342 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



July 



more we examine barns and the more we use 

 them, the more favorable is our impression of the 

 advantages of that design. It is adapted either to 

 a cheap or an expensive structure. 



ONION FLEA. — APPLICATION OF SUPERPHOSPHATE. 



In my younger days I was a farmer, but for the 

 last forty odd years I have resided in Boston and 

 New York. Two years ago I returned to the Old 

 Granite, my native State, and commenced farming, 

 at which I feel rather a novice, but thus far have 

 succeeded better than I anticipated. Last year 

 raised Irom less than half an acre of land Dutch 

 dandelion or chiccory, which brought me $186 in 

 market. All my other crops were fair. This year 

 I am using the superphosphate and would like to 

 inquire of you or some of your numerous corres- 

 pondents, what quantity should be put in the hill 

 for corn and potatoes, and the process of mixing 

 it with the earth, as I understand it will not do to 

 drop the seed on the raw phosphate. Also, what 

 will destroy the insect that takes the young onion 

 as soon as it is up. We find it very difficult to 

 raise onions here on account of the ravages of a 

 small bug or flea. Is there anything that will de- 

 stroy them ? s. E. 



Strafford, Blue Ridge, N. H., May 17, 1869. 



Remarks. — The questions in relation to the 

 superphosphate were answered in the Farmer of 

 May 1. In the Farmer of April 24, we published 

 a preventive of the onion maggot, which has been 

 very destructive of late in many sections. The 

 application of hot water has also been recom- 

 mended for the same purpose. But we suppose 

 our correspondent refers to another insect, a little 

 bug that is also verj' troublesome. Abundant 

 seeding, a sprinkling of lime, ashes, plaster, &c , 

 with frequent stirring of the soil, are among the 

 preventives recommended. 



DISEASE among SHOTES. 



I don't see why larmers or others writing for in- 

 formation through the columns of the Farmer, 

 like "S. P. I," of Washington County, Vt., should 

 use initials or a fictitious signature unless they 

 have some reason to be ashamed of their names. 

 For one, I always feel a greater pleasure in reply- 

 ing to a correspondent with a name than to one 

 without a mime. 



I had some pigs affected in exactly the same way 

 as were "S. P. I." somebody's, but I don t know 

 what to call the disease. My pigs were in my cat- 

 tle fold where all out-door feeding was done, and 

 all muck from stables was thrown, and in which 

 the pigs rooted and wallowed at pleasure. They 

 were fed with sour milk, whey, and buttermilk. 

 They grew well, — not a nicer lot of pigs in the 

 whole neighborhood. One day, one of them, 

 while eating, tumbled over as if drunk, seemed to 

 breathe with great difficulty, and died in about an 

 hour and a half. Next day another died. It puz- 

 zled me to know what ailed them. Next morning 

 after feeding them, and while louking and ihinking 

 what a nice lot of pigs they were, one of. iheni 

 squealed out as if it had been stablicd with some 

 sharp instrument; threw up its head, turned over 

 on its back and was dead in five minutes. I opened 

 it but failed to discover the cau>c of its death 

 The hide was ofgood color and free from blotches; 

 gall and bladder all right; nothing in stomaeli or 

 guts to indicate any stoppage or inllammation ; 

 heart good color and fat; lights somewhat in- 

 flamed. i-o?<r died one day. Thinking from the 

 symptoms, the milk might be too heavy food for 



the stomach, I put it all into the swill tub together 

 with the dishwashing, soap suds, chamber lye, a 

 little bran, and small potatoes boiled and mashed. I 

 fed all alike, big and little. The pigs soon got lean 

 and scrubby looking, but I lost no more of them. 

 They all lived, and with one exception, made good 

 bacon pigs ; but not so heavy as the same breed 

 did the year before. After changing their food I 

 was quite satisfied the milk was too heavy feed for 

 them. For instance, put a young calf to suck on 

 an old milch cow, and it is a great chance if the 

 calf don't die. The old milk is too heavy for the 

 calf to properly digest. John Whatmore. 



Bridgnorth Farm, Dunleith, III., April 28, 1869. 



FRAUD — SHEARED AND PULLED WOOL — FIELD 

 MICE. 



Is it a fraud, and actionable, to break up fleeces 

 of pulled wool and put the same with the laggings 

 and enclose in the sheared fleeces ? There is a 

 tradition that pulled and sheared wool will not 

 work together. 



The season is very much the same as last year 

 at this time. There are still many fine snowdrifts, 

 and Mt. Mansfield shows keen, sharp and white 

 against the western sky. The field mice have en- 

 gineered a good deal during the winter, but I 

 don't believe they have done any damage. In ex- 

 change for a few grass bulbs they have harrowed 

 up the surface and loosened matters and things 

 generally. Mark Sanborn. 



Orange Co., Vt , May 15, 1869. 



Remarks. — What is fraud ? Worcester defines 

 the word, "deeeit, cheat, guile, deception, trick, 

 artifice, subtlety, stratagem, imposition." If you 

 agree, either expressly or tacitly, to sell sheared 

 wool, we should regard it as a fraud to deliver 

 anything else, and think that by so doing you sub- 

 ject yourself to an action for tort. If a man bar- 

 gains for sheared wool you have no right to give 

 him pulled wool, though it may be even more val- 

 uable to those who want it than that sheared. If 

 one bargains for sweet apples, it is a fraud for the 

 seller to deliver sour apples, though the latter may 

 command a higher price in the market than the 

 former. It is fraudulent, dishonest, treacherous, 

 not to do as we agree. 



remedy FOR HORN-AIL. 



I have used tne following remedy for horn -ail in 

 cattle for years with good success, boih with my 

 own creatures and those of my neighbors. I have 

 known it to fail in but very few cases, and in those 

 the animals were almost dead before anything was 

 done. 



If you think it worthy a place in your columns, 

 please give it publication fV;r the lienefit of farmers : 

 One gill French brandy, a half ounce oil of spike, 

 a half ounce origanum, (all can be obtained at any 

 apothecary). Rub the hollow between the horns 

 and itive ginger tea p. r. f. 



FitzxcilUam, N. H., May 11, 1869. 



effect of cutting grass close with SCYTHE 

 OR MACHINE. 



I have heard some farmers say that mowing ma- 

 chines cut the grass so close to the ground that our 

 meadows are running out. Is there anything in the 

 manner of cutting close with a machine more in- 

 jurious to the land than cutting equally close with 

 a scythe ? Twenty-five years ago tlie grass on the 

 farm on which 1 now live was thin and short, and 

 unless the scythe was well crowded down the best 



