64 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Feb. 



CONTENTS OF THIS NUMBER. 



Thoughts Suggested by February Page 33 



Seeding Land to Grass 34 



Extraets and Repliea 35, 42, 52, 61 



Catechism of Ajjricultural Chemistry and Geology 38 



Atmospheric Influence upon Soil and Plants 37 



Two Fine Cows — Fruits in the Northwest 38 



Princeton — Meteorological Record for November 39 



Remedy for the Borer — A few Words about Bees 40 



A Query for Arboriculturists — Safe Farming 40 



Grease or Scratches on Horses — Feeding Calves 41 



Language of Insects — Hints for the Stason 42 



Churning in Winter — Winter the time to Think 42 



Song of the BI;icksmith'H Wife— Making Pork at the West 43 



Maine Agricultural Statistics — Rogers' Hybrid Grapes 43 



Sheep Shedfliijg Wood ". 43 



Eggs in Winter — Tent Caterpillars 44 



Natural Science in Common Schools 45 



Influence of the Atmosphere 40 



Dividing Sheep Flocks fn- Winter 47 



Failure of Sefds— Cheap Cider Vinegar 48 



A Pair of White Shanghai Fowls — Honey Bees 49 



Winter Care of Stock 50 



Great Destruction of Trees by Ice 51 



Learning from Experience 52 



Hopkinton, Mass 53 



Wood Ashes and Charcoal for Wheat .' ! . ! .'54 



Alarming Disease among Stock 55 



Song of the Spartan Mother— A Sketch of Franklin 56 



Rearing Lambs 57 



Bump^ Patent Atmospheric Churn 58 



What are Good Cows — How to Catch Sheep 59 



Report of the Commissioner of Agriculture 60 



The Wlieat Question go 



A New Disorder among Cattle— Diptheria and its Cures.'. .'. . .61 



New Receipt for Making Soap— Patent Office 61 



Pennsylvania Agricultural College 62 



Frauds of Sheep Exhibitors ....02 



Use of Bones — Crops and Wool in Vermont 62 



The Blackberry— Meteorological Record for Dec, 1863 63 



Cattle Markets for January 64 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Initial Letter F 33 



Grease, or Scratches on Horses 41 



A Pair of White Shanghai Fowls I.49 



CATTLE MAKKETS FOK JANUARY. 



The fallowing is a summary of the reports for the four weeks 

 ending January 13, 1864: 



NUMBER AT MARKET. 

 Catde. Sheep. Shotes. 



Dec. 23 1775 



" 30 1010 



Jan. 6 1088 



" 13 1526 



4267 

 3136 

 3063 

 3106 



50 



Fat Hogs. 

 1400 

 2000 

 2000 



Total 5,399 13,572 70 5,400 



The following table exhibits the number of cattle and sheep 

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

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

 January, of each year: 



THIS YEAR. LAST YEAR 



Cattle. 



Maine 447 



New Hampshire 677 



Vermopf I666 



Massachusetts 368 



Northern New York 187 



Western States 1902 



Canada 152 



Sheep. Cattle. Sheep. 



245S 

 1898 

 3,848 

 1957 



770 

 1883 



753 



13,572 

 6,569 



30. 



Total, last four weeks 5,.399 



Total, since Jan. 1,(2 weeks,).. 2,614 

 PRICES. 

 Dec. 23. Dec 



Beef,l8t, 2d, 3d qual 5|ig8i 5J@8J 



" ex. and premium... 8339 82@9 



Sheep and lambs, #• Ib...5J@7J bl®l\ 



Swine, stores, w'sale @7 @7 



" " retail 7Jg8i th'&h 



Livefathogs @^ 6J@7 



Beef hides, ^ lb 9 @9i 9 09^ 



Pelts, sheep & lambs $2i'S2 J $2^(g2i 



1148 

 827 



2630 

 243 

 222 



1318 

 271 



6,659 

 2,329 



Jan. 2. 

 6 (g9 



6 (§73 



3731 

 1055 

 2944 

 1280 

 637 

 1703 



12,213 

 5,404 



Jan. 9. 

 6 (§9 

 9^Q10 

 6i®3 



— 7 



@7 



9 (g9J 



$3 



$3 



Remarks — The two last markets of 1863 were dull and heavy, 

 although the amount of stock sold was considerably less than 

 that for the last two weeks of 1862 ; while the first two markets 

 of this year were quite brisk, and prices have advanced full >ic 

 ^ lb. on beef, and more than that on sheep, with quick sales. 

 SALES OF WESTERN CATTLE. 



W. ScoUans & Ce., sold to G. Davis 20 Western steers, 1523 

 fts. each, at 9'^c, J^ sk ; and 2 at 10c, X sk : 55 to Brooks & 

 Stone, 10 at 8c, 35 sk ; 10 at 8>ic, 35 sk ; and 35 at 8!Jc,34sk ; 

 17 to G. Wildes, 1431 lbs. each, at 9!4'c,34 sk ; 24 to C. Sander- 

 son, 1494 tbs. each, at 9J^c, ^4 sk ; and 4, of 1620 lbs, at 10c, J^ 

 shrink. 



Statistics for the Year 1863 : 



According to our weekly reports the following numbers of 

 live stock have been sold at these markets during the year 1863, 

 compared with tifcse of 1862: 



If 'hole Number. Weekly Arerace. 



1863. 1862. 1863. 1862. 



Cattleof all kinds 110,815 98,218 2091 1889 



Sheep and lambs 250,597 229,198 4728 44O8 



Veal calves 16,005 lO.OOO 302 192 



Fat hogs 63,891 65,000 1300 1058 



Shotes and pigs ,22,950 46,000 244 835 



SooRCES OP Supply The following table exhibits the number 



of cattle and sheep arriving at market, from several States, for 

 each quarter of the past year: 

 Quarter cattle. 



Mass . 



15P6 



1645 



363 



932 



This year, 20,206 15,165 28,481 4436 

 Last year, 12,501 9,958 31,206 3360 



SHEEP. 



N. H. rt. Mass. ISor.N.Y. West. Cc. 

 5684 8820 10,292 1299 8196 221 

 8936 15,677 3279 1442 3824 316 

 8924 33.544 3271 8704 35S7 18,173 



11,925 11,516 28,573 1701 6547 4024 17,380 



Quarter 



ending Me. 



Nov. 26, 1971 



June 25, 689 



Sept. 30, 18,138 

 Dec. 30, 



This year, 32,723 35,060 91,614 18,489 16,990 19,631 36,790 

 Last year, 31,169 22,946 95,495 14,873 11,846 19,927 32,937 



Transportation.— The cattle and sheep have reached the 



market by the several railaoads, boats, &e., in the following 

 proportion: 



Quarter cattle. 



ending Fitch. Lowell Eastern Wmcester On foot and 



and Me. boats. 



March 26, 5520 3999 2441 7103 796 



June 25, 3468 2159 882 8020 383 



Sept. 30, 7114 7067 4379 11354 3982 



Dec. 30, 10731 10026 7006 8717 5668 



Total, 26,833 23,251 14,708 



SHEEP. 



6566 1981 



7413 40 



35657 6490 



31931 14028 



March 26, 19523 



June 25, 22180 



Sept. 30, 38540 



Dec. 30, 25506 



35,194 



8413 

 3804 

 3445 

 4325 



10,829 



Total, 105,749 81,567 22,539 19,987 



726 



15153 

 4876 



20,755 



During the first half of the year there was a large advance in 

 the price of beef ; equal to three cents ■f lb., according to our 

 quotations, on the various qualities. That is, otir figures stood 

 4 'i g>7'4 c, Jan.jl, and 8 @ lOJj'c ■(f lb., April 23. During the last 

 six months prices have been much more uniform. Our highest 

 weekly quotations for extra beeves have been as follows: 

 Jst Quarter. 2d Quarter. 3d Quarter. 



7'4C, 2w'ks. g'jC, 7week3. 7c, 6 weeks 



9i4 



9*^ 



ith Quarter, 

 !^c, 7 weeks. 



3 " 

 ^i 2 " 

 ■i 1 " 



Last year the highest prices for extra beef were: 

 1st Quarter. 2d Quarter. Zd Quarter. ith Quarter. 



7c, 3 weeks. 7ii,'c, 1 week. 7c, 1 week. 6J^c, 5 weeks. 

 63i 7 " 7 9" 6?^ 7 " 6% 5 " 



6>i 2 " 6^^ 3 " 6>i 6 " 7 8" 



Notwithstanding the high prices offered for beef this year the 

 average quality of the Western stock, in particular, has been 

 very much below that of former years. 



