1860. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



87 



For the New England Farmer, 



NOTES FROM SANDY KIVER. 



And here comes the New England Farmer — 

 the very one that I have desired so long to make 

 an acquaintance with ; the friend, counsellor, 

 and encourager of the sons of toil. The very one 

 that I have seen so many gems of useful thought 

 attributed to, hy its co-laborers, in aid of agricul- 

 ture. Yes, it has just come, and with it its IJecem- 

 ber companion. O, that I could have the eleven 

 volumes of your compend — the monthly ! Come, 

 some gontlc zephyr, and waft them to my rural 

 home, so that, while the Sandy, in its icy fetters, 

 goes murmuring by, in hushed tones, I may 



"From labor's cares awhile forbear," 



and feast upon the full supply of milk and honey 

 therein contained. 



Some of your contributors, I am soiTy to see, 

 still hold a threatening wand against the robin- 

 red-breast. A noble, sprightly, diligent bird is 

 he. I would rather never taste a cherry, dam- 

 son, or plum, however delicious they may be, 

 than that he should forsake my home, so that I 

 could not see him Iniild his nest in some favorite 

 tree, some cosy corner, upon some beam or board, 

 and from thence, through his season, go forth, 

 "from early morn till dewy eve," so faithfully 

 performing his allotted rounds. Speak for the 

 robins ; plead for the birds, so that their chorus 

 songs may continue to be heard upon all the land 

 in sweet, free, melodious strains. 



Frosts. — The past season here has not been an 

 exception to what your correspondents report it 

 to have been in many other places, as far as re- 

 gards frosts. May was an uncommonly favorable 

 month for the farmers. Fodder was unusually 

 scarce, but the early grass started up remarkably 

 well set, and relieved not only the poor, but many 

 of the well-to-live farmers, as well as being a time- 

 ly supply to many starving beasts. 



But the "frost story" commences with June, 

 w^hich gave killing ones on the 6th, lOth and 12th. 

 July oth, white frost. August 30th, one which 

 killed corn in some places. September 7th, 8th, 

 9th and 16th, still severer. 



Snow. — We are having snow storms in bounti- 

 ful profusion. Already (in December) there have 

 accumulated three feet of snow, notwithstanding 

 the rains, upon tho high lands. The first snow 

 for the season, on Mounts Saddleback and Abram, 

 was seen on the morning of September 14th ; and 

 followed by a severe snow squall down the river 

 on the same day between 11, A. M., and 2, P. M. 



I interrogated every old resident that came with- 

 in my circle, to know when, if ever before, they 

 had seen the like, and their united response was, 



"Only this, and nothing more, 

 Never before !" 



So then this is worthy of record as being unusu- 

 ally early, at least, and to be put with the minor 

 incidents that go to make up an uncommon chain 

 of events for 1859, long to be remembered as such 

 by many. 



The drought is broken, then, after the sun's 

 scorching rays are withdrawn ; and that Avhich 

 seemed to be so desirable to have in "vernal show- 

 ers," is now descending in fleecy snows of velvety 

 softness, covering the fields before they are frozen 

 to any amount. 



Yet the New England pleasures, amid these 

 frequent snows, are nearly as numerous as ever, 

 although the boys and girls have Ijcen deprived of 

 some of their accustomed skating parties, because 

 the lakes and rivers refused to hide their faces be- 

 neath their icy veils, to give them a play-ground 

 to enjoy their health-giving and innocent sports 

 upon. 



Come, then. New England Farmer, with thy 

 Avell-filled budget of gems— 



"Diflfused, yet terse, poetical though plain," 



to the beautiful Sandy River Valley, and receive a 

 thrice welcome. O. W. True. 



Elm Tree Farm, Avon, Me. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 PLANT SUGAR ORCHARDS. 



Mr. Editor : — I have been thinking for a num- 

 ber of years, and with a good deal of interest, on 

 the importance of the sugar maple to the inhabi- 

 tants of Vermont, and to the northern States in 

 general. Sugar will always be deemed a necessi- 

 ty, and if we have the means of producing a good 

 article with little labor, it would be the height of 

 folly to let the chance slip, through indolence or 

 miscalculation. Twenty and thirty years ago, I re- 

 gretted, very much, to see the maple trees of the 

 primitive forests disappearing before the axe for 

 fuel and other purposes, but I have since learned 

 that they may more than be replaced, and that the 

 day of maple sugar has but just begun, if the far- 

 mers will only have it so. 



Sugar orchards of second growth trees are far 

 better, and more profitable, than old ones. From 

 one to three accrs of land is all the farmer now 

 needs to sup])ly his family with this necessary and 

 agreeable article. Some rocky or stony side-hill, 

 (not too steep,) having an aspect to the east or 

 south, well planted with sugar maples, will, in ten 

 years, be worth more for the above indicated pur- 

 poses, than any other three acres on his farm ; 

 besides, it may at the same time produce a fair 

 crop of feed. 



The outfit for fitting up good sugar works of 

 lasting materials, cannot be very expensive, and 

 when once done, and well taken care of, will be 

 an excellent investment. If our fathers could find 

 it profitable to manufacture sugar, when they were 

 compelled to dig out troughs from pine logs, and 

 boil in five-pail kettles against logs in the Avoods, 

 we, certainly, with our present appliances and im- 

 provements, have no excuse for neglecting the 

 means so obviously within our reach. A good 

 share of neatness, and a little skill, will enable 

 us to produce as good an article as can be ob- 

 tained from the cane or the bee. These consider- 

 ations, and many more that might be adduced, 

 should stimulate us to make the most of our own 

 resources, and I much regret that I have not the 

 power to arouse the attention of the land owners 

 of this northern section of country to the great 

 importance of this subject. But I will do what I 

 can, and hope that some abler pen will take up 

 the subject, and pursue it in a manner commen- 

 surate with its importance. A. PlXLEY. 



Enosburgh Falls, Vt., Dec. 13, 1859. 



Remarks. — Capital suggestions. We have no 

 doubt they will 1)0 acted upon. 



