120 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



April 



application for the production of particular crops ? 

 and yet, it is a subject which can be learned, and 

 its application for the accomplishment of a par- 

 ticular purpose understood, almost with as much 

 certainty as the farmer's good wife takes certain 

 ingredients, and by mixing them in a particular 

 way, makes the soap which cleanses the dirty shirt 

 of his hired man. Here, then, is a vast and im- 

 portant field, open for study and investigation, as 

 yet but very imperfectly understood : — The mak- 

 ing of manure, its composting, and its application 

 to the production of particular crops. How can 

 this be done, even if the knowledge is possessed 

 by the farmer, if he is deficient in the further 

 knowledge of his soil and its wants. To act un- 

 derstandingly, the two must go together. The 

 truth of the matter is, the business of farming re- 

 quires a larger range of study than any other 

 human pursuit, and as science progresses, this 

 great truth will be more and more admitted as a 

 fact by all those engaged in it, if they expect to 

 be successful and pursue the business for profit. 

 Remember, I do not say the farmer may not suc- 

 ceed without this knowledge ; this is not the idea. 

 I believe many of them are beginning to compre- 

 hend this matter in its true light, and book farm- 

 ing is becoming a necessary and recognized fact. 

 See Proverbs lo : 14. N. Q. T. 



Kinrj Oak Hill, January, 1863. 



EXTSACTS AT3"P BEPLIES. 



TO KILL VERMIN ON ANIMALS. 



I noticed in the Farmer of Jan. 3cl an inquiiy for 

 the surest and safest way to kill lice on animals. I 

 have found that salt is a sure exterminator. Put a 

 pint of salt to a gallon of \7arm water ; add a small 

 quantity of soap ; stir till well mixed before using it. 

 The application of the above will be a benefit to the 

 animals besides removing the lice. 



James M. Richardson. 



Pembroke, N. H., Feb., 1863. 



A FINE PIG. 



On the 6th of June last, I bought a pig 12 weeks 

 old, which weighed SO lbs. ; kept him until Dec. 22d, 

 (199 days) when he was killed and weighed, dressed, 

 282 lbs., which, taken as three-quarters of his live 

 weight at that time, would make the live weight 376 

 1I)S ; just i.}i lbs. per day for the whole time I kept 

 him. Is not that a fair increase ? 



Remarks. — Yes. And that will be pork "fit for the 

 pot," and never hurt any one, unless he eats too much 

 of it. 



HAULING OUT MANURE IN WINTER — FILLING UP 

 ABOUT TREKS— FEEDING DRY MEAL TO HORSES. 



I see in your notes on J. P.'s letter, page fifty-two, 

 you advocate very strongly the drawing out manure 

 in the fall and ploughing it in. Will it do as well, or 

 nearly so, to draw it out in the winter when the ground 

 is frozen, and spread and plough it in, in the spring. 

 I have reference to level land where it will not wash 

 off. 



You speak of improving trees by filling up around 

 them, I will give an instance. My father-in-law had 

 several young trees on the north side of his house, 

 but they did not amount to much. Having occasion 

 to fill up a part of the yard about two feet, he was 

 surprised to find the trees on that part of the yard 

 about two weeks earlier the next season, and the fruit 

 much more plentiful and very much improved in 

 quality. I was glad to see the piece headed "News- 

 paper 'Controversy," on page sixty-four, and hope that 

 will stop the discussion about "Agriculture in Com- 

 mon Schools." 



Are there decided objections to feeding dry meal to 

 horses in winter with dry hay ? 



Can you recommend the Chester county pigs for 

 general keeping ? 



For the benefit of "New Subscriber" I will say I 

 have pure Black Spanish fowls ? A. J. Aldrich. 



North Blackstone, Mass., Feb. 13, 1863. 



Remarks. — We can see no serious objection to 

 hauling out manure in the winter as you suggest, if 

 the gi-ound is such as can be early plowed. Manure 

 loses little or nothing so long as no fermentation takes 

 place, and the probability is that on such land as you 

 describe, the manure could be ploughed under before 

 that condition was reached. 



If horses are allowed plenty of time to eat, we can 

 see no reason why dry meal should not as Avell be fed 

 in that way as in any other. At first, they might eat 

 it too hurriedly, but after becoming accustomed to it 

 they would probably feed deliberately. 



The Chester County pigs are highly commended by 

 some, and thought little of by others. We have nev- 

 er tested them. 



AMERICAN HERD BOOK. 



Will you inform me who publishes the "American 



Herd Book," and when the next volume will be is- 

 sued ? H. 8- 



Londonderry , Vt., 1863. 



Remarks. — Vols. I. and II. of the "Devon Herd 

 Book," American edition, edited by Sanford Howard, 

 were published by James D. Torrey, New York, in 

 1855, and can be had of any dealer in agricultural 

 books. We cannot say when the next volume Mill be 

 issued. 



SHEEP EATING WOOL. 



I have, among my flock, three sheep that prefer 

 wool instead of hay for their food ; they will leave 

 the best English hay, and commence eating wool 

 from the other sheep ; they have made such work 

 among my sheep that I have shut them up alone. 

 Will you or some of your correspondents inform me 

 of the cause, and what will prevent them from eating 

 wool ? John M. Salley. 



Embden, Me., Feb. 15, 1863. 



AQUEDUCT OF PINE LOGS. 



In reply to your correspondent about the cost and 

 durability of our aqueduct, I will state a fact which 

 he can use or not as he pleases. The Salem and Dan- 

 vers aqueduct is laid with logs of pine wood, with a 

 bore of about two inches in diameter. It extends 

 about three miles, and supplies five hundred or more 

 families. The water is taken fi-om a fountain artifi- 

 cially created 54 feet above tide water, in a springy 

 soil, and is of the purest quality. It has been in ex- 

 istence forty years or more, and has been relaid 

 through the whole length once, and repaired from 

 time to time as necessity demands. It has been a 

 great convenience to the public, and a decidedly prof- 

 itable investment to the proprietors. The stock is 

 now worth three times what it cost. Perhaps a more 

 permanent material would have needed less repair, 

 but none could have done a better service. p. 



Fcbriuiry, 1863. 



GOOD BROWN BREAD. 



Some time in the fore part of the season I noticed in 

 the Farmer, a recipe for making brown bread by 

 steaming, and as we liked it very much, I wish to pny, 

 as far as I can, for the information. We think we 

 have improved on that recipe. Ours is : Take 1 pint 

 each of rye, corn and wheat flour ; }i teacup molas- 

 ses. Wet soft with sour milk, or if you do not have 

 plenty of milk, it is about as good wet with warm wa- 

 ter, with 3 tablespoon fuls of vinegar to 1 pint of wa- 

 ter, and soda to sweeten either the milk or soured wa- 

 ter. Steam three hours, without taking the cover off, 

 as that will cause it to fall. t?a,nnie. 



