1854. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



271 



knowledge, we must not only grow crops side by 

 eide, with and witliout the guano or other fertil- 

 izer, but must weigh and measure the crops them- 

 selves, grown on equal portions of ground. In 

 such a process we can obtain valuable results, 

 whether favorable or unfavorable. 



We agree with the American Agriculturist, that, 

 "in applying commercial super-phosphate, which 

 is in a finely-divided state, we do not think it nec- 

 essary to mix it with any other substance, unle^ 

 it is to come directly in contact with the seed. In 

 the latter case, it should be well mixed previously, 

 with a considerable quantity of muck, or rich 

 earth, or even with loam. 



•'It is hardly worth while to apply less than 200 

 lbs. to an acre ; on poor soils, or those of ordinary 

 quality, 400 or 500 pounds per acre would not be 

 too much. We prefer the latter quantity for ex- 

 perimental trials, though we would advise using 

 dilTerent quantities on adjacent plots, in order to 

 better mark the effects. 200 lbs. per acre would 

 only allow about one pound to 218 square feet, 

 which is a plot a little less than 15 feet square. 

 This is only two-thirds of an ounce to a square 

 javd. Double this quantity would be little enough 

 from which to judge anything of its effects." 



For the New England Farmer. 



THE FLOWERS AND THE BIRDS. 



Friend Brown : — "The flowers appear on the 

 earth ; tiic time of the singing of birds is come, 

 and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land." 



So sang the great monarch of Israel, whose eyes 

 were not too exalted to behold the beauties of na- 

 ture and the exquisite beauties of the springtime 

 thereof; whose ears were not so lofty but that he 

 could listen, with delightful praises, to the great 

 God who made him, to the sweet voices of the 

 beautiful birds. 



The splendid garniture of periodical birth, has 

 again come to beautify the earth, the blithe birds 

 have returned, bringing their sweet minstrelsy 

 with them, to revisit the orchard, the meadow, the 

 garden and the wood. Let them not be regarded 

 as unworthy of the protection of the husbandman, 

 and ben(;ath his notice ; nay, they arc tlie friends 

 of the farmer, and the companions of the cultiva- 

 tor, and "my Father made them all." 



Let not the modest flowers be trodden under 

 foot, or be passed l)y as a thing of nought, for 

 they are beautiful ; why then, should tlie farmer 

 neglect them entirely ? llathcr let him cause some 

 border to bloom with beauty ; the affections will 

 not sufler thereby, the heart will not become hard- 

 ened by such lal)or ; they will be a source of pleas- 

 ure to the household, and will catch the eye of 

 the traveller passing by ; in sliort, where the flow- 

 ers arc cultivated and loved so well, stratagems 

 and spoils can scarcely dwell. i. s. 



4th mo., 1854. 



f^" There is nothing more dangerous to the 

 virtuous than association with the guilty who 

 possess amiable and attractive qualities. 



THE THRIFTLESS FARMER. 



"Stop them hogs — what in the the rea- 

 son you didn't patch up that fence better ,when you 

 were about it? 'Stu-boy, 'stu-boy— yank 'em, 

 Tiger, I'll learn 'em to keep out of the garden ! 

 Now fix up the fence and keep them hens out, or 

 you'll ketch it," 



Such wore the ejaculations of Farmer Thrift- 

 less, on a bright May morning, when the hogs 

 and hens for the hundredth time had broken into 

 the miserable garden ; but he had uttered the.se 

 words as many times before, and the scene did 

 not disturb his equanimity so much but that he 

 resumed his seat under the dilapidated porch, and 

 began to ciiarge his old pipe with a new fill of 

 tobacco. But his poor wife, whose sweet looks and 

 sweetness of temper had been sorely tried by the 

 confusion which had reigned supreme about her 

 for many years, could not look on undisturbed. 

 She loved order and quiet, and her meek and gen- 

 tle spirit must soon leave the revels of creaking 

 hinges and flapping doors, and all the wild disor- 

 der about her, for the undisturbed realms of the 

 peaceful and quiet grave. Iler last entreaty falls 

 upon the ear of Farmer Thriftless like water upon 

 the flinty rock. Young Hercules, with his club, 

 and Tom Careless, with his hammer, were des- 

 patched in the words with which we commenced, 

 to rout the enemy and repair damages ! 



Now, reader, behold them. First, the house, 

 the Farmer, and his poor, over-worked, heart- 

 broken wife, — the patched barn, — the doors, — the 

 weathervane and the roof; the stacks, horse and 

 cattle mingled in with broken wheels and other 

 trumpery. Then in the foreground see the fight- 

 ing cocks, the skeletons of diseased cows and hogs ! 

 See Tom cock his eye and scratcli his head in be- 

 holding the youthful Hercules break the ribs of 

 the hungry pigs, and put the fowls in a tremen- 

 dous flutter. There is a life and truthfulness in 

 the scene too sad for mirth, ludicrous as it is. 

 Will any of our friends confess that they sat for the 

 picture ! We have endeavored to improve a little 

 upon the suggestion of our excellent brotlier of 

 the Pennsylvania Far?n Journal, and hope to re- 

 ceive his approval. The F'ori Wayne Times comes 

 to our aid, too, in the life-like portrait before us 

 Now "look on this picture, and then on that" 

 which we shall give next week, and judge for 

 yourselves of the merits of each. 



The thriftless farmer provides no shelter for hia 

 cattle during the inclemency of tlie winter ; but 

 permits them to stand shivering by_ the side of a 

 fence, or lie in the snow, as best suits thcm._ 



IIo throws their fodder on tlie ground, or in the 

 mud, and not unfrcquently in the highway ; by 

 which a large portion of it, and all the manure,i3 

 wasted. 



lie grazes his meadows in fall and spring, by 

 which they arc gradually exhausted and finally 

 ruined. 



