NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



485 



For the New England Fanner. 

 TALL PUMPKIN VINE. 



Messrs. Editors : — In the Sept. number of the 

 Farmer, "Mount Grace" gives us a pretty tall 

 specimen of rye, which will be hard to beat. I 

 would say to Mount Grace and the rest of man- 

 kind, that I have a pumpkin vine, that has twen- 

 ty-one (21) pumpkins on it, 17 of them perfectly 

 ripe, yellow as any California gold. Many indi- 

 viduals have examined the vine and pumpkins, and 

 have invariably pronounced it the greatest yield 

 they have ever seen. If any one can heat this, 

 let us hear from them. If Mount Grace will call 

 this way about Thanksgiving time, we will give 

 him an opportunity to test the quality of these 

 pumpkins. We have had a dry season ; much of 

 our vegetation has suffered for the want of rain. 

 I have nearly 1-2 an acre that is cultivated as a 

 garden ; it is all worked deep, some of it on the 

 trenching system to nearly three feet deep ; this 

 has not suffered in the least ; other portions of it 

 have been affected in proportion to the depth the 

 soil was worked. Ansel Holman. 



Slatersville, Sept. 11, 1852. 



Remarks. — We have taken the liberty to under- 

 score a few words in the above communication, in 

 order to give emphasis to the fact expressed. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 SWALLOWS. 



Gentlemex : — I see by a notice in the New Eng- 

 land Farmer, that you wish for information as to 

 the time of the migration of the common barn 

 swallow. In answer to which, I would state, that 

 swallows, in considerable numbers, have been seen 

 here every day up to the 2d of Sept., since which 

 time none have been seen. 



Some of my neighbors, who are somewhat noted 

 as being great observers of "times and seasons," 

 say that the common barn swallow seldom, if 

 ever, leave here until about the 25th or 30th of 

 August. 



Perhaps you may say that it is not the common 

 barn swallow ; I should tell you that I am not 

 mistaken, for I know a barn swallow, from any 

 other, as well as I know a Robin Redbreast from a 

 Blue Jay. 



Yours respectfully, Joseph IIadley. 



Chester, Vt., Sept. 13, 1852. 



Remarks. — Thank you, friend IIadley ; we shall 

 "make a note" of your statement, and by and by, 

 when the attention of more persons in the coun- 

 try is turned to the subject, we shall find out the 

 habits of these interesting birds to a certainty. — 

 But is it not singular that no swallows of any kind 

 have been seen in this region for several weeks 

 and that they should be found in numbers so much 

 farther north 1 



The Tanneries of the United States. — Thi 

 total number of establishments in the United States 

 is 6,2G3 ; capital invested, $18,900,557 ; value of 

 hides prepared, $5,128,970 ; skins $2,653,865 ;— 

 value of raw material, $19,623,237 ; number of 

 hands employed, 20,909 male, and 102 females ; 

 monthly wages, $416,214 to males and $790 to 



females ; number of skins produced, 2,653,865 ; 

 sides of leather, 12,257,940; aggregate value of 

 annual products, 32,861 ,796. There are about 6,- 

 01)0,111)0 sheep, goat, and other small skins tanned 

 and dressed annually, which are not included in 

 the above. Of the various SHtes, New York lias 

 the largest amount of capiti li ivested, and Penn- 

 sylvania next. The products of these two States 

 are also the largest. 



For the New England Fanner. 

 THE POTATO ROT. 



Friend Brown: — Early in September, our friend, 

 Joseph T. Gilman, Esq., of this town, dug about 

 one hundred and fifty bushels of as fine-looking 

 Chenango potatoes as I ever saw, and put them 

 into his cellar. I examined them carefully in the 

 field, while they lay in the rows after they were 

 dug, and there was no indication of disease. To- 

 day, I have again seen them, as he is removing 

 them from the cellar, and a considerable portion. 

 perhaps a quarter, are affected with the rot, and 

 many of them soft. 



They were planted early, on rather dry, sandy 

 land, in a rich old field, which was planted with 

 corn last year, a part manured in the hill with 

 guano and plaster, and the rest with pilaster alone. 

 No other manure was applied to the land. They 

 were dug on a warm day, and put dry into a dry, cool 

 cellar. I think he will lose the most of them. — 

 Some Nova Scotia Bluenoses, in the same cellar, 

 are also slightly affected. I understand that the 

 rot has also been noticed in the potatoes on the 

 farm of Mrs. Norris, of this place. It is well to 

 keep the record of these facts, especially of cases 

 so marked as that of Mr. Oilman's crop. I have 

 heard of no other instance of the disease here. 

 Yours truly, Henry F. French. 



Exeter, N. H., Sept. 20, 1852. 



WOOL— THE CLIP OF 1852. 



The Ohio State Journal, published at Columbus, 

 says the wool clip in that State is much less than 

 last year, owing to the hard winter and neglect of 

 sheltering sheep. Wool has sold there for six cents 

 per pound less than last year. It adds : 



"It is now ascertained that the clip throughout 

 the whole country is much less than last year. It 

 amounted, then, to about 52,000,000 pounds. — 

 This year it will fall six or seven millions short. 

 This deficiency is partly attributable to the hard 

 winter, and partly to the fact that the farmers are 

 selling more sheep to the butchers. This deficien- 

 cy has caused a rapid rise in the price of wool in 

 the Eastern markets. Sales in New York from 35 

 to 45 cents, and not much fleece can be bought 

 for less than 40 cents. 



"The wool produced this year is less than our 

 manufacturers need, and the balance will have to 

 be imported. This shows there is still room for 

 extension in the wool growing business." 



BT The Annual Fair of the Hillsborough, N. IE, 

 Agricultural and Mechanical Society is to be held 

 at Nashua on the 29th and 30th of this month. 



lEg 5 " Several valuable communications on hand 

 shall receive attention. 



