[For the Country Gentleman and Cultivator.] REFRESHING THE MEMORY.

MESSRS. EDITORS—I once knew a man, whose wife was rather feeble, and when the good woman's health was inquired after, his common reply was, that "she enjoyed rather poor health." Now, I am of the opinion that many "enjoy the same blessing," in regard to their memories. Their retentive powers seem to be defective; so much so, that it would be difficult for them to give an intelligible account of what they had read, an hour after the reading. Whether this arises from some defect in their making up," or from inattention, I shall not pretend to say-perhaps it arises in part, from both causes. But these afflicted ones should not be overlooked. I therefore propose to repeat a few of the many things worth remembering, that have appeared from time to time in the COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, for their benefit-hoping that "line upon line," will have the desired effect.

1. Remember to treat all animals that are dependent upon you for their comfort, during these cold months, with humanity. See that they are warmly housed, and have a full supply of nutritious food. Feed roots and meal. See that they do not lose flesh the fore part of winter. Increase the good things to milch cows, towards spring just before calving time. Don't begin and end with straw and corn buts.

2. Remember to keep your stock clean from filth by carding, and by giving them a clean bed of straw to lie upon. Don't attempt to promote thrift and growth, by applying manure to their hides. It is far better to make the application to the soil, and thus increase the yield of hay, roots and grain. These, fed to them with a liberal hand-though a more roundabout way-will be far more efficacious.

3. Remember to clean out the cattles' mangers once a day. Less fodder will be wasted, and they will relish their food much better. Give them enough, but only so much as they will eat up clean at each foddering, if the fodder is good. Cattle will reject their food, after having breathed over it awhile. And further, clean up the scatterings made by foddering, that nothing be lost. Some men have got rich by saving.

and if the court should refuse the petition, she ought then to secede-peaceably, if she can-but secede at any rate. 8. Remember to do everything well that you undertake. Adopt the rule, that anything that is worth doing, is worth doing well.

9. Remember to be neat and systematic about all your work-particularly in doing the chores. Chores are quite an item in the winter, and they can be done much more expeditiously, where there is system in doing them, than when done at haphazard.

10. Remember to take the COUNTRY GENTLEMAN. Many think this the best agricultural paper published for practical farmers, and as I like to be in the crowd I am inclined to the same opinion, although I read one or two others. It is passing strange that so many should entertain the opinion, that nothing can be learned in regard to farming. Every farmer should take some good, practical journal, that he may avail himself of the experience and practice of others. There are humbugs enough in the course of able information enough to pay for three or four papersthe year, in most papers, to pay the expense; and valuthe humbugs may be forgotten.

11. Remember that a great war is upon us, and that half a million or more of the brave defenders of the Union must be fed and clothed. Therefore, it becomes the duty, as it is to the interest of every tiller of the soil, to put forth renewed exertions-to add a few more acres to the growing crops-to till the soil with greater diligence and care, and thus increase its productiveness, that the wants of our soldiers, and the expense of this unrighteous war, waged by traitors and thieves against our government, may be met. And that we may have bread enough, and some to spare, to our amiable cousins across the water. J. L. R. Jefferson Co., N. Y.

[For the Country Gentleman and Cultivator.] CORN FODDER FOR DAIRY FARMERS. MESSRS. EDITORS-Could one-half of my brother farmers, who ridicule book-farming, be induced to plant next spring, one half acre, each, to fodder corn, who have a dairy of ten cows, the rows two feet apart, with 20 or 25 kernels to a foot, and begin to feed about the first of September, and add six weeks or two months to their dairy season, they would be inclined to look pleasant at their success, and let the name alone. My experience will 4. Remember that pure water-not a mud-puddle-warrant $25 for the half acre, if properly managed, with and a plenty of it, is essential to the health and thrift of all animals. Don't require your cattle to go a mile through the snow, with the thermometer at or below zero, and then, upon their knees, drink from some dirty slough, through a hole cut in the ice and mud.

very little labor.

I want to add that I have stabled five cows nights through the summer, filling the drop behind them with turf, procured mostly by plowing moss knolls, taking off the turf, making them even, and with the help of one 5. Remember to keep the manure snugly piled, and horse and a few white Chester pigs, have made 100 full mix a plenty of absorbents with it-straw, saw-dust, muck cart-loads of good compost for my meadows, putting it on or turf are good-to hold the liquid. If your manure in October, and have turf enough in my yard and hogheap has not the same defect that your memory has-pens for another hundred in the spring. I will gladly leaky-you need give yourself no anxiety about cellars or listen to a better course on a small farm. sheds to stow it in, as with a good supply of straw or other material to take up the liquid, the rain or snow that falls upon it will do it no damage, but will forward its fitness for the land.

6. Remember to house all farm tools. Those not in daily use should be thoroughly cleaned before putting away. If any are out of repair, put them in order. Don't winter the plow in the corner of the fence, the horse-rake in the middle of the meadow, or the mower in the door-yard. This will be worse for their constitution | than a summer's work. All tools in daily use, should be cleaned after using-shovels and dung-forks should not be allowed to become coated with frozen and dried manure. They are much more comfortable to use, when kept clean, besides they will last much longer.

West-Winsted, Conn., Dec. 3, 1861.

JUDSON WADSWORTH.

[For the Country Gentleman and Cultivator.] LARGE CROP OF ONIONS. MESSRS, EDITORS-Having in times gone by given you some information as to the culture of the onion in this vicinity, I am now happy to inform you that Mr. G. W. Curtis of Marblehead, has the present season raised more than nine hundred bushels of onions, of a superior quality, on a single acre of land. I did not see the crop myself, but have the certificate of J. J. H. Gregory, Esq., an entirely reliable witness, as to the growth and measure. Considering the many embarrassments in the culture of the onion for several years past, this crop of Mr. Curtis is 7. Remember to draw up to the door, saw, split and highly encouraging. Many other crops from three to pile up under cover, a year's stock of wood, during the five hundred bushels to the acre, have been secured in this winter. It is bad economy to burn green wood; besides vicinity the present season. The drouth that prevailed it is a violation of the connubial vow, to require "my for several weeks in the summer was more detrimental to dear" to cook the dinner with green soggy wood. Any the progress of the maggot than the growth of the plant. woman so treated ought to apply for a bill of divorce, South Danvers, Mass., Nov. 16, 1861. JOHN W. PROCTOR

Grain-Producing Capacity of the United States. MESSRS. TUCKER & SON-In your paper of Nov. 21st, you quote the remarks of a New-York correspondent of the London Mark-Lane Express to this effect: That "this is likely to be the last year that England may expect any shipments of breadstuffs to a large amount" from the United States. The reader is left to infer that it will be in consequence of our being unable to produce any considerable amount beyond our own wants. This writer, (whoever he may be,) it is quite evident, as we say here in the west, "has not travelled." For either he is sadly duped himself, or else he is trying to dupe his readers, when he tells them that the United States has reached its We learn that MASON C. WELD, late editor and full capacity as a grain producing country. No man of com- publisher of the Hartford (Ct.) "Homestead" (now dismon intelligence who is at all acquainted, or who has continued) has just become an associate editor of the travelled but a little even in the northwestern States, will" American Agriculturist."

NEW PUBLICATIONS.

cannot be otherwise than useful to any one proposing to

REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS for the Year undertake it. But we fail to notice any account of the

1860. AGRICULTURE,

We acknowledge our indebtedness for copies of the last
Agricultural Report from the Patent Office, to Hon. J. H.
REYNOLDS of this city.

experiments that have already been conducted in this country, in obtaining cheap and practicable systems of irrigation; and the reader is apparently left to apply for himself the information he obtains.

"Grasses for the South, by Rev. C. W. HowARD, asHon. THOMAS G. CLEMSEN, who signs himself "Su-sociate editor of the Southern Cultivator, Kingston, Georperintendent of Agricultural Affairs of the United gia," is the title of a paper occupying fifteen pages, which States," opens the volume with Preliminary Remarks, our Southern friends may some time have the opportunity, containing some useful suggestions, enlarging upon the we hope, of consulting to the great benefit of their agriimportance of the Agricultural Division of the Patent culture. Drs. EMERSON and ELWYN, of Philadelphia, next Office, and urging increased appropriations by the Govpresent a report upon Pleuro-pneumonia, which Dr. J. B. ernment for its benefit, and for the encouragement of Ag- CRAIG of Washington follows in the farther consideration riculture. After a brief statement of the operations at of the same subject. The remainder of the volume is the experimental garden connected with the Agricultural occupied with papers on Bee Culture, by WM. BUCKISCH, Division at Washington, we next have the continuance of Hortontown, Texas; Notes on recent discoveries and imMr. CLEMSEN's article on "Fertilizers" from the previ-provements in Pisciculture, translated from the German ous Report—an article which will be mainly useful for practical purposes, as it strikes us, from the fact of its rendering easily accessible the various analytical tables showing the composition of different Agricultural Products, which are copied from Morton's excellent Cyclopedia of Agriculture.

of Dr. FRAAS; Insects Injurious to Vegetation, by P. R. UHLER of Baltimore; several articles on Wine Making and Grape Culture, filling nearly one hundred pages; the Forests and Trees of Northern America, by Dr. J. G. COOPER, occupying thirty pages; and articles upon Tea and Chinese Agriculture, concluding the whole.

Taking the volume altogether, if it fails in some respects to meet the requirements we should like to see filled by a work, of which several hundred thousand copies are distributed gratuitously by our government, it is nevertheless such as to compare favorably with its predecessors. That it contains, as heretofore, far more of second-hand search or personal experience, is probably owing to a lack information, if we may so style it, than of original rewhich undoubtedly still exists in this country, of the means of obtaining the latter. This lack, however, is now daily diminishing, and the successive volumes issued by the Patent Office, ought by good rights to afford still greater evidences of the diminution than they do. MANUAL OF AGRICULTURE, for the School, the Farm and

the Fireside.

Over sixty pages follow, under the head of "Notes on the Recent Progress of Agricultural Science. By D. A. WELLS, Troy, N. Y." The idea is a good one, to present such a compilation of extracts from the publications of the year, as shall fairly illustrate the progress of either or both the science or practice of Agriculture. In no other way, as we believe, could a better view be presented of what is really going on, "both as regards facts and opinions." But the compiler should not only bring to the task much discrimination and good judgment, with some experience—he should also have at his command the best of our current Agricultural literature, both domestic and foreign. We fear that Mr. Wells' resources were not This work, a brief announcement of which has already quite so full as may have been desirable. Some of his selections are very good and appropriate; but as a whole EMERSON and CHARLES L. FLINT, and published by Swan, been given in our columns, prepared by Messrs. GEO. B. his compilation does not quite attain the character which Brewer & Tileston of Boston, is one which bears close we think it should possess, as a digest either of the ex- examination, and deserves great credit for the system, perience that has been put in print, the experiments that have been reported, or the scientific advancement that plainness, and general accuracy which characterize both may have occurred, while not the slightest reference is desires to make his children acquainted with the princiits design and execution. The father of a family, who given to any of the prominent agricultural events" of of the year in review, or indeed of any other year or pe-ly do better than devote the long evenings of the Winples, and interested in the pursuit of Farming, can scarceriod. The paper, however, constitutes a feature in the volume that we should like to have continued in future Reports, if the rich materials which a well-qualified and judicious compiler might employ, could really be put to good and systematic use.

would not be likely to conclude it without having himself ter to a careful review of this book with them; and he profited by the time thus expended. As a school book we should also warmly recommend its general adoption. The price of this book is 75 cents, containing 294 pa. The "Observations on English Husbandry, by Hon.ges and nearly 100 engravings. Copies may now be had HENRY F. FRENCH, Exeter, N. H.," which next follow, we at this Office, or will be sent by mail post-paid, at the price have read with some attention. The article is a comprehen- mentioned. sive one, and at the same time clear and straight-forward. The twenty-six pages, which it occupies, are always interest. ing, and the views and conclusions expressed, manifest the close personal observation of their author, as well as a careful consultation of standard writers upon this fruitful topic.

.The succeeding sixty pages are taken up with an account of "Irrigation, by E. GOODRICH SMITH, Washington, D. C." as practiced in ancient and modern times in different parts of the world. This is a subject to which, in many parts of the United States, more attention should undoubtedly be given, and the information here presented

THE ANNUAL REGISTER.-I intend to get up a club for your CULTIVATOR, as soon as I get time, and the above subscription for the Co. GENT. will be counted in. One article I find in the REGISTER for 1862, (that on Grape Pruning,) to me is worth the price of the book (25 cents.)

Monroeville, 0.

S. A.

PEACH GROWING IN MICHIGAN.-A correspondent of the COUNTRY GENTLEMAN at St. Josephs, says that almost every landholder in that vicinity is engaged in raising fruit for the market, and that more than 30,000 baskets of peaches were sent to market this season.

[For the Country Gentleman and Cultivator.]

One year old, each,
Two do. do.

Three do. do.

CATTLE.

Six feet Oxen or Steers per pair,
Six and one-half feet Oxen per pair,
Seven feet Oxen per pair...

*Cows, each...

The sizes reckoned as they come from pasture.

COLTS.

$1.50

2.25

3.00

7.00

8.00

9.00

3.50

A New-Hampshire Farm and Farmer. MESSRS. EDITORS-During the past week, in company with JOSEPH B. WALKER, Esq., of Concord, I took an excursion to Lower Gilmanton, about fifteen miles from Concord, for the purpose of making a call upon G. W. SANBORN, Esq., and taking a ramble over his extensive farm. While there I took notes of some things that interested me somewhat, and thinking they might also He has about 2,000 acres of out lands, much of them interest some of your numerous readers, I herewith fur-being of a mountainous character, but affording excellent nish a sketch of the farm, buildings, irrigation, crops, &c. The Home Farm

Contains about 775 acres, fenced with stone wall into large fields. Every field, including pasture and woodland, has been accurately surveyed and mapped. The map of large size, gives the form of every field and lot, with the

number of acres and rods each contain.

Cultivated Crops.

This year had 13 acres in corn-oats, barley and potatoes to match. He had on hand about 1,500 bushels of corn, oats and barley, nearly all of which will be fed to his farm stock the coming winter. Having a grist mill on the premises, most of his grain for stock is ground. Beside the grist-mill, he has a saw-mill, clapboard and shingle ful threshers, all propelled by water-power, having 16 feet mill, and planing machine, lathe machine, and two power

The exact location of the farm buildings is put down, and one or two large brooks, with all their windings and curves as they course through these extensive grounds; as also the bearings and sweeps of between five and six"head and fall" of water. That being a good farming miles of open ditches for conveying water from a fifty acre pond for irrigating a large portion of his upland mowing fields.

The map is handsomely executed, lettered and colored. Tillage fields being of one color; the pastures of another; so of the irrigated portions of the farm and the woodlots. Such maps are of great utility to the cultivators of large farms, especially where they are fenced into numerous fields of unequal size and form, as is so frequently the case in most portions of New-England.

The original farm contained about 300 acres, lying upon a large swell of land of excellent quality, being mostly of a deep yellow loam soil, and very free from large rocks. Since the farm came into Mr. Sanborn's possession he has purchased two or three adjoining farms, of similar soil with the homestead, and they are equally favorably situated for irrigation from the same pond.

The Farm Buildings

But the most interesting feature connected with Mr. Sanborn's farming, is his extensive and systematic course of irrigation-an agricultural improvement scarcely adopted by one in a thousand of our New-Hampshire farmers. As already said, Mr. S. has between five and six miles of main drains for carrying the water from a large pond over his grass lands. In locating his ditches, in the first place, he obtains the level from the pond the whole length of his intended ditches, several of which are over a mile in length. Then with a strong team and a large plow, he turns two, three, or four furrows, according to the size of Consist of a large first rate house, with suitable out-build- the intended ditch. The furrows are thrown out on the ings, and two barns, one of which is 100 by 42 feet with lower side, raising an embankment so that the water in 18 feet posts. The other 150 by 40 feet, with cellar or the largest ditches is two or three feet deep, and three or basement under each. The mow or bay (of 15 feet in more feet wide. Every few rods small outlets are made width,) of the 150 feet barn goes to the bottom of the in the embankments, to let off the water in such quanticellar some 8 or 9 feet below the barn floor. The whole ties as are needed. There are, also, numerous small length of the cellar next the bay, is fitted up with suitable ditches, cut out with the shovel or spade in form of the racks, feeding boxes, &c., for his young cattle, which are letter V; over these the mowing machine passes without kept in the basement during the winter months. There obstruction. The grass on the banks of the large ditebes are also two large barns in his mowing lots for the con- is cut with the scythe. Recently he has much extended venience of storing hay, many tons of which he annually his ditches, and he will soon have 300 acres of mowing sells. In one of his barns he has a "platform balance land irrigated, nearly the whole of which slopes sufficientfor weighing hay, cattle, &c. By occasionally weighingly to keep the water in motion. Near the base of some loads of hay as carted in from the fields, he is enabled to of the slopes and in some of the hollows, probably the form a pretty accurate estimate of the quantity of hay grasses would be better in quality if the lands were undercut upon the farm. By referring to his farm journal, he estimated his hay crop of the past season at 250 tons; most of which was cut with a mowing machine.

Farm Stock.

For several years past the cattle wintered average about 100; 4 horses and several colts on one of the out farms, 25 head of cattle, and 40 sheep. His cattle are mostly of the so called "native breed."

Some few miles from his residence he has a large range of "mountain pasturage," in which he pastures for others, many of which are driven up from near the seaboard. This year he pastured for h're 260 head of cattle, 35 colts, and 260 sheep. To avoid any dispute about the price of pasturage of particular ages and sizes of cattle, horses, &c., he has printed cards of prices. The following is a copy of "Prices for Pasturage for 1861:"

drained.

his system of irrigating his "old mowing fields," many of It is about twelve years since Mr. Sanborn commenced them previously yielding very scanty crops of grass, not over 10 or 15 cwt. of hay per acre; these same acres now, with the application of water alone, producing two tons of dried hay per acre, of first-rate quality for cattle, those fields having been the longest irrigated giving the largest quantity. Mr. S. says he has no doubt that the water that is now running to waste, and that might profita. bly be used upon the grass lands in the town of Gilmanton, would, if properly applied, add at least fifty per cent. annually to the hay crop of that town, and this too without the addition of farm-yard manure. Beside this, it renders the farmer who judiciously irrigates his grass lands, independent of rains in the months of May and June. A scarcity of rain in those two months, as was the case over

large portions of New-England in 1860, causes a great deficiency in the hay crop. Pasture lands are benefitted by irrigation as well as mowing fields. Irrigated pasture land is a thing I have never yet seen. It is to be hoped that the praiseworthy and successful example of Mr. Sanborn in the formation of "water meadows," will not be lost upon his brother farmers in this farming section of the country. As far as I am able to learn, he is the only farmer in New-Hampshire that has gone very extensively into this matter of irrigating his grass lands.

In the Transactions of New-York Ag. Society, 1858, I find quite a detailed account of L. D. Clift's farm, and of his extensive system of irrigation, which then had been in operation some eight or nine years. Mr. Clift's farm is in the town of Carmel, Putnam Co., N. Y. The Report of the Committee who visited the farm in 1858, was written by the Junior Editor of the Co. GENT.-Occupying five pages of the Transactions. Those farmers having a copy of the Transactions for 1858, will do well to give it a careful perusal, as well also Mr. C.'s account of his farm, the next article following the Committee's Report.

[For the Country Gentleman and Cultivator.]

The Country Gentleman and Cultivator. [We publish the following letter from an old subscriber with the greater pleasure, as we have to acknowledge our indebtedness to him, not only for his own subscription since the establishment of THE CULTIVATOR-a period of now nearly Thirty Years-but also for efforts annually renewed to maintain and extend its circulation among his neighbors. Few of our Club-Agents began earlier, or have yearly met with more constant and gratifying success in this respect. EDS.]

I take some pains to secure the reading of THE CULTIVATOR by my neighbors, as the best means of promoting the interest of agriculture among us, and not from any expectation of a premium. It is from a high estimate of the value of the paper to every farmer who reads it.

The doctrines of the paper are sound-free alike from false interpretations of science, and from obstinate fogyism-progressive, but eminently experimental.

The paper has a large number of able contributors, who give us the conclusions of their large views, their careful incited to a love for his calling, and to a desire to excel study, and their long experience. The young farmer is in it by the inspiring influence of those noble men who show such zeal in their profession.

Last June J. Stanton Gould, Esq., visited Mr. Clift's farm, for the special purpose of witnessing the effects of irrigation upon the mowing fields of that farm. His report is published in the Co. GENT. of Aug. 22, 1861. Those having the Co. GENT. of above date, will, perhaps, do well to give it a careful perusal during some of the long evenings of this season of the year. I here make a short extract from Mr. Gould's report. He says:-"In the course of my journey from my own residence to Mr. The literary character of the paper is elevated. The Clift's, I estimated roughly the land susceptible of benefit writers do not think it necessary to come down and adby irrigation, which passed under my eye, at 20,000 acres ; dress farmers in a low and inelegant style, and I am happy assuming, as before, that the increase was only one ton to to say that we need not fear that the literary taste of our the acre, and its value to be $10 per ton, we should resons will be degraded by reading the COUNTRY GENTLEceive from our now wasted waters a revenue of $200,000 MAN and CULTIVATOR. I am proud to say that in honest annually. I fully believe that without resorting to any ex-dignity it stands beside our best quarterlies. tensive or costly engineering operations, or any erections has sustained its character, and even improved for so many It is a good deal to say of an agricultural paper that it more complicated than any good farmer is capable of ex

ecuting with his ordinary help, it will be possible to in-years. The last volume of THE CULTIVATOR is fully equal crease the annual value of the grass lands of the State of in value and interest to any one of its predecessors. I New-York one million of dollars, by the judicious use of presume the conductors understand what has been rethe streams flowing through them." quired for this, better than their readers. How many There are tens of thousands of acres of land in New-scientific and literary journals fail or decline after a few Hampshire that might be cheaply irrigated, and be made years. But agriculture is progressive, and the field is to produce annually from one and a half to two tons of wide, so that it has been possible, as we see, to present the best quality of stock hay, that now are scarcely worth something fresh and instructive, and interesting, every mowing. This was the case with field after field on Mr. month for a generation. Sanborn's farm. And what he has done, other farmers can do, if they will take hold of the matter in the right way, and persevere as he has done.

I do not need, I presume, to offer an apology for what know how their labors in conducting their journal are apI have written. It is not improper that the editors should It is doubtless true, that "it requires considerable skillpreciated by their readers, and I suppose I represent a a large number of them. and practice, and many failures have followed experiments of this kind, made without due care and attention."tition with others of a different character, some of which, I take it for granted that your paper comest into compeThe farmer that undertakes to irrigate his fields, should fully understand the different effect between flowing and though superficial, are rather taking with a class of readers. stagnant water-" for while flowing water coaxes up the interested me particularly were those on English agriculThose articles in THE CULTIVATOR of this year which finest indigenous grasses of the climate, and renders them ture by L. H. T., and the Farming in Chester county. The sweet, and wholesome, and nutritious, and luxuriant, stag-contributions of the same kind by Mr. THOMAS, and by nant water starves, deteriorates or kills all the good grass- Mr. TODD, are also valuable. I think much also of Mr. BARTLETT'S papers, &c., &c.

es.

From Mr. Clift's experience, and that of some others, winter irrigation is quite as necessary as that of summer, with this difference-the water may flow over the land without interruption from November till April. Warner, N. H., Nov. 22, 1861.

LEVI BARTLETT,

I might add that if long acquaintance gives any right to speak for THE CULTIVATOR, I have that, for I have been a reader of every number. I remember with what pleasure I hailed the announcement of Judge BUEL, that he was about to send forth such a paper, just as I was about to take into my own hands the conduct of a farm. So that THE CULTIVATOR is identified with the whole of my farming. NEWTON REED. Duchess Co., Nov. 30.

SUCCESSFUL FARMER'S CLUB.-Extract from a letter dated Lebanon, Conn., Nov. 11. "We have had a Farmer's Club in this town for a few years past that has met at the dwelling houses of those that attended it, during the winter season, and we became so much interested SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION.-I was greatly surprised at in our meetings that within the past year we have a statement in the American Agriculturist a few months organized a club with a constitution and by-laws, a copy since, from the editor, that he did not believe in the sponof which I shall mail to your address for perusal. We taneous combustion of hay stacks, showing how rare is have purchased some books for a library, and are about the ocourrence in America, but it frequently takes place making up clubs for agricultural papers. Just now I hap-in England, a moister climate, and where the stacks are pen to be destitute of an agricultural paper, which I can- large. Spontaneous combustion in the human body is not afford to be very long. Our club now numbers forty very rare, yet it does occasionally take place in excessive members. hard drinkers of alcoholic liquids. A. FRANCIS, M. D.

W. C. N.