NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



93 



which he had prepared, showing the profit in 

 raising corn in the Eastern, Middle and Western 

 States, and also the profit when it was converted 

 into pork, allowing four pounds of corn to make 

 one pound of pork; and it appears that the greatest 

 profit, per acre, whether the grain was sold or 

 converted into pork, according to average prices, 

 in different sections, was in the Eastern States. 

 Mr. Brooks remarked that we could also raise 

 wheat in New England with as much profit as in 

 the West. 



Rev. Mr. Sanger, of Dover, who was one of the 

 committee on grain crops of Norfolk county, 

 showed from his observation that good crops of 

 corn and wheat were raised in that county. 



The president announced that Hon. Amasa 

 Walker, Secretary of State, would preside at the 

 next meeting and open the discussion. Subject, — 

 "Profits of Farming." 



On motion of Rev. Mr. Sanger, voted that the 

 thanks of the meeting be presented to Dr. Jack- 

 son for his very valuable and instructive lecture. 



Voted that the meetings in future commence at 

 half-past seven o'clock. 



ISABELLA GRAPES. 



We have an inquiry as to the management of the 

 Isabella Grape so as to make it profitable; complaint 

 is made that the fruit rots and falls. This rotting 

 and falling of Isabella grapes is peculiar to the kind. 

 It is too late for our climate, seldom ripening well; 

 and it is also very liable to a blast which destroys 

 the foliage, and then the fruit rots and falls. In 

 one village, in this vicinity, there were in our opin- 

 ion 100 bushels of Isabella grapes, last year, and 

 the whole of ihem not worth so much as one peck 

 of good ripe fruit. 



A warm location will promote the ripening of 

 grapes, and a sheltered place, as in a city, village or 

 forest, wall guard them, in some measure, from the 

 blast, which generally comes in what are called owi 

 winds; or those blowing from the water. A hill, 

 mountain, or forest, or any other barrier on the 

 south-east, in this region serves, in some measure, 

 as a protection against blasting storms. 



grinding bones, and he probably has a constant sup- 

 ply of crushed bones. As to the crops to which 

 bones should be applied, they have been used to 

 only a small extent in this country, and we have 

 but few reports on their effects. In England bones 

 are used more for the turnip crop, than for any 

 other. Some years ago, about twenty-five bushels 

 were used to the acre, and this was considered 

 equal to a moderate dressing of compost manure. 

 For a few years past, the farmers in that country 

 have generally practised dissolving bones in sul- 

 phuric acid, and about one-fourth part as much is 

 used to the acre. When dissolved, they are in so 

 fine a state, that they are readily available to the 

 plant; but when crushed, the largest pieces are 

 some years in decaying and becoming food for 

 plants. 



In burning bones a considerable part of the fir- 

 tilizing properties are destroyed or driven off; but 

 we cannot say what proportion. 



SUBSOILING FOR ORCHARDS. 



We have an inquiry whether it will pay the cost 

 to subsoil the land for an orchard on clayey hills. 

 We think that on almost every soil, excepting low- 

 wet lands, where the trees should be set on the 

 surface, that subsoiling for trees will be profitable. 

 vSome roots run down and draw up nutriment and 

 water from the subsoil; and there is a great advan- 

 tage in having the soil well pulverized so that the 

 roots can penetrate it freely. The cost of subsoil- 

 ing an acre is small, but we cannot go into an ex- 

 act estimate miless we have the price of wages 

 where the work is to be done. 



A good team of four oxen and two hands will 

 subsoil nearly or quite an acre a day, if the soil be 

 favorable. As to the kind of fruit trees that will 

 be most profitable, we cannot answer definitely so 

 general a question. To decide on a subject of this 

 nature, it would be necessary to know to what mar- 

 ket the fruit is to be sent, and then learn what 

 kinds are most cultivated, in order to cultivate those 

 fruits to which but little attention is paid. 



BONES FOR MANURE. 



In answer to various inquiries on this subject, 

 we would remark, that Ruggles, Nourse, Mason 

 & Co., are agents for the sale of wet bone, and 

 they generally have it on hand. This is the saw- 

 dust, produced by sawing bones in water, where 

 they are manufactured into various articles. It is 

 drained and partially dried, and then packed into 

 barrels and sent to market. As the saws with 

 which the bones are cut up are very rapid in their 

 revolutions, this preparation of the bone is very 

 fine. 



In Roxbury, Mr. Nahum Ward has a mill for 



DOMESTIC PRESS. 



This neat little machine consists of a frame, oc- 

 cupying not more room than one square foot, and 

 a tin cylinder within the frame, which holds a few- 

 quarts, with holes on the sides at the bottom. Into 

 this cylinder is placed whatever is to be pressed, 

 and a cover or follower is put in and pressed down 

 with a screw. It is very convenient for pressing 

 various kinds of vegetables, and it will be found a 

 valuable addition to tlie kitchen utensils and ma- 

 chinery. 



Tills press is manufactured and sold by Wm. R. 

 Fuller & Co., South Canton, Ma-ss. Sold also by 

 Ruggles, Nourse, Mason & Co., Quincy Hall, 

 Boston. Price $1. 



