258 



NEW EXGLAXD FARIMER. 



JlINE 



and one board under it on the inside and 

 posts only live or ^^ix feet apart. Tlii.'<, with 

 potits at live cents each, and boards at $10 per 

 thousand, cost, for material, one dollar per rod. 

 A fence is to enclose or exclude animals ; and 

 to be jierfectly sati.«factory must be perfectly 

 adapted to this purpose. For want of a per- 

 fect i'ence our crops are injured, some farmers 

 cannot wean iheir lambs, control their bucks, 

 or do justice to calves, colts or sick .stock, and 

 they suilcr yearly losses on this account. Our 

 late crops, such as corn and potatoes, are in- 

 jured by cows grazing the fall teed in the mead- 

 ows ; and one great reason why turnips are 

 not cultivated as field crop, is because they 

 prevent fall grazing. He favored the thor- 

 ough fencing on lines, by roads, and around a 

 few small lots. A movable fence, to throw 

 around any special crop, would often be an ad- 

 vantage. 



J. N. ^lead had built and repaired board 

 fence, but prefers a crooked rail fence, and 

 thinks brown ash very durable. He would not 

 separate pastures, as it is an injury to dairy 

 cows to be changed from one to the other. 

 The extra flow of milk consequent on such 

 change is injurious. 



Mr. Moon spoke of the advantage of gates 

 over bars to stop cattle. Unless pinned at 

 each end, bars are easily let down by stock. 

 A gate that rolls back upon wheels he regard- 

 ed as far superior to bars. 



^Ir. Brewster said that in dairying, it is not 

 necessary to have as much fence as in mixed 

 farming, because cows do better in one pas- 

 ture all summer. If changed often they do 

 not feed so contentedly. Had had considera- 

 ble experience in building rail fence, and when 

 laid up true is both permanent and ornamental. 

 In making fence set stakes to guide the work- 

 men. 



Wm. L. Jameson would not make small en- 

 closures, but if he wished to keep an animal 

 secure he would put it in the barn. We can- 

 not afford to pa^ture good tillage land. He 

 built rail fence (juite crooked, the corners pro- 

 jecting eai h way three feet from a straight 

 line. In making board fence he used twelve- 

 penny nails that had been toughened by heat- 

 ing in the (ire, and finds they will last much 

 better than common nails, and seldom break. 



For the Xcw England Farmer. 

 A PLEA FOK THE BOBIN". 



After perusing the article on the robin with 

 considerable care and interest, as presented by 

 a subscril)er in the Aprd number of the 

 monthly FAHMEr., and believing your columns 

 to be a medium for the free discussion of af- 

 fairs ]>ertaining to the interests of the tiller of 

 the soil, allow me to olfer a few words in be- 

 half of one of our noblest birds, and that true 

 friend of tlie farmer, the American robin. 

 Your corrci-pondent and others complain bit- 

 terly of the depredations inflicted upon them, 



and in the exercise of their hatred toward 

 the robin, are pleased to level on him the 

 epithets of "an incorrigible thief and an un- 

 mitigated nuisance." Now, sir, with all due 

 charity for those who have suffered from his 

 annual visits to our New England clime, and 

 seen their fondest hopes blighted, I think I 

 can safely deny this assertion. From personal 

 observation it is my sincere conviction that for 

 all the cherries plundered, strawberries and 

 raspberries taken by theft, pears and other 

 small fruits ruined, they return to the owner 

 their value ten-fold in the destruction of 

 grubs, worms, and insects so injurious to veg- 

 etation. Having for some time cultivated the 

 usual variety of small fruits, for which the 

 robin evinces a decided preference, and bein^ 

 visited yearly by large numbers of them, I 

 have yet to learn of sufficient mischief being 

 done to warrant their destruction ; but on the 

 contrary think it becomes every generous 

 hearted farmer to share willingly the products 

 of mother earth with the red- breast, his last- 

 ing benefactor. The secretary of the society 

 whose report I refer to, also recommends 

 asking for a repeal of the clause of the pres- 

 ent bird law regarding the protection of this 

 bird. I cannot agree with him on this point, 

 but with all my heart, I hope the present law 

 will admit of no modification, but be strictly 

 enforced, as it seems to me the public good 

 demands it. What is more cheering to the 

 farmer as he awakes to the labors of a new 

 day, than the sweet carols of birds, nature's 

 own musicians, who in the glad spring time 

 make the air resound with their joyous notes, 

 ever giving praises to Him from whom all 

 blessings (low.^ God in his bountiful good- 

 ness has given them a life to enjoy, and I 

 would ask is it right to deny this privilege to 

 a comparatively harmless creature ? And in 

 conclusion, I would say to my brother farmers, 

 cultivate the acipiaintance of, and ever pro- 

 tect, the subject of this sketch. I subscribe 

 myself, A Coxstaxt Re.vder. 



Sudbury, Mass., April 21, 18(38. 



For the Scir England Farmer, 

 A WILD CALF. 



Messrs. Editors : — I have a little calf 

 stoy to tell you. It may interest some of your 

 readers, — it has me, I can assure you. 



The loth of last November, I was trying to 

 drive some young cattle into the barn, for the 

 first time since they were brought home from 

 Princeton pasture. One large, wild calf, seven 

 months old, broke from us and dashed through 

 the yard fence and away. We left out the 

 cow that had raised him, and they were soon 

 together ; but he was shy of the barn, and 

 soon was a mile into the woods. After a great 

 race with my man, we "headed" them, and 

 got them turned towards home on the railroad 

 track. I began then to feel quite indifferent 

 whether the calf butted against the engine or 



