388 



JSEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Aug. 



el. Two three and sometimes four hundred bush 

 els are applied to the acre in England, but we think 

 it a better plan to begin with a smaller quantity, 

 say from 10 to 25 or 50 bushels to the acre. The 

 tendency of lime is to stiffen very loose soils and 

 open the stiffen clays. 



(c.) Five or six barrels of the muriate of lime to 

 the acre. Price $1,50 per barrel. 



For the. New England Farmer. 



PRESERVING TIMBER. 



Copperas Hill, V(., July 9, 1853. 



Mr. a. D. IIager : — Dear Sir, — I notice in the 

 Neiu England Farmer, your inquiries respecting 

 "Kyani/.ing timber." I can inform you, that our 

 timber wliich baa been saturated with copperas 

 and exposed to all weather for forty years, is per- 

 fectly sound and hard, and has become something 

 of the nature of stone. 



Timber that has been soaked in copperas water, 

 say one pound copperas to one pail of water, will 

 last more than twice as long as that which has 

 not been thus prepared. Yours truly, 



John Reynolds, Agent 

 Vermont Copperas Company. 



N. B. Copperas is cheap, l| cents per pound. 



Proctorsville, Vt., July 12, 1853. 

 Friend Brown : — I received the above in answer 

 to my inquii-y in the Neiv England Farmer, and 

 although from a stranger, I take the liberty of |i7n7;c.;p;;7]7e"Jl7;tt;,f;pa7e"fOT^^ 



The first rain drop had no sooner started for 

 the field, than the second one said, "Well, if you 

 are going, I believe I will go too, so here I come ;" 

 and down dropped the rain drop on another stalk. 



By this time a great many rain-drops had come 

 together to hear what their companions were 

 talking about, and when they heard them, and 

 saw them going to cheer the former and water the 

 corn, one said, "If you're going on such a good 

 errand, I'll go too ;" and down he came. "And 

 I," said another, "and I," "and I," and so on, 

 till a whole shower of them came, and the corn 

 was watered, and it grew and ripened, all because 

 the first little rain-drop determined to do ivhat it 

 could. 



Never be discouraged, children, because you 

 can't do much. Do ivhat you can. Angels can 

 do no more. — Anonymous. 



AGRICULTURE IN FRANCE. 



A letter writer for The Rppuhlic says a trip of 

 six hundred and fifty miles, from the northern to 

 the southern extremity of France justifies me in 

 the expression of my opinion that God's sun does 

 not elsewhere shed its rays on so fair a land, or 

 one so thoroughly cultivated. 



The whole country is literally a garden. Every 

 square foot, from the mountain top to the lowest 

 ravine, is made to produce something, if it be 

 susceptible of it. Their mode of j^'lanting or sow- 

 ing their crops whether on plain or hill side, pro- 

 duces the finest effect on the appearance of the 



sending it to you, as the facts may be thought of 

 sufficient importance to claim a place in that bun 

 die of valuable fiicts — the New England Farmer 

 Respectfully yours, A. D. Hager. 



THE FABLE OF THE RAIN DROP. 



There was once a farmer who had a large field 

 of corn ; he ploughed it and planted the corn, 

 and harrowed it and weeded it with great care, 

 and on his field he depended for the support of his 

 family. But after he had worked hard, he saw 

 the corn begin to wither and droop for want of 

 rain, and he thought he should lose his crop. He 

 felt very sad, and went out every day to look at 

 his corn, and see if there was any hope of rain. 



One day, as he stood there looking at the sky, 

 and almost in despair, two little rain di'ops up in 

 the clouds over his head saw him, and one said to 

 the other. 



"Look at that poor farmer ; I feel sorry for him; 

 he has taken so much pains with his field of corn, 

 and now it is all drying up ; I wish I could do him 

 some good." 



"Yes," said the other, "but you are only a 

 little rain drop, what can you do? You can't 

 even wet one liillock." 



""Well," said tlie first, "to be sure I can't do 

 much, but I can cheer the farmer a little at any 

 rate, and I am resolved to do my best. I'll try. 

 I'll go to the field to show my good will, if I can 

 do no more : so, here I go." And down went 

 the rain drop, and came pat on the farmer's nose, 

 and then fell on one stalk of corn. "Dear me," 

 said the farmer putting his finger to his nose, 

 "what's that ■? A rain drop. Where did that 

 come from ? I do believe we shall have a show- 

 er." 



out in squares or parallelograms with mathemati- 

 cal pi-ecision, and whether large or small, the best 

 garden could not be divided with greater accuracy. 



As there are no fences or hedges, and as the 

 different crops are in various stages of maturity 

 you can imagine the variety of hues that meet the 

 eye, and the magnificence of the panorama that 

 stretches out in every direction as f\ir as the vision 

 can penetrate. I am sorry to add in this connec- 

 tion that seven-eighths of the labor is performed 

 by females, while two or three hundred thousand 

 stalwart men are idling away their time in the 

 barracks in the cities and villages. 



In the absence of fences, cattle secured by ropes 

 are driven about their pasturage by females, and 

 sheep are confined within the required limits by 

 boys, assisted by a shepherd's dog. Speaking of 

 cattle reminds me that notwithstanding fresh pork 

 is abundant enough in market, both in England 

 and France, I have not seen a live porker in either 

 country. 



Excerpts. — Every plant that is produced, every 

 child that is born, is a new idea, a fresh expres- 

 sion of the wisdom and goodness of our Creator. 



Revenge reaps no reward. It is its own most 

 fearful punishment. Its thirst is death. Deeds of 

 horror are its luxuries. 



Custom will have the same effect, with respect 

 to death, as to other frightful things ; it will take 

 offits terror. 



The noblest remedy for injuries is oblivion. 

 Light injuries are made lighter by not regarding 

 them. 



No poultice has ever been discovered to draw 

 out man's virtues so fully as the sod that covers 

 his grave. 



