60 



NEW ENGLAND FAHMEE. 



Feb. 



EXTRACTS AND KESPLIES. 

 ORNAMENTAL TREES. 



Permit me to ask you and your correspondents 

 a few questions in regard to ornamental shade 

 trees. I propose to set some in a hard, clayey 

 soil, and I wish to know what are the best kinds 

 adapted to the soil, and Avhich is the best season ? 

 Also, the manner of transplanting. 



I would ask is there any difficulty in growing 

 the rock maple in the described soil ? 



Dover, N. H., Dec. 19, 1859. G. F. s. 



Remarks. — The same care that is bestowed up- 

 on a well set apple tree, is all that is necessary for 

 shade trees. Any shade tree will grow in a "hard, 

 clayey soil," if that soil be rich and is not drowned 

 with water. The trees, however, would grow 

 vastly better if the land were drained. The rock 

 maple often grows luxuriantly on such lands. 



WILD GRAPES. 



Can the wild grape be domesticated ? Will it 

 result in an improvement in the size and quality 

 of the fruit ? It grows by the river side, has a 

 sharp, acid taste and is about the size of a large 

 pea. I think of transplanting several of the vines 

 the coming spring, with a view of enlarging and 

 improving the fruit, if possible. I will report the 

 result of the experiment. Any suggestions will 

 be thankfully received. I. W. Sanborn. 



Lyndon, Vt. 



Remarks. — It is doubtful whether the wild 

 grape root or vine can be materially improved. 

 We have tried to do so, and have known others 

 make the attempt, but with little success. The 

 effect Avould be much like that of attempting to 

 improve the common crab apple tree. Cultivation 

 would undoubtedly increase the size of the tree 

 and the fruit, but the natural sharpness of the 

 fruit Avould remain, despite all your fostering care. 



NORTH READING FARMERS' CLUB. 



This Society has proved a very interesting and 

 profitable one ; its members meet every fortnight 

 to discuss subjects pertaining to agriculture, hor- 

 ticulture, &c. Its meetings are attended by all 

 our best and most intelligent farmers, and many 

 valuable thoughts and suggestions are elicited at 

 every meeting. During the last winter, lectures 

 were delivered before the club by practical men, 

 among whom J. M. Ives, Asa G. Sheldon, J. G. 

 Needham and Rev. F. N. Jones. A course of 

 lertures has been commenced this winter, to con- 

 tinue thi'ough the season. G. F. F. 



PROFITS OF COWS. 



Your correspondent, Mr. Pinkham, appears de- 

 termined to look upon the worst side of the pic- 

 ture. I hardly think his is the true one — at least, 

 it is very strange that thousands of farmers should 

 have been growing poorer for the last fifty years, 

 a-nd not have discernment enough to see it. I 

 think Mr. Pinkham must be rather a poor farmer, 

 not to be able to get but a trifle over 1800 quarts 

 of milk from his fifty dollar cow. A good cov/ will 

 give seven quarts (wine measure) per day the 



year through, making 700 quarts more than that 

 cow. Now millv is worth two cents and a half, 

 year in and year out, either for sale or to make 

 butter, making sixty-thi-ee dollars. The cost of 

 keeping a cow one year varies in different places. 

 In Chelmsford, I presume it would be about $40, 

 leaving clear $23, which is, all things considered, 

 (such as in that way finding a ready market for 

 his hay, roots, &c.,) very fau*. 

 L])nn, 18-59. Young Dairyman. 



THE HYDRAULIC RAM. 

 I have a ram that has been running for the last 

 eleven years, supplying Avater for house and sta- 

 ble, with only two feet eight inches fall, and twen- 

 ty feet rise, with scarcely any trouble, and for 

 aught I can see, with but very little wear of the 

 machine. 



LEGHORN FOWLS. 



I wish to inquire if any of your readers have 

 tried the Leghorn fowls ; if so, what is their opin- 

 ion of them P I have kept them the past year, and 

 they have given better satisfaction as layers than 

 any others wo have ever kept, although we thought 

 the Black Spanish very good. Ours are mostly of 

 the white variety, and for beauty or utility are 

 unsui'passed by any fowls within my knowledge. 



THE NATIA'E GRAPE. 



I have tlu-ee kinds of native grape which I have 

 cultivated for the last fifteen years or more, and 

 which have been called superior by all who have 

 eaten of them. The red grape, purple grape, and 

 what we call the white grape. They are all hardy, 

 and ripen in season to be out of the way of Jack 

 Frost. L. R. Hewins. 



Foxboro', Dec. 16, 1859. 



For the Neiv England Fanner. 

 CAPACITY OF DKAIW PIPE. 



Prepared bt Messe3. Shedd & Edson, Aoricultdral 

 Engineers. 



The tables here given were prepared for private 

 use, in the practice of agricultui'al drainage, and 

 have been of great benefit. 



Tables of discharge, without the length of pipe 

 that may be used, were contributed to French's 

 Farm Drainage, but beyond that, it is believed 

 no tables suited to the purpose for which these 

 were designed, and based upon actual, careful ex- 

 periment, have ever been published. It is hoped 

 these will contribute somewhat towards establish- 

 ing a more exact method of determining the size 

 of pipe required, than has heretofore been used. 



Mr. Smeaton's experiments form the basis of 

 the tables of discharge, and the results have been 

 verified by comparison with other tables, and by 

 the rules of Weisback and D'Aubuisson. 



There are many reasons for a difference in the 

 quantity of water discharged from drains of the 

 same area, and at the same inclination, when pij^es 

 are taken from different kilns and laid by differ- 

 ent persons ; but it is believed that the quantity 

 of discharge, due to the size and fall, is here given 

 with accuracy for a well laid drain formed of good 

 pipe ; it is, certainly, with sufficient accuracy for 

 our purpose. 



