NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



279 



from them as if stung by some insect. These ttees 

 were all very thrifty. I had made up my mind to 

 cut down those of "them that did not bear fruitfully. 

 The second year I hired a man to prune my orchard. 

 He asked me if ho should prune my plums. I re- 

 plied, no ; that I had concluded to cut them down, as 

 they had no fruit on them, any thing like plums. lie 

 told me to prune them when they were in full bloom, 

 and I would have good fruit. I concluded to try it 

 for one ye;ir longer, and if they did not bear fruit 

 then, I would cut them down. I did so, and found, 

 to my astonishment, I had the best of fruit, and for 

 two years did not fail to get a good peld of fruit. I 

 then sold my place, and have not seen it since, but 

 have no doubt the trees will bear fruit as long as 

 they live, and the pruning will add years to the life 

 of the trees. 



The idea that the insect stings the tree or fruit is 

 not altogether correct. In nine cases out of ten (in 

 my opinion) it is owing to the top of the tree being 

 too large for the roots to supj)ort. If you keep your 

 trees properly pruned, you will get not only a good 

 supply of I'ruit, but of the best quality. J. L. F. 



Hill-Top, Wayne Co., Pa., 1850. 

 — Dollar Newspaper, 



FACTS ABOUT SWINE. 



We have received from Mr. Rood, of Adrian, some 

 facts in regard to the breeding of swine, which are 

 of importance to every farmer. Mr. li. remarked 

 that he had long observed that pigs from old sows 

 made much heavier hogs than those from young 

 sows. And he related an instance which places the 

 matter in a very striking light. He had two sows of 

 the same breed, one of which was one year old and 

 the other three, the former being out of the latti'r. 

 lioth sows had a litter of pigs on the same night, and 

 as a part of both litters were destroyed, the two litters 

 were put together and nursed by the older sow. Tbe 

 pigs of the younger sow wore apparently the most 

 promising, at first ; but they all grew up together, 

 were treated alike and fatted alike, and when they 

 came to be killed, the pigs of the older sow weighed 

 about eighty pounds more than those of the young 

 one. — Michigan Farmer. 



THE VALUE OF OIL IN INDIAN CORN. 



According to Prof. Johnson, the popping proper- 

 ties of corn depend upon the expansion of the oil, o!i 

 the application of heat. A barrel of pop corn would 

 give six barrels of popped corn ; while the rice corn, 

 which contains a still larger proportion of oil, would 

 give thirty-six barrels of popped corn from one un- 

 poppcd ; while there are some kinds which, from the 

 absence of oil, would not pop at all. The structure 

 of grains is a most important study. It is jiarticu- 

 larly important in its bearing upon the feeding of 

 stock. The same explanation he applied also to 

 wheat, which he said also contaijis a smaller pro- 

 portion of oil than corn. 



THE PRESERVATION OF PROVISIONS. 



The science of preserving meat, lard, butter, cheese, 

 and other animal as well as vegetable substances used 

 as food for man, has received very little attention 

 in this country. This neglect causes a loss of many 

 millions every year. To say nothing of the bad taste 

 of eating so much frowy and rancid butter at home, 

 full one half of all that is sent to England and other 

 foreign countries is sold at half the price of sweet 

 butter by reason of the defective manner in which it 



is manufactured and put up for market. American 

 farmers have great advantages for the economical 

 production of beef and pork, mutton and wool ; and 

 it will render them a valuable service to obtain from 

 Europe correct information of all discoveries and im- 

 provements, either in tlie growing and feeding of 

 domestic animals or in the curing of provisions. — 

 Patent- Office Report. 



FORTY GOOD SHEEP, 



Thomas Hale, Esa. Dear Sir : In October last I 

 purchased of Alfred Hull, Esq., of Wallingford, Kut- 

 land county, eleven merino bucks and ninctc-cn me- 

 rino ewes, four Tainter bucks and six Tainter ewes. 

 On the 26th June last, I sheared two hundred a:;d 

 tifty-four pounds fine and light wool, well washed 

 and tagged — average weight from each, six pounds 

 five and one half ounces. The average from the me- 

 rino bucks was seven pounds three ounces ; from the 

 merino ewes, five and one half pounds — from the 

 Tainter bucks, seven pounds six ounces ; from the 

 Tainter ewes, six pounds twelve ounces. 



During the month of December I gave the bucks 

 one pint of corn per day, and hay only, during the 

 other time, to all of them. If our manufacturers 

 are encouraged to pay us good prices, I think wc 

 farmers can make a living by raising wool from the 

 improved merino and Tainter breeds. 

 Respectfully yours, 



FREEMAN H. CHASE. 



Chelsea, Vt., July 10, 18-50. 

 — Journal. 



RICH MEN OF NEW YORK. 



The starting-point in the course of some of the 

 rich men in New York, is tlius referred to in the 

 Herald : — 



There is hardly a rich man in this community who 

 did not commence his career poor — began as a jour- 

 neyman in his line of business. The career of a few 

 of our leading rich men may serve as instances. The 

 late John Jacob Astor, who died not long ago, and 

 was probablj' worth thirty millions, commenced his 

 career on this continent as a journeyman pedler, be- 

 ginning with candy, and getting on in fur j,eddling, 

 when he commenced investing in real estate. His 

 descendants are now stars at the opera. The late 

 John G. Costar was a journeyman hatter, and died 

 recently a millionnaire. The late John Mason was 

 originally a tailor, from Connecticut ; the late Mr. 

 Jones, a cooper — yet botli were honest and indus- 

 trious through life, and left large fortunes, which 

 their happy descendants are enjoying in every gen- 

 teel way. Stephen Whitney, who now owns blocks 

 of buildings in the city, began as a journeyman clerk 

 in a small grocery store. The Harpers, whose busi- 

 ness now amounts to millions, began as journeymen 

 printers, and now build churches and endow par- 

 sons. The Havemeyers were journeymen sugar re- 

 finers. ('. II. Marshall, the large ship owner, was a 

 sailor before the mast. The wealthy mercliants. 

 Spofford & Tilcston, were journeymen — one as a 

 printer, the other in the shoe business. E. K. Col- 

 lins, the great steamship and packet o^^^ler, and lib- 

 eral merchant, was a journeyman clerk in a commis- 

 sion house. Stetson, of the Astor House, was a 

 journeyman bar-keeper at his start. Shortland, the 

 rich cooper and land owner, was for years merely a 

 journeyman cooper. And so it is in every rank, 

 profession, and extended business in which men 

 engage in this city. Our richest and most jirospcr- 

 ous citizens commenced with nothing, and have 

 amassed their fortunes by persevering industry. Wc 

 have very few rich men who were bom rich. 



