284 



NEW ENGLAND FARRIER. 



June 



it over the wheels of both hlocks; fasten one 

 end to the roller and the other to a staple and ring 

 near the upper block. With this machine and the 

 necessarj' skids, two men can roll up as big a stone 

 as a good pair of oxen will draw off on the wheels. 

 Middlesex County, Mass., 1868. Philip. 



BRUSSELS SPROUTS. 



Last fall I wrote two notices of this vegetable 

 for the Faemer, and if I can say anything more 

 which will induce its more general cultivation, at 

 least in gardens for home use, I shall set myself 

 down as thus far a public benefactor. I never 

 saw the vegetable till I saw it growing in my own 

 premises this season. I have heard so much of its 

 delicacy from travellers abroad that I procured 

 some seeds in the spring (at Washburn's, in Boston, 

 I think), and planted them alittlc too late, however. 

 They did well, but did not come into bearing very 

 early. I had only a few plants, and late in Octo- 

 ber I secured enough sprouts for a trial, and found 

 them tender and delicious — a refined cabbage. I 

 supposed I should have no more, but since then 

 they have flourished well and given me several 

 messes from some dozen or more stalks. I gathered 

 a fine dish to-day, after the snow and severe cold 

 weather which we Inive had. There is no vegeta- 

 ble that comes upon my table which is morfe gen- 

 erally commended by my family. I think it is 

 perfectly hardy, easily raised, prolific, and I can 

 sec no earthly reason why it should not come into 

 general use. .1 cannot find out much about the 

 manner fif treating it, l)nt propose to take up the 

 stalks for spring planting, and believe it will pro- 

 duce delicious sprouts for early spring use. Now, 

 if each one of the 17,000 weekly purchasers of the 

 New England Faiimkii will try this vegetable 

 another season, and the much larger number who 

 •occasionally get a glance at the paper without sub- 

 scribing, will do the same, then if the vegetable 

 does not thereafter go into pretty general familj' 

 use, even in this climate, it will be because their 

 experience differs much from my experience of this 

 year. I might add, the little heads or sprouts 

 which are eaten, grow uimn the stalks. They are 

 easily cooked, reipiiring but a few miiiutcs boiling. 

 We servo them wiih butter, pepper and salt. 



Since writing the above, I have seen the commu- 

 nication of your JcfFersonville, Vt., correspondent, 

 "E. H.," and am glad to have one early endorse- 

 ment tliat this dish is ''tit to set before an epicure." 

 His failure in this country was doubtless owing to 

 his soil and cxiosure. My land is a deep, heavy, rich 

 and rather moist soil, but I think the sprouts will 

 grow anywhere side by side with the cabbage. 



November 2i:, \%Q>1 . Inquirer. 



Remarks. — The above communication was re- 

 ceived last December, and its publication post- 

 poned for the purpose of procuring a cut of the 

 vegetable with which our correspondent is so well 

 pleased. So much delay has attended the several 

 processes of drafting, engraving, and electrotyping, 

 that it appears rather late in the season. We hope, 

 however, that what was published last fall and 

 winter, in relation to this Thousand-headed Cab- 

 bage, as the Brussells Sprouts is often called, has 

 induced many to procure and plant a few seeds by 

 way of experiment. It may not be entirely too late 

 to do so as yet. 



"The seeds," says Mr. Burr, in his book on the 

 vegetables of America, "should be sown at the 

 time and in the manner of the cabbage, either in 

 hot beds in March or April, or in the open ground 

 in April or May. When three or four inches high, 

 transplant two feet apart in each direction, and cul- 

 tivate as for cabbages. In September, the early 

 planting Mill be fit for gathering; whilst the later 

 plants will afford a succession that will supply the 

 table during the winter. They are quite hardy, 

 easily grown, thrive well in New England and in 

 the Middle States, and deserve more general culti- 

 vation." Mr. Burr also describes two varieties, — 

 the Dwarf, growing from eighteen inches to two feet, 

 and the Giant from two to nearly four feet in height. 

 The seed in the market often produces plants cor- 

 responding with both varieties and numerous in- 

 termediate kinds. The small heads aroused either 

 as cabbages or as the cauliflower. 



CULTIVATION OF POTATOES AND CORN. 



Our spring has been cold, rainy and backward; 

 being almost a duplicate of the weather last spring. 

 Some of the Island fanners i)lanted early potatoes 

 three weeks ago, Init probably will have to plant 

 again. Until last year, the potato has been the 

 most profitable crop raised in this section. The 

 perpetual rains of last season almost destroyed the 

 croi>, and little remains for seed. 



Heretofore the potato crop, being very sure, has 

 been carelessly cultivated, but as the price is now 

 very high, I would suggest economy in seed, and 

 greater care in preparation of the land. 



We have seen statements in the Farmer of suc- 

 cess in using eyes cut out singly and planted in 

 drills. This involves some work, but the same 

 seed thus idantcd would doubtless yield twice as 

 much as where the whole potato is planted in one 

 hill. Three or four eyes planted in the drill, is tbe 

 practice here. 1 hope experiments will be tried 

 this season as to these points. No one can have 

 pulled potato vines without noticing roots running 

 far away from the hill; nor can any have hilled 

 up potatoes without finding himself cutting off a 

 great many roots, which are the feeders of the 

 growing potatoes. Hence we doubt the practica- 

 liilily of hoeing deep and lulling high. A slight 

 flat iiill, holds water best in dry times. The cul- 



