1870. 



NEW ENGLAND FARJ^IER. 



385 



thoughts and employs their labor, but instead of 

 being a benefit to the town, is directly the reverse. 

 They would, in my opinion, make much more 

 money in taking good care of their stock and get- 

 ting their year's supply of wood, which too many 

 of them, in consequence of eusaging in lumbering, 

 neglect. But a new interest has been awakened in 

 farming. Many are cultivating their land better, 

 keeping better stock and raising better crops, and 

 are thus adding much to the real wealth of the 

 town. Mowing machines and horse rakes are be- 

 ing introduced, which, although the land is some- 

 what rough and uneven, are doing good work ; 

 and, in short, a great change is going on in all the 

 departments of agriculture. Farmers are laying 

 aside their old ways and adopting better, which 

 may be attributed partly to the New England 

 I'AEMER and other agricultural papers. The Far- 

 mer is a welcome Weekly visitor in my father's 

 family, where it is highly prized. It is also taken 

 considerably tdroughout the town. c. e. g. 



Ripton, VL, laiO. 



"LEARNING TO SPELL." 



The brief remarks on this subject, in a recent 

 number of the Farmer, were timely, especially 

 those relating to the influence of some of the 

 comic writers of the present day. What the in- 

 fluence of such orthography must be, unless sed- 

 ulously counteracted by parents and teachers, no 

 one can doubt. Now, if ever, the guardians of the 

 young should see that this branch of education re- 

 ceives due attention. 



It is a good plan for children to write the words 

 of their spelling lessons, and also to be in the fre- 

 quent habit of writing letters and compositions; 

 for many v.-ho are fair oral spellers are, in writing, 

 as likely as not to misspell every word in which 

 a mistake can possibly be made. But in order to 

 do this, they must learn to write much earlier than 

 they usually do. Indeed I know no reason why 

 children should not commence writing when th?y 

 enter school. It would tafee up their time and at- 

 tention, and be a pleasant change from the inevi- 

 table picture drawing with which they contive to 

 while away so many of the tedious hours. Be- 

 sides, they would feel that they were doing some- 

 thing useful; a very pleasant thought to most 

 children, let us remember, whether at home or at 

 school. 



It would be quite an improvement in many 

 schools if the pupils were required to pronounce 

 each syllable as it is spelled, instead of running 

 through the entire word before stopping. This 

 has been strangely neglected of late years, and it 

 is quite time to return to the former practice. 



But our schools, however long continued and 

 expensive they may be, do not obviate the neces- 

 sity of home instruction, in the elementary 

 branches at least. This alone can restore that in- 

 dividuality which is in a measure lost in the class 

 system. Parents who are interested in the pro- 

 gress of their children, may find abundant oppor- 

 tunity of facilitating that progress, without the 

 formality of set lessons. In spelling, especially, 

 the chances tor instruction are constantly recur- 

 ring. Children should learn to spell the names of 

 every house and farm utensil, of every tree, shrub 

 and tlower which they see ; of animals, of ordinary 

 diseases, and so on, ad injinition. There are also 

 many little words in common use which should 

 rective special attention, as they are very liable to 

 be misspelled in hasty writing. Mattie. 



KING BIRDS DO DESTROY BEES. 



I noticed some time ago quite a discussion by 

 the New York Am^irican Institute Farmers' Club, 

 on the question, "Do king birds kill honey bees ?" 

 Tnis question was decided in the negative by the 



combined wisdom of the learned Doctors of that 

 Club. 



I have since had occasion to doubt the truth of 

 that decision. Watching a swarm of bees a few 

 days since, my attention was called to the peculiar 

 movements of one of these birds in the immediate 

 vicinity, and by careful observation, I was con- 

 vinced that he was there for the very purpose of 

 catching the workers as they returned to the hive, 

 loaded with honey, and also that he was succeed- 

 ing at the business very finely. A few days since, 

 Mr. P. E. Grow of this place, shot a king bird 

 which was flitting about among his swarms, and 

 upon dissecting him, found ten of the bees in his 

 stomach. Now if king birds don't eat bees, how 

 came bees there } J. J. Washbuek. 



Randolph, Vt., Jane 13, 1870. 



CRANBERRY WORM. 



Several lovers of the cranberry in this vicinity 

 will be much indebted to the Farmer for a reme- 

 dy to destroy the worm or maggot that infests our 

 cranberries. A Farmer's Daughter. 



South Berwick, Me., June 12, 1870. 



Remarks. — We know of no practicable method 

 of destroying these worms, except by flowage. 

 When these worms make their appearance they 

 are destroyed by letting on the water for a few 

 hours. But as this is impracticable in many cases, 

 we hope the request of "A Farmer's Daughter" 

 will be responded to by any one who can furnisli 

 the desired information. 



remedies for the cabbage "WORM. 



Last season I raised quite a large quantity of 

 cabbages, but as they commenced to head nicely, 

 the cabbage worm commenced its destructive 

 work. Having some air slacked lime on hand, I 

 concluded to give it a trial. I sprinkled it on to 

 the cabbages while the dew was on in the morning 

 and it proved successful in destroying the worm. 

 The worms were soon lying around on the ground 

 dead, and they seemed to turn to a whitish color. 

 The li'ine does not injure the cabbage, and I hope 

 it will prove as complete a remedy with Mr. Sowles 

 and others as with me. J. B. Holtox. 



West Charleston, Vt., June 13, 1870. 



In reply to a request in the Farmer for infor- 

 mation about destroying worms on cabbages, I 

 will say that last year they were very numerous 

 on my cabbages and almost destroyed them before 

 1 did anything. I then turned on each head about 

 one pint of water once in three day s, and at the 

 same time sprinkled it over with black pepper. It 

 drove them all off, and my cabbages headed and 

 did well. N. Hall. 



Canaan, Me., June 11, 1870. 



A precociovs apple-tree sprout. 



Two years ago, while cultivating corn. I broke 

 down one of my apple trees. Fiom its roots a 

 sprout has grown in two years which is one and a 

 half inches in diameter at the but, five feet in 

 height, and this spring it had several blossoms. 

 Can you or any reader of the Farmer tell me how 

 to destroy apple-tree worms ? Hiram Norton. 



Addison, Vt., Mat/ 28, 1870. 



CAUSB OF DRY SOT IN POTATOES. 



I have made some inquiries as to the cause of 

 the dry rot in potatoes in cellars this winter. I 

 found two persons who were not troubled with it, 

 while their neighbors who raided the same varie- 

 ties of potatoes, were losing theirs. Both of these 



