500 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Nor. 



ashes to consist almost entirely of the various 

 earths, a small portion of charcoal, and the saline 

 matters of which the sulphate of lime, (gypsum) 

 and lime constitute about a fourth. 



In some comparative experiments made by Lord 

 Albemarle, he found that as a top dressing for 

 most of the grasses, there is no application supe- 

 rior to coal ashes. 



In his Gardener's Magazine, Mr. Loudon gives 

 the statement of a correspondent, who says he 

 "sowed on the 15th of May three rows of Swedish 

 Turnip. No. 1, was manured with well-rotted 

 dung from an old melon bed. No. 2, with the tops 

 of cabbages just come into bloom. No. 3, with 

 coal ashes. They vegetated about the same time, 

 but the row manured with the cabbage tops 

 seemed to suffer most from the drought ; the sea- 

 son being hot and dry, they made little progress un- 

 til the end of August, and in November they were 

 a middling orrather abad crop. The row manured 

 with coal ashes had all along, a more luxuriant 

 appearance than the other two. The rows were 20 

 yards in length, 3 feet apart, and 15 inches from 

 plant to plant in the row. I took them up in Feb 

 ruary, and they weighed as follows : No. 1, 78 lbs. ; 

 No. 2, 88 lbs. ; No. 3, 121 lbs. ; which is very 

 much in favor of the coal ashes." 



We would call the attention of "M. C," to 

 this article, who inquired whether "coal ashes 

 could be used with any benefit in agriculture;" 

 on page 341 of last year's volume. AVe had not 

 time then to remark upon it, and referred it to our 

 correspondent. See also an article on page 474, 

 same volume, by Mr. William Stover, of West 

 Hartford, Ct., whose experience led him to the 

 conclusion that coal ashes is valuable as a fertil- 

 izer. 



MEADOW MUD. 



Though urged so often, we must suggest again 

 to the farmers the importance of getting up a large 

 quantity of this valuable absorbant and fertilizer. 

 Haul it upon the uplands ready for the corn land 

 next spring, by placing a large shovel-fhll in each 

 hill, mingled with a handful of guano. — N. E. 

 Farmer. 



Don't do any such thing. Dig the mud and 

 make a pile, mixing a bushel of lime with each 

 cart-load, which you have slacked with brine as 

 strong as salt can make it. Use this substance in 

 your stable to absorb the urine and gases. Don't 

 put a handful of guano in the hill, unless you wish 

 to kill your seed. — IS. Y. Tribune. 



this to be slacked with brine as strong as salt can 

 make it ! ! What would the farmer's corn cost 

 per bushel, with his manure made by this expen- 

 sive process. No, no, no ! Haul up the mud and 

 let it freeze, and to a shovel full of it to each hiU, 

 in the spring, add a half gill, or a whole one, of 

 good Peruvian guano, mix it thoroughly, and not 

 a kernel of your corn shall be injured by it. We 

 speak from our personal practice, as well as that 

 of many about us. The Tribune must be in the 

 harness and furrow a little longer, before its doc- 

 trines on these subjects can be considered relia- 

 ble.' 



For the New England Farmer. 



THE MONTHLY PARMER FOR SEP- 

 TEMBER. 



So various and extensive are the subjects dis- 

 cussed by the editor and the numerous corres- 

 pondents of the Farmer, that I am able to give 

 only a bald index instead of a Review of its 

 monthly contents. 



ABROAD. 



Agriculture in the Sandwich Islands, p. 398 ; 

 Eruption of Manua Loa, p. 399. 



AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 



Advocated by " J. H. R." Dorchester, in an ar- 

 ticle headed "Wants of Agriculture," p. 394. He 

 particularly specifies " 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," as 

 subjects on which he anticipates a college would 

 throw light. 



ART. 



Notice of taking views of Mount Vernon, to be 

 used in an ornamental "diploma of membership of 

 the National Agricultural Society, p. 412. 



bees; 



Notice of L. L. Langstroth's " Manual for Bee- 

 keepers," and of his Movable Comb Hive, p. 405 : 

 with an extract on p. 431 from the Manual, speci- 

 fying some of the valuable peculiarities of his hive. 

 Experience and suggestions on keeping bees, p. 

 401. 



BIRDS. 



Observations on the migration of Swallows, by 

 J. D. Ward, North Ashburnham, p. 397, and by 

 L. Durant, Derby, Ct., p. 410. 



BOOKS. 



Notice of an old one, p. 397, and of unworthy 

 ones, p. 407. The latter ought to be more care- 

 fully " noticed " by parents. A taste for this 

 kind of literature is as much to be guarded against 

 as a taste for intoxicating drinks. 



Remarks. — The New York Tribune has "trav- 

 elled out of the record" in its teachings and com- 

 ments on our suggestion as to the use of meadow 

 mud. This is a fair specimen of the sort of teach- 

 ing which discourages the farmer more than any 

 thing else. Talk to nine-tenths of the farmers 

 about mixing a cask of lime with each cart-load of 

 muck, at a cost of $1 to $1,25 for each cask, and 



CATTLE. 



On p. 417, a lif»-like engraving of the Ayrshire 

 bull. Prince Albert, owned by Mr. Raynolds, heads 

 an article on the Ayrshire breed. Mr. Hatch gives 

 an account of his cow, a cross of the Alderney 

 blood, p. 409. Two articles on the Garget — p. 

 400, the Cow Berry recommended as a cure ; the 

 other, p. 415, advises, first prevention, then free 

 use of cold water, in which " A. W. C." p. 436, 

 agrees. 



