212 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



May 



books, and was forgotten. If those interested in 

 the Devon race of cattle — and who is not — desire 

 to see their portraits in perfection, and learn the ped- 

 igree of the most distinguished animals of this breed, 

 let him refer to the Devon Herd Book. We know 

 of no better hands into which the task could have 

 fallen to prepare an American edition, than those of 

 Mr. Howard. 



For the New England Farmer. 



EXPERIMENTS WITH SUPERPHOS- 

 PHATE OF LIME. 



Mr. Editor : — Having made a trial for the first 

 time, during the past season,of DeBurg's Superphos- 

 phate of Lime, I send you the results, hoping they 

 may be found useful to those engaged in agricul- 

 ture. 



The first was 150 pounds sowed the 21st of April 

 on 60 square rods of natural mowing. The land 

 was of good quality, but much exhausted by long 

 cropping, situated on a side hill, with a clay subsoil, 

 By the 1st of June the effects were visible at a con- 

 siderable distance, and many persons visited the 

 spot to observe the change it produced. In the 

 middle of the lot my hired man, when he sowed the 

 phosphate, had marked out the initials of a name, 

 by putting on a much greater quantity of the fer- 

 tilizer ; those initials could be plainly read, and the 

 grass upon them was probably three-fold greater 

 than where only the average quantity was sown. 

 This fact is important only as showing that the in- 

 crease of crop was in proportion to the increased 

 quantity apjilied. The clover, on the whole sixty 

 rods, came uj) much thicker than upon the adjoin- 

 ing land, and at hajing time it produced 33 per 

 cent, more than where the phosphate was not ap- 

 plied. But this was not the least part of the ex- 

 periment, for the second crop was still more re- 

 markable than the first. It was fed down in the 

 fall, and therefore could not be accurately measured, 

 but no one who saw it doubted that there was an 

 increase of at least 100 per cent, in the second crop. 

 Nothing could well be more gratifying than the re- 

 sults of this experiment. It showed most conclu- 

 sively the wonderful power of this fertihzer on grass 

 land of the description named. I feel entirely con- 

 fident that the first crop of grass next year on the 

 same land will be much greater than it was last 

 season. 



I tried the same article on corn land. It was a 

 dry knoll of poor exhausted pasture land, plowed 

 in the fall, and in the spring 20 loads of stable ma- 

 nure spread and plowed in. The seed was the 

 King Philip corn. Where the phosphate was ap- 

 plied in the hill at the rate of 400 pounds to the 

 acre, the crop was doubled exactly, over that where 

 nothing was put in the hill. The result on corn- 

 fodder, though not so striking, was very satisfacto- 

 ry, the increase being about 50 per cent. 



I tried the same on potatoes. Those called the 

 Jenny Lind were increased about 25 per cent. 

 Other kinds nearly as much. 



By my advice several of the farmers in my neigh- 

 borhood have made a trial of DeBurg's phosphate, 

 and I do not know a single case in which it was not 

 highly successful ; and I am of opinion that there 

 will be five times as much used in this town next 

 season. All seem to be satisfied that they have 



found a fertilizer that can be depended upon, that 

 will pay, and pay well. 



The advantages of the phosphate are that it can 

 be easily obtained, conveniently transported and 

 readily appHed. To manure a field at a considera- 

 ble distance, or on a high hill, with barn manure, is 

 a formidable affair, requires a strong team, and a 

 great deal of hai'd work. To apply enough of the 

 phosphate to produce equal results is a very smaU 

 matter. It enables fiirmers to extend their plant- 

 ing beyond the extent of their ordinary manures. 

 It is particularly convenient for small cultivators, 

 who often have some land, but no manure. To 

 such the phosphate is the very desideratum. It is 

 applied as easily as ashes, and is so effective as to 

 answer every purpose. 



Should the quality of the article be kept up, I 

 feel quite sure it will be rapidly introduced into use. 

 The only fears I have, arise from the apprehension 

 that it may be adulterated, and thus rendered less 

 effective and satisfactory. I do not know but the 

 superphos])hate prepared by other manufacturers 

 may be equally good, but DeBurg's is the kind 

 which I have used, and of that alone can I speak. 



I hope that others will give their experience in 

 the use of it, whether favorable or otherwise, so 

 that the farmers may have as much light as possi- 

 ble on the subject. Am ASA WALKER. 



JSforth Brookfield, January, 1856. 



For the New England Fanner. 



BREAD, OATS AND CARROTS. 



Mr. Editor : — In the J^ew England Farmer, 

 monthly, for January, I notice two communications 

 upon subjects of much interest, — "The most nutri- 

 tious bread," and "The relative value of oats and 

 carrots." Will you, or your correspondent, who is 

 evidently quite familiar with the subject, oblige the 

 readers of the JV. E. Farmer by explaining why 

 corn meal, containing two per cent, more gluten 

 than fine wheat ttour, will not make an adhesive 

 dough ? I had supposed corn meal to be deficient 

 in gluten, partly because Dr. Pereiza has said so, 

 but the good Dr. may have been mistaken. A 

 thousand pounds of fine wheat flour is said to con- 

 tain two hundred and ten pounds, and the same 

 weight of wheat meal three hundred and fifty-four 

 pounds of tissue-forming materials. I do not quite 

 understand the method of "ciphering out" a differ- 

 ence of more than fourteen per cent. Does the 

 gluten, starch, fat, &c., differ in kind as well as 

 quantity ? Does one hundred pounds of fine wheat 

 flour contain more or less nutritious matter than 

 the same weight of oat or corn meal ? 



Is it true that the "potato-eating Irish" have 

 "fair round bellies ?" Mike Fagan declares it to be 

 a "mistake entirely." Mike is an honest fellow and 

 has seen the Irish — he speaks for Tipperary, and 

 avers that not a potato-eating laborer with a big 

 belly can be found in the whole country. 



Boston, Jan. 16, 1856, "w. H. H. 



The Farmers' Tools. — On every farm there 

 should be a good tool-house, or some place in the 

 barn or shed, particularly appropriated to that use, 

 for the shelter and security of the farming imple- 

 ments. The cost of a small building for the pur- 

 pose, where the price of lumber is moderate, is 



