1854. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMEE. 



321 



For the Pt'ew England Farmer. 



FRENCH MEEIITO BUCK, "OLD TIGER." 



Old TiGEU is 5 years oM, 18) lbs. wei^-lit of 

 carcass, 10 Iba. 11 ox. Wright of fleece, and very 

 clean for unwashid wool. The ■wool is fine and 

 even for that variti^y. His stock is superior, and 

 sought after by many of our best wool growers. 1 

 have repeatedly refused $500 for him. I pur- 

 chased Old Tiger, as he is called, August 20th, 

 1850, of Mr. A. S. Bingham, of Cornwall, Vt.; 

 he is known as the Taint cr Stoch. I paid s200 

 for him, and I confess that it has been tlie l)est in- 

 vestment 1 ever made, having realized the sum of 

 $1200 profit from him in three years. My pres- 

 ent flock consists of French, Silesian and Spanish 

 Merinos, selected mostly from Mr. Cami'bell's 

 celebrated flock, who is now breeding each variety 

 distinct, except in a few cases of cross with each 

 other, which have thus far proved very satisfac- 

 tory. Very truly, 



Braiileboro\ Vi. A. V. Stocjcwei.l. 



PROSPECTS OF THE SEASON. 

 The frequent rains and cool weatlier liat-e giv- 

 en the fields an unusual richness; on old fields 

 grass was considerably winter-killed, and the crop 

 will bo rather light, notwithstanding the favora- 

 ble weather ; on fields more recently laid down 

 the prospect for a full crop is favorable. Winter 

 rye, and the few pieces of winter wheat we have 

 seen, look well. Oats and barley also promise 

 well now. Corn has generally come well where 

 it has not been scorched by coming into contact 

 with guano. We have hoard of a good many 

 acres to be replanted from this cause. The grain 



must not come in contact with the guano, even 

 tliough the latter is mingled with four or five parts 

 of loam. Nor should the guano be in a mass be- 

 low the kernels, because when the root strikes 

 down into it, the guano is quite sure to kill it. 

 When guano is applied to the hill it should be 

 scattered over a surface one or two feet square. 

 Potatoes are up well and generally look finely. 



There is good promise of a Axir fruit crop. 

 Cherries will not be so abundant as last year, but 

 in some sections quite plentiful. The peach crop 

 will be light — the winter was too severe. If we 

 mean to secure an annual crop of this delicious 

 fruit, we must devise some way of protecting the 

 trees. See two articles in last week's paper on 

 this subject. Apples promise well, a sufficient 

 amount of fruit hanging on to give a good supply, 

 wlicre the worms have not destroyed the foliage. 

 Tlie caterpillars came early and were numerous, 

 and in some of tlie towns near Boston have been 

 succeeded by the canker worm, which has made 

 great havoc among the orchards. In passing 

 tlirougli tiie town of Marll)orough last week — said 

 to be the second best farming town in tlie State — wo 

 saw numerous orchards nearly defoliated l)y cater- 

 pillars ; the branches were bare of every tiling but 

 the huge, ugly nests of the caterpillar — a striking 

 contrast to the usual good husbandry of our agri- 

 cultural friends in tiiat beautiful town. On the 

 whole, the prospects to the farmer are encourag- 

 ing ; prices of all kinds of produce are higli,and 

 with diligence and economj-, he cannot fail to reap 

 a fair reward for his labor. 



