262 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



legonlomnin (we know the arts of cattle breeders 

 are wornlerfnl,) transfornied the delicate constitu- 

 tion ol' the Devons into sonnelhing like that of the 

 Arctic bear ? 



In other reppecis Phelim has not civen an ex- 

 aggerated description of this relel)ra!ed slock, but 

 1 must have better evidence than unsupported 

 assertion before I can believe that they excel the 

 Durhams in ruggcdness of constitution. In our 

 soH//tcni states, t ho Devons would probably find 

 a congenial climate, while the improved Durhams, 

 mingling the blood of the Flemish and native 

 JJritish races, have all the predisposition that 

 descent can give to make them hardy, and to fit 

 them for our own rigorous seasons. In evidence 

 oC this, we see thorn extending themselves even 

 into t!>e Scottish territory, whilst the other (De- 

 vons) are never attempted. If a change becomes 

 necessary, would it not be better to take them 

 Ji-om a more northern than a more southern dis- 

 trict. With this view, I do not recommend, but I 

 venture to direct public attention to the fiar-famed 

 Ayrshire breed, as possessing all the qualities 

 Phelim presumes the Devons to possess, except, 

 perhaps, their peculiar fitness for the draught, 

 while they are alfoirether superiorasa dairy stock. 

 1 do not surrender the Durhams, however, where 

 they are not stinted in their summer paslui^nire or 

 starved during winter upon straw, and the follow- 

 ing instance, will show that they rank hiah as 

 draught cattle ; a pair ofDurham steers raised by 

 the late JMr. Brentnall oCGoshen, have in one day 

 gone from that viliace to the Landing at Cornwall, 

 a distance of aliout 20 miles, and returned the same 

 day tot7/t a load ! 



One point ofconceded superiority the Durhams 

 possess which has not been touched upon ; that 

 of early maturity. Phelim confesses that the 

 cows of the Devonshire stock are smaller than the 

 bull; this IS a disadvantage, and hence their calves, 

 as far as my experience goes, are small, puny and 

 of slow growth, requiring at least one year more 

 than the Durhams before they are fit to breed. 



UECEIPT FOR DESTROYING CATERPILT.ARS, 

 USED BY THE SOCIETY OF CHRISTIANS 

 CALLED SHAKERS, AT CANTERBURY, N. H. 



From the New England Farmer. 



"Take equal parts of spirits of turpentine and 

 train oil; apply them by means of a swab fixed 

 on a pole, commence the operation in the spring, 

 (we suppose on the first appearance of nests) 

 when these devouring insects begin to appear, ami 

 repeat the operation once a week, till the trees 

 are in blow, and very lew will escape with their 

 hves." Signed F. W. 



The head of tlie family. 



We must express our admiration ofihis receipt, 

 not because of its novelty, lor either of the in- 

 gredients would bequiiesufi^cienttokill the insects, 

 as will common soap suds from every Mondav's 

 wash, most ihorouglily, withour train oil or spirits 

 of turpentine ; but we admire it, as a specimen of 

 the practice and industry of those citizens. If our 

 farmers would only follow that part of the receipt, 

 which requires a iveeJdy attention, ibr three suc- 

 cessive weeks, it is immaterial whether they use 

 spirits of turpentine or train oil, or soap suds, or 



the brush proposed by Col. Pickering, the evil 

 would be cured at any rate. The great difficulty 

 i^ the neglect to do any thing, till after the cater- 

 pillars have covered the trees with nests. Then 

 the labors of the sluggard commence, and one tree, 

 (let this receipt be ever so perfect and powerful) 

 will cost as much time and labor as ten trees 

 would have required three weeks sooner. If our 

 farmers would only adopt //i«< portion of tiie re- 

 ceipt, which requires a weekly attack on this ene- 

 my, the evil will soon cease, and in ten years we 

 should scarce see a caterpillar in the country. By 

 this course continually pursued, we have so much 

 reduced the labor, that we have not one fourth 

 part of the number we had three years ago. 



APPLES FOR FATTENING GEESE. 



From tlie T^aino Farmer. 



Being at a friend's house the other day, in Liv- 

 ermore, he observed to us that his usual supply of 

 material lor fattening his geese had been cut off, and 

 he was not able to regulate himself with quite so 

 fat roasters as common on that account. 



On inquiring into the subject we Ibunt'. that he 

 had been in the habit of feeding his geese with 

 apples; feeding them out whole, and uncooked, 

 and permitting the fowl to despatch them in their 

 own way and manner. He said that he never 

 made any distinction between sweet and sour, and 

 never perceived that the geese did, as they gene- 

 rally devoured the whole, and fattened remarka- 

 bly fast upon them. 



We presume that if the fruit were cooked it 

 would be better, inasmuch as it could be more easily 

 eaten and digested. We have never had any ex- 

 perience in this mode of feeding and fattening 

 fowl, and if others of our readers have we should 

 be pleased to hear of their success. 



ROLLING, A PROTECTION FROM FLY. 



From the Farmers' Cal)inet. 



It is said, that the best protection to very young 

 plants against the fly, or insec's that destroy them 

 Bs soon as they appear above ground, is to roll the 

 surface immediately aliereowing,so as to make it as 

 smooth as possible. The p\anls vegetate quicker 

 and better, by having the earth brought in close 

 contact with the seed, and the insects are deprived 

 ofshel'er, by having the clods broken down smooth. 

 Every farmer should have a small, light roller for 

 liis garden, and a large, heavy one for his fields, 

 to be used as occasion may require. And H] in ad- 

 dition to rolling turnip ground, the seed be sown 

 fur or five times as thick as would be proper to 

 stand for a crop, then there would be an abundance 

 lor the fiy to feast upon, and enough left to satisfy 

 the farmer — and if the fly should not thin them suf- 

 ficiently, cut them out with a hoe, or run a harrow 

 through them, to reduce them to proper distances, 

 to flavor their growth. 



The advantage of compacting the earth to the 

 seed, is exemplified in planting corn. The corn 

 first makes its appearance where the impression of 

 the foot is, and with more vigor than it does where 

 the soil covers it lightly. 



