448 



KEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Oct. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 THE GAKDEN IN OCiOBEB. 



How swift the months pass ! It seems but 

 as yesterday we commence'l the year with our 

 season's plan for the gmJen, and here we are 

 in the last month of Fall, and at the closing up 

 of our out door operations, so fir as vegeta- 

 tion is concerntd. Have w« made progress or 

 improvement in garden cultuie over fcmer 

 vears? Have we not gained some new ideas 

 f om our pa>t and present seasons' expprienee ? 

 If so, let us make a note of it, for future ref- 

 erence. The past season, in many respects 

 has been a remarkable one in New England, 

 and so far as I am able to learn it has been un- 

 usual throngliouL our whole country. Storms, 

 drought and cool weather, have prevailed to 

 an unusual extent, in different sections, and 

 we have been obliged to watch and tend what 

 we have grown, wiih somewhat greater care 

 than common, but where we have given ex- 

 tra attention we have obtamed a fair -reward 

 for our labor, in good vegetables and enhanced 

 enjo\ment thereof; for it is a fact that we en- 

 joy a thing better which costs us much trouble, 

 than that which costs but little. 



Have we tried any different or new varieties 

 of garden products, — corn, potatoes, tomatoes, 

 *&c. ? if so, what is the result? Have they 

 proved to be an improvement, or otherwise, on 

 old tried varieties ? 1 have tried some diffv-rent 

 kinds of garden products, none of which I am 

 at present well prepared to speak of, except 

 some sweet corn Last spring I received from 

 the proprie'or some "Farmer's Club S>veet 

 Corn," highly recommended by the New York 

 Farmer's Club, and by men of note, which I 

 have tried ; but either frgm the season or some 

 other cause, it did not come to eating size in 

 the time — 70 to 75 days — as it was claimed it 

 would do; neither do I find it superior to 

 Trimble's, although a very good eight rowed, 

 fair eared corn. I distributed seed to a few 

 lovers of good sweet corn, but as yet have had 

 no repoits Perhaps they may have sue -eeded 

 bi tter. The c<jrn is rather dwarf in stalk, al 

 though stout and of purple color; the foliage 

 is stritjed and hand^omely variegated. 



There are yet some crops which must be 

 saved before they are injured by freezing. 

 This, wiih preparation for next spiing's work, 

 will constitute the prmcipal work of the gar- 

 dener from this time onward. A go d and 

 car. ful gardener will keep his grounds dean 

 and iieat in the fall as well as at other sea-oiis, 

 and he never neglecits to provide lor the fu- 

 ture ft rtilization of his soil. 



Asp.vKAGUS. — Were it not that injurious in- 

 sects make a lodgement in the old stems, 

 ready to come out in spring, it would be ad- 

 visable to bend them over and let them lie till 

 spring, but as the stalks do harbor insects, it 

 is better to cut and burn them, and cover the 

 bed with a generous supply of coarse manure, 

 previous to setting in of winter. 



Beets should be harvested b>^ fore freezing, 

 as a little freeze injures them f )r the table 

 very much. Full, top and dry them a little, 

 and then store them in boxes, bins or barrels, 

 filling in some sand to prevent their wilting, 

 and keep them in a cool cellar. 



Cabbage — Although cabbages will endure 

 a considerable frost without injury, it is best 

 to gather and store those for winter use before 

 freezing hard, as this injures their keeping 

 qualities. They should lie pulled up by the 

 roots in a dry day and turned heads down to 

 drain and dry previous to storing. If put 

 away in a good cool cellar, where they will 

 not come in contact with anything to gain 

 raoi.-sture, &c., there is little danger but that 

 they will keep good, provided they have not 

 been frozen and are in good order when gath- 

 ered and stored. 



Cold Frames. — Those needed for winter- 

 ing plants for early spring planting, should be 

 got in readiness before the weather becomes 

 too cool, and the plants put into them. 



Hot Beds. — Piepare, against time of need, 

 plenty of good rich earth, and keep it in a 

 convenient place for use in hotbeds in eaily 

 spring. 



Prune out all decaying wood, and that 

 affected by borers, from the currant bushes ; 

 clean up and make all snug, preparatory for a 

 long winter, and then it cannot c >me upon 

 you unawares. With all this out-door prepar- 

 ation, and provision of food fjr the body, do 

 not forget to provide food f ir the mind during 

 the long winter evenings, but lay in a stoc . of 

 good agricultural and horticultural papers and 

 books for the approaching long evenings. 



W H. White. 



Boiiih Windsor, Conn., 18G9. 



For the Neto England Farmer, 

 VALUE OF PEDIGKEES. 



The communication of "Z. E. J." in the 

 New England Farmer of Sept. 11, under 

 the head of ' Standard of Merit." is evidently 

 written with a view to lessen the importance 

 attached to recorded pedigrees of aniiaals, yet 

 to my mind it contams the best argument in 

 favor of" herd-book pedigrees. 



The writer ref -rs to two herds of non-pedi- 

 grte animals, to wit, the Devon herd of H. 

 Al. Hall of Burke, and the Short horn herd 

 of Hon. E. Cleveland & Son of Covt ntry, Vt. 

 In the case of the Devon herd, he says, it was 

 establi>hed about forty years ago, — "started 

 fiom the Patterson importation, and from time 

 to rime additions have been made from other 

 stock of undoubted purity of blood " Fur- 

 ther, he says, "Mr. Hail has had on his own 

 farm two families, using the greatest care to 

 prevent deterioration, but the animals are not 

 recorded in the herd-book." 



In the case of the Short horns of Mr. Cleve- 

 land's herd, "Z E. J." says, Mr. C, in 1858, 

 sent a special agent to Kentucky for some 



