270 



NEW ENGLAND FARRIER. 



JUXE 



over the whole I put on a cot, made of strong 

 cloth and tied it on. I then fastened her as usual. 

 For a day or two she was careful not to hit it 

 against anything; after that she diil not appear to 

 notice it at all. Ilepcated trials of this method 

 have aUvavs ]irnvcd satisfactory. B. 



Bethel, Me., Jan.. 1868. 



riCE ox CATTLE. 



Twcntv years ago I rend in some paper that water 

 that potatoes are boiled in would kill lice on cattle. 

 I tried it and found it would ctreciually kill them. 

 The animal should be washed all over in it. In 

 extreme cases, I put one pint of soft soup in a pail 

 of potato water, and work it in well, and I never 

 have failed of killing every louse. It is a safe and 

 cheap medicine, and will not do the least injury to 

 any animal. " 1 have used tobacco, imguentum 

 and other poisonous things, and came very near 

 killinff one ox. 0. Foster. 



Tunbridge, Vt., March 23, 1868. 



PRUNING TEACH TREES. 



I have some young peach trees Mhich I wish to 

 head-in. Will you please inform me when is the 

 best time to do it, and what part of last year's 

 growth should be cut off, and will it be l)est to thin 

 out the top ? They made a vigorous growth last 

 year, and it seems to me that the tops are too 

 thick. By answering, you will much ol)lige at 

 least one subscriber. Jonas Holt. 



Andover, Mass., April 7, 1868. 



Remarks. — For some years past the severity of 

 our New England winters has killed our peach 

 trees so near to the gi-ound, that we have had little 

 opportunity to exercise our skill in trimming them. 

 When not so kill- 

 ed,tlicrcisasti-ong 

 tendency, says Mr. 

 Thomas, in the 

 terminal buds to 

 push upward and 

 outward at the ex- 

 pense of the side 

 shoots, which 

 soon dying, the 

 tree is ultimately 

 composed of long, 

 bare poles, with 

 l/npruned. only tufts of leaves 



at their extremities, as in the annexed cut, and 

 hence the peach reiiuires more pruning than any 

 other of our fruit trees. 



As the peach always bears its fruit on the pre- 

 vious year's growth, it is important to keep a con- 

 tinued supply of young wood evenly distributed 

 throughout the head. This can only be done l)y 

 continued cutting back, either in the fall or spring. 

 Pruning at the trunk should never be practiced, 

 excepting to cut away dead or dying branches. 

 When too thick, however, small limbs may be re- 

 moved while the tree is young. Generally the 

 peach should be pruned at the extremities of the 

 branches, by cutting off one-tliird, or when very 

 luxuriant, one-half of the last growth. This, 

 however, should not be done as you would trim a 

 hedge, but in such a way as to admit light to the 

 interior part of the head. Care should also be 



taken in cutting back to trim Aovm to a fork so as 

 not to make a dead stub. The object is by heading- 

 In to form a low compact top 

 ;^v which saves the tree from ex- 

 cessive crops, heavy " winds, 

 damp snow, sleet and ice, and 

 3;^, promotes health, vigor, lon- 

 '^^l^S^^m^^ gevity, and fruitful ncss. Mr. 

 '^'Cw^ v*^ Cole .'■ays in his Fruit Book, 

 r=: that for the purpose of induc- 

 ~ ing early bearing, where the 

 trees are luxuriant and bar- 

 ren, about one-third of the new gi-owth may be 

 removed in July. 



Shortened-in. 



dissatisfaction of tub boys with farming. 



The question is often asked in our agricultural 

 papers why so few farmers' sons are willing to stay 

 at home. Among the reasons for dissatisfaction 

 with farm life, is the fact that parents fail to in- 

 terest their sons in the farm and its surroundings. 

 Young people often \vi.-h to have things look well 

 about the buildings, with a snug little flower-gar- 

 den, &c. But if they attempt to put tilings to 

 rights they are called off to the potato field in a 

 manner that indicates that attention to these home 

 matters is a waste of time, and that time spent 

 about these improvements is fooled away. Is it 

 strange that we get tired of drilling on corn and 

 potatoes, potatoes and corn, all the season ? And 

 when the produce is sold in the fall, what share or 

 interest have we in the proceeds ? When the boys 

 visit the city or village with empty poi'ket<, and 

 see what other boys have, is it a wonder that they 

 determine to leave the ftivm as soon as possible ? 

 When farmers will endeavor to encourage their 

 sons bj' giving them some personal interest in their 

 business as co-paitncrs, or otherwise, as merchants 

 do their faithful clerks, and allow them the occa^ 

 sional use of horse and carriage, and some spend- 

 ing money, I think they will have less occasion to 

 mourn over the uneasiness of the boj's, and will 

 find their sons more willingto remain upon the old 

 homestead and cheer their declining age. Adopt 

 this course, and there will be less idlers in our 

 cities and villages. I believe this course will also 

 do much to allay the Western fever which takes 

 off so many young men to the new States. 

 • Great Falls, X. H., 1868. Young Farmek. 



application of manure. 



I have been anxiously waiting for more facts 

 bearing on the question of ploughing ami harrow- 

 ing in manure. Soijie of the statements in late 

 numi)ers of the Farmer go to extremes. lu No. 

 47, "II." says, those who liave tiicd harrowing in 

 manure are staunch friends of the harrow. An- 

 other gentleman says he has become satisfied by 

 experience, that three loads of manure i)ut in with 

 the harrow is well worth five buried with the 

 plough for a grain or grass crop, and will hold out 

 longer. If this be so I am satislied that a great 

 many farmers do not know how to apply manure, 

 or else they would not liave such povcriy stricken 

 farms as they have, when tluy could matiuremore 

 acres every year than they do and receive greater 

 remunerations for their labor. lie then says if 

 he was to plough manure eight inches deep, ho 

 would reel like saying, good-bye, manure. An- 

 other gentleman says h ; has known some farmers 

 plough in a heavj' dressing so deep that they never 

 iieanl from it afterwards, and he thinks liini^eif if 

 manure is ploughed under, say one foot, it is buried 

 not only out of sight, but out of reach of any grain 

 or grass grown iu this laud. 



