1860. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



191 



it not be well for State Agricultural Societies to 

 offer liberal premiums, (open to citizens of other 

 States,) for specimens of the best kinds of new 

 fences to be erected upon their fair grounds ? 

 Would not this stimulate our mechanics and far- 

 mers to make as much improvement in this mat- 

 ter, as has been made within a short time, in our 

 agricultural implements, in the breeds of our cat- 

 tle, or the productions of the soil ? 



C. B. Smith. 

 Haverhill, N. K, Feb. 21, 1860. 



Remarks. — Our correspondent has our thanks 

 for calling attention to this very important sub- 

 ject. It is evident that he has given it thought, 

 and we trust he will follow this communication 

 ■with suggestions as to the best size of fields on 

 farms of fifty, and those of one hundred or more 

 acres, and also show the extent of land occupied, 

 per rod, by walls of different widths, supposing 

 they were brought into a square. The whole sub- 

 ject needs more attention than has yet been given 

 it. 



For the New England Farmer, 

 PRODUCTION AND SALE OF MILK. 



Me. Editor : — I have a word to say about the 

 milk business, and the manner in which it is con- 

 ducted at the present time. For the past two 

 years, the trade has been much depressed, owing, 

 (as is believed) to mismanagement. At times, 

 milk is so short, the collectors are obliged to run 

 around the adjoining towns, paying extra prices 

 for it ; and again so plenty, it cannot all be re- 

 ceived, obliging many raisers to keep a part at 

 home, or decrease, by Avithholding feed from the 

 cow. The price paid to farmers has not been a 

 living one, and therefore they were indifferent 

 about keeping a uniform quantity. The lato, as 

 regards adulteration, is a dead letter, and plenty 

 of milk in the cities is manufactured to order, as 

 is reported from authority. Let the consumers 

 know that they are buying a pure and unadulter- 

 ated article, and nearly twice the amount would 

 be used. The business of raising must be sus- 

 tained by responsible people that will carry their 

 quantity through May and July, those being the 

 most difficult months in summer. 



Farmers are willing to meet the retailers half- 

 way. Give them a living price, say they, three 

 cents per quart in summer, and four cents in win- 

 ter, (or from October to April,) and the supply 

 shall be regulated by the demand. It never can be 

 managed in peace under the present system. Let 

 them agree to keep up their quantity from April 

 to October, or no sales. Plenty of men are now 

 ready to make such contracts at a fair price, be- 

 cause they are satisfied that this is their only rem- 

 edy. Is it right, and just, that the neighbor who 

 takes no pains in keeping his quantity even, but 

 makes it to suit his own convenience, (say an ex- 

 tra quantity in June, or in the height of feed,) 

 should crowd those off the track that are disposed 

 to do the right thing ? Such is the case in this 

 town, and in others on the line of this railroad. 



E. AVood, Jr. 



Concord, Mass., March 6, 1860. 



For the New England Farmer. 



PROFIT OP AN OAT AND FLAX CROP. 



As an offset to Mr. Pinkham's unprofitable 

 farming, I will give a little of my experience in 

 that line, with rather a different result from his 

 corn experiment. I raised 11 acres of oats, of 

 which the following is an accurate account, (omit- 

 ting dates :) 



OAT CROP— 11 ACRES. Da. 



To 1 man and team, 7 J days' plowing, at $3 $22,50 



To 33 bushels of seed, at 56 cents 1841 



To 1 man,l day sowing 1,00 



Tol man and team, harrowing 2 \ days, at $3 7,50 



To 600 lbs. plaster, $1,80, and sowing the same, J day 2,55 



To 1 man, cradling 3 days, at $1,50 4,50 



To 3 men, raking and binding 1 J day, at $1,50 5,62 



To 2 men and team drawing in the barn, 1 day 5,00 



To threshing and cleaning 517 bush, of oats, at 6c #■ bush. ,31.02 



To marketing 2,00 



To interest, taxes, rents of buildings, wear and tear of 



tools, &G ". 44,00 



Making the total cost of 11 acres of oats $144,10 • 



OAT CROP— 11 ACRES. Ce. 



By 517 bushels of oats, at 45 cents $232,65 



By straw, worth $2,50 per acre for fodder 27,50 



Total 260,15 



From which deduct 144,10 



Which leaves $116,05 



as clear profit on 11 acres, and $10,55 profit on 

 the acre, which is a trifle over 21 per cent, on the 

 capital invested in the land, allowing it to be 

 worth $50 per acre. I charge nothing to this crop 

 for manure, as there was none put on to that or 

 the preceding one. 



The crop that pays the best with farmers in this 

 section the present year is flax, which is a better 

 crop than for several years past, and my own was 

 the best crop I ever raised, but some of ray neigh- 

 bors have beat me considerable this year. 



I stated in a former article that my profits on 

 flax would be about $23 per acre, in which I was 

 mistaken, as I had not footed up my account, only 

 merely run it over at that time, and a mistake in 

 the figures when rectified, made a great difference 

 with the result, greatly to the disadvantage of the 

 theory of those who think farming an up-hUl bus- 

 iness. 



FLAX FIELD— 3 ACRES. Dr. 



To 1 man and team plowing 2 days, $3 $6,00 



To 1 man and team harrowing 1 day 3,00 



To 3 bushels seed, $1,50 per bushel, and sowing the same, 



^ day 5,00 



To 3 bushels ashes, 3 hundred of plaster, and sowing 1,87 



To pulling at $6 per a'-Te 18,00 



To whipping of seed, 2 men with 1 horse power and roll- 

 ers 1 day 4,00 



To spreading, 1 man, 3 days 3,00 



To turning, 1 man, 1 day 1,00 



To taking up and binding, 2 men, 1 day 2,00 



To drawing to mill, 2 men and team ^ day 1,50 



To dressing 1233 lbs. iliix at2\cper lb 30.90 



To cleaning anil marketing 36 bushels of seed, 2 men 1 day..2,-50 

 To interest, taxes, rents, &o 12,00 



Total cost $90,77 



FLAX FIELD— 3 ACRES. Ca. 



By 1236 lbs. flax, at 14c per lb $173,04 



By 33 bushels seed, at $1,37| 49,50 



Total receipts $222 .54 



Deduct 90,77 



B al ance $131 ,77 



Thus it will be seen that I have made a profit 

 of $13,92 on the acre, which is only a trifle shqjt 

 of 100 per cent, on the money invested, besides 

 allowing a living price for my labor. 



Oak Bill, N, Y. INVESTIGATOR. 



