362 



NEW ENGLAND FARIMER. 



ACG. 



when the hay cut on the previous clay is to be put 

 in during the afternoon ? And again, if the grass 

 is so ripe as to go in the second day, must it not 

 also he a case where there is hut very little of it, 

 as nothing is said about spreadintj swards, simply 

 directions for ^?<nir/?(7, an operation which in heavy 

 grass, might be done without exposing much of 

 the crop to the sun at all. 



The saving of labor is certainly a thing much to 

 be desired ; but this mowing and getting in at the 

 same time, viz., both in the afternoon, with noth- 

 ing to do in the forenoon, is what some of us can- 

 not understand. 



The evidence offered by the writer to show that 

 hay so made is good, also needs a little examina- 

 tion. "One man who has practiced it several 

 years has his stock look well." He may or he 

 may not give other and better keeping, as of roots 

 and meal. We need to be informed on points like 

 4»Iiese; for if English hay can'be cured generally 

 by this short process without coming our, smoky, 

 nay, without danger of spontaneaus combustion, it 

 is "something not agreeing with our experience in 

 Essex county. 



That grass is oftentimes allowed to get too ripe 

 is common ; but to avoid this, the only alternative 

 is to cut early ; and this again conflicts with the 

 short process recommended by your correspon- 

 dent "John." But should this fall under his eye, 

 1 hope he will enlighten us, for all are concerned 

 in it who have hay to make. Inqcip.er. 



County of Essex, Mass., June 4:, 1870. 



DrSTY HAT. 



Having had for two or three years an experience 

 similar to' that detailed by G. B. H. in Weekly 

 Fakmer of May 21, I will give the course I have 

 pursued to avoid the ditht ulty. First, Iputa coat 

 of plastering, atiout one inch thick, on the fljor, 

 to keep the dampness from rising from the cellar ; 

 then set some 2x6 inch joist up edgewise on the 

 plasterirg and covered with loose boards; then 

 nailed some strips of boards two inches wide to 

 the studding on the sides of the bam,— thus get- 

 ting a six-inch space between the floors and four 

 inches at the sides. Now, by cutting my hay 

 v.'hiie in bloom and making it as described by Asa 

 G. Sheldon in Monthly Farmer, for 18G7, page 

 417, and raking with any but an iron tooth rake, 

 my hay is entirely free trom dust or smoke. 



iS'orth Providence, R. I , June 2, 1870. G. e. 



Remarks.— As many who may see this article 

 may not remember Mr. Sheldon's process, nor be 

 able to refer to what he said, we may remark, that 

 his rule, stated in brief, is to cut herdsgrass and 

 redtop when in full blossom, and then give it the 

 best attention and a drying sun for two days. 



THE IRISH AND FARMING. 



I have taken the Farmer for some time and 

 find much, especially in the inquiries and replies, 

 which are ot great advantage lo me. In the Far- 

 »iEK and in other papers that I read I see it stated 

 that many of inc old larmers are selling out to Irish- 

 men, and the question is sometimes asked why it is 

 so. 1 have worked out with farmers long enough to 

 be at)le to give some reasons lor it. In the old 

 country agriculture, or at least land owning, is 

 considered desirable and honorable, though hut 

 few laboring men can ever hope to buy and pay 

 for land. There we hud to support kings, queens, 

 lords, dukes, earls, &c. For one, though I did 

 not believe in nidre than one Lord, one laith, ant 

 one baptism, I couul not help myself. But in this 

 country as we earn the nicuns, our tirst wish is to 

 own land, and as soon as wc caa we buy a farm. 



But here, as the Yankee boys grow up they want 



to get into a store, shop, factory, ofR^^e, and dislike 

 to work on the farm. They "will not handle a 

 spade or dungfork, because an Irishman does ; 

 and the Yankee girls will not put ihf ir hands in 

 a washtub because Irish girls do. Thus both of 

 them leave thei>r parents in their old age, and get 

 into some other business. I will not call them 

 lazy, perhaps tlKy go where they have to work 

 harder than at home. But go they do, and the 

 old people findingrhemselves deserted by their chil- 

 dren, and not able to carry on the farm themselves, 

 are obliged to offer their places for sale, and if 

 none but the Irish are willing or able to buy, 

 what in the name of common sense can they do 

 but sell to Irishmen ? Farming must not stop. 

 All the wise presidents, governors, legislators, &c., 

 of this countrj', as well as the born emperors, and 

 lords and all such like of the old country, must be 

 fed, and if somebody did not raise the food they 

 would have to do it themselves, and thus come on 

 a par with other poor folks. This would be a sad 

 affair, and therefore the Irish buy the farms and 

 carry them on. 



My wife has looked over what I have written, 

 and thinks there is some truth in it, but says it 

 ought to be written in a more polite manner. 

 From Michael McNerney. 



Becket, Mass., June, 1870. 



Remarks. — We agree with Mrs. McNerney that 

 there is "some truth" in this letter, — we think 

 there is a great deal that ought to be pondered by 

 all, — but we do not see that it needs to be ex- 

 pressed in a more polite manner. Two things 

 should be remembered. The country cannot pros- 

 per without farming; but farming may flourish 

 without Yankee boys or girls. For agriculture, 

 there is no substitute; but for the Y'ankee himself 

 there are substitutes. The old farms may change 

 owners, but they will still have occupants. 



FOOT disease in CATTLE. 



I have a cow that was taken lame in one fjre 

 foot about the 25th of April. I examined it very 

 thoroughly and could find nothing, only it was 

 swollen about the hoof and b'jtvveen the claws. I 

 washed out the claws and foot with soapsuds and 

 put on resin and grease, and let her run in the pas- 

 ture where it was dry. In about a week after, it 

 began to look mangy and crack just above the 

 hoof, between the claws. Not knowing what bet- 

 ter to do, I made a flax seed poultice and kept it 

 on two days and then bathed it in wormwood, but 

 as it grew worse I put on tar. The foot is still 

 very much inflamed, with a deep spongy sore, that 

 discharges but little. The cow had good care the 

 last winter, and was fleshy when taken ill. I have 

 also one two-year old heifer similarly affected, but 

 only in the hind foot; and also three yearlings 

 and a four-year old ox that has not been woiiked. 

 They are all in good condition and are very nice 

 animals, being grade Durhams. The cow was 

 wintered separate from the yearlings and has not 

 been with them. It appears that the disease origi- 

 nated in my herd, as there are no other cattle 

 about here affected the same manner. Some of 

 my cattle had a little meal and a few roots, but 

 most of ihem nothing but good hay duriug the past 

 winter. This spring afcer the Irost came out of 

 the ground in my barn yards, my cattle were kept 

 in the barn, except when turned out for water 

 twice a day. 



I have seen cattle that had what was termed the 

 Fouls, but think it different from the di^nrder 

 aoove descrilied. My pastures are not swampy, 

 but dry, with a stream of living water running 

 through them. 



