1868. 



NEW ENGLAND FARIklER. 



529 



to ns, so that there could be no possible motive on 

 our part to misrepresent any one ; and on the other 

 hand, we could detect no motive in the writer for 

 stating facts otherwise than as they truly existed. 

 The note enclosing the article giving the history 

 of the Early Rose Potato, is now before us, and is 

 signed "Lester M. P. Gj-iswold." While we can- 

 not entertain a doubt that Mr. Griswoid has been 

 misinformed in the matter, as we have Mr. Charles 

 Blackmer's statement, under oath, that "he did 

 not originate from seed the early pota);o now called 

 the Early Rose," we feel equally confident that no 

 blame attaches to Mr. Bresee, and that his reputa- 

 tion and good name are sustained by papers which 

 he has laid before us, of which we deem it neces- 

 sary to publish only the two following affldavits: — 



I, Charles Blacktner, formerly of Huhbardton, Vt., 

 now of Michigan, Uo hereliy certify that I did not origi- 

 nate from seed the early potato, now called the Early 

 Rose, but that Albert lire8ee,of Hubhardton, Vt., grew 

 it from sei d which he says I gave him. I lurth. r 8jy, 

 that at my request, Mr. Bresee gave me one tuber of it, 

 the first or second year from seed. 



Charles Blackmer. 



State of Michigan, Lapeer County, ss. bubscribed 

 and sworn to bef re me, this llth day of t'ept. 1868. 

 Alvah Bentrt, Notary Public, Lapeer Co. 



We Chesti r Koa'ch, James W Gihbs and Stephen A. 

 Fenton, of Hubbardton, Rutland County, Vermont, on 

 oatb, say that we are well acquainied with Albert 

 Bresee and Charles Blackmer, of said Hubbardton, 

 having been n. ighbora to them fur tuany years. We 

 further say, that we have had conversali in with Charles 

 Blackmer roi-ptc'ing the orig n of the early potato, how 

 called the Eirly Ruse. In said conve'satiou Charles 

 Blackmer said that Albert Brfsee grew ihcm from 

 teed or eted-ball, whi h he, Charles Blackmer, gave 

 Albert Bresee We further say, that so tar as we 

 know, Cha li s Blackmer has neVer giown any potatoes 

 of any kind from se. d or seed b ill. We farther say, 

 that we have frequently been at Mr. Brfeee's place, and 

 have seen Ins seedlv'g pi tatoes in aiff.rei t stages of 

 growth, from toe firci year up to the present time. We 

 also say that Albert Bresi-e is a gentleman of irre- 

 pioachable chiiracter, nnd that entire confidence can 

 safely be put in any etaltment or claim that he has 

 made or may make. Chester Roach. 



James W. Gibbs. 



HiEPHEN A. FENTON. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 9tti day of 

 September, 1868. A. Gibbs, Justice of the Peace. 



TICKS ON SHEEP — WILD CHERRY LEAVES— A SICK 

 MARE. 



Ticks become very numerous on my sheep in 

 the winter season ; is there any way to get rid of 

 them except to immerse the sher p in a strong de- 

 coction of tobacco? Will sulf)hur be beneficial, 

 and how can it he administered ? 



Will wild cherry leaves injure stock, if eaten 

 when green ? 



What ails my horse ? After having driven him, 

 when I unfasten the check nin and the head is 

 lowered, a white matter will run from her nose. 

 Please state probable cause and remedy. 



Holmes Hole, Mass., Sept. 20, 1868. Tisburt. 



Remarks. — A wash made of the extract of to- 

 bacco will kill ticks, and so will smoking them 

 with burning tobacco. A small machine is made 

 on purpose for this business. The remedy nearest 

 at hand, however, is the common mercurial oint- 

 ment which you can procure at the apothecary 

 shops. This should be very carefully rubbed in 

 so as to reach the skin, and then the sheep protect- 

 ed for some days from inclement weather. 



We have heard of cattle being injured by eating 



freely of partially withered wild cherry leaves, 

 after the trees were cut or broken down— but sel- 

 dom by eating them where they were growing in 

 their pastures. 



A statement, however, was published some years 

 since in our columns of some cows in Plymouth 

 county, Mass., from whose milk butter could not 

 be made, and on watching them to discover the 

 cause of the trouble, they were seen to reach over 

 a wall and browse some cherry trees within their 

 reach. On changing them to another pasture the 

 milk soon resumed its former healthy condition. 

 Our opinion is that at a certain stage of giowth or 

 degree of maturity, even green cherry leaves may 

 be poisonous. 



Your mare undoubtedly has a cold. Such symp- 

 toms as you describe clearly indicate it. Give her 

 cut feed, moistened, a warm stable, and some 

 slight medicine, twice a week, that will gently move 

 the bowels. 



cranberry culture. 



I have a large quantity of swamp land and wet 

 meadow, unprofitable at present. It occurs to me 

 that the cultivation of the cranberry might be in- 

 stituted upon it so that a future generation miuht 

 possibly be benefited, if I were informed in that 

 branch of agriculture, which no doubt 1 should 

 have been, had I rememliered all I have read in 

 in the New Engl.and Farmer. Canyon without 

 too much trouble give me infbrmiition as to the 

 best time for setting out and how and where to ob- 

 tain the most profitable and favorite vines ? 



Troi/, N. H., Sept. 1868. G. W. Farrar. 



Remarks. — It is too late to transplant the vines 

 this fall. If your lands are covered with brush, 

 that might be removed, and the surface cleared 

 for setting the vines upi n it in the spring. In the 

 meantime, we will endeavor to give you such in- 

 formation as we have gathered fiom those best 

 acquainted with cranberry culture among ns, 

 when we have more leisure than at present. 



GREAT YIELD OF EARLY GOODRICH POTATO. 



As Others are recording the produce of the Early 

 Rose potato, beans, &<•., I am moved to say that 

 last spring I planted five small Early Goodrich 

 potatoes, weighing a little short of one pound. 

 Hoed them twice, dug them the first p irt of this 

 month, and had two bushels, weighing one hun- 

 dred and twenty -six pounds. G. w. n. 



Acworth, N. H., Sept. 26, 1868. 



SICK TURKEYS. 



In the Farmer of September 19, "G. E. H.," of 

 Shrewsbury, Mass., complains that his turkeys 

 are dying off. The same disease is quite common 

 in this section. The fir.-t symptom is the voiding 

 of matter about the color and thickness of cream, 

 which continues until the bird either gets well or 

 dies. It frtquently hapinns that a floi.k which 

 went from home all right in the morning, will re- 

 turn at niiiht with one or two li.igering along be- 

 hind, eating little or nothing, and every few min- 

 utes passing this matter. They appear sleepy, 

 often remaming with their eyes shut, until the 

 rest of the flock have passed several rods in ad- 

 vance. 



I think they eat some weed or insect which poi- 

 sons them, it seems to me that it would be useless 



