426 



NEW ENGLAND FARMEK. 



Sept, 



cle bed, so that the shells were constantly in the 

 way of the edge of the knives. The latter was 

 extremely uneven, having a clayey soil, and im- 

 perfectly laid down. 



I mention these facts, to rebut the idea, that 

 mowers will operate only on even land ; they 

 will operate on any ground, when well harnessed, 

 and skilfully drawn, but best on ground free of 

 obstructions. Essex. 



July 30, 1858. 



For the New England Parmer. 

 THE SEASON. 



Never have I known a more luxuriant vegeta- 

 ble growth in our fields. Corn, the prime hope 

 of the farmer, is all that could be asked for it ; 

 notwithstanding its early start was slow and un- 

 promising. Grass is sufficiently abundant, though 

 quite a large proportion of the crop remains un- 

 eut ; and much that has been cut has been in- 

 jured by the superabundant rains. Much inter- 

 est has been awakened by the use of machines 

 moved by horse-power, in the cutting and curing 

 of hay, and several new and improved patterns 

 of implements have been introduced to our 

 fields ; while the defects of those heretofore used 

 have been noticed and corrected. This is cer- 

 tain, that implements of this character are des- 

 tined to general use, on all fields of sufficient ex- 

 tent to warrant the expense of procuring them ; 

 tlje particular kind to be preferred, must depend 

 upon many contingent circumstances. Skill in 

 the design, skill in the construction, skill in the 

 use, are all essential to perfect work. I should 

 as soon think of being easily shaved with a dull 

 razor, as of having my grass well cut with a ma- 

 chine out of order. 1 perceive that some of the 

 editorial craft of your city are untiring in their 

 suggestions to discountenance the use of ma- 

 chinery in the labors of the farm. This may do 

 very well for gentlemen of the old school ; but 

 Young America will not work long in such a har- 

 ness. Her motto is, "Best first, best always." 



Much less injury is experienced from the op- 

 erations of insects than was expected last year. I 

 have never seen the onion fields more luxuriant 

 and promising ; andjuu know this crop is the 

 main stay of many of our most industrious culti- 

 vators. Agricola. 



Essex Co., July 31, 1858. 



HOBSE POISONED BY FUMES OF LEAD. 



Mr. Editor : — A few days since, a horse be- 

 longing to a friend, while trotting moderately 

 along, suddenly commenced to tn inble and be- 

 came unmanageable — after running a short dis- 

 tance he fell. Being driven by the lady and son 

 of the owner, and happening to be near at the 

 time, I Avas requested' to assist them. I found 

 him upon his feet, very weak, trembling, and 

 covered with a copious perspiration ; after bleed- 

 ing and walking around about one hour, he re- 

 covered, and drove home, (about three miles) ap- 

 parently as well as ever, although some weak. 

 The horse was one known to be perfectly sound, 

 and neither having been over fed or over driven, 

 the owner was quite anzious to ascertain the 

 cause of the "fit." The inysteiy was, however, 

 solved in my own mind after entering his stable. 



The owner was engaged in painting and repair- 

 ing his house, and deposited in the stable, (which 

 was quite small and poorly ventilated,) a number 

 of pots of lead paint, mixed in various forms — 

 but thought it was impossible that the animal, 

 could have got at them. Now, here is what strikes 

 me to be a very well marked case of "Lead Colic" 

 in the horse. The most distinguished veterina- 

 ry surgeons of the day have clearly demonstrated 

 the susceptibility of animals to the poisonous ac- 

 tion of lead — and not unfrequently we see cows, 

 in particular, lose their lives from licking newly 

 painted fences, &c. Although the horse might 

 not have come in direct contact yvith the poison, 

 why should not the horse suffer the same delete- 

 rious effect from breathing the air of a close sta- 

 ble impregnated with carbonate of lead, as a hu- 

 man being sleeping in a newly painted apart- 

 ment? Henry B. C. Greene, M. D. 



Saco, Me., June 2, 1858. 



Note. — We see no reason why a horse should 

 not be poisoned by breathing the fumes of lead 

 as well as a man. We know of many cases where 

 persons were attacked by colic, and rendered dis- 

 eased for years, by sleeping in rooms painted 

 with lead, before they were perfectly dry, and 

 many a poor painter has found "death in the pot" 

 of paint which he used in his business. 



Maine Farmer. 



Fur the Netc England Farmer. 

 BENT OF LAND IN ENGLAND. 



Mr. Editor: — In an editorial of the 24th 

 you speak of the rents of the "cultivated lands 

 in England and Ireland," as averaging from 

 twenty to twenty-five dollars per acre. From the 

 other portions of your article, I suppose you 

 mean, by the expression "cultivated land," that 

 used for pasturage and for hay, as well as that 

 which is plowed. 



As your estimate is much higher than I sup- 

 posed the average rental of farms to be in Eng- 

 land and Ireland, I have rather hastily looked 

 over the series of articles on "The Rural Econo- 

 my of the British Isles," published in your col- 

 umns in 1856, and have copied every direct state- 

 ment there made of the amount of rent in the 

 various counties, that fell under my notice. I 

 think it must be interesting to American farm- 

 ers, who generally own their land, to know how 

 much the farmers of England can afford to pay 

 as rent, for their farms. I have made my ex- 

 tracts as brief as possible, supposing that those 

 who have the monthly Farmer for 185G, and 

 who feel any interest in the subject, will turn to 

 the page, which is indicated in each case, and 

 read the statement in its connection. And if 

 my references should provoke any one who has 

 not the volume, to purchase a copy and read 

 nothing but those eighteen articles, I have no 

 fear that he will accuse me of leading him into a 

 poor speculation. 



Middlesex — the metropolis county, — rents av- 

 erage $10 per acre. (Monthly Farmer, 1856, p. 

 252.) 



Norfolk — A sandy plain of 750,000 acres, av- 

 erages $6,25 per acre, net production, (not rent) 

 which in 1780 produced scarcely $1,25 per acre, 

 (p. 259.) i 



