms  $2,00  per  annum  in  advance. 

Ihe  monthly  contains  nearly  the  same  matter  as  the  Agri- 
cultural department  of  the  weekly. 

[CT  Postmasters  and  other*,  who  will  forward  four  new 
subscribers  on  the  above  named  terms,  for  either  publication, 
shall  receive  a  fifth  copy  gratis  for  one  year. 

O"  All  orders  and  letters  should  be  addressed,  post-paid, 
RAYNOLDS  &  NOURSE, 
Qi'iNCY  Hall,  South  Market  Street,  Boston. 


(C  Postage. — The  postage  on  the  New  England  Farmer 
monthly,  is  U  cents  per  quarter,  or  6  cents  per  year,  to  any 
part  of  the  United  States,  to  be  paid  in  advance  at  the  office 
where  the  same  is  received. 


HiglilaiHl  Nurseries,  lewburgli, 

NEW  YORK. 

A.  SAUL  &  CO.,  in  cilling  the  attention  of 
their  patrons  and  public  in  general  to  their  very 
extensive  stock  of  Fruit  and  Ornamental  Trees, 
Shrubs,  &c.  &c.,  which  they  offer  for  sale  the 
coming  autumn,  would  remark,  that  owing  to 
the  jiast  summer  being  one  of  the  most  favorable  for  the 
growth  of  trees  which  they  have  had  for  many  years  in  this 
vicinity,  their  stock  of  trees  and  plaints  iti  every  devartment 
is  large,  more  thrifty,  and  in  every  respect^ner  an  usual. 
To  particularize  within  the  limits  of  an  ad/ertisement 
would  be  impossible  ;  they  therefore  tefer planters  and  deal- 
ers in  trees  to  their  Catalogue,  a  copy  of  which  will  be  sent 
to  ullpost  paid  applicants,  on  enclosing  a  Post  Office  stamp 
for  the  same. 

They  invite  f.5;)ecia;  attention  to  their  stock,  of  Standard 
and  Dwf  Pear  Trees,  which  are  unusually  fine  ;  also  Cherry 
Trees,  as  well  as  Plum,  Peach,  Apricot  ard  Nectarine;  also 
Crape  Vines,  Gooseberrries,  Currants,  Raspberries,  Strawber- 
ries, &c.,  in  every  known  variety. 

500,000  very  strong  two  year  old  Osage  Orange  Plants,  in 
tliree'si:es,  at  ten,  eight,  and  six  dollars  per  ICOC.     Together 
with  Bucklhorn  Plants,  Arbor  Vila;,  Arc. 
Highland  Nurseries,  Newburgh,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  3,  1853. 

2t 


Suffolk  Boars. 


_  \<^^]it^      ^ept.  3,  1653 


Two  full  blood  SUFFOLK  BOAFS  for 
sale.  One  8  months  old,  the  other  4 
months.    Prices  moderate. 

Apidy  at  this  office, 
tf 


"Concrete  Scythe  lliHes." 

»    NEW  ARTICLE,  to  which  the  attention  of  Dealers  and 
l\  Farmers  are  invited.     Warranted  to  give  sMiisfaclion. 

For  sale  by  PARKER  &  WHITE,   8  and  10  Gerrish  Block, 
Blackstone  Street.  June  II, 


DEVOTED  TO  AGRICULTURE  AND  ITS  KINDRED  ARTS  AND  SCIENCES.  . 


VOL.  V. 


BOSTON,  NOVEMBER,  1853. 


NO.  11 


RAYNOLDS  <fe  NOURSE,  Proprietors. 
Office Quincy  Hall. 


SIMON  BROWN,  Editor. 


FRED'K  HOLBROOK,i  Associate 
HENRY  F.  FRENCH,  5  Editors. 


CALENDAR  FOR    NOVEMBER. 

"Come,  bleak  Novesideh,  in  thy  ■nildness  come: 
Thy  mornings  clolhed  in  rime,  thy  evenings  chill  ; 

E'en  these  have  power  to  tempt  me  from  my  home. 
E'en  these  have  beauty  to  delight  me  still 

Though  Nature  lingers  in  her  morning  weeds, 
And  wiiils  the  dying  year  in  gusty  blast, 

Still  added  beauty  to  ihe  last  proceeds, 
And  vi'ildness  triumphs  when  her  bloom  is  past." 

In  looking  over  the  old  books  it  is  curious  to  notice 
the  customs  that  were  observed  by  those  who  have 
lived  and  acted  their  part  before  us.  Thus,  in 
Ireland,  on  the  first  day  of  No  vernier ,  they  always 
had  a  merry-making,  and  had  a  drink  which  they 
called  "Lambs'  wool,"  which  was  made  by  bruis- 
ing roasted  ap[Ies,  and  mixing  them  with  ale,  or 
sometimes  with  milk.  Lambs'  wool,  apples  and 
nuts  were  added  as  a  necessary  part  of  the  enter- 
tainment, and  Forster  says  the  young  folks  amused 
themselves  with  burning  nuts  in  pairs  on  the  bar 
of  the  grate,  or  among  the  warm  embers,  to  which 
they  give  their  name  and  that  of  their  lovers.  In- 
deed, the  day  among  them  was  dedicated  by  su- 
perstition to  the  angel  presiding  over  fruits,  and 
called  La  Mcsse  des  Pommes,  meaning  a  religious 
ceremony  over  the  fruits,  or  something  like  it. 

There  is  something  interesting  and  impressive 
in  these  observances ;  interesting,  as  showing  an- 
other age  and  phrase  of  the  world  :  and  impres- 
sive, as  showing  how  tiie  heart  has  ever  been  in- 
ciined  to  give  utterance  to  its  emotions,  whether 
of  thanksgiving  or  adoration,  even  among  the  most 
rude  and  unlettered.  Then  if  we  follow  the  ages 
along,  we  cannot  but  observe  how  the  teachings 
of  religion  have  led  us  gradually  away  from  the 
Heathen  deities,  up  to  Him  from  whom  continually 
streams  that  clearer  light,  of  reason  and  of  faith.' 
November  has  been  shrouded  in  gloom  by  many 
of  the  poets,  even  by  many  of  our  own  poets,  who 
have  witnessed  our  many-dyed  forests  in  Autumn, 
and  basked  in  the  soft,  hazy  Indian  summer, 
"  when  the  trees  and  6hrub3,retaining  their  leaves, 
jH-eeent  thousands  of  tints  from  their  branches,  in 


which  are  mingled  the  bright  scarlet,  the  crimson, 
the  orange,  the  yellow,  the  bronze,  the  brown, 
which,  with  the  carpet  of  green  that  often  covers 
the  fields  at  this  season,  form  a  scene  of  beauty 
unrivalled  and  unequalled  in  any  other  part  of  the 
world. ' '  Many  of  the  fall  flowers  are  lovelier  than 
ever,  as  they  yield  to  the  first  touch  of  the  frost. 

We  know  that 

"All  the  pride 
Of  the  sweet  garden  fades.    Where  now  the  Rose, 
The  Lupin,  Aster,  Balsam,  or  Carnation  ? 
Or  where  the  Lily,  with  her  snowy  bells  ? 
Where  the  gay  Jasmin,  odorous  Syringa, 
Graceful  Laburnum,  or  the  bloom-clad  Arbute  ?" 

"We  know  that  decay— not  death— comes  upon 
all  these  beautiful  creations,  but  only  to  be  repro- 
duced in  new  forms  and  afford  a  new  delight.  Pa- 
ges of  dolorous  verse  have  been  written  upon  this 
beautiful  month,  until  the  common  mind  is  im- 
pressed with  a  melancholy  and  sadness  at  its  ap- 
proach, that  cheats  it  of  half  its  enjoyments. 

Analysis. — Therefore,  the  farmer  can  do  no 
better  job  now,  than  to  analyze  his  feelings  and 
ascertain  whether  he  is  realizing  all  the  enjoyments 
that  ought  to  flow  in  upon  his  soul  in  this  beau- 
tiful month  ;  it  will  prove  to  him  one  of  his  best 
operations  in  his  Farm  Work  for  November. 

Plowing. — It  is  said  that  the  lands  in  the  Scioto 
valley,  Ohio,  which  have  yielded  large  crops  of  corn 
many  years  in  succession  without  being  manured, 
are  able  to  sustain  this  enormous  draft  in  conse- 
quence of  the  fineness  of  the  soil ;  all  its  compo- 
nent parts  being  nearly  as  fine  as  flour.  We  be- 
lieve there  are  other  causes,  but  if  this  is  the 
principal  one,  what  an  important  lesson  it  teaches 
us  with  regard  to  our  own  lands.  The  autumn 
plowing  of  stubble  grounds  is  not  generally  prac- 
ticed by  our  farmers.  Some  object,  because,  they 
say,  when  the  land  is  light  the  wind  blows  off  the 
fine  particles,  and  a  portion  of  the  richest  part  is 
lost ;  another  says  the  labor  is  lost,  because  the 
same  field  requires  to  be  plowed  again  in  the  spring 
before  planting.     But  if  pulverization  is  so  impor- 


-490 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Nov. 


tant,  it  will  far  overbalance  these  objections,  ad- 
mitting that  they  are  valid,  v?hich  we  are  not  in- 
clined to  do. 

We  believe  the  atmosphere  to  be  the  great  store- 
house of  fertilizers,  and  ready  at  all  times  to  im- 
part them  to  such  spots  of  the  earth  as  are  ready 
to  receive  them.  If  the  surface  is  smooth,  hard 
and  crusty,  it  cannot  catch  the  gases  as  they  pass, 
or  imbibe  the  dews  and  rain  water  with  their  rich 
ammonia  ;  they  pass  on  to  a  more  genial  soil, 
where  the  doors  are  open  to  let  them  in,  and  where 
they  find  friends  and  agreeable  occupation.  We 
believe  a  corn  or  grain  field  well  plowed  in  the  fall, 
and  turned  up  to  the  kindly  influences  of  the  sun 
and  air,  to  be  equal  to  a  moderate  manuring,  tak- 
en in  connection  with  the  decaying  stubble  that  is 
turned  under  by  the  operation.  Sward  lands  may 
also  be  plowed  with  advantage  this  month,  as 
there  is  a  great  weight  of  succulent  grass  on  the  sur- 
face ;  this  being  turned  under  becomes  a  "bank" 
upon  which  the  plants  will  draw  with  profit. 

Then  there  are  other  reasons  why  we  should 
plow  in  the  fall ;  the  teams  are  stronger  than  in 
the  spring  and  there  is  less  hurry  than  when  the 
earth  opens  her  bosom  and  demands  the  seed'  from 
which  is  to  spring  the  future  crops. 

Roots. — Turnips,  beets,  carrots,  ruta  bagas  and 
all  other  roots,  we  believe,  with  the  exception  of 
the  parsnip,  keep  better,  if  gathered  before  the  se- 
vere frosts  touch  them.  They  should  not  be  bruised 
and  ought  to  be  excluded  from  the  light. 

Swine. — While  the  weather  is  moderately  cold, 
Bwine  fed  and  housed  well,  will  fatten  rapidly,  and 
of  course  profitably.  They  will  also  have  a  bet- 
ter appetite  and  fatten  faster  on  a  variety  of  food 
than  on  a  single  kind,  even  if  that  be  of  the  best 
quality. 

Young  Cattle. — If  young  cattle  are  forced  to 
subsist  upon  the  east  wind,  and  coarse  weeds,  until 
the  first  or  middle  of  December,  it  will  be  found 
a  most  unprofitable  mode  of  keeping  them.  If  we 
would  have  good  oxen  and  cows,  we  must  begin 
to  make  them  so  while  they  are  young.  No  care, 
or  after-feeding  will  be  likely  to  atone  for  neglect 
while  the  system  is  assuming  its  forms.  To  be 
lean,  misshapen  and  rough,  becomes  a  habit  which 
it  will  be  difficult  to  break  up.  But  give  them 
good  shelter,  generous  feed  and  kind  treatment, 
andtheir  good  points  will  become  early  developed 
and  sustained  through  life. 

Manures. — Haul  out  and  pile  the  summer  ma- 
nure in  convenient  places  for  spring  use,  such  as 
isjin tended  for  top-dressing,  and  cover  well  with 
muck  or  loam.  Green  manures,  if  plowed  under, 
will  be  in  their  appropriate  place. 

Pruning. — The  constant  reader  of  the  Farmer 
has  found  before  this  time  that  we  believe  in 
autumnal  pruning,  unless  the  cold  comes  on  with 
unusual  severity.    All  wounds  made  in  pruning 


heal  quicker,  and  the  tree  is  injured  less,  if  they 
are  covered  with  the  shellac  varnish  or  paint. 

Head  in  peach  and  plum  trees,  by  cutting  offat 
least  one  half  of  the  present  year's  growth.  If 
the  trees  are  quite  young  take  less — if  old,  take 
more  than  one-half;  they  then  throw  out  new 
shoots  nearer  the  trunk  and  become  more  compact. 

Buildings. — See  that  the  barn-doors  are  in 
order,  and  all  loose  boards  made  fast,  and  the 
hovels  made  as  tight  and  warm  as  possible.  No 
open  places  should  be  left  in  house  or  barn,  about 
the  underpinning,  where  the  wind  shall  rush  in.  It 
is  in  vain  that  you  supply  fuel  where  these  open- 
ings exist. 

For  the  Neib  England  Farmer. 
A  TRIP  TO  THE  CONNECTICUT  RIVER. 

Mr.  Editor  : — I  last  week  enjoyed  so  much  in  a 
visit  to  the  fertile  valley  of  the  Connecticut, that  I 
propose  giving  you  a  slight  sketch  of  it' 

I  arrived  in  Springfield  on  Tuesday.  It  was  the 
first  day  of  "Cattle  Show."  The  weather  was  cold 
and  misty,  and  the  show  meagre.  Wednesday  it 
was  arranged  to  have  something  of  a  horse  show, 
but  the  cold  storm  prevented  any  demonstration 
worth  noticing.  The  most  satisfectory  part  of  the 
business  of  this  day  was  the  Society's  dinner.  This 
was  exceedingly  liberal  and  well-served.  It  was 
partaken  of  in  a  comfortable  hall, where  the  unfa- 
vorable weather  without  could  have  little  effect. 
The  Mayor  of  the  city  presided.  The  venerable 
Dr.  Osgood  asked  a  blessing,  introducing  appro- 
priate language  from  Scripture  with  singular  felic- 
ity. 

After  the  substantials  had  been  enjoyed,  the  . 
Mayor  called  upon  several  gentlemen  for  speeches. 
With  great  deference  to  the  invited  guests — the 
commissioners  of  the  Armory  investigation — now 
in  progress  here,  but  a  single  one  responded  before 
the  honorable  gentlemen  were  called  up.  The 
President  of  the  Board  of  Commissioners,  Col.  Ste- 
venson of  Virginia,  a  gentleman  of  commanding 
mien  and  ready  wit,  spoke  at  considerable  length. 
He  ranked  himself  with  the  farmers.  He  had  re- 
tired from  political  life,  where  he  had  ivasted  so 
many  years,  and  was  enjoying  the  cultivation  of  a 
few  acres  where  he  hoped  to  end  his  days.  The 
gentleman  alluded  to  the  advanced  condition  of 
the  arts  in  Massachusetts,  and  said  his  short  resi- 
dence here  would  enable  him  to  carry  home  much 
information  and  many  things  which  would  enlight- 
en his  neighbors  and  friends.  As  a  gentleman  be- 
fore him  had  pleasantly  remarked  that  he  should 
carry  home  with  him  the  best  productions  of  New 
England — school  ma'ams — he  replied  that  Virginia 
already  had  a  numerous  band  of  teachers,  who 
were  doing  a  noble  work  for  them. 

Ex-CJovernor  Steele  of  New  Hampshire  followed 
with  some  practical  remarks.  He  urged  deep 
plowing.  Few  would  undertake  to  raise  garden 
vegetables  without  deep  pulverization,  and  a  like 
treatment  was  economy  in  the  field. 

The  next  speaker  was  Chancellor  Walworth  of 
New  York.  His  remarks,  of  a  more  miscellaneous 
character,  were,  also,  well  received.  Other  gen- 
tlemen followed.  Dr.  Osgood  related  a  dialogue 
he  held  with  a  gentleman  from  Louisiana,  one  of 
the  Adam's  funeral  committee. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


491 


"How  is  it,"  said  the  Southerner^  "that  we  on- 
ly have  to  throw  down  the  seed  and  give  it  a  kick, 
and  you  are  obliged  to  shoot  yours  into  the  soil, 
and  we  are  poor,  and  you  are  rich  V 

The  Dr.  answered,  "thatby  the  additional  labor 
the  farmer  here  obtained  a  profitable  return.  He 
does  not  say  to  his  boys  and  help  'Go,'  but  he  says 
^Come,'  and  heads  them  himself  early  in  the  morn- 
ing." 

The  planter  replied,  "that  if  he  were  to  come 
to  Louisiana,  he  would  see  him  out  early  in  the 
morning  (?«  his  horse  superintending  his  work." 
"Ah!"  said  the  Doctor,  "the  former  never  gets 
on  to  his  horse  here." 

The  dinner  passed  off  very  pleasantly. 

Thursday  was  a  clear,  fine  day,  and,  as  the  un- 
favorable weather  had  prevented  the  people  gener- 
ally from  visiting  the  great  tent,  where  fruits,  veg- 
etables, manufactures,  &c.,  &c.,  were  exhibited, 
the  show  there  was  kept  open  through  the  day  and 
evening.  The  officers  of  the  society  were  very  dil- 
igent to  make  the  display  of  articles  as  good  as 
possible,  aware  that  the  out-of-door  attractions  had 
been  small. 

We  saw  here  a  sewing-machine  for  the  first 
time.  It  wag  Howe's.  The  article  to  be  stitched 
was  laid  upon  a  revolving  cylinder,  and  upon  turn- 
ing a  crank  a  little  arm  over  it  struck  down  a  nee- 
dle, which  made  a  hole  for  a  loop  of  thread  which 
instantly  followed.  As  quick  as  the  loop  was  driv- 
en through,  a  little  shuttle  inside  the  cylinder,  di 
rectly  under  the  working  spot,  slipped  along 
through  the  loop  drawing  a  second  thread  which 
fastened  the. stitch.  The  sewing  was  done  with 
great  exactness  and  rapidity.  The  price  of  the  ma- 
chine was  two  hundred  dollars. 

Thomas  Chubbuck,  engraver,  exhibited  many 
proofs  of  his  skill.  One  was  the  Lord's  Prayer, on 
a  bit  of  silver,  one-fourth  as  large  as  a  three  di^t 
piece. 

The  show  of  pears  and  grapes  was  very  fine.  I 
never  saw  finer  clusters  of  grapes.  The  vine  must 
have  had  a  sunny  location,  and  a  rich,  large  root- 
bed. 

The  vegetables  were  fair.  Apples  were  scarce. 
Very  few  apples  are  to  be  had  around  Springfield 
this  year.  Whittemore  &  Co.,  of  Chicopee,  had 
^plows  of  various  patterns  ;  but  a  few  from  Quin- 
cy  Hall,  with  "long  rakish"  handles,  so  easy  to 
grasp  and  hold,  went  a  little  ahead  of  them. 
Pumps  and  fountains — the  latter  in  full  play — were 
an  attractive  feature.  Prospective  housekeepers 
looked  curiously  into  the  many  stoves.  Owners  of 
horses  examined  the  saddlery.  All  looked  at  the 
endless  rows  of  flowers,  the  speaking  daguerreo- 
types and  the  handsome  paintings. 

In  the  evening  the  tent  was  lighted  with  gas, 
and  filled  with  a  large  and  gratified  multitude. 

I  took  the  cars  at  five  minutes  past  8  o'clock  the 
next  morning  for  Mt.  Holyoke.  As  we  rolled  out 
of  the  great  station  house  up  the  river,  another 


of  the  morning,  seemed  belched  forth  in  extraor- 
dinary volumes  from  the  engine.  Looking  back 
upon  it  over  the  winding  course  we  had  followed, 
it  seemed  a  silver  wall  dividing  the  water  from  the 
land.  I  was  standing  upon  the  platform  of  the 
rear  car,  enjoying  the  fine  prospect  and  the  in- 
creasing warmth  of  the  bright  sun,  when  the  cars 
entered  the  covered  bridge  which  crosses  the  river. 
There  was  no  floor  to  the  bridge,  and  a  look  down 
upon  the  rushing  flood  was  a  little  startling  ;  the 
cars  crossed  at  a  moderate  speed.  The  Norwalk 
tragedy  is  not  yet  forgotten .  I  was  soon  in  sight 
of  the  great  dam  at  Holyoke.  The  water  of  the 
whole  Connecticut  is  here  checked  by  a  structure 
of  man's  ;  and  either  turned  aside  into  wide  canals 
to  drive  immense  factories,  or  left  to  fall  over, 
down  a  distance  of  thirty  feet.  The  water  in  fal- 
ling assumes  a  wavy  motion,  which  is  communi- 
cated to  the  air,  so  that  windows  in  the  neighbor- 
hood rattle  and  shake  continually. 

The  company  here  have  a  capital  of  four  millions 
of  dollars.  As  yet  their  hopes  have  not  been  re- 
alized. The  power  has  not  been  taken  up  as  was 
expected.  The  prices  for  privileges,  it  is  said,  are 
high.  The  water-power  is,  probably,  the  greatest 
in  the  whole  world. 

The  water  set  back  by  the  dam  forms  quite  a 
little  sea.  Along  the  shore  are  immense  quan- 
tities of  drift-wood,  brought  down  from  distant  for- 
ests by  the  great  spring  floods. 

I  was  amused  with  the  race  of  the  train  with  a 
duck.  The  bird  kept  straight  up  the  river,  not  at 
all  alarmed  at  the  engine,  but  doing  his  prettiest 
to  get  ahead.  For  about  a  mile  it  seemed  a  draw 
game ;  but  when  the  train  slackened  its  speed, 
the  bird  shot  ahead  and  disappeared  while  we 
halted  at  Smith's  Ferry.  This  is  a  siving  ferry. 
Not  that  you  get  into  a  swing,  and  by  a  good 
push  are  sent  across.  Oh,  no!  Passengers  go 
on  board  a  regular  ferry-boat,  which  is  connected 
by  a  strong  wire  to  a  high  mast  set  in  a  mnssive 
stone  pier,  far  up  in  the  middle  of  the  river.  When 
the  boat  is  pushed  off  from  the  shore,  the  current 
carries  it  rapidly  towards  the  middle  of  the  river. 
A  wide  board  is  dropped  into  the  water  a  few  feet, 
on  the  upper  side  nearest  the  stern  of  the  craft. 
The  current,  pressing  against  this,  sends  forward 
the  boat  to  the  opposite  shore. 

I  was  soon  at  Northampton,  17  miles  above 
Springfield.  I  lost  no  time  in  obtaining  directions 
to  the  far-famed  mountains,  and  was  soon  riding 
over  the  rich  intervals  towards  the  object  of  my 
journey.  I  saw  the  fields  of  broom  corn  for  the 
first  time  in  my  life.  Most  of  it  was  tabled ;  that 
is,  broken  or  lopped  down  about  half  its  height. 
The  clusters  of  tough  spires  which  form  the  broom 
were  heavy  with  seed,  vfhich,  I  was  told,  is  ground 
into  a  very  repectable  meal  for  cattle  and  swine. 
The  fields  of  Indian  corn  were  cut  up,  stalk  and 
all.  The  ground  left  bare  showed  that  the  hilling 
process  had  gone  out  of  fiishion.    I  saw  one  man 


train  started  for  Boston  (East,)  and  a  third  for  'narrowing  in  a  piece  of  rye  on  corn  land.  He  had 
Albany  (West.)  The  space  between  them  wid-  t\vo  stout  horses  and  a  harrow  to  each.  One 
ened  and  widened  until  both  disappeared  behind  horse  he  drove  before  him  with  long  reins,  ai^d  the 
the  hills.  other  guided  by  the  bit ! 

The  scenery  along  the  banks  of  the  Connecticut  ,  I  ^^f  about  jerked  from  my  ^^f  * /^«  *^«.  7J,fJ^ 
is  unrivalled  for  interest  and  beauty.     The  rail-b^^P^^,  "P^n  the  boat,  which  took  us  over  t^^^ 

way,  for  miles  above  Springfield,  follows  the  fre-k."*'*'^"*  ^g?'°•.^  ^.*  ''''''  ^  iffn..fi  nnP  mothS 
quent  and  peaceful  curves^  of  the  river.     I  wask^^PP^^f^trng  their  provender  ocatc    one  a^^^ 

particularly  struck  with  the  appearance  of  the  k^^  M''f;'^^'''^  ""'rfw.  fn  Vlw  T^LtP« 
Lam,  whfch,  owingto  the  conSe^nsing  frosty  airl- ^^^^^^^^^ 


492 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Nov. 


1  was  soon  toiling  up  the  steep  side  of  the  moun- 
tain. A  man  was  plowing  some  of  the  highest 
cultivated  land  and  scolding  at  his  horses  with  great 
energy.  I  wondered  that  such  a  beautiful  pros- 
pect as  was  now  before  us  did  not  awaken  in  him 
kindlier  feelings.  There  is  a  carriage-road  half 
way,  or  more,  up  the  mountain.  At  the  end  of| 
this  a  rude  shed  is  standing,  where  horses  may  be 
tied  and  guarded  for  twelve  and  a  half  cents  each, 
by  somebody  who  appears  at  a  call.  Provender 
is  provided,  also,  to  those  who  will  pay  for  it. 
From  this  station,  the  path  to  the  summit,  144 
rods,  is  narrower  and  steeper.  It  consists  of 
sharp,  broken  stones,  and  is  shored  up  on  the  outer 
side  by  dead  trees  which  abound. 

The  latter  part  of  the  way  I  found  to  be  up  hill 
work,  most  decidedly,  and  was  glad  when  I  arriv- 
ed at  the  top.  There  I  found  the  martin-box  I  had 
seen  from  below  to  be  a  good-sized  house !  The 
yard  around  it  enclosed  all  the  eligible  standing- 
ground,  so  I  applied  my  knuckles  to  the  door  to 
which  the  path  led.  It  was  opened  by  a  comely 
young  woman,  and  I  was  soon  upon  the  house-top 
with  glass  in  hand.  The  wind  was  cutting  and 
cold,  and  although  I  had  put  on  my  overcoat,  1 
was  soon  obliged  to  abandon  my  post.  A  short 
time,  however,  afforded  much  gratification.  The 
beautiful  valley  of  the  Connecticut  was  before  me 
for  miles.  The  village  of  Northampton  lay  shroud- 
ed in  belts  of  trees.  Church  spires  rose  up  from 
the  thick  forests  on  every  hand.  Numerous  vil- 
lages dotted  the  landscape.  I  could  have  looked 
long  upon  such  a  scene  in  a  milder  day. 

I  learned  that  the  family  remain  through  the 
winter  upon  the  mountain.  The  getting  up  of  a 
sufficient  quantity  of  ice  requires  considerable  la 
bor.  Why  don't  they  freeze  their  ice  up  there 
as  there  is  a  spring  near  the  summit  1  I  found  a 
sweet  little  girl  of  some  three  years  of  age  in  the 
house,  whose  pretty  manners  set  me  searching  my 
pockets  for  plums. 

It  was  much  easier  descending.  On  my  way 
down  I  met  the  proprietor  of  the  house  with  his 
horseand  little  cart.  I'he  load,  which  would  have 
been  just  a  freight  for  a  wheelbarrow,  seemed  quite 
enough  for  the  stout  horse,  which  stopped  every 
few  rods  upon  the  steep  ascent  to  take  breath. 

I  reached  the  cars  at  half-past  eleven,  and  was 
soon  back  again,  with  my  bunch  of  broom  corn  and 
pleasant  experience,  in  Springfield. 

Before  my  return  home  the  next  day  I  visited 
the  Cemetery  and  the  Arsenal.  The  Cemetery  is 
a  charmed  spot.  The  surface  is  one  series  of  vale 
and  hill  and  quiet  dell,  approached  by  winding 
paths.  The  deep  green  of  beautiful  trees  mingles 
with  the  light  from  the  spotless  marble.  The  mur- 
muring fountains  chant  a  continual  requiem  for 
the  dead,  while  the  spray  falls,  an  emblem  of  the 
mourner's  tears. 

The  new  Arsenal  is  worth  visiting.  The  war- 
^f "1  tt>W  me  that  in  the  one  room  and  a  half,  now 
filled  with  guns,  there  were  one  hundred  thousand. 
In  all  the  arsenals,  there  are  three  hundred  thous- 
and muskets. 

ThS'y  are  manufactured  at  the  rate  of  four  thous- 
and a  month.  The  shops  are  filled  with  the  most 
ingenious  and  complicated  machinery,  which  ac- 
complishes the  work  with  a  speed  and  exactness 
truly  wonderful  to  witness.  The  cost  of  the  arm 
is  now  about  $7.50.  Ten  years  ago  it  was  over  $17 
East  of  the  Armory  grounds  is  the  lot  enclosed 


for  the  Ilorse^  Show,  to  come  off  the  19th  of  this 
month.  Two  hundred  stalls  are  being  erected 
here,  inside  a  high  board  fence,  which  surrounds 
the  thirty  acres.  The  Horse  Show  promises  to  be 
a  great  affair. 

But  it  is  time  this  communication  were  ended. 
It  shall  be.  Let  me  say,  however,  that  the  kind 
hospitality  I  received,  although  nameless  here, 
will  not  soon  be  forgotten.  w.  d.  b. 

Concord,  Mass.,  Oct.  3d,  1853. 


For  the  Neiv  England  Farmer. 
PLO'WING. 

BY    HENRY   F.    FRENCH. 

The  book  of  Job  is  supposed  to  have  been  writ- 


ten about  fifteen  hundred  years  before  Christ's 
coming;  and  the  writerof  itspeaksofP/ouv/ig-with 
as  much  apparent  familiarity  as  you  or  I  should 
mention  the  process  in  the  Farmer.  In  the  first 
chapter,  it  is  said  that  a  messenger  came  unto 
Job,  and  said,  "  The  oxen  were  plowing,  and  the 
asses  were  feeding  beside  them,  and  the  Sabeans 
fell  upon  them  and  took  them  away." 

For  more  than  three  thousand  years  men  have 
been  learning  how  to  plow.  It  is  the  most  com- 
mon and  familiar  operation  on  every  farm  ;  and 
yet,  perhaps,  is  worse  done  than  any  other  work. 
One  reason  is,  that  it  is  so  common  a  process,  one 
that  we  learn  to  perform,  in  some  way,  so  early 
in  life  ;  that  it  is  as  mechanical  a  business  as  turn- 
ing the  grindstone,  and  few  farmers  think  of  ex- 
pending much  thought  about  the  matter.  Any- 
body is  thought  to  have  wit  enough  to  plow ;  and 
plowing,  especially  with  oxen,  being  a  slow,  dull 
business,  is  entrusted  to  slow  and  dull  people. 
Job  talks  like  a  thrifty  farmer,  and  his  live  stock, 
including  five  hundred  yoke  >  of  oxen  and  three 
tl^sand  camels,  would  indicate  that  his  farm 
wWk  was  worth  looking  after.  But,  like  many  of 
modern  times,  he  neither  held  the  plow  himself 
nor  required  his  boys  to  do  so  ;  for,  on  that  un- 
lucky day  just  alluded  to,  "  his  sons  and  daugh- 
ters were  eating  and  drinking  wine  in  their  eldest 
brother's  house."  He  left  the  plowing  to  his  ser- 
vants, just  as  most  of  us  do,  if  we  have  them. 

Ancient  and  common  as  plowing  is,  it  is,  per- 
haps, done  with  less  intelligence  and  real  appreci- 
ation of  its  advantages  than  any  other  farm  labor.  * 
Ask  the  first  half-dozen  plowmen  you  meet  at  their 
work,   what  good  it  does  to  plow   the  land,  and 
their  answers  will  indicate,  at  once,  how  much 
thought  they  have  given  the  subject.     One  thinks 
the  main  object  is,  to  kill  the  weeds  and  grass,  and 
another  to  make  easy  hoeing.     The  common  la- 
borer always  prefers  the  plow  which   carries  the 
ividest  luork,  with  very  little  regard  to  pulveriza- 
tion.    The   manifest  fault  in  plowing,  within  'my 
personal  observation,  is,  the  use  of  plows  which 
run  shoal  and  wide.     The  teamster  always  likes 
to  show  at  night  a  large  day's  work,  without  hurt- 
ing his  team  ;  and  a  plow  which  runs  six  inches 
deep  and  fourteen  inches  wide,  gets  over  the  ground 
mucJi  faster  and  easier  than  one  which  runs  eight 
inches  deep  and  a  foot  wide.     Turning  the  land 
over  is  thought  to  be  the  main  object  ;  and  in  this 
region,  where  oxen  are  more  abundant  than  men, 
four  or  six  oxen  are  often  used  upon  a  large  plow, 
to  do  the  work  which  one  yoke  would   perform 
much  better. 

Jethro  Tull  thought  and  taught,  that  by  thorough 
pulverization  of  the   soil,  manure  might  be   dis- 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


493 


pensed  with  entirely,  and,  although  this  was  an 
error,  it  had  much  truth  in  it.  A  recent  series  of 
analyses,  by  D.  A.  Wells,  reported  in  the  Mass. 
Transactions  for  1851,  seems  to  support  his  con- 
clusion, that  a  principal  difference  1)etween  a  very 
fertile  soil  of  Ohio  and  an  almost  barren  soil  of 
Massachusetts  consisted  in  the  difference  in  the 
fineness  of  their  constituent  particles. 

The  chief  value  of  plowing  is,  that  it  loosens 
the  texture  of  the  soil,  and  thus  admits  a  free  cir- 
culation of  air  and  moisture,  which,  by  chemical 
action,  disintegrate  or  break  down  the  stony  or 
mineral  portions  of  the  soil,  so  that  they  may  be 
more  readily  dissolved  and  taken  up  by  the  roots. 
By  the  same  process,  the  roots  are  enabled  to  pen- 
etrate more  readily,  and  wander  farther  in  search 
of  those  substances,  which,  by  instinct,  they  have 
the  power  o(  selecting  for  their  food. 

None  of  these  objects  are  attained  by  merely 
tnrning  over  a  solid  mass  of  earth  a  foot  square, 
pressed  together  by  the  mould-board.  The  Double 
or  Michigan  Plow,  I  regard  as  the  greatest  im- 
provement of  modern  times,  in  this  department  of 
husbandry,  although  by  no  means  a  recent  dis- 
covery;  for  Loudon,  in  his  Encyclopedia  of  Agri- 
culture, published  I  think  thirty  years  ago,  gives 
a  drawing  of  one  much  like  those  now  used,  yet  it 
is  new  to  most  of  our  farmers. 

At  most  of  the  cattle-shows  in  New  England, 
the  Michigan  Plow  has  been  seen  in  operation 
this  autumn  ;  and  were  this  the  only  good  accom- 
plished by  these  gatherings,  the  farmer  would  be 
well  paid  for  attending  them.  At  the  recent 
State  Fair  in  New  Hampshire,  several  were  exhib- 
ited in  use  at  the  plowing-match,  each  drawn  by 
a  span  of  horses,  or  a  single  yoke  of  oxen,  through 
a  tough  sward, by  no  means  free  from  stones,  and 
performing  the  work  to  the  admiration  of  all,  who 
had  never  before  seen  their  operation.  I  will  not 
say  all  were  pleased,  for  one  old  pagan, — a  word 
which  I  use  here  of  course  in  its  primitive  sense, 
as  signifying  merely  a  person  from  the  country, — 
this  old  pagan  said  he  did  not  see  as  this  new- 
fashioned  plow  was  of  much  use,  for  if  you  would 
only  harrow  the  land  plowed  with  the  common 
plows,  it  would  be  about  the  same  !  !  He  hit  the 
nail  on  the  head  by  accident,  for  the  difiFerence  is 
just  about  this, — that  the  Double  Plow  leaves  the 
land  pulverized,  as  if  well  harrowed,  without  be- 
ing trodden  down,  or  even  pressed  by  a  single 
foot  of  man  or  beast,  while  land  harrowed,  es- 
pecially with  oxen,  is  often  much  injured  by 
tramphng. 

Plow  your  land  fine  and  deep,  is  the  advice 
which  our  farmers  most  need,  at  present.  It  is  a 
common  idea  that  deep  plowing  is  not  profitable 
unless  we  have  a  large  quantity  of  manure.  There 
is  something  in  this  idea,  though  not  much. — 
Plants,  as  before  hinted,  have  the  power  of  se- 
lecttng  and  of  searching  for  manure,  as  they  have 
of  turning  towards  light.  Place  a  bone  in  the 
soil,  a  foot  from  almost  any  plant,  and  the  roots 
of  the  plant  will  find  it.  An  ordinary  crop  of  corn 
sends  roots  into  every  inch  of  soil,  to  the  distance 
of  five  or  six  feet  from  their  stalks.  Make  the 
land  light  and  the  manure  fine,  and  the  plant  will 
do  the  rest.  It  does  not  devour  the  barren  sand, 
but  sucks  up,  with  its  thousand  little  mouths,  the 
elements  of  nutrition  which  it  needs,  and  which 
are  dissolved  for  its  use. 

I  have  to-day  noticed,  at  an  excavation  near  the 


factory  in  Exeter,  the  roots  of  a  young  elm,  more 
than  twelve  feet  below  the  surface,  in  solid  gravel. 
Last  summer,  in  a  loose  sandy  soil,  in  this  place, 
where  a  well  had  been  taken  up,  I  saw  the  roots 
of  an  apple  tree,  which  penetrated  to  the  bottom 
thirteen  feet  by  measure.  The  apple  tree  was 
manifestly  in  search  of  water  ;  what  the  elm  could 
have  been  seeking,  except  a  good  hearty  embrace 
of  mother  Earth,  is  not  so  readily  imagined. 

I  have  avoided  all  scientific  discussion  in  this 
article,  because  our  friend  and  brother,^Ion.  F. 
IIolbrook,_  has,  at  sundry  times  in  the  Farmer, 
given  us  line  upon  line  and  precept  upon  precept 
as  to  the  structure  and  use  of  plows,  and  in  his 
society  tlie  position  of  learner  on  this  subject  be- 
comes me  much  better  than  that  of  teacher. 

Exeter,  N.  H.,Oct.  I2th,  1853. 


H.    F.    F. 


THE  SABBATH. 

[From  the  new  edition  of  the  Poetical  Works  of  Sir  Ei 

WARD    BULWER    LVTTON.] 

Fresh  glides  the  brook  and  blows  the  gale, 

Yet  yonder  halts  the  quiet  mill; 
The  whirring  wheel,  the  rushing  sail, 

How  motionless  and  still. 

Six  days  of  toil,  poor  child  of  Cain, 
Thy  strength  the  slave  of  Want  may  be; 

The  seventh  thy  limbs  escape  the  chain — 
A  God  hath  made  thee  free! 

Ah,  tender  was  the  Law  that  gave 

This  holy  respite  to  the  breast; 
To  breathe  the  gale,  to  watch  the  wave, 

And  know — the  wheel  may  rest! 

But  where  the  waves  the  gentlest  glide, 
What  image  charms,  to  lift  thine  eyes' 

The  spire  reflected  on  the  tide 
Invites  thee  to  the  skies. 

To  teach  the  soul  its  nobler  worth, 
This  rest  from  mortal  toils  is  given; 

Go,  snatch  the  brief  reprieve  from  earth. 
And  pass — a  guest  to  heaven. 

They  tell  thee,  in  their  dreaming  school, 
Of  Power  from  old  dominion  hurled; 

When  rich  and  poor,  with  juster  rule, 
i^hall  share  the  altered  world. 

Alas!  since  time  itself  began, 

That  fable  hath  but  fooled  the  hour; 

Each  age  that  ripens  Power  in  Man, 
But  subjects  Man  to  Power. 

Yet  every  day  in  seven,  at  least, 
One  bright  republic  shall  be  known; 

Man's  world  awhile  hath  surely  ceased, 
When  God  proclaims  his  own! 

Six  days  may  Rank  divide  the  poor, 

O  Dives,  from  thy  banquet  hall! 
The  seventh,  the  Father  opes  the  door. 

And  holds  His  feast  for  all! 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
CRANBERRY  CULTURE. 

Mr.  Brown  : — I  have  on  my  farm  a  bog  contain- 
ing eight  acres — soil  twelve  feet  deep,  formed  of 
decomposed  vegetable  matter,  and  in  dry  weather 
I  can  team  over  any  part  of  it.  It  is  situated  so 
that  I  can  plow  it  very  easily,  and  I  have  deter- 
mined on  making  a  cranberry  bog  of  it ;  and  my 
purpose  in  addressing  you  at  this  time  is  to  inquire 
concerning  the  best  way  and  time  to  render  it  such. 

In  two  or  three  places  small  patches  of  vines 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Nov. 


have  sprung  up  and  grow  finely  ;  some  advise  me 
to  sow  the  berries — others  to  obtain  the  vines  and 
set  them  out ;  and  I  would  feel  under  very  great 
obligations  to  you,  if  you  would  inform  me  which 
you  consider  the  best  method  and  time,  &c. 

Respectfully  yours,    Frank  P.  Seabury. 
New  Bedford,  9  mo.  ZOth,  1853. 


Remarks. — "We  can  only  reply  now  very  briefly. 
If  there  are  a  great  many  bushes  on  the  meadow, 
flow  it  until  they  are  killed,  then  clean  it  up  and 
set  the  vines.  If  there  are  hassocks,  cut  them  off 
clean  and  cart  them  away.  If  there  are  neither 
bushes  or  hassocks,  take  a  bog  hoe  and  cut  up  a 
turf  and  insert  the  vines.  The  vines  should  be 
taken  up  with  plenty  of  turf  and  soil,  and  the 
closer  you  set  them  the  sooner  will  the  ground  be 
covered.  There  is  much  difference  in  the  kinds  of 
cranberries,  the  oblong  being  larger  and  richer 
than  the  round  ones.  Transplant  as  early  as  you 
can  in  the  spring.  It  requires  five  or  six  years  for 
the  vines  to  arrive  into  bearing  from  the  seed. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
SOUTHERN  FARMING. 

Friend  Brown  : — I  have  been  visiting  some  of 
the  plantations  in  this  section  of  country,  and 
knowing  the  interest  you  take  in  all  matters  con- 
nected with  farming,  I  had  thought  a  description 
of  what  I  have  seen  might  not  be  uninteresting  to 
you  at  this  time.  First,  then,  the  plantation  of 
Col.  Wade  Hampton,  which  is  about  3  miles  be- 
low here  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Congaree,  and 
contains  about  15,000  acres,  2500  of  which  is  riv- 
er bottom  land,  the  richest  lands  in  the  State. 
Col.  Hampton  has  the  finest  herd  of  Durham  cat- 
tle that  I  have  ever  seen.  I  found  them  grazing 
in  a  pasture  of  some  500  acres,  where  the  grass 
was  from  one  to  two  feet  high  ;  the  pasture  is  the 
part  of  the  bottom  lying  next  the  river,  and  in  the 
bend,  so  that  the  river  bounds  three  sides  of  it.  The 
sight  of  the  cattle  on  such  a  plain,  with  nothing 
to  obstruct  the  view,  except  here  and  there  a 
stately  cotton-wood  tree  of  immense  size,  was  beau- 
tiful ;  but  when  taken  with  his  other  stock,  which 
consisted  of  about  30  horses,  380  sheep  and  about 
30  Cashmere  goats,  the  view  surpassed  anything 
of  the  kind  I  had  ever  seen  before.  Col.  Hamp- 
ton has  spared  no  expense  to  havcthe  finest  and  pur- 
est stock  in  the  country, — his  favorite  cattle  are 
the  Durhams.  He  has  some  4  or  5  very  fine  Dev- 
©n  cows — and  some  Ayrshire  cows  that  are  hard  to 
beat.  His  stock  of  sheep  are  the  Bakewell,  and 
as  fine  a  flock  as  you  would  wish  to  look  upon. 
His  Cashmere  goats  were  imported  some  few  years 
ago  fromAsia,  by  Dr.  J.  B.  Davis,  of  this  town, 
and  are  likely  to  prove  a  very  profitable  animal  for 
this  part  of  the  country ;  their  wool  has  been  sold 
as  high  as  nine  dollars  a  pound.  He  has  one  of 
the  Brahmin  cattle  that  is  a  most  beautiful  animal, 
the  stock  of  which  was  imported  by  Dr.  Davis, 
with  the  goats,  The  horses  I  will  say  nothing 
about,  except  that  Col.  Hampton  has  stood  at  the 
head  for  many  years  of  those  engaged  in  rearing 
and  improving  that  noble  animal,  the  horse. 

His  cotton  crop  now  looks  well,  and  the  pros- 
pect is  that  it  will  be  an  average  one.    His  corn 


is  uneven  in  consequence  of  the  severe  drought  we 
had  from  April  Ist  to  July  4 — and  will  hardly 
yield  more  than  two-thirds  of  a  crop  ;  one  field  I 
rode  through,  of  500  acres,  was  looking  well — a 
part  of  it  very  fine  indeed  ;  as  I  sat  upon  my  horse 
the  stalks  were  above  my  head.  His  method  of 
raising  corn,  is  to  plant  in  rows  one  way  4  feet 
apart,  and  works  it  but  oneway;  the  stalks  in  the 
rows  are  about  20  inches  or  2  feet  apart.  He  has 
been  experimenting  with  guano  on  his  corn,  and 
he  told  me  he  thought  it  the  best  and  cheapest 
manure  that  can  be  used  on  his  lands — there  was 
a  very  marked  difference  to  be  seen  in  his  corn 
where  the  guano  was  applied,  both  in  the  stalk 
and  the  ear.  He  is  the  most  sanguine  advocate 
for  guano  that  I  have  met  with,  in  this  part  of  the 
country.  Col.  H.'s  stock  of  hogs.  Brahmin  geese 
and  Shanghai  fowls,  were  in  keeping  with  his  cat- 
tle. His  resi4ence  is  on  an  eminence  that  over- 
looks the  valley  of  the  Congaree  for  many  miles, 
and  from  which  is  a  view  of  the  ridge  that  divides 
the  waters  of  the  Edisto  and  the  Congaree.  In 
front  of  the  house  is  a  flower  garden,  covering  an 
area  of  some  5  acres,  which  is  beautifully  laid 
out  and  filled  with  the  choicest  flowers  and  shrubs; 
the  display  of  roses  is  truly  magnificent.  In  the 
rear  of  his  house  is  the  vegetable  garden  and  fruit 
orchards,  which  are  ample,  and  in  which  I  found 
some  of  the  finest  peaches  I  have  ever  seen — varie- 
ties not  cultivated  with  you.  He  has  a  great  many 
grapes;  the  Lenoir  was  in  eating,  and  was  very 
fine  and  delicious.  He  has  quite  an  apple  orchard, 
which  is  young  yet,  but  I  saw  an  apple  that 
weighed  two  pounds,  that  grew  on  one  of  his  young 
trees — the  variety  I  did  not  know;  the  trees  are 
healthy  and  grow  vigorously.  Col.  H.'s  residence 
is  one  of  the  finest  and  most  tastefully  laid  out 
that  there  is  in  this  part  of  the  country,  in  proof 
of  which  I  need  only  to  say  that  it  was  the  favor- 
ite resort  of  the  lamented  Daniel  Webster  while 
on  a  visit  to  this  town  a  few  years  since.  Adjoin- 
ing Col.  H.'s  plantation  on  the  north  is  that  of 
Mr.  Thomas  Taylor;  the  soil  and  crops  are  similar 
to  those  of  Col.  H.'s. 

Mr.  Taylor  has  a  fine  herd  of  cattle,  a  cross  of 
the  Durham  and  Ayrshire,  but  they  do  not  com- 
pare with  those  of  Col.  H.  Mr.  Taylor's  sheep 
are  a  cross  of  the  merino  on  the  Bakewell ;  they 
looked  very  fine  indeed ;  he  told  me  his  last  clip  of 
wool  averaged  5  1-4  lbs.  to  a  sheep.  The  rearing 
of  sheep  here,  I  think,  must  be  profitable,  and  the 
business  is  largely  on  the  increase  in  this  section 
of  country;  the  river  pastures  which  are  subject 
to  inundation  from  freshets  in  the  river  are  nearly 
valueless  for  planting,  but  they  afford  the  finest 
pasturage  in  the  world  for  cattle  and  sheep.  You 
will  excuse  this  bad  letter,  and  I  will  write  you  a 
description  of  the  fair  and  cattle  show  at  x\ugusta, 
Geo.,  and  will  write  a  better  letter  if  possible. 
Yours  truly,  s.  D. 

Columbia,  S.  C,  Aug.  26, 1853. 


Remarks. — In  some  of  his  future  letters  we 
hope  our  correspondent  will  give  us  the  average 
number  of  bushels  per  acre  of  the  several  crops 
cultivated  in  his  region. 


Extraordinary  Site  of  a  Tree. — At  the  village 
of  Witherley,  in  Leicestershire,  seven  miles  from 
Market  Bosworth,  a  gooseberry  tree,  with  a  stalk 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


495 


as  thick  as  a  stout  man's  thumb,  and  the  bush 
from  four  to  five  feet  in  diameter,  may  be  seen 
springing  out  of  the  joint  in  the  stone  wall  of  the 
church  tower,  at  a  height  of  84  feet  from  the 
ground.  It  has  grown  there  for  a  century  or 
more,  thriving  greatly  in  most  seasons,  and  dwind- 
ling and  pining  during  drought.  The  seed  was 
probably  dropped  by  a  bird,  where  it  has  germi- 
nated. 

AGRICULTURAL  FAIR. 

At  Westminster,  Vt. 

The  Show  for  "Windham  County,  Vermont,  took 
place  at  Westminster,  a  pleasant  village  on  the 
banks  of  the  Connecticut,  4  miles  below  Bellows 
Falls,  on  Thursday  and  Friday,  Oct.  6  and  7. — 
Excellent  preparations  had  been  made  for  the  oc- 
casion by  enclosing  25  acres  of  level  land  near  the 
village,  and  the  erection  of  tents,  booths,  &c.,  on 
the  grounds.  In  the  enclosure  the  whole  exhibition 
might  be  seen,  plowing  match,  trotting  course  and 
all. 

The  entries  of  stock  were  not  very  numerous, 
not  so  much  so  as  we  had  expected  to  see  in  that 
fertile  region  of  country.  Working  cattle  were  pre- 
sented ia  considerable  number, but  we  are  confident 
were  not  the  best  the  county  could  produce.  There 
were  some  fine  milch  cows  of  mixed  blood,  two  or 
three  fine,  and  probably  pure  blood  bulls,  and  some 
handsome  young  cattle.  The  swine  were  not  nu- 
merous or  remarkably  good.  The  Messrs.  Camp- 
bell presented  specimens  from  their  flocks  of  sheep, 
which  are  so  well  known  as  to  need  no  description 
here.  There  were  also  poultry,  farm  implements, 
&c.,  on  the  ground.  But  in  horses,  the  .Vermont- 
era  run  away  from  us.  There  were  many  present 
of  great  spirit  and  beauty  ;  if  they  don't  beat  the 
telegraph  in  speed,  it  is  because  they  cannot,  and 
not  because  they  lack  the  disposition. 

The  show  of  fruits,  vegetables,  and  butter  and 
cheese,  did  not  do  credit  to  the  ancient  renown  of 
Vermont.  She  must  not  trust  her  fame  entirely  to 
the  merits  of  her  noble  horses — the  field,  the  gar- 
den, the  dairy,  and  skill  in  household  manufac- 
tures must  be  sustained  among  her  people,  or  her 
laurels  will  be  won  by  some  of  her  persevering  and 
watchful  sisters. 

There  is  evidently  a  want  of  system  and  arrange- 
ment— we  feel  bound  to  speak  the  truth  in  kind- 
ness— in  the  carrying  out  of  the  objects  of  the  so- 
ciety. AVe  have  examined  the  premium  bill  with 
care,  and  find  the  list  liberal,  and  the  rules  judi- 
cious, and  the  action  of  the  society  so  far,  such  as 
to  ensure  an  exhibition  to  command  the  admira- 
tion of  every  other  county  in  the  State.  The  de- 
ficiencies seemed  to  us  to  be  in  the  imperfect  ar- 
rangements to  carry  out  their  original  designs. 
With  more  age  and  experience,  and  the  determi- 
nation of  a  few  energetic  spirits,  all  that  can  reas- 
onably be  desired  may  be  speedily  accomplished. 
There  was  an  address  on  the  first  day  by  the  editor 
of  this  paper. 


Our  thanks  are  due  the  Hon.  Frederick  Hol- 
uRooK,  and  the  gentlemanly  officers  of  the  society, 
for  their  kind  attentions,  and  to  Mr.  Henry  Kel- 
logg and  his  estimable  lady,  for  the  hospitalities 
of  their  house  during  our  stay. 


For  ihe  New  England  Farmer. 

Mr.  Brown  :— Dear  Sir, — The  sentiments  em- 
bodied in  the  enclosed  extract  are  such  as  it  is  de- 
sirable to  keep  before  "  Young  America  "  in  this 
very  "  progressive  "  age  ;  and,  as  I  have  noticed 
with  pleasure  your  endeavors  to  make  the  N.  E. 
Farmer  exert  a  good  moral  influence,  I  venture  to 
beg  you  to  insert  it  among  your  selections. 

Respectfully  yours,  av. 

Government  and  the  Bible. — How  often  do  we 
hear,  from  the  halls  of  Congress  and  from  the 
press,  eulogiuras  upon  our  republican  government, 
as  though  this,  simply  and  alone,  were  the  source 
of  our  happiness  and  prosperity  as  a  nation.  But 
such  is  not  the  case.  It  is  not  government  which 
is  the  blessing;  government  is  an  evil,  though  a 
"  necessary  evil."  It  is  the  Bible  that  gives  good 
government,  and  this  is  the  cause  of  our  happiness 
and  prosperity  ;  it  is  this,  alone,  which  has  given 
us  a  "  power  on  earth."  France,  or  any  other  na- 
tion, can  easily  form  a  republican  government,  but 
so  long  as  they  are  unenlightened  by  the  truths 
of  the  word  of  God,  they  may  as  well  have  an  em- 
peror as  a  president.  Let  us  remember  that  we 
owe  our  liberty  to  God,  and  not  to  any  wisdom  of 
man  exhibited  in  laws  or  constitutions.  So  long 
as  we  make  his  Word  our  chart,  we  shall  ride 
safely  through  the  storms  of  life  ;  but  that  re- 
jected, we  grope  in  heathenish  blindness. 

Sunday, Oct.  9th,  1853. 

Remarks. — We  not  only  believe  the  above,  and 
mean  to  refer  to  the  book  mentioned  for  our  own 
chart  in  life,  but  thank  our  correspondent  for  his 
willingness  to  aid  in  keeping  the  world  "  on  the 
right  track." 

MASSACHUSETTS  LANDS  IN  MAINE. 

We  have  already  apprised  our  readers  of  the 
final  acceptance  by  the  Maine  Legislature  of  the 
proposition  to  purchase  the  public  lands  in  that 
State  belonging  to  Massachusetts.  The  lands  in- 
cluded in  this  sale  are  as  follows  :  35,535  acres  of 
undivided  lands,  and  424,569  acres  of  lands  held 
in  severalty — all  contained  in  the  first  five  ranges  ; 
and  265,408  acres  west  of  these  ranges,  held  in 
severalty  unincumbered,  414,245  acres  undivided, 
and  268,544  held  in  severalty  which  are  permitted 
mostly  for  six  or  seven  years.  The  price  paid  is 
$362,500.  The  sum  of  8112,500  was  appropriated 
in  part  payment  for  the  land.  The  remainder  of 
the  debt  is  to  be  provided  for  by  certificates 
of  stock,  in  sums  not  less  than  $10,000  each,  with 
coupons  for  each  year's  interest  at  the  rate  of  five 
per  cent,  per  annum,  the  stock  to  bo  redeemable 
at  such  times  as  in  the  opinion  of  the  Treasurer  of 
Maine  shall  be  advisable,  not  exceeding  twenty 
years. 


496 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Nov, 


One  half  of  the  sum  received  by  Massachusetts 
for  these  lands  will  be  added  to  the  comnion  school 
fund,  and  the  other  half  to  the  Western  Railroad 
Sinking  fund.  The  school  fund  now  amounts  to 
$1,202,G7G  88,  to  which  will  be  added  the  further 
sum  of  $181,250,  or  one-half  of  the  amount  re- 
ceived by  this  sale  of  the  Maine  lands.  The  amount 
of  the  school  fund  is  limited  by  law  to  a  million 
and  a  half.  There  is  a  provision  in  the  amended 
Constitution  to  increase  it  to  tvro  million  dollars. 


fnr  the  New  England  Farmer. 
OBSERVATIONS 

ON  SETTING  YOUNG  TREES  FOR  ORCHARDING 
IN  MASSACHUSETTS. 

I  have  read  authors  from  France,  Long  Island, 
Washington  and  other  places,  to  little  advantage. 
They  can  send  their  books  and  trees,  but  they 
cannot  send  their  climate  and  soil.  I  have  pur- 
chased trees  from  the  above  places,  likewise  from 
New  Jersey  and  towns  on  the  North  River.  They 
are  not  adapted  to  our  soil  and  climate.  I  would 
give  three  times  as  much  for  a  tree  grown  from 
the  seed  in  or  near  Essex,  Suffolk,  Norfolk,  or 
Middlesex  county. 

In  determining  the  right  time  for  setting  trees 
in  the  autumn,  I  have  compared  them  to  the  hu- 
man body.  I  say  I  am  like  a  nursery  tree  that  I 
am  going  to  move.  What  is  it  that  continues  my 
life  from  week  to  week,  and  so  on  ?  It  cannot  be 
my  food,  for  that  is  earth,  prepared  by  fallen  wis- 
dom to  suit  fallen  appetite.  Neither  is  it  air.  It 
is  the  circulation  of  the  blood  in  the  body — so  is 
it  in  the  tree.  Stop  it,  in  either  or  both  of  them, 
and  death  will  ensue.  Now  how  shall  we  take 
the  advantage  of  this  blood?  In  moving  the  tree 
we  shall  be  obliged  to  wound  its  feet  or  roots.  It 
will  not  do  to  move  it  in  the  full  flow  of  sap,  as  in 
summer,  for  then  the  sap  is  needed  for  other  pur- 
poses than  healing.  It  will  not  do  to  move  it  late 
in  the  fall,  when  the  sap  is  still,  and  there  is  no 
action  to  heal  the  wounded  part.  We  must  take 
the  medium  flow  of  sap,  after  the  last  growth  of 
the  tree  is  over,  as  in  the  last  of  Sept.  or  October. 

Last  year  I  transplanted  2G0  young,  unbudded, 
nursery  apple  trees  about  the  middle  of  October. 
The  land  upon  which  I  set  them,  was  a  rough 
piece,  which  had  previously  been  covered  with 
wild  bushes  and  brambles.  I  took  less  pains  in 
moving  them,  than  I  ever  did  with  any  trees,  for 
I  cared  more  about  getting  them  out  of  the  nur- 
sery, and  improving  the  land,  than  I  did  about 
them.  In  hoeing  them  through  the  summer,  I 
found  only  three  or  four  dead  ones.  Many  of  them 
made  wood  from  two  or  three  inches,  to  a  foot  in 
length. 

Last  fall,  I  sold  a  thrifty  pear  tree  to  one  of  my 
neighbors.  He  claimed  the  right  to  dig  it  him- 
self, and  kept  it  in  the  ground  until  the  frost  had 
stripped  it  of  its  leaves — then  he  moved  it.  In  the 
spring  it  put  out  a  few  leaves,  and  appeared  as 
though  it  would  live,  but  tliese  soon  dropped  off, 
and  it  died,  although  he  watered  it  well. 

I  sold  quite  as  large  a  clierry  tree  to  a  man  in 
Salem,  early  in  October.  He  took  it  immediately 
home  and  set  it  out.  He  told  me  the  next  season, 
that  the  tree  had  put  out  well,  and  had  made  con- 
siderable new  wood. 


As  regards  spring  setting,  there  is  little  to  be 
said.  Common  sense  tells  us  the  sooner  the  frost 
is  out  of  the  ground  the  better  for  transplanting. 
Last  March  I  set  sixty  apple  trees  for  orchard 
trees.  In  two  or  three  instances  I  met  frost. 
Every  one  of  them  lived,  and  many  of  them  made 
new  wood,  from  three  and  four  to  twelve  and  four- 
teen inches.  Some  of  them  bore  scattering  apples 
of  full  size. 

It  is  more  than  fifty  years  since  I  first  set  trees. 
I  have  set  them  in  all  stages  of  the  circulation  of 
the  sap,  except  in  summer.  I  am  satisfied  that 
just  in  proportion  as  the  setting  of  the  trees  is 
neglected  until  after  the  proper  time,  so  will  they 
be  hindered  in  healing  and  in  shooting  roots,  and 
will  come  forward  with  less  growth.  I  have  set 
them  after  the  buds  had  begun  to  open.  These 
often  live  and  often  make  stunted  trees. 

Jonathan  Botce. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

GARGET. 

Friend  Brown  : — I  have  recently  cured  several 
cases  of  Garget  by  administering  one  or  two  drops 
of  Aconite.  Have  you,  or  any  of  your  readers  ev- 
er treated  cattle  after  the  Homeopathic  system  ? 
I  have  for  several  years  endeavored  to  do  so — and 
considering  my  want  of  anatomical  and  physiolog- 
ical knowledge,  with  very  encouraging  success.  I 
doubt  not  that  some  of  your  readers  will  smile,  if 
not  indulge  in  a  hearty  laugh,  at  this  statement. 
All  I  ask  of  them  is,  that  they  would  try  the  above 
remedy  for  the  Garget,  at  the  next  opportunity. 
I  have  often  used  the  garget  root  or  poke  {Phyto- 
lacca decandra)  with  success,  but  I  al-^ays  believed 
it  had  the  effect  of  reducing  the  quantity  of  milk. 
Aconite  does  not  have  this  effect. 

Yours,  &c.,  MiNOT  Pratt. 

Concord,  Oct.  11,  1853. 


Reiiarks. — That  the  poke  root  is  a  dangerous 
remedy  in  unskilful  hands,  we  do  not  doubt,  and 
is  often  the  source  of  injury  to  the  cow.  We  have 
practiced  the  homeopathic  treatment  with  the  hap- 
piest results.  A  friend  informed  us  the  other  day 
that  he  once  cured  a  case  of  blind  staggers  in  a 
horse  valued  at  three  hundred  dollars,  by  admin- 
istering three  doses  of  stramonium  in  the  course 
of  six  or  eight  weeks.  If  this  worst  of  all  diseases 
in  the  horse  can  be  cured,  we  believe  any  other 
may  be.     Try^Mr.  Pratt's  remedy. 


THE    SEASON. 


October,  up  to  the  14th,  has  been  unusually 
cool,  wet  and  windy.  During  the  early  morning 
of  the  9th,  there  was  vivid  lightning  accompanied 
by  heavy  thunder  and  rain.  Now, — the  1 1th — 
there  is  the  beautiful  October  sun  and  calm,  and 
appearances  of  Indian  summer.  The  grass  is 
still  green  and  abundant,  and  as  late  as  the  12th 
we  have  noticed  hay-making  going  on.  There  has 
been,  as  yet,  no  severe  frosts,  so  that  cabbages  and 
turnips  are  still  growing  rapidly.  On  the  night 
of  tlie  lith,  there  was  the  first  heavy  frost. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


497 


MUSKINGUM  PEAR. 

The  fruit  of  which  the  above  engraving  is  a 
portrait,  was  grown  in  the  garden  of  Mrs.  Cole, 
widov?  of  the  late  S.  W.  Cole,  Esq.  It  is  not  yet 
common  among  us,  and  perhaps  its  merits  are  not 
fully  defined.  ISIr.  Cole,  however,  thought  it 
worthy  a  place  in  all  good  gardens.  His  descrip- 
tion of  it  is  that  it  is  rather  large  ;  roundish  to 
obovate ;  greenish  yellow,  with  many  dark  specks, 
and  much  russet,  seldom  a  brownish  blush  ;  stem 
long,  medial,  in  a  narrow  cavity ;  calyx  sliglit, 
open,  in  a  slight  or  with  no  depression  ;  flesh  yel- 
lowish-white, very  fine,  tender,  melting,  juicy,  of 
a  sweet,  high,  aromatic  flavor.  15th  Aug.  to  10th 
Sept.  Native  of  Ohio.  "We  find  it  perfectly  hardy 
here  and  a  great  grower.  Probably  well  adapted 
to  a  still  more  northern  culture. 


A  Prolific  Pear  Tree. — The  Portsmouth  Chron- 
icle states  that  in  a  garden  in  that  city  is  a  St.  An- 
drew's pear  tree,  which  has  borne  three  crops  of 
pears  the  present  season,  and  is  now  in  bud  for 
the  fourth  crop. 

I^"  A  beautiful  "Victoria  Regia"  flower  was  in 
bloom  at  Sayer's  garden,  Cincinnati,  on  Thursday 
last. 


EXHIBITION   OP    HORSES   AT   SPRING- 
FIELD. 

October  19,  20,  21  and  22,  1853. 
This  popular  and  important  movement  must  not 
be  forgotten.  The  improvement  of  our  breeds  of 
Horses  is  a  matter  of  consequence,  not  only  to  the 
farmer,  but  to  every  other  class  of  people.  Only 
one  horse  in  fifty  in  the  country  towns  can  be 
called  a  good  animal.  In  the  cities  the  propor- 
tion of  good  ones  may  be  better,  as  they  drain  the 
country  of  the  finest  horses,  both  for  speed  and 
draft.  Let  us  take  hold  of  this  enterprise  "  with 
a  will,"  and  make  something  come  out  of  it  that 
shall  take  the  place  of  our  diminutive,  crooked- 
legg'd  and  weazened  things  called  horses,  that 
mope  about  hitched  to  our  vehicles,  and  "  drag 
their  slow  length  along  "  our  farms. 

RULES  AND  REGULATIONS. 

1.  Horses  intended  for  exhibition  and  premium, 
or  for  sale,  should  be  entered  with  the  Recording 
Secretary,  H.  S.  Noyes,  on  or  before  Saturday, 
Oct.  15,  1853.  On  payment  of  the  entrance  fee, 
a  check  will  be  given,  which  must  be  presented 
when  the  horse  is  brought  to  the  exhibition  ground. 

2.  Horses  intended  for  sale  will  be  labeled  ac- 
cordincly,  but   cannot  be   withdrawn   until   the 

[close  of  the  exhibition,  except  by  written  permis- 


498 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Not, 


eion  of  the  Board  of  Managers,  and  there  vpill  be 
no  return  of  freight  money  by  the  Railroads  on  all 
horses  sold. 

3.  Pedigree,  proofs  of  origin  and  age,  must  be 
furnished,  if  required,  for  every  horse  offered  for 
premium. 

4.  A  Board  of  Judges  will  bo  appointed  to  ex- 
amine all  horses  entered,  who  will  award  premi- 
ums agreeably  to  the  annexed  list,  which  will  be 
paid  or  delivered  at  the  close  of  the  exhibition. 

5.  A 11  horses  entered  will  be  at  the  risk  of  the 
owners.  The  most  effectual  means  will  be  taken, 
through  the  agency  of  the  police  and  otherwise, 
to  guard  and  protect  the  horses  exhibited  ;  but 
the  Managers  eannot  be  responsible  for  injuries 
that  may  be  occasioned  by  accident  or  otherwise. 

6.  Owners  or  agents  offering  horses  for  premium 
OT  exhibition,  will  receive  tickets  of  admission  to 
the  exhibition  grounds,  but  in  no  case  transfer- 
able. 

7.  The  exhibition  will  occupy  "  Government 
Square,"  directly  east  of  the  United  States  Ar- 
mory grounds,  wbich  will  be  properly  enclosed  for 
the  purpose.  Stalls  for  horses  and  seats  for  spec- 
tators will  be  provided  ;  also,  a  suitable  course 
for  trials  of  speed  and  the  display  of  horses. 

8.  Entrance  fees  will  be  charged  as  follows, 
viz : — 

For  all  horses  or  spans  of  horses  entered  for 
premium,  $5 ;  for  all  horses  or  spans  entered 
for  exhibition  and  sale,  $3  ;  for  each  person,  with 
privilege  of  seat,  season  ticket,  SI ;  for  each  per- 
son, single  ticket,  25  cents  ;  seats,  12^  cents. 

9.  Persons  wishing  for  more  particular  informa- 
tion will  address  (post-paid)  William  Stowe,  Cor- 
responding Secretary  and  General  Agent  of  the 
Exhibition,  Springfield,  Mass. 

LIST  OF  PREMIUMS 

To  be  awarded  at  the  Great  National  Exhibition  of  Imported 

Blood  and  Ameiican  Breeds  of  Horses,  at  Springfield, 

JIass.,  Oct.  19th,  20th,  21st  and  22d,  1853. 

STAIXIONS. 

For  the  best  Stallion  of  7  years  and  o-ver, 

1st  premium,  $200 

2d        do.  100 

Sd        do.  50 

4lh      do.        a  silver  goblet  valued  at  25 

For  the  best  Stallion  of  4  years  and  under  7, 

1st  premium,  $100 

2d        do.  50 

3d        do.        a  silver  goblet  valued  at  25 

GELDINGS. 

For  the  best  gelding  of  4  years  and  over, 

1st  premium,  100 

2d        do.  50 

3d        do.  25 

4lh      do.        a  silver  goblet  valued  at  20 

BEEEDING  MAEES. 

For  the  best  Breeding  Mare  of  4  years  and  over, 
1st  premium,  $100 

2d        do.  50 

3d        do.  25 

4ih      do.        a  silver  goblet  valued  at  20 

BEEEDING   MAEES   WITH   FOAL   BY   THEIE    SIDE. 


1st  premium, 

2d        do.        a  silver  goblet  valued  at 


MATCHED   HOESES, 


$50 
25 


FANCY   HOESES. 

For  the  best  span  of  Fancy  Horses  of  4  years  and  over- 
1st  premium,  $100 

2d        do.  50 

3d        do.        a  sl'lver  goblet  valued  at  25 

COLTS. 

For  the  best  Stallion  of  3  years  old, 

Ist  premium,  §90 

2d        do.  25 

3d        do.        a  silver  goblet  valued  at  20 

Best  Filly,  25 

For  the  best  Stallion  of  2  years, 

1st  premium,  §25 

2d        do.        a  silver  goblet  valued  at  20 

Fest  Filly,                do.        do.        do.  20 

For  the  best  Stallion  of  1  year, 

1st  premium,  $25 

2u       do.        8  silver  goblet  valued  at  20 

Best  Filly,  20 

FAEM   OE   DEAUGHT   HOESES. 

For  the  best  pair  of  Farm  or  Draught  Horses, 

1st  premium,  §50 

2d       do.  25 

3d        do.        a  silver  goblet  valued  at  26 

Best  single  do., 

lat  premium,  $25 

2d        do.        a  silver  goblet  valued  at  20 

PONIES. 

For  the  best  pair  of  Ponies, 

1st  premium..  §50 

2d        do.  25 

3d        do.        a  silver  goblet  valued  at  20 

In  addition  to  the  premiums  above  stated,  s 
liberal  sum  of  money,  with  Medals  and  Diplomas, 
will  be  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  Committee  ob 
Premiums,  to  he  distributed  by  them  to  such  ex- 
hibitors as,  in  their  discretion,  they  shall  deen?. 
most  deserving. 

George  Dwight,  President, 
Jas.  M.  Thompson,  Vice  President, 
William  Stowe,  Secretary. 


For  the  best  span  of  Matched  Horses  of  4  years  and  over, 
1st  premium,  $100 

2d        do.  50 

3d        do.  25 

4th      do.        a  silver  goblet  valued  at  20 


For'Jhe  Neiv  England  Farmer. 
THRBE  KINDS  OP  FARMERS. 

BY   A.    G.    COMINGS. 

It  has  been  said  that  there  are  three  kinds  of  min- 
isters in  the  church,  namely,  those  whom  God 
has  made  such,  those  that  man  has  made,  and 
those  who  were  never  made  at  all. 

It  is  possible  that  there  are  three  kinds  of  phy- 
sicians, who  may  be  known  by  classing  as  fol- 
lows:—The  physician  who  heals,  the  physician 
who  kills,  and  the  physician  who  lets  his  patientg 
live  or  dfe  as  they  will,  without  hindrance. 

There  may  be  three  kinds  of  lawyers  in  the 
world,  answering  to  the  idea  of  the  lawyer  who 
serves  his  client,  the  lawyer  who  serves  himself, 
and  the  lawyer  who  is  of  service  to  nobody. 

These  three  make  up  the  trio  of"  The  learned 
professions."  As  we  belong,  just  now,  to  the  un- 
learned profession,  the  profession  of  a  farmer,  in 
which  it  is  the  privilege  of  the  student  to  admit, 
whether  others  do  or  do  not  allege,  that  he  is 
"  an  ignoramus,"  we  will  presume  to  say  that  in 
our  profession  there  are  also  three  classes,  inclu- 
ding the  farmer  who  is  a  farmer,  the  farmer  who 
is  710  farmer,  and  the  farmer  who  cannot  make  a 
farmer. 

As  in  a  great  many  matters  it  is,  that  the  last 
thing  spoken  of  is  the  first  thing  to  be  considered, 
so  we  will  have  it  in  this,  and  take  a  little  look  at 
the  man  who  can  never  become  a  farmer. 

When  we  see  a  man  who  now  has  or  has  had 
some  other  way  of  making  or  of  getting  money, 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


499 


and  then  turns  to  and  lays  out  his  money  in  large 
sums  upon  some  little  f^irm,  from  year  to  year. 
and  yet  gets  small  crops  compared  with  the  large 
espenditure^  and  thinks  that  by  so  doing  ho  is  a 
farmer  ;  and  if  he  gets  a  large  crop  at  a  very  large 
cost  that  he  is  a  great  farmer,  we  remember  a  say- 
ing of  Uncle  Tim,  that  "That  fellow  never  can 
liecomc  a  former,  no  how." 

Again,  when  we  see  a  man  who  docs  nothing  on 
a  fiirra,  not  even  to  oversee  the  work  of  a  farm, 
but  is  shut  up  from  year  to  year  almost,  among 
learned  essays  and  dissertations,  all  prepared  to 
enligliten  our  dark  corner  of  the  professional  world, 
we  think  what  old  father  Blunt  used  to  say  when 
he  saAV  sucli  a  thing.  "  Well  now  there,"  he 
would  say,  "  that  are  is  just  the  thing  that  can't 
be  done  no  way,  for  that  are  fellow  never  can 
make  himself  a  farmer." 

The  sum  and  substance,  in  simple  and  com- 
pound, of  all  this  matter,  is  just  this,  as  w^  look 
at  it.  Th-e  man  who,  with  good  health,  and  a 
good  soil  to  work  upon,  cannot  make  his  farm  a 
means  of  real  and  positive  income,  without  lessen- 
ing the  value  of  the  form,  is  no  farmer.  Still,  he 
may  overcome  all  these  deficiencies,  and  if  so,  he 
can  become  a  farmer.  If  he  investigates  princi- 
ples, by  his  practice  lae  will  prove  those  principles, 
and  be  able  thereby  to  improve  his  farming. 

A  farm  which  should  be  held  at  any  valuation 
equal  to  a  single  red  cent,  must  be  a  farm  .which 
can  be  made  to  produce,  from  year  to  year,  a  suf- 
ficient amount  to  pay  for  the  labor  of  cultivating 
it — the  cost  of  team  work  upon  it,  the  wear  of  im 
plements,  the  value  of  manures  applied  to  it,  the 
taxes,  the  interest  of  its  cost  or  valuation,  and 
something  besMes.  A  farm  that  cannot  be  made 
to  do  so  much  is  worth  nothing,  onlj  to  help  hold 
the  world  together. 

We  may  conrider  a  small  farm  as  worth  $1000, 
and  then  put  it  upon  debt  and  credit  as  follows  : 

Farm. — Dr. 

To  interest  on  $'.000 $60 

Taxes , 8 

Team  work,  borse  and  oxen 50 

Manure 40 

Labor 150 

Wear  of  impiemeuts 10 

And  the  amount  will  be ,.$318 

We  may  give  credit  to  it  as  follows : 

Farm, — Cr. 

To  Hay §8  ■ 

Corn 25 

Potatoes 20 

All  other  field  and  garden  crops 60 

Pasturing 20 

And  the  amount  will  be = S205 

Now  suppose  the  owner  to  have  his  farm  free 
of  debt  when  he  begins  his  effort  at  farming  on 
such  a  farm,  we  may  subtract  from  the  debtor 
table  the  amount  of  interest  on  the  $1000  which 
it  cost ;  and  $G0  taken  from  $-318  would  leave 
$258.  This  would  leave  the  farmer  who  f)ur- 
efaases  a  farm  at  such  a  price,  and  cultivates  it 
with  such  a  return,  the  same  as  being  without 
property  and  paying  interest  on  a  debt  of  $883,33  ; 
for  the  expenses  of  liis  farm  would  be  $53  yearly 
more  than  the  farm  would  pay. 

There  is  a  great  deal  of  such  farming.  To  this 
subject  we  direct  attention,  because  farming  for 
pleasure  and  not  for  profit  is  not  making  formin" 
a  business.  The  true  farmer  makes  farming  a 
business,  not  a  play  for  his  amusement.  He  must 
also  make  it  a  profitable  business. 


Most  of  the  farms  of  New  England  are  doubtless 
oapil)le  of  being  made  profitable  to  the  owners 
and  cultivators.  Many  of  them  now  fall  far  short 
of  it.  This  marks  and  measures  the  defective 
state  of  our  agriculture. 

A  true  farmer  is  one  who  has  become  so  well 
skilled  in  his  Inisiness  that  he  can  make  enough 
from  the  cultivation  of  a  good-soiled  farm  to  meet 
all  expenses,  pay  interest,  deal  with  all  men  with- 
out niggardly  littleness,  contribute  an  honorable 
share  to  the  generous  interests  of  the  times,  and 
lay  up  something  with  which  to  meet  any  extrar 
ordinary  call,  or  do  a  necessary  good  deed  at  a 
moment's  warning.  Too  little  of  our  farming  now 
meets  this  idea. 
^Mason,  N.  H. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
ANTHRACITE  COAL  ASHES. 

Mr.  Editor; — Can  you  inform  a  constant  reader 
of  your  valuable  paper,  whether  the  ashes  of  An- 
thracite Coal,  are  of  use  for  agricultural  purposes? 
Can  they  be  used  to  advantage  on  land  moderate- 
ly light?  Are  they  good  for  trees'?  Should  the 
coarser  parts  be  sifted  out  before  using  1 

An  answer  to  these  questions  will  greatly  oblige 
one  who  has  in  vain  attempted  to  obtain  satisfae- 
tory  information  from  his  neighbors. 

NewionviUe. 


Remarks. — We  have  no  doubt  that  the  ashes  of 
anthracite  coal  are  valuable  fertilizers.  Where 
spread  on  somewhat  low  English  grass  land,  fine 
results  have  been  realized  ;  about  trees  they  keep 
the  ground  light  and  porous,  and  really  add  fertil- 
izing matter,  valuable  to  th^  tree,  as  will  be  seen 
by  the  analyses  below. 

The  composition  of  the  ash  of  anthracite  will  va- 
ry, of  course,  like  that  of  the  coal  itself.  The  fol- 
lowing analyses  by  Prof.  Norton  of  Yale  College, 
were  made  from  several  pecks  of  ashes,  obtained 
from  a  grate  in  which  the  coal  had  been  burned 
in  the  usual  way,  due  precaution  being  observed 
not  to  intermingle  the  ash  with  any  vegetable  re- 
mains from  the  fuel  employed  in  building  the  fires. 
Th^  constituents  of  100  parts  of  the  ashes  of  white 
and  red  <!?)al  yielded  of 

White  Ask.  Red  Ash. 

Matter  insoluble  in  acids 88.68 65  65 

Soluble  silica 0.09 1.24    " 

Alumina 3.36 4.24 

Iron 4.03 5.83 

Lii.ie 2  11 0.16 

Magnesia 0.19 2.01 

Soda 0.22 0.16 

Potash 0.15 0.11 

Phosphoric  acid 0.20 0.27 

Sulphuric  acid 0.86 0.43 

Chlorine 0.09 c.Ol 

99.98  100.11 

These  close  and  interesting  analyses,  says  Pro- 
fessor Norton,  afford  us  much  light  upon  the 
constitution  of  coal  ash,  and  enable  the  chemist 
who  has  studied  these  subjects  to  say  at  once  and 
with  confidence,  that  this  ash  is  of  some  value  as 
a  manure,  and  should  by  all  means  be  so  applied 
in  cases  where  it  can  be  obtainel  chcajly. 

In  an  analysis  by  M.  KL.\PROTn,  he  found  coal 


500 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Nor. 


ashes  to  consist  almost  entirely  of  the  various 
earths,  a  small  portion  of  charcoal,  and  the  saline 
matters  of  which  the  sulphate  of  lime,  (gypsum) 
and  lime  constitute  about  a  fourth. 

In  some  comparative  experiments  made  by  Lord 
Albemarle,  he  found  that  as  a  top  dressing  for 
most  of  the  grasses,  there  is  no  application  supe- 
rior to  coal  ashes. 

In  his  Gardener's  Magazine,  Mr.  Loudon  gives 
the  statement  of  a  correspondent,  who  says  he 
"sowed  on  the  15th  of  May  three  rows  of  Swedish 
Turnip.  No.  1,  was  manured  with  well-rotted 
dung  from  an  old  melon  bed.  No.  2,  with  the  tops 
of  cabbages  just  come  into  bloom.  No.  3,  with 
coal  ashes.  They  vegetated  about  the  same  time, 
but  the  row  manured  with  the  cabbage  tops 
seemed  to  suffer  most  from  the  drought ;  the  sea- 
son being  hot  and  dry, they  made  little  progress  un- 
til the  end  of  August,  and  in  November  they  were 
a  middling  orrather  abad  crop.  The  row  manured 
with  coal  ashes  had  all  along,  a  more  luxuriant 
appearance  than  the  other  two.  The  rows  were  20 
yards  in  length,  3  feet  apart,  and  15  inches  from 
plant  to  plant  in  the  row.  I  took  them  up  in  Feb 
ruary,  and  they  weighed  as  follows  :  No.  1, 78  lbs. ; 
No.  2,  88  lbs. ;  No.  3,  121  lbs.  ;  which  is  very 
much  in  favor  of  the  coal  ashes." 

We  would  call  the  attention  of  "M.  C,"  to 
this  article,  who  inquired  whether  "coal  ashes 
could  be  used  with  any  benefit  in  agriculture;" 
on  page  341  of  last  year's  volume.  AVe  had  not 
time  then  to  remark  upon  it,  and  referred  it  to  our 
correspondent.  See  also  an  article  on  page  474, 
same  volume,  by  Mr.  William  Stover,  of  West 
Hartford,  Ct.,  whose  experience  led  him  to  the 
conclusion  that  coal  ashes  is  valuable  as  a  fertil- 
izer. 

MEADOW  MUD. 

Though  urged  so  often,  we  must  suggest  again 
to  the  farmers  the  importance  of  getting  up  a  large 
quantity  of  this  valuable  absorbant  and  fertilizer. 
Haul  it  upon  the  uplands  ready  for  the  corn  land 
next  spring,  by  placing  a  large  shovel-fhll  in  each 
hill,  mingled  with  a  handful  of  guano. — N.  E. 
Farmer. 

Don't  do  any  such  thing.  Dig  the  mud  and 
make  a  pile,  mixing  a  bushel  of  lime  with  each 
cart-load,  which  you  have  slacked  with  brine  as 
strong  as  salt  can  make  it.  Use  this  substance  in 
your  stable  to  absorb  the  urine  and  gases.  Don't 
put  a  handful  of  guano  in  the  hill,  unless  you  wish 
to  kill  your  seed. — IS.  Y.  Tribune. 


this  to  be  slacked  with  brine  as  strong  as  salt  can 
make  it ! !  What  would  the  farmer's  corn  cost 
per  bushel,  with  his  manure  made  by  this  expen- 
sive process.  No,  no,  no  !  Haul  up  the  mud  and 
let  it  freeze,  and  to  a  shovel  full  of  it  to  each  hiU, 
in  the  spring,  add  a  half  gill,  or  a  whole  one,  of 
good  Peruvian  guano,  mix  it  thoroughly,  and  not 
a  kernel  of  your  corn  shall  be  injured  by  it.  We 
speak  from  our  personal  practice,  as  well  as  that 
of  many  about  us.  The  Tribune  must  be  in  the 
harness  and  furrow  a  little  longer,  before  its  doc- 
trines on  these  subjects  can  be  considered  relia- 
ble.'   

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

THE  MONTHLY  PARMER  FOR  SEP- 
TEMBER. 

So  various  and  extensive  are  the  subjects  dis- 
cussed by  the  editor  and  the  numerous  corres- 
pondents of  the  Farmer,  that  I  am  able  to  give 
only  a  bald  index  instead  of  a  Review  of  its 
monthly  contents. 

ABROAD. 

Agriculture  in  the  Sandwich  Islands,  p.  398  ; 
Eruption  of  Manua  Loa,  p.  399. 

AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGE. 

Advocated  by  "  J.  H.  R."  Dorchester,  in  an  ar- 
ticle headed  "Wants  of  Agriculture,"  p.  394.  He 
particularly  specifies  "  the  variety  of  treatment 
required  for  the  various  kinds  of  soils — the  proper 
mode  of  preparation  and  application  of  manures — 
the  adaptedness  of  particular  crops  to  particular 
localities,  and  the  proper  succession  of  crops,"  as 
subjects  on  which  he  anticipates  a  college  would 
throw  light. 

ART. 

Notice  of  taking  views  of  Mount  Vernon,  to  be 
used  in  an  ornamental  "diploma  of  membership  of 
the  National  Agricultural  Society,  p.  412. 

bees; 

Notice  of  L.  L.  Langstroth's  "  Manual  for  Bee- 
keepers," and  of  his  Movable  Comb  Hive,  p.  405  : 
with  an  extract  on  p.  431  from  the  Manual,  speci- 
fying some  of  the  valuable  peculiarities  of  his  hive. 
Experience  and  suggestions  on  keeping  bees,  p. 
401. 

BIRDS. 

Observations  on  the  migration  of  Swallows,  by 
J.  D.  Ward,  North  Ashburnham,  p.  397,  and  by 
L.  Durant,  Derby,  Ct.,  p.  410. 

BOOKS. 

Notice  of  an  old  one,  p.  397,  and  of  unworthy 
ones,  p.  407.  The  latter  ought  to  be  more  care- 
fully "  noticed  "  by  parents.  A  taste  for  this 
kind  of  literature  is  as  much  to  be  guarded  against 
as  a  taste  for  intoxicating  drinks. 


Remarks. — The  New  York  Tribune  has  "trav- 
elled out  of  the  record"  in  its  teachings  and  com- 
ments on  our  suggestion  as  to  the  use  of  meadow 
mud.  This  is  a  fair  specimen  of  the  sort  of  teach- 
ing which  discourages  the  farmer  more  than  any 
thing  else.  Talk  to  nine-tenths  of  the  farmers 
about  mixing  a  cask  of  lime  with  each  cart-load  of 
muck,  at  a  cost  of  $1  to  $1,25  for  each  cask,  and 


CATTLE. 

On  p.  417,  a  lif»-like  engraving  of  the  Ayrshire 
bull.  Prince  Albert,  owned  by  Mr.  Raynolds,  heads 
an  article  on  the  Ayrshire  breed.  Mr.  Hatch  gives 
an  account  of  his  cow,  a  cross  of  the  Alderney 
blood,  p.  409.  Two  articles  on  the  Garget — p. 
400,  the  Cow  Berry  recommended  as  a  cure  ;  the 
other,  p.  415,  advises,  first  prevention,  then  free 
use  of  cold  water,  in  which  "  A.  W.  C."  p.  436, 
agrees. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


501 


CULTIVATION. 

"  Notes  by  the  Way,"  on  several  farms  in  Es- 
ses county,  p.  425.  "  Old  Fields  "  is  an  earnest, 
sprightly  written  article  on  reclaiming  exhausted 
rye  fields,  which,  the  writer  hopes,  "  may  at  least 
elicit  information  from  others."  The  succeeding  ar- 
ticle,— "  Stubble  Lands — The  Roller," — in  which 
it  is  stated  that  an  acre  of  well  set  grass  land  con- 
tains from  "  thirty  to  forty  tons  of  soluble  mat- 
ter," better  explains  the  sterility  of  pine  plains, 
by  the  proportionate  absence  of  this  vegetable 
matter,  than  does  the  mineral  theory  on  Avhich 
the  article  on  old  fields  is  based.  I^aying  down 
land  to  grass,  with  turnips,  inquiries  and  answers, 
p.  406. 

CURIOUS. 

Bird's  eggs  in  a  cavity  in  the  middle  of  a  log,  p. 
408  ;  battle  between  a  hen  and  a  rat,  p.  406. 

FRUITS   AND   FRUIT    TREES. 

For  one,  I  wish  to  thank  the  writer  for  his 
lucid  article,  "An  hour  with  a  Budder,"  p.  396, 
which,  with  some  remarks  by  the  editor,  p.  412, 
on  the  general  principles  and  results  of  the  art, 
will,  I  hope,  induce  many  to  attempt  some  im- 
provement of  fruits  in  sections  where  improvement 
is  much  needed.  Two  articles  on  Grapes — one 
against  summer  pruning,  p.  407  ;  and  the  other, 
p.  432,  on  the  uses  and  value  of  the  fruit.  In- 
quiry for  best  sweet  apple,  p.  521  ;  directions  for 
drying  peaches,  and  discussion  by  members  of 
Massachusetts  Horticultural  Society  on  the  culti- 
vation of  the  Pear,  p.  422 ;  remarks  on  the  Cur- 
rant, with  a  cut  of  a  bunch  of  fruit  of  May's  Vic- 
toria ;  successful  upland  Cranberry  culture  in  Dan- 
vers. 

EXHIBITIONS. 

Vermont  State  Agricultural  Society,  p.  400  ; 
List  of  State  Fairs  in  1853,  and  of  County  exhibi- 
tions in  Massachusetts,  p.  414. 

EXPERIMENTS. 

In  manuring  Peas,  p.  415,  and  in  growing  the 
Marrow  Squash,  p.  419. 

GARDEN. 

Remarks  on  Earthing  up  Celery,  by  one  who 
took  the  first  prize  of  the  Massachusetts  Horticul- 
tural Society,  last  fall,  p.  425  ;  on  trimming  To- 
mato vines,  p.  430 ;  and  on  the  medicinal  and 
palatable  uses  of  this  fruit. 

HIGHWAYS. 

To  a  person  who  had  been  accustomed  to  the 
perplexities  of  street  feeding  that  prevails  in  most 
of  the  States  of  the  Union,  the  comparative  ab- 
sence of  cattle  in  the  highways  of  Massachusetts 
is  a  most  pleasing  feature.  Where  cattle  are  al- 
lowed to  run  at  large  in  the  highway,  a  quiet, 
peaceable  neighborhood  can  hardly  be  expected  ; 
for  encroachments  upon  the  rights  of  neighbors 
are  so  frequent  as  to  keep  bad  feelings  constantly 
stirred  up,  as  the  result  (5f  disputes,  quarrels,  or 
litigation.  The  article,  "  Highways— a  beautiful 
Feature,"  p.  404,  gives  us  a  picture  of  a  highway 
that  might  be  cheaply  realized,  but  which  is  too 
seldom  seen. 

IMPLEMENTS. 

II.  F.  French,  Esq.,  gives  a  description  of  a 
trial  of  one  of  Ketchum's,  and  one  of  Emery's 
Mowing  Machines,  which  he  witnessed  in  Green- 
bush,  N.  Y.     As  many  farmers  are  beginning  to 


think  of  mowing  as  well  as  raking  by  machines, 
this  plain  account  of  the  practical  operation  of  two 
different  machines  will  be  very  acceptable — p.  39o. 
In  "  Notes  by  the  Way,"  however,  we  are  told 
by  the  writer  that,  on  the  farm  of  Mr.  Waters,  of 
Beverly,  he  saw  "  a  mowing  machine,  that  had 
been  operated  a  little,  laid  aside  for  want  of  skill 
in  those  who  worked  it," — p.  426.  Such  fiiilures, 
at  first,  are  to  be  expected.  David  Lyman,  of  Mid- 
dletown,  Ct.,  has  tried  one  of  Ketchum's,  and 
speaks  highly  of  its  operations, — p.  416.  On  p. 
401,  we  find  a  cut  and  descriptionof  a  Hoeing  Ma- 
chine, and  on  p.  433,  are  cuts  of  pruning  and  bud- 
ding knives,  and  a  Scraper.  Good  tools  are  cer- 
tainly desirable  ;  but  I  would  caution  boys  against 
excusing  themselves  from  acquiring  a  practical 
knowledge  of  budding  and  grafting  on  the  ground 
of  the  want  of  the  full  card  of  knives  here  pictured 
out.  The  results  of  this  art  are  so  wonderful,  that 
those  who  have  never  practised  it  are  apt  to  sup- 
pose the  process  more  difficult  and  complicated 
than  it  is.  Many  families  of  boys  grow  up  to  ma- 
turity without  any  practice,  and  often  with  the 
impression  that  there  is  some  mystery  in  the  art, 
that  puts  success  out  of  their  reach.  Boys,  and 
girls  too,  with  nothing  but  ordinary  pocket  knives, 
a  nice  little  "ivory"  wedge  made  of  some  hard 
wood,  and  a  single  leaf  of  the  Farmer, — "  An  hour 
with  a  Budder  " — may,  if  they  try,  change  worth- 
less apples,  plums,  pears,  &c.,  to  the  best  fruit 
that  grows  in  the  neighborhood — and  then  buy 
better  knives  when  they  have  opportunity.  Gar- 
den and  Fire  Engines,  recommended,  p.  404.  No- 
tice of  Ax  making  in  East  Douglas,  p.  433. 

INSECTS. 

Tobacco  liquor  for  the  onion  worm,  p.  400  ;  To 
prevent  bugs  from  eating  vines,  p.  402  ;  Three 
articles  on  the  Canker  or  Palmer  worm,  by  which 
it  appears  that  it  has  been  observed  in  small  num- 
bers for  several  years,  in  some  places. 

MANURES. 

Leached  ashes  recommended  for  top  dressing  and 
for  peach  and  apple  trees,  p.  390.  But,  say  some 
hundred  voices,  at  once,  every  body  knows  ashes 
to  be  good,  and  we  use  all  we  can  get.  Do  you  ? 
If  you  have  a  swamp  on  your  farm,  read  what  Mr. 
Stevens  says  about  making  ashes,  p.  423.  Food 
for  crops,  p.  416,  is  suggestive,  rather  than  dicta- 
torial ;  calculated  rather  to  set  farmers  to  think- 
ing for  themselves,  than  to  save  them  this  trouble 
by  specific  directions.  In  the  article  ob  "  Old 
Fields,"  p.  426,  the  theory  of  "  Mineral  Manures  " 
is  relied  upon.  The  writer  says,  of  our  old  rye- 
fields,  "There  is  still  vegetable  mould;  and  the 
pabulum  of  other  plants,  than  rye,  still  exist  in 
sufficient  quantities."  Now,  I  supposed  the  very 
thing  these  old  fields  lacked  was  vegetable  mold, 
and  thought  science  confirmed  this  supposition. 
On  page  88  of  Albany  Cultivator  for  1845,  is  a 
table  of  analyses  of  specimens  of  several  Kentucky 
soils,  which,  but  for  want  of  room,  I  would 
copy.  The  writer  says,  "  The  above  analysis 
shows  that  all  our  old  fields  want  is  vegetable 
matter."  Prof.  Wells,  of  Cambridge,  who  de- 
voted the  summer  of  1851  to  analyzing  the  soils 
of  Ohio,  in  the  employ  of  the  State  Board  of  Agri- 
culture, says  the  reason  of  the  difference  between 
the  rich  soils  of  Ohio  and  the  poor  soils  of  Massa- 
chusetts, "  will  not,  probably,  be  found  in  their 
mineral    constituents."— Mass.    Trans.    1851,  p. 


502 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Nor, 


237.     Inquiries  as  to  the  value  of  Cow  manure,  p 
424. 

MEABOWS.    * 

On  p.  402,  413,  and  423,  we  find  the  details  of 
successful  meadow  cultivation.  A  few  years  since, 
the  farmers  of  Massachusetts  hardly  knew  what 
to  do  with  their  meadows  ;  now  they  would  not 
know  what  to  do  without  them. 

^      MISCELLANEOUS. 

"  The  Thriraess  Farmer."  "  Hitching  Posts  " 
for  horses,  recommended  instead  of  using  shade 
trees  and  front  fences  for  that  purpose.  "  Rough 
Paint"  for  carts,  fences,  &c.  "  Saleratus." 
"  Monthly  Farmer  for  August."  "  Mr. Webster's 
Mansion."  "  Discoveries  and  Improvements." 
Hints  on  "  Shelter."  Comments  on  Swine,  Breed- 
ing SowSj  Sheep,  Plowing,  &c.,  p.  421. 

POTATOES. 

Of  the  four  short  articles  in  this  number  of  the 
Farmer,  three  are  suggested  by  the  disease  thai 
has  so  long  baffled  the  skill  of  the  learned,  and 
the  experiments  of  the  practical  farmer. 

ROTATION   OF   CROPS. 

The  natural  tendency  of  the  soil  to  a  change  of 
production,  illustrated  by  facts  in  relation  to  the 
change  of  timber  in  forests,  p.  395. 

SCIENTIFIC. 

"  Action  of  Drought  on  Plants,"  an  article.from 
a  London  paper.  Draining  has  been  so  universally 
recommended  in  English  Agriculture,  as  the  first 
and  last  requisite  of  good  farming,  that  I  had  sup- 
posed its  climate  was  so  moist  as  never  to  suffer, 
as  here,  from  drought.  This  article,  however, 
says,  "  The  present  season  has  afforded  abundant 
illustrations  of  the  effect  of  the  want  of  moisture 
on  the  several  plants  the  farmer  has  to  cultivate 
"Ammonia,"  by  Prof.  Johnston,  and  "Laying 
down  to  Grass,"  by  the  same.  "Analyzing  Soils, 
Farming  Science,  &c.,"  is  an  article  that  shows  up 
BOipe  of  the  extravagances  that  are  put  forth  in 
the  name  of  science. 

THE   SEASON. 

In  presenting  "  some  of  thg  aspects  of  nature 
about  the  farm  in  the  first  autumnal  month,"  and 
reminding  us  there  is  still  "  work  enough  to  do," 
the  editor  blends  the  poetical  with  the  sterner  du- 
ties of  the  season.  It  is  well  that  he  should  ;  for 
the  hard  knocks,  the  sweats  and  freezes,  one  gets 
on  a  farm  in  our  climate  is  apt  to  beat  the  poetry 
all  out«f  a  fellow.  Vegetation  generally  is  repre- 
sented as  unusually  vigorous  throughout  New 
England,  though  apples  will  be  scarce,  and  pota- 
toes more  or  less  rotten. 

TRANSACTIONS. 

Nos.  1  and  2,  (p.  409,  417,)  of  a  series  of  Arti- 
cles on  the  Volume  of  Transactions  of  the  Agri- 
cultural Societies  of  Massachusetts,  for  1852,  by 
one  who  has  thus  far  manifested  the  right  sort  of 
ability  for  the  somewhat  difficult  task  he  has  un 
der  taken. 

WALKS.       WARTS. 

Recipe  for  making  the  one,  p.  400,  and  for  cur- 
ing the  other,  p.  398.  A  Reader. 
Winchester,  Sept.  15,  1853. 


Old  Horses  should  be  driven  by  old  people.  Till 
you  have  the  rheumatics  yourself,  you  cannot  prop- 
erly sympathize  with  the  spavins  of  other  people. 


WORCESTER  AGRICULTURAL  FAIR. 

The  Worcester  Agricultural  Society  held  its 
thirty-fifth  annual  Eair  in  the  city  of  Worcester 
to-day.  The  yard  enclosedJbr  the  pens  contains 
a  little  more  than  seven  acres,  and  is  located 
about  half  a  mile  west  of  the  court  house.  It  was 
purchased  and  prepared  at  an  expense  of  some- 
thing over  $4,000.  The  fence  around  the  enclo- 
sure is  about  eight  feet  high,  supported  by  sub- 
stantial granite  posts.  The  whole  enclosure  is 
perfectly  level  and  in  every  way  is  a  most  con- 
venient and  appropriate  spot  for  such  a  display. 
A  spacious  tent  was  erected  within  the  southwest 
part  of  the  enclosure,  under  which  were  the  tables 
for  the  dinner,  and  the  preparations  for  the  ad- 
dress. This  is  the  first  time  that  the  Society  has 
made  the  experiment  of  charging  a  fee  for  admis- 
sion to  the  fair,  which  on  this  occasion  was  only 
ten  cents. 

Fat  Cattle. — Of  these  there  were  some  fine  spec- 
imens. We  noticed  particularly  one  pair  of  oxen 
by  Mr.  Fitch  Winchester,  of  Southboro,  one  of 
which  weighed  2315  lbs.  and  the  other  2205. 
Others  by  Lewis  Hastings,  of  Sterling,  John  Wat- 
son, of  Princeton,  Samuel  Ellsworth,  of  Barre,were 
very  good,  and  one  very  handsome  pair  ofDur- 
hams  by  Charles  H.  Newton,  of  Shrewsbury, 
weighed  4560  lbs.  Mr.  Harrison  Bacon,  of  Barre, 
and  Charles  Bowen,  of  Worcester,  exhibited  some 
fine  fat  cows. 

Stoek. — Some  fine  bulls  were  exhibited  in  this 
department,  among  them  the  largest  and  most 
worthy  of  attention  were  one  by  John  Park,  of 
Millbury,  of  the  Ayrshire  breed,  very  fine  ;  one  by 
Phineas  A.  Beaman,  of  Princeton,  a  full  blood 
Durham,  weighing  1785  lbs.  one  by  Lewis  S.  Taft, 
of  Uxbridge,  one  fourth  Ayrshire  and  one  fourth 
Galloway,  and  one  by  Silas  Bailey,  of  Boylston,  a 
Devon  three  years  old,  weighing  1500  lbs.  Of 
Heifers,  Steers  and  Calves,  there  was  a  great  num- 
ber on  the  ground,  consisting  of  Ayrshire,  De- 
von, Durham  and  native  breeds.  Of  Swine  there 
was  a  very  good  number,  principally  of  the  Suffolk 
breed.  Of  Sheep  there  was  only  a  small  number, 
of  Irishmixed,  Merino,  native  and  Dishley  breeds. 

Of  poultry  there  was  a  fine  assortment,  com- 
posed of  turkeys,  ducks,  shanghais,  chittagongs 
andcommon  barnyard  fowls.  Of  the  latter,  a  most 
beautiful  collection  was  presented  by  Mr.  J.  H. 
Hero,  of  Westboro,  called  Bolton  Greys.  Some 
very  handsome  pigeons  were  exhibited  by  Mr.  E. 
L.  Bingham,  of  Worcester,  seven  varieties,  and 
by  Wm.  C.  Ripley,  twelve  varieties. 

Of  horses  there  was  not  a  great  number  ;  one 
black  colt  of  two  years  old,  by  Joel  Richardson,  of 
Templeton,  attracted  attention  by  his  size  and  ex- 
cellent training.  He  was  driven  in  a  buggy  made 
by  George  Kenncy,  of  Worcester.  His  weight 
was  1034  lbs.,  of  the  Morgan  and  Black  Hawk 
stock. 

Of  agricultural  implements   there   were  none 
that  we  noticed  except   a  large  assortment  of 
plows,   feed  Cutters,   ifec,   by   Ruggles,  Nourse,   ' 
Mason  &  Co.     Of  butter  and  cheese,  there  were 
only  about  a  dozen  contributions  of  each. 

THE   PLOWING   MATCH. 

This  commenced  at  nine  o'clock,  on  land  of 
Charles  Hawdin,  Esq.  The  soil  was  a  light  loam, 
a  portion  of  which  had  recently  been  laid  down  in 
clover,  and  a  portion  having  an  older  and  closer 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


503 


sward.  Twenty-one  ox-teams  engaged  in  the  com- 
petition, and  two  teams  of  horses,  one  owned  by 
Charles  Dresser,  of  Worcester,  and  the  other  by 
Leonard  S.  Wheelock,  of  Grafton.  The  plow  used 
by  Mr.  Dresser's  team,  was  Ruggles,  Nourse,  & 
Mason's  No.  33  improved,  a  double  plow,  and  the 
furrow  was  ten  inches  in  depth.  The  peculiarity 
of  this  double  plow  is,  that  the  small  forward 
plow  removes  the  upper  surflice  of  the  Xurf,  and 
the  succeeding  one  throws  upon  it  the  soil  which 
it  turns  up.  It  has  been  proved  by  experiments 
with  the  dynamometer  that  ten  per  cent,  less 
power  is  required  by  the  use  of  the  double  plow 
than  by  a  single  one,  plowing  the  same  depth. 
The  amount  plowed  by  each  team  was  about  one- 
thirteenth  of  an  acre,  and  the  depth  required  to 
be  plowed  was  seven  inches.  There  was  one  plow 
onlyof  Proutyifc  Mears,  No.  85,  seventeen  of  Rug- 
gles, Nourse  &  Mason,  of  different  numbers,  and 
four  of  Martin's. 

The  time  occupied  in  plowing  was  from  twenty- 
nine  to  forty-four  minutes.  The  work  was  well 
done,  with  little  noise  and  whipping  on  the  part 
of  the  drivers.  The  regulations  for  preserving 
order  under  the  direction  of  the  Committee,  of 
which  Otis  Adams,  Esq.  of  Grafton,  was  Chairman, 
were  excellent  and  well  observed. 

Immediately  after  the  close  of  the  plowing,  a 
test  of  drawing  by  working  oxen  was  made.  For 
this  purpose,  two  carts  loaded  with  stones  were 
prepared,  weighing  with  their  contents  two  tons. 
The  contest  was  conducted  by  the  committee  on 
working  oxen,  Daniel  Lee,  Esq.,  of  Barre,  Chair- 
man. About  thirty  teams  were  entered  as  com- 
petitors. The  carts  were  located  at  the  base  of  a 
hill  rising  at  an  inclination  of  about  four  degrees. 
The  teams  were  required  to  draw  the  load  to  the 
top  of  the  hill,  a  distance  of  about  two  hundred 
feet,  and  back  again  to  a  line  at  about  the  middle 
of  the  hill,  where  they  were  required  to  stop  and 
try  their  power  in  backing  the  load  up  the  hill. 

There  vere  nine  persons  who  competed  in  a 
drawing  match  with  three  year  old  steers. 

This  part  of  the  exhibition  attracted  much  at- 
tention, and  exhibited  a  degree  of  good  training 
on  the  part  of  the  cattle  of  Worcester  county,  not 
to  be  excelled  any  where.  We  could  not  but 
notice  a  marked  difference  between  the  cattle  of 
the  Durham  breed  and  others  in  their  respective 
execution  of  backing  the  cart  up  the  hill.  In  this 
the  Durhams  were  awkward  generally,  and  in  no 
instance  that  we  noticed,, doing  the  work  with  the 
promptness  and  directnes  of  the  native  breeds. 

THE    DINNER. 

Tables  were  prepared  for  about  three  hundred 
and  fifty  persons  under  the  tent  within  the  enclo- 
sure. T&ese  were  placed  at  one  end  of  the  tent, 
leaving  about  three-fourths  of  the  space  unoccu- 
pied. There  was  in  nothing,  connected  with  the 
Fair,  such  an  apparent  want  of  preparation  as  in 
the  arrangements  for  dinner.  This  was  owing, 
doubtless,  to  the  inauspicious  state  of  the  weather 
on  the  previous  day.  The  company  sat  down  at 
two  o'clock.  The  Divine  blessing  was  invoked  by 
the  Rev,  Horace  James,  of  Worcester,  chaplain  of 
the  day.  Among  the  distinguished  gentlemen  at 
the  table  we  noticed  Ex-Gov's  Lincoln  and  Bout- 
well,  Dr.  Stephen  Reed,  of  Berkshire  county,  Gen. 
Thos.  Chamberlain,  Hon.  Stephen  Salisbury,  Rev. 
Mr.  Paine,  of  Holden,  and  Charles  L.  Flint,  Esq., 
Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Agriculture. 


THE  ADDRESS. 

The  lion.  Isaac  Davis  then  congratulated  the 
Society  on  its  prosperity  in  possessing  the  ground 
on  which  the  Fair  was  held,  and  on  the  fact  that 
they  would  by  another  year  possess  in  addition 
two  large  halls,  75  by  55  feet  in  dimensions.  He 
then  introduced  Gov.  Boutwell  as  the  son  of  a 
Worcester  county  former,  and  one  who,  though 
educated  in  the  people's  university,  the  common 
school,  had  managed  one  of  Uncle  Sam's  large 
farms  successfully  for  two  years. 

Mr.  Boutwell  commenced  by  saying  that  the 
occasion  was  thrice  blessed  ;  in  the  general  abun- 
dance of  the  harvest,  the  quiet  beauty  above  them, 
and  the  glorious  landscape  spread  around.  He 
craved  indulgence  in  speaking  upon  an  old  theme. 
Agriculture  was  to  be  considered  in  its  relations  to 
the  individual  men  engaged  in  it,  and  to  the 
country  or  great  community  of  interests.  Success 
in  any  department  was  a  magic  word.  The  suc- 
cess of  the  farmer  was  not  mere  gain  ;  he  can  never 
count  his  gold  by  millions  though  he  may  acquire 
a  competency.  The  difference  among  wealthy 
men  in  the  amount  of  success  they  secure  is  ideal. 
Let  the  farmer  have  health,  a  sufficient  quantity 
of  land,  taste,  industry,  perseverance,  system, 
science,  experience,  learning,  love  and  respect  for 
his  calling,  churches  and  schools,  patriotism,  and 
finally,  that  happy  competency  which  neither  op- 
presses with  fear  of  want  or  fear  of  loss,  and  he  is 
a  successful  man. 

He  went  on  to  speak  at  length  of  the  necessity 
of  learning  and  experience  for  the  fullest  success, 
and  said  that  agriculture,  more  than  any  other 
branch  of  industry,  was  dependent  on  the  past. 
It  was  an  ancient  science,  and  it  was  reasonable 
to  suppose  that  something  might  be  gleaned  from 
ancient  writers  on  the  subject,  whose  maxims  were 
the  result  of  their  experience.  The  successful  men 
would  be  the  men  of  system.  This  was  illustrated 
by  the  old  maxims,  that  a  rolling  stone  gathers 
no  moss,  and  that  he  who  runs  seldom  rides.  Men 
of  system  never  roll  nor  run,  but  pursuing  steadily 
the  great  idea  of  their  lives  they  succeed.  There 
is  less  of  system  in  agriculture  than  in  any  other 
department  of  labor  in  New  England. 

He  spoke  with  great  disapprobation  of  the  dis- 
position of  farmers  to  acquire  very  large  farms, 
and  of  the  desire  to  migrate  to  the  West  to  gratify 
that  disposition.  Gentlemen  who  are  desirous  of 
migration  there  for  such  a  purpose,  should  be  re- 
minded that  though  the  West  has  many  attrac- 
tions it  is  not  altogether  a  paradise.  He  who  has 
a  home,  whether  his  acres  be  broad  or  not,  in  the 
presence  of  New  England  schools  and  churches, 
and  under  the  influence  of  an  advanced  and  ad- 
vancing civilization,  is  among  the  favored  men  of 
the  country  or  the  world.  Mr.  B.  dwelt  at  con- 
siderable length  on  the  evil  of  allowing  the  per- 
petual donation  by  will,  of  large  estates  for  found- 
ing charitable  or  other  institutious,  regarding  it 
as  equally  pernicious  with  the  laws  of  primogen- 
ture  in  England. 

He  entered  also  quite  fully  into  the  necessity  of 
free  trade  for  the  prosperity  of  the  former.  The 
address  on  the  whole,  we  thought  too  metaphysi- 
cal for  his  audience,  having  less  of  that  practical 
bearing  than  was  desirable,  though  evmcing  great 
ability  and  an  earnest  conviction  of  the  impor- 
tance of  its  subject. 

Dr.  Stephen  Reed,   of  Berkshire  county,  was 


504 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Nov. 


then  introduced,  who  spoke  briefly,  expressing  his 
gratification  of  what  he  had  witnessed  of  the  suc- 
cess of  the  farmers  of  Worcester  county. 

Mr.  Flint,  Secretary  of  ihe  Board  of  Agriculture, 
then  spoke  at  considerable  length,  expressing  his 
gratification  at  the  prospects  of  the  Worcester  Ag- 
ricultural Society  and  the  exhibition  which  he  had 
witnessed,  and  closed  by  giving  the  following  sen- 
timent : 

The  Progress  of  Agriculture — May  the  enthusi- 
asm of  our  farmers  never  be  less  than  it  is  to-day. 

The  Committee  then  made  their  report|^  and 
announced  the  premiums  awarded. — Traveller. 


AN  IMPORTANT  MOVEMENT. 

Agriculture  can  never  take  its  true  position 
among  the  arts  until  its  condition  is  better  under- 
stood. We  will  say  nothing  of  it  at  present  on  its 
scientific  relations,  but  call  the  attention  of  the 
reader  for  a  moment  to  the  deplorable  darkness 
which  enshrouds  its  statistics,  and  involves  what 
all  ought  to  know  in  doubt  and  uncertainty.  It  is 
believed  that  the  cotton  and  woollen  manufactui-- 
ers  of  the  commonwealth  would  be  able  to  state 
with  accuracy  within  a  week,  the  whole  number 
of  yards  they  produce  of  cottons  and  woollens,  in 
all  their  varied  names  and  styles ;  and  that  the 
shoe  manufacturers,  and  most  of  the  mechanics, 
could  also  make  satisfactory  returns  of  the  pro- 
ducts of  their  industry,  at  any  moment  when  re- 
quired so  to  do. 

But  it  is  not  so  with  ihe  farmer.  In  our  staple 
crops,  we  can  only  approximate  the  true  condi- 
tion. Who  can  tell  the  average,  per  acre,  of  the 
corn,  potatoes,  wheat,  rye,  barley  and  oat  crops, 
and  the  average  cost  of  each,  per  bushel,  through 
a  series  of  five  or  ten  years  ?  Who  knows  how 
many  milch  cows  there  are  in  the  State,  in  the 
aggregate  ?  to  ask  nothing  of  what  breeds  and 
of  what  value  they  are.  Without  settling  this 
preliminary  inquiry,  it  is  vain  to  ask  what  the 
product  of  milk,  butter  and  cheese  is,  through- 
out the  State.  Who  can  tell  the  cost  of  beef, 
per  hundred,  or  of  pork,  or  mutton,  so  that  the 
farmer,  finding  the  average  price  in  the  market 
for  a  series  of  years,  can  have  certain  data  up- 
on which  to  estimate  his  profits'?  or  whether  it  will 
answer  at  all  for  him  to  engage  in  this  branch  of 
husbandry?  How  many  farmers,  when  they  sell 
their  stock  alive,  have  any  definite  idea  of  the 
shrinkage  which  should  justly  be  deducted,  so  as 
to  leave  them  the  fair  weight  to  which  they  are 
entitled  1  And  so  of  numerous  other  questions 
not  enumerated  below. 

We  take  great  pleasure  in  laying  the  circular 
which  follows  before  our  readers.  It  will  be  of 
importance  to  those  in  other  States,  as  it  may  be 
suggestive  of  similar  operations  among  their  own 
people.  We  hope  every  person  to  whom  it  has 
been  sent,  will  promptly  and  faithfully  respond  to 
these  inquiries  of  the  Secretary.  Alone  and  sin- 
gle handed,  his  efforts,  though_ever  80  well-timed 


and  strenuous,  can  advance  but  little  the  great 
cause  in  which  we  are  engaged.  The  information 
desired  lies  among  the  people,  and  must  come 
through  them  to  some  official  centre,  where  it  may 
be  collated  and  there  scattered  broad  cast  through 
the  States. 

Much  of  the  information  desired  may  be  obtained 
from  the. books  of  the  Assessors  in  the  several 
towns,  and  what  cannot  be  got  at  there,  we  trust 
the  friends  of  the  cause  will  use  every  proper  exer- 
tions to  supply  within  the  time  specified.  If  gen- 
tlemen to  whom  this  circular  has  been  sent  can- 
not attend  to  it  they  should  place  it  in  the  hands 
of  some  person  who  will. 

Board  of  Agbicultube,         > 
Secretary's  Office,  Boston,  Sept.  ist,  1853.  5 

Dear  Sir  : — I  desire  to  obtain  from  each  town 
in  the  State,  such  facts  and  statistics  as  will  enable 
me  to  make  an  accurate  statement  of  the  present 
condition  of  our  Agriculture. 

Any  aid  which  you  may  be  able  to  render  me, 
either  of  your  knowledge,  or  by  interesting  other 
intelligent  and  observing  men  to  furnish  me  with 
the  desired  information  will  be  gratefully  ac- 
knowledged. 

Your  attention  is  more  particularly  called  to  the 
following  inquiries,  with  such  other  suggestions 
and  observations  as  may  be  interesting  and  useful 
to  your  town,  and  to  the  friends  of  Agricultural 
improvement  throughont  the  State  : — 

1.  What  are  the  chief  products  of  your  town  ? 

2.  The  estimated  number  of  acres  devoted  to 
each? 

3.  The  average  yield  per  acre  of  Grain  and  In- 
dian Corn  ? 

4.  What  attention  is  paid  to  raising  field  crops 
of  Beets,  Carrots,  Ruta  Bagas,  &c. ,  and  what  is  the 
average  yield  per  acre,  of  each  ? 

5.  What  is  the  average  yield  per  acre  of  Eng- 
lish Hay? 

6.  The  increase  per  acre,  within  the  last  ten  or 
fifteen  years,  arising  from  improved  cultivation,  or 
from  reclaiming  meadow  and  waste  lands  ? 

7.  The  estimated  number  of  acres  of  reclaimed 
land? 

8.  Is  there  an  increasing  or  decreasing  number 
of  acres  in  tillage  ? 

9.  Is  there  an  increasing  or  decreasing  number 
of  acres  in  pasturage  ? 

10.  Is  the  value  of  farm  land  increasing  or  de- 
creasing ? 

11.  What  is  the  estimated  per  cent,  realized  on 
the  value  of  farms,  and  the  capital  invested  in  the 
management  of  the  same  ? 

12.  The  estimated  number  of  acres  of  woodland, 
and  the  average  value  per  acre  ? 

13.  The  estimated  rate  of  increase  or  decrease 
of  woodland  ? 

14.  What  Manures  are  chiefly  used,  and  how 
applied?  What  attention  is  paid  to  composting, 
and  what  is  believed  to  be  the  most  pr  ofitable  mode 
of  doing  it  ? 

15.  What  per  cent,  increase  of  Manure  might 
be  made  on  your  farms,  with  reasonable  care,  and 
by  what  means  ? 

16.  What  degree  of  attention  is  paid  to  the 
breeding  of  stock? 

17.  What  breed  of  Milch  Cows  and  AVorking 
Oxen  is  most  esteemed  ? 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


505 


18.  What  is  the  average  quantity,  per  day,  of 
Milk  and  Butter  from  a  single  animal  of  each 
breed  of  Cows  1 

19.  What  is  the  number  of  full-blooded  animals 
of  each  breed  of  Horses,  Cows,  Sheep,  Swine, 
&c.? 

20.  What  are  the  principal  breeds  of  Sheep, 
and  what  is  their  average  value  per  head  ? 

21.  What  are  the  breeds  of  Swine  most  esteemed, 
and  the  comparative  value  of  each  1 

22.  Is  it  supposed  that  Pork  can  be  raised  with 
profit  in  your  town  1 

23.  What  is  the  amount  of  Tobacco  raised  in 
your  town? 

24.  What  quantity  of  Cranberries  is  annually 
gathered  1 

25.  What  attention  is  given  to  the   cultivation 
of  Cranberries,  and  what  is   the  estimated  yield 
per  acre  of  the  cultivated  and  uncultivated  ? 
'    26.  AVhat  quantity  of  Broom  Corn  is  raised? 

27.  What  attention  is  given  to  the  cultivation 
of  Fruit,  and  with  what  result  on  the  increased 
profits  of  the  farm  ? 

28.  The  estimated  proportion  of  native  and  for- 
eign laborers  employed  on  your  farms,  and  what 
is  the  average  pay  to  each  class  per  month  1 

AVill  you  oblige  me  by  answering  as  fully  as 
pos8il)le  before  the  first  of  November  ? 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant,* 
Charles  L.  Flint, 
Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Agriculture. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

THE    FRAMINGHAM    AGRICULTURAL 

SOCIETY. 

The  annual  exhibition  of  the  above  society  was 
held  in  Framingham  Centre  on  Tuesday,  27th  inst. 

The  plowing  match  came  off  at  9  o'clock,  with 
both  horse  and  ox  teams,  and  the  work  was  done 
remarkably  well.  It  must  have  been  a  difficult 
matter,  however,  for  the  judges  to  decide  who  were 
entitled  to  the  premiums.  On  the  ground,  we 
noticed  a  sample  of  the  old-fashioned  plowing,  done 
by  a  plow  of"  70,"  drawn  by  three  yoke  of  oxen, 
accompanied  by  four  men  to  drive  and  hold  the 
plow  ;  the  whole  was  quite  amusing,  and  gave  a 
practical  illustration  of  the  advance  made  in  this 
branch  of  agriculture.  The  exhibition  at  the  pens 
was  very  fine,  especially  for  the  milch  cows,  heifers 
and  bulls  ;  there  was  a  fine  full  blood  Jersey  bull, 
that  took  the  first  premium  ;  also,  a  fine  Ayrshire 
and  two  Devon  bulls  ;  there  were  many  fine  cows 
of  the  Jersey,  Ayrshire,  Devon  and  native  breeds, 
that  were  much  admired.  A  gentleman  who  had 
just  returned  from  the  Vermont  and  New  York 
State  Fairs,  remarilkl  that  he  saw  there  no  such 
fine  animals  of  these  breeds ;  also,  that  our  ap- 
ples, peach  and  some  other  fruits  were  superior  to 
what  he  had  seen  exhibited  there. 

The  address  was  delivered  in  the  Orthodox 
church,  by  the  Rev.  Samuel  Robbins,  of  Concord, 
and  was  attentively  listened  to,  the  audience  ap- 
pearing much  pleased  with  it.  The  dinner  at  the 
Town  Hall,  came  off  at  two  o'clock  ;  the  tables 
were  well  filled,  the  larger  proportion  of  the  com- 
pany being  ladies.     Speeches  were  made   by  the ^^^^ ^^  .,^^  ..,^j  ^.>...« —  

President  of  the  Society,  the  orator  of  the  day,  and  although  the  sod  was  rendered  stiff  and  heavy 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Bodwell,  Messrs.  L.  Sabine,  C.  R.  by  the  rain,  the  task  was  in  all  cases  speedily  ac- 
Trajn,  J.  W.  Clark,  and  others;  and  the  whole  complished,  and  generally  in  a  very  handsome  apd 
affair  passed  off  very  satisfactorily  to  all  concern- 1  creditable  manner.     The  premiums  which  are  giv- 


ed.  We  heard  many  regrets  that  the  Editor  of  the 
Farmer  was  not  able  to  be  pi^sent  on  the  occasion 
to  judge  for  himself,  what  progress  the  farmers  of 
this  portion  of  old  Middlesex  had  made. 

A  Looker  On. 

NORFOLK  CO.  AGRICULTURAL    SHOW, 

AT    DEDHAU,    MASS. 

Notwithstanding  the  unpleasantness  of  the 
weather  Wednesday  morning,  there  was  a  numer- 
ous gathering  of  the  sons  and  daughters  of  old  Nor- 
folk, to  witness  the  festivities  of  the  Fair,  and  the 
hall  of  exhibition  has  been  thronged  by  visitors. 
There  have  been  a  number  of  additions  to  the  dis- 
play of  horses,  cattle  and  poultry,  since  Tuesday; 
although,  undoubtedly  the  rainy  weather  has  had 
the  effect  of  discouraging  many  from  making  en- 
tries. No  sheep  were  exhibited.  We  have  al- 
ready alluded,  in  a  previous  report,  to  the  fine 
display  of  fruits,  flowei's  and  vegetables,  which  oc- 
cupied a  portion  of  the  lower  hall.  The  remainder 
of  the  apartment  was  partitioned  off  from  the  main 
room,  for  the  use  of  the  ladies'  fair,  the  produce 
of  which  was  to  be  devoted  towards  the  payment 
of  the  new  building.  The  ladies'  fair  was,  per- 
haps, the  chief  point  of  attraction  in  the  exhibi- 
tion. It  was  crowded  from  morning  till  night,  by 
individuals  desirous  either  of  purchasing  some  of 
the  innumerable  articles  of  utility,  chiefly  needle 
work,  with  which  most  of  the  tables  were  covered, 
or  to  partake  of  the  substantial  meats  and  delica- 
cies which  graced  the  boards  ;  or,  what  perhaps 
was  quite  as  powerful  an  atti'action,  to  take  a  peep 
at  the  fair  venders,  who  were  stationed  behind  the 
tables.  The  Dorchester  ladies  had  taken  an  active 
part  in  providing  these  arrangements,  and  many 
representatives  of  that  town  were  present.  One 
corner  of  the  room  was  devoted  specially  to  the 
accommodation  of  Moll  Pitcher,  who  reclined  at 
ease  under  an  evergreen  bower,  and  expounded 
fortunes  to  the  curious  passers-by.  On  the  outer 
wall  of  the  ladies'  apartment  was  the  following 
inscription  : — 

i"The  world  was  sad,  the  garden  was  a  wild, 
And  man,  the  hermit,  sighed  till  woman  smiled." 

Before  we  leave  the  exhibition  building,  we 
would  also  notice,  among  the  display  of  domestic 
manufactures,  some  elegant  designs  for  paper  or 
prints,  executed  by  !Miss  Olive  C.  Guild,  of  Ded- 
ham.  We  hope  to  see  more  specimens  of  the  kind 
next  season. 

It  was  anticipated  by  many,  that  the  unfavora- 
bleness  of  the  weather  which  prevailed  would 
cause  delay  in  all  or  most  of  the  proceedings  of  the 
occasion.  But  those  who  entertained  this  opinion 
were  not  aware  that  Mr.  Thomas  Adams,  of  Rox- 
bury,  was  Chief  Marshal — a  gentleman  who  is  no- 
ted abroad  as  at  home  for  his  prompt  and  faith- 
ful performance  of  every  duty  which  falls  to  his 
lot.  Under  his  generalship  everything  through- 
out the  day  was  accomplished  with  great  regular- 
ity, and  in  excellent  time. 

Half- past  nine  o'clock  was  the  hour  appointed 
for  the  plowing-raatch  to  come  off.  Twenty  teams 
were  entered  for  the  trial,  comprising  eight  ox, 
eight  double  ox,  and  four  horse  teams.  At  the 
appointed  time  they  started   from  their  stations, 


506 


NEW  EPv  GLAND  FARMER. 


Nor. 


en  below,  will  show  the  respective  merits  of  the 
teams.  • 

The  spading  match  was  certainly  the  most  ex- 
citing, if  not,  indeed,  the  most  interesting  of  the 
trials.  It  took  place  at  half-past  ten  o'clock,  im- 
mediately upon  the  conclusion  of  the  plowing 
match.  The  ground  was  marked  ofiPinto  13  lots 
of  100  square  feet  each,  and  every  lot  was  occu- 
pied by  a  stout  Irishman,  who,  with  shouldering 
spade  stalked,  to  and  fro.  A  triumphant  smile 
wreathed  the  lips  of  each  adventurous  man,  as  if, 
in  anticipation,  he  already  enjoyed  the  reward  of 
a  hard  earned  victory.  Firmly  grasping  the  han- 
dles of  their  agricultural  weapons,  they  awaited, 
all  eager  for  the  fray,  the  signal  which  was  to  ush- 
er them  to  glory,  or  to  defeat.  The  signal  was 
given  by  the  band — it  was  the  Roxbury  Brass 
Band,  by  the  way,  which  performed  on  the  occa- 
sion— and  off  they  started.  Brandished  by  such 
powerful  hands  the  spades  did  wonders.  The 
heavy  sods  disappeared  like  snow  in  the  morning 
sun  ;  and  big  drops  of  perspiration  dripped  from 
the  faces  of  the  workers,  and  watered  the  earth 
whereon  they  trod. 

"They  dug  like  brave  men,  long  and  well." 

Excitement  was  intense,  and  bets  ran  high 
among  the  bystanders.  Such  spading  was  surely 
never  seen  before  in  New  England.  The  task  of 
the  last  man  was  accomplished  in  about  half  an 
hour  from  the  time  of  starting. 

At  half-past  eleven  the  drawing  match  occurred, 
but  a  few  rods  from  the  scene  of  the  other  per- 
formances, on  the  Boston  road.  The  place  se- 
lected for  the  trial  was  an  elevation,  where  the 
road  ascended  at  an  angle  probably  of  three  or 
four  degrees.  But  four  teams  were  entered  for 
competition.  They  belonged  to  Messrs.  Timothy 
Tucker  of  Milton,  B.V.  French  of  Braintree,  A. 
D.  Weld  of  West  Roxbury,  and  George  Babcock 
of  Brookline.  The  task  required  the  drawing  and 
backing  of  a  load  4000  pounds  in  weight  up  the 
before  mentioned  hill.  It  was  accomplished  by 
the  oxen  with  comparative  ease,  and  in  very  hand- 
some style. 

At  a  few  minutes  before  12  o'clock,  a  procession 
was  formed  at  the  exhibition  hall,  and  marched  to 
Rev.  Mr.  Lamson's  church,  where  an  address  was 
expected  from  Rev.  F.  D.  Huntington,  of  Roxbury. 
The  church  was  filled,  the  galleries  being  lined 
with  beautiful  ladies,  who  smiled  their  favors 
upon  the  fortunate  crowd  berleath.  A  voluntary 
from  the  choir  introduced  the  services.  Hon.  Mar- 
shall P.  Wilder  then  briefly  but  eloquently  ad- 
dressed the  congregation.  The  divine  blessing 
was  next  implored  by  Rev.  Mr.  Babcock,  of  Ded- 
ham,  and  an  original  hymn,  composed  for  the  oc- 
casion by  Rev.  Wm.  P.  Lunt  of  Quincy,  was  sung. 
The  orator  of  the  day,  Rev.  F.  D.  Huntington, 
was  then  introduced  by  Mr.  Wilder. 

Mr.  Huntington  proceeded  to  deliver  a  remark- 
ably beautiful,  eloquently  written  address,  of 
more  than  an  hour  in  length  ;  during  that  time 
the  thoughts  of  the  audience  were  riveted  wholly 
upon  the  words  of  the  speaker.  His  remarks 
were  of  a  nature  calculated  to  do  good  among 
those  for  whose  benefit  it  was  intended — to 
awaken  the  farmers  to  a  just  sense  of  their  re- 
sponsibilities as  men,  and  to  incite  in  them  the 
ambition  and  energy  to  acl.  The  school  house, 
the  church,  the  town  hall,  and  the  homestead, 
were  made  the  text  of  his  remarks,  and  they  fur- 


nished topics  for  much  useful  and  interesting  in- 
struction and  advice  to  the  assembled  farmers. 

We  have  before  us  a  full  report  of  Mr.  Hunting- 
ton's address,  but  an  unavoidable  press  of  matter 
obliges  us  to -refrain  from  publishing  it.  A  volun- 
tary by  the  choir  succeeded  the  oration,  and  then 
a  benediction  was  pronounced  by  Rev.  Mr.  Samson. 

A  procession  was  again  formed,  and  marched 
two  by  two,  in  a  pouring  rain,  umbrellas  up,  to 
the  dining  hall,  which  was  in  the  upper  part  of 
the  new  building  erected  by  the  Society.  Here 
their  hearts  were  gladdened  by  the  sight  of  a 
bountiful  collation,  which  had  been  provided  for  a 
thousand  people,  by  Mr.  Howe,  well  and  generally 
known  as  the  courteous  host  of  the  Phoenix  House 
in  Dedham.  After  being  seated,  divine  blessing 
was  invoked  by  Rev.  Mr.  Sewell,  and  then  began 
the  joyful  clatter  of  knives  and  forks.  The  dinner 
was  an  excellent  one,  and  ample  justice  was  done 
to  the  viands  by  the  hungry  crowd.  After  the 
sharp  cravings  of  hunger  had  been  satisfied,  the 
reports  of  the  Committees  were  read. — Journal. 


KEEP  THE  FARMER'S  FESTIVALS 
PURE. 

We  agree  most  heartily  in  the  opinions  ex- 
pressed below  by  the  editor  of  the  Union  Demo- 
crat^ at  Manchester,  N.  H.  These  autumnal  festi- 
vals have,  in  a  great  measure,  taken  the  place 
of  the  musters,  which  at  length  became  so  corrupt, 
so  evidently  the  hot-beds  of  vice  and  pollution,  that 
they  were  suppressed  simply  by  the  common  voice, 
without  the  aid  of  legal  enactment.  There  is 
enough  at  these  Agricultural  Fairs  to  engage  the 
whole  attention  of  thinking  and  sober-minded  peo- 
ple, in  the  articles  exhibited,  and  the  address  and 
speeches,  and  in  the  cultivation  of  social  inter- 
course and  brotherhood,  of  feeling  among  them- 
selves. We  should  be  glad  if  circus  companies, 
showmen,  pedlers,  auctioneers,  &c.,  made  no 
part  of  the  collection  on  these  occasions.  We 
would,  at  all  hazards,  keep  out  every  species  of 
dissipation,-  either  by  gambling,  drinking  or  bet- 
ting, and  everything  else  that  should  have  the 
slightest  tendency  to  corrupt  the  heart.  We 
would  have  the  orators,  on  these  occasions,  select- 
ed as  far  as  possible  from  among  the  farmers  them- 
selves, or  at  least  from  those  who  own  and  arc  en- 
gaged in  cultivating  the  soil.  Political  matters 
have  already  been  incidentally  introduced,  and  on 
one  or  two  occasions  have  Ave^jiigh  broken  up  the 
harmony  and  usefulness  oflBI  exhibition.  We 
forewarn  our  friends  of  these  dangers.  The  ad- 
vent of  these  Fairs  need  not  be  heralded  with 
trumpet-tongue  abroad  ;  all  they  need  is  a  fair  no- 
tice. If  they  are  worthy  of  attention,  and  well- 
conducted,  tliey  will  gain  the  popular  favor — il 
not,  let  them  sink  into  oblivion. 

We  protest  against  this  attempt  to  degrade  the 
State  Fair  to  a  level  with  the  monstrosities  and 
nostrums  of  showmen  and  pill-making.  It  will  be 
no  humbug.  The  citizens  of  Manchester  are  do- 
ing, and  will  do  everything  which  can  be  done  to 
promote  the   success  of  the  enterprise,  and  the 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


507 


comfort  of  those  who  may  attend  ;  and  we  trust 
no  one  will  be  deterred  by  the  eager  zeal  of  this 
ill-advised  correspondence. 

Another  thing  ; — we  think  a  great  mistake  has 
been  committed  by  renting  the  ground  to  a  Cir- 
cus Company.  The  exhibition  of  big  oxen,  and  of 
supple  Jacks,  arc  entertainments  totally  incongru- 
ous, and  the  managers  of  the  Fair,  so  far  from  be- 
ing under  obligations  to  supply  "fun  for  the  mil- 
lion," ought  rather  to  exclude  everything  which 
may  interfere  witli  the  sober,  noble ^nd  ennobling 
purposes  of  the  Exhibition. 


ESSEX  COUNTY  AGRICULTURAL  FAIR. 

The  thirty-fifth  annual  exhibition  of  the  Essex 
County  Agricultural  Society  was  held  in  the 
city  of  Lawrence  during  Wednesday  and  Thurs- 
day, Sept.  29th  and  30th.  This  institution  is  one 
of  the  oldest  and  most  useful  of  the  kind  in  the 
State.  Since  its  formation  it  has  been  the  means 
of  materially  improving  the  condition  of  agricul- 
ture in  the  county.  Its  results  are  manifest  in 
the  light  and  effective  agricultural  tools — so  dif- 
ferent from  the  awkward  and  heavy  implements 
of  forty  years  ago  ;  they  are  apparent  in  the  more 
productive  farms ;  in  their  lich  fields  of  waving 
grain  ;  in  the  excellence  of  their  stock  ;  and  in 
the  comfortable  dwellings  and  increaseibprosperity 
of  the  farmers  themselves. 

The  exhibition  of  domestic  manufactures,  fruit, 
vegetables,  &c.,  &c.,  took  place  in  the  City  Hall 
building,  and  was  replete  with  interest.  The 
sides  of  the  room  were  hung  round  with  beautiful 
specimens  of  quilting,  patch-work,  &g.,  affording 
ample  evidence  that  the  fiir  ladies  of  Essex  County 
'are  in  the  habit  uf  employing  their  leisure  mo- 
ments in  a  profitable  manner.  There  was  an  ex- 
tensive show,  also,  of  magnificent  fruit — embrac- 
ing most  of  the  choicest  varieties  of  pears  and 
apples.  Turning  to  the  western  side  of  the  hall, 
the  visitor  was  reminded  that  harvest  and  seed- 
time have  come  among  us  ;  for  the  eye  revelled 
upon  rich  piles  of  golden  corn  and  squashes,  mam- 
moth cabbages,  melons,  &c., — enough  to  provision 
a  regiment  for  a  week.  There  were  many  beau- 
tiful specimens  of  embroidery  on  the  tables,  and 
some  finely  executed  pieces  of  drawing.  In  front 
of  the  stage  was  arranged  the  flower  table,  which 
was  literally  covered  with  the  most  beautiful  of 
Flora's  offerings,  arranged  in  every  imaginable 
tasteful  style. 

The  Cattle  Show  came  off  on  the  green  fronting 
the  City  Hall.  Preparations  were  made  for  the 
reception  of  stock  Wednesday  ;  but  owing  to  the 
rainy  weather,  a  comparatively  small  amount  was 
brought  in.  Thursday,  however,  the  show  was 
very  respectable.  The  pens  contained  some  fine 
horses,  and  an  extensive  array  of  noble  looking 
cattle.  There  were  many  porkers  of  all  sizes, 
sexes  and  age^,  on  exhibition.  They  were  chiefly 
representatives  of  the  Suffolk  breed.  Of  poultry 
there  was  a  good  display,  including  nearly  all  the 
fancy  breeds  ;  and,  judging  from  the  crowd  which 
throughout  the  day  attentively  regarded  their  do- 
ings, they  formed  by  no  means  the  least  attractive 
part  of  the  exhibition. 

The  Plowing  INIatch  was  an  interesting  feature 
of  the  day  ;  and  at  the  time  appointed  for  its  com- 
mencement a  large  gathering  of  people  had  as- 
sembled at  the  spot  assigned,  which  was  a  field 


near  the  Shawsheen  House,  on  the  Andover  side 
of  the  river,  about  half  a  mile  from  the  depot. 
Twenty-ciglit  teams  competed  for  the  prizes.  They 
comprised  14  double  ox-tcams,  9  single  teams, 
and  5  horse- teams.  The  plowing  was  accom- 
plished in  beautiful  style.  As  the  brutes  snuffed 
the  pure  cold  air  of  the  morning  breeze,  they 
seemed  to  inhale  with  it  an  unwonted  vigor,  and 
to  step  off  to  their  labor  with  redoubled  energy 
and  strength.  Although  the  ground  was  not 
well  adapted  to  an  exhibition  of  speed,  the  tasks 
were  all  accomplished  in  remarkably  quick  time. 

The  Drawing  Match  took  place  near  tlie  bridge 
over  the  Merrimack,  on  the  Andover  side  of  the 
river.  The  trial  consisted  in  drawing  and  backing 
a  heavy  load  of  stone,  2100  pounds  in  weight,  up 
a  considerable  ascent  in  the  road — a  distance  of 
about  250  feet.  As  the  road  was  in  a  muddy  con- 
dition, the  task  was  no  inconsiderable  one  ;  but  it 
was  accomplished  generally,  by  the  six  or  eight 
teams  which  essayed  a  trial,  with  apparent  ease. 
The  driving,  too,  was  admirable — showing  that  in 
the  art  of  managing  their  oxen  the  farmers  of 
Essex  are  unsurpassed,  and  perhaps  unsurpassable. 

At  12  o'clock  a  procession  of  members  of  the 
Society  and  invited  guests  was  formed  at  the  City 
Hall,  under  the  auspices  of  Col.  Coleman,  chief 
marshal  of  the  day,  and  marched  to  the  Lawrence 
Street  Church,  there  to  listen  to  an  address  from 
Joseph  S.  Cabot,  Esq.,  well  known  as  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  Massachusetts  Horticultural  Society. 

The  services  in  the  church  were  opened  by  a 
voluntary  from  the  choir.  A  hymn  of  "  harvest 
time  "  was  then  sung  to  the  beautiful  air  of  "The 
Ingleside."  Rev.  Mr.  Harrington,  of  Lawrence, 
offered  a  fervent  prayer,  and  tlae  address  was  next 
delivered  by  Mr.  Cabot. 

lilr.  Cabot's  address  was  one  of  a  high  order  of 
merit ;  it  treated  of  agricultm-e  as  a  chief  element 
of  political  prosperity,  and  gave  much  useful  ad- 
vice and  information  respecting  the  practice  of 
both  agriculture  and  horticulture.  It  was  a  prac- 
tical lecture,  and  one  excellently  adapted  to  excite 
a  generous  rivalry  in  the  breasts  of  those  farmers 
who  were  present,  and  to  incite  them  to  redoubled 
efforts  in  the  pursuit  of  their  honorable  vocation. 

Mr.  Cabot's  address  occupied  about  three-quar- 
ters of  an  hour  in  delivery,  and  was  very  atten- 
tively listened  to  on  the  part  of  the  audience.  At 
its  close  a  hymn  was  sung  by  the  choir,  and  then 
the  assembly,  forming  a  procession,  proceeded  to 
the  dining  hall.  About  two  hundred  persons  were 
seated  at  the  tables,  which  were  furnished  by  C. 
B.  Melvin,  of  Lawrence.  Before  partaking,  the 
dinner  blessing  was  implored  by  Rev.  IMr.  Harring- 
ton. After  the  conclusion  of  the  repast,  brief  and 
eloquent  remarks  were  made  by  Messrs.  Lawson, 
of  Lowell;  Henry  F.  French,  of  Exeter,  N.  H., 
President  of  the  Rockingham  Agricultural  Society ; 
Charles  H.  Flint,  Secretary  of  the  State  Board  of 
Agriculture  ;  Mr.  Buckminster,  editor  of  the 
Ploughman;  Mr.  Dodge,  of  Sutton,  member  of 
the  Board  of  Agriculture  ;  Mr.  Howard,  of  the 
Cultivator;  Dr.  Reynolds,  of  Concord  ;  Rev.  Mr. 
Harrington,  of  Lawrence  ;  and  the  Hon.  President 
of  the  day.  Col.  Closes  Newell. 

At  half-past  three  o'clock,  after  having  passed 
a  very  pleasant  «ocial  hour  together,  the  dinner 
party  again  foi-med  in  procession,  and  proceeded 
to  the  chnrch  t)  listen  to  the  reports  of  the  sev- 
eral committees. — Journal. 


508 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Nov. 


HILLSBOROUGH  FAIR. 

The  Hillsborough  County,  N.  II.,  Agricultural 
Society,  held  its  fourth  annual  Fair  at  Milford,  on 
Wednesday  and  Thursday  of  last  week,  the  28th 
and  29th  Sept.  The  first  day  was  too  stormy  to 
attend  to  any  of  the  exercises  announced  in  the 
bills,  and  the  officers  improved  the  time  in  filling 
vacancies  in  the  committees,  and  then  waited  with 
some  impatience  for  a  brighter  sun  and  clearer 
skies.  The  ladies  looked  wistfully  from  the  win- 
dows and  pitied  the  men  drenched  with  rain  and 
bespattered  with  mud. 

Thursday  morning,  the  sun  showed  his  jolly  face 
somewhat  reluctantly,  but  the  north  wind  came 
down  with  power  from  the  hills  and  swept  away 
to  the  south  the  vapors  which  hung  over  the  val- 
lies.  This  infused  new  life  into  the  whole  popula- 
tion, as  well  as  new  mettle  into  the  horse's  heels  ; 
for  while  the  sun  was  bright,  the  breeze  was  fresh, 
cold  and  elastic.  Men  turned  up  their  coat  collars, 
boys  hid  their  fingers  in  their  trowsers  pockets, 
and  roses  suddenly  bloomed  on  the  cheeks  of  the 
girls.  Down  the  hills,  around  the  hills,  and  along 
the  banks  of  the  serpentine  and  beautiful  Souhegan, 
the  living  tide  came  pouring  in.  The  charming 
village  of  Milford  was  thronged.  All  was  bustle 
and  delight.  Every  body  forgot  their  pains  and 
cares,  if  they  had  any,  while  health  flushed  on 
every  cheek,  and  each  one  seemed  to  regard  his 
neighbor  with  new  interest  and  pleasure.  Pedlers 
flaunted  gay  ribbons,  bakers  tossed  about  thier 
gingerbread  and  buns,  and  a  jolly  son  of  Neptune, 
cried,  "here's  your  hot  oysters, /resA  from  the  salt 
water,  ninepence  a  large  bowl,  hot  oysters  and — '■^ 
but  the  breeze  bore  away  the  concluding  words, 
and  what  were  the  grand  accompaniments  of  those 
tempting  "  ninepenny  bowls,"  we  have  never 
learned. 

The  "g-ooiiz'me,"  of  which  the  philosophic  and 
hopeful  have  so  often  spoken,  has  come.  No  con- 
trivance of  man  has  ever  introduced  a  more  pro- 
lific source  of  happiness  than  these  annual  gather- 
ings of  the  farmers,  or  one  containing  in  a  greater 
degree  the  elements  of  national  prosperity.  In 
connection  with  the  Fire  Companies,  it  has  even 
now  shorn  the  military  spirit  of  nearly  all  its 
laurels,  and  instead  of  pointing  their  hose  at  tow- 
ering steeples  or  into  vacant  space,  we  anticipate 
the  day  when  all  this  human  toil  will  scatter  its 
fertilizing  streams  upon  the  famishing  earth ! 
Would  there  not  be  just  as  much  fun  in  refreshing 
the  plants  and  soil  of  a  garden  1  Or  would  the 
utility  of  the  thing  dissolve  the  charm  1 

But  the  teams  are  moving.  All  along  the  hill- 
side, up  an  hundred  feet  from  the  bosom  of  the 
Souhegan,  men,  women  and  children  are  standing 
in  the  sunlighi,  deeply  interested  in  the  success  of 
their  husbands  and  lovers  below. 

Where  was  Barnura,  or  Gleason?  One  of  the 
most  picturesque  and  beautiful  scenes  imaginable 


has  probably  been  lost  to  the  world  for  the  want 
I  of  an  artist. 

The  plowing  was  well  done,  but  with  too  much 
hurry  and  use  of  the  whip.  This  part  of  the  ex- 
.ercises,  we  take  it,  is  not  to  show  in  how  quick  a 
time  an  eighth  of  an  acre  may  be  plowed,  but  to 
exhibit  the  skill  of  the  plowman,  the  discipline  of 
his  team,  and  how  well  he  can  perform  the  task 
in  such  an  amount  of  time  as  he  could  afford  to 
devote  to  similar  work  on  his  own  farm.  This 
error  prevails  in  agreater  or  less  degree,  at  all  the 
exhibitions  which  we  witness,  and  ought  to  be  cor- 
rected. 

In  the  great  tent  there  were  samples  of  fine  ap- 
ples, pears,  peaches,  plums,  and  grapes,  but  in 
limited  quantity.  Some  of  the  vegetables  were 
very  fine  ;  but  as  we  took  no  notes  of  anything  we 
cannot  particularize.  Many  of  the  specimens 
were  enormously  large,  and  probably  coarse  and 
spongy.  The  best  fruits  and  vegetables  are  such 
as  are  fair,  of  middling  size  and  would  be  conven- 
ient and  profitable  for  the  table,  always  regarding 
their  eating  qualities.  We  are  confident  that  the 
persons  who  contributed  many  vegetables  which 
we  saw,  Aver  would  put  such  into  the  pot  for 
their  own  eating.  But  we  would  have  these 
freaks  of  nature  presented  and  marked  for  exhibi- 
tion only — not  for  premium.  The  worsteds,  and 
other  manufactured  articles,  did  credit  to  their 
contributors.  Several  carriages  manuflictured  by 
Mr.  Kenny,  of  Milford,  were  fine  specimens  of 
good  taste  and  good  workmanship.  Some  burial 
cases,  appropriately  lined,  made  of  cast  iron,  at 
Nashua,  were  a  new  feature  in  these  exhibitions. 
In  the  midst  of  our  enjoyments,  they  struck  a  new 
chord,  reminding  us  of  the  time  when  we  shall 

"Have  plowed  our  last  furrow, 
And  reaped  our  last  grain." 

There  were  many  other  things  which  we  have 
not  space  to  enumerate,  giving  evidence  of  indus- 
try, intelligence  and  good  taste. 

There  were  present  some  six/y  or  seventy  pairs 
of  working  oxen,  and  out  of  that  large  number  there 
was  not  a  pair  which  a  good  judge  would  pro- 
nounce inferior;  and  what  was  remarkable,  there 
was  scarcely  a  tinge  of  foreign  blood  in  them  at 
all.  Occasionally  the  dark  mahogany  color,  the 
peculiar  mark  about  the  nostrils  and  the  spread- 
ing horn,  indicated  the  Devon  blood.  One  or  two 
pairs  of  steers  showed  the  Short  Horn  blood.  Such 
an  exhibition  of  working  oxen  goes  far  towards 
convincing  us  that,  with  the  same  'tittention  that 
imported  stock  receives,  our  native  cattle  cannot 
be  excelled.  There  was  more  of  a  mixture  in  the 
milch  cows,  which  were  not  numerous,  and  with 
one  or  two  exceptions,  not  remarkable. 

The  Address  was  by  Mr.  Proctor,  of  Danvers. 
It  was  delivered  in  a  quiet,  yet  emphatic  manner, 
and  with  his  accustomed  clear  enunciation.  It 
spoke  of  the  practices,  wants  and  hopes,  of  the 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


509 


farmer, — summed  up  opinions  of  practical  men  on 
important  points  of  husbandry,  and  was  altogeth- 
er of  a  decidedly  useful  character.  It  was  one  of 
those  productions  which  will  live  in  the  memory 
of  those  who  heard  it,  and  upon  which  they  can 
profitably  fall  back  in  their  daily  labors  on  the 
farm, — and  this  is  what  we  want.  Fine,  open 
theories,  loose  speculations,  and  all  allusion  to  po- 
litical matters,  are  entirely  out  of  place  in  these 
gatherings. 

At  the  dinner-table  there  was  a  large  collection, 
including  ladies  ;  short  addresses  were  made  by 
the  President  of  the  Society,  Brooks  Shattuck, 
Esq.,  of  Bedford,  by  Mr.  Proctor,  Mr.  Beard,  of 
Nashua,  and  Mr.  Brown,  of  Concord,  Mass.  One 
beautiful  and  encouraging  feature  of  the  exhibition, 
was  the  presence  of  a  large  number  of  ladies,  at 
the  plowing,  the  dinner-table  and  in  the  church 
We  feel  sure  of  success  so  long  as  this  feature  pre 
vails.  Although  there  was  not  perfection,  there 
was  no  room  for  fault-finding,  in  any  department 
of  the  Show.  The  arrangements  were  well  digest 
ed,  the  music,  by  the  Milford  Band,  very  fine, 
and  the  escort  by  the  Fire  Company,  imposing 
and  pleasant ;  the  dinner  was  good,  and  a  good 
deal  damaged  before  we  were  done  with  it ;  the 
ladies  were  smiling  and  the  men  good-natured, 
and  there  was  no  rioting,  drunkenness  or  vulgari- 
ty to  be  seen  or  heard  ;  and  thus  has  the  "good 
TIME  come,"  which  has  been  predicted.  We  wish 
thenr  all — including  the  young  women  in  the  cars, 
with  the  delectable  babies,  who  thought  their 
cherubs  ought  to  have  a  premium — (and  we 
thought  so  too) — we  wish  them  all  prosperity— « 
and  long  life,  even  to  that  delightful  period  when 

"  The  l.ind  unplow'd  sliall  yield  her  crop, 
Pure  honey  from  the  oak  shall  drop, 

The  fountain  shall  run  milk  ; 
The  thistle  shall  the  lily  bear, 
Aud  every  bramble  roses  wear, 

And  every  worm  make  silk." 


pulverized  manure,  one  peck  leached  ashes,  for 
each  hill,  and  with  a  spade  or  shovel  mix  well  to- 
gether from  top  to  bottom.  Then  plant  the  seeds, 
leaving  the  top  of  the  hills  level  with  the  surface 
of  the  ground,  and  keep  them  so  during  the  sea- 
son. When  they  are  up,  and  the  bugs  have  done 
troubling  tliem,  thin  them  out,  leaving  two  or 
three  stocks  in  each  hill,  which  will  cover  the 
ground  before  the  summer  is  ended.  I  intended 
to  have  said  something  about  planting  and  raising 
other  vegetables,  but  will  leave  that  for  another 
paper.  Yours  truly, 

Ansel  Holman. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

THE  MARROW  SQUASH. 

Friexd  Brown  : — In  the  Sept.  No.  of  the  Far 
mer,  M.  Tennv,  of  South  Groton,  asks  some  of 
your  correspondents  to  give  him  information  about 
cultivating  the  marrow  squash.  For  the  informa- 
tion of  friend  Tenny,  I  will  give  you  my  experi- 
ence in  raising  them.  My  neighbors  can  testify 
to  the  quantity  as  well  as  quality  of  my  squashes 
and  other  vegetables.  Much  depends  upon  the 
manner  of  planting  squash  seeds,  as  well  as  all 
other  seeds,  to  ensure  good  crops.  Every  man's 
motto  should  be,  ^'loork  the  soil  deep,^'  and  with 
the  blessing  of  God,  I  shall  have  vegetables  to  sell 
and  to  keep.  When  I  have  planted  my  squash 
seeds  after  the  following  rule,  I  have  never  failed 
of  having  been  well  paid  for  my  labor,  viz. : — Dig 
the  holes  16  or  IS  inches  deep,  three  feet  broad 
and  seven  feet  apart ;  throw  the  top  soil  one  side, 
and  the  bottom  soil  on  the  other  side  of  the  holes. 
After  digging  as  many  holes  as  I  wish  to  plant 
hills,  I  return  the  top  soil  to  the  bottom  of  the 
holes,  and  then  take  one  bushel  or  more  of  well 


GRAFTON  COUNTY  (N.   H.)  CATTLE 
SHOW  AND    FAIR. 

Lebanon,  Sept.  23, 1853. 

E'is.  Traveller: — It  rained  yesterday,  the  first 
day  of  the  Fair,  incessantly,  and  the  naturiil  con- 
sequence was  that  a  great  many,  undoubtedly  the 
majority  of  those  who  had  made  arrangements  to 
go  with  their  beast  and  products,  did  not  go,  and 
so  nothing  was  done  ;  and  though  the  weather  was 
fine  to-day,  those  who  would  have  gone  were  de- 
terred, from  the  rule  adopted  that  all  articles  must 
be  entered  on  the  first  of  the  two  days.  Sorry  I 
am,  therefore,  for  the  necessity  of  sending  you  a 
poor  account  of  the  Show. 

The  spacious  Common  in  Lebanon  village  was 
for  three-fourths  of  its  surface  enclosed,  furnish- 
ing ample  room  for  a  trotting  course,  and  pens  for 
beasts,  and  the  old  meeting-house  for  manufac- 
tures in  the  lower  story,  and  the  upper  for  speak- 
ing. Besides  this  accommodation,  a  large  tent 
was  erected  in  the  centre,  a  hundred  feet  in  diam- 
eter, for  fruits,  implements,  machines,  and  so  forth. 
In  this.  Bond's  Cornet  Band  was  stationed,  and 
contributed  rich  music.  The  arrangements  and 
preparations  were  excellent,  but  the  rain,  like  the 
thunder  at  Wolf's  Crag  (Bride  of  Lammermoor) 
spoiled  all.  This  was  the  more  to  be  regretted  as 
the  previous  fxirs  of  this  county  have  been  very 
spirited,  and  have  unquestionably  exerted  a  hap- 
py influence  on  the  agricultural  interests. 

Still  there  were  some  things  of  interest.  Sixty 
pairs  of  working  oxen  were  driven  into  the  enclos- 
ure in  one  team,  and  they  were  a  fine  spectacle — all 
strong,  well  built,  and  well  conditioned  animals — 
showing  by  what  means  the  stubborn  glebe  of  these 
hills  has  been  subdued,  as  the  beautiful  slope  of 
three  or  four  thousand  acres  on  the  south  of  this 
village  bears  witness.  Some  of  these  oxen  were 
called  into  requisition  at  a  drawing-match.  A 
stone-boat  loaded  with  five  thousand  pounds  of 
pig-iron  was  the  weight  to  be  drawn  and  the  fric-  ^ 
tion  of  the  boat  over  and  above  that  of  wheels 
probably  added  another  thousand  pounds.  There 
was  considerable  animation  iu  this  trial  of  ox 
strength  and  brute  force  among  the  more  immedi- 
ately interested.  I  was  satisfied  with  seeing  one 
yoke  march  off  with  it  in  a  stately  manner. 

There  was  a  plowing  match  of  four  competitors, 
two  with  horses  and  two  with  oxen.  The  horse 
teams  came  out  almost  precisely  even,  and  one  of 
the  ox  teams  distanced  the  other  by  one  furrow. 
The  recent  rain  made  it  unftivorable  plowing,  and 
diminished  the  number  of  competitors.  In  passing, 
I  remark  for  the  benefit  of  the  rest  of  mankind, 
that  I  think  this  a  fiir  more  rational  and  profitable 
trial  of  skill  and  strength  than  a  rowing  match, 


510 


K^W  ENGLAND  FARME'lt. 


Oct. 


from  Virgil's  regatta  down  to  the  latest  at  Hull, 
that  renowned  city  of  fishermen  and  voters. 

I  pass  over  the  horses,  cows,  sheep,  and  swine, 
for  as  to  number  and  quality  there  was  nothing 
very  remarkable,  which  was  rather   creditable  to 


and  requires  its  own  cultivation.  The  discourse 
was  well  received  by  thosewho  could  be  interested 
in  an  agricultural  subject. 

There  is  danger  from  various  causes   that  the 
County  Fairs  will  lose  their  interest,— as  from  un- 


ii  „' /•  ,,     '     .,         . „ — •---    --^ ^.^  wv^  v/v^uuuj  iiuio  nm  lUBc  tncir  interest, — as  irom  un- 

pnLl>!T='"  i^^^f"''^'^^.^  having  discretion  propitious  weather,  the  monopoly  of  the  State 
Z  rSv  n  ^'^"/-^^^  t^"<^ey  mereie3,^not  to  dragoon  Fair,  and  the  superior  attractions  of  the  city  exhi- 
SuiKiarhSL  "'''°"'"'''  '""^°  ''"''"^  '^  this  bitions,  e.  g.  Faneuil  Hall  and  the  Crystal  Palace. 
^Amnnl  kfv.    u  •         ,     •, .  ^^'^^  "''^^  §«  ^^"^  '^o°^«  *»  Boston  or  New  York 

hUWr^^-PP  were  SIX  real  wild  geese, no-  with  less  inconvenience  than  he  can  travel  twenty 
ble  birds,  indignant  at  their  ignoble  confinement  miles  from  his  farm  to  the  Fair,  by  old  modes  of 
in  a  coop.  If  their  owner  had  given  them  freedom  transit.  It  will  be  an  evil  if  he  Cr>untv  ^  ?,;  r„n 
and  letthem  fly  away,  it  would  havebeen  the  best  down.  Farmers  should  not  dldab  tL  CmbW 
exhibition  of  a^l.  There  was  also  a  lot  of  Nova  exhibitions  of  the  r  own  enterprt  e  ^Th^rS 
SCO  la  ducks-beautiful  birds.  And  these  water  make  two  spears  of  grass  grow  where  one  did  b2 
fowl  constituted  the  chief  interest  of  the  fowl  exhi-|  fore,  stand  L  the  fou?.datir7n  of  metropTtL  splen- 
b  tion  and  most  appropriate,  considering  the  rain.  dor.     The  press  should  encourage  the  Fairs   a   do 


Mr.  Farnham  of  Lebanon,  has  in  his  poultry  yard 
a  queer  hybrid  which  he  took  no  pains  to  conjure 
up,  and  through  contempt  would  not  put  into  the 
show.  The  birds  have  no  feathers,  but  only  down. 
They  are  of  all  colors,  grizzled,  mottled,  and  no 
color.  Some  looked  like  a  woodchuck  and  some 
like  a  Malta  cat.  Their  siae  is  good  and  their  flesh 
and  eggs  not  inferior. 

In  the  show  room  were  some  things  worthy  of 
remark— good  butter  and  cheese,  of  course;  some 
verybeautiful  pieces  of  flannel  of  household  pro- 
duction; raw  silk  hose,  flesh  colored,  in  clock  work, 
very  fine.  Also  a  vase  made  by  Mrs.  Jacobs  of 
Hanover,  of  a  truly  rural  character.  It  was  eight- 
een inches  high  and  eight  in 'diameter,  stuccoed 
entire  with  acorns  and  the  young  buds  of  the  hem- 
lock when  they  are  nearly  the  size  of  the  acorn. 
Ihe  buds  and  acorns  were  beautifully  arranged  in 
Mosaic,  and  with  its  coronet  of  flowers  looked  very 
inviting.  It  struck  me  that  herein  was  a  line  of 
art  not  muchexi^lored,  butworthy  of  pursuit.  The 
vegetable  world  has  all  variety  for  such  work,both 
ornamental  and  instructive. 

The  exhibition  of  apples  and  plums  were  excel- 
lent, Considering  the  scarcity  in  all  this  region  the 
present  year.  Nothing  has  struck  me  with  more 
surprise  than  the  total  neglect  of  farmers  here— 
I  may  say  in  all  the  western  part  of  New  Hamp- 
shire—in cultivating  good  apples.  It  is  only  with- 
in the  last  fifteen  years  they  have  begun  to  think 
of  the  subject.  They  are  going  on  now  with  com- 
mendable,  enterprise.  Your  nursery-men  would 
find  it  greatly  to  their  advantage  in  scattering  ad- 
vertisements and  information  through  these  coun- 
ties. ^ 

_  The  spacious  tent  might  have  contained  ten 
timesthe  quantity  of  articles  it  did.  Among  those 
exhibited  were  a  superior  machine  for  making  win- 
dow blinds  by  D.  A.  Cummings  of  North  Enfield, 


you  and  your 
— Traveller. 


Correspondent. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
MEADOW  I.ANDS. 
The  traveller,  among  the  hills  and  valleys  of 
New  England's  diversified  scenery,  can  hardly  fail 
to  note  the  fact  that  a  rich  source  of  thrift  is  neg- 
lected, and  a  great  avenue  of  wealth  is  cut  off,  by 
the  total  neglect  or  imperfect  cultivation  of  the 
low,  swamp  lands,  belonging  to  almost  every  farm. 
The  arid  sand  plain  has  been  cultivated  because  it 
was  easy  to  work  ;  till  now,  it  is  very  easy  fee 
gather  the  harvest.  The  bleak  hills  have  been 
made  to  yield  to  the  plow,  because  our  forefathers, 
finding  them  adapted  to  the  growth  of  grain, 
placed  them  under  cultivation  ;  and  it  would  be 
a  sacriligious  act,  in  the  eyes  of  many,  to  abandon 
the  paths  our  fathers  trod. 

Nature — always  a  stern  leveller— has  for  ages 
been  removing  the  decayed  vegetable  matter,  to- 
gether with  the  disintegrated  mineral  fertiUzers, 
%om_the  hill-tops  to  the  valleys,  till  they  are  now 
the  rich  receptacles  of  the  properties  essential  to 
the  growth  of  a  large  class  of  vegetable  produc- 
tions. But  these  swamps,  instead  of  affording  a 
realization  of  the  poet's  dream  of  fertile  meadows, 
decked  in  living  green,  serve  the  unpoetic  purpose 
of  giving  a  home  to  loathsome  reptiles  and  exist- 
ence to  myriads  of  annoying  insects.  In  their 
unreclaimed  state  they  disfigure  the  fair  face  of 
nature,  give  rise  to  pestilential  vapor,  and  may 
with  truth  be  called  a  nuisance. 

The  same  labor  which  now  produces  a  scanty 
crop  upon  exhausted  field  lands,  would  often  meet 
a  much  better  reward  if  judiciously  laid  out  on 
meadows.  The  same  energy  which  has  mads 
beauteous  farms  from  the  rough  New  England 
can  make  the  meadows  blossom  as  the  rose. 

the 
that  is 
80n&  Jones  oTLebanon-steertlres  fo7the  wheds'l  ^^^'"fJ^S'  ^^  '""^j^  f^  *^^  conviction  that  the  work 
and  a  very  ingenious  contrivance  to  piv4t  the  f°  ^^l\'''^?  the  proo  that  it  will  pay  for 
wheel,  in  turning,  from  meetbgt'  e  body  of  t  '^7^-  That  the  useless  bog  can  be  converted 
carria.'e  There  was  a  o^;,?,!  ?v,  ;  f  "^  f  1 1  '"^'^  luxuriant  grass  land,  has  been  practically 
^t"  °  ;.,,,,^'''''  "''"  ^  S°«^  "^'^y  "^  vegetables  proved.     The   place  where  o/d  brindk  fon.erly 


for  the  table. 

At  two  o'clock,  a  discourse  was  listened  to, 
(except  what  it  was  not  listened  to,  fur  there  was 
some  noise),  from  the  Rev.  A.  G.  Comings,  of  Ma 


got  mired  every  spring,  has  been  drainea  anH 
levelled,  and  now  yields  its  two  or  three  t  r.s  to 
the  acre.  i\Iany  a  farmer  who  formerly  wa.'  s!iort 
of  hay  in  the  spring,  and  had  to  put  his  cov.  s  and 


tZtL^^Z^r^'^^^^^  ?'  ^^^sdom  of  shift  for  themselves,  now  rejoicls  in  a  sc.ir.J  of 

otnei  pecuhaiities.     New  Hampshire  has  its  own,  in  the  van  of  improvement   and  developed  .n  >^i 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


511 


fully  the  resources  of  his  form.  That  it  will  pay 
for  doing  is  equally  certain  as  that  it  cjn  be  done, 
yet  not  always  so  efisily  shown. 
.  The  expense  of  reclaiming  or  clearing  bog  mead- 
ows, must,  like  all  other  operations,  depend  upon 
circumstances.  It  may  be  difficult  draining,  or  a 
growth  of  bushes  may  have  to  be  removed  before 
the  work  of  levelling  can  be  commenced ;  but 
whatever  be  the  cost,  there  can  be  but  little  doubt 
of  a  good  investment.  Like  the  expense,  the 
work  of  improvement  varies  in  different  localities. 
In  one  place  a  coating  of  gravel  is  necessary ;  yet 
there  are  meadows  on  which  it  would  be  injurious. 
Here  the  plow  should  be  used,  and  there  the  work 
must  be  done  with  the  hoe. 

The  mud  in  meadows  differs  as  widely  as  the 
soil  of  high  lands.  In  one  place  it  is  formed 
almost  entirely  from  decomposed  vegetable  matter, 
and  when  exposed  to  the  action  of  frost  and  air, 
quickly  slacks  or  pulverizes.  In  other  meadows, 
the  mud  is  formed  in  part  by  the  wash  from  sur- 
rounding hills — of  the  leaves,  loam,  and  the  light 
earth.  Such  meadows,  when  drained,  have  a  ten- 
dency to  harden,  from  which  we  infer  that  an  ex- 
cess of  clay  exists,  and  that  a  dressing  of  sand  or 
gravel  might  be  beneficial. 

The  operation  of  reclaiming  or  clearing  should 
be  pursued  with  caution.  In  no  department  of 
husbandry  has  a  greater  amount  of  useless  labor 
been  done,  in  proportion  to  the  work  accomplished, 
than  in  this  business.  Swamps,  covered  with  a 
hemlock  or  cedar  growth,  have  proved  worthless 
with  us  ;  yet  we  have  seen  days  of  labor  and  dol- 
lars in  money  laid  out,  in  the  vain  effort  to  raise  a 
crop  of  grass.  Believing  experience  to  be  the 
safest  guide,  we  would  advise  experimenting  upon 
a  small  piece  at  first,  for  time  and  money  are  of 
too  much  importance  to  the  garner  to  be  squan- 
dered in  fruitless  effort.  m. 

C-hesler,  N.  H.,  Sept.,  1853. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
A  RBIifLEDY  FOR  THE  POTATO  ROT. 

Mr.  Editor  : — In  conversation  with  a  gentleman 
from  HoUiston  this  morning  at  the  R.  R.  Depot, 
by  the  name  of  White,  I  learned  that  he  has  been 
in  the  habit  for  four  years  past  of  pulling  the 
vines  of  his  potatoes  on  the  first  appearance  of 
their  dying,  which  is  an  indication  of  their  being 
diseased,  and  which  he  says  is  a  sure  preventive  of 
any  further  rot  if  indeed  they  have  rotted  at  all 
He  does  it  by  stepping  upon  the  hill  each  side  of 
the  vines,  which  prevents  the  potatoes  being  pulled 
up  with  the  vines,  which  can  be  left  in  the  ground 
any  length  of  time.  It  is  his  opinion  that  the  dis- 
ease is  caused  by  a  sort  of  mildew  which  is  carried 
through  the  vine  to  the  potato.  I  do  not  recollect 
of  having  seen  any  account  like  this,  therefore  I 
thought  I  would  send  it  to  you,  and  if  you  think  it 
will  be  of  any  service  to  the  public  you  will  please 
make  it  known. 

Yours,  &c.,         D.  Merrill,  2d. 

Meihuen,  Sept.  21, 1853. 


Remarks. — In  our  opinion,  the  above  comes 
nearer  to  being  a  remedy  for  this  calamity, — for 
such  it  has  been  in  Ireland, — than  any  thing  yet 
recommended.  If  the  disease  is  atmospheric,  the 
vines  first  become  tainted  and  conduct  the  virous 


to  the  tuber  below.  Now,  if  upon  the  first  ap- 
pearance of  the  disease  on  the  top,  before  much 
action  can  have  taken  place  between  the  vine  and 
the  potato  itself,  the  vines  are  immediately  re- 
moved, the  disease  may  bo  arrested  and  the  po- 
tato saved.  This  is  tlie  theory,  and  it  appears  to 
us  plausible  and  worthy  of  attention.  It  would 
require  very  close  observation,  to  be  sure,  and 
when  noticed,  all  the  activity  that  could  be  brought 
to  bear  upon  the  crop  in  order  to  remove  the  vines 
at  once.  We  should  be  obliged  to  Prof.  Hoyt,  of 
Exeter,  if  he  would  give  us  his  experience  and 
opinion  on  this  important  question. 


For  the  New  Ens^land  Farmer. 
MR.  GEORGE   PATTERSON'S  FARM. 

Friend  Brown  : — I  promised  you  some  further 
particulars  respecting  the  farm  of  Mr.  Patterson. 
Here  they  are.  In  a  recent  visit  to  Mr.  P.'s  place 
I  was  not  fortunate  enough  to  find  the  proprietor 
at  home,  but  was  indebted  to  his  %iiller,  an  intel- 
ligent man,  who  politely  accompanied  me  over  the 
grounds,  and  gave  me  such  information  as  I  de- 
sired. 

The  season  has,  for  the  most  part,  been  favora- 
ble for  Mr.  Patterson's  farm,  though  the  drought 
did  some  injury  in  June.^  About  80  acres  are  in 
corn,  which  'tis  thought  will  yield  twelve  barrels 
(OQ  bushels,)  to  the  acre;  (when  speaking  of  In- 
dian corn,  the  southern  farmer  alvrays  uses  the 
barrel,  while  he  estimates  wheat,  potatoes  and 
fruits  by  the  bushel.  Why  the  distinction  I  know 
not.)  This  was  planted  the  last  week  in  May  and 
the  first  week  in  June,  about  one  month  after 
the  usual  time  of  planting  in  this  region. 

Mr.  P.  plows  deep  and  cultivates  clean.  Very 
little  use  is  made,  however,  of  the  hoe.  Most  of 
the  labor  is  performed  with  the  cultivator,  or 
shovel  plow.  The  corn  is  planted  in  squares,  the 
rows  being  about  four  feet  apart.  The  gourd-seed 
variety,  planted  here,  grows  much  larger  and 
occupies  much  more  space,  than  the  flint  corn  of 
the  north.  I  doubt  "whether  it  is  possible  to  make 
as  many  barrels  of  the  former  as  of  the  latter,  per 
acre.  On  the  ground  of  which  I  am  speaking, 
there  is  burthen  enough  to  produce,  in  the  Con- 
necticut valley,  ninety  or  one  hundred  bushels. 

One  peculiarity  there  is,  to  which  I  would  call 
the  attention  of  your  readers.  Farmers  do  not, 
as  a  general  thing,  manure  for  corn.  If  they  have 
manure,  they  put  it  upon  their  wheat  or  grass, 
and  plant  corn  without  manure  of  any  kind.  The 
consequence  is  that  they  have  fewer  weeds  and  less 
corn. 

I  incline  to  the  opinion,  that  the  northern  prac- 
tice is  best  in  this  matter.  If  weeds  must  grow, 
and  grow  they  certainly  will  when  there  is  suffi- 
cient richn3S3  of  soil,  it  seems  to  me  better  to  have 
them  with  that  crop  which  admits  of  cultivation, 
that  as  far  as  possible  noxious  plants  may  be  sub- 
dued. Then,  the  grass  weeds  having  been  killed 
and  the  soil  reduced  to  a  mellow  tilth,  wheat,  rye, 
oats  and  barley  may  follow,  with  better  chance  of 
success  than  if  they  preceded. 

Mr.  P.  manures  principally  with  lime.  He  has 
applied  to  most  of  his  lands  a  dressing  of  two 
hundred  bushels  per  acre.     In  New  England,  this 


512 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Nor. 


1 


would  be  expensive  manuring.  On  Mr.  P.'s  farm 
it  probably  costs  not  more  than  $15  or  $20  per 
acre. 

His  opinion  of  guano,  I  understand  to  be,  that 
it  is  too  volatile,  animal  and  vegetable  manures 
from  his  stables  and  styes  are  carefully  preserved 
and  judiciously  applied.  A  common  practice  in 
this  State  is,  to  continue  the  same  crop  so  long  as 
it  will  pay.  A  piece  of  ground  is  cleared  and 
planted  vrith  tobacco,  and  yields  a  good  crop.  It 
is  repeated  and  the  cropping  process  is  carried  on 
as  long  as  it  will  yield  enough  to  pay  the  expenses 
of  cultivation.  So  of  other  crops.  I  know  of  fields 
which  have  been  in  wheat  the  last  two  years,  and 
are  now  being  sown  to  wheat  again.  This  is  a 
very  ruinous  practice. 

Mr.  Patterson  does  no  such  thing.  A  proper 
rotation  in  crops  he  has  made  his  study.  His  ob- 
ject seems  to  be,  not  to  extort  from  his  soil  the 
greatest  amount  of  products  in  a  given  time,  but 
to  secure  and  maintain  such  a  healthy  and  vigor- 
ous condition  of  soil,  as  will  return  the  greatest 
profits  for  the  labor  bestowed. 

To  efiect  this,  he  keeps  his  land  much  of  the 
time  in  grass;  when  he  takes  up  a  plat  of  ground, 
his  object  is  first  to  improve  this  condition  of  the 
land,  and  secondly,  to  secure  a  paying  crop.  In 
this  way,  his  soil  is  kept  in  good  heart  and  his 
crops  are  remunerative  :  or,  if  not,  the  loss  is  more 
than  made  up  by  the  enhanced  value  of  the  land. 

American  farmers  are  greatly  indebted  to  Mr. 
Patterson  for  the  efforts  he  has  made  to  introduce 
improved  breeds  of  stock. 

Nothing  is  more  common  among  farmers  than 
to  cry  out  against  "amature farmers,"  and  "book 
farmers,"  and  say  "  'tis  nought,  'tis  nought" — to 
the  results  of  scientific  experiments.  In  this  they 
err  egregiously,  and  do  great  injustice  to  those  who 
are  laboring  most  assiduously,  and  sacrificing  most 
liberally  for  the  promotion  of  their  best  interests. 

Without  the  aid  of  science,  what  would  now  be 
the  condition  of  agriculture  1  and  without  "book 
farmers,"  whence  would  the  light  be  obtained? 

Mr.  P.  gives  preference  to  the  Devonshire  breed 
of  cattle,  and  breeds  no  other.  I  counted  2G  cows 
of  that  breed,  all  of  them  as  near  perfect  as  a 
stock  fancying  artist  would  be  likely  to  sketch  in  a 
fancy  picture.  Color,  deep  red,  not  a  white  hair, 
a  mal-formed  horn  or  any  other  blemish  to  be  seen 
upon  either.  A  two  year  old  bull,  of  the  same 
breed  and  color,  was  imported  in  June  last,  and 
cost  $700  in  Baltimore.  He  imports  a  bull  about 
once  in  two  years,  and  raises  his  own  heifers.  His 
calves,  such  as  are  without  blemish,  he  sells  for 
$100  each,  when  weaned.  I  was  told  they  were 
bespoken  months,  and  sometimes  years  beforehand. 
Besides  this  "blooded"  stock,  he  has,  what  he 
denominates  his  "stock"  cattle.  Of  these,  I  saw 
one  hundred  in  one  field.  They  were  purchased 
last  autumn,  and  are  designed  for  the  market, 
soon.  They  run  out  during  the  winter  receiving 
hay  from  the  barns,  enough  to  keep  them  in  a 
good  condition,  and  then  during  the  summer  en- 
joy such  a  chance  at  grass  that  they  become  good 
beef. 

In  the  raising  of  stock  and  making  of  beef  the 
farmers  of  this  region  have  great  advantage  over 
t'lose  of  the  north.  The  cost  of  wintering  is  but 
very  little. 

Sheep  need  but  very  little  feeding  during  the 
winter,  and  so  of  stock,  cattle  and  colts.     I  deem 


it  safe  to  assert  that,  the  price  and  quality  of  land 
being  th^same,  it  costs  not  more  than  one  half  as 
much  to  raise  stock  here  ajad  in  Virginia  as  id 
Vermont. 

Mr.  Patterson  gives  preference  to  the  Berkshire 
pigs,  and  keeps  no  other.  His  hogs,  as  is  the 
custom  in  this  region,  run  in  the  fields  during  the 
summer  and  autumn.  In  his  selection,  he  has 
reference  to  the  hams  rather  than  to  the  middlings, 
or  sides.  It  is  an  interesting  sight  to  see  a  "  herd 
of  many  swine  feeding,"  and  especially  to  see  and 
hear  some  two  or  three  hundred  black  pigs  "shuck- 
ing "  among  the  leaves  in  a  forest. 

As  to  the  products  of  the  farm,  I  obtained  the 
following  items  :  four  hundred  tons  of  hay  ;  one 
thousand  bushels  of  corn  ;  thirty-five  hundred 
bushels  of  wheat ;  one  hundred  head  of  cattle  fat- 
tened. This  is,  of  course,  but  a  portion  of  the 
products  of  the  farm.  A  large  number  of  hogs 
are  fattened  ;  much  attention  is  paid  also  to  horses 
and  sheep. 

Mr.  P.  has  forty-one  slaves,  seventeen  of  whom 
are  laboring  men,  and  this  constitutes  his  efficient 
force.  He  employs  no  overseer,  but  is  himself 
daily  and  almost  constantly  with  his  men.  He  is 
represented  as  a  very  kind  master,  never  over- 
working his  men,  and  making  very  ample  provision 
for  their  comfortable  subsistence.  Indeed,  his 
neighbors  complain  that,  by  his  indulgence,  he 
spoils  all  the  negroes  in  the  neighborhood.  Be- 
sides victualing  and  clothing  them,  he  distributes 
money  among  them  ; — after  harvest  $300,  giving 
to  each  laboring  man  $5,  to  the  women  and  boys 
less.     At  Christmas  about  half  as  much. 

I  might  write  much  more  of  this  estate, — of  the 
two  copper  mines  recently  opened,  one  by  a  New 
York  Company,  with  a  capital  of  $500,000,  the 
other  by  Marylanders,  and  which  last  is  already 
paying  Mr.  Patterson  more  than  the  income  of 
his  whole  farm  had.  After  expressing  the  hope 
that  many  may  be  found  in  emulation  of  Mr. 
George  Patterson,  to  expend  money  and  apply  the 
principles  of  science  in  agricultural  experiments 
for  the  benefit  of  the  great  fiirming  family,  I  will 
stop  my  furrow.  Yours,         r.  b.  h. 

Baltimore,  Aug.  13,  1853. 


THE  SEASON. 

It  is  remarkable  that  throughout  the  New  Eng- 
land States  there  was  no  frost  to  injure  even  the 
tender  vines  until  the  morning  of  the  last  day  of 
September.  During  that  month  an  unusual  amount 
of  rain  fell,  so  that  the  springs  and  streams  are 
full. 

The  late  planted  corn  has  come  to  perfection, 
and  the  crop  generally  will  be  a  fine  one. 

The  after  crop  of  grass  continues  heavy  and 
luxuriant,  and  will  have  a  commanding  influence 
on  the  price  of  hay. 

Potatoes  continue  to  come  out  badly  rotted, 
but  we  think  there  will  be  no  scarcity.  T.ess  of 
them  will  be  fed  to  cattle  and  swine,  and  better 
care  taken  of  those  fit  for  the  table. 

Apples  will  be  high  ;  they  are  selling  readily 
now  for  three  dollars  a  barrel. 

Cranberries  are  plenty  and  good,  and  bring 
rewarding  prices — $3  to  $5  a  barrel. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


513 


. -^-.===1  -"     -^'^r^JBg^iJ^ 


■-'■^ 


i?s^ 


CONSTERNATION. 

This  animal  received  the  award  at  the  New 
York  State  Fair  last  year,  as  the  best  thorough 
bred  horse  over  four  years  old ;  and  if  we  regard 
his  delicate  ear,  keen  eye,  light  intelligent  face, 
■well  set  neck,  clean  limbs,  deep  shoulder,  round 
chest  and  long  quarters,  we  must  regard  him  as 
worthy  of  high  admiration,  and  of  the  award  given 

Horses  have  never  commanded  such  high  prices 
as  at  the  present  time,  that  is,  horses  of  the  first 
class.  Common  roadsters,  or  draft  horses,  bring 
high  prices,  but  not  high  compared  with  what 
"fancy"  or  "fast  horses"  bring.  The  cities 
drain  the  country  of  the  best  animals,  and  those 
that  are  left  behind  are  poor  enough.  "We  hope 
the  enterprise  at  Springfield  will  call  more  partic- 
ular attention  to  the  breeding  and  discipline  of 
horses,  and  result  in  important  improvements. 


Improvement  in  Grist  Mills. — The  Worcester 
Spy  speaks  of  improvement  in  the  manner  of  peck- 
ing mill-stones  by  which  their  capacity  for  grind- 
ing can  be  doubled.  The  editor  of  the  Spi/  saw  it 
applied  to  a  mill  in  "Worcester,  and  the  result  of 
its  application  was  that  a  bushel  of  Northern  corn 
was  ground  in  a  minute  and  a  half — and  that  an 
old-fashioned  mill,  with  a  single  run  of  stones, 
with  the  improvement,  will  grind  forti/  six  bushels 
an  hour. 


HOV/  SHALL  WE  PRESERVE  EGGS  ? 

This  is  the  "  grand  question.''''  "V\"e  have  in  the 
course  of  our  life  tried  nearly  all  the  expedients 
that  have  been  recommended,  and  sometimes  suc- 
ceeded, and  sometimes  failed  ;  from  which  results 
you  will  say  it  is  no  more  than  fair  to  conclude  that 
none  of  the  methods  are  infallible.  We  have 
learned  one  fact  from  these  experiments.  Eggs 
should  be  perfectly  fresh  when  you  begin  to  pre- 
serve them.  If  an  egg  has  commenced,  even  but 
a  very  slight  decomposition,  it  is  difficult  arresting 
it;  indeed,  we  are  inclined  to  think  nothing  short 
of  freezing  will  do  it.  The  following  very  simple 
plan  we  have  never  tried,  and  know  nothing  prac- 
tically whether  it  be  effectual  or  not.  We  found 
it  in  the  Farm  Journal  quoted  from  the  English 
Agricultural  Gazette.  "We  pass  it  over  to  our 
readers  for  their  consideration. 

Take  a  half  inch  board  of  any  convenient  length 
and  breadth,  and  pierce  it  as  full  of  holes  (each 
1  1-2  inches  in  diameter)  as  you  can.  I  find  that 
a  board  two  feet  and  six  inches  in  length,  and  one 
foot  wide,  has  five  dozen  in  it,  say  twelve  rows,  of 
five  each. 

Then  take  four  strips  two  inches  broad  and 
nail  them  together  edgewise  into  a  rectangular 
frame  of  the  same  size  as  your  other  board.  Nail 
this  board  upon  the  frame  and  the  work  is  done, 
unless  you  choose  to  nail  a  beading  around  the  top. 

Put  your  eggs  on  this  board  as  they  come 
from  the  poultry  house,  the  small  end  down,  and 
they  will  keep  good  for  six  months,  if  you  take  the 
following  precaution  :   Take  care  that  the  eggs  do 


514 


NEW  ENGLAT^D  FARMER. 


NoV 


not  get  wet,  either  ia  the  nest  or  afterwards.  (In 
summer,  hens  are  fond  of  laying  among  the  weeds 
and  grass,  and  any  eggs  taken  from  such  nests  in 
wet  weather,  should  be  put  away  for  immediate 
use.)  Keep  them  in  a  cool  room  in  summer,  and 
out  of  the  reach  of  frost  in  winter.  If  two  boards 
be  kept,  one  can  be  filling  while  the  other  is  emp- 
tying. 

The  writer  accounts  for  the  preservation  of  eggs 
in  this  way  by  supposing  that  the  yolk  floats  more 
equally  in  the  white,  and  has  less  tendency  tp  sink 
down  against  the  shell,  than  when  the  egg  is  laid 
on  one  side — certainly,  if  the  yolk  touches  the 
shell  it  spoils  immediately. — Maine  Farmer. 


IVIIDDLESBS  COUNTY  CATTLE  SHOW. 

The  59  th  Anniversary  of  the  Middlesex  Cattle 
Show  came  off  at  Concord  on  the  4th  and  5th  in- 
stants. The  weather  was  fine  and  circumstances 
were  propitious.  The  beautiful  enclosure,  the 
new  and  convenient  hall  just  completed,  the 
well-arranged  pens  for  cattle  and  swine,  and 
the  new  avenue  leading  to  the  ground,  all  con- 
tributed to  the  pleasantness  and  life  of  the  scene. 
The  show  of  vegetables,  and  especially  of  fruits, 
was  highly  creditable  to  the  county.  But 
we  do  not  propose  to  speak  of  the  exhibition 
within  the  hall,  attractive  as  the  suliject  is  to  our 
pen,  but  shall  confine  our  remarks  to  such  things 
as  we  noticed  out  of  doors  ;  and  here  the  arrange- 
ments were  all  very  good.  There  was  a  place  for 
everything  and  everything  in  its  place. 

Perfect  order  was  preserved  throughout  the  two 
days.  The  system  of  admitting  none  to  the 
grounds  without  tickets,  was  adopted  for  the  first 
time  in  this  county,  and  was  carried  into  operation 
without  difficulty.  We  noticed  or^e  or  two  things 
which  we  think  time  and  experience  will  correct 
We  hope  we  shall  not  see  again  a  seller  of  confec- 
tionary, or  a  shanty  for  the  sale  of  new  cider  and 
fixings,  or  a  noisy  auction  pedler  attracting  a 
crowd  around  his  cart  within  the  enclosure.  There 
is  room  enough  in  tlie  immediate  vicinity,  and  they 
obstruct  the  view  and  disturb  the  quiet  which  is 
SO  desirable.  We  should  like  also  to  see  a  notice 
of  the  hours  and  places  of  the  several  exercises 
posted  conspicuously  about  the  hall  and  ground. 
Ab  we  took  our  circuit  around  the  enclosure, 
we  were  gratified  to  notice  several  fine  colts  and 
breeding  mares.  We  noticed  last  week,  at  the 
Essex  County  Fair,  several  promising  colts  ;  and 
we  are  happy  to  believe  that  more  attention  is 
being  paid  of  late,  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  State, 
to  the  rearing  of  this  noble  animal,  than  for  some 
years  past.  We  noticed  marks  of  the  Black 
Hawk  blood  in  most  of  the  specimens  present. 
We  think,  from  present  indications,  that  Massa- 
chusetts in  two  or  three  years  more  will  make  no 
oontemptible  display  of  horses. 

The  next  range  of  pens  that  occupied  our  atten- 
tion was  that  which  enclosed  the  swine,  and  a 


fine  lot  of  porkers  they  were  as  one  would  wish  to 
see.  Mr.  II.  Sheldon  had  20,  old  and  young,  on 
the  ground.  Two  of  them  were  said  to  be,  not 
stone  blind,  but  fat  blind,  the  deposit  of  fi.t  over 
their  eyes  rendering  it  impossible  for  them  to  open 
their  peepers.  As  we  saw  the  pigs  of  Horace 
Sheldon  all  snugly  riding  in  a  wagon,  we  clapped 
our  hands  and  cried  out,  "  Well  done  I  that  surely 
is  something  to  brag  of." 

The  swine  of  John  B.  Moore,  we  judge  from 
their  aspect  and  contented  appearance,  have  not, 
like  Oliver  Twist,  been  accustomed  to  stand  at 
their  troughs  and  cry,  more,  more. 

In  the  pen  of  Mr.  Legget,  of  Billerica,  we  i«>- 
ticed  a  singular  inconsistency  between  the  proper- 
ties of  the  animals  and  the  name  of  their  owner. 
Had  it  been  an  object  with  him  to  breed  animals 
for  the  race,  he  would  have  selected  a  breed  with 
longer  legs.  We  are  sure  that  the  long-nosed, 
old-fashioned  grunters  could  leg  it  much  faster 
than  his  short-legged  waddlers.  •»• 

To  say  the  pigs  of  S.  G.  Wheeler 
Were  grown  familiar  willi  tlie  dealer 
In  corn,  fancy,  and  other  breadstuff. 
Will  not  be  reckoned  as  a  great  puff. 

In  another  pen  a  cross  was  shown  by  Mr.  Cros- 
by, a  crop  obtained  by  crossing  Suffolk  blood  with 
Middlesex  or  Mackay  ;  and,  although  there  may 
be  some  little  doubt  about  the  legitimacy  of  the 
cross,  their  marks  prove  that  the  cross  of  Mr. 
Crosby  is  a  cross  by  which  good  pork  may  be 
made  and  a  good  deal  of  it. 

There  were  5  beautiful  pigs,  by  jAmes  P.  Brown, 
and  one  by  the  Editor  of  the  N.  E.  Farmer,  which 
showed  that  they  not  only  have  an  eye  to  the 
main.chance,  but  that  they  intend  also  to  deserve 
well  of  their  country. 

The  pigs  of  Mr.  Farwell  suggest  the  old  proverb, 
that  one  might  go  farther  and  not  fare  better. 

The  cross-bred  boar  of  Mr.  Hadley, 
If  not  the  best;  did  not  look  badly. 

Had  the  boar  of  Mr.  Wellington,  by  any  acci- 
dent, fallen  into  a  try-kettle,  the  fat  we  think 
would  have  welled  up  like  water  Irom  a  fountain. 
We  wonder  if  any  one  has  ever  tried  out  a  whole 
hog  of  the  Suffolk  breed,  carefully  noting  the 
weight  of  the  pork  and  that  of  the  lard  obtained 
from  it,  that  it  might  be  compared  Avith  the  re- 
sults from  other  kinds  of  pork.  We  think  that 
when  lard  retails  at  a  shilling  a  pound  and  pork 
is  eight  or  nine  cents,  that  this  process,  in  the 
hands  of  some  enterprising  Yankee,  would  go  on 
as  smooth  as  oil,  and  that  he  would  slip  money  in 
his  purse  as  sleek  as  grease. 

Taken  as  a  whole,  we  have  not  seen  so  fine  a 
show  of  porkers  this  f;ill,  and  we  doubt  whether 
there  has  been  a  better  one  in  New  England.  By 
the  great  difference  which  is  seen  between  pigs  of 
the  same  family,  we  are  reminded  of  the  constant 
tendency  to  run  back  into  the  original  stock  from 
which  they  are  derived.     From  Avhat  we  saw  on 


1853. 


NiJvV  England  f  armEr. 


415 


the  piesent  occadon,  as  well  as  at  almost  every 
other  sliiJW  of  Suffolk  pigs  which  we  have  seen, 
we  should  be  disposed,  in  many  instances,  to  put 
a  mark  of  interrogation  after  the  term  "  pure 
bred,"  which  is  so  often  prefixed  to  them. 

We  think  the  show  of  stock  was  very  fine  for 
this  section  of  the  State.  Certainly  the  number 
of  fine  animals,  and  especially  of  imported  breeds, 
was  greater  than  we  have  been  accustomed  to  see 
in  this  county.  We  look  upon  the  improvement 
of  stock,  Avhcther  by  breeding  from  the  best  native 
stock,  or  from  imported  stock,  as  one  of  the  surest 
indications  of  advancement  in  agricultural  pros- 
perity. Wo  shall  notice  some  of  the  animals  or 
groups  of  animals  that  arrested  our  attention, 
without  pretending  to  give  any  opinion  upon  their 
comparitive  merits.  In  pen  No.  1,  was  an  Ayr- 
shire bull,  from  Mr.  Conant.  In  2 and  3,  Devons, 
by  Gen.  Cliandler,  one  of  which  we  thought  very, 
fine.  The  next  4  pens  contained  15  cows,  calves 
and  bulls,  by  G.  M.  Barrett.  Most  of  them  pure 
or  mixed  Ayrshire. 

J.  B.  Moore  had  a  very  valuable  cow  and  calf, 
and  a  noble  pair  of  oxen.  Mr.  Moore,  including 
his  cattle,  swine,  fruits,  vegetables  and  team  at 
the  plowing-match,  was  one  of  the  largest  contrib 
utors  on  the  occasion,  and  considering  that  he  was 
also  Chairman  of  the  Committee  of  Arrangements, 
he  might  say  of  the  exhibition  as  yEneas  said  of 
the  Trojan  war,  "Magna  pars  fui."  Next  in 
order  was  Gardner  Iley  ward's  Devon  cow  and  calf. 
Nathan  Pratt  had  a  cow  and  calf,  and  a  fine  pair 
of  steers  2^  years  old. 

n.  ShelHon  had  a  native  bull  3  years  old.  Gor- 
ham  Brooks  exhibited  a  Durham  bull,  and  a  Dur- 
ham and  Ayrshire  heifer,  both  remarkable  for 
their  size  and  beef-making  qualities. 

S.  G.  Wheeler  had  11  cows  on  the  ground,  con- 
taining a  good  share  of  Durham  blood,  and  one 
Durham  cow  and  calf,  both  beautiful  animals. 
Mr.  Wheeler  has  done  ranch  to  improve  the  stock 
in  town,  and  Ave  learn  that  he  has  purchased  of 
Mr.  Lawson,  a  pure  bred  Alderney  bull  calf,  for 
which  we  think  he  is  entitled  to  the  thanks  of  the 
town. 

A.  S.Lewis,  Framingham,  had  6  cows  from  the 
stock  of  Mr.  Webster,  and  one  Alderney  bull,  im- 
ported by  Mr.  Webster,  4  years  old,  and  one  a 
year  and  a  half  old  from  the  State  stock,  imported 
by  Mr.  Motley. 

There  is  much  difference  in  the  different  families 
of  Alderney  stock,  at  least  in  their  appearance, 
and  we  presume  in  their  characters  and  qualities. 
We  were  much  impressed  with  this  fact,  on  seeing 
there  two  bulls  together  in  the  same  pen. 

James  Brown,  of  the  firm  of  Little  &  Brown, 
Boston,  had  5  or  6  Alderney  and  Devon,  and  one 
pure  Devon,  all  fine  animals.  We  understood 
they  were  on  tlie  ground  too  late  to  be  exhibited 
for  a  premium. 


There  was  an  Alderney  cow  by  E.  M.  Reed, 
Tewksbury,  which  calved  G  montlia  ago,  and  in 
the  hall  were  thirteen  pounds  of  butter  made 
from  her  last  week.  We  learn  from  Mrs.  Reed 
herself  that  she  has  made  17  lbs.  aweek,  for  many 
weeks,  the  past  summer.  Four  quarts  of  her  milk 
yield  a  pound  of  butter.  The  same  thing  is  true 
of  Mr.  Lawson 's  Alderney  cow  in  the  next  pen. 
These  two  cows  were  selected  abroad  and  impor- 
ted by  Peter  Lawson,  Esq.,  and  as  dairy  cows,  or 
family  cows  for  those  who  keep  only  one  or  two 
cows,  we  think  this  stock  vastly  superior  to  any 
other  cows  in  the  county.  Mr.  Lawson,  also  had 
a  yearling  bull  of  the  same  stock,  .which  although 
his  hair  is  white,  he  assures  us  is  a  pure  bred 
animal.  This  was  sold  on  the  ground  to  Mr.  Hen- 
ry Shattuck,  of  Concord.  He  had  in  the  same 
pen  a  beautiful  calf,  a  few  weeks  old,  the  same 
that  he  has  sold  to  S.  G.  Wheeler.  We  trust 
that  the  Concord  stock  will  in  due  time  show  the 
good  effects  of  this  crop. 

Mr.  Furbush,  of  Bolton,  had  an  Alderney  heifer. 

James  Brown,  of  Watertown,  a  half  Alderney. 

Joseph  Derby  had  a  Devon  bull,  and  a  native, 
and  a  fine  pair  of  native  steers. 

A.  B.  Lane  had  a  good  pair  of  oxen. 

John  Lawrence  had  a  pair  of  steers  that  did 
credit  to  their  keeper. 

Mr.  Viles,  of  Walfcham,  had  a  fine  lot  of  milch 
cows. 

Horace  Heard,  of  Wayland,  had  an  Ayrshire 
heifer,  and  Edwin  Wheeler  a  half  Ayrshire  do. 

Joel  Wheeler  had  a  full-blooded  Ayrshire  bull, 
as  had  Leonard  Hoar,  of  Lincoln,  and  John  Ray- 
nolds  a  half  Ayrshire  cow  that  made  a  good  ap- 
pearance. 

And  here  we  would  say  a  word  by  way  of  cau- 
tion to  the  owners  of  imported  bulls  or  their  im- 
mediate progeny.  They  cost  large  sums,  and 
their  owners  are  desirous  to  be  remunerated  as 
soon  as  possible.  They  are  eager  to  increase  their 
stock  from  them,  and  so  ai'e  their  neighbors,  and 
by  the  time  they  arrive  at  the  age  of  three  years, 
they  are  prematurely  old,  used  up,'  and  fail  in  the 
service  that  is  required  of  them.  They  should  be 
used  very  sparingly  until  they  have  reached  their 
growth  and  strength.  This  will  be  the  best  econ- 
omy in  the  end,  and  ensure  the  best  stock. 

At  9  o'clock  the  Plowing  Match  took  plagp,  in  a 
field  near  Augustus  Tuttle's,  on  Cross  Street,  be- 
tween the  main  road  to  Boston  and  the  old  Cam- 
bridge Turnpike.  It  was  attended  by  a  large  con- 
coarse  of  people,  and  as  usual,  was  witnessed  with 
much  interest  by  all.  There  were  43  entries  for 
competition,  but  owing  to  a  variety  of  causes  27 
teams  only  plowed,  which  were  classed  as  follows: 
10  teams  of  a  single  pair  of  oxen  each;  4  teams 
with  two  pairs  of  oxen  each  ;  2  teams  with  a  pair 
of  oxen  and  pair  of  horses  each  ;  3  teams  of  a  pair 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Not 


of  oxen  and  one   horse  each  ;  1  four  horse  team, 
and  7  two  horse  teams. 

The  match  embraced  many  fine  cattle  and  hors- 
es, and  was  warmly  contested.  We  believe  Middle- 
sex county  has  the  honor  of  getting  up  the  most  ex- 
tensive plowing  matches  of  any  society  in  the  east- 
ern part  of  the  Stat^  if  not  in  the  whole  State.  At 
any  rate;  her  farmers  go  into  the  matter  with  a 
will,  and  it  hardly  need  be  said  that  they  do  their 
work  well.  The  teams  on  this  occasion  were  skil- 
fully managed,  and  the  whole  thing  was  carried 
through  without  "noise  or  confusion." 

Next  came  the  Spading  Match,  a  new  and  very 
interesting  feature  in  agricultural  exhibitions.  This 
took  place  in  the  Society's  enclosure,  and  excited 
much  attention.  There  were  twelve  stahvart  com- 
petitors for  the  palm  of  victory,  who  handled  their 
spades  with  much  energy  and  skill.  But  two  of 
them  were  Yankees,  the  rest  being  Irishmen.  The 
lots  to  be  dug  up  were  5  feet  by  12,  and  the 
match  lasted  about  half  an  hour,  the  contestants 
being  cheered  in  their  labors  by  the  inspiring  strains 
of  the  Sudbury  Brass  band,  who  were  stationed  on 
the  ground.  The  quickest  spading  was  done  in 
nine  minutes  and  a  half,  but  speed  was  not  the 
only  test  of  merit. 

Directly  after  the  Spading  Match,  a  trial  of 
Working  Oxen  took  place  on  the  Society's  grounds. 

There  were  IG  teams  entered,  and  the  task  was 
the  drawing  of  a  load  of  rising  5000  lbs.,  up  a  hill 
and  backing  it.  Some  excellent  muscle  on  the 
part  of  the  cattle  was  exhibited,  as  well  as  good 
training,  and  their  drivers  displayed  good  skill  in 
their  management. 

At  12  o'clock  a  procession  was  formed  at  the 
exhibition  hall,  under  the  direction  of  G.  A.Som- 
erby,  of  Waltham,  and  accompanied  by  the  Sud- 
bury Brass  Band,  proceeded  to  the  Unitapan 
Church,  to  listen  to  an  address  from  Hon.  Lorenzo 
Sabine,  of  Framingham.  The  exercises  were  opened 
by  a  voluntary  by  the  band,  after  which  prayer 
was  offered  by  Rev.  Mr.  Ellis,  of  Charlestown. 
The  hymn  commencing 

"  God  of  the  year  !  •with  songs  of  praise," 

was  then  sung,  after  which  the  President  of  the 
society.  Judge  Hoar,  of  Concord,  introduced  the 
orator  of  the  day.  Mr.  Sabine  then  proceeded  to 
address  the  audience. 

Although  the  address  was  not  peculiarly  appro- 
priate to  an  Agricultural  Festival,  it  contained 
many  good  thoughts  and  manifested  much  careful 
observation  of  men  and  things,  and  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  human  nature.  It  was  addressed  to 
fathers  and  mothers,  and  its  leading  thought  was 
the  importance  of  studying  the  talents,  the  tastes 
and  the  inclinations  of  their  children,  and  direct- 
ing them  into  those  pursuits  for  life  which  are 
congenial  to  the  natural  bent  of  their  minds,  and 
to  their  physical  organizations.     It  was  written  in 


a  very  neat  and  chaste  style.  A  large  audience, 
including  many  ladies,  was  present,  and  the  ad- 
dress was  listened  to  with  close  attention. 

The  visit  to  the  church  was  enlivened  by  good 
music  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  James  IL  Bil- 
lings, who  is  entitled  to  the  thanks  of  the  lovers 
of  music  for  his  efforts  to  meet  the  occasion. 

The  exercises  were  concluded  by  singing  the  fa- 
vorite "  Harvest  Hymn." 

The  procession  was  again  formed  and  proceeded 
to  the  Town  Hall,  where  an  excellent  dinner,  pre- 
pared by  J.  B.  Smith,  of  Boston,  was  spread  for 
about  four  hundred  persons.  Here  a  new  and 
pleasing  feature  in  the  arrangements  of  the  society 
presented  itself, — the  presence  of  many  ladies — 
this  being  the  first  time  they  have  honored  the 
annual  dinner  of  the  society  with  their  presence. 
Romance  aside,  the  attendance  of  the  wives  and 
daughters  of  the  farmers  on  such  an  occasion  adds 
greatly  to  the  cheerfulness  and  gaiety  of  the  hour 
spent  over  the  social  board.  It  is  a  most  pleasing 
custom,  and  should  be  adopted  by  all  agricultural 
societies  who  wish  to  flourish  and  keep  up  with 
the  times. 

After  the  company  had  got  seated  at  the  tables, 
the  Divine  Blessing  was  invoked  by  Rev.  Mr.  Ellis, 
of  Charlestown.  Mr.  Hoar  then  invited  attention 
to  the  feast,  which  was  promptly  attended  to. 

After  the  keen  appetites  of  the  company  had 
been  fully  sated,  Mr.  Hoar  rose,  and  in  a  happy 
and  appropriate  speech  congratulated  the  members 
of  the  society  on  the  success  which  had  attended 
the  exhibition,  and  also  upon  the  increased  facili- 
ties secured  for  the  purposes  of  the  society.  He 
also  congratulated  them  on  the  appearance  of  a 
new  set  of  features  (the  ladies)  at  the  dinner  of 
the  society.  He  appealed  eloquently  to  the  mem- 
bers of  the  society  to  take  a  pride  in  rendering  the 
cultivation  of  the  county  second  to  that  of  no 
other,  and  an  honor  to  the  State. 

Mr.  Hoar,  then,  in  a  spirit  of  happy  banter, 
called  upon  various  gentlemen  for  speeches.  The 
first  was  the  orator  of  the  day,  Mr.  Sabine,  who 
responded  with  a  sentiment. 

The  next  was  Hon.  Mr.  Wright,  Secretary  of 
the  Commonwealth,  in  response  to  a  toast  in  hon- 
or of  Massachusetts.  He  reviewed  the  high  po- 
sition which  Massachusetts  holds  among  her  sister 
States,  and  compared  the  exhibition  of  the  day, 
with  its  representatives  from  every  branch  of  so- 
ciety, to  a  miniature  State — a  miniature  empire. 
He  referred  the  cause  of  the  eminence  of  Massa- 
chusetts to  the  thinking  labor  of  her  sons. 

Mr.  Loud,  the  Treasurer  of  the  State,  was  next 
called  up,  and  responded  in  a  pleasing  strain  of 
remark. 

Mr.  Dix,  of  Littleton,  one  of  the  original  foun- 
ders of  the  society,  and  upwards  of  80  years  of 
tige,  followed  with  a  few  pertinent  remarks  and  a 
sentiment. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


517 


The  next  speaker  was  Rev.  Mr.  Ellis,  the  chap- 
lain of  the  day,  who  made  a  graceful,  off-hand 
speech,  which  was  heartily  received. 

Mr.  E.  J.  Cutler,  of  West  Ilolliston,  was  next 
called  up,  and  responded  in  a  fine  descriptive  po- 
em, giving  a  beautiful  picture  of  the  influence  of 
the  seasons  on  the  vocation  of  the  farmer. 

Hon.  J.  Wiley  Edmands  of  Newton,  Hon.  Tap- 
pan  Wentworth  of  Lowell,  Hon.  B.  V.  French  of 
Braintroe,  J.  W.  Proctor  of  Danvers,  and  Hon. 
Charles  Hudson,  of  the  Boston  Alias,  also  made 
pertinent  and  effective  speeches. 

The  premiums  were  announced  at  the  dinner 
table,  by  the  chairmen  of  the  several  committees, 
and  the  company  broke  up  at  a  late  hour,  well 
satisfied  with  the  day  and  the  exhibition. 

The  New  Building  was  well  filled  with  fruits, 
yegetables,  ladies'  work  and  miscellaneous  arti- 
cles. 

Rowell  &  Co.,  West  Acton,  exhibited  self- 
sharpening  hay-cutters.  A  single  stationary  knife 
is  used,  against  which  the  hay  is  pressed  by  re- 
volving flanges. 

Parker  &  White  had  plows  of  fine  finish, — chain- 
pumps,  corn-shellers,  butter-moulds,  apple-paring 
machines,  folding-ladders,  barn-vanes,  &c. 

A.  W.  Putnam,  Lexington,  had  a  set  of  modern 
horse-rackets  in  contrast  with  the  clumsy  things 
first  used. 

L.  B.  Brown,  Stow,  brought  a  plow  which 
might  have  been  his  grandfather's.  Comparing 
it  with  the  graceful  neighbor  with  bright  mould- 
board  and  keen  cutters,  the  improvement  indica- 
ted in  plow-making  within  forty  years  was  won- 
derful. 

E.  H.  Warren,  Chelmsford,  showed  monstrous 
beets. 

Geo.  E.  White,  Melrose,  had  some  of  the  fa- 
mous Mexican  wild  potatoes  ;  also,  Stowell  sweet 
corn. 

A  basket  of  Holland  potatoes  from  A.  Longley, 
Groton,  were  very  large. 

Wm.  W.  Wheildon  had  some  good-looking 
crooked-neck  squashes. 

Thomas  Spleine,  gardener  to  S.  G.  Wheeler, 
Concord,  made  a  fine  show  of  vegetables  ;  good 
evidence  that  his  operations  are  conducted  with 
skill. 

The  pumpkin  crop  was  well  represented  by  sev- 
eral contributors. 

Samuel  Barrett,  Concord,  had  a  large  Carolina 
watermelon. 

A  basket  made  wholly  of  ears  of  corn  and 
piled  high  with  onions,  ("  perfumery  ")  attracted 
much  attention.  By  A.  W.  Putnam,  Lexington. 
Nathan  Barrett  showed  a  basket  of  very  healthy 
potatoes,  "  four  years  from  seed  "  (balls?)  He 
says  "  they  never  have  rotted."     Good. 

Wm.  D.  Brown,  Concord,  had  a  basket  of  very 
large  Gilliflower  potatoes  ;  planted  early  in  deep 
plowed  land,  manure  plowed  in. 


Rev.  Geo.  F.  Simmons,  Concord,  exhibited  some 
very  nice  Ladies'  fingers  ;  except,  perhaps,  that 
they  were  a  trifle  too  large  for  their  name  ;  being 
about  the  size  of  a  lady's  arm  ! 

Charles  Bartlett,  Concord,  some  good  potatoes 
raised  from  seed  brought  from  California. 

Three  large    watermelons,   weighing    80  lbs., 
grown  from  one  seed,  were  from  the  good  farm  of 
Chas.  Howe,  Marlboro'. 
Mrs.  ]Mullet,Concord,had  large  marrow  squashes. 

John  B.  ^loore's  display  of  vegetables  was  very 
fine.  His  beets  and  Lima  beans  caused  frequent 
exclamations. 

E.  W.  Bull,  Concord,  showed  excellent  vegeta- 
bles and  watermelons. 

James  Wood,  Concord,  had  a  squash  there,  ap- 
parently a  direct  descendant  of  the  monster  of  last 
year.  No  occasion  less  than  a  farmer's  thanks- 
giving wouldrequire  such  an  amountof  "material." 

J.  Hosmer,  Jr. ,  had  a  few  pumpkins  with  very 
long  bodies  and  thick-meated.  Called  the  Nova 
Scotia.  Josiah  Stickney  of  Brighton,  covered  a 
rod  or  more  of  table  with  excellent  fruit.  Plump, 
round  Winter  Nelis  pears  ;  handsome  Van  Mons. 
Leon  Le  Clerc  ;  Louise  bonde  Jersey,  with  a  blush 
like  a  maiden's  cheek  ;  large,  hard  Yicar  of  Wink- 
field,  Duchesse,  &c. 

Micah  Leland,  Framingham,  showed  some  fine 
winter  sweet  apples. 

Asa  Clement,  Dracut,  had  pears  in  great  va- 
riety ;  the  Catillac,  very  novel  in  shape.  Also  the 
Minister  apple,  mottled  with  red  ;  Osgood's  late 
yellow,  and  Crawford's  late  peaches.  Isabella  and 
Catawba  grapes. 

Peter  Lawson,  Dracut,  had  several  plates  of 
pears  ;  Beurre  Diel,  very  large  and  tempting  ; 
Duchesse  de  Angouleme.  Also  the  Ribston  Pippin. 

Rev.  Chas.  Babbidge,  Pepperell,  had  the  finest 
Isabella  grapes  upon  the  tables.  The  berries  were 
of  uncommon  size,  and  the  bunches  of  libera 
length. 

John  M.  Cheney,  Concord,  showed  Duchesse 
de  Angouleme  and  St.  Michael  pears. 

H.  A.  Wheeler,  Concord,  had  very  fair  Hunt 
Russets ;  Albert  Hagar,  Lincoln,  late  Crawford 
peach  ;  Albert  Stacy,  Concord,  fine  Seedling  peach. 

Morey  &  Co.  had  a  plate  of  the  famous  Diana 
grapes.  They  seem  to  be  a  cross  between  the 
Sweet-water  and  Hamburgh.  We  understood  that 
they  are  ripened  with  difficulty  in  the  open  air. 
The  same  gentleman  had  a  fine  collection  of  pears;. 
Swan's  Orange  and  White  Doyenne,  &c. 

In  the  department  allotted  to  the  ladies,  there 
was  a  very  attractive  exhibition  of  the  useful  and 
ornamental. 

We  noticed  an  ingenious  "Tidy,"  by  Miss  A. 
M.  Stacy,  Concord  ;  Sofa  Pillow,  by  Mrs.  L.  Weth- 
erbee.  Concord  ;  a  large  and  striking  picture,  made 
with  the  needle,— An  English  Hawking  Scene, 
embroidered  by  Rebecca  T.   Ames,  Charlestown ; 


518 


^EW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Nov. 


child's  wrought  dres3,  by  Mrs.  Julius  M.  Smith, 
Concord  ;  wax  flowers,  l)y  Sarah  E.  Wheeler ;  a 
handsome  picture  frame,  the  ornamental  part  of 
leather,  and  a  portfolio  of  papier  mache,  by  Helen 
F.  Damon,  Concord. 

Several  pairs  of  stockings,  by  Sirs.  Sarah  Ad- 
ams, 92  years  old,  and  Sirs.  Sarah  Loring,  84 
years  old,  of  Concoi'd,  were  very  creditable. 

The  nicest,  warmest  men's  socks  we  saw  were 
by  Mrs.  Joseph  Derby,  Concord. 

The  young  lady's  patchwork,  containing  a  cer- 
tain number  o^ peases,  according  to  the  label,  was 
better  than  the  spelling  ! 

Two  engravings — the  famous  Cliatsworth  "Night 
and  Morning" — were  exhibited,  with  frames  made 
of  the  cones  of  the  Norway  pine,  by  S.  C.  Brown, 
Concord.  A  handsome  hearth-rug,  by  Mrs.  James 
Wood,  Concord.  Very  fine  specimens  of  Crayon 
drawings  by  Mrs.  L.  Wetherbee.  A  piece  of 
framed  worsted  work  by  R.  Ray,  Boston. 

Some  of  the  finest  grapes  and  pears  were  next 
to  the  ladies'  articles.  They  were  from  L.  Nes- 
mith's  garden,  Lowell.  Single  clusters  of  Ham- 
burgh grapes  filled  a  dinner  plate.  The  white 
"Muscat  of  Alexandria"  grapes  were  very  tempt- 
ing. 

Rev.  B.  Frost,  Concord,  had  Passe  Colmar  pears. 
Heath  peaches,  quinces  and  grapes.  Also,  a  sin- 
gle, noble  specimen  of  the  Pound  pear — one  of  the 
real  Dr.  Ripley  pattern.  Mr.  Frost's  garden — 
and  few  are  now  finer,  was  a  few  years  ago,  a  very 
poor  rye  field.  Ralph  Waldo  Emerson,  Concord, 
had  Seckel  pears,  Iron,  and  Winter  Nelis. 

Francis  Smith,  Lincoln,  late  Crawford  peaches  ; 
Seth  Bemis,  Watertown,  several  dishes  of  pears — 
5  large  ones  upon  a  single  twig.  D.  Loring,  Con- 
cord, showed  handsome  peaches  and  pears ;  M. 
Pritchard,Concord,  basket  fragrant  grapes  ;  E.  W. 
Bull,  Concord,  had  a  very  large  space  filled  with 
the  rare  productions  of  his  fine  garden.  We  no- 
ticed a  superior  plate  of  the  Northern  Spy  apple, 
soon,  we  hope,  to  be  more  common.  They  were 
large,  deep  green  and  red.  Also  a  new  seedling 
grape,  something  like  a  first-rate  native,  ambi- 
tious to  possess  the  tenderness  of  the  Isabella. 
Mr.  B.  had  also,  a  plate  of  the  Diana,  but  inferior 
to  the  new  seedling. 

Judge  Hoar  exhibited  some  mammoth  quinces, 
*  also  a  very  interesting  basket  of  grapes,  labelled 
'■'■for  the  Society's  Dinner.'''  W.  W.  Wheildon, 
^Concord,  showed  a  fine"  plate  of  the  Maiden's 
Blush,  as  last  year.  This  tree  seems  to  bear  the 
rosy  cheeks  annually.  Judge  Mellon,  of  Wayland, 
had  some  fine  Beurre  Diel  pears.  C.  W.  Good- 
win, Concord,  Dix  pears  and  Porter  apples.  Hen- 
ry Yandlne,  Cambridgeport,  'showed  rare  and 
choice  fruits.  L.  Bullard,  Wayland,  15  Seckel 
pears  on  one  stem.  Nathen  Barrett  Concord,  ex 
hibited  fine  specimens  of  apples  and  pears  ;  J.  S. 
Wetherbee,  Marlboro',  Harrison  apple,very  showy; 


Long  Jersey  Russet,  a  smooth  handsome  fruit, 
Lyscom  &  Co.  J.  B.  Moore,  Concord,  had  a  large 
collection  of  fruits  from  his  productive  farm. 

Micajah  Rice,  Concord,  had  a  plate  of  Rams- 
horn  apple,  handsomer  than  their  name — a  good 
deal.  Ramshorn  !  what  a  name  for  an  elegant 
and  well  shaped  apple  ! 

Francis  Monroe,  Concord,  showed  7  mammoth 
quinces,  sticking  tight  to  one  Httle  twig.  Also,  a 
fine  seedling  peach.  Mr.  Slonroe  has  cultivated 
his  garden  for  six  years.  It  produces  abundantly. 
One  Bartlett  pear  tree  bore  this  summer  a  bar- 
rel of  excellent  fruit !  He  has  the  good  things  of 
the  earth  in  profusion,  from  a  single,  well-tilled 
acre .' 

Dr.  Reynolds,  Concord,  exhibited  24  Buffum 
pears  upon  a  limb  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  diam- 
eter !  Also,  Fulton  pear  and  Glout  Morceau.  C. 
C.Damon,  Concord,  a  quince  weighing  18  ounc- 
es. 

E.  J.  Leppelman,  Concord,  had  beautiful  peach- 
es— few  would  desire  finer;  Green  Catherine,  Late 
Crawford  and  Melocoton. 

J.  D.  Brown,  Concord,  showed  very  fair  Bald- 
wins, Hubbardstone,  Pearmains  and  Russets. 

J.  W.  Brown,  Concord,  superior  Baldwins  and 
Porters ;  A.  B.  Lane,  Bedford,  fine  Porters  ;  E. 
Hale,  Rockbottom,  Peck's  Pleasant — a  kind  of 
Greening,  very  fair,  and  uniform  size. 

The  Brothers  Edmunds,  Chelmsford,  had  large 
Hubbardstons. 

Simon  Brown,  Concord,  exhibited  fine  peaches, 
quinces,  and  Sweet  potatoes  raised  from  slips 
started  in  a  hot-bed. 

The  Russets  from  C.  Bowers,  Concord,  were 
very  handsome.  Sampson  Mason,  Concord,  bad 
a  full  dish  of  St.  Michael  pears  ;  Edwin  Wheeler, 
Concord,  fine  Isabella  grapes  ;  Cyrus  Wheeler, 
Catawba  ;  Luther  Adams,  "Crofibrd  late"  peach! 
Jonathan  Wheeler,  Concord,  had  several  dishes 
of  nice  apples.  The  Baldwins  were  about  the 
plumpest  we  have  seen. 

E.  H.  Warren,  Chelmsford,  had  "Louisa  bon  de 
Jersey"  and  St.  Michael  pears.  Also,  rich  looking 
peaches.  John  Brown,  Concord,  Baldwins  and 
Greenings  ;  W.  D.  Brown,  Sweet  Russet,  Ilub- 
bardston  and  Delta  apples.  Also,  a  box  of  honey. 
Maj.  Benj.  Wheeler,  Framingham,  exhibited  a 
basket  of  fruit  to  be  enjoyed  at  the  "table."  E. 
Bird,  Framingham,  had  more  of  the  Ramshorn 
apple.     Phcx'bus  !  luhat  a  name  ! 

But  here  is  the  butter,— 13  boxes.  Few  in  num- 
ber but  excellent  in  quality. 

S.  Spalding,  Chelmsford,  had  a  box  of  stamped 
cakes.  A.  Sheldon,  Wilmington,  a  box  of  mould- 
ed butter.  It  had  a  sweet  flavor.  Mr.  Sheldon's 
cows  must  "live  in  clover." 

There  were  several  boxes  from  the  rich  pastures 
of  Marlboro'.  Mr.  F.  Barnard,  John  F.  Rice  and 
Chas.  Howe,  had  excellent  butter  upon  the  table. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


519 


We  felt  almost  like  trying  it  upon  some  of  the 
neighboring  loaves  of  bread. 

We  finished  our  hasty  survey  of  the  things  in 
the  Hall,  in  the  bread  corner.  There  was  some- 
thing peculiarly  suggestive  about  the  nice  cut 
loaves.  Laying  down  pencil  and  paper  ,we  thought, 
vfill  there  be  as  many  heavy,  half-baked,  sour 
batches  of  bread  made  in  Middlesex  County  the 
next  year  as  have  been  the  past  twelve  months  ! 
Here  were  loaves  something  about  what  the  "staff 
of  life"  should  be.  Many  were  from  w/i -married 
women  ;  and,  perhaps  rather  an  important  exhi- 
bition for  them  ;  for  to  many  a  young  man,  just 
getting  the  nonsense  out  of  his  head,  the  fact  that 
she  can  make  good  bread,  is  not  a  small  consider a- 
tiorj  in  making  a  matrimonial  arrangement. 

While  upon  our  walk  among  the  tables  we  heard 
opinions  from  gentlemen  who  had  visited  the 
State  Fair  in  New  York,  and  Shows  in  other  parts 
of  the  country.  They  all  agreed  that  the  fruits 
and  vegetables  here  surpassed  all  that  they  had 
seen. 


I^*  We  would  express  our  obligations  to  Dr. 
Joseph  Reyxolds,  for  valuable  aid  furnished  in 
giving  the  general  description  of  the  Show,  and  to 
Wm.  D.  Bkovtn,  for  the  comprehensive  statement 
and  description  of  the  fruits,  &c.,  exhibited  in  the 
Hall.  We  were  obliged  to  leave  early  on  the 
morning  of  Thursday  for  Vermont,  and  thus  the 
reader  gets  a  more  poetic,  if  not  graphic,  account, 
than  our  own  pen  would  have  afforded. 


One  man,  in  a  small  wheat-field  of  perhaps  five 
acres,  picked  up  eight  bushel-baskets  full  of  heads 
gnawed  off  by  them,  and  probably  left  as  many 
more  on  the  field.  In  the  cnrn-fields  they  attacked 
first  the  leaves  and  tassels  and  then  the  ear,  gnaw- 
ing husks,  kernel,  cob  and  all.  Nor  did  they  neg- 
lect the  apple-trees.  I  saw  some  heavily  loaded 
with  fruit,  from  which  they  have  taken  almost 
every  leaf,  and  in  some  few  cases  the  bark  of  the 
tender  twigs.  There  will  be  comparatively  few 
apples  this  year,  but  has  been,  or  will  be,  an  abun- 
dance of  almost  every  other  kind  of  fruit  grown 
here. 

Our  potato  crop  will  be  fair,  though  very  much 
injured  by  the  drought.  As  yet  I  have  seen  no 
signs  of  rot,  and  the  rust  came  so  late  as  not  to 
trouble  them  much.  The  drought  has  been  ex- 
cessive, no  soaking  rain  since  J.Iay,  and  the  inside 
of  the  potato-hills  is  and  has  been  very  dry.  Now, 
our  springs  are  well-nigh  dried  up,  lower  than  they 
have  been  for  many  years  before.  The  hay-crop 
was  light,  though  somewhat  better  than  last  year, 
where  it  was  cut  in  July,  before  the  grasshoppers 
began  to  work  in  earnest.  The  quality  could  not 
be  better. 

Of  corn,  the  yield  is  more  than  usually  good, 
and  even  the  pumpkins,  that  the  farmers  thought 
entirely  destroyed  by  the  bugs,  are  pretty  fair, with 
a  superabundance  of  vines.  Fall  feed  is  very  poor, 
owing  both  to  the  drought  and  the  grasshoppers  ; 
hence  the  amount  of  Ijutter  made  must  be  very 
small.  Indeed,  the  pastures  have  been  so  poor 
that  the  cows  have  given  but  little  milk  through 
the  season ,  and  now  are  nearly  dry.       w.  c.  b. 

GaysviUe,  Windsor  Co.,  Vt.,  Sept.  20th. 

Remarks.  —  "  W.  C.  B."  will  accept  thanks 
for  the  above,  and  we  hope,  favor  us  often  with 
short  communications. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
SWALLOWS— GRASSHOPPERS—THE 
CROPS. 

Mr.  Brown  : — Some  weeks  since  in  the  Farmer, 
you  requested  information  in -regard  to  the  swal- 
lows' coming  and  going. 

The  common  barn  swallows  made  their  first  ap- 
pearance April  8th,  but  were  not  seen  in  numbers 
till  the  last  days  of  April.  The  chimney  swallows 
did  not  come  till  the  middle  of  May.  The  barn 
swallows  nearly  all  left  us  the  3d  and  4th  of  Aug., 
though  I  saw  a  few  after — a  few  the  30th.  On 
the  evening  of  the  16th,  the  chimney  swallows  as- 
sembled in  numbers  for  a  merry  time, — a  sort  of 
jubilee  preparatory  to  leaving  us  for  more  sunny 
climes,  burying  themselves  in  the  mud  or  dispos- 
ing of  themselves  in  some  other  way  for  the  win- 
ter; the  air  was  alive  with  them,  and  very  plainly 
they  were  having  some  excellent  fun,  for  they  kept 
up  the  sport  till  the  evening  was  well  nigh  gone. 
The  next  day  they  were  gone,  and  not  even  a 
straggler  have  I  seen  since.  Notwithstanding  the 
.authority  of  Mr.  White  and  others,  I  am  slow  to 
believe  that  they  bury  themselves  in  the  mud  thus 
early  in  the  season,  to  remain  dormant  till  the  next 
May.  Rather  a  sorry  time  of  it  the  poor  fellows 
have,  if  that  be  true — three  months  of  the  very 
busiest,  joUiest  life,  and  nine  months  of  torpidity. 

The  grasshoppers  have  been  innumerable  here- 
abouts, eating  up  every  green  thing.  Many  fields 
o^oats  they  entirely  ruined,  and  the  xoheat  and  rye 
were  considerably  injured. 


THE  WHITE  CLOVER. 

BY     A     LADY     OF     NEW     HAMPSHIRE. 

There  ii  a  little  perfum'd  flower, 
It  well  might  grace  the  loveliest  bower, 
Yet  poet  never  deign'd  to  sing 
Of  such  a  humble,  rustic  thing. 
Nor  is  it  strange,  for  it  can  show 
Scarcely  one  tint  of  Iris'  bow  ; 
Nature,  perchance,  iu  careless  hour, 
With  pencil  dry,  might  paint  the  flow'r  ; 
Yet  instant  blush'd,  her  fault  to  see, 
-  So  gave  a  double  fiagiancy  ; 
Rich  recompense  for  aught  denied  ! 
Who  would  not  homely  garb  abide. 
If  gentlest  soul  were  breathing  there, 
Blessings  through  all  its  little  sphere  ? 
Sweet  flower  !  the  Ie.sson  thou  hast  taught, 
Shall  check  each  proud,  ambitious  thought. 
Teach  me  internal  worth  to  prize, 
Tho'  found  in  lowliest,  rudest  guise. 


Franklin  County  Snow. — The  reader  will  find* 
an  interesting  account  of  the  Cattle  Show  at 
Greenfield,  on  another  page  of  this  paper.  We  had 
the  pleasure  of  seeing  how  earnestly  our  friends 
are  engaged  in  the  good  cause  in  that  part  of  the 
State,  and  of  enjoying  their  hospitalities.  The 
Show  was  a  fine  one.  The  address,  by  Dr.  Lee, 
was  excellent,  and  was  listened  to  with  great  in- 
terest.    Being  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Hoosac  moun- 


520 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Nov. 


tain,  we  improved  the  opportunity  to  visit  the 
spot  where  the  contemplated  tunnel  is  to  be  com- 
menced, and  in  so  doing  saw  many  things  agricul- 
tural, which  we  may  speak  of  hereafter. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
FALL  PLOWING. 
MAKING  AND  APPLICATION  OF  MANURE— PULVER- 
IZATION OF  THE  SOIL. 

BY  F.  IIOLBROO5. 

Mr.  Brown  : — From  the  last  of  October  to  the 
middle  or  later  of  November  is  a  good  time  for 
plowing  land  preparatory  to  sowing  or  planting  it 
the  following  spring.  The  autumnal  weather  is 
cool  and  bracing,  and  the  oxen  and  horses  ai"e 
strong  and  hearty  for  the  work ;  while  the  tem- 
perature of  the  spring  season  is  more  relaxing,  and 
the  animals  of  draught  are  then  apt  to  become 
laggard  and  faint, — particularly  at  the  business  of 
overturning  green -sward.  To  be  seasonable,  spring 
work  must  at  best  be  despatched  in  a  great  hurry, 
and  it  is  a  relief  and  advantage  to  have  the  plow- 
ing done  in  the  fall.  If  land  in  corn-stubble  is 
first  well  harrowed,  so  as  to  pull  open,  and  level 
down  the  hills  and  scatter  the  stubs  about,  then 
plowed  in  the  fall,  tha  stubble,  lying  beneath  the 
furrows  through  the  winter  ,will  not  be  apt  to  come 
to  the  surface  by  harrowing  in  the  spring;  the 
grain  and  grass  seeds  can  be  committed  to  the  al- 
ready prepared  ground,  at  the  earliest  suitable 
day  in  the  spring,  the  surface  of  the  newly-stocked 
land  will  be  smooth,  the  seeds  equally  distributed 
in  harrowing,  the  crop  of  grain  will  be  early  and 
thereby  luxuriant,  and  the  young  grass,  having 
the  benefit  of  the  early  rains,  will  get  good  root, 
be  more  likely  to  survive  the  heat  and  drought  of 
summer,  yielding  a  full  bite  of  aftermath  in  the 
fall,  and  good  succeeding  crops  of  hay.  Sod-land 
plowed  in  November,  will  be  free  from  growing 
grass  in  the  spring,  the  roots  of  the  late  overturned 
sward  being  too  far  deadened  by  the  immediately 
succeeding  winter  to  spring  very  readily  to  the 
surface.  The  plowed  land,  after  being  subjected 
to  the  frosts  of  winter,  will  readilj  disintegrate  and 
crumble  down  in  fine  particles  when  harrowed  in 
spring, — yielding  a  mellow  seed-bed  and  facilita- 
ting the  business  of  planting  and  the  first  hoeing, 
and  the  manure  applied  can  be  readily  and  nicely 
mingled  with  the  kindly  soil.  Corn  planted  on 
sod  furrows  turned  the  fall  previous,  will  not  be 
so  liable  to  injury  from  the  copper-heads  or  cut 
worms  which  eat  off  the  young  stalk  at  the  sur- 
face of  the  ground,  as  though  the  land  had  been 
plowed  in  spring.  So  great  heretofore  have  been 
the  depredations  of  these  worms  on  my  young 
corn,  when  planted  on  the  sandy  intervales  which 
were  broken  up  from  grass  in  the  spring,  that  now 
the  meadow-land  which  is  to  be  made  ready  for  a 
•  corn  crop,  is  invariably  plowed  late  in  the  fall.  By 
means  of  this  precaution  the  ravages  of  the  worms 
have  been  pretty  much  prevented,  but  few  hills  of 
corn  being  entirely  destroyed, — indeed,  in  passing 
through  seven  acres  of  corn  to-day,  vaciint  hills 
were  not  discovered,  though  looked  for,  and  I 
think  there  cannot  be  enough  loss  of  crop  from 
this  cause    to  be  of  much  account. 

I  have  a  piece  of  old  sod,  of  seven  or  eight  acres, 
which  I  intend  to  plant  to  various  hoed  crops  next 
spring,  and  which  I  shall    plow  about  ten  inches 


deep  this  coming  November.  Fifteen  years  ago, 
the  soil  (jf  this  field  was  not  more  than  four  or  five 
inches  deep;  and  now,  friend  Brown,  I  can  plow 
ten  inches  deep  and  show  you  better  soil,  at  that, 
than  you  could  have  found  in  the  field  at  the  for- 
mer period  ;  and  the  crops  are  larger  than  former- 
ly, as  well  as  much  surer  of  becoming  sound  and 
ripe — being  less  injuriously  affected  by  unpropi- 
tious  peculiarities  of  the  season.  These  results 
have  been  realized  by  means  of  a  systematic  rota- 
tion of  crops,  along  with  a  gradual  increase  in  the 
depth  of  plowing  at  each  rotation,  and  the  appli- 
cation of  stout  dressings  of  compost  manure.  They 
could  not,  in  my  opinion,  have  been  attained  with- 
out the  deep  plowing,  nor  without  the  making  of 
manure  by  composting  ;  for  enough  of  the  elements 
of  fertility,  and  particularly  of  vegetable  substance, 
could  not  have  been  supplied  to  the  land  to  make 
the  deep  and  healthy  soil,  if  nothing  more  than 
simply  the  excrements  of  the  animals,  and  the  re- 
fuse of  the  Qfops  had  been  returned  to  it,  and  if 
the  plowing  had  been  no  deeper  than  the  origiqjil 
soil.  The  soil  is  now  unctuous,  fine-grained,  pro- 
ductive, standing  a  drought  well,  Avhere  before  it 
was  coarse,  porous,  dry  and  poor. 

Perhaps  you  would  like  to  know  where  the  ma- 
nure is  to  come  from,  for  these  seven  or  eight 
acres.  The  manure  made  since  last  April,  by  two 
horses  kept  to  hay  and  grain  during  the  time,  has 
been  thrown  into  a  covered  hog-yard  beside  the 
horse-barn,  where  three  or  four  shoats  are  kept. 
Regularly  once  a  fortnight,  two  loads,  or  about  a 
cord  of  either  muck,  vegetable  mould  from  the 
woodlands,  or  thickly-matted  turf,  has  been  hauled 
home  and  placed  in  the  pen — first  spreading  the 
manure  equally  about.  The  hogs  have  tumbled 
the  materials  over  and  over,  and  prevented  the 
horse-manure  from  unduly  heating  ;  and  the  yard 
being  covered,  and  of  dimensions  only  about 
twelve  feet  wide  by  sixteen  or  eighteen  long,  the 
manure  has  been  kept  in  a  small  compass,  has  not 
been  subject  to  much  loss  by  evaporation,  and  is 
now  a  solid  pile,  five  or  six  feet  deep.  The  com- 
post will  be  removed  to  the  field  this  fall,  there 
covered  with  muck,  and  its  quality,  for  corn  parti- 
cularly, can  rarely  be  surpassed. 

In  October,  1852,  the  barn-yard  was  cleaned 
out,  and  the  bottom  of  the  yard  covered  with 
muck  and  loam,  a  foot  deep.  Pleasant  days  dur- 
ing last  winter,  corn  and  other  coarse  fodder  was 
fed  to  the  cattle  in  the  yard  ;  and  the  refuse  fodder, 
with  the  cattle- droppings  during  those  days,  are 
now  there,  above  the  muck.  The  whole  was  well 
covered  last  spring  with  muck  and  sods,  and  the 
cows  have  since  been  kept  in  the  yard  nights.  The 
contents  of  the  yard  will  be  taken  out  and.piled  a 
few  rods  from  the  barn,  and  the  pile  drawn  to  the 
field  by  seldding  in  the  winter. 

My  system  of  making  compost  in  the  cattle  stalls, 
gives  a  somewhat  unusually  large  quantity  of  ma- 
nure, considering  the  number  of  cattle  wintered. 
I  have  heretofore  described  the  process  pretty  mi- 
nutely in  the  N.  E.  Farmer,  and  have  received' 
several  communications  from  brotlier  farmers, 
stating  that  they  had  tried  the  same  as  recommend- 
ed, and  with  satisfactory  results.  During  the 
present  month,  the  leaves  and  vegetable  mould 
collected  in  little  hollows  in  the  woodlands,  will 
be  dug  up  with  stout  hoes  made  for  the  purpose, 
and  piled  in  a  convenient  place  near  a  sled-road 
through  the  woods,  and  drawn  to  the  barn  a  few 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


521 


loads  at  a  time  by  sledding  next  winter.  Each 
morning,  during  the  coming  "foddering  season," 
a  portion  of  the  leaves  and  mould  will  be  placed  in 
the  water-tight  trench  behind  the  cattle  in  the 
stable,  at  the  rate  of  say  a  bushel  to  each  grown 
animal.  The  cattle  will  have  a  bedding  of  straw 
or  other  coarse  litter.  The  solid  and  liquid  drop- 
pings of  the  animals  will  go  into  the  trench,  upon 
the  leaves  and  mould,  and  the  contents  of  the 
trench,  together  with  such  portion  of  the  bedding 
as  needs  removal,  will  each  morning  be  thrown 
out,  becoming  in  the  operation  well  intermingled. 
Some  winter?,  according  to  convenience,  muck 
which  has  been  thrown  out  of  the  swamp  a  year 
or  two  previous,  and  become  light,  dry  and  fine, 
is  used  instead  of  the  vegetable  matter  from  the 
forest.  The  quantity  of  excellent  compost  that 
can  be  made  in  this  way  is  greater  thun  persons 
who  know  little  of  the  system  would  imagine  ;  and 
the  expense  of  making  it  is  quite  unworthy  of  ac- 
count, considering  the  results  realized.  The  ma- 
nure made  in  this  way  during  next  winter,  will  in 
March  and  April  be  drawn  to  the  plowed  field  and 
piled  in  a  compact  heap  to  undergo  a  partia^de- 
composition,  previous  to  being  spread  upon  the 
land. 

Some  sixty  loads,  or  thirty  cords  of  swamp  muck 
were  in  August  last  mixed  with  six  tierces  (two 
barrels  to  a  tierce,)  of  fresh  lime.  The  lime  was 
slaked  to  a  dry  powder  as  fast  as  wanted,  by  put- 
ting on  just  enough  water  for  the  purpose  and 
then  applied  hot  to  the  muck.  The  heap  will 
soon  be  overhauled.  It  will  be  taken  to  the 
plowed  field  by  sledding  the  coming  winter,  part 
of  it  used  as  bottom  layers  for  the  heaps  of  ma- 
nure to  be  drawn  there  from  the  barn  and  yards, 
part  for  covering  these  heaps,  and  the  remainder 
will  be  mixed  with  fifteen  or  twenty  loads  of  horse 
manure,  purchased  for  the  purpose. 

From  these  several  sources,  enough  manure  will 
be  had  to  put  the  land  in  good  heart  for  bearing 
the  next  rotation  of  crops  with  which  it  is  to  be 
burdened.  In  my  experience,  friend  Brown,  I 
have  never  known  mother  earth  refuse  or  fail  to 
reward  one  for  good  cultivation.  If  you  are  gen- 
erous with  her,  she  will  contrive,  in  one  way  or 
another,  to  modify  for  you  the  effects  of  those  un- 
toward peculiarities  of  seasons,  &c.,  which,  in 
your  plans,  you  could  not  anticipate  nor  control, 
making  up  for  you,  in  some  of  her  products,  what, 
through  imperfect  and  limited  foresight,  you  have 
been  disappointed  in  receiving  by  others,  so  that 
your  husbandry  shall  in  the  aggregate  result  fa- 
vorably. But  as  for  the  grumbling  sluggard,  she 
expects  no  favors  from  him,  and  has  in  return  but 
few  to  b(Jstow,  being  quite  as  independent  as  he. 

I  make  no  objection  to  handling  -the  composi 
these  several  times,  because  the  various  ingredi- 
ents become  thereby  the  better  pulverized  and 
mingled,  and  the  mass  enough  improved  to  more 
than  pay  the  expense.  It  is  the  finely  pulverized 
particles,  rather  than  the  great  hard  lumps, 
whether  of  soil  or  manure,  that  nourish  the  roots 
of  vegetation  and  secure  large  and  sound  crops. 

Twenty  years  ago  or  more,  I  read  with  much 
interest  the  writings  of  Jethro  Tull,  on  pulverizing 
and  preparing  land  for  crops.  I  could  not  but 
admire  the  enthusiasm  of  the  old  fellow  ;  and,  al- 
though I  found  it  necessaiy  to  make  some  grains 
of  allowance  for  his  honest  ardor,  I  yet  got  some 
ideas  of  the  value  and  primary  importance  of  thor- 


ough pulverization  of  the  land,  which  have  stuck 
fast  to  me  ever  since,  and  from  the  practice  of 
which  much  benefit  has  been  derived.  I  um  every 
year  led  to  wonder  at  the  foolish  steps  taken  by 
some  farmers  in  preparing  land  and  manure  for  a 
crop.  Under  mistaken  notions  of  economy,  they 
seem  to  regard  nice  pulverization  as  quite  too  no- 
tional and  particular  for  them— an  expenditure  of 
labor  which  the  practical  farmer  cannot  aflbrd  • 
while,  m  truth,  such  careful  and  thorough  prepar- 
atory labor  is  just  that  additional  labor  and  outlay 
coming  at  just  the  nick  of  time,  which  constitutes 
the  true  economy  of  the  whole  concern,— making 
the  germination  and  vigorous  early  growth  of  the 
crop  certain,  saving  labor  in  after-cultivation 
and  bringing  the  fertility  of  the  land  and  manure 
into  full  activity  ;  thus  protecting  the  growing 
crop  in  the  best  attainable  way  from  the  unfavor- 
able influences  presented  by  the  season  or  other- 
wise, so  that  it  attains  a  sound  and  ripe  maturity 
and  yields  a  full  harvest.  I  have  known  cases 
where  the  same  manure  and  land  would  liave  pro- 
duced enough  more  crop  than  was  actually  ob- 
tained, had  the  pulverization  been  more  nice  and 
particular,  to  pay  the  owners  (I  speak  advisedly,) 
jten  dollars  a  day  for  the  necessary  extra  labor.  'l 
would  recommend  in  such  instances  the  consider- 
ate reading  of  the  writings  of  Jethro  Tull.  They 
are  old,  but  quite  instructive,  teaching  principles 
of  fundamental  importance  in  the  business  of 
farming. 

With  regard  to  the  application  of  manure  to 
green-sward,  I  would  remark  that  we  hear  two  ex- 
tremes advocated  :  some  say  its  fertilizing  proper- 
ties all  have  a  tendency  to  rise  and  pass'ofiPin  the 
atmosphere,  and  therefore  it  should  be  plowed  in 
deep ;  others  say  its  goodness  tends  downwards, 
or  at  least  that  it  remains  inactive  if  plowed  in 
and  therefore  it  should  be  only  harrowed  in.  So 
far  as  I  know,  both  parties  are  in  part  right  and 
in  part  wrong  ;  for  neither  is  manure  the  most 

beneficial  to  the  crops  when  it  is  plowed  in  deep 

particularly  if  covered  by  sod  furrow-slices— nor 
when  left  too  near  the  surface  ;  but  if  placed,  not 
so  low  as  to  exclude  it  from  the  necessary  atmos- 
pheric influences  to  promote  due  decomposition 
nor  so  high  as  to  become  dried  and  dissipated  by 
wind  and  sun,  but  low  enough  for  the  mellow 
soil  to  close  all  around  it,  and  imbibe  on  all  sides 
the  gases  and  juices  which  it  is  inclined  to  part 
with  by  decomposition,  its  fertilizing  properties 
will  be  brought  into  activity  and  made  available 
tothe  land  and  crop,  so  far  as  in  the  nature  of  the 
thing  they  can  be. 

After  experimenting  variously  in  the  application 
of  manure,  sometimes  plowing  it  in  so  deep  that 
■it  had  not  action  enough  to  suit  me,  and  some- 
times leaving  it  too  much  exposed  on  the  surface 
of  the  plowed  land,  I  now  generally  plow  a  good 
depth  to  begin  with,  then  spread  the  compost  on 
the  surface  of  the  plowed  land,  harrow  and  crop- 
harrow  to  distribute  and  pulverize  the  manure, 
and  then  with  a  plow  having  a  sharp  share,  and 
a  roller  on  the  beam  guaging  the  instrument  to 
the  depth  wanted,  turn  the  manure  under  from 
three  to  five  inches  deep,  where,  all  things  con- 
sidered, it  seems  to  do  the  most  good,  and  thereby 
making  fine  pulverization  and  a  deep  seed-bed.  In 
the  spring,  this  will  be  my  way  of  treating  the 
seven  or  eight  acres  of  sod  to  be  plowed  this  fall. 
Manure  plowed  in  on  stubble  or  old  mellow  ground/ 


522 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Nov. 


is  not  so  liable  to  be  wanting  in  action,  because  it 
does  not  fall  exclusively  to  the  bottom  of  the  fur- 
row, but  mixes  more  or  less  with  the  loose,  crumb- 
ling, overturning  furrow-slice,  and  finds  a  resting- 
place  higher  up  in  the  soil. 

I  have  to  say  that  in  advocating  fall  plowing,  I 
am  supposing  that  the  land  to  be  plowed  is  suit- 
ably free  from  undue  wetness,  and  not  so  steep 
nor  of  so  uneven  surface  as  to  be  liable  to  wash 
considerably  by  late  autumnal  and  early  spring 
rains.  F.  IIolbrook. 

Bratikboro\  Oct.  7th,  1853. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

EXHIBITION 

OF  THE  FRANKLIN   CO.  AGRICULTURAL  SOCIETY. 

This  youngest  and  fairest  of  the  jNIassachusetts 
family  of  fourteen,  came  before  the  public,  gallant- 
ed by  her  accomplished  President,  on  the  6th 
and  7th  days  of  the  present  month,  in  a  manner 
to  command  universal  aduiiration.  We  have  wit- 
nessed many  exhibitions  of  the  kind  within  thirty 
years  last  past,  but  we  can  truly  say,  never  have 
we  seen  one  that  more  fully  accorded  with  our  no- 
tions of  what  is  proper  to  be  done.  Not  that 
here  was  the  greatest  and  most  brilliant  display 
we  have  ever  seen,  but  because  the  exhibition  was 
appropriate  to  the  occasion,  and  every  thing  was 
done  decently  and  in  order.  We  arrived  on  the 
ground  at  12  o'clock  of  the  first  day,  and  were 
immediately  conducted  to  the  beautiful  field,  where 
the  animals  were  to  be  exhibited.  Here  were  be 
tween  one  and  ttvo  hundred  pairs  of  ivorking  oxen 
ranging  from  4850  to  3000  lbs. weight  per  pair,  or 
from  8  feet  to  0  feet  girt,  averaging,  as  we  were 
told,  6  3-4  feet  girt.  We  have  never  seen  the 
like  before.  Among  these,  we  saw  some  of  the 
Durhams,  some  partly  Durhams,  and  a  few  De- 
vons ;  but  more  than  three-fourths  of  the  whole 
were  natives,  clearly  confirming  the  impressions 
that  we  had  formed,  that  the  yeomanry  of  our 
hills,  who  generally  understand  what  they  want, 
are  satisfied  that  the  native  cattle  of  New  England 
can  work  well  enough  for  them.  Our  attention 
was  particularly  called  by  one  of  the  officers  of  the 
Show,  to  a  magnificent  pair  of  three  years  old  steers, 
said  to  weigh  more  than  4000  lbs.,  and  truly  they 
were  equal  to  the  representation.  We  were  in- 
duced to  enquire  into  the  particulars  of  their  his- 
tory ;  and  just  as  we  were  pencilling  in  our  Note 
Book  "  Beat  this  who  can,"  we  cast  a  single  eye 
upon  the  yoke,  and  saw  that  our  informant  had 
mistaken  a  6  for  a  3,  so  that  the  charms  of  their 
age  soon  vanished  ;  for  it  is  certainly  true,  that 


5  ounces  of  butter  in  a  week  the  present  season. 
When  a  cow  will  yield  2  lbs. of  butter  a  day  on  fair 
feeding,  we  have  no  hesitation  to  pronounce  her 
a  good  cow,  even  if  she  does  not  do  this  more  than 
200  days  in  a  year.  We  have  heard  of  cows  that 
will  do  this  3G5  days  in  a  year,  but  we  have  never 
seen  such,  and  never  expect  to,  although  they  are 
said  to  be  at  the  present  time  at  Lowell,  where 
great  stories  are  sometimes  manufactured,  as  well 
as  many  other  great  things. 

Among  the  heifers,  we  noticed  several  of  the 
Jersey  breed,  lately  imported  by  Judge  Grennell, 
and  are  right  glad  that  the  enterprising  fiirmers  of 
Franklin  County  are  to  have  an  oportunity  to  test 
their  character.  Of  the  superior  quality  of  their 
milk,  we  are  fully  satisfied  from  our  own  observa- 
tions. That  7  quarts  of  it  will  make  as  much  but- 
ter as  10  quarts  from  our  native  cows,  we  are  well 
assured,  and  generally,  that  these  quantities  will 
be  required  of  each  class  of  cows,  to  make  a  pound 
of  butter. 

Quantum  svfficii  of  bulls  were  presented,  for  all 
the  purposes  for  which  they  are  needed.  We  have 
lon^een  satisfied  that  good  bulls  are  essential  to 
the  raising  of  good  stock,  and  that  even  more  de- 
(pends  upon  the  male  than  the  female,  in  raising 
stock  for  dairy  purposes.  We  are  also  satisfied, 
that  no  animals  are  worthy  of  premium,  that  have 
not  been  reared  with  particular  care  as  to  their 
qualities — and  cows  especially,  with  particular  care 
as  to  the  quality  of  their  milk.  In  a  herd  of  half 
a  dozen,  we  have  known  the  milk  of  all  to  be  es- 
sentially impaired  by  the  poor  quality  of  one. 

A  goodly  number  of  sheep  and  swine  were  there; 
full  justise  to  them  was  done  by  the  distinguished 
chairman  of  the  committee,  who  had  them  in 
charge.  Under  his  magic  power,  they  coalesced  to  a 
charm.  The  report  on  the  swine  was  a  clincher — 
but  we  must  say,  we  were  not  a  little  astonished 
to  hear  an  allusion  to  the  "Great  Bore"  of  the 
mountain,  in  the  preseiice  of  those  who  were  there. 
But  our  curiosity  was  so  much  awakened  by  the 
allusion,  that  coarse  as  we  esteemed  it,  we  could 
not  leave  the  hills  of  Franklin  and  Berkshire,  with- 
out seeing  the  animal,  monstrous  as  he  was  said  to 
be,  and  really,  the  nearer  we  came  to  the  "mon- 
ster," the  less  formidable  did  he  appear.  If  we 
lived  in  that  region,  we  would  not  cease  continual- 
ly to  cry,  until  the  State  had  done  as  much  to  help 
us  through  the  mountain,  as  they  have  done  to 
help  others  over  it.  So  much  we  think  is  proper 
to  be  done,  though  we  have  little  expectation  of 
its  being  completed  in  our  day.  But  we  have  long 
since  had  a  suspicion  that  there  is  no  obstacle 
that  yfm/;eee?i/erp?-i5e  will  not  surmount.  On  the 
morning  of  the  second  day,  we  witnessed  a  truly 


an  addition  of  a  few  years  only,  makes  a  wonder-  Splendid  display  of  horses  of  every  class, particular 


ful  difference.  We  have,  for  some  time  past,  been 
sensibly  impressed  vpith  tliis  feeling.  Even  taking 
them  to  hQ  five  years  old,  as  they  were,  we  have 
seeif  none  better. 

Next,  our  attention  was  called  to  the  milch  cows, 
about  20  in  number,  and  these  appeared  as  well 
as  could  be  expected  ;  but  we  are  not  satisfied  to 
form  an  opinion  of  this  class  of  animals  by  exter- 
nal appearances,  even  with  the  aid  of  the  far- 
famed  escutcheon  index,  which,  by  the  by,  is  no 
fool  of  a  sign.  We  failed  to  learn  all,  we  wanted  to 
know  about  these  animals,  but  was  kindly  inform- 
ed by  the  venerable  Chairman  of  the  Committee, 
that  the  milk  of  one  of  the  best  had  yielded  IG  lbs. 


ly  breeding  mares  with  foals  at  theirfeet.  We  were 
assured  by  the  chairman  of  the  committee,  that 
never  to  his  knowledge  has  there  been  so  fine  an 
exhibition  of  this  animal,  in  Western  Mass.  We 
are  glad  to  find  so  much  attention  given  to  the 
rearing  of  horses  of  good  blood.  It  is  just  as  easy 
to  rear  a  colt  worth  $100,  at  3  years  old,  as  one 
worth  $2"5,  by  proper  care  at  the  commencement. 
Without  a  good  beginning  nothing  good  can  be 
brought  about. 

On  the  plowing  field,  were  about  a  dozen  com- 
petitors. ,  We  have  never  seen  work  any  better 
done.  We  should  have  been  pleased  to  have  s^en 
teams  from  every  town  in  the  county,  and  res- 


1852 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


523 


pectfully  say,  that  such  teams  ought  to  have  been  i  five  narrow  prongs  of  cast  steel,  completed  in  one 
there.     This  operation  is  at  the  foundation  of  all  solid  joint  without  joint  or  weld." 
culture;   and  although  great  improvements  have 
been  made  in  plowing,  many  more  remain  to  be 


made.  One  feature  of  the  work  is  worthy  of  all 
praise — the  deliberation  with  which  it  was  done. 
We  want  teams  to  work  for  the  premium,  as  the 
good  farmer  would  work  them  at  home  ;  we  want 
no  "noise  and  confusion"  there. 

Although  we  are  decidedly  in  favor  of  short 
speeches  at  a  dinner-table,  we  are  not  able  to  pen  a 
short  accovnt  of  a  Cattle  Show.  There  are  always 
so  many  things  seen,  that  the  half  cannot  be  told. 
The  best  part  of  the  exercises  of  this  occasion  is 
still  to  be  mentioned,  viz.,  the  address  at  the 
church  by  Dr.  Daniel  Lee,  of  Rochester,  N.  Y. — 
Saving  an  cjifra  Aa//" /jowr  in  length,  this  was  a 
model  performance.  No  man  has  a  right  to  take 
up  more  than  one  hour  in  a  speech,  on  such  an  oc 
casion.  As  much  can  be  said  in  an  hour  as  can  be 
remembered,  and  what  is  the  use  of  saying  more? 
Dr.  Lee  is  full  of  the  matter — and  with  his  ears  of 
corn,  potato  and  apple  as  mementos — capable  of 
giving  as  instructive  an  address,  as  any  other  man. 
We  have  full  notes  of  it,  but  we  should  prefer  that 
he  would  give  it  to  the  public  in  his  own  words. 
Every  man  himself  can  best  express  what  he  intend- 
ed to  say,  and  nq  one  without  his  consent  should 
say  it  for  him.  Where  science  is  involved,  it  is 
hazardous  for  those  who  do  not  themselves  know, 
to  attempt  to  express  the  knowledge  of  others. 
Dr.  Lee  is  certainly  a  learned  man — and  so  far  as 
we  have  witnessed,  an  accomplished  gentleman  ; 
we  think  the  farmers  of  Franklin  were  fortunate 
in  procuring  the  services  of  a  teacher  so  able  for 
the  occasion,  but  should  ourselves  have  felt  bet- 
ter instructed  by  the  practical  experience  of  some 
of  their  own  number.  We  hold  to  the  belief  that 
County  Addresses  should  be  the  product  of  the 
County. 

Oct.  8,  1853. 

HEAVY  SPADE  VS.  LIGHT  FORK. 

Dickens,  in  Household  Words,  gives  an  account 
of  a  trial  of  the  comparative  merit  of  these  two 
implements  at  an  agricultural  gathering  at  Tiptree, 
the  seat  and  farm  of  Mr.  Mechi.  The  spade  used 
was  the  ordinary  farm  spade,  while  the  fork  was 
two  pounds  lighter  than  the  ordinary  agricultural 
fork.  It  was  ascertained  that  the  furk  would  dig 
up  easily  hard  strong  ground  that  the  spade  could 
not  efficiently  do.  The  prongs  of  the  light  fork 
yield  place  to  the  stones  and  bend  round  them, 
loosening  the  soil  and  springing  instantly  when 
withdrawn  into  their  original  form. 

A  trial  was  also  had  between  the  light  fork  and 
the  ordinary  rigid  and  broad-ljladed  fork.  "  The 
man  with  the  light  fork  earned  four  shillings  while 
tlie  other  was  earning  two  shillings  and  three 
pence,  and  the  heavy  fork  after  the  match,  re 
quired  an  outlay  of  sixpence  for  repairs.  The  sav' 
ings  in  repairs  and  renovation,  pay  for  the  light 
fork  several  times  in  the  course  of  the  year,  and 
in  the  labor  the  saving  is  so  great  that  the  man 
using  this  fork  is  said  to  lift — by  the  saving  of 
two  lbs.  in  each  effort — five  tons  less  in  the  course 
of  a  day's  work  than  his  old-fashioned  neighbor. 
It  was  ascertained  by  repeated  trial  thnt  laborers 
with  the  light  fork  were  able  to  perform  their 
work  more  thoroughly  with  a  saving  of  twenty 
per  cent  of  labor.    These  forks  were  composed  of 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

RUSSET  APPLES,  &0. 

Mr.  Editor  : — I  was  interested  in  reading  your 
description  of  the  Hunt  Russet  Apple,  in  the 
weekly  Farmer  of  Nov.  27th,  1852,  and  I  wish  to 
make  some  further  inquiries.  I  think  I  may  have 
the  same  kind,  but  am  not  certain,  as  I  obtained 
it  under  a  different  name.  You  say,  "We  are 
inclined  to  think  that  the  Hunt  Russet  is  identical 
with  the  apple  described  by  Cole,  Downing  and 
Thomas,  .as  the  English  Russet.'''  (a.)  Cole,  in 
describing  the  American  Golden  Russet,  calls  it 
also  Hunt's  Russet,  and  says,  "Origin,  Hunt  farm, 
Concord,  Mass."  Again  you  say,  "Ihe  tree  is 
slow  in  coming  into  bearing."  (b).  Is  it  so  when 
grafted  on  bearing  trees,  or  only  when  raised  from 
the  ground  ?  My  scions  were  completely  covered 
with  blossoms  the  second  spring  after  setting ; 
the  apples  are  reddish  in  the  sun,  and  fully  answer 
Cole's  description  of  the  American  Golden  Russet, 
under  which  name  I  received  the  scions.  Do  you 
think  they  are  the  true  Hunt  Russet  ?  (c.) 

More  than  forty  years  ago,  a  kind  of  apples  were 
introduced  into  this  section,  called  the  English 
Russet,  and  fifteen  or  twenty  years  afterwards, 
others  called  Roxbury  Russet.  The  only  differ- 
ence that  I  know  of  in  the  trees  or  fruit  is,  the 
English  Russet  is  greener,  more  acid,  and  keeps  a 
little  later.  They  may  have  been,  originally,  the 
same. 

The  Red  Russet,  though  comparatively  new,  I 
think  bids  fair  to  take  the  precedence  of  all  late- 
ke^eping  apples.  It  is  a  great  grower.  In  my  nur- 
sery of  more  than  thirty  kinds,  I  find  it  only  equalled 
by  the  Hubbarston  and  Baldwin.  The  apples 
keep  very  late.  A  friend  gave  me  a  few  last  win- 
ter, and,  although  they  were  much  handled  and 
exposed,  they  kept  much  better  than  my  RoxJDury 
Russets.  To  be  short,  from  the  best  information 
I  can  obtain,  the  trees  grow  and  bear  as  well  as 
the  Baldwin,  and  are  adapted  to  the  same  kind  of 
soil ;  the  quality  of  the  apple  is  as  good  as  the 
Baldwin,  and  they  will  keep  at  least  as  late  as  the 
Roxbury  Russet. 

The  question  has  been  asked.  Will  scions,  taken 
from  young  trees,  bear  as  soon  as  those  taken 
from  old  ones?  The  following  kinds,  taken  from 
small  nursery  trees,  blossomed  the  second  spring 
after  setting,  and  bore  fruit  the  same  season  : 
Red  Astrachan,  Cole's  Quince,  Bars,  Hawley, 
Minister,  Ladies'  Sweeting. 

Wm.  G.  Churchill. 

Deerfield,  N.  H., Oct.  1st,  1853. 


Remarks. — (a.)  It  has  been  supposed  by  many 
persons  that  the  old  English  Russet  and  the  Hunt 
Russet  are  identical ;  but,  from  a  careful  compar- 
ison of  the  two,  we  are  confident  that  such  is  not 
the  case.  The  Hunt  Russet,  undoubtedly,  origin- 
ated where  Cole  locates  it.  (b.)  When  grafted 
on  thrifty  trees,  the  Hunt  Russet  grows  well,  but 
not  so  rapidly,  we  think,  as  the  Baldwin  or  Hub 
bardston.  (c.)  No:  not  if  they  agree  with  Cole's 
description  of  the  English  Russet, 


524 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Nov. 


PREMIUMS  AT  THE  MIDDLESEX  CO. 
EXHIBITION. 

Farms. — For  reclaiming  bog  meadows,  $12  to 
James  Taylor  of  Carlisle.  Best  cnltivated  farm 
— Ist  prem.  25.  Elijah  Wood,  Concord  ;  2d.  15, 
Sam'l  G.  Wheeler,  Concord.  Best  apple  orchard 
— Benj.  Wellington,  Waltham,  12;  Horace  II. 
Bigelow,  Marlboro',  10;  Asa  Clement,  Dracut,  10. 

Plowing. — Double  teams — 1st  prem.  $10,  Na- 
than Brooks,  Princeton  ;  2d  7,  Jacob  Baker,  Lin- 
coln ;  3d  G,  n.  A.  Sheldon,  Wilmington  ;  4th  5, 
John  W.  Rice,  Sudbury.  Single  teams — Ist  prem. 
10,  S.  G.  Sheldom,  Wilmington;  2d  7,  Horace 
Heard,  Wayland  ;  3d  6,  Nathan  Smith,  Waltham  ; 
4th  5,  S.  G.  Wheeler,  Concord.  Horse  teams — 
Buckley  Moore,  Framingham,  10;  Jude  Damon, 
Wayland,  7  ;  Samuel  A.  Thomas,  do,  0  ;  Elijah 
Wood,  Concord,  5. 

Spading. — Enoch  Garfield,  $5  ;  Michael  Flan- 
nery,  4  ;  H  C.  Watts,  3;  J.  Harrington,  2;  Pat- 
rick Murphy,  1. 

Milch  Cows. — Alderny — E.  M.Reed,  of  Tewks- 
bury,  $8  ;  A.  S.  Lewis,  Framingham,  5.  Best 
Dairy  of  Cows — Jonas  Viles,  Waltham,  10.  Sin- 
gle Ayrshires — J.  B.  Moore,  Concord,  8  ;  A.  S. 
Sheldon,  Willmington,  6;  Converse  ^mith,  Wal- 
tham, 4.  Extra  Ayrshires — A.  S.  Lewis,  Fram- 
ingham, 8  ;  John  Raynolds,  of  Concord,  5.  Devon 
— A.  G.  Hey  wood,  8. 

Heifers. — Milch  Heifers — 1st  premium,  $6, 
Geo.  M.  Barrett,  Concord  ;  2d  4,  Jonas  Viles, 
Waltham.  Two  years  heifers^-lst  premium  5, 
Geo.  F.  Wheeler,  Concord;  2d,  3,  Geo.  M.  Bar- 
rett, Concord.  Yearling  heifers — 1st  premium  4, 
E.  G.  Reed,  Boxboro';  2d,  2  John  Hosmer,  Con- 
cord. Heifer  calves — 1st  premium  4.  John  B. 
Moore,  Concord ;  2d.  2  Wm.  Spencer  Lowell.   • 

Fat  Cattle. — H.  A.  &  S.  A.  Coburn,  Lowell, 
$8  ;  Nathan  Pratt,  Sudbury,  6  ;  J.  B.  Moore, 
Concord,  5. 

Steers. — John  Gragg,  Bedford,  best  3  year 
old,  "$6  ;  John  Lawrence,  2d,  3  ;  Nathan  Pratt, 
Sudbury,  5,  best  2  yr  old. 

Horses. — Ist  premium,  $10,  Benj.  Thurston, 
of  Lowell,  for  Black  Hawk  horse  ;  2d,  5,  Jeremi- 
ah Gilson,  West  Cambridge.  Mares — 1st  premi- 
um, 5,  John  Hosmer,  Concord  ;  2d,  3,  John  W. 
Rice,  Sudbury. 

Swine. — Best  boar,  T.  W.  Wellington,  Shirley, 
$6;  breeding  sow,  II.  Sheldon,  Wihnington,  6 ; 
best  lot  pigs,  James  P.  Brown,  5  ;  H.  Sheldon,  3. 

Poultry. — Turkeys — 1st  premium,  $3,  William 
Spencer,  Lowell;  2d,  2,  K.  A.  Shaw,  of  Concord. 
Geese — 1st  premium,  3,  George  F.  Hartwell,  Lin- 
coln. Fowls — 1st  premium,  3,  James  A.  Basset, 
Concord;  2d,  2,  S.  Mason,  Concord. 

Vegetables. — Best  lot — 1st  premium,  $5,  J. 
B.  Moore,  Concord  ;  2d,  3,  Abiel  II.  Wheeler, 
Concord ;  gratuities  of  1  to  Wm.  W.  Whieldon, 
Samuel  G.  Wheeler,  A.  W.  Putman,  of  Concord  ; 
and  Samuel  Bird,  of  Framingham.  Best  show  of 
Melons — 2  to  J.  B.  Moore,  of  Concord  ;  best  mel- 
on, 1  to  J.  Gammell,  Lexington. 

Butter. — John  Farwell,  Framingham,  $3  ;  Eli- 
jah M.  Reed,  Tewksbury,  2,20  ;  Sherebiah  Spauld- 
ing,  Chelmford,  2;  Wm.  F.  Banvard,  Marlboro, 
1,50  ;  Buckley  Moore,  Framingham,  1. 

Bread. — To  Married  Ladies — Ist  premium   to 


Mrs.  C.  W.  Goodnow  ;  2d  to  Mrs.  Cynthia  Howe  ; 
3d  to  Mrs.  M.  K.  Prescott.  To  Unmarried  La- 
dies— 1st  premium  to  Margaret  Lyons ;  2d  to 
Harriet  Farrar  ;  3d  to  Margaret  Hamburg. 


NEGLECT  OF  PASTURES. 

No  part  of  the  farm  in  Maine  is  more  useful  or 
profitable  than  our  pastures,  and  no  part  of  our 
farms,  as  a  general  thing,  is  more  neglected.  In 
the  first  place,  we  neglect  them  when  they  are 
first  cleared  up  and  ready  to  sow  or  seed  down, 
because  in  nine  cases  in  ten  we  do  not  sov?  a  sufiS 
cient  quantity  of  seed  nor  a  suSicient  quantity  of 
grass  seeds.  A  friend  of  ours,  who  has  travelled 
in  England,  observing  the  different  modes  of  farm- 
ing'among  them,  informs  us  that  their  best  pastures 
were  originally  laid  down  with  a  greater  variety  of 
grasses  than  we  ever  think  of  using. 

In  the  next  place,  we  neglect,  or  rather  abuse, 
our  pastures  by  overstocking  them,  thus  caiTying 
from  them  much  more  than  is  returned.  Again, 
a  large  proportion  of  our  pastures  are  shamefully 
neglected,  by  allowing  bushes,  such  as  cedars, 
hardbacks,  sweet-ferns,  alders,  and  also  brakes, 
to  usurp  the  place  of  grass.  We  know  of  some, 
where  these  intruders  take  up  at  least  three  quar- 
ters of  the  territory,  so  that  while  the  owner 
claims  that  his  cattle  have  the  range  of  twenty- 
five  acres  of  pasture,  they  cannot  graze  but  about 
eight  acres  of  grass,  for  there  is  not  more  than 
that  space  occupied  by  grass.  A  little  attention 
and  labor  in  cutting  these  bushes,  by  burning 
them  off  and  scattering  a  good  supply  of  grass 
seed  on  to  these  burnt  places,  would  greatly  im- 
prove the  premises. 

Some  assert  that  cattle  and  other  animals  that 
run  in  pastures,  leave  as  much  as  they  take  off. 
This  may  be  partially  true  in  some  instances 
where  cattle  are  not  taken  out  from  the  time  they 
are  put  in  until  housing  time,  but  where  they  are 
taken  out  at  night  and  yarded,  as  in  the  case  of 
milch  cows,  this  cannot  be  true.  There  is  thus 
a  gradual  diminution  of  the  fertility — a  slow  but 
sure  carrying  away  of  the  elements  necessary  to 
keep  up  the  growth  of  grass,  and  nothing  returned. 
Now  it  will  appear  evident  to  every  inquiring  and 
reflecting  mind,  that  it  will  be  necessary  to  refund, 
in  some  shape  or  other,  a  sufficient  quantity  of 
material  to  supply  nourishment  to  the  grass  and 
other  herbage  made  use  of  by  the  cattle  that  eat 
it. 

Your  pasture  land  is  the  mill,  and  your  cow  the 
operator  to  turn  grass  into  milk,  butter  and  cheese. 
Now  when  the  raw  material  has  become  exhaust- 
ed, your  bulter-mill  must  stop,  or  run  so  feebly  as 
to  be  unprofitable,  as  sure  as  your  cotton  mill 
must  stop  or  run  feebly  when  the  cotton  or  raw 
material  is  all  gone.  The  dictate  of  wisdom  and 
common  sense  would  be  to  supply  an  abundance 
of  material  for  the  operator  to  convert  into  the 
article  you  desire. 

It  would  not  be  very  convenient  to  manure  pas- 
tures with  animal  manures  from  the  barn -yard, 
unless  they  were  plowed  up  and  cultivated. .  As 
most  of  our  pastures  cannot  be  very  conveniently 
cultivated,  this  mode  of  renovating  them  cannot 
be  resorted  to.  But  fortunately  there  are  other 
modes  bf  dressing  land,  such  as  plaster  of  paris, 
ashes,  lime,  salt,  guano,  super-phosphate  of  lime 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


525 


in  the  shape  of  bones  pulverized  and  prepared  tor 
the  occasion. 

Some  one  of  these  may  supply  the  place  of  the 
missing  material,  and  keep  up  the  fertility  of  your 
pastures,  and  consequently  the  profits  arising 
from  grazing  them.  The  subject  is  worth  mucli 
thought  and  careful  experimenting. — Mahie  Farm- 


THE  ARAB  HORSE. 


pose  that  any  have  come  to  America,  but  must 
believe  the  so-called  Arabians  given  to  our  Gov- 
ernment at  various  times,  to  be  of  inferior  breeds. 
Rarely,  indeed,  are  the  thorough-breeds  found 
beyond  the  desert.  It  will  be  a  subject  of  regret, 
to  those  who  admire  fine  horses,  to  learn  that  the 
Arabian  is  considered  to  be  degenerating,  the  con- 
sequence of  the  subjugation  of  Arabia,  and  the  de- 
cline of  the  Bedouin  tribe.—  Phila.  Bulletin. 


Layard,  the  explorer  of  Nineveh,  who  is  as  fa- 
miliar with  Arabs  as  he  is  with  antiquities,  gives 
in  his  late  work,  Assyria,  some  curious  details  re- 
specting the  true  horse  of  the  desert.  Contrary 
to  the  popular  notion,  the  real  Arabian  is  celebrat- 
ed less  for  unrivalled  swiftness  than  for  extraor- 
dinary powers  of  endurance.  Its  usual  pace  are 
but  two — a  quick  walk,  often  averaging  four  or 
five  miles  an  hour,  and  a  half  running  canter  ;  for 
only  when  pursued  does  a  Bedouin  put  in  his 
mare  to  full  speed.  It  is  the  distance  they  will 
travel  in  emergency,  the  weight  they  will  carry, 
and  the  comparative  trifle  of  food  they  require, 
which  render  the  Arabian  horse  so  valuable. 

Layard  says  that  he  knew  of  a  celebrated  mare 
which  had  carried  two  men  in  chain  armor  beyond 
the  reach  of  some  Aneyza  pursuers.  This  mare  had 
rarely  had  more  than  twelve  handfuls  of  barley  in 
twenty-four  hours,  excepting  during  the  spring 
when  the  pastures  were  green  ;  and  it  is  only  thf 
mares  of  the  wealthy  Bedouins  that  get  even  thi( 
allowance.  The  consequence  is  that,  except  in  the 
spring,  the  Arab  horse  is  lean  and  unsightly. 
They  are  never  placed  under  cover  during  summer, 
nor  protected  from  the  bitter  winds  of  the  desert 
in  winter.  The  saddle  is  rarely  taken  from  their 
backs.  Cleaning  and  grooming  are  strangers  to 
them.  They  sometimes  reach  fifteen  hands  in 
height,  and  never  fall  below  fourteen.  In  dispo- 
sition they  are  docile  as  lambs,  requiring  no  guide 
but  a  halter  ;  yet  in  the  fright  or  pursuit  their 
nostrils  become  blood-red,  their  eyes  glitter  with 
fire,  the  neck  is  arched,  and  the  mane  and  tail  are 
raised  and  spread  out  to  the  wind ;  the  whole  an- 
imal becomes  transformed.  The  vast  plains  of 
Mesopotamia  furnish  the  best  breeds,  and  these 
breeds  are  divided  into  five  races,  of  which  the 
original  stock  was  the  Koheyleh.  The  most  fa- 
mous belong  either  to  the  Shammer  or  to  the 
Aneyza  tribes.  Their  pedigrees  are  kept  scrupu- 
lously, and  their  value  is  so  great  that  a  thorough- 
bred mare  is  generally  owned  by  ten  or  even  more 
persons.  It  is  not  often  that  a  real  Arabian  can 
be  purchased.  The  reason  is  that  on  account  of 
its  fleetness  and  power  of  endurance  it  is  invalua- 
ble to  the  Bedouin,  who,  once  on  its  back,  can 
defy  any  pursuer  except  a  .Shammer  or  Aneyza 
with  a  swifter  mare  than  his  own.  An  American 
racer,  or  even  an  English  hunter,  would  break 
down  in  those  pathless  deserts  almost  before  an 
Arabian  became  warmed  up  to  its  work.  Where 
thorough-bred  mares  have  been  sold  they  have 
brought  as  high  as  six  thousand  dollars  ;  but  these, 
it  is  understood,  are  not  the  best  of  the  race. 

The  Arab  who  sells  his  mare  can  do  nothing 
with  his  gold,  and  cannot  even  keep  it,  for  the 
next  Bedouin  of  a  hostile  tribe  who  comes  across 
his  path,  and  who  has  retained  his  mare,  will  take 
it  from  him  and  defy  pursuit.  Layard  thinks  that 
no  Araliian  of  the  best  blood  ha^  ever  been  seen 
in  England.     If  this  is  so,  we  can  scarcely  sup- 


For  the  New  England  Farmer, 
A  GOOD  COW. 

Mr.  Brown  :— In  February,  1852,  I  asked  you 
some  questions  as  to  what  kind  of  a  cow  I  should 
keep,  as  I  wished  to  keep  but  one.  I  now  wish  to 
acknowledge  my  obligation  to  you  for  the  infor- 
mation you  gave  me  through  the  March  No.  of  the 
N.  E.  Farmer,  by  which  I  selected  the  cow  I  now 
have.  _  She  is  a  cross  of  the  Native  and  Galloway, 
and  will  not  come  up  to  some  of  your  Middlesex 
county  cows,  but  is  very  good  for  this  place.  She 
was  seven  years  old  in  June,  1852,  and  gave  in 
June,  July  and  August,  last  year,  2607  lbs.  or 
976  qts.'of  milk,  beer  measure;  2  lbs.  11  oz.  to  the 
qt.  In  the  whole  year  up  to  April  1st,  185.3,  the 
time  I  dried  her  off,  about  five  weeks  before  she 
calved  (she  then  gave  over  2  qts.  per  day)  she  had 
given  7473i  lbs.,  or  2780^  qts.  I  weighed  the 
milk  night  and  morning,  every  day,  through  the 
the  time.  Her  feed  was  one  qt.  of  meal  and  three 
of  fine  feed  per  day.  Her  pasture  through  grass 
time,  was  a  lot  of  thirty-seven  rods,  except  six 
weeks  that  she  was  in  a  lot  that  I  could  have  a 
privilege  in  at  about  one  dollar  per  week.  This  year 
with  the  same  pasture  she  gave  in  July  and  Au- 
gust, 4034  lbs.  or  1501  qts.  of  milk,  or  531  qts. 
more  than  last  year  in  the  corresponding  three 
months.  The  second  week  in  June  she  averaged 
20  qts.  per  day  ;  55  lbs.  was  the  most  in  any  one 
day ;  we  could  have  made  17.^  lbs.  butter  from 
that  week's  milk  ;  but  we  sell  the  most  of  the  milk 
at  the  door  at  6  cts.  per  quart. 

James  Tuompson . 


Remarks — We  are  gratified  that  our  friend  suc- 
ceeded so  well  in  acting  upon  our  suggestions. 


FoT  the  New  England  Farmer. 
HORSE  RADISH. 

Mr.  Editor  : — Dear  Sir, — Will  you  inform  me, 
through  the  columns  of  the  Farmer,  of  which  I  am 
a  subscriber,  of  the  best  or  proper  method  of  cul- 
tivating horse-radish  for  the  market. 

We  have  in  our  garden,  and  in  the  grass  land 
near  it,  an  abundance  of  this  root,  growing  spon- 
taneously, and  I  have  thought,  with  a  little  sea- 
sonable labor,  it  "would  pay"  to  cultivate  it,  and 
hence,  be  a  new  mode  with  me,  of  "turning  'the 
soil  and  the  penny."         Respectfully  yours, 

Mason,  N.  H.,  Sept.  21, 1853.  g. 


J^"  The  peach  originally  was  a  poisonous  al- 
mond. Its  fleshy  parts  were  then  used  to  poison 
arrows,  and  it  was  for  this  purpose  introduced  in- 
to Persia  ;  the  transplanting  and  cultivation,  how- 
ever, not  only  removed  its  poisonous  qualities,  but 
produced  the  delicious  fruit  we  now  enjoy. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Nov. 


CATTLE  SHOW  AT  NORTHAMPTON. 

The  Annual  Exhibition  of  the  Hampshire,  Frank- 
lin and  Hampden  Society  took  place  at  Northamp- 
ton, on  Tuesday  and  Wednesday,  the  11th  and 
12th  insts.  The  weather  waa  favorable,  and  all 
circumstances  seemed  to  conspire  to  make  the  oc- 
casion an  agreeable  and  profitable  one.  The  morn- 
ing of  the  first  day  was  bright,  with  a  cool  and 
bracing  air,  so  that  the  men  of  the  hill-country  and 
of  the  valleys, with  their  pleasant  wives  and  daugh- 
ters, came  out  with  hearty  good  will  to  join  the 
happy  festival.  We  were  fortunate  in  being  on 
the  ground  early  in  the  morning  to  see  the  cattle 
horses,  sheep  and  swine,  in  single  groups  as  well 
as  collectively. 

Our  attention — after  the  stock  had  generally 
come  upon  the  ground — was  first  directed  to  the 
Swine.  The  collection  was  not  numerous,  but 
there  were  several  lots  of  fine  proportions,  which 
did  credit  to  their  keepers.  There  were  none  of 
entire  purity  of  any  one  blood. 

From  the  swine  we  passed  to  the  Sheep,  among 
which  were  the  French  and  Spanish  !Merinos  and 
.Silesian  ;  they  appeared  finely,  and  did  not  belong 
to  that  class  of  which  there  is  "  a  great  cry  and 
little  wool." 

The  Working  Ojren,  25  pairs  from  South  Hadley, 
and  about  as  many  more  from  Hadley,  with  many 
single  pairs,  attracted  especial  attention.  They 
were  mostly  of  the  native  breed,  were  of  fine  size 
and  form,  and,  we  believe,  could  not  be  excelled 
by  an  equal  number  of  any  other  breed  in  the 
country ;  and  when  we  afterward  saw  their  skill 
and  power  when  hitched  to  the  cart  and  plow,  we 
felt  confirmed  in  the  opinion,  formed  while  stand 
ing  by  their  side  in  the  morning,  that  they  cannot 
be  excelled  by  any  other  breed  for  actual  service 
oc  the  road  or  farm.  Whether  they  can  be,  as 
intended  for  the  shambles,  we  are  not  so  clear. 

In  the  department  of  Fat  Cattle,  we  have  seen 
nothing  at  any  of  the  Shows  this  autumn  to  com- 
pare favorably  with  those  exhibited  at  Northamp- 
ton. They  were  numerous  and  of  the  highest  or- 
der. One  pair  exhibited  by  Moses  Stebbins,  of 
Deerfield,  weighed  4,000  pounds.  A  pair  from 
Hatfield,  presented  by  Mr.  Billings,  weighed  5,000 
pounds.  Edmund  Smith,  of  South  Hadley,  pre- 
sented a  pair  of  steers,  two  years  and  nine  months 
old,  that  weighed  3,070  pounds.  The  oxen  by  Mr. 
Stebbins  were  of  the  Devon  blood,  and  the  steers 
by  Mr.  Smith,  of  the  Short  Horn.  A  pair  of  four 
year  old  oxen  weighing  4,380  lbs.  which  were  very 
fine,  were  presented  by  Cei'uas  May,  of  Conway. 

Some  excellent  Milch  Coivs  were  on  the  ground, 
though  there  were  not  many  in  all,  presented. 
Oce,  owned  by  Jotham  A.  Clark,  had  produced 
15  lbs.  and  one  ounce  of  butter  in  7  days,  witli 
only  the  common  pasture  feed.  She  was  bred  by 
the  President  of  the  Society,  the  Hon.  Paoli 
Lathrop,  from  his  famous  stock  of  Short  Horns. 


Among  the  Young  Cattle  we  noticed  marks  of  the 
Hereford,  Short  Horn,  Devon  and  Ayrshire  blood, 
mingled  with  our  native.  We  were  particularly 
pleased  with  a  very  fine  short-hora  heifer,  thse 
property  of  Mr.  Lathrop,  and  another,  one  year 
and  12  days  old,  for  which  he  could-  have  taken 
$200.     These  were  Short  Horns. 

In  the  Exhibition  Hall,  the  Fruits  were  abund- 
ant. Around  a  dish  of  the  common  crab  apple, 
were  thirty  varieties  of  fine  fruit,  all  springing 
from  that  common  centre ;  reading  to  ail  a  homily 
upon  the  efiects  of  careful  culture. 

There  was  a  fine  variety  of  Vegetables,  giving 
plenty  of  evidence  that  the  garden  is  appreciated. 
The  Poultry  was  in  full  feather — the  cocks  as  noisy 
as  ever,  and  the  hens  crammed  rn  their  narrow 
coops,  speaking  as  loudly  as  they  could — "I  can't 
get  out — I  can't  get  out ! " 

There  were  very  few  Farm  implements — Ketch- 
um's  Mowing  INIachine,  and  a  Hay  Cutter  or  two 
comprising  the  whole  display. 

What  pleased  us  much  was  a  Hydraulic  Ram, 
set  up,  and,  water  being  supplied,  showing  to  all 
on  the  spot  its  practical  working.  This  was  worth 
more  to  the  multitude,  than  whole  quires  of  des- 
cription. 

The  Drawing  Match  was  well  contested — load 
3,000  pounds  ;  teams  and  teamsters,  skilful. 

Of  Horses  there  was  a  good  show — some  of  them 
very  fine. 

Sixteen  teams  Plowed,  mostly  two  horses ;  a  pair 
of  horses,  owned  and  driven  by  Mr.  Elisu  a  Strong, 
of  Northampton,  while  he  himself  held  the  plow, 
did  the  work  with  more  ease,  exactness  and  skill 
than  we  ever  witnessed  before  ;  and  this  we  say, 
living  as  we  do,  among  many  of  the  best  plowmen 
ia  the  country.  Mr.  Strong  had  no  whip,  and  no 
loud  word  escaped  his  lips  during  the  time  he  was 
engaged.  There  was  perfect  harmony  between 
himself  and  team;  a  single  low  tone  would  arrest, 
or  haw  or  gee  them  instantly,  or  quicken  or  de- 
crease their  movements.  On  coming  out  of  the 
furrow  and  mingling  with  another  team  from  the  op- 
posite land,a  single  word  would  extricate  them  with 
almost  mechanical  precision.  That  single  exhibi- 
tion of  skill  was  the  admiration  of  every  beholder. 

The  services  at  the  church  were  exceedingly  in- 
teresting. The  Address  was  by  Wm.  S.  KrNC.Esq., 
editor  oi  thQ  Journal  of  Agriculture.  His  subject 
was  :  "How  can  farming  be  made  to  pay,"  and 
the  general  divisions  were, 

1.  That  it  does  not  now  pay  as  it  ought  to,  and 
as  liberally  as  other  occupations. 

2.  Why  it  does  not  pay. 

3.  How  it  can  be  made  to  pay. 

The  address  embraced  several  topics  not  imme- 
diately connected  with  the  main  proposition,  and 
altogether  covered  ground  enough  for  a  dozen  such 
eflforts.     It  was  listened  to  with  attention,  and  no 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


527 


doubt  many  of  its  points  will  be  remembered  with 
profit. 

After  the  address,  a  most  interesting  report  was 
read  by  Rev.  M.  E.  White,  of  Southampton,  on 
Domestic  Manufactures. 

At  the  dinner  table,  Mr.  Lathrop,  the  President, 
introduced  the  company  to  each  other  in  general 
terms,  spoke  of  the  pleasures  of  the  Farmer's  Fes- 
tival, of  the  gratification  and  honor  he  felt  in  being 


elicited  considerable  attention.  It  is  a  splendid 
pear,  of  pj'riform  shape,  with  a  stout  soft  stem, 
and  tapering  almost  to  a  point  at  the  stem  ;  yel- 
low ground,  and  red,  approaching  crimson  cheek. 
Judging  from  the  specimens  of  Mr.  Nesmith,  we 
should  pronounce  it  a  highly  desirable  variety  for 
extensive  cultivation  ;  but  Mr.  S.  W.  Cole  says 
(and  his  opinion  is  entitled  to,  as  it  receives,  the 
confidence  of  the  community,)  it  is  rather  variable 
and  often  worthless. 
The  Jalousie,  C.  F.  Pitman,  of  good  size,  fair, 


the  President  of  such  an  Association,  and  then  beautiful,  russet,  and  sustains  the  reputation  of 


introduced  the  Secretary,  W.  0.  Goruam,  Esq 
who  spoke  of  the  value  and  moral  effect  of  these 
gatherings  in  the  most  brilliant  and  beautiful 
terms.  Intermingled  with  the  reports  were  short 
speeches  from  Chas.  L.  Flint,  Secretary  of  the 
Stale  Board  of  Agriculture,  Simon  Brow*",  and 
Dr.  Cleayeland,  of  Northampton.  Many  ladies 
were. present  and  greatly  enhanced  the  enjoyments 
of  the  occasion. 

Our  thanks  are  due  the  President  and  Secretary 
of  the  society,  and  to  many  acquaintances,  for 
kind  attentions  during  our  stay  in  the  charming 
vicinity  of  Mount  Holyoke. 


For  the  New  Ens;land  Farmer 

ESSEX  COUNTY  SOCIETY. 

Dear  Sir  : — The  annual  Exhibition  of  the  Essex 
Agricultural  Society  took  place  agreeably  to  as- 


signment, at  the  City  Common  in  Lawrence  to 
day.  Owing  to  the  unfavorable  state  of  the 
weather  yesterday,  its  success  was  doubtless  some- 
what cramped  ;  yet,  under  the  adverse  circum- 
stances attending  it,  the  established  character  of' 
the  society  has  been  fully  sustained.  Although 
it  was  the  coldst  day  of  the  season,  and  in  the 
morning  quite  cloudy,  a  large  concourse  of  people 
assembled  to  witness  the  display  of  the  produc- 
tions of  well-directed  industry  and  ingenuity  with 
which  the  occasion  abounded. 

The  combination  of  the  scientific  and  the  prac- 
tical (marks  of  the  progressive  character  of  the 
age,)  might  be  observed  in  all  departments  of  the 
exhibition,  as  well  as  the  more  refined  and  culti- 
vated taste  of  the  community,  which,  in  no  small 
degree,  is  to  be  attributed  to  the  well-directed  en- 
deavors of  the  N.  E.  Farmer  and  its  kindred  spir- 
its, the  pioneers  in  the  warfare  against  bigotry, 
prejudice  and  its  attendant  conservatism. 

Although  there  was  the  usual  number  and 
quality  of  cattle,  horses,  swine,  fowls,  shee^  &c. 
exhibited ,  I  have  only  time  to  notice  a  few  of  the 
leading  features  in  that  department  in  which  I 
take  the  greater  interest,  viz  :  the  pomological 
division,  in  which  there  was  a  fine  display.  Among 
the  pears  I  noticed  the  Rni  deWurtembsrg,  by  E. 
Ejiertox,  Salem,  JIs.,  the  most  attractive,  deci- 
dedly, of  any  pear  upon  the  table ;  and  if  it  is 
susceptible  of  orchard  cultivation,  and  its  good 
looks  do  not  belie  the  quality,  it  is  destined  to 
rival  any  pear  of  its  time.  The  specimens  pre- 
sented by  Mr.  Emertonwere  very  large,  pyriform, 
golden  yellow,  with  a  beautiful  red  blush,  a  soft, 
pure  skin,  and  a  perfectly  symmetrical  form.  If 
exterior  indications  are  worth  anything,  then 
surely  it  is  the  prince  of  years. 
The  Frederic  de  Wurtcmberg,  by  A.  Nesmith, 


an  abundant  producer,  worthy  of  more  extensive 
cultivation.     Late  fall. 

The  Duerre  Bosc,  C.  F.  Pitman,  elegant  speci- 
mens, large,  pyriform,  tapering  nearly  to  a  point ; 
a  very  attractive  pear,  of  excellent  quality,  said 
to  be  a  moderate  growing  bearer  ;  last  of  Septem- 
ber and  October. 

Specimens  of  the  Z7r5a?u"s^e,  large,  greenish,  with 
slight  sprinkling  of  red,  and  a  little  russet,  recom- 
mended by  Mr.  Cabot  as  one  of  the  best  late  fall 
pears  for  general  culture,  and  appears  worthy  of 
the  distinction. 

Time  will  not  permit  me  to  go  into  a  detailed 
description  of  the  numerous  varie%s  presented  on 
the  occasion  by  Mr.  Manning,  and  many  others  ; 
sufiBce  it  to  say  that  the  Barlletl,  Seckel,  D'Arem- 
bcrg.  Duchess  de  Angouleme,  (thai  prince  of  large 
pears,)  Louise  Bon  de  Jersey,  Vicar  of  Winhfield, 
Fktnish  Beauty,  (whose  beauty  was  far  surpassed 
by  others  on  exhibition,)  Dix,  Pound,  and  a  host 
of  others  (I  did  not  notice  the  Winter  Nelis,)  on 
exhibition  were  well  represented,  the  excellent 
qualities  of  which  bespeak  a  high  compliment  for 
the  taste  and  discrimination  of  those  who  are  en- 
gaged in  promoting  the  production  of  excellent 
fruit  in  New  England. 

The  apples  in  this  section  of  the  country  may 
this  year  be  considered  a  failure,  consequent  upon 
which  their  division  of  the  tables  did  not  quite 
come  up  to  the  usual  standard.  I  noticed  beau- 
tiful specimens  of  the  grape,  some  very  large 
bunches  of  Black  Hamburgh,  well  matured,  raised 
at  Lawrence  in  the  open  air.  The  Sweet  Water 
looked  well,  and  the  Isabella  nearly  ripened. — 
There  were  but  few  plums  and  peaches.  Coe's 
Golden  Drop  plum  looked  well,  and  sustains  its 
reputation  for  long  keeping .  Crawford'' s  late  Meloc- 
oton,  Lemon  Clingstone,  and  Red  Cheek  Melocoton, 
the  latter  from  the  orchard  of  E.  J.  Jackman, 
Methuen,  together  with  a  plate  of  large  white 
peaches,  vied  in  beauty  at  least  with  their  more 
early  rivals.  The  City  Hall  was  beautifully  dee- 
orated  with  a  large  collection  and  variety  of  flow- 
ers, paintings,  and  exquisite  needle-work. 

The  produce  of  the  Dairy,  irexhibited  at  all. 
escaped  our  notice.  The  stojf  of  life  did  not  ap- 
pear in  quantities  equal  to  the  attention  it  merits. 
The  cabbages,  squashes,  onions,  turnips,  potatoes, 
melons,  &c.,  were  of  good  size  and  excellent  qual- 
ity, and  on  the  whole,  the  exhibition  passed  off  in 
a  very  agreeable,  pleasant  and  quiet  manner. 

Yours,  &c.,        G.  S.  Walker. 
Groveland,  Sept.  29th,  1S5Z. 


Remarks.— Some  account  of  the  Essex  Exhibi- 
tion has  already  been  given,  but  as  the  above  is 
chiefly  devoted  to  descriptions  of  some  of  the 
fruits  exhibited,  it  will  be  fiaund  timely  and  inter- 
esting. 


528 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Nov. 


SECKLB  AND  LOUISE  BONNE  DE  JER- 
SEY PEARS. 

The  Seckle  (dotted  outline)  pear,  with  many 
cultivators,  stands  at  the  head  of  all  pgars,  as  re- 
gards quality.  It  is  now  introduced  into  every 
fruit  garden.  Downing  says  "it  is  the  richest 
and  most  exquisitely  flavored  variety  known.  In 
its  highly  concentrated,  spicy,  and  honied  flavor, 
it  is  not  surpassed,  nor  indeed  equalled,  by  any 
European  variety."  When  we  add  to  this  that  the 
tree  is  the  healthiest  and  hardiest  of  all  pear  trees, 
forming  a  fine,  compact,  symmetrical  head,  and 
bearing  regular  and  abundant  crops  in  clusters  at 
the  end  of  the  branches,  it  is  easy  to  see  that  we 
consider  no  garden  complete  without  it.  The  soil 
'  should  receive  a  top-dressing  of  manure  frequently, 
when  the  size  of  the  pear  is  an  object.  The  Seckle 
pear  originated  on  the  farm  of  Mr.  Seckle,  near 
Philadelphia. 


The  Louise  Bonne  de  Jersey  is  one  of  the  best 
among  the  new  autumn  pears ;  many  place  it 
among  the  five  or  sis  best  pears  known.  It  suc- 
ceeds admirably  in  New  Fngland,  being  hardy  and 
productive,  the  tree  making  fine  upright  shoots. 
The  fruit  is  large,  the  skin  glossy  and  smooth,  pale  i 
green  in  the  shade,  and  overspread  with  brownish 
red  in  the  sun,  but  sometimes  becoming  quite 
crimson.    In  season  vet  September  and  October;' 


EXTRACTS  AND  REPLIES. 

Will  you  infijrm  £f  subscriber  whether  the  good 
efiFects  of  guano  would  be  impaired,  if  put  on  the 
land  at  the  same  time  with  wood  ashes,     (a.) 

Another  question — Is  reclaimed  swamp  land  a 
proper  soil  for  raising  grain?  {b.)  d. 

Remarks. — (a.)  If  the  guano  and  ashes  are  thor- 
oughly incorporated  with  the  soil,  we  should  nol 
fear  any  unfavorable  effects  from  such  an  applica- 
tion. 

{b.)  On  meadows  that  are  drained  twelve  to 
eighteen  inches  below  the  surface,  we  have  seen 
almost  every  crop  of  the  farm  growing  in  great 
luxuriance  ;  but  as  a  general  rule,  we  think  it 
would  be  unsafe  to  recommend  the  cultivation  of 
the  cereal  grain  on  our  common  reclaimed  mead- 
ows. 

To  "  A  Vermonter." — In  answer  to  the  inquir- 
ies of"  A  Vermonter,"  we  would  simply  say,  that 
our  prices  current  are  examined  every  week,  by 
dealers  in  the  several  commodities  about  which 
he  seems  so  desirous  of  being  informed,  and  the 
prices  are  varied  to  suit  the  current  prices  of  the 
articles  sold.  Not  being  produce-dealers  or  mar- 
ket-men ourselves,  we  are  obliged  to  rely  upon 
others  for  our  information,  and  if  any  of  our  read- 
ers are  deceived  by  such  data  as  are  given  in  the 
Farmer,  it  is  because  we  also  are  made  sharers  of 
the  same  deception.  It  is  our  intention,  and  our 
effort,  to  spare  no  pains  in  making  every  depart- 
ment of  the  Farmer  reliable  and  correct ;  and  our 
readers  may  be  assured  that  if  anything  seems 
wrong,  it  is  not  the  result  of  intentional  neglect. 
In  reply  to  your  inquiry  about  grasshoppers,  we 
have  not  heard  that  they  have  been  destructive 
the  past  season  to  any  but  the  grass  crop  and 
pasture.  In  some  sections  of  New  England  the 
pastures  were  cut  off  so  that  feed  was  very  short; 
but  the  abundant  rains  have  afforded  good  feed 
generally  in  the  Northern  States,  since  July. 
There  is  no  failure  to  our  knowledge,  in  any  of  the 
usual  crops.  The  hay  crop  will  be  an  average  one, 
after  all  the  fears  that  were  entertained.  The  ap- 
ple crop  will  be  short. 

Swallows. — The  barn  swallows  mostly  left  this 
locality  between  the  first  and  tenth  of  August;  the 
last  that  Inoticedwason  Sunday,  Aug  27Ui,  when 
two  were  seen.  On  Friday,  Sept.  IGth,  in  the  af- 
ternoon, large  numbers  of  the  white-bellied  swal- 
low (apparently  several  hundreds)  were  seen  for 
some  hours.  They  left  before  night,  and  have  not 
since  appeared.  I  do  not  recollect  seeing  a  single 
swallow  since  that  time.  S.  Bates. 

East  Bridgewater,  Sept.  2G/A,  1853. 

J.  H.^  Temple,  N.  H.,  and  E.  C.  H.,  Plymouth, 
Gurnet ,  Mass . ,  will  please  accept  thanks  for  inter- 
esting letters  in  relation  to  the  habits  of  birds. 
We  do  not  publish  all  letters  that  we  receive  on 
this  subject,  but  intend  to  compile  bye  and  bye 
something  reliable  from  them  regarding  the  habits 
of  our  New  England  birds. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


529 


Friend  Browx  : — You  have  requested  informa- 
tion from  different  localities,  to  know  when  the 
swallows  left.  The  hist  I  saw  was  on  the  4th 
inst.;  the  chimney  swallows  left  here  8  or  10  days 
before  that  time.  I  wish  you  or  some  of  your 
subscribers  would  explain  to  me  a  little  occurence 
that  I  saw  about  30  years  since.  There  was  a 
piece  of  salt  marsh  diked  in  to  keep  the  salt  water 
oflF— perhaps  25  or  30  acres — and  the  owners 
flowed  it  with  fresh  water.  How  many  days  the 
water  had  been  on  I  don't  know ;  but  when  I 
was  there,  in  March,  there  were  hundreds  and 
I  don't  know  but  thousands  of  swallows  flying 
over  the  water  ;  they  would  fly  up  a  short  distance, 
then  go  down,  as  if  they  were  going  to  dive  into  the 
water,  and  then  scale  along  close  to  the  surface 
and  appeared  to  be  very  uneasy  ;  it  was  more  than 
a  month  Ijofore  any  swallows  came  about  the 
barns.  , 

Please  tell  me  where  they  came  from  bo  early, 
if  you  can .  Isaac  Brown. 

Thomaston,  Me.,  Sept.,  1853. 

Remarks. — Is  this  not  another  pretty  strong  ev- 
idence that  swallows  do  sometimes  retire  and  pass 
the  winter  beneath  the  surface  of  the  ground? 
Friend  Bkowx  will  accept  our  thanks  for  this  in- 
teresting fact. 

J.  C,  Chelsea. — A  few  lines  in  Neiv  England 
Farmer,  No.  34,  read,  "To  lay  out  an  acre  of  land 
in  a  sqnare  form,  measure  209  feet  on  each  side, 
said  you  will  have  the  quantity  within  an  inch." 

Knowing  that  you  wish  to  give  only  correct  in- 
formation, you  will  accept  the  following  state- 
ments. 

To  lay  out  an  acre  of  land  in  a  square  f^rm, 
measure  208  feet  8^  inches  on  each  side,  and  you 
will  have  the  quantity  within  a  little  less  than  5-6 
of  a  square  incb. 

From  G.  F.  N.,  Randolph,  Vt.,  about  Husking 
Corn.  "Take  a  stick  about  the  size  and  length  of 
a  common  rake  tooth,  pointed  at  one  end,  and  held 
across  the  right  hand  by  a  string  passing  around 
the  middle  finger  and  tied  to  the  stick.  By  this 
pointed  end  coming  in  contact  with  the  thumb 
(being  i  an  inch  above  the  forefinger)  the  tough- 
est husks  maybe  split,  thus  entirely  saving  the 
wear  and  tear  of  the  fingers  and  finger-nails  in  sep- 
arating them.  Try  it  once!  you  can  make  one 
in  five  minutes." 

Pears.  Nouveau  Poiteau. — Mr.  Andrew  Lackey, 
a  skilful  cultivator  of  fruits  at  ^farblehead,  hand- 
ed us  a  pear  of  the  above  variety  which  we  found 
very  fine,  capable  of  being  pressed  into  a  pulp  like 
butter  or  a  luscious  peach  upon  the  tongue.  He 
describes  it  as  a  free  grower  and  bearer,  hardy 
and  having  a  beautiful  form  and  foliage.  Having 
tested  the  fruit,  we  should  have  no  hesitation  in 
recommending  it  as- worthy  of  a  place  in  eveiy 
garden,  if  the  other  requisites  he  describes  are 
correct,  which  we  have  no  reason  to  doubt.  In 
shape  and  size  the  fruit  somewhat  resembles  the 
Bartlett. 


Baldwin  Apples. — C.  E.,  South  Hadley,  Mass., 
the  largest  we  ever  saw.  It  is  not  uncommon  that 
the  Baldwin  bears  the  odd  year  ;  your  trees  may 
be  made  to  bear  every  year,  perhaps,  by  high  cul- 
tivation. 

Pears. — From  C.  11.,  Harvard,  Mass.;  the  spe- 
cimens left  are  the  Louisa  Bonne  de  Jersey,  one  of 
our  most  excellent  autumn  pears. 

Squashes. — A  bouncer  from  Josiah  Gilbon, 
Prodorsville,  Vt.  He  says  it  is  one  of  nine 
raised  from  two  seeds.  The  weight  was,  of  one,  60 
lbs.;  two  56  lbs.  each;  two  50  lbs.  each;  one 45  lbs.; 
two  36  each,  and  one  30  lbs.,  making  in  all  420 
lbs.  This  comes  in  the  "nick  of  time,"  friend  Gil- 
son,  for  our's  have  "all  gone  to  the  bugs  !" 


For  the  New  England  FaTmer. 
MIGRATION  OF  BIRDS. 

Mr.  Editor  : — Having  seen  a  notice  in  your  pa- 
per requesting  information  in  regard  to  the  de- 
parture of  the  swallows,  I  take  the  liberty  to  make 
a  few  remarks  on  the  migration  of  the  swallow, 
and  a  few  other  birds  with  which  I  am  most  fa- 
miliar. Their  arrival  in  spring  is  an  interesting 
period,  as  well  as  their  departure  in  autumn.  The 
time  of  their  arrival  last  spring  is  kept  in  my  reg- 
ister as  follows  : — Blue  birds  and  robins  appeared 
March  21st,  black  birds  March  27th,  phebe  April 
1st,  barn  swallow  April  28.  Swallows  commenced 
nesting  May  4th  ;  last  brood  left  the  nest  August 
12th  ;  first  meeting  preparatory  to  departure,  Au- 
gust 8th  ;  first  departure,  Sept.  1st.  The  other 
birds,  I  believe,  have  not  yet  departed. 

The  great  meeting  of  the  swallows  preparatory 
to  their  departure  took  place  August  Sth.  Hun- 
dreds of  swallows  were  assembled  over  a  smooth 
pasture,  skimming. the  ground  in  all  directions, 
apparently  with  no  other  object  than  teaching 
their  young  to  fly  ;  their  swift  wings  cutting  the 
air  with  uncommon  rapidity,  as  if  animated  in 
view  of  their  immediate  departure.  At  a  short  dis- 
tance above  this  beautiful  assemblage,  were  seen 
about  20  night  hawks,  whose  broad,  expanding 
wings  and  delightful  gestures  betokened  a  gala 
day  for  them.  After  this  day  the  swallows  began 
to  disappear,  and  yet  their  decreasing  numbers  as- 
sembled from  day  to  day  to  exercise  their  tiny 
wings  preparatory  to  their  final  departure.  For 
several  of  the  last  days  of  August  I  seldom  saw 
more  than  two  at  a  time.  In  1852,  August  12th, 
their  great  meeting  took  place,  and  in  two  or 
three  days  they  were  all  gone. 

Respectfully  yours,  D.  Bucklajtd. 

Brandon,  Vt.,  Oct.  1st,  1853. 


Fraud  in  Fruit  Trees. — The  Worcester  Spy 
states  that  during  the  past  two  seasons  various 
counties  have  been  visited  by  pretended  travelling 
agents  of  large  and  well  known  nurseries.  Those 
who  have  been  inveigled  into  purchasing  fruit  trees 
of  them,  have  almost  invariably  been  disappointed 
in  their  trees,  some  to  such  an  extent  as  to  refuse 
to  set  them  out.  These  trees  are  said  to  be  man- 
ufactured in  an  obscure  part  of  the  State  of  New 
York,  by  the  process  of  root  grafting,  which  is  done 


530 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Nov. 


by  taking  the  roots  of  old  trees  in  the  winter,  and 
cutting  them  up  into  small  pieces-rinto  each  of 
which  is  grafted  a  scion.  These  are  planted  in  the 
spring,  and  grow  vigorously  for  three  or  four  years, 
but  soon  come  to  a  stand,  assuming  the  appear- 
ance and  decrepitude  of  old  trees.  Many  kinds, 
naturally  good  bearers,  when  propagated  in  this 
way,  will  hardly  bear  at  all. 


THE  GREAT  GYPSUM  FIELD. 

We  publish  below  a  short  description  of  the 
Gypsum  field  we  spoke  of  last  week,  from  the  pen 
of  Mr.  Shumard,  of  this  city,  who  acted  as  geolo- 
gist in  the  expedition  under  Capt.  Marcy,  in  his 
reconnoisance  of  the  headwaters  of  Red  River. 
Anything  coming  from  Dr.  S.  maybe  relied  on,  as 
he  is  a  man  of  close  and  scrutinizing  observation, 
and  as  a  geologist  is  undoubtedly  the  best  in  the 
State ._  The  exploration  of  the  great  desert  of 
Ame'rica  is  opening  new  wonders  in  respect  to 
the  minerals,  &c.,  of  that  unknown  region,  and  the 
wandering  tribes  that  inhabit  it.  The  Gypsum 
Field  being  so  extensive,  is  not  the  least  one,  of 
the  discoveries  being  made,  by  explorers;  and  of 
itself,  will  open  an  immense  trade  at  some  future 
day,  all  of  which  will  have  to  pass  through  the 
State  of  Arkansas.  Here,  we  present  one  induce- 
ment, not  a  small  one,  for  building  the  Pacific 
Railroad  from  Fort  Smith. 

Mr,  Editor  : — The  immense  field  of  Gypsum  dis- 
covered by  the  late  exploring  expedition  to  the 
headwaters  of  the  Red  River,  having  excited  con- 
siderable interest  in  the  public  mind,  a  few  re- 
marks upon  the  subject  may  not  prove  uninter- 
esting to  the  readers  of  the  Herald. 

The  field  is  probably  the  largest  in  the  world, 
and  extends  from  the  Wachita  mountains  to  with- 
in a  short  distance  of  the  nearest  jNIexican  Prov- 
ince. Throughout  the  entire  extent,  the  Gypsum 
presents  itself  to  the  surface  in  such  a  manner  as 
to  be  very  easily  worked,  and  is  of  the  purest  qual- 
ity. ^  Not  unfrequently  we  travelled  for  miles  over 
continuous  beds,  which,  from  their  whiteness,  and 
the  great  abundance  of  glittering  Selenite  (trans- 
parent Gypsum)  they  contained,  added  greatly  to 
the  interest  of  the  scenery  ;  while  here  and  there 
immense  bluffs — often  several  miles  in  extent,  and 
thickly  capped  with  the  same  material,  projected 
to  the  height  of  two  or  three  hundred  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  surrounding  country.  In  many 
places  it  was  observed  to  be  twenty  feet  in  thick- 
ness. 

Gypsum,  which,  when  burnt,  produces  the  Plas- 
ter of  Paris,  is  one  of  the  most  important  sub- 
stances in  nature.  Besides  being  one  of  the  very 
best  fertilizers  of  the  soil, it  is  largely  used  for  build- 
ing and  ornamental  purposes,  and  is^every  year  be- 
coming more  and  more  important,  in  a  commercial 
pomt  of  view.  Hence  its  discovery,  in  inexhausti- 
ble quantities,  cannot  but  be  looked  upon  with  the 
utmost  degree  of  interest. 

Should  the  contemplated  railroad  to  the  Pacific 
extend  through  this  region  of  country,  the  value 
of  this  deposit  could  hardly  be  too  highly  estima- 
ted. Here  there  is  enough  gypsum  to  supply  the 
whole  world  for  centuries  to  come,  while  its  great 
purity  and  the  comparatively  trifling  expense  that 
would  attend  the  working  of  it,  are  at  once  suffi- 


cient to  indicate  the  large  amount  that  would  be 

annually  transported  to  market. 

— Fort  Smith  Herald.  Geo.  G.  Shibiard. 


FLAX. 

Saxton,  of  N.  Y.,  has  published  in  beautiful 
style,  a  Lecture  of  52  pages,  by  John  Wilson,  of 
Edinburgh,  or  London,  on  the  treatment,  agricul- 
tural and  technical,  of  this  crop.  Since  cottons 
are  so  cheap,  this  crop  has  been  sadly  neglected, 
and  a  field  of  flax,  a  swingle-board  or  "linen- 
wheel,"  are  things  unknown  to  the  young  farmer. 
The  straw  can  now  be  converted  into  the  dressed 
fibre  in  a  few  hours,  instead  of  going  through  the 
tedious  process  of  rotting  it  on  the  ground,  and 
then  breaking,  swingling,  hatchelling,  and  comb- 
ing it^s  formerly. 

Mr.  Wilson  says  that  a  very  large  sum,  $14, 
000,000  to  $15,000,000,  is  annually  expended  by 
the  United  States  in  the  purchase  of  linen  goods 
from  Great  Britain,  which  country  is  obliged  to 
procure  the  raw  material  for  their  manufacture 
from  other  countries  with  which  the  U.  S.  has  no 
commercial  relations. 

For  sale  by  Tappan  cj-  Whittemcre — price  25 
cents. 


THE  LITTLE  MARTYR. 

Hatley,  Canada  East,  October  \2lh,  1853. 

Dear  Sir: — Please  mform  me  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble who  is  the  Treasurer  of  the  association  which 
contemplates  the  erection  of  a  monument  to  the 
noble  little  boy  who  would  not  steal,  near  Chica- 
go, as  there  are  many  here  who  would  be  happy  to 
contribute  to  so  noble  an  object.  Any  information 
which  you  will  give  in  the  next  issue  o^the  "Far- 
mer" will  be  gratefully  received. 

A  deep  interest  is  manifested  here  in  the  con- 
duct and  glorious  end  of  that  dear  little  fellow. 
Doubtless  many  would  be  glad  to  give,  if  they 
knew  where  and  to  whom. 

Respectfully  yours,  j.  w.  b. 

(5^  In  reply  to  the  above  we  would  say,  that  a 
committee  of  twenty  has  been  appointed,  to  raise 
a  fund  to  erect  a  monument  to  the  young  hero, 
Knud  Iverson,  and  any  sums  of  money  designed 
for  this  object  may  be  forwarded  by  mail  or  other- 
wise toS.  L.  Brown,  Chicago,  Illinois,  who  is  the 
treasurer  of  this  committee.  It  is  desirable  that 
at  least  one  thousand  dollars  should  be  raised  for 
this  purpose,  and  five  times  that  sum  might  be  ap- 
propriately used.  Contributions  will  be  duly  ac- 
knowledged in  the  Chicago  papers.  We  hope 
there  are  many  among  our  readers  who  will  con- 
tribute their  mite  towards  perpetuating  the  re- 
membrance of  the  noljle.  deed  of  young  Iverson. — 
Should  any  of  our  friends  prefer  to  forward  their 
cofttributions  to  our  care,  we  \till  acknowledge  tlie 
same  in  the  Farmer,  and  transmit  the  sum  collect- 
ed to  Chicago. 

The  following  letter,  addressed  to  a  a  gentleman 
in  Chicago,  by  a  little  boy  in  Cincinnati,  will  be 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


531 


read  with  interest.     Is  it  not  delightful  to  find 
such  sentiments  pervading  the  hearts  of  the  young  ? 

Daniel  Elston,  Esq. , — Dear  Sir  : — I  read  in  the 
Cincinnati  papers  an  account  of  the  little  Norwe- 
gian boy,  Knud  Iverson,  "lo/io  would  rather  die 
than  to  steal.'"  That  little  boy  set  an  example  tor 
both  old  and  young.  Let  that  noble  deed  be  told 
to  all  little  boys  and  girls — let  it  live  generation 
after  generation.  I  heard  that  many  boys  were, 
going  to  send  money  to  have  a  monument  erected" 
to  him.  I  am  only  nine  years  old.  If  I  was  older 
I  could  write  better  and  send  more  money.  I  can 
only  send  one  dollar.  I  did  not  know  who  to  send 
my  letter  to,  but  I  thought  you  was  the  person 
because  I  saw  your  name  in  the  papers,  so  I  send 
it  to  you,  Mr.  Elston.  Please ^give  it  to  the  per- 
son who  has  charge  of  it,  and  I  will  thank  you  very 
much.  I  could  have  asked  my  father  for  more 
money,  but  would  rather  send  my  own  earnings, 
and  one  doUai"  is  all  I  have  now. 

Theodore  A.  Blinn. 

Cincinnati,  Sept.  25lh,  1853. 


Ames  is  the  President  of  the  Company  we  have 
referred  to.  The  machines  are  being  made  in  con- 
siderable numbers  by  the  Ames  Co.,  and  are  sold 
at  $100  each. — Springfield  Republican. 


The  Great  Horse  Convention. — Yesterday  was 
a  proud  day  for  Springfield,  and  for  the  horses, 
and  for  the  riders  and  the  owners — and  for  the 
landlords  especially.  All  the  taverns  were  overrun 
last  night,  and  stro»ngers  had  to  retire  into  the  su- 
burban towns  to  sleep.  The  horses  could  sleep 
standing.  There  were  five  or  six  hundred  of  the 
finest  animals  in  the  country,  abroad  during  the 
day,  and  the  way  they  trotted  and  cantered  and 
pranced  and  showed  off  their  good  points  was 
beautiful  to  behold.  The  stately  stallion,  the  gen 
tie  palfrey,  the  roadster,  the  pacer,  the  racker, 
the  draft  horse,  the  race  horse,  breeding  mares 
colts  and  ponies,  all  seemed  conscious  that  it  was 
their  day,  and  that  the  eyes  of  the  world  were  up 
on  them.  The  show  has  been  well  managed  by  the 
enterprising  citizens  of  this  thriving  inland  city. 
It  pays  abundantly.  Gentlemen  connected  with 
the  press  have  honored  their  invitations  to  a  very 
extensive  extent.  The  weather  is  also  propitious, 
and  the  exhibition  will  undoubtedly  be  carried 
through  the  week  triumphantly. — Post,  20th. 


Fall  Care  and  Feeding  of  Sheep. — Sheep  should 
never  be  permitted  to  grow  poor  in  the  fall.  Give 
them  the  best  feed  you  can,  and  if  consistent  with 
your  concerns,  put  them  in  the  yard  at  night,  if 
at  all  cold  or  stormy,  and  in  the  morning  give 
them  a  little  of  the  best  hay  you  have,  or  a  few 
oats,  and  after  they  have  eaten  turn  them  out 
again.  Just  remember  at  this  season  they  need 
care  and  attention,  and  your  own  good  judgment 
will  probably  suggest  the  way  in  which  it  can  be 
most  properly  bestowed. —  Germantown  Telegraph. 


A  WONDERFUL  PRINTING  PRESS. 

The  N.  Y.  Tribune  describes  a  printing  press  of 
wonderful  capacities,  just  perfected  by  Victor 
Beaumont,  a  citizen  of  New  York.  It  says  : — 

"The  press,  at  a  moderate  rate  of  speed,  will 
deliver  thirty  thousand  sheets  printed  on  both  sides 
in  a  single  hour  !  Its  movement  combines  the  orig- 
inal principles  of  Napier,  which  are  applied  by  Hoe 
in  his  great  press,  with  some  new  and  beautifully 
simple  arrangements  and  devices  of  the  inventor. 
It  has  a  large  central  cylinder  like  the  Hoe  press, 
on  which  are  fastened  the  forms  for  both  sides  of 
the  sheet  to  be  printed.  The  type  are  held  fast  by 
Hoe's  patent  column-rules.  The  paper  used  is  a 
continuous  strip  or  band  dispensing  with  men  to 
feed  the  separate  sheets  as  in  other  power  presses. 
This  strip  or  band  Mr.  Beaumont  arranges  very  in- 
geniously ;  he  avoids  the  inconveniences  inseparable 
from  having  it  in  the  form  of  a  roll,  by  laying  it  in 
a  pile,  folded  backward  and  forward  like  a  piece  of 
broadcloth  ;  one  end  of  this  pile  is  put  into  the 
press,  which  then  draws  its  own  supply  without 
tearing  or  straining  the  paper  till  the  whole  sheet 
has  passed  through.  As  there  are  no  feeders,  room 
is  obtained  for  additional  printing  cylinders  ;  a 
moderate  sized  press  will  have  twelve  of  these,  and 
will  require  three  bands  to  run  it,  two  of  them,  being 
employed  in  carrying  and  looking  after  the  paper. 
Each  twelve  cylinder  press  will  work  four  of  these 
continuous  sheets  at  a  time,  or  one  to  each  three 
of  its  cylinders.  Each  sheet  will  pass  twice  through; 
at  its  firat^assage,  one  of  its  sides  will  be  entirely 
printed,  the  forms  of  the  newspaper  being  impressed 
on  it  alternately.  As  it  comes  *out,  the  machine 
lays  it  back  again  in  the  same  sort  of  a  pile,  so 
that  when  it  is  done,  the  attendant  supplies  its 
place  with  a  fresh  pile,  and  then  carries  it  to  the 
proper  spot  for  it  to  be  taken  up  and  passed 
through  the  second  time,  which  prints  the  side  left 
blank  before.  Then  the  mechanism  passes  it  along 
to  the  knives  which  cut  the  sheets  apart,  while 
another  contrivance  puts  them  in  neat  piles  ready 
for  the  carriers.  These  knives  are  very  ingenious. 
A  serious  difficulty  has  been  experienced  in  other 
machines  designed  to  print  a  continuous  sheet, 
from  the  fact  that  an  ordinary  knife  cannot  be  re- 
lied on  to  cut  paper  which  is  wet  enough  for  print- 
ing. This  inconvenience  Mr.  Beaumont  obviates 
by  making  his  serrated,  or  saw-shaped  knives  with 
long  and  acute  teeth.  The  points  of  the  teeth  ea- 
sily pierce  the  paper,  and  once  having  obtained  an 
entrance,  the  cutting  is  completed  in  an  instant." 


Sewing  Machines. — A  joint  stock  company  in 
New  York  has  bought  up  and  combined  the  three 
best  sewing-machines  in  the  country,  and  by  this 
means  produced  an  apparatus  which  approaches 
so  nearly  to  perfection  that  it  will  probably  de- 
prive one  class  of  the  ill-paid  seamstresses  of  the 
country  of  the  scanty  pittance  they  have  hitherto 
been  able  to  earn  with  their  needles.  The  present 
is  truly  an  age  of  improvement.  The  Ames  Man- 
ufacturing Company  of  Chicopee  is  largely  inter- 
ested in  this  new  enterprise,  and  Mr.  James  T. 


Outrage  at  Boston  Corner. — It  is  stated  that 
the  country  for  several  miles  around  Boston  Cor- 
ner, where  the  late  brutal  prize  fight  took  place, 
was  the  scene  of  rapine  and  robbery .  Farm-houses 
were  entered,  and  the  inmates,  men,  women  and 
children,  knocked  down  indiscriminately  and  rob- 
bed. Passengers  were  knocked  down  in  the  streets 
and  plundered,  and  the  entire  neighborhood  alarm- 
ed for  their  lives.  On  reaching  a  railroad  track, 
they  placed  logs  and  rails  on  the  track  to  stop  the 
train  if  the  engine  refused. 


532 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Nov. 


CatJus'  Pcpartment. 


DRESS. 

[Horace  Mann,  in  liis  lectures  on  •woman,  thus 
treats  this  subject :] 

Is  the  world  a  Lunatic  Hospital,  that  sometimes 
a  lady's  dress  should  be  twice  her  height,and  anon 
but  half  of  it ;  that  sometimes  it  should  expand 
to  the  orbit  of  a  farthingale,  (when  surely  there 
was  no  want  of  amplitude  in  "woman's  sphere,") 
and  then  be  shrunken  in  swaddling-bands  ;  that 
sometimes  it  should  be  trailed  downwards  to  sweep 
the  earth,  and  then  built  up,  turret-like,  on  the 
top  of  the  head, — so  that,  as  Addison  said  of  the 
women  of  his  time,  their  faces  were  in  the  middle 
of  them  ;  and  that  sometimes  the  neck  should  be 
be-ruffed  and  be-puffed  in  the  Elizabethan  style, 
and  then  laid  bare,  with  a  vast  anatomical  mis- 
take as  to  its  nether  boundary.  This  last  unseem- 
liness happens  to  be  the  shame  of  our  day.  When 
that  Turkish  officer,  Amin  Bey,  on  his  late  visit  to 
this  country,  attended  some  fashionable  parties  at 
Washington,  he  remarked,  that  on  going  into  our 
society,  he  expected  to  see  as  many  of  American 
ladies,  but  not  as  much.  The  more  private  expo- 
sures of  the  ^lodel  Artists  were  broken  up  as  a 
scandal ;  but  they  have  amply  revenged  themselves 
by  taking  many  other  spirits  worse  than  the  first, 
and  going  on  public  exhibition  at  Carusi's  and  Pa- 
panti's,  at  all  assemblies  and  ball-rooms. 

I  regard  this  monthly  lunacy,  too,in  the  changes 
of  dress,  as  even  more  reprehensible  in  its  mo- 
tives than  distasteful  in  its  forms.  The  ignoble 
purpose  is  to  make  a  display  of  superior  wealth  or 
to  arrogate  a  higher  caste,  and  thus  to  enforce  up- 
on others  a  sense  of  inferiority.  Now,  such  mo- 
tives, or  emotions,  all  benevolent  and  Christian 
hearts  must  repudiate  with  abhorrence.  It  is  the 
first  impulse  of  a  truly  noble  man,  to  temper  him- 
self to  the  condition  of  the  inferiors  whom  he  meets. 
He  seeks  to  assuage  the  envy  of  bad  minds,  and 
the  mortification  of  good  ones,  at  the  contrasts  be- 
tween his  riches  and  their  poverty,  his  elevation 
and  their  lowliness.  A  benevolent  person  will 
never  put  on  airs  of  learning  before  the  illiterate, 
nor  of  knowledge  before  the  ignorant.  He  does 
not  habit  himself  in  his  richest,  but  in  the  poorest 
garb,  when  he  is  to  meet  the  humble  and  lowly  in 
their  mean  attire.  I  would  forbear  to  speak  of  my 
keen  eye-sight  in  the  presence  of  the  blind,  to 
make  known  my  acute  hearing  to  the  deaf,  and  I 
would  moderate  my  steps  in  passing  a  lame  man, 
so  that  the  painful  idea  of  his  own  privation  need 
not  be  forced  upon  him.  There  is  no  littleness 
more  little,  or  despicableness  more  despicable,  than 
the  ostentation  of  covetable  qualities  before  the 
consciously  inferior.  However  high  a  man  may 
seem  to  be  raised  by  any  enviable  attribute  or  pos- 
session, the  meanness  of  striving^o  make  it  an  os- 
tentation or  a  boast,  proves  that  his  real  nature  is 
antipodal  to  the  accidents  of  his  position.  Yet 
these  contemptible  and  criminal  motives  in  regard 
to  dress  are  the  very  life  and  power  of  that  hol- 
low Olympus,  where  dwell  the  lawgivers  of  fash- 
ion. In  these  motives  originate  those  changes  of 
dress,  which  come,  as  other  lunacies  were  once 
supposed  to  come,  with  a  change  of  the  moon. 
Hence  the  discarding  of  a  dress,  as  soon  as  it  is, 
seen  to  be  worn  or  imitated  by  those  in  a  supposed 
inferior  condition.     Hence,  too,  the  low  malice  of 


equipping  a  servant  in  the  costume  of  a  rival  "La- 
dy Patroness  ;"  and  the  spirit,  equally  low,  that 
cares  for  it.  Among  the  infinite  of  remorses  and 
mortifications  which  will  throng  around  the  death- 
bed and  the  judgment-day,  will  there  be  anything 
that  can  make  the  offender  feel  quite  so  mean,  as 
the  retrospect  and  exposure  of  a  life  spent  in  the 
vulgar  ostentation  of  dress,  and  in  striving  to 
make  fellow-beings  feel  inferior  for  no  better  rea- 
son than  because  they  happened  to  be  clothed  from 
a  difierent  set  of  animals  and  plants'?" 


33ow's  Department. 


A   LESSON  IN  GRAMMAR. 
Of  parts  of  speech,  grammarians  say, 

The  number  is  but  nine, 
Whether  we  speak  of  men  or  things, 

Hear,  see,  smell,  feel  or  dine. 

And  first  we'll  speak  of  that  called  iVown, 

Because  on  it  are  founded 
All  the  ideas  we  receive, 

And  principals  are  grounded. 

A  noun's  a  name  of  anything, 

Of  person,  place,  or  nation; 
As  man  and  tree,  and  all  we  see 

That  stand  still  or  have  motion. 

The  Articles  are  A  and  The, 
By  which  these  nouns  we  limit; 

A  tree,  the  man,  a  pot,  the  pan, 
A  spoon  with  which  to  skim  it. 

The  Adjective  then  tells  the  kind 

Of  everything  called  Noun  ; 
Good  boys  or  bad,  girls  ^tad  or  sad, 

A  large  or  a  S7nall  town. 

The  Nouns  can  also  agents  be, 
And  Verbs  express  their  actions  ; 

Boys  run  and  ivalk,  girls  laugh  anil  talk, 
Read,  write,  tell  wholes  or  fractions. 

To  modify  those  Verbs  again, 

The  Adverb  fits  most  neatly  ; 
As  James  correctly  always  writes, 

And  Jane  she  sings  so  sweetly. 

The  Pronoun  shortens  what  we  say, 

And  takes  the  place  of  names, 
With  /,  thou,  he,  she,  we,  you,  they, 

Where  sentences  we  frame. 

Conjunctions  next  we  bring  to  join 

These  sentences  together ; 
As  John  and  James  may  go  to  town, 

Jf  it  should  prove  good  weather. 

With  Nouns  and  Pronouns  we  have  need 

To  use  the  Preposition  ; 
Which  set  before  or  placed  between, 

Expresses  their  position. 

The  Interjection  helps  to  express 

Our  joy  and  sorrow  too. 
As  when  we  shout  hurrah  !  or  cry 

Alas  !  what  shall  we  do  .'' 


ANECDOTE  OF  ISAAC  T.  HOPPER. 

[Mrs.  Childs,  in  her  life  of  this  excellent  Qua- 
ker, relates  the  following  incident :] 

Isaac  and  his  elder  brother  were  accustomed  to 
set  traps  in  the  woods  to  catch  partridges.  One 
day  when  he  was  about  six  years  old,  he  went  to 
look  at  the  traps  early  in  the  morning,  and  find- 
ing his  empty,  he  took  a  plump  partridge  from  hie 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


533 


brother's  trap,  put  it  in  his  own,  and  carried  it 
home  as  his.  VVhen  his  brother  examined  the 
traps,  he  said  he  was  sure  he  caught  the  bird,  be- 
cause there  were  feathers  sticking  to  his  trap ;  but 
Isaac  maintained  that  there  were  feathers  sticking 
to  his  also.  After  he  went  to  bed,  his  conscience 
scorched  him  for  what  he  had  done.  As  soon  as 
he  rose  in  the  morning,  he  went  to  his  mother 
and  said,  "What  shall  1  do'?  I  have  told  a  lie,  and 
feel  dreadfully  about  it.  That  ivas  Sam's  partridge. 
I  said  I  took  it  froii  my  trap ;  and  so  I  did ;  but  I 
put  it  iu  there  first." 

"My  son,  it  is  a  wicked  thing  to  tell  a  lie,"  re- 
plied iiis  mother.  "You  must  go  to  Sam  and  con- 
fess, and  give  him  the  bird." 

Accordingly,  he  went  to  his  brother,  and  said, 
"Sam,  here's  your  partridge.  I  did  take  it  out  of 
my  trap  ;  but  I  put  it  in  there  first."  His  brother 
gave  him  a  talking,  an^i  then  forgave  him. 


^bDcrtislng  Department. 


(Jj-  A  limited  number  of  advertisements  of  an  appropriate 
character  will  be  inserted  in  the  monthly  Farmer  at  the  fol 
lowing 

RATES. 

For  one  square  of  15  lines,  one  insertion $1,00 

For  each  subsequent  insertion 50 

(Cr  The'above  rates  will  be  charged  for  all  advertisements 
whether  longer  or  shorter. 


Walimt  Grove  Nursery. 

The  subscribers    would    respectfully  inform 

their  friends  and   the  public   that,   desiring   to 

make  a  change  in  their  nursery  grounds,  they 

will  sell  Apple  Trees  cheaper  than  ever  before 

__^______    by  the  hundred.     Our  stock  is  large,  embracing 

every  variety  worthy  of  cultivation.     We  get  splendid  roots, 
88  our  l.md  is  light  and  free. 

We  have  also  a  very  good  stock  of  Pear,  Cherry,  Plum, 
Peach,  &c.     Grape-vines,  Raspberries,  &c. 

Ornamental  Trees,  Shrubs,  Roses,  Ilabaceous  Roots,  Creep- 
era,  &c.  &c. 

Apple  Trees  7  to  9  feet  high,  $1.5  to  §18  per  hundred. 

3,000  Silver  Maple,  2  years  old,  §15  per  thousand. 

2,000      do.      do.     1  year  old,  SK    do.        do. 

6,000  Apple  Q,uince,  2  to  5  feet  high,  stout,  fine,  thrifty,  stuff 
suitable  to  bud  the  pear  on,  $20  per  thousand. 

10,000  Buckthorn,  largest  size,  3  years  old,  $20  per  thousand. 
Smaller  size,  $l-'5  per  thousand. 

6,000  Apple  Stocks,  2  years  old,  §10  per  thousand. 

European  Sycamore,  $10  per  thousand. 

Other  things  too  numerous  to  mention  in  an  advertisement. 

All  orders  will  be  promptly  attended  to,  and  the  trees  se- 
curely packed,  when  desired,  for  which  an  extra  charge  will 
be  made.     Catalogues  sent  to  all  post-paid  applicants. 

All  packages  delivered  in  Boston  free  of  expense. 

JAMES  HYDE  &  SON. 

Newton  Centre,  Mass.,  Oct.  8,  185-3.  7w*2 


Fruit  and  Ornamental  Trees, 

HEDGE  PLANTS,  SHRUBS,  &c. 

WILLIAM  HALL,  Bradford,  Mass.,  offers  for 
sale  his  usual  assortment  of  Apple,  Pear,  Plum, 
Peach,  Cherry,  Apricot,  Q.uince,  Currant  and 
Gooseberry  Trees.  Ornamental  trees  of  large 
size. 

A  fine  collection  of  Roses  including  the  New 
White  and   Yellow   Climbers.     A   fine  stock   of  Buckthorn, 
Privett,  Arbor  VitEB  and  Norway  Spruce,  plants  for  Hedges 
Orders  promptly  attended  to. 
April  9,  185-3.  tf 


Fruit  Trees. 


Two  thousand  budded  Apple  Trees,  fit  for  Or- 
charding, may  be  had  cheap  for  cash  at  whole- 
sale   or    retail,    by   applying    to    JONATH.\N 
BOYCE,  Market  Street,  Lynn,  Mass 
_^^___^__       Also,  Pear  Trees. 
Also,  Seed  ling  Apple,  Cherry  and  Plums. 
Oct.   8,  1653.  3w^ 


Wachusett  Garden  and  Nursery. 

NEW  BEDFORD,  MASS. 

ANTHONY  &  McAFEE,  Proprietors,  invite 
the  attention  of  the  public  to  their  extensive 
stork  o^RUIT  AND  ORNAMENTAL  TREES, 

Shrul)3,^c.,  consisting  in  part  of  15,000  Apple 

Trci's,  of  all   the  approved  varieties,  three   to 

five  years  from  the  bud,  six  to  nine  feet  high,  very  vigorous 
and  well  formed  heads,  for  orchard  culture,  in  a  bearing  state, 
at  reduced  prices.     Also, 

CHERRY,  PEACH,  PLUM  AND  APRICOT  TREES. 

TmnTY  THOUSAND  Pear  Trees,  onPear  and  Quince  Stock, 
two  to  five  years  from  the  bud,  four  and  a  half  to  eight  feet 
high,  very  vigorous,  stocky  and  well  formed  heads,  having 
been  all  headed  in  iinnuiilly,  embracing  all  the  desirable  kinds 
now  cultivated,  and  warranted  true  to  name. 

American  and  Spanish  Chestnut,  the  latter  in  a  bearing 
state,  price  low.  Also,  Quince,  Gooseberry  and  Currant 
Bushes,  Raspberry  and  Strawberry  Plants,  Rhubarb  and  As- 
paragus Roots. 

Deciduous  and  Evergreen  Ornamental  Trees,  &c.,  suitable 
for  streets,  lawns  and  cemeteries. 

Shrubbery  and  Rose  Bushes,  a  very  choice  collection. 

Hedge  Plants  ;  Buckthorn,  two  to  four  years  old. 

Osage  Orange,  two  years,  at  reduced  prices. 

Bulbous  Roots,  Hydrangia  Hortensis,  Poeonies,  twenty  va- 
rieties. 

Transplanted  Norway  Spruce,  eight  to  twelve  inches,  by 
the  one  Jiundred  or  thousand. 

Persons  not  fully  acquainted  with  the  relative  merits  of  the 
different  varieties  of  fruits,  are  assured  that  by  merely  desig- 
nating in  their  order  the  number  of  each  species  wanted,  such 
as  Apple,  Pear,  &c.,  and  the  season  of  maturity,  leaving  the 
selection  to  us,  none  but  the  best  varieties  will  be  sent. 

Our  Trees  are  twenty-five  per  cent,  larger  than  they  were 
last  spring,  at  the  same  price,  and  are  second  to  none  in  the 
country. 

Note — Arbor  Vitae,  Norway  Spruce,  &c.,  at  reduced  pri- 
ces, and  every  other  article  in  the  line  of  our  business,  at  as 
low  prices  as  can  be  obtained  elsewhere. 

Our  general  descriptive  Catalogue  will  be  forwarded  to  all 
post-paid  applicants.  Also,  our  Annual  Circular,  containing 
a  list  of  Pears  on  Pear  and  Quince  Stocks,  which  we  can  fur- 
nish this  season. 

All  orders  promptly  executed,  and  trees  packed  for  safe 
transportation  to  any  part  of  the  United  States,  Canada,  or 
Europe. 

Please  examine  our  Stock,  and  make  your  own  selections. 

Letters:addresscd  to  ANTHONY  &  McAFEE,New  Bedford, 
will  receive  prompt  attention. 

Sept   24,  1853.  tf 


French,  Englisli  &  Belgian  Trees. 

We  respectfully  solicit  orders  for  Pear  Trees, 
in  Dwarf,  Standard  or  Pyramid  shape,  on  Quince 
or  Pear  roots  ;  Apples  on  Paradise  stocks  ;  Cher- 
ries on  their  own  roots,  or  dwarf  on  Mahaleb 
^^_____^  stocks;  Plums  in  Standard  or  Pyramid.  Stocks 
for  budding,  of  Pear,  Quince,  Plum  and  Cherry  ;  Seedling  Or- 
namental Trees,  as  Larch,  Norway  Spruce,  Horse  Chestnut, 
Elm,  Norway  Maple,  &c.  Best  English  Gooseberries,  Roses, 
ic.  &c. 

One  of  our  firm  has  examined  the  stock  of  the  principal 
Nurseries  in  Europe  since  the  last  season's  importation,  and 
we  are  possessed  of  such  information  as  will  enable  us  to  se- 
cure for  our  customers  the  best  of  every  sort  "f  Nursery  Stock, 
at  low  prices.  PARKER  &  WHITE, 

59  &  63  Blackstone  Stieet,  Boston,  Mass. 
Sept.  24.  6w  


Old  Colony  Nurseries. 

Wanted,  5  to  10,000  Apple  Stocks  of  good  qual 
ity.  Apply  to  B.  M.  WATSON,  Old  Colony 
Nurseries,  Plymouth,  Mass.,  where  may  be  had 
every  variety  of  Fruit  and  Ornamental  Trees  and 
Shrubs,  Plants,  Green-house  Plants,  A-c;  also, 
Pear,  Cherry,  Plum,  Paradise  and  Mahaleb 
Stocks,  for  Nurseries. 

A  great  variety  of  young  Ornamental  Trees  and  Shrubs, 
from  $3  to  $10  per  100,  for  Nurseries  or  ornamental  planting. 
Dahlias.  Verbenas,  Roses,  Pea  Heliotropes  and  Fachrias,  new 
dwarf  Chrysanthemums,  (100  sorts,)  Phloxes,  Iris,  Herbaceous 
Plant.^,  Japan  Lilies,  &c.,  in  great  variety,  including  many  no 
velties  lately  imported.     Strawberry  plants  in  SO  varieties. 

Carriage  paid  to  Boston.      Catalogues  gratis,  and  prepaid 
on  receipt  of  one  stamp. 
Feb.  26.  tf 


Boiuid  Volumes. 


BACK  VOLUMES  ol  ihe  NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER,  ele- 
gantly bound  in  Muslin,  Gilt  and  Embossed,  are  now  foi 
sale  at  this  oflice. 


534 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Nov. 


THE  BOSTON  AND  .WORCESTER 

EAGLE   DOUBLE   PLOWS. 


?^t, 

THE  superior  merits  of  tlif-se  Plows,  consist  in, 
1.  Tlie  mode  of  attaciiing  the  forward  mould-beard  to  the 
beam,  by  which  great  slrengih  and  durability  are  secured,  as 
also  the  various  d(i^rL;bIe  changes  in  depth  of  vpork,  and  rela- 
tive depth  of  eachfiow,  the  same  being  regulated  to  any  shade 
of  nicety,  with  perfei ;  facility. 

3.  Tlie  entire  and  handsome  overturning  of  the  sod  furrow, 
by  the  forward  mould-board,  to  the  extent  of  the  whole  width 
of  furrow  taken  by  I  he  plow,  placing  it  beneath,  out  of  the 
■way  of  the  teeth  of  the  harrow,  cultivator,  or  other  imple- 
ment, so  that  it  is  in  no  case  dragged  to  the  surface  in  the  af- 
ter-cultivation of  the  crop: 

3.  The  thorough  and  finished  work  done  by  the  rear  mould- 
board,  in  taking  up  its  furrow  of  under  soil  and  sifting  or  scat- 
tering it  over  tlie  inverted  sod,  so  as  to  entirely  fill  to  the  sur- 
face, and  at  the  same  time  break  open  any  undue  cohesion  ol 
the  soil,  leaving  the  plowed  land  in  a  finely  pulverized  condi- 
tion, requiring  little  labor  with  the  harrow  or  other  surface- 
working  instrument,— and  indeed,  in  all  tolerably  free  loams, 
rendering  the  use  of  these  instruments,  as  pulverizers,  quite 
unnecepsary: 

4.  The  remarkably  light  draught  of  the  plow,  in  proportion 
to  the  amount  of  work  and  the  thoroughness  of  pulverization 
accomi)lished. 

Sever,  1  sizes  of  the  BOSTON  &  WORCESTER  EAGLE 
DOUBLE  PLOW,  are  made  by  the  subscribers,  from  patterns 
of  their  own  original  invention.  They  invite  ttieir  friends  and 
customers  to  e.xamine  these  Plows,  as  to  quality  and  durabil- 
ity of  material,  thoroughness  and  finish  of  construction,  and 
to  test  their  working  properties. 

Manufactory  at  Worcester,  and  Warehouse  Q.uincy  Hall, 
over  the  Market,  Boston. 

RUGGLES,  NOURSE,  MASON  &  CO. 

April  30,  1853. 


Oyster  Shell  Lime. 

THE  subscriber  has  been  induced  at  the  request  of  several  of 
his  friends  in  the  farming  interest,  to  enter  into  the  manu- 
facture of  SHELL  LIME,  for  farming  purposes,  and  la  now 
prepared  to  deliver  at  any  of  the  railroads  in  Boston  or 
Charlestown,  the  article  in  lots  of  from  10  to  100  barrels,  at 
the  low  price  of  35  cts.  per  barrel,  or  if  taken  at  the  kiln  in 
Medford  Street,  Charlestown,  at  30  cents.  The  money  must 
be  sent  with  the  order. 

Also,  for  sale,  100  barrels  of  Thomaston  Lime,  in  lots  to  suit 
purchasers. 

Application  may  be  made  nt  No.  TO  State  Street,  Boston, 
or  at  the  Kilu,  situated  on  Gould's  Wharf,  (so  called)  Charles- 
town. JAMES  GOULD,  Agent. 

0°  The  shell  lime  made  into  mortar,  with  four  barrels  of 
sand  to  each  barrel  of  lime,  will  make  a  cement  of  better 
quality  than  the  best  of  Thomaston  lime,  for  cellar  walls  or 
stone  work  of  any  kind. 

It  also  contains  double  the  quantity  of  Phosphate  of  lime, 
than  is  contained  in  stone  lime,  consequently  for  farming  pur- 
poses is  much  the  cheapest. 

March  26,  1853. 


Muriate  of  Linie, 

A  superior  article  for  top  dressing  Grass  Lands,  put  up  in 
barrels  and  delivered  at  the  railroads  in  the  vicinity.  Pro- 
portion about  three  baresia  to  the  acre. 

JAS.  GOULD. 

May  21, 1853.  tf 


J.    H.   HAMMOND, 

Architect. 

THE  subscriber  offers  his  services  to  those  about  erectinj 
new,  or  altering  old,  buildings.  He  will  furnish  drawingt 
and  working  plans,  specifications,  and  every  thing  in  relatioi 
to  a  clear  understanding  of  what  is  wanted.  He  thinks  he  i. 
able  to  present  some  nev/  views  in  the  construction  of  Barns, 
or  in  altering  old  ones,  whereby  more  conveniences  may  br 
abtained  and  at  less  e.tpense.  His  charges  will  be  so  moderat* 
80  to  enable  every  farmer  to  avail  himself  of  his  services. 

Address  J.  H.  HAMMOND,  Grafton,  Mass. 

April  9,  1853.  tf 


Farm  at  Auction. 

The  subscriber  will  sell  at  auction,  on  Thurs- 
day, the  3d  of  Novembor  next,  at  2  o'clock,  P. 
M.,  on  the  premises,  his  farm  in  Berlin,  Vt.,  on 
the  road  leading  from  Northfield  to  Moretown 
and  Waterbury,  three  miles  from  Northfield 
Depot,  and  nine  from  Montpelier.  Said  farm  contains  about 
116  acres  of  excellent  land,  suitably  arranged,  and  afTords  fa- 
cilities fcir  a  dairy  of  from  16  to  20  cows,  for  raising  stock,  all 
kinds  of  English  grain,  hay  and  hops,  and  is  well  watered  by 
never-failing  springs.  From  the  large  quantities  of  muck  and 
other  natural  resources  on  the  farm,  it  may  be  easily  raised  to 
a  high  state  of  cultivation.  There  ic  a  good  barn,  30  by  40 
feet,  a  dwelling  house  and  other  buildings  on  the  farm. 

Purchasers  would  do  well  to  call  and  examine  for  them- 
selves before  purchasing  elsewhere,  as  the  farm  will  be  sold 
as  above,  unless  previously  disposed  of  at  private  sale. 

For  further  particulars,  inquire  of  A.  H.  Rollins,  on  the 
premises,  or  by  mail,  pest  paid,  to  Northfield,  Vt. 

ALFRED  A.  ROLLINS. 
Berlin,  Oct.  15,  1853.  2w 


A  Farm  for  Sale, 

Situated  in  the  fown  of  Sterling,  one  of  the 
pleasantest  towns  in  the  county  of  Worcester  ; 
one  mile  from  the  centre  of  the  town,  stores, 
post-ofRcp,  three-fourths  from  the  depot  on  the 
Fitchburg  and  Worcester  Railroad,  and  two 
hours'  ride  from  Boston  by  the  Nashua,  Worcester  and  Fitch- 
burg Railroad.  The  farm  contains  ICO  acres  of  laud,  well 
watered,  and  fenced  with  stonewall,  and  suitably  divided  into 
tillage,  mowing,  pasturing  and  woodland. 

Said  farm  is  under  a  good  state  of  cultivation,  and  contaiite 
a  great  variety  of  fruit  trees,  such  as  Apples,  Pears,  Peaches, 
Plums  and  Cherries,  all  budded  and  grafted  and  in  a  bearing 
state.  The  buildings  consist  of  a  two-story  house,  two  barns, 
mill-house,  carriage  house,  sheds,  and  all  the  necessary  out 
buildings  of  a  farm.  The  land  has  a  gradual  slope  to  the 
south,  and  is  bounded  on  the  southern  part  by  Washacunj 
Pond,  a  beautiful  sheet  of  water  of  about  350  acres  in  extent, 
adding  much  to  the  scenery  around.  Altogether  it  is  one  of 
the  most  desirable  farms  for  sale  in  the  vicinity — sold  only  on 
account  of  the  owner's  ill  health,  not  being  able  to  carry  it  on 
himself.    Pcice  $3500. 

For  further  particulars  inquire  of  .1.  P.  PRIEST,  Broadway, 
Somerville,  or  of  the  subscriber  on  the  premises. 

JACOB  PRIEST. 
Sterling,  Oct.  8,  1853.  6t^ 


Farm  in  Westboro'  for  Sale. 

One  of  the  best  farms  in  that  well  known  good 
farming  town  of  Westboro',  late  the  property  of 
Elihu  Fay,  deceased.  Said  farm  is  situated  in 
the  northerly  part  of  Westboro',  one  and  a  half 
miles  from  the  centre  village,  and  Railroad  De- 
pot., and  borders  upon  its  eastern  line,  more  than  200  rods  up- 
on the  State  Farm.  It  contains  208  acres,  3  quarters  and  25 
rods  of  land  of  superior  quality,  and  state  of  cultivation,  is 
easy  of  access,  well  fenced  and  watered,  is  good  for  tillage, 
produces  a  large  quantity  of  hay,  and  pastures  are  of  excel- 
lent quality.  29  acres  of  the  above  is  woodland.  A  large 
stock  of  milch  cov/s  have  been  kept  on  the  farm,  and  the  milk 
taken  by  the  Westboro'  Milk  Company,  producing  a  large  an- 
nual income. 

The  buildings  consist  of  a  large  two-story  house  in  complete 
repair,  56  by  38  feet,  wood-shed,  28  by  13J  feet,  ca-riage- 
house,  30  by  16  feet,  and  barn,  90  by  30  feet.  ' 

For  further  information  inquire  of  the  widow  Nancy  Fay 
Westboro'  Centre,  Abijah  Wood,  Esq.,  Representative  from 
Westboro',  Col.  Dexter  Fay,  Southboro',  or  Hon.  Sullivan 
Fay,  at  the  State  House,  or  No.  7  Bowdoin  Square,  Boston. 
Westboro',  March  26,  1853.  tf 


Farm  for  Sale. 


A  valuable  farm   situated  in  the  south-eastern 

part  of  Hubbardstou,  Worcester  Co.,  about  two 

|l|l||     and  one-half  miles  from  the  centre  of  the  town, 

ill      and  on  the  line  of  the  contemplated  railroad  be- 

ksloa  tween  Worcester  and  Gardner. 

Said  farm  contains,  210  acres   of  land  under  a  high  state  of 

cultivation,  consisting  of  mowing,  tillage,  pasturage,  and  about 

50  acres  of  woodland. 

The  mowing  and  tillage  is  of  superior  quality,  and  the  place 
is  well  supplied  with  fruit  trees  in  a  bearing  condition. 

The  buildings  consist  of  a  story  and  half  house  with  an  L 
wood-shed,  barn,  80  by  40  feet;  granary,  horse-barn,  carriage- 
house  60  by  20  feet,  with  many  other  convenient  out-build 
ings,  all  nearly  new  and  in  good  condition. 

The  stock  and  farming  tools  will  be  sold  with  the  above, 
if  desired.     Terms  made  easy. 
For  further  information  apply  personally  or  by  letter  to 

GEORGE  ALDEN,  59  Milk  Street,  Boston. 
March  12,  1853.  tf 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


535 


The  Farmers*  Library. 

■pJST  RECEIVED,  the  tollowiugassortment  of  Agricultural 
u  and  Horticultural  Hooks,  embracing  the  standard  works  of 
eminent  American  and  European  writers,  on  the  Farm,  th» 
Orchard,  the  Garden,  &c.  &c. 

PRICE. 

American  Farm  Book,  by  Allen,  81,00 
Farmer's  Treasure,  by  Faulkner  and  Smith,  75 
Dana's  Muck  Manual,  1,0C 
Prize  Essay  on  Manures,  by  Dana^  25 
American  Muck  Book,  by  Browne,  ,25 
Lectures  on  Practic^AgricuIture,  by  Johnstone,  75 
Elements  of  ScientirWAgriculture,  by  Norton,  50 
Principles  of  Agriculture,  by  Thaer,  2,50 
Practical  Agriculture,  by  Johnstone,  7f 
Agriculture  for  Schools,  by  Blake,  i,Or 
Catechism  of  Agriculture  and  Chemistry,  by  John- 
stone and  Norton,  2h 
American  Agriculturist,  by  Alkn,  1,0C 
Liebig's  Complete  Work  on  Chemistry,  1,00 
Farmer's  and  Emigrant's  Hand  Book,  by  Marshall,  75 
Home  for  all,  by  Fowler,  50 
Book  of  the  Farm,  by  Stephens  and  Skinner,  4,00 
Cottage  and  Farm  Houses,  by  Downing,  2,0;' 
Downing's  Country  Houses,  4,00 
Rural  Architecture,  by  Alien,  1,25 
Downing's  Landscape  Gardening  and  Rural  Archi- 
tecture, 8,50 
Downing's  Cottage  Residencea,  2,00 
Fruit  Garden,  by  Barry,  1,2'; 
Complete  Gardener  and  Farmer,  hy  Fessenden,  1,25 
Bridgeman's  Gardener's  Assistant,  2,00 
Bridgeman's  Kitchen  Gardener's  Instructor,  50 
American  Fruit  Culturist,  by  Thomas,  1,0C 
Gardener  and  Comjilete  Florist,  25 
Florist's  Guide,  by  Bridgeman,  50 
New  England  Fruit  Book,  by  Ives, 

Youatt  and  Martin  on  Cattle,  by  Steveaa,  1,25 

Rose  Culturist,  <6f 

Johnson's  Gardener's  Dictionary,  by  Landreth,  1,50 

Rural  Economy,  by  Boussingault,  1.00 

American  Rose  Culturist,  25 

Bigelow's  Plants  of  Boston,  1,25 

Genera  of  Plants  of  the  U.  S.,  by  Gray,  2  vela.  12,0C 

Gray's  Botany,  2,00 

Parnell's  Chemistry,  1,00 

New  England  Farmer,  by  Cole,  1,00 
Ladies'  Guide  and  Skilful  Housewife,  by  Mrs.  Abel,        25 

Hive  and  Honey  Bee,  i'.y  Richardson,  25 

Bee  Keeper's  Manual,  by  Miner,  6u 

Bird  Fancier,  by  Browne,  paper  25  centa,  50 

Townley  on  Bees,  5C 

American  Poultry  Yard,  by  Browne,  1,0C 

American  Poulterer^'  Companion,  by  Bement,  1,00 

American  Fowl  Breeder,  by  Moore,  25 

American  Herd  Book,  by  Allen,  3,00 

American  Shepherd,  by  Morrill,  1,00 

Domestic  AnimJils,  by  Allen,  75 

Diseases  of  Animals,  by  Cole,  5C 

Hints  to  Sportsmen,  by  Lewis,  1,25 

Dadd's  Anatomy  and  Physiology  of  the  Horse,  1.00 

Mason's  Farrier  and  Stud  Book,  by  Skinner,  1,25 

Management  of  Sheep,  by  Canfleld,  1,00 

Yowatt  on  the  Pig,  60 

Knowlson's  Complete  Cow  Doctor,  25 

Horse  Doctor,  25 

Guenou's  Treatise  on  Milch  Cows.  38 

Treatise  on  Hot  Houses,  by  Leuchars,  1,00 

Allen  on  the  Grape,  1,25 

Schenck's  Text  Book,  50 

Breck's  Book  of  Flowers,  75 

Downing's  Fruit  and  Fruit  Trees,  1,50 
For  sale  at  the  Publishers'  prices  by  RUGGLES,  N0UR8 
MASON  &  Co.,  Quincy  Hall,  (over  the  Market,)Bo3loa. 
Jan.  1, 1853.                                 tf* 


State  Mutual  Life  Assurance  €o. 

OF  WORCESTER. 

GUARANTEE  CAPITAL,  8100,000. 
Hon.  JOJf  N  DAVIS,  President. 
Hon.  Isaac  Davis,  )         Vice 

Hon.  Stephf.n  Samsdury,  >  Presideuta. 

THIS  Company  was  chartered  in   March,  1844,  and  «on 
menc.ed  business  on  the  first  of  June,  1845.     Its  busineai  ii 
conducted  on  the  most  economical  principles. 

The  well  considered  and  invariable  policy  of  this  Companj 
has  been  to  prefer  the  safety  and  mutuality  of  the  assured  to 
the  showy  advantages  of  a  large  number  of  policies,  and  ao 
imposing  amount  of  receipts.  California  risks  have  been  uni- 
formly declined,  and  the  multiplication  of  policies  in  citien 
considered  especially  liable  to  cholera  has  not  been  encour- 
aged. 

The  cash  premiums  of  this  company  are  calculated  on  th» 
most  approved  tables  of  the  probability  of  life,  and  at  the  low 
est  rates  which  are  deemed  safe. 

Pamphlets,  explaining  the  principles  and  advantaged  ol  \it» 
assurance,  with  forms  of  application  and  rates  of  premium, 
may  be  had  by  appilcation  at  the  Office  of  the  Company  in 
Worcester,  or  of  the  Agents  in  all  the  principal  towns  in  NeT» 
England.  CLARENDON  HARRIS,  Secretary. 

Jan.  1,  1653.  tf 


Super-PliosphJite  of  Lime, 

IN  bags  and  barrels,  made  by  C.  B.  DeBURG,  a  warranted 
pure  and  genuine  article,  with  full  directions  for  use.  For 
sale  by  GEO.  DAVENPORT,  5  Commercial,  corner  of  Chat- 
ham St.,  Boston,  agent  for  the  manufacturer. 

Also,  for  sale.  Ground  Bone,  Bone  Dust,  Burnt  Bone,  Gua- 
no, and  Grass  Seeds  of  reliable  quality. 
March  26,  1853.  tf* 

Suffolk  Pigs. 

SuflTolk  Pigs  and  Breeding  Sows  for  sale, 
by  GEORGE  W.  WILSON,  MaIden,Jin 
Mass. 

Also,  to  be  seen  the  most  perfect  Boar 
in  the  country. 

July  16, 1853.  6m^ 


.-:^>. 


^  A  An  IMPROVED  Hay,  Straw,  and  Corn  Stalk  Cotters, 
iUU"  2000  Martin's  Improved  green  sward  and  stubble 
Plow, 

10'.  Iron  gate  Hay  Cutters, 
200  Iron  Sausage  meat  Cutters, 
200  Sausage  Fillers, 
500  Improved  Corn  Shellers, 
100. Fanning  Mills, 
SOJBeal's  Corn  and  Cob  Crushers, 
50  Vegetable  Cutters, 
1000  Apple  Parers, 

500  doz  Ames,  White  &  Nason's  cast  steel  Shovels, 
SOjdoz  4  and  6  prong  Potato  Hoes, 
25    "    Flails, 
1000    "    Cow  Chains, 
100    "    Long  and  Heavy  Ox  Chains, 
25    "    setts  Improved  Grindstone  Rollers, 
1000    "    Axes,  various  patterns, 
5000    "    Axe  Handles. 
For  sale  at  the  lowest  prices,  at  PARKER  &  WHITE'S, 
Agricultural  Warehouse,  Nos.  6  and  10  Gerrish  Block,  59  and 
63  Blacksione  Street,  Boston. 
Oct.  15.  6w 

Imported  Suffolk  Pigs. 

A  choice  lot  of  Suffolk  Figs  just  import- 
ed by  the  subscriber  and  for  sale.  This 
stock  was  selected  by  one  of  the  most 
thorough  breeders,  and  from  the  best  in 
England.  Also,  Suffolk  Pigs  and  Breed- 
ing Sows,  of  various  ages,  purely  bred, 
from  the  importation  of  the  late  Wm.  Stickney.  Persons  or- 
dering from  a  distance  can  depend  upon  choice  selections,  bv 
addressing  jiost-paid,  LUTHER  GILBERT, 

Newton,  Lower  Falls. 
August  6, 1653.  tf 


Church  and  Barn  Yanes. 

THE  Vane  as  used  on  either  churches  or  barns  combiuea 
both  usefulness  and  ornament.  The  subscriber  ha«  had 
many  j'ears'  experience  in  the  making  of  Vanes,  and  has  man- 
ufactured a  large  number  which  have  given  uniform  satisfae- 
tion.  His  patterns  have  been  procured  at  much  rains  ard 
expense,  and  embrace  quite  a  variety  of  those  most  approved 
and  sought  after.  His  construction  of  Vanes  is  under  his  own 
eye  and  of  the  best  and  most  duralile  material,  copper  OEly 
being  used.  Thosei  n  want  of  Vanes  for  either  churches  or 
barns,  are  invited  to  make  trial  of  those  made  by  the  subscri- 
ber. On  the  score  of  expense,  strength  and  beauty,  they  will 
be  found  to  be  what  is  required.  1.  S.  TOMPKINS, 

54  (formerly  21)  Union,  near  Hanover  St.,  Boston. 
May  21,  1853.  6m^ 


536 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Nov. 


CONTENTS  OP  THIS  NUMBER. 

Calendar  for  November Page  489 

A  Trip  to  the  Connecticut  River 490 

Plow  in? 492 

The  Salibatli— Cranberry  Culture 493 

Southern  Farming ^. 494 

Agricultural  Fair— Massachusetts  Lands  ia  Maine 495 

Observations  on  Setting  Young  Trees..'. 496 

Garget— The  Season '. 496 

Exhibition  of  Horses  at  Springfield 497 

Three  kinds  of  Farmers 498 

Anthracite  Coal  Ashes 499 

Meadow  Mud— Monthly  Farmer  for  September 5U0 

Worcester  Agricultural  Fair 502 

An  Important  Movement 504 

The  Framingham  Agricultural  Society. 505 

Norfolk  Co.  Agricullural  Show 505 

Keep  the  Farmer's  Festivals  Pure 506 

Essex  County  Agricultural  Fair 507 

Hillsborough  Fair 508 

The  Marrow  Squash 509 

Grafton  County  (N.  H.)  Cattle  Show  and  Fair 509 

Meadow  Lauds 510 

A  Remedy  for  the  Potato  Rot 511 

Mr.  George  Patterson's  Farm 511 

The  Season 512 

How  shall  we  preserve  Eggs  ? 513 

Middlesex  County  Cattle  Show 514 

Swallows— Grasshoppers — the  Crops 519 

The  White  Clover 519 

Fall  Plowing 520 

Exhibition  of  the  Franklin  Co.  Agricultural  Society 522 

Heavy  Spade  vs.  Light  Fork— Russet  Apples,  &c 523 

Premiums  at  the  Middlesex  Co.  Exhibition 524 

Neglect  of  Pastures 524 

The  Arab  Horse— A  good  Cow— Rorse  Radish 525 

Cattle  i^how  at  Northampton 526 

Essex  County  Society ....527 

Extracts  and  Replies 5v8 

Migration  of  Birds— Fraud  in  Fruit  Trees 529 

The  Great  Gypsum  Field -Flax— The  Little  Martyr .530 

The  Great  Horse  Convention ^^ £31 

A  Wonderful  Printing  Press 531 

Ladies'  Department — Boy's  Department 532 

ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Muskingham  Pear 497 

Consternation 513 

Seckle  and  Louise  Bonne  de  Jersey  Pears 528 


NEW  ENGLAND  FAEMEE 

Is  published  on  the  first  of  every  month,  by  John  Ravnolds 
and  Joel  Nourse,  at  Giuincy  Hall,  South  Market  St.,  Boston. 

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HENRY  F.  FRENCH,  ^  Editors. 

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where  the  same  is  received. 


PATENT 

Self-SIiarpening  Feed-Cutters. 

Manufactured  and  for  sale  by  HIRAM  BLACKMER,  No.  5 
Railroad  Block,  Lincoln  Street,  Boston,  opposite 
Worcester  R.  R.  Depot. 
rpHIS  Cutter  is  superior  to  any  other  Cutters  now  in  use. 
X  For  strength,  durability  and  a  simplicity  of  construction, 
it  is  the  only  self-sharpening  Hay,  Straw,  and  Cornstalk  Cut- 
ter now  before  the  public.  It  entirely  obviates  all  the  ob- 
jections now  made  to  the  Rotary  Cylinder  Hay  Cutter,  viz  : 
A  number  of  knives  to  grimi  and  set,  and  the  constant  wear 
of  the  hide  roll,  and  the  consequent  expense  attending  the  re- 
pairs of  those  Cutters.  This  Cutter  has  no  hide  roll,  and  but 
ONE  STRAIGHT  KNIFE,  which  any  person  can  grind  and 
set  with  ease  ;  but  which  in  ordinary  cases  can  be  ground  in 
the  machine,  and  may  be  used  for  years  without  any  other 
grinding. 

33"  A  prime  assortment  of  STOVES  constantly  on  hand. 

Oct.  15  2m 


Extra  Size  Fruit  Trees. 

The  Subscriber  offers  for  sale  at  his  Nurseries 
in  Dorchester, 

THREE    THOUSAND  very  large  Pyramid 
Pear  Trees  on  Quince  roots. 

FIVE  THOUSAND  do.  do.  Standard  Pear 

Trees  on  their  own  roots. 

Many  of  the  above  are  now  in  fruit  ;  all  are  remarkable 
for  their  strength  and  beautiful  form,  and,  with  proper  care, 
will  produce  fruit  next  season. 

Also,  a  general  assortment  of  Apples,  Cherries,  Plums, 
Peaches,  &c.  &c.  MARSHALL  P.  WILDER. 

Sept.  10,  1853. 

N.  B.    Grove  Hall  Coaches  leave  No.  11  Franklin  Street, 
Boston,  for  Dorchester,  several  times  each  day. 
Sept.  15.  6ti 


PeruYiau  (luauo. 


A    FEW  TONS,  for  sale  by 

XT  Also,  100  bags  Liverpool  Salt. 
May  14. 


JAMES  GOULD, 
No.  70  Stale  Street. 


Clioice  Fowls  for  Sale. 

A  few  pairs  of  Ebon,  Summatre,  Pheas- 
ant, Game.  Black  Spanish,  Golden  and 
Silver  Pheasants,  Aylesbury  and  Java 
Ducks.  The  above  are  warranted  pure 
bred  Fowls.  The  Pheasants  are  the  bona- 
flde  Pheasants,  the  old  original  parents, 
imported  from  China.  All  letters  must  be  post  paid  to  meet 
attention.  JOHN  GILES. 

Oct.  22.  3w 


Stoue  Aqueduct  Pipe. 

THE  Stone  Aqueduct  Pipe  is  made  of  the  same  material  as 
Stone  Pols  and  Stone  Jugs,  and  C()ated  with  a  glaze  that  is 
Indestructible,  consequently  is  not  liable  to  corrode,  but  will 
deliver  the  water  as  pure  as  it  runs  from  the  spring.  It  is 
made  in  sections  of  2  feet  in  length,  and  warranted  to  stand 
the  pressure  of  300  feet  head,  for  about  half  the  cost  of  cast 
iron  of  the  same  calibre. 

Also,  DrainPipemadeof  a  combination  of  clays,  and  burned 
to  a  perfect  body,  from  3  to  12  inches  diameter,  from  10  to  53 
cents  per  foot.  Agents  for  Boston  and  vicinity,  Ruggles, 
Nourse,  Mason  &  Co  ,  Quiucy  Hall. 

B.  G.  &  C.  CHACE. 
Somerset,  June  4,  1853.  tf 


DEVOTED  TO  AGRIOULTURE  AND  ITS  KINDRED  ARTS  AND  SCIENCES. 


VOL.  V. 


BOSTON,  DECEMBER,  1853. 


NO.  12. 


RAYNOLDS  &  NOURSE,  Phoprietors. 
Office..  ..Uluncy  Hall. 


SIMON  BROWN,  Editor. 


FRED'K  HOLBROOK,  1  JV.SSOCIATE 
HENRY  F.  FRENCH,  5  Editors. 


CALENDAR  FOR  DECEMBER. 

"While  I  have  si  home,  and  ciin  do  as  1  will, 
December  may  rage  over  ocean  and  hill, 
And  batter  my  door — as  he  does  once  a  year — 
I  laugh  at  his  storming,  and  give  him  good  cheer. 

"I've  a  trencher  and  cup,  and  something  to  ask 
A  friend  to  sit  down  to — after  each  daily  task; 
The  best  of  all  methods,  to  make  winter  smile, 
Is  living  as  I  do— in  a  plain  social  style." 

Winter  may  now  be  considered  as  having  set  in 
— heavy  rains  and  high  winds  have  swept  oflF  the 
few  remaining  leaves  from  the  trees,  leaving  the 
woods  and  forests  nothing  but  a  naked  assem- 
blage of  bare  boughs.  But  Winter  has  its  charms 
as  well  as  the  other  seasons.  How  many  have 
descanted  on  the  delights  of  Spring,  the  pleasure 
of  cooling  shades  in  Summer,  and  of  the  fruits  of 
mellow  and  glowing  Autumn,  while  the  comforts 
and  attractions  of  winter,  have  been  mostly  left 
unheeded  and  unsung. 

If  our  households  are  properly  regulated,  the 
contrast  afforded  between  the  elements  without 
and  the  comforts  within  will  prove  a  source  of  high 
and  constant  enjoyment.  How  many  New  Eng- 
land Homes  are  the  prototypes  of  this  description 
by  an  old  writer.  "The  day  is  closed,  the  fire 
made  up  and  blazing,  and  the  curtains  drawn  ; 
the  table  is  set  for  Tea,  and  the  hissing  Urn  or  the 
Kettle  is  scarce  heard  among  the  fierce  whistling, 
and  roaring  produced  alternately  or  together  by 
most  every  species  of  sound  that  wind  can  pro- 
duce in  the  chimnies  and  door  crannies  of  the 
house.  There  is  a  feeling  of  comfort,  and  a  sensi- 
bility to  the  blessings  of  a  good  roof  over  one's 
head,  and  a  warm  and  comfortable  hearth,  while 
all  is  tempest  without,  that  produces  a  peculiar  but 
real  source  of  pleasure.  Two  or  three  friends  sit- 
ting up  over  a  good  fire  to  a  late  hour,  and  inter- 
changing their  thoughts  on  a  thousand  subjects, 
may,  perhaps,  beguile  the  hours  of  a  stormy 
night,  with  more  satisfaction  than  they  can  a 
Midsummer  evening  under  the  shade  trees  in  a 
garden  of  Roses  and  Lilies." 


But  there  are  sources  of  enjoyment  still  greater 
than  these.  The  months  when  the  crops  are  to 
be  planted,  tended  and  gathered,  do  not  afford  to 
the  farmer  who  desires  to  conduct  his  affairs  intel- 
ligently, as  much  leisure  as  he  would  like  to  de- 
vote to  books  and  investigations  into  the  operations 
of  nature  upon  the  plants  and  animals  he  is  rear- 
ing. Now,  however,  when  the  earth  is  locked 
with  frost,  and  is  reposing  beneath  a  covering  of 
snow,  the  farmer's  labors  upon  it  are  in  a  great 
degree  cut  off,  and  he  has  opportunity  to  study, 
examine,  and  improve  his  mind  in  relation  to  his 
calling.  And  in  this  may  be  found  a  source  of  the 
highest  gratification  and  enjoyment,  as  well  as  an 
actual  increase  of  capital  upon  the  farm ;  for 
knowledge  is  power,  and  if  through  his  study  he 
finds  some  way  of  raising  ten  bushels  of  corn  or 
carrots  with  the  same  labor  that  has  been  required 
to  raise  five,  heretofore,  it  will  be  as  much  an 
available  capital,  as  though  it  were  in  cash,  to  pay 
for  the  exertion  of  human  muscle,  and  toil.  The 
winter  months,  then,  may  be  made  to  rest  and 
refresh  the  system,  overwrought  by  the  pressing 
duties  of  summer  and  autumn  ;  to  add  to  the  gen- 
eral intelligence  of  the  family,  and  lay  by  a  capi- 
tal stock  equal  to  cash,  to  be  drawn  upon  as  it  may 
be  needed.  For  "what  enables  you  to  see  any 
advantage  and  adopt  it  ?  Your  mind.  What  culti- 
vates your  farm  better  than  your  neighbor's?  Your 
mind.  If  that  alone  be  left  uncultivated  around 
you, — at  every  point,  at  every  turn,  in  every  field, 
in  every  hedge,  in  every  ditch,  in  your  house,  in 
your  dairy,  in  your  stable,  in  your  barn,  every- 
where and  at  all  times,  by  day  and  night,  in  win- 
ter, spring,  summer  and  autumn — the  neglect  that 
has  been  allowed  to  sow  itself,  the  moral  weed- 
crop,  will  meet  your  eye  to  baffle  and  torment  you 
with  the  feeling  so  truthfully  expressed,  when 
you  say  you  'have  not  a  single /«?W  you  can  de- 
pend upon ! '  " 

Do  you  feel,  even  now,  after  all  your  experience, 
aa  though  you  could  depend  upon  your  own  mind? 


538 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Dkc 


How  often  do  the  questions  come  to  your  lips, 
What  shall  I  do  with  this  cold,  heavy  meadow? 
How  shall  I  reform  this  mossy  old  pasture  ?  Who 
can  tell  me  what  crop  ought  to  be  applied  to  my 
orchard  land,  on  the  hill-side,  where  it  is  sandy, 
or  clayey,  subject  to  early  frosts,  rusts  or  mildew 
or  insects  ?  How  can  I  save  and  make  the  most 
manure  from  a  given  amount  of  stock  1  Obtain 
the  most  beef,  milk  or  mutton  from  a  given  amount 
of  feed?  How  shall  the  fodder,  obtained  with  so 
much  toil  and  sweat,  be  expended?  Whole  and 
dry,  or  cut  and  mixed?  Shall  I  raise  roots,  or 
grain,  or  grass,  or  corn,  in  order  to  derive  the 
greatest  profits  from  my  lands  ? 

These,  and  a  hundred  other  questions  must  pre- 
sent themselves  to  every  reflecting  person.  How 
shall  they  be  answered?  The  hands  cannot  do 
it,  nor  the  teams,  be  they  ever  so  stout,  nor  the 
machinery.  But  jour  minds  ca.n.  Give  them  the 
opportunity,  then,  around  your  cheerful  winter 
fires  ;  interest  your  wives,  and  sons  and  daughters 
in  their  vocation  ;  let  nothing  escape  your  atten- 
tion that  has  a  bearing  upon  your  business.  Ex- 
amine the  theory  and  practice  of  others  and  com- 
pare them  with  your  own;  weigh  them  well  to- 
gether, and  discard  all  pride  for  your  own  notions 
if  you  find  them  unsound,  and  adopt  those  of 
others  that  appear  better.  They  may  have  thought 
for  you,  but  ask  no  reward  for  the  benefits  you 
may  reap  from  them.  Mind  is  the  Man.  With- 
out it,  a  post  in  the  field  were  as  good,  and  infi- 
nitely better,  in  the  barn.  It  is  the  Mind,  after 
all,  that  you  must  depend  upon,  more  than  the 
hands.  A  stout,  athletic,  healthy  frame,  capable 
of  almost  any  endurance,  cannot  accomplish  much, 
directed  by  a  weak,  vascillating  mind.  Now  is 
the  time  to  increase  your  power  over  the  animate 
and  inanimate  objects  around  you. 

Settling  Accounts. — The  close  of  the  year  is  a. 
most  appropriate  time  for  balancing  accounts  with 
all,but  particularly  with  neighbors  where-eschang- 
68  of  labor,  teams,  products,  &c.,  have  been  goin^ 
on  through  the  year.  "Short  settlements  make 
long  friends,"  and  to  have  a  neighbor  in  a  farmino- 
community,  who  is  not  a  friend,  is  a  calamity  in- 
deed. One  feels  better  to  know  precisely  how  his 
afiFairs  are  ;  it  gives  clearness  to  his  head  and  glad- 
ness to  his  heart.  If  he  is  prospering,  it  is  a  sat- 
isfaction to  know  it;  if  not,  this  knowledge  enables 
him  to  strike  out  at  the  right  time  and  place  to  re- 
trieve his  fortunes.  Sufier  no  unsettled  accounts, 
therefore,  to  slide  over  into  the  new  year  to  rest 
upon  you  like  a  nightmare  and  disturb  your  seren- 
ity of  mind. 

Care  of  Stock. — The  labor  of  securing  good 
crops  will  be  in  vain,  if  they  are  fed  out  in  a  slov- 
enly and  indifferentmanner— and  this  is  as  appli- 
cable to  the  kitchen  as  to  the  barn.  In  order  to 
lay  on  fat  or  to  grow  fast,  cattle  must  be  kept 


well ;  one  or  two  huge  fodderings  a  day  will  not 
answer ;  they  select  the  best,  turn  over  the  re- 
mainder, blow  upon,  and  reject  it.  By  placing  a 
little  before  them  at  a  time  through  the  space  of 
an  hour  and  a  half,  three  times  a  day,  they  will 
eat  with  a  relish,  thrive  well  and  waste  nothing. 

Cattle  like  a  variety,  too,  as  well  as  ourselves. 
It  is  a  bad  practice  with  some  farmers  to  begin  to 
feed  out  their  corn  fodder  in  the  autumn,  and  con- 
tinue it  alone,  until  it  is  exhausted.  In  this  way 
cattle  get  tired  of  the  best  fodder  we  have  and 
waste  it,  whereas  if  it  were  fed  in  turn  with  other 
fodder,  it  would  always  be  acceptable  to  them. 

Young  cattle,  particularly,  require  careful  at- 
tention every  way.  They  should  be  protected  from 
the  cold  and  from  the  older  stock — kept  clean, 
gentle,  and  constantly  growing,  otherwise  there 
can  be  no  profit  in  rearing  them.  The  first  winter 
is  most  trying,  and  if  their  growth  is  checked  then 
it  will  be  hard  putting  them  right  again. 

Breaking  Steers  and  Colts. — Some  farmers 
never  use  the  word  we  have  employed,  breaking, 
although  the  common  practice  has  corresponded 
to  the  word,  for  it  has  been  truly  a  breaking  pro- 
cess. '^Handying''^  is  the  term  they  employ.  In 
obtaining  the  control  of  colts  and  steers  there  is 
not  only  no  need  of  blows  &nd  harsh  usage,  but 
every  thing  of  the  kind  has  actually  a  tendency  to 
make  them  awkward  and  perverse.  Gentleness 
will  accomplish  more  than  harsh  words  and  hard 
blows.  You  must  begin  with  the  idea  that  they 
do  not  know  what  you  want  but  are  willing  to 
learn;  you  should  give  them  time,  patience,  and 
good  usage,  and  they  will  gladly  become  your 
faithful  servants.  (See  Monthly  Farmer,  vol.  4,  p. 
77.) 

Farm  Implements — such  as  plows,  harrows,  roll- 
ers, shovels,  spades,  picks,  wagons,  carts,  wheel- 
barrows, &c.,  ought  to  be  cleaned,  and  repaired 
where  they  need  it,  and  placed  out  of  the  way  un- 
der cover  until  they  are  again  wanted.  If  requir- 
ing paint,  a  coat  applied  now  will  become  hard  by 
spring,  and  wear  much  longer  than  if  applied 
then. 

Many  other  matters  appropriate  to  the  time, 
present  themselves  for  notice,  but  we  must  speak 
of  them  hereafter. 

Thus  we  have  passed  through  another  cycle  of 
"The  Months" — to  us  they  have  been  months  of 
pleasure,  in  collecting  for  your  consideration  what 
has  commended  itself  to  us  ;  and  they  have  been 
Months  of  profit,  in  our  associations  with  you  in 
many  of  your  households,  as  well  as  tlirough  the 
pen.  If  in  our  sheaves  you  have  found  a  reason- 
able amount  of  wheat,  the  obligation  on  either 
side  may  be  considered  an  equal  one,  and  with 
God's  blessing,  we  will  start  on  again  in  the  pleas- 
ant journey,  ready  to  give  each  othefr  a  helping 
hand  whenever  the  roughness  of  the  way  may  re- 
quire it. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


THE  CLOSE  OP  THE  YEAR. 

"Time  runs  his  ceaseless  course  ;  the  men  of  yore 
Who  diiiiced  our  infancy  upon  their  knee, 
And  told  our  wandering  boyhood  legends  store 
Of  Iheir  strange  ventures,  happ'd  by  land  or  sea,— 
How  are  they  blotted  from  the  things  that  be. 

A  cheerful  heart  and  pleasant  countenance  are 
like  green  trees  and  fertilizing  streams  in  the  land- 
scape ;  they  impart  health  and  vigor  to  the  physi- 
cal powers,  and  sustain  the  soul  in  serene  and  pe- 
rennial beauty.     Heaviness  and  despondency  are 
contagious,  and,  upon  those  who  indulge  them 
hang  like  a  heavy  mist  upon  the  saturated  hills 
God  loves  a  cheerful  giver  ;   and  vre  give  and  re 
ceive,  in  all  our  associations  with  each  other.  We 
give  to  other  hearts  joy  and  gladness,  filling  them 
with   delightful    anticipations    and    encouraging 
hopes,  or  shroud  them  in  doubts  and  gloom,  ac- 
cording as  our  own  hearts  may  be  attuned. 

But  there  is  a  season  when  the  thoughts  may 
be  turned  within,  events  summed  up,  and  the  past 
reviewed,  most  appropriately  and  profitably  by  all. 
This  season  occurs  at  the  dose  of  the  year;  that 
marked  boundary  of  time  when  the  vegetable  king- 
dom is  checked  in  its  course,  the  leaves  fade  and 
fall  away,  and  there  is  an  impressive  change  in  the 
aspects  of  nature  all  around  us. 

It  IS  wise,  then,  to  "look  about  us,  or  rather 
within  us,  to  ascertain,  if  possible,  whether  the 
necessary  preparations  are  made,  or  being  made, 
for  our  great  and  last  change;  uncertain  indeed, 
is  the  time  of  the  call." 

"We  know  when  moon*  shall  wane, 
When  summer  birds  from  far  shall  cross  the  sea, 

When  Autumn  hues  shall  tinge  the  golden  grain,— 
But  who  shall  teach  us  when  to  look  for  thee?" 

This  self-examination  and  retrospect  will  be 
profitable,  "though  we  may  be  suffered  to  labor 
and  enjoy  the  fruit  of  our  labors  for  many  years  to 
come  ;  for  when  we  are  best  fitted  to  die,  we  are 
best  fitted  to  live." 

Contentment  and  gratitude  will  greatly  become 
U3  now.  During  the  past  year  we  have  literally 
sat  under  our  own  vines  and  trees  in  peace.  No 
wars  have  scourged  the  land  and  decimated  the 
people ;  no  plague  has  entered  our  homes  and 
borne  away  with  unrelenting  hand  the  loved  ones 
of  our  households.  Men  have  pursued  their  avo- 
cations with  success,  in  the  fulness  of  strength 
and  joyful  hopes.  The  elements  have  been  kind- 
ly tempered  for  the  growing  crops,  so  that  the 
months  have  dropt  fatness  for  both  man  and  beast. 
The  late  harvest  has  been  gathered  in  abundance, 
BO  that  our  garners  are  full  and  overflowing.  Our 
Institutions  have  been  sustained,  and  remoulding 
the  minds  of  the  young  into  habits  of  industry, 
frugality  and  virtue,  and  thus  fitting  them  to  con- 
trol and  guide  the  future  destines  of  this  glorious 
Republic  !  God's  hand  is  apparent  in  every  thing 
—in  Him,  we  live,  and  move,  and  have  our  being. 


How  wonderful  are  the  minutest  of  His  works 
how  past  finding  out  the  most  common  objects 
about  us,  as  we  have  attended  to  our  daily  duties 
about  the  farm  !  How  admirably  has  every  thing 
been  adapted  to  our  wants,  convenience  and  com- 
fort, in  all  the  works  of  the  omnipotent  Architect, 
the  framer  of  them  all !  What  could  we  spare  of 
the  humblest  of  them — for  none  are  mean — op 
what  desire  that  his  goodness  has  not  supplied'? 

How  greatly  it  becomes  us,  then,  to  use  these 
blessings  as  trusts  in  our  hands  ;  to  use  them  as 
blessings  to  others,  if  we  would  have  them  bless 
ourselves,  and  fill  our  hearts  with  gratitude  that 
we  are  the  constant  recipients  of  such  unbound- 
ed love.  May  they  teach  us  to  apply  our  hearts 
unto  wisdom,  and 


•''So  lire  that  when  our  summons  comes 
We  may  go,       *****        ii 
*        *       *        *     sustained  and  soothed 
By  an  unfaltering  trust."        *        *       * 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
OOB-MEAL  AND  HAY. 

Mr.  Brown  : — I  wish  to  inquire  through  the 
columns  of  your  valuable  paper,  how  many  bush- 
els of  cob-meal  are  equivalent  to  one  ton  of  hay  or 
of  clear  meal,  likewise  how  many  bushels  oat-meal 
are  equivalent  to  one  ton  of  good  hay.  Will  you 
please  send  me  an  answer  in  your  next  paper,  and 
oblige  a  subscriber. 

Respectfully  yours,  Benj.  F.  Lyman. 

Loivell,  Vt.,  Nov.2Zd,  1853. 


Remarks. — We  know  of  no  person  in  New  Eng 
land  capable  of  answering  the  above  questions  from 
experiments  under  his  own  supervision.  These 
questions,  with  a  great  many  others,  show  the 
necessity  of  some  institution  where  experiments 
can  be  made  that  would  be  reliable.  Individuals 
will  not  do  it.  We  will  do  the  best  we  can  for 
you,  at  present,  friend  Lyman,  by  inserting  in  an- 
other column  an  article  by  Solon  Robinson,  of 
New  York,  describing  a  visit  of  his  to  the  farm  of 
Henry  L.  Ellsworth,  formerly  the  commissioner 
of  patents  at  Washington.  We  could  lay  before 
the  reader  plenty  of  general  evidence  of  the  value 
of  cob-meal,  but  that  does  not  answer  the  ques- 
tions definitely,  as  they  ought  to  be  answered. 
We  hope  to  know  more  of  the  subject,  and  to  hear 
from  our  correspondents  who  have  given  their  at- 
tention to  the  subject. 


j^  Human  Freight.— A  family  of  nine  persons 
passed  through  Dayton ,  Ohio,  last  week,  on  their  way 
to  Iowa,  on  a  freight  train  and  as  freight.  At  Bel- 
lefontaiue  they  were  put  upon  the  scales  and  weighed 
like  dead  shoats,  and  a  regular  bill  of  lading  was 
made  out  for  them  at  16  cents  a  hundred,  after  which 
they  were  stowed  away  in  a  freight  car  and  locked 
up,  like  so  many  bales  of  merchandise  or  so  many 
tubs  of  grease. 


540 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Dec. 


THANKSGIVING. 

Before  another  issue  of  this  paper  this  interest- 
ing anniversary  of  the  sons  of  the  Pilgrims  will 
have  come  and  passed  avray;  and  as  it  is  one 
among  the  institutions  of  our  highly  favored  land 
which  is  quietly  exerting  an  important  influence  on 
the  character  and  habits  of  our  people,  we  im- 
prove the  moment  to  express  some  of  its  sugges- 
tions, particularly  in  an  agricultural  point  of  view. 

If  the  day  is  observed  according  to  the  recom 
mendations  of  our  worthy  Chief  Magistrates,  from 
year  to  year,  there  can  be  no  doubt  but  the  moral 
and  religious  influences  will  find  their  way  to  many 
hearts,  and  the  spirit  of  gratitude  and  thankful- 
ness be  greatly  increased  among  the  people. 

Last  year  our  attention  was  particularly  arrested 
by  the  topics  introduced  into  the  proclamation,  of 
which,  at  present,  we  shall  only  notice  one  or  two, 
which  we  intended  to  do  at  that  time,  but  which 
it  is  equally  proper  to  do  now. 

The  first  of  these  is  the  variety  and  wealth  of  the 
harvest.  There  is  a  peculiar  significancy  in  that 
little  word,  variety.  We  have  only  to  go  back  a 
few  years,  within  our  own  memories,  to  find  a 
very  meagre  variety  of  meats,  vegetables  or  fruits, 
upon  our  tables.  Salt  pork  and  beef  and  rye  and 
Indian  bread  and  potatoes  constituted  the  staples. 
Wheat  cakes  were  reserved  for  extra  occasions, 
and  even  potatoes  were  a  luxury  lately  introduced. 
A  little  previous  the  variety  was  bean  porridge, 
in  all  its  stages,  "hot,  cold,  and  in  the  pot,"  until, 
like  some  other  things,  great  age  was  its  principal 
virtue! 

But  now  what  a  variety  of  fresh  meats  are  car- 
ried to  every  man's  door  daily!  What  a  rich  va- 
riety of  vegetables,  indigenous  and  imported,  so 
improved  by  culture  and  cookery  as  to  bear  scarcely 
any  resemblance  to  those  that  formerly  bore  the 
same  name.  What  an  almost  infinite  variety  of 
delicious  fruits  of  every  species!  If  a  choice  pear 
tree  or  two  strayed  from  France  with  the  Hugue- 
nots, they  were  about  as  rare  as  Jews  or  Turks. 
Now  turn  to  some  of  the  recent  exhibitions  of  our 
State  Horticultural  Society,  to  almost  any  of  the 
County  Fairs  in  New  England,  or  even  to  many 
of  the  single  towns,  and  behold  the  variety  as  well 
as  abundance  of  fruits  presented.  Take  a  single 
fruit — the  apple.  Some  hundred  varieties — some 
in  perfection  at  every  season  of  the  year.  If  this 
was  the  fruit  that  tempted  Eve,  her  temptation 
was  certainly  great.  It  well  answers  the  descrip- 
tion, "good  for  food,  pleasant  to  the  eye,  and  a 
fruit  to  be  desired."  At  an  exhibition  of  the 
Massachusetts  Horticultural  Society  there  were 
twenty  individuals  who  exhibited  from  one  to  two 
hundred  varieties  of  pears  each;  many  of  them  of 
surpassing  beauty  and  richness  of  flavor.  In  the 
same  proportion  were  all  other  varieties  of  fruits 
and  flowers. 
Now  this  variety  must  forever  prevent  famines, 


which,  in  other  ages,  and  in  other  lands,  where 
multitudes  subsist  on  a  single  vegetable, — distress 
and  depopulate  countries.  A  variety  is  also  nec- 
essary fur  health.  Our  systems  are  composed  of  a 
great  many  material  elements,  and  they  are  better 
supplied  by  a  variety. 

It  has  recently  been  discovered  that  ripe  fruits 
have  curative  properties,  and  that  by  their  agen- 
cy many  diseases  have  been  cured  ;  we  feel  confi- 
dent that  by  their  judicious  use,  many  will  be 
prevented.  It  is  owing  to  this  cause  as  much  as 
to  any  one  other,  perhaps,  that  the  average  of  hu- 
man life  hag  increased  some  20  per  cent.  But  it 
is  not  the  physical  security  and  health  and  com- 
fort alone,  which  this  variety  affords.  Refinement 
of  the  senses  leads  to  a  refinement  of  the  soul.  A 
refined  taste,  an  eye  for  beauty  in  one  department, 
leads  to  it  in  another,  and  these  interests  call  men 
away  from  the  grosser  engagements  which  occupy 
too  many  on  this  interesting  anniversary,  to  refin- 
ing home-bred  pleasures  and  pursuits. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

ALEXANDER  TROOP— SWALLOWS. 

Messrs.   Editors: — A  communication  in  your 
last  number,  on  the  migration  of  swallows,  called 
to   my  mind   a  circumstance  which  is  sufiiciently 
amusing  to  warrant  its  preservation  in  your  col- 
umns.    About  twenty  years  ago  an  aged  Scotch- 
man,  who  was  often   employed  by  me  as  a  car- 
penter, asked  me  if  I  had  seen  any  swallows  that 
morning.     I  told  him  yes,  and  pointedto   several 
then  in  sight.     "Well,"    said  he,    "they  will  all 
be  gone  to-morrow."     "How  do  you  know  that?" 
said  I.     "I  have  calculated  it."     "What  do  you 
mean — how  calculated  it?"     "The  moon   crosses 
the  earth's  track  to-night,"   said  he,   "and   the 
birds  will  take  advantage  of  the  occasion  and  go 
to  the  moon.     At  the  proper  time,"  said  he,  "the 
birds  rise  from  the  earth  and   wait  for  the  moon 
which  passes   in  a  few  hours."     "How  do  they 
resist  the  force  of  gravity?"  said  I,  "and  in  what 
medium  do  they  sustain  themselves  while  waiting 
for   their  omnibus   to  come  along  and  take  them 
on?"     "That  is  their  look  out,"   said  he,    "they 
understand  it  and  will  all  be  off  to-night."     Next 
day  I  took  great  pains   to  see  a  swallow,  but  not 
one  was   visible    after  the   old   gentleman's   an- 
nouncement.    About  six  months   afterwards   my 
old  friend  asked  me  if  f  had  seen  any   swallows 
yet.     I  said  "No."     "Well."  said  he,  "they  will 
come  to-morrow."     The  nest  day  they  did  come, 
and  that  day  the  earth  crossed  the  moon's  track, 
and,  on  the  theory  of  my  old  friend,  the  swallows 
rose  from  the  moon  and  waited  a  few   hours,    till 
the  earth  come  along,  when  they  all  got  on.     For 
several  years  afterwards  the  exact  time  of  the  mi- 
gration  and  return  was  indicated  by  him  in  the 
same  way,  and  certainly  the  coincidence,  if  it  was 
nothing  more,  was  remarkable. 

The  Old  Carpenter  had  many  other  theories 
that  were  curious,  and  one  was  particularly  amu- 
sing. Seeing  me  wind  up  my  school  clock  one 
day  he  asked  if  I  knew  his  theory  of  the  pendulum. 
He  took  the  pendulum  and  swinging  it  from  left 
to  right  he  said  it  never  swung  back.     "But  I  see 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


541 


it  go  back"  said  I.  "No,"  said  he,  "that  is  an 
optical  deception;  by  the  time  the  pendulum  has 
reached  the  limit  of  its  vibration  the  rotation  of 
the  earth,  from  west  to  east,  brings  the  pivot,  on 
which  the  pendulum  hangs,  directly  vertical  to  the 
bob  or  weight  and  there  is  no  need  of  its  swing- 
ing back.  I  asked  the  venerable  Scotchman  how 
his  theory  would  work  if  the  clock  was  so  situated 
that  the  pendulum  swung  from  north  to  south,  in 
which  case  the  rotation  of  the  earth  would  not 
affect  it.  The  old  gentleman  was  thoughtful  but 
said  nothing.  "You  have  seen  clocks  whose  pen- 
dulums swung  north  and  south?"  said  I.  "Y  e  s," 
said  he,  "but  I  ha'  always  noted  that  they  did  na' 
keep  good  time." 

The  name  of  this  excellent  old  man  was  Alex- 
ander Troop.  He  was,  I  believe,  a  native  of  Aber- 
deen, in  Scotland,  and  was  brought  up  a  carpenter 
under  the  nose  of  the  respectable  college  at  that 
place.  His  attainments  in  mathematics  would 
have  fitted  him  for  respectable  rank  as  a  surveyor 
or  civil  engineer,  had  not  his  natural  modesty  led 
him  entirely  to  underrate  his  ability.  He  came  to 
this  country  probably  fifty  years  ago.  Mr.  Troop 
was  very  ingenious  and  very  faitnful,  too  much 
so,  in  f;ict,  ever  to  accumulate  any  property.  I 
never  knew  a  man  more  scrupulously  honest,  just, 
and  pious.  That  such  a  man  should  sometimes 
appear  set  in  his  way  is  not  to  be  wondered  at. 
Etis  long  residence  amongst  us  did  not  smooth  the 
broad  Scottish  dialect  that  he  brought  over  with 
him.  He  loved  study,  was  a  deep  thinker,  and 
among  his  other  theories  had  one  of  perpetual  mo- 
tion, based  on  the  properties  of  the  triangle, 
while  the  casting  of  nativities  was  an  amusement 
to  him.  His  mathematical  bias  influenced  his 
whole  conduct,  and  once,  when  I  wished  him  to 
inclose  a  certain  space  with  rough  boards,  before 
the  tide  came  up,  he  began  to  square  the  ends  of 
every  board  before  he  sawed  it.  "You  must  not 
square  the  ends,"  said  I,  "there  is  not  time." 
"What  shall  I  do,  then,  if  I  don't  square  them?" 
said  he.  "Guess  at  it,"  said  I.  "Guess!"  said 
he  in  utter  astonishment,  "I  never  guessed  at  any 
thing  in  my  life!"  Alexander  Troop  died,  two  or 
three  years  ago,  at  the  age  probably  of  eighty- 
eight,  and  the  green  sod  never  closed  over  a  more 
worthy  man.  w.  b.  f. 

Boston,  Nov.  14,  1853. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
RAISE  YOUR  OWN  WHEAT. 

Friend  Brown  : — The  question  has  been  asked, 
"Why  do  not  the  farmers  of  New  England  raise 
their  own  wheat."  We  answer  because  they  do 
not  try.  We  believe  the  farmers  of  New  England 
can  raise  their  own  wheat  as  well  as  their  corn, 
rye  and  potatoes,  (a.)  We  are  not  disposed  to  tax  the 
readers  of  the  Farmer  with  a  long  fine  spun  theory, 
and  ground  our  belief  and  assertion  upon  that,  but 
simply  to  state  a  few  plain  facts  comprising  our 
own  experience  and  that  of  some  of  our  neighbors 
in  raising  winter  wheat  the  past  season.  The  10th 
of  9th  mo.  1852,  we  sowed  two  bushels  of  white 
flint  wheat  on  two  acres  of  warm,  loamy  land, 
from  which  a  crop  of  grass  had  been  cut.  We 
gave  it  a  common  dressing  of  stable  and  compost 
manure  before  plowing,  and  sowed  on  the  furrows. 
About  the  middle  of  7th  month,  we  harvested  the 
crop,  which  yielded  65  bushels,  or  32i  bushels  to 
the  acre  weighing  G3  lbs.  to  the  bushel. 


James  Comstock,  of  our  town,  harvested  the 
past  summer  from  li  acres,  51  bushels,  or  34 
bushels  to  the  acre. 

Henry  WuEELOCK,  of  Mendon,  purchased  of  us 
last  fall  3  pecks  of  wheat,  which  he  sowed  on  |  of 
an  acre,  from  which  he  obtained  23  bushels. 
Another,  in  our  town,  by  way  of  experiment, 
sowed  4  quarts  on  J  of  an  acre,  which  yielded  4i 
bushels.  Another  in  Sutton,  from  2  quarts,  sowed 
on  1-16  of  an  acre,  obtained  nearly  2  bushels. 
Although  some  of  these  experiments  are  on  a 
small  scale,  yet  they  are  all  attended  with  the 
same  satisfactory  results,  and  go  to  prove  that  the 
flirmers  of  New  England  can  raise  good  crops  of 
winter  wheat,  if  they  can  be  induced  to  try.  We 
have  sowed  4  acres  this  fall,  which  looks  finely  at 
present ;  the  result  next  year.  Several  of  our 
neighbors  have  sowed  wheat  this  fall,  an  account 
of  which  will  also  be  forwarded.  We  hope  other 
farmers  of  Massachusetts  will  give  publicity  to 
their  experiments  in  raising  winter  wheat. 

Battey  &  Aldrich. 

Blackstone,  llth  mo.  Wth,  1853. 


Remarks. — (a.)  So  do  we,  friends.  This  is  just 
the  kind  of  information  we  all  need.  Please  ac- 
cept our  thanks  for  your  attention. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
PIGS  AND  TURNIPS. 

BY  HENRY  F.  FRENCH. 

If  we  could  only  discover  some  mode  of  keeping 
a  large  stock  of  swine,  on  our  farms  near  good 
markets,  so  that  we  could  make  plenty  of  manure, 
and  yet  sell  our  hay,  the  question  of  how  we  can 
live  by  farming,  in  this  part  of  New  Hampshire, 
would  be  answered.  When  hay  is  worth  but  ten 
dollars  a  ton,  steers  and  heifers  will  consume 
more  of  it  than  the  worth  of  their  bodies,  at  three 
years  old  :  but  our  farmers  are  too  far-sighted,  and 
have  too  much  honesty  to  take  from  the  soil  with- 
out returning  an  equivalent,  and  so  many  of  them 
work  all  summer  to  collect  food  for  their  cattle  in 
winter,  and  in  the  spring,  have  only  their  cattle 
left,  increased  in  value  not  one  half  the  value  of 
their  winter's  food. 

Most  of  us  have  seen  this  to  be  folly,  and  tried 
keeping  swine,  and  when  potatoes  could  be  raised 
for  ten  or  twelve  cents  a  bushel,  we  could  raise 
pork  to  some  profit,  at  prices  lower  than  the 
present. 

But  potatoes  are  not  to  be  named,  in  these 
days,  for  such  base  uses,  and  the  question  whether 
corn  can  be  used  with  advantage  for  feeding  swine 
has  been  very  nicely  tested.  Perhaps  with  corn 
at  a  dollar  a  bushel,  and  pork  at  six  cents  a 
pound,  the  farmer  may  get  the  labor  of  the  swine 
for  his  trouble,  and  perhaps  not. 

One  thing,  every  farmer  knows,  who  has  tried 
it,  that  a  dozen  half  grown  porkers  will  demolish 
his  handsome  cribful  of  a  hundred  bushels  of  corn, 
which  it  cost  him  so  much  hard  work  last  summer 
to  raise,  in  a  painfully  short  time,  and  the  golden 


542 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Dec. 


ears  are  so  beautiful,  that  one  can  hardly  have 
the  heart  thus  to  "  cast  pearls  before  swine."  I 
think  a  farmer  feels  rich  so  long  as  he  can  show 
his  neighbor  his  corn  barn  filled  up  above  his 
head  all  round  vrith  this  substantial  treasure. 

Are  turnips  good  fur  Pigs  ?  Are  pigs  any  the 
better  for  turnips  t  One  man  said  turnips  were 
good  for  nothing  for  any  critter,  for  one  of  his 
neighbors,  last  winter,  fed  out  a  cart  load  to  a  yoke 
of  oxen,  without  doing  them  the  least  good  in  the 
world.  Another  said  turnips  were  first-rate  for 
fatting  cattle,  because  he  tried  it  last  winter,  on  a 
yoke  of  oxen  and  cow,  and  he  never  saw  animals 
gain  faster.  A  third  had  tried  it  on  pigs  ;  and 
they  eat  the  turnips  well  enough,  and  in  great 
quantities,  but  he  was  convinced  that  they  ate 
jast  as  much  meal  with  the  turnips,  as  when  kept 
on  meal  alone,  and  that  the  turnips  were  a  total 
loss. 

I  had  three  shoats  in  September,  one  a  full  blood 
Suffolk,  one  a  half  blood,  and  one  native  American, 
from  a  drove.  I  had  also  a  crop  of  white  flat  tur- 
nips, sowed  with  my  grass  seed  in  July,  which 
cost  me  nothing  but  the  troubte  of  picking  up.  For 
the  past  six  weeks,  I  have  fed  these  pigs  with  the 
turnips  principally.  We  boil  in  a  portable  boiler, 
out  of  doors,  two  bushels  of  turnips  at  once,  until 
they  are  soft,  then  take  them  out  and  put  them 
nto  a  barrel,  and  adda  pailful,  about  ten  quarts  of 
coarse  shorts,  and  mash  them  together  hot,  adding 
a  handful  of  salt.  We  have  slops  from  the  house, 
not  quite  enough  to  keep  one  of  them,  and  these, 
with  two  kettlefuls  of  the  boiled  dish,  last  them 
one  week.  I  never  saw  pigs  thrive  better.  They 
are  getting  too  fat  to  be  kept  over  the  winter,  and 
two  of  them  are  in  danger  of  an  early  death.  From 
this  single  experiment,  it  would  seem,  as  if  a  bush- 
el of  turnips  is  worth  fas  much  for  swine,  as  the 
same  quantity  of  potatoes,  but  it  is  not  time  to 
draw  that  conclusion.  Many  farmers  have  tur- 
nips on  hand,  and  I  hope  the  experiment  will  be 
thoroughly  tried,  so  that  if  results  be  favorable, 
we  may  all  lay  down  our  land  in  July  and  August, 
with  grass  seed  and  turnips,  sell  part  of  our  hay, 
and  keep  the  homestead  in  good  heart,  by  raising 
swine,  at  a  profit.  My  rutabagas,  which  will 
keep  good  till  spring,  will  many  of  them  be  turned 
to  the  same  account.  I  have  another  old  porker, 
which  fed  on  turnips  until  within  a  month,  but  as 
he  wo.a  expected  to  aid  the  festivities  of  Thanks- 
givin;x  in  the  house,  it  was  thought  best  to  put 
him  on  a  corn-meal  diet. 

It  is  said  in  the  "Complete  Body  of  Husban- 
dry," published  in  England  a  hundred  years  ago, 
that  sheep  fattened  upon  turnips,  should  be  fed  on 
other  food,  two  weeks  before  they  are  killed,  or 
the  mutton  will  taste  of  the  turnips.  It  probably 
would  he  prudent,  for  those  who  prefer  their  pork 
and  turnips  on  separate  dishes,  to  attend  to  this 
hint. 


The  Genesee  Farmer  has  a  notice  of  an  article 
from  the  Irish  Farmer'' s  Gazette,  in  which  an  expe- 
riment was  tried  of  feeding  swine  upon  turnips, 
both  cooked,  and  raw,  by  which  it  was  found  that 
the  pigs  all  gained  remarkably  well,  but  that  they 
ate  twice  as  much  of  the  cooked,  as  of  the  raw  food, 
and  gained  most  on  the  raw.  The  raw  turnips 
were  "pulped"  or  grated,  and  allowed  to  fer- 
ment. 

Let  us  have  the  experiment  tried,  and  reported 
in  the  N.  E,  Farmer.  I  think  the  value  of  tur- 
nips is  by  no  means  appreciated  in  this  country. 
It  has  been  said  that  "the  national  power  of  Great 
Britain  has  its  root  in  the  turnip."  It  is  there, 
the  great  crop,  for  fattening  cattle  and  sheep,  and 
so  maintaining  the  fertility  of  the  soil. 

Exeler,  N.  H.,  Nov.  17,  1853.  h.  f.  f. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

MONTHLY  FARMER  FOR  NOVEMBER. 

The  November  Farmer  may  well  be  termed  an 
Encyclopedia  of  Agricultural  Fairs.  Need  we  re- 
gret the  change  which  has  substituted  these  anni- 
versaries for  the  old  "Harvest-home"  of  England, 
the  "Lambs'  Wool"  of  Ireland,  and  the  other  sen- 
sual jollifications  of  ancient  times,  which  sought 
merely  to  rouse  the  physical,  while  the  intellect- 
ual faculties  slumbered  and  slept  1  Can  any  one 
look  over  the  accounts  of  the  various  Fairs  which 
are  given  in  this  number  of  the  Farmer, — the  re- 
ports of  Committees,  Sketches  of  Addresses, 
Speeches,  &c., — and  not  feel  conscious  that  the 
"good  time  coming"  has  actually  arrived ;  that  the 
Mind  as  well  as  the  Soil  is  cultivated  ;  that  science 
is  already  shooting  into  the  dark  path  of  the  far- 
mer a  few  scattered  rays,  which,  like  the  "break- 
ing of  day,"  are  precursors  of  the  rising  sun  that 
is  to  illumine  the  whole  earth  ? 

AGRICULTURAL  FAIRS. 

Taking  them  in  the  order  of  the  pages,  we  have, 
connected  with  interesting  notes  of  "A  Trip  to  the 
Connecticut  Valley,"  a  description  of  the  Fair  or 
Cattle  Show,  held 

In  Springfield.    Then,  of  those  held 
In  Westminster,  Vt.  (Windham  Co.) 
In  Worcester,  (Worcester  Co.) 
In  Framingham. 
In  Dedhain,  (Norfolk  .Co.) 
In  Lawrence,  (Essex  Co.) 
In  Milford,  N.  H.  (Hillsboro'  Co.) 
In  Lebanon,  N.  H.  (Grafton  Co.) 
In  Concord,  (Middlesex  Co.) 
In  Greenfield,  (Franklin  Co.) 
In  Northampton,  (Hampshire,  «&c.  Co'a.) 
Premiums  of  Middlesex  Exhibition. 
Fruits  at  Essex  Exhibition. 
Keep  the  Farmers'  Festivals  Pure. 
Premiums  and  Regulations  of  the  Exhibition  of  horses 
At  Springfield. 

To  those  who  had  th'e  time  and  money  to  attend 
these  fairs  personally,  these  reports,  which  occupy 
so  much  space,  may  be  less  interesting  than  they 
are  to  that  much  larger  class  who  found  ourselves 
obliged  to  be  digging  potatoes  instead  of  marching 
in  procession.  While  therefore  we  regretted  our 
inability  to  participate  in  the  festivities  of  any  of 
these  occasions,  it  is  no  small  comfort  to  read  such 
full  and  minute  accounts  of  them  all,  as  we  find  in 
our  Monthly  Farmer.     But  ample  as  is  this  de- 


1853. 


iNEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


548 


partment,  other  subjects  are  by  no  means  neglect- 
ed.    Under  the  caption 

CULTIVATION, 

We  will  place  an  article  by  Mr.  Ilolbrook,  on 
"Fall  Plowing.  Making  and  Application  of  man- 
ure—Pulverization  of  the  Soil."  Every  farmer  who 
is  short  of  manure,  and  shall  subscribe  for  the  Far- 
mer, will  have  his  dollar's  worth  if  he  gets  nothing 
but  this  one  article. 

The  particular  value  of  Mr.  Holbrook's  agricul- 
tural hints  and  directions  consists  in  i\\Q\v  practi- 
cability— in  the  fact  that  almost  every  farmer  in 
the  land  can  apply  them  to  himself  and  his  farm  ; 
while  many  of  the  prescriptions  of  agricultural 
writers  are  necessarily  confined  to  localities  and 
circumstances  that  are  the  exceptions,  not  the  rule, 
of  the  great  mass  of  farmers. 

With  two  horses  and  three  or  four  shoats,  Mr. 
H.  manufactures  every  fortnight  a  cord  of  muck, 
&c.,  into  manure  that  "for  corn,  particularly,  can 
rarely  be  surpassed."  Farmers  must  study  the 
economy  (1  did'nt  say  "science")  of  manures. 
There  is  much  in  composting  that,  I  apprehend, 
is  poorly  understood.  One  of  my  neighbors,  a 
spring  or  two  ago,  remarked,  as  my  manure  was 
hauled  out,  "If  that  puts  corn  through,  I'll  give 
in  to  book-larming."  It  did  "put  the  corn 
through  ;"  and  another  neighbor  who  saw  the  corn 
after  it  was  husked,  and  was  looking  at  the  field 
on  which  it  grew,  asked,  "  Where  did  you  raise  so 
much  corn?"  There  are,  also,  three  other  articles 
belonging  to  this  heading — one  on  "Plowing,"  by 
Mr.  French ;  one  on  raising  "Marrow  squash," 
by  A.  Holman  ;  and  another  on  the  "Neglect  of 
Pastures," — all  capital  articles  in  their  way. 


Inquiries  and  directions  for  " Cranberry  culture" 
on  meadow  land  ;  philosophical  "Observations  on 
setting  young  trees  for  orcharding  in  ^lassachu- 
setts,"  by  J.  Boyce,  who  has  set  trees  for  more 
than  fifty  years  ;  a  fine  picture  and  description  of 
the  V'Muskingum  pear  ;"  inquiries  andremarkson 
"Russet  apples;"  outlines,  description,  and  rec- 
ommendation of  "Seckle  and  Louise  Bonne  de  Jer- 
sey pears;"  with  a  caution  against  "Fraud  in 
Fruit  Trees,"  which  are  manufactured  by  the 
process  of  root-grafting. 

fP       FARMERS    SORTED. 

Mr.  Comings  classes  them  in  three  divisions — 
"the  farmer  whozs  a  farmer,  the  farmer  who  is  no 
farmer,  and  the  farmer  who  cannot  make  a  far- 
mer." Spending  money  on  a  farm  don't  make  the 
man  a  farmer  ;  studying  learned  essays  and  dis- 
sertations don't  make  the  man  a  farmer ;  nor  does 
hard  work,  that  only  runs  him  in  debt,  make  the 
man  a  farmer.  The  true  farmer  must  not  onlj 
make  his  farming  his  business,  but  it  must  be  made 
a  profitable  business,  or  he  loses  caste,  with  Mr. 
C.  My  grandfather  used  to  say  that  farmers  could 
not  stand  mathematics — that  while  figures  might 
show  that  nothing  is  made  by  farming,  yet  they 
raise  up  large  ftimilies,  and  seldom  go  into  bank- 
ruptcy. Possibly  the  very  farmer  whom  Mr.  C.'s 
figures  run  in  debt  some  $53  a  year,  will  neverthe- 
less support  and  educate  his  family,  and  in  the 
evening  of  life  be  in  better  circumstances,  than 
many  mechanics  find  themselves  at  that  period, 
whose  large  wages  look  so  temptingly  to  young 
farmers. 


In  reply  to  an  inquiry  whether  the  ashes  of 
Anthracite  coal  are  of  value  as  manure,  the  editor 
gives  the  analyses  of  White  and  of  Red  Ash  coal, 
by  Prof.  Norton,  and  some  favorable  experiments 
in  the  use  of  coal  ashes  in  England  on  turnips.  I 
have  somewliere  seen  a  caution  against  the  use  of 
coal  ashes,  for  some  reason  that  I  do  not  remem- 
ber. A  few  years  since,  noticing  that  ashes  had 
been  placed  around  the  trees  of  an  orchard  in 
Maiden,  I  inquired  as  to  their  benefit.  The  owner 
replied  "I  dont  know  as  they  do  any  good  as  ma- 
nure ;  I  put  them  under  the  trees  to  kill  the  grass. ' ' 
Yet  Mr.  Cole,  (p.  84,  vol.  I.  of  the  Farmer,)  says 
"We  have  seen  excellent  effects  from  their  use," 
and  most  writers  recommend  them  as  of  some  val- 
ue. The  practice  of  Mr.  Holbrookin  making  and 
saving  manure,  detailed  in  his  article  in  this  num- 
ber, need  only  to  be  alluded  to,  in  this  place.  A 
little  bit  of  sparring  occurs  between  the  editors  ot 
the  Farmer  &n&  of  the  N.  Y.  Tribune,  on  "Mead- 
ow Mud  ;"  and  we  then  have  an  account  of  a 
"Great  Gypsum  Field"  lately  discovered  at  the 
head  waters  of  the  Red  river. 

STATISTICS. 

Questions  proposed  by  the  Secretary  of  the 
Massachusetts  Board  of  Agriculture,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  collecting  facts  and  statistics  in  relation 
to  the  agriculture  of  the  State.  I  hope  the  Sec- 
retary will  not  feel  disheartened  if  this  plan  should 
prove  utterly  insufficient  for  the  accomplishment 
of  the  object  proposed.  I  fear  he  will  receive  but 
few  replies  to  his  circulars.  Men  who  read  of 
140  bushels  of  corn  being  harvested  from  an  acre, 
will  be  reluctant  to  name  one-fourth  of  that 
amount  as  the  average  of  the  towns  in  which  they 
live,  even  should  they  honestly  believe  it  could  be 
stated  no  higher.  And  so  of  English  hay,  of  the 
average  of  butter,  of  the  per  cent,  realized  on  the 
value  of  farms,  &c.  A  tender  regard  for  the  fair 
fame  of  one's  own  town  will  in  many  cases,  I  ap- 
prehend, suggest  the  policy  of  keeping  silence  on 
these  questions,  when  the  probable  average  is  so 
very  far  below  the  high-water  mark  of  the  "bet- 
ter system ' '  he  reads  about  in  his  agricultural  pa- 
pers. The  general  inefficiency  of  the  "voluntary 
system"  for  the  collection  of  statistics,  even  where 
the  facts  sought  are  of  a  character  to  gratify  the 
vanity  and  pride  of  the  community,  is  another 
reason  why  I  expect  that  these  circulars  will  be 
but  feebly  responded  to.  Nothing  short  of  cflicial 
duty,  and  that  enforced  by  some  kind  of  "pains 
and  penalties,"  will  be  found  adequate  to  the 
work.  While,  therefore,  I  cannot  indulge  the 
"hope"  of  the  editor,  I  will  repeat  his  exhorta- 
tion, that  all  persons  who  receive  this  circular, 
will  make  some  response — fully,  if  they  can ; 
partially,  if  they  must. 

SOUTHERN   FARMING. 

A  description  of  a  fifteen-thousand-acre  farm 
in  South  Carolina  ;  and  one  in  Maryland,  perhaps 
somewhat  smaller.  These  planters  do  up  farm- 
ing on  a  scale  very  different  from  what  we  are  ac- 
customed to  in  New  England.  And  by  way  of 
contrast,  their  management  and  operations  are  in- 
teresting. But  who  will  envy  the  position  of  that 
man  who  cannot  be  a  kind  master  without  "his 
neighbors  complaining  that,  by  his  indulgence, 
he  spoils  all  the  negroes  in  his  neighborhood." 


544 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Dec. 


VARIETY. 

To  make  this,  what  I  intended  it  should  be,  a 
short  article,  many  valuable  things  must  be  sum 
marily  disposed  of.  "A  Remedy  for  the  Potato 
Rot,"  and  one  for  "Garget ;"  articles  on  "Mead- 
ow Land,"  "  Preserving  Eggs,"  "  Swallows," 
"Heavy  Spades,"  "Crops,"  Horse  "Consterna- 
tion," with  the  Editor's  "  Calendar,"  "Extracts 
and  Replies,"  Miscellaneous,  Poetical,  and  other 
reading,  "too  numerous  to  mention,"  but  too  good 
to  be  lost,  are  snugly  stowed  away  in  this  last  num- 
ber but  one  of  the  Farmer  for  1853. 

A  Reader. 

Winchester,  Nov.  1853. 


Remarks. — In  reference  to  the  circulars  issued 
by  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture  for  the  collec- 
tion of  facts  in  relation  to  the  farming  operations 
of  the  State,  we  would  say  to  our  correspondent, 
that  the  circulars  have  been  responded  to  in  very 
many  towns  in  the  most  liberal  manner.  He 
says,  "nothing  short  of  official  duty,  *  *  * 
will  be  found  adequate  to  the  work."  This  is 
true.  Such  is  the  duty  of  the  Secretary,  and 
most  faithfully  has  he  applied  himself  to  it.  We 
do  not  doubt  now  but  a  work  is  in  progress  which 
will  develope  the  agricultural  resources  of  the 
State,  and  give  us  more  reliable  facts  of  its  con- 
dition, in  this  respect,  than  can  be  found  in  any 
other  State  in  the  Union. 


MASSACHUSETTS  STATJS  BOARD  OF 
AGRICULTURE. 

Wednesday,  Nov.  16th,  1853. 

Board  met  at  the  State  House.  Present  Messrs. 
Brewer,  Brown,  Dodge,  Gray,  Hitchcock,  Law- 
ton,  Parkiiurst,  Smith,  Sprague  and  Wilder.  M. 
P.  Wiider,  in  the  chair. 

The  Secretary  made  some  suggestions  to  the 
Board  in  relation  to  exchange  of  books  from  for- 
eign countries,  and  the  returns  of  the  several  agri- 
cultural societies  in  the  State,  which  were  either 
considered  or  referred  to  committees. 

The  following  resolution  was  offered  by  Mr. 
Brown,  and  adopted  by  the  Board,  viz  : 

That  in  the  opinion  of  this  Board,  great  waste 
and  loss  exists  in  all  our  cities  and  large  towns, 
of  the  most  fertilizing  substances  ;  and  that  this 
waste  is  as  much  an  actual  loss  to  the  Common- 
wealth as  though  it  were  an  equal  amount  of  the 
corn,  hay  or  grain  products  of  our  farms — 

Therefore,  Resolved,  that  a  committee  be  ap- 
pointed to  ascertain,  so  far  as  it  may  be  in  their 
power,  the  amount  wasted  and  lost  in  the  Com- 
monwealth, and  recommend  such  measures  as  it 
may  seem  to  them  expedient  for  its  collection  and 
preservation ;  and  Messrs.  Brown,  Flint,  (the  Sec- 
retary) and  Sprague  were  appointed  the  committee. 
Delegates  to  the  several  agricultural  societies  were 
then  called  upon  to  report.  Mr.  Brown  reported 
upon  the  Hampshire,  Franklin  and  Hampden  So- 


Messrs.  Wilder,  Sprague,  Lawton,  the  Secre- 
tary, and  Brown,  were  appointed  a  committee  to 
confer  with  the  Board  of  Trustees  in  relation  to 
the  State  farm  at  Westboro'. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  Brown,  the  Secretary  was  di- 
rected to  notify  each  Society  of  the  time  of  making 
returns  in  order  to  comply  with  existing  laws  on 
the  subject. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  Proctor,  such  delegates  to  so- 
cieties as  had  not  already  reported  were  directed 
to  send  in  their  reports  to  the  Secretary. 

On  motion,  Messrs.  Brown,  Proctor  and 
Sprague  were  elected  a  committee  on  publication. 

The  Board  held  an  afternoon  and  evening  ses- 
sion, and  adjourned  at  a  late  hour. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

BORERS—LIME— PRUNING—  SWAL- 
LOWS. 

Messrs.  Editors: — It  may  not  be  generally 
known  that  almost  any  kind  of  cloth ,  covered  on  one 
side  with  lime  whitewash,  in  which  one  pint  of  salt 
is  added  to  the  pailful,  wrapt  around  the  trunk  of 
the  tree  so  as  to  extend  two  inches  below,  and  six 
inches  above  the  soil,  will  effectually  prevent  the 
ravages  of  the  borer,  unless  he  has  previously  im- 
bedded himself  in  the  wood. 

I  have  likewise  proved  to  my  own  satisfaction, 
that  lime  is  the  best  manure  for  the  peach  orchard, 
unless  the  earth  abounds  with  that  substance. 

Now  is  the  best  time  to  prune  apple-trees  as  the 
sap  is  in  the  root  and  the  wounds  will  have  time 
to  dry  before  the  spring  opens,  and  by  painting 
them  before  the  sap  again  flows,  all  bad  effects 
will  be  prevented. 

A  species  of  swallows  made  their  appearance  on 
Plymouth  Gurnet  on  the  14th  of  October,  which 
resembled  the  barn  swallow,  although  of  a  smaller 
size,  and  their  notes  were  like  those  of  the  bank 
swallow,  but  tlieir  breasts  were  of  a  reddish  color, 
with  rusty  black  wings  and  back.  e.  c.  h. 

East  Bridgewater,  Nov:  18th,  1853. 


Rockingham,  N.  H. — The  followi^  is  a  list  of 
the  officers  of  the  Rockingham  Fair,  elected  for  the 
ensuing  year. 

HENRY  F.  FRENCH,  President. 
MOSES  EATON,  Jb.  ") 
JAMES  PICKERING,  I  ^        Pbesidents 
DAVID  CURRIER,      ^  vice  Presidents. 

JACOB  T.  BROWN,  J 

JOSEPH  T.  GILMAN,  Secretary. 

RETIRE  U.  PARKER,  Treasurer. 

THOMAS  J.  MELVIN.I 

JOHN  M.  WEARE,        |- Trustees. 

W.  H.  DUDLEY,  J 


Officers  of  Hillsborough  County  Ag.  Society 
FOR  1854.— Brooks  Shattuck,  Esq.,  President ;  J. 
M.  Tyler,  of  Pelham,  Hiram  Munroe,  of  Amherst, 
Jona.  Russell,  of  Mason,  C.  F.  Potter,  of  Manches- 
ter, Vice  Presidents  ;  Moody  Hobbs,  of  Pelham, 
Recording  Secretary  ;  H.  A.  Daniels,  of  Milford, 
Corresponding  Secretary  ;  David  Stewart,  of  Am- 
herst, Treasurer. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


545 


ALDSRNEY  COW. 

The  above  engraving  is  a  tolerably  good  like- 
ness of  a  Jersey  cov?  belonging  to  Elijah  M.  Read, 
Esq.,  ofTewksbury,  Mass.  Mr.  Read's  statement 
will  be  received  by  all  -who  know  him  without  any 
grains  of  all(jwance.  He  presented  the  cow  at 
the  late  Show  in  Middlesex  county,  and  took  the 
first  premium,  and  his  statement  to  the  examining 
committee  wc  give  below. 

"  My  Alderney  cow,  Europa,  is  eight  years  old, 
was  imported  from  the  Island  of  Jersey,  in  1851  ; 
— she  calved  ia  October,  about  two  months  after 
she  came  into  my  possession  ;  the  average  quanti- 
ty of  milk  given  by  her  the  next  nine  months,  was 
nine  quarts  per  day  ;  the  greatest  flow  in  the  same 
time,  was  12  quarts  per  day  ;  her  milk  has  not 
been  kept  separate  from  that  of  other  cows,  ex- 
cepting for  the  purpose  of  testing  its  properties 
for  butter.  The  first  trial  was  in  August,  1851, 
about  two  weeks  after  she  arrived  in  this  Yankee 
land,  and  about  two  months  before  she  calved.  I 
found  by  this  trial  that  4  quarts  of  her  milk  would 
produce  a  pound  of  butter.  The  second  trial  was 
in  February,  1852  ;  we  were  then  using  for  the 
family  three  pints  per  day  of  her  milk,  and  the 
balance  in  seven  days  produced  eight  pounds  of 
butter.  One  more  trial  was  had  in  the  last  of 
October  of  the  sarte  year,  and  the  result  was  134 
pounds  of  butter  in  nine  days.  She  had  at  this 
time  given  milk  over  one  year,  her  last  calf  being 
more  than  one  year  old.  She  dropped  her  next 
calf  on  the  17th  day  of  May,  1853  ;  the  whole 
quantity  given  by  her  since,  I  am  unable  to  state. 


The  nest  trial  of  her  milk  for  butter  was  made 
in  May,  about  two  weeks  after  she  calved ;  in 
seven  days  she  gave  110  quarts  of  milk,  which 
yielded  17|  pounds  of  butter.  The  last  trial  was 
had  within  the  last  two  weeks.  She  gave  in  nine 
days  85  quarts  of  milk,  and  the  yield  was  16^ 
pounds  of  butter,  equal  to  12^  pounds  per  week. 

Her  keeping  through  the  winter  was  2  quarts  of 
corn  and  cob  meal,  1  quart  of  shorts  per  day,  and 
good  hay  ;  in  summer  good  pasturing,  with  the 
addition  of  grain,  occasionally,  through  the  drought 
in  July  and  August  last,  and  2  quarts  of  meal  per 
day  while  we  were  testing  the  properties  of  her 
milk  for  butter.  She  has  had  no  meal  at  any 
other  time  during  the  summer  ;  her  greatest  flow 
of  milk  the  past  summer  was  17i  quarts  per  day. 

Elijah  M.  Reed. 

Tewksbury,  Oct.  4th,  1853. 


Cranberries. — We  are  under  obligations  to  Mr. 
Orcttt,  o(  South  Weymouth,  Mass.,  for  a  box  of 
this  fine  fruit,  and  also  for  a  box  of  thrifty,  bear- 
ing plants.  The  gathered  fruit  shall  be  tested  in 
tarts,  or  if  an  Editor  may  be  allowed  the  luxury  of 
a  turkey,  shall  form  one  of  the  accompaniments. 
The  plants  shall  have  a  fiiir  chance  in  an  upland 
soil,  and  be  encouraged  to  do  well  in  their  new 
location. 

Persian  Walnuts. — We  are  under  obligations 
the  Hon.  0.  Mason,  Commissioner  of  Patents,  for 
a  few  Persian  Walnuts,  which  we  have  carefully 
planted  in  a  favorable  location,  and  shall  watch 
with  interest. 


546 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Dec 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

PLOWING---TRANSPLANTING— GRAFT- 
ING. 

Mr.  Editor  : — I  believe  it  is  not  often  that  you 
are  troubled  with  communications  from  Cheshire 
county — probably  owing  to  the  stillness  and  quiet 
of  her  people.  She  has  had  three  Agricultural 
Fairs  within  her  borders  this  fall.  Her  County 
Fair,  which  was  very  good — one  at  Nelson,  com- 
posed of  the  towns  of  Nelson,  Sullivan,  Roxbury 
and  Dublin,  which  was  better — and  a  Town  Fair 
at  Fitzwilliara,  which  was  thought  to  be  the  best. 
Besides  these,  she  furnished  her  quota  of  display 
at  the  State  Fair.  Her  oxen  took  the  first  pre- 
mium for  the  best  county  team,  and  two  out  of 
the  three  premiums  offered  for  the  best  town  teams 
were  taken  by  towns  in  this  county.  The  little 
town  of  Roxbury,  in  this  county,  with  only  28G 
inhabitants  at  the  last  census,  and  distant  about 
80  miles  from  the  place  of  the  Fair,  took  the  sec- 
ond premium  on  town  teams.     Spunky  town  that .' 

There  were  many  other  evidences  at  the  State 
Fair  besides  our  oxen,  that  showed  that  there  are 
some  keen  folks  in  this  county^  and  that  our  far- 
mers are  wide  awake  and  don't  intend  to  be  beat. 
We  can  raise  as  tall  corn,  as  big  squashes,  as  fat 
pigs,  and  as  many  cabbage-heads  on  one  stalk,  as 
any  body  else.  Our  soil  is  hard  and  rock-ribl)ed, 
but  mother  Earth  always  contrives  to  pay  her 
honest  debts,  and  pay  well  too.  She  don't  hold  to 
'■^repudiation." 

Just  thank  your  assocaite,  Mr.  Holbrook,  for 
me,  for  his  article  on  "  Fall  Plowing  and  the 
making  and  application  of  Manure."  I  have  a  large 
piece,  which  I  have  already  turned  over  some 
eight  or  ten  inches  deep,  and  would  like  to  know 
of  him  or  yourself,  whether  it  were  better  in  the 
spring  to  cross-plow  and  tear  the  sods  in  pieces 
with  the  harrow,  or  to  harrow  stiffly  and  then 
plant  upon  the  sod.  (a.) 

I  raised  fifteen  bushels  of  wheat  on  a  piece  of 
land  nine  rods  long  and  sis  wide,  with  no  extra 
manuring  or  labor — nearly  forty-five  bushels  to 
the  acre.  Won't  that  do,  Mr.  Brown,  for  New 
England  soil  1  And  yet  many  are  discouraged, 
and  will  not  try  to  raise  wheat,  {b.) 

The  hay  and  grain  crops  in  these  parts  were 
unusually  light ;  potatoes  a  moderate  crop  and 
rather  rotten ;  apples  almost  minus ;  corn  very 
nice  and  heavy. 

I  intend  to  transplant  some  apples  trees  and 
mountain-ash  to  graft  the  pear  on  ;  will  you  please 
tell  me  whether  the  tap-root  should  be  taken  off 
or  not  (c)  ;  and  what  kinds  of  pears  succeed  best 
on  the  mountain-ash,  and  whether  they  should  be 
grafted  the  same  year  the^  are  set  out,  or  be  suf- 
fered to  grow  a  year  or  two.  {d.)  By  answering 
the  above  you  will  oblige  a  subscriber  to  your  val- 
uable paper.  j.  t.  w. 

Marlboro\  Cheshire  County,  (N.  H.) 


Remarks. — (a.)  The  same  amount  of  labor  may 
be  more  profitably  expended  in  some  other  way, 
than  to  cross-plow  in  the  spring,  land  that  has 
been  turned  over  this  fall.  The  economical  mode 
is  to  let  the  turf  remain ;  cultivate  the  top  as  low 
down  as  possible  without  disturbing  the  sward  or 
turf,  and  the  corn  roots  will  soon  acquire  vigor 
enough  in  the  pulverized  soil  above  to  penetrate  to 


the  decomposing  turf  below,  and  there  find  just 
the  nourishment  they  need. 

[p.)  Your  wheat  crop  is  encouraging.  There  is 
no  good  reason  why  we  should  not  produce  in  New 
England  a  large  amount  of  the  best  of  Winter 
Wheat  ;  nearly  all  the  experiments  recently  made 
by  our  farmers  have  proved  eminently  successful. 
For  this  grain  many  of  our  lands  would  need  a 
little  lime,  but  this  may  be  supplied  and  readily 
paid  for  in  the  increase  crop.  Please  give  us  the 
details  of  your  management. 

(c. )  When  Nature  puts  a  tap-root  at  the  bottom 
of  a  tree,  or  a  tail  on  the  other  end  of  a  pig,  she 
does  it  for  some  good  purpose,  and  neither  of  them 
should  be  cut  off  without  a  valid  reason.  What 
the  reason  would  be  for  taking  off  the  pig's  tail, 
we  cannot  conceive ;  but  that  for  cutting  off  the 
tap-root  of  a  tree  is  more  obvious.  If  the  tap-root 
were  left  on  nursery  trees,  for  instance,  it  would 
require  a  labor  to  dig  and  transplant  them,  which 
would  scarcely  be  paid  for  by  the  value  of  the  tree. 
When  taken  from  their  seed-bed,  they  are,  there- 
fore, deprived  of  the  tap-root,  and  may  then  be 
transplanted  at  little  expense.  But  the  tree  is, 
undoubtedly,  injured  in  some  degree.  So  if  you 
can  afford  to  retain  the  tap-root,  do  so. 

{d.)  Pears  that  do  well  on  the  quince,  will  be 
likely  to  do  well  on  the  mountain-ash,  though  on 
this  point  we  cannot  speak  from  our  own  experi- 
ence. Do  not  graft  your  trees,  unless  quite  small, 
until  they  have  been  growing  well  one  year. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
TO  CURE  WARTS  ON  COWS. 

Mr.  Brown  : — In  the  Farmer,  (weekly)  August 
13th,  I  noticed  a  subscriber  answers  my  inquiry, 
"  What  will  cure  warts  on  the  teats  of  cows?  " 
My  remedy  is  as  follows  :  I  tried  walnut  shells  on 
the  shoulder  of  a  cow,  where  the  warts  covered  a 
place  six  inches  square.  I  took  the  walnuts,  cut 
the  shells  off,  and  pounded  them  (the  shells)  up 
so  that  I  could  press  the  juice  out,  and  rubbed  the 
warts  with  my  hand  and  juice  for  about  ten  min- 
utes every  day  for  a  week,  when  the  warts  began 
to  be  quite  loose,  so  that  you  could  pick  them  off 
easily.  Before  applying  the  juice,  I  rubbed  the 
warts  80  as  to  take  all  off  that  I  could  ;  the  last 
time  I  put  on  the  juice,  I  rubbed  the  warts  till  the 
blood  came  ;  now  the  warts  are  all  gone,  and  the 
place  looks  as  if  none  had  ever  been  there. 

Having  given  this  a  fair  trial  and  found  it  to 
prove  successful,  I  send  you  the  result,  for  the  in- 
formation of  all  who  read  the  New  England  Farmer, 
if  you  think  it  wortliy  of  a  place  in  your  paper. 
Yours,        Geo.  Cruickshanks. 

Swampscott,  Oct.  5th,  1853. 


The  Granite  Farmer. — This  paper  has  been 
purchased  by  Chandler  E.  Potter,  Esq.,  Editor 
of  the  Farmer'' s  Monthly  Visitor,  published  at  Man- 
chester, N.  H.,  by  whom  it  is  to  be  conducted. 
The  Farmer  has  done  good  service  in  the  cause, 
and  has  a  fair  field  in  which  to  continue  and  ex- 


1853, 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


547 


tend  its  labors.  Dr.  Crosbv,  its  late  Editor,  has 
retired,  with  a  most  graceful  bow  to  his  readers, 
and  will  carry  with  him  the  respect  and  good  will 
of  al!  the  fraternity.  ^Ye  are  glad  to  learn  that 
he  has  no  idea  of  throwing  off  the  harness,  or  of 
abandoning  this  most  pleasant  field  of  labor. 


NATIONAL  HORSE  EXHIBITION. 

Springfield,  Oct.  19—6  P.  M. 

The  first  national  exhibition  of  horses  ever  held 
in  any  country,  commenced  in  this  city  this  morn- 
ing. The  first  day's  exercises  are  concluded,  and 
it  must  be  admitted  they  have  been  such  as  to  grat- 
ify the  projectors  as  well  as  those  who  have  been 
engaged  in  them.  The  day  has  been  most  beauti- 
ful, and  the  marshals  and  other  officers  have  been 
polite  and  attentive,  and  the  horses  with  their 
gilded  trappings  havo  appeared  to  the  very  best 
advantage.  The  number  of  horses  in  town  is  as 
large,  perhaps,  as  could  reasonably  have  been  ex 
pecttd,  considering  that  this  is  an  experimental  ex- 
hibition. Some  of  the  best  animals  of  their  respec 
tive  breeds  and  classes  are  present,  and  the  show, 
there  can  be  no  doubt,  will  be  productive  of  much 
good. 

The  exhibition  is  held  on  a  large  plain  adjoining 
the  Armory,  and  occupies  a  space  of  22  acres — 
nearly  half  as  large  as  Boston  Common.  It  is  ad- 
mirably adapted  to  the  purpose  for  which  it  was  se- 
lected, except  that  it  is  too  far  from  the  centre  of 
business — being  nearly  a  mile.  The  general  fea- 
tures of  the  ground  have  already  been  published. 

The  ground  at  10  o'clock  this  morning  made  a 
magnificent  appearance.  The  ring  upon  which  the 
horses  are  exhibited  is  just  half  a  mile  in  length, 
and  it  was  entirely  filled,  and  some  portion  of  the 
way  two  deep,  with  the  best  turn-outs  the  country 
can  produce.  The  number  of  horses  driven  round 
the  ring  on  tlse  grand  entree  was  about  340,  sin- 
gle, double,  and  fours-in-hand.  It  was  a  magnifi- 
cent scene,  there  in  that  warm  autumnal  sun,  to 
see  those  mettlesome  chargers,  with  arched  neck, 
eye  of  fire,  and  thundering  hoof,  all  dressed  in  hol- 
iday attire,  waiting  for  the  word  to  start. 

"The  steeds  are  all  saddleil,  and  snort  to  the  rein, 
•       Curved  is  euch  neck,  and  flowing  each  mane — 
White  is  the  foam  of  their  champ  on  the  bit." 

When  ail  was  ready,  Hon.  Geo.  Dwight,  Pres- 
ident of  the  local  Association,  under  the  auspices 
of  which  the  exhibition  is  held,  and  who  is  also 
Chief  Marshal  of  the  day,  came  before  the  judge's 
stand,  and  addressing  Hon.  M.  P.  Wilder,  Presi- 
dent of  the  National  Agricultural  Society,  informed 
him  that  the  exhibition  was  ready  to  open.  Mr. 
Wilder  replied  in  a  few  remarks,  congratulating 
all  concerned  upon  the  happy  auguries  under 
which  the  exhibition  opened,  and  predicting  that 
much  good  would  be  the  result.  With  the  flour- 
ish of  trumpets,  the  grand  cortege  then  moved  on, 
and  finally  dispersed  over  the  field.  When  the 
teams  had  scattered  over  the  ground,  the  si^ht 
was  if  anything  more  beautiful. 

The  exhibition  being  thus  opened,  at  twelve 
o'clock  came  the  trial  of  farm  or  draught  horses. 
This  part  of  the  exhibition  was,  in  plain  terms,  a 
failure,  as  far  as  to-day  is  concerned.  There  were 
but  4  pairs  of  horses,  and  1  single  team  upon  the 
ground.  The  weight  of  the  load  for  double  teams 
was  5200  lbs. 


The  animals  drew  very  well  indeed,  but  there 
were  none  that  showed  the  capacity  for  drawing 
heavy  loads  that  we  see  every  day  in  the  streets  of 
Boston. 

The  exhibition  of  breeding  mares  with  foals  by 
their  side,  took  place  at  2  o'clock.  There  were  but    ' 
9  entries.     Some  of  the  colts  were  good  animals, 
and  will  probably  turn  out  well. 

At  3  o'clock  the  exhibition  of  mares  took  place. 
There  were  48  animals  present,  and  among  them 
some  noble  and  beautiful  specimens  of  the  race. 
The  show  of  mares  was  decidedly  good.  After  this 
came  exhibitions  of  the  speed  of  horses,  and  there 
was  some  "fast  driving."  There  was  much  ex- 
citement attending  the  display  of  speed  by  the 
various  animals,  and  although  there  was  no  bet- 
ting, so  far  as  I  learned,  there  was  all  the  interest 
of  a  regular  race.  One  of  the  most  conspicuous 
objects  in  the  array  was  the  turn-out  of  Mr.  F. 
Corliss,  of  Longmeadow,  a  team  of  four  horses  at- 
tached to  a  gig.  They  were  well  managed,  and 
made  a  good  show. 

The  first  day  of  the  exhibition  may  be  consid- 
ered as  successful.  It  is  estimated  that  4000  peo- 
ple have  been  on  the  ground  during  the  day.  This 
number  will  be  much  increased  to-morrow  and 
next  day.  The  receipts  at  the  door  were  $1850. 
This  includes  the  season  tickets,  but  does  not  in- 
clude the  entrance  fee  of  the  horses.  There  are 
now  upwards  of  400  horses  entered  upon  the  books 
of  the  Society,  and  it  is  confidently  expected  this 
number  will  be  increased  another  hundred.  A 
large  number  of  distinguished  visitors  are  expect- 
ed on  Friday,  when  the  Agricultural  Banquet  will 
be  held.  Letters  have  been  received  from  Edward 
Everett,  Abbott  Lawrence,  Gov.  CliSbrd,  Rufus 
Choate,  the  Gov.'s  Seymour  of  Connecticut  and 
New  York,  Gov.  Fairbanks  of  Vermont,  Hon. 
T.  H.  Benton,  and  other  distinguished  men,  who 
all  express  a  deep  sympathy  with  the  objects  of 
the  exhibition,  and  promise  attendance  if  possible. 

The  exercises  to-morrow  (Thursday)  will  be 
nearly  the  same  as  to-day.  The  managers  have 
announced  that  the  grand  entree  of  all  the  horses 
will  be  repeated  both  on  Thursday  and  'Friday 
mornings.  It  is  worth  a  visit  from  Boston  just  to 
see  this  portion  of  the  exhibition. 

Notwithstanding  the  immense  crowds  thronging 
the  streets,  everything  is  quiet  and  orderly.  Pick- 
pockets are  plenty,  but  I  hear  of  no  losses  by  their 
dexterity. 

Second  Day. 

Springfield,  Thursday  morning. 

The  second  day  of  the  Horse  Exhibition  has 
opened  gloriously.  A  splendid  sunrise  has  given 
promise  of  a  golden  day,  and  the  fears  of  a  storm 
are  dispelled.  The  trains  of  this  morning  are 
crowded,  and  present  appearances  indicate  that 
many  more  people  will  be  in  town  to-day  than 
yesterday. 

Several  distinguished  strangers  arrived  in  town 
by  last  night's  trains ;  among  them  Gov.  Clifford 
and  his  aids.  Cols.  Ezra  Lincoln  and  W.  J.  Rotch. 
They  are  stopping  at  the  Warriner  House.  I  al- 
so notice  Hons.  Julius  Rockwell,  and  Ensign  H. 
Kellogg  of  Pittsfield ;  Gov.  Seymour  of  Connect- 
icut ;  Alexander  De  Witt,  M.  C.  elect  ;  Levi  A. 
Dowley,  Democratic  candidate  for  Lieut  Govern- 
or ;  Gov.  Colby  of  New  Hampshire  ;  and  a  large 
number  of  officers  of  Agricultural  Societies  in  dif 
ferent  States. 


548 


NEW  ENGLAKD  FARMER. 


Dec 


One  o'clock,  P.  M.  The  grounds  of  the  Exhi- 
bition, this  forenoon,  have  been  crowded  with  vis- 
itors. The  number  of  visitors  to-day  far  exceeds 
that  of  yesterday.  Every  train  of  cars  that  come 
in,  adds  largely  to  the  crowd  and  it  is  expected 
that  the  inhabitants  of  the  city  will,  out  of  cour- 
tesy, be  tempted  to  move  out  and  abandon  the 
town  to  the  strangers.  The  extra  train  from  Bos- 
ton arrived  at  half-past  11  o'clock,  with  seventeen 
cars  ;  trains  from  other  directions,  are  in  like  pro- 
portion. 

The  exercises  of  the  day  commenced  at  9 
o'clock  with  the  display  of  Matched  Horses. 
There  were  18  pairs  exhibited,  some  of  which  were 
very  excellent.  This  was  followed  by  the  exhibi- 
tion of  Colts.  Some  good  animals  were  shown. 
There  were  about  20  three-year  olds,  and  about 
the  same  number  of  younger  colts.  It  is  worthy 
of  notice,  that  the  colts  were  all  of  the  Morgan  or 
Black  Hawk  breeds.  Next  came  the  exhibition 
of  Fancy  Matched  Horses,  with  the  testing  of 
3p38l.  Mujh  interest  was  felt  in  this  portion 
of  the  day's  proceedings,  and  some  truly  beauti- 
ful teams  went  over  the  course. 

Second  Day — contintjed. 

Springfield,  Thursday,  6  P.  M. 

This  afternoon's  exercises  upon  the  Society's 
grounds  have  comprised  the  exhibition  of  Stallions, 
between  the  ages  of  4  and  7  years,  and  geldings  of 
all  ages.  Of  the  former  class,  there  were  27  upon 
the  ground,  and  of  the  latter,  108.  The  whole 
was  interspersed  with  trials  of  speed  in  the  ring. 
But  few  of  the  horses  are  timed,  and  consequently 
it  is  not  known  how  fost  the  generality  of  the  ani- 
mals are. 

The  scene  to-day  has  been  most  enlivening.  The 
seats  for  spectators,  which  will  accommodate  about 
4000,  have  been  filled,  a  large  proportion  being  la- 
dies. The  enthusiasm  which  is  quickly  created  for 
a  particular  horse,  is  one  of  the  most  curious  fea- 
tures. A  favorite  horse  is  greeted  with  most  up- 
roarious shouts,  while  the  "slow  coach"  is  hooted 
and  hissed,  and  driven  from  the  track. 

I  have  been  much  interested  in  witnessing  the 
operations  of  the  groomsmen.  The  care  they  be- 
stow upon  these  dumb  creatures  is  truly  wonderful. 
It  is  a  consolation  to  know  that  even  if  the  horses 
are  hard  pressed  in  the  ring,  they  are  cared  for 
with  far  more  assiduity  than  the  drivers,  some  of 
whom,  it  is  not  too  much  to  say,  labor  as  hard  as 
the  horse.  The  operations  of  the  grooms  brought 
to  mind  the  lines  of  Byron  : 

"The  Cossack  Prince  rubbed  down  his  horse, 

And  made  for  him  a  leafy  bed, 

And  srnooth'd  iiis  fetlocks  and  his  mane, 
And  slack'd  his  girth,  and  stripp'd  his  rein, 
And  joyed  to  see  how  well  he  fed. 

****** 
That  steed  from  sunset  until  dawn 
His  chief  would  follow  like  a  fawn." 

It  is  astonishing,  particularly  to  the  uninitiated, 
how  many  good  points  every  horse  possesses  in  the 
view  of  the  owner.  Every  owner  of  a  horse  claims 
that  his  horse  is  as  fast  as  any  other  horse, that  he 
has  as  much  action,  and  as  good  bottom.  For  the 
time  being, every  spectator  is  a  connoisseur  in  horse 
flesh,  and  the  claims  of  the  different  animals  are 
canvassed  with  as  much  acumen  as  though  they 
were  ' '  thorough  bred' '  horse  jockies.  Every  horse 
has  its  friends,  and  it  willnot  be  their  fault  if  the 
value  of  their  proteges  is  not  doubled  before  they 
leave  the  city. 


Third   Day. 

Friday  Morning—^  A.  M. 

The  heavens  certainly  smile  propitiously  on  this 
Exhibition,  for  the  third  and  most  important  day 
has  broke  with  every  indication  of  beautiful  weath- 
er. The  sun  is  coming  up,  people  are  pouring  in- 
to town  on  foot,  in  carriages  and  by  the  early 
trains,  and  people  who  did  not  go  to  bed  at  all  last 
night,  are  turning  up  from  every  chair,  sofa,  and 
resting  place  in  town.  The  crowd  yesterday  was 
past  all  calculation,  and  it  will  be  far  surpassed 
to-day. 

The  exercise  will  be  much  more  exciting  to-day 
than  on  either  of  the  three  previous  days.  In  fact, 
to-day  is  the  exhibition,  as  the  preceding  operations 
have  been  merely  preliminary.  At  half-past  eight  a 
race  against  time  will  take  place,  on  the  following 
terms  :  A  Vermont  horse,  owned  in  this  vicinity, 
if  able  to  trot  around  the  track  twice  in  three  min- 
utes—just a  mile — then  the  owner  takes  $2000  for 
his  horse  ;  if  he  fails,  the  owner  forfeits  $5  to  the 
Society. 

The  grand  scene  of  all  takes  place  this  morning, 
at  9  o'clock,  being  the  grand  entree  and  procession 
of  all  the  horses.  The  combined  circuses  in  Christ- 
endom could  not  present  a  scene  that  would  com- 
pare with  it.  There  will  also,  during  the  day, 
he  exhibitions  of  the  bst  animals  of  the  different 
classes, and  if  there  are  any  horses  of  extraordinary 
merit  present,  they  will  be  found  out  to-day.  The 
grand  banquet,  for  which  great  preparations  are 
making,  also  takes  place  this  afternoon. 

At  8  o'clock  a  salute  of  cannon  announced  that 
the  grounds  of  the  society  were  opened,  and  the 
people  immediately  began  to .  congregate.  At  9 
o'clock,  when  the  bell  rung  for  the  exercises  of  the 
day  to  commence,  there  were  more  people  on  the 
ground  than  at  the  same  time  on  any  previous  day. 
Fully  one-half  of  the  people  upon  the  seats — which 
will  accommodate  from  4  to  5000 — were  ladies, who 
during  the  whole  exhibition  have  continued  to  man- 
ifest the  deepest  interest  in  all  the  proceedings. 

The  first  thing  was  the  grand  entree  and  proces- 
sion of  all  the  horses.  It  is  impossible  to  give  an 
idea  of  the  magnificence  of  this  scene.  There  were 
at  this  time,  not  less  than  10,000  people  on  the 
ground,  and  the  curveting,  prancing,  wheeling, 
neighing,  dancing  of  the  500  gallant  steeds  all  at 
once  in  the  ring,  and  all  mirrored  in  the  moving 
beams  of  a  bright  October  sun,  formed  a  scene 
worthy  the  pen  of  a  Waverley.  The  celebrated 
description  of  "  the  field  of  the  cloth  of  gold," 
would  be  as  appropriate  to  the  present  occasion  as 
it  was  to  the  scene  it  so  vividly  pictures.  The  pro- 
cession was  led  off  by  the  celebrated  horses  "  Oas- 
sius  M.  Clay,"  and  "John  Anderson."  After 
them  came  the  whole  number  of  gallant  steeds, — 

"  A  thousand  horse— and  men  to  ride — 
With  flowing  tail  and  flying  mane — 
A  thousand  horse,  the  wild,  the  free, 
Like  waves  that  follow  o'er  the  sea." 

Everything  about  th-e  horses  was  worthy  of 
study.  To  the  lover  of  the  horse  as  an  animal — 
and  I  confess  myself  to  that  weakness — the  dilated 
nostril,  the  eye  of  fire,  the  quick  moving  ear,  the 
arched  neck  "  clothed  with  thunder,"  tiie  flanks 
all  flecked  with  foam  from  the  champing  bit,  the 
mottled  skin,  the  fiery  action  of  the  proud  an- 
imals, gave  the  true  idea  of  the  nobility  of  the 
horse.  But  again,  there  Avere  other  features 
worthy  of  attention.     The  horses  were  few  of 


NEW  ENGLAND  1<ARMER. 


549 


Speech  of  Mr.  Wilder. 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen— We  meet  to  celebrate 
by  the  festivities  and  social  services  of  the  pass- 
ing hour  the  interesting  exhibition  which  has 
brought  us  from  our  dilJ'erent  and  distant  homes, 
to  this  fertile  valley,  and  to  this  beautiful  and 
thriving  city. 

In  behalf  of  the  local   board   of  managers  and 


1853. 

"  attached  "  to  the  slightest,  fra,  est  skeleton  Iwg-  '''\™' J"Jfc   '  „anT  had  partaken  of  the  viands 
giesand.gigs  by  almost  «'« f  ^ '-"".'SSl  set  b  L^^^^^^^^  P-  Wilder  arose 

ItgllX  if  4^°rptX°;ridra^d1io=|a„d  addressed  the  asse.bl,  as  follows  : 

displayed  by  the  owners.     After  passing  round  the  i  -  ,,_  w„„„„ 

rine  twice,  the  procession  broke  up,  and  the  cer- 
emSnies  continued  by  the  exhibition  of  pomes,  ot 
which  there  were  about  30. 

Springfield,  Oct.  21, 1853-5  30  r.  m. 
Meeting  of  the  Board  of  Managers  and  Commit- 
tee of  the  Exhibition,  and  of  the  officers  of  the  I^a- 

tional  Agricultural  Society— a  large  number  oi ,  j^^  ^^^^^^^^  ^^  ^ne  locai  ooaru  oi  mauugeiB  «|"v* 
whom  were  present— were  held  upon  the  ground  Uj^^j^.  associates,— whose  wisdom  devised  the  plan 
on  Friday  morning.  The  first  named  body  unaai-  Lf  ^j^jg  exhibition,  whose  liberality  secured  the  re- 
mously  .    :,a.  .      quisite  ^^ans  for  its  accomplishment,  and  whose 

Resolved,  That  we  present  to  the  United  States  L^gj,gy  ^^^^  pgrgg^erance  have  carried  it  torwara 
Agricultural  Society  our  hearty  thanks  for  their  L^  this  happy  consummation,- 1  bid  you  welcome. 
co-operation  in  carrying  forward  to  its  successtul  j^  h^haXf,  also,  of  the  United  States  Agricul- 
terniination,  the  First  National  exhibition  otL^j,,^igQg;gty^  under  whose  auspices  this  exhibition 
Hor'^es  in  the  world,  and  that  we  respectfully  re-  ^^^  ^^^^  i^gi^^  I  present  you  our  most  cordial  salu- 
auest  them  to  unite  with  us  in  promoting  a  second  L.^^j^^g  .  ^nd  I  am  most  happy  to  express  my  sin- 
exhibition  of  a  similar  character,  to  be  held  under  -.:n-.:.„  „.  .u.  ^„.c.„.o  ..f  ««  mnnv  ot 
their  auspices,  in  this  city,  in  the  year  1854,  at 
such  time  and  under  such  arrangements  as  may 
be  deemed  expedient.                    ^  t  -r.   ttt 

In  the  other  body,  on  motion  of  J.  D.  Weston, 
of  Washington,  D.  0.,  of  the  Executive  Commit- 
tee of  the  U.  S.  Agricultural  Society,  it  was 

Resolved,  That  the  thanks  of  this  Executive 
Board  be,  and  are,  presented  to  the  editors  ot  the 
Spring6eld  Republican  ;  to  the  several  reporters 
of  the  city  and  county  papers  present ;  to  the  iiiX- 
ecutive  Committee  of  Springfield  ;  and  to  the  citi- 
zens of  Springfield  in  general,  for  their  attentions 
and  hospitalities  during  the  stay  of  the  Executive 

Committee  of  the  U.    S.  Agricultural  Society   in  ^.j^g    ^rt  wnicn   uniuns    uuc   do-ho  w.    ^ r^r^V 

their  beautiful  city,  and  for   the   conception   and  L^^jch  makes  the  flag  of  a  nation  the   symbol  ot 
perfection  of  this  magnificent  Exhibition.  wealth,  prosperity  and  power,   and  which   turns 

A  little  daughter  of  Mayor  Rice  presented  aLj^g  jj^achinery  of  the  world, 
beautiful  bouquet  to  Hon.  M.  P.  Wilder,  who  re-      j  congratulate  you  upon  the  i)resence  of  our 
plied  in  a  brief  and  pertinent  speech.  honored  f^uests,  of  gentlemen  distinguished  m  the 

Aft-a,.  f.irt.ViAr  tr^nls  of  sneed  of  some  of  the  best  ^^^.j^^g  departments  of  politics,  literature,  science 

and  religion,  who  have  assembled  to  encourage  by 
their  presence,  approbation  and  speeches,  the 
worthy  cause  which  we  seek  to  advance.  I  con- 
gratulate you,  also,  on  the  increasing  zeal  exhibit- 
ed throughout  our  country  by  the  various  local 
a<^ricultural  associations,  which  are  laboring  with 
laudable  ambition  to  promote  this  world  renown- 
ed art — on  the  improved  system  of  cultivation, 
and  the  relief  which  genius  has  brought  to  labor 
by  the  invention  of  new  and  far-famed  implements 
of  modern  culture. 

I  observe  favorable  omens  in  the  general  appre- 
ciation and  patronage  of  our  County,  State  and 
National  societies,  harmoniously  and  systematic- 


tuLiuuB  .  c^^  ^  c^  ^^.-  happy  to  express  my 
cere  gratification  at  the  presence  of  so  many   ot 
the  fiiir  helpmeets  of  man. 

Ladies,  I  greet  you  with  a  right  hearty  wel- 
come. Your  presence  adds  beauty  and  brilliancy 
to  such  scenes.  The  smiles  of  your  approbation 
imparts  encouragement  to  our  efforts,  confidence 
to  our  hopes,  and- success  to  our  labors.  We 
therefore  bid  you  thrice  welcome  to  the  joys  and 
pleasures  of  this  festive  board. 

Friends  and  fellow  citizens  :  we  have  assembled 
to  honor  the  great  cause  of  agriculture,  that  most 
important  pursuit  upon  which  depends  the  weltare 
not  only  of  one  art  or  profession,  of  an  individual 
or  nation,  but  of  all  classes  of  civilized  society  ; 
the    art  which   unfurls  the   sails  of   commerce. 


After  further  trials  of  speed  of  some       _      _ 
horses  upon  the  ground,  and  the  final  examinations 
by  the  Boards  of  Judges,  the  procession  was  form- 
ed at  the  Judges  stand  for      - 
The  Banquet. 

The  following  was  the  order  of  procession  :— 
9jhe  Siirincrfield^BrassBand  ;  the  president,  officers 
and  members  of  the  National  Agricultural  Socie- 
ty •  Deleo-ates  from  Agricultural  Societies ;  Edi- 
tor's and  Reporters  ;  Boards  of  Judges  ;  Unat- 
tended Ladies ;  Gentiemen  with  Ladies ;  Exhibi- 
tors, and  Citizens  generally.  „,  .  ,  .       f 

The  dinner  was  provided  by  John  \\  right,  ot 
Boston,  under  his  large  tent.  Plates  were  laid 
for  1776  persons,  and  they  were  nearly  all   filled 


for  1776  persons,  and  they  were  nearly  all   failed  ^o-operating  in  this  worthy  cause,  and  in  the 

The  dinner  was  well  got  up,  and  there  was  enough  |-caij^  .^  j^^^^  manifested  in  this  and  other  annual 

to  spare.  •  j     x     <•  +i  ^  I  exhibitions;  these  gala  days  of  the  farmer,  where 

Hon.  Marshall  PWipEE,   P^^dent  of  the  exa  ^mo^^^^^  exchanged 

National  AgriculturalSocety  presided  at  the  ban-  par t^7^^^^^^^^^    salutations  and  the  kindlier  amenities 
quet,  assisted  on  his  rightby  Hon.  John  MBotts,  J    ^^^^^   ^^^  ^^^^  the  common 

ofVirginia,andonhi8leftby  Hon.    Abbot  Law-  o^ ^  .  j    ^^^^5    ^^   ^^^^  and  improve 

rence,  of  Boston,  and  by  the  Executive  Commit-  gjounaog  ^j^^/      ^  ^  of  men. 

t^X^:^r^'  ^£rvi^dtuesJ;°S^      In  the  annual  exhibition  o'f  these   societies  we 
fu"ie^Ldsea^ts,^whichwereprettilySecoratedare^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

-^::s;!^  httrb'eS^sSed,  ti.  ^.^^^^11;^^^^^^^^ 

Blessing  was  implored  by  Rev.  Mr.  Seelet,  ofldo  justice  to  every  part.    But  on  the  present  oo- 


550 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Dec. 


casion  we  have  been  relieved  from  this  difficulty, 
and  our  attention  has  been  concentrated  upon  one 
department,  a  particular  species  of  domestic  ani- 
mals,— upon  the  horse  whose  docility,  beauty  and 
usefulness  have  been  admired  by  the  successive 
generations  of  mankind — whose  kindness,  strength 
and  valor  have  been  celebrated  in  prose  and  verse, 
in  history  and  in  holy  writ.  How  truly  and  beau- 
tifully inspiration  describes  him  on  the  tended  field. 
"  His  neck  is  clothed  with  thunder,  the  glory  of 
his  nostrils  is  terrible.  He  paweth  in  the  valley 
and  rejoice th  in  his  strength.  He  goeth  to_  meet 
the  armed  men.  He  mocketh  at  fear  and  is  not 
afirighted,  neither  turneth  he  back  from  the  sword. 
He  swalloweth  the  ground  with  fierceness  and 
rage.  He  saith  among  the  trumpets,  ha !  ha !  and 
he  smelleth  the  battle  afar  off." 

Of  this  noble  animal  probably  the  world  never 
witnessed  a  better  or  more  extensive  exhibition 
than  it  has  been  our  privilege  to  examine  on  this 
occasion. 

There  have  been  placed  on  exhibition  about  500 
specimens  of  the  various  breeds,  many  of  which 
are  of  great  merit  and  fame. 

In  conclusion,  permit  me  to  present  to  the  orig- 
inators and  managers  of  this  exhibition,  and  es- 
pecially to  the  good  people  of  the  city  of  Spring- 
field, my  most  sincere  and  grateful  acknowledg- 
ments for  their  hopitality,  and  for  the  important 
service  which  you  have  rendered  to  this  depart- 
ment of  American  agriculture. 

Gentlemen,  may  your  present  success  awaken 
a  laudable  emulation  in  this  and  other  depart- 
ments of  terraculture ;  and  thus  may  we  go  on 
prospering  and  to  prosper,  until  all  the  pursuit  of 
industry  and  rural  taste  shall  have  attained  a  per- 
fection never  before  realized,  and  shall  render  the 
United  States  of  America  the  most  intelligent, 
prosperous  and  happy  people  on  the  globe. 

Toasts  and  speeches  followed  from  gentlemen 
from  other  States,  and  the  whole  affair  passed  off 
with  great  satisfaction  to  all.  We  are  indebted 
to  the  JournaVs  report  for  the  extracts  we  here 
give. 

The  Springfield  Republican  has  some  items 
which  wUl  interest  those  who  attended  the  Exhi- 
bition : 

"  The  gross  receipts  of  the  exhibition  were  near- 
ly $10,000,  and  the  sum  received  will  be  just  about 
enough  to  pay  expenses.  The  leading  items  of 
those  expenses  are,  the  premiums,  amounting  to 
about  $3000,  to  which  will  probably  be  added 
many  gratuities,  over  and  above  this  sum,  bestow- 
ed upon  fine  horses  present  from  a  distance  ;  the 
erection  of  the  high  board  fence  around  the  lot 
and  the  building  of  the  stalls  and  seats,  which 
cost  S1200  to  $1500  ;  printing  and  advertising  ; 
the  banquet  and  the  entertainment  of  invited  guests. 
A  large  amount  of  minor  expenses,  many  ofwhich 
could  not  have  been  foreseen,  and  even  now  must 
be  indefinitely  estimated,  were  incurred.  The 
Managers  were  liberal  in  their  arrangements,  in 
proportion  aa  the  certainty  of  success  enabled 
them  to  be.  The  receipts  for  entrance  fees  for 
horses  amounted  to  from  $1G00  to  $1700,  and  be- 
tween $1000  and  $1200  were  taken  for  tickets  to 
the  banquet.  The  balance  of  receipts  is  from  en- 
trance fees  from  spectators. 

It  may  interest  oome  to  know  the  exact  num- 


ber of  entries  as  they  appear  on  the  Secretary's 
books,  and  we  give  them  :  thorough-breds  7  ; 
stallions  7  years  and  over  5G  ;  stallions  of  4  years 
and  under  7,  34;  geldings  136;  breeding  mares 
53  ;  breeding  mares  with  foal  at  side  9  ;  matched 
horses  33  ;  fancy  ditto  IG  ;  stallions  and  fillies  of 
3  years  IG  ;  of  2  years  10  ;  of  1  year  7  ;  farm  and 
draft  horses  0  ;  ponies  21.  The  total  number  of 
entries  was  407,  covering,  as  we  reckon  it,  472 
animals." 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
A  SHORT  GARDEN  CHAT. 

Mr.  Editor  : — On  this  upper,  walled  terrace 
ground,  four  rods  long  and  twelve  feet  wide,  you 
see  fine  peach  trees,  standing  upon  the  north  bor- 
der, all  thoroughly  mulched  in  the  spring  with 
forest  leaves,  all  seedlings.  Their  growth  the  past 
summer  has  been  rapid  and  luxuriant.  One  bore 
a  few  fine  peaches  three  or  four  years  since.  The 
next  spring  I  tried  the  heading- in  process,  when 
the  buds  were  swelled  full,  and  it  proved  a  sad 
mistake.  The  sap  exuded  from  the  leading  central 
twigs  cut  off,  burst  the  bark  of  nearly  all  the 
other  twigs,  and  formed  many  deposits  of  gum, 
and  consequently  the  branches  grew  diseased,  and 
the  tree  was  much  exhausted.  I  gave  it  up  as 
lost  the  two  past  seasons  ;  but  this,  it  has  rallied 
by  mulching,  and  may  do  something  yet.  Had  I 
forbore  empiric  amputation, it  would  probably  have 
borne  generously.  The  other  trees  have  had  two 
and  three  years  growth,  and  promise  well  now. 
In  June  their  curled,  malformed  leaves,  and  their 
stay  in  the  healthy  extension  of  the  branches, 
foreboded  evil  ;  but  in  July  they  cast  off  their 
sickly  leaves,  and  grew  rapidly  the  remainder  of 
the  season.  This  phenomenon  who  will  explain  ? 
Besides  mulching,  I  applied  urine  liberally  to  the 
roots.  You  see,  sir,  I  have  no  faith  in  heading-in 
or  beheading  peach  trees,  (a.) 

2.  On  the  south  line  grew  a  row  of  marrowfat 
peas,  and,  in  lieu  of  bushes,  I  framed  them  up 
with  stakes  and  strings.  On  the  stakes  I  nailed 
cross  sticks,  four  or  five  inches  apart,  notching  the 
ends,  and  placed  the  stakes  four  feet  apart,  fasten- 
ing them  well  in  the  ground.  The  cross  bars 
were  of  due  length  to  correspond  with  the  spread 
of  the  peas  when  they  grew,  and  upon  them 
parallel  lines  of  twine  were  wound  from  end  to  end 
of  the  row.  I  am  pleased  with  the  result,  for  I* 
was  saved  the  annoyance  and  trouble  of  a  bush- 
rack,  and  weeds  were  easily  subdued  around  the 
plants,  while  they  rejoiced  in  having  the  whole 
soil  for  their  own  use  and  behoof.  They  had,  too, 
the  depth  of  one  or  two  feet  of  alluvial  deposit, 
with  which  the  terrace  ground  was  formed, blend- 
ed with  a  liberal  supply  of  muck  and  pulverized 
barn  manure.  A  luxuriant  growth  and  an  ample 
yield  was  the  result,  and  the  depth  of  soil  afforded 

a  longer  succession  of  peas  than  I  have  ever  be- 
fore gathered. 

3.  At  three  feet  distance  from  the  peas  grew  a 
row  of  Lima  beans,  consisting  of  21  hills,  three 
feet  apart.  I  used  poles  of  twelve  feet  length, 
placing  them  inclining  towards  each  other,  from 
two  adjoining  hills,  to  form  a  crop  midway  of  the 
poles  ;  thrusting  down  an  upright  pole  bet^^en 
the  hills,  and  driving  the  poles  to  such  a  depth  as 
to  make  them  firm,  I  wound  a  cord  firmly  around 
them  at  their  intersection.  I  did  this  as  a  secu- 
ity  against  the  bending  or  prostration   of    the 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


551 


poles,  when,  being  loaded  with  vines,  they  should 
encounter  strong  winds.  This  expedient  I  found 
successful.  The  beans  getting  started  as  early  as 
the  season  admitted,  progressed,  climbed,  shot  out 
side  branches  continually,  and  demanded  conduct- 
ing lines,  perpendicular,  transverse  and  parallel 
from  pole  to  pole,  and,  with  twine,  I  gave  them 
all  the  range  I  could  ;  but  they  reached  ambi- 
tiously after  higher  and  wider  supporters,  until, 
constrained  to  fall  back  upon  the  top  uniting  Hne, 
they  formed  a  green  festoon  from  end  to  end  of  the 
row.  The  yield  of  beans  has  been  very  satisfixc- 
tory,  and,  from  the  middle  of  August  till  the  set- 
ting in  of  frost,  which  was  not  till  near  the  close 
of  September,  there  has  been  a  succession  of  new 
supplies.  Evidently,  they  would  grow  and  yield 
far  longer  with  a  prolonged  summer.  The  bean 
stalks,  cut  off  near  the  ground  since  I  removed 
the  poles  and  vines,  discharged  sap  sufficient  to 
wet  the  ground  around  them.  I  am  satisfied  that 
a  higher,  wider  and  freer  expansion  of  the  vines 
than  I  was  able  to  afford,  would  have  given  me 
much  larger  quantities.  Many  pods  fell  off  un- 
filled, because  they  were  overshadowed  and  choked 
by  the  entangled  thick  vines  and  leaves.  The 
poles  or  standards  ought  to  have  projecting 
branches  of  several  feet  length  near  the  top,  to 
give  space  for  the  setting,  sunning  and  maturing 
of  the  constantly  multiplying  clusters  of  pods. 
Yours  truly,  J.  Lee. 
Salisbury,  Ct.,  Oct.,  1853. 


Remarks. — (a.)  We  practice  heading  in  peach 
trees  with  the  happiest  results.  No  finer  trees  or 
fruit  can  be  found,  than  our  orchard  annually  pre- 
sents. 

BONES  AND  SULPHURIC  AOID. 

The  use  of  bones  in  agriculture  appears  now  to 
be  rapidly  increasing.  The  prejudice  formerly  ex- 
isting against  them  has  given  way,  and  many 
who  were  among  the  most  skeptical,  now  express 
themselves  as  perfectly  satisfied  as  regards  their 
value  when  used  as  a  stimulant  for  most  crops. 

In  fact  the  recent  investigations  and  experi- 
ments of  scientific  and  practical  men  in  various 
sections  of  Europe  and  in  the  United  States,  when, 
after  a  Rip  Van  Winkle  sleep.  Agriculture  ap- 
pears at  last  to  be  waking  up,  have  conspired  to 
arouse  popular  curiosity  on  the  subject,  and  the 
demand  for  "bone  dust,"  and  "crushed  bones," 
is  uncommonly  active.  It  seems,  from  a  work  re- 
cently published,  that  a  Mr.  P.  Davis,  of  Milton 
House,  near  Pembridge,  Hertford-shire,  England, 
has  stated  before  the  "Agricultural  Monthly  Coun- 
cil," that  with  reference  to  the  suggestion  of  Mr. 
PuSEY,  relative  to  the  propriety  of  applying  bone 
dust,  previously  dissolved  in  sulphuric  acid,  in 
union  with  compost  instead  oi  water,  on  the  turnip 
crop,  that  he  can  continue  his  idea,  Mr.D.  having 
manured  two  acres  with  only  thirteen  bushels  of 
bone  dust,  dissolved  in  27  pounds  of  acid,  and  150 
gallons  of  water.  It  was  permitted  to  stand  24 
hours — the  liquid  being  subsequently  mixed  with 
three  cart-loads  of  coal  ashes  and  then  applied  to 


the  soil  after  the  lapse  of  a  week,  during  which 
period  it  was  two  or  three  times  stirred.  The  re- 
sult of  this  application  was  a  faircrop  from  apiece 
of  rather  "poor  land,"  and  without  any  other 
manure.  At  a  meeting  of  the  Royal  Agricultural 
Society,  at  the  Society's  House,  Hanover  Square, 
Mr.  PusEY  in  the  chair,  Mr.  P.  informed  the  coun- 
cil that  the  prize  essay  of  Jlr.  Hammon,  on  the 
application  of  bones  as  a  stimulant  for  the  turnip 
crop,  contained,  in  his  opinion,  not  only  a  detailed 
account  of  the  best  experiment  ever  made  in  agri- 
culture, but  some  points  were  of  so  much  impor- 
tance, that  no  time  should  be  lost  in  communica- 
ting the  facts  to  the  members  for  their  information 
and  guidance. 

H.  D.  White  says,  in  an  editorial  article  in  the 
Boston   Olive  Branch,  that, 

"This  extraordinary  manure  has  a  peculiar  ef- 
fect upon  poor  lay  land  pasture  ;  for,  on  the  ap- 
plication of  boiled  bones,  a  sudden  change  takes 
place  in  the  appearance  of  the  fields,  and  instead 
of  the  carnation-leaved  or  pink  grass  which  so 
abounds  on  this  kind  of  land,  a  luxuriant  herbage 
presents  itself,  consisting  of  white  and  red  clover, 
trefoil,  and  other  grasses  of  which  cattle  are  so 
fond  that  they  will  eat  up  almost  every  thing  be- 
fore them  ;  even  thistle  and  rushes  are  very  much 
eaten  off  by  the  stock  after  the  pastures  have  been 
dusted." 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  those  of  our  farming 
friends  who  have  the  means,  will  not  fail  of  giving 
this  fertilizer  an  impartial  trial,  next  season,  and 
favor  the  public  with  the  results.  Arrangements  of 
this  kind  should  be  made  before  the  spring  work 
comes  on. 

DEATH  OF  JOHN  DELAPIELD. 

We  find  in  the  last  number  of  the  Rural  New- 
Yorker  an  announcement  of  the  death  of  this  ex- 
cellent and  distinguished  man.  Though  entirely 
unknown  to  us,  except  by  his  good  works  in  the 
improvement  of  agriculture,  and  consequently,  of 
the  human  race,  yet  we  feel  with  those  who  loved 
him  the  mo3t,  that  we  have  lost  a  man  whose  like 
we  may  not  soon  look  upon  again.  His  survey 
of  Seneca  County,  N.  Y.,  alone,  gives  him  an  en- 
viable fame.     The  Rural  New-Yorker  says  : 

Another  ardent,  zealous  and  most  untiring  and 
influential  laborer  in  the  cause  of  Agricultural  im- 
provement is  no  more!  Hon.  John  Delafield, 
President  of  the  N.  Y.  State  Agricultural  College, 
departed  this  life,  at  his  late  residence — Rose  Hill, 
Seneca  county — on  Saturday  morning  last.  This 
melancholy  event  was  as  startling  and  unexpected 
to  the  family  of  the  deceased,  as  it  will  be  to  dis- 
tant friends — for  he  expired  very  suddenly,  after 
only  a  few  minutes  illness,  of  disease  of  the  heart. 
Mr.  D.  was  about  sixty  years  of  age.  Few  par- 
ticulars have  reached  us,  as  the  painful  intelli- 
gence was  received  by  telegraph.  A  private  let- 
ter which  we  received  from  Mr.  Delafield  onlv 
two  days  before  his  death ,  indicated  vigorous  health 


552 


NEW  EJ^GLAND  FARMER. 


De 


and  enthusiastic  zeal  in  the  cause  he  had  so  zeal- 
ously espoused  and  ably  promoted.  Truly,  "  in 
the  midst  of  life,  we  are  in  death  !" 

In  the  death  of  Mr.  Delafield,  the  agricultural 
interests  of  Western  New  York,  the  State,  and 
indeed  the  whole  country,  sustain  an  irreparable 
loss— while  the  event  will  be  sincerely  deplored  by 
thousands  of  warm  and  admiring  friends  and  ac- 
quaintances. As  we  have  before  said  in  these 
pages—"  Such  men  as  Mr.  Delafield  are  rare— 
would  that  each  county  in  the  State  possessed  one 
who  could  and  ivould  do  as  much  as  he  has  for 
Seneca — and  wherever  and  whenever  found,  should 
receive  the  distinguished  honor  to  which  thev  are 
entitled."  ^ 


THE  OLD  FARMER>S  ALMANACK. 

Jenks,  Hickling  &  Swan,  Boston,  Mass.,  have 
just  published  number  sixty-two  of  this  old  and 
useful  friend.  It  is  filled  with  information  valu- 
able to  all,  beside  telling  you  when  it  is  going  to 
snotv  and  rain,  and  the  wind  blow  too  hard  for 
comfort !     See  what  it  says  below  :— 

The  "Bat  State."— The  Buffalo  Advertiser 
remarks  :  "  The  statistics  of  Massachusetts  show 
some  striking  facts  in  regard  to  the  enterprise  and 
increasing  prosperity  of  that  admirable  State.  In 
ten  years  its  commerce  and  manufactures  have  in- 
creased 100  per  cent.  There  are  twice  the  num- 
ber of  cotton  and  woollen  spindles  there  were  in 
1840,  and  more  than  in  all  the  rest  of  the  United 
States  together !  Her  importations  of  foreign  goods 
have  more  than  doubled  ;  and  her  tonnage  has  in- 
creased more  than  50  per  cent.  The  wealth  of 
Boston  and  its  suburbs  has  increased  from  120  mil- 
lions in  1840,  to  nearly  270  millions  in  1850— a 
gain  of  ovtr  12  per  cent,  a  year !  That  city  alone 
has  a  valuation  equal  to  the  whole  of  Kentucky 
and  nearly  double  that  of  Maine."  ' 

The  Population  Centre  of  the  United  States. 
—The  centre  of  the  Republic,  according  to  a  Cin- 
cinnati writer  of  the  Times,  is  just  west  of  the 
Ohio  river,  in  Ohio.  Dr.  Patterson,  of  Philadel- 
phia, calculated  the  centre.  In  1790,  the  centre 
was  near  the  line  of  New  York  and  Adams  County, 
Pennsylvania.  Then  it  passed  into  the  edge  of  Vir- 
ginia, bending  towards  the  south,  then  ascended 
north  into  Pensylvania.  In  1840,  it  was  a  little 
east  of  Marietta,  Ohio  ;  and  in  1850,  a  little  west 
of  the  Ohio. 

Newspapers  in  the  United  States  and  other 
parts  of  the  World.— The  papers  in  the  United 
States  number  neariy  3000— more  than  all  others 
in  the  worid.  In  England  there  are  but  thirteen 
daily  newspapers— twelve  in  London  and  one  in 
Liverpool— in  a  population  of  eighteen  millions 
In  Scotland,  with  a  population  of  three  millions, 
there  is  but  one — the  Glasgoiv  Mail.  In  Ireland 
with  a  population  of  seven  millions,  there  are  but 
three,  and  all  those  in  Dublin. 

Massachusetts  in  Miniature.- In  the  State  of 
Massachusetts  there  are  152,835  dwellings  ;  192  - 
676  families  ;  484,284  white  males;  501,420  white 
females ;  4314  colored  males  ;  4481  colored  fe- 
males; over  one  million  total  free  population. 
There  were  19,414  deaths  in  the  State  in  the  year 
1851.  There  are  34,235  farms  in  cultivation,  and 
p637  manufacturing  establishments,  each  produc- 
ing, upwards  of  $500  per  annum. 


For  the  New  England  Fanner. 
PRODUCT  OF  AN  ACRE  AND  A  QUAR- 
TER. 

Dear  Sir:— I  have  frequently  noticed  state- 
ments of  gram  crops,  &e.,  in  the  New  England 
Farmer,  from  different  parts  of  the  country,  but 
none  from  Canada.  I  will  give  you  a  statement 
ot  the  management  and  crop  of  one  acre  and  one- 
Jour  th,  a  part  of  my  farm,  containing  about  150 
acres  ;  nearly  all  may  be  improved  in  this  way. 

I  carted  on  to  grass  stubble,  soon  after  the  hav 
was  taken  off,  about  30  common  cart-loads  of 
green  manure  ;  after  spreading  and  plowing,  I  had 
about  the  same  quantity  of  rotten  manure  left  in 
a  heap  until  May,  when  it  was  spread  evpn  over 
the  piece,  well  harrowed,  and  then  furrowed  with 
a  plow-cultivator,  which  brought  the  manure 
nearly  all  into  the  row.  I  then  planted  two  rows 
of  potatoes  on  one  end  and  one  side  of  the  piece  • 
about  the  middle  of  May,  planted  it  with  our  early 
Canada  corn.  After  the  first  hoeing,  I  planted  it 
with  beans,  about  the  same  number  of  hills  as  of 
corn,  with  a  fair  supply  of  pumpkin  seeds. 

Now  for  the  crop.  I  shall  not  pretend  my  corn 
was  as  high  as  many  specimens  I  saw  in  your 
Farmer  paper,  but  otherwise  probably  as  good  • 
fully  25  bushels  of  potatoes,  200  baskets  of  ears  of 
corn,  including  the  poorest  saved  for  hogs,  15  bush- 
els of  beans,  and  7  cart-loads  of  excellent  pump- 
king.  I  send  you  a  few  ears  of  the  corn,  beans, 
and  a  few  pumpkin  seeds,  which  I  hope  you  will 
give  to  some  good  farmer,  who  will  plant  the  same 
next  season  ;  and  I  have  no  doubt  he  will  be  sat- 
isfied with  the  crop,  if  he  does  justice  in  preparing 
^island.  Wilder  Pierce. 

Stanstead,  Canada  East,  Oct.  6th,  1853. 

Remarks.— We  are  always  glad  to  get  definite 
returns  of  the  products  of  a  given  quantity  of  land. 
We  are  in  the  full  belief  that  most  of  us  still  cul- 
tivate, or  attempt  to  cultivate,  too  much  land. 
Now,  let  us  look  at  the  product  of  this  one  acre 
and  a  quarter.  The  Canada  corn  will  make  a 
bushel  and  two  quarts  of  shelled  corn  to  twenty- 
two  baskets  of  ears,  making  about  53  bushels, 
worth,  this  year,  say. 

Corn,  53  bushels <»r;n  nn 

Potatoes,   25   do {Yz^ 

Beans,  15  do ".* no'so 

Pumpkins,    7  loads •.'....'..........'.'.'.. ".I'oQ 

$91,75 

Is  not  that  a  good  deal  better  than  to  half  work 
4^  acres  in  order  to  get  20  bushels  of  corn  ?  Will 
not  many  farmers  nest  experiment  upon  half  an 
acre,  and  satisfy  themselves  whether  high  cultiva- 
tion is  not  the  most  profitable  ? 


Spanish  Merino  Sheep.— In  another  column, 
the  reader  will  find  an  interesting  article  from  the 
Wool  Groioer,  on  the  subiect  of  sheep,  which 
adduces  many  sound  reasons  for  the  breeding  of 
the  Spanish  Merinos  instead  of  the  coarse  wooled 
breeds.  Although  we  do  not  feel  certain  that 
Mr  Rockwell  is  altogether  correct  in  his  views 
of  animals'  "  consuming  food  in  proportion  to 
their  live  weight,"  we  feel  sure  that  there  is  much 
that  is  valuable  in  the  article,  and  give  it  entire. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


553 


A  TABLE  OF  MANURES,  SHOWING  THE  QUANTITY  TO  BE  USED  AND  THE  MODE  OF 

APPLICATION. 


Name 
OF  Maxure.  Natitee  and  Composition, 


Guano. 


Nitrate  of 
Soda. 


Nitiate  of  Po- 

t«sh,  or 

Saltpetre 


Petre  gait. 


Gypsum  or 

Sulphate  of 

Lime. 


Sulphate  of 
Ammonia. 


The  dung  of  sea  birds,  im 
ported  from  Peru,  and  contain- 
ing various  salts,  ammonia  and 
phosphates. 


Nitric  acid  and  soda,  natural 
product  imported  from  Peru. 


Nitric  acid  and  potassium,  a 
natural  product  imported  from 
the  East  Indies. 

Common  salt  and  nitrate. of 
potass.,  the  residuum  of  a  man* 
ufacture. 

Sulphuric  acid  and  lime,  an 
abundant  mineral  production. 


Sulphuric  acid  and  ammonia, 
the  residuum  of  a  manufacture. 


Phosphates  of  lime  and  mag 
Bone  Dust,    nesia,  carbonate  of  lime  and  an- 
imal matter  yielding  ammonia 


Phosphate  of 
Lime. 


Phosphoric  acid  and  lime. 


For  Farm  Crops. 


3  to  4  cwt.  per  acre,  mixed 
with  its  own  weight  of  ashes 
or  mould,  and  drilled  or  sown 
broad-cast  for  grass,  turnips, 
mangle  wurzle,  or  other  green 
crops. 

IJ  cwt.  per  acre,  sown  broad- 
cast, with  half  its  own  weight 
of  ashes  or  mould,  for  wheat, 
oats  or  grasses. 

I  cwt.  per  acre,  sown  broad- 
cast in  the  same  manner  as  ni- 
trate of  soda  for  wheat  only. 

5  cwt  per  acre,  sown  broad 
cast,  as  a  purifier  of  grass  land 


2i  to  3  cwt.  per  acre,  sown 
broadcast  on  clover,  and  other 


2  cwt.  per  acre  mixed  with  a 
little  mould,  and  sown  broad 
cast  for  clover,  oats,  <fcc.,  and 
drilled  for  turnips. 

li  quarter  to  20  bushels 
drilled  or  sown  broadcast,  mix- 
ed with  ashes  for  turnips,  veg- 
etables, wheat,  &c. 

This  manure  is  easily  blend- 
ed with  farm-yard  manure. 


For  Garden  Crops. 


3  lbs.  per  square  rod,  equal 
to  30i  square  yards.  This  and 
nil  soluble  salts  are  best  applied 
In  solution  containing  not  more 
than  5  ozs.  in  2  gallons  water 


1  lb.  per  square  rod  in  solu 
tion  like  guano. 


1  lb.  per  square  rod  in  solu 
tion  like  guano.     ^ 


4  lbs.  per  square  rod  in  solu- 
tion li-ke  guano. 


3  lbs.  per  square  rod. 


1  lb.  per  square  rod. 


19  to  20  lbs.  per  square  rod. 


3  lbs.  per  square  rod. 


Weight  per 

BUSUEL. 


80  Iba. 


75  lbs. 


80  to  84  lbs. 


70  lbs. 


42  to  45  lbs 


Name  of 
Manure. 

Nature  and  Composition. 

Superphosphate 
of  Lime. 

Phosphoric  acid  and  lime,  in  a  more 
soluble  state  than  the  bones,  prepared 
by  dissolving  bones  in  sulphuric  acid. 

Phosphate  of 

Phosphoric  acid  and  ammonia. 

Ammonia. 

Muriate  of  Am- 

Muriatic acid  and  ammonia. 

monia. 

Muriate  of 
Lime. 

Muriatic  acid  and  lime. 

Sulphate  of 
Magnesia. 

Sulphuric  acid  and  magnesia. 

Soda  Ash. 

Lime,  magnesia,  alumina,  charcoal, 
silica,  and  a  few  other  ingredients  in 
s.maller  proportions. 

For  Farm  Crops. 


For  mi.ving  in  composts,  fixing  the 
ammonia  of  dung  heaps  and  urine  tanks 
and  forming  phosphate  of  ammonia. 

For  mixing  in  compost,  and  furnishes 
from  its  constituents  much  nutrition  to 
vegetables. 

Applicable  in  the  same  manner  as  sul 
phate  of  ammonia. 

For  mixing  with  compost  heaps. 


Mixed  with  night  soil  for  potatoes,  1 
cwt.  per  acre,  or  to  8  loads  of  stable 
dung. 

For  destroying  wire  worm  and  other 
predaceous  insects,   1  cwt.  per  acre; 
this  quantity  must  not  be  exceeded. 


Garden  Crops. 


i  lb.  to  the  squaie  rod. 
1  lb.  to  the  square  rod. 


1  lb.  to  the  square  rod. 
Weight  65  to  70  lbs. 

2  lbs.  to  the  square  rod. 
Weight  65  lbs. 

5  lb.  to  the  square  rod. 


Weight  CO  lbs. 


Gathering  and  Keeping  the  Pear. — Nearly  all 
pears  ripen  with  a  much  finer  flavor  if  picked  and 
matured  in  the  house.  The  exceptions  are  very 
few.  Some  which  prove  only  second  or  third  rate 
when  allowed  to  remain  till  they  soften,  on  the 
tree,  become  rich,  melting  and  delicious  if  house 
ripened.  Gathering  the  fruit  while  yet  hard,  will 
in  nearly  all  cases  prevent  or  greatly  diminish  the 
rotting  at  the  core,  which  otherwise  nearly  des- 
troys tlio  value  of  many  early  sorts. 

Winter  pe-ars  should  hang  upon  the  tree  as  long 
as  safety  will  allow,  and  when  gathered,  should 
be  kept  in  a  cool  room  till  near  their  usual  period 


of  maturity,  when  the  ripening  is  to  be  complete 
in  a  warm  room,  at  a  temperature  of  60 '^^  to  70'' 
They  should  be  kept  covered  to  prevent  shrivelling 
Some  cultivators  have  wholl;^  repudiated  winter 
pears,  merely  for  want  of  skill  in  the  management 
of  their  ripening,  or  the  want  of  a  good  cellar  to 
keep  them  in.  Some  sorts,  however,  as  the  Beurre 
d'Aremberg,  require  but  little  care ;  others,  as 
the  Vicar  of  Wakefield,  need  particular  attention. 
But  the  transfer  from  the  cool  to  the  warm  room 
is  of  great  importance  to  most,  and  will  convert 
tough  and  hard  specimens  into  those  which  are 
juicy,  melting  and  excellent. — Thomas. 


554 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Dec. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
SCIENCE  A  CO-WORKER. 

Messrs.  Editors: — Gent.,  I  am  happy  to  see 
from  the  public  journals  an  increasing  spirit  of  in- 
quiry going  on  amongst  us,  and  manifesting  itself 
in  practical  results  in  the  agricultural  affairs  of 
this  and  other  neighboring  States ;  wishing  that 
all  good  success  may  attend  the  efforts  put  forth 
by  those  laudable  and  greatest  of  philanthropists, 
who,  by  their  example  and  precept,  are  working  a 
work  which  shall  descend  to  future  generations. 
I  am  well  aware  of  the  prejudice  which  has  hith- 
erto existed  against  book  farming — a  prejudice 
which  I  hope  and  think  is  rapidly  disappearing, and 
which  was  the  child  of  ignorance. 

Of  late  years  the  sciences  have  laid  open  vast  re- 
sources for  the  farmeu.  Geology,  botany, and  espe- 
cially chemistry,  have  already  taken  rapid  strides 
towards  revolutionizing  the  practice  of  agricul- 
ture. It  no  longer  answers  for  a  man  to  quote  his 
as  the  best  authority;  he  must  go  higher  now,  and 
follow  the  laws  of  nature.  There  is  no  class  of 
men  would  be  more  benefited  by  acquiring  a 
knowledge  of  chemistry  than  the  farmers,to  enable 
them  to  carry  on  their  operations  with  profit  and 
satisfaction  to  themselves.  Let  ua  not  be  under- 
stood to  mean  that  a  farmer  must  become  a  Chem- 
ist, in  the  strict  sense  of  the  term,  although,  to  a 
(Jfirtaiii  degree,  he  must  be  one.  lie  is  a  practical 
chemist  already,  and  he  should,  in  a  measure,  be 
a  theoretical  one  ;  that  is,  he  should  be  a  reason- 
ing man  in  respect  to  the  operations  he  carries  on. 
He  should  be  able  to  see  the  cause,  when  a  certain 
effect  is  produced,  and  understand  why  the  vari- 
ous processes  which  he  follows  are  necessary,  and 
what  are  wrong  and  what  are  right.  This  does 
not  involve  necessarily  an  acquaintance  with  all 
the  technical  terms  of  science — terms  so  much  the 
dread  of  the  uneducated  farmer  ;  but  he  should 
know  the  names  of  things  he  uses.  But  it  is  not, 
after  all,  the  names  which  most  concern  the  far- 
mer, although,  in  order  to  be  a  rational  one,  he 
must  understand  them.  The  substances  them- 
selves are  what  he  is  most  interested  in,  and  their 
proper  application  in  his  business.  He  oughtto  un- 
derstand the  relative  value  of  different  manures, 
and  their  adaptation  to  particular  soils  or  crops  ; 
the  preparation,  improvement  and  management  of 
manures,  in  order  to  secure  their  highest  effect ; 
the  composition  of  soils  and  plants,  and  the  effects 
produced  by  the  latter  growing  on  the  former  ;  to 
exhaust  them  and  render  them  unproductive,  he 
♦  must  know  the  whole  relation  of  the  vegetable, 
mineral,  and  animal  world.  The  farm  should  be 
regarded  as  an  out-door  laboratory,  where  every 
process  is  regulated  by  rule,  as  strict  as  the  chem- 
ist obeys  in  his. 

It  cannot  be  possible  that  agriculture  alone,  of 
all  the  arts,  must  stand  aloof  from  the  aid  offered  by 
science.  All  other  industrial  occupations  owe  their 
elevation  and  importance  to  it.  And  what  may  not 
the  farmers  be,  when  the  farmer,  in  the  full  real- 
ization of  his  calling,  becomes  the  thoroughly  in 
formed  man  he  ought  to  be  ?  And  there  is  no  suf- 
ficient reason  why  he  should  not ;  there  is  no  rea- 
son why  any  man  in  this  country  should  be  igno- 
rant of  all  the  improvements  that  have  been  made 
in  agriculture,  and  equally  true  that,  knowing 
them,  why  he  should  not  put  them  in  practice. 

I  say  there  is  no  reason  why  any  man  should  not 


be  well  informed  in  all  that  concerns  his  business. 
What  would  we  say  of  tlie  mechanic  or  the  arti- 
san, who  had  a  piece  of  mechanism  to  construct, 
and  who  refused  to  call  in  the  aid  of  science  to 
assist  him,  or  who  did  not  even  know  how  to  ap- 
ply the  square  and  rule, — in  fact,  who  had  no  sys- 
tem whereby  to  work  it  out,  but  went  on  at  hap- 
hazard. We  would  naturally  conclude  it  would 
be  a  failure,  or  at  the  best,  but  imperfectly  done. 
Now  I  contend  that  a  piece  of  farm-work  imper- 
fectly done,  will  produce  the  same  result.  Let  a 
farmer,  for  instance,  with  the  idea  of  increasing 
his  crops,put  upon  a  soil  naturally  rich  in  calcare- 
ous matter,  lime,  an  excellent  fertilizer.  What 
would  be  the  result  ?  Failure,  expense  and  disap- 
pointment, and,  perhaps,  an  unjustifiable  bad 
character  that  lime  was  of  no  use,  as  he  thought, 
having  given  it  a  fair  trial.  Let  him  reverse  the 
matter,  and  put  on  his  land  manure  rich  in  vege- 
table or  animt^l  matter,  whilst  some  of  the  organ- 
ic manures  are  what  the  land  wants  to  build  up 
his  crops  ;  the  result  would  also  be  a  failure,  and 
loss.  But  sir,  I  forgot  there  is  a  reason  why  the 
farmers  are  not  what  they  might  be,  or  should  be. 
Before  all  are  so,  the  barriers  raised  by  prejudice 
and  early  training  must  be  broken  down,  and  that  - 
patriarchal  respect  for  old  customs  and  old  usages 
and  old  ways  must  be  done  away  with. 

With  this  you  will  receive  a  table  of  artificial 
manures,  imperfectly  made  out  as  it  is.  If  you 
think  it  worth  a  place  in  your  valuable  journal,  it 
is  at  your  disposal.  I  intend,  if  time  and  health 
are  granted,  to  give  you  a  few  notes  on  manures  ; 
but,  as  T  am  just  a  working  man,  my  leisure  time 
is  not  great.  I  beg  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of 
the  volume  of  State  Societies'  Transactions,  for 
which  I  feel  much  obliged. 
In  haste,  lam,  Gent., 

Yours,  &c.,  M.  A.  Peery. 

P.  S.  Could  you  inform  me  how  I  could  get  a 
few  berries,  paradoxically  called  the  White  Black- 
berry 1  If  so,  you  will  much  oblige. 

Yours,  M.  A.  p. 


Remarks. — J.  S.  Needham,  of  Danvers,  propa- 
gates and  sells  the  White  Blackberry. 


CALIFORNIA  MATTERS. 

Our  agricultural  friends  at  San  Francisco  will 
accept  thanks  for  a  kind  invitation  to  attend  their 
"  Grand  Agricultural  and  Horticultural  Fair,^'  at 
the  "corner  of  Bush  and  Montgomery  Streets,  on 
the  first  of  October,1853."  Although  dated  in  Aug- 
ust, we  did  not  receive  "the  billet"  until  the 
28th  day  of  October,  and  hope  this  fact  will  be  to 
them  a  sufficient  reason  for  our  non-appearance, 
early,  on  the  ground  ! 

Out  in  that  land  of  gold,  see  what  kind  of  pre- 
miums they  offer,  viz  : — 

For  the  best  designs  of  fruits  and  flowers,  on 
embroidery,  $50;  same,  painted  in  oil,  $50  ;  for 
the  best  plow  of  California  manufacture,  suitable 
for  general  use,  $100  ;  best  specimen  of  Califor- 
nia flour,  $50  ;  for  the  best  butter,  $50  ;  best  100 
acres  of  barley,  oats,  wheat,  corn,  buckwheat, 
$25  each ;  best  floral  design,  $25 ;   best  mantle 


1853. 


NEW  EM  GLAND  FARMER. 


555 


bouquet,  $25  ;  best  100  acres  of  potatoes,  onions 
and  sweet  potatoes,  $25  each  ;  and  for  the  best 
display  of  vegetables,  $25.  We  are  gratified  to 
find  our  friends  so  earnest  in  this  good  cause,  hope 
they  had  a  profitable  and  interesting  time  at  their 
Fair,  but  must  regret  that  we  did  not  receive  their 
invitation  in  season  to  be  with  them  ! 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 


MONTHLY  FARMER  FOR  OCTOBER. 

While  some  of  the  New  England  agricultural 
journals  appear  to  have  suffered  from  a  summer 
drought  of  original  articles,  the   columns  of  the 'perabundant  supply.     I  saw  in  School  Street,  last 


bushels  of  grasshoppers  to  the  acre  in  Springfield, 
Vt.,  this  year.  "SpontaneousPlants."  "Poisoned 
Valley." 

FRUIT. 

The  increased  attention  which  has  been  given  to 
this  subject  lor  a  few  years  past,  has  excited  in 
some  minds  fears  that  the  business  will  soon  be 
overdone.  In  a  trip  the  other  day  through  parts 
of  Wobiirn,  Wilmington,  Billerica  and  Ciirlisle, 
towns  near  the  best  fruit  market  in  the  United 
States,  I  saw  but  little  cause  for  such  apprehen- 
sions, or  evidence  that  the  "  line  upon  line  "  of 
the  Farmer  on  this  topic  is  unnecessary.  Nor 
does  the  price  of  fruit  in  Boston  indicate  any  su- 


Farmer  have  been  constantly  fresh  and  vigorous 
with  new  thoughts  and  suggestions  from  almost 
every  part  of  the  country.  The  October  number, 
though  prepared  in  the  busy  month  of  Sept  ,  is 
mostly  original,  and  will  compare  favorably  with 
any  preceding  number  of  the  more  leisure  seasons, 
as  its  contents  will  show,  if  the  following  synopsis 
does  not. 

BIRDS. 

No.  6,  of  Mr.  Fowler's  "Birdsof  New  England," 
treats  of  the  Swallow  Tribe.  Two  articles  on  the 
"  Migration  of  Swallows,"  and  one  on  the  Birds 
of  China. 

CATTLE. 

"Stock,  Native  and  Improved,"  gives  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  original  wild  cattle  of  Great  Britain, 
from  which  the  present  improved  races  have 
sprung,  with  valuable  hints  on  stock,  &c.  In- 
quiries and  suggestions  about  cattle  gnawing  bones. 

CONTROVERSIAL. 

Four  pages  filled  by  a  reply  to  articles  on  "  Ex- 
perimental Farming"  and  "  Analyses  of  Soils," 
which  would  be  more  valuable  were  "  the  spirit  of 
controversy "  and  the  style  of  the  Debating 
Schools  more  carefully  avoided,  especially  as  the 
article  treats  of  scientific  subjects. 

CROPS. — SEASON. 

This  department,  perhaps  less  important  than 
some  others,  is  interesting.  We  all  like  to  know 
how  others  prosper.  The  editor  and  correspond- 
ents keep  the  readers  of  the  Farmer  "posted  "  in 
these  matters,  by  giving,  in  the  number  before  us, 
a  careful  "  Meteorological  "  Record  in  Mansfield  ; 
"The  Season  and  Crops"  at  Elmwood;  in  Cana- 
da ;  in  Washington  Co. ,  N.  J. ;  and  in  the  country 
generally. 

CULTIVATION. 

By  a  man  not  only  born  and  educated,  but  who 
actually  grew  six  feet  high  on  "  Old  Fields," 
we  should  have  a  right  to  expect  a  valuable  trea- 
tise on  their  cultivation  ;  and  this  we  certainly 
have  in  the  article  by  Mr.  Brown,  of  Wilmington. 
An  article  on  the  "  Application  of  Tan  to  Pota- 
toes," and  one  on  harvesting  Turnips,  precede  the 
pictorial  and  practical  illustration  of  the  figure 
and  operation  of  the  Deep-tiller  Plow,  which  "  is 
equal  to  the  overturning  of  a  furrow  slice  12 
inches  deep  by  18  to  20  wide." 

CURIOUS. 

"  Coal  against  Sinews,"  a  calculation  that  five 
tons  of  coal  will  do  as  much  work  as  "a  manlscriptions  of  "Automaton  Self-Raking  Reapers" 
during   the  active   period  of  his  life."     Headed  and  "Mowing  Machines,"  better  than  the  "Poor 
"  Swallows,"  is  a  calculation  that  there  were  12 1  man's  Plaster"  for   neak  backs  in   hay  time. 


week.  Pears  labeled — "Seckel,  $1.25  a  half  peck,- 
75  cents  a  dozen  ;"  "St.  Michael,  $1.50  a  dozen;" 
Dix,  the  same  ;  and  "Louis  Bonne  de  Jersey,  75 
cents  a  dozen."  The  fact  is,  talk  as  we  may  of 
the  ease  of  raising  good  fruit,  there  is  sufficient 
labor,  care  and  skill  required  for  its  production,  to 
protect  industry  from  the  competition  of  sponta- 
neous production,  or  the  crops  of  the  sluggard. 
It  is,  therefore,  with  pleasure  that  we  refer  to 
this  department  of  the  Farmer,  where  we  find  a 
strong  recommendation  of  "  Smith's  Orleans 
Plum,"  by  N.  A.  Richardson,  Esq.  I  saw  his 
trees  in  fruit  this  year,  and  was  reminded  of 
swarms  of  honey-bees,  so  thickly  were  the  branch- 
es crowded.  I  never  saw  the  like.  Mr.  R.  prom- 
ises an  article  on  his  treatment  of  the  plum. 
"  Northern  Apples  "  in  Plattsburgh,  N.  Y.  (By 
the  way,  friend  " J.R.,"  when  you  get  your  grafts 
of  Mr.  Bailey,  please  ask  for  information  about 
Plattsburgh  grass ;  its  equal  I  have  never  seen 
elsewhere.)  "  Curled  leaf  in  the  Peach  ;"  "Depth 
of  Roots;"  "Fruits  of  Iowa;"  "Forcing  Trees  ;" 
"Destroying  Trees;"  "Pears,"  and  "Cranber- 
ries," are  the  captions  of  appropriate  articles. 
As  to  cranberries,  the  committee  of  Essex  Co. 
{Mass.  Trans.  1842,  p.  54)  say,  "  We  have  ar- 
rived at  the  conclusion  that  upland  cultivation 
cannot  be  recommended." 


The  intrinsic  value  of  an  editorial  article  on  the 
importance  of  preserving  and  planting  Forests, 
and  against  the  "Destruction  of  Wood,"  entitle 
it  to  a  distinct  heading  and  a  special  commenda- 
tion. 

GARDEN. 

Is  not  this  department  too  much  neglected  by 
correspondents  ^  The  editor  does  well ;  but  should 
he  not  have  some  assistance  in  the  garden,  as  well 
as  in  the  field?  His  hints  on  roots,  cabbages, 
cauliflowers,  squashes,  &c.,  are,  as  usual,  season- 
able and  to  the  point. 

HORSES. 

An  article  on  "English  Horses,"  and  a  notice 
of  an  exhibition  to  be  had  in  Springfield. 

IMPLEMENTS. 

These  are  great  times  for  machines.  They  pare 
apples,  do  up  the  sewing  and  knitting,  punch 
holes  through  mountains,  as  we  boys  used  to  do 
through  elder  quilts  for  our  mother  to  weave  with; 
and  here,  in  the  Farmer,  we  have    cuts  and  des- 


556 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Dec. 


What  next  1    Why,  a  machine  off  south  that  cuts 
and  bundles  30  acres  of  corn  a  day  ! 

INSECTS. 

Horace  Greeley,  in  his  late  Indiana  Agricultural 
address,  says, — "  It  has  pleased  the  All-wise  to 
subject  Agriculture  to  the  chances  and  perils  of 
insect  de^edations,  as  well  as  to  weeds,  drought, 
frost,  inundation,  and  other  evils.  The  •end  of  all 
these  IS  beneficence — the  evolution  and  discipline 
of  man's  capacities  through  the  necessary  coun- 
teraction and  combat."  The  farmer  needs  occa- 
sionally some  such  encouragement  ;  for  the  rav- 
ages of  insects  are  sore  trials  of  patience  and 
resignation,  and,  but  for  the  promise  of  dominion 
over  every  creeping  thing,  would  sometimes  al- 
most extinguish  hope,  and  dishearten  effort.  But 
to  those  who  mean  to  fight  the  battle  through, 
"  to  find  a  remedy  or  bankrupt  themselves  in  the 
search,"  the  various  articles  on  insects,  that  are 
written  for  the  Farmer,  are  exceedingly  valuable. 
In  the  October  number  there  is  an  article  on  the 
"  climbing  cricket,"  on  a  new  bug  found  in  a 
wheat  field  in  Sandwich,  two  remedies  for  the 
curculio,  and  directions  to  "  Destroy  the  Apple 
worm." 

"kindness  to  animals." 

Aside  from  the  humanity  of  the  thing,  it  is  ac- 
tually profitable  to  treat  animals  kindly.  How 
different  the  appearance  and  value  of  the  merciful 
man's  stock,  and  that  of  the  cruel,  bad  tempered. 

MAMMOTHS. 

"  Tall  corn  "  in  Camden,  and  Long  Wheat  heads 
in  Fredonia,  Me.,  would  seem  to  show  that  down 
East  is  what  it's  cracked  up  to  be. 

MANURES. 

An  Answer  to  inquiries  that  have  been  made  in 
the  Farmer  in  reference  to  the  value  of  Gas  lime, 
with  analyses  of  the  lime,  and  of  Peat  and  Marsh 
mud. 

POTATOES. 

Potato  raising  requires,  at  best,  much  heavy, 
lugging  work.  And  so  long  as  this  crop  is  at  the 
mercy  of  an  uncontrollable  disease,  will  farmers 
read  with  interest  every  thing  that  their  brother 
farmers  have  to  say  upon  the  subject.  In  favor  of 
pulling  the  vines  as  soon  as  struck  by  the  disease, 
Mr.  Goodrich  adduces  some  very  conclusive  exper- 
iments. This  year,  soon  after  my  vines  showed 
the  effects  of  the  disease,  I  attempted  to  m'ow 
them  off  with  a  scythe,  but  found  so  much  diffi- 
culty in  cutting  them,  that  my  little  faith  in  the 
process  soon  gave  out.  On  digging,  I  could  per- 
ceive no  difference  between  the  cut  and  uncut. 
The  disease,  with  me,  seems  to  have  made  a  brief 
visitation — to  have  killed  the  tops,  affected  the 
tubers  more  or  less,  and  then  to  have  departed  ; 
while  other  years  it  has  hung  on  much  longer, 
even  following  them  into  the  cellar.  We  have  an 
account  of  a  factory  in  Ilinesburgh,  Yt.,  for  mak- 
ing "  Imperishable  potato"  for  shipping, &c.,  and 
remarks  on  the  Potato  and  Onion  crop  in  that  def- 
inite portion  of  our  country — "August  29, 1853." 

scientific 
With  the  caption  "A  new  Help  for  Farmers," 
we  find  a  critical  notice  of  a  work  by  Johnston,  re- 
published in  this  country,  with  a  preface  and  index 
by  the  editor  of  the  Farmer,  entitled  "  Elements 
of  Agricultural  Chemistry  and  Geology,"  which. 


with  an  extract  on  "What  Chemistry,  &c.,  may 
do  for  Agriculture,"  gives  us  a  favorable  impression 
of  the  book.  Other  articles  on  "Vegetalde  Pro- 
duction ;  "  on  "The  Atmosphere  and  its  effects 
upon  animal  life  ;  "  on  the  botanical  division  of 
"  Roots  ;  "  on  "Spontaneous  Plants,"  will  iit  least 
show  that  there  is  yet  much  to  learn. 

transactions 
Of  the  New  Hampshire  Agricultural  Society. 
No.  3,  of  the  Review  of  the  Massachusetts  Trans- 
actions. One  suggestion  of  the  writer  I  wish  to 
second — that  of  commending  the  questions  pro- 
posed to  competitors  for  premiums  on  farms,  for 
general  adoption.  As  they  are  usually  given,  the 
detailed  statements  of  particular  farms  are  the 
most  interesting  portions  of  this  publication .  How 
much  would  their  value  be  increased  were  all  ap- 
plicants in  the  State  to  give  answers  to  each  of 
the  Middlesex  questions.  ■ 

WHEAT. 

JNIy  experience  in  the  world  has  taught  me 
rather  to  distrust  my  own  impressions  than  to 
condemn  the  general  practice  of  large  bodies  of 
men.  A  farmer  from  New  England  settled  in 
Southern  Ohio.  He  thought  to  himself,  "  I  will 
teach  these  people  farming."  So  lie  yarded  his 
hogs,  cut  his  corn,  hauled  it  into  his  barn,  and 
carefully  fed  it  to  them.  As  usual,  his  neighbors 
tuiiied  theu's  into  tIi6P  field.  He  watouou  the 
process.  The  hogs,  too  lazy  to  break  down  the 
corn  faster  than  it  was  needed,  eat  it  all  clean, 
and  having  a  freer  range  than  his  own,  did  full  as 
well.  One  year  satisfied  him  on  this  point ;  the 
next  he  did  "  as  others  do."  Farmers  from  Eng- 
land often  insist  upon  the  back-breaking  process 
of  "dibbling,"  until  they  find  the  ordinary  and 
much  easier  practice  of  planting  answers  as  well 
in  our  country.  And  to  the  question,  "Why don't 
the  farmers  of  Massachusetts  raise  wheat?"  so 
earnestly  discussed  by  Mr.  Poor  and  by  "  J.  F.  C. 
H.,"  I  would  answer,  not  because  they  don'tknow 
how,  but  because  experience  has  shown  them  that 
other  productions  are  more  profitable,  all  things 
considered.  But  Massachusetts  does  and  always 
has  raised  wheat.  By  the  statistics,  in  1829,  she 
produced  29.784  bushels — giving  to  every  man, 
woman  and  child  in  the  State,  just  about  "  one 
quart."  A  Reader. 

Winchester,  Oct.,  1853. 


NATIONAL  AGRIOULTURE. 

The  total  value  of  the  annual  products  of  the 
soil  of  the  United  States  is  now  about  One  Thous- 
and Millions  of  Dollars  ;  and  no  one  who  knows 
what  Science  has  done  for  Agriculture  will  doubt 
that  the  same  amount  of  Labor  which  is  now  em- 
ployed in  producing  this  aggregate  might  be  so 
applied  as  to  secure  a  total  product  thirty  per 
cent,  greater,  (mt  One  Thousand  Three  Hundred 
Millions.  But  scientific,  skilful,  thorough  Agri- 
culture always  employs  more  than  the  shiftless, 
slouching  sort  too  generally  prevalent ;  and  it  is 
certainly  vrithin  bounds  to  estimate  that  our  Ag- 
riculture might  be  so  improved  as,  by  the  help  of 
additional  labor  now  unemployed  and  unproduc- 
tive, to  give  an  additional  product  of  fifty  per  cent, 
or  Five  Hundred  Millions  per  annum — au  achieve- 
ment which  would  double  the  wealth  of  the  coun- 
try every  eight  or  ten  years.     Whosoever  will 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


557 


.    t,         p       •     1^  a(-„<.„  Ituow  ■nrniilfl  make  a  larsre  weight  of  coarse  beef, 
carefully  review  the  Agriculture  of  a  single  Sta      Th ey  wou  d  ma.e  a  L  j     ^  .^^^^^^^  ^^ 


or  even  an  iiverage  County,  in  any  part  of  the 
Union,  and  estimate  how  much  its  product  might 
be  enhanced  by  Irrigation,  Manuring,  Deep  Plow- 
ing, Draining,  &c.,  will  perceive  that  our  calcula- 
tion is  for  within  the  truth.  . 

But  suppose  that  only  half  of  it,  or  an  addition 
of  Two  Hundred  and  Fifty  IMilliona  per  annum  to 
our  annual  Agricultural  produc^  is  attainable, 
what  an  immense  addition  to  our  national  wealth 
would  thereby  be  insured  !  Four-fifths  of  this 
would  probably  be  permanently  added  to  the 
wealth  of  the  country— that  i3,tlie  farmer  whose 


annual  product  should  be  swelled  from  $1,000  to  things. 


But  the  cost  of  producing  a  hundred  pounds  of 
beef  from  them,  would  be  better  than  that  ot  pro- 
ducing a  hundred  pounds  of  beef,  of  abetter  qual- 
tiy,  fr"m  smaller  cattle.  What  the  former  wants 
is  the  kind  of  cattle  by  which  he  can  produce  the 
best  beef,  at  the  cheapest  rate :  and  the  best  but- 
ter, at  the  least  cost  per  pound. 

A  hearty,  well-formed,  quiet  kind  of  cattle,  hogs 
or  poultry,  which  will  give  the  beet  return  for  the 
amount  of  cost  in  keeping,  is  the  kind  we  want, 
whether  they  grow  large  or  not;  I  stake  this  as  the 
true  principle  for  farmers  to  decide  by  m  all  these 


$1,250,  or  from  $2,000  to  $2,500,  would  not  eat 
or  drink  up  the  surplus,  but  would  invest  the 
greater  part  of  it  in  new  buildings,  fences,  barns, 
implements,  furniture  &c.,  &e.,  giving  profitable 
employment  to  mechanics  and  laborers  and  large- 
ly increasing  the  business  of  merchants  and  the  in- 
comes of  professional  men.  Such  an  addition  to 
the  annual  product  of  our  Agriculture  would  in- 
crease the  consumption  of  Manufactures,  domestic 
and  imported,  in  far  greater  ratio,  since  from  the 
annual  product  of  every  farm  the  food  of  those 
making  a  living  on  it  must  first  be  taken  for 
home  use,  affording  no  business  or  profit  to  any 
one  else,  leaving  only  the  surplus  to  form  the  sta- 
ple of  trade  ;  and  an  addition  of  twenty-five  per 


cer>t.  to  the  annual  product  of  each  farm  would  tion  to  cattle 


The  wild  rage  for  large  fowls  illustrates  the  false 
principle  under  consideration.  Yet  a  hundred 
pounds  of  the  large  chickens  would  cost  more  than 
a  hundred  pounds  of  the  common  kind  of  towla. 
The  flesh  of  the  large  ones  also  is  inferior  m  qual- 

^  ^The  same  will  hold  good,  entirely,  of_  hogs  ;• 
and  also,  generally,  of  cattle.  The  disposition  of 
every  animal,  and  every  breed  of  animals,  has 
much  influence,  in  ordinary  circumstances  upon 
laying  on  fot  or  flesh.  Every  person  of  observa- 
tion knows  that  it  is  much  more  difficulty  to  pro- 
duce a  fat  hog  from  a  very  uneasy  one,  than  it  is 
from  a  more  auiet  one.  There  is  a  reason  for  this, 
and  that  reason  is  not  entirely  without  an  apphca- 


probably  double  the  annual  exchanges  and  gener- 
al trade  of  the  country.— .V.  Y.  Tribune. 


For  the  Aew  England  Farmer 
THE  GOOD  flMB  COMING. 
Those  who  are  anxious  to  see  an  improved  agri- 
culture, are  often  told  that  the  time  is  near  when 
the  farmers  of  the  land  will  be  intelligent  in  their 
calling.  We  are  referred  to  the  agricultural  shows 
in  almost  every  county,  as  an  indication  and  proof 
that  this  good  time  is  near.  ,     ,      .        -c 

It  is  not  my  wish  to  discourage  the  hoping,  it 


Perhaps  the  time  will  come  when  anima\  phys- 
iology will  be  better  understood,  and  the  mdica- 
Itions  of  such  a  day  we  should  rejoice  to  see.  1 
am  not  now  willing  to  join  the  "  wild-goose-chase 
after  big  things— big  oxen,  big  cows,  big  hens,  <toc., 
&c  I  look  upon  it  as  the  last  thing  for  the  farmer, 
unless  he  can  make  abetter  profit  hy  producing 
such  large  specimens.  If  a  cow  which  will  make 
20  pounds  of  butter  per  week  will  cost  more  than 
double  the  sum  to  keep  her  which  another  one 
will  that  will  make  10  pounds,  where  is  the  boasted 
advantage  of  the  great  butter-maker  J  Now  we 
are  among  the  number  of  those  who  believe  that 
in  all  these  things  the  production  of  extraordinary 


their  hope  has  anything  for  a  basis.  It  is  my  1^^^^^^^  ^.^  -^.^g  g^^^j^or^jin^ry  expense.  Farmers 
opinion,  however,  that  various  circumstances  ot,  ^^,.  ^j^^  ^^^^  of  stoelj^hich,  with  common  treat- 
the  present  time  give  indications  decidedly  un- 1^^^^  or  with  the  best  treatment  they  can  have 
favorable.     Among  these,  two  items   only  shall  [.^^^j^^  extraordinary  expense,  will  make  the  best 

= '•"-   "'^"'      These  are,  first,  1  he  false  ^^^  ^^  expended.     For  this  purpose 

ittle,  fruit,  vegetables,  &c.,  ^ant  well-formed,  hardy,  quiet  cattle.    They 

want  such  as  at  all  ages.show  handsome  and  good 
proportions,  will  grow  and  thrive  upon  ordinary 
food,  and  are  gentle  and  quiet  in  their  dispositions. 
An  uneasy  cow,  ox,  horse,  hog  or  hen,  will  not 
only  subject  the  farmer  to  more  expense  to  keep 
it  where  it  should  be,  but  it  will  require  more  food 
for  growing   or  fottening;  and  it  is   a  question 

with  the  amount  of  beef  she  would  make  it  tat-  -ScUo^^o^'at;^^^^^^^^^^ 

tened.     But  I  apprehend  that  this  is  not  f^  ^^o^'  P^f^^^^^t  e?me   into  the^  account  before  we 

rect  rule  of  judging.     One  cow  may  make  sixteen  All  th^;^"«*.  ^^^^^f  ^he  matter. 

pounds  of  butter  per  week,  while  another  would  jean  correcuyjuu  greatest 

make  only  eight  pounds.     The  decision  would  at.     In  the   P^^o*i'i'^H*'°x         !    i     l^f^H,.!  to  Url 

Sice  be  ghen  to  the  sixteen  pound  cow.     But  if  crop  may  be  the    ast  one  to  be  enUtled    o  a  p^e 

the   sktfen  pounds   of  butter  really  cost  more  mium,  for  it  may  be  the  most  unprofitable  o^  aU^ 

per  TounJ  ?han   that   produced  b/   the   other  We  want  npth  ng  to  do  in  a  fran^.c  effi^^^ 

?ow,  the  question  is  decided  in  her  fovor.     There  who  can  raise  the  largest ciop.  J^^^^^^^^\^^ 

are  cows  which  can  be  made  to  produce  a  large  how  to  secure  the  ^^^S  not  se^u^ed  generaUy 

^-yi:^l^^rtS^^^^^:^^^'^^^^^^  «-,,  =nd  one  WW*  .ill 


receive  notice  now 
principle  upon  which  cattle ,  ,  ^ 
are  estimated,  as  though  size  of  single  products 
was  the  great  thing  ;  and  second,  The  unwilling- 
ness to  encourage  or  employ  talent  in  the  work 
of  improvement. 

In  judging  of  a  cow,  or  a  breed  of  cattle  for  cows, 
the  common  way  of  judging  of  the  best  cow  is  by 
the  quantity  of  milk  she  would  give,  or  the  weight 
of  butter  she  would  make  in  a  given  time,  together 
with  the  amount  of  beef  she  would  make  if  fat 


538 


NEW  ENGLAND  EARMER. 


certainly  workout  fatal  consequences  to  the  farm- 1     Wh;r.y.  ■    *u     i.  ===== 

ing  interests,  is  the  unwillingness  shown  in  em-  trell  fell  o^^^^^^^  for  transplanting  fruit 

ploying  or  rewarding  talent.     Never  yet  did  a^v  to  thj' I IV    /K^  (^-       ^  have  been  diinosed 
cause  or  interest  enj>y  lasting  prosp^rTty  thei     o  et  settLf  ^ 
te.T!f  ^«°*  r"«  ^ithoit  cLpensatioT  dSr   T^^ 

Without  talent  in  alliance  with,  and  ia  the  ser-  ^r^rthe  >I  ^W  r    ?'"''"^'"-?^«*«  °^id  sum- 
must  droon     T'T'^'^K  ''''''''''  '''^'  interest  i^lfc  so  1  (cT  ''^^^P^^^-S  evergreens; 

£  ^-^'^'s::^s  K:  ---.V.W..  Co.,  n.     -  -  - 

^^^^l^'S^^X^^^r^^d  ^h"^ease  among  the  Syea- 

.uSIS:;LnrdJiS-^;tS^ 

to  seek  its  reward  in  otherpursuits  ''^^"^^^  ^^  well  as  those  removed  in  the  spring      oTr  ad 

At  present,  as  a  cfinprnl  +r,;„^  „™:...ii...„-,     ,    vice  would    ho—/^^., ..,/„„.  -.  w    K.  ,.?:       ""^  ^'^- 


to  seek  Its  reward  in  other  pursuits.  )  T  " ""  ''"  '""^^  removed  in  the  sprine      Our  5,r? ' 

At  present,  as  a  general  thing,  agricultural  ad-  .'i'^^  ^«»^d  h^-tramplant  in  the  fall  if  youlan' 
ssays  &c.,are  considered  en-  '^  you  fail  to  do  all  you  wish  then  LL'Jl' 
jnsation.     Ent  wlin  ;=  T.o  +t,„  J wnrt  in  fK.  „„_.■-.      rr         '^" '^nen,  resume   the 


J--- ,  ^„  ^  gcuciui  liimg,  agricultural  ad 

tiflT^/.  '■^^' ^^'^^^'  '^c.,are  considered  en-l"  you  tail  to  do  all  you  wish  then  vf^«n'J  Zu' 
titled  to  no  compensation.  But  who  is  he  that  work  in  the  snrin.,  Tf  ™  ™' resume  the 
owes  to  the  world  the  use  of  his  time  and  aWlitiesLZ.r  ,Z7  ^'  ■„^''"  transplant  in  a  proper 
Without  an  equivalent?    ^o  man.  '"'rfn      '        f  ^^«  ^'"  nearly  all  live  and  grow 

ent^.^'^  r^'^'^  *^°«^  enterprises  where  tal-P  "\'Tr'    •  ^^  "*^"'  ^^"^^"- 
for  servil?.  f^'°  encouraged  by  a  liberal  reward  .    ^':^  ^^^  ^P'^^'^n  of  many  persons  of  experience 

m  the  various  departments  of  progress    it  will  "~ 

wants  to  controvert  the  opinions  abo^e  expressed    M.  ''^T'  '^'  ^^  '^'  ««^  ^U  levflTtool,  cSf 
shall  have  our  os^nd^A  aff^'  *j^„  ^-^pressea,  fafty  cents  morfi.  hp  ^nr.  ^„  *i,:'  __  ,         '  ^"S"ng 


wants  to  controvert  th^oplnFJus  at^Je  expresLT  j?tv  "T"' '''  ''  ^^-^  o^ a  ^erf^ct  tool  cSf 
shall  have  our  candid  attention.  ^^P^essed,  fifty  cents  more,  he  can  do  this  work  as  easHv^f 

A-  «-  ^—^  l&er  /h^  ?."^  '"'^  -^^^  ^'^y^  of  labor  J^^ 
tarmer  who  throws  aside  his  four-dolhr  nlr>if 
and  by  purchasing  one  at  eigh  dollars  is^lnT' 
bled  to  save  for  hi«  f«o,„  ;^  c°.  _.^_^-'^'^^®'  ^^^  ^na- 


Mason,  N.  H. 


bled  to  save  f„7  hfi  team  i.  irJarfSe'fourtt 
of  a  hundred  days'  pl„„!„g  each  .Tone  huXd 

id  novel   exhibition  mich^h^  .,X  T5^o*'°S 


For  iAe  iVej„  England  Farmer. 

SYCAMORES-TRANSPLANTING 
TREES. 

/.i-oii^'  ^0^-^ :— -The  Sycamores,  or,  as  more  een-      TP  ^■ha  '+i,:       '""' '  "''  &"'>^-"'ftS'Jug  company. 
Sni   ;  '?^'    *^f   Buttonwoods,  ^ere   formSfv  and  notl    f  f "v!'^  possible,  a  most  interesting 

of  life  s  gone.     Great  numbers  of  shoots  starhnLnflV  if     *^^  Femium  cast  plows,  with  their 
from  the  roots  and  grow  ranidlv  fm-n    If         ^^  f''^.^""^  ^"^^^^  and  polished  moldboards     fhl 

bei   not  one  of  the  most  esteemed  of  ott^e    I  cftbeanr^'vf  T°^'°^«'   ^^  "^^   W'    iT 

The  scragged  ungainly  appearance  they  priendwi  d^T.  , ''?^';  ^^'-     The  implements  of  1800 

now,  IS  any  thing  but  pleasing,  (a.)        ^  ^  '''"'    lei^'l  °?*  ^'^f  ^  horse-cart ;  those  of  1853,  with" 

^   ^    ^  '  ^^'^''  ^^"^^^"^  forms,  would  freight  a  steambcaTor 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


559 


long  train  of  rail-cars.  The  State  Agricultural! 
Museum  should,  if  possible,  preserve  specimens 
of  these  relics  of  fifty  years  ago. 

And  yet,  in  many  particulars,  the  improvement 
of  farm  implements  is  yet  in  its  infancy.  Ihe 
most  finished  cast-steel  plow  of  the  present  day, 
perfect  as  it  may  seem,  consumes  five-sixths  ottiie 
moving  force  to  overcome  friction  and  cohesion. 
For,  in  ordinary  work,  a  horse  will  do  the  same  as 
lifting  700  lbs.  seven  inches  high  per  second  ; 
while  a  good  two-horse  plow,  in  turning  the  soil, 
lifts  only  about  200  lbs.  of  the  earth  seven  inches 
high  on  an  average,  per  second.  Here  is  an  op- 
portunity for  inventors  to  exercise  their  ingenuity 
m  overcoming  this  500  per  cent,  of  cohesion  and 

friction.  '      ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

The   English    agriculturists   have  been   lately 
much   occupied  in   endeavoring  to  devise   some 
other  way  of  loosening  and   pulverizing  the  soil, 
besides  plowing.     They  have   not  yet  been  very 
successful,  although  some  of  their^  newly  intro- 
duced machines,  in   connection  with   the  plow, 
have  accomplished  wonders.     The  two  most  effi- 
cient of  these  are  perhaps  CroskiU's  Clod-crusher 
and   the   Norwegian   Harrow,  both  of  which  we 
described  some  months  ago,  and  which  might  be 
introduced   into  our  clayey   districts  with  great 
probable  advantage.      A  recent  number  ot    the 
English  Agricultural  Gazette  described  a  new  dig- 
ging inauiim,  which   has  lately  been  tried  with 
some  success.     It  is  rather  a  forking  than  a  dig- 
gincr  machine,  acting  by  prongs,  not  by  cutting 
flat  surfaces  and  edges.     Drawn  by  six  horses,  it 
pulverized  the  soil  of  a  field,  consisting  of  a  fria- 
ble loam  plowed  the  previous  autumn,  so  that  in 
walking  over  it  the  feet  sank  three  inches,  and  a 
stick  could  be  thrust  down  eight  or  nine  inches. 
Every  circle  of  its  twelve  teeth  revolved  on  a  sep- 
arate rowel,  of  which  there  were  seven,  six  inches 
apart,  strung  upon   one  axle.     The  rowels  con- 
sisted of  heavy  cylindric  blocks  of  iron,  one  foot 
in  diameter,  and   four  or  five   inches  wide,  from 
whose  surfaces  project  teeth  ten  or  twelve  inches 
long,  curved  in  such   a  manner  as  to  enter  the 
earth   perpendiculariy  as  the   machine  revolves. 
Between  the   blocks   are   heavy  washers ,_  which 
keep  them  asunder,  and  facilitate  the  motion  and 
cleansing  of  the  whole.     Such  a  machine  as  this 
may  in  some  cases  pulverize  the  earth  more  per- 
fectly than   the  plow  andi*arrow,  but  otherwise 
appears  to  possess   no  advantage  on  the   score  of 
economy  or  expedition ;  for  the  six  horses  required 
to  draw  it,  pulverize  a  strip  only  three  and  a  half 
feet  wide,  and   get  over  only  about  four   acres  a 
day  ;  an  amount  easily  plowed  and   harrowed  by 
the  teams  separately.     Still,  however,  it  is  not  al- 
together impossible  that  such  a  machine  may  be 
th°  germ  of  something  fitted  to  a  single  two-horse 
team,  and  working  the  earth  more  economically 
or  more  efficiently  than   the  common  plow.     In, 
this   respect   an  important  step  may  have  been 
taken.  ^ 

More  recently,  we  observe  a  notice  of  a  new 
subsoil  plow,  lately  invented  in  the  north  of  Eng-j 
land,  which  certainly  proposes  to  accomphsh  won- 
ders. In  the  first  place,  it  "  skims  the  surface ;" 
secondly,  trenches  the  land  ;  thirdly,  subsoils  the 
ground  to  any  required  depth  ;  fourthly,  it  will 
perform  either  of  these  operations  combined  or  se- 
parately ;  fifthly,  it  requires  no  skill  in  holding, 
and  no  "  balks  "  can  ever  be  made  ;  sixthly,  it 


buries  all  vegetable  matter  and  weeds  ;  seventhly, 
it  may  be  used  on  land  wet  or  dry  ;  and  eighthly, 
it  trenches  land  at  one  quarter  of  the  ordinary  ex- 
pense by  hand.     This  plow  appears  not  to  have 
been   tried   as   yet,  although   commended  by  arf 
English   agricultural  journal  of  high   character ; 
but  we  confess,  so  many  wonderful  quahties  par- 
take largely  of  the  marvellous,  and  remmd  us  ot 
the  extraordinary  quack  medicine,  which  not  only 
cured  the  different  diseases,  but  possessed  many 
other  very  useful  properties,  such  as  restoring  a 
rent  boot,  doubling  the  milk  of  cows,  causing  hens 
t)  lay  with  great  rapidity,  preventinj^  decay  in 
fence  posts,  preventing  horses  from  balking,  ren- 
dering railroads  proof  against  collisions,  makmg 
steamboat  boilers  safe  from  explosion,  besides  in- 
creasing the  speed  of  the  boat,  &c. 

Another  •attempt,  not  so  successtul  as  tms 
claims  to  be,  was  made  some  years_  ago,  at  the 
Bristol  exhibition  of  the  English  Agricultural  bo- 
ciety,  of  a  digging  machine,  constructed  simply  ot 
a  wooden  roller,  set  spirally  with  spoon-shaped 
spikes,  so  as  to  dig  up  the  land  when  dra,wn  oyer 
it.  Unfortunately,  the  first  trial  was  made  on  the 
fair  ground,  and  instead  of  digging,_it  gathered 
soil  among  the  teeth  as  it  proceeded,  till  the  whole 
became  an  immense  cylindrical  ma«s  of  earth  in 
which  the  teeth  were  buried  and  hidden,  ihat, 
of  course,  ended  the  history  of  this  digger. 

Tho"'""nds  of  vor"  in"'enio\is  n^en  nave  labnrea 
for  yelrTTn  improving  the  old-fashioned  soil- 
inverter,  the  plow  ;  and  possibly  nothing  better 
than  this  implement  will  ever  be  contrived  ;  but 
ingenuity  in  other  directions  is  certainly  worthy 
of  encouragement.  At  the  present  time  a  trench- 
ing machine  is  greatly  needed,  that  shall  not  re- 
quire six  or  eight  horses,  as  the  largest  subsoil  and 
trench  plows  now  do,  but  where  one  or  two  horses 
may  be  set  to  work  and  turn  up  the  subsoil  and 
throw  under  the  surface,  with  all  the  perfection 
of  finish  accomplished  by  hard  labor,  and  with 
one  quarter  of  the  expense.— ^Zten?/  Cultivator. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

EXHIBITION  OF  FRUITS. 

The  display  of  fruit  at  Cattle  Shows  and  Hor- 
ticultural Exhibitions  is  an  opportunity  embraced 
by  many  to  make  a  selection  of  varieties  for  culti- 
vation. This  is  an  uncertain  method,  unless  the 
kinds  are  recommended  by  some  one  perfectly  ac- 
quainted with  them,  and  on  whose  integrity  and 
experience  the  utmost  confidence  can  be  placed. 
It  is  not  uncommon,  at  these  fruit  shows,  to  notice 
persons  with  pencil  and  paper  taking  the  names 
of  the  largest  and  finest  looking  specimens,  and 
passing  over  varieties  of  first  rate  excellence  which 
were  deficient  in  size  or  beauty.  Who  would  se- 
lect the  Seckle  pear,  that  is  unacquainted  witli  the 
variety,  from  its  outward  appearance  and  insig- 
nificant size  T  And  yet  the  world  boasts  not  a 
finer  pear  among  more  than  a  thousand  varieties 
under  cultivation.  Being  at  the  Worcester  Ilor- 
ticultaral  Exhibition  last  autumn,  in  examining 
'  the  apples  I  noticed  four  kinds,  which  from  their 
larc-e  size  and  great  beauty  attracted  attention 
from  all ;  they  were  the  most  splendid  samples  m 
the  hall.  Meeting  an  experienced  nurseryman  and 
fruit-grower,  I  inquired  of  him  respecting  them, 
as  they  were  varieties  with  which  I  was  unac- 
quainted ;  he  informed  me  there  was  not  one  of 


56a 


ISiEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


are  unworthy  of  propagation  in  consequence  of  Tdt'J      '.,1'/™^  ''  "^''^^  ^hen  it  wiH  be  seen 

^nds    of  equally  beautiful  and  large  size   fruiti  — 

may  yield  ten  bushels  to  a  tree  in  a  sfason  eriHro  T 

ly  worthless  for  cooking  or  dessert    ''^^°'  ^°*"°-    ^grx^^^  ^,,^       ^"'^ '''  ^--  ^"^"•'-'^  Farmer. 
Any  one  about  planning  Torchard  should  if'     F^^f '^^''''^^  ^^^^W  IN  GEORGIA. 
vrTnT^'f"  thevarietfes  he  is  about  to  culti J cuuS^^^  Central  Agnl 

feinds  which  are  hardy  and  vigorous,  and  good  fhriq^r-"'f.V-^  ^''''' ^'^  "«*  open  in  full  until 
wWWK^^''*  '''^^  ^^'^^*'  ^'^^Pt^d  to  the  regio¥?ni;overiW  '.t  ^''^^^'  ^"'^  '"  '^  beautiful  grove 
Which  they  are  to  grow.  O.  V.  hLs.     IhoSe'le"  Srfd  tZ' rL^'^''    About' WO 

The  Ohio  Farmer,  in  commenting  upon  the  let-^'"^  ^f-t^^"  ^"^d.    Mr  R.  W  oflZf^ 
er  of       C,,,_.,  correspondent! "il^efLme^^^^^^^^^^^ 

ia  which  h.Jcountrv     fl:„  ,?:!'^L^i^_^*  ^«^«"  .«tock  in  the 


very  sensible  remarks;b;;?thr;;irwTL"h^1ctl^^:l 

IZTI  if  T^^^  ^'  *^'^  ^«-^^y  *«  f--kt  thlast  yl'r^r  l!;i  h^1,e"Taid"\65f  S'^^^ 
golden  fields  of  their  own  State   to  di^  in   the  Hampton,  of  th\.  nT.„.   lx.^^^._  f^^O-    _Col.  W. 

''gf  fields''   of  California,   where   they  often 
gather  more  disappointment  than  produce.     The 


Farmer  says  : 


fi.Tt  l^';^L^^^^^*-_S«^^l?^-R   or  Water 


prosneritvofrwn     •      ^    '"°  "^""^^  *^^  ""™ate  n^;7" ',  ^^'^'J' .--  ^— o-  jouixaio  Dull,  or  Wate- 


parative  insignificance.     Look  at      !     7t  ts  s7d  ^^^^^^^  ^"^  ^^e  Sou  rimelean  ^'^''^^''''  '°^" 
for   h^  ./"^';'^  ^'^^  ^''"^  *^«  Californ  a  m  n  s      ^^l^  '^^'^^'^^^on  of  plows  and  a°;icnItur.Iimr.T. 
offiftvfivpT^-^f"'  ^  ."reach  the  enormouslrf*«^^«  meagre   indeed;    n^^  nf  wo^^^^^^^^ 
Sumtrnr'*^^'"^™^^^^'^"^^^-     An  enr-fe'*^' ^?^«P*  ^^  its   unwieldy  pr;pit7on3\a3 
Se  vJrnffV,^  '.  ''""^  ^'*  ^«  ^'^^'"^^  *o  say  thatT"  '  •  *^'  ''^^P«  «f  P^O"'^-     A  RTelt  vari'etv  of 
tilts  tZ^i^  ■:7^^1!!'.^.f^^^.  ^IZtZlZ  ;lXpy ^--.«  wefJ^tr^e^/ 

they  were  constructed. 


>v-^.o^o    vvcie    lu    oe  seen 

wnr''!L      '''■°"",'*''  55,600,000.     This  they' do      J¥  "'I?'""''"''' <'<^P»'toei't  was  well  filled  with 
yea,  after  year,  witl,  a  gradual  increase  ;  and  vet    "''*'  °f  Soutliern  manufactnre  that  ?1,1  1,^ 
d'riXri^=^.°/-«"S'l'ke  meadows  SVn:!:'°^'--"'--ios  of  the  SoT°  '""'  *''  '>™" 

ms  Bnetfc'rtl"!  ?T!7  -P--.nted- 


d,    Kff       >=™  rusning  to  the  meadows  of  Onei-  "'iT  ?''5"™W8  of  the  South.  

.  j;,'!  "'-'.and  corn  fields  of  Ohio  produee  anJ^O^ -^'l^get^Sirf™'  'go'o'd"VeSfw!S 

he"  °;^^.  *i.?tf  -  ;t:.  gxr.f «« 


The  wheat  and  corn  fields  of  Ohio  produce  in 
Z%7t\^''''y'''''^  *>«  goldminerof  Sifor-' 
?D8teadof'Sr''/'  °??'  "^^^^  ^b«"t't;   and 
instead  ot  thousands  rushing  io  them  in  the  hone 

fleeinT/"^  .T^^'°-'^  "^^'  thousands  have  £ 
fle^ng/-r«mthem   in  search  of  gold-gold-gold 
y^  e  hazard  nothing  in  saying  that  had  the  em 


icrant.  tT  P^^r?*^^"^  5n  saying  that  had  the^m^^f '"^^"f  «"*  the  ground 
Kn  k'^l'fornia,  since  the  discovery  of  eoldL    ^^^'^  ^^^P«  »iade  a  g 

ern  s;?.?"'.!'"'^''^'^'  ,*"  *^^  "^^  lands  of  oJr  West    *^  ^^«f™  ^^^  e:.hibitedrsome  of  monstrous 'si^^ 
ern  States,  they  could  have  r^vncUo^^  ri..,i.i:  1\  one  lot  was  shown  that  v"-^'^'-  ^  -      H,".^'l^°"«  size  , 


breakW  nnf  .^^"  ^^^''T'  ^"^  *he  new  budljust 

Th?3l"?*^'lSJ°"'^^'  ^"   on  the  same  riot. 

;ood  show  ;  a  great  varie- 

prn  fi'i-?i-^'\\" "' ,""  ""«  "i^" iancis  ot  our  VVest-l  "*'  ^\^Y^"  "«■»  cAuiuuea,  some  of  monstrous  «?i7P  • 

amount  rf'J ''J  «o"W  have  produced  double  the LT  ^'^  ^^^«hown  that  yielded  overOO  bushels  to 
E?Dor  do  "t^'  ^'^•^.  1"^  ^''"^  '^'  '^'■^^^  of  that  ii!f;  f '^,^thout  manure.  Wheat  wasshownt.a 
;«  ,  1  •  -^ho  capital  necessary  to  place  a  man  ^^^^^  number  of  indiv  duals ,jAs  also  SwPPt  Pr,fo 
W  se;tfedT'''^^'^^V'^^^'^^'^«-5^  nSnes  would  r^^  ^°f  C«-  P|^^«  ^  the  specimen  ofthel  crops" 
lotfnibw.  in?  ^-^^^^^J^Wy  on  an  eighty-acre  L^.^/.^^fr^J  fi°e.  The  show  of  cotton  was  S 
utensil.n^n  •  •  ^^"^f  eabin,  with  a  teamf  farming  ^^?°  f^^^.f^e,  as  was  the  ladies'  department  S 
of  frKJ  f    '^"rl.f'-'  ^,"^  '"^"^'^'i  him,  instead    f^^'l^f.^'-^^  truly  the  most  attractive   ,  art  of 

ind.n/nT    /'"'  ^^^"^'.  g^l*^'  the  certain  y  of  an  S"  exhibition.     The  address  was  given  bl  Rev 

independent  position  for  life  without  th-  ---  -     '^r.  PiERr^.  nf  ««     .„a  , ^'"''^^..'^y  ^ev. 

of  home,  friends,  health,  morals,  and  i 

that  men  should  esteem  valuable  in  life 


pf.a  cAanc.  for  a  little  gold;  iiT'cTrraint^^^^^^^^ 

of  hump    f  P'l^'^?  ^7.  ''^'  ^^"^«"t  the  sacrifice  Y''-  ^'^Tl.  of  ^a.,  and  was  an  ab!y  written  ani 
ot  home,  friends,  health,  morals,  and  indeed  all  ^^^"l^^^tly  delivered  address.  ^  °^ 

should  esteem  valuable  in  Hf^  i  Yours,  in  haste. 


Columbia,  S.  C,  'Oci.  2ieh,  1853. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAJSD  FARMER. 


561 


562 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Dec. 


ONE  HORSE  FARM  TILT  CART. 

In  order  to  the  pleasant  and  profitable  pursuit 
of  the  business  of  farming,  it  is  as  important  that 
all  the  tools  and  machinery  used  be  in  order,  and 
in  place,  as  it  is  that  the  carpenter's,  cabinet  ma- 
ker's, or  manufacturer's  should  be.  If  the  segment 
of  a  circle  is  turned  but  the  eighth  of  an  inch  out 
of  the  way,  in  a  power  loom,  the  machine  must  be 
stopped,  or  the  whole  will  be  ruined  ;  but  if  a  seg- 
ment of  the  circle,  that  is,  one  of  the  felloes  of 
the  cart  wheel  breaks  out,  some  slip-shod  farmers 
will  go  bumping  along  with  it  for  days  or  weeks, 
perhaps,  rather  than  stop  and  repair.  Better 
would  it  be  for  him,  if,  as  in  the  case  of  the  loom, 
he  were  obliged  to  stop  and  repair  at  once.  A 
good  carpenter  does  not  often  work  with  dull 
tools,  nor  a  good  farmer  with  implements  that  are 
rickety  and  ill-adapted  to  the  work  to  which  he 
applies  them.  The  idea  has  too  long  prevailed, 
that  any  wheel  that  would  turn  round,  would  an- 
swer, forgetting  that  there  is  a  needless  loss  of 
power  which  demands  hay  and  corn  and  oats  to 
supply. 

We  were  asked  the  other  day,  "Which  is  the 
best  for  a  farm,  where  only  one  is  to  be  kept,  a 
two  or  a  four-wheeled  vehicle?"  And  we  were 
enabled  to  reply  without  hesitation  from  having 
had  a  thorough  experience  with  each,  separately. 
There  is  so  much  hauling  to  be  done  on  the  farm 
where  it  is  necessary  to  tilt  the  load  or  else  per- 
form a  great  deal  of  unnecessary  labor,  and  lose 
much  time,  that  our  preference  is  decidedly  for 
the  Cart.  The  hauling  of  stone,  gravel,  loam, 
muck,  and  manure,  together  with  the  corn,  pota- 
toes, turnips,  &c.,  all  of  which  may  be  done  and 
unloaded  by  tilting  the  cart,  altogether  overbal- 
ances the  amount  ef  hauling  of  hay,  grain,  long 
lumber,  &c.,  for  which  a  four-wheeled  vehicle  is 
more  convenient. 

With  these  views  we  present  the  reader  with  a 
fine  model  of  a  Horse  Cart,  which  will  not  only 
answer  the  purpose  of  hauling  compact  loads, 
but  the  most  bulky  materials,  with  convenience 
and  ease.  Mr.  Hannah,  of  England,  says  that  in 
an  experience  upon  a  large  farm  for  ten  years,  he 
has  found  the  one  horse  cart  the  best  vehicle 
which  can  be  employed.  / 

The  above  engraving  represents  a  good  model, 
of  simple  and  convenient  construction.  The  body 
sits  flat  on  the  axle,  and  not  on  bolsters  as  they 
are  frequently  constructed  in  order  to  bring  them 
to  a  level  when  at  work.  The  shafts  are  attached 
to  the  bottom  of  the  body  by  bent  iron  plates,  near 
the  axle,  and  it  tips  on  the  bolts,  which  connect 
the  shaft  and  body  there.  The  bend  in  the  plates 
brings  the  fi-ont  end  to  a  proper  level,  obviating 
the  necessity  of  bolsters  or  bent  shafts.  The  tip- 
ping apparatus  is  so  arranged  that  the  body  can 
be  kept  at  any  desired  angle  when  unloading — 
very  convenient  in   distributing  manure  or  com- 


post in  small  heaps.  This  is  effected  by  the  use 
of  an  iron  bar  about  two  feet  long,  attached  to 
the  front  of  the  body,  pierced  with'  holes  two  or 
three  inches  apart,  though  which  an  iron  rod 
passes,  connecting  the  body  and  shafts.  The 
wheels  are  about  four  and  a  half  feet  high,  and 
the  tires  four  inches  wide.  The  shelving  or  lad- 
ders shown  in  the  cut,  are  intended  for  use  when 
carrying  hay,  &c.,  and  can  be  removed  at  pleas- 
ure. The  cost  of  this  cart  in  England  is  about  $50. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
AN  AGED  CHEESE. 

Mr.  Editor  : — Herewith  you  will  receive  a  por- 
tion of  a  cheese  exhibited  at  the  late  Agricultural 
Show  in  Taunton.  It  was  made  by  Mrs.  William 
Hodges,  in  the  year  1829,  and  is,  consequently, 
24  years  old  the  past  summer.  It  has  been  kept 
in  a  bag,  covered  with  a  cloth,  and  carefully  but- 
tered twice  a  year.  When  sawn  open,  it  was 
found  in  a  state  of  perfect  preservation  throughout. 

We"doubt  if  its  equal  in  age  can  be  found  in  the 
State,  and  we  think  that  its  age  and  excellent 
quality  evince  no  ordinary  amount  of  skill  in  the 
"  department  of  the  dairy  ;  "  but  the  Committee 
on  "  Butter  and  Cheese  "  did  not  deem  it  worthy 
of  a  premium,  or  even  of  a  gratuity. 

Rennet. 


Remarks. — The  above  shows  that  "some  things 
can  be  done  as  well  as  others."  This  specimen  of 
an  "aged  cheese,"  is  as  fair  and  youthful  in  its 
appearance  as  are  many  "  yearlings,"  while  its 
fine  flavor  has  been  retained  in  a  remarkable  de- 
gree. 

Frost-proof  Grapes. — The  Traveller  says: — We 
acknowledge  the  receipt  of  the  following  note,  ao- 
companied  by  a  basket  of  delicious  grapes,  gath- 
ered this  morning  from  the  open  grapery  of  Dr. 
Coggswell,  of  Bedford. 

Editors  of  the  Traveller  : — Will  you  oblige 
me  by  accepting  the  accompanying  basket  of  frost- 
proof grapes,  a  new  variety,  raised  from  seed  of 
my  own  planting  ?  They  have  defied  Jack  Frost 
in  the  open  air  to  the  present  time  (Nov.  1,)  hav- 
ing been  plucked  from  the  vine  this  morning.  They 
resemble,  as  you  will  readily  perceive,  the  ('ataw- 
ba,  but  are  more  succulent  and  spirited.  Each 
grape  is  a  homoeopathic  bottle  of  wine,  which  na- 
ture manufactures  and  offers  to  the  public,  in  open 
defiance  of  the  Maine  Liquor  Law 

As  it  is  the  prerogative  of  the  patent  to  christian 
his  own  child,  I  have  named  this  grape  Champagne 
seedling.  The  vine  yielded  sparingly,  which  is  my 
apology  for  the  size  of  the  basket  sent  you. 

Yours,  very  truly,  F.  Coggswell. 

Bedford,  Nov.  1,  1853. 


Lice  on  Cows,  &c.— A  correspondent  of  the 
Southern  Plarger  says  :  — 

"I  saw  in  some  agricultural  work,  perhaps  your 
own,  that  the  water  in  which  Irish  potatoes  have 
been  boiled,  if  applied  to  cows,  &c.,  would  kill  lice 
upon  them.  I  tried  it  several  times  with  signal 
success,  and  a  few  days  ago,  ordered  my    boy  to 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


503 


try  it  upon  my  cows;  at  this  time  of  the  year, 
generally,  are  full  of  ticks  ;  the  result  of  which  is 
that  the  vermin  have  all  taken  their  departure." 


HAMPSHIRE  AGRICULTURAL  SOCIETY 

The  Annual  Exhibition  of  this  Society  took 
place  in  Amherst,  on  Wednesday,  the  2Gfch  of 
October.  We  copy  from  the  account  prepared  by 
the  Editor  of  the  Amherst  Express,  and  published 
in  that  paper. 

"  The  day  was  as  fine  as  any  could  expect,  at 
this  season  of  the  year.  The  number  of  persons 
present  was  larger  than  on  any  former  occasion. 
This  is  an  encouraging  fact  to  all  who  are  inter- 
ested in  the  permanency,  prosperity,  and  useful- 
ness of  this  young  and  growing  Agricultural  So- 
ciety. Though  the  youngest  of  the  county  Socie- 
ties, it  already  numbers  about  700  life  members. 

The  exhibition,  taking  it  all  in  all,  was  second  to 
none  that  we  have  attended  the  present  season. 
Well  may  the  officers  and  members  of  the  Society 
fejoice  in  the  success  that  has  crowned  their  efforts 
in  organizing  the  Hampshire  Agricultural  Society, 
whose  last  anniversary  has  outshone  all  its  former 
exhibitions  in  the  good  qualities  of  the  contribu- 
tions, &c.,  for  the  Show  and  Fair. 

Co^//e.— There  were  between  300  and  400  Cat- 
tle on  exhibition.  There  were  two  strings  of 
Working  Oxen — one  from  Hadley  and  one  from 
North  Amherst — also  Working  Oxen  besides  en- 
tered for  premiums,  some  of  which  were  exceed- 
ingly fine — which  the  committee  would  have  been 
fla^  to  have  considered  in  awarding  premiums, 
ad  they  been  furnished  by  the  competitors  with 
the  written  statements,  required  in  the  Show  Bill. 
This  remark  applies  to  contributors  in  other  de- 
partments of  the  exhibition,  which,  we  hope,  will 
be  attended  to  hereafter  by  all  who  wish  to  be  re- 
garded as  competitors  for  premiums. 

The  Fat  Cattle  on  exhibition  were  of  a  superior 
quality — not  surpassed  by  any  other  Siiow  in  the 
State.  One  pair  in  particular,  owned  by  Moses 
Stebbins  of  South  Deerfield,  attracted  universal  at- 
tention. 

Bulls,  Cows,  Steers,  Heifers  and  Calves  of  the 
various  fancy  bloods  and  natives,  were  numerous 
and  of  good  qualities. 

Horses. — The  shows  of  horses  as  exhibited  in 
Amity  Street,  were  unusually  fine. 

Sheep. — The  show  of  sheep  was  small.  Augus- 
tus Clark,  of  Granby,  exhibited  some  fine  Merino 
ewes,  imported  from  France. 

Poultry. — The  fowl  department  failed  to  sus- 
tain its  reputation. 

Butter. — The  display  of  butter  was  the  best  we 
have  ever  seen — and  this  was  a  common  remark 
made  by  the  visitors. 

Sweetser^s  Hall. — Fruits  and  the  Handiwork  of 
the  mothers  and  daughters  were  here  exhibited  in 
great  profusion.  Nearly  500  plates  of  fruits  were 
displayed  on  the  tables. 

The  Address  was  delivered  by  the  Rev.  F.  D. 
Huntington,  of  Boston.  His  theme  was  the  Far- 
mer and  his  relations  to  the  School-house,  Town 
Hall,  Church  and  Homestead.  The  Address  was 
emphatically  the  most  popular  and  valuable  to 
which  we  have  ever  listened  upon  any  similar 
occasion,  and  is  to  be  published. 


Dinner-Table  Speeches. — The  Hon.  Edward 
Dickerson,  who  presided  at  the  table,  made  an  ap- 
propriate opening  address — giving  a  brief  histori- 
cal sketch  of  the  Society  whose  Fourth  Anniver- 
sary the  occasion  commemorated.  Ho  closed  by 
giving  the  following  sentiment: — "The  Massachu- 
setts Board  of  Agriculture  :  We  welcome  its  Se- 
cretary, C.  L.  Flint,  Esq." 

Mr.  Flint  spoke  at  considerable  length  upon  the 
statement,  as  often  made,  that  "farming  does  not 
pay,"  and  if  he  did  not  convince  his  hearers  that 
it  will  pay,  and  pay  wetl,  when  properly  conduct- 
ed, he  will  at  least  convince  them  that  there  are 
two  sides  to  the  question,  and  that  the  friends  of 
agriculture  mean  to  bring  it  forward  and  discuss 
it.  There  is  no  subject  which  can  more  properly 
occupy  the  thoughts  and  investigation  of  the 
Secretary  of  the  State  Board,  than  that  so  often 
impressed  upon  the  people,  that  farming,  as  an 
occupation,  will  not  fairly  remunerate  those  en- 
gaged in  it.  He  touched  upon  other  topics  of  in- 
terest, bilt  we  have  no  room  for  extracts.  Ad- 
dresses were  also  made  by  Mr.  Howard,  Editor  of 
the  Boston  CuUivalor,  Prest.  Hitchcock  and  Prof. 
Fowler,  and  by  the  orator  of  the  day. 

From  the  report  in  the  Express,  and  verbal  ao- 
counts,  we  should  think  the  Exhibition  a  pleasant 
and  profitable  one. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
AGRICULTURAL  LECTURES. 


]Mr.  Editor  : — It  was  generally  understood  laffc 
winter,  that  several  gentlemen  were  to  be  appoint- 
ed by  the  Board  of  Agriculture,  to  give  lectures 
upon  subjects  pertaining  to  the  theory  or  practice 
of  this  most  important  of  all  professions.  I  was 
much  pleased  at  the  proposal.  We  have  several 
times  talked  about  having  a  lecture  or  two,  upon 
some  subject  connected  with  the  science  of  agri- 
culture ;  but  we  knew  not  on  whom  to  call.  There 
is  no  gentleman  in  our  village  that  has  ever  at- 
tempted to  give  such  a  lecture.  If  we  should  send 
to  the  city  or  to  some  college,  for  a  professor  of 
chemistry,  it  would  cost  more  than  we  can  afford 
to  pay,  and  even  if  we  should  raise  the  means, 
and  succeed  in  getting  such  a  man,  it  is  more  than 
an  even  chance,  that  we  should  not  be  able  to 
understand  one-half  he  would  say.  We  want  a 
man  to  lecture  to  us,  who  will  talk  in  a  style  that 
we  can  understand  ;  who  will  write  his  lectures 
on  purpose  for  us.  One  whom  we  can  approach 
freely,  and  ask  all  sorts  of  questions ;  who  will 
not  be  offended  at  our  ignorance,  but  who  will 
take  pains  to  make  us  comprehend  clearly  what 
we  need  to  know. 

It  has  been  suggested  that  we  should  organize 
a  class  of  young  people  to  study  chemistry,  this 
winter.  Now  we  want  some  gentleman  with 
whom  we  can  advise  on  the  subject,  who  can  tell 
us  what  books  to  get,  and  what  apparatus  we 
shall  want ;  in  shorE,  it  would  be  a  great  satisfac- 
tion to  us,  to  have  a  chat  with  some  one  who  is 
au  fait,  on  the  subject,  and  who  might  assist  us 
in  getting  under  way. 

I  write  to  inquire  if  any  such  appointments  have 
been  made,  or  are  likely  to  be,  soon  ;  I  believe 


5&i 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Dec. 


that  the  young  farmers  in  many  of  our  towns 
would  readily  raise  the  means  to  pay  for  two  or 
three  lectures,  if  the  thing  were  once  started,  and 
they  knew  of  some  lecturer  on  whom  they  might 
call,  and  in  whose  science  and  good  judgment 
they  might  have  confidence.  The  truth  is,  that 
a^good  many  of  us  farmers  have  been  rather  sus- 
picious of  book  farmers,  and  volunteer  lecturers 
upon  agricultural  science.  But  if  a  lecturer  is 
appointed  by  the  Board,  it  will  be  a  guarantee 
that  he  will  not  present  wild  theories,  or  tell  ex- 
aggerated stories,  or  premise  impracticable  re- 
sults. I  do  not  remember  noticing  that  any  ap- 
propriation was  made,  the  last  session  of  the  Leg- 
islature, for  this  object.  But  I  beheve  that  two  or 
three  thousand  dollars  put  at  the  disposal  of  the 
Board,  and  divided  between  three  or  four  lectur- 
ers, who  should  spend  the  winter  months  in  lec- 
turing in  the  principal  towns  in  the  State,  would 
do  more  towards  sustaining  and  increasing  the 
rising  interest  in  the  subject  of  agriculture,  than 
almost  any  measure  that  can  be  devised. 

Yours,  &c.,  n.  s. 

Oct.  31,  1853. 


Remarks.  —  No  such  appointments  have  been 
siadc  by  the  Board.  Something  of  the  kind  ought 
to  be  done. 


AGHICUIjTURAL  IMFIjxilvIjtiNTS. 


In  two  or  three  previous  articles  we  have  spok- 
en at  some  length  on  the  subject  of  the  tools  of 
the  farm.  In  the  present  article  we  will  speak  of 
some  of  the  smaller  implements,  in  regard  to 
■vfhich  there  are  questions  of  importance  to  be  set- 
tled.    For  instance : — 

It  may  be  asked,  what  weight  and  breadth  are 
the  most  advantageous  for  the  hoe?  Undoubted- 
ly they  should  be  such  that  the  person  using  it 
could  make  the  greatest  number  of  effective  strokes 
in  a  given  time  with  the  least  fatigue.  Hoeing  is 
a  laborious  work,  for  the  reason  that  the  body  is 
held  in  a  bent  position,  which  requires  a  constant, 
sustained  effort,  of  the  muscles  of  the  abdomen 
and  back,  to  hold  up  the  great  weight  of  the  trunk, 
shoulders  and  head.  The  hoe  should  have  the 
least  weight  consistent  with  the  strength  and  size 
required  for  good  work,  and  in  order  to  be  as  light 
as  is  convenient,  should  have  the  least  width  that 
is  sufficient  for  economical  use.  "The  laborer, 
who  makes  with  a  common  hoe,  two  thousand 
strokes  an  hour,  should  not  weild  a  needless  ounce 
If  any  part  is  heavier  than  necessary,  even  to  the 
amount  of  half  an  ounce  only,  he  must  repeatedly 
and  continually  hft  this  half  ounce,  so  that  the 
whole  strength  thus  spent,  would  be  equal  in  a 
day,  to  twelve  hundred  and  fifty  pounds,  which 
ought  to  be  exerted  in  stirring  the  soil,  and  de- 
stroying the  weeds." 

The  same  principle  is  applicable  to  most  of  the 
other  small  implements  of  the  farm.  Great  im- 
provements have  been  made  in  the  shovel  and  ma- 
nure fork.  It  is  probably  safe  to  say  that  nearly 
double  the  amount  may  be  accomplished  in  a  giv- 


en time  with  a  sis,  eight,  or  ten-tined  fork,  in 
most  kinds  of  work  where  a  shovel  has  formerly 
been  used,  than  can  be  done  with  the  shovel  itself, 
and  this,  too,  with  greater  ease  to  ihe  operator. 
And  to  use  the  forcible  language  of  another,  "in 
no  direction  can  we  grasp  more  aid  than  in  gath- 
ering about  us  all  good  and  necessary  tools.  Par- 
simony here  is  ruin ;  a  liberal  and  judicious  ex- 
penditure is  a  precursor  of  success." 

The  patent  laws  have  been  a  powerful  auxiliary 
to  the  efforts  of  the  agricultural  societies,  in  stim- 
ulating the  ingenuity  of  inventors.  By  securing 
to  the  inventor  the  exclusive  benefit  of  his  inven- 
tion, they  enable  him  to  enrich  liimself,  while  he 
is  benefiting  the  public.  Agriculture  owes  many 
of  the  most  useful  inventions,  designed  to  facilitate 
the  labors  of  the  farm,  to  this  healthy  and  proper 
stimulus  furnished  by  the  laws. 

If  our  fathers  fifty  years  ago  had  foreseen  the 
amount  of  immigration  to  this  country,  instead  8f 
making  laws  to  protect  patent  rights  from  infringe- 
ment in  order  that  ingenuity  and  labor  might  reap 
their  due  reward,  they  probably  would  have  en- 
acted stringent  laws  against  inventions,  in  fear 
that  the  laborer  would  be  thrown  out  of  employ- 
ment and  come  upon  the  parish  for  support.  Cot- 
ton cloth  was  then  thirty  or  forty  cents  a  yard  ; 
a  girl's  wages  fifty  cents  a  week.  Now  a  girl's 
wages  are  often  three  to  five  dollars  a  week,  which 
will  purhase  forty  or  fifty  yards  of  cloth.  TChe 
inventive  genius  of  the  country  seems  to  be,  for 
the  most  part,  concentrated  in  New  England, 
though  some  of  the  most  beneficial  inventions  have 
started  in  other  parts.  And  the  inventive  power 
of  the  people  of  New  England,  hjjs  been  turned 
very  much  to  improvements  in  farm  implements. 
Since  our  great  political  revolution  which  made  us 
a  nation,  changes  almost  as  great  have  been 
wrought  out  in  the  field  of  agriculture.  Principles 
in  vegetation  then  unheard  of,  or  just  beginning 
to  be  known  by  a  few  searching  minds,  have  been 
more  fully  established  and  published  to  the  world. 
No  subject  can  be  presented  to  the  notice  of  the 
agricultural  societies  of  the  country,  more  wor- 
thy their  attention,  than  the  construction  of  farm 
implements,  and  improvements  therein.  .  Even  the 
form  and  weight  of  so  small  an  instrument  as  the 
hoe,  might  be  a  profitable  subject  of  earnest  and 
mature  discussion,  in  a  series  of  experiments 
like  those  of  the  plowing  matches,  which  have 
brought  about  so  much  improvement  in  the  plow. 
The  adaptation  of  the  various  tools  and  machinery 
used  in  the  field  to  fulfil  their  design,  most  thor- 
oughly, by  their  capacity  of  doing  the  most  work 
and  in  the  best  manner,  with  the  least  fatigue  to 
the  operator,  can  hardly  be  the  subject  of  too  much 
examination.  All  such  examinations,  though  at- 
tracting but  little  public  attention,  may  work  out 
most  substantial  benefits.  - 

The  whole  subject  of  farm  implements  in  all  its 


1852 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


565 


bearings  upon  the  labors  of  the  field  and  the  efiFect 
of  those  labors  on  the  condition  and  improvement 
of  the  art,  and  on  the  value  and  beauty  of  the  hills 
and  valleys  of  the  country  as  well  as  upon  the 
prosperity  and  happiness  of  the  farmers,  cannot  be 
overrated. 

The  soil  of  Massachusetts  is  for  the  most  part 
rather  forbidding,  while  the  advantages  for  com- 
merce and  other  pursuits  have  held  out  to  our  cit- 
izens inducements  to  engage  in  such  employments, 
as  would,  (in  their  imagination)  better  repay  time 
and  industry,  and  give  a  larger  profit  to  capital  in- 
vested. Those  who  have  staid  by  the  sod  have 
done  well.  They  have  always,  when  industrious 
and  skilful,  gained  a  competent  support,  and  some 
have  saved  small  fortunes.  But  the  cultivation  of 
the  soil  here,  undoubtedly, requires  more  toil,  skill 
and  expense,  than  in  some  other  States.  We  have, 
however,  the  comforting  assurance  of  writers  on 
political  economy,  that  a  hard  soil  is  favorable  to 
the  best  development  of  the  intellect,  and  that 
good  morals  thrive  best  where  the  products  of  the 
land  require  the  most  care.  In  proportion,  how- 
ever, to-  the  ungenial  quality  of  the  soil,  is  the  ad- 
vantage of  machinery  and  implements  adapted  to 
lighten  labor  and  assist  the  work.  In  no  part  of 
the  country,  therefore,  is  this  subject  of  imple- 
ments more  important  than  here  in  our  own 
State. 

The  United  States  present  a  wide  field  for  the 
operations  of  skilful  artisans  in  all  useful  as  well 
as  ornamental  articles  ;  as  their  wealth  increases, 
so  do  also  their  taste  for  the  elegant  and  beautiful, 
and  their  desire  to  possess  what  will  minister  to 
the  refinements  of  life.  This  is  ever  the  case  with 
nations  as  they  advance  in  intellectual  power,  and 
in  the  first  appreciation  of  what  confers  real  dig- 
nity on  a  people  ;  and  their  moral  strength  keeps 
pace  with  their  progress  in  intelligence. 

During  the  last  fifty  years,  as  was  remarked  in 
the  outset, the  mind  has  been  pre-eminently  active 
in  seeking  out  new  inventions.  It  has  also  had  its 
period  to  soar  to  the  heavens  in  search  of  new 
planets,  mark  the  time  of  their  coming,  and  tell 
us  when  their  far-off  light  shall  first  touch  our 
earth ; — to  explore  fathomless  seas  and  penetrate 
deep  bays  and  inlets  of  frozen  zones  ;  it  has  out- 
stript  the  fancies  of  the  poet,  in  "passing  a  girdle 
round  the  earth  in  forty  minutes."  Marvellous 
works  has  it  wrought  in  steam  and  electricity  ; 
probed  deep  into  animal  physiology,  given  us  new 
limbs  in  surgery,  and  finally  (through  the  agency 
of  ether,)  thrown  us  into  a  temporary  death  in 
order  to  haul  up  our  shattered  frame  for  repair  of 
damages. 

But  at  present  the  mind's  popular  idea  is  agri-i 
culture.  The  decrease  of  crops  on  most  of  our 
old  lands,  with  the  rapid  increase  of  population,' 
has  arrested  the  attention  of  many  earnest  and, 
intelligent  persons.     The  inquiry  everywhere  is,' 


What  shall  be  done  to  increase  the  fertility  of 
our  impoverished  acres,  and  bring  a  more  ample 
reward  for  the  labor  bestowed  upon  them  ■?  Our 
answer  is,  more  light — a  more  intimate  knowledge 
of  the  laws  and  operations  of  nature,  and  a  more 
careful  and  skilful  cultivation  of  what  we  under- 
take. 

For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
BIRDS  OP  NEW  ENGLAND. 

THEIR  PAST  AND  PRESENT  HISTORY No.  7. 

BY    S.    P.    FOWLER. 
THE     SWALLOAV     TRIBE. 

The  Purple  JMartin  is  first  seen  in  the  eastern 
part  of  Massachusetts  from  the  Ist  to  the  15th 
day  of  May.  Hearne  informs  us,  in  his  journey  to 
the  Northern  Ocean,  that  the  martins  visit  Hud- 
son's Bay  in  great  numbers.  This  account  of  the 
northern  migrations  of  the  martin  is  quoted  by 
Mr.  Wilson,  in  his  American  Ornithology, as  show- 
ing the  extent  of  its  northern  flight  being  lat.  60"^ 
north.  But  no  doubt  Mr.  Wilson  was  mistaken, 
in  supposing  that  the  bird  described  by  this  north- 
ern traveller  was  the  Purple  Martin.  Islr.  Hearne's 
description  is  as  follows  :  "Martins  visit  Hudson's 
Bay  in  great  numbers,  but  seldom  so  far  north  as 
Churchhill  River.  They  usually  mnVe  thHr  nests 
in  holes  formed  in  the  steep  banks  of  rivers  ;  and 
like  the  swallow,  lay  four  or  five  speckled  eggs  ; 
and  retire  southward  in  August.  Atthe  northern 
settlements  they  are  by  no  means  so  domestic  as 
the  swallow."  Now,  in  fact,  the  Purple  Martin 
never  make  their  nests  in  holes,  in  the  banks  of 
rivers,  and  are  considered  more  domestic  than  the 
swallow.  These  birds  seen  by  Hearne,  were  un- 
doubtedly the  Bank  Swallow,  called  in  England, 
and  sometimes  in  this  country,  the  Sand  or  Bank 
Martin.  However,  the  extract  taken  from  the 
Northern  Journalist  afforded  good  opportunity, 
which  was  improved  by  Mr.  Wilson,  to  throw  a 
shot  at  the  believers  in  the  brumal  retreat  of  the 
swallow.  He  says,  if  the  martins  in  Hudson's  Bay 
are  first  seen  in  May,  and  return  in  August,  they 
have  a  pretty  long  annual  nap  in  those  frozen  re- 
gions, of  eight  or  nine  months  under  the  ice.  This 
account  of  the  martin  given  by  Hearne,  was  in 
1770,  and  could  we  suppose  that  the  Purple  Mar- 
tin was  here  intended,  it  would  afford  us  evidence 
wherewith  to  settle  the  question,  much  agitated  by 
ornithologists,  whether  the  bird  was  to  be  seen  in 
New  England  prior  to  the  Revolution.  They  are 
mentioned  as  being  common  in  Pennsylvania  in 
1745,  and  Kalm  found  them  numerous  in  New 
Jersey  in  1749.  In  regard  to  the  most  noi-thern 
limits  of  the  martin's  migrations,  we  are  informed 
by  Dr.  Richardson  that  it  is  found  on  the  Winipeg 
River,  near  the  50"  parallel  of  north  latitude.  •  In 
their  winter  retreat,  they  return  south  to  New  Or- 
leans, and  pass  on,  continuing  their  migrations 
through  Mexico,  Quito,  Chili,  and,  as  some  have 
supposed,  even  to  Terra  del  Fuego. 

It  will  be  recollected  that  in  our  first  commu- 
nication upon  the  swallow  tribe,  we  made  the  Pur- 
ple Martin  an  exception  to  the  otherwise  general 
good  character  of  these  birds.  Their  notoriety 
consists  in  being  very  fond  of  honey  bees  ;  and 
when  several  pairs  of  martins  are  raising  their 
broods,  in  the  vicinity  of  swarms  of  these  industri- 


566 


NEW  ENGLAND  f^ARMER. 


Dec. 


ous  insects,  they  make  sad  havoc  among  them. 
Mr.  Audubon  says,  Martins  seldom  seize  the  hon- 
ey bee.  But  the  result  of  our  own  observation 
leads  us  to  a  different  conclusion  from  that  of  this 
distinguished  ornithologist.  They  exceed  all  other 
birds  in  the  dexterity,  by  which  they  accomplish 
this  mischief,  not  excepting  the  King  Bird.  Mr. 
Wilson  once  carae  across  a  penurious,  close-fisted 
German,  who  said  he  hated  martins  because  they 
ate  his  peas.  lie  was  told  he  must  be  mistaken, 
as  they  were  never  known  to  eat  peas  ;  but  he  re- 
replied,  with  coolness,  that  he  had  many  times 
seen  them  himself  "  blaying  near  the  hife,  and 
going  schnip,  schnap ;"  by  which,  observes  Mr. 
Wilson,  1  understood,  that  it  was  his  bees  that 
had  been  the  sufferers,  and  the  charge  I  could  not 
deny. 

Here,  had  we  time  and  space,  we  should  like 
to  raise  the  question  as  to  the  right,  legal  or  moral, 
assumed  by  man,  to  shoot  martins,  when  thus  en- 
gaged in  procuring  bees  as  food  for  their  young  ; 
when  his  sole  object  in  so  doing  is  thereby  to  pro- 
long the  lives  of  these  industrious  insects,  that  he 
may  be  the  better  enabled  to  gather  a  richer  har- 
vest in  Autumn  by  commencing  "  Beneath  the 
cloud  of  quilt-concealing-night"  a  vigorous  on- 
slaught, murdering  them  diabolically,  with  the 
fumes  of  burning  sulpher,  plundering  them,  and 
that  too  in  their  own  domicil,  which  should  be 
their  castle, 

"  O,  man  !   tyrannic  lord  !  how  long,  how  long 
Shall  prostrate  Nature  groan  beneath  your  rage  .'" 

But,  happily  for  the  martins,  but  few  farmers 
comparatively  keep  bees,  and  consequently  have 
no  occasion  to  destroy  them;  and,  being  pleasant, 
agreeable,  early  rising  birds,  they  are  usually  fa- 
vorites with  the  cultivators  of  the  soil.  We  have 
been  told  by  lovers  of  birds,  who  evidently  were 
desirous  of  shielding  the  martin  from  the  imputa- 
tions cast  upon  it,  that  it  caught  only  the  big,  lazy 
bachelor  drones,  that  were  no  longer  of  any  ben- 
efit to  the  colony,  but  spent  their  days  in  good 
weather  in  'taking  short  flights  from  the  hive,  or 
in  loafing  about  the  entrance,  always  in  the  way 
of  the  busy  workers. 

But  truth  compels  the  historian,  in  recording 
the  present  and  past  history  of  our  birds,  to  say 
that,  however  much  we  may  regret  it,  and  strong- 
ly as  we  are  tempted  by  love  for  our  birds  to  hold 
our  peace,  and  silently  acquiesce  in  this  belief,  to 
subserve  the  purposes  of  humanity,  we  should 
choose  not  to  follow  the  example  of  the  father  and 
great  reformer  of  American  Natural  History,  who, 
when  told_  by  a  German  that  if  he  permitted  the 
swallows  in  his  barn  to  be  shot,  his  cows  would 
give  bloody  milk,  and  that  no  barn  where  swal- 
lows frequented  would  ever  be  struck  by  lightning. 
The  author  of  the  American  Ornithology,  when 
thus  addressed  by  the  German,  nodded  assent, 
giving  as  a  reason  for  his  so  doing,  "that  when  the 
tenets  of  superstition  lean  to  the  side  of  humanity, 
one  can  readily  respect  them;"  by  telling  a  Jib, 
he  should  have  added  at  the  end  of  the  sentence, 
in  order  to  have  rendered  it  more  complete.  In 
point  of  fact,  the  working  bee  returns  to  the  hive, 
with  its  thighs  richly  laden, and  its  little  honied  bag 
full  in  its  stomach,  so  sweet  when  crushed  by  the 
mandibles  of  the  martin,  is  its  favorite  food,  and 
he  escheweth  all  drones  as  a  dry  morsel,  not  worth 
indeed  a  snap  of  his  bill.     The  food  of  the  martin 


taken  upon  the  wing,  consists  of  bees,  wasps, 
beetles  and  other  large  insects. 

We  must  no  longer  linger  here,  but  hasten  to 
the  consideration- of  another  species  of  the  tribe, 
and  it  shall  be  the  barn  swallow.  We  shall  at 
once  pass  over  the  habits  of  this  bird,  so  familiar 
to  every  one,  and  speak  particularly  of  its  migra- 
tions. And  what  a  theme  does  this  present.  And 
who  can  estimate  in  years  that  are  past,  the 
amount  of  ink  shed  and  paper  blotted  by  those 
who  have  written  upon  this  subject,  and  shall  we 
presume  to  add  something  more  to  this  vast  accu- 
mulation? Perhaps  it  may  be  necessary  to  say 
something  more  upon  the  torpidity  of  the  swallow, 
in  addition  to  what  we  have  already  said  in  a 
former  communication.  And  we  would  here  re- 
mark, for  the  purpose  of  correcting  an  erroneous 
opinion,  entertained  by  those  who  disbelieve  in  the 
brumal  torpidity  in  regard  to  the  numbers  of  those 
birds  who  pass,  upon  the  approach  of  winter,  into 
a  torpid  state ;  that  we  believe,  as  a  general  thing, 
swallows  migrate  in  Autumn,  like  most  others  of 
the  feathered  tribes,  to  warm  climates.  The  ex- 
ceptions to  this  law  of  their  nature  are  those  birds 
which,  by  force  of  circumstances,  are  compelled  to 
seek  winter  quarters  near  at  hand.  These  sub- 
jects of  torpidity  are  probably  the  weak  birds 
of  the  second  broods,  whose  pectoral  muscles, 
which  move  their  wings,  have  not  acquired  suffi- 
cient strength  for  a  long  continued  flight. 

Now  every  person  is  familiar  with  the  old 
adage,  that  the  lame  and  lazy  in  mankind  are  al- 
ways provided  for — and  there  is  more  truth  in  this 
common  saying,  lightly  spoken,  when  applied  to 
all  animated  objects,  which  a  great  and  benevolent 
Being  has  created,  than  is  commonly  supposed. 
Nature  provides  for  all  her  weak  offspring  that  by 
any  cause  are  rendered  incapable  of  providing  for 
themselves.  Some  persons  have  supposed  that  it 
is  impossible  for  swallows  to  live  in  a  torpid  state 
submerged  in  mud  and  water.  But  we  must  not 
forget  that  the  respiratory  organs  of  birds  ap- 
proach in  their  construction  nearer  to  reptiles 
than  they  do  to  mammalias — standing  lower  in  the 
scale.  And  it  has  been  asserted,  but  with  how 
much  truth  we  know  not,  that  swallows  in  this 
particular  make  a  nearer  approach  to  this  lower 
order  of  animals  than  any  other  birds.  But  we 
will  leave  this  part  of  our  subject,  and  take  up  the 
consideration  of  the  time,  when  it  is  supposed 
that  swallows  migrate  to  the  south  in  Autumn. 

Here  we  shall  find  a  great  diversity  of  opinions 
amongst  many,  who  have  observed  the  habits  of 
these  birds.  In  the  examination  of  this  subject, 
it  would  be  well  to  remember  that  barn  swallows 
frequently,  but  not  always  in  Massachusetts,  raise 
two  broods  of  young  in  a  season.  Those  first 
hatched,  together  with  the  parent  birds  are  the 
first  to  migrate,  and  these  are  followed  in  a  few 
weeks  by  the  later  broods.  There  are  also  other 
facts  connected  with  this  subject.  Swallows  arrive 
sooner,  and  return  later,  in  some  districts,  than 
in  others,  even  when  they  are  nearly  contiguous. 
Many  persons  date  the  departure  of  swallows 
from  the  time  of  their  disappearance  in  the  im- 
mediate neighborhood  in  which  they  breed,  sup- 
posing that  they  have  migrated,  when,  in  fact  they 
have  only  left  to  join  others  in  forming  a  division 
at  some  general  rendezvous,  before  their  final  de- 
parture. Hence  arises,  probably,  the  reason  of 
different  accounts  being  frequently  given,  as  to  the 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


567 


particular  time  of  the  swallow's  migration.  In 
some  districts  they  retire  as  early,  aa  the  last  of 
July,  when  it  is  as  equally  certain,  that  some  ot 
these  birds  are  engaged  in  incubation  at  this  period, 
for  the  second  time.  At  the  cl^se  of  the  Consti- 
tutional Convention,  on  the  first  day  of  August 
last,  it  was  noticed  that  the  swallows'  nests  over 
the  windows  of  the  State  House  were  occupied  by 
the  young  of  the  second  broods.  The  question  is 
sometimes  asked,  what  reason  can  be  given  for 
believing  that  some  swallows  migrate  south  as 
early  as  the  last  of  July  in  some  instances,  with 
such  an  abundant  supply  of  food  around  them  1 
But  why,  it  may  be  asked,  should  they  any  longer 
remain  with  us,  they  having  accomplished  the 
great  object  of  their  visit,  the  rearing  of  their 
young.  These  juvenile  birds  having  now  acquired 
the  use  of  their  wings,  the  feathers  sufficient  for 
their  comfort  having  grown,  those  yet  to  appear 
being  only  necessary  to  give  them  symmetry,  or 
to  impart  to  them  beauty.  By  the  development 
of  instinct,  furnished  them  by  the  €lreat  Giver 
of  animal  life,  and  instructions  imparted  to  them, 
by  someway  unknown  to  us,  they  have  acquired  a 
knowledge  of  the  food  necessary  for  them,  and 
skill  in  the  manner  of  obtaining  it.  We  again  re- 
peat, why  should  they  any  longer  remain  with  us, 
in  high  health  and  full  feather,  with  a  pleasant 
journey  to  the  sunny  south  before  them^  Why 
should  they  not  be  anxious  to  plume  tlieir  |K)uug 
and  vigorous  wings  for  an  early  flight  ?  We  have 
noticed,  in  this  communication,  the  social  habits 
of  swallows,  in  congregating  together  in  great 
numbers,  in  some  particular  spots,  before  their 
final  departure  for  the  south,  in  Autumn.  We 
noticed,  some  fifteen  years  since,  a  large  congre- 
gation of  swallows,  preparatory  to  their  final  mi- 
gration. The  place  chosen  by  them  for  this  pur- 
pose was  an  alder  swamp,  in  the  middle  of  a  large 
pasture.  Standing  by  this  swamp  at  sunset,  we 
observed  the  swallows  converging  to  this  point, 
in  immense  numbers.  After  spending  sometime 
in  noisy  greetings,  and  aerial  gyrations,  the 
shadows  of  night  beginning  to  fall,  their  evolutions 
cease  and  they  approach  a  more  central  point,  di- 
rectly over  their  roosting  place,  when,  at  once 
with  their  wings  elevated  over  their  backs,  their 
tips  nearly  uniting  and  forming  a  beautiful  arch, 
they  drop  like  falling  Jeaves  in  a  still  autumnal 
morning, amongst  the  branches  of  the  alders  to  rest 
for  the  night.  Nothing  is  now  seen  of  them,  but 
a  low  indistinct  twitter  from  so  many  throats, 
marks  their  presence.  Early  in  the  morning  they 
rise,  spread  themselves  over  a  large  district  of 
country,  and  after  spending  the  day  in  seeking 
food,  return  at  nightfall  to  their  roosting  place. 
These  large  flocks  continue  together,  until  broken 
up  by  storms,  when,  in  small  parties,  they  take 
up  their  flight  for  the  south.  This  place  of  resort 
by  the  swallows,  we  again  visited  on  the  first  of  Sep- 
tember of  the  present  year,  and  again  found  them 
there,  but  in  small  numbers.  We  were  there  ao-ain 
on  the  tenth  of  September,  and  they  were  gone. 
Much  more  might  be  added  to  what  has  already 
been  written  upon  the  subject  of  the  swallow's 
migrations  so  interesting  to  many  minds,  but  we 
must  stop  here,  and  omit  to  notice,  at  least  for 
the  present,  the  other  species  of  birds,  belonging 
to  the  swallow  tribe.  With  another  season's  ob- 
servations we  shall  be  the  better  able,  and  with 
more  certainty  correct  some  errors,   particularly 


in  the  history  of  the  Chimney  swallow,  which  we 
suspect  may  at  present  exist.  The  history  of  the 
insectivorous  birds,  will  be  continued  in  our  next 
communication  s.  p.  f. 

Danversport,   Oc^  23,  1853. 


THE    GARDEN, 

There  is — naturally  enough  too — on  entering  the 
garden  in  tlie  autumn,  a  kind  of  sadness  pervading 
the  heart,  which  makes  us  look  upon  it,  and  up- 
on life  itself,  for  the  moment,  with  half-desponding 
spirits.  The  leaves  of  the  shrubbery  and  trees  have 
either  fallen  or  hang  trembling  upon  their  boughs, 
and  like  the  setting  sun  of  the  Christian,  are  more 
bright  and  beautiful  at  the  moment  of  their  de- 
parture, than  while  in  the  flush  of  health  and  vig- 
or. The  flowers  that  lately  bloomed  in  such  gay 
profusion — the'  many-colored  dahlias,  the  purple 
petuneas,  the  fragrant  gillyflower,  and  sweet  pea, 
the  night-smelling  primrose,  and  many  others  with 
their  Idvely  forms,  have  yielded  to  the  touch  of  the 
frost,  drooped,  and  faded  away.  Dead  leaves  strew 
the  walks,  the  stems  that  upboro  the  beautiful 
flowers  are  bent  and  bowed  to  the  ground,  while 
the  dry  folfege  is  borne  along  in  eddies  by  the 
wind  until  caught  in  the  corners  or  arrested  by  the 
prostrate  stems  and  held  to  shelter  their  respeo- 
tive  roots.  The  garden  seems  larger — you  can 
look  through  the  hedges  and  leafless  shrubbery  to 
its  utmost  limits,  and  for  a  moment,  wonder  what 
magic  has  wrought  the  change.  But  it  is  not  on- 
ly the  plants  that  have  lost  their  vitality  and  the 
flowers  their  perfume.  The  loved  spot  that  was 
vocal  with  the  songs  of  summer  birds,  is  voiceless 
now.  They  have  gone  to  sunnier  climes  to  gladden 
other  hearts,  as  well  as  to  find  their  accustomed 
food. 

But  to  those  who  love  the  place,  there  is  still 
pleasure  and  satisfaction  to  be  found  in  the  garden. 
The  bulbs  of  the  Hyacinth,  Gladiolus,  Iris,  Nar- 
cissus, Crocus,  Tulips,  &c.,  should  now  be  set,  in 
their  varieties, and  carefully  protected  by  a  covering 
of  leaves,  hay  or  straw.  Dahlia-bulbs,  if  not  al- 
ready done,  should  be  carefully  taken  up,  dried  in 
a  day's  sun,  and  spread  thinly  in  a  moderately 
damp  cellar,  where  they  will  keep  in  perfect  condi- 
tion for  planting  in  the  spring.  The  bulbs  of  the 
Tiger-flower  may  be  preserved  in  the  same  man- 
ner, with  the  exception  that  they  must  be  kept  in 
sand  or  saw-dust  through  the  winter.  Half  hardy 
plants  may  also  be  preserved  by  carefully  tying 
them  up  and  winding  with  straw  or  matting.  The 
climbing  roses,  wistaria  and  honey-suckle,  winter 
better  for  being  loosely  wrapt  in  matting  ;  if  they 
do  not  need  protection  from  the  cold,  they  do  from 
rude  winds  which  whip  them  to  pieces,  and  from 
heavy  snows  which  break  them  down. 

The  tender  raspberries  must  be  canted  over  by 
the  heels  and  covered  lightly  with  the  soil,  and 
the  hardy  kinds  may  be  cut  down  to   a  proper 


568 


JNEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Dec. 


height,  the  old  stems  taken  out,  and  the  remain- 
der tied  up  to  stakes  or  trellis-work,  leaving  three 
or  four  stalks  in  each  stool ;  nothing  remains  to  be 
done  to  them  in  the  spring.  Treated  in  this  man- 
ner they  stand  safely,  and  their  purplish-red  stems 
present  a  beautiful  appearance  through  the  win- 
ter. 

Pruning,  transferring  shrubbery,  arranging  bor- 
ders, beds  and  walks,  digging  about  trees  and 
•shrubs  and  setting  new  ones,  may  be  done  to  ad- 
vantage now,  and  will  afford  a  delightful  recrea- 
tion. The  lover  of  the  garden  will  find  that  his 
cares  cannot  be  suspended  yet ;  he  will  gladly 
cherish  any  thing  that  has  the  aspect  of  a  green 
leaf: 

"These  serve  him  with  a  hint 

That  Nature  lives;  that  sight-refreshing  green 

Is  still  the  livery  she  delights  to  wear, 

Though  sickly  samples  of  the  exuberant  whole." 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

HOW  TO  SECURE  A  HOME,  AND  BE 
INDEPENDENT. 

Mr.  Editor: — Having  read  a  communication  in 
the  March  No.  of  the  monthly  New  England  Far- 
mer, {rom  Woodstock,  Vt.,  concerning^the  farm- 
ing interest  of  that  town,  and  having  waited  a 
suitable  time  for  some  abler  hand  to  correct  some 
impressions  thrown  out,  without  being  gratified, 
"I  take  the  responsibility"  to  give  my  opinion. 

Your  correspondent  says,  "There  has  been  little 
done  beyond  what  the  fathers  and  grandfathers 
used  to  do."  Well,  they,  after  having  assisted  to 
gain  their  national  Independence,  some  of  them 
gained  another  Independence  by  farming,  and  if 
we  travel  close  in  their  footsteps  I  think  we  ought 
to  be  satisfied,  although  some  have  gone  beyond. 
He  says,  "There  is  not  a  subsoil  plow  in  town,  nor 
have  I  ever  known  any  of  our  farmers  to  plow 
more  than  six  inches  deep."  I  am  satisfied  some 
farms  would  be  benefited  by  subsoiling,  that  a 
machine  such  as  they  are  attempting  to  tunnel  the 
Hoosac  mountain  w'ith,  is  more  suitable  for  some 
farms,  than  a  subsoil  plow.  We  plow  deep  enough 
to  get  money.  As  to  improvements  in  farming  and 
mechanical  arts,  I  think  any  one  attending  our 
county  'fair,  which  is  held  in  this  town,  would 
think  us  not  much  behind  out  neighbors.  At  the 
fair  of  the  29th  and  30th  Sept.,  was  one  of  the 
Boston  and  Worcester  Eagle  Double  Plovrs,  and 
the  team  that  drew  it  took  the  premium,  and  I 
suppose  because  it  was  plowed  the  best,  for  the 
other  team  got  through  first ;  had  the  Eagle  plow 
cut  as  wide  as  the  other  it  would  have  got  through 
as  soon.  Better  plowing  I  never  saw  than  was 
done  by  the  Eagle  plow. 

Again,  your  correspondent  says,  "The  greater 
part  are  living  from  hand  to  mouth,  as  the  saying 
is."  Now,  friend  Brown,  as  there  appears  occa- 
sionally to  be  some  criticizing  in  your  excellent 
paper,  I  dare  not  attempt  to  define  the  words, 
"from  hand  to  mouth."  But  I  will  say,  a  farmer 
that  owns  but  nine  or  ten  acres  of  land,  tells  me 
he  lays  up  money.  Your  correspondent  says, 
"farming  is  so  unprofitable  that  most  of  our  young 
men  seek  some  other  employment  for  a  living." — 
I  have  lived  in  Woodstock  over  forty  years,  and 
can  say  I  never  knew  of  but  one  time  when  farm 


ing  was  more  profitable  than  now.  I  have  just 
sold  one  pair  of  four  year  old  steers,  for  ^130,  the 
man  not  asking  me  to  take  one  cent  less  ;  a  lot  of 
sheep  for  all  I  asked,  the  man  saying  he  would 
not  ask  me  to  take  less,  because  he  thought  they 
were  worth  my  prtee.  So  you  see  we  are  making 
money  on  both  sides  :  so  it  is  with  about  all  we 
have  to  sell.  Your  correspondent  says,  "We  are 
in  most  cases  driven  to  the  necessity  of  hiring  out 
several  years,  toget  something  to  buy  land  with," 
and  then  go  to  the  West,  where  land  is  cheap,  or 
go  without  a  farm.  No,  not  so  fast.  In  my 
opinion  there  is  not  a  young  man  in  Woodstock, 
with  good  health  and  a  disposition  to  work,  that 
needs  to  go  West  for  a  farm;  but  I  am  willing  to 
grant  they  may  be  driven  to  the  necessity  of  work- 
ing out  to  get  money  to  buy  with,  for  I  have 
learned  that  by  experience  ;  but  not  with  much 
driving,  after  all,  for  I  went  at  it  willingly  and 
with  a  cheerful  heart.  I  know  of  some  in  this 
vicinity  that  were  not  driven  to  the  necessity  of 
working  outjor  money  to  buy  a  farm  or  any  thing 
else,  but  received  ten  thousand  dollars  or  more  by 
heir-ship,  and  spent  it  in  less  time  than  I  was  get- 
ting mine.  Your  correspondent  says,  "The  West- 
ern fever  has  carried  ofi"  a  good  many."  That 
may  be,  and  the  fever  and  ague  has  brought  some 
back,  and  they  have  bought  a  farm  and  settled 
down  here. 

Now  some  people  will  go  West,  and  to  Califor- 
nia, ^d  over  the  whole  world,  and  why  should  we 
wish  to  stop  them  ?  We  may  as  well  chain  the 
Connecticut  river  to  stop  its  course  to  the  ocean 
as  to  attempt  to  confine  a  Yankee  to  one  locality. 
Now,  perhaps  I  had  better  tell  how  I  purchased 
my  farm,  that  some  others  wishing  to  purchase 
may  take  courage,  seeing  that  wages  are  from 
five  to  eight  dollars  per  month  more  now,  than 
when  I  purchased.  I  commenced  working  out  at 
the  age  of  one-and-twenty,  for  ten  dollars  per 
month  in  summer,  and  eight  in  winter.  Worked 
until  I  laid  up  about  $550,  purchased  a  farm  for 
$1,550,  paid  $550,  mortgaged  the  fixrra  to  secure 
the  remainder,  paid  between  $400  and  $500  inter- 
est, laid  out  about  $500  in  improvements,  have 
paid  up  the  whole,  owe  no  man  any  thing  but 
good  will,  and  have  money  to  pay  my  expenses  as 
I  go  along,  all  without  receiving  by  gift  or  heir- 
ship what  would  be  equivalent  to  $100  at  the  age 
of  one-and-twenty. 

I  think  the  farmer  who  has  the  promise  of  seed 
time  and  harvest  as  long  as  the  world  stands, 
should  be  the  last  one  to  grumble.  Now,  friend 
Brown,  it  having  been  my  fortune  to  cultivate  the 
soil,  more  than  the  mind,  I  leave  it  at  your  option 
(if  you  can  fix  it  in  the  right  shape;  to  put  this 
in  your  paper  or  throw  it  amongst  your  rubish 
and  I  will  warrant  you  no  less  "Patronage"  on 
that  account. 

I  would  merely  wish  you  to  tell  your  readers, 
there  is  at  least  one  contented  farmer  among  the 
green  hills  of  Vermont,  who  would  not  change 
places  with  the  Emperor  of  Russia,  even  after  gain- 
ing possession  of  Constantinople.  I  would  say  that 
in  my  opinion , one  reason  why  no  more  young  men  go 
into  the  farming  business,  is  their  unwillingness 
to  put  their  hands  to  the  plow. 

Yours,  H.  Stow. 

Woodslock,  Vt.,  Oct.,  1853. 


Remarks. — The  above  is  like  "apples  of  gold  in 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


569 


pictures  of  silver."  This  is  the  spirit  that  shall 
subdue  tlic  earth,  fill  it  with  substantial  homes  and 
happy  people,  and  crown  it  with  gladness.  It  will 
adorn  our  cities,  turn  the  wheels  of  our  manufac- 
tories, feed  the  laborer  and  artisan  with  the  boun- 
teous products  of  the  earth,  fill  the  shelves  of  the 
merchant  and  freight  the  ships  of  commerce,  and 
what  is  more  than  all  these,  elevate  the  moral 
condition  of  man,  and  stop  more  profligacy  and 
vice  than  all  the  laws  and  prisons  in  the  land  com- 
bined. 

Utter  these  words  of  yours,  friend  Stow,  every 
where,  on  your  hill  tops  and  through  your  sweep- 
ing vales.  Say  to  the  men  of  the  mountains  that 
courage,  perseverance,  and  faith,  will  enable  them 
to  subdue  the  most  incorrigible  lands,  so  that 
they  shall  reap  plentifully  from  what  was  but  the 
barren  rock  !  That  the  dwellers  in  the  valley  shall 
turn  aside  the  waters,  lift  the  recumbent  soil  to 
the  sun  and  air,  and  vivify  it  with  productive 
powers !  Your  mission  has  not  ended  with  the  re- 
clamation of  your  fields,  and  your  victory  over  the 
obstacles  that  were  strown  in  your  path.  You  must 
animate  others  with  your  own  faith  and  hopes, 
and  encourage  them — and  they  others— to  gain 
that  independence  and.  contentment  which  you 
have  yourself  achieved.  Such  must  be  the 
men  who  will  give  strength  and  permanence  to 
our  institutions,  and  make  us,  truly,  a  worthy  ex- 
ample for  the  nations  of  the  earth. 

RIBRINO  SHEEP    FOR  MUTTON. 

Mr.  Editor  : — In  the  Wool  Grower  for  May  is 
the  folluwing  statement  or  advice  : — "  If  you  grow 
sheep  for  mutton,  grow  the  large,  coarse  kind." 
Believins    that    the   sentence   contains  a   senti- 


o  -       --. a   

ment  calculated  to  mislead  men,  and  defeat  their  v^^^^^,  o|^<^t»D.iug,  uj   nicmnj  sucep, — --ic  is»aiiowe( 
object,  viz.,  the  greatest  income   of  cash  from  a  to  be   a  good  business  to  rear  them  for  mutton.' 


their  fleece  and  meat.  This  will  be  considered 
fair  by  the  friends  of  coarse  sheep.  And  first,  we 
assert  that  we  can  raise  as  many  lbs.  of  Merino 
mutton  from  an  acre,  or  a  given  number  of  acres, 
stocked  with  the  Merino  wethers,  as  we  can  stocked 
with  coarse  sheep  ;  and  secondly  we  affirm  that  it 
is  equally  good,  and  will  fetch  as  much  by  the  lb.  : 
and  our  third  statement  is,  that  the  acre  will 
yield  one-third  more  wool,  and  every  pound  is 
worth  one-third  more  than  coarse — so  that  the 
fleeces  are  worth  more  than  double  those  from  the 
acre  stocked  with  coarse  sheep.  J  am  aware  that 
it  is  said  by  tradition,  or  self-interest,  that  the^ 
mutton  of  the  Merino  is  comparatively  valueless. 
We  have,  on  hearing  these  objections,  been  re- 
minded of  the  South  Sea  cannibal's  repast  on  the 
flesh  of  his  dead  enemy,  or  of  the  chap  that  man- 
aged to  shed  tears  to  sell  at  so  much  a  pint.  The 
truth  is  the  objection  is  without  foundation — it  is 
fiilse  and  disreputable.  Take  a  leg  of  Merino, 
and  one  of  the  fat  South-Down,  mutton,  and  have 
them  equally  well  cooked,  and  not  all  the  old  epi- 
cures in  America  can  tell  which  is  which,  if  they 
be  blind-folded  before  setting  at  the  table. 

We  will  here  introduce  testimony  from  several 
highly  intelligent  gentlemen  from  different  States 
corroborative  of  our  position.  Says  Mr.  Theodore 
N.  Davidson,  of  Virginia, — "I  can  raise  as  many 
pounds  of  Merino  mutton  to  the  acre,  as  of  any 
other  breed,  and  I  am  sure,  of  decidedly  better 
quality."  Says  H.  W.  Chapline,  of  Virginia,— 
"The  Merino  highly  recommends  itself  to  all  far- 
mers." After  enumerating  several  qualities  in 
their  favor  over  the  coarse  sheep,  he  adds, — "Their 
mutton,  when  fat, -is  excellent,  being  tender ,juicy, 
and  of  fine  flavor,  when  well  cooked."  Says  Mr. 
Bidleman,  of  N.  Y.,— "I  know  by  experience,  that 
the  Merino  makes  better  mutton  than  the  coarse 
English  sheep."  Says  Nathan  Dustan,  of  Galena, 
Ohio, — "A  grade  of  sheep  between  coarse  and  fine, 
are  better  for  mutton  than  the  coarse  grained  Eng- 
lish sheep."  Says  John  Young,  of  Belleville, 
Ohio,  speaking  of  Merino  sheep,— "It  is, allowed 


given  number  of  acres  stocked  with  sheep.  We 
deem  it  a  duty  to  examine,  and  expose  its  incor- 
rectness. It  is  generally  a  conceded  point,  that 
animals  of  the  same  kind,  or  breed,  being  of  the 
same  age,  flesh  and  temperament,  will  consume 
food  in  proportion  to  their  live  weight — i.  e.,  an 
ox  which  weighs  2,000  lbs.  will  consume  25  per 
cent.,  or  one  quarter  more  food,  than  any  ox  of 
the  same  breed,  age,  flesh  and  temperament,  that 
weighs  only  1,600  lbs.  A  sheep  that  weighs  200 
lbs.  will  consume  just  double  of  one  that  weighs 
only  100  lbs.— the  age,  the  breed,  the  flesh,  &c., 
being  alike  in  both.  Sufficient  experiments,  both 
in  England  and  America,  have  established  this 
axiom  beyond  all  reasonable  doubt.  No  scholar 
will  deny  it.  Hence  it  follows  that  the  true  esti- 
mate of  profits  should  be  reckoned  by  the  acre, 
and  not  by  the  head.  Here  is  the  tripstone  of 
multitudes — this  is  a  common  blunder.  If  an 
acre  turn  oS"  annually  more  profit  when  stocked 
withSouth-downs,  than  ten  acres  will,  stocked  with 


Says  James  DeMott,  of  Seneca  Co.,  N.-  Y.,— . 
"Butchers  here  declare  that  they  prefer  sheep  of 
medium  size— from  60  to 70  lbs.,  and  at  least  one- 
half  Merino— that  they  are  the  most  profitable  for 
mutton — ^they  show  more  fat  when  opened,  and 
the  flesh  is  better  generally  than  the  common  large 
sheep,  or  English  breeds."  Says  Humphrey  How- 
land,  Esq.,  of  Cuyuga  Co.,  N.  Y.,— "The  Merino 
wether  isfullyequal  to  South-Downs  for  mutton." 
Says  Mr.  Samuel  Good,  of  Scottsville,  Monroe  Co., 
N.  Y.,  — "The  Merino  sheep  are  the  most  profit- 
able, both  for  mutton  and  wool."  [See  Patent  Of- 
fice Reports  for  1850—51.]  This  array  of  evidence 
might  be  extended,  almost  ad-infinitum.  Thous- 
ands in  the  vicinity  of  Brigliton  market  will  give 
in  similar  testimony. 

Aside  from  all  this,  the  following  are  a  few 
among  many  other  reasons  which  the  Merino  claims 
as  characteristic  of  the  race  : 

1st.  They  are  hardy,  and  endure  the  severities 

c       •  1   TIT    .        '   .  ,1   ,7 '""' "|0^  the  climate  much  better   than  the  English  or 

Spanish  Mennos,  yield  the  best  returns  m  dollars  native  breeds  of  sheep,  for  the  best  of  reasons, 
and  cents,  then  the  palm  of  honor  must  be  award-  viz.,  they  are  much  better  protected,  having  about 
ed  to  them.  ^  400,000  wool  hairs  to  the  square  inch,  while  com- 

mthis  comparison,  we  do  not  propose  to  esti-  mon  American  sheep  have  62,000  only.- 
mate_  the  iMennos  at  their  value  for  stock  purposes,       2d.  Their  longevity  is  great.     They  propagate 
but  simply  as  the  coarse  sheep  are  reckoned— for  [doing  well,  until  12  and  15  years  old.         ^  ^ 


570 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Dec. 


3d.  They  never  shed  their  wool  when  kept  in 
umform  condition. 

4th.  Thoy  are  very  quiet,  and  seldom  jump  a 
fence  4  feet  in  height,  and  hence  take  on  flesh  much 
easier  than  coarse  sheep. 

5th.  They  will  bear  crowding  in  large  flocks  and 
do  well,  while  coarse  sheep  invariably  decline  when 
heavily  stocked. 

Gth.  They  will  do  well  on  pasture  so  short  and 
indifferent  that  on  it  a  flock  of  coarse  sheep  would 
most  certainly  decline. 

7th.  They  yield  about  one-third  more  wool, 
which  is  worth  one-third  more  per  lb.,  so  their 
fleeces  bring  double  those  of  common  sheep. 

8th.  The  wool  hairs  have  2,400  serrations,  or 
saw-teeth  to  tlie  inch,  being  much  more  than  that 
of  common  wool,  and  consequently  its  felting  prop- 
erties are  unsurpassed. 

9th.  The  luxurious  yolk  of  the  fleece  furnish 
these  sheep  with  an  impervious  coat  of  mail,  which 
resists  rain  and  snow,  and  impurities  that  would 
injure  the  wool,  and  gives  to  the  manufactured 
fabric  a  softness  and  finish  that  adds  20  per  cent, 
to  its  price  when  thrown  upon  the  market. 

In  short,  we  believe  they  combine  more  excel- 
lences than  any  other  breed  of  sheep  on  the  globe, 
and  when  their  merits  are   fully  and  everywhere 
known,  will  take  the  place  of  all   others. 
—  Wool  Grower.  S.  B.  Rockwell. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
MEADOW  MUD. 

Though  urged  so  often,  we  must  suggest  again  to  the  far- 
mers the  importance  of  gettingjup  a  large  quantity  of  this  valu- 
able absorbent  and  fertilizer.  Haul  it  upon  the  uplands  ready 
for  the  corn  land  next  spring,  by  placing  a  large  shovel  full 
in  each  hill,  mingled  with  a  handful  of  guano.— iV.  E.  Far- 
mer. 

Don't  do  any  such  thing.  Dig  the  mud  and  make  a  pile, 
mixing  a  bushel  of  lime  with  each  cartload,  which  you  have 
slacked  with  brine  as  strong  as  salt  can  make  it.  Use  this 
substance  in  your  stable  to  absorb  the  urine  and  gases.  Don't 
put  a  handful  of  guano  in  the  hill,  unless  you  wish  to  kill  your 
seed. — If.  Y.  Tribune. 

Remarks.— The  New  York  Tribunehaa  "travelled  out  of 
the  record"  in  its  teschings  and  comments  ou  our  suggestion 
as  to  the  use  of  meadow  mud.  This  is  a  fair  specimen  of  the 
Bort  of  teaching  which  discourages  the  farmer  more  than  any 
thing  else.  Talk  to  nine- tenths  of  the  farmers  about  mi.King 
a  cask  of  lime  with  each  cart-load  of  muck,  at  a  cost  of  $1 
to  $1,25  for  each  cask,  and  this  to  be  slacked  with  brine  as 
strong  as  salt  can  make  it  !  !  What  would  the  farmer's  corn 
cost  per  bushel,  with  his  manure  made  by  this  expensive  pro- 
cess. No,  no,  no  !  Haul  up  the  mud  and  let  it  freeze,  and  to 
a  shove  full  of  it  to  each  hill,  in  the  spring,  add  a  half  gill,  or 
a  whole  one,  of  good  Peruvian  guano,  mix  it  thoroughly,  and 
not  a  kernel  of  your  corn  shall  be  injured  by  it.  We  speak 
from  our  personal  practice,  as  well  as  thafof  many  about  us. 
The  Tribune  must  be  in  the  harness  and  furrow  a  little  longer, 
befoie  its  doctrines  on  these  subjects  can  be  considered  relia- 
ble. 


Mr.  Brown  : — The  article  appended  I  find  in 
your  Farmer  of  Oct.  1.  I  have  nothing  to  do  with 
the  differences  between  you  and  the  Tribune.  I  can 
only  say  that  I  regret  to  see  them.  I  look  to  yours 
and  other  agricultural  journals  for  light.  Light 
shines  but  dimly  through  "mud"  or  "dust," 
which  compose  the  principal  of  yours  and  the  Tri- 
bune's differences..  I  cannot  say  which  of  you  are 
right.  Nor  that,  under  certain  circumstances, 
both  of  you  may  notbe  strictly  correct.  But  what 
I  desire  to  have  you  understand  is,  that  your  esti- 


mate of  the  cost  of  lime  is  absolutely  enormous. 
Shell  Lime  is  advertised  in  Boston  at  30  to  40  cts. 
per  cask.  Air  Slacked  Lime  is  a  drug  at  30  cts. 
per  cask.  I  have  bought,  the  past  summer, 
upwards  of  30  barrels — equal  to  90  yards  of  the 
Tribune's  compost,  and  the  price  paid  has  fallen 
below  20  cts.  per  cask.  About  25  casks  of  this 
lime  was  made  into  mortar  and  worked  well,  so 
that  in  case  you  object  to  my  proposition  on  ac- 
count of  its  difference  from  the  Tribune's  recom- 
mendation to  have  it  "slacked"  with  lime,  your 
advice  falls  to  the  ground.  But  the  slacking  is  of 
little  consequence.  If  the  lime  is  applied  to  old 
mortar,  proportions  being  equal,  the  same  results 
would  very  likely  follow.  But  1  am  digressing 
from  the  object  at  which  I  was  arriving  when  I 
commenced.  My  aimwasyowr  "lime."  I  wish  to 
say,  if  the  privilege  is  granted  me,  to  your  Far- 
mer Readers,  that  they  may  each  and  all  of  them, 
around  our  large  towns,  burn  their  own  lime  at  a 
cost  not  exceeding  10  cts.  per  barrel,  if  they  will, 
as  I  do,  count  ashes  and  burnt  earth,  or  bits  of 
charcoal,  equal  to  lime.  This  is  the  way  I  do  it. 
I  collect  combustible  i^rubbish,  such  as  brush,  po- 
tato-tops, any  thing  that  will  burn,  and  pile  it  as 
compactly  as  possible,  in  a  pile  about  three  feet 
high,  and  covering  a  space  of  ground  ten  feet  wide 
by  thirty  feet  long.  Upon  this  pile  I  empty  from 
thirty  to  fifty  barrels  of  Oyster  and  Clam  shells. 
On  the  top  of  this  I  pile  other,  and  the  finest  com- 
bustibles I  have,  to  the  depth  of  about  one  foot. 
The  sides  and  ends  are  then  banked  with  turfs  and 
the  top  covered  in  with  turf  or  loam,  and  the  heap 
fired  on  the  windward  side.  In  two  days,  the 
heap,  with  a  little  attention, is  a  "splendid  ruin." 
Every  shell  to  which  the  fire  has  reached  can  be 
crushed  in  the  hand.  The  lime  is  made.  And  now 
you  will  object  that  the  materials  are  not  at  hand. 
Let  us  see.  Lawrence  contains  12,000  people.  As 
a  basis  of  estimate,  we  will  "call  it"  15,000.  These 
15,000  people,  annually  consume  the  oysters  con- 
tained in  more  than  1,500  barrels  of  shells!  The 
population  of  the  State  is  about  1,000,000.  Now 
admitting  that  more  oysters  are  eaten  in  manu- 
facturing than  in  other  towns,  I  believe  I  may  safe- 
ly say  that  the  farmers  of  Msssachusetts  can  an- 
nually produce  more  than  seventy-five  thousand 
barrels  of  shell  lime — worth,  agriculturally  used, 
more  than  stone  lime,which  you  estimate  at  $1,00 
to  $1,25 — and  in  producing  this,  may  also  produce 
seventy-five  thousand  barrels  of  ashes,  and  bits  of 
charcoal — the  fertilizing  qualities  of  which,  pro- 
perly combined  with  meadow  mud,  would  be  worth 
not  less  than  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  The 
cost  would  be  less  than  $8000. 

[Yours  ever  truly,  "Glen." 

Lawrence,  Oct.  27,  1853. 


Remarks. — The  writer  of  the  above,  in  a  note, 
says — "I  have  pruned  the  article  some.  It  is  at 
your  option  to  prune  it  more,  provided  you  do  not 
prune  that  part  which  hits  yourself"  We  assure 
our  friend  that  if  our  articles  are  commented  upon 
in  a  spirit  of  fairness,  and  such  comments  tend  to 
elicit  truth,  they  shall  not  be  touched  by  expung- 
ing pen  of  ours.  We  believe  the  usefulness  of  this 
paper  depends  in  a  considerable  degree  upon  leav- 
ing its  columns  open  to  a  free  and  fair  discussion 
of  all  proper  subjects,  and  in  their  proper  limits. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  PARMER. 


The  writer  above   thinks  our  "estimate  of  the 
cost  of  h"me  absolutely  enormous."     Is  it  so  ?  Let 
us  look  at  the  facts.     We  reside  within  20  miles 
of  Boston,  on  the  line  of  the  railroad,  and  freights 
are  cheap,  being  only  96  cents  a  ton  from  Boston. 
And  yet,  on  inquiry  yesterday  of  a  dealer  in  lime 
what  he  would  furnish  it  for  at  not  less  than  a  doz- 
en casks  at  a  time,  he  replied.     "For  $1,25,  or 
perhaps  a  trifle  less,  per  cask. ' '     As  to  air-slacked 
lime,  we  have  never  known  it  for  sale  at  low  priT 
ces,  in  sufficient  quantity  to  be  spoken  of  as  an  ar- 
ticle of  general  use  as  a  fertilizer.     It  is  only  by 
accident  that  it  becomes  air-slacked,  and  always 
at  a  loss  to  the  dealer,  who  purchases  quick-lime, 
and  if  it  becomes  air-slacked  on  his  hands,he  must 
sell  at  a  loss.     Air-slacked  lime,  therefore,  cannot 
be  depended  upon,  and  ought  not  to  be  brought 
into  the  account ;   it  cannot  be  obtained  in  suffi- 
cient quantity  to  justify  any  reliance  upon  it  as  a 
fertilizer,  while  it   is  clear  that  the  use  of  quick 
lime  at  $1,25   a  cask,  the   price  which  most  far 
mers  would  be  obliged  to   pay,  (and  even  more, 
higher  in  the  country)  would  prove   a  ruinous  op- 
eration.    A  few  persons  might   avail  themselves 
of  the  benefits  of  the  first  in  the  neighborhood  of 
New  York,  Boston,  and  perhaps  Lowell  and  Law- 
rence, while  it  would  be  unattainable  by  the  great 
mass  of  cultivators. 

The  prospect  of  obtaining  a  supply  from  the 
burning  of  oyster  shells,  among  ourselves,  is  still 
more  discouraging.  Our  people  probably  eat  their 
share  of  the  good  things  of  this  world,  oysters  in- 
cluded, but  not  so  many  of  these  bivalves,  after 
all,  as  to  make  their  shells  of  less  value  than  from 
three  to  six  cents  per  bushel,  having  paid  the  lat- 
ter price  ourselves.  Wood  is  selling  at  $6  a  cord, 
and  of  course  all  "combustible  rubbish,  such  as 
brush,"  is  carefully  collected  and  used  as  fuel. 
Much  of  the  wood  used  where  lime  stone  is  burned, 
costs  nothing  but  the  cutting  and  hauling.  But 
there  being  little  snow  in  the  forests  of  Maine  last 
winter,  the  lumbering  business  was  suspended, 
wood  cost  something,  and  the  price  of  lime  went 
immediately  up,  long  before  the  prices  rose  in  other 
articles. 

Now  a  word  as  to  slacking  lime  with  brine.  Salt 
is  selling  at  50  cents  a  bushel  here.  Occasionally 
damaged  salt  may  be  obtained  for  much  less,  but 
not  enough  of  it  to  be  regarded  of  consequence  as 
a  general  fertilizer.  We  have  sought  in  vain  for 
several  years  to  purchase  even  a  few  hundred 
bushels  of  damaged  salt. 

The  truth  is,  that  many  things  are  recommend- 
ed to  the  farmer  that  are  altogether  unattainable, 
and  many  courses  or  plans  proposed,  that  can  only 
be  adopted  by  a  few.  A  person  recommending  these 
things  should  be  in  the  daily  practice  of  making 
and  saving  manures,  and  trying  experiments  with 
■•hem,  of  plowing,  subsoiling,  of  planting  and  tend- 
trees  in  all  stages  of  their  .growth,  of  garden- 


ing, gathering  and  storing  crops,  and  in  all  the 
minutice  of  the  farm.  What  he  learned  forty  years 
ago  will  often  be  found  inapplicable  under  the  new 
light  which  has  dawned  upon  the  profession.  His 
remarks  should  be  of  general  application,  reaching 
the  great  mass  of  cultivators,  rather  than  showing 
Avhat  may  be  done  by  a  few  in  a  particular  locali- 
ty. Such,  at  any  rate,  was  our  object  in  recom- 
mending the  meadow  mud  and  guano.  The  for- 
mer may  usually  be  found  where  there  are  hills 
and  valleys,  and  the  latter  is  a  highly  concentra- 
ted fertilizer,  portable,  of  easy  application,  and, 
in  our  judgment,  one  of  the  two  or  three  best  sub- 
stances to  be  resorted  to  by  the  former  who  finds 
it  necessary  to  purchase  any  kind  of  manure.  We 
would  not  intimate  that  he  whose  life  is  spent  in 
the  office,  counting  room,  or  in  any  of  the  profes- 
sions, may  not  often  render  important  service  to 
the  farmer  by  his  suggestions  :— but  this  only  :— 
that  he  whose  time  and  thoughts  are  given  to  the 
subject,  will  be  more  likely  to  meet  his  wants. 

But  we  may  be  wrong,  and  "Glen"  right ;  we 
thank  him  for  his  kind  words  as  well  as  his  criti- 
cisms. • 

For  the  New  Ens^land  Farmer. 
A  NEW  MANURE. 

Mr.  Editor  .—In  one  or  two  of  the  late  num- 
bers of  the  ''Farmer,'"  the  subject  of  tan  as  a  fer- 
tilizer has  been  hinted  at  by  some  of  your  corre- 
spondents;  and  if  I  recollect  correctly,  you  also 
promised  us  a  little  information  upon  the  subject, 
for  which  I  have  been  anxiously  looking.  In  the 
meantime  the  inclosed  extract  has  been  forwarded 
tome.  g_ 

Dorchester,  Oct.  30,  1853. 


A  New  Manure.— Robert  Bryson,  Esq.  of  Cum- 
berland county,  about  eight  miles  from  Harrisburg 
Pa., has  been  experimenting  for  the  last  ten  years 
to  make  exhausted  tan  bark  available  and  valuable 
as  manure.  Besides  his  magnificent  farm,  he  like- 
wise carries  on  the  tanning  business .  Finally  after 
a  great  deal  of  expense,  and  many  failures,  he  has 
succeded  m  discovering  a  method  of  producing  from 
the  tan  an  efficient  manure.  This  is  his  plan  ; 
He  has  his  tan  wheeled  out  on  a  level  piece  of 
ground,  and  leveled  off  two  or  three  feet  thick. 
Over  this  bespreads  a  layer  of  two  or  three  inches 
oflime,  and  over  that  again  a  strata  of  tan— then 
alayer  oflime,  and  soon.  He  lets  the  bed  so 
prepared  remain  for  two  years  ;  at  the  end  of  that 
time  he  finds  a  bed  of  manure,  the  effects  of  which 
upon  the  land  can  hardly  be  surpassed  by  the  rich- 
ness (jf  its  product,  and  the  durable  fertility  which 
it  imparts. 

Good  Cement.— Take  some  common  lime  and 
mix  It  with  a  quantity  of  tar— just  enough  to  make 
a  tough  dough.  Use  it  quick,  because  ic  becomes 
hard  in  a  few  moments,  and  will  never  soak  or 
crumble.  This  is  a  first-rate  cement  for  the  pur- 
pose of  making  swine  troughs,  fe«d  boxes,  eave- 
troughs  and  many  other  things. 


572 


NEW  ENGLAIND  FARMER. 


Dec. 


MELVILI.E  ISLAND. 

Since  the  absence,  and  we  fear  the  loss  of  the 
bold  navigator  Sir  John  Franklin,  andhisdevoted 
companions,  every  thing  relating  to  the  wonderful 
and  often  terrific  regions  near  the  North  Pole,  is 
full  of  a  sad  interest.  The  Journal  has  collected 
the  paragraph  below  from  the  reports  made  in  re- 
lafion  to  the  ship  Resolute,  which  passed  the  last 
winter  at  this  island 


done  "  that  will  tell,"— that  will  reach  and  influ- 
ence farmers.  There  has  been  talk  enough  already; 
but  few  have  given  it  a  hearing.  Our  agricultur- 
al papers  have  laudably  endeavored  to  excite  an 
interest  upon  this  subject ;  but  few,  comparative- 
ly, have  read  them.  We  have  had  long  talks, 
every  week,  during  the  winter,  in  the  State  House; 
but  the  great  mass  of  the  people  were  not  there 
to  hear  them.  And  those  who  have  addressed  us 
at  our  autumnal  cattle  shows,  have  either  directly 
or  indirectly  recommended   this  subject  to   their 


„.„  Kellet,  of  thel  hearers;  while,  in  fact,   the  great  "mass   of  the 

Re  olute  ;:sS:  fj^^^^X^.  from  whence  people  of  the  several  counties  have  been  at  home 
IS  ere.  fi?st  discovered  the  Investigator  at     her  ^^gg^ng  th.r  pot^^^^^^^^  .    _  .    -. 


eventful  voyage,   one  of  a  group  of  islands  m  the 
Polar  sea  called  the  Georgian  Archipelago.  It  lies 
between  74''  25'  and  75°  50'  north  latitude,  and 
106"^  and  114'^  west  longitude.     It  is  240  miles  in 
lent'th  and  100  broad,  and  its  surface  diversified 
by  hills  and  valleys.     The  climate  is  too  cold  for 
the  growth  of  trees  or  shrubs,  but  in  the  ravines 
and  valleys  grow  various  kinds  of  grass,  moss  and 
sorrels,  which  afford  food  for   the  many  herds  of 
musk  oxen  and  deer  which  frequent  that  region  in 
the   summer  season.     The  musk  ox  is  a  very  ill- 
proportioned  little  animal,  generally  three  or  four 
hundred  pounds  in  weight,  and  is  considered  very 
respectable  eating.     Their  hair  is   so  long  as  to 
reach  nearly  to  the  ground— makiwg  their  legs  ap- 
pear only  two  or  three  inches  in  length.     They 
are  usually  found  in  large  herds.     Besides  the 
above  animals  many  varieties  of  birds  frequent  the 
island  ;  and  Capt.  Perry,  who  explored  the  island 
in  the  spring  of  1820,  mentions  the  fact  that  in 
every  part  over  which  he  traveled,  the  holes  and 
tracks  of  mice  were  seen,  and  several  of  the  Uttle 
animals  were   caught  by  the  party.     Wolves  and 
foxes  remain  there   throughout  the  year,  and  the 
white  bear  of  ttie  north  finds  a  home  amongst  the 
icebergs  and  floes  which   surround  it  at  all  sea- 
soup." 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
FARM  SCHOOLS. 
Mr   Editor  :— Some  time  since,  how  long  ago 
I  do  not  exactly  recollect,  nor  is  it  of  consequence 
to  determine,  I  wrote  for  your  interesting  and  in- 
structive paper  two  brief  articles  on   the  subject 
of  Farm  Schools.     In  those  articles,  I  endeavored 
to  advocate,  as  well  as  I  could  in  so  brief  a  space 
the  plan  proposed  by  Mr.  French,  of  Exeter,  N.  11. 
of  establishing,  in  some  suitable  place,  an  Expert 
mental  Farm  School,  with  all  its  necessary  appur- 
tenances and  accommodations,  in  which  theory  and 
practice  might  be  united,  and  all  the  branches  of 
at^riculture    be    systematically    and     thoroughly 
tauo'ht.     I  also  gave  my  views,    and   the  reasons 
therefor,  against  having  this  instruction  given  in 
conneciion  with  any  of  our  colleges,  academies,  or 
high  schools  on  the   one   hand,  or  our   common 
schools  on  the  other.    Ever  since,  I  have  watched 
carefully  and  considered  well   all   that  has  been 
said  or  done  upon   this   subject ;  and,   as  yet,_  I 
have  seen  no  reason  to  alter  or  modify  my   opin- 
ions. „      ,, 

I  recur  to  this  subject  again,  not  for  the  pur- 
pose of  repeating  what  I  have  heretofore  said,  or  of 
throwing  any  new  or  additional  light  upon  the 
subiect,  but  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  it  before 
the  people,  till  tlfey  shall  be  induced  to  do  some- 
thin».     It  is  time,  high  time,  that  something  were 


It  is  true,  we  have  established  a  Board  of  Agri- 
culture, and  elected,  it  is  said,  a  highly  talented 
and  efficient  Secretary,  who  has  already  addressed 
a  letter  to  every  town  in  the  State,  proposing  cer- 
tain questions  of  the   highest  importance,   to  be 
answered,  in  relation  to  the  present  and  past  state 
of   agriculture   throughout  the    Commonwealth. 
So  far',  all  is  well.     But  it  will  not  do  to  stop  here. 
"  We  must  not  put  our  hands  to   the    plow  and 
lookback."     We  must  look  ahead.     Something 
must  be  done  in  the  right  way,  and  in   the  right 
manner.     As  well  might  the  State  have  establish- 
ed a  Board  of  Education  with  its  Secretary,  with- 
out establishing  Normal  schools  in  which  the  sci- 
ence of  teaching  is  taught,  as  to  establish  a  Board 
of  Agriculture  with  its  Secretary,   without   estab- 
lishing an  experimental  school  in  which  the  science 
of  agriculture  may  be  taught.     Agriculture  is   a 
science,  as  much  as  the  business  of  teaching  ;  and 
students  in  agriculture  should  be  under  the  direc- 
tion of  an  instructor  who  is  at  once  scientifac  a-nd 
practical,— capable  on  the  one  hand  of  directing 
their  studies,  and,  on  the  other,  of  showing  them 
the  best  samples  of  all  kinds  of  farm-work,   done 
by  himself.     A  portion,  at  least,   of  his  lecturer, 
should  be  in  the  open  field,  with  plow,  hoe,  spade, 
or  scythe  in  hand.     He  should  be  able  to  do  any- 
thino-  that  is  to  be  done  on  a  farm,  and   to  give  a 
reason  for  its  being  done   in  the   right  way   and 
manner.     And  he  should  be  an  economist,  capable 
of  showing  how  the  cost   of  production   may  be 
diminished,  and  how  crops  may   be  expended  so 
as  to  give  the  best  return,  both  in  pecuniary  and 
in  fertilizing  value. 

Let  it  not  be  said  that  the  estabhshment  ot  an 
experimental  Farm  School,  on  the  plan  proposed 
by  Mr.  French,  is  a  hazardous  enterprise.  It  will 
be  attended  with  no  more  hazard,  than  was  the 
establishment  of  the  first  Normal  school  ot  the 
State,  which,  at  the  outset,  met  with  strong  op- 
position, and  was  denounced  as  inconsistent  with 
our  republican  institutions,— as  impracticable  and 
visionary  ;  but  as  soon  as  it  was  established,  and 
it  proved  to  be  successful,  Normal  schools  were 
established  in  different  parts  of  the  State,  bo 
will  it  be  with  Farm  Schools. 

John  Goldsbury. 

Warwick,  Oct.  27,  1853. 


Remarks.- This  subject,  again  presented  to  the 
reader  by  our  friend,  is  one  of  importance,  and 
we  hope  will  receive  the  attention  and  careful  con- 
sideration of  each  one  who  reads  his  earnest  ap- 
peal. Something  in  the  way  of  scientific  improve- 
ment among  the  mass  of  our  farmers,  ought  to  be 
done,  more  than  is  now  attempted. 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


573 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 

REFORM  SCHOOL  AT  WSSTBORO'. 

Mr.  Editor: — Your  readers  will  probably  bear 
in  mind  the  remarks  made  in  your  paper  in  rela- 
tion to  the  condition  of  this  institution  in  June 
last.  Having  been  present  at  the  dedication,  this 
day,  of  the  new  apartments  added  to  the  estab- 
lishment, it  is  but  fair  to  state  the  impression,  left 
on  the  mind,  of  its  comparative  condition.  There 
has  been  a  decided  improvement  in  every  thing 
about— both  inside  and  out.  All  the  rooms  ap- 
peared in  the  best  possible  order— cleansed  and 
ventilated.     The  boys  also  appeared  quite  as  well 


EXTRACTS,  REPLIES,  &0. 

W.  C.  S.,  Fayctlemlle,  Vt.  Your  question, — 
"  IIow  much  oyster  shell  lime  is  it  necessary  to 
use  in  composting  a  cord  of  pure  vegetable  muck, 
to  make  it  equal  to  the  same  quantity  composted 
with  one-third  stable  manure?"  cannot  be  defi- 
nitely answered  by  any  process  within  our  knowl- 
edge. For  some  lands,  filled  with  sorrel  for  in- 
stance, a  cord  of  meadow  mud,  that  had  been  dug 
and  exposed  a  year  or  two,  mixed  with  four  or 
five  lushels  of  lime,  would  probably  be  more  use- 
ful than  a  cord  of  stable  manure.     We  should  ad- 


as  could  be  expected  where  so  large  a  number  as  vise  the  use  of  not  less  than  two  bushels  of  lime 
three  hundred  and  seventy  are  together.  The  U^  ^  co^^  ^f  ^ju^j^^  ^^^^  ji,,^^  jf  ^^^  command 
regularity  and  order  of  their  movements  was  quite      ^^  ^^^  ^^^.^^  ^^^^ 

extraordinary;    quite   equal  to   a  well  regulated  ^,     ,.    ,    ri      3    i     .,     /..,-,., 

school.  We  eyed  them  closely  for  the  two  hours  "P0»  t^^e  kind  of  land,  depth  of  the  soil,  the  quan- 
they  were  together,   during  the  dedicatory  exer-  tity  and  kind  of  vegetable  matter  which  the  soil 


cises,  and  did  not  notice  a  single  movement  un- 
worthy the  son  of  a  deacon  at  church.  This,  for 
three  hundred  criminals,  mostly  without  education 
and  manners  when  sent  there,  speaks  well  for  those 
who  have  governed  them.  We  saw  them  also  in 
their  school  rooms,  and  we  did  not  notice  any 
thing  wherein  they  fell  short  of  other  well  ordered 
schools.  We  were  particular  in  noticing  their 
personal  cleanliness,  as  such  marked  exception  was 
so  justly  taken  to  this  in  June,  and  are  free  to  say 
we  saw  no  reason  of  complaint  in  this  particular. 
As  a  whole  we  are  happy  to  bear  testimony  to  the 
present  good  state  of  the  institution,  and  to  the 
fidelity  of  those  who  have  the  charge  of  it.  It  is 
now  fitted  for  the  accommodation  of  five  hundred 
or  more.  We  were  quite  astonished  to  see  so  large 
a  number  of  boys  there,  under  twelve  years  of 
age,  one  third  at  least  being  of  this  description. 
Can  it  be  that  children  of  such  tender  years  are 
fit  subjects  for  judicial  sentence?  In  our  judgment 
magistrates  or  courts  misapprehend  their  duty,  to 
the  Commonwealth,  when  they  undertake  to  re- 
form children  of  such  tender  years  by  the  appli- 
cation of  the  law.  Better  provide  for  them  at 
home  or  send  them  to  school.  "Milk  for  babes — 
meat  for  strong  men."  We  maybe  wrong,  but 
such  are  our  impressions,  with  no  small  parental 
experience. 

We  -were  most  interested  in  looking  at  the  lands 
about  the  farm;  here  no  special  improvement  was 
manifest.  We  understand  that  some  arrangement 
is  in  contemplation,  for  another  season,  whereby 
the  boys  can  be  advantageously  employed  upon 
the  land.  But  this  must  be  under  the  direction 
of  well  instructed  farmers,  so  that  the  boys,  when 


contains,  and  upon  the  species  of  culture  to  which 
it  is  subjected.  In  England,  where  lime  can  be 
obtained  at  a  reasonable  price,  they  apply  to  their 
lands,  on  an  average,  from  7  to  10  bushels  a  year. 

From  a  letter  of  James  II.  Robbrts,  Middlelown, 
Vt.  "  The  potato  rot  is  very  destructive  in  this 
vicinity ;  the  Carter,  the  Leopard  and  French 
Pinkeye  sufier  most.  In  many  fields  they  are  not 
worth  harvesting.  It  is  dry  rot  mostly.  TFg 
Peach-blow,  the  Western-red,  and  the  Culp,  seem 
to  be  exempt. 

Iron  Pears.  We  are  indebted  to  Caleb  Bates, 
Esq.,  of  Hingham,  for  some  fine  specimens  of  this 
fruit. 

Skedling  Pears.  From  Dr.  J.  A.  Shtirtleff, 
Brookline  ;  very  fine  ;  far  more  worthy  of  cultiva- 
tion than  many  with  their  crooked  French  names. 

From  a  letter  dated  San  Francisco,  Sept.  15th, 
1853. 

Mr.  Brown  : — Please  accept  our  thanks  for  the 
package  of  agricultural  documents  per  Adams' 
express,  which  we  shall  take  pleasure  in  placing 
in  the  hands  of  the  parties,  when  they  meet  to- 
gether for  the  purpose  of  forming  an  Agricultural 
Society. 

The  great  fertility  and  extent  of  many  of  our 
[valleys  cannot  fail,  sooner  or  later,  to  place  the 
agricultural  interest  of  our  State  in  a  very  prom- 
inent position.  Vegetables  and  grain  of  almost 
all  kinds,  with  the  exception  of  Indian  corn,  yield 
most  bountifully.     We  feel   confident   that  next 


they  leave  this  institution  at  the  age  of  twenty-  year  the  crop  of  wheat  will  be  nearly  or  quite 
one,  shall  bo  capable  of  taking  charge  of  such  sufficient  to  .supply  the  demands  of  the  State, 
work  themselves.     We  have  said  so  much  upon  Flouring  mills  are  already  being  put  up  in  all  di- 


the  boys  and  the  institution  that  we  have  no  time 
to  speak  of  the  exercises  of  the  day,  other  than  to 


audience. 

what  he  said  did  not  seem  to  me  particularly  ap- 
propriate to  the  place  and  the  occasion. 

Several  gentlemen  spoke  five  minutes  each  very 
much  to  the  point.  Gov.  Clifford  was  not  there. 
Mr.  Washburn  of  Worcester  supplied  his  place 
quite  well.  Judge  Russell  of  Boston  made  very 
happy  remarks,  and  so  did  good  Dea.  Grant. 

Nov.  3,  1853.  Esses. 


rections. 


Yours  very  truly. 


Bryant  &  Co. 


say   that   they  were  attentively  heard  by  a  large"-    .,     Thacher  Friend  of  Alfred   Maine  thinks 

nn^i-pnnA      Mr.  Bauks is  au  eloquent  speaker,  but        ,'  \^^cher  friend,  or   A/jrea,  Maine,  tmnKs 

-  -•-  -j^  .    -  he  has  discovered  a  remedy  for  the  potato  rot,  m 

mulching  the  ground  after  hoeing  with  meadow 
hay,  saw-dust,  or  any  other  light  substance  which 
will  keep  the  ground  moist  and  prevent  the  growth 
of  weeds.  He  says  his  crops  have  not  only  been 
sound,  under  this  process,  but  have  been  nearly 
double  in  quantity.  He  has  made  application  for 
the  State  bounty. 


574 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Deo. 


O.  L.  K.,  Bedford,  N.  /T.— All  fruits  decay  some 
years  much  more  than  in  others.  It  is  sometimes 
difficult  to  keep  the  Baldwin  apple,  for  instance 
until  the  first  of  February,  and  in  the  next  year 
the.same  variety  of  fruit,  may  be  kept  soundly  in 
the  same  cellar  until  April.  Good  cranberries  may 
be  well  preserved  through  the  winter,  by  placing 
them  in  firkins  or  jars  and  filling  them  with  pure 
water,  and  kept  above  the  freezing  point.  We 
have  kept  them  well  in  the  cellar  without  water, 
and  have  just  finished  our  last  year's  supply  kept 
in  this  way.  They  were  good  flavored  and  quite 
sound. 

Levi  Varney,  Bloomfield,  C.  W.  We  cannot 
see  the  advantage  of  inserting  the  prices  of  pro- 
duce in  the  Montreal  market,  in  the  Farmer.  But 
a  few  of  our  readers  would  be  interested  in  it,  and 
such  as  desire  the  information,  can  get  it  much 
fresher  and  more  satisfactory  in  their  own  local 
papers,  than  after  it  has  travelled  to  Boston,  and 
been  transferred  to  our  columns.  If  friend  Varney 
will  help  us  to  increase  our  list  to  some  eight  or 
ten  thousand  subscribers  in  the  vicinity  of  Mon 
treal,  we  shall  be  most  happy  to  keep  them  well 
informed  of  the  prices  of  the  market  commodities 
of  that  city. 

To  Reuben  Daniels,  Woodstock,  Vt.,  about 
Hay  and  Corn  Cutters. — Our  correspondent,  who 
furnished  the  account  of  the  Vermont  State 
Fair,  is  not  a  mechanic,  nor  in  any  way  interested 
in  the  manufacture  or  sale  of  agricultural,  or  any 
other  implements.  If  he  erred  in  supposing  your 
Hay  Cutter  might  be  sold  for  $13,  instead  of  $18, 
it  was  an  error  of  judgment,  and  not  intended 
either  to  injure  the  sale  of  your  article,  upon  which 
he  bestows  so  much  praise,  or  to  benefit  any  one 
else.  No  communication,  with  a  sinister  motive 
such  as  you  suspect,  will  ever  find  its  way  to  these 
columns  with  our  knowledge.     While 

"We  -would  not  flatier  Neptune  for  his  trident," 

we  would  say  nothing  to  disparage  any  man's  la- 
bor, if  that  labor  tends  to  the  common  welfare. 
That  we  shall  never  err,  is  too  much  to  hope  ;  but 
in  common  with  every  just  and  generous  mind, 
shall  be  free  to  correct  as  far  as  possible  as  we  go 
along.  We  wish  you  great  success  in  your  im- 
proved implement. 

G.  S.  M.,  Groveland,  Mass. — While  we  thank 
■  you  for  your  attentions,  we  must  decline  publish- 
ing your  poetical  effusion.  Read  Addison's  Spec- 
tator, Webster's  State  Papers,  write  good  vigor- 
ous prose,  and  you  will  then  be  in  the  way  of 
making  yourself  useful  with  the  pen. 

Mr.  Editor. — Will  you  inform  me  of  the  best 
mode  to  destroy  the  Canada  thistle,  and  also  the 
best  time  to  sow  plaster  on  pasture  lands  ? 

A  Subscriber. 

Acton,  Nov.,  1853.. 

Remarks. — By  an  excellent  regulation  in  France, 
n    er  may  sue  his  neighbor  who  neglects  to  cut 


or  root  up  the  thistles  on  his  land  at  the  proper 
seasons,  or  may  employ  people  to  do  it  at  the 
other's  expense.  We  need  some  regulation  of  the 
kind  here.  The  plant  is  furnished  with  winged 
downy  seeds,  so  that  they  are  capable  of  being 
multiplied  and  carried  almost  to  any  distance. 
The  farm,  and  road-side,  should  be  purged  of  this 
and  all  other,  weeds,  as  carefully  as  vermin  are 
destroyed  from  the  domestic  animals.  One  infest- 
ed herd  may  infect  a  whole  neighborhood  ;  so  the 
neglect  of  one  farmer  to  eradicate  the  noxious 
weeds  on  his  premises,  may  be  the  means  of  cov- 
ering large  tracts  with  them.  In  this  case,  he 
not  only  suffers  himself,  but  inflicts  an  actual  in- 
jury upon  those  who,  perhaps,  have  done  all  in 
their  power  to  avert  the  evil. 

The  first  thing,  then,  to  be  done,  is  to  destroy 
them  at  their  first  appearance.  A  great  many 
devices  have  been  resorted  to  for  their  destruction 
after  they  have  become  thickly  planted.  Mowing, 
digging,  salting,  burning  and  machines,  have  been 
resorted  to,  to  extirpate  them.  The  legislature  of 
New  Hampshire,  many  years  ago,  offered  a  pre- 
mium for  some  certain  mode  of  destroying  them. 
But  the  most  effectual  method,  in  this  case,  hap- 
pens to  be  an  easy  one.  Low  and  frequent  cut- 
ting down  in  summer  about  the  blooming  period, 
will  destroy  them,  however  tenacious  of  life  they 
may  be.  Plants  cannot  live  without  their  lungs 
much  better  than  we  can,  and  if  you  follow  up, 
faithfully,  the  plan  of  cutting  them  down  often, 
and  allowing  none  to  go  to  seed,  you  will  be  victo- 
rious. 

Sow  plaster  on  your  pasture  land  in  the  spring  ; 
in  the  morning  when  there  is  a  heavy  dew,  or 
during  a  gentle  April  shower. 

John  S.  Taggart,  of  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  wants 
slips  of  the  basket  willow  to  plant  three  acres. 
Who  has  them? 

A  GOOD  yield. — A  correspondent  says  Mr.  Hen- 
ry A.  Barnes,  of  Ashjield,  raised  85  bushels  of 
corn  on  158  rods  of  ground. 


For  the  New  England  Farmer. 
SUBDIVISION    OF    LANDS   AND   FENC- 
ING. 

This  subject  presents  itself  in  two  points  of 
view — first,  the  actual  division  of  lands  on  our 
farms;  second,  the  best  mode  of  dividing  them. — 
Any  one,  who  glances  his  eye  over  our  New  Eng- 
iand  farms,  will  perceive  that  these  have  general- 
ly been  the  result  of  accjWen/a/  causes.  To  illus- 
trate the  advantages  to  accrue  from  judicious  sub- 
divisions of  lands,  let  us  suppose  the  cultivable 
lands  of  the  farm  to  be  60  acres— in  the  form  of  a 
parallelogram,  60  by  160  rods— the  60  rods  being 
on  the  line  of  the  highway  and  extending  in  to  60 
rods  of  the  shore  of  the  sea,  or  the  meadow  or  the 
pond  as  the  case  may  be.  On  such  a  lot,  how 
shall  the  buildings  be  placed,  and  the  grounds  di- 
vided, to  be  cultivated  to  the  best  advantage? 
Under  ordinary  management,  the  proprietor  would 


1853. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


erect  a  house  and  barn  near  the  highway,  to  save 
travel  in  going  from  home.  Such  a  location  of 
buildings  tor  farming  purposcs.wonld  be  a  decided 
error.  It  would  involve  much  travel  and  labor, 
that  would  be  saved  by  setting  the  buildings  near- 
ly in  the  centre,  and  laying  out  a  path  from  the 
highway  to  the  same,  which  path  should  be  de- 
fined and  made  beautiful  by  a  hedge  on  either 
side,  which  in  half  a  dozen  years,  would  so  grow 
as  to  be  a  security  and  an  ornament  to  the  adjoin- 
ing fields.  About  the  buildings  let  there  be  so 
much  land  fenced  off  for  yards  and  garden,  as 
may  be  necessary  for  all  flxraiing  purposes  ;  always 
providing  ample  accommodations  for  the  prepara- 
tion and  preservation  of  manures, — it  being  under- 
stood that  the  shore  on  which  the  farm  borders,  or 
the  meadows  and  swamps  in  the  vicinity,  will  al- 
ways afford  an  abundance  of  material  to  be  used 
for  this  purpose.  I  would  have  a  permanent  fence 
as  the  farm  borders  on  the  highway  and  against  ad- 
joining owners — but  no  other  permanent  fence  on 
the  farm.  The  division  of  lands  into  small  lots, 
with  permanent  fences  Detween,is  a  waste  of  labor, 
and  a  cause  of  great  embai'rassments  in  cultiva- 
tion. All  the  subdivision  into  lots  can  be  made  by 
temporary  and  moveable  fences,  that  need  remain 
in  the  same  position  only  a  few  years.  The  suppo- 
sition is,  that  the  entire  GO  acres  will  be  used  for 
orcharding  or  the  cultivation  ef  crops — and  when 
used  for  the  feeding  of  stock,  that  such  use  will 
only  be  occasional,  as  may  be  convenient. 

The  kind  of  divisional  fence,  will  depend  upon 
circumstances — if  in  a  situation  where  material  of 
wood,  can  conveniently  and  reasonably  be  com- 
manded,— such  fences  will  be  most  economical. 
It  can  never  be  good  economy  to  lay  out  more  mon- 
ey in  the  subdivision  of  lands  into  lots  by  heavy 
and  expensive  walls,  (as  I  have  sometimes  known 
to  be  done)  than  the  lots  will  be  worth  when  the 
walls  are  built.  Take  for  instance,  land  purchased 
at  $50  per  acre,  and  fence  it  into  lots  of  two  acres 
each  ;  this  will  require  at  least,  80  rods  fencing  ex- 
tra to  each  lot,  which  cannot  be  permanently 
built  at  a  cost  less  than  the  cost  of  the  land.  Can 
such  an  expenditure  be  deemed  good  economy — 
where  all  the  benefits  to  be  derived  from  fencing, 
can  be  had  at  one-quarter  of  this  expense  ? 
I  speak  of  that  mode  of  farm  management,  which 
will  sustain  itself  where  the  proprietor  starts  in  the 
world  at  the  age  of  21,  with  nothing  but  his  own 
labor  to  secure  his  farm  as  do  most  of  the  yeoman- 
ry of  New  England.  For,  if  the  father  has  any 
surplus  means,  after  educating  his  sons,  and  teach- 
ing them  how  to  get  a  living,  he  had  better  lay  it 
away  for  aivet  day — or  appropriate  it  to  fitting  out 
his  daughters,  so  that  they  may  be  comfortable, 
without  being  dependent ;  and  let  the  sons  run  for 
luck  on  their  own  responsibility. 

Contrast  the  benefits  to  accrue  in  the  manage- 
ment of  a  farm,  situate  as  we  have  supposed, 
where  the  barns  and  manure  yards  are  in  the  cen- 
tre, and  the  average  distance  of  conveyance  of  the 
fertilizing  materials,  and  the  produce  will  not  ex- 
ceed 40  rods,  or  one  eighth  of  a  mile  ;  and  com- 
pare it  with  those  farms  where  it  will  be  four 
times  as  much,  or  at  least,  one-half  a  mile.  Sup- 
pose 300  loads  of  manure,to  be  distributed  annually 
on  the  land  ;  (and  cultivation  cannot  be  advanta- 
geously carried  on  with  less  than  this,)  here,  tak- 
ing into  view,  the  collecting  of  the  materials  for 
the  manure,   one  half  of  the  whole  labor  will  be 


saved — which  cannot  be  estimated  less  than  25 
cents  a  load,  amounting  to  $75.  In  gathering  the 
produce,  there  will  be  saved  also  $25.  In  going  to 
and  from  their  labor,  each  laborer  will  save  half  an 
hour  each  day — which  will  amount  to  $50  more — 
so  that  in  this  way  alone,  it  is  easy  to  show  a  sav- 
ing oa  the  farm  of  $150  annually.  These  supposi- 
tions are  not  entirely  imaginary.  On  the  farms  on 
which  I  labored  while  young,  half-a-dozen  years, 
were  the  disadvantages  last  described.  On  the 
farm  of  Erastus  Ware,  of  Marblehead,  are  the  ad- 
vantages first  described.  When  Mr.  Ware,  about 
20  years  since,  erected  his  buildings  in  the  centre 
of  his  land,  away  from  the  road,  I  was  astonished 
at  his  taste — it  being  so  different  from  what  was 
generally  practised.  But  subsequent  observation 
and  reflection  have  confirmed  the  wisdom  of  his 
movement.  I  am  now  convinced  that  many  a  far- 
mer loses,  at  least  one-half  of  the  nett  income  he 
might  command,  by  want  of  good  judgment,  and 
proper  calculation  m  the  division  and  fencing  of 
his  lands.  I  intended  to  have  added  a  fewremarks 
upon  the  economy  in  the  use  of  portable  ivire  fences 
in  the  subdivision  of  fields — but  must  defer  to  a 
more  convenient  season.  j.  w.  p. 

i\W.,1853. 

WORTH    KNOWING— BURNS. 

Some  of  the  papers  have  had  a  paragraph  re- 
commending the  use  of  tvheat  four  in  the  case  of 
scalds  or  burns.  A  gentleman  at  Dayton  writes 
that  he  tested  it  to  his  satisfaction.     He  says  : — 

While  at  the  supper  table,  a  little  child  which 
was  seated  in  its  mother's  lap,  suddenly  grasped 
hold  of  a  cup  of  hot  tea,  severely  scalding  its  left 
hand  and  arm.  I  immediately  brought  a  pan  of 
flour  and  plunged  the  arm  into  it,  covering  en- 
tirely the  parts  scalded  with  the  flour.  The  effect 
was  truly  remarkable — the  pain  was  gone  instant- 
ly. I  then  bandaged  the  arm  loosely,  applying 
plenty  of  flour  next  to  the  skin,  and  on  the  follow- 
ing morning  there  was  not  the  least  sign  that  the 
arm  had  been  scalded-»-neither  did  the  child  suffer 
the  least  pain  after  the  application  of  the  flour. 

Reader,  do  you  bear  this  little  fact  in  mind,  if  a 
similar  occasion  offers. 


Remarks. — We  have  ourselves  experienced  the 
soothing  effects  of  wheat  flour  years  since.  A 
watery  rash  broke  out  under  the  arm,  the  effect 
of  heat  and  sweat  in  the  field,  and  having  nothing 
else  at  hand  we  rubbed  on  some  dry  flour.  It  al- 
leviated the  pain  at  once,  and  as  we  think  was  the 
cause  of  its  healing,  as  it  did  speedily.  We  can 
readily  perceive  after  this  persnal  trial  of  its  vir- 
tues that  the  above  statehient  of  the  Dayton  gen- 
tleman is  not  an  exaggeration. —  Ohio  Farmer. 


To  Propagate  Red  Cedar  and  Spruce. — The 
berries  of  the  red  cedar,  when  gathered,  must  be 
buried  in  light  earth.  If  sown  the  same  season 
they  are  gathered,  they  lie  a  whole  year  in  the 
ground  before  vegetating.  The  spruce  seeds  grows 
the  first  season.  Dry  the  cones  until  the  seed 
comes  out ;  sow  early  in  the  spring  in  a  dry  bor- 
der of  light  soil,  or  in  boxes  ;  shade  in  the  middle 
of  the  day,  when  the  plants  are  coming  through 
the  ground,  and  until  they  begin  to  make  a  sec- 
ond growth,  when  they  will  be  hard  enough  neith- 
er to  burn  or  damp  off  easily.  So  directs  the 
Horticulturist, 


576 


NEW  ENGLAND  FARMER. 


Dec 


A  NUMBER  ONE  FENOS. 

The  following  description  of  a  fence  has  been 
furnished  by  our  friend  Dr.  Charles  Jewett,  of 
Millbury,  Mass.,  and  we  doubt  not  will  afford  valu- 
able suggestions  to  many  who  have  plenty  of  tim- 
ber and  need  a  large  amount  of  fence.     He  says : — 

Passing  recently  through  the  eastern  part  of 
Maine,  I  could  not  but  admire  the  excellent  char- 
acter of  their  fences,  not  only  on  account  of  the 
durability  of  the  materials,  but  the  skill  and  in- 
genuity manifested  in  the  construction.  Cedar  is 
the  principal,  I  might  almost  say  the  only,  mate- 
rial employed  for  permanent  fences.  The  cus- 
tomary length  of  rails,  or  poles,  is  sixteen  feet, 
and  the  most  approved  manner  of  constructing 
fences,  is  that  illustrated  in  the  cut  above. 

The  usual  length  of  the  block  at  the  bottom  is 
three  and  a  half  feet,  and  the  flat  surface,  if  it  be 
a  split  stick,  is  turned  toward  the  ground.  The 
holes  bored  into  it  for  the  reception  of  the  stakes, 
are  made  with  a  two  and  a  half  inch  auger.  Stakes 
about  five  feet  long  are  placed  in  the  block,  about 
sixteen  inches  apart,  though  the  space  between 
them  is  varied  to  adapt  it  to  the  size  of  the  poles. 

A  supporting  frame  for  each  joint  in  the  fence 
may  be  prepared  within  doors,  in  foul  weather, 
if  the  materials  be  housed  or  placed  within  reach, 
and  the  time  required  to  erect  your  fence  upon  the 
field  will  thus  be  much  lessened.  The  stakes 
should  be  driven  into  the  bottom  block,  or  base,  as 
firmly  as  may  be  done  without  danger  of  spliting 
it.  Water  will  thus  be  Ifept  out  of  the  joint,  and 
the  danger  of  decay  consequently  lessened. 

The  cut  will  suggest  the  manner  of  putting  on 
the  cap  or  tie  at  the  top.  The  frames  for  the 
joints,  being  thus  completed,  are  placed  along 
the  line  and  receive  the  poles  successively,  the  ends 
of  the  poles  being  passed  by  each  other  within  the 
stakes,  to  the  distance  of  about  one  foot.  Should 
the  poles  vary  much  in  size  where  they  lap,  the 
largest  may  be  chipped  down  to  receive  the  cross- 
block  to  the  size  or  thickness  of  the  smaller  pole, 
or,  as  is  sometimes  done,  a  small  stick  of  the  same 
material,  or  a  flat  stone  maybe  laid  on  the  smaller 
*o  secure  a  level  with  the  larger  pole.     (>ross 


blocks  sawed  from  the  same  material  as  the  rails, 
are  placed  as  seen  in  the  cut,  between  every  pair  of 
rails,  and  four  or  five  rails,  according  to  their  size, 
gives  your  fence  a  proper  elevation.  A  fence  thus 
constructed  of  cedar  poles,  of  good  size,  with  other 
parts  in  proportion,  is  a  fixed  fact  for  a  quarter  of 
a  century,  and  then  reset,  with  iiew  stakes  only, 
it  will  serve  you  for  another  period  of  twenty-five 
years.  It  occupies  less  room  than  the  crooked 
fence,  is  not  subject  to  injury  or  displacement  by 
the  heaving  of  the  earth  by  frost  in  winter,  like 
fences  having  posts  fixed  in  the  ground,  and  in  the 
opinion  of  your  humble  servant,  it  constitutes  one 
of  the  handsomest  field  fences  ever  yet  construct- 
ed; and  if  you  take  into  consideration  its  durabili- 
ty and  exemption  from  the  trouble  and  expense  of 
frequent  repairs,  I  think  it  must  be  one  of  the 
cheapest  fences  also  ever  yet  constructed.  Maine 
can  furnish  a  sufiicient  amount  of  cedar  poles  to 
put  a  five  rail  fence  around  the  New  England  states 
and  on  all  the  boundary  lines  between  them.  Good 
cedar  poles  do  not  vol,  though  in  the  lapse  of  cen- 
turies they  may  wear  out  from  the  pattering  of 
the  rain  drops  and  friction  if  frequently  moved. 
Straight  chestnut  poles  with  the  other  parts  of  the 
same  material,  would  make  an  excellent  fence  I 
have  no  doubt  if  constructed  in  the  way  I  have 
described  and  illustrated  in  the  cut,  although  it 
would  not  be  so  durable  as  a  cedar  fence. 


Correction. — The  remarks  in  our  last  paper 
upon  Mr.  Pierce's  article  in  relation  to  what  he 
raised  on  1  1-4  acre,  contained  an  error  or  two 
which  we  hasten  to  correct.  It  should  have 
read  : — "The  Canada  corn  will  make  a  bushel  and 
two  quarts  of  shelled  corn  to  every  two  baskets  of 
ears,  making  a  little  more  than  106  bushels, 
worth,  this  year,  say. 

Corn,  108  bushels •. 8106,00 

Potatoes,  25  do •12,25 

Beans,  15  do 22,.50 

Pumpkins,  7  loads 7,00 

$147,75    ■ 

Is  not  that  a  good  deal  better  than  to  half  work 
4  1-2  acres  in  order  to  get  20  bushels  of  corn 
per  acre  onlyl  Will  not  many  farmers  experi- 
ment next  spring  upon  half  an  acre,  and  satisfy 
themselves  whether  high  cultivation  is  not  the 
most  profitable  ^ 

CoiniiTTBE  Reports.— Gentlemen  who  acted  on 
Committees  at  the  late  Show  in  Middlesex  county, 
and  whose  duty  it  was  to  make  Reports,  are  re- 
quested to  send  them  to  the  Secretary  at  Concord, 
or  at  this  office,  Quincy  Hall,  Boston. 

In  consequence  of  an  alteration  in  the  law,  all 
Societies  who  wish  to  secure  the  State  bounty, 
must  make  their  returns  on  or  before  the  Tenth 
of  December,  1853.  It  becomes  necessary,  there 
fore,  that  all  returns  be  made  immediately. 


i 


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