122 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



ARCH 



bring the enbsoil to the surface, in sufficient 

 quantities to avoid the use of the surface soil, in 

 the growing of tlie plants ; just as though the 

 same causes that diffused the poison over the sur- 

 face, had not spread it in the subsoil also. I 

 should as soon think of prescribing "the taking 

 off the skin of a man" for the cure of the itch, 

 or any eruption apparent on the surface. So 

 prone are men, when they get hold of an idea, to 

 run it until it merges in absurdity. *. 



BUTTER IN WINTER. 



I often see directions how to make good but- 

 ter in your valuable journal. In making butter, 

 I find many obstacles ; my cow has been fed on 

 carrots for several weeks ; since that time we 

 have churned several hours (with the cream at 

 62) without making the butter come. Do you 

 suppose the carrots have a tendency to prevent 

 it ? If so, is there any way to avoid it ? Can the 

 cream be churned again by any process ? 



Jan. 11, 1859. A SusCRlBER. 



Remarks. — We believe the carrots would have 

 a tendency to produce good butter, and not to 

 retard in any way its coming. If you have churned 

 &day or two on your cream, you had better ap- 

 propriate it to some other purpose than the 

 making of butter. 



The first thing essential in making good but- 

 ter in winter, is to get good milk, and then if the 

 milk is set in some place, cellar or closet, where 

 the temperature will remain at 60° Fahrenheit, 

 cream will rise abundantly, and the butter will 

 come in ten minutes after commencing churning 

 the eream. Some persons scald the milk when 

 it comes to the house — but that is not so essen- 

 tial as an even temperature at 60° for the milk 

 to stand in. We are making 20 lbs. per week 

 without the slightest difficulty. 



MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 

 With the mercury 8*^ below zero, I have just) 

 examined the pages of Mr. Secretary Fay's pub-! 

 lication in explanation of the doings of the Mas-i 

 sachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture. I 

 Although the predominating influence of wealth] 

 is apparent on every page of this Society's histo-i 

 ry, still there is sufficient of good developed to, 

 make the whole worthy of commendation. For, 

 myself, I do not think a man any the better or 

 worse, for being born a milUonare, or chancing 

 to have married a wife that is one ; still it must 

 be admitted, that there are some things that such 

 persons can do, that others cannot do. I rejoice 

 that this publication is made, because I think it 

 will put down that ambitious spirit, that appear- 

 ed in 1S57, and is again beginning to show itself 

 on the banks of the Connect;icut. Every person 

 ■who reads this handsome volume of 150 pages, 

 ■will be satisfied that those who have managed 

 the concerns of this society have had a high and 

 honorable purpose, of doing the best they could 

 to advance the best interests of the farmers of 

 the State. If other associations would proceed 

 with a single eye to the general good as they 

 have, and not allow themselves to be swerved. 



from the path of propriety, they would leave a 

 record that would shine brighter and brighter, 

 unto the perfect day. 



January, 10, 1859. EsSEX. 



FRUIT TREES — EFFECT OF GRAFTING. 



Mr. Editor : — Fruit trees, and their cultiva- 

 tion, is a subject which I feel particularly inter- 

 ested in, and though my observations of these 

 are home observations, and consequently quite 

 limited, yet if they can be of use to any one, I 

 am willing they should be further published in 

 your valuable paper. 



That each tree has a condition of life peculiar 

 to itself, long, short, or intermediate, few per- 

 sons, if any, will deny, but that there is a trans- 

 fer of such condition by grafting, old age not ex- 

 cepted, few realize, and yet this is true, I believe, 

 entirely true, and that I can substantiate it. 

 But, says one, "If this be true, why then a large 

 proportion of our fruit tree interests are of no 

 account, for they have been grafted from old 

 trees !" Well, this is even so, and were I to make 

 a comparison of the thing, I should say that ani- 

 mal life can as well be re-instated by the suste- 

 nance which has established and perfected it, 

 manhood, if you please, as that a fruit tree can 

 flourish any considerable length of time, when 

 grafted from an old one, and the reasons are just 

 as obvious. The truth is, that the life principle, 

 the tree life principle has been shortened in, and 

 in, until no' hing comparatively remains of it, and 

 now we are suffering from such practices. 



Walpole, N. II., 1859. W. T. Blanchard. 



CLAPBOARD OR BATTEN BARNS. 



A "Subscriber" wishes to know if he shall use 

 clapboards or battens. My experience for quite 

 a number of years is, to use neither for ordinary 

 barns. My practice is, to use half-inch lining 

 boards, and then board with straight-edged 

 boards one inch thick, taking care to make them 

 break joints with the lining. It has this advan- 

 tage over battens, that, with a less number of 

 girts to nail to, wind and storm is perfectly ex- 

 cluded, it being understood that the boards and 

 linings are well-seasoned before they are used. 

 I find by experience, that hay can be put into a 

 tight barn much greener, and it v,-ill keep much 

 better, than it will in a loose boarded barn ; the 

 stock will eat less hay, and look better, and do 

 better, and they are better everyway, if it be 

 properly ventilated, than they possibly can be in 

 the old-fashioned loose boarded barn. If you do 

 not believe, come and see. I). D. Powers. 



Pittsfield, Mass., Jan. 10, 1859. 



WEATHER AND CROPS IN MAINE. 

 We are having pleasant weather and fine sleigh- 

 ing. December was a pleasant month. The 

 ground froze up rather early, so that most farm- 

 ers did not do up their plowing. Corn and oth- 

 er grain did well, excepting wheat, of which there 

 is not much sown about here. Potatoes turned 

 out well, and not so many rotted as usual. Hay 

 is rather high, twelve dollars a ton, and stock 

 cheap. As a general thing, farmers here keep 

 more stock than hay, so hay is kept high, and 

 cattle poor — a poor policy, 1 think. There are 



