1864. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



153 



ing the loss of several acres in my vicinity. 

 Experiment No. 3. 



I resolved to make one more trial of Coe's Su- 

 perphosphate, and mark the result more particu- 

 larly. In 1862 I prepared a piece of land for 

 corn, plowing in new stable manure. I then put 

 a tablespoonful of Coe's Superi)hosphate and one- 

 third to one-half a shovelful of well-rotted stable 

 manure in a hill, on all the piece, with the excep- 

 tion of two rows in which I put the same quanti- 

 ty of manure without the Superphosphate, ard 

 marked them. There was not any perceptible 

 difference between the corn in those rows and 

 those beside them that had Superphosphate in the 

 hill, while growing. I harvested and weighed 

 the corn of the two rows without, also two with 

 Su{>€rphosphate in the hill, one row on each side 

 next to the two without the Lime, with the fol- 

 lowing results : 



With lime in the hill, 140 lbs. large corn, 19 small 159 



Without do. " " 135 " " " 20 " 135 



Upon another piece I tried a like experiment, 

 excepting there was no manure spread broadcast 

 — sward land manured in the hill only. The fol- 

 lowing is the result : 



With superphosphate of lime, 113 lbs. large, 34 small 147 



Without " " " 108 " " 38 " 146 



The following is the result of an experiment 

 with potatoes. A fair portion of stable manure 

 plowed in ; a spoonful of Superphosphate put in 

 all the hills but two rows, in which I put but half 

 as much. Result of weight in harvest : 



A spoonful in a hill, 117 lbs. lavse, 36 small 153 



Half-spoonful " 112 " " 36 " 148 



My land is a clay soil on a clay pan. Others 

 in this vicinity have used Superphosphate with 

 much better results. A friend tried it upon a 

 piece of poor gravel soil that had been formerly 

 cultivated, and then pastured until it would bear 

 but very little feed ; planted it with Jackson 

 White potatoes, using no manure but a spoonful 

 of Coe's Superphosphate in a hill, and got a fair 

 crop. He has used it for corn, also, with good 

 results. His cattle are inclined to chew bones, 

 while ours seldom do so. Is it not because his 

 soil is deficient in that property to a greater de- 

 gree than mine, that lie gets so much better re- 

 sults from Superphosphate ? J. L. P. 



Notihampton, N. H., March, 1864. 



Remarks. — To us — with all our reading, ob- 

 servation, and the actual experiments of several 

 years — this matter of the use of specific fertilizers, 

 as they are called, is still involved in mystery. 

 Similar experiments have often occurred in our 

 own neighborhood, where the results have been 

 utterly unlike and entirely beyond any reasona- 

 ble explanation that could be given. One thing, 

 however, seems to us to be well settled, viz., that 

 it will not answer to depend upon any of the spe- 

 cific fertilizers, alone, for a profitable crop. But 

 we have heard of exceptions to this. There is no 

 doubt but that a large crop can be secured from 

 them without the agency of other manure, but 

 there are many doubts whether it would be a 

 profitable crop. Financially speaking, it is of no 

 use to make "two spears of corn or grass to grow- 



where only one grew before," unless we can do it 

 profitably — that is, that it shall return to us more 

 than it costs. The same rule is applicable to the 

 specific fertilizers. 



EXTRACTS AND REPLIES. 



Time for Sowing Barley. 



Can you tell the best time to sow barley ? Some 

 say it sown too early, it is liable to injury by late frosts. 

 Matisjield, March, 1864. e. C. 



Remarks. — The time of sowing barley, as with all 

 other grains, must depend, in some measure, upon the 

 condition of the soil. If the weather appears settled, 

 and the soil is in a crumbling, or pulverulent condi- 

 tion, barley may t)e sown as soon as the 20th of April, 

 and any time afterward to the lOth of May. The rule 

 should he, the sootier the better, if the ground is in good 

 condition. 



Feeding Rye to Sheep. 



Can you, or any of your correspondents, tell me 

 whether rye is good for sheep before and after drop- 

 ping their lambs ? And if so, how much per day ? 



A Readeb. 



East Hardicick, Vt., March, 1864. 



Remarks. — We have had no experience in feeding 

 rye to sheep, and must leave the information desired 

 to be furnished by those who have. 



Culture of Onions. 



I read a piece in the Farmer of Sept. 26, on raising 

 onions, by Mr. Horace Ware, of Marblehead. The 

 writer goes on to say, — This season Mr. Ware has 14 

 acres of onions and they would yield five hundred 

 dollars per acre. Now, you would do me and the 

 public a great favor to let us know how the thing is 

 done ; that is, how the land is fitted, how and when 

 sown, what quantity of seed per acre, and how to save 

 them from worms. 



The best remedy against the onion worms that I 

 know of, is to dig the dirt all away from the onions, 

 so that they will fall down flat on the ground. If you 

 know anything better let us have it. But please let 

 us know how Mr. Wade raises onions, for he must be 

 a workman at the business. 



Samuel T. Danforth. 



WilUamstown, March, 1864. 



Remarks. — We are not able to give the details re- 

 quired, but hope Mr. Wake will oblige us and the 

 public, by giving us, for publication in the Farmer, 

 the iniormation asked for. 



A Good Example for Biddiea. 



Jas. F. Bramer, of Holliston, has a Brahma pullet 

 who began to lay Nov. 21, 1863. She was then six 

 months old. For her first litter she laid 23 eggs, the 

 second litter 21 eggs, the third litter 30 eggs, and still 

 laying. The whole weight of her eggs is 9 pounds 14 ; 

 ounces. I thought these facts might interest some of! 

 the readers of your valuable paper. The weight of 

 this pullet is 8 pounds. Cackle. 



Scours in Sheep. 



I send you a few statements for the benefit of your 

 correspondent from Vernon, relative to his sick sheep, 

 that are dying with the dysentery. This is a disorder 

 we have not had in this section, as yet, but we are 

 having many cases of what is termed the stretches, 

 that often proves fatal. This disease is a stoppage of 

 the flow of urine, produced by an inflammation on the 

 kidney, [or on the lining membrane of the ureter, 

 which conveys the urine to the bladder. I prepare a 

 medicine, (which is also for the human species in both 

 of the above complaints,) which I use with perfect 

 success. The one for kidney complaint, I have given 

 to sheep with stretches in my neighborhood, without 

 a single failure. The one for dysentery and diarrhoea 

 has not been known to fail in one instance, when used 



