180 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



April 



iologists and observant gardeners, that when the 

 sap is returning, wounds heal with the greatest 

 rapidity. This, in hardy trees, is uniformly a 

 week or fortnight after midsummer." 



Sang suspends pruning from the end of Feb- 

 ruary to the middle of July, but carries it on 

 during every other month of the year ; pruning 

 the cherry, or any other tree very apt to gum, 

 only in July and August. 



"We have again examined Mr. Goodrich's ar- 

 ticle, and think it, as we said at the time, worthy 

 of more than the usual attention. 



For the Neiv Ensldnd Farmer. 



AN EXPEKIMENT WITH GUANO. 



Mr. Editor : — A year ago last November, an 

 agent of yours asked me to subscribe for the 

 Farmer. I told him I was taking so many pa- 

 pers that I could hardly afford another, though I 

 was satisfied from representation, that the Far- 

 mer was among the best, and consented to try it. 

 Accordingly it came, and in one month it became 

 so familiar and interesting an inmate of my fami- 

 ly, that I could not resist its company ; there- 

 fore paid for one volume, and now enclose two dol- 

 lars for a second, as it grows more and more use- 

 ful and interesting. 



But I must relate withal, a little sad experi- 

 ence in following its advice, which if it do not 

 elicit something from other pens by which I can 

 profit, this relation may benefit somcSo^y. I have 

 long thought that farmers were too penurious in 

 making outlays upon their farms — looking too 

 much upon the amount expended, rather than to 

 the interest to be derived from the outlay, and the 

 extraordinary security of such investment. For 

 instance, most farmers have more or less swamp 

 covered with deep muck worse than useless in its 

 natural state, which by expending one hundred 

 dollars per acre in clearing it up, root and branch, 

 and ditching it, may be made more valuable than 

 any other land whatever ; sure to return to the 

 owner from 9 to 12 per cent, on the outlay, be- 

 sides paying all expenses. 



Last spring, with this view, and hearing so much 

 about guano, I thought I would try it. Accord- 

 ingly I sent to Boston and got 150 lbs., which 

 cost me here $5,00 — and which when pounded 

 fine, measured about three bushels. This I mixed 

 thoroughly with nine bushels of good rotten 

 swamp muck. I had "broken up," as we say, 

 about an acre of grass ground, good land for corn, 

 after putting on 20 loads of long manure ; har- 

 rowed it smooth, made a nice hill, and planted it 

 with corn as far as the guano went, by putting 

 one pint of the mixture (one gill of guano) to the 

 hill, placing the corn directly upon the mixture 

 and covering it with fine soil. This seemed to 

 dry up and look as though it were caked and 

 never sprouted. After four or five days, I plant- 

 ed it over by patting the seed on the top of the 

 old hill, and with the same result. The rest of 

 the piece I planted with muck from the hog-yard 

 in the hill and had a good crop. The seed was 

 all alike, and prepared in copperas water, accord- 

 ing to directions found in the Farmer — and it 

 all came up well except that with the guano. I 



am aware, sir, that the foregoing will take up 

 too much room in your useful columns, for the 

 matter it contains, and hope that you, being a 

 practical farmer, will give us a condensed column 

 on the use of guano, so that we may not pay out 

 as for quack medicine, all our substance for 

 nothing. 



Respectfully yours, &c., N. Colbt. 

 Derby, Me., Feb. 19, 1855. 



EXTRACTS AND REPLIES. 



cock's-foot or orchard grass. 

 Mr. Editor : — Can you give me any informa- 

 tion about American cock's-foot or orchard- 

 grass ? I see it is highly spoken of in Pennsyl- 

 vania. Is it cultivated in your State, and how 

 far North would it succeed ? Is it better adapted 

 than timothy-grass to sow with clover on dry, 

 arid soils, and is the seed kept for sale in your 

 vicinity'? A Subscriber. 



Remarks. — We have not cultivated this grass, 

 but find by the books that it thrives well in 

 moist, shady places, and especially in orchards. 

 It grows freely in most situations, is hardy and 

 productive, but rough, harsh and coarse, and 

 much improved by cultivation in open grounds. 

 As a single plant to sow with clover for hay, it 

 is altogether unsuitable. On good lands, it 

 shoots up strong, coarse stalks, too tall and few 

 in number, and unfit for fodder ; but on inferior 

 soils that are used for pasturage for several 

 years in high situations, it forms one of the most 

 valuable grasses, shoots early, and affords from 

 its tufted growth, an early bite for cattle or 

 sheep. The seed is for sale at Paigglcs, Nourse, 

 Mason & Co.'s, Boston, at $2,50 per bushel. 



SULPHURIC ACID. 



Mr. Editor : — In the monthly Farmer for Oc- 

 tober, 1852, is an article giving the process of 

 dissolving bones in diluted sulphuric acid. As I 

 wish to try this as a manure, I would like a lit- 

 tle information concerning the price of the acid, 

 and place of obtaining it. 



The price given in the article referred to, is one 

 dollar for forty pounds ; but our merchants here, 

 ask three cents for an ounce, which would be 

 forty-eight cents per pound. At that rate it 

 would make rather costly manure. l. b. p. 



Weston, Vt., Feb. 20, 1855. 



Remarks. — The price of sulphuric acid as giv- 

 en in the Octol)er article was correct, as we went 

 directly to the dealers for it. It may be a little 

 higher or lower now, and can be purchased in 

 quantities of any of the large druggists. It comes 

 in large demijohns of about 150 pounds each. 



MOWING LAWNS. 



Mr. Editor : — In the April number of the 

 Horticulturist for 1852, a communication from a 

 "Montreal Subscriber" is published in reference 

 to "Mowing Machines for Lawns," which he 

 represents as doing the work in a superior man- 

 ner, and very expeditiously. He gives Avhat he 



