For the New England Farmer. comparatively small expense. They should be BEST APPLES. made in such a manner that the glass will slip Danversport, March 13, 1854. S. P. FOWLER. For the New England Farmer. LIFE OF RICHARD BAGG, Jr. MR. EDITOR:-The best varieties of fall and easily up or down, when it becomes necessary to give the plants air. To protect the frames from winter apples which I have cultivated for the market, are the Baldwin, Hubardston Roxbury Rus-weather they should be well painted. set, R. I. Greening, Seaver Sweet, Pound Sweet, and Green Sweet. Other varieties I have which I think should be ranked among the best of fall and winter apples, Hunt or English Russet, (the qualities of which the editor of the Farmer, can better describe,) Red Russet, Lyscomb, Red Favorite and Thompson apple. Russets require strong and MR. EDITOR-I know not how to render Agrimoist soil. For early apples, Williams Sweet culture a more essential service, than by sketchBough, (for which I received $60 for 26 bushels) the past season, and Porter. I have 15 or 20 of oth- ing the life of one of the most noted farmers of er varieties,some of them seedlings which I am cul- Hampden County. Although his namesake and tivating in order to test their qualities and pro- tween us, consequently no one can accuse me of fellow-townsman, there was no consanguinity beductiveness, before recommending them for propagation. N. P. MORRISON. Somerville, 1854. A PLANT PROTECTOR. partiality. BY. J. N. BAGGE. Besides, I lay claim to advantages, in treating of his character, possessed by few others. Joined to a general neighborhood acquaintance, may be added, that of pupil and member of his family.. Once, he was my teacher, and thrice my employer. I thus had facilities for seeing much of him in private life, and knowing some of his virtues. The subject of this article was born in 1812, and died in 1852, in West Springfield, his native town. His parents, who are still living, are farmers of the old school, and are in good circumstances. The boyhood of our subject was remarkable for an activity and intelligence beyond his years. His promptitude and youthful manliness, made him the pride of his parents and the villagers. His was no mediocrity of attainment. He was first and foremost, both in the school-room and The cut above represents a cover made of tin play-ground. He was a leader rather than a foland glass, which is portable and convenient for the lower. He was bold, without being impudent,protection of young plants, such as squashes, mel-punctilious without being mean, and shrewd withons, cucumbers, tomatoes, &c., and will prove as effectual against frost as against bugs. The glass may be easily raised in the grooves so as to admit the air, which, when closed, admits the heat, and light, but excludes the bugs. The description below and one of the protectors, from which the cut was drawn, were furnished by friend FOWLER, of Danversport. He says out being cunning and treacherous. His love of books and study were very great. Everything within his reach was read with astonishing avidity. In those days, one or more terms at some incorporated academy were considered necessary, to give character and finish to a young man's education. Young Richard was accordingly sent to Monson. Here he made great proficiency and rapidly fitted himself for college. But now a new difficulty obstructs his path. Ill Feeling the want, several years since, of some- health, brought on by close application to study, thing to protect and bring forward early and ten- prostrates his corporal system, and he comes home, der plants in our variable climate, I was led to in the opinion of his friends, to die with conconstruct a Hand Glass, that would combine cheap-sumption. But he would not be idle. Activity, ness with utility. One of these contrivances for which had always characterized him, was his the protection of plants or flowers in a garden, I ruling passion now. He went to work in his fanow send you for examination. The English ther's garden. He extirpated every weed, and made Hand Glasses are made, by placing in an iron or great exertions to augment the growing corps. zinc frame, small pieces of glass, fastened together He procured glass frames and made hot-beds, by narrow strips of lead. To make or repair these (the first that the writer ever saw,) till his father's covers, much of the glass is required to be cut to garden glittered like a crystal palace. conform to the frame. The difficulty in repairing His mysterious movements attract public the broken glass, together with their expense, has tention, and the neighbors stop and examine his probably prevented the more frequent use of the works, and ask him questions. But he was a Hand Glass in garden operations in New England. man who kept his own counsel. His replies were The one I send you to-day, as you will perceive, always terse, sensible and cautious. No unguardwill require no cutting of the glass, the frame be- ed answer escapes his lips. He communicates ing made to correspond to the size of the pane. nothing important to be reserved, and reserves This being window glass, when accidentally broken, nothing important to be known. His health becan easily be replaced. Any tin plate worker can gins to improve under a rigid system of diet and make these glass covers from sheets of tin, of the exercise, and he assists his father in the lighter size you desire, and they can be furnished at a duties of the farm. He is entrusted with the sale of the farm produce. He used to say that the ulations for the government of his workmen, hung first time he went to market, he drove his father's in his kitchen. oxen and a load of pumpkins, the proceeds of which His defects consisted in an over promptness. amounted to ten dollars. His success encouraged He seemed so anxious to reach the mark, that he him. The demand for farm produce increases, and sometimes went beyond it. Take him all in all, home industry is inadequate for the supply. He however, he was a good man, beloved by his famibegins to speculate and buy of others. Winter ly, respected in the community and an honor to comes on, but he cannot be idle, and he takes the the church of which he was a member. His life school of a neighboring village. and his burial will not soon be forgotten, by those West Springfield, Mass., 1854. Here he matures his plans for the enlargement among whom he lived. He has left a worthy exof business in the coming spring. He hires land ample to all young men, showing clearly that enand sows unsparingly and skilfully. He is the ergy and intelligent industry is all that is needed, only man of his trade in the community, and he to make farming profitable. controls the market. The families of the wealthy are pleased with the urbanity of the young farmer, and ask him to call often. Success attends him.] As fast as his means will allow, he increases operations. He hires men and buys tools and teams, and adds field to field. THE CYCLE OF THE SEASONS. The following article was published in the Scots In 15 years from the commencement of his man, upon the cycle of the seasons, and will interAgricultural operations, he became the largest est many of our readers, we have no doubt. The gardener in the County, if not in the State. He measure below called a hectolitre, is equal to two had about 40 acres under garden cultivation, and bushels and five-sixths of our measure-the franc some of it produced 2 and 3 crops per annum. Of is equal to 18 cents and 6 mills of our money. Asparagus and Onions he had several acres each. He hired a great many men, and has been know to "The 'uncertainty of the weather' has been a employ in the busiest season of the year 60 persons. subject of complaint to the husbandman from time It was instructive to pass through his grounds. immemorial. Science has shown, however, that which were always accessible, and witness the law and order prevail in many phenomena once clean and careful culture and the skilful blending deemed to be under the blind dominion of chance, of different crops, so arranged that when one was and ingenious men have indulged the hope that a removed, another would immediately fill the place. key might yet be found to the irregularity of the He undertook the culture of one piece of land, so season-not that we shall be able to prognosticate barren and sandy, that its improvement seemed whether any particular day or week will be foul utterly hopeless. He carted on large quantities or fair, but that we may have rational grounds or a bad one, of muck, ashes and manure, he brought leaves for expecting a good season and mould from the woods,-he plowed in green or a series of good or bad seasons. Intelligent farcrops and used guano, until, literally, he made mers believe that a course of abundant crops is the desert to rejoice and the wilderness to bud pretty sure to be followed by a course of deficient and blossom like the rose." This ground, to-day, is ones; but whether the cycle of good and bad like an oasis in the desert, a fruitful field in the crops is of a determinate or a variable length, and midst of surrounding sterility. 500 Baldwin apple if determinate, how many years are required to trees, planted by his own hands, grow thriftily on complete it, are points upon which opinions differ this plain, a living monument to his industry and widely, and certainty is perhaps despaired of. skill. "A paper read a few days ago by M. Bacquerel Every thing he undertook was vigorously car- to the Academy of Science, on the culture of wheat ried to its completion. His motto was, what in France, supplies statistical facts of some value you are resolved to do, begin it this minute," and bearing on this subject. They show that there is this was the secret of the immensity of his labors. a periodicity in the recurrence of good and bad Some men accomplish more in a short life, than harvests; that five or six years of abundance, and others in a long one, and so this man, though five or six of scarcity, follow each other pretty dead at 40, lived longer and accomplished more, regularly. From want of capital and enterprise, than most men at 80. His spirits never seemed and good means of internal communication, the to flag like those of other men. He looked a dif- French are more dependent on their own harvests ficulty directly in the face, and walked up to it than we are in this country, and the difference bewhile looking. tween a good and a bad year telling more strongHe considered a matter well, before he enlisted ly on their markets, serves better to test the inin it, but once engaged, he worked with all his fluence of the season. M. Becquerel quotes from might. Like Napoleon, he was just as courage- Hugo the following table of the average price of ous the day after defeat as before. No sooner wheat for all France: was a difficulty vanquished than he sought out Shillings Francs per hect. 22.66 16.16 25.68 per qr. 54s. 5d. 36s. 4d. 503. 7d. 378. 2d. 46s. 8d. 59s. Od. ........ 16.68 38s. 4d. and grappled with another. His presence, even, 1816 to 1821-period of scarcity. inspired confidence. He had the power of infus-1822 to 1827-period of abundance......... 15.80 ing ambition into those around him. Wherever 1828 to 1832-period of scarcity. 1833 to 1837-period of abundance......... he went there was life and energy. He was regu-1838 to 1842-mixed period................ 20.31 lar and precise in all his movements, and required 1843 to 1847-period of scarcity. regularity and precision in all whom he controlled. 1846 to 1852-period of abundance. Every workman had a place for his hat and cloth- We arrive at a similar result by comparing the ing, labelled with the name of the one occupying imports and exports of wheat, and taking the exit. Every tool and implement had a place, and cess of the one over the other: was thoroughly cleaned after using. Printed reg Scarcity...1816 to 1821.... Excess of Imports... ** แ " 1,258,000 "The five years from 1847 to 1852 were years of abundance both in France and Britain. Sup posing, then, that the change takes place quinquennially, we should now be at the commencement of a period of scarcity, and that the present year fulfils this character is manifest from the state of the markets on both sides of the Channel. Hectolitres. account for these alternating periods of scarcity 6,247,000 and plenty, which experience has forced upon the 9,528,000 attention of our farmers. It is true that the spots 944,000 of the sun cover but a very small portion of his 1,126,000 surface at any time, but the decrement of heat in Imports... 18,697,000 Exports... 13,188,000 a bad year is also small compared with the whole "The hectolitre contains 22 imperial gallons, or and it is not improbable that, besides causing a quantity which the earth receives from the sun; three hectolitres are a trifle more than a quarter. direct loss of light and heat proportioned to their It will be observed that the importation of wheat in France, in years of scarcity, is very small when size, spots when abundant may indicate a general enfeeblement of the heating and illuminating compared with ours. This, in the period from 1843 to 1847, while wheat averaged 59s.-a very power of the whole surface of the sun. high price in that country-the whole imports in "The progress of science is constantly adding to the five years were only 20,161,000 hectolitres, our knowledge of the latent ties which connect the from which, deducting 1,164,000 of exports, there most distant parts of nature. Those minute deremained for consumption only 18,697,000, or viations from the normal position of the magnetic 6,400,000 qrs. In the period of scarcity, from needle, called its diurnal variation, were dis1816 to 1821, when the price was 54s. 5d., the covered a hundred years ago, and gave plain indiimports were only 6,247,000 hectolitres in six cations of solar influence. It was only known within these few years that these variations were years, or about 345,000 qrs. annually. themselves subject to variation-were greater in of phenomena, called 'magnetic storms,' sudden some years than in others-and that another class and seemingly unaccountable disturbances of the needle, disclosed themselves. It is now found that these are periodical also. To use the words of Colonel Sabine, 'there is a periodical variation or The French average for the first two weeks of No- inequality affecting alike the magnitude of the diurnal variation, and the magnitude and frevember, as given in the Moniteur a few days ago,quency of the disturbances of storms, and the cycle was 29.97 per hect., or 68s. 11d. per qr.-a famine price in France; and the British average for the or period of the inequality appears to extend about ten of our years, the maximum and minimum whole of November was 71s. 1d., marking rather being separated by an interval of about five years.' severe dearth. It is, therefore, a question of some Perhaps bye-and-bye the hope and prospects of importance, whether we are to regard the present the husbandmen may be read in the vibrations of deficient crop as a pure 'casuality,' an evil which the compass.' an opposite casuality the next year's abundance may redeem, or as the first of a series of bad crops. In our opinion, the hypothesis of a five years cycle, embracing the latter conclusion, though not established beyond challenge, has a sufficient probability to render it worthy of entering into the calculations of farmers, corn merchants, In a conversation, last evening, with Mr. Jonators for public works, and even ministers of state. substantial farmer and a reliable man, he inthan Nelson, of this city, well known here as a "A hypothesis offered to explain anomalous or formed me that he helped reap a field of rye, the seemingly discordant physical facts is more readi- past summer, of a little less than one acre and a ly accepted when we can trace in it the operation half, yielding thirty-eight and a half bushels of of some physical cause. In the Scotsman of the excellent quality; that he has helped reap fifty7th of September, 1845, we gave an account of a five successive harvests of rye on the same farm, memoir published by Schwabe, a German astrono- owned by his father, (the late Deacon Nelson) mer, on the spots of the sun, in which he main- and himself, that in all that time the seed had never tained their periodicity that they increased for a been changed; that the first of those fifty-five harcertain term, then diminished for an equal term, vests was from seed raised on the same farm by and that the interval between the maximum and the former owner, and that he knew not how long minimum was about five years, so that the cycle the process of independent husbandry had been was completed in about ten. This conclusion carried on by his predecessor. rested on the observations of eighteen years, which Facts and theories often disagree but nature is (as Colonel Sabine informed the British Associa- constant and true to herself.-Worcester Spy. tion at Belfast) have been since extended to twentysix years, and with the same result. Now, as the light and heat of the sun are obviously essential TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE MIDDLESEX AGRICULto the success of grain crops, it occurred to Gau-TURAL SOCITEY.-The Commissioner of Patents has tier, a French or Swiss man of science, to compare forwarded to the Secretary of this Society, under Schwabe's cycle of the solar spots with the results the frank of the Hon. TAPPAN WENTWORTH, a of the harvests in France as shown by the price of contrac FACT VERSUS THEORY.-It is a common notion, that to have good crops the seed must be often changed, and many farmers relying on this theory, sow seed that is "far fetched and dear bought. corn; and he found that, taking the years in package of the improved King Philip or Brown groups, to eliminate accidental influences, those corn, for each Trustee, which may be had on apin which the sun had few or no spots coincided plication at this office, or at the residence of the with years of abundance, and those in which the Secretary in Concord. spots were numerous with years of scarcity. We have here, then, a glimpse of a physical cause or May 10, 1854. SIMON BROWN, Secretary. GRAIN DRILL. Mr. BINNS gives five or six other reasons for We have often spoken of the importance of the drilling, but they are not quite applicable to our Grain Drill as a labor-saving machine. The cut medes ef husbandry. He also states that fifty-six above will show how simple a thing it is, and how easy and readily the seeds may be put into an acre of land, all in straight lines, and at regular dis tances from each other. The seeds are deposited at a uniform regulated depth, from which arises a considerable saving of seed, one-third at least, while there is, usually, a considerable increase in bushels of wheat, per acre, have been raised on the crop over the broadcast sowing As the machines are constructed in England, One great advantage of this mode is, that if the the light soils of Norfolk, England, by drilling. they are complicated, cumbersome and expensive, field is first harrowed down level, the drill deposits and it is probably fer this reason that they have the seed at an equal depth; it then comes up all not come into general use. sents a fine appearance through the whole season. at the same time, and the crop is even and pre Below are two cuts, the first showing the grain as it comes up, and appears when sown broadcast, by hand and the second, how it appears when sown by the drill machine. GRAIN SOWN BY HAND. For the New England Farmer. BARLEY AND INDIAN CORN. MR. EDITOR:---In the New England Farmer's report of the twelfth Agricultural Meeting at the State House, Mr. Russell, of Pittsfield, is represented as saying that "good heavy barley is worth three times as much as cern. Now as the speaker could net have intended to make that statement, will you favor your readers with what he did mean, as to the relative value of the two mentioned grains. The advantages derived from using drill ma chines for sowing wheat and other small grains, have been summed up by Mr. BINNS, at a meeting I have raised barley, more or less, for ten years of an English agricultural society, as follows:-past, and am of the impression that a bushel of 1. The seed is delivered with regularity. 2. It is deposited at a proper depth. good well cleaned barly will make as much pork as a bushel of corn. Indeed I think it particular3. The weeds during the growth of the plants, ground fine and the meal scalded and allowed to ly adapted to the purpose of fattening pork. When may be destroyed with great facility. [In this stand till fermentation commences, hogs love it country the weeding of grain is net common. In- better than any food I ever fed them, and I think deed, when it is sown broadcast, weeding it could they will thrive faster than on any other. not be done without destroying the crop.] That barley is equally good for other animals I 4. By admission of the sun and air between the tention of your readers to, is, the fact that grass doubt not; but what I wish more to call the atrows, a stronger and healthier plant is produced, seed, sown with barley, always catches. Much complaint is heard now-a-days of the and of course a heavier crop. failure of grass seed to catch or grow when sown tions will be found more theoretical than practiwith grain. Now I have never known a failure, cal, when it is known that very few plants are when good seed has been sown on good land, with grown the fibres of which do not extend as deep, barley. Two years ago this spring I sowed a field, at least, as nine inches; and when it is considered one half with oats and the other half with barley, also, that this depth is absolutely necessary to and stocked the whole with timothy and clover. protect the plants against the scorching rays of At harvest, where the oats were grown, there was our summer sun. Many a plant has withered and no grass, while beneath the barley there was a died for want of such foothold. There is no vegeluxuriant growth of it. This experiment, with my table or plant, within our knowledge, that will not former observation, satisfied me that barley, and grow better through the entire season, under a not oats, was the grain to grow, when seeding land culture as deep as this, than with a more shallow with grass. culture. I have raised repeatedly, fifty bushels, and once more, from an acre of land. Lebanon, N. H., April 18, 1854. E. J. REMARKS.-We cannot tell our correspondent what Mr. RUSSELL meant. That barley is a profitable crop to raise, and better than oats to lay down land upon, we have no doubt. Another consideration connected with this mode of plowing is worthy of particular notice. It places the vegetable matter in a position for decomposition where its benefits will all be preserved and used by the growing plants, at a time when most needed. The first impulse should be given to the growing plants, by the dressing of compost applied at the time of planting. About three months after this, when the vegetable fibres in the buried turf begin to decay, the gases disFor the New England Farmer. engaged by the process will be absorbed and taken up by the growing plants, and are peculiarly well PLOWS AND PLOWING. fitted to aid their growth. Whereas, if the turf Complete pulverization of the soil is the basis had been broken to pieces, and much of it left of all successful culture. This is brought about near the surface, as is usually done in the ordinamainly by the use of the spade and the plow. ry process of plowing and harrowing, very much Where personal labor abounds, and the extent of of the sustenance given to the growing plants culture is limited, the spade may be advantageous- would be lost by evaporation. We have seen ly used. Under its use, the culture may be more this distinctly illustrated on a field of onions thorough than any other. But where the power of where the vegetable matter turned under the the ox or the horse is enlisted in aid of that of furrow slice (green oats, for instance) were left man, the plow is the implement to which these undisturbed, and right side by side, the land was cultivated with like crop and like manure, powers are applied. From earliest times, when the crooked stick was excepting the underlayer of oats;-and the crop first applied to this purpose, to the present day, over the oats amounted to 700 bushels to the acre, the plow in some of its forms has been the imple- when the other was less than 500 bushels to the ment of first importance, in the labors on the farm. acre. Notwithstanding its long-extended use, it has re- We have seen it stated that it requires more efceived more variations in form and greater im-fort or power to operate a plow cutting two furprovements within the last fifty years, than any row slices, than one cutting a single furrow slice other implement. And although it now has an ad- of the same width and thickness as the two. Such mirable fitness for its purpose, it is probably des- was our first impression, when we operated the tined to still greater improvements. double plow. But our impressions have been cor all Within a very few years, a form of plow has rected by the actual measurement by the dynabeen introduced, embracing such decided advan-mometer of the power used in the operation. tages, as to entitle it to the application of the When we reflect upon the principles involved, plow by way of distinction. I speak of the double we think it quite clear, that the double plow will plow, which cuts two furrow slices at the same time go with more steadiness, and less power of draft, -laying a few inches of the turf over flat, and than the single plow. If this be so, we cannot thus throwing the next substratum directly upon imagine a single valid objection to the use of this it. On land adapted to this operation, as are all implement. We have repeatedly recommended cultivated grounds, that have been properly freed its use, and feel confident that we are doing the of obstructions, it is apparent that the use of this farmer a good service in still recommending it. plow will leave the ground in a state for much Cheerfully granting to the gentlemen who first easier and more perfect culture, than any other. brought into use among us this form of plow, Suppose nine inches to be the depth of plowing the credit that can be claimed for so doing, we as thought expedient let the first furrow be cut to cheerfully grant to those other gentlemen, who the depth of three inches—and the second to the have so far improved upon the form first used, as depth of six inches, and you have the perfection of to obviate all the material difficulties in its first work. By the use of the harrow or the cultiva- operation-to wit, the want of perfect turring and tor, this last furrow slice can readily be broken laying of the first furrow slice. This we think an up, so as to work as easy as old ground-by which essential element in the operation of the plow. we mean ground that has been under cultivation, While scientific men attempt to press upon laone or more years. boring men uniformity in their operations in Perhaps it will be objected, that the vegetable breaking up the soil, it is curious to observe how materials or the richest part of the soil is buried they themselves differ in the first elements of too deep by this operation; and that the materi- these operations. Instance, in their mode of al thrown up with the subsoil will not be found spelling the name of the implement: one using favorable for the growth of plants. Such objec- four letters as plow-the other six letters as |