222 



NEW ENGLAND FAEMER. 



May 



exjDenses of $2.5 per year, for two, three or four 

 years, as the judgment of the owner may deter- 

 mine. 



I have traced these figures out with direct ref- 

 erence to the profit, being convinced that raising 

 cattle in this way, commencing with a poorer and 

 changing to a better quality of fodder, is attended 

 with better results than the reverse, and would 

 much prefer to give to young cattle the same val- 

 ue in roots than grain. 



In looking over the figures, many probably will 

 be surprised at the cost of raising cattle even in 

 this cheap way, and will not fail to detect that, up 

 to their fourth year, steers will not generally sell 

 for what they cost, especially at the price of beef; 

 for, by rapid transportation, the West is brought 

 into competition with us, in this respect. But we 

 can profitably raise what cattle we need, and every 

 year they are kept after they become cows or ox- 

 en, they will reduce the cost of raising to that 

 point, if rightly managed. "Aye, there's the rub," 

 for many a man will suffer his oxen to eat his hay 

 through the winter without returning an equiva- 

 lent in labor, much less reducing the cost of rais- 

 ing them. Such men can find nothing to do, when 

 the fact is, they are too lazy to work. These are 

 they, who really "scab the craft." Good stock, of 

 all kinds needed on the farm, will pay for raising, 

 and is not accountable for individual management. 

 How many farmers pursue their business in the 

 same manner that Mr. Pinkham reasons upon ; 

 oftentimes leaving some other business, with the 

 mistaken idea, that money can be rapidly made by 

 farming without hard labor. They commence with 

 considerable zeal, but being of an intellectual turn 

 of mind, and becoming tired with what seems to 

 them the hard and monotonous labor of the farm, 

 they find the figures against them in their initial 

 operations. In other words, their acre of corn 

 has brought them $10, and their calf $5 in debt, 

 consequently it will not pay to raise the calf nor 

 continue the cultivation of the acre of land ; they, 

 therefore, decide to quit the business, and gener- 

 ally become men of change. H. Kimball. 



Kennebunk, Me., Jan. 28, 1860. 



Erratum. — In a former communication, after 

 the year in barley, either read "cost of crop," or 

 refer crop to what follows. H. K. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 MODES OP GETTING CROPS. 



I have often thought it singular that some of 

 the multitude of your experienced farmer corres- 

 pondents have not told us how they perform the 

 various operations of the farm. Few are alike in 

 all respects in this particular, and if intelligent, 

 practical men would give us their modes of oper- 

 ation, your numerous readers would have before 

 them much matter for reflection, and find many 

 things, no doubt, for adoption. 



It is not to be suppose that the best method of 

 doing things in one locality, is to be the rule for 

 all, or that those in possession of vegetable soils, 

 are to adopt the treatment of those farming a san- 

 dy one ; but in the course of their form arrange- 

 ments, each and all may develop processes that 

 will be of value to their fellow-farmers. 



It strikes me that if you Avere to give promi- 



nence to this suggestion, and call out the farm 

 management of your intelligent correspondents 

 and readers, we should have a mass of valuable 

 matter for our consideration. 



With your permission, therefore, I will, in some 

 future communications, detail my management 

 and experience, although quite limited, I suppose, 

 compared with many others whom I hope to see 

 giving us theirs. J. CoE. 



Bochester, Mass., Jan. 11, 1860. 



Remarks. — Very well — go ahead. We had 

 supposed that every page of the Faiiw.r gave 

 more or less of the details of securing almost eve- 

 ry crop raised in New England. 



For tlte New England Farmer. 

 POTATOES ON GRASS I.ATfD. 



My land is in Brewer, Me., is clayey loam, free 

 from stones, and now free from stumps, though it 

 has been but twelve years since it was covered 

 with a heavy growth of pine and hemlock timber. 

 The day before I want to plant my potatoes, I 

 spread a fair coat of manure on a piece of grass 

 land that was mowed the year before, and after I 

 have spread over as large a piece as will make 

 one day's planting, (so as to keep the manure from 

 drying up.) I commence at one edge of the piece 

 with a light sward plow and a strong pair of oxen, 

 and run a rather shallow furrow as straight as pos- 

 sible, lapping this furrov/ of course on to the green 

 sward so that the two grass surfaces will lay to- 

 gether. The seed is dropt about eiglit inches 

 apart, on the gi-ass land, right at the edge of the 

 furrow that Avas turned up ; then plow another 

 back furrow, lapping it on the grass as before, so 

 the two edges will meet together and cover the 

 seed, and also the width of two furrows that has 

 not been disturbed with the plow, that is, the two 

 furrows are "cut and cover," as farmers call it, as 

 is always the case when you commence in the mid- 

 dle of a "land" and turn Avith a gee, and so on for 

 the Avhole piece ; but this fuiTOAv is a little more 

 difficult, for the ploAV must nm baek in, or at the 

 edge of this last track, but the ploAv can run a lit- 

 tle deeper this third time, so as to give it hold 

 enough of the earth to turn up this third furroA? 

 and lap it on the gi-ass, ready to drop another roAV 

 of potatoes. 



The tAvo narroAv grass surfaces are thus laid to- 

 gether, Avith the manure betAveen them, and the po- 

 tatoes are planted in the midst, where they have 

 a warm, moist nest, and Avill soon sprout up 

 through the joint of the tAvo furroAvs, and the 

 roots Avill run out among the gi-ass and manure, 

 under each sod, and get all the benefit of the de- 

 composing grass-SAvard and cbessing. 



The seed is not so liable to be droAvned by 

 heavy spring rains, for the water will settle in 

 the ditches made by the ploAv, and the plants Avili 

 stand the drough better, because these two grass 

 surfaces will retain a SAveat and moisture that the 

 melloAv earth Avill not. It is very little Avork to 

 hoe them, for they do not need much larger hill or 

 bed than they already have. 



I have planted so for three years, and last sea- 

 son planted six acres of Jackson Whites in this 

 manner, and think I can raise about double the 



