1871. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



579 



Some farmers have already yielded, even be- 

 fore a pressure came, and offer to sell good 

 cows at $10 each, and other stock at greatly 

 reduced rates ! In this there is evidently a 

 want of both faith and pluck. Let us patient- 

 ly wait and look and philosophize a little. Let 

 us see if some compensations may not spring 

 up to balance our losses. 



Last year we were burdened with a crop of 

 apples. They were fed to the cows, horses, 

 swine, and boiled for the poultry. They were 

 made into cider in vast quantities, — one mill 

 near us having made 2,500 barrels ! 



Now, how many millions of the June moth — 

 that persistent enemy of the apple — were fed 

 and reared by the apple crop of last year ? 

 And so of the curculio. Allowing four eggs 

 to each apple to have been deposited in the 

 growing fruit, how many legions would have 

 been perpetuated this season if the trees had 

 blossomed and put forth their fruit !. No 

 tongue can tell. The stars of heaven and 

 sands of the seashore would have been out- 

 numbered by them. But what will those de- 

 structives do now ? They will not find their 

 meat in due season, but must go down to the 

 earth and die. In this the whole race of these 

 pests may be exterminated, and future crops 

 be abundant and fair. As with the two men- 

 tioned, so it may be with numerous other insects 

 which prey upon crops, so that we may be 

 greatly relieved for many years to come. 



May there not be comfort and consolation 

 gathered from this ? 



Corn and potatoes promise now abundant 

 crops. The small grains were good, and re- 

 cent rains are greatly assisting • the second 

 growth of grass. All these will assist in ma- 

 king up the deficiency in the general hay crop. 



Again, the short hay crop suggests ecojtom?/. 

 Hundreds of acres were cut over which have 

 been left untouched before, and their scanty 

 crops harvested with care. 



A strict economy will be observed, also, in 

 feeding stock. A little at a time, and often, 

 will be the rule ; and as grain will be as cheap 

 as hay, large quantities will be used. The 

 hay cutter will be put in use, the different 

 qualities of fodder, mixed and mingled with 

 meal, will take the place of long fodder, and a ; 

 great saving made in this way. Under this j 

 system of feeding it is quite probable that as ! 

 much stock may be well kept the coming win- 

 ter, as there was last winter. | 



There is a little panic now among stock- 

 growers. We advise patience and modera- 

 tion. Hold on. A ton of good corn can be 

 purchased as low as a ton of good hay, and 

 hay, we think, will be no higher in mid-winter 

 than it is at present. 



At any rate, no calamity is imminent. 

 Have faith in an overruling Providence, be 

 virtuous, practice economy, and all will be 

 well. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 PLOUGHS. 



I hear considerable in regard to ploughs 

 and ploughing, but more especially about the 

 swivel plough, of which there are several 

 makes. Now, the question in my mind is, 

 which is the best one for all kinds of work, 

 taking into consideration ease in holding, 

 amount of work performed, amount of motive 

 power required to disintegrate the soil to a 

 given point, and money cost. Some say that 

 the one known as the "Lebanon plough," 

 made in Lebanon, N. H., is tlie one, but there 

 is one serious objection to it ; to keep it where 

 it should be there must be a heavy, constant 

 strain on the handles, that will quickly fatigue 

 the strongest man, — or that is my experience. 



Then there is a plough made in Brandon, 

 Vt., the trouble with which is that it will not 

 "run in" easily, and does not turn the furrow 

 over flat enough on level land, though there is 

 a difference of opinion on the latter point, . 

 caused perhaps by some little difference in 

 different ploughs from the same factory. 



The Holbrook plough is but little known • 

 here, but is strongly advocated by some and ' 

 spoken lightly of by others (mainly agents for 

 other makes) ; some say it is just the thing, 

 others that it is a costly, heavy, unwieldy 

 concern. 



The next in the category is the "Luff kin 

 Patent," which is a good plough with a heavy 

 team, doing good work when one side up, but 

 reversed, not quite so good. But there are 

 serious objections in the way of its being con- 

 sidered the best : it has never been entered 

 in any (if I am rightly informed) public 

 competition with other ploughs to decide this 

 vexed question. I have been informed that 

 at the Springfield, Vt., trial, it was not en- 

 tered, though the agent was requested to put 

 it in. Then the plough is only sold by agents 

 who purchase State, county or town rights, as 

 they see fit, and charge $6 commission on each , 

 and every plough sold by them, making the 

 cost to be $18, which is a pretty good profit, 

 and manifestly unjust to the manufacturers 

 and public. 



To settle this important question, I would : 

 suggest that those that manufacture ploughs ■ 

 inform the public just what they have got, its 

 price, amount of draft in pounds to turn a 



