150 



NEW ENGLAN D FARM ER. 



BOSTON, FRIDAY, NOV. 30, 1827. 



PRESERVATTOiV OK TBEES FROM MICE, &C. 



To preserve yoiuio- plantations of trees from 

 being injured by rabbits, rats or mice — take any 

 quantity of tar am! six or seven times as mucli 

 grease, stirring and mixing them well together. 

 With this composition brush the stems of young 

 trees as high ns the vermin can reach, and it will 

 prevent their being barlced. Mice frequently des- 

 troy trees in nurseries, by gnawing off the bark 

 beneath the surface of tb.e snow. An application 

 of the kind above nicnlinncd, just before winter 

 sets in, will, no doubt, prevent their depredations. 

 .\nother method is to trer.d down the snow when 

 it has recently fallen round the stems of the trees, 

 which prevents the mice from approaching the 

 trees near the surface of the ground, where they 

 do the mischief. 



RABBITS. 



We do not see why rabbits may not be profitn- 

 ■»ly reared in this country. The Encyclopedia 

 Brittanica says " In some situations these animnls 

 may be kept lo advantage, as they multiply ex- 

 ceedingly, and require no trouble in bringing up. 

 They delight in the sides of sandy hills, which 

 are generally unproductive when tilled ; but level 

 ground is improper for them. The fur of the rab- 

 bit is worth thrice the value of the carcase. — 

 Therefore, supposing the rabbit to consume a 

 quantity of food in proportion to the value of its 

 •jarcaso, it is a species of stock nearly three times 

 ■IS valuable as cattle or sheep. 



" Rabbit waircns ought to be enclosed with a 

 stone or sod wall ; and at tlieir first stocking it 

 will be necessary to form burrows for them, until 

 ihoy have time to make them for themselves. — 

 Boring the ground horizontally with a large auger 

 is, perhaps the best method that can be practised. 

 Bugles, kites, and other birds of prey, as well as 

 cats, weasels, and polecats, are great enemies of 

 rabbits. Tlie Norfolk warrcners catch the birds 

 by traps placed on the tops of stumps or trees, or 

 artificial hillocks of a conical form, on vvliich they 

 naturally alight." 



In this country, says the Farmer's Assistant, 

 ■'NVe have no eagles or kites to molest rabbits ; 

 they breed very rapidly ; their food is cheup and 

 easily provided. A fence (o enclose a warren can 

 be made of boards at no great expense, which v\ill 

 keep out cats and polecats ; and as for weasels, 

 we have but very few of them in this country." 



Loudon says, " According to Mowbray, it is bet- 

 ter to feed rabbits three times than tuh-e a day. 

 Rabbits are generally sold from the teat, hut there 

 is also a demand for thoHO of larger size, which 

 may be fattened upon corn and hay with an allow- 

 ance of the best vegetables. The better the food, 

 llie greater weight, better nuiility and more profit, 

 which is generally the case in the feeding of all 

 animals. Some fatten wilh grains and poll.trd. — 

 The rabbit's flesh being dry.liio allowance of suc- 

 culent greens may tend to render it mure juicy ; 

 and proh ibly the old complaint of the dryness of 

 the flei-h in Devon beef, entirely fed with hiiy, 

 might be remedied in the same .way. Rab- 

 bits are in perl'ection for feeding (fattening) iit 

 the fourth or sixtii month ; beyond whi-;h period 

 Micir flesh becomes more diy and souieuhat hard. 

 It requires three months or nearly so to make a 

 rabbit thoron5;hly fat and ripe ; half the time will 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



make them eatable, but by no means equal in the 

 quality of the flesh ; they may yet be over fatten- 

 ed as appears by specimens exhibited a few years 

 since at Lord Somerville's, which were loaded 

 with fat, without and within like the best feeding 

 sheep. 



" The flesh of the rabbit is estei^med equally di- 

 gestible as that of fowls, and equally proper for 

 the table of the invalid. 



" The rabbit is a caressing aninjal, and equally 

 fond, with tlie cat, of the head being stroked ; at 

 the same time it is not destitute of courage. A 

 whimsical lady admitted a buck rabbit into her 

 house, when he became her companion for up- 

 wards of a twelve-monih. lie soon intimidated 

 the largest cats so much by chasing them rotind 

 the room, and darting upon them, and tearing off 

 their hair by mouthfuls, that they very seldom 

 dared to approach. He slept in the lap by choice, 

 and was as full of mischief and tricks as a mon- 

 key." 



PRESF.RV1.\G GRAIN. 



A discovery of considerable importance has been 

 announced, with regard to preserving grain. To 

 preserve rye, and secure it from insects and rats, 

 nothioL' more i.^ necessary than not to fan it after 

 it is tlireshed, and to stow it in the granaries mix- 

 ed wilh the ch.iff. Il this stale, it has been kept 

 more than three years, without experiencing the 

 smallest alteration, aad even without the necessi- 

 ty of being turned to preserve it from humidity 

 and fermentation. The experiinent has not yet 

 been made vvitli wheat and othe kinds of grain, 

 and they may probably be preserved in chaff with 

 equal advantage. 



There are several kinds of this plant, to wit : — 

 Red anil While Y m, (Arum Ksculcntum,) and 

 West lii^da ViMii, (Dioscorea Saliva). They grow 

 on poor soil, even more alumdnntly than in rich, 

 (where liiey are apt to run too much to stem, and 

 to be les.s productive at the root) and from the 

 constant ver lure which they retain to the latest 

 period of ttic season, they enrich the ground 

 little less thun a crop of turnips. The yam is cul- 

 tivated in most parts of ycolhuid and in North 

 Wales ; and, probably, mixht bo profitably raised 

 in this country. (See jY. E Firm. Vol. iv. p. -298.) 

 Yams are said to be used chiefly for feeiiing cows ; 

 increasing tiie quantity w ithont aflecting the qual- 

 ity ol the milk. As cattle eat them with the 

 greatest voracity, there is danger in giving them 

 in large quantitie..* at a time. Ilri .■« cows should 

 be allowed no more'tiian half a peck at once ; — 

 but this quantity may be repeated two or three 

 times a day, taking care to allow a consideriible 

 interval between each feed. In the West Indies 

 this root is given to mules. It is likewise used to 

 feed chicken^. 



VVEEIl?. 



Many weeds are introduced info fir Ids by the 

 slovenly practice of suffering them to arow and 

 go to sef d in yards, on dung-heaps, on the bor- 

 deis of fields, &c. 



Or)i' year of goo.l weeding 



Will prevent ihe weeds' seeding; 

 But one. year ol' (heir seeding' 

 Makes seven years' weeding. 

 II IWTUORN HEDGES. 



The berries of the hawthorn should he buried 

 one year in beds or pots of sand before they arc 

 planted 



Nov. 30, 1827 



POTATOES FOOD FOR FI0R3ES. 



To every 300 pound of potatoes, washed and 

 steamed, is added half a pint of salt, aud occasion- 

 ally a small portion of sulphur! this quantity wiU 

 more than supply a horse kept constantly at work 

 for six days. Horses thus fed, will perform with 

 the greatest ease, all the common labor of a farm, 

 without hay or oats. 



LEGIIOR.V HATS. 



We have received from Charles Thorndike, Esq. 

 a quantity of the grain alluded to in the following 

 note; and shall be happy to promote the laudable 

 objects of Mr. Thorndike, by distributing it gratis 

 to all who will apply at our ofijce : 

 Mr. Fessenden, 



A short time since, I received from my friends 

 in Italy, about two bushels of grain, from which is 

 procur.^d the straw, of which the Straw Hats are 

 made in that country ; and have sent the same to 

 the office of the New England Farmer, to be dis- 

 tributed to such persons in the country, as may 

 feel an inclination to cultivate it. 



Your obedient servant, 

 Boston, JVov. 27. Charles Thorndike. 



i 



The annual Cattle S.boA an<l Fair of the Ches- 

 hire Agricultural Society was holden at Drews- 

 ville on the third instant. Maj. Tufts, of Alstead, 

 acted as Marshal, assisted by Captains Snow, of 

 Drewsville, and Buffum, of Walpole. An address 

 was delivered before the society by Thomas BI. 

 Edwards, Esq. which was highly creditable to its 

 author. The audience, assembled in the open air, 

 luanifested their interest by i profound attention, 

 froui the beginning to the end. 



Notwithstanding the unfavorableness of the 

 weather, theshow was well attended, and in quan- 

 tity and quality of good stock and manufactures 

 e.vlnliited, (it is sain) will not suffer in comparison 

 with former exhibitions. The dinner provided by 

 Mr Brown, was excellent, of which about 150 par- 

 took. 



The officers of the year ensuing are the follow- 

 intr : 



Stephe.n .Ion.\so.N. of Wnlpnle, President, 

 Thomas M. Edwards, of Keene. Vict PresiJeitf, 

 Elijah Bintrhani, of Alstead, Sec'y and Librarian. 

 Leonard Bisco, of Walpole. YVeovurfr. 

 Aaion Hodgkins, of Walpole, "J 



David Parker, of Charlestoivn, | 



Jumes DIl key, of Acv^nrlh, | 



Francis Matson, of Siolnrd, 

 Elij.ib Belding, of Swan/ey, 

 Levi Chamberliiin, of Fit- willioin, 

 Nathaniel Holland, of Walpole, 

 Jaines Chandler, of .Mstead. 



ELIJAH BINGHA.\I, 



Secretary of the Sociili/. 



Executive 

 Committee 



SHEEP. 

 The introduction of a new breed of sheep, by 

 the liberality of one of those brothers, whose pa- 

 triotic attachment to the land of their birth, undi- 

 minished by the honors of another country, has 

 Tivnu'Vsted it.^elf in conferring permanent benefits, 

 liMs been noticed in the papers. We find in Lou- 

 tlon's Encyclopedia of Agriculture, that the Dev- 

 onshire Nets are a race of long woolled British 

 sheep, wilh thick neclc, narrow and high backs, 

 short le^fs, and large bom^s. The weijrlit of the 

 ewes, at three or four years old, is from 18 to 'iCi 

 poun 's the quarter : of wethers, two years old. 



