the short days of winter are not unyoked at noon. stable well, but still, very desirable to have control Now if the entrance to the stable is by a wide roll-over the apertures.

Concord, Mass., March 4, 1854.

W. D. B.

ing door, and no stanchions in the way at the A good barn is worth more to a farmer than & stall, your team may be eating at once in a com- showy house. The house may impoverish him, fortable place, and they will not waste the hay by but the barn will aid him directly in securing a trampling it into the snow or mud. Stanchions are just the thing for turbulent clusion, is to be a part, only, of the pleasant excompetency or fortune; which lot, I hope, in conyoung cattle. A little hay soon coaxes them to perience of your readers. put their heads through, and if you chose, you may connect the moveable stanchions together, as I have before represented in the Farmer, and fasten REMARKS.-(a.) In order to shorten or lengthen the whole row by a single latch. This is a great the floor upon which the cattle stand, the planks saving of time and of very disagreeable labor when the cattle come in dripping wet. may be left loose, and under the fore-fect of the Stanchions save room. The cattle, tied in them, cattle a plank inserted of any desired width, so eat from the side of the barn-floor. Then, too, that the floor may be lengthened or decreased to any orts or leavings, are expeditiously gathered any desired length, with a few minutes' labor. with a rake, or the floor swept with a broom. Where cattle are tied in stanchions the labor of feeding is trifling. A forkful of hay may be shak- THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.-In regard to en along before them as a man walks. The the condition of growing wheat, there is a good stanchion should be three inches wide and one and deal of speculation. Accounts from Ohio vary; a half inches thick, of hard wood.. The width

upon

apart of the pieces when set depends a little some papers say that the prospects are very bad, the neck of the animal. The distance usually and that the farmers talk of plowing up their is about eight inches. It is well to have one fields; others, that the wheat throughout Ohio bids or two extra pin-holes in the lower timber. The fair to be as good as usual. An account from stanchions may be set a little farther apart at the Michigan says that wheat is generally good, and bottom than at the top. The animal tries to escape looks promising. At Nashville, Ill., the season is when standing. The space between the stanchions

of each animal should be filled with a strong said to be unusually early, and the prospects faplank. This precaution would have saved one val-vorable; a much larger breadth of spring wheat uable animal in town this winter, and is necessary has been sown than ever before. In Lake county, to save hay. Now what shall be the plan of the Iowa, it is said that so favorable a spring was nevfloor? For cows it should have a very gentle iner known.

clination, and be just four feet four inches long. Where the standing floor has varied from this in At St. Louis, on the 29 ult., there was a severe the best barn in Concord, it has been altered. Mr. frost, and a day or two previous a light fall of Joseph George, of this town, a very careful carpen-snow. ter, tells me the milkmen agree that a floor four Keokuk, Peoria, and other places, and fears were The same weather had been experienced & feet and four inches in length is the best. Cows

tied upon it keep clean and dry. I saw a few entertained in regard to fruit. The Jackson (O.) days since some cows in the well arranged and Standard, of 30th ult., says that frosts have deattractive barn of Mr. John Raynolds, as dry and stroyed entirely the fruit in that section. Of clean as if under an oak upon the The standing floor for steers and oxen should has the following: green sward. peaches, the Middletown (Conn.) Herald of 31st, vary a little in length as well as pitch from that for cows, for obvious reasons. (a.)

arrangement

Are the Peaches Killed? This seems to be a quesAt the lower end of the standing floor, behind tion on the lips of almost every one. The cold the animal, there should be a trench twelve or four-March weather for some days past has awakened teen inches wide, and five inches deep. This this solicitude about this excellent and delicious trench is indispensable to the animal's cleanliness fruit. The general opinion with good judges so and comfort. It receives and holds all the drop-far, we believe, is that unless there should be a pings in a small space, and the labor of "cleaning still harder freeze than we have had of late there out" the stable is very much less than by the old will yet be a fair crop of peaches. Should so much good fortune as this befal us we may rest assured The scuttles should shut upon the bottom side that there will also be an abundance of other fruit. of the trench in such a manner as to allow of Plenty of peaches always bring plenty of other a ready escape of all liquids. The scuttles should fruit. upon substantial hinges, and turn over upon 2 platform, or walk, behind the cattle, of convenient week in March, speak of heavy frosts, and fear South Carolina and Georgia papers, of the last There is one comfort about modern barns which that much injury will be done to fruit.-Boston is worth a great deal more than it costs. I mean Journal. light-the introduction of a plenty of good sized movable windows. Cattle enjoy light. It certainly is desirable to have it to work by, yet how TURAL SOCIETY.-Officers for 1854.

be

width.

many barns now depend upon the frequency of the cracks for its abundance! or open the "great doors," of a sharp morning, to see how to feed the cattle. It is important, no doubt, to ventilate a

HAMPSHIRE FRANKLIN AND HAMPDEN GRICUL

PAOLI LATHROP, President.
WM. O. GORHAM, Secretary.
BENJ. BARRETT, Treasurer.

KETCHUM'S MOWING MACHINE. utes, the surface being smooth and threc tons of The accompanying cut, which we copy from hay to the acre, and with two first rate horses, Messrs. RUGGLES, NOURSE, MASON & Co.'s catatwelve acres might be mowed in a day, working twelve hours for the day. In the single operation logue, represents Ketchum's Mowing Machine, of grinding and whetting scythes, it will save a which is considered a thoroughly successful ma- large farm, twenty dollars in one year, as wages chine, for the purpose of cutting grass, and the were last year. As to spreading grass, no man in only one that has cut all kinds of grass, heavy or the world can spread grass, as it is left by this light, wet or dry, lodged or standing, in the best machine!" Such is the reply of my farmer, and from my own observation, I concur in the truth manner, without clogging or interruption. of this statement. JOSIAH QUINCY.

T

It has taken six first premiums the past season (1853.)

We annex the following testimonials, which are the more valuable from the fact that they are tracts from business letters:

TESTIMONIALS.

HOWARD & Co.-My Machine (one of your imex-proved make) has cut two hundred acres of grass, and all is right yet, except I have broken out one cutting tooth; it is not injured one dollar by using; at HOWARD Co., Buffalo :-I am better pleased average two and a half tons to the acre, with a it cut nineteen acres in thirteen hours, that would Mith the Machine, the more I use it; I doubt not team not as heavy as my sorrel horses, on the It will beat the world. I am surprised to find it 22d day of July, which was the hottest day I requires no more power; my two horses don't think we have had here this summer. It is deworry at all; the speed required is just right; in cidedly the best Mowing Machine ever known in short it works to a charm. I think the Machine Ontario County.

season.

Geneva, July 23d, 1853.

There has been

A. C. LOOMIS.

will probably be worth sixty dollars, or from that perfect rush from different parts of this county to one hundred and twenty dollars, to me, this and Cayuga county, to see my Premium Machine, DAVID LYMAN. as I style it. I sold it, after Durham, Conn., July 5th, 1853. cutting two hundred acres, to Mr. WATERMAM, for MESSRS. RUGGLES, NOURSE, MASON & Co.:-one hundred and twenty dollars. He would have Gentlemen-You ask me to state to you my opin- given one hundred and fifty dollars for it, had I ion of Ketchum's Mowing Machine. I bought one asked it. of you last spring and used it on my farm, which is level land and free of stone, during the last sum- I send you two dollars for knives for your Mower. You will be able to sell from twenty-five to Its operation was viewed by many practical thirty Machines here next season. I go round farmers in my vicinity, and every one expressed mowing; there has not been a day since I comthe highest degree of satisfaction and approbation menced mowing but I have had from five to ten of its work. I requested my head farmer, Samuel persons after me to mow. I have mowed in four I. Pickering, a man well known and of ap- towns; I average from ten to sixteen acres per proved knowledge in farming, to give me his opin- day; I have mowed nine acres in one afternoon. ion of the instrument. His reply was, "I think it one of the best machines I ever knew-with two horses I can mow one acre of grass in forty min-|

mer.

D. W. SCHOONMAKER. Waterloo, Seneca Co., July 7th, 1853.

TWELFTH AGRICULTURAL MEETING, the edge of the bark, and flow back into the AT THE STATE HOUSE, TUESDAY Evening, April 4, 1854. branches, increasing the number of buds, the SUBJECT,― Grain crops-wheat, rye, barley and sweetness of the fruit, and adding to the amount oats--their value as compared with Indian corn, of its nutrition and improving its general qualiand as preparations for grass. ties. As to parasites and lichens on trees, it could The meeting was called to order by Mr. SIMON be proved that they did not injure a tree in the BROWN, and Hon. Mr. BROOKS, of Princeton, was least.

invited to preside.

Mr. SANGER, of Dover, recurring to the subject Mr. COPELAND, of Roxbury, at the suggestion, proper for the evening, said he had sufficient exas he said, of the Executive Committee, spoke at perience as chairman of the committee on grains some length on the treatment of fruit and forest in the Norfolk Society, to change his opinion in trees at this season of the year. Trees should not regard to the profitableness of the grain crops. be scraped, as has been done to the trees on Bos- He considered them all profitable-wheat, rye, ton Common this spring. It is argued that scrap- barley and oats-the least profitable to his knowling ornamental and fruit trees, destroys noxious edge having netted a profit of about 50 per cent. insects which cluster in the bark; but insects will He had known instances of 25, 28 and even 30 be found on but few varieties of trees, among bushels of wheat per acre in Norfolk county. which are the apple and the pear, and in these Mr. RUSSELL, of Pittsfield, was of the opinion cases they should be removed with soap suds, made that New England farmers could not compete just strong enough to kill the vermin and not in- with the West in raising grain. Corn is the best jure the tree. Neither scraping nor washing with food for animals. Good heavy barley is worth any caustic preparation should be pursued. The about three times as much as corn. insects most injurious to trees, as the borer and Mr. FISKE, of Framingham, did not think that trimbex colomba, go through the bark into the small grains could be raised in Massachusetts, wood, and of course neither scraping the tree nor without very high manuring, but corn can be washing it with caustics will reach the evil.-raised almost anywhere. The great enemy to Scraping is an unnatural process, and besides a corn, the drought, he avoided by deep plowing. very disfiguring one, greatly impairing the beau- On a piece of poor land where corn had failed for ty of the tree. Another objection is that by re- two years, he plowed thoroughly the third year, moving the outer bark, the inner bark is exposed, used no manure, but put a shovel-full of mud inand evaporation ensues, which is sure to sap the to each hill. In plowing among his corn, he life of the tree. In cases where old orchards have plowed two furrows, turning from the corn. This been reclaimed, the trees being scraped, it is ow-he followed with a harrow with fine teeth which ing to the cultivation, the manuring, &c., and not he permitted to run through the hills, as it did. to the scraping that the revivification is to be as- not destroy corn enough to do any injury. When signed; the trees would have recovered without the hot season came on, and his neighbors' corn, the scraping. on land better manured, was rolling up, not a leaf

Mr. BUCKMINSTER, of the Plowman, controvert- in this lot was curled, and the ground was moist ed Mr. COPELAND's views in regard to washing from the surface to the depth of four feet. He trees. He was decidedly in favor of caustic wash- obtained 40 bushels per acre, from it. He believed ing on some kinds of fruit trees, especially apple. that we needed not to look to the West for grain. There is nothing like caustic ley for destroying Mr. FISKE entirely disapproved of the use of culall moss, parasites, &c., on trees, and he could tivators, as they merely scratch the surface, and recommend no better treatment. are "old fogy" implements, altogether. Mr. BROWN, of the Farmer, said the cultivation

Mr. BROOKS, the chairman, mentioned the case of a gentleman who was greatly troubled by the of winter wheat was being introduced in New apples dropping from his trees. To remedy the England of late years, and had proved quite sucevil, he adopted the expedient of stripping the cessful, particularly the blue stem variety, which trees of their bark between the 10th and 20th of is said to make the finest of flour. He believed June, and the most successful results followed, that the corn crop was the best that could be raised. the apples remaining on the trees, and a new bark It can be grown for 50 cents per bushel, and almost growing in one season.

Rev. Mr. SANGER, of Dover, inquired of Mr. COPELAND if he considered trimming trees injuri

ous?

any one could raise it at a cost not exceeding 75 cents per bushel. To raise the comparative value of grain crops, he recommended the drill system of cultivation pursued in England, by which Mr. COPELAND said he did not. In regard to the the profits can be largely increased, by an encase cited by the chairman, the explanation is hanced yield, and a saving of one-third in the this. The sap which runs up a tree comes down amount of seed sown. The machine for drilling in the bark, and if that bark is removed from the carries and plants the seed at the same time, trunk of the tree, the sap will go no further than dropping it in a straight line, and all at the same

depth, while if sown broadcast, some of it will be STATE FARM AT WESTBOROUGH. half an inch and some an inch below the surface, producing an uneven and diminished growth, and the foundation of this Institution of charity, of In June or July last we gave a brief account of wasting much seed-equal to one third. Oats are the location and capabilities of the farm, and that generally used in laying down land for grass, but it was then contemplated by the Board of Trushe thought barley was better, and still further, tees to place the farm under the care of the State that both were unnecessary. Plant corn on a flat Board of Agriculture. This transfer was made surface, instead of hilling it up, after the English on the 24th of March, 1854. In the instrument fashion. English farmers are obliged to hill their of transfer it is declared that "the purpose of this corn on account of the moisture of their climate, arrangement is, to relieve the Trustees of the care which hilling is designed to obviate by causing the and management of the agricultural portion of moisture to settle away from the corn. Our cli- the establishment at Westborough, to provide an mate is dry and hot, and therefore this system experimental farm to the Board of Agriculture, should not be pursued, but the corn planted on a and to furnish greater facilities for the employflat surface. To lay down such land to grass, sow ment and instruction of the inmates of the Reform the seed after the last hoeing, and work it in with School in Agriculture and Horticulture, in accorda hand-rake. He had succeeded as well in laying ance with what are believed to have been the views down land in this way as any other. Mr. SANGER Sustained the views of Mr. FISKE of er of the Institution, while the products of the and wishes of General THEODORE LYMAN, the foundFramingham in regard to deep plowing for corn. farm shall continue to be applied for the use of He also requested Mr. COPELAND to explain the the school substantially as under the former manbest method of trimming trees. agement."

Mr. COPELAND explained the causes of increased The prime object of the founder was the reformoisture in deep plowing, which is owing to the mation and well-being of the boys, and that object plowed land reflecting more heat than unplowed will still animate both Boards, under the new land, and therefore contributing more for con- arrangement. But the extent of the farm, and its densation and fall when the sun is declining of the adaptation to the various crops, with the great moisture which always exists in the atmosphere, advantage of a market without stepping off the even in the hottest weather. The capillary attrac- land, offer facilities for a more extended cultivation of the earth is also more efficient, and moist- tion, and more exact experiments with stock, ure is circulated both from above and below with manures, trees, plants, draining, irrigation, subgreater facility. As to trimming trees; he was soiling and reclaiming, than the Trustees could averse to much trimming, but would cut from the find opportunity to attend to, after discharging ends of the limbs rather than from inner branch- their duties in relation to the school itself. es, unless limbs crossed. To cut away the dead With the Institution, that is, the school for the wood and crossed branches, he thought sufficient. reformation of the boys, the Board of Agriculture Mr. SPRAGUE, of Duxbury, expressed the convic- has nothing to do, more than to find employment tion that each farmer must raise crops according for as many boys as the Superintendent can spare, to the circumstances in which he is placed, and and to place them under such influences and indecide for himself which is more profitable. He struction as will increase their skill in agriculture also contended that farming was comparatively a and horticulture, while it affords them healthful very unprofitable calling, at least in Plymouth occupation in the open air. It is supposed that county. Mr. FISKE, of Framingham, denied the unprofit- in the course of the present year, to the sum of the amount of labor, thus supplied may amount, ableness of farming, and cited his town as proof four or five thousand dollars.

to the contrary. The CHAIRMAN also argued the profits of farm- and will require an outlay of from fifty to two Some portions of the farm are exceedingly rocky, ing, and went into an interesting comparative hundred dollars an acre, to clear them out. This statement to show that New England can compete is the case with some of the land directly in front with the West in raising corn. He advised farmers of the principal buildings, which must be thoroughto consume all their produce on their farms, and ly reclaimed before any well defined plan of the estate secure their money returns on beef, butter, milk, can be completed. The division fences remain much &c,-because every bushel of grain going from as they were when the tract was purchased, and litfarm takes with it the means of raising another. tle has yet been done in the way of draining, or Mr. RUSSEL, of Pittsfield, controverted the ea bringing the fields into a high state of cultivation. of competing with the West in the article of corn. With regard to landscape gardening and rural alleging that they have much the advantage in the architecture, nothing has been attempted; and After a few remarks appropriate to the closing with this, that we think the Trustees have shown so far are we from any disposition to find fault meeting of the series, by Mr, BROWN, the meeting a wise forethought in declining to take up a work adjourned sine die.

matter of labor.

so widely different from that with which they were weighed in the course of a few days, and stamped charged. Their duties have been to perfect the with his right number, as if he had undergone a plan for the reformation of juvenile offenders, and formal trial of his strength, speed, and temper. A not to make an exhibition of their skill in laying dress, with trinkets in his pockets, with airs and stranger comes from a distant school, with better out parks and pleasure grounds. By the exercise pretensions. An older boy says to himself, "Its of good sense and a refined taste, the estate may, no use; we shall find him out to-morrow."-Emhowever, become one of the most beautiful in the erson. Commonwealth; and under the judicious management of the Board of Agriculture, we hope to see

For the New England Farmer.

it, from year to year, gradually assuming the COMPOSTING LIME AND ASHES WITH

MUCK.
IMPROVED CULTIVATION, &C.

beauties and principles of the art of landscape gardening, in order to please the eye, as well as to produce beeves and milk and corn, to sustain the F. HOLBROOK, Esq.:-Dear Sir,-Having been corporeal powers. Though the fields be well cul- long familiar with your articles on agricultural tivated and nodding with ripening crops of corn topics, I cannot but feel, in addressing you, in and grain, and the earth bursting with the rich some measure, as if communicating with an old acquaintance. treasures of her root harvest, we wish to see spots where the smooth lawn shall extend to the lake shore, or the lover of seclusion may say

"Here Nature in her unaffected dress,
Plaited with valleys and imbost with hills,

Enchast with silver streams, and fringed with woods,
Sits lovely."

You will perhaps think me unreasonable to trouble you with interrogatories, after reading your articles detailing your practice and experience so particularly.

But having learned thus much, makes me anxious to learn something more; and if you can spare a few moments to devote to my inquiries, you will much oblige me.

With the strong working force of men and teams which such a farm requires, there will be frequent- Having commenced farming in this place, in a ly a day when both may be applied to such work small way, within the last year and having an as is not absolutely necessary to the production of acre or two of muck swamp, I wish to make use of the greatest crops, but may be applied to grading, I have intended to use ashes; but am not sure I some of it with ashes or lime the coming spring. embanking, road-making, &c., which will effect can obtain them in sufficient quantity; and should wonderful changes on the farm in the course of a like to know whether your experience with lime few years, and without the necessity of a specific continues to be as successful as you represent it to appropriation for such purposes. We do not, have been in former articles. therefore, think it "travelling out of the record," to compost with muck, but seem to be rather shy Mr. Mapes and Mr. Dana both recommend ashes as the lawyers say, to suggest to the Board the of lime unless slacked with brine. Have you had importance of immediately obtaining such a sur- any experience with Mr. Mapes' "Salt and lime vey of the whole, and such a plan or laying out of mixture?" Which would you consider preferable the grounds as the combined wisdom of the two on the whole-ashes at 14 cts. per bushel, or lime Boards, together with such artistic aid as they at the rate I can get it at from Boston? Would you not prefer shell lime to stone lime? may call in, will suggest-so that every valley I see the shell lime advertised at Charlestown at filled, or hillock levelled, every pathway to cul- 30 cts. per bbl.-about 3 bushels, I suppose. tivated fields, every rock removed, or tree or shrub Would you use lime in preference to potash-in planted, shall be so much done towards completcase ashes cannot be obtained? ing the plan adopted. From a personal knowledge nothing to add to the directions in his "manual" of most of the gentlemen composing the Board, excepting that he had sometimes recommended we have no doubt they possess the skill to manage the muck to be spread on the land, and then the the farm pleasantly and profitably, and at the same ashes sowed on and both harrowed in together. How time settle many important questions in agricultur- should you think that would do? It seems to me al operations which are now involved in mystery, and in which our readers, everywhere, are inter- How long would you think it necessary to let the compost lie-(when applying either ashes or lime) before using? My muck was dug rather

ested.

I have written to Dr. Dana, but he said he had

lie in compost for a while.
as if it must be better to mix the two and let them

THE WORLD A TRIBUNAL.-A man passes for late in the fall. what he is worth. Very idle is all curiosity con- My land is a rather thin soil; some parts rather cerning other people's estimate of us, and all fear stony (small cobbles ;) other parts a gravelly of remaining unknown is not less so. If a man loam; others inclining to sandy loam; is situated knows that he can do anything, that he can do it rather low, and pretty level;-and the original better than any one else, he has a pledge of the ac- growth of timber probably, mostly pine,-with knowledgment of that fact by all persons. The oak, chestnut, &c.

world is full of judgment days; and into every as- It has lain in pasture some years, and is pretty sembly that a man enters, in every action heat- well run out. I think I shall try your method of tempts, he is gauged and stamped. In every troop turning over the sod in August or September, and of boys that whoop and run in each yard and seeding with grass.

square, a new comer is as well and accurately! Would you sow clover at that time, or sow