174 



SILK MANUAL, AND 



cessary. Let logs in a l)racing manner be put 

 into the slabs, so as to raise them, if for cattle, two 

 feet, if for sheep, one foot ; let these feet rest on 

 thin flat stones, so as not to sink into the earth, 

 and the rattk may be considered as conipleterl. 

 Now it is evident that when siicli racks are pro- 

 perly |)laced and filled with hay, both cattle and 

 sheep can eat of it miicli more comfortably, and 

 to far greater advantage, than if it was scattered 

 over the earth, or mixed with the mud and water 

 of the yard. If such racks Were constructed of 

 tiie proper length, say twelve or fifteen feet, they 

 conld be easily removed from place to place, as 

 most convenient during the winter; and in the 

 spring, wiien no longer necessary, by placing them 

 nnder cover, as shoidd always he done, they would 

 last for years. Farmers should always bear in 

 mind that no man loses by attention to the com- 

 fort, ease, aiul health of his cattle and sheep, and 

 that all suitable eff'orts for this purpose are amply 

 repaid in the end. !t was the advice of the wisest 

 of men, the poet, philosopher, and natural histo- 

 rian of the inspired writings, " Be thou diligent to 

 know the state of tliy flocks, and look well t-j thy 

 herds," — advice which, if proper in the mild cli- 

 mate of Palestine, becomes doubly appropriate in 

 our latitude, and during the freezing winters of 

 New York. — Genesee Farmer. 



Kenn'eef.c Farming. — From the Report of the 

 Committee of the Kennebec County Agricultural 

 Society on corn, wheat, rye, barley, oats, &c., it 

 appears that Abraham Pray, Jr. to whom was 

 awarded the first premium on corn, raised on one 

 acre, on which he spread 56 loads of manure and 

 jdoughed it in, 108 bushels and 12 quarts. Row- 

 land \i. Howard who obtained the second premium 

 on 2 acres of pastm-e land ou which were put 20 

 loads of green manure and j>lougheil in, and 20 

 loads of hog, sheep and compost manure put into 

 the hills, raised 162 bushels. Aniasa 'i inkham who 

 obtained the third premium, on one acre of sandy 

 loam into which he harrowed 12 loads of green 

 manure and put 12 loads in the hills, raised 78 

 bushels corn, seven busiiels p<ea beans and one 

 load of pumjikins. 'J here were several other 

 competitors, who though no» so successful as the 

 alt^.ve, fell but little short. The result of each 

 v.ffon afforded a strong demonstration of the ad- 

 vantage of the farmer's proportioning his planting 

 ground to his ^tock of manur:. If i\Ir 'linkham 

 had spread his 24 loads of manure on two acres, 

 which we believe wou'd not have been a less lib- 

 eral manuring than is very common with the far- 

 mers in Maine, he would not have been more un- 

 fortunate than common to have obtained no more 

 than 60 bushels of corn, with nearly twice the 

 expense of labor. 



Leavit Lothrop 33i bushels wheat on an acre ; 



Mr Hankerson 33| bushels. Moses H. Metcalf 

 raised 24 bushels rye on one acre. Joshua Wing 

 on an acre and 149 rods, raised 70 bushels barley ; 

 and Bradford Sawtelle 49| bushels on one acre, 

 Joshua Wing on one acre 90 rods, raised 62i 

 bushels of peas and oats. Abraham Pray, Jr. 

 raised 58^ bushels of good oats on one acre. 



Considering that the last season was hardly a 

 favorable one for any kind of crojis in Maine, the 

 above results are highly creditable to the agricul- 

 tural community in the county of Kennebec. If 

 the same spirit of agricultural ambition and enter- 

 prise, whicli pervades that flourishing county 

 conld be excited throughout the State, Maine 

 would not long be l;\ss distignuished for her agri- 

 culcural [iros[)erity and importance, than she al- 

 ready is for the richness of her forests, and her 

 natural commercial advantages and facilities for 

 manufactures. 



Pruning Apple Trees. — It is a common 

 practise to neglect, almost totally, apple orchards 

 after tliey have been planted ; and in consequence 

 of this neglect, the growth becomes crooked and 

 irregular — branches incline upon the ground, 

 and become so numerous and dense as almost 

 comj letely to shut out the sun and air, — they 

 become stunted, and often become covered with 

 moss, and the fruit small and of inferior quality. 



Moderate and judicious jiruning would contrib- 

 ute ciSsentially to prevent this evil, and even to 

 recover trees which have not too far advanced. in 

 this unthrifty state; but where they have long 

 existed without care, and have grown old and 

 become diseased, it is cheapest to remove them at 

 once, and plant young and vigorous ones in their 

 places. Doctoring diseased old trees is never to 

 I)e recommended, except they are of some favor- 

 ite, or choice variety. 



It is not advisable to prune very freely, but to 

 conmience before the trees become very large, 

 and by a trequent and moderate triimniiig, pre- 

 vent the growth of a thick and crowded top. The 

 operatio'n should be so performed that the straight- 

 est and most thrifty branches may remain; and 

 their distance asunder be such as freely to admit 

 light and air. 



In pruning, branches should be cut off as close- 

 ly as possible, provided it does not occasion too 

 broad a wound. The place is then sooner cov- 

 ered with a new growth of wood. In general, 

 wounds more than an inch in diameter, should 

 be ])rotected from air and moisture. If not, they 

 become dry and crack, and let in the rain and 

 rot, or admit insects. Tar, mixed while heated 

 with a quantity of whiting or pounded chalk suf- 

 ficient to prevent its running, is an excellent ap- 

 plication. Or nearly the same purpose is eff*ec- 



