44 



SILK MANUAL, AND 



works. Will some of the officers of Agricultural 

 Societies who have adopted this plan give us, the 

 uninitiated in the plan, the results of their experi- 

 ence in this matter ? 



The fact is, the farmer and everybody else 

 knows, that " what man has done man can do 

 again," and when he reads of such rich and pro- 

 fitable results from good farming, the farmer must 

 see where his true interest lies, and go and do like- 

 wise. 



I have wandered somewhat from my " way" 

 on this subject, which I deem of such great im- 

 portance. If you think these "Notes" worth 

 the room, you shall hear from me again in a 

 few more remarks on this subject and on some 

 others which I find in my note book. 



Your friend, Rusticds in Urbe. 



Framingham, June 24, 1835. 

 To the Editor of the New England Farmer. 



Dear Sir — If you think the following hinta season- 

 able you are at liberty to publish them. , 

 TO YOUNO FARMERS. 



How to kill bushes and briers by the roadside. — After 

 weeding your corn you will often find a good supply of 

 grass, bushes and briers full of sap growing beside your 

 fences. To kill these let three oi four furrows be 

 ploughed near the fence — let your boy with a shovel 

 bend down fiat to the ground the bushes and the briers, 

 while you, with one of Partridge's four-tined forks, 

 throw on sods enough to bury them completely. This 

 is as easy as to cut them, and is a much surer mode of 

 curing the evil. 



How to make manure. — Harrow this ridge of dirt 

 «nce or twice during summer, keeping the sods and 

 buslies down close, and in November cart and spread it 

 on your mowing grounds, taking care to put light soil 

 on to heavy, and heavy soil on to light lands. You may 

 make good manure in this way for less than a shilling a 

 load. 



How to keep cattle out of the Highway. — Cattle are 

 much inclined to run in the highway either when that 

 affords the best feed, or when they have no other pasture. 

 By the process above recommended you will compel 

 these vagrants to walk in different paths, and if your 

 fences be good the inclosures of their owners will be 

 the more likely to afford them an asylum. 



This simple process then accomplishes three objects. 

 It kills your bushes and briers, makes you a good ma- 

 nure, and drives stray beasts from the road. One more 

 advantage shall be named, besides what you gain in the 

 addition of beauty to your highways and fields. Your 

 rows of winter apple trees will grow and bear better by 

 the roadside by ploughing in this manner than they 

 will when you leave the soil and bushes undisturbed. 



Young trees, particularly, cannot contend with suc- 

 cess, against the roots of grass and bunches. Breaking 



up the soil, even if a part of it be carried away, is bene- 

 ficial to them. , 



None but winter fruit should grow by the road side, 

 and the Baldwin is here to be preferred to the Greening, 

 as it grows more erect and will not rudely salute the 

 civil traveller. 



By picking these winter apples in season you will 

 save nearly the whole fruit to yourself, but suppose you 

 lose one half, and it gets into the pocket of the traveller, 

 you can well afford it ; for only half the shade oftlie 

 tree falls on yowr land. And trees growing by a wall 

 are usually much more productive than those standing 

 in midiield. 



Apple trees are not so ornamental by the roadside as 

 some other trees, but they are more useful, and they do 

 less injury to the grass beneath ,and around them than 

 any trees excepting the locust. 



Few people are willing to devote time or land for mere- 

 ly ornamental trees, and we cannot expect that our 

 roads will ever be shaded by them. I ask you therefore 

 to consult your own interest, — set out winter fruit trees 

 that will grow erect, on the south side of the road in 

 your field, near the wall, and I promise you as much 

 profit from these as from any of your fruit trees. 



Yours, W. B. 



COCOOKS INTENDED FOR SALE. 



In order to prevent the cocoons from being 

 perforated by the moths escaping from them, 

 which greatly lessens their value, it is necessary 

 to kill the moths. This is generally done by bak- 

 ing in an oven or by steam, but the best mode, is 

 to lay the cocoons on linen or cotton sheets, but not 

 too close, or one upon the other, and expose them 

 thus to the heat of the sun in open air, when it is 

 perfectly dry, during four days, from 11 A.M. to 

 4 P. M. taking great care in handling them not to 

 crush or fliatten them, which is of the highest im- 

 portance. In that time there is no doubt that the 

 moths will be killed. 



The processes of steaming and baking are not al- 

 ways safe, because they may be overdone and the 

 silk greatly injured. I have seen instances of it in 

 this country. Yet, if the weather should prove ob- 

 stinately damp or rainy, those processes must be 

 recurred to ; but not in dry sunshiny weather, 

 when they can be avoided. 



The last thing to be spoken of is the packing 

 of the cocoons to send to market. They must be 

 put in boxes with great care, not pressed too close 

 lest they should be flattened, and close enough 

 that they should not suflTer in like manner by 

 striking hard upon each other in consequence of 

 the motion of carriages or stages. The boxes be- 

 ing dry and well conditioned may be transported by 

 steamboats ; if transported by »ea, they should 

 not remain longer than fifteen days on salt water, 



