NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



18^ 



them. We are glad, however, that something has wings for migration, would lead these persons to 

 been done, and there is a promise of more. Vari- 1 believe and assert, that the cow bird (Icterus peco- 

 ous stations have lately been established in our m) always made a nest of her own, as every bird in 

 own country for taking meteorological observa- ; this country is known to do, because it is capably 

 tions, and all the leading nations of Europe have ; of doing it. What! it maybe said, does a bird 

 also entered upon the same course of investigations. ' having proper anatomical structure, and possessing 

 Such observations extending over various parts of the same functions and capacities as others, fail to 

 the globe, and for a number of years continuously,! prepare a dwelling-place, and provide for the wants 

 will no doubt lead to astonishing results. Already, ' of her young, and leaving them to be reared by 

 by private enterprise and keen observation. Prof. j strangers, lead herself an idle, vagrant life? — 

 Espy and Mr. W. C. Redfield, of this city, have | Away with such absurd notions, they are not 

 made valuable discoveries relating to gales and ! worthy of refutation. And if I should say, I am 



for navigators, regarding the rotary progressive 

 course of tornadoes, which have proven to be of 

 great benefit, by teaching seamen how to withdraw 

 from their power. The spots observed on the 

 sun's disk take place at regular intervals, and these. 

 Sir Wm. Hershel asserts, affect the weather on 

 our globe to such a degree as to regulate the very 



acquainted with a native plant, the {^^pocynum,) 

 that had a contrivance, like a steel trap, set at the 

 bottom of its corolla, by which flies and small bees 

 were caught by their tongues or probosis, and there 

 held, until the poor things perish, it would proba- 

 bly be said, who believes that ? so contrary to na- 

 ture, and furthermore, of what possible use would 



price of wheat. Lieut. INIaury has done much to it be to. the plant, to possess the power to do this 



reduce the weather changes on the ocean to a sci- 

 ence. It is believed by Humboldt and other emr 

 nent philosophers, that the sun is the source of 

 magnetism as well as heat, and the -vibrations of 

 the magnet are to our globe, as the beating of the 

 pulse to the human system. 



In an article in the last number of the JVorth 

 British Review, believed to be written by Sir Da- 

 vid Brewster, he says, "Had Hipparchus and Ptol- 

 emy made their observations, and had they also 

 been made by their contemporaries and successors in 

 different parts of the world, we might now be pre- 

 dicting the weather with as much certainty as we 

 do the planetary motions." The great number of 

 meteorological observations now being made in va- 

 rious parts of the world, inspire us with hope that 

 such a result will yet be accomplished. We hail 



cruel act. 



Now, I would say to such unbeUevers, that na- 

 ture, as I have observed her for many years, is 

 sometimes queer. That the causes of some of her 

 operations are frequently beyond our comprehen- 

 sion, and she sometimes, though not often, contra- 

 venes her own laws ; and we had better, if we are 

 her students, come to the conclusion, to believe all 

 well authenticated facts in her history. 



Danvtrsport, Aug. 26, 1856. 



For the New England Fanner. 



SELECTING SEED CORN. 



Messrs. 

 your back 



Editors : — In looking over some of 

 numbers, I found an article on seed 

 H. Stratton, and as I am alwavs 



every effort that is made to reduce " the weather [corn, signed 

 and its changes" to a positive science, because, as I pleased to read articles that tend to instruct, I will 

 we have already stated, such knowledge will be j begin by using the writer's own words. First, "It 

 most useful and important to all men.— Scie7itijic\'^s a law_ of nature that like begets like in the veg& 

 American. table kingdom. This being a fact, I base my re^ 



For the New England Farmer, 



THE BRTJMAL RETREAT OF THE 

 SWALLOW. 



BY S. r. FOWLER. 



Mr. Editor : — It is not my intention again to 

 attempt to prove, that swallows do, under peculiar 

 circumstances, hibernate in trees, and at the bot- 

 tom of lakes and ponds. This fact is as well au- 

 thenticated, as many in Natural History. 



There always have been^and are still, distin- 

 guished naturalists and travellers, who believe in 

 the brumal retreat of the swallow, and who possess 

 facts, to confirm them in their belief. 



I am in the possession of more information upon 

 this subject, than when I wrote the articles upon 

 the swallow, contained in the i3th volume of the 

 A''eiv England Fitrmer. One of the principal rea- 

 sons for disbelieving in the hibernation of these 

 birds, is, that having such powers of flight, it is 



marks upon it. Whenever you find a stalk of corn 

 that has two ears on it, you will find that the top 

 ear is from four to eight days earlier than the bot- 

 tom ear; there being this difference in the setting 

 of the ears." Now I do not say that that is incor- 

 rect, but is something different from what I have 

 observed. I have been accustomed to select my 

 seed corn from stalks that have two or three ears 

 on them, and from those stalks of smaller growth, 

 above the ears, and saving both the first and second 

 ears, and planting both. I select to plant, those 

 ears that are as large at the top as at the stem, or 

 nearly so. I have planted one kind, the large ker- 

 nel, round ears, fourteen years, and I have never 

 been able to discover why I did not have as early 

 corn, and as many bushels to the acre, as my neigh- 

 bors. Two years ago I changed my seed corn, and 

 bought the long eared, eight rowed corn, so called, 

 taking it from the crib as it was gathered promis- 

 cuously from the field. In the fall when I came to 

 gather my corn, I found but f(!W stalks with two 



absurd to suppose they would not use them, and] ears on, and the second ear not in a single instance 

 migrate to warmer climate, in autumn. I as large as the top one ; yet, I planted the second 



This habit of the swallow may seem strange, but i with the top one, about equally. Last fall, when I 

 not more so than habits peculiar to some other I came to top my stalks, I noticed, on almost every 

 birds. The same form of argument, M'hich some of I hill, from one "to three stalks with two ears on, 

 your correspondents have used, to disprove the be- 1 and not unfrequently, three ears, and also that the 

 lief, that these birds, in some instances, are found! second ear was the larger, and in some instances, 

 at the bottom of ponds, because they have good l)sst car, wb.ich was not the case the ycnr before. 



