28 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Jan. 



however, to begin in a small way, and where you 

 do experiment, use the manure freely, keeping 

 an exact account of costs, and then you will be 

 able to settle the question for yourself. Try it. 



(c.) When pomace is decomposed and mixed 

 with loam or muck, it is said to be a good dress- 

 ing for apple trees. 



(d.) Muck is better than loam for the barn- 

 yard, because it is a much greater absorbent. 

 Fifty loads of good muck, spread in the yard where 

 cattle lie as they usually do in our barn-yards, 

 and where the droppings of the cattle cannot be 

 carried off by rains, will be nearly as valuable as 

 fifty loads of the heap from under the barn win- 

 dow, — provided the muck and droppings be once 

 or twice plowed up or otherwise mixed. 



HOW SHALL I EECLAIM SINKS OR BASINS IN OLD 

 FIELDS ? 



Can you or any of your correspondents infonn 

 me how to reclaim sinks or basins in old fields ? 

 The alluvial soil deposited is a compost of clay 

 with every variety of vegetation, and on which 

 grow noxious weeds most luxuriantly, but corn 

 will not come up ; a chance stalk that comes up 

 grows off rank for a few weeks, and then dies. I 

 have raised and ridged, manured and limed, but 

 have failed. Should not trouble you, but have a 

 good many acres of land in that condition. 



Sparta, 1857. A Farmer. 



Remarks. — We have had no experience with 

 such lands, and must refer the subject to wiser 

 heads. 



large turkeys. 



I thought I would let you know what sort of 

 turkeys we have in Woi'cester. We have one 

 turkey, eighteen months old, which weighs thirty- 

 two pounds, and is still growing. We have seven, 

 five months old, whose weight is one hundred and 

 five pounds. If any of your readers have larger 

 ones, I should like to see them. 



David R. Gates. 



New Worcester, Nov., 1857. 



creeper HENS — CRANBERRIES. 



Will some of your readers tell me whei-e I can 

 get the old-fashioned creeper hens ? Also, where 

 a man can be had competent to prepare the 

 ground and plant one-quarter of an acre of cran- 

 berries ? A Subscriber. 



West Newton, 1857. _ 



MAPLE SUGAR. 



Londonderry, Vt., has about 1300 inhabitants, 

 and made, last spring, thirty tons of maple sugar. 

 November 16, 1857. S. PlERCE. 



Remarks. — We are glad of it, Mr. Pierce ; 

 you are a sensible and industrious joeople up 

 there, and enjoying most of the sweets of life ; — 

 but this latter one we should be glad to enjoy 

 with you. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 AGKICULTUBAIi BEPORTS. 



The season for exhibitions having passed by, 

 we may now begin to witness on "paper what has 

 sprung from these exhibitions. How few there 

 are, who duly weigh the importance of these doc- 

 uments, when prepared. It is not enough to say 

 that such and such a premium was awarded to A. 

 B. or C. D. for his or her best, or second best ani- 

 mal on the field ; but the report shovild so de- 

 scribe the characteristics of the animal or object 

 as to distinguish it from all others, and teach 

 those who are willing to learn, how to grow or 

 produce others of like character. If not, what is 

 gained by the exhibition ? The same may be 

 said of crops of every variety. Those who ap- 

 point persons to prepare reports, should have re- 

 gard to the ability of those selected, and those 

 who are selected should never engage in the du- 

 ty, without a determination to produce something 

 creditable to themselves, and useful for the com- 

 munity. 



These observations have been brought to mind 

 by the "introductory remarks," in the annual 

 transactions of one of our County Societies, lately 

 given to the public. While such vigilance is dis- 

 played and regarded as is therein contained, there 

 will be little danger of wearing out by repetition. 

 Whoever valued less the products of their orch- 

 ards, because year after year they had brought 

 forth fruit of the same character and quality ? — 

 On the contrary, a certain degree of sameness, 

 gives an increased value to these products. * 



November 12, 1857. 



Remarks. — These suggestions are important 

 at this juncture, when so many of our reports are 

 in the course of preparation. Much devolves up- 

 on the Secretaries of societies in this particular, 

 and they should insist upon such a report as will 

 elucidate the subject upon which it treats — oth- 

 erwise the report is not of so much value as the 

 paper upon which it is printed. 



For the Sew England Farmer. 

 SQUASHES. 



I have never known the season when this veg- 

 etable was so luxuriant and abundant. I pre- 

 sume the extreme wet of the summer was favor- 

 able to their growth. If memory is right, insects, 

 that is, the striped beetle and stinking, black squash 

 bug — (I speak of them as they are usually called, 

 not having a distinct recollection of Dr. Harris's 

 scientific appellations) — were less numerous than 

 usual. Probably, at the same time the moisture 

 promoted the growth of the vines, it retarded the 

 multiplication of the insects. I have been in- 

 duced to speak of this vegetable, by the accounts 

 of extraordinary products given us by a friend 

 lately returned from California, who saw four 

 squashes, the present season, in San Francisco, 

 the united weight of which was sixteen hundred 

 pounds. I have seen in the field of Mr. Merritt, 

 S. Salem, on ten hills, twenty squashes weighing 

 tiventy hundred powids. On the same I'arms, I 

 was assured that there has been raised more than 



