36 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Jan. 



■whole or in part, he has not supplied them accord- 

 ing to any definite system, or with the greatest 

 economy ; his top-dressing could not have cost him 

 less than $25 per acre, and he got an increase of 

 Ih tons of hay, or $30 in retm-n. If we can show 

 him that this end could have been gained for $9, 

 he would admit that he lost $17 by the operation, 

 which the same scientific reasoning will show to be 

 a most unscientific operation. 



If any one has been interested enough to follow 

 thus far, it will be easy to show the method of opei-- 

 ation hereafter. K. M. C. 



Lexington, JVov. 25, 1855. 



For the New England Farmer. 



"BUTTER STOCK." 



Can you, Mr. Editor, inform me whether or not 

 any of this famous stock is now to be had? For 

 several years last past, they have been trumpeted 

 abroad, in every possible form, up to the time of the 

 great National Show, in your city, and since, until 

 the Devons of Middlesex had become, in the minds 

 of readers of newspapers, as distinct a class of an- 

 imals as any other. If my recollection is right, 

 there has been a proposal to sell all these animals, 

 by their proprietor, that others may be benefited 

 thereby. Whether or not such sale has been made, 

 I am not advised. I have looked in vain for an ac- 

 count of it. If people beHeve what has been 

 averred about these animals — that a gallon of their 

 milk would produce a pound of butter, in the month 

 of October, and a gallon and a half at all other sea- 

 sons of the year — this being twice as well as may be 

 expected of other good stocks — then it must be 

 that they would sell for prices corresponding. — 

 I expected that indi\'idual animals would have run 

 up to two, three and five hundred dollars. Certain- 

 ly cows that will give milk of this quality, and make 

 certain that their offspring will do the like, would 

 be worth these prices. More than this, he who 

 has had the sagacity to distinguish and grow up 

 such a stock, should be worthy of distinguished re- 

 membrance. I am well satisfied of the butter-ma- 

 king qualities of the Jersey animals, kept by Mr. 

 Motley, Mr. Reed and Mr. Henshaw; and that 

 these animals will produce milk that will yield two 

 pounds of butter a day, when fed in the best man- 

 ner. These are the best "butter stock" 1 have 

 ever seen. Their looks show their abihty. But 

 that the plump Devon can be made to do this, I 

 have yet to learn. Possibly, under very peculiar 

 circumstances, milk can be stripped from them, 

 four quarts of which will yield a pound of butter. 

 But before I can fully credit such statements, let 

 them be backed by never so strong arguments, my 

 name will cease to be Thomas, 



JSTov. 29, 1855. 



The Valley Farmer. — E. Abbott, Esq., late 

 Editor and Proprietor of the Valley Farmer, pub- 

 lished at St Louis, has sold the estabUshment to 

 Norman J. Colm.\n, Esq., of that city. Mr. Abbott, 

 who has long done good service in the cause, will 

 remain as Associate Editor. Mr. Colman announ- 

 ces that he shall devote his time to the interest of 

 the Farmer, and shall introduce important improve- 

 ments into the paper. 



For the Neu> England Farmer, 



TO THE "PEASANT BAED." 



How art thou, friend, this autumn weath^jr — 

 In spirits — light, as lightest feather ? 

 From what we learn of ye, we gather, 



Thou goest it prime ; 

 And if, perchance, we meet together. 



We'll have a time. 



Thou young "■potato-digging''^ loon ! 

 How cam'st thou by so rich a boon ? 

 Namely, the Muse's golden spoon, 



At which folks stare ; 

 One wouldn't have thought it — an' such shoon. 



As thou dost wear ! 



Moreover, what dost feed upon ? — 

 We do conjure thee — tell us, man ; 

 And elfe, what stream from Helicon 



Flows down thy gullet ? 

 Then, swifter then Ahimaaz ran. 



Here's haste, our sidllet. 



But lately 'twas, we chanced to see 

 A rare production, penned by thee j 

 And heard it asked, respecting ye, 



In plain set terms, 

 "Have we up in the hill country, 

 'Mongst us a Burns ?" 



Quite glad indeed, were we, to hear 

 Such joyful news, spread far and near ; 

 Though aged quite, and as we fear. 



Laid on the shelf, 

 Thus introduce, in method queer. 



Our humble self. 



All summer long, have we been toiling. 

 About the farm, and delving, moiling, 

 'Twixt rain and sunshine, dripping, broiling, 



To gain a living ; 

 One's system needs a little oiling, 



Against Thanksgiving. 



November's howling "o'er the lea," 

 Disrobing plant, and flower and tree ; 

 The storm-king's driving fast and free, 



Young childhood's wonder, 

 And our poor hardship's for a spree 



A "Doesticks Bender."* 



Fis ! on those "melancholy days," 

 That Bryant sings in sweetest lays ; 

 However bright the poet's bays. 



Or nobly worn, 

 Methinks, such times the dapple greys 



Might serve one's turn. 



We've chanted in our Harvest Home, 

 And made all snug for months to come ; 

 Are ready for the fife and drum. 



Of social chat, — 

 Discussions — Lectures — Lyceum, 



We're in for that. 

 ******* 

 Farewell ! my brother of the plow — 

 My blessing, take it — even now ; 

 Such welcome would I likewise show 



To thee and thine. 

 As manna welcomed was by Jew, 



In auld lang syne. r. e. o. 



Stockbridse. 



* A "Doesticks Bender," — alluding to a humorous article in 

 the N. Y. Evening Post, entitled "Doesticks on a Bender." 



Why Butter is Dear. — Is the following, from 

 a New York city paper, true or fabulous ? 



"There is a fine pasture all over the country now, 

 and the price of butter ought to be down to a shil- 



