BJAAB- i. i ;w i jia5Ji-rt 



Qt\)c iTarmcr's ittontl)lii l)tsttor. 



35 



From Ihe Albany Cultivator. 

 Gaideu Operations for March and April. 5i 



Mr. 'I'lcker — Alicjiit tlio laltpr |inn of tliis 

 tjioiitli, llie first sinus oi' tMrly spring a|)|)i:ur in 

 lliB tiowring nC tin; cjociiscs : 



" 'I'lie lirst gilt iliiiig 



'I'ltat wears llic trcinblnig pearls ol" spring." 



This pretty lilllfi llovver, '• tlijil cinnes lii^Cort; 

 llx: swallow il:irt!S, aiitl lakes tin; winilsol JMari'ii 

 Willi liuaiity," is a great favoiite of mine. The 

 tliK 1- c.irlii'.-t sorts of crociiscs are the yellow 

 i.';ir<lKn ciiuMi.s, ol'a deep nraiiue yellow ; the clolli 

 of yolil, with <'lioc<iliilu stripes; and the Scutch, 

 or w hile slripeil. The (liU'erent .shades of hlnc 

 aro the latest. .Ml thl•^e, disposed in chinips of 

 II dozen or iiioie hnlhs, with snow-dro|)S and 

 lilni^-liells, yive to a garden a very gay appear- 

 ance. 



•' C-rocusfcs like drups of gold, 

 Studded on ihu- deep hrown mould j 

 .^nort'-di'ops lair like flakes ol snow, 

 Anil l)!ue-Uells hriglit iinw Idnw." 



or the oiiiaijient.nl shrnlis we have the Doiihle 

 flowriiig Almond, ami the Daphne inezerenin, 

 ficcpiciiily in full hlooni the last of the iiionth. — 

 The (lowers eonie out hefnic the leaves, and 

 grow in clusters all found the shoots of the fof- 

 nier year. 



" '['hough leafless, well allircd, and thick beset 

 With blushing wrealh(-'S, nivertniLT every sprav."' 



Therenre two varielies,lhe white-flowoied with 

 yellow herries, and the pe.-ieli-flowcred, with fed 

 herries. A stray Pansy, I'olyaiilhiis, or a Itlue 

 flower of the funning .Myrtle, peeping out from 

 u mass of dark green foliage, soiiietinies cheer 

 MS ljy iheif appeanmce at this early period of 

 vegetation; and among the early hnlhs we may 

 ennmi'iate, the spring Croens, of several varie- 

 ties, Bliie-hells, and Snow-drops ; that intercslin!: 

 little flower, that " seems In vie in whiteness with 

 the wituliiig sheet of wiiiler." 



*' Already now the snow-drop dares appear, 



The first pale blosom of the unripened year ; 



As Flora's breath, by some translonning power, 



H:id changed an icicle into a flower; 



lis name and hue the scentless plant retains, 



And winter lingers in its: icy veins." 



At this season oi the year, those gardens coin- 

 jiosed of evergreens, ami the heds and walks 

 ( dgetl with dvvarf-l)o.\, prove to us the value of 

 planting our grounds with trees and shruhs, that 

 retain theif leaves. As there i« something re- 

 f|nired to he done in a gaiflen at all seasons of 

 the year, I would recoiiiinend the keeping of 

 your ilower-heds I'rce from weeds, dec.iyed leaves, 

 &:c , as ihe want of m:atness will render the nat- 

 ural aspect of the gjuden, at this season, still 

 more cheerless. There is tilso a peculiar pleas- 

 ui'e in keeping a garden in order. An old author 

 says: " it tendeih to compose the mind, if it he 

 lurinoiled; or aftoideth pastime, if it he weary 

 of cahiniess." The flower-beds shouhl now have 

 their winter covei ii'g removed, and the ground 

 should he lightly raketl, so as to give a neat ap- 

 pearance to the garden. Care should he taken 

 during this operation to avoid injuring hulhous 

 roots, and herhaceons pl;uiis not yet appearing 

 above ground. iJo.x edging ought" to he clipped 

 very early in the moinh, on both sides and at the 

 top. Cletm and roll giavel walks, and do every 

 thing in your power to search for and destro'v 

 grnhs of every kind. Shruhs and vines should 

 he pnmi-d the lirst of the month, helore the sap 

 hegins to rise. Cut out all ilead wood and un- 

 sightly hranehes, and head down such as require 

 it in order to form them into handsome bushes. 

 Itemnve all sucker.s, in order to promote the 

 health and improve the .ippearance of the fdant. 

 Fruit anil forest trees shonld not he [uimed until 

 the last of June Of the beginning of .Inly. 'I'lie 

 wound made by cutting oft' the limb in June or 

 July, will heal innch more rapidly than that made 

 at any other time of the year. P 



Jf'estcbestcr Co., F(b. \5lli, 1846. 



A Mesmkric DEvr;Lop.MENr. — The jicople of 

 Nalick, Mass., have been thrown into consider- 

 able excitement, in consequence of a discovery 

 iiiade by a woman in a mesmeric state. The 

 facts are as follows: Some four or five years ago 

 a man in business in Natick, failed, and some of 

 Ills creditors in Boston caine up to attach some 

 of his property, or to secure his |)erson. He 

 happened to be in Boston himself that day, and 

 his Boston cieditois waited until he would arrive 

 home. In the mean time a man in Nalick to 



whom he owerl money, wiMil down in a chaise, 

 to the Ncedham stopping-place, ami waited there 

 until the Boston train came tip, when he saw the 

 man, and told him how things were at home. 

 'I'lie man got out at .\eedhain, and was conveyed 

 by the other out of the retich of his Boston cred- 

 itors. The Natiek creditor fixed with him so ;is 

 to .securi- his ilebt, and fi-ojii that day to this, the 

 peison has not been seen or hc.-u-d of It liap- 

 pem^l that last week a sister of his was put in 

 communication with a iiokmI clairvoyant in Bos- 

 ton, who told her that she had a brother who 

 was murdered by a man who took him awtiy in 

 a chaise, and that his body was throw ii into a 

 pond ; and so the case st.ind.s. 'J'he most re- 

 markable thing in the whole, is that the jjerson 

 who is s.iid to htive 'oerii murdered, shonld never 

 have been heard of, since the time he was taken 

 away. 



Frnin the- Alliany Cidlivatur, 

 Indian t'orn— Rotation of Crops. 



Luther Tucker, Esq. — I send yon the follow- 

 ing mode of raising corn and system of rotation 

 of crops, practiced by many of the most sneeess- 

 ful farmers of this town. The corn crop being 

 mostly depetided on, by farmers hei-e, who raise 

 grain for tiitirket, it is placed first in the rotation 

 of crops. 



A piece of meadow or pasture, that has been 

 in grass three years or more, is usually taken fiir 

 a jiiece to plant corn. This is manured, if not 

 too far from the barns, in tlie fdl or spring, be- 

 fore |)lov. ingthe sward — generally the latter — 

 with unfermeuted manure. It is plowed only 

 once, care being taken to turn it all over. It is 

 then htirrowed once or twice thoroughly, which 

 fits it liir the seed, except marking for rows. It 

 is then plauteil between the .5lh and 90 of May 

 — the rows usually 3 feet one w.iy, 2 or 2i the 

 other. It is bowed twice, using the cultivator 

 instead of a p!o\v as formerly. As somi as the 

 corn is well glazed, it is cut up at ihe roots, and 

 put in small stooks, with 25 or 30 hills in each 

 stook. 



Most of the (lirmers think this the best way, as 

 the grain is heavier, ami it dries .sooner and bet- 

 ter. All ihe stalks are secured by this inode, 

 which are very valuable for wintering stock. — 

 Indeed many of onr farmers think the fodder 

 from the corn fielil is equal in value to the hay 

 the field woidd have produced if in ineadow, 

 thereby making the grain almost a nett profit, 

 except the difference in labor of the two cro[)s. 



The yield per acre without nianure, ranges 

 from 2.5 to GO bushels. When manure is applied 

 40 to 80 bushels is obtained. 



The crop following corn, is generally spring 

 wheat ; as the best crops of wheat are obtained 

 by this course. The sining wheat is sown as 

 early in the spring as soil and weather will 

 admit, after the ground is well ploughed. — 

 The seed is well washed in brine and limed. It 

 is sown at the rate of ]/, to 2 bushels per acre. 

 Where the lanil is wet and springy it is ploughed 

 well in the fall ; then soon as Ihe frost is out of 

 the ground in the spring, the wheat is sown on 

 the gronn<l, without ploughing, it only being har- 

 rowed thoroughly. This way succeeds well on 

 moist lands, particularly if i'ollowing a potato 

 crop. The produce of wheat is generally fioni 

 15 to 25 bushels the acre. 



When throe crops are taken off before seeding 

 which is the case if no manure has been applied, 

 with the most judicious farmers, the wheat crop 

 is followed with oats. The wheat slnhble is 

 turned under carefully, in the fall. The oats are 

 sown afler one ploughing in the spring, at the 

 rale of two to three bushels the acre — ten or 

 twelve quarts of grass seed, with a sprinkling of 

 clover, is sown after the first harrowing, on the 

 acre. The laud then ieinains in meailow or pas- 

 ture three years or more, as circunist.ances re- 

 quire. From 30 to 70 bushels of oats is obtained 

 to the acre. y\s the produce of the crops de- 

 jiemls vei'y much on the situation, comlition, 

 previous culture, and Ihe amount of manure ap- 

 plierl to the soil, therefore this accounts for the 

 Uirire difference in the product of the above crops. 



EarlvUk, JV'. Y. Feb. 9, 184G. G. W. B. 



Benefit of Pressing the Earth. — .\ corres- 

 pon<ient of the Michigan Farmer writes: 



" A few years since, I was employed to make 

 a garden. The soil was a gravelly loam. Among 



the beds made, was an onion bed, ahout 8 feet by 

 20. The earth for this lied was carefully spaded 

 up to the depth of 11 inches, .-ind with a garden 

 rake, niaili! very mellow. TIk; next day, the 

 seed was sown in drills, crosswise the bed, the 

 drills being about 7 inches apart. Immediately 

 after sowing the seed, one half of the hat] was 

 stamped down as liiird as the weight of u lad of 

 15 years of ;ige, by inessing once or twice in a 

 place, would make it. 'I'lie other half was left 

 light. Shortly after the onions were np, they 

 were weeded and carefully thinned, so as to 

 stand about 3 inches asunder in drills till over 

 Uie bed. The soil during their growth, was not 

 moved any more than was incident to the pulling 

 up of the wi^eds. With regard to the result, suffice 

 it to say that Ihe unions which grew on the part 

 of the bed which nns slampiit, CMnn up lirst, grew 

 more ihriliily, and were more than double in size 

 and ipiuntity than those on the other half — being 

 in fact, as good a yield as I ever saw." 



I''rom the New En|;land Fanner. 



Wheat Raising iu New England. 



Mr. Editor — In the N. I". Farmer of 25lli 

 Feb., there is a communicalion by one of your 

 correspondents, {" D. of the East,") on the failure 

 of Ihe wheat crop in \e w England, in w hich tho 

 writer seems to entertain the opinion that there 

 has been "a material change in Ike characlcr of our 

 seaso»s within ihe last 30 years," which has ope- 

 rated unlavorably to the iirolitable cultivation of 

 wheat in New England, while he .seems to dis- 

 credit the opinion of some fanners, who altribute 

 the failure rather to the " supposed fact, that the 

 soil had become exhausted oi'elements necessary 

 lo the nourishfiient and perfeclion of the crop." 



From more than thirty years' observation, I 

 cannot perceive that ihere has been any percep- 

 tible or fixed change in the character of our sea- 

 sons, that need discourage the cultivation of the 

 wheat crop. By inquiry among some of our 

 most observing finiuers, I find they are of the 

 opinion that the amount of wheat is very much 

 greater, and that it is raised with much more cer- 

 tainty than formerly. This is not attributed to 

 any esjjRgial change in the seasons, but to belter 

 cnllivatinii. of the land, and the use of hellSr 

 ploughs, harrow.s, &e. Upon Ihe hill farms here 

 in New Hampshire, our fiirmers raise a crop of 

 wheat with as much certainty as any other crop. 

 To he sure, some seasons are more favorable than 

 others, not only for ihe crop of wheat, but of corn, 

 potatoes, hay, and other grains. 



During the last week in July last past, in com- 

 pany with several other persons, I made an ex- 

 cursion through u nuuiber of the farming towns 

 of Merrimack county, N. II., and we saw more 

 than a hundred fields of wheat, that we judged 

 would yield upon an average 18 bushels per acre. 

 Since harvest, I have made inquiries of many of 

 the farmers, of the actual amount per acre raised, 

 and find our estimate, if any thing, was below 

 the mark. 



The new and fertile lands of the West, yield 

 large crops of wheat; but do their lands that 

 have been long cullivated, also yield large crops ? 

 If not, we must set it down as a resulBcf a de^ 

 ficiency of the "necessary elements" in the soil, 

 rather than lo a change in the character of their 

 seasons. To illuslijite thi.s, I exhibit a compari- 

 son of the average niimher of bushels of wheat 

 per acre, raised in Indiana and Massachusells, as 

 published in the Indiana Parnier and Gardener, of 

 Feb. 184.5. The editor says: 



" There are few counties in Indiana which are 

 regarded as being under heller cultivation than 

 Union and Wayne. There are better tracts of 

 land ; but a large iiro|)ortion of these counties is 

 sealed with Friends, or Quakers, and among 

 litem, we had been led to expect whatever is ex- 

 cellent in the house, in the barn, or in the field. 

 We were not a little surprised, therefore, at these 

 averages of staple crops — corn, 30 bushels — 

 wheat, 12 bushels — per acre!!" "The north of 

 Indiana is the wheat region, and there, with care- 

 less cultivation, the average crop is about 20 

 bushels. Ten and twenty acre patches that are 

 thoroughly tilled, are easily run up to 40 hush- 

 els." Says the editor, "let us go from our soil 

 and climate to that of Massachusetts — certainly 

 inferior for agricultural purposes. The careful 

 estimates of Mr. Colman, for Berkshire county, 

 are before us. We will give some of them: — 

 Sheffield, (town) wheat without manure, 18 or 20 



