1856. 



NEW ENGLAND FAEMER. 



559 



quires less time to cut corn stalks and the orts that 

 cattle leave, than it does to overhaul them in the 

 manure heap, and to get them plowed under in 

 the field. A man ■will load about as much again 

 manure in a day where he can cut down into it 

 ■with a shovel, as he can pull and twitch out of a 

 heap made up of corn butts, straw and long hay. 

 When everything is cut, it is so minute that it rots 

 quick, and if to this a little fine meadow mud is 

 added, he finds the heap in the spring a black, 

 unctuous paste, easily plowed under, and in a fit 

 condition to feed the plant. 



But if you do not cut the litter, still use the tight 

 floor, litter and clean out often, and throw into a 

 compost heap. In the spring, as soon as the heaj) 

 is free from frost, overhaul it, throw it up lightly, 

 keeping it wet until a gentle heat is gained, when 

 decomposition will take place and soon fit it for 

 use. 



It is a good rule never to use lime with vegeta- 

 ble matter. Quicklime has the effect of disengage 

 ing and setting free the ammonia from fermenting 

 manures, and so it would from guano, or any other 

 fertilizer highly charged with ammonia. 



HOKSE ETHAN ALLEN. 



Mk. Editor : — I noticed in your paper of Oct. 

 4th., an article headed "An explanation," and signed 

 Z. White. He declares $20,000 was ofiered for 

 the horse Ethan Allen, by Mr. Austin, of Orwell, 

 one of the owners of the horse, but there was no 

 one, not interested, ready to purchase, at quite so 

 high a price. By publishing my statement you 

 will obhge one, and I think many, who are much 

 opposed to the gambling and horse racing to which 

 our fairs are tending, and who think it much better 

 to improve the morals of man, than the speed of 

 the horse. As there is but one Mr. Austin resid- 

 ing in Orwell, I suppose the "Explanation" is in- 

 tended for me. I am not acquainted with Z. While, 

 but he is mistaken when he states that I am a 

 partner in the horse Ethan Allen — I do not at this 

 time, and never did, own any interest in the horse. 



Orwell, Oct., 1856. Me. Austin. 



PUMPKINS AND VINES. 



There grew on my farm this summer, a pump- 

 kin vine whose whole length was 448 feet; there 

 also grew on the same vine 10 pumpkins, — their 

 ■weight together was 175 lbs. p. c. 



Dartmouth, Oct., 1856. 



SWEET MOUNTAIN PEPPERS. 



Mr. Albert Howard, of South Braintree, Mass., 

 has left with us some beautiful peppers of this vari- 

 ety. They are large, of fine shape, and he says 

 are superior for pickling. 



EARLY SWEET CORN. 



Thanks to"M. K.," of Ascutneyville, Vt.,for the 

 early sweet corn. We hope to test it next year. 



For the New England Farmer, 



SHEEP ON SMALL FARMS. 



Sir : — I wish to learn through your paper a few 

 facts about the keeping of sheep. They are much 

 neglected, on various accounts, and not without rea- 

 son — the want of suitably fenced pastures, and the 

 occasional depredations of dogs, are almost insur- 

 mountable. I have a well fenced piece of mowing- 

 land, of about six acres. It yields about a ton of 

 English hay per acre, unless on the upper and dryer 

 part, where perhaps it yields less. I have enough 

 else to keep me busily occupied, I think, consistent- 

 ly with economy and profit, and think this would 

 be a good jilace to keep sheep. I want to know 

 how many sheep I could keep here. The soil is 

 good, and if the sheep would fertilize it well in 

 three or four years, whether it could be mowed to 

 good advantage then, without plowing or break- 

 ing up ? Please tell me if I could reasonably 

 count u])on a good revenue from the lambs, and 

 how much for the wool ? 



I would like, in conclusion, to know if in your 

 estimation this would be the most profitable use to 

 which I could put this field, considering that I have 

 about thirty acres of tillage beside, in high cultiva- 

 tion, and also the amount of hay the sheep would 

 eat during winter ? Very respectfully, Essex. 



Remarks.— The keeping a few sheep, even on 

 many of our small farms, would be an interesting 

 feature in our husbandry, and we have no doubt, if 

 properly understood, might be done with profit. 

 We have had considerable experience with sheep, 

 but it was on a farm where there was a hundred 

 acres of pasturage. The case in question is so dis- 

 similar, and our experience under such circumstan- 

 ces is so limited, that we are quite willing to stand 

 aside, and give place to some of our intelligent cor- 

 respondents, who have the information which may 

 be of use to "Essex." 



The subject is interesting and important, and we 

 trust some one who abounds in facts will speak up- 

 on it. 



COMPOSTS. 



The business of forming composts is one in which 

 we may derive important assistance from chemis- 

 try. Every plant is composed of certain constitu- 

 ents derived either directly from the soil, or through 

 the medium of the atmosphere. It has been con- 

 clusively shown by experiment, that the best man- 

 ure that can be applied to the grape-vine, is a 

 compost formed principally of its own foliage. In 

 like manner we find that wheat straw, and the haulm 

 of the potato plant, constitute the best manures 

 for the sustenance of those crops. Analogy also 

 teaches us that the residuum of all vegetables, or 

 that portion of thpm which remains after decom- 

 position, contains the true pabulum of their respec- 

 tive tribes, and that in no way can their growth 

 be more effectually promoted than by their appli- 

 cation. This is, indeed, the course nature pursues. 

 In our forests the only aliment the trees receive is 

 furnished by the decay of the annual foliage, with 

 the exception of a certain though unascertained 

 amount of atmospheric food derived through the 

 medium of their leaves, and which is also of vegeta- 



