1857. 



NEW ENGLAND FARIIER. 



343 



The change from new milk to other kinds of food, 

 should be made more gradually than is the practice 

 with some. Sudden and violent changes are al- 

 ways dangerous, and not unf'requently productive 

 of disease and even death. New milk should be 

 allowed for three weeks at least. The danger from 

 overloading the stomach or disordering the system 

 is much greater with skimmed milk or other sub- 

 stances than with new milk. But this danger may 

 be avoided by making the change in the food, from 

 new milk to some substitute for it very gradual. — 

 The philosophy of this matter is well set forth by 

 Mr. I). J. Browne, in the first article of the last 

 Agricultural Report from the Patent Office. It is 

 therein shown to the eye by the aid of wood cuts, 

 that the fourth stomach is much larger in a calf 

 than all the other three, being the only one which 

 is used while fed on milk. The others increase in 

 size as more solid food is suppHed, and are unpre- 

 pared, all at once, to perform their proper func- 

 tions. This, briefly stated, is one reason why a calf 

 should not be suddenly changed from a diet of 

 milk to one of more solid materals, as disease or 

 an arrest of growth must necessarily follow. 



Another reason why a change from new to skim- 

 med milk should not be suddenly made is, that 

 the latter has been deprived of nearly all its nutri- 

 tive qualities. One who was very successful in 

 weaning calves, fed them first with new milk, and 

 then with skim-milk and meal, the latter supplying 

 the nutritive matters abstracted by the butter and 

 casein of the cream. — Country Gentleman. 



For the New England Farmer. 



THE WIKTEE IN PRINCE EDWARD 

 COUNTY, C. W. 



Friend Beovvn : — The winter of 1855-6 will 

 long be remembered for the great depth of snow 

 that fell, and for the long continuance of cold 

 weather. The present winter has been remarkable, 

 in this region at least, for two months of dry, cold 

 weather, without an excess of snow, followed by a 

 month of unusually warm weather for the season. 

 But little rain fell here during the summer and 

 autumn, and when winter set in the swamps were 

 nearly dry. Ground froze up about the 25th of 

 11th month, and some snow fell the 29th. Then 

 followed two weeks of variable weather. Sleighs 

 were used, though wheeling was much better than 

 sleighing. The 16th of 12th month, eight inches 

 of snow^ fell. The 18th, mercury fell 18'' below ze- 

 ro, and the mean temperature was 12" below zero. 

 From this time to the 5th of 2nd month, we had 

 no thaw, and s'eighing was very good nearly all 

 the time. Water was very low ; many wells failed to 

 afford any, although never before known to be dry. 

 Mijls on small streams were entirely inoperative ; 

 consequently the people of this county had to go 

 out of it for most of their grinding, for the county 

 being a long, narrow peninsular, has no large 

 streams, and steam has not yet invaded our rights, 

 to any great extent. A great thaw commenced the 

 4th of 2nd month, and the 8th, mills started j since 

 then there has been no lack of water. 



The 1st month of this year was remarkably cold ; 

 the mercury fell to zero, or below, in twelve days, 

 and the mean temperature of the month was only 

 10.81° above. The 7tb, the thermometer indica- 

 ted 20° below, the 18th, 23° below, and the 23d, 



30° below. But even this was exceeded in places 

 considerably south of this. In the city of Provi- 

 dence the mercury fell 32° below zero ; at White 

 River Juuction, Vt., it fell 43° below ; at Bangor, 

 Me., 44° below; at Dover, N. H„ 31° below; 

 at Halifax, N. B., it stood at zero. It appears the 

 cold has not been confined to the icy north, but 

 the crystal streams of the "Old Dominion" have 

 felt its influence, and the inhabitants have secured 

 a good crop of ice. It is to be hoped that their 

 success in this business will not induce them to as- 

 sert their independence prematurely, for some 

 '•Yankee notions" may yet be convenient. 



The 2nd month was unusually mild, the extremes 

 being 5° below zero the 11th ; and 55° above, the 

 17th, giving a range of 60°. The mean tempera- 

 ture was 28.76°, nearly 18° above that of the pre- 

 ceding month. 



The 3d month commenced cold and squally, and 

 continued so about two weeks. Twelve inches of 

 snow fell in the month, and we had five or six days 

 good sleighing. From the 15th to the 27th, trav- 

 elling was extremely bad, mud was deep enough to 

 satisfy the most ardent admirer of the "far West." 

 The 26th, wind and sun began to exert their influ- 

 ence more perceptibly, and at this time travelling, 

 on some roads, is quite good, though snow banks 

 still linger along the fences. 



To-day has been very uncomfortable. The mer- 

 cury stood at 37° until 10 o'clock, A. M., a little 

 rain with south-west wind. At that time the ^yind 

 suddenly changed to north-west, and it began to 

 snow. The mercury fell 5° in half an hour, and 17° 

 before night, standing at 20° at 5 P. M. At 9 in 

 the evening it stood at 16° — the night is windy, and 

 everything wears a wintry aspect. 



Robins appeared here the 24th, and blue-birds 

 the 29th ult. It is a good season for making ma- 

 ple sugar, and the business is carried on to a con- 

 siderable extent in this vicinitj-. The cold nights 

 and pleasant days which we have had for some 

 time past, are unfavorable to winter grain, and if 

 such weather continues much longer, it is feared 

 much injury will be done. 



Total depth of snow at this place this winter, 5 

 feet, 9 inches. L. Varney. 



Pidou, a TF.,4:lh month, 1st, 1857. 



Cucumber Bugs. — Dr. Heckerman writes, — 

 Most gardeners are very much annoyed by these 

 bugs, which prey alike upon the cucumber, melon, 

 pumpkin and squash — the latter being its favorite. 

 Various plans have been devised for their protec- 

 tion, such as soot, &c. A method which I have 

 practised with nearly entire success, is to form a 

 mixture of equal parts of finely ground black pep- 

 per and wheat flour, and dust the plants, while the 

 dew is upon them, with this mixture, using an ordi- 

 nary flour or pepper-box. It is a fact generally 

 known, that black pepper is so obnoxious to most 

 insects, that few will approach or stay in its pres- 

 ence. The object of the flour is to combine with 

 the pepper, and with the water or dew to form a 

 paste, which will adhere to the leaves for many days 

 unless washed off by heavy rains ; in which case the 

 application should be renewed. 



^W The hog cholera has made its appearance in 

 Yarmouth. One man has lost a large portion of a 

 drove which he recently purchased at the West. 



