1860. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



565 



sions quite too rapidly, ami in disregard generally 

 of all the laws of logic or sound reasoning ; who, 

 for example, when they read of any manure or 

 any mode of culture having been productive of 

 large crops in a single instance, immediately and 

 without any consideration of the many influences 

 and differences there may be between that partic- 

 ular case and that in which they may be purposing 

 to make a similiar trial of the manure or the 

 mode of management, conclude that they will cer- 

 tainly obtain results equally large or profitable. 

 The other class is made up of farmers of greater 

 soundness of judgment and of less facility in 

 jumping to conclusions which the premises or 

 facts do not warrant. A reader of this class would 

 probably notice that Mr. H. has said nothing def- 

 inite about the amount of corn harvested, and 

 that, therefore, there is no real foundation for the 

 inference so hastily arrived at by the former class 

 of readers, viz., that the superphosphate had pro- 

 duced quite an increase in the crop. True, it is 

 said that the growth of the stalks seemed to be 

 made more luxuriant ; but it is known to men of 

 discernment that greater luxuriance in the growth 

 of the stalks or of straw is not always accompa- 

 nied by a corresponding increase of grain or corn 

 upon the ear. And even if, in this case, there had 

 been a large yield of grain as well as a thrifty 

 growth of stalk, a farmer of this class would not 

 have considered a single case conclusive as proof 

 of the benefit of any particular manure or mode 

 of management, but would only value this partic- 

 ular result as one fact to be collated with many 

 others before any safe and reliable conclusion will 

 be deduced therefrom. A farmer of this class 

 would, in order to ascertain the exact value of the 

 statements made by Mr. Holbrook, immediately 

 compare them with whatever similar reports he 

 might be able to recollect or refer to, relating to 

 the effects of superphosphates upon a corn crop. 

 He would be able, probably, to recollect that the 

 general result of applications of phosphates of all 

 kinds to cereals has proved that they are far less 

 serviceable in promoting the growth of grain, than 

 they are in forwarding that of the grasses, the bul- 

 bous and other root crops, and herbaceous plants 

 generally. He would be able, also, perhaps, to 

 recollect or refer to the results of some experi- 

 ments made with much care and accuracy by Mr. 

 Harris, editor of the Genesee Farmer, and report- 

 ed two years ago to the New York Agricultural 

 Society. According to these experiments with ar- 

 tificial manures on Indian corn, experiments to 

 which was awarded the premium of seventy-five 

 dollars offered for the best — it appears that though 

 the rows to which superphosphate had been ap- 

 plied were more forward than any other during 

 hoeing time, yet they fell far behind at harvest, 

 the increase in grain being small, and not nearly 

 enough to pay for the cost of the superphosphate. 



More Anon. 



of the city of Worcester, Mass. When we pub- 

 lish an article coming from any town in this State 

 we do not give the name of the State, but other- 

 wise we give it. 



Dates. — A correspondent asks, in speaking of 

 the dates of the communications which we insert, 

 "Is it not better always to give the 'State,' as 

 well as the 'Town ?' " Certainly — and this we 

 always aim to do ; but in some cases, the post- 

 mark is completely illegible, and we have no 

 means of doing so. "New Worcester" is a part 



PEOPHECIES OF THH SEASOTT. 



Where late the meadows blushed with liloom, 

 And daisy flakes were white as snow, 



The spectral shades of autumn gloom 

 Prophetic wander to and fro. 



The hills, so long encrowned with green, 



A browner garb begin to wear; 

 Gay summer half inclines to screen 



Her beauty from the daylight's glare. 



The woods full -leaved stand waiting nigh. 

 Their verdure touched with crimson stains, 



Yet loth to lay their honors by, 

 As age to part with all its gains. 



A sadder note from grove and glen, 

 Whence all the robin's young have flown; 



While mournfully the little wren 

 Pipes through the fading trees alone : 



The brook, that prattled one sweet tone 

 When summer mist was soft and dim. 



Kef ps up a low incessant moan. 



That times with Nature's graver hymn. 



The swallows, too, have left the eaves 



And flit and form in noisy bands,— 

 The goldfinch plans among the leaves 



Her coming flights to southern lands. 



Above yon mountain's rocky side. 



The wary hawk swings round and round, 



A friendless rover, winged with pride, 

 That scorns the touch of kindred ground. 



These, these, are but the first faint signs 



Of autumn's presence ; — day by day 

 She draws in bright but fading lines, 



The picture of her own decay. 



Anthont Hoxie. 



For the New England Farmer. 



POSTS THBO-WBT OUT BY FKOST. 



Mr. Editor: — I noticed in the Farmer, to 

 which I am a regular subscriber, the following 

 question, viz.: 



FENCE POSTS AND FROST. 



Will you inform me, through the cohimns of your 

 paper, of the liest method for setting fence posts on 

 frosty land, where every spring the fences are tum- 

 bling over, being liovc up by the frost ? 



Essex, Sept. 20, 1860. R. H. Davis. 



To which you remark thus : — 



"We know of no way to prevent posts being 

 thrown out by frost but to set them so deep that 

 the bottom of the post shall stand on firm ground 

 below where the frost reaches ;" from which I beg 

 leave to differ, although I may not be correct in 

 my views, having but a short practice in my par- 

 ticular theory. I own a small piece of land which 

 is moist and low, producing good crops of grass, 

 and is called "very heavy" or frosty. I have 

 known the land twenty or more years, and have 

 always noticed the posts being hove up and thrown 

 about in different directions, which led me to the 

 following experiment. 



A year ago last spring some of the posts were 

 so rotten that I procured new ones to replace 

 thera, and on taking up the old ones I noticed 



