itroii. xin. NO. 34. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



349 



once. A fine saw should always lie used, and even 

 then the bark about the stuiiip should be pared 

 iway in a bevel form, for the friction of the saw 

 will start the bark a little way down and unless it 

 be cut off", the water will get in and prevent its 

 healing so fast as it will, if the started bark should 

 be cut oft'. There is also not sufficient attention 

 paid to the thinning out the central portions or 

 branches of the tree so as to let the sun and air 

 in among the apples, which will otherwise be less 

 likely to have the true flavor that arises from 

 being thoroughly ripened by free access to the 

 eun and air. These suggestions are well worth 

 fhe consideration of orchardists. We have seen 

 too many apparently young orchards suffering by 

 the scalpmg and tomahawliing which they have un- 

 dergone. Great care should be taken to make as 

 little wound as possible, while clearing away the su- 

 pernumerary branches. The business of orcharding 

 ^vill undoubtedly hereafter be pursued not only to 

 a greater extent than it lias hitherto done, notwith- 

 standing many have very foolishly demolished 

 trees that have been reared with great care, anxie- 

 ty and hope. There seemed to be an idea preva- 

 lent that the legitimate use of apples, was for 

 tnaking cider only, and when the call for that sub- 

 sided, many considered them as useless incum- 

 brances, and of course down with them. But the 

 fact that they are more valuable for feeding cattle, 

 sheep and swine, is beginning to be inore known 

 and more practised, and we doubt not that the 

 apple tree will again become a favorite with those 

 who have destroyed it. — Maine Farmer. 



BOOK FARMIKG. 



We have been told of the following facts, and 

 Ihave only to regret that the like to them are not of 

 more frequent occurrence. A number of intelligent 

 farmers residing in a neighborhood, somewhere, we 

 jbelieve, iu Dutchess county, concluded to form a 

 [farmer's association — -to make a common stock of 

 their knowledge and observation — believing that 

 knowledge, like money would be productive in pro- 

 portion to the capital. It was known that A. raised 

 the best horses, and got the best price for them : that 

 B. was far more successful in his wheat and corn 

 crops than his neighbors ; that C. reared the finest 

 neat cattle, and kept the best cows and oxen j thot 

 D. excelled in sheep husbandry ; and, in short, that 

 Bopie individual excelled the rest in a particular 

 branch of husbandry. Each possessed not only 

 some excellence, but some glaring defect in his 

 management. Thus the farm stock of one were 

 sickly, and many died, because the owner did not 

 know how to manage them ; another's farm had be- 

 come dreadfully impoverished, from neglecting the 

 manure, and from close cropping, while the farm 

 of a third was neither fit for plough land, or for 

 sweet grass, on account of the water which every- 

 where saturated the soil, and rendered it poachy, 

 cold and sour. Unlike too many now-a-days, each 

 of these men was conscious he could learn from 

 his neighbor's practice, which would enable him to 

 manage his farm with more profit — and that he 

 could teach his neighbors something in return. 

 These expectations were amply realized ; but as 

 the members lived somewhat remote, it struck them 

 that it would save much time, and be a more sure 

 way of rendering the improvements of all available 



to e.tch, if they were to write down their practice 

 in the particular branch in which they respectively 

 excelled, and the principles, or science, upon which 

 that practice was based. This was accordingly 

 done: and for their mutual convenience, as well as 

 for the benefit of others, the whole was printed and 

 these men were afterwards denominated, by some 

 of their envious neighbors, book farmers, because 

 they took their instructions from a printed book. 

 This did not disturb them ; for they got from their 

 book the secrets by which the others had excelled 

 in their particular department, and each profited by 

 the good management of his neighbors. The con- 

 sequeqce was, that all gained by the interchange. 

 The defects of all were speedily remedied, and in a 

 few years prosperity crowned their labors ; and 

 they now exhibit, we are told, the best models of 

 profitable farming anywhere to be found in the 

 land ; and they enjoy the felicity of reflecting, that 

 while they have greatly benefited themselves and 

 their families, they have by their example and in- 

 struction, done much good to others. They have 

 afforded a fair illustration of the advantages of book 

 farming, when combined with intelligent practice. 



Weie this example extended to the farming com- 

 munity of our country, how greatly the work of im- 

 provement would advance, and the comforts of the 

 human family be multiplied : were each to con- 

 tribute his mite of practical knowledge in the branch 

 in which he most excels, what a treasure of infor- 

 mation would be collected, to guide us in our prac- 

 tice, and to stimulate us to habits of industiy. And 

 do we not already possess, in a considerable degree, 

 these precious advantages ? What are our agricul- 

 tural journals, but a record of instructions, by the 

 best farmers of our own and every other country — 

 a detail of the methods by which they have suc- 

 ceeded — have excelled — in the various departments 

 of husbandry ? There is not a man in the com- 

 munity who may not profit, in some degree, by the 

 teachings of these journals. The self-wise are ever 

 the most profoundly ignorant i for as we advance 

 ill knowledge, we become more and more humbled 

 by the consciousness of our comparative ignorance. 



We beg that the readers of the Cultivator will 

 take this matter into serious consideration, and re- 

 member, that an obligation rests upon them individ- 

 ually, to requite the favors which they are monthly 

 receiving from others, by communicating whatever 

 of their practice that may promise to be beneficial 

 to their brother farmers. — Cultivator. 



LANcnAGE OF Animals. — The acuteness of the 

 sheep's ear suppasses all things in nature that 1 

 know of. A ewe will distinguish her own lamb's 

 bleat, among a thousand, all bleating at the same 

 time, and making a noise a aiQitsand times louder 

 than the singing of psalms at a Cameronian sacra- 

 ment in the fields where thousands are congregated 

 — and that is no joke either. Besides, the distin- 

 guishment of voice is perfectly reciprocal between 

 the ewe and lamb, who, amid the deafening sound, 

 run to meet one another. There are few things 

 have ever amused me more than a sheep shearing, 

 and then the sport continues the whole day. We 

 put the flock into the fold, set out all the lambs to 



the hill, and then send the ewes to them as they are 

 shorn. The moment that lamb hears its dam's 

 voice, it rushes from the crowd to meet her, hut in- 

 s ead of finding the rougii well clad, comfortable 

 mamma, which it left an hour or a few horns ago, 

 it meets a poor, naked, shrivelling— a most deplo- 

 rable looking creature. It wheels about, and utter- 

 ing a loud, tremulous bleat of perfect despair, flies 

 from the frightful vision. The mother's voice ar-> 

 rests its flight — it returns — flies, and returns again, 

 generally for ten or a dozen times, before the recon- 

 ciliation is fairly made up. — James Hogg. 



The largest hog that we have ever seen is noAV in 

 possession of Mr P. Mehan. It measures from 

 the snout to the extremity of the tail, eleven feet, 

 is five feet in height, and weighs 233 pounds. 

 It is remarkably well shaped, and the flesh is of 

 extraordinary firmness, considering its size. It 

 appears to be in perfect health, and may yet at- 

 tain a much larger growth, being not quite three 

 years old. — Dublin Journal. 



Portable Railway.— A novel machine was a 

 few days ago exhibited in the Kensington and 

 Chapham roads. It consisted of asort of carriace 

 wheel which carries a rail road for itself, upon 

 which the carriage travels with great facility and 

 quickness. It was composed of a jointed square 

 instead of a circle, and has four rollers, not touch- 

 ing the roail, and for feet which alternately come 

 to the ground, producing a kind of walking and 

 escaping obstacles. We understand that it is the 

 invention of L. Gompertz, Esq. — Rail Road 

 Jour. 



Drtin-c Unripe Corn. — Mr Editor Several 



methods of drying unripe corn for winter use are 

 recommended and may be i)ractised with advan- 

 tage. Probably the worst of these is the com- 

 mon one of boiling, and afterwards cuttin"- the 

 grain from the cob. The corn is not onl/ de- 

 prived of much of its sweetness and flavor by the 

 boiling, but the best, though not the largest part of 

 the kernel, the corculum, or as it is called by the 

 farmers, chit, is loft on the cob, A far better plan 

 is that adopted by the Indians of Lake Michitran 

 who roast corn in a sand bath heated by a "lire' 

 which they make on abed of soft sand, into which 

 the ears are plunged. After being roasted in 

 this way, it is removed from the cob and kept in 

 sacks for winter use. 



A neater and still better method is, to put the 

 ears of green corn into a baker, or oven of any 

 kind, aud roast them about as muciias you would 

 do for immediate use. The corn is then shelled, 

 and spread to dry for a few days, either iu the 

 open air or a dry room ; and may be kept for 

 years. * When thoroughly boiled (for at least 12 

 hours) it is as tender and soft as green corn, to 

 which in flavor it is in no way inferior, and con- 

 slitutes a most admirable mgredient in soups, or 

 if eaten by itself is one of the most delicious and 

 wholesome dishes that can possibly be prepared. 



A diet consisting exclusively of corn preserved 

 in this way is regarded as a specific in the remov- 

 al of a predisposition to cancer. 



Yours respectfully. 



Cultivator.] Edwi.n' James. 



