480 



NEW ENGLAOT> FARMER. 



Oct. 



with the Sebec, and because, though it is as 

 early as the Sebec, yet it does not attain to 

 market size as early as that very prolific variety. 

 Last season the early Goodrich, grown side by 

 side with the early Sebec, matured about a 

 week earlier, but this season they are full as 

 late as the Sebec, and to those who do not 

 make fair allowance for the early blighting of 

 the Sebecs, appear to be even later. The 

 less degree of liability to rot, on the part of 

 the Goodrich, must tell powerfully in their 

 favor. 



Onions, carrots, late cabbages, squashes and 

 late cucumbers promise poorly. The maggot 

 has worked much more than usual in the 

 onions this season, so that we shall not have 

 more than two-thirds a crop under present 

 auspices, and should this enemy continue his 

 attack as late as some seasons heretofore, then 

 we cannot have over half a crop. Carrots are 

 generally thin, very few plots being free from 

 many blank spaces. 



Previous to the recent heavy rains, late cab- 

 bages looked very unpromising, — most of them 

 being covered with the plant louse ; but these 

 rains have washed them clean, and with propi- 

 tious weather I think one-half or two-thirds 

 may rally and give us fair heads. 



The squash crop until within a fortnight prom- 

 ised to be as near and not a failure as was ever 

 known ; now it looks better and promises to 

 yield from one-third to one-half an average, 

 though there are many tracts that do not now 

 promise a ton to the acre. The long cold and 

 wet spell, bugs innumerable and more persis- 

 tent in their attacks than I ever knew them to 

 be before, and a bountiful supply of maggots 

 at the roots, have given the poor vines a hard 

 battle of it. Such squashes as have set thus 

 far, make but a slow growth, and promise to 

 be of small size when matured. 



The first cut of hay has been remarkably 

 abundant, especially upon upland, and the 

 promise for a good second cut was never bet- 

 ter. On the range of meadows back of where 

 I reside, as often as not, three crops of hay are 

 cut annually, — the second and third crops 

 combined, ecjualling the first, — which is about 

 as much as can be made on the ground. These 

 meadows are usually heavily dressed with rock- 

 weed, two years out of three. Apples in town 

 promise better than for several years ])ast. 



On the whole, without croaking, our farmers 

 are having a hard year of it. 



J. J. H. Gregory, 



Marblehead, Mass., Aug., 1867. 



Effects of our Climatk on Grapes. — 

 The St. Louis Valley Farmer comments as 

 follows on this subject : — 



The extreme variations in the temperature 

 of the State (Missouri) and throughout the 

 country generally, is an important item, fre- 

 quently amounting to 70° in twenty-four hours. 



The rapidly succeeding alternations from heat 

 to cold, frost to thaw, and the intensity of the 

 sun's rays from 12 to 3 P. M., form another 

 great item ; and not least (though least ob- 

 served) , we have the awfully drying winds in 

 winter and spring, rendering this one of the 

 most trying climates on the vital force, in ani- 

 mal or vegetable, that exists. 



In summer, our dry and wet spells — our 

 sudden changes from hot to cold nights — our 

 arid winds and intense suns in July and Au- 

 gust — impair or destroy the foliage : and with 

 diseased lungs and digestive apparatus, how 

 can wood, or buds, or fruit be sound, or con- 

 stitutional vijxor be maintained ? 



From Once a Week. 

 A MA]Sr-OF-V?"AR IN THE ACORN. 



An oak tree, wrestling with the wind, 

 Shook down an acorn where I stood; 



I turned aside, I would not crush 

 That little orphan of the wood. 



It was as smooth as the brown egg 



That prisons In the nightingale, 

 By fairy files was notched and barred, 



Its cup symmetrical as frail. 



In bowls like ihla, the moonlit dew 

 Elves gather from the violet flowers. 



Or from the hawthorn shake the drops 

 Remaining from the noonday showers. 



A spirit showed me, hid within 



The acorn's little dusky shell, 

 A floating tower, perhaps to ride. 



Three centuries hence, on waves that swell 



Around the iceberg's sapphire clilTs, 

 Or the rough Baltic's storm swept strand; 



Pei'haps to threaten with Its fire 

 Some bastion of the Eastern land. 



Yes 1 see above the bulwarks smile 



Frank, sunburnt faces, as the guns 

 "Vomit their thunder-burst of flame — 



Those cheers are from old England's bocb I 



See, down go colors, spars and mast, 

 Blood-spiiuting like a dying whale, 



The rival ship has struck, and now 

 The dear old Hag flaunts in the gale. 



Then once more rings the lusty shout, 

 And once more rings the stirring cheer, 



O'er the dark blue rolling waves, 

 That smites the proud foeman's heart with fear. 



Sail on, brave ships, spread nobler faith, 



A truer creed, a wider love; 

 For on your sails, from opening skies, 



Glance rays of glory from above I 



Sail on, sail on, ye winged towers I 

 Far be your angry thunders hurled, 



And bear our Heaven lighted flag 

 Around a subjugated world. 



The vision fades. Now let me plant. 

 With reverent hand, the acorn seed, 



Deep in the kindly English soil. 

 On which the oak loves best to feed. 



May b:iiipy summers nurse the bud. 

 Anil ApVilV l)iightest, softest showers, 



Widen tliis germ to nobler life, 

 And give its limbs a giant's powers I 



Rock, but rend not, ye winter storms I 

 fcJpare, spare, the helpless little tree; 



Earth, nurse it kindly till it float. 

 Bulwark of llome and Liberty I 



