1860, 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



365 



wheels, is $22, and without wheels, $16. Wood's one- 

 horse mower is $>'70, and the two horse $80. All for 

 sale by Nourse & Co., 34 Merchants' Row, Boston. 



CUT WORMS — COAL ASHES — WOOD ASHES — SQUASHES. 



I should like to know if there is any remedy for the 

 cut worm which is so destructive on our New England 

 farms ? 



Also, if it will be of any advantage to put a top 

 dressing of fine sifted coal ashes on and around pota- 

 toes and corn that are planted on new land ? 



Are wood ashes of any advantage on squashes as a 

 remedy for the squash l3ug ? Any light upon these 

 questions will be thankfully received by g. e. m. 



Someriille, June, 1860. 



Remarks. — \^q are not aware that there is any 

 grand specific for cut worms — they are quite destruc- 

 tive at present, cutting down the young mangolds and 

 cabbages sadly. 



Coal ashes are of some value to the com and pota- 

 toes. 



Wood ashes, frequently sprinkled upon squashes, will 

 prevent, in some measure, the ravages of the squash 

 bugs. When they have performed that otBce they are 

 exceedingly valuable in promoting the growth of the 

 plants. 



STUMP PULLER — QUERIES. 



I have a piece of land containing about four acres, 

 which has until recently been covered with a heavy 

 gi'owth of pine. The land is somewhat elevated, all but 

 a small piece, which is low and moist. I wish to know 

 if it would be profitable to pull the stumps out and cul- 

 tivate the land ? (a.) 



What is the price of a stumiJ-puller, and how many 

 men will it take to operate it, and how many stumps 

 can be pulled out in a day ? Could one be hired ? There 

 is no young growth coming up, and perhaps it would 

 be better to plant it with chestnuts. How should they 

 be planted, and what time of year would be ))cst ? 



Granite State Reader. 



Remarks. — (a.) Some persons would make it profi- 

 table and others would not. It depends upon circum- 

 stances, such as the possession of manure, skill, &e., 

 and how much other land one has under cultivation, 



A good stump puller may be purchased for $50 or 

 $75, Cannot answer your other questions. 



superphosphate for turnips, 



I have a piece of land from which I wish to raise a 

 good crop of turnips ; will you be kind enough to in- 

 form me which of the foreign fertilizers will be best to 

 use for that crop, how much to the acre, and the best 

 way to apply it ? The land is light, and not rich. 



Tempkfon, June 27, 1860. Subscriber. 



Remarks. — Use Coe's or Mapes' Superphosphate of 

 lime, 300 pounds to the acre ; sow broadcast and har- 

 row, 



the axe is ground. 



Having laid aside the little, worn-out grind-stone 

 with wooden shaft that groaned and squeaked so 

 dreadfully, about a j'ear ago, and adopted a good new 

 one, with friction rollers and a treadle so as to Ijc 

 t turned by the foot, I have managed to keep the axe in 

 pretty good condition for chopping ; it cost $5, it is 

 true, and a day and a half's work to get it hung and 

 properly trimmed down for grinding, but it has nearly 

 or quice paid for itself in the saving of time in putting 

 tools in order. When the scythe was dull, which was 

 often the case in this stony countr}', ojie could go and 

 grind instead of two, and do the grinding in less than 

 half the time it used to take on the old one, and do it 

 better too. Brother Farmer, don't use the old, hard- 

 faced, worn-out grindstone any longer — get a new one 

 and a good one — j-ou won't be sorry. E, a, d. 



Ripton, Vt., June, 1860. 



CRANBERRIES. 



I wish to inquire through the Farmer whether cran- 

 ben-ies will grow well or flourish on narrow strips of 

 swampy land, or on the margin of small streams, 

 where the land is wet and swampy, but seldom over- 

 flowed with water ? A. E. Wilson, 



Marlow, N. II., 1860, 



Remarks. — Not on all such places, but on many of 

 them. Dig up the surface, haul on an inch or two of 

 sand or gravel, set the plants within six inches of each 

 other, and keep all grass and weeds out. Try this pro- 

 cess on a small scale, and if it succeeds well, enlarge, 

 and set the plants farther apart, and they will cover 

 the ground by spreading. 



SEEDING potatoes. 



I planted two bushels of what is called the black po- 

 tato, last spring, putting two small pieces in each hill. 

 The land was sward, plowed the fall before, manured 

 in the hill lightly and from the two bushels of seed I 

 got sixty-six bushels of as good, large and sound pota- 

 toes as I ever saw. I have tried large potatoes for seed, 

 until I am convinced it is worse than throwing seed 

 away. 



the wheat crop. 



On the 9tli of April last I sowed one aci-e of land 

 with one and a half bushels of wheat, and cleaned up 

 in December twenty bushels of good sound wheat. I 

 think the rats carried off one bushel, and that high 

 winds and i-ains injured it three or four bushels more, 

 I think our farmers can raise as much wheat per acre, 

 as they can anywhere in New England, 



Deny, N. II., April, 1859. w. h. w. 



Remarks. — The two or three short articles which 

 follow this happened to get "under the copy drawer," 

 — not under the table — and only came to light to-day. 

 Some of them may be a little out of season, but their 

 appearance now will show that we appreciate the fa- 

 vors of our correspondents. Besides this, they will all 

 be preserved in the monthly Farmer for future refer- 

 ence, __ 



the wheat crop. 



Most of our farmers raise from one to three or four 

 acres ; we have generally used ashes mixed with the 

 barn manure, but don't know which is best, to mix the 

 ashes with the manure or put them on separately. I 

 wish you would inform me which is the better way, or 

 whether lime, mixed or otherwise, would be beneficial 

 to a wheat crop. Minot R. Philips. 



Nelson, N. II., April, 1859. 



Remarks. — Sow the ashes on the land just before it 

 is harrowed the last time. Lime may be added in the 

 same way. It is always best, we believe, to use alka- 

 line substances by themselves. 



SEEDING potatoes. 



I was much interested in the remarks of H. Poor, in 

 the last number of the Farmer, upon raising potatoes. 

 Last year I purchased one bushel of a choice kind of 

 potatoes to plant, and wishing to make the most of 

 them, I cut otf the stem end of the largest potatoes, so 

 as to have one or two eyes ; the rest of the potato was 

 cut so as to have two eyes to a piece as nearly as could 

 be cut ; the smaller ones were cut once lengthwise. 

 Each kind was planted separately, one piece in a hill. 

 In the fall we dug thirty hills of each kind ; the yield 

 was as follows : the seed end 52 lbs., small size, and a 

 great many little ones; from the halves 52 '4 lbs., 

 larger size, not so many little ones ; the stem end 5o)i 

 1))S, very lai'ge, nice potatoes and hut few little ones, 



I never plant small potatoes if I can get large ones. 

 My custom for twcntj^-five years has been to plant 

 large whole potatoes ; but last year I cut them once, 

 applied lime, and put one piece in a hill, with occasion- 

 ally a row of whole ones. At haivest time, I was sat- 

 isfied that the yield from the cut seed was the Ijest. 



Cabot, Vt., April, 1859, Milton Fisher. 



