390 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



afraid of the sight of a little yellow dirt, which has 

 laid undisturbed and been trodden too far under 

 foot, by man and beast, for a series of generations. 

 We believe that this substance, when exposed to 

 the action of the atmosphere, will imbibe all the 

 elements of fertility which are to be found in the 

 surface soil, and that the growth of all crops will 

 be greatly promoted, and by enabling the water 

 more rapidly to disappear from the surface in time 

 of excessive wet weather, and by more ready ab- 

 sorption, to resist the action of severe drowth by 

 attraction and retention of moisture from the atmo- 

 sphere and the bosom of mother earth. 



In the next place, we believe a complete inver- 

 sion of the furrow slice to be essentially necessa- 

 ry to good plowing. This mode gives repose, in 

 some measure, to the exhausted surface, and brings 

 into action all the latent powers of production of 

 the under soil that have accumulated from time to 

 time by the leachings from the surface, and other- 

 wise. 



AVe consider it, also, as indisputably necessary 

 that all the soil should be moved. We have no 

 faith in the hog rooting, cut-and-cover system prac- 

 ticed by many. 



To effect good plowing, then, these things are 

 absolutely necessary, to wit: a good plow; a com- 

 petent, well-disciplined team to draw, and a skil- 

 ful plowman to guide it. 



DISCOVERY OF WOODPECKERS' 

 STORES. 



In stripping off the bark I observed it perforated 

 with holes larger than those which a musket bullet 

 would make, spaced with most accurate precision, 

 as if bored under the guidance of a rule and com- 

 pass, and many of them filled most neatly with 

 acorns. Earlier in the season I remarked the holes 

 in mostly all the softer timber, but, imagining 

 they were caused by wood insects, I did not stop to 

 examine or inquire ; but now, finding them studded 

 with acorns firmly fixed in, which I knew could 

 not have b^en driven there by the wind, I sought 

 for an explanation, which was practically given 



me by Captain S 's pointing out a flock of 



woodpeckers busily and noisily employed in the 

 provident task of securing their winter's provis- 

 ions, for it appears that that sagacious bird is not 

 all the time thriftlessly engaged " tapping the 

 hollow beach tree," for the mere idle purpose of 

 empty sound, but spends its summer season in 

 picking those holes, in which it lays its store of 

 food for the winter, where the elements can neither 

 affect it or place it beyond their reach, and it is 

 considered a sure omen that the snowy period is 

 approaching when these birds commence stowing 

 away their acorns, which otherwise might be cov- 

 ered by its fall. 



I frequently paused from my chopping to watch 

 them in my neighborhood, with the acorns in theii 

 bills, half clawing, half flying round the tree, and 

 admired the adroitness with which they tried it at 

 different holes until they found one of its exact 

 calibre; when, inserting the pointed end, they 

 tapped it home most artistically with their beaks, 

 and flew down for another. But their natural in- 

 stinct is even more remarkable in the choice of the 

 nuts, which you will invariably find sound; where- 

 as it is a matter of impossibility, in selecting them 

 for roasting, to pick up a batch that will not have 

 half of them unfit for use, the most [safe and pol- 



ished looking very frequently containing a large 

 grub generated within. Even the wily Indian, 

 with all his craft and experience, is unable to ar- 

 rive at anything like an unerring selection, while 

 in a large bag full that we took from the bark of 

 our log, there was not one containing the slight- 

 est germ of decay. They never encroach on their 

 packed store until all on the surface are covered, 

 when they resort to those in the bark, and peck 

 them of their contents without removing the shell 

 from the holes. — Kelly's Excursion to California. 



GARDEN MANURE APPLIED IN FALL 

 AND WINTER. 



Frequent complaints are made by those who are 

 limited in their gardening operations that what- 

 ever manures they do apply to their gardens, burn 

 up their crops when the heat of summer comes on. 

 We have felt this inconvenience too, and in look- 

 ing around to find a remedy, have come to the con- 

 clusion that whenever a garden requires active 

 stimulating manures, they should be applied in the 

 fall, or winter; in this way rank stable manure 

 may be applied, and spaded or ploughed under im- 

 mediately. It will have become by spring the 

 proper food of plants, and as all manures leech up- 

 wards, the surface soil will be in fine condition for 

 the growth of vegetables; whereas if the manure 

 is applied at planting time, especially the crude 

 manures generally applied here, just as vegetables 

 are most required, they are fired by action of the 

 sun on the manure, and the gardener has the mor- 

 lification to find his labor and money thrown away. 

 Whatever manures are applied in the spring should 

 be well rotted, or of a cooling nature. There are 

 many families that annually waste a barrel or two 

 of leeched ashes, when had it been applied to the 

 garden patch, they would have had "yearly yorks" 

 as well as their neighbors. 



The soap-suds from the wash tub is a manure 

 that may be applied with safety and with profit in 

 the spring, and yet how few ever use them except 

 to enrich the earth around their kitchens, and make 

 loathsome mudholes, when perfumed flowers, lus- 

 cious fruits and mammoth vegetables, might have 

 been made by them. We do not yet pioperly ap- 

 preciate the importance of a garden. The bearing 

 it has upon the happiness and health of a family is 

 plainly perceptible whenever we find a well con- 

 ducted garden; how highly important, then, that- 

 we should understand the proper food of plants. 

 He would certainly be a mad physician who would 

 give his fevered patients stimulants to raise the 

 fever higher and higher, until vitality was con- 

 sumed. So with the gardener, plants are fre- 

 quently stimulated to death, for the want of proper 

 cooling food. Our garden soils can scarcely be 

 too rich, but it must be a richness retentive of 

 moisture, and not as would be the case if the stable 

 manure was applied in the spiing, be a richness 

 which burned everything in contact with it. Ho, 

 then, for your wagons and wheelbarrows, load 

 them up, and cover your gardens quickly; plow 

 them up, turn the manure under; and when the 

 early seed-time comes, you need not fear but a 

 harvest will follow. — Coluynhus Enquirer. 



The laboring man in the present age, if he 

 does but read, has more helps to wisdom than So- 

 omon had. 



