130 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



March 



the single remark for the present, that we have 

 delayed speaking of it until we had witnessed 

 its operations, and could speak with some assur- 

 ance. The plows were tested in various soils, in 

 the presence and in the hands of several as good 

 plowmen as can be found in this country, who 

 all expressed great gratification in the results. 

 This trial we propose to relate in another article 

 with one or two more forms of the plow. 



Now, before closing this article, let us look for 

 a moment, at some of the pecuniary advantages 

 secured us in this new plow : — 



Suppose, for instance, that your farm and 

 modes of culture require six different plows, or 

 that you would find advantage in the employ 

 ment of that variety. Say you want the largest 

 and smallest intervale, medium upland or stony 

 land, medium-lap-furrow, largest stubble, and 

 the sod and subsoil. That would make six plows 

 and be a fair demonstration of the economy oHhe 

 Universal Plow in expense and storage, to say 

 nothing of the quality of work it would do com- 

 pared with other plows — though in this'respect it 

 ••anks second it is believed to none. The cost, 

 then, for this one beam and handles and the six 

 mould-boards would be as follows : 



Intervale, No. 120, full rigged $16,00 



Mould-board No. 124, lij:ht size 1,75 



Mould-board, uplarfd, 141, medium 2,50 



Lap-furrow, meilium $2,00 ) „ .„ 



Narrow share for do 50 j " 



Mould-board, stubble, 150, large .3.00 



Skim plow, to be used with or without stubble, 150 3,00 



Total for six plows $28,75 



. hen for bog-meadow, take the wide, steel-edged share 



extra, to go with large 120 intervale 1,25 



$30,00 



These plows, or their equivalent, wooded up 

 separately in the usual way, would cost an aver- 

 age of $10 to $13 each, or in all, $60 to $70 t 

 Then, instead of six plows to handle, and find 

 storage for, you have but that one, and the 

 mould-boards, which are so compact as to occu- 

 py no valuable room. 



STBYCHWINE. 



This poison which has of late become so noto- 

 rious in its abuse, (we cannot say use,) is the 

 most uncertain in its action on the human frame ; 

 in some producing instant death ; the same dose 

 in others only bringing on tetanic convulsions, 

 and in a lucky few no effect at all ; and this does 

 not appear to have any relation to the physical 

 strengtli of the patient. It is a whitish, crystal- 

 line substance, and is extracted from the nut of 

 a tree called strychnos mix vomica. This tree 

 grows in Ceylon, is of moderate size, and has 

 thick, shining leaves, with a short, crooked stem. 

 In the fruit season, it is readily recognized by its 

 rich, orange-colored berries, about as large as 

 golden pi])pins. The rind is smooth and hard, 

 and contains a white pulp, of which many varie- 

 ties of birds are very fond ; within this are flat, 



round seeds, not an inch in 'diameter, covered 

 with very beautiful silky hairs, and of an ash 

 grey color. The nut is the deadly poison which 

 was well known, and its medicinal properties well 

 understood by Oriental doctors, long before 

 Europe or America had heard its name. "Dog- 

 killer" and '"fish-scale" are translations of two of 

 its Arabic names. The natives of Hindostan of- 

 ten eat it for months, and it becomes a habit, 

 like opium-eating, with the same disastrous re- 

 sults. They commence with taking the eighth of 

 a nut a day, and gradually increase their allow- 

 ance to an entire nut, which would be about twen- 

 ty grains. If they eat directly before or after 

 food, no unpleasant effects are produced, but if 

 they neglect this precaution, spasms result. The 

 chemical tests for it are numerous, but only one 

 or two can be relied upon as thoroughly accu- 

 rate. — Scientijic American. ■ 



I For the New England Farmer. 



PROFITS OF KEEPING AND RAISING 

 POULTRY. 



Many think that an investment in a stock of 

 poultry is rather a poor one. I Avill, therefore, 

 give an account of the expenses and income of 

 my stock, the past year, (or during the year 1857) 

 as I have kept debt and credit. 



I have been accustomed to the keeping of 

 poultry of different species for a number of years, 

 and have never been fully satisfied, until now, 

 that there may be a very handsome profit real- 

 ized from a stock of poultry, if rightly managed. 

 The variety of my stock comprises the Cochin, 

 Spanish, and Polish hen, the half wild turkey 

 and the Bremen geese. I have kept this kind 

 of geese for a number of years, and prefer them 

 to any other kinds that I know of. Some of 

 their superior properties are that their feathers 

 are purer white, and produce nearly double the 

 quantity of the common kinds ; their flesh also 

 being far superior, both in weight and quality. 

 My stock of fowls, January 1, 1857, was as fol- 

 lows : — 22 hens, 3 roosters, 3 hen-turkeys, 3 

 geese, (2 geese and a gander.) I raised 100 chick- 

 ens, 66 turkeys and 25 goslings from the same. 



The amount of capital invested in Fowls $15,00 



" " " for Grain 50,60 



$65,60 



The amount of poultry sold $93,33 



The amount made use of in family 6,00 



The amount of eggs sold 16,33 



The amount of stock on hand 22,00 



$137,66 

 Balance in favor of the credit $72,06 



In the account there is no credit given for the 

 eggs used by the family in cooking, which would 

 amount to something. Nor the feathers produced 

 by the geese, which would amount to about $6, 

 paying something towards dressing and market- 



I will just state that I am still keeping debt 

 and credit with my fowls, and my prospects are 

 good. I have now on hand an extra pair of young 

 jjeese for sale. Joseph Mace. 



Amherst, N. H., 1858. 



Rem.\rks. — Thank you, sir, these are the facts 

 we all desire to know. 



