662 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 11 



grieved parties, to complain, to remonstrate, or to 

 censure, af= it may seem be^t to them, appears to 

 be under our constitution, incontrovertible. Sucli 

 havmcf been always my opinion, I have acte<l 

 upon it from the commencement of our society to 

 the present day; and as far as I can recollect, 

 without any disapprobation on your part. All 

 that can justly be expected or required of us, is 

 to abstain, in our corporate capacity, from party 

 politics. This I have always endeavored to do, 

 as your presidinn; officer; and I am guiltless — un- 

 less indeed, it may be called party politics to enu- 

 merate, whenever I address you, our chief" griev- 

 ances, and tj point out, as well as I can, the 

 means of redress. Forbearance on these subjects 

 I never can nor v)ill practise so long as you honor 

 me with my present office. 



And now, my friends, I must bid you all a cor- 

 dial farewell. Should we live to meet again 

 twelve months hence, may one subject of our mu- 

 tual congratulations be the determination, both of 

 our own and the general government, that legisla- 

 tive aid is quite as essential to the prosperity of 

 our national agriculture, as legislative wisdom and 

 virtue are to our national character and happiness. 



N. B. Will some one answer the following 

 query, through the 'Farmer?" If a cow is milk- 

 ed up to the time of her calving, does that fact of 

 neces.siiy increase the quantity of her milk, or di- 

 minish it? 



From the Maine Farmer. 

 MILKING COWS. 



Mr. Holmes — I have a very good cow which I 

 allowed to go without being milked, two months 

 previous to the time of her last calving but one; 

 she had not been kept very high, and liad nothing 

 but hay given her. 



This winter I gave her roots and plenty of hay, 

 and she gave milk nobly. I allowed her to be 

 milked until within three weeks of her calving,- 

 twice a day, when she gave three quarts per day. 

 I then permitted her to be milked only once a 

 day, lor two or three days, and no more, until she 

 calved. Being highly tijd and in fine flesh, I ex- 

 pected a larije parcel of milk from her. In this I 

 have been disappointed. She appeared to do well, 

 when she calved; has been healthy and hearty 

 since; she has had half a bushel of roots per day, 

 with what hay she needs, and yet she gives but a 

 small quantity of milk. 



1 now believe it owing to her being milked so 

 near the time of her calving; as she has been kept 

 better this season than common. At the time, 1 

 supposed it would have no deleterious effect. If I 

 am right, let this be a caution to all who have 

 cows, not to milk them too near the time of calv- 

 ing — if I am wrong, I desire to be set right, by 

 some of your able correspondents. Please, Mr. 

 Editor, give us your ideas on so practical an afliiir. 

 I no'V believe that as milk is blood, belbre it en- 

 ters the udder or bag, it should be left in the sys- 

 tem to accumulate to benefit their young, and en- 

 large the vessels, &c. ; and that he who milks his 

 cow too near the time of calving, "withholds more 

 than is meet," which tends to poverty, as Solo- 

 mon says. 



Let it not be inferred that I think a cow which 

 goes dry half the year, or for a long time, of 

 equal value with one that we can miik till the 

 proper time to cease milking, which I think is 

 seven or eight weeks before they are to calve — 

 calculating forty weeks for them to go with their 

 young, which is the usual time. N. O. 



Wayne, December, 1837. 



From tlie Horticultural Eegister. 

 ON THE CULTIVATION OF ASPARAGUS. 



By Samuel Pond, of Cambridgeport. 



We recommend to our readers the following 

 communication of Mr. Pond, which we are hap- 

 py to give a place in the 'Register,' as we think 

 his remarks are well calculated to benefit those 

 who are desirous of lormino- new asparagus beds, 

 or renewing old ones. While some horticulturists 

 give their attention to one production, and make 

 improvement in that particular branch of culture, 

 the interest or fancy of another person leads him 

 to something of a different description. Mr. Pond 

 has given his attention in a particular manner to 

 the culture of asparagus, and from the success 

 which has attended his efforts, if we may judge 

 from the productions he has presented to the pub- 

 lic fi'om time to tinr.e, and which we ourselves 

 have witnessed, should infer that he has been em- 

 inently successful in the cultivation of this deli- 

 cious vegetable. — Ed. Hort. Reg. 



The cultivation of asparagus, although so gen- 

 eral, is, by no means, as well understood as it 

 should be. Like many other vegetables, which 

 have for years been cultivated, and which almost 

 every gardener thinks he already raises to perfec- 

 tion and needs no further information in relation to 

 their growth, it can still be wonderllilly improved 

 in its mode of cultivation. The immense quanti- 

 ty which is produced in this vicinity, lor the mar- 

 ket, and its superiority to that of former years, is 

 a convincing proof, that its cultivation is now 

 much better understood than heretofore, and it is 

 to be hoped that it will still continue to be grown 

 of larger size and more excellent quality. In pri- 

 vate gardens, in particular, some fine specimens 

 have been produced within the last two or three 

 years, and, with little more care and expense, the 

 market gardener may as easily supply his custom- 

 ers with this estimable vecetable in equal perfec- 

 tion. There are several kinds of asparagus some 

 of which have been lately introduced, and have 

 not yet become very well known. That which I 

 fiave grown, and which I have proved to be of 

 most excellent quality as well as of monstrous 

 size, is called the giant asparagus. It is as yet but 

 little known, and consequently, not very extensive- 

 ly cultivated. But so superior is it to the old kinds 

 uenerally grown, and of which hundreds of plan- 

 tations now exist, that it must take their place 

 soon. Some cultivators do not like to destroy 

 fruitful beds because the kind is rather inferior; yet 

 I have no doubt but they would be more amply 

 repaid in the end, if they were to make new plan- 

 tations, and as soon as they came into bearing, en- 

 tirely destroy the old ones. Its larse size and fine 

 appearance together with its tenderness and flavor, 

 recommend it to the notice of every market gar- 

 dener, who is desirous of any emulation for his 

 productions, and to every gentleman and amateur, 

 who is ambitious of supplying his table with the 



