1856. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



John Bull. When we live upon fine flour, we are 

 throwing away, every clay of our lives, a large part 

 of those elements of nutrition that are essential to 

 our strength and vigor. Is it any wonder then, that 

 our children grow up effeminate and dehcate ? In- 

 stead of being fed upon coarse bread, and sent into 

 the open air for exercise, by which their lungs imd 

 limbs may be expanded and developed, they are fed 

 upon the finest flour, and kept within doors in air- 

 tight houses, like plants in a hot-bed, and like them, 

 they wilt upon exposure. If regard to the health 

 of ourselves and our children, will not lead to a 

 change in this regard, I mi^ht at the present time, 

 when all bread-stufi"s are almost at famine prices, 

 appeal to the pockets of our countrymen, A thou- 

 sand pounds of wheat meal cost but about two- 

 thirds as much as a thousand pounds of fine flour, 

 and yet the former contains 144 pounds more of the 

 ver}" material which is most essential to our health 

 and vigor. 



It has been slanderously affirmed that the most 

 sensitive nerve of the Yankee leads to his pocket. 

 Now I do not believe this, and yet his pocket nerve 

 is apt to respond rather quickly to the touch. If the 

 rough handling to which this nerve has been sub- 

 jected for the last year, shall lead him to look about 

 him and inquire how the greatest amount of the 

 necessary elements of nutrition can be obtained for 

 the least money, it may benefit him not only on the 

 score of economy, but also on that of health. And 

 the benefit to his children may be even greater than 

 that which he may experience in lumself. R. 



Concord, J\tov. 13, 18o5. 



ways with success. Take a strong cord, (a good 

 fish-line will answer,) and tie it to the end of the in- 

 side horn of each ox, short enough so they will 

 straighten the cord, before they can haul on the 

 yoke. They soon give up, and a few trials will 

 completely break them of the habit. — A Subscri- 

 ber. — Alexander, X.Y., Oct. 2. — Rural M'ew-York- 

 er. 



"HAULING" IN OXEN. 



Messrs. Editors : — In a late number of your 

 valuable ])aper, I find an inquiry for a remedy for 

 "Hauling" in Oxen. 



Having dealt in and used oxen for the last twen- 

 ty years, I have frequently purchased those that 

 had become addicted to the vicious habit of "haul- 

 ing." The cause of this is perfectly simple, and the 

 remedy equally so. The cause of oxen hauling is 

 to be attributed uniformly to their having been 

 worked in too short a yoke. Hence the proper 

 remedy is to put on a longer yoke — say, for large 

 oxen, two feet between the inside bow holes, and 

 my word for it your oxen will not "haul" worked 

 in such a yoke. And here let me add, that it is 

 a great error among many of our best farmers, par- 

 ticularly in the western and more level portions of 

 our State, to work their oxen in too short a yoke. 

 It must be a])parent to ever}' observer, that they 

 will work much easier in a long than short yoke. I 

 have purchased a great many cattle of the very best 

 farmers in your county, and in the Genesee valley, 

 and have always noticed this defect in their yokes, 

 while in the central and more eastern portions of 

 the State, they are obliged to use longer ones. In- 

 deed, how would our Eastern or New England far- 

 mers plow on their hill-sides with a Monroe or Liv- 

 ingston Co. yoke on their oxen ? If oxen are ad- 

 dicted to "crowding," apply the short yoke. 



If you deem this worthy of a j)lace in your paper 

 in answer to the inquiry of "K.," you are at liberty 

 to give it an insertion. E. Terry. 



Walerville, .V. F., Od. 20, 1855. 



Eds. Rural : — To prevent oxen from hauling, I 

 have seen the following tried several times, and al- 



THE TOWN OF BILLERICA. 



We have before us a well printed pamphlet of 

 one hmadred and fifty-two pages, giving an account 

 of the celebration of the Two Hundredth Anni- 

 versary of the incorporation of the town of Bil- 

 lerica. All the arrangements for the occasion were 

 made by the town, in its municipal capacity, and 

 were carried out in a liberal and comprehensive 

 spirit. Many gentlemen who were born in tlie 

 town, but who had become scattered abroad and 

 made their mark in the world, were gathered within 

 its hmits once more, and gladdened the occasion 

 with their presence and their words of wisdom. 

 Many ladies were also present, who returned to the 

 place of their nativity, or who accompanied their 

 husbands to celebrate this anniversary ; so that the 

 gathering was of the most social and hai)py char- 

 acter. 



Col. John Baldwin was President of the day, 

 and, assisted by liis competent friends and neigh- 

 bors, directed the affair in a prompt and pleasant 

 manner, which was gratifying to all. A hymn was 

 read, composed for the occasion by Miss E. A. 

 Foster, one of the daughters of Billerica, after 

 which an admirable Address was dehvered by the 

 Rev. Joseph Richardson, of Ilingham. Then 

 followed a Poem, abounding with capital hits and 

 happy thoughts, by Daniel Parker, M. D., of 

 Billerica. After a short recess, the crowd gathered 

 around the amply spread table, and partook of an 

 excellent dinner. 



The third regular sentiment was — "The Plow — 

 Its one share in a bank of earth is worth ten in a 

 bank of paper." 



This, being strictly agricultural, and our response 

 being of the same character, we have no hesitation 

 in introducing it here, as follows : — 



Mr. President : — It is always gratifying to me 

 to speak of my favorite art — and it is particularly 

 so on such an occasion and before such an audience 

 as this. I call it an Art ; but it is not ])urely so, 

 because to be a good farmer requires some knowl- 

 edge of many of the sciences, as well as of the 

 Arts. The mechanic is greatly aided by strict 

 mathematical guides, and the professional man is 

 surrounded by forms and rules which lead him 

 along in the same course which others have trod 

 for thousands of years. But it is not so with the 

 farmer. There are few niles to guide him, and lit- 

 tle that he does at one time is positively reliable at 

 any other, because the circumstances imder which 



