50 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Jan. 



mind in from its wanderings on the distant and 

 unavailing, tu the home-born and practical things, 

 whiefi, more than all others, demand the atten- 

 tion of men. 



We see still other benefits arising from this 

 course of sencHng forth lecturers on agricultural 

 science, of which we name one more and close. 



It is an old maxim, that like produces like, and 

 upon this principle, we can see no objection to tlie 

 belief tliat in every Ij'ceum or club, to which the 

 board shall send a lecturer, one, two, three, per- 

 haps more, young men will set tliemselvea to work 

 in earnest to become lecturers in their turn, and 

 thus a regular succession or course be given during 

 the continuance of the meetings. Don't cringe, 

 young man, at the idea, and say you can't do it. 

 Others, whose capacities were not a whit superior 

 to yours, have done it, and a young American far- 

 mer, especially a Yankee Hxrmer, ought to blush if 

 the idea crosses his mind that he cannot do what 

 others, under no more favorable circumstances, 

 have done. Young men ! supposing you try. What 

 if you do take some of the natural sciences (they 

 aU belong to the flirmer) that you are not familiar 

 with, and as you study, with nature for your 

 teacher, bring the result of your researches and 

 lay them before your fellows. Thus you may learn, 

 and by learning, become a teacher, a lecturer. 

 And your success may encourage others to adopt 

 the same course — beneficial to themselves, encour- 

 aging and salutary to others. Young men ! Again 

 we say try. The leisure of winter, the beauties 

 and availability of science, the culture of the intel- 

 lect, the dignity of your nature, everything, all 

 things invite to it. Try it, and in due time a suc- 

 cess, cheering and honorable, will be sure to crown 

 your labor. ^v. u 



Elmwood, Dec. 20, 1852. 



PIG RAISING I^r MISSISSIPPI. 



Some of our Suffolk pigs have got out into Mis- 

 sissippi, and as they seem to have met with a kind 

 reception and find themselves in pretty tall feed, the 

 following letter, from a correspondent to whom 

 we had sent several pigs, describing the manner in 

 which they are turned to grass there, will amuse 

 by the contrast which it affords between our mode 

 of preparing the porkers and theirs. 



On my way home I found the pigs, and must 

 express my thanks fitr your prompt attentions ; the 

 sow is a treasure. I have bought many hogs, and 

 have been feeding them, man and boy, some 30 to 

 35 years, and I never yet saw a hog which I think 

 will suit this country like this. Two planting 

 friends came here to-day to see them, and both 

 of them think as I say. The boar is good enough, 

 but not so fine in his points. I have now under 

 my immediate care 11 young sows and a boar, 

 nearly as old as the one you sent, and though good 

 hogs, they don't look at all well now by the side 

 of yours. Many of you ice-bound folks if at my 

 hog-house, would be iu(Juced to envy even my hogs 

 one thing — sweet potatoes. I am cooking about 

 20 bushels daily, and such potatoes as you buy by 

 the pound. I have 72 hogs up flitting, fed with 

 boiled meal, hasty pudding, with pumpkins, and 

 with boiled potatoes and meal, food changed. I 

 cook 3 bushels of meal at a time, and then about 

 10 bushels of potatoes, giving hogs a feed of raw 



potatoes, and a little raw corn, merely to get them 

 not to tii-e on cooked food. I think I will kill some 

 25 head which will run from 175 to 275 — these be- 

 ing even larger than is always safe in this latitude. 

 I have now growing as a pasture for hogs 10 acres 

 in clover, oats and barley, intending to turn my 

 brood sows and pigs tlicreon, say January, which 

 I suppose will keep tliem until oats are ripe, about 

 June 10. To-morrow I turn my young sows and 

 hogs into a 10 acre potato patch, from wliich we 

 are now digging. In tlie same field, T have about 

 15 acres of oats, up well, about 1 acre in clover, 

 sown last December and now several inches high; 

 this pasture will keep them near 2 months. 



I suppose you know not our winter oat ; we can 

 thus have a pasture all year. I also sow barley, 

 but rye will not do w(A\. After trying it many 

 years, even sowing down 20 to 50 or 70 acres in 

 the fall, for pasture, I find I have to buy seed about 

 every 3d year, as it seems to almost run out. My 

 plan is, sow on cotton or corn land, without the 

 plow, graze all winter and plow in, in the spring — 

 reserving enough for seed. This spring I turned 

 under over 80 acres. I had some 20 acres sown 

 down with oats and barley mixed, for hog feed 

 principally, and will continue until I have sown 

 110 acres — intending to plow all under next spring, 

 except perhaps 20 acres. 



I am, dear sir, yours with respect, 



M. W. Phillips. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 FARM HOUSES. 



Mr. Editor : — Being about to build a f\irm 

 house, I have concluded to build of strips, or tim- 

 ber, sawed 4 inches wide and 1^ inches thick, fas- 

 tened together by nailing from one piece to another, 

 and carrying up all the walls and partition togeth- 

 er ; the walls to be 1^ story high and plastering 

 on the inside of the walls for a finish. I wish to 

 inquire of you, or some of your subscribers, if the 

 outside could be plastered or finished with concrete 

 or hydraulic cement, and then painted and pen- 

 ciled in imitation of granite, so as to be durable. 

 If so, how to be put on, whether to put on a coat 

 of plaster first or not. Plastering on the outside 

 of buildings is generally not durable ; but I should 

 think that concrete might be. 



An answer to the above inquiry will be thank- 

 fully received by a subscriber. E. Camp. 



Chelsea, Vt., Dec. 14, 1852. 



Rejiarks. — Some of our readers undoubtedly 

 possess the required knowledge, and we hope will 

 communicate it. 



POTASH WATER. 



The editor of the Farmer and Planter, publish- 

 ed at Pendleton, S. C, in cautioning people to use 

 all alkalies with great care when applied to fruit 

 trees, says ; "Two springs since we killed some 

 young trees by applying too liberally a solution of 

 one pound of pearlash and one pint of soft soap 

 in three gallons of water. A very dry spell fol- 

 lowed the application, and hence not being washed 

 ofiF, the caustic liquid turned the bark of several 

 trees quite yellow, and much injured those that es- 

 caped." 



