Vol. 6^— P4o^^ 



other fciwls, and causes the wuter to Mp offtliein. 

 If, therefore, the uprylil featlirrs are '■lit a«ay 

 close, they will hecouie fiit in less time and with 

 less food thnn jtherwise. If you yive tliem rye 

 before or about uiiilsumrner, it will strenijthpn 

 tliom, anil ieep llifni in health, thHt beinjr com- 

 monly thdir sirkly time." 



Plucking. A writiT in the Entrlisli .Monthly 

 Magazine, remarks oa the cruelty of phickniff the 

 living goose, and proposes n remedy. lie remarks 

 on the additional torture e.iperienced by the poor 

 fowl, from the too frequent unskilfulness and want 

 of de.vterity of the operator. "'Ihe skin and flesli 

 are sometimes so torn as to orcision the dea h of 

 the victim ; ami even when the fowls are plucked 

 in the most careful manner, they lose their flesh 

 and appetite ; their eyes become dull, and they 

 lansTuish in ;i most pitiable st:(te, dnrin!; a longer 

 or shorter perioil " The renimly proposed is as 

 follows: — feathers are hot of a vear's t.'rowth, and 

 in the moultintr season they spontaneously fall off, 

 and are supplied by a fresh fleece. When, there 

 fore, the geese are in full feather, let the plumage 

 be removed, close to the sk'n, by sh:irp scissors. 

 The produce uoid 1 not be much reduced in quan- 

 tity, while the qmility would be frreatly improved, 

 and an indemnification be experienced in the un- 

 injured health of tjie fowl, and the benefit rihlnin- 

 ed to the succeedino- crop. ' abor, also, \ould be 

 saved iu dressinur. since the quilly portion of the 

 feathers, when forcibly detached from the skin, is 

 generally in su/h a state, as after all, to require 

 the employment of scissors. After this operation 

 shall have been performed, the down from the 

 breast may be removed by the same means. The 

 time has arrived, I trust, for successful exertions 

 in the cause of compassion tonaids tortured and 

 helpless animals ; and, I presume, to make a se- 

 rious call in the clergy and lenitins aristocracy 

 of the districts implicated, for the e.vercise of their 

 influence in this case, granting; tlie reform to be 

 practicable." 



We have copied this article, for the considera- 

 tion of those who are owners of this kind of poult- 

 ry. We have, however, some doubts respecting 

 the expediency of dippinp; geese. Perhaps the 

 stumps of the feathers, cut off, would be in the 

 way of the ne.tt growth of feathers, or might 

 otherwise incommode the animals. 



Willich's Domestic Encyclopedia, says, "geese 

 are very valuable on account of the feathers they 

 afford ; for this purpose they are unmercifully 

 plucked, in the county of Lincoln, Eng., (where 

 they arc reared in large numbersJTfiie times in tlic 

 voar. The old birds submit quietly, but the young 

 ones frequently prove unruly and noisy The lat- 

 ter may be plucked once when about thirteen or 

 fourteen weeltsj^ld, for feathers; but no quills 

 must be taken from them ; nor should this opera- 

 tion be performed at too early a season, because 

 the goslins are liable to perish in cold summers. 

 Although the plucking of geese is considered by 

 many as a barbarous custom, yet experience has 

 evinced, that these birds, when properly strip- 

 ped of their feathers, thrive better, and are more 

 healthy, than if they were permitted to drop tbcm 

 by moulting. 



(Quills. "The quills are termed first, seconds, 

 and thirds, from the order in which they grow. — 

 The two last kinds are those principally used in 

 writing, on account of the larger size of their bar- 

 rels. And as the utility and value of quills in the 

 making of pens greatly depend on their firmness 



N EW EN GLAIVD FAIIMER. 



I :iiid elasticity, different o.xpedienls have neon cun 

 jtrived to harden them. The most simple of these, 

 IS to tlirust the barrel into hot sand or ashes, (or 

 1 a few moments, afterwards to press them almost 

 ! flat with a pen-knife, and then to restore their 

 j roundness by the fingers, with the assistance of a 

 wince of leather or woollen cloth ; removing at 

 the same time their roughness by the friction. 

 When, however, great numbers are to be prepar- 

 cl!. other methods are adopted. Aqua fortis is 

 frequently employed in the preparation of quills, 

 by which they are stained a yellow color. 



Frathfrs. -The best mode of preserving feath- 

 ers, is tr> expose them in a room to the rays of the 

 sun ; and as soon as they are thoroughly dried, to 

 put them loosely into bags in which they should 

 be well beaten to cleanse them from dust and 

 filth. 



Choice nf Geese. " In the choosing of geese for 

 I the table, care should be taken that the feet and 

 legs be yelloty, which is an indication of the bird 

 ibeinj young; the legs of old geese are red. If 

 Ireojitly killed, the legs will be pliable, but if 

 stall? they will geci rally be found dry and stiff." 



A new breed of geese, called Bremen Geese, has 

 been mtroduced into the United States, which is 

 said '(} be decidedl, ami considerably superior to 

 any li'-retofore known in this country. They were 

 first iioported, we believe, by Mr. Jame.s Sisson, 

 of Wirren, (R I.) who received a premium, in 

 October, 189(5, from the Rhode Island Society for 

 the Rnc ourageinent of Domestic Industry, for the 

 e,\hibition of some geese of this breed. They are 

 said to i.ossess the following advantages over any 

 other animals of their kind : — They grcv/ to a 

 greater 'i/e, may be raised with more facility, are 

 fattened with less grain, and make nioro delicious 

 fooil. They may be purchased of Thomas Wil- 

 liams. Noddle's Island, and Col. Jaques, Charles- 

 town, Mass. 



Improvement in making butter. — A subscription 

 paper, (designed to raise a sum of money) to be 

 placed in the hands of the Trustees of the Massa- 

 chusetts .'Agricultural Society, for the special pur- 

 pose of being offered by thein in additional pre- 

 miums, to persons who shall offer at the next Cat- 

 tle Show at Brighton, considerable quantities of 

 the best butter, has been deposited at several of 

 the Insurance Offices. It is to be hoped it will 

 meet with the necessary degree of attention and 

 encouragement. 



The Charleston Courier of the Itlth inst. says, 

 "in consequence of our notice yesterday, of the 

 extraordinary mildness of the season, a friend has 

 presented us with a ripe apple and slrawherry, of 

 the second crop, which grew in a garden in this 

 vicinity, and shewed as much freshness as is usual 

 in mid summer. Accompaiiying the above, we 

 also received an Iceplant ; v/hich, notwithstand- 

 ing its name, we believe is one of the most ten- 

 der plants known in our gardens. The Thermo- 

 meter yesterday, stood at 75^ degrees, and the 

 day is said to be the warmest knowp in January, 

 for many years. 



-223 



SEEDS FOR -. OJMVTRV DEALERS. 



'I'raclers in llic coniiUv. who may wish lo liec'p an ,..s-,.iimen' 

 of Garden Seeds Ibi- sale, are inlormea liiey can t<e lurnishedi 

 at the New England Farmer oflicc, No. 32 Norlb Markel street. 

 Koslon. wiih t<oxcs coniaining; a cmnplelc assorlmtnl of the 

 seeds mostly used in a k.idien i;arden, n as favoral.lu terms as 

 they can he pnnlin^cd in ihis coitnlry, neatly done up in small 

 papers, at (J :.id l^ow each— warranied lo he of llie ctowiIi of 

 I!ii7, and of ihc p.irfs! ijmlily. Oknamf.stal Flower 

 ScMDs will he .id td on the same lornis, when ordered, as well 

 as I'eas. Beans Eaklv White .Sweet Corn, &c. of dif- 

 ferent sorts. 



COOKE ON WHITE MUSTARD. 



.Tust received and for sale at the office of die New Kiigland 

 Farmer, " Ohservations on Ihe Klificacy of White iMu^tard Seed, 

 in affections of die Liver. Internal Organs, and Nervous Sys- 

 tem ; and on the General Manageimwl of Health and Lite. By 

 < 'hailes Turner Cooke, Memher of the Royal College of Sur- 

 geons. First American from the 4th English edition. Price 30 cts. 



" Whatever hope die dieams of speculation may suffgesl, of 

 observing (he proportion between nutriment and labor, and 

 kcepinficlhe body in a healthy state by supplies exactly suited 10 

 its waste, we know that, in enipct. the vital powers, unextiled 

 by action, jjrow gradually languid; tlint as their vigor fails, ob- 

 structions are generated, and Iroin obslruciions proceed most of 

 those pains which wear us away slowly by periodical tortures^, 

 and which, although they sometimes suffer lite lo be long, con- 

 denln it to he useless, chain us down lo (he couch of misery, 

 and mock us with the hopes of death." — Johnson. 



SHEET ALMANACK. 

 .lust published al the \uw England Farmer office, a Sheet 



I'KICES OF COUNTRY PRODUCE. 



Corrected every Thur.sUuij evtniii^- 



.il^PLES, best, 



.iSHES, pot, 1st sort, - - - 



ptarl do. - - - - 



BKANS, white, 



BEEF, mess, 200 lb?, new, - 

 cargo, No 1, uew, - - 



" No 2, new, - - 

 BUTTER, inspect. No. I. new. 

 CHEESE, new milk. - - - - 



Ekimmt'il rnilk, - - 

 FLji.X 



Within a few miles of Worcester may be seen, 

 [conspicuously fixed in a plantation] the notice, 

 that "Steel-traps and spring-guns are set in these 

 grounds." To which is annexed, the following 

 significant and kindly notice: "N. B. If a ma« 

 is caught in this trap, it will break a horsc''s leg!" 



Bj° Setjirttl Csmmnnicatieia arc received 



FLAX SEED 



FLOUIl, Baltimore, Howard St 

 Genesee, . - - 



Rye, best, - - - 



grain; Rye 



Copi - - - . 



Barley - ... 



Oats - - . - - 



HOGS' LARD, I st sort, new, - 



iiOl'S, No 1, inspection - - 



LIME, 



OIL, Linseed, Phil, and Northern 

 PLAISTER PARIS retails at 

 PORK, Bone Middlings,uew, clear 

 navy, mess, do. 

 Cargo, No 1, do. - - 

 SEEDS, Htid's Grass, - 



Clover . - - . 



wool-, Merino, full bloodjWash 

 do do unwashed 



do 3-4 vi'ashed 



do 1-2 & 4 do 



Native - - -* do 



Pulled. Lamb's, 1st sort 

 2d sort 

 do Spinning, 1st sort 



PROVISIOJ^ M.9RKET. 



BEEJ', best pieces . . . - 



PORK, fresh, best pieces, - . 



" whole hogs, - - - 



VEAL, - - - 



MUTTON, 



POULTRY, ----.- 

 BUTTER, keg & tub, - 



iuaip, best, - . - 

 CGGf 



MEAL, Rye. retail, - - - - 

 Indi-.tn, do. - . - - 

 POTATOES, (new) - - 

 CJDER, (according, to (jtiality) 



