414 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



new axle that had been oiled in this way very hard 

 to get off. I abandoned every kind of oil but the 

 very best some years ago. A neighbor, who has 

 charge of the factory, helped me to needed light 

 on this subject. He said nothing else would do 

 for machinery but pure sperm oil. 



Well, why is'nt a wagon, a machine. Why 

 don't it need as good oil as a loom or a double 

 speeder 1 Is horse power or ox power so much 

 cheaper than water power 1 



I have used the best oil I could buy, since an- 

 swering the above questions. I find it is cheaper, 

 too. A wagon oiled with sperm oil will run mer- 

 rily four times as long, at least, as when oiled 

 with the cheaper article. 



1 have heard of a man who said he thought very 

 little was gained by greasing a cart. I see occa- 

 sionally some who are practically his followers. 

 I believe this the extremest folly. Will you car- 

 ry a third less load for the want of a few minutes' 

 care ? Or will you drag the last grain of strength 

 out of your cattle when you might so easily lessen 

 their labor] 



Yours truly, Wm. D. Brown. 



Concord, Nov. 15, 1851. 



have raised so large a quantity as five bushels, 

 great would have been the inquiry among the 

 neighbors in what manner he could dispose of such 

 an abundance. They were, at fiisr, raised in beds 

 like onions. 



Remarks. — The practice of using all kinds of 

 cast off stuff for greasing wheels, rather has a ten- 

 dency to retard than to accelerate motion. The 

 word here "fitly spoken" will call attention to a 

 subject that is by no means unimportant. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 CRANBERRIES— CORRECTION. 



Messrs. Editors : — In No. 48 of the N. E. 

 Farmer, a correspondent of the signature P. quo- 

 ted the sentence in my communication of Nov. 15 : 

 "The natural cranberry is such a capricious char- 

 acter that all efforts to improve the crop are vain." 

 When I am in error I will thank any gentleman to 

 correct me, but not to misquote my language. It 

 would have been better for my friend to have quo- 

 ted the whole sentence as printed, which reads 

 thus : — "The natural cranberry is such a capri- 

 cious character that our efforts to improve the crops 

 are all in vain ; mowing and burning old vines 

 which are past the bearing state, is labor, with me, 

 thrown away." Now if Mr. P. had quoted my 

 whole sentence, he would find that I made no al- 

 lusion to the cultivation of cranberries under any 

 kind of improvement. I said the natural cranber- 

 ry, (meaning the spontaneous growth which is on 

 wet land and iniiy meadows) when past the bear- 

 ing state, could not be improved by mowing or 

 burning. I would thank Mr. P. to use a little 

 more care hereafter, and quote me correctly. 



Dec. .3, 1851. Silas Brown. 



Early Potatoes. — A correspondent, who has 

 been looking over Coffin's valuable history of 

 Newburyport, furnishes some ancient items, as 

 thus : "1719. This year potatoes were introduc- 

 ed by some emigrants from Ireland." In 1737, 

 the Rev Thomas Smith, of Portland, says in his 

 diary, "There is not a peck of potatoes in the 

 whole eastern country." In 1739, Robert Adams 

 chronicles the sale of a bushel and a half of "per 

 talers." There introduction into general use was 

 slo'v, and so late as 1750, — should any person 



SUNNY DAYS IN WINTER. 



BY D. F. MACARTHY. 



Summer is a gloiious season, 



Warm, and bright, and pleasant; 

 But the past is not a reason 



To despise the present. 

 So wiiile health can climb the mountain, 



And the log lights up the hall, 

 There are sunny days in Winter, 

 After all ! 



Spring, no doubt, hath faded from us, 



Maiden-lilie, in charms; 

 Summer, too, with all her promise. 



Perished in our arms. 

 But the memory of the vanished. 



Whom our hearts recall, 

 Maketh sunny days in Winter, 

 After all ! 



True, there's scarce a flower that bloomelh, 



All the best are dead; 

 But the wall-flower still perfunieth 



Yonder garden-bed. 

 And the lily-flowered arbutus 



Ilugs its coral ball — 

 There are sunny days in Winter, 

 After alt ! 



Summer trees are pretty — very, i 



And I love them well; 

 But, this holly's glistening berry 



None of those excel. 

 While the fir can warm the landscape, 



And the ivy clothes the wall, 

 There are sunny days in Winter, 

 After all ! 



Sunny hours in every season 



Wail the innocent — 

 Those who taste with love and reason 



What their God hath sent. 

 Those who neither soar too highly, 



Nor too lowly fall, 

 Feel the sunny days of Winter, 

 After all ! 



Then, althougli our darling treasures 



Vanish from the heart; 

 Then, although our once-loved pleasures 



One by one depart; 

 Though the tomb loom in the distance. 



And the mourning pall. 

 There is sunshine, and no Winter, 

 After all ! 

 Dublin University Magazine. 



Solidified Milk. — A few cakes of the newly- 

 invented solidified milk have found their way to this 

 country. The article resembles, in color, con- 

 sistency, weight and feel, cakes of pale yellow 

 soap. One pound, grated into boiling water, will 

 make several gallons of very good milk. It is 

 warranted to keep any number of years. Price, in 

 England, one dollar per pound. It is not yet, we 

 believe, for sale here. A friend, however, whom 

 curiosity led to import a small quantity, has tried 

 it, and assures us that it is all that it claims to be — 

 "a real blessing to mothers" and mariners. — 

 Home Journal. 



