242 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



REPLIES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



W. B. W., Gilford. — In answer to your in- 

 quiries whether "there is a patent on our Poultry 

 Feeder," we reply that there is not. It was de- 

 signed and made to meet our own wants, and 

 more than answers every expectation we had in- 

 dulged in. Though made with our own hands, 

 we cannot explain to you on paper how it was 

 done. 



The feeder is two feet square on the bottom, 

 two feet high, and the large part of the upper 

 hopper sixteen inches square. In the engraving 

 one of the doors is open, because the weight of 

 the fowl has opened it in stepping upon the lat- 

 tice. When she steps off, the door will fall by its 

 own weight and have the same appearance as the 

 one on the left hand of the engraving. The two 

 outside rails of the lattice work come square to 

 the end of the bottom, and are fastened there by 

 wire snipe-bill hinges ; the centre rail runs into 

 the hopper far enough to go nearly to the back 

 side of the door. On the top of the rail, near the 

 end, a wooden peg is inserted, with a small wheel 

 in the end of the peg, as will be seen in the en- 

 graving. When the fowl steps upon the rack and 

 presses it down, the wheel strikes the door and 

 raises it — when she steps off the door falls, and 

 the grain is secure. 



J. V., Woodstock, N. H.—To find the informa- 

 tion you desire, we would refer you to a report on 

 Fruits by Col. Wilder, made to the Legislative 

 Agricultural Society, which may be found in this 

 number. 



Subscriber, Sanbornton, N. H., shall. soon have 

 as full a reply as we can find time to make. 



W. M. P., Montague. — Thanks for your good 

 opinion of us. We shall be active at our post — 

 heart and hand are there, you may rely upon it. 

 With such words as yours, and substantial tokens 

 as your letter contained, we shall urge our way 

 onward rejoicing. 



Cut the bark of your trees smooth and square 

 above and below where the mice have girdled 

 them, then take two or three pieces of bark from 

 a healthy tree and press it in closely in a perpen- 

 dicular position ; wind any old cotton cloth about 

 the wound and bank the earth over it. Your tree 

 will live, grow, and thank you for your pains. 



M. H., Barnstable. — Leached ashes are excel- 

 lent for almost any land. In the process of leach- 

 ing they lose most of their potash, but retain oth 

 er valuable fertilizing properties. They are said 

 to be of particular service to the oat crop, and on 

 clay soils. Fifty, sixty, or a hundred bushels of 

 leached ashes, with half a dozen bushels of plas- 

 ter, and a few pounds of bone dust, make a most 

 excellent manure for corn, mowing or pasture land. 

 Leached ashes vary in price, according to location 

 and demand, from three to twelve cents per bushel. 



B. F. S. G., West Newbury.— The yellow apple 

 sent we should call the Yellow Bclle-Fleur. The 

 sample appears imperfect, and does not answer 

 the description of the Belle-Fleur in all par- 

 ticulars. The green apple is the Green Winter 

 Pippin. The red (russetted) is the English Rus- 

 set, and in our estimation is one of the two best 

 apples produced in New England. It is a good 

 bearer, producing every year, is crisp, tender and 

 juicy, thin skinned, highly flavored, and will keep 

 two years, if you desire it. Wherever it becomes 

 known it is appreciated. We are preparing its 

 history in this country, and by-and-by shall be able 

 to tell you all about it. 



A Subscriber, Holderness, N. H. — See remarks 

 to "W. M. P.," above, in relation to girdled trees. 

 Clean away all dry weeds, grass, leaves, or litter of 

 any kind, from about the trees in the autumn, and 

 the mice will rarely molest them. A good plan is 

 to bank up the tree with loam, and spread it in the 

 spring. 



H. F. H., Lawrence. — The apples you sent are 

 probably seedlings. Several good judges have ex- 

 amined them, but did not recognize any known va- 

 riety among us. 



G. B. W., Middletown, R. I. — Capital — go on 

 with your society. The subjects introduced are im- 

 portant, and no doubt were ably discussed. G. B 

 W. thinks advertisers would sell their farms more 

 readily if they would always affix a price. 



S. T., N. Raymond, Me. — "Give me my paper 

 and nought but cold water to drink, rather than 

 all the tea and coffee in .Christendom and no pa- 

 per." That's the true spirit. Let us hear from 

 you, as you propose. 



A communication from "W. F. B.," Ashfield, 

 one from "A. K.," Lunenburg, one from "F. B.," 

 Fort Wood, N. Y., one from "J. L. L.," Hart- 

 ford, and one from "I. I.," East Shelby, N. Y., 

 are deferred to be published in their appropriate 

 season. They would lose much of their force by 

 being published now. 



Bethel, Vt. — The apples sent us by a gentleman 

 of Bethel, are undoubtedly very fine specimens of 

 the Northern Spy^ 



B. F. S. G. — Pmse send us a sample of the' 

 Yellow Bellflower and of the Lemon Pijipin, if you 

 have them. 



A. S., Newton, N. H. — You would scarcely get 

 satisfactory replies to your question from our cor- 

 respondents. We have had a larger supply of 

 eggs from a cross of the native and Cochin China 

 than from any other breed ; a friend near says he 

 gets the most from the Chittagongs — another from 

 the Poland, and so on. It is our opinion that it 

 does not depend so much upon the kind of fowl as 

 upon the place they inhabit and the kind of keep- 

 ing. After a plentiful supply of food, warmth is 

 absoluteh/ necessary. 



R.II. H., Burlington, Vt. — Communications re- 



