1855. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



351 



ering on the same subject, which I always thought 

 strikingly expressive. Some facts, more to the 

 point than any yet cited, will need to be produced 

 before I shall be disposed to admit the direct in- 

 fluence of the moon on the growth of vegetables 

 of any kind, or the health of persons. We have 

 quite enough of superlative fertilizers on earth, 

 at the present time, without resorting to the 

 moon for an addition. * 



June. 1855. 



EXTRACTS AND REPLIES. 



THE GRUB WORM. 



Will you inform me what is the best preven- 

 tative for the grub worm upon flower and other 

 roots, and more particularly the former, through 

 your paper, as I am greatly annoyed with them 

 the present season ? 



Lowell, June, 1855. 



Remarks. — There is much complaint of the rav- 

 ages of the cut or grub worms this season, and 

 the question is often asked. How shall they be 

 destroyed ? Who can answer it ? On flower roots, 

 or any plants cultivated in small quantities, a 

 personal examination would be efiectual, as they 

 may be easily found by a little digging. But no 

 remedy readily applied to fields is known to us. 



CURE FOR BLACK LEG. 



Wm. Bethel, of Queeche, Vt., says that this 

 disease may be cured by cutting an incision in 

 the "little hollow" above the foot and inserting 

 bruised garlic. Ho had seen it done. After 

 inserting the garlic, sew up the incision. 



WHAT SHEEP ARE BEST? 



Mr. Editor ; — What breed of sheep will make 

 the most pounds, mutton being the greater object 

 and wool the less ? Where are they to be ob- 

 tained, and at what probable price? What is the 

 best work upon the subject of raising and man- 

 aging sheep, and where may it be had? 



William Irish. 



Hartford, Me., June 5, 1855. 



Remarks. — Although having had considerable 

 experience in the rearing of sheep, so much time 

 has elapsed since, and so many varieties intro- 

 duced, we do not feel justified in giving unhesi- 

 tating opinions on the questions propounded. 

 Among experienced breeders, opinions are some- 

 what at variance as to what particular breeds 

 are best. 



"In the "Farmer's and Planter's Encyclope- 

 dia," there is a capital article on sheep. " You.\tt, 

 on Sheep, their Breeds, Management and Dis- 

 eases," is a comprehensive and excellent work, 

 and "The American Shepherd," by L. A. Mor- 

 RELL, giving a history of the sheep, and illus- 

 trated with portraits of diflerent breeds, is another. 

 This work also contains many letters from em- 

 inent wool-growers and shccp-fatteners of differ- 

 ent States, detailing their respective modes of 

 management. 



RECLADIING MEADOW LAND. 



Mr. Editor : — I should be very glad to be 

 told the best method of procedure, and what is 

 the best crop for a piece of low, sandy, damp 

 land, and whether chip dust and ashes would be 

 worth drawing in as a dressing for it ! Said land 

 is very Hat, and is bordered on one side by a mill 

 pond, and is not more than ciglit or ten inches 

 above the water when the pond is full. You 

 would also oblige me, and some others in this 

 vicinity, by giving the prices of the three small 

 seed drills shown in your paper a few weeks since. 



Plymoulh, 1855. Ralph. 



Remarks. — The best use to be made of such 

 land, is, probably, to get it into grass. Plow 

 thoroughly, and then apply j^our chip dirt and 

 ashes, which will be a capital dressing. Add 

 other manure, if you can, and work it under; 

 then sow your grass seed. You will remember, 

 however, that drainarje is the first operation. If 

 the water from the pond backs up and underlies 

 the land you speak of, get all you can from it as 

 pasturage and cultivate somewhere else. Ihc 

 prices of the seed-sowers, which we published a 

 few weeks ago, are $3,00, $G,00, and $10,00 re- 

 spectively. 



HOLDING UP THE MILK. 



Mr. Editor : — Will you, or some of your able 

 correspondents, through the medium of your val- 

 uable paper, inform a young farmer of the best 

 method of treating a cow which has acquired the 

 habit of holding up her milk? I have tried 

 every thing that I can think of, yet it does no 

 good whatever. She is an extra cow in all other 

 respects, so I do not like to turn her for beef. 

 By answering the above inquiry, you will greatly 

 oblige _ G. w. c. D. 



Hanover, N. H., June 15, 1855. 



Remarks. — Feed well, so as to cause an abund- 

 ant flow of milk, then treat her kindly, and 

 while milking allow her to eat a little meal and 

 water, a handful of fresh grass, or some dainty 

 morsel, and she will soon get into the habit of 

 "giving down" freely. 



a plow for stony soil. 

 ]\Ir. Editor : — In perusing the May number 

 of the Fann'T, I noticed an article from a "Tiller 

 of Hard and Stony Soil," wishing to know if 

 there is "a plow in the whole world manufac- 

 tured for the express purpose of tilling stony 

 soil." I noticed, also, in tlie same number, sev- 

 eral answers, all recommending the Eagle plows 

 of Ruggles, Nourse, Mason & Co. I think them 

 fiir preferable to the old-fashioned plows ; but I 

 have been using, for the past two or three years, 

 a plow invented in this town, and I think for the 

 "express purpose of tilling a stony soil ;" if not, 

 I am sure it would l)e hard getting one that 

 would work better. It is called the Iron Beam 

 Plow, and is manufactured and for sale by Si- 

 monds, Durand & Co., of this town. It is a 

 side-hill plow, and, like any other, works l)etter 

 on smooth land than rough ; but for stony, un- 

 even, hilly, or Hat land, it is certainly the "one 



