228 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



May 



enough and the ground is warm, he commences 

 transplanting on each end of the acre. He takes 

 a load of these plants to the field, and while the 

 plough goes along, two boys or women will follow, 

 dropping the plants at regular distances, and at 

 the same time pressing them on the ground with 

 the hand. This is done as fast as the team will 

 work, and in a fortnight tlRy will be hoed. I am 

 sure less labor is required by this plan than by the 

 way practiced here, l)esides effecting a saving of 

 one-third of the seed. From a fortniglit to a 

 month is gained in time, no thinning out being 

 needed, and by fall a larger crop will be obtained. 



I have urged my neighbors, who, by the way, 

 are excellent farmers, for several years, to adopt 

 thi« plan, but they still stick to the old way. 1 

 also feci quite sure that beets, cabbages, lettuce, 

 &c., may be raised to greater perfection by trans- 

 planting, than by any other course of cultivation. 



I presume, Mr. Editor, that some of your readers 

 may laugh about this communication, but let them 

 think it" over and try it on a small scale, and I 

 think they will, by and by, agree with me. av. 



Dorchester, Mass., March lo, 1868. 



APPLYING MANURE — GHASS SEED. 



I broke up green sward last fall for planting corn, 

 on which I intend this spring to spread manure. 

 I wish to ask through your columns whether to 

 plough or harrow it in. 



I will also ask how much hay seed, and what 

 kinds for seeding down with oats, and how much 

 seed and what kind on natural mowing, where 

 compost has l)een spread ? A Subscriber. 



Fiskdale, Mass., March 14, 1868. 



Remarks. — In rela,tion to the mode of applying 

 manure we I'efer you to the practical article in 

 another column by Mr. Harvey, of Epping, N. H., 

 and to other articles on the subject. 



Our old rule for seeding an acre to grass is one 

 bushel of redtop, eight quarts herdsgrass, and six 

 pounds of clover, the latter sowed on the snow 

 the last of March or first of .April. If the land is 

 poor, more seed is needed ; if rich, less. Thos. J. 

 Field, President of the Franklin County, Mass.,. 

 Agricultural Society, stated last year at a club 

 meeting that he used 1 bushel redtop, 12 pound 

 clover, and 6 quarts herdsgrass. As oats are often 

 mowed closer than other grain, there is danger of 

 letting in the sun on the young grass after harvest- 

 ing the oats. 



SICK SHEEP. 



I am in trouble about my sheep. Until last fall 

 I never lost but one sheep" and two laml)s. Now 

 many are diseased. They appear stupid, eyes 

 about half shut and run badly, cough, hold their 

 heads down, i cfusc to eat, pine away and die. The 

 ewes drop their lambs from one to four weeks bc- 

 forethey should, someof which are dead and others 

 die soon. My Hock appeared to do well the fore 

 part of winter. They arc kept in a shed that opens 

 to the south, and fed on clover till three weeks 

 ago, when I changed to white toji hay. n. l. 



Phillipston, Mass., March 16, 1868. 



Remarks. — What comfort can any sheep-raiser 

 afford to our correspondent ? Dr. Randall gives 

 an account in his Sheep Husbandry of a disease 

 which prevailed in New York in the winter of 

 1846-7, that he calls Malignant Epizootic Cat.arrh, 

 which did not yield to any medicine used. The 

 diseased sheep, especially those which abort, with 



everything connected with the lamb, should at once 

 be removed from the healthy sheep, which should 

 have generous feed, with grain and roots. 



■WOOL GROWING — FOOT ROT— SORE MOUTHS. 



I have been in the sheep business thirty-five 

 years, and the present is the hardest time I have 

 seen for wool growing. I have two clips on hand, 

 but as I hope for better times shall not "let it slide" 

 as yet. 



Seven years ago last fall, I bought 100 sheep that 

 came from Vermont, some of which were lame 

 before I got them home. On examination, I found 

 some had the foot rot. I took sharp vinegar, dis- 

 solved Ijluc vitriol in it, and ruljbed on the parts 

 affected. The disease soon disappeared and I have 

 not seen any of it since. 



The first of January my sheep were attacked 

 with sore mouths or lips, and did not eat readily 

 nor drink much. I took lard and tar, equal parts, 

 melted together, and after partly cooled, stirred in a 

 little sulphur. This was aiiplicd twice and they 

 are all well now. Of the 146 in my flock nearly 

 all had it. J. H. Philbrick. 



Sanbornton Bridge, N. H., Feb., 1868. 



PARALYZED HORSE. 



I have a horse that has been sick a week, an^lno 

 one that has seen him yet can tell what to do for 

 him. He eats and drinks well, but seems to be 

 very weak across his back, and has lost the use of 

 his hind legs. If he lies down he cannot help him- 

 self any about getting up. I am not aware that he 

 has been strained any way. Any information as 

 to his disease or cure will be thankfully re- 

 ceived. James F. Atherton. 



Colebrook, N. H., March 15, 1868. 



Remarks.— Evidently your horse is suffering 

 from paralysis of the loins. Dr. Dadd cautions 

 against the use of violent medicines, and recom- 

 mends what he calls "anti-spasmodics, "which con- 

 sist of camphor, Indian hemp, assafoitida, musk 

 or garlic, with patience and care. We have heard 

 of beneficial effects in such cases from rubbing the 

 loins thoroughly M-ith a mixtui'e of salt and the 

 yolk of eggs in brandy or other spirits, and then 

 applying a bag of heated oats, and covering with 

 blankets, for a sweat. 



portable fence. 



I wish to inquire through the columns of your 

 valuable paper for the best and cheapest kind of 

 fence around the house and garden, and cost of 

 same with lumber at ^20 per thousand, which may 

 be taken .away for the convenience of ploughing 

 the irarden, &c. A Ueadkr of the Farmer. 



U'ancick, Mass., March 14. 1868. 



Remarks. — We have seen several kinds of pa- 

 tent movable fence, and have published accounts 

 of them, with illustrations. We 'do not know 

 where any can be obtained just now. Any ingen- 

 ious carpenter, wc should think, could build you 

 a garden fence in panels that might readily be 

 moved. 



LABORERS WANTED IN THE COUNTRY. 



I see by the New England Farmer and other 

 papers tliat in the large cities and manufacturing 

 towns many people are out of employment, and 

 consequently are suffering in many instances for 

 the necessaries of life. I would say to all such, 



