132 

 ^IGIITAi. COXazaUNZCATXONS. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



[Nov. 18, 



FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. | 



TO PREVENT COWS FROM KICKING, i 



Committed to the Hancock Agricultural Society, by 

 Mr. iS'ATHANiEr, Kidder, of Prospect, Me. and di- 

 rected by the Trustees to be published in the New ' 

 England Kanncr. 



To the President of the 



Hancock Agricultural Society. 



Sir — I have noticed that much has been done 

 by the agricultural societies in New Eng-JanH, 

 to encourage the improvement of milch cow« 

 as it res|)ects quantity and quality of milk, but I 

 have seen no premium ofl'ered for an improve- 

 ment in the method to prevent cows kicking 

 their milk over after Ihey have given a good 

 mess. The methods usually practised, I believe, 

 are bowing up one fore leg, tying both hind 

 legs together, holding by one person while an- 

 other milks, holding shovels for them to kick 

 against, \vhip|iing, &c. &c. Not one of these 

 is an effectual security for the milk or milker, 

 nor docs either of them effectually cure the 

 cow of her bad tricks; so that after much trou- 

 ble and many hard knocks it not unfrequently 

 happens, that it is thought necessarv lo put the 

 best of cows for milk info the beef tub. No- 

 ticing the position of a cow while kicking, 

 which was, to drop the head and crook up the 

 back, 1 thought I would try a now and simple 

 method to cure her. After tying her in the 

 stanshels, I made one end of a rope fast, round 

 her horns, and put the other end over the girt 

 which was about two feet higher than the top 

 of the stanchels, and about the same distance 

 in front, drew it pretty light and fastened it lo 

 a stud. This so effectually secured her that 

 she was milked with the most perfect ease and 

 safety; and after practising this mef/iod two or 

 three times she gave me no more trouble. Sev- 

 eral subsequent trials on other cows have prov- 

 ed Ibis method, not only vastly superior to all 

 ulhers, but an effcclual remedy ; and it is so 

 easy and simple, that a female or a boy can se- 

 cure a cow without any ilifliculiy. Another 

 advantage this method has over any other I 

 have heard of, is, that by keeping the cow's 

 back hollow, it is believed, she cannot hold up 

 her milk. 1 am, Sir, 



Your very humble sorvt. 



NATHANIEL KIDDER. 



TO 'niB EDITOn. OF THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



ON FRUIT TREES. 

 County of j\orfolk, A'ov. \2th, 182,'). 

 Your paper of yesterday has an article on 

 " iVuit Trees," taken from an Oswego paper, 

 in which it is recommended to propagate Fruit 

 Trees, generally, by cuttings, in preference to 

 grafting, " because," as tlie writer says, " it is 

 more expeditious, and requires no slalk or 

 tree." He says Dr. Pagf. of that village plant- 

 ed about twenty scions ofdiirerenl kinds of Pears 

 the month previous to the writing of the arti- 

 cle, two of which were then " in blossom on 

 the surface of tiie ground, and a[ipeared flour- 

 ishing." — By this article we are called upon to 

 believe, so "far as 1 undersland it, that fruits in 

 general may be raised by thiS'Oieuns, which, if 



true, is a new fact in the physiology of plants, 

 and one not hitherto known or recognized by 

 any writer, 1 believe, from the limD of Paki^in- 

 soN (who «vrole in 1G20) down lo Forsyth; or 

 even to Monsr. PizoLi.t;, whose extensive work 

 on Horticulture has not yet been a year in cir- 

 culation. 



DriiA.Mi-.L, who paid more attention lo this 

 subject than any o'her writer ihal has come be- 

 fore the public,' mentions — Figs, Gooseberries, 

 Currants, Quinces, Paradise Slocks, (a sort of 

 dwarf apple slock,) and Cherry of St. Lucie — 

 as suilable sul'jects from which you can culti- 

 vate by cuttings. Grapes of all sorts aie better 

 raised from cullmgs than by any other mode, 

 as are many shrubs, and herbaceous plants. 

 Filberts,and, I believe. Hazel Nuts also, may ''8 

 raised in this way. But 1 have hitherto con- 

 sidered (hat Pears and Apples, Plums and Peach- 

 es, and this class of fruits grnerally, were not 

 endowed with this most useful and beneficial 

 [>ropcrly. 



The writer\s statement seems to have for its 

 foundalion ihe report of Dr. Pagf., who planted 

 about twenty scions of difl'erent kinds of Pears — 

 tiVO of which blossomed at the surface of (he 

 grotmd a short time (about a month we pre- 

 sume, although no dales are given) after (hey 

 were planled ; I'rom which it is inferred that 

 these plants will grow into trees, or produce 

 fruit like a vine, on the surface of Ihe ground ! 

 Ifjou, Sir, will invite Dr. Page to give you Ihe 

 result of his ex|)eriment next year, or ever. Ibis 

 Fall, I shall be much disappointed, and ngree- 

 aldy so, if he don't tell you lliat all his endings 

 came to naught. — Every cullivalor of fruil trees, 

 who, in preserving scions for grafling, has lofl 

 vigorous Ihril'ly shoots lying in the ground un- 

 used till late in the Spring, must have seen oc- 

 casionally the same eilecl produced that is 

 spoken of by Dr. I'ace. I have frequcnily bad 

 the leaves, and occasionally (he blossoms of Ihe 

 scions developed while l^ing under (he trees 

 half buried in the fresh earth ; and any one 

 who chooses to make Ihe exfierimcnt may pro- 

 duce (he same effect in as great a prop^'-tion 

 a? in Ihe case referred (o at Oswego. 1 once 

 myself thought 1 should be able to strike a [lear 

 scion, as it continued into Midsumnipr in a 

 tlourishing slate above ground — it was watered, 

 and walcheil, and weeded, but all to no purpose. 

 After it was no longer in a s(ale lo give us any 

 hopes, I took it up, and examined the lower 

 end of (he scion lo see if I could trace any ap- 

 pearance of fibres; but not the least particle 

 could be discovered upon it 



I have troubled you with this detail with a 

 view to prevent mistakes and useless labour — if 

 any one choose lo try the experiment, let it be 

 done in a nursery the coming season, and make 

 his report lo you over bis name — if his cuttings 

 lake root and (lourish, he will deserve well of 

 his country and the world as having established 

 a new and important discovery in 



HORTlCULTURi:. 



The writer of the above will please to accept our 

 thank; for his favors ; and in conformity to hi? fugges. 

 tioi) we shall immediately write to Ur. Page of Oswego 

 Village, soliciting information relative to his mode of 

 propagating fruit trees, &c. as stated iu the article al- 

 luded to — Editor. 



FOR THP. m;w EKGLA.N'D farher. 



THE SEASON. 

 Worcester County, J\'ov. 12, 1S25. 



The season here has been jiropitious, and fa- 

 vorable as it respects seed lime and harvest, and 

 the productions of the earlh. The God of na- 

 ture and providence has seemed to smile upon 

 ihe inlerests of agriculture, and crowned the ef- 

 forts of the husbandman with abundant success. 



Nolwilhslanding (he uncommon heat which 

 prevailed during (he summer month', (he must 

 of our labouring people were able lo wilhsland 

 its melting power and scorching iniluence. 



Those who fainted or died under Ihe burden 

 and heat of ihe day, in most instances were just-, 

 ly ranked among tb.it class of persons denomin- 

 ated hard drinkers, (hereby affording additional 

 and indubitable evidence of (he dc.«lruc(ive and 

 injurious tendency of nrdent spirits on ihe hu- 

 man system. 



The spiing came rather earlier than usual. — 

 English grain was sowed in April, and huiian 

 corn generally planted the fore-pa rl of May. — 

 Vegetation of all kinds came forward indue lime 

 and continued to progress with very li((le inter- 

 ruption until it arrived at inalurity. Our pas- 

 tures have afforded a good supply of food for 

 our caUlc through the season, while a sufficient 

 quaidily of hay and other fodder has been secur- 

 ed in our barns for (heir support during (he 

 wii.ler. 



I'.aglish grain of all kinds yielded well; and 

 such a lime for securing hay and grain in good 

 condilion was rarely if ever known in this region, 

 there being but very lillle rain or cloudy wealli- 

 er during the whole (ime of (he former harvest. 



I'luit has been generally plenty, and in "ome 

 instances such quanlities of cider are m.ulc that 

 it is sold for only 50 cents per barrel. Indian 

 corn =nffi>red considerably from drought, yet 

 generally Ihcre is at least a tniddling cro]). 



I'otaloes yielded ralher light, in many instan- 

 ces (here n<;l being more than half the common 

 quanli!}' 'I'his fnilure was pridiablv on accoimt 

 of Iho warm dry weather causing (bom lo rijicn 

 before they had attained their lull growth. 



Tlie season yet continues favourable for the 

 business of Ihe faimer, Ihe past w'eok having 

 been warm and [ileas int, affording sufficienl lime 

 for tinishing harvesting, making cider, plough- 

 ing, gelling out manure. &c. 



A FACMF.R. 



FOR TIIE NEW r.NGLAXD FARMIR. 



THE SEASON. 

 JVfiihington. (Pa.) Odolrr 1C25. 

 '•We have had one of the most favourable 

 seasons for farmers ever recollected — all we 

 «ant is a good market." 



Yours sincerelv, 



ALEXANDER REED. 



FOR THE NEW F.N(.I.A.\D FARM£It. 



THE SEASON. 



Springfield, {Ms.) Xov. 3, 1825. 

 With regard lo the season, I find Mr Preston 

 of Pennsylvania has, in describing the season 

 (here, given a (rue account of ours here. The 

 first frosl wa« Oct. 18. We have the fruits of (he 

 earlh in great abundance — Cider 60 cents Po- 



