two regular sessions under the instructions of Dr. the season; but at harvest time it showed very Dadd, of this city, and he showed by his answers plainly that it had had no manure. that he is quite at home in all scientific knowledge Wishing to try it in another form, I took some pertaining to the department of practice that he of the above mixture and added four parts of has chosen. All the gentlemen present seemed to loam. I then selected a single row through the be gratified, not only with the proficiency of this manured part of the field, and put about a spoonyoung man, but that we are, at last, beginning ful of this in each pile, for a part of the row, to have educated doctors of animals as well as of then omitted some, and so through the row. the human species. The wonder is that we did This, also, came up well, looked and grew well, not have them long ago. and at harvest time showed plainly that "union In a country like our own, that is principally is strength." Being determined to have it tried an agricultural one, hundreds of thousands of dol- in various ways, I gave some of it to three of my lars might be saved to the farmers each year, if, neighbors, telling them to make the best possible when their horses and other animals are sick, sci-use of the mite committed to their charge; but entific and practical veterinary physiciaus could not being posted in such matters, they put it in at once prescribe for them. Now in the whole direct contact with the roots of vines and plants, country there are not probably more than a dozen so that life was at once destroyed, and no light such physicians, while in the city of Lon alone was obtained from these sources. there are 360. But the ice is broken, and we Now let all others who have used guano give shall soon have a supply of good horse doctors. in their testimony immediately, so that the case At the present moment there is quite a call for may be committed to competent judges, and the such doctors in such places as Springfield and verdict rendered before the time of planting is Hartford, and to properly quallified young men a full upon us again. I am fully aware that if any field of usefulness and profit is opened. We be- one decides against guano, he is placing himself lieve Dr. Dadd to be well qualified to prepare on the unpopular side of the question; yet I give young men for veterinary practice.-Ploughman. it as my own candid opinion, that it cannot be For the New England Farmer. made to pay, in this part of the country, to buy it at the present price as a manure. If farmers, instead of sending abroad to buy manure, and ON THE USE OF GUANO. thereby encourage speculation to their own hurt, would make an outlay of one-half the expense in MR. EDITOR-I have been looking every week making and saving the manures upon their own in the columns of the Farmer, to see if I could farms, they would obtain that which would be find any thing from that class of your correspond- much more valuable to them than any foreign ents who, about a year ago, were so anxious to substances or concentrated manures made by proknow "how to use guano." Many are those who fessors for the market. There are but very few have made the inquiry, but those who have com- individuals who understand how to use guano municated the result of their experiments, are properly, and as few who understand how to avail only as individual cases. Now this is not right; themselves of what is within the reach of every all of us who cultivate the soil, are interested to farmer, ready to be converted into manure, and know how we can do it to the best advantage-apply the same to their lands in the most proper that is, how to obtain the best crop with the manner. least expense. In order to do this, we need more It was a remark of one of the best farmers in light; and one way of obtaining this light, is by Worcester county, and one who, some would comparing the result of experiments made by think, saved all his manure, "that he did not others with those made by ourselves under sim- make and save more than half he ought to in the ilar circumstances; and if, in the summing up, shape of manure." But my thoughts have led it appears that such experiments have produced my pen astray, and I must give you a reason why the same results, it is so much light gained upon I have forced myself upon your notice, as an apolthat particular point. The farmer, in all his ogy, and then close. As I read over the Farmer and efforts to improve his land, is to be guided by his Ploughman week after week, there seems to come own judgment; aided by observation, at home up no voice from this section to aid on the good and abroad, and by the experience and wisdom of work of improvement; and, therefore, I have others, so far as he is able to avail himself of thought I would send you a few lines, which are them. This is why I would ask all those who at your disposal. If they shall see the light, and have made use of guano the past season to com- provoke others to better works, then my object is municate the result, so that we may be helping accomplished. But if you do not consider them each other to obtain that light which we all so worthy of notice, I will thank you for not expos ing my weakness; and, while I endeavor to in much need. AMPLIFICATOR. West Brookfield, Jan. 25, 1855. I will now give you the result of my own ex-prove my land, I will also labor industriously to periment with guano the past season, upon corn cultivate my own mind, so that, at some future mostly. I bought a small quantity of it, for day, I may be able to stand in the circle of rewhich I paid $2,00, and mixed, first, equal parts spectable society. of plaster and ashes, and to this I put one part guano. After my ground was plowed, I sowed this broadcast, and immediately covered it with at cultivator. I applied it to a square piece of land, in all respects like the remainder of the field, except there was no manure put upon it. I applied be realized by hearing the result of many of those it at the rate of about 400 lbs. to the acre. My who have experimented with guano. Let the eorn came up well, and looked well the first of statements be concise and directly to the point, REMARKS.-We hope the expectations of "Amplificator," and those of hundreds of others, will HI! G'ALANG! Come, jump in, old girl, And away we will whiri, To contrast your rose cheek with the snow. O, ne'er mind the sleet Tuck that round your feet All right! Come, old hoss, way you go, and we shall be able to give many of them. The would have cross plowed, harrowed and thosubject is important. Why did not the writer roughly pulverised the soil. One preserves his give us his name? seed for planting by keeping it fresh in the earth till it is wanted for use, whilst another smokes and dries it to a crisp. One plants large tubers, another small ones; and others again prefer halves, quarters, or single eyes. With one, science has demonstrated that every tuber has a head and face, and that it should be deposited in the ground with great care and in a certain position; with another, science is a humbug, and all such care is nonsense. That mysterious planet, the moon, looks down with a smiling face and proffers her bountiful gifts upon her faithful votaries; whilst others plant just when they get ready, regardless of her frown or favor. how many kinds of potatoes there are that lay claim to superior qualities it would puzzle a Wall Street broker to determine. One keeps up the old practice of planting in hills, full four feet apart, and regards any innovation upon this ancestral usage with something like the same abhorrence that he would the demolition of a noble school-house and the erection of a new one, after looking downward and consulting the affairs of the pocket. Hip hip! hurra! What greater delight On a moon-gilded night, With Bess at my side, Than a jolly sleigh-ride- I care not for Care, I can distance Despair, With a mag that's 2.40 and sound; Away we bound over the ground. Hip! hip! hurra! What greater delight On a moon-gilded night, With Bess at my side, Than a jolly sleigh-ride- For the New England Farmer. And Another, General Barnum, for instance, of Vermont, would prefer planting in drills only 12 inches apart, with a space of only one foot between the potatoes in the drill. One makes use of the hoe in planting, another the plow, whilst a third pays his respects to the practice of the aborigines, that of depositing the seed in a hole made by a pointed stick. And as to manuring, CULTIVATION OF THE POTATO. why, a little more than a year since I paid a lecturer on agriculture a dollar and a half for tellMESSES. EDITORS:-I would like to obtain, ing me how to raise crops without manure; and through your paper, some information on the cul- subsequently I paid another lecturer two dollars tivation of the potato, from persons extensively for explaining the mysteries of cornstocking and engaged in raising them for the Boston and New the benefits of high cultivation. Cheap enough! York markets. I am informed that this is the and there is no kind of manure or mode of appliprincipal business of many farmers in the south-cation that has not its advocates. As to after ern part of this State, and that some of them cultur, some believe in hoeing once, some twice plant fields of ten, twenty, and even forty acres and some three times, whilst others do not hoe at in a season. Those who are thus extensively en- all. Some make high hills, some low, some sharp. gaged in the business, it is to be presumed, have, Some do all their hilling at first hoeing, others from their long and extensive practice, and from reserve it for the last. And in harvesting there superior attention to the most approved modes of are few crops that accommodate such a diversity raising and harvesting their crops, acquired pos- of implements, so differently applied for accomsession of many little items of information and plishing the same result. experience, which others who have bestowed less Now all these different modes of selecting and attention to the subject, are ignorant of. I say preserving the seed, of manuring and cultivating little items, for these ordinarily constitute all the the soil and the crop, and of harvesting and pre real difference that exists in one man's perform- serving the roots, indicate an unsettled state of ance of a piece of work over that of another; and opinion in regard to the production and general it is usually the case that in strict attention to management of the potato, which is probably matters, which in the abstract are considered tri- without a parallel in the production and disposal vial, that the most astonishing results ensue. So of any other crop? And why all this diversity? far as my knowledge of potato culture extends, Is it because the potato is perfectly adaptedto there is entire want of uniformity in every farm- all kinds of treatment, and that all kinds of culing community; and not only so, but there is tivation will eventually be rewarded alike? Or more diversity of opinion and of practice, in the is this lack of uniformity owing to a want of production of this root, than in the production of thought, of study and general knowledge, in any other kind of crop. regard to the utility and feasibility of one mode In preparing the ground, some prefer turf of operation over another? Most probably the ground of heavy quality, to be plowed or thrown latter. With the mass of farmers in this couninto ridges of two furrows to the ridge, late in try, system, in the production of the potato, is the spring or early in summer, and deposite their by no means the order of the day. seed between the folding clods, whilst others If the time shall ever come when the practice would certainly have plowed such ground during of farmers shall be more consistent with general the preceding autumn, and, previous to planting, rules, it will be brought about, chiefly, through The the agency of reading, thinking, practical, matter man will bring to my stable, this winter, a heifer of fact men. It is the practice and experience of of the same age, that dropped her calf about the such men that I solicit through your paper. And same time, of any breed, born in any part of the in the mean time I may offer some remarks of a world, and let them be fed and milked just alike practical nature for publication on this subject. by one disinterested person, to be agreed upon by Bristol, Ct., Jan., 1855. C. BLAKELY. the parties, the owner of the heifer that produces the most butter in one month shall take both heifREMARKS.-Thank you, sir. You are undoubt-ers. Her breed I call "Improved Long-lived Naedly able to teach most of us in potato culture. tive American," springing from a race living and At a recent meeting of the "Concord Farmers' doing well to the age of twenty-five years. present owner of the mother of this heifer, (a Club" the subject of potato culture was pretty gentleman whose word I have not the least reason fully discussed, and we believe all the practices to to doubt, from all the transactions I have ever which you have alluded were acknowledged to be had with him,) the last time I saw him, stated to in use among the speakers. No persons, however, me that the mother of the heifer gave him 18 lbs. produce finer crops than these gentlemen, and month of June, last season. of butter per week, each and every week, in the If any gentleman scarcely any two cultivate alike. They all agreed, should see fit to call and examine this heifer, I however, in one thing, viz: that small potatoes would caution him not to be surprised if she pro(not the smallest) or large ones cut are better for duces more pounds of milk, in the month of Janseed than large whole ones. Please write us uary, than she weighs herself. ASA G. SHELDON. often. Wilmington, Jan. 24, 1855. For the New England Farmer. A GOOD COW. AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. HAMPSHIRE COUNTY. FRIEND BROWN: Much has been said about President-William P. Dickinson, Hadley. Mackey, Berkshire and Suffolk hogs, and about Vice Presidents-Horace Henderson, SunderDurham, Devon, Ayrshire, Hereford and Alder- land; Cotton Smith, Amherst; George ChandAll of these have had their day, and ler, Belchertown; Alden C. Field, Leverett; Ezall have more or less good qualities. I admire a ra Ingraham Amherst; Rodney Ayres, Granby. good hog or a good cow, let their breed be what it Secretary and Treasurer-James W. Boyden, Amherst. ney cows. may. But have not the foreign breeds had the parlor long enough, while the natives have been shoved HAMPSHIRE, HAMPDEN AND FRANKLIN. into the back-room? For thirty-six years I have At the meeting of this Society, held in Northbeen trying to produce the best heifer in the world ampton, Jan. 3d, the following officers were for dairy use, both by raising and selecting from elected for the coming year : other herds the best I could find, without regard Paoli Lathrop, of South Hadley, President; to name or breed, always raising my own bull for Vice Presidents, Ahira Lyman, Westhampton; from my best cow. The best heifer I ever owned Chas. Fowler, Westfield; George Dickinson, Had1 sold to D. D. HART, Esq., Ticket-master at Bos- ley; Wm. N. Clapp, Easthampton. For Treas-" ton and Lowell Railroad Depot, Boston. urer, Benj. Barret, Northampton; for Secretary, I now have a heifer, two years old last spring. John W. Wilson, Westhampton; Auditor, L. She dropped her calf on the 23d of December last, I. Washburn, Northampton; for member of the making the calf eight days old at the end of the State Board of Agriculture, George W. Hubbard, of Hatfield. year. On the morning of the new year, we commenced milking her, and weighing the milk, and making butter, which proved as follows: THIRD WEEK. Lb. oz. QUANTITY OF BUTTER. First week.. Total........ Total, HAMPDEN COUNTY. For President-Francis Brewer, of Springfield. For the New England Farmer. WEIGHT OF BONES IN ANIMALS. MR. EDITOR-I wish to inquire if you, or any of your correspondents versed in animal physiology, can give the general average proportion which the bones of different animals bear to the 182 8 whole weight of the animal. I have hitherto 550 8 sought in vain for the fact in various works on Physiology; and if the subject comes within the domain of inquiries of interset to the agricultural community, I should be glad to learn the general fact; for it is not to be presumed that the question is one that can be answered very definitely, because the relative proportion must vary very much at different times, even in the same animal. Yours, &c., Worcester, Feb. 5, 1855. .81 lbs. .94 lbs. .99 lbs. ..27} The quantity of butter produced by her, the first three weeks of January, I consider equal to 14 lbs. per week in June, provided she had calved n May. Her recommendation is this; if any PHINEAS BALL. A SHORT LECTURE ON EXTRAVA GANCE. "A little house well filled." part of the room is to be useless, either kept for an annual party, or to remain unfinished. If we, who plan and build such houses, would reflect New England people pride themselves on their upon it fairly, we should see that no rational sober good sense, especially as applied to the art man would entertain for us any more respect, for of living. They flatter themselves that they know living in a house, which we do not fill, than for how to make the most, and the best, of their con-wearing a suit of clothes made for a person of dition, and means. And the southern or western twice our size. Let us have "a little house well man sometimes sneers at our cute calculations for filled," with no spare room except a chamber for saving our money. Yet we are bold enough to our friends, and no lumber room of a garret, for The thousay, that in many particulars, New England men, ghosts and rats and mice to inhabit. aye, New England farmers, are the most extrava-sand dollars which even careful men generally gant people in the world. We intend to speak to expend, in building "a house to live in," merely that class of our farmers, who are owners of the to conform to fashion, or an architectural whim, farms they till, and who are ambitious to live in costs the poor wife and children many a lecture as good style as other people; not to the poor upon penny economy which might otherwise have and destitute, but to the substantial, solid citizen been spared. farmer. "The farmer extravagant?" we seem to And when you have built or purchased a house hear echoed and re-echoed, on every side. "Do too large for your wants, the evil is but just comwe not work early and late? Do not our wives menced. Your large and numerous rooms require give their whole time to labor,-do we not con- large and numerous carpets, and curtains, and stantly study economy, and talk economy, and sofas, and other adornings. But this is not all, save every cent that can possibly be saved?" Per- nor the worst of it. The house and the furniture haps you do all this, our friend and brother.- must be taken care of-swept and dusted daily, Almost every man works too hard, in New Eng- and scrubbed and scoured Spring and Fall, when land, and has too little leisure, and a great many house-cleaning time comes round. You must eithmen are continually preaching economy, and ma- er pay for help to do all this, or what is perhaps king their families uncomfortable, by complain- more common, allow additional burdens to fall on ing that their expenses are too great, and that your wife, who has already a ceaseless round of they cannot afford to eat, and drink, and wear, cares. A sensitive, or even a just man, should what is proper and decent, when the fault is en- see that, in this land, where servants are an extirely their own. Let us name some of the par-pensive luxury, at best, his wife have comfort and ticulars in which not only farmers, but most oth- leisure, and a selfish man may soon learn that he ers, who have homes of their own, live extrava- cannot lead a peaceful and happy life with a wogantly; that is to say, live beyond their means-man who is over-run with hard work and family live in a style that rather detracts from, than pro- cares. We think, if our reader himself is not motes, the comfort of the family. open to censure in the particulars named, he may find plenty of his neighbors to whom our remarks will apply. Our houses are too large, and too costly. We have, usually, one or two rooms that are merely for show; a parlor, perhaps two, with folding And then, again, we are extravagant in our doors between, that are only open for company, household furniture. The ladies must come in that are too nice for children to play in, too large for a share of our lecture on this topic. The furto be warmed readily in winter, in short, like a niture of a house is mainly for use and comfort. dandy, too nice for anything useful. And then, Carpets and sofas and chairs and tables are chiefoften, there is a part of the house unfinished, a ly designed to promote warmth and quiet and large attic, which might accommodate a small physical enjoyment in some way. A carpeted family, occupied now by a few old boxes of white floor is warmer in winter, and the children make beans, and a few bunches of catnip and penny- less disturbance on it than bare boards; and beroyal, and some broken chairs and a cradle. This sides, they require much less labor to keep them upper story was probably put on because you in nice order. Let comfort then be regarded, prinwanted a house as large as your neighbor's. Now cipally, in selecting furniture. We live in the a house should, in some measure, fit a family, as country, and it is not only unnecessary, but aba suit of clothes should fit an individual. Al- solutely in bad taste, to furnish our houses like though it is not, perhaps, always safe to count fashionable saloons in the city. It indicates no your children before they are born, and therefore refined taste, only that we have, or have had, mothe capacity of your house must often be by esti- ney, if our rooms are filled with tapestry and mation, yet everywhere are houses going up, with marble and black walnut. Mr. Rosewood, the the perfect understanding that a considerable furniture man, will fit out your house in magni |