634 



NEW ENGLAND FARIMER. 



Nov. 



ability to clearly and forcibly demonstrate to 

 the agricultural community wherein their 

 practice fell short of securing the best results 

 possible from, the means at their conmiand. 

 Practical knowledge of farming is always in- 

 finitely better than theoretical management, 

 — but it seems to us that the combination of 

 sound theory with skilled practice is alone 

 needed to make agriculture, in every sense of 

 the word, one of the professions, or arts, if 

 the term apply better. Such theory the Col- 

 lege course is designed to supply, and such 

 practice the students should make a part of 

 their Collegiate course. 



But we have our College in working order, 

 the first class creditable for unmbers, and we 

 hope enthusiastic in their studies, — and now, 

 with the heartiest wishes for its success, we 

 await the report which shall confirm the doubts 

 of the skeptical, or justify the claims of the 

 friends of the Massachusetts Agricultural Col- 

 lege. 



FENCES. 

 The materials and labor required to build 

 and keep fences in repair are among the heavy 

 items of farm expense. The cost of the land 

 on which they stand is another item on which 

 J. Harris of Rochester, discourses as follows 

 in the American Agriculturist : — 



How much land does an old-fashioned fence 

 occupy ? I have always thought it took up a 

 good deal of land, but never had the curiosity 

 to measure. But this summer we have been 

 building a stone wall along the whole west side 

 of the I'arm, and after it was completed, and 

 the old fence removed, I was surprised at the 

 quantity of land we had gained. The ground, 

 of course, might have been ploughed closer to 

 the fence, but taking the case as it actually 

 was, the old rail fence, with stones, weeds, 

 rubbish, &c., occupied a strip of land one rod 

 wide. A field, 31 rods long and 31 rods wide, 

 contains about six acres. If surrounded by 

 such a fence, it would occupy a little over 

 three quarters of an acre of land. A farm of 

 160 acres so fenced would have twenty acres 

 of land taken up in this worse than useless 

 manner. Not only is the use of the land lost, 

 but it is, in the majority of cases, a nursery of 

 weeds, and, in ploughing, much time is lost in 

 turning, and the headlands and corners are sel- 

 dom properly cultivated. 



Liquid Manure. — The best liquid manure 

 that we have tried for all plants in pots, is that 

 formed by pouring thirty gallons of rain wa- 

 ter over one peck of sheep's dung fresh from 



the pens, and one peck of soot. Stir the whole 

 well up twice a day for two or three days ; al- 

 low the liquid to stand a day or two longer; 

 then stir again, and use it for watering with 

 once or twice a week. A pound of guano in 

 twenty gallons of water, along with half a peck 

 of soot, win form one of the best liquid ma- 

 nures known. — American Jour, of Sort. 



EXTRACTS AND REPLIES. 



AVILTED CHERRY LEAVES. 



It was stated in a late number of the Farmer 

 that cattle were poisoned by eating wilted clierry 

 leaves. In my opinion they were not poisoned, 

 but choked. I saw iwo cows that had eaten cherry 

 leaves. On opening one that died, a bunch of 

 leaves was found stuck in her throat, so as to pre- 

 vent her swallowing, and thus caused her death. 

 The other was in great agony and would probably 

 have died if slie had not been relieved soon. This 

 was done by forcing about half a pound of the 

 soft end of a strip of salt pork down her throat till 

 she swallowed, when down went the pork and the 

 leaves too. Then she was ready to eat some more. 



Brainiree, Mass., Oct. 1, 1867. E. French. 



Remarks. — In connection with tlie facts that 

 we have seen stated in some of our exchanges, of 

 horses being made sick by eating wilted grass, the 

 foregoing statement of Mr. F. may be a valuable 

 and suggestive contribution to the general fund 

 of knowledge upon this subject. In the multitude 

 of counsellors there is wisdom. But can all the 

 symptoms exhibited by animals that have died, or 

 by those that have been injuriously affected by 

 eating cherry leaves, be accounted for on Mr. 

 French's theory } 



In the account of the sickness and death of the 

 ox in Gilsum, N. H., published in the Farmer of 

 September 7th, it was stated that the symptoms of 

 illness were first noticed in his eyes, which dis- 

 charged a watery substance, as they do when they 

 have been hurt. The next day they turned a 

 bluish white, and the ox was entirely blind, and 

 appeared to be in great pain, and did not eat, Hi^ 

 mouth began to swell and corrupt, with an offen- 

 sive smell. He grew worse for seven days, and 

 then died. 



Of a calf that died in Bolton, Mass., from eating 

 leaves that were broken from a cherry tree, under 

 which he was tethered, it was stated in an account 

 published in the Monthly Farmer for 1855, page 

 386, that the first symptoms were excessive costive- 

 ness ; the animal straining and showing frequent 

 uneasiness. It then gradually lost its appetite, 

 and exhibited symptoms of blindness. Continu- 

 ing to grow worse, the poor creature ))egan to 

 tremble violently, moving round and round as if 

 tipsy and crazy, moaning piteously, knocking its 

 head meanwhile against anything that come in its 

 way, until it finally dropped down and expired. 



In the case of some cows in PlymoiUh county, 

 Mass., the symptoms of the disease were first 

 manifested in the cream from their milk, which 

 would not make butter as readily &<* usual. To 



