130 



]ST:W ENGLAND FARIMER. 



March 



paint brush and bucket, I went to work ; after one 

 course was laid, the sliingles wore all painted with 

 the tar, except tliat portion coming to the weather; 

 then another course was laid, using a straight-edge 

 instead of a chalk-line, and then apply the tar as 

 before, and so on over the whole roof; were it not 

 for the color, would prefer giving the butts a coat- 

 ing of the tar after shingling; as it was, I painted 

 the front side with darlv brown paint, as the tar 

 was visible in some places. After a little more 

 than nine years' exposure, my roof appears tight, 

 with no signs of decay and good for as many years 

 more, while some of my neighbors who have built 

 since, and used shingles without any preparation, 

 have been obliged to shingle anew the past season. 

 Joiners do not like to use the tar as it soils the 

 clothes and they cannot shingle so fast ; but with 

 an old frock and a pair of overalls, there is but 

 little trouble, especially if the owner is with them 

 and uses the brush. b. 



Bethel, Me., Jan., 186S. 



SUPERPHOSPHATES — CROPS IN CENTRAL NEW 

 HAMPSHIRE. 



I shoiild miss the weekly visit of the Farmer 

 very much. I think it one of the best papers pub- 

 lished. We have had no sleighing this winter 

 here, but have had some very cold weather. I 

 hear of heavy snows south of us. Hay this sea- 

 son was good ; corn very good ; oats good ; wheat 

 middling good; potatoes rather light; fruit light. 

 Hay is dull at .ff2.) per ton ; corn !g;l..50 per 

 bushel ; oats 80 cents per bushel ; potatoes from 

 75 to 90 cents ; apples ^5 per barrel. 



Last spring I tried three kinds of superphos- 

 phate of lime on a luece of corn, putting a table- 

 spoonful of each kind in the hill, taking two rows 

 alternately for each. The result was a very good 

 crop on tlie Bradley's phosphate, a two-thirds crop 

 on the Coe's vhosphate, and a poor crop on the 

 Cumberland phosphate, made at Portland, Maine. 

 The whole piece had twenty ox cart loads of barn 

 cellar nuinure spread on and ploughc<l in. I found 

 in that trial the Bradley phosphate very much the 

 best. The price of Bradley's and Coe's was the 

 same. The Cumberland was a ceut per pound 

 higher. J. v. a. 



West Concord, X. H., Dec. 23, 1837. 



A PAIR OF MVLES AVANTED. 



I wish to inquire if you or any of your numer- 

 ous readers of the Farmer can inform me where 

 a pair of mules can be iKmght ? I wish to pur- 

 chase a jiair for farm work. I have seen them 

 recommended for that purpose as being cheajier 

 and easier kept and to do more work than horses. 

 A Reader of the Farmer. 



Haverhill, Mass., Jan. 7, 1808. 



Remarks.— The Commissioner of Agriculture 

 in 1806, gave the estimated average prices of 

 farm stock in each of the States. Vermont is re- 

 ported with 44 mules worth $113.33 each; 49,222 

 horses, at .'J77 80 each. Connecticut has 105 mules, 

 at $77.49 each ; 38,009 horses $75.08 each. The 

 number and prices of mules in the other New 

 England States are not given. New York has 

 438,372 horses, at §^0.05 each ; 2139 mules at 8101.- 

 90 each. Kentucky has 223,775 horses, at §-73.62 

 each; 59,752 mules at $96.59 each. In Virginia, 

 horses are estimated at S72.82; mules at $80.88. 

 In Georgia, horses $85.10; mules $104.93. In 

 Ohio, horses $73.99; mules $90.06. The grand 

 average of prices in thirty-three States, horses 

 $79.46; mules $92.52. "We omit that portion of 



the letter of "A Reader of the Farmer" which 

 should have been supei'scribed by "An Advertiser 

 of the Farmer." 



CONDITION POWDER. 



The following is a recipe for the best Condition 

 Powder there is in the market. Take one ounce 

 each of Fenugi-eek, Cream of Tartar, Gentian, Sul- 

 phur, Saltpetre, Ro>in, Black Antimony, and half 

 an ounce of Cayenne, and mix thoroughly. It 

 may be used in case of Yellow Water, Hide Iraund, 

 Coughs, Colds, Distemper, and all other diseases 

 for which Condition Powders are administered. 

 Dose in ordinary cases two teaspoonfuls. o. 



Surnj, N. H., Dec. 8, 1867. 



COTSWOLD SHEEP. 



Can you inform me through the Farmer where 

 I can obtain full blooded Cotswold, or Leicester 

 sheep ? 1 suppose they are kept in the New Eng- 

 land States. They can be obtained in Canada, liut 

 I do not know at what point. S. C. Drew. 



South Royalton Vt., Jan. 1, 1868. 



Remarks. — "While we are perfectly willing to 

 spend our time in any investigation necessary to 

 furnish answers to inquirers appropriate to this 

 department of our paper, we cannot consent to 

 make these familiar "Extracts and Replies," a 

 medium for that information which belongs to our 

 advertising columns, which are open alike to the 

 breeders of stock, the manufacturers of imple- 

 ments, and the dealers in seeds. 



EANTERN LAMP IN WINTER. 



I have often been troubled in cold weather with 

 my lantern lamp, not only in lighting it, but un- 

 less the best of oil was used, it afforded \m\. lirtle 

 light. A neighbor suggested that I mix kerosene 

 and lamp oil, in equal parts, whicii I did, and find 

 thiit it lights readily and affords a good li.'ht. 

 Perhaps one-third kerosene and lard, instead of 

 lamp oil, would answer as well. I use the common 

 oil lamp. B. 



Bethel, Me., Jan. 7, 1868. 



Remarks. — We have tried mixed lard oil and 

 kerosene, as above recommended, for winter use, 

 and thus far with satisfactory results. 



TO PEEL ONIONS WITHOfT CRYINO. 



A simple way to peel onions without shedding 

 tears, is to draw out the stove hearth, and hold the 

 onion over the draught so that the scent will be 

 drawn into the stove. J. W. Nyb. 



Keene, N. H., Jan. 1, 1868. 



DiFFEREXCE IX SeED POTATOES. — Mr. 



C. W. Knapp, of Danvers, Mass., informs us 

 that he planted last spring one barrel of seed 

 potatoes, two-thirds of which were Early 

 Goodrich and one third Harrisons, from which 

 he harvested 112 bushels. On the same field, 

 all of which was prepared and manured alike, 

 he also planted one barrel of the Early Dyke- 

 man, the yield from which was only eight bush- 

 els. The seed potatoes in both cases were cut 

 and planted alike, and the whole field was cul- 

 tivated and hoed in the same way. 



