470 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Oct. 



We know of no section of the country, where it 

 is more successfully pursued, at the present time, 

 than iu the environs of Salem, Mass. Here are to 

 be seen, fields of six, eight or ten acres together, 

 under the care of the same individual, with the pros- 

 pect of four or five himdred bushels to the acre. The 

 average price of this vegetable, for the last ten 

 years, has been as harvested from the field, not less 

 than Jifti/ cents jjer bushel — and so on to one dollar, 

 according to the demand. More than 200,000 

 bushels were gro-svn the last year in a single town 

 adjoining Salem. Can any one name a more pro- 

 ductive article of culture ? 



It may be asked, where is the utihty of growing 

 this crop, as it cannot be looked upon as an essen- 

 tial article of food for man or beast ? AVith much 

 more propriety may it be asked M-here is the pro- 

 priety of growing tobacco, as done on the fine lands 

 on the borders of the Connecticut — M'hich in all its 

 qualities is positively bad. Still, so long as there is 

 a demand for these things in the marlcet, they will 

 be grown ; and less harm will follow the growing 

 of the salutary onion, than the nauseating and poi- 

 sonous tobacco plant — too off'ensive to be used by 

 any animal except man. * 



EXTEACTS AND REPLIES. 



RED-UEADED GRUCS. 



Mr. Editor : — I should Uke to learn through 

 the columns of your invaluable paper, whether there 

 is a remedy for the red-headed grubs which are de- 

 stroying whole fields of grass ? They eat oflF the 

 roots of the grass, so that the turf will peel off. 



It seem.s that the better the land is cultivated, 

 the more worms there are. This worm is called 

 by some the muck worm. J. p. 



Remarks. — No depredations of this kind are go- 

 ing on in this section, and if so, where they are on 

 so general a scale, nothing that we could afford to 

 apply would be lilcely to arrest them. Will our 

 correspondent try ashes on a square rod, spread on 

 liberally ? and on another lime, noting the amount 

 of each that he applies ? We shall be glad to learn 

 the result. 



LICE OX CATTLE. 



This ])est may easily be removed from any crea- 

 ture in an hour's time by washing or lathering thor- 

 oughly with good soft-soap and soft water. About 

 two quarts of each thoroughly mixed and warmed, 

 ■will, if well applied, kill every louse, and every egg- 

 will be jirevented from maturing on any animal, 

 whether horse or ox. This is a perfect and a safe 

 remedy. If very troublesome, it is frequently best 

 to "soft-soap" them the second time, after the first 

 has become dry. After the second drying, wash 

 out the soap with water in jjlenty, and jou need 

 fear no bad effects from it, but on the contrary, the 

 creature will thrive the better, colts especially. 



The above application is worth five dollars to 

 every colt, whether lousy or not, before putting off 

 to pasture in the spring. It should be done in a 

 warm day. 



Tobacco, snufF, oil, mercurial preparations, ashes, 

 sulphur, and many like things, are generally resort- 

 ed to, and even arsenic is sometimes used. If either 

 is applied in sufficient quantities to jjroduce a jjer- 

 fect cure, the health of the animal must be impaired 



by the absoi'bent vessels taking too much of their 

 ])oison into the system. Who would dare cover 

 himself with mercurial ointment, or arsenic and 

 lard ? I jmuse for a reply." G. F. N. 



LOCUSTS — GARGET — NEW PROLIFIC VATIITE POTATO. 



Mr. Editor : — I snatch a moment from the hur- 

 ry of business to rei)ly to a few inquiries in the Far- 

 mer for August. I^ocusts made their a])pearance in 

 Sandwich last June. I have two pairs, male and 

 female, upon a card labelled "Locusts of July 1st, 

 18uo, due again in 1872 ;" they appeared in con- 

 siderable numbers, but in East Wareham, very few 

 compared with 1821. In 1838, 1 was in the "Far 

 West," and do not know as they appeared in this 

 section. 



Some one, for garget, recommends linseed oil as 

 a sure cur^. It may cure in some cases, as oils are 

 sometimes used with success in local inflammations ; 

 but in using linseed oil for garget, there is great 

 danger of driving the disease into the entire sys- 

 tem, and greatly injuring the cow. Upon the first 

 appearance of garget, carefully and thoroughly wash 

 the udder and teats with pure cold water, both be- 

 fore and after putting the calf to the cow, or milk- 

 ing ; milk three times a day, or at least wash that 

 munbcr of times ; and in a very short time your 

 cow will be free from the disease. I have never 

 known this treatment to fail of curing, even in cases 

 where the udder and teats had become badly ulcer- 

 ated. 



In reply to the inquiry of James Richardson, 

 Jr., I have a new variety of white potatoes that are 

 much more prolific than peach-blows, that I have 

 tried and proved for, I think, about eight years. 

 Two years since I was absent from home from De- 

 cember to the last of the following July, during 

 which time these potatoes were sold or othennse 

 disposed of, much to my disappointment and regret. 

 However, there sprang up a jaotato vine m my gar- 

 den, which was then uncultivated, which throve 

 well ; and in the fall I dug the potatoes, and to my 

 surprise, and satisfaction, found them to be of my 

 cherished seed. By refening to minutes of last 

 year, I find that ^nth this seed I planted about 

 twenty hills. My potatoes last fall were hanestetl 

 in my absence, and every variety of white potatoes 

 put together. This spring I found time to search 

 out my flivorite seed, and have planted 318 hills ; 

 the largest were cut into three pieces, two pieces to 

 the hill ; the small, of the size of hens' eggs, plant- 

 ed wliole, two to a hill. Their flavor and the color 

 of their flesh is similar to pints, eyes or peach blows. 

 There is so marked a distinction between them and 

 any other variety knowii to me, that I could, after 

 they have sprouted, pick them out in the dark from 

 any others. I call them Cape Cod. 



'jVorth Sandwich, 1855. MORTIUS. 



SUPERPHOSPHATES. 

 What is the effect in applying De Burg's super- 

 ])hosphate of lime, and have it come in contact with 

 lime or wood ashes ? s. E. R. 



Remarks — Superphosphate of lime as sold for 

 agricultural purposes, is a combination of substan- 

 ces, some of which might be affected by coming in 

 contact with quick-lime or ashes. As a general 

 rule, it is best to use them separately. 



