NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



C9 



The yield of Mr. B.'s Reds is at least twice as 

 much as that of the Peachblow from an equal quan- 

 tity and quality of land. 



The product raised from the above quantity of 

 seed was 40 bushels on loam land without manure, 

 though the field was well manured and in corn in 

 1850. The land was plowed once only, about the 

 first of May ; furrowed crosswise three feet apart, 

 not very deep, potatoes cut two eyes on each piece, 

 three pieces in a hill, no eyes rejected ; planted 

 about two feet and a half apart in the furrow. 

 Cultivated without hilling up, hoed twice, culti- 

 vator used, (nut plowed,) a little plaster on each 

 hill after first hoeing ; weeds hoed up where they 

 appeared third time. Land used for these pota- 

 toes was through the middle of the field and occu- 

 pied a little less than one-eighth of an acre. Ro- 

 nans on one side, Lepoards and Pink-eyes on the 

 other ; land all alike, cultivated as the other. 

 Mr. B.'s seedlings yielded much more than any 

 other, and rotted less. 



The Rohan has been my favorite potato for 

 field culture and stock since its earliest introduc- 

 tion into this country. It being less liable to rot 

 and producing a greater yield than any other that 

 we have raised. Moreover, since it has become 

 acclimated, turns out to be excellent for the table 

 from January to July when raised on light porous 

 land not made rich by manure the same season 

 they are grown. This variety of potatoes, in my 

 view, should not be yielded up until some other, 

 hitherto unknown to the writer, as a field and 

 stock potato, is introduced, and will carry off the 

 palm as competitor. Perhaps Mr. Bradstreet's 

 Bed Seedling may do this ; and yet, as it is only 

 five years from the seed, its character may not be 

 perfectly established. Moreover, it is believed 

 that all varieties of potatoes through the land as 

 far as they have been cultivated have become im- 

 paired in constitution by cutting them to plant and 

 perhaps other injurious practices. Every close ob- 

 server must have noticed that where a whole po- 

 tato is planted that contains many eyes, say from 

 a dozen to twenty, not more than about half a doz- 

 en of the eyes vegetate and produce stalks, when 

 at the same time, if a potato is cut in as many 

 pieces as it has eyes, with an eye on each piece, 

 the whole will grow when planted separately. 



Now from these two facts alone, it appears ob- 

 vious that the constitution of the potato has at 

 least become weakened and the practice of cutting 

 continued so long, that the disease has become 

 hereditary, and the potato cut least is more liable 

 to take disease and rot. The reservoir contained 

 in the whole potato during the growth of the 

 yormg tuber, formerly, where repeated cuttings for 

 a series of years for planting had not impaired its 

 constitution, was amply sufficient to combat and 

 overcome deleterious atmospheric influences, or 

 other unknown causes of rot. Much more might 

 be said on this stale topic but I will only add one 

 or two thoughts for a remedy — To wit : Let the 

 original plant be procured fresh from the moun- 

 tains in South America and carefully cultivated on 

 land not contaminated by the disease, or plant on 

 land that has been renovated by electricity or oth- 

 erwise, and like the bankrupt, yield up and begin 

 anew. Perhaps more anon. Respectfully, 



j. m. w. 



West Farms, near Middlebury, Vt., Dec, 1851. 



OLD FATHER CARE. 



Who's he? who's he, comes frowning now, 



All wrinkled, grey and old — 

 The cypress wreuth around his brow, 



His aspect blank and cold? 

 Ha, ha! Ha, ha! I know him well; 



His dull eye's vacant glare, 

 And icy touch, too plainly tell — 



It is Old Father Care ! 



He comes like ancient Winter, 



Crowned with icicles and sleet, 

 To crush life's flowers, and wrap me round 



In his cold winding-sheet. 

 But I will cheat Old Father Care, 



And turn aside his"sting — 

 For who would yield to grim despair 



When he may laugh and sing? 



King Time is rapid in his flight, 



And death is ever near; 

 But if we do the thing that's right, 



What cause have we to fear? 

 Then let's be happy while we may, 



And banish dull despair — 

 For only timid fools give way 



To this Old Father Care. 



G. L. Banks. 



BLANKETS FOR SHEEP. 



The following article may contain valuable hints 

 for some of our wool-growing friends in Maine, 

 New Hampshire and Vermont : 



A writer in a late number of the London Agri- 

 cultural Gazette says, "we find, on examining our 

 mortality tables for the last twelve months, that 

 out of 600 Cheviot and black-faced Evehogs, the 

 number of deaths has been but 16. Be it remem- 

 bered also, that with the exception of about a 

 score, none of these ever tasted a turnip, but 

 fared with the ewes on the hill. Since we com- 

 menced the use of jackets (small blankets) we 

 have especially noticed an extraordinary diminu- 

 tion of the cases of "sturdy," or water in the 

 head. Hydatids in the brain are generally under- 

 stood to be induced by long continued heavy rains, 

 cold winds and general privation. Any one con- 

 versant with sheep must have observed the wool 

 along the back parts in such a way as fully to ex- 

 pose the skin. The connection between the spine 

 and the brain is obvious, and it cannot be won- 

 dered that hydatids (little sacks filled with water) 

 should be formed in the brains of sheep much ex- 

 posed to severe storms without due shelter. Hence 

 the advantage of covering their backs with some 

 material which will protect them in a great mea- 

 sure from the chilling effects of wind and rain. 

 The material used is woollen, the size being 23 

 inches by 15. We lately purchased some coarse 

 blankets that made excellent covers, each jacket 

 costing four pence. The rams were put with i; i 

 ewes on the 22d of November ; and we allow 45 to 

 each male. 



The above remarks from a flock-master of large 

 experience in reference to the cause of hydatids, or 

 what we should call water in the brains of sheep, 

 are interesting in a medical and physiological poi it 

 of view. We know one breeder in Vermont who 

 covers the back of each sheep with a half yard > :' 

 common sheeting, painted to shed rain. The prac- 

 tice is founded in reason, and is likely to extend — 

 literally making cotton tributary to the production 

 of wool. The growers. of the former staple will 

 not object if every sheep in the United States and 



