854. 



NEAV ENGLAND FARMER. 



61 



European tactics. Had the yeomanry of that day 

 ■waited for the drilling of a scientific military 

 school, instead of hastening just as they were, 



"With lopp'd down hats and rusty guns," 



to the contest, the world might have lost a lesson 

 on the efficiency of light troops, and we our nation- 

 al independence. 



Our history is full of similar instances, but 

 these ai-e sufficient to indicate the true principle of 

 national prosperity, — The use of means adapted to, 

 and growing out oJ\ our peculiar circumstances. 



And I believe that agricultural progress in this 

 country must be made on the same principle. In- 

 stead of persisting in our reliance upon the institu- 

 tutions of the past, we should open our eyes to the 

 indications of that Providence wlio rules the pre 

 sent, and it would be well if we could do it with 

 the conviction that "it is not in man that walketh 

 to dii'ect his steps. " Fora long time we have been 

 attempting to "direct our steps" towards agri- 

 cultural schools and model farms. We have com- 

 menced tlie work at various times, and in various 

 parts of the country, but have met with utter fail 

 ure in every instance. 



During the same time an "Institution" has 

 sprung up spontaneously in our land, with a 

 sweep as wide as the wants of our j^eople — a sort 

 of clairvoyant institution, whose "students" may 

 saw shingles in Maine, dig gold in California, cut 

 ice in ^Massachusetts, or raise wheat in ]\Iinnesota 

 and cotton in Georgia, without breaking up the 

 class, or losing a single lesson of the term, or a lee 

 ture by any of its professors ! This institution is 

 the agricultural Press. A new power to be sure, 

 and still in its infancy. But while our incipient 

 agricultural colleges have furnished no signs of 

 promise, the infant agricultural press has multi- 

 plied its books and papers till the secluded moun- 

 taineer, and the remote "squatter" are beginning 

 to read about farming, and thus, perhaps uncon- 

 sciously, are imbibing potions — homoeopathic 

 though they may be — of the milk of science, that 

 will gradually form an appetite, and a digestion 

 for stronger food. This must be supplied, and to 

 do it, the best talent of the land will eventually be 

 secured to the cause of agriculture, and that 

 through the Press. Suppose that the interest of 

 one hundred thousand dollars, which would scarce- 

 ly suffice to keep a half-starved college in existence, 

 was to hn expended yearly in I'ewarding the service 

 of such talented, scientific and experienced men, 

 as might l)e induced to devote a portion of their 

 time and energies to enrich the ample columns of 

 the Ni'w England Farmer, who will undertake 

 to calculate the results of the investment. 



But here I leave the future, to take care of it- 

 self, while I attempt a brief synopsis of the first 

 number of the Monthly Farmer for 1854. 



BIRDS. 



No. 8 of Mr. Fowler's articles on the Birds of 

 New England, in which many people will be sorry 

 to find the Robin gets a rather bad name. 



CATTLE. 



Articles on "Short Horn, or Durham Heifers," 

 with a plate, on "The Wintering of Stock," and 

 on "Dry Food." 



" DRArNING." 



Comments and directions by one who has evi- 

 dently l)een schooled to tlie business in the old 



country. But it will be a long time before the 

 farms of New England will be drained, as he re- 

 commends, " 27 inches deep and 18 feet apart." 



FIRE WOOD. 



While ready to endorse the caution of the Edi- 

 tor against smoking and sizzling domestic felicity 

 out of existence by the use of "Green Wood," 

 my experience does not confirm all that chemists 

 say of the relative value of green and dry wood. 

 Prof. J. J. Mapes says, (Nov. Farmer, 1851) 

 "Tliree cords of green or partially dried wood 

 will not warm a room for as great a length of time 

 as one cord well dried." Now, although a "most 

 unscientific reader," and knowing nothing of the 

 "rationale" of the matter except what I have 

 learned by chopping wood and tending fires from 

 my youth up, I must be allowed to shake my head 

 when told that one cord of anybody's dry wood 

 will warm a room as long as three cords of green 

 or "partially dried" white oak or hickory, how- 

 ever learned may the man profess to be who says 

 it. In "The table of the comparative value of 

 different kinds of Firewood," white pine is put 

 down as worth $3.11, and pitch pine, $3.18; 

 or seven cents diflTerence per cord. In this section 

 white pine sells for four-fifths only of the price 

 that pitch pine readily commands. 



FAIRS. 



An account of the "Maryland Cattle Show and 

 Fair," held in Baltimore, last November. Among 

 the fine display of domestic animals, the writer 

 regretted to find a specimen of that miserable breed 

 — the striped pig, that "run out"so many farmers 

 in New England, years ago; but rejoices that Presi- 

 dent Pierce, who w^as present, refused to take a 

 look at the "critter." " Agricvilture in Vir- 

 ginia" heads an account of the State Fair, at 

 which $60,000 were subscribed to advance the 

 cause of agriculture in the Old Dominion. 



FRUIT. 



The unusual scarcity and high price of winter 

 apples, this j'ear, give more than usual interest to 

 articles upon this subject, and may perhaps in- 

 fluence some to resolve, at least, to plant trees of 

 their own. That one man, Avho cultivates only 

 eight acres of land, should sell $850.00 worth of 

 fruit, this barren year, (page 1(3) is rather excit- 

 ing to those who cultivate much more land with 

 for less to sell. If any where near market, you 

 may plant ti-ees, and let the croakers croak, — glut 

 the market first, if you may, and then your cattle, 

 if you can — poor creatures, eating dry hay all 

 winter, how they would relish a half peck of ap- 

 ples occasionally ! But what says the Farmer ? 

 Don't your mouth water as you look at that 

 "Winter Nellis Pear !" What do yow think of 

 those " Observations in a Garden," as the wri- 

 ter discourses of Plum Trees, Wash for Trees, and 

 the Dix Pear? Of " S. F. 's " Low-limbed vs. 

 Tall Trees?" of those six rcjisons for preferring 

 ' ' Autumn Transplanting of Fruit Trees ? " of those 

 remarks on salting Plum Trees, Potash Wash, and 

 Trimming Trees, to be found by looking in the in- 

 dex for "Upland Cranberry?" 



GRAl'ES. 



An illustrated chapter on " Grape Vines — Bear- 

 ing and Pruning." 



" GREAT CROPS." 



A statement of several Premium Crops in New 



