140 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Mat 



leaf, flower, seed, and every other part of this one 

 of the many millions of plants in which God is 

 working wonders every day ? In reply to these 

 questions, may we not venture to speak in the 

 name of hundreds of readers, and say that we 

 ■would like to know ever more and more about 

 these and all the other wonderful workings of Him 

 who does so much for unappreciative and ungrate- 

 ful children. We would like if the writer of the 

 article under notice would spread out before farm- 

 ers and their families some information as to the 

 growth of our common Indian corn, and let them 

 see and feel that God is doing a far greater 

 amount of work in prepai-ing for the desired har- 

 vest of golden grain than the most skilful or most 

 industrious of those whose highest honor is to be 

 "co-workers" with Him ! And if he should find 

 time to tell us these things which, in reply to his 

 question, we say we would like to know, we would 

 humbly suggest that if he would put the informa- 

 tion into the form of a lecture or lesson to a class 

 of young persons, he might contribute somewhat 

 towards giving the farmers of New England an 

 idea of what their sons might be learning at 

 school if studying the applications of botany and 

 chemistry to the elucidation of the facts and phe- 

 nomona of agriculture. More Anon. 



Fw the New England Farmer. 

 PROFITS OF FOWLS. 



Mk. Editor : — I herewith send you the yearly 

 account of my flock of Brahma fowls. Having 

 spoken before of the merits and superiority of this 

 breed of fowls over all others, it would be but a 

 repetition of the same story again to describe them, 

 I will only say that my opinion is still unchanged ; 

 that they surpass in laying qualities, and for the 

 market, any breed of fowls I have ever seen. 



In prepainng the folloTrting statement, I have 

 kept the market prices, although 85 dozen of the 

 eggs were sold for setting, last spring, at $1 per 

 dozen, and many were used for the same purpose 

 by myself. I have, therefore, averaged them at 25 

 cents per dozen, to show the profit these fowls 

 •will return to the farmers, at common market 

 prices. It will be noticed that I had but few eggs 

 in April, as many of the hens were setting at that 

 time. I commenced March 1, 1862, with 30 pul- 

 lets and 2 roosters, keeping a careful account of 

 expenses and income, which stands as follows : 



EXPENSE OF KEEPING 32 FOWLS. 

 1862. 



March, meal, corn, carrots and meat $3,79 



April, " " " " 3,46 



May, " " " " 3,02 



June, " " " " 4,22 



Julj', " « " " 3,90 



To Aug. 8 , at which time they were sold 70 — $19,09 



EXPENSE OF REARING 101 CHICKENS. 

 1862. 



May, potatoes, cracked corn, and scraps $1,12 



June, cracked corn and scraps 2,50 



July, " " " 3,30 



Aug., " " « 3,40 



Sept., corn, meal and scraps 3,35 



Oct., " " " 3,20 



Nov., '* «' " and carrots 3,00 



Dec, " " « " " 3,30 



1863. 



Jan., com, meal and scraps, carrots 2,98 



Feb., " " " " 2,85 



March," " " " 2,24— $31,24 



$50,33 



The variation in keeping the young fowls is oc- 

 casioned by disposing of them through the sum- 

 mer, as will be seen by the statement. From 



November to the 1st of March I have had 30 pul- 

 lets on hand. 



INCOME FROM FOWLS. 

 1862. 



March 488 eggs 



April 199 " 



May 480 " 



.June 496 " 



.July .390 " 



To Aug. 8 108 " 



Net..... 2,161 eggs, or 180 112 dozen, at 25 cts $45,02 



Aug. 8, .30 fowls sold at $1 each 30,00 



Aug. 12 young roosters to butcher, 40 cts 4,80 



.Sept., 22 pullets and 8 roc^ters, SI 30,00 



Sept., 2 dozen eggs sold 50 



Oct., 17 fowls, $1 17,00 



Oct., 8 dozen eggs, 25 cts 2,00 



Nov., 36 dozen eggs, 25 cts , 9,00 



Nov., 12 fowls, 7o cts.,,. 9,00 



Dec, 35'4 dozen eggs, 25 cts..... 3,81 



1863. 



Jan., 44 dozen eggs, 25 cts 11,00 



Feb., 42?^ dozen eggs, 25 cts 10,69 



Mar., 46% dozen eggs, 25 cts 11,69 



Net income from fowls .,...$189,51 



Expense of keeping, &c 50,33 



Net profit $139,19 



Salem, March, 1863. John S. Ives. 



Fur the New England Farmer. 

 HOW TO BE FITTED FOB THE PUK- 

 SITITS OF LIFE. 



Mr. Editor : — Being a constant reader of the 

 Farmer, within the last few months 1 have ob- 

 served several articles advocating the necessity of 

 making some work on agriculture a text-book in 

 our common schools. The idea has been ad- 

 vanced that too little attention is given to the in- 

 struction of youth in our rural districts in the 

 science of agriculture ; while great care is given 

 to instruct the pupil in what are termed the 

 learned professions, but very little attention is 

 given to fit the young to follow with success that 

 profession which is the foundation of all others. 

 The reader would infer that in our common schools 

 are taught the sciences of medicine, law and the- 

 ology ; while the lad who is destined to follow the 

 plough must go untaught and uncared for. 



It cannot be denied that common schools and 

 those of a higher grade have each their own ap- 

 propriate work, and while both are foithful in 

 training the mind, their labor is the same in kind, 

 though not in degree. It is equally true that 

 while the scholars have their round of duties as- 

 signed, the days of active busine.ss which follow 

 are not without their work for such individuals to 

 perform. _ When the little boy first finds his way 

 to the district school, it is hard to determine 

 whether he is to be a farmer, mechanic or philos- 

 opher. But we do know there is a casket that 

 contains a priceless gem ; unpolished it may be, 

 but susceptible of the highest finish, and its value 

 will be proportioned to the perfectness of the ar- 

 tist's work. 



It is conceded that all boys should learn to read. 

 All should learn arithmetic, grammar, history and 

 geography, and should obtain some knowledge of 

 the natural sciences. And if circumstances per- 

 mit, some knowledge of the higher mathematics 

 would be valuable. We have already sufficient 

 work for the schooldays allotted to American 

 youth, without making direct preparation for any 

 particular profession. Through all these years 

 the faculties of the mind have been developing, 

 and the individual has been gaining that disci- 

 pline v;hich will fit him to become a useful citizen 



