68 



THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR. 



the Cabotsville or Chickopre factories : its western 

 broadside running; parnilel and wltliin two or tlirce 

 miles of the canal iVom Northampton to New Ha- 

 ven ; there are few places so favorably located to 

 furnish a ready market for the produce of tliu far- 

 mers. 



Dutchess County itself— now the most valuable 

 agricultural district in the United States — is nut 

 more intrinsically valuable tlian thise.xtcndcd tfiwu 

 of West Sprin^fiL'ld : improvenieiits here will yield 

 a hijrhcr proHt to purchasers than improvements in 

 tlic Tarther country''. Such land is worth settling 

 upon as a farming country, yieldinjr c-^nt. per cent, 

 from any quarter ui' the Union. 



If the farmers of West Springfield have not duly 

 appreciated their privileges — if thoy liave suffered 

 the neighboring nianul'acturing villages to *'take 

 the shine" from them — there are within the limits 

 of the town many men who well understand their 

 business : there are good farmers there, ami there 

 is abundant territory and means for iiicreasing their 

 number. The Massachus«tta newspapers have 

 heretofore brought to our notice cattle of extra 

 size and qualitv driven from tlie farms of West 

 Springfield to the Brighton market. So particular 

 are some of theye farmers to their breed of cattle, 

 that they will have none that are not of a color 

 cherry-red ; and if a white hair appears upon a calf 

 it is doomed to tiie knife at the age of four weeks. 

 Passing West Springfield twent}' years ago we rec- 

 ollect to have seen, as an evidence of the Icrtility 

 of its low alluvial lands, many acres of hemp grow- 

 ing luxuriantly. Our impression is, that the f:irm 

 houses and other buildings v/ere then remarkably 

 neat, and that the ground teemed with abundant 

 productions for man and beast. 



Such tovv'ns in New England as this, if they do 

 increase in wealth, ought not and must not remain 

 stationary or decrease in population. Let not the 

 traveller seeking a location in some more favored 

 country, pass such places a-s these, as if v.ith iht- 

 idea that the lajid is all taken up, and that tliere is 

 not plenty of room and to spare in the immediate 

 neighborhood of abundant enjoyments and privi- 

 leges both physical and moral. It must he an in- 

 duceraent for every farmer to locate himself in the 

 neighborhood where he can buy and sell to most 

 profit and convenience. Such a place, of all oth- 

 ers in Massachusetts, is ''West Springfield upon 

 Connecticut river,'" a meagre account of whose 

 beauties and advantages we liope by the aid of one 

 or more of its intelligent citizens to be able hereaf- 

 ter to amend, as we do ta furnish interesting facts 

 of other towns upon the^'Connecticut river valley,'" 

 leading the people of the colder region of the Unit- 

 ed States to tlie conviction that there is no otiier 

 community on earth possessing so many advanta- 

 ges for gaining wealtli, for enjoying comfort and 

 ease, and for training up a new generation "■in the 

 way they should go. " 



l'>(tni the M line Fariiif r. 



To destroy the Bug in Teas — Scalding seed 



Wheat, &c, 



Mr. Holmes : — If farmers would scahl their seed 

 peas, before sowing them, tiiey would not be troub- 

 led by the bug. This insect burrows in the pea 

 while in the pod — remains in it during the winter 

 — is sown with it in the spring, and arrives at a ma- 

 ture state in season to infect the product of the pea, 

 and thus -n its turn, perpetuates its spec'es. Belbre 

 sowing the peas, scalding water should be poured 

 on them, and immediately after, cold water. Tiiis 

 procedure, it is said, will elfectnally destroy the 

 grub, without injuring the pea in llie lesst. 



A farmer in Gardiner scnlded his seed wheat last 

 spring, and th^' product is found to be entirely free 

 from the wcvil. Whether this is to be attributed 

 to the scalding the seed, or some other cause, I 

 know not. Butifthe wcvil 'winters' in the wheat, 

 (and some contend that it docs,) this would be as 

 convenient and efficacious a way to get rid of him, 

 as I know of. If not 'overdone,' it would seem 

 rather to assist than retard the germinating pro- 

 cess. 



The Locust seed, it is well known, should be 

 soaked in scalding water to expedite, or even to in- 

 sure its germination. The Btet Seed, also, may 

 be advantageously immersed in heated water, and' 

 it is said to be much surer than when sown unpre- 

 pared. As to other seeds and grains, I have never" 

 seeu any statements from which we may judge of 

 their capacity for sustaining lieat, without impair- 

 ing or destroying the vital principle in tliem. We 

 may reasonably suppose, however, that most, if not 

 all kinds of seeds, will endure unimpaired, that de- 

 gree of heat which would destroy any insect that 

 may be in or among them. At any rate, a few 

 cheap and simple experiments, (if they have not 

 been tried alread}',) will satisfy every farmer of the 

 degree of heat which each variety of seed he uses 



can well sustain; and also, the probable utility of 

 hot water in the preparation of the seeds, and as a 

 preventive agamst destructive insects. 11. 



Salisbunj, A*. //., ^'Jprit 30, 1830. 

 Hon. Isaac Hill, — .S'(r : — I was pleased to learn, 

 by the appearance of "-The Fust Flower, "that your 

 Visitor was not unfriendly to tlie muse. 1 hope 

 we sliall see your very useful sheet adorned with 

 other such flowers hereafter. As for my own hum- 

 ble self,I should be more than gratified to be favored 

 monthly witli a poetical nosegay, trcsli from the 

 garden of the rural muse. I think a sensibility to 

 the charms of poetry, which clothes the beauties of 

 Nature with "moral associations that mnke them 

 speak to tlie heart," may be, especially to the hus- 

 bandman whose days are spent in her presence, a 

 source of improvement and delight; and he who 

 is himself so attuned to natural harmony that he 



"riiiiLs (niigiics in tree«, liouks in the rtt lining sticrtiiiB, 

 Sermons in sunies, anil gooil in cvt-r> thing," 



need not envy his brother for his insensibility, 

 whose soul IS not alivp to Nature's inspiration — 

 who can look on her fair scenes witli utHicligiiled 

 eve, or list to her music with indifferent ear. I 

 have transmitted an etfusion of the inexperienced 

 muse of my young i'riond '■'■Jurcnis' to you for 

 publication if it is worthy of it. 



Yours truly, C. 



An Evening Sketch, 



To the vale, the sun is set, 



But his last rays linger yet 



On the upland wood and glade : 



Soon they fade, and twilight shade 



Falls around, on all below — 



On the vale and mountain s brow. 



Day-born tumult dies away. 

 And mild peace resumes her sway- 

 From the field returning slow, 

 Home the weary rusticks go^; 

 There to taste the sweet repast- 

 There to slumber deep at last. 



Every warbler now is gone 

 To his slumber — ail but one : 

 On the ell that stands before, 

 Shading that low cottage door, 

 Red-breast chants a sweeter lay — 

 Requiem to departing day. 



Soft and plaintive is the tone — 

 Faint and t'ainter still — tis done ; 

 Now s>he sinks in silence" bower — 

 AVho shall cheer the twilight hour.-' 

 Hark ! the notes of whippoorwill 

 Echo from the wood-crowned hill. 



The lone cricket's evening song 

 Greets tlie ^ddened car. Along 

 Yonder willou.s bending low 

 O'er tlie brook whose glassy flow 

 Murmurs through the meadow green, 

 Fire-ilies glowing bright are seen — 



Laden with the fresh perfume 

 From yon whitened orchard's bloom, 

 Light the breath of evening strays 

 O'er the wind-harp. As I gaze 

 Eastward o'er the rising ground 

 Lo ! the ruddy Moon looks round. 



Grateful twilight ! season bland I 

 iiy sott breathing zephyrs fanned ! 

 As thy red light fades away. 

 Round liie whispering spirits say :- 

 "Cleave with us the easy air — 

 Haste away to worlds more fair." 



Father ! may my end cf life, 



"When I go from eartii away, 

 Be ss i-eacefui, free from strife, 



As tills dying breath of day. 

 G; id 111 lay me down to sleep 

 Till tlie morning Jiglit shall peep. 



Salisbury, N. H., April 1S30. 



JUVE.MS. 



The Fanner. 



The life of him, who tills the soil, 



Is blest. What though his lot be toil ? 



Even toil's a blessing when 

 Health, virtue pure, and peace are his, 

 And plenty round and ruj*al bliss 



Unknown lo other men. 



How gladly, as Aurora strews 



His i>alh with pearl-drops, he reviews 



His pleasant work again ; 

 While Nature round, as if to cheer 



His arduous labor, far and near 

 Awakes a blithesome strain. 



Cheerful the day — and when 'tis past 

 And night draws round, how sweet at last, 



Deep slumber seals his eyes ; 

 Slumber, that those in pleasure's train, 

 May woo on kingly coucli in vain, 



Whence deep affrighted flies. 



No restless visions haunt his bed; 

 Or if lie dreams, he joyn to tread 



Ry fields of springing grain, 

 Or waving corn, or dowy mead. 

 Or 'mong the rustling sheaves to lead 



The jocund reaper train. 



Some sigh for gold, for honors some — 

 Give me a little cottage home, 



Where I may spend my day. 

 Far from the world's discordant strife. 

 Far f"'"om all that poisons life — 



From human pride away. Juvems. 



Salisbury, N. IL, April, l&SO. 



Wanton destruction of Birds. 



There are three manufacturers of rifles, gvins, 

 fowling pieces, pistols, and perhaps other instru- 

 ments of death, within our corporate limits. We 

 are much gratified, that in one respect llicse instru- 

 ments are falling into disuse : the shooling of birds 

 is a much less common practice than it was wont 

 to be. 



The first evidence of the departure of winter is 

 the chirping of the blue bird ; the spring-bird next 

 almost splits its little throat with whistling lo ua 

 "prosperity ;" and, as evidence of returning mild 

 weather, the sv.-ailow and martin in distant air and 

 while under rapid v/ing cliecr us v.ith their twitter. 

 Soon the robin, the precise individual robin that 

 sung in mid-afternoon one year ago, returns us his 

 note.5 with an identity that enables us to declare 

 him to b*: tlie same bird. Where did he keep iiim- 

 self during the long winter.^ and where did the 

 myriads of chirping songsters so suddenly come 

 from, that charm the air after the breaking of day 

 light in a mild -May morning.^ All these it is not 

 alone cruel and barbarous to shoot down, wound 

 and mangle, but it is as injurious as tlie curse of 

 blight, ana mildew, and drougiit. Mvriads of worms 

 or insects destroying the crops of the farmer are 

 destroyed by these birds: the most of these destruc 

 live animals are but the creatures of a dav which 

 die to give place to others after they have done their 

 mischief: the birds only hurry the change before 

 the worm or insect has destroyed that vegetation 

 on which the hopes of the farmer are placed. 



There are certain kinds of birds whose lives are 

 spared by the consent of all who do not sport with 

 animal life in mere wantonness, such as the swal- 

 low, the martin, the ground-sparrow, the chick- 

 bird, yellow bird, gold robin, &c. There are other 

 birds, of which custom lias taught us that, as they 

 may be eaten, so they may be taken with the snare 

 or the gun of the fowler, as the robin, the lark, the 

 bob o'linkliorn, the mavis, the snipe, the quail and 

 the partridge. There are still others, to take whosa 

 lives is considered laudable, such as t!.ie blue ja^', 

 the red-head woodpecker, the black bird, the crow, 

 the hawk and the owl. Against the two last, which 

 watch for their prey and devour other innocent 

 birds, hens with their young, and sometimes youno" 

 lambs, we feel all the nntlputhy v.'e do for other an- 

 imals of mischief; but tlie crow, against whom 

 our legislators have waged an almost constant war- 

 fare for the last half century and more, we now be- 

 lieve to have been an ol)ject of misdirected ven- 

 geance. 



There are three crows wiiich for the last three 

 years have been to us a matter of concern and even 

 of vexation. They have their lodgnsent and build 

 their nes'.s, so say srme of our neighbors, some 

 three or four miles distant in the tall pines. Scare- 

 crows, a well shaped man in rags with a flapped hat, 

 strings hung around the field, barrels with a head 

 and hat projecting, gunpowder burnt and strewed 

 over the field, have had no effect on these three 

 crows. The field is on the edge of a pond — the 

 crows come about the shores for fro£rs ; mid leavincr 

 all other corn fields, they first seize on the corn 

 field next to the pond : tv.'o of them work ruanino- 

 from hill *,' hill and pulling it up as fast as the corn 

 appears above ground, while the third sits on a 

 tree at a distance to sound the alarm whenever 

 danger approaches. As if they feared neither the 

 the laws of God or man, they have generally done 

 most mischief on the Sabbatii, knowing full well 

 when every male about the premises lias gone to 

 church. We have been inclined to think that one 

 of the trio, perhaps the leader and instigator, is a 



