H 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



June 



soned, or converted into a gangrene, which kills 

 the top, and descends to the tuber, producing 

 disease and decay. 



If the above is correct, then it overthrows the 

 bug theory, which has been so confidently ad- 

 vanced. But the advocates of that theory will 

 ask me, probably, why we never witnessed such 

 effect from the atmosphere prior to 1843 ? I can 

 answer them only in the Yankee fashion, by ask- 

 ing them why we never had such bugs before 

 that year ? Was that bug created then ? Or was 

 it bioui;ht into existence by a cross between two 

 previously existing genus? Or if the bug exist- 

 ed previously to 1843, were its habits so changed 

 that it teased to feed on what it could not poison, 

 and con.menced living on the potato? But it 

 seems this is only a microscoj)ic bug, i. e., im- 

 perceptible to the naked eye. Every efiect must 

 have an adequate cause. Can so small a bug 

 produce such effects as to cause thousands of 

 busheKs of potatoes to rot? I have no doubt 

 the microscope reveals animaleula? living on po- 

 tatoes ; it does preying upon the thigh of a gnat, 

 and floating in the purest water. But I would 

 as soon believe that the ox, which died after 

 drinking, was killed by the animalculte, which 

 the microscope revealed in the water from which 

 he drar^k, as to believe the potato rot is pro- 

 duced by the animalcultr which th« microscope 

 exhibits living upon them. The cause is not ad- 

 equate to the efiect. Atmospheric changes, we 

 know, are frequent, and at times very great ; 

 sometimes producing diseases entirely new in 

 their type, which carry ofl' thousands of the hu- 

 man family ; and why not new diseases in the 

 vegetable kingdom ? 



The only remedy I have discovered, is to plant 

 an early kind, plant early, and on early ground, 

 so they may mature early. If the vines are dead 

 and the potatoes ripe by the 20th of August, you 

 will not lose many by the rot. 8. u. P. 



Leominster, 1859. 



guished excellence. The same law of nature ex- 

 ists among neat cattle, as among horses ; and 

 whosoever disregards it, may look for disappoint- 

 ment. Farmers will therefore be expected to 

 raise the offspring of cows, both male and female, 

 to which first premiums have been awarded, and 

 in tl.is way alone may they hope to improve 

 their stock. He that relies upon chance, to the 

 neglect of experience, will chance to be disap- 

 pointed. 



'•Them are my sentiments." 



"MULTUM IN PaRVO." 



For the New England Farmer. 



NATIVJE BREED OP CATTLE. 



REMARKS BY COL. PICKERING. 



It should be constantly borne in mind, that 

 the Society has been formed for the purpose of 

 effecting improvements in every branch of hus- 

 bandry. Chance in breeding, or a lucky purchase, 

 may give a farmer a superior cow, but unless her 

 offspring be raised, we shall make no advance ; 

 and fifty years hence, the quality of our neat cat- 

 tle will not be improved. It is true, that fine 

 cows and fine bulls do not always produce an off- 

 spring equal to themselves ; but the high prob- 

 ability is in their favor. Hence the high prices 

 given for the improved imported breeds, like 

 generally producing like. Many are willing to 

 raise a cov/ calf from a superior cow ; while they 

 are regardless of a bull calf. To an improving 

 farmer, the latter is more valuable than the for- 

 mer. The offspring of the female is very limited ; 

 whereas the male may be the sire of hundreds. 

 The heifers from fine cows so often prove worth- 

 less, because the cows are put to worthless bulls. 

 How diflerent is the conduct of the breeders of 

 horses ! No one expects a fine colt unless from 

 a good mare, when sired by a horse of distin- 



For the New England Farmer. 



SLATE VS. STOCK JOBBERS. 



Mr. Editor: — I have noticed several articles 

 in the New England Farmer about slate roofing. 

 Not being a manufacturer of slate, it maj be])os- 

 xible foi me to give some information, without 

 expecting to have my pockets atuj/'tdivifh the pro- 

 ceeds of certain certificates of stock. Disinterest- 

 ed persons might possibly suspect "Rusticus" 

 to be an owner of Glen Lake stock, from the zeal 

 he manifests in building up that enterprise, and 

 ignoring all others. If he wishes to advertise 

 his quarry, let it be done openly. The public 

 want facts and experience, instead of theory and 

 stock joblnng. Ttiis same public have paid thous- 

 ands of dollars to speculators for stock in slate 

 and mining corporations, having immense nomi- 

 nal capitals, high sounding titles, and owning a 

 very Jew acres of pasture land with a rock upon 

 it. If this money was judiciously expended upon 

 real quarries or mines, instead of being absorbt^d 

 by the managers, stockholders would have less 

 reason to complain. Let capitalists examine for 

 themselves, before making investments in any 

 such corporations. I do not wish to apply these 

 remarks to Glen Lake, as I am entirely unac- 

 quainted with their financial operations ; wishing 

 them success in any honorable measures for 

 building up this important branch of business. 

 The course taken by '•Rusticus" would create a 

 distrust of all kinds of slate. Having examined 

 most of the Vermont slate quarries, and practi- 

 cally tested several of them upon my otcn build- 

 ings, I consider them generally valuable. The 

 absorption of funds necessary for opening quar- 

 ries, erecting buildings and machinery, being so 

 large, the means of the owners, in many instances 

 being very limited, and the desire for quick re- 

 turns so strong, that often surface or unsound 

 stock has been manufactured and sold. Disin- 

 tegration is therefore certain. Why do some 

 slates change color or fade, while others are fast 

 colored ? Iron and sulphur enter into the com- 

 position of the former. Copper is the metallic 

 base of the latter. The one rusts, the other 

 brightens. The copper slate will withstand a 

 greater degree of heat than the iron slate, with- 

 out cracking. Slate varies in hardness in the 

 different quarries. In all instances within my 

 knowledge the softer stock (as in other stone 

 quarries) hardens by exposure. The softer slate 

 are usually the finer grained. The harder the 

 slate, the thinner it will split, provided it is free. 

 I prefer slate of a medium thickness and size. 

 Slatera and owners often advise the use of thin 

 slaie, as it saves them expense in transportation. 



