NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



383 



any further care except flowing in the winter. In the 

 fall of 1848, I gathered from ten rods, where no sand 

 had been spread, as many bushels of cranberries, 

 •while on the part sanded I had scarcely as many 

 quarts. The latter are now doing better, having got 

 the advantage of the grass, and I think will finally 

 •work it out. I have this year, on the quarter of an 

 acre offered for premium, quite a good crop, although 

 the worms destroyed nearly one half. I have picked 

 one square rod of the light-colored variety, set in the 

 mud, and it yielded two bushels and twelve quarts. 

 One square rod of the small dark-colored variety, on 

 the mud, yielded one bushel and two quarts. The 

 large red variety yielded on the mud two bushels to 

 the square rod. The whole quarter is not yet gath- 

 ered ; it will yield about thirty-five bushels, about one 

 half of the vines being set on mud and one half on 

 sand. 



In selecting meadow for cranberries, lit is highly 

 necessary to select such as will not dry in summer ; 

 but much also depends on the selection of the vines, 

 as the committee will see by the samples here pre- 

 sented, all having the same soil and the same treat- 

 ment. The saynpl-es are twt selected, but sent in precisely 

 as they grew. The whole expense on the above bog 

 up to the present time does not exceed $40. 



I have received from the sales of cranberries, up to 

 the fall of 1849, $3'20 00 



Deduct for picking, one fourth 80 00 



All other expenses for setting, 



interest, &c., 40 00 



120 00 



Net profit, 200 00 



EDWARD THACHER. 

 Yaumoutu Port, Oct. 15, 1850. 



We know not why it is that so little attention is 

 paid to the cranberry in this county. In the eastern 

 part of the state it is considered a valuable crop, and 

 cue raised without difficulty. There is a great abun- 

 dance of land in almost all our towns, and especially all 

 those bordering on the Housic or Housatonic Rivers, 

 well adapted to this fruit. Indeed, any ground which 

 will produce corn, it has been said, will produce 

 good cranberries. Still their native place seems to 

 be in low grounds. That its cultivation is profitable, 

 there can, as we think, be no doubt. Nor is there 

 any danger of an over-supply. The price might be- 

 come less, but improved methods of culture and im- 

 plements for gathering would enable the article to 

 be afforded at a lower price ; and if that was the case, 

 the consumption would increase with the supply. 

 We should like to see some of the grounds which are 

 now completely worthless producing their fifty or 

 one hundred dollars per acre, in cranberries. We 

 should like to see the hardback give place to the 

 cranberry, having the utmost confidence that it could 

 not be less profitable. — CuUurist and Gazette. 



BEANS- HARVESTING CORN. 



Mr. Editou : Since my last letter, I have har- 

 vested my beans, and am now ready to give you my 

 opinion of the best way. I pulled them when the 

 leaves were quite green, and laid them on the gra.s.s 

 sufficiently long to let the leaves wilt a little, and 

 then hauled them in, and spread them on some poles, 

 across the beams, directly over the barn floor. I 

 spread them a foot thick, and when I got them down 

 to thresh, I found them in good order. The beans 

 turned out bright, and the vines were completely 

 dried. I consider this much the best way to save 

 beans. You not only avoid the exposure to rains and 

 Bttildew, wliich they are liable to when stacked in the 



fields, but the vines, by being cured when a little 

 green, rctaiji their sweetness and make better fodder. 

 Stacking them is a very good way, if rigbtly done ; 

 but after the labor is expended, what better are we 

 off .' they are still in the field. The labor of stacking 

 them is enough to get them into the barn and put 

 them where they will dry equally as well, if not a 

 little better, than when stacked. 



In regard to com : much has been said, through 

 the columns of your paper, about the best way to 

 harvest it. I have been, heretofore, rather in favor of 

 the old way of topping the stalks ; but this year I let 

 it stand until the ear was pretty well rii)ened, cut it 

 up at the roots, and then got it into the barn and 

 husked it. I think this the better way. Some stack 

 it in the field after cutting it up. This is also a good 

 way. The fodder is much better, and the corn ripens 

 better, to let the top stalks remain. After husking, I 

 stowed the stalks away as usual. 



In writing the above, I do not pretend to say that 

 my way is altogether the best — I express my opinion. 

 Others may think differently, and perhajw have a 

 better way; if so, let's have it. 



F. A. A. K. 



Fayette, November 2, 1850. 

 — Maine Farmer. 



A MINE OF PAINT. 



Yesterday forenoon we spent a short time verj- 

 pleasantly in an examination of the paint mine, 

 recently opened in West Springfield, by Skinner and 

 Hancox, of this town. The substance from which the 

 paint is obtained is a shelly stone, hard in its natural 

 state, but affected like lime by the air. Ground fine, 

 and mixed with oil, it forms, without other ingredi- 

 ents, a neat, durable, fire and water proof paint. The 

 stone lies in diamond- shaped masses, and extends 

 through four acres of a bluff on the bank of the Aga- 

 wam River, opjjo.site the Mitteneag factory. Two 

 colors have been obtained so far — slate and freestone. 

 The stone is entirely free from grit, and affords a 

 paint one half or two thirds cheaper than lead. We 

 have been shown some very handsome specimens of 

 work done in this paint. An analysis of the stone 

 by Prof. Jackson has resulted in a highly favorable 

 report. — Sprint^field Post. 



WORKING COWS-HORSES. 



In France, it is not uncommon to sec the cow per- 

 forming, in the fields and on the roads, the tasks usu- 

 ally imposed on th'» males of her species. A few 

 cases of the same have occurred recently in our o\vn 

 country, and the presumption is that the practice will, 

 ere long, become quite common. The people of 

 France assert — and the a.sscrtion is corroborated by 

 the attestation of many Scotch farmers — that the cow, 

 if properly managed, is capable of performing as much 

 labor as the ox ; that her motions are quicker, though 

 her strength is less ; and that she is seldom irritable 

 or vicious under the yoke. But the French arc a 

 remarkable people. The Horse Abattoirs, Montfnu- 

 con, in I'aris, — places where all sentiments of kindly 

 commiseration and pity for these useful and valuable 

 animals are utterly banished from the human breast, 

 — show the penchant of the French for economy in a 

 revolting light. A vast number of these animals, 

 living and dead, are brought annually to those sham- 

 bles, where they are mercilessly huddled together in 

 encloBuros so limited and confined as scarcely to ad- 

 mit of the slightest exercise, and not unfri-quently 

 without even an apology for food, or the blessings of 

 rest or air. Uy an estimate compounded in the year 



