1859. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



319 



Princeton, he admitted his experience was much 

 the same, but that a liberal supply of phosphate 

 •would restore the soil to its usual fertility ; but 

 he says, too, "This will cost too much. Yes, sir, 

 it costs too much to raise ruta bagas to justify 

 their cultivation in this region." 1 might multi- 

 ply cases like my own experience. While I am 

 constrained to differ from Mr. C. in relation to 

 the profit in raising ruta bagas, I cordially 

 agree with him in the killing effects of a luxuri- 

 ant crop of them. They will do the work pretty 

 thoroughly. My saddest experience has been a 

 Bandy loam and gravel subsoil. On stifler soil 

 this effect has not been as bad. Yet there it has 

 been to me a bad crop. Let me have 3 acres of 

 corn, with a good hay-cutter, and I am perfectly 

 willing any one else should have the acre of ba- 



fas. As to their value for the growth of stock, 

 admit they are good. But when fed to cows in 

 milk, I should much prefer to sell the milk, though 

 I confess I should have misgivings even then, 

 for the cows would lose their credit, or I should 

 my own. 



Now, Mr. Editor, you have my experience and 

 views in relation to the rutabaga crop, and of 

 course my re,ason for doubts as the profit of rais 

 ing them. Otis Bkigham. 



Wtsiborp\ May, 1859. 



Foi' die New England Farmer. 



EABNS AND LOAM-.-PACTS AND FIG- 

 UBES. 



Mr. Editor : — I always enjoy reading the N. 

 E. Farmer. Not that I always agree with the 

 w iters, but still, I am hardly the less interested 

 . reading. Sometimes I take my pencil, and fig- 

 ure up the cost of the propositions therein pro- 

 posed as improvements. 



This week John II. Constantine proposes a 

 new arrangement for a barn ; said barn is to be 

 from 80 to 100 feet square, with a cellar under 

 the whole, 10 feet deep. My calculation on 100 

 feet square, makes the cost more than $3000, if 

 built well, with a good stone basement on three 

 eides. For a poor farmer, $3000 — "I promise 

 to pay," is an ugly customer to jjay. The inter- 

 est, taxes and repairs are more than $200 a year! 



When he gets his barn built, and his stalls, 12 

 by 12, all ready, he is going to cart in his marl, 

 &c., for winter use. Before he puts his stock 

 into the pens, he is going to put into each stall 

 one foot in depth of his marl, &c. ; i. e., 144 

 feet. I took the stock I had wintered the last 

 year, to see what it would cost me. I must have 

 40 stalls for my stock ; 144 x 40=5700 solid feet, 

 or 45 cords, or 135 common ox-cart loads. That 

 is to fill the stalls once. 



Now if a man will dig and cart into my barn- 

 yard, what will make, when dry, six loads a day, 

 I will be satisfied with his day's work, — 135 di- 

 vided by 6=22i days. Thus it will take a man 

 and a team 22^ days to draw the first laying. 

 He })roposes to change this one a month — say 

 eix times ; then it would take a man and team 

 135 days to draw the marl, &c., for winter use, 

 — at $2 a day, $270. When you add the drop- 

 ping of the stock, it will cost about the same to 

 cart it on to the land, unless the farm is close to 

 his barn, say, $270. 



Now, he proposes t® have 45 cords, or 135 

 loads, shovelled over once a week, and once a 

 month to take out what is in the stalls, and put 

 in fresh marl, &c. This is rather hard to calcu- 

 late, as I do not know how he proposes to make 

 the exchange ; but I will venture to guess that 

 it would take three hands all the time ; at $20 a 

 month for labor and board six months, this 

 would amount to $360, making an aggregate of 

 $900. 



Some farmers may be so situated that they 

 can make the above experiment for less ; and it 

 would cost others more. But I still find another 

 difficulty. Where am I to get marl, &c., say 810 

 loads a year, for winter use ? It would soon 

 make my meadows all fish-ponds ! If a man is 

 rich enough, he may go into such experiments; 

 but woe to the farmer worth from $3000 to $4000 

 who should try it. When Mr. Constantine gets 

 his barn built, I shall call and see it, if I can. 



Eollis, N. n., 1859. Ed. Emerson. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 NUMBER OF TILES TO THE ACBE. 



The following rule for ascertaining how many 

 tiles per acre will be required for drains at a cer- 

 tain distance apart, may be found convenient, and 

 is easily remembered. 



In estimating, to include main drains, divide 

 48000 by the distance apart in feet. Thus : if 

 the drains are to be 30 feet apart, 



30 \4800O 



1600 the number required. 

 If forty feet apart, 



40 \4800O 



1200 the number required. 



Unless the drains are to be laid at an odd dis- 

 tance apart, the division may be made mentally 

 in a moment. 



The percentage of tile to be used in the main 

 drains varies with the length of the laterals and 

 v/ith their distances apart. The above given rule 

 supposes the laterals to be forty feet apart, and 

 to have an average length of about four hundred 

 feet each. 



If it is required to know how many tiles would 

 be used for lateral drains only, divide 43,560 by 

 the distance apart. Thus : for lateral drains, 36 

 feet apart, 



36\A35f)0 



1210 the number required. 



These estimates suppose the available length 

 of tiles to be one foot each, and in using those 

 which are cut from the machine in lengths of 14 

 inches each, it will be found that about one thous- 

 and in number are required to lay one thousand 

 feet in length. This is owing to the shrinkage 

 of the clay in burning, to breaknge in transpor- 

 tation, and to the rejection of imperfect tile. 



Boston, May, 1859. J. Herbert Siiedd. 



Cattle Show and Fair. — The Martha's 

 Vineyard Cattle Show and Fair will be held at 

 West Tisbury, on Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 

 11 and 12, 1859. 



