280 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Ju^'E 



POISON DOG-WOOD — K.ED ANT. 



Mr. Editor : — Do you know of any means to 

 destroy poison dog-ivood ? We have tried every- 

 thing we have heard of, and to no purpose. 



Is there anything which will drive away the red 

 emmet ") A. A. E. Morse. 



Methuen, 1856. 



Remarks. — Can shed no light on the dog-wood, 

 other than the common remedies of salt, fire, kc. 

 To destroy the ants, dissolve a little brown sugar 

 in a bowl, squeeze out a sponge in it, and lay the 

 sponge on the shelf where the ants "most do con- 

 gregate," and when there are a million collected in 

 it, throw it into hot water, then the sugar water, 

 and place upon the shelf again. 



MICE AND FRUIT TREES. 



Mr. Nourse : — I have noticed several instances 

 of the depredations of mice upon fruit trees in dif- 

 ferent localities. Having had experience in this 

 way several years ago, I will state how I treated 

 my trees, and saved them, although they were 

 fairly girdled all around. It may not be known to 

 all, if any, I hoed the dirt up around the tree, 

 above_ the part girdled, and then laid over it a 

 quantity of green turf to keep it in place. The re- 

 sult was, that new roots sprung out from the 

 •wounded trunk, quite around it, and the tree recov- 

 ered, and grew well. In a dry soil, a little plaster 

 mixed with the dirt hoed up, would doubtless be 

 of use in retaining the moisture. 



Chandler Dean. 



Bndgewater, April 2\st, 1856. 



WIRE FENCE — GRAFTING THE GRAPE. 



Ira Bro-wn, JSTew Haven, Ft. — Mr. Nesmith, 

 of Lowell, was the original manufacturer of wire 

 fence, and, we think, had a branch in New York. 

 We have made inquiry of persons who have long 

 practiced grafting the grape, and they state that 

 the process is in no way dissimilar to that of graft- 

 ing the apple, and that they are usuallv success- 

 ful. _ 



HOW TO CTOE THE HEA^-ES. 



I wish to inquire through the columns of your 

 paper if you know of any thing that will cure the 

 heaves in a horse ? w. s. w. 



Remarks. — Treat your horse well, in every wav, 

 neither working him too hard, nor subjecting him 

 to sudden changes of temperature ; then feed him 

 morning and night on good clean timothy or red- 

 top hay, cut, and wet with meal, and at noon four 

 or five quarts of carrots, cut. 



WHAT shall I DO a\t:th old bones ? 



Mr. Editor :— How shall I dispose of a lot of 

 old bones so as to make them useful ? t. j. b. 



Remarks. — If it is not convenient to dilute them 

 with sulphuric acid, boil them in ley made of ashes 

 until they can be pounded fine, or what is better, be- 

 come of a pasty consistency. 



CULTURE OF PITCH PINES. 



To James J. Sawyer, Putnam, Ct. — Pitch pine 

 seed may be obtained by JVourse, Mason S^ Co., 

 Boston, at $3,00 a pound. It would probably take 

 two pounds to sow an acre. Plow shallow furrows, 

 say four or five inches deep, and four feet apart, 

 and make the hills the same distance, and plant 

 much as you would corn, with three, four or five 

 seeds in a hill. Cultivate and keep weeds down. 



BEANS ON R'V'E LAND. 



Mr. Editor : — Will beans grow on new land 

 that had rye on it last year P The soil is of a sandy 

 loam. An answer to be depended on would be 

 gladly received by me, and perhaps be a benefit to 

 others. G. A. Raymond. 



Royalston, 1856. 



Remarks. — We are a "practical farmer," friend 

 Raymond, laboring daily, both with head and 

 hands, in the fields. We have felled the forest and 

 burnt it ; got in the rye, and had fine crops ; but 

 we never followed that crop with beans. But if 

 you manure and tend well, keeping off all sheep 

 and woodchucks from the beans, we can see no 

 possible reason why your labor should not be abun- 

 dantly blessed witli an ample crop, if the season 

 should be favorable. 



TO PRE^'ENT LAMBS FROM BEING POISONED. 



I have practiced for several years with feeding 

 my lambs a httle laurel before they leave the barn 

 in the s])ring, and have never known them to taste 

 it afterwards. 



I would lilve to inquire if Whipple's scythes are 

 made now the same as in use eight or ten years 

 ago. 



East Charlemont, Jipril 24, 1856. 



Remarks. — Whipple's scythes are not manufac- 

 tured now. 



HEN manure. 



I have quite a quantity of fowl manure which I 

 am desirous of using in the most profitable way for 

 vines. How shall I use it ? T. R. 



Westminster West, Vt. 



Remarks. — Pulverize and scatter it over the 

 hills, and work it in well with the rake. It will 

 make you glad, and the vines too, as far as they 

 know how to be. _ 



HEN MANLTRE. 



Mr. Editor : — How do you think is the best 

 way of applying hen manure to corn and garden 

 vegetables ? This manure has been kept dry dur- 

 ing the winter, and can be very easily pulverized. 



Remarks. — Apply it to the hill, well mixed with 

 the earth. 



Subscriber, South Hanson, Ms. — Mix super- 

 phosphate of lime with your meadow muck for your 

 crop of French turnips, and at the rate of 400 

 pounds an acre. 



