1859. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



259 



WHAT IS GRASS. 



Noah Webster, the highest authority we have, 

 (Ed. 1844, at New York,) says it is, in common 

 usage, herbage, the plants which constitute the 

 food of cattle and other beasts — the plants from 

 which hay is made, such as herdsgrass, red-top, 

 clover, and many other species — all which are 

 included in the family of the grasses." But an- 

 other W., wiser than old Noah W., has recently 

 grown up, and says "clover is not a grass." (See 

 Boston Courier of Tuesday, March 22.) Who 

 shall decide when doctors disagree ? I say, let 

 farmers themselves decide. Ask any twelve you 

 meet, and I hesitate not to say, that eleven of 

 them will promptly say that clover is a grass — 

 ask the learned Secretary of the Board of Agri- 

 culture, and he will tell you that clover is a 

 grass, for he has already said that in print. This 

 hypercritical quibbling, of persons who know 

 much less than they think they do, is vexatious 

 and annoying to practical men. * *. 



ALEXANDRIAN CLOVER. 



I have received a package of seeds from the 

 Patent Office, and among them is one marked 

 "Alexandrian Clover, Trifolinm Alexandrinuni, 

 (from Egypt.) Sow early in the spring." 



My query is, whether it is a flowering plant 

 designed for garden culture, or should it be 

 sown broad-cast for seeding down ground like 

 our common clover? j. 



Winchester, 1859. 



Remarks. — The Alexandrian clover is de. 

 scrib id in the books as one of the forage plants. 



lands in MAINE. 



Good arable lands can be purchased in Frank- 

 lin county, Maine, for five or six dollars per acre, 

 where farming produce can be raised in abun- 

 dance. I advise people to go there, instead of 

 the West. J. B. Johnson. 



Salem, N. H., 1859. 



TO CURE SPRING KNEES IN HORSES. 



In a past number of the New England Farmer, 

 I noticed an inquiry, as to what would cure a 

 horse having sprung knees. I had a horse about 

 two years ago, whose knees were very badly 

 sprung, and I cured him in a few weeks by using 

 "Dr. Streeter's Magnetic Liniment." I would re- 

 commend it in other cases of the kind. 



James S. Thompson. 



Kingston, Mass, 1859. 



TO CURE WARTS ON CATTLE. 



Dissolve potash to a paste, cover the wart with 

 it for half an hour, then wash it off with vinegar. 

 The cure is sure for man or beast. A. Briggs. 



Deerfield, Mass., 1859. 



HOW TO HULL CORN. 



Place & strong bag with three pints of wood 

 ashes in it, in a boiler with three quarts of corn, 

 in water. Boil until the hulls will slip off by 

 rubbing them with the hand. When rinsed, boil 

 the corn again in fair water till it is sufficiently 

 Boft. Asa Benfield. 



Centre Broolc, 1859. 



TARRING APPLE TREES. 

 I am tarring my apple trees to prevent the can- 

 ker worm from ascending. Can I mix any thing 

 with the tar to prevent it from becoming hard 

 too soon ? 



Is tarring the cheapest and most effectual way 

 of preventing the canker worm ? 



A Son of Pomology. 

 Westford, April, 1859. 



IIOAV TO hull corn. 



A good housewife, who has often read and 

 acted upon the receipts in the "Ladies' Depart- 

 ment" in your well conducted monthly, has often 

 asked me, "What is the best way to hull corn for 

 family use ?" Can you give her the informa- 

 tion ? Subscriber. 



Quincy, March 12, 1859. 



Remarks. — Some obliging lady will undoi.bt- 

 edly tell us. 



PLANT PURE POTATOES. 

 Plant potatoes that are not specked with rot, 

 or any disease, and my word for it, you will have 

 good, sound potatoes; this is no fiction, for I 

 have raised them for two years past, and had on 

 old or new land sound potatoes. 



TOBACCO. 



Where can I find a practical work 0!i to- 

 bacco ? B. B. 

 Middletoivn, Ct. 



Remarks. — Do not know. We hope not any- 

 where. 



EXPEBIMBNTAL FARMS. 

 Much responsibility rests on those who under- 

 take the direction of one of these establishments. 

 We are glad to learn that our neighbors of Es- 

 sex have already taken the bull by the horns, 

 and appointed a committee of their experienced 

 citizens to shape affairs on their Society's farm 

 in Topsfield. We learn Messrs. Fay, Merriam, 

 Loring, AYilHams and Dodge are planning for 

 the use of their farm. We have confidence that 

 these gentlemen will venture upon no plans of 

 operation that will not be practically useful. Mr. 

 Brown, the working man on the farm, is young, 

 energetic and ambitious. He is already favored 

 with a contract, that will enable him to use his 

 produce at home, thereby bringing it to a good 

 market, and increasing his means of fertilizing 

 his grounds. The employers are ambitious of 

 improving the appearance and conveniences of 

 the farm. It is so centrally situate, that it prob- 

 ably will, ere long, be made the focus of all the 

 society's operations. As was once said by the 

 renowned blacksmith of Hinsdale to Mr. Web- 

 ster, when he was about to address his fellow- 

 citizens at Worcester at a political meeting, fa- 

 miliarly slapping him upon the shoulder, "^Nluch 

 is expected of you, Daniel, to-day." So say we 

 of our friends in Essex. 



