NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



229 



expensive work to cart this from the field to the 

 barn. He approved of planting southern corn 

 alongside of the pasture, so that it might be used 

 for fodder when the feed begins to grow short. In 

 conclusion, he said a few words commendatory of 

 constructing cellars under barns — and thought the 

 quantity of manure might be doubled by them 



Mr. Sheldon said the southern corn would make 

 more fodder, but it would not produce so much 

 milk as our common corn. 



A gentleman inquired if this corn fodder was 

 considered as good for cows as pasture feed. 



Maj. Wheeler said that his experience was, that 

 cows would give more milk upon pasture feed than 

 upon any other. This corn fodder he considered 

 next best to grass. The fodder should be given to 

 them at a proper time and in propter quantity. 

 They should have enough so as not to fret after 

 more. 



Mr. Motley agreed with the last suggestion. 

 His custom is to feed his fodder to his cattle in 

 the morning. He gives them a good breakfast of 

 it, and then lets them range the pastures to fill up. 

 If they are fed at either noon or night they will 

 acquire the habit of coming to the place where 

 they are fed, and wait and fret for the fodder. 

 He considered corn stalks admirable food for cows. 

 He would cut them early and keep them growing. 

 The wire fence he would recommend as an economi- 

 cal fence, but he thought it had not been tried 

 sufficiently long to test its durability. He gave 

 the items of the expense of a fence of this discrip- 

 tion put up by him some four years ago and which 

 cost, complete, seventy-three cents a rod. One 

 advantage of this fence is that it is invisible at a 

 certain distance. He coincided with Mr. Tudor 's 

 remarks upon the influence of the lattice fences 

 upon the climate, and cited from his own expe- 

 rience, an instance where a similar result had 

 been attained by clearing a small patch of land, in 

 the centre of a wood lot. 



The hour for adjourning having arrived, Mr. 

 French made a few appropriate remarks upon the 

 importance of the meetings and the good they 

 have and do accomplish, and the meeting was 

 then adjourned to the second Thursday evening of 

 January, 1853. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 ONION MAGGOT. 



I noticed a short piece in your paper of the 13th 

 ult., written by Ira Brown, requesting to know if 

 there had been any effectual remedy discovered to 

 kill the onion maggot. I would just say that if 

 you make a strong decoction of tobacco, and sprin- 

 kle your onions once a week, the maggot will not 

 trouble them, for it is a flyblow which the fly de- 

 posits on the top, snug to the growing onion ; the 

 tobacco prevents the fly from blowing the top. I 

 saw it tried last season with success, only applied 

 three times. Daniel Lighton. 



Rochester, N. H. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 THE POTATO ROT. 



Messrs. Editors : — Recent numbers of your 

 journal, as also in fact all the agricultural papers, 

 contain numerous articles upon the plague which 

 seems to have affected the whole potato family. 

 Among so many conflicting theories it would be 

 well if some primary cause could be fixed upon to 

 guide one's researches. My object in writing is to 

 inquire whether the opinion has most obtained, 

 that it is the effect of the climate, or owing to 

 some insect, as I conceive the matter now to have 

 narrowed down to this. It is the opinion of many 

 that both have combined to produce the result. 



In a late number of the American Agriculturist, 

 in an article from a lady, it was attributed to the 

 ravages of the Baridius Trinotatus of Say. 



From her statements and what has since fallen 

 under my own observation, I am induced to think 

 that we have at length hit upon the true source of 

 the disease, affected, it may be as I have before 

 said, by some peculiar state of the atmosphere. 

 Any information upon this deeply interesting and 

 important matter that it is in your power to offer 

 would be doubtless received by your numerous 

 readers with satisfaction and pleasure. 



Yours, &c, w. f. t. 



Greenburgh, April, 1852. 



Remarks. — The opinion is generally entertained 

 in this section that the potato rot is caused by at- 

 mospheric influences. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 TRANSPLANTING TREES. 



BV S. A. SHURTLEFF. 



Mr. Editor : — Much has been said about trans- 

 planting trees, and when to do it and how to do it. 

 If all who have written on this subject are correct, 

 it appears to me that it matters but little when or 

 where it is done, or how it is done. But I must 

 beg leave to dissent from the multitude, and speak 

 from actual experience. 



I should by all means transplant apple and pear, 

 maple, oak, birch, beach, catalpa, and all other 

 forest trees, except evergreens, in the fall ; and 

 peach, quince, cherry, plum and apricot in the 

 spring, as soon as the frost is out of the ground. 

 Evergreens, such as hemlock, white pine and pitch 

 pine, should be planted on the first of May. Firs, 

 spruces and cypresses, in June or July. In all 

 cases we should see to taking up the trees, and 

 also to keep them from the sun, so as to preserve 

 the small roots or mouths ; and we should also see 

 to setting them out, and not leave them to hire- 

 lings. In all cases I would have large holes dug, 

 so that each root may have a good soft bed, and 

 in good soil. If trees are to be planted on high 

 ground and clay soil, they should be set deeper and 

 more loam put around them ; but if they are to be 

 set in low ground, they may be put on the top of 

 the ground, and earth from high ground of _ good 

 quality put around them in sufficient quantity to 

 keep them from blowing about, and to cover the 

 roots well. For in high ground the earth is wash- 

 ing away, and in low ground it is always filling 

 up; and if the roots are too deep in low ground, 

 they will rot; if not set deep in high ground, they 

 will dry and blow over. 



The quality of the ground should always be ta- 



