64 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Feb. 



CONTENTS O F TH IS NUMBER. 



Thoughts Suggested by February Page 33 



Seeding Land to Grass 34 



Extraets and Replies 35, 42, 52, 61 



Catechism of Agricultural Chemistry and Geology 36 



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 Season.. 42 



Churning in Winter— Winter the time to Think 42 



Song of the Blacksmith's Wife— Making Pork at the West 43 



Maine Agricultural Statistics — Rogers' Hybrid Grapes 43 



Sheep Shedding Wood 43 



Eggs in Winter— Tent Caterpillars 44 



Natural Science in Common Schools 45 



Influence of the Atmosphere 46 



Dividing Sheep Flocks for Winter 47 



Failure of Seeds — 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's Patent Atmospheric Churn 58 



What are Good Cows — How to Catch Sheep 59 



Report of the Commissioner of Agriculture 60 



The Wheat Question 60 



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 62 



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 49 



CATTLE MARKETS FOE JANUABY. 

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

 ending January 13, 1864: 



NUMBER AT MARKET. 

 Cattle. Sheep. Shotes. Fat Hogs. 



Dec. 23 1775 



" 30 1010 



Jan. 6 1088 



" 13 1526 



4267 

 3136 

 3063 

 3106 



50 



30 



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 TEAR. LAST YEAR. 



Cattle. Sheep. Cattle. Sheep. 



Maine 447 



New Hampshire 677 



Vermopt 1666 



Massachusetts 368 



Northern New York 187 



Western States 1902 



Canada 152 



Total, last four weeks. 5,399 13,572 6,659 12,213 



Total, since Jan. 1,(2 weeks,).. 2,614 6,569 2,329 5,404 

 PRICES. 



Dec. 23. Dec. 30. Jan. 2. Jan. 9. 



Beef,lst,2d, 3d qual 5£<§8£ 5J@8| 6 <§9 6 @9 



" ex. and premium... 8iS9 8j{@9 9Jg9| 9JQ10 



Sheep and lambs, W lb. . .5^g7| 5£@7| 6 @7j 6^8 



Swine, stores, w'sale @7 @7 — — 



" " retail 7£§8£ 7£@8J — 7 @8J 



Livefathogs @7 6J@7 @7 — 



Beef hides, ^ lb 9 <S9£ 9 @9J 9 @9£ 9 @9£ 



Pelts, sheep & lambs $2J<g2J $2J<g2£ $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 }£c 

 ty ft. on beef, and more than that on. sheep, witii quick sales. 

 SALES OF WESTERN CATTLE. 



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

 fts. each, at 9' 4 'c, M sk ; and 2 at 10c, % sk : 55 to Brooks & 

 Stone, 10 at 8c, 35 sk ; 10 at 8J^c, 35 sk ; and 35 at 8'jc, 34sk ; 

 17 to G. Wildes, 1431 lbs. each, at 9' 4 "c, 34 rk : 24 toC. Sander- 

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

 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 those of 1862: 



Whale Number. Weekly Average. 



1863. 1862. 1863. 1862. 



Cattleof all kinds 110,815 98,218 2091 1S89 



Sheep and lambs 250,597 229,198 472S 4408 



Veal calves 16,005 10-000 302 192 



Fat hogs 68,891 55,000 1300 1058 



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



Sources of 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. 



ending Me. N. H. Vt. Mass. NorTN. Y. West. Ca. 



Mar. 26, 2423 2274 5928 1596 474 7085 79 



June 25, 654 1952 2683 1545 78 7709 271 



Sept. 30, 7262 4514 7820 363 1206 11,441 1350 

 Dec. 30. 9927 6425 12,050 932 1607 8709 2498 



Thi3 vear, 20,206 15,165 28,481 4436 3365 34,944 4218 



Last year, 12,501 9,958 31,206 3360 3603 35,405 1885 



Quarter sheep. 



ending Me. N. H. Vt. Mass. Nor. N.V. West. Cc. 



Nov. 26, 1971 5684 8820 10,292 1299 8196 221 



June 25, 689 8936 15,677 3279 1442 3824 316 



Sept. 30, 18,138 8924 38,544 3271 8704 35S7 18,173 



Dec. 30, 11,925 11,516 23,573 1701 5547 4024 17,380 



This year, 82,723 35,060 91,614 18,489 16,990 19,631 36,790 



Last year, 31,169 22,946 95,495 14,878 11,846 19,927 32,937 



Transportation. — The cattle and sheep have reached the 

 market by the several railaoads, boats, &c, in the following 

 proportion: . 



Quarter CATTLE. 



ending Fitch. Lotcell Eastern Worcester On foot and 



and Me. boats. 



March 26, 5520 3999 2441 7103 796 



June 25, 3468 2169 882 8020 383 



Sept. 30, 7114 7067 4379 11354 3982 



Dec. 30, 10731 10026 7006 8717 5668 



Total, 26,833 23,251 14,703 35,194 



bheep. 



6566 1931 8413 



7413 40 3804 



35657 6490 3445 



31931 14028 4325 



March 26, 19523 



June 25, 22180 



Sept. 30, 38540 



Dec. 30, 25506 



Total, 105,749 81,567 22,539 19,9S7 



10,829 



20,755 



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

 the price of beef ; equal to three cents 4? lb., according to our 

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

 4S£@7!£c, Jan.jl,and 8 @ 10 '.,' c IP 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: 

 1st Quarter. 2d Quarter. 3d Quarter. 4th Quarter. 



Tic, 2 w'ks. O'aC, 7 weeks. 7c, 6 weeks. 8%c, 7 weeks. 

 9* 



Last year the highest prices for extra beef were : 

 1st Quarter. 2d Quarter. 3d Quarter. 4th Quarter. 



7c, 3 weeks. 7 l 4 'c, 1 week. 7c, 1 week. 6 ^c, 5 weeks. 

 6% 7 " 7 9 " 6% 7 " 6% 5 " 



6>£ 2 " 6% 3 " 6!^ 5 " 7 B " 



Notwithstanding the high prices offered for beef this year the 

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

 very much below that of former years. 



