1858. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



43 



of the reach of the horses ; so that if they should 

 get loose, they could not pull them down and get 

 entangled in them. Back of each hoi-se are the 

 curry-comb and brushes, and a rope wMch is 

 passed across the back of the stall in the day, but 

 not in the night time. At the end of the hall or 

 space between the stalls, are the watering trough 

 and bathing-tub for the horses, which are supplied 

 with a Cochituate pipe. 



The stalls themselves are made of inch and a 

 half plank, and each feed trough is lined with 

 zinc, and the edge plated with iron ; the bars for 

 the hay-rack are also of iron, and every part 

 where the horse might gnaw or bite, is covered 

 with zinc. The' hay and meal are all kept in the 

 stoiy above, and -the food is cut and mixed there, 

 and then sent down to each stall thi'ough two 

 shoots, one for the hay, and the other for the cut 

 feed. The mixing trough is so arranged that the 

 hay is cut and falls into it, and by raising a trap- 

 door, as much or as little meal as is wanted runs 

 into it, and a stream of water is let in from the 

 other side. 



On the same floor with the horses, is the extra 

 harness room and place for the lanterns and oth- 

 er stable furniture. In front of each horse is a 

 small hole or ventilator through the wall to allow 

 bad air to escape, and in addition to these there 

 are large ventilators on the roof, which allow all 

 infected airs to pass off, so that the whoje stable 

 is as free from smell as a neat dwelling-house. 

 The firm of truckmen to whom tliis stable be- 

 longs, does business in Milk, Pearl, and adjoin- 

 ing streets, and have from twenty-five to thirty 

 as fine horses as are to be found in Boston, 

 which are worthy of every care they bestow upon 

 them. We have rarely been more forcibly struck 

 with the truth of that sentence which declares 

 that "a merciful man is merciful to his beast," 

 than in looking over this finely arranged stable. 

 We heartily commend this excellent example of 

 Messrs. Page, Noyes & Co., to all who have the 

 charge of horses. 



FuT the New England Farmer. 

 THE NORTHEN SPIT APPLE. 



For the last ten or twelve years, no apple has 

 excited so much interest among cultivators in 

 New England, and been laid under so heavi- 

 ly for contributions of scions, as the Northern 

 Spy. We ought now to have a liberal share of 

 good fruit from these inoculations, but we see 

 but little, and farmers seem as "shy" about speak- 

 ing of it as is the reputation of the tree as a bear- 

 er. 



At an Agricultural meeting at the State House, 

 last Avinter, this apple was alluded to, when Mr. 

 Hyde, of Newton, pronounced against it, and no 

 one said anything in favor of it. The general ob- 

 jection is, that it is a poor bearer, and produced 

 but little fair fr.uit, though the Messrs. Lake, of 



Topsfield, have thought differently. Mr. Hovey, 

 in his Magazine, last spring, stated a new objec- 

 tion to it, which from various sources had come 

 to his cars, viz : dry rot. 



However, as it is far more agreeable to speak 

 well of anything than otherwise, I wish to depose 

 (per contra) that ]\Ir. L. G. Horton, of Quincy, 

 of this State, has presented me with four very 

 fine specimens of this apple, and states that the 

 largest and handsomest of this year's lot have been 

 consumed, and that last year he raised some 

 which his neighbors thought would not suffer 

 from a comparison with those of New York. The 

 scions were set in a healthy and vigorous bearing 

 tree in 1850, and began to bear four years after- 

 wards. There were only a few scions put in, and 

 the product this season was about half a bushel. 

 The specimens jiresented me weigh six ounces 

 apiece, and are ten inches in circumference. 



Mr. Horton states that his tree stands on an 

 elevated dry soil, with a western aspect, and that 

 the dry rot has effected the fruit to some extent, 

 which corroborates the statement of Mr. Hovey, 

 that a dry soil gives no exemption. 



It seems to be quite certain that we can raise 

 good Spies in our climate and soil ; but if this 

 new defect, the rot, continues, added to its sparse 

 bearing habits, the Northern Spy must become a 

 respectable outcast. D. "W. L. 



W. Medford, Nov., 1857. 



For the New England Farmer 

 CATTLE SHOW NOTES. 



On the 29th of October last, the Western 

 Hampden Agricultural Society held their Show 

 at AVestfield. It was a cold, damp, drizzly day, 

 but the thorough-bred farmers, and the famous 

 fat and working cattle, of that section, were well 

 represented. Few are the places that make as 

 good a display under such Aveeping skies. Little 

 rough Montgomery sent from her steep hills 

 over thirty yokes of Herefords, most of them ex- 

 cellent in shape and drill. (Are not hilly tOAvns 

 better places to break cattle and horses than lev- 

 el ones ?) An interesting, and I believe peculiar 

 feature of this exhibition, is the weighing of cat- 

 tle. I noticed many people gathered about the 

 toAvn scales, as j'oke after yoke marched on. The 

 owners appeared pleased ; the judgment of the 

 by-standers was improved. I do not know a more 

 profitable attachment of Agricultural Shows, than 

 this. Platform scales are the levelers of cattle 

 society, as common sense is of human. There is 

 no disputing their justice. There is no appeal 

 from their decision. The extravagant Ijoasting 

 of the owners of mammoth stock is checked ; the 

 feeble hopes of the timid are raised. A few spec- 

 imens of cows, colts, pigs and poultry completed 

 the stock list. One venerable porker had four- 

 teen of her children (out of a litter of nineteen) 

 present, all fat, fair and forty pounds in weight. 



The Hall next attracted my attention. Here 

 was a good collection of vegetables, fruit, butter, 

 bed-quilts, household goods, fancy work and pic- 

 tures. Among the household manufactures wer® 

 two pairs men's stockings, knit by an old lady 

 over ninety-five years old. They looked very ser- 

 vicable and comfortable. Is it not strange that 

 these homely but useful articles should receive 



