392 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Dec. 



CONTENTS OF THIS NUMBER. 



Our Next Volume— Implements at the Illinois Fair. . . ,Page 361 



Thouslits for December 362 



Bad Treatment of a Calf— West's Improved Pump 303 



Meteoroln;jiciil Record for August and September 3(53 



Parinp; and Burninjj; — Binding Machine 364 



"Of my Own Uaisint;" — Price of Wool 365 



Letter from tlie Hills — Horticultural Notes 366 



South Down Buck, Arcl)bi,-hop — Mares in Foal 368 



The Hop Croi>^rrice of Apples ... .368 



Seedling Pears -Dr. ShurtklT's Labors 360 



Ohjeclions to tlie Rarey Plan 309 



Running White Beans — Fruits in the Northwest 370 



Fightiug Weeds Resolutely „ 370 



Charlton — Breeds of Swine, and their Management 371 



Cheap Grape Trellis 372 



Mother Earth — Strawberries 373 



Choice of Animals for Fattening 373 



Rats in a Tile l^rain- Salt and Cold Water for Swine 374 



Growing Love of Flowers — Tobacco and Wlieat 37 ) 



Cost of Analyzing Soils — Women's Long Skirts 376 



Have Animals l\iasoning Powers — Dapjage to Sheep 376 



Importance of JIanures — The Harvest 377 



Shall we Raise Tobacco f 377 



Top-Dressing for Grass Lands 378 



Stray Hints from my Kitchen .' 378 



Extracts and RepHus 379, 384 



Trimming the Wliite Pine — Marvels of Man 379 



Cashmere Goats and Wool— The Ilusbandnian — The EIm...3S0 



Covering Manure — The Farmer as a Manuficturer 381 



Suspended Animation — Turning Heavy Cheeses 382 



Love of Home — Get Enough Sleep 382 



The Crops of 1803— Wliy Hogs Eat Ashes, &c 383 



New Books — The I'ractical Shepherd — Sorgo 384 



Eaton's Premium Sheep Rack o85 



Hydropathy in Veterinary Practice, , 385 



Why is the Farmer Discontented ? 3«.6 



Trained Oxen — Kindut-ss to Animals 383 



Weather Signs — Retrospective Notes 3S9 



Awarding Premiums at Cattle Shows 3'JO 



Elderberries for Wine :;90 



How to Raise Rye — Scratches in Horses 391 



Cattle Markets for November 392 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Initial Letter W ." 302 



South Down Bi-.ck, Archbishop 3i)3 



Eaton's Premium Sheep Rack 3Sj 



CATTLE MARKETS FOR DNTOVEMBER. 



The f jUowing is a summary of the reports for the four weeks 

 ending November 11, 1863: 



NUMBER AT MARKET. 



Cattle. Sheep. Shotes. Fat Huas. 



Oct.. 21 4150 7382 2C0 3000 " 



" 28 3977 7098 200 3600 



Nov. .4 4335 7021 — 4SOO 



" 11 5214 7268 114 5400 



Total 17,726 28.769 514 16,800 



The following table exhibits the number of cattlf and sheep 

 from each State for the last four weeks, and for tlie correspond- 

 ing four weeks last year ; also the total number since the first of 

 .Tanuary, of each year: 



THIS YEAR. LAST YEAR. 



Cait'e. Sheep. Cattle. Sheep. 



Maine 4703 3515 3700 4284 



New Hampshire 2990 44S4 21C0 2870 



Vermont 4639 10,703 7972 8924 



Massachusetts 5U 21 381 — 



Northern New York 722 1791 703 913 



Western States 30S9 1025 1877 696 



Canada 1072 7230 395 8.JG8 



Total, last four weeks 17,726 28,769 15,238 2),257 



Total, since Jan. 1,(46 w'ks,).94,149 2^,756 82,312 203,229 

 PRICES. 



0-'i!.21. Oc<. 28. Nov.i. Aw'.ll 



Beef,lst,2d,3aqual 5 ,H8 5 38 5 gS 5 ^iS 



" extra and premium S^gSj SJgSj ^\a%l S'jgSJ 



Sheep k lambs, each $84 S4i $3 ', <i4^ $3g 55 $3^55^ 



" (old) q;? II, 5 S5i 5^-36 5.^36^ 54o6i 



Swine,stores,w'sale 41354 ^i'nhl 44g54 5 41,6 



" " i-etail 5 36 6 ,36 5 36 5^37 



Livefathogs 5336 6 ©6^ 6 36^ 6 36^ 



Beef hides, •<?' lb 8.ia9 8,159 8I39 8i'39 



Pelts, sheep & lambs $1^ si J $1 JglJ $1| g2 $1^ §2 



Tallow, ^ lb 8 (384 8 (gS^ 8 ©8^ 8 (38J 



Remarks — The amount of stock at market this fall continues 

 to be much larger than it was either last year or the year be- 

 fore, and the number of cattle at the last of the foregoing four 

 weeks exceeds by some 600 or 800 that at any one market dur- 

 in.i^ the last three years. A large part of them, however, were 

 "light stufT," young cattle and partly fatted cows and small ox- 

 en, many of which, probably, were sent to market to enable 

 their owners to sell a few tons of hay, for v.hieh it is said buyers 

 from the cities are ofFering high prices in most parts of New 

 England. Two years ago many mechanics and very large num- 

 bers of operatives were out of employment in New England, and 

 quite uncertain jhow disastrously the continuance if the war 

 might alTect their interests. Resolutely, however, they looked 

 about thetn with a determination lo prepare as well as they 

 might for the worst. Among (he items of family expenses, the 

 meat bill was one of the first to be placed on the retrenchment 

 list, and Brighton market at once felt the effect of the patriotic 

 sacrifice. The constant increase since that time, of the con- 

 sumption of meat, is to our mind a most conclusive evidence of 

 the growth of confidence in our government and in ourselves. 

 The number of cattle and sheep at market, for the eight weeks 

 ending about November 11, this year, last year, and the year 

 before, is as follows: 



1861. 1862. 1863. 



Cattle 21,344 27.003 33.594 



Sheep 42,865 56,787 63,415 



Prices have been v^ry uniform during the past month, and 

 the stock arriving at market has been sold each week, e.xrept 

 the last, when there were about 1000 cattle and as many sheep 

 unsold at the close of business. 



Cows that bid fair to yield a good amount of milk ai-e in de- 

 mand, at from $33 to $45 f)r cows and young i alves. Extra 

 good ones higher, and extra poor ones lower. The market is 

 overstocked for other kinds of store catile. 



Sheep sell so well that the butchers generally pre-engage their 

 next week's supply. Pelts advancing. 



The store-pig or shotc trade is quite small, in consequence of 

 the high price of grain. 



Sales of Cattle and Slieep. 



The following is from our report of sales, November 11: 



E. Woodruff solil 8 oxen to N. & S. Jackson, one premium 

 pair, laid at 2300 lbs., dressed, fir 8;'jC, another fine pair, 2200 

 tbs., for S'jC, and 4 of about 9t lbs. each, for 7,!3C ; to another 

 party 4 oxen, at 7'4C ; four fat cows at $45 each, or 7c F lb. ; 

 one two-year-old heifjr at $36, and another at $26, each to coat 

 the butcher abou^t Gc #" lb., on dressed weight. 



M. r. Shackett sold to Saunders & Ilartwell 16 oxen — 8 laid 

 at 1200 lbs. for 8 '^c, and 8, 1050 lbs., at IKi: ; 6 four-year-old 

 steers, laid at 800 lbs , at 7c ; 8 three-year olds, 700 ttis. each, 

 for6;«c; 11 two-year-olds, of very extra size and quality, and 

 one three-year-old heifer, laid at 7C0 lbs., at about 7o i* ib. ; 11 

 jthrrs, 6ijO lbs., at 6c, and 9 three-year-olds. 675 lbs. each, for 

 9'iu. 



S. Wilmaith sold to S. F. Woorthridge one pair oxen, live 

 wlight 2850 llis., at 7c, 35 sk., 5 heifers and cows at about 6^c, 

 7 two and three-year-old steers at 6>2. and 3 cows for $126, or 

 about Giadr lb. 



T. J. Adams sold 8 two-year-old heifers, fair beef, .$23 1? hd ; 

 1 fat cow, .to dress 7(0 lbs, for §4:' ; another for $40, to dress 

 6-50 lbs. At Cambridge he was olTere 1 $103 (or a pair of oxen, 

 measuring 6 f«et 9 inches, one of which was fair beef and the 

 other not quite as good, which he thou/ht ought to bring him 

 about $113 ; he had stood with them all day iu Brighton, and 

 the best bid made there up to sundown, was $90. 



Scollans & Co. sold 3-3 Western oxen, 153o lbs. each, to E. 

 Porter at 8c, >^ sk ; 7 to Saunders & Hartwell, 1800 lbs. each, 

 at 8 ',c, Jt sk ; one pair premium oxen, 3300 fts., at 9c, 28 sk ; 

 40 to*G. riavis, 120 lbs., at 7'<c, 35 sk ; 16 to Mr Mason, 1325 

 lbs. 8c, 15 sk ; 31 to Mr Wildes, M2S lbs, 7'4 c, 38 sk ; 13 of 

 1400 lbs, 7,^aC, 35 sk ; 19 to Col. Phipps, 9^0 lbs. each, at Oe, 40 

 shrink. 



.r. Frost sold one pair of working oxen, 6 ft. 8 in., 6 years 

 old, for SIU8 ; one pair, 6 fi. .''i in., five years old, f.-r S90 ; 6 

 yearlings at $12 each ; and 3 pairs of two ye?r old steers re- 

 m.uned in his yards which iiad been traineil to the yoke, were 

 well matched and thrif.y, for which he asked $82, but would be 

 glad of an offer cif something less than that. A. C. Uolbrook 

 cleared his yiiids by the sale of 7 fair yearlings to Mr. Rice at 

 $3.50 per head. 



S. A. Maxfield sol 1 a very nice pair of well-matched, str.aight, 

 long-bodied oxen, 7 ft. 2 in , G year old, for $133 ; one pair, 6 

 ft. 11 in., 7 years old, for $119; one pair 6 ft. 10 i.i. 6 yeara 

 old, for $105 ; and four well fatted beef oxen, laid at 4100 lbs., 

 to Col. Dana for 8c ■If lb. 



Lambert Hastings sold 09 lambs for $3.75, lOS for .yl.OO, 110 

 for $4 25 and 65 selected cossets and rich lauiTis at $3.75, or, by 

 estimate, about 6c •(f lb. on live weight at market ; W. H. Smith 

 sold 90 sheep and lambs at $3.50. E. Wooiiruff sold a lot of 

 sheep anil lambs at $4.25 each, one lot of about 100 small 

 sheep and lambs were sold for $3.25 ; Robert Fletcher, whose 

 eye for fat sheep is regarded am ng the keenest, went up Cana- 

 da way last week and brought bai:k 51 lambs with a few older 

 cossets, just such as suited him, and such a lot, the bur.ehers say, 

 as has scare, ly ever been seen in this market, weighingSObO lbs., 

 which he sold to Dupee & White at 7c ij' ib. People were look- 

 ing at the mutton, this morning, at the market. 



