NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



113 



I believe they cannot be excelled by any breed 

 known, in this respect. One of my pullets com- 

 menced laying in seventeen days after arrival, and in 

 thirtj'-two days laid twenty-eight, eggs ; five of the 

 number weighing nearly a quarter of a pound each, 

 and measuring seven and a half by six and a quarter 

 inches each in circumference. She showed but 

 slight inclination to sit, and is now la3'ing a second 

 litter, after a recess of six days oidy. Two others 

 have laid over twenty eggs each, and the fourth 

 nearly as many. They liavc proved very hardy thus 

 far, never having shown a sign of illness as yet. 

 From two of the hens I have had thirteen eggs, such 

 as I have described above, seven of which have been 

 exhibited in Boston. The others have been set from 

 time to time, two have been hatched, the rest arc duo. 



The color of the plumage of these fowls is very 

 even, comparatively, for parti-colored birds ; the legs 

 are generally yellow, though one or two of them are 

 darker than the rest, as are the feathers also. The 

 combs are small, small wattles, and small head ; the 

 eye is unusually largo and bright. At full maturity, 

 that is to say, after the second moult, I do not doubt 

 that a cock and hen of this breed will weigh over 

 twenty pounds ; this is larpe enmigK for all useful 

 purposes. 



I have been fortunate thus far, too, with their 

 chickens. I have set some thirty of their eggs, out 

 of which I have now coming up nearly twenty 

 thrifty chicks ; which are very even in color and gen- 

 eral characteristics. How fine these birds will prove 

 ultimately, remains yet to be determined. I am 

 daily better pleased with them, however, and they 

 have been universally admired by those who have 

 seen them. 



In reference to the artist who has pictured them 

 for you — Mr. Brown — allow me to say that he has 

 done full justice to the fowls ; the drawing is very 

 faithful, and the proof vou kindly sent me is a good 

 picture. I am yours, &c., GEO. P. BURNHAJSI. 



KoxBUEY, Mass., March 22, 1850. 



!Mr. Burnham is entitled to the honor of being the 

 first to import this most valuable breed of fowls into 

 this section of the United States ; and these fowls do 

 great credit to their breeder, Mr. J. Joseph Nolan, 

 No. 33 Bachelor's Walk, Dublin, Ireland. Mr. 

 Nolan has the reputation of being one of the most 

 successful and scientific fanciers in the kingdom of 

 Great Britain. 



By thus speaking of Mr. Nolan, the writer does 

 not intend to convey the idea that he is a breeder of 

 poultry for sale. Mr. Nolan is actuated by a com- 

 mendable spirit of emulation, and has competed suc- 

 cessfully with Royalty itself, in tlie various shows 

 held in the kingdom of Great Britain. 



The difficulties attending the procuring thorough- 

 bred fowls from abroad, are so great as to deter most 

 persons from attempting to import tliem. Many 

 instances have occurred within the writer's know- 

 ledge, where orders having been executed by the 

 officers or agents of vessels from the United States — 

 the fowls procured have proved worthless, and have 

 been the cause of much chagrin and A'cxation, 

 although every precaution had been used by the par- 

 tics to whom the fulfilment of the orders had been 

 intrusted, to procure the wished for breeds of fowls. 



The writer believes the collection of Mr. Nolan 

 contains every knoM-n breed of fowls, and each race 

 is preserved and bred by him in the utmost purity ; 

 and any fowls procured from Mr. Nolan, without the 

 intervention of any go-between, will be thorough- 

 bred, and superior specimens of the race to which 

 they belong, as he is n gentleman in whose integ- 

 rity the utmost confidence can be placed. 

 Yours, SiQ,., 



fcj. BKADrORD MORSE, JR. 



Note. — A pair of the Royal Cochin Chinas, im- 

 ported by Mr. Burnham, will be exhibited at the 

 Agricultural Warcliouse of Ruggles, Noursc, Mason, 

 & Co., on Wednesday and Thursday next. — Ed. 



SWEET POTATOES. 



The following is Mr. Timothy A. Bascom's (of 

 Hinsdale, N. H.) method of cultivating the sweet 

 potato, of which he presented a fine specimen at 

 the late Agricultural Fair : — 



"ITiere are many kinds of sweet potato, as of the 

 Irish potato. The Mississippi yam is the best. Make 

 your hot bed in April. Put in one foot of horse 

 manure fresh from the stable. Cover it two inches 

 deep with good loam. Place the potatoes in tlv; loam 

 one or two inches apart. Cover them one and 

 one half or two inches deep. They will come 

 up in two or three weeks. Care should be taken not 

 to have the bed too hot or too cold. After they are 

 two or three inches, they will do to set out. Place 

 one hand on the potato to ki^op it from moving, and 

 pull the sproutr? off with the other hand close to the 

 potato. The potato will continue to shoot out new 

 sets of sprouts for three or four weeks. They will 

 do well from the middle of May to the last of June. 



" Place your sprouts in drills ten or twelve inches 

 apart — a little deeper than they stood in the hot bed. 

 Let the hill be a httle dishing, to hold the water. If 

 it is dry weather at the time of setting, water them 

 as you would cabbages. Prepare the soil as soon as 

 the frost is out and the ground is sufficiently dry. 

 Plough or spade it to the depth of a foot or more — 

 •spread manure broadcast before ploughing — harrow 

 and plough again before setting. Throw the ground 

 into ridges by turning two furrows together. Set 

 your sprouts on the top of the ridges. AU that is 

 necessary afterwards is to keep the weeds down. If 

 you plough between the rows, plough yrowj the hill the 

 first time, and remove the dirt from the surface of 

 the hill with the hoe. At the last hoeing, draw a 

 a little earth up to the hill, leaving the top a little 

 hollowing to hold the water. Care should be taken 

 not to leave the vines covered with earth, as in that 

 case they will take root, which will prevent the 

 growth of the first setting. Follow these directions, 

 and you will have a good crop. They can be culti- 

 vated in anj' part of the Granite State as well as at 

 the south. They wiU grow on any soil where corn 

 will. I have tried them on different kinds — sandy 

 loam is the best. I think they will be a good crop to 

 raise for milch cows. They cat them greedily. I 

 can raise double the quaTitity of sweet to any other 

 kind of potato on the same ground." — Vermont Chron. 



THE FARMER. 



It does one's heart good to see a merry, round- 

 faced farmer. So independent, and yet so free from 

 vanity and pi-idc. So rich, and yet so industrious — 

 so patient and persevering in his calling, and yet so 

 kind, social, and obliging. There arc a thousand 

 noble traits about his character. He is generally 

 hospitable — eat and drink with him, and he won't set 

 a mark on you, and sweat it out of you with double 

 compound interest, as some people I know will ; you 

 are welcome. lie will do you a kindness without 

 expecting a return by way of compensation, — it is 

 not so with every body. He is usually more honest 

 and sincere, less disposed to deal in low and under- 

 handed cunning, than many I could name. He gives 

 to society its best support — is the firmest i>illar that 

 sujjports the edifice of government ; he is the lord 

 of nature. Look at him in his homespun and gray; 

 laugh at him, if you will ; but, believe me, he cau 

 laugh back, if he pleases. 



