684 FARMERS' REGISTER— KEEPING APPLES— RABBITS— TURNIPS, &c. 



small children could set squat traps and catch 'cm ; 

 there is no need of a bounty for them. Gentlemen 

 must possess a very lil)eral spirit, as well as a great 

 abundance, if they are willing- to give corn to such 

 a pernicious tribe as the crows. 



A member moved a recommitment, to add 

 chipmucks, chewinks, caterpillars, &c. to the bill. 



Mr. Forward never knew crows to pick out 

 lambs' eyes, but he didn't doubt the word of the 

 gentleman in the gallery, for he once travelled in 

 his part of the country, and upon his word lie 

 didn't believe there was corn enough raised there 

 for the crows to subsist upon ! 



Mr. Darling, of Marblehead, said he once knew 

 a corn field destroyed by a swarm of rats — he 

 thought they ought to be included in the bill, and 

 that it should specify at what age they should be 

 considered young rats or old rats .' 



Mr. Forward said — the bill didn't point out the 

 size or weight which constitutes a " full grown 

 crow." 



An elderly member asked whether the bill was 

 to apply to the city of Boston? 



Mr. Greenwood replied that it would not — no 

 crow was ever seen in that city except a certain 

 " Jim Croiv," and he had no idea of shooting him ! 



Mr. Ellis said, there was a member of this 

 House the last year by the name of Croio ! He 

 certainly would come under the denomination of a 

 " full grown crow," and he saw no provision in the 

 bill which would protect him ! 



The house having been amused for an hour by 

 this crow shooting project, and the proposition 

 having been sufficiently ridiculed, the question was 

 taken on striking out the enacting clause of the 

 bill, and carried in the affirmative by a very large 

 majority. 



TO KILL KATS OR CROWS. 



From the Genesee Farmer. 



" Bruise half an ounce nux vomica and soak 24 

 hours in warm water ; then add 4 quarts, and soak 

 it 12 hours ; then sow the corn on the ground im- 

 mediately after planting." 



The above was taken from a paper some years 

 since, and after trying corn soaked in arsenic with- 

 out success, I tried the above ; and early the next 

 morning after sowing it, I found a crow on the 

 ground, stupid ; but on putting him in a cage he 

 revived, and I put him in the field, and confined 

 him to a board by tying his legs on the under side, 

 after boring two holes to put his feet through ; 

 and immediately the air was black with crows, but 

 no one ventured to disturb the corn. I should re- 

 commend to increase the quantity of nux vomica, 

 that the effect may be more certain. For rats it 

 should be mixed with meal, and put where the 

 hens cannot get it. 



ON THE KEEPING OF APPLES. 



By Mr. Oliver, Gardener to the. Earl of Rossyln. 

 The fruit room ought to be placed in a dry cold 

 shady situation, free from wet, and sunk three 

 feet or four feet in the ground. The shelves should 

 be of beech or sycamore, about two feet wide and 

 ten inches asunder. Fir shelving tastes the fruit. 

 There is no need of fire in fruit rooms, for a little 

 frost does not injure apples. There ought to be 

 ventilators, as a good deal of air is necessary after 

 the fruit is first gathered and stored. 



When the apples begin to drop, the ripest are 

 gathered, and taken to the fruit room in shallow 

 baskets. These are taken singly out of the bas- 

 kets, and placed upon the shelves. 



" After the apples have been ten or twelve days 

 on the shelves, the process of sioeativg is consid- 

 ered as accomplished. They are then wiped one 

 by one with clean soft cloths; by this means a 

 knul ol' coat or shell is formed, which proves a safe- 

 guard to the fruit. The shelves are wiped at the 

 same time on both sides until quite dry. During 

 the whole time the apples are in sweat, plenty of 

 air is admitted, if the weather is clear and dry ; 

 but, if damp, the room is entirely shut up. I think 

 it is when the apples are sweating that they im- 

 bibe the flavor of whatever materials they are laid 

 upon ; and, if due attention is given to them at 

 tliat time, there is little chance of their afterwards 

 acquiring any bad taste." 



*^rhe fruit is turned over about the end of Jan- 

 uary, and, with the shelves, wiped, if any mois- 

 ture appears. After this time the room is closely 

 shut vip; for the admission of much air, after the 

 end of January, is found to occasion shrivelling. 

 All the time the fruit is in the room it is carefully 

 looked over every four or five days; and in the 

 month of August it is handled with gloves, the 

 hands of gardeners being generally moist at that 

 season. When apples are frozen, no artificial 

 means must be used to thaw them. If, when in 

 sweating, they are affected by the frost or damp, 

 they will be materially injured. 



" I have gathered apples, and laid them upon one 

 another in large baskets in a vinery , kept up to about 

 60° Fahrenheat,for 10da3'sorafortnight: they were 

 then covered with sweat. I had them wiped, con- 

 veyed to the fruit room, and laid on the shelves, as 

 already described. I have never found the flavor 

 of apples treated in this way to be in the least im- 

 paired." 



RABBITS. 



From the Farmers' Magazine. • 

 The care with which a doe rabbit provides for 

 her young is very remarkable. She not only 

 makes a nest of the softest hay, from which she 

 carefully munches out all the harder portions, but 

 she actuall)' strips the fur or down off her own 

 breast to spread over the hay. At first she covers 

 up her young ones with the same materials in or- 

 der to keep them warm, uncovering them only for 

 the puipose of giving them suck. She is also ex- 

 tremely careful in proportioning this covering 

 to the severity of the weather and the tenderness 

 or strength of her offspring, gradually diminish- 

 ing it as thev grow more robust. 



CANAL MADE BY NATURE. 



A most extraordinary freak of nature occurred, 

 says the Kingston, U. C. Herald, during the late 

 storm on Lake Erie. A channel was made through 

 Long Point, 300 yards wide, and from 11 to 15 

 deep. It was in contemplation to cut a canal at 

 this place, the expenses of which were estimated 

 at £ 12,000. 



TURNIPS TO THE ACRE. 



Loudon, in his late tour of Scotland, says, the 

 cultivation of turnips, in rows, is carried to so high 

 a degree of perfection in Scotland, that 30 tons of 

 Swedish turnips arc calculated en to the statute acre. 



