442 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Oct. 



erect, as becomes the lords of creation, and tak- 

 ing in full draughts of the divine elixir. 



In the orchard there are red and golden apples, 

 some of which are ready for immediate disposal, 

 and some are suggestive of winter evenings, 

 when we 



"gather round the evening fire 



And crack stale jests, that never tire." 



There are pumpkins, large, round and yellow 

 as a rising moon, and squashes, which, with their 

 long crooked necks, look as if a flock of geese 

 might have lain down among the withered vines 

 and suddenly become transmuted to gold ! Then 

 there are rows of turnips, potatoes, cabbages and 

 other vegetables, of humble pedigree, and of lit- 

 tle beauty to the eye, but very useful in their day 

 and generation. As we walk over our acres, and 

 look at all these things, we have a little private 

 "Thanksgiving" in our hearts, quite forestalling 

 the one the Governor is going to appoint for 

 November. 



Out in the woods, there are chestnuts, which 

 our juvenile friends will not forget if we do, for 

 "going chestnutting" is one of the events of boy- 

 life, — and the more delightful, we fear, because 

 there is just enough of the savor of "stolen wa- 

 ters" about it to inspire an adventurous boy ! 



Most of us remember the additional zest given 

 to a foraging expedition of this kind, when "Old 

 Brown" or "Old White" came stalking under 

 his own trees as if he were the thief, and loe lords 

 of the domain, till he came, as he thought, with- 

 in collaring distance of some small culprit — but 

 didn't we dodge him ! Didn't we show him a 

 clean pair of htels, and then when safely on the 

 other side of the fence, derisively laugh as he 

 stood shaking his cane at us in impotent rage, 

 and vowing vengeance if ever we invaded his pas- 

 ture again ! 



It was all very wicked, no doubt, but ever since 

 the earliest "clearing" was made in this country, 

 wild nuts and berries have, by tacit consent, been 

 considered the lawful spoil of the first comer, and 

 Young America does so hate to part with any in- 

 herited rights ! 



Thus have we strung together a few random 

 thoughts suggested by the season, which we gra- 

 ciously leave our friends to pursue at their leisure. 



If ever we are disposed to grumble at the ap- 

 proach of winter, let us remember our polar 

 neighbors with their whale oil blubber, and be 

 content. Or if, on the other hand, we only look 

 mournfully back and sigh for the vanished sum- 

 mer, let us consider that it were wiser to enjoy 

 the present season as much as possible, because 

 a much sharper one is at hand. 



"So October endeth, 

 Cold and ruost perverse — 

 But the months t!i:U fijUnw, 

 Suie will pinch us worse 1'- 



For the New England Farmer. 

 HAY AND STOCK IN VERMONT. 



Mr. Editor : — Although the busy season of 

 "haying" is not quite over, yet it will not do to 

 neglect the journals, though I must confess it is 

 rather dry times. Haying is nearly completed in 

 this section of country, and the result is, from 

 two-thirds to three-fourths of the usual quantity. 

 The same bulk of hay is much heavier than last 

 year's growth. Wheat never looked better, and is 

 nearly ripe. Potatoes, ditto. Oats tolerable. Corn 

 first-rate, stalks bulky, and earing thick. We had 

 a "killing frost" the 27th of July, (if I mistake 

 not the date,") on some very low grounds, and a 

 very light one the morning of the 24th ult. 



There are many wonders now-a-days for the 

 marvellous, and among others was the "meteor", 

 which was truly a splendid sight. Then there has 

 appeared lately, a fiery red star, in the south-east. 



It is no doubt the evening star, but the story is 

 circulated quite freely hereabouts, and is believed 

 by the credulous, that it is a "fire balloon," sent 

 up from the top of Moosehillock mountain, as it 

 appears before dark, and is very bright But the 

 most splendid, and surprising sight I ever saw, 

 was witnessed on the evening of the 4th inst. It 

 was a rainbow by moonlight. As the moon was 

 just rising, the bow was nearly a half-circle. The 

 colors were discernible, but not quite so bright as 

 in the daytime ; it lasted about fifteen minutes. 



No doubt the speculating drovers will find it 

 out soon enough without telling them of the fact, 

 i. e., that many of the farmers in this section will 

 be obliged to sell off', or kill many of their cattle 

 and horses. ISIany a poor man is trimming up the 

 road-sides and wet pastures, to get something to 

 keep a cow on, but many will be entirely without 

 hay when fodderhig time comes. 



Now we want you to give us a little advice. 

 Hay is now worth twelve dollars a ton, and very 

 little to be brought at any price ; will it pay to 

 winter a cow, that usually would bring $10 or 

 .$12, or a horse, that in times of hay, would bring 

 S2.5 or $30 ? Will stock of any kind bring enough 

 more next spring to pay ? Our market for stores 

 has usually been southern New Hampshire, and 

 Massachusetts. 1 suppose it is useless to expect 

 any such market this year. T. P. Bailey. 



Nen-bury, Yt., August 7, I860. 



Remarks. — The above communication has been 

 inadvertently delayed. We hear of no special de- 

 preciation in stock that has not existed for some 

 months past. The true policy is, we think, to 

 winter all the stock you can, and feed it well, 

 rather than to sell what hay you have, because if 

 you cut off" the stock, you cut off" the means of se- 

 curing future crops. There will be a demand for 

 a great deal of good beef, before the disease will 

 show itself much, if, unhappily, it comes at all. 



The Birds of New England. — The attention 

 of the reader is called to a highly interesflng and 

 instructive article in another column, upon this 

 subject, the first of a series of numbers from our 

 accomplished correspondent, "J. A. A." 



