18 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



JULY 17, 1839. 



AND HORTICULTURAL Rl GISTER. 



Boston, WEONEsoAy, July 17, 1839. 



STATE OF THE SEASON. 

 The season tiius far mny be pronounced liiohly pro- 

 piliou3. Grass in general lias sclil'uii bi-en more abun- 

 dant. Hitherto (12t)i July) the weniher, owing to tho 

 frequent showers, has been uiifUvorable to the curing of 

 liay ; but a great part of the griiss is yet hardly forward 

 enough for the scythe; and ai-cirding to invtiriable ex- 

 peiience we look for one or two good haying weeks. 

 Rye, both spring and winler, promises a more abundant 

 yield than has been known for years. Barley is very 

 luxuriant. Oals are cultivated (we are speaking of 

 Norfolk County, particularly to which our observations 

 hace been of late limited) to a very small extent. Po- 

 tatoes show an uncommon thrifimess. Indian ("orn is 

 of a good color; it is generally small; but is advancing 

 with great rapidity ; and there is yet lime eneugh for a 

 crop. Wiieat is seen in very small patches only, hut 

 these promise well. So nimh disappointment in llils 

 crop, owing to the drought, was experienced the last 

 season, that comparatively very little was sown. Here 

 and there are met with a small extent of rula bnga and 

 carrots. With the e-xception of the town of Quincy 

 perhaps an acre of carrots, in one piece, is not to be 

 found ill the whole county ; and yet there is good reason 

 to think that no crop can be vullivnted, which to a cer- 

 tain extent would betlei pay on every farm the cost of 

 raising, where suitable land can be found for that pur- 

 pose. Parsnips cannot be said to be culiivated at all 

 among us, excepting a very few in the garden for the 

 table. The value of this vegetable for stock is not 

 known among us. In the Islands of Jersey, and Guern- 

 sey they are extensively cultivated and highly esteemed 

 for their dairy stock. The only experiment we have 

 ever made with them was in feeding out about eighty 

 bushels to our milch cows and falling eattle iii the 

 spring. They were highly relished by the animals ; 

 and this small experiment satisfied us ihat nothing of 

 the kind could bo belter for milk or beef These pars- 

 nips had remained in the ground all winter and came at 

 a season, when such feed was particularly v:ihmble. 

 Tliere was some difficulty in digging them on account 

 of theii length and ihe number and tenacity of their 

 fibrous roots ; but, if tliey are raised on high ridges in- 

 stead of a flat surface, this dilficiilly will be obviated by 

 being able to run a plough by llie t-ide of them. 



We would gladly avail ourselves of every favorable 

 opportunity to draw the attention of fanners to tht^sub- 

 ject of raising succulent vegetables for the winler feed 

 of their stock. In respect to the general health and 

 condition of their cattle, in respect to the inciea^'e of 

 dairy product, and of beef and pork, in respect to a pro- 

 fitable return for labor and expense incuried, ill respect 

 to the general improvemcict of the farm by fine tillh 

 and the means of increasing the manure, ihe cultivation 

 of these vegetable crops, carrots, suaar beets, parsnips, 

 mangel wurlzel, rula baga, iSc, cannoi he ino strongly 

 urged. It must be at the foundation of an improved 

 husbandry. Parsnips are re|iresenieil as tiirni.shing a 

 most excellent feed for swine. In ihis nialter we have had 

 no experience ; but are entin ly disposed to credit in the 

 case every ihing favorable, which may be said of them. 

 They are liable to very few casualties from vermin and 

 frosts; and when cultivated on ridges are as little ex- 

 pensive as any vegetable of the kind which we can 

 raise. H. C. 



HAYING. 



This great operation is n.m going on in earnest in this 

 part of the country. In the interior it is postponed to a 

 much later period. The profier time of culling Inv is 

 a matter upon which, among the liesl firmers, a diversi- 

 ty of opinion ai'd practice prevails. The clovers, it is 

 believed, should be cut when the flowers first begin to 

 fade. The fine grasses on the alluvial lands of Connec- 

 ticut River, known there generally under the name of 

 the English Benl, require to be cut quite e;irly, or the 

 hay is hard and wiry and not relii-hed by cattle. In res- 

 pect to herds grass or timoihy it is a dehaleable point, 

 vihether it should be cut in ihe flower or when the 

 seed is fiirmed and almost ripened. The greener the 

 hay, provided it is sweet, ihe better it always sells in 

 the market. The nearer it iipproaches to ripeness, the 

 more nutritive mailer is coiilained in it according to the 

 analytical experiments of Sinclair upon various gras^es, 

 as given in Ihe tables published. How far these tables 

 are to be lelied upon as demonstrative of the actual 

 truth in the case, remains to be seen. iMany persons 

 are of opinion that the decision of a jury of cattle upon 

 the subject would he much more satisfactory and cimclu- 

 sive. We wish some experimeuis could be made by 

 which this matter should be brought to the test. We 

 are not prepared to say exactly how these experiments 



ould be made ; but a reflecting and observing farmer, 

 disposed to test the matter, might easily come to a satis- 

 factory solulion. 



Sundry modes have been sU7gesled for the curing of 

 clover hay. No grass sufters greater deterioration from 

 excessive drying and much tossing about. Two of the 

 best fanners in the State, in Middlesex County, say, 

 their practice is, after cutting clover, not to spread but 

 simply to turn the swath ; and in the afternoon of the 

 day on which it is cut, put it carefully into cock, and let 

 it remain in cock until it is sufficiently made to be car- 

 ried into the barn. When this is to be done. they mere- 

 ly turn the cocks over, so ilial any moisture, which may 

 be at the bottom of them may be dried off. They say 

 in this way their hay comes out perfectly bright and 

 sweet ; 'and they value it more than any other as feed 

 for their mildi cows. We know the general manage- 

 mentand improvement of their farms are not excelled 

 by any in the State. A very intelligent farmer in ihe 

 interior of New York, has stated to us that lie practises 

 on the same plan and with perfect success. We know 

 of others who have experimented in the same way and 

 have failed. Ho it is with almost every thing in life. 

 Some men succeed while others in the same circum- 

 stances aie sure to fail If any succeed in the case then ! 

 it is certa:n that the cause of failure must be in igno- 

 rance or neglect of the proper method of management. 

 The thing is of much importance ; for in geneial clo- 

 ver hay as it is coinnioiily cured is of little value and fit 

 for not much else than liller. 



The importance of a free ventilalion in barns i.s not 

 always enough considered. Jn the report of the Agri- 

 culture of J3erkshiie, under the account of the Shakers' 

 Establishments, the construction in the barn at Han- 

 cock wilh a view, expressly to this object, is particularly 

 described ; and at least suggesls some useful hints on 

 this subject. In some parts of the north of Europe the 

 mode of curing bay is thus described. The hay is put 

 up quite green in slacks. It is raised on staddles or 

 beams sufficiently high from the ground to admit a free 

 circulation of air underneath the stack. A sort of 

 chimney is formed in the middle of the stack as it goes 

 up, either by building round a barrel or a bag filled wilh 

 hay, which is drawn up by degrees as the slack rises; 

 and thus a continual girculation of air is kept up 

 through the stack, while the hay is drying; and the 



vapor arising i"i 'Oil the heating and drying of the hai 

 pas.M's off' by this chimney. In such case they have : 

 thatched covering over the stack, resting upon fou 

 poles, which is often seen among the Dutch fanner 

 in our own country. We know nothing of this modi 

 of curing hay but from iheaccounts thus given. Thi 

 hay, as it is re| resented, is perfectly cured in this way 

 The account has certainly suflicient plausibility to de 

 mand a triiil on a siinill scale. H. C. 



UUTA BAGA. 

 Maiy persons have gone consideiably into the colli 

 vation of ruia baga the present year ; but either fron 

 imperfection of ihe machine used in sowing, or frori 

 want of care in using it, or from badness of seed, or un 

 favorable condilion of the soil, or some unknown cause 

 they have come up badly and the fields are disfigurei 

 by frequent baulks. In such cases we have seen pel 

 sons frequently employed in tiansplanting, with a dib 

 hie, from spots, where the planrs were liiicker than i 

 was ilesirable they should remain. This mode of trans 

 planting Is unnecessarily laborious. It is not with llil 

 plant as wilh lap rooted plants; and it is only requisit 

 to make a hole u ith the corner of a hoe and lay ill 

 plant in bringing the eaitb round il. In this way nearl 

 two thirds of the labor will be saved ; and the plant 

 are as sure to live as if put in with a dibble. H. C. 



BONE MANURE. 



Extensive, or ralher numerous, experiments are ms 

 king in all directions with this manure in its applicalio 

 to various crops ; grass, corn, potatoes, and other vege 

 tables. The Commissioner of Agriculture earnestly en 

 treats the farmers concerned in ihem, to do himself an 

 the agricultural community the favor to note such cxpei 

 iments wilh all practical exactness, and at the close ( 

 tlie season communicate the results. H. C. 



INDEPENDENCE. 

 We meant to have said something at the time of th 

 celebration of this great national anniversary. To spea 

 of !l now might appear like taking a leaf for preser 

 direction out of last year's almanack. Some will as 

 likewise what has this to do wilh agriculture. ,\Ve onl 

 reply that if our farmers in the free States will but ft 

 a moment compare their happy and privileged conditio 

 with that of the serfs of Russia, the peasantry of ih 

 middle countries of Europe, and the agricultural classe 

 in Great Britain, oppressed as they are wilh taxes an 

 impositions of various kinds, in few cases the freeho 

 ders of the soil, but mere tenants at will, and alinoi 

 universally regarded with disdain as of a low caste i 

 society, our own New England farmer, in reflecting o 

 thai noble and brave declaration, which made their cour 

 try free and brought wilh it all the blessings of civil fre< 

 doin,wilI find occasion to thank God wilh overflowin 

 hearts for ihe full possession of the richest blessingi 

 which, in ihe history of the world, have ever yet fell t 

 man in his social condilion. H. C 



Massachusetts Horticultural Socles y. 



tXHIBITION OF VEGETABLES. 



Saturday, July 6, 1839. 



Clusters of a new kind of vegetable, called Polat 

 Onion, exhibited by Mr E. Sayers, with a description ( 

 the manner of cultivation, &c. 



Mr John Hovey, of Roxbiiry, exhibited fine spec 

 mens of head lettuce, very large, although quite lat 

 in the season. 



