212 



XEW ENGLAKD FARMER. 



May 



without honor, we propose to try tliis "I'ertilizer" 

 oil a small this season. 



Spcfimens of the rock taken fresh from tlic 

 diggings, and also of that which has been acted 

 upon l)y the air have been left at this office. An 

 examination of them would hardly suggest to a 

 practical fanner the idea of manure. Neither, 

 proliably, would a specimen of native gj'psum. 

 Nor would a hod of anthracite suggest the idea of 

 firewood to one who had never heard of "buruing 

 stones." 



"THE FAKMEES' EING." 



Farmers liave so long occupied the back gi'ound 

 in the legislation of the country that the following 

 paragraph from the Prairie Fa7'mer % interesting 

 at least for the novelty of the thing : — 



In the Springfield correspondence of the Chics^go 

 Times, and in the editorial columns of that paper, 

 it is alleged that a "FaiTners' Ring," has been 

 organized in our State Legislature, (Illinois,) which 

 professes to rather run tilings in its own way, and, 

 e>;pecial]y, in oijposition to the lawyers, over which 

 class the farmers have a majority of one or two. 



While admitting that there is a gi^ain of tnith in 

 this statement, the Farmer saj's it is not strictly in 

 accordance with the facts. The agricultural mem- 

 bers of the legislature of Illinois have formed a 

 club, at which, among other subjects, the proposed 

 laws which atfcct the industrial classes of the State 

 are discussed. Several of the members of this club 

 are lawyers, who meet and vote with the farmers. 

 While this "ring of farmers" are endeavoring to 

 secure their own rights, they are not iu opposition 

 to the lawyers or any other class. Though we 

 have a hearty dislike for most of the rings which 

 attempt to influence legislation, we wish there 

 might be such a ring in the legislature of every 

 State as that alluded to by tlie Chicago Times — a 

 "Farmers' Ring." Whether as a ring or other- 

 wise, we believe that farmers are to influence the 

 legislation of the country in the future more than 

 they have done in the past. 



EDUCATIOlSr OF PAEMERS. 

 A very able article on the importance of educa- 

 tion to farmers appeared as a communication in a 

 late numl)er of the Lexington, Ky., Fuiiners' Home 

 Journal. The writer claims for Henry Clay the 

 ci-edit of laying the foundation for a grant of land 

 by Congi-ess to establish agricultural colleges, and 

 gives the following extract of a letter written by 

 Mr. Clay, and now in the possession of the coitcs- 

 pondent of the Home Journal. Mr. Clay said : — 



"My name will be remembered with more pleas- 

 ure and gratitude by those that know me, for my 

 devotion to agriculture and mechanic arts, than all 

 7nv long life spent in politics. We must have col- 

 leges and schools in connection with the arts and 

 seiences, the army, the navy, the clergy and the 

 bar. Jiut the production of our daily bread, our 

 very existence, is too common-place and wholly ne- 

 glected hy our law-mahem. 



Let Congress donate lands to establish Agricultu- 

 ral Colleges in all the Stiitcs. Many of our law- 



makers are professional men, mostly residing in 

 towns and cities, andliave but little sympathy with 

 the farming classes, hence, the danger of having no 

 clieck from the hunest,liavd working agriculturists 

 tliat comuuines every day with his Maker. Fdu- 

 cate educate the farmer. No amount of reading 

 alone can make a man a favnur. He must have 

 long exjifriciiec, acuomiiaiiied by keen observatiim. 

 But on the otlicr hand, no man can be tht>ronghIy 

 an intelligent farmer who ilepends solely upon his 

 own ])ractice, and neglects to avail himself of the 

 knowledge of others, communicated orally or by 

 the press. It is my belief, that no farmer of obser- 

 vation and thought, can read a good agricultural 

 paper, regularly, without deriving from it more 

 benelit than many limes its cost, and wherever a 

 family is growing up around hhn, it wonld be wis- 

 don> to subscribe for several." 



The date of this letter is not given. Mr. Clay 

 died in 1852. The act for the grant of land for the 

 establishment of agricultural colleges was passed 

 in 18G2. 



THE COWrs AEE COMING, 



BY ALICE ROBINS. 



The cows are coming, Jessie, dear, make haste and see 

 the sight ; 



There are twenty milky beauties to be housed and fed 

 to-iiight. 



The firtit one with snow-white horns is just as old as 

 Miiy ; 



She and my pet first saw the fight the same soft sum- 

 mer day. 



A tender creature was she, so weak, and cold, and 



thin ! 

 John said she was not fit to raise. I said it was a sin 

 To cast hiT oil", tor May bud's sake. John laughed, and 



anked mo whotlier 

 I thought it best, upon the whole, to rear tiro calves 



togellier. 



But she was spared and so was May. It sometimes 



seems to me. 

 In Starbright's soft and gentle eyes. May's pleading 



glance 1 see. 

 I love the creature — you may smile — perhaps my 



fancies mock ; 

 She's the fairest of the herd, as May's the sweetest of 



the flock. 



There's May, her arms round Starbright's neck; the 



girl is nine to-day ; 

 A frolicsome and genial thing at study or at play; 

 The darling in oiu' failing years, the i^pring our autumn 



set, 

 A fair white jewel blazing in our faded coronet. 



But see, John lets the bars down ; in clover deep they 



stand 

 With glossy flanks, and backs as straight as yonder 



t'abb'-land : 

 The fragrance of their breath pours in like ambergri.i 



and myrrh; 

 Tljey'ro just the neatest cows to milk — Johu says they 



never stir. 



They know his tone — 'tis seldom loud; they know his 



toucfi — 'tis kind. 

 "John has a way," the neighbors say, to make dumb 



cre.itures mind; 

 Perhaps — I only know that I, through all these blessed 



years. 

 Have never seen the moment when his voice has 



brought me tears. 



— Small pieces of non-resinous wood may be 

 perfectly seasoned by boiling four or five hours. 

 The boiling seems to take the sap out of the wood, 

 which shrinks nearly one-tenth iu the process. 



