274 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



good ripe Rumbo apples, a pitcher of cider, and a 

 dish of boiled chestnuts, irebrought for discussion 

 around the stove of an evening. 



lie considers it a duty to promote the circulation 

 of agricultural papers, and has saved himself some 

 hundreds of dollars by following the advice of the 

 Nciv England Farmer. 



Ilis crops are always equal, and often better than 

 any in tlic neighborhood, and are kept clear of 

 weeds. 



He watches the markets, and sells his crops at 

 the highest prices. 



lie makes it a rule always to spend a little less 

 than he makes. 



Himself and wife arc both industrious, the chil- 

 dren arc brought up in the same way, and are not 

 allowed to shoot the birds, smoke cigars or chew 

 tobacco. 



He buys and sells on the cash principle, and 

 thus saves himself from losses and bad debts. 



He has a large fruit orchard, well supplied 

 with every variety of fruit to ripen in succession. 



He studies the theory as well as the practice of 

 farming, has cleared ofl'thelast $100 of mortgage, 

 and is seriously talking of making a bid for his 

 neighbor Sloven's farm, which is up at Sheriffs 

 sale. 



He goes to church on the Sabbath, minds his 

 religious duties, and brings up his children to do 

 the same, lives respected, and dies regretted, as a 

 useful man and good Christian . 



For the New E7igland Farmer. 



THE SEASON. 



Mr. Editor: — The season in this section of the 

 State, if, indeed, it be not even so tliroughout 

 New England, is cold and backward almost be- 

 yond precedent ; the mountains of "Old Cheshire" 

 are still hal)ited in their garb of pure Avhito. The 

 cold winds whistle among the leafless trees, under 

 which lie tlic snow and ice piled in wild confu- 

 sion. The snow has mostly disappeared in tlie 

 vales, and in suiuiy locations, l)ut the hills and 

 mountiiins arc still clothed in white. There are 

 but faint signs of returning vegetation, even in 

 pleasiyj^t places ; Jask Frost still holds sway over 

 all the vegetable kingdom. Winter grain has suf- 

 fered severely from the intense cold of spring, 

 and according to present appearances the crop 

 must be light — jtill it may yet revive ; the powers 

 of nature are sometimes healing, and the mild 

 breath of summer, with the "genial shower," may 

 agreeably dis,i[ipoint the present expectations of 

 farmers in tliis vicinity. I have noticed a few in- 

 stances of small fruit trees being slightly injured 

 by unusual accumulations of ico around their 

 trunks. Just above the ground where the trees 

 stood in an unfavorable location and were not 

 properly banked up, the ice formed by continual 

 thaws during tlie winter, and followed by immedi- 

 ate freezir g, and this process continued late into 

 spring, ami thus by compression on the|outer bark 

 of the tree causing it to peel off. All such, trees 

 may be saved by immediately applying any adhe- 



sive plaster to the exfoliated part, so as to protect 

 it from the action of the elements. Last but not 

 least, the spring birds came as usual, in quite a 

 merry mood, butl regret to say, met with a "cold 

 reception" from the elements; a violent north- 

 easter soon dispersed them, and I fear many liave 

 perished — some have however returned, and are 

 to-day "discoursing sweet music" from the tree- 

 tops to all those who are favored with the ear. 

 West Keene, N.H., April 22, 1854. n. b. 



Remarks. — The blue-birds in this vicinity were 

 nearly all dispersed or destroyed in the severe storm 

 which occurred here on Saturday, the 15th, and 

 Monday the 17th of April. 



STATEMENT OF JOHN H. ROBINSON. 



Gentlemen : — Herewith I send a statement of 

 the yield of milk from six of my cows for the 

 year beginning Septcml>er 20th, 1852, ending 

 Septemljer 20th, 1853. 



I have selected from my stock such as I intend- 

 ed to keep the entire year ; not, however, so much 

 with reference to their milking properties at any 

 given time within the year, as with the view of 

 ascertaining precisely the average yield per day, 

 through the year, of what may be considered good, 

 fair milkers. 



Two of them calved in September, 1852 ; two 

 in December, and two in January, 1853 ; so that 

 it will be seen that four of them have been in 

 milk only for eight or nine months iu the year. 



The whole yield has been 16,653 gals., making 

 an average for each cow per day of 7 quarts, 1 

 pint, 1 gill. Tlie greatest average of any one of 

 the six has been 9 quarts, 1 pint, per day ; and the 

 smallest average 5 quarts, 1 pint ; all measured 

 by the Beer Measure, about the 20th day of each 

 month, and a memorandum made by myself of the 

 product of each cow, separately. The milk was 

 delivered for the Boston market at an average 

 price of 14 cents per gal., at the barn, which 

 would amount to $582,82, or $97,13 for each 

 cow. 



The feed has been, in the winter, tlie best of 

 English and salt hay (half of each,) with half a 

 bushel of brewer's grains per day a part of the 

 time, or, instead of grains, half a pock of corn 

 and oil meal soaked in water twelve hours before 

 feeding. In the summer and fall, no grain, but 

 good pasturage, with a plenty of green corn fod- 

 der. They have received no better attention than 

 the balance of my stock, all having been fed with 

 the same quantity and in the same way. 



My rule is, wlxen feeding from the barn, to have 

 them fed and milked about the same time each 

 day ; say hay three times, grain twice, and water 

 three times, the last watering at 8 o'clock in the 

 evening, which I consider very important. In 

 winter my milch cows are kept for the most 

 of the time in the barn, often, in very cold weath- 

 er, for two weeks together. 



The cost of keeping, at the present high price 

 of hay and grain, may, I think, be put down at 

 al)out $2,25 per week, from November to June, 

 and the rest of the year at 50 cents ; making the 

 vviiole cost for the year about $75 per head. 



As sucli a difference of opinion prevails as to 

 the average yield of milk from a stock of cows, I 

 have ventured to present somewhat at length the 



