42 



NEW E N G L A N J) FAR M E R 



AUG. la, 1S40. 



experiment which confirms Iho important truth 

 taught in various parts of tiieir useful publications, 

 that, to ensure an early and ijood crop, tlio seeds 

 reserved for future sowing sliould be those which 

 sre the Jirst ript, and wliich are, in other respects 

 the most perfect. 



Extracts from a letter of Joseph Cooper, of .Yew 

 Jersey, in 1799. 

 * * "This kind of corn I have continued plunt- 

 ■ingever since, selecting thai designed for seed in 

 the manner I would wish others to try, viz : When 

 the first ears are ripe eriuugh for seed, gather a suf- 

 ficient quantity for early corn, or replanting; and 

 at the time you would wisli your corn to be ripe 

 generally, gather a sufficient quanlity for planting 

 the next year, having particular care to take it from 

 stalks that are large at bottom, of a regular taper, 

 not over tall, the ears set low, and containing the 

 greatest number of good sizeable ears of the best 

 quality; let it dry speedily, and from the corn 

 gathered as last described, plant your main crop, 

 and if any hills should be missing, replant from 

 that first gathered, which will cause the crop to ri- 

 pen more regularly than is common, which is a 

 great benefit. The above mentioned method I 

 have practised many years, and am satisfied it has 

 increased the quantity and improved the quality of 

 my crops beyond what any person would imagine, 

 who has not tried the experiment. 



'• For many years past I have renewed the whole 

 seed of my winter grain, from a single plant which 

 I have observed to be more productive and of bet- 

 ter quality than the rest, which I am satisfied has 

 been of great use, and I am fully of opinion that 

 all kinds of garden vegetables may be improved by 

 the foregoing methods." 



PROGRESS OF VEGETATION DURING THE 

 MONTH OF JULY, 1840. 

 ((vommunicated for the N. E. Farmer.) 

 July 4th — Saturday. With the exception of 

 yesterday, which was a dull, lowering day, the 

 weather has been rem;irkably fine during the week, 

 and we have done little else than attend to the get- 

 ting of our hay, the crop of Which is coming in 

 finely in this section of the country. The grass 

 upon upland was partially injured by the drought 

 in iMay, but the burden upon rich grass lands and 

 reclaimed meadows is very heavy. The season, 

 thus far, has been most favorable for vegetation of 

 every kind. Potatoes are generally out of blossom, 

 and new ones are brought freely into market. In- 

 dian corn has spindled, and promises at present an 

 early and an abundant crop. The second crop of 

 pease are nearly or quite gone, and stringed beans 

 are very abundant. We have also been cutting 

 fruit during the week from a hill of cucnmber.s 

 planted in the centre of my first hot-bed. After 

 removing from this bed the lettuce, celery, toma- 

 toes, peppers, &c., for which it has been used, thi' 

 soil had fallen to such a depth as to lead ine to 

 fear that we should lose the cucumbers entirely, as 

 it appeared to be impracticable to furnish them 

 with sufficient air, for want of which, the fruit im- 

 mediately after it was set, damped off. About ten 

 days since we paved the entire bed with suitable 

 sized stones, raising the vines to the light and heat, 

 thereby, as I hope, reiinidying the evil. Beets are 

 large and fine and lit for the table, but carrots ad- 

 vance slowly. The grapes in the vinery are grow- 

 ing luxuriantly, and I liave already commenced 



thinning the Sweetwaters, which generally seta 

 greater proportion of small and useless berries than 

 the Hamburg, and which it is important to remove 

 at the early stage of iheir growth. If suffered to 

 remain, ti.e bunches soon become close and com 

 pact, and it is next to impossible to introduce the 

 scissors into the bunches without injuring the fruit. 

 July 1 Ith. We have passed the greater part 

 of the week at liaymaking, for which the weather 

 has been less favorable since llie 4th — the sky hav- 

 ing been partially overcast and threatening rain, of 

 which we have had but a moderate quantity during 

 the summer. Corn and potatoes upon dry land 

 each begin to curl, and to show the effects of 

 drought. Early potatoes are very fine, and the 

 crop upon low lands, which proved nearly a failure 

 last year on account of the continued rains, will be, 

 this season, very heavy. Squash and melon vines 

 are n-rowing luxuriantly, and are both showing a- 

 bundancc of fruit. We need only a generous 

 rain to gladden the heart of the farmer, and to fill 

 his barns and his storehouses with a superabun- 

 dance of the fruits of the earth. 



AcGOST 1st — Saturday. Having been absent 

 from Elfinglen since the 14th July, on an excur- 

 sion into Virginia, I have been spared the pain of 

 witnessing the progress of the continued drought, 

 which has in many instances blighted the hopes of 

 the husbandman, and rendered fruitless those labors | 

 from which, in the early part of the season, he had 

 every reason to anticipate a most fruitful harvest. 

 Consideiing the dry and arid nature of the soil 

 at Elfinglen, our crops have not suffered so much 

 aa I had feared before my return. We have en- 

 tirely lost our crop of potatoes, Chenangoes and 

 Dillinghams, but the Rohans which were planted 

 on the same field, and upon a similar soil and ex- 

 posure, have been apparently but slightly injured. 

 Beans also were completely ruined by the parching 

 siinsof the 15th and ItJth ult., when the mercury 

 indicated 92° and 93° at mid-day. Cabbages and 

 ruta bagas, which I left growing finely, have been 

 much injured by the aphides, and it was only by 

 copious supplies of water, both morning and even- 

 ing, that my gardener succeeded in preserving the 

 grapes, melons and celery from a similar fate. — 

 Beets and carrots have sustained the drought with 

 me remarkably well. Corn has sufTered but par- 

 tially, and we have already gathered several mes- 

 ses for the table. 



We have, after all, great cau.se for thankfulness 

 in the agricultural prospect before us; for had the 

 drought commenced at an earlier period, our crop 

 of hay, which has come in remarkably well, and 

 which has been cured with but a small amount of 

 labor, would have been greatly diminished, and 

 this being the staple crop with our farmers, would 

 have lessened, more than any thing else, the prof- 

 its of our labor. I have sometimes thought that 

 we farmers are too apt to complain of the season, 

 that it is too hot or too cold, too wet or too dry; 

 and I should question whether there has ever been 

 a season perfectly satisfactory to the entire mass 

 of the farming community. Let us endeavor to cor- 

 rect this error — to look more with an eye of con- 

 tentment and satisfaction upon our lot in life, rest- 

 ing a.ssured that there are many bright liours in 

 reserve for each one of us — and never forget tlie 

 lieart-clicering promise, that while the sun endu- 

 relh, seed time and harvest shall not fail. 



For the N. E. Farmer. 



TRIMMING BUCKTHORN HEDGES. 

 Mr Bbf.ck — Sir — In reply to an enquiry in the 

 Farmer of the 22d July, respecting the trimming of 

 the buckthorn hedge, I would state that I have a- 

 dopted the system of summer pruning in preference 

 to that of spring, for two reasons. My liedges at 

 Elfinglen are purely ornamental, being used mere- 

 ly as partition walls between different portions of 

 my garden grounds, and therefore it is desirable 

 that they should possess during the summer months 

 the appearance most pleasing to the eye of an ob- 

 server. And secondly, they are trimmed with 

 much greater facility and exactness while the new 

 growth is yet green and succulent ; and the growth 

 which immediately puts out after the summer prun- 

 ing, has in no instance ever failed to ripen itself 

 thoroughly before the approach of winter. Were 

 one desirous of growing a buckthorn hedge which 

 should answer the purpose of a fence around an 

 enclosure for cattle, I am inclined to the opinion 

 that the early spring would be the most suitable 

 time for pruning, and in this case the whole of the 

 summer's growth might be permitted to mature its 

 wood. D. 



Soap or strong soap suds should never be used 

 to cleanse oil paints, especially green color. 



BE MERCIFUL TO YOUR OXEN. 



For mercy's sake, in this hot weather, deal gent- 

 ly with your oxen. Do not overload them, drive 

 them too fast, or work them too long in these long 

 days. Another thing — never yoke them up, or at- 

 tach them to the cart, till all things are ready for 

 you to work by means of them. Some people will 

 yoke up their cattle early, before they have got 

 well rested and fed from the labors of the preced- 

 ing day ; and let them stand eating poslnieata long 

 time, whilst their drivers are getting things in 

 readiness out of season. They have just discover- 

 ed that the chain is broken, and so the oxen must 

 stand till Dick is sent off to the blacksmith to get 

 it mended. When he returns and all thingsappear 

 ready, it is discovered that there must be some new 

 stakes made for the hay cart, or the wheels need 

 greasing ; and the poor cattle must stand another 

 half hour or hour, eating nothing and basking in 

 the sun, waiting for their sluggish masters to get 

 ready. It stands to reason that oxen cannot work 

 so lung or heartily, driven out after standing in the 

 yard or field, acquiring an empty stomach, as they 

 could if yoked u|) fresh from a cool stable, where 

 they had been eating till the moment of work ar- 

 rives. Give them, too, a good opportunity to rest 

 in the middle of the day. 



There is nothing lost in being reasonably merci- 

 ful to the brute. On the contrary this is true poli- 

 cy, as well as a dictate of genuine humanity. He 

 who would overtax or abuse a fiiithful ox or horse, 

 deserves to do his own pulling and trotting, with- 

 out the aid of those noble servants. — Maine Cult. 



Bacon. — 'I'o prevent bacon from getting rusty, 

 after it has been sufficiently cured, put it into a 

 box of the size of the piece of bacon, covering the 

 bottom of the box with hay ; then wrap up each 

 piece in sweet hay, and between every piece intro- 

 duce a laying of hay. This method will prevent 

 bacon from rusting, and keep it for twelve months 

 as good as it was on the first day of salting. 



Don't permit stagnant water on your premises : 

 it is a prolific source ol disease. 



