^38 



x\EW ENGLAND FARMER. 



vicinity denominated the English breed. 1 am 

 one among many others who have incauliously 

 venluied to make trial of them to my great dis- 

 advantage as they turn out to be inlerior in 

 every point to any that I have had before them. 

 I can with the same expense make one of my 

 old sort weigh at least one hundred pounds more 

 than one of the new kind so that upon a mode- 

 rate calculation there is a loss of not less than 

 five dollars in each hog of the English breed. 



Much credit is due to the committee on swine 

 at our last cattle show on account oi their deci- 

 sion between the competitors for premiums.— 

 The gentlemen composing this committee are 

 well "known to be practical farmers and well 

 qualified to perform the duty assigned them.— 

 Their judgment was decidedly in iavor of the 

 larger kind of hogs in preference to those mouse 

 eared chubs which are to be seen in many of 

 our styes more resembling woodchucks than 

 swine. 



The credit of this famous kind of hogs is un- 

 doubtedly sinking in this vicinity. Several of 

 tny neighbors have lately expressed their dis- 

 approbation of them and their preference to a 

 larger kind as being better and much more pro- 

 fitable. — I am determined to be rid of them as 

 soon as practicable and for time to come be con- 

 tented with my old sort until 1 have better evi- 

 dence than I had before that a new kind is pre- 

 ferable.* 



Swine must have suitable food and enough of 

 it, together with good care and attention in or- 

 der that they may do well and he prolilable. 

 They should always be attended by the same 

 person for if one lakes the whole care of them, 

 he will better know what they most need and 

 how much to give them. They should never 

 have any more given them at a lime than 

 they will readily eat with a good relish, for if 

 they have more than this it will cause them lo 

 become dainty, and lose their appetite, so that 

 frequently they will eat but little more than 

 enough to keep them alive. 



The practice of grinding cobs or ears of corn, 

 for hogs, to mc, appears to be worse than use- 

 less ; and weie it wholly dispensed with, 1 ihink 

 we should see better hogs and hear less com- 

 jilaint about iheir being dainty and doing so 

 poorly. It is a fact, which I have [iroved by 

 actual experiment that hogs which have for a 

 considerable time been fed upon good meal, will 



* This statement gives a vievf of the subject very 

 fljfferent from that to which we have been accustomed. 

 We have been told by experienced agricultiiiists that 

 the breed ofswiiie, originally intro*Uiced into this coun- 

 try from England, and which had its origin we believe, 

 from tlie celebrated Bakewell, lias proved a great bene- 

 fit to agriculturists. That very correct and scientific 

 cultivator. Dr. Fiske of Worcester, slated (iu a piece 

 originally published in the Worcester Spy, and repub- 

 lished in the New England Farmer, vol. i. page 107,) 

 as follows : — "My hogs are of the genuine Bedford 

 breed so called in F.ngland, and experience has proved 

 to my satisfaction that this breed is far the beat that 

 has been introduced into this country. They are quiet 

 in their nature, fat easy, and with little expense or 

 trouble. I have had some weigh at 12 months, about 

 •340 lbs. ; and a considerable number, at 18 months old, 

 400 lbs." 



It is possible, however, that the breed, originally ex- 

 cellent, may have deteriorated /or want of crossini;. 

 " Breeding in and in'''' as it is technecally called, will, 

 in time ruin any breed. See N. E. Farmer, vol. i. page 

 •iiO.—Edtlor J^. E. Farmer. 



not at any rate eat that which is made of clear 

 cobs, and very unwillingly that which is made 

 from ears of corn. 



My method of feeding hogs is to boil potatoes 

 night and morning during the winter and spring, 

 with which 1 put a small quantity of meal and 

 give it to them which makes ihem grow and do 

 well. Through the summer 1 give them the 

 wash of the dairy, and about the first of Sep- 

 tember put them to falling, and give them as 

 much meal as they will eat ; and in this way I 

 can make as good pork as any of my neighbors. 

 A FARMER. 

 lVorccster,Ma'j., 1824. 



CATERPILLARS. 

 To the Editor of the A''ew England Furnur, 



Sir, — As this is the season for the young cater- 

 pillar to commence its ravages on our fruit 

 trees, it seems the most proper time to check 

 its career. This may be very easily and at the 

 same time, cJJ'eciually done by adopting the fol- 

 lowing plan. 



I When the sun is within half an hour of setting 

 in a cool evening by the help of |)ortable steps, 

 ten feel in height, the operator (who by the by 

 will have no need of "spirits of turpentine, fish 

 oil, lighted birch bark," &.c. &.c,) afler coming 

 at the nests will have simply to apidy (do not 

 shudder gentle readcr)liis lore finger and thumb, 

 or if more convenient, his whole hand, and in 

 an instant crush their little conimonwcalth to 

 atoms ! 



Ry the above method, with the occasional use 

 of Mr. "irkering's brush, when the nesis could 

 not be otherwise approached, I commonly ex- 

 tirpate these foul interlopers before their size 

 exceeds one fourth of an inch in length, and 

 should feel confident of getting rid of Ibem in 

 toto, if my orchards were not in the neighbor- 

 hood of the sluggard whose orchards are, each 

 succeeding year, swarming with the above ver- 

 min, which, while in the moth stale, will deposit 

 its eggs as well on my trees as on those they 

 had so recently robbed of that beautiful and ne- 

 cessary clothing, their ioliage. 



While on this subject, permit me to ask, if 

 the remedy mentioned in a late New England 

 Farmer was meant lo apply to the worm, known 

 in this country by the name of caterpillar; or 

 the canker norm ? for as the ibrmer is already 

 vp before it emerges from its cell, I am at a loss 

 to conceive what benefit " a sod of earth" can 

 be, in preventing its future operations. W. 



F g, May 4, 1824. 



BY THE EniTOB. We liave, repeatedly expressed 

 our opinion that a " sod of earth" will not prove of any 

 use against caterpillars, and do not believe they would 

 prove any more efficacious against canker worms. See 

 New England Farmer, vol. ii. page 262, 290. 



PE.4CH TREES. 

 To Ike Editor of Ike JVcw England Farmer, 



Sip., — In looking over your valuable paper 

 from its commencement, 1 find no account of an 

 insect which has greatly injured my young 

 Peach Trees this season, but I presume it is that 

 pest called the ' borer'. Its depredations are 

 generally committed in the main trunk of the 

 tree, at from 18 inches to 4 feet from the ground. 

 Observing the trees to look sickly I was induc- 

 ed to search for the cause, when 1 noticed 

 several places, where the gum was oozing 



out through very minute orifices in the bark 

 this lead to further investigation, on which, 

 discovered an unctuous mass of while matte, 

 between the inner bark and the wood, which, 

 presume is the larvse of the insect ; around ihii 

 deposit the wood and bark had turned of a dari 

 brown color, and were evidently in a slate o 

 disea-e. I am convinced this must be the causi 

 o.f the failure in the trees, but I am at a loss fo 

 a remedy, which is the cause of this communi 

 cation. — I'orhaps you, sir, or some correspond 

 ent, may do others, as well as myself, a favo 

 by pointing oul a preventive or cure for the cvi 

 I would observe, that there are no worms beloi 

 ground, that having been duly attended to. 



Yours, &c. A SUBSCRIBER. 



Lynn, Mass. May 12, 1824. 



Our correspondent in " looking over''' our paper, mii! 

 have vierloolced some of its articles. In vol. i. p. lO" 

 he will find the shells of walnuts recommended, and i 

 pages 187 and 317, of the same volume he will perceiv 

 other remedies prescribed for this disorder. Ag 

 in vol. ii. pages 241, 281, and 291, he may find mod 

 of extirpating the borer recommended. How far at 

 of them may prove successful "we cannot say any tbir 

 more than has been said by those from whom we derr 

 ed our information on the subject. We wi>h thoi 

 prescriptions might be failhfuUy tried, and if any thit 

 farther can be suggested should be liappy to publish i 



CIRCULAR. 



City of ^VA3HIKGTo^•, 6th May, 1824. 



Sir, — The importance of the subject, will 

 trust, authorize the liberty 1 now lake lo a. 

 dress you; — being in>pelled by a motive of [ 

 less force, than a full conviction that I ha\ 

 discovered an improvement in the manageme 

 of the Cotton Plant, by which the maliK 

 called the rot, so often destructive to the hop. 

 of the Planter, and that hitherto seems to ba\ 

 baffled all attempts to arrest its ravages, rai 

 be prevented — the maturation accelerated, ai 

 the crop increased ; — withal so economical 

 the execution, as to promise general utilil 

 And as it is desirable to inspire confidence i 

 the efficacy of the process by affording pratu 

 cat inferences before proceeding to the simpi 

 details, 1 crave your attention to the followin 

 remarks, that are intended to elucidate tt 

 principles upon which the discovery is foundei 

 and exhibit the rationale of the efiecls of j 

 application. 



On examining the staple of mature Co 

 with a high magnifier, it will appear that 

 filaments are tubular, having lateral porei 

 cells, communicating with the longitudinal tu 

 and containing an unctuous substance, w 

 must be extracted or decomposed, before 

 article can bo made to receive a permanj 

 (lye,--a due and regular secretion of this 

 luous matter, is deemed essential to the hei 

 and vigor of the capsule or pod. When t 

 minute vessels in the green and tender 

 ments become ruptured or greatly distende^ 

 morbid slate of action ensues, which iriayf 

 considered as the predisposing cause of the f^ 

 and a further investigation of the physiolog 

 of the Cotton Plant will lead to the conclusion 

 that this cause is induced and the disease exci' 

 ed, by an excess of stimulus or undue absor|f 

 lion of crude arpieous sap — promoted by su(, 

 den cl:anges of temperature, copious rain, t.^,. 



