1860. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMEE. 



207 



better than the farm for children of any age — no 

 matter what path of life they may afterward choose 

 to walk in. The farm is God's nursery, and if the 

 beings whom he places there "to dress it, and to 

 keep it," do their whole duty, it will truly be a 

 paradise upon earth; their children "will be like 

 trees planted by the rivers of waters," and "will 

 arise up and call them blessed." 



For a few years past, the writer has had occa- 

 sion to associate considerably with those who have 

 never lived in the country, whose childhood and 

 youth were spent amid the noise, bustle, and dust 

 of a crowded city, and whose childish sports and 

 gambols were restricted by walls of brick or stone. 

 Upon such I have always looked with pity, as 

 having lost some of the sweetest pleasures and re- 

 membrances of life. From personal observation 

 alone, I am confident that the morals of children 

 living in the city, are, in general, far below the 

 moral elevation of those whose homes are sur- 

 rounded by all that is noble and lovely in nature, 

 instead of the miserable fabrications and imita- 

 tions of man. 



4. While fulfilling the duties already mentioned, 

 the farmer should strive to obey the golden rule, 

 "Love ovir neighbors as ourselves," and "Do unto 

 others as we would have them do to us." This 

 rule is equally binding upon every human being. 

 The beneficial effects which would follow a strict 

 obedience of this rule have never been felt by man 

 except on a very limited scale. But, without 

 doubt, they would revolutionize the world, and 

 cause the wilderness of men's hearts to "bud and 

 blossom as the rose." 



If what I have written convinces any one, and 

 the farmer especially, that there is something 

 worth living for, of more importance than making 

 money, my object in writing this article wiU be 

 obtained. S. L. White. 



Groton, Feb. 20, 1860. 



For the New Ensland Farmer. 



AW OLD OBCHABD. 



Me. Editoe: — I have recently purchased a 

 farm in North Groton, N. H., and the mowing, 

 tillage, pasture and wood lands are in a good state, 

 but there is a large orchard upon it, which looks 

 as though thunder storms were quite frequent 

 hereabouts, and that lightning was wont to exer- 

 cise its scathing influences among the branches 

 thereof, and that "sapsuckers" had iron bills, and 

 gathered sap the year round. After a very learned, 

 Q'itical and scientific consideration of the subject, 

 and quite a prolific discussion of the points at is- 

 sue, I unanimously came to the conclusion, that 

 I would at once lay the axe at the roots, the 

 pruning knife and saw at the branches, and a good 

 sharp scraper to the trunk of every tree in the 

 orchard, albeit it is in the month of February. In 

 perusing the report of the sayings at the Legisla- 

 tive Agricultural Meeting, in the Farmer, last 

 week, it appears by the remarks of some of the 

 speakers, especially the Hon. Simon Brown, that 

 about the middle of June is the only proper time 

 to prune fruit trees. Now the probability is, that 

 my trees were never troubled with the pruning 

 knife before, at any season of the year, and the 

 serious question I wish to propose, is, will they 

 live to need the second operation of the same sort ? 



I have always been a devoted worshipper of Po- 

 mona, and I do not wish now to destroy these ob- 

 jects of my adoration. B. 

 North Groton, N. II. 



Remaeks. — Mr. Brown rcplieth, that if thou 

 layest the axe at the root of the trees, thou mayest 

 about as reasonably expect a crop of fruit from 

 them, as thou canst if thou layest the knife and 

 the saw upon their branches in the latter part of 

 February and through the month of March. Thou 

 must study the nature and groAvth of the tree — 

 the movements of the sap, its seasons of activity 

 and of rest, — learn how it returns to form wood 

 after benig elaborated by the leaves, and then 

 thou wilt probably come to just conclusions as to 

 the particular season when it is best to prune 

 thine orchard. If thou canst not complete the 

 work in June, finish in October and November, 

 when the leaves have fallen, and the tree is, com- 

 paratively, at rest. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 70 YEARS' EXPERIENCE IN FARMING. 



Mr. Editoe : — Farming from youth to seven- 

 ty years of age has not convinced me that it is a 

 losing business. I shall not undertake to solve 

 Mr. Pinkham's questions, since the old rule of 

 practice is superseded by a rule which takes less 

 figures, and herds-grass hay has taken the place of 

 pod and bog-grass. 



Such cows as I have kept for the last twenty 

 years, nearly all of which I have raised myself, 

 have consumed by the steelyards an average of 

 20 pounds good hay per day, when in milk, and 

 15 lbs. per day when dry. Twenty years ago, and 

 many times since, I weighed for my cows, com- 

 mencing two mouths before calving, and continu- 

 ing four months after, as nearly as my cows came 

 in together; of course, varying some one week 

 to four weeks. Now I think I shall be allowing a 

 full price for hay to call it 80 cents per cwt. in the 

 barn. 



20 lbs. per day for 6 months, or 183 days, is 3,660 lbs., 



at 80 cents $29,28 



Summer, 26 weeks, at 50 cents per week, is 13,00 



$42,28 



If you please, add to this 5 pounds grain, at 1^ cts. 

 per pound, and deduct 5 pounds from the hay, the 

 keeping for the year stands $48,69. Now, if I 

 can get $48,69 from my cows per year I shall lose 

 nothing but taxes and interest, and I think I can 

 get even that, so that I can stand it one year 

 more. I will say nothing about calves. They are 

 sold for about 50 cents to $1, at three days old. 



Milk, for 6 months after calving, 8 qts. per day, at a yearly _ ^ 



average of 3 J cts. per quart, is $45,75 



6 months before calving, 4 qts. per day, is 22,74 



$68,40 

 Keeping 48,69 



Profit $19,80 



If I have a cow that will not do as well as the 

 above, I put her to one peck corn meal per day, 

 and milk her till the butcher wants her. 



