378 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Dec. 



raising this crop, some of wliich I will mention. 



The former, who raises and sells a crop of hay 

 or grain, has the satisfaction of knowing that he 

 has sold a crop that will do somebody good. But 

 he that sells a crop of tobacco sells that which will 

 do no good to the world, and it is a positive in- 

 jury to many ; consequently, aside from the re- 

 muneration he receives, no satisfaction can be de- 

 rived from raising this crop. 



Another objection is, that raising this crop is 

 attended with more care and anxiety than all oth- 

 er crops put together. From the sowing of the 

 seed to the disposal of the crop, constant care and 

 watchfulness are necessary to success. The seed 

 bed requires watering, weeding and constant at- 

 tention. The plants, as soon as set, are attacked 

 by the grub, or corn worm, and in many cases a 

 field must be set over two or three times before it 

 can escape its ravages. Then comes the tobacco 

 worm, a greedy, filthy fellow, requiring constant 

 vigilance on the part of the farmer to avoid his 

 depredations. Add to these cares the fear of hail 

 storms, of rust, frost, and, after housing, of pole 

 burning, heating, &c. Add to this the feverish 

 anxiety about prices, and you have a specimen of 

 the care required. 



Another objection, and the last I shall name, is 

 that the labor required on this crop is harder, 

 more filthy and disgusting than that of any other 

 field crop. 



As difl'erent men have different minds, I hope 

 to hear from other readers an answer to the ques- 

 tion, "Shall we raise tobacco?" Hampden. 



Eohjoke, Oct. 12, 1863. 



For Vie New England Fnnner. 



TOP-DRESSING FOB GRASS LANDS. 



Mr. Editor : — Few subjects have engaged the 

 attention of agricultural writers more than the ap- 

 plication of manure to grass lands, whilst some 

 writei's even doubt the expediency, and would in- 

 corporate all manures with the soil to avoid loss 

 from evaporation. Most farmers believe a top- 

 dressing to meadow lands is not only necessary, 

 but indispensable, yet but few writers agree as to 

 the proper time to make the application. Some 

 recommend immediately after the grass crop is re- 

 moved, others later in the fall, others when the 

 ground is frozen, and others in the spring. The 

 advocates of early application are met by their op- 

 ponents with the cry of loss by evaporation, that 

 the intense heat of the sun and atmosphere of 

 midsummer divests the manure of nearly all its 

 fertilizing qualities, that a later application in a 

 measure avoids that calamity. 



We have had some experience in top-dressing 

 at the several seasons, and have come to the con- 

 clusion that the best time is August or September, 

 next best October ; the most objectionable, winter 

 and spring. 



The loss by evaporation in early dressing is 

 more than balanced by the fertilizing efiects on 

 the roots of the grass before the frosts of autumn 

 put a stop to vegetation and should you happen 

 to have a shower soon after its application, you 

 are amply repaid for all loss. 



Manure applied when the ground is frozen, or 

 in early spring, we think does little good ; in the 

 first case, the rains of winter wash out the ferti- 

 lizing qualities and the roots of the grass receive 

 little vy 110 benefit from it. The spring dressing 



seldom gets washed into the soil in season to ben- 

 efit the crop, and if a drought ensues, it becomes a 

 total loss. 



The present season has been peculiarly favora- 

 ble for early fi\ll dressing ; our frequent showers 

 have had a tendency to wash the manure into the 

 soil before the sun and atmosphere had sensibly 

 affected its value by evaporation. 



We have top-dressed several acres of grass lands 

 with compost manure during the month of Sep- 

 tember, and the luxuriant and dark green foliage 

 plainly indicate the fertilizing effect of the com- 

 post. 



North Pembroke, Oct. c. 



For the Kew England Farmer. 

 STRAY HINTS FROM MY KITCHEN. 



As boiled dinner is ilie dinner at the farmer's 

 table, how important it is that the farmer's wife 

 should know how to prepare it nicely, and as the 

 season is at hand when it is beginning to take aa 

 important place in the culinary department, a few 

 hints upon its skilful preparation may not come 

 amiss. 



The farmer himself knows, or ought to know, 

 that beets, turnips, parsnips and carrots, should, 

 when carried into the cellar, be buried in dry sand. 

 Some do not dig parsnips until spring, but they 

 are nicer to dig them in the fall, and put them in- 

 to a barrel of sand in the cellar. They are not fit 

 to boil until the middle of winter. Potatoes 

 should, if kept in barrels, bins, or boxes, always 

 be covered to exclude the light ; if dumped upon 

 the ground, choose the darkest corner, if you want 

 nice potatoes along toward spring. 



So much for the boiled dinner uncooked, now 

 for the cooking. 



First, be in season ; I heard a lady say a week 

 or two ago, that ''being late about her dinner tired 

 her more than all her work." To get dinner rea- 

 dy at twelve o'clock, the general hour for dinner 

 at the farm-house, corned beef should be put on 

 by eight, or half-past, in hot water : beets washed 

 clean, but not cut, by nine, cabbage by half-past, 

 pork about ten, peas, parsnips and turnips by half- 

 past, squash by eleven and potatoes by half-past. 

 By making this your rule, your dinner will be all 

 nicely done, so you can take out your squash and 

 butter it, adding pepper, salt, and a spoonful of 

 sugar, if it is not nice and sweet ; mash your tur- 

 nips smooth, adding butter, ])epper and salt, don't 

 forget the pepper ; peel the parsnips and beets, 

 cutting the beets into quarters if large, having 

 peeled them by ilrop])ing them hot into a ])an of 

 cold water, and slipping the outside ofl" with the 

 hand, using no fork or knife, and have your din- 

 ner nicely dished, without confusion, at the proper 

 time. 



Put your beef and pork upon a large platter in 

 the centre of the table near the foot where the 

 husband can carve it to advantage. Lay the pars- 

 nips, peas, beets and cabbage cut and drained, 

 each upon separate plates, putting the turnips, 

 squash and potatoes into deep covered dishes; 

 not pile two-thirds of the mass of meat and vege- 

 tables "helter-skelter" upon a big platter, and the 

 rest upon a smaller one, and think it just as well. 

 It is not. A boiled dinner relishes better, when 

 neatly dished up. Try it, and you will be ])leased 

 to see what a nice looking dinner the "boiled din- 

 ner" is. Sarah. 



