218 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



]May 



heavily weighted the last time ; then a coat of 

 stable inaiuire was well worked in. 



The field was formerly a bog meadow, and 

 the hay was carried on shore on_ hay-poles. 

 It is now thoroughly drained, and can be 

 worked as early in the spring as any part of 

 the farm. This spring I shall put on a culti- 

 vator and stir it up about four inches deep ; 

 then level it off with harrow and bush and sow 

 it with two bushels of orchard grass and eight 

 pounds of northern clover per acre, and roll it 

 down smooth. The season now bids fair to 

 be early with us, and I expect to get it all 

 finished before the tenth of April. Judging 

 from crops of past years, I shall expect to 

 have a good crop of leafy hay to cut by the 

 tenth to the fifteenth of July and another in 

 September. 



Loss of Timothy. 



Tlie last time it was sowed in the spring, the 

 seed used was principally timothy. It was 

 headed out and ready to cut the third day of 

 July, and produced a very good crop ; but 

 the succeeding dry weather killed nearly all 

 the timothy, and the subsequent crops have 

 been clover and orchard grass. I do not like 

 to sow timothy in the spring, because I have 

 lost so much at the first cutting. If sown in 

 the fall it spreads out over the ground and 

 makes short jointed stems ; but when sown in 

 the spring, on good land, with neither grain 

 nor weeds to keep it down, it runs up tall, 

 has long joints, and does not spread out from 

 the bottom till after it heads out. Then the 

 mowing machine cuts it off close to the ground, 

 and if the weather is hot and dry it has a poor 

 chance for life. 



Growth of Orchard Qrass. 



Orchard grass does not incline to head out 

 the first year, but grows leaves that make the 

 softest and best of hay for milch cows or 

 young stock. The first crop should be cut as 

 soon as it begins to lie down or look gray. 

 At the second cutting the clover will have 

 made stems, and perhaps blossoms, and add 

 much weight and virtue to the crop of hay. 



After all, I do not like to advise others to 

 make very great changes from their usual 

 course of farming, except on a small scale. I 

 know what my success in seeding grass alone 

 in spring has been, and I have so much confi- 

 dence in it, that I shall continue the practice 

 wherever I wish to put clover, redtop or or- 

 chard grass. I am sure I get more value of 

 fodder the first year than if I sowed oats ; and 

 I am more sure of a grass crop the succeeding 

 years. A. W. Ciieever. 



Sheldonville, Mass., March 26, IS 71. 



A GREAT HORSE DAY. 

 The Lexington, Ky., Farmer''s Home Jonr- 

 nal says that ever since that place was made 

 the county seat, the April court day has been 



obsened as an annual hoi'se show, which has 

 become of more importance to farmers and 

 stock breeders of that county than any other 

 public day, not excepting even Christmas or 

 the Fourth of July, because of the absorbing 

 and universal interest felt in the event it brings 

 to pass. The Journal continues : — 



This display is not merely for the gratifica- 

 tion of public curiosity, nor to obtain cheap 

 distinction for the animals shown, but it has a 

 practical purpose to subserve — to afford an 

 opportunity to farmers and others to inspect 

 the fine stallions and jacks, whose services are 

 to be offered to the owners of mares during 

 the season. 



The advantages of the exhibitions then are 

 obvious, for a person of ordinary skill, intelli- 

 gence and discernment, can form a very satis- 

 factory opinion of the merits of an animal, 

 after a critical inspection of all his points, and 

 he can readily determine in his own mind, 

 whether it is such a model as he would like to 

 breed to. 



Already, horse men are anticipating the ex- 

 hibition which is to come off on next month, 

 and from all we can learn the display will be 

 one of more than ordinary attractiveness. 

 There will be a great many celebrated horses 

 shown on that day, descendants of the very 

 best thoroughbred and trotting fann'lies of the 

 State, and we think we can safely promise all 

 who may attend, a most interesting exhibition. 

 It will be a sight worth travelling hundreds of 

 miles to witness, and the most phlegmatic in- 

 dividual, if a true admirer of this noble animal, 

 will see enough t© render him enthusiastic. 

 If there be any rule of morality or policy that 

 prevents any class of citizens from attending 

 the "hprse days" at our fairs, it cannot apply 

 to this April show, which is free to all, and is 

 unattended with betting, racing or any other 

 performance, except such as may be necessary 

 to show off the animals. 



Five Ways to Destroy Ants. — 1. Pour, 

 copiously, hot water as near the boiling point 

 as possible, down their burrows, and over their 

 hills, and repeat the operation several times. 



2. Entrap the ants by means of narrow 

 sheets of stiff paper, or strips of board, cov- 

 ered with some sweet, sticky substance. The 

 ants are attracted by the sweets, and, stickin'^ 

 fast, can be destroyed as often as a sufficient 

 number are entrapped. 



3. Lay fresh bones around their haunts. 

 They will leave everything else to attack these, 

 and when thus accumulated, can be dipped in 

 hot water. 



4. Pour two or three spoonfuls of coal oil 

 into their holes, and they will abandon the 

 nest. 



6. Bury a few slices of onions in their nests, 

 and they will abandon them. 



