408 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Sept. 



HO W A CHICK IS HATCHED. of an acre of winter wheat, and six premiums for 



In conversation with Judge Butler, of Norwalk, I ^^^ '^"«« ^f spring wheat. 

 a few da>s since, he expkiined the operation of{ Premiums were also awarded for crops of corn, 

 the hatching process, which is so beautiful and 'rye, barley and oats. We are glad to notice 

 philosophical, that as we have never seen it ex-t^hig^ especially premiums for the encouragement 

 plained in books.we repeat it to our readers. ! of wheat-raising. We think the interest of Mas- 



The chick withm the egg breathes through the I » •,,,,, 



shell; in the silky membrane lining the shell the;sachusetts farmers requires that they snould pay 

 blood circulates, and is thus brought in contact j more attention to this crop than they have for 

 with outer air. _ _ _ some years past. 



The head of the chick is in a position as if it fhe flowers were not forgotten— as seven pre- 



had been brought round under the wing and . i i r u *•*- i n »• 



"' 'J^^" " o -If "^ ■ miums were awarded for beautitul collections, 



over on the back — a little one side oi course — in! , . , , , . • , . 



such a position that the least muscular exertion i showing that taste and beauty are cultivated and 

 will press the beak against the shell, and about appreciated among the hills of Berkshire. How 

 in the middle, and when any violent struggle is could it be otherwise in the home of Mrs. Si 



made, it will break a little hole in the shell. Now 

 this little movement of the head, perhaps an 



ourney ? The address, by Makshall Warner, 

 contains many capital suggestions. The amount 



eighth of an inch forward, turns the chick in the i . .... , 



shell so that when the head is drawn back into | of premiums awarded was .'jcS-O, indicating that 

 its normal position, it is l)rought against another the society is in a healthy and flourishing con- 

 portion of the shell. The next struggle breaks Jition. 

 a fresh hole, and so on, each struggle making a 

 new opening in the shell. 



These struggles, as the chick gains strength 

 from breathing the fresh air, become more fre- 

 quent. Finally, in the course of half a day per- 

 haps, as it goes on turning itself in its shell, the 

 little blood-vessels which originally formed a 

 connection between the chick and the lining 

 membrane of the shell, are drawn so tight as to 

 prevent circulation, or are tv/isted off", and when 

 holes have been punctured and the shell cracked 

 about two-thirds nround,the shell falls apart and 

 the young chanticleer steps out into anew world. 



Occasionally the lining membrane of the egg 

 is so tough that the shell parts from it, and leaves 

 it unbroken, except in the little holes described, 

 and so if not seen in time the chick dies ; a pair 

 of scissors will eflTect a liberation. 



It is dangerous to attempt to take a chick from 

 the egg before it has, as will be evinced by the 

 cracked shell, turned itself nearly or quite two- 

 thirds round ; otherwise the Idood vessels spoken 

 of will be broken, and the chick either bleed to 

 death or be long in recovering. 



The whole process may be watched if the egg 

 be kept wavm in the hand, and observed as its 

 struggles call attention to it. This will not in- 

 terfere with reading or writing, and is instruc- 

 tive and interesting. — Homestead. 



HOUSATONIC AQBICULTUHAL SOCIETY. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 CUTTING OFF CORN STALKS. 



Messrs. Editors : — A correspondent recently 

 dissents from the practice of permitting the 

 stalks of corn to grow on till the maturity of the 

 grain. I would premise that this cutting off' the 

 stalks, while the leaves are green or healthy, is 

 contrary to all the known principles of vegeta- 

 ble physiology. He says "that by cutting off 

 after the pollen has fallen from the spindle, the 

 wound will soon heal up, and all the upward cir- 

 culation above the ear is stopped, and the re- 

 maining nourishment which is drawn from the 

 soil i)asses to the ear." 



Your correspondent may not be aware that the 

 crude sap which passes up /(as no immediate tSect 

 upon the growth, until it enters into the leaves or 

 lungs, and is there elaborated, (manufactured,) 

 and that the flow of sap is from the leaves down- 

 ward. I have not the fear which he expresses, 

 "that the article he referred to may do harm with 

 inexperienced farmers," for I should say at the 

 outstt to such, asccrf.aiii whether the worth of 

 utalks when taken off] is of more value than any 

 additional weight in the grain. There are many 

 ideas relative to the growth of trees and plants, 

 which are not true in fact ; thus, much is said 

 about the ascent of sap in the spring, and its de- 

 scent to ihf roots in autumn. The sap in spring 

 commences at the top or extremity ; it is there 



This society held its 17th exhibition at Greati^hat the excitable buds begin to swell indepen- 

 n • . .u o.-. 1 .-.., 1 1.^. u ro . i dent, thus early, of the root; the last place it 



Barrington,onthe22d,2Jdand24thofSeptem.,^^^^j^^^^j^ the roots. The writer says that, "by 

 bar, 18o8, and It was quite a spirited affair. Itjearly topping, the sugar is retained in the 

 embraces within its bounds, some of the most'stalk." Now, if he will but raise a few stalks of 

 notedstock-raisingtownsiniheState— of course,! the sugar cornor imphee, and late in summer, 



^1 fl „ ii„„t;„„ „«• <■ ^ 4.-U 1 i when the plant is in the same condition of growth 



there was a tine collection or stock on the ground. , ' , , i .i • . • 



_, . _,, ^ as the corn, when he recommends this topping, 



The reports are quite too meagre. The farmers :jjg ^jn g^j j^ difficult to detect any saccharine 

 of Lenox, Barrington, Stockbridge, and other matter in the stalk ; on the contrary, if he will 



towns, should give us some valuable information 

 respecting the breeds of stock which they raise, 

 and the best methods of feeding them, and pre- 

 paring them for market. 



Two premiums were awarded for the culture 



let it stand until the leaf has dried, and then cut 

 it off, he will readily find that sugar is so fully 

 developed as to occasionally drop from the end 

 of the stalk. 



Another familiar example which shows the im- 

 portance of the leaves, while green, to remain on 



