£66 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Dec. 



agricultural writers and speakers appear occa- 

 sionally to forget. The fact that soiling is 

 practicable where land is very high and where 

 milk is worth from eight to twelve cents per 

 quart, does not prove that pasture lands are a 

 nuisance and the universal adoption of the 

 soiling system is advisable everywhere. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 THREE CATTLE SHOWS. 



For the following notice of the Fairs of the 

 Stanstead, Can., the Caledonia, and Orleans 

 County, Vt., Societies, we are indebted to our 

 correspondent, "Z. E. J.," of Irasburg, Vt., 

 who visited each of the three exhibitions. 

 Stanstead, Province of Quebec. 



The fair of this society was held at Stan- 

 stead Plain, Sept. 17, 18 and 19. I attended 

 the second day, and found over 200 cattle — 

 Short horns, Dutch, and grades, with one Al- 

 derney cow and calf; 80 long wooled sheep, 

 over 50 Downs, 15 Mei inoes ; also a fine show 

 of White Chester and Berkshire swine. In 

 the Floral Hall there was an excellent show of 

 grains, wheat, oats, seed corn. &c., with arti- 

 cles manufactured. One excellent feature of 

 this fair was the exhibition of nearly everything 

 all three days, so that those who went the third 

 day saw the cattle and sheep. No exhibitor 

 was allowed to speak to an awarding commit- 

 tee, who only found numbers attached to the 

 articles. When awards were made the secre- 

 tary sent a man to tie a card and ribbon upon 

 the meritorious article. 



Caledonia County, Vt. 



The next week, September 25, I went to 

 St. Johnsbury, Vt., the second day of the 

 Fair at that place. The society have fitted up 

 their grounds and track at great expense. The 

 Floral Hall was very large ; but as the objects 

 of greatest interest to me and other farmers, 

 were cattle and sheep, 1 hastened to the yards, 

 and found only one bull calf and five Merino 

 sheep ! the other pens being full of horses 

 hitched lor the day. The cattle were on the 

 ground the first day only, to the great disap- 

 pointment of many farmers from out the coun- 

 ty. The Floral Hall was crowded nearly all 

 the time. The show there was excellent. 

 Here the exhibitors' names were on the cards 

 attached to the articles. There was a show of 

 horses upon the track, yet I venture to say 

 the thousands present wouhl have been better 

 satisfied, if thu cattle could liave been retained. 

 Their early removal will be of more damage to 

 the society than their cost of keei)iiig. To 

 draw a crowd, year after year, there must be 

 a show. 



Orleans County, Vt. 



This society was organized this year, and it 

 was thought advisable to have only one day's 



exhibition, October 8, which was held at Bar- 

 ton Landing. There were over 500 entries, 

 and about 3000 people present. Less than 

 $300 were awarded as premiums, from an in- 

 come of about $700 ; leaving a good surplus 

 in the treasury for another year. The most 

 prominent exhibitors of blood stock were H. 

 C. Cleveland, Coventry, of Kentucky Short 

 Horns, 14 head ; T. Baker, Barton, Short 

 Horns, and Dutch cattle, and Merino sheep ; 

 A. A. Randall, Short Horn and grade cattle. 

 There was one Alderney calf, the only repre- 

 sentative of the stock, — there being but few 

 specimens in the county. Our drovers say 

 that in Canada they can buy Alderney cows 

 very cheap, from 10 to 20 dollars each. With 

 our dairy farmers the Short Horn grades are 

 preferred, probably because the good quali- 

 ties of other breeds are not appreciated. 



For the New England Farmer, 

 THE GAEDEN IN" NOVEMBER. 



The careful, thoughtful gardener will find a 

 plenty of worii still to do in the garden, while 

 those with little forethought will find little No- 

 vember work, except the gathering of some 

 neglected or late garden crops. There are 

 many things which, attended to now, will con- 

 tribute largely towards another year's prosper- 

 ity. Provision for the extended production of 

 the various fruits, large and small, may yet be 

 made by preparing the ground for early spring 

 planting, and extending facilities for hot house, 

 cold frame, and hot-bed. The gardener should 

 not neglect to finish up harvesting any and all 

 crops not yet stored ; and as the fall has been 

 a late growing season, some crops will necessa- 

 rily be left in the ground later than usual ; but 

 generally little is gained in letting any crops 

 remain long after frosts have cut down the fo- 

 liage, or tops. Protection should be provided 

 for the various crops that are to be kept 

 through the winter, either for consumption or 

 spring culture. Stiff soils are improved by 

 being ploughed or thrown into ridges, expos- 

 ing the greatest surface to the ameliorating 

 and mellowing action of the frosts of winter. 

 Draining may yet be done where needed to 

 obviate the ill eti'ects of a redundancy of wa- 

 ter in the soil. 



Asparagus. — The old stalks should be cut 

 and cleared off, and a protection of some kind 

 given to the beds ; coarse manure, leaves, &c., 

 are good to prevent excessive freezing. New 

 beds may still be made, if reciuired, but it 

 were better to have been done ealier in the 

 season. Deep working and enriching the soil 

 is necessary to the successful culture of this 

 plant, though manure is the secret of large 

 crops of giant asparagus. 



Bicins — If nut already harvested, should be 

 drawn betbie tlie ground freezes at all, as frost 

 is injurious to them. Cut the tops and trim 

 them, and store by pacliing them in saud in the 

 cellar, as heretofore suggested. 



