FEB. Mr. BUCKMINSTER, of the Ploughman, related desirable that every State and Territory should be ish observations along the line of the Boston & represented. Lectures and interesting discussions are expected on subjects pertaining to the objects Maine Railroad. He noticed that English cherry of the Acsociation, by distinguished scientific and trees, which had been growing for ten years, were practical Agriculturists. dry in the leaf in the latter part of July, and fir The various Agricultural Societies of the trees and evergreens suffered in the same way. country are respectfully requested to send deleOn digging four feet deep under an evergreen, the gates to this meeting; and all gentlemen who are soil was completely dry-at least felt so in the interested in the welfare of American Agriculture, who would promote a more cordial spirit of interhand. He attributed these results to the dryness course between the different sections of our land, of the season. and who would elevate this most important pur MARSHALL P. WILDER, President. For the New England Farmer. RELATIVE VALUE OF FOOD. Mr. DODGE, of Sutton, said that in the south suit to a position of greater usefulness and honor, part of Worcester county, those whose lands were are also invited to be present on this occasion. sufficiently deep and well manured did not suffer much by the drought, and never do. So far as his experience had extended he had found that it was necessary to make the soil deep and rich. In the New England Farmer of Jan. 13, I find On the hilly lands of Worcester county he believed that the salvation of the crop depended on an article copied from The Plow, The Loom, and The Anvil, on the subject of Root Crops. The loosening the soil to a great depth. A depth of article is, in the main, what every judicious farmten inches he thought would remedy the evils er will approve; yet there are some indications of complained of. His soil is clayey and loamy. that ultraism which is the bane of all practical He thought it no harm to bring up the subsoil to farming. Among other objectionable sentences I the surface, and turn the other under. He never cannot help noting the following:-" The more diluted our food, provided we do not overtask the had better crops of turnips than this year. They energies of the intestinal canal in the conveyance were planted on land plowed ten inches deep-of it to its destination, the better for the health of the animal." turnips and grass seed together. Now this means, if it means anything, that, Mr. BARKER, of Pittsfield, said he had observed the effects of droughts for twenty years, and he the less concentrated the food of animals,-that is, the greater the proportion of bulk to nutrihad never seen one yet which would affect a good ment, the "better for the health of the animal." farmer. Good farmers get good crops, while poor The writer does not seem to perceive that, in carones never will. Farmers in his section have had rying out this doctrine, he must inevitably run it "into the ground;" for it comes to this, that, good crops. when food is discovered which contains no nutriThe Chairman remarked that deep plowing ment at all, it is better adapted than any other might answer on some lands, but not on the Cape, for sustaining animal life! We have all heard of where nothing but sterile sand would be turned people who lived on "faith and dumplings," and up by deep plowing. and no dumplings. It may be good doctrine to die by, but assuredly it is a hard one to live upon. The chameleon, fabled to diet upon the circumambient air," would be a model animal to carry out such a principle. all agree that it is pretty hard feed; but our Mr. HALL, of Bradford, said he visited a nur- writer on "Root Crops" would give us all faith sery in New Bedford last summer, and found the young trees, particularly the pears, in a remarkably thrifty state, large and vigorous. He asked the proprietors if they did net manure highly, It is argued by all writers on animal economy, and was told that they did not; but instead, (except perhaps the one here referred to,) that double trenched all their ground. It is an exA few proper food for man as well as beast requires bulk pensive process, costing $200 per acre. as well as nutriment. A horse fed entirely on conweeks since he again saw one of the proprietors centrated food, like Indian corn, will gnaw the of the nursery, and inquired about the drought manger in order to obtain the bulk of fibrous in his vicinity. He said it was very severe, but wood which nature requires; and if he cannot he could not perceive that it had injured his nur- it is said, who feed mainly on rice, which is the procure it, he will sicken and die. The Hindoos, sery much if any. Mr. Hall also related another most highly concentrated form of food, (containfact tending to demonstrate the value of stirring ing about 95 per cent. of nutriment,) will somethe soil for facilitating and preserving vegetation. times eat dry grass or splinters of wood. There At the close of Mr. Hall's remarks (94 o'clock) can be no doubt that bulk as well as nutriment is required in order to sustain the animal functions; the meeting adjourned. but all bulk and no nutriment must be quite as prejudicial as all nutriment and no bulk. The U. S. AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.-The Third An- only real truth to be sought is the proper pronual Meeting of the United States Agricultural portion. Society will be held at Washington, D. C., on The late Dr. Sylvester Graham, who, with all Wednesday, February 28, 1855. Business of im- his ultraisms, had some very good ideas, and was portance will come before the meeting. A new well read in everything relating to physiology, election of officers is to be made, in which it is was of opinion that wheat, rye or corn, ground without bolting, constituted about the proper the whole is estimated. Under this rule enorproportion for the human stomach. This is about mous crops of corn have been produce; for 60 per cent. of nutriment to 40 per cent. of bulk. instance, a gentleman in this town last year He was also of opinion that about 20 per cent. of raised 155 bushels to the acre, and this year upnutriment was the proper proportion for domestic wards of 100 bushels of corn to the acre, I think, animals, like the cow and the horse. Good Eng- have been raised in the county. If this rule is lish hay contains about ten per cent. of nutritious the best, let it be adopted throughout the State; matter, and, of course, according to his theory, if not, let some other, for, as it is now, there is something more highly concentrated is required in reason to believe some persons receive more credit order to develop the perfect animal. A moderate for raising large crops than others simply by the quantity of grain, ground and mixed in the form measurement. HOWARD. of "cut feed," has, in the experience of all growers of stock, been found best adapted to animal health and physical development. West Bridgewater, Mass. WIRE FENCE. This principle, or theory, does not tell well for the opinion of the writer referred to as regards The following letter from Hon. MARSHALL P. the value of the English or flat turnip as a food WILDER, President of the United States Agriculfor animals. That vegetable contains about 90 tural Society, refers to the wire fence described per cent. of water, and of the remaining ten per cent. more than half is woody fibre. Only about and portrayed on our first page. four per cent. of the turnip is nutrition. The Dorchester, Jan. 15th. 1855. potato, on the other hand, when divested of its CHARLES CROWLEY, Esq., Agent, &c.:-Dear Sir,eighty-five per cent. of water, is nearly all nutri- I have recently examined some of the netting of ment or very nearly fifteen per cent. It is near- the Lowell Wire Fence Company for fences, trellises, ly four times as nutritious as the turnip, pound etc. From my own experience and that of others, I for pound. I would by no means discourage the cannot doubt that it is perfectly practicable as a fence raising of turnips, for the seed can be sown when for fields and gardens, or that it is well adapted to all it is too late to plant any other, and of course durable fence is required. Where stone is not abunuses where a strong, close, elegant, economical and where no other crop can be raised for the season. dant, or where lumber is expensive, as in many of They are useful and healthful to a degree, al- our States, I should deem it the most practicable though they impart a disagreeable flavor to milk, fence that could be procured. If our railroads are and should not be fed to milch cows except in hereafter to be enclosed, as safety and economy devery small quantities at a time. No grounds ca- mand-they can scarcely be fenced cheaper or better pable of producing other crops, should be reserved than by this mode of fence. The stouter kinds of for the flat turnip; but grounds from which early this netting are of such strength, that cattle could crops are harvested may be profitably devoted to not easily penetrate or pass it; while the closeness of this crop. In some seasons the turnip will grow the lighter kinds, renders them admirably available well if sown as late as the twentieth of August, for garden uses, heneries, and poultry fences. Fencor even the first of September; and as the seed is ing like this, has for some years been extensively easily raised, farmers and gardeners will lose nothing in scattering it, not too thickly, over grounds harvested up to those periods. But the turnip crop never ought to interfere with any other. used in Great Britain; and, since it can now be made at a much less cost, by machinery, it would seem to be equally adaptive to the United States. I know of no fencing so good as this, that can be procured for $1,50 per rod, the highest price asked for the most costly kinds of this netting; and this is, probably, the only fencing of equal merit that can be bought for $1,50 per rod. Neither do I agree with the same writer that the carrot is the most nutritious of all root crops. I think it will be found on analysis that the com- Ás a material for rose-trellises, grape-trellises, and mon turnip beet is more nutritious than the car- ornamental work in gardens, I think it unequalled in rot-the saccharine matter in the former being cheapness, durability and beauty, by anything yet entirely nutritious. This beet is also much bet-devised. It will, without doubt, eventually be reter for milch cows, as the carroty flavor of milk ceived into general use, when its merits are appreciated Yours respectfully, is almost as bad as the turnip flavor. For horses, by the public. during the winter, the carrot is undoubtedly the best of all root crops, and for their use it should be freely cultivated. Somerville. E. C. P. For the New England Farmer. MEASUREMENT OF CROPS. MARSHALL P. WILDER. For the New England Farmer. NATIVE CATTLE. MR. EDITOR-In the number for January of the Journal of New York State Agricultural Society, is the following testimony, that may be MR. BROWN-I would suggest to those inter- instructive to those who are not willing to admit ested, through the columns of your paper, the that cattle, which are generally termed native, propriety of the adoption of a uniform rule for are of any value. the measurement of crops for premium through- Mr. T. Wells, from Chenango county, under out the State. I am led to do this by the dis- date of Dec. 16, 1854, writes: "I doubt very satisfaction manifested by many in relation to much whether there has ever been any better the rule adopted by the Plymouth County Agri- breed of cattle, either for beef or milking, than cultural Society in the measurement of corn for the native red cattle. It is keeping that makes premium. By this rule, as is well known, an the cattle." Mr. Thompson, President of the average square rod is selected while the corn is Yates County Society, writes to B. P. Johnson, in the field, the product weighed, and by which Secretary of the State Society: "Some attention Please oblige your readers by giving this a place in your Yankee Journal. Jan. 15, 1855. For the New England Farmer. is paid to the breeding of Durhams and Herefords, And under that wagon is a live pig, tied by but native Americans are most in favor for the one foot, looking as if he might have a year's exdairy." perience with about two months growth, designed Perhaps it will be said the men who write thus are of the Know-Nothing order; but if they are, for immediate slaughter, or to be kept a few think I think they are in a fair way to be of the ma- months longer, as the purchaser may proper. jority. So say those of my acquaintance whose A half-dozen living calves, of a few weeks' age, judgment is most worthy of confidence. are lying, tied neck and heels, gasping for breath, on the hard pavement, and not far off as many cows, of all colors and shapes, for sale. Most of them are poor in flesh, though with marks of good qualities as milkers. Turkeys are sold, not by the pound, as with us, but at so much apiece, at prices not very different from those of Boston. I find good practice for all the knowledge of fracThe principal market of the city of Washing- ions which I derived from the arithmetic in my ton is upon Pennsylvania Avenue. The buildings school-days. On my inquiring the price of poconsist of a large extent of low one-story brick tatoes, I received the edifying reply, "three fips and wooden white-washed structures, of no par- for a quarter of a peck." A fip being six and a ticular order of architecture, which, were it not quarter cents, you have the basis for a calculadisrespectful, might be described as sheds better tion how much potatoes were sold at per bushel. than by any other words. These are divided into That, however, was the highest retail price, the stalls, and are rented to the market-men. But price by the bushel being from one and a half to the sales are by no means confined to these build- two dollars. LETTER FROM MR. FRENCH. A GLANCE AT WASHINGTON CITY MARKET. ings. All around, on, and about the adjacent I was quite shocked to see, exposed for sale, sidewalks and squares, on market mornings, three like vulgar ducks and geese, beautiful swans, times a week usually, is a throng of sellers, prin- killed for food! Heretofore, I had regarded these cipally blacks, in ludicrous variety of appearance stately creatures as intended solely to gratify our and employment. Backed against the curb-stone love for the beautiful; but alas! this utilitarian are long rows of market carts and wagons, of all age pays little homage to that beauty which is conceivable shapes. Here is a tolerable looking not at the same time profitable. A common and horse-cart, with a mule attached, having his excellent cheap article of food is exposed in mane sheared and his tale also, except a tuft of abundance, cooked ready for the table, which hair at the end, to gratify the freakish taste of they call hominy, and which ought to be used his negro driver. There is a market wagon, of at the north. It is made of white corn, merely large size, with three or four hoops bent over it, cracked and hulled, and boiled soft, and forms and a large cotton covering, to shelter the half- the best substitute for potatoes. It is eaten with dozen darkies who have come into the city in it, meat, like the common garden vegetables with us. and who are now pursuing their separate duties No yellow corn is used here for food, and little or of selling little commodities about the market. no rye and Indian bread, such as is common with Many of these wagons, loaded with grain, vege- us. The market is abundantly supplied with tables, poultry and other eatables, come to their game of all kinds, ducks, venison, quails and the places during the night, or previous evening, so like, and with finer mutton than is often found is to get good stands, which are appropriated by in Boston. Prices of provisions and every thing the first comer. are arranged upon the principle that every office Squatting down upon the pavement, on all holder shall spend his salary, more or less. Pubsides, are numerous old colored women, with lic opinion seems to demand this, and houses are little stores of fruit, eggs and the like, advertising constructed to meet this idea. There is no such their wares by word of mouth to the passers-by. thing as a cellar under one house in a hundred, There are three or four singular-looking animals, so that provisions cannot be laid in for a winter, bearing some resemblance to small pigs, which a as with us, but the market-basket must go down small nigger introduces to your notice by the three or four times a week, for a half peck of question, "Have a possum, massa?" There potatoes and a dozen apples, and a cabbage and again is an old lady, who has bunches of the three or four turnips, and so on, requiring as smallest kind of little birds, of the size of robins, much time as the whole would be worth in our dressed ready to cook; and there another, with a northern villages. Most of the pork sold here is coop of small live chickens, not of much larger of small size, of pigs weighing about a hundred size, which are sold at some twenty-five cents pounds. Aside from the lard and middlings, each, to be forthwith served up at the hotels for animals of this size make much better food than dainty morsels of food. the full-grown, over-fatted hogs of the northern markets. The idea is gaining ground in New England, I think, that there is more profit in killing our swine, at a year old, than in keeping them over an entire winter. Here, however, the dead bodies of these quadrupeds indicate that their sphere of action was not limited to a sty merely, but that a good long set of legs and a nose to match, were essential to their style of life. One fact impresses all who come here from the north, that in every thing pertaining to agriculture, there is wanting the system, and neatness and energy, which educated free labor alone can develope. I am expecting to visit the farm of a friend near the city soon, and will give in my next some idea of how a New England man cultivates a southern farm. Washington, D. C., Jan. 8, 1855. H. F. F. For the New England Farmer. PEALING THE BASKET WILLOW. MR. BROWN:-I have lately witnessed the trial of a machine, invented by GEORGE J. COLBY, of Jonesville, Vt., for peeling the basket willow, which is destined to become of great importance in this country. It does the work in the most perfect manner, is operated by one horse-power, and with two men, will peel one ton per day. It has been fully proved, within a few years, that the European Osier will thrive as well in this as in the old country, and those cultivated here are sought after by the manufacturer in preference to the imported. There are annually imported to the United States over five millions dollars worth, besides the manufactured article, which amount is very large, all of which might be cultivated in this country to great advantage. FORGIVE AND FORGET. BY THE AUTHOR OF "PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY." None, none but an angel of God can declare But if the bad spirit is chased from the heart, To forget? It is hard for a man with a mind, To blot out all perils and dangers behind, And the ashes of injury smoulder and burn, O, hearken! my tongue shall the riddle unseal, Brood not on insults or injuries old, For thou art injurious too- O, who wouldn't gladly take lessons of Heaven- Yes, yes, let a man when his enemy weeps, For thus on his head in kindness he heaps For the New England Farmer. MACHINE FOR CHOPPING BRUSH. MESSRS. EDITORS :-In passing through Methu The only objection to the cultivation of the willow in this country, has been the scarcity of labor required to peel it for market, as it must be done in the spring, during the short period that the bark will strip, and in many localities the required labor cannot be had. The estimated cost for peeling by hand, is about $40 per ton. That objection is now removed by the invention of a machine for the purpose. I doubt if there is any business that will yield the husbandman as large a profit as the cultivation of the willow, by en, a few weeks since, I had occasion to call on Col. CHARLES E. STANLEY, of that town, when I those who have suitable soils. It will thrive well was shown by that gentleman a machine, or on most of our soils, or any that are rich and rather, cutter, belonging to him, to which horsemoist, or what is termed good grass land; but power is applied, for the purpose of cutting limbs that is best adapted which is natural to our na- and brush at the door. It is called "Daniel's tive willow, and will yield an average of two patent" of Vermont, being very much on the tons per acre. The present price for the willow is 6 cents per pound, with an increasing demand, farger scale. Two huge knives, about eighteen principle of some hay-cutters, only on a much and much larger than the supply. inches long, one-half inch thick, and four and a The best willow for cultivation of which I am half in width, are strongly fastened on the shaft acquainted, is the Salix viminalis; it grows in roll. A good feed roll is also applied. Hard this locality from eight to ten feet high, is very wood limbs, without trimming, that are not more smooth, free from knots, and never branches. than three inches, or pine, that are not more There are other varieties that are valuable for than four and one-half inches through at the hedges, or live fences, which will yield an annual butt, are cut with ease. By changing the gearprofit for Osiers. J. R. JEWELL. ing, they can be cut any length desired, from Bolton, Dec., 1854. four and one-half to one-fourth of an inch in length. When green pine limbs are cut two for vesper prayers. The ground is intersected in inches long and spread upon a floor not more almost every practicable direction by carriage than ten inches in depth, they will dry so as to roads, and narrow footpaths wind around the burn well in a week. sides of the steep cliffs, amid thickets of cedars Col. Stanley says he can cut limbs and brush and pines, clumps of fir and weeping larches, and to the above degree of fineness faster than a smart solitary old oaks, the majestic monarchs of the man, with a good yoke of oxen, can haul and forest. dump them from one-fourth of a mile distant. The house is situated on a high point, comThe advantage of cutting it so fine is, that it manding a view of the noble Hudson on the east, brings much scraggy and otherwise worthless the magnificent scenery of the Highlands on the brush, up to more than the value of its weight south, and on the north and west a thick mass of in solid wood, which, in these times of scarcity trees, streams, and ruined hamlet cottages. It is and high prices of fuel, is an object of too much built in the English villa style, with piazzas and importance to be overlooked. Colonel Stanley's deep bay windows facing the river, and abounds neighbors bring brush to him to be cut on equal in gable roofs, with oriole and dormer windows shares. As near as I could judge, this machine jutting out, and clustering chimneys terminating will do the work of forty men. the pinnacles. The interior is adorned with rare The reason that the chips dry so quick, is, that curiosities, collected in Europe and America— they are not cut square off, but obliquely, one paintings of distinguished personages, landscapes side being concave and the other convex; conse- of beautiful scenery, marbles, bronzes, medals, quently they are shattered to such a degree, that statuary, and engravings in rich profusion. the air is admitted entirely through them, and This is Idlewild. the drying process immediately commences. Danvers, Jan. 16, 1855. "IDLEWILD." SERF LABOR IN POLAND. In every village is an overseer, whose duty it is to call in the evening at each hut, and notify the From an interesting letter which appeared in inmates as to the part of the plantation where the columns of the Rochester Advertiser, we con- they are to meet the following morning, and be dense a brief description of Idlewild, the garden ready to start for work. Men, women and chilhome of N. P. Willis. It is situated on the west-dren are included in this order, of course; they ern bank of the Hudson river, a few miles south assemble as directed, and are then driven like so of the town of Newburgh. In its immediate vi- many oxen to their labor. Of whatever kind the cinity are many beautiful country seats, including work may be, the women are obliged to toil as among others those of J. T. Headley, the artist the men; the children are assigned lighter tasks, Durand, and the late lamented Downing, all of such as picking stones, &c. Over each division is which are adorned by the rarest embellishments of placed an overseer, having in his hand a whip of art. But Idlewild, situated amid the most lively braided strips of leather, and should any one prescenery of the valley of the Hudson river, is the sume to stop even for a moment, the lash is uumost beautiful country seat in the region. The mercifully applied; children are not exempt from domain comprises about one hundred acres of this infliction, and whoever may be the object of land, which, when they came into the possession of punishment, he or she, is obliged to kiss the Willis, were clothed in a dense black forest of ce- hand or foot of the inflictor. Should any one redars, firs and pines, and other mountain trees, as fuse to do so, as is sometimes the case, the poor wild and thick as when the Indian war-hoop creature is laid upon the ground, and receives echoed through their shades. The grounds pos- forty additional stripes, then with blood tricksess a great variety of surface, scene and prospect, ling from his back returns again to work. In and the fine taste of Willis has seized upon every some instances (the overseer being in an unusual opportunity to enhance the charms which nature passion,) children, perhaps a son or a daughhas grouped in such harmonious contrast. ter, are required to hold down a parent, whilst Running diagonally through the estate is a another member of the same family is made to broad, deep glen, over whose rocky bottom flows administer the lash with his utmost strength. a clear cold stream of water. Willis, by means These things seem heart-sickening to relate, nevof jutting rocks and artificial dams, has broken ertheless they are true, and not a day passes this stream into singing cascades and murmuring without many individuals being subjected to such waterfalls. In one place he has lured a portion treatment. When they leave their miserable of the waters from their channel, to fill a pond for homes in the morning, each peasant carries upon his gold fish. In another he has taken half the his back a coarse cloth sack, containing the dinstream to form the shooting jets of a fountain; ner of its bearer; this consists of a loaf of brown and still further down the glen he has checked its bread, having the appearance of baked sawdust; flow and swollen it into a miniature lake for his and if the bearer has been so fortunate as to have little boat. At several points along the stream he recently killed a pig, he takes with his bread a has thrown rustic bridges from bank to bank. piece of raw pork. Before commencing work, The view from the lower extremity of the glen these sacks are deposited in heaps upon the upward, through the deep vista of trees joining ground, and at noon, when the signal is given, their branches over my head, is said to be very they rush with the speed of half-starved animals, beautiful. It resembles a vaulted cathedral; and every one for his bag, and then commences a dethe imaginative eye may behold in the large vouring of bread and salt in the most ravenous brown stones, with their mossy sides, which are manner. Each gang is allowed a mug of water, scattered in picturesque confusion throughout the and this is passed from one to another until all scene, gray, cowled monks, counting their beads have been served. Such is the manner in which |