1867. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



535 



ascertain the cause, the cows were watched while 

 in pasture and seen to reach over a wall and browse 

 Bome cherry trees within their reach. After chang- 

 ing them to another pasture the milk resumed its 

 its former healthy condition. 



Would all these symptoms have been manifested 

 from mere choking ? 



It is, we believe, no uncommon thing to find a 

 portion of the contents of the stomach in the throat 

 of slaughtered animals ; being forced there, prob- 

 ably, by their death struggle. Might not such 

 have been the case with the bunch of leaves that 

 Mr. French found in the throat of the cow that he 

 examined? As oil, grease and fat are antidotes 

 for poison, is it not possible that, in the other case 

 alluded to by Mr. F., the strip of soft pork, acting 

 as a medicine, counteracted the poison, and cured 

 the cow that he says was so soon ready to eat more 

 of the cheiTy leaves if she could get at them ? 



PREPARE FOR SPRING "WHEAT. 



Now is the time to prepare and plow your ground 

 for spring wheat — and thus save time when pressed 

 in the spring. Manure well, and plow it in deep. 

 Wheat roots strike deep for nourishment and the 

 gases of manure come up by evaporation. Har- 

 rowing in wheat is a fatal error. It dries and 

 evaporates too quick, leaving the roots to seek 

 what they cannot find. It should be ploughed. 

 The warm uplands are preferable for this grain. 



It is gratifying to read in your paper of samples 

 of wheat for premiums at your agricultural shows. 

 It reminds me of my efforts and pleadings twenty 

 years ago, with my samples of wheat on exhibition, 

 which seemed like so much dead wood upon the 

 leaden sensibilities of the farmers. Then as note, 

 I predicted a revolution in this branch of agricul- 

 ture. Sooner or later the whole mass of New 

 England farmers, excepting Rhode Island, will 

 raise their own bread. Four acres to every farmer, 

 say 20 bushels to the acre, would nearly supply 

 every State with flour and save over thirty millions 

 of dollars per annum. These figures look large, 

 but it is not an exaggerated statement, fixing the 

 fair minimum of one barrel of flour to each indi- 

 vidual per annum. 



The papers state that the average crop of all the 

 West combined this season, is but 12 bushels to 

 the acre. Your farmers down east would not be sat- 

 isfied with this. Wheat can be sown either in 

 spring or fall, while oats, or com, or barley, or 

 beans must bo put in in the spring, or not at all. 



I planted wheat in my yard the first day of 

 September last. It was brined and ashed. It 

 made its appearance in four days, and in two 

 weeks it was thirteen inches high. H. Poor. 



Brooklyn, L. I., Oct., 1867. 



KEYES' TOMATOES. 



There is considerable discussion upon the 

 merits and demerits of this variety of toma- 

 to, which was so extensively advertised, I may 

 safely say, in all our of agricultural papers, repre- 

 senting it to be thirty days earlier, more productive, 

 and of superior flavor, the foliage of which was 

 without scent. With me it has tailed in all these 

 particulars, although I procured the seed from 

 head-quarters, and gave it special attention. Plant- 

 ed at the same time and in the same row with the 

 Tilden, Lester's Perfected, Cook's Favorite and 

 my own Seedling, the first three tomatoes were 

 pitked from Cook's Favorite, next in order came 

 my own Seedling, following came the Keyes and 



Tilden, and last Lester's Perfected. The first 

 bushel was picked from my own Seedling, second 

 f'nmi the Tilden, third from" Cook's Favorite, fourth 

 from Keyes' and Cook's Favorite. The scent of 

 the foliage from Keys' tomato was much more of- 

 fensive than from any of the other varieties ; it 

 was a shy Ijearer, m comparison with many other 

 kinds ; quality good, equal to that of the Tilton, 

 or Lester's. I think it does not compare favorably 

 with more common varieties. i. 



Salem, Oct. 3, 1867. 



WINTER AND SPRING WHEAT IN MASSACHUSETTS. 



The accompanying specimens of wheat are from 

 two crops raised on my farm the past season. As 

 marked, one is winter and the other spring wheat. 

 The winter wheat is known as the "Amber." 



Winter Wheat. 

 The winter wheat was grown on 118 rods of 

 land, surveyed after crop was harvested, which 

 is set with apple trees, nine years from the 

 nursery, thirty feet apart each way. In 1865 six- 

 teen loads of barn manure were applied to the land, 

 and thirty-five bushels of barley were raised upon 

 it. The year before it was planted with corn, ma- 

 nured in the hill. The soil is a strong loam, and 

 was ploughed six to ten inches deep three times 

 before sowing, and 300 pounds of "Hayward's 

 Compound" was used. The seed was sown the 

 20th of September, 1866, and the crop, 22.^ l)ushels 

 harvested about the same date, 1867. Weight of 

 wheat 62 pounds per bushel. 



Crop, in Account. 

 Dr. Cr. 



Ploughing 3 times, $6.00 22!^bu.wheatat$3.50,$77.75 

 Harrowing, .50 2158 lbs. straw, 16 00 



One bu. seed, 4.00 



Sowing, .50 Amount 93.75 



Reaping and binding, 6.00 Cost of production, 33,00 



Threshing (4daya), 6-00 



Winnowing, 1.00 Profit, $60.75 



300 fts. "compound", 3.00 

 Interest and taxes, 6.00 



Amount, $33.00 



Spring Wheat. 

 The acre on which 23^ bushels of spring wheat 

 were raised, was planted with corn last year ; six- 

 teen loads of manure from cellar and horse stable 

 being used in the hill ; producing 119 bushels of ears. 

 The soil is a rather light loam, and was ploughed 

 six to eight inches deep, three times in the spring. 

 The thorough preparation of the land is in my 

 opinion, one of the conditions of a good crop of 

 wheat. The manure applied this year was 26 loads 

 barn manure and 600 pounds of "Hayward's Com- 

 pound." The wheat was sowed early in May, and 

 harvested in July and August. 



Crop, in Account. 

 Dr. Cr. 



Ploughing 3 times, $9.00 23 bu. wheat $3, $70.50 

 Harrowing, .75 2100 lbs. straw, 14.00 



Seed, 2 bu., 6.00 



Sowing, .75 $84.50 



Reaping 4 days, 6.00 Cost of production, 70.50 



Binding, 1.00 



Threshing&winn'ing, 9 00 Profit, $14.00 



6U0 tbs. "compound," 6.L0 

 Interest and taxes, 8.00 

 Manure, % of value, 24.00 



Amount, $70.50 



Elijah Fitch. 

 Hopkinton, Mass., Sept. 28, 1867. 



Remarks. — It gives us pleasure to present the 

 above statement, not only as embodying facts of 

 intrinsic value, but as a model for those who wish 

 to communicate results of such practical value. 



