1861. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



269 



season. I never have seen, in all the remarks 

 published, one reason for disbelieving it. If the 

 comparison of Mr. Baker with "the man in the 

 moon" is sufficient against facts, then the matter 

 is settled. But I have facts to show that timber, 

 saplings, or anything else of wood kind, is great- 

 ly affected for the better when cut at that partic- 

 ular season. Whether "the man in the moon," 

 or the moon itself, or the man who wields the axe, 

 or the axe itself, is the cause, I do not know. 

 When "Essex" has made one fair experiment, and 

 finds there is nothing but moon in it, then he 

 may cry moonshine. Till then 1 consider him 

 "bevon'd the record." Otis Brigham. 



Wesfboro\ March, 1861. 



TO PREVENT A HORSE FROM "INTERFERING." 



I have taken some pains to ascertain the prac- 

 tice of blacksmiths in this region, and find that 

 the almost universal remedy for interference is to 

 pare the outside of the hoof and thicken the in- 

 side of the shoe. The object being to produce a 

 slight outward curvature of the fetlock joint. 



A remedy sought in this way, if indeed it should 

 ever prove a remedy, would be at the expense of 

 a firm natural step, and all beauty of action. But 

 this is not all ; for the twisting of the fetlock, 

 and coffin joints Avill be very likely to produce a 

 weakness in those parts in consequence of the un- 

 equal strain upon the muscles. 



Now a much more philosophical cure for inter- 

 ference will be found in the reverse of the above 

 practice. That is, paring the iKside of the hoof 

 and thickening the outside of the shoe ; thereby 

 causing the animal to assume a wider position of 

 the feet, both in standing and travelling. 



If any one doubts, let him try the experiment 

 for himself. C. A. Whitaker. 



Hancock, N. E., 1861. 



PROLIFIC SHEEP. 



In February, 1843, a sheep (part merino and 

 part native) about six years old, belonging to T. 

 Andrews, Esq., brought two lambs at a birth. 

 In xVugust following the same sheep brought an- 

 other lamb, and suckled it into January, 1844 — 

 and in February, 1844, (about the middle,) she 

 brought two more lambs at a birth — making five 

 lambs within the year ; all the lambs lived or 

 were raised until fit for the butcher, and were fine 

 healthy lambs. 



There were also two other sheep, mixed breed, 

 rather more merino than the first-mentioned, and 

 who had each a lamb in February, 1843 — in Au- 

 gust following, each a lamb — in early part of 

 March, 1844, one of the same sheep had two more 

 lambs, and the other had one, making twelve 

 lambs from three sheep in a few weeks over a 

 year. 



The lambs born in February, 1843, ran with 

 the sheep until sold to the butcher in July, 1843. 

 Sheep are now in good ordei', but have had no 

 extra keep except a few turnips in 1843. 



Ipswich, Sept. 12, 1844. 



LARGE STEERS. 



Mr. Danlel Cushman, of Wilmington, Vt., 

 has a pair of steers, coming six years old, which 

 can't be beat in Windham Co., perhaps not in 

 New England. They are the best shaped cattle I 



ever saw, and as near perfect as any creatures can 

 be. Their weight in October last, was 5400 lbs.; 

 in January, 5800 lbs. They now weigh not far 

 from 6000 lbs., and are growing as fast as at 

 any time. I understand that he intends keeping 

 them over another year. They have had but lit- 

 tle meal yet. They now bid fair to become the 

 largest pair of cattle ever raised in New England. 

 Mr. Cushman has some more very fine stock at 

 his barn, which I have not time to notice. They 

 are of Durham blood. b. d. w. 



Wilmington, Vt., April, 1861. 



For tJie New England Farmer. 



■WHAT KIND OF CORN SHALL "WE 

 PLANT ? 



Mr. Editor : — The above important question 

 has been often asked. It was repeated not long 

 since by one of your correspondents, and answered 

 by him with great apparent confidence, that he 

 had found the truth. I am not about to say his 

 opinion is not correct. There are too many con- 

 tingencies of soil, season, culture, etc., to allow a 

 direct answer. But I cannot perceive a relation- 

 ship so near as third cousin, between his prem- 

 ises and his conclusion. He takes 10 ears of 

 eight rowed corn, 10 of ten rows, and 10 of the 

 large twelve rowed kind — fair specimens, I have 

 no doubt. He weighs them, shells them, and 

 weighs the cobs. What is the result ? Why 

 simply this, the ears of the large twelve rowed 

 kind are larger than the ears of the smaller eight 

 rowed kind, and have more cobs in pi'oportion to 

 the corn. There are varieties of the twelve rowed 

 corn both small and early, more so than some of 

 the eight rowed, but these are not the kinds in 

 question, as is evident both from the common 

 use of the terms and the results of the experiment. 



Suppose, sir, you take ten Durham oxen and 

 ten Devons, or ten South Down wethers and ten 

 Merinos, and find that the Durhams and South 

 Downs are heavier than the others. What have 

 you proved, except that the larger kinds are larger 

 than the smaller. You have proved that your 

 selection was a fair one, as the results are in ac- 

 cordance with the known laws of the species. 



But your correspondent having proved that ten 

 larger things are larger than ten smaller ones, 

 goes on to suppose that each hill will produce five 

 such ears, &c. Ah ! "there is the rub." Will 

 each hill, or each rod, of the difi^erent varieties 

 produce five, or the same number whatever it 

 may be, of such ears ? 



The advocates of the small and early varieties 

 of corn admit fully the truth established by the 

 experiment of weighing, &c., and put against this 

 three items deduced from observation and from 

 the known laws of vegetable life. 



1. The smaller varieties will bear planting much 

 thicker. No man puts out dwarf pear trees at the 

 same distance he would standards, or the early 

 York cabbage and the Drumhead with equal spa- 

 ces. So an acre of ground will carry to full per- 

 fection, at least one-quarter more hills of the 

 common eight rowed corn than of the large 

 twelve rowed variety. 



2. The same number of stalks, other things 

 being equal, will bring a much larger number of 

 ears. There seems to be a regular gradation from 



