438 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Sept. 



this year, to my entire satisfaction. In the fall 

 (any time before frost) the vine may be cut in any 

 convenient length, and placed in layers, on the 

 Burfoce of the earth, to the depth of twelve or 

 eighteen inches, cover the vines whilst damp,with 

 partially rotted straw, (either pine or wheat will 

 answer) to the depth of six inches, and cover the 

 whole with a light soil about four inches deep. 

 In this way the vines will keep during the winter, 

 and in the spring they will put out sprouts as 

 abundantly as the potato itself when bedded. 

 The draws or sprouts can be planted first, and 

 the vine itself can l)e subsequently cut and used 

 as we .generally plant slips. This experiment is 

 worthy the consideration of farmers, as it will 

 save a great many seed potatoes, (particularly on 

 large plantations) which can be used for feed- 

 ing. Let every farmer, however, make the ex- 

 periment for himself, and be governed by the 

 result." 



SINGULAR CASE OF INSTINCT IN A 

 HORSE. 



We do not remember ever to have heard of a 

 more remarkable exhibition of equine intelligence 

 than the one which follows : — 



Mr. A. had for a considerable time a span of 

 sprightly little horses, that he had never separa- 

 ted. In the stable, in the field, and the harness, 

 they have always been together. This has caused 

 a strong attachment to grow up between them. 

 A few days ago he went with them out to Lake 

 Minnetouka, on a fishing excursion. TaRing them 

 out of the carriage, he led them to the lake and 

 tied them several rods apart on a strip of grass 

 that grew upon the shore, and left them to feed. 

 Returning to the shantee, he threw himself upon 

 the floor, to wait the return of the party who had 

 repaired to the lake to fish. 



Not much time had elapsed before the sound of 

 approaching horses' feet attracted his attention, 

 and a moment after, one of his horses appeared 

 at the door. The animal put his head in, and 

 giving one neigh, returned at a slow gallop, yet 

 under evident excitement, to the spot where, but 

 a few moments before, he and his companion had 

 been seemingly safely fastened. Surprised to find 

 Ills horse loose, and struck with his singular con- 

 duct, Mr. A. immediately followed, and found 

 the other lying in the water, entangled in the 

 rope, and struggling to keep his head from being 

 submerged. While Mr. A. proceeded to disen- 

 gage the unfortunate horse, his noble benefactor 

 stood by, manifesting the utmost solicitude and 

 sympathy, and when his mate was extricated from 

 his situation, and again upon his feet upon terra 

 firma, the generous creature exhiljited the most 

 unquestionable signs of satisfaction and joy. That 

 this intelligent animal should have noticed the 

 unfortunate situation of his mate — that he should 

 know wliere to apply for rescue, and in his ef- 

 forts should sunder a three-fourths of an inch 

 rope, and finally that he should exhibit so high 

 an appreciation of the event, are curious circum- 

 stances to us, and commend themselves to the 

 thoughtful consideration of those who would limit 

 the power of reasoning to the "genus homo." — 

 St. Anthony's Express. 



UousE Ants. — The best way to get rid of ants 

 is to set a quantity of cracked walnuts or shell 



barks on plates, and put them in the closet and 

 place where the ants congregate. They are very 

 fond of these,and will collect on them in myriads. 

 When they have collected on them, make a gener- 

 al auto-da-fe, by turning nuts and ants together 

 into the fire, and then replenish the plates with 

 fresh nuts. After they have become so thinned 

 off as to cease collecting on the plates, powder 

 some gum camphor, and put it in the holes and 

 crevices, whereupon the remainder of them will 

 speedily vamose. It may help the process of get- 

 ting them to assemble on the shell-barks to re- 

 move all edibles out of their way for the time. 



TIMELY PARAGRAPHS. 



The following beautiful passage, by Washing- 

 ton Irving, in the "Home Book of the Pictur- 

 esque," might almost make a day cheerful : 



And here let me say a word in favor of those vi- 

 cissitudes of our climate wdiich are too often made 

 the subject of exclusive repining. If they annoy 

 us occasionally by changes from hot to cold, from 

 wet to dry, they give us one of the beautiful cli- 

 mates in the world. They give us tlie brilliant 

 sunshine of the south of Europe, with the fresh ver- 

 dureofthe north. They float our summer sky with 

 clouds of gorgeous tints or fleecy whiteness, and 

 send down cooling showers to refresh the panting 

 earth and keep it green. Our seasons are. all po- 

 etical ; the phenomena of our heavens are full of 

 sublimity and beauty. 

 Winter with us has none of its proverbial gloom. 

 It may have its howling winds, and whirling snow 

 storms ; but it has also its long intervals of cloud- 

 less sunshine, when the snow-clad earth gives re- 

 doubled brightness to the day ; when at night the 

 stars beam with intensest lustre, or the moon floods 

 the whole landscape with her most limpid radi- 

 ance ; and then the joyous outbreak of spring, 

 bursting at once into leaf and blossom, redundant 

 with vegetation, and vociferous Avith life ! — and 

 the splendors of our summer — its morning vo- 

 luptuousness and evening glory — its airy palaces 

 of the sun-gilt clouds piled up in a deep azure sky ; 

 and its gusts of tempest of almost tropical gran- 

 deur, when the forked lightning and the bellowing 

 thunder volley from the battlements of heaven, 

 and shake the sultry atmosphere — and the sublime 

 melancholy of our autumn, magnificent in its de- 

 cay, withering down the pomp and pride of a 

 woodland country, yet reflecting back from its 

 yellow forests the golden serenity of the sky, sure- 

 ly we may say in our climate "the heavens declare 

 the glory of God, and the firmament showeth forth 

 his handiwork ; day unto day uttereth speech ; and 

 night unto nijjht showeth knowledge." 



Who can Stand the Heat 1 — The editor of the 

 Buffalo Democracy , an experienced iron worker, 

 gives the capacity of different classes of people to 

 endure heat. He has noticed that nearly all the 

 deaths from excessive heat of this summer have 

 been among emigrants. They cannot stand our 

 hot dry summers. He says that in blast furnaces 

 and rolling mills the Irish will endure more hard 

 and hot work than the Americans of Ohio, Vir- 

 ginia and Kentucky, or Indiana. Yet it is of rare 

 occurrence that an American dies of sun-stroke. 

 The English and the Welsh endure hot work about 



