1859. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



493 



one by H. J. Hodges, the Secretary, showing 

 the efFects of top-dressing, consisting of different 

 kinds of fertilizers, for the years 1857 and 

 1858, upon seven half acres of grass. Each lot 

 was upon the same kind of soil, and in the same 

 condition. The substances used were poudrette, 

 plaster, superphosphate of lime, horse and cow 

 manure, ashes and guano, and one lot was left 

 without any dressing. The result was, that ashes 

 was the only profitable fertilizer to be used as a 

 top-dressing on such land. The lot upon which 

 the ashes was used, was the only one upon 

 which the increase of hay paid for the fertilizer. 

 The lot upon which the guano v/as applied the 

 first year, gave 105 pounds more hay than the 

 lot dressed by the ashes. But the guano cost 

 $5,24, while the ashes cost but $2,00. Eight dol- 

 lars worth of horse and cow manure increased 

 the hay only to the value of $1,06, leaving a loss 

 of $6,44. 



We should be glad to have many more such 

 esperiments made and reported with the same 

 accuracy, especially as the idea seems to be gain- 

 ing ground, that top-dressing is an economical 

 way of applying manure to grass land. We have 

 no doubt that this is the best mode on heavy, 

 moist land; but on light, dry soil, we fear it can 

 never be profitably substituted for occasional 

 plowing and re-seeding. 



The amount of premiums awarded by this so- 

 ciety was $802,25. 



any individual a ten dollar bill who will forward 

 to me next spring a native white grape vine, 

 white in a fair use of the word, i. e., one whose 

 fruit shall not show a well defined lilac tinge 

 where the sun looks at it. Observe, I say noth- 

 ing of the flavor of the article ; it may be a com- 

 bination of choke cherry and sulphuric acid — no 

 matter for that, only give me a white, native 

 seedling. James J. H. Gregory. 



Marblehead, Mass., 1859. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 THE FABLED WHITE GKAPE. 



Who has ever found the native "white" grape, 

 of whose existence the public are at intervals in- 

 formed ? To be sure, we have the Rebecca, which 

 might in popular language be styled a "white" 

 grape ; but what I am in pursuit of, is, that na- 

 tive "white" grape which is declared to exist in 

 several localities as a pasture seedling. Has 

 there ever been such a grape found ? does such 

 an one any where exist ? I have walked many a 

 mile to see with my own eye wild grapes, v/hich, 

 in their neighborhood had the reputation of be- 

 ing white, but somehow or other they would al- 

 ways insist on blushing in my presence, particu- 

 larly on their sunny side. 



Some years ago, a relative, on reading an ad- 

 vertisement by a gentleman residing in New 

 Hampshire, stating that he had a native white 

 grape for sale, proposed to purchase ; I endeav- 

 ored to dissuade him, but seeing was believing, 

 and he purchased a vine, and half a peck of the 

 grapes. Alas! for his anticipations, when that 

 box was opened in my presence, the grapes 

 blushed, as usual ! This gentleman planted seed 

 from these grapes, and the fruit on his seedlings 

 recalled to my mind the result of his investment. 

 To help settle for myself the question, whether 

 or not our pastures or forests contained a grape 

 that can properly be called white, (the Rebec- 

 ca to be excepted,) I shall be happy to pay to 



HANDLING HOBSES WHILE BEING 

 SHOD. 



A most important job, that of shoeing a horse, 

 is very frequently performed by a careless or ig- 

 norant smith, whereby valuable horses are often 

 lamed or injured. Dr. W. Pierce, V. S., in a 

 note to the Ohio Cultivator, in alluding to this 

 fact, remarks, that horses sometimes stand quiet 

 and easy, at other times they refuse to stand 

 still, while one foot is up — they struggle until it 

 is released, and frequently the shoer beats, speaks 

 sharply, swears, and frightens the horse, so that 

 he must be held by force or abandoned. Another 

 takes his tools and sets his shoes without any 

 trouble. 



The Dr. gives some of the reasons for this. He 

 says : Under certain circumstances the muscles 

 cramp, causing severe pain. Almost at any time 

 a horse's hind leg may be raised so high, or in 

 such a position, as to cause severe cramping, not 

 to be endured. When a horse has had all the mus- 

 cles relaxed by exercise, and stands and cools 

 quick, an unusual position will most certainly 

 produce cramping, and at the same time make 

 him irritable. A horse that has stood for some 

 time in the cold, uneasy, and suffering with 

 anxiety to get home, is in a bad condition to 

 stand the bangs, and often painful jjosition, of 

 shoeing, and too often fretted to that degree 

 that he never gets over it — too often forced to 

 stand and endure the pain of severe cramping, 

 pricking, etc., until he will never forget it, and 

 often refuses to enter the shop again. 



Some horse-shoers have a habit of raising the 

 foot and leg so high that no common horse can 

 stand it, and thus he will shoe horses half his 

 life-time before he knows that the fault is in 

 himself. The awkwardness and ill-temper of some 

 shoers is sufficient reason to withdraw your pat- 

 ronage, although they may do their work well. 

 The damage done by forcing the horse to stand 

 in pain, and the injury to his disposition, is in- 

 finitely more injury than to go ten miles, and 

 spend a day and pay double price to one who has 

 some sympathy, and shoes him without pain — one 

 who exercises some reason and judgment and pa- 

 tience, and seems to sympathize with the suffer- 

 ing animal — has little or no trouble, and does 

 no damage. 



I once knew a horse that if he was minus a 

 shoe, would go by himself to a particular smithy, 

 and there stand until the shoe was set. I once 

 owned a horse that was shod three or four years 

 without any trouble — at last he was sent to a 

 shop to be shod and the shoer, being alittle intox- 

 icated, frightened him, beat and abused him in 

 such a manner that he ever after feared to ap- 

 proach a blacksmith shop, and if forced to enter 

 one, would tremble with fear. I tliiuk I shall be 



