632 



NEW ENGLAND FARRIER. 



Nov. 



Iowa it) a good farming country, generally 

 wi'll watered and hcaltliy. 



From Clarinda I go west to Red Oak Junc- 

 tion, in ^lontgonierj- County, on the East 

 Nislinabetany River, a place of 2000 inhabi- 

 tants and only two years old, located on the 

 Burlington and IMissouri Railroad, 89 miles 

 east of the Missouri River. This place is ex- 

 ceedingly well located for the centre of a good 

 agricullural comnumity, and land is fast set- 

 tling up around here, and is worth from $10 to 

 Sol ) per acre, by the farm . The society here is 

 a little rough and rum by far too plenty. 



For the Neic England Faiin'-r, 

 HARVESTING CORN. 



I have read the very ilattering approval of my 

 article, "What is the best method of harvest- 

 ing com," by C. E. Kimball, and also his mode 

 of procedure, which is unobjectionable ; but 

 as it varies somewhat from my own, I will, at 

 his request, furnish a more detailed statement 

 of my method. 



I commence as soon as the corn is found to 

 be well glazed, even though the stover may be 

 green. Take five rows of corn at each cut- 

 ting, using the middle row to set the stooks 

 upon, which, instead of using any implement, 

 are set about hills, which has a twulency to 

 support the stook in case of severe winds. 

 Begin cutting by taking the first hill in the 

 middle row and place it against the second 

 bill, around which the bills are placed until the 

 stook is sufficiently large, which in corn of 

 good size, will usually be found to be three 

 hills from each of the five rows, so that the 

 stooks will be the distance of three hills apart. 

 Continue cutting, unless there be a wind suf- 

 ficient to prostrate the stooks, until a good 

 portion of a field is cut, before binding at all. 

 In this way perhaps less time is occupied than 

 by the method pursued by Mr. Kimball. 

 Wiien ready for binding, procure a bundle of 

 rye straw, clasp the top, or rather near the 

 top of the stook, lightly, with the left arm, 

 over which, -with the right arm, break the 

 tops of the stalks and bind tightly with the 

 straw, and the operation is performed. Some, 

 however, prefer to use two bands, as men- 

 tioned by Mr. Kimball, but I have been una- 

 ble to discover any advantage resulting from 

 the additional labor. 



The corn being cut, is allowed to stand until 

 sufficiently cured, and which, if properly and 

 carefully placed when cut up, will be effected 

 with but little injury to the stover. 



"When about to cart, a man takes a knife and 

 rapidly passes along each row of stooks, sev- 

 ering the stalks of the hill about which the 

 othi^rs are placed ; he is followed l)y the cart, 

 whicli is an ordinary hay rack, upon whi(;h the 

 stooks are placed, with the butts alternating, 

 £0 as to keep the load well balanced, and 

 which can sometimes be increased in width, so 

 that the butts may be put out both sides. In 



this manner the entire load must be thrown off 

 with the fork, which takes more time than the 

 method employed by Mr. Kimball. 



I was very much gratified in reading the ar- 

 ticle of ]\Ir. Kimball, as it has confirmed my 

 previous belief that among the great benefits 

 of an agricultural paper are the opportunities 

 it affords practical farmers to give expression 

 to their experiences, and in which can be re- 

 lated the different modes of practice adopted 

 by all, which can be compared and the better 

 method adopted. w. u. Y. 



Columbia, Conn., Sept., 1871. 



For the Xeic England Farmer. 

 THE ENGLISH SPAKRO^W. 



Several articles that I have read in the New 

 Englaxd Fakmer indicate doubt in regard 

 to the usefulness, or otherwise, of the English 

 sparrow in gardens. 



For twenty years I was surrounded by the 

 "Finches," which include the Robin, Linnet, 

 Nightingale, Lark, Redstart, Hedge, Ground 

 and House Sparrows ; the three last taking 

 their names from the places in which they 

 build their nest ; they all live on the same 

 kinds of food, but having habits that are dis- 

 similar they are regarded with more or less 

 favor, as the prejudice or interest of individu- 

 als may be affected. All the birds I have 

 mentioned live on seeds, fruit and insects, 

 never on buds of fruit trees, except when in 

 unusual cold winters the soil is covered with 

 snow so as to cut off all means of obtaining 

 their natural supply of food, — seeds and in- 

 sects. 



The House Sparrow is, especially in and 

 near to large towns, far more numerous than 

 the other birds I have mentioned, and hence 

 it is that amateurs in such localities are so 

 much out of tehiper with them in the fruiting 

 season, and for the same reason the market 

 gardener dislikes them. 



The aversion manifested by cultivators of 

 the soil for the house sparrow more than for 

 the other varieties of the finches is not be- 

 cause they destroy any kind of seed or fruit 

 the others do not, but because of their prolific, 

 voracions, persistent and pugnacious nature. 



The Robin is as pugnacious and intrusive 

 as the sf)arrow, but prejudice protects him ; 

 he is discreetly bold, is round chested and of 

 beautiful color, not more than a quarter as 

 large as the American robin and with soft and 

 pleading voice. In winter, he comes to your 

 door and sweetly pleads for help, and woe to 

 the cruel boy who dares to injure "poor Bob." 

 For similar reasons, the other birds I have 

 mentioned, though they eat fruit and seeds, 

 are respected ; the form, color, and particu- 

 larly the song of these win regard and inspire 

 love ; but the house sjiarrow, poor fellow, 

 call him Ishmael, for every man's hand is 

 lifted against him ; he is destroyed without 

 mercy or regret, and he seems to increase in 



