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NEW ENGLAND FARRIER. 



May 



them nights with inverted boxes, screens, or 

 even by by shingles inserted on the north side 

 of the hills and inclined over the plants in the 

 form of a roof. 



Every farmer must be governed in this mat- 

 ter by circumstances, and guided by his own 

 ingenuity. Only market gardeners, flower- 

 dealers and amateurs, need incur much ex- 

 pense. But every one will 6nd pleasure and 

 advantage by some simple arrangement for 

 bringing forward early vegetables and flowers. 



There is no class but may do something in 

 this direction if they possess but a few square 

 rods of garden soil. Some of the simplest, 

 and most successful modes, are, by sowing 

 seeds early in any rough boxes, and placing 

 them in the kitchen window, where they usu- 

 ally get the best care. Another is to start them 

 in cheap earthen pots, broken tumblers, pitch- 

 ers, &c., and another excellent way is, to roll up 

 pieces of birch bark, fill with rich garden soil, 

 water occasionally with weak soap suds, and 

 set bark and plant into the ground at the 

 proper time. A single plant, only, in a pot, 

 will grow stocky and strong. It is a good 

 plan, however, to transplant two or three 

 times before setting out finally ; but in doing 

 this, the roots should not be injured in the 

 slightest degree. Always have soil enough 

 about them to keep them out of sight. 



PLOUGHING— APPLYING MANUKE. 



Our correspondent whose inquiry appears in 

 another column will thank us for copying from 

 the Maine Farmer the following report of the dis- 

 cussion by the Corinth, Me., Farmers' Club of the 

 subject of "shoal or deep ploughing — and best 

 mode of applying dressing." 



Hon. John Thiselle, who had been ploughing 

 fifty years, advocated good ploughing at medium 

 depth. For grain crops he had found it best to 

 spread dressing on the furrow and harrow in with 

 the grain ; the dressing to be prepared the year 

 previous. In this way he got much better grass 

 after seeding down than from any other mode of 

 application. — M. Chandler's universal method 

 is to break up his gras-s land in July, or as soon as 

 the grass is taken otf, plough shoal and harrow 

 down, cross plough in October, deeper, and again 

 harrow dowu. Plough again in the spring, use 

 compost dressing, in the hill for hoed crops, and 

 top dressing for grain. By this method land may 

 be kept entirely clear of weeds, making what is 

 called clean cultivation. — Chauncey Cochran, one 

 of our best farmers, spreads green dressing on 

 grass land and ploughs shoal. He is very particu- 

 lar to have the ploughing well done. — John Mor- 

 rison, a large farmer, adopts the same course 

 with dressing, as Mr. Cochran, but ploughs deep 

 (from eight to ten inches) and gets three hundred 

 bushels of potatoes to the acre. 



East Corinth. Moses Chandlek, Sec'y. 



The fear of being called on to "make a speech" 

 undoubtedly keeps many farmers who would be 

 really glad to have a good talk with their neigh- 

 bors about their business, from attending the 

 meetings of the neighborhood club, if one already 

 exists, or from taking an active part in getting up 

 a club where there is none. The "spouting" of a 

 debating school is just as much out of place in a 

 farmers' club, as dancing pumps would be in 

 treading down a load of manure. The Secretary 

 of the Corinth Farmers' Club furnishes a model 

 report of true farmer-club "eloquence." Nearly 

 two columns of the last Maine Farmer are filled 

 with similar reports of the talks at the meetings of 

 some of the various farmers' clubs that have re- 

 cently been formed in that State. 



The Eastern Shoee Disease. — Since publish- 

 ing the statement of our correspondent, "K. O.," 

 in relation to the disease prevailing among the 

 cattle at Wood's Hole and other localities, we 

 have received a letter from him informing us that 

 Mr. Fay has lost a valuable Alderney cow, and a 

 neighbor of his a cow, also that a number of 

 calves have died. 



He well asks, is it not time that more attention 

 should be given to this disease, and that our 

 authorities should institute an investigation of the 

 facts relating to it. Our correspondent further 

 says that if Mr. Fay has a post-mortem examina- 

 tion of the animals he will forward us the re- 

 sults of the investigation. 



Why should not the legislature at once appoint 

 a commission to inquire into the character of this 

 most singular disease ? 



Medal of the N. H. Agricultural Society. 

 The medal designed by Mr. Herrick for this soci- 

 ety, and which is to be struck in silver for last 

 fall's awards, is thus described by the Mirror and 

 Farmer: — "On one side, in a circle on the margin, 

 is the name of the Society; within is Ceres, with 

 her crown ready to fall on the result of labor, 

 while at her feet are implements of husbandry, 

 and the fruits of rural toil. The obverse is mar- 

 gined by a wreath, with the hand of the mechanic 

 grasping the hammer, while fruits and flowers are 

 gathered in abundance beneath." 



For the New England Farmer. 

 KAISING CALVES. 



At this season of the year the farmer looks 

 for an increase in the number of his cattle ; 

 and what is of more importance his cows be- 

 gin again to yield him a profit. The profit 

 from the cows in butter and cheese is often 

 considered the chief thing, and the calves are 

 killed when four or five days old, or as soon 

 as their stomachs have become accustomed to 

 food and its digestion, and are in condition to 

 be used as rennet. The skin of a calf is 



