I^^'lBIEIl 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



I'MBMSIlEn I?Y JOSEPH BllECK & CO., NO. 52 NORTH MARKET STREET, (Agricultural Warehouse.)— T. G. FESSENDKN, EDITOR. 



"VOL.. XV, 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 22, 1837. 



NO. 3T. 



["For tho New England Farmer. 1 

 HEAPEI» MEASURES, &c. 



Mr Fessenden, — Dear Sir: — I noticed in the 

 Farmer of the 8th inst., a comnuiiiieation from C. 

 N. on the subject of heaped measures, and 1 do 

 sincerely thanlv liini for it. 1 ajjree witli hijn per- 

 fectly, in his remarks, and I believe the greater 

 part of the community suffer much inconvenience, 

 and also in interest, under the present system of 

 measure. In a fortner communication, I named a 

 difference of 13 bushels in the measure of one load 

 of potatoes ot 80 bushels. Now if I was wronged 

 13 bushels,(and it seems I was, for the same quan- 

 tity for which I paid for 80 bushels, I sold for 67,) 

 there is no chance for redress ; for I could not 

 l)ruve in a Court of Law, that one measme was 

 right, or that either was right. Thi.s kindof niea- 

 sure is generally made with what are called hush- 

 el basket.'!, and you will hardly hud two alike. — 

 Some farmers make their own baskets, and are not 

 particular as to size. Basket makers make various 

 sizes, which they sell tor bushels. 



It inu>t be evident to all, that we want a stand- 

 ard for t.iis kind of measure, and the question is, 

 what mode will be the most uniform and most 

 conveniiuit for the people. 



1 have thought some on the subject, and for the 

 present would suggest the following: — 



That the standard for a bushel of each article, 

 shall be so many poun<ls. But for convenience in 

 many cases, thern shall be affixed to the ln.»tiel ui' 

 each article, so many cubic inches; for in selling 

 a few bushels only, or small quantities, it would 

 be the less labor to do it with sealed measures, 

 when both parlies are satislled. The seller and 

 l)urchaser can determine any quantity by measure, 

 if they choose. 



We will first determine the number of |.onnds 

 for a bushel of potatoes, and would wish to have 

 them come as near as possible, to what is called a 

 bushel under the present system. We wid select 

 two or three suitable men to make repeated trials 

 on the weight of a bushel of potatoes, and they 

 find that the weight is 65 pounds. They then by 

 repeated trials, find that the same bushel will fill 

 a measure level full, that contains 2500 cubic in- 

 ches. If this be satisfactory to all, then the i)o- 

 tato bushel is settled : and on the same ])rinciple, 

 define the bushel of each of the other articles that 

 comes under this kind of measure. 



I merely suggest the above, hoping that some 

 one b tter acquainted with measure than I am, 

 will name something better. 



It is the wish of your correspondent C. N., that 

 this subject should be brought before the Legisla- 

 ture this session. It is also my wish, and as you 

 are u member,* I think of no one more suitable to 

 attend to it, than yourself. 



With much respect, yours, 



William Keith 

 JVest Roxbury, March 10, 1837. 



" Mr Keith is misinformed with regard to this point. 

 1 iiavc not the honor to be a Member of the Massacliu- 

 Bolts Legislatuie. —£d«or ./V. E. Farmer. 



IPortlie \e\v I''n'.il.in(i Farnipr.] 

 REMKUY FOR LICE IJT CATTL.E. 



Nottingham, N. H., March 10, 1837. 

 Mr FrssENDRN, — Dear Sir: — I observed in the 

 N. E. Fanner of the 8lh inst., an inquiry by a 

 subscriber, for the most eflectnal remedy tor de- 

 stroying lice on cattle ; and as I consitler every 

 man in duty bound to communicate any informa- 

 tion he may be in possession of, which would 

 benefit the public, be it ever so trifling. I take 

 this method of informing yon of the manner (irac- 

 ticed by myself, and some of my neighbors, with 

 good success. It is merely using sassafras stanch- 

 ions for tying our cattle in the barn, and a post of 

 this kiiid of wood in the yard for them to rub 

 against. My cattle were very lousy, an<l this is 

 the oidy remedy I have succeeded with. Various 

 nostrums have Ueen tried in years |)ast, with but 

 little success. Now my cattle are free from ver- 

 Uiiu. If yon consider anytlmig in this scrawl 

 worthy of publication, you are at liberty to use it. 

 I am not used to writing for the press, therefore 

 you must excuse my blunders, and rectify my 

 mis-composition. 



Yours, res|)ectfully, 



James E. Hagar. 



By the Editor. — This is just .such a communi- 

 cati<m as we are ha|)py to receive ; as it contains 

 the results of the experience of a practical farmer. 

 Perhaps cedar wood would answer the purpose of 

 sasiiafras, as insects have an aversion to anything 

 fragrant. • 



(For tlie New Eiisland Farmer.) 

 Sir : — Should you think the following hint use- 

 ful to farmers, it is at your service. It is taken 

 from a French Periodical. 



Yours, res|^ectfully, R. J. J. 



Newport, R. I., March 9, 1837. 



An economical manner of Fatte.mng Hor- 



SKS. A veterinary surgeon has discovered an 



easy and cheap way to restore the health and ap- 

 petite of sick and over-worked horses: it consists 

 in giving them every day a feed or two of dog- 

 grass, ^Chiendent) of about ten or twelve jiounds, 

 mixed with carrots. Thus this weed which by 

 its increase and tenacity has given farmers so 

 much trouble, will now become a useful medi- 

 cine. 



(For tie New England Farmer.) 

 Thomas G. Fessenden, Esq.— Sir : — In your 

 Silk Manual for the present month, page 135, there 

 is a piece " on selecting seed," wherein the writer 

 says, that '■ during the last few years, many losses 

 have been sustained in the potato cro|>, in conse- 

 quence of using unripe seed." I have been con- 

 versant with raising potatoes for fifty years, and 

 this is the first time of my hearing that potatoes 

 need to be ripe to vegetate. The writer has not 

 said they will not vegetate, but an entire failure 

 of a crop I think must mean that. I will give you 



a little of my exjierience. I have a number of 

 times had my crop of pot.-itoes lessened one half, 

 by the tops being killed by the drought, and not 

 ft for the table ; and yet those half grown potatoes 

 came up the next year as well as any other. One 

 year my potato tops were all killed by drought be- 

 fore the bulbs were half grown, and there came a 

 soaking rain before the time of year to harvest the 

 crop, and not long after, on going into the field, 

 I found, to my surprise, that my jiotatoes were 

 coming up ; that is, there were green shoots from 

 the bills. On examining, I found they proceeded 

 from the new half grown potatoes. ] (ilanted the 

 same the next spring, and they came up as well 

 as any. This is stated to show that it is not nec- 

 e.ssary that a potato should be so ripe as to be good 

 for the table, in order to have it vegetate the 

 next s'-ason. Yon may cut all the outside oS'of a 

 potato, ami plant the middle, and it will come up. 

 So I have taken an ear of corn from the field, 

 when it was just beginning to harden at the ends 

 of the kernel, hung it in a dry place, planted it 

 the next season, and it came up well. But not- 

 vvithstamling, I choose good full grown seed of 

 every kind, not becanse it comes up any better, 

 but because it produces a more .stocky, vigorous 

 plant, tl.in with small seed, and is likely to pro- 

 duce a greater crop. You will dispose of this as 

 you please : it is immaterial to me, whether you 

 'lay it.vn the table," or throw it under, or dis- 

 pose of It in any other way. A Farbieb. 

 Westboro', Feb. 14, 1837. 



By the Editor. — There is a difference in opin- 

 ion among agricultural writers, on the subject of 

 ripe and unripe potatoes for seed. Some main- 

 taTti the opinion expressed in the article in Fes- 

 sertded's Silk Manual, p. 135, alluded to by our 

 correspondent. In this, the fi.llowing passage oc- 



rtirs: "The brevity of the present summer, and 



early frost.s, have, to a very great extent, rendered 

 the products of the soil not only nnin-ofitable for 

 consumption, but wholly unfit for seed. During 

 the last few years, many losses have been sustain- 

 ed in the potato crop, in consequence of using un- 

 ripe seed." 



The writer of an article originally published in 

 Lou/Ion's JMngazine, and transcribed into the JSf. 

 E. Fanner, vol xiii. page 173, states as follows : 

 " I consider tubers well matured, preferable for 

 planting, becanse in them the embryo of the fu- 

 ture plant is more perfect than those not yet ar- 

 rived at a state of inatiiriiy," &c. 



On the other han<l, an English cultivator, in an 

 article first published in Loudon's Magazine, and 

 republished in the N. E. Farmer, vol. v. p.ige 409, 

 assorts as follows : — " PrefiM-ring unripe potatoes 

 for seed, is not new in practice — it has for ages 

 prevailed," &c. An^! in a letter from William 

 Moody to the Hon. Josiah Quincy, published in 

 the 4th volume of the Massachusetts Agricultural 

 Repository, the writer observes that " late planted 

 Ijotatoes which are gathered in before ripe, are 

 far the best for seed the next year." And an 



