1854. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



99 



To Israel Herrick, Dcrry, N. H. We reply to 

 your queries as to what books we would reccom- 

 mend for the inquiring farmer, with a great deal 

 of pleasure. A few only will be mentioned, viz. : 

 — Downing's Fruit and Fruit Trees of America ; 

 Dana's Muck Manual ; Elements of ScientificAgri- 

 culture, by Norton ; American Muck Book ; Ru- 

 ral Architecture, by Allen ; Fruit Garden, by Bar- 

 ry ; Bridgeman's Gai-deuer's Assistant and Kitchen 

 Gardener's Instructor ; Rodger's Scientific Agri- 

 culture, and Elements of Agricultural Chemistry 

 and Geology, by Johnston ; the Farmer's Com- 

 panion, by Buel. The list might be considerably ex- 

 tended, but these would make a good beginning. 



COMPLIMENTARY. 



" The great subject of agriculture is attracting 

 more and more attention every day, and I am 

 truly glad to see that it begins to assume the im- 

 portance that it really deserves. Your paper, 

 which comes promptly every week, is full of the 

 right kind of matter, and if the tiller of the soil, 

 with such a help in his hands, fails to learn, then 

 I shall tliink thei-e is not much hopes of this gen- 

 eration. You have undertaken a vast work, and 

 I should think in some respects, a discouraging 

 one, for even in this 19th century there are those 

 so ' old fogyish' that they are not willing to 

 practice or believe anything they may see in a book 

 or newspaper. I am glad to know that there are 

 those who do appreciate your labors. 



Newton Centre, 1854. j. F. c. H." 



REFINING CIDER. 



Dear Sir : — If you will give a friend the best 

 method to fine cider, and say whether any article 

 should be added to prevent it from growing hard, 

 I am confident you will oblige many. 



A Subscriber. 



If you wish to be very nice with it, filter through 

 sand, add half a pint of mustard seed to each bar- 

 rel, in a long bag, so as to leave room 'for it to 

 swell. After standing in the tightly-closed casks 

 several mouths, rack and bottle, but do not drive 

 the corks until the cider has stood in the bottle 24 

 hours. 



GRAPES. 



" Which are the best grapes — the Concord or 

 the Diana? and which make the best wine." 

 Bedford, N. H. p. M. 



The Concord grape has been pronounced by 

 many good judges to Ijc superior to the Diana. It 

 has not the musky flavor of the Diana, but a rich 

 aroma instead, which is to most people more agree- 

 able. It is very thin skinned, has an abundant 

 juice, and makes an excellent wine. We under- 

 stand it will be for sale by Hovey & Co., by the 

 first of April next, and will be advertised in the 

 papers. 



The Concord grape is said also to surpass the 

 Diana in its more vigorous growth and bearing. 

 The Diana has Ijccn growing for four years past 

 by the side of the Concord, and does not bear one- 

 sixth part the crop which the Concord grace docs. 



PREMIUM FOR FARMS. 



"We have often thought, that one of the best 

 modes of encouraging the farmer, was to offer pre- 

 miums for the entire management of the form. 

 This view is supported ])y the result of such offers 

 in the County of Hampden, the present season. 

 Three competitors appeared. 



Mr. Stebbins, on a farm of 40 .acres. 



Mr. Smith, on a farm of T3 acres. 



Mr. Powers, on a farm of 87 acres. 



Amounting to 200 acres. 



Mr. Stebbins states his nett profit at $1091,75 



Mr. Smith states his uett profit at 1240,50 



Mr. Powers states liis nett profit at 1165,25 



Amounting. to $3497,50 



or an average of more than $17 per acre. Who 

 will say that this is not a fixir income from lands 

 that can be purchased for less than $100 the acre 1 

 Who will say there is no profit in farming 1 ' ' 



^ WHAT EARLY IMPRESSIONS DO. 



The extract below is part of a letter from a 

 firm doing an extensive business in one of our 

 cities, whose reputation for energy and integrity 

 is well known to all in our Commonwealth, and 

 whoso business operations arc extended to nearly 

 all the marts of trade in the civilized world. See 

 what they say for rural life. We emphasize a 

 few words by inserting them in italics. 



"As we were born farmers' boys, we took our 

 first industrial lessons in riding horse to plow, drop- 

 ping corn, driving cows to pasture, or 'jocund 

 drove the team afield,' and are indebted for what 

 of energy/ ive have, and love of labor, to jrist that 

 traini?ig. Although our tillage is mainly in other 

 fields, our early associations and primitive tastes 

 remain with all the fervor of a first love, and hav- 

 ing our gardens, to which we have lately added 

 five or six acres, 'suitably divided into mowing 

 tillage, pasture and woodland," we arc grown 

 young again, and have to express our obligations 

 f(3r the welcome weekly visits of the N. E. Far- 

 mcr.'''' 



Yes, valued friends, and what is more than 

 growing "young again," you will never grow old 

 in the garden ; employment there is perpetual 

 life. The tenement you occupy may by-and-by 

 falter and fail to do the soul's bidding, but the 

 spirit itself will still dwell in the green pastures 

 beside the still waters, until it passes on to its 

 higher and holier state. 



A CRITICISM. 



We have before us a letter from a correspond- 

 ent, signed "Consistency," saying some good 

 things of ourselves, and indulging in some criti- 

 cisms upon those who would impress the public 

 mind, if they could, witli the idea that we arc 

 mere "book fixrmers," knowing little or nothing 

 of the practical operations of the art. The criti- 

 cisms are severe, but just, but we shall withhold 

 them at present, believing that in pursuing our 

 plain path of duty, regardless of the carpings of 

 the ill-natured, we shall in the best manner sub- 



