486 



NEW ENGLAND FAHMER. 



Oct. 



SPRING AND WINTER WHEAT. 



The question is asked by some Massachusetts 

 farmers who are getting interested in the raising 

 of wheat, whether spring wheat can be used for 

 fall sowing. 



What is the difference between spring and win- 

 ter wheat ? 



Please answer in next week's Farmer ? 



Sept. 4, 1861. L. B. 



Remarks. — There is probably no difference be- 

 tween spring and winter wheat, except what 

 comes by habit. It would not be well to sow 

 spring wheat in the fall, because it has acquired, 

 bj' some means, the habit of growing best in the 

 fall. And so of fall wheat and of rye. 



QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BUNCE STRAWBERRY. 



Being somewhat interested in the culture of 

 the strawberry, I wish to ask a few questions con- 

 cerning the Bunce strawberry, and the great crop 

 of it grown by the Messrs. Bunce, and should feel 

 obliged if they would answer them. 



1. How was the ground prepared — had it been 

 trenched or subsoiled, or was it simply plowed ? 



2. How much manure was applied ? 



3. What distance apart were the plants set ? 



4. What was the mode of cultivation ? Were 

 the runners cut, or allowed to run into a thick 

 mass? 



I suppose that some of your readers have be- 

 fore this time tried the Triomph de Gand straw- 

 berry, and should be pleased to have them give 

 their opinion of its merits. 



WARTS ON HORSES. 



One of your readers wants a remedy for warts 

 on horses. A strong solution of alum applied dai- 

 ly, will cure warts on cattle, why not on horses ? 

 but if it should fail, muriatic acid will not ; apply 

 perhaps a drop at a time, put it on with a pointed 

 stick being careful not to get any of it either 

 upon the horse's flesh, or your own, and keep it 

 out of the way of children ; a few applications 

 il of will be sufficient. If carefully used it is a 

 perfectly safe and effectual remedy. Tyro. 



Worcester Co., Sept., 1861. 



distemper AMONG TURKEYS — GERMAN TURNIPS. 



^Ir. Wilcox inquires if any of your readers 

 have been troubled with a distemper among their 

 turkeys. I have not, but have had them die in the 

 same way as he describes, and have found that it 

 is caused by a louse on top of the head which eats 

 in so that is difficult to be found unless taken in 

 season ; but that may not be the case with his. 

 The turkey's heads must be oiled. 



One of your subscribers complains that he did 

 not receive any of the German turnip seed of 

 Mr. Coy. I sent stamps and received the seed, 

 so it's no humbug. C. W. Marsii. 



Holden, Sept. 9. 



SMART PULLETS. 



I see you have kindly published my account of 

 profit and loss in raising poultry, which I hope 

 may be a benefit to all poultry raisers, as I be- 

 lieve what has been done, can be done again. I 



now give you a rare case. I have four of this 

 year's pullets that commenced laying about the 

 20th of July. One of them laid about one dozen 

 eggs and then set, brought out six chickens on 

 the 29th of August, and all doing finely. The 

 other three continue to lay — Shanghai breed, and 

 smart at that. James Buffington. 



Salem, Sept., 1861. 



the ketchum mower of 1861. 



Can j'ou, or any of your subscribers who have 

 used the Ketchum Mower for 1861, inform me 

 whether they work better than those of 1860 ? 

 Whether they are less likely to clog, and whether 

 the swing shoe enables the machine to mow clos- 

 er on rough ground ? If you, or any of your sub- 

 scribers can answer these questions, you will con- 

 fer a favor on a Subscriber. 



Tketford, Vt., Sept. 2, 1861. 



Reaiarks. — We have never seen the Improved 

 Ketchum Mower in operation, or heard it de- 

 scribed. If those who have used it will reply to 

 "Subscriber," we will publish their answer. 



MR. COY VINDICATED. 



I would like to say that I think Mr. William 

 Orton's caution in regard to the Sweet German 

 turnip seed is useless. I think his letter or the 

 seed must have miscarried, for I sent a few 

 stamps, and received seed enough for nearly half 

 an acre. I am very much pleased with them, and 

 I would like to know if I can set them in the 

 spring and get seed in season for sowing; if not, 

 I shall have to send Tor more seed. I would rath- 

 er raise four bushels of them than one of carrots. 



New Worcester, Sept., 1861. H. T. Gates. 



Remarks. — See also the letter of Mr. Marsh in 

 this column. 



ANIMA.I. LIFE IN THE OCEAW. 



Dr. Wallich, who accompanied the Bull Dog 

 as naturalist in the recent survey of the North 

 Atlantic, for the proposed telegraph line, made 

 a remarkable discovery. Nearly midway between 

 the north of Ireland and Cape Farewell, sound- 

 ings were obtained of twelve hundred and sixty 

 fathoms. The sounding apparatus, which was 

 of a very perfect description, brought to the sur- 

 face a large mass of coarse muddy mailer, no less 

 than ninety-five per cent, of which consisted of 

 the shelly remains of Globigerina, a genus of 

 Foraminifera — thus testifying that the ocean floor 

 at that locality must be paved by countless mil- 

 lions of these animals, some of which were alive. 

 But more marvellous still, from this great depth, 

 the sounding-line brought up starfish in full ac- 

 tivity, radiant with beauty, which probably en- 

 joyed life though subjected to the enormous pres- 

 sure of a ton and a half on the square inch. This 

 most interesting discovery shows that no limit 

 of life can be drawn in the sea. It has been found 

 that the air on the summit of Etna, twelve thou- 

 sand feet above the sea level, abounds with Di- 

 atomaceai ; and now the ocean, at a depth of up- 

 ward of seven thousand feet, and about five hun- 

 dred miles from Greenland, is found to teem with 

 animals which have hitherto been supposed capa- 

 ble of living only in much shallower water. 



