1871. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



79 



devised. Whatever difference of opinion there may 

 be as to the cause of this want of co-operation be- 

 tween agricultural iissociatioiis and practical far- 

 mers, all will agree that it is very desirable that 

 greater unity of action should be secured ; that 

 practical farmers should participate more freely in 

 the maniigcmcnt, and talic a more active part in 

 the proceedings of agricultural societies. Among 

 other means for the accomplishment of these ob- 

 jects, we have looked to the formation of Farmers' 

 Clubs and Town Shows as the most hopeful ; as a 

 beginning at the right place, — among the fai-mers 

 themselves. 



Tne farmers of Maine appear to be taking the 

 lead of those in the other New England States in 

 the organization of Farmers' Clubs, and we print 

 in another column an article by one who has had 

 much experience in their management and opera- 

 tion there, and most heartily commend his sugges- 

 tions to the consideration of our readers. 



[ judgment, however, must be exercised in its use. 

 An ounce or two is enough to butn at once for a 

 bam of from six to twelve or twenty cattle, and 

 the operation should be repeated regularly twice a 

 day. The fumes should pervade all parts of tlie 

 room equally, and not l)e stronger than the attend- 

 ant can bear with moderate discomfort. 



Cattle Dying in Corn Fields. — During the 

 past dry season many cattle have died after being 

 turned into fields of com stalks. Some have sup- 

 posed that death was caused by eating the smutty 

 ears which were rejected by the harvesters. Mr. 

 Elmer Baldwin, who has several times witnessed 

 post mortem examinations of animals that have 

 thus died thinks the idea of smut being fatal is 

 erroneous, and says, in the Prairie Fanner :— 



The common practice is to keep cattle on the 

 short fall feed, or with light fecduig, till the corn- 

 lield is cleared, when they are turned in with empty 

 stomachs and ravenous appetites ; there is generally 

 a scarcity of water, and the fatal results follow. 

 The cause, evidently, is too rapacious and full 

 feeding of the dry material, without suliicient 

 water. 



In all the cases he had examined, the second 

 stomach, commonly called the "manifold," was 



Eacked with the masticated com husks, so dry and 

 ard that the point of a common butcher's knife 

 would only, with considerable effort, he made to 

 penetrate its siUjstance, while the coats of the stom- 

 ach were disorganized and separated, showing that 

 a violent and fatal inflammation had supervened. 



With plenty of salt and access to running water 

 at least twice a day, he thinks there is no danger 

 from turning cattle into stalk fields. 



The Foot and Moitu Disease. — We hear of 

 the appearance of this disease in various parts of 

 Massachusetts, but have no intelligence of any ac- 

 tion by tlie comiiuttce of which Dr. Loring is 

 chainnan, appointed by the Board of Agriculture 

 to confer with the authorities of the State in rela- 

 tion to the adoption of measures to prevent the 

 spread of the disease. Mr. A. Scott, of North 

 Blackstone, says in the J'atriot, there arc cases 

 which cannot be accounted for othcnvisc than 

 by supposing that it was proi)agafcd liy contagion 

 through the air. In an article in the Maine Farmer 

 by S. L. Goodale, Esq., fumigation of the stable l>y 

 burning bits of brimstone on live coals in a suitable 

 vessel, is recommended as a nrevcntive. Care and 



For the Xeio England Farmer. 

 VZINDOW GABDENLNQ. 



In reply to tlie inquiries of Etta Parker in 

 last week's Farmer we would say that we 

 think a garden might ilourish finely on a light- 

 stand. Sides oi thin wood, such as cheese 

 bo.xes are made of, could be nailed around it, 

 fastening them securely at the corners with 

 brads ; and lining the inside vrith zinc, either 

 up to the top edge, or nailing it one inch 

 below it ; or a tin pan might be made to fit 

 closely in, which would be more easily pro- 

 cured. This lining is required, else the water 

 would leak out, and the wood warp or swell. 



To prepare the soil, scatter small bits of 

 charcoal over the pan, with a good sprinkling 

 of the dust ; this will act both as a purifier 

 and a fertilizer, and prevent all mouldiness or 

 decay. Upon this foundation spread a thin 

 coat of perfectly decayed stable manure, and 

 over that place rich loam, with a goodly mix- 

 ture of sand — at least one-quarter — silver sand, 

 such as is used for scouring, will answer the 

 purpose. 



To ornament the exterior of the box, sec- 

 tions of pine cones can be nailed on with small 

 brads, and varnished with carriage varnish ; 

 or coffee berries and pumpkin seeds can be 

 made into ilowers, or glued on in fanciful 

 shapes, with rice seeds intermingled ; then var- 

 nish the whole. Split rattans could be nailed 

 on in mosaic work, or split sticks of maple, 

 oak, birch, &c., can be used and arranged in 

 ovals, crosses or squares. Miss Etta can ex- 

 ercis'e her own ingenuity in its adornment. It 

 would be a great advantage to be able to 

 move it about, as the chief objection to '^win- 

 dow boxes''^ is in their being stationarv, the 

 plants are likely to grow one sided, and pre- 

 sent a finer appearance to the passer-by than 

 to their owner, as she sits besidi' them. 



Vines are great additions to the "6oxf.s," 

 and they could be trailed about the stand with 

 very good eUect. 



We saw in Cleveland, Ohio, several years 

 since, an exquisite lloral design. It belonged 

 to the matron of a Children's Asylum, ami wa.s 

 her own work. It was a stand constructed 

 out of the gnarled roots of trei's, Imslu's, anil 

 grape vine branches. A tripod formed the 

 standard ; uj)on tliat. irooked branches held 

 iij) an oval tin pan wliicli was firmly iiaikd to 

 (hern. This was jiainted green, ami (illeil 

 with i'arth. Vines of Mancywort, Tnulrscan- 

 lid, Maurandia and Herman Inj trailed ail 

 about it. Ijijcopodium was mingled with 

 them. A winter llowcring Fuchsia, ''Sped- 



