1855. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



497 



essential crop too headly, much more than is need- 

 ed, and much money might be saved to them by 

 adopting the small idea system. It is certainly 

 worthy of more consideration than has been given 

 to it. Another idea I wish to throw out, though 

 rather foreign to the intentions of this article, but 

 while my escritoire is so handy, will venture to do 

 so. 



It is this : of saving for seed 

 those parts of the crop which 

 are fairest and come to maturi- 

 ty soonest. The idea is an old 

 one, but very apt to be forgot- 

 ten, even by the best of farm- 

 ers — those careful and shrewd 

 tillers of the soil. By carrying 

 out this plan from year to }'ear, 

 there is no doubt but what, 

 with some crops, several weeks 

 might be gained in bringing 

 them to maturity. Any one 

 with half an eye, cannot but see 

 the great benefit which would 

 be derived from this, and there 

 is nothing improbable about it, 

 but on the contrary, reason and 

 nature coincide with its truth. 

 My motto and advice to the far- 

 mer is, — use the head more, 



and why, the hands none 



the less. At a future time, Mr. 

 Editor, A\ith your permission, I 

 may revert to this important 

 matter again. Interdum stultus bene loquitur. 



King Oak Hill, Sept., 1855. T. Q. Norton, 



THE HEDGE SPARROW. 



Tliis bird belongs to the order of Passeres (spar- 

 rows) ; tribe — Dentirostres ; family — Luscinida ; 

 sub-fi\mily, Acceitorina. It is one of the common- 

 est EngHsh birds, and closely resembles the com- 

 mon sparrow in appearance. The nest is built in 



For the New England Farmer. 



BEANS AND POTATOES-A GREAT 

 YIELD. 



Mr. Editor : — I give you the following flxcts, 

 which show that the present season amply remu- 

 nerates the hus1)andman for his labor and toil, by a 

 varied and bountiful harvest. 



Mr. Wm. C. Patch, of tliis town, has taken from 

 his garden a single bean vine from which he jjicked 

 and shelled twelve hundred and seventeen beans, 

 all well formed and full grown ; the product of a 

 single cranberry bean. 



Mr. J. P. Knowlton, in harvesting his potatoes, 

 selected one, called the "Kinsman Red," which 

 weighed two jjounds and a quarter, the \ines of 

 which measured seven feet in length. The yield is 

 about twelve hills to a bushel. The i)oti\toes are 

 very large and fair, and of an excellent quality. The 

 good quality of potatoes, this season, is a subject of 

 remark everywhere about us. Who can beat this ? 



Hamilton, Sept. 30. Z. A. Applktox, 



Grasshopper Traps. — In our rides in the 

 grassho])per country, we saw thousands of the decj) 

 holes which had been dug in the earth liy the In- 

 dians, to entra]) their luxurious food. These holes 

 contain about a bushel and a half, and we beheve 

 we saw holes enough in Yul)a, Hutte and Sutter 

 counties, to have collected Jijl)f thousand bushels of 

 grasshopjiers. Tlio Indians will grow fat this win- 

 ter. — California Times. 



holes, and contains five blue eggs. Its song is sim- 

 ple and very pleasing, and might prompt one to ex- 

 claim with good old Izaac Walton, "Lord, what mu- 

 sic hast .thou provided for the saints in heaven, when 

 thou afibrdest bad men such music on earth." 



The common European s])arrow is almost domes- 

 ticated in that portion of the globe, frequenting the 

 habitations of man, even in the midst of populous 

 cities, and nestling under the eaves of houses, in 

 holes in the walls, in pots placed for their use, &c. 

 It is of a robust form, and has a stouter bill than the 

 majority of sparrows. In many districts it is so nu- 

 merous as to do great injury to the grain fields. Its 

 voracity is extreme ; neither can its flesh be applied 

 to any useful purj)osc. 



We have numerous species of sparrows in the 

 United States. They are readily distinguished from 

 other small birds by the short, conical bill, with cut- 

 ting edges, which seems pecuharly adapted to the 

 purpose of freeing seed of the hulls. 



The above is pobably the description of an Eng- 

 lish wiiter, and we discover in it a jiretty good de- 

 scription of our well known and musical little friend, 

 the JVarblinij; Sparrow ; he is one of our earhest 

 visiters in the Spring, sometimes coming as ear- 

 ly as Febuary, but in March may l)e daily seen 

 among the rank weeds in the garden, or among the 

 brush that has been thrown into heajjs about the 

 grounds. There, hop))ing among the branches, oc- 

 casionally flitting away to the field or the garden, he 

 pours out the sweetest song of the early spring, 



