1861. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



151 



Worcester Agricultural Society. — 

 Through the attention of the President, we have 

 read the Transactions of the Worcester County 

 Agricultural Society for the year 1 860, being the 

 forty-second annual report ! It contains no ad- 

 dress, as has been usual. The first report is upon 

 Sheep — A. G, Hill, Chairman, and says — 



"It has been asserted — and we have no reason 

 to doubt the fact — that to a pasture that will keep 

 a given number of cows, as many sheep may be 

 added without impairing its fertility. And as six 

 sheep require about the same amount of food as 

 a cow, per day, — or 2^ or 3 per cent, of their 

 •weight, — it will be seen that a farmer can pasture 

 a few sheep with his neat stock, with little or no 

 added expense, and at the same time increase the 

 fertility of the land. By stabling our dairy cows 

 at night as is the general custom, our pastures 

 are becoming rapidly exhausted." 



It has a long and excellent report upon Fndt, 

 by Samuel A. Cushing. Is Mr. Gushing ac- 

 quainted with the "Hunt Russet" apple ? 



The officers for 1861 are. President, William 

 S. Lincoln, Worcester. Vice-Presidents, George 

 HoBBs, Worcester; Augustus G. Hill, Har- 

 vard. Recording and Corresponding Secretary, 

 John D. Washburn, Worcester. Treasurer, 

 Charles M. Miles, Worcester. 



Stifle Joint Lameness is apt to affect 

 young colts, and is produced by the wearing away 

 of the toe. It is in fact the dislocation of the pa- 

 tella or knee pan. It is most prevalent when the 

 animal is kept on hard, hilly ground. The best 

 remedy is to have him shod, and remove him to 

 level ground. 



HORTICULTURAL HINTS. 



The Sweet Pea. — One of the most beautiful 

 and fragrant of our annual flowers, is the sweet 

 pea. It is a little singular that it is so little cul- 

 tivated, when we consider how easy its cultiva- 

 tion is, how graceful, varied and beautiful its flow- 

 ers, and how delightful their perfume. The col- 

 ors of the flowers are white, scarlet, rose, purple, 

 variegated and black. A hybrid sweet pea has 

 been raised by an English florist, Capt. Clarke, 

 being a cross between the "painted lady" and 

 "purple sweet pea." This beautiful variety has 

 upper petals of a delicate rose color, and the low- 

 er ones white, with a deep blue edge. 



The sweet pea, in good ground, will grow six 

 feet high, and will make a handsome screen or 

 covering for a fence. They will require a trellis 

 or frame of some sort for support, or they will 

 cling to strings. If brush should be used, as for 

 garden peas, care should be taken to select the 

 best, so that until it is covered with the vines it 

 may be as unobjectionable as possible. At best, 

 however, brush is unsightly, and should never be 

 used if a frame or trellis of any sort can be pro- 

 cured. 



The sweet pea, like the common garden peas, 

 may be planted as early in the season as the 



ground is in fit condition. It will be necessary 

 to plant for succession in June, although if the 

 flowers are cut when they begin to Mither, and 

 not allowed to mature their seeds, they will con- 

 tinue in bloom a great length of time, particular- 

 ly if the season be moist. 



The flowers are valuable for bouquets, being 

 both beautiful in appearance and delicious in per- 

 fume, qualities not often combined in the same 

 flower. — Country Gentleman. 



Growing Hyacinths in Glasses. — The fol- 

 lowing directions are given in the Irish Farmer's 

 Gazette, in answer to an inquiry : 



If your hyacinths are grown in glasses with 

 water, dark colored glasses are best, and the wa- 

 ter should not be allowed to rise more than to 

 touch the bottom of the bulb ; otherwise they will 

 rot. When first put in the glasses, they should 

 be stored away in a dark, cool place, till the roots 

 are about an inch long. If the roots do not grow 

 vigorously, give two or three drops of hartshorn 

 in each fresh supply of water, and put in the glass 

 a small lump of charcoal. The water should be 

 changed every fortnight, or three weeks at far- 

 thest; but to do this the plant must not be taken 

 out, but the glass held horizontally, and the wa- 

 ter poured off. Soft or rain water should always 

 be used. By this mode of treatment, and not 

 keeping them in too warm or close a place, they 

 will bloom beautifully. If you grow them in pots, 

 they should have plenty of light and air, that they 

 be not too much drawn. The bottom of the pot 

 should have plenty of broken tiles in it, to allow 

 of perfect drainage ; and be frequently, but mod- 

 erately supplied with water. It is very destruc- 

 tive to them to be placed in saucers filled with 

 water. The saucers should be kept dry. Any 

 drainage pouring into it from the pot should be 

 removed ; so that the drainage may always be 

 perfect. Whether in pots or glasses, the flowers 

 should be well supported with sticks, or they will 

 get top-heavy, fall down, and get destroyed, and 

 shift the plants round a little every day, to pre- 

 vent them growing to one side. 



Hyacinths. — A correspondent asks us, "Why 

 do hyacinth bulbs, if grown in water, exhaust 

 themselves in a single season, Avhile, if grown in 

 soil, they will last three or four years ?" 



Answer. — The amount of inorganic matter fur- 

 nished by the water is sufficient to give such a 

 result as will last during the season. An organ- 

 ism to be perfect, must be supplied with as much 

 inorganic matter as it is capable of appropriating, 

 to complete itself; in other words, the same 

 amount, and in the same state of progression as 

 that which would be exhibited in the ashes of a 

 healthy plant of the same kind if burnt. — Work- 

 ing Farmer. 



Hardy Climbing Roses. — A good assortment 

 of these are : Prairie Queen, bright rose, very 

 double ; Baltimore Belle, white, clusters. A good, 

 hardy yellow can only be had among the briar 

 sorts, of which the Harrisonii is a fine brilliant 

 variety. For purple, take the Boursault Purpu- 

 rea. Anne Maria, a rosy pink, and Mrs. Hovey, 

 a pure white, are also good sorts. — American Ag- 

 rivullnrist. 



