394 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Sept. 



over the fragrant tea and the smoking barley 

 cakes. 



Many of the manipulations of the farmer for 

 September, are such as are also applicable to, and 

 were isuggestedin, August. 



Seed Corn — should be selected in the field, 

 and from early, thrifty stalks, which contain two 

 or three ears. If this were faithfully attended to 

 for several years, our corn might be much im- 

 proved in earliness and fulness of the ears. Trace 

 and hang it up in safe places. 



Sowing Wheat. — SulScient directions have re- 

 cently been given in these columns on this point. 

 It will be well to wash the wheat in strong brine 

 before sowing ; the salt will benefit it, and it will 

 separate the light kernels and chaff, and perhaps 

 some false seeds, from the wheat, which may then 

 be removed. The earlier it is sown in September 

 the better will be the prospect of a good crop. 



Rye. — Early sowing of this crop, too, is im- 

 portant to success. 



Fattening Animals. — No time should be lost 

 now in this branch of husbandry. Whatever the 

 animals are, feed plentifully, and make them per- 

 fectly comfortable, and they will gain much faster 

 now than in cold weather. A variety of food is 

 better than to confine them to a single article. 



Harvesting. — After making trial in three ways, 

 viz., topping the corn, cutting it up at the ground 

 and shocking ; and leaving it untouched until the 

 leaves and stems ware dead ; we have come to the 

 conclusion that the best way is — both in point of 

 economy and convenience — to top the corn when 

 the spindle and a little of the stem below it is dry, 

 and leave the remainder in the field, no matter, if 

 the weather is moderate, if until into November; 

 the grain will not hurt. In topping the corn the 

 grain is undoubtedly diminished ; but the quality 

 of the fodder will make up for this, and all the 

 labor of harvesting the crop in this way is 

 greatly more convenient and pleasant. 



Potatoes — of late y«irs — have required early 

 harvesting. 



Turnips, — ruta bagas, cabbages, may be left 

 late, as they are not injured by light frosts. 



Carrots should not be exposed to frosts. 



Apples are better gatliered a little late, but 

 not exposed to heavy frosts. 



On the first pleasant day take out your windows, 

 and tack a strip of list, of suitable thickness, on 

 the outer edges ; so that it will be entirely out of 

 sight — return the sash to its place, and your job 

 is done. By this simple process almost any room 

 may be rendered delightfully warm, and the wife 

 and children remarkably pleasant. Try it. — 

 Cleverland Free Democrat. 



A Seasonable Hint. — As the cold season is at 

 hand, and economy in fuel is a subject of some 

 importance, it may bo well to mention a very sim- 

 ple way of shutting out the cold from our dwell 

 inge, and thereby adding much to the comfort of 

 home. Those who are annoyed by the clatter of 

 windows when the mercury is considerably below 

 zero, and by a current of air sufiieiently strong to 

 turn a good sized wind-mill, can easily obtain re- 

 lief by atl-ending to the following directions. 

 Procure a shilling's worth of list from the tailor, 

 and a paper of small tacks from the hardware store. 



Agriculture — Its Essentials and Non-Essen- 

 tials. Including an Examination of the Prop- 

 erties of Guano, and other Manures. By H. N. 

 Fryatt, of Belleville, N. J. T. S. Magagnos & 

 Co., Publishers, N. Y." — This is a pamphlet of 

 60 large pages, attempting to show, briefly, what 

 the earth and the atmosphere supply to plants, 

 and what the cultivator himself must supply. The 

 writer states that the atmosphere furnishes car- 

 bonic acid, ammonia, nitrogen and water, and 

 that these serve in the gaseous form to sustain the 

 plant after it has acquired leaves ; the leaves ab- 

 sorbing these gases in company with water, de- 

 composing and depositing the carbon and nitro- 

 gen in the seeds. 



The soil — he says — in addition to its supplies 

 from the air, contains within itself an inexhausti- 

 ble supply of carbonic acid and ammonia, from 

 the slow decay of its humus (woody fibre) and the 

 countless myriads of insect and vegetable re- 

 mains. 



He condemns the ammonia theory, upon which 

 Prof. LiEBiG started, but which he has in a great 

 measure abandoned. He states that ammonia is 

 supplied in all climates and situations, in greater 

 excess than carbonic acid, according to the rela- 

 tive wants of vegetation. In short, that there is 

 no need, whatever, o^ purchasing ammonia. 



The three great essentials which he states must 

 be supplied artificially, are, — the pulverization of 

 the soil by plowing, spading, hoeing, &c., — by 

 caustic lime and phosphate of lime — bones. 



We are not sufficiently versed in chemical lore, 

 to declare whether all his statements and reason- 

 ing are right or wrong, and can only say that to 

 us they appear plausible and well considered. At 

 any rate, we have had more interest excited in 

 reading the pamphlet, than in perusing anything 

 of a kindred subject for some time. We shall 

 test some of his assertions on our own farm, and 

 if they prove correct, shall find the management 

 of our crops less difficult and expensive than we 

 have heretofore. 



The Butterfly Plant. — The National Intel- 

 ligencer says that a specimen of the singular and 

 beautiful "butterfly plant" is now in bloom at 

 the National green-house in Washington. The 

 blossoms are very large and yellow, Avith reddish 

 brown spots, and are moved to and fro with every 

 breath of air, so as to resemble very much the 

 gaudy insect from which it derives its name. The 

 plant was brought from the Island of St. Thomas 

 in the U- S. frigate Raritan. 



