1856. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



53 



EXTRACTS AND REPLIES. 



SWINE — SHEEP — CUT FODDER — CORN — RYE- 



-CUT FODDER — CORN 

 SQUASHES. 



Mr. Editor : — I, as a subscriber of the JV. E. 

 Farmer, msh to have the following questions an- 

 swered through the columns of that paper. 



1st. Which of the three following breeds of 

 swine are the most desirable for the farmer, the 

 Suffolk, Essex or Berkshu-e ? 



2d. What breed of sheep are most profitable 

 for our New England soil ; huA-ing in A-iew the ob- 

 ject of raising both lambs and wool for the mar- 

 ket? 



3d. What is the best kind of grain to feed to 

 sheep in winter, and how much should each receive 

 per day ? 



4th. Is it economy for farmers to cut their hay 

 and mix with meal for all their cattle ? 



5 th. What variety of corn is best to plant for 

 fodder ? 



6th. Which is most jirofitable to raise for win- 

 ter fodder — fodder corn or millet ? 



7th. Is it economy to sow rye in the fall for 

 ewes and lambs to run on in the spring ? 



8th. What variety of squashes is most profita- 

 ble to raise for marketing in the fall ? 



9th. Which is most profitable to raise for 

 stock fcecUng, carrots or cabbages ? 



Yours truly, John Demon. 

 Wakefield, R. I., Oct. 28, 1855. 

 Remarks. — 1. The Suffolk is a hearty, quiet and 

 thrifty breed ; they grow rapidly, are docile, con- 

 tented and good-looking. They are well-formed, 

 compact, short-legged, hardy animals, equal in 

 point of value, Youatt says, to tlie best of the Es- 

 sex, and superior m constitution, and consequently 

 better adapted for general keep. 



The Essex is a breed highly esteemed by some — 

 the best breeds are entirely black, and they will 

 sometimes attain the weight of nearly 500 pounds. 

 Some prize them for their rapid growth and apti- 

 tude to lay on flesh, as well as for its excellence. 



The Berkshire is also a fine breed, with some- 

 thing of the general shape of the Suffolk and Es- 

 sex, but quite different in color and the length and 

 appearance of the hair. The skin of the Berk- 

 shu-e is thin, the ffesh firm and well-flavored, and 

 the bacon very superior. The Berkshire and Suf- 

 folk have been favorably mixed. 



We should not hesitate to propagate from either 

 of the three mentioned ; we are not aware that 

 there is any decided choice in them. A neighbor 

 of ours, Charles. B. Clark, Esq., of Concord, has 

 some of the finest Essex in the country. 



2. Some of our correspondents, better acquaint- 

 ed with sheep husbandry than we are, may be kind 

 enough to answer the second, third and seventh 

 questions. 



4. There is no doubt among many of our best 

 farmers, that it is profitable to cut all the hay their 

 stock consumes, especially now that we have cutters 

 capable of doing it so rapidly. The saving in over- 

 hauling the manure-heap in the spring, is an item 



of considerable importance, as it can be done in 

 less than half the time Avhere no long litter is m it. 



5. The white and yellow flat southern is gener- 

 ally sown for fodder ; some say sweet corn is bet- 

 ter. We h ave no experience with the latter. 



6, Millet. It is exceedingly difficult to dry the 

 corn. 



8. The marrow squash takes the lead, and the 

 Canada crook-neck comes next. There are other 

 fine squashes, as the Custard and Acorn, but they 

 are not usually raised extensively for market. 



9. Carrots. Cabbages are valuable, and answer 

 a good purpose for late fall feeding, but they can- 

 not be stored away in sufficient quantity where 

 they will keep well, to be used through the winter. 

 Carrots, are nutritious, clean, may be' compactly 

 kept, and commend themselves in every respect. 



HOW to fill blanks in CORN FIELDS. 



Many farmers, while hoeing corn, carry a pocket 

 of beans to drop in blank hills, which seldom get 

 ripe before frost. I tried an experiment with turn- 

 ips this season, wliich did well. The worms having 

 destroyed nearly one-third of an acre of corn, I 

 sowed broadcast', half a pound of turnip seed, (flat 

 English) the last time hoeing, to be washed in by 

 the first rain. The result was 2 10 bushels of large, 

 nice turnips. 



This land was broken up last spring ; another 

 piece in close proximity to the first, of the same 

 soil, but plowed in the' fall, manuring and after 

 treatment, the same in both cases, did not have one 

 hill injured by the worm. Alex. Prlngle. 



Ryegate, Vt, Xov., 1855. 



about bees. 



I wish to inquire through the columns of your 

 invaluable paper, as to the management of bees, the 

 kind of hive best adapted to their wants, and the 

 best time to purchase bees, fall or spring ? 



Ludlow, VL, 1855. Subscriber. 



Remarks. — It would require a Icng story to an- 

 swer all your inquiries. The best thing you can do 

 is to purchase LangstroMs book On the Hive and 

 the Honey Bee, and there you Mill find every direc- 

 tion you need. The price is one dollar, and may 

 be made to answer for a neighborhood, if it is de- 

 sirable. 



poison I^'y. 



R. G. B. recently inquii-ed for an effectual method 

 of destroying ])oison ivy. I have done it bj- sprink- 

 ling salt upon the ivy ; the cattle and sheep, in their 

 eagerness for the salt, completely destroyed it, so 

 that it never again made its appearance. 



I wish to state another fact in regard to poison 

 ivy, which, if more generally known, would pre- 

 vent much suffering, and save valuable time in the 

 haying season. It is this — that the leaf of the 

 white pine is a perfect antidote ; let any person who 

 has been exjjosed to the poison ivy chew a few 

 leaves of the white ]nne, swallowing the juice, and 

 it will destrov the effects of the poison. 

 Mclndoes Falls, Vt., 1855. J. H. Currier. 



