1868. 



NEW ENGLAND FARIVIER. 



77 



out as why a pig's tail curls instead of hanging down 

 straight, while a cow's hangs down straight and 

 docs not curl ! And tlic next is to send to Wil- 

 liams & Co., 100 Washington St., Boston, and pur- 

 chase Bennett's Poultry Book, wherein he will 

 find a treatise on the breeding and general manage- 

 ment of domestic fowls, and pretty much all the 

 information to be had on the sulyect. By study- 

 ing it carefully, we have no doubt he will save 

 chickens enough next spring to pay for the book 

 several times over. It will tell him all about 

 changing roosters and the management of sitting 

 hens. 



CHERRY AND APPLE STOCKS. 



How long may cherry on Mahaleb, and apple 

 on Paradise stocks, be depended upon for sufficient 

 fruitage to warrant one in retaining them ? Late 

 works on fruit culture strongly recommend the cul- 

 tivation of these dwarfs, but leave the reader much 

 in darkness on the point named. What has expe- 

 rience taught in the matter ? 



Why not, in mulching young trees, remove the 

 soil for a sufficient depth, then put in the mulch 

 and cover it with three inches of earth ? Would 

 not this materially aid in retaining the moisture, 

 and at the same time prevent the mulching from 

 being disturbed by winds, as well as present a less 

 inducement for the harboring of mice, &c.? If a 

 lead trough of sufficient size, — one capable of hold- 

 ing enough kerosene oil, — and properly roofed, be 

 put around apple trees, would it not be a perfect 

 guarantee against the ravages of canker worms ? 



T. w. s. 



Remarks. — To answer our correspondent briefly 

 on this point, we should say, "long enough to re- 

 tain them." They are set ; let them remain and 

 operate with other stocks in other places. His 

 question can only be answered intelligently by 

 some nurseryman or orchardist, of much experi- 

 ence and observation. Perhaps some of our 

 "knowing ones" will answer. 



His views on mulching are undoubtedly correct. 

 It will be more labor, but a better job. 



Troughs filled with oil and properly roofed over 

 have been repeatedly used to prevent the access of 

 insects, — but where they are numerous, they 

 bridge over the oil with their bodies and some of 

 them pass on. If not carefully attended to, spider- 

 webs, leaves, sticks, dust, &c., sometimes afford 

 the means of passing. Besides this, the operation 

 is a very exact and expensive one, which few only 

 could afford. 



bean straw. 

 I asked some questions in your paper a few 

 weeks since about this article as food for cattle. 

 From your "reply" I gathered that it might be of 

 some value when jjreen, but worthless when dry. 

 But notwithstanding this, I gathered all my pole 

 bean straw and hung it in the barn to dry. I have 

 just cut up some of it and boiled it. "The water 

 used for boiling I used partly to moisten shorts, 

 and part]y I mixed it with fresh water and gave 

 to my cows, and they drank this water with great 

 eagerness. The straw I gave moist to the cows 

 and they eat it up clean with great relish. I don't 

 know that it would be practicable for farmers to 

 prepare this food for cattle in this way, but if it 

 contains eight per cent, albumen, as it is said, it 



must be of considerable value. I shall certainly 

 save my bean straw another year. Every little in 

 the right direction helps, and every increase of 

 cattle food from a source like this, when hay is ^25 

 to $30, and shorts ^5 to $40 per ton, must be of 

 some value. Inquirer. 



Massachusetts, Nov. 25, 1867. 



Remarks. — Further allusion to the value of 

 bean straw will be found in the article headed 

 "Cooking Food for Animals" in another column of 

 this paper. 



GOOD steers.— crops AND PRICES IN RUTLAND, 

 MASS. 



I frequently notice in the Farmer accounts of 

 good cattle which I take great pleasure in reading. 

 There are a pair of yearling steers, raised and owned 

 in this town, which I think deserve mention in 

 your columns. They are grade Durhams, spotted 

 red and white, nearly alike, well matched and of 

 good form, and weighed at one year old 1430 lbs.; 

 and at one year and seven months, (Oct. 8, 1867,) 

 2075 lbs. "They never have had any but common 

 keeping and are not fat, 



I will give the prices of some articles of farm 

 produce in this vicinity, commencing with good 

 hay, which is worth, at the barn, $20 to $22 per 

 ton; straw, $10 to $15; potatoes, $1 to $1.25 per 

 bushel; corn, $1.50 to $1.62; oats, $1; pork, 10c 

 per lb; apples, per bbl., $4 to $5; cattle, year- 

 lings, $15 to $30 ; two-year-olds, $25 to$40. Cows 

 and oxen are not as high as one year ago, there 

 being more of them for sale. 



Potatoes were poor, not more than half a crop. 

 Corn not as good as last year. Oats light. Hay 

 crop good. "The above may interest some of your 

 readers in other places. 



A Reader of the Farmer, 



Rutland, Mass., Nov. 25, 1867. 



The Country Gentleman has an article on "What 

 Breed of Fowls shall we Keep ?" and gives the ex- 

 periments of the writer with various crosses. The 

 conclusion arrived at is as follows : "After all, we 

 came to the conclusion that for ordinary purposes, 

 Dorking and Brahma hens, with a Dorking cock, 

 gave us the best results. For eggs, the hens must be 

 young ; for mothers, rather older." We are never 

 tired of reading all that is written on fowls, and 

 now and then get some valuable hints therefrom ; 

 but after all, the poultry breeder must act on his 

 own judgment as applied to his own particular 

 case, and canno'. govern his conduct by the expe- 

 rience of others in this particular unless he knows 

 all the circumstances of the experiment. The 

 Dorking is a good fowl, and makes a good cross 

 with the Brahma, but we much prefer the grey or 

 white Brahma, or the Marsh fowl, to any other 

 breed. They are quiet heavy, thick feathered for 

 winter, good layers, particularly in cold weather 

 when eggs are most valuable, can be housed and 

 kept contented as easily as cattle, and their eggs 

 are large, and their meat is good for the table. 

 The Leghorn is a good hiyer except in cold weath- 

 er, but they are hirdy in their nature, and love to 

 roam. The Black Spanish are also good layers, 

 but like the Leghorn, they arc i-ather tender, we 

 think, and like to have room enough. Most any 

 hen, if kept clean and warm, and properly fed, 

 will pay enormous interest on her cost. We have 

 had many varieties, but we have come to the con- 

 clusion that the gray-necked Brahma or white 

 Brahma, or the Marsh fowl which is like them, 

 only of a speckled brown color, are the best for 

 our purpose. They must have better accommoda- 

 tions than the lighter fowls which can fly easily 



