380 



NEW ENGLAND FARI^IER. 



Aua. 



Cotintry Gentleman, as a protection from the cur- 

 culio and other insects. His trees are trained low 

 so that the ashes may be more easily applied. It 

 should be dooe at sunrise, when the dew is on, 

 as soon as the blossoms drop from the fruit, and 

 repeated when washed off till the fruit is two- 

 thirds grown — the object being to keep the fruit 

 covered with a coating of ashes. 



—A correspondent of the Lamoille Netos Dealer 

 says he successfully defends his vine patches in 

 this way : "Lay a board, one or more according to 

 the size of your patch, between the rows, in such 

 a manner as to afford shelter to toads in the day 

 time, and leave it undisturbed, so that they will 

 make their home under it, which they M'ill do in 

 great numbers. At night they sally out and de- 

 vour every bug, and grow fat as aldermen." 



— A correspondent of the Prairie Farmer at the 

 Paris Exposition says, "The competition in plow- 

 ing has thus far been between France and Eng- 

 land ; resulting very gi'eatly in favor of the Eng- 

 lish manufticturers. The French journals attempt 

 to apologize for this state of things by saying that 

 the English competitors have brought with them 

 chosen plowmen and horses. There is some point 

 in this charge, yet nothing but very rude, ill-con- 

 structed plows, could do such wretched woi'k, 

 as the French plowmen have done. French plows 

 are fiftj^ years behind the age. 



— Horace Greeley says that the year 18G6 was 

 remarkable for the general deficiency of its har- 

 vests throughout the Union. Former years were- 

 more palpably unfruitful — 1816 especially so — 1836 

 pei'haps as meagre in its returns to the husband- 

 man, but this in good part because he put forth 

 too little exertion ; but in no former year of this 

 century was the failure of crops so widespread as 

 in 1866. Wheat was less than half an average 

 yield throughout ; so that our country, which ex- 

 ported millions of bushels of this staple in the 

 midst of our great civil war, has actually been im- 

 porting for some months past, as she had scarcely 

 done before since 1836-7. 



ENRICHING THE SOIL BY TUBNING 

 i UNDER PLANTS. 



f The practice of plowing plants under the 

 soil to enrich it is not a new one, or one of 

 doubtful expediency. It was practiced among 

 the ancients, is continued to this time, and, 

 under some circumstances, with most signal 

 advantages. In cases where it is not conven- 

 ient to keep much stock, the land may be 

 brought to a high state of fertility by filling the 

 soil with vegetable matter by plowing in plants 

 of one kind or another, to become decomposed 

 there. So of lands that it is desired to culti- 

 vate, and which lie on hills that are difficult of 

 ascent, or are so far from the barn as to make 



carting manure too expensive. In many cases, 

 too, with the aid of modem machinery, many 

 farmers could cultivate more acres than they 

 usually do, if they had the means ef manuring 

 them well. 



We take it that the fact is well established 

 that this course may be pursued with profit. 

 A question remains behind : — In what condi- 

 tion will the plants afford the greatest benefit 

 to the soil, — green or dry ? Will some of our 

 intelligent correspondents tell us ? 



WOOL AND WOOLENS. 

 Since January, we have received regularly 

 from Washington a neatly printed quarto pam- 

 phlet entitled "Monthly Report of the Direc- 

 tor of the Bureau of Statistics, Treasury De- 

 partment," Alex. Delmar, Director. It fur- 

 nishes a large amount of information in rela- 

 tion to the trade and commerce of the country. 

 From the Report for May we cop}- the follow- 

 ing statement in relation to the value of the 

 importations of Wool, Sheep, Goat's and 

 Camel Hair and manufactures thereof, during 

 the months of January, February, March, and 

 April of the present year : — 



Raw and fleece 

 Cloths & Cassim'rs 

 Waste or Shoddy 

 Shawls 

 Blankets 

 Dress Goods 

 Manure not spec'fd 



Total 



Showing a grand total of $15,712,372 for 

 the four months. From other tables it appears 

 manufactures of cotton were imported to the j 

 amount of $12,941,009 ; of silk goods $6,202,- 

 161. From which it may, perhaps, be in- 

 ferred that our people are "bound to wear 

 good clothes if they do not lay up a cent." 



SHEEP SHEAKINQ IN MAINE. 

 At the annual meeting of the North Kenne- 

 bec Wool Growers' Association, in Waterville, 

 June 4th, there was a show of sheep, a shear- 

 ing festival, and a good time generally. We 

 condense the accompanying tabular statement 

 of the names of exhibitors, age and weight of 

 animal, weight of fleece and length of staple of 

 the dilfererent fleeces, from the Maine Far- 

 mcr, who remarks: "An interesting scene it 

 was, some fifteen of the most expert shearers 

 in all the region, seated on the fresh, green 

 grass, under the shade of trees, with coats off. 



