826 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



July 



BUSHES — HAY-CAPS — ASHES, ETC. 



I have a pasture somewhat grown to bushes. I 

 Intend to put sheep on to it one year from this 

 time. I wish them to kill the bushes ; shall I do 

 anythinfjf with the bushes at present ? Can I do 

 better than to mow them one year from next Au- 

 gust. If so, what? (a.) 



What is the best size for hay caps — will good 

 cotton cloth answer the purpose ? [b.) 



Will green grass, if free from extraneous 

 moisture, take any hurt if put in the cock and 

 covered with caps for a few days — that is, does it 

 really require any making before being put into 

 cocks ? {(■.) 



How much buckwheat should be sowed to turn 

 in as a green crop ? (d.) 



Can two crops be turned in, in one season ? (e.) 



Which will be the most valuable to turn under 

 — one good clover crop or two of buckwheat ? 



What is the relative value of leached and un- 

 leached ashes for manure on light sandy loam? 



New Bedford, 5 Mo. 15, 1861. b. w. n. 



Remarks. — (a.) Yes — mow them in June, and 

 the sheep will then browse the new shoots and 

 greatly retard the growth. 



(b.) Take twilled cotton, worth nine cents a 

 yard — cut off two pieces each six feet long — sew 

 them together and hem the ends. Turn over the 

 corners so as to make a loop — into this place 

 twine to run the pin through. 



(c.) We never have placed caps over green 

 grass. Should think three warm days and nights 

 would spoil it. Try it yourself, and let us know 

 the result. Grass pretty well wilted, and then 

 covered for a proper time, makes the best hay — 

 it retains much of its peculiar fragrance, or 

 aroma. 



(d.) From six to Qight pecks. 



(e.) Yes, under favorable circumstances. 



We are not able to answer either of the two 

 remaining questions. We should be glad to pay 

 25 cts. per bushel for 100 bushels of good un- 

 leached ashes, or 15 cts. per bushel for the same 

 amount of leached. 



ashes and lime for corn and wheat. 



I am going to farming by your paper. They 

 don't manure the land here. I have none to put 

 on at present. I can get plenty of wood ashes 

 and lime. Will that do for upland, sandy or clayey 

 and soil ? Be so good as to let me know the best 

 way it is put on for corn and wheat, if it will do. 

 Matthew Stuart. 



Osage, Crawford Co., Mo., May 19, 1861. 



Remarks. — Ashes and lime are excellent. Sow 

 the lime broadcast at the rate of ten bushels, 

 slaked, per acre ; more will do no harm. Put a 

 handful of ashes in the hill, and mix it with the 

 earth a little before dropping the corn upon it. 

 Or, if you plant with a "planter," scatter the 

 ashes and harrow it in. In hoeing, put a handful 

 of ashes round the corn, once or twice during the 

 season. 



hay caps. 



Please give in your valuable paper the compo- 

 nents of the preparation to dip hay caps in, for 

 the benefit of self and others in this neighbor- 

 hood, who are thinking of trying their luck in the 

 thing. Peter Woodcock. 



Marshfeld, May, 1861. 



Remarks. — We know of no composition to 

 cover hay caps. These are sometimes spread 

 with linseed oil — but even that is unnecessary, 

 unsafe, and makes them inconvenient to handle 

 and take care of. If covered with oil, there will 

 be some danger of spontaneous combustion if the 

 caps are packed away in a body, in a dry place. 

 If you use good twilled cotton, worth 8 or 10 cts. 

 a yard, no covering is necessary. It will shed the 

 rain effectually during a storm of a week, if well 

 put on a cock of hay or stook of grain. The cock 

 should be made high and peaked, so that after 

 the hay has settled, there may be a sharp descent 

 on the sides of the cloth for the descent of the 

 water. 



A patent fastener, with India rubber stretchers, 

 is now made by Chase Brothers, of this city, 

 which keeps the cap drawn tight over the cock as 

 fast as the hay settles ; they may be purchased for 

 about six cents per cock, that is, four of them. 



CULTURE OP THE GRASSES. 



I was pleased to see in your paper this morn- 

 ing the brief notice of "L. B.'s" remarks upon the 

 culture of grasses. I look upon this topic as one 

 of great interest to farmers, and one that has 

 hitherto been very much neglected. So far as 

 my observation has extended, farmers generally 

 have been too sparing of their seed. 



Here let me say that my family lately received 

 from a lady of N. H., (too diffident to be named) 

 a firkin of 40 lbs. of the nicest butter I ever saw, 

 made and put up by herself, (within the last 

 month.) How she managed to make butter so 

 nice, at the season of the year, I am not advised. 

 Perhaps the same correspondent, who so well 

 understands the nature of grasses and also every 

 other agricultural topic to which his pen is ap- 

 plied, will be able to tell us how to make but- 

 ter of the nicest quality, and preserve it in the 

 winter time. I do not expect he will be able to 

 make a pound from each and every four quarts 

 of milk given, as some pretend they can ; but if a 

 pound can be obtained from each ten quarts of 

 milk, I shall be satisfied. J. w. p. 



South Daiivers, May 25, 1861. 



CULTURE OF GRASSES. 



I have read with interest the sound, practical 

 remarks of "L. B." in the New Hampshire Jour- 

 nal (f Agriculture, on this subject. It is one on 

 which our farmers might profit by his sugges- 

 tions. They have so long gone on sowing a lit- 

 tle herds grass — a little clover, and less red-top — 

 and relied upon this sowing as the basis of their 

 grass crop, that they have no conception that 

 anything better can be done. 



It is perfectly clear that without seed is plant- 



