52 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Jan. 



is willinnj to earn an independence by his own 

 labor, he grows restive as he looks upon a farmer's 

 life here, and quits his old homestead almost with- 

 out a sijih, to sei;k a new home in the rich prairies 

 of the West. 



If men would regard the pursuit of agriculture 

 in Massachusetts as its true relations deserve, 

 they would find little occasion for the indulgence 

 of those notions. One great difficulty in the way 

 of a farmer's appreciating as he ought the advan- 

 tages of his own condition, compared with that of 

 his fellow citizens around him, is the isolated man- 

 ner in which he passes much of his time within 

 the sphere of his own farm and neighborhood. 

 lie is too apt to forget how important is that fra- 

 ternity to %vhich he belongs, in all the elements of 

 power and influence. 



ILL-JUDGED COMPARISONS. 



The amount invested and held by the farmers 

 of ^Massachusetts in lands, stock and farming tools, 

 as stated in the census returns of 1850, exceeds 

 a hundred and twenty-two millions of dollars, 

 and in numbers they greatly exceed either the 

 mechanics, manufacturers, or professional men in 

 tlie Commonwealth. They forget this when the}' 

 indulge in comparisons with the seemingly more 

 favored portions of the community, and as life is 

 with them one of economy and toil, they are too 

 ready to grow discontented, when if they would 

 but pause and examine for themselves, they would 

 bless the Providence that had given them such a 

 home and such means of earning and enjoying an 

 independence with it. No circumstance is so 

 fraught with the elements of discontent as this 

 habit of making ill-judged comparisons of one's 

 condition with that of others. We start with as- 

 suming that whoever is superior in wealth, or 

 enjoying a larger share of popular favor or per- 

 sonal ease, must be the happier man, and looking 

 only at the outside of things, we allow our eyes to 

 be dazzled by the false coloring which life often 

 wears, even in its best estate. 



THERE'S MUCH IN LIFE, .AFTER ALL. 



Tliere 's much in this life, after all, 



That's pleasant, if people would take it; 

 On some of us trouble must fall, 



But sure am I most of as make it. 

 Let us look for the ups and the downs, 



And try to take things as we find them ; 

 And if we are met by the frowns. 



Believe that a smile is behind them. 



What have we, we did not receive ? 



Is the world not suiliciently roomy ? 

 Then, why should we wish to believe 



We were sent into life to be gloomy ? 

 We may meet with some rubs in our daj', 



But do n't let us tremble for fear of them ; 

 Eather hope they will not come in our way. 



And do all we can to keep clear of them. 



There are regions of quicksands and rocks. 



And it's difticult, too, to steer around them ; 

 A good plumb line might save us some knocks, 



But It's no easy matter to sound them, 

 For our needle may point the wrong way, 



And our chart do no more than mislead us. 

 Till we And that " each dog has his day," 



And a friend's all alive to succeed us. 



But there's much in this life, after all, 



That's pleasant, if people would take it ; 

 Though on some of us trouble must fall. 



Full sure I am most of usjmake it. 

 Let us look for the ups and the downs, 



And try to take things as we find them; 

 And if we are met by the frowns, 



Believe that a smile is behind them. 



EXTRACTS AND REPLIES. 



A GOOD COW. 



Mr. Editor : — I have the care of a cow that 

 has been farrow for three years, and has averaged 

 durin<^ that time, five quarts of milk a day ; her 

 milk is of excellent quality, and makes sufficient 

 butter for a family of six, besides supplying what 

 milk they with to use. She is of common breed, 

 and does not have very high feeding. I ask if, in 

 your judgment, she is not more than an ordinary 

 cow? .J. p. 



Filzwilllam, Nov., 1854. 



Remarks. — Certainly, she is an cx/ra-ordinary 

 cow. If she is farrow, we suppose she has given 

 milk through the entire year, which at five quarts 

 per day would be 1,825 quarts a year. Allowing 

 10 qts. for a pound of butter, it would give 182 

 pounds per year ; but we think the milk of such a 

 cow would yield a pound of butter in something 

 less than ten quarts. Eight quarts to the pound 

 would give 227 1-4 pounds. 



BEST food for MILCH COWS — PLASTER. 



Mr. Editor : — I have been a constant reader 

 of the Farmer for years, and I wish now to make 

 some inquiries through its columns. I make milk 

 for the Worcester market. I wish to inquire what 

 is the best and cheapest feed for cows that give 

 milk, and what will make the most milk for the 

 same money, and also how to feed them ? (a.) 



Is it beneficial to sow plaster at this season of the 

 year on winter rye and on pastures ? (6.) 



Worcester, Nov. 6, 1854. W'ORCESTER. 



Remarks : — («.) The questions under this 

 head can only be answered in a general way with- 

 out long and exact experiments. The " best and 

 cheapest" food for milch cows which we have ever 

 found, was good corn fodder, clover and herd's- 

 grass hay, and half a bushel, or three pecks of 

 roots, — say, beets, parsnips, carrots, flat turnips and 

 ruta bagas, — per day, for each cow, fed to them in 

 the morning soon after they were milked. Under 

 this treatment this gave more milk than under any 

 other, and we found it the cheapest. Good corn 

 fodder will produce milk abundantly. 



(b.) The autumn is a good time to sow plaster. 



I^° The substance of the article on the State 

 Pauper Establishment at Tewksbury, has already, 

 appeared in the columns of the Farmer. We 

 thank the writer, " II. F.," for his attention and 

 hope to hear from him on other subjects. 



BREAKING-UP-PLOW — STR.\W-CUTTER— CULTIVA- 

 TOR — HORSE-PLOW— SPKIXG WHEAT — 

 PEAT ASHES. 



Mr. Editor: — I wish to inquire through your 



columns, which, in your oj)iiiioii, is tae best plow 



for breaking up grass land V (a.) 



What Is the best straw and corn-stalk cutter ?(fi.) 

 Which of the two does the work most fhoroui;h- 



ly, the cultivator or the horse-plow, and the price 



of each V (c.) 



