S84 



NEW ENGLAND FARISIER. 



Aug. 



nor do we think it is safe to assume that it is an 

 exception. If you do not understaml farming, if 

 you have yet to learn the trade, we think it would 

 be better and cheaper to commence as an appren- 

 tice or journeyman under the instruction of some 

 good workman who understands the particular 

 branch of farming that you prefer. The idea that 

 anybody can be a farmer is just as true, undoubt- 

 edly, as the assertion, sometimes made, that any 

 body can be a musician, si mechanic, merchant, 

 &.C. No one can be either only by learning how. 

 And in learning farming an instructor or master 

 is just as beneficial and necessary, as in learning 

 any of the mechanic arts, any of the professions, 

 or any of the fine arts. 



Farms can be purchased on almost any reason- 

 able terms, in almost any section of the country. 

 And we can think of no better way for you to pro- 

 ceed to find a place to suit you than to invest your 

 money safely, go to work as a journeyman farmer 

 in such location as you fancy, and as you work, 

 and learn, and establish a reputation, keep your 

 eyes and ears open for the best opportunity for a 

 permanent location. It is by no means uncom 

 mon that farms, or at least land, can be hired for 

 a few years for a much less rent than the interest 

 on the sum asked as purchase money. Still there 

 may be a shorter cut, a more royal road to farm- 

 ing, but we thick the experience of journeymen 

 mechanics, retired merchants, professional men, 

 &c., who have tried these by-ways, fully justify 

 the caution, "Not safe to Tkavel," especially by 

 those of small means. 



as to render that function impossible, the subject 

 dies. The cause of this muscular affection is a 

 disturbance of the nervous system generally; and 

 this maybe caused by injuries of the head, or of 

 the back ; by a wound of one of the larger nerves ; 

 by overloading the stomach, and by taking poisons 

 into the stomach. Sucking calves, pigs, lambs, 

 and other little brutes, like "nursing" babies, are 

 easily, and sometimes fatally affected by sub- 

 stances taken into the stomach of the mother. So 

 much we "know" — we "do not ffuess about it;" 

 but, in the absence of sufficient knowledge of the 

 facts in this case to do any better, we must i)e 

 allowed to make one "guess:" — We guess that the 

 convulsions, of which this calf died, were caused 

 by "Indian poke," or some other poison, eaten by 

 the cow. 



DEATH OF A CALF BY CONVULSIONS. 



Did you ever hear of the death of a calf from a 

 fit? I had a beautiful Jersey heifer calf, about 

 four weeks old. It had been taken from the cow 

 at four days old, and learned to drink milk, from 

 which partof the cream had been taken. It seemed 

 to be doing well. I had hitched it out on a plot 

 cf grass several days, for a few hours at a time, 

 which it seemed much to enjoy. I led it into tlie 

 stable about six o'clock, apparently as well as 

 ever, but it immediately began to be agitated and 

 convulsed; to turn round and round; to jump, 

 throw itself down, then up, then against anything 

 that happened to be near, with great violence; to 

 bellow, froth at the mouth, &c., &c. In this state 

 it continued without change, only as its strength 

 was gradually exhausted, till it died in about 30 

 minutes from the attack. I can hardly think that 

 an animal dying of hydrophobia could suffer more. 

 Have you any knowledge of such a case ? 



The cow had been out to pasture little more 

 than a week, had been sick one day, five or six 

 days before the calf died, from eating "Indian 

 poke," as we had reason to believe. Could the 

 calf's death be attributed to anything the cow had 

 eaten ? Now, Mr. Editor, I don't want you to 

 guess about it, but if you or your readers know 

 anything bearing upon my inquiry, please let us 

 know it. z. T. 



Mechanic Falls, Me., May 30, 1870. 



Remahks. — The death of this calf was caused 

 by convulsions. Convulsions consist in violent in- 

 voluntary contractions of the muscles ; and when 

 the muscles of respiration arc so much affected 



THE SEASON IN CANADA. 



We have had a very dry spring. Work com- 

 menced rather later than usual, but the land was 

 in prime condition, and seed was put in about as 

 early as common, althougU there was much croak- 

 ing about t!ie "backward season." Fruit trees 

 were in blossom a week or ten days earlier than 

 last year, and vegetation generally was quite as 

 forward as in several years past. But the severe 

 drought of the last month, injured grass on old 

 fields and grain on clay or gravelly soils. In 

 forty-tive days from the :i5th of 4th month to 8th 

 inst., inclusive, only three-quarters of an inch of 

 rain fell in this vicinity. The weather was warm, 

 and a part of the time hot. The 31st of last month 

 the mercury rose to 82"^ in the shade, and to 90° 

 the 4th of this month. 



But the spell is broken. The 9th was showery, 

 and the 10th it rained moderately, and quite 

 heavy in the night. The ground is well watered 

 now, and if rain continues to fall frequently, crops 

 will yet be fair, though I think barley must be 

 light. 



The prospect for fruit is pretty good. The curcu- 

 llo is very abundant, and the currant worm is very 

 destructive. Powdered White Hellebore is an an- 

 tidote to the latter, but I neglected to apply it in 

 season on some of my bushes. I put it in a pep- 

 per-box, and sprinKled it on the leaves. No mat- 

 ter whether it touches the worms or not, they will 

 leave. I have never known any one poisoned by 

 using currants from bushes that had been so 

 treated. 



A great many curculios have been caught here 

 by jarring the trees, and it is found quite as neces- 

 sary to jar them in the evening as in the morning. 

 One of uiy neighbors has procured a prize of ten 

 dollars, offered by the Canada Fruit Growers' As- 

 sociation for 1000 curculios. Granite. 



Bloomfield, Ontario, 6th mo., 13<A, 1870. 



EIPTON, TT. 



Ripton is a rough and stony town, situated up 

 among the Green Mountains, which surround it; 

 on all sides, seeming to shut it out from the outer 

 world. Still it can boast of no grand mountain 

 scenery, picturesque views, &c., but it can truth- 

 fully claim a good soil, which, under a judicious 

 system of cultivation, yields large returns. Many 

 of its farmers now successfully compete with those 

 of the fertile valley of Otter Creek, in amount of 

 crops. The owners of these valley farms, however, 

 give their attention entirely to farming, while 

 with us a large portion of the farmers devote much 

 attention in the winter season to lumbering and 

 wood drawing; business which occupies their 



