84 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Teb. 



sal, but wealth can, from the nature of things, 

 be hut occasional. AVitli all that reasonable be- 

 ings can ask, let our farmers be contented with 

 their condition, and not envy the rich man his 

 gold, for in the language of Izaak Walton, which 

 we quote from memory, "The cares that be the 

 keys that keep those riches, hang heavy at the 

 ricli man's girdle, and clog him with weary days 

 and restless nights." 



At the same time, let us be ever mindful to 

 kelp one another. 



For the Neiv England Farmer. 



DAIEY PEODUCTS. 



Mr. Editoh ; — I have examined, with much in- 

 terest, the returns on this subject from the Coun- 

 ties of Worcester and Middlesex. After what has 

 been said of extraordinary "butter products," I 

 did expect to find some such dra^vn out by the 

 generous premiums offered by the State Society. 

 The products from the towns of Worcester and 

 Barre are quite fair for the season, (considering 

 the all-pervading drought,) but they are not bet- 

 ter than can be found on many farms where the 

 pasturage is good. On the farm where the but- 

 ter is made for my family, the cows for years 

 have yielded an average product of one pound a 

 day, for the entire butter-making season, and in 

 the best part of it, nine or ten pounds per week, 

 for each cow, on grass feed alone. These cows 

 are entirely iiative. I do not see that Mr. Lin- 

 coln's improved stock has done any better than 

 this. I sincerely regret that the "eminent ftir- 

 mer" of Middlesex, should not have rendered a 

 full account of the product of his Devons for the 

 season. Such an account would be much more 

 satisfactory, than "October products" alone. It 

 is with cows, as with persons — to rightly under- 

 stand their character, they must be summered 

 and wintered. You cannot begin to form a true 

 idea of the value of a cow, from the product of 

 one week, or one month, — it must be for the sea- 

 son entire, with ordinary fair feed. Any stan- 

 dard of judgment not based upon such a founda- 

 tion is not to bo relied on. I remember to have 

 seen in the Michigan Farmer a few days since, a 

 statement of four cows that yielded 174 lbs. of 

 butter, and 1050 lbs. of cheese, in the space of 

 100 days, the present season. These were said to 

 be native stock. According to my notions, this 

 was doing quite well. A few years since, I re- 

 member the Albany Cul/ivaior gave a statement 

 of the dairy products on the farm of IMr. John 

 Stone, Jr., of Marblehead, for which he obtained 

 the first premium of the County Society. This 

 stock consisted of four cows, all descended from 

 one ill-looking, hornless animal, that was pur- 

 chased froift a Hampshire drove, about thirty 

 years since. Tliey were pastured on five acres of 

 ground, and no more, with plenty of pure water 

 from the adjoining hills. In the space of forty 

 days they yielded 240 lbs. of butter, of first qual- 

 ity. These are products in the ordinary way. 

 There may be Durhams, Jerseys, or Devons, that 

 will do more and better than this — l)ut when they 

 will do it on the same kind of feed, and with the 

 same attention, and no more, I think it will bo 

 safe to off r double price for such butter. 



January 8, 1855. Essex. 



For the New England Farmer. 



PROFITS OF HENS. 



Friexd Brown : — I herewith send you the fol- 

 lowing statement of my last year's experience in 

 the hen line. If you think any of our farmer 

 friends could profit by my experiments, you can 

 publisii it. I send it to you for the benefit of that 

 class of persons who say " hens are more plague 

 than profit." 



DEBTOR. 



Jan. 1, 1854, bought 8 hens and 1 cock— cost $3 50 



" 4 turkeys '• 3 00 



March 8, bought 8 hens " 2 67 



" 35 clucks' eggs " 89 



" duck " 50 



Corn and meal during the year " 20 64 



Cost of fowls and keeping §31 20 



CREDIT. 



69 chickens and turkeys sold $31 44 



115 dozen eggs sold and used 27 52 



On hand Dec. 31, 14 hens and 1 cock (W.aO. . .7 50 



6.." ® 37i..225 



12 ducks (a)bO 6 00 



$74 71 

 Less cost 31 20 



Net profit on this small lot of fowls $43 61 



These are facts, Mr. Editor. Why cannot our 

 country friends, many of whom have ample room 

 and far better accommodations, make three or 

 four times this amount every year ! 



Yours truly, a. f. l. 



Maiden, Jan., 1855. 



For the New England Farjner. 



BASKET WILLOW. 



Mr. Editor : — As the introduction of any new 

 tree, shrub, vine or plant which can be cultivated 

 with pi'ofit, improves the condition of the farmer, 

 and adds wealth to the country, it is with much 

 pleasure that I am able to submit to your readers 

 the following facts in relation to the cultivation 

 of the European Basket Willow. 



Having, in the spring of 1853, obtained several 

 hundreds of willow cuttings, I planted them out 

 about the 20th of April, on land which had been 

 previously prepared for a crop of potatoes. The 

 character of the soil was a deep sandy loam. Af- 

 ter planting out, which was very hastily done, 

 they received no better attention than is usually 

 given to a crop of corn or potatoes ; they made a 

 growth of from three to six feet in height, and in 

 November they were cut up and the stumps al- 

 lowed to remain unprotectotl through the winter. 

 Last season they received neither manure or cul- 

 tivation, but were allowed to grow in their own 

 free, natural, yet graceful wiiy. On cutting them 

 up last Noveml)er, I measured a rod, and on 

 weighing found the product to be 112 lbs., or 

 after the rate of 80 lbs. less than nine tons to the 

 acre. 



A very large portion of them grew from six to 

 eight feet in height. Those which I loft uncut 

 have proved perfectly hardy, nor have I a doubt 

 that they are perfectly adapted to this climate. 



There is now a machine for pooling them at 

 a trifling expense, and there is, in my opinion, no 

 longer a doubt that it will prove one of the most 

 profitable crops which the farmer can grow, nor 

 can I see any reason why it will not make one of 

 the best land fences of any material which has 

 ever been introduced. I am resolved to give them 



