254 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Aug. 



manner often go dry from September till June, 

 while the same cows, well fed, would have given 

 milk more than ten months in the year. 



At the first view, the farmer considers soiling 

 of cows a laborious and expensive way to feed 

 cattle, but when evidence is produced sufficient 

 to convert the most obstinate heretic, that the best 

 way is the best, he admits that soiling cows a part 

 or all of the season will eventually prove the 

 cheapest. I have observed a great variety of ways 

 to keep a great stock of cows without an adequate 

 amount of sustenance ; what comes next ? The 

 cattle are hungry, the pasturage all gnawed down 

 by the first of August ; then the old fences have 

 to undergo an inspection ; the point is selected, 

 and in goes the leader of fifteen or twenty head 

 of starved cattle to the corn field. Then a depu- 

 tation of hands must go and repair fences ! Cat- 

 tle cannot live like an air plant, and the old 

 wooden fences are like a spider's web ; they must 

 be fed, or they will hold possession of their terri- 

 tory acquired by stratagem, and break down any 

 fence rather than starve. Now, which is the cheap- 

 est way to keep cows after the flush of pasture- 

 feed is past — to reduce them nearly to a state of 

 starvation by a continued grubbing of dead grass, 

 and breaking down fences, a shrinkage of milk, 

 the loss of destroyed crops, and the time spent by 

 watcher and repairer of fences ; or to feed them 

 with a full supply of millet, or other green feed, in 

 the barn, that will keep up a flow of milk through 

 the season, and at the year's end leave them in 

 better condition, beside a very important advan- 

 tage in the large quantity of manure saved which 

 would have been mostly lost by strolling cattle 

 that ramble at large ? My own experience has 

 taught me that two cows, fed well in the barn, will 

 give as much milk, and of a better quality, tlian 

 four treated on the old custom of living in the 

 pasture and barnyard from the 20th of May to 

 the 20th of November. 



What is the benefit of keeping cows that gain 

 no flesh nor give any milk ? I can think of no 

 better plan to restore old pasture land to fertility 

 than by adopting Mr. Marsh's scheme. The ad- 

 vantage is apparent. It is making his land rich, 

 and augments his manure heap at the same time. 

 He says the farmer cannot afford to buy manure. 

 The great quantity of better quality of manure 

 saved by soiling cattle will go far toward defray- 

 ing the expenses of extra labor. It strikes me 

 that the best way for a small farmer, I mean one 

 who has but a small farm, and keeps l)ut a small 

 stock of cattle, could he have plenty of millet, 

 Hungarian grass, or cow corn, as it is called, in 

 readiness to supply cows on the failure of pas- 

 tures, which often happens by the first of August, 

 would be to suil his stock, instead of the iiungry 

 animals being obliged to shirk for themselves. 

 He would be amply compensated by a continued, 

 undiminished supply of milk, as well as an aug- 

 mented quantity of manure, equal to pay the e.x- 

 penses of extra labor. SiLAS Brov^'N. 



North Wilmington, May, 1863. 



The Connecticut Agricultural College. 

 — The Legislature of Connecticut has appropriat- 

 ed to the Sheffield Scientific School, New Haven, 

 the public lands given to the State by Congress 

 under what is known as the Agricultural College 

 bill. 



Fur the New Ensland Farmer^ 

 CLOVER. 



RT R. F. FULLER. 



Hail, scarlet synod, clover crowd ! 

 With bees among ye flaunting proud. 

 And zephyrs floating overhead, 

 That kiss the clover blossoms red ; 

 Long may the scythe unforagcd be, 

 That felleth you— that felleth me ! 

 For what discussion come together, 

 With cowls of scarlet crowd the heather? 

 Tell me what jest that zephyr said. 

 Made every member tosa his head ? 

 'Twas such a giggle shook the clover. 

 When the last zephyr floated over '. 



Exotic flowers let others choose. 

 By art begot of gorgeous hues. 

 To hybrid monsters, made for pride. 

 The charms of nature are denied. 

 And we would render in our lays 

 To simple blossoms, sweeter praise. 

 Nor seems the clover least ofthese ; 

 Whose scented breath a summer breeze 

 Wafts to the window, where I sit 

 Perusing pages genius writ, 

 While oft from them my eye has drawa 

 The clover's laugh upon the lawn. 

 Whose shaking §ides my heart impress 

 With a contagious jolUness ! 



Good humored blossoms ! I discern 

 Other wise lessons I may learn, 

 By moralizing much of thee — 

 Contentment an 1 tranquillity. 

 Sweet temper, and a disposition 

 To make the best of my condition. 

 While in my sphere I still dispense. 

 Like thee, a plea,sant influence ! 



THE DATE. 



There is no fruit that can be eaten so constant- 

 ly, or with so much impunity, as the date. It is 

 like bread, and is bread to whole nations of orien- 

 tals. And what a delicious bread, baked by the 

 sun, and showered in profusion upon, the earth, to 

 be gathered and laid up for the future, either dry 

 in huge coi-bels, or pressed into a conserve, which, 

 when cut into slices, looks and eats like plum- 

 pudding. We have often been present \vhtle this 

 dainty was in preparation : first, with a little brush 

 made of fine palm-leaves, the particles of sand are 

 whisked away from the fruit, which, having then 

 been laid open with a sharp flint, the stone is taken 

 out, and if large and fine, laid aside for planting ; 

 next, the dates are thrown into a clean, strong, 

 square vessel like a tub, and having been closely 

 pressed by heavy weights laid upon a thick board 

 made to fit, the whole process is completed. Im- 

 mense quantities of this conserve are exported 

 from Egypt and Arabia into all the neighboring 

 countries, where it is much prized, especially in 

 the harems, where the women and children may 

 almost be said to eat it incessantly. 



No man can starve in a date-country during the 

 three months of the year in which the fruit is eata- 

 ble, since he has but to throw up a stone into the 

 tree to bringdown his breakfast or his dinner. For 

 this reason chiefly, tents are ])itched and villages 

 built in palm-groves ; and as hogs are turned into 

 the woods in acorn-time, so children are let loose 

 in the palm-woods throughout the whole period of 

 the date hai'vest to collect their own provisions, and 

 feed as they list. You may often, as you journey 

 along, observe troops of the little gourmands, who. 



