1871. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



671 



the means by which at once to supplement, judge 

 of, and aid the work of the Department." Though 

 commerce is particularly mentioned in the title- 

 page as the interest to be benefited by these .me- 

 teorological observations and reports, they must 

 be at least of equal importance to agriculture, as 

 the interest of those who do business on the great 

 waters is not more aflfected by the weather than is 

 that of those who do business on the land. 



Catalogue of the Officers and Students of the 

 Stale Agriculluriil ColU ge of Michigan. 1871. 



Too many of the States have treated the con- 

 gressional grant of land for the establishment of 

 institutions for "teaching such branches of learn- 

 ing as are related to Agriculture and the Mechanic 

 Arts," much as the goose that laid the golden eggs 

 was treated in the fable. Michigan, however, had 

 the wisdom to spare the life of the bird, though the 

 eggs she laid were not at first as numerous as was 

 desired. Instead of putting their portion of lands 

 into the hands of speculators for what it would 

 bring at a forced sale, the managers held on to 

 them, and now the prospect is that the institution 

 will soon be self supporting. 7 he names of 141 

 students are given, among which are eight females, 

 together with the course of study, &c. 



G-uiDF, TO THE Study of Insect,^, and a Treatise on 

 those injurious and beneficial to Crops; for the use of 

 Colleges, Farm Schools, and Agriculturists. By A. 8. 

 Pacliard, Jr., M. D. With eleven plates and six hun- 

 dred and fifty wood-cuts. Salem : Naturalif^fs Book 

 Agency; London: Trubner & Co. 1869. Price $6.00. 



This work was issued in numbers. These we have 

 had bound, and find they make a volume of 702 

 pages. The title is a modest one — but after all, 

 what is any book but a "guideto the study" of the 

 suDject discussed, however "exhaustively" it may 

 be treated ? The statement as to the number of il- 

 lustrations — "eleven plates and six hundred and 

 fifty wood-cuts," — is also a modest one, as there 

 are 1238 figures of American insects, from a butter- 

 fly to an animalcule, executed in the best style of 

 modern engraving. "Farmers and Gardeners" and 

 others for whom this work is intended, who are li- 

 able to stumble at hard words, will be glad to know 

 that the hardest of them are defined in a "Glossary" 

 at the end of the volume. Though scientific terms 

 are avoided as far as possible, most unscientific read- 

 ers will probably have frequent occasion to consult 

 the "Glossary," as in a concise description of an in- 

 sect the use of technical terms is unavoidable. 



As we do not feel competent to express an opin- 

 ion of the value of this work compared with others 

 that have been published on entomology, we will 

 quote that of an English scientific journal, called 

 "Nature," which says it is "certainly the best man- 

 ual of entomology which the English reader can at 

 present obtain." 



Beet Sugar. — We learn by the Western Farmer- 

 that the Beet Sugar Factory in Sauk county, Wis- 

 consin, is now in operation, and employs from forty 

 to fifty hands, half of whom work during the day 



and half at night. The supply of beets, from 2-50 

 acres amounting to some 2000 tons, is sufficient to 

 keep the factory in operation from the middle of 

 October to about the first of January. The daily 

 product is stated at ten barrels, but with some ad- 

 ditional machinery it may be increased to fifteen 

 barrels without other additional expense. The 

 sugar is white, with a slight taste not found in the 

 best sugars, which it is thougl^t will be remedied 

 soon. 



From the Country Gentleman. 

 THE SEED AND THE SOWEK.S. 



Ever 80 little the seed may be, 

 Ever so little the hand. 

 But when it is sown it must grow, you see. 

 And develop its nature, weed, flower or tree; 

 The sunshine, the air and the dew are free 

 At its command. 



If the seed be good, we rejoice in hope 



Of the harvest it will yield. 

 We wait and watch for its springing up, 

 Admire its growth, and count on'the crop 

 That will come from the little seeds we drop 



In the great wide field. 



But if we heedlessly scatter wide 



Seeds we may happen to find, 



We care not for culture or what may betide, 



We sow here and there on the highway side; 



Whether they've lived or whether they've died, 

 We never mind. 



Yet every sower must one day reap 



Fruit from the seed he has sown. 

 How carefully then it becomes us to keep 

 A watchful eye on the seed, and seek 

 To sow what is good, that we may not weep 

 To receive our own ! 



New Crops ix California.— The climate in 

 California admits of a larger variety of crops than 

 almost any other country, and the number culti- 

 vated is rapidly increasing. In addition to those 

 now generally grown, the California Farmer calls 

 attention to Flax, Hemp, the Ramie, New Zealand 

 Flax, Cotton, Nut Trees, Oranges, Lemons, Limes, 

 Almonds, Walnuts, Olives, Ornamental Evergreens, 

 Forest Trees, all of which, it is believed, may be 

 made profitable. 



Not too Old to Plant Trees. — A correspon- 

 dent of the Iowa Homestead tells a good story of 

 David Cutler, of Frankville, Winneshiek Co., 

 Iowa, who in 1863, when eighty-one years old 

 bought a lot of apple trees of a nursery man; in 

 1869, when eightv-seven years of age, he bought 

 another lot, handling the trees himself, and driving 

 the team that drew them, and in 1871, when eighty- 

 nine years old, exhibited at his county fair one 

 hundred and nine varieties of apples — including 

 specimens grown on trees of his last planting — and 

 fifteen varieties of grapes — including many new 

 and rare sorts. 



Amount of Pork from a Bushel of Corn. — 

 Mr. Milton Briggs of Kellogg, Iowa, says, in the 

 Homestead, that various experiments have proved 



