NEW ENGLAND FAR BIER, 



JTTLT 15, 1835 



ia said of late to liave found more favor tliaii 

 heretofore. We may also use potatoes for our 

 horses which is a practice approved of by some in 

 modern times. 



But there is another promising article of wliich 

 it seems- not too late for nsto avail ourselves, and 

 wliich probably, has not been thought of with 

 tliis view. 



Indian corn cannot be raised at this season with 

 any expection of ripening its seed; but it may be 

 raised lor the sake of hsstem, leaf, and parts des- 

 tined to help its seeding. There are vacant spots 

 on a farm, (no matti-r liow small) on which son)e 

 seeds may bo put ; but worn out pastures and 

 other fields, loithout vUimate material loss to the 

 .farmer, may be turned np by the plough and well 

 liarrowed ; and then have corn set in them close- 

 ly, manuring the ground with strewed ashes or 

 plaster of Paris. As to hoeing, it will be out of the 

 question, exceptto remove weeds. Just before the 

 season brings on frosty nights, the whole of the plant 

 niay be cut up from the roots, and carried olf the 

 ground without risk or loss of time from letting it 

 be left out to be turned and dried, since it may be 

 put directly under the cover of our barns, sheds 

 and out houses, till fittobe stowed closely for regu- 

 lar use. Indian corn seems to be the only article, 

 in our i)rescnt farming system, which can be sub- 

 jected to this treatment and advantageously used 

 before it is ripe for seeding (luiless, perhaps millet 

 be an exception, an article of which I say nothing, 

 since I know nothing.) Be it observed here, that 

 the stem of the corn comes into use entire, as do 

 also the parts of the plant, including the cob, and 

 its unripe seed. Whether the latter articles wi'l 

 prove healthy I know not, but the experiment wiil 

 probably be tried by no one to a length to produce 

 hazard, where the food is mixed with other food. 

 The farmer must judge himself what species of 

 cum he will adopt for his experiment, if he ap- 

 proves of the p'an. A rich soil may make 

 Virginia white corn answer well, but for other sit- 

 uations, New England corn down to the six weeks 

 corn, may be proper. The Virginia corn will 

 yield to my own knowledge o vert/ large crop, be- 

 fore the time of its ripening. If the experiment 

 iu the main should succeed, practice will improve 

 our knowledge against another season. 



In a'scarce year, cattle should be kept warm, as 

 tliey then require less food to make them thrive. 

 They should be fed also by small portioris at a 

 time, to make them eat the whole of what is placed 

 before them and digest it. And a little currying 

 will do them no harm. 



That something should be tried under present 

 circumstances is evident. Laboring cattle are 

 soon worn down when ill fed : by being lean also, 

 they lose not only much of their Sjieed anil 

 strength, but of their momentum, (or effect iu 

 consequence of their being more full of flesh and 

 weight) in drawing, and they and their drivers get 

 into bad habits, when they call nmch for the 

 whij) or goad stick. Cows and sheep and young 

 animals (esjecially the latter) suffer much when 

 food is scanty, as does also the manure yard. 

 Sat verbum. ' Emeritds. 



iltivated with corn, than when almost any other 

 ■getable is chosen for that purpose. 



By the Editor. — The foregoing hints are worth 

 the attention of all farmers whether their hay crop 

 & or is not likely to come in short of their antici- 

 pation. We believe that more food for cattle can 

 bo raised on a given quantity of ground, and with 

 less labor and expense when properly seeded and 



[Extract of a letter to the Editor of the New Eng- 

 land Farmer by M. M. Henkle, Esq. Sec. of the Indian- 

 o[)olis Board of Agriculture.] 



Dear Sir — "It will probably be gratifying 

 to know that we in the ' far west' are not wholly 

 neglectful of the great interests of Agriculture. 

 Our Legislature last session, ja.ssed, unanimously, 

 an agricultural lav/, which, though imperfect, is 

 preparatory to something more perfect and efficient, 

 when the agricultural ptdilic shall become sufli- 

 ciently interested in the matter to demand, or at 

 least to approve of a moreextensive and liberalsys- 

 tem of legislative action in the promotion of this 

 important depaftmcnU of industry. 



The law in question contemplates the organi- 

 zation of an Agricultural Society, in each county 

 in the State. These County Societies are inten- 

 ded to act locally in their sphere in the promotion 

 of the common cause, and a:re required to report, 

 annually, their proceedings &c. with the agricul- 

 tural statistics of the county to a State Board of 

 Agriculture, consisting of five members, appoin- 

 ted by the Governor, who are entrusted as a sort 

 of centre of agricultural intelligence, and who in 

 like manner are required to report to the Legisla- 

 ture such information, general and local, with 

 such .suggestions as they may deem advisable. 

 This report, if approved by the Legislature will 

 bo given to the public, in such manner as they 

 may think best. 



« As a member of the State Board and under 

 an order of that body, by which I, as their Secre- 

 tary am entrusted to correspond with such intelli- 

 gent agriculturists as I should select for the pur- 

 pose, I take the liberty to address you on the sub- 

 ject of common interest to you and to us. 



'' I desire your views freely, and any informa- 

 tion if value you may possess, especially new, on 

 any subject or subjects you may select, connected 

 with the general subject under consideration ; but 

 esjiecially I wish for your views and information 

 on the ffrowth of tind)er trees, anil of si:k. 



" What can you tell us of the comparative ad- 

 vantages of cultivating the locust, chesnut, &c. ? 

 What experiments have been made in your region 

 in the cultivation of the Morns Multicaulis ? 

 What has been the success of those experiments .' 

 &c. &c. 



'' Again, the State Board, desirous to collect an 

 Agricultural Library, and not being provided by 

 the State with any funds for this purpose, 

 have resolved as one means of attaining their ob- 

 ject to solicit of the agrictiltural editors of the 

 country, a copy of their respective periodicals. 

 All to whom we have made the application, and 

 who have since had time to reply, have very 

 kindly com; lied with the request, and have sent 

 the past as well as the current nuir.bers. We hojie 

 for the like exercise of generosity from you, 

 though we can promise no other compensation than 

 what arises from the pleasure of doing good, and 

 the possibility of extenduig thereby, the circula- 

 tion of the (now) oldest, and one of the most val- 

 uable agricultural papers in the Union." 



By the Editor. We shall com|dy with the re- 

 quest of this gentleman, who has honored us 

 with the above application to the extent of our 

 means and leisure ; and we are happy that the 

 organisation of the Board of which he appears to be 



an active and eflicient officer, should give occa- 

 sion for us to offer our congratulations. But we 

 are sorry to say that w'e have not in possession any 

 complete seta of the volumes of the N. E. Farmer, 

 (now amounting to 13 volumes in all) but will, 

 with pleasure forward to him, for the use of the 

 Indiana State Board of Agriculture, a copy of each 

 number as it is published, commencing with the 

 first after the receipt of his letter from which the 

 above is extracted. 



. AVHITE WEED, OR OX-EVED DAISY. 



We see some of our brethren are calling atten- 

 tion, thus early in the season, to this troublesoine 

 weed, and we would also join them, heart and 

 hand in the clamor. In some towns it has got a 

 rank hold, to the exclusion of much better vegeta- 

 bles, for wherever it gets settled, it will in time kill 

 out all other grass. It is true, that if mown while 

 in blossom, it makes pretty good hay, but although 

 it gives great show, and monopolizes the whole 

 ground to itself, the actual burden per acre is very 

 light indeed. But how shall it be exterminated 

 is the question ? Indeed where it has taken root 

 in any considerable degree, it cannot be extermina- 

 ted by individual exertion alone. There must be 

 a union of forces, and all must move forward at 

 once, for it is of little use for one man to exert 

 himself and subdue it on his own laud, when hia 

 next neighbor suffers it to go to seed, and that 

 seed to float on the winds in every direction 

 around him, thereby undoing by sloth and negli- 

 gence what has cost his neighbor much care and 

 labor to accomplish. Associations should be 

 found, — real '^ v/hole hog" anti-white weed Socie- 

 ties should be formed, say in every section or 

 school district for the purpose of destroying where 

 it is already seeded, and keeping it out where it 

 has not got rooted. Mowing all that is in blossom, 

 if it does not destroy the ] resent crop, will pre- 

 vent an immense growth in the future, and by 

 continued mowing and grubbing- up, the evil may 

 in time, be wholly eradicated. We look upon it 

 as a pernicious trouble to the farmer, for it actual- 

 ly robs him of much valuable fodder, and reduces 

 the value of his land. Much may be done by 

 preventing an increase in future, and every pre- 

 caution ought to be taken to keep it out of those 

 districts where it has never made its appearance. 

 The manure made by cattle fed upon hay which 

 contains it in a ripened state, should be suffered 

 to lie over one season and ferniented, and stirred 

 often so that the seeds shall either be made to 

 vegetate and destroyed as soon as they grow, or 

 rendered inert by the fermentation. In our esti- 

 mation too much judgment, exertion and energy 

 cannot be called to bear upon this unprofitable and 

 perplexing plant. It is time to begin so;ne system 

 of offensive as well as defensive operations upon 

 so strong an enemy. 



The following is the conclusion of an article 

 in the Genesee Farmer on the same subject : 



Cannot the old plant be prevented from going to 

 seed ? Can they not be destroyed ? And can 

 we not serve the young plants in the same man- 

 ner? Now let us consider what course will be 

 most effectual for these purj.oses. Some plants 

 when not in a growing state, will bear to be turn- 

 ed over with little iujury. Wt; have had Spear 

 Grass which was planted in autumn, rise nearly 

 two feet through a bed of earth ; but late in the 

 spring when its vegetation is vigorous, it would bo 



