654 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Dec. 



wheat in the fall, which grew and looked well : 

 very little of it winter killed. But when it came 

 to head out it was all found to be chess. A small 

 portion of it was saved for seed, and the rest hayed 

 and put In the barn, affording an immense crop. 

 And at the proper time the seed saved from a por- 

 tion of the field was sowed, and cared for the same 

 as is usual for grain crops." And now, mark you, 

 for here comes another wonder, and one which so 

 far as I can see to the contrary is perfectly consis- 

 tent with this whole theory of transmutation, if 

 not with degeneration. "The crop grew well, 

 stood well in tiie spring, and a good crop of 

 wheat was grotcn, where nought but chess was 

 sown." 



Now, Mr. Editor, I know the man well who tells 

 this for truth, and he is con^idereda truthful man. 

 And he evidently believes it. Now I would like 

 to have some of these believers in transmutation 

 and degencDtion explain tliis freak of nature. 



North Hatfield, Mass., Oct., 1869. Ob8erver. 



FEEDING MEAL TO COWS AND PIGS. 



I feed my milch cows with a mixture of corn 

 meal and shorts, about two quarts and a half each 

 per day. When work is not driving I give it with 

 cut feed. In the busy season I mix it, (half at 

 night and half in morning,) in a pail of water at 

 each feeding. This I con-^ider the most conven- 

 ient way, as it takes very little time to mix it or 

 for the animal to drink it. I make butter, and I 

 would like to ask if there is any otgection to this 

 way of feeding the meal in water ? 



Is there any other way by which the meal could 

 be fed to produce a greater vaiue of milk and 

 batter, or of beef .' Of late, many teamsters argue 

 that horses should have their meal dry. Some hog 

 fatteners say that swine will thrive better on un- 

 cooked than on cooked food. These are questions 

 of importance to the farmer, and should be thor- 

 on!?hly discussed. J. W. Snow. 



Cumberland, R. L, 1869. 



SULPHUR FOR LICE ON CATTLE. 



I notice very often the inquiry in the Farmer, 

 How shall we kill the lice on our cattle? I have 

 tried almost all the panaceas I have seen recom- 

 mended. S'ime of them have proved beneficial, 

 while others — kerosene oil for instance — were 

 worse than the disease. I have settled upon the 

 following, which has proved entirely satisfactory 

 with me. Fill the hair full of sulphur, rubbing it 

 in thoroughly with the hand ; and give the animal 

 a little iiiterually, with its meal or salt. Two or 

 three applications have always effected a cure. 



THE CROW QUESTION. 



I rank the crow among my worst enemies. Last 

 year l)y putting up lines, &c., I kept tliem at a 

 proper uistance from my corn held through the 

 spring; but after my corn was put into the stook, 

 they came down upon it like the plagues of old, 

 de.Ntroy nig from one-fourth to one-third ot my crop. 

 I have n\ ver had any peculiar affection for the 

 bii ds siuce. 



phosphates and plaster. 



I am experimenting consiilerably this season 

 with pho.spiiate and plaster, and will give you the 

 rtsuit at ^orne future lime. J. L. Fkye. 



South Danville, Vt., 1869. 



NORWAY OATS AND GOLDEN-SHEAF WHEAT. 



I notice large stories about the "Norway oats." 

 My experien':e with them is not as favorable. I 

 ot) aiiad one quart of seed of Mr. Ramsdell, and 

 sowed on fair quality of land, but rather late, and 

 the yield was two quarts of poor looking oats. 

 Disposed to give them another trial, I sowed the 



two quarts on four rods of land that would give 

 sixty bushels of corn to the acre this year, by the 

 side of one quart of Excelsior oats from the patent 

 office, on same surface of land, with the following 

 results: Norway yielded one and one-half bushels 

 of thirty-two pounds, while the Excelsior yield 

 was two bushels of thirty-six pounds by actual 

 weight, and of much better appearance. Enclosed 

 is a sample of our Golden Sheaf Spring Wheat, 

 yielding twenty bushels from one and one half 

 sowed on three-fourths of an acre of land, and in 

 a location where our neighbors predicted that no 

 wheat could be raised. " R. Burnham & Son. 

 South Straford, Vt., Oct. 4, 1869. 



THE BORER. 



I have found an effectual remedy for the de- 

 struction of the egg of the Apple Tree Borer. 

 After the deposit of the eggs of the borer, which 

 will be in September, mtke a wash of one pound 

 of tobacco, and one pound of sal soda, put into 

 two gallons of hot water; let it stand for thiity 

 minutes, stirring it frequently. Then take a rag 

 and rub the liody of the trees — the lower jiart espe- 

 cially — with this wash and the work is done. 



This is a good wash, also, for removing lice 

 from the liml)s. I have had several young trees 

 destroyed by the pests, but by using the above 

 wash i have no trouble. G. L. Randall. 



Riverside, Me., Oct. 1, 1869, 



cow SUDDENLY DRIED UP. 



The inquiry of "E. W. K." reminds me of a 

 case that once came under my observation. A 

 tine cow was changed from a poor to a rich pas- 

 ture, but instead of giving more milk she gave 

 less and less at each milking, much to the surprise 

 of her owner. By accident it was discovered that 

 a yearling steer had relieved her of her milk, and 

 thus the sudden diminution was accounted for. I 

 have heard of pigs doing the same for a cow, while 

 lying down. Perhaps "E. W. K." will discover 

 some such cause for the decrease in the How of 

 the milk of his cow. A Reader. 



COMMON OAT. 



I am a hired man and work for one that takes 

 the Farmer. We have counted the produce from 

 a stool that grew from a single seed of the com- 

 mon oat, on a piece of green sward on the farm of 

 W. Hanson. There were fifteen stalks, yielding 

 from 60 to 272 kernels each; the whole amuuutmg 

 to 2793. James W. Taylor. " 



Williamstown, Vt., Sept. 28, 1869. 



SPREADING CLAY ON SANDY LAND. 



What is to be done with a field which has been 

 ploughed so deeply that several inches of sand 

 have been brought up to the surface ? I have tried 

 the experiment, many times, of spreading a thin 

 coating of clay upon land which is very sandy and 

 has bten somewhat deeply ploughed. I have thus 

 improved the quality of poor land surprisingly. I 

 would advise lo do this; manure well and sow 

 with winter rye. A Constant Reader. 



Wmthrop, Mass., Oct., 1869. 



DEATH of a FARMER. 



Lorenzo J. Day, a successful farmer of this 

 town died on the 11th of August, from injuries re- 

 ceived by a fall from a load of hay, July Zl, which 

 so injured his spine that though sutieiing greatly, 

 he was entirely helpless. He was hystem;itic and 

 thorough in all his work, "having a place for 

 everything, and everything in its place." For 

 several years he had taken the New England 

 Farmer, and his drained fields, good fences, 



