316 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



July 



strikes me that these mightbebroughtmto a more 

 active condition, and new ones created, if the State 

 Society should issue circulars to every Agricultu- 

 ral town in the State inviting the attention of its 

 farmers to the subject, and requesting such re- 

 turns, either to the State or County Society, as 

 would insure life and activity. If these sugges- 

 tions are of any worth, I hope you, Mr. Editor, or 

 some of your correspondents, who are better qual- 

 ified than myself, will enlarge upon them and set 

 them forth in order. t. a. s. 



Westboro', May, 1853. 



THE TRUE MODE OP CULTIVATION. 



Mr. Editor : — I was much interested in the re- 

 marks of my friend T. A., in your last paper. He 

 is an intelligent, public spirited man. He has 

 within a few years removed from the sea-shore, 

 and engaged in the cultivation of the soil, and his 

 own farm is showing the effect of energy directed 

 by intelligence. He wants to see all the farms 

 around him cultivated in the best manner, and 

 carried to their maximum of productiveness. I 

 perceive that he has got hold of the true idea of 

 farming, viz., that it costs no more to carry on a 

 farm in a high state of cultivation, in which it shall 

 yield a large crop of the most profitable kind, than 

 it does to carry on one which shall yield but half 

 a crop, and that of but little value. I am glad he 

 has called the attention of the public to the sub- 

 ject of the proper cultivation of the State farms. 



You will recollect that in a conversation I had 

 with you a few days ago, I mentioned the idea of 

 the proper laying out and cultivating the State 

 Pauper farms, which the government is now pre- 

 paring for the reception of foreign paupers. Were 

 suitable men placed in the office of superintend- 

 ents of those farms, men who are not only compe- 

 tent to govern the inmates and manage the affairs 

 of the establishment economically, but who have 

 a theoretical and practical knowledge of agricul- 

 ture, — who have taste and judgment to lay out the 

 farms in the most convenient manner, and assign 



on impracticable schemes, — but men of intelli- 

 gence, judgment and experience. 



1 trust this subject will receive the serious con- 

 sideration of the "powers that be," and that the 

 suggestions thus made, may be like "seed sown 

 on good ground," which shall bring forth an abun- 

 dant harvest of good results. J. B. 



Concord, May, 1853. 



each part to its most appropriate use, model 



farms might soon be produced at small extra cost, I the -thistles will be at once destroyed. 



which would not only be a credit to the State, and 

 would contribute largely to the support of the in- 

 mates, but would be patterns to all the surround- 

 ing country. The superintendents might consult 

 with the Board of Agriculture, and receive their 

 advice in the management of the farms ; indeed it 

 might be proper, that the Board should be con- 

 sulted in the appointments. They should be re- 

 quired to keep accurate accounts, of debt and 

 credit with the farms, and report their modes of 

 cultivation, with the results, from year to year. 

 In this way they might be made to some extent 

 experimental farms. The Secretary of the Board 

 of Agriculture might direct the cultivation of foreign 

 seeds and grains that might come into his hands, 

 upon these farms. Experiments may be made 

 with imported stock, and in various ways informa- 

 tion acquired by expeiiments upon these f;irms 

 might be rendered useful to the community. 



But every thing of this sort must depend upon 

 the men placed at the head of these institutions. 

 They must be men who understand the funda- 

 mental principles of agriculture — men who can 

 distinguish between a false theory and a true one. 

 Men who shall not waste their time and force up- 



WEEDS. 



Weeds, it should be recollected, are always 

 more exhausting to soil than either roots or grain 

 crops. They are indigenous, consequently gross 

 feeders, and abstract from the soil only those ele- 

 ments of fertility which are essentially and indis- 

 pensably requisite to sustain the more valuable and 

 cultivated crops. It should ever be a rule with 

 the farmer, to allow no plant to perfect its seed on 

 his premises, that will, in any way, diminish the 

 productiveness of his soil. There are many weeds 

 which, if cut close to the soil, while in inflores- 

 ence, inevitably die ; and others, if so treated, will 

 not start again till the following year, or if they do, 

 it will be very feebly, and with so little vigor that 

 they will effect but little injury, comparatively 

 speaking, and without any possibility of producing 

 seed. Mullen, thistles, burdocks and many other 

 noxious productions of a similar class, may be 

 eradicated by placing a table spoonful of salt upon 

 the stump of each plant after cutting it. "When 

 these weeds are "in force," we have frequently 

 found it profitable to sow salt freely after mowing, 

 as the exuding fluids of the roots dissolve it, and 

 of course take a portion of it into their vessels 

 where it acts as a most efficient destroyer. If a 

 field infested with thistles be mowed when the 

 thistles are in full bloom, and salt, say two bush- 

 el^to the acre, be sowed upon the stumps, and 

 sheep permitted to graze intheinclosure, it is said 



This is 



perhaps a more economical method of eradication, 

 than removing the plants by the roots, which is 

 tedious, expensive and but seldom effectual. 



For the T/ew England Farmer. 

 ABOUT SHEEP AND STEERS. 



Will Mr. Geo. Campbell, of Westminster, Vt., 

 please answer the following questions for the ben- 

 efit of wool growers ? 



1st. How much tar do you put in to a gallon of 

 oil? 



2d. How much lampblack ? 



3d. Do you put in any brimstone, sulphur, ros- 

 in, or any kind of mineral? 



4th. What do you put it on with ? 



5th. How much will it take to put on one hun- 

 dred sheep ? 



6th. What advantage it is to shear sheep the 

 first of April? 



Will some one tell how I can make steers' horns 

 turn up when they begin to lop 1 



Young Wool Grower. 



Cheshire County, N. H., May, 1853. 



