192 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



suspension at the yard-arm, -with the least possible 

 ceremony. It so happens that the character of these 

 very birds has been singularly mistaken ; for -while 

 the ordinance of IcL^islation has been thus systemati- 

 cally levelled at them, they, on the principle whicli 

 man -would do extremely -well to imitate, have been 

 returning good for evil ; they have been diligently 

 engaged in exterminating all sorts of vermin, -whilst 

 never -were the vilest vermin half so ill-treated by 

 the human race. The crow, for exanijile, -who is 

 generally regarded as a most suspicious character, 

 has had great injustice done him. 



In the sjiring, when the ground is moist, he lives 

 in a state of most triumphant luxury on grubs ; he 

 eats the young corn, it is true, but it is a necessary 

 of life to which he never resorts except when his 

 supply of animal food is shortened. After the corn 

 is tolerabh" grown, he has nothing more to do with 

 it ; and in any stage he destroys five hundred per- 

 nicious grubs and insects for every blade of grass 

 which he jnllages from man. In the >Southern States, 

 he is regularly permitted to accompany the plough- 

 man, and collect the grubs from the newly opened 

 furrow ; his life is thus secured by the safest of all 

 tenures — that of the interests of man in permitting 

 him to live. — Valley Farmer. 



ADVICE IN POULTRY KEEPING. 



The principles upon which I rely for success in 

 keeping hens, arc, first, to have two breeds — a few to 

 hatch and rear the chickens, and twice the number 

 of everlasting layers, as eggs are more profitable 

 than chickens ; — second, to get a hatch as early as 

 possible in spring, and to keep them well ; these 

 never cast their feathers, like the old birds, and, if 

 they begin to lay in autumn, lay more or less all 

 winter; — third, never to keep old fowls, (none but 

 ftivorite fowls ought to be kept more than two 

 years ;) old birds lay larger eggs than pullets, but not 

 nearly so many ; — fourth, to give them the best bar- 

 ley I could get, and as much as they could pick up, 

 once a day in summer, and twice in winter : they 

 arc not only more profitable, well kejit, but eggs are 

 better. The two breeds I like best are the spotted 

 Dorkings for sitting, and the Pheasant breed for lay- 

 ing. — A(jric. Gaz, 



SINGULAR MODE OF KEEPING FISH 

 ALIVE. 



Those worthy individuals who take delight in 

 Izaak Walton's art, and who, moreover, are in the 

 habit of sending the result of their sports to their 

 epicurean acquaintances, must leai-n an indispensable 

 piece of information, viz., how to keep fish fresh. 

 This may be done by soaking the soft part of bread in 

 brandy, and inserting it into the gill of the fish, 

 ■while it is yet alive, and afterwards sprinkling it over 

 gently with brandy. Thixs prepared and carefully 

 packed in straw, the fish will keep alive ten or twelve 

 days, as may be proved by putting it in fresh water 

 at the end of that time, -when, after a few hours' im- 

 mersion, it -will recover from its protracted drunken- 

 ness. — London Literary Gazette. 



A NEW MANURE. 



Robert Bryson, Esq., of Cumbciland county, about 

 eight miles from Ilarrisburg, has been experiment- 

 ing for the last ten years, to make exhausted tan-bark 

 available and valuable as a manure. Besides his 

 magnificent farm, he likewise carries on the tanning 

 business. Finally, after a great deal of expense and 

 many failures, he has succeeded in discovering a 

 method of producing from the tan an efficient ma- 



nure. This is his plan : He has his tan wheeled out 

 on to a level piece of ground, and levelled off, two or 

 three feet thick. Over this he spreads a layer of 

 two or three inches of lime, and over that again a 

 stratum of tan, then a layer of lime, and so on. He 

 lets the bed so prepared remain for two years : at the 

 end of that time he finds himself in possession of a bed 

 of manure, the effects of which upon the land can 

 hardly be surpassed for the richness of its product 

 and the durable fertility which it imparts. — Lancas- 

 ter Co. Fa. Farmer. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 LET US LOVE ONE ANOTHER. 



Let us love one another : sure life must be dreary, 

 If the star of affection is shrouded in gloom, 



And lonely the path of the traveller weary, 

 Who passes ixnloved to the rest of the tomb. 



Let us love one another now in youth's sunny morn- 



While the sky of existence is cloudless and fair ; 

 Let the pure gem of Friendship, our bosoms adom- 

 iug, 

 Beam brightly, though Time may bring sorrow 

 and care. 



Let us love one another, and blossoms of pleasure 

 Shall gladden our footstejjs wherever we stray ; 



For love, freely given, repays us full measure, 

 And scatters fair flowerets on life's thorny way. 

 Lebanon, Ct. E. C. L. 



THE OLIO. 



The IIonorables at Dinner. — A few days since, 

 several members of the New York legislature, repre- 

 senting some of the interior counties of that state, 

 were at a boarding-house in New York city, where, 

 at a table, they displayed what was deemed by some 

 of the boarders an anti- democratic fondness for 

 honorary titles. In addressing each other, the style 

 was, — 



" Will the honorable gentleman from Chatauque 

 hand me the butter ? " 



" Will the honorable gentleman from Otsego be 

 kind enough to pass the butter ? " 



" Certainly, sir, we may expect something sharp 

 from the honorable member from Chenango." 



A down-east Yankee clerk, becoming quite uneasj' 

 under this display of empty honors, called out, in a 

 loud, sarcastic tone, to the black waiter, — 



" Will the honorable gentleman from Africa be 

 kind enough to hand me some onions ? " 



The laughter that ensued may be imagined. The 

 honorablcs were henceforth silent. — ISeleeted. 



Drinking water neither makes a man sick, nor in 

 debt, nor his -wife a widow. — Spa9iis/i Froverb. 



TERMS. —The New England Farmer is published 

 every other Saturday, making a neat and handsome 

 volume, at the close of the year, of 416 pages, at §1 a 

 year, or five copies for ^4, payable in advance. It may 

 be neatly bound at 18i| cents, or elegantly bound in 

 muslin, embossed and gilt, at 2-5 cents a volume. As it 

 is stereotyped, back numbers can be furnished to new 

 subscribers. 



1^ The Postage .^ 



On tliis paper is only 1 cent, or 2G cents a year, within 

 the state, or within 100 miles out of the state ; and 1.^ 

 cents, or 39 cents a year, beyond those distances. 



STEREOT-iTPED AT THE 

 BOSTON TYPE AND STEREOTYPE FOL'NDRY. 



