116 



NEW ENGLAND FAEMER. 



March 



cost of crops was very difficult to ascertain, and 

 cited Mr. Colman in point. There was much 

 vagueness about crops, and he hoped that farmers 

 would give us an accurate account of the net prof- 

 its of an acre of corn. We want all the facts 

 about it. In England they knew more about theii- 

 crops than we do here. We need experiments. 

 As to roots, he said he could raise turnips and 

 mangold wurtzels better than any other crop. The 

 mangolds grow well, and at half the cost of the 

 carrot crop, and he had grown 95 tons upon three 

 acres. Yet Mr. Allen — the reputed father of 

 farming in his county — thought root-raising a 

 piece of folly. Mr. Davis said he prepared his 

 land for the turnij) crop from the first to the tenth 

 of June, and could raise from 800 to 900 bushels 

 per acre. If turnips make more milk, it is not so 

 good as from the mangold. He again requested 

 gentlemen to give to him an actual account of the 

 cost of any crop. 



Mr. Geary, of Oregon, being called upon by 

 the chair to offer a few remai-ks, said he was not a 

 practical farmer, but was conversant with that 

 country, though its aspects were difficult to de- 

 scribe. Oregon was five degrees north of us, yet 

 the winters were milder than in Massachusetts, 

 and farmers frequently marked their cattle and let 

 them provide for themselves during this season. 

 The valleys, and lofty mountains perpetually 

 capped with snow, were there very beautiful to 

 behold. While the Avinters were milder the sum- 

 mers were not so hot as with us. The cereals are 

 there produced in great quantity, and wheat grows 

 very well. It is a singular fact that there is no 

 lime in the soil, yet their eggs have shells and men 

 grow with bones ! The fine silex of the soil makes 

 the wheat very strong, while some of the heads 

 measure from 6 to 8 inches in length. The pro- 

 duct was about 20 bushels to the acre ; had seen 

 50. He had a piece of land into which he har- 

 rowed wheat in February, which produced from 

 year to year without manure, 40, 35, 40 and 45 

 bushels in succession. Wheat is best when sown 

 in June, and gathered the next year, as it makes 

 the best flour. Orchards grew very rapidly there, 

 and produced fruit five years from the bud. Pears 

 and plums did well also, but peaches were a fail- 

 ure. Indian corn, though not in a favorable po- 

 sition, is assimilating to the climate and soil. The 

 cultivated grasses grow well, but are not needed. 

 The land, however, was not so rich as in Illinois 

 and some of the Western States. Fir trees were 

 frequently seen 10 feet through and 100 yards 

 high! The timber is used fi)r spars, rails, Szc. 

 Pitch and turpentine are also produced. The yew 

 tree is very valuable for posts. Mr. G. also gave 

 a description of the bays, and said Oregon would 

 yet be one o^ the great depots of the world. In 

 some districts there were ashes on the soil, and 



such spots were very fertile. In this connection 

 he instanced the fact — upon the best authority — 

 of a crop of 1100 bushels of potatoes to an acre ! 

 Spots of alkalies were very common, and in-iga- 

 tion in some cases was needed. Gold has likewise 

 been discovered in some localities, but is Avorth 

 only from $8 to $12 per ounce, and the rivers 

 which contain it all flow from a certain point. In 

 conclusion, the speaker hoped to be excused for 

 wandering from the real question in what ^he had 

 presented the meeting. 



Mr. De Witt, of Agawam, had had some ex- 

 perience in raising turnips, and spoke well of them. 

 But when fed to cows for milk, he thought some 

 meal should be given in advance. He also advo- 

 cated the raising of green corn fodder, planted 

 thick, for cows. 



The time for adjournment having arrived, the 

 chairman announced the next subject for discus- 

 sion : Neat Stock — the adaptation of dijfcrent 

 Breeds to different localities and purposes. Mr. 

 Howard, of the Boston Cultivator, would preside. 

 — Adjourned. 



COE'S SUPERPHOSPHATE OF LIME. 



The following letter from Hon. Marshall P. Wil- 

 der, one of the most eminent agriculturists in New 

 England, gives a very gratifying account of some 

 experiments with Coe's Superphosphate of Lime : 



Dorcliester, Kov. 20, 1861. 

 Dear Sir: — I take pleasure in enclosing, for 

 your examination, some facts in regard to the com- 

 parative vahic of tlie superphosphate of lime, pur- 

 chased of you last spring. 



Experiments on Old Moivhig Land. ' 

 This land was divided into three equal lots, of 

 one-fourth of an acre each, and dressed as follows : 



Hay Product. 



No. 1, with one-half cord manure, valued at $3,00 861 lbs. 



No. 2, with 100 lbs. puano, " " 3,00 750 lbs. 



No. 3, with 100 lbs. Coe's superphosphate of 



lime, valued at $2,50 948 lbs 



Experiments u-ith Carrots. 

 This land was old sward land, turned over last 

 fall, and was divided into throe equal lots of one- 

 eighth of an acre each. 



Product.. 



No. 1, with l'< cords manure, valued at $8,00 75 bush. 



No. 2, with 50'lbs. pfuano, " " 1,50 60 " 



No. 3, with .50 lbs. Coe's superphosphate of 



lime, valued at $1,25 90 bush. 



Experiments on Two Acres of Old Meadow Land. 

 This land had probably never been plowed be- 

 fore. In the month of August last, the brush, 

 brakes, hedge, &c., were taken off, tliesod reversed, 

 and the surface made as level as practicable. It 

 was then seeded down with foul meadow and redtop 

 seed, with 400 pounds of your superphosphate of 

 lime to the acre. Tho seed came up avcII, and at 

 tliis time the grass is so luxuriant and thickly set, 

 that it attracts attention at the distance of half a 

 mile or more, and should the grass not be winter- 

 killed with ice, there will no doubt be a fine crop 

 next summer. In tliis instance, as in many others, 

 the economy of the superphosphate over common 

 barn-yard manure is evident, the cost of the form- 

 er being not more than the expense of carting 



