328 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



July 



work ; then there is the privilege of collecting the 

 various kinds of fruit and salads of spontaneous 

 growth, with a variety of other privileges denied 

 to people in cities and large villages. These priv- 

 ileges are not always considered as items of in- 

 come by the farmer ; but let him give credit for 

 them, at the price city folks pay, and the amount 

 will show a different aspect when added to the cul- 

 tivated productions of the farm. Farmers in the 

 county of Middlesex live in houses which would 

 rent in villages from §100 to $300 or more per 

 annum, which they little think of putting to the in- 

 come of the farm. Farmers' children are a great 

 deal cheaper, and I think better, brought up on 

 the farm, than they are in villages where there is 

 little or nothing for them to do when not at 

 school. Among other benefits of the farm, one 

 important item is, the farmer is his own boss, he 

 is not under the control of the bell, or the capri- 

 cious order of an overseer, has plenty of work al- 

 ways on hand for himself and boys, without solic- 

 iting it from richer men than himself. 



It is utterly impossible to make out estimates 

 which will apply to general cases. I have known 

 farmers run in debt for poor farms, and get rich 

 from them, and have known others who had good 

 farms given them, grow poor in spite of industry 

 and science. After all, farmers in the country 

 towns, by some means, pay most of the taxes and 

 subscriptions, have every thing enough but con- 

 tentment, gewgaws and finery, which they can very 

 well dispense with, and can carry their heads up 

 pretty well, if they would only think so, and I can- 

 not see but they are as well off as other folks. 



N. Wilmington. Silas Bkown. 



For t!te New England Farmer. 

 OATS ANT> CLOVEH. 



Friend Brown : — I am a constant reader of 

 the N. E. Farmer, as it comes to my family every 

 week. I feel anxious to give some of my expe- 

 rience as an old farmer ; for I have done with 

 labor years ago. I have been pleased in reading 

 questions asked, and views given in raising chick- 

 ens, turkeys, goslings, pigs, sheep, horned cattle 

 and horses. Also inquiries and answers given in 

 cultivating the soil, the managing of crops, fertil- 

 izers, &c. 



I sup])ose most of your readers well understand 

 that all lands do not require the same treatment. 

 All the animal and vegetable manures do well on 

 all the earth, as iax as my ex])erience goes ; but 

 much better on some soils than others. There 

 seems to be a change somewhere ; for soon after 

 plaster became in use on interval land it worked 

 wonders ; the hill lands, with few exceptions, got 

 nojbenefit. At this time the hill f\u-ms receive 

 the most benefit from it. Ashes do far more good 

 than many years ago. As most farmers do not 

 understand how to analyze the soil, it is well to 

 try experiments. I have learned much in that 

 way. 



Not long since I noticed an inquiry concerning 

 clover as a fertilizer. There are different opin- 

 ions concerning it. My views are to let the Avhole 

 crop remain on the surface until the following 

 spring ; if not, sow winter grain. In such case 

 plow a very short time before sowing. If any 

 man disputes it, let him try the experiment. On 



land seeded to clover with oats, where the oats 

 lay in swath all through the next season, from 

 soon after the clover started to grow, until mow- 

 ing time, I have seen where every swath was 

 almost as far distant as I could see the field, there 

 being all of twice as much clover on the same 

 width of ground as between the swaths. 

 Walpole, N. H., 1860. An Old Farmer. 



SPKIKG. 



BT RICHARD C. TRENCH. 



Who was it that so lately said 

 All pulses in thy heart were dead — 



Old Earth, that now in festal robes 

 Appearest, as a bride new wed .'' 



O, wrapped bo late in winding-sheet, 

 Thy winding-sheet, ! where is fled ? 



Lo ! 'tis an emerald carpet now, 



Where the young monarch, Spring, may tread. 



He comes — and, a defeated king, 

 Old Winter to the hills is fled. 



The warm wind broke his frosty spear, 

 And loosed the helmet from his head. 



And he weak showers of arrowy sleet 

 For his strengholds has vainly sped. 



All that was sleeping is awake. 

 And all is living that was dead. 



Who listens now can hear the streams 

 Leap tinkling down their pebbly bed — 



Or see them, from their fetters free, 

 Like silver snakes the meadows thread. 



The joy, the life, the hope of earth. 

 They slept awhile, they were not dead, 



O thou who say'st thy sear heart ne'er 

 With verdure can again be spread — 



O thou, who mournest them that sleep, 

 Low lying in an earthy bed — 



Look out on this reviving world. 

 And be new hopes within thee bred ! 



I 



Prospects for Fruit. — A correspondent from 

 Port Kent, Essex county, N. Y., writes as fol- 

 lows : "We are suffering even more than last 

 season from the want of rain — but we never had 

 higher promise of fruit — our trees of every de- 

 scription are loaded down with blossoms." Port 

 Kent lies on the westerly side of Lake Cham- 

 plain, nearly opposite Burlington. The reports 

 from every direction are equally favorable. Even 

 the peach trees have waked up in many places, 

 and have given a pretty liberal blossom. The 

 letter of our correspondent was dated 18th — we 

 hope before this time that the clouds over Port 

 Kent have wept until the people have laughed. 



Spayixg Cows. — The American Stock Journal 

 should have credited the article which it publishes 

 on this subject, and written by Mr. E. R. An- 

 drews, to the New England Farmer, as it was 

 Avritten by him at our special request. 



