558 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Dec. 



of sulphuric acid, so that the 46 lbs. of ash in 75 

 bushels of corn contains less than a pound and a 

 half of sidphuric acid, and, thus, if as is estimated, 

 an acre of soil contains 2000 lbs. of sulphuric acid, 

 we have sulTicient for an annual crop of 75 bushels 

 per acre for fifteen hundred years ! 



Intelligent wheat-growers seldom sell their straw, 

 or chaff, and frequently consume on the farm nearly 

 as much bran, shorts, \-c., as is sent to market with 

 the gi'ain. In the Natiu-al History of New York, 

 part 5, it is stated that a crop of wheat, in Western 

 New York, of tliirty bushels per acre, including 

 straw, chaff, &c., removes from the soil 144 lbs. of 

 mineral matter. Genesee wheat usually yields 

 about 80 per cent, of flour. This flour contains 

 only 0.7 per cent, of mineral matter, while fine mid- 

 dlings contain 4 per cent. Coarse middling, 5^ ; 

 shorts, 8 ; and bran, 8^ per cent. It follows from 

 this that, out of the 144 lbs. of mineral matter in 

 the crop of wheat, less than 10 lbs. is contained in 

 the flour. The remaining 134 lbs. is found in the 

 straw, chaff, bran, shorts, &c. Even, however, if 

 none of the shorts is returned to the farm, the 30 

 bushels of grain remove from the soil only 26 lbs. of 

 mineral matter ; and it would take more than five 

 crops to remove as much mineral matter as one 

 crop contains. Allowing that half the ash of wheat 

 is phosphoric acid, 30 bushels remove only 13 lbs. 

 from the soil, and if the soil contains 4000 lbs., it 

 will take 207 crops of 30 bushels each to exhaust it. 



We commend these facts to the consideration of 

 the wi'iter of the paragraph we have quoted. If his 

 estimates are correct ; if the soil contains as much 

 potash, phosphoric acid and sulphur as he states, 

 we need have few fears of waking up some morn- 

 ing to find all the precious elements of crops de- 

 parted from our soils forever. 



We should just observe that the idea, embodied 

 in the latter part of the j^aragraph, has no founda- 

 tion in fact. If a soil is exhausted of potash, or of 

 phosphoric acid, it will not "continue rich for other 

 crops." Not a plant that we commonly cultivate, 

 can grow upon soil destitute of any of the mineral 

 elements of plants. — Country Gentleman. 



cattle. And some persons, who are bound to stick 

 to the old methods of saving and making manm-e, 

 would do well to pay him a visit and observe the 

 capital arrangements he has, in connection with his 

 barns, to save the refuse (which is often swept out 

 and made unavailable for farming ])urposes ;) he 

 carefully preserves all he can, and causes it to be 

 passed into his manure cellar, where it is compound- 

 ed with the rest of the waste matter wliich goes to 

 make up the dungliill. 



Altogether, this is one of the best farms we have 

 seen on Cape Cod, and those who contemplate im- 

 proving their land and barns, would do well to call 

 upon Mr. Howes and see what industry and scien- 

 tific farming can do towards turning the d'-sert into 

 a fi'uitful field. — Barnstahle Patriot. 



PAEMS OH CAPE COD. 



Yesterday we were conducted over the excellent 

 farm of James Howes, Esq., who for the last few 

 years has made great improvements upon liis land 

 and barn. He has brought a patch of land he owns, 

 _ which is situated upon a high hill, into a good state 

 of cultivation. Though upon this land he has ex- 

 pended much labor and money, he has begun to 

 reap the advantage of what he has done. His crops 

 of carrots and ruta baga turnips are most excellent. 

 When he sowed his rye last season there was mixed 

 with his seed considerable quantities of wheat ; by 

 this accident he has discovered that a portion of his 

 land is adapted to its cultivation, for when his crops 

 was matured, he found that the ears of wheat were 

 well filled out, and in flict, were in every way equal 

 to what he had seen in any part of the country. 

 This fall he has sown a piece of his land with wheat, 

 and the recent rains, combined Avith the clemency 

 of the season, have caused the young and tender 

 blades to appear, and altogether, present appear- 

 ances seem to mdicate that his experiment will be 

 successful. 



The barns of Mr. Howes are large and airy ; he 

 has accommodation for twenty or thirty head of 



Fo7' the New England Farmer. 



AI'I EASIER WAY THAN EAUMmG. 



BY ICHABOD HOE. 



"What is the use in digging on the farm, where 

 one is exposed to all sorts of weather, wet and cold, 

 hot and dry, just barely squeezing along and mak- 

 ing the ends of the year meet, when one can work 

 in a shop where it is warm and dry, and in the 

 shade at least in hot weather ? Dig as hard as we 

 will, we can't make as much as those Avho work at 

 boot-malving, and don't work much more than half 

 the time either. I'm going to quit farming and 

 turn one of the rooms of my house into a shop, 

 and I and my boys will go to makmg boots, and I 

 advise you to do the same." 



"I know there are hardships in farming, and 

 rather slow pay, but it's a pretty sure pay, and I 

 beHeve I will keep digging. It is said to be 'hard 

 to learn old dogs new tricks.' Fprmers have to be 

 exposed to all sorts of weather, but if they are 

 careful, it is no Avorse than being shut up in a shop 

 all the time and confined to a bench." 



"O, a man needn't work all the time on the bench, 

 he can make his dollar and a half a day in the sho]> 

 and not work much more than half the time, and 

 the rest of the time he can work out of doors, if he 

 has a mind to." 



"Yes, but that 'mind to' is apt to be lacking ; I 

 have noticed in those who get accustomed to the 

 shop, they don't like to go out doors to work." 



"Ah ! that's l^ecause it is so much easier to work 

 in the shop, and I'm not disposed to expose myself 

 to all weathers and work like a dog Avhen I can get 

 along a great deal easier, and a good deal faster, 

 another way. The thing is 'done' with me, and I 

 advise you to follow suit, and do as all the rest of 

 the Avorld — that are smart enough — are doing, get 

 a living some other way than digging on the farm 

 for it." 



Up to this time, these two neighboring fiirmers 

 had maintained a sort of friendly rivalry in the 

 management of their farms. Mr. Russel, the one 

 who was going to quit farming, had the largest, and 

 naturally the best farm, but Mr. Burton, his neigh- 

 bor, ^Hook the papers," and brought a little more 

 judgment and skill to bear upon his acres, and sel- 

 dom failed to raise a little the largest crops on less 

 land. Taste and mcHnation, too, made flirming 

 lighter jto Mr. Burton than to his neighbor, who 

 the reader has already observed, thought a good 

 deal of getting on easily and without exposure. 

 His sole stimulous and ^^rinciple of action in man- 



