1855. 



NEW ENGLAND FAKMER. 



177 



FIRST FLOOR. 



Parlor, 15 by 13. C, Bed-room, 12 by 9. D, 

 Children's bed-room, 12 by 16. E, Bed-room, 10 

 by 12. F, and G, Closets. H, Lumber garret. 



Cellar. — Cement bottom, 22 by 24 feet. 



Cistern. — Capacity, 190 barrels, with filtering 

 apparatus. 



The plan of the house, in point of convenience 

 and taste, will place it in rank among our model 

 cottages. Cost. — Exclusive of land, $1,400, — all 

 the material and workmanship being of the best 

 quality. 



SECOND FLOOR. 



[^ At Patterson's Falls, in Sparta, N. Y., a bov 

 four years old fell 100 feet, striking in the deep snow', 

 unhurt. 



For the New Eng^land Farmer. 



WHITEWASH. 



There has been of late a great deal of 

 prejudice against the use of whitewash 

 for fruit trees. Nor is it to be wondered 

 at, if we look at the manner in which it 

 is usually done. Lime paste and white- 

 wash are two different things ; the for- 

 mer is lime slaked and stirred up with 

 cold water ; this forms a thick paste, un- 

 fit as a whitewash for trees or for other 

 purposes, but is most commonly used for 

 fruit trees. Whitewash is lime dissolved 

 in water, which should be made by slak- 

 ing lumps of quick-lime in boiling hot wa- 

 ter, pouring on but little at first, till it swells and 

 cracks, and then more may be added, till sufiB- 

 cient for the purpose. If this be set aside, 

 the upper portion will be a transparent lime- 

 water, and this is as thick as ever ought to be 

 put on to trees. This will deposite, on evapora- 

 tion, all over the tree a thin and uniform coating 

 of hydrate of lime, which will kill the plant-lice 

 and mosses effectually, and do no injury to the 

 tree. For whitewashing rooms, a portion of the 

 paste is stirred in with the lime-water, forming a 

 milk of lime. I am aware that it is rather un- 

 popular, just now, to wash trees at all, but after 

 having seen trees covered with lice and moss, 

 rendered smooth and healthy by lime-water, I 

 have no hesitancy respecting it, but earnestly 

 advocate its use. The idea that a tree is healthi- 

 er with a covering of parasites is too absurd to 

 be tolerated by intelligent and cleanly men. So, 

 too, is the opposite extreme equally absurd, of 

 stripping all the covering from a tree, especially 

 when exposed to the powerful rays of the sun, as 

 is the case on Boston Common. Look at an oak 

 or maple growing in high, open pasture ground, 

 and you will see that nature generally does her 

 work about right. d. t. t. 



Remarks. — Like potash water on fruit trees, 

 lime may be used Avithout positive injury — per- 

 haps usefully — in the hands of careful and con- 

 siderate persons ; but we greatly prefer the use of 

 good soap suds. 



For the Nexu England Farmer. 



SPRING WHEAT. 



Mr. Editor : — I beg to say in the start, I am 

 not an advocate for spring wheat ; yet circum- 

 stances will justify me in advocating its cultiva- 

 tion the present spring. Flour at $l'i to $14 

 a barrel, (making the price of wlieat nearly 

 .§3,50 per bushel) is a hard price for the fanner, 

 while he can afford to raise it at tlio price of rye, 

 say one dollar a bushel. 



The main objections to spring wlieat are — that 

 it does not mature so early in tlio season as win- 

 ter wheat, is more lia1)le to rust, does not yield 

 so much, and makes a heavy, dark bread. But 

 luxury in this matter at the present time is out 

 of the question ; it is ])r(!ad, at a reasonable price, 

 that the farmer requires.* 



For the spring crop, select the warmest patch 

 of ground on the farm, to secure early maturity ; 

 sow early. The failures may generally be attrib- 



