1859. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



499 



most excellent fruit when ripe, but it needs a 

 longer summer than ours to perfect it. Black- 

 berries will average at least ten cents a quart in 

 Boston market. 



BEANS — SQUASH VINES— WITCH GRASS. 



As you are always ready and willing to insert 

 in your paper anything that is profitable or in- 

 teresting to your readers, I thought I would give 

 you the product of a single bean raised on my 

 place this season. From one stalk I took 58 

 pods from which I shelled 288 full grown beans, 

 besides quite a number that were not fully de- 

 veloped. Now that is what I call a pretty good 

 yield for New Hampshire soil. This was a stalk 

 pulled up without regard to its being more pro- 

 lific than others of its kind, and they are what 

 are called the wild goose bean in our parts. 



One thing by way of curiosity — we have a 

 squash vine ten or twelve feet long, which is be- 

 tween six and seven inches wide near the end. 

 I do not know of what kind it is, as the seeds 

 came from Washington. The vine has but one 

 squash upon it, which did not make its appear- 

 ance until about four weeks ago ; it is now 

 about as large as a gallon measure, and of a light 

 green color. 



Can you, or any of your correspondents, tell 

 me where I can get v/hat is called by some the 

 "Phin" grass, by others "Dog," and still others 

 "Witch" grass seed, and at what price per bush- 

 el ? George Morrison. 



Franldin, N. H., Sept., 1859. 



Remarks. — We have never known the witch 

 grass seed for sale. This grass makes good hay, 

 but it has an Arab's reputation, every man's 

 hand is against it. 



DEEP CULTURE. 



Mr. Editor : — At the market in North Ando- 

 ver I met a gentleman of Lowell, who told me 

 he had thirty-five acres under culture, which he 

 had plowed twelve inches deep. He further said 

 he had been accustomed to plow his plain land in 

 this depth for fifteen years. I presume he gets 

 as good crops as any other man, for it is said he 

 has become the wealthiest man in the city in 

 which he lives. Facts are stubborn things. 



He still entertains some strange notions about 

 the bugs that destroy the potato and the onions 

 — but these he refers to his lady, who has prac- 

 ticed philosophy in these matters. 



What a fine thing is a good helpmeet in our 

 labors — even if they do lead us into error ! 



Sept. 19, 1859. _ 



ABOUT BARNS. 



Your correspondent, "J.W. K.," from Durham, 



N. H., has given many good ideas about the 

 structure of barns. First, let me say, it can nev- 

 er be expedient to crowd a dozen dozen of eggs 

 into one basket when they can be more safely 

 and conveniently preserved in a dozen baskets. 

 So with a barn for the storing and preservation 

 of hay. No sensible man will ever think of put- 

 ting 500 tons of hay under one roof, when it 

 can be much easier and more safely secured un- 

 der ten. "Verbum Sat Sapientis." 



FENCE POSTS — SWAMP LAND. 



I wish to inquire of you, or some of your in- 

 telligent readers, the best time to cut ash or 

 hemlock for fence-posts ? 



Also, what shall I do with a piece of swamp 

 land that is made dry, and don't bear as good 

 grass as before it was ditched — muck from one 

 to five feet deep — never was flowed ? 



John W. Townsend. 



Ketc Lisbon, N. H., Sept., 1859. 



Remarks. — September, we have always un- 

 derstood, is a good time to cut timber in order 

 to secure durability. 



From your account of the swamp land, we 

 should infer that the water had been taken off 

 too low down — leaving the top too dry. If you 

 can stop the flow of water by a slight dam, it 

 may be well to do so, raising the water to within 

 12 or 18 inches of the surface and see what the 

 efi'ect is on the crops. 



SEEDING TO FOWL MEADOW GRASS. 



1 have several acres of land, which I would 

 like to seed with fowl meadow, but cannot plow 

 or drain, it being on the borders of a very flat 

 stream. It is flowed most of the winter and un- 

 til May. 



Can I seed a small portion by spreading J to 

 1 inch of loam after sowing? if so, how much 

 seed to the acre, and when to sow ? If that will 

 not do, will any other way answer, without plow- 

 ing? A Young Farmer. 



Waltliam, Mass., Aug. 28, 1859. 



Remarks. — If you could seed the land suffi- 

 ciently early, say in August or first week in Sep- 

 tember, 80 that the grass would root well and 

 cover the ground, the winter and spring flowage 

 might not hurt it. We are told by seedmen that 

 one bushel of seed is not too much for an acre. 



LAMB-KILL. 



Can you give any feasible method of extermi- 

 nating the pasture shrub known as lamb-kill? 



A. I. Shaw. 

 Kensington, N. H., Sept., 1859. 



Remarks. — We do not know. It is a diffi- 

 cult matter. The only certain remedy is fire, 

 and then the plow and hoe. Where you cannot 

 introduce the plow and hoe, cut the bushes, 

 burn thoroughly, and rake grass seed into the 

 burnt spots. Perhaps some of our readers — 

 from their own experience — can recommend a 

 better way ; if so, we shall be glad to have them 

 do it. 



CROWING hens. 



There is a hen in this town which has brought 

 up a brood of chickens this summer, but has now 

 left her vocation of cackling, and taken up that 

 of crowing ; she "flaps her wings and crows" as 

 lustily as Chapman used to at the result of the 

 elections. 



Why she thus unsexes herself, and assumes airs 



