368 



NEW ENGLAND FAKIVIER. 



Aug. 



lightning? Will lime and salt, used as I men- 

 tioned, liave any bad effect on the stock ? Would 

 it be advisable in any case to get in hay cut green, 

 the first dav ? Charlks Kezer. 



East U'i/ithrop, Me., 6th mo. 15th, 1808. 



Remarks. — It is generally understood that 

 chimneys from which heated air is ascending into 

 .the atmosphere, and barns stored with new hay, 

 the vapors from which also produce warm ascend- 

 ing currents, are especially liable to be struck by 

 lightning. Our own experiment in the use of hay 

 to which salt and lime was applied, and also that 

 of a gentleman in ^w York, are stated in another 

 place in this paper. Others who have used the 

 mixture think it has nolnjurious effect on stock. 



EAST vs. WEST. — BUNCH ON COW. 



Six years ago I came here to No. 4, near Lake- 

 villc, from Topsham in Sagadahoc Co., and bought 

 a farm on the head waters of the Schoodic lakes, 

 about thirty-five miles from Calais, and seventy 

 from Bangor, in preference to going West. I am 

 well sati>tied, and to day would not exchange with 

 any Western man for the same nural)er of acres. 

 We have plenty of good land, goud markets, and 

 good health. We have had a very wet spring this 

 season. Grass looks well. Apple trees are just 

 blooming out, which is very late for us. 



1 have a cow that is sick. She has a lump on 

 her dewlap whei-e it joins the bri.-ket, about five 

 inches tluongh and ten long, and is as hard as a 

 rock, apparently. Some say that it is garget; but 

 it looks to me more like a tumor. I have given 

 garget and also put a piece in her brisket, but it 

 does not seem to run or do any good. Will some 

 one please give me some information through the 

 Farmer, and oblige a new beginner. 



A. E. GOWELL. 



Lakeville Plantation, Me., June 8, 1868. 



Remarks. — Sometimes these bunches will yield 

 to repeated washings and rubbings with salt and 

 water, vinegar and water, or tar and salt. Some- 

 times surgical operations are performed, which are 

 often troublesome and costly. If the animal eats 

 well, it may be best to fatten her for beef. What 

 say others ? 



BELLS FOR SEEEP. 



Would it not be a good plan, for some one who 

 has them, to advertise in the Farmer bells to put 

 on sheep ; cow-bell pattern, small size, to frighten 

 bears, dogs and fixes away fiom sheep and lambs ? 

 Fifty dozen could be sold in this town if we knew 

 where to send for them. Can't you help us a little 

 and ohliiie. J- W. Lamprey. 



Orforddlle, X. H., June 8, 1868. 



Remarks. — In some dissertation on sheep that 

 we read lately we remember the remark was made 

 that every tenth sheep should wear a bell. Now if 

 there are 22,000,000 sheep in the United States, over 

 two million bells are wanted. Is not such a de- 

 mand worthy of the attention of some bell-maker ? 



FOR RAISING PICKLES FOR MARKET. 



Old pasture land is preferable. Plough it up now, 

 turn as smooth as possible and roll smooth, then 

 the grass will rot quickly and you will have no 

 weeds to trouble. Any kiml of well rotted manure 

 mixed with green niu'lit soil, or the nii^ht soil well 

 mixed with loam will rai-;e g)od pickles. Furrow 

 the ground both ways, having the rows four feet 



one way by six the other, put two shovelfuls of 

 manure in a hill. Be sure and get the right kind 

 of seed. Obtain it from some one who has raised 

 for his own use. It will pay you to visit some 

 farmer who has been in the business and is willing 

 to impart the knowledge gained. Plenty of such 

 can be found in Lincoln and Concord, Middlesex 

 County. Farmers liereahouts usually contract in 

 the winter with pickle dealers in Boston to raise a 

 certain number of arres, at so much per thousand 

 pickles, delivered at the factory. Before the war 

 they were a profitable crop at $;i.2o per thousand. 

 They are a very easy crop to raise and. can bo 

 raised on any land where corn will grow. Plant 

 from the 10th to the 20th of June. z. 



Reading, Mass., June 6, 1868. 



SLIDING AND ROLLING HORSE RAKES. 



In the Farmer of June 13, "Richard" 6f Oxford 

 county, Me., inquires for a lior^c rake that is not 

 liable to get out of order, and that slides the ha.y 

 along on the ground instead of rolling it as ail 

 spring tooth rakes do. After trying several 

 kinds of rakes, I have used for the last three 

 years one of the Warner wooden revolving rakes, 

 attached to wheels.* It obviates all the difficulties 

 which the writer speaks of. The teeth running 

 flat on the ground, it rakes clean, makes the snug- 

 gest window, and the best to pitch of any that I 

 ever saw, except those made with a hand rake. 

 They are easily managed, and durable. The rakea 

 are manufactured at Williston, Vermont. 



Harmon Northrop. 



Fairfield, Vt., June 15, 1868. 



Remarks. — An anonymous con-espondent re- 

 commends Burt's Self Adjusting Independent, 

 Spring-tooth Rake, as one that rakes clean without 

 scratching, is easy to manage, and gives perfect 

 satisfaction in his case. 



SUGAR FROM WHITE M.APLE TREES. 



Your con-espondent, J. 1. Landman, of South 

 Londonderry, Vt., inquires if sugar can be made 

 from the common white maple. I have never seen 

 it made from that alone, but I do make it with the 

 rock maple. I have a second growth of t!iirty-two 

 trees, sixteen of them arc white maple. This year 

 I made about 100 pounds of as handsome sugar as 

 can be found in Vermont. He asks if it can be 

 profitably done. I think the sap is not so sweet as 

 the rock maple, but no doul)t it is profitable. 



An Old Sugar Maker. 



Westfield, Vt., May 25, 1868. 



REMEDY FOR THE CURRANT WORM. 



I saw in j'our last paper, you recommended 

 white hellebore, whirh is not only costly, but a 

 dangerous poison. Some j>crsons have been poi- 

 soned fatally by using it. 1 have used air slaked 

 lime for several years with perfect success. Take 

 lime that i-; air slaked so as to be tine as flour, and 

 sift it on with a hair or wire seive when the bushes 

 are wet with rain or dew, till they are white with 

 it. No fear of u-ing too much as it will not hurt 

 either leaves or fruit. It will also stop the slug on. 

 rose bushes. Subscriber. 



Pepperell, Mass., June 13, 1868. 



COW-CORN vs. SQUASH VINES AND WEEDS. 



In an article on corn for green feed, "N. S. T." 

 referred to a conscientious milk man who aban- 

 doned the use of green corn. Was its use discon- 

 tinned through ignorance, or was the milk )pro- 

 dueed from it of inferior quality .' If the milk is 

 interior, what is the gain to the person who cou- 



