548 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Dec. 



or bricks on the bottom head, and on these place 

 the up])er head prepared as above — then throw in 

 100 gallons of water, and 5 to 10 gallons of sul- 

 ])huric acid, stirring the water briskly to prevent the 

 acid tailing to the bottom ; then throw in the burnt 

 bones, stirring the mass each day for a week, after 

 which the dissolved portion of the bones may be 

 drawn from the bottom and thrown over any com- 

 post, or applied in the fluid form dilute, direct to 

 the land. Masses of earth or charcoal dust may 

 be witted with it, and then scattered like ashes or 

 other finely divided manure. More bones and acid 

 may from time to time he added to the hogshead, 

 taking care always to have more bones than the 

 acid will dissolve. One bushel of bones, so prepar- 

 ed, will be more effective on the crops of the fii'st 

 five jears, than ten bushels treated with ashes. 

 Working Farmer. 



HOW TO GROW GOOD FRUIT. 



There is still large quantities of fruit cultivated 

 that is not worth taking to market. Hmidi-eds of 

 bushels of apples have been made into execrable 

 pies in Boston this fall, merely because they could 

 be purchased at a trifle less cost than those of a 

 better quality. But it is a mistaken economy, as a 

 mild, good-flavored apple would require less sugar 

 and -then make a better pie. Many persons have a 

 pride in, and attach too much consequence to an 

 apple which sprang up spontaneously on their own 

 farm, or, perha])s, which they have cultivated with 

 some care, and then numbers of seedlings occupy 

 the places that should be improved by finer vari- 

 eties, and which, if cultivated, would afibrd a great- 

 er profit. 



The New York Tribune brings to notice the fol- 

 lowing : — 



Just see how easy it is to grow better fruit. In 

 Adams county, Ohio, John Loughry has a peach 

 orchard of eleven acres that has yielded him this 

 year five thousand dollars, while peaches have been 

 selling in Cincinnati at twenty-five cents a bushel. 

 It is easy to see that his orchard would not have 

 produced that sum at that price. No, it did not. 

 lie got two dollars a bushel more readily than his 

 leighbor got twenty-five cents for the same variety 

 ■jf peaches. And this is how he did it : — 



"When the peaches had arrived at the size of a 

 hickory nut, he employed a large force and put on 

 one hundred and eighty-five days' work in picking 

 off the excess of fruit. Probably more than three- 

 fourths of the fruit then on the trees was carefully 

 removed. Each Hmh was taken hy hand, and where 

 within a space of eighteen inches there would be, 

 perhaps, twenty-five peaches, but five of the fairest 

 ones would l)e left to ripen. By carefully removing 

 all but the strongest specimens and throwing all the 

 ■vigor of the trees into them, the peaches have ri- 

 pened early, and are remarkable for size and excel- 

 lence of quality." 



There, this was labor — seven months' labor of 

 one man in a small peach orchard ! What of it ? 

 His net profits were between three and four thou- 

 sand dollars. If he had neglected his trees his 

 profits would have been a crop of peaches hardly 

 fit to feed the pigs. 



In the management of his trees, ]\Ir. Loughry 

 keeps them trimmed in, and annually removes 

 about one-half the wood that is formed. He uses a 

 compost, and omits nothing to bring them to per- 

 fection, and thus keeps the trees in full vigor. Will 

 other flirmers take a hint and follow so good an 

 example ? 



Fur the New England Farmer. 



TETE-A-TETE OF THE MILKMAIDS, 



BY "ANGELraA ABIGAIL." 



Becky, see the sunset glowing, 

 O'er the fields a radiance throwing, 



Golden, pure and steady ; 

 0, its beams illume my spirit. 

 (That's our cow-bell— don't you hear it ? 



Get the milk-pans ready !) 



Yes, dear Sally, look and listen ! 

 Now the dew begins to glisten — 



Hark ! the night-bird's sonnet ! 

 What a balmy bi'eeze is blowing ! 

 (Head the brindle cow — she's going — 



Kun — I'll hold your bonnet '.) 



Becky, does the twilight hour. 

 By its bland and soothing power. 



With sweet musings fill you f 

 Peace hangs round us like a mantle — 

 (Soh now, Sukey, come, be gentle '. 



Stop that kicking, will you ?) 



With music earth is overflowing — 

 There, the hungry calves are lowing ! 



How those tins do rattle ! 

 But I fain would wander, Sally, 

 To some green and quiet valley. 



Minus horned cattle. 



Becky, life's a fleeting hour ; 



Joy brings grief — e'en cream will sour — 



Yet 'tis vain complaining ; 

 Mortals now get milk and honey 

 Only by hard work and money ! 



(Set the pans for straining !) 



REGULARITY IN FEEDING CATTLE. 



Stephens, in his "Book of the Farm," gives the fol- 

 lowing illustration of the necessity of regularity and 

 method of agricultural duties : 



In thus minutely detailing the duties of the cat- 

 tle-man, my object has been to show you rather how 

 the turnips and fodder should be distributed rela- 

 tively than absolutely ; but whatever hour and min- 

 ute the cattle-man finds, from experience, he can 

 devote to each portion of his work, you should see 

 that he performs tlie same operation at the same 

 time every day. By paying strict attention to time 

 the cattle will be ready "for and expect their wonted 

 meals at the appointed times, and will not complain 

 until they arrive. Complaints from his stock sliould 

 be distressing to every farmer's cars, for he may be 

 assured they Mill not complain until they feel hunger 

 and if allowed to hunger, they will not onlj- lose 

 condition, but render themselves, by cUscontent, less 

 cajrable of acquiring it when the food happens to be 

 fully given. Wherever you hear lowings from cat- 

 tle, )ou may safely conclude that matters are con- 

 ducted there in an irregular manner. The cattle- 

 man's rule is a simple one, and easily remcmliered, 

 — Give food and fodder io cattle at fixed times,^ and 

 dispense them in a fixed routine. I had a striking 

 instance of the bad effects of irregular attention 



