164 



NEW ENGLAND FARjVIER. 



April 



ance as fruit and -wine growing districts. The 

 area planted to wheat was about 500,000 acres 

 a gain of 200,000 acres in three years. The 

 yield was 12,000,000 bushels, or 7,000,000 

 more than in 1868. The barley crop also 

 shows a great increase. In I860 it was about 

 4,000,000 bushels in twenty-four counties, in- 

 cluding all but three or four of the strictly ag- 

 ricultural counties. This year it is returned 

 at over 14,000,000 bushels in forty counties. 



EXTRACTS AND BEPLIES. 



STANCHIONS AND STABLES. 



I saw in a recent number of the Farmer a plan 

 for cattle stanchion. To this and all other plans 

 which I have used and seen for fifty years, there 

 are more or less objections. The above cut repre- 

 eents a style which I prefer. 



Having laid the stable floor, with an inclination 

 of three inches in 12 feet, set off 30 inches from the 

 front or place of feeding, by striking a line ; then 

 take two planks 8 inches wide, set them edgewise 

 on this line; put the upright pieces of the stan- 

 chion between them, (as seen in the cut,) and spike 

 the plank to the main or long uprights. After 

 rounding the lower end of the short uprights, to 

 prevent clogging with chaff, &c., put a pin through 

 the bottom for them to turn on. Then nail a piece of 

 board 5 inches wide to the main uprights on each 

 side, letting their upper edges come even with the 

 top of the siiort upright. Now put a latch or fastener 

 between these, back of the short uprights, so that 

 when closed it will drop and make it fast. It is a 

 good plan to run a shaft the whole length of the 

 stable, inside of and at the top of main uprights ; 

 then with a string connected to this and each latch 

 or fastener, so that, in case of fii-e, you can turn 

 the shaft, raise all the latches at once, and rush the 

 cattle out of the stable. 



The upright pieces that compose the stanchion 

 are made as follows : Take a plank long enough 

 for the stanchion, which will be about 7 feet, and 

 12 inches wide. Slit it by commencing three inches 

 from one edge, running to the other end three inch- 

 es from the opposite edge. Put the wide ends 

 down. The top of main uprights are fastened by 

 nailing a strip of board each side of them to the 

 joist above. The stanchions should be three feet 

 from centre to centre. 



This i)lan is cheap, strong and durable. One 

 man with a little ingenuity can put up in a day 

 enough for twenty head of cattle. 



The stable floor should be at least 12 feet wide, 

 with a rise on which the cattle stand of at least .5 

 inches. For cows, planks for this rise 4 feet long 

 arc sufiicicnt. This leaves room behind them fur 

 the droppings, and to put sawdust or dry nnuk to 

 spread over the place at each clearing out of the 

 Btablc. This last is very essential, and will never 

 be neglected by a good fanner. Saw dust, muck 

 or leaves, will absorl) an important part of the ma- 

 nure, which is oftentimes lost. 



"Wc want a plan for barns both on level ground 

 and bide hills, the expense of which will i)laee 

 them within the reach of farmers of limited means 



— with cellars, of course. I have plans which I 

 am thinking of offering if no better ones arc given 

 by others. E. P. Luther. 



North Dorset, Vt., Feb., 1867. 



Remarks. — The foregoing article was written 

 with a pencil. After having been through the 

 hands of engraver and compositor the marks were 

 so badly defaced as to cause the proof-reader much 

 trouble and uncertainty in determining whether our 

 printers have "followed copy" or not, in their at- 

 tempt to reproduce the facts and figures of our 

 correspondent. Correspondents can hardly appre- 

 ciate the difficulty of "setting up" a manuscript 

 written in pencil. 



compost for a potato crop on muck land. 



I own a piece of bog land containing seven acres, 

 on which I planted potatoes last year, and I intend 

 to plant the whole field with potatoes this year. 

 The land is well drained, and sanded sufficiently 

 to give it firmness. Was plowed last October, and 

 turned over as mellow as a garden. 



I am making a compost from the manure of one 

 horse, a yoke of oxen, and two hogs, and using 

 sand and coal ashes, for an absorbent ; but I can- 

 not make enough in this way to manure the whole 

 field. How shall I supply the deficiency ? Will 

 coal ashes, plaster and salt make a good compost ? 



The comjiost made from my cows, is on the plan 

 recommended by yoiu-self and the Hon. F. Hol- 

 brook, of Vt., and published in the "Patent Office 

 Report on Agriculture, for 18-56," which I have 

 constantly practiced since, and which I intend to 

 follow, l)elieving it to be the very best way in which 

 muck can be converted into one of the best of ma- 

 nures. This compost I want for my upland, be- 

 lieving it better adapted to such land than to the 

 bog. 



If you will give me your advice as to what course 

 to pursue, you will oblige me, and many others 

 who are cultivating such land in this vicinity. 



No. Teivksbury, Mass., IS67. Thomas Bridge. 



Remarks. — We are glad to learn that you have 

 succeeded so well in composting and using muck. 

 Green crops plowed under, and a plentiful use of 

 muck, may be made to convert most of otir New 

 England lands, hard and repulsive as they now 

 are, into pliable and fertile soils. 



Coal ashes, plaster and salt, with muck would 

 make a valuable top-dressing for grass lands not 

 so far run out as to be nearly exhausted of roots. 

 Perhaps it would bring a fair crop of potatoes in 

 a bog that had been cropped only one }'ear. If you 

 dissolve potash, at the rate of one pound to the 

 square rod, and mix it well with the ashes, salt, 

 plaster and muck, you will scarcely fail of secur- 

 ing an abundant crop. Common nitre (saltpetre) 

 may answer the purpose instead of potash. For 

 an acre, 200 lbs. would undoubtedly be better than 

 160 lbs. The crop of potatoes might not be larger, 

 but future crops would feel its force for several 

 years. 



BONE meal. 

 I h.ave read with interest the correspondence in 

 the New England Farmer of late, relating to 

 l)onc meal, and should be glad to see the subject 

 more fully discussed, and cxpcrnnents with the 

 article, as a fertilizer, more generally reported 

 through the press. Every farmer is more or less 



