890 



NEW ENGLAND FAEMER. 



Aug. 



ety of the potato, so much resembling the j^enuine 

 State of Maine in appearance, as to have been sold 

 by some of our seedmen for the real article. As 

 the opinions of the qualities of this potato, as ex- 

 pressed by our correspondents, have been so varied 

 and contradictory, it seems there must be some 

 other cause for the difference than simply a variety 

 of tastes. We want no better potatoes than those 

 sent us by Mr. Norton, and if those who have con- 

 demned the State of Maine, would be certain to 

 procure the genuine article, we think they would 

 have a much higher opinion of its merits. 



MEDALS AS AWARDS. 



I perceive, by remarks in the N. Y. Tribune, 

 that great impositions are practised in these awards. 

 That rarely, if ever, is the intrinsic value of the 

 medal one-half what it purports to be. Now if 

 this be so, I think this system of awarding medals 

 is one of the humbugs of the day. I see it is pro- 

 posed to give a medal of the nominal value of $ 175 

 for the best performance with mowing machines, 

 at the grand trial which is to come off about the 

 middle of July at Syracuse ; but if, in reality, the 

 award is not to be worth one-half what it purports 

 to be, I say the whole game will be a farce. Fair 

 play is a jewel ; let there be honor bright in all 

 things, and no gouging. 



June, 1857. A Disinterested Spectator. 



Remarks. — Our friend does not appear to take 

 into consideration the fact that the cost of the de- 

 signs and dies for making these medals must be ad- 

 ded to the intrinsic value of the metals of which 

 they are composed. Where this expense, which is 

 sometimes heavy, has to be divided among only a 

 small number of medals, as in the case of the trial 

 of mowers at Syracuse, their cost must be much 

 more than the real value of the raio material. 



CORN FOR fodder. 



When your farmers sow corn broadcast for fod- 

 der, how much do they put to the acre, and what 

 kind of plow is used in covering it? At what size 

 do they begin to cut it ? 



I have between three and four hundred acres in 

 woods pasture, much shaded with large timber ; 

 the undergrowth I can take off. What kind of grass 

 will do the best ? When should it be sowed, and 

 what quantity of seed to an acre ? The land is 

 rich. A. M. 



Remarks. — Four bushels of corn is about what 

 would be required to sow an acre of corn for fod- 

 der in drills. It is seldom sown broadcast. In 

 drills it is usually covered with the hoe. 



Your other questions we must leave for some 

 wiser head than ours on that subject. 



A FINE cow. 



I have a cow that is four years old, and has had 

 two calves, and given milk two years in succession; 

 her calves weighed 100 pounds dressed, at six 

 weeks old ; she gives sixteen quarts of milk every 

 day, and is of a native breed. A SUBSCRIBER. 



Vermont, June, 1857. 



GARGET. 



I noticed a piece in your paper of June 20, head- 

 ed "A sore udder," which is a species of the gar- 

 get, and may be prevented by the use of the follow- 

 ing : Take the root of cocum cut into small pieces, 

 and mix it with meal and potatoes ; feed about 

 twice a week, and the garget will soon disappear. 



WINTER KILLED. 



There has been much said about trees being win- 

 ter-killed. Let the ground settle down and become 

 as hard as possible, and choke up with weeds 

 around the tree about the first of August ; in this 

 way the sap will force itself into the roots and pre- 

 vent the second growth, which otherwise would 

 happen in the last of September. The second 

 growth often keeps the sap in the branches until 

 about the time that the ground freezes up, then 

 forces itself into the centre, or tap root, causing it 

 to grow sometimes six or eight inclfes during the 

 winter season. H. w. b. 



JVorton, Mass., June 30, 1857. 



GARGET. 



Mr. Editor : — Will you or some of your numer- 

 ous readers who may know, inform me through 

 your valuable paper, how to cure a cow's teat, 

 when it has become hard so as to stop the milk ? 



I have got a cow that lost the use of one teat two 

 years ago by caking or garget; can it be restored 

 again ? E. M. 



Bethel, Ft., June SO, 1857. 



Remarks. — ^We cannot say that it certainly can 

 be restored, though it is often done by grinding 

 one-half of a pair of scissors very sharp, and, hold- 

 ing the teat firmly in the hand, thrust the two- 

 edged scissor blade up the teat. We know of no 

 other way in which the milk can be made to flow 

 through such a teat. 



MAPLE SUGAR — MOWING MACHINES. 



There has been more maple sugar made in this 

 section this spring, than ever before, as the marks 

 on every maple will bear me witness; all the old 

 tubs were repaired,and very many new ones made ; 

 milk-pans, pails, jars, in fact, everything that would 

 hold sap, was used, and to good advantage, too. 

 When the forest began to leave out, the sugar ma- 

 ple was several days in advance of other trees, but 

 the foliage was very light-colored (yellow,) but is 

 now changed to green, though not so dark as usu- 

 ak We have lost very many young fruit trees the 

 past winter by mice. I think we shall have plenty 

 of apples this season, but not many cherries or 

 plums ; grass is looking fine. We had a cool spring 

 and not much rain, until about the 15th of May; 

 had not a day of warm weather until the 22d ; it 

 continued quite warm then up to the 28th, and has 

 been rather wet since. 



The subject of mowing machines is the topic 

 amongst us farmers just now, and we all feel like 

 paying the quarter if we could find out which ma- 

 chine is the best. Ketchum's, Manny's and Allen's 

 are the best we have here ; by the way, Ketchum's 

 is being manufactured in C. E. cheaper than it can 

 be in the States, and therefore is sold cheaper ; the 

 agent of this company is selling them at $100 

 each.) Now I wish you to inform me, either by cir- 

 cular or by letter, all about the Heath machine, as 



