1859. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



139 



In looking over the capital of our State, I find 

 that the most elegant building in the city is the 

 new jail just erected. Punishment in jail, means 

 now, loss of personal liberty and nothing more, 

 while to some poor fellow it may be a comforta- 

 ble refuge. T. 



Augusta, Me., Jan. 22, 1859. 



EXTKACTS AND REPLIES. 



MANURE ON SOWED CROPS — LIxME, ASHES AND 

 PLASTER IN THE HILL. 



I wish to inquire whether it is best to spread 

 on ail manure in the fall for a sowed crop, or let 

 it lay in the heap until spring ? Whether the 

 strength will not soak down in the spring when 

 the ground is not beyond the reach of the 

 roots ? (a.) 



Also, whether lime or plaster should be mixed 

 with wood ashes, or whether all three be mixed 

 together, or used separately, to put in the hill 

 for corn or potatoes ? (h.) 



A portion of my farm work for a number of 

 years has been, raising potatoes for the market, 

 and I have read everything in the Farmer with 

 interest, on the subject of the potato rot. For a 

 number of years I have noticed that a portion of 

 the vines have been eaten by some insect, but the 

 insect I could never find. On reading the state- 

 ments last fall, made, I think, by Mr. Read, of 

 Baltimore, I was satisfied that rot was caused 

 by the bug he had discovered. But when I be- 

 gan to dig I did not find a single potato in those 

 hills where the vines were eaten that was aff'ect- 

 ed with rot, while in the hills by their side, where 

 the vines had not been eaten, there were rotten 

 potatoes. W. 



New London, N. H., Jan. 6, 1859. 



Remarks. — (a.) If you mean by a sowed crop, 

 rye or wheat sowed in the fall, we should say 

 spread the manure and plow or harrow it under 

 before sowing the grain. If you, fortunately, get 

 manure after this work is done, and you wish to 

 give the crop the benefit of it, make it as fine 

 as possible and spread it on in the fall. 



(b.) Mix your lime, ashes, and plaster, and ap- 

 ply them all at once. No harm will be done by 

 the mixing that we know of. 



POTATOES IN 1858. 



Mr. Secretary Flint, in his letter to Gov. Banks, 

 says that the crop of potatoes in Massachusetts 

 has been uncommonly good, and that the yield 

 amounted to six million bushels, at least, of the 

 value of $;i,000,0()0. If this be so, what has be- 

 come of the bugs that threatened to poison and 

 destroy all the potatoes ? I believe by this time, 

 Mr. Editor, you, like myself, have become satis- 

 fied that this bug or insect theory of potato-des- 

 truction is one of the humbugs of the day. If 

 you think otherwise please say so, that we may 

 know where to find you, before we plant again. 



Remarks. — Well, Mr. Star, we are not entire- 

 ly satisfied that the hugs do not have something 

 to do with the disease in potatoes, after all. At 



any rate, we have a good deal of respect for the 

 opinions of men whom we know, and who have 

 bestowed much time and money upon their inves- 

 tigations. The opinion of a person so watchful 

 and observing as j'ourself, checks us in giving 

 full belief to the hug theory ; so that while our 

 opinions are thus balanced, we hope they will 

 not influence your planting, or that of any other 

 person, the coming spring. 



A DISCOVERY OF OLD TIMBER IN THE OCEAN. 



Not long since I had the pleasure of reading 

 in your instructive journal an article on the value 

 of wood and the 2)laiiting forest trees. It makes 

 me avail myself of the present opportunity to 

 send you a short reminiscence for your monthly. 

 The accompanying strip of bark, from an Eng- 

 lish oak, was taken from a log twenty feet long 

 and two to two and a half feet in diameter, at 

 one of the Liverpool, England, timl)er-j'ards, vis- 

 ited in the year 1845, where was seen a vast 

 number of logs, say a ship load, brought from 

 the coast of Scotland. These logs having been 

 fished up at a distance of two to three miles from 

 the shore, in open sea. The time is not known 

 when the ocean had so invaded the earth as to 

 make these desposites. I 



This timber was of the most desirable charac- 

 ter to a people who so much admire the wood, 

 and indeed we are assured its value paid largely 

 to the fortunate discoverers. It was used at pri- 

 ces of rosewo'd and mahogany, and in furniture, 

 for panel-work. It was patronized by the no- 

 bility, speaking well for both the enterprise and 

 patriotism of the nation. 



A Header and Subscriber. 



January, 1859. 



MOWING MACHINES. 



"Facts are stubborn things." A working man 

 informs me, that he has cut the present season, 

 with one of Allen's mowers, 325 acres of grass, 

 yielding on an average, at least, one and a half 

 tons to the a'.re, amounting to 450 tons. besic!?s 

 many acres oi second crop, yielding one ton lo 

 the acre. This has been done on an average cf 

 time to the acre not exceeding 50 minutes. The 

 machine has been moved by the same pair of 

 horses, which he has used for three years, for 

 this purpose. He has driven them himself, with 

 no assistant near. On some days has cut ten 

 acres at least, with no re-sharpening of the 

 knives. 



1 have repeatedly seen the grounds on which 

 this implement has operated, and know no rea- 

 son to question the correctness of the statements. 

 If these facts do not prove that mowers can be 

 advantageously used, where there is grass enough 

 grown to justify their use — say on farms where 

 there are fifty acres or more to be mown ; or in 

 neighborhoods where several can produce as 

 much as this by combining together — then I will 

 admit my notions of the labors required in car- 

 rying on a farm are erroneous. I do not say 

 that other machines may not be used to equally 

 good advantage. I only speak of what 1 have 

 witnessed. EsSEX. 



Dec, 1858. 



