408 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Sept. 



We tinished setting the 9th of June this year. 

 In 1867 we did not begin to set until the 18th, and 

 finished the 27th of June, and the part set last was 

 cut August 26th, lacking one day of two months, 

 and was a fine crop. 



We have had very little trouble so far this year, 

 from black worms ; but we must not crow until 

 we get out of the woods. It isn't too late yet for 

 the pests to cause us much diflSculty. 



In hoeing I do not care to disturb the roots of 

 the plant much. I have sometimes thought that 

 some men injured their crop more by hoeing and 

 digging so close to the plant, than they would 

 have done to let it entirely alone, except simply 

 removing the weeds. I am in the habit of sow- 

 ing about 500 pounds of Peruvian guano to the 

 acre, at the time of the third hoeing, and think it 

 pavs well for the outlay. Tobacco Grower. 



Whately, Mass., June 26, 1870. 



MULCHING TREES IN FRUITING. 



An article in your last paper from the New York 

 Tribune, on "Mulching bearing Fruit Trees," re- 

 minds me of a fact which I have intended to com- 

 municate for your paper. 



Last year, m a pasture where some colts were, a 

 sweet apple tree was in full fruiting. The fruit 

 being ot higher value because of scarcity, I de- 

 sired to save the wind-falls. It was upon quite 

 dry ground, and much of the fruit usually fell off 

 early ; although it was a tine-flavored apple which 

 would keep until mid-winter. I had heard re- 

 ports of their keeping until nearly summer. 



There were grey birch trees in part of the same 

 pasture, and to save the apples from the colts 

 birches were cut in August and hauled whole and 

 put under the apple tree, enough to bar back the 

 colts. Drought did not seem to affect the apples ; 

 bat they kept on growing, and stuck to the tree. 

 Very few indeed tell off', even when there was se- 

 vere wind. About the tirat of October it was diffi- 

 cult to pick them off", they adhered so firmly. They 

 had also grown much larger than ever before since 

 the tree came into my possession. They kept 

 finely during winter, and in this month (June) I 

 have eaten some of them, still in excellent flavor. 

 This is to me very suggestive, and I pass it to you 

 for the Farmer. 



The grass grew under the birches and rotted 

 there, keeping the surface of the ground moist. 

 Will not others try it ? A. G. c. 



Lee, N. H., June, 1870. 



TIME TO CUT OATS FOR FODDER. 



As I have four acres of very promising oats, 

 which I shall cut for fodder, I wish you would tell 

 me at what stage of their growtn they should be 

 cut. 



I have been in the habit of cutting my grass too 

 late, but have been mending this year, by cutting 

 when it is getting well into blossom ; and I have 

 been thinking liO better time can be had to cut 

 the oat crop, or Hungarian grass, barley, millet, &c. 



Woonsocket, R. L, June 24, 1870. 



Remarks. — Our rule has been to cut oats for 

 fodder just as the grain is formed, and before it 

 will show any "milk," as it is termed, by pressing 

 it between the thumb nails. But the clean straw 

 that is sometimes left in the crib has led us to 

 think it was not cut early enough. 



FOOT DISEASE IN CATTLE. 



I have had several cows that were affected, I 

 think, like tiiend D. K- VV.'s cattle, mentioned in 

 a late number of the Farmer. I have succeeded in 



curing wine by a single operation of cleaning the 

 foot by scraping with a stick, so thoroughly as to 

 make the blood run quite freely. To make the 

 animal stand still during the operation on the 

 hind feet, I chain it to a post, then put another 

 chain around the leg above the gambrel joint ; two 

 men can then take hold of the chain and hold the 

 limb sufficiently still for a third man to clean the 

 foot. T. B. 



Haydenville, Mass., June 22, 1870. 



KING BIRDS DO KILL BEES. 



Experience teaches me that king birds do 

 destroy bees. I have killed several of them 

 lately, and on opening their stomachs found in 

 each from six to a dozen bees. I have also 

 watched them and seen them catch bees when fly- 

 ing about. 



Our crop prospects are quite flattering here in 

 the Connecticut valley. Corn is looking well, and 

 is forward. Some farmers have already com- 

 menced haying. George A. Russ. 



Hartford, Vt., June 25, 1870. 



AGKICULTURAL ITEMS. 



— D. McMillan, of Xenia, Ohio, recently sold 

 sixty-nine cows and bulls of pure blood Short- 

 horns for $53,326; or #902 on an average. The 

 cows averaged $1040, and the bulls $483. 



— The cost of fencing a quarter section of land 

 in California is more than five times the amount 

 charged by the Government for the land, owing 

 mainly to the scarcity of timber. 



— A correspondent of the Prairie Farmer men- 

 tions the loss by a neighbor of 150 nice Leghorn 

 fowls by feeding them ground bone, purchased for 

 that purpose. It is supposed that there was some- 

 thing poisonous in the bone. 



— The Canada Farmer says the Provincial Board 

 of Agriculture of Nova Scotia have decided to im- 

 port $10,000 worth of pure-bred stock by the 20th 

 of September. It will consist of horses. Short- 

 horns, Ayrshires, DevoQS, Herefords, Alderneys, 

 sheep and swine. 



— A lady correspondent of the Oh.io Farmer, after 

 having tried a great many processes for preserv ■ 

 ing eggs, finds the best way is to grease them all 

 over thoroughly and keep them in a cool place, 

 but not damp. Place the eggs after greasing, small 

 end down. The French rub eggs with fresh but- 

 ter. The Russians pack them in crocks small end 

 down, and pour melted tallow over them. 



— Young fruit trees or shrubs which were trans- 

 planted last fall or spring will thrive better and 

 are less liable to suffer from the effc;cts of moving 

 when the ground, as far as the roots extend, is 

 mulched with salt hay, straw, long manure, or 

 charcoal dust. When the last material is used 

 from a peck to half a bushel to each tree will be 

 enough spread evenly around the body of the 

 tree. 



—At a late meeting of the Little Falls, N. Y., 

 Farmers' Club, Judge Graves of Herkimer, stated 

 that he soiled a horse from early in July until the 

 grass ceased to grow in the Fall, from one-eighth 



