250 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



ounce. If any part is heavier than necessary, 

 even to the amount of half an ounce only, he must 

 repeatedly and continually lift the half ounce, so 

 that the whole strength thus spent would be 

 equal, in a day, to twelve hundred and fiftypounds, 

 which ought to be exerted in stirring the soil and 

 destroying the weeds." It is important, also, to 

 see that the hoe stands just right, neither out nor 

 in too much, but in that position which will ena- 

 ble the person to stand in an easy attitude while 

 using it. Hoeing is of the utmost importance in 

 farm husbandry. It keeps the ground in fine tilth, 

 which is its proper condition to receive light and 

 heat, and the important atmospheric influences. 



Weeds. — These are merely grasses out of place. 

 They get a great many kicks, cuts, and perhaps 

 curses, from the indolent and thoughtless, — but 

 they are really "blessings in disguise." How 

 many fields and gardens would feel the plow and 

 hoe, if no weeds appeared? and would present a 

 hard, impervious crust, resisting all efforts of the 

 genial sun or cooling dews to enter and feed the 

 starving roots. But the weeds spring up as faith- 

 ful monitors to prompt us to duty ! calling us 

 from field to garden, as each demands attention. 

 Look no longer, then, upon the weeds as pests and 

 plagues, but by careful industry exclude them from 

 the crops which you prefer to them. 



Watering. — Water copiously and rarely ; a con 

 stant drizzling cakes the ground, and is of little 

 service to the roots. 



The Garden. — Pass through the garden once a 

 day, at least ; give it an hour in the morning and 

 another in the evening, if possible ; no part of the 

 farm will pay you better than the garden crops. 

 Coop some of the hens near and allow the chick- 

 ens to go at will over the garden ; and they will 

 be able to obtain what meat they require with 

 their vegetable diet. 



Sow melons and cucumbers towards the last of 

 the month for pickling. 



Grass. — In rich, moist spots, grass will grow 

 rank, and sometimes lodge before the end of June. 

 This should be cut early, and another crop may 

 be taken from the same ground. 



Cattle. — The stock still needs the master's eye 

 A little extra attention keeps the animals healthy 

 and thrifty, and that is the only possible condi 

 tion in which a profit can be derived from them. 



Many things. — The merchant watches the daily 

 fluctuation of prices in his business, and calculates 

 the loss and gain on them with eagle eye. So 

 should the farmer watch every minute innovation, 

 whether by insect or weed, upon, his crops, and 

 carefully attend to each at the particular season 

 when they demand it. Promptness, as well as 

 neatness and order, should prevail in every de- 

 partment of the farm. 



It seems to us that June answers the descrip- 



tions of May, by the old writers. It is full of 

 life and beauty, and invitations to the country. 



In this fair month, when all things bloom, 

 dime to the green mead, come away ! ' 



Where joyous ply the morning larks, 

 And hob-o-links their minstrelsy. 



IS IT NOT SO? 



Agriculture must always be the main business 

 of the country ; but, singularly enough, it is al- 

 most the only business that is not ruinously over- 

 done. Men rush into everything else with head- 

 long avidity, or loiter around cities by thousands 

 for chance employment, while broad fields are 

 waiting for the husbandman, on every side, pro- 

 claiming that "the harvest is great, but the labor- 

 ers are few." We think the New York Express 

 hits the nail on the head, in the following para- 

 graph : — 



"The high prices of beef, veal, mutton, butter, 

 potatoes, and other such necessaries of life, not 

 only in this great metropolis, but in other cities on 

 the Atlantic, indicates something wrong in the 

 mode 'of providing for the markets, or the for- 

 warding of things to market. Be the causes »of 

 high prices, however, what they may, if the cause 

 be good, more fanners are needed than ice have. 

 Agriculture, prices tell us, is underdone, and oth- 

 er things are overdone. There are not enough 

 raisers of food properly to supply the devourers." 



Barns. — The drawing of the barn in this num- 

 ber of the Farmer was furnished us by Mr. J. H. 

 Hammond, of Grafton, Mass., who offers his pro- 

 fessional services to farmers, and others who are 

 about erecting or altering their buildings, in an ad- 

 vertisement in another part of the paper. We be- 

 lieve his views will be the means of making a ma- 

 terial change in the construction of barns, par- 

 ticularly, and take pleasure in calling attention to 

 them. His address is Grafton, Mass., and we re- 

 commend him as a gentleman thoroughly under- 

 standing the wants of the farmer in the matter of 

 farm buildings. 



A Glass Tower. — It is proposed in London to 

 convert the Crystal Palace into a glass tower^lOOO 

 feet in height, and a plan and drawing of tiro new 

 idea is given in the London Builder of the 1st of 

 May. It looks beautifully poetic on paper, but 

 whether a structure of the proposed height can be 

 made self-sustaining, there is some doubt ; at any 

 rate, we should prefer a residence a little over 

 1000 feet from its base, had we a choice, or should 

 we ever be compelled to live in a garret in the great 

 metropolis. — Transcript. 



Care for Others. —A poor old man, busy plant- 

 ing an apple-tree, was rudely asked, "What do 

 you plant trees for ; you cannot expect to eat the 

 i'ruit of them?" He raised himself up, and leaning 

 upon his spade, answered, "Some one planted trees 

 for me before I was born, and I have eaten the 

 fruit. I now plant for others, to show my grati- 

 tude, when I am dead and gone." Tims should 

 we think and act for the welfare of others. — Ex- 

 change. 



