aSG 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Aug,. 



SCO in a corn-field any other than a very low, flat 

 bill, if any -hill at all."' Those are tlio kind, I 

 know, that we sx in the books, wliile the corn- 

 ticWs of tiirniers in this section show pretty large 

 hills ai)oat the roots of corh. 



Fruil Trc s. — Two articles on "Scraping and 

 Waehing i'rei.s;'" and two on "Protecting Peach 

 Trees" in winter, by the use of matting. I have 

 seen the u.se of boughs of Evergreen, leaned up 

 against the peach tv"/.', so as to shield its branches, 

 recommended ; two kinds of pears desL'ribed and 

 recommended. 



Gariltn. — "Farmers' Gardens," "What a Gar- 

 den sii )uld be," and "Onltivatiou of Strawber- 

 ries." 

 Inscc/s. — To those whose trees were "burned" by 

 the canker-worm, and whose fruit was destroyed 

 by the curculio, the various articles on insects will 

 be iatcrestiiig, even though they may atlord but 

 littlj hope of an inmiediae triumph over these 

 our most dre.ided and powerful opponents. "Cat- 

 erpill irs" is a hopeful article : "Habits of In- 

 sects," is instructive ; two remedies for the 'Cur- 

 :}ulio," one a new one, are encouraging ; and so 

 are dire^jtiuns for destroying the "Slimy Slug ;" 

 but tiie article on the ravages of the "Canker 

 Worm," siiows that all known preventives have 

 proved on'.y partially effective, and that tlie evil 

 is increasing ; yet in the proposition to raise 500 

 dollars as a premium for the discovery of a reme- 

 dy, t};at spirit of determination is manifested from] 

 which much may be expected. 



Maniif's. — On "Decomposing Uones ;" "Mea- 

 dow Mud and Lime ;" "Cost of Manures;" and 

 an article dy Mr. Holbrook on "The Application 

 of Lime and Aslies for t :c Improvoment of Land."' 

 Has Mr. Holhrook ever made parcels of compo-it 

 alike in all respects except in the addition and 

 o.mission of lime, and by the respective etfecls of 

 such composts t^i^ting the value of lime ? I have 

 tried it on a small scale, in several ways, but have 

 not lje,en aMe to perceive, with my own eyes, the 

 least b.-nelit whatever to vegetation or soil, eith- 

 er chemi(;ally, mechanically or otherwise, from 

 the use of lime. My composts of njud i'v which 

 lime was mingled have proved very valuable ; and 

 just as valuaMe, for aught I can see, w.tho .t it. 

 I submit tiiese remarks in the spirit of suggestion ; 

 fully aware of the possiljility of my observation, 

 instead of the lime, l)eing at fault ; and believing, 

 further, that if favtners will not make use of tiie 

 vcgeta'de deposits w^itljin tlieir reach without 

 some admixture to which they may loop their 

 faith, then lim;i, or salt, or any other material, 

 may be safely and justifiably recommended. 



Stock. — "A Horse's Foot" cautions against al- 

 lowing t!ie animal to stand upon a hot-bedof ma- 

 nure and litter; "Introduction of Domestic Ani- 

 mals" into America; "French Merino Buck;" 

 Editorial iiints on "Salting Stock ;" on "Crib- 

 bing," "Summer Feed for Cows and Pigs;" 

 "S(juth Down Sheep." 



Sdcntifc. — "Democracy of Science;" "The 

 ElF.'Cts of O.xygen in accelerating Germination ;" 

 "Production of Buds and Seeds;" "What a 

 Whole Crop carries off." 



A'li'antaires of living on Poor Land. — One of 

 those articles that do people go >d to read, by 

 l)racing up t!ie bitter sentiments of t'.io heart, in- 

 Kpiring gratitude and contentment, and by "vin- 

 dicating the ways of God to man." 



Elle7i Jones. — A "Story," illustrating the dan- 

 ger of sending our children away fi'om home to 

 city or village life, even for a brief "Term" of a 

 fashiona'de school, with the expectation that they 

 will ri'turn, contented and happy, ty their old 

 occu{)ations and circumstances. 



Well Digging. — With this very practical-look- 

 ing caption, we have a dissertation on "Bletou- 

 ism," "Biology," "Mesmerism," "Spirit-raj,v 

 ping," "Money-digging" and "eleetrilication," 

 that in my humble opinion, should have been re- 

 served until the people of this world are a little 

 more advanced in knowledge than they are likely 

 to become during this nineteentli century. 



There are also three articleson the silk business; 

 one on Wheat in New England ; one on Haying ; 

 Book-farming a swamp ; sensible thoughts about 

 boys on farms, by Willis; Lidian modes of stor- 

 ing grain, with a brief account of Colonial agri- 

 culture ; New plants ; Time for cutting Timber ; 

 Posts for fence ; Winter in Mississippi ; ITie Far- 

 mer's Home ; Autumnal Marrow Sqaasli ; High 

 Prices, Emigration, Sugar, &c., &c. 



Winchcsicr, July, 1854. A Reader. 



SAYIMG GRASS SESB. 



Many farmv'rs neglect to save their own grie-" 

 seeds because it needs attention at a time when 

 they are most busy with their grain and hay .; but 

 if farmers generally v?ould make it a point to save 

 seed for their own use, they would find their ac- 

 count in it, both in prime cost, and in not being 

 imposed upon by buying foul seed from another 

 man's farm, who had no interest in keeping their 

 land free of weeds. 



Orchard Grass is among the first to ripen, and 

 will be rea'Jy to cut from the 2Uth of June to the 

 first of Jul}', according to the locj,tion and soil. 

 This should be either reaped or cradled and im- 

 mediately put in compact shocks, to stand a 

 couple of weeks. Tliestublile may then Iw mowed 

 and hayed, taking cai'e not to disturb tlie snocks. 

 When di'y, the shocks aliould be moved very care- 

 fully to the barn for storage, as the seed shells 

 out e.isily. 



K alucky Blue Grass comes in season for bar- 

 est about the same time as orchard grass. The best 

 metiiod of gathering the seed of this grass is by 

 stripping tlie heads b}' liand ; the process is rath- 

 er slow, but no other way will liring the seed, in 

 good condition, as it is too light and chafiy to he 

 threshed and winnowed. At the price for w'uich 

 it sells in market, oven this slow way [uiys well. 



Meadow Fescue (English Blue Grass) is ripe 

 early in July, and having a tolerably heavy 

 seed, Can be cut by the cradle or sickle, and wiien 

 dry, threshed and winnowed carefully to separate 

 the chaff. 



Foul Meadow Grass ripens its seed in the last 

 of July. We consider this as the beet grass that 

 can be raised for meadow swiiils and me.rsh lands. 

 It is fine, nutritious and yields a great burden; 

 and like a good natured wife — will bear a great 

 deal of neglect witiiout spoiling. When in iieai. 

 tliis gr.iss very nearly reaemldes red top, and is of- 

 ten mistaken for it. The seed is very fine and 8ell!> 

 at a high j)riee — as much by the bushel as clover 

 seed, though much lighter. 



Timothy seed ripens in July, and as it is con- 

 tained in strong heads, it is very easily harvested 



