house. MARYLAND OYSTER TRADE. lowing day. They are very fond of it, thrive well on it and leave a clean manger. With a single According to the Baltimore American, the proexception they are good beef. They give as much duct of the oyster trade of the city is equal to or milk as they would on good June feed. I think I greater than the product of all the wheat and corn shall save about one-fourth my usual winter's feed. raised in the State of Maryland. The whole shores I am assured it will be objected that there is too of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries are much work in this. I think, Mr. Editor, I can do adapted to the growth of the oyster, and as but the extra work in this arrangement, while my one year is required for their full growth, an imneighbor on the one hand is smoking his half doz- mense profit accrues to those engaged in the busien short sixes, or the one on the other is hearing ness-a profit which is estimated at some three and retailing the neighborhood news at the public hundred to six hundred per cent. There are 250 Yours &c., DAVID ALDEN. vessels engaged in the business, which average Southboro', Feb., 1854. about 900 bushels to the cargo, and require nine or ten days for the trip. These vessels, making REMARKS.-We are much obliged to our corres- in the aggregate 6,000 trips during the eight pondent for the above account of his practice in months in the year in which they are engaged, feeding stock. We see no sort of objection to it, give a total of 4,800,000 bushels per year sold in but on the contrary believe that, after paying in- the Baltimore market. The oysters bring an averterest and wear and tear of fixture, the cost of fuel age price of 50 cents per bushel, which gives a grand total of $2,400,000 per year paid for oysfor boiling the water, and the extra labor, you will ters by the dealers in the city. Some of the hous save more than sufficient fodder to pay expenses, es send by the Baltimore and Ohio and Baltimore to say nothing of the greater quantity of milk you and Susquehanna railroad, to say nothing of the will be likely to get, and the better condition in other modes of transportation, from eight to twelve tons of "canned" oysters per day. The shells are which you will keep the stock. carried for manure to all parts of Virginia and North Carolina. In the "shocking" of oysters, the shells will increase about one-fourth, which would give a total of about 6,000,000 bushels of shells, which sell for two cents per bushel, making return of $100,000 per year for the shells alone. BUTTER-MAKING. HOW TO SUBDUE A VICIOUS HORSE. On looking over some old papers the other day, we came across the following, which, if true, is worth knowing. It seems that a fruitless effort a was being made in a blacksmith shop to shoe a vicious horse, which resisted all efforts, kicking aside every thing but an anvil, and came near killing himself against that, when by mere accident, Miss Emily says in the Ohio Cultivator, “I have an officer returned from Mexico was passing, and for several years had the entire care of the milk being made acquainted with the difficulty, applied department in my father's famil'y. I therefore a complete remedy by the following simple process: read with great interest whatever relates to makHe took a cord about the size of a bed-cord, put ing butter and cheese, and I found much that was it in the mouth of the horse like a bit and tied it different from what I had been in the habit of tightly on the top of the animal's head, passing his practising. One case of this kind, was directions left ear under the string, not painfully tight, but for making butter in winter, according to the Rustight enough to keep the ear down and the cord sian method, by which, it was said, butter could in its place. This done, he patted the horse gently be made with as little churning in winter as in on the side of the head, and commanded him to summer. So I set about trying the experiment, follow, and instantly the horse obeyed, perfectly and the result exceeded my expectations. Before subdued, and as gentle and obedient as a well-train- I go to milk I put a kettle, say one-third full of ed dog; suffering his feet to be lifted with entire water, and large enough to set the milk pail in it, impunity, and acting in all respects like an old on the stove, where it will get boiling hot by the stager. The simple string, thus tied, had made time I come in with the milk. him at once as docile and obedient as any one could Then strain the milk into another vessel, and desire. The gentleman who thus furnished this wash the pail (which should be tin,) then pour the exceedingly simple means of subduing a very dan-milk back into the pail, and set it into the kettle gerous propensity, intimated that it is practised of boiling water, until the milk becomes scalding in Mexico and South America in the management hot, taking care not to let it boil, then pour it inof wild horses. Be this as it may, he deserves the to crocks or pans, and set it in the cellar for the thanks of all owners of such horses, and especial- cream to rise in the usual way. Cream procured ly the thanks of those whose business it may be to in this way will seldom require twenty minutes to shoe or groom the animals.--The Plough, the Loom, churn, while by the common practice, the poor and Anvil. CORRECTION.-On referring to the Transactions of the Hampshire County Agricultural Society, we find the statements of Messrs. Moses STEBBINS, AUSTIN SMITH & SONS, and SAMUEL POWERS, in relation to the management of their farms. In our weekly paper of the 21st January, we gave a portion of these statements, under the caption, "Franklin Co. Premiums." It should have been, HAMPSHIRE COUNTY PREMIUMS. dairy-maid may often churn for hours, and then The process given above will answer in summer as well as in winter. fered a prize of 1,000 francs for the best treatise The Society of Industry, in France, has ofon the potato. BATCHELDER'S CORN PLANTER. the country immediately after shearing, when they bought freely. A considerable portion of the clip By permission of Messrs. Ruggles, Nourse, Ma- has been sold at high rates before shearing, which son & Co., we are allowed to use the engraving of with the exorbitant prices asked for the wool left this Planter from their copyright catalogue, and in the hands of farmers, prevented dealers getting the following explanation of its capacity for work. their usual supply. The wool still remaining in It says: "This is one of the best machines yet inthe country is held several cents above the prices at which it is selling in the market, and it is supvented for planting corn. The seed is put into the posed manufacturers will be compelled to turn hopper above the beam, and as the horse moves their attention to the country for their supply bealong, the share below opens the furrow; the fore the next clip will be ready for market.-Boscorn is then dropped by arms moving horizontally. ton Courier. These arms have holes in them of a proper size to receive any required number of grains, and as they pass in and out of the hopper, the holes are sure to be filled with the seed, which as surely The following remarks of Dr. REYNOLDS, were drops into a tube conducting it to the bottom of accidentally omitted in our report of this club last the drill made by the share, which is so formed week: THE CONCORD FARMER'S CLUB. HOW TO RAISE CORN PROFITABLY. that it passes under the surface at any required Dr. REYNOLDS said that the best field of corn depth, and deposits the grain without turning over he had ever seen, was raised in the following way. the earth. A triangular iron follows to remove firm. 16 loads of good manure from the barnThe soil was good. The sward was thick and all lumps and stones, and a roller to compress the yard were spread on the grass. The furrow was earth over the seed. The dropping of the seed is turned flat and smooth. Then it was harrowed always visible to the operator, and thus ensures and furrowed, without disturbing the furrow his work being perfectly well done. The arms are slice; 8 loads of manure were put in the furrow. made to drop the corn nearer or farther apart, by inches. The rows were the usual distances from It was planted in drills, one kernel every ten different sized cog-wheels fastened on the crank, each other. This field yielded a hundred and five moving the arms quicker or slower as required; bushels. The corn was the 12 rowed. He is disfive changes can be made. Those usually made posed to think this one of the best methods of drop from two feet to four feet apart, as wished. planting corn upon land that has been mowed sevThe machine requires a horse or mule to draw it, and in a dry season they find moisture. The ameral years. The roots strike through the sod, and with a person to tend it and drive, will plant monia generated from the decomposition of the 12 to 14 acres per day, according to the width of manure is retained by the sod for the use of the the rows apart. roots. The Dr. said the enemy which the corn has to WOOL. The close of the year leaves a light fear most in New England, is the drought. There stock of domestic pulled and fleece wool on the are three means by which we may guard against market, but with what still remains in the coun- this to some extent. The first is the method of try it is supposed to be sufficient to supply the cultivation indicated above, for grass land. The wants of manufacturers till the new is ready for second, is on stubble land, deep plowing. If the sale. The apprehended scarcity towards the close soil is loosened deeply, the roots will penetrate it of last season induced manufacturers to go into till they find moisture. If there is no other ben efit from deep plowing, this is a sufficient reason Great Britain rely mainly on root crops in rearing for it. Third. Frequent stirring of the surface stock for the shambles. Their grazing, too, is soil-whatever of potash or soda or lime or amsuperior to ours, for the same reason, of difference monia there may be in the soil, is thus exposed to the air. These salts have a strong affinity for in climate. MR. SPRAGUE considered turnips the best vegewater, and they absorb the dew in large quantities and it is carried by capillary attraction down table for fattening. He once remarked to the late into the soil, and the rootlets soon manifest the Mr. WEBSTER, that farmers in his vicinity said consciousness of its presence, by the improved as-salt hay and turnips would not fatten cattle, and pect of the plant. These three means, to which Mr. WEBSTER replied, "what can I do to fatten may be added early planting, will generally secure my cattle without turnips?" He placed a high our corn crop from serious injury from drought. SIXTH AGRICULTURAL MEETING, AT THE STATE HOUSE, TUESDAY EVENING, FEB. 21. estimate on them. Mr. SPRAGUE related some experience of his own in fattening stock on salt hay and turnips. He has a pair of steers, which were in common "running order," as it is termed, SUBJECT-Vegetable Products, such as Carrots, which he fed on salt hay, with one bushel of turBeets and Turuips,—their value as feed for Stock nips per day, for four months. They were weighed compared with English Hay and Corn. after three or four weeks, and he was surprised to Mr. PROCTOR, of Danvers, called the meeting to find that they had lost weight; but he kept up his order, and on motion of Mr. HOWARD, of Boston, feed of salt hay and turnips until the last week was appointed chairman for the evening. of the four months, when they were fed on En Mr. PROCTOR, after a few appropriate prelimin-glish hay and meal-at the expiration of this pe ary remarks, proceeded to comment on the sub-riod they were sold to the butcher. Some of their ject for discussion. If the question were asked, meat was brought to him, and proved of excellent he said, "what is the value of a ton of carrots quality-as fat as would be desired. Mr. S. said for the feed of stock, compared with that of a ton he had raised 407 bushels of beets on a quarter of of hay?" it might be answered, that if anything an acre of land, and 300 bushels of carrots on the can be learned from the price carrots usually bring same extent of ground; but these were very large in the market, it would be about half the value. crops. Roots, fed out in the winter, operate someThat is, when hay commands $16 a ton, carrots thing like green food, but with better effect. bring $8, and so proportionately. But if it is Mr. M. M. FISKE, of Framingham, inquired of asked what is the effect of feeding carrots to milch Mr. SPRAGUE what the condition of his land was cows, one person will say that they greatly in- after producing those large crops of turnips. crease the quantity and improve the quality of Mr. SPRAGUE said he could not answer the questhe milk, while another will declare that they do tion, but did not consider the land any worse off neither, but improve the general condition of the than after any other crop. He did not think root animal. Well defined experiments of this kind crops more exhausting than others. Last year he of feeding are much needed. Messrs. LINCOLN and saw fifty bushels of corn per acre raised on Mr. DODGE, of Worcester, in the pursuit of such ex-WEBSTER's land where turnips had been raised the periments, have found a favorable estimate of the year before. Turnips are 85 per cent. water, with value of carrots. Mr. PORTER, of Bradford, has a broad spreading leaf, and he did not think such come to a different conclusion. Mr. COLMAN a plant could draw very hard upon the soil. thought highly of their value, and strongly re- Mr. FISKE said that he had once been quite encommended their cultivation. He cites many ex-thusiastic in regard to root crops, but after reamples to show their value-particularly as feed peated experiments, had come to the conclusion for horses. More than double the quantity of nu- that if he wished to raise any other crops, he tritive matter can be obtained from an acre of must give up raising turnips. He thought they carrots, than almost any other crops;-it there- impoverished the soil. He had tried feeding turnfore is an object to grow them. Experience has ips to a couple of cows-a peck a day to each. shown them to be as certain, as almost any other One of them fatted rapidly, while the other grew lean, but both gave an increased quantity of milk. Mr. SPRAGUE, of Duxbury, said that some of the He did not know how to account for the differbest agriculturists in Plymouth County say they ence in flesh of the two, but thought it must be cannot raise carrots, turnips, &c., with benefit; that turnips did not always agree with animals. they think turnips do not fatten cattle. Reference Mr. TowER, President of the Berkshire County is often made to the success which attends culti- Agricultural Society, said he had had some expevation of vegetables in England, but he thought rience, and had taken a great deal of pains to init was no criterion for the American farmer. The form himself in regard to this subject, within the English climate, being moist, is peculiarly fitted last ten years. We cannot expect a good crop of for raising turnips, while ours is unfavorable on any kind unless the land is rich; nor of carrots account of its dryness and heat. The farmers of unless the land is plowed deep or spaded deep and crop. is loose. Alluding to the idea expressed by Mr. and the nine following years it was mowed. Last FISKE, that turnips impoverished the land, he re- year he raised 44 bushels of corn to the acre from marked that he believed it was not best to put the it without manure, plowing 12 inches, the corn same crop on the land every year, as there are being planted on the turf which was turned well certain qualities which that crop requires in the under the soil, the corn being hoed but once. The soil which may become exhausted by this continu- soil was light and sandy, and although so hot al draft upon them. The best crops are seen usual- during the summer as to send the heat through ly on sward land, well manured. The best meth- the shoes, the corn did not yield to heat. He had od for obtaining a good crop of ruta baga is to sow also raised an extraordinary crop of buckwheat immediately after getting in the other crops-no without mauure, and believed good crops could matter if in the middle of May. If the crop fails be raised on any fair land without manure by it may be sown again, and the farmer may be sure plowing deep. He obtained a grand crop of beans of getting a good crop. A gentleman of his ac- from land which had not been manured fer twenty quaintance last year sowed his seed rather late, years. and the fly or something destroyed it, and he lost Mr. COPELAND, of Roxbury, thought a good his crop. Experiments in root culture often fail deal was to be gained by attending to what was from not selecting good land. done abroad. What makes the root crop valuable In regard to feeding carrots to cattle, Mr. to England, it has been said, is the climate. Still TOWER said his experience led him to consider them they raise other crops there equally well, as Indian very good, particularly for cows in winter, when corn, &c., not needing moisture; and if we can they are confined to dry food. For the last 15 raise their other crops, in this country, we can years, he had fed his cows either with carrots or raise the root crops. He would venture to say that ruta-baga turnips, and he thought the turnips pro- a very large portion of the most profitable kinds duced the most milk. Well cleaned ruta bagas of farming is entirely unknown to the farmers of will make as much milk, pound for pound, as po- this State. Farming is of three kinds-market, tatoes. He said he had never seen a good milker, milk, and stock farming. Market farmers grow when producing milk in abundance, but what the crops which pay the best, and just as long as would lose flesh, though she might be in good they can get one dollar per bushel for ruta bagas heart. When cows give little milk, they gener- they will not grow corn by the acre. Milk farmally increase in flesh. He had tried feeding his ing embraces butter and cheese, and any crop cows for ten weeks on carrots, three pecks per which tends to increase the quantity and quality day, fed twice a day, and then two weeks with of these it is very desirable to grow; the root ruta-bagas, but could not perceive any difference in crop he believed produced this result. the quantity of milk, while the animals relished Mr. COPELAND enforced the utility of farmers both equally well. In his opinion they did not keeping an accurate account of what each crop eat more than half the usual amount of fodder, he raised costs him, and what he got for it, for when supplied with roots. He considered turnips by comparing the results of the different crops he a very profitable crop to raise, if the ground is could readily decide which was the most profitaadapted to their cultivation. For fattening cattle, ble. In this connection, he presented some intera gentleman who had tried them, told him that esting calculations, illustrating this fact. He had he had satisfied himself that rutabagas would ascertained on inquiry that where a man fed out make beef as fast as anything else. Another per- to his cow a peck of turnips daily, the yield was son whom he knew, also preferred them for fat-one quarter more per day for six months, while tening sheep. she was fed one quart of meal less than previously. Mr. OLIVER M. WHIPPLE, of Lowell, made Assuming that the cow gave six quarts per day some remarks on farming in general, and advo- previously, the comparative value of turnips and cated deep plowing with much confidence. He corn may be stated as follows ;— believed that the effects of dry weather could easi-6 mes. 180 days, 6 qts. milk per day, 1080 qts., at 5 cts. ly he obviated by plowing deep. He had plowed 6 mos. 180 days, 1 qt. milk per day, 180 qts., at 5 cts. 12 inches deep for the last dozen years, and had 6 mos. 180 days, 1 qt. of meal less per day, 180 qts., at 3 always as good crops of grass and corn as any cts. per qt.. other man. One advantage of deep plowing is per qt.. per qt. that it protects the manure, which is otherwise This is 1 qt. in 6, 1 in 4 gives additional...... exposed to the sun and evaporated, while the turf .$54,00 .$9,00 .$5,40 $14,40 ..5,40 $18,90 is also deteriorated. Take the grass land and From the above increase in the value of the turn it 12 inches, and the turf becomes part of milk of the cow, it appears that the turnips, (180 the manure. He had a field which was plowed pecks or 45 bushels,) sold for 32 cents per bushel. 12 inches and manured heavily. The first year corn was grown up it, the next rye, the third year as much grass as could be made on the ground, Profit....... 500 bushels turnips at 32 cents per bu.... 500 bushels turnips cost 12 cents per bu........... .$160,00 ...60,00 .$100,00 It costs no more to raise 700 bushels per acre of turnips or carrots than 500, while the profits will be greatly increased. For fatting stock he considered 8 bushels turnips equal to 1 bushel of corn, the former being worth 96 cents and the latter $1,03 or $1,05, while the turnips, being softer and moister, will give the meat a better flavor, as is the case with English mutton, and instead of being "a streak of fat and a streak of lean," as we call it, will be mingled throughout. The cultivation of turnips may be greatly cheapened, and made less laborious by using a seed sower. THE LABORER AND THE WARRIOR. BY EPES SARGENT. The camp has had its day of song ; The sword, the bayonet, the plume, Are freedom's heroes bred alone More heroes true than war has known. In blood before his blow of might; Let labor then look up and see His craft no path of honor lacks ; Less honored than the woodman's axe ; In tastes that breed their own delight. When man this sacred truth shall heed, MR. KING'S ADDRESS AT NORTH- Mr. HOWARD, of the Cultivator, said he could not place too much reliance on scattered cases of injury to the soil by raising turnips; no general rule, he conceived, could be established to this ef fect. The English raise them with great success, and it is well known, regard them as the sheet anchor of their husbandry. With the increase of the root crop in England has increased the amount We listened to this address with much pleasure of breadstuffs and the number of animals raised, at the time it was delivered, and have run over it a state of things which could not follow if root again in the fair form in which it is now presentcrops exhausted the soil. Mr. HOWARD related ed, with no abatement of interest. It abounds some interesting cases going to show the profit of with excellent thoughts very felicitously expressed. raising turnips. He thought the matter needed It was delivered before the Hampshire, Franklin thorough investigation. and Hampden Agricultural Society, at North Further remarks were also made by Messrs. ampton, on the 12th Oct., 1853. It touches upFISKE, RUSSELL, of Pittsfield, SPRAGUE, and the on most of the prominent points of farm husbandChairman, and at 25 minutes past 9 the subject ry, one or two of which we give below, on the for next Tuesday evening was announced as follows: Dairy products,-what class of animals is best fitted for the making of butter and cheese, and what is the best mode of feeding for these purpo ses? errors of withholding manure, top-dressing lands, and attempting to cultivate too much : "Jethro Tull to the contrary notwithstanding, duced by the simple disintegration of the soil, we do not believe that maximum crops can be prowith planting. We advise manure, applied with HOW THE EARTH AND JUPITER WHIRL.-While a true liberal economy: and not spread upon the the orbital velocity of Jupiter is 700,000 miles field, hours before it is to be plowed in; exposed per day, 30,000 per hour, 500 per minute, and 84 to the thievishness of the sun and wind. per second! a speed sixty times greater than that "It may be unpopular doctrine we preach, but of a cannon ball-the orbital velocity of our little we are not in favor of top-dressing lands with planet, the earth is, 1,653,267 miles per day, barn-yard manure; for the reasons,-evident and 69,890 per hour, 1,148 per minute, and 19.1 per potent to us-that fully one-half of the manurial second. In short, the orbital velocity of the small- value of such an application escapes into the ater and more centripetal planets is far greater mosphere; and that the chief benefit derived from than that of the larger and more centrifugal, although their rotary velocities are the reverse, the enormous circumference of Jupiter completing its revolution pretty nearly three times during the twenty-four hours' rotation of our little sphere; so that Jupiter's day and night are only between four and five hours each in length. its application could be attained by a less expensive mulch. Mr. Teschmaker, of Medford, Mass., one of the most scientific and most successful cultivators in America, and one of the most careful of men in expressing an opinion-estimated the loss of fertilizing value by top-dressing, at ninetenths of the sum applied. A mulch-the shad |