468 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Oct. 



"take that harrow over to the blacksmith, and tell 

 him to make all the teeth twice their present 

 length, and sharp at both ends, and we'll see what 

 that'll do !" The thing was done : the teeth now 

 pointed both ways, like those of a revolving rake. 

 "Gee up. Bill ; now go along ;" "Bvit, father, it 

 has upset again, as bad as before." "Never mind, 

 boy : go right ahead ; it will work either side up. 

 See, now, what comes from a little thinking !" 

 And sure enough, it did work, and the field was 

 harrowed in spite of the stumps. We might have 

 selected a more dignified example of the use of 

 head-work, but this homely story will answer our 

 purpose. 



In the matter of rotation of crops, there is need 

 of forethought and management. Some farmers 

 neglect to manure largely, because of its expen- 

 siveness ; they would like to under-drain more ex- 

 tensively, and to subsoil plow their lands, if these 

 things did not cost more time, labor and money, 

 than they think they can spare. But it costs no 

 more to follow a good system of rotation of crops 

 than it does to carry on a farm without any such 

 plan. Yet such a system may bring the farmer 

 three- fold greater and better crops. Nor in devis- 

 ing such a plan, has he got to depend entirely on 

 his own experience or sagacity. Books and agri- 

 cultural, journals are at hand, containino; the result 

 of other men's experience, and all he hq^ to do is 

 to adapt such information to the wants of his own 

 case. A very little head-work of this sort would 

 pay well. It would pay in clean cultivation. 

 Chess, red-root, quack-grass, Canada thistles, but- 

 ter-cups, daisies, and what not, would hide their 

 heads ; and grubs, wire-worms, and all manner of 

 insects, would rapidly diminish, if not wholly dis' 

 appear. It would pay in the increased and pro 

 longed fertility of the land, and in more bountiful 

 crops. — American Jlgi icullurist. 



For the New England Farmer. 



HOSE WISE THAN AMBITIOUS. 



The commentary on page 331 of Volume IX., 

 brings to mind the condition of a farmer of the 

 Granite State, whose premises we lately visited, 

 who, about twelve years since, being in circumstan- 

 ces, well-to-live, lost by fire his buildings, and all 

 his personal effects ; including a valuable library 

 and collection of curiosities. For a time he was so 

 disheartened that he knew not how to move. At 

 length he resolved to start anew, and bargained for 

 about one hundred acres of land, remote from oth- 

 er settlers, in and among the hills, and built a cot- 

 tage house, a moderate sized barn, and other build- 

 ings to correspond, thereon. Since then he has 

 proceeded cultivating with his own hands, aided by 

 hio good wife and daughter within doors, occasion- 

 ally adding to his premises such adjoining land as 

 could be reasonably purchased. He now has a 

 farm of one hundred and fifty acres, well fenced; 

 and much of it well cultivated, and by the applica- 

 tion of the knowledge that he has gained from 

 books, is enabled to raise the best crops of any 

 man in this town. In addition to this, he keeps 

 his house open for the reception of friends, and en- 

 tertains them with a hearty hospitality, worthy to 

 be imitated by many a man in possession of his 

 thousands. *. 



August 18, 1857. 



For the New England Farmer. 



HORTICULTURAL LITERATURE. 



Can a first-class horticultural journal be sus- 

 tained in this country, is a question I should like to 

 have answered? — S., in Rural JVew-Yorker. 



This inquiry seems to anticipate the future ; and 

 judging from the past, and the present, there is no 

 reason to doubt of the future. Hence, a most un- 

 qualified answer in the affirmative may be given. 

 This is predicated on the fact that such a journal 

 has been sustained nearly a quarter of a century. 

 "The Magazine of Horticulture, Botany, and all 

 Useful Discoveries and Improvements in Rural Af- 

 fairs, edited by C. M. Ho%tt, author of the Fruits 

 of America, and published by Hovey & Co., Bos- 

 ton," is a "horticultural journal of the first class." 

 The editor occupies a first-class rank among the 

 horticulturists of this country, being favorably 

 known, also, in foreign lands, where he has trav- 

 elled, observed and conferred with the best gard- 

 eners ; and to crown all, is« practical and success- 

 ful horticulturist of long and rich experience, as his 

 fruits and grounds do abundantly set forth and con- 

 firm. His journal, during the time of its publica- 

 tion, has been the medium of communication with 

 the public for the best writers, not only on horticul- 

 ture, but rural architecture, landscape gardening, 

 botany, and aU kindred subjects, which our country 

 has produced. The late lamented Downing was a 

 regular and constant contributor to its pages for 

 ten years before he commenced the Hortlcultuiist. 

 Other names, far too numerous to mention, might 

 be given of such as have enriched the columns of 

 this magazine by their contributions, — gentlemen 

 of taste, leisure, opportunity and wealth, who have 

 shown their faith by their lives, and whose works 

 do praise them in calling forth such remarks as 

 this, made by an intelligent gentleman of rural 

 taste, from father-land, who had travelled extens- 

 ively, both over the continent of Europe and the 

 United States ; that "the suburbs of Boston, for ex- 

 tent, rare elegance and beauty of arboriculture, hor- 

 ticulture;, architecture, &c., far exceeded thoie of 

 any other city that he had ever visited." 



When the Magazine of Horticulture was com- 

 menced in 1835, comparatively little had been done 

 to awaken and diffuse among the people a taste for 

 horticulture. Enough, however, had been accom- 

 plished in a private way, by gentlemen of wealth 

 and taste, who had travelled abroad, to call for a 

 journal on the subject, and by way of experiment, 

 the aforesaid journal was commenced, not, howev- 

 er, without some fear as to its success. The re- 

 sult is, that it has been regularly published from 

 that day to this, now constituting the most valua- 

 ble work on this subject extant, — and should be in 

 every public library where it has not already a place, 

 And all who would patronize and aid in "sustaining 

 a first-class horticultural journal in this country," 

 and receive in return, knowledge and instruction, 

 that shall qualify and fit them to oeautify and plant 

 aright their grounds, thus rendering them attrac- 

 tive and productive, should subscribe forthwith for 

 the "Magazine of Horticulture, Botany and Rural 

 Affairs," where are chronicled monthly, the progress 

 of horticulture, the science of cultivation, descriptions 

 of new fruits, flowers, trees, shrubs and plants — po- 

 mological gossip — landscape gardening — kitchen 

 gardening — reviews of horticultural works — suburb- 

 an visits — monthly gossip — notes, queries and an- 



