NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



29 



pretty well satisfied with the results. I consider 

 myself ampl)' paid for my trouble, with a clever net 

 profit for my luck. I Jiavc raised no fowls to sell for 

 an " extra price," nor any that I thought were suitable 

 to offer for " public exhibition," although I have those 

 among my flock of fowls which would be no discredit, 

 when phujcd ;ilongside of some that were offered for 

 show and sale at the late Exhibition. I keep, on an 

 average, one year with another, from twenty to twenty- 

 five hens. 'They deposit from 2800 to 3000 eggs 

 annually, besides raising from fifty to sixty chickens. 



I have contented myself with keeping the pure- 

 blooded, old-fashioned Yankee hens — those raised 

 on Khode Island soil. 



This last fall, after having heard and read so much 

 about the different breeds and varieties, I was induced 

 to rise one step on the ladder, in order to be in the 

 fashion ; and, accordingly, I purchased a pair of the 

 " Chittcrpoats," a kind they tell me lay everlastingly, 

 (and have no disposition to sit-) This is rather un- 

 natural doctrine, but I'm bound to prove it by expe- 

 rience. I will give this breed a fair trial, and if they 

 do not fulfil their " recommendation," I shall get rid 

 of them ; for, so far as size and beauty are con- 

 cerned, my Yankee hens outdo them. I will venture 

 to assert that I will select out one dozen of them, 

 and a rooster to match, that will compete with the 

 same number of most of those fancy breeds wliich 

 brought $10 and $12 per pair at the late Exliibition ; 

 — that is, in the number of eggs and chickens in the 

 coiirse of a year. 



"What's in a name?" The name Yankee here 

 may not have so high-sounding title as the Dorking, 

 Plymouth Kock, Cochin China, &c., &c. ; but this is 

 all owing to the farailiaritj' of the name Yankee. It 

 will not be many years before some of these new 

 breeds of fowls will be in less demand. Many of 

 them will not meet the purchaser's expectation. 

 After having been fairly proved, those who have paid 

 an " extra price " for some particular kind, may be 

 glad to exchange, on our terms, for a pair of the old- 

 fashioned barn-yard fowls. Every thing must be 

 proved and judged by experience, to test its real value. 

 The first introduction of a thing in market gives it a 

 price, oftentimes, beyond its real value. 



The Rohan potato, for instance, was eagerly sought 

 after when it first made its appearance ; but as soon 

 as its qualities were tested, it was found icanting in 

 those qualities wldch are found in good potatoes. It 

 did not rank in the same neighborhood with the old- 

 fashioned red and white potato. So it will be with 

 many of the new breeds of fowls. Those who have 

 paid a-s high as $15 for a pair of fowls, may, in less 

 than five years, be glad to dispose of their whole 

 " stock in trade" for that moaey. 



It is not my design to discourage any one from 

 piirchaMiig Avhatever fowls he pleases ; but my object 

 simply is to build up the old-fashioned Yankee hen. 



A. TODD. 



Smitiifield, R- L, Dec., 1849. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 CHEAP DRAINING. 



^lu. EniTOfl : I observe, in a late number, that 

 you strongly recommend the ado])tion of tiles for 

 draining ])urposes, and most properly, too ; but the 

 time rc([uired to introduce and establish tile-manu- 

 facturing will be necessarily so extended, as to jus- 

 tify my mentioning a very excellent substit.ite for 

 the tile, which, with many of its greatest advan- 

 tages, has, also, that of being within the reach of 

 every one's power, as a recommendation. 



About six years ago, I walked over one of the best 

 farms belonging to the Duke of Portland, in the west 

 of Scotland, when my attention was drawn to a field 



situated, as to natural conditions, similar to those 

 around it. The latter had been all tile-drained, and 

 was in excellent order. The former had been 

 drained some thirty-two years previously, and looked 

 equally well, although the trenches had been filled 

 with brusfncnod, instead of tiles. Curiosity led me to 

 open one of the drains so constructed, when I found 

 the branches, therein deposited, in a remarkably 

 sound state. I do not exactly know the organic 

 structure of the soil ; but my impression is, that it 

 was formed from the debris of the trap formation, that 

 prevailed in the locality. At the part of the brush 

 drain opened, as mcU as at the outlets from each 

 trench, the oxide of iron was liberally present ; and 

 what effect these natural circumstances would exer- 

 cise on the preservation of the bnu/iwood, I am not 

 sufficiently acquainted with chemistry to show. Per- 

 haps some of your scientific readers would furnish 

 this information. 



The practical conclusion I would draw from the 

 foregoing is obvious. Farmers might avail them- 

 selves most conveniently of that material which tliey 

 usually destroy by fire, and apply it to a permanently 

 useful purpose. I say pcnnanent ; for it is well 

 known that, so far as permanence is concerned, tiles 

 do not, on an average, last more than twenty years, 

 and the brush drains mentioned had worked well for 

 thirty-two, and, I have no doubt, are working well 

 at present — nearly forty years from the time they 

 were constructed. 



In the instance mentioned, the trenches were made 

 two feet deep ; but the soil was of an indurated char- 

 acter. Had the land been soft, or marshy, another 

 six inches would have been necessary to make up for 

 the subsidence of the soil, which always accomjjanies 

 the withdrawal of water, and the solidifying of that 

 part above the level of the drains. 



The brush was chojiped, so as to be placed in the 

 trench evenly, and to the height of some twelve 

 inches. The turf (inverted) was placed on the top, 

 and tramped in, after ^hich the trench was filled up. 



I am not aware whether this system has been acted 

 on or no. I furnish the fact on the supposition that 

 it has not, and wUl be glad to find that I have been 

 forestalled by practice. I am, &c., 



A FIRESIDE F..U1MER. 



BosTox, Dec. 29, 1819. 



Remarks. — Since the introduction of subsoil 

 ploughing, it has been a general custom, in Eng- 

 land and in this country, to make drains about three 

 feet deep, whetlrer constructed of stones, tiles, or 

 other substances, in order to allow of sufficient depth 

 below th.e surface for subsoil ploughing. — Ed. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 FRUIT-FOWLS. 



Friend Cole : I am pleased that you sent mo the 

 NcAv England Farmer, for one article is sometimes 

 worth the cost of a volume. I think you have the 

 right theory about the curculio sparing the i^lum- 

 trees over i)aved ground. They know that they labor 

 there in vain. This instinct of the insect is an im- 

 portant matter. I succeeded in raising a fine crop 

 of Duane's purjjle plum, over a pavement, last year, 

 after I had tried shaking the trees, and almost every 

 other remedy, to no effect. I riiiscd fine peaches last 

 year, but no apples. 



I have paid some attention to fowls. I Ukc the 

 Polaiuls pretty well, for lavcrs. Still, there is one 

 great drawback on them, which I have never seen 

 mentioned; therefore it may not be universal. I 

 refer to their dving. from soine imperfection in the 

 formation of the egg, causing it to break m the body, 



