38 



KEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



XVN. 



not only the facts of their experience, but the 

 thoughts and suggestions wliich occur to their 

 minds while working and reading. In a note to 

 the above communication the writer says, "I never 

 did such a thing before, and can't say as I ever 

 want to again, and shall not be surprised if it goes 

 into the waste basket." An ancient writer in a 

 very sensible letter addressed to certain friends in 

 the city of Rome, said, "Let every one of us please 

 his neighbor for his good to edification." Now, 

 friend "J. W. G.," when assured that the twenty 

 thousand readers of the New England Farmer 

 want you to please them to edification, have you 

 the right to consult your own pleasure, merely ? 



A BED OF MAUL. 



On visiting a ncighl)oring town recently, where 

 the land needs enriching very much, I found an 

 extentivs bed of marl, composed of, or (illed with, 

 minute sliells. Would it make a good dressing 

 for tlic land, or would it pay better to burn it and 

 thus convert it into lime, and then apply it ? 



Roxbury, Vt., Nov. 2, 1868. W. I. Simonds. 



Remaeks. — The term marl, like the term muck, 

 is applied to deposits of very different composi- 

 tion. Some beds of muck and some beds of marl 

 are n)uch richer in fertilizing matter than others. 

 "VVe know of no better mode of ascertaining their 

 value than by careful experiments on the land. It 

 is said that the value of marls depend on the car- 

 bonate and phosphate of lime, alkaline salts, gyp- 

 sum, &c., which they contain. It may be v/ell to 

 burn your marl, as proposed, but we should advise 

 a thorough trial, without burning, ia connection 

 with other manures. Will those who have used 

 marl similar to that described by our correspon- 

 dent give him the result of their experience ? We 

 understand that our Northern raai-ls ai'e quite 

 different from the green sand or New Jersey, 

 which is often called marl. 



CIlEErEUS AGAIN. 



In view of the hint you so good-naturedbj give 

 Messrs. Goodwin and Crosby in your issue of 

 November 7, 1 will commence by saying I have no 

 fowls for sale, and never raise them for sale, but I 

 have had some experience with the Creepers. Sev- 

 eral years ago, during the rage of the hen fever, 

 mj'' utter disgust v/ith the workings of that disease, 

 and with the long logged creatures it introduced, 

 led mo to look about ior the old fashioned Creep- 

 ers. They had been so completely thrown in the 

 shade, that it took a long time to ti:id them. At 

 length I succeeded in puvch;u4ng a young rooster. 

 I crossed him with tl;c IJhxck rohmd, the Bolton 

 Gray and the Scabright, all of which produced 

 valuablf '"'ijvls. 



I consider the Seal>rig.ht cross the most valuable 

 fowl 1 have ever knowii. They are very beautiful 

 pets, being very lame and docile. They never 

 scratch and do no harm in any garden, hut are 

 the mO!:« industrious tjug hunters in tlic world. 

 They are constant layers ; only one in six having 

 olfered to set during the past year. They lay 

 largo eggs for the size of the bird. They arc the 

 best of mothers, never wandering from home with 

 their chicks, and never trailing them through wet 

 grass. In fact, they cannot lie induced to enter 

 standing grass at any time, but have great sport in 

 the grasshopper line as soon as it is cut. The cost 



of keeping them is next to nothing. The crumbs 

 from even a poor man's table will f^ed quite a 

 flock. They fatten easily, and when fattened are 

 very plump and handsome, and their flesh has an 

 excellent flavor. I believe the creepers are among 

 the best of our native breeds, and I believe our 

 native breeds as good as any breed we have when 

 properly crossed. D. L. Tolman. 



Marlboro' Depot, N. 77., Nov. 7, 1868. 



ikon pipe wells. 



Will you please inform methroutrh the Farmer 

 where I can purchase a pump, where by boring 

 the ground you can pump water. s. f. a. 



Belloics Falls, Vt., Nov. 3, 1858. 



Remarks. — Our impression of this way of ob- 

 taining water is not very favorable. An iron tube 

 or pipe, with a sharp point, and perforated near 

 the lower end with holes to admit the water, is 

 forced into 'the ground by pounding upon the 

 upper end, to which additional joints are screwed 

 on, as the pipe siaks, until water is reached, when 

 an ordinary pump is attached by which the water 

 is raised. Sometimes a fountain is reached which 

 forces the water up to or near the surface. Par- 

 tics who profess to understand the business have 

 travelled aboat, in this section, for a year or tno 

 past, boring for water in this way, and we have 

 seen several "wells" of this kind in operation, and 

 have known of several failures. We do not know 

 where the necessary fixtures can be obtained, and 

 we doubt whether it would be advisable for one 

 not acquainted with the process to undertake the 

 job. 



scratches in horses. 



I have a valuable horse so badly affected with 

 the Grease as to be wholly unfit for use, and I appeal 

 to the Farmer for a remedy. Ifyouoranyof 

 your subscribers can give the desired information 

 they will confer a great favor. r. p. t. 



Canaan, Vt., Nov. 1, 1868. 



Remarks. — The first thing is to wash the parts 

 affected perfectly clean with soap and water. This 

 is so important that we have known people tj ad- 

 vise walking the horse in a stream of water as a 

 cure. The bowels should be kept open by laxa- 

 tive food or some mild medicine. A v/ash of beef 

 or pork brine is often beneficial in the firit stages. 

 In worse cases, a wash of one ounce of chloride of 

 zinc, four ounces of creosote, in four quarts of a 

 strong solution of white oak bark ; or an ointment 

 of gunpowder mixed with lard or fi-csh butter; or 

 an ointment of half a pint of linseed oil, two table 

 spoonfuls of fine salt, same of sulphur, s me of 

 saltpetre, and one ounce of turpentine, well sim- 

 mered together. 



TEMPERATURE OF CREAJI FOR CHURNING. 



Can j-ou inform inc through the columns of the 

 Farmer what temperature' is ihc best for cream 

 while churninT, and ol)lige a Suhscriber. 



FishervUlc, N. II., Oct.^21, 1S6S. 



Rejiarks. — In our own practice we have adopt- 

 ed G2° as the proper temperature. Daring the 

 winter reason our milk and cream is kept in a eel- 



