^30 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



May 



which increases the expense of cultivation; and 

 then it requires tlic patience of Job to husk the 

 crop. There is a variety of eight and ten rowed 

 white corn, grown pretty generally in Plymouth 

 County, Mass. , which from all accounts I should 

 think might do well on your thin soil. It is re- 

 presented as yielding better on poor land than most 

 other sorts of corn. It has quite a large ear, and 

 small stalk in proportion to the ear. You can ob- 

 tain it at the seed stores in Boston. 

 Very truly your friend, 



F. HOLBROOK. 



BraUkboro\ Vt., March 1-4, 1854. 



For the Neio England Farmer. 



MONTHLY FARMER FOR MARCH. 



A weekly agricultural journal in the newspa- 

 per style has advantages that do not belong to a 

 monthly publication in book form. Not exclusive- 

 ly agricultural, the weekly is at once a map of the 

 farm and a "map of busy life," — a medley of big 

 crops and l)ig accidents; of scientific essiiys and prac* 

 tical suggestions ; reports of hen conventions and 

 speeches in Congress ; prices of stock in Brighton 

 and of stocks in State Street ; advertisements of pa- 

 tent medicines and of patent manures. But the 

 monthly, while it may lack something of this va- 

 riety and freshness, has strong claims on the pref- 

 erence of reading farmers. It is compact and 

 convenient for preservation and reference ; without 

 which an agricultural journal, or indeed any pub- 

 lication, is of little worth to me. A single peru- 

 sal of an elaborate article, on any subject, embody- 

 ing the results of much reading or of great experi- 

 ence, is of little value to most minds after the 

 hipse of a few months. The facts become dis- 

 placed, confused, forgotten ; and in a practical use 

 of them, the careless reader often finds himself in 

 the dilemma of the good old lady, who, on giving 

 directions for testing the genuineness of indigo, 

 said, if put in water it would either sink or swim 

 if good, but she had forgotten which ! A working 

 book for both farmers and mechanics should be of 

 portable form, so that it maybe consulted in field 

 and shop. Such is the monthly Farmer. Bound 

 up, it is an ornament to the library ; and if any 

 farm.er can read the sucecssive numbers without 

 receiving a dollar's worth of profit, and a dollar's 

 worth of pleasure, in the course of the year, he 

 must be very near j^erfection, or something worse. 

 But to the number before ug, 



AGRICLaTUKAL MEETINGS, 



This number of the Farmer furnishes reports of 

 three Legislative Agricultural Meetings, at which 

 Plowing, Manures, Itoots, and IIow to make Home 

 Attractive, were severally discussed. Valuable 

 and instructive as these debates have proved to be 

 to the farmers not only of Massachusetts but of 

 the whole country, a more hearty co-operation by 

 those in General Court assembled, would give a 

 greater freshness and originality to the proceed- 

 ings of the society. Why don't tliey do it? Are 

 farmers friglitened awaj' 'l>y the idea tiiat remarks 

 made here on sjiving manures, planting potatoes, 

 feeding calves, &c. &c., will class them with pub- 

 tic speakers, and orators? An article entitled 

 "Legislative Agricultural Society" shows what 

 these debates should be, while another, "Legisla- 

 ijvc Farmers," tells what they are. We find also 



a report of the discussion by the "Concord Far- 

 mer s Club" of Indian Corn ; and "Agriculture 

 South" gives some account of the agricultural as- 

 sociation of the Planting or slave-holding States ; 

 while we are informed that among the principal 

 points at which the "Maine State Board of Agri- 

 culture" aims is to introduce the study of agricul- 

 tural science into every school of the State. When 

 thirty-nine fortieths of the children of the farmers 

 of the United States are able to attend no higher 

 school than that of the district in which they live, 

 how can they be reached by means of other and 

 higher institutions ? 



"birds of new ENGLAND." 



No. 9 of Mr. Fowler's articles give the life and 

 character of the Blue-bird, the Bob-olink, and the 

 Cat-bird. 



BUTTER. 



"Fine Samples of Butter" made from milk at 

 the rate of four and one-quarter quarts to a pound. 

 An inquiry, "Why don'tthe Butter Come?" well 

 answered by "Butter Making." 



CORN. 



Besides the discussion of this crop by the "Con- 

 cord Farmers Club," we have an article on "Corn, 

 Cobs and Grinding" contending that, at the rate 

 millers take toll, it is not profitable to have the 

 cobs ground. 



CROPS. 



Comments on the "Weight and Measure of 

 Corn," for premiums ; accountof raising "Wheat 

 — forty-five bushels per acre," in Marlboro, N. H.; 

 of a "Fine crop of Corn," in Epping, and of a 

 great crop of sugar in New York, from a single 

 tree. 



"feed for stock." 



An account of the process adopted by the writer, 

 for cutting and steaming the winter food for five 

 cows, on which they "give as much milk as they 

 would on good June feed," and a saving of "about 

 one-fourth of my usual winter's feed," is made. 

 fruit. 



Direction for the "Cultureof Cranberry vines," 

 and plain observations on "Cutting Scions," pre- 

 serving and transporting them. 



garden. 

 The bright mornings and warm days that dawn 

 on us here in March, are just enough to remind 

 us that once more has the time of the singing of 

 birds returned, and that spring-work will soon call 

 us from the garden to the field. Let us read then 

 what is said of "Garden Work," and how to ra.i8e 

 crops of "Peas and Turnips" on the same land. 



IMPLEMENTS, 



Recommendation of "The Double Plow and 

 Horse Hoe," by one who puts his own hand to the 

 plow. Cut and description of "Batchelder's Corn 

 Planter." 



INSECTS. 



"The Curculio" — a complaint that all remedies 

 fail. "Bee Culture, No. 2." "Rose Bugs" kept 

 off by ashes sprinkled on the leaves, and aXout the 

 roots of rose bushes. 



MANURES. 



"Fertilizers" — suggestions for trials of carbon- 

 ate of potash, aqua ammonia, sulphate of potash, 

 and water in which vegetables are boiled, but no 

 promise by the writer to make the experiments 



