1869. 



NEW EXGLA2TO FARMER. 



399 



will sometimes become so warm as to cause 

 fermentation, and destroy the roots. Although 

 danger from this may not be great, it can be 

 no injury to feed off a portion of a redundant 

 aftergrowth. 



FEOTH ON THE STEMS OF GRASSES. 



The insect which produces this substance ap- 

 pears to be increasing: in many parts of New 

 England, and to be doing much damasre. Mr. 

 Philbiick Cram writes to the Countnj Gentleman, 

 from Windsor Co., Vt , that in Norwich one farmer 

 had been unable to raise any grass seed for six 

 yeai's in consequence of the work of this insect. 

 Previous to its appearance he had raised grass 

 seed for his own use and to sell. In other sections 

 it has been observed only during the past four 

 years. Mr. Cram furnishes the following descrip- 

 tion of the insect : — 



The little maggot in the froth is the infant bug; 

 the froth is his house, in which he lives while be 

 passes through his infantile stigs; you will then 

 find him at the roots of ihe grass, a ninlured ugly 

 black bug, about three-eighths of an inch long 

 and in countless numbers; they are so spry that 

 it is diffi nil to capture one of them alive. In this 

 stage they spend a short time in feedins on the 

 young grass at the bottom, uptil they make the 

 second change, which is to the chrysalis state. 

 Here they spend the winter as best they can, dor- 

 mant of course, until the next summer has brought 

 forward the grass. Then from the old last year's 

 chrysalis appears a little, pale, flesh-colored miller, 

 with a body about a hall-inch in length, and wings 

 (when spread) about an inch acros-i — very spry. 

 The complete insects eat nothing; their only office 

 is to deposit their cg?s in the j 'int of the young 

 grass frum which the head proceeds, and when 

 their complement of eggs is laid they hive done 

 their work, and that is the end of the frog hopper 

 race for one year. 



For the Neio England Farmer, 

 HEN" FBVEK OF 1844. 

 Sharighai— Light and Dark Brahmi — Crevecoeur — Hou- 



dau — Asiatic and French Fowls — Effects of Care and 



BituatioD. 



In the spring of 1844 the hen fever ra'zed 

 in our vicinity to a fearful extent. The staid 

 and healthy farmers, their wives, and even 

 the most respectable maiden ladies in our 

 neighborhood took the expidemic. There was 

 at that time only one known remedy, which 

 was to procure a dozen eggs from Burnham of 

 his fimous Ladder or Barrel fowls, and after 

 waiting patiently three weeks for the opera- 

 tion of the first dose, the patient was gener- 

 ally relieved. 



Your correspondent, however, was not so 

 fortunate. Having visited a n'ighbor ^ ho had 

 a fine brood of (Shanghai chickens, he took 

 the lever in its worst form, rushed home in a 

 frantic condition, sent immediate ly for thir- 

 teen Shanghai eggs, procured and set them 

 the next day. I think no hen ever received 

 more care in sitting than the one on those 

 golden eggs. Fresh water was placed before 



her each day, and all kinds of food, from buck- 

 wheat to roast beef, was on her daily bill of 

 fare. S!ie eventually paid, for her care by 

 presenting eleven fine healthy chickens. I 

 assure you my fever did not subbidi', espe- 

 cially when I sol 1 them at eight weeks old, 

 for the enormous sum of $20. Elated by this 

 success, I immediately erected coops and con- 

 tinued breeding on a larger scale up to the 

 present time. But I have never been cured 

 or relieved of the fever, and never expect to 

 be, while I receive so much pleasure in the 

 management of my poultry jard. 



For the past sixteen years my favorite breed 

 has been the light Brahmas, b' lieving tl'at no 

 breed of fowl are th* ir e(|uals in hardiness, 

 production of e^gs, and poultry for the mar- 

 kei" ; and after experim-nting the past year 

 with inany new varieties, I am still of the opin- 

 ion that for early market, winter laying, and 

 hardiness, they have no superior. 



I cannot fairly judge of the merits or de- 

 merits of the new French breeds, not having 

 fairly tested ihem, as most flo 'ks have been 

 made up by importation, and have not been ac- 

 climated. The Crevecoeur I find hardy chick- 

 ens, maturing at an earlier age than any breed 

 I have ever raised. They are good layers, 

 but subject to disease at maturity,, especially 

 the cocks. I have an imported Crevecoeur 

 ben that commenced la)ing in January, laying 

 her first litter of 96 eggs in 104 days. She 

 has layed constantly since, an 1 is still laying. 

 This is, however, an exceptional case, as I 

 have others that are fair, but not superior 

 layers. 



The Iloudans, in my judgment, are fair lay- 

 ers, maturing early, are solid always ready for 

 the pot, hardy when young, but like the 

 Crevecoeurs, are subject to disease at matu- 

 rity. 1 do not consider either of these French 

 breeds so hardy in our climate as the Asiatic 

 fowls. 



I have often stated that if any breed should 

 supersede the Brahmas for our northern and 

 western climate, it would be some other vari- 

 ety of the Asiatic fowl. I see no breed except 

 the Dark Brahma that promi>e to be their su- 

 periors. This is a variety of the Asiatic breed. 

 They are a so!»id, square-backed, broad-breast- 

 ed fowl, very hardy, large, with yellow flesh, 

 and promise equality, if not superiority over 

 the light Brahma. It is, however, very un- 

 wise to judge entirely of the merits of any 

 breed of domestic fowls from the experience 

 of one or two parties, as in different siiuations, 

 under different care, and with di-fferent stock, 

 one's experience may bd entirely contrary to 

 that of others. J. S. Ives. 



Salem, Mass., July 15, 1869. 



Birds in Prus.sia. — By royal decree, the 

 wren, the sparrow, woodpecker, wagtail, and 

 twenty-five other birds are protected from the 

 onslaught of boys and sportsmen. 



