a regular occupation; and is followed by that per cent. of sand and clay as when urine, fish, gut, class of persons who, during the remainder of &c., were mixed with earth, doubles the expense the day, pick up the ends of cigars. Pea pods and time of application; and this, if the distance yield alcohol as abundantly, it has been found, as is great, may exceed the value of the manure itthe beet-root or as pumpkins. In England, I be- self. lieve, a sort of mild beer has long been obtained The prime cost of the article would be little more from them, with the admixture of sage and hops. than the carriage, while in most localities the Now that I am upon the subject of peas, I may supply would obviously be great. We have only as well state that in Paris they are always sold to examine our timber yards for evidence of this. shelled. Those that shell them divide them into How many ingenious plans have even been conthree sorts, big, middling and little. The littlest trived for carrying the sawdust down the stream are the dearest, as they are the sweetest. Our fa- which drives the saw-mill, or into the fire of the vorite brand, the Marrowfat, esteemed on account steam engine where steam power is used. of size, would meet with no favor here. Its very Now that artificial manures have become an development would class it among the poorer agricultural necessity, it is the duty as well as the kinds, to be sold to poor people at rates much low-interest of every one to look first to the resources er than cost.-Paris Letter to New York. within his own reach for a supply, and lastly to the market for any balance required. To neglect the former, relying entirely upon the latter for MIXING SAWDUST WITH ASHES. Peruvian guano, &c, and then complain of high The manufacture of animal and vegetable mat- prices, is inconsistency and folly. Were every ters-such as fish refuse, butchers' offal, urine, farmer to procure annually so many tons of sawsawdust, moss or peat earth-into manure, and dust, ground peat, or charred vegetable matter of their application to the soil, has long been a sub- any kind, which could be had for little money, ject of anxious inquiry; and that part of it in- and to mix them with the excrements of horses, volved in the proposition of Lord Berners, of mix- cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry, &c., adding such othing sawdust with sheep's dung and urine, like er articles as peculiar circumstances required, it other suggestions for economizing the volatile and would exercise a very salutary effect upon the soluble elements of manure on the farm, now so extravagant prices now paid for all kinds of artifrequently wasted, is deserving of special notice ficial manures. If a farmer can thus manufacture at home as good an article for 20s. as he can purGlancing briefly at old practices first, our fore-chase for £5, (and this can be done in many cases,) fathers used sawdust for littering their stable, the course which he ought to steer is plain.—Agcow houses, sheep-pens, piggeries, and poultry ricultural Gazette, England. houses, the whole being afterwards mixed together and used as farm-yard manure. Sawyers and carpenters, again, who had none of the above provisions, mixed it in their dung-hills for growing potatoes; while fishermen used it for smoking fish, and mixing in their ash-pits along with fish refuse, selling the compost to farmers. With these practices many localities are familiar to this day, at this time. and have been so from time immemorial. VARIETY OF FOOD NECESSARY. It is in vegetable as in animal life; a mother crams her child exclusively with arrow-root-it becomes fat, it is true, but alas! it is rickety, and gets its teeth very slowly, and with difficulty. Mamma is ignorant, or never thinks, that her offspring cannot make bone-or, what is the same Of these plans, the mixing of sawdust with thing, phosphate of lime, the principal bulk of sheep's dung, urine, slaughter-house and fish offal, bone-out of starch. It does its best; and were is, perhaps, the most deserving of consideration, it not for a little milk and bread, perhaps now the fermentative qualities of such articles are the and then a little meal and soup, it would have no best adapted to overcome the comparatively indes- bones and teeth at all. Farmers keep poultry; tructible nature of the dust. Hitherto the great and what is true of fowls is true of cabbage, a objection to sawings of wood, as manure, has been turnip, or an ear of wheat. If we mix with the their slow decomposition. Immediate activity is food of fowls a sufficient quantity of egg-shells or necessary to give value to manure, and this is what chalk, which they eat greedily, they will lay sawdust does not possess. Excrementary and offal many more eggs than before. A well bred fowl matters, on the contrary, are from their nature is disposed to lay a vast number of eggs, but cansubject to rapid decomposition, so much so, that not do so without the materials for the shells, half their fertilizing value is not unfrequently lost. however nourishing in other respects her food Indeed it is impossible to estimate the loss arising may be. A fowl, with the best will in the world, Now, if the mixing of the two not finding any lime in the soil, nor mortar from together will effect the decomposition of the for- walls, nor calcareous matter in her food, is inmer, while it avoids the loss sustained in the lat-capacitated from laying any eggs at all. Let farter, the gain must consequently be great. mers lay such facts as these, which are matters of What gives peculiar value to compost of this common observation, to heart, and transfer the kind is their disintegrated state; they are fit for analogy, as they may do, to the habits of plants, drilling in along with the seed by corn or turnip which are as truly alive, and answer as closely to drills at once. Their freeness from sand and oth- every injudicious treatment, as their own horse. er heavy and comparatively useless mineral substances is another merit. The difference between THE SUGAR PINE OF OREGON.-The sugar pine in the expense of applying farm-yard manure and the Rogue river county of Oregon attains great guano, for instance, is considerable, while the ad-size, is remarkably straight, symmetrical and richvantages gained by expedition in seed time are colored. Its crown is as smooth and well shaped even of greater importance. The addition of 50 as if it had the services of a barber every month. from this source. please, I will again trouble you upon this imporfriends who purchase the engine for garden purtant subject, and now only say that any of your poses, will have a most useful and effectual fire engine. Watertown, 1853. B. In our last volume there is a short notice of engines by a gentleman too modest to allow us to use his name, but who is thoroughly versed in the subject on which he speaks, and which we think of sufficient importance to bring into the present For the New England Farmer. volume, and accompany it with an engraving. Of course, if the engine is efficient at a fire it will! MONTHLY FARMER FOR JULY. answer all the purposes desired of it for a garden: For the first time, my Farmer plays the truant, this month. its size being so small as to make it portable anyWhether, like some hired-men, it kept the Fourth a little too hard, whether it where. went as a delegate to some Platform-convention MR. EDITOR: In a late number of your paper, on the inalienable right of periodicals to the purin a notice of a garden engine, you say "It will suit of happiness, or whether it took a fancy to throw water to the height of forty feet, and to the pioneer awhile in Nebraska, concerns me little to distance of seventy feet horizontally. It may, know; but after waiting some twenty-odd days, therefore, be found of use in extinguishing fires in and getting for an answer at the post office, "No, buildings." That remark is in accordance with it hasn't come," until tired of it, I finally went to the general belief of the use of such engines for ex- Boston, yesterday, and got my paper fresh from tinguishing fires. I have no doubt but that if any the printing office.-Item. One advantage of a twelve of your customers who live a mile from a farm near the city, is, that when one's agricultural large fire engine, should purchase a small one, paper fails, he can go the publishers and get anand their building should take fire, they would at other with little trouble. least eleven of them, run for the large one at the It is pleasant to see by a glance at the contents village, and never once think of trying their own, of this number, that the Farmer is not neglected, or if they thought of it, would give it up as a fool- although at this season, the fields make so large ish idea. A more mistaken idea than this of fire demands on both thought and effort;-the labors engines, never entered the mind of man. Fire does of the editor being lightened and encouraged, not wait while we run for engines, but increases this month, by the contribution of between thirin arithmetical progression, and therefore if the ty and forty original articles, which discuss a engine you have discribed, will not put it out when great variety of topics. A bare enumeration of first discovered, the largest in the world cannot, the titles of a few of these articles will indicate if we have to run but half a mile and it then has the extent of our loss, had we been unable to reto be drawn to the fire. I want to see a better place this single number. description of the new Hitchcockengine. I know Butter.-A string of proverbs for making "Butits power, and I tell you it is to create an entire ter;" a cut and description of a dog power for change in our fire departments. Hundreds of towns "Churning;" and a complaint that "the butter in the State cannot afford to purchase a large one, wont come." In our boyhood, we once saw an who could have half a dozen of these; and three old lady thrust a heated poker into a churning of these at proper distances, are better than a large that wouldn't come, with the remark, "It may be one, because so much sooner brought to work. bewitched." Again, many towns who have the large one should Cultivation.-The "Calendar for July" gives purchase small ones for the "outsiders," who pay hints on a variety of subjects; the "Double Plow" their part of the expense while they are wholly is recommended by "E. J.," of Lebanon, N. H.; unprotected. But enough for this time. If you and the writer of "Hoeing" says, "we seldom now sce in a corn-field any other than a very low, flat Ellen Jones.-A "Story," illustrating the danhill, if any hill at all." Those are the kind, Iger of sending our children away from home to know, that we see in the books, while the corn- city or village life, even for a brief “Term" of a fields of farmers in this section show pretty large fashionable school, with the expectation that they hills about the roots of corn. will return, contented and happy, to their old Fruit Tres.-Two articles on "Scraping and occupations and circumstances. Washing Trees;" and two on "Protecting Peach Well Digging-With this very practical-lookTrees" in winter, by the use of matting. I have ing caption, we have a dissertation on "Bletonseen the use of boughs of Evergreen, leaned up ism," "Biology," "Mesmerism," "Spirit-rapagainst the peach tree so as to shield its branches, ping," "Money-digging" and "electrification," recommended; two kinds of pears described and that in my humble opinion, should have been rerecommended. served until the people of this world are a little Garden.—Farmers' Gardens," "What a Gar- more advanced in knowledge than they are likely den should be," and "Cultivation of Strawber- to become during this nineteenth century. ries." There are also three articles on the silk business; Insects. To those whose trees were "burned" by one on Wheat in New England; one on Haying; the canker-worm, and whose fruit was destroyed Book-farming a swamp; sensible thoughts about by the curculio, the various articles on insects will boys on farms, by Willis; Indian modes of storbe interesting, even though they may afford but ing grain, with a brief account of Colonial agrilittle hope of an immediae triumph over these culture; New plants; Time for cutting Timber; our most dreaded and powerful opponents. "Cat- Posts for fence; Winter in Mississippi; The Farerpillars" is a hopeful article; "Habits of In-mer's Home; Autumnal Marrow Squash; High sects," is instructive; two remedies for the Cur- Prices, Emigration, Sugar, &c., &c. culio," one a new one, are encouraging; and so are directions for destroying the "Slimy Slug;" but the article on the ravages of the "Canker SAVING GRASS SEED. Worm," shows that all known preventives have proved only partially effective, and that the evil Many farmers neglect to save their own grass is increasing; yet in the proposition to raise 500 seeds because it needs attention at a time when dollars as a premium for the discovery of a reme- they are most busy with their grain and hay; but dy, that spirit of determination is manifested from if farmers generally would make it a point to save which much may be expected. seed for their own use, they would find their ac Winchester, July, 1854. A READER. Manures.--On "Decomposing Bones;" "Mea- count in it, both in prime cost, and in not being dow Mud and Lime;" "Cost of Manures;" and imposed upon by buying foul seed from another an article by Mr. Holbrook on "The Application man's farm, who had no interest in keeping their of Lime and Ashes for te Improvement of Land." land free of weeds. Has Mr. Holbrook ever made parcels of compost Orchard Grass is among the first to ripen, and alike in all respects except in the addition and will be ready to cut from the 20th of June to the omission of lime, and by the respective effects of first of July, according to the location and soil. such composts testing the value of lime? I have This should be either reaped or cradled and imtried it on a small scale, in several ways, but have mediately put in compact shocks, to stand a not been able to perceive, with my own eyes, the couple of weeks. The stubble may then be mowed least benefit whatever to vegetation or soil, eith- and hayed, taking care not to disturb the shocks. er chemically, mechanically or otherwise, from When dry, the shocks should be moved very carethe use of lime. My composts of mud in which fully to the barn for storage, as the seed shells lime was mingled have proved very valuable; and out easily. just as valuable, for aug'it I can see, without it. Kentucky Blue Grass comes in season for harI submit these remarks in the spirit of suggestion; est about the same time as orchard grass. The best fully aware of the possibility of my observation, method of gathering the seed of this grass is by instead of the lime, being at fault; and believing, stripping the heads by hand; the process is rathfurther, that if farmers will not make use of the er slow, but no other way will bring the seed, in vegetable deposits within their reach without good condition, as it is too light and chaffy to be some admixture to which they may loop their threshed and winnowed. At the price for which faith, then lime, or salt, or any other material, it sells in market, even this slow way pays well. may be safely and justifiably recommended. Meadow Fescue (English Blue Grass) is ripe Stock.-"A Horse's Foot" cautions against al-early in July, and having a tolerably heavy lowing the animal to stand upon a hot-bed of ma-seed, can be cut by the cradle or sickle, and when nure and litter; "Introduction of Domestic Ani- dry, threshed and winnowed carefully to separate mals" into America; "French Merino Buck;" the chaff. Editorial hints on "Salting Stock;" on "Crib- Foul Meadow Grass ripens its seed in the last bing," "Summer Feed for Cows and Pigs;" of July. We consider this as the best grass that "South Down Sheep." Scientific.-"Democracy of Science" "The Effects of Oxygen in accelerating Germination; "Production of Buds and Seeds;" "What a Whole Crop carries off.” can be raised for meadow swails and marsh lands. It is fine, nutritious and yields a great burden; and like a good natured wife-will bear a great deal of neglect without spoiling. When in heal, this grass very nearly resembles red top, and is ofAdvantages of living on Poor Land.-Oue of ten mistaken for it. The seed is very fine and sells those articles that do people good to read, by at a high price-as much by the bushel as clover bracing up the better sentiments of the heart, in- seed, though much lighter. spiring gratitude and contentment, and by "vindicating the ways of God to man. 39 Timothy seed ripens in July, and as it is contained in strong heads, it is, very easily harvested and got out, either by reaping, cradling, or with grass, which show what these grasses will do unsuch a machine as Waggoner's clover harvester, der favorable circumstances. The blue-joint is 6 simply taking off the heads. We wish to bespeak feet high, and the red-top 5 feet! They were he a tion of armers generally to saving the best seeds of these leading grasses.-Ohio Cultiva-grown on his farm in the south-east part of the town. The seeds of such specimens should be carefully preserved, and multiplied by future sowings. tor. EXTRACTS AND REPLIES. MACHINE FOR BRICK-MAKING. A NEW KIND OF FENCE. MR. BROWN—A year or more since, I noticed In a recent number, we gave an account of a in some newspaper an account of a newly invent-new kind of fence in use at Windsor, Vt.; this aced brick-making machine, by means of which the count was taken from our columns without the process of brick-inaking was much facilitated.proper credit being given, and has been extensiveBy this machine the clay and sand, were ground and mingled, and then subjected,after being passed y copied into most of the agricultural journals. into the moulds, to a mighty pressure, suffi int "Grafton," who has seen the same kind of fence to render the bricks capable of being handled in use in Sullivan County, N. II., will see by the and conveyed at once from the machine to the above, the reason why we do not publish his letter. kiln; thus saving the process of sun-drying, turn- We hope to hear from him on other topics. ing, &c. At that time, not being particularly interested, I did not preserve that paper. Can RECLAIMING OLD FIELDS APPLICATION OF MANURES you tell me anything of such a machine, of its efficiency, cost, power necessary to drive it, and of the quality of the bricks made by it? If you or any of your correspondents can and will inform me as above requested, and where such a machine can be seen, I shall be much obliged. Yours truly, Lebanon, N. H., July 15, 1854. E. INGHAM. CALVES GNAWING WOOD What is the best and most expeditious way of reclaiming old fields that were once good, that are of a medium texture of soil? also those of a cold, sour, heavy soil? (a) Which is the best way of applying manure,-is it best to put 100 loads on an acre, or put it on 2 acres? You would not call a man very wise to starve one-half of his family for the sake of stuffing two or three. Why shoull farmers starve one-half of their farm for the sake of raising a great crop of corn? (b.) Is there anything that will prevent calves from gnawing wood, when in the barn in the spring! (c.) REMARKS.-We have often seen bricks made by machinery. The clay and sand are mixed and pass through a hopper as grain does in the grist mill, and thence into the moulds; the followers then enter the moulds, and the straightening of a toggle joint by steam power gives an immense Although I am not a farmer now, I expect to pressure-so great that the bricks are placed up-be sometime, and by answering these questions you on a barrow and wheeled away to the kiln with will greatly oblige very few breakages. The clay is used in a much dryer state than when used by hand, and conseREMARKS.-(a.) First, drain well-this will yet quently there is a liability in machine-made bricks be considered the beginning of good husbandry; to crumble. But they are made with great rapid- then, on the lighter soils plow seven or eight inchity-nearly as fast as a man can take them from es deep, laying the furrow over flat, manure well, the machine, and place them in a barrow. We believe a machine is now in operation at West Cambridge, directly on the line of the Fitchburg Railroad, three miles from Boston. THE SEASON IN MAINE. Ludlow, Vt., 1854. A SUBSCRIBER. and seed down in the last of August. On the heavier soils take the same course, with the exception of laying over the furrows-these should not be left flat on wet and heavy soils, but standing up corner-wise, like a brick laid up on one of its FRIEND BROWN:-We are suffering badly here longest sharp edges. The upper edge of the grass for want of rain. The heavens are brass over is barely covered in as the plow leaves it, and the our heads, grass lands are being terribly parched. seld, well plowed, will present a series of ridges like corn begins to roll, and everything suffers. The hay crop is coming rather light. the apex of the roof of a barn. After the harrow Corn has looked well, but now begins to roll has gone over it the field has a smooth surface, potatoes are now suff ring, and will be light, un- with no grass in sight, and gives a mellow and less there is rain soon. Agriculture is fearfully sufficiently deep seed bed. This we consider the neglected here. This county is far behind Massa-most expeditious mode, but do not mean to intichusetts. Farmers don't plow nor till. A spinster made application to a neighbor of mate that it is a better mode than the ordinary mine, to buy some hay of her. She said there routine of the potato, corn and grain crops, unless would be about five tons. He asked how much it be on low and heavy lands. land. Sixteen acres, was the reply. Springvale, M., July, 1854. TALL GRASSES. R. B. H. (b.) The same sound judgment is to be exercised in the application of manures, that we use in plowing, seeding, building, or any other work Mr. GEORGE WRIGHT, of Acton, Mass., has done on the farm. It would be folly to turn up handed us a sample of Blue-joint and Red-top ten inches of the subsoil at once where we were The cause is simple. The worm finds a bed of ashes no place for it to deposit its eggs. applying only twenty loads of manure to the acre, because the new earth and the fertilizer would be entirely disproportioned-there could be no profit Another eminent fruit grower informs me that he saved his trees after they had been attacked by in the result. Nor should we apply a bushel of the canker worm, by once syringing with whale oil herd's grass seed to the acre when a third, or one-soap, (1 pound of soap to 8 gallons water) from a half of it, is all that such an extent of land re-garden engine. quires. The same rule will be in operation in the application of manures. In answering your inquiry, we must have a basis mutually understood to start upon. It will not answer to take land already rich, nor gravelly knolls that never have been manured,-but the BONE MEAL. II. P. N. Willy Il you inform me what bone meal is a pound, when put up in bags of from 15 to 25 pounds, for feeding to cattle?" E. S. ALLEN. Jacksonville, Vt., 1854. At retail, bone meal is sold at 3 cts. per pound in considerable quantity at 24 cts. The inquiry, with regard to the coming in of cows, we cannot answer so that it would be of much value to you. GUTTA PERCHA PIPE. ordinary land of the farm, such as will yield a fair crop of corn, say 40 to 55 bushels to the acre. Then we should reply, unhesitatingly, it is not best to apply 100 loads of manure to ar acre. On such land, you would probably find as much profit with 50 loads to the acre as with the application EDITOR OF FARMER :-Dear Sir,-I wish to bring of 100 loads. With proper cultivation, and with into my house, but have objection to lead pipe by soft water from a spring about five rods distant- what aid the atmosphere would impart, we think reason of its tendency to make water unhealthy. the plants would find all the nourishment they I have heard that gutta-percha pipe is an excelwould require to produce a crop of corn as large lent substitute for lead. Can you inform me of as ought to be expected upon a single acre. The its qualities for this purpose, also its price, and common practice, however, is, to spread the manure over too much land. The losses in travelling to and from the fields, in plowing, harrowing, furrowing, planting, hoeing, weeding and harvesting the crop, between one and two acres, are not estimated with sufficient care. It will not be doubted by any one who makes a fair trial, that it is altogether more profitable to manure liberally and cultivate well, what we undertake, than to go over a larger extent of land indifferently. (c.) Calves in a perfectly healthy condition will not often contract the habit of gnawing the wood about them. They are too often neglected, do not have sufficient food, are confined within too narrow limits, or are exposed to wet and cold. If the calf is generously supplied with nourishing food, has ample and well-ventilated space and a good bed of dry litter to lie upon, he will not only not gnaw the boards, but give you a handsome profit in his rapid growth for the care you bestow upon him. Will you inform us, at some future time, whether the remedy prescribed is a successful one? A. R. H., Lawrence, Mass.-We thank you, not only for the cash enclosed, but for your good opinion of the Farmer. The corn and potatoes you speak of should be covered at different depths according to the kind of land. On a sandy loam one inch would not be too deep for corn: on heavy, wet land, half that distance. Potatoes should be covered somewhat deeper than corn. THE CANKER WORM. M. W. KIMBALL. where it can be found? We have sent you a circular by mail containing the prices of gutta percha pipe, as they stood a few months since. Recently, the raw material is scarce, and the prices are higher, and are unfixed. RELATIVE VALUE OF NEW MILK AND INDIAN CORN. BOVINE WHISKABOUT HOLDERS. M. FRIEND BROWN:-A very ingenious, and of course valuable apparatus for holding a cow's whiskabout during the operation of milking, was described and figured in the Farmer of last week. A method I have sometimes used, though it cannot lay claim to so much scientiffe ingenuity, is easily performed, and is perfectly effectual. It is, in such a manner as to enclose and press by its to hang a chain over the hind quarters of the cow weight against the tail. This mode is not yet patented, but I will warrant it to satisfy all who will adopt it. JONATHAN DOOLITTLE. Concord, June 26, 1854. THE CROPS. FRIEND BROWN:-I am well pleased with your paper, and wish you much success. Our prospects for a good crop in this ancient town are very good. Grass and corn and potatoes look quite MR. EDITOR-A neighbor informed me that all well, though probably not more than half as his apple trees have been ravaged by the canker many potatoes are planted as usual, but more worm, with a solitary exception, and that was corn. Of fruit there will probably be a fair crop, surrounded by a quantity of the ashes of anthra- with the exception of peaches; there is no sign cite coal. It seemed to me to be a fact that should of the palmer worm, thus far this year. be known, and perhaps you may deem it worthy! N. PIPER. of a place in the columns of your paper. Stratham, N. H., June 23, 1854. |