"When heaven and earth, as if contending, vie and find time to exalt that immortal element taken from the land-the crop yearly increasing within us to contemplations above and beyond in amount and improving in quality. The trees the mere practical affairs of life. Strolling out have grown finely, and many of them would now of a fine morning in Spring, the mind all opened make the best of fencing-stuff. The land, which and awake to the impressions from Nature, and was not worth $10 per acre twenty years ago, perhaps recalling some noble sentiment uttered could not now be bought for six times that sum. by a master spirit when contemplating similar In addition to the value of the trees now standscenes, how much may what we then see and feel ing on it, the land furnishes excellent pasturage, serve to strengthen us anew for the battle of life, the white clover predominating largely in the and to rise superior to any depressing or wither-sward. The trees have greatly improved the soil ing influences that may beset us in our pathway. by their annual deposit of leaves, which, lying Can any sensitive man fail of being quickened still where they fall, coat the surface and keep it and improved by such an experience? mellow and soft, and the sward open, so that the grasses do not become bound at the root, but afford a tender bite of pasturage, much relished by the cattle-inclining them to remain much in the grove, preferring the locality before any other portion of the pastures. The borers have Reflections like the foregoing in part occupied occasionally destroyed a tree, but new sprouts my mind while walking out one of the beautiful have in such case invariably sprung up from the mornings of the present week. But my particu- roots. lar purpose in taking that walk was to comply This grove is well worth looking at, and fully with an invitation from Mr. Solyman Cune, of confirms the statements I have heretofore made this town, to observe his plantation of yellow lo- in the Farmer, relative to the improvement of cust trees, and the improvement of a very poor poor land by planting it with the locust tree. piece of land by the plantation; and the design This, in my judgment, is one of the cheapest which prompted me to take up my pen at this and best of modes for improving rough stony time was to speak of these trees, and their effect lands of a thin soil, or old pastures which refuse upon the soil. to give a bite of grass, and are too steep or far Of Nature? Can fierce passions vex his breast, This grove of locusts embraces about two acres from home to be accessible with the plow and of a rough, stony ridge of land, naturally of a manure cart. There are numerous acres of wornlight, thin soil, which had long ago been worn out pasture lands in New England which may out by a previous owner, with successive crops of unquestionably be improved by planting them rye, so that when the land came into Mr. Cune's with the yellow locust. F. HOLBROOK. hands it would not bear grass, and was of no In passing over Mr. Cune's farm, I noticed value for production. Mr. Cune had read that several good apple orchards have been started, the locust tree would improve such land. In the which bear evident marks of the owner's skill spring season, about twenty years ago, he bought and taste as an orchardist, and which at no dishalf a pound of the seed of the yellow locust, at tant day will add materially to the income of the a seed-store in Boston. As soon as the seed ar- farm, and to its money value. Mr. Cune is conrived at the farm he poured boiling water upon siderably engaged in the nursery business, and it, scalding it for a minute or two, then added has an excellent stock of young trees of approved enough cold water to reduce the temperature to varieties of the apple and pear. Persons in this about blood heat, and let the seed soak over region desirous of commencing young orchards, night. It was then sown in drills in the gar- would do well to look at his nurseries before proden, as one would sow beet seed, and it came up curing trees at a greater distance. well. The little trees or sprouts were allowed to stand in the garden till the following Spring, when they were transplanted to the knoll where they now are. The transplanting was done by HOW MUCH MANURE DO WE USE ON AN ACRE?striking furrows with the plow, about twenty An acre of land contains 43,560 square feet, 4,feet apart, then placing the little trees in these who have used guano, it is said 300 pounds is 840 square yards, or 160 square rods. By those furrows, from five to eight feet apart, and cover-sufficient to manure an acre; 3024 lbs. would ing the roots with a hoe. The land was then give just one ounce avordupois to the square fenced from cattle, the fence remaining for about yard. One cubid yard would give a trifle over ten years, when it was removed, and the land one cubic inch to the square foot. A cubic yard has since been pastured. of highly concentrated manure, like night soil, During the last half of the period that the acre very well. A cubic yard of long manure would, if evenly and properly spread, manure an grove was fenced, an annual crop of hay was will weigh about 1,400 lbs. ; a cubic foot not far Brattleboro', April 18, 1855. 7. Do not mix these substances. from 50 lbs. A cord contains 128 cubic feet; a 6. Hogs, half Suffolk; hens, a mixture of the cord and a quarter would give about a cubic foot best you can find. to the square rod. If liquid manure be used, it would take 170 bbls. to give one gill to a square foot upon an acre, which would be equal to about 50 pipes or large hogsheads. It would be quite useful if farmers would be a little more specific as to the amount of manure applied.— Rural New-Yorker. For the New England Farmer. 1. If the same worth of ashes is applied to the ground as that of guano, will it have as good an effect? 2. If the same worth of plaster is applied, will it do as much good as guano? 3. If the same worth of slaked lime is applied as of guano, will it have the same effect? 4. Which are the three best kinds of potatoes planted in New England? 5. Which is the earliest kind of corn? me know where the potatoes and corn can be and prices? Let got, 8. There are plows in Boston suitable for all sorts of land. For the New England Farmer. PLUM TREES---TAP ROOT-POTATOES. MR. BROWN-I have now been in this country, (from England,) two years. I have purchased your paper every week, and do still, and if every farmer in the United States does not get it, they ought to, as it is full of information. I have travelled through Europe and part of Asia, and am always glad if I can do good to any country I pass through. I see in your Saturday's paper, headed "Sucker Plum Trees," Mr. Smith has answered that fully and satisfactorily as regards suckers, for you must never expect fruit, at least good fruit, from below the graft, but there are cases where even grafted trees blossom and not bear fruit, and in this case, ninety times out of a hundred, the tree has a tap-root, and if so, do not expect much fruit, but dig down and see if there is a tap root; if so saw it off, and saw it close to the ball of the tree; but no tree if prop 6. What breed of hogs and hens is most pro-erly planted can have a tap root. In France, Belductive and profitable? gium and England they place a slate or flat stone, 7. If the ashes, plaster and lime are mixed in and plant the tree upon it; by this means, the equal parts, will they have as good an effect as roots branch out, and you can have no tap root. guano or superphosphate of lime? You must never expect to raise fruit from suck8. Is there any improved plow for use on ers. When Mr. Cobbett left Long Island, (he rough, stony and steep land, for sale in Boston? was a great agriculturist) he did all he could in I have seen and bought some fourteen plows of England to raise or produce that beautiful apple, different patterns, but as yet have got none equal (I think you call it the Newtown Pippin :) he to the old style. Why do not some of our scien- took grafts with him and grafted them on Paratific farmers and mechanics make improved tools dise stocks, viz., stocks raised in England from for rough, stony land, as well as for the smooth the pippins of apples. Some of them he let grow flats? three years, and wrote back to Long Island for By answering the above inquiries you will more grafts. When he got them, he cut off those oblige many New Yorkers. S. W. RENALDS. Petersburg, Rens. Co., N. Y., 1855. REMARKS.-1. We believe the same money value of ashes on an acre of land, would be of more service than an equal cost of guano. 300 pounds of guano would cost $9; at a shilling a bushel, nine dollars would bring fifty-four bushels of ashes. which had grown three years, and grafted again with his newly imported ones from Long Island. They grew and fruited, and were good apples, but not to be compared to what he had in Long Island, and be very truly said it was American air and land. We cannot produce apples or pears in England, equal either to you, France or Belgium. I will now say something about potatoes, which Cobbett railed so much against; for the 2. It depends so much on the condition of the last eight years, the farmers have adopted a sysland, that any reply we could make would shed tem, (and I am proud to say that I was the originator of it) which is within every poor man's no light upon the subject. grasp; viz., when the potato is kept for seed, 3. On some soils, as a rich loam where a crop throw it into ground plaster; in England we of wheat was to be taken, we should greatly pre-use fallen lime, or hydrated lime in powder: the fer the lime. On a dryish, sandy loam, we should cut side takes up the lime, and prevents its exhausting itself in the earth; it prevents wireprefer the guano. worms, snails, or other vermin attacking it. I 4. The white Chenango has been the favorite in see that small potatoes are sold for seed; they Boston market for several years-but the disease may do well, but I prefer a good sized potato set, has affected it so seriously for several seasons, that is a potato of good size, cut in two or three, that our people introduced various other kinds. pieces, and leave two eyes or sprouts; but even in the small potato set, I should recommend a small Among the other sorts, the Peach-blow, Carter, portion chipped off and thrown into plaster or Davis Seedling and State of Maine stand high. fime. If you wish to prevent disease, always 5. The earliest corn is the Jefferson, and is sold plant your potato with the cut side up; try it on on the ear at $2 a hundred; the potatoes at a small scale. if you like, but you will plant the from $2 to $3 a bushel, and sold at the seed whole field next season cut side up. AN ENGLISH FARMER. stores in Boston. Fall River, April 24. 1855. For the New England Farmer. O, the sky is blue, and the sward is green, And the bird in the tree-top builds its nest! Once more, and quits him his perfumed bed; Soft calls on the sleeping flowers to wake, And sportive roams, e'er each dew-clad head! The Blue Bells nod them within the wood, The Snow Drop peeps from its milky bell, Whilst beauteous wild flowers line the dell ! And King Cups wake, all bathed in dew! From flower to flower the wild bee roams, "Till she folds the wanton intruder up! Like a laughing nymph, she springs to light, And weaves a joy o'er each heart of ours! From the lap of green she playful throws, As bounding away through the tangled dell, For the New England Farmer. ABOUT THE STATE OF MAINE POTA TOES. I raised five hundred bushels of them. One half acre broke up as late as the 10th of June, on which I put three and a half bushels seed, "small potatoes," yielded over one hundred bushels, and I think there would have been near double had it not been for the drought. One piece on light dry land did about half as well; another piece on moistish new land did better than either of the above; on this last piece one end where the drought did not effect them, fourteen hills filled a bushel, without dressing, except plaster. I would advise those who plant them to choose a moist situation; and not to hurry about planting till the ground is suitably dry, then plow deep, and plow in the dressing, if barn manure is applied. Plant no deeper than corn, and seed light. My method has been, for the last eight or ten years, in the cultivation of potatoes, to hoe soon after they are up, stirring all the ground to kill the weeds, and then when they are large enough hoe again, making a small oval hill, say as large as a half bushel, if the ground is dry; broader and flatter, if moist, narrower and higher. I have for this length of time used for seed small potatoes, with the exception of a bushel or two large ones for experiment sake, and am satisfied the small ones do as well as large, if I am careful to seed light, say about six bushels to the acre. I cut all my potatoes for planting, those as large as an egg or larger in four, and those smaller in three and two pieces, putting two pieces in the hill. I never furrow for planting; I used to, and got them too deep. My crop usually averages about two hundred bushels per acre, sometimes more, hardly ever less. W. A. TOBIES. Mechanic Falls, April 23, 1855. PRACTICAL EFFORT. The question is occasionally asked our agents whether the editor and the writers for the Farmer are practical men? They do well. Theory and practice are quite different things-in agricultural operations they ought to go together. One may form a plausible theory, and find, when he brings it to a practical test, that it will not answer his expectations. Aware of this, the Proprietor has lieve, practical operators upon the soil-gentlesecured a corps of writers who are all, we be men who not only direct others, but labor with MR. EDITOR:-The potato called the State of Maine, is a seedling raised first by D. Bearce, of their own hands. The Proprietor himself, the Hebron, Me.,-known in this State, as the Editors, and we think nearly every contributor, "Bearce Potato." They are raised to some ex- ladies and all, are owners, occupiers, and tillers tent in Hebron, Minot and Poland; and called, of the soil,-and persons who at the same time by the inhabitants of the above places, the best study and endeavor to penetrate the arcana of of anything called Potato. Seeing them adver- the great art. tised for seed by M. Tombs & Co. in your valuaThey are not wedded to old cusble paper, I thought I would make the above toms and usages because they were observed by statements, together with what I know of them the fathers, and have the sanction of age,—but as to quality &c. heartily embrace the new and useful, and keep the And first, we think they are the best for the world moving and prospering, and transferring to table of any kind we ever raised, and second, sell the elements and animals an immensity of toil herethe highest in market. The first I raised, I planted two bushels on green sward without tofore imposed upon human limbs. What we dressing; harvested fifty-eight bushels very nice preach, we have mainly practiced, and feel confipotatoes, which was two years ago. Last season dent of its truth. The above cut represents the Messenger Black stock to make him worthy of the highest honors Hawk in harness; he was raised in Orange county, as a stock horse; his colts, which are well known State of Vermont; his dam was sired by Bush in this vicinity to very many good judges, are Messenger, State of Maine; his sire was Black considered to be unsurpassed by any other stock Hawk, making an extremely good cross, and horse in New England; one hundred dollars giving in this case the size of bone and muscle often, and in some instances as high as two hunincident to the Messenger breed, which are large dred, have been offered for his colts four months horses, and still giving all the activity, style and old. As to the extent of his speed it is not known, beauty of movement which Black Hawk displays. but he is warranted to trot one mile in three and The Messenger Black Hawk was three years old a half minutes on Cambridge Park, or fourteen last August; he stands more than sixteen hands miles in one hour. high; his color is jet black; his weight ten hun- These two horses, to say the least, will rank dred and fifty pounds; his symmetrical propor- among the highest class of stock horses, and will tions and beauty of form, his light and airy be kept for that purpose for all who wish to raise movement, cannot be surpassed in the world; he fine horses. bids fair, thus far, to make one of the fastest Keeping will be furnished and due care taken trotting stallions in the country. He will be of all the mares left or sent to the proprietor. kept the coming season at the stable of D. T. SARGENT, in Boxboro', Mass. D. T. SARGENT. Also, will be kept at the same stable, the well MUNN'S PRACTICAL LAND DRAINER.-This is known Bay State Horse; he was raised in Mid- another of SAXTON & Co.'s excellent agricultural dlesex county, Mass., and will be five years old publications, containing, 1. The physical laws on next June; his pedigree is Black Hawk and Mor- which the drainage of lands depends. 2. The gan; his color is a very dark mahogany bay; principles and system of drainage. 3. Examinahis weight eleven hundred pounds; his colts are tion of land preliminary to drainage. 4. The yet quite young, but enough has been seen of his different systems employed-deep drainage ex plained, its use in cutting off springs, surface part of those who should hold the first rank in sodrainage explained, together with practical di-ciety-land cultivators. It does not follow because a man is a farmer that he should be a fool, rections, levelling, form and depth of drains, or even a laborious drudge. None but a fool filling up the cuttings after the drains are con- need be that. There is just as much room for structed, stoppage, syphon drains, and every thing leisure, study and improvement on the farm as in that relates to the subject. A capital work-one the store, office, or mechanic's shop. that ought to be studied by every farmer. The If we could only contrive to elevate the charwork is illustrated by diagrams of all the forms of drains, and the tools necessary to work with. acter and standing of all who cultivate American soil, we should have not only a more numerous, but a more happy class of farmers. The difficulty now is, they are ashamed of their calling, and do not try to improve their condition; and therefore, sink down into drudges, working like carthorses for their daily allowance of fodder. A FEW FACTS FOR FARMERS. And it may be as well for a few other classes to learn the same facts; and first, the great fact that of all trades and occupations, the farmer's is the that scarcity produces the present high prices, This is the cause of scarcity of farm labor, and only one that never suffers by "hard times," without producing a corresponding profit to the "commercial distress," "great fall of stocks," or cultivator. Why? Because he has to pay an any other of the thousand and one terms that tell extra price to induce labor to flow into that chanof ruin to many of the denizens of the city. nel. He is in a constant struggle to keep up apIt is a great fact that the farmers, as a class, are now the only class that is prosperous, while who is flourishing upon "borrowed capital," and pearances, and rival his speculating neighbor, all other classes are groaning under the evils of depression in business, and want of employment His children are bound to be "young ladies and generally does break whether he ought to or not. of those who labor to live, and are dependent gentlemen"—that is, idle and useless incumbranupon daily toil for daily bread. At this very moment, while the laborers of the instead of loving and clinging to it forever. ces upon the farm-and to despise their home, city are suffering for food, the farmer is realizing the highest prices he has received for many years sad history of many of those who are suffering Traced directly home to that cause can be the for every description of farm produce. Think of famine in the city at this moment. whole droves of bullocks selling for over $100 each. What a price for beef! It is 11 to 114 There is another cause-another great fact for cents for every pound of meat in the four quarters, and the present week it is even higher than that. Sheep, that will dress less than 56 pounds, have sold in droves at $5 and $6 per head. the first principles of their business as Hottentots. our farmers the most of them are as ignorant of Thye dig and delve in the same path that their antiquated grandfather trod in the previous century, without ever thinking whether it is right or wrong. Then, we pay five or six cents a pound for flour, and we butter our bread at 28 to 34 cents persists in plowing the surface of land only two Beside our own native ignorance that still perpound. Potatoes that indispensable necessary of an American table-are still dearer than bread or inches deep, so that it is drowned at one season meat for human food. and burnt to dust at another, we are constantly importing ship-loads of people more ignorant In short, it is a fact that every product of American soil is selling at a price more remunerstill than ourselves. With this native and imating to the laborer than any other laborious emported ignorance, with only about one-half the ployment, and yet the earth lies untilled. hands that should be employed upon the farm, Thousands and tens of thousands of acres of workers and idlers, and make large annual profwe are trying to grow food enough to feed the rich soil, offered for sale at a trifling price, are its to invest in "stock" other than farm-stock. lying as idle as they were a thousand years ago. Why is it so? Why do not these laborers raise farm should be the best stock in the world. That With the present high prices, stock in a good their own bread and meat? Why do not farm- it is not, the fault is in the farmers themselves. ers stick to their trade, and why do not others There is certainly "a screw loose" in some of the fall into that occupation? machinery of society that needs a little tightening. We think we can answer. The first grand reason is because there is a If it be a fact that the price of cattle which is most abominably foolish opinion prevailing that any other employment is more respectable than in consequence of an insufficient number in the now prevailing throughout the United States is that of a farmer. This false impression is quite country, it is a fact which ought to make every as much owing to those engaged in the business farmer in America blush for shame. as to those who are not. Children are taught from early ages, by mistaken parents, to look for some other means of livelihood than the "dirty business" of their fathers. There is a continual longing to escape from the prison-house of the farm. The natural consequence is, that all other occupations are full, and all in them, in their turn, are taught to look with contempt upon the farmer and his occupation. The great evil is a want of pride of caste on the Out upon the man that cries out upon the hard times and want of money, when he might have fifty bullocks for sale at $100 a head, yet has not one; perhaps has to buy his own meat. We close with a repetition of this one fact, that there is no employment in the world more honorable, more respectable, or more honestly and certainly remunerative, than that of cultivation of the soil. The business only needs improvement.-N. Y. Tribune. |