316 



NEW ENGLAND FARjVIER. 



July 



probably precisely knows. An examination of 

 the trees might suggest a cause, though it is rather 

 doubtful. 



Apple or pear trees, we may suggest, do not thrive 

 well in low, wet grounds. In such places, they 

 will not throw roots deeply into the soil, and 

 therefore do not probably get a supply of the 

 food which they need. They do as much better 

 on a well-drained soil as corn, roots or grain do. 



Taylor's patent sulkey horse rake. 

 While visiting State Fairs last fall we noticed an 

 Ohio Horse Rake that attracted much attention. 

 The teeth are cast steel, spring temper, every inch 

 a spring, from one end to another, and being oval 

 are stronger than any round teeth of the same 

 weight. A spiral spring over each tooth allows it 



to raise or lower to accommodate itself to uneven 

 ground. Each tooth is perfectly independent, and 

 can be taken out or put in in an instant. It rakes 

 perfectly clean without scratching the ground or 

 raising up dust to injure the hay. It is so simple 

 and easily operated that a boy who can drive a 

 horse can manage it as well as a man. The rake is 

 thoroughly made throughout, with extra high 

 wheels. F. F. Holbrook & Small, Eastern agents, 

 10 South Market St., Boston. 



DURHAM STOCK. 



I have sold my Thoroughbred Short-horn Dur- 

 ham bull, out of Madonna 5tti by John Bull, 3025, 

 to Edward C Pierce, of Alstead Centre, N. H., 

 formerly of Hinsdale, Mass. The first year Mr. P. 

 was in Alstead he preferred to let his cows go far- 

 row, rather tlian to couple them with anything the 

 neighborhood atforded. 



My yearling siecrs weighed at a year old 1636 

 pounds, alter being driven thn e miles in snow- 

 drilis and mud. I have a pair of this spring calves 

 that are as good, and some say better, tlian my 

 yearlings were at the same age. They are by the 

 same sire and Irom the ^ame mothers. 



Son)e tliiiik that Durham cattle must have extra 

 keeping or rh( y will not grow as other breeds will. 

 But i lind none gain as mueli on the same feed. 

 The siiuirtcst woiking oxen I ever owned were 

 grade Durtiams. The bull I have just sold I 

 boufiht at one year old, when thin in fltsh and had 

 never had any extra teed. I turned liim to pas- 

 ture With tny cows and took him up nights and 

 gave him a quart of meal night and morning for 

 two months, and tlitn 1 stopped giving the meal, 

 as the feed was good. During the season he served 

 one hur.dred and ten cows, and more than douljlcd 

 his weiuh*; in less tlian a year. I bought a mate 

 tor liini hist October, and have done my work witli 

 them until 1 told him. A smarter drawing ox I 



never owned. He is now three years old and 

 weighs 1.500 pounds. 



Is not the stock from an animnl kept in this 

 manner better than one grained high and k pt 

 idle? In my opinion it is. and I should like to 

 hear from others on the sutject. 



William F. Loomis. 



Langdon, N. H., May 3, 1869. 



CURRANT WORMS. — CROWS. 



I have for several years been entirely successful 

 in keeping worms from currant bushes, and bugs 

 and other insects from vines, &c., by dusting them 

 with powdered white hellebore. 



I have also protected my corn fields from crows 

 by soaking some corn in water into which a little 

 strychnine is mixed. The death of a few individ- 

 ual crows from poisoned corn picked up in a field 

 is accepted by the whole tribe as a sufficient warn- 

 ing, and though they may Hy over it every day 

 not one will put foot upon it. Elijah Myrick. 



Groton Junction, Mass., May, 1869. 



Remarks. — While we thank our correspondent 

 for his suggestions, we must caution our readers of 

 the great danger in having these poisons about the 

 house or the field. Strychnine especially is a 

 fearful poison. Some of our correspondents were 

 successful in ridding their currant bushes of 

 worms by sifting lime, ashes and plaster upon 

 them, last season. 



LARD FOR PIN "WORMS. 



At the time I read the article in the Farmer of 

 January 2, Monthly page 87, on lard as a "rem- 

 edy for intestinal worms," I had a child that was 

 badly troubled with pin worms. We had tried all 

 the remedies we knew of, and had ju.st got a pre- 

 scription from a physician. But as I dislike to 

 give powerful medicines, which though affjiding 

 temporary relief often result in permanent injury, 

 I was glad to try the lard. After C;rying it one 

 week, all symptoms of the worms disappeared. 

 Thanks for that simple remedy. b. l. 



Hartland, Vt., May, 1869. 



Having tried the remedy published in the Far- 

 mer from the Boston Jotinialof Chemistry, for the 

 Ascarides or pin worms, which was based on the 

 idea that they breed externally, and that by oiling 

 the external parts they were unable to do so, and 

 would disappear in a week, I comply wiih the re 

 quest that the result of experiments should be 

 published, by sajing that I have entirely relieved 

 myself of a most unc omfbrtalde annoyance, and 

 that 1 wish to thank Mr. E. C. Haserick, of Lake 

 Village, N. H., to whom the discovery, so impor- 

 tant to man and beast, isascrilied. I consider this 

 information wonh the cost of several years' sub- 

 scription to the Farmer. 



One of the Afflicted. 



Bethel, Conn., April, 1869. 



sick pigs on INDIA WHEAT STRAW. — SOUR MILK 

 FOR LICE ON CATTLE. 



The disease of which your Woodstock, Vt., cor- 

 respondent's pig died, I think was caused by the 

 bedding of IiKiia wheat straw. Some pigs that I 

 bedded with India wheat straw were s'lck in the 

 same way, and got well as soon as I put them on 

 other straw. Sour milk or buttermilk is the best 

 thing I ever tried to kill lice on cattle. On a warm 

 day, wash a lousy calf iiU over with it and it will 

 kill every louse, and cle;m the skin of scurf; benc- 

 fiiiing the ealf in two ways and without the least 

 injury. b. l. 



ilarlland, Vt., May 1, 1869. 



