368 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



lbs.) Cheese 40,785,905 pounds. In the prod uc- puffed off in smoke, spirted off and snorted off, 

 tion of these articles, the gain from buttermilk and from all the mouths and noses in one single town 

 whey in pork-making amounts to millions of dol-!of New England, was duly combined with suitable 

 lars. | other ingredients, in one grand compost, from how 



Unlike the farmers of New York and Ohio, those many acres of land would it be sufficient to exter- 

 of Virginia have failed to discover the advantage of inmate cut worms, cornstalk-borers, wire- worms, 

 united efforts for the promotion of agriculture. In curculios, et id omne genus 1 That weed is an 

 1839 the corn crop of Virginia was 34,577,501 abomination to almost all insects, I apprehend, and 

 bushels — in 1840 it was only 35,538,582. Gain in also to all quadrupeds unless to a new race of cows, 

 ten years but 060,091 bushels. | of which you, sir, inform me this present month. 



With a view to correct what I cannot but regard Can they be of near kin to those, of which I once 

 as an erroneous judgment in that noble Common- j heard found at Provincetown, much addicted to 

 wealth, I state the Tact, that from no other State catching and eating fish in the surf? 

 in the Union has opposition been seen or felt to a _ 6. The peach leaf curl. — I mark it upon a seed- 

 national agricultural society. Intelligent business ling of one year's growth, but know neither its 

 men combine their efforts and means to advance cause nor cure. There evidently is a derangement 

 commercial, manufacturing, banking, railroad and in the vegetating process both of branch and leaf, 

 educational interests ; and why should not farmers preventing the regular formation and expansion of 

 unite their wisdom and labors to promote improve- j the woody fibre, and the leaf seems gorged, and 

 ments in tillage and husbandry? The science of, unnaturally distended with sap, even to niortifica- 

 combinations is as applicable to agriculture as to tion. The leaf assumes also the appearance of 

 any other business pursuit whatever. Isolated cul-| mildew. Is my seedling like a rickety child that 

 tivators of the earth may increase their knowledge! has the healthy formation of bone prevented by 

 and improve their farming operations very little injlack of right materials duly combined, so that the 

 the lifetime of a generation, but their progress healthy organization of wood being arrested, the 

 will be so far exceeded by such as skilfully com- vegetating process assumes this misshapen form ? 



bine their individual powers, that the former will 

 appear to retrogade, not advance. 



Daniel Lee. 



For the New England Farmer. 



THE SEASON— POTATO BALLS— PEACH 

 LEAF. 



Dear Sir : — In testimony of my gratitude for 

 your monthly lectures, instructions and counsels, 

 please accept a few small notes — not bank notes, 

 for these come into my pocket few and far between 

 — yet such as I have I send. 



1. The season. — Rainy, scowling April caused a 

 late May planting, which was succeeded by chill 

 winds and drought. Corn and potatoes have come 

 up slowly and partially, and some farmers have 

 planted their corn the second time. Two or three from you frequently 

 pleasant rains, but not copious, have helped the 

 growth, but continued dry weather has succeeded. 

 A trying time this for oats and grass seed. 



2. An agricultural lecture. — This was given con- 

 fidentially to the auditors, here, in April, at one 

 dollar per ticket. Of its merits I am not able to 

 judge, not having heard it. Shallow planting, said 

 to have been recommended, has proved unpropi- 

 tious to those who have tried it. A farmers' club 

 seems to have grown out of it, and your namesake, 

 the weekly iV. E. Farmer, is welcomed as an ad- 

 viser, in this fraternity. I hope for good results. 



3. Potato-balls. — I shall plant them no more to 



Now, Mr. Farmer, lest my notes prove quite lie- 

 low par in your market, this experiment with a 

 single half dozen you will deem quite sufficient for 

 the present. Truly Yours, 



J. Lee. 



Salisbury Center, Conn., June 14lh, 1852. 



Remarks. — Thank you, friend Lee, not only for 

 the matter but for the manner. This sententious 

 and concise mode of writing, introducing new facts 

 and dropping a remark here and there upon them, 

 is attractive, and therefore likely to be instructive. 

 Your remarks suggest several things in our own 

 mind which we should be happy to say, but have 

 not the leisure at this moment. We hope to hear 



WOOD LAND. 



Fifteen acres of wood and timber land will fur- 

 nish a farmer his ordinary timber and wood for 

 two fires. Ten cords of wood will suffice for any 

 man to keep two fires the year round provided he 

 has tight rooms and good stoves. We have kept 

 two fires since the first of November in two large 

 rooms, and have not yet burnt three cords of wood, 

 and we can assure you that we like a good com- 

 fortable fire. The farmer should commence on one 

 side of his lot, and cut the wood clean as he goes, 

 get a healthier race, for their tubers rotted the first 1 I n this manner the young shoots come up alike as 

 year of my experiment. they receive the sun alike. Now say there are 



4. A stone rake, or harrow. — An implement of [thirty cords of wood to an acre; if he cuts ten 

 this sort, constructed to loosen and collect cobble- cords of wood a year, it will take him three years 

 stones, that constitute a large portion of the soil to cut off the wood of a single acre— and it will 

 in some of our gardens and fields, I should like to take him forty-five years to cut the wood off from 

 see in operation. It would be a great labor-saving; his lot of fifteen acres. At the end of forty-live 

 improvement, and would enable us to plant seed years, he may go back to the first acre he cut, and 

 without covering them with stones, and would ! cut thirty cords to the acre. On our ordinary up- 

 deepen the soil. Our stones show no signs of de- land, wood will grow to thirty cords to the acre in 

 composition, and can be spared. thirty years. 



5. Tobacco.— Will some agricultural chemist! Thirty-four years since, we recollect of assisting 

 solve this problem, founded upon the opinion that in clearing fourteen acres of wood-land, and get- 

 tobacco has not yet been applied to its best and! ting the same into winter rye. After the crop of 

 most appropriate use. If all the tobacco, chewed, 'winter rye was taken, it was pastured for a year 



