26 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



sition, and thus might be a loss or a gain, accord- 

 ing to the circumstances of the soil and the crop. 



Animal substance, offal, and fish of every de- 

 scription, are also very unprofitably applied to farm- 

 yard manure. The natural tendency of animal 

 substances to enter into putrefactive fermentation 

 is well known to be greater than that of vegetable 

 substances. By placing them in the manure heap, 

 we, in a farther degree, facilitate the quality in 

 which they naturally excel, and the tendency of 

 which is to rob them of their most valuable ele- 

 ment, nitrogen. Judicious practice should avoid 

 this error, by adopting, if possible, a system having 

 an opposite effect. 



Lime is one of the substances which it is also an 

 error to use with composts in which we have farm- 

 yard manure. It is equally an error to mix lime 

 with any compound rich in ammonia. The ten- 

 dency of lime, in all composts, is to promote de- 

 composition and to waste nitrogen, which escapes 

 by union with hydrogen, under the form of ammo- 

 nia, which is the very treasure of the dung heap, 

 and of most other manuring substances. — Morton's 

 Practical Agriculture. 



AGRICULTURAL BUREAU. 



The President, in his annual message to Con- 

 gress, strongly recommends the establishment of 

 an Agricultural Bureau at Washington. The 

 Secretary of the Interior joins in this recommenda- 

 tion, and thus enumerates the objects to be served 

 by such a bureau, in his annual report. The pro- 

 posed measure is one of great importance to the 

 entire agricultural interest of the United States, 

 and we hope it will receive that attention from 

 Congress which it merits : 



"The establishment of an Agricultural Bureau 

 is again urged upon the attention of Congress. 

 Agriculture is the great interest of our country, 

 more than four-fifths of our population being: en- 

 gaged in it, and yet it is without a Bureau devot- 

 ed to its interest, although recommended since the 

 days of Washington. 



"The best mode of illustrating the utility of an 

 Agricultural Bureau is to present a condensed 

 statement of the duties which it should he requir- 

 ed to perform. It should be charged with the duty 

 of collecting and disseminating information in re- 

 gard to the cultivation of the soil, in all its branch- 

 es. It should investigate every proposed improve- 

 ment in the tillage of the earth, or in the con- 

 struction of implements of husbandry. It should 

 collect from our own and foreign countries every 

 variety of seed, fruit, plant, and vegetable, and 

 distribute them, with full and accurate information 

 as to the soil, climate, and mode of cultivation 

 best adapted to each. 



"Through the agency of our national ships and 

 merchant vessels, arrangements could be made for 

 the importation of all the valuable vegetable pro- 

 ductions and animals of other countries. This 

 would enable us to appropriate to ourselves the 

 results of the wisdom, experience and improve- 

 ments of all the world in regard to agriculture, 

 and we should soon be rendered independent of 

 other countries for many articles which are now 

 imported at great cost. One or more officers 

 should be connected with it, thoroughly acquainted 



with the principles of geology, mineralogy, chemis- 

 try and botany, for the purpose of investigating 

 and reporting upon the character and properties of 

 every variety of soil, rock, mineral and vegetable, 

 and their adaptation to useful purposes. 



"To this bureau should also be entrusted the 

 duty of superintending the taking of each decennial 

 census, and of procuring and classifying from year 

 to year all the statistical information which can be 

 obtained in respect to the agriculture, manufac- 

 tures, commerce, tunnage, revenue expenditures, 

 financial and banking systems, improvements by 

 railways, canals and roads, industrial pursuits, 

 and general progress of every State in the Union, 

 and of the principal nations of the world. By this 

 means a vast fund of useful knowledge, which 

 cannot now be obtained, would be always accessi- 

 ble to Congress and the Executive. 



"In this department of knowledge our govern- 

 ment is behind England, France, Belgium, Prus- 

 sia, Austria, Russia, Sweden, Spain, and other 

 countries in Euiope." 



PERIOD OF GESTATION OF DOMESTIC 

 ANIMALS. 



It is often important for farmers to know the ex- 

 act length of time that the different domestic ani- 

 mals go with their young. The following table 

 contains the times of those which most concern 

 him, as near as we can ascertain them : 



Mare, - - - - 11 months. 

 Jennet, - - - - 11 " 



Cow, .... 8 " 



Goat, 4£ " 



Ewe, .... 5 " 



Sow, 4 " 



Bitch, .... 2 " 

 Cat, ----- 8 weeks. 

 Rabbit, - - - - 4£ " 



Rat, 5£ " 



Mouse, - - 4£ " 



Guinea Pig, - - - 3 " 



Period of incubation of domestic fowls: 

 Swan, - 6 weeks. 



Turkey, 4 " 



Goose, - - - - 4 " 



Duck, . ... 4 " 

 Pea Hen, - - - - 4 " 

 Guinea Hen, 3 " 



Common Hen, - - - 3 " 

 Pigeon, - - - - 2 " 



Granite Farmer. 



A Wonderful Raspberry Bush. — We no- 

 ticed in September last, the reception of some 

 raspberries, from the second crop on the same bush, 

 raised by Mr. P. B. Phillips, of Cranston. He 

 then stated that the third crop was growing on the 

 bush. On Saturday last, he brought to our office 

 some of the berries which he assures us are from 

 the fourth set of blossom* during the 'present year ! 

 The berries are not quite so large and rich flavored 

 as those of the second crop, but they are about the 

 average size, and ripe. He says the bush stands in 

 the open garden, but he has taken considerable 

 pains to keep it well cultivated, and the ground 

 loose around it. It was taken wild from the woods, 

 one year ago this month. Some parts of the bush 

 have grown nine feet during the past season. — Prov. 

 Mirror, Nov. 10th. 



