554 



NEW ENGLAND F.\RMER. 



Dec. 



one of Avhich is called the scarlet grain of Poland, 

 coccus polonicys, licing found on the root of a per- 

 ennial plant growing in the sandy soil of that coun- 

 try and other districts. The word kcrmes is of Per- 

 sian or Arabic origin, and signifies "a httle worm." 

 In the middle ages, the material was therefore 

 called vermiculus in Latin and vermilion in French, 

 which latter term has curiously enough been trans- 

 ferred to the red sulphuret of mercury. Before 

 the discovery of the western Avorld, it was the most 

 esteemed substance for dyeing scarlet, and had been 

 used for that purpose by the Romans and other an- 

 cient nations from an early period. But notwith- 

 standing their acquaintance with it, the real nature 

 of the product was unknown, being supposed to be 

 a vegetable grain, fruit or excrescence, and not final- 



For the New England Fanner. 



HO ! FOR THE WEST. 



Mr. Editor : — A certain man in West Roxbury 

 lately got the Western fever, and as one step to- 

 wards Its treatment, sold out a fine milk run, from 

 which he had made a good living, and laid by some 

 money ag-ainst a rainy day. His son on going his 

 rounds for the last tinie, called on an old sea-captain, 

 whom they had supplied A\ith milk for some years, 

 after pouring out his accustomed supply, the son 



told the captain that Mr. W would bring his 



milk to him in future, as his father had sold out 



to Mr, W , and contemplated going West. 



" D the West," abruptly replied the old salt. — 



" Tell your father that when he has been around the 



ly estabUshed to be an insect, assuming the aspect of -world as much as I have, and seen the whole 



a berry as it did in the process of drying, until a re- ! elephant, he will be glad to come back and settle 



cent date. Through several centuries in Germany, 'in good old New England," and without any fur- 



the rural serfs were bound to deliver annually to I ther remark resumed his chair. 



the convents a certain quantity among the products 



of husbandry. It was collected from the trees upon 



St. John's day, with special ceremony, and was 



called Johannishlut, "St. John's blood," in allusion 



to the day and the color. Many a proud cardinal 



has been indebted to this diminutive creature for 



the red hue of his hat and stocking. 



BLOOD STOCK. 



It seems impossible to make some people under- 

 stand what is meant by the expression, "Blood 

 Stock." They Avill twist, and turn, and laugh at 

 the idea that any farmer, by judicious selections, has 

 reared a herd of cattle that inherits the principal 

 traits of the animals selected to begin with. 



They laugh at the idea of keeping the very best 

 for breeders — and will tell you how a chance animal 

 of their own has excelled the herds denominated 

 "blood stock." 



And yet when you ask what reliance they can 

 have on the progeny of chance animals, they will 

 tell you that they have bred from the same for six- 

 ty years in succession, and therefore they are confi- 

 dent of success in rearing their calves. 



Now this is precisely the doctrine of the advo- 

 cates of "blood stock." They breed from the best, 

 and cast off the inferior animals. They want no 

 crosses with inferior animals, and are confident that 

 by pursuing this course, they are on the right road 

 to perfection, however long that road may prove. 



Still there is another class of farmers who profess 

 to think that the most promiscuous intercourse be- 

 tween the males and females of cattle, will tend to 

 produce better dairy cows and better working oxen, 

 than can be produced by any kind of selection. 



These farmers inquire what is meant by "blood 

 stock." They would prefer to buy from the most 

 promiscuous herds of cattle because they occasion- 

 ally find an extraordinary cow that yields more than 

 the average of blood stock. If one in fifty is found 

 to excel the average of select stock, they seem to 

 think they have proved their case, and are ready 

 for judgment. 



But what progress do such people make in farm- 

 ing ? The same which a gambler makes to get a 

 fortune. He runs for luck, and makes but little 

 calculation, except upon the want of information of 

 those who may be induced to play with him. 

 Plousckman. 



I have no doubt very many have found the rough 

 prophecy of the sea captain sadly true to their expe- 

 rience. Very few who go West, so far as I can 

 learn, (and my experience embraces a large num- 

 ber,) acquire property strictly by forming. They 

 have got their money either by speculation or by 

 the rise of property on their hands. So far as real 

 legitimate farming is concerned, it will be found, I 

 think, that the East compares very favorably with 

 the West, and so far as small farmers are concerned, 

 rather exceed the Western. Of course I have 

 nothing to say in regard to the ease by which crops 

 are produced in the one compared mth the other — 

 simply the amount of money obtained, acre for acre. 

 There is no question but certain crops are produc- 

 ed very much easier in the West than they are 

 in the East, or ever will be. Noa\- then the ques- 

 tion comes up — does it pay — this going West to 

 engage in farming, if that is the only object ? Very 

 few persons who have been nurtured and brought 

 up all their days in the East, and perhaps never 

 have been fifty miles from their birth-jjlace, form 

 very correct ideas of what this young West really 

 is, until they arrive where the elephant can be seen 

 in all his gigantic proportions, and then they do see 

 very truly a magnificently large animal — hand- 

 somely proportioned for one of its size — but after 

 all, it's all elephant and nothing else. It seem to 

 me that no man in his right sense would think of 

 West and taking up government land at 



$1,25 per 



acre. The chances are, as a general 



thing, that he will die before he gels anj-thing like 

 his good New England civilization and privileges 

 about him, will deter him from this rash act. 

 What then ? — why, he will purchase a farm with 

 more or less improvement, and get rich by the 

 rise of his lands in value, that's all — not by farming 

 Now I ask our young New England men again, if 

 under all the circumstances, and I have only sug- 

 gested some of them, this going 'West is a paying 

 business ? I think not. Not as long as good 

 farms, in delightful townships, v.ith all our puritan 

 priviliges, can be purchased for from $1000 to 

 to $3000 in any of these New England States. 

 How many are there now "out West" who wish 

 themselves back again, and in their old homes — I 

 could not guess. No doubt, however, they are 

 legion, and I guess the old sea Captain's blessiiig 

 has more than once passed their lips. — Take mj' ad- 

 vice, bovs, and stay at home. 



Oct.,'8th, 1855. TiRRELL. 



