1867, 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



311 



of cattle and horses, and have not been put to any 

 incoiivcnicnco by not advevtiting our surplus pro- 

 duce in the Fakmer. It has been taken at the 

 door; wheat at $2.50, corn at $1.70, seed oats at 

 75 cents i)cr I)usliel, Califoniia potatoes at 40 cents, 

 and a nuieh larger amount of hay called for at 

 from $15 to $18 per ton, than we could supply. 

 The only inconvenience experienced has been to 

 say no, when no more could be spared to supply 

 the present unusual demand for cattle feed. I 

 might add we are accustomed to feed out hay and 

 coarse grains on the farm to the extent of its pro- 

 duction, excepting such a time as this. 



Old Ned. 

 Washington County, Vt., May, 1867. 



HUNGARIAN GRASS. 



Can you, or some of your correspondents, who 

 know from experience, inform me and others of the 

 value of Hungarian grass, compared with timothy 

 and redtop ? Does it require heavy manuring, 

 and what kind of land is most suitable for it ? 



A. W. Greeley. 



Nashua, N. H., April, 1867. 



Remarks. — We cannot tell you of the exac^ value 

 of Hungarian grass, as compared with timothy or 

 redtop. We should judge, from an experience in 

 feeding it out to stock, that it is not quite as valu- 

 able as timothy or redtop. Perhaps contains less 

 oily matter. Land that will produce forty or fifty 

 bushels of corn to the acre, will bring a good crop 

 of Hungarian grass. It is an annual plant, and 

 for that reason is much less used than it would be 

 if it were perennial. Under many circumstances, 

 it is a valuable crop, — as where it is desirable to 

 keep land up, or where a crop of grain could not 

 be got in. When properly cured, we have found it 

 to be highly relished by horses and cattle. 



CtLTURE OF CRANBERRIES. 



Please inform me, through the Farmer, of the 

 culture of cranberries. What soil they thrive Ijcst 

 in, and the cost of setting out an acre of plants. 

 Is it too cold for them in Cheshire county. New 

 Hampshire ? Reader, 



Cheshire County, N. H., 1867. 



Remarks. — The cost will depend upon the con- 

 dition of the land to be improved. Some acres 

 will cost five times as much as othei's. See an ar- 

 ticle elsewhere, on the subject by A Subscriber 

 OF THE Farmer. If you attempt to cultivate the 

 cranberiy so far north, we should advise you to 

 select places that can be readily flowed, in order 

 to save them from late spring, and from early au- 

 tumn frosts. 



GRIT IN maple sugar. 



Having been a subscriber for the New England 

 Fai;m,er fin* a few years past, I have become very 

 deeply interested in the paper, and do not hesitate 

 to reconiniend it to every one interested in farm- 

 ing. Being somewhat interested in the extracts 

 and replies, I beg leave to make some inquiries. 



In making maple sugar, there is something 

 which is considerable of a mystery among us far- 

 mers, and has been for quite a number of years. 

 I find in the sugar a fine grit, which* I separate 

 from the sugar, and sometimes find it in quite a 

 large quantity. This grit is known among us far- 

 mers as "nitre," it is not discernible either in the 

 sap or syrup ; but when the syrup is boiled down 



sufficiently for good molasses, this grit (known to 

 us as "nitre"') makes its appearance. Its origin, 

 or cause, has not yet been satisfactorily explained. 

 Will you inform "me through the New England 

 Farmer, of the cause or origin of this gritty sul)- 

 stance ? I would be very glad to hear from any 

 one on this sulycct. 



Will you inform me of the best time to set out 

 apple trees ? g. m. b. 



IVorcester, Vt., April 17, 1867. 



Remarks. — Some experienced sugar makers 

 will be kind enough — we cannot doubt — to an- 

 swer the queries of our correspondent. We have 

 no exact knowledge on the subject. But why 

 should it not be ascribed to the same cause that 

 produces grit in ashes, or the shai-p edge of some 

 grasses ? 



Set out apple trees now — the sooner the better. 

 Those intended to be set ought to be dug out be- 

 fore the foliage starts. 



"BONE FLOUR. 



That pulverized bones are very valuable manure, 

 there can be no doubt, although some of your cor- 

 respondents deny the fact. I think I can compre- 

 hend the cause of their failure to realize the bene- 

 fit of its application. Fresh bones that have not 

 been leached or boiled to extract the oil (which is 

 nearly all that is valuable as a fertilizer) are one 

 of the most valuable and enduring manures that 

 can be applied to any crop. The reason then, that 

 so many have failed to realize any benefit from 

 the use of bone manure, is that the soap boilers 

 have extracted all the oil, or its good qualities 

 have been dissipated by long exposure, without 

 which the bones are nearly valueless. To collect 

 these bones, a set of outlandish.fellows prowl about 

 with a horse and wagon, who enter our door yards, 

 and spy around our buildings, picking up all the 

 bones they can find, and stealing clothing or other 

 articles that lie in their way. They are a great nui- 

 sance, and we have ordered them oft' our premises 

 more than once, and received their curses for our 

 pains. The tin peddlers offer the boys half a cent 

 a pound for bones, and they scour the country and 

 are about as bad as the foreigners. They will 

 search the woods and by places to find the bones 

 of some poor old horse or cow that has been dead 

 twenty years, and sell them to be ground into 

 bone manure, when there is no more virtue in them 

 than in so much sawdust. This is the reason that 

 your correspondents receive no benefit from its use. 



North Pembroke, Mass., April 20, 1867. C. 



"GRAFTING WAX." 



I hope none: of your subscribers will use the ar- 

 ticle advertised as "Grafting Wax." We have 

 several trees nearly ruined by using it. It kills 

 the bark where applied, and in nine cases out of 

 ten, permanently injures the tree. The best graft- 

 ing wax ever used is made of clay and horse ma- 

 nure — there is no danger in that. c. 



North Pembroke, Mass., April 20th, 1867. 



TO PREVENT SOWS EATING THEIR PIGS. 



Give them some good bright early-cut hay daily, 

 for a few weeks before the time for the pigs to 

 come. H. B. Howard. 



Braintree, Vt., April, 1867. 



— A Herkimer county, N. Y., dairyman estimates 

 that 45 cows require 100 tons of hay to winter 

 them through. 



