A FARMER IN THE CHAIR OF STATE. marked abilities for legislation. His report upon the subject of an Agricultural Bureau, made to the Senate in 1849, was a paper of marked value; and had not our politicians at Washington been too busy with party measures to act on its wise into the granaries of the country and greatly ensuggestions, it would now be pouring treasures riching our farmers.

Below we give an article from the Providence Journal, speaking in very complimentary terms of our friend and associate editor, Farmer HOLBROOK, of Brattleboro', Vt. The title, "His Excellency," will confer no honor upon him, that he will not reflect back upon the title, by his manly Gov. Holbrook's recent Inaugural Address is virtues and genuine worth AS A MAN; for in characteristic of the man: modest, simple, terse, whatever position he has been tried, he has been direct, patriotic, Christian; its whole tone and found true to the convictions which he has avowed.tance and bearing of the exigency in which he has spirit show that its author appreciates the imporLong and long ago, he undoubtedly might have been called to bear the responsibilities of office, occupied the Chair of State, had he stooped to and that he will prove himself the worthy stand"barter" a little for the gilded bait; but if the ard-bearer of a State that now, as of old, is well thought ever occurred to him, it was only to be in- sustaining her own and the nation's honor, alike stantly spurned. But when a common calamity befel us, and political trading gave place to a patriotic enthusiasm, he was first in the hearts of the people, who elected him at once to the highest political position in their gift. He will honor that position, and prove that the State may come to his class more frequently for those who have the ability to secure her interests and extend her re

nown.

THE NEW GOVERNOR OF VERMONT.

Vermont has honored herself in the choice of her new Governor-Hon. Frederick Holbrook, of Brattleboro'. His election was not brought about by political manoeuvering, but was the people's spontaneous tribute to true worth and manly honesty of character in one of their own number.

Mr. Holbrook is not far from forty-five years of age; had the ordinary common school and academic advantages in early life; fitted for business with bright prospects which were suddenly darkened by the disastrous failure of the concern in which his father's large property was involved. Thus, in his opening manhood, he was not only thrown upon his own resources, but sorely hampered in the pursuit of any gainful calling.

Left with the care of an aged widowed mother, he undertook the culture of the few acres which were her dower. To the severe labor and thought required to wrest from these a subsistence for his growing family, Vermont, New England, and indeed the agricultural world, owe the advantages they have reaped from his great improvements in agricultural implements, and the numerous valuable articles on practical farming which have made his name widely known.

The improved plows of Ruggles, Nourse & Mason, adapted to every variety of soil and work, are largely the product of his experiments, observation and study, as are many farming implements that bear the names of other men, but owe their existence to his practical and observing mind.

at home and in the field.

For the New England Farmer.

NATURAL SCIENCE FOR FARMERS. MR. EDITOR:-An article in your last number calling attention to the advantage of a knowledge of natural science to farmers, touches the right key, and I hope those farmers' boys and young farmers, who have not already acquired a pretty good knowledge of chemistry, philosophy and botany, will take up at least one of these this winter. The long evenings will afford ample opportunity for an intelligent young man to obtain considerable knowledge of one or two, or even all three of these branches, so intimately connected with practical farming. The "hard words," or "technical terms," which are so apt to frighten the "uninitiated," will quickly disappear when one obtains a little knowledge of their derivation and the reasons for their use.

Aside from its application to the composition of manures, an item of no little consequence in the present state of agriculture, a knowledge of chemistry is almost indispensable in every branch of farm operations. Is it necessary to give medicines to a sick animal, it aids us greatly in exhibiting the nature and probable effect of such medicines do we wish to preserve the products of the farm, it tells us the nature and process of decomposition, and what is likely to arrest it; it tells us, too, in the operations of the kitchen, what preparations are deleterious or otherwise, and in its application to vegetable growth, it enables us to understand and act in accordance with the laws of growth.

Philosophy, too, must be understood by every farmer who would keep up with his profession, especially if he would reap any advantage from the improved machines and implements which so much facilitate the labors of the farm at the present day, and even if he uses no implement more He was one of the founders of the Vermont Ag-complicated than a common lever, some knowlricultural Society, and for the first eight years its edge of philosophical principles will often save President. In that capacity he probably did as half the labor otherwise expended. much by speech and pen as any man has done to develop the internal resources of the State. It is but just that she should recognize the obligation by this high mark of her confidence.

Governor Holbrook has no taste for politics "as a trade," and has generally avoided political life. In the Vermont Senate, however, he showed

Both these branches can be pursued to advantage during winter, and so long as man's principal aim is "the pursuit of happiness," it is my firm belief that independent of their practical application to business, any intelligent man would be amply repaid for the time and labor requisite to obtain a knowledge of them, by the insight which

he would thereby obtain into the operations of nature which are daily going on around him.

The flock is now on the prairie, and will remain there until his meadow is ready to turn into, when the rye pasture will be repeated. He will clear at least $1,500 the first year in this operation, the result of brains in farming.-Illinois Farmer.

MANUAL OF AGRICULTURE.

Botany, although not so appropriate for winter study, and perhaps verging more toward the ornamental, may still come in for a share of attention, now and then; with its principles acquired, no time need be lost in going into the practical part when spring arrives, and while it is a valuable aid to the strictly practical farmer, and well worth the trouThis is a new work on agriculture, especially ble necessary to its acquirement, it is absolutely designed "to supply an important defect in the inindispensable to the highest success in horticulture struction of youth," but there are few farmers who and its kindred branches. While the practical agriculturist, who, through ignorance of its princi- may not find in it stores of wisdom and pages of ples, exposes himself to derision if not serious facts, a knowledge of which is important to success loss, by belief in such doctrines as the transmuta- in their business. It has been prepared by two tion of wheat to chess, the mixing of potatoes in

the tubers, &c., the horticulturist and seedsman persons as competent as any in the State to supare liable to serious mistakes at the very founda- ply such a work, viz :—Mr. GEORGE B. EMERSON, tion of their business, unless a knowledge of bot-author of a Report on the Trces and Shrubs of any is included in their education.

But there is another view of the subject which I consider especially important. In every well organized mind, there is more or less love of the beautiful, and this almost exhaustless source of innocent pleasure is more fully brought out and directed to its proper channel, the vegetable creation, by this study, than it can be by any other means and at the same time, the close attention to the minute organs of flowers, required in practical botany, tends to develop the perceptive fac

ulties.

In this, too, it is sufficient compensation for the knowledge-loving student to be able to name the plants and trees which grow along his path, to know their uses and their origin, habits of growth,

&c.

Ashfield, Dec. 2, 1861.

WILLIAM F. BASSETT.

RYE FOR SHEEP.

Massachusetts, and CHARLES L. FLINT, Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture, and author of a Treatise on Milch Cows and Dairy Farming, and Grasses and Forage Plants, &c. Mr. Emerson prepared the first thirteen chapters, and the twenty-first chapter upon the Rotation of Crops, and Mr. Flint the remainder, commencing with the fourteenth chapter. We have read every page of the work with minute attention, and are free to

say that we believe it to be the most valuable work yet published, not only for the "instruction of youth," but for the instruction of our farmers generally. In order to show the nature of the

work better than we can show it by any explanation, we will extract a few paragraphs, and begin with the first three in the book.

the
ing crops.

2. The object of agriculture should be to enrich the earth, and make it produce the largest crops, of the greatest value, at the least expense of land, time, and labor.

3. In order to attain this object, the husbandman must have capital, that is, money for the necessary expenditures; labor, or hands for the operations required; knowledge of the best ways of working; and intelligence, in order to direct the application of the capital and labor.

1. Agriculture is the art of cultivating the earth. Rye is one of the most valuable of the green It includes whatever is necessary for finding out feed for sheep. A friend of ours, an amateur far- the nature of the soil, clearing up the land, renmer, who has his means all locked up in real estate. dering it healthy, and preparing it for tillage, and but who is determined to make it pay his expen-plowing it, and the sowing, weeding and harvestses in spite of the hard times for all the real estate speculators, enclosed four hundred acres, which he rents out on shares, the most of which has been cultivated in corn since the crash of 1857. Beginning to fear that his third of the corn crop would not pay his taxes on some thousands of acres of wild land, with his other expenses, he applied to his arithmetic, which convinced him that a thousand good mutton sheep would help him out; so after the corn was laid by, he persuaded one of his tenants to allow him to sow some thirty acres of rye among the corn. His thousand sheep were purchased in August, herded wherever he could find feed until the corn was ripe, when they were turned on the young rye, which was their principal feed until the first of June, when it was turned under and planted to corn. A portion of the crop was well fed down, but had it not been for the standing corn stalks, a respectable crop could have been harvested from a part of the field. Here was the large part of the feed of a thousand sheep for eight months, costing $12 for the seed and about the same for labor, and returning the land in far better condition than it was before, no doubt to the extent of the seed and labor. We have never seen a lot of sheep and lambs at this season in so good a condition as this rye fed flock.

This is sufficient to show the reader the pleasant and familiar style of the work. In clearing the way to speak of the subjects which he must introduce as he advances, Mr. Emerson is obliged to speak of that bugbear word science, and he does it in so plain and attractive a manner that all will be charmed, rather than repulsed by it.

"Science," he says, "is exact knowledge, obtained by the observation and experience of many

observers."

"You see, then, what is the use of a scientific knowledge of the principles of agriculture. It prepares a person for the practice of agriculture."

Mr. Flint, we think, has been equally happy in his portion of the work. The subjects which have come under his care, are concisely and perspicuously treated, and will make a great many points plain, which have heretofore been surrounded with mystery to the common farmer. His chapters on the "Economy of the Farm," and the "Economy of the Household," are especially worthy of the most careful reading.

We not only hope that the book will be introduced into all the schools of New England, but that a copy of it may also be found on the table of every farmer. Messrs. Swan, Brewer & Tileston, 131 Washington St., Boston, are the publishers.

HOW TO CURE HAMS AND SIDES.

There are many ways to cure hams, but some of them are not desirable, unless we are satisfied to eat poor hams in preference to good. A ham well cured, well smoked and well cooked, is a favorite dish with most people, but there are very few indeed who can relish ham which has been hardened and spoiled by salt, or tainted for the want of salt in curing, and may be worse spoiled in cooking; but if ham is spoiled by too much salt, or too little, or becomes tainted before the salt has thoroughly penetrated through it, I defy any cook to make a good dish out of it. I have tried many ways in curing hams, and have lost them sometimes by having them become rancid and tainted in warm weather, and also by having them so salt and hard that they were unpalatable.

I have for some twenty years practiced the following simple recipe in curing pork hams and shoulders, and find it preferable to any recipe I ever tried, and when I have had any to sell they have taken the preference of sugar cured hams with those acquainted with them.

smoke them. I consider clean corn cobs better for smoking meat than anything I have ever tried, until it penetrates the meat, or the skin becomes a and now use nothing else; continue the smoke dark cherry brown. I then wrap the pieces I wish to keep in paper, any time before the bugs or flies have deposited their eggs on them, and pack them down in casks with dry ashes, in the cellar, whoe both hams and shoulders will keep as good as when packed, through the summer or year. Cured in this way, it is hard to distinguish between the shoulder and ham when boiled.

A large ham will often taint in the middle before salt or brine will penetrate through.

HOW TO CURE SIDE PORK.

So much for smoked meat; now if any one wishes to have his side pork a little better, and keep better than any he has ever had, let him try my way, and if he is not satisfied, let me know it through the Ohio Farmer.

Take out the bone and lean meat along the back, cut and pack the pieces snugly in the barrel, put more salt on the bottom and on each laying of meat than will probably penetrate the meat; then boil and skim the brine (if it is sweet,) and add enough to it to cover your meat two or three inches over the top, made strong like the ham brine; and as soon as you pack your meat, pour the brine on boiling hot; it will penetrate the meat much quicker than cold brine, and give it an improved

flavor.

While I was making and pouring the brine on my hams and pork just now packed, I thought the public might be benefited by a knowledge of my way of curing meats. I therefore publish it. Try it.-A. AYLSWORTH, in Ohio Farmer.

AN IMPORTANT WORK.-Mr. Kennedy, superintendent of the census, is causing the preparation of a work at his Bureau, which is of the greatest inwhich are in possession of the government, he terest. Taking some sets of large maps of States causes to be written over the spaces designating counties the number of whites, free-colored, slaves, and men between eighteen and forty-five years of age in such counties; also, valuable animals within such limits, as horses, cattle, hogs, sheep, &c. The quantity of leading agricultural products is also noted, and railroads, canals, turnpikes and high roads are accurately delineated, with distances between principal places.

at this time, and hence Gen. McClellan has deThe maps in question are of great military value tailed several competent persons to make transcripts for the use of the army. Just now the work is confined to States which are seats of war, but it is intended to extend it to all the States, and in the end to have appropriate shadings to represent mineral regions, &c. &c.-Baltimore Sun.

I trim the hams and shoulders in the usual way, except I cut the leg off close up to the ham and shoulder, to have them pack close, and as being worthless smoked; then sprinkle a little fine salt on the bottom of a sweet cask, and pack down the hams and shoulders promiscuously, as they will best pack in, and sprinkle a little fine salt on each laying, just enough to make it show white; then heat a kettle of water and put in salt, and stir well until it will bear up a good-sized potato, between the size of a quarter and a half dollar; boil and skim the brine, and pour it on the hams boiling hot, and cover them all over one or two inches deep with the brine, having put a stone on the meat to keep it down. I sometimes use saltpetre, and sometimes do not; consider it useless, except to color the meat. I now use my judgment as to the time to take them out of the brine. If the hams are small, they will cure in three weeks, if large, say five weeks; again, if the meat is packed loose, it will take more brine to cover it, conseTHE HORTICULTURIST.-The December numquently more salt will penetrate the meat in a giv-ber of this popular periodical is before us, and, as en time than if it is packed close; on this account usual, elegant in its appearance. It is illustrated it is useless to weigh the meat and salt for the by beautifully painted engravings of the "Senior brine, as the meat must be kept covered with the Wrangler," "Diophantus," and "Moor" geraniums. brine, let it take more or less. Leave the casks uncovered until cool. When the hams have been The editor's leader is a continuation of his "Hints in brine long enough, I take them out and leave on Grape Culture," and is upon the subject of comthem in the cellar, if the weather is not suitable to posts and manures.

ON PROTECTING NATIVE GRAPES IN First, let the vines be pruned and trimmed ready

WINTER.

BY PRATIQUER.

for tying in the spring; then run a plow two or three times between the rows, near the middle, say about three or feet from the stakes or trellis, and so far from the vines as to lay no roots bare; then let two men work together, one of whom gathers the canes, and holding them together, lays them on the ground lengthwise of the rows, while the other throws two or three shovelfuls of earth to anchor them, and continues to throw on more earth, where needed, until the first is ready with more canes from the next vine. They proceed thus through the row. Returning, they each use the shovel to complete the covering. It may all be

row of potatoes. This is much easier and less expensive than covering with straw; besides, straw beds become harboring-places for mice, which often damage the canes when short of food. Another method is to construct hurdles to lay over the vines, but it is both troublesome and costly, except on a small scale. Vines are sometimes well protected by laying on the ground, with stones upon them, to prevent swaying about in the wind. There are some hardy varieties which have withstood the vicissitudes of our climate, and which may be said not to need any protection; but they may live in one location, and be winter-killed in another; or, under varying circumstances, the wood of one may be more perfectly ripened, and thus be able to stand severer tests. It is better to cover them all; they are then sure to come out all right, and will bear their fruit three to five days earlier for it, which is an item of great importance, adding more value to the crop than all the labor and expense of protection. In the spring, the canes may be lifted with a garden fork, and allowed to lie on the ground until the proper time for tying to the stake or trellis.

It is our duty to profit by experience. The results of the past year have taught a lesson to be improved by vineyardists, as a matter of pleasure as well as profit. Among those who laid down their grape-vines in the fall of 1860, are now, at the fruit-ripening season, to be seen many cheerful countenances, the owners pointing with glowing satisfaction to well-loaded vines, bearing ripe, delicious grapes, produced, as they firmly believe, by their discretion in protecting the vines a year ago, some of whom, I am happy to say, have real-done in less time than the two men would dig a ized a money value for their products which enales them to say that grape culture is profitable, as well as pleasurable. The protection of vines in this Northern climate is a necessity; they may escape five years out of six, and yet, if the crop is lost once in that time, the grower not only loses his crop, but very often loses his confidence, so that he neglects to prune, cultivate, and train, and perhaps, through carelessness and neglect, loses his crop of future years, and ultimately the cost of his vineyard. When one sees a neglected vineyard, and inquires the reason why it is not cared for, he is often told, "It won't pay." Why not? "Because it is so much trouble to cover the vines in winter." Let us look at this, and see if it is so. The writer, who is an enthusiast on grape culture, desirous to try experiments, lost many of his vines by a neglect to cover them, by leaving them tied to the stakes and trellis, to see what would happen to them, while the other portion, covered with earth, or laid on the ground and covered with leaves and snow, were not only in good order in the spring, but have borne abundantly of good ripe fruit, and have already ripened wood for another season, ripening both fruit and wood many days earlier for their protection. A neighbor, with a REMARKS. For several years we have practiced large vineyard, producing annually many tons of the mode of protecting grape vines in the winter grapes, covered a part of his vines, which have described above, and have invariably found them yielded bountiful crops this season; he has lost, by his estimate, from two to three thousand dollars to come out in the spring appearing more fresh on those left exposed, the expense of covering and vigorous than those left upon the trellises or which would have amounted to a trifle less than stakes. The labor of laying them is not much, two hundred dollars. Omitting this small expen- and, compared with the advantages gained, is unditure, his unprotected vines have barely paid the doubtedly a profitable labor. When covered, the expense of cultivating the past summer; indeed, a cultivator should not be in haste to take them up part of his vineyard has not even been plowed this season, showing that he was discouraged. I could in the spring, as the bark, by being kept moist cite many more instances, if necessary, but a word through the winter, is tender, and is in danger to the wise is sufficient. It must be remarked, of being injured by a night or two that is colder that the winter of 1860-61 was the severest upon than is usual in the spring, if followed by hot suns many fruits that has been experienced during the

present century, either on this continent or in Eu- during the succeeding days. We have sometimes rope. The cold was intense for perhaps twenty-let them remain with advantage until the middle four hours at a time, and was preceded and fol- of May. lowed by moderate weather, with a clear winter sun. There is good reason to believe that native grapes would bear the severest cold if they were not suddenly exposed to a bright sunshine, after being congealed into solid ice; it may not, therefore, be necessary to bury them in the ground, but it is undoubtedly the most economical mode of protecting them, is found to be effectual in every instance heard of, and is doubtless attended with less trouble than any other method of covering and protecting known. It can be done rapidly; with an hour's practice, a man becomes very expert.

THE BEES AT WAR.-A great battle of bees recently occurred at Conneaut, Ohio. Ezra Dipple had seventy swarms, about equally divided on the east and west sides of his house. On the 17th they went to war, those on the west side of the house being arrayed in battle against those on the other side. They filled the air, covering a space of more than one acre of ground, and fought desperately for three hours-not for "spoils," but for conquest; and while at war, no living thing could exist in the vicinity. They stung a large flock of

Shanghai chickens, nearly all of which died, and most practicable; and in the gathering and plantpersons passing along the roadside were obliged ing of seeds a great deal of judgment and experito make haste to avoid their stings. Quiet was ence is required. The cones of some species ripen not restored until nightfall. Two young swarms in one year, in others not until the end of two were entirely destroyed, and the slain literally cov-years. It is advisable to collect the cones a little ered the ground. Neither party was victorious, and they only ceased from utter prostration. The cause of this bitter outbreak among creatures so redolent of sweetness, is quite unaccountable.

while before they are perfectly ripe, when they are liable to drop their seeds. In the European trees the seeds usually drop from the cones in March; here the time varies with our latitude and climate, and with the different species.

The cones of the Hemlock are mature in the

CULTIVATION AND PROPAGATION OF autumn, when they begin to shed their seeds, con

THE PINE TRIBES.

A correspondent of Hovey's Magazine writes concerning the propagation of the Pine and Fir tribes, in an article replete with interest, from

which we make these extracts:

With respect to the soil and situation best adapted to the Abietinæ, some inference may be drawn from the fact that pine and fir forests are most generally found upon a soil composed of the debris of granite. Hence the prevalence of this family of trees near the summits of high mountains, and over large portions of North America where the different forms of granite distinguish the geological character of the soil. A sandy loam and a cold subsoil seem to be the most favorable condi

tinuing to do so all winter; those of the Pitch Pine are mature at the end of the second autumn; those of the White Pine require also two years for their maturity, and ripen in the autumn. Hence the proper time to gather the cones of our native species is during the fall of the leaf.

REMARKS.-There is. A cheap process has been tions for the growth of coniferous trees. Our discovered whereby flax may be prepared for the white pine requires a richer soil than the other American species, and the larch excels all the oth- "brake" in the course of a few hours,-and then it ers in a mean soil. The native habitats of the hem- is run through a machine at the rate of a ton per lock are very wet, and often partly submerged in hour, perhaps, completely separating the fibre from water, yet these conditions are not necessary to it. the woody part of the stem. With these facilities In fine, there are but few of the conifers that will not do well in almost any soil after they have been for dressing, and the constant demand of the seed successfully transplanted and raised to a growing for its oil and as feed for cattle, it seems to us that flax-raising might be made profitable on many of our New England lands.

condition.

TO PREVENT POSTS BEING THROWN BY FROST.

The usual method of propagating all the species is by seeds, immense quantities of which are annually collected in different parts of the world, by collectors of Great Britain. It is common with us to transplant the White Pine from the woods; but Last spring there was much complaint about very few other species will bear this process, un- fence posts being thrown out of the ground by the less they were raised from the seeds in a planta- frost, and a request to know what would prevent tion. The most certain and economical mode of it. Several things were proposed, such as setting obtaining a plantation of conifers is to purchase the fence with stone, &c. them from the nurseries. The artificial treatment they have received from the first, under the hand of the cultivator, modifies their nature, so that any species, even the hemlock, may always be successfully removed from the nurseries, under the right circumstances of time and season.

In England, it is no unusual thing to propagate certain species by cuttings; but the pines cannot be treated in this way. Cuttings are taken from the lateral branches when the recent shoots are beginning to ripen; they are planted in sand and covered with a glass. This is usually done on the last of August, or a little later; the cuttings are kept in a frame and protected from the frost, and will be found to have struck their roots on the next May or June.

They may afterwards be transplanted in the autumn. The Silver Fir, the Spruce and the Larch, are found to bear this process well; but the practice is not likely to be followed to any considerable extent in this country. Grafting has also been successfully practiced with several species.

The method of raising by seeds is, however, the

There is one thing that I think will prevent it, if not too expensive, which is as follows: Put about a pint of coarse salt around each post, or enough to prevent the ground from freezing, and the post will not be disturbed. There will be another advantage from the salt. The post will last twice as long as without it. It should be put about the post about the first of December each year. The fence between the posts must not rest on the ground.

X.

Nov. 28-Thanksgiving.-Weather is fine and moderate; but little snow, not enough for sleighing. Jack Frost, however, has rendered his stay so far serviceable as to pave the ways and by-ways, so that wheeling is very good.

Nov. 29-Morning.-Snowing finely. P. M.Cloudy and moderate. Two or three inches new snow; enjoyed the first sleigh-ride of the season.

Dec. 1-A. M.-Quite moderate; cloudy. P. M.-Snowing, though damp. Evc.-prospect of sleighing.