70 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
;t- everywhere else be rewarded, and when a good mark¬ 
et is within a convenient distance, and the soil suits, per¬ 
haps no crop pays better than onions. 
RAISING ONION SEED. 
As it is a law of nature that like produces like, it is 
of the utmost importance that great care should be taken 
to obtain seed that will produce the most perfect speci 
mens of its kind. This holds true in regard to onion seed, 
for it is a notorious fact, that this esculent has been im¬ 
proved in shape and color within a few years, from a flat 
turnip shape and pale red color, to nearly a round or 
spherical form, and a bright clear red. 
In saving onions for seed then, care should be taken to 
select those of the desired shape and color and of medium 
size, or a little above it. The best time to do this is 
when they are pulled, as then the perfectly ripe ones are 
more easily distinguished, than when they are cured. 
Another advanlange to be gained is that the earliest may 
be reserve,!, in older to get an earlier crop if desired the 
next vcai. Onions intended for seed should be set out 
about he middle of April, or at the usual time of sowing 
The gn;;' r, ‘l should be prepared in the same manner as 
for the regu.u. crops, and then laid oulindrillsaboutthree 
feet ap->t and four inches deep. In these drills the on¬ 
ions are to be placed, four or five inches apart, covered 
with fine dirt aim gently pressed down with the feet, or 
hand roller. As soon as they are well out of ground, 
they should be gone through with a hoe or cultivator, 
and the weeds kept down by occasionally hoeing the 
ground, and weeding, until the seed is ripe. The writer 
has found that digging a trencii betw een the rows, either 
with a spade or hoe, about the time the seed is in blos¬ 
som, and working the dirt thus dug out around the onion 
stalks, is beneficial. Care should be taken after the on¬ 
ions have blossomed not to handle them, or disturb their 
roots. 
The seed matures about the same time that onions 
raised from seed get ripe. The time for gathering is 
when the heads assume a brown color, and the balls be¬ 
gin to crack and show the seed. The heads should then 
be cut off and exposed to the sun on a blanket, or floor, 
until the seed will readily shell; then by rubbing with the 
hands, or thrashing with a flail if a quantity is raised, the 
seed is made ready to be passed through a fanning mill or 
exposed to a winnowing process. After this is done, the 
seed should be put in a vessel of water, arid only that 
which readily sinks is to be preserved. It is then dried m 
tlie sun fot two or three days and put away in a bag, in a 
dry, airy place until wanted. Onion seed should never 
be trusted after it is two jears old. 
The price of seed varies as much as the price of the 
onions themselves, ranging from $1 to $5 per pound. The 
different varieties when planted for seed, should be put at 
considerable distance apart, as the seed readily mixes. 
From three to five pounds of seed are usually raised 
from a bushel of onions. 
Marketable Potatoes in Mew-York. 
To the Editor of the American. Agriculturist . 
As it is time for the farmers to decide what 
kinds of potatoes to plant the coming season, I 
send you these few remarks made up from my ex¬ 
perience of marketing potatoes the past year, and 
also from minute inquiries made of farmers from 
different sections of the country. In the first 
place (in New-York Market we require a white 
fleshed, white skinned, round or oval shaped and 
smooth potato, that will boil perfectly dry and 
mealy, in addition to which the farmer wants a 
good yielder, and one that will as a general thing 
withstand the rot. 
From the past year’s experience, of all the kinds 
which have come under my notice, I unhesita¬ 
tingly pronounce the Peach Blow to come nearest 
to these requirements for a standard potato. It 
has been, and is now the most plentiful in market, 
and when raised on sandy soil, sells for more than 
any other table variety. It will yield from two to 
three bushels to one of Mercers, on the same soil, 
and so far, has grown free from rot on any ground 
that would grow sound potatoes of any kind. 
The next variety I would recommend is the 
Long Pink Eye or Pink Eye Kidney. It is a good 
yielder, commands a high price in market, and is 
one of our very best Spring potatoes, cooking dry, 
white, and mealy. 
The Blue Mercers 1 would also recommend 
where they will grow of large size, smooth and 
sound. 
The Carter is a first class potato, but being sub¬ 
ject to rot, and a poor yielder, it is not profitable 
to raise for market. 
The Porter, a good cooker, but small in size and 
yield, therefore, not profitable. 
The Rough and Ready, from the past two year’s 
experience, I class as a potato of first quality, 
which only requires to be known, to be appreci¬ 
ated, as it comes nearer to the old fashioned Car¬ 
ter, both in looks and quality than any other kind. 
It is a good yielder, very hardy, and ripens before 
the Mercers, but later than the Dykman or Junes. 
The Round Reds and Yellow Pink Eyes are 
hardy, good yielders, but are used mostly for 
shipping and ship stores. 
The Dykman is the earliest good variety we 
have, yields well, and will cook dry when half 
grown, but is a poor Winter potato ; the Moun¬ 
tain June, is also a good potato to yield, but is 
apt to have black spots under the skin. 
Prince Alberts are pronounced after the past 
year’s experience, a failure, for they will not take 
as market potatoes, when offered for sale, and 
will not cook dry, unless under very favorable 
circumstances, until quite late in the Spring. The 
only redeeming quality they have, is that they 
will not rot. I would advise farmers not to plant 
them, as the call for seed at high prices, is about 
run-out. 
The Buck Eye is another humbug. It has been 
tried in the scale and found wanting. They 
would not bring as much in market the past sea¬ 
son as the Junes and Yellow Pink Eyes. 
There are a great number of varieties constant¬ 
ly before the public, but as they are generally 
brought out by persons for the purpose of selling 
seed at enormous prices, I would advise farmers 
to choose such kinds for early and late planting 
as yield well, and will command the best prices 
for market potatoes, as they then will find a ready 
sale and the highest prices let the market be as 
it may. 13. Stephens. 
West Washington Market, N. Y., Feb. 7. 1859. 
Remark. —We do not fully endorse Mr. Ste¬ 
vens’ high praise of the “ Peach Blow ” potato. 
It is a good potato, hut we would much prefer the 
Mercers for our own table—when they can be ob¬ 
tained. So far the Peach Blow is less subject 
to rot than the Mercer.—E d. 
- « ^uu.ia & -» <*- - 
For the American Agriculturist. 
How to Raise every Live-tsorn Iamb. 
Mr. Editor : 
Feeding weak Iambs with fresh cow’s milk is 
often indispensable ; the old methods of doing 
this are too troublesome, but in the following 
manner a dozen or more may be fed witli little or 
no difficulty, and in the same time one could be 
in the common way, while the lambs need not be 
taken from the ewes. Stooping down take up the 
lamb by grasping its right foreleg at the fetlock 
with the three last fingers of the right hand (the 
thumb and forefingers touching the ground), at 
the same time taking its left foreleg in the same 
manner with the left hand —then raise up, lifting 
it, hanging by its forelegs, with its back towards 
you—holding its head a few inches under your 
chin. Insert the thumb and forefinger of each 
hand into its mouth, elevating and prying it wide 
open. Then allow a stream of cow’s milk to flow 
slowly into the lamb’s mouth from your own mouth, 
as fast as it can swallov^. The milk will strangle 
it a little, and occasion it to struggle some, hut 
this will not injure it in the least, and after a few 
feedings, the lambs will huddle around you and 
stick out their noses, begging to be fed. 
In cold or wet weather watch them carefully, 
and feed every feeble or half starved lamb with 
one or more mouthfulls of cow’s milk, and at 
night feed them until they look middling full, 
which can be seen by the distension of their ribs. 
This is the Scotch method, and I have seen the 
most wonderful success from it. Some years 
ago, when engaged in the business of wool grow¬ 
ing in western New-York, I had the largest num¬ 
ber of lambs in proportion to the ewes, and the 
largest and most evenly sized flock, raised by this 
method, by a Scotchman, that I ever knew. He 
was passing around among the ewes from morn¬ 
ing to night, with a quart vessel, like an oil-can, 
filled with milk, catching and feeding every needy 
or suspected lamb, and after giving one mouthful, 
he would set them on their feet, and look at them 
to see if they were full enough, and if not, would 
take another mouthful, and give them more. For 
a flock, I think of 250, the quantity of milk re¬ 
quired was so small, that he supplied it from his 
own two cows, without asking pay (milk being of 
little value there), and had enough left for his 
family. R. B. W. 
Bridgeport, Feb. 7, 1859. 
Tim Bunker on County Fairs. 
Mr. Editor : 
Jake Frink is a fool, as you might know by his 
letter. You see I was a joking him about the in¬ 
terest he and his neighbors have got to taking 
about my affairs, since I begun to lay tile and write 
for the paper. I can’t stir, even early in the morn¬ 
ing, but Jake’ll poke his head out the window, 
night cap and all, and want to know “ where upon 
airtli I’m gwitie to neow,” just as if I had never 
beer, off my farm before. But the thick-headed 
creatur never see the drift of my remark about 
sending an apology and went and wrote that let¬ 
ter. Every body that knows me, knows well 
enough that I seldom do anything to my neigh¬ 
bors that I have to apologize for, and when I do 
I am apt to make it in person. Jake’s letter looks 
curis up here and I shant hear the last of it in a 
year. All I have to say is that I’m glad it set him 
to thinking. Folks had better be thinking of 
something even if they don’t think straight, than 
to be as stupid as dolts. Jake may make some¬ 
thing yet if he keeps thinking. 
I went up that morning to the city to attend the 
annual meeting of our County Agricultural Socie¬ 
ty. You see, last year, they put in the Colonel 
president, and all the screws got loose, and we 
had that fuss of a “gal hoss race ” as the boys 
used to call it. Now I have nothing to say agin 
woman kind in general, or the girls in particular; 
but it does seem as if, when you got a woman out 
of her place, she made a good deal more of a 
smash up than a man. Every thing goes wrong. 
It is just like breaking down the hub of your cart 
wheel, when the frost is coming out of the ground, 
in the Spring. It is a mighty dirty job, and bus¬ 
iness has got to stop. 
It was pretty much so with our County Socie¬ 
ty after the fair. It made a great deal of talk. 
Some very sensible men got disgusted, and de¬ 
clared they never would have anything to do with 
the Society agin, because it countenanced horse- 
racing. The Colonel’s friends said the opposition 
was all a political move, agin their party. At 
one time it looked as if we should have to give 
up the society, there was so much bitterness of 
feeling. It is surprising to see how far men will 
carry their political prejudices. Partizanship 
works into every thing, controls men’s votes for 
the officers, and committees of the Society and 
sometimes determines the award of premiums 
