322 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



April 27, 18S1. 



believe them, anil the authorities as cited, to the 

 judgment of those concenieii. They are certainly 

 a valuable vegetable for many purposes and yield 

 a most extraordinary produce ; and in conjunction 

 with Indian meal may prove an unexceptionable 

 feed. I shall be happy if my. suggestions lead to 

 farther and more exact experiments ; and if they 

 are not better feed for milch cows than is feared 

 by some, the same objections may by no means 

 lie against the sugar beet, one of the same family, 

 and as easily cultivated ; but of this plant my 

 cultivation and use have been quite limited. 

 Brewers' grains are greedily eaten by cows. They 

 increase the quantity of milk as much as almost 

 any food that can be given, but injure its quality ; 

 and rather tend to reduce the flesh. They cer- 

 tainly do not improve the condition of the animal. 

 The cows in the London milk establishments, are 

 fed almost exclusively in some cases upon grains 

 at the rate of more than a bushel per day ; but they 

 are often injured either by excessive feeding, or 

 constant confinement to the stable, from which in 

 many cases they are never allowed to move; their 

 water being conveyed to them. 



Of the articles of food that arc ever given to 

 animals, Indian meal is decidedly above all others. 

 It is an excellent accompaniment to all succulent 

 food. Nothing will so much improve the quality 

 of the milk ; though it sometimes tends to scour 

 the aniiiial too much, and to produce fatness rath- 

 er than abundant secretions of milk. 



It may be deemed likewise at the present |)rices 

 of corn rather an expensive feed ; and cows, which 

 have been fed excessively upon it are sometimes 

 seriously injured; and suffer very much when after 

 long use their meal is withdrawn ; half a peck a day 

 is an extravagant allowance ; and two quarts is 

 perhaps as much as may be safely persevered in ; 

 and both in respect to cows and ifortes it is much 

 better to give it mixed with cut hay than to give 

 it alone. 



It has been long my opinion that the greatest 

 blessing of an agricultural nature which Divine 

 Providence has bestowed upon the earth is the 

 power of producing Indian corn. This is in truth 

 the gold dust of the farmer, which is sure to reward 

 his skill, toil, and industry. 



In a -communication involving important facts, 

 it seems to me the conmunity are entitled to a 

 responsible authority. This induces me to appenil 

 my name. Yours respectfully, 



Salem, April 20, 1831. He.nry Colman. 



rOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



THE LATE SEASON. 



Mr Ff.ssenden — Such a season as the past is 

 not, perhaps, within the recollection of the oldest 

 man now living in this vicinity. From the first 

 of November, 1830, to the 5th of January, 1831, 

 there fell frequent and heavy rains, which filled all 

 the streams and swamps to overflowing. Those, 

 whose cellars are naturally wet in the spring, now 

 found a part of their winter vegetables imindated. 

 During this time the weather was generally mild, 

 although the sun was hidden by clouds the great- 

 est part of the time. For 4 weeks there was not 

 according to calculation, more than 43 hours of 

 sunshine. 



From the -Stli of Jan. to the 14th, the weather 

 was col<l, and a little snow fell in the meantime. 

 On the l-5th and 16th, we were visited by a 

 severe N. E. snow storm, attended with a very 

 strong wind. The roads in every direction were 



literally filled with snow by reason of the shifting 

 of the wind. This snow was 24 inches or more 

 on a level. This snow storm was in one week 

 followed by another, nearly of equal severity, but 

 not to so great a depth. From the commence- 

 ment of the first storm, Jan. 15, to the first day of 

 Feb. there was a continued frost, without the least 

 interinissioD, and to add to the calamity, the 

 wind was strong, blowing the snow into houses 

 and filling up the paths almost every day. Tlje 

 snow at this time, was very deep in the woods. 

 Unfortunately for many farmers, who were not 

 prepared and did not expect such a general and 

 long continued embargo, their wood-piles were 

 deficient. They had wood enough in the forest, 

 and perhaps within their view, but they could not 

 go to it. The consequence was, the axe was ap- 1 

 plied to trees of ornament, and in some instances 

 fruit trees did not escape. 



On the first day of Feb. the thermometer rose 

 one or two degrees above the freezing point and a 

 severe snow storm with strong wind ensued. 

 This snow fell about 8 or 10 inches on a level, but 

 was much thrown into heaps by the wind. On 

 the 4th there was a small snow, say about 3 inches. 

 — The thermometer rose to 38 degrees above zero 

 and rain followed, although not enough to melt this 

 last snow, but sufficient to prevent the snow from 

 blowing about. 



From the 4th of Feb. to the 16th it was gener- 

 ally cold, attended with cold N. W. winds ; at 

 this time the paths in many places were above the 

 fences on the sides of the roads. From the 16th 

 the weather was more mild and on the 23d at sun- 

 rise, the thermometer rose to 44 degrees and rain 

 followed in great plenty, and the water in some of 

 our cellars was from 2 to 3 feet deep. The 

 weather continued mild to the 8th of Marcji, from 

 which time to the 30tli, it was generally rough, 

 windy, and unpleasant. 



The earth has been comparatively but littla 

 frozen this wiiitel-, being the greatest part of the 

 time deeply covered with snow. Rye, after the 

 snow went off" looked bad, probably in consequence 

 of the snow going off by the sun and some cold 

 nights following. Its appearance is now good. 

 The fruit of the peach as far I have examined is 

 destroyed. The coldest day was on the 29th of 

 Jan. — the thermotneter stood at 6 degrees below 

 zero. The winter past has been colder in the 

 aggregate than any winter since 1823. 



Mansfield, April 4, 1831. Roland Green. 



JVote. — From the first of April to the 18th, there 

 was little sunshine, but frequent and copious rains. 

 The earth is filled with water and thereby the 

 spring operations much obstructed. On the 8th 

 inst. there was a very heavy rain, and such was 

 the pressure of the water, that it broke down six 

 dams and carried away one Cotton Factory in 

 this vicinity. The wind at the saipe time was 

 strong, upsetting some small buildings and demol- 

 ished one barn. R. G. 



HORTICULTURE. 



Proceedings of the Massachusetts Horticultural 

 Societij, at a meeting held at the Hall of the In- 

 stitution, en Saturda;/, the 2Bd of April, 1831. 

 Report made by II. A. S. Deahdorn, I'resident nf tlie Society^ 

 Since the last meeting the following letters have 



been received. 



1. A letter from Col. Thomas Aspi.nwall, 



Consul of the' United States in London, announc- 



ing that he had purchased and forwarded JViet 

 Practical Planter, Boutcher's Treatise on For 

 Trees, and Evelyn's Complete Gardener. 



2. A letter from J. C. Barnett, Esq. Com 

 of the U. S. in Paris, acknowledging the receipt 

 various packages of letters, and Diplomas fori 

 honorary and corresponding members in Fran 

 Belgium and Switzerland and two vols, of theNi 

 England Farmer, for the Horticultural Society 

 Paris. He has purchased Philipar's Vovage A 

 ronomique through England, and forwarded it w 

 Nos. 38, 39 and 40 of the Annales D'Horticultu 

 and No. 18 of the Aimales De Fromont. 



No. 3. A letter from the Earl of Roseborry, 1 



President of the Caledonian Horticultural Sociei 



London, March 8, 183t 



%ii — I have had the honor today to recei 

 your duplicate letter, announcing that I was ele 

 cd in 1829 an honorary member of the Massac! 

 setts Horticultural Society. The original o 

 with the Pamphlet containing the Charter, &c, 

 the Institution, I formerly received, and I <lid i 

 fai', at that time, to make my acknowledgmei 

 for the honor conferred on me, which letter, 1 1 

 so-ry to jierceive has not reached its dcsiinatii 



The Presidency of the Caledonian Hoitit-ultu: 

 Society is only bestowed on the individual chos 

 fo; that situation for two years. My term cxpit 

 last year, and the Duke of Buccleuch became I 

 successor; but I can venture to give'assmances, 

 the name of the Society, of their disposition 

 an;; way which the Horticultural Society 

 Massachusetts may suggest, to promote the coi 

 mon objects of both, in the improvement of gs 

 (lening. I am your obedient servant, 



RoSFliERRT, 



H. A. S. Dearborn, Esq. 



4. A letter from Jesse Buel, Esq. President 

 the Albany Horticultural Society, with a packt 

 of Apple scions. 



Gen. n A. S. Dejebohn, 



President of tlic Mass. Hort. Society. 



Sir — A Diploma, constituting me an honon- 

 member of the Massachusetts Hort. Sociity, w 

 an accompanying circular, was received yistenl 

 through Messrs Tliorburns, of New York. 



I beg leave to tender to the Society, throu 

 you, Sir, my thanks for this distinguished CO 

 pliment ; ami to assure them, that 1 IVcl th 

 have imposed upon me new obligations aiileii 

 to cooperate in the objects of their nssociati 

 — the horticultural improvement, and (he hap| 

 ness of our favored country. With great respt 

 and esteem. 



I remain, Sir, * 



Your obedient servant, . 



Alban;/, April 10, 1831. Jesse BobJ. 



Sir — I have boxed, and put on board of aBi 

 ton packet, cuttings of the following apples, I 

 distribution among the members of the Sociei 

 Except No. 1, tlipy are all recommended, and IB' 

 of them figm-ed in the Pomol Magazine conduct 

 by Messrs Sabine, and Lindley of the Lond. Ho 

 Society and garden. Except when noticed,! 

 original grafts came from Mr Sabine latef' 

 rotary of London Hort. Society. I ba|)e theyn 

 afford some valuable adilitions to your coll 

 tion. 



No. 1. Alexander, splendid Russian apple, dts^ 

 winter. 



