1855. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



133 



contributions to its columns ; and when they 

 have done this, they will be all the better able to 

 take another paj)or out of their own State. Our 

 New Ilampsliire friends are holding some of the 

 most useful meetings that are taking place in 

 New England, and we only regret that our space 

 will not permit us to spread their reports before 

 the reader. Ilillsboro' county gires examples 

 worthy of imitation by all. 



Henry S. ^Morso, Henry Keyes, Solomon W. Jew- 

 ett. Corresponditiff Secretary — J. A. Beekwith, 

 of Middlobury. Recording Secretary — CharleB 

 Cummings, of Middlebury. Treasurer — Edward 

 Seymour, of Vergennes. 



For the New England Farmer. 



TEE EEAIN FEVEE. 



Of all fevers to doctors known. 



The worst infects the brain ; 

 And he who has this dread disease, 



Is seldom well again. 



Although the patient long may live, 



Nor be confined to bed ; 

 Yet ever and anon you'll say, 



"There's fever in his head." 



Sometimes he'll rave for shiny gold, 



From Sacramento's breast ; 

 And oft he'll start for Oregon, 



To get him farther West. 



In Yankee land, where summer's hot, 



And winter cold and drear, 

 This fever runs in madness on. 



Through each, successive year. 



Some spend their silver and their gold 



To buy Shanghai hens. 

 While others choose the Bolton Grey 



To fill their fancy pens. 



But the worst form this fever takes, 



Among the farmer band. 

 Is purchasing special manure 



To fertilize his land. 



For he can buy Guano cheap. 



If purchased in the fall ; 

 And as for farm-yard, wet manure. 



It will not pay to haul. 



No compost heaps are round his bam. 



No muc'ft spread in his yard ; 

 No wonder then that oft he thinks 



The fanner's lot is hard. 



I laid me down and took a nap. 



Nor woke for ten long years ; 

 The farmer sat with drooping heart, 



His wife was bathed in tears ; 



A poor old cow, with stinted calf, 



Was watching round the barn ; 

 A pig was sciuealing in the pen 



To get one ear of corn. 



His house di.l sadly need repair — 



The panes were stuffed with rags ; 

 His bam-yard slied was covered o'er 



With old Guano hags ! 



The farmer's fever now has turned, — 



A ruined man is he ; 

 For if he shouM survive, he'll show 

 Signs of insanity. Sat-sat-sak-si3. 



Wentford, Ct., Jan., lSa5. 



Vermont St.\te Agricultur.vl Society. — At 

 the annual meeting held at Middlebury, on the 

 lltii inst.. the following gentlemen wore elected 

 offifirs :— P/T«VA7./— Fred'k lloUirook, of Brat- 

 tleboro'. Vice Pm-icfc/i/s — Edwin Hammond, 



For the New England Farmer. 



PRODUCTION OF MILK. 



EXTRACTS FROM AN ESSAY REAB BEFORE THE CON- 

 CORD farmers' club. 



BY M I N T PRATT. 



* * * In the little investigation I have been able 

 to give this subjcct,nothing has been more strong- 

 ly impressed on my mind, than tbat the wisdom of 

 the fathers, and of the brothers too, as exempli- 

 fied in theories of agriculture, needs to be very 

 carefully sifted by evuy one, before he makes it 

 a rule for his own government. x\nd even theo- 

 ries which, in their origin, have a strong founda- 

 tion in truth, and as applied to the circumstan- 

 ces that gave them birth , are really and indispu- 

 tably sensible and valuable, must to a great ex- 

 tent be modified to adapt them t) the peculiari- 

 ties of our own circumstances. For in.stance, in 

 the matter of milk : Mr. A. may turn his at- 

 tention to the making of milk for the Boston 

 market. He selects a stock of cows that will 

 give the largest quantity; he gives such fciid as 

 will cause the milk to flow like icater, 1 almost 

 said — at any rate, it flows abundantly, and of 

 such quality as ouglit to satisfy any city custom- 

 er, even the most enthusiastic admirer of thin 

 milk, without any addition of the fragrant wa- 

 ters of the Cochituate. Tiiis man succeeds in hia 

 object. His stock, his mode of feed, do what he. 

 wants them to do, and he can strongly recommend 

 them to his friends. Now Mr. B. comes into the 

 neighborhood, intending to turn his attention to 

 the making of butter, lie has read of jMr. Some- 

 body Vv'ho obtains a pound of butter from 4 quarta 

 of milk. He thinks to himself, "What man haa 

 done, man may do. " He becomes acquainted with 

 the great flow of milk from Mr. A.'s stock, and 

 proceeds at once to get some of the sama breed, 

 and feeds in the same way. The milk comes, ia 

 daily p\it away in pans of the newest style, in a 

 milk room Iniilt after the most approved pattern. 

 But the cream is thin; and as to the butter, di- 

 viding the numl)er of quarts of milk by 4 docs not 

 give the number of pounds correctly. Tliis man 

 does not succeed. His stock, his system of feed- 

 ing, are not adapted to accomplish his intentiona, 

 and they are not profitahle to him. * * * 



But tlio question of chief importance to us is, 

 by what means availal)lo to common farmers, can 

 the quantity of milk be increased, or its quality 

 improved, so as to make its production more pro- 

 fitable. I shall not meddle vrith tlie question, 

 which is the best breed of cows ? AYlierc tlie 

 doctors disagree so widely,! may be excused from 

 offering an opinion. But I have no hesitation in 

 saying, get tlie bi'st cows you can, of wliatevcr 

 breed, even if you areobliged to pay a gtud round 

 price for tliem. A cow that will give an aver- 

 age of seven or ciglit quarts a day for tlie wliole 

 year, on feed that costs $G0, is bett(>r worth $75, 

 than one that gives but 4 quarts a day for the 

 year is worth $25, tliough it may nut cost more 

 than $40 to keep the latter. It must be evident, 



