278 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



JCNE 



the weevil will be killed, and the sprouting of the 

 peas will be quickened. 



Prof. Harris says the insect is limited to a cer- 

 tain period for depositing its eggs ; late sown peas 

 therefore escape its attacks. The late Mr. Picker- 

 ing observed that those sown in Pennsylvania as 

 late as the 20th of May, were entirely free from 

 the weevil ; and Mr. Worthington, of Rensselear 

 County, N. Y., who sowed his peas on the 10th 

 of June, six years in succession, never found an 

 insect in them during that period. 



From the New Ens^/and Farmer. 

 AN ALYSE S— PLOWING— WATERING. 



Mr. Editor: — In your paper of the 12th of Feb 

 ruary is a letter signed S. F., from Winchester 

 The writer is very skeptical as to the value of 

 analyses of soils, and gives the analysis from the 

 Scioto valley, and from Palmer, Mass., in which 

 the advantage is rather on the side of good old 

 Massachusetts, God bless her ! I have mislaid 

 Mr. Wells' statement, but if I remember rightly, 

 he remarks on the extremely minute division of the 

 Scioto soil — he was obliged to use an extra fine 

 sieve to separate it, I think sixty meshes to an 

 inch, and the percentage of coarse matter was 

 very small which did not go through and that 

 was mostly fibrous. A state of things certainly 

 most conducive to the growth of all plants, as the 

 roots are able to penetrate in all directions, and 

 always in close contact with appropriate food ; and 

 then again the great depth of the soil is to be con- 

 sidered, which we have not. 



There is another case of some remarkable to- 

 bacco land in Virginia, which on analysis proved to 

 contain a very large percentage of iron, but it was 

 in the same state of minute division, and it is the 

 best land in the State. 



Analysis tells us that our soil contains a rather 

 better supply of the various salts necessary to 

 vegetation than the Scioto — but we must put our 

 land to the plow, dig deep, and pulverize well ; 

 to produce the same effects; no four inch skinning 

 will do it. Delicate roots, whose pores must be 

 sought for with the aid of a magnifying glass, re- 

 quire their food to be presented in homoeopathic 

 doses, and it is very unreasonable to expect a great 

 crop, where the plant is forced to seek its support 

 through a hard pan that has not been disturbed 

 since the flood. That large crop, can be raised in 

 these parts, by proper attention, is a settled fact ; 

 and I believe easier than poor ones. 



Farmers will be very incredulous, on being in- 

 formed that their iron tailed cow can be turned to 

 a more noble use, and yield a far greater profit, 

 by watering their manure, instead of watering 

 their customers'' milk ! (not that I would insinuate 

 that all farmers make a practice of it, but there 

 are amateurs in all professions !) like that prince 

 of farmers, J. J. Mechi, who by high culture, is 

 able to raise mangel wurzel at an expense of one 

 dollar twenty-five cents per ton of 2240 lbs. I 

 American farmers think of that ! The average on 

 a ten acre field was forty-three tons per acre ! 

 costing fifty-three dollars seventy-five cents ; in 

 fact his whole farm is kept like a garden, and 

 produces accordingly. His procedure in the above 

 case, was to applj two hundred and twenty-five 



pounds of dissolved bones to the acre, and water 

 the growing crops profusely with liquid manure, 

 he finds that one load of dung rendered liquid, 

 will manure as much land as lour loads dry, and 

 its effects are seen at once as it penetrates the 

 ground and presents itself in an acceptable man- 

 ner to every tender rootlet, whereas in the com- 

 mon mode of spreading with a shovel, it is scat- 

 tered here and there, some plants getting more 

 than their share, and othersnot enough. At first 

 sight, it miglit appear quite a task to water acres 

 of land! l)ut I think it Avould be found in prac- 

 tice that it can be done cheaper than by the old 

 method, as from a watering machine (which any 

 farmer could make) it spreads itself as fast as the 

 team walks across the field. One hundred and fifty 

 pounds of green manure to one tun of water, or 

 two hundred and fifty gallons, would be quite 

 strong enough probably. 



I think it is not best to spin any more yarn this 

 time, as perhaps Mr. Editor you will not think it 

 worth weaving into your pleasant sheet, particu- 

 larly when you learn that it comes from a book 

 farmer, without any land! 



Respectfully yours, J. G. Cuaxdler. 



Under the Cliff, lioxhury, Mass. 



For ttie New England Farmer. 

 PLOV/ING OR PLOUGHING. 



The season for this operation having again re- 

 turned, awakens the inquiry, how is the term pro- 

 perly spelled ? We cannot perceive any good rea- 

 son why three letters {ugh) should be used, when 

 one {w) will do quite as well. We know such has 

 been the usage — but usage without reason, is not 

 of itself satisfactory. If authorities are cited, 

 they will be found both ways. The Albany Cul- 

 tivator, the leading agricultural journal of the Em- 

 pire State, uses the letter lo only, the Massachu- 

 setts Ploughman, adheres to the old mode We 

 are opposed to innovations, without benefit ; but 

 where distinct benefits are apparent, and no dis- 

 advantages to accrue, we go in heartily for the im- 

 proved mode of speUing. It is time that uniform- 

 ity should prevail. Will not your Board of Agri- 

 culture, Mr. Editor, settle this matter? This 

 brings to mind a favorite idea, oft repeated by a 

 distinguished member of this Board, that not more 

 than six per cent, of the lands — or six acres in a 

 hundred, of the lands in Massachusetts, are fit to 

 be plowed. I am at a loss to comprehend the 

 meaning of this assertion. Surely it cannot be, 

 that generally on a farm of one hundred acres, 

 not more than six acres, can be benefited by the 

 plow. The reverse of this is nearer the truth. — 

 On most farms it will be difficult to find six acres 

 in a hundred, that will not receive benefit from be- 

 ing plowed. Pastures, as well as fields, may be 

 benefited b^ the plow. To be sure, some lands 

 are much rougher than others, but very few lots 

 are so rough, that a plow cannot be beneficially, 

 used in some parts. I would not have presumed 

 thus to criticise this expression, had it not have 

 been reiterated, year after year at the Legislative 

 meetings, by one whose instructions are regarded 

 by the people with much respect. I hope, there- 

 fore, he will condescend to explain what he means, 

 when he says that "not more than six per cent. 

 >f the lands of Massachusetts are susceptible of 

 benefit from the use of the plow." r. 



May 2, 1853. 



