1858. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



89 



Fine sand makes weak, and coarse sand strong 

 mortars, and the sand should be washed before^ 

 mixing, to obtain the large grains. The lime 

 should be thoroughly burned^ and perfectly white. 

 'I'iie principle on which it hardens is, that the 

 lime absorbs carbonic acid from the air, and har-l 

 (lens, forming a concrete round the grains ofj 

 sand. It was customary to mix with the lime and 

 sand, chopped straw, but cow's hair has been 

 substituted ; this is only introduced to cause it 

 lo bind together, and prevent cracking in the 

 drying. It is only used for the prime coat. — Sci- 

 eniific Amcncan. 



BXTKACTS AND BEPLIES. 

 WATER PIPES. 



I have laid about two miles of log pipe, to 

 furnish the city of Portland with water. The 

 fountain head is not sufficient, and another pipe 

 will be laid down. I wish to know whether clay 

 pipe will do, and what pressure it will bear. The 

 pipe can be made here. John S. Hawkins. 



Portland, Oregon Tar., Nov., 1857. 



Remarks. — We have no doubt but clay pipe 

 will answer for aqueduct purposes ; that is, to 

 convey water from a fountain down hill, by its 

 own gravity. But common, soft burned clay pipe 

 would not bear much piessure ; we have no data 

 at hand to show how much ; nor can that be done 

 with any certainty, as there would be so much 

 difference in the pipe itself. We have no doubt, 

 however, but you can use good clay pipe for com- 

 mon aqueduct purposes, and find them durable 

 and economical. 



ROOTS FOR STOCK, AND MACHINES TO CUT THEM. 



You will very much oblige one, and perhaps 

 many of the readers of your paper, by giving 

 your opinion as to the best method of preparing 

 turnips, carrots, ruta-bagas, &c., for food for stock. 

 Also, by giving a description of some of the best 

 machines for cutting such roots, with cost of ma- 

 chines, and any other information relating to the 

 subject. s. 



West Salisbw-y, Vt.,Dec., 1857. 



Remarks. — At present, with the high prices of 

 fuel to cook roots in common boilers, and the 

 want of some simple, cheap, yet effective mode of 

 steaming them, we think roots may be most use- 

 fully fed to cattle in a raw state. But they should 

 be cut into such pieces as to become easy to get 

 at for the animal, whether it be horse, ox, cow, 

 tsheep or lambs. To accoijiplish this we use now, 

 daily, Willard's Patent Boot Cutter. A figure of 

 this machine, together with a description of it, 

 may be found In the Monthly Farmer for De- 

 cember, 1857, and we believe no man who feeds 

 OTit many roots can afford to be without it. 



now TO raise pop corn. 



I will inform your "Subscriber" how to raise 

 p p corn. Plow the ground well ; put one 

 shovel full of manure in each hill, or spread four 



shovels full to each hill, and harrow the ground ; 

 soak the corn in copperas water, allowing one 

 table spoonful to one peck of corn ; hoe three 

 times, and you will have a good crop of corn, if 

 the weeds are kept down and the season is only 

 tolerably faithful. 



My father raised marrowfat squashes and 

 good white beans, planted the fourth day of July, 

 and both got ripe. SoPIIIA. 



Mcthuen, Dec. 28. 



large CROPS OF CARROTS. 



In the Farmer of this date is a speculation by 

 Mr. I)., of Hopkinton, wherein he thinks it will 

 be in his power to raise 2000 bushels, or 50 tons 

 of carrots, to an acre, in the course of another 

 year. Having had some experience in the cul- 

 ture of the carrot, and never having witnessed 

 the growth of more than 35 tons, or 1400 bushels, 

 to an acre, in one season, he will excuse me for 

 saying that what he states is "much easier said 

 than done." From the success with which he has 

 cultivated small parcels, year after year, I can- 

 not doubt, with proper care in fertilizing and 

 clearing his grounds, he will raise as many as arty 

 other man ; but I will venture to pay double 

 price, on delivery in Boston, for all that will grow, 

 fit for market, under any circumstances, more, 

 than 40 tons, or 1600 bushels to the acre. Even, 



Mr. B., of M , with his first-rate land and in-- 



exhaitstible supply of manure, has never come 

 up to this. Arator. 



South Banvers, Dec. 26, 1857. 



A PRETTY GOOD PIG. 



Capt. AVillard AVorcester, of this place, slaugh-. 

 tered a pig Dec. 21, which weighed, May 30, 17 

 lbs. ; when dressed it weighed 280 lbs., making a 

 gain of 263 lbs. in 205 days^ or a trifle more than 

 1.1 lbs. per day. 



The pig was kept on sour milk entirely until 

 Sept. 1. During September a small quantity of 

 meal was added. The remainder of the time, up 

 to slaughtering, it had what meal it would eat. 



Shirley Village, 1857. w. B. B. 



Remarks. — Please send the "sketch of farm- 

 ing operations," to which you allude. 



HOLDFAST, OR BONE WEN. 



The enlargement of the bone on the jaw of the 

 ox is something that, I want information upon. I 

 have been obliged to kill several cattle Avith this 

 trouble. I want to know the name of those 

 bunches, the probable cause, and remedy, if 

 any. I will state what I have heard and what I 

 think about them. Holdfast and bone wen are 

 the names I have heard given. Cures are spirits 

 turpentine, or spirits turpentine and sulphur mix- 

 ed, applied externally ; cutting them out and 

 knocking the tooth out immediately opposite the 

 bunch. I never have practised any of the above 

 cures much, and never knew a cure to come un- 

 der my observation. I think they are frequently 

 caused by a bad tooth, and if that be the case^ 

 the removal of the same might be a cure. The 

 bunch always is near the roots of the teeth. I 

 should like to hear all the facts any one can give 

 in regard to the above. A SUBSCRIBER. 



Ea-it Jaffrey, N. JI., 1858. 



