148 



NEAV ENGLAND FARMER. 



March 



crushed. Unless something is done for the pro- 

 tection of these natural oyster bods, it is believed 

 that they will all be destroyed, and even those en- 

 gaged in the busincFS, it is said, acknowledge the 

 destructiveness of the present mode of operation, 

 and desire that the period of taking the oysters 

 for planting shall be confined to the spring of the 

 year. Forty days from the first of April, it is be- 

 lieved, would be sufficient for all planting pur- 

 poses, and an cff"ort will he made at Trenton to 

 get the liCgislaturc to limit the planting to that 

 period. Ciams have been nearly destroyed by the 

 continued raking of the bars, and the seed is now 

 only kept up by those hid in the bottoms of the 

 deep channels, — Philadelplua Ledger. 



For the New England Farmer 



IS FARMING PKOFITABLE ? 



Mr. Editor : — Suppose a man who knows how 

 to carry on a farm, and has a family to support, 

 buys a farm of 100 acres of first quality land, which 

 may be obtained here for $50 per acre ; he also 

 buys 30 cows, at $40 per head, and 1 pair horses 

 for $200. He is now in debt $6400, farming 

 tools included. 60 acres of the land will keep his 

 cows well in pasture, with 4 acres more of green 

 corn to feed thera in July and August. 30 acres 

 to grass, at 2 tons per acre, will keep them well 

 in winter, with what roots he can raise from 3 

 acres of land. Then he has one acre more for corn 

 to fat his hogs on, one for potatoes and one for 

 buildings and garden. 



FARM. Dr. 



To interest on $6400, .at6 percent $3S4,00 



To hired man and woman 1 year 22j,00 



To support of family besides that raised on farm 250 00 



To wear and tear of farming tools 11,00 



To decrease in value of cows 30,00 



$000,00 

 Cn. 

 By 300 lbs. cheese for each cow, 9000 lbs., at 10c W lb. . .$900,00 



By 100 lbs. butter for each cow, 3000 lbs., at 20c If lb 600,00 



By 30 calves, at 3 days old, at $1 g'head 30,00 



By 700 lbs. pork, at $10 ^ hundred 70,00 



$1,600,00 



Now if he will stay at home and attend strictly 

 to his business, without which he cannot prosper, 

 according to these figures he v;ill pay for his farm 

 and stock, with an immense pile of interest money, 

 in less than ten years. Jake. 



Essex, Vt., January 30, 1860. 



Curious Boundary. — In the registry of deeds, 

 at Cambridge, book 88, page 121, Nov. 29, 1784, 

 there is recorded a deed of a parcel of land in 

 Lexington from Solomon Pierce to Joseph Under- 

 wood, dated Nov. 26, 1784, in which we find the 

 following as part of the description: "then south- 

 erly on Wm. Smith to a pine in the swamp marked 

 W, then southerly on said William Smith to 

 stump and stones lohere Daniel Harrington licked 

 William Brnith." This seems to refer to an old 

 tradition which we have often h'.ard, that in the 

 earlier days of the country it was the custom for 

 farmers to "lick" their boys and their neighbors' 

 boys on the bounds of their farms to make them 

 remember where those bounds were. — Lowell Cit- 

 izen and News. 



For tlie New Eiisland Farmer. 



TIME AND MANNER OF PLOWING — 

 CUTTING AND CURING HAY. 



!Mr. Editor : — -I have already pointed out sev- 

 eral questions of great importance to farmers, as 

 yet undecided. I have chosen to consider them 

 in this light, because, in some respects they really 

 are so ; and because I wish to do what has fre- 

 quently been done before — to put my finger on 

 the very spot "where the shoe pinches," which 

 causes so many farmers to halt and limp in their 

 awIvM-ard, ambling gait. There are several ques- 

 tions left of the same kind ; among which are the 

 follovvdng : 



1. Is shallow or deep plowing the best? and 

 should it be done in the Spring or Autumn ? 



After all that has been said and done upon these 

 questions, both the time and the manner of plow- 

 ing are still disputed questions. There is no set- 

 tled theory, no common understanding — no well 

 established principle of action, among farmers, 

 for plowing diff'erent kinds of soil, in diff"erent 

 situations, and at different seasons of the year. 



A great many farmers, instead of ])lowing deep, 

 and haiTOwing and manuring well, still con- 

 tinue to skim lightly over the ground, plowing 

 only a few inches deep, and spreading their ma- 

 nure over a great extent of surface, which gener- 

 ally results in light crops, or, in case of drought, 

 in no crop at all. 



On the other hand, it is contended, that deep 

 plowing is essential to an abundant growth of veg- 

 etables and grass, because it enables the roots to 

 run down deeper into the soil and obtain there- 

 from more moisture and nutriment, so that the 

 severest drought will not be able materially to af- 

 fect the crops ; whereas, in shallow plowing, as 

 the roots can never go down deeper into the soil 

 than the plow has been, the crops in all arid sit- 

 uations will be almost necessarily destroyed by 

 the drought. Those who plow deep, pulverize 

 and manure well, generally have good crops, let 

 the season be what it may, either wet or dry, hot 

 or cold. But those who, year after year, skim 

 over the surface, plowing just deep enough to 

 enable them to cover their seed, being afraid to 

 bring up any of the subsoil to the light of the sun, 

 spreading their manure over a great extent, to be 

 dried up and wasted by the action of the elements, 

 generally have poor crops, after all their labor 

 and care. 



With regard to Spring and Autumn plowing, 

 there is perhaps an equal diversity of opinion and 

 practice. Most farmers continue to do their plow- 

 ing in the Spring. And as it will not do to plow 

 till the land is in a suitable condition, they are 

 obiged to wait till it is sufficiently dry and warm, 

 before commencing the operation, otherwise it 

 will bake down, and become hard and lumpy ; so 

 that, if the season happens to be a cold and wet 

 one, they will not have time to do their work 

 thoroughly and well, and will stand a very poor 

 chance for a crop ; whereas, had they done their 

 plowing in the Autumn, they would have been 

 ready for putting in their crops, as soon as the 

 ground was sufficiently dry and warm to receive 

 the seed. 



On the other hand, it is contended, that the 

 Autumn is the better time for plowing, because the 

 farmer has more leisure, the land is in better con- 



