398 



N^W ENGLAND FARMER, 



JtJSE 3fl, 1S33. 



KEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING. JUNE 26, 1833. 



FARMER'S WORK FOR .TULY. 



Lambs. Mr. Loudon, in tlie Encyclopedia 

 of i\gricultLire, has given .in article on the siib- 

 jact of weaning laml>s. Tlie Farmer's Guide 

 however sa)'s " the weaning of lambs before the 

 time when they naturally wean themselves, is 

 believed to be by no means advisable, unless the 

 ewes are to be turned oft' for fatting. In this case, 

 care must lie taken to milk the ewe every day or 

 two, for the first week, till the milk dries up." 



The worst w'oolled lambs, those of a bad color, or 

 otherwise defective, should be killed for food ; but 

 it is best not to kill or sell to the butcher any lamb 

 till it is near half a year old, or till the wool come 

 to such fulness of growth as to be valuable. 



Dr. Dcane says that " the largest should be shear- 

 ed at the time of the new moon in July. Their 

 fleeces will yield as much the ne.xt J'ear, and the 

 wool will be better ; and, as cold storms rarely 

 hap]ien at that time of the year, the lambs will do 

 better without their fleeces than with them." 



Cattle, Horses, &c. As green food is generally 

 abundant at this time of the year, every animal 

 about a form that can receive benefit from green 

 food cut and given to them, should bo ac- 

 commodated so far as 3'our crops including weeds, 

 enclosed grass, the growth of banks in cornfields, 

 &c. will permit. At any rate, your working o,xen, 

 and the horses which you use to go to meeting, to 

 mill, to market, &c. should be kept where you can, 

 at any tiuje, place your hands on them, without 

 traversing a large pasture, and being put to more 

 trouble to catch them than their services are worth 

 wlien caught. Every atiimal turned out to pasture 

 should be often inspected with the eye of a critic 

 and a connoisseur, to see that it does not suflijr by 

 hunger, thirst or casualty. See that your stock 

 have shade, water, and feed in abundance. If 

 they sutler from hunger and thirst, they will break 

 down or overleap almost any fence ; and at this 

 season, their trespasses will be doubly injurious, 

 on account of the state of the grain crops, &c. 



Turnips. The field culture of turnips becomes of 

 more than common consequence in seasons like the 

 present, in which the crops of hay fall short of their 

 usual quantity. Turnip seed may be sowed about 

 the middle of July ; but it is not necessary to be very 

 precise as to the time. Many able and practical 

 cultivators, however, advise to sow turnips earlier 

 than the usual practice in this country, and say that 

 the fore part of July, from the 1st to the 10th, is to 

 be preferred. The reason they give is, that the tur- 

 nip will grow till the vegetation is stopped by frost ;• 

 and, if it is sowed early, it will grow larger than it 

 would if sown late. Dr. Deane, however, observed 

 that ho had sown turnips the first week in August, 

 and had a good crop. When sown so late, they, 

 generally escape insects ; and though they may not 

 grow quite so large, they will commonly be better 

 for the t:ib!e than those which are sowed earlier. 



Turnips grow best on a light sandy or gravelly 

 soil 01- a sandy loam. It should be made rich, soft 

 .■ind fine. New land is best, and swarded land 

 ne.xt to that which has lately been cleared from 

 the forest. The seed may l)e sowed broad cast, 

 or in drills ; and if sown broad cast, one pound of 

 seed is the usual allowance for an acre, though 

 some say a pound and an half is better ; but if the 

 fly is to be provided for, the quantity of seed 

 shouW be a little increased. Many different meth- 



ods have been directed for preparing the seed 

 against the fly. It appears from a trial of Mr. 

 Knight, at the suggestion of Sir Huinphry Davy, 

 that lime slacked with urine, and mixed with a 

 treble quantity of soot, if sprinkled iu with the 

 seed at the tijne of sowing, will protect the seeds 

 and young plants from this insect. The Farmer's 

 Manual says, " To secure your turnip crop deci- 

 dedly against the fly, steep your seed twelve or 

 twenty-four hours before sowing, in fish or train 

 oil ; drain off" the oil from the seed, and roll it in 

 plaster; this will separate the seed from the glutin- 

 ous adhesion of the oil, render the casts pure, and 

 enrich your crop." 



The seed, when sowed broad cast, should be 

 harrowed in with a short tined harrow, or by draw- 

 ing a light harrow backwards, that is wrong end 

 foremost, to prevent the tines, which are usually 

 set somewhat pointed forward, from tearing u\> 

 the sod and burying the seed too deep. If sowed 

 in drills they maybe an inch deep, and twelve or 

 fifteen inches asunder. After the seed is covered 

 it will be well to pass over the field with a heavy 

 roller. 



Perhaps the Ruta Baga, or Swedish Turnip, 

 may be preferred to the common English turnip. 

 For modes of cultivating this valuable production 

 our reailcrs will please to turn to page 277 of the 

 current volume, for Judge Bucl's account, and vol. 

 IX, page 284, for Mr. Coleman's method of pro- 

 ceeding. 



Mr. M'Mahon has the following observations on 

 the Ruta Baga. "This variety of the tmnip is 

 the most important of all, and deserves to be rank- 

 ed in the fiist class of vegetable productions. Its 

 ([uantity of produce, richness of flavor, and ex- 

 treme hardness, render it of great importance, and 

 give it a pre-eminence over every other kind. The 

 best time of sowing it is from the 20th of June to 

 20th of July, according to the season. The ground 

 should be well prepared, and manure scattered 

 pretty tiiickly over it ; which done, it should be 

 laid oft' in ridges, about three feet apart, two fur- 

 rows turned together with the plough, and the 

 seed sown on the top. By this method, you 

 have a double portion of manure for each row 

 of turnips, and a better o)ii)ortunity of attend- 

 ing to their after cidture. AVhen they are of euf- 

 ficient growth, thin them to the distance of twelve 

 inches apart in the rows ; they will continue grow- 

 ing and increasing in size till late in autumn, when, 

 if not used before, they may be taken up and pi-e- 

 served through the winter, like other turnips, than 

 which they are more hardy, will keep better, and 

 be as fresh in May as at Christmas. 



" The flesh of the root is yellow, sweet and 

 firm, being nearly twice as heavy as a common 

 turnip of the same size ; when dressed for the 

 table, it is by most people preferred to the garden 

 turnips, and, as well as the tops, is peculiarly 

 grateful to most sorts of cattle." 



ITEMS OF INTELLIGEIVCE. 



Introduction of White iMhorcrs in Jamaica. Mr. Myers, 

 a Jamaica planter. lias engaged in a project for the intro- 

 duction of wliite laborers into the Island — not only as a 

 matter of economy, but also to increase the security of 

 the white inhabitants ; and is about to repair to Germany 

 to bring over families of peasantry. 



Esscz County Temperance Report. The facts set forth 

 in this report are of a highly gratifying character. The 

 number of temperance societies, in the county, has been 

 increased, within a year from 30 to 72. Number of mem- 



bers from loss than 10,00U to upwards of 18,000. Number 

 of venders of ardent spirit have decreased one third. 

 Effective .ngcnts and advocates have made great efforts, 

 and met with great success in promoting the good work. 

 To Mr. Frost, in a most especial manner, is due the 

 warmest tribute of applause for his indefatiwable exer- 

 tions, which have been signally prospered. — J\'ticbury- 

 port Herald. 



It is a melanclioly truth that there was at this place 

 yesterday a storm of snoic.—'Uhe snow fell rapidly for 

 several minutes ; and the cold is so severe to this time 

 that a large fire is necessary for comfort in the house. 

 The Green Mountains west from here, were white witk 

 snow through the day yesterday. The clouds and Wind 

 have as yet prevented frost injuring vegetation, though 

 the severe cold must necessarily check its growth. — 

 Randolph, Vt.lOth inst. 



Cobbctt's Magazine. Is the title of a periodical estab- 

 lished by the two song of Wm. Cobbett, M. P. The 

 ArnE^t^EUM speaks of the beginning as promising; says 

 there are good papers in it, both literary and political, 

 the latter of which are calculated to be popular ; and 

 quotes from it the following satirical summary of the 

 moral merits of some of the standard modern novels. 



" Would you seduce a wife .' Falkland shall teach 

 you to do it with gravity and dignity. Would you mur- 

 der ? Eugene Aram shall show you the necessity for the 

 public advantage. AVould you rob .' Paul Clifford shall 

 convince you of the injustice of security, and of the 

 aboininableness of the safety of a purse on a moonlight 

 niL'ht. Would you eat ? Turn with Harry Bertram and 

 D.iudio Dinmont to the round of beef. Would you 

 drint • Friar Tuck is the joUiest of companions. Would 

 you d. nee, dress and drawl .' Pelham shall take you in- 

 to tuition. Would you lie, fawn and flatter? Andrew 

 Wylic shall instruct you to crawl upward, without the 

 slime betraying your path. Would you yawn, doze, 

 sleep, or dream ? Cloudcsley shall do it for you, for til© 

 space of the first volume." — Charleston Mercury. 



Family Steamer. Scarcely ever (says the Nashville 

 lianner) have we seen a little apparatus so adnurably 

 aiapted, from its simplicity, its easy application, and its 

 various and important uses, to tlie convenience and cora- 

 'ort of the neat and industrious housewife, as that which 

 las recently fallen under our notice, with the above ap- 

 iropriate title. 1 1 is a portable steam generator, whose 

 jrincipal object is to assist in creating and preserving 

 cleanliness, to destroy no.xious insects and vermin, and 

 to prevent their increase. It is used without trouble or 

 inconvenience, and supersedes tlie annoying application 

 of water in many cases. That vexatious but indispensa- 

 ble ceremony, which is afler all too oflen ineffectual, tlie 

 cleaning of bedsteads, may be performed, most thorough- 

 ly, by the aid of this apparatus, without taking them 

 apart or removing them, and without the slightest injury 

 to the floor or carpet upon which they stand. Not a bug 

 or other insect can possibly escape the searching and 

 destructive power of this instrument. For cleansing 

 furniture, removing spots from paint, purifying varnish, 

 cleaning windows and looking glasses, picture frames, 

 maps, &c. it is most completely adapted. Its penetrating 

 power is truly wonderful. The smallest crack or fissure 

 may be thoroughly searched and every thing harbored 

 there effectually removed. It may be useful too, to de- 

 stroy worms, which so often infest fruit trees, without 

 injuring the trees themselves ; and to remove skippers 

 from bacon without afi'ccting the meat. In fine, in those 

 numerous essential family operations, which, while they 

 contribute to neatness, health and comfort, are so oflen 

 full of trouble and vexation to the matron, and to all 

 about her, it is an almost invaluable auxiliary, and when 

 t shall be introduced into general use, we have no doubt 

 it will rank among the most valuable and indispensabla 

 articles of housewifery. 



