1866. 



NEW ENGLAND FAR:MER. 



559 



the depth of winter, coming suddenly, stopping a 

 few days or weeks, and then disappearing as sud- 

 denly as they came. Some, however, at times re- 

 side in our fine forests regularly tliroughout the 

 winter, but I have never seen them after the re- 

 turn of warm weather. Generally, they seem to 

 , be less common, and less regular visitants to the 

 United States, and appear to be rather more north- 

 ern in their habitat. Dr. Richardson says this spe- 

 cies "inhabits the dense white-spruce forests of 

 the fur-countries, feeding ])riacipally on the seeds 

 of the cones." In September he says they collect 

 into small flocks, and in the depth of winter retire 

 from the coast to the thick woods of the interior. 

 Nuttall quotes from Hutchins respecting its nest, 

 which is said to be built half-way up a pine tree, 

 of grass, mud and feathers ; the eggs are five, 

 white, with yellowish spots. This species is 

 slightly smaller than the Red Crossbill, is more 

 sprightly in its motions, and feeds almost wholly 

 on the small cones of spruce, hemlock and white 

 pine, leaving the large cones of the i)itch pine to 

 its stronger relative, the Red Crossbill. 



The males are bright carmine red, whitish on 

 the belly ; wings, with two bars of white, which 

 •with the tail are black. Female, brown, tinged 

 with olive. 



The Lesser Redpoll, (Aegiothus linaria, 

 Cab.,) is likewise -of boreal habits, only known 

 here in winter, and then at uncertain intervals, 

 though sometimes straying as far south as Phila- 

 delphia, where it is seen but once in many years. 

 This small, interesting, and beautiful species is 

 sometimes seen in this State in large flocks, as in 

 the latter part of the winter of 1 809-60, resemb- 

 ling in its notes and in many of its habits, our 

 common Yellow Bird, but generally it is rare and 

 but little known. Dr. Richardson speaks of it in 

 the Fauna B or eali- Americana as "one of the few 

 permanent residents in the fur-countries, where it 

 may be seen in the coldest weather, on the banks 

 of the lakes and rivers, hopping among the reeds 

 and canes, or clinging to their stalks." In the 

 spring of 1860 they remained here till April, roving 

 about the fields in large flocks, feeding on the 

 seeds of weeds, and of the birch and alder ; were 

 at times quite musical, and always appeared un- 

 suspicious. They also inhabit the north of Eu- 

 rope, and are said to build a nest almost like the 

 nest of our Yellow Bird, laying five bluish-white 

 eggs, marked with reddish spots. 



Length, five and a half inches ; alar extent, 

 eight and a half. Above, grayish, inclining to 

 yellowish, and streaked with dusky ; crown, dark 

 crimson ; below and rump, pale crimson, ap- 

 proaching white on the vent. The female is with- 

 out the roseate tint below and on the rump, and 

 the breast is streaked with dusky. 



The IMealy Redpoll, {Aegiothus canescens, 

 Cab.,) I introduce with hesitancy as a bird of Nevv' 

 England. It is said, however, to now and then 

 visit Maine, and is commonly reckoned as a bird 

 of this State. De Kay describes it as a bird of New 

 York. Audubon procured specimens of this bird 

 in Newfoundland and New Brunswick, and states 

 that at one time he had in his possession sjjeci- 

 mens that were taken in the State of New Jersey, 

 and others taken near Baltimore, in Maryland. He 

 found them in Newfoundland in August, where he 

 had an opportunity of observing their habits for a 

 time, which he says do not much diff"er from those 



of the common Lesser Redpoll, which is described 

 above. Evidently it may be somelimes found in 

 our limits. It is not mentioned in the Fauna Bo- 

 reoli- Americana, or Northern Zoology, of Richard- 

 son and Swainson as a bird of the iur-countries, 

 neither is it described by Nuttall. 



It is very nearly the size of the preceding, and 

 quite similarly colored. J. A. A. 



Cambridge, Mass., 1862. 



HO"W TO BUKN COAL. 



At this season, when this important article of 

 housekeeping is so costly, it would be well to 

 practice the closest economy in its use. This is 

 not, by any means, done ; coal is either wasted in 

 consumption or else thrown out in the ashes. 

 Nearly all, or at any rate, the greater part of our 

 ranges and stoves have four doors, two large ones 

 opening on the grate, and two smaller ones for 

 lessening the draft and putting in the fuel ; now, 

 when the fire is started in the morning, it should 

 be built only in one end of the grate, the other be- 

 ing full of coal ; by this means tlie amount of 

 wood required (which has also increased in price) 

 is much reduced, and the coal ignites more quick- 

 ly, the fire soon spreading to the green fuel first 

 applied. When the stove is not in use for any 

 especial purpose, such as baking or roasting, rake 

 the fire clean and fill the grate as full as it will 

 hold, then close up the draft o])enings, oven and 

 all, and throw the small doors wide open, tlie fuel 

 is then slowly roasted away to ashes and a good, 

 clear fire at all times readily obtained. By far too 

 much fuel is thrown away in the ashes ; buy a pa- 

 tent sifter [Sanford Adams', — Ed. Farmer.'] and 

 screen them, picking out all the refuse, white cin- 

 ders, Szc, and you will be astonished at the result, 

 fully one-third of the ashes may be rescued from 

 the pile and re-consumed. These hints should 

 not be neglected ; we have tried them and know 

 their value. 



KAPID GROWTH OP VEGETABLES IN 

 NORWAY. 



In a valuable treatise on the vegetable produc- 

 tions of Norway, which has been published by Dr. 

 Mueller, in connection with the Norwegian depart- 

 ment of the Exhibition, some extraordinary facts 

 are related respecting the influence of the long 

 duration of light, during the summer months, on 

 the growth of vegetables in the higher latitudes in 

 Norway. At 70° N., it was found that ordinary 

 peas grew at the rate of three and a half English 

 inches in twenty-four hours for many days in sum- 

 mer, and that some of the cereals also grew as 

 much as two and a lialf inches in the same time. 

 Not only is the rapidity of growth afi"ected by the 

 constant presence of light, but those vegetable se- 

 cretions which owe their existence to the influence 

 of actinic force on the leaves, are also ])roduced in 

 fiir greater quantity than in more Soutliern cli- 

 mates ; hence the coloring matter and pigment 

 cells are found in much greater (quantity, and the 

 colored part of vegetables is conse(j\iently deeper. 

 The same remark applies to the flavoring and 

 odoriferous matters, so that the fruits of the north 

 of Norway, though not equal in saccharine prop- 

 erties, are far moi'e intense in flavor than those of 

 the south. 



