170 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Aprii. 



"But," says one/'there's many a slip 'twixt the 

 cup and lip," and you may never possess those 

 good things of which you so fondly dream. It 

 may be so. It is not impossible that all our sweet 

 antieipati4>n8 should Ix; crushed. Everything is 

 uncertain, but not for this sliould we cease work- 

 in'' and hoping. If life and health are spared and 

 no untoward events occur, we must we shall, the 

 most of them. Thus strong'is my hope. 



I know the bounding, gleeful joyousncss of my 

 youth has passed. I may never again romp with 

 the same childish delight through the woods — up 

 the hills and along the valleys. Ah ! well I re- 

 member how gladly I hailed those vacations. 

 Once escaped from the decorous bearing seemly 

 for a city miss, I was like an uncaged bird, wild 

 in my unchained freedom. My strength might 

 now prove but weakness should I attempt those 

 long rambles, when I climbed the heights — de- 

 scended the ravines in search of those oeautiful 

 things, the wild flowers. But other forms are 

 growing up to take my place in these woodland 

 rambles, and other hands may cull the "posies" of 

 our bright prairie-land . While Mamma must con 

 sent to be content with the more passive enjoy- 

 ments of country life and nature's beauties, and en 

 joy them through her children. Elsie. 



Waukesha, Wis. 



Remarks. — Thanks to "Elsie" for her favor. 

 "Short sketches of life in the West," or "Incidents 

 on the Prairies," will prove interesting to our rea- 

 ders. We hope to hear from you again. 



MILK AND BTJTTEK COWS. 



A statement is published, verified by a respon 

 sible name, of the product of milk and butter, of 

 14 Ayrshire cows, the property of Edward M. 

 Shepard, of St. Lawrence county. New York, 

 which is worthy of being laid before our readers. 

 It is, briefly, as follows : 



Mr. Shepard, had 14 cows, Ayshires and their 

 crosses on natives, half-bloods, six heifers milking 

 for the first time — time, the third week in June — 

 feed, grass only. 



Allowing one cow for family use, and deduct- 

 ing 40 per cent, from heifers, and his trial stood 

 thus: 



Cows , 



Heifers 6, reduced to cows, is. 



3.6 



11.6 

 Deduct one cow for family, is cows 10.6 



The product for the week was 12 lbs. 12 oz 

 per cow, the first week in July, feed grass only, 

 and much affected by drought, he milked twenty, 

 eight of which were heifers, milking for the first 

 seasjn, and this trial stood thus: 



12 cowi, less one for fimily, is 11. 



8 heifers, 40 per cent, off is 4.8 



Full cows 19-8 



SONG FOE THE SEASONS. 



BY B.VRKT CORNWALL. 



When tlic merry lurk doth gild 



With hi.s song the summer liours ; 

 And their nests the swallows build 



In the roofs and tops of towers ; 

 Ami the golden gorse-flower burns 



All about tlie waste ; 

 And the maiden Slay returns 



With a pretty haste ; 



Then how merry are tlie times ! 

 The Summer times ! the Spring times ? 

 Now, from off liis ashen stone, 



The chilly midnight cricket crieth ; 

 And all merry birds are flown ; .^ 



And our dream of pleasiu'edieth ; 



Now, the once blue laughing sky 

 Saddens into grey ; 



And the frozen rivers sigh, 

 Pining all away ! 



Now, how solemn arc tlie times !■ 

 The Winter times ! the Night times '. 



Yet, be merry ; all around 



Is through one yast change revolving ; 

 Even night, who lately frown'd, 



Is in silver dawn dissolving : 

 Earth will burst her fetters strange, 



And iu spring grow free : 

 AU things In the world will change, 



Save — my love for thee 1 



Sing then, hopeful are the times t 

 Winter, Summer, Spring times '. 



The product for the week, per cow, was 14 lbs 

 13 oz. and a fraction over. 



But, lest you might ^think my allowance for 

 heifers too much, which, however, is considered a 

 just allowance V)y the dairymen of this country, 

 the result of the last trial, without any deduction 



for their being heifers, was 12 pounds 5 oz. and al spent in their attempted recovery. 

 fraction per head, for the week. 1 were entirely useless. 



BUFFALOES. 



A member of Governor Stevens' northern route 

 exploring party, in a long communication to the 

 <S^. Louis Republican, written from the head of 

 Yellow Stone, relates the following among many 

 other " sights and incidents" of the party thus 

 far : 



On Sunday, after a march of some ten miies, 

 the buffaloes were reached. They were before 

 and on each side of the train. For miles ahead it 

 seemed one vast drove yard. They were estimated 

 by^some as high as 5U0,000 — 200,000 is consid- 

 ered a very low estimate. Drawing up the train 

 at our usual halt at noon, a large herd were about 

 half a mile ahead. The hunters, six in number, 

 were immediately despatched, well mounted, on 

 spare horses reserved for that especial purpose, 

 and the whole train had an opportunity of wit- 

 nessing a buffalo hunt. The hunters dashed in 

 among the herd, picked out the fattest of the 

 cows, and then separating the selected ones from 

 the herd, soon despatched them. • In less than an 

 hour the wagons were sent but a small distance 

 from the route to receive the choicest pieces of 

 the buffalo. 



In the next two days' march the hunters were 

 kept some distance ahead, to keep off the ]>uffa- 

 locs ; it was the only way the safe passage of the 

 train could be insured through the sea of 

 flesh. The pack mules and spare animals follow- 

 ing on in the train, too numerous to be separately 

 led, were hard to control ; and despite every pre- 

 caution and care, one horse and four mules were 

 lost, they getting mingled with a herd of buffaloes. 

 Every effort was made to reclaim them — hours 



The efforts 



