42 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Jan. 



in the flesh of all animals, and that a warm blood- 

 ed animal without a large proportion of the phos- 

 phate of lime Avrapt up in his skin, would be in- 

 conceivable to us. 



We have been led to these remarks by running 

 over Liebig's '^Letters on Modern Agriculture,'" 

 recently published, and will close them for the 

 present with a single idea more from the Baron's 

 luminous mind, showing the importance of miner- 

 al matters to animals as well as plants. 



Were it possible, he says, for a plant to grow, 

 flower, and bear seed without the co-operation of 

 mineral matters, it would be utterly valueless to 

 man and animals. A dog will die of hunger in the 

 presence of a dish full of raw or boiled white and 

 yolk of eggs, in which is wanting one of the sub- 

 stances most important for the formation of blood. 

 The first trial teaches him that such food is as in- 

 eflicient as a stone for the purposes of nutrition. 



To those who find pleasure in this class of in- 

 vestigation, we earnestly commend the perusal of 

 this book. 



For the New Eyigland Farmer. 

 PRODUCT OF AN ACRE. 



Your article in the paper of ])ecember 3d, 

 headed "Three acres of land to support a small 

 family," reminded me of some statements which I 

 had laid aside for your paper, and which will show 

 that a little land, well cultivated, may be made to 

 go some ways in the support of a small family. 

 The experiment was made by Hiram Damon, of 

 this place, inider rather unfavorable chcumstan- 

 ces, as will be seen. 



He cultivated, this last summer, about one acre 

 of land, but in three several lots, some of it two 

 miles from his house. From this one acre he 

 raised the following vegetables, (the prices annex- 

 ed are such as he obtained in the village here :) 



Potatoes, 35 bushels $10,00 



Corn, 5 busliels 5,00 



Peas, 5 bushels 10,00 



Carrots, 10 bushels 5,00 



Beets, 4 bushels 4,00 



Turnips, 20 bushels 10,00 



Onions, 1 bushel 1,00 



Squashes, 50 iu number 12,00 



Pumpkins, 20 in number 2,00 



Melons 5,00 



Wheat, ~ bushels, (very nice,) 14,00 



$84,00 



The above quantity he sold, besides using from 

 this acre all the vegetables Avhich he needed for a 

 family of six persons. 



Aside from the mere market value of his pro- 

 ducts, he has taken great pains to select and pre- 

 serve his seeds, so that were there sufficient de- 

 mand for tht'se, he could realize, at medium prices, 

 fifty dollars more. 



He has twenty varieties of potatoes, raised by 

 himself, this year, being the fourth from the ball. 

 Some of these were planted the first of June, are 

 remarkable for size, very mealy and finely flavored. 



He has also a variety of squashes, raised hither- 

 to only by himself, and which, in grain and flavor, 

 surpass the famous Hubbard. 



He has eighteen varieties of peas, and as many 



of turnips ; his object in having such a variety, is 

 to select the choicest seeds. 



We had a severe and prolonged ch'ought this 

 summer, which injured our crops, and made our 

 gardens less profitable than usual. 



But I thouglit a little statement of his garden- 

 ing, with many difficulties to contend against, 

 might be of some of some value. A. E. p. 



bpringjield, Vt. 



Remarks. — Our friend, "A clergy-man in ill 

 health," with whom we strongly sympathize, will 

 find encouragement in the details given above. In 

 our recent remarks upon the note of the clergy- 

 man, there was a material point to which we did 

 not allude — that of health. If he should enter up- 

 on his tlii'ee acres, and labor judiciously, he would 

 probably find himself a vigorous man again in 

 three years, able to resume his profession, and 

 wield the sword of the Spirit with renewed power 

 and effect. 



Let us see:— Mr. Damon sold $84,00 Avorth 

 from one acre — that acre divided into three parts, 

 and a portion of it two miles from his house ! 

 Then, at medium prices, he had 



$50,00 worth of seeds $50,00 



For other products 84,00 



Clergyman's 3 acres $402,00 



The prospect really brightens ; the clergyman's 

 land is rich, and lies all together, so that taking the 

 $402, with all the garden stuff added that the 

 family would requu-e, together with an occasional 

 marriage fee, and the preaching of a sermon prompt- 

 ed by the texts in the garden, we think, after all, 

 he could do very well. And how delightful the oc- 

 cupation, with an interesting wife interested in 

 the employment, and cheering it with her pres- 

 ence, her suggestions, and perhaps her fingers 

 among the flowers ! We have always supposed 

 there were other Edens than that on the ancient 

 river, and shall anxiously await a call to sec this 

 new one, under the supervision of "A clergyman 

 in ill health." 



Grape-growing in Northern Oino. — Much 

 has been said of the vineyards in the vicinity of 

 Cincinnati. By a letter published in the Cleve- 

 land Farmer, we learn that there are one hundred 

 and eighty acres planted with grapes on a small 

 island in Lake Erie, knoAvn as Cunningham's or 

 Kelley's Island, some twelve miles north of San- 

 dusky. The business has been growing up, grad- 

 ually, since 185L Eight vineyards were also com- 

 menced, this spring, on Fut-in-Bay Island, and 

 several on the Peninsula. 



Bronze Turkeys. — The gentleman who gave 

 an account recently of these turkeys, in the Farm- 

 er, resides in West Thompson, Conn. 



