200 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



April 



Hill, will be interesting to all who own a sugar 

 orchard, we copy the following article from 

 the Mirror and Farmer, written by "J. L. 

 S. :"— 



In reply to "Querist" in regard to cleans- 

 ing molasses hogsheads for sap holders, I 

 would say that I never found any way to make 

 them as good as holders made on purpose for 

 sap and never used for anything else. 



I keep my buckets and holders in a perfectly 

 dry place when not in use, and never use them 

 for anything but sugar making. When ready 

 to use them in the spring, thoroughly wash and 

 scald them and repeat the process when 1 take 

 them up. 



My way of tapping is to use one-half or five- 

 eighths tapering bit, bore the hole one and 

 one-fourth inches. Have usually used a pine 

 spout whittled slant so it will not go into the 

 tree so as to cover any of the grains. Have 

 a holder with two heads to gather the sap in, 

 with a cover on top to turn the sap in. Draw 

 to camp with oxen. Use sheet iron pans set 

 in a brick arch, one pan set in front of the 

 other. The front pan has an iron grate under 

 it, so ail the ashes fall out of the way. Use 

 wood four or five feet long Let sap run into 

 front pan and dip into back pan as fast as 

 needed. Boil until I get about six barrels 

 into the back pan, then let it boil gently until 

 it is the right thickness, what you would call 

 thin molasses ; then strain in holders made for 

 the purpose, that will hold ten or twelve gal- 

 lons, made about two and one-half feet high. 

 Let it set over night, turn it off carefully the 

 next day and do it down to your liking. Do 

 it off in a flat pan made for the purpose. One 

 that will hold eight gallons is large enough for 

 200 trees. 



For the New England Farmer, 

 FARMEHS' CONVEITTIONS. 



The meetings which have recently been 

 held in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and 

 Maine for the purpose of promoting the pro- 

 gress of American agriculture hav« awakened 

 a deep interest in the suhjVct, not only in the 

 minds of those present, but I tru>t also among 

 the multitudes who have read the reports of 

 those gatherings. It has not been my privil- 

 ege to attend either of those meetings ; but it 

 seems to me that no plan has yet been devised 

 to advance agricultural interests that will at 

 all compare with it in its general utility to the 

 farming commimity. 



Our State and county societies at their fall 

 exhibitions have done much to stimulate far- 

 mers in the way of raising good stock, vegeta- 

 bles, fruits, «fec., but these conventions em- 

 brace . a much wider and deeper range of ob- 

 jects, and are calculated, if rightly improved, 

 to meet every want of the farmer, enlightening 

 his path through every step of his progress. 

 Judiciously managed they will serve to remedy 



in no small degree the inconvenience farmers 

 have so long labored under, of working single 

 handed and alone, and give them advantages 

 which other callings enjoy of combined effort 

 and unity of action. 



Agriculture in this country has occupied in 

 some respects an unnatural, dependent posi- 

 tion. With a certain class neither farming 

 nor farmers are appreciated as the merits of 

 their calling, or the merits of their own stand- 

 ing and influence in society demand. This 

 must be remedied in great measure by farmers 

 themselves. They must awake, not only to 

 the magnitude of their calling, but to the mag- 

 nitude of their power. They need to come 

 forth from their back-ground retreats, and 

 stand fearlessly in the front, asserting man- 

 fully their rights. Their voice should be 

 heard in our legislative halls, and heard in 

 such a way as to be heeded. We need at this 

 moment a general expression from the whole 

 farming interest, on the subject of a Recipro- 

 city Treaty. Not only our wool interest but 

 every farming interest needs to be carefully 

 guarded. This can easily be accomplished 

 when farmers learn to act in concert, and I 

 know of no way to secure this result so effec- 

 tually as through agricultural conventions. 



But it was not my object to write a paper 

 setting forth the good results of these conven- 

 tions, (this is already well understood ;) but 

 to suggest through the columns of the N. E. 

 Farmer the propriety of holding similar con- 

 ventions, once a year at least, in all our coun- 

 ties ; not to interfere with State conventions, 

 but rather as auxiliary to them ; not to super- 

 cede those county societies now formed, or in 

 any way to interfere with our annual exhibi- 

 tions, but to make those societies more effi- 

 cient, and those exhibitions more profitable. 

 Perhaps the same organizations would answer 

 for one, as for the other, and the same officers 

 plan and preside in each. 



In most of our small towns, with scattered 

 population, it has been found impracticable to 

 sustpin for a great length of time a good far- 

 mers' club. These county clubs or conventions 

 would naturally awaken a deeper interest 

 among the masses by bringing out men capa- 

 ble of speaking on the various subjects as- 

 signed them. We have in all our counties, 

 intelligent farmers who are qualified to discuss 

 with profit the various questions that would 

 naturally arise at those meetings. Our best 

 farmers would thus be brought together, the 

 best methods of production and cultivation be 

 brought out, and the best plans devised for the 

 mutual good of all. J. F. French. 



North Hampton, N. II., Feb., 1869. 



Good Yield. — Mr. A. M. Foster of Calais, 

 Vt., raised the past season, forty-five bushels 

 of wheat on one acre of ground, from two 

 bushels of seed. * 



