472 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Oct. 



and economize, with faith that one day it will be 

 forthcoming, "free and independent." 



No heart need pine for pictures upon the walls, 

 when all about us we have paintings more beauti- 

 ful than ever human artists could form. Here, 

 from my window, is a view, — a blue lake resting 

 like a gem in its setting of foliage, and the "ev- 

 erlasting hills" touched up with a golden sunset 

 light, — a view which fills my heart with gratitude 

 that my home is far from the busy town, — that I 

 am a farmer's daughter. 



I trust our mountain sister will, by searching, 

 find more sunshine in farm life than she now 

 dreams of; and not doom the "I'ising race" of 

 young farmers to perpetual bachelorship, by 

 "striking so mournful a strain." Anna. 



W , Ilass., 1860. 



EXTRACTS AND REPLIES. 



SUCKERS AMONG COHN. 



I wish to inquh'C of you, or some of your farming 

 correspondents, if any advantage is derived ia cutting 

 out tlie suckers among corn ? I have a field of corn 

 which is very stout ; it is planted four feet apart each 

 way, and I have left only four speai"s in the hill, but 

 the suckers have come ovxt so thick that it makes a 

 complete swamp of the field. 0. L. Sanborn. 



Concord, N. JL, 1860. 



Remarks. — Opinion is divided as to this matter. 

 "We head in grape vines, squashes, tomatoes and trees ; 

 why not subtract a portion of the surplus plants among 

 com on the same principle ? Wc should be glad of 

 opinions on this point from observing and experimen- 

 tal persons. 



IMPROVEMENT OF SHEEP FOR WOOL. 



Having just commenced the business of keeping 

 sheep, and being obliged to make up my flock of aliout 

 five hundred from such as I can find for sale from half- 

 blood Merino to common Canada, I find it necessary 

 to improve in some way on the quality of the wool. 

 Whether it would be best to cross them with a Merino 

 or South Down, I am not able to say. Any sugges- 

 tion in regard to this matter will be gratefully re- 

 ceived. Freeman Doaxe. 



Remarks. — Among our correspondent?, we have 

 those conversant with this matter, persons who under- 

 stand the results of the crossings, and the demands of 

 the market for wool, and we pr^efer their opinions 

 rather than offfer our own, made up from more limited 

 experiences. The question asked is important, and we 

 hope will be replied to early. 



questions about cider mills. 



I would like to inquire through the columns of the 

 Fanner of whom I can get information concerning ci- 

 der-mills, and what kind are the best ? Whether those 

 that press the pomace immediately are equal to those 

 where the cider can remain in the pomace for a length 

 of time ? What the arrangements are for pressing a 

 large cheese, or making, without the use of Ftraw, and 

 where any are located of the common nut mill kind, 

 run by water power, where the ajjplcs are put in above 

 into a hopper, and the pomace falls in a bed beneath, 

 if thei'e are any such in this vicinity? 



Wether sfield, Ct., 1860. A Subscriber. 



Remarks. — We do not possess the knowledge 

 wanted. Will some one who has it reply ? 



FOWL MEADOW GRASS. 



Will you please inform me through your paper, 

 whether the enclosed specimen of grass is the genuine 

 Fowl Meadow ? If not, what kind of grass is it ? 



Ossipee, N. IL, 1860. S. B. Carter. 



Remarks. — We liave no doubt but it is. 



RUTA BAGAS — CABBAGES — ORCHARD. 



Will you inform me through the Farmer what ruta 

 bagas are worth per bushel in the fall, and how many 

 pounds to the bushel ? Will they and caljbages suc- 

 ceed well on the same ground, for two or more years, 

 with a liberal coat of manure each year, say in an 

 orchard which has been set with apple trees eleven 

 years ? 8. s. 



Scitnate, Aug. 22, 1860. 



Remarks. — Ruta bagas vary in price as do potatoes 

 and other vegetables. They are usually sold by the 

 baiTcl, and bring, by the quantity, from sixty cents to 

 one dollar per barrel in Boston, rarely, however, ex- 

 ceeding eighty cents. Any crop will succeed well af- 

 ter them if the land is highly manured, and the crop 

 well tended. But in a well grown orchard of eleven 

 years, a large crop of anything ought not to be ex- 

 pected short of a most liberal manuring. 



A list of flowers for a northern climate. 



Having seen a piece in the Farmer inquu'ing for a 

 list of hardy biennials or perennials, I thought I would 

 give the names of a few, viz.: 



Peony, Oribus, Moss Pink, Golden Moss, Phlox, 

 Chinese Larkspur, English Bluelicll, Fleur de Lis, 

 Monkshood, Featherfeu, Spidcrwort, Columbine, In- 

 dian Pink, Sweet Rocket, Ft)xglove, Lady of the Lake, 

 Double Creeper, Crocus, Daflbdil, Tulip, Queen of the 

 Meadow, Magnolia, Garden Lily, Tiger Lily, Day Lily, 

 White Lily, Climbing Honeysuckle, Iceland Moss, 

 Myrtle, Napoleon Violet, Carnation Pink, eleven kinds 

 of Roses, red and white. Snowdrop, Muskmalua, Le- 

 bra Mallows, Honesty, Syringa, Diclytra Spectabilis, 

 Persian Lilac, Canterbury Bell, Verbena, Jonquil, be- 

 sides two hundred varieties of annuals and one hun- 

 dred varieties of house plants. G. S. Jacobs. 



Bolton, Mass., Aug., 1860. 



Mr. Editor: — A communication appeared in the 

 Boston Cultivator of 1853, from which I copy the 

 following, viz.: 



pleuro pneumonia. 



"This terrible scourge to animals it is said can be 

 prevented liy inoculation. Dr. Williams, a Belgian, 

 made the discovery, and has put it to the test through 

 a series of experiments from 1850 down to the present 

 time (1853.) 108 cows and oxen thus treated have 

 been compk-tely protected from the contagion, while 

 of 50 placed luider the same cn-cumstances 17 have 

 taki'n the disease. The doctor takes the virus from the 

 animal snfi'eriiig under the disease and inserts it under- 

 neath the tail of the sound animal. This done, the 

 matter gives evidence of its elfccts, and the animal is 

 rendered unassailable by the disease. If this proves 

 to be effectual, as it thus far promises to be, the doc- 

 tor will have performed most valuable service in the 

 world." , 



Glover, Aug. 13, 1860. M. P. \ 



HILL-SIDE BARNS. 



Constructing barns upon side-hills is a practice 

 which is gaining favor among the best farmers in 

 this country. Having once become acquainted with 

 the advantages of such a location, we are sure no 

 farmer would be willing to construct his barns in 

 any other manner, if this were practicable. The 

 testimony of the Valley Farmer on this subject is 

 as follows : "The most convenient aiTangement 

 for a stock barn is upon a side-hill, where the hay 

 and grain may be carted in upon the upper story, 

 and pitched into the bays below. This arrange- 

 ment saves a great amount of labor in hauling the 

 feed for the stock. Another advantage of a side- 

 hill barn is the manure may be deposited in a cel- 

 lar below, where the whole of the liquid portion 

 can be saved, and where the whole can undergo 



