1871. 



NEW ENGLAKD FARMER. 



351 



■will keep in better health and produce more 

 eggs when they have access to it. When at 

 large in the summer, they eat grass, and will 

 eat some kinds of hay every day in the winter 

 if they can get it. Cabbage seems to supply 

 the place of these, and to keep the fowls con- 

 tented and thrifty. Those persons, therefore, 

 who are engaged in feeding poultry, should 

 provide them with cabbage plentifully. 



All the neat stock are exceedingly fond of 

 cabbage. If a cow breaks into the garden, 

 about the first thing she makes for is the cab- 

 bage patch. Milk is largely increased in 

 quantity by feeding cabbage to cows, but the 

 quality may not be improved. They can be 

 fed to milch cows, however, without detriment 

 to the milk, by feeding them out just after 

 the cows have been milked. Nothing can be 

 more grateful or suitable for calves which are 

 to be raised, as they can be easily masticated, 

 and will supply the moisture which is lacking 

 in dry hay. Making cabbage a portion of 

 their food would be better than much meal. 

 Sheep, oxen and horses would all be bene- 

 fited by the use of cabbage when judiciously 

 fed to them. 



An acre of cabbage not uncommonly brings 

 from $200 to $300, and sometimes as high as 

 $.500. A correspondent 'informs us that a 

 neighbor of his reahzed $300 from an acre, 

 that was in grass the previous year. 



An observing writer says "there is no vege- 

 table that can be planted after the first of 

 July that will give so great a yield of fodder 

 as cabbages ; and no one who is likely to be 

 short of pasturage, or winter feed, should neg- 

 lect this highly important adjunct to his other 

 crops. The notion that it should only be grown 

 by the dozen for cooking in the kitchen is an 

 old, and we may add, a foolish one. Grow 

 them by the thousand, and after pasture fails, 

 feed them to every domestic animal on the 

 farm. When the ground freezes, pull up the 

 crop and store it in the cellar or the barn, or 

 under straw, until you can feed it out." 



The cabbage requires a rich, moist soil, 

 and is greatly benefited by the use of ashes, 

 or alkali in some other form. Soap suds will 

 promote their growth wonderfully. They 

 should be hoed often. Some persons who 

 raise cabbage largely say that salt, or a weak 

 solution of potash, will prevent them from 

 becoming club footed. 



For the New England Farmer. 



THE GARDEN IN" AUGUST. 



"() friendly to the beet pursuits of man, 

 Friendly to thought, to virtue and to peace, 

 Domestic life in rural pleasure passed ! 

 Few know thy value, and few taste thy sweets, 

 Though many boast thy favors, and afi'ect 

 To understand and choose thee for their own." 



— COVVPER. 



Rhyme and poetize as we may on the pur- 

 suits of the gardener, horticulturist and culti- 

 vator of the soil, the great majority only see, 

 in actual life, toil, care and hard labor in ob- 

 taining the best products of the soil. To the 

 ardent student of Nature it is (|uite different. 

 He sees by study and observation verj' much 

 that is not revealed to the ordinary laborer. 

 To him every unobservable action and thing 

 has a "time and purpose." He can draw in- 

 struction as well as recreation and amusement, 

 from the revelations unfolded in plant life ; 

 and when that is matured he can equally, yes, 

 even better, enjoy and relish green vegeta- 

 bles, &c., with those who see less of these 

 revelations of Nature. 



The hot days of August are welcome to the 

 gardener, for in them he sees the maturation 

 of some choice crops which cooler, and more 

 unfavorable weather would deprive him of. 

 Melons, tomatoes and all other vegetables of 

 tropical origin require the heat of July and 

 August in order that they may mature with a 

 rich, delicious flavor. 



We are adding, from time to time, to our 

 vegetables and plants, those of tropical origin ; 

 and as we advance in knowledge and culture 

 many others, without doubt, will be added to 

 our already respectable list. Every ac(|uisi- 

 tion is an addition to the comfort of our fam- 

 ilies and to the nation's wealth. Health and 

 refinement are promoted by the variety of 

 food which a family consumes — "the former 

 generation" to the contrary notwithstanding. 

 A good test of civilization is the variety of 

 fruits, vegetables, &c., produced in the gar- 

 den. Contrast the tropical man or the Es- 

 quimaux with the most enlightened and civil- 

 ized of the temperate climate, and what a dif- 

 ference will be found in all respects. This is 

 not purely the result of climate, for on the 

 same parallel of latitude, in our own country, 

 we find very different tables set. Some will 

 be suj)plied with almost every variety of fruit 

 and vegetable as well as meats ; on others will 

 be found the everlasting hog, salt meats, po- 

 tatoes or hominy, in some of their forms, every 

 day of the year. What wonder that the youth 

 fed at such a table are glad to see the time 

 when they can leave such a life and farming 

 altogether ? 



During this month the labors of the judi- 

 cious gardener are rewarded by a continuous 

 supply of delicious edibles, which may be kept 

 up as long as vegetation continues for the 

 season. Any surplus of most kinds may be 

 preserved in some of the various available- ; 

 modes of preservation. The space cleared of 



