566 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Dec. 



quite a space between the bottom of the post and 

 the bottom of the hole, which was two feet four 

 inches below the surface. A thought struck me 

 that the post was not raised by the ground heav- 

 ing below the bottom of it, for it was hard and 

 gravelly, but by the soft rich mould, composing 

 the soil, separating from the former and taking 

 the post with it ; consequently, when the frost 

 comes out of the ground, which often thaAvs at 

 the bottom first, the soft mud settles under the 

 post, enough to prevent its settling back into its 

 place. 



I then tried the following plan, which has so 

 far fully sustained my views. I dug a hole two 

 and a half feet square to the hard bottom, which 

 in some places was not two feet deep, and carried 

 the soil to my yard, which repaid me for the extra 

 labor. I then got a load of gravel, very similar 

 in nature to that under the post, (which should 

 be alike, to prevent separation,) placed the post 

 butt down, after tapering it a little about six 

 inches at the bottom, filled in the gravel, punch- 

 ing it in with an iron bar, it being better than 

 tamping with a blunt instrument. I cannot dis- 

 cover that they have started in the least. Last 

 spring I set half a dozen more the same Avay, ex- 

 pecting good results from the experiments. I 

 think the softer the ground, the larger the hole 

 should be. N. F. Robinson. 



Brimfield, Oct. 23, 1860. 



Remarks. — We are glad the inquiry about the 

 throwing out of posts by frost has drawn out the 

 information that friend Robinson had in his pos- 

 session. 



For the New England Farmer. 



LETTER FROM GROTOOT. 



"The fairest apple hangs on the topmost branch." 



Yes, so it is said ; and who has not seen in the 

 centre of some fertile valley, protected from the 

 chilly winds, a large, flourishing tree, whose gold- 

 en fruit, on the heavily laden boughs, seems day 

 by day to gather additional size and beauty ? But 

 as the eye glances on this luxuriance, it cannot 

 fail of resting Avith a more than admiring gaze on 

 one apple, which is not only conspicuous by its 

 high and lofty station, but also by its superior 

 form and richness of color. And what is said of 

 this tree and this "topmost"' apple, may be said 

 of all trees and their fruit the present year in this 

 town and vicinity. The fruit harvest is a very 

 large one, and mostly gathered, and, what is not 

 designed for winter use, is being dried and made 

 into cider. Several orchards in this vicinity, and 

 among them is the one to which the "axe Avas laid 

 to the roots," a scraper to the trunks, and a saw 

 and pruning-knife to the branches of the trees 

 thereof, last February and March, yield from 

 three hundred to a thousand bushels of fine fruit, 

 and from ten to fifty barrels of cider, each. 



Well, "harvest home" is the song, and the 

 summing up of the harvest account, is the only 

 remaining pleasant duty of the husbandman. The 

 harvest, as a whole, is a bountiful one, although 

 the rot and rust have affected the potatoes, more 

 or less, and the severe frost of the first of the 

 month the corn. 



A most terrific thunder-storm, accompanied 



with wind, hail and rain, passed over this town 

 at about two o'clock on the afternoon the 26th 

 ult. The storm lasted about one hour during 

 which time the peals of thunder were very heavy, 

 flashes of lightning unusually vivid ; the hail- 

 stones large, some measuring one inch or more in 

 diameter, completely covering the ground in a 

 few minutes, causing considerable damage to the 

 glass in several dwellings at North Groton. Since 

 the storm, the weather has been exceedingly mild 

 and pleasant, affording an excellent opportunity 

 for plowing and other out-door farm work. B. 

 North Oroton, Nov. 1, 1860. 



SAWD PILLARS. 



I have often witnessed a phenomenon on these 

 sandy plains of Central Asia, which accounts in 

 some measure for the innumerable sandy mounds 

 that are found in some regions. When seen at a 

 distance for the first time, it made a strong im- 

 pression on my mind. About twenty pillars were 

 in view, Avheeling round and licking up the sand. 

 As they passed along, a cloud of dust was raised 

 on the ground, apparently eight or ten yards in 

 diameter. This gradually assumed the form of a 

 column, that continued to increase in height and 

 diameter as it moved over the plain, appearing 

 like a mighty serpent rearing his head aloft, and 

 twisting his huge body into contortions in his ef- 

 forts to ascend. The pillars were of various sizes, 

 some twenty or thirty feet high, others fifty, sixty 

 and one hundred feet, and some ascended to 

 near two hundred feet. As the whirlwinds began 

 gathering up the dust, one might have fancied 

 that antediluvian monsters were rising into life 

 and activity. The smaller ones seemed to trip it 

 lightly over the plain, bending their bodies in 

 graceful curves as they passed each other ; while 

 those of larger dimensions revolved with gravity, 

 swelling out their trunks as they moved onward, 

 till the sandy fabric suddenly dissolved, forming 

 a great mound, and creating a cloud of dust that 

 was swept over the desert. — Atldnsori's Travels 

 in the Amoor. 



Rather Strong. — Col. Haraszthy makes the 

 following statement in an address at the fair of 

 Sonoma county, California : 



"Why, sir, every profession and trade through- 

 out the Union has its schools and colleges, and 

 those who Avish to become proficients in their spe- 

 cial pursuits, undergo a regular process of train- 

 ing. The farmer alone — to whom above all the 

 others perhaps 'knowledge is poAver' — is left to 

 Jeel his way in the dark." 



We had supposed that there were many "trades 

 throughout the Union" no better off for "schools 

 and colleges" than is agriculture. 



A Bond of Union. — A writer for the Home- 

 stead makes the following statement : 



"My richest neighbor and poorest neighbor 

 meet upon a common ground of fondness for cel- 

 ery ; under the shelter of that vegetable spring 

 up and flourish a variety of social feelings and 

 neighborly courtesies." 



