NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



311 



For the New England Farmer. 

 HEN LICE. 



Mr. Editor : I notice that in the Massachusetts 

 Plonghnian of the 11th inst., a correspondent makes 

 an inquiry, What xcill destroy hen lice? The editor, in 

 answer, gives no specific remedy, but recommends to 

 give them liberty to range through the fields, and 

 wallow in sand, ashes, &c. He also says, " When 

 chickens are covered with lice, the best way to rid 

 thorn of the plague is to catch them and smear them 

 over with oil or greasy matter." I was much troubled 

 with these minute insects on my hens and chickens 

 last year ; so much so, that one fine hen died while 

 sitting, just before the time for her to hatch. The 

 lice were so plenty, that I could not put my hand or 

 a finger upon their roosts, or timber in connection, 

 half a minute, but that my hand would be immedi- 

 ately covered with them, crawling ahead as fast as 

 possible ; and if not imnrediately brushed off, would 

 extend over the whole body. 



Being at East Foxboro' railroad depot, last fall, 

 some person mentioned that a man was there a short 

 time before from Vermont, who stated an infallible 

 remedy for hen lice, as follows : — 



Boil up a quantity of onions in water. When the 

 onions become soft, mash them up, and with the water 

 stir in Indian corn meal till sufficiently thick to give 

 out to the hens and chickens when cool. They will 

 eat it, a)id not a louse will be found on them twenty- 

 four hours after, and they will cease to infest their 

 roosting-placos after. We made a trial of the above 

 remedy late last fall, and have not been troubled 

 with lice since. 



ISAAC STEARNS. 



Mansfield, August 20, 1849. 



Editorial Remarks. — Of all the troubles and 

 vexations, in keeping hens, we know of none so 

 serious as that minute insect that infests hens, w'hen 

 they are confined, or are kept in large flocks. Many 

 a time we have set a hen in a new box, and clean 

 nest, perfectly free from lice, and have carefully 

 guarded against them in the hen-house ; but the 

 insidious foes would come from their hiding-places, 

 and attack the quiet hen, who could make no re- 

 sistance, and either kill her on the nest, or compel 

 her to leave it before hatching. At first, we put a 

 little lard on the hen ; but we found that, in such 

 cases, the eggs never hatched. Afterwards, as the 

 lice increased, we brushed them from the eggs, and 

 put them in a new nest and box, and rubbed yellow 

 or dry snufF on the hen, and let her run and burrow 

 half an hour or an hour to get rid of the snuff and 

 lice. This was a great deal of trouble ; and should 

 the above simple mode generally prove a remedy, 

 this little item of information will be a great acquisi- 

 tion to the poulterer. We advise those who try this 

 remedy, to examine the eggs laid soon after the 

 onions are given to the hens, and see if they are not 

 affected by the onions. 



For the New England Farmer. 



EXPERIMENTS ON POTATOES. 



Mr. Editor : I noticed an article in your paper 

 of May 26, on planting large or small potatoes. I 

 have several times tried the experiment by planting 

 large and small potatoes where the land and manur- 

 ing were the same ; and the result, in size and qual- 



ity, I believe, in every case, has been in favor of large 

 potatoes. As my experiments were not put in writ- 

 ing at the time, I cannot now give an exact state- 

 ment of the experiment. I will, however, give the 

 result of two, as near as I can recollect. 



Several years since, I planted a piece of potatoes, 

 and I selected eight rows about ten rods long : the 

 land and manuring were alike. I planted two rows 

 with all large ones, one in a hill, and the hills about 

 three feet apart. Two rows of cut potatoes, cut nearly 

 as follows : those a little larger than a hen's egg cut 

 open once ; larger ones into throe or four pieces, ac- 

 cording to their size ; five rows with small potatoes, 

 and two rows with small pieces of potatoes cut off 

 with the eyes. 



Immediately after they came up, the tvi'o rows 

 where the large potatoes were planted could be dis- 

 tinguished at a considerable distance, by their being 

 much larger than the others, and the difference con- 

 tinued through the season. When they were dug, 

 they were carefully measured, and the result was, (as 

 near as I can now recollect,) that the crop of large 

 ones over the cut ones was more than all the seed 

 of the large ones. The two rows of small ones and 

 those planted with the eyes cut off" were nearly the 

 same, but of smaller size and considerably less in 

 quantity than those planted with cut potatoes. 



At another time, I planted one row with large 

 potatoes cut in two pieces; another row with large 

 potatoes without cutting ; and another row with 

 potatoes about the size of a small hen's egg. The 

 produce of the cut potatoes and large potatoes with- 

 out cutting was nearly the same ; but there were less 

 small ones whore the potatoes wore cut. In the 

 other row, the quantity was less, and the size smaller. 

 From the above and other similar experiments, I 

 have long been of the opinion that it is not profit- 

 able to plant small potatoes. 



Yours with respect, 



JOSEPH HOWE. 



Methuen, 1849. 



Editorial Remarks. — The result of Mr. Howe's 

 experiment is similar to our own. In most cases, we 

 get the largest yield from planting large potatoes ; 

 and we think that by planting large potatoes, or 

 those from medial to large, the variety may be im- 

 proved, or it may be saved from deterioration, which 

 must attend constant planting of small potatoes. 

 We give this as a matter of opinion, and we have 

 many facts to support our views. Yet we may err. 

 We have no positive proof to show that constant 

 planting of small potatoes for many years will cause 

 degeneracy, yet we have circumstantial evidence to 

 support this proposition, and it seems to be according 

 to analogy ; for all races of animals degenerate on 

 breeding from the smallest. But we may mistake 

 as to analogy ; for a hill of potatoes, in regard to 

 small and large ones, may be different from a litter 

 of pigs or brood of chickens. Late-planted beets, 

 turnips, &e., are best for seed, as they possess more 

 vigor than full-grown roots. It may be similar with 

 the potato. We find late-jjlanted potatoes excellent 

 for seed ; and since the rot has prevailed, the English 

 plant late for seed, and dig the crop while green or 

 immature. The small potatoes are frequently those 

 that set late ; and as the first that set monopolize 

 most of the food prepared to nourish the tubers, and 

 the plant comes to maturitj', or becomes exhausted 

 for want of nourishment, the small potatoes must 

 continue small ; yet they may be in good condition 



