a fair trial, and shall in due time, with your per- they would answer just as well either side up. mission, report the result. Will not others do The bows are small sticks, with the bark on, and the same? Hingham, Mass., 1855. E. HERSEY. REMARKS. This subject is one of much importance, and ought to receive more attention. We have not the statistics at hand to show what the amount is, but the sums are very large which are one end of each is nearly a foot longer than the rope annually sent out of the country for willow. We dulge their constant propensity to run away from more than suspect that the idea that willow cannot be raised with profit in this country, has been industriously circulated by interested parties. We hope to hear from our obliging correspondent on this subject again. We have specimens of his growth of willows now before us, very smooth and even, and about nine feet in length. For the New England Farmer. AN AGRICULTURAL GLIMPSE OF WASHINGTON CITY. BY HENRY F. FRENCH. MY DEAR BROWN: This is a great country," as the orators all say, and one is not obliged to go out of it to see sights quite unfamiliar to many who read the Farmer. the driver, when they ought to haw. The cart has small, narrow wheels, with two sticks of round timber for sills, and two sets of hoops on each side, bent into the form of half circles, and the ends thrust into the sills, to form the sides of the cart. The load consists of not more than half a ton of hay, on the top of which sits "a gentleman from Africa," with a pole about twelve or fifteen feet long, with the bark on, and a line of no particular length on the end of it for a lash. This is the driver, and he whips the oxen most of the time, while two other darkies, a small and a big one, seem to act as an advance guard, sometimes riding on the load, but, in case of emergency, running to the off side, to scare the team round, when a pull on the rope is not sufficient. Riding A glance at so much of the agriculture of this at a short distance behind, on horseback, is a region as may be seen on Pennsylvania Avenue, white man, who probably owns the entire set of the great thoroughfare between the Capitol and quadrupeds and bipeds above described, and who the Presidential mansion, would illustrate a favor- finds it necessary to be near enough to take the ite idea of your own that "there are different pay for the hay when sold. The hay is worth fashions in different places," in a manner that a dollar and a levy” a hundred, or twenty-two would amuse a Massachusetts or New Hampshire and a half dollars a ton. And so this tasteful farmer. I have just taken a walk through the city, procession moves up the spacious street, amid and on my way passed through the market, which gilded coaches with splendid horses, and servants is more crowded than usual on account of approach- in livery, while the paved walks on either side are ing Christmas, which is regarded, with the remain- crowded with "fair women and brave men,” in ing days of the month and New Year's day, as a rich attire of laces and furs and velvets, infestival season, not only by members of Congress, terspersed with negroes and occasional pigs, to but by the miscellaneous crowd, of all colors, correspond with the variety of the carriage ways. who inhabit this great city. And let me say, in passing, if we New England people would set apart more time for social amusement, instead of devoting it all to working and sleeping, we should find it for our advantage. There is a load of wood, of about half a cord, on a wagon drawn by two mules and two horses— not a pair of mules and a pair of horses, but a mule and a horse in each span. The pole of the Let me try my daguerreotype upon a few ob- wagon is very long and nearly touches the pavejects presented by the great avenue on a market ment, while the forward animals are so far off of the hinder ones, that they hardly appear to bemorning. There comes a load of hay, drawn by an ox-team. There are four animals, called oxen ; long to the same establishment. Upon the near two of them are of a grizzly white, without horns, wheel beast, on an old saddle, rides the driver, and the others of dark colors, with long horns. with a short cart whip. He is a negro or muThey all look of different ages, ranging from latto, and keeps up a continual discourse with three to ten, and, from some principle of taste his cattle, which they understand better than I. that prevails here in such matters, each yoke is The collars, like most of those used for mere made up of a white and a dark-colored ox, a labor, are of braided straw, and the hames of horned and a hornless one. They are all small, wood. The reins of most of the horses about the and poor as skeletons. The yokes are nearly market are of hempen cord. Indeed, the whole straight, about such as you could hew out of a fitting out of a negro servant for market—man, four inch joist with a broad axe, and look as if beast, cart and harness, is of the poorest that will hold together. Nothing that I ever saw in be a most valuable compost by the time manure New Hampshire, except the Gipsey basket-makers, is wanted, in the spring. It will be valuable as deserves to be exhibited in the same museum, or a manure, if only hauled out and spread in shallow piles to be operated upon by the frosts of anywhere else, on the same day. But this is winter. It is better to place it in the yard or only a partial view. Look again, and you may stye. It is altogether preferable, however, to let see as splendid a team of draft horses as Boston muck hauled out so late, remain over the followaffords, with a huge block of marble on a low ing season, being occasionally hoed or shovelled The animals are fat and well groomed, worked over and saturated and mixed with the over in the yard. It thus becomes thoroughly large, and fitted with fine harnesses, and every droppings of the yard. However, it matters not thing indicates thrift and energy. That is a team so much where you put it, or how long you keep owned by a contractor upon the public works, or it, as that you get the muck out.-Granite Farmer. perhaps one of Uncle Sam's own teams, which, car. like everybody else fed at the public crib, are in good condition. SENSITIVENESS OF BIRDS. A Buffalo paper relates the following anec "A friend of ours has had for a long time a and, from that time to the present, has never at the height of its song, suddenly ceased its note, warbled or even chirped, but has maintained an unbroken silence. What philosophy of instinct or of mutual affection between man and his pets account for this?" We have heard instances of a similar charac Roaming about the broad streets, shivering in dote :the cold and mist, are numerous poor, pitiful objects, in the shape somewhat of cows. They very superior canary bird, which has been celeare not so poor, now, as they will be next spring; which he has been offered large sums of money. brated for its excellence as a songster, and for but to us, who live where cattle are not suffered About three weeks ago our friend being awakento go at large, and where the idea prevails that ed from a "nap" by its voice, rose and hastily milk cannot be manufactured even by a cow out exclaimed, "D-n that bird." The bird, then of a north-east wind alone, to us they present a hopeless picture. Most of them have no horns, and this fact seems to render them still more objects of compassion. The cattle here are a mixture of the short-horn Durham, and the Buffalo or hornless breed. They are of fair size, and if ter, and therefore are inclined to place full faith well fed, would doubtless prove good milkers. in the above, extraordinary as it seems. A gen. There are no enclosed pastures about this city, tleman devoted to the study of natural history, but the cows, in summer, run upon the extensive and whose practical acquaintance with birds is commons, and in winter are about half fed at very great, once told us the following of a pet home, and then turned loose to find what they folly of flying into a furious fit of passion upon of his. He said he was given one time to the can in the streets. Various plans are devised to any small provocation, and that the effect of this induce them to return home at night. Starva- manifestation of bad temper upon the bird was tion compels them to it in winter, and in summer very singular, seeming to produce in it a somethe calf is kept, a great part of the season, as additional security. As a consequence of this mode of taking care of the cows, milk is sold for eight or ten cents a quart, wine measure, and butter for from thirty-one to forty cents a pound. what similar disposition. Whether his anger were manifested toward the bird, or toward some one else in the room, no sooner would his eyes begin to kindle, than his bird would made a sudden dart at them. Upon several occasions he came very near losing the sight of one of his eyes, As to swine, they are in the streets, upon And he became therefore exin consequence. the ceedingly cautious how he gave way to fits of ansidewalks, and everywhere else. What the Irishger in the presence of his little pet. To this cirman said of Cincinnati might be said with equal cumstance, he attributed, we know not how trutruth of Washington, that every third man one ly, a very great improvement in his power of selfmeets is a hog! government. But enough for this time. After I have taken wife had chosen one among his birds as an espeThe same gentleman also informed us, that his another walk through the market, I shall, per-cial favorite; and had cherished it so much that haps, give your readers a pen and ink sketch of the little creature seemed to be positively unhappy such features of it as are not familiar to the eyes of Northern farmers. Truly yours, Washington, D. C., Dec. 27, 1855. H. F. F. when she was not present. It was thought best therefore to try to wean the bird a little from her, and she was desired to take no notice of it for a time. His wife did as requested, and the next morning, when she entered the room where the birds were, repulsed the little creature as it flew towards her; and when it flew back again to its SWAMP MUCK.-There are some localities where perch, began to fondle another. A few minutes muck of good quality is found that cannot be elapsed, and hearing a slight noise, she turned reached by wheeling. It can be done by sledding, again towards her former pet-the discarded faand now is the time to get it out. Sledded out vorite had fallen to the floor, dead. in this and the next month, and strewed around Other anecdotes of a similar character have the stable yard or thrown into the pig-stye, it will been related to us, going to prove the extreme sensitiveness of these little beings. In some cas- are still to be found not quite overtaken by the es manifesting their sense of neglect on the part march of mind. There, too, are huskings, and of their owners by grief, as in the above instance, apple-bees, and quilting-parties, and huge oldand at other times by exhibitions of anger, and fashioned fire-places piled with crackling walnut, even of revenge. flinging its rosy light over many countenances of While we are upon the subject, we may state youth, and scarcely less happy age. If it be that the naturalist to whom we have referred, true that, according to Cornelius Agrippa, "a strongly condemned the practice of keeping sin- wood fire doth drive away dark spirits," it is gle birds, both as cruel, and as injurious to their nevertheless also true that around it the simple health. He gave it as his opinien, drawn from superstitions of ancestors still love to linger; much observation, that there was no cruelty in and there the half-sportful, half-serious charms confining certain species of birds in cages, if the of which I have spoken are oftenest resorted to. cages were reasonably spacious, and they were It would be altogether out of place to think of not deprived of those social pleasures which con- them by our black, unsightly stoves, or in the stitute so large a proportion of the enjoyment dull and dark monotony of our furnace-heated which the Creator designed for them. The spe- rooms. Within the circle of the light of the cies from which pet-birds are generally taken, he open fire safely might the young conjurers quesconsiders naturally fitted to enjoy companionship tion destiny; for none but kindly and gentle with man; and like the dog and the horse, hap- messengers from wonder land should venture pier in a restricted sphere with him, than in a among them.-J. G. Whittier. state of absolute freedom without him. But to separate the male and female bird, he considers, as we have said, both injurious to the health and happiness of these floating remnants of the vanished Eden.-Saturday Evening Post. TELESCOPE GLASSES. SAMUEL APPLETON. Once at the exhibition of a menagerie, the attention of the kind-hearted old man was attracted by a crowd of boys, trying to look at the animals through the seams of the tent. "How much," he asked of the door-keeper, "will you take to let them all in ?" A bargain was imme The manufacture of telescope glasses is one of the most intricate and nice undertakings in mech-diately made, and by this wholesome operation, anism. The risk of securing good glasses even after months of labor, is very great, and consequently gives great value to a perfect one. the happiness of a hundred or more penniless boys was secured for the afternoon. With the bluff heartiness that marked his deportment, there The manufacturers first take about 300 lbs. of was not only a general benevolence, but sometimes a peculiar delicacy of conduct, which flint glass and fuse it by a very hot fire. While in a liquid state in the furnace, the vessel con- shades of sentiment. By his will he had left a showed that his natnre was marked by the finer taining it is walled completely up, and suffered to cool very slowly, sometimes occupying, two The nephew died, and it was represented to Mr. large amount of property to a favorite nephew. months in the process. When perfectly cool the mass is fractured by a process which is retained Appleton by his legal adviser, that, if he left his will as it was, that part of his estate would go to a secret among manufacturers. The fragments being of various sizes are of different power of re-persons who were not at all related to him, and flection, and are worked into glasses proportioned to their powers. In working them into form, the edges are first ground so that they can be looked through in every direction, in order that it may be ascertained if they contain any imperfections, such as cracks, specks of dirt, or bubbles of air. In case anything of this kind is discov-see that the first act relating to him after his ered, they are cut into smaller size, but if perfect, then they are ground into size and form to suit legacy intended for him.-North American Re in whom he could be supposed to have no particular interest. Mr. Appleton, after maturely considering the matter, replied that he had concluded not to alter his will; that he believed his here; and he should be sorry to have his nephew friends in another world knew what he was doing death was to divert from his nearest relations the view. the design of the manufacturer. When this labor is completed, they are annealed or heated alESSEX COUNTY SOCIETY. most to fusing, in order to give them a perfect polish and shape, and also to free them from Through the polite attentions of the Hon. J. brittleness. The process is slow and tedious, and W. PROCTOR, of Danvers, we have the satisfacrequires great skill to make them perfect. An tion to acknowledge the receipt of a copy of the object glass which was found in the streets of Munich, when cleaned up and annealed, was sold Transactions of the Essex County Society for the for $3,000, and was only six inches in diameter. year 1854. The publications by this society have The glass which is being manufactured for the ever taken a high comparative position with those observatory at Ann Arbor, is to be seven inches of other societies in the Commonwealth, and, if in diameter, and the whole telescope will cost onwe do not mistake, the present will fully sustain ly about twice that sum, so that it will be seen that nearly as much value is placed upon the this character. We have not had opportunity to small object glass, as upon the whole complicated examine all the details. We have before spoken machinery of the telescope.-Detroit Adv. of the excellent instruction in the address, by Mr. FAY. The reports on the dairy, on fruits, WOOD FIRES.-In many a green valley of New on vegetables, on swine, on horses, on milch cows, England there are children yet; boys and girls on sheep, on introduction of new plants, on farm implements, &c., appear to be elaborately and for his favor. We fed, last year, from ten to carefully drawn, containing many valuable sug-seventeen swine on a mixture of Swede and flat gestions. On poultry there is an extended paper turnips, beets, carrots and parsnips, boiled and of twelve pages, in the peculiar style of the chair- mixed with a small portion of cob-meal. They man, which serves as spice for the coarser produc- ate it greedily and throve well. Will others give tions, on growing cabbages, making manure, &c., us their experience on this subject? which are among the more congenial labors of the farmer. Reported for the New England Farmer. INGS. We are glad to see the topics of under-draining LEGISLATIVE AGRICULTURAL MEETand deep tillage are about to be taken in hand in Essex, and, with their usual vigilance applied, The first agricultural meeting of the session of we cannot doubt that benefits will accrue to the 1855, was held in the Representatives' Hall at the farmers. We wish all parts of the Commonwealth State House, on Tuesday evening, 16th inst., at were as fully awake to their duty as they ap- 7 o'clock. Owing, probably, to the stormy pear to be in Essex. weather, but comparatively few persons were present. For the New England Farmer. The meeting was called to order by ELIJAH E. KNOWLES, the member from Eastham, who presid MR. EDITOR:-Have any of your correspond-ed during the evening. ents had any experience in feeding pigs on tur- On motion of Mr. MERRIAM, of Tewksbury, a nips? Last June I found myself destitute of po- committee of five was ordered for the purpose of tatoes in consequence of the rot, with two pigs nominating an Executive Committee, who shall of eight weeks old, and nothing to give them devise a plan for the conduct of the series of except some Swedish turnips, which still re mained hard and sweet in the cellar. I com- meetings and attend to its execution. The Chair menced giving them then, and, with the addition appointed Messrs. Brooks, of Princeton, Freeman, of the slops from the family, they were unusually of Orleans, Lyman, of Southampton, Stockthriving. They eat these with the greatest relish bridge, of Hadley, and Coombs, of Middlefield. when cut up and given raw. Whether their keen The committee subsequently reported for Execappetite was induced by a somewhat short allow ance previously, or from something peculiar in utive Committee, Messrs. Charles L. Flint, Secrethe kind of food, or of the animals themselves, I tary of the Board of Agriculture, Elijah E. am not able to determine. In my not very ex- Knowles, of Eastham, Hiram C. Brown, of Toltended experience in pig raising, I have never had land, Granville B. Hall, of Worthington, and them appear so well during their growing condiWm. S. King, of Roxbury,—and their report was tion as these. Reasoning on theoretical grounds, I see no adopted. reason why the turnip may not be valuable for Mr. FLINT suggested that in the absence of growing pigs, as well as for growing cattle. They any stated topic for the evening's discussion, are easily digested, contain the necessary elements, especially nitrogen, for flesh-growing, and gentlemen present from different parts of the during the spring and early summer are in as State should give an account of the effect prosound a state as the potato. The important duced in their localities by the extraordinary question for me to know is, whether they will drought of the past season. It had been in the relish them as well as mine have the present sea-line of his duty the past summer to visit almost I have been in the habit, for many years, son. of picking off the outside leaves of cabbages and every part of the Commonwealth, from Cape giving them to growing pigs. They will eat them Cod to Berkshire, and he had noticed a great difwith great relish, and I could never see but the ference in different regions. In Nantucket, while cabbages headed just as well. Of course it will the drought was at its height, the corn seemed to be understood that it is only in the growing, and be but little affected, notwithstanding the dry, not in the fatting condition, that such articles can be of any value. sandy nature of the soil; while, on passing from As the potato is so difficult a crop with us, and Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard to the Connecthe turnip of comparatively easy culture, it would ticut river valley, nothing but clouds of dust be a valuable acquisition if some such substitute were to be seen. In his opinion such a drought for the potato could be found. had not been experienced in this State for ninety Should any one have had experience of this kind, whether successful or not, I would be glad years. We need some means of guarding against to hear from them on the subject through your these severe droughts. In England, farmers are not troubled by such unusually dry seasons. It rains In a recent article in the Farmer on Witch there almost every other day in the year, while Grass, you made me say spent tar, instead of we do not get more than forty to sixty days of spent tan, for mulching trees. Bethel, Me., Jan. 4, 1855. rain per annum. paper. N. T. T. Mr. MERRIAM, of Tewksbury, alluding to the REMARKS.-Again we thank our correspondent exemption of Nantucket from the effects of the drought, said that the island was about 60 miles effects of a drought. "Horse feet" on corn opfrom the mainland, was a perfect plain about 3000 erates well, imparting some nourishment and acres in extent, and destitute of trees, and form- shielding from the drought. erly sustained 20,000 sheep. Although it has a The Chairman said that this species of fish sandy soil, it has a humid atmosphere, being sur- were proverbial as a remedy for the drought. rounded by water, the same as Great Britain is. Mr. HIGGINS further remarked that on the In Middlesex county the drought had been severe. south side of the Cape, in Barnstable county, The soil is generally of a clayey composition, and farmers were at one time insane in regard to fishin ordinary seasons is very fertile. More profit ing their land, but they found that the use of was realized last year on corn sold at 66 cents, fish only impoverished and run out the land, and than this year at $1.05. On interval lands they have given up the idea. pumpkins and squashes yielded about the usual Mr. FLINT said he had labored under a misapamounts and the hay crop was about equal to last prehension in regard to the nature of the fish apyear. Rye was almost a complete failure, and plied to lands; he supposed they were all of the vegetables were cut short very much. Peat and common oily kinds. Hence his allusion to the intervale lands were the only kinds that raised drought of 1823. profitable crops. In Mr. MERRIAM remarked upon the benefits deMr. HALL, of Bradford, said the Chairman had rived from frequent stirring of the soil, and high remarked to him in conversation before the meet- manuring, as facilitating the absorption of caring that pieces of land in his neighborhood, bonic acid gas from the atmosphere, an ingredient (Barnstable,) manured with fish did not suffer which enters largely into the composition of all from drought, and he inferred from that that plants. Plowing and manuring produce beneficial lands not so manured were affected by the drouth. chemical changes in the soil. He did not understand the philosophy of it, and Mr. STOCKBRIDGE, of Hadley, said the past seadesired an explanation. son had been a remarkable one in regard to wet The Chairman said that on the south side of as well as dry weather, in the Connecticut valley. the Cape, at Harwich for instance, they manure For years they had not had so wet a season. their lands with a shell fish called "horse feet," the spring they had the greatest freshet ever and they never suffer from the drought. On his known on the Connecticut; but by the middle of side of the Cape these fish were scarce, and hence May it was very dry. As regards the crops in general, Hampden county falls but little short of Mr. Flint remarked, as a curious historical ordinary years. At one time it was thought the fact, that in the drought of 1823, farms upon corn would come short, but on alluvial lands the which fish were applied suffered exceedingly from crop was good. Broom corn, which is a great the drought. In regard to Nantucket, he would crop in that region, never yielded so abundantly say that farmers there make great use of the car- as this season. The first crop of hay was good, cases of sharks, composting them, and putting though not so large as in some years; the second them upon their land. This fact might have was light. Potatoes were not much affected, and something to do in averting the effects of the a fair crop was harvested. English wheat and drought on the island. rye were not materiallly injured by the dry not used. Mr. BUCKMINSTER, of Framingham, said that weather; the former however, was cut off by the moisture of the surrounding ocean had great blight and rust. effect in Nantucket. In his neighborhood it was Mr. LYMAN, of Southampton, (Hampshire Co.) found that if the soil was kept in motion, by said that in his section the potatoe vines kept plowing and hoeing, that it did not suffer much green better this season than for several years, from the drought. On well cultivated lands the notwithstanding the drought, and a good crop of hay crop did not feel the dryness much, as indeed potatoes was raised, while the quality was better it did not throughout Massachusetts, owing to the than the year before, and no signs of rot were good start it got before the dry season came on. manifested. Some particular pieces suffered from He urged frequent stirring of the soil, as plowed the drought. A good crop of corn was gathered, land attracts moisture both from the atmosphere, and the hay crop was an average one. In feeding and from beneath. his hay the first part of the winter, he thought it Mr. HIGGINS, of Orleans, in reference to the was not so heavy as usual and that it did not "fish question," remarked that the inference that spend so well, but of this he could not speak deall kinds of fish would avert the drought would cidedly. Oats flourished well where the land was not hold good. The "horse feet," were a salt in good condition. Still the drought was very shell fish, and salt will make the soil give; but severe. He never knew so many apples to grow any fish of an oily nature would only operate to in that county before, but they fell from the trees draw the rays of the sun, and thus aggravate the early and decayed rapidly, so that growers did not realize more than usual from that erop. |