NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



309 



Now for the result: the Chenangoes were dead 

 as hay in three weeks, and the old Yellows two 

 weeks before my own kind or the Oxford Pre- 

 miums showed any symptons of disease. 



The Oxford Premiums bear bountiful balls, near- 

 ly up to my own, and are of a blue color, in form 

 much like my own; and I am informed they were 

 obtained from the seed of the ball, neither of which 

 have ever suffered with the rot like any of the 

 other kinds of potatoes. 



I have tried experiments like the one just de- 

 scribed every year since the pestilence has been 

 known here, and the result has been uniform. 



I now propose the following as the only preven- 

 tive to the pestilence sent by the higher power (as 

 I believe) to make men do more like him, i. e., 

 if you want whole potatoes, then plant whole ones 

 and well formed; then, plant none that will not 

 bear seed on their tops (balls), and my opinion is, 

 we shall get free fiom this pestilence in much less 

 time tTian we were in erecting it. 



Yours truly, Matthew Churchill. 



Raymond, Me., Aug. 13, 1851. 



For the New England Farmer. 



DIFFERENT KINDS OF CHERRIES. 



Mr. Cole: — Some two years ago I procured one 

 of your American Fruit Books, and in looking it 

 over I found many new varieties of cherries de- 

 scribed, with other fruits, which I had not seen in 

 any similar work. Being always desirous to pro- 

 cure the most choice varieties, I took your book for 

 my guide, and with difficulty secured several kinds. 

 This year many of them have borne fruit, which 

 in my estimation far surpasses anytliing I ever saw 

 before. When considered as to points of real mer- 

 it, market value, public fovor, hardiness of fruit 

 and trees, &c., it readily shows to me that many 

 of our foreign varieties had better be dispensed with, 

 as :he most of them are full of defect and disease, 

 although some do well in our northern country. I 

 have selected twelve varieties, in my estimation the 

 very best in every respect. Coe's Transparent, 

 Ohio Beauty, Rockport Bigarreau, Black Eagle, 

 Sweet Montgomery, Cleveland Bigarreau, Kirt- 

 land's Mary, May Duke, Downton, Sparhawk's 

 Honey, Holland Bigarreau, Downer's Late, and 

 might add the Black Tartarean, for its good quali- 

 ties, but the tree is rather apt to winter kill with 

 us. Should be glad to hear from others that have 

 cultivated the same. L. Burt. 



Walpole, N. H., Aug. 28th, 1851. 



For the Neiv England Farmer. 

 FOWL FACTS. 



Mr. Editor: — In these days of hen fever, there 

 is a good deal of theorizing and baseless specula- 

 tion, not only in fowl carcasses but in fowl opin- 

 ions. Can there be no standard of fowl excellence in- 

 vented, by which a man may know what is the best 

 stock for producing poultry, and what the best for 

 producing eggs'? Is not weight the best standard 

 for flesh, and weight and number the test of laying 

 qualities 1 Is not the problem to be solved just 

 this — With a given amount of food, what breed of 

 hens will give us the largest returns in poultry or 

 in eggs? It would greatly facilitate the solving of 

 this problem, if your fowl correspondents would 

 give us the facts, touching their opinions. If the 

 .Shnnobaps or the Polands are the best layers, let us 



know how many eggs a well-fed hen will lay in the 

 first year of her maturity. Will gentlemen have 

 the kindness to give us the steelyards and the arith- 

 metic of their opinions. 



Your correspondent from Wakefield, R. I., 

 thinks the Black Spanish the best layers, and a 

 cross of these upon the Shanghaes the best for poul- 

 try. What are his /flcis? How many eggs will 

 a Spanish pullet lay in her first season? What is 

 the average of his flock, and how much will his 

 crossed fowls weigh on an average, say a six or 

 eight months old ? Shall we hear from Mr. Di- 

 rnon ? w. c. 



Stonington, Ct., Aug. I8th, 1851. 



For the New England Farmer. 



HOW TO DESTROY WITCH GRASS. 



Mr. Cole: — I noticed in a late number of your 

 journal something in relation to the destruction of 

 white weed. 1 am much gratified with the com- 

 munication of your correspondent. He asks for a 

 cheap and certain mode of destroying witch grass; 

 and though I do not actually at this time promise 

 to furnish so much, (for I know from experience 

 that when this enchanted herbage has taken deep 

 root in the soil, it is not easily destroyed;) yet, as 

 it can be got rid of, I will relate one instance of its 

 destruction. I once had under my care an orchard, 

 consisting of about one acre and a quarter, which 

 had been laid down to grass ten years. When it 

 was turned up, three-quarters of it was completely 

 swarded with witch grass. It was planted to a 

 crop of potatoes the first year, which came up vei-y 

 well, and also the witch grass with them, both 

 looking very flourising; (they were hoed three 

 times, which was barely enough to keep the grass 

 from heading;) after the crop was removed, it re- 

 mained until nearly the time winter set in, when 

 it was ploughed and harrowed, which process was 

 continued through the winter season, as often as 

 the weather would permit; the result was, that the 

 witch grass was nearly all destroyed. This plan 

 was pursued the ensuing year, with the effect of to- 

 tally destroying the whole of it. If any one of 

 your subscribers are troubled with this noxious 

 weed, which is so annoying to the tillers of the 

 soil, let them but persevere in the above plan, and 

 they will eradicate it. If any of your correspond- 

 ents would inform me of as cheap and certain means 

 of destruction for Canada thistles, I should be very 

 much obliged. Yours, respectfully, 



L. w. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 SKIPPERS IN CHEESE. 



Mr. Editor: — Much cheese is annually lost or 

 rendered unsaleable, by being infested with skip- 

 pers. To drive out these, when they have once ob- 

 tained a lodgment in the cheese, cut a small circu- 

 lar hole on the outside near the centre; carefully 

 remove the round ring or plug; and having excava- 

 ted a portion of the inside, so as to leave a hole to 

 the middle of the cheese, fill it with the best French 

 brandy. As the liquor is absorbed by the chee.se, 

 renew it, and repeat the operation several times. 

 Then fill up the hole and replace the plug, covering 

 it carefully with a piece of paper pasted over, and 

 the skippers will leave immediately. 



Yours, &c., Wm. a. Yeakle. 



Gernianlown, Aug. ^2,llh. 1)^51. 



