1862. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



199 



overhauled and thoroughly mixed two or three 

 times during that period. It was then applied, 

 about half a pint to each hill, and the corn dropt 

 upon it, and in a field of ten acres there were not 

 500 spears of corn made their appearance. Even 

 as we have recommended its application above, it 

 would always be safer to mix the muck and guano 

 •with the soil, before dropping the corn upon it. 



The American guano, having less ammonia, may 

 be used by planting seeds directly upon it, but in 

 this case we cannot doubt but it would be better 

 to mix it with the soil into which the seed is 

 planted. This guano, however, abounds in phos- 

 phates, and continues to carry the crop on until it 

 is perfected. 



Guano, purchased at fair prices, and judiciously 

 applied, is an economical and efficient fertilizer. 

 It is usually beneficial upon every description of 

 soil and crops. 



TO OORRESPOWDENTS. 



As usual, at this season of the year, we have on 

 hand many communications' that we cannot find 

 room for at once. We shall publish first those 

 that are adapted to the season, and then continue 

 with others. These articles, we suppose, are the 

 result of winter studies, and as the spring opens 

 we shall have less of them. We hope our friends 

 will continue to write, as the value of the Farmer 

 must depend in a considerable degree upon their 

 communications. Among the articles recently re- 

 ceived and not published, are, — Upon Rivalry in 

 Farming ; The Right Thing in the Right Place at 

 the Right Time ; Barns ; Why are so Few Young 

 Men Fond of Farming ? Patent Office Report ; 

 Mental Culture ; Decline of the Hen Fever ; Ro- 

 tation in Forests ; The Turnip Crop ; About Bees ; 

 Fences ; Why is not Farming Profitable ? How 

 Shall our Sons be best Educated ? The Roadsides 

 of the Farm ; Agriculture in our Common Schools ; 

 Southern Illinois ; Hints on Buying Farms ; Does 

 Farming Pay ? Dissemination of Foul Seeds ; — 

 Painting and Shelter for Buildings ; Agriculture 

 in our Colleges ; Plowing Orchards ; Farm Build- 

 ings ; Birds ; On Deodorizing Materials ; Ringing 

 Plants ; Sheep Barns ; Meadow Muck ; Wood's 

 Mowing Machine ; Clay as a Fertilizer ; Culture 

 and Uses of Kohl Rabi ; New Method of Planting 

 Potatoes ; QuaHty and Quantity of Seed ; AVheat 

 Bran as a Fertilizer ; Concentrated Manures ; 

 Sawdust as an Absorbent ; How to Measure Hay ; 

 To the Young Men ; Raising Calves ; Culture of 

 Leading Crops ; St. Johns Wort ; A Word about 

 Colts ; and The Characteristics of the Chester Co. 

 Breed of White Swine. In addition to these there 

 are letters of inquiries, all of which will be care- 

 fully attended to and find a place in good time. 

 Correspondents will please accept our thanks for 



these favors. Spread out upon our fair pages, they 

 cannot fail of having a decided influence to ad- 

 vance our noble Ai't and elevate the homes of our 

 people. 



LADIES' DEPARTMENT. 



DOMESTIC MORALS. 



"WTio shall measure the evil brought into a 

 school or university by one black sheep ? The 

 contamination is gradual, but certain, and many 

 characters of the weaker sort, will, by bad associ- 

 ation, receive that bias towards evil which was all 

 that was necessary for their ruin. It is so, as we 

 all have opportunities of seeing, among domestic 

 servants. Their power of injuring each other is 

 immense. Take the case of a small establishment, 

 consisting, we will say, of a coujile of servant 

 maids, who have been brought up from the coun- 

 try. They are uninitiated in the slang of the Lon- 

 don members of their tribe, and are contented and 

 happy. They can exist without followers. They 

 can do all the work of the house with ease and 

 cheerfulness. They will take what it may be con- 

 venient to give them for dinner and supper, rather 

 astonished, in fact, at fare so much superior to 

 what they have been accustomed to in their own 

 poverty-sticken homes. In short, they are good 

 and contented servants, and theu* mistress con- 

 gratulates herself with reason when she hears her 

 friends complaining of domestic troubles. But 

 how long does this last ? On some special occa- 

 sion of a grand cleaning, or some equally misera- 

 ble disturbance, "help" is sent for, and the char- 

 woman of discord is flung into the happy family. 

 This worthy lady is kind enough to enlighten the 

 two injured innocents to whose rescue she has 

 come, as to their "rights." For these she exhorts 

 them to stand up, as other servants do. What, 

 will they "put up" with cold meat ? are they sat- 

 isfied to be deprived of the visits of their male rel- 

 atives and other friends "from the country," whom 

 they might regale so pleasantly and cheaply with 

 their patron's food ? Well, they are poor-spirited 

 things if they allow themselves to be put upon 

 like that! — Dickens's All the Year Bound. 



To Remove Stains. — Alcohol will wash out 

 stains of oil, Avax, resin and pitchy substances : so 

 will spu'its of turpentine, and generally without 

 injury to colors. The turpentine may afterward 

 be removed with alcohol, as it is liable to leave a 

 slight stain. Common burning fluid, which is a 

 mixture of alcohol and turpentine (or camphene,) 

 is an excellent solvent of oil, Avax, tar, resin, etc., 

 and it soon dries off" after use. 



The Paris women are excited about on electric 



head-dress invented for the Empress Eugenie. It is 

 a crown formed of globules of glass lighted by elec- 

 tric light, and set with diamonds, rubies and em- 

 eralds. It emits such an effulgence as to light up 

 of itself a dark room, and if ever put into general 

 use, Vi'ill supersede the necessity of gas light or 

 wax candles. Every lady will be her own chande- 

 lier. 



