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NEW ENGLAND FARIMER. 



Sept. 



the crop more expeditiously, at less expense, 

 and obtain it of far better quality. Let tbein 

 venture more. Don't be afraid of spoiling 

 hay by storing, if partially cured, and not wet 

 from rain or dew. These suggestions are 

 drawn from experience, and are worthy of re- 

 gard. — Dr. Nichols'' Jour, of Chemistry. 



DUTCH BULBS. 



The Dutch have long been celebrated for 

 their cultivation of bulbous roots, especially 

 tulips and hyacinths ; and from March till 

 June the district around Haarlem is carpeted 

 with a succession of beautiful flowers, begin- 

 ning with crocuses, and ending with ranunculi. 

 The sandy soil of the district, which is derived 

 from the dunes, is highly favorable to bulb- 

 culture; indeed, some of the flowers grow on 

 the sand-hill ; and hundreds of acres of valua- 

 ble land are, in consequence, devoted to 

 flower-farming. In the proper season, as one 

 drives along the roads in the neighborhood of 

 Haarlem, he is surrounded on all sides by 

 plantations of hyacinths and tulips in full 

 bloom, forming a mass of color exceedingly 

 varied and rich, while the scent exhaled is 

 most delicious. Every house and villa has its 

 bulb-garden ; and for long distances the eye 

 can feast on glorious masses of richly-hued 

 flowers. In one of the bloemestries, there is a 

 bed of tulips two hundred yards in length, 

 which, in the spring-time, is resplendent with 

 gorgeous color; and, in order to the better 

 setting of them off", they are framed in a bor- 

 der of crown imperial lilies, and bridged over 

 for effect every here and there with a wooden 

 arch. It is a great pity that such a lovely 

 flower as the tulip is scentless ; Nature must 

 have exhausted herself in the coloring. The 

 hyacinth, however, exhales a delicate perfume, 

 especially about midnight ; and, at Haarlem, 

 great beds of these favorite flowers, covered 

 over with roofs of canvas to protect them from 

 extreme heat or rain, may be seen, so arranged 

 as to present the most vivid contrasts, or ex- 

 hibit the finest harmonies of color. — Once a 

 Week. 



CULTIVATION BY HOGS. 

 From a report in the Wisconsin Farmer of a 

 late discussion by the Oswego Farmers' Club, 

 •we clip the following: — 



Capt. Barnes — I rtever yet wired or cut a 

 hog's snout. Some ravenous specimens may 

 require it, but by keeping them in the right 

 place, I could always make their digging prof- 

 itable. When a boj' in New England, I knew 

 a man who had a nice smooth bit of meadow, 

 which he could not plough, as the ground was 

 full of stone. It had had a coat of soil washed 

 on from higher land, the points of stone that 

 interfered with the srynie had been broken off, 

 and it was often top-dressed with chips, dirt 

 and ashes. Well, there came two or three 



dry season, the patch became sod liound, and 

 the white grubs got into it, and it did not bear 

 five hundred of hay to the acre. After hay- 

 ing the old man turned his hogs into it and 

 they rooted it completely over. Almost every 

 day some one would stop in the road and shout, 

 "Your hogs are rooting your lower meadow 

 all up." "Let 'em root," the old man would 

 answer. In the fall he harrowed it well, and 

 sowed on grass and clover, rolled as soon as 

 frost was out in spring, and his meadow was 

 as good as ever. 



Dea. Osgood — And I have seen pastures 

 that could not be ploughed, kept in good order 

 by hogs. When stony pastures get full of 

 brake, they dig after the brake roots, and a 

 little grass seed sown on is all that is needed. 

 Then in low, moist pastures they dig for angle 

 worms, and keep the sod loose, and prevent 

 moss and brake coming in. They are the de- 

 stroyers of all worms that harbor in the 

 ground. But what will' you do in our tame 

 grass pastures? They dig after clover roots, 

 as well as worms and morning glory, and tear 

 the ground all up. 



Capt. Barnes — I give them a turn at my 

 pasture, before I break it up ; they take out 

 the clover roots, and white grubs, and mellow 

 the land. But one year I failed to break up a 

 piece after it had been well rooted over, and 

 it bore more feed the next summer than any 

 other I pastured. I would rather turn hogs 

 on my meadows in the fall, than cattle. It is 

 a most wasteful and destructive practice to 

 feed meadow short in the fall, as some men do. 



QBEASINQ -WAGONS. 



But few people are aware that they do wag- 

 ons and carriages more injury by greasing too 

 plentifully than in any other way. A well- 

 made wheel will endure common wear from 

 ten to twenty-five years, if care is taken to use 

 the right kind and proper amount of grease ; 

 but if this matter is not attended to, they will 

 be used up in five or six years. Lard should 

 never be used on a wagon, for it will penetrate 

 the hub and work its way out around the 

 tenons of the spokes, and spoil the wheel. 

 Tallow is the best lubricator for wood axle- 

 trees, and castor oil for iron. 



Just 'grease enough should be applied to the 

 spindle of a wagon to give it a light coating ; 

 this is better than more, for the surplus put on 

 will work out at the ends, and be forced by 

 the shoulder-bands and nut-washers into the 

 hub around the outside of the boxes. 



To oil an iron axle-tree, first wipe the spindle 

 clean with a cloth wet with spirits of turpen- 

 tine, and then apply a few drops of castor oil 

 near the shoulder and end. One teaspoonful 

 is sufljcient for the whole. — Itural American. 



—A bushel of rcdtop seed weighs about ten 

 pounds. 



