:72 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



April 



The Hermit Thrush is seven inches in length, 

 and ten and a half in extent ; upper parts deep 

 olive brown, the tail quite ferruginous ; beneath 

 dull white, the breast cream color, with pointed, 

 dark brown spots. Four of the American Thrush- 

 es are so closely allied in size, color and habits, 

 that an inexperienced observer would find diffi- 

 culty in distinguishing between them, except by 

 actual and careful comparisons ; the present spe- 

 cies, the Wood Thrush, the following species, and 

 the Veery or Wilson's Thrush, which will be de- 

 scribed in the next number. 



The Olive-Backed TiiKUsii {Turdus olivaceus, 

 Girand,) closely resembles the Hermit Thrush in 

 size, color and general markings, to which it is 

 closely allied. According to De Kay, this spe- 

 cies was first detected by a young and very zeal- 

 ous ornithologists, the late H. C. De Riiam, who 

 perished from fatigue and exposure under the 

 burning sun of Carolina, while pursuing his fa- 

 vorite science. It is supposed by Mr. Girand, 

 who first described it in h.i^ Birds of Long Island, 

 that it probably proceeds farther north than the 

 Hermit Thrush. Two specimens of this Thrush 

 are now preserved in my collection of New Eng- 

 land birds, that were shot last May, both at a con- 

 siderable distance from any woods, but were pro- 

 bably on their passage from one piece of forest 

 to another. A Thrush, generally thought to be 

 the Wood Thrush, took up its residence in the 

 Court Square of this city last May, and from the 

 majestic elms and elegant maples that adorn it 

 poured forth his musical strains undisturbed by 

 the din incident to the life and business of a stir- 

 ring city, for several weeks. My friend, B. Hos- 

 FORD, a close observer of our native birds, and 

 whose opinion in ornithological matters is enti- 

 tled to respect, though there was a general resem- 

 blance in its song to that of the Wood Thrush, 

 affirms that not a single note of this bird's song 

 corresponded with the well known lay of the 

 Wood Thrush ; so that I have thought it proba- 

 ble that this bird might have belonged to the pre- 

 sent species, so contrary is it to the nature of the 

 Wood Thrush to be found in such a situation. 



Springifield, Jan., 1861. J. A. A. 



For the New England Farmer. 



ITALIAN, OR CBIMSON CLOVEB. 



Mr. Brown : — In the monthly Farmer for 

 January, I noticed a well executed engraving of 

 the flower and leaves of the Italian crimson clover, 

 accompanied by you| own remarks, and a com- 

 munication from Mr. Everett, in regard to it. I 

 had a paper of the seed sent to me, a few years 

 since, from the Patent Office, which I sowed. It 

 grew luxuriantly, and matured its seed the same 

 year. I have sowed a little, as a border plant, 

 every year since. In your February No., an in- 

 quiry is made whether the seed has to be sown 

 every year. From my own observation and ex- 

 perience, I should say yes I have never seen a 

 root of it throw out leaves in the spring, after it 

 had blossomed the previous year. Your descrip- 

 tion of it, as quoted from Prof. Wilson, is a com- 

 plete one. It is a beautiful looking plant, when 

 in full bloom, and will resist the effects of frost far 

 longer than any other species of clover that I 

 know of. In November last, some young ladies 



gathered it to make wreaths of. Still, in my be- 

 lief, the same root will never produce blossom 

 stalks but once. By sowing late in summer, or 

 in early autumn, as is practiced in Scotland, it 

 would probably live through the winter, and start 

 in the spring. Sown in the spring, it will mature 

 the same year, and that will be the last of it. 



Moody Hobbs. 

 Pdham, N. E., Feb. 5, 1861. 



EXTRACTS AND REPT.TE3. 



A NEW POMa':R WANTED. 



Mr. Brown : — In your editorial of last week, 

 you spoke of the interest manifested by ladies in 

 their husbands' employments as a "new power in 

 agricultural pursuits." Shall we understand by 

 this, that you consider it a neie thing for farmers' 

 wives and daughters to feel an interest in farm- 

 ing, and to enter heartily and intelligently into 

 the husbands' or fathers' plans ? "There is no 

 new thing under the sun," Mr. Brown — and I do 

 sincerely believe that, among the many happy 

 homes of New England, you will find very few 

 where wife and daughters are not ready sympa- 

 thizers and helpers. 



Where should our hearts be, if not with those 

 we love best ? Anna. 



W , Feb., 1861. 



Remarks. — Yes, my dear woman, we do mean 

 to be understood that the power of which we 

 spoke, will be a neiv power in hundreds of homes, 

 and very sorry are we that such is the truth. 

 You are needed, and a hundred more like you, in 

 the homes of farmers, to convince the female por- 

 tion of the family that their true interest lies in 

 a better understanding of the art in which their 

 husbands and brothers are engaged, and that a 

 more cordial sympathy with them is greatly 

 needed. There is a new power needed on the 

 other side of the house, too. The sympathy 

 should be reciprocal. There should be but one 

 interest in the family, and while one has his or 

 her specific charge of certain items of duty, the 

 other should cheerfully recognize and be inter- 

 ested in it. Mutual endeavor should continually 

 strengthen mutual love, into one heart, hand and 

 voice, and then there is nothing on earth so pure, 

 lovely and beautiful, as the family ! 



CRANBERRY CULTURE. 



It is now about 60 years since this valuable 

 fruit has been raised in the eastern part of Mas- 

 sachusetts, but not until about 30 years has it 

 been introduced into the markets as a saleable 

 product. For the last 15 years it has been diffi- 

 cult for merchants to obtain as many as they 

 wanted. I know of merchants who buy large 

 quantities every year, and the export trade is 

 greatly increasing every year. 



This fruit is worth from $10 to $20, and never 

 is lower than $8 per barrel. There are four va- 

 rieties of this fruit. The Bell, Washington, 

 Orange, and the Egg. Although the shapes of 

 these kinds are different, the taste is the same. 



