1857. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



283 



me any information in relation to the matter ? If 

 60, you would much oblige a subscriber. 



A. K. Webb. 

 Sudbury, Rutland Co., Vt., 1857. 



Remarks. — Will Mr. Comstock please reply ? 



OATS AND MILLET. 



I send with this a memorandum of the product 

 of a piece of ground which was broken up last year. 

 The lot contained three acres of grass land, which 

 had not been cultivated probably for twenty years, 

 and which yielded about one-half of a ton of hay 

 on the three acres. It was plowed early in April, 

 with two horses, and the plowing occupied three 

 days. On the piece was spread early in May, 1500 

 pounds of Peruvian guano, the only manure used. 

 The guano was covered with the harrow. On the 15th 

 of May,fourandone-halfbushelsofoats were sowed 

 on one-half of the piece, and on the 19th of May, 

 one half of a bushel of millet was sowed on the oth- 

 er half. The oats and millet were cut on the 23d 

 of July, and made into hay. The yield was two 

 and one-half tons good weight of each, five tons of 

 good, well cured feed. My farmer tells me that 

 my cows eat nothing that is given to them for food 

 with more relish than the millet ; they eat it up 

 clean, leaving nothing, and they eat it freely at all 

 times. n. G. 



West Dorchester, 1857. 



AN EXPERIMENT WITH PEAS. 



I have lately tried an experiment, which I thought 

 perhaps some of the readers of your columns would 

 like to read. On the 1st of April, I took a large 

 glass pitcher and filled it with water, then put 

 some cotton batting on it, and laid on a few peas. 

 In about three days, I could see them just sprout- 

 ing, and now they have been growing twenty-six 

 days, and the tops of them are about fifteen inches 

 high ; the roots are five inches long. The tops 

 now grow more than an inch a day. This is a very 

 simple experiment, and is worth trying. The rea- 

 son why I took a glass dish, was because the roots 

 could be seen through the sides. 



Brookline, 1857. James C. Withington. 



MAPLE SUGAR. 



Mr. Lyman Capron, of this town, has made the 

 present season,;from 130 trees, 858 pounds of good 

 sugar. He completed the entire job of sugaring 

 with twelve days' work, and gathered just 728 pails 

 of sap. Another man in this region is reported to 

 have made 1400 pounds from 200 trees. Fare- 

 well to sugar cane in our dominions. 



Williamstown, Vt,, 1857. SACCHARINE. 



CHINESE sugar CANE. 



I wish to inquire of you respecting the Chinese 

 Bugar cane, whether it is more profitable to culti- 

 vate than Indian corn, for stock ? For instance, 

 for fattening beef and pork, which is made one of 

 our staple products. We want something besides 

 syrup. In my opinion, it is got up for a specula- 

 tion ; and I think it will prove a humbug, like the 

 yam potatoes, when they were brought into New- 

 buryport, and sold at twenty-five cents per pound ; 

 now there are none raised in our section. 



South Kingston, 1857. S. S. Peaslee. 



PAINT FOR SAP TUBS. 



Will some one inform me through the columns 

 of the Farmer, what kind of paint is most suitable 

 for the inside of sap-tubs, to keep the sap from 

 sourin".-- the wood which afi"ects the new sap that 

 runs into the tub ? I want something that will 

 not color the sap, or give it any unpleasant taste. 

 A paint of this kind would be very acceptable with 

 the sugar-makers of Vermont. G. W. s. 



Marshfield, Vt., 1857. 



For the New England Farmer. 



THE RECIPROCITY TREATY AND OUR 

 TRADE WITH CANADA. 



Mr. Editor : — In my communication of Nov. 3. 

 I promised some statistics of our Canadian trade. 

 Until a few years past, less has been known of 

 Canada by most of your readers than of Europe, 

 and it has generally been supposed to be a half 

 French, half English colony of Great Britain, of lit- 

 tle consequence except as a back forest to supply 

 England with her lumber. 



It is an appendage of England, merely in form, 

 being in fact as independent and more democratic 

 than the United States. She elects her own leg- 

 islature, elects or appoints her own officers, enacts 

 her own laws, and the veto power in legislation, or 

 appeal to the privy council in law, is seldom re- 

 sorted to. Her ministry, (unlike our cabinet at 

 Washington,) when in a minority, at once resign, 

 and when new ones are appointed, they must be 

 elected by the people before holding office. 



In her trade, Canada is entirely independent, and 

 no country is more liberal in its regulations. All 

 articles are admitted from the United States or 

 foreign countries on the same terms as from Eng- 

 land, and even copyright books, which in England 

 are prohibited, are admitted into Canada on pay- 

 ment of a small duty. All other books are free, 

 including all American and most reprints of Eng- 

 lish books. The figures given are for the trade of 

 1855, and our exports to Canada only such as en- 

 tered at her custom house for home consumption. 



A majority of the trade of Canada is with the 

 United States,which must continue to increase, not- 

 withstanding the efforts of England to retain it. 

 While her total exports are $29,188,401— of this 

 $16,737,277 are to the United States — her imports 

 are $36,086,179, of which $20,828,926 are from 

 the United States, including all exports and im- 

 ports under the Reciprocity Treaty. This shows 

 the Canada trade more than four millions of dol- 

 lars yearly in our favor. Of our imports, $2,313,358 

 was for plank and boards, which we must continue 

 to import, or find new building material. $11,- 

 730,736 was for flour and wheat, while at the same 

 time only $286,044 was exported by Canada to 

 England. Most of this without the treaty would 

 have been shipped directly to England, and thus 

 furnished the same supply which is now supplied 

 by us. A few years since flour was sent through 

 Canada from the United States to England — now 

 Canadian flour is purchased largely for exportation, 

 giving employment to our railroads, canals and 

 ships. 



Of our exports, $7,725,372 was under the Reci- 

 procity Treaty, of which $4,327,646 was for flour 

 and grain, and $1,653,832 for free goods, making 

 in all $9,379,204 in free articles, all entered for 



