578 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Dec. 



his family, or to market his produce, it would 

 elevate his calling in the estimation of the 

 world, if he were a little more careful of his 

 appearance. No matter how independent we 

 may feel — however we may affect to despise 

 the opinions of others, we are none of us en- 

 tirely insensible to the fashions of the times 

 or the opinions of the world. Henry Ward 

 Beecher once used the expression — "True; 

 dress does not make the man ; but when he is 

 made, he looks better dressed up." — Am. Far. 



AGKICITLTUBAIi ITEMS. 

 — In fifteen years, sheep have increased in Ireland 

 over 2,000,000. 



— To raise good crops is often the best way to 

 raise a mortgage. 



— The only way to harvest potatoes successfully 

 is to keep digging. 



— Some ticlds of corn on the Scioto, Ohio, flats 

 have been sold at forty dollars per acre, the pur- 

 chasers intending to turn hogs into them. 



— The crop of flax seed i-aised in the West this 

 year is supposed to be at least twice as large as 

 that of any previous season. 



— Capt. D. Farrington, of Croton, Hudson river, 

 raised this season 150^ bushels winter wheat on 5^ 

 acres, lie applied 1| tons bone dust, and the grain 

 was sown on 16th October. 



— The Boston Traveller estimates the cranberry 

 crop on Cape Cod this season at 10,050 barrels 

 which at ^10 per barrel will be $100,500 for cran- 

 berries alone. 



— The death of an agricultural laborer in Eng- 

 land is supposed to have been caused by drinking 

 cider from a barrel, between the staves of which 

 white lead was used by the cooper. 



— To prevent the rebounding of a wedge from a 

 log you wi.^h to split, make a few checks near to- 

 gether wiih the ax, and insert the wedge between 

 them, or dash into the crevice from which the 

 wedge has rebounded a little dry sand. 



— A. M. Ward, New Britain, Ct., informs the 

 New York Farmer's Club, tljiit if cider as it comes 

 from the pre? s is brought to a gentle scald, only, 

 barreled, and l)unged tight, it will keep sweet, and 

 the last drawn will l)e as good as the first. 



— In Central Illinois, they who are not farmers 

 complain of hai-d times. Once, pork was 2 cents 

 a pound, now it is 10; beef was a cent, now it is 

 12 cents ; lard was 5, now it is 15 ; corn was 10, 

 now it is GO. In Boston, "they who arc not far- 

 mers" find the same cause of complaint, hut in- 

 stead of inquiring whether a change in the relative 

 numbers of producers and consumers may not 

 liavc somctliiug to do with the result, they content 

 themselves with t imply cursing the speculators. 



— "Coal tar," reduced one-half, and applied with 

 .1 brush while siiglitly warm, makes an excellent 

 substitute for putty on green-house roofs, beside 



holding the glass firm through all the changing 

 seasons. It is also an excellent preservative of the 

 sash. 



— Those animals that are the most natural prey 

 of ferocious beasts possess the ruminating faculty 

 so that they can gather their food in a hurry from 

 exposed localities, stow it away temporarily in a 

 sack provided for the purpose, and retire to a 

 place of safety to masticate it. 



— The statement is made in the Kansas Farmer 

 that "Capt. Bouton of Rock Creek township, in 

 Nemeha county, has threshed 250 bushels of wheat 

 fi'om 8 acres of ground — upland prairie — sown on 

 sod ground — seed, the White May. He is selling 

 the entire crop for seed at $2 per bushel." 



—In Benson Co., Ind., there is a farm of 24,000 

 acres of land owned by Messrs. Fowler and 

 Earl. They design it to he used entirely in pre- 

 paring cattle for market. When the whole tract 

 has been brought into proper condition, it is ex- 

 pected 8,000 cattle can be fed on it. 



— Five j'cars ago Ohio cheese was the only kind 

 sent to Chicago. Now, Northern Illinois contains 

 more cheese factories than Europe, Asia, and Afri- 

 ca. Some of the best butter reaching New York 

 city this season is from this section and from Wis- 

 consin. 



— To clean cider barrels the Scientific American 

 says, put lime water and a common trace chain 

 into the barrel through the bung hole, first tieing 

 a strong twine to the chain to draw it out with. 

 Shake the barrel about until the chain wears oflF 

 the mould or pomace, then rinse well with water. 



— In France, Goveniment raises all kinds of im- 

 proved stock for sale, and prohibits farmers from 

 doing so. No agricultural societies are allowed, 

 for Government does all this business, and there 

 cannot be a meeting of more than 20 persons for 

 any oliject whatever, without consent of the Gov- 

 ernment. 



— It was recently stated at a meeting of the 

 Madison County, 111., Farmers' Club, that when 

 the country was new, rails made from old timber 

 cost about 50 cents per 100, aird would last from 

 thirty to forty years; those now made from the 

 second growth cost from $5 to $6 per 100, and do 

 not last more than ten years. 



— A farmer, more than most men, needs pluck, 

 faith in himself and in nature, and above all pa- 

 tience. He must wait for results, and while doing 

 so it is innwrtant that his surroundings should be 

 as pleasant as he can afford to make them. A 

 cheerful healthy location, is of more value than a 

 fine house. 



— In a letter from Texas to the Mirror and Far- 

 mer, Dr. Boynton speaks of the scab as a very 

 prevalent disease among sheep in that State. The 

 usual remedy is immersion in warm tohacco water, 

 the fumes of which often make the men who ad- 

 minister it sick and completely prostrated. "Bless 



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