1861. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



301 



trained a business man, too, he will know how to 

 operate with capital to advantage, better than a 

 man who had only been used to small things in a 

 small way, and never had his mind opened to lib- 

 eral enterprises by sharp contact with the great 

 business world. 



A young man, who has been brought up from 

 early youth to farm labor, and who has a rugged 

 constitution for it, and considerable mind and en- 

 terprise by nature, may buy a farm, say at twenty- 

 five years of age, run largely in debt for it, and in 

 the end pay for his farm and accumulate some- 

 thing besides. A dull head, however, could hardly 

 do that thing, even though he had been trained 

 to manual labor. 



But ] am inclined to think that one who, like 

 yourself, has lived for some time in the city, and 

 been accustomed to other pursuits than farming, 

 should, in entering upon the latter, have some 

 means to work with, over and above his farm. A 

 little floating capital, even, is a very decided help 

 in farming. His success will usually come most- 

 ly from comprehensive and well considered plans 

 of farm-management, a system of thorough cul- 

 ture which shall make his land highly productive, 

 and the shrewd investment of a little money now 

 in this thing, and now in that, in the purchase of 

 this kind of stock, &c., or of that, all which he 

 sees can sooner or later be turned again at an ad- 

 vanced price. In short, with some floating capi- 

 ital in hand, and with the enterprising business 

 views and habits to which he has been trained, 

 he can take advantage of times and seasons in 

 the purchase and sale of things, and adapt his 

 farming operations to them. These remarks are 

 not meant to be in disparagement of any person 

 or class of persons, but to show that diff'erent cir- 

 cumstances require different means and methods 

 to ensure success. 



Should you succeed in suiting yourself with a 

 farm, you may draw on me for such information 

 as I can give you. 



Very truly yours, F. Holbrook. 



For the New England Farmer. 



INSECTS ON FRUIT TREES. 



Mr. Brown : — On looking over my apple trees 

 to-day, in company with a friend from New Bed- 

 ford, I chanced to remark that it was a pity some 

 sure and cheap preventive of the depredations of 

 insects upon our fruit trees and fruit could not 

 be devised that was capable of being applied by 

 the least skilful operator. He surprised me by 

 remarking that he was not sure but that it had 

 already been attained, and instanced an experi- 

 ment of a man of his acquaintance that last sea- 

 son took a piece of light canvas, cut it in the 

 form of a cone, tying the small end around the 

 trunk of the tree, expanding the base with a hoop 

 and smeared it over with tar. This made a bring- 

 ing up place for all such insects as pass up the 

 tree. They were found in large numbers in the 

 folds of the canvas, and they and their larvae des- 

 troyed. A lady visiting in the neighborhood of 

 this gentleman, stated that for two seasons past 

 a man in the vicinity of Providence, R. I., scraped 

 his trees clean of old bark and bugs, then tied 

 cotton batting around the trunk, which has 

 proved, for two years past, a sure barrier to their 



ascent into the tree. The insects become en- 

 tangled in the cotton, deposit their larvae there, 

 and both die without hope of escape. Incredible 

 numbers of them are found all through the loose 

 batting. 



Would it not be well for these simple, reputed 

 remedies to be tried very generally by rdl, on a 

 few trees, even now, and report the result ? The 

 expense is a mere trifle, and the trouble small. 

 Should success attend the experiment, the facta 

 cannot be too widely known. 



Rochester, May 15, 1861. Joseph Coe. 



For the New England Farmer. 



CORN COBS AND COB MEAL. 



Mr. Editor : — An item in a late number, 

 (March 30,) induces me to give my conclusions 

 upon this subject. It used to be our custom to 

 feed a considerable portion of our corn in the 

 form of cob meal, without, however, making any 

 particular experiment to ascertain its comparative 

 value. This plan is now changed, for the follow- 

 ing reasons : 



1. It is too expensive. If the miller is allowed 

 to toll the grain, unless he is more honest than 

 some millers, he is apt to "dip where there is 

 more corn and little cob," and if money is paid 

 for grinding, it is little better. The last time I 

 had corn ground in the ear, I measured six bush- 

 els in my half bushel, which would not have yield- 

 ed over three bushels shelled corn and carried it 

 to a mill whose owner has the credit of being en- 

 tirely honest. This was then passed through the 

 "cracker," and according to his measure, ma^e 

 seven bushels, for grinding which I was charged 

 forty-two cents, or twenty-four cents for grinding 

 the cobs. 



2. Although I consider it very good feed for 

 some animals, it does in some cases produce con- 

 stipation, and doubtless in others is of no value, 

 while such as are likely to be materially benefited 

 by such feed, will eat the cobs readily without the 

 trouble and cost of grinding, and in just such 

 quantities as their appetite demands, without be- 

 ing obliged to take what they do not want in or- 

 der to get the meal. 



3. In feeding growing animals, which require 

 something more bulky than clear corn meal, I 

 prefer a meal made from a mixture of corn and 

 oats, as containing more of the elements required 

 for growth. 



In feeding cobs whole, I have found that milch 

 cows ate them more greedily than other stock, 

 and that in all cases they were better relished by 

 animals which had been kept on old and worn- 

 out pasture, or on hay from similar lands, or 

 which was over ripe. Unless quite green, they 

 are almost always entirely refused by animals in 

 a good sweet spring pasture, and in fresh fall 

 feed, and even some cows will hardly ever eat 

 them at all. 



Allow me to suggest to correspondents, who 

 write such articles as "Economy in Use of Root 

 Cutters," if they would sign their names and give 

 their residence in full, it would give more weight 

 to their recommendation, and we should be able 

 to ascertain whether there was any self-interest 

 in the case. Wm. F. Bassett. 



Ashjield, April 2, 1861. 



