270 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



MARCH 1, l-3r. 



that tlio vvliite rrjiilherrv, for fencing pust.*, are in- 

 ferior only to thn yellow locust. Asiile llierefore 

 from feedirjg sillc worms witli the folinge of the 

 white niulherry, tlie attention of the farnier is di- 

 rected to set the white riiiillieny aroiinil the bor- 

 ders of his pasture and other hinds, and to cover 

 some of his wiiste jdaces with the yellow locust, 

 not only for li'ncinp posts hut for ship tinilier. 

 White wood iind walnut are tonsh, and useful for 

 many purposes, hut the heart will he brittle. 



In order to preserve timber from crackiiifr 

 while Sfasoniur, it is reconiinended to hew orsti.v 

 out the timber for tiio piirliculnr purposes wanted, 

 and laid in the haii mow when the hay is carted 

 in, aiul as the hay is fed out, the timber will he 

 found better seasoned than by any process of sea- 

 soning by steam, or Ijeat in a dry house, and to 

 prevent cracks. This mode of seasoning is re- 

 commended to carriage makers when they wish 

 to have a little timber sc:asoiied for some choice 

 work. House joiners also would tind it conven- 

 ient to ensure some seasoned stuti for early 

 spri'ig work. Kiit no mechanic could be more 

 beiielitted than the cabinet maker. — .Xurlhumpion 

 Couritr. 



MULBERRV. 



A dry, sterile sand is unsuitable; and a shallow 

 soil in a foundation of clay produces leaves of bad 

 quality. In low rich grounds, and extensive plains 

 or prairies, near ponds and in the valleys of rivers, 

 the mulberry tree indeed grows most vigorously, 

 yet the leaves being inore watery, though vora- 

 ciously devoured, they prolong the labors of the in- 

 sect by inducing weakness, and injure the quality 

 of the produce. These grounds are alike exposed 

 to the destructive frosts of wintei and of summer : 

 the tnoistm-e of the atmosphere in such situations 

 causes the leaves to become spotted and to mildew, 

 and the leaves thus infected, if given to the insects, 

 are the sure sources of disease and of death. 



Sunny cNpositions and the declivities of hills, 

 those especially which slope to the south, east, or 

 west. The cocoons of mountainous comitries arc 

 deemed superior to those of the plains; although 

 not so large, tliey are usually of a whiter color. 

 Plant the mulberry tree on the high uplands, and on 

 the hills, for here they are neither exposed to suffer 

 from the early and the latter frosts, nor are the 

 leaves liable to become spotted or diseased from the 

 mildew; and from these combined causes, the 

 growth of the tree will he consequently prolonged 

 for a double length of time. 



Prepare the soil by suitable nutriment, to the 

 depth of eighteen inches beneath the tree, and to a 

 proper distance around. The roi.ts of the mulberry 

 tree strike downwards; oiher plants may thercfire 

 be profitably cultivated beneath its shade, which is 

 not deemed pertiicious, the whole ground being 

 kept as a garden during the first years 



The climate of the countries bordering on the 

 great northern arteries or rivers is in some degree 

 unfavorable. The winds, which, unobstructed, 

 follow almost invariably the general course of the 

 valleys of these rivers, bring down alternately from 

 high northern regions, and from other climes, a de- 

 gree of cold, iluring winter, the mo.st intense and 

 tlestructive. On the best ainhority I am assured 

 that the jicar, and particularly the peach and the 



cherry, have during the last winters suffered partial 

 destruction in the valley of the Coiuiecticnt, as far 

 south as the country around the city of Hartford, 

 and even still farther downwards and towards the 

 sea. Even far below the city of Albany, on the 

 Hudson or North river, the cherry tree particularly, 

 and many other trees which are equally as hardy, 

 and especially during all the period of theiryounger 

 years, are, as I am assured, extremely liable to suf- 

 fer death during winter, from the same destructive 

 climate and causes. 



The jiroper soils for the inulberry tree are "dry 

 sandy, or stony." And trees growing on dry, 

 sandy, or stony soils, and situated on the open plains, 

 and on hills the most exposed to cold winds, will be 

 found to suffer least of all from the destructive 

 frosts of autumn and of winter. With all anthers 

 I must agree in recommending a soil of but mod- 

 erate fertility, and least of all a cold, moist, and 

 heavy soil on a clay foundation, or even a very rich 

 soil ; a dry soil on a friable subsoil, on gentle eh va- 

 tions or declivities, being the most suitable of all 

 (or the inulberry from China. — Kenrick. 



SfH-xy !3-^?^31E>ii.SF'a> ^^'.fii.lSSaiSSia 



BOSTON, VVEDNE.SDAY, MARCH 1, 1837. 



FARMERS' WORK. 



Ewes ano Lambs. — It is incumbent on every good 

 husbnndmari and faithful shepherd, to feed his Ewes 

 plentifullv Hir a few weeks before, and for a considera- 

 ble time after they produce their Iambs. Good fariners 

 have told us that they have found it very bpneficial to 

 give to each of their ewes about oneha'fa giil of Indian 

 corn a day, for 5 or 6 weeks before they liave yeaned, 

 and while suckling, to give them good roots, or some 

 othi'r juicy food. The want of milk in the ewes, is the 

 most reneral cause of death in the lambs. Keep the 

 mothers well, and their offspring will thrive and l)p 

 strong. 



The Farmer s Manual says, " If you have stored more 

 turnips than are sufficient for the use of the table, give 

 them to any stock that wdl eat lhem,e.\cept your sheep; 

 give to them potatoes, but not turnips at this season, lor 

 turn ips will injure the lambs'' Weak hmbs should he 

 treated in all respects as if they had been drowned, and 

 you was endeavoring to restore them to life". Apply 

 gentle and regular warmth ; give them warm milk, fre- 

 quently, in small quantities, (the milk of the sheep is 

 best,) and if the ewe has milk sufficient for the support 

 of the lamb, you may generally raise it, otherwise the 

 lamb usually dies. It requires more care and labor to 

 nurse one feeble lamb, when its dam yields loo litilo 

 milk for its support than it would for an huudred. if 

 they were healthy and well kept. 



If your sheep, whether store sheep or ewes with lamb, 

 have good hay, about a quart of potatoes a day, to each, 

 will it is said, be very beneficial, and an ample allow- 

 ance. But when the object is to fatten them, (says a 

 writer in Rees' Cyclopedia.) about a gallon of potatoes 

 a day, with a little hay will be the proper quantity ; but 

 this is dependent in part on the size of the animals, and 

 in part on the quality and quantity of the hay, which is 

 allowed them. Potatoes, besides their use as food for 

 sheep, are said to be very serviceable to those animals 

 as an article of diet, which usually supersedes the ne- 

 cessity of medicine. They have, when given raw, an 

 opening or |'urgative quality, which is thought to be ofj 



use, and to answer a similar purpo.se with sheep which 

 is effected with swine by brimstone and antimony. 



Care should be taken to place in the stable, small tuba 

 or troughs of water for the sheep to drink in. They 

 will do very well in summer wuhout water, as they feed 

 when the dew is on, hut they need water in winter, es- 

 pecially if fed mostly on dry food. Deane's N. E. Far- 

 mer slates that " when sheep have colds and discharge 

 mucus t>om the nosi:, good feeding, together with pine 

 boughs given occasionally, will cuie them ; or tar spread 

 on a board over which a Utile fine salt is strewed, will 

 induce the sheep to lick up tar, and this will cure a 

 cold." 



The Yankee Farmer, la giving directions fiir raising 

 Iambs, observes that " great care should be taken when 

 Iambs are born, for it is frequently the case that 

 their fore teeth are not cut, which makes it very diffi- 

 cult for them to hold the teat, so as to suck when young 

 and weak, and it is common for lambs to get discour- 

 aged, though ever so rugged at first. To remedy this 

 evil rub the thumb nail, or any hard substance, over 

 the gums, sufiiciently hard to cause the teeth to cut 

 through, and the lambs will then be able to suck without 

 any difficulty. " 



Clay has been recommended as useful for restoring 

 and preserving heallh to slii'ep. A writer in the New 

 York Fiirmer gives the following remaks on this sub- 

 ject: — " I am told on credible auihority, that a gentle- 

 man, who was losing his sheep without apparent cause, 

 had occasion to use some clay about his house in the 

 winter, and observed th:il his sickly flock ate it with 

 avidity; he caused a load to be placed in their yard, 

 much of which was devoured, and his sheep speedily re- 

 covered. 



"As a cure, therefore, 1 would recommend clay to be 

 placed in the sheep yard, which can, at worst do no 

 haim, as the animals will not eat it, unless promp'ed by 

 instinct." 



fForttio .New Engliiiii] Faniifr.] 

 Mr Fessenden :— if the following remarks are wor- 

 thy of a place in your useful paper, you are at liberty o 

 publish them. Someyearssin'e there was a great scar- 

 city of h.iy. At that time 1 had on hand a large stock 

 of cattle. Sometime in the month of Februarv my stock 

 of hay was about all gone, and where to obtain more I 

 could not tell. It c. mid not he had short of 20 miles, 

 and there at the price of thirty dollars per ton.- 



One day I wetjt to the stable, and no sooner than I 

 entered, every eye «as upon me for aid You may im- 

 agine what my feelings were, when 1 knew of no relief 

 which I could bestow. I stood awhile to reflect on what 

 course to pursue, or what to do. At last I thought of 

 some flax whieh had been lyin^ on the beams of my 

 stable for several years, which had not been rotted. I 

 threw down a few bundles, and gave some of the flax to 

 my cattle. They took hold of it with such eagerness, 

 that I was obliged to take it from them to prevent their 

 |)eing choked wilh it. I then took a block of wood and 

 a broad axe. and chopped it up short. 1 then gave a 

 very little to my cattle, and continued so to do, until it 

 was all gone. 



From what I then discovered of the virtue and oily 

 substance that the flax contained, I am of opinion that 

 what I could take up between my two hands and fin- 

 gers, after being chopped, and given to a cow each day 

 through the winter, would carry her through the fod- 

 dering season. My opinion is that the bulk of one ton 

 of hay in flax, will be of more value to a stoc\ of cattle 

 than four tons of hay. I am also of opinion that oil can 

 be obtained from flax. As I have an oil mill, I intend 

 to try the experiment the ensuing season. I would re. 



