336 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



July 



ing along, would say, "What nice corn you 

 have got. What long ears. I must have 

 some to plant. Why, here is an ear loi 

 inches long, of good sound corn, well filled 

 out; and here are plenty more 12 inches 

 long, and, look ! here are two ears that grew 

 on one stalk that, together, measure, 2o 

 inches, of we-ll filled corn. Where did you 

 get this seed?" My answer was, I got the seed 

 of my friend John Currier, down in St. Al- 

 bans. He has raised this same kind of corn 

 on his farm for thirty years. The reply was, 

 "well I should like to raise such corn as this 

 if I could." I told them, you can if you 

 have got as good land as 1 have and don't 

 plough in your manure too deep. 



My corn did not suU'er any from drought, 

 — not a leaf rolled at all, nor did my other 

 crops sulFer much, as you will see from what 

 the yield was : — AV'heat 20 bushels to the acre ; 

 Barley, 35, Oats 40, Potatoes 200. 



Now, what I want to know is. What made 

 my corn grow, if manure is spoiled by being 

 exposed to the sun, wind and rain, or when 

 applied as surface dressing? And, as I 

 plough shoal, and stir the ground no more 

 than is absolutely necessary, why did not 

 my corn all dry up and die as I have seen it 

 in the western part of this State ? Why does 

 my land produce nine tons of hay on three 

 acres of ground, if using old manure, shallow 

 ploughing and surface manuring is bad policy ? 



I have htid a notion for some time that 

 a year's supply of wood beforehand, and 

 a year's manure ahead, were both very con- 

 venient to have, and as I think, quite profit- 

 able. John L. Jones. 



Maine, May, 1871. 



Salt for the Corn-grub. — The corn crop 

 has several formidable enemies to contend 

 with, and among them is the grub, which 

 sometimes literally destroys whole fields, or 

 damages the crop seriously. One of the best 

 and motet convenient remedies — perhaps the 

 very best ever suggested — is the application 

 of salt as soon as the plant makes its appear- 

 ance above ground, prepared and used in this 

 way : Take one part conmion salt and three 

 parts plaster or gypsum, and apply about a 

 tablespoonful around each hill. It will be 

 found to be a sure protection. The mixture 

 should not come in contact with the young 

 plants, as it may destroy them. This method 

 has been tried over and over again by some 

 of the best farmers of Pennsylvania, Delaware 

 and Jersey, and when properly applied has 

 never failed to be perfectly successful. We 

 hope our farmers, who have reason to fear 

 the depredations of the grub, the present 

 season, will try this mixture, leaving a few 

 alternate rows of corn without the salt, and 

 conpiiinicate to us the result. The applica- 

 tion also acts as a first-rate fertilizer and will 

 more than pay for itself in benefiting the 

 . er op . — Germ an toim Telegraph . 



EXTRACTS AND REPLIES. 



TO RELIEVE CHOKED CATTLE. 



A reader of the Farmer who was in the office 

 recently said that he had had a good mind to write 

 an article for the paper himself, because lie thought 

 he could tell farmers and others who have cattle 

 lialile to be choked, of the very best way ever dis- 

 covered to relieve them. He did not know whether 

 it had been described in the agricultural papers or 

 not, bixt s.Tid if it was generally known, he thought 

 there would not be so many inquiries about what 

 to do for choked animals, as this was a sure, safe 

 and certain remedy every time. Get a piece of 

 new tarred rope, four feet long and about one inch 

 and a quarter in thickness or diameter. Don't wait 

 till Old Brindle has got a potato or a chunk of a 

 turnip fast in her gullet, but get the rope now, or 

 the next time you go to the store. Then with a 

 strong cord or waxed thread, begin, say, two inches 

 or more from one end of the rope and wind it 

 snugly and smoothly to within about one inch of 

 the end and fasten the cord by passing it through 

 the rope, or otherwise, as you can best do it. Then 

 pick or broom up the extreme end until a soft cap 

 is formed, the edges of which will fall over on to 

 the part wound. This is to guard the throat from 

 danger of injurj^ when used to start the obstruc- 

 tion, therefore it should be nicely prepared. This 

 is all the instrument required for successful prac- 

 tice, and now hang it up or lay it away m some 

 handy and safe place, ready for operation. Before 

 putting it into the throat of a choked animal, grease 

 it well with lard or oil, and if faithfully used, a 

 cure is perfectly certain, judging from past success 

 in the most desperate cases that have come to the 

 knowledge of our friend, since he has used such a 

 probang. It is sufficiently ticxible to conform to 

 the natural bends of the throat, and stiff enough to 

 remove any obstruction that he has ever known to 

 get into an animal's throat. 



HINTS TO farmers' WIVES — NO 2. 



But first, Mr. Editor, I know of one farmer's 

 wife who has had a pretty broad hint ; for No. 1 of 

 the above heading was sent to the Farmer full two 

 years ago; and for a year and a half it was sup- 

 posed to have -been consigned to the waste basket, 

 or perhaps used to light the editor's pipe. But last 

 October the Monthly New England Farmer 

 come to hand containing the identical No. 1 ! 



Now, methinks, I am at lil>erty to write again, 

 but the time of a farmer's wife is not always at 

 her disposal. However, as the spring months are 

 now bringing an increase of work, I must take a 

 little time and write a word whieh mayhap will 

 ease the burden of work to some weary sister. 

 Think of the house cleaning, washing windows, 

 sweeping and dusting, taking up carpets, washing 

 lk)urs, carrying water up anil down stairs, cleaning 

 chjsets and attic, where perhaps the dust of a year 

 has been collecting. In all this work nearly every 

 woman wears a dress nearly if not quite touching 

 the floor, and very many wear hoops also. Shall 

 you put me down in your minds as a "strong- 

 liiinded" woman if I strenuously recommend a 

 short dress, as befitting such work ? 



There arc many in this neighborhood who wear 



