1857. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



513 



be two-fold — as an antiseptic, and as an absorbent 

 of unnecessary or improper moisture. Apples may 

 be kept by the following process, in excellent con- 

 dition : Procure tight barrels, place a layer of 

 wheat chaft" on the bottom, over this sprinkle lime, 

 and then deposit a layer of apples — then again a 

 layer of chaff and lime, and of apples, till the bar- 

 rel is full. To prevent lime-dust touching the ap- 

 ples, a little chaff may be strewn over it before the 

 apples are placed upon it. A quart of lime for a 

 barrel will be sufficient. The fresher it is, the bet- 

 ter it will accomplish its purpose. If a single ap- 

 ple decays in a barrel packed in this way, contami- 

 nation of others is prevented by the chaff and lime, 

 and the gases generated by putrefactive fermenta- 

 tion are absorbed, and the confined air kept sweet.] 

 — Country Gent. 



For the New England Farmer. 



MASTER CUTTER-PRICES IN IOWA. 



Mr. Editor : — Your "Country Rambles" in Ju- 

 ly, brought you into contact with my old friend and 

 school-master, B. F. Cutter, Esq., whose communi- 

 cations in the Farmer I always read with interest, 

 but whose person I have not seen for many years. 

 I was much interested in your account of his farm 

 and surroundings, ajid beg leave to add a few words 

 from memory, about" him as a pedagogue. 



He used to be, about thirty years ago, when 1 

 went to school to him in North Danvers, a large, 

 broad-shouldered, two fisted man, just fitted to in- 

 spire big boys with fear and dread, when they did 

 not properly behave themselves. He had one way 

 of administering punishment, which I distinctly re- 

 collect, was very disagreeable; viz., stroking down 

 the face with his hand, very coolly and persistently, 

 even after the disagreeableness of the process had 

 been plainly indicated to him. And the way he 

 ■would take two large boys together, in one hand, 

 and his rattan in the other, laying first on one side, 

 and then on the other, using the rod at his discre- 

 tion, was a caution to all the smaller boys not to 

 follow in the footsteps of their elders. Master Cut- 

 ter had some interest in his school, I think, and 

 some success ; for he taught two winters, and some- 

 times kept an evening school. He also played the 

 bass-viol at meeting on Sundays, 1 remember. On 

 the whole, my recollections of him are very distinct, 

 and quite respectful ; though I have no doubt he is 

 a much better farmer than he was a school-master, 

 or than he would be in these latter days. He will 

 not probably remember me. But I remember him, 

 and that should teach us that our influence, howev- 

 er unconsciously exerted, is great, and lives after 

 us. I can think of no place in the Granite State 

 that I would prefer to visit before Mr. Cutter's. 



We are having splendid autumn weather. The 

 early harvest is very abundant and generally well 

 secured. Corn will be an average crop, and is ripen- 

 ing fast. Potatoes and other roots are also good. 

 The prices are not so satisfactory, to those who are 

 in debt, and dependent on their crops to get out of 

 debt. Wheat is down to 40 cts. and oats to 25 cts. 



The value of manure in this country has been 

 quite too much overlooked. Mr. French said in his 

 address before the "Suffolk Agricultural Associa- 

 tion," in England, that "thousands of acres of land 

 (in this country) have been planted thirty years 

 with Indian corn and wheat, without the crop per- 



ceptibly diminishing." That may be true of some 

 choice "river bottom lands," of which he was speak- 

 ing. But it is totally inapplicable to our prairie 

 land generally. I had manure put upon a small 

 piece last spring, which had been planted, perhaps, 

 eight or ten years. The effect was astonishing. No 

 such corn or vines are to be seen any where around 

 me. A gentleman from Boston, who was here the 

 first of July, having been to Kansas and Nebraska, 

 and returned by different routes, wrote me that he 

 had seen no corn equal to mine on his journey. 

 Some of the stalks are thirteen feet high, and much 

 of it ten and eleven. The ears hang over just as if 

 they were broken off; and I have actually taken 

 hold of several to see if they were not broken. My 

 vines are so rank and thick that I cannot tell their 

 length. One of them has five promising squn.shes 

 on it ; the largest being already from two to three 

 feet long. Beets are about on the same scale. I 

 have also a bed of late onions that are looking very 

 well, sown, I think, near the last of May. Potatoes 

 are of a good quality, but not large, nor numerous, 

 like other crops. 



Our State Fair will be held in Muscatine, in Oc- 

 tober. Perhaps I may send you another line at 

 that time. 



Tipton, Iowa, Sept. 17, 1857. M. R. c. 



P. S. Prices in the West are very variaV>le. Two 

 months ago, 1 paid 25 cts. per 10 lbs. {t peck) of 

 potatoes. Now I can buy a bushel for the same 

 sum. The time of wheat market is not yet. Some 

 of it has been damaged by sprouting, and the mar- 

 ket has been a little overstocked at the principal 

 cities on the river. Hence, it has fallen below its 

 proper level. It is believed that it will rise again, 

 and that the regular price will not be far from 75 

 cts. Corn, if the crop is not cut short by frost, will 

 be at a very low figure ; for the farmers have fewer 

 swine to feed it to than usual, having sold off on 

 account of the scarcity and high prices of provis- 

 ions in the spring. M. R. C. 



For the New England Fanner . 



UNCLE TOBY'S COW. 



This tells the story of butter-making in a man- 

 ner to be relied on. Two pounds of butter per 

 day, through the entire summer months — and one 

 pound from each 10 quarts of milk — allowing a 

 quart to weigh two and a half pounds. 



Such facts as these, and those reported by Mr. 

 Osborn, about his young cow, that yielded more 

 than ten quarts of milk per day, for each day 

 through the year, from the time she had her first 

 calf, are data to be relied on. They correspond 

 entirely with what I learn from Mr. Lincoln, Mr. 

 Felton, Mr. Preston, Mr. Putnam, and all the best 

 managers of dairies throughout the country. 



September 20, 1857. Essex. 



A Nice Flock of Sheep. — We found a fine 

 flock of sheep at San Lorenzo, owned by Messrs. 

 Farrally and Huff, comprising from 1600 to 1800 

 Southdowns, Leicesters crossed upon the new Mex- 

 ican breed. By this cross, the quality of the wool 

 was much improved, and we learned that from 

 1000, sheared the present year, a chp of 3800 

 pounds of wool was taken, which sold for twenty 

 cents per pound. This, we believe, is as good an 

 evidence of advance as we need. — Cal. Farmer. 



