248 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



May 



one and three-fourths of an acre; over fifty 

 bushels of corn, ana 250 of Jackson White pota- 

 toes to the acre, with an income of $62.50 per cow 

 on' a dairy often cows, besides supplying a family 

 of nine persons, are results so creditable to your 

 soil and your management, that we think our 

 readers will regret that you did not take a little 

 more space for particulars, and that you do not 

 authorize us to give your name in full. Don't be 

 too moaest. 



MAKING M.4PLE SUGAR. 



In this section we usually tap our trees about the 

 20iUor March. The ^ bit is in general use. The 

 franklin spout, with hook for bucket, is consider- 

 ably used and is liked well. Tin buckets are pre- 

 ferred, coi-ting about thirty dolhirs a hundred, and 

 will last a life time if well taken care of. For 

 boilin'?, galvanizea sheet iron pans, four feet long, 

 two wide ana tix incnes deep, are the best, as they 

 will not stain the syrup ; one being set six inches 

 hinhtr than the other; the tank for the sap is 

 sijll hiaher; then we have a tin pipe, with faucet 

 attached, Icaumg from the tank to tnc pim. Two 

 such pans wilt i)C)il the sap of one hundred and 

 iifcy trees. Wc calculate on a gallon ot molasses 

 from a barrel of sap. Wc boil it down to syrup 

 in the woods, carry it to the house, strain it, and, 

 after settling over night, put it on to boil, adding 

 a half cup of milk to cleanse and to maKe it light 

 colored. A good nice article is generally worth 

 about $1.5 J )icr gallon. 1?"aikfield. 



Foirfidd, Me., March 20, 1869. 



SUGAEING. 



I noticed in your issue of March 20, a few hints 

 on i-ugar making, some of which coincide exactly 

 v.ith my own ideas of that truly sweet work; tor 

 you must know, that, though only a boy ia years, 

 I Jiave had considerabls experience in the bu.-h. 

 "A. C, Jr.," says he hnds he gets as mm h sap by 

 boring | inch deep, as by boring 3 or 4 inches. 

 Undouiitcdly he ciols, while boring the latter depth 

 is simply "tree !-Iaugiiter," and ougut to be an in- 

 dictaDle ottonce. I preier to bore with a | inch 

 bit, and m.t less than ^ nor more than 1 inch deep. 

 I prefer tin buckets that will hold about twelve 

 quarts each, as wooden bucivCts get slimy at the 

 bottom and I'ause tne sap to sour. Wooaen spouts 

 are in my opinion tne best, as metal ones are apt 

 to eorroiic, and then they are unht for use. I like 

 a wire ho.jk from the back end of the spout tJ 

 hang the bucket on, whicu avoids damage to the 

 tree by driving spikes into it, and sa\es the chop- 

 per from uttering oad words on striking his new 

 axe on an iron spike. Tne sap shouM be strained 

 before boiling, aud the syrup tettled betore sugar- 

 ing off. Ui-e a sheet iion pan, six inches deep, in 

 sugaring olf, and if yoa arc very careful not to 

 bulm it, I'll guarantee sugar good enough for any 

 body, — even lor you, Mr. iiditor. G. f. 



MiUou, VL, March, 22, looSJ. 



EXPERIMENTAL PIGS. 



I had two pigs killed yesterday wliich were ten 

 months - nd f.airdavs old. The breed was claimed 

 tobeh'li Chester and half Essex by the man I 

 bought rli2ia ot. At hiii weeks old one weighed 14.^ 

 lbs. aud t£ic other 10^ lbs.; and 1 paid $10 fur the 

 pnir. '1 lie ciitu'e eosT, ineliiding first price, milk, 

 meal, kiuing, dres-Miig and cutting Uji,— cv ry- 

 thmg but (UiA water— Ivds been igi'Gb 05. The one 

 that was .he smaller to begin wilh, weighed to-day 

 alive, 44U Ids. and dressed 3iS.3 lbs., aud the other 

 alive 3sb lbs. and die.^^sed 33o lbs., making lor the 

 pajr7t31bs.; worth at 16c j)er lb. i^U4.0«, giving 



me a net profit of $45.43. I have allowed nothing 

 for taking care of the pigs supposing that the ma- 

 nure would pay for that. Nor have 1 reckoned the 

 intestine fat. 



I raised these pigs as an experiment, to see if I 

 could make anything out of the operation. Have 

 I tlone as well or better than is usually done ? 



Chas. O. Bachelor. 



Northbridge Centre, Mass., March, 10, 1869. 



castrating colts. 



I wish to learn what is the best age and season 

 of the year to have this disagreeable job performed ? 



Does the deferring it for six or twelve months, 

 or longer, atfeet the form of the colt ? I have an 

 impression ttiat such delay tends to develop the 

 fore quarters of any male more than the hind 

 quarters. Consequently, if an animal is too light 

 forward, in proportion to his hind quarters, he 

 ought to remain entire till the deficiency is cor- 

 rected ; but if too thick and heavy forward already, 

 castration should take place at the earliest prac- 

 tical time. 



It has been customary hereabouts for years past 

 to have colts castrated when yearlings, with few 

 exceptions. I hope these inquiries will be an- 

 swered soon, as I have a case in point, a black 

 colt, sired by "Smith Morrill," (a square built, 

 heavy-limbed bay, 1300 pounds, ^'2 43" horse,) 

 which is a very well built, high life trotter, with 

 head and tail in the best possible position, and 

 all right except a little lack of depth of neck where 

 it joins his shoulders, perhaps some would say "he 

 is too low on the withers." His breast is full and 

 wide, and his legs are very wide and nmscular, 

 especially his forward ones at their junction with 

 the body. 



He is large, thrifty, and has been growing fast 

 evCr since weaning time ; weighed 531 pounds the 

 day he was six months old, and now at just nine 

 months old stands 58 inches, or 14^ hands high 

 forward, and 59 inches at the rump. My query is, 

 will delaying castration for six months or longer 

 have a tendency to improve his form in the de- 

 tective place specified .' Will a change of diet, or 

 any particular food or treatment have such a ten- 

 dency ? His feed since weaning has been hay, one 

 quart cut roots, one pint each of oats and shorts 

 at night, in the stable, tied alter watering; the 

 same at six o'clock in the morning ; at half-past 

 eight A. M., watered and left in the yard till 

 hitched in stable and fed hay alone at noon. 



Randolph, Vt., March 13, 1869. R. n. 



Remarks. — The views of our correspondent are 

 confirmed by Stonehenge on the Horse, an English 

 work recently published by Porter & Coates, of 

 Philadelphia, and edited by Dr. R. McClure of that 

 city. Ordinarily the best time for the operation 

 is said to be just before weaning, if the weather 

 is mild. If, however, the conditions spoken of by 

 our correspondent exist, its postponement to the 

 following spring is advised. The cold of winter 

 and the heat of summer are both to be avoided. 

 AprU, May, September and October are suitable 

 months. 



FOWLS. 



I would like to say a few words in regard to the 

 Black Poland fowls. I prize them very highly, 

 ami can reeommcnd them to farmers as being 

 good layers; hardly ever wanting to sit. They 

 are peaceable about the yards, and 1 consider them 

 among the be.st fowls I have ever owned. 



A Young Subscriber. 



Dooer, N. H., Feb. 18, 1809.. 



