412- 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Sept. 



gle, with pedicles, they may be under-bound with 

 waxed silk thread. Large warts may be cut out 

 with the knife, and the root fired. 



RUSHES AND TURNIPS, 



1. Can rushes be killed out and kept out of re- 

 claimed swamp land, without its "costing more 

 than it comes to ?" If so, how ? Will bending 

 down and burying them alive and whole, destroy 

 them ? 



2. What is the best method of pulling out ce- 

 dar stumps, G to 10 inches in diameter, on land 

 hardly firm enough to bear up an ox team ? 



Perhaps plowing and draining may be the only 

 remedies for rushes. I have just mowed a piece, 

 nicely plowed some four years since ; some parts 

 are yet good ; in other parts, nine-tenths are rush- 

 es. ' A narrow strip (in the vicinity of a dead 

 furrow, where water stood for weeks in spring,) 

 was covered with gravel two years ago, sown with 

 grass seed, and is, as yet, comparatively free 

 from rushes. E. 



South Framingham, July 24, 1861. 



Remarks. — We do not know about the rushes. 

 The stumps may readily be pulled with Willis' 

 Stump Pullei', as the machine and team may 

 stand on the firm ground, and the chains extend- 

 ed over the soft swamp to the stumps. 



TRIAL OF MOWERS. 



Messrs. Editors : — As there seems to be con- 

 siderable interest in the merits of some of the dif- 

 ferent mowing machines, I send you the inclosed 

 report of the relative power required to move the 

 different mowers in the same grass. 



The Pony is a new machine with two driving 

 wheels and folding-bar. Having used the two- 

 horse two years, and the one-horse the present 

 season, I am astonished to find that it did not 

 draw lighter. I have noticed at several trials the 

 draft varied from 125 to loO pounds only. 



Charles I. Parsons. 



Northampton, July 16, 1861. 



a great rye crop. 



In July, 1859, I had land in grass that gave a 

 very light crop. It was plowed as the grass was 

 taken from it. About the middle of September it 

 was again plowed, and subsoiled, manured, har- 

 rowed and sowed with one bushel of rye to the 

 acre. Grass seed was also put upon it. In July 

 last it was harvested, and was, in February last, 

 thrashed by hand. The product was 91 bushels 

 of rye from 2 acres and 12 rods of ground. The 

 straw from one shock was weighed, and, by tale, 

 there are over 9400 pounds of straw. N. B. w. 



New York, July, 1861. 



a cow with the cramp. 

 Can you or any of your correspondents tell 

 what to do for cramp in cattle ? I have a valua- 

 ble cow that has it severely at times. It takes 

 her in an instant, and entirely disables her. As 

 she was going from the cellar to the barn, it took 

 her in one hind leg and she fell down stairs. 

 Last night, when my cows came up, she was miss- 

 ing ; on searching she was found half a mile from 



home, with no use of one leg, and had to be left 

 over night. She generally gets over it in about 

 twelve hours, but is liable to be taken at any 

 time, without a moment's warning. 

 New Worcester, July, 1861. H. Y. Gates. 



CROPS IN N. H. 



The prospect of crops here is good ; corn, though 

 a little later than some years, hardly ever was 

 better. Grass is first-rate, and with a fair season 

 to get it secured, hay must be abundant and good. 

 The fruit crop, however, is very nearly a failure 

 — there are no cherries, no plums, and I think 

 very few apples. All other farm crops promise 

 well. Simeon Heywood. 



Claremont, N. H., July, 1861. 



"GREAT wool AND LITTLE CRY." 



Mr. J. H. Peters, of this place, sheared from 

 six two-year old ewes, 61^ pounds clean wool; 

 from five yearling ewes 48^ pounds, and from a 

 two-year old buck, an eleven months tleece of 21i 

 pounds wool ! Also, from a fifteen year old ewe 

 8 lbs. 15 oz., said ewe having raised a smart 

 lamb. Mr. Peters' sheep are of the full blood 

 Spanish Merino, and he is meeting with well- 

 deserved success fn his efforts to improve his 

 flocks, his buck lambs being eagerly sought for 

 in this section. Vermont. 



Bradford, Vt., July, 1861. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 THE THRUSHES. 



I have read with interest the articles in the 

 Farmer relating to the birds of New England ; 

 the author shows himself to be well acquainted 

 with his subject. In reading the article in rela- 

 tion to the Thrushes, I could not resist the incli- 

 nation to write out some of my thoughts on the 

 subject. There are, no doubt, many erroneous 

 ideas in relation to these birds, and *'J. A. A." 

 has yet to learn some things about them, I think. 

 There are four species in New England that very 

 much resemble each other, and perhaps more. 

 There is the Hermit Thrush, Wilson's Thrush, 

 the Olive Back Thnish that we have in central 

 Vermont ; the Wood Thrush I have never seen 

 here. The Hermit frequents all our woods, and 

 though rather shy, does not prefer the deepest 

 and thickest forests, but is often seen in open 

 land and pastures. His song is superior to any 

 other bird of the woods. It is a given point, as 

 far as my observations go among the lovers of 

 bird music, that no other bird has so sweet a 

 strain. There is a continued variation at every 

 pouring forth ; say first a low, rich strain, rising 

 higher and higher till it arrives at a mere jingle. 

 There seems to be no end to his variations. The 

 bird will sometimes sing in an under tone, and 

 when near you, while thus singing, the sound 

 would seem to come from a great distance. 



This bird arrives here about the loth of April, 

 and builds its nest about the middle of May ; 

 they also raise broods in June, July and August, 

 as I have found nests in each of those months. 

 Their nests are built on the ground, sunk some- 

 what, so that the top comes a little above its leafy 

 bed. The nest is composed of grass roots, and 



