NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



165 



valuable facts from his cxpeiicncc and their own nice 

 observation. On p. IIG is an interesting article from 

 Mrs. Darling on grafting the grape. Miss Darling 

 will oblige us by furnishing drawings of the saw-fly 

 of the raspberry, and any other information on in- 

 sects that destroy horticultural productions will be 

 acceptable. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 FARMERS' SONS. 



Mr. Cole : It is quite too much the case that 

 boys brought up on the farm are required to labor 

 with tools quite ill suited to their age and strength. 

 Farmers are very apt to give their boys implements 

 to work with which have been throNvn by as unfit 

 for further use, and altogether too heavy for their 

 strength. I well remember the first time I was set 

 to mowing. It was with an old, worn-out scythe, 

 (heavy enough and long enough for a strong man ;) 

 but slill I thought it a very pretty notion to mow, 

 even with an old scythe. This is one reason why 

 boj's dislike farming, and prefer some other kind of 

 business. A farmer might as well attempt to break 

 a colt or a yoke of steers after the same manner, by 

 attaching them to wagons heavy enough for old and 

 well disciplined teams. 



Boys at a very early age may be of essential ser- 

 vice on a farm, provided they are rightly managed. 

 Their work should be light, and should be perfonned 

 with light tools. How many boys leave their homes 

 for no other reason than because they are overtasked, 

 and no pains taken to provide for them light and 

 handy implements to work with ! Every boy whose 

 father designs him to become a farmer, should, Vv-hen 

 of suitable age, have his hoe, his shovel, rake, wheel- 

 barrow, and other things necessary for his business. 

 Thus equipped, how proud the little fellows will feel ! 

 Each should have his little spot of ground set off to 

 him every spring, to manage and till after his own 

 fashion. How natural for every one to have some- 

 thing he can call his own, and especially boys. If 

 each has his little patch of ground to plant, how 

 much pride he will take in working it ! and how 

 much interest will be manifested in the growth of 

 the various crops with which it is planted ! To have 

 an interest, boys should have an object ; and if 

 farmers would train their sons farmers, they should 

 interest themselves in their behalf, encourage thena 

 by their assistance and approval ; and by so doing, we 

 shall not only have more farmers, but better ones. 



A. TODD. 



S-MITHFIELD, R. I., April, 2. 



For the Neio England Farmer. 



ON THE VARIETIES OF POTATOES AND 



PEACHES FROM SEED. 



I noticed in No. 1 of your paper some remarks on 

 the different kinds of potatoes raised from the seed, 

 to which I could append some of my experiments, 

 to demonstrate the fact, that there is a way, by 

 which the same, and only the same, kind can be 

 raised from the potato ball, and another way, by 

 which a great variety Avill be produced ; also a 

 similar fact in regard to poach stones, conformably 

 to one of nature's laws. 



Yours trulv, 



BENJAMIN WILLAIID. 



WiLBRMiAM, Mass. 



Editorial BemarIvS. 

 We have made but few experiments on raising 

 potatoes from seed ; but we usually find a great 



variety. This is owing, in some measure, to our 

 selecting seed when various kinds arc grown together 

 for the purpose of obtaining new kinds by crosses. 



It has been stated by some cultivators, that the 

 seeds from the same potato ball or apple will yield 

 different varieties of potatoes. Perhaps the Kev. 

 Jlr. Willard will oblige the agricultural community 

 by furnishing facts on this subject. His views on 

 raising peach-trees from the seed will be very accep- 

 table also. 



For the New England Farmn\ 



S. "W. Cole, Esq. Dear Sir : I have been trying in 

 vain, for some time past, to find something on the 

 subject of improving, reclaiming, or bringing into 

 English grass, salt marsh or meadow. I have it in 

 mj' power, with but sm.all outlaj', to exclude the salt 

 water from several acres, which is now worth only a 

 nominal value ; and, as ploughing seems out of the 

 question, I am in doubt as to the proper plan of pro- 

 cedure. Would fresh water, standing for a length of 

 time, cause the roots to rot ? or -would sand carted on 

 to the marsh produce any desirable effect ? If your 

 experience enables you to give the desired informa- 

 tion through the columns of your paper, you will 

 greatly oblige one who sends this, and will perhaps 

 furnish something not altogether unaccei^table to 

 some of the rest of your readers. 



Very respcctfuUv, 



A StlBSCRIBER. 



Portland, Me., 3/ay 2, 1819. 



Editorial Remaiucs. 



Some lands in this region, that have been gained 

 from the ocean by diking, are very valuable for 

 tillage and mowing, producing almost e^w-ry kind of 

 crop common to farming. Draining should follow 

 diking, and then the land will become sufficiently 

 hard and dry to admit of ploughing. On most re- 

 claimed marshes, sand and gravel are necessary, both 

 to render the land drier, and to furnish the proper 

 supply of food for plants, silex or sand being an im- 

 portant ingredient, particularly in corn and other 

 grain. It is this element that gives strength and 

 firmness to the stalk. Liberal manuring is very 

 necessary on reclaimed marshes, as the soil is usu- 

 ally rather moist and cool. 



We have made a few general remarks only, and 

 would request our readers, who have experience in 

 the matter, to give detailed accounts of their opera- 

 tions. 



For the Neic England Farmer. 

 SPENT DYE-STUFF FOR MANURE. 



" Are spent dye-stuffs from the manufactories 

 good for manui'e ? " S. 



All animal and vegetable substances, properly 

 l^repared, are valuable for manure. Dye-stuffs, even 

 the refuse or waste, contain much tannin or astringent 

 principle, that is injurious if applied immediately to 

 the growing vegetable. When this is destroyed or 

 neutralized, and the whole mass becomes decayed, 

 it makes a good manure. 



Time will effect the desired object, or, by the use 

 of ashes or lime, and other substances that will 



