274 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



June 



fective for several years past, and this may be the 

 case -with the Ramsdell. 



Tlie Maiden Blush — Grows in great perfection 

 in this region. No apple has made a finer ap- 

 pearance at the Shows than this. 



Early Harvest. — We have not found this apple 

 to require extraordinaiy care. Downing thought 

 it the finest early apple yet known. 



On account of illness, this and three or four 

 other articles have been detained upon o\ir table. 



For the New England Parmer. 



COST OF RAISING COBN AND POTA- 

 TOES. 



Mr. Editor : — During the season previous to 

 the last, an exact account was kept by me of the 

 cost of raising a crop of corn on two lots of land, 

 one consisting of one, the other of three-fourths 

 of an acre ; and also the co.st of raising one-fourth 

 of an acre of potatoes. My mode of management 

 was this : to reckon the interest of the land at the 

 cost per acre, the labor of oxen 12^ cents per 

 hour, the same per hour for myself, the horse the 

 same -when worked in the cart, or furrowing and 

 cultivating, a boy 6^ cents per hour, the manure 

 at $4 per cord, and the worth of the seed used at 

 the market price. This was the debtor side. I 

 supposed the corn fodder would pay the cost of 

 harvesting the corn. 



On the creditor side of the corn, I added one- 

 fourth the worth of the manure as remaining in 

 the land, the strength not exhausted for a future 

 crop, and one-half of the number of bushels of 

 corn raised on the cob, measured at harvesting, 

 after deducting one-fifth for shrinkage, and the 

 market price for the beans, potatoes and pump- 

 kins raised in and around the corn. The result 

 was, that my corn cost me about one dollar per 

 bushel, and the potatoes thirty-nine cents per 

 bushel. But this I do not consider a fair trial, in- 

 asmuch as both pieces where the corn was raised 

 had borne crops (one of corn, the other of pota- 

 toes) the year previous, and where the potatoes 

 were raised the land was manured heavily on the 

 previous, as well as the same year, which caused 

 them to decay badl}-. 



As to the measurement of corn, some would 

 doubt the propriety of deducting one-fifth for 

 shrinkage, especially when the corn has well ma- 

 tured, and is of an early variety, (King Philip 

 principally,) as in my case. 



The past year I have also kept an account of 

 the cost of raising two lots of corn on green sward 

 P'ound, part of it plowed in the fall previous, and 

 the remainder in the spring ; one lot contains one 

 acre, and the other one acre and twenty-nine 

 rods ; the particulars of which I will send you if 

 desirable, and also the cost per ton of harvestin 

 both English and meadow hay. r. E. n. 



West Bridgewater, 1860. 



A Dangerous Practice. — It is said that the 

 Messrs. Black, of Edinburgh, the famous publish- 

 ers, have introduced the practice of announcing 

 the weight of their books on the covers. It is ex- 

 pected tliat other publishers will imitate them. 



This is carrying frankness to a dangerous extreme. 

 If we knew beforehand how heavy half of the new 

 issues from the press were, should we ever buy 

 them ? — Providence Journal. 



THE BIRD THAT SUNG IN MAT. 



A bird last spring came to my window-shutter, 



One lovely morning at the break of day ; 

 And from his little throat did sweetly utter 

 A most melodious lay. 



He had no language for his joyous passion, 



No solemn measure, no artistic rhyme ; 

 Yet no devoted minstrel e'er did fashion 



Such perfect tune and time. 



It seemed of thousand joys a thousand stories, 



All gushing forth in one tumultuous tide ; 

 A hallelujah for the morning-glories 



That bloomed on every side. 



And with each canticle's voluptuous ending. 



He sipped a dew-drop from the dripping pane ; 

 Then heavenward his little bill extending, 



Broke forth in song again. 



I thought to emulate his wild emotion, 



And learn thanksgiving from his tunefirl tongue ; 

 But human heart ne'er uttered such devotion, 

 Nor human lips such song. 



At length he flew and left me in my sorrow. 



Lest I should hear those tender notes no more ; 

 And though I early waked for him each morrow, 

 He came not nigh my door. 



But once again, one silent summer even, 



I met him Iiopping in the new-mown hay ; 

 But he was mute, and looked not up to heaven — 

 The bird that sung in May. 



Though now I hear from dawn to twilight hour 



The hoarse woodpecker and the noisV jay, 

 In vain I seek through leafless grove and bower 

 The bird that sung in May. 



And such, methinks, are childhood's dawning pleasures. 



They charm a moment and then fly away ; 

 Through life we sigh and seek those missing treasures, 

 The birds that sung in May. 



This little lesson, then, my friend, remember, 



To seize each bright-winged blessing in its day ; 

 And never hope to catch in cold December, 



The bird that sung in May ! 



Wire and Hoops. — At the wire works of H. 

 S. Washburn, in Worcester, Mass., some iron wire 

 is made which is as fine as hair. Of number 62 

 wire, which is the finest, 13 miles will only weigh 

 about 7 ounces. About 20,000 yards of steel crin- 

 oline is now manufactured daily. It is sold when 

 covered, at wholesale, at about 50 cents a pound, 

 and about three-quarters of a pound is required 

 for each hooped skirt. It is calculated that about 

 5,000,000 lbs. of crinoline have been used up in 

 hoops, the present year, by various makers. So 

 says an exchange. 



New Grapes. — The Patent Office has received 

 several of the choicest varieties of grape slips 

 from Hungary, which it is proposed to have pro- 

 pagated under the direction of that office, in or- 

 der to determine their adaptability to the soil of 

 the diff'erent States. The fruit of these vines is 

 said to be superior to anything of the kind grown 

 in this country, either for wine making, or for ta- 

 ble use. 



