1858. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



243 



V-inds which herald in the spring, and for that 

 blustering activity which has given the first month 

 of spring no very enviable character. The last 

 days of this month were sunny and genial, and 

 bluebirds, robins, blackbirds white-belly swal- 

 lows, song-sparrows and meadow-larks appeared. 



Our usual winter birds, however, scarcely 

 showed themselves at all, — there not being half 

 as many seen as during the winters that are al- 

 together more inclement. 



April came in warm, with soft, mild winds, 

 ■with streams and springs remarkably low and the 

 earth unusually dry. Farmers commenced plow- 

 ing in its first week, and more farm-work had 

 been accomplished before the 10th than was done 

 last year by the 20th, or perhaps the 25th. The 

 first rain in this month fell on the 9th, which at 

 once put a new aspect on the face of the earth — a 

 lively green taking the place of the brown her- 

 bage which had so long met the eye. 



These April showers water the earth, already 

 •warmed by unclouded suns, and prepare it for 

 the handiwork of the husbandman, and he will 

 enter anew, we trust, upon his healthful and de- 

 lightful employments with filial trust, with feel- 

 ings of more intimate relationship Avith Him who 

 orders all events, and with a higher appreciation 

 of His ever-watchful interest in, and over us, 

 and all our afi'airs. With trusting hearts and 

 stout hands, the farmer has nothing to fear, as 

 He who created and moves all things will send 

 the early and the latter rain, seed-time and har- 

 vest, and whatever else that shall work together 

 for his good. 



In this trusting spirit let us turn up the fresh 

 furrows and sow the seed in gladness, rejoicing 

 no)c, in the pleasant things of life, and so all 

 along the way to the ingathering of the Harvest. 



MEXICA-N CURE FOB HEADACHE. 



Proper diet and exercise, cheerfulness of mind 

 and agreeable social intercourse will do more to- 

 wards regulating the stomach and bowels in those 

 predisposed to this dreadful pain, than any plan 

 of medical treatment which can be suggested. 

 However, vinegar bandages, apj lied to the tem- 

 ples and forehead, give great relief. Mr. Thomp- 

 son, a traveller in Mexico, describes an efficacious 

 remedy used there. The head must be bent down 

 on the side from which the pain proceeds, M-hilst 

 a teaspoonful of rum, or any other spirit, is in- 

 troduced into the ear. The patient should then 

 remain quiet till the pain subsides, which is usual- 

 ly in three or four minutes. This I have tried 

 myself, and derived great benefit from it on more 

 than one occasion. 



Americaj^ Farmer's Magazime. — We have 

 just risen from the perusal of the April number 

 of this work, by Prof. J. A. Nash, of New York, 

 with a degree of gratification not often felt. Pa- 



per, print, doctrines, all of the highest order. 

 He ought to have 100,000 subscribers. Why don't 

 farmers study their own interest enough to send 

 him 10,000 subscribers this year to begin with? 

 Address American Farmer's Magazine, 7 Beek- 

 man Street, New York. 



EXTRACTS AND REPLIES. 



A LIVING FENCE. 



I am about to burn and clear a piece of ground 

 which will destroy the old brush fence, and now 

 for a new and valuable one. Stones are not very 

 plenty. The land is upon a steep side-hill, and 

 I think of setting a row of pine trees about three 

 feet apart, and supporting a wooden fence by the 

 side of them for a few years until they get large 

 enough to stop cattle ; the land I intend to use 

 as pasture. I have hundreds of young pines 

 growing upon a pasture near by, which will have 

 to be removed soon. What do you think of such 

 a plan ? John W. Nye. 



Remarks. — If you protect the pines from the 

 cattle until they are sufficiently large to nail a 

 rail or strip of board against them, you will have 

 a beautiful living fence, that will probably last a 

 hundred years, and then furnish you or some- 

 body else a fine lot of wood. Hope you will 

 carry out your design. 



SUPERPHOSPHATE OF LIME FOR SQUASH BUGS. 



Last spring I planted a patch of marrow 

 squashes, to try the virtue of superphosphate of 

 lime as a preventive of the squash worm or bor- 

 er, as I had failed to raise any squashes for sev- 

 eral years on account of this destructive worm. 

 After the seeds came up I sprinkled some of the 

 lime on the young j^lants, first to keep off the 

 small black beetle, and then to keep off" the stri- 

 ped bug, — all of which was successful. I still 

 put it around the roots to prevent the borer, and 

 repeated it after each hoeing, taking care to have 

 it encircle every stalk ; when the young fruit ap- 

 peared, I put it on for the last time and found 

 that it prevented the worm or borer entirely ; it 

 also kept off" the long pumpkin bug. The result 

 was, I had a splendid crop of squashes for the 

 first time for many years. Will others try it ? 



Spring Grove, 1858. S. A. Shurtleff. 



ESSEX COUNTY FARM. 



We find this farm much better than it was at 

 first apprehended to be. We think interested 

 motives have prompted some togive it a.bad ii^^me. 

 We find 60 acres of it to be as good as any other 

 pasture of like extent. We find the meadow 

 bordering on the Ipswich River to be very good 

 of its class. It has yielded a fair crop of grass 

 for many years, without any other dress'ng than 

 the flow of the river, and we know no reason why 

 it will not do this as long as water runs. As to 

 the light land on the plains, it can be reclaimed 

 by pioper plowing and fertilizing. Such things 

 have been done, and can be again. I have 

 thought if this farm can be so managed as to re- 

 generate itself — then will every acre of this Com- 

 monwealth be worth possessing and experiment- 



