120 



NEW ENGLAND FAEMER. 



March 



process by which excellence and superiority have 

 been a* tained. The committee on Underdraining 

 occupy two pages with an introduction of the 

 twenty-one pages which give in detail the experi- 

 ments of six individuals, to three of whom the So- 

 ciety's premiums of $15, $10 and $5 were award- 

 ed for the best conducted experiments in under- 

 draining land. The Address, Essays and other 

 matter of the volume appear to be able and inter- 

 esting. This report will not only instruct the 

 reader, but it must prove a powerful incentive to 

 committees and experimenters, who shall venture 

 to figure in the future Transactions of Essex 

 County. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 POTATO BLIGHT AND BOT. 



Mr. Brown: — If Mr. Barbor, of Warwick, 

 could spend one half-hour in viewing Avith a mi- 

 croscope the insects, in myriads, upon seed pota- 

 toes, he would not speak of insect depredation on 

 the potato plant as a "theory," but would admit 

 the fact of exhausted vitality and poison, by their 

 attack and ravages at the roots. The insects are 

 there, and the eggs are hibernated through the 

 winter in our cellars. They have been examined 

 the past summer, by a microscopic and entomo- 

 logical demonstrator of the Scimitific School at 

 Cambridge, as found in their larva age, upon un- 

 decayed potatoes, suitable to cook or plant. He 

 declares "he never saw such an insect before ; he 

 should think there was a million on each potato, 

 enough to cover the wholi outside all over." If 

 Mr. Barbor understood their history and habits, 

 he would know that they are coleoptera, in form, 

 consequently suctorial and aquatic in their habits. 

 The latter being the fact, shows him the reason 

 why his potatoes in the high ground were less af- 

 fected than on the low. The insects from aquatic 

 habits increased more rapidly, and their ravages 

 were more virulent, and the poison more easily 

 spread into vine and tuber in his low moist ground 

 than on that "ten feet higher." The "Prussian ex- 

 periments at Potsdam, in 18.52, 3 and 4," fully cor- 

 roborate his own statements, between high and 

 low grounds. Wet seasons and low moist grounds 

 act upon "the poison," which Dr. Harris says 

 "these insects communicate to plants." On high 

 ground the attack is less virulent and the poison 

 docs not spread so rapidly and destructively as on 

 moist ground, or in very wet seasons. This shows 

 Mr. Barbor why the "location and soil" may and 

 really does vary the action upon the predisposing 

 cause as acted upon by the remote cause of 

 changes of heat and cold, rain and sunshine, sud- 

 denly acting upon plants where the vitality is cut 

 off. ' The Farmer Boy. 



January 2, 1860. 



Guano. — Gen. Cadwalader, of Maryland, whose 

 pm-chases of guano have amounted to $4000 a 

 year, recommends a single application to worn 

 out lands, naturally of good quality ; and here its 

 use should stop ; it has served its purpose, and 

 no second dressing of guano should ever be ap- 

 pl''xl\ 



For the New Ensland Farmer. 

 BUTTER AND MILK. 



Statejient op the Value of Milk and the S.uie Made into 



BOTTBB. 



Gov. Brown, — Mi/ Bear Sir: — You will find 

 herewith an account of my dairy for five months 

 of the year 1859. It was my object to ascertain 

 the relative profitableness of selling milk and 

 making butter. The milk was weighed once a 

 week, and the quantity obtained was considered 

 the average of the week. The account shows a 

 diff'erence of $.71)03 in favor of butter. 



Very respectfully, Geo. S. Boutwell. 



Oroton, Jan. 12th, 1860. 



Butter Account. 

 MAt, 1859. Dr. 



To 4983 lbs. milk=249.', cans, at 18c $-14,91 



To makin,i;211 lbs. butter, at 5!c 11,60 



To marketing .'. 3,51— $60,02 



Cu. 



By 76 lbs. butter solil, at 2Sc 21,28 



By 135 lbs. butter sol:l, at 25c 33,75 



By skim-milk from 249 .\ cans, at Sc 19,96— 74,99 



Balance in favor of biittcr $14,97 



.TuxE. Pr. 



To 6670 lbs. milk=333.\ cans, at 18c ^r,:i ,03 



To makinf;265ilbp. butter, at o'.c 13.27 



To marketing, r .' 3,50— 76,86 



("R. 



By 2651 lbs. butter, at 23c 6S.37 



By skim milk from 333.^ cans, at 8c 23,68- 93,05 



Balance in favor of butter $16,19 



.July. Dr. 



To 7855 lbs. milk-— 392'{ cans, at 18o $70,70 



To making 304', lbs. butter, at 5Jo 10.73 



To marketing '. 3,84— 91,27 



Cr. 



By 304', lbs. butter, at 2.5c 70,06 



By skim-milk from 332^ cans, at 8c 31,42 — 107,48 



Balance in favor of butter $16,21 



Auo. Pr. 



To 7375 lbs. milk=3685 cans, at 18c $66,38 



To making 269 J lbs. butter, at bKc 14,84 



To marketing ." 4,05— 85,27 



Cr. 



By 2693 l*'s. butter, at 25c $67,44 



By skim-milk from 3683 cans, at 8c 29,50— 96,94 



Balance in favor of butter. §11,07 



Sept. Dr. 



To 5750 lbs. milk=287.\ cans, at 18c $51,73 



To making 228 lbs. butter, at SJo 12,54 



To marketing .". 3,12— 67,41 



Cr. 



By 228 lbs. butter, at 25c $57,00 



By skim-milk from 287:\ cans, at So 23,00— 80,00 



Balance in favor of butter §12,59 



Total balance in favor of butter $71,63 



It required an average of 1 27-100 cans of milk 

 to produce a j^ound of butter. 



The Oak Tree Disease. — ^At the December 

 session of the Philadelphia Farmers' Club a gen- 

 tleman present expressed the opinion that there 

 was reason to fear the general destruction of the 

 white oaks. "A close examination," he said, "will 

 disclose more or less disease in nearly every tree 

 — in some only at the extremity of the topmost 

 branches, or leading shoots ; while in others a 

 general aiTection is more visible." We have not 

 noticed any indications of disease among the oaks 

 of this section. 



