1854. 



I^EW ENGLAND FARMER. 



41 



Agriculture in Virginia. 



The Southern Planter, Richmond, Va , states 

 thatowuig to the various instrumentalities put in 

 operation, the Committee appointed by the State 

 Society can report that since the annual meeting 

 in December last, the number of members has 

 been increased from 339 to at least 4,000 ! and the 

 funds in the hands of the Treasurer from $2GS to 

 about $8,000. 



In preparing for their State Show the Society ex- 

 pended $10,000, and with the prospect that such 

 a large sum would prove an economical expendi- 

 ture. It affords us great pleasure to notice these 

 energetic movements in the Old Dominion. 

 Milk and Butter. 



The Editor of The Ploughman says he has De- 

 von cows and heifers that "will yield one pound of 

 good butter, from four quarts of milk. " He states 

 that this result has been obtained "after repeated 

 trials by himself and others, and that there can be 

 no mistake or accidental luck in the matter." 



THE MAIZE. 



A NEW^ CORN SONG. 



BY W. W. rOSDICK, OF NEW YORK. 



"That precious seed into the furrow cast, 

 Earliest in Spring-time, crowns the harvest last." 



PuffiBE Carey. 

 A song for the plant of my own native West, 



Where nature and freedom reside, 

 By plenty still crowned, and by peace ever blest, 



To the corn ! the green corn of her pride! 

 In climes of the East has the olive been sung. 

 And the grape been the theme of their lays, 

 But for thee shall a harp of the backwoods be strung, 

 Tliou bright, ever beautiful Maize ! 



Afar in the forest the rude cabins rise. 



And send up their iiillars of smoke. 

 And the tops of their columns are lost in the skies, 



O'er the heads of the cloud-kissing oak — 

 Near the skirt of the grove, where the sturdy arm swings 



The axe, till the old giant sways, 

 And echo repeats every blow as it rings, 



Shoots the green and the glorious Maize! 



There buds of the buckeye in spring are the first. 



And the willow's gold hair then appears. 

 And snowy the cups of the dogwood that burst 



By the red bud with pink tinted tears. 

 And striped the bowls which the poplar holds up 



For the dew and the sun's yellow rays. 

 And brown is the pawpaw's shade-blossoming cup. 



In the wood near the sun-loving Maize ! 



When through the dark soil the bright steel of the plow 



Turns the mould from the unbroken bed, 

 The plowman is cheered by the finch on the bough. 



And the black-bird doth follow his tread. 

 And idle, afar on the landscape descried, - 



The deep lowing kine slowly graze, 

 And nibbling the grass on the sunny hill-side 



Are the sheep, hedged away from the Maize. 



With spring time, and culture, in martial array 



It waves its green broad swords on high. 

 And fights with the gale, in a flultering fray, 



An<l the sunbeams which fall from the sky — 

 It striken its green blades at the zephyrs at noon. 



And at night at the swift flying fays, 

 Who ride through the darkness the beams of the moon, 



Through the spears and the fl:igsof the Maize. 



When the summer is fierce still its banners are green. 



Each warrior's long beard groweth red, 

 Ilis Emerald bright sword is sharp pointed and keen, 



And golden his tassel-plumed head. 

 As a host of armed knights set a monarch at nought, 



They defy the Day God to his gaze, 

 And revived every morn from the battle that's fought. 



Fresh stand the green ranks of the Maize ! « 



But brown comes the Autumn, and sere grows the corn. 



And the woods like a rainbow are dressed, 

 And but for the cock, and the noon tide horn, 



Old Time would be tempted to rest. 

 The humming bee fans off a shower of gold. 



From the mullein's long rod as it swajs. 

 And dry grow the leaves which protecting enfold 



The ears of the well-ripened Maize. 



At length Indian Summer, the lovely, doth come. 



With its blue frosty nights, and days still. 

 When distantly clfear sounds the waterfall's hum, 



And the sun smokes ablaze on the hill. 

 A dim veil hangs over the landscape and flood, 



And the hills are all mellowed in haze. 

 While Fall creeping on, like a Monk 'neath his hood, 



Plucks the thick rustling wealth of the Maize. 



And the heavy wains creak, to the barns large and grey, 



Where the treasure securely we hold, 

 Housed safe from the tempest, dry sheltered away. 



Our blessing more precious than gold! 

 And long for this manna that springs from the sod. 



Shall we gratefully give Him the praise. 

 The source of all bounty, our Father and Gcd, 



Who sent us from heaven the Maize ! 



For the New England Farmer. 

 COMPARISON OF PLOWS. 



Mr. Editor : — I noticed'in your paper of 2Gth of 

 November a difference of opinion between some of 

 the papers, on the Michigan Plow, which leads me 

 to make the following remarks. 



I have tested the Michigan Plow with "Rug- 

 gles, Nourse & Mason's" Eagle No. 20 (which I 

 consider one of the best single plows,) to my sat- 

 isfaction, and find that two yoke of oxen will plow 

 one acre of ground the same depth with the single 

 plow, as easy as three yoke of oxen of the same size 

 can with the Michigan Plow. For this extra work 

 in plowing with the Michigan Plow, I charge one 

 dollar per acre. 



The question may be asked, why should the Mi- 

 chigan Plow require more strength to draw it than 

 the single plow ] I answer, because the Michigan 

 Plow splits the furrow slice horizontally, and if 

 the inquirer wishes for more reasons, let him take 

 hold of a stone that has a horizontal seam in it, 

 in order to turn it over, and when he gets it fair- 

 ly on a poise let the top half of the stone slide off 

 and by the time he gets the other half fairly on 

 top of it, he will have a tolerable good idea why 

 the Michigan Plow requires more team to draw it 

 than the single plow. 



Now the honest farming community like to hear 

 both sides of the question, provided they think the 

 first side worth hearing. Now for the benefits of 

 the Michigan or Double Plow over the single 

 plow. 



First, in furrowing, twenty-five cents. Second, 

 in covering, twenty-five cents. Third, plowing for 

 hoeing first time, fifty cents. Fourth, hoeing first 

 time, fifty cents. Fifth, plowing f)r hoeing second 

 time, twenty-five cents. Sixth, lioeing second time, 

 twenty-five cents; making in the whole two dol- 



