18G0. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



373 



the water on, put the fish in, and watched the re- 

 sult. 



They were frightened at first, and all went into 

 the deepest part ; but next day I peeped through 

 a hole, and saw them struggling which should get 

 nearest the supply, their backs out of v/ater, for 

 at the upper end, "the water was not an inch deep. 

 I seldom lost many after that. — Alfred Gould, 

 in London Field. 



For the New England Farmer. 



SYSTEMATIC FAKMING. 



^Ir. Editor : — It is a sound principle in agri- 

 culture that a farmer should return to his fields as 

 much fertilizing matter as he takes from them. 

 As I have extracted something of a fertilizing and 

 productive nature from your field of labor, I feel 

 constrained to make a small effort to return some- 

 thing to the xVezc England Farmer's soil, from 

 which I received it. 



System is necessary to any enterprise, which 

 requires a process of labor. In no department of 

 business are orderly arrangements more necessary 

 than in agriculture. The seasons revolve in per- 

 fect order. Summer and winter, seed-time and 

 harvest, are established by an unchangeable law, 

 and each has its peculiar demands on the farmer. 

 Winter calls on him, in his loud, grum voice, to 

 prepare for spring. This cold season of the year 

 has work of its own to be performed. The barn 

 and the woodhouse call for special attention ; and 

 let their calls be attended to in their season. A 

 systematic method of feeding stock is not a small 

 item among the duties of the husbandman. When 

 stock pass from grazing to feed on hay, they need 

 that which is of good quality, for a short time. 

 As a farmer has fodder of difi"erent qualities, it 

 should be distributed at different times. Cattle 

 and sheep like a variety of food, as well as hu- 

 man beings ; and it is good economy to gratify 

 their taste. It is profitable to the owners, and 

 beneficial to the animals to have stated and regu- 

 lar times for feeding them, and to give them small 

 portions at a time. In this Avay they will leave 

 less food, and derive greater benefit. The win- 

 ter season is the right time to provide and pre- 

 pare implements for spring work. Another item 

 in the catalogue of farm work for the Avinter sea- 

 son, is the reading of the Xew England Farmer. 

 Here the farmer can gather a rich harvest for his 

 mind, and ]nck up rich droppings for his fields, to 

 be applied in the spring. 



As soon as the ground ceases to be clammy, it 

 is time to plow. It is best to sow as early as the 

 soil can be well pulverized. The earlier spring 

 grain is sown, the more secure it is from blight, 

 and from insects. It may be asked by some, what 

 causes rust on the stalk of English grain, and 

 ■what connection it has with the blight of the tur- 

 nip ? To this I reply : When the stalk has come 

 to its growth, and the kernel is in a milky state, 

 a warm and damp state of the atmosphere makes 

 the stalk tender, causes an increased rush of sap 

 upAvards, and the consequence is a rupture of the 

 tubular vessels of the stalk ; the sap leaks out, 

 moulds and is rust. The nourishment that was 

 going up to support and mature the kernel, leaked 

 out by the way ; the kernel received but a partial 

 support, and of course, came out lean or blighted. 



If grain comes to maturity early in the season, it 

 will probably escape these sad effects. 



If the ground Avas sufficiently manured for the 

 corn crop the last year, there is no need of ma- 

 nuring the present year. The soil is rich enough 

 for a profitable English crop, and for several grass 

 crops. 



The summer is the time to gather the first har- 

 vest. Care should be taken to select the right 

 time to cut grass. Experience and observation 

 arc the best teachers on this subject. The two 

 great objects in cutting grass at the right time are 

 to make the hay most palatable, and most nutri- 

 tious to animals which are fed on it. These two 

 objects, I believe, do not conflict with each other. 

 When grass is in full blossom, it Avill make hay, 

 that Avill answer both purposes. If grass be cut 

 before this time, it has not acquired all its nutri- 

 ment, nor all its flavor. If it be cut after this 

 time, the nutritious matter, in some degree, is 

 converted into a Avoody substance, and into seed, 

 and the two leading objects are much impaired. 

 English grain should be cut as soon as the milk 

 of the kernel is changed into flour, and the ker- 

 nel Avill not shrivel by drying. Cut it earlier than 

 this, and the grain has not acquired its maturity. 

 Cut it later than this, and the flour has deterio- 

 rated. Cut grass or grain a Aveek later than they 

 ought to be cut, and that last Aveek will be more 

 exhaustive of the soil and manure, than any week 

 during their whole groAvth. There is a great loss, 

 and it should be avoided. 



The latter part of August is the most favorable 

 time to cut bushes for the purpose of killing them. 

 At this time all the sap, for that season, (Avith a 

 few exceptions,) has ascended into the stems and 

 branches, — and this is the right time to cut them 

 off, and prevent its return to the roots. 



The autumn is the time to gather the latter har- 

 vest. There is some difference of opinion among 

 farmers respecting the manner of harvesting the 

 Indian corn crop. Some prefer the old Avay of 

 cutting the stalks Avhen the kernel is a little 

 seared. Others prefer cutting up the corn and 

 stalks at the same time, stooking them, and let 

 time and Aveathcr produce their natural effect. 

 Without using argument or philosophy on these 

 tAVO methods of harvesting, let any farmer Avho 

 pleases, make the experiment on the subject, and 

 satisfy himself, and give a reason, if he can. 



Another important item in systematic farming 

 is the early training of steers, and colts, and hogs. 

 Animals are more easily disciplined Avhen young, 

 than Avhen they have come to their full groAvth. 

 Before maturity they can earn a part, or the Avhole 

 of their living, and perform labor Avith greater 

 ease. Farmers' boys should be put early to work. 

 They should have good tools, and be taught hoAV 

 to use them. They should have good examples, 

 and encouragement to labor. They should have 

 a patch of ground to cultivate by their OAvn man- 

 agement and for their own profit, and they Avill 

 make farmers, and probably better ones, than their 

 fathers. h. m. 



Milford, N. E. 



Remarks. — We hope the reader will give at- 

 tention to Avhat our correspondent says above 

 about the time for cutting grass, and to several 

 other points of importance in his communication. 



