2GG 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



June 



In reference to the mode of giving it, the prac- 

 tice of placing large lumps of rock salt in fields 

 or yards, Avhere it was always accessible to the 

 stock, was mentioned with approbation. This 

 practice is now adopted by many farmers in this 

 country, and, after several years' trial, is pre- 

 ferred to the former mode of giving salt periodi- 

 cally. "When animals are only allowed to have 

 salt once or twice a week, it is sometimes the 

 case that they eat too much at once ; but, by 

 having it constantly in their reach, they eat in 

 such quantities as their systems require, and it 

 assists digestion and promotes health and thrift. — 

 Albany CuJlirator. 



For the Nfw Ens^lanil Farmer. 



FERTILIZERS AND FLOWERS. 



Dear jMr. Farmer : — You talk about a great 

 many things; some. are f/ood things and some 

 very preity things, and no doubt some very use- 

 ful things. But some of us know nothings, away 

 up here in Vermo)ii, don't know much about 

 them, especially by experience. Now we should 

 like to be enlightened, and presume you can do 

 it. In the first plan, then, about the fertilizers, 

 — you have a great many large sounding names 

 that wont enrich anybody's form, such as pou- 

 drette, superphosphate, muriate, &c., but we 

 don't care for the name if we can understand the 

 thiiifj. We wish to know what the difference 

 is between those big 7\anies and real stone lime 

 slaked and pulverized. Whether those "dear 

 bought and fiir fetched" fertilizers are really so 

 much better than those within our reach, (a.) 



For planting potatoes on green sward of a 

 sandy loam, what is the best manure and what 

 quantity to the acre where sorrel will grow in 

 abundance without any. {b.) What kind of trees 

 for a good orchard, and where would you set 

 them ; on the hill where they would be most ex- 

 posed to the bleak winds, or on a level spot where 

 they would be as much out of the wind as possi- 

 ble, if you could have your choice, (c.) Now 

 for the pretty rose bushes and charming flowers 

 you tell of, how I should like some of them, if I 

 was able. Can you not send me two varieties of 

 the climbing rose and a few choice flower seeds 

 for a two dollar bill and warrant them to live 

 and grow well ? We have hard winters here, five 

 months good sleighing, and Jack Frost pinches 

 hard, early and late. I know you are a good-na- 

 tured sort of a man, you publish so many funny 

 things. But I like this ofi-hand, easy, natural 

 way of doing business, much better than the 

 straight rules. 



Very respectfully, Mrs. S. P. 



South Dernj, Vt., April 19, 1855. 



Remarks. — (a.) Another letter from a lady. 

 Really, we are highly honored, and as the sub- 

 ject is a delightful one to handle, we go to work 

 with a decided relish. Now for the fertilizers 

 "Are they, really, so much better than those 

 within our reach?" No, madam, not a whit, 

 — not so good as those within your reach, if you 

 can reach enough of them. Good barn manure 

 composted with rich loam, or old meadow muck 

 ■with other matter incident to the farm, is the 



best fertilizer known. It is applicable to, 

 and will bring every crop we cultivate. Other, 

 and concentrated fertilizers, are used, because we 

 cannot obtain enough of the former. Phosphate 

 of lime and super-phosphate of lime, are bones 

 dissolved by an acid ; guano is the excrements of 

 birds, and perhaps the bodies of seals, sea lions, 

 &c. ; poudrette is manufactured from the waste 

 matters of cities. 



(/).) Old hay or straw, saturated in the barn- 

 yard, will be excellent. 



(c.) Baldwin, Hunt and Roxbury Russet, 

 Hubbardston and Northern Spy ; on the plain, 

 with deep plowing, constant cultivation and 

 moderate manuring— but manure the crop well 

 that you take off. 



THE SLEEP OF PLANTS. 



The way in which sleep is shown in the vege- 

 table kingdom, is infinitely more variable than 

 among animals. Man throws himself prostrate ; 

 some kinds of monkeys lie on their sides ; the 

 camel places its head between its forelegs ; and 

 birds roost with their heads beneath tlie wing. Be- 

 yond these are few remarkaJ^le differences. But 

 in plants there is no end to the curious and beau- 

 tiful diversity which rewards the seeker in na- 

 ture's mysteries. Some plants droop their leaves 

 at night, the flat part becoming flacid and pen- 

 dulous. Others, of the kind called "compound," 

 as clover and vetches, close their leaflets together 

 in pairs, and occasionally the whole leaf drops at 

 the same tim?. The three leaflets of clovers 

 bring their faces to the outside, and so form a 

 little triangular pyamid, whose apex is tlie point 

 of union between the leaflets and their stalls. 

 Lupines, o-hich have leaves resembling a seven- 

 fingered hand without a palm, fold together 

 like a lady's half closed parasol. Chickweed 

 raises its leaves so as to embrace the stem ; and 

 some species of lotus, besides many of its ele- 

 gant family, the LeguminosoB, luring them to- 

 gether in such a way as to protect the young 

 flower buds and immature seed vessels from the 

 chilly air of night. These are only a few out of 

 the many cases which could be instanced of 

 change of position in leaves, whilst in flowers 

 there seems to be no limit to variation. The 

 greater part shut the petals at night, the stalks 

 declining one side ; but tiicre are some which 

 roll their petals back, and curl them up like 

 miniature volutes. The sleep of such phuits is 

 probably unaccomj^anied by any external change. 

 The same may be said of Campanalas, and other 

 bell-shaped flowers of Cruciferie, it should have 

 been observed, are remarkably careless of repose. 

 Their sleep never appears sound or even constant, 

 for many successive nights, they seem restless, 

 and in the morning always look dozy and un- 

 comfortable. When flowers are overblown, or 

 the plant if an annual is near its decay, the phe- 

 nomena of sleep are very considerably diminished. 

 In fact, they are only seen in perfection when 

 the growing powers of tlie plant are in full ener- 

 gy. Deciduous trees — that is, such as cast their 

 leaves in autumn — are in a sort of trance in the 

 winter months. Flowers, too, lose their sensi- 



