402 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



them to subscribe, and forward us their names. 

 With a little exertion on the part of our friends, we 

 may gain a large acquisition to our already liberal 

 subscription list. 



EFFECTS OF PLASTER. 



Mr. David V. Cotton, Meredith, N. H., informs us 

 that, in planting potatoes, he api)lied a small quan- 

 tity of mnnure, and ploughed it in ; he then applied 

 plaster of Paris to a part of his potatoes, as he plant- 

 ed them, Avhich increased that part one third over 

 those without plaster. The next year, he sowed the 

 land to wheat, and there was no perceptible increase 

 on the land where plaster had been applied. The 

 third year, the grass crop on the land to which 

 plaster had been applied two years previous, was 

 nearly double that on the land not plastered ; and 

 the difference was very apparent in the second crop 

 of grass. 



In another experiment, Mr. C. applied plaster to 

 the whole piece, excepting five rows in the centre ; 

 no other manure was used. Where the plaster was 

 applied, the produce was a bushel of potatoes to the 

 row ; and where none was used, the yield was only a 

 bushel to two and a half rows. Next year, this land 

 was sowed to wheat, and there was no difference in 

 the wheat ; but since the wheat was taken off, the 

 superiority of the grass on the plastered part is very 

 evident, both in its growth and dark-green color. 

 The quantity of plaster applied was a heaping tea- 

 epooriful, or about an even tablespoonful to a hill. 



These evident and important advantages from the 

 use of plaster, as well as hundreds of other similar 

 cases, should induce farmers to try this cheap and 

 portable manure, xmless they have already made ex- 

 periments with it. 



♦ 



CRANBERRIES ON HIGH LAND. 



This is a subject of great importance. We have 

 many accounts of cranberries being cultivated on 

 high land ; but in some cases cultivators have drawn 

 hasty conclusions from partial experiments, not hav- 

 ing waited to see the effect of severe winters and 

 extremely hot and dry summers. As cranberries 

 are very liable to be destroyed by frost on low land, 

 it is desirable that some mode of upland culture that 

 will succeed should be adopted, as in that case the 

 cranberry would prove to be a very profitable crop, 

 as they are usually in demand, and at high prices. 



On the 22d page of this volume is a communica- 

 tion from Mr. S. P. Fowler, of Danvers, showing his 

 mode of cultivating the cranberry in the garden, 

 and the excellent success attending it. It is worthy 

 the particular attention of those who are making 

 experiments in cultivating this valuable fruit. We 

 have just received of Mr. F. a specimen of cranber- 

 ries from his garden, and they are of large size and 

 fine appearance. He remarks as follows : — 



" A few days since, I picked ray small bed of cran- 

 berries ; and on this iiateh of nine feet square, I gath- 

 ered half a bushel, which, if my figures arc right, 

 would give me two hundred and sixty-eight bushels 

 to the acre. These, at two dollars per bushel, would 



bring the sum of five hundred and thirty-seven dol- 

 lars. I send you a specimen of them." 



TO DESTROY WITCH GRASS. 



Witch or couch grass is a great pest in tillage, and 

 many ways have been^devised to destroy it, but they 

 are usually attended with much labor ; and in some 

 modes, such as very frequent ploughing during the 

 heat of summer, the crop must be omitted. Mr. Isaac 

 Foster, Andover, informs us that he destroyed this 

 grass by planting fodder corn on the land, in drills, 

 and hoeing it twice. As this is a very cheap and 

 convenient mode of destruction, we hope it will gen- 

 erally prove to be as successful with others as with Mr. 

 F. Will farmers make experiments on this subject, 

 and report to us the result ? 



THE GADFLY IN CATTLE. 



Mr. R. O. Stoddard, Waitsfield, Vt., makes the 

 following remarks on this troublesome insect. We 

 hope that further observations will be made, in order 

 that its habits may be ascertained. 



" I saw in the New England Farmer, page 126, 

 some account of the gadfly. The writer said that it 

 comes out of the cattle's backs in the spring, and 

 that it lays its eggs in the fall. But I think that he 

 mistakes ; for v.e never find them in the backs of 

 late calves the first year. I think that they are de- 

 posited in the month of May. We often see cattle 

 start and run at that season, and I think that ii 

 owing to their being attacked by this fly." 



VALUE OF BERKSHIRE SWINE. 



A correspondent from New Jersey thus writes us : 

 " Some ycarssiuce, I had avery fine stock of Berkshire 

 hogs ; but from neglect and other causes, they have 

 entirely disappeared ; since which, I have not enjoyed 

 the luxury of a good ham on my own table. I am 

 fully satisfied they have been more sinned against 

 than sinning, and am desirous of procuring a few for 

 breeders, but know not Avhere to apply for informa- 

 tion, except to yourself." 



The above is just what we told the public, over 

 and over again, several years ago, Avould soon be the 

 complaint, when the demand for this breed of swine 

 began to subside, and they were rejected for some 

 new-fangled notion. Taking every thing into con- 

 sideration, we think the Berkshire the best farmer's 

 hog ever raised in this country. A large western 

 pork packer, just returned from a six months' tour 

 in Great Britain and Ireland, informs us that he ha« 

 now got to commence growing a herd of Berkshire 

 swine before he can have a proper mixture of lean 

 and fat in his pork to suit the English market. He 

 also wants lean hams, which he can find nowhere so 

 perfect as in Berkshire pigs. — American Agricvi- 



iurist. 



* 



RASPBERRIES. 



Mr. Charles Downing, nurseryman, near New- 

 burg, relates that one of his neighbors, this season, 

 sold the product of three acres of raspberries for 

 about fifteen hundred dollars. They were oi the 

 large red Antwerp variety. To grow them in this 

 latitude, Mr. D. says the canes must be laid down 

 and slightly covered with earth, say one or two inches 

 deep, before the ground freezes, and thus kept till 

 the spring opens. — Selected. 



