1854, 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



275 



particulars herewith submitted, and if in the opin- 

 ion of tlie Committee they are considered of any 

 importance, they may be disposed of in such way 

 as IS judged best. Very respectfully, 



John II. Koeinson. 

 Dorchester, Sept. 21, 1853. 



Trans. Norfolk Ag, Society. 



For the New England Farmer. 



SAVE THE MANURES. 



Dear Farmer : — Although I am not a reg- 

 ular reader of your valuable paper, yet the inter- 

 est which it advocates has a strong, deep hold on 

 my affections. And though my present business, 

 leads me in an entirely different channel, still I 

 look forward with pleasure to that time when I 

 shall tlirow aside tlje cares and perplexities of 

 trade, and become the sole proprietor of a few 

 acres of land, whereon I can carry out a few of the 

 many improvements which are recouimended by 

 your valiu\ble journal. I was born and bred a 

 fanner, ))ut, lilce too many of our young men, I 

 thought I should be perfectly happy if I was only 

 a merchant. But after four years experience, 1 

 should he glad to leave the noise and confusion of 

 the city behind, and once more follow the plow. 



My object in writing these lines, is, to make a 

 few i-emarks to the farmers of New England, on 

 the folly of wasting the vianure made in their 

 yards and stables. As ready money and good credit 

 is the merchant's capital, so is good ?namirc the 

 farmer's be.'it friend and capita!; wliich if judicious- 

 ly applied, will cause the soil to bring fortli an 

 'hundred fold," and amply repay him for any ex- 

 tra troulde or expense which lie may incur. 



To the farmers of my native place \ woul 1 speak 

 plainly luit truly. 



One-half, and perhaps more, of tlie firmers of 

 that town have water running in an aqueduct in- 

 to a trough or cistern in their yards, while few, 

 if any, have a well constructed drain to carry off 

 the surplus water. 



In winter, while the manure is frozen hard, it 

 does but little damage if the water runs into, or 

 through the yard ; but when spring comes, and 

 the manure is thawed out by rains, or the sun, 

 then it does do damage, and much more too, than 

 our farmers are aware of. 



When the water collects in the yard, the first 

 thing done by the owner is to cut a ditch through the 

 lowest part of the yard, and allow the water to run 

 off, thereby losing his labor, and wasting his capi- 

 tal. 



First. By allowing the water to run through 

 the yard, carrying off nearly all the liquids of the 

 manure. Secondly. When the sun shines warm, 

 the manure being always wet, the farmer loses l)y 

 evaporation a great pirtof the ammonia, which by 

 the way is the most valuable part. 



Now I would ask, if it would not be much bet- 

 ter to have a well constructed drain, leading from 

 their cisterns away from their yards ? thereby re- 

 taining the whole strength of the manure, and do 

 away with one evil at least. 



Again. Most of the farmers throw the manure 

 from their stables, where it is left to the action of 

 the frost, rain and sun, until it is frozen, leached 

 and dried, leaving the bulk, but the strength is 

 gone. 



Now I ask any candid minded man, if it would 



not be much better to build a shed, at comparatively 

 small cost, over his stable windows, so as to effect- 

 ually protect the manure (rom the action of the 

 elements, and allow it to retain its full strength. 

 Another improvement would be to cart 40 or 50 

 loads of sand under the shed, and spread it on the 

 stable floor two or tln-ee times a week, so as to re- 

 tain the liquids, and then mix with the manure 

 thrown from the stable. One year's trial will con- 

 vince the most skeptical. II. Stuatton', Jr. 

 Hartford, 1854. 



For the New England Farmer. 



BREAKING STEERS. 



Mr. Editor : — Having used many different pairs 

 of oxen, I have many times found the necessity 

 of their being hand}', much more so than most 

 oxen are ; for it is many times inconvenient, b> 

 sides being expensive, to have oxen that you can- 

 not use anywhere, without some one to go by the 

 side of them; and sometimes it is necessary that 

 they should be very liandy, csi)ccially in plowing, 

 and most certainly in plowing in a young orchard, 

 where the trees liave been set but a sliort time. 

 As the saying is, it is hard learning old dogs new 

 tricks, and I think it is something so witli old ox- 

 en. As tlicre are many old oxen that never have 

 l)een taught only to gee and goahead, (unh'ss you 

 are at the side of tliem the whole of the time) I 

 think it is necossiiry that there should be more 

 pains taken to have them thorouglily broke, 

 when they are steers, and be tauglit what it is 

 necessary that they should know, before tlicy get 

 to be six or seven years old. INIany people who 

 raise cattle to soil when they are four or five 

 years old, would get mucli Initter paid for them 

 if they would thorouglily break them when young, 

 when you tan manage them more to your wish. 

 Xo doul)t there is a great difference in cattle about 

 learning and understanding. I would recommend 

 to all persons having steers, not to place too much 

 dependence in their boj-s, or young and inexperi- 

 enced hands at the business, for it requires judg- 

 ment, and a good teamster, to break or handy a 

 pair of steers in first rate order. F. a. 



Baldicinville, March 23, 1854. 



PLANTING SMALL POTATOES. 



We have given no little attention to this sub- 

 ject for manj years, and have settled the matter 

 conclusively in our own minds, that it does not 

 pay to plant small feed. For fifteen years we 

 planted the same nameless variety', on the same 

 soil, and at the end of that time found no deteri- 

 oration in the quality or yield, but rather an 

 improvement. NVe have invaria'^ly thrown out 

 from our seed all potatoes less in size than a hen'a 

 egg, and also rejected those overgrown, pithy, or 

 irregular shaped. 



In some favorable seasons, and on particular 

 soils, those purchasing and planting the small po- 

 tatoes which we have rejected, have raised crops 

 equal to or more prolific than our own ; but one 

 year with another, we have averaged thirty to 

 fifty per cent, better crops of good potatoes, than 

 our small potato neighbors. 



What we have found true in regard to potatoes, 

 wc have also, by long practice, proved true in re- 

 gard to other kinds of seed. Our plumpest and 



