1854. 



NEW ENGLAND EARMER. 



467 



— average, say, about 43 lbs. I have this year on 

 hand for seed, about 400 bushels, wliich 1 shall be 

 ready to distribute among farmers in a few weeks, 

 as soon as they can be tlirashed. They grow on 

 all sides of the atem, in the same kinds of soil, 

 and yield per No. bhls., about the same as com- 

 mon oats. Geo. F. Nutting. 

 Randolph, Vl, 1854. 



TO PREVENT FOWLS FROM SCRATCHING. 



A simple, cheap, and effective method of pre- 

 venting fowls from scratching in the garden or 

 field. Take strips of sheep or calf skin, soft and 

 pliable, cut a slot in each end and noose it around 

 their ancles, so that the step may be about 4 inches 

 long and no more. As all fowls necessarily spread 

 their feet to the utmost when tliey scratch for 

 seed or insects, it will be seen at once that these 

 operations must be effectually curtailed. Those 

 ■who have conveniences for confininj^ or feeding 

 their hens, will not need this method. But there 

 are many who have not such contrivances, and to 

 them I would reccommend its trial. AVhile it 

 prevents the injury they can do, it also permits 

 them to roam for tlieir food,&c., without the cost 

 of feeding, &c. After suffering several dollars 

 damage the present season, this plan came to my 

 mind and I cheerfully i-ecommend it to others. 



G. F. N. 

 MANURE FOR WHEAT. 



Mr. Editor : — A few weeks since one of your 

 agents persuaded me, somewhat against my own 

 judgment, to become a subscriber for the '■'■New 

 England Farmer. ''' Against my judgment I say, 

 not because I had any doubts with regard to the 

 value of your excellent paper, but I felt that I 

 had already as much capital invested in newspa- 

 pers as I could well afford. But I have not for a 

 moment i-egretted that I concluded to take it, and 

 I hope I shall never be deprived of its welcome 

 weekly visits while I am engaged in agricultural 

 pursuits, (a.) 



My oliject in this communication is to ask of 

 yourself or some of your correspondents a word of 

 advice that I have not yet been able satisfactorily 

 to glean from any papers that I have yet seen. 

 I have a piece of land that geologists would call a 

 clayey loam, situated where it cannot convenient- 

 ly be manured in the ordinary way. I have plowed 

 a part of it on which I design to sow winter 

 wheat. Now what kind of fertilizer would you 

 think best to use, taking into the account its cost, 

 its effect upon the wheat crop, and also upon the 

 land for some years after ! And should it be ap- 

 plied in the fall or spring? {!>.) 



Fairlee, Vl., 1854. John Stratton. 



Remarks. — (a.) That is the true way to tost 

 any paper — take it and try it. If you are satis- 

 fied that you do not get three or four times the 

 value of its cost, whv then discontinue it. 



{b.) If you wish to manure this land in the 

 most profitable manner, apply to the acre, 



Mexican Uuiino 300 pounds. 



Ground Bone, (dry) 200 " 



Ashes : 15 bushuls. 



Lime G " 



The land should l>e plowed not less than 8 

 inches deep ; 12 inches would bo better ; should 

 be thoroughly pulverized, and fertilizers worked 



in 3 or 4 inches deep, or even a little more, im- 

 mediately before sowing the wheat. Sow early 

 in September. But you must look well to the 

 drainage, and see that there are no hollows where 

 surface water will collect and freeze. Indeed, the 

 land should be underdrained, if at all springy. If 

 you take this course, please give us the result. 

 CHIP dirt. 



I wish to inquire how chip dirt will do to put 

 into the pig pen with meadow muck, tor the pigs 

 to w^ork over ] The chip dirt has been accumulat- 

 ing for two or three years, is composed chiefly of 

 rotten pine, and is pretty well pulverized. My 

 land is clay loam ; I generally dung my corn in 

 the hill, as the ground is new, and 1 can get bet- 

 ter crops by so doing. g. d. s. 



West Danville, Aug., 1854. 



Remarks. — The fine portions of the chip dirt 

 may be used to advantage in the pig pen. The 

 coarser parts make a good mulch for young trees. 



IS FARMING PROFITABLE ? 



We often hear the aflirmative of this decided, 

 and by persons, too, whose opinions ai'e entitled 

 to credit. We do not prefer to discuss this sub- 

 ject, but to give practical illustration of it, and 

 let our readers make the application. 



Deacon Brooks Shattuck, of Bedford, lx)ught 

 and moved upon his farm elevi^n years since. It 

 was a rough farm, for which he paid $2300. 

 He was a manufacturer, and had shattered his 

 health in a mill at Lowell. lie paid in cash $900, 

 leaving a debt to be paid from the farm of $1400. 

 During that eleven years he has supported a large 

 family, educated his children, having one son in 

 college : has contributed liberally to the charities 

 of the day ; has been a liberal supporter and patron 

 of Agricultural Societies, spending time and money 

 freely, to further these objects ; in a word, he has 

 been an active, and industrious, book farmer. 

 Now mark the result. lie has sold from his farm 

 $100 of landandJ300 worth of wood, timber, &c., 

 standing upon the same, which may not be reck- 

 oned as the result of agricultural labor. He has 

 paid the $1400, and a few weeks since sold his 

 farm for $3700. Giving a ballance on his farm 

 of $1500, for improvements and rise in value of 

 lands. 



To recapitulate, receipts from farm, 



Land, wood and timber sold $400 



Debts and interest paid 1800 



Balance on sale over cost of farm 1500 



Leaving the snug little sum of $3700 



for the receipts on the purchase and carrying on 

 a fai'm for eleven years, besides the support of a 

 large family. In addition he has recavered his 

 health, so as to labor daily upon his farm. 



Is there profit or not in books ? — Granite Far- 

 mer. 



Extensive Corn Field. — The beautiful farm be- 

 longing to Wm. S. Sullivant, Esq., containing 1,- 

 200 acres, adjoining the town of Franklinton, has 

 been rented to Messrs. Di.\on, Merrick and Stitt, 

 of this city, and from the manner in which it has 

 been worked this season, tluy may well claim to 

 be classed among the model farmers of the day. 



