VOL. Xni. NO. 43. 



AND GARDENER'S MAGAZINE. 



34 J 



IRRIGATION. 



Although the principles of iirig£vtioii have been 

 known from time immemorial — and although ever 

 ^ince we have had aught to do with the Far- 

 mer, at least once a year, we have given a few sug- 

 gestions upon the subject— yet our farmers in this 

 vicinity are slow to practise it, even when they are 

 most conveniently situated for so doing. What is 

 irrigation? It is conveying or applying water 

 where we can do it conveniently for our land. TJiere 

 are at least two ways or modes of doing this. One 

 is, by flowing land and covering it with water. 

 Another is, by leading streams of water in circuitous 

 channels around and around, and about and alou" 

 wliere you can get it to run. Those who have low 

 lands with a stream running through tliera can 

 j^ractise the former. And those who have hill 

 Ir.rms can practise the latter. One farmer in this 

 lown,MrJI. J5. Sears, has tried and is trying the 

 Jitter method, and we are exceedingly mistaken if 

 he will not be in the end, amply paid for the trouble 

 1-e has taken to form the proper channels for the 

 water. The operation is exceedingly simple and 

 now is the time to practise it, because now water is 

 the most plenty. Suppose you have a hill side, and 

 the springs above you, and the rills formed by the 

 melting snow and rains are overflowing and coinin<' 

 down upon you. It spreads itself out, seeking the 

 depressed places and swales saturates them with 

 ivater, soaks your land in those places and up 

 jomes the aquatic grasses, or sicale grasses, as some 

 ?all them. Now if you should examine the premi- 

 ses—beginning as high up as you can, and trace 

 ifour eye along, you would in a moment see that 

 ^ou could cut a small furrow with your ploun-h 

 Jmost level, but not quite, runningthis way and tliat 

 ;S crooked as a serpent, along which you could con- 

 luct the water which is now drenching your swales, 

 Ind thus in efiect spread it more equally over your 

 •remises, and receive a greater amount of benefit 

 rom it,— and whence arises tlie benefit ? You 

 now very well that water is absolutely necessary 

 sr the growth of plants ; you know very well that 

 16 roots supply the branches, and leaves, and flow- 

 rs, with sap ; and you know that sap is probably 

 otiiing more than water, having the matter ncces- 

 iry for the nutrition of the plant dissolved in it. All 

 'ater, unless it has been distilled, and even that 

 imetimes, holds in solution certain salts and other 

 latters. And these salts and certain matters are 

 lefood of j)lants. Without their being dissolved 

 ley cannot get into the exceedingly small pores or 

 ibes of the vegetable. A dry piece of manure 

 ht be for ages iu contact with a plant and do it 

 ) good, but bring water in contact with it, and what- 

 rer there may be in it which can be dissolved by 

 aterwill be dissolved, and changed to a state fitted 

 pass into the roots and thence over the whole plant 

 id become assimilated and incorporated with it and 

 ake the body thereof. Now this being the case, will 

 not be better to spread this water vvhich would 

 herwise rush down in a large body together, car- 

 ing with it so much nutritive matter and losing it 

 some bog or swamp or pond, more evenly over 

 e soil? Carry it round in little channels, applying 

 reby, a little to this grass root, and a little to that 



for grass roots, you are aware, make gi-asa tops, and 

 grass tops cut and dried and housed or rather burn- 

 ed, make excellent food for cattle during the winter. 

 We know a great many farms in this goodly state of 

 ours, that would be exceedingly benefitted by this 

 practice. Why not get about it then ? Why father 

 never did and I wonH.^Maine Farmer. 



Rearing Calves. — Extract from a communica- 

 tion from Mr Thomas Midford, Hyde-Park, in tlie 

 Cultivator: 



E. Holbrook, Esq. can now produce from twenty 

 to thirty calves, (raised with little expense,) eqiial 

 for age, size, and condition, and fine symmetry, to any 

 in the country, say pure jDena?!, a cross with Devoji 

 and Durham and Devon and Alderney, some of wliich 



reach, tumeric, resin, &c. of which they will take 

 no more than nature requires. In the sumuier we 

 tuin them out on rough land ; tlie winter following 

 they require only ordinary care. "' 



Mr Holbrook intends to send to Albany next fall fb 

 sale, when I shall feel honored by a personal intro- 

 duction by Mr Holbrook. 



When the cow has dropped its calf we allow it to 

 suck its mother about 7 or 9 days, always careful to 

 milk the cow during the time the calf is sucking, to 

 draw off the whole of her milk during this period, 

 in order to promote a large soft fine bag during the 

 summer for the dairy use ; at the end of this time 

 the milk comes away freely, of a good color and 

 quality ; the calf is then taken from the cow, and 

 with the finger learned to drink, allowing it about 

 four quarts of skimmed milk night and morning. 

 The milk should stand about 12 hours before it is 

 skimmed, increasing till it is 6 weeks old, from then 

 till 10 weeks old, about 12 quarts per day ; when 10 

 weeks old diminish the milk for two or three weeks 

 and increase then from 12 to 14 weeks. During 

 this period, hay must be placed between split sticks, 

 to invite them to eat, and which very soon gives 

 them what is termed the cud ; likewise place small 

 troughs within their reach, containing wheat shorts, 

 tumeric, powdered yellow resin, and salt— tbe tu- 

 meric possessing in a moderate degree an aromatic 

 stimulant; the yellow resin a weak diuretic ; their 

 combination prevents diseases to which calves are 

 subject, swelled legs, yellows, &c. 



I must remark, the skimmed milk given to calves 

 should be boiled, and stand till it cools to the tem- 

 perature of milk from the cow ; it is much better 

 boiled than warm only. Cold milk will cause a 

 calf to purge. If this is the case, put three spoon- 

 fuls of rennet into the milk, and it will stop it. If 

 bound, a little pork broth will loosen it. When 

 turned out to pasture they must be provided with 

 an open dry shed, containing liay, &c. to which 

 they will retire for shelter from storms, the powerfiil 

 rays of the sun, or for comforts, which nature mys- 

 teriously dictates to animals. Symmetry being of 

 great importance, to obtain this we do not allow 

 them to struggle through the first winter, without 

 care or attention ; but provide them with a com- 

 fortable dry shed, allowing plenty of good straw 

 for bedding— regularly feeding them with good hay, 

 ruta baga, or small potatoes, with plenty of water 

 atlibertum. We allow to ten calves per day, one 

 and a half bushels of ruta baga, or small potatoes, 

 smashed in a pounder immediately before feeding 

 them, in order that they may not enter their stomach 

 in a frozen state, placing as before, williin their j 



SnicTTr WHEAT.-From unpublished papers of 

 the Kennebec Co. Ag. Society. Communicated by 

 Elijah Wooil. 



Set up a leach sufiicient to contain three or four 

 pails of ley of wood a.'sheaso strong as to support 

 an egg— let that be put into a large ketttle and boil- 

 ed, and while boiling hot, put into it, by means of a 

 cloth for the purpose, as much wheat as the ley will 

 cover— let it remain about one minute— then take 

 it out, S))rcad it and expose it to the air, and so on 

 until you have finished the quantity you wish to sow. 

 I would in all cases recommend washing wheat 

 clean before it is prepared in any other way for sow- 

 ing. Take care to let the wheat remain longer as 

 die ley grows cold. 



Mr Goodale— As the last year's crop of wheaj, 

 was materially injured by smut and as many farmers 

 are annually injured in the same manner, I have 

 thought fit to point out the several modes by which 

 it can be prevented ;— 1st, let the seed wheat be 

 washed clean, and while wet turn it into a ley, boil- 

 ing hot, made with two quarts of unslacked or three 

 quarts of slacked lime in hot water, sufiicient to 

 cover a bushel— pu.-sue the same rule for a larger or 

 smaller quantity. 1 have tried this method several 

 times and it never failed of success. The seed ought 

 to lay in the ley at least 24 hours, and if it stands '.i or 

 4 days no damage will ensue— 3d, if seed wheat is 

 steeped in a strong pickle of common salt about 

 four days before it is .sowed it is rarely known to 

 smut, and a little chamber-ley added to tlie pickle 

 will entirely jirevent it— 3d, seed \vheat soaked 

 about four davs before it is sovvn, in a strong ley 



made of lime and water is rarely known to smut ; 



care must be taken that it remains the whole time 

 under the ley. Wheat will bear a strong ley, but 

 care must be taken not to make it excessively 

 strong. Let the farmers piu-sue any of the above 

 methods and we shall hear no more complaint of 

 smutty wheat. The whole essence of smut will 

 be destroyed. 



Improved breed of Cattle. — We were on 

 the steamboat wharf on Thursday last and had the 

 pleasure of seeing a very fine Durham improved 

 short horned bull and heifer, raised by Col. Ralph 

 Watson, of E.Windsor. They were on their way 

 to New York for a market. Col. Watson informed 

 us that the bull was 28 mouths old and weighed 

 a few d.iys since 1360 pounds. The heifer, 27 

 months old weighed 1124. He also informed us 

 that his English Cow and Calf which he bought 

 of Lord Althor|) were weighed at the same time, 

 the cow weighing 1534 lbs. and the calf 1574 lbs. 

 making the united weight 3108 lbs. The calf is a 

 remarkable animal, two years old the 8th of Nov. 

 last, iu ordinary flesh. — Hartford Revieio. 



Remember that economy and industry are the 

 two great pillars, the Jachine and Boaz of the far- 

 mer's prosperity. 



