9 4 = 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[March, 
ground, no matter how thoroughly, without getting 
up a single bird. Some ascribe this peculiarity to 
some meteorological influence; whatever maybe 
the cause, we know several experienced shooters, 
who can give abundant instances of the sudden 
disappearance of Snipe in places where they were 
to be found in great numbers the day before. 
- ■ m - 
Among the Farmers— No. 2, 
BT ONE OF THEM. 
I was writing last month about the farmers of 
the Channel Islands, and far from exhausted the 
subject. If their success in raising any one crop 
is beyond dispute, I should say that crop is 
Early Potatoes. 
They not only raise potatoes as a first crop, and 
of course have them fit for market as early as pos¬ 
sible, but their stock of seed potatoes is raised as a 
second crop—often upon the same land. This second 
crop is not a large one, but as it is dug on the ap¬ 
proach of cold, or rather cool, weather, it keeps in 
good order for early planting. They were digging 
this crop, consisting of both early and late sorts of 
potatoes, when I was on the Island of Guernsey, af¬ 
ter the middle of October. In some cases it had 
followed early potatoes, in others some other early 
crop. It is a severe tax on the land, thus to yield 
two crops without high manuring and real garden 
culture, which these hardly have. Yet the first 
crop is a bountiful one, varying with the season of 
course, and seldom showing a tendency to rot. 
The secret of their success, if secret it be, is, I 
think, in the use of sea-weed, and the ashes of sea¬ 
weed as manure. These are applied alone, or in 
composts with other manures, in close proximity 
to the plants, and upon light land, at least. 
Sea-weed. 
The richness of the sea-weed in alkalies, as well 
as in nitrogen, and the presence of a considerable 
proportion of salt and of lime, make it peculiarly 
adapted for a potato fertilizer. It would seem a 
shame to bum so valuable a manure, were it not 
for the fact of its great abundance. Were there 
less of it, no doubt the farmers would be glad to 
pay a higher price for it than its worth for fuel; as 
it is, it affords an inferior but valuable fuel for poor 
people, and there is a prompt sale for the ashes. 
Collecting tlie Sea-weed. 
There are two principal kinds, as with us, the 
“ eel-grass ” and “ rock-weed,” the latter being by 
far the richest. That which is torn off by waves 
and storms, and washes ashore or floats about, is 
common property, and is gathered constantly as 
the tides recede, and dried in the sun upon the 
sands above the reach of waves, being spread out 
quite thin, and when dry, raked together and stack¬ 
ed up. At certain seasons, however, for a few 
days at a time, people are permitted to tear it from 
the rocks. This makes lively times along the shore, 
when the weather is favorable, and the “ Vraie 
gathering ” is looked forward to as a sort of farm¬ 
er’s festival or holiday, and valued as such, it would 
seem, almost as much as for the sake of this “ har¬ 
vest of the sea.” 
Sca-weecl Used on Otlier Crops. 
The alkali of the sea-weed, in connection with its 
other constituents, is peculiarly conducive to the 
growth of the root crops proper. Parsnips and car¬ 
rots are extensively raised, and sea-weed usually 
forms an important portion of the manure used for 
them. I think our sea-shore farmers may profit by 
these hints, and by using sea-weed composts for po¬ 
tatoes and roots, secure comparative freedom from 
damage by wire-worms and other insect depreda¬ 
tors, and also furnish to the crops pabulum well 
suited to their wants. 
Ponies. 
Perhaps it is the excellence of the roads, as much 
as anything, which makes ponies so common among 
the farmers of the Channel Islands. Their use is, 
however, not by any means peculiar to these islands, 
but throughout Great Britain ponies are much more 
extensively used than with us. The time may come 
when we shall have breeds of ponies peculiar to 
isolated districts of our own country. The Kanuek 
indicates a tendency in that direction, and the 
ponies of Mexico and the plains show that, left to 
a natural or semi-natural life, breeds of ponies will 
be formed, which may be of great value when the 
types become fixed, and we make a definite place 
for them in our agricultural or social life. In 
Great Britain there are the Shetlands, the North 
Country ponies, which closely resemble them, the 
Welch, the New Forest or Hants ponies, which are 
larger and more like little horses, as well as other 
kinds, and these Islanders are situated conveniently 
for the importation of one of the toughest, strong¬ 
est, and most servicable breeds of ponies which 
exist, those of Hants (Hampshire). 
The farmers use their heavy Brittany teams for 
farm work, while they have their ponies for the 
road and for light jobs. They have the merit of 
being safe, quick, good tempered, lasting, hardy, 
intelligent, not expensive to keep, and easily con- 
troled. They are used in light two-wheeled 
vehicles, convertible at once from a pleasure gig 
into a cart capable of carrying to market twelve to 
fourteen sacks of grain, or a couple of sides of 
beef, or a sow and pigs. These pony carts some¬ 
what resemble a New York butcher’s spring cart, 
but are lighter, smaller, and trimmer. 
Tlie Use of Tivo-wlieel Vehicles 
is much more common on these Islands than with 
us, and many of them are of unique construction, 
and very convenient. The hay cart, for instance, 
has two curved pieces starting from the front of 
the frame, and first rising a little higher than the 
back of the horse, then curving forwards and run¬ 
ning out over the horse so far that the ends have 
to be braced to the shafts beneath them. They are 
of course connected by slats, ladder-fashion, and 
when the load is on, only the head of the horse pro¬ 
jects in front. They haul as much hay with one 
horse as we do with two, and perhaps more in 
weight, as the bulk seems to be the same, and their 
hay is rarely or never so dry as ours, nor so coarse, 
but usually fine, green, and heavy. 1 noticed a 
peculiarity in attaching the horse to most of these 
carts or other two-wheeled affairs, both on the Is¬ 
lands and in England. The shafts are very much 
bent, and are fastened to the saddle as high up as 
possible—often level with the withers of the horse; 
besides the vehicles are invariably loaded so that 
they will not bear clown upon the horse at all, but 
almost constantly bear up on the bel’y-band. Our 
philosophy in the matter is that a moderate weight 
upon the back gives the animal a better hold upon 
the ground—their’s, that being relieved of all weight 
upon the back, and having only to pull the load, 
the horse is less easily fatigued, and I must say I 
think the weight of argument is with their reason¬ 
ing. Yet, no doubt, sometimes a horse pulls bet¬ 
ter for carrying a light load, especially on ground 
where he does not get a good foothold. 
Speaking of Markets 
reminds me of the real disadvantage our American 
farmers labor under, in not having market days, 
and weekly or periodical markets at the county 
towns. It may come about yet, when we have 
hard money, and a dollar is worth 100 cents, and 
farmers are not the prey of speculators, and are 
not quicker to learn the bad than the good tricks 
of the trade. 
In some states the days on which court is held 
are virtually market days to some extent, and might 
be made still more so. Those occasions are made 
use of for holding auction sales of live stock and 
other goods. They are days of general rendezvous, 
when appointments are made, weeks before-hand, 
perhaps, for meetings to conclude bargains, to 
trade horses, to pay interest, or to exchange deeds. 
If a little interest in the subject could be excited, 
and farmers of a few contiguous counties would 
agree among themselves to hold regular market 
days at the county towns; on court days if possible, 
and either to put off selling most things until mar¬ 
ket day, or if, so to speak, forced to sell by high 
prices offered, to conscientiously appear at the 
next market day, and report the sale in detail for 
the benefit of his bretheren, and not keep whist for 
the benefit of the speculator, market days would 
soon be established here, and no doubt the custom 
would prove contagious enough. 
In the Island of Jersey, Saturday I found the regu¬ 
lar market day. There was much stir in the town of 
St. Helier, especially in the vicinity of the markets. 
In the corn-market, buyers and sellers were compar¬ 
ing and dickering over samples of grain of all kinds. 
The floor was dotted with heaps of sacks, aud the 
whole look of the participants in the scene indicated 
serious business. In the live-stock market, horses, 
donkeys, cows, and heifers, and pigs were offered. 
The last were especially numerous, and more con¬ 
tented, well fed little families one rarely sees, than 
were snugly ensconced under the seats of the pony 
carts. White pigs seemed the favorites, but a lit¬ 
tle Berkshire, and other improved blood, had been 
introduced with good effect. Sales of stock which 
had been made during the week, are all settled for 
on the market day, and so it is with other farm 
produce. It was the time for shipping apples.. 
These were delivered at the “ weigh-bridge,” (hay 
scales), at the head of the pier, during the week, 
and settled for in cash or checks by noon, or soon 
after, on the market day. 
In a district where so considerable a town as St, 
Helier is, there is a ready sale for almost every 
thing that grows on the farm, or in the orchard or 
garden, aud the opportunity is of course taken by 
those, whom other business calls to the market, to 
bring a small load at least of whatever there is like¬ 
ly to be a good market for. The city residents, in 
anticipation of this, make their calculations to 
purchase at this time. Iu our climate there might 
be some objection to Saturday as a market day; 
lest the surplus articles should be damaged, but 
there, so cool is the weather, aud so equable, that 
there are few things that would show material 
deterioration after a day or two iu the market, if 
well taken care of. 
Insular Isolation. 
The isolation of an island may be so absolute, 
that it needs strong words to express it—like the 
“ sinfulness of sin.” There are some good things 
connected with it. Contagious diseases among 
cattle have never crossed the barrier of waters, ac¬ 
cording to the often repeated testimony of the 
veterinary inspector. There is the more reason for 
maintaining non-intercourse with the mainland, or 
permitting animals for beef or mutton to be im¬ 
ported, only under the closest veterinary inspection. 
This is in strong contrast with the system, or 
lack of system, pursued in this country. When I 
came home, I brought with me nine head of Jerseys, 
purchased for Mr. Moses Y. Tilden. Great pains 
were taken to have them examined by veterinary 
surgeons, and to have certificates of their perfect 
health accompany the consular certificate of their 
being for breeding purposes. Not only so, but by 
special permission of the Privy Council, the steamer 
which brought them from the Islands was permitted 
to come alongside the steamer for New York, aud 
trans-ship the stock without their putting foot on 
English soil. When they came to New York, not a 
question was asked about them. One of the butch¬ 
er’s sheep had died, and been thrown overboard a 
few days before, I presume from having choked it¬ 
self with a piece of mangel belonging to my cattle. 
The quarantine officers came on board, chatted 
with the captain, and “cleared out.” I presume 
they did not even know we had cattle on board, 
though they may have known it; certainly they did 
not know but that every one of them had foot and 
mouth disease. If they had examined their mouths, 
and found that they had no upper front teeth, I 
don’t know what they would have said. A physi¬ 
cian of my acquaintance was once greatly surprised 
to find that a cow had no upper incisors, and it is 
quite likely the lack of these might have been 
taken as evidence of some dreadful mouth malady, 
if not of “foot-and-mouth.” The custom house 
officers never looked at the certificates of health, 
and I have them yet. That ship might have been 
a Pandora’s box of evils to the cattle breeders of 
this country, for ought the authorities knew, and I 
might have spared myself great trouble, and no lit¬ 
tle expense incurred in order to demonstrate that 
