1858. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



of growth, April 6th ; general leafing of forest 

 trees, May 23cl ; barn swallows finally disappear- 

 etl, Aug. 29th, although most of their number 

 were gone a week or two previous. General fall 

 of forest leaves took place Oct. 22d. 



Such are the results of a meteorological record 

 of 1857, with three observations daily — at 7 A. 

 M., 2 P. M., and 9 P. M., besides observations of 

 other casual and periodical phenomena, and a com- 

 parison of them with the four preceding years. 



D. BUCKLAND. 



Brandon, Vt, Nov. 10th, 1857. 



Remakes. — We are obliged to our attentive 

 correspondent for this review of the past season, 

 and the state of the crops. Among the best 

 works on entomology are Harris's "Insects Injuri- 

 .ious to Vegetation," Fitch's Treatise, KoUar, a 

 German writer, and Kirby and Spense. There 

 are others of distinguished ability, but these 

 ai-e the popular works in use, Harris's work 

 may be found at the bookstores in Boston, but 

 we do not know at what price. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 THE THINGS I KAISE. 

 SWEET POTATO. 



This crop is one of inicertainty, though, if start- 

 ed early in hot-beds, and set out on dry, sandy 

 land, you are pretty sure of getting a fair crop of 

 potatoes of good quality. Two years ago my 

 sweet potatoes were better in quality than any I 

 could buy. They are not profitable, however, as 

 I raise them, purchasing mj' slips in Boston at a 

 dollar a hundred, and have from twenty-five to 

 fifty ]}ev cent, of them die, and then the risk of 

 the season for the remainder. I think on a light, 

 early soil, with my OAvn plants started early, I 

 could make it profitable growing this crop. Those 

 persons who raise the slips make a large profit, 

 as each potato yields so many slips ; for as soon 

 as one set is removed others ajDpear, and so on. 



DIOSCOREA BATATAS, OR CHINESE YAM. 



There has been a great noise made about this 

 new tuber, some claiming that it will entirely dis- 

 place the potato, which, of late years, is so liable 

 to rot, while this yam is not at all subject to that 

 evil, I believed it a humbug, but purchased two 

 roots of Messrs. Hovey & Co., last spring, for 

 which I paid fifty cents each ; these were planted 

 whole, being about fifteen or eighteen inches 

 long, and one or one and a half in diameter, in 

 the largest part. These yams do not grow as 

 some other sorts <)f yams, horizontally in the 

 ground, but they run down like a parsnip, being, 

 as the boy said of the flip iron, "biggest at the 

 little end," that is, they are quite small at the 

 surface of the ground, and continue small for 

 eiglit or ten inches, when thoy begin to grow 

 larger for the next eight or ten, and then taper 

 ofi' very fast in the next three or four inches to 

 quite a short point in some instances, while in 

 others they are largest at the extreme lower end. 

 The color is white outside aaid in ; when boiled, 

 of a bluish white, like boiled rice, and having 

 much the same taste ; sticky and starch-like, not 



mealy like a ripe potato, though I presume they 

 would be where the season Avas long enough to 

 allow them to ripen. The top^ or vines trail on 

 the ground like the sweet potatu, running often 

 twelve or fifteen feet, and are readily eaten by 

 cattle. They may be staked up like pole beans, 

 or left to run over the ground. 



The root that is planted decays, and other tu- 

 bers appear, from one to three in a hill, often not 

 more than one, but that of a large size ; one of 

 my roots yielded two yams that Aveighed together 

 four pounds, the other one iveighed two and a 

 half pounds. On the tops or vines were pro- 

 duced scores of little seed yams that will 'answer 

 for next year's setting. The yams may be grown 

 from slips like the SAveet potato, or cut in pieces 

 and planted like the common potato, or from the 

 little seed yams. It requires three years for 

 these small ones to become large. It is said that 

 they Avill remain in the ground through the win- 

 ter without injury, but I have not tried it. 

 It seems to delight in a deep, rich, sandy loam, 

 though I should not advise putting strong ma- 

 nure in contact with the tubers. I have changed 

 my mind somewhat, in regard to it, and Avould 

 recommend it for further trial, though I think it 

 is much easier and cheaper to groAv potatoes, if 

 they do not rot. I intend to plant a few next 

 season to test them more thoroughly. I Avould 

 here caution all those Avho groAV them for the 

 first time to be careful in digging them, for they 

 are very brittle, and snap like pipe stems ; they 

 cannot be pulled on account of the form, but 

 must be dug out, Avhich Avork is very much like 

 digging a Avell, for they often extend down tAven- 

 ty-five to thirty inchei. An immense quantity 

 could be grown on an acre, for they take up but 

 little surface, the roots invariably tending down- 

 Avards. James F. C, Hyde, 



Newton Centre, Nov. 10th, 1857, 



For tlie New England Farmer. 



ILLINOIS. 



Times in— Prices of Wheat and other Grains— Frost "^nd Snow 

 — Prairies on Fire — Rapid Growth of Villages — Nature and 

 Productiveness of the Soil — Error in regard to Potatoes. 



Although some time has elapsed since I last 

 wrote, I have not forgotten my promise. Diu'ing 

 this lapse of time, what great changes have passe'^ 

 over the people of the United States. Three 

 months ago, how many Avere sailing gracefully 

 upon the tide of prosperity Avho are now in pover- 

 ty, and hoAV many are noAv in large cities of the 

 East, Avho knoAV not where to get their bread, and 

 a cold Avinter staring them in the face ! 



The financial panic of the East has cast its dark 

 shadow over Illinois. There is little money in 

 circulation, compared Avith three months ago. 

 Every thing down to the loAvest figure. We are 

 overfloAving with grain of all kinds, and it is 

 worth little or nothing. Wheat down to 50 cts., 

 oats 17 cts., and still going doAvn, doAvn, doAvn j 

 coAvs that could not be bought for '$30, tlu-ee 

 months ago, are now doAvn to 818. Every thing 

 is coming doAA'n but land — that is still up. 



We are having the finest weather imaginable. 

 The ground has frozen tAvice this fall, but not a 

 snoAV flake has yet graced our prairies. The fall 

 has been very dry. Now is the time for fires. 

 To those who never saw a prairie on fire, it is dif- 



