18 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
A GOOD INVESTMENT. 
We had the pleasure last week of going 
over the farm belonging to J. W. Patterson, 
the present Mayor of our city, and noting the 
results of some experiments he has been 
trying during the past season. This farm is 
about a mile east of the bridge, and is princi¬ 
pally a clayey loam. About 45 acres of it 
last year was covered more or less with 
bushes, being that part from which wood had 
been cut for market. Last summer during 
the hight of the drouth, he employed some 
persons to cut bushes, but soon after begin¬ 
ning the work, some boys thought that they 
would set fire to a hornet’s nest which they 
met with among the bushes. The fire spread 
from the hornet’s nest and soon burnt over 
the whole piece, and was with difficulty re¬ 
strained from doing damage elsewhere. 
It now became necessary to put the land 
into a condition to bear crops. Accordingly, 
late in the fall, just before the frost had shut 
the ground up, Mr. Patterson had a portion 
of the ground harrowed, and on it he sowed 
winter rye, together with herds grass, and 
clover, and red top. This was suffered to 
remain without being harrowed at all, and 
, the winter soon setting in, none of the seed 
germinated until the spring. After spring 
opened a part of the rye came up, and to ap¬ 
pearance all of the herds grass and red top, 
but not much of the clover. The rye that 
came up grew very well, but the herdsgrass 
and red top came on vigorously and produced 
a bountiful crop of grass which was cut and 
secured at the usual season. 
Mr. P. estimates the amount of hay ob¬ 
tained from the grass seed thus sown in the 
fall, and which did not come up until spring, 
to be not less than twenty-five tuns. We did 
not note what probable number of acres of 
the 45 were thus laid down. The balance of 
the piece was laid down this last spring, and 
is covered with a heavy crop of grain, and 
the patch of grass is excellent. 
The crop consists of four bushels sowing 
of spring wheat, and thirty-three bushels of 
oats. The wheat is the variety known by 
the name of Scotch Fyfe wheat—this is a 
variety not usually cultivated among us. It 
is a bald wheat, straw of medium hight and 
the berry is white and plump. It is now 
ready for the sickle, though not sowed until 
the 25th and 26th of May last. W'e saw no 
signs of weevil or rust among it, and we 
should judge that it would yield twenty-five 
bushels to the acre. 
But what we wished more particularly to 
remark is this, viz : that the money invested 
in this enterprise is well invested. We find 
that our farmers may be divided into two 
classes in regard to the subject of expending 
money in agricultural improvements on their 
farms. 1st. Those who would , but can not. 
2d. Those who can, but will not. 
Mr. Patterson expended not less chan $600 
on this 45 acres. This is a great deal of 
money to be thus used in our latitude. Many 
of our farmers instead of putting $600 to such 
a use, would look at it a long time before 
doing any such thing, and most probably 
would have used it in skinning some poorer 
neighbor by shaving his note so closely tha t 
the discount would far outweigh the princi¬ 
pal—and princi -pie, too. 
But this investment has proved a very safe 
and profitable, and, what is better yet, a 
very honest one. Mr. Patterson will realize 
at least a return of $400 on the $600 invested 
and that too in one short year, and the land 
still be in a condition to return as much more 
another year. Can any of your note shavers 
and fancy stock jobbers show a better re¬ 
turn for cash invested 1—Maine Farmer. 
SHOCKING COEN, 
| The benefits of cutting up corn at the bot¬ 
tom, and before it is fully ripe, are now so 
generally acknowledged that there is no ne¬ 
cessity of arguing the matter. Its economy 
is seen and acted upon by all, here at the 
north, except, it may,be,those non-progress¬ 
ives who so love the good old ways of their 
fathers and their grand-fathers, and who 
look with horror on all improvement as new 
fangled notions that should be discounten¬ 
anced by all staid and sober men. 
The method of shocking the corn in the 
field is perhaps the most economical—taking 
five rows of corn for one of shocks or stooks, 
setting the shocks on the middle row. The 
shocks can thus be made large or small to 
suit the fancy. Smaller ones cure quicker, 
and are for that reason preferable. If a 
good hill is taken to stand the stalks of corn 
about it will help much to support the shock. 
When it is desired to move the shock from 
the field, the standing hill is quickly cut by 
pushing the shock partly over with the left 
hand, while a long knife in the right hand is 
thrust under the bottom and the stalks 
severed. 
This method saves laying the corn on the 
ground, binding it in bundles, and then lug¬ 
ging together to shock—consequently saves 
much lifting and hard labor. Sometimes, 
especially if it be windy weather, one may 
be bothered to make the stalks stand about 
the hill till there is enough for a shock. To 
obviate this difficulty, an apparatus, or horse 
for shocking corn, is used, in some parts of 
the eastern States. A simple one was orig¬ 
inally described in the Boston Cultivator. 
It consists of a round stick, about two inches 
in diameter, and long enough to reach just 
above the ears of corn as they stand on the 
hill. In the lower end is inserted an iron 
point some eight inches in length, shaped 
somewhat like a large butcher knife, only 
much thicker. This is for the purpose of 
sticking it readily into the ground when in 
use. Close at the top end two one-inch holes 
are bored at right angles. Through these 
are thrust two rods about four feet in length. 
These rods must be so they will readily slip 
in and out. With this instrument and your 
corn knife, you are ready for the field. Se¬ 
lect your row and stick your horse where 
you want a shock. Then cut your corn and 
set it in the angles of the cross sticks, which 
readily hold it till you have enough for your 
shock. Then with your wisp of straw or 
whatever you use for a band, bind the tops 
firmly together. Now to remove the horse, 
grasp the upper end of the standard with one 
hand, and with the other withdraw the rods, 
when the standard is taken out with no 
further trouble. 
There is this advantage in using such an 
apparatus—one can place the stalks more 
readily and as firmly in their places, is not 
troubled with their falling down before se¬ 
curing them with a band, while, if one wish¬ 
es, he can make the shock away from any 
hill, without any central support, and in so 
doing save all the trouble of binding into sep¬ 
arate bundles. So there must be a saving of 
time and labor enough, even in one day’s use 
of it to pay its cost. When it is desired to 
remove the corn from the field in a day or 
two, or a week, there must be a still greater 
saving—besides having the corn all up in fine 
condition to withstand, without injury, any 
storm, however sudden it may arise. At 
such a time the saving in the value of the 
fodder must be no insignificant item.—T. E. 
W., in Rural New-Yorker. 
HOW TO PREVENT COWS KICKING. 
In most cases the habit of kicking is con¬ 
tracted during the first month after the cow 
has had her first calf. If, as often is the case 
with well-fed heifers, the udder is a little 
feverish at the time, it often becomes so sore 
that it is impossible for the poor creature to 
stand still while the necessary milking is be¬ 
ing done. Following the instinct of nature 
she kicks; and finding she is thus for the 
moment freed from pain, continues to do it 
till the anger of the milker is aroused, and 
then a bad matter is made much worse. 
It is better in the first place to tie the 
heifer by the head, then set your left should¬ 
er gently but firmly against her, just back of 
her right shoulder, grasp firmly her right 
fore leg below the knee,burning her foot up 
backward till it touches the leg, then slip on 
over the knee a strap, or hoop, or cord that 
will confine it fast in that position. While 
standing on three legs she will find it diffi¬ 
cult to kick so as to hurt you. Now take a 
convenient sized cloth, and wet and wash 
the udder thoroughly with tepid or cold water, 
after which milk her as carefully and tender¬ 
ly as possible, using at the same time such 
gentle and soothing language as is calculated 
to show her that you do not wish to hurt her, 
but let her struggles be ever so violent or 
provoking, mind you keep control of your 
own temper. An outbreak on your part will 
as certainly be productive of a bad effect 
upon the cow, as an echo will answer your 
own voice, or as your image will be reflected 
in a mirror. Kindness, combined with the 
perfect control you have over her in this 
situation, I consider much the best way of 
breaking them ; and after a few times she 
will lift her foot to be tied as readily as a 
horse will to be shod. Continue to milk her 
in this way until the soreness is gone, and 
she will find it a gratification to be milked, 
will often meet you as she sees you coming 
with the pail, and you will ever after find it 
easier to get along with her should her teats 
by chance get sore afterward. 
He is a happy man, who can suit his temp¬ 
er to any circumstances. 
