1864. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



199 



judge somewhat how the cold came ; whether in 

 verii cold niijlds or a steady low range day and 

 nifi;ht. Thus a low, general averai'e, and high 

 midday average would indicate cold nights. 

 Where these two averages ranged near together 

 the indication is that the cold was steady. Many 

 other deductions can be made by study of such a 

 table as the above. The table enables us to judge 

 correctly as to the "warmest winter" or the "cold- 

 est," the wettest or dryest, &c., so often remarked 

 without much thought. A. c. 



Claremont, N. H. 



CROSSING ANIMALS. 



Cline, who is generally regarded as good au- 

 thority in such matters, remarks that "any im- 

 provement by crossing must depend entirely up- 

 on the selection of a well-formed female — larger 

 in size than the usual proportion between females 

 and males ; and let the male be rather small, with 

 good points." 



A late work on agriculture, published in Eng- 

 land, contains the following upon the subject of 

 crosses : 



"The desire to obtain a larger race by crossing, 

 has been very generally attended with evil con- 

 sequences ; the chief aim ought to be to improve 

 the foiin, leaving the increase of size to be the 

 result of a union of larger breeds of cattle." 



Again the author says : 



It may be desirable to improve the form of a 

 native breed or race, but at the same time, it may 

 be very injudicious to attempt to change their 

 size, for the size of animals is commonly adapted 

 to the soil and climate which they inhabit. Where 

 produce is nutritive and abundant, the animals 

 are larger, having grown proportionally to the 

 quantity of food, which for generations, they have 

 been accustomed to obtain ; but where the pro- 

 duce is scanty, the animals are small, being pro- 

 portioned to the quantity of food which they were 

 able to procure ; and of these contrasts, the sheep 

 of Lincolnshire and Wales are samples — the Lin- 

 colnshire sheep would starve on the mountains of 

 Wales. Crossing the breeds of aiiimals may be 

 attended with bad effects in various ways, and 

 that, even when adopted in the beginning on good 

 principles ; for instance : Su])pose some larger 

 ewes than those of the native breed were taken 

 to the mountains of Wales and put to the bucks 

 of that country ; if these foreign ewes were fed 

 in proportion to their size, their lambs would be 

 of an improved form, and larger in size than the 

 native animals ; but the males produced by this 

 cross, although of good form would be dispro- 

 portionate in size to the native ewes, and there- 

 fore, if permitted to mix with them, would be pro- 

 ductive of a starveling, ill-proportioned progeny. 



Age of the Big Trees of California. — 

 A count of rings in the wood of one of the big 

 trees of California, cut down several years ago, 

 shows that it was not more than 1225 years old. 

 It was 23 feet in diameter. 



Try experiments sparingly, but liberally withal, 

 where improvement of the land may be promoted. 



THE BOBOLINK. 



Where the pheasant late was drumming 



With her l)rown and spotted wings ; 

 Where tlie velvet bees arc humming, 

 Where the ox-cycd daisy swings — 

 The f,'ay boholinlv is coming, 

 With his song the welkin rings. 

 His coat is black as night, 

 His epaulettes are white ; 

 A meadow bard is he, 

 Minstrel of liberty. 



Hear the chorus of the rover 



As he sings upon a reed, 

 On the thistle, in the clover, 

 On the tip-top of the weed. 

 On the elm-twig bending over. 

 Singing when he husks the seed. 

 Where the soft cotton grows. 

 As white as winter snows, 

 He never sang the lay 

 That charms the ear to-day. 



How soft and tender is the twitter 



Of this meadow minstrel g.iy ! 

 How jubilant the wings that flitter 



While he sings his roundelay 

 Above the still and faithful sitter 

 Upon her nest of wool and hay ! 

 When the glad husband sings. 

 His wife, with folded wings. 

 Hid in the grass and flowers 

 Forgets the fleeting hours. 



GiOKGE W. BVNGAir. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 SICKNESS AND LOSS OF SHEEP. 



Messrs. Editor : — In the Farmer of May 14th 

 was an article from O. W. True, on "Sheep." I 

 can say with him that they have not wintered as 

 well as common, and many have died. The losses 

 do not seem confined to large flocks altogether, 

 for some small flocks of eight, fifteen, and twenty, 

 have suffered more or less, losing from three to 

 tv.elve, while larger flocks have lost more heavily. 

 Some farmers in this vicinity have lost as many 

 as twelve, thirty, and even one hundred. 



The difficulty is mostly grub in the head, — 

 there being only a few cases of scours. I have 

 known of some to o])en the head and find eight 

 and nine gruhs, and in many cases the sheep 

 would show «o signs of sickness until within a 

 short time of its death. I think if sheep are taken 

 in season and treated as recommended in the 

 Farmer some time ago, (in March, I should think,) 

 for grub in the head, they may be cured. I have 

 known of a number being cured. In some cases 

 the grub would come out on the swab. Lambs 

 have not done as well as usual, and must com- 

 mand a good price. A Reader. 



Belknap County , N. H. 



Sensible Maxims. — Never taste an atom when 

 you are not hungry ; it is suicidal. 



Never hire servants who go in pairs, as sisters, 

 cousins, or anything else. 



Never speak of your father as "the old man." 



Never reply to the epithet of a drunkard, a fool, 

 or a fellow. 



Never speak contemptuously of womankind. 



Never abuse one who was once your bosom- 

 friend, however bitter now. 



Never smile at the expense of your religion or 

 your Bible. 



Never stand at the corner of a street. 



Never insult poverty. 



Never eat between meals. 



