146 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



May 



remove the turnip to the outdoor bed, and thin 

 out all but one [plant. Should the turnip send 

 out roots, pinch them off, and the shell will soon 

 rot, affording a fertilizer to the tomato plant that 

 will send it ahead wonderfully. A dozen turnips 

 tomatoized will afford an abundant supply of early 

 tomatoes for an ordinary family." 



EXTRACTS AND REPLIES. 

 Churning by Horse Power— Grafting the Com- 

 mon Apple on the Crab Stock. 



Some years since I saw in the Farmer an account of 

 the method of churning by horse power, as practiced 

 in Orange Co., New York. It is now gone from me, 

 and I wish to learn through the same medium, the 

 best method now practiced there or elsewhere ; wheth- 

 er by dasher or cranlc churn, and how large a quanti- 

 ty can profitably be churned at once ? , 



I have for two years past had one of A. W. Gray 

 & Son's horse powers, manufactured at Middletown, 

 Vt., with the rig for sawing wood with the cog-saw, 

 into bloclis ; also for thrashing. It worlds admirably, 

 the power being one-tliird easier for the horse than 

 any other kind in tliis vicinity. 



i wish this spring to attach it to a churn adapted to 

 a dairy of from forty to fifty cows. The present scar- 

 city of laborers may lead others to a similar process. 



I also wish to learn if the common apple, or its best 

 varieties, can be profitably cultivated on the crab ap- 

 ple stock. The crab apple is known to flourish in this 

 locality with all the hardiness of a forest tree; while 

 most attempts to cultivate otlier varieties prove abor- 

 tive. Stephen P. Joslin. 



Waitsfiekl, Vt., March 4, 1864. 



Diseased Sheep— Grafting the Butternut. 



Can you, or any of your correspondents tell me 

 what to do for my sheep that are dying with what ap- 

 pears to be diarrhoea, or dysentery ? I have adminis- 

 tered the "Sheep's Cordial," recommended in Youatt's 

 Work on Sheep, but without any benefit. I cannot 

 lell whether their disease is dysentery or not, being 

 unacquainted with the diseases of sheep ; but they be- 

 gin to "scour," grow thin in flesh, their eyes assume a 

 glassy look, and they droop and die ; and no medicine 

 yet administered has the effect to arrest the disease. 

 If you, or any of your readers know of any cure I 

 should be glad to be informed through the columns of 

 the ^'■Farmer." 



I would like also to inquire whether the common 

 butternut can be propagated by grafting, and by what 

 method. m. n. c. 



Vernon, Vt., March, 1864. 



Remarks. — We trust that some sheep master who 

 is acquainted with the symptoms described 1)y our 

 correspondent, will reply, and make such suggestions, 

 or give him such advice as will be of service to him. 



We have never heard of the butternut tree being 

 grafted. It would be an easy matter to try it. 



A Barren Quince Tree. 



I would like to know what a quince tree is worth 

 after it has bloomed three years and not matured any 

 fruit ? Will it do to transplant, as it rests in a cold, 

 wet place, to engraft the pear on ? 



I have heard it said that a limb of the quince cut in 

 as many pieces as it has buds on it, and planted, will 

 give as many trees, and that in three years they would 

 bear fruit. s. p. 



Derrij, N. H., 1864. 



Remarks. — A quince tree in the condition which 

 you describe, is probably worth nothing. On exami- 

 nation, it will probably be found defective at the 

 roots, cut by borers, or some of the main roots decayed, 

 perhaps, from standing in a wet and cold place. 



The quince may be propagated by cuttings. They 

 should be planted in a shaded situation, early in the 

 sprirrr, where thev will root verv casilv. 



Remioving Grape "Vines. 



I have a number of grape vines standing in the field 

 where they have stood many a year. Would it be a 

 good plan to remove them to some select spot and cul- 

 tivate them, as they appear to be a very good grape ? 



JDerry, N. H., March, 1864. s. p. 



Remarks. — We do not recommend removing the 

 grape vines you speak of, but suggest putting down a 

 chestnut or locust stake, by the side of the root of one 

 of them. Let the stake be three or four inches in di- 

 ameter, two feet in the ground and six feet out. Tie 

 the vine up to this, after cutting away some of the ex- 

 treme ends. Next November trim the vines closely. 

 If each vine in the field is served in this way, it will 

 occupy but little room, be out of the way, and the la- 

 bor so trifling that it can be no objection. 



This job being done, we would suggest that the pro- 

 prietor obtain some one of the best of our out-door 

 grapes, the Concord, for instance, and set it in a fa- 

 vorable place where it can climb upon some part of the 

 buildings. By keeping grass and weeds from it, giv- 

 ing it water occasionally, if the season is a dry one, and 

 a sprinkling of ashes, it will soon produce a surprising 

 amount of Iruit of excellent quality. When it is 

 trimmed in November the cuttings may be planted 

 where they are intended to stand, or covered in soil 

 until spring, when they may be planted out. In this 

 way the vines may be increased to any desirable ex- 

 tent. 



How to Make Good Butter. 



I saw in a paper the other day, some one complain- 

 ing of butter being tasteless. I have read a great deal 

 in the agricultural papers on butter-making, and there 

 has not one come up to my rule of making butter. I 

 will give it in short metre : 



I shall not contradict anything that any one has 

 written, except the washing of the butter after it is 

 churned. I have made butter for my own tabic, and 

 some for market, the most of the time since 1820, and 

 I always have sweet ))utter. I do not wash it in cold 

 water nor put a drop near it ; I work out the butter- 

 milk, what I can, and then salt it, and set it in the 

 cellar till cool, then work it over, and if the butter was 

 warm when it came it will be necessary to work it 

 again and beat the pickle all out of it. In this way 

 you will find a sweetness in your butter that you do 

 not find in butter that is washed in cold water. If all 

 of the butter-makers would practice this method, and 

 salt it just enough to keep it, there would be no more 

 complaint of strong, tasteless butter. s. p. 



Derry, N. H., 1864. - 



For the New England Farmer, 

 CHOICE VEGETABLES. 



It is very evident that there are many good va- 

 rieties of vegetables in obscure places, and in the 

 hands of those that will not take the trouble to 

 introduce them to the public, that would be very 

 desirable and useful for our tables. In this com- 

 munication it is designed to draw out these, if 

 possible, from their hiding places, while at the 

 same time the example is set by making mention 

 of what we think worthy of introduction that we 

 have grown. 



Tomatoes. 



About fifteen years ago I found a tomato plant 

 that was producing what I thought was very per- 

 fect fruit. I discarded all others, and have saved 

 the first ripe fruit every year since for seed. By 

 this care, I have always had since plenty of to- 

 matoes the first week in August. I plant them 

 in hot beds, between the 10th and 15th of April, 

 which is much later than others plant, yet get 



