426 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Sept. 



pearance." Their food consists of insects and 

 their larvae, chiefly the latter during winter, with 

 the addition of a few seeds. It builds its nest in 

 a hollow tree, which it often excavates itself, and 

 the female lays six eggs, pure white, with a few 

 reddish specks at the larger end. It extends its 

 migrations far to the north, inhabiting Greenland, 

 and is occasionally met with in the north of Eu- 

 rope. 



Length six inches ; alar extent, seven and a 

 half. Above, ashy black ; forehead nearly black ; 

 beneath, whitish ; sides, chestnut. Head with a 

 high pointed crest. 



The Black-Capped Titmouse, or Chickadee, 

 (Parus atricapillus, Linn.,) is the most common 

 species of this group of birds found in New Eng- 

 land, and is universally known as a familiar, noisy, 

 very active and restless bird, and is a constant 

 resident, braving our severest winters, and is said 

 to be even abundant in the depth of winter as far 

 north as Hudson's Bay. It is universally es- 

 teemed as a friend, and for the best of reasons, 

 being a great consumer of a large variety of inju- 

 rious insects, often making excursions to the orch- 

 ard and shrubbery of the gardens, in fall and win- 

 ter, from the woods where it resides the greater 

 part of the year. In the coldest weather they will 

 make the woods echo with their varied notes, as 

 in company with Woodpeckers, Creepers and 

 Nuthatches, they hunt the twigs, the larger 

 branches and the bark of the trunk for dormant 

 insects and larva;, each in his peculiar way. In 

 winter they feed upon the seeds of the hemlock 

 and pine, and sometimes come about the farmer's 

 door for crumbs to vary their scanty fare at this 

 inclement season. Their agility is surpassed by 

 but few birds, and when searching for food will 

 cling head and back downwards in every possible 

 attitude. They usually forage in small parties, 

 and keep up a constant twitter of varied notes. 

 They nest in hollow trees, the female sometimes 

 making the excavation herself. The eggs are six, 

 white, with a few minute specks of red. During 

 the latter part of the summer the whole family 

 hunt together, the parents guiding and feeding 

 the brood, keeping up a constant chatter. 



Length five inches and a half; alar extent, six 

 and a half. Back, ashy brown ; head and throat, 

 black with a white patch between them ; beneath, 

 whitish, sides brownish. The thick covering of 

 long, soft, downy feathers is admirably adapted to 

 protect this bird from the severe cold of winter. 



Another species of Titmouse, generally regard- 

 ed as a bird of New England, is the Hudson's 

 Bay Titmouse, {Parus Iludsonicus, Forster,) as 

 tlie southern limit of its habitat is known to be 

 within the Northern States, inhabiting from Mas- 

 sachusetts northward throughout eastern North 

 America. In habits it differs but little from those 

 already described, breeding in hollow stumps and 

 trees, though in color more nearly resembling the 

 Chestnut back Titmouse, (P. rufescens,) of the 

 Pacific coast. J. a. a. 



Springfield, July, 1862. 



Ox-Bot. — This is a cuticular insect, the egg 

 being deposited externally in the skin of cattle, 

 and the larva; inhabiting a tumor or abscess 

 formed around them. These tumors arc usually 

 found in the back or loins, and are often larger 



than a pigeon's egg. When the fly is depositing 

 its egg the cattle are in the extremest agitation 

 and dismay, and sometimes become quite furious, 

 running off, bellowing, at full speed. The larva? 

 in its cyst gradually enlarges, while the pus that 

 is secreted by the irritation serves for its nourish- 

 ment. The tumors which are produced ai-e called 

 warbles, wormals or womils. The skin and hide 

 are permanently injured by being subjected to this 

 process. — Ohio Valley Farmer. 



MANURES. 



Next to a systematic and energetic application 

 of the powers of both mind and body to his pro- 

 fession, the collection, preparation and applica- 

 tion of manure to the soil is of importance to the 

 farmer. On New England soils, these must sup- 

 ply the basis of all profitable culture, and collect- 

 ed in suitable quantity, skilfully prepared and ju- 

 diciously applied, they will certainly lead to thrift 

 and independence. These will follow, even in 

 this cold and variable climate, and on any of our 

 lands that are managed by an intelligent industry. 



The difficulty presented to the farmer in this 

 matter, is the want of the materials themselves 

 to swell his heaps. He naturally argues that he 

 has so much hay, which, when fed out, will pro- 

 duce about so much manure, and in thousands of 

 cases, little eff'ort is made to change this state of 

 things. Evidently, the first step towards im- 

 provement must be to change this condition by 

 increasing the materials that are to increase 

 our crops. This cannot be done without an out- 

 lay of labor, and it is this item of cost that deters 

 so many persons from securing the necessary ma- 

 terials for large and valuable heaps of manure. 

 This is an important omission, because this work 

 forms the basis of all the future operations of the 

 farmer, and absolutely prevents that progress and 

 profit which would certainly flow from a more in- 

 telligent practice. 



All farms furnish resources for these supplies, 

 in a greater or less degree. On some there are 

 leaves and ferns ; on others head lands and balks, 

 where the finest portions of the soil have been ac- 

 cumulating for a generation, in unsightly and in- 

 convenient quantity — another has sea-weed 

 thrown upon its margin or shells of various kinds 

 that may be converted into rich materials ; while 

 some of them have marl, and a large proportion 

 ample beds of meadow or swamp muck. There 

 are various other resources, also, beside these and 

 the usual products of the fodder crops, of which 

 the farmer should avail himself, such as the waste 

 of every kind from the house, hassocks from the 

 meadows, small brush, tan bark, sawdust, shav- 

 ings, &c., all of which are valuable materials when 

 properly wrought up and tempered with lime, salt 

 and ashes, or some other quickening agent. No 

 labor on the farm can be more profitably expend- 



