1862. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



377 



The stables now occupied at the South End of 

 the city, are old, low posted and inconvenient, — 

 but even under these disadvantages, everything 

 was in order and moved with the precision of 

 clock-work. Just before leaving, we saw the men 

 and teams turn out to their afternoon work, some 

 fifty of each. In hitching up there was no con- 

 fusion, no scolding, swearing, or loud talking, even, 

 although some of the horses were quite young, 

 and evidently undecided as to what course they 

 ought to pursue amidst their trappings and the 

 thunder of the rolling carts. 



None of the horses weighed less, we should 

 judge, than 1200 pounds, so on, to 1600 ! and are 

 well-formed, sound animals, admirably fitted for 

 slow movements and heavy draft. They are 

 cleaned, fed and washed with great regularity, and 

 soon become fat. They then each receive about 

 seven quarts of grain, corn meal, and oats, or 

 cracked corn, per day, wet with a little cut hay, 

 and once a week, at noon, on Sunday, a small 

 quantity of long hay. This keeps them in excel- 

 lent condition at trifling cost, and under this 

 treatment, they are able to perform a vast amount 

 of labor*. But they are never worked on a trot or 

 beaten, or abused in any way. Col. Forristall's 

 opinion is, that scolding and beating are always 

 injurious ; that all horses, if properly treated 

 from the beginning, will labor kindly and faith- 

 fully, to the very extent of their ability. The lov- 

 er of the horse can scarcely spend a more agi-eea- 

 ble hour than to visit the stables of these noble 

 and serviceable animals. They are among the 

 pleasant objects in our streets, and always attract 

 attention. Thanks to the City Fathers for fur- 

 aishing them so kind a master. They are fortunate 

 in securing the services of a gentleman of ability, 

 and one who is prompt and decided in the dis- 

 charge of his duties. 



The city is now erecting new stables at the 

 South End which, Avhen finished, will undoubtedly, 

 be the best ever constructed iu the State, if not 

 in the country. 



■WHITEWASHING SHINGLES. 



Fresh or caustic lime, applied during the heat 

 of summer, and after the wood has become thor- 

 oughly dried, enters the pores and tends strongly 

 to prevent decay. We have recently examined a 

 board fence, which had been whitewashed in suc- 

 cessive coats about 18 years ago. The boards 

 were hard and sound, and had not become cov- 

 ered with moss, as was the case with another 

 fence near, built at the same time. There is no 

 doubt that a great advantage would result from 

 Avhitewashing shingles before laying them. We 

 have, on a former occasion, given some instances 

 of the durability thus imparted to them. A late 

 number of the Boston Cultivator gives some addi- 

 tional examples. J. Mears, of South Abington, 

 performed the experiment in substance as follows : 



— He procured a vat, (a lime vat or a tannery 

 does well,) and applied salt with a small portion 

 of potash to the lime, and immersed the shingles 

 for four hours. The wash was afterwards brushed 

 over the shingles when laid. This made a fire- 

 proof roof on a blacksmith shop, now eleven years- 

 Silas Brown, another correspondent, says that 25 

 years ago, he dipped shingles in a large kettle of 

 lime wash to which salt had been added, and the 

 whole kept boiling. A few shingles were dipped 

 in all over at a time, long enough to soak them 

 well, and then thrown aside to dry. In a short 

 time all the shingles were thus prepared. Al- 

 though what are termed "sap shingles," they have 

 now lasted twenty-five years, and "may do so for 

 years to come." Several experiments of a similar 

 character have been made since, with very suc- 

 cessful results. — Country Oentleman, 



MAUUKKS— PROFITS OF FABMIWG. 



At the late Fair of the New York State Agri- 

 cultural Society, meetings for discussion were 

 held each evening, Hon. A. B. Conger presiding. 

 On Tuesday evening, the subject chosen for dis- 

 cussion was — 



"How shall barn-yard manure be saved, and 

 how applied ? Shall it be kept under sheds ? 

 Shall it be piled ? Shall it be applied raw or rot- 

 ten ? Shall it be put on the surface or plowed 

 in ? And is a difi'ereut method of application re- 

 quired for diff'erent crops, and for pasture and 

 meadow lands ?" 



George Geddes, of Onondaga, President of 

 the Society, who occupies a farm where grain is. 

 principally grown, and where straw is very abun- 

 dant, gave the following directions, as the result 

 of his observations on the subject: 1. The barn* 

 yard should be made so that the manure would 

 not run out of it. 2. Straw enough to absorb all 

 the liquid. Then in spring, pile up the manui'e 

 in heaps, with square sides and flat tops. If very 

 strawy, the heaps should be high, and the tops 

 somewhat hollow to hold the water, or they will 

 not rot. If this is done in the spring, by July the 

 piles will be in a condition to cut with a spade. 

 The outsides Avill not decay, and they should be 

 pared off" and thrown on top. It is folly to put 

 strawy manure under a shed. If it is three-fourths 

 cow-dung, it might be advisable to put it under 

 sheds. Sheep-manure under sheds will fire-fang. 

 Pile it up early, and it will not fire-fang. The 

 dairymen want it under sheds, but grain-growers 

 do not. In regard to its application : Put it on 

 either grass or wheat. Do not put it on corn di- 

 rectly ; it produces weeds. Rot it thoroughly, 

 draw it out on the wheat fallows and dragjt in. 

 Do not plow it in. Better on top than plowed in. 

 Believes in top-dressing clover or grass.. Get a 

 good crop of clovei', and you have laid, the foun- 

 dation for subsequent crops. 



Hon. Moses Eames, an extensive dairyman,, 

 spoke of the benefit he had derived from the use 

 of earth in his barn-yard, as an absorbent of liquid 

 manure. A top-dressing of five loads per acre, of 

 this saturated earth, apphed in the fall, produced 

 thi'ee tons of hay per acre. 



Wm. Andrews, of Connecticut, has not straw, 

 enough for litter. Wheels the manure into cot- 

 ered sheds, and in the spring applies it to com. 



