NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



337 



APPLE-PARING MACHINE. 



Those "who have used these machines are aware 

 that they make a great saving of labor. The one 

 represented above has peculiar advantages, and those 

 who have used it say that it will pare three or four 

 bushels in an hour — a great saving on the slow pro- 

 cess of paring with a common knife. 



This machine is geared so as to expedite the opera- 

 tion by rapid revolutions of the fruit, and the work 

 is done with great despatch. The knife is moved 

 round the fruit by machinery, and when it is peeled, 

 it is thrown off instantly by a spring in the machine, 

 and the knife returns to its former place, ready to 

 begin upon another apple. These ingenious contri- 

 vances require less labor and skill in the operator, and 

 enable him to work with greater expedition. These 

 machines have forks of thin, elastic prongs, adapted 

 to paring peaches. The price is moderate. 



THE POULTRY SHOW, 



Held last week in the hall over the Fitchburg Rail- 

 road depot, was a grand exhibition, both in extent 

 and variety ; and as to the general appearance of the 

 fowls and birds, it was all that could be expected at 

 this season of the year, when the old fowls are 

 moulting, and many of the young ones are not fully 

 grown, or well Hedged. 



This was by far tlie largest show of the feathered 

 race ever made in this country ; and in variety it 

 has never been excelled, for there were not only 

 almost every breed, but a large number of varieties, 

 crosses, mixtures, mongrels, &c. The weather was 

 generally fine during the show, and a very large 

 number of visitors had the gratification of seeing it. 

 We may give some particulars in another number. 



FALL MANAGEMENT OF ASPARAGUS. 



A subscriber requests a few hints on this subject, 

 and inquires whether the stalks should be cut away 

 in the fall. When the plants are dead, the stalks 

 should be cut and removed, and they may be used 

 as litter for hogs, or otherwise converted into manure. 



It is better to cut off the stalks a little above the sur- 

 face ; then the remains of the stalk may be removed 

 more conveniently in the spring, than when it is cut 

 just below the surface, as the but is then out of 

 sight. These old huts of the stalks should be re- 

 moved early in spring, that they may not obstruct 

 the tender shoot. 



If the roots of the asparagus have been set low, 

 in a trench, shallow ploughing, in the fall, will bo a 

 good mode of culture, for the purpose of destroj-ing 

 the weeds, pulverizing the soil. Sec. If the roots 

 have not been set sufficiently low to admit of plough- 

 ing, the harrow may be used to advantage. If there 

 is a lack of richness in the soil, api^ly manure before 

 ploughing or harrowing. 



HATCHING CHICKENS. 



An American, named Williams, near Champigny, 

 France, has an establishment for tlie artificial incu- 

 bation of eggs. lie has been very successful, follow- 

 ing, as near as possible, the means adopted by the 

 mother hen, in the application of the artificial heat. 

 As in her case, he applies the heat from above, and 

 following her instinct as his guide, he frequently re- 

 moves the heat, leaving the eggs free to imbibe the 

 necessary amount of oxygen. So far, his success has 

 been complete. lie finds ready .sale for all his 

 broods, which are sent to market A\hcn twenty days 

 old. His furnaces are kept constantly at work to 

 furnish poulets for the Paris markets. — Paris j^ap^r., 



The Granite Farmer, speaking of the potato rot, 

 savs, "In one field, of wliich a friend spoke, the 

 rot of the tubers was so entire that the stench ari.sing 

 from the ground almost forbade any one's crossing the 

 field." 



In Norway, it is estimated that the number of 

 persons who are preparing to emigrate to America 

 amounts to twenty thousand ; being two per cent, 

 of the entire population of the kingdom. From 

 the commune of Loelag alone, which contains five 

 thousand one hundred and ninety- five inhabitants, 

 six hundred and sixty-three individuals are about to 

 embark for New York. 



