78 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



largest. This may be thought a large story by 

 some, and, indeed, I think so myself; but the 

 egg is preserved for future reference, and can be 

 seen by any one who wishes to have ocular proofs 

 of the fact. HiRAM Buttekfield. 



Bendville, Vt., 1857. 



PROFITS IN RAISING GEESE. 



I have not seen anything in the Farmer con- 

 cerning the profit of raising Oeesc, and I will 

 make a statement of mine. In the first place, 

 my stock consists of one pair only — the gander 

 is the White Mountain, its mate is a Bremen. 

 She commenced laying about the first of March, 

 and laid twelve eggs. The 4th of May she came 

 off with ten goslins, who ran with her ten days, 

 when I separated them, so that she might lay her 

 second litter, which she never fails to do. The 

 young require a little care for a few days, and 

 then they Avill take care of themselves. I fed 

 them with corn meal and scraps til! the 7th of 

 July, when I dressed them, and the next day car- 

 ried them into Boston, and sold them to Mr. 

 Coggins, at Quincy Market, for $15 ; their aver- 

 age Aveight was 11| lbs. I did not make the 

 statement thinking of boasting, but simply to 

 show that thei-e is a profit in raising these fowls. 

 I did not keep an account of the food which they 

 consumed, but it cannot amount to a gi'eat deal 

 in that length of time. The feathers Avill amply 

 pay for dressing them, and as for marketing, I 

 think it will pay to visit the city once a year. 



South Hanson, Dec, 1857. 8. D. 



PROGENY OF ONE COW SINCE 1852. 



In October, 1852, I pui-chased a fine five year 

 old native cow, and in February following she 

 produced twin calves. The two next years she 

 produced one at each birth ; the fourth year she 

 produced twins, and on the 27th af November 

 last, which is the fifth year, she produced triplcls, 

 which is an increase of nine calves in five years, 

 at five births. Hollis Ciiaffin. 



Dexter Asylum,, Providence, B. L, Dec, 1857. 



PATENT office REPORTS. 



Will you please to inform me through the col- 

 umns of the Farmer where I can obtain a copy of 

 the Patent Office Report on Agriculture, and how 

 much it will cost Avhcn delivered ? 



S. Framinr/ham, 1857. E. H. Coolidge. 



PtEMARKs. — Write to the member of Congress 

 from your district to send you a copy, and he will 

 undoubtedly do so. 



POP CORN. 



Will some one inform me what kind of ma- 

 nure is best to plant common pop corn with ? I 

 have tried to raise it two seasons, and failed. Is 

 it best to soak the corn or not ? How would it 

 do to plant this corn with potatoes, both in one 

 hill ? A Subscriber. 



Dec 16, 1857. 



Consolation. — A miserly old farmer, who had 

 lost one of his best hands in the midst of hay- 

 making, remarked to the sexton, as he was filling 



up the poor fellow's grave, "It is a sad thing to 

 lose a good mower at a time like this ; but, after 

 all, poor Tom was a dreadful great eater." 



I''uT the New England Farmer. 

 MISERIES OF FABMIWG. 



While reading the piece thus headed, I have 

 been trying to picture to myself what kind of a 

 man the one that wrote this must be, but I have 

 not been able to come to any conclusion what 

 kind of a picture to draw of him. 



I acknowledge with him that the earth sponta- 

 neously brings forth thorns and thistles ; but God 

 has given man power to cultivate the soil ; has 

 given him the horse and ox, and with his skill 

 he applies the strength of these, to useful and 

 profitable purposes. Man cultivates the soil, not 

 as a beast of burden, not as E. H. S. would indi- 

 cate, harnessed with his horse or yoked with hio 

 ox, but with an intelligent mind, a cheerful heart 

 and willing hand, and receives a rich reward for 

 his labor. 



As to farming being the most laborious busi- 

 ness there is, I feel free to say it is not so, as 

 having tried mechanical, mercantile and farming 

 pursuits, I think I am prepared to judge correct- 

 ly. I never yet found the place where there was 

 not hard work to be done, but I have found a 

 gi-eat many that did not like to do it, and I sus- 

 pect E. H. S. is one of them. As for pleasura- 

 ble excitement, there is more in one day on the 

 farm than in one month in the store or shop, and 

 it is just such excitement as the mind requires 

 for health and activity. What is more pleasing 

 than a stock of fine cattle to look upon in the 

 every day rounds ? there is the sprightly colt, with 

 his gi'aceful manoeuvres around the field; there are 

 the sheep and playful lambs. And what is more ex- 

 citing and pleasing, than following tloat good ea- 

 gle plow drawn l)y a pair of well trained oxen or 

 horses, rolling the sod over so smooth and even ? 



What class of men has more time and better 

 facilities for cultivating and improving the mind^ 

 than the farmer ? I have yet to learn of that 

 class. There is plenty of work for a cultivated 

 mind, even on a. small farm. In regard to the 

 comfort and ease of the manufacturer, the me- 

 chanic and merchant, I Avould refer E. H. S. to 

 the present pinching times ; ask him to contrast 

 their situation with that of the farmer. 



Oxford, Nov. 10, 1857. ^y. L. D. 



PIGEON CATCHIHG-. 



Few jjersons, jicrhaps, are aware how many 

 wild pigeons are taken at the AVest, and bi'ought 

 to the eastern markets, or how much they con- 

 tribute to supply the demand for flesh. Mr. T. 

 N. Taylor, of Plymouth county, and one of a 

 company engaged in the business, informs us 

 that one of his associates "caught the past fall, in 

 two months, or less, one thousand seven hundred 

 and twenty-six dozen, or two hundred and seven 

 thousand and tivelve jyiyeons." Enough, certain- 

 ly, to make a good many pigeon pies, in the 

 hands of a skilful cook. 



