1863. 



NEW ENGLAND FAR>rER. 



lOS 



crease of our forage crop by every means in our 

 power for the sustenance of beasts, as they are 

 large consumers of grain, especially when forage 

 is high, and grain in comparison with it, lower. I 

 suppose it is a conceded fact, that we can produce 

 more food for horses and cattle by sowing corn, 

 or planting it in drills, than in any other manner ; 

 and, also, that no plant we grow will cause cows 

 to give milk so freely, or, properly fed to horses, 

 will bear comparison with it. It is the custom, in 

 the Southern States, to gather the leaves and bind 

 them in bundles for farm use, and for market. 

 These leaves are termed there corn blades. 



One, and only one objection have I ever heard 

 named against the raising of corn for fodder, viz., 

 the difficulty of curing it so as to have it free from 

 mould and souring. ^ly experience in curing corn 

 in the shock led me to suggest to my son-in-law, 

 last season, the propriety of trying to cure it by 

 putting it in shock as soon as cut, not allowing it 

 to wilt, as ho was doing, and having much trouble 

 with it. The result was most satisfactory to him. 

 He bound in bundles as cut, and set in shocks st 

 once. It cured bright and sweet, making a most 

 excellent fodder, better in every respect than thai 

 cured by spreading in the sun. I think we can 

 rely upon the result of this experiment as being a 

 safe method to adopt. 



I would cut when there was a prospect of sev- 

 eral days fair weather, if I could. It will bear 

 standing longer than any other crop beyond the 

 time we may think it well to cut it, without dam- 

 aging. I thiow out these hints, and shall be am- 

 ply compensated if but one is profited thereby. 



Boch&iter, Feb. 1863. o. K. 



For the ^ew England Farmer, 

 BBMEDY FOR CATTLE GNAWING 

 BOARDS. 



Mr. Editor : — I believe the cause of cattle 

 gnawing their cribs, boards, &c., is because their 

 food is deficient in some property that the system 

 requires, causing their appetites to crave bones, 

 and not finding them, they become, as it were, 

 desperate, and seek to satiate this desire by chew- 

 ing whatever they can reach. I think, by a care- 

 ful analysis of their food, it will be found there is 

 a lack of superphosphate of lime. I well recollect, 

 when a boy, when my father first occupied the farm 

 that he and I now jointly occupy, the cows then 

 upon the farm would gnaw ihe sides of the barn, 

 and chew sticks and splinters. For a remedy my 

 father commenced sowing clover, when seeding 

 meadows to grass, and the disease has gradually 

 but surely disappeared. During the winter, when 

 they get a fair proportion of clover in their fodder, 

 we seldom notice any symptoms of the disease. 

 But in summer, our pasture not producing much 

 clover, the cows seek to meet the demands of na- 

 ture by chewing every bone they can find, but not 

 with so much greediness as formerly. 



I would recommend to Jesse R. Fitts, or any 

 other subscriber of the Fui-mer, to feed cattle in- 

 clined to gnaw, liberally with good clover hay, and 

 I will warrant them to improve in condition ; and 

 when they manifest a desire to chew, a sweet lock 

 of clover hay will meet their approval. 



I would urge all the readers of the Fai'mer to 

 peruse carefully that excellent piece, in a recent 

 number, on the cultivation of clover. I think 

 chemistry tells us that clover is rich in phosphate, 



and therefore a luxuriant clover field is a vein of 

 gold to the farmer. Gardner Herrick. 



South Reading, T?., Feb. 1803. 



GOD SPEED THE PLOUGH. 

 God speed the ploughshare ! tell me not 



Disgrnce attends the toil 

 Of those who plough the dark green sod, 



Or till the fruitful soil. 

 Why should the honest ploughman shrink 



From mingling in the van 

 Of learning and of wis<iom, since 



'Tis mind that makes the man ? 



God speed the ploughshare, and tlie bands 



That till the faithful earth. 

 For there is in this world so wide 



No gem like honest worth. 

 And tliough the hands are dark with toil, 



And flushed the manly brow, 

 It matters not, for God will bless 



The labors of the plough. 



Mark Lane Expreii, 



Ffir the A>(r F,nal'vnil Farmer. 

 SPANISH MERINO SHEEP. 



Friend Brown : — I have just returned from a 

 trip in search of Spanish Merino sheep. I rode 

 over a large portion of this State, and saM' what 

 were claimed to be pure blood sheep, but found 

 none that so fully resembled the stock as those I 

 saw at Mr. Stephen Atwood's, Watertown, Ct., 

 and those of Mr. Joseph Rovvell, Weare, X. H. 

 A portion of Mr. R.'s flock compares verj' favora- 

 bly with those I saw last summer, while looking 

 up stock, at Mr. Atwood's. 



Mr. Rowell has been a successful breeder of 

 fine-wooled sheep, from the fact that he has every 

 year obtained the best buck to be had. from Ver- 

 mont, and selected his best ewes invariably, which 

 has produced a larger sheep of this class, and 

 larger clip and superior quantity of wool. His 

 experience has taught him that it is not best to 

 put his ewes to breeding, until two past — coming 

 in at three years old — in that way he gets strong- 

 er sheep, and heavier shearers, which is a profita- 

 ble result. 



Any one who has a taste for this stock of sheep, 

 I would advise to take a look at Mr. Howell's 

 stock before i)urchasing, as his prices compare fa- 

 vorably with his stock. Better sheep and lower 

 prices are very important to farmers in war times. 



AmJicrst, N. K, Feb., 1863. P. w. J. 



The Bees should be looked to every few days, 

 to prevent the accumulation of moisture in close 

 weather, which will freeze some cold night and 

 stift'en the swarm. Take advantage of very fair 

 days to give extra ventilation, so the bees may fly 

 out to take the air, and that the inside of the hives 

 may drj'. A little upward ventilation, at all times, 

 will prevent the collection of moisture from the 

 heat of the swarm, and also secure it against damp 

 chills. — Ohio Farmer. 



In the south of France a harvest of two and a 

 half millions of pounds weight of flower leaves is 

 gathered every year, and sold for about a quarter 

 of a million pounds sterling. It consists of 100,- 

 000 pounds of leaves of the orange blossom. 500,- 

 000 pounds of rose leaves, 1(X),000 pounds of jas- 

 mine blooms, 60,000 pounds of violets, 65.000 

 pounds of acacia buds, 30,000 pounds tuberobes, 

 and 5000 pounds of jonquil flowers. 



