420 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Sept. 



however, feeding them the fore part of the winter, 

 as towards spring they will sometimes contract 

 dampness, and then the sheep do not eat them so 

 well. 



Value of Boots. 



Mr. Winne says that he has used more or 

 less roots every year since he commenced feed- 

 ing sheep, and he advises feeders to cultivate 

 them by all means. After stating his mode of 

 cultivation, he thus speaks of their value : — 



My experience is, that whenever they are worth 

 at home more than seventy-live cents per barrel, 

 and corn not over from one dollar to one dollar 

 and twenty-five cents per bushel, the corn is the 

 cheapest, and I would use only a few roots as a 

 substitute for green food. I cons-ider carrots and 

 ruta bagas better than common turnips ; still by 

 feeding a little more of the latter than the former, 

 I think the &heep do just as well on them. 



The importance of keeping the sheep quiet ; 

 of supplying good dry bedding ; of regularity 

 in feeding, wateiing, salting, and furnishing 

 them ashes, &c., are urged as essential ele- 

 ments of success in sheep-feeding. So impor- 

 tant is quiet and comfort to fattening sheep 

 that the effects of the presence of a stranger 

 in their yards or stables for a few moments 

 ■will be perceived for a whole day after- 

 wards ; indeed, in his opinion, the only time 

 they accummulate flesh is while they are re- 

 posing on a fine dry bed after their appetites 

 have been satisfied. He applies tar to the 

 noses of his sheep at least four times during 

 the feeding season. To do this, he makes a 

 little pen with his feeding boxes, into which he 

 gathers a portion of the sheep, and with a 

 wooden ladle applies the tar without catching or 

 handling the sheep. He commences feeding at 

 half-past five in the morning, to which he gives 

 his personal attention. Unless he fears dan- 

 ger to the building from the weight of sheep 

 and accumulated manure, he does not clean out 

 his stables until the sheep are sold. The ma- 

 nure is then so hard and solid that it must be 

 cut with* an axe or hay-knife into blocks be- 

 fore it can be handled — thus showing that no 

 decomposition has taken place during the feed- 

 ing season. 



Mr. Winne informed us that some of his 

 friends had censured him for publishing the 

 particulars of his process in fatttening sheep. 

 Having acquired his skill by much careful 

 study and many expensive experiments, they 

 said he was under no obligations to give the 

 public the benefit thereof. If he had made 

 valuable discoveries in this branch of farmi 'g 

 he was entitled to the benefit of them, aud 



others should be left to find out the secret of 

 his success as best they might. But he did 

 not so regard the matter. He esteemed it the 

 duty of every man to do some good in this 

 life, to make the world better for his having 

 lived in it ; and if his experience in his hum- 

 ble sphere was of any benefit to bis brother 

 farmers, he was not only willing but rejoiced 

 in being able to communicate it to them. 



FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE MOBJSIINQ. 



The following popular song, as sun? with such thrill- 

 ing eflfec: by Mm« iParepa R^sa, will bu ne v lo many of 

 our readers. In its wuy, there ia hardly anything pret- 

 tier in the language. 



The dew lay glittoring on the grass, 



A mitt lay on the brook; 

 At the earl est beam of the glowing sun, 



The swuUow h r n. st forsook ; 

 Thi' snowy bloom of the hawthorn tree 



Lay ihi-ckly the ground adorning, 

 The birds were s r;g n^; on every bush. 



At five o'clock in ihe morning. 



And Bessie, the milkmaid, merrily sacg, 



For the meadows were fr sti an J fair; 

 Thu breeze ot ihe morning kissed her brow, 



Ai d played with her nut-brown hair; 

 But ofc she turned and looked around, 



As if ihe silen' e scorning; 

 'Twas time for the m jwer lo whet his scythe, 



At five o'clock in the morning. 



And ovpr the meadows the mowers came, 



And merry their voices rang : 

 And one among them wf ni!<d his way 



To where the milfemaid sang; 

 Ai d as he lingered by h r Bi..e, 



Despite his comrade's warning, 

 Tiie on, eld stoy was told again, 



At five o'clock in the moruing. 



For the New England Farmer, 

 PLANTING FKUir TREES. 



Much has been said relative to the planting 

 and growing of Iruit trees, in the Farmer 

 during the past few years. But perhaps a few 

 reniaiks upon this important subject, though 

 not wholly new, may interest some one of 

 your many readers. It seems a very simple 

 thing to plant a tree, and almost every one 

 thinks Le knows how to do it. But seldom is 

 it well done. It is a more impoitant opera- 

 tion than is generally supposed, for all its fu- 

 ture health and fruilfulness are directly de- 

 pendent upon it. 



Right pknting is the foundation and corner 

 stone of all successful horticulture ; it is one 

 of the fuodamfntal piinciples that produce 

 vigorous trees and an abundance of fruit. 



More than one- half of all the fruit trees 

 planted in this tountiy die, or fail to >itld 

 fruit, for the simple reason that they are not 

 properly cared lor. Fruit culture means more 

 than leaving a tree to take care of itself. It 

 demands care, watchfulness, patience, hard 

 work, strong etfort, and above all, intelligence 

 and forethought. 



Plant young trees, both in your orchards and 



