46 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Angnst 22, 1832. 



SJ3W j2sroaiisra> jjiiissaaiBa 



Boston, Wednesday Evening, August 23, 1832. 



FARMER'S WORK FOR AUGUST. 



Rye. — If you have land of suitable quality, on 

 which you are desirous to raise a profitable crop, 

 with but little trouble and expense, you cannot 

 do better than to sow it with winter rye. Soils 

 of a sandy or gravelly nature are recommended 

 for this grain. Rye is not only a proper crop for 

 land of this description, but it answers a valuable 

 purpose on a soil which \stoo7-ich to jiroduce 

 wheat. In Russia, (we are told by a conununica- 

 tion to the British Board of Agriculture) the pro- 

 duce from boggy lands, drained, and sowed with 

 rye, is upwards of forty bushels to one bushel 

 sowed ; and they generally use a uHich smaller 

 quantity of seed in sowing such lands, than is ne- 

 cessary in sowing a soil not so rich. Mr L. Hom- 

 medieu, in la paper contained iu " Transactions of 

 the JVeto York Agricultural Society," observed, in 

 substance, that a neighbor of his manured twenty 

 square rods of poor, gravelly, dry soil, with four 

 thousand menhaden fish, and sowed it with rye, 

 at the rate of one bushel to the acre. In the 

 spring it was twice successively eaten off, close to 

 the ground, by sheep breaking in, after it had ac- 

 quired a height of nine inches the first time, and 

 six inches the latter. These croppiugs, however, 

 only served to make it grow thicker and stronger 

 than before ; and when harvested, it produced six- 

 teen bushels, or at the rate of one hundred and 

 twentyeight bushels to the acre ; giving to the own- 

 er, according to the calculation of Mr IIom.Tiedieu, 

 at the rate of eightyfive dollars the acre of clear 

 profit. Mr Hommedieu says that this accouiit, 

 (which seems almost beyond the bounds of pos- 

 sibility) was attested to by many <-reditable wit- 

 nesses. 



From the middle of August to the middle of 

 September is said by most agriculturists to be 

 the best time for sowing rye. In the Memoirs of 

 the New York Board of Agriculture, vol. i. p. 82, 

 it is said, " Rye should be sowed the last week in 

 August or the first week in September, at the rate 

 of .Ttiout thirlysix quarts per acre, some say forty- 

 eight quarts. But if it is not sowed at that time, 

 it ought to be delayed until late in November, so 

 that it may not come up till spring." A poor soil 

 requires earlier sowing than a rich one. If it is 

 sowed early and the land is in good tilth, one 

 bushel of seed to the acre will be guIBcient, ac- 

 cording to the Farmcr^s .issistant. For late full 

 sowing, or spring sowing, from a bushel and a 

 half to two bushels to an acre will prove the prop- 

 er quantity. Pther things equal, the poorer the 

 soil, the more seed will be required. 



There are two advantages to be anticipated 

 from early sowing of this grain. First, by sow- 

 ing it early you may provide green feed for sheep 

 late in the full, and early in the spring ; and sec- 

 ondly, by early sowing, and feeding in the fall, 

 the roots of the grain take such firm and extensive 

 hold of the soil that they are less liable to be 

 thrown out of the ground by the frosts of autumn, 

 winter and spring, and the plants will be more 

 likely to escape being what is called winter kilted ; 

 which, generally speaking, means being killed by 

 late frosts in autumn, and early frosts in the spring. 

 A writer in the American Farmer, vol. i. p. 173, 

 says, " The great and the only secret in regard to 



insuring a good crop of rye is early sowing. From 

 the middle of August to the middle of September 

 I have always found to be the best lime for sow- 

 ing rye. From three pecks to a bushel per acre 

 ia amply sufficient for seed. Early sown rye is 

 unich heavier than that which is sown later; and 

 further it affords excellent pastm-es bolh in fall 

 and spring, nor does pasturing injure the crop ; 

 in many cases it is a real benefit — particularly 

 when eaten down by sheep. Clover also succeeds 

 much better after rye than after wheat." i 



In England, it is conunon to sow rye for, the 

 ])urpose of making green fodder fur ' cattle , and 

 sheep, particularly the latter in the spring. "J3an- 

 nistcr's Husbandry," an English work of tnerit 

 says " when rye is sown for sheep feed, it is piop- 

 er to allow three bushels to the acre, for where the 

 blade, haulm or stalk form the primary objeet, a 

 much larger proportion of seed is requisite tliau 

 when the crop is meant for harvesting." 



Boston and Worcester Rail-Road. — We would 

 solicit the attention of our readers to the article in 

 our 43d page on the subject of the above mention- 

 ed undertaking; which promises to terminate 

 more favorably than its most sanguine advocates 

 had predicted. We are informed by good judges 

 that actual and accurate surveys, and a more imi- 

 matc knowledge of the obstacles which impede, 

 and the facilities which encourage the enterprise 

 have very much raised the expectations of those 

 engaged in the construction of the proposed ave- 

 nue. Roads of this description may well be cal- 

 culated upon as means of blending the advantages 

 of city and country, saving time, in effect annihi- 

 lating space, and adding to the wealth and convei 

 nience of the whole community beyond what 

 those who have paid but a slight attention to tl 

 subject could possibly have anticipated. 



Iliisisumbellata, Orchis, Phlox, Thalictruin major, 

 Coreopsis lanceolaia, Veronica, Virgiuica, Lych- 

 nis chalcedonia, tl. pleno. 



Mr J. A. Kenrick of Newton, also exhibited 

 Bignonia grandiflora, do. radicans, Musk, Cluster, 

 Noisette aiul China Roses, Double and Single 

 Ailheas, and other flowers. 



Dr E. S. II. Leonard of Providence, presented 

 the Society a quantity of Tannier roots, and Ar- 

 row Root plants, together with a box of seeds of 

 flowers and vegetables. 



1'oted, That the thanks of the Society be pre- ' 

 sented to Doctor E. S. H. Leonard for his liberal 

 donation of roots and seeds. 



Dr F. Vanderburg of New Milford, Conn, was 

 admitted an Honorary Member ; and W. J. Lo- 

 ring, Esq. of Boston, a subscription Member of 

 Massachusetts Horticultural Society. 



MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL 

 SOCIETY. 



SiloSDAT, August 13, 1832. 



Fruits Exhibited. — By Zebedee Cook, Jr, Esq., 

 fine Early Harvest A|)ples. By E. Vose, Esq., 

 Shropshire vine and Williams' Favorite Apples, 

 both of very handsome appearance ; the latter of 

 high flavor. By Mr S. Phipps, a beautiful Shro))- 

 shire vine apple, which in appearance could hard- 

 Iv be distinguished from an Early Catherine Pear. 



For the Committee on Fruits, 



E. M. RICHARDS. 



Messrs Winship presented for exhibition a fine 

 staiul of perennial Flowers, including some beau- 

 tiful varieties, recently presented to them by Ad- 

 miral Sir Isaac Cokki.v, Bart. The following is 

 a list of the specimens which were shown by 

 Messrs Winship on this occasion. 



Dahlias Achilles, Colvilles 'perfecta, Monarda 

 variety, Lilium pleno. Clematis flamula, do. viorna, 

 Coreopsis lanceolata, do. auricula, do. tenuifolia. 

 Campanula alba pleno, Spirea tripctala, do. tri- 

 foliatuni, Geranium sylvaticum, do. vlassovianum, 

 Reseda lutea, Euphorbia corroUata, do. cannibin- 

 um. Lychnis alba, Centaurea purpurea, Anchusa 

 purpurea, Authemis pleno, Veronica spicata, do. 

 hybrida. Aster emellus, Symphytimi asperimum, 

 Hemoerocallis coerulea, Helianthus i)leno, Terra- 

 ria tigridi. 



Mr S. A. Walker of Roxbury, exhibited the fol- 

 lowing flowers. Delphinum grandiflora, do. sinen- 

 sis, Monarda didyma, do. purpurea, do. moleus. 



The following extract of a letter from my old 

 friend, R. M. Williams, contains a hint too val- 

 uable to be lost. He has not directed me how to 

 dispose of it, but its publication in the Genesee 

 Farmer, may be the means of doing much good 

 to others. I have also paid a premium to chil- 

 dren for gathering cockle plants by the hundred 

 in the spring from my fields ; and it is probable 

 that in almost every neighborhood, there may be 

 fiumd boys, who for a trifle would willingly en- 

 gage in such services. Job-work is much morn 

 exciting than day-labor. The boy who is intent 

 on filling his bushel, will be too much engaged 

 to watch the sun. It is a cheap way to clear our 

 fields of bad weeds; and to train those who would 

 otherwise be idle, to habits of industry, is patriot- 

 ic and benevolent. 



" In 1812, when I first came on the farm where 

 I now reside, one of my meadows was much in- 

 jured with the sour dock. In the spring, after 

 the frost was out and before the ground had set- 

 tled, I found the roots came out easily. I oflered 

 a boniUy of one shilling a bushel for dock roots, 

 to be gathered on my own land ; and the children 

 of the neighborhood engaged with zeal in the bu- 

 siness. They ])idled about eight bushels, and I 

 have never been troubled with them since. I be- 

 lieve the Canada thistle may be eradicated in this 

 way." D. T. 



To preserve Peas and Beans. — Peas and beans 

 may be preserved through the winter by scalding 

 tbein in a strong syrup of sugar and drying 

 them — after which they should be put in a bottle 

 and corked close. If each part of this process ia 

 conducted with care, it will be found when they 

 are cooked that they have lost but little of their fla- 

 vor, and that they will form a great addition to our 

 vegetable dishes during winter. — lb. 



Bottled Gooseberries. — A correspondent says, 

 " A bottle of green gooseberries were closely 

 corked, laid away in the cellar iu 1829, and for- 

 gotten until the lattei- part of this spring— a period 

 of nearly three years. On examining them they 

 proved to be in fine preservation, and made a most 

 excellent pie." — 76. 



Substitute for Champaigne Wine. — A very ex- 

 cellent substitute for Champaigne wine is said to 

 be made from the juice of unripe gooseberrie.s 

 with a (large) quantity of sugar, sufficient to ren- 

 der it sweet. 



