308 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



July 



regulating his time and attention to his wants 

 and pleasures. He who does this rightly, does 

 much toward forming his character to a perfect 

 sphere ; the true object of man's life. Besides, 

 in perfect physical development, manual exercise 

 on the farm, combined with proper intellectual 

 culture, would furnish examples more noble Uian 

 perhaps any other calling. Among farmers at 

 present, it is not so universally the rule as among 

 merchants, and one or two other classes. 



One of the great objections urged against farm- 

 ing is the lack of mental activity — that the mind 

 lies so dormant. Admitting that the objection 

 has its origin in truth, we confidently assert that 

 sluggishness or emptiness of mind is not at all 

 necessarily connected with farming. The fault, 

 from causes we have mentioned, and which exist 

 unreasonably and unnecessai-ily, is with the farm- 

 ers themselves. 



To recapitulate, our points are hriefly these. 

 Every individual has an immortal element with- 

 in, called the mind. This mind is intended, and 

 thereby fitted, for continual culture and develop- 

 ment; consequently, it is duty to comply with 

 these, being the requirements of God. That for 

 various reasons, the minds of many among the 

 class called farmers lie in too dormant a state. 

 That they have no sufficient and warrantable rea- 

 sons for this, and that the pleasures and advan- 

 tages they would derive from mental culture 

 would be sufficient, and more than sufficient, for 

 the required labor and time. And that to many 

 the great objection to farming — deficiency of men- 

 tal activity — is not really attributal)le to farming, 

 but to farmers ; and that this, with many other 

 objections, would be obviated by the course here 

 advocated. 



Life is not for inaction, quiet repose and the 

 gratification of animalism. Beneath the path- 

 way of every man lie the springs of happiness, 

 and he must patiently dig for them, who would 

 refresh his soul with their cooling waters. 



Waylaiul, Mass. L. H- Sherman. 



For the New Eni;land Farmer. 



HUNGARIAN GKASS—HUBBARD 

 SQUASH. 



Mr. Editor : — As considerable interest seems 

 to be felt in regard to the Hungarian grass, I will 

 give the result of a trial of it made last year by 

 Moses Parkhurst, in Paxton, about eight miles 

 west of Worcester. On the 21st of June, he 

 sowed two-fifths of a pint of seed on a little less 

 than four rods of ground ; on the 26th of July it 

 was headed out; on the 21st of August I saw 

 the piece, and cut up some stalks which measured 

 five feet high. The piece would average about 

 three or three and one-half feet high ; the heads 

 had begun to "turn" some, at this time. En- 

 closed I send you one cut at that time. It was 

 cut the 1st of September, and twenty-eight quarts 

 of seed wei-e threshed from it, weighing at the 

 rate of fifty-two pounds to the bushel. The soil 

 •was a good loam, such as would be considered 

 good corn land. I am not able to state its value 

 for fodder, but see no reason why \t should not 

 be a valuable crop. 



The Hubbard squash being somewhat noted, I 

 will state that last year I sent to Mr. J. J, H. 

 Gregory for some seed, and raised upwards of 



twenty, about half of which appeared to be the 

 Hubbard, and the others gave unquestionable ev- 

 idence that their predecessors had been quite fa- 

 miliar with the marrow squash. Most of the pure 

 ones have been very good ; some of them have 

 had quite a strong, rank flavor, which detracted 

 very much from their merits. Some of them, 

 cooked in the fall, were as dry and mealy as a po- 

 tato, so dry that milk had to be put with it to 

 get it through the sieve. It does not require 

 half the sweetening of the common marrow 

 squash. I have some in my cellar now, though 

 somewhat decayed. They have kept about two 

 months longer than the marrow. 



V, P. Parkuurst. 

 Temphton, April 27, 1859. 



Remarks. — We have received some half-doz- 

 en samples of Hungarian grass seed, all corres- 

 ponding with each other ; also, a sample of the 

 grass itself, from which we have threshed the 

 seed, and frund it agreeing with the samples of 

 seed. None of these are like the grass you were 

 kind enough to send us, — nor does it bear any 

 special resemblance to them. We think your 

 specimen is not the true Hungarian grass. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 KEMEDY FOR KICKING COWS. 



Dear Farmer : — I do not much like your cor- 

 respondents' (A. F. Adams and S. B. Hartwell) 

 method of treating kicking cows, nor do I be- 

 lieve such means effectual or necessary. They 

 are dangerous experiments — much more likely to 

 spoil than to reform. 



A number of years' experience with a large 

 number of cows and heifers, has fully convinced 

 me that hindness is the only safe application to 

 make to kicking kine, as well as to most other 

 vicious animals. 



There is always some cause for cows kicking 

 to be found either in their condition, or in the 

 mode of treatment pursued by those having 

 charge of them. This should be sought after ti' 

 found, and then the proper remedy applied. 



Heifers not unfrequently kick, and sometim"es 

 menacingly use their horns also, at the outset of 

 their cow-life, from fear or fright. Some wild 

 and furious boy or man is set to milk them for 

 the first time, seizing their tender and unaccus- 

 tomed teats with rough and uncautious hands ; 

 the timid creature does just what nature sug- 

 gests, and what we should expect, viz. : kicks 

 the blockhead over, and our decision is, "served 

 him right." 



Now comes a critical point. If kindness and 

 forbearance be now substituted for a beating, the 

 cow may be saved — otherwise she is lost almost 

 to a certainty. A little timely caution, however, 

 may save all trouble and risk. Let the milker 

 take with him — or her, (and females are uniform- 

 ly better hands at milking than males,) to the 

 stable some choice bit of food, and feed it to the 

 frightened and trembling brute from the hand ; 

 pat and rub her carefully about the head and 

 shoulders, talking soothingly and kindly to her 

 till she shall make your acquaintance, which she 

 will soon do, and 'manifest it by signs which 



