242 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



[Feb. 25, 



pruned, &,c. the branches should be sorted and 

 put into bundles,— separating the bark without 

 <lelay. Each of the three sorts should be kept 

 in water, three or four days, more or less, ac- ) 

 cording to their qualities, &,c. Taken from the ; 

 water at the approach of eTPnins;, they should| 

 be spread upon the grass of the meadow, to re- j 

 main there all night, in order to imbibe the j 

 morning dews ; then before the sun beats on them 

 should be heaped up and remain till the return j 

 of the evening, to be spread again to the damps' 

 of night. This to be rnntinued ten or twelve^ 

 days in the manner of (lax, and in short till sutB- : 

 cienliy steeped ; which may be known by dry- , 

 iog and beating a handful of each sort,— return- ' 

 ing to the evening dew those which are uot suf- 

 ficiently prepared. 



The utility of White mulberry trees, says M. V. j 

 de Bomare, {Diet. dUiist. JVat.) is not limited to j 

 the scstenance of silk worms ; they may be prun- 

 ed every three or four years, like willows and 

 poplars, to make fagots, the leaves of which 

 serve as winter food to sheep, — these animals 

 being very fond of this nourishing provision. — 

 On the first white frost, the leaves may also be 

 shaken from these trees, gathered and dried un-' 

 der cover, stirring them occasionally. With 

 them they feed sheep in Spain during Ibe frosts. 

 By this method the mulberry trees are not hurl, 

 and it is supposed that this food contributes much 

 to the beauty and fineness of the wools of Spain. 



If realization followed quick upon the track 

 of our wishes, this tree, the larch, and locust 

 would soon be extensively cultivated. Our hill 

 tops crowned with larches, and some of their 

 slopes and the borders of our fields planted with 

 the white mulberry tree, sugar-maple, and' lo- 

 cust, would add greatly to the beauty of our 

 landscapes and the value of our domains. It is 

 full time that the cultivation of useful native 

 forest trees should be undertaken in many parts 

 of this country. The honey AociiM {filcditschia) 

 and common locust [robinia) would form excel- 

 lent hedges if properly managed. This last was 

 introduced into France from this country by Jean 

 Robin (whence its botanic name) and highly 

 esteemed there for its various uses. One of their 

 agriculturists, in recommending its more exten- 

 sive culture, observed — there were millions of 

 them spread over the soil of that country. 



Nobis placeaat ante omnia sylvac — Virgil. 

 With much respect, 



SOLOMON DROWN. 



P. S. If you think the foregoing remarks, or 

 any part of them, worthy of pubiicalion, they 

 are at your disposal. By the N. E. Farmer of 

 January 28, I perceive Dr Thacher has mistak- 

 en the scope of my article on the Bucklhorn 

 Hedge. What I wrote was founded on the as- 

 sertion of the Committee, that the hedge at Gen. 

 Derby's ivas formed of Buckthorn, "fl?i American 

 plant, and native o/'A'ei) England.'''' I now find 

 by Gen. Derby's communication, that his hedge 

 was planted with Rhainnus Cathartictis, which is 

 an exotic, as I observed. If there has been any 

 error, one may suppose that Dr Thacher has 

 participated therein; for, from his saying, — 

 '' several trees of this species are in view of my 

 windows," we may infer he deems it to be in- 

 digenous. , All I wish is, to be freed from the 

 ivnputatioa of iucorrectoess. S. D- 



TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Extract of a Utter from Bristol, (it. 7.) 

 Dear Sir, — Yours of Feb. 10, accompanying 

 a parcel of Ruta Baga seeds came safely to hand, 

 and were immediately distributed amongst our 

 most enterpr'sing farmers. 



We are not altogether unacquainted with the 

 Ruta Baga in this section of the country, yet 

 there has been considerable difficulty in obtain- 

 ing good seed, hence many have stated to me 

 that they have not been able to succeed to their 

 wishes. The ftlangel Wurtzel is a much rarer 

 plant, and 1 believe the Sugar Beet is entirely 

 unknown here, if yon should be able to procure 

 any rare seeds, and will take the trouble to for- 

 ward them to me, they shall be faithfully dis- 

 tributed. 



Agriculture is advancing with rapid strides in 

 this state, since the formation of our Agricultural 

 [Society, and the dissemination of agricultural 

 ; publications. We are making considerable ex- 

 ertions to increase the subscribers to the New 

 England Farmer. Our farmers are beginning to 

 read more, and to practise better, vying wilh 

 each other in making improvements in the all 

 important art of Agriculture. 



.4 very valuable work has lately been publisbed in 

 Pliiladelpliia, entitled " Memoirs of the l-'enii?ylvania 

 AjiicuUural Society ; with Selections from tlie most 

 approved authors, adapted to the use of the practical 

 farmers of the United States. Published by John S. 

 Skinner, Esq." This work has received due and 

 handtiome notice in the last Jv'o. of the Massachusetts 

 Afi^ricultural Journal, which we propose to lepublisli 

 in a future No. of the New Englantl Farmer. In the 

 mean time, we have selected the folio viingp article for 

 republication, which has particular claims to the at- 

 tention of New England cultivators. It is written by 

 a Gentleman, who is not only one of our most intelli- 

 gent Agriculturists, but whose character aud station 

 in society will add the weight of authority to the in- 

 trinsic value of his observations. 



Oil ike State of ^Agriculture., and the Application of 

 Farm Labour in .Maisadiaselts — breaking, feeding, 

 and vwrking. Oxen — the Culture of Indian Corn — 

 the .Idrantages of Imjirortd Short-horn Cattle for the 

 Dairy and the shambles. 



[By the Ho.v. Levi Li.nxoln.] 



Worcester, August 3, 1C2-1. 

 .ToHN Hare Powel, Esq. 



Dear Sir. — I regret that absence from homo- 

 and the pressure of my engagements have so 

 long delayed an acknowledgment of your letter 

 of enquiry upon agricultural subjocts, by the re- 

 ceipt of which I beg you to be assured 1 fell 

 both obliged and honoured. If i.^y ability to 

 afford practical and satisfactorj' information was 

 in any degree proportionate to the ardour of my 

 feelings and my sense of the importance of the ob- 

 ject of our united pursuit — the improvement ol 

 the business of husbandry and ofits substantial re- 

 sults in the greater productiveness of labour — 1 

 should more deeply regret the liltle opporlunily 

 I have lor communication and correspondence 

 on the subject. ]\Iy farming however has nec- 

 essarily from my situation, been but of seconda- 

 ry consideration, and my attention and observa- 

 vations frequently interrupted in a manner to 

 preclude a very systematic account of its prog- 

 ress, present expense, or promise of future ad- 

 vantage ; and I can speak with slill less confi- 

 dence of the experience of others. The pres- 

 ent depressed prices of produce, and the high 

 rale of wages in this part of the country arc un- 



favourable to any great impiovements in agri- 

 cuUtire. This disproportion is most unreasona- 

 bly great. Until within a few years a bushel of 

 rye «ouldpay for a day's labour at hay-making, 

 while U'^w the price of 2 bushels is hardly made 

 satisfactpry. The smilk^s bills also, an important 

 item in the fanner's account of expenses, is but 

 little, if at all diminished. From tl:is and other 

 like circumstances the business of liusbandry is 

 alversely affected. Less labour th.in would be 

 advantageously applied to the culture of the 

 eartli is engaged, fewer and more imperfect 

 implements are used, and a less careful and im- 

 proving course of farming is pursued, than, i 

 tru^t, we should otherwise and everywhere no- 

 tice. Still against all these discouragements, 

 the agricultural interest in this neighbournood 

 must be considered as progressive. Perhaps in 

 no part of the country is there more industry, 

 more hours of time devoted to labour by the 

 yeomanry, than in this county. They are early 

 risers, and generally at work in the longest days 

 be lure the sun, and with short intermissions for 

 brcalifast and dinner, until evening. I am in- 

 clined to believe that this habit of almost inces- 

 sant labour is somewhat peculiar to the proprie- 

 tors of onr iiiibborn soil. The intervals between 

 the cultivation and securing of the crops, and 

 after the harvest, are usually employed in clear- 

 ing new lands for improvement, in the erection 

 of walls by which most farms are enclosed, and 

 divided, in the prejiaratinn of composts and in 

 the transportation of the barn yard manure to 

 llie field for us-e the next season. Providing fuel 

 for the year, and the care of cattle, afford occu- 

 p:\lion for the winter. And I i.iay well venture 

 to say, that in our climate, and with our occa- 

 sions for industry, the prudent farmer can have 

 no idle time. The general tone of morals aud 

 and the degree of information which is found 

 to exist, evince a devotion ot some leisure hours 

 to the sources of intelligence and mental im- 

 provement. 



You enquire the mode of " brcahi7!g, feedina, 

 and zi'orking onr oxen." The best broken oxen 

 are those which are early trained and accustom- ' 

 ed to the yoke \vith occasional light work. — >. 

 They are often broken as early as at one and 

 two years of age, wilh gentle and patient usage. 

 .•\t this period they are more docile and tracta- 

 ble, and it is thought become more powerful by 

 being sooner accustomed to each other, and to 

 the application of their strength to Iha draft. I 

 believe they may be taught to travel in almost 

 any gail ; certain it is, the rate at which oxen, 

 ililierently broken, will walk with their load, 

 would seem incredible to a peison ignorant of 

 the dilTercnce in the mode of their training. To 

 accustom them to a quick pace, they should at 

 first be driven in the yoke while young, without 

 any, or a very light weight, and never heavily 

 loaded, until they have arrived at full slreno-|h 

 and maturity. A great fault wilh many people 

 is loo much indifference to the construction of 

 the yoke. Almost any shapeless piece of wood, 

 with holes for the insertion of the bows, is 

 made to answer ; but to the ease of the draft, the 

 adaptation of the yoke or bow to the neck of 

 the bullock, and the position of the staple and 

 ring in the yoke, are altogether material. For 

 common use, and particularly for ploughing, 1 

 have found that yokes were generally too short. 

 Cattle of the largest size require a yuke from 

 4^^ to 5 feet in length. In ^hort yokes they are 

 apt lo haul as it is termed, that is, draw fro/n 



