520 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



July 



ual aggrandizement. The one tends to democracy, 

 tlie otlier to despotism. 



As the spirit of the age is the democracy of sci- 

 ence — the diffusion, not the consolidation of knowl- 

 edge — an attempt will be made to point out sev- 

 eral subjects of science, -with'such plans and modes 

 of promoting them as will tend to bring knowledge 

 to every man's door, and to give to it free access 

 ))y every farmer's son and every mechanic's daugh- 

 ter. As the schools of our country constitute or 

 ought to constitute not a "■national university,'''' 

 but a "university of the nation," special endea- 

 vors ■will be made to present such subjects, plans, 

 and modes as will aid in training the young beings 

 composing them for success in their future voca- 

 tions ; to put them on the track of "practical 



SCIENCE, rRODUCTIVE INDUSTRY, AND CHRISTIAN JIOR- 

 AI,S.'' 



should they be set out, how set, and what land 

 will they do best onl David E. Brown. 



FrankUn, N. //., 1854. 



EXTRACTS AND REPLIES. 



rOISON FOR RATS. 



Can you inform me through your paper what is 

 the best poison for rats where hens are kept ? 

 Boston, May 25, 1854. a. s. 



Remarks. — Sprinkle about a little flour or meal 

 for a day or two, and after that add a small quan- 

 tity of strychnine. 



LIGHTNING RODS. 



Will the Editor give through the Farmer the 

 necessary information in regard to liglitning rods. 

 Arc they a safe and certain protection from the 

 fluid 1 Of what materials and how should they 

 be constru"cted ? Are buildings or persons injured 

 ever, or life destroyed when they are properly put 

 up ? By answering these inquiries and adding 

 such infoi-mation as you may wish in regard to 

 the whole subject, I doubt not you will oblige 

 many of your readers. Yours truly, 



Essex, Vi., May 20, 1824. S. G. Bvtlei:. 



Remarks. — The subject is an important one, but 

 in a season like this, when much of the usual 

 spring work is crowded into the space of a few 

 days, wo cannot give that attention to a matter 

 like that whicb is the subject of inquiry above, 

 which it merits. Nor shall we ever be able to say 

 that no person has ever been injured where rods 

 are properly put up. Last summer we noticed 

 some eight or ten accounts in the papers, of de- 

 struction of both life and property by lightning, 

 and in every case there were rods attached to 

 the buildings struck. Unless properly put up we 

 believe there is more danger than to be entirely 

 without them. Perhaps some of our correspon- 

 dents, blessed with leisure and good will, may 

 make themselves useful in a consideration of this 

 8ul)jcct. 



Our friend will please bear in mind that farm- 

 ing is our business, and that wo believe fully in 

 the "old saw," 



'•Not with his hands, hut with his sight, 

 The master keeps his woikinen riglxt." 



CULTIVATION OF STRAWBERRIES. 



1 wish to inquire the method of cultivating 

 English strawberries? AYhat time in the year 



Remarks. — The best season for setting straw- 

 berry plants is in the spring — in May. Set one 

 row, then 15 inches ofi" another, and 15 inches 

 more another row ; then leave a path 30 inches 

 wide. After they have been cultivated a few years, 

 the plants may be transferred to the 30 inch path, 

 and the bed renewed. For field culture, plant 

 the rows three feet apart so as to cultivate with a 

 horse. 



LIME TURNIPS the SEASON. 



IIow shall I apply oyster shell lime to the soil 

 to tliebcst advantage? My soil is a heavy, moist 

 loam, Avith a hard pan bottom, some two or three 

 feet iVom the surfece. {a.) 



Will turnii^s, either English, or ruta-bagas, do 

 well for winter food for stock, sown at this season 

 of the year, or any time in May? Will they not 

 grow large, corky and nearly worthless, sown at 

 this season on good land ? I have a piece of new 

 hill burnt land, cleared last fall and sowed to rye 

 and seeded, but the rye has nearly all winter- 

 killed. Tlie soil is good, but the most of it is too 

 rocky and stumpy to plow ; will carrots do any- 

 thing on such land without the use of the p>low ? 

 I have queried a good deal in my own mind what 

 kind of a ci-op to sow (or plant even) to get the 

 best return for my labor, and the more I queried, 

 the farther I AA'as from coming to any conclusion 

 as to what was the best method for me to pursue, 

 and in my dilemma I ask for advice, {h.) 



The season is very backward in this region as it 

 must be throughout the country. Ground froze 

 hard last night, and water nearly three- fourths of 

 an inch thick, making the cattle which have been 

 turned out look rather sorry. We hope we have 

 had our last freeze for this spring, and that vege- 

 tation will soon make rapid strides. 



Mr. Charles C. Stevens, of this town, gave me a 

 jMalay hen's egg, which measured 2 inches in di- 

 ameter, 3 inches long — CJ inches in circumfer- 

 ence one way, and 3 inches the other way. Is 

 that often beat ? * James A. Blake. 



Wancich, Mass., 1854. 



Remarks. — (a.) Sow a part of the lime broad- 

 cast and a part in drills or the hills and note the 

 effect. The slightest covering will be sufficient. 



{h.) Your burnt hill land will be excellent for 

 turnips ; the common flat turnip will probaljly 

 succeed best, as the ruta bagas require a mellow 

 and somewhat deep soil. The middle or last of 

 July will be early enough to sow the seed, and if 

 carefully raked in on such land, you may reason- 

 ably e.\peet a most abundant crop. 



Signs op Health in Sheep are, a skittish 

 brightness, clear azure eye, florid, ruddy eye- 

 strings and gums, teeth fast, breath sweet, nose 

 and eyes dry, respiration free and regular, feet 

 cool, dung substantial, wool fast and unbroken, 

 skin of fine florid red, particularly on the brisket. — 

 Lawrence on Cattle. • 



