1868. 



NEW ENGLAND FAIi:\rER. 



315 



Sclim and Pot-8-oes ; and only four on the side of 

 hotli sire and dam, (and than too, on side of dam 

 liy a double strain) Ironi the Great Engli.-h Eclipse ; 

 four also from Ilighliycr; and only tive from the 

 Godolphin Aial)ian. Consleration was iinpoitcd 

 by T. C. Albott, and di d at the stable of Chas. H. 

 Eldrcd, of CarroUton, Illinoi.s Oct., 1SG6. 



Neio York, May 1. 1868. J. p.. b. 



Remarks. — Another correspondent informs us 

 that wliile visiting recently in Hardwick, he saw 

 old Consternation's colt, "Figaro," and was very 

 much please'd with his appearance, lie describes 

 him as of a rich dapple color, sixteen hands high, 

 and weighing 1200 lbs. He also saw several of his 

 colts, and says they ai-e in high repute among the 

 best judges of horses in that section, being valued 

 at iffoOO to .f 1500 each. He speaks of one in par- 

 ticular, that he saw in Mr. Mixter's stable, eleven 

 months old, fourteen hands and one inch and a 

 half high, that weighed 800 lbs. ; the best trained 

 colt he ever saw of its age, — performing like a cir- 

 cus pony, — and a very picture of his sire, Figaro. 

 He also mentions a pair of oxen that he saw at 

 Mr. Mixter's, from the Wilmington, Vt., breed, 

 that weighed 4070 lbs. last September. They have 

 worked hard all winter, and are better trained than 

 aay pair of oxen he ever saw. 



SINGLE EYES FROM POTATOES FOR SEED. 



In the Farmer of May 6, your correspondent, 

 H. Poor, suggests the plan of planting potatoes 

 from eyes cut out singly, and asks for experiments 

 Irora those who have tried it. About thirty-six years 

 since, owing to tiie scarcity of potatoes in the lo- 

 cality where I then resided, I was compelled thus 

 to experiment, or go without potatoes to eat. 

 From less than six quarts of eyes, cut out about 

 the size of cranberry beans, I raised over thirty- 

 six buslielsof good potatoes, and should, no doubt, 

 have had more, — had I hot seeded too heavy. 

 They were planted on newly cleared land, without 

 much of a burn, bj^ upturning with a stout hoe, 

 ihe earth some three inches deep and from seven to 

 ten in diameter, throwing in from eight to twelve 

 or more eyes to the hill,"and then covered with the 

 earth thus dug up, and what leaves, &c., I could 

 scrape up about them. Did nothing more until 

 harvesting. I have not planted whole potatoes of 

 late, except occasionally by way of experiment. 

 Would not use moie than thrre or four eyes in a 

 hill, even if more cost less. I prefer planting in 

 drills. When potatoes are .reasonably plenty I 

 select my best of medium size, and cut them 

 through and through, leaving from one to three 

 eyes on a piece, thus planting the entire i)otato. 

 Iv^ever plant from small unmatured seecL Potaroes 

 being so scarce this season, I shall revert to my 

 ' practice of 1832, and gonge out the. eyes of all my 

 good eating potatoes, which after siicli dissection 

 •will be used for cooking purposes. If any of my 

 brother farmers are short of seed, let them try a 

 few bushels. By this means we may plant our ifull 

 breadth of land, and not cut ourselves short fur 

 table purposes. If _you lose by it, / shall. My 

 own faith, however, is larger than a grain of mus- 

 tard seed. A Subscriber. 

 Marlboro', N. R.., Moaj 11, 1868, 



sun, the best of those which are left are dead and 

 useless. Under such circumstances the l)alance 

 between root and branch is completely destroyed, 

 and if the tree lives iT is almost miraculous. To 

 maintain the proper balance between root and 

 branch, shorten at the time of planting every 

 limb by at lenst O'le-half of last year's grow;h,and 

 when the le. if is (.f full size, cut oat entirely such 

 iimbs as will ever interlcre with the growth of the 

 others, tlicrel)y av(iiding the necessity of removing 

 Itrge liiul.s afterwards, l)y which the danger of de- 

 str(i\ iiig the tree is im reased. Uowe. 



Ferrinbury, Vt., May 9, 1868. 



BORERS. 



I am putting out a young orchard, but the borer 

 is the great pest in this vicinity. What shall I do 

 to keep them from my trees? Will a quart of 

 strong ashes placed immediately ab' uttlie body of 

 a small tree alter it is set damage the tree ? 



Marlboro', N. II., May, 1368. h. t. av. 



Remarks. — As the b<etleof the apple tree borer 

 lays its eggs, ten in a litter, m June, July, or early 

 in August, many f uit growers wash the trunks 

 during those months for the purpo-e of making 

 the bark distasteful to the beetle and to destroy 

 the eggs after they are laid. For this purpose 

 some wash (he trees with a lye of wood ashes or 

 potash, but this is liable to injure the trees, if too 

 strong. Others use a wash of two quarts of soft 

 soap and a quarter of a pound of sulphur to a 

 pailful of water. But, after all, "eternal vigilance" 

 and patient industry, are the best defence we know 

 of. As the worms hatch in the fall they eat 

 through the bark, nii\rking.theirentranceby a tiny 

 monument of their chips, and pass the winter im- 

 mediately under the bark. With the point of a 

 knife remove the bark and strangle the little white 

 maggot in its cradle. Examine often during the 

 fall and succeeding spring for the "ehankings," 

 and if a borer has escaped and ent'-red the wood, 

 harpoon hi:n out with a flexilde wire or bit of the 

 "cold iron" from a hoop skirt. A small quantity 

 of ashes placed about the trunk might do some 

 good, and proliably no harm, unless piled too high, 

 but the beetle would be likely to "steal her nest" 

 above the ashes. 



PRESERVING TREES WHEN TRANSPLANTED. 



Many persons leavQ on the entire top of a young 

 tree after it has been removed from the nursery, 

 ■when by removal it has lost a large portion of its 

 roots, and paiiaps bj exposure to the winds and 



CRIPPH.I) PIGS. 



Instances of the singular maladv among young 

 hogs, alluded to in a late number of tlie Farmer,. 

 occasional^ occur in this ncighboihnod. Mr. 

 Perley Hill bought three pi.gs last spiii g from one 

 litter, which he kept in rather a dose ]icn. They 

 all did well until ihcy weighed about sixty pounds, 

 when ^wo of tliem lost the use of their iiind legs. 

 In attempting to walk, tlicj' Avould take a ffcw 

 steps, sway to one side and their bodies would 

 rest behind upon the ground, the front being sup- 

 ported by the fore legs. They were removed from 

 the pen, and put in ashed where the horse manure 

 was thrown and kept several weeks, but did not 

 improve in strength, though they gained somewhat 

 in weight. But at the annual Imtehering the first 

 part of winter they were killed, and two dressed 

 less than 100 lbs. each. No unusual appearances 

 could be seen about the meat. The third one did 

 well, and has now a litter of pigs. Another pig 

 from the same litter was similarly affected. 



Now, what was the cause ? Not hiiih keeping, 

 for Mr. Hill makes cheese from his thirty cows, 

 and feeds his pigs clear whey and no corn. Breed- 



