46 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Jan. 



feared that our exhortation, "formers, write for 

 your paper," would tire and offend the reader, 

 ^ from its too frequent repetition, though we have 

 souglit to give the invitation in the most attractive 

 dress and in the least offensive form possible. The 

 manufacturers have paid us liberally for all the 

 space which their "advertisements, puffs, &c." 

 have occupied, and now we will gladly publish, 

 gi-atuitously, the statement of any farmer who has 

 purchased and experimented with this fertilizer, 

 whether the result has been favorable or unfavor- 

 able. The only condition we make is that the 

 writer's real name shall accompany his communi- 

 cation, in this as in other cases. The manufacturer 

 endorses his statements — the fanner should do as 

 much. We invite "Lectum" to forward his testi- 

 monials, and hope that his strictures may prompt 

 others to test the sincerity of our professions, by 

 furaishing us with such facts as the labors and ex- 

 periments of the year have developed. 



WEATHER AND CROPS IN ORANGE COTNTY, VT. 



After a drought of three weeks, we have just had 

 a twenty-four hours' rain, measuring two inches 

 on all the face of the earth, hereabouts. The pre- 

 vious dry time gave the farmers an excellent op- 

 portunity to finish up "fall work" — and do some 

 extra jobs of shingling, making fences, &c., which 

 has been well improved. 



The early frosts prevented the com from fully 

 maturing, so that there is a much greater propor- 

 tion of soft corn than usual, and seed com will be 

 scarce next spring. A great promise of potatoes, 

 judging from the vines, turned out a decent yield, 

 but inferior quality. A very good growtli of pump- 

 kins was badly injured by the untimely visits 

 of Jack Frost, and "fall feed" being ditto, store 

 stock generally does not look as well as it ought, 

 and dairy titock, especially, do a "tale unfold" in 

 regard to "choice butter.'' We have had rather an 

 unusual crop of wheat and oats ; barley, India- 

 wheat and rye were good. r. n. 



Randolph, Vt., Oct. 31, 1866. 



A GREAT CROP OF RUTA KAGAS. 



I have raised 77o bushels of rutabagas from one- 

 half acre of gromid, this season. J. R. D. 

 Derbi/ Line, Vt., Oct. 22, 1866. 



Remarks. — That's a rather small boo for so large 

 a colt. Those of us who have been satisfied with 

 one bushel to your three woukl like to know some- 

 thing aliout how you fed and lodged bagas at the 

 rate of over 1500 bushels per acre. 



FARM TOPICS. 



I take a few minutes this evening, to write you a 

 short letter on different subjects, commencing with 



I planted ninety rods to corn. I furrowed it out, 

 and on a part of it I put hen dro})i)in,^s ami dry 

 ashes mixed together. I put a small iiandl'ui in 

 the hill. In some <ases I i)ut the corn first and the 

 mixture on it; in otlier cases I put the corn on the 

 mixture. In inci)aring the seed, I put a little tar 

 mio i)oiling water and turned the corn into the wa- 

 ter, stirring it constantly while in. Then turned 

 off the water and rolled the corn in jilaster. For 

 experiment, I jdantcd a i)art without this prejjara- 

 tion. The worms ate that badly which was tarred. 



On a portion of the field I put plaster in the hill, 

 and although it did well, it did not equal that to 

 which the hen-dropping mixture was applied. Af- 

 ter the com came up, and when it was hoed the 

 first time, a little plaster was applied to the hill. It 

 was hoed twice, but the weeds were large at har- 

 vest time. A part of my seed corn was carefully 

 saved from stalks which produced two ears last 

 year, but I could not see that the yield was any 

 way superior. 



On the ninety rods of land I harvested eighty 

 bushels of ears of good com, and ten of poorer; so 

 that I have some to fatten my pigs with, without 

 exchanging hard for soft com with my neighbors. 



MUCK ON POTATOES. 



I tried muck on some potatoes, but did not see as 

 it did any good ; perhaps the season was too wet. 



POULTRY. 



From the first of December last, to October 1, I 

 sold and used thirty dollars' worth of eggs, and 

 raised fifty chickens from eighteen hens, though 

 two of them died during the summer. 



SQUASHES AND PUMPKINS. 



I wish to remind the many readers of the Farm- 

 er that I told them last winter to keep their squash- 

 es and pumpkins where they will not freeze, but 

 not to keep them in the cellar. 



WRINKLES ON THE HORNS OF CATTLE. 



I was asked the other day whether the wrinkles, 

 or rings, on the horns of cattle, come from the head 

 yearly, or, as the first one comes on, does the next 

 one form above that, and so on ? I think one comes 

 above another, year after year. H. Griffin. 



Essex Junction, Vt., Oct. 23, 1866. 



AGE OF BUCKS. 



I will give you the result of my experience in 

 breeding both from old and young bucks, in my 

 flock of Cotswold sheep. Until last year, whenevei 

 it became necessary for me to change my bucks, I 

 uniformly bought a lamb and used him for three 

 years, when I changed again. But last year I 

 bought a two-year-old buck, at large expense, 

 which weighed two hundred and fifty pounds, live 

 weight ; the result is that my lambs arc this yeai 

 from ten to twenty pounds each heavier than usual. 



I would therefore advise all breeders who expect 

 to want a buck next year, to buy a first-class lamb 

 this year and keep him well until needed. 



My communication published in the Farmer ol 

 week before last, was incorrectly dated West Corn- 

 wall, Vt. T. L. H-VRT. 



IVcst Cornwall, Ct., Oct. 29, 1866. 



ANIMAL PHOSPHATE. 



Having usedTwell's Animal Phosphate the pres- 

 ent season, I wish to state that on high ground, for 

 all crops used, it answered every expectation ; that 

 is, the crops were very good and sound. On low 

 ground, for potatoes, it did nearly as well as bam 

 manure used in the same numncr. On grass, ow- 

 ing pr(;bably, to the weather being so dry in the 

 spring, I could perceive no benefit from the appli- 

 cation of it. The corn was as good, I think, as I 

 ever raised on the same kind of ground. It was 

 planlcel about May oth, and came up well ; though 

 perhaps not very quick, as rain was ni'cilcd to start 

 it. Crows pnlk'il u)) some before the lines \vei"e put 

 up. Hoed the first time about the middle of June 

 and again the last of the month. 



This piece of corn was let out on shares, which 

 was to me a very unsatisfactory operation ; as much 

 so as anything in the farming line that I have ever 

 done. Mr. Editor, docs tlie man that takes land 

 and has the best i)art of the crop, (of course he 



