140 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



March 



For the Ncif England Farmer. 



FARMING IN IOWA. 



jMk. Editor : — I have boon highly entertained 



by the monthly visits of tlie New Enf/land Farmer 

 during the past year, and have made the necessa- 

 ry arrangements for its continuance. Whoever 

 gets your monthly for a dollar, gets his money's 

 worth, and I would hero recommend to every far- 

 mer to trade a dollar for it. 



I don't know as you down-easters have any spe- 

 cial interest in us, away out in these prairies, 

 but, perchance, there may be some among you, 

 who may think of coming hither some day, and 

 would be glad of some items. Our winter has 

 been delightful, much like a southern winter, 

 with tlie exception of their rains. You all know, 

 right at home, something about a drought the 

 past summer and fall ; but yours is over, ours 

 continues. Springs and wells are low, and the 

 scarcity of water in many places is great. The 

 winter has been so mild, there will be sufficient 

 food for stock, and as for the swine tribe, I be- 

 lieve they will all be killed to save corn, — not for 

 the price they bring, being only ,'ft3,50 per hun- 

 dred. Short as the crops of corn are, a man can 

 got more for a day's labor than he can pack home 

 on his back. I mean at one time. 



Cattle and horses ai'o high, and the wherewith- 

 al! to buy them scarce. The bank panic among 

 our neighboring States injurotl business a little, 

 as we have a large circulation of titeir currency. 

 When times are dull in the east, many mechanics 

 are usually seeking the west to better their con- 

 dition, and perhaps to change their occupation, 

 to enter upon the delights of farming. Well, 

 there is aa ocean of land here. 



"Uncle Sam has land enough to give U3 all a farm," 



but he don't own much in this State adjoining a 

 village, a post-office, school-house, saw and grist 

 mills, and mechanics' shops of various descrip- 

 tions. His land is generally situate beyond these, 

 hut he has situations enough for theiu, if you can 

 be patient until you build them. Now all ye men 

 and women, who arc romantic, able and willing 

 to work without cider and apples, and Avell forti- 

 fied with patience and the "material aid," "come 

 along," for Uncle Sam's lands afford great open- 

 ings for you, and a few years of "patience and 

 vroU-doing" will secui-e you a good and beautiful 

 home. Boar in mind, my immigrating friends, 

 wo shall all be glad to you — the more money you 

 bring, the greater our joy ; and also bear in mind 

 not to expend all your money for land — have a 

 balance to buy your team, your farming utensils, 

 your household furniture, your provisions for the 

 tirst year, &c. &c. We, old citizens, can't bor- 

 row money less than two figures in the per cent- 

 age. New countries are better to loan money in 

 than to borrow. Keep out of debt, if you don't 

 own all the land tliat adjoins you. 



If any live Yankee has the fimcled notion, that 

 ho can make an honest and genteel living, even 

 oa our fertile land, without hibor, the trial will 

 take it out of him. 



There is an aliundance of land in market 1)0- 

 slues Uncle Sam's, and far better improved, but 

 not at his price. Some have not got for enough 

 west, — neiglibors too near, — would sell and go 

 w'nere there is more ))reatliing-room, — some not 



exactly satisfied, perhaps the lady discontented, — 

 too far from her ma; some would sell, because 

 they can get a few dimes more than they gave ; 

 others are obliged to sell, because they have done, 

 as many mere will do, bought more land than 

 tliey can cultivate or pay i'or. We have speci- 

 mens of all character from every country. 



I am half inclined to l)0 grave, and contrast the 

 Western with New England farming, but I fancy 

 my brevity will entertain more than my gravity 

 could. 



Jan. 21. — The greatest snow-storm we have 

 had for mnny years. Nemo. 



Burlinyton, Iowa, Jan. 21, 1855. 



For the New England Facmrr. 



MONTHLY FARMER FOR FEBRUARY. 



February, though the shortest month of the 

 year, is the grand battle-ground of the l)elligerent 

 forces of the Seasons. The Sobastopol of Winter 

 is now besieged by the allied armies of Sun, Rain 

 and Wind. The few l)reachcs they effect in her 

 battlements, are, however, speedily repaired by 

 General Frost. But every morning the big gun 

 of Suunner is found to be a little nearer its walls 

 than it was tke day before, and its fire proves 

 warmer and warmer. And the wind, too, so long 

 doubtful on whose side to battle, begins to show 

 very clearly that the Northern Bear can count on 

 his aid but little longer. Fel)ruary, then, decides 

 the contest, — though there may be skirmishes in 

 March and April, — and our Sebastopol is taken ! 

 VYinter surrenders ! But, as with all other ty- 

 rants, it is one thing to break his power ; quite 

 another to improve his disposition. 



Though February is a short month, I do not 

 find the Farmer any shorter than usual. _ With 

 the advertising patch reclaimed, there is uov.' 

 more room than ever, and every corner is filled. 

 Following the editor's Calendar, we find the tri- 

 headed article, — 



The Potato — CurcuUo — Shad-bush, -^-^vhich 

 shows how the writer, wlio cultivated potatoes 

 in a field with several others, raised the best 

 crop of all ; how he saved his plums ; and 

 how a pear that ho grafted on a shad-bush, grew, 

 bore fruit two or three years, and died — as all 

 such grafting does, so far as I have observed. 

 Years ago I tried the experiment, with no better 

 result. 



Grass Crops. — Dissertation on the value and 

 the cultivation of this important crop. 



Selection of Apples. — A list of twenty kinds of 

 apples, that an old grafter recommends from 

 actual trial and personal knowledge. 



jr,i/,ic—Sa/;'—Co?-/i.— Inquiries about salt and 

 lime as manure, used as Prof. Mapes directs; 

 with the writer's plan for a corn-crop. 



State Board of A(/ricndture. —RGiwrt of opera- 

 tions on the farm of the State Reform School. 



Fall Plowhiff— Plaster.— What "Plaster from 

 Vermont" means I do not know. Mr. Adams, who 

 spent two years on a Geological Surveyof that 

 State, gave no encouragement of finding it there, 

 althougli it is used to some extent by the farmers 

 in the Champlain valley. AYas Mr. Woods' Plas- 

 ter, lime made of the shell marl that is found i i 

 the northern part of Vermont? Mr. W. also 

 says foU-pIowing destroys worms. Another arti- 



