564 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Dec. 



leaves to keep them down. The result was almost a 

 total failure ; not one-twentieth part of it came up ; 

 but not for the want of beinjj pi'operly set, for this was 

 done with great care. I would inform your correspon- 

 dent that his plants will re luire a great deal of care 

 and labor in weeding, yet I am not prepared to say 

 that this 1 ibor Avill not be a)jundantly rewarded. 

 Eliot, Me., Oct., 1860. A Young Farmer. 



TO PRESERVE PUMPKINS. 



Cut and stew the pumpkin soff, sift through a colan- 

 der or pumpkin sieve, then press the juice out Ihrough 

 a cloth, and return it to the boiler. Weigli your pump- 

 kin after it is pressed, and for every pound of pump- 

 kin, take one pound of sugar. When ihe juice is lioiled 

 down sufficiently, add the sugar; when dissolved, add 

 the pumpkin, and as much salt and spice of whatever 

 kind you prefer as your pies will need. Pack in a 

 stone px and cover with molasses. Prepared in this 

 way it may be kept a year. A heaping tablespoonful 

 is sufiicicnt for a pie. Add eggs as usual. j. e. t. 



Pittsjield, N. H., 1860. 



For ihe New England Farmer. 



THOUGHTS SUGO-SSTSD BY THE IST. E. 

 PAKMBR, OCT., 1860. 



Page 444. — Superpliospliate of Lime in Corn- 

 Hills. — The impression most likely to be made by 

 the first portion of this article — the impression or 

 persuasion which most readers will be apt to re- 

 ceive from it — will be to this effect, or sometliing 

 like this, that superphosphate of lime is an excel- 

 lent fertilizer for Indian corn crops. Whetlier or 

 not it was the intention of the writer that such an 

 impression should be left upon the minds of his 

 readers, and that they should be led, in conse- 

 quence thereof, to make purchases of artisles sold 

 as superphosphates, and to employ them as ferti- 

 lizers for their corn crops, it is difficult, and per- 

 haps of little importance to determine ; but with 

 ■whatever intention the writer penned this article, 

 we think the majority of the readers of it will get 

 from it such an impression as we have named, 

 and be led to purchase and employ for their corn 

 crops some one of the various articles which are 

 sold to farmers as superphosphates, probably 

 without much discrimination as to the real value 

 of the articles sold under this name, differing as 

 they do greatly in composition and in value for 

 manurial purposes; and probably, also, without 

 even a knowledge of the fact, that there are some 

 "trashy mixtures" sold as superphosphates, which 

 do not contain even one per cent, of soluble phos- 

 phates, instead of from twelve to twenty per cent., 

 as the best superphosphates do, and which are 

 not really worth more than $12 to $15 per ton, 

 though sold to the unsuspecting farmer at $45 

 and $50. Now, as no friend of the farmers could 

 allow himself to mislead any of them to their inju- 

 ry, and would gladly welcome from another, or 

 make for himself, any correction or caution needed 

 to prevent such misleading or injury as might re- 

 sult, as in this case, from any statements he may 

 have made without due qualifications or cautions, 

 we may reasonably presume that Mr. Holbrook 

 will welcome, and that his readers will be benefit- 

 ed, or saved from disappointment, deception and 

 loss, by the suggestions now about to be subaiit- 

 ted to those who have read the article under con- 

 sideration. 



What, then, is needed, in the case of some, or 

 perhaps many farmers, in order to prevent their 

 being misled, to their disappointment or loss, by 

 the article under notice ? 



First of all, let us take the case of those readers 

 who are likely to get the impression, or draw the 

 inference, that superphosphate of lime is an ex- 

 cellent fertilizer for a crop of corn, and that they 

 may certainly calculate on an increased yield by 

 purchasing and using some of the articles sold by 

 that name. Those thus led to expect benefit and 

 returns that would pay expenses or afford profits, 

 and, of course, likely to purchase, if the article is 

 to be had in any market within their reach, should 

 be cautioned against taking up with the too com- 

 mon opinion that all superphosphates are alike, or 

 that any article so called is just as likely to pro- 

 duce good results as any other of the same name. 

 In the present state of matters as to articles of- 

 fered for sale as superphosphates, and in consid- 

 eration of the great probability that an unsuspect- 

 ing farmer would be likely to have imposed upon 

 him as a genuine and valuable superphosphate, 

 some of the trashy mixtures which have been so 

 unblushingly and so persistently pushed into mar- 

 ket, it seems the duty of any one who reports 

 well of the use of superphosphates, to caution 

 those likely to be influenced by his report, to be 

 u])on their guard when they purchase, as there are 

 articles of very varying degrees of value — some 

 of them not worth more than a fourth or a third 

 of that (^i others — sold by that name. It certain- 

 ly would, at least, be kind and friendly, if not 

 strictly a duty, that those who lead farmers to ex- 

 pect that the use of superphosphates will increase 

 their crops and their profits, should suggest such 

 cautions, or give such information, as may help 

 those induced to buy through their representa- 

 tions to avoid being imposed upon by fraudulent 

 manufacturers, and to secure a good, or the best 

 article of the kind to be had. 



We cast no reflections, certainly, upon Mr. 

 Holbrook for his omitting to give any warning of 

 the dangers which surround the person who is 

 about to purchase a superphosphate, or for omit- 

 ting to refer those who may purpose purchasing, 

 in virtue of his recommendation, to some book, 

 pamphlet or periodical in which they might find 

 such information as would assist them greatly in 

 avoiding the risk of being im])osed upon, and in 

 securing an article which would be worth their 

 money, and likely to produce profitable, or, at 

 least, paying returns. But since the need or util- 

 ity of such cautions or such assistance seems not 

 to have occurred to him, and since some of his 

 readers may be purposing to purchase the article 

 he has spoken so well of, before next spring or 

 next planting time, we may presume that he will 

 regard these suggestions as a useful addition to 

 his article, and that those having any such inten- 

 tion will now take the hint and endeavor to pro- 

 cure such information as may serve to guard them 

 against being made the victims of unprincipled 

 and dishonest manufacturers, or teach them how 

 to manufacture this article for themselves, or fur- 

 nish them with the means of testing articles of- 

 fered them, so that their genuineness and value 

 may be determined, with at least an approxima- 

 tion to the truth. ' 



There is yet another impression likely to be 

 made by this communicati(m of Mr. Holbrook, 

 even as there is another class of readers. The 

 class of readers, whose impressions from reading 

 this article we have already noticed, consists of 

 those who are in the habit of jumping to conclu- 



