m 



IfEW ENGLAiND FARMER, 



JTJNfi 8, 183»r, 



conveniently cam. ^e request ot.r readers in 

 tliis vicinity to give tlie forcgJ.'"^ a fair trial, and 

 to furnish us with an accurate accou.'^' of the re- 

 sult, l)oth as to its effects in preventing ti."<^ ■"a^^^- 

 ges of the Cut-Worm and increasing the crop, i^ 

 our use of ashes and plaster, they were dropped 

 on the seed corn, and covered with it. The effect 

 on the crop was decidedly and greatly beneficial. 

 For preventing the ravages of the Cut-Worm, 

 there is good reason to believe that it would be 

 best to deposit the ashes on the hill after the corn 

 is covered, atul this mode will be found nearly, if 

 not quite as beneficial in increasing the crop." 



EXTRACT 



From a report of the Trustees of the Kennebec co 

 Maine, Agricultural Society. 



Wheat raising is an important business ot the 

 farmer. Much has been said and written on the 

 subject, and without fear of saying or doing too 

 much, we venture to say more ; nothing at this 

 lime, more than to lay down some rules which 

 one of your Trustees who has much practicable 

 knowledge on this subject thinks important in the 

 wlieat raising business. 



1st. Select good sound fully ripened seed. 



2d. Mix as many kinds as will ripen together 

 if you can get them. 



3d. Exchange seed when you can get better 

 than your own. 



4th. Take seed from poorer rather than richer 

 soil than it is to be sown upon. 



.5th. Wash the seed clean in cold water and 

 which is loose up to the body, and strike the knife | scald it in hot ley, or lime it fiftyfonr hours before 



liAniBS. 



Lambs should always be left at home when 

 sheep are to be washed, as they are saved much 

 fatigue where the distance is considerable, and 

 many accjdents incident to the pen, crowded as 

 they are at such times; besides the advantage of 

 having the sheep go directly home without any 

 trouble, after washing. Ticks are very injurious 

 to sheep of all ages, but more so to lambs, as they 

 liave the trouble ol them in sutnmer; the ticks 

 leaving the old worms for a more secure retreat 

 on the lambs. To destroy ticks, I take 10 or 12 

 lbs. of tobacco stalks for one hundred lambs, 

 (which I buy of the tobacconist for as many pence,) 

 and at the time 1 shear sheep, jnit it into a tub 

 sufficiently large to dip them in, and fill it with 

 water, and let it soak six or eight days, when I 

 get up my lambs, mark, dock, and alter them, then 

 dip them into the tobacco juice ; this not only kills 

 the ticks, but is serviceable to the wounds made 

 by docking and altering, and is all the remedy I 

 ever apply to such woinuls. Dipping the lambs 

 in that way two successive years, will destroy all 

 the ticks in the flock. 



The method of docking lambs by taking hold 

 of the t^il and cutting it off while tiie animal is 

 struggling to escape is very cruel, as it leaves the 

 bone longer than the skin, which not only makes 

 it very sore, hut induces the flies to work at it, 

 which endangers the life of the lamb. My meth- 

 od is, to have a man take tip the lamb, and place 

 the tail bottom upwards on the square edge of a 

 block ; then with a large knife, I crowd the skin 



with a hanmier, which leaves nothing lo impede 

 the shears, more than cording, and is attended 

 with less trouble. Lambs that have much wool 

 on them, should be sheared about the pouch to pre- 

 vent the blood and wool from becoming so hard 

 as to obstruct the discharge of matter from the 

 wound. Lambs should be weaned the last of Au- 

 gust, and have a good chance for feed till Novem- 

 ber ; then oats in the bundle two or three months, 

 as their condition may require. — Vermont Chron- 

 icle. 



CUT-WORM. 



The ravages of this insect last spring, particu- 

 larly in our corn fields, gives an importance to 

 every suggestion which may promise a preventive. 

 The remedy suggested below, has the sanction of 

 philosophy as well as experience, and promises 

 the further benefit of being decidedly beneficial to 

 the growth of corn. 



The labor and expense of making the applica- 

 tion are comparatively trivial. It is probably the 

 caustic qualities of the alkali afforded by the ashes 

 and lime, that keep the worm from the circle of 

 its influence, or destroyed it. We copy the arti- 

 cle from the Tennessee Farmer. 



" As soon as the corn is covered with earth, let 

 a hand follow having a bag hanging at his side, 

 containing ashes and plaster mixed, one third of 

 the latter, or a.shes alone, either leached or iin- 

 leached — the latter would probably be preferable 

 — and let him drop a handful on each hill of corn. 

 We would recommend, where it can be obtained, 

 the partial substitution of lime for ashes, in which 

 case, to preserve the hands of the dropper from 

 injury, it will be necessary for hiin to use a eup, 

 shell, or gourd, with which to take up the lime — 

 each bag should be large enough to contain as 

 much of the substance used as the dropper can 



sowmg, mixmg in plaster enough to render it ea- 

 sily sown. 



6th. Sow at the rate of two bushels to the acre, 

 two and a half is better. 



7th. Sow at a proper season, that is, when your 

 land is in proper order. 



8th. At a proper time top-dress with ashes, 

 mild lime or plaster, and if the growth be too 

 rapid sow on salt. 



• We infer frotn the sacred writings that salt was 

 anciently used in husbandry, and if it was good 

 1800 years ago, why is not now ? The use of it 

 seems to be nearly lost, but by attention to its pe. 

 culiar properties it will appear that it may be ap- 

 plied in some cases with profit. Salt prevents 

 putrifaction. On sandy land that has been highly 

 manured for corn or potatoes, and is intended for 

 small grain the following year, salt may be used 

 with good effect. It will retard putrifaction or 

 the rotting and evaporating process which is too 

 rapid in such case, prevents the loss of manure 

 and be beneficial to crops' by preventing a too 

 rapid growth. — Maine Far. 



Corn does not come up well this year in our 

 vicinity. Many farmers have been obliged to 

 plant their fields a second time. The crop did 

 not ripen well last fall, and the vegetating princi- 

 ple was injured in the crib by heating after it was 

 gathered. Probably much of the seed was se- 

 lected from the corn that had been thus hurt. 

 The true way is to gather the choicest eais for 

 seed in the field before the crop is harvested, and 

 hang them up by themselves. We know some 

 fields planted this Spring from seed thus selected 

 that do not need a second planting. — Grass hav- 

 ing lately enjoyed several days of rainy and'cloudy 

 weather has set quite thick. — Hampshire Ga- 

 zette. 



New Spring Wh^at. J. Buel, Escj. Sir 



I send you enclosed a small sample of Italian 

 spring wheat. This sample is taken from a par- 

 cel I purchased a few years since, and is part of 

 the four years crops since th« introduction of the 

 original importatiou. The seed, was hronght to 

 this country in 1832 by Signer J. C. L Carbonia, 

 from the city of Florence, Italy, The cask was 

 sold for charges ; I bought it, and finding it a heavy 

 and beautiful grain, prevailed with several of our 

 farmers to sow it ; the result was most gratifying. 

 Sowed side and side with our country spring 

 wheat it exceeded it two feet in height, standing 

 on the ground, and yielded double the quantity, 

 weighing 63 pounds to the bushel. It has suc- 

 ceeded well every year since, producing from 25_ 

 to 30 bushels to the acre ; grows well on every 

 variety of soil on which it has been sown. Very 

 few of our farmers will now sow winter wheat, 

 finding this wheat a sure crop. 

 Your ob'dt, 



J. HATHAWAY. 



Rome, JV. Y. March, 24, 1836. 



Kill Caterpillars. — The destruction of 

 fruit every season by these detestable insects, is 

 very great. But with little labor they may be de- 

 stroyed early in the season, and the evil conse- 

 quences of their depredations thus prevented. 

 Every farmer should examine his trees carefully, 

 and burn, behead, or otherwise destroy every in- 

 sect of the caterpillar kind which he can find, 

 without regard to sex, age, or condition. Cater- 

 pillars breed three or four times in the course of 

 the summer, and each time produce about 400 — 

 allowing half of their number to be females, it is 

 estimated that by destroying two young caterpil- 

 lars now, will prevent the existence of sixteen 

 millions in the course of the season. This calcu- 

 lation, however, is based on the presumption, that 

 none are destroyed by birds and other animals, 

 which are in the habit of regaling sumptuously 

 on this annoying insect. — Boston Mer. Jour. 



The following extract is from the 126th chapter 

 of the revised Statutes: 



" Every person who shall wilfully cut down or 

 destroy, er shall otherwise injure any fruit-tree or 

 other tree not his own, standing or growing for 

 shade, ornament or other usefid purpose, shall be 

 punished by imprisonment in the county jail not 

 exceeding one year, or by fine not exceeding one 

 hundred dollars." 



The small Birds are dying by hundreds for 

 want of food. The insects upon which they feed, 

 this cold weather, wont come out to be eaten. — 

 JVorthampton Cour. 



Fat Mutton- — The Troy Whig mentions a 

 sheep in that city, raised at the Shakers village, in 

 Watervliet, which weighs 265 pounds, and was 

 sold for $30. There are two others from the 

 same village, one weighing 188, and the other 194, 

 and which sold for $22 a piece. 



The Massachusetts State Prison has yielded a 

 profit to the State of three thousand five hun- 

 dred and twentynine dollars during the past six 

 months. Number of prisoners two hundred and 

 eightysix. 



