1870. 



KEW ENGLAND FARilER. 



275 



DRY MrCK FOR BEDDING. 



In the Farmer for February 12, 1 saw an article 

 headed, "Value and Use of Muck," and I should 

 like very much to inquire of the writer of that 

 article how he dries his muck so that it will not 

 freeze in the winter ? B. B. Smith. 



East Dover, Me., 1870. 



Remarks. — Muck thrown out of the bed in the 

 winter, or even in July or August, when the 

 water is usually low in swamps, will become suffi- 

 ciently dry to be carted into some place for 

 winter use before the fall rains. Throw it into 

 heaps on dry land, and on the morning of some 

 hot day spread it a little, and get it in before rain 

 falls on it. In this condition it will not freeze so 

 as to prevent using it, if put in a cellar, or any- 

 where in the barn. Many farmers in this section 

 pile it up in a large heap near the barn, out doors, 

 and cover with boards, and though the surface 

 becomes frozen, it may be broken readily, and the 

 unfrozen part used as litter or otherwise, as de- 

 sired. Our practice is to place it in the cellar, 

 and mix it with the droppings, once or twice a 

 week. 



The foregoing remarks are not intended as a 

 substitute for a reply by "B." of Oak Hill, N. Y., 

 the writer of the article alluded to, who confesses 

 to "muck on the brain" and to great faith in muck 

 on the land, and who is able from his long practi- 

 cal use of the material to answer the question of 

 Mr. Smith. 



PRICES AND COST OF BEEF. 



Your Montpelier correspondent is doleful over 

 the high price of beef, and sighs for the good time 

 to come, when "extortion" shall cease, and steaks 

 and sirloins shall be sold at starvation prices to 

 the farmer. Your remarks were to the point, and 

 a substantial answer to his inquiry. 



But there are many like C. L. S., who think 

 that not only beef, but all farm crops are too high. 

 That farmers, whom they regard as "mud sills," 

 are getting very rich by "extortion," and should 

 almost give away their produce to their grateful 

 customers and deliver it, to boot. And if they 

 "groan for awhile'" they will soon be used to it 

 as "eels are to being flayed." 



It is now pretty well understood by farmers that 

 twenty pounds of milk can be made from the feed 

 that will produce one pound of beef. This at five 

 cents per quart would bring fifty cents. Or that 

 two pounds of cheese can be made from that quan- 

 tity of milk, which will retail at twenty or twen- 

 ty-five cents per pound. The dairyman can keep 

 two hogs to every three cows, and by using a 

 little grain with the sour milk and whey, turn 

 them fat in the fall, at a clear profit, giving quick 

 sales and ready money. 



It is a long way from the calf to the ox that 

 will dress 1000 pounds net, and it is a costly oper- 

 ation to grow him. But few farmers, even, are 

 aware of the cost, who have not kept an exact ac- 

 count of what he consumes. It will cost no more 

 to raise a colt to four years old, than a steer to 

 the same age. The colt, if well bred, will sell for 

 $200, with a chance for higher figures. The steer 

 must be a good one to bring $100. 



There is more profit in raising mutton than beef, 

 at the present price of wool. Mutton is whole- 

 some, nutritious and toothsome flesh, with noth- 

 ing of the taint of "extortion" in it at the present 

 time. If beef eaters who complain of present 

 prices, do not, as you suggest, see fit to raise their 



own beef, they might with becoming dignity "set- 

 tle back on mutton" until the over-reaching far- 

 mers cease to "groan," and offer their bullocks at 

 lower fisrnres. j. r. -w. 



Springfield, Vt., April 9, 1870. 



BEST PEARS. — FRUIT BOOKS. 



Can you inform me where I can procure a copy 

 of a hook entitled The Fruit Garden ? Also, the 

 best eight varieties of pear trees, suitably divided 

 between summer, autumn and winter, best suited 

 for Southeastern Massachusetts, and where I can 

 procure them ? k. t. l. 



Taunton, April, 1870. 



Remarks. — There is a great variety of opinion 

 as to what pears are the best. The same pear does 

 not grow the same on different soils. Some will 

 crack on one soil and grow fair on another. We 

 can recommend the following with some confi- 

 dence : — 



1 The Rostiezer ripens from middle of August 

 to September. 



2. The Bartlett, Bloodgood, Buffam, and Seck- 

 el, for summer and early autumn. 



3. The Duchesse de Angouleme, Beurre 'd 

 Anjou for autumn. 



4. The Lawrence, Winter Nelis and Easter 

 Beurre for winter. 



"The Fruit Garden," by P. Barry, can be ob- 

 tained through any bookseller. Downing's Fruit 

 and Fruit Trees of America, The American Fruit 

 Culturist, by Mr. Thomas, and other works may 

 be found at most of the bookstores. 



PERUVIAN GUANO. 



Will yon give us through the Farmer the 

 effects of the use of Peruvian Guano in the culture 

 of early cabbage and beets for market; and 

 what you think of using 1000 pounds per acre, 

 whether it would be too much for land that would 

 produce 40 bushels corn per acre ; also what 

 would be its effect on the future grass crop ? 



Sterling, Conn., 1870. s. G. 



Remarks. — We have always supposed that the 

 eff'ect of guano was more of a temporary than of a 

 permanent nature. A thousand pounds of Peru- 

 vian guano applied to one acre of fair soil would 

 probably give a size to the cabbage and beets 

 which would render them unfit for market— espe- 

 cially the beets. Apply one half as much guano 

 to the present crop, and the money's worth of the 

 other half in good stable manure for the acre, and 

 your husbandry will probably prove more perma- 

 nent and profitable. 



IS there DANGER OF MOWING TOO CLOSELY. 



I wish to inquire through the Farmer if a 

 mowing machine is a damage to a mowing field ? 

 Is there any danger of mowing it close enough to 

 damage the roots of the grass ? g. n. 



Craftsbury, Vt., Feb., 1870. 



Remarks. — At the late Farmer's Convention, 

 in Lewiston, Me., the subject of injuring the 

 grass crop by cutting it too near the ground, was 

 discussed, and the opinion of most of the speakers 

 was, that if the spears of grass were cut off below 

 the first joint, it would greatly injure it. 



