374 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



of the things most intimately connected with the 

 paiticular duties and interests of the fanner; such 

 as his Ileal ih, mental development, moral improve- 

 ment, the economy of farming, classification of soils, 

 management of soils, winter employment, and care 

 of farming tools. 



We consider this almanac as a valuable hand- 

 book, or text-book, for the farmer, and if widely 

 circulated, will lead the minds of many young men 

 into the pursuits of agriculture in a m.ore thorough 

 and systematic manner. With this introduction to 

 the reader, in a few extracts, we let it speak for 

 itself:— 



Botany. — This science, whether contemplating 

 the systematic arrangement of plants, or the mutu- 

 al relations and uses of their paits, is intimately 

 connected with agriculture. Indeed, some knowl- 

 edge of this science is implied in the rudest condi- 

 tion of this pursuit. The habits, structure, and 

 qualities of plants, the soil and climate best adapted 

 to them, the best mode of culture, and the power of 

 that culture to change and improve them, are all 

 questions in which the farmer is interested. 



Chemistry. — This science teaches us that the 

 whole material world with which we are acquaint- 

 ed is made up of varied combinations of from fifty- 

 aix to sixty simple substances, and that about 

 twelve or more of these enter, more or less com- 

 monly, into the constitution of those vegetables 

 with which the farmer is acquainted, as well as in- 

 to the constitutions of all those animals which feed 

 on tho»e plants. 



Mechanics. — The farmer needs carriages, various 

 tools, especially for cultivation and seed-sowing, 

 reaping, excavation, etc. In the construction of 

 these, reference should be had to the persons using 

 them, the quality of the soil to be cultivated, the 

 facility with which they may be used, and their 

 durability. In nothing does the enlightened agri- 

 culture of some nations appear more than in the 

 •wisdom of their machinery. 



FLAZ SEED AS FOOD. 



Will you allow me to communicate to the read- 

 ers of your valuable paper the result of my little 

 experience in the use of flax seed for feeding a sad- 

 dle horse. I was induced, from reading Mr. 

 Sproule's articles in the Gazette, on Flax, and 

 Warnet's Systems, &;c., for farm horses, to try the 

 experiment with my saddle horse, which has now 

 been fed twelve weeks upon the following diet, and 

 is in excellent condition, with a good coat, notwith- 

 standing the severe weather to which* it has been a 

 good deal exposed; for being a surgeon, I am 

 obliged to leave it standing at the doors of my pa- 

 tients continually: — 



6 stone (of 20 lbs.) of wheat stiaw, at 6d os. Cd. 



2 stone good hay, at 13d 6i 



\ score bran, 6' 



7 lbs ground linseed, at 3d 1 9. 



These are retail prices, and include straw for 

 bedding, which, however, is economized by being 

 put under the manger during the daytime. Upon 

 this my horse has, of course, done easy work; it 

 has, however, only been four days in the stable, 

 and has averaged eight miles a day for the last 

 twelve weeks. I have also a drawback on the ma- 

 nure, which, at the price here, will, I think, re- 



duce the cost of keep to 5s. a week. I should state 

 that my apparatus is neither extensile nor expen- 

 sive. I boil in a five quart pan a gallon of water, 

 with a half pound of good linseed and a little salt, 

 a common butter fiikin being filled with the chaff, 

 (straw and hay) mixed with the proportion of bran; 

 the boiling linseed is poured over it, and well 

 mixed with a broomstick, more chaff being added 

 as it settles after standing an hour or two; this is 

 given at night, and a second supply (the operation 

 being repealed with a little more chaff) stands all 

 night, and affords the animal as much as he can 

 eat the whole of the next day; the salt increases 

 her relish. — The Plow, Loom and Ajivil. 



Potato Digger. — Among the implements of 

 farm labor exhibited at the Manchester Fair was a 

 wagon with machinery attached for gathering po- 

 tatoes — the recent invention of a New Hampshire 

 farmer. The wagon is placed at one end of the 

 potato field, with oxen or horses attached, and as 

 it passes down the lows, digs the potatoes, sepa- 

 rates them from the dirt, and loads them in the 



Not Much Trouble to Try It. — To raiss 

 an orchard of grafted fiuit without grafting! How 

 can it be done ? Select the kind of fruit you desire, 

 then take a linen string and tie it as near the top 

 as may be. Let it remain one year, then you have 

 above the string one year's growth. Over th« 

 string will form a bulb; cut off just below and set 

 in the ground, and from the bulb will start out 

 roots, and soon trees of a dwarfish size will be seen 

 growing under a burden of fruit. 



lUeil]anics' Dfpaitmnit, ^rts, ^r. 



For the New England Farmer. 



TO HARDEN STEEL WITHOUT SPRING- 

 ING. 



Mr. Editor: — I read with much interest in 

 your last paper a short article under the above 

 head. I agree with the writer in the main — that 

 steel should be heated as uniformly as p(p&s!ble,and 

 at the lowest heat at which it will harden — that it 

 should be dipt into the water perpendicularly, for 

 if obliquely, as he justly remarks, the under side 

 will chill first, and as it contracts, will draw the up- 

 per side which is still soft. We are also cautioned 

 to prevent springing to dip it into the water s/otc/y. 



It appears to me that reason and experience are 

 against that. I prefer to put it into the water in- 

 stantly, the quicker the better, more particularly 

 when the piece is to be hardened all over. By 

 this method the sides chill as equally as by the 

 slow process, and the entire surface more so, thus 

 giving it a more even temper, and at the same time, 

 it is less liable to crack in consequence of hammer- 

 ing or from any other cause. Whether this view 

 be correct or not, I cannot see why placing it in 

 the water slowly should prevent its springing in 

 any degree. Yours, &c., 



C. WiNSLOW. 



Springfield, Sept. 23, 1851. 



^^ Every virtue carried to excess, approaches 

 its kindred vice. 



