154 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



and garden cleaned up, the wind will have swept 

 away the redundant vapors, and the earth become 

 drained of its surplus waters, and ready for the 

 plow. But this important operation should not be 

 done when the soil is so moist as to leave the fur- 

 row in a wet, heavy clod. If stubble ground, it 

 should be so dry as to fall to pieces upon leaving 

 the mould board, or if inverted sod, dry enough to 

 come into a fine tilth upon being harrowed. Make 

 experiments ; where you have plowed but six 

 inches, try nine, on a portion of your land , or, 

 where you have plowed nine, go down twelve 

 inches this year, if you can. 



Grain. — Get in barley, oats, &c, as soon as the 

 soil will permit, and where laying down to grass, 

 be generous with the seed. Our practice has been 

 to sow one bushel of red top, one peck of herd's 

 grass and six pounds of clover seed to the acre, 

 but are satisfied that the herd's grass should be 

 increased to twelve quarts. Unless it is exceed- 

 ingly inconvenient, roll the land well after the seed 

 has been harrowed in. Level balks, fill up holes, 

 and give the field a neat and finished appearance ; 

 the facility and comfort in mowing, raking, and 

 getting the hay will more than repay the cost. On 

 this subject the reader is referred to an excellent 

 article in the Farmer for last year, page 148, by 

 our associate Mr. Holbrook. 



Trees. — As soon as the soil is dry enough to 

 fall into fine particles upon being stirred, young 

 trees and shrubs may be transplanted. Be 

 careful not to delay this work too long. Dig 

 holes six feet wide by eighteen inches deep ; return 

 the top soil to the bottom of the hole ; mingle a 

 little well-rotted compost with this, and set the 

 tree level with the surrounding soil. Take up the 

 trees from the nursery with great care ; do not 

 pull them up ; this breaks the fine spongioles upon 

 -which the tree will be dependent for its existence ; 

 if any roots get bruised or broken, trim them with 

 a eharp knife ; spread the roots, and sift the fine 

 .soil among them. 



Grafting. — Your scions were probably cut in 

 February or March, and hav? been kept moist 

 and fresh. As soon as the weather will allow 

 you to work the wax, begin to set them, so that 

 you may accomplish all work in its appropriate 

 season. 



April ! — Now is the time for action . While your 

 physical powers have become stronger by a season 

 ., of comparative rejiose, your minds are enriched by 

 many a useful lesson from tin; experiences of oth- 

 ers, and stored with hints from the books, which 

 you car observe and decide upon as you pursue 

 the spring and summer culture of your fields. 

 All is in order out of doors, while love, affection 

 and gratitude are the duties which cluster about 

 the family board. Let one impulse, one aim im- 

 pel you all, and charity and good-will grow in 

 your hearts as you tend your growing crops. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 PROFITS OF FOWLS. 



Mr. Brown : — Being a constant reader of your 

 most valuable paper, I take quite an interest in the 

 many useful communications therein on the exper- 

 iments in poultry. I have read the communication 

 of your Stonington correspondent, W. C, and with 

 your permission, will state the result of an experi- 

 ment on a small scale, and wish it understood that 

 my fowls are kept for the profit on their eggs only. 



On the 31st of December, the account stood 



thus : — 



Dr. 



25 fowls, at 2"i cents each $6,25 



Interest on the same 374 



20 bushels of corn and meal 15,43 



$22,05i 

 Cr. 



2352 eggs, or 196 dozen 26,07 



13 fowls used, at 25 cents each 3,25 



2 do. at 50 do 1,00 



Manure - 1,50 



21 fowls on hand, at 25 cents each 5,25 



$37,07 

 Deduct old stock and expense 22,05 



Profit $15,02 



Assuming the mean number of fowls to be 23, 

 the cost of keeping is about 67 cents each, and the 

 profits on each fowl G5 cents. It will be seen that 

 my fowls are profitable as layers, and that is what 

 we most want in this vicinity; it also proves that 

 fowls can be kept upon grain, with profit, and at 

 a much less expense than the estimates of your 

 correspondent, W. C, who says a large portion of 

 his fowls are Shanghae, and that it costs but little 

 more to keep this kind of fowls than the natives. 

 He also says, " my experiments prove the Shan- 

 ghaes the easier fowl to keep." I must differ from 

 W. C, on that score. First, he has stated that 

 the cost of keeping his fowls, after his method, is 

 89 cents per head, while it has cost to keep mine 

 on grain only 67 cents, which is 22 cents in my fa- 

 vor. Notwithstanding the accounts of the annual 

 average, that he has alluded to being about $1,10 

 per head, it may appear, at the first glance, that 

 W. C. has made great profits ; but by comparing 

 our accounts, I think there will be a different con- 

 clusion. In the first place, W. C. values his fowls 

 at 67 cents each, while mine are only 25 cents; 

 and those he sold and used, at 43^ cents, while 

 mine are at 25 cents, except two at 50 cents each ; 

 and his stock on hand at $1,31, more than five 

 times the value I set upon mine, which is 25 cts. 

 There is also quite a difference in the price of eggs 

 sold; W. C.'s brought over 18 cents per dozen, 

 while mine brought a little over 13 cents. Now 

 why is there so much difference 1 



I have not stated what kind of fowls mine are, 

 neither my method of treatment, for the reason 

 that I don't wish to take up the room of your ex- 

 cellent paper. But if this should he expected, I 

 may, after my manner, communicate more. 

 Duxbury, Mass., Jan. 24, 1852. l. ii. 



Bf" We would call the particular attention of 

 the reader to the Legislative report at the State 

 House on the 16th inst. The report of Col. Wild- 

 er will be found of great service to those who arc 

 selecting fruits. Mr. French has had a long ex- 

 perience in cultivating fruits, and we are happy to 

 give the list which he reported. 



