1856. 



NEW ENGLAND FAEMER. 



343 



ourselves vastly sage. But on further considera- 

 tion the ])lant in our teacher's hand belonged to an- 

 other weed adjacent in situation. Yes,it was night 

 shade ! Our professor laughed. "You are not so far 

 ■wrong — it is of the same familj', but another indi- 

 vidual, being a potato blossom." "We never shall 

 forget the difference between the three solanwm. 



Children might be greatly interested in the ex- 

 amination and explanation of the ornamental por- 

 tion of our common and useful vegetables and herbs. 

 Thus incidentally might a taste and love for scien- 

 tific agricultural pursuits be engendered and encour- 

 aged in many who might otherwise turn from farm- 

 ing as an occupation, calling into use physical pow- 

 ers, mere practical matter-of-fact ideas, while the 

 higher powers of mind and heart were little exer- 

 cised. Elsie. 



Waukesha, Wis. 



EXTRACTS AND REPLIES. 



THE RAT AND THE SPARROWS. 



Mr. Editor : — On a pleasant day, last week, four 

 gentlemen were standing in front of a house in 

 South Framingham. It was noticed that three or 

 four sparrows, near a pile of posts and rails, were 

 acting strangely. Soon a large rat was seen to dart 

 from the pile of rails towards the birds. They 

 scattered, and the rat returned. The birds soon 

 gathered again, and the rat again sprung towards 

 them, but soon returned. One of the gentlemen 

 went into his house for his loaded gun, and ap 

 proached the rails. The birds again gathered, and 

 the rat again ajipeared and chased one of them a 

 distance of thirty feet, the other birds hovering 

 about the rat. The birds then Hew away. 



Never having seen or heard of such a thing, I 

 send the facts to you. Were the birds under a 

 charm ? Is it an uncommon thing ? T. P. 



Boston, May, 1856. 



Reiurks. — The sparrows probably had a nest 

 near the spot ; the rat saw one or more of them, 

 and fancied that they would make him a good din- 

 ner, but not having the instincts of the cat to watch 

 and wait, he was disappointed. Most birds make 

 a show of resistance when their nests are in danger. 

 We saw two black-birds, the other daj^, drive a 

 cow out of the rushes where their nest was un- 

 doubtedly bestowed. They would suddenly dart 

 down about her, screaming, and sometimes nearly 

 striking her on the back, until she deemed it best 

 to retire from the rushes and the birds. 



PRESERVING SHINGLES. 



A few weeks since we published a recipe for 

 preser\ing shingles, by soaking them in a solution 

 of lime and salt, dissolved in water. A subscriber 

 informs us that he laid several thousand shingles 

 prepared in this way, about eight years ago, and 

 he finds they are now loosening and coming off the 

 buildings. The shingles themselves are perfectly 

 sound, but the action of the salt has caused the 

 nails to rust quite off. Our informant recommends 

 lime alone, as it is sufficient to preserve the wood, 

 and has no effect on the nails. 



WINTER GREEN SWEETING. 



Mr, Brown : — I send you a specimen of the 

 Sweet Greening ; a new variety with me, but may 

 be an old one with you. The best apples to keep 

 through the winter I ever put up. 



Respectfully yours, JosiAH BENNETT. 



TFestmnr eland, JV. K, 1856. 



Remarks. — The apples were received in good 

 condition. They are well known to us, and are 

 among the few fine late-keeping^ sweet apples. If 

 kept in a cool, damp cellar, they are usually in ex- 

 cellent condition in May and June. 



CATERPILLARS, SMOKING, PISMIRES. 



We have six regular papers, and I believe the 

 Farmer would be the last I should be willing to 

 dispense with. There is a great deal of valuable 

 information in every number ; but there is one thing 

 that I have not yet seen a cure for, that is the dis- 

 gusting, filthy habit of smoking. If men will not 

 hear to reason nor affection, I should be glad to see 

 them obliged to yield to compulsion. 



My husband uses bran, instead of powder, to kill 

 caterpillars ; it does not injure the trees. But he 

 has not been able to keep the great black pismires 

 from destroying pear buds ; they took more than 

 their share last year, and are determined to, this. 



Fitzwilliam, JV. H. MRS. M. A. K. 



Remarks. — If all the women were of the opin- 

 ion of our correspondent, we think a great many 

 pipes would soon go out. We will say for your 

 comfort. Madam, that there is not a person about 

 the JVeu; England Farmer establishment who 

 uses tobacco in any shape. 



BOOK ON under-draining. 



Will you be kind enough to name the best and 

 most thorough publication on under-draining of 

 the soil, describing the uses, benefits and different 

 modes. Perhaps you may remember that I wrote 

 to you last winter for information relative to mak- 

 ing a milk house with the w'aste water from an ice 

 house; — well, I have got it all arranged, and it ex- 

 cells any natural spring that ever broke out of the 

 ground. T. H. Collins. 



Locust Laivn, hid., 1856. 



Remarks. — Munn's Practical Land Drainer is, 

 perhaps, the best work on the subject in a small 

 compass. It is published by Saxton & Comjjany, 

 N. Y. _ 



BIG D.AXDELION. 



I think I can beat that Bridgewater dandelion 

 noticed in your miscellaneous department. 



A dandelion recently growing on my father's 

 farm, had one hundred and seventy-nine buds and 

 blossoms, and three hundred and twenty-tlu-ee 

 leaves, and weighed thirty-three ounces. 



Jlshfield, June, 1856. William F. Bassett. 



(i:^ We have just been shown a couple of eggs 

 from the hen-coop of Mr. 11. Munroe, of Burling- 

 ton, Mass., weighing five and one-fourth, and six 

 ounces each. 



