394 



KEW EXGLAOT) FARMER. 



Arc. 



The seed weighs only twelve or fourteen pounds 

 per bushel. Early in the spring is considered the 

 best time to seed. 



The Rhode Island Bent grass we suppose to be 

 the common redtop of our fields and pastures. If 

 so, our correspondent can judge of the propriety of 

 using it instead of herdsgrass. 



The Kentucky blue grass is regarded by Mr. 

 Flint as identical with our June grass ; the differ- 

 ence between its growth and popularity in the two 

 sections being in the soil and climate. 



TAXL MEA.D0W OAT GRASS. 



The bunch of grass left at our office last week 

 by C. Clark, Esq., of Stoughton, Mass., is the 

 Meadow Oat Grass, or Tall Oat Grass, described 

 and figured on pages 127 and 128 of Mr. Flint's 

 "Grasses and Forage Plants." It is the Ray 

 grass of France. It is often found on the borders 

 of fields, woods and pastures. After being mown 

 it shoots up a very thick aftermath. It is of an 

 early and luxuriant growth, and has been recom- 

 mended for soiling. It has been cultivated to 

 some extent in New England, and when once nat- 

 uralized it grows spontaneously on deep sandy 

 soils. 



CANADA AND THE STATES. 



It is some time since I have written anytl'ing 

 for tbe Farmer, but being in this place on a visit 

 for a few days, and always feeling interested in 

 agricultural matters, and enjoying much the writ- 

 ings of others in the Farmer, I have thought I 

 would just write a few lines, not that I expect to 

 do that justice to its pages that many of my supe- 

 riors can. 



I left home in Eaton, Compton Co., Can.ada 

 East, last Wednesday. Our season there, after a 

 very mild winter, was, tbrough the months of 

 April and Mav, very dry, and most of the time 

 cold. After this month commenced the weather 

 became quite warm, but stiil so dry that we be- 

 gan to fear that there would be a short crop for 

 the husbandman. But on the r.ight of the seventh 

 it commenced to rain, which so refreshed the 

 earth that ilII agricultural crops bid fair to be as 

 good as the farmer can expect, except the hay 

 crop ; that must be far below an average, not alto- 

 gether in con-sequence of the drought, but more 

 from the effects of the thaws and sudden changes 

 of the winter, which caused much grass to be 

 winter killed, especially on our richest or most 

 valuable land. Since the rain, the weather has 

 been more or less cloudy and cool. Our season is 

 about two weeks earlier than usual. The state of 

 the crops, as noticed on my way here, as well as at 

 this place, is much the same as in Compton county, 

 Canada, which is some eighty miles further north. 



This town, Lunenburg, is saul to be one of the 

 most stony towns in the State, but the soil seems 

 to be very strong, and priiduces bountiful crops of 

 grass and all kinds of English grain. It has been 

 settled about 100 years, and yet retains many of 

 the names and descendants of its first settlers, 

 who seem to be wedded to the land that gave them 

 birth. It is an agricultural town in every sense. 

 Cattle and hors'js, potatoes for starch, and butter 

 are its chief products for market, and its people 

 seem contented and happy. The scenery here is 

 most grand, lying as it does on the west side of 

 Connecticut river, and extending back in high 

 ridges of land. Tnese higli hills are cultivated to 

 the very tops, and from them is seen the valley of 



the river, and at the southeast the principal peaks of 

 the White Mountains stand out in all their gran- 

 deur and beauty, and the snow that still remains 

 on them gives them a cold yet bright and dazzling 

 appearance. 



I must say, Mr. Editor, that I like the country 

 of my birth much better than this section, and I 

 sometimes think it quite strange that people will 

 settle on such rough and stony land as some parta 

 of these New England States are made up of, wnen 

 such fine, easily culuvated land can be obtained 

 in the section of Canada where I reside. I have 

 travelled considerable in different parts of New 

 England, but 1 have never yet seen any part of it 

 that will, in my estimation, compare with that 

 section of Canada East, contained in the counties 

 of Stanstead and Compton. And I think now, 

 notwithstanding the duties that we have to pay 

 to sell our stock to American buyers, with the less 

 amount of taxes we have to pay, and with our supe- 

 rior farming land we can make and save more 

 money than our American neighbors. If any un- 

 prejudiced person will pass from New Hampshire 

 or Vermont into the counties above mentioned, I 

 think they will see quite as much thriit and more 

 taste than in their own States. 



I have written the above without any desire to 

 injure the feelings or prejudice the minds of any. 

 I bave always been a friend of the people of the 

 United States, for I believe their prospericy en- 

 hances ours, and vice versa. Hiram French. 



Lunenburg, Vt., June 13, 1870. 



PICKING PEARS. 



The "Flemish Beauty" is the variety best adapted 

 to this climate, and I think it is the only one that 

 is perfectly hardy. It stands our cold winters as 

 well as an apple tree. It is a great bearer, grows 

 large, and is good for the table, and very good for 

 cooking, as it does not break up so badly as many 

 kinds. But I commenced to write about picking. 

 Downing says this variety should be picked before it 

 is quite ripe, for if left to ripen on the tree it loses its 

 flavor and becomes insipid. These are not exactly 

 his wofrds, but the same in substance. 



Havi-ng two small trees that bore full, I followed 

 bis directions, leaving a few to ripen on the trees. 

 The result is exactly contrary to the book. Those 

 left on the tree were very fine, while, those picked 

 first were juicy and eatable, to be sure, but very 

 flat. What is the experience of others ? 



Bloomjield, C. W., 1870. Granite. 



TWIN calves. 



Though I am not able to answer positively the 

 question of A. S. Hathaway as to whether "twin 

 calves make as good cows as those not twins," I do 

 know that we have in our yard a four-year-old cow 

 which we consider a superior animal whose mate 

 was a bull. My advice to any one having twin 

 heifers would be wait and see, as I am disposed to 

 consider the reports alluded to a hoax. 



Brookfield, Vt., June 10, 1870. C. B. FiSK. 



About twenty years ago, I purchased two twin 

 heifer calves. They proved to be the best cows I 

 ever owned. John Beattie. 



Grafton, Me., June 20, 1870, 



"the AMERICAN IMPROVED BEET." 



I have been out this morning at work in my beet 



yard, and as I labored, I bethought myself of what 



had appeared in your columns in regard to this 



beet. I obtained my seed of Mr. Rollins Lane of 



; Cornwall Vt., about three years since, and have 



I cultivated them quite extensively since that time; 



having now about three-fourths of an acre, all up 



i and looking finely. I have disseminated the seed 



