376 



NEW ENGLAND FARRIER. 



Aug. 



volume of water has been sensibly diminished 

 in many of our brooks and rivers within a com- 

 paratively brief period. There are many 

 streams which a century and a half ago were 

 capable of turning mills that do so no longer. 

 I have looked with astonishment at the remains 

 of old dams on these streams, and have asked 

 why this great change ? At this day they are 

 wholly insufficient for the purpose for which 

 they were once used, I can account for it on 

 no other ground, than the removal of the for- 

 est which once bordered them or their sources, 

 and thus allowing the fierce rays of a summer 

 sun to fall on the soil, and giving the dry and 

 parching winds full sweep over the country, 

 which carry off the moisture, &c. to other dis- 

 tricts more favorably situated for condensing 

 the humidity of the atmosphere. 



Within the writer's memory, the tracks of 

 our thunder showers have changed in a great 

 measure. I can account for it on no other 

 theory than that of the removal of large belts 

 of woods, which has changed the path of the 

 passing vapor. ^ 



Open plots in woods are almost always more 

 fertile than exposed fields, probably from the 

 vapor given off by the surrounding atmos- 

 phere, and its transmission to the soil by the 

 leaves ; also from being better sheltered from 

 cold currents of air, thus enjoying a more 

 equal and higher temperature during the 

 growing season. 



On most of our farms there are many acres 

 of but little value for annual cultivation, which, 

 by a very small outlay of labor, could be 

 planted with one or several of our forest 

 trees. In but a few years it would require 

 thinning for fire wood, and the remaining trees 

 could stand longer for timber, or the whole 

 may be removed and the owner would have a 

 renovated soil at but little cost. The writer 

 is fifty-six years old, but he has lived to see 

 saw logs grow from the seed planted since he 

 was fourteen years old. H. 



Epping, N. H., Jan., 1868. 



For tlie New England Farmer. 

 PREPARATION OF LAND FOR "WHEAT. 



I will mention an idea suggested to me a 

 few days ago in relation to the preparation of 

 land for winter wheat. A piece of old land 

 was nicely fitted with plenty of well rotted 

 manure, harrowed in with the seeds. \Vhen this 

 was done the owner, to make the crop sure 

 against winter killing, covered the whole piece 

 with a good coating of straw. After this, he 

 concluded, as he wished to have his piece a 

 little larger, to break up a piece of green 

 sward adjoining, without manuring or straw or 

 rolling the turf down. In ploughing, the fur- 

 rows ran up and down the slight declivity on 

 which the field was located. 



Now for the result. The first piece, al- 

 though it was the highest and dryest part of 

 the lot was a failure, — being winter killed — 



while the second was a splendid crop. There 

 seems to be no other way to account for the 

 difference than to suppose that the sward was 

 perfectly surface drained below the roots of 

 the plants by the eight-inch furrows which left 

 no water to freeze about the roots. I think 

 much grass land might be renewed profitably 

 by this method, with care in ploughing to lap 

 furrows carefully and taking the advantage of 

 the descent of the land, if there is any ; then 

 give a good top-dressing to be harrowed in 

 with the wheat and stocked down, the first 

 year. The drainage thus secured will favor a 

 good "catch" for the grass, as it prevents the 

 wheat from winter killing. 



Diarrhcea or Scours in Cows. 

 It may benefit some one for me to mention 

 my success in curing a cow that was vio- 

 lently attacked with the scours, which was tak- 

 ing her llesh off rapidly and had nearly dried 

 up her milk. My hired man told me to boil 

 hemlock bark and give her small doses in a 

 bran mash till cured. This cured her in less 

 than three days, and she has been doing nicely 

 ever since. Be careful not to give too much 

 at a dose, as it might prove too astringent or 

 binding. 



UneaBiness of Cows in Stables. 



Can you or any of the readers of the Far- 

 mer tell me the cause or cure for cows that 

 stamp their hind feet violently on the floor 

 while they are stanchioned to be milked. 

 Mine have spells of stamping, as if their feet 

 itched or pained them so that they could hardly 

 endure it. It generally lasts about fifteen 

 minutes, and then they will be quiet again. 



Hiving Bees. 



I have to acknowledge the timely benefit I 

 have just received in perusing the last Far- 

 mer, by way of information in relation to hiv- 

 ing bees, as I have had no experience in this 

 business, and have some about ready to swarm. 

 The above article caused me to realize the fact 

 that we, brother farmers, could benefit each 

 other greatly by imparting such little infor- 

 mation as we obtain from our personal expe- 

 rience or observation, for the benefit of oth- 

 ers. T. c. N. 



Williston, VL, June, 1868. 



Rem^vrks. — An article on Foot Rot In Cows, 

 in another column, will probably lead you to 

 examine the feet of your cows for this or some 

 other disorder, as the possible cause of the 

 uneasiness you allude to. The exhortation to 

 "do good and communicate, forget not," can- 

 not be repeated too oflen. 



—Mr. Riley, State Entomologist of Missouri, 

 states that the lady Idrds, those little blessings, 

 are attacking the potato bug in the egg and de- 

 stroying multitudes in Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri. 



