364 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Aug, 



Potassium. — This is a brilliant silver-white 

 metal, li{?ht enough to swim in water, and so 

 combustible, that it takes fire and burns with a 

 great heat, on falling upon water, however cold, 

 or ice. It is the basis of potash ; and it exists in 

 all soils, as variously compounded with other sub- 

 stances, also in all plants, and in the animal tis- 

 sues. 



Sodium. — This is the basis of soda ; is a dingy 

 whitish metal, comparing in appearance with po- 

 tassium about as copper does with silver; is 

 lighter than water ; floats on water and takes fire, 

 if the water be a little warm, but is not enkindled, 

 like potassium, by cold w^ater or ice. 



Calcium. — This is a yellowish white metal, and 

 is the basis of lime. It is very abundant in all 

 limestone regions. 



Magnesium. — A white, shining metal, the ba- 

 sis of the magnesia of the shops. 



Aluminum. — The basis of clay ; a bright silver- 

 like metal, not easily rusted, having nearly the 

 strength of iron, with little more than the weight 

 of wood. 



Of these elements, it will be perceived that 

 four, oxygen, chlorine, hydrogen and nitrogen, 

 are gases. Four, sulphur, phosphorus, carbon 

 and silicon, are solids, at ordinary temperatures. 

 Seven, iron, potassium, sodium, calcium, manga- 

 nese, magnesium, and aluminum, are metals. — 

 American Farmer's Magazine. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 MOWING MACHINES AND SOBERS. 



Mr. Brown : — I noticed in your paper of June 

 15th, an article about mowing machines, by Mr. 

 Shaw, of Kensington, and also a week later, a re- 

 ply by Mr. Draper. I think that Mr. Draper is 

 about right ; and Mr. Shaw is evidently much 

 mistaken, if he thinks there is no other mower 

 but the Manny that is fit for, or will work on un- 

 even ground. 



I am a young farmer, interested in labor-saving 

 machines. About a year ago, there was a trial of 

 machines at Durham ; and as I thought of buying 

 a machine, I attended the trial for the purpose of 

 examining the various machines there exhibited ; 

 and I formed a very favorable opinion of the Buck- 

 eye machine ; in fact, it was generally acknowl- 

 edged that it did the best work, though many 

 doubted its adaptation to uneven ground, and for 

 this reason purchased the Manny. On my return 

 home from the trial, I told my father that I con- 

 sidered the Buckeye best of all the machines ex- 

 hibited. He immediately purchased a Buckeye 

 machine, with which we cut the last season seven- 

 ty-five acres of grass ; some of the ground was 

 very uneven ; notwithstanding this, the machine 

 worked well, and equaled our expectations. In 

 short, it never failed to work well when the knives 

 were in good order. 



The second time we used the machine, was on 

 a very rocky piece of ground ; the result was, 

 that we broke three knives ; and the next day, 

 the report had gone through the town (by some 

 persons interested in the Manny machine) that 

 we had broken all the knives, and could not use 

 it, &c. We ran the machine against stumps, 

 stones, and bushes, and in one instance broke the 

 draught-chain, (by the way, we used oxen instead 



of horses,) without any apparent injury to the 

 machine. 



We once used th« machine on a very uneven 

 piece of ground, being on a bank by the side of 

 the river, and at an angle of nearly forty-five de- 

 grees ; it did the work well j and a person visit- 

 ing the spot a few days after, would hardly be- 

 lieve that a machine could be used on such 

 ground. 



We have taken out rocks (when driving at full 

 speed,) weighing from fifty to eighty pounds each j 

 and where was the machine ? Mr. Shaw will ask. 

 I will answer by saying, that it was going right 

 along, cutting the grass as well as ever. 



I don't pretend to say that driving against such 

 obstacles may not injure the machine ; but I do 

 say that every hassock, &s Mr. Shaw indicates, 

 will not stop the machine. 



I am in no way interested in the sale of mow- 

 ing machines, and will not attempt to put down, 

 or speak against any machine ; but will only 

 speak of the merits of the Buckeye, which I know 

 from experience. 



I did not think of writing till after reading Mr. 

 Shaw's article. I think that too much confidence 

 is often placed in the recommendations of agents, 

 and thereby that persons about to purchase ma- 

 chines are deceived. My advice to persons about,, 

 to purchase machines, is to be present at some 

 trial and judge for themselves. 



I notice that some of our young apple trees are 

 troubled by the borers. Can I do any better than 

 to dig them out ? Would not ashes, or some- 

 thing similar (if placed around the trees at set- 

 ting) prevent the mischief? Perhaps you, or 

 some of your subscribers can give the desired in- 

 formation. V. M. Coleman. 



Newington, N. S.. June 25, 1861. 



Remarks. — Destroy the borers with a wire, or 

 something else. Ashes will not prevent their 

 depredations. 



For the Ntw England Farmer. 

 HOW TO GET TUBNIPS. 



Mr. Editor : — As I was passing through Mid- 

 dleton to Andover, yesterday, I noticed on the 

 margin of the brook, near the residence of the 

 venerable Deacon Stiles, (now near eighty years 

 old,) several acres covered with a verdant green. 

 On inquiry, I found these acres were cultivated 

 by his son, Mr. Hiram O. Stiles, with turnips, 

 an article that he has supplied to our market ear- 

 lier and better than any other man, for a half 

 dozen years last past. 



I was curious to learn of him how this culture 

 was carried on. He unreservedly told me how 

 he managed ; and at the same time said others 

 could do the same if they would take the same 

 care he did. First, he plows with a Michigan 

 plow, about eight inches deep, and thoroughly 

 pulverized the soil, applying at the same time a 

 moderate dressing of well-fixed manure ; some- 

 times a little guano, and all the ashes he can 

 readily command. Having levelled the surface, 

 he distributes the seed in rows about sixteen inch- 

 es apart, and thins out the plants, so as to leave 

 sufficient space for the bulbs to expand. He 

 takes care that no weeds are on the ground, be- 



