286 



NEW ENGLAND FAJIMER. 



June 



To those of your readers who are fond of looking 

 at new things, or take an interest in agricultural im- 

 provements, I would say, visit the warerooms of 

 Messrs. Nourse, Mason & Co., and you will say 

 with me, "the half has not been told." M. 



Remarks. — The description of our correspond- 

 ent is not at all overwrought. We know of no place 

 in Boston that may be visited with more interest. 

 We will give a single instance that came to our 

 own knowledge, of their facility in the transaction 

 of business. Some time since a southern merchant 

 called on a Tuesday noon, to make purchases, and, 

 among other things, ordered five hundred plows of 

 a particular construction. He said the vessel in 

 which the plows must be carried would sail the 

 next Saturday at one o'clock, and if they could not 

 be on board at that time he did not wish the order 

 filled. As not one of these plows was then con- 

 structed, there was some hesitation as to promising 

 to fill the order, nevertheless, it was done. One of 

 the firm informed us afterwards the order was 

 promptly filled, and the plows went on their way. 

 It is proper, however, to state that these plows were 

 of the cheapest and simplest construction, and in- 

 tended for the shallow plowing of the cotton fields 

 of the South. 



For the New England Farmer. 



RAISING ONIONS. 



Mr. Brown : — I have noticed an inquiry in the 

 J^ew England Farmer how to raise onions. Hav- 

 ing had about forty years' experience in raising 

 them, with tolerably good success, I will inform you 

 how I proceed. 



Early as possible in the spring, I cover the 

 ground with coarse manure from the yard, such as 

 horse, cattle and hog manure, and plow to the 

 depth of eight or ten inches ; then spread on salt, 

 about a peck to the eighth of an acre, and plow 

 again with a horse plow; harrow it thoroughly, and 

 rake well with an iron rake ; when it is ready, I use 

 a machine for sowing, having the drills about twelve 

 inches apart. After the onions come up, I hoe 

 them two or three times with a shove hoe. The 

 first time weeding, I thin them out, and separate 

 the plants ; weed them as many times as they need, 

 taking care to keep the earth loose about them. 

 To destroy bugs and worms, I have a brood or two 

 of chickens, situated so they may run over them ; 

 this, I have found, has the desired effect. The last 

 time weeding, at about the first of August, I scatter 

 turnip seed over the same ground, and get a crop 

 of 50 or 60 bushels of turnips, besides from 70 to 

 110 bushels of onions from the eighth of an acre of 

 ground. When I harvest the onions. I am careful 

 to pull all the weeds, and let the turnips remain 

 till fully grown. I never plow in autumn. 



Littleton, 1857. Abraham Mead. 



The "Hog Disease." — A correspondent sends 

 us a communication upon the hog disease, which 

 we publish in another column, correcting some of 

 the impressions which prevail in regard to the ex- 

 tent of that disease, and the probabihty of the dis- 



eased meat being shipped to Eastern markets. The 

 diseased pork, he says, is in the Western towns con- 

 verted into lard oil, as the most profitable use to 

 which it can be put. The disease attacks the young 

 stock, and generally exhibits itself after their feed- 

 ing on still slops. Hogs dying of it cannot be salt- 

 ed, as no amount of salt will preserve their flesh. 

 If exposed for sale, it must be as fresh pork. Any 

 animal dying in its blood from disease cannot be 

 dressed and have a healthy appearance. Any such 

 meat exposed for sale can be detected by its dark 

 and unusual color, and it is against such meat, sup- 

 plied from sources nearer home, that the commu- 

 nity should be on their guard. The hog trade of 

 the West is an important element of national wealth, 

 pork being a leading article of export. It is prop- 

 er, therefore, that the public's notions upon this 

 subject shall be correct. — Philadelphia Ledger. 



For the New England Farmer. 



LITTLE THINGS : 



Or a Walk in my Garden — No. 



11. 



I have learned a short lesson from experience. 

 If I leave my grape vines covered up late in the 

 spring they are liable to be killed by the wet. A 

 warm day or two seems to have the effect to disor- 

 ganize the internal structure of the vine. I now 

 take them up as soon as the snow is fairly off the 

 ground. No subsequent cold can injure them. 



I have learned another lesson which professional 

 gardeners knew before. What is meant by double- 

 drilling peas ? I plant them in two drills, 8 inches 

 apart, and stick them between the drills. You get 

 just double the number of peas over the single drill 

 on the same land, and make one row of sticks serve 

 for two drills. 



There is a little thing wanted here — a small hand 

 cider press. Many persons, your correspondent 

 among the number, have a few bushels of apples 

 in the fall which they would like to convert into 

 cider vinegar. To hii^ a team to haul the apples, 

 perhaps several miles, is more than they are worth. 

 We want a mill that is portable, not expensive, and 

 which boys could work. Is there such a one in the 

 market ? 



STATE OF MAINE POTATOES. 



Somebody in the Farmer has defamed this pota- 

 to. I suspect that he has been imposed upon. There 

 is a kind cultivated here known as the white law- 

 yer, by others the Churchill potato, which resembles 

 it very closely, and is often sent off as the State of 

 Maine. The latter potato has a deeper eye and is 

 invariably white when cut, while the former is yel- 

 low, and a miserable potato. The State of Maine 

 has proved the greatest addition to our variety that 

 has occurred for many years. At a meeting of the 

 farmers' club here, a comparison was instituted be- 

 tween that and most of the well-known varieties 

 and it was universally pronounced superior to all 

 other known varieties for quality and yield. 



I have a little caution to make. Do not be tempt- 

 ed to put into the ground too early your squash, 

 cucumber and melon seeds, because spring appears 

 to be early. They will rot if you do, or come up 

 feebly ; wait till the ground is warm. But I have 

 just a word to say to 



THE BOYS. 



It is a little thing to slight the offer of a father 

 when he offers you a farm, and take up some trade, 



