1870. 



imw ENGLAND FAE^^IER. 



75 



that is in regard to the Old St. Michael, to which 

 you refer in a late article. I am convinced, after a 

 careful observation of some years, that it is not 

 true that this old variety has "run out." There 

 has been grown, and without any particular care, 

 in the extensive pear grounds of the late John 

 Gordon, Esq., at Brighton, one tree \^ith as fine 

 specimens as can be desired. The tree is very 

 healthy, and bears annually good crops. I have 

 come to the conclusion that some kinds of stock 

 are peculiarly fitted for it. I believe that by 

 double grafting — on the quince first — we can pro- 

 duce perfect fruit. Our work is not to denounce, 

 or set down in despair, but, instead, experiment in 

 grafting or budding on other sorts, until the most 

 favorable one is discovered. I am in no mood now 

 to argue the question of influence of stock on the 

 graft, but assume the point, fully believing, from 

 other experiments, that our success lies in this 

 direction, and I fully believe our end is to be at- 

 tained. It is probable it would crack on the Dix, 

 but simply possible that it would in the Vickar. 

 Boston, Mass., Dec, 1869. t. w. s. 



BONE-MEAL FOR COWS. 



"Within the last year or two, farmers in this sec- 

 tion have experienced considerable trouble and 

 inconvenience from the sterility of their cows. It 

 is believed that less cows are with calf at the pres- 

 ent time, in proportion to the number kept, than 

 ever before at this season of the year. Many are 

 inquiring for a reason and for a remedy of the 

 trouble. One farmer of experience and observa- 

 tion has given bone meal to cows of this habit, as 

 he believes with beneficial results. A gill is given 

 with other feed three times a day every other week. 

 He think it has also proved beneficial with sick 

 animals. A heifer lost her appetite and grew weak 

 until she lost the use of her legs. Bone meal was 

 administered, and in a few days the heifer was on 

 her feet, and was soon apparently as well as ever. 

 These facts are stated to draw out the opinions and 

 knowledge of those better informed than ourselves, 

 rather than as a statement of value of itself. 



Springvale, Me., Nov. 25, 1869. Zen. 



CHICKENS MADE LAME BY EATING PUMPKIN SEEDS. 



Perhaps some may think there has been enough 

 said upon the subject. But I think I will give a 

 little of my experience that maj' be interesting to 

 some who keep poultry. In the fall of the year 

 when feeding pumpkins to my stock near the 

 buildings, the fowls have eaten enough of the seeds 

 to affect their legs; sometimes, if long continued, 

 proving fatal. e. a. 



St. Johnsbury Centre, Vf., Xov. 30, 1869. 



LARGE POTATOES. 



While digging my potatoes this fall, I thought I 

 would try some of the largest in a Shaker bushel 

 measure. Thirty -two of the Orono variety filled 

 the measure heaping full. After drying a month, 

 the thirty-two potatoes weighed fifty -two pounds. 

 The largest one weighed two pounds and eight 

 ounces. Henry Day. 



Monmotith, Me., Dec. 1869. 



SPJSCIAIi CROPS. 



If it were safe for farmers to place their chief re- 

 liance on any one crop under any circumstances, 

 cotton at the South would seem to be that crop. 

 But with all the facts and circumstances which 

 have been urged in favor of cotton as a specialty, 

 the experiment is generally admitted to have been 

 disastrous to planters. 



On this point we find a statement by a corres- 

 pondent of the Southern Cultivator that we think 

 worth the attention of those who advise northern 

 farmers to devote their attention to some one crop, 

 and of those who propose to follow such advice. 

 The name of this correspondent is G. W. Stokes, 

 Wooten, Lee Co., Geo. Southern agricultural 

 writers generally back their statements with their 

 own sign-manual. Wc admire this fashion. There 

 is a frankness, manliness, honesty of purpose ap- 

 parent in this style, which is lacking when one 

 adopts any sort of fiction for a signature. 



This Mr. G. W. Stokes is a planter, employing 

 about sixty hands on his own land, and is also a 

 merchant and furnishes supplies to from forty to 

 sixty of his neighboring planters, taking the pro- 

 duce of their plantations or farms in payment in 

 the fall. He says : — 



I find that those who buy both corn and meat (all 

 they use) never have any surplus money left; 

 that those who buy all their meat, and only a por- 

 tion of their corn, have money over, in proportion 

 to quantity of corn purchased ; and that those 

 who raise all their corn, even when they buy all 

 their meat, are doing very well. The few who 

 raise both corn and meat, make money very fast. 

 These I know to be facts, in the face of the argu- 

 ment, that the same acre that yields 15 to 20 bush- 

 els corn, worth #20 to $30, will yield 700 pounds 

 to 1000 pounds seed cotton, worth from ^2>oXo B75. 

 It is difficult to explain why com purchased costs 

 so much, and that raised on the farm is so cheap ; 

 yet I know, and no doubt thousands of observant 

 planters know, that he who buys all his provisions, 

 never has any surplus cotton money. 



I am inclined to think that the bought corn does 

 not really cost so much, but that the principal ex- 

 planation of these facts, is that a good planter can 

 raise nearly a full crop of cotton, and at the same 

 time raise an ample supply of corn, because with 

 good management the heaviest of the work in the 

 corn crop is past, before the heaviest of the cotton 

 crop begins, so that he who plants cotton aloae, 

 loses enough time to raise his corn, for the simple 

 reason that without any corn crop at all, he can 

 raise very little more cotton than he could hnd he 

 a suflicient corn crop planted. 



Now if it is a fact, that a planter who raises no 

 corn or meat, has never had any surplus money 

 since the close of the war, with cotton ranging 

 high all the time except 1867, how can we expect 

 anything but ruin, the veiy first year our cotton 

 crop is cut off, or the price is low ? If our people 

 had raised their corn and meat in 1866, '67, they 

 would not have cared a straw for the low prices of 

 cotton in the latter year named, even if the specu- 

 lators could have controlled the price, and kept it 

 down. I live in as good a cotton and corn region 

 as I have seen anywhere, and we are highly fa- 

 vored this year, although our crops are not full, 

 yet they are so much better than they are in most 

 sections, that we certainly ought to feel thankful. 

 I travelled over most of the West and North the 

 past summer, and having seen the eflFects of the 

 drought upon the corn crop, and I pity the cotton 

 maker, who has not raised (at least) his corn this 

 year. 



— Mr. Wm. Whitfield, of Oakland County, Mich., 

 has imported foar Hampshire Down sheep from 

 England. They cost at his place nearly $200 each. 

 One of the rams weighs 305 and another 294 lbs. ; 

 the ewes weigh over 200 pounds each. 



