302 



XEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



July 



ing and subdividing of fields with wall fences, or 

 the building of one -wall by the side of another 

 "to get rid of the rocks." A few years since, a 

 farmer in Worcester County, Mass., remarked to a 

 friend, that he had more than 20 miles of wall 

 upon the farm where he lived and an adjoining 

 one! His fields, as I looked upon them from 

 the road, very much resembled in their dimen- 

 sions, those necessary enclosures we find in al- 

 most every town, called the Common Pound. His 

 fences must have cost more than $6000, and have 

 put many acres of land out of reach of the plow. 

 On some farms, wall fences are built 10 or 12feet 

 in width, "to get rid of the rocks" — a fence so in- 

 conveniently wide that a pohtician could not pos- 

 sibly stand on both sides of it at the same time, 

 with any degree of comfort ! Building fences "to 

 get rid of the rocks" is not quite so bad as the 

 Irishman's arithmetic of taking one from two and 

 three remain, but is just about as absurd as his 

 proposal to dig a hole in the earth by the side of 

 another to get the dirt with Avhich to fill it ! 



But what shall be done with the rocks ? Many 

 farmers have yet to learn their value for road- 

 making. Fill all low and wet places any conve- 

 nient depth with them, putting in the large ones 

 fii'st, then fill the spaces with the small ones, and 

 cover with du't. Line the banks of sti'eams with 

 them, fill deep gullies, do almost any thing with 

 them rather than build unnecessary fences. Much 

 of this can be done in winter. 



In the article upon wire fences written by Judge 

 French, he speaks of "their being invisible at the 

 distance of a few rods, "which he seemed to think 

 was a recommendation. I feel reluctant to ques- 

 tion anything from one so eminently qualified to 

 instruct in almost every thing pertaining to the 

 prosperity of the farm, not only above but under 

 the ground ; but my experience is unfavorable to 

 the acknowledgment of this particular merit of 

 the wire fence. 



The next day after one was made by a neigh- 

 bor on his farm adjoining mine, a fine horse 

 which I had turned into the field next to it, hav- 

 ing no more regard for territorial rights than 

 some members of Congress, went straight through 

 it, breaking every wire from "turret to founda- 

 tion." The fence was made of No. 9 wire, 8 wires 

 high, and secured to cedar posts 10 feet apart by 

 spikes driven into them. My sheep, which may 

 be of the "creeper breed," inquired for in the 

 Farmer would often creep through between the 

 wires, and sometimes break them. I have but one 

 other objection to make to them beside their "in- 

 visibility," which is, that, for general purposes, as 

 they have been built in this section, they are just 

 about good for nothing. 



At another time, I may say something of the 

 relative value of different kinds of fences, the 

 quantity of land they cover, and the qualities a 

 good one should possess. "The suggestions as 

 to the best size of fields on farms of fifty, and 

 those of one hundred or more acres," I much pre- 

 fer should come from some one better qualified to 

 make them. Chas. R. Smith. 



Haverhill, N. E., May 1, 1860. 



Cooked Food for Hogs. — We would refer our 

 readers to.-our volume II., p. 11, for a letter by 

 Mr. P. Mason, of Somerviile, N. J., on the use of 



cooked food for hogs. Mr. Mason found that by 

 using cooked corn meal, from the middle of April 

 to the first of December, he increased the weight 

 of two pigs, from about 40 pounds to 602 pounds, 

 being a gain of one and a quarter pounds per day, 

 and that the entire cost of the pork was about 

 four cents per pound. This probably cannot be 

 brought about at so light a cost with uncooked 

 food. — Workinff Fanner. 



THE OLD FAKM-HOUSE. 



In a little grore of shade trees 



Stands a farm-house, brown and old, 

 With a wealth of vines around it, 



Gemmed with flowers of red and gold ; 

 By the path that makes a circle 



Of white saml around the lawn. 

 Grow sweet Timothy and clover, 



Kosy as a June-day dawn. 



Around its door pale morning-glories. 



Jump -up- Johnnies, dahlias, pinks. 

 Cluster — concentrated beauties. 



Married by a thousand links ; 

 links of love, the works of nature's 



BIjstery of hwidicraft ; 

 Links of glory, through which 



Argosies of perfume waft. 



And the gate that swings before it. 

 And the fence as white as snow. 



Stand on variegated cushions. 

 Which the sun -fire sets a gloiv; 



Crowning them with many colors — 

 Yellow, purple, green and blue — 



As if rainbow there bad fallen, 

 , Melted into rai-est dew. 



On its roof the greenest mosses 



Catch the shadows from the trees ; 

 On its fides red honeysuckles 



Make their curtseys t& the breeaje ; 

 And the ever-nervous willows. 



Standing near the garden's boand. 

 Throw a web of shade fantastic 



On the clover mantled ground. 



O'er the well an arch of grape-vines, 



Formed with heaven's directed cara. 

 Chains the shadows to the water. 



Making cool the summer air ; 

 And a tiny church, its steeple 



Piercing through a bower of leaves. 

 Is a sure and sac-red refuge 



Where the wren her carol weaves. 



The Late Hox. B. Y. French. — At the last 

 monthly meeting of the Massachusetts Horticul- 

 tural Society, after feeling allusion to the decease 

 of many of the original oflScer* and members of 

 the society. Col. Wilder officially announced the 

 death of Mr. French in eloquent and appropri- 

 ate terms, and concluding by offering the follow- 

 ing resolutions, which were unanimously adopted. 



Resolved, That in the death of oar fellow-associate, 

 the Hon. Benj. V. French, wc acknowledge the afflic- 

 tive dispensation of rroviilence, in removing from our 

 Society one of its founders and former officers, who for 

 a long course of years sought zeahjusly to promote its 

 well-being and prosperity. 



Therefore be it further resolved, That in common 

 with all who take a lively interest in rural art and 

 rural happiness, we will ever cherish a gi-ateful 



