424 



NEW ENGLAND FARMSR. 



Sept. 



two acres of swamp— get off the wood, burn the 

 brush, — ^et a root puller and haul over by a yoke 

 of oxen tlio branches which will pull up, — collect 

 them together ifthe weather isdry,put fire to them 

 and reduce them to ashes, for the'benefit of coming 

 crops, and also carry some upon the uplands. I 

 take the month of August to clear up the swamp, 

 as it is over to mapie, swamp whortleberry, al- 

 ders, dog wood, &c. &c., and it is said that wood, 

 cut in August, or September, is worth 30 percent, 

 more than that cut in the Spring, for fuel or for 

 timber ; and by August I shall have my haying 

 out of the way. 



A part of the low land planted as above stated, 

 I had hauled on by the wheelbarrow coarse gravel 

 to the depth of 2^ inclies, so that by plowing, the 

 mud or peat and gravel w'as completely mixed. — 

 The largest half was not graveled at all but purely 

 mud or peat— so if I live I expect to see which does 

 the best. I have thrown the above items together, 

 thinking that some farmer might have his ideas a 

 little stimulated to look into the subject matter and 

 might lorite to give me and others more informa- 

 tion on the points mentioned above. 



Yours, etc., Isaac Stevens. 



Mansfield, 1853. 



HITCHING POSTS. 



_ C^" A short time since a pair of horses were 

 hitched to a locust tree in one of our streets, and 

 while standing there devoured all the bark of the 

 tree within their reach, completely skinning it for 

 a considerable distance above and below their 

 heads. They died within a few hours afterwards, 

 being killed by the bark they had eaten. Thus a 

 double misfortune happened — the destruction of a 

 valuable tree, and the loss of a still more valua- 

 ble team. — Rochford Forum. 



Remarks. — That the bark of the locust is poison 

 to man or beast is new to us ; that horses'' teeth 

 are poisimous to the bark of trees, vre have more 

 than once had positive evidence. People often set 

 fine trees about their buildings or gates, and leave 

 them unprotected by stakes or boxes. By-and- 

 by neighbor Cleverman rides up with his bay colt, 

 full of fire and mettle, in order to pass the compli- 

 ments of the evening, or perhaps, purchase the 

 present year's crop of onions. He looks for a post 

 to which he may tie his champing steed, but 

 the7-e is none! nothing presents itself but a beau- 

 tiful rock maple, which, surprising asitmayseem, 

 has been growing by the side of the gate for four 

 years, and has just formed a head of perfect grace 

 and symmetry. So Bucephalus is hitched to the 

 maple, while his owner chafiers with farmer 

 Thoughtless about the onions. The two friends 

 close the bargain, and then sit long in pleasant 

 confab about the prospect of the crops, the cat- 

 tle market, and the construction of the new road 

 to B. But as there must be an end to all things, 

 so there was to this interesting conversation ; the 

 moon had gone down, and the shadows of night 

 covered the earth when Cleverman unhitched his 

 impatient steed, and went clattering over the 

 bridge. 



I From his chamber window, in the gray dawn 

 of the next morning, farmer Thoughtless saw the 

 skinned and tattered rock maple, poisoned by 

 neighbor Cleverman's horse. 



Moral. — If a man sets hedges and gates and 

 makes fine fences, he must expect to have them 

 trampled down or torn up by his neighbor's hors- 

 es, unless he accommodates them with good sub- 

 stantial posts, with holes, rings or hooks, to tie 

 them to. 



THE OLD GREEN LANE. 



BY ELIZA COOK. 



'Twas the verj' merry summer time 



That garlands, hills and dells, 

 And the south wind rung a fairy chime 



Upon the fox-glove bells ; 

 The cuckoo staid on Ihe lady-birch 



To bid her last good-bye — 

 The laih sprung over the village church, 



And whistled to the sky, 

 And we had come from the harvest sheaves, 



A bright and tawney train. 

 And tracked our path with poppy leaves 



Along the old green lane. 



'Twas a pleasant way on a summer day, 



And we were a happy set, 

 And we idly bent where the streamlet went 



To gel our fingers wet ; 

 With the dog-rose here, and the orchis there, 



And the woodbine twining through ; 

 With (he broad trees meeting everywhere, 



And the grass still wet with dew. 

 Ah ! we all forgot in that blissful spot 



The names of care and pain, 

 As we lay on the bank by the shepherd's cot. 



To rest in the old green lane. 



Oh ! days gone by ! I can but sigh 



As I think of that ricli honr 

 When my heart in its glee but seemed to be 



Another woodside flower ; 

 For though the trees be still as fair. 



And the wild bloom still as gay— - 

 Though the south winds sends as sweet au air, 



And Heaven as bright a day ; 

 Yet the merry set are far and wide. 



And we never shall meet again — 

 We shall never ramble side by side 



Along that old green lane. 



For the Netv England Farmer. 

 VALUE OF doW MANURE, 



Mr. Editor : — Can you or any of your numer- 

 ous readers inform a subscriber what is considered, 

 to be the value of manure, solid and liquid, dropped' 

 by a cow, during the time they are usually sta- 

 bled ? Also what proportion of the value is 

 usually reckoned as lost when the manure is 

 thrown into the barn-yard and exposed to the 

 weather? a. 



Tarry town, N. Y., Jvhj 24, 1853, 



Remarks. — The above inquiry is important, 

 being one of a large class which ought to be re- 

 duced to well-defined facts. We hope some of 

 our friendsj having experience on the subject, 



11 "let their light shine." Perhaps Mr. Brooks, 

 of Pi'inceton will enlighten us. We know of no 

 person who has experimented so systematically 

 on this subject as he has. 



