1867. 



NEW ENGLAM) FARMER. 



229 



ence. The sheep must be well fed to prevent 

 a drving up of the milk — her uneasiness, &c., 

 producing a strong tendency in that direction. 



CONSOLATION" FROM SCIENCE. 

 Who that has battled with the weeds of his 

 cultivated fields, or seen his choicest grasses 

 giving place to the Canada thistle, ox-eye dai- 

 sy, &c., or reflected upon the probable annual 

 cost of weeds to the farmers of the whole 

 country, has not sometimes indulged in hard 

 thoughts, if not in hard words, as he has seen 

 how defiantly they withstand all his efforts for 

 their extermination ? By all such the follow- 

 ing extract from an article in the Country 

 Gentleman, on "Weeds," may be read with 

 profit. 



To have a correct view of the economy of 

 weeds it is necessary to look back a little into 

 the past. It is the commonly received opin- 

 ion of the learned that all our soils have been 

 formed by the continuous growth and decom- 

 position of vegetable substances. These, in 

 their countless variety, have been adapted to 

 all situations, where their growth can be main- 

 tained. The rugged mountain, the oozy marsh, 

 the barren road bank, and fertile plain, have 

 each a vegetation adapted to clothe them with 

 verdure, and prepare them for the sustenance. 

 of man. The fattening grasses that now clothe 

 our unbroken prairies, were preceded by rank 

 weeds. 



Should anj' of our now fertile fields be left 

 to the hand of nature, it might first produce 

 daisies, rag weeds, or whatever the soil or 

 neighborhood afforded. The growth of these 

 would be a slielter for the seedling grasses, 

 which, eventually becoming strong, would 

 choke out the friends of their infancy and as- 

 sume complete possession. The very cleanest 

 fields of Maryland are those which have been 

 for half a century abandoned from the plow. 

 No doubt, after their last crop of corn or to- 

 bacco, they made a formidable display of 

 weeds ; but we find them covered with the 

 prevailing "sedge grass," interspersed with 

 Naphthalium, and here and there on the rich- 

 est !-pots a feeble growth of "green grass." 



Tluis, when we consider the great mass of 

 plants known as weeds, chiefly annuals or 

 biennials, in their true character, instead of 

 charging them with an annual cost of millions 

 to the farmer, we shall find them to have been 

 the humble agents in adding fertility to our 

 soil — perhaps in making it all that it is. 



I 



— Dr. Randall advises against breeding from a 

 black ewe, for the reason that though she might 

 never have a black lamb, the color would be more 

 likely to crop out in some of her descendants, than 

 in those of a white ewe. 



EXTRACTS AND REPLIES. 



HUNGARIAN GRASS — CULTURE OF POTATOES. 



A subscriber dcsii-es your opinion on the merits 

 of Hungarian grass for soiling purposes. If favora- 

 ble, please state in what soil it thrives best, how 

 the ground should be prepared, when sown, &c. 



Please also give in the Farmer what, in your 

 view, is, on the whole, the best method of prepar- 

 ing the seed and planting potatoes, i. e. what size, 

 large or small, or medium, cut or uncut; if cut, 

 how many eyes to a piece, and how many pieces or 

 whole potatoes in a hill ? If planted in hills, how 

 far apart ? &c., &c. 



I wish the readers also would give their experi- 

 ence. G. B. 



Essex, Vt., March 9, 1867. 



Remarks. — Hungarian grass, when not grown 

 too rank, makes an excellent fodder. Any com 

 land that will produce 45 or more bushels of com 

 per acre, will bring a good crop of Hungarian 

 grass. Prepare it as land is usually prepared for 

 barley or oats. The soil should be fine. Sow from 

 the 25th of May to the 10th of June, about 12 to 13 

 quarts of seed per acre. "We have no doubt but it 

 is a very profitable crop. It is an "annual," how- 

 ever, and must be sowed every year. 



Our practice in raising potatoes is to put them 

 on new land if we can. Plow deep, ten or twelve 

 inches, if the gi-ound will permit ; put the rows 3^ 

 feet apart, and in squares, so as to cultivate both 

 ways ; manure in the hill, with the coarsest ma- 

 nure, on moist lands, and finer manure, on high 

 and dry lands. If a portion of fine manure is 

 spread and worked under before the furrows are 

 marked out, so much the better. On the manure 

 in the hill, throw a small handful of plaster of 

 Paris. 



Our seed potatoes are selected in the fall, when 

 the crop is harvested, and are those which are con- 

 sidered too small for the table. Two of these are 

 put in the hill, and if approaching the size of a 

 hen's egg, it is cut and the two pieces used. "We 

 have planted the same variety, namely, the Riley, 

 Dover, or "Irish Cup," which latter is its tme 

 name, and from the same sized seed, for seventeen 

 years in succession, and cannot discover any dimi- 

 nution in size or flavor yet. 



SCRATCHES ON HORSES. 



A few weeks since we replied at some length to 

 the inquiry of "R. P. T.," of Pittsburtr, N. H., for 

 a cure of this disease. Since then we have re- 

 ceived communications from five gentlemen upon 

 the subject, to each of whom we tender our thanks 

 for their attention. 



Mr. Hiram French, of Eaton, C. E., writes that 

 after having tried our prescription without effect- 

 ing a cure, he obtained from an experienced deal- 

 er in horses the following remedy : A decoction 

 of tamarack bark is made by boiling a bushel of 

 the bark in a kettle of water thoroughly — strain oflT 

 the liquid — add more water — boil again — then 

 strain as before — remove the bark, and boil the 

 whole down to one pailful. Give the horse one 

 pint of this twice a day by soaking his oats in it. 



