1864. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



179 



could consume. Nearly the whole cost, indeed, 

 of wool, under the latter circumstances, would be 

 the capital originally invested in the stock, shear- 

 ing and transportation. Under the low wages of 

 the countries where these wools are produced, the 

 transportation to any of the Atlantic cities would 

 be as low as it now is from our wool-producing 

 towns. The water transportation would be very 

 low,, so that if the land carriage were considera- 

 ble, it probably would be no higher than it now 

 is among ourselves. 



There is not, then, in any sensible point of view, 

 any such thing as competition by our people with 

 those who supply foreign wools. We must have 

 protection through the interference and justice of 

 the general government, or we must yield that 

 branch of industry into the hands of a foreign 

 people. This we ought not to do, because certain 

 large portions of our country are admirably adapt- 

 ed to wool and mutton growing, and would be of 

 little value for other agricultural purposes, unless 

 it were for grazing cattle. 



We have noticed with some apprehension that, 

 in certain quarters, an antagonistic feeling is 

 growing up between the producer and the manu- 

 facturer. At the Convention at Columbus, the 

 action of the wool-growers was watched with ea- 

 gle eyes by agents of the manufacturer, and the 

 bearings of every proposition criticised with all 

 that shrewdness which distinguishes that class of 

 our citizens. This should not be so. There is 

 really but one interest in this matter, and while 

 the farmer strives to produce just the article the 

 manufacturer wants, — whether it be long wool or 

 short, coarse or fine, — the latter should yield to 

 him a fair share of the accruing profits. 



The subject of sheep husbandry, in all its bear- 

 ings, is one of importance, and we invite our 

 friends to give us their views upon it, whether 

 they relate especially to rearing sheep, the best 

 breeds, or the qualities and value'of wool. It is 

 essential to farmers that they unite in some well- 

 defined course of action, make their wants known 

 to the general government, and then press them 

 until, they are granted. Let us have, then, the 

 views of our friends from every quarter upon this 

 important branch of rural industry. 



Effect of the European War on our 

 Farmers. — One of our exchange papers argues 

 that the European War is likely to have an im- 

 portant influence on American markets. Eng- 

 land depends on Prussia for four or five millions 

 of bushels of wheat. This will be cut off. .The 

 blockade is likely to intercept commerce with the 

 Baltic. And from other causes we may look for 

 a still further increase of price. The article al- 

 luded to closes with an exhortation to farmers to 

 raise all they can this year. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 TO THE FARMERS. 

 Farm work is beginning in this region in good 

 earnest. Early potatoes and the early vegetable 

 seeds are now being put in the ground. Have 

 any of your farmers tried the experiment of cut- 

 ting off the seed end of the long potatoe ? The 

 round potatoe shows the same small cluster of 

 eyes, which can be cut out, then cut the large po- 

 tatoe so as to have but three to five eyes in a hill, 

 say twenty inches apart. Plant the seed ends 

 separately in rows, and at digging time you will 

 find your potatoes all assorted. You will get as 

 many pounds in a row of large ones, as if the 

 whole potatoe were cut and planted. Small pota- 

 toes do not pay for raising, excepting for gtock, 

 and but little satisfaction at that. 



The wheat should be sown early, on high, warm 

 land, two bushels to the acre, well manured. 

 The grain should be soaked in brine, and ashed, 

 and pressed to maturity as early as possible, or 

 before dog days and mildew shall trouble you. 

 Winter wheat bears a strong, rich grass land, and 

 should be sown the last of August. These grains 

 are the most profitable of the gram crops, if prop- 

 erly attended to, even in New England. 



It has been said by some of your public lectur- 

 er^, that as well may you raise the morus multi- 

 caulis successfully, as wheat in New England. I 

 trust there are too many among you that can give 

 this assertion a flat contradiction. Should you 

 fail in the spring crop, you have the fall wheat to 

 fall back upon. This double advantage is denied 

 you with other grains, excepting spring rye, that 

 is of no account. 



I fancy that far less ground will be tilled this 

 year than formerly, for the lack of laborers among 

 you. War has made terrible inroads upon our 

 noble class of farming men. But they are bat- 

 tling for the right, for us, our country, our God. 

 Let every town in New England raise its monu- 

 ment high, inscribing the names in golden letters, 

 of the slain. Let the motto be at its base : These 

 heroic men were slain by the hands of traitors, in 

 the Southern rebellion against the Union, for the 

 perpetuation and extension of slavery in the 

 United States of America. 



Mr. Editor, please excuse this divergence from 

 my main subject, although thousands upon thou- 

 sands are interested in the sad topic. 



But the hand of the farmer must not slacken. 

 His great and indispensable work is before him. 

 Labor is dear, but farm products are dear also. 

 Cattle, swine and horses, are selling at unprece- 

 dented prices. While paying 56 cents a pound 

 for family butter, (price now reduced to 35,) I did 

 consider fresh pork at 18, beefsteak and veal cut- 

 lets very dear at 25 cents. These prices are sus- 

 tained. But the farmer does not get all these 

 benefits. It is the middle men and retailers that 

 gather the harvest. No article of prime consump- 

 tion has advanced less than flour, while corn has 

 doubled in price. 



On the whole, I see no great necessity of much 

 reduction of your crops. Grass and fruits only 

 require harvesting. Labor applies to the tilled 

 crops. You will apply your manure heaps to one- 

 third or half of the number of acres you formerly 

 did. From these few acres you will gather larger 

 crops than ever before — take a hundred bushels 

 of corn from one acre, instead of three or four 



