it will be best to reduce their numbers, and increase your own and every one's else eye, at the same the other kinds; beside the fences and paths, set time making a direct violation of the harmonies currants, gooseberries and raspberries; of the two of nature; the same may be, and has been said of former, the tree varieties are best, as they do not painting houses. What can be more glaring and sucker. Having thus given a detailed account of disagreeable in a hot day than the sunny side of the necessary changes, I will close with reitera- a white house, dazzling the eye, as much as the ting that however pleasing the arrangement of sun? Vines and trees relieve the glare, somewhat, lines, trees and flowers is in itself, it is ab- but the effect is almost always forced and unnat solutely nothing, unless the owner is ever ac- ural.

tive in keeping the whole place in a state of repair; Is the argument of the durability of white, nothing can compensate for the absence of neatness. (even if it can be proved to be more lasting than other We may have been deceived, and have purchased colors) enough? Did any man ever wear iron almost worthless varieties of trees and shrubs, pants and coat for their durability? If durability but that is no reason for allowing them when is the aim, build of stone, when you will get it, planted to become a disgrace to the garden; if and harmony of colors at the same time. good for nothing, pull them up, and if unable to Finally, we all remember that neatness, order buy others, let the green grass fill their places; and beauty outside, indicates the same within; if possible to disencumber ourselves of the idea and to quote from a learned European, "the care that the greater or less first cost constitutes cheap- of flowers and cultivation of plants, do not merely ness, believe the experience of those best qualified contribute to the maintenance of health; they to judge, that it is never economy to buy ill-shaped, soften the passions, and elevate the taste above the unhealthy trees, or bad varieties because they are sold affairs of every-day life. In the home around low; nor yet that it is good economy to get trees which we see a well kept garden, internal order &c., from the woods, because they cost nothing; almost always prevails; and where there is a flowtaking into account the first cost of getting them, er stand outside, there is almost always a book the long time they stand, almost bare poles, and shelf within." R. MORRIS COPELAND. the usually inferior shapes they assume when they do grow after much pruning and coaxing, nurry trees are far best and cheapest. I have no time to enter upon the minute of roots and branchEXTRAORDINARY EXOTIC.-A fine specimen of a es to prove this, as may easily be done, but must magnificent tree, recently introduced into this leave that for the future. In respect to gates and country from California, is now growing in the fences, build the cheapest consistent with strength, neighborhood of Exeter, at the nursery of Messrs. the most unpretending and unobtrusive, for there is Jeitch. This tree, from its extraordinary height no surer indication of bad taste and pretensions, and large dimensions, may well be termed the than a costly carpenter's monument of white pine monarch of the Californian forest; it grows in a and white paint. Make the fence simple, of good solitary district on the elevated slopes of the Sierra but cheap material (rustic poles very good!) and Nevada, at an elevation of 5,000 feet from the levthen paint it a dark color; why cover your fences el of the sea. From 80 to 90 trees exist, all with with white, so as to force your boundary lines on in the circuit of a mile, and varying from 250 feet

Roxbury, March 24, 1854.

For the New England Farmer.

to 320 feet in height, and from 10 to 20 feet in di- others as for Mr. Mathews.-REUBEN CHAPIN, in ameter. The cones are about two inches and a N. Y. Tribune. quarter long, and two inches across at the thickest part; the trunk of one tree, which Messrs. Veitch's collector (Mr. Lobb) saw felled, was perfectly solLARVE OF THE CRANE FLY. id, from the sapwood to the centre, and, judging from the number of concentric rings, its age SIMON BROWN, ESQ.:-Dear Sir-Yesterday, Mr. has been estimated at 3,000 years. Of this vege- Flint brought to me the bottle of grubs, which you table monster 21 feet of the bark, from the lower sent by him. He said that they were found in part of the trunk, have been put in the natural considerable numbers, on snow in Concord lately, form in San Francisco for exhibition; it there and that they were alive when taken; but they forms a spacious carpeted room,and contain a pia- were dead when received. no, with seats for 40 persons. On one occasion They are of a livid or pale brownish color, about 140 children were admitted without inconve- half an inch long, thickest at the hinder end of ience.

the body, and tapering towards the other end. Above the vent, there is a kind of coronet of short spines, four of which are longer than the others, and the latter are black at the points. These grubs are the larvæ or young of some kind of crane-fly or Tipula, and resemble the figures of the larvæ of the European Tipula corniciva and Tipula oleracea,

SOWING CLOVER SEED. Where clover seed was omitted in laying down lands to grass last fall, it may very properly be done now, and probably with complete success. Our own opinions on the subject are well sustained two species vulgarly called daddy long-legs, in in the article below from the Philadelphia Dollar England, and well known there for their injury,in Newspaper. the larvæ state, to the grass-roots of meadows. In the volume of "Insect Transformations" belonging In answer to an inquiry in the last number of to the "Library of Entertaining Knowledge," will the "Newspaper," as to the best time to sow be found a short account of the European insects clover-seed, I remark that it is my opinion that above named, pages 252 to 255 inclusive, to which the spring or winter is the best time, for the fol- I beg to refer you. The Concord grubs, like their lowing reasons: Clover sown in the fall, is apt to European prototypes, probably lived in the ground be killed. First.-By the dry weather which upon the roots of grasses. How they came to be usually prevails in October and November. Second, dislodged from their quarters I cannot tell. If the weather is favorable, and the clover should: get a start, the action of the frost would be more liable to destroy the young and tender roots, especially in a clay soil, where I have seen the clover drawn entirely from the ground, by the expansion of the soil from frequent freezing and thawing. I have always succeeded by sowing in March. The HOW TO MAKE THE BUTTER COME. first good snow that falls in the month of March, sow your seed, and, as you can see it on the snow, Mr. EDITOR-I noticed in your valuable paper you can sow it more evenly than when sown on the of Feb. 18th, 1854, an article headed "Why don't ground, and when the snow melts, it leaves the the butter come?" I have waited until now to ground soft and moist, and the seed is buried even-see if some one would not give the information ly at the proper depth. When the first warm weather comes it springs up and becomes sufficiently vigorous to live through the succeeding fall and

winter.

Respectfully yours,

THADDEUS WILLIAM HARRIS. Cambridge, Mass., March 16, 1854.

For the New England Farmer.

which Mr. JOSEPH H. WELLES, of Columbus, Ohio, inquired for; I would inform Mr. Welles that I suppose it is a species of garget that troubles his cows. I have been in trouble like his several times, and have as many times found that a little nitre, commonly called salt-petre, administered to my SIR :-As I am a reader of your Weekly Tribune, in a dose not more than a table-spoon even full, cows occasionally, has been an effectual remedy; I saw a statement in your Address at our State Fair wherein you mention that Dr. R. T. Under- is equally effectual in summer as in winter; pulgiven every other day, for two or three times; it hill, of your State, succeeded in saving his Plums verize it and give it in grain or meal.

PLUMS--THE CURCULIO.

Montpelier, Vt., March 13, 1854.

E. MARSH.

from the ravages of the Curculio by planting his trees so as to have them hang over water. Now, since every one has not such a situation, I will mention how Mr. Joseph H. Mather, of Goshen, 20 miles south-east of this place, succeeded in sav- ELASTIC HORSE SHOE.-We are glad to find that ing his Plums this season. After having tried the inventive genius of the day has been exercised many ineffectual remedies, and when the Curculio for the direct benefit of the animal of all others had already commenced its work, he mixed sul- the most worthy of such regard. Mr. J. O. phur and lard with a little Scotch snuff and rubbed Jones has invented and patented, and is now manit freely upon the body and branches of his trees. ufacturing in this city, an Elastic Horse Shoe, In a few days the Curculio had all left. The con- which is regarded by those who have seen and sequence was that he had such a crop of Plums used it as an effectual preventive for all the trouthat he was obliged to prop up the branches to bles to the feet of the horse which are caused by keep them from breaking off. constant concussion upon stone pavements and

I shall try the remedy next season. If you think hard roads. The shoe is made of German spring the recipe worth printing, you can do so. I sec steel, with India rubber inseated in the heels to no good reason why it will not do as well for give it elasticity.-Traveller.

For the New England Farmer.

ern, but that he cannot do so, without bringing FARMING IN NEW ENGLAND---NO. 4. to his aid the helps of science, and of superior indus

I turn aside this week from the regular series of try and skill. Summoning these to his assistance, he will approximate much more nearly to his papers on New England farming, to answer "Ag-Western competitor, in valuable results, if he does ricola," who puts to me in your paper of the 11th instant, the following inquiry:

not actually exceed him. "Agricola," therefore, has presented a question which, in its own terms, "Will your correspondent 'D. C.' inform your is logically absurd, and one which does not grow readers in what respects the New England farmer out of my argument, considered in the conditions cannot compete with the Western farmer, whether in which it is stated. in the profits or amount of produce?"

sue.

But, waiving both these difficulties in the way

On a close examination of this question, it ap- of making any direct reply to his inquiry, there pears to be extremely indefinite, and perhaps it are certain well authenticated and stubborn facts, may be said to be no question at all. The "profits" which throw much light upon the general subject of farming are so necessarily involved in the under consideration between us. "amount of produce" raised, that the two things In the reports made to the Commissioner of Pacannot be separated, and therefore do not admit tents for the year 1852, by some of the most intelof a separate consideration, or of any direct com- ligent farmers in New England and the Western parison. I might, therefore, with entire respect to States, they state the average amount of wheat "Agricola," abstain from any argument upon the and corn raised to the acre, in their respective losubject, till he presents the point of his difficulty calities, and also the cost of production. There is in a more tangible form, or in a shape which in- a singular and wide discrepancy in the results, volves some logical consistency and some real is- among the farmers of Maine and Vermont, for How can any man institute any comparison example, and an equal want of agreement among between Eastern and Western farming, so as to the farmers at the West, as to the average amount show whether the former can "compete" with the raised per acre; and the expense of producing the latter, unless the "profits" of both are estimated, same. These statistics are therefore by no means and how can such an estimate be made, unless so accurate and reliable as they should be, and the "amount produced," at the East and West,re- yet some conclusions, approximative to the truth, spectively, be taken into the account? If the can be gathered from them. By a somewhat carcEastern farmer can raise one bushel of corn as ful collation of these numerous and discrepant rccheaply as the Western, after the difference of in- ports, we come, I apprehend, to this general reterest in their landed investments-the difference sult. With regard to the article of wheat, in our in the price of labor and other expenses, the dif- imperfect and generally unscientific methods of ference in the prices which they get for the bush-cultivating the soil, we make no approach to a el,when it is sold, are considered; it does not fol- successful competition with the Western farmer, low that they stand on the same level, because the either as it regards the amount raised, or the cost much greater "amount" which the Western farmer per bushel. New England does not raise one fifcan raise on his more numerous and richer acres, tieth part of the wheat which is consumed by her may most materially affect their relative incomes. own population. We should undoubtedly raise a It is an admitted fact that a farmer here who much larger quantity, if it could be done profitraises seventy-five bushels of corn to the acre, re-ably, but it cannot be done profitably, so long alizes a greater percentage of profit, than his as our modes of cultivation are so imperfect, and neighbor who raises only forty bushels to the acre, the Western soils continue to be so highly adapted for the expenses to the one, relatively to the to its production. It is most manifest, therefore, "amount produced," are less than those to the that New England does not now successfully comother. It is on this principle that we all regard pete with the West in the raising of wheat, those farmers in New England, who always raise either in the profits or amount of produce." the largest crops on the same number of acres, as In respect to corn, pork, beef, hides, wool, live the best farmers. They are the best farmers eith-hogs, butter and cheese, we stand in a somewhat er because their lands are the best, or because they better relation to the West, though the immense are cultivated the best, or both. On either sup- quantities of these articles which find their way position, they are the best farmers, because they from beyond the Hudson to the Eastern markets, bring about the greatest results, relatively to the will astonish any one who will examine the statis expenses they incur. tical returns on the subject. Of all these articles, Precisely so it is, mutatis mutandis, or as be- we import for our own consumption a far greater tween the Eastern and the Western farmer, only amount, than we export of our own production, that the Western has this immense additional ad- for the consumption of others. Indeed, we export vantage in his hands, he can put many more acres none at all of our own producing, In not one of every year into corn, relatively to the Eastern far- these important articles of living, do the farmers mer, than the best Eastern farmers can, relatively in New England supply our own wants, much to their competing neighbors. The "profits" of less do we have any to spare for our neighbors in farming, then, both at the East and the West, are Ohio, Wisconsin, Virginia, New York, Ireland or so intimately connected with, or rather so indisso- England. So long, therefore, as our present mode lubly involved in the "amount produced," that of cultivation continues, it is as clear as the sun no intelligent or intelligible argument can be in- in mid heaven, that notwithstanding the higher stituted between them. prices which obtain in New England, we can

But I would recall the attention of "Agricola" never successfully compete with our Western to the real and obvious meaning of my argument, friends, in any of the great branches of agriculon which his inquiry is based. I did not say that ture. That can be done, only by superior science, the New England farmer cannot, under any cir- greater skill and more untiring industry. D. c. cumstances, successfully compete with the West- Waltham, March, 1854.

We cannot, without some little reflection, make

REVIEW OF THE PAST AND THE PRES- every way inferior to the ox of the present time. ENT CONDITION OF AGRICULTURE. The sheep has, since then, been improved to an I propose, in my first Report, to review the past equal, or even greater extent, both in form and and present condition of the Agriculture of Mas-size, and the fineness and value of its wool. The sachusetts. The past will be found, it is thought; the pride of London, and now equally of Boston, draught horse, so serviceable on the farm, long full of interest and instruction; the present, full and the noble breed of race horses, so celebrated of encouragement and hope. The discussion of special subjects will be left to a future occasion, for their fleetness, were not then known. It is difwith the exception of such suggestions as seem to increased attention to agriculture has effected in ficult to appreciate fully the changes, which the spring naturally from the facts stated. This seems, domestic animals, even within the last century. indeed, to be the only course which can be pursued. Previous to the organization of the present Board, During the early part of the last century, the there has been no permanent department or public average gross weight of the neat cattle brought for officer, whose special duty it was to collect the facts sale to the Smithfield market, was not over three necessary for the guidance of the Legislature, and hundred and seventy pounds, and that of sheep, the various societies in their efforts to advance the twenty-eight pounds. The average weight of the cause of Agriculture among us. The principal former, is now over eight hundred pounds, and of object of the Board, during the past year, has acthe latter, over eighty pounds. On account of the cordingly been to procure the desired information. high price of cattle at that period, and the risks It is these doings, which I now have the honor to ble that the settlers purchased even the best speto which they were to be exposed, it is not probareport for your consideration. cimens of the animals then known in England. full allowance for the difficulties which surrounded Such being the state of things, we may easily imthe early settlers of New England. We must reagine that the first cattle imported into New Engmember that they exchanged a country far ad- land, were of a very inferior quality. vanced in civilization,-and notwithstanding its Nor was the difficulty of procuring agricultural rude tillage and its large tracts of uninclosed implements the least of the obstacles which the moors, probably better cultivated than any other early settlers had to encounter. Some were imon the globe,-for one entirely new to them, with ported from the mother country, but all could not a climate and soil unlike any which they had obtain them in this way. The only metal to be known before. They were to begin a life in which had was made of bog ore, very brittle, and liable their previous experience could afford them little to break and put a stop to a day's work. The imor no aid, in a wilderness which was to be sub-plements of agriculture seem, for the most part, dued by their own hands in the midst of a thous- to have been made from this metal, and with comand obstacles. The system of cultivation which paratively little fitness for the purpose for which they had learned and practised in their own land, they were designed. Even those imported from would not serve them here. They were to start the mother country were not only of the rudest anew, and acquire, painfully and laboriously, the construction, but were also extremely heavy and knowledge which was applicable to their new sit- unwieldy; for the men of that time had not disuation. If we find their progress to be slow, let covered the art of diminishing weight without lesus not wonder that it was so; we should rather sening strength. The process of casting steel was wonder that they advanced at all, or even that not invented till more than a century later, (1750) they did not perish in the wilderness amid the pri- and then it was kept a secret in Sheffield for some vations and the sufferings of winter. years. The number and variety of implements For many months after their arrival, they had have been infinitely increased, even within the last no beasts of burden; when at last a few cows were half century, to meet the wants of a more advanced brought over from the mother country, they were husbandry, to which, indeed, these mechanical impoorly fed on coarse meadow hay, and often died provements have, in their turn, largely contribufrom exposure and want of suitable food, or fell a ted.*

*

prey to the wolves and the Indians. Owing to It is true that the Pilgrims, on their arrival in the difficulties and expense of importation, the this country, had the benefit of the plants at that price was so high as to put them beyond the reach time cultivated and used as food by the Indians, of many, even in moderate circumstances. A red yet they were wholly unaccustomed to these, and calf soon came to be cheaper than a black one, on were ignorant of the mode of using them as food, account of the greater probability of its being mis- and of the manner of their cultivation. Indian taken for a deer and killed by the wolves. When corn, the staple product, and the pride of Americows were so high as to sell in 1636, at from twen-ca, had never been seen by them. Pumpkins, ty-five to thirty pounds sterling, and oxen at forty squashes, potatoes and tobacco, were almost equalpounds a pair, a quart of new milk could be bought ly strange to them.† for a penny, and four eggs at the same price.

*The colonists do not seem to have been provided with plows;

It should be borne in mind, also, that the cattle for we find that twelve years after the landing at Plymouth, the of that time, even in England, were not to be com- farmers about Boston, having no plows, were obliged to break up pared with the beautiful animals now seen there. the bushes with their hands and hoes, to prepare their lands for The ox of that day was small, ill-shaped, and in seven plows in the whole State. It was the custom, even to a cultivation; and even so late as 1637, there were but thirtymuch later period, for one owning a plow, to do most of the plow

The first cattle were imported by Edward Winslow, in the ing in a town; going about from one part of the town to another. ship Charity, March, 1624. Having been sent out as agent by The town often paid a bounty to one who would buy and keep a the Plymouth Colony, he brought over four animals, three o plow in repair, to do work in this way which were heifers. One authority says they arrived in the ship The potato was so rare in England at the beginning of the Ann, the first voyage of which was made in 1623; but there can 17th century, as to be served up only in very small quantities. be no doubt that the cattle referred to, at the time of the distri-It was sold at two shillings a pound, for the queen's table, and bution of cattle in 1627, came in a subsequent voyage made by was used as a fruit, baked into pies, seasoned with spices and wine, and sometimes eaten with sugar.

that vessel

When their necessities taught them the value was, ordinarily, the only plant they worked upof these plants, they were not slow in adopting on, the women managing all the rest.-Flint's the Indian methods of cultivating them. As the Report of Mass. Board of Agriculture.

THE CROW-WINTER WORMS. FRIEND BROWN:-I find in the weekly New EngIt is well known, that most of the hard work land Farmer, Vol. 9, No. 3, an "Ode to the Crow," necessary to supply their limited wants, fell to the written by Mr. SOUL, in which he gives that bird lot of the women, assisted, sometimes, by old a bad name, looking only at the dark side of his men and little boys. Among their thankless tasks character; now if this rule alone is to be observed, was that of farming, which they carried on to an of judging of evil deeds, I fear we should have but extent quite remarkable, when we consider the very few birds, beasts, or men, that would not rudeness of the tools with which they worked, and stand as low as Mr. Soul places the crow. It is the circumstances in which they were placed. They had no art of manufacturing metal, and of my purpose now, however, to mention but one act of his kindness, which I noticed to-day. course could have no proper implements of agriculture. Their cultivation was not so rude, however, as one would naturally suppose. They made a kind of hoe by tying the shoulder blade of a moose, bear or deer, to a stick or pole.

You probably have received those worms I sent you, yesterday, which I found by the side of my meadow. As I was passing over that meadow, my attention was drawn to something on the snow and ice. I accordingly stopped, and on examinThe land, when selected, was cleared, by keep-ation found great numbers of worms, which in ing up a fire around the foot of each tree till its their acts and looks, were unlike any thing I ever bark was so burned that it would die. They then saw. I will not attempt to describe them, but as planted their corn. When a tree fell, it was you have some of them, I wish you or some one of burned into pieces of such a length that they your friends, more able than myself, would do it. could be rolled into a heap and burned to ashes. They were as thick in spots as a person would sow In this way, by degrees, a piece covered with oats; some of them crawling on the top of the wood, was wholly cleared. An industrious wo-snow and ice, others in the water, whilst a great man could burn off as many dry fallen logs in a many were apparently crawling up through the day, as a strong man could, at that time, cut with ice and snow, all having life and animation. I an axe in two or three. They used a stone axe, looked on the ground where the snow was all made much in the same way as the hoe above de- gone, and there I found a number, but not havscribed, to scrape the charred surface of the logs, ing my glasses with me, I couldn't readily see and hasten the burning. This mode of clearing them. But I have strayed a little from the crow, was common through the western part of the but not from his food. To-day, I heard a great State. In the eastern part, the tree was some-cawing of the crows, and on looking up, behold! times girdled with the axe, and thus killed, was there were hundreds of them lighting and lit on allowed to dry, and then burned by kindling a the same piece of land where I had discovered the fire around it, as above described. worms, apparently as happy as ever were pigs in They taught the settlers to select the finest ears clover, and as busy picking up something as ever of corn for seed, to plant it at the proper time, a hen was picking oats. I waited until they were and in a proper manner, to weed it, and to hill it. all gone, then went to see if they had taken any They were accustomed to dig small holes four feet of the worms, and to my delight they had taken apart, with a clumsy instrument, resembling the nearly every one of them that were on the snow, one described, which, in the eastern part of the but I noticed that they were just as busy on the State, was sometimes made of large clam-shells. bare ground as they were on the snow, and I have Those living in the vicinity of the sea-shore, put no doubt but they found the worms as plenty into each hole a horse-shoe crab or two, upon there, although I could not see as many; neither which they dropped four, and sometimes six ker- have I any reason to believe that the worms were nels of corn, and covered it with the implement gone before the crows came, for there was a corner with which they had dug the hole. In the inte- of the field on which the crows did not go, and rior, a few small fishes in each hill were used as there I found the worms after the crows had gone. a fertilizer. Beans were planted with the corn Here, now, is one kind act which I believe to be . after it had come up, and grew up supported by of more real value than all the damage the crows it. Great attention was paid by them to the ever did me. I hope they will continue to visit protection of their growing crops. Not a weed me daily for one month, at least. My particular was to be seen in their fields, and the corn was object in writing this, is to know if these worms carefully guarded against destruction by insects may not be the same as the palmer worm that inand birds. To prevent loss by the latter, a small fested our country last year, although they are watch-house was erected in the midst of a field of somewhat changed in their looks and actions. If corn, in which one of the family, often the oldest you, or any one else can give an account of them, child, slept, and early in the morning rose to watch and their habits you will much oblige, the blackbirds. It was their universal custom to J. B. FARMER. hill the corn about two feet high, for its support, and spots may often be seen at the present day, which were evidently cultivated by them. The colonists very generally imitated this custom, and it has been continued down to our own times. we sent the bottle of worms to Professor HARRIS The men planted and cured their tobacco, which at Cambridge, and that to-day. the 18th, we have