74 



XEW ENGLAND FARjVIER. 



Feb. 



BaiTels do not make good packing boxes, the 

 rolling of them injures the poultry. Clean, dry 

 goods boxes, which every country store will fur- 

 nish, are much better. Kye or oat straw placed 

 between them so they cannot touch each other, an- 

 swers the best purpose for packing. 



If the fowls are well dressed and well packed 

 they will keep sweet for a long time in cold weather, 

 and can be sent by express or freight with the 

 surety of their arriving in good order, and com- 

 manding the highest market price. A walk through 

 our city markets about Christmas time, reveals to 

 an observer that full half our poultry raisers do 

 not understand the right way of preparing their 

 poultry so as to look attractive. The scalding pro- 

 cess is the secret. s. o. J. 



Bath, N. U., Dec, 1869. 



FARMEKS' CLUBS IN STETSON AND GAELAND, ME. 



Being in Stetson Tuesday evening, Nov. 16, I 

 attended an agricultural lecture, delivered by Hon. 

 Samuel Wasson, chairman of the State Board of 

 Agriculture, I think. It was interesting and in- 

 structive. After the lecture, a farmers' club was 

 organized, and much enthusiasm was manifested. 

 Also at Garland, Friday evening, Nov. 19, 1 lis- 

 tened to the same gentleman upon the same sub- 

 ject. After the lecture, a farmers' club was also 

 formed here — farmers, mechanics, traders, minis- 

 ters and doctors subscribing their names to the con- 

 stitution. In no way can the farmers spend a part 

 of their evenings more proQtaby or more pleasantly 

 than at a live farmers' club. Success to the far- 

 mers' clubs of Stetson and Garland. p. 



Garland, Me., Nov. 22, 1869. 



Remarks.— From the frequent notices of fa,r- 

 mer's clubs that appear in the Maine papers, we 

 think that they are just now more popular in that 

 State than in any other part of New England. 

 This may be owing to a provision in the laFrof the 

 State by which a portion of the money drawn 

 from its treasury for agricultural purposes must 

 be devoted to the formation and encouragement of 

 such clubs. We presume that Mr. "Wasson is em- 

 ployed under this provision of the law, and we 

 have no doubt that he will be eminently success- 

 ful. Wc believe that all that is wanting in many 

 agricultural neighborhoods to secure the organi- 

 zation of a good club is some one to "break the 

 ice." 



SWELLED SHEATH IN HORSES. 



I have a valuable horse that is badly troubled 

 with a swelling of the sheath. After standing a 

 short time it seems to inflame and become hard 

 and swollen. I keep him thoroughly clean and have 

 tried cold bathing and various simple remedies, 

 but it still continues. Exercise makes it better 

 while it continues, but after standing it swells 

 again. Can you or any of the readers of your val- 

 uable paper give me any remedy for the trouble ? 

 W. P. Griffin. 



Annisquam, Mass., Dec A, 1869. 



Remarks — Beyond the simple remedies which 

 you say you have tried, wc do not feel competent, 

 from want of knowledge as to the cause of the dif- 

 ficulty, to offer any advice. It is often said that 

 the knowledge of a disease is half its cure. Dr. Dadd 

 was once consulted in a somewhat similar case, 

 where the poor horse had been bled and physicked 

 almost to death without any benefit. On examin- 



tion, he found the trouble to be a tumor or fungus 

 of about one-half of the bulk of a man's fist. This 

 removed, the difficulty ended. If there is no in- 

 telligent veterinary surgeon in your neighborhood, 

 we must advise you to get your family physician 

 to make a careful examination of the case. Per- 

 haps some reader of the Farmer may be able to 

 advise our correspondent what to do for his horse. 



A GOOD cow ON GOOD FEED. 



In March, 1868, 1 bought a cow for $125. Wish- 

 ing to try an experiment with liberal feeding, I 

 fed her four quarts of Indian meal a day. She 

 was milked eighteen months and twenty-one days, 

 when being in good order for beef, she was slaugh- 

 tered, dressing 80-5 lbs., and sold for $116,— the 

 rough tallow weighing 77 pounds. At the time 

 she was killed she was giving seven quarts a day, 

 and during the whole time averaged 10 quarts a 

 day. Calling the time 558 days, the whole amount 

 of milk was 5680 quarts. The account then stands 

 as follows; — 



Cow Dr. 



To original co?t $125 00 



To keeping 563 days at 40 cents a day . 227.09 



$352.00 



Cow Cr. 



By 5680 quarts milk at 8c per quart . . $454.40 



By bpefsold 110.00 



Net profit $570.40 



$218.40 

 Brighton, Mass., Dec , 1869. Geo. W. Wild. 



MR. aUINN'S PEAR CULTURE FOR PROFIT. 



It was refreshing to me to-day to read the — as 

 far as it went — free and just criticism of that sev- 

 enty-two page book, "Pear Culture for Profit," by 

 Mr. Quinn. There is one other point I would have 

 spoken of, and that is the opinion it gives of dwarf- 

 ing trees. Lamentable is the ill success Mr. Quinn 

 has had; and if he has had no better success in 

 other departments, his book is anything but a safe 

 or reliable guide. He says in chapter fifth, "With 

 a single exception the culture of the dwarf in the 

 orchard is a failure-e-' * * « * "For a long 

 time I had reason to suppose that the Anglers 

 Quince was well suited as a stock for many of our 

 best varieties of pears, but as far as my personal 

 observation has gone, the number has dwindled 

 down to one variety, — that is the Duehesse D'An- 

 gouleme. How long this kind will do well on the 

 quince root, I am not prepared to say." 



Admit, if we must, the facts in the case, and of 

 how much value is the book as a guide for others ? 

 That the culture of pears on the quince has been 

 a success, thousands attest. Hardly an author 

 who has M-ritten has not approved it. I quote but 

 one; that admirable (vork by Baker, "Practical 

 and Scientific Fruit Culture." At page 296 he 

 says, "The period of barrenness before maturity 

 in the peai", on free stock, is cut short by the quince 

 and the life extended nearly as long as the stand- 

 ard, if cropped judiciously. The life of pears on 

 the quince independently has, I believe, been un- 

 derstated. * * * * An observation of those 

 from thirty to forty years of age, in the gardens 

 of my esteemed partner, Hon. Marshall P. Wilder, 

 which are still bearing crops ; and a large number 

 of fifteen to twenty years of age, apparently in 

 full health and productiveness, must lead one to 

 extend the period." I only add that Mr. Baker is 

 well supported by most of our best writers, who, 

 while they recognize the fact that dwarfs are not 

 as long-lived as standards, yet (or projit they give 

 the preference to the former. 



I have a thought to offer on another point, and 



