1858. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



381 



faces. Until farmers have better prepared their 

 grounds by removing the stones, &c., from them, 

 one machine may answer for a neighborhood of 

 farms, on all of which there are some fields that 

 can profitably be mowed with the mower. 



There are other and very good working ma- 

 chines in the market — machines well put together 

 and attractive to the eye, but in my opinion, 

 there is no machine that will do work so accepta- 

 bly as the Heath (or Eagle) machine, to which a 

 reaper may be attached without inconvenience. 

 Thomas W. Ward. 



Shrewsbury, July 10, 1858. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 FARMING PROGRESSIVE. 



Mr. Editor : — By those who know nothing 

 bout it, we often hear it said that the enjoyments 

 of the farmer are few, and that what he has are 

 low and gross. At this day it need hardly be 

 said, that this is untrue, and a libel upon the pro- 

 fession. There doubtless has been a time when 

 there might have been more "truth than poetry" 

 conveyed in the above, so far as the pleasure and 

 position of the farmer were concerned, but this 

 will not hold good at the present day. For my- 

 self, I can conceive of no other occupation which 

 carries along with it so much of "nature and of 

 nature's God," which has in it so much for 

 tlwuglit, in fact, has every science combined, as 

 the employments of the farmer. I mean, of course, 

 a farmer in the broadest acceptation of that word. 

 It would be needless to enumerate the diS'erent 

 branches of knowledge which this embraces. The 

 time has gone by, when to mention book farm- 

 ing, was to bring upon one the ridicule of the 

 whole community. For the past few years, the 

 change has been great in this respect, but no 

 greater than the times demand. It wont do now 

 to go to mill with the corn in one end of the bag 

 and a stone to balance in the other. Farmers 

 have found out that they might just as well, and 

 with far greater profit, carry corn in both ends, 

 as it not only saves time, "which is money," but 

 is more economical in more senses than one. 



An intelligence which answered very well a few 

 years since, will not answer now. We live in 

 stirring, changing, progressive times, and I am 

 one of those who believe in this progress, not on 

 ly in the science of farming, but in every other 

 profession. Notwithstanding some of the "old 

 fogy" cant of the day, I believe the world is 

 progressing for the better, that mankind, as a 

 whole, are more intelligent, wiser and better than 

 they used to be ; that the cultivation of the soil, 

 the rotation of crops, the proper application of 

 manures for the samC; is becoming better under 

 stood, and being reduced to a science, and that 

 this state of things will continue. As long as 

 land is cheap, it cannot be expected that there 

 will be that improvement made in the science of 

 farming, as would be the case, if land was dearer 

 and the population more dense. Something of 

 this condition of things may be seen within a few 

 miles of all our cities and larger towns. Here 

 land is dearer, and there is, as a general thing, 

 more mind brought into action, and the cultiva- 

 tion of the soil is more scientific, and more pro 

 fitable. 



We have reason to believe that this state of 

 things will continue to spread wider and wider. 

 True, it may be a very slow process, but it is a 

 certain one, therefore I take it, that the interest 

 and prospects in the future for the farmer are 

 more encouraging now than they have been in 

 the past. He should be posted up in his profes- 

 sion, and avail himself of those means of improve- 

 ment which have stood the test of experience, in 

 carrying on his operations. Among these, labor 

 saving machinery is destined to perform a good 

 part of the labor now done on the farm by hu- 

 man muscle, as well as a goodly share of that of 

 the ox and horse. From the foregoing, we there- 

 fore deduce the following : We live in a "go 

 ahead" age ; one of improvement ; that book 

 farming is not to be discarded, and that there 

 may be a better way than the old one, that the 

 farmer who would keep himself and family well 

 informed, and learn to manage his farming in- 

 terest to the best advantage, must consult his 

 books, and take at least one agricultural paper 

 as good as the New England Farmer. 



King Oak Hill, February, 1858. Norfolk. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 GUENON'S THEORY. 



Mr Editor : — One of your correspondents has 

 expressed a doubt of the reliability of the Es- 

 cutcheon theory of Guenon, because he cannot 

 trace any connection between the position of the 

 hair and the milking properties of the animal. 

 This may be prudent — but if we are to believe 

 nothing that cannot be fully demonstrated, the 

 horizon of our knowledge will be much restricted. 



If the coincidence has often been noted, and 

 rarely failed, the presumption is in favor of the 

 theory, though no connection may be traceable. 

 Who is there that can fully explain the connec- 

 tion between the falling shower of rain and the 

 green grass of the field ? But still we certainly 

 know that one follows and is caused by the 

 other. 



So much attention has this theory awakened 

 on the continent of Europe, that a committee of 

 eminent gentlemen in France was appointed to 

 investigate it ; and it was found to hoW good in 

 a large proportion of the cows that came under 

 their observation — though not in every case. I 

 think the purpose of your correspondent was to 

 direct attention to other unintelligible notions 

 that are abroad, quite as much as to the escutch- 

 eon of Guenon. Though I cannot say that I have 

 full confidence in the theory, I think it entitled 

 to careful examination. I find those who have 

 given to it best attention, are most favorably im- 

 pressed. Inquirer. 



June 29, 1858. 



Eggs. — Let it be understood that eggs may 

 lose their nourishment by cooking. The yolk, 

 raw or very slightly boiled, is exceedingly nutri- 

 tious. It is, moreover, the only food for those 

 afflicted with jaundice. When an egg has been 

 exposed to a long continuance of culinary heat, 

 its nature is entirely changed. A slightly boiled 

 egg, however, is more easy of digestion than a 

 raw one. The best accompaniment for a hard 

 egg is vinegar. Raw eggs have a laxative effect ; 



