1868. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



439 



suit was the healthiest bushes and the finest fruit 

 he ever saw. The north side of a fence, — all the 

 better if whitewashed, — is considered a good loca- 

 tion. Mr. Cole recommended salt hay, sea weed 

 or any other litter, for mulch, with two quarts of 

 salt to a square rod, around the bushes. Lime 

 and sulphur incorporated into the surface soil are 

 said by some to be good against mildew. A slight 

 sprinkling of wood ashes on the young leaves is 

 also thought to be beneficial. 



At page 82 of the present volume of the Monthly 

 Farmer you will find a practical article by B. F. 

 Cutter, of Pelham, N. H., a gentleman of large 

 experience and extensive observation. He would 

 trim while the circulation of the tree is compara- 

 tively dormant, say from November to February. 

 Mr. Cutter's article appeared in the Weekly Far- 

 mer of December 28, 1867. 



CURRANT "WORMS. — TRANSPLANTING AND SOIL POR 

 CURRANT BUSHES. 



I have some currant bushes, which have been 

 rather neglected, and this summer there suddenly 

 appeared a formidable army of currant worms. I 

 at once applied a mixture of lime, wood ashes, and 

 plaster, as recommended in the Farmer, with per- 

 fect success. One thorough application routed 

 the main body, and a second dose disgusted the 

 most inveterate lover of "greens," in the shape of 

 currant leaves, and sent them probably where the 

 New England Farmer, with its timely sugges- 

 tions, is not found. 



Will not removing the old wood, dividing the 

 roots, and transplanting to a new place, tend to 

 keep them free from this pest, and also improve 

 the fruit in size and flavor ? When is the best 

 lime to do this, and in what kind of soil do they 

 thrive best ? Rusticus. 



Southboro' , Mass., Aug. 3, 1868. 



Remarks. — The currant being very hardy grows 

 in almost any soil and under almost all circum- 

 stances. But it does best in a rather heavy, deep 

 and rich soil, and with good cultivation. If trans- 

 planted, as you propose, in the fall, they may bear 

 some next season. Cuttings, although they will 

 not bear as soon as those transplanted, are pre- 

 ferred by some. Suppose you try both plans for 

 an experiment. Cuttings may be put in the ground 

 either in the fall or spring. If set in the fall, cover 

 with straw or other mulch, which may be removed 

 in the spring. Take good strong branches of 

 this year's growth, six or eight inches long, cut- 

 ting them smooth just below a bud. 



cotted or felted wool. 



An "Old Subscriber" inquires in the Farmer of 

 August 1, the cause of matted or felted wool. 

 Having often thought of this subject when shearing 

 thb few specimens I have met in taking off more 

 than a thousand fleeces, I respond by giving my 

 opinion. 



It is caused by a lack of oil or yolk in the wool ; 

 a secretion that shows itself plainly on those sheep 

 whose wool is most valuable for felting purposes, 

 as the merinos, and appears less as the wool is 

 coarser, and almost disappears in wool that approxi- 

 mates to hair. If the sheep, either from sickness 

 or poor feed, has durmg the growth of the fleece, 

 ceased to secrete yolk or oil, the wool, becomes 



dry, and the friction of the wool as the sheep 

 moves about among the flock, as it feeds from the 

 rack, and, if it is afflicted with ticks, as it rubs it- 

 self against the wall or fence, causes the wool to 

 (elt. It is said that every tihre of felting wool has 

 minute hooks upon its surfitce, visible through a 

 microscope, that interlock, or catch together, in 

 the felting process. When there is abundance of 

 yolk in the wool these fibres do not entangle as the 

 sheep moves its head from side toside, or as it presses 

 its way among the flock. Besides sickness and 

 poverty, there is sometimes another cause. Aheavy 

 drenching rain or a thorough washing will take 

 out this yolk, and if followed by cool weather, the 

 wool will sometimes, though rarely, dry so as to 

 felt on a fat sheep. 



Usually at shearing time, say the middle of June, 

 the sheep has begun to gain, and the wool begun 

 to grow, so there is loose natural wool, a quarter 

 of an inch long, under the matted fleece. It is for- 

 tunate for the sheep and the shearer when this is 

 so, for to cut through a cotted fleece is a work re- 

 quiring patience and time. To avoid raising such 

 wool, keep the sheep fat or thriving, then the wool 

 will grow continuously and not felt. 



Wool sometimes looks yellow when it is not 

 cotted, and buyers dislike it. This yellow appear- 

 ance is sometimes caused by imperfect or superfi- 

 cial washing. The wool is so saturated with water 

 • that the yolk and dirt are all afloat among it, but 

 instead of continuing the washing till these are re- 

 moved, the sheep is let loose and the dirt settles to 

 the skin, which causes the fleece to appear worse 

 than if unwashefl. The yellowness is sometimes 

 in stripes down the sides, although water had 

 soaked through the wool and ruh duwn on the 

 body. But all yellowness in the wool cannot be 

 accounted for in this way. Some sheep kept well 

 sheltered and unwashed will shear beautiful white 

 wool, while other sheep in the same flock have 

 fleeces very yellow. I cannot explain this. 



Irasburg, Vt.,Aug. 3, 1868. z. e. j. 



A FUNNY notion 



Of some people is, that editors are so excessive- 

 ly belligerent that a very slight rubbing of their 

 ears is sufficient to engage them in any quarrel. A 

 correspondent, who has not pluck enough to write 

 his own name, wishes us to publish "in good shape" 

 certain accusations against certain tavern keepers 

 for exorbitant charges. If our ftiend was green 

 enough to pay double price for a "breakfast and 

 horse-baiting" we should feel inclined to "pitch 

 into" him, rather than attempt to disfigure the 

 "mug" of one who holds that a thing is worth 

 all it will fetch, were we disposed to shake 

 our "death maul" in the face of either party. But 

 we don't train under any captain that is ashamed 

 of his flag. 



Moral. — Don't write anonymous communica- 

 tions. 



DBIED GRBEJSr CORN". 

 A lady whom we regard as one of our best 

 neighbors and as a model house-keeper, re- 

 marked to us the other day, that she had never 

 seen her process of preserving sweet corn for 

 winter given among the cooking receipts which 

 she bad read in the Farmer or in other pa- 

 pers, and that she thought it was not so gener- 



