185c 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



547 



as it would with cows. One of these cows is part- 

 ly, and if we' recollect right, mostly of the Durham 

 short-horned breed ; she is an excellent worker and 

 a good milch cow; Another farmer informs us that 

 he knew of two cows being worked as regularly as 

 oxen, and worked hard too, from the time they 

 were calves, till they were six or seven years old, 

 and they were of a large size and very handsome. 

 He understood that they gave a good mess of milk 

 when well kept." 



Persons hanng had opportunities of observing 

 the action of these animals, when subjected to labor 

 on the road, have been surprised by the singular 

 docility and milchiess they evinced, and the alacrity 

 with which they obeyed the commands, and even 

 the motions of the cbiver. 



On the small farms in Massachusetts, and espe- 

 cially near the cities, where the making of milk is 

 the principal object, it is important to dispense with 

 oxen. A horse or two we must have to go to mar- 

 ket, meeting or mill, and with a horse and two or 

 four cows, all the work of such farms may be con- 

 veniently performed. These suggestions may seem 

 to some as of little value, but there certainly can be 

 no hai'm in a consideration of the subject. 



For the New England Farmer. 



CLIFF SWALLOWS. 



Friexd Bro\\'x : — Knowing that anything relat- 

 ing to birds is interesting to you, I propose to add 

 my mite in relation to swallows. Late in June, 

 last summer, six or eight of the cliff swallows came 

 to my open shed, where I keep my wagon, cart, &c., 

 and built a nest in a very short time, say three or 

 four days. In as short time as possible the old bird 

 was sitting. Soon, another pair came and went to 

 work at their leism^e, taking their own time to do 

 their work. After the first nest of eggs were 

 hatched, and the young had nearly attained their 

 growth, we found the nest and young birds all on 

 the ground, and the old birds missing. Wishing 

 to get a settlement of these l:)irds around my build- 

 ings, I set my wits to work to save them. I went 

 and found a second-hand robins' nest, drove up 

 some nails, put uj) the nest, put in the young birds, 

 and the old ones came and took care of them, and 

 put on another story, and trained their young until 

 they were aljle to fly. The second nest fell down 

 just as the young ones were able to fly. 



Now the reason why I write this, is to make a 

 few suggestions to those mIio like to have those 

 swallows about their premises ; and I would say that 

 I have never known them to Iniild on new buildings; 

 and, also, when they come and look about and stick 

 on a little mud and conuuence operations, that if 

 you put u]) anything to helj) them, they are sure to 

 leave for the season. Now to try to accommodate 

 them, I have lately put uj) some "old dirty strips of 

 board in the places where for several years they 

 have made unsuccessful attempts to locate them- 

 selves, and if any happen to see this and wish to get 

 a colony of swallows, I wish' they would try mv ex- 

 periment. ' B. F. Cutter. 



■Pelham, A*. H., Oct., 1855. 



I CRUMBLING BONES IN ASHES. 



Ha^'iug seen in the Fanner a short time since a 

 communication from friend E. G. E., of Yarmouth, 

 concernuig his "bones," in which he complains that 

 his l)ones, though jjacked away last April (I beUeve, 

 for I have not the ])aper at hand,) will not soften ; 

 let me give him a bit of my o-wn experience. 



A year ago last March, I saw a statement in the 

 Dollar JVewspaper, that bones treated as friend B. 

 has treated his, would decompose and make good 

 j manure. Accordingly I took a barrel and put in 

 ashes three or four niches deep, then a layer of 

 bones, and covered them \s\t\\ aslies. It was then 

 wet with urine from day to day, till I supposed the 

 ashes was com])letcly saturated Avith the hquid. 

 Then another layer of bones Avas added, and cover- 

 ed as before, and Avet with the same hquid. This 

 process was repeated till the barrel was full, and 

 1 then left michsturbed till the last of ^lay, when it 

 was dug out to be used, and the bones were found 

 to be soft enough to be cut with a shovel, excejjt a 

 few jaw-bones and teeth, which seemed to be proof 

 against the leech, in a great measure. I have now 

 Ruta Bagas growng on the mixture. It was put 

 i in the drills and covered about four mchcs ; I sup- 

 posed it might be rather strong, and buried it ac- 

 cordingly. Within a Aveek or two those Bagas 

 looked as if they had got hold of something that 

 agreed with them. 



If E. G. B. Avill give Iris bones time, I think fhere 

 AAiU be no trouble about there becoming soft enough 

 to be picked to pieces AAith the fingers, as the most 

 of mine Avere. But mme were in pickle nearly 13 

 months, instead of 3 or 4, as friend B. says his 

 have been. Whether soap suds Avould be more ef- 

 fectual than urine, or less so, is a prolilem to be 

 solved by some one Avho is more of a chemist than 

 myself. I used the urine in order to save it, as my 

 faith in the softening of the bones Avas hke a "small 

 grain of mustard seed." From present appearance 

 the mixture is a very poAverful fertilizer lor Ruta 

 Bagas at least. To be patient, fi-icnd B., let them 

 soak till next spring and then try it on some of 

 your crops, and let us know the result of your cx- 

 2)eriments. S. 



J^orth Yarmouth, Aug. 6, 1855. 



Note. — We hke the suggestions contained in the 

 above communication. The course proposed AA-ill 

 make a rare combination of fertihzing materials, 

 and a hogshead or vat near the out-house of cA^ery 

 house-keeper filled as directed, Avill become useful 

 in more Avays than one. — Ed. Maine Farmer. 



We copy the above from the .Maine Farmer, and 

 highly apjjrove of the plan recommended for such 

 localities as can furnish unleached wood ashes, and 

 Avhere vsulpheric acid cannot be procured — but Avhen 

 sulphuric acid can be bought at 3 cents per pound, 

 or less, and not ashes, should be used to decom])ose 

 bones. The bones may be thus prepared : — Mix 

 Ijoncs and brusli together, then set fire to the brush, 

 which, if the quantity of brush be not too large, 

 Avill carlionize the bones on their surfaces alone, and 

 thus render them friable, so as to be easily broken. 

 AVhen broken they are then ready for treatment 

 with suljjhuric acid, thus : — Stand a hogshead on 

 end, tiike out the up])er head, trim ofi" the edge of 

 this head and l)ore a few augur-holes, of a hah-inch 

 or njorc in diameter, through it, place a Icav stones 



