1861. 



NEW ENGLAND FAKMER. 



389 



while others, as the Bartlett and Beurre Diel, are 

 nearly denuded of their fruit. 



The damage to apple trees does not appear to 

 be great. Some fruit buds were killed, but the 

 crop was so great last year that comparatively few 

 of them were formed. 



As to peaches, nearly all the old trees are killed 

 outright, while the young trees are making a very 

 vigorous growth. We shall have peaches again 

 in a couple of years, if some other disturbing 

 cause does not intervene. E. C P. 



Somerville, 1861. 



SUMMER. 



The fickle year Is in his golden prime, 

 The world is dreaming in a hazy lustre, 



And round the altar of our summer clime 

 The blushing roses cluster. 



Upon the mountain dwells impassioned light, 

 And in the valley sleeps a shade depressing, 



While fields of waving wealth enchant the sight. 

 Like gold of God's own blessing. 



The plowman rests beneath the wayside tree, 



The stream curls slowly round the hoofs of cattle, 



And o'er the meadow floats the droning bee, 

 Fresh from his flowery battle. 



Soft through the southern meshes of the vine, 

 I hear the birds unto each other calling j 



And in the caslset of the eglantine, 

 The tropic dews are falling. 



Far in the distance rolls the sluggish sea, 

 With not enough of life in all its breathing 



To bid the sail from its rude bounds go free, 

 And spurn its hempen wreathing. 



On all there rests a halo and a hush. 



The spoil of poesy is on the blossom. 

 And Nature's spirit slumbers in a blush, 



Caught from high Heaven's bosom. 



The past and future blend in one sweet sleep. 

 The world's a dream, and care a hidden murmur 



Whose tears, however madly he may weep. 

 Are but the dews of Summer. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 THE BUCKEYE MOWER. 



This morning I witnessed the operations of the 

 Buckeye mower upon the farm of Mr. Haven 

 Ayer. The field contained about two acres, of as 

 handsome herdsgrass, as I have seen, estimated 

 two tons to the acre. About half of it was cut on 

 Saturday, and now stood in cocks, covered with 

 caps, that completely protected it from the wet of 

 last night. The machine was drawn by two 

 horses, weighing about 1100 pounds each. The 

 average time for cutting an acre was about forty 

 minutes. Mr. Ayer drove himself. He told me 

 he liked the machine better than any other that 

 he had used. I know that he has used Allen's 

 and Manny's. His operations strongly confirm 

 what you have said of the beneficial use of mow- 

 ing machines. Near by Mr. A.'s field, I saw Mr. 

 Tilton's wheat, now standing more than four feet 

 high, and promising a rich harvest. 



South Danvos, July 15, 1861. J. w. P. 



tying a stocking about the ankle to keep the toee 



How TO Mulch.— The Editor of the Prairie 

 Farmer while on duty with the "Farm Commit- 

 tee" heard a farmer scolding his hired man for put- 

 ting mulch close to the body of trees, and thinks 

 the following remark worth remembering as a 

 guide to the proper way of applying mulch : "I 

 should as soon think, said our friend Minkler, of 



PREMIUM CROPS OP "WHEAT, 

 The following statements were made by the 

 three farmers to whom premiums were awarded 

 on wheat, by the Hillsborough Co., N. H., Agri- 

 cultural Society. 



The land on which I raised this wheat is about 

 half a mile north of Hillsborough Centre, on a 

 high hill, the highest land cultivated in town, ex- 

 cept in one or two instances, and so windy and 

 cold that corn does not do the best. In 1859 the 

 piece was planted, part corn and part potatoes, 

 and manured with about 50 ox-cart loads of man- 

 ure taken from the barn cellar. Last spring I 

 plowed the land twice, about eight inches deep, 

 and sowed four bushels of wheat, but the seed 

 was threshed in a new machine and injured so 

 that it did not all sprout. The result was that on 

 225 square rods of land I had seventy bushels oi. 

 wheat — making 49 7-9 bushels per acre. 



James M. Wilkins. 



Hillsborough, Nov., 1860. 



The piece contained 1 7-8 acres. Broke in 

 8157. One-half sowed with oats, and the remain- 

 der planted with potatoes, in 1858. In 1859, 

 planted with corn — manure, 20 loads. 1860, 

 sowed with wheat — raised 75 bushels — making 40 

 bushels per acre. Daniel Paige. 



Herewith I respectfully submit to the Commit- 

 tee on Farms and Field Crops a statement of a 

 crop of wheat I raised the present season and en- 

 tered for a premium to the Hillsborough County 

 North Society. The land on which I raised this 

 wheat is situated in the south part of Hillsbor- 

 ough, near the Contocook river ; is a light, loamy 

 soil. Last year the land was planted with corn 

 and manured with a shovelful of manure in the 

 hill, only. Last spring I carted on twelve large 

 ox-loads of long manure from the barn, spread 

 and plowed it in, about seven inches deep, and 

 sowed the wheat about the middle of April. The 

 result was I had thirty-five bushels of good wheat, 

 on just one acre of ground. S. N. Sawyer. 



Ilillsborough, Nov. 7, 1860. 



A Special Manure — Not Patented. — At the 

 Woodbury plowing match Mr. John Daw told the 

 following anecdote : 



Having drained a field where nothing had ever 

 grown before, I was standing near looking at a 

 crop I had there, when a neighboring farmer 

 came up. We had one or two loose farmers in 

 our neighborhood ; one of them, in fact, came 

 from Woodbury, [laughter ;] but that is not the 

 man I am speaking of. He came up to me and 

 said: 



"That is a bootiful crop I How did you get it, 

 sir ?" 



I replied, "Brains." [Laughter.] 



"What ! manure the field wi' brains ?" [More 

 laughter.] 



"Yes." [Renewed laughter.] 



"Goodness, yer honor, where did you get 'um ?" 

 [Roars of laughter.] 



