1868. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



401 



Gentlemen, in these remarks I simply intend to 

 point out some improvements to you. Your duty 

 as manufiiftarers is to pusli this carding iudusti-y 

 forward. Drive the East into the combing wools. 

 You, wool-growers, gi-ow the combing and fine 

 wools, that we may not be dependent upon Eng- 

 land, and France and Germany for our dress 

 goods. Therein a vast field open for you, and to 

 the energy and 'alent of the American people. 

 There will be room inough. 



The display of cloths, jeans, beavers, shawls, 

 flannels, yarns, knit poods, and in short every 

 description of woolen goods, is prononnced 

 by the Chicago Repuhlican a magnificent one 

 in every sense of the word, whether It be re- 

 garded either in point of quantity or quality. 



HOfiBES AND KOADS. 



Dr. Holland, in a letter to, the Springfield 

 Bepublican, makes some important suggestions 

 upon the subjects of roads. There is no doubt 

 that the bad roads in this country subject our 

 people to an enormous tax in horses and car- 

 riages, nor that it would be better economy 

 in the end to make smooth and hard roads. 

 Our roads in Eastern Massachusetts are prob- 

 ably as good as can be found in any part of 

 the country, and yet it takes double the amount 

 of horse power to draw a load to market from 

 any point within twenty miles of Boston, that 

 would be necessary if the roads were such as 

 they might be made. 



But if we do not have the roads we must 

 put the expense into horses and horse-keeping, 

 and the simple question is, into which shall we 

 put the cost, roads or teams ? Shall we have 

 roads on which one horse can carry a ton of 

 produce with ease, or roads requiring two 

 horses to carry the same load ? 



A few years ago it was the fashion to build 

 all roads straight from one point to another, 

 going over all the intervening hills. This has 

 cost an immense outlay In horse power, besides 

 the Increased cost of keeping such roads In re- 

 pair, owing to the damage from washing. 

 When will people learn that It Is no further 

 around a hill than over it ? and that it requires 

 less power to move a weight upon a level sur- 

 face than to raise It Into the air ? We quote 

 from the Republican : — 



The point which I wish to impress upon my 

 American reader is simply this, that the English 

 horse employed in the streets of a city, or on the 

 roads of the country , does twice as much work as 

 the American horse similarly employed in Ameri- 

 ca. This is the patent, undeniable fact. No man 

 can fail to see it who has his eyes about him. How 

 does he do it ? Why does he do it } These are 

 most importaat questions to an Arnerican. ! 



Is the Engiiuh horse better than the American ? 



Not at all. Is he overworked ? I have seen no ev- 

 idence that he is. I have seen but one lame horse 

 in London. The simple explanation is that the 

 Englishman has invested in perfect and permanent 

 roads what the American expends in perishable 

 horses, that require to be fed. We are using to- 

 day in the little town of Springfield, just twice as 

 many horses as would be necessary to do its busi- 

 ness if the roads all over the town were as good as 

 Main street is from Ferry to Central. We are sup- 

 porting hundreds of horses to drag loads through 

 holes that oughi to be filled, over sand that should 

 be hardened, through mud that ought not to be 

 permitted^) exist. We have the misery of bad 

 roads, and are actually or practically called upon 

 to pay a premium for them. Itwouiij^be demon- 

 strably cheaper to have good roads than poor ones. 

 It is so here. A road well built is easily kept in 

 repair. A mile of good McAdamized road is more 

 easily supported than a poor horse."" 



SUBSOILING. 



This Is attended with some labor and ex- 

 pense, and many farmers are deterred from 

 practicing It on this account. But next to 

 draining we believe it affords the best security 

 for a crop, especially of corn and grass, in 

 either a dry or wet season. It breaks through 

 the hard pan, and allows the stagnant water to 

 sink below the roots of the growing plants. 

 In a dry season It allows the roots to penetrate 

 deeply, and find the moisture in the mellow 

 soil. A few years since a gentleman in Queens 

 County, N. Y., wrote as follows, in the au- 

 tumn, after a severe drought : — 



"During the month of August I was invited by 

 a friend to view his corn and take note of his 

 method. The land had been subsoiled, and al- 

 though the drought was severe, the leaves were a 

 fine dark green, and the silk luxuriant, seeming 

 scarcely to suffer from the great heat. In the ad- 

 joining lot, separated only by a rail fence, the 

 stalk was drying up, and the ears small and poorly 

 filled. 



A spade was procured, a hole dug ; about eight 

 inches deep we came to a hard pan, and with con- 

 siderable labor broke through the pan ; below, the 

 earth was dry as ashes. The subsoiled lot was 

 then tried; the spade went down into a mellow 

 soil, and at two spades depth, it was moist and 

 mellow. No wonder his corn looked flourishing. 



I have examined several other lots of corn. 

 The land that was subsoiled all stood the drought 

 well. 



Early in July I visited two lots of grass. No. 1 

 about nine acres, the soil naturally good, with a 

 loamy subsoil. One-half had been subsoiled. 

 The timothy on this part was over four feet high, 

 and made more than three tons of hay to the acre. 

 The other half producing not more than half as 

 much, all put down at the same time. Lot No. 2, 

 twelve acres, with a gi-avelly subsoil. Four acres 

 had been subsoiled. Four acres had been ploughed 

 seven inches and the other four lightly ploughed. 

 The subsoiled part produced over ten tons. The 

 lot ploughed seven inches, a ton and a half to the 

 acre, and the part poorly ploughed, very little but 

 daisies and weeds." 



Here is the result of actual experience In a 



severe drought. It Is certainly worthy of 



consideration; 



