30 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Jan. 



For itie New England Farmer. 

 APPLES EVERY YEAR. 



As far as my memory goes back, I recollect my 

 father grafted quite a large-sized apple tree, in- 

 serting some twenty grafts, more or less. The 

 scions he procured from a neighbor's tree, noted 

 for its bearing a very full crop every other year, 

 of excellent quality for that period. When not 

 the bearing year not an apple was to be found 

 upon it. The result of his grafting was, that all 

 the scions inserted upon the northerly side of the 

 tree grew finely the first season and afterwards, 

 while those upon the south side did not Hve. The 

 next spring lie procured more scions from the pa- 

 rent tree and regrafted the south side, and with 

 perfect success. At the proper time he was re- 

 warded with a full crop of apples on the norther- 

 ly side of the tree — the year following a full crop 

 from the southerly side, and not one on the north- 

 ern. From that time to the present (about fifty 

 years) the tree has given a crop of apples every 

 year, alternating regularly, first the north, then 

 the south side — not an apple to be found on the 

 sides when not the bearing year. 



There is one instance in my neighborhood of 

 similar habit. A large tree, great bearer every 

 other year, with the exception of one large limb, 

 on which not an apple can be seen the bearing 

 year. The following year this limb is bent down 

 with apples, while not one can be found upon the 

 other part of the tree. This tree I have carefully 

 observed for the past twelve or fifteen years, and 

 have noticed no change in its alternations of bear- 

 ing. Its history I have not been able to learn. 



Having been a constant reader of your monthly 

 Neio England Farmer from its firsr to this date, 

 and having had many an intellectual feast there- 

 from — and never having given anything in return 

 therefor, except dollars and cents, I therefore feel 

 somewhat indebted to you — hence the above. 



Joppa, Mass., Nov. 23, 1863. R. c. 



Remarks. — The dollars and cents are essential, 

 and so are such facts as you have communicated. 

 Please write again. 



WINTER CARE OP STOCK. 



No man can afford to let his cattle shrink dur- 

 ing the winter — though nine out of ten manage 

 precisely in a way best calculated to bring about 

 that very result. The mere keeping the breath of 

 life in iliem, by dealing out poor or scanty rations, 

 is one of the most miserable pieces of economy a 

 herdsman can practice. The man who tries to 

 see how little fodder he can keep his cattle on, is 

 "saving at the spile and wasting at the spiggot." 

 Though in the spring he might console himself 

 with the reflection that it had cost him but little, 

 ' comparatively, to get his cattle through, yet their 

 emaciated forms and skeleton appearance could 

 not add much to his peace of mind, nor their de- 

 preciation in actual value to the contents of his 

 pocket, either present or prospective, To be sure, 

 such management must be adopted as will insure 

 the consumption of the coarser kinds of fodder 

 early in the season, but in our zeal to get rid of 

 this we commit a fatal error. 



The effect of the change from grass "to hay is 

 great upon the system — especially if put immedi- 

 ately and wholly upon^wo; - hay. And if we wish 



to keep our animals in a growing and thriving 

 condition, there should be no check at this period. 

 Let it be understood that every pound shrink is 

 so much lost It is lost outright to everybody and 

 everything, and may be put down among those 

 misfortunes classed as "dead losses." If we view 

 this matter aright, it is not improbable that the 

 losses within this Stale from the mismanagement 

 of stock, is scarcely less than its taxes. 



What we wish especially to impress in this con- 

 nection upon the reader is the importance of a va- 

 riety in feed. That is to say, cattle should not be 

 put upon one kind of fodder, exclusively — espe- 

 cially.upon poor fodder. Let the hay and the straw 

 and the corn fodder be alternated, and each will 

 be consumed with a better relish. Above all, let 

 every animal have at least one foddering a day of 

 as good hay as the barn affords, and then, — 



1st. Feed regularly and with sufficient quantity. 



2d. The daily allowance should be made up of 

 as large a variety as the barn affords. 



'■&. Easy and frequent access should be had to 

 pure water. 



4<.i. Every possible means should be adopted 

 to administer to their comfort, in protecting our 

 animals from the inclemencies of the weather — 

 which shall include a constant and liberal supply 

 of bedding of some sort, if nothing but sand. — 

 N. H. Journal of Agriculture. 



FIXING UP. 

 Yes, that's the word. We can find no better 

 j term to express the idea which we wish to bring 

 I before your mind's eye. "Fixing up" is a good 

 ' term; it refers to acts which comprise' those doz- 

 1 en-and-one little, comparatively insignificant things 

 which are too often omitted, and which in the ag- 

 gregate, after all, affect our well-being wonder- 

 I fully. 



This is the season of the year for "fixing up," 

 here a little and there a little; our fields, our 

 gardens, our barns and our houses — a rail or a 

 stake in a weak fence, a couple or so of young 

 trees in place of those dead ones in the orchard 

 — a load of boughs for covering plants and vines 

 in the garden, a load or two of kindlings for the 

 wood-shed, a shingle or board on the barn or out- 

 houses, several panes of glass in the different 

 buildings ; fix up the pump at the barn and house ; 

 look out for your tools which you have done using 

 for the season ; in a word see to all those little 

 things of which you know more than we do, and 

 not let the cold, north winds of early winter find 

 you unprepared to meet them. We repeat it, 

 "fix up generally," and don't be caught napping. 

 — Maine Farmer. 



■ \ Destructive Dog Raid. — The Hartford 

 Times says fhat a flock of 34 fat sheep, kept about 

 two miles below the city, were nearly destroyed 

 one nighP-last week by a pack of ferocious dogs. 

 The dogs got into the enclosure and succeeded in 

 killing a very valuable watch dog — a regular 

 fighting "bull" — which was chained there, and 

 then slaughtered most of the sheep. Out of thir- 

 ty-four only seven could be found the next morn- 

 ing. The dogs had driven the flock half a mile 

 up the road to the slaughter house, leaving their 

 mangled carcasses strewn along the way. Twen- 

 ty-one mangled carcasses were found, and six are 

 missing. 



