380 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Aug. 



and crossing of stock, and like Mr. Gates, would 

 lay the foundation for a good animal during the 

 first year ; this he would do by giving the light- 

 er part of the milk, or that which remains after 

 the milkmaid has taken a portion. 



Mr. Walker expressed the opinion that the 

 parsnip was much the best root to feed out to 

 stock ; that cattle should be tended regularly 

 and treated kindly ; that bedding down at night 

 added to their comfort; he disliked to have his 

 cattle remain out late in the afternoon. 



Mr. Walker presented to the meeting a speci- 

 men of the parsnip that he raises ; they were of 

 mammoth size and length, and indicate that 

 friend Walker has taken advantage of the quite 

 recent discovery that we farmers have a farm 

 under a farm. 



B. F. Cutter, of Pelham, said that he had not 

 paid much attention to the raising of stock ; but 

 from reading and observation, he was convinced 

 that much improvement had been made in rela- 

 tion to the kind kept, to food and general treat- 

 ment ; thought kind treatment of much impor- 

 tance, and placed much stress on regular feeding. 

 Some milkmen in his vicinity Avere in the habit 

 of keeping their cows in the barn through the 

 entire day, and thought that by so doing they 

 obtained more milk than where their cows re- 

 mained out a portion of the day. 



Mr. Morris, of Hillsborough, remarked that 

 although he was not a farmer, yet he had em- 

 ployed oxen and horses on heavy stone teams, 

 and was satisfied that cattle would do more work 

 and stand it better fed on cut feed, with meal ad- 

 ded, than when fed on dry hay, with the meal 

 given separately. He was acquainted in Caledo- 

 nia County, Vermont, and had noticed there the 

 cross of the Devon with the best native, as excel- 

 lent milch cows ; he had also noticed that farm- 

 ers in the upper part of the State, were in the 

 habit of letting their cattle (young?) remain in 

 the yards during the night, Raving sheds for them 

 to go under in stormy weather. 



At this point in the discussion it was voted to 

 adjourn until 2 o'clock. 



On meeting after the adjournment the discus- 

 sion was profitably continued until 3 o'clock, 

 when the chairman introduced to the meeting 

 B. F. Cutter, of Pelham, who gave a very in- 

 structive and practical address on Fruit Culture. 



After the address, Mr. Wallace, of Bedford, 

 suggested by way of inquiry, whether the graft- 

 ing of different kinds of fruit near each other, or 

 the grafting of good fruit near the common stock, 

 did not cause a deterioration in the quality of the 

 fruit. He inferred that this might be the case 

 from the fact that the different kinds of the same 

 species would mix through the blossom. All had 

 no doubt observed this peculiarity in the mixture 

 of different kinds of corn ; the same was equally 

 true in regard to every other vegetable, some will 

 mix at greater distances than others. Botanists 

 have given one instance at least where the pollen 

 had been carried twenty-five miles. Though he 

 doubted the accuracy of this statement, it was an 

 unquestionable fact that different kinds of vege- 

 tables of the same species or genus would mix. 

 Mr. Wallace stated a fact that came under his 

 own observation. Two years ago last spring, hj 

 planted some summer squash seeds which came 

 up and flourished, producing abundantly ; near 



to them came up accidentally a pumpkin which 

 likewise bore well ; he saved some of the squash 

 seeds, and planted them a year ago last spring, 

 they came up in appearance summer squashes ; 

 some came up squashes and some bore a fruit re- 

 sembling in part a squash, about half as large as 

 a pumpkin. He planted the seed from these last 

 spring, and the product was diminutive in size 

 and poor in quality. Hence he contended that 

 different kinds of vegetables of the same species, 

 producing fruit from the blossom should not be 

 planted near each other, especially if intended 

 for seed, lest the product should become worse 

 instead of better. 



Remarks were made by Messrs. Prichard, of 

 Deering, Morse, of Francestown, and Shattuck 

 of Bedford. 



On motion the thanks of the Society wore pre- 

 sented to Mr. Cutter for his address, and a copy 

 requested for the jiress. 



Brooks Shattuck, Sec. pro Ian. 



For the New England Farmer. 



CUTTING OE GEASS. 



Mr. Editor : — I this morning heard a conver- 

 sation between two of my neighbors, practical, 

 thinking men, a brief sketch of which I will en- 

 deavor to give ; perhaps it may induce others to 

 think on the subject. Says A to B, "When shall 

 you commence cutting your grass?" B replies, 

 Next week, I think ; my grass has thickened up 

 much of late, and now promises quite a fair crop, 

 of more than a ton to the acre." Says A, "How 

 much have you?" B replies, "Something over 

 fifty acres of upland mowing, besides runs and 

 meadows." Says A, "Why don't you get one of 

 the moivinff machines, now so much spoken of, by 

 means of which more than half the expense of 

 cutting can be saved?" Says B, "I have been 

 thinking of this, but am not fully satisfied that 

 it would be to me any saving worthy of notice. 

 In the first place, I shall have to expend between 

 three and four hundred dollars to obtain a ma- 

 chine, and a team to work it, as I have but one 

 horse, the wear and tear of which, with the in- 

 terest on the cost, cannot be estimated less than 

 ffty dollars a year — a sum about equal to one- 

 half the whole expense of gathering in my crop. 

 I have generally found, when I have a fair gang 

 of hands, that I can get into my barn as many 

 tons of hay in the month of July, as they perform 

 days' labor, so that it does not cost me more than 

 two dollars a ton to get my hay. Then there is 

 so much uncertainty about the working of these 

 machines, and the kimi of machine to be pre- 

 ferred, that I have concluded to wait until the 

 committees, who are investigating the matter, are 

 ready to report. How much more will then be 

 known that can be relied on, will depend some- 

 thing upon the practical knowledge of the com- 

 mittee themselves. I do not think much of the 

 opinions of gentlemen, clad in kid gloves, of the 

 value of farm implements. As to all the labors 

 of the farm, I much prefer the conclusions of 

 those who have been accustomed to labor with 

 their own hands." 



July 4, 1855. 



5^ Keep your implements always in order. Re- 

 member the proverb, "a stitch in time saves nine." 



