NEW ENC^EiAND FAMMER, 



Published by John B. RnssELi,, at JVb. 52 JS/orth Market Street, (at the Agricultural Warehouse) Thomas G. Fessenden, Editor. 



VOL. VII. 



BOSTON, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1829. 



No. 29. 



AGRICULTURE. 



We give the following papers witli much satis- 

 faction, because we are persuaded they will prove 

 profitable to many of our readers. The answer to 

 the inquu-ies was dictated by the experience of a 

 sagacious and successful cultivator, whose direc- 

 tions being foiuided on practice are much more 

 valuable than the most probable and plausible theo- 

 ries, which have not been tested by 'experinieht. 



CULTIVATION OF INDIAN CORN, TUR- 

 NIPS, PUMPKINS, AND SQUASHES. 



Princeton, (jV. J.) JVov. 18, 1828. 

 J. L. BoYLSTON, Esq. 



Sir — Knowing how much the votaries of Ag- 

 ricultiue syni))athize with each other, I make no 

 apology for the intrusion of this address. 



I have been very much struck with an account 

 (seen in several of the newspajiers) of the product 

 of a field of yours, in the articles of Corn, Pump- 

 kins, and Turnips. As to the quantity of com per 

 acre, it did not surprise me ; as 1 have known in- 

 stances fully equal, and some superior, where ex- 

 traordinary ]iains were taken, and great richness 

 of soil attained. But the amount of the other ar- 

 ticles, especially of the pumpkins, cultivated in 

 and with the corn, has forcibly arrested my atten- 

 tion. I have never been able, with all my zeal 

 and exertion, to do anything, even decent, in this 

 way. I consider pumpkins as an extremely valu- 

 uable and desirable crop ; but have always misera- 

 bly failed, whenever I attempted to raise them 

 among corn. Whether the failure m my hands 

 has arisen, from planting at a wrong time, or from 

 the character of our soil, or from the ecru being 

 so thick as to overshadow and destroy the pump- 

 kins, I know not : but the fact is, I bave never 

 been able to succeed in raising even a. single ivagon 

 load from a fieltl of nearly two acres. 



The object of this letter is to take the. liberty of 

 requestuig, that you will do me the favor, at your 

 convenience, to inform me, by mail, the manner 

 in which your culture of the articles referred to 

 was conducted. How many stalks oi' corn you 

 allowed to stand in the hill ; — the distance between 

 tlie rows ; — how, and tchen, your pumpkins were 

 planted ; — what kind of turnips yon sowed, and 

 tchen ; — what kind of manin-e you employed for 

 the corn ; — and whether you used any separate 

 and additional manure for the pumpkins, &e. 



Being a Clergyman, and one of tlie Professors in 

 the Theological Seminary in this place, I a.nuse 

 myself with a garden, and a little farm, consisting 

 of 14 acres. I have but little time to attend to 

 these things ; but yet am fond of setting rny neigh- 

 bors a good example, of neat, economical, and pro- 

 ductive cultivation of the soil. I shall, therefore, 

 consider the information which I have requested 

 as a great fiivor conferred not only on myself, but 

 also on my friends around me. 

 I am, sir, most respectfully. 



Your obedient servant, 



SAM'L MILLEP,. 



3. L. BoYLSTON, Esq. 



P. S. I have heard much of the value of what 

 is called the Winter Squash, as a substitute for 

 pumpkins. What is your opinion of that article ? 



It is very little, if at all, cultivated in this region 



If you think well of it, and shoidd have it in your 

 power to send me a few dozen seeds, directed to 

 me, and transmitted by some convenient private 

 conveyance, to Messrs. Thorburn & Son, New 

 York, I should consider it a great favor, and the 

 ; little packet woidd soon reach me. , S. M. 



Princeton, Ms. Jan. 5, 1829. 



RevT) Sir — It is some time since I had the 

 pleasure of receiving your letter of Nov. 18, 1828, 

 and should have taken an earlier opportunity to 

 have answered it, but some imperative avocations 

 precluded a compUance with my wishes, or per- 

 haps your expectations. It is but a few years that 

 I have turned my attention to practical farming, 

 consequently am not able to suggest what long ex- 

 perienced agriculturists may have adopted hi their 

 mode of cultm-e. My own, as it respects the field 

 of corn, pumpkuis, &c. to which you allude is as 

 follows : 



The field liad not been broken up before for 

 about ten years. I first harrowed the piece while 

 the groimd was wet, and when the groimd was 

 sulficiently diy I ploughed the same both ways, 

 and afterwards harrOAved the same twice. I used 

 on the piece about ninety loads of green dung, 

 which was ploughed in ; the piece containing 3i 

 acres and 28 rods. The corn I allowed five stalks 

 in a hill, and the hills three feet ajjart. I say hills 

 because it was not planted in rows. The stalks 

 Avere five inches apart. The pumpkin seeds were 

 planted at the same time with tlie corn ; and 

 placed between the kernels of corn ; and jilanted 

 between the 21st of May and the 1st of June. — 

 The turnips are what we call the flat English tur- 

 nips. The latter were sown after the corn was 

 liloughed, between the 25th of Jime and first of 

 July. The soil is a black mould. I used about a 

 shovel full of old manure to a hill, that had been 

 kept under cover. I think the mode adopted by 

 our farmers generally is not a correct one, — that is 

 carting their manure out ui a field that they hitend 

 to plant with corn the next season ; thereby ex- 

 posing the same to the sun and rains. The ma- 

 nure thereby loses the carbonic acid ; whereas, 

 when housed, it is not subject to the agency of air 

 or moisture, by whicli the power of fermentation 

 and its valuable principles are retained hi full ac- 

 tivity. 



It is considered with us that the Winter Squash 

 is not a substitute for jiumpkins in our section of 

 the countiy. The squash is accounted a valuable 

 vegetable for the table, and is also used for jiies. — 

 I consider that they can be raised in- the room of 

 pumpkins with the corn — I shall this year attempt 

 it. The pumpkins I raised for the use of my 

 cows and fatting cattle. They increase and en- 

 rich the milk, whether for cheese or butter. I am 

 surprised to learn that the winter squash is not 

 more cultivated in your part of the countiy. I 

 will, with pleasure, and much gratification send 

 you soineseedsof the crooked neck winter squash, 

 agreeably to your wishes. Fearful to trust to the 

 seeds I have on hand, I have applied to Mr Rcs- 

 SELL, publisher of the New England F.iriner, hav- 

 ing always been veiy successful with those I have 

 purchased of bun, for several years, and must beg 



your acceptance of the same. Should business at 

 any tuue call you to Massachusetts, it would give 

 nie the highest gratification to sec you at my 

 Mansion. 



I am, sir, with the highest respect, 

 Your obedient servant, 

 JOHN LANE BOYLSTON. 

 Rev. Dr. Miller, 1 



Princeton, JV. J. ^ / 



P. S. You may wish to know the mode I adopt 

 in preparing my manure. Bly barn is 160 feet by 

 50, under which all my manure is dropped. -In 

 the summer season it is shovelled into heaps ; in 

 the fall it is placed in large heaps, separate from 

 the manure made during the winter, and remains 

 in this state till it is wanted for planting. 



FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



QUERIES ON THE MANAGEMENT OF 

 SHEEP. 



Mr Fessenden — Having a considerable flock 

 of sheep, and a small farm, I am desirous to profit 

 by the experience of others, in ascertaining the 

 cheapest way to winter them ; and have taken 

 the liberty of requesting you to insert the subjoin- 

 ed queries, in the N. E. Farmer, for information, 

 with the hope they will be answered by several of 

 your correspondents in the wool growing States. 

 A YOUNG SHEPHERD. 



jV. Lai. 440 40' ^ 

 Maine. J 



1. What is the average value of grass or tillage 

 lands in the town or county where you reside ? 



2. What is the expense of cultivating an acre 

 of ruta baga, mangel wurtzel, carrots, Enghsh tur- 

 nijis, or ])otatoes .' What quantity do you raise to 

 the acre, and what kind of soil is most suitable for 

 growing each of the above crops ? 



3. How many lbs. of either of the above roots 

 are suflicient for a sheep per day, if you feed half 

 the full allowance of hay ? 



4. Is the expense of wintering a flock, more, or 

 less, to do it with hay alone, or with hay and 

 roots ? 



5. On the supposition, that roots are less ex- 

 pensive than hay ; — how small a proportion of hay 

 will sufiice for a sheep ? 



6. What is the comparative value of either of 

 the above roots and corn .-' valuing corn at 50 cts 

 per bushel. 



FOR THE HEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



SELECTING FRUIT TREES. 



MrFesse.nden — Observing the exertions,which 

 are made at this time to introduce good fruits into 

 this part of the country, particularly apples and 

 pears, I have long waited, hoping a suitable per- 

 son would suggest some necessary hints to nur- 

 serymen and inexperienced purchasers of trees. 

 I allude particularly to the quality of the trees, as 

 well as the fruit, and no trees should ba selected 

 which want either of the following qualities — suit- 

 ableness to the climate — thriftiness — good bear- 

 ing and bearing good fruit. 



This is a subject of peculiar importance in this 

 section, and at this particular time. The people 



