NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



75 



thorough draining in Britain, is said to be truly as- 

 tonishing. Not only has the produce been graatly 

 increased, but wheat and turnips have been grown 

 at elevations, and in districts, where their cultiva- 

 tion was not before thought possible. By it, crops 

 have been rendered less liable to disease, and harvest 

 has been forwarded nearly a month. This will be 

 better understood, if we reflect, that when water is 

 allowed to remain in the soil until removed by evap- 

 oration, the heat of the sun and air, instead of being 

 imparted to the land, will actually, through this 

 process, produce an intense degree of cold. On the 

 other hand, were the soil so dry as to allow the rain 

 to pass through, it would imbibe heat from every ray 

 that fell upon it. 



The British government has considered this im- 

 provement of so great importance, that, during the 

 last three years, large sums have been loaned to all 

 applicants, to be expended in drainage, under the 

 superintendence of inspectors. These loans are re- 

 paid by annual instalments of six and a half per cent., 

 for about tv/enty years ; and as the money is bor- 

 rowed by government at three per cent., these pay- 

 ments cancel the loan and interest. — Robert Jardine. 



CULTURE AND PRESERVATION OF PO- 

 TATOES. 



Having the present year, notwithstanding the 

 severe drought, succeeded in growing and preserving 

 a fine and healthy crop of potatoes, I have decided 

 to furnish you with an account of the circumstances 

 under which they were produced, and my opinion 

 relative thereto, for msertion in your journal, should 

 you deem it worthy of a place therein. 



About the first of ^lay, I planted five acres in the 

 following manner : the soil was a dry, micaceous, 

 sandy loam, gradually rolling, with a southern ex- 

 posure ; the seed used was both white and purple 

 Mercers, princixially large ones, cut into three pieces, 

 and rolled in gypsum, and allowed to lie but a few 

 hours after cutting. The field was an old sward, 

 chiefly of moss and garlics ; the manure applied was 

 entirely from the yards, made fiom the cow and 

 horse stables and the sties, about twenty-five two- 

 horse loads per acre, spread broadcast before the 

 plough — the land having been heavily limed several 

 years previous. The planting process commenced 

 with the tillage, b}' dropping the pieces of the tubers, 

 (prepared as above,) about one foot apart, in the 

 bottom of every other furrow, which was five inches 

 in depth and ten inches wide, strewing them with 

 ashes and i\\\c charcoal, (from a locomotive, in which 

 pine wood was consumed,) about twenty bushels per 

 acre. The ploughing was performed in the usual 

 manner, in lands of twenty-five yards each. 



Inunediately after planting the groimd was thor- 

 oughly rolled. After it had lain a few days, it re- 

 ceived repeated harrowings, lengthwise of the 

 furrows, iii the warm part of the da}', which was 

 continued until the tops were three inches in height, 

 after which they remained without tillage until they 

 were some eight inches high, when the cultivator 

 was passed through, between the rows, and the 

 weeds, if any, removed. They then received a light 

 top dressing of gypsum, after which they remained 

 untouched until fit to harvest, which was done as 

 soon as the skins of the new tubers were firmly set, 

 but before all the tops were entirely dead. AVe 

 began to dig about the first of September, before the 

 autumnal rains commenced. They were placed in a 

 cool, dark cellar, and spread on the ground floor, 

 about eighteen inches thick, where they remained 

 for two months, when they were assorted and placed 

 in bins about four feet deep, there to remain until 

 marketed in the spring. They have so far kept per- 

 fectly, there being no visible traces of disease in the 

 entire crop. 



The yield was about two hundred and fifty bushels 

 per acre, which was a much greater product than I 

 anticipated on account of the excessive drought. 

 The whole expense of the tillage of this crop did not 

 exceed foiir cents per bushel, independent of the 

 planting and harvesting, which cost not less than ten 

 cents per bushel, making the aggregate cost of pro- 

 ducing the five acres (including the seed, eighty 

 bushels, at eighty cents per bushel) two hundred 

 and thirty-nme dollars, I'otatoes of the quality of 

 mine are now worth eighty cents per bushel in Phila- 

 delphia market, which would make the net valu« 

 of the crop seven hundred and sixty-one dollars. 

 Truly, this is not so lucrative as some of the muiers 

 of California have represented the raising of gold to 

 be ; nevertheless, I think the Mercers, well roasted, 

 set quite as well upon an empty stomach as gold ore, 

 and, judging from the eflect produced upon the 

 morals and customs of the nations in which th« 

 precious metals are found most abundant, I much 

 prefer being classed with the cultivators than the 

 miners. — American Agriculturist. 



CUTTING FODDER FOR STOCK. 



That cutting fodder for stock, especially the 

 coai-scr kinds, is a subject worthy of more attention 

 among farmers, will, I believe, be admitted by all 

 who have given it any thing like a fau- trial. Cut 

 fodder, of every description, is of more value for 

 stock than uncut. I have known persons to be of 

 the opinion that a horse would thrive as well \ipon 

 cut hay, as he would without its being cut, and a 

 moderate allow-ance of oats added. 



This may be claiming too much for it ; but yet 

 there is a strong argument in its favor. 



Horses, as well as other stock, appear to relish tha 

 same fodder better for its being cut ; besides the ad- 

 vantage of eating it in half the time, allowing more 

 for rest. It also has a tendency to obviate the diffi- 

 culty to which cattle and horses are subject, in tho 

 winter season, when they are kept upon dry fodder, 

 of being bound. But another item in the account, 

 and by no means the least, is in using xip coarse 

 fodder, such as wheat and oat straw, corn fodder, 

 poor hay, &c, which will be much better eaten by 

 being cut than without. 



I have repeatedly seen fodder off'ercd to cattle and 

 refused, and the same fodder passed tlu'ough the hay 

 cutter, returned to them apparently to their satis- 

 faction, from the disposition they made of it. Hay 

 that is musty is much improved by cutting, as the dust 

 becomes liberated by the operation. There is one 

 other benefit to be derived, which is in mixing 

 straw, poor hay, &c., with that which is good, by 

 which means all will be eaten. Some, however, may 

 object, that straw and poor hay are in a manner 

 worthless, therefore nothing is gained. But we may 

 recollect that the time has not long since gone by, 

 when very many doubted there being any advan- 

 tage in grinding corn and cobs together for proven- 

 der ; but experiments have established the fact that 

 there is economy in it ; and from some experience 

 in mixing fodder, I think the advantage fully equal 

 to mixing cobs with corn for provender. — Main* 

 Farmer. 



THE EGG BUSINESS IN MAINE, 



It is believed that more than 2,000,000 dozen of 

 eggs have been sent fiom Maine to Boston this sea- 

 son, and have been sold for something lilic .$300,000. 

 This sounds like a large story, but those who are en- 

 gaged in the trade wUl fully sustain it. There are 

 more than forty men who are busily engaged in 

 this business. — llalloicell Gazette. 



