NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



June 



... 



ii: 



ll!' 



number of swallows that I saw in passing down the 

 River St. Lawrence. The river, as known, runs in 

 a north-easterly direction, and the swallows were 

 flyinw toward the south-west ; this was before 

 reaching Montreal. After arriving at that city and 

 making a short stop, I proceeded by steamboat to 

 Quebec. But few, if any swallows were seen ; they 

 having, probably, all passed on toward their south- 

 ern homes. I saw more swallows in one afternoon 

 between the Thousand Islands and Montreal, migra- 

 ting to the southward, I am well persuaded, than all 

 1 have ever seen besides. Thus it appears that 

 the swallow, no less than the crane, the dove, the 

 stork, the robin, the thrush, the warbler, the oriole, 

 the sparrow and numerous other species, "observe" 

 no less the time of their going than that of their 

 coming. 



I have now accomplished my purpose in present- 

 ing some facts and suggestions concerning the 

 very interesting history of the Swallow Family, in- 

 cluding the common and well-known species. If 

 these articles shall serve to awaken an interest in 

 farmers and others to observe and study more at- 

 tentively the habits of birds, or any particular fami- 

 ilies of them, I shall feel myself amply repaid for 

 writing them ; and so will the editor and publisher 

 for having lent the use of their columns, for the 

 promotion of a subject so well calculated to en^ 

 hance the happiness and felicity of rural life. 



ANALYSIS OF CLOVER. 



LEGISLATIVE AGEICULTTJRAL MEET- 

 ING. 



[Reported for the Farmer by H. E. Rockwell.] 



The Fifteenth and last of the series of meetings 

 of the Legislative Agricultural Society was held 

 Tuesday evening. The thinness of the meeting 

 showed that the interest in the discussion of agri* 

 cultural topics had been superseded by other mat- 

 ters, and that the time for the close of the meet- 

 ings for the season had come. On the whole, the 

 meetings during the winter have been well attend- 

 ed, and the discussions have evidently been impor- 

 tant and valuable. 



The topic for discussion this evening was, — 

 "Farm Stock, or domestic animals generally." 



Hon. John Brooks, the President of the Socie- 

 ty, called the meeting to order, and having an- 

 nounced the above topic for discussion, invited ger>- 

 tlemen to proceed at once to its consideration. 



Mr. W. J. BucKMlNSTER spoke of the freedom 

 of men in their choice of stock, and how their taste 

 and judgment are indicated by the choice they 

 make. In the selection of animals the great ob- 

 ject should be to secure those that possess the qual- 

 ities that are desired for the particular uses to which 

 they are to be put. Some men ask why this soci- 



Prof. Horsford, of Cambridge, when in Germany, Lty does not make some recommendation of the 



ten years ago, at the Giessen laboratory, made an 

 "ash analysis" of red clover, and at the same time 

 made some investigation relative to its organic 

 constituents, an abstract of which cannot fail to in- 

 terest a large class of our readers : 



Of the dry plant altogether, the per cent, of ashes 11. 18 



Of the leaves 10.69 



Of the stems 8.52 



INGREDIENTS OF THE ASHES. 



Potash 16.111 



Sodium l.!374 



Soda 40.712 



Lime.... 21.914 



Magnesia 8.289 



Phosphate Iron 0.670 



Chlorine 2 856 



Phosphoric Acid 3 915 



Sulphuric Acid 1.063 



Silica 2.605 



lOO.COO 



Besides these ingredients, the plant gave nearly 

 23 per cent, of carbonic acid. Judging from this 

 analysis, there can be no question as to the value 

 of clover as a manure for wheat. 



"It is well known," remarks Mr. IL, "that the 

 juice of clover heads contains more or less sugar. 

 The nectaries of the fully developed head are es- 

 pecially rich in a honey-like liquid which bees 

 gather. In cutting the clover, when the heads are 

 fully formed but not ripe, the sugar of this honey 

 will be secured. The water will evaporate, leaving 

 the sweetness with the vegetable fibre, and other 

 organic matter, to be fed to stock. If the clover 

 be cut before the heads begin to develop, the su- 

 gar, if formed, must be in the stems and leaves. If 

 not cut till the seeds are ripened, the sugar may 

 have accomplished one of its supposed ends — that 

 of keeping up a higher temperature within the 

 seed, for the elaboration of its various parts, and 

 thereby have been destroyed." 



different classes of animals, and say that such ani- 

 mals are best for milk, such for work, and such for 

 speed, &c. The reason is that all do not agree, 

 and all are free to suit their own taste. Large an- 

 imals are not generally most desirable ; even for 

 fatting hogs, the breed should be selected that 

 will make the most pork on a given quantity of 

 food. So of horses and cattle ; the amount of feed 

 they require in proportion to their ability to labor 

 should be taken into consideration. Form and 

 adaptation are the two principal elements to guide 

 a choice. 



Mr. Sheldon, of Wilmington, said the reason 

 why he desired this meeting was that there never 

 was a time when the raising of stock was more im- 

 portant than now. Hay, he thought, was not like- 

 ly to be high for three years to come, and in that 

 time it will be impossible to overstock the market. 

 A good cow cannot be bought for less than $50, 

 and he hoped that those who have good cows will 

 raise their calves, believing that they would make 

 more money than by fatting them for veal. There 

 is no danger that beef can be very low within three 

 years ; for the calves must be raised and fatted be- 

 fore the amount of beef can be increased. 



It is now ])rofitable to raise pigs too. Since 

 disease has affected hogs at the West, those raised 

 in this State are more saleable ; they have been 

 sold for eleven or twelve cents a pound. He hoped 

 there would be interest enough felt in the subject 

 before the meeting to secure the raising of at least 



