78 



THE PARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR 



Great Hog of his age. — Benjamin J. Freese, 

 Esq. of Noithwood, N. H. slaughtered n hog of 

 the native breed, Feb. 15, 1841, whose meat and 

 fiit weighed seven hundred and eighty-one 

 pounds. We ask if James Marston, junior's, or 

 any other hog of the same age has exceeded this ? 

 But below we pi-esent an instance of the growth 

 of a hog that, we believe, must cany otf tlie 

 palm : 



Surprising Increase. — A Berkshire Hog, now 

 about eighteen mouths old, was twice weighed 

 quite recently, once at the commencement and 

 once at the termination of twenty-four days, and 

 gained in that time one hundred and twenty-four 

 pounds living weight. This was a full blood 

 Berkshire, the produce of a sow kept by the Sha- 

 kersat Canterbuiy, and is the property of George 

 L. SiBLET, Esq. of Meredith Bridge village. The 

 contented disposition of the Berkshire breed, 

 where the appetite is kept up by the proper field 

 or rooting e-xercise, enables those who keep this 

 kind of swine to raise them of almost any size 

 " to order." 



Elnathan Blood, at the South Family of 

 Shakers in Enfield, N. H. last year raised on six 

 acres of not very highly manured ground, four 

 hundred and twenty bushels of shelled Brown 

 corn. Seventy bushels to the acre is a grand 

 crop, if it does not come up to our friend Brown's 

 crop on the Wimiepisseogee Islands. 



Our friend, Peter Foster of the third Can- 

 terbury Family, has sent us ten " French Pota- 

 toes" from seed imported last year. From ten 

 potatoes last year he raised two bushels. Plant- 

 ed side by side, the Rohansdid not yield so much 

 in quantity as the French. To appeariince the 

 latter is as beautifid as the thin-slcinued, round, 

 smooth white potatoe. 



Western Railroad. — 60,000 hogs are now 

 annually brought to Brighton, from the neighbor- 

 hood of Albany and Troy. It is calculated that 

 the number will be increased from two to four 

 fold, by the completion of the Western Railroad, 

 and the facility it will furnish to bring then). 



30,000 bead of cattle are slaughtered at and 

 near Albany and Troy. Most of these will come 

 over the Western Railroad. In driving cattle 

 100 or 200 mile-s you reduce, by the fatigue of 

 the animal, the quality from mess to No. 1, be- 

 sides losing in weight. This is avoided by the 

 Railroad. The animal can get to Brighton then 

 in the most perfect order, without the loss of 

 weight, or quality, or flavor. — Bost. Transcript. 



The two Farmers. — Two farmers, who were 

 neighbors, had their crops of early peas killed by 

 the frost. One of them came to condole w ith the 

 other on their misfortune. 



"Ah!" cried he, "how unfortunate we have 

 been, neighbor! Do you know that I have done 

 nothing but fret ever since. But, bless me! you 

 seem to have a fine, healthy croj) coming up just 

 now. What are these ?" 



" The.«e •'" cried the other, " why these are Avhat 

 I sowed immediately after my loss." 



"What! come up already!" exclainjcd the 

 iVetter. 



"Yes — while you were fretting, I was work- 

 ing." 



"What, and don't vou fret when you have a 

 loss ?" 



" Not until I have repaired the mischief." 



" Why then you have no need to fret at all." 



" True," replied the industrious gardener, " and 

 that's the very reason : in tru.h, it is very jileasant 

 to have no longer reason to think of misfortune, 

 and it is astonishing how many might be repaired 

 by alacrity and energy." 



truly independent trade, the business of cultiva- 

 ting the earth. This we should have done with 

 that kind of a caveat w liicli would be becoming 

 one who professes little knowledge of the science 

 of chemistry generally, and can boast, perhaps, 

 of little more of the business of tilling the earth. 

 But we find that profound chemisls have pro- 

 nounced most favorably upon Liebig's work, and 

 professed agi-iculturists have tested its excellence. 

 And though we cannot find space for all that we 

 see written of the excellence of the work, yet we 

 cannot deny .some space to a republication of opin- 

 ions that may commend the volume to those 

 whose pursuits will make it most valuable to 

 them : — 



"It is the best book," writes Mr. Nutall, "ever 

 published on Vegetable Chemistry as applied lo 

 Agriculture, and calculated undoubtedly to pro 

 duce a new era in the science." 



Extract from a letter from Dr. Colman, Com- 

 missioner for the Agricultural Survey of Mas- 

 sachusetts, dated Feb. I5tli, 1841 : 



" It is the most valuable contribution to Agri- 

 cultural science, which has come within my 

 knowledge. It takes new views ou many sub- 

 jects, which have been long discussed without 

 any progress towards determinate conclusions; 

 and reveals principles which are of the highest 

 importance. Some of these principles recpiire 

 further elucidation and proof; but, in general, 

 they are so well established by liicts within my 

 own observation, that, in my opinion, the truth, 

 if not already reached, is not far distant." 

 From Sillinian'a Journal, January, I31I : 



"It is not too much to say, that the publication 

 of Pi-olessor Liebig's Organic Chemistry of Ag- 

 riculture, constitutes an era of great impor- 

 tance in the history of .Agricultiual science. 

 Its acceiJtance as a standard is unavoida- 

 ble, for, following closely in the straight 

 path of inductive philoso|diy, the conclusioiis 

 which are drawn from its (i:ita aic incontroverli- 

 ble." " To sonic, the slj Ic of this work may seem 

 somewhat obscure; but it « ill be found, on re- 

 perusal, that great condensation, brevity and 

 terseness, have been mistaken for obscurity." 

 " We can truly say, that we have never risen from 

 the perusal of a book with a more thorough con- 

 viction of the profound knowledge, extensive 

 reading, and practical research of its author, aud 

 of the invincible power and importance of its 

 reasonings and conclusions, than we have gain- 

 ed from the present volume." 



Liebig's Chemistry for Agriculture. — Mr. 

 Owen of Cambridge, Mass. has published a 

 large duodecimo volume entitled "Liebig's Or- 

 ganic Chemistry of Agriculture and Physiology, 

 with an Introduction, Notes, aud .\ppendi.\, by J. 

 W. Webster, M. D., Professor of Chemistry in 

 Harvard University." 



This work is spoken of in the highest terms. 

 The Philadelphia U. S. Gazette says: 



" On looking over this vobuiip we were struck 

 with what we thought it ts admirable adaptation 

 to prac'ical agriciiltiu'e : and we were about to 

 invile t ) the woik the attention of those who feel 

 and have an ititereet in the promotion of that 



Raising of He.mp. — The cultivation of hemp 

 is exciting consi<lcrable interest in Maine at pres- 

 ent. The soil is said to be admirably adapted 

 to its cultivation, and its importance is such as to 

 justify renewed and still more strenuous exer- 

 tions; for nearly all the canvass and cordage 

 used in both the Government and merchant ves- 

 sels — vast as is the quantity used — is derived al- 

 most entirely from the North of Europe. Of 

 course, in the event of any accident to the for- 

 eign crop, or any interruption of peaceable rela- 

 tions, this supply is entirely cut off. When well 

 cured, too, it is said our manufacturers iini/brm- 

 ly prefer American to Russian hemp. For the 

 ten years [ireceding October, 1838, the annual 

 average of 4,.382 tons of hemp has been import- 

 ed to be used almost entirely in manufactin-es. 

 Encouragement to its growth has for some time 

 been given by the General Government by grant- 

 ing favorable contracts, but without good success. 

 During the last year, however, they have given 

 contracts to the extent of 400 tons avoirdupois, 

 promising §400 per ton for il, delivered at the 

 j^avy Yards. The quali!_v, however, has been 

 inferior, contaiuing generally about 50 per cent, 

 of^oiiand lull 9 percent, of waste. It is said 

 that an acre of good land, well sown, will pro- 

 duce from 500 to 800 pounds of clear hemp, 

 worth upon an average in our market .$250 per 



To destroy Ticks ou Sheep. 



To the Editor of the Yankee Farmer -.—Sir— 

 Having noticed an article in your paper of May 

 1st, in regard to destroying ticks on sheep, in- 

 duces ine to send you a more simple method, 

 and one which I have found effectual, having 

 practised it for several years. If you think it 

 worthy of notice, you lue at liberty to iiublisli it 

 in your paper. Imni diately after shearing, I 

 apply lamp oil, poured from a common lamp fil- 



ler, the whole length of the sheep, from the ears 

 back, and directly on the centre of the back, so 

 that it will spread equally on each side — one 

 quart is sufficient for eightsheep. 



The lambs are treated in the same manner, 

 varying the quantity according to the size of the 



If the lambs are large, care should be taken to 

 pait the wool on the centre of the back, and the 

 oil so applied as to cause it to spread equally on 

 each side. 



In the fall of the year, when the sheep are 

 brought to the barn, I again apply the same. 

 Oil is a deadly poison to most insects, and v;hen 

 applied as above described, the ticks may be seen 

 dead, entangled in the ends of the wool. The 

 above method, I think, has several advantages to 

 recommend it. 



1st. Flies, which are exceedingly annoying lo 

 sheep after shearing, will not light on them for 

 niany days after. 



2d. The wool starts much quicker for being 

 oiled. 



3d. Sheep treated in this manner will endure 

 the cold storms, which frequently occur after 

 shearing, with half the risk of those that have 

 not been oiled. 



And lastly, I have no doubt bnt the next year's 

 clip is considerably increased in quantity, with- 

 out injury to its quality. 



I have nothing but my own experience to sus- 

 tain me in the above statements, as I do not 

 know that any other person ever practised it. — 

 WORCESTER. 



Cambridge, M Y. May Wth, 1841. 



lion. Isaac Hill, Sir: — A few years since, a 

 neighbor and particuhir friend of mine, the own- 

 er of a good farm in this town, concluded to sell 

 out here, aiul settle in a warmer climate, where 

 he would not have to " handle the pitchfork six 

 months in the year." He went liir west and 

 south, took time" and explored the country, but 

 coidd not suit himself. On his return to this 

 place, he purchased a fine farm in the western 

 part of this State. He remarked that he found 

 no ilifficulty in selecting lands of the very best 

 quality, bnt as far as he could discover, they 

 wanted in that region tw'o blessings which we 

 usually had here, good health, and good water. 



Perhaps our climate on all accounts is lis good 

 as any other; but we who are farmers may as 

 well calculate to u.se the pitchfork six months in 

 the year, and the present foddering season is like- 

 ly to exceed that time. 



ECONOMY IN FEEDING HAY. 



In your last Visitor you have given us an ex- 

 cellent article on the subject of producing large 

 crops of hay. It has long been my opinion that 

 many farmers gave out more hay than was ne- 

 cessai-y, or more than they need to if they would 

 adopt that method of foddering which would 

 prevent the waste of hay. I have triod various 

 ways, and the present season have cribs for cat- 

 tle aud sheep, which I consider far preferable to 

 racks. I commenced the foddering season, with 

 less hay and other fodder than usual for the .same 

 amount of stock, and it has held out quite be- 

 yond my expectation, which I impute in a great 

 measure to the use of the cribs, whereby very lit- 

 tle fodder has been wasted. I think many farm- 

 ers will learn a lesson from experience, in future 

 not to commence the winter with more stock 

 than they can reasonably expect to keep well 

 through the season of foddering. 



TRIIMMINO OF FRUIT TREES. 



I have nothing new to offer, but as Col. Tay- 

 lor says, "we are more pleased with being re- 

 minded of what we know, than in being instruc- 

 ted in that of which we are ignoiant." I see 

 many fiuit trees dying for the want of proper 

 trimniing, and some killed outright by trimming 

 too nnich ; for instance, a man has an apple tree 

 that bears miserable fruit. He has it grafted with 

 the best kind of fruit ; the scions take, and grow 

 finely the first season. The next season, he 

 wishes to have the natural branches out of the 

 way, and cuts them all off. It had better he cut 

 off close to the groimd, for in nine cases out of 

 ten it will be death to ti:e tree. I rather think 

 your eastern farmers know better than to trim 

 tieesin th's way, but it is not veiy micommon in 

 tiavelling about our country to find trees thus 

 destroyed. 



