1862. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



471 



to admit sunlight ; it should be dry and well ven- 

 tilated, and the same general rules for health, ap- 

 plicable to persons, should be ever before the eye 

 of the farmer, and guide him in his treatment of 

 stock. 



If any one doubts that sunlight has a beneficent 

 influence on health and spirits, let him compare 

 his feelings during a long term of cloudy wet 

 weather, and then again, when every day is pleas- 

 ant with warm, bright sunshine. The difference, 

 we think, will be observable, at least, with most 

 persons. — Dairy Farmer. 



AUTUMN. 

 Now sheaves are slanted to the sun 



Amid the golden meadows. 

 And little sun-tanned gleaners run 



To cool them in their shadows ; 

 The reaper binds the bearded ear, 

 And gathers in the golden year ; 

 And where the sheaves are glancing, 

 The farmer's heart is dancing. 



There pours a glory on the land, 

 Flashed down fi'om Heaven's wide portals, 



As Labor's hand grasps Beauty's hand 

 To vow good -will to mortals: 



The golden year brings Beauty down, 



To bless her with a marriage crown, 



While Labor rises, gleaning 



Her blessings and their meaning. 



The work is done, the end is near, 



Beat, Heart, to flute and tabor, 

 For Beauty wedded to the Year 



Completes herself from Labor ; 

 She dons her marriage gems, and then 

 She casts them off as gifts to men. 

 And, sunbeam-like, if dimmer, 

 The fallen jewels glimmer. 



There is a hush of joy and love 



Xow giving hands have crowned us ; 

 There is a heaven up above, 



And a heaven here around us ! 

 And Hope, her prophecies complete, 

 Creeps up to pray at Beauty's feet. 

 While with a thousand voices 

 The perfect earth rejoices ! 



When to the Autumn heaven here 



Its sister is replying, 

 'Tis sweet to think our golden year 



Fulfils itself in dying ; 

 That we shall find, poor things of breath, 

 Our own Soul's loveliness in death. 

 And leave, when God shall find us, 

 Our gathered gems behind us. London AtheiKmim, 



For the Neip England Farmer. 



STATE AND COUNTY SHOWS. 



In the published accounts of these, I perceive 

 an omission of many names that I have been ac- 

 customed to see, in years gone by ; and what is 

 more, that some State and County Societies have 

 deliberately determined not to have a Show or 

 Fair during the present season. This presents a 

 question of vital importance to the farmer, — Are 

 these Shows, as a whole, productive of any real 

 benefit ? Or are they mere hoUdays, for the grat- 

 ification of the rabble ? No one has taken a deep- 

 er interest in these shows, for the last forty -four 

 years, than I have myself — never having failed to 

 be present at the show in my own county, and 



often in other counties and States. I should like 

 to see the reasons for and against such shows 

 fairly stated. I believe the topic to be of vital 

 importance to the agricultural community. 



Essex. 



For the New England Farmer, 



AKE FOWLS PROFITABLE TO THE 

 FABMES, P 



This is a question often asked, and I now have 

 in my possession three letters from correspondents 

 upon this question, and with your indulgence, I 

 will answer them thi'ough the extensively circulat- 

 ed columns of the iV. E. Farmer. My positive 

 answer is-^Yes. Fowls will pay a large profit 

 when properly fed and cared for ; a comparative- 

 ly few in number will give a better return than a 

 large flock ; although they may receive extra care 

 and attention, it seems impossible to keep a large 

 number, even in a spacious enclosure, without dis- 

 ease. Twenty good fowls will lay more eggs, and 

 be in better health, when enclosed in a coop, than 

 one hundred in the same enclosure, for two years. 

 One hundred fowls may succeed well in a large 

 coop for a short time. 



Another mistake wc are very liable to make, is 

 in keeping many breeds of fowls together. Have 

 but one breed, keep them Avell, and ventilate their 

 coops. A good, hardy breed of fowls do not re- 

 quire such warm and close houses as they are gen- 

 erally kept in, although they require a dry coop, 

 free from drafts. Ventilate freely on the top, if 

 possible, feed through the winter upon corn and 

 barley, and occasionally with raw fresh meat ; 

 beef preferred. 



I still ha%-e a great preference for the Brahma 

 fowls for our climate. They are hardy, and lay 

 through the winter season as well as the summer, 

 when eggs are worth double the price that they 

 are in summer. They may be kept in the coldest 

 coop, if fed properly, and in regard to profit, no 

 fowls I ever saw, if kept by themselves, pay in 

 every respect so large a profit as this breed. A 

 neighbor of mine, a shrewd and very successful 

 farmer has kept no other breed of fowls for many 

 years ; he winters about twenty-five pullets in 

 his barn-cellar, and has eggs from them through 

 the entire winter. In March he sets his hens, and 

 hatches from one to two hundred chicks, and 

 keeps them in his barn-yard, allowing them to en- 

 ter the barn at night ; by the 4th of July he dis- 

 poses of all, exce])t his winter stock, alive, at an 

 average price of fifty cents each, to the butcher. 

 He has now laying pullets, which commenced lay- 

 ing by the last of July, hatched in March. 1 know 

 of no other breed of fowls that will do this. My 

 flock, when hatched in May, was 110. I have now 

 101, having lost but nine chickens this season; 

 they are very hardy, which, in our climate, is a 

 great recommendation to any breed of fowls. 

 Fowls may be unprofitable, when kept, as many 

 farmers are in the habit of keeping them, allowing 

 them to wander about the farm, laying when they 

 please, and feeding theiriselves upon melons, to- 

 matoes, corn and other valuable articles of food. I 

 find, from practical observation, that fowls are like 

 all other animals, they will be very unprofitable if 

 not properly cared for, and very profitable if kept 

 as they should be. JOHN S. IVES. 



Salem, Sept. 1, 1862. 



