1868. 



NEW ENGLAND FAEMER. 



339 



combination in the affairs of trade, unless 

 rendered absolutely necessary in self-defence, 

 the New York Growers' Association judged, 

 and we believe wisely judged, that it was not 

 expedient to resort even to defensive combi- 

 nation until the necessity should become pal- 

 pable, imperative and apparent to all. 



Another season has rolled by. The "sober 

 thought^'' has brought no change in the action 

 of the buyers. Tfaey are again fulminating 

 and reiterating resolutions in favor of their 

 odious and insulting rules. A majority of the 

 individual clips of 1867 were, as already said, 

 «<oId under those rules. And we learn from 

 undoubted sources that a most decided effort 

 will be made to enforce them universally in 

 l)uying up the clip of 1868. We most sm- 

 cerely believe, then, that the struggle cannot 

 be safely put ofT longer. We believe that if 

 tlie clip of 1868 is sold under "the rules," 

 subsequent resistance will be rendered ten 

 times as difficult, if not altogether unavailing 

 We believe that such would be the deliberate 

 and unanimous conclusion of every State 

 growers' association if they were convened to 

 obtain an expression on the subject. But the 

 meetings of most of them will not be held be- 

 fore most of the new clip will probably be sold. 



But individual growers can take the remedy 

 into their own hands. They are called upon 

 by every •consideration of interest and of man- 

 hood to do so. Let every one remember that 

 his own submission to the buyers' rules — even 

 if he has not half a dozen fleeces to be affected 

 by them — is an abandonment of the rights and 

 interests of his class and is directly giving aid 

 and comfort to those who are, in this matter, 

 the enemies of his class. 



CUTTHfO GRASS IK" JUNE. 



In answer to inquiries in reference to cut- 

 ting hay in June, I would say that clover and 

 terdsgrass do retain their vitality when cut 

 thus early. I have continued the practice ten 

 or twelve years, and find it a success. I com- 

 mence haying about the 10th of June, and 

 finish by the 25th, if I can, and then the sec- 

 ond crop is ready to cut the last of July or 

 first of August. If the weather is favorable, 

 a third crop can be cut in September, and then 

 a crop grows sufficiently to cover the grass 

 roots, which serves as a coat of manure. 



The great error in farmers is in letting their 

 cattle go on their mowing ground for fall feed, 

 and continuing to feed them until they are put 

 up to hay for winter. In that way the grass ^ 

 Toots are left so bare that the winter kills half 

 of them ; and that is not all, — the continued 

 travel of the animals treading down the ground, 

 is as great an injury as the feeding. For in- ' 

 stance, take a road where the farmers cart; 

 their manure across the grass ground, and 

 they find but a short erop in the road, while it 

 is stout grass each side. 



The practice of farmers from my boyhood 



up, is to stock their ground with grain. That 

 practice with me is abandoned. I spread on 

 a coat of manure after plowing, and harrow it 

 in; then sow on five pecks of clover and 

 herdsgrass, equal parts, per acre, and harrow 

 it in well ; then pick up the stones, if any, and 

 cart them off, and roll it down, which gives a 

 smooth bottom to mow. I plough and harrow 

 in the manure in the fall if I can, which gives a 

 chance to get the seed in earlier in spring. 

 You can then cut about the loth of July two 

 tons of hay per acre, which will include some 

 weeds, but the weeds are nice hay if cut at 

 this time ; and the first of September it cuts 

 two tons more without any weeds, which is a 

 nicer crop than the first. 



Grass cut in this way dispenses with all meal ' 

 and roots, as I will show on two ordinary 

 cows, and quite undersized, which came in in 

 February last, and have been fed on hay three 

 times a day only, and nothing else, kept in a 

 warm stable that does not freeze, and watered 

 twice a day. They consume 20 lbs. of hay per 

 day each, which makes it cost (at $20 per ton,) 

 20 cents a day each to feed them ; and in re- 

 turn they make one and a half pounds of but- 

 ter each, per day, which has been worth 50 

 cents per lb., and now 40c., which makes 60c 

 per day for 20c. worth of hay to feed them. 

 I will now state the growth of a pair of steers 

 I sold two weeks ago. Their weight was 2610 

 lbs. at 24 months old, and they sold at $8 per 

 cwt., live weight, which amounted to $208.80. 

 I sold them on Tuesday, at 3 o'clock, P. M., 

 and I was to keep them until Thursday. The 

 buyer them came for them, and we weighed 

 them again at 10 o'clock, and they stood 2630 

 — a gain of 20 lbs. in less than two days, which 

 makes the growth five pounds each per day. 

 This, Messrs. Editors, shows your readers the 

 effects of cutting hay early. The steers have 

 been fed same as the cows. — A. Scott, Crafts- 

 bury, Vt., May 17. — Country^ Oentleman. 



Remarks. — Our cattle market reporter no- 

 ticed the sale of these steers in his report of 

 the market for April 29. They were regarded 

 by both butchers and drovers as a very well 

 fatted pair of steers for their age ; but as thay 

 were fatted without grain, our reporter was a 

 little curious to know how they dressed. He 

 has since made inquiry of the purchaser, Mr, 

 Holmes, of the Cape, as to their "proof," and 

 has been informed by him that they dressed 

 first rate, — even better than was anticipated 

 from t^eir outside appearance. 



A Rock Maple was recently cut on the pas- 

 ture of N. K. Abbott of West Concord, N. H., 

 whose circumference, where chopped, was 14 

 feet 9 inches. It was at least 100 feet high, 

 and had been tapped for sugaring 106 years. 



