1856. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



263 



which ^^nes of the culmiferous class are subject to- 

 wards the close of the season. Urine, in which 

 gypsum has been mixed, is also a good article for 

 imigorating melons, and other vines of a similar 

 kind. It should, however, be permitted to ferment, 

 or be greatly reduced with water before being ap- 

 plied, as in its fresh state it would prove rather det- 

 rimental than otherwise to the %ines. Water from 

 the barn-yard, which is rich in carbonaceous mat- 

 ter, and saturated with various fertilizing salts, 

 tends to urge forward the growth, and induce a 

 more liberal development of fruit. 



For the New England Farmer. 



THE PAST WINTER. 



In the course of the winter I had occasion to 

 pass three times over the road from tliis place to 

 Canada West, and I often heard it remarked that 

 such a winter was never known. A similar remark 

 is made almost every year, and to a certain extent, 

 it may be true. If we compare any number of 

 years, perhaps we shall find no two exactly alike, 

 yet there is a general similarity. 



True, the past winter was one of almost uninter- 

 rupted cold weather, but the temperature was much 

 more equable than in some others, the extreme be- 

 ing several degrees nearer together than in the 

 winter of 1854. In o??e particular, however, it was 

 remarkable. From the 23d of the 12th month, to 

 the 14th of the 3d month — 76 days — we had no 

 thaw in this region. In the night of the 11th of 

 the 2nd month it rained at Boston, but at this place, 

 and in the same latitude several hundred miles west, 

 scarcely rain enough fell to be perceived. The 

 snow on the south side of roofs frequently melted, 

 but it did not soften in the road by the influence of 

 the sun, during the above named period. 



The usual "January thaw" was completely lost. 

 Water was very low ; many wells which afforded 

 water throughout the di-y summer of 1854, entire- 

 ly failed. 



Snow at the South and West was much deeper 

 than usual, but in this vicinity it was not so deep as 

 it frequently is, though as far as I have seen or 

 heard, it was drifted as much as ever. The wind 

 blew almost incessantly about six weeks, and an in- 

 terdict seemed to be laid upon travelling, although 

 from an article which a])pears on page 159 of the 

 current volume of the Monthly Farmer, over the 

 signature of "C. Goodrich," we might infer that 

 northern Vermont presented an exception. I think 

 his travels did not extend beyond those good side- 

 walks of which he speaks, and that his knowledge 

 of the regularity with which the cars run from Bur- 

 lington to House's Point must have been based up- 

 on ''hear-say," or he would hardly have made such 

 assertions. I should not have called his statements 

 in question if I had not had some experience in 

 travelling on that road. 



The 12th of 2nd month last I went from Frank- 

 lin, N. H.,to St. Albans, Vt. The train was clue at 

 St. Albans 10 minutes before 8 o'clock, P. M., but 

 we did not arrive until nine. A gentleman from 

 Boston, then present, informed me that he went 

 over the road three weeks before, and did not ar- 

 rive until midnight. I also learned that for a con- 

 siderable time the cars had been an hour or more 



"behind time." The night was very cold and windy, 

 and the next morning the train from Burlington 

 was half an hour late, and we were detained an 

 hour and a half longer in consequence of the snow 

 which had blown into the road during the night, 

 making us two hoiirs late at Rouse's Point. But 

 friend G. says "the cars have not been detained one 

 minute by snow." 



The pages of the JV. E. Farmer will probably 

 be read by future generations, and it is a matter of 

 importance that they convey correct information. 



Snow, except the large drifts, is nearlv gone, but 

 the weather is dry and cool. We had some light 

 showers the 12th inst., but it froze hard in the 

 night. In the morning of the 13th the mercury 

 fell to 20'^, and it did not thaw in the shade dur- 

 ing the day. 



Robins and Blue-birds were seen here the 3d, 

 and we have now a pretty full choir of vernal 

 songsters. The season for making maple sugar aj> 

 pears to be nearly closed, and the bare fields, and 

 pleasant mornings, remind the farmer that another 

 busy season has ari-ived. L. Varney. 



Sandwich, JV. H., 4 mo. lllh, 1856. 



For the New England Farmer. 



POTATOES FOR PLANTING. 



I notice in the agricultm-al papers that a differ- 

 ence of opinion still exists as to the relative value 

 of large and small potatoes for seed. Most of the 

 speculative writers on this, as well as other subjects, 

 appear to have formed their opuiions on the result 

 of a single experiment. No wonder, then, that 

 their experience leads to different conclusions. 

 Every man of but slight observation knows that in 

 some seasons, with Aveather apparently favoral)le, 

 certain crops will be light, and the reverse in other 

 seasons. These results will be further affected in 

 different soils, and under the same treatment. 

 Even in the same season, apparently in similar soil, 

 and under the same treatment, wide results are no- 

 ticed. It is no uncommon thing for the production 

 of one hill of potatoes, for instance, to be double 

 that of other hills in the same lot, with no appa- 

 rent difference in seed, soil or treatment. Hence, 

 no safe inference of a general rule can be inferred 

 from a single experiment in the same season — 

 much less when the experiment embraces two sea- 

 sons. I am led to these remarks on reading a 

 communication in the Farmer from Bridgewater, 

 Oct. 22d, signed H. 



From my experience and observation, I am con- 

 vinced no certain inference can be formed of the 

 relative value of seed of any kind, or of manure, or 

 of treatment, from a single experiment. The result 

 may be materially affected by numerous causes hid 

 den or apparent. I do not think the mere selec- 

 tion for seed of large or small potatoes affords any 

 test at all, without reference to the circumstances 

 whether the small are unripe, late productions of a 

 species of larger size, or the mature dwarfs of the 

 same, or are the production from small or large 

 seed for a series of years, or of one year only. 

 The effect, if any, between large and small seed 

 will not be fully developed at oi;ce. A series of 

 experiments pursued for many years, by planting 

 the small potatoes, raised from small seed, and 

 large potatoes from large seed, will alone \)e of any 

 value in deciding the question. Sixty or seventy 



