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NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Nov. 



American markets, a supply before want stares 

 them in the face, and it is too late to transport 

 grain from the AVest. 



Now look at these facts, and say what is the in- 

 terest of England. Is it to interfere against the 

 Union, and so get neither cotton nor corn — noth- 

 ing but a war which shall desolate her commerce, 

 or is it to help us to a speedy restoration of con- 

 stitutional government, and the friendly recipro- 

 cities of peace with the nations ? 



Our belief is that the London Times is not the 

 exponent of England's opinion, whether, as is 

 whispered, that paper be owned by the Roths- 

 childs or not. We believe the heart of England 

 sympathizes with the North, with law and order, 

 with the higher civilization, with Freedom, and 

 freedom for all classes, without regard to color. 

 Her government foolishly blundered in its haste 

 to recognize the rebels as belligerents, which a 

 decent regard for national courtesy would at least 

 have postponed till the arrival out of our new 

 minister, Mr. Adams. Still the English Govern- 

 ment is usually wise and just, and her interest is 

 with us in this controversy. Let us hope that 

 she may soon see it to be so, and so conduct her- 

 self in this time when we are naturally over sen- 

 sitive to foreign criticism, that no jealousy or ha- 

 tred shall spring up between nations connected 

 by so many ties of interest, of feeling and of 

 blood. And let the farmers, whose duty requires 

 them to remain at home in this crisis, understand 

 that the strength of the nation is with them, and 

 that at this moment, the highest security our gov- 

 ernment has for the friendship of foreign nations, 

 is in the abundance of the products of our soil. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 THE BUNCE STRA^WBERRY. 



Mr. Editor : — We notice in the N. E. Farmer 

 for Sept. 21st some questions concerning the 

 Bunce strawberry, as cultivated by us, with re- 

 sults as published in the Farmer for Aug. 24, 

 which we will answer with pleasure. 



The ground on which they grew is a granite 

 soil, moderately moist, on the border of what was 

 once a swamp hole, covered with bushes and 

 brakes. It has never been trenched or subsoiled, 

 but simply plowed with a common plow. 



In 1859 it was planted with potatoes, manured 

 lightly in the hill, with compost from the barn- 

 cellar. 



In the spring of 18G0 it was plowed and har- 

 rowed, and in June furrowed ; the furrows run- 

 ning north and south, three feet apart. We then 

 spread compost from the barn-cellar in the fur- 

 rows, probably at the rate of fifteen ox-cart loads 

 to the acre, covering it with a hoe, leaving the 

 ground level. Then set the plants about eighteen 

 inches apart in the rows, and watered them two or 

 three times, as the weather was very dry. Weed- 

 ed them twice during the season, and left them 

 unprotected through the winter, except a small 



portion of the bed, and find those unprotected did 

 the best. 



Last May, (1861,) we made paths ten inches 

 wide between the rows, taking up the plants with 

 a fork of that width. Then, on the thirty square 

 rods, we spread nine bushels of hen dung, (which 

 cost us one shilling a bushel,) mixed with an 

 equal quantity of wood ashes, which must be dry, 

 for if wet and lumpy, they will injure the plants. 

 Then cut away a few of the weakest plants, where 

 they were very thick, with a sharp trowel, so as 

 not to disturb the roots of those left, which was 

 all we did to them till we gathered the berries. 



We never have practiced cutting the runners, 

 as we wished to get what plants we could, and do 

 not know what effect it would have on them. 



What we set last spring, we furrowed four feet 

 apart, and set a double row to each furrow, which 

 we think will be better than three feet with a 

 single row, as it is no more work to cultivate, 

 and there will be more surface covered with 

 plants. Bunce & Co. 



Westford, Mass., Sept. 25, 1861. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 THE BAROMETER. 



Mr. Editor : — For the past few years I have 

 been a constant observer of this instrument, not 

 only for my own instruction and amusement, but 

 to test its value as a thing M'orth purchasing by 

 the farmer. Mine is the Kendall Aneroid. I have 

 had constant opportunity of comparing its opera- 

 tion with the Standard mercurial — and as an in- 

 strument for the use of the majority of farmers, 

 I think the Aneroid Barmeter is far preferable to 

 the latter. It is very sensitive to the change of 

 the weather, and the change is easily noted ; it is 

 not liable to get out of order with fair usage, and 

 may be carried about as easily as a common 

 watch. From what experiments I have had with 

 the barometer, I judge it to be a valuable acqui- 

 sition to the farmer, to aid him the better to car- 

 ry on his operations. He must not expect to be 

 able to avail himself of its indications by a 

 month's observation, if he begins unacquainted 

 with the instrument, and correctly governs his 

 operations thereby, but in a few months' time he 

 will be able — if a close observer — to read its 

 meaning and have a pretty fair idea of what the 

 weather is going to be. In fact, he will soon find 

 out that when any great change of the instrument 

 takes place, a sure change of the weather is com- 

 ing, and the longer he uses the barometer the 

 more confidence he will place in it as a faithful 

 and reliable servant. I will venture to say, also, 

 that after he has used the instrument a year, he 

 would no more think of getting along without a 

 barometer than many other useful and economi- 

 cal "tools of the family." 



The farmer of the present day — and thank God 

 there are such — who expects to make his busi- 

 ness pay, must be "up and dressed" — wide 

 awake — ready to take hold of any and everything 

 which will advance his interest and promote the 

 great objects of his every-day duties. From such, 

 one seldom hears much about hard times ; the 

 tendency of certain classes is to run everything 

 into the ground — the farmer included. He must 

 go into this and take hold of that, and new arti- 



