134 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



March 



their breathing and circulation are shiggish, caus- 

 ing a slow consumption of matter, and tliis matter 

 is supplied by the store, of fat in the system, which 

 is slowly burned up during the winter, and the 

 animals come out in the spring as lank as Pha- 

 raoh's lean kinc. If you put a piece of fat on the 

 fire you will see that it burns with ablaze. "When- 

 ever any organic substance burns v.ith a blaze you 

 may be almost sure that it contains hydrogen. 

 The burning of a substance is simply its combina- 

 tion of oxygen. Whenever an organic substance 

 containing hydrogen is sufficiently heated, it is de- 

 composed, and, as the hydrogen is separated from 

 the other elements, it takes the gaseous form. 

 Rising in this hot state, as it comes in contact with 

 the oxygen in the air, it combines with it — in oth- 

 er words, burns ; one atom of oxygen combining 

 with one atom of hydrogen, and producing water. 

 There is phosphorus in the bones, which, when 

 sei^arated, will burn with a flame, but, almost in- 

 variably, when you see any animal or vegetable 

 substance burning with a blaze — the flame of a 

 lamp, of a kitchen fire, of a burning building — it 

 is hydrogen in the act of combining with oxygen, 

 producing watei". On the other hand, when you 

 see any organic substance burning with a red heat 

 without blaze, iike charcoal or anthracite coal, it 

 is carbon combining with oxygen, and producing 

 generally, carbonic acid. If the blaze produces 

 a good deal of light, you may be pretty sure that 

 the substance contains both carbon and hjdrogen, 

 the light coming principally from the iutensely- 

 heated carbon before it is burned. 



PREPABATIOM" OI" FABMITTQ IMPLE- 

 MENTS. 



The spring is a proper season for looking up and 

 putting in complete repair the various implements 

 required in the management of the farm. As the 

 late spring is a busy season, it ought to bo a stand- 

 ing rule with the farmer to supply himself before- 

 hand with the various implements necessary to 

 prosecute his work profitably. There are few far- 

 mers, probably, who are not possessed of sufii- 

 cient mechanical skill to supply for themselves 

 many of the utensils used on the farm. "Economy 

 is wealth," says the old adage, and it certainly is 

 strict economy to make numerous trifling repairs 

 to the common implements of the farm at home, 

 rather than to send them away, where the cost of 

 travel and delay would be more than the repair it- 

 self. But all trades must live, and we shall find 

 that community the most pi-osperous where the 

 different avocations are sustained by the calls upon 

 each other. Where such is the case, the farmer, 

 as well as the mechanic, the manufacturer and 

 merchant, are all accommodated, the wants of each 

 being at once supplied at home, so that the whole 

 community feels the quickening impulse, and 

 prospers upon it. 



Some recommend that the farmer shall make 

 some of the implements himself, Avhich he uses — 

 such as plows, harrows, or any of the coarser im- 

 plements. AVe cannot think this good economy, | 



because there never is a time upon a well conduct- 

 ed farm, when there is not plenty of work to be 

 done, chrectly applicable to the farm itself. The 

 putting of a new handle to a ralce or a hoe, slight- 

 ly repairing a broken plow, harrow, or wheelbar- 

 row, may be done by the farmer well enough, and 

 perhaps quicker than he could harness and take 

 either of them to the wheelwright or blacksmith. 

 This would be good economy — and such a practice 

 will justify the purchase of a variety of tools, and 

 the providing a comfortable room and bench 

 where they may be used. 



A skill sufficient to make such repairs will some- 

 times enable a team to go on with the work — and 

 perhaps at a pressing time — when otherwise, it 

 might be necessary to tm-n it out and make it dif- 

 ficult to get it together again. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 AMONG THE GREEN MOUNTAINS. 



Messrs. Editors :— January, the first month 

 of the "New Year," is already numbered with the 

 past; February, the shortest of the twelve, is 

 ushered in, and" soon merry spring, the season of 

 birds and of flowers, will be with'us again. The 

 earth is quietly reposing beneath its c'omfortable 

 coverlid of light snow, to prepare for the increase 

 which is said in the promise she shall bestow on 

 man frum her bountiful lap, — that seed-time and 

 harvest may not foil those who put forth a manly 

 hand to secure its manifold blessings. 



The cold of February may be sharp and pierc- 

 ing, and many of its days boisterous and uncom- 

 fortable, and as the poet says, of all the months 

 the least honored and sung'; still, it has its plea- 

 sures in realization as well as in anticipation, and 

 forms an essential link in the grand chain of 

 months which forms the annual round, for present 

 survey and usefulness, and if properly employed, 

 for future gain and enjoyment. Opportunity is 

 offered for public entertainments, readings, lec- 

 tures and discussions, and social, fireside chit-chats. 

 Reading-rooms should be frequented, public and 

 private libraries perused, and useful, practical in- 

 formation stored in the mind for future use. No 

 time in the year is better fitted for investigation 

 and study, especially with the farmer, than now. 

 His year's supply of wood is at the door, (or should 

 be,) his grain all threshed, and properly and wise- 

 ly stored away beyond the reach of the mischiev- 

 ous rat and mouse, and all his "winter work" so 

 well advanced as to give him time for leisure, and 

 rest from the fatigue of outdoor labor. 



Let now these leisure hours be properly guard- 

 ed and cherished ; let him appropriate them to 

 his own advantage, by the acquisition of knowl- 

 edge and general intelligence — such knowledge 

 as will be of especial use to him in his vocation 

 in life, and give him a good understanding of pass- 

 ing events. 



_ The wise and prudent farmer will, in anticipa- 

 tion of the approaching season of activity and 

 toil, now arrange, so fin- as practicable, all his plans 

 for the farm work of the spring ; see that his seed, 

 and that of the best quality, is provided ; that his 

 tools and teams are ready for use, and in good 



