314 



NEW ENGLAND FAH^IER. 



July 



tice, to base a distinction between Hungaiian 

 grass and common millet, on what seems no more 

 a characteristic of any special variety in millet 

 than the stiffness of the straw or the mode and 

 amount of tillering are characteristic of any gen- 

 eral or essential difference in wheat. The writer 

 says, "this grass never grows too large and stiff", 

 like millet, but each seed throws up from the root, 

 in anything like fair ground, from one to five or 

 ton stalks, and sometimes in rich land, sowed 

 thin, from ten to fifty of about equal size, each 

 covered vvith its own beautiful blades, and when 

 ripe, a heavy head." Let those who grow millet 

 of any kind this season make observations as to 

 this and other, real or supposed, distinctions be- 

 tween kinds passing under diff'erent names. Nu- 

 merous observations are yet needed to establish 

 the truth and put down the errors or misappre- 

 hensions in regard to this old, but recently re- 

 vived and improved crop. 



It is not intended in anything I have said that 

 the varieties of millet introduced into this country 

 from other countries, known as German, Hunga- 

 rian, Italian, Egyptian or other millets, are not 

 superior to our old or common millet. The dis- 

 criminating reader will perceive that the contrary 

 of this is implied throughout. But it is intended 

 that all these, and especially Hungarian grass, 

 are nothing more than varieties of millet, and not, 

 as many seem to think, plants essentially or gen- 

 erically diff'erent, and that, to prevent misappre- 

 hension, these varieties should be made the sub- 

 jects of discrimination more than they have been. 



Page 204 — Legislative Agricultural Meeting. — 

 In the attempts made by the several speakers to 

 decide what are the most profitable crops to raise 

 on Massachusetts farms, some things were said 

 which would be of value to almost every cultiva- 

 tor of the soil in that State, as well as in many 

 others, and which went to show that different men 

 have diff'erent ideas or experiences as to what are 

 the most profitable crops, at least for themselves. 

 And the only shape in which the question dis- 

 cussed can be satisfactorily or usefully decided, is 

 when each individual decides it for himself, the 

 local advantages, or disadvantages, and other cir- 

 cumstances of diff'erent farmers, rendering it im- 

 possible that any one system of cropping can be 

 the most profitable for all. And if each individ- 

 ual would thoroughly consider and judiciously de- 

 cide, every year, what crops it would be most prof- 

 itable for hi7n to raise, I am inclined to think that 

 many would find time thus spent in head-work as 

 profitable as that spent in any kind of hand-work. 

 In determining what crops I can most profitably 

 raise, I must take, as everyone must, many things 

 into consideration, such as the amount of the manure 

 on hand, the peculiarities of the markets most ac- 

 cessible, the price of help, &c., &c. Among the 

 many considerations which should have an influ- 

 ence on my decision, there is one to which I 

 would give more weight than to almost any other, 

 namely, this, that, as a general rule, tJiose crops 

 are the most profitable which can be consumed up- 

 on the farm and converted into such marketable 

 articles as milk, wool, butter, cheese, meal, live 

 stock, &c. Whatever crops can be made to pro- 

 duce the greatest amount of these articles, and 

 leave behind them the most valnable manure, are 

 svu-ely the most profitable in tlie long nm ; and as 



M. P. has suggested in his article on page 211, it 

 is more economical to feed not only the more bul- 

 ky articles but even grain, to stock upon the farm, 

 if we can obtain a return of only 80 per cent, of 

 the cash or market value of these articles, than to 

 carry them off" to market. The manui-e is worth 

 the difference. 



Page 20Q—The True Object of Fanning.— This 

 article, abounding in suggestions well deserving 

 of serious consideration, might have been, per- 

 haps, more appropriately headed, or titled thus : 

 How Farming may be made a more Ennobling 

 Pursuit. And if the methods here recommended 

 for making farming more ennobling and dignify- 

 ing in its influence upon those engaged in it were 

 habitually held in remembrance, and adopted in 

 daily life, there would be among us, even among 

 those in lowly life, more true ?ioblemcn than there 

 are of men, so called, among all the titled aristo- 

 crats and large land-holders of the sea-girt isle. 

 If a farmer, in virtue of a serious consideration of 

 the thoughts here presented to his attention, were 

 to resolve to aim at the several objects mentioned, 

 and to consider them habitually as of more imjjor- 

 tance than making money, — if he were to resolve 

 to conduct all his operations on his farm as God's 

 steward and co-worker, and to find out what meth- 

 od of management secured the largest amount of 

 His smile and approval, as evidenced in His caus- 

 ing the largest returns from that method, — if he 

 would resolve to make himself ever better and 

 better acquainted with God's great book of Na- 

 ture ever open before him, — if he were to resolve 

 to make his home and its surroundings as full of 

 gratifications for the sense of beauty as God has 

 made the fields, and all the works of His hands, — 

 if he were to resolve to make all things in his 

 pursuits and in his communion with Nature's au- 

 thor contribute as much as possible to educate, 

 enrich and exalt the minds of his children, — and 

 if, finally, he were to resolve that in all his deal- 

 ings with his fellow-men, he would do to them as 

 he would that they should do to him, and that this 

 golden rule of action should be extended even to 

 his feeding, working, management and care of the 

 animals committed to his charge, what a noble- 

 man would he be ! Surely it cannot be account- 

 ed presumptuous or at all inappropriate to add 

 here, that when such a farmer shall be called away 

 from his sphere of duty, labor and privilege hero, 

 to another province in God's illimitable universe, 

 he will receive a plaudit of "Well done, good and 

 faithful servant," and be assured that as he has 

 been faithful and wise in his administration of a 

 few things he will now be advanced to be ruler 

 over many things. 



Page 213 — Carrot Juice in Bjftter. — Judging by 

 specimens of butter we have seen and eaten of 

 for several winters, I should say that the man or 

 woman would be weak and foolish indeed who 

 would wish any better color in winter butter than 

 that which good feeding and care, and especially, 

 perhaps, a good amount of clover hay, is capable 

 of imparting. And if the carrot or clover juice is 

 not put inside the cow, we are quite sure that, 

 though any desired color may be obtained by doc- 

 toring or dyeing the butter, yet the good, rich 

 relish and flavor of butter made from a well-fed 

 cow can never be had by any artificial means 

 whatever. ' More Anon. 



