298 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



JCLT 



as is generally used for the crop. Is it known 

 whether the Indians hilled their corn before the 

 English cultivated it among them 1 A proper hoe 

 ing of the corn must not be neglected, during the 

 early part of haying. Keep the ground clear of 

 weeds, and the surface in such fine tilth as to re 

 ceive t!ie greatest benefit from the sun, rain and 

 dews. 



Haying. — Do not delay this work too long. By 

 selecting a field here and there, or even a part of 

 a field, that has come into fit condition to be cut, 

 you Avill gain in the excellence of the fodder, far 

 more than the loss will be of cutting in small par- 

 cels. Do not make the hay too much. In a 

 bright, hot, July day, herds grass or red top, cut 

 early in the morning, spread evenly and frequent- 

 ly stirred, can be made sufficiently in one day, to 

 keep sweet and perfectly well through the winter. 

 The juices are fairly burnt out of a great deal of 

 hay, and it is carried to the barn so wiry and hard 

 that the cattle eat the leaves and refuse the rest. 

 A little salt may be added to hay with advan- 

 tage. 



Harvesting Grain. — The cutting of wheat, 

 barley, rye, and oats, is often dela^-ed too long, 

 and the loss arising from it is in several ways. 

 By early cutting, 



1. It will not fall out and be lost upon the 

 ground. 



2. The grain cut early will make more bread, 

 and the color will be more delicate. 



3. You prevent an unnecessary exhaustion 

 of the soil — for after the stem reaches a certain 

 state, if nutriment is gathered by it, it is not con 

 veyed to the grain. And, 



4. The straw will be altogether better, whether 

 it is to be usod for fodder or domestic purposes. 

 Whenever the straw becomes dry its action upon 

 the grain has probably ceased. But is it not too 

 long to wait until the whole stem is dry ? The 

 stem is smallest directly under the head, and 

 when that part is dead the crop may be harvest- 

 ed, and will produce the greatest weight of grain. 



Turnips.— Where the peas, potatoes and other 

 early crops have been taken off, put in rata bagas, 

 and later in the month the flat turnip. 



Cabcages. — Cabbages for late crops may be 

 set. 



Melons, squashes, cucumbers, and all the gar- 

 den plants, should be kept clean and carefully 

 tended every way. It will not l)e too late to put 

 in melons and cucumbers for pickles early in this 

 month. Celery may be planted out in trenches. 



Seeds. — Collect all seeds as fast as they come to 

 maturity. 



_ Lime. — To receive the greatest benefit from lime, 



it must be kept as near the surface as jiossible. 



rhe reason is this : its weight and minuteness give . 



it a tendency to sink ; and after a few years of cul-| skimming the pans. 



tivation, a large portion of it will be found to 

 have gone beyond the depth of its most efficient 

 action. Hence it is advisable to* spread it on the 

 ground after plowing ;«then harrow it well in, and 

 allow it to remain in grass as long as good crops 

 can be had. When the lime is settled down be- 

 low the reach of the common plow, the subsoil 

 plow will prolong its effect, by enabling the at- 

 mosphere and the roots of plants to penetrate the 

 subsoil likewise. 



THE CHILD AND THE FLOWER. 



"0, tell nie, mother," saU a fair young child, 



As he gazed with his earnest eyes, 

 "Who made this flower ? What painted it so ? 

 What gave to it that deep rich glow. 



Like the blue of the beautiful skies '" 



"He who made that flower, my darling boy, 



Who maketh the thunders roll ; 

 lie made the earth, the sky, the sea, 

 The flower, the fruit, the loaf, the tree, 



And gave to thee thy soul. 



"Is His home, dear mother, that southern land, 



Where the perfumed breezes play — 

 %Vhere the gorgeous birds, with golden wing, 

 Slake bright the never changing spring 



In bowers that are ever gay ?" 



"His home, my child, is beyond the skies, 



A paradise of flowers, 

 Where little children — angels there — 

 Paint those flowers so bright and fair, 



And bring them to this land of ours." 



"0, how I wish that home were mine, 



And you were with me too ; 

 I would paint a wreath so strangely fair 

 And twine it, mother, for you to wear — 



A crown of heaven's own hue !" 



BUTTER. 



Not one pound in five of the butter sold in the 

 market is fit for human food. Buttermakers should 

 remember these few short rules : 



The newer and sweeter the cream, the sweeter 

 and higher flavored will be the butter. 



The air must be fresh and pure in the room or 

 cellar where the milk is set. 



The cream should not remain on the milk over 

 thirty-six hours. 



Keep the cream in tin pails, or stone pots, into 

 which put a spoonful of salt at the beginning, 

 then stir the cream lightly each morning and eve- 

 ning : this will prevent it from moulding or sour- 

 ing. 



Chum as often as once a week, and as muCh 

 oftener as circumstances will permit. 



Upon churning, add the cream upon all the 

 milk in the dairy. 



Use nearly an ounce of salt to a pound of but- 

 ter. 



Work the butter over twice, to free it from the 

 buttermilk and brine, before lumping and pack- 

 ing. 



Be sure that it is entirely free from every par- 

 ticle of buttermilk, or coagulated milk, and it 

 will keep sweet as long as desired. 



In Scotland, a syphon is sometimes used to 

 separate the milk from the cream, instead of 



