394 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Sept. 



quent hoeing, and if drought prevails, as ia not un- 

 frequent in September, Water, mulch, &c. 



Laying down Lands to Grass. — See Calendar 

 for September, 1852 ; but it will be well to re- 

 member that the best time for this work comes 

 only once in twelve months, August and Septem- 

 ber. 



Hops. — The cultivator of this crop must attend 

 to it now. 



Turnips. — Your turnips being up and looking 

 well, see that they are properly thinned and weed- 

 ed. Nearly half the turnip crops are wasted by 

 the plants being left too thick. 



Topping Corn. — While we have no doubt that 

 the corn is injured by this practice, we do not 

 hesitate to recommend it. We lose something in 

 the weight of kernel, but gain in the fodder ; and 

 materially in managing the future harvest ; it is 

 worth while, perhaps, to go a liitle more particu- 

 larly into the matter. 



The leaves of plants perform two important func- 

 tions. Evaporation, which principally is effected by 

 the lower surface, and by which the water which 

 has been absorbed by the roots and absorbent ves- 

 sels is carried off in part, leaving the residue in the 

 form of concentrated juices: — and, second, respira- 

 ration, by which carbonic acid is taken into the 

 circulation of the plant and performs an important 

 part in the conversion of the proper juices, and in 

 preparing and maturing those elements which con- 

 stitute the nutritious quahty of the fruit. This pro- 

 cess must of course cease when the parts which 

 perform the office are destroyed. It would seem 

 that such must be the effect produced by topping 

 corn ; and though the proper process may still go 

 on by means of the few leaves that are left below 

 the topping, yet it will be feeble and partial, the 

 corn will ripen by evaporation merely ; or rather, 

 both the evaporation and the respiration will be 

 diminished, to the consequent injury of the grain, 

 which will have less of the nutritious property, 

 and less weight, will be more liable to ferment, 

 and to lose more in weight by the end of winter. 

 By the process named, the proper secretions of the 

 plant are in ripening, rapidly converted into sugar: 

 and so far as the topping checks the respiration it 

 would also diminish the saccharine quality and 

 render the corn less agreeable to the taste, as well 

 as less nutritious. But after having tried both 

 ways, we incline to the opinion that the loss is less 

 to top it, than to suffer the top to stand, and dry 

 up and realize the inconvenience in harvesting. 



Swine. — Begin to feed the swine intended for 

 fattening more liberally. Gather the early pump- 

 kins, apples, and with the small potatoes, boil and 

 mix with meal for them. To give. them now as 

 much as they will eat with a good appetite, is the 

 cheapest way to keep them. 



For the Neiv England Farmer. 

 THE WANTS OF AGRICULTURE. 



Mr. Editor : — In the August number of the Far- 

 mcr may be found an article from a Brattleboro' 

 correspondent, which I sincerely hope will not es- 

 cape the notice and careful consideration too, of 

 any of your agricultural readers. It is a brief 

 description of a charter obtained for establishing 

 an Agricultural College in the State of New York, 

 with some comments and suggestions by the wri- 

 ter upon the propriety of a similar movement in 

 our own State. The article referred to contains so 

 many good, suitable hints, that I feel disposed to 

 comment sojnewhat upon their merits ; hints that 

 may be made applicable to the people at large, 

 and also to the various associated agencies through- 

 out the State, whose object it is to promote great 

 interest of agriculture, and more particularly our 

 "State Board." ' 



The establishment of an institution of some sort, 

 for the full development of a more complete, sci- 

 entific, and, at the same time, practical system of 

 agriculture, is what in my opinion we ought to 

 aim at ; and for one, I am glad to have our neglect 

 of this, our " masterly inactivity," so presented 

 to our view. I do not, however, wish to be under- 

 stood as believing that there is not existing in 

 the public mind a feeling favorable to the propo- 

 sition ; not so ; on the contrary, I believe that a 

 constantly increasing interest is being felt and 

 manifested ; but still, that itisso undefined and un- 

 shaped, as to justify the conclusion thiit it exists 

 but to a very limited extent. 



A sound, practical knowledge of the science of 

 agriculture, is what of all things we most stand in 

 need of; we want it, for the full and complete de- 

 velopment of all the resources that a wise, crea- 

 ting hand has so profusely placed at our disposal, 

 and upon which the great mass of the people are 

 as yet uninformed. 



What is there that will so much elevate or en- 

 sure that just estimate of the true dignity of our 

 oceupatjon, an occupation which, most of all others, 

 constitutes the true greatness of a State ? AVhat, 

 but the possession of this very kno-ftledge and skill 

 in conducting if? Let the Jaci but be established, 

 that to make a good farmer, a deep thinking, well 

 educated mind is as necessary as the strong, sin- 

 ewy arm, and you place the profession in its just 

 and rightful position. 



My attention has been given to this occupation 

 of forming to a very considerable extent for the 

 last twenty years, and I profess to understand 

 pretty well all its details ; that is, the general or 

 common management of a farm ; but as to a knowl- 

 edge of the great principles appertaining thereto, I 

 confess I am obliged to admit almost an entire ig- 

 norance ; such, for instance, as to the variety of 

 treatment required for the various kinds of soils — 

 the proper mode of preparation and application of 

 manures — the adaptedness of particular crops to 

 particular localities, and the proper succession of 

 crops ; it is the want of a true knowledge of these, 

 and such as these, and the gi'eat principles con- 

 nected with them, that I so much regret — princi- 

 ples and laws established and fixed by a beneficient 

 Creator, and that must continue as unbending 

 and fixed in all the future, as they have been in all 

 the past ; we must go to them, they won't come 

 to us— go by the light of science, with a well ed- 

 ucated mind, prepared fully to compass the mya- 



