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For the New England Farmer.

AGRICULTURAL READING.

year was the duration of the shad's life. What was only a matter of conjecture and inference, has been lately proved by the artificial fish-breeders. Somewhere in the State of New York, one of these raisers of fish from spawn which he fed in early life with crumbled crackers strewn upon the pond where they were kept, has proved their short hold on existence. He raised them for the purpose of supplying the very large fish he had in his tanks and ponds with food. As the science of breeding fish is known more, the habits of the different species will be more easily described.-only lead us astray; it never can guide us in the Hartford Courant.

For the New England Farmer.
HOW TO MAKE MANURES.

MR. EDITOR: It is universally allowed by intelligent men, that the highest degree of success in any vocation is attained by those who have the best practical knowledge of the principles which underlie that calling. The experience of our predecessors, with the deeds of whose lives we are conversant, affords ample proof of this assertion. Ignorance, let our pursuit be what it may, can

way to prosperity. To the farmer, these truths are of the first importance, showing, as they do, the necessity of a good understanding of his business. To throw light upon the subject of agriculture, by the aid of the pen and the press, has been MR. BROWN:-There seems to be a desire by considered a thing superfluous, and by many acfarmers to know what course to pursue in regard tually injurious. The information handed down to worn-out or neglected land. My experience from father to son, was deemed amply sufficient and observation teach me that the barn-cellar, if for a successful career in farm-life. But the times properly managed, is the best bank stock that a have changed, and with the times, the opinions of working farmer can have. A dairy farm of from men, in a good degree; and now the great questwelve to twenty cows will make, from spring to tion among our intelligent cultivators is, What November, one hundred and fifty to three hun-are the means by which we may be enlightened in dred cart-loads of first-rate manure for fall seed-relation to our profession? This is a question aping or top-dressing, if the proper materials are fur- plicable to the age in which we live, and the annished, at a very small cost. Among these I swers as various as the means are numerous. would recommend for the stable, sawdust, where I look upon the agricultural press as one of the it can be had, spent tan or sand; with a bountiful most efficient aids of the farmer. Here is dissupply of sand, loam, muck, or almost any other played the united talent of the theorist and the kind of earth, carted into the cellar as soon as practical man. Here the accumulated knowledge convenient after planting. A good supply placed of the past, augmented by the investigations of under the stable to receive the droppings and li- the present, is laid before us in appropriate form, quid manures, and the rest tipped up or piled up, and in language easily comprehended. The good, by the side, so as to be convenient to be mixed progressive farmer is a student, pushing his inves with the manure as often as once, twice or three tigations with that devotion and intelligence which times a week, as circumstances will admit. There characterize his plans and labors upon the farm. is not an industrious farmer, or one who has help, Standard agricultural works occupy a prominent who can receive so much profit from his labor as place in his library, and the popular journals of in spending his spare hours or rainy days in lev-the day, which treat of his profession, find a ready elling down his manure, and mixing in his materials, which are provided, and in this way increase the products of his farm beyond his comprehension.

HOW TO KILL SEEDS OF WEEDS.

Mr. B. T. Stephens, of Waterville, Me., asks, "How can manure be managed to kill the seeds in it, and thus escape the trouble of constantly hoeing and pulling weeds ?"

In the first place, put no weeds into your barn or cellar after they have come to seed; next, allow no weeds to get ripe in your fields of corn or potatoes; sow as little English grain as possible where you intend to plant; seed down your land to grass with the corn crop, by the use of the horse-harrow, and a little use of the hoe to keep it perfectly level, and destroy the weeds. A few days in August will destroy in your hoed crops

more weeds than farmers are aware of.

Northboro', July, 1862. A SUBSCRIBER.

IF YOU have an evergreen, or Norway spruce, balsam fir, American spruce, or any of the pines, and desire to make it grow more compact, just pinch out the bud from every leading branch, all around and over it. Repeat this process again next year, at this time, and your evergreen will continue thereafter to grow thickly.-Indiana

Farmer.

welcome and an eager perusal, by his fireside. Who, then, will marvel when they witness the success of such men-men who have labored "to improve both the soil and the mind?" But we are oftentimes told that much which is written upon agricultural topics is mere speculation, and never can be applied to practice with favorable results. This we admit in a measure, but let us inquire, Is it necessary to reject all agricultural reading, merely because an occasional article is submitted to our perusal, incompatible with the principles of that science which it is intended to enlighten us upon? No intelligent farmer will give an affirmative response to a question of this nature. Proper discrimination must be exercised concerning matters of this kind, or we can never hope to profit thereby. If we read an article which at once appears to contain a multiplicity of absurdities, we do not usually allow the article to be laid aside, with merely remarking that it is incorrect, but we strive to collect evidence which will place its incorrectness in a clearer light; and in this elucidation of its falsities, our attention is often directed to subjects which might never have been considered, if there had been no occasion like this to call them forth.

I long to see the art of cultivating the earth raised to a higher state of perfection. This can be accomplished only through the instrumentality of a more varied, practical and thorough knowl

J. H. G.

CROP OF GRASS.

edge of those great principles upon which it is based. I say, then, let the agricultural press-the herald of true progress in this sphere, still go on least one-quarter part of several years past, on I learned to-day, that this will come short by at fulfilling its mission. Let the farming community, the splendid farm of Gen. Sutton. As every one by diligent study, acquire more liberal views of knows that he spares no expense or effort to their calling, and of the means for its promotion, make his lands as productive as possible, the deand thus more successfully pave the way for genu- ficiency must be charged to the malign influences ine, progressive farming. of the season. This is contrary to the general Hubbardston, April, 1862. impression of the season. Perhaps it may be chargeable to the war, as he is a Major General of long standing, and his attention must have been diverted from the farm, by the enlistment and organization of troops,-the all-absorbing topic of the day. The truth is, farmers must attend to their business, if they would have their barns full in due time; if they do not look to their farms, their farms will not sustain them, whatever may be their official station. Essex Co., July 26, 1862.

EXTRACTS AND REPLIES.

BLACK WARTS ON TREES.

Will you or some of your writers inform me through your paper how to prevent what I call canker worms from getting in plum and cherry trees? They cause a hard, black bunch to grow on the branches, and spoil the tree. Norway, Me., July, 1862. SUBSCRIBER.

REMARKS. Cut them out carefully and thoroughly as often as they appear. The following is from the Country Gentleman :

In conversing with a friend a few days since, he

informed me that he had been successful in re

moving the black excrescences that have proved so injurious to plum trees, as follows: Saturate the knot with spirits of turpentine, and in time it will dry up and heal over. He thinks the disease is caused by an insect, which the spirits of turpentine destroys, and thereby remedies the evil. He had recommended it to his neighbors, and in all cases it has proved alike beneficial. In looking over some of the back volumes of the Cultivator, I find the general remedy recommended is excision, and knowing that this sometimes proves injurious to the tree, I thought I would send you this remedy-so simple and yet so beneficial-for publication, not doubting but that I should get some ideas in return from your correspondents.

I see the cherry is affected, in some sections of the country, with the black knot, and I presume the above remedy will prove alike beneficial to them.

COLD AND WET.

"A PAIR OF TWINS."

We very frequently hear and use the expression, "A pair of twins," evidently meaning two this a correct expression? Is it true that two born at the same time. But, strictly speaking, is produced at the same birth constitute a pair of twins? Two, doubtlessly, constitute twins, but not a pair of twins. As it takes two to make twins, it must certainly take twice as many, or four, to make a pair of twins. If I am correct in very seldom this and I believe that I am—it is that we see a pair of twins, although twins are

often met with.

A CONSTANT READER.

Pawlet, Vt., July, 1862.

LEACHED ASHES.

Prof. Buckland, the able editor of the Canadian Agriculturist, says:

"Wood ashes always contain a considerable amount of carbonate of potash, lime, etc., and are consequently very beneficial to such plants as require large quantities of these alkalies, such as Indian corn, turnips, beets and potatoes. Leached ashes have lost much of the principal alkaline

Such is the present month of July. Already salts, and have been deprived of the greatest part have there fallen five inches of rain, and in very they must not be regarded as an unimportant ferof their most important soluble ingredients; still few of the days has the mercury, on a fair expos-tilizer, and other matter which they contain is alure, risen above 70°. These facts are extraordinary, and must essentially modify the products of ways more or less beneficial to the soil. Unless the fields and gardens.

ears.

the land is well worked and contains sufficient or

My thermometer distinctly indicates summer ganic matter, we should not consider ashes, heat as 76°. When the mercury for weeks in sucwhether leached or unleached, as alone adequate cession, fails to reach this point, we may begin to the production of a good crop of wheat, turto query whether all is going rightly on.— nips or corn." My corn looks green and luxuriant, and rises a foot or more above my head, as I walk among it; but still, it needs heat to fill out and mature the Grain of all kinds appears to be doing well. This matures with less heat than corn. Potatoes were never better than the present season. I hear nothing of the rot. "Seed time and harvest” have come for the last seventy years, and I have no reason to fear that they will fail us. I have much more fear of the ugly secession spirit abroad. God grant that this may be suppressed, and this speedily.

Essex Co., Mass., July 26, 1862.

P.

There is something about old leached ashes that we do not understand, though we have given the subject considerable attention. We have seen instances where old leached ashes have had an excellent effect on wheat, while unleached ashes seemed to do no good. We have thought that perhaps the potash and soda which had been washed out, were replaced by ammonia and nitric acid from the atmosphere. The subject is one worthy of investigation. At all events, it is certain that leached ashes frequently have a very beneficial effect; and if the above hypothesis is true, the older they are the better.

416

NEW ENGLAND FARMER.

For the New England Farmer. MEANS OF AGRICULTURAL KNOWLEDGE.

MR. EDITOR:-What are our principal means of obtaining a knowledge of agriculture in New England at the present time? I make this inquiry, because I wish to know whether or not we are employing sufficient means for the education of the rising generation who are to occupy the land of their fathers, and to cultivate its rugged soil. New England is comparatively a hard, rocky and barren soil; but, under skilful cultivation, it is capable of producing all the necessaries and many of the luxuries of life in great abundance. Still, in order to compete successfully with other portions of the country where but little knowledge and effort are required in cultivating the earth, the New England farmer must possess superior knowledge of the business so as to be able to husband all his resources to the best advantage. It will not do for him to skim over the surface, to scratch the soil and cast in his seed, and expect an abundant harvest. No; what he most needs, is practical knowledge or science; for it is this alone which can enable him to render the rough and rugged soil of New England productive.

Let us briefly enumerate some of our principal means of acquiring agricultural knowledge, and endeavor to ascertain our real condition and prospects.

every town where there is a farmers' club estab-
lished for the discussion of agricultural subjects,
there is generally an excellent school for young
farmers. These farmers' clubs are generally made
up of the best and most skilful farmers in the
town; of men who read and think and reason,
Mutual in-
and, in all their discussions, aim to let their light
shine for the benefit of each other.
struction is what they aim at, and not to astonish
the world by an exhibition of some great montros-
ity of nature or art. They have no premiums or
State funds to bestow on unworthy objects. They
see clearly, that the State's money which is now
annually distributed among the several county so-
cieties so liberally, ought to be so managed as to
impart knowledge to the great mass of young
farmers, instead of being squandered away in
county towns upon trifling and doubtful objects.

But

The

Such are some of our principal means of acquiring agricultural knowledge. Are they adequate If they to the purpose of imparting a thorough knowledge of agriculture to the rising generation? are, we ought to be satisfied with them, and endeavor to use them to the best advantage. if these means are not sufficient, we should make use of additional means, so as to secure a greater amount of knowledge. It is obvious to every one, that the strongest man is not necessarily the best farmer. There is something which is better than physical strength, and which can accomplish more. It is knowledge which is able to overcome brute The first means of acquiring this knowledge is force, and subdue the ferocity of the tiger. in the family, on the farm. This is very different knowing farmer can always excel the ignorant on different farms, and in different towns and farmer whatever be his physical strength, because neighborhoods. On some farms, it is good, very his superior knowledge gives him additional skill good; on others, it is tolerably or indifferently in his business. In New England, the head as good; on others, again, it is useless, or worse well as the hands must work. There cannot be than nothing. It is no where uniform, methodi- much success in farming, where there is a lack of ical, systematic, or scientific. On one farm, the knowledge; for it is knowledge which enables the operations are all performed in a very careless, farmer to raise the largest crops, at the smallest slovenly and unskilful manner; on another, they cost, and with the least effort. How to do this are all performed very differently, and are followed successfully, the science of agriculture alone can with very different results. Still, whatever may teach. At the present day, the farmer is placed be the errors and defects of family instruction on in such close proximity with almost every departthe farm, it ought not to be underrated or held in ment of science, that it is difficult to determine JOHN GOLDSBURY. disesteem, because in most families, and on most what should be the extent of his knowledge. Warwick, Mass., 1862. farms, it is doing an immense amount of good, and imparting a great amount of knowledge to the

young.

The second means of knowledge consists of
newspapers, periodicals and books, professedly
treating of the science and practice of agriculture
in all its departments. And it is greatly to be re-
gretted, that these admirable means of knowledge
intended for the benefit of all, should be improved
by so few; that any unreasonable prejudice should
prevent any one from receiving that instruction
from books and newspapers which he would glad-
ly and thankfully receive from the lips of a friend.
The third means of knowledge consists of the
example, conversation and advice of neighboring
farmers. A good example, accompanied by gen-
tle words and useful advice, will have a great ef-
fect on youthful practice. The influence of such
farmers is very great. The young are naturally
inclined to imitate their superiors and elders in
every kind of business. This is peculiarly the
case in farm operations, in which every improve-
ment is readily adopted and reduced to practice.

The fourth means of knowledge consists of
farmers' clubs and town agricultural societies. In

HABITS OF GRASSHOPPERS. A Goliad correspondent of the Colorado (Texas) Citizen gives some curious facts in relation to the grasshoppers which have recently swarmed in that region. He says:

They have an especial fondness for wheat and cotton, but don't take so kindly to corn. The only vegetable they spare, is the pumpkin. The most deadly poisons have had no effect upon them; fumes of sulphur they rather like than otherwise; musquito nets they devour greedily; clothes hung out to dry they esteem a rarity; blankets and gunnybags they don't appear to fancy. They swim The whole mass appear the broadest creeks in safety, sun themselves a while, and then go on. to start at the same time, travelling for an hour or two, devouring everything in their way, and then suddenly cease, and not move perhaps for a week, duirng which time no feeding is noticed; and finally, they carefully avoid the sea-coast.

[graphic]

GREEN HOUSE ENGINE.

The Messrs. Cowing & Co., of Seneca Falls, N. Y., have been Anown for years as the manufacturers of iron pumps of various patterns, chain pumps, garden engines, &c. This year they have introduced a new green house engine-a representation of which accompanies this article. It consists of a small force pump firmly fastened into an iron pail. It can be carried quite easily when full, to any desired spot, and can be worked with one hand. We have one in our possession which we have tried, and find it will throw a small stream

a distance of 40 feet, and at the rate of two or three gallons a minute. Simply for watering plants, the necessity of renewing the supply of water so often would make it of little more value than the common watering pot, but in washing windows or carriages, in throwing water to the centre of flower-beds which cannot be easily reached in liquid manuring, or in throwing such compositions as soap suds, tobacco water, &c., upon the foliage of trees and plants for the destruction of insects, it appears to us to be a valuable article. The price is $8,00, and it would be hard for any one not to realize the interest of this outlay from its use

The following is a postscript to a letter, received a few days ago from our much esteemed old friend, whose name is signed to it. His success in grafting the grape is very satisfactory :

Shall I inform you of my success in grafting the grape-vine this spring? This morning I set grafts of the last two varieties on hand. I grafted the first about the middle of March on to the beginning of April, then stopped until about the middle of June; then, as time would permit, stuck in a few occasionally until this day, 2d July-all in the roots, or in branches laid under ground. Many of the grafts have already made a growth of four inches to four feet, one is bearing a cluster of fruit and some of those grafted ten days to two weeks, are pushing already. Of about one hun dred grafts set, at least eighty will grow; and of these one hundred grafts, representing thirty varieties, I will have every variety to grow!

Last year's grafting are now strong plants, bearing from one to a dozen branches of fruit. By this mode of propagation a new variety may Messrs. Cowing & Co. have also sent us one of be fruited the second year for certain; while in planting the delicate, forced pot plants we must their new bells, made of the above material. They wait four to six years before fruit can be looked are of several sizes, and designed for farms, en-for "Time is money" in more ways than one.gine-houses, school-houses, churches, &c. The ma- J B. Garber, in Germantown Telegraph.

GRAVEL IN OXEN---A REMEDY.

nibble the sweet grass on the roadside, on their During the latter part of March I had a noble way to pasture. He is in no hurry, not he. He ox taken suddenly sick, giving signs of great pain sits twice as long at the breakfast table as he did and an evident desire to discharge urine. Fre

quent pulsations of the urethra (always observable last year, and thinks the food tastes better than when cattle are voiding their urine) were noticed, it did then. He rises early, to be sure, and his which continued for several hours, the ox frequent- practiced eye scans everything, and sees that all ly lying down or standing in a stretching posture. is right. The horses are hitched to the machine After twelve hours, the pain with which he was at about nine, and, presto, before twelve there is as first taken appeared to somewhat abate, but there was no discharge of urine. Various remedies much grass down as all hands can take care of. were administered, such as spirits of nitre in large He thinks he can earn more in the time which he quantities, and liquor of pumpkin seeds, but of no has to bestow upon his stock and his care of "litavail. He remained standing until he drew his tle things," than he ever did in the mowing field. last breath, when he fell to the ground. Not a Indeed, it seems, he says, as if he had "NOTHING

muscle was noticed to move after his fall.

Upon a post mortem examination, the cause of his death was very apparent. It was, as I had supposed, an obstruction of the urethra. A stone had formed in the bladder, and then passed down the natural channel of discharge, until it reached the cod; here it became lodged, shutting up all passage for the escape of urine. The stone, which was of an oval, oblong shape, was not larger than an ordinary cranberry bean. It is composed of lime, similar in appearance to the crust collected on the inside of tea-kettles, but was covered with a membraneous substance, doubtless formed after it became lodged, in consequence of inflammation taking place.

TO DO!"

BENEFITS OF AUTUMN PLOWING.

The tillage and drainage of the soil are very closely related to each other. So indeed are the tillage and manuring the soil. And these, not merely as cause and effect are related-though drainage does enable tillage, and tillage does alter composition-but as being operations of the same class and kind. And thus Mr. Bailey Denton, though engaged in a lecture upon land drainage, could not help referring to the steam plow-as the great tillage implement of the future. And we had from him, too, the striking fact bearing on the composition of a fertile soil, that in a state of perfect tilth one-quarter of its bulk is air.

Mr. Smith, of Lois-Weedom, says that in all clay soils containing the mineral elements of grain, perfect tilth dispenses with the need of manure; and there cannot be a doubt that a deep and thorough tillage enables soil to draw immensely on the stores of vegetable food contained in air and rain. Messrs. Hardy again say that perfect tilth dispenses with the need of drainage, and there can be but little doubt that deep and thorough tillage facilitates the operation of whatever drainage may exist, whether it be natural or artificial.

Since losing my ox, I have learned of several 'that have died of the same disease. Also, of two cases where cures have been effected in the following way: When you are sure there is an obstruction, the animal should be thoroughly examined by feeling the whole length of the urethra, if possible, to ascertain where the obstruction is. But if you fail to find where the obstruction is located, make an incision into the urethra where the pulsation I have observed is observed. If then the animal does not discharge his urine, you may be sure the obstruction is higher up, and so large that it cannot pass down the natural channel. This may be removed by inserting a catheter and crowd- In both these cases the useful lesson is well ing it back. If the difficulty is below the incision, taught, that it is true economy rather to put the the animal may ever after continue to discharge cheap and copious storehouse of Nature's agenthe urine from the orifice made, without any det-cies to its fullest use, than by laborious and costly riment to the health of the animal. There is a artificial means to imitate expensively their operacase of this kind near here, which has been in this tion. situation for three years.-J. I. KNAPP in Rural New-Yorker.

Such a lesson applies, beyond the advantages of tillage to the methods by which tillage is obtained. Among the earliest suggestions of culti"NOTHING TO Do."-We have for several years vation by steam power was that of reducing by known an elderly farmer, whose fields are level its means the soil to tilth at once. The land was and well adapted to the use of the mowing ma- to be torn down as the deal is torn down at the chine, but who could not surmount the idea that been as hard and firm as wood, behind the tool as saw-mill; though before the machine it may have machinery is a plague on the farm. So at early it advanced at work it was to lie as light and fine dawn he has bent over the scythe on his broad as sawdust. But it has at length been found that acres, until he has acquired a bend in his back it is better because cheaper, and more perfect, too, that no medicament can cure. This year, the to leave this last refinement of the tillage process pressure was too strong for him. He heard the "clack" of machinery all about him, and saw his neighbors clearing their fields at the rate of two acres to his one. He could stand it no longer. A Wood machine was purchased, and proved a good one, and now he may be seen early in the morning under his beautiful trees, feeding the poultry, or slowly following his fine cows as they

to the weather, which does it without cost. The land is now torn-smashed up-or moved and thrown about by plow or grubber in great clods and lumps. This is best done in dry autumn weather, and thus it lies till spring. Certainly no climate is better adapted for cheap tillage than ing a dry September and October must penetrate the English-the rains and frosts of winter followand thrust asunder the clung and hardened masses of the soil. No two particles shall remain adher

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