124 



NEW ENGLAND FARjVEER. 



Mabch 



new varieties, and even species, of animals 

 that may be useful to man. All our domestic 

 animals were brought from Europe, and so far 

 from deteriorating, they have in almost every 

 instance improved, showing the favorable char- 

 acter of our climate and the products of our 

 soil to all animal life. 



A FINE TKES3 OF COKN". 



While some of the correspondents of the 

 FARjrER are just now discussing the value of 

 corn in the stalk, our attention has been called 

 to the beauty of "the full corn in the ear." 

 Farmers may differ in their opinion of the 

 value of green corn stalks, or straw, — for we 

 believe naturalists class Indian com with the 

 grasses, and have christened it with a Greek 

 word, Zea, meaning "to live," thus recogniz- 

 ing"^ its great life sustaining power, — but they 

 all agree that the grain itself is a nutritious 

 food for both man and beast. But all who 

 have used corn either in the house or in the 

 barn know that its value depends in a great 

 measure on its degree of ripeness when har- 

 vested. 



Up to about the first of September last, the 

 prospect of a good corn crop was not at all fa- 

 vorable, and in many sections a failure was 

 predicted; but the fine weather which suc- 

 ceeded produced a fair crop on fields that were 

 favorably situated, and which had been well 

 manured and well cultivated. Commissioner 

 Capron estimates that the yield of corn in New 

 England this year is less than that of last year 

 by about eighteen per cent., or nearly one- 

 fifch. 



We were, therefore, much pleased to look 

 upon so beautiful a specimen of eight-rowed 

 corn, of this year's growth, as that which we 

 recently received from the farm of Dr. 

 James R. Nichols of Haverhill, Mass. The 

 ears, or rather the rows of corn on the ears, 

 measure from nine and a half to twelve inches 

 in length, the kernels are large, very compact, 

 of an unusually rich color, and the cob well 

 filled. Accompanying this beautiful trace of 

 corn we received the following note. The 

 statement alluded to will be found in another 

 column. 



Messrs. Editors :— I send you by express to- 

 day from my farm, a few ears of corn, a part of 

 the product of one and one-half acres, which gave 

 me last autumn 312 bushels of ears of shelled corn. 



This gives fully 106 bushels to the acre. It was 

 indeed a noble crop, and the corn in the bin is 

 worth looking at, I can assure you. The specimen 

 sent is a fair one. Two-thirds of the ears were as 

 large and full as those you will examine. I gave 

 in the Journal of Chemistry a brief account of the 

 crop, some weeks since, which I enclose to you. 

 I did not include in Journal statement of amount 

 raised, the three or four bushels which were "traced 

 up" for seed. Very truly yours, 



Jas. R. Nichols. 

 Lakeside, Haverhill, Mass., Jan. 10, 1870. 



MILK HAISINQ FOR CITIES. 



It has been generally supposed by farmers and 

 railroad managers that milk could be trans- 

 ported profitably only about one hundred miles. 

 Hon. J. Z. Goodrich, of Stockbridge, Conn., has 

 writteo a long letter addressed to the farmers 

 of Berkshire county, Mass., for the purpose of 

 showing that they are "practically as near the 

 New York market for the sale of milk as those 

 who live within twenty or thirty miles of the city." 



He says that during the past season milk has 

 been carried eveiy day, even during the summer 

 months, from Dalton and Pittsfield, Conn., to New 

 York city by the Housatonic railroad, a distance 

 of 160 to 170 miles. It has been brought to the 

 stations in the afternoon, and delivered in New 

 York in good condition the next morning in time 

 to be served to city customers before breakfast. 



The milk train was started on this road the 1st 

 of October, 1867. It carried 44 cans of 40 quarts 

 each the first day, and increased to an average of 

 about 230 cans per day in 1868, and to about 390 

 cans per day in 1869. It is stated by Mr. Eli 

 Smith of Sheffield, that at first only four cans 

 of 40 quarts each was sent from that station, and 

 that during last summer it run up to 87 cans, from 

 2-5 farmers, and that he expects from 140 to 150 

 cans, or a full carload, will be furnished next sea- 

 son. 



Mr. Goodrich believes that this new business on 

 the Housatonic road will greatly increase the 

 value of farms on its route, and he says that one 

 farmer admitted that the value of his farm had 

 already been enhanced .f 3000 thereby. He believes 

 that this business has added twenty millions of 

 dollars to the value of farms on the Harlem road. 

 He also discusses its advantages to the railroad. 

 He believes that the county of Berkshire alone 

 may produce, and should produce within two or 

 three years, 1000 cans, or 40,000 quarts a day, and 

 that in no oiher way probably can its farming 

 lands be improved so much. He says that the de- 

 mand for good, sweet, pure milk is almost unlim- 

 ited, and is yearly increasing in a ratio far greater 

 than the development of new sources of supply. 



If milk can be sent 150 to 175 miles on the roads 

 centering at New York, we should suppose that 

 the milk circle might be greatly extended around 

 Boston. 



