312 



NEW ENGLAND F.^RMER. 



July 



The wisdom of making a market before 

 their crops are planted, is certainly commend- 

 able, though it may remind some old farmers 

 of the picture of the milkmaid, in their spell- 

 ing books, who acted on a similar policy in 

 respect to her chickens. 



Whatever may be our opinion as to the 

 probable success of this Planting Company — 

 and we certainly wish it greater prosperity 

 than we dare anticipate — we must regard it as 

 a "straw" of no small significance. Evidient- 

 ly a "land breeze" is beginning to blow 

 among the consumers of farm produce. The 

 country population has congregated in cities 

 and villages until every "green thing" in the 

 land has been devoured, and bread and meat 

 and vegetables are so dear that, to the vision 

 of many a family, the figures in Prices Current 

 are assuming the dim outlines of gaunt famine. 

 Curses on "the speculators" have been tried, 

 but they can hardly be relied upon to keep the 

 wolf from the door. We fear the plan of our 

 Easton friends "to hire teams, buy manure, 

 and employ faithful men to work the crops," 

 will prove like the hired reapers in JEsop's 

 fable. That much, however, may be better 

 than nothing. It admits the necessity of do- 

 ing something, and this admission is the first 

 step in the right direction. The next step is 

 we think well indicated by the editor of the Ohio 

 Farmer, whose advice to a similar community 

 was, "off with your fashionable broadcloth, 

 and on with a loose suit of stout and homely 

 stuff, that will stand the weather and the wear ; 

 get you to the barnyard and to the field ; lift 

 up your voices among the oxen, and the horses, 

 and the cows, and the sheep ; talk bad gram-, 

 -mar, and come in at night with soiled boots 

 .and hay-seed on your clothes ; eat great slices 

 of pork and baked beans ; then go to bed and 

 snore in j'our sleep, and wake up to thank 

 «God that you were not civilized to death in 

 this progressive age. So you shall help to 

 avert the impending Famine of Food." 



Canker Worms. — About two years ago we 

 .published an account of the method by which 

 some farmers in the eastern part of New 

 Hampshire had saved their trees and secured 

 good crops of apples, by destroying the 

 canker worms after they had commenced feed- 

 ing upon the foliage. After applying a belt 

 of tar to the trunks, they commenced at the 



top of the tree by jarring the branches with 

 long light poles or fishing rods. As the 

 worms spun down on their gossamer threads, 

 they were brushed off by side strokes with the 

 rods. As soon as they 'reached the ground, 

 they started at once and directly for the trunk 

 and were soon fast in the tar. 



We see by a statement in the Newton, 

 Mass., Journal, that Marshall S. Rice of that 

 town has been entirely successful with this 

 process on some forty trees, by going over 

 them twice, spending some fifteen minutes to 

 each tree. He advises all who liave neglected 

 to prevent the ascent of the grub to try this 

 process without fail, as he thinks the fruit of 

 his forty trees paid well for about two days' 

 work. 



■WATSON'S PLANT PROTECTOR. 

 The attention of those who raise tomatoes, 

 squashes, cabbages or 

 plants, which are lia- 

 ble to destruction by 

 insects or cut worms, 

 is directed to the in- 

 vention shown in the 

 accompanying cut, 

 and just introduced 

 in this market. The 

 supply being limited, 

 those desiring to se- 



cure a supply must order early. 



HORSE-RACING AT FAIRS. 



Ilorce-racing has been popular in Kentucky 

 much longer than In New England ; and this 

 fact, in our opinion, entitles the following re- 

 marks by the editor of the Farmers' Home 

 Journal, published at Lexington, Ky., to the 

 especial attention of the managers of our Agri- 

 cultural Fairs : — 



But there is another cause, which, in the opinion 

 of niiiny, has detracted from the usefulness of our 

 fairs and the interest once manifested in them by 

 a great portion of our pe(>ple, and it is— the promi- 

 nence given to speed rings to the neglect of other 

 di'partments — and we respectfully invite the atten- 

 tion of the officers of associations to this matter. 

 Stock raising is an important interest and the 

 breeders of blooded stock are entitled to considera- 

 tion and encouragement, for they contributor ma- 

 terially to increase the wealth of our State and 

 give it a reputation abroad, hut the point we desire 

 to make is thi.s: While they have horse shows, 

 regular races and other opportunities lor develop- 

 ing the fine qualities of their animals, it is not do- 

 ing justice to other equally important interests, to 

 award the most of the premiums and occupy most 

 of the time with trials of gpeed. Our fairs were 

 instituted for the purpose of promoting the agri- 



