38 



m)t Iaxmtx'5 inontl)hj iHsitor 



i.lnntiiiK bean? between llie rows of corn. 1 can- 

 not «ay that my experience the h>.t year proves 

 conchfsively that to phn.t l-can. »'"«"f^' ^J"' '''- 

 der all circumstances, is f;oo,l pohcy My co.n- 

 fiekl was pretty .ich,an,l rathm- liherally nmnnre.l 

 v7L-^ho\aouehM-onUeMd 1 phmte. hean 

 between the rows. During the summer the coi n 

 an he l,eans looked finely, In,, the result was 

 not what 1 anticipated. The ears of cnrn were 

 so large nor so well filled upon th« partot he field 

 vhere the beans were planted »« -'P«" "%° ;'^, 

 part oflhe field, and the crop ot beans, when 

 threshed, in-ovcd to be rather light. 



1 ie^ted a field, belonging to a neighbor ol 

 mine, planted with corn au.l beans between the 

 rows This field was very fertde, havn,g been 

 Abundantly n.anured. The owner, a good prnc 



noted flocks in Connect cut. New ' >\I'^''"^. 

 •„ul Addison county, Vt. We called at J\l . 

 lid'- near by, but finding l.i.n absent, we took 

 . 1 nsi'v' um=y of his splendid Randjoifdlets, also 

 :; very fine colt in his yard, and passed on to 



'''dcc' 30lh. Called on Mr. Wm. Barnes, of 

 Rutland, where we were treated with great at- 

 tention anil kindness, and shown some ol the 

 best Saxon sheep that 1 have ever seen out ol 

 Addison county. Many of ihem, Mr. 15. in form- 

 ed ns, were from the flock of the late 1. D. Grove, 

 l':so of lloosic, N. Y., or Iheir direct descendaiils. 

 The shape of their bodies an.l ihesizeol llieii 



the cattle yanl, where ^ve found eiglit as fine 

 pair of woVking oxen, yoked and ready lor busi- 

 ness, as lever saw slaudiuL' together in one yard. 

 Color mostly red, and red and white, a cross ol 

 Devon, Durham and native. Many ol them were 

 fat enough for first quality of beef, solt coaled, 

 rich and mellow handlers. We were next shown 

 a two year old bull, and two bull calves ; they 

 were all large nud flue animals. The uuslees 

 orefer the Diirhams for cows, and the Devon lor 

 oxen We next visited the sheep yards, w here 

 ue found a flock of strong, healthy looking sheep. 

 Thcv are of the Candah.npe breed, and said I'V 

 the trustees to have been bred pure. '1 hey are 



the severity of<.nr long wiiiters;llieir wool is long, 

 anunuaiiuy I.'".,....... -■-- • •• n I fine clean, being free from yolk, and shear on 



tical farmer, observed tha he ^=I>"1 '' ''^"^^^ a U averr^ 3i lbs. per head, worth at Ic.ist 50 

 « swamp" of corn stalks and beat, jme • Im . "^ "eur^r pound to the manufacturer. Mr. Uarnes 

 light crop of corn and beans. He S^ve his o p cem .^^ ^1^^ country, built 



ion decidedly against p anting ^^^'^"^ ^"]^"^;"^- ^\^X ,,!n,Ls out buildings and fixtures fo. 

 Perhaps on land moderately fertile or not ve y b .< ^ a ,^,j.,„„^f ,,i, ,Heep are 



highly tnanured, it may be good policy to plan tlie « ^ am ^ 



beans among corn, but on land very fe.nle o, 



■ bodies and ihesizeot ''''^''T''*' ''^'';l'='"V.,v.sl carers bein- clothed 

 Innhs are strong iudica,ions that they l--^;^ -i;i;- ^ ^'If^' v or'^^^-l. -^ "'■ ^-" 

 sufficient consli.iaion ,o enable them to eiidui_e i;;;;;;;;";^',;^,,';.,;; of them we found covered willi 



highly manured, such a practice may not always 

 be^dvisable. Land highly manured wi 1 mos 

 commonly make a great shotv ot "e^ds afte. 

 haying, and these should be re.noved, always 

 takini especial care not to injure the roots of the 

 crowTng corn and luxuriant bean vines, and 

 pumpkin vines form rather a bad obstruction to 

 the careful hand of the farmer, or to the band 

 hoe. 



are 

 not inferior to the comforts and conveniences he 

 has provided for himself and lamily. 



Fioui Mr. Barnes' we drove to Mr. Kelley's, a 

 short distance from Rutlniul v'!''"''-' ".'r'T ."f, 

 found some very goo.l sheep, bu Mr. K. l.eni 

 from home, we left his place and drove to Mi. 

 Hull's, in Wallingford. Here we saw a superioi 

 flock of sheep; better flocks, take them Iron, old 

 lovonng,(aud bis flock numbers from 400 to 

 500 ) are " few and far between." Alter dining 

 "" '' - ■ " ■•' '■■ '■ ' and crossed the 



■e one fi^.fbr corn, the pres- wufi Mr H - 'eft WalUi.glbn 



mountain to Ludlow. The next mornmg, Dec. 

 31st, we drove through Proctorsville and Caven- 

 dish, all within 4 or .5 miles ot each other, and 

 each containing a woolen fiictory. Wo reached 

 the Connecticut river about (our miles below 

 Windsor. Shortly afier passing the village, we 

 saw in two or three difl'erent places the opera- 

 tives at work on what is called the "Centra' 



1 intend to prepav -v., „ , r„.,,, 



ent year, and manure rather hberally broad cast, 

 and also in the hill, and I think 1 shall neither 

 plant beans nor pumpkin seeds .among the corn, 

 lintend to plant my beans in a fie W separatelj. 

 Some think that pumpkins will yield more abun- 

 dantly when planted along with corn. I intend 

 to nrepare a small field, and plant it in rows lorn- 

 fee anirt, putting a pumpkin seed in once to ''ve* »; V' s;;;,;V;rn;ont"has at last struck 

 evty't wo hills of corn. The pumpkin vines may Raili a 1 ^.^f ^^,^^,^,^' ,„,,„,emen,s ; what ten 

 bKlee'd diminish the value of the corn ci^^^^^^^^ ^..^Ul do for her is veiled in the future, but 



^vhere the main object is to obta n a '^op ot 

 pumpkins, it shoul.l not be regretted. By cx- 

 Lrinentingwe may add, every year more or 



less to to the sum of agriculmral knowledge. 

 But Mr. Editor, our ablest and best tarmeis 



are silent-whv will they not commumcaic?- 



When will public opinion say arouse to action 



When shall we witness a proper I'mo" °f ^^"''^^ 



among our farmers? .J. E. Rolfe. 



The article annexed we take from that exce - 

 lent publication, the "Albany Cultivator. It 

 will be found interesting, and we can fully en- 

 dorse that portion relating to our friends at Ln- 

 field. Had the writer visited our own county 

 we think he must have been well pleased in ex- 

 Tmi ng the Merino flocks of Messrs. Sibley and 

 Barnai-d,-exlensive wool growers at Hopkiuton. 

 Merinos in Vermont and New Hampshire. 

 Mr Tucker— I submit for the perusal ot the 

 readers of the Cultivator, a few notes taken m a 

 recent tour across the Green Mountain btate in- 

 to New Hampshii-P. 



Monday, Dec. 2i».h, 1845, 1 slarle. m compau 

 with Ml-: D. A. Bennett, of Bridport, oi the 

 purpose of visiting some of the most noted flocks 

 ofsheepin Vermont, and one m particular m 

 New Hampshire. The first flock ot nnportance 

 that 1 shall stop lo notice was that o Mr. Merrill 

 Bingham, of Cornwall. In passing bis place his 

 nurn was apiiroaching the sheep yard with a 

 bushel of potatoes on his shoulder, which le 

 scattered along on the snow, then s ipped the 

 bars, and out came thirty or forty noble lat ewes, 

 "pure Paiilers," as ho termed lliem, and set 

 themselves biisilv at work devouring the potatoes; 

 they were not ciil, but whole, and that appeared 

 to be no obstach^ in the way of the sheep as 

 thev were soon disposed ol. Mr. Bingham then 

 Showed us a buck -d' ihe Kambonillet breed, re- 

 -«• cently from the flock of Mr. (.'ollms, oi Connecl- 

 ic„,.I-Hu is carrying his old fleece, n practice 

 which is always to be condemned in iny eslima- 

 tion, as injurious to the animal, and inisre|,re- 

 seiiting tlieir true cmidition. However, he is a 

 very .-ood sheep iu appearance, covered wiih a 

 rnatofwool thai is sofl and even. _ !• roni Mr. 

 BliK'bam's we drove to Mr. Lincoln s in Bran- 

 don? where we n-uiid some very good sheep 

 which ho has selected from some of the most 



years will do for her is veiled in the luture, but 

 " we Yankees" prophecy great results. 



At Quechee village, in Hartland, we crossed 

 the Connecticut, and soon arrived at the moutli 

 of Mascoma river, in N. H., which brought us on 

 ,0 the line of Concord road. Here we found 

 them making railroad in earnest. I'roni he 

 Connecticut river to Enfield, a .b^tanco o ten 

 or fifteen miles, we counted clubs of 12 to ~.> 

 men at short intervals, engaged in leveling the 

 hills and conslructin^' their tnbankuieiils. 



leii;;iii, turn iiittiij v^. •■'- - ■ I . , r 



very fine wool. On inquiring the weight ol 

 fleece and prices obtained fbr their wool, we 

 were informed that they were the owners of a 

 factory; that they manufactured more wo,d than 

 they L'rew, and in consequence ol manulucturmg 

 their own wool they sheared without washing. 

 But it is mv opinion they will shear as niany 

 noiinds of 'clean washed wool as any breed ot 

 sheep 1 have ever met with. They appeared iio 

 ways anxious to part with any of their sheep, but 

 after some conversation we prevailed on them lo 

 sell us six ewes and a buck, which we put mio 

 our sleigh, already prepared for the purpose, and 



'"bIu before leaving the Shaker village, 1 wish 

 to iXive you a description of their mode of inak- 

 in.; fence ; first, their posts of granite, which are 

 split as true and as straight as a chestnut nn, 

 these being drilled lor a bolt at top and bottom, 

 are firmly planted in the ground at a proper dis- 

 tance from each other according to the length of 

 their fence boards. In the next place the hoards, 

 3 or 4 in number, according to width, are |,laced 

 upon the posts, then with a cap that reaches Iron, 

 top to botlom, with an iron bolt and nut thronjth 

 the post and each end of the cap, secures the 

 boards firmly to the posts. We also noticed in 

 several places on both sides of the Connecticut 

 river, long strim;s of fence constructed in this 

 manner, which 1 think must be quite durable, if 

 not cheap. , , ^f 



The thought struck me as 1 passed some ot 

 these yranite pn<t fences, what a convenience it 

 would be tohave*o,ne of these granite hills scat- 

 tered over the wide prairies oflhe west. We re- 

 urned by the way of West Windso-, where we 

 bought 6f Giles Wait, Esq., 20 su|.er,or merino 

 ewes which we left lor a second load ; Irmn t h» 



mnls ewes wnicn ne leu lui u .^>.^- -- . 



;;;;i';!,r'S,i:;'s:i;:?.i»;£".";:.;"sl- £' w ii,,. ■ ..-■ -.■ - • 



of feasting the eye of "'^ »g;;''"l""™' '""j'f " 

 The village is composed of three fann he 

 We called at the trustees' oflice of the inidille 

 family, where we were received in a very friend- 

 ly inanner by the trustee, Caleb M.Dyer, and treat- 

 ed with all ihe hospitality cliaraclerisuc ot that 

 order of iieople. On looking about H';;"- P''--'""^- 

 es but a short lime, we were coinpelled o a - 

 mire the order and arrangement of their dwell- 

 ings and oul-buildiugs. 



Simplicity, neatness and economy appeared to 

 nrevail ihrouglioul the whole establishment. 

 Their buihlinus are principally built of woo.l, 

 lur-e and roomy, without cornice, which gives 

 tlKUU ralher a liovel appearance at the present 

 day, and mostly paiuled yellow. In the rear ol 

 the triistr.s'otric-e, and about the centre of the 



J. N. Smith. 



tne riou. win. .»a. >i.-' , ,, 



known our business, heard some remarks upon 

 the subject of imponiiig Spanish shee|., received 

 an invitation to call the next mornmg and look 

 at his sheep, which may form the sub|,nn ot an- 

 other commiinicatinn. J- l^- '^ 

 Vcrgenncs, VI., FtbA, 1846. 



For the Farmer's Monthly Visitor. 

 Theory and Practice. 



\ Lawyer of experience, made the 

 "thatmoVe law was usually "'•'I'T'' , ,,., 

 year's practice, than in Wve ol study. ' And i is 

 -Has true in farming as in law-iu plm,ghing Ihe 

 fields as in poring over Plowden. It is said, al- 

 .; o be tri'us that "the best of "-■".If.'^rwho 

 a,, to be the best of ,.ractisers. ' 1 hose who 



i „ the bar are soiueiimcs .he best of elenien- 

 '■ d sometimes those 



remarli, 

 one 



,|,e trustees' otli,-e, and about the cent e o 1 c ■ ■ ,.e,,„,.,ers; and sometmies tlio.c 



hnildings occupied by the niiddle lanuly, s.amls I >^ ','._, ,,^ .,' ^,,„, ,„ ,arming-full of gen- 



a large building, fi,ur stones above the basement ";?'.:.,,., „„^, ,-,,, i„ ,bo Ch^nis.ry ol ag- 



conmosed of granite. Tliis we were in onned :,|-Vu. sorry crops ; just as some of 



was used as a (ilace of lodging and dimii 

 tlnnigh we di,l not think it expedient, from tie 

 shortness oflhe lin,e we had to spend U<'A^,Jo 

 l,c very imiuisiiive respecting their religious ten- 

 cnts ; we Mi|q.ose,ru also to be , heir I-lace ol 

 worshii'. This family contains l.W persons. 



.Ian 1st, 1H4(;. Rose at tlu: ringing of the bell 

 at half i.ast 4. Before the Uvilight ol the morn- 

 ing had lit up the eastern horizon, the streets, 

 yards and shops were all alive will, indiis ry , 

 each Willi a light in hand api.eared lo bo at en- 

 ding to its own business; some vveie feeding 

 their teams; .some repairing their sleds, while 

 others were busily at work in their respective 

 shops. The greatest industry and neatness »p- 

 neared to i.revail iu-doors as well as on . As 

 soon as it was sufliciently light, we visited Inst 



riculture, make but sorry crops ; pisl as >o - of 



the most charming "blue ■"'°'^l''''"^ ''' ' ? 

 bewi,cl,ingwi.h»pen,nienda coa III milt- 



ferently and ace not worth kissing m the ait ol 



,:ul2-,:pudding. •>•'."- "in. liirm in theory 



n,ay be likeiwd to the men ol genu s hat Ihe 



111' ihe Stale to execute. 



T kin'' the works upon agricii lure now ,n e.x- 

 •.„:,., a most valuabe liiu.l of knowledge is 

 ^^nd ami "-baps the young farmer caniio^ 



snend a few dollars with so much '' '"'" -f ,'" 

 ay oil er way as in the purchase of >1"^«<= ''7'^;' 

 bul experience ulonc can make a large i>ur.;l.«f,o 



