1861, 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



383 



For the Aew England Farmer. 



BLA-Y-MAKIWa— PIiANTINa ON GREEN 

 SWAKD. 



Mr. Editor : — I was much pleased in the pe- 

 rusal of yoar editorial of June 22d, on "Grass and 

 Hay Making," particularly in the reference to cur- 

 ing hay in cock, rather than by wasting labor, ex- 

 posing the article to showers, and injuring its 

 quality and quantity under a burning sun. A 

 fine field of clover near by, was cut on Monday, 

 cocked on Tuesday, stood until Wednesday week, 

 about 9 days, then opened in flakes, or six forks to 

 a cock, carted and mowed, and a bushel basket 

 would hold the heads and leaves that fell off. Its 

 appearance was as fine as when cut, and the labor 

 expended trifling in amount. 



The "New Mode of Planting on Green Sward" 

 I remember to have seen recommended in a far- 

 mer's manual, about 40 years ago. I tried it then 

 and since, and think well of it. In 1848 or '49, 

 while superintending the manufacture of the 

 Prouty & Mears plow, at South Boston, a gentle- 

 man from Vermont visited my family ; he spoke 

 of that practice being successfully adopted in his 

 neighborhood, viz. : spreading manure, lopping 

 up back-furrows in sward, planting the top of 

 ridges — but he said there was difficulty in lay- 

 ing the last furrow, with a common plow, and 

 wished he could have one to lay up the two at 

 once. I told him he could have it, made the pat- 

 tern, built the plow, proved it, and found it all 

 right, forwarded it to him and received the cash, 

 the plow being satisfactory. Hundreds have been 

 built since for home and Cuba market. They 

 may now be had of Messrs. Nourse, Mason & Co., 

 Boston, under the name of "Prouty & Mears Mid- 

 land Plow" — that is the true Centre Draft Plow, 

 drawing from the centre of opposing forces — do- 

 ing its work equally on each side — as truly as the 

 centre of gravity of a plum-bob is supported by 

 the line by which it is suspended. The interest 

 of the farming community would be advanced by 

 a better acquaintance with that plow, and its gen- 

 eral introduction. John Mears, 



The Old Plow Maker. 



South Ahington, July 5, 1861. 



Remarks. — We are glad to hear from this vet- 

 eran plow-maker, and especially so to find him 

 approving our suggestions. Mr. Mears has been 

 a public benefactor — ^long may he live in the en- 

 joyment of his well-earned fame. 



DITCHING WITH A PLO-W. 



It is often said that, "where there's a will, 

 there's a way ;" and if American farmers have a 

 will to drain oS the superfluous water from their 

 farms, there can be little doubt that they will 

 find, or make a way, to do so. The following ex- 

 periment in the ditching line by a New Hamp- 

 shire farmer is reported in the Journal of Agri- 

 culture : 



In the first place, I plow two furrows, and 

 throw them out ; this makes the ditch wide 

 enough at top. I then plow two more and throw 

 them out. The ditch is then twelve or fifteen 

 inches deep, and one ox can no longer walk in it 



with the other on the surface. I then take a 

 stout-piece of timber, say five or six inches square, 

 (a round stick would do as well) and twelve or 

 fifteen feet long. I then lay it across the ditch 

 and hitch a yoke of oxen on each end, so that the 

 timber serves as a long whiffietree, with the plow 

 chained in the middle ; and as the ditch grows 

 deeper, the chain is let out longer. In this way, 

 there would be no trouble in plowing six feet 

 deep. The only difl^culty is, in keeping the oxen 

 nearly abreast ; as it is new work for them. But 

 by taking light furrows at first, they soon learn. 

 I use for this purpose one of the iron beam, 

 "Washington" plows, as they are called, made, I 

 believe, in Concord. It requires a new point, or 

 one as good as new. After running the plow 

 through two or three times, throw out the loose 

 earth and plow again. 



EXTRACTS AND REPLIES. 

 CATTLE CHEWING BONES. 



Can 5'ou tell me, through your paper, the cause 

 of cattle gnawing the fences, barns, and every old 

 board that they can find, bones, old leather, &c. ? 

 My cattle have done so for the last six months, 

 and I know not what to do for them ; they lose 

 their flesh, and their eyes look bad. Any infor- 

 mation in regard to it would be gratefully re- 

 ceived. Grantham. 



Grantham, JV". H., July, 1861. 



Remarks. — When cattle are found chewing 

 such substances as you mention, they have an ap- 

 petite occasioned by the want of some substance 

 which the system needs for its full and healthy 

 development. When cows have long fed upon 

 the same pastures, the food they get there lacks 

 some important elements that they must have, or 

 become sick, and when they are found chewing 

 bones, it is evident that something is lacking. In 

 such cases they should have, first, all the salt 

 they will eat ; then collect all the bones you can 

 find, put them in the hot stove oven until they 

 are thoroughly dry and become brittle, then 

 pound them as fine as meal if you can, and lay 

 before the animals. If they refuse to eat it in 

 that form, mix a little with meal and feed in that 

 form. The animals need phosphate of lime and 

 other bone-forming materials, of which, by con- 

 stant cropping, the fields and pastures have be- 

 come greatly exhausted. Bone-meal may be pur- 

 chased at the agricultural warehouses in any 

 quantity. 



BUCK CHAMPION OF VERMONT. 



Mr. H. T. Bucklin, of Sudbury, Vt., recently 

 attended a shearing in the State of Ohio, with his 

 famous Buck Champion, of Vt., which sheared 30 

 pounds of wool, (being less than one year's 

 growth.) His carcass weighed, after being shorn, 

 105 pounds, giving him a pound of wool to 3^ 

 pounds of carcass. His blood is pure Spanish 

 merino. The sheep and fleece are on exhibitioa 

 at his residence in Sudbury. A SUBSCRIBER. 



Brandon, Vt., July 8, 1861. 



